Topic: To heat or not to heat...

[George]

Phil - I am sorry but I don't understand your analogy at all. Sure, I choose to live without heating or hot water, and they were negligent by removing their existing system without a 100% guarantee of a new heating system. How could he have been so stupid?

Incidentally, if Onions is reading this, I think it was a good idea to separate out these heating threads but why isn't it within the section on "Talk About anything apart from curry" (or something like that)? The last time I looked, it was still in the section for Grow your own spices.

[Peripatetic Phil]

I have to say, George, that although you undoubtedly have many admirable and commendable personal traits, there are times when I am forced to suspect that empathy might not be one of them ...
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** Phil.

[George]

It depends on the situation, of course. I certainly feel sorry for Allegra Stratton, seeing her go from a happy, smiling face in the Downing Street video to a tearful woman, unfairly criticised a year later, this week. I hope the person who released the video is caught and punished. An informal moment like that should never have been retained on video in the first place. The man who asked the (practice) question about a 'party' is far more to blame, if anyone is.

[Peripatetic Phil]

Oddly enough, I had exactly the opposite reaction when the story broke, wishing that our Prime Minister had the guts to follow the example of his former Japanese counterpart Shinzo Abe, who fought back tears when announcing his resignation on 28th August last year.  Shinzo-sama said (in Japanese, of course) "I cannot continue being prime minister if I do not have the confidence that I can carry out the job entrusted to me by the people.  I apologise from the bottom of my heart that despite all of the support from the Japanese people, I am leaving the post with one full year left in my term".

As to Allegra Stratton, any sympathy that I might have felt for her vanished when she switched from apologising to unashamedly trotting out the party line :  "I will always be proud of what was achieved at COP 26 in Glasgow, and the progress that was made on coal, cars, cash and trees.  This country, and the Prime Minister's leadership on climate change and on nature, will make a lasting difference to the whole world".  Total b@ll@cks, nothing whatsoever to do with the party that she attended and about which she joked, and totally irrelevant to her announcement to the press of her resignation.
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** Phil.

[Onions]

Incidentally, if Onions is reading this, I think it was a good idea to separate out these heating threads but why isn't it within the section on "Talk About anything apart from curry" (or something like that)? The last time I looked, it was still in the section for Grow your own spices.

Indeed it was, and apologies for missing that trick; now moved to the correct forum  thanks to George for the heads up.

[Garp]

One suspects, perhaps, that George attended one of the Downing Street parties. That's the only reason I can see for feeling any sympathy for this woman whose only reason for crying was because she got caught.

[Secret Santa]

whose only reason for crying was because she got caught.

I think her tears were more a result of being made the fall "guy" for the many other odious toffs who have been caught red handed. Can't deny I got a glowing sense of schadenfreude from her bleating though.

[George]

One suspects, perhaps, that George attended one of the Downing Street parties. That's the only reason I can see for feeling any sympathy for this woman whose only reason for crying was because she got caught.

Unfortunately I wasn't invited, of course. I doubt if anyone outside was invited or attended. How do you define a party? Would it include the same group of people who work together every day, who gather round to have a chat? If they work late, as they often would, then perhaps food is delivered to keep them going. Would that make it a party? As for Allegra Stratton getting caught, I suggest she didn't do anything wrong, whatsoever. She didn't need to apologise for anything.