Today

Connery was not at first liked by Ian Fleming, though he changed his mind / the prismacompany.co.uk

The twentieth century would not be the same without the massive importance of the cinema. And cinema would not be the same without the enlivening and mostly entertaining presence of the longest series of full length movies ever made with the same subjects –sex, death and snobbism. The series stars James Bond 007.

Ian Fleming wrote a fairly long list of thrillers with a British secret agent as the protagonist. who earned a 00 prefix to his codename, which put him at 7 in the hierarchy of MI6. There is quite a lot of Fleming himself in the portrait; he went to Eton, had a cold heart, and worked for the secret services during the War.

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The news from Cataluña is electrifying. A pride of politicians at the peak of politics have decided that education in Catalan schools shall be conducted in their regional language – Catalan or Catalá. Reading, writing and arithmetic; children of Catalans may learn English if they like, or German, or even Mandarin in the state schools. Catalan fee-paying schools (the almer mater of the pride of politicians) may continue learning the three Rs in Spanish as well if they like. At fee-paying schools it is the parents who pay who decide. (more…)

William Beveridge wrote the Report that started Secoial Security in Britain / en.wikipedia.org

Otto von Bismarck first thought of it. . .

What is it?

A system of financial maintenance organised by a government to protect the population of a country against loss of earnings resulting from sickness, unemployment, old age or any other misfortunes; to meet medical costs, and provide support to families with children. Such a thing was rare if not non-existent of in the 19^th century, and the term social security covers both social insurance and assistance schemes. (more…)

250 GTO / bornrich.com

What makes a motorcar ‘sexy’? The design of course, possibly its top speed, its comfort, sometimes the luxury of leather seats. It is the car itself which is sexy, because actually having sex in it can be extremely uncomfortable. Here you can find a list of my personal choices.                                             (more…)

For seven long years the PSOE has occupied the position of government in Spain. The elections of the rapidly approaching November 20 will, in the view of the analysts, present the Spanish people with an alternative government formed by the PP. The party at present in opposition might win these imminent elections with a majority sufficient properly to govern the country without having recourse to the autonomies – those careless, spendthrift former regions whose reckless extension of debt has done a great deal of damage to the economy: possibly irreparable damage.

The Lower House has just voted (by 90%) to amend the Constitution suitably to prevent such abandoned and thoughtless community spending. Naturally both Cataluña and the Basque Country tried to stop the reform by begging for a referendum (unnecessary) and subsequently leaving the House during the vote, accompanied by the less timid of other deminutive parties. It did not work, and the proposition will now be open for debate in the Upper Chamber. (more…)

/telegraph.co.uk

Arturo Pérez-Reverte (Cartagena 1951) is a writer in the Hemingway mould whose books I wouldn’t and couldn’t miss for the world. His idea of the perfect holiday is to sail his own twelve metre yacht single-handed around the Mediterranean, putting in at beautiful ports of ill repute and historic interest. I should love to join him but he would be resolute about the ‘single-handed’ part. (more…)