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oh and btw @blenkinsopthebrave – I like how you manage to use glitches rather than tut about them!

;¬)

When i now hear the CD versions of songs I grew up knowing only though the ‘jumps’ in scratched vinyl it still makes me rush a beat!

Which also is a reason to thank you as it’s reminded me to listen to this as an album rather than randomly popping up as songs.

Absolute classic (my eldest brother and older sister still can’t decide/remember which of them bought it but whichever did had exceptional taste!)

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ah, oblique @pedant

I’m not sure I’m able to offer much in terms of oblique for The Witchfinders, as I tend not to go with lyrics as much as the music, so its harder for me to ‘find’ in my collection.

But this popped up the other day as I was walking along and I smiled thinking “maybe…?”

Rest of the album is actually better than this track in my opinion but there you go!

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Hi @thane16

Happy Birthday !!
Hope you have a fantastic (and cool) time!

This as brilliantly suggested by @winston

Warning – there are spoilers in this song for subsequent years

:¬)

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In terms of The Witchfinders I seem to have stumbled across a few songs to link to.

Which is good news for everyone, as it means not having to wade through the album Live at the Witch Trials by the Fall.
And even avoiding Captain Beefheart unless you’re a fan.

So one obvious one (and knowingly playing to the gallery) Saint Kate Bush :

But I thought I’d post a couple of other ‘magic’ related ones – well “voodoo” specifically.

A bit of Doctor John (though not Doctor John Dee !)

Which means I didn’t go with embedding A Guy Called Gerald’s early classic but… ah well, who likes dance music anyway!

;¬)

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@blenkinsopthebrave – thanks for the Ennio update (@Mudlark ‘s entropy update was also good to hear but in an entirely different way).

The clip you linked to has a slight glitch (for me) in the audio – it just cuts out after one of the solos (around two and a half minutes in).
So I hunted around and found this version of the same concert.

It doesn’t have the glitch BUT it’s a montage of different movie themes from that concert and it does cut awkwardly into The Mission (ie cuts the audience applause which means that it also cuts the time to appreciate the sound and music and its echo in our heads (if you know what i mean).
But it seems a higher audio quality.
As I was hunting around other concerts I noticed this concert seems at a slower, more stately pace than later live recordings (and all the better for it).

A similar theme but from another film he scored was for Once Upon a Time in America. I haven’t seen it in years (over a decade?) but I still remember when I first saw it, being in tears at the end.
Especially the end.

I would like to think that my musical tastes veer away from cloying and from being easily manipulated, yet listening to Morricone, it seems I fall for it every time (though maybe it helps he’s scoring incredible films).

But then again, maybe they’re just great pieces of music.

They even manage to make this sound good live in the open air with a crowd !

Well that’s xmas TV sorted – both the Once Upon a Time’s *….

 

* warning – contains a weirdly moving still of Claudia Cardinale**.

 

 

** I always intend puns.

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@pedant – I agree.

If we can’t attract the right level of troll, are we going to have to do it for ourselves?

“We’ve alredy had the War Doctor – we don’t need the Social Justice Warrior Doctor!”

Well, at least I’m trying…

tsk

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and obviously @mudlark – I’m really glad you’re taking positive action about what you noticed about your condition and that you’re able to make informed choices.

Even if it means something possibly ‘unsightly’ for your nose, I’m so so glad this didn’t lead you to deferring doing anything and possibly meaning worse happens.

Hm, I’m writing this in a word-y way for some reason – just want you to know I’m glad you’re taking action and wishing you all the best.

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@idiotsavon – as I live in a pit, Whishtminster Palace makes me smile no end.

Hm…. “Whisht End” might be even more apposite (remembering that “whisht” means “shut up!”)

;¬)

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he he – @pedant thanks for that, you’ve also made me think of this song about man-power* versus machine

 

 

*its a man called John so… anyway…

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Can I just add to @blenkinsopthebrave ‘s delight in “Savon Manor”

If I’d had your name I’d have probably been my usual self-deprecating self by going with “Idiot Heights” but I’d have castigated you @idiotsavon for doing so!

As its my antonym I can’t really take this, but will anyone on this Forum go with “xxx Barracks” ?

;¬)

I’d love to use “Camp Whisht” but its sadly not reflective, so Whishtland might be better (especially if you ask my family, who believe I live in a world very different to the rest of them!)

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In terms of Kerblam! and a song….

Well, this time I’ll be Capt Obvious and go with this:

Yeah I know – must try harder (but it is a good track!)

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@geoffers – just going back to Snarky Puppy again!
Thanks for this – really like listening to stuff I’ve not heard before.
With Lingus especially I’ll be honest and admit that my ears still have a bit of a hard time with jazz fusion-y music.
I guess I’m not a huge fan of “noodling” as you say(!) but also something about that particular sound and playing of keyboard (eg Corea or Zawinul) that just irritates my ear (not in a harsh way – almost its too smooth!).
But I keep trying every once in a while in case I stumble across something that is labelled “fusion” or “Prog” but isn’t as I expected and I really like eg some of Robert Fripp’s stuff with his League of Crafty Guitarists or Funkadelic’s Maggot Brain album).

The Shofukan has more of an ‘Eastern’/Arabic flavour (the way the early notes descend/ascend incl trumpet – Puro help me out!!) :¬)
Then it goes noodly fusion-y (like David Sylvian might ?)

Still listening out for be-bop that neither of us heard :¬)
May be (probably!) I’m stretching and misremembering, but possibly Art Blakey Ugetsu?

whole album if you like that kind of thing
Long time since I heard that though!

But thanks again!

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So I enjoyed this one as quite fun.
Others here have already mentioned themes and bits that resonated or irked me (and yet again better than I could and with added insight!).
Though will agree on the Doctor being such a fan of Kerblam as a service was… jarring.

I did enjoy the HR (ie Human Resources) Manager having to remind herself it was “people” (I’ve had good HR people in my time, but also some others closer to the names-on-a-spreadsheet).
And as a middle manager myself I liked the fact that they weren’t the villains – they were simply overwhelmed by what was happening/ unable to realise the system was at fault. They were a bit pantomime but… hey ho.

I was actually in one of these enormous Distribution Centres last year and automation has been (proudly in terms of the management) taking jobs away for years.
It is repetitive and dull work but not surprised that people here are discussing the nuances between quality of work/life, romanticised work being anything but (my parents grew up on farms in rural Ireland in the 30’s) but also the insidious way that in our society work=worth.
I’ve been under-employed before and seen bits of the system and fallen foul of it. However I’m lucky (education/ family/ life chances) which made me relatively resilient compared to others in similar situations.
The timing of this episode is coincidental in that the UK has had a UN Rapporteur needing to tell a deaf British Government that there is poverty and pain due to the way the economy is being structured as well as how they’re introducing a benefits system that doesn’t work for everyone (especially women).
Also this episode was on the same weekend that there was a large protest march in London (or two marches – they may have been separate but done on same day to better ‘manage’ from Police point of view, not sure) about environmental concerns and also a more general “we’re not putting up with this shit anymore” from a whole bunch of different unions and interest groups.

I do want to re-watch this one as I missed bits due to not hearing them properly (my TV is great but these newer ones need soundbars and having bought one yet).
I want to see how nuanced the issues are dealt with in terms of the creation and management of and adherence to the system.
If I caught it right, the ‘solution’ to an uprising against loss of jobs was that 10% of jobs at all levels had humans – regardless of how suitable the jobs were, which is an interesting example on unintended consequences.

So, we’ve had stories where we can see that there was a bit of care in terms of jobs the Companions do (rather than “does a dull job – erm lets pick works in chippy”).
Obviously this one suited Ryan, and possibly ‘Rosa’ suited Graham (being a bus driver in Rosa’s time).
It’ll be interesting to see whether we get a whodunnit (for Yas’ skills).

Still want the Doctor to get a bit more… confidence (whether in the writing or portrayal I’m split). But maybe that’s a theme too.
Doctor and her Companions all lack/ have issues with confidence – after x number of adventures (especially where each has a chance to shine) they learn to have more confidence and… move on?

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@bluesqueakpip – I really like your analysis of where we are right now on your blog.
And I’m sure there are ‘fixed moments’ in the future that can’t be changed (not just Earth’s past).
So I can see how Ryan and Yas (and us the audience) would and should feel “but this is wrong – I should be able to make a difference!!!”

On a separate point about Tosin (so this includes @margaret-blaine )

I like Ryan as a character and Tosin as an actor for me is fine.
There is likely to be racism in terms of questioning his ability (as @bluesqueakpip says it seems to happen a lot to black actors) but I think there may be other reasons than just racism for questioning Tosin’s ability as an actor.
If we think of the character he’s playing, Ryan is the most ‘junior’ of the team –
– Graham is older and wiser (and his grandad);
– Yasmin is a policewoman which impressed Ryan a lot as he ‘only’ works in a warehouse;
– the Doctor is… the Doctor.
As a character he’s not only embarrassed by all this but also by his dyspraxia.
As an actor Tosin could be considered the ‘junior’ in a very strong cast.

So with that character and writing and other actors surrounding him he may get faint praise (or worse if that’s the inclination of the commenter)

But I like his work with Mandip and especially with Bradley, but thought I’d mention his situation (maybe its because I’m the youngest in my family).

btw I made a comment about monsters and I’m not really that bothered by monsters, and would be happy to see an episode without one and just focus on the monstrosity of people.
But if we are to have them then I want them to be… monstrous and not just a cypher.

Reading that the New Year’s special would feature an unnamed monster which is a “terrifying evil from across the centuries of Earth’s history” I realised something about the monsters that stick in my mind.
The best recent monsters (and possibly the old ones too) for me were individuals who were monstrous.

Julian Bleach as Davros and the writing he had was a fantastically monstrous monster. So was Missy. They were the scorpions to the frog.
The monster doesn’t have to be like the Silence (monstrous mainly as non-individuals interfering across time).

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@geoffers
Snarky puppy – interesting – not heard them before though did see the reference on the BBC Who site.
I’ll defer to @thane16 ‘s knowledge in terms of jazz (as I certainly didn’t get any Charlie Parker vibe).

But I am hearing stuff/references/influences but can’t place my finger (earlobe??) on them (maybe this is a good thing that they’ve crafted something unique to themselves).

@thane16 Puro
I’m really glad that you’re feeling better and yes I’d kinda aimed my question at you as a way to while away any boredom during convalescence.
But you went far and away further than that and now I’m flicking between wiki and youtube to learn more about music!
But thanks yet again for your very very kind words and as I’m an incredibly needy person, they’re massively appreciated !!!

Its a shame about some of your students – most of my time as a student and practitioner and manager has been spent articulating things not using the language of that sphere.
Having said that, I am teased that I often use obtuse (too obtuse!) analogies to prod people to rethink their thinking on the brief/ design challenge!

But I still think its the right way to encourage creative thinking, but you’ve reminded me its also helpful in encouraging creative appreciation!

:¬)

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I should probably be a bit more methodical, or organised or… whatever.

But here’s a tune for Rosa.

Not something I naturally expected to pop up in my ‘shuffle’ but had that wave of finger-imaginary-piano-tapping nostalgia and realised it was relevant.
Somethings will never change… “but don’t you believe it”

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Hi @thane16 – Puro so glad you’re feeling (at least a bit) better!
Thank you so much for the insight into why the live orchestration works (for me at least) so well.

I’m used to the album version of that Elbow song and like it a lot. It has a particular tone I think works and I don’t think too hard about what the song’s about or even why I like it.
When I heard the BBC live version it starts off very similarly – maybe a bit of extra timpani! – and I settled in to a ‘faithful’ (just as restrained early-on) performance.

Then there were a few parps of brass around half way and I think “hmm… I like this depth” then as they’re coming into the home straight(!) as you say the crescendo builds and then… the choir.
For me their introduction is a crystal-bright emotionally-charged illumination – a gorgeous difference to the album version, which is mainly washes of cymbal and synths (I think) though great in its own way.
As you can see – I’m mainly surface!!
;¬)

What I love about visual art as much as music, is seeing/hearing something where I smile/marvel at the artists’ choices.
For the BBC Elbow piece, the band or orchestrator chose not to use the choir or brass until the end.
If I’d had access to that sound, I would’ve wanted to use them from the outset and built them up to get moremoremore from the whole sonic assault! *
Which wouldn’t have been as effective as the ‘surprise’.
And is why I’m not in a band!

I guess I just like to appreciate (when I can and when others illuminate things for me) the artistic choices for what is done and what is not done as much as the artistic execution (ie ability in acting/writing/directing/ musicianship or mark-making in art).

Which is why I appreciate your insights and still love reading liner-notes, still love Arbutus’ thoughts… (and still like everyone else’s insights into writing/history/philosophy/direction/acting/personal-experience etc).

 

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So, for Demons in the Punjab, I had already thought about linking to this track simply due to the name of it (ie Yasmin the Light).

However the album cover and other parts of that album may also be reflective of some of the themes (even if its a band I don’t much listen to anymore and find a bit… juvenile? Unsubtle?).

Anyway, this is probably worth a re-listen

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So my tuppenceworth…
I actually have the same feelings as @jimthefish (and I wonder if I need to say more about that as he did it far better).

I really want to like this series. Its just there’s always a couple of moments where I get jolted out of my suspension of disbelief.
One which seems consistent is when each time the subject is being explained (eg 1950’s segregation; environmental issues or Partition) it feels to me like the Doctor is reading from the school’s syllabus.
It just doesn’t chime with the rest of the speech patterns.
The other is some action by the Doctor which to me doesn’t ‘fit’ (this time being the Doctor thinking ‘yeah – lets go and visit your nani’ and some bits of unnecessary gurning).

But I still feel like I will start liking the series (or at least the next one) as Whittaker’s Doctor finally bakes herself done (hm – that’s clumsily said!).

Anyway, I did enjoy this week’s episode and think it was the best so far.
I really enjoyed the guest actors in this one and felt they came across as believable (which to be fair was true of the humans in Rosa too).

While watching I was less sure of the writer’s decision to have the Doctor tell the others what was about to happen, especially so soon after Rosa. On reflection (ie reading here!) I think it was probably the better choice.

But to end this on a lighter note I did smile and think of you @pedant when the Doctor says “I love a biscuit”

;¬)

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@ichabod @mudlark
I’ve just finished Mieville’s Iron Council (one of his Bas Lag novels).
I’ll admit that for me it dragged a bit, which is something I also thought of his other Bas Lag novels (they just feel like they could do with a bit of editing).
I prefer his other novels (eg Kraken) but really liked The City and The City (though didn’t catch the TV adaptation).

I’ve just got the latest Saga collection (its a comic). As its been a while since I read the last one, I’ll go back to the beginning and re-read them and finish with the latest. From memory there was a bit of a dip in quality a few collections in, but will be interesting if I think the same on a re-read.

I’m rambling – need more tea!

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Can’t remember now whether I’ve shared my thoughts on this one.
It was kinda fun, again enjoyed Graham and Ryan and really hoping Yaz gets some focus in this week’s and beyond, as I think she’s a really good actress.

Wasn’t sure about the Doctor getting called out for being selfish – felt odd. Sure the Doctor’s been selfish in the past but can’t remember being selfish with other people’s lives at stake, but maybe.

Anyway as for the Pting – what made me smile was that after anyone mentioned its name, I just followed with “… Yang Kipperbang – uh”

;¬)

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I’m not sure how I missed adding this to The Woman Who Fell To Earth as songs.

This is the Album track which is worth hearing first (if you’ve not heard it before).

This is Elbow at a BBC event doing it with an orchestra.
Though its much the same to begin with, I do suggest sticking with it if you like the song as… well, for me the extra ‘backing’ (ie orchestration) towards the end pays dividends.

(and if anyone who knows about orchestration might want to tell me what they think, then it could help help me to understand why I keep tearing up at toward the end)

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@pedant – just to add to everyone else, honestly glad to hear you’re ok (and doing better on the count!)

But top top top person you are @idiotsavon – its the days after an incident that waves of stuff can hit.

And though sometimes I will wince at some of his comments, he now has a 5 day pass at being… [ahem] “tough” with trolls and less-than-thought-through comments.

Just 5 days though, before I start wincing again!

;¬)

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so, here’s something for @juniperfish ‘s and others’ thoughts on WhitDoc’s character being related to Light.

I can’t believe I haven’t linked to this before but not sure.
If you know the track below then this is an interesting Live version.

But here’s the original album version

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Two things I forgot:

– why someone would leave a sonic mine there (maybe just another example of poor waste management??!?)

– and (maybe more interestingly in terms of avenues for bonkerising) what was the Doctor looking for on the junk planet…?

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So, couple of things.
Firstly, @pedant – thanks for the hint to try using Search on the Forum (I don’t think I’ve ever done that before!!).
@juniperfish – thank Pedant for this link to that mention of Radio Times and red and blue by Phaseshift

@troygorsline – [ahem] “theories more insane than what’s actually happening”.

I think bonkerising will be harder than normal with this series as I’m not sure that the writers/crew are being asked to come up with easter-eggs, jokes and as Phaseshift said “texture”.
Which means we’ll have to (and that’s tricky for me as I’m not a writer).
But I am silly enough to try.

Mainly I was thinking that “rubbish monsters” link the episodes.

It occurred to me that rubbish has featured quite a bit –
– Desolation has been laid waste and has dangerous rubbish contaminating everything (eg the water),
– The Remnants are engineered weapons littering the landscape;
– The spiders are mutated from poorly managed waste;
– The Pting are either genetically engineered to manage rubbish (and like many pest controls end up being a pest themselves) or are simply evolved like the spiders.
– In terms of Krasco, maybe its just that his ‘theories’ are junk.

However where the Doctor uses trash, she upcycles it into something better:
– The new sonic is made from ‘rubbish’ in the garage;
– The Tardis console is bits and bobs as if made from junk;

So, perhaps its the environment which is a linking theme – especially in how we deal with waste.

Of course, if this all falls apart (ie as soon as I post this) then maybe I’ll try something else.

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Hi all – thought I’d plop down on the sofa for a minute!

So – a bonkers theory:
For me this series is centred around those who are bullied and only concerned with the ‘monster’ and their motivations as a way of showing the bullied that actually they are not [insert whatever the bully is saying of them such as inferior/fat/thin/spectacled/stupid/smart/tall/small etc].
It is a problem with the monster and not them.

So I think we’ll get a reveal from the Doctor that she was bullied at school (I think we’ve had something similar before) but also that she may have been a bully herself (much like Karl using it to achieve self-worth).
It was in fact the self reflection of being a bully that she realised she needed to become The Doctor.
Which isn’t that bonkers, so lets have the Stenza being the species she bullied (picked the wings off as it were) and how that’s now coming back to haunt her!

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Hi everyone – apologies for not coming on earlier, but have read everything.
In fact I think that I’ve enjoyed reading on this site more than the episodes (I’ve learnt more as well!).
I think that as @pedant mentioned, this series is likely a thematic arc rather than a plot arc. Not sure we’ll see any of the monsters/bad guys again (maybe one).

For me I’m beginning to think the theme is that bullies pick on the ‘weakest’. Or at least the people they perceive as the weakest. And the episodes are more focused on the bullied rather than the monsters (and the monster/bullies are all a bit rubbish ‘cos bullies often are especially if you’re a kid at school).

So, we get Tim Shaw picking on Karl;
Angstrom the contestant/almost-refugee survivor of the Stenza;
Black people in segregated America
Staff of notTrump including Yaz’s mum.

However each time we’re shown how the ‘weakest’ can overcome their bullies, and there are right ways and wrong ways of doing that.
So Karl shouldn’t kick an-already beaten Tim Shaw in order to feel better (you don’t get self-worth by bullying others).
Angstrom wants to win the jackpot to lift her family out of poverty.
Rosa non-violently resisting.
Yaz’s mum talking back to notTrump.

I’m still having problems with the series so far. I really don’t like the interior of the Tardis – its too dark for the bright WhitDoc (and to my eyes the crystal pillars looks plastic-y and let the effect down).
The ending of Arachnids seems to be erm, lets just put the spiders away from people and let them die in that room (rather than say, take them to a planet of huge flies).

I don’t know, there’ll just be little bits that take me out of the drama – or just a lack of drama or peril.

But I really want Whitaker-as-the-Doctor to work and think she will nail it soon (for me).
I also like a lot of what Graham, Yaz and Ryan are doing and evolving as and there are some great smaller moments (which people here have all talked about really well).

So – on to Sunday!
(but not before I maybe put penny’sworth on a couple of other threads!)

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So, I’ll admit that I didn’t much enjoy watching Rosa (to be wanting to hit fast-forward during the “you get the maps, you get the..” scene when I’m thinking ‘Tardis?’) is not a great sign.
Some lovely bits of acting (Graham, Rosa), but also some duff acting (alien villain) and as a whole its not one I’ll watch again.
However, as that’s not really particularly insightful commentary (is it ever?) I’ll restrict myself to the Music thread.
Now, I just don’t think I want to treat an important subject with ‘silly’ so here is what I dredged up in my library:
A silly band doing a ‘serious’ song:

A serious band doing a… song (and thinking of the times, this would’ve been pretty provocative)

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@pedant – just wanted to say I’m sorry to hear about your diagnosis.

Its good you’re dealing with it properly ie taking care of diet and habits. And changing habits is a bugger.
Not much more of any use I can say really, except that errrrmmm….

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or this….

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ok, this is for the Ghost Monument.

and @puro – yes, yes it is very very silly.

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apologies for only posting now.
Its been a great thread to read through and I’ve nothing particularly to add except….

Yay – a quarry!!

That and that we now have a Sonic Swiss-Army-Spoon !

In terms of Whittaker Doctor (yes – am conscious of how I refer to her!) I’m still interested to see how she evolves in the role. But I’m still picking up bits in the script that jar a little but I’m nit picking (in this episode I didn’t like her threat to Malik’s character).

Anyway – off to the music thread for something silly.

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I’ll admit – I don’t have anything for the episode, but maybe for the episode as well as us all here…

and its trendy retro* donchya know

 

 

*in the UK we seem to have been retro-ing for 10 years until someone kickstarts something!!

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Hi all – great to see some new members (howdy!) and great to see some familiar names!

For me, I enjoyed the episode but like most, the monster was simply that – a monster – so slightly dull. I did worry that his killing of several people was there to simply suggest jeopardy but then again that’s what monsters do.

I liked Jodie and think she’ll evolve into an enjoyable Doctor.
I kinda hope the speech writing improves beyond “I’m the Doctor, sorting out fair play throughout the universe.” as it felt a tad weak as a manifesto, but on rewatching (and reading the far more insightful people here) I do appreciate the script writing more.

So, all in all some nice bits, companions I might get intrigued by and a Doctor I can say “yep, she’s the Doctor”.

Job done for an opener and now onto the evolution (which Chibnell explicitly had within the same speech which was a tad more interesting than the manifesto!)

[oh – and yes, loved the theme tune although the drumming was a little ‘militaristic’ to my ears rather than the ‘hoof-beat’ that I hear in the original if that makes any sense!]

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Hi @missy – that’s interesting about the aspirin study.

I took a look at the NHS “Behind the Headlines” and found this:
“Healthy older people do not benefit from taking aspirin”

It seems that aspirin was being suggested either by some health professionals or non-professionals (eg family, dodgy healthcare people) as being good for you as a kind of prophylactic in that it definitely helped those with heart conditions and no one had said it did you any harm if you didn’t have a heart condition.
So the study was ‘is that true – is it ok to take, even if you have no heart conditions?’

The conclusion is interesting:

“Overall, aspirin is a beneficial medicine for people who have a history of heart or vascular problems, and is also likely to benefit certain individuals at higher risk of these problems. The most important thing is to be guided by your doctor. It is not a good idea to take daily aspirin on a regular basis unless you have been advised to do so. And equally you shouldn’t suddenly stop taking aspirin if you have been advised by a doctor to take it.”

Although the “Behind the Headlines” info is not a ‘rebuttal service’ to click-hungry news media who misreport medical PR {cough} it does happen to call out that only the Guardian reported the study accurately in the UK:

“Though the UK media generally covered the story well, most of the headlines were misleading. Only The Guardian made it clear the study findings related to older people who were in good health. The other headlines could easily be misinterpreted as meaning that aspirin might not be good for any older people, even those with a clear medical need for taking it.”

Do I believe experts (and how they are reported)?
Depends.

But rather than talking about which evidence to believe, mainly for me its risk vs benefit – if I do this thing, does it ‘hurt’ me or ‘benefit’ me?
eg does cutting out too much fat hurt me? No. Might it benefit me? Yes it might. Ok, I’ll cut down fat.
Does walking across the road looking both ways hurt me? No.
Could it benefit me? Yes
Ok I’ll look both ways.
Does using a seatbelt hurt me? No. Could it benefit me? Yes it could. Ok I’ll use it.

Is human activity adding to climate change? Perhaps (there’s evidence even if there’s some people questioning it).
Does it hurt me to vote and support activities that reduce this human activity and help those affected by climate change? No.
Could it benefit me and them if I do vote and support reduction of these human activities? Yes, it could.

I’m not arguing for which experts to believe on a subject.
Personally I just use my judgement as to the likelihood as to whether they’re right, the impact the activity (to reduce the ‘bad’ and increase the ‘good’) has and how much it ‘hurts’ me to change my behaviour or vote for these changes.

But anyway, looks like that the writers at Behind the Headlines have slanted their rebuttals articles to a slightly more healthcare professional audience, but still look like an interesting place to read about health in the news.

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@pedant – ah, sorry to hear about the diabetes diagnosis.
I think I have that coming (my dad had type 2 and my age/lifestyle would suggest I’m making it more likely).

So yeah – sugar is (and will be) an important part of my tea drinking (both in too much to the gulp of reduction!).

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ah – for once an idiot like me is the expert!

Nope – not on grammar, nor on Who lore, but on tea.

I grew up on tea.
In fact I grew because of tea.
Its basically the main carrier of sugar into my body (via many spoons of the stuff as well as cake and biscuits especially in my earlier years).

I am 90% tea.

So, here for you all is the wisdom of my father as to how to make tea strong enough.

“Make it so you can rest the spoon on top”

So that deals with strength.

Milk first or second is possibly “are you using a tea bag?” as the bag will either add to the flavour (unlikely) or be affected (possible if you have a princess-like appreciation of peas in your bed).

So if committing the crime of using a bag (ie what i do daily), boil water, wait a numph of a second and pour the boiling water and then swirl the buggerofateabag around in the hot water.

If you like it bitter squeeze it like a lover.
(especially a lover who’s annoyed you recently).

Add fuckloads of sugar.

Then add milk (unless you think that adding it before made a difference).

Drink.

Then make another as soon as possible and use the learnings from the previous one.

#tipsfromapro

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@thane16
so sorry for not replying sooner – didn’t get the kick-in-the-shins email that I usually get for “someone’s mentioned you” !
Probably my dodgy email…
so, from flanders and swann to screachin’ weasil to Mozart!
flippin ‘eck.

I have nothing to reply with but realised I hadn’t replied so…. hiya.

🙂

[and after catching up and reading the great other threads on women/Who (and fuckwittery), age and how it may alter our appreciation and, well and everything else, I’ll try to post more often!]

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@pedant – thanks for the link to that restaurant – it sounds amazing and some of the dishes made me laugh out loud (which I kinda needed)

 

(do you think there’s another one themed at the end of the universe? If so it’d better have a good lightshow…)

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I just read that Aretha Franklin isn’t well (“gravely ill”) so here’s something to remind us what a great singer and musician she is.*

 

Sail on, sail on

 

 

* This link may be to a better performance (though not as good a recording)

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trying to bonkerise…. its ok, I’m on wine….

The Doctor is thrown from the Tardis perhaps mid-regeneration.

So, does the new Doctor remember her past generations?
Has she ‘lost’ the Tardis?

Is this initial series her trying to remember who she is and connecting to the Tardis again?
Well, the first is maybe typical(?) and I’d love each episode having throw backs (“oooh jelly babies! I love those ! I think? or are they the things I like with custard?”)
But maybe rather than finding the Tardis, she’s on a mission to save the Tardis (dunno – maybe I’m making too much of those red crystals).

“Who am I and how do I ‘save’ this thing that’s (apparently) so important to me?”

 

 

[“Who am I?” pun not initially intended]

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@blenkinsopthebrave

Bonkering!
{at last}

Pah and foo to the blue boringers!!

I don’t really do coffee anymore (just fallen out of the habit), but tiredness, a glass of wine and not really thinking too hard makes me wonder…
– The logo suggests a Tardis/ protagonist moving quickly (in a straight line, as if expelled ‘violently’);
– A cluster of red crystals floating in space (as if debris);
– An exploding Tardis;
– A very new Doctor.

equals…

A quest! *

(* ignoring that quests usually divert from from the path; are about a destination rather than where they’ve come from; the boat is usually as important as a fellow on the journey; a hero we’re learning something new about)

Its not a quest! **

{maybe coffee is the answer}

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I’m rather late to the party with this band.
Heard of them, but didn’t bother to listen to them.

Then I heard this – doh!
[should’ve listened to them a long time ago!]

It seems swapping genders can be a really really good thing, as the original version is sung by a man and… well, somehow the lyrics just don’t quite make me smile as much.

That and the Detroit Cobras kick ass

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And for my final pointless musical post for the Aztecs….

A bit of self indulgent misery (ah Doctor – could that/ would that have been Love…?), but… if your heart has been broken (even by yourself) then I reckon some self indulgence is ok.
However – everything in moderation.

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hey @thane16 – wow, thank you and your mum so much!
I’m really touched; yes my birthday was a coupla months ago but still, you remembered!!

In terms of Trevor Horn (the bespectacled Buggles guy) he was also a key part of The Art of Noise (though as with Buggles it was a collective of other musical contributors like Anne Dudley).
And hearing this was one of the seminal moments in my life

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Well – I enjoyed that!

Lots of lovely bits (fight scene with backdrops and fast editing; the Doctor telling Barbera she had not saved a civilisation but had saved a man, when he had lost a potential partner… oh, and lots more Olivieresquerisms from the dastardly Tlotoxl).

The ending is a bit curious in that it seems to end off camera (Autloc in the wilderness and Cameca simply walking off somewhat stoically) but maybe that’s both of-the-time and necessary for the plot etc. Not a complaint at all, and glad neither was overwrought melodrama!)

Thanks again for this as its the first time I’ve seen this story (sadly I’m not 13, 30 or even 43…)

😉

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So, my third song(s) for the Aztecs (this time for episode 3).
I’ll embed a couple but add a few links to stuff I found along the way!

For some contemporary love-related music you can’t really get beyond the Beatles

I was surprised that the Doctor seems to have been a bit of a Loverman even back in the early days.
And he does seem a bit older than Cameca, which meant I found some fun and some less-fun tracks (but that will happen when the Fall is in your library)!

As the Doctor’s enjoying his cocoa so much (that’s not a euphemism – at least I don’t think it is), here’s something groovy that popped up in my library when I went hunting for choons.

Now, as for Aztec-related stuff, I’m running out (will dig for the last one) so… back to an old fave

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well that was a cracker of an episode!
Lots of twists and turns (and Olivier-esque pro-nunci-atio-ns).

I didn’t take notes (so have forgotten much already!) but love bits and pieces like this bit of humour used to offset the impending horror:

“Where did you get this?”
“My fiance”
“Your what??”
“Yes, I made some cocoa and got engaged”

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Shine on.. yep, had it a while and go back to it every 5 years or so.

In terms of Aztecs here’s my second not-really-related tune.
I’ve done Yma Sumac before, but here she is again with a tune I’m sure I didn’t link to (and yes, Incas and Aztecs are different – but so is a singer from New York and a ‘native’ singer from… anywhere other than New York!).

And for anyone who cares, here’s a video where someone has tried to figure out what notes she’s actually singing in a song!

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