Being an internet refuge for Graeme McMillan
You’ve heard of “Inbox Zero,” but I bet you didn’t know that “Inbox One Thousand” was the new cool thing, did you?
(In my defense, the unread emails are mostly spam and/or PR mails, and it’s also not my main mail but a back-up that gets a bunch of re-directed email from old sites I’ve written for. But still, yes, I should deal with that.)
From the Guardian’s Photo Blog:
A young female bear plays with a barrel in the South Kamchatka Sanctuary, Russia. The sanctuary occupies 225,000 hectares of land and is listed as a Unesco world heritage site. More than 1,000 brown bears live there. Photograph: Igor Shpilenok/Barcroft Media
Sure, it looks cute now, but one day we’ll look back and think of this pic as the first hint of things to come in the Planet of the Apes-style bear-centric world in which we’ve come to know.
Finally, finally finished watching the second season of The Hour this past weekend. It remained a wonderfully watchable show – Smart, suspenseful, funny when it needs to be – and continued to feel like Mad Men with simultaneously more self-importance and less self-satisfaction; for those who haven’t seen it, you should check it out. Even if the final episode’s climax is somewhat telegraphed, it’s a really nice piece of television.
What’s interesting looking back at the trailer for the season is how much of it comes from the last half – and the last episode – of the season, and yet, all of those scenes played out fresh when I eventually saw them in context. A nice piece of editing, BBC trailer makers, and a nice argument for having the entire season of a show in hand before cutting trailers, too.
From the Guardian’s Photo Blog:
Tigger, the Pomeranian, is groomed by Michelle Ridenour during the 137th Westminster Kennel Club dog show in New York. Photograph: Mary Altaffer/AP
Oh, come on. Just look at how happy he looks.
I can only imagine the excitement at the BBC when they discovered Rachel Khoo. “It’s like someone crossed Jamie Oliver with Nigella Lawson!” they must’ve exclaimed in glee. Despite the weird, almost too perfect for television quality about her, I have to admit; I really enjoy The Little Paris Kitchen, and find Khoo terrifically watchable.
I mean, come on. Who doesn’t want to make that cake? Or just eat it?
From the Guardian’s Photo Blog:
An amazing sight as fireworks illuminate the skyline in Hong Kong for Chinese new year. Photograph: Philippe Lopez/AFP/Getty Images
Let’s Begin Again.
Another weird, overwhelming week of work is slowly(ish) coming to a close, with this week’s Time piece acting as some form of punctuation: Here I am, writing about Joss Whedon, J.J. Abrams and the connection between genre TV showrunners and the running of massive movie franchises.
From the Guardian’s Photo Blog:
A child held by his father cries as he holds an umbrella in the snow at the Shanghai Railway Station in Shanghai, China. Million of Chinese are expected to cramp onto China’s train network in the coming weeks to return home for the Chinese Lunar New Year. Photograph: Eugene Hoshiko/AP
I think we can all say that this week has made us feel a little like this little kid looks, right…?
From the Guardian’s Photo Blog:
More dog news: Duma, a seven-year-old Jack Russell terrier, rides a wakeboard pulled by a remote controlled boat operated by her owner Cliff Bode, of Chicago, while practicing for the Vancouver International boat show in Vancouver, British Columbia, last night. Photograph: Darryl Dyck/AP
There is no good reason in the world to make this poor dog do this.
From the Guardian’s Photo Blog:
Gale-force winds from the north make spectacular pictures as they battered the seafront at Seahman harbour, south of Sunderland. Photograph: Owen Humphreys/PA
GET OUT OF THAT LIGHTHOUSE. You’re going to be crushed by a gigantic, terrifying wave.