(no subject)

I'm getting all sorts of reminders that today, the 27th of February, is National Milk Tart Day. (I have a lot of South African sites on my feed.) Here are two links to recipes for melktert, or milk tart, a custard-based tart with a shortbread crust:

http://capemalaycooking.me/2014/02/27/national-milk-tart-day/

http://www.jacarandafm.com/post/happy-national-milk-tart-day/



Looks tasty! I think I need to try making this.

"Meet the man who could own Aviva France"

From Dan McCrum, writing at the FT Alphaville blog:

When he was seven years old, Max-Hervé George was given a magic ticket by his father. It lets him turn back the clock, to invest with perfect hindsight week after week, steadily accumulating a fortune.

...

There is no mystery to the financial magic, however. Instead it is a story of grand stupidity, of how a French insurer wrote the worst contract in the world and sold it to thousands of clients.
( details behind the cut )

I have the feeling if this happened in the States, American courts and American regulators might have been able to find a way to help the insurer out of their contract. The French courts may yet do that.

But until then, Vive la France! :)

(h/t Nick)