Free Republic

He arguably did more than any other artist to raise morale during the dark days of the Second World War. But Noel Coward secretly longed for Nazi bombers to attack Hollywood because he was furious at the failure of fellow British stars in Los Angeles to rally to the country’s aid during the Blitz. In an angry letter to the novelist and dramatist Clemence Dane, which is among a cache of papers being sold at auction, the playwright and composer said longed for the ‘happy and beautiful’ bombing raid.

Front page, main headline: "HUSH MONEY — Jacko's secret $15m payoff to sex-case boy." Picture of Michael Jackson. [Mild interest — not enough to make me actually read the story — colored with some pity at seeing Jackson's self-mutilated face.] Yeah, yeah, what a surprise. Saw it on O'Reilly, anyhow. Starting to feel a bit sorry for the guy. Sure, he's a weird freak, but has he actually done any HARM? What proportion of American parents would let Jacko fondle their son for $15m? My guess: at least 10 percent. Would I? No! But being felt up by perverts used...