@thane16   All and any errors are attributed to Syzygy the Younger always and forever. This is why we have children.   I wish I could get away with assigning all my mistakes to Arbutus Jr. This would never fly. I can’t even assign them to the cat and get away with it.  🙂

@Roger429     Welcome to the DWF. Like you, I was never much for social media or participating on forums, until this one. (I was drawn to join shortly after the 50th anniversary special, so that I could comment on a fabulous essay by the erudite @bluesqueakpip. I have found that the level of discussion around here hugely exceeds the usual a…[Read more]

Earlier this month, in honour of Stranger Things, the NYT put up a playlist of music from the 1985 American charts. I just happened on this list today. They wrapped it up with this. So good.

(For the interested, you can find the whole playlist here.)

@blenkinsopthebrave    That is absolutely surreal. Cab is what, a ghost walrus??? I love it. Interestingly, in the very cool opening, the band is actually playing St. James Infirmary, another one I love.

@thane16     Wonderful Ellington, he was amazing. He was never behind the times, was he? Young Syzygy, I should be astonished at what you say…[Read more]

@pedant    Gorgeous.

@thane16     I don’t think I *do* know this, although it sounds very retro, like something 20-year-old me would have liked to if I’d heard it. (20-year-old me, now there’s something to try and wrap my head around!)

Hola, @whisht!

I saw this news as well, while I was off exploring the heartlands of Quebec. I love Desafinado, and that is such a lovely, silky performance. There’s a recording from quite a bit later, mid seventies, that includes this svelte number:

@thane16    Oh it’s you! 🙂 I read the notification and wondered who the heck is this Syzygy person?

I’ve been thinking of this lovely eclectic bunch of humans recently and been meaning to jump back into the pool, but I’m so easily distracted these days. I even made the Duolingo Owl cry. (I’ll be getting back at that Spanish shortly, I p…[Read more]

Brief appearance to wish everyone a very happy New Year! Hoping for better things in 2019 (not for me personally, I’m good, more for the world generally). I’ll be back tomorrow after I’ve seen the New Year special. Meanwhile, love to you all!

I’ve just spent a chunk of time catching up on a couple of weeks of sofa chat that I’m really sorry to have missed. Especially the garden talk. Nothing like a good convo about things like lavender, frogs, and climate. As @winston knows, there’s nothing a Canadian likes more than a nice bitch about how hard it is to garden in zone whatever. Too…[Read more]

A Christmas present:

Yay! Graham faced his demon and survived. The series arc was never the Stenza, or Tim Shaw, it was Graham’s journey (and on another level, Ryan’s). False gods, the value of life, the soul-destroying nature of a life focused on vengeance. Tim Shaw paid the price for this, Graham didn’t have to. And Team TARDIS is the Doctor’s fam!

@Miapatrick   T…[Read more]

@thane16    Not sure why I’m feeling Herbie Hancock for your belated birthday experience. But why not? Here are two classics, each in the original and then reimagined.

Oh, happy birthday, @thane16 (now 17)! Have you done the helicopter yet? I would never do a thing like that myself, I’m terrified of heights whenever you can actually feel them. But yes, definitely, to experiences rather than things. Puro mentioned albums as things, but I would argue that music is an experience as well! Mr. Arbutus bought a fancy…[Read more]

My remark on the other thread, about the refusal to let the dead rest, immediately brought to mind the very old song The Unquiet Grave. This is my favourite version, for its haunted feel.

@miapatrick  The fact it doesn’t work on the daughter makes me wonder if it simply doesn’t work with family members    We’ve already seen that Hanne is very sensitive to lies. She knows immediately when Ryan is lying to her.

Btw, I just love this take, regarding the Doctor and River: I think what seemed like a good idea when he had only just met…[Read more]

@thane16  But to me, the baddie was the solitract: luring people with promises of “forever.”  Or not even the solitract, but the refusal to accept reality, let go of the past, and let the dead rest.

@bluesqueakpip  Just for a couple of seconds, as if the Solitract had thought it might try taking the Doctor back to the barn and becoming someon…[Read more]