Planet Earth - Review

Not a review of the world in general, but the blindingly and arse-achingly fantasmic piece of filming that is Planet Earth. I got it on DVD for christmas, and despite seeing it before, need to now write about it.

In an age when climate campaigners are about as irritating as an itchy scalp, and Live Earth being about as entertaining as Irritable Bowel Syndrome, getting people to really care about the world is pretty difficult. Before I saw Planet Earth, I wanted to help, but saving rainforests didn't seem appealing when I could be sitting on a wicker chair; (is wicker from rainforests?) saving the icebergs didn't tempt me - not when they could ship the arctic ice to me for my Peach Schnapps instead.

Ramblings aside, this is the televisual programme of the decade - perhaps of the century to come, particularly as a number of the species seen in the show could be extinct...or mounted on the wall of a Texas ranch by then. With habitats changing, and climate change tapping its foot and looking at it's watch, the BBC made Planet Earth at the perfect opportunity.

The show itself is divided into different sections based on different habitats such as freshwater, ice, mountains and the Celebrity Big Brother house. David Attenborough does the narrating, and as usual, is perfect. Forget tai-chi, and acupuncture for relieving stress, just listen to David describing the mating patterns of the Markhor, and you'll be in aural heaven.

I'm rambling again, so I'll cut this shocking review short. To sum up, if you haven't seen Planet Earth, you must. If you live on earth, you must watch this programme. If anything, to quote Carl Sagan (again), "it underscores our responsibility to deal more kindly with one another, to preserve and cherish the pale blue dot, the only home we've ever known."

The Week That Was....(..rubbish.)

It's been a busy week for news, for a number of different reasons...

• Mark Speight was arrested in connection with the sudden death of his fiancee. Shocking and tragic, so there won't be any flippant remarks for this one (my history teacher told me I was too flippant once, so I told her she looked like a character from the Wizard of Oz). Mark Speight used to present SMart, and people my age grew up with his demonstrations using sticky-back plastic and pritt-stick, a big shame.
• Intel pulled out of the project which aims to give underprivileged children laptops, citing "philosophical differences." Damn kids, free information for all? Pah. A mighty corporation like Intel needs to be wary of helping people, or they'll get a reputation for being decent human beings.
  
• A vomiting (and diarrhea) bug has swept the nation in a wave of hysteria and nausea. I'm still holding out for an epidemic of some kind of humourous disease.. like syphilis. Not sure what the chances are, but one can hope. At the rate Paris Hilton's been going lately, I'm sure my dream isn't far off.

Oh, and America's holding some elections or something. I don't really care who wins, as long as George Bush goes away soon. If he's re-elected (if that's possible) we'll just know that God probably listens to country and western, and shoots road signs as he drives past on the freeway. Yee-haw.