And News Quiz returns for the start of the London season. Somehow it's already mid-September. And Last Night of the Proms tonight. I remember, in the days before ubiquitous wi-fi, walking up and down a subway platform on the long commute, deep in the outer boroughs, trying to cadge a network to catch a few mintutes of it live.
When I was in those years of constant auditions in the city, I actually made a practice of listening to PMQs and the BBC parliament coverage. Seemed like a good way to get the news without being drawn into the labyrinth of mediation. If word could reach the chamber, the topic was probably important, and I'd rather listen to the words that the MPs use to describe it than the writers and television reporters. The λεγειν.
There's a universe of promptings that you can tune your electronic device towards. I've always found it more useful to use it to eavesdrop on the events going on in worthwhile places, as opposed to enjoying the device as an end in itself.