Woken by my phone thundering with notifications. Plane down somewhere in Ukraine. Allegations of missile attacks and terrorist acts. Finally the phone stops shivering around on the bedside table and I go back to sleep. A few hours later, it starts jumping up and down again. Israel crosses into Gaza. Ground invasion. Talk of “dreadful consequences.” I give up, get up, open email. That was a mistake. Television screen fills with fire and smoke. I go outside, smoke a cigarette, try to wake up and assemble the last few hours in my head. My phone rattles with received news again, and then shows nothing but an ! on the screen. ! and TEMPERATURE EMERGENCY.

Yeah. ! sums it up. Temperature emergency. The phone really could have just displayed ! to start with.

 

Reading: 131, Julian Cope