Nu, what about the news?

I spend too long with the news. On my phone. On the laptop.

When I have an excess of spare time, I even watch it on the TV, although only Channel 4. That is, if the downtime is between seven to eight during the week.

It is hard to avoid listening to updates on the Radio.

It is a noisy imperative banging at your brain.

I’m not sure why the newsmakers as so very intent in their mission.

Covid is a virus, so is the news.

Now, I am not saying anything about the news being untrue or fake, that is all a point of view.

Today, Boxing Day, in case you haven’t read my blog from earlier, there was a news item about Robert Maudsley, the UK’s Hannibal the Cannibal.

Here is a photo.

It is interesting that all of them are represented by tabloids.

I am not sure whether this is because the ‘broadsheets’ (not so broad anymore) don’t feel this newsworthy, or perhaps they feel this is beneath their readers, ‘Our readers would not be interested in such piffle,’ the editor might say. Who knows?

There are computer algorithms underlying this of far greater complexity that anything I can manage. The electronic processers are our ghosts in the social media machine.

And, where else can I go in my downtime, in the in-between moments?

In the queue, waiting for the pickup or drop-off, for the eggs to boil or. My porridge to cool.

I could play a game; I seem to be pulled-back to the news.

10 years ago, I used to buy the weekend Guardian. It was that and maybe Channel 4 and the radio.

Now it is BBC and Google News.

And, let’s face it, it is all bad news.

It is almost a certainty that all news must be bad and if it isn’t bad, it is not news.

Todays are:

Desmond Tutu has died – bad news
Omicron restrictions – bad news
Boxing Day tragedy – bad
Hannibal the Cannibal – bad
Woman died after… – and so on.
Myanmar violence
Wet Boxing Day
Tired of life?
Janice Long dies
Richard Osman (and his food addiction)

Maybe all of this is obvious and if you have read as far as this, or at least Richard Osman’s dietary peculiarities you might be waiting for a revelation, a special Rod analysis or top tip for avoiding the headlines.

Nowt.

Recently I found ‘UnHerd’ an online magazine. It tends to take an alternative view to the narrow newspaper headlines. And there is Positive News.

There is always the Crossword.

Or walking the dog.

Digeridoo or circular breathing.

Or Netflix.