Temptation………..

Temptation is as old as man.
I am regularly tempted to make my absolute favourite mean: Macaroni cheese!
I make the meal itself without bacon – just the way veggies like it.
However, I fry some bacon separately and along with black pudding!
Wonderful!
But:
The doctor says “No!”
Result: Despair!
There are a lot of people faced with the same dilemma of wanting something badly but in the sure and certain knowledge that it will do them no good! My temptation is as described. There are many of course who desperately want to stop smoking. But carry on.
This was portrayed to great comedic effect by the late Kenneth Conner in the Film “Carry on Regardless” when he tried to stop smoking but the temptation proved too strong.
In the event of Royal Dutch Shell merging with BP – hopefully in around six months or a year’s time – I will have got my money back and will be in a position to replace the substantial income source that was RDS.
There will of course be one obvious choice that will more than restore the income I’ve lost: Imperial Brands!
Imperial Brands are of course a tobacco products manufacturer as as such are not invested in my institutional investors as it is deemed “unethical”. Unethical it may deemed to be but it is not illegal. Nevertheless this moral opprobrium depresses the share price. All of which explains why RDS and BP are so keen to earn Brownie points with the politicians over their green credentials. This because both companies rely on institutional investors. Something that is increasing past history for Imperial Brands.
I am a non smoker and apart from buying a few packets as a teenager – with the aim (unsuccessful) of impressing a girl I fancied – have never smoked.
So there you have it.
I am watching and waiting upon what happens with RDS and BP. If or when the merger happens and I find a large payment coming my way I’ll have to decide.