A rantlet

Romana was and remains my favorite companion. I enjoyed the fact that she was the Doctor's intellectual and educational equal, if not his superior, as well as the give and take and tension inherent in that sort of balance. I was disappointed when her character departed the show.

Last night, I watched the first Martha Jones episode. Oh look, another young, gorgeous woman who is open to new experiences and instruction. Teachable. Malleable. And there's the o/l/d/e/r/ m/a/n Doctor, playing hide and seek, luring her away from an unhappy family situation and into his c/a/r/ TARDIS. The only things missing were a bag of candy and an invitation to see his etchings.

I guess you could say I found that sequence a tad creepy. Not fond of the Doctor-as-Pickup-Artist.

I would love to see Romana return.

A rantlet

Romana was and remains my favorite companion. I enjoyed the fact that she was the Doctor's intellectual and educational equal, if not his superior, as well as the give and take and tension inherent in that sort of balance. I was disappointed when her character departed the show.

Last night, I watched the first Martha Jones episode. Oh look, another young, gorgeous woman who is open to new experiences and instruction. Teachable. Malleable. And there's the o/l/d/e/r/ m/a/n Doctor, playing hide and seek, luring her away from an unhappy family situation and into his c/a/r/ TARDIS. The only things missing were a bag of candy and an invitation to see his etchings.

I guess you could say I found that sequence a tad creepy. Not fond of the Doctor-as-Pickup-Artist.

I would love to see Romana return.

Apropos of nothing

I used to read--and should start reading again--Gilded Age and Victorian era biographies and histories. Over at Daily Kos, Devilstower posts about the later days of Cornelius Vanderbilt, the not-so-ex-prostitute sisters who befriended him, their lives, and the growth of spiritualism.

From the time when spiritualism first took hold in the United States during the 1840's, its popularity was based among the upper classes and upper crust of American society. The informal religion emerged (as had so many others) from the "Burned-over District" in upstate New York. It borrowed from sources as diverse as Franz Mesmer's hypnotism and offshoots of radical Quakerism to form a anything-goes hotbed for scholarly religious dissent, simply odd ideas, and certified nut cases. It was also a rich feeding ground for hucksters of all sorts.

So, read Parlor Tricks if you have a mind to. Meanwhile, I shall add a few books to the wish list.

Apropos of nothing

I used to read--and should start reading again--Gilded Age and Victorian era biographies and histories. Over at Daily Kos, Devilstower posts about the later days of Cornelius Vanderbilt, the not-so-ex-prostitute sisters who befriended him, their lives, and the growth of spiritualism.

From the time when spiritualism first took hold in the United States during the 1840's, its popularity was based among the upper classes and upper crust of American society. The informal religion emerged (as had so many others) from the "Burned-over District" in upstate New York. It borrowed from sources as diverse as Franz Mesmer's hypnotism and offshoots of radical Quakerism to form a anything-goes hotbed for scholarly religious dissent, simply odd ideas, and certified nut cases. It was also a rich feeding ground for hucksters of all sorts.

So, read Parlor Tricks if you have a mind to. Meanwhile, I shall add a few books to the wish list.

(no subject)

Where I would like to be: in the Greek Islands. I've commandeered all the tables at an outdoor cafe with a cadre of friends. Dinner has ended, and we're sitting around talking, drinking wine. The sun is lowering over the sea, and soon there will be dancing, and plate shattering.



Where I am: Chapter 4.

(no subject)

Where I would like to be: in the Greek Islands. I've commandeered all the tables at an outdoor cafe with a cadre of friends. Dinner has ended, and we're sitting around talking, drinking wine. The sun is lowering over the sea, and soon there will be dancing, and plate shattering.



Where I am: Chapter 4.