My homely English town....

[Sherlock Holmes]

Sherlock, where is Ipswich anyway? Is it closer to Manchester up north or London down south? Just curious.

80 or so miles from London...:

There you go.

[blitzpackage]

OK thanks. I guess I could have searched myself, but that would have taken all of the fun out of interacting with someone across the pond!

This guy does seem to have an insatiable appetite for violence and guys like that eventually get caught. Here's to hoping it's sooner rather than later...

[smsmith40]

He seems to like to work fast and targets are getting thin on the ground. He'll start to take risks soon, hopefully he'll make a mistake

[Huly]

Has there been any more?

[Sherlock Holmes]

Six is it so far.

Police all over the surrounding Eastern villages of Nacton and Levington. Struck me today, couple of months ago my Mum worked as a cleaner in Levington, and my Brother often went to the pub there last year.

SCARY.

Here's to them catching the ****.

[MontanaRed]

Montana, don't be embarassed. We all know that the majority of "Americans" like you are as gutless and sickly as your European cousins.

No need for meds OR threrapy and I have the medical records to prove it, thank you very much. Pesimism is the reality of modern America, Montana, just read my sig line and you'll understand why.

Oh, and sticking your head in the oven might not be such a bad idea. Though don't do it for my sake. I won't be seeing any more of your posts anyway, so it wouldn't likely be worth it.

And to Huly:

True, and after this response I won't be reading any more of your posts in the future.

And to SmSmith40:

BTW - Say hi to Huly and company for me as you're joining them on my ignore list.

Damn! He got three of us on his list in one thread. What a bizarre, pathetic, lonely, bitter man. The great news is I can say how I really feel! Bwahhhh hah hahaha

[G.A.C.O.L.B.]

I wonder how many people are on MSF's ignore list. I'm guessing at least 20.

Hey MSF, how many people are on your ignore list?

[MontanaRed]

Thanks Huly.

It's very strange. Being right in amongst it is like being in the Eye of the storm, eerily quiet, and you tend to forget the magnitude of it.

That's the perfect description - like when we had the sniper in our area. You went about your business as normally as possible, but there was an eerie quiet about. But we did get back to normal, (except for those whose lives were changed forever) and your town will too.

Hope it's soon.

[Huly]

Six is it so far.

Police all over the surrounding Eastern villages of Nacton and Levington. Struck me today, couple of months ago my Mum worked as a cleaner in Levington, and my Brother often went to the pub there last year.

SCARY.

Here's to them catching the ****.

I agree catch him and hang him!

And to Huly:And to SmSmith40:Damn! He got three of us on his list in one thread. What a bizarre, pathetic, lonely, bitter man. The great news is I can say how I really feel! Bwahhhh hah hahaha

Throw a party like I did! :laugh:

[MontanaRed]

Throw a party like I did! :laugh:

:laugh: :party: :jump: :dance: :dj:

Party with Huly! In the middle of the day no less!

:paranoid: Uh-oh, better get back to work!

[Sherlock Holmes]

:laugh: :party: :jump: :dance: :dj:

Party with Huly! In the middle of the day no less!

:paranoid: Uh-oh, better get back to work!

HAHAHA! Bet you wish you were on English time, 8pm

[Huly]

:laugh: :party: :jump: :dance: :dj:

Party with Huly! In the middle of the day no less!

:paranoid: Uh-oh, better get back to work!

You forgot the:

:40oz: :chug: :2drunks: :refill:

[Blighty Skins]

Let's keep this thread alive, so people who want to know about the progress (outside of the US) can...without looking too hard (Google). Lazy buggers.

Anyway. They realeased the last known sighting photo of one of the victims. The day she dies and it's CTV. She was 3 months pregnant. Which is sad but she was also a drug user. So saddest thing of all is for the poor baby...maybe it was saved a life of misery? Anyway, all of them were drug users and all in their 20s. All white, all of British origin.

Police at the mo seem incredibly stupid. The other day on the radio a top police bloke said that they now believe all 5 murders are linked because they were all prostitutes, all naked and all dumped in rural areas. Don't have to be Sherlock Holmes (no pun intended for oroginal poster ) to deduce that fact. From remembering a bit about the Yorkshire Ripper case...this is just a ploy. Police are incredibly clever over here...but they like to give the image that they are stumped.

Anyway: weird things....they were all strangled without putting up resistance. They were murdered up to weeks before then dumped. They were not sexually assaulted (though how you tell with a prostitute is beyond me). No DNA was ever found on any body.

The fact they were strangled, in early 20s (fit), drug addicts (usually stronger)...tells me it's either a very big bloke or more likely it was more than one...or maybe they were asleep at the time? No DNA tells me it's someone who knows what they are doing...like cleaning the bodies of all evidance before dumping them? Strangling them could just be a clean way of killing without leaving DNA, not necessarily a serial killer.

That's why I will go with the theory it's a Eastern European gang wanting to corner the market on prostitution in Ipswich area. Some of the Eastern European criminals are ex-agents and know all about hiding DNA. Yeah...it's a stupid theory but it's mine!

By the way...someone tell Mass_SkinsFan that more than likely his great-great grandparents were European, unless he's a Native or of African origin. So essentially you have European blood and DNA. Hello cousin!

[Mass_SkinsFan]

By the way...someone tell Mass_SkinsFan that more than likely his great-great grandparents were European, unless he's a Native or of African origin. So essentially you have European blood and DNA. Hello cousin!

Blighty, you actually haven't made your way onto the list yet.

The English/Irish/Scottish portion of my family came over here in about 1680. We don't know exactly where from because nobody would ever talk about it. The German portion of my family came here in 1910 and has never had any contact with the people they left behind. The Scandanavian portion of my family that came here in the 1820's similarly left all trace of their former lives in Europe

In all three cases the moment my ancestors arrived here, they gave up being European in everything but history. So while we may have similar genetic backgrounds we aren't "cousins" in any way that matters to me. Just as my cousin who married a gentleman from Brazil effectively ceased to exist in my mind the moment she moved to Rio.

[Blighty Skins]

Blighty, you actually haven't made your way onto the list yet.

The English/Irish/Scottish portion of my family came over here in about 1680. We don't know exactly where from because nobody would ever talk about it. The German portion of my family came here in 1910 and has never had any contact with the people they left behind. The Scandanavian portion of my family that came here in the 1820's similarly left all trace of their former lives in Europe

In all three cases the moment my ancestors arrived here, they gave up being European in everything but history. So while we may have similar genetic backgrounds we aren't "cousins" in any way that matters to me. Just as my cousin who married a gentleman from Brazil effectively ceased to exist in my mind the moment she moved to Rio.

Well you're on my list...of "misunderstood" people. I think you're essentially a good person (which is important), cares about values and people around him. Just goes about it in a slightly odd way which tends to alienate people.

You should relax more...the end of the day you can isolate yourself from people/countries but what good is that? Look at North Korea...would you like the US to become a bigger version of that nation? Because that's essentially what you're saying...and where will it end? Will you be satisfied with the US "going it alone" or start isolating your state from say New York which is full of liberals. Where does it end? Your town? House? Room in your house? :doh:

I think the best thing for you to do would be to get a passport and visit Europe. Yes...you will see a lot of morons over here...but you can ignore them cos you're a tourist and you can leave anytime you want...but at least you can say "I've seen the other side".

At least you can make your own mind up...you don't know if you will like ostrich meat unless you eat one....or horse meat..which I've eaten before...felt like galloping afterwards.

[Mass_SkinsFan]

Well you're on my list...of "misunderstood" people. I think you're essentially a good person (which is important), cares about values and people around him. Just goes about it in a slightly odd way which tends to alienate people.

I'm nowhere near as misunderstood as you think. I may be an essentially good person, but the number of people I truly care about is very small. Largely because I put my values and morals so much in the forefront of my life. I do tend to alienate people. Mostly because they don't like the fact that I tell it like it is and don't sugar-coat it.

You should relax more...the end of the day you can isolate yourself from people/countries but what good is that? Look at North Korea...would you like the US to become a bigger version of that nation? Because that's essentially what you're saying...and where will it end? Will you be satisfied with the US "going it alone" or start isolating your state from say New York which is full of liberals. Where does it end? Your town? House? Room in your house? :doh:

Isolated like North Korea, yes. With that sort of government, No. I think that the only way the US could ever move to that philosophy would eradicate the problems of state vs. state conflict. We'd done that in the past. Unfortunately the wrong group of states won the fight. I do already isolate myself from certain portions of society, and I always will.

I think the best thing for you to do would be to get a passport and visit Europe. Yes...you will see a lot of morons over here...but you can ignore them cos you're a tourist and you can leave anytime you want...but at least you can say "I've seen the other side".

At least you can make your own mind up...you don't know if you will like ostrich meat unless you eat one....or horse meat..which I've eaten before...felt like galloping afterwards.

I don't have a passport and I really have no interest in visiting Europe. The Europe I'd like to visit hasn't existed since before the Renaissance. Unfortunately you folks haven't even preserved enough of the medieval Europe for me to really be interested in trying to tour those few sites that still exist.

I already know enough about modern Europe to make up my mind on the continent. Oh, and I OWN a horse, so that's not a dinner dish I have any interest in trying.

[Blighty Skins]

So you liked Europe before the Renaissance? You mean the Dark Ages then? You know why it was called that? Because Europe had supposedly fallen on dark times. How can you like that? And actually, Europe has preserved a lot of stuff from the middle ages...we have hundreds of medieval towns...York for example. If you go to Italy they have even more..Florence is totally medieval.

If the US does isolate itself the whole world will shrug and carry on...with probably Europe and China taking it's place. You'll gradually get poorer because nobody will trade you anything (like North Korea)...have to sell your cars (hold onto that horse) because the Middle East will not sell you oil..and yes, you'll just become a big Romania or Sudan. Poor...desolate...getting food aid from the UN. Is that what you really want? I can't believe that to be honest. In fact, I think if you really got what you wanted, you'd be punching yourself in the face every morning thinking "why was I so stupid!?".

Do me a favour...switch off your electrics and heating, tell your wife/partner to hide your car keys and eat anything as long as it's from a tin...do that for a week then tell me you really want the US to go isolationlist. :doh:

[Mass_SkinsFan]

So you liked Europe before the Renaissance? You mean the Dark Ages then? You know why it was called that? Because Europe had supposedly fallen on dark times. How can you like that? And actually, Europe has preserved a lot of stuff from the middle ages...we have hundreds of medieval towns...York for example. If you go to Italy they have even more..Florence is totally medieval.

Yes, I'm well aware that it's called the Middle/Dark Ages. It's actually a period of European history that I study somewhat. Especially the Norman and Norse societies of that time period. It's a social order and lifestyle that I think was much simpler and in certain ways better than how we live today.

Interestingly, when I looked several years ago, I found a severe lack of historical tours and the like through Ireland, Scotland, England, Normandy, or Scandinavia (the areas I checked). Of course, there were 7, 10, & 14 day tours that had a day or two of historically linked activities, but to find a true "Historical" tour package seemed to be impossible.

If the US does isolate itself the whole world will shrug and carry on...with probably Europe and China taking it's place. You'll gradually get poorer because nobody will trade you anything (like North Korea)...have to sell your cars (hold onto that horse) because the Middle East will not sell you oil..and yes, you'll just become a big Romania or Sudan. Poor...desolate...getting food aid from the UN. Is that what you really want? I can't believe that to be honest. In fact, I think if you really got what you wanted, you'd be punching yourself in the face every morning thinking "why was I so stupid!?".

That's fine. I'd rather live a 13th century life based on proper morals and values than to live in a 21st century society where I'm walking knee deep in the slime and manure that is the social standard of modern society. Oh, and the UN is the first thing we need to kick out of the US if we can ever do this, so there would be no UN assistance.

Do me a favour...switch off your electrics and heating, tell your wife/partner to hide your car keys and eat anything as long as it's from a tin...do that for a week then tell me you really want the US to go isolationlist. :doh:

Actually, I do that for a week every year, and hopefully this next August I'll be doing it for 10-14 days instead. I've attended the world's largest medieval re-enactment event the last two years and find it quite a wonderful experience, thank you very much.

What you seem to have missed, Blighty, is that I understand what a totally isolationist US would likely be like. I don't think it would end up quite as bad as you believe, but it would definitely not be the same as the US I live in today.

[Blighty Skins]

Ok then...I get where you are coming from. I think a lot of people aren't really "happy" with today's society...but you have to be realistic. We will never go back to living like the Norsemen...you know...we'll never have villages with ox roaming the streets and men wearing bearskin holding a spear. If the US isolates itself it would bemore like the Madmax movies.

Though I think you should just make a list of the places where all these historic sights are and visit them individually and guaranteed you'll have a tour guide there on hand..you should visit the land of your ancestors ...it might do you good!!

[Blighty Skins]

How about this for a medieval town?

I've been there and it's geniune medieval...not fake. Imagine also that the photo was taken inside the castle...there's basically a moat (dry) and a portcullis-gate with a draw bridge over that. Not many tourists...it's an out of way place. In the summer they hold a medieval re-enactment in that piazza where all the towns-people dress up in period clothing and they lay a table going all around the piazza seating hundreds...local restaurants provide the food. They also have horse and knight displays...amazing stuff.

Here's the town from afar...see the castle tower? Tallest building to the left of centre...:

[Mass_SkinsFan]

Ok then...I get where you are coming from. I think a lot of people aren't really "happy" with today's society...but you have to be realistic. We will never go back to living like the Norsemen...you know...we'll never have villages with ox roaming the streets and men wearing bearskin holding a spear. If the US isolates itself it would bemore like the Madmax movies.

Obviously we're never really going to go back to a 13th century world. I don't think anyone believes we would. I was just commenting that I would prefer that style of life over what we currently have here in the US. Again, I'm not sure that the "MadMax" scenario is what would happen either. I think you'd realisticly see a return to a more "localized" lifestyle. One where people never ventured far from where they were born. Where local, not national or international issues would be the most important things on people's minds. But that's just my guesses on what would happen.

Though I think you should just make a list of the places where all these historic sights are and visit them individually and guaranteed you'll have a tour guide there on hand..you should visit the land of your ancestors ...it might do you good!!

I know people who've done that with mixed results. I know of a Tower of London tour guide who, when corrected that Duke William, not King Edward built the Tower, had the upstart American tourist removed from the tour group. I also know many people who have done self-tours of historic areas in Europe and enjoyed them immensely. I'm just not sure that I would feel comfortable traveling through the UK or Europe without a tour group. For many reasons, including the fact that I tend to be the boorish American most of the time.

As for visiting the land of my ancestors doing me good... I'm not so sure about that. It's really only the medieval history that I have an interest in, not the modern landscape and people (nothing personal).

BTW - What town/castle is that in the photographs?

[MontanaRed]

Beautiful pics, Blighty! I would love to do more traveling and see that someday.

I'm sure MSF prefers his week at the Pennsic wars with Society for Creative Anachronism, which is what I'm sure is what he's referring to participating in each year. It's "The Middle Ages as they should have been"!

[Blighty Skins]

The town name is "Castel' Arquato" in Italy. Apparently the earliest document is from a sale deed of a house in the town dated March 13th 760 AD (just looked it up)...so don't think you can get more Dark Ages then that considering Rome fell in about 570BC. The architecture is Germanic (I think) probably because of German barbarians who took over Italy during that time.

Here are some more pics....

This is the castel...see the portcullis?

and this is part of the re-enactment...though this is during the day...gets better at night cos they have horses and ride down the middle of the piazza....gets real hairy cause the horses slip on the cobbles and they are quite close to where you sit at the table...nice though...

The people all around warching are towns people, not actors...they all dress for the occassion.

Here's the link to the town

In Italian though...

[Mass_SkinsFan]

Very interesting photos and info, Blighty. Unfortunately I speak absolutely no Italian, nor do I have any interest or intention in learning any. That's part of why Italy wasn't on the list of places I'd looked for tour information. Thanks for the info though.

[MontanaRed]

An arrest has been made - thank goodness! It's on NBC right now. They interviewed a woman who actually took a car ride with him last night- yikes!