Inside the TARDIS

Posted on July 31, 2005 by admin.presshost

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About a week ago I got to go to a little Doctor Who event held here in Perth. On stage were two former Doctors, Colin Baker and Sylvester McCoy along with a companion from the Jon Pertwee era, Katy Manning. It was followed by signings in the foyer.


Colin Baker and Sylvester McCoy reading a “radio play”


Katy Manning gets in on the act (But Doctor..)


Colin Baker charming the crowds.


Sylvester McCoy, signing my programme.


The dynamic Katy Manning, who was enjoying herself as much as the fans. Treating the whole affair like she has the best job in the world.

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I like the ABC but…

Posted on July 22, 2005 by admin.presshost

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Firstly, forgive the lack of postings. I was busy last week and in bed, laid up with a nasty cold this week.

I have mentioned in the past that the episode of Doctor Who that caught my imagination in the first place was the story “Full Circle”. I could even specifically narrow it down to the second episode that won me over.

The episode ends with Romana, trapped in a cave surrounded by very large and nasty looking spiders that have been emerging from the riverfruits. Despite her initial confidence that “they’re only spiders” she soon realises that they are stalking her. Trapped in the corner with no way out and spiders approaching she picks up a riverfruit to throw at the nearest spider.

At that moment it bursts open and the spider inside lands on her face, biting her.

I will always remember this episode and how much it terrified me when I was a child, so naturally I was very excited when this story finally made it back in the current round of repeats on the ABC.

Unfortunately the second episode of this story was on the same day that London was bombed in terrorist attacks causing the episode to be replaced by live coverage courtesy of the BBC World Service.

I fully accept that breaking news stories like these are of much higher priority than a re-run of a 23 year old episode of a science fiction show but what annoys me is that the episode was not rescheduled at all. It was just omitted.

This is because the episode actually did go to air in the eastern states of Australia before the network switched to the live TV coverage.

Dear Stuart

Thank you for your email regarding Doctor Who.

Doctor Who – Full Circle Episode 2, was shown in the Eastern States bedcause it was broadcast before we received the breaking news on the London bomb blasts, at approximately 7.10pm EST. Unfortunately, due to the extended coverage of the London bombings, we were not able to show this episode in WA and also, we will not be able to repeat episode two of ‘Full Circle’ in Western Australia.

I have attached a link to the BBC – Dr Who website which might fill in some of the blanks: http://www.bbc.co.uk/cult/doctorwho/episodeguide/fullcircle/plot.shtml

I’m sorry I can’t provide better news on this occasion but thank you for supporting the ABC.

Kind regards

(name removed)
ABC Audience and Consumer Affairs

It’s not unusual for Auntie to disregard the time difference. I regularly listen to the ABC youth network, Triple J and they have run competitions that require you to “call now” with no regard for the fact that we get the broadcast on a two hour delay.

It’s not unusual, but it’s irritating to no end!

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Leon is clever

Posted on July 10, 2005 by admin.presshost

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Many years ago I used to watch Fawlty Towers, and I have to confess I have a love hate relationship with that show. It is a brilliant piece of comedy but insanely frustrating. It’s the most superior of a few different examples of its genre that thoroughly annoy me to the point where I will actually yell at the television.

The opening credits of the show always included a view of the Fawlty Towers hotel in which the letters on the name plaque at the entrance had been rearranged in some clever anagram. I’m sure I remember Farty Towels being one of them.

Walking into an office tower in the city centre on Friday I was greeted by this notice (which normally says “FOR ACCESS TO LEVEL 6 SEE CONCIERGE) that made me immediately think of this old show… Wonder if the video library has them on DVD..

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Thursday Challenge – Sharp

Posted on July 8, 2005 by admin.presshost

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If the pen is mightier than the sword, is this preparation for a battle?

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Sunrise photos

Posted on July 6, 2005 by admin.presshost

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I feel that perhaps I have not been as creative as I would like to be. Maybe the pressures of day to day life are catching up with me but I have just not felt like going out and photographing.

I actually do have a few images that I want to put onto the site, but I haven’t really found an outlet for them yet. Most of them are architecture shots that I’ll probably use in a series sometime soon.

For now though, I want to share some sunrise shots.
Sunrise really is one of my favourite times of the day. It’s that feeling of something new and makes me feel great to be alive.. It almost makes up for the fact that I have to start work at 5am!

This morning it was very cold. Freezing in fact, but the cold mornings are always nice and clear.
I took this photo at around 7.30am in Mt Lawley looking north along Beaufort Street

Taken a couple of weeks ago on a foggy morning, the Bankwest Tower photographed from St Martins Tower.


Killing time at the traffic lights – 7am on William Street

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Thursday Challenge – Container 2

Posted on July 6, 2005 by admin.presshost

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Container is one of those subjects that I found difficult, a “spoilt for choice” subject. However the Art Gallery at The Western Australian School of Art Design and Media incorporated a shipping container into the architecture of the building which was simply perfect for this weeks photo meme

This image is available as a hybrid photo (B&W/Colour)

A closer view of the container

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Project

Posted on July 1, 2005 by admin.presshost

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Maybe that DIY bug is rubbing off on me.. I blame Flip

I decided that I really needed to sort out my office and clean it up a little because it is just starting to get cramped up with junk. I also decided that a good place to start would be getting the computers off my desk.

This is fairly tidy, but usually when I am working the bench space gets covered in paper.

I had an old bookshelf that was made to go with the desk before we put a larger shelf up onto the wall, and I figured that I could use this to place the computers on.
As I was essentially just turning it upside down the first think I needed to do was remove the support bracket around from the old bottom to the new one.

I then added castors to the base to make it easy to wheel in and out and then placed the computers on it. There was quite a jumble of cables.

I know that every geek worth his/her salt is going wireless, but for me a cabled network is just fine

Nearly finished. My dad made a box to hide the UPS and powerboards and I used wire ties to clean up all the cables

The finished product… Although I might paint the power box!

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Dalek

Posted on June 26, 2005 by admin.presshost

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How is is possible to feel such sadness for a creature devoted to killing?

This new season of Doctor Who just gets better and better. Christopher Eccleston is doing an amazing job of playing the Doctor and Billie Piper’s “Rose Tyler” is definitely a character in her own right, but last nights episode on the ABC was fantastic. The Dalek was more fearsome than any of it’s predecessors, every bit the ruthless killing machine that we all hid behind the couches from, but after being contaminated by Rose’s DNA something unexpected happens..

I’ll be interested to see if they can top this episode in what is left of the season, although from what I have seen of the trailers for the last episode, the best may be yet to come.

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New Doctor Who

Posted on June 24, 2005 by admin.presshost

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I have not really said much about Dr Who since the new series started here in Australia on 21 May so I thought that would be a good start for breaking the webpost drought.

I was really looking forward to the new series with much anticipation but I avoided all the fan sites because I don’t want to have any spoilers. The BBC website is giving me enough information so I have a good idea of what is coming up and that’s how I knew that the Autons would be the menace that the Doctor will face in the debut episode.

In some ways I was a little disappointed with the first episode, but I guess that’s partly because it was settling in for the new characters as well as being more concerned about pace than story development, something that I used to enjoy about the old series

The following episodes have been very enjoyable, but I particularly enjoyed the two parter that was just on. Starting with “Aliens of London” and concluding with “World War Three ” they had a nice build up that ended with a cliffhanger. The story was well constructed (although I am not sure about the fart humour in it) and was scary enough to have the kids needing to cuddle up to me, which I guess is akin to hiding behind the couch like so many kids did in the 60’s

Saturdays episode sees the return of the Daleks… Can’t wait!

Speaking of Doctor who, the repeat episodes are up to season 18, which is the era that caught my imagination in the first place. I was aware of Doctor Who before that, but it was the story “Full Circle” that really got me sucked in.
I saw it in the UK when it was first televised and then got to see that one again along with the rest of the season when we moved to Australia in `81

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