At work I’m lucky enough to have a telly near my desk. So if the distractions of the internet weren’t enough, and with the constant sound of the radio, I’ve got something else to distract me.
Yesterday was the first day of the first Test, so it was going to be Channel 4 all the way, but then some buggers started letting off detonators at lunchtime failing to ignite their bombs and we had to go over to Sky News (I’d be happy to watch BBC News 24 who are somewhat soberer in their coverage, but it’s not an option on our loop. Not that I can really complain about that when I asked, and got, Sky Sports 1 put on the loop).
The result of all this was that even though I have the remote control and so in some ways should be considered a TV Alpha Male, I was more reliant on the web to keep me abreast of the ups and downs at Lords.
Today, with someone getting shot at Stockwell and possibly a mosque getting surrounded somewhere (but possibly not), I’ve fallen back to BBC Five Live Sports Xtra on DAB, Sky News, Virgin Radio in the background and from time to time I do some work.
Incidentally, my favourite bit of coverage from Sky News yesterday was when they were interviewing an eyewitness near the Hackney bus who was speaking to them on a mobile phone. After a few questions and answers, the eyewitness said that she was being told to turn off her mobile phone by police in case it triggered a bomb. The Sky News presenter then said, “Before you turn off your phone, can I ask you one more question…?” Fortunately for all concerned the witness was not stupid enough to hang on any longer.
They cut to another eyewitness on another phone, and they were also being told to turn off their mobile. This time, another Sky News anchor explained how they were being completely responsible in not trying to continue their conversations, and someone else chipped in with the thought that the bombs might have been triggered with cell phones like those in Madrid were.