The Evil Diaries: “This is acting of a very high order”

Proxama (PROX) may have sold its payments division. If so, its fund-raising challenges are solved and the market can concentrate on the proximity advertising campaigns. 1.2p might be very cheap in these circumstances.

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Boris Johnson is a bit naughty in comparing the emergence of the EU as a form of Hitler at work. But he is right in one sense: the EU’s progenitors seek to control all of Europe. Once control is achieved there will be no checks on excesses within the empire. One loss would be the paramountcy of democracy (just consider where the EU has taken us even now on this front). That would be a Hitlerite result – it is merely that the sequence of events by which it is achieved is a bit different.

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Fifty years ago I was impressed by “whole of life” life policies. The feature which accompanied their sale to prudent long-sighted citizens was that the kind directors of the life assurer would increase the benefits paid as and when investment returns allowed them to do so. What the policies failed to emphasise and in practice, I suspect, to disclose was that the benefits could be reduced. The pressure for this latter result has now emerged all over the place and is an inevitable result of high and undisclosed commission paid to salesmen at the outset of the policies’ lives, indifferent stock market returns and the effect of health breakthroughs prolonging lives. Which is fine save that for not even a fraction of a second were buyers of policies put on notice that deterioration could result. The buyers merely trusted.

Actually, quite sensible people bought these policies. However, if you care to look at the Jeremy Kyle show on ITV from midday onwards on Sundays you will encounter the underclass in practice. The notion that such people can ever get involved in financial investments without advice is mad.

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Thinking ahead from the abandonment of Man U’s game yesterday, one’s first reaction is that Man U have a colossal, possibly uninsured, claim against the training company that left behind the suggestion of the presence of a bomb. But it seems probable to me that many potential claimants for ticket money refunds may, for one reason or another, never get round to making a claim. Given that the game is rescheduled for Tuesday evening (where presumably fresh ticket sales will be made) Man U could make an enhanced profit out of this Bournemouth game. The effect would be to negate the negligence claim against the training company. Who’d ‘a thunk it?

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Almost all actors think very highly of themselves and their opinions and, even if they do not, find themselves manipulated by publicists such that after a few years the actors cannot remember all the lies they have spewed out (a necessity for liars). In short, they are dissolved. One exception is Tom Hanks who has been practising his trade for decades and might therefore be expected to be a gibbering wreck by now. Au contraire. His broadcast appearances in London this past few days as part of his promotion of his latest flick, whose title I have forgotten, reveal him to be a real person. And witty with it. Arise Sir Tom. For services to being real rather than for acting. This is acting of a very high order.