Just come back from a smashing evening with the brilliant folks at CUSFS, who gave me a slap-up dinner, and then I gave them a talk about reading SF, and writing fanfic, and writing profic, and loving B7. Then lots of fun discussion about new Who and old Trek. I was a member of CUSFS *cough* nineteen years ago, so it was lovely to be asked to go and talk to them.

The room where I gave the talk was at my old college, so I took ten minutes beforehand to dash up to my old room where I had a chat with a couple of young women now living there, who rather sweetly didn't mind having a complete stranger pop into their kitchen on a Sunday evening and blather about living there nearly two decades ago.

Do you have a Doctor Who community or a journal that we are not currently linking to? Leave a note in the comments and we'll add you to the who_daily reading list.

EDITOR'S NOTE: Because of the high posting volume and the quantity of information linked in each newsletter, who_daily will no longer link fanfiction that does not have a header. For an example of what a "good" fanfic header is, see the user info. Thank you.

Off-LJ links
The Futon Critic announces that BBC America will start airing the final two specials on 26/12/09

Discussion & Miscellany
perfectchichi is looking for help with a convention skit for Chicago TARDIS
rosetyler_it with a Tenth Doctor pic celebration
passionate_ink discusses An Unearthly Child
man_of_film asks for opinions on various Tenth Doctor coats
ren_geek is wondering how much fans of New Who know about the classic series
ren_geek asks "Which Doctors have you seen/listened to?"
hammard opens discussion on Inferno
sue_denimme posts Celebrating Ten (Picspam) #4b: New Earth
helygen speculates on the future of Doctor Who (possible spoilers)
nnwest has been rewatching season 1
derooftrouser posts a quote from RTD on the regeneration limit
timelordwannabe asks: "Ten's final story… what would you do?"

Spoilers up to The Waters of Mars
nwhyte reviews The Waters of Mars, The Circus of Doom and The Adventure of the Diogenes Damsel
sage_theory talks about The Waters of Mars
magicallaw picspams The Many Poses of the Tenth Doctor

Spoilers up to the Children in Need clip
lachli was not impressed by Waters of Mars or the Children in Need preview clip
katherine_b posts a full transcript for Waters of Mars
radioactivepiss with a comment on the Children in Need clip

Season 5 spoilers
thehornedgod posts a filming video from Season 5

Challenges/Communities
dd_icontest opens voting in challenge #31
dd_icontest opens challenge #32
fandom_smash, a new multi-fandom RP
smith_n_jones opens challenge seven
smith_n_jones with the results of challenge six
dw100 opens Challenge #278: child
whochorus opens challenge forty

Fanfic
Complete
Borrowed Time by time_converges (Donna, the Doctor | G)
To hold me back when I don't know how by sapphire_child (Ten, Rose or Donna | PG | Spoilers: The Waters of Mars)
Fate of the World by milieva (Ten II, Jackie, Ten/Rose | All)
Memorable by _thirty2flavors (Donna Noble, Adelaide Brooke | G | Spoilers: The Waters of Mars, The End of Time)
Too Late by juliet316 (Jack, Ten | PG | Spoilers: vague for the specials)
Postcards from Berlin by wildwinterwitch (Ten/Rose | T)
Maelstrom by bananasandroses (implied Ten/Rose | PG | Spoilers: The Waters of Mars)
Flexibly Restrained by sykira (Ten/Donna | PG-13)
Only Time Will Tell by angstytimelord (Ten | PG-13)
The Queen Must Die by philosophercat (Six, Tegan | G)

Works in Progress
Dona nobis beatitas 3/? by katherine_b (Ten, Donna | PG)
A Happy Accident 4/9 by shengirl (Ten/Jack/Rose, Martha, OC | PG)
Mistaken Identity (3/4) by darkestboy (Four, Sarah Jane, Harry | PG-13)
Doctor Who and the Star of Arcadia - The Cricketer at Brendon School 6/16 by gogo_didi (Ten, the Brigadier, Benton, Torchwood characters, Ocs | PG-13)

Icons and Graphics
moetushie with 19 icons from "Waters of Mars" and "The End of Time" trailer (Spoilers)
acidpenguin46 with 15 icons from "Waters of Mars" and "The End of Time" trailers (Spoilers)
totodiles with 30 Matt Smith and Eleventh Doctor icons (Spoilers)
xafirah with 30 companion icons (spoilers for "Waters of Mars")
heliotitans with four icons
vincent_chan with a Ten, Jack and Martha wallpaper
the_tenzo with 26 "Waters of Mars" icons (Spoilers)

Fanartand other creative endeavours
creadigol_lili posts cosplay videos
scarfman with fanart containing potential spoilers for The End of Time

Fanvids
the_10thdoctor with 'Not Sure', a tribute to Ten

You can reach us in the comments or at whodaily@gmail.com

To write....

I'll be writing all night, but I'm gonna see how much I can get done between now and 8pm. The goal is 500 words per hour if not more.

The more the merrier, please join me if you need to get some writing done. I'll check in every hour or so.

scarybearhair and ladyofclunn are with me.

Scary wrote 400 so far, Lady wrote 1382! and I figured out I'm going to drop the ginnybigbang and just work on my WIPs. All in all progress! Now back to it :)

(disclaimer: this isn't because anything traumatic has happened or is happening. it's a general comment because this hurts every time something reminds me of it.)

I'm very good at commitment, at loyalty, at devotion. It's one of the few gifts I recognized in myself as a child, and that I have kept into adulthood.

I've tried to learn how to let go since I was young, since the first time someone I loved left. I'm still not that good at it. I mean, it still hurts, and I still flinch and anticipate the leaving, even when it's not literal and even when it's not emotional (just physical distance).

Sometimes I wonder if the end result will be that I have used up all the room in my heart, and can no longer take in newness, can no longer reach out with any sort of dedicated resources.

I hope not. I hope to learn to let go and yet somehow find that place in my heart renewed rather than lost. I hope to find a place or people here where I am, not so far away I can't reach them; to find that as I grow older I have more room for love, not less.

But I'm not at all sure I can manage that. God? Unending, unfailing, and impossible to contain--help me.

Title: Walking the Labyrinth.
Author: LilacFree.
Characters/Pairings: 4th Doctor, Adric, K9, Tegan Jovanka, the Master (Ainsley).
Rating: All ages.
Warnings: None.
Word Count: 3419.
Summary: Doctor who? Has any one else ever walked into the TARDIS without having met the Doctor? This story is an attempt to walk in Tegan's high-heeled shoes. It follows canon from the 4th Doctor episode 'Logopolis' fairly closely, with a couple of additions.
Follows my story 'First Step' and is part of the same series. It also draws from the drabble 'He Laughs'.

Recced Because: Taking a couple of scenes from Logopolis where not much happens other than Tegan exploring, getting lost and frightened, in the TARDIS before she has met the Doctor and turns it into an effective character study. I like to see this both as Tegan working through her fears but also as a study of the Doctor by means of the TARDIS. The author makes use to two meanings for the labyrinth: meditation tool, and location for the Theseus and the Minotaur myth, with the Master as the Minotaur.

I've been pondering on what makes a traditional dance, and I've come to the conclusion that it's any dance that has been performed over a long period of time and is performed by amateurs as well as professionals. (in my book, it isn't a traditional dance until it has been adopted by the community and carried on by it). For example, I would define ballet as a classical dance form, not a traditional one.

Morris is definitely a traditional dance. It's a good 600 years since it escaped from being performed at court and moved out into the community. Irish dance is traditional (the fact that professionals also do it does not remove the long folk involvement).

Tap dance is marginal. I haven't quite made up my mind about that one. Tap has roots in traditional dance forms like Lancashire clog, and has probably contributed to some traditional forms (Appalachian clog includes steps from all over the place and English clog dancing often draws on steps from music hall routines, etc.) Step dancers see good steps and adopt them and there's interaction in both directions.

I think there's a case for calling the sand dance a traditional dance although it has its origins in music hall. The best known sand dance performers were probably not the first, but they certainly were the ones to establish the dance in the public mind.

Wilson, Keppel and Betty (the identity of 'Betty' changed over the years) performed their sand dance over a period of 30 years from the 1920s through to the 1950s, and they (even if people can't remember the names) will be the act that comes to mind whenever anyone thinks about the sand dance.

This clip is reasonable quality, though it only shows part of the act: (and considering how old the film has to be, it's very good)



This one shows the first part as well (note the costume change)

However, for a dance to fit my definition of 'traditional', it has to carry on beyond the original performers.

This is where I have to apologise for a terrible quality clip. I've seen the Fez Heads perform the sand dance on more than one occasion, but I can't find a good video version. (You'll note that their costume seems to be based on the second Wilson and Keppel clip)

But the dance is alive and kicking elsewhere. Amateur performances pop out of the woodwork here and there. I greatly enjoyed this one to the song "The Old Bazaar in Cairo". And here's another one that made me smile (delightfully camp). (I'd embed these two, but embedding is not available for them)

By now, you'll have noticed that the sand dance is not always performed with sand (it works best when it is, but this isn't always practical). A dance with sand is not always the sand dance, as this example of a totally different dance done with sand demonstrates.

So, dancing with sand is probably a tradition in more than one country, but the 'sand dance' has to involve steps that remind one of Egyptian murals (steps can vary quite a bit, but there's one step that I'd regard as compulsory - and the various versions do all seem to include it). The sand dance, therefore, is a traditional comic dance, originating in music hall, that should best be performed in a deadpan face, but with a cheerful awareness of how camp it is.

Anyone fancy doing a sand dance for the Odyssey cabaret?

Forced Confessions by Scorpia is now up! Please remember to review!

~OE

Story: My True Love Gave To Me
Author: dettiot
Rating: PG for some kissing
Author's Summary: Christmas is a time for getting your heart's desire. Sometimes, the gift you truly want most can't be wrapped in pretty paper and bows. Post-Fear Her.
Warnings: Spoilers for anywhere after The Stolen Earth
Character/Pairings: Jackie Tyler, Rose Tyler, The Doctor (10th)

Well, this is my last review. You can all breathe a sigh of relief now. :D

I figured I would finish off this week with a piece of pure fluff. Albeit, long fluff - but definitely fluff.

In honor of Christmas, which really is just around the corner, I bring you 'And My True Love Gave To Me,' by dettiot.

It takes place during season two, during a random Christmas that 10 and Rose decided to share. It all begins with the Doctor wants to hear rose singing Christmas carols and spirals to this marvelous bit of cavity inducing frivolity.

From Christmas shopping, to opening presents in jim-jams, this story takes us through a remarkably uneventful holiday in the lives of Rose and The Doctor.

Of course there is some UST, but most of what happens is just fluff, as the two of them discover their feelings for each other.

Enjoyable, it won't spark any brain cells, but it will certainly bring a smile to your face.

The most prominent ref of the week was in a piece on Henry Jenkins in the L. A. Times. Zachary Pincus-Roth wrote that Jenkins -- officially the [USC] provost's professor of communication, journalism and cinematic arts -- researches how audiences engage with media through the Internet, fan fiction and video games.

The Canwest News Service distributed a piece by Mark Medley on Cory Doctorow, whose own early attempts at sci-fi were pastiches of Conan the Barbarian stories and Star Wars fan fiction. Lest we be to happy about Doctorow's getting us, ( inappropriate metaphor alert! )

In a review of Norah Jones's new album The Fall in the Dallas Observer, Robert Wilonsky wrote Those proclaiming this album the Booker T. grad's "departure" have clearly listened to their Norah Jones solely whilst sipping frappucinos between penning fan fiction in a Starbucks.

( NaNoWriMo-related )

On E!Online, Jennifer Godwin attributed NBC's decision to extend Trauma for at least a few more episodes to nontraditional signs of popularity growth, including the existence of Trauma fanfic.

And, in the Daily Northwestern, Laura Rosenfeld admitted I’ve never read the entire Harry Potter series. Whenever I tell people this, I usually get a look of sheer terror and shock. The hardcore fans who can list their favorite books in order and create fan fiction can’t even bear to be in my presence.

( a gazillion Twilight-related refs )

Note: Crossposted to http://as-others-see-us.dreamwidth.org/7987.html.

Hi all

I keep posting a story to my teaspoon archive but it keeps disappearing. I've emailed the mods, but they've not got back to me. Any ideas what might be going on?

Kx

Considering all the drama that's going on with my dad's side of the family, it was actually almost pleasant to spend a few hours with my mom's side tonight. Which was... surprising, to say the least.

Admittedly, a lot of it's because they're of the opinion that the more, the merrier: Bear was more than welcome, one of my cousins brought her boyfriend, the other cousin spent most of the night texting her boyfriend, my uncle's dad (who's not technically related to us except through marriage) wandered in halfway through the night from his house next door, my grandmother's niece (so my... first cousin, once removed?) came by long enough to steal some food, and some random stranger who I think might have been one of my aunt's neighbors popped her head in.

But, yeah. Lots of free food; a few hours playing Rook, Uno, and Scrabble; and nobody making any comments about people's personal lives that aren't any of their business. Not a bad way to spend the night.

Okay, is this the same artist who has a site with the name Elly (I think)?

Or is this another case of somebody claiming work they didn't do?

The art in question is this one:



And I thought we'd all seen it as Snape and Hermione (even though her hair is all wrong) from a Russian artist named Elly (see sig).

I never imagined Xeno Lovegood as a hottie.

I haven't read the flist yet so maybe everybody has already seen it? Anyway:




OMG, just read this elsewhere and haven't looked it up to confirm but--

If he is Rhys Ifans? That is dead perfect casting because he can be the squirreliest guy on the planet.

Did you see Notting Hill?

Fancy a fuck?

That's him.

Eros, Philia, Agape, by Rachel Swirsky.

I don't want to say anything about it, but if you read it let me know.

Do you have a Doctor Who community or a journal that we are not currently linking to? Leave a note in the comments and we'll add you to the who_daily reading list.

EDITOR'S NOTE: Because of the high posting volume and the quantity of information linked in each newsletter, who_daily will no longer link fanfiction that does not have a header. For an example of what a "good" fanfic header is, see the user info. Please note, the fic must have a header with the fic, not just in the link post, in order to be added to the newsletter. Thank you.

Beware spoilers in the links! I've tried to mark everything spoilery as such, but a few may have slipped by.

Off LJ Links
Doctor Who Lost Stories podcast.
Children in Need Ratings.
Doctor Who: The Stalker of Norfolk comic update.

Discussion and Miscellany
Waters of Mars [Spoilers]
elisi has thoughts on Adelaide, and how the Doctor sees the world. [also Spoilers for the Children in Need preview]
chicklet73 has further thoughts on rewatching Waters of Mars.

2009 Christmas Special [Spoilers]
dougs has a macro based on a throwaway line in the Children in Need clip.
helygen has comments on the preview clip of the special.
marah_sarie spots a pattern in the preview clip.
chloris67 has thoughts and screencaps from the preview clip.
dougs shares some particularly cracktastic speculation.
snowgrouse has spoilery thoughts on the preview.
honorh with a weird thought on CiN. [Spoilers]
telegram_ has a poll about the special.
azriona with a few comments about the preview.
ren_geek has Children In Need spoiler musings.
lordindra has some crackpot speculation.
skydawnjade has screencaps from CiN and Waters of Mars.
shishmish has a crack theory based on the Christmas preview.
cryptile paraphrases the CiN preview.
zero_ac has a few questions concerning the preview.
srah_scottydog has speculation based on the preview.
reserve has thoughts on the CiN preview.

Series Five [Spoilers]
the_willows shares new filming pics.
darkestboy has a spoilery blog post about the filming shots and the CiN preview clip.
ukraine_girl shares some more filming pics.
the_willows has even more filming pics.

Other Discussion and Miscellany
captaintish picspams New Who hugs.
thehornedgod shares more from Michael Moorcock on his forthcoming Doctor Who novel.
vandonovan has announcements about Second Doctor companion actors.
sue_denimme has a "Celebrating Ten" picspam for New Earth.
bardingtide wonders what your Time Lord name would be.
finmagik wonders what your Time Lord costume would be.
bardingtide wonders what your TARDIS would look like.
nwhyte reviews three Sixth Doctor books.

Challenges/New Communities
iconsofrassilon has Challenge #22 Voting.

Fanfiction

Completed
To the victors, the spoils by torn_eledhwen [Ten, Susie Fontana Brooke | PG | Spoilers for Waters of Mars]
Ordinary Day by aquakittie [Human Doctor/Rose | PG-13 | Spoilers for Waters of Mars]
By Faith Alone by nostalgia_lj [Doctor/Donna, others | R]
Breaking Hearts by malicehaughton [Ben/Polly | G]
My arms are doors I cannot close by takethewords [Ten/Rose | R | Spoilers for Waters of Mars and future specials]
Walks Through Walls by eve11 [Six, Erimem, others | Not Rated]
Of Tents, Marshmallows, and Snoring by humansrsuperior [TenToo/Rose | PG-13]
Lessons by stunt_muppet [Liz/Jo, Brigadier | G]
Perfect Storm by megans_writing [Five, Tegan, Turlough | G]
Somewhere Over the Rainbow by atraphoenix [Martha/Leela, Romana II/Leela, Ten, Donna | PG]
Knock-Knock Jokes by livii [Zoe/Peri | PG]
Fires of the past by darkwolf5 [Ten/Simm!Master | PG-13]
Better Late Than Never by fid_gin [Ten/Rose | R | Spoilers for Waters of Mars and CiN clip]
The Switch by earlgreytea68 [Ten, TenII | G | Spoilers for Waters of Mars]

Works in Progress
Dona nobis beatitas by katherine_b [Chapter 1/? and 2/? | Donna, Ten | PG]
Irrevocably Complete by mrs_roy [Chapter 5/? | Ten/Rose | PG]
A Paradox by Any Other Name by spiritofeowyn [Chapter 4/7 | 10.5/Rose | PG | References to Waters of Mars]
Doctor Who and the Star of Arcadia by gogo_didi [Chapter 5/16 | Jack/Ianto, Ten, OFC, OMCs, Brigadier, Benton, Johnson | R]
Doors and Carpets by jhumor [Chapter 2/? | Human Doctor/Rose | Not Rated]
Heart of the TARDIS by jhumor [Chapter 14/? | Ten, TARDIS, Jack, Martha, others | Teen | Spoilers for Waters of Mars]

Crossovers

Icons & Graphics
emely_chan with 35 text icons. [some text from Waters of Mars]
renestarko with 2 icons from the CiN preview. [Spoilers]
studyofrunning with 20 icons of Jo Grant.
darlingbones with 10 icons in a multifandom post.
isis_azariel with 38 icons in a multifandom post.
andrivete_icons with 33 icons from series three.
kolibrichen with 20 Donna icons.
skydawnjade with 64 icons. [Spoilers for Waters of Mars]
carly21 with 28 icons from The Impossible Planet/The Satan Pit.
cleansweep7 with 17 Waters of Mars icons in a multifandom post. [Spoilers]
cowboyhd with 44 Waters of Mars icons. [Spoilers]
wild_sibyl with 10 icons in a multifandom post.
taekthewords with 19 icons and 2 wallpapers in a multifandom post.
firestar28 with 14 Waters of Mars icons. [Spoilers]

Fanart & Creative Endeavours
A Supernatural crossover manip by shadowsyra [Castiel | G | Crossover with Supernatural]
Tom Baker crochet pattern by iceangel7 [Four | G]

Fanvids
Not Sure by the_10thdoctor [Ten, Rose, Martha, Donna]
Fools by curriejean [Torchwood/Who crossover]

You can reach us in the comments or at whodaily@gmail.com.

First of all, this could've happened next weekend, which would've sucked monkey balls.

Second, while I'm definitely sick enough to not go to work today (bad sore throat, feverish on and off, achey, etc.), I'm not too sick to appreciate the unexpected day off to lie about.

Third, in a (happy? fortuitous?) coincidence, my father was sick earlier this week, prompting my mother to whip up a batch of homemade chicken noodle soup, which I consumed while lying prostrate on my parents' sofa last night, with my cat curled up next to me and NCIS reruns on TV.

Actually, Caz was not so much curled up next to me while I ate the soup as he was up in my face begging to be given bits of chicken. He started his insulin tablets last night and immediately felt much better, I think. He's been way more energetic and annoying the last twenty-four hours. My mother was so happy she fed him till I thought he would pop.

This is a Really Good Thing, because the visit to my parents' vet was a bust - or, no, not so much a bust, as a really fucking dreadful experience never to be repeated. The office smelled of pee and probably worse things to poor Caz, who had one asthma attack after another the whole time we were there; no one smiled at me; the vet barely spoke to me, just poked and prodded Caz and tried to tell me his lungs were fine when they clearly were not. And his "opinion"? I should see a specialist.

Well, fuck that. He hasn't had an attack all day today. *knocks on wood* I like my vet, I like her office and her people, and I'm going to trust that she's doing the best thing for Caz and me.

And now, back to watching S1 of Who (purchased during Amazon.com's 60% off sale of win last week) and poking at my idea for a Pete's World!OT3 fic.

OK, we're all used to seeing the same actors on different shows, occasionally in contexts that feel a bit strange or amusing. I hadn't realized until now that the doubling up of locations could do that, too.

I'm right now in the middle of an episode of Forever Knight -- I've been slowly re-watching the series on DVD -- and I swear, Nick Knight just visited The Centre. Where they are holding a serial killer who "likes to get into your head."

I actually kind of feel vaguely freaked out, in an entertaining way. And I am attempting to ignore the portion of my psyche that is shouting, "Crossover! Crossover! Come on, you know it could work!"