Last week, as Nestlé's top man, Peter Brabeck-Letmathe, enjoyed the schmoozefest in Davos, activists Baby Milk Action held a conference nearby to unveil a document that claims Nestlé haven't quite played straight with Clooney.

He could hang about a bar-room, discussing the affairs of the nation, for twelve hours together; and in that time could hold forth with more intolerable dulness, chew more tobacco, smoke more tobacco, drink more rum-toddy, mint-julep, gin-sling, and cocktail, than any private gentleman of his acquaintance. This made him an orator and a man of the people. In a word, the major was a rising character, and a popular character, …

Many high performance aircraft are equipped with a Machmeter for monitoring Mcrit. The Machmeter is essentially an airspeed instrument that is calibrated in relation to Mach on the dial.

The true ephemerist is as committed to the smallest neglected fragment as to the spectacular 'collector's piece'.