I've always wanted to ask you John, do you receive some sort of sick pleasure from asking utterly inane and pointless questions, or is it simply yet another symptom of your overwhelming desire to listen to the sound of your own voice?
*slumps into arm chair*
As this story will only snowball further should there be the merest hint of further media interference... I suppose a drink is the only sensible response.
*Summons tumblers and booze* *Pours drinks* *Hands one drink over*
So, since we're on the subject anyway, do you think the wider media will run with this story, or are you going to have The Machine take some time out form the AV campaign to ensure that that does not happen?
Peter, don't be preposterous, you created The Machine to serve you. Furthermore to that point, I'd be rather worried if it began pursuing its own line of policy; I may not always agree with your conduct, but at least you have the experience of previous mistakes to guide your thinking, something The Machine does not possess.
And you, actually, if something untoward were to occur.
John I am appalled that you could suggest such a notion. I realise that your views on this matter, and indeed on any matter, are distorted by the prism of your conservative idealogy and that it is an intellectual disadvantage that you have struggled manfully to overcome in order to attain the neutrality required by dint of the office with which you have been invested, but really, to suggest that I have made mistakes? They are experiments, John.
'Experiments' that went wrong, mistakes, there's not much of a difference, really. Besides, it is not as if you've never admitted to making mistakes before.
I believe my exact words were "Kay Burley uses her unrivalled knowledge of the worlds of politics, media and celebrity to racy effect." Apparently describing her political knowledge as 'unrivalled' was not sufficient indication that the comment was somewhat tinged with sarcasm.
Oh, come now Peter, you can't pretend you have a particularly distinguished taste in literature; you're a self confessed Bridget Jones fan, for goodness sake!
Is it? Oh, I really am terribly sorry, in that case - I've absolutely no idea how I could possibly think your own taste in books had anything whatsoever to do with the way in which your comments about other novellas in the same genre are taken. I shan't mention it again.
John, I refuse to be patronised by a man who, at the age of 40 years no less, considered a care bear card to be an appropriate gift for the object of his affections.
Really? Please, do tell Bridget, what would have been a better gift for a singleton such as myself to have bought? Which self help book should I have invested in? Would I have been better served, perchance, if I had behaved in a fashion more reminiscent of Mr Darcy and instead of poor attempts at affection simply have repressed them entirely?
*mutters* Sideburns might have concealed some of the pock-marks.
I am so terribly sorry John, I had forgotten that a simple invitation to dinner would obviously be unworkable; the risk of being fatally assaulted by some small, innocuous insect is far too high.
Exactly; knowing my luck if I had invited a lady out to dinner, not only would wasps likely have turned up and thus caused me to humiliate myself in front of the woman, but my dinner companion would probably have turned out to be allergic to wasp stings too...
Oh fine, fine; he was upset about not being allowed to go on the march on Saturday, but Sally and I agreed that if he wants to go on a protest then he needs to fully understand both sides of the argument before he does and we didn't feel he was quite up to that yet. Instead he spent all day practicing his spells and ignoring me.
Oliver... didn't particularly want to talk about it. Jemima on the other hand threw things every time they showed the march on television and babbled in what I can only interpret as disgust at some of the people interviewed.
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branchandroot
(no subject)
Date: 2011-03-28 05:51 pm (UTC)...drink?
(no subject)
Date: 2011-03-28 05:58 pm (UTC)Hemlock, on ice.That would depend on whether it was accompanied by a smug smirk or not.
(no subject)
Date: 2011-03-28 06:02 pm (UTC)Too early for the single malt?
(no subject)
Date: 2011-03-28 06:06 pm (UTC)...it's past seven o'clock.
(no subject)
Date: 2011-03-28 06:11 pm (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2011-03-28 06:16 pm (UTC)I've always wanted to ask you John, do you receive some sort of sick pleasure from asking utterly inane and pointless questions, or is it simply yet another symptom of your overwhelming desire to listen to the sound of your own voice?*slumps into arm chair*
As this story will only snowball further should there be the merest hint of further media interference... I suppose a drink is the only sensible response.
(no subject)
Date: 2011-03-28 06:22 pm (UTC)*Summons tumblers and booze*
*Pours drinks*
*Hands one drink over*
So, since we're on the subject anyway, do you think the wider media will run with this story, or are you going to have The Machine take some time out form the AV campaign to ensure that that does not happen?
(no subject)
Date: 2011-03-28 06:28 pm (UTC)The Machine is a sentient being and may stick to
myits own agenda. This is a short term embarrassment, I am sure, nothing more.(no subject)
Date: 2011-03-28 06:36 pm (UTC)*sips*
(no subject)
Date: 2011-03-28 06:47 pm (UTC)And you, actually, if something untoward were to occur.John I am appalled that you could suggest such a notion. I realise that your views on this matter, and indeed on any matter, are distorted by the prism of your conservative idealogy and that it is an intellectual disadvantage that you have struggled manfully to overcome in order to attain the neutrality required by dint of the office with which you have been invested, but really, to suggest that I have made mistakes? They are experiments, John.
(no subject)
Date: 2011-03-28 07:10 pm (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2011-03-28 07:16 pm (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2011-03-28 07:25 pm (UTC)...I didn't know you'd branched out into literary criticism.
(no subject)
Date: 2011-03-28 07:39 pm (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2011-03-28 07:42 pm (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2011-03-28 07:48 pm (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2011-03-28 07:58 pm (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2011-03-28 08:12 pm (UTC)...and if you're going to mock my reading material you could at least have the decency to top up my glass.
(no subject)
Date: 2011-03-28 08:20 pm (UTC)*Tops up glasses*
(no subject)
Date: 2011-03-28 08:30 pm (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2011-03-28 08:35 pm (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2011-03-28 08:42 pm (UTC)Sideburns might have concealed some of the pock-marks.
I am so terribly sorry John, I had forgotten that a simple invitation to dinner would obviously be unworkable; the risk of being fatally assaulted by some small, innocuous insect is far too high.
(no subject)
Date: 2011-03-28 08:47 pm (UTC)Still, none of that matters now.
(no subject)
Date: 2011-03-28 08:52 pm (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2011-03-28 08:58 pm (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2011-03-28 09:00 pm (UTC)As much as I am loathe to admit it... they do, occasionally, stumble across a nugget... of truth.
(no subject)
Date: 2011-03-28 09:03 pm (UTC)Yes, well, on this occasion they haven't stumbled across a nugget of truth.
...Fine, technically, they have - yes, she is leaving, but I did not have a great deal to do with it. It was her decision.
(no subject)
Date: 2011-03-28 09:06 pm (UTC)*sips drink*
How's Freddie getting on?
(no subject)
Date: 2011-03-28 09:11 pm (UTC)Oh fine, fine; he was upset about not being allowed to go on the march on Saturday, but Sally and I agreed that if he wants to go on a protest then he needs to fully understand both sides of the argument before he does and we didn't feel he was quite up to that yet. Instead he spent all day practicing his spells and ignoring me.
(no subject)
Date: 2011-03-28 09:14 pm (UTC)Shame on you for stifling your son's political urges. What was Oliver's opinion of the whole business?
(no subject)
Date: 2011-03-28 09:20 pm (UTC)Oliver... didn't particularly want to talk about it. Jemima on the other hand threw things every time they showed the march on television and babbled in what I can only interpret as disgust at some of the people interviewed.