Time to get together in cyberspace and celebrate.

It has been an absolute delight for me, an Aussie born in Europe, to hang out with the mostly UK based but also people from other places, here.

Thanks first to our host, who has obviously used his Big Oil cheques (or direct debits, in this modern world) to good effect. Every time it coughs, splutters, and threatens to die, he throws a few careless gold pieces at the site managers, and somehow it gets going again.

Seriously, Andrew Montford has become recognised as a major player in the debate, and has had a crash course in public communication - each time is better than the last, and he may end up being very successful in that sphere, not just in this context.

Most importantly, the impact of rising energy costs has penetrated the skulls of even the most dim-witted MPs, and the international trends have penetrated the skulls of the less dim-witted ones.

To all, very best wishes for the festive season, and here's hoping that the pressure on energy consumers - both domestic and commercial - decrease in 2014 so that we can all have a prosperous New Year.

Merry Christmas!

dougie, what does "lang may your lum reek" mean? It sounds vaguely threatening, although that would be at odds with the well-known placid temperament of the traditional Scots. :)

Oh, and John Shade, that rendering of "Rejoice" is superb. I have reposted it to one of the largest blogs here in Oz. While I'm not a Christian, Christian choral music is an art form that ranks above opera, IMO.