TV

Cracker
2x01 To Be a Somebody Part 1
This is the story that really made Cracker famous -- or so it seems to me, as it's the events of this three-part story that have always been discussed when I've heard about the show. It's a shame to watch it knowing what happens, but it's still great drama, as yet with no hint at where it all ends up. Naturally I won't go spoiling things for anyone who doesn't know.
[Watch it (again) on ITV Player.]

Mad Men
2x06 Maidenform
I usually try to avoid sinking this blog to such base topics, but oh my January Jones looked good in that bikini! And Elisabeth Moss underwent some kind of transformation at the end too!
[Watch it (again) on iPlayer.]

Non-Fiction

The Ode Less Travelled by Stephen Fry
Chapter Three: VIII
As my poetry-to-be-assessed is erring towards the comic, I decided it might be best to actually read Fry's section on it (which is what 3.VIII is). Oh my, there's some filthy stuff in here! Truly truly so too, not just to delicate poetic sensibilities. I doubt my work will be so pleasantly depraved, but it certainly is enlightening to read.

Articles

Finish Him!
(from Empire)
"The 50 Greatest Movie Finishing Moves" -- i.e. lots of cool deaths with lots of cool quips. Missing out "shocking, positively shocking" may be a sin.

Harry lets Tales of the Black Freighter and Under the Hood play out before his eyes! by Harry Knowles
(from Ain't It Cool News)
The Watchmen DVD tie-ins don't hit UK shelves for something like another month yet, though are already available in the US. Surely this is a very, very bad business decision, as it drives potential legal consumers to less-than-legal methods in order to see them sooner? Certainly, I was all prepared to buy these on DVD upon release, but when it's so far off it notably increases the temptation to acquire them another way for now and then purchase the Complete Edition release that will inevitably include them. Yes, that is illegal... but nonetheless, Warner would still not get the money they'd've otherwise earnt, and they'd really only have themselves to blame.

Twitter: How Small Interface Changes Are A Big Win For Everyone by Mark Ghuneim
(from Online Media Daily at MediaPost)
A rather in depth article, but interesting if you're interested.

And look here for a piece on the British Government potentially banning certain books.

more book bannings

First the US Government bans a load of books for no good reason, and now the British Government has the potential to do something similar...

Graphic artists condemn plans to ban erotic comics by Jerome Taylor
(from The Independent)

A coalition of graphic artists, publishers and MPs have condemned Government plans to introduce a new set of laws policing cartoons of children, arguing that the current broad wording of the legislation could lead to the banning of hundreds of mainstream comic books.

A couple of quotes from within the article. First, a spokesperson:

We do not oppose any legislation that protects children from abuse, we understand the need for it, but some parts of the Coroners Bill do need rewording and clarifying... This new legislation could be used for the wrong reason and if used incorrectly thousands of people could become criminals overnight. The Government refused to impose minimum tariffs on cheap alcohol because it was unfair to punish the majority for the crimes of a minority; yet this legislation does exactly the same.”

And author Neil Gaiman:

If you accept -- and I do -- that freedom of speech is important then you are going to have to defend the indefensible. That means you are going to be defending the right of people to read, or to write, or to say, what you don't say or like or want said. The Law is a huge blunt weapon that does not and will not make distinctions between what you find acceptable and what you don't. This is how the Law is made.

Let's hope common sense prevails. Though that has a poor track record...