sundries

[rm]

Let's say I was going to finally explore classic Doctor Who, which Doctor do you think would be the best starting place for me, knowing my interests? Then, let's say I needed to get really up to date on any one classic Doctor fast (i.e., "you can learn everything you need to know about Seven by watching x, y, and z") -- who/what/when/where/why? I need your help, Internets.

A small study finds that the happiest people engage in only a third of the small-talk that the unhappiest people do. As someone who HATES small-talk and generally feels suspicious of it (and is also bad at it) I find this gratifying.

Not a news item: Shark attacks down.

Snow vs. the eruvim.

Speaking of which, it's the most wonderful time of the year: lots of gluten-free goodies thanks to kosher for Passover stuff in all the stores.

Things that are going to get worse before they get better: New York State politics; the economic crisis in Greece (this will have cascade effects); the predictability of the currency markets. We think the British pound is about to collapse, but people have been saying that for months and months. So maybe, maybe not.

Word I want less of: pimp (your car, your house, your LJ, your "pimps and ho's" party theme).

I have neglected to mention my current love affair with VBS, also known as Vice TV. I originally found them through CNN, which has been showing parts of their reports on their site.

Vice TV aims to do totally transparent, process-oriented journalism, and I'll be frank in that they only partially succeed. For example, a piece on North Korea is riveting only because it's about North Korea since there's no inherent story that the piece is following beyond "wacky journalists go to North Korea." It works because the on-camera guy has charisma, and North Korea is weird and mysterious.

On the other hand, I fell hard for Swansea Love Story which is about heroin use in Swansea. The piece is very well-made and is, in places, hard to watch. It also really only pays off if you watch the whole thing, as the devices of the narrative don't really come full circle if you don't watch it all.

I've also been enjoying the Mecca Diaries piece which includes the amazing phrase "Satan stoning station" as a guy who works for VBS smuggles a camera along on hajj as he goes on the journey with his family.

There's a lot of crap on VBS and they frame a lot of stuff in wacked out sensationalist ways, but some of the actual material is quite something. If I were 20 and working hard at drinking scotch and trying to prove that I can be one of the boys, I'd be all over working for these guys. Instead, I'm just enjoying their stuff (after a lot of filtering).

What counts as sex? Survey says.... via jonquil

I don't normally post about Twitter, but I'm still thinking about this tweet from kurometarikku, who's a guy I vaguely know because he works at a hotel I've stayed a few times in New Haven (short version: "Vote Saxon" pin meets Tardis tie). It made me think about both Who fandom in specific and the wonder of DragonCon in general and, of course, ConSweet.

Comments

[eumelia.livejournal.com]

Oh man, that small-talk study makes me happy! I'm crap at small-talk, or at least, engaging in it makes me stress out big time.

I remember I once spoke to a friend who said she and a guy had sex three times in one night and I asked how many times he'd orgasmed and she said "three..." then the penny dropped. Amazing.

[rm.livejournal.com]

This stuff can be really generational. I find myself having to spend more energy than I'd like counteracting my own internal attitudes about these things, and I totally blame that on being the age I am.

[mangosteen]

I always thought of small talk as somewhat necessary, at least for starting off a conversation with a stranger. It's a protocol negotiation, to answer the question "what can I actually talk about with you"? The conversation progresses or it doesn't, but I can't imagine not doing some negotiation at the beginning.

Now, whole conversations' worth of small talk strike me as a bit odd, in a "do people actually *do* that?" kind of way. Clearly, they do. It's generating bonding social capital, if nothing else*... it still seems a bit odd, though.


* 10 minutes of Monty Python jokes to establish geek cred is small talk, too.

[delchi.livejournal.com]

10 minutes of Monty Python jokes to establish geek cred is small talk, too.

Oh if only that was an established norm in society. Oh the laughter :)

[amberite.livejournal.com]

I recommend Spearhead From Space, the first Pertwee serial. It's one of the best starting places in classic Who (Rose was even referential to it I think for that reason) and Third Doctor era is the kind of thing you might like. Unlike most Who, the story is geared at new viewers, and the background of the Third Doctor is tragic in a very subtle and understated way. (I'll get into it more if you want - that's mostly spoilers for the end of the Second Doctor era.) And really I think you'll love his mannerisms and style.

Highlights of the Third Doctor include Inferno; anything with the Master, because Pertwee and Delgado have a lovely dynamic; and the final story Planet of the Spiders is pretty good too, if a bit drawn out.

[tommx.livejournal.com]

I second this recommendation. If you are (and I think you are) a fan of the 9th Doctor, then #3 will appeal to you both for the similarities to the 9th and the differences. Doctor #3 was the "Man of Action" who loved gadgets and had a sophistication that was unique to his character. I'd say it's entirely possible that one of the first things Dr. #3 did after her regenerated was to gain membership to Boodle's Club.

And yes, the stories featuring the Master are a must see. (Even though their resolutions were often cringe worthy)

[brewsternorth.livejournal.com]

Word I want less of: pimp (your car, your house, your LJ, your "pimps and ho's" party theme).

Agreed. I mean, not just from the connotations of it (though clearly that), but that it's so overused it's lacking in imagination.

As for "quintessential Classic" stories: 'Curse of Fenric' is probably your best bet for Sylvester McCoy's Doctor; "Invasion" is probably the best Patrick Troughton story, and will put into context some of the Pertwee. Tom Baker is a tricky one, since a lot of his really good stories are in arcs.

Also, don't know if you have a multi-region DVD player, but I have the only-released-in-region-2 disc of the Eighth Doctor movie.

[lefaym.livejournal.com]

Hmmm... classic Who. My recommendation would be to watch at least one serial from each Doctor, except for Tom Baker, where I'd recommend watching two, simply because he played the role for such a long time. If you don't have time for that, however, I'd concentrate on the Fourth Doctor, since he's the one everyone knows best.

This is my personal rec list:

First Doctor: The Aztecs (though watching "An Unearthly Child" is probably a good idea just for context).

Second Doctor: The Invasion

Third Doctor: Inferno (I think this one will really gel with your interests)

Fourth Doctor: Rememberance of the Daleks AND City of Death

Fifth Doctor: Earthshock (I haven't actually seen much of the Fifth Doctor -- though I have seen this story -- but reccing it because this is another I think will gel with you.)

Sixth Doctor: If you have time, Trial of a Time Lord -- this one is probably interesting to you because the companion was originally slated to die, the actor WANTED her to die, but she was given a last-minute reprieve and a happily-ever-after ending. The actor felt that this cheapened the story. However, Trial is quite long, and if you want something shorter I'd recommend The Mark of the Rani.

Seventh Doctor: While my personal favourite is Battlefield, I'm going to recommend Rememberance of the Daleks, because it's a lot more significant in terms of Who canon.

[fmanalyst.livejournal.com]

Of the 7th doctor, I'd also recommend The Greatest Show in the Galaxy, about a circus with a demanding audience.

[redstapler.livejournal.com]

I was lent a bunch of Classic Who stuff, if you want to have a day of it sometime.

[heron61.livejournal.com]

Let's say I was going to finally explore classic Doctor Who, which Doctor do you think would be the best starting place for me, knowing my interests.

Avoid the first doctor eps - I tried a few and they are unwatchably terrible. I recently rewatched much of the 3rd doctor (Jon Pertwee) eps, and found many as wonderful as when I watched them as a child. Inferno remains on of the best and most disturbing Dr. Who serials ever. I'd recommend that you try early episodes with 3 or 4, and see which one works better for you. I'd think 3, but that could be my own pro-3 bias showing. Liz Shaw & Sarah Jane Smith were both excellent companions (at least for the era).

What counts as sex?

Utterly baffling. At absolute minimum, it seems obvious that any activity where all of the people involved have orgasms would count as sex, regardless of what they are doing.

[lefaym.livejournal.com]

There are some shockers in the First Doctor era -- but then there are shockers in the era of every Old Who Doctor. Personally, I think that The Aztecs is one of the best Doctor Who stories that I've seen, however.

[aviv-b.livejournal.com]

Definition of sex: I wonder of a lot of the generational differences come from the whole 'promise keeper' movement. The 'if you don't have intercourse,then you're still technically a virgin, so it really isn't sex' type of thinking. And your daddy can still give you a ring to wear.

Classic Dr. Who: I second Caves of Androzani. (At one time I had every episode of Dr. Who and Blake's 7 on tape. Unfortunately in Beta format, LOL).

[rm.livejournal.com]

I'm 37, and certainly as a kid/teen believed "sex" required penetration. I wonder if the fight against AIDS is what changed that as a fairly common assumption?

[copperbadge.livejournal.com]

I've been working my way through the classic Who serials in order, but I'm only up to the end of Troughton's run, so I can't really recc overall with confidence. Let me tell you, it was a haul getting through some of those episodes, too.

But I love the First Doctor, I love him the most of all the Doctors I've seen so far. I love Land Of The Giants with an unholy passion, and I think you would be fascinated/appalled/intrigued by The Dalek Invasion Of Earth. (It fascinated me right up to where I was so enraged I had to stop watching for a week or two over what they did to Susan.)

Fun fact for the evening: Almost every arc (four or more episodes on a single adventure) in the first Doctor's run passes the Bechdel test.

[the-epic.livejournal.com]

Well, you really can't go wrong with Tom Baker.

[gement.livejournal.com]

My watchlist:

2nd Doctor: The Mind Robbers, which is one of the most meta things I've ever seen on television ever.

3rd Doctor: He's my favorite, so I'm crap at picking. The choices the others have listed are great. The Silurians might be a top choice if you want to watch him struggle with acting as part of an Earth military organization.

4th Doctor: Genesis of the Daleks for echoes of the time war, City of Death for a damn fine story with a time lord as a companion.

If you're watching more, The Keeper of Traken (very near the end of the run) features the Master pulling one of the creepiest shitty villain moves ever. Plot bunnies galore. It leads directly into Logopolis, which is a regeneration and a powerful one, and Castrovalva, in which the newly minted 5th Doctor is terrifyingly at a loose end (rather like 10's start, spent mostly unconscious).

5th Doctor: Earthshock is directly relevant to your field of study. Caves of Androzani is a regeneration, chock full of honor, and was recently voted favorite Doctor Who episode ever by readers of the main fan mag.

6th Doctor: My memory is spotty, though I like him. I defer to others.

7th Doctor: Remembrance of the Daleks and Curse of Fenric are neck and neck for "I'm getting too old for this" angst, foreshadowing the tone of new Who.

[kitaloon.livejournal.com]

I had to give the sex issue some serious consideration when I had a brief fling with a friend recently and had to evaluate whether what we did (oral and manual sex) counted, whether I could tell myself that I'd sex with this person I really liked, whether I was still a virgin, whether I would have considered it "losing my virginity" if it had been with a girl instead of a guy. So complicated, still not sure I came to a satisfactory answer.

[bluejeans07.livejournal.com]

I actually have something really cool to pimp and show you: http://www.salon.com/mwt/broadsheet/feature/2010/03/02/smurfette_principle/index.html

[meirion.livejournal.com]

Pound about to collapse against what? It's been collapsing/recovering/collapsing against the Euro for months now (and I monitor that on a daily basis for the obvious reasons!)

[rm.livejournal.com]

Against the USD

[sykii.livejournal.com]

I read "shark attacks down" as Subject-Verb-Object.
Like, Jaws vs. a winter coat.

[kurometarikku.livejournal.com]

Two in the morning tweets are the worst. Watching someone unknown make an offhand wish, and seeing someone with a couple million followers figuratively snap their figures and make it happen is awesome, but made me totally jealous.

[schpahky.livejournal.com]

Earthshock is amazing, though you should watch some prior episodes with Adric to get some context. Caves of Androzani is also amazing. Can I only refer you to stories that involve endings?

Kinda is full of hardcore Jungian shit that went totally over my fifth-grade head, but is an excellent example of what serial television can accomplish.

I agree you'd like Pertwee, he is flamboyant and favors zippy racecars and flapping capes. And ruffled shirts! However his episodes were hard to come by when I was a kid, so I can't recall any of his specific stories except some of them looked like a Steve McQueen movie, and the Silurians are laughably silly to look at but I think it's an important episode.

Tom Baker is the most massive and overplayed era of classic Doctor Who in the US, I think it took our local PBS four years to show all his episodes and that's five nights a week. He is, however, the expected favorite Doctor for many good reasons. The Deadly Assassin is a good story with The Master. Logopolis - I think you should just watch all available regeneration episodes. It is, as someone said, pertinent to your field of study and those stories usually had extra weight.

Compare with, say, The Talons of Weng-Chiang, which is horrifying to the enlightened modern day viewer, but still entertaining in its cheesiness and verve.

I'm afraid this is little help to you, all I can say is that I was force-fed and adored the Fourth Doctor very much, but the Fifth doctor was my favorite. He was more internal, younger-looking, a bit more fragile, and that seemed an interesting conundrum for someone exposed to so much danger all the time.

[schpahky.livejournal.com]

Oh: Robots of Death (4th Doctor) is like the scariest episode ever, or at least it was when I was a kid, and since one purpose of the show back then was to get kids hiding behind their couches, you should watch it. The stuff of nightmares!

The Cybermen in Earthshock are also the stuff of nightmares. As Doctor Who goes on they get less and less human, less cheesy...it's very effective.

[darklingwoods.livejournal.com]

I'm with you on the small talk.. and reading the Who recs with great interest! I don't know where to begin with classic Who. It actually made me nervous about starting into the fandom (but I'm so glad I did!)

[kathrynrose.livejournal.com]

Off-topics - I thought you might enjoy watching this video, if you haven't already seen it.

[nicoli-dominn.livejournal.com]

I love that small talk study, but I also think a lot of the people leaving comments on the article make good points too. In my particular case, I know I don't entirely fit the picture that's painted by the article, which leads me to believe that whoever wrote the article paraphrased the results poorly. Who knows, though.

[aviv-b.livejournal.com]

Just finished watching Swansea Love Song. It reminded me a lot of the HBO documentary of a few years ago about crank use in rural America. For me the most upsetting thing in both films is the parents and kids using drugs together.

[hobbitblue.livejournal.com]

Tom Baker is a good start, I do love the Pertwee episodes but with him being stranded on earth there's not much wandering around in the TARDIS, which is the aspect of Who I love most (and my main bugbear with the Eccleston stories). I agree about the Keeper of Traken and following being some of the best, though I think starting earlier than that will give you more of a handle on Tom Baker's character, he was getting quite over-blown towards the end (still good though, though he's the Doctor I grew up with so I'm biased).

[delchi.livejournal.com]

On the bit about world economies , have you seen that out of all the near collapses and problems that Australia is booming?

[rmjwell.livejournal.com]

Hmm, One I've not seen recommended here is the Fourth Doctor's Talons of Weng-Chiang; nice bit of Victoriana and it's a Leela episode.