Right; stuff:
I can't believe how much comment this Guardian Best British Blog thing has kicked off. I don't have any particularly strong feelings one way or 'tother about the concept, though I do join in with the occasionally-expressed sentiment that something's off when people have happily accepted one award or another but then carp about this one. Generally, as with all 'best of' awards, I don't feel particularly strongly beyond thinking that it's vaguely tacky.
One thing I do find particularly mad, however, having looked at how The Guardian (The Guardian *online* this is) present the thing themselves, is that to enter, you have to download a hard-copy application form and post it to them. What the hell's that all about?
On the subject of vaguely-tacky awards, I notice that the Emmy nominations were announced while I was laid-up. Every year they crack me up that little bit more; and not just because they continue to look down their noses at anything that doesn't fit their teeny-tiny perspective on what has 'value' (no sensible recognition for Buffy *again*, despite it continuing to deliver better and more entertaining drama than half the stuff they do let in). Still, good showings for some legitimately good stuff (Six Feet Under tops the 'number of nominations' league, 24 shows, and except Rob Lowe, every single leading (and one supporting) actor from The West Wing get nods, which, for all that the standard of Season Three apparently slipped in some regards, does at least recognise that apart from the Buffy team, there is no finer ensemble in television. The full list of nominations is here, but brace yourself, it's pretty hefty. Some of the categories always do my head in: Outstanding Hairstyling For Miniseries, Movie Or A Special is always well-fought, as is Outstanding Main Title Theme Music....
Quite a bit of the coverage also hit on the fact that there's a hefty contingent of Brits up for one gong or another, including, among others, Diana Rigg, who I instinctively feel should receive any award available just for being so fabulous.
Elsewhere, I own four of the One Hundred Albums You Should Remove from Your Collection Immediately, and strangely, will be doing no such thing.
[Via Parallax View]
Finally for now, one thing I did do while I was laid up was find myself watching some of The Open, and I found myself questioning some of my long-held misconceptions about golf and golfers. The former, it transpires, can actually be quite exciting, while the latter, contrary to every expectation, can actually be quite young and attractive.
No entries for a couple of days because you'd soon have got bored with slept....sweated....changed bedding.....slept....sweated....changed bedding. interspersed with occasional unfortunate bathroom incidents.
*Anyway*....feeling better today, though still a little 'off'. And I've not exactly been surfing and finding fascinating things to share with the world, so this isn't exactly by way of being a major catch-up. Once I've had a chance to feel a bit more human I'll write more.