Survivors for BBC One
Another classic series comes back to the BBC. Although as well known as Doctor Who, Survivors was a brilliant series, at its best it was disturbing, thought provoking and exciting.
Can't help wondering if the BBC would have preferred to remake Blake's 7, though. But the rights were taken up a few years ago by an independent company. They promised a TV mini series, but it turned out to be a radio show released on CD.
Thursday, 22 November 2007
Monday, 19 November 2007
Friday, 16 November 2007
Wet vet meets geek chic...
BBC - Doctor Who - News - Watch Crash, Raise Cash!
Time Crash
I'm looking forward to the event of the, um, month? David Tennant and Peter Davison star in a special 'scene' (probably around 7 mins long with credits), and it's written by top Doctor Who scribe Steven Moffat.
Part of the 15-hour (or at least that's what it feels like) Children in Need extravaganza, we'll probably turn off the television set and do something less boring instead when it's over. Or stick around to watch John Barrowman (Torchwood's Captain Jack) sing a song -- maybe he'll do a duet with the Face of Boe?
Tuesday, 13 November 2007
London to ban plastic bags?
Q&A: Plastic bags
Hooray if it's true. It would be great if everyone did it voluntarily, but spend ten minutes in any supermarket and you'll find it hard to spot anyone refusing, reusing or bringing along a bag for life.
I wrote an article for /thoughts magazine about this very subject: www.emergingculture.co.uk
It's not on their website, so here it is:
Bag to the future
I was watching a TV show from the 1970s - an episode of Nigel Kneale's Beasts called 'What Big Eyes'. It's a horror story about a pet shop owner who's trying to turn into a werewolf by injecting himself with wolf's blood. I was horrified. Not about the story, that was great, but while watching one of the scenes something made me shudder...
Someone pops into the pet shop and buys some dog food. And the shopkeeper - a lady who's thankfully not trying to turn into a werewolf - gives the customer a red plastic bag. I felt cold.
The reason for the chill was this: I realised that the plastic bag still exists. The set has been dismantled, the dog food eaten, the actors involved may have retired or died. But the plastic bag is still out there. Waiting .
If the plastic bag ended up on landfill it will take up to 1,000 years to degrade. This means that every plastic bag you have ever owned still exists. So if you're around for the next millennium in the year 3,000 (when hopefully we won't be plagued by pet shop owning werewolves) you can celebrate the end of all the plastic bags manufactured in the 20th century.
Then we can all breathe a sigh of relief. The red plastic bag is no more. Or is it? Unfortunately, when it breaks down the resulting plastic particles are highly toxic, contaminating soil and water. Japanese researchers found that debris from plastic bags act like a sponge for toxic chemicals, soaking up a million-fold greater concentration of deadly compounds like PCBs and DDE. No, I'm not entirely sure what they are either. Except that they are bad. Really bad.
In 2002, polythene bags were banned in Bangladesh, after it was found they blocked drainage systems and helped to cause the floods that submerged two-thirds of the country in 1988 and 1998. More than 1,000 people died and millions were left homeless. Perhaps we Christian should refuse plastic bags? I could be wrong, but I think it's what God would want.
Well, I've given up accepting plastic bags when shopping and you might like to do the same. But here's a few words of warning because it's not easy. Firstly you need to be prepared. You need to buy bags for life. Not 'a bag' for life - and I can't stress this enough - you will need more than one. Then you need to populate your life with them. Keep some at home, three or four in the back of the car, one in your draw at work, one in your handbag or manbag.
Now comes the difficult part. Once you have gathered your goods and arrived at the checkout you must utter the incantation: 'It's OK I don't need a bag'. This may need to be said a number of times as you may be greeted with surprise, confusion, even alarm from the checkout staff. People will stare. No one will help you as you put your shopping in the bag for life - they're trained not to.
After you've carried the goods home and returned the reusable bag to it's its convenient spot, you can then sleep sound at night knowing that you haven't poisoned the future. Best not to think about the werewolves though.
Hooray if it's true. It would be great if everyone did it voluntarily, but spend ten minutes in any supermarket and you'll find it hard to spot anyone refusing, reusing or bringing along a bag for life.
I wrote an article for /thoughts magazine about this very subject: www.emergingculture.co.uk
It's not on their website, so here it is:
Bag to the future
I was watching a TV show from the 1970s - an episode of Nigel Kneale's Beasts called 'What Big Eyes'. It's a horror story about a pet shop owner who's trying to turn into a werewolf by injecting himself with wolf's blood. I was horrified. Not about the story, that was great, but while watching one of the scenes something made me shudder...
Someone pops into the pet shop and buys some dog food. And the shopkeeper - a lady who's thankfully not trying to turn into a werewolf - gives the customer a red plastic bag. I felt cold.
The reason for the chill was this: I realised that the plastic bag still exists. The set has been dismantled, the dog food eaten, the actors involved may have retired or died. But the plastic bag is still out there. Waiting .
If the plastic bag ended up on landfill it will take up to 1,000 years to degrade. This means that every plastic bag you have ever owned still exists. So if you're around for the next millennium in the year 3,000 (when hopefully we won't be plagued by pet shop owning werewolves) you can celebrate the end of all the plastic bags manufactured in the 20th century.
Then we can all breathe a sigh of relief. The red plastic bag is no more. Or is it? Unfortunately, when it breaks down the resulting plastic particles are highly toxic, contaminating soil and water. Japanese researchers found that debris from plastic bags act like a sponge for toxic chemicals, soaking up a million-fold greater concentration of deadly compounds like PCBs and DDE. No, I'm not entirely sure what they are either. Except that they are bad. Really bad.
In 2002, polythene bags were banned in Bangladesh, after it was found they blocked drainage systems and helped to cause the floods that submerged two-thirds of the country in 1988 and 1998. More than 1,000 people died and millions were left homeless. Perhaps we Christian should refuse plastic bags? I could be wrong, but I think it's what God would want.
Well, I've given up accepting plastic bags when shopping and you might like to do the same. But here's a few words of warning because it's not easy. Firstly you need to be prepared. You need to buy bags for life. Not 'a bag' for life - and I can't stress this enough - you will need more than one. Then you need to populate your life with them. Keep some at home, three or four in the back of the car, one in your draw at work, one in your handbag or manbag.
Now comes the difficult part. Once you have gathered your goods and arrived at the checkout you must utter the incantation: 'It's OK I don't need a bag'. This may need to be said a number of times as you may be greeted with surprise, confusion, even alarm from the checkout staff. People will stare. No one will help you as you put your shopping in the bag for life - they're trained not to.
After you've carried the goods home and returned the reusable bag to it's its convenient spot, you can then sleep sound at night knowing that you haven't poisoned the future. Best not to think about the werewolves though.
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