Behind the sleek glass façade of the University of East Anglia's new central London study centre, the chatter is upbeat, despite the gloomy subject.
A promising start with gains on the back of upbeat broker comment and takeover chatter around life insurer Friends Provident was short-lived.
The chatter after dinner was surprisingly upbeat.
Initially, from their chatter and laughter, and the repetitive, upbeat score that's heavy on the cimbalom and grind organ, the Fokkenses don't appear to have a care in the world.
One of the pleasures of watching pro fast-pitch is that you can sit close enough to hear the dugout chatter, which is remarkably — sometimes defiantly — upbeat, and to discern the players' nicknames for one another, which aren't always as predictable as men's (Gelato for Galati, for example).
Scott Laird has such a sunny personality it is difficult to imagine him in angry mode but even Scunthorpe United's resolutely upbeat left-back becomes a little cross when football's chattering classes sneer at the FA Cup.
