http://www.abctales.com/node/545542

I think this is a great bit of reportage that really wouldn't be out of place in a weekend newspaper supplement.

Please keep updating the diary Harry, I'm really learning a lot from it.

Cheers,

Mark Brown, Editor, www.ABCtales.com

...or laughing out loud to the purists.

I was on the tube this morning, and I thought I'd put in a CD (I'm still pre-iPod sadly - I'm like, so 1990s) of music. A cunning and sublime mixture of Jeff Buckley, Fiona Apple along with a naughty little bit of Led Zeppelin I tacked on the end.

I was looking forward to it.

I was shocked to discover I had inadvertantly loaded up Bill Hicks, Rant in E Minor. I let it play; I hadn't heard it in years.

http://books.guardian.co.uk/news/articles/0,6109,1599060,00.html

Brilliant story in today's Guardian stating that:

"Driven partly by pressure from incessant literary prize shortlists, more than one in three consumers in London and the south-east admit having bought a book "solely to look intelligent", the YouGov survey says."

It goes on to say that:

As soon as the skies turn grey and the leaves begin to fall, my thoughts turn to presents. Not Christmas presents, although the displays have already gone up in shops.

My birthday is creeping up on me once again.

In celebration of this, I'd like you all to click the amazon.co.uk link, which you will find at the bottom of the right hand side navigation bar, and find me something you think I should get for my birthday.

Don't worry, I'm not expecting you to buy me something, just post me a URL address (copy it from the address bar of your browser)

To parteeee.

We haven't had a party here for a while. *Uncorks a bottle of champagne and puts the Pretzels out and puts wham CD on.*

The thing I love most about parties is getting drunk and talking shit. The thing I hate most about parties is remembering the shit the next day.

So I will behave myself and talk about sensible things only. Can't think of anything sensible to say right now...

I am a huge fan of nancy's but this is wonderful -even by her incredibly high standards:

http://www.abctales.com/story/nancy_am/he-walked-away-from-the-typewrite...

Just check out all of her work!

From the BBC today:

A parrot that died from bird flu in UK quarantine did have the H5N1 strain , tests have confirmed. The autopsy showed that the parrot was bereft of life, it had ceased to be, and joined the choir invisible.........

Any more news headlines, in the style of your choice....?

http://www.abctales.com/story/dg/i-dont-want-you-to-read-this-anymore

WOW. I loved this. Dark, disturbing -- a massive insight into the 'woman friend' without too many words needed. A beauitul summary of the nuances of heartbreak/betrayal in such tight. dark words. Great awareness of people too.

There is nothing worse than giving out your soul to someone who doesn't understand it.

Good reading - thanks.