david tennant
Goodbye, No. 10. Hello, No. 11.
Bye Bye, David Ten-nant
As I was busy taking my Christmas-New Year break, the Tenth Doctor said goodbye to audiences with his final episodes. Farewell, Tenth Doctor. It was a great run, in spite of the scattershot quality of the stories. I think David Tennant’s run will probably be remembered as the one that almost miraculously catapulted the Ninth’s successful revival attempt into a real force to be reckoned with, which is great for all the long-time fans of the show, of course.
But if there’s one thing the show has taught us, it’s change. Time to move on, and here’s a trailer of the new series coming this year, with Matt Smith and Karen Gillan looking quite good in their roles:
I must complain about seeing the Daleks again for the sixth time (I think?) in five years, although I’ll reserve judgement until it becomes clear what all that’s about. It’s nice to see vampires that are not sparkly Twilight things in this day and age. And I’ve never been big on River Song, but I’ll wait and see what she brings to the new show. Apart from that, everything is looking good to me. Including the very fleeting glimpse at what I suppose is the new TARDIS interior.
I think it’s going to be a rocking 2010.
One Week
Oh no! One week to school! I think! Wait, I better get that date checked out.
But yes, not too much longer. It hasn’t been too bad, really, and I’ve got quite a few things done. I think I’ll spend the week just trying to sort out the little administrative stuff and do a little stockchecking. I’ve got some books I want to finish up with, some videos (including the marvellous Planet Earth), and some other chores to settle. I also want to plan a bit for the coming semester. To make it a bit more exciting, I hope.
Well, phew, 2010 already. Here goes nothing.
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Results Get
All Smoke, No Fire
So the results are out and the rest of the world gets to do the whole I-told-you-so routine again that seems designed precisely for me. No, didn’t fail my Math or anything (I had that dream about a week ago, just before the Richard Feynman one), but it wasn’t spectacular either. In fact, I think that’s the best that could be said about it, that it wasn’t a spectacular success but also not a spectacular failure. It panned out as a B-, B+, B, B, A-, which adds to 18.5 points, and Math was actually one of the Bs. Also surprising was the A-, which came in what I initially thought was my worst subject, and with the other B I was hoping for an A.
So, you see, results just like to mess with your brain.
Expectations
On the topic of expectations and messing with brains, I did mention, I think, stepping into high gear for Bukit Merah a couple of days ago. (Forgive me if I didn’t. I’m an old man and my memory isn’t what it used to be.) On my Wednesday break day (and the unintentional Thursday semi-break day), I tried to sort it out and a few ideas came through. I’m now kind of stuck on one of the ideas which is oscillating between a proper brain-messing and something a little more orthodox. While I’ve always happily pushed ahead with the brain-messings, this one runs the risk of not fitting at all, and that leaves an itchy feeling in me that I think is basically my common sense telling me no.
So, I’m pretty sure that’ll be adjusted, though in what way doesn’t seem all too clear yet. I’m pretty sure about sticking to challenging expectations with this one idea, so we’ll just have to wait and see, and hopefully something interesting will emerge.
In the meantime, there’s still quite a bit to work on before I actually get to that point, and I mostly have everything before it figured out, so I’m more or less set for the next couple of weeks. (Assuming that I keep up with the fairly tremendous pace.) I’m almost at the halfway point, though, that said, I don’t know how long the thing is, so saying that is kind of pointless.
Coupling
Here are a couple of links. You can click them.
David Tennant to reprise Hamlet for BBC Two. [via BBC] I’m still waiting for the RSC DVD of the stage production. Which reminds me that I was talking to Jolie the other day and I realised I just don’t watch theatre alone. In fact, I can’t do a lot of things alone. The only things I can safely say that I prefer to do alone are work and writing, which tend to become the same thing most of the time. I’m just a companionship person.
UC Berkeley Classics Department’s 2009 commencement address by David Mendelsohn. [via UC Berkeley]
“And so, I would ask you this: when you think of what it means to be a classicist, don’t think only about your deconstructive readings of Homer, or post-structuralist approaches to Plautus, or Freudian readings of the Euripidean romances, or Marxist interpretations of the Peloponnesian War, the iconography of red-figure vases or the prosopography of the late Roman Republic. Think about Mrs. Begley; think about the people in Kraków, who, when they had very good reasons to believe that civilization had ended, felt that the first thing they needed to do was to put on a play by Sophocles.”
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Rainy Days (*Bang Bang* *High Kick*)
Not Just The Weather
It’s been rainy, yeah, but it’s also been more than a little gloomy for me these days. Since last Friday, in fact. Doesn’t look to be clearing up soon, although I think we all get used to gloomy days after a while and just learn to make the most of them.
Writing has been good. I’ve continued at my ferocious pace and am happily forging ahead with no hint of letting my foot off the gas. I will today, though, because I’m going out to take my mind off of things. I’m hoping that the extra thinking time I have today allows for some good planning of the following chapter, which is extremely long (at least in my mind) and I really need to kick the awesome gearbox up to the fifth gear. I’m six or seven chapters in and I realise I haven’t quite stepped it up yet. I better do it before it’s too late.
Otherwise, it’s all looking okay. It’s just my personal life that’s going through a little bit of a rough time, and my closest friends have not been in touch, having gone overseas for exchanges and work-and-travel, so it’s all been more than a bit difficult.
*Bang Bang* *High Kick*
This is pretty self-explanatory, but it has a Doctor Who fan onboard the TARDIS in a special scene with Captain Jack written specially for this. David Tennant cameos.
Love it when John Barrowman pops about going, “Bang bang!” and then kicking the air after one such instance.
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Monday Link List
Last week of school! And we start the week off with a bunch of random things.
Coetzee Cover
Here’s the cover to J.M. Coetzee’s upcoming book, Summertime. [via The Elegant Variation]
Neuroscience!
The neuroscience behind Yorick’s Ghost and related optical illusions. [via Scientific American]
Weepy Doctor
An interview with David Tennant as he prepares to hand over the steering wheel to Matt Smith. [via BBC]
Geeky Ideas To Save The Book
I watched this rather intriguing presentation on Friday. [via The New Yorker]
There are some really great points that he raises. In particular, I think the last idea he raises is something I’d really like to see.
It also reminded me that I have a half-ambition to have my own tiny bookstore far in the future…
Small Updates
Brr, last week of school! This week, I have a test on Friday with too much material to realistically cover. I also have a test on Monday. Then it’s off and away for the exams.
Not been writing, though I have a fairly good idea of what I want to do.
I did get my hands on the video for Series 4 of Doctor Who (too many spoilers on the interwebs), and I got started on it yesterday. I thought the opening was not bad, though not exactly fantastic. I really didn’t like the idea, but the characters managed to sustain it for me. The curveball right at the end certainly helped too. I’ll probably comment a little on it as I make my way through Series 4.
Starting on my final book before school ends today, and it’s Roberto Bolaño’s By Night In Chile. It’ll be the last book I’ll be reading purely for entertainment for a while, I think, because I’m diving into a new run through Ulysses during the break.
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Better today I’m sure.
Closure
The week slowly draws to a close. (Yeah, sure, it’s only Wednesday.) Projects, tests, et cetera, all going by in the blink of an eye. Still got a presentation tomorrow to prepare for, but that’s all the fight the week has left.
Wasn’t too long ago it was Week 1 and it was all work and no play. It’s been a pretty interesting semester, if nothing else, and I’m actually a little relieved to be at the end of it.
Distractions
It is with much embarrassment that I tell you about my waterbottle accident yesterday. While filling a waterbottle for my friend yesterday, I got rather distracted and for some reason thought it was a good idea to switch over to hot water. That wasn’t such a bad idea except for the fact that the bottle was metal. Realising the error in my ways far too late, I shifted my hand away in a reflex action that caused my left index finger to be slightly scalded.
Hey, could’ve been worse, but you know, think before you do things, no matter how distracted you are. Just in case anyone else wants to lose an index finger too.
(And no, it’s kind of all right now.)
Budget
Yesterday, my dad’s birthday present arrived, a black, supposedly limited edition Crumpler to replace his old one. It reminded me of how much I’ve been spending recently.
My Decemberists record hasn’t arrived (and if it still doesn’t arrive, I’m going to have to check it out). I also bought a few books, and these have set me back quite a bit already. I had the intention of buying a couple of games, but that has since dropped to just one game, which I suppose makes my wallet feel a bit better.
Still, all things considered, not doing too badly. It’ll also depend on how the holidays pan out…
Doctor Who Things
If I said I was going to write about chipmunks, I’d spend the next six months being made president of the Chipmunks Society and would have chipmunks turning up at my door, saying, “Can we have work?”
Russell T. Davies and David Tennant talk about leaving the show.
Elsewhere, another piece about Davies leaving the show.
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Dinosaurs, Underpants, Ends Of The World
Dinosaurs
Recently, Dinosaur Comics had Guest Week. Of the five that appeared, I liked very much David Malki !’s one. [via Dinosaur Comics] The hat was a great touch.
The other one I really enjoyed was John Campbell’s. [via Dinosaur Comics] If you don’t know already, he does pictures for sad children, which I enjoy very much, and his rendition of the dinosaurs was absolutely adorable.
There are Rilakkuma products of every sort…
I saw condoms in Japan.
And here is Rilakkuma underpants. [via poupéegirl]
Aww, No
David Tennant will be leaving after four more Doctor Who specials. [via io9] I’m only midway through his second season, but he’s been one of the best Doctors so far, and it really makes me sad to see him go. But in any case, job well done, Mr. Tennant, and I look forward to whatever project you’re moving on to next.
The End Of The World
The Elegant Variation wants you to know that the apocalypse is coming. [via The Elegant Variation]
Blotchmen
Blotchmen is a short comic by Kevin Cannon featuring Roscharch of Watchmen fame, Harold from Harold and the Purple Crayon, and the kid from Where The Wild Things Are. [via Freshman For Life] I thought it was pretty excellent work.
Ubuntu
Intrepid Ibex (8.10) has been released. [via Ubuntu]
Gaming Academia
Danc of Lost Garden has posted up slides to a talk he did on building an application that rescues princesses. [via Lost Garden] Worth a look, as with practically all the stuff in Lost Garden.
What?!
People here appear to have no idea who Arsène Lupin is, so here is a wiki link. [via Wikipedia]
This reminds me that detective fiction is conspicuously absent from my library. Actually, I was first reminded of this because of some other incident. In any case, I should be hoping to start it off soon, no doubt with some Chandler and Chesterton.
Fun
Sackboy needs your support! [via Proposition Pluto]
On the other hand, LittleBigPlanet is pretty hilarious and ridiculous fun. I’m extremely amused by it. Good, good stuff.
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