Category: Criticality

Timestamp #203: Turn Left

Michael Falkner4 Comments

Doctor Who: Turn Left
(1 episode, s04e11, 2008)

 

What could have been if not for a Noble companion?

The Doctor and Donna have stopped in a bustling marketplace on an alien world. While mixing it up with the locals, Donna wanders away to explore and finds herself in the company of a local fortuneteller. Offered a free reading since she’s a redhead, Donna takes a seat. The fortuneteller talks to her about the Doctor and Donna recounts her first meeting with the Time Lord.

While a mysterious scurrying occurs behind her, she flashes back to her time as a temp with H.C. Clements and the offer she turned down businessman Jival Chowdry. The moment of decision for her entire future was sitting at an intersection with her mother. She turned left…

…but what if she had turned right?

A large insect latches on to her back and the fortuneteller convinces her to turn right. She does.

The next time we see Donna Noble, she’s at a Christmas party celebrating her recent promotion with a round of drinks for her friends. One of her friends, Alice, almost sees the creature on her back, but they’re interrupted by the arrival of the Racnoss Webstar. The invading spacecraft is destroyed by UNIT and the Racnoss queen was killed, but the Doctor drowned in the assault. He was unable to regenerate.

Donna walks away by is soon met by none other than Rose Tyler. She came so far but was too late to meet with the Doctor, but she spots the insect on Donna’s back before vanishing into thin air.

Due to the closure of the Thames, Chowdry’s company has been losing money and Donna has been fired. Simultaneously, the Royal Hope Hospital has vanished into the sky. When it returns, there is only one survivor: Medical student Oliver Morgenstern. He was saved by Martha Jones, but she died as a result. Sarah Jane Smith and the Bannerman Road Gang were there as well, but they died while trying to stop the incursion. Wilfred is convinced that aliens are to blame, but Donna wants to hear none of it.

Donna takes a walk and finds Rose again as she emerges from loud flashes of light. The insect comes up again before Rose asks her about Christmas plans. She suggests that Donna and her family take a holiday, using the winnings from a future raffle ticket to afford it. Donna warns her to stay away and Rose vanishes again.

Sure enough, next Christmas, Donna’s family travel to the countryside. On Christmas Day, they watch as the Titanic smashes into Buckingham Palace. As a mushroom cloud rises over London – and Donna nearly spots the insect in a mirror – the terror and shock set in as they realize that everyone they know is dead.

Now refugees, her family is forced to relocate to Leeds to escape the radiation. Meanwhile, France has closed its borders to refugees, but the Nobles are allocated a house with two other families. The United States offers monetary assistance, but they are forced to withdraw their support when sixty million Americans are killed and converted to Adipose. Every major world city is affected as well.

The Nobles bond with their housemates, but they’re interrupted by soldiers firing at cars. The Sontarans have activated the ATMOS system and covered the planet in a poisonous fog. One of the soldiers spots the insect and takes aim at Donna, but he can’t find it later. Donna follows the flashing lights to find Rose in a nearby alley.

The two companions sit on a bench and talk about the crisis. The sky lights up as the gas burns away, courtesy of Torchwood Three. Gwen and Ianto died in the attempt, and Jack was taken to the Sontaran homeworld. Rose talks about the Doctor, how he saved the world from all of these events, and how Donna traveled with him in another reality. Had she been there to save him from himself under the Thames, the world would be in a better place. Rose has come to warn the Doctor of a darkness that threatens both of their universes, calling Donna the most important woman in the whole of creation.

Rose asks her to come along, finally settling on a time three weeks from now. She vanishes with an ominous prophecy: Donna Noble will die.

The Nobles bid farewell to their Italian housemates, courtesy of a new law that evicts all immigrants from England. They’re going to labor camps, which Wilf recognizes as the first step to fascism that he fought against before. Later that night, Wilf and Donna relax by the fire as he looks through his telescope. While trying to find Orion, the stars vanish from the night sky. Donna finds Rose and tells her that she is ready.

They hitch a ride with UNIT to a warehouse filled with computers, mirrors, and the TARDIS. The police box was salvaged from the Thames wreckage, and when Donna goes in, she finds it cold and dark even though she’s amazed. The ship is dying but still trying to muster the energy to help.

Using that energy, Rose is able to show Donna the insect with a circle of mirrors. The beetle feeds off time, specifically from decisions not made. By turning right instead of left, Donna has given the beetle a temporal smorgasbord. Rose recognizes that both the Doctor and Donna are necessary to stop the stars from going out. Scared out her mind, Donna asks what she can do to help.

Rose tells her that Donna needs to travel through time.

After a quick briefing, Donna steps back into the mirror circle – which is actually a homemade time machine – with the intent of changing her car’s direction. The machine is activated, but Donna has the revelation that she still has to die to save the world.

She materializes on a sidewalk in Sutton Court, half a mile and three minutes from her destiny. She starts running but soon realizes that she won’t make it in time. With the revelation echoing in her mind, she understands what she has to do.

She steps out in front of a truck, sacrificing her life to cause a traffic jam. As Donna dies, Rose whispers two words in her ear as a message for the Doctor, and Donna Noble turns left.

The insect falls off as the reset button is pushed. The Doctor comes in as the fortuneteller runs off, and Donna wraps him in a hug. They examine the insect as they talk about Donna’s adventure and her knack for finding parallel worlds. The Doctor wonders about the coincidences in their travels together, and when he calls her brilliant, Donna remembers Rose.

Except she never knew Rose’s name.

But she does know two words: Bad Wolf.

The Doctor rushes back to the TARDIS, seeing “Bad Wolf” everywhere. Inside, the console room is bathed in red light and the Cloister Bell is ringing.

The end of the universe is coming.

 

This “what if” story is a great dark tale that is really just a setup for the season finale. We get the greatest hits of the Tenth Doctor’s saves of Earth without seeing much of David Tennant at all. He was filming Midnight while Catherine Tate was engaged on this “Doctor-lite” adventure, one in a similar vein to Love & Monsters and Blink, but with a much darker direction.

It’s also a tease for the all-star cavalcade to come with nice touches for each mention: Martha’s theme and a pop of the Torchwood theme accompany their non-appearances, and the news report surrounding Sarah Jane’s heroic death mentions her employment with the Metropolitan, which is where she mentioned working to the Third Doctor in Planet of the Spiders. Rose obviously gets her theme throughout.

Catherine Tate sells this story, from Donna’s depression as the planet falls apart around her to her abject terror when she finally sees the time beetle on her back, which finally pays off the prophecy from The Fires of Pompeii. Her acting skill is just amazing and is showcased by not being overshadowed by or in competition with Tennant’s energy.

 

Rating: 4/5 – “Would you care for a jelly baby?”

 

 

UP NEXT – Doctor Who: The Stolen Earth and Doctor Who: Journey’s End

 

 

The Timestamps Project is an adventure through the televised universe of Doctor Who, story by story, from the beginning of the franchise. For more reviews like this one, please visit the project’s page at Creative Criticality.

 

 

The Thing About Today – May 13

Michael FalknerLeave a comment

May 13, 2020
Day 134 of 366

 

May 13th is the 134th day of the year. It is Abbotsbury Garland Day in Dorset, England. The celebrations have taken place since the 19th century and involve the making of garlands by local children.

In the United States, today is “celebrated” as National Crouton Day, National Frog Jumping Day, National Apple Pie Day, National Fruit Cocktail Day, National Receptionists’ Day, and National Third Shift Workers Day. The last two are typically observed on the second Wednesday in May.

 

Historical items of note:

  • In 1780, the Cumberland Compact was signed by leaders of the settlers in the Cumberland River area of what would become the State of Tennessee. The agreement provided for a democratic government and a formal system of justice.
  • In 1861, Queen Victoria of the United Kingdom issued a “proclamation of neutrality” with respect to the American Civil War. It recognized the Confederacy as having belligerent rights.
  • Also in 1861, the Great Comet of 1861 was discovered by John Tebbutt of Windsor, New South Wales, Australia.
  • In 1880, Thomas Edison performed the first test of his electric railway in Menlo Park, New Jersey.
  • In 1888, the Empire of Brazil abolished slavery with the passage of the Lei Áurea (“Golden Law”).
  • In 1912, the Royal Flying Corps was established in the United Kingdom. It was the forerunner of the Royal Air Force.
  • In 1922, actress Bea Arthur was born.
  • In 1937, author and poet Roger Zelazny was born.
  • In 1946, author Marv Wolfman was born.
  • In 1949, actress Zoë Wanamaker was born.
  • In 1950, singer-songwriter, pianist, and producer Stevie Wonder was born.
  • In 1951, the 400th anniversary of the founding of the National University of San Marcos was commemorated by the opening of the first large-capacity stadium in Peru.
  • In 1964, actor, comedian, and late-night talk show host Steven Colbert was born.
  • In 1977, actress and director Samantha Morton was born.
  • In 1995, Alison Hargreaves, a 33-year-old British mother, became the first woman to conquer Mt. Everest without oxygen or the help of sherpas.

 

In 1950, director and effects artist Joe Johnston was born.

Johnston began his career as a concept artist and effects technician on the first Star Wars film and was the art director on one of the effects teams for the sequel. His association with George Lucas would later prove fruitful when he became one of four to win an Academy Award for Best Visual Effects for Raiders of the Lost Ark by Lucas and Steven Spielberg.

He continued to work in film as an effects expert and was an associate producer on Willow and production designer on the two Ewok television films in the mid-1980s.

In 1984, George Lucas offered Johnston a paid sabbatical with tuition to attend the USC School of Cinematic Arts. Johnston left the school after a year, saying he “was asked not to return” because he “broke too many rules”.

Johnston made his directorial debut with 1989’s hit comedy Honey, I Shrunk the Kids. His next two films, The Rocketeer and The Pagemaster were commercial failures, but he followed those with the cult classic Jumanji.

Although he was slated to direct Hulk, he dropped out and picked up more personal dramatic fare with October Sky. He followed that with Jurassic Park III, Hidalgo, and (after a six-year break) the 2010 remake of 1941’s classic The Wolfman.

Because of his experience with The Rocketeer, Marvel Studios tapped him for 2011’s Captain America: The First Avenger. He then went to Not Safe for Work and reshoots for director Lasse Hallström on The Nutcracker and the Four Realms.

Joe Johnston is still active in the industry today.

 

The Thing About Today is an effort to look at each day of 2020 with respect to its historical context.

For more creativity with a critical eye, visit Creative Criticality.

 

 

The Thing About Today – May 12

Michael FalknerLeave a comment

May 12, 2020
Day 133 of 366

 

May 12th is the 133rd day of the year. It is International Nurses Day, a celebration of the hardest working professionals in the medical industry and their contributions to society. It is observed each year on May 12th, the anniversary of Florence Nightingale’s birth.

It is also International Myalgic Encephalomyelitis/Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (ME/CFS) and Fibromyalgia Awareness Day. The day is observed so that stakeholders have an occasion to improve the knowledge of “the public, policymakers, and healthcare professionals about the symptoms, diagnosis, and treatment of ME/CFS, as well as the need for a better understanding of this complex illness.” It was also chosen because it is the birthday of Florence Nightingale, who had a disease with an infection-associated onset that could have been a neuroimmune disease such as ME/CFS.

In the United States, today is “celebrated” as National Limerick Day, National Odometer Day, and National Nutty Fudge Day.

 

Historical items of note:

  • In 1846, the Donner Party of pioneers departed Independence, Missouri for California. It would become a year-long journey of hardship and cannibalism.
  • In 1863, Bengali writer, painter, violin player and composer, technologist, and entrepreneur Upendrakishore Ray Chowdhury was born.
  • In 1870, the Manitoba Act was given the Royal Assent, paving the way for Manitoba to become a province of Canada on July 15th.
  • In 1907, actress Katherine Hepburn was born.
  • In 1925, baseball player, coach, and manager Yogi Berra was born.
  • In 1928, singer-songwriter, pianist, and producer Burt Bacharach was born.
  • In 1937, the Duke and Duchess of York were crowned as King George VI and Queen Elizabeth of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland in Westminster Abbey.
  • Also in 1937, comedian, actor, and author George Carlin was born.
  • In 1948, actress Lindsay Crouse was born.
  • In 1950, actor and author Bruce Boxleitner was born.
  • In 1958, actress Jennifer Hetrick was born.
  • In 1959, actor Ving Rhames was born.
  • In 1965, the Soviet spacecraft Luna 5 crashed on the Moon.
  • In 1968, actress and comedian Catherine Tate was born.
  • In 1978, actress, model, and singer Malin Åkerman was born.
  • In 1981, actor Rami Malek was born.
  • In 1983, actor Domhnall Gleeson was born.
  • In 1986, actress Emily VanCamp was born.
  • In 2002, former United States President Jimmy Carter arrived in Cuba for a five-day visit with Fidel Castro. He was the first President of the United States, in or out of office, to visit the island since Castro’s 1959 revolution.

 

In 1820, Italian-English nurse, social reformer, and statistician Florence Nightingale was born.

She came to prominence while serving as a manager and trainer of nurses during the Crimean War, in which she organized medical care for wounded soldiers. Through her acts, nursing gained a favorable reputation and she became an icon of Victorian culture, especially in the persona of “The Lady with the Lamp” making rounds of wounded soldiers at night.

Her later work was important in professionalizing nursing roles for women. In 1860, she built the foundation of the profession with the establishment of her nursing school at St Thomas’ Hospital in London. It was the first secular nursing school in the world and is now part of King’s College London.

In recognition of her pioneering work, the Nightingale Pledge taken by new nurses, and the Florence Nightingale Medal – the highest international distinction a nurse can achieve – were named in her honor.

Nightingale’s social reforms included improving healthcare for all sections of British society, advocating better hunger relief in India, helping to abolish prostitution laws that were harsh for women, and expanding the acceptable forms of female participation in the workforce.

Although much of Nightingale’s work improved the lives of women everywhere, she was of the opinion that women craved sympathy and were not as capable as men. She criticized early women’s rights activists for decrying an alleged lack of careers for women at the same time that lucrative medical positions, both under her supervision and that of others, went perpetually unfilled.

She was a prodigious and versatile writer and in her lifetime, much of her published work focused on spreading medical knowledge. It was often written in simple English to be easily understood by those with poor literary skills. She was also a pioneer in data visualization with the use of infographics, effectively using graphical presentations of statistical data.

In 1883, she was the first recipient of the Royal Red Cross. In 1904, she was appointed a Lady of Grace of the Order of St John (LGStJ). In 1907, she became the first woman to be awarded the Order of Merit. The next year, she was given the Honorary Freedom of the City of London.

Much of her writing, including her extensive work on religion and mysticism, has only been published posthumously. She died peacefully in her sleep on August 13, 1910, at the age of 90.

 

The Thing About Today is an effort to look at each day of 2020 with respect to its historical context.

For more creativity with a critical eye, visit Creative Criticality.

 

 

The Thing About Today – May 11

Michael Falkner1 Comment

May 11, 2020
Day 132 of 366

 

May 11th is the 132nd day of the year. It is National Technology Day in India.

In the United States, today is “celebrated” as National Eat What You Want Day, National Foam Rolling Day, and National Women’s Checkup Day (which is typically observed on the second Monday in May).

 

Historical items of note:

  • In 1888, Belarusian-American pianist and composer Irving Berlin was born.
  • In 1904, Spanish artist Salvador Dali was born.
  • In 1910, an act of the United States Congress established Glacier National Park in Montana.
  • In 1918, physicist, engineer, and Nobel Prize laureate Richard Feynman was born.
  • In 1920, actor Denver Pyle was born.
  • In 1963, actress Natasha Richardson was born.
  • In 1969, the British comedy troupe Monty Python was formed. The membership was Graham Chapman, John Cleese, Terry Gilliam, Eric Idle, Terry Jones, and Michael Palin.
  • In 1973, citing government misconduct, Daniel Ellsberg’s charges for his involvement in releasing the Pentagon Papers to The New York Times were dismissed.
  • In 1997, chess-playing supercomputer Deep Blue defeated Garry Kasparov in the last game of their rematch, becoming the first computer to beat a world-champion chess player in a classic match format.

 

May 11th is known as National Twilight Zone Day. Always observed on this day, National Twilight Zone Day features mysterious twists and turns highlighted with eerie background music and unexplainable occurrences as it honors the popular anthology franchise The Twilight Zone created by Rod Serling.

The episodes are in various genres, including fantasy, science fiction, suspense, horror, and psychological thriller. They often conclude with a macabre or unexpected twist, and usually with a moral. They are, in effect, modern fairy tales or versions of Aesop’s fables.

The original series was shot entirely in black and white and ran on CBS for five seasons from 1959 to 1964. It followed in the tradition of earlier television shows such as Tales of Tomorrow (1951–1953) and Science Fiction Theatre (1955–1957), as well as radio programs such as The Weird Circle (1943–1945), Dimension X (1950–1951) and X Minus One (1955–1958). It was also inspired by the radio work of Norman Corwin.

The success of the series led to a feature film (1983), a TV film (1994), a radio series (2002–2012), a comic book, a series of novels, a magazine, and a theme park attraction. It was followed by various spin-offs over the next five decades, including three revival television series.

The first revival (1985–1989) ran on CBS and in syndication during the 1980s. A second revival ran on UPN (2002–2003). In April of 2019, CBS All Access officially premiered the third Twilight Zone revival, this time helmed by Jordan Peele.

As a testament to the original series, which introduced many people to science fiction and fantasy, TV Guide ranked it at #5 in their 2013 list of the 60 greatest shows of all time, and at #4 in their list of the 60 greatest dramas.

 

The Thing About Today is an effort to look at each day of 2020 with respect to its historical context.

For more creativity with a critical eye, visit Creative Criticality.

 

 

The Thing About Today – May 10

Michael FalknerLeave a comment

May 10, 2020
Day 131 of 366

 

May 10th is the 131st day of the year. This year, it is Mother’s Day, which typically falls on the second Sunday in May. In 1908, it was observed for the first time in the United States, in Grafton, West Virginia.

In the United States, today is “celebrated” as National Clean Up Your Room Day, National Lipid Day, National Shrimp Day, and National Washington Day.

 

Historical items of note:

  • In 28 BC, a sunspot was observed by Han dynasty astronomers during the reign of Emperor Cheng of Han, one of the earliest dated sunspot observations in China.
  • In 1773, the Parliament of Great Britain passed the Tea Act, designed to save the British East India Company by reducing taxes on its tea and granting it the right to sell tea directly to North America. The legislation led to the Boston Tea Party.
  • In 1872, Victoria Woodhull became the first woman nominated for President of the United States.
  • In 1888, Austrian-American composer and conductor Max Steiner was born.
  • In 1899, actor, singer, and dancer Fred Astaire was born.
  • In 1902, director and producer David O. Selznick was born.
  • In 1954, Bill Haley & His Comets released “Rock Around the Clock”, the first rock and roll record to reach number one on the Billboard charts.
  • In 1960, the nuclear submarine USS Triton (SSRN-586) completed Operation Sandblast, the first underwater circumnavigation of the earth.
  • In 1962, Marvel Comics publishes the first issue of The Incredible Hulk.
  • In 1969, author John Scalzi was born.

 

In 1869, the First Transcontinental Railroad, linking the eastern and western United States, was completed at Promontory Summit, Utah with the golden spike.

The golden spike (also known as The Last Spike) is the ceremonial 17.6-karat gold final spike driven by Leland Stanford to connect the Central Pacific Railroad from Sacramento, California and the Union Pacific Railroad from Omaha, Nebraska on May 10, 1869.  The First Transcontinental Railroad was a 1,912 mile (3,077 km) continuous railroad line, and construction was started in 1863. The spike was placed in a ceremony where Union Pacific No. 119 and Central Pacific No. 60 (better known as the Jupiter) were driven cowcatcher to cowcatcher. After the ceremony, the golden spike was taken away and the real final spike was driven.

The resulting coast-to-coast railroad connection revolutionized the settlement and economy of the American West. It brought the western states and territories into alignment with the northern Union states and made transporting passengers and goods coast-to-coast considerably quicker, safer, and less expensive.

In 1904, a new railroad route called the Lucin Cutoff was built bypassing the Promontory location to the south. By going west across the Great Salt Lake from Ogden, Utah, to Lucin, Utah, the new railroad line shortened the distance by 43 miles and avoided curves and grades, but that also meant that main-line trains no longer passed over Promontory Summit.

In 1942, the old rails over Promontory Summit were salvaged for the war effort, an event that was marked by a ceremonial “undriving” of the last iron spike. The original event had been all but forgotten except by local residents who erected a commemorative marker in 1943. The 75th anniversary was marked with a commemorative postage stamp, but it wasn’t until 1948 that the first re-enactment was staged.

In 1957, Congress established the Golden Spike National Historic Site to preserve the area around Promontory Summit as closely as possible to its appearance in 1869. Working replicas of the locomotives were built, and those replica engines are drawn up face-to-face each Saturday during the summer for a re-enactment of the event.

The golden spike is now displayed in the Cantor Arts Center at Stanford University.

 

The Thing About Today is an effort to look at each day of 2020 with respect to its historical context.

For more creativity with a critical eye, visit Creative Criticality.

 

 

The Thing About Today – May 9

Michael FalknerLeave a comment

May 9, 2020
Day 130 of 366

 

May 9th is the 130th day of the year. It is Cornelia de Lange Syndrome Awareness Day, which is observed on the second Saturday of May. Cornelia de Lange Syndrome (CdLS) causes a range of physical, cognitive, and medical challenges.  It is a genetic disorder that even though present at birth, it is not always diagnosed at birth.  Affecting the physical and intellectual development of a child, CdLS is often known as Bushy Syndrome or Amsterdam dwarfism.

In the United States, today is “celebrated” as National Lost Sock Memorial Day, National Moscato Day, National Butterscotch Brownie Day, National Sleepover Day, National Birth Mother’s Day (Saturday before Mother’s Day), National Babysitter’s Day (Saturday before Mother’s Day), National Dog Mom’s Day (Second Saturday in May), National Train Day (Saturday closest to May 10th), National Archery Day (second Saturday in May), and National Miniature Golf Day (second Saturday in May).

 

Historical items of note:

  • In 1662, the figure who later became Mr. Punch (of Punch and Judy) made his first recorded appearance in England.
  • In 1671, Thomas Blood, disguised as a clergyman, attempted to steal England’s Crown Jewels from the Tower of London.
  • In 1860, Scottish novelist and playwright J. M. Barrie was born.
  • In 1887, Buffalo Bill Cody’s Wild West Show opened in London.
  • In 1893, psychologist and author William Moulton Marston was born. He was the creator of Wonder Woman.
  • In 1918, journalist Mike Wallace was born.
  • In 1936, actor Albert Finney was born.
  • In 1940, director, producer, and screenwriter James L. Brooks was born.
  • In 1946, actress and producer Candice Bergen was born.
  • In 1949, singer-songwriter and pianist BIlly Joel was born.
  • In 1958, Alfred Hitchcock’s film Vertigo premiered in San Francisco.
  • In 1974, the United States House Committee on the Judiciary opened formal and public impeachment hearings against President Richard Nixon.

 

This year, May 9th is Stamp Out Hunger Food Drive Day. Observed on the second Saturday in May, it is the largest one-day food drive in the United States. It occurs in more than 10,000 cities and towns, and the food is collected by United States Postal Workers.

Over the last 20 years, one billion pounds of food has been delivered by this drive which is sponsored by the National Association of Letter Carriers. The letter carriers representing the NALC receive help from rural letter carriers, other postal employees, and other volunteers. The Stamp Out Hunger Food Drive has received a number of accolades over the years, including two Presidential Certificates of Achievement.

 

The Thing About Today is an effort to look at each day of 2020 with respect to its historical context.

For more creativity with a critical eye, visit Creative Criticality.

 

 

Culture on My Mind – Quarantine Con, Episode III

Michael FalknerLeave a comment

Culture on My Mind
Quarantine Con, Episode III
May 8, 2020

This week’s “can’t let it go” is more classic science fiction discussion.

It’s the irregulars from Dragon Con American Sci-Fi Classics Track, back once again from their individual COVID-19 quarantine bunkers, this time discussing the works of Mister Wigglestick.

Or was that Shakespeare?

More specifically, the weirdest adaptation of the Bard’s works.

Classics Track co-directors Joe Crowe and Gary Mitchel are joined by Tegan Hendrickson and Bethany Kesler. Gary wants everybody to figure out what obvious adaptation they forgot. He also wants you to know that Deanna (his long-time co-host on the RevolutionSF RevCast) says that it’s all his fault.

As before, Joe and Gary will be hosting more of these, so stay tuned to the YouTube channel and the group on Facebook. If you join in live, you can also leave comments and participate in the discussion using StreamYard connected through Facebook.
cc-break

Culture on My Mind is inspired by the weekly Can’t Let It Go segment on the NPR Politics Podcast where each host brings one thing to the table that they just can’t stop thinking about.

For more creativity with a critical eye, visit Creative Criticality.

The Thing About Today – May 8

Michael FalknerLeave a comment

May 8, 2020
Day 129 of 366

 

May 8th is the 129th day of the year. It is World Red Cross and Red Crescent Day, an annual celebration of the principles of the International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement. It is also the anniversary of the birth of Henry Dunant, who was born in 1828, was the founder of International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC), and the recipient of the first Nobel Peace Prize.

In the United States, today is “celebrated” as National Coconut Cream Pie Day, National Have A Coke Day, National Student Nurse Day, National Military Spouse Appreciation Day, and National Provider Appreciation Day. The last two are typically observed on the Friday before Mother’s Day.

 

Historical items of note:

  • In 1429, Joan of Arc lifted the Siege of Orléans, thereby turning the tide of the Hundred Years’ War.
  • In 1858, English author and poet J. Meade Falkner was born. To my knowledge, he is of no relation.
  • In 1884, Thirty-third President of the United States Harry S. Truman was born.
  • In 1886, pharmacist John Pemberton began to sell Coca-Cola as a patent medicine.
  • In 1899, the Irish Literary Theatre in Dublin produced its first play.
  • In 1912, Paramount Pictures was founded.
  • In 1919, Edward George Honey proposed the idea of a moment of silence to commemorate the Armistice of 11 November 1918, the event that ended World War I.
  • In 1926, English environmentalist and television host David Attenborough.
  • Also in 1926, actor and comedian Don Rickles was born.
  • In 1935, actress and dancer Salome Jens was born. She is potentially best known as the female Founder leader on Star Trek: Deep Space Nine.
  • In 1940, author and screenwriter Peter Benchley was born. If you know of Jaws, The Deep, The Island, Beast, and White Shark, you know of Peter Benchley.
  • In 1958, Dracula was released. The film starred Christopher Lee as the eponymous vampire, was directed by Terence Fisher, and is the first Hammer Horror film released.
  • In 1964, actor and director Melissa Gilbert was born.
  • In 1975, Spanish-American singer-songwriter, producer, and actor Enrique Iglesias was born.
  • In 1976, the rollercoaster The New Revolution opened at Six Flags Magic Mountain. It was the first steel coaster with a vertical loop.
  • In 1978, the first ascent of Mount Everest without supplemental oxygen occurred. The ascent was conducted by Reinhold Messner and Peter Habeler.
  • In 1980, the World Health Organization confirmed the eradication of smallpox.
  • In 1981, actor Stephen Amell was born.

 

May 8 is Victory in Europe Day, generally known as VE Day.

It is the anniversary of the formal acceptance of Nazi Germany’s unconditional surrender to the Allied Forces during World War II on May 8, 1945. This event marked the end of World War II in Europe.

VE Day is celebrated across the Western European states on 8 May, with several countries observing public holidays on the day each year. The holidays are known as Victory Over Fascism Day, Liberation Day, or simply Victory Day.

Upon the defeat of Germany, celebrations erupted throughout the western world, especially in the United Kingdom and North America. More than one million people celebrated in the streets throughout the United Kingdom, and crowds massed in London’s Trafalgar Square and up the Mall to Buckingham Palace. There, King George VI and Queen Elizabeth, accompanied by Prime Minister Winston Churchill, appeared on the balcony of the palace before the cheering crowds. Princess Elizabeth (the future Queen Elizabeth II) and her sister Princess Margaret were allowed to wander incognito among the crowds and take part in the celebrations.

In the United States, the victory celebrations coincided with President Harry Truman’s 61st birthday. He dedicated the victory to the memory of his predecessor, Franklin D. Roosevelt, who had died less than a month earlier, stating that his only wish was “that Franklin D. Roosevelt had lived to witness this day”. Later that day, Truman said that the victory made it his most enjoyable birthday.

Celebrations took place in many American cities, especially in New York’s Times Square. The celebrations were tempered by Churchill’s and Truman’s warnings that the war with Japan was still looming.

May 8th has also been designated by the United Nations as the Time of Remembrance and Reconciliation for Those Who Lost Their Lives during the Second World War, an annual observance that pays tribute to the victims of World War II.

 

The Thing About Today is an effort to look at each day of 2020 with respect to its historical context.

For more creativity with a critical eye, visit Creative Criticality.

 

 

The Thing About Today – May 7

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May 7, 2020
Day 128 of 366

 

May 7th is the 128th day of the year. It is World Password Day, a day to promote better password and security habits. It is typically observed on the first Thursday in May.

In the United States, today is “celebrated” as National Packaging Design Day, National Paste-Up Day, National Barrier Awareness Day, and National Roast Leg of Lamb Day. Since it is the first Thursday in May, it is also simultaneously observed as the National Day of Prayer and the National Day of Reason.

 

Historical items of note:

  • In 1697, Stockholm’s royal castle (dating back to medieval times) was destroyed by fire. It was replaced in the 18th century by the current Royal Palace.
  • In 1824, the world premiere of Ludwig van Beethoven’s Ninth Symphony occurred in Vienna, Austria. The performance was conducted by Michael Umlauf under the composer’s supervision.
  • In 1833, German pianist and composer Johannes Brahms.
  • In 1840, Russian composer and educator Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky was born.
  • In 1846, the Cambridge Chronicle was published for the first time in Cambridge, Massachusetts. It is America’s oldest surviving weekly newspaper.
  • In 1864, the world’s oldest surviving clipper ship, the City of Adelaide was launched by William Pile, Hay and Co. in Sunderland, England,. It was used to transport passengers and goods between Britain and Australia.
  • In 1915, German submarine U-20 sank RMS Lusitania. 1,198 people, including 128 Americans, were killed in the attack, and public reaction to the sinking turned many former pro-Germans in the United States against the German Empire.
  • In 1919, actress and Argentinian First Lady Eva Perón was born.
  • In 1942, during the Battle of the Coral Sea, aircraft from the USS Lexington (CV-2) and USS Yorktown (CV-5) attacked and sank the Imperial Japanese Navy light aircraft carrier Shōhō. The battle marked the first time in naval history that two enemy fleets fought without visual contact between warring ships.
  • In 1946, Tokyo Telecommunications Engineering was founded. It would later be renamed as Sony.
  • In 1952, the concept of the integrated circuit was first published by Geoffrey Dummer. The concept was the basis for all modern computers.
  • In 1992, the Space Shuttle Endeavour was launched on mission STS-49. It was the first for the orbiter, which was a replacement for the Space Shuttle Challenger.
  • In 1997, The Fifth Element premiered. At the time, it was the most expensive European film ever made.

 

In 1895, Russian scientist Alexander Stepanovich Popov demonstrated his invention to the Russian Physical and Chemical Society in Saint Petersburg.

The Popov lightning detector used a coherer to detect radio noise from lightning strikes, making it the world’s first radio receiver, albeit a primitive one. Popov was able to use his experience as a teacher at a Russian naval school to explore high-frequency electrical phenomena. A year later, he was able to transmit radio signals 250 meters between different campus buildings.

As a result, May 7th is celebrated in parts of the Russian Federation as Radio Day.

 

The Thing About Today is an effort to look at each day of 2020 with respect to its historical context.

For more creativity with a critical eye, visit Creative Criticality.

 

 

Timestamp #202: Midnight

Michael Falkner8 Comments

Doctor Who: Midnight
(1 episode, s04e10, 2008)

 

All that glitters is death.

It’s time for a vacation. The Doctor wants to visit a sapphire waterfall, but Donna wants nothing more than to lounge poolside with drinks and sunbathing (in X-tonic radiation with is immediately lethal without proper shielding). So, the Doctor goes alone. What could possibly go wrong?

The Doctor ends up on a tour bus of sorts, traveling four hours each direction with a cheerful allons-y. His fellow passengers include the Cane family – Val, Biff, and their bored teenage son Jethro –Professor Hobbes and his assistant Dee Dee Blasco, and recently-divorced businesswoman Sky Silvestry. The bus is a little empty and will be taking a slight detour because of a diamond fall on the normal path.

It’s also annoying as hell due to every entertainment option playing at the same time, but a subtle wave of the sonic screwdriver results in silence that the Doctor fills with small talk amongst the captive crowd. Among other things, we find out that there was no life on Midnight before the leisure resort arrived.

The trip is delayed while the bus experiences mechanical problems. The Doctor uses his psychic paper to access the control compartment and assess the situation. A rescue truck is on the way, and the Doctor convinces the drivers to open the window for a couple of minutes to take in the breathtaking view. The mechanic spots an odd shadow before the shields are restored and the Doctor is sent back to his seat.

The passengers start to speculate on the problem, but it soon rises into a panic. The Doctor calls for silence, but the calm is broken by a knocking on the hull. The silence becomes deafening as terror takes hold and panic rises again. The knocking moves around to each of the airlocks, mimicking Biff and the Doctor as they knock in return.

It intensifies, knocking the bus around as Sky screams that it is coming for her. The lights go out and the entertainment system comes on briefly – Rose Tyler (“I had a friend who went a different universe.”) screams silently as the screen goes out again – before the chaos settles. Sky is cowering in her seat, which is dismantled, and the cockpit is missing. The drivers are dust and only a single door shields the passengers from the lethal radiation. The control circuits in the bus have also been severed.

The Doctor tries talking to Sky, but she’s not herself anymore. She echoes every word that the passengers say and moves with bird-like precision, almost as if she’s absorbing everything around her. Panic rises again and the cacophony of repetition becomes unbearable. It ends as the backup power systems engage.

Sky has moved from repetition to predictive mimicry. The Doctor settles the passengers and then continues his examination of Sky. Jethro and the Doctor both conclude that Sky is not Sky anymore. The Doctor moves everyone else to the back of the bus and asks them for patience over the next fifty minutes as they wait for rescue.

The tour attendant suggests throwing Sky off the bus, which Professor Hobbes continues to believe is a lifeless planet beyond. The passengers start to follow that path of logic, but the Doctor vehemently protests. The passengers turn on him as their hysteria and paranoia rise, picking apart his alien nature and threatening to throw him out as well. They demand to know his name but don’t accept the “John Smith” pseudonym.

The mood is broken as Jethro notices a change in Sky’s demeanor. She’s only copying the Doctor now, and he’s intrigued that she’s chosen his voice… or perhaps, his cleverness. She advances to predicting his voice, and as Sky comes back to life (but still not as herself), the Doctor becomes more and more rigid.

Sky asks the professor to help her up as the Doctor remains behind. Sky appears to have returned to normal, and soon rallies the passengers to turn against him. Dee Dee thinks that Sky is still the intruder, but the rest of the passengers are fully onboard with the whispers. Sky orders the Doctor’s execution and Biff and the professor try to drag him to the airlock.

The tour attendant realizes that Sky is talking with the Doctor’s voice when she uses his odd phrases – allons-y and molto bene – and takes action to save the Doctor’s life. She wraps Sky in a hug and activates the cockpit door, blowing the two of them into the diamond death beyond.

The passengers calm down as they realize what came over them and what they were about to do. As the rescue vehicle approaches, the Doctor asks what the hostess’s name was. None of them know.

The Doctor returns to Donna and suggests that the resort will have to move, leaving Midnight to spin in silence. Donna says that she cannot imagine the Doctor without a voice, and he replies with a forced smile and a molto bene. Donna repeats it, but that’s just too much for him to bear.

 

This is one creepy, edge-of-the-seat episode. It’s a “companion-lite” story, which is a first for the franchise. We’ve been down the road of stories without companions and stories without the Doctor before, but this is a milestone of sorts. It’s also a TARDIS-free episode, which is a bit more common in the franchise — Mission to the Unknown, Doctor Who and the Silurians, The Mind of Evil, The Dæmons, The Sea Devils, The Sontaran Experiment, and Genesis of the Daleks — but is a first for the revival era.

Finally, it is the first televised story in franchise history that does not reveal the villain.

The Medusa Cascade gets another mention after The Fires of Pompeii and The Sontaran Stratagem, this time in concert with the names Rose Tyler, Martha Jones, and Donna Noble.

The guest stars did a considerable amount of the dramatic lifting in this one, and while they were all amazing, two stood out. First, Jethro was played by Colin Morgan, who shocked me as a moody teenager since the last time I saw him was as a wide-eyed innocent sorcerer in Merlin. Second Professor Hobbes was portrayed by David Troughton, son of Second Doctor Patrick Troughton, and a Doctor Who alumni in his own right from The Enemy of the World, The War Games, and The Curse of Peladon.

All of that just adds spice to an excellent and thought-provoking tale.

 

 

Rating: 5/5 – “Fantastic!”

 

UP NEXT – Doctor Who: Turn Left

 

 

The Timestamps Project is an adventure through the televised universe of Doctor Who, story by story, from the beginning of the franchise. For more reviews like this one, please visit the project’s page at Creative Criticality.