Digested

In Uncle Tungsten, Oliver Sacks described his aunt Lina as "enchanting in company, when she would glitter and coquette, but also listen intently, judging the character and motive of everyone around her. She would draw confidences out of the unwary, and with her diabolical memory, retain all that she had heard."

"But her ruthlessness, her unscrupulousness, had a noble purpose, for she used them to raise money for the Hebrew University. She had dossiers, it seemed, on everyone in England...and once certain of her information and sources, she would lift the phone. "Lord G.? This is Lina Halper." There would be a pause, a gasp, Lord G. would know what was coming. "Yes," she would continue pleasantly, "yes, you know me. There is that little business--no, we won't go into details--that little affair in Bognor, in March '23...No, of course I won't mention it, it'll be our little secret--what can I put you down for? Fifty thousand, perhaps? I can't tell you what it would mean to the Hebrew University.""

A very effective means of fund raising. Hmmm, kde-blackmail?