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Absolutely right, Mr. Ingrams,

In my spare time I no longer read Schopenhauer or Tolstoy, but mostly thrillers, historical novels, books about old London, biographies, diaries, memoirs and such. I have mentioned before, I hope, James Lees-Milne, whose utterly magnificent diaries I have been …

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Putrid salute to gullibility

Today I received – not for the first time – a message from “Continental Who’s Who”. It was a bit like the one I keep getting from someone who tells me I can belong to something vaguely, but not really, …

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Tell it to the polar bears, girl

Yesterday was an important day for me. July 4th was my late mother’s birthday. On that date here in the U.S., though, they celebrate their freedom from us Brits. Last night I concluded this gave everyone the right to get …

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Necropower rules, OK

If you ever wonder about the difference between being alive and dead, wonder no more. Mark Roesler, chairman and chief executive officer of CMG Worldwide, whose clients include James Dean and Marilyn Monroe said yesterday, re Michael Jackson: “There’s really …

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Smirking Mandy takes piss – again

I see Lord Mandelbum has taken time off from his task of making sure the Bliar’s lies about the Iraq war are not revealed to say something risibly hypocritical even by his obscenely subterranean standards. The “Business Secretary” whose chief …

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When Gods walked the earth

Apparently we British owe £230 billion to credit card companies and banks for loans other than mortgages. Greed on the part of the lenders and the stupidity of punters have created this mess, with the average debt being £5000 per …

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Bizarre economic paradoxes

I read in the Saturday New York Times that human beings – to the astonishment of the geniuses in charge – are behaving the way you would expect them to. They are saving money. The authorities want them to spend …

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A good epigraph for Michael J

I see that, just as I feared, mass hysteria rules over Michael Jackson. The politicians, as usual, sought publicity. Jesse Jackson* whizzed off to get his picture taken, hotly followed by Al Sharpton*, who makes him look the epitome of …

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