Thumb rules

It's much easier and safer to start a conversation with "I have heard" rather than "I believe". You have an easy escape route and don't necessarily offer any obvious sign of investing too much in the actual topic or any of the risky, potential fallout. Stay safe everyone, be vague, remain uncommitted and don't rip your trousers on that nail on the fence. Your future may depend on it. This is the basic rule of thumb for broadcasters and (some) journalists but can be successfully applied to all walks of life. Also never say "I understand" that's a ticking time bomb of a remark that has the subtle effect of association, the potential to support and the dripping, crawling consequence of nagging guilt. Careless talk costs lives.

Anyway, aside from puerile tips on crucial conversations and how to avoid social embarrassment I'm reminded that this came out about 44 years ago, almost to the second. Everything else is gone but the building is still intact, in fact it may well have been spruced up.