The power of a cold shower.

Subject: The power of a cold shower.

There is a danger some days of not being able to get out of the chair !!
If your a sports fan there's the Formula 1 in Azerbaijan , if your into rugby there the early dawn in New Zealand with the Lions or an afternoon slot in South Africa to watch their game against France. There's boxing from the States, golf from Europe it's a never ending opportunity to move around the globe (unfortunately without the benefit of air miles) no jet lag, no dodgy hotel booking, or the long flight back. It's all done from my arm chair.
Couch potato was a term used for people who watched too much TV. It was a derogatory term used to disparage those people who felt good about themselves for being up and about in the fresh air.
Well to start with, today's air in not so fresh and the dreaded lurgi, the pollen count and a hay fever allergy is something to be avoided. There was also a type of fetish about this love of fresh air and its dreaded cousin the cold shower. It's as if pain is something which makes a man of you and the avoidance of discomfort makes you a wimp.
Well let me tell you, I travelled first class today and even the bacon butty which I had at half time was just what the doctor ordered.
It's hard to think how far we have come in such a short time. When I was growing up and TV came onto the scene, only one channel was available starting at 8.00 am with the signal being switched off at 11.00pm. It was broadcast initially from Alexander Palace and then from Crystal Palace in 1956. Black and white picture, the screen was only 9" and the electronics to allow us to see the picture ran on valves. The first 'broadcasts' from outside the country came from events, usually football, played in France. The figures on the screen were usually obliterated by atmospheric interference which looked like a snow blizzard with indistinct images we hoped were from the field of play. How simple were our tastes how easily we were satisfied to have this input of sport and culture into our living rooms.
Today we have 24/7 coverage a coverage that has become so commonplace that we barely appreciate it.  Perhaps it is time to return to the cold shower, it will if nothing else wake us up.