In the early years of platypus science, placing the platypus in the correct taxonomic category was a matter of national pride among English and continental scientists, who vied for specimens and engaged in a cross-channel war of words in scholarly journals.
The year is 1936, and through the static we discern that across the English Channel, world war is a-brewing.
From now on, the firm-but-fair headmistress Mrs Morrison suggests, girls should channel their war efforts into sewing bed jackets for soldiers rather than offering to be their friends.
"Omit the Logic" (the title comes from a line by Mr. Banks: "Sometimes to understand Richard, you had to first omit logic") is the second presentation in Showtime's "Sho Closeup" documentary series, the latest front in the channel's war with HBO for pay-cable supremacy.
It has suffered from the cross- channel operators' wars.
We hope its only a question of time before Paul McNutt devises a way of directing all this good, healthy blood lust into the constructive channels of war.
Lines of trenches had been dug by both sides, running from the Swiss border to the English Channel as the war of manoeuvre ended and trench warfare began.
Just as depressing was Angus Macqueen's third instalment of Our Drug War (Channel 4).
So far there has been little sign of trouble, although last year Latvian authorities temporarily banned a Russian television channel for broadcasting "war propaganda".
The town's potential as a port has been limited by its frontier position, however, and by the damage to the Danube navigation channel in World War II.
