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Archive | November, 2013

The Key to Time

By on November 29, 2013 2

Greetings from Key Largo! Here for Thanksgiving; heading back tomorrow.

On Monday I saw the Doctor Who 50th anniversary special in 3D in a theatre in South Miami. Unfortunately they didn’t get the 3D working until a few minutes into the movie.

The showing was sold out (no worries, I had advanced tickets), with a second showing added afterward. It was a great episode. I imagine it would be somewhat baffling for newbies, as nearly every line was some sort of fan reference or injoke. But judging from audience reaction, there weren’t many newbies present.

Incidentally, the ending means that Moffat has now arranged things plotwise so that any of the older Doctors can come back any time with no need to explain their looking older….

Pieces of Eight

By on November 14, 2013 3

This prequel had been rumoured, but I’m delighted to see it’s true:

But it really makes me want to see more of McGann’s Doctor. One tv-movie plus one minisode is not enough.

If you’re wondering who the Sisterhood of Karn are, go watch “The Brain of Morbius” (wherein the Doctor describes Karn as being about two billion miles from Gallifrey, which would most likely place it in the same solar system – that being about the distance between Earth and Uranus).

Caffeinated Casuistry

By on November 13, 2013 0

The Auburn Philosophy Club is hosting another public forum today (Wednesday, 13 November, 5:00, at Mama Mocha’s II, behind the Hound). The topic is Applied Ethics. I’m on the panel and will be talking about punishment.

Samma-vacha

By on November 9, 2013 3

“My own counsel will I keep on who is to be trained.” — Yoda, The Empire Strikes Back (1980)

“Our own counsel we will keep on who is ready.” — Yoda, The Phantom Menace (1998)

What’s depressing about this is not so much that George Lucas doesn’t know what keeping one’s own counsel means,* as that in eighteen years no one had the courage to tell Lucas he’d made a mistake.

 

 

* Lucas evidently think keeping one’s own counsel means deciding for oneself, when it actually means keeping one’s thoughts and plans to oneself. And when you’re in the middle of explaining that you think someone is not ready to be trained, you are precisely not keeping your thoughts to yourself on the matter.

The Yellow Wallpaper

By on November 8, 2013 5

Pro-Choice Auburn (of which I’m one of the organisers) is hosting a screening of the movie Juno tonight (Unitarian Church here in Auburn, at 6:00), followed by a panel discussion (including your humble correspondent) on the film’s treatment of abortion and related issues. Details here; film trailer here.

There Will Be Blood Food.

An Aegis Very Essential

By on November 5, 2013 0

Agents of SHIELD has been watchable but not terrific. But tonight’s episode seemed to take things to a new level. I’m really curious now to see where things are going.

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