Here is the breaking news..... in blackpropaganda

You go out for the evening to a charity quiz - SW… was at another function - I get in before her - turn on the tv and am confronted by the live pictures from Paris. The obvious thing is to turn to Sky News which always does these ‘Breaking News’ things best - they throw all their resources at something and just stay with it - so when SW.. came in we turned over to BBC for Children in Need but it seemed so banal, even the stories about kids, and so we turned back…

..but then you realise that really this is not ‘news’ as you want it - no one knows what is going on - there are just disconnected pictures - the same information (what there is - much is conjecture) is given every few minutes - and there can be no standing back - it seems that just because it is ‘live’ it has some real value.

Clearly, the events in Paris will affect many of us in different ways - more security procedures etc - but life will go on much as before. Now, if the terrorists did another spectacular tonight, and then tomorrow night then that would cause panic because ‘normal’ life would be impossible and government would seem to be impotent. Luckily they don’t, but given their willingness to sacrifice themselves do not assume they will not.

So, no jokes today - I shall take a time out - and just wait for the rain. Apparently the remnants of Hurricane Kate are going to fall on us for the next 24 hours - and there will be flooding, plagues of frogs (only joking) - and my lawn will become a marshland, at the moment it is a meadow because I have not cut it, and it has been warm and the grass has grown even more.

And by the way, our team came third in the quiz - we expected to do better - but still I was able to bring home a selection of teas for SW.... who was suitable thankful!

Cup of tea anyone?