Images flash by, a surreal jumble of silent talk shows, cooking demonstrations, rock videos, natural disasters and people selling things. They are devoid of meaning, and I am riveted. Sometimes the juxtapositions are fabulous. When Bill and Hillary made their speeches, the images of cheating husbands, hard-faced wives and whooping audiences seemed to merge. Together, they said everything about America.
Old movies make the best viewing.
You don't need sound to appreciate the erupting waffles as Katharine Hepburn cooks breakfast for Spencer Tracy in Woman of the Year . Although I missed its title, I understood every moment of a silent movie about Felicitas, a siren who left her husband for Count von Harden, then married the count's best friend. So, while firming my gluteals and moulding my hamstrings, I have also been reshaping my attitude to television. In fact, the latter has proved easier. You can see what's coming, as inevitable as Felicitas's fate.