Wibbly Wobbly Timey Wimey Language

MIss you, hope you are doing well <3

Sun, 22 Jul 2012 12:29:42 -0700

Oh wow! Thank you anon! I’m sorry I have more or less abandoned this blog, but the paper never really turned out how I’d hoped, so I wasn’t confident enough to post it here. I suppose I could, but I wouldn’t be taking an criticism on it, as the class has been over for some time, and I don’t have any plans to revisit it in the near future. Probably not ever, as I don’t think I’ll ever be a part of academia professionally.

I hope everyone who follows this blog enjoyed the ride. I guess if I get enough interest I’ll just post what I have (although I think my final draft is on my other computer so I’ll have to go digging for that).

Quick hello, and sorry to all my followers!

Tue, 03 Jan 2012 16:37:58 -0800

I know I haven’t posted here in… about a month-ish. I got a little burnt out on Doctor Who, and my biggest television obsession, Sherlock, has recently had a lot going on (as in, the new series started on Sunday and I’ve already watched Scandal about five times).

I did finish my paper and hand in a final draft, but I wasn’t happy with it. I’m not sure when I’ll get the chance to clean it up… or would you all rather I just post it as-is? It’s not awful (I did get a 90% on it from my professor) but I’m sort of stuck a little bit as to how to fix it and say something insightful. Bah.

Anyway…

To my followers:

To my paper:

Finished with my first draft.

Sun, 27 Nov 2011 22:40:57 -0800

I’m just not really sure what I set out to accomplish anymore. Here’s to hoping my professor can lead my down the path of doing something with my data besides going “Look! Here are some conceptual metaphors at work, a little skewed but still there LOOOOK AT THEM!”

Because that’s where this draft is at right now. All seven pages of it.

(I did title it “Wibbly Wobbly Timey Wimey Language: Conceptual Metaphors About Time in Doctor Who” though. So at least I’ve got a ROCKIN’ title going for me.)

bestofthetardis: timeywimeywords: bestofthetardis: timeywimeywords: Do I really need an entire...

Sun, 27 Nov 2011 17:19:03 -0800

bestofthetardis:

timeywimeywords:

bestofthetardis:

timeywimeywords:

Do I really need an entire paragraph about Doctor Who, explaining the premise of the show in my paper?

Either way, it’s staying in right now, because this is the rough draft. I’ll…

The unique portrayal of time travel is one of my favorite aspects of the show. I’d love to read your paper when it’s done. Or read a draft, if you’d like another set of eyes to look at it.

I’m not sure if I’ll need another set of eyes, yet… we might be doing some sort of peer-review thing in class. I certainly intend to post the final paper up online when I’m done, though! A lot of people have expressed interest in it.

This is probably the biggest reason I love coming to the office...

Sun, 27 Nov 2011 15:03:04 -0800

This is probably the biggest reason I love coming to the office to do homework: big computer; bigger desk!

(My name isn’t Sara, by the way. This is a coworker’s computer, but she’s super sweet and doesn’t mind if I borrow it. My desk doesn’t have a nice screen or speakers like this one, and it’s next to the door so I can get some air in here.)

Anyway! My data is all cut up on the right, and it’s in little piles on top of notecards that have what that section is going to be about. I’m pretty visual and tactile about writing, oddly. I’m very audial when I learn.

And for anyone wondering, the music I’ve got going is just my DEADMAU5 playlist on Pandora. I need stuff without lyrics that I want to sing along to. My Moves Like Jagger radio is too catchy. So is my 3OH!3 radio.

bestofthetardis: Wibbly Wobbly Timey Wimey Language: Here’s my dilemma right...

Sun, 27 Nov 2011 14:58:27 -0800

bestofthetardis:

Wibbly Wobbly Timey Wimey Language: Here’s my dilemma right now:

timeywimeywords:

Do I really need an entire paragraph about Doctor Who, explaining the premise of the show in my paper?

Either way, it’s staying in right now, because this is the rough draft. I’ll cut it later if I find it to be unnecessary.

But really, I’m not sure if I need it or if it’s going to look like…

In my (entirely unwarranted) opinion, a paragraph about the premise is a necessity. You have to write assuming that the reader possesses none of the knowledge of the show that you do. Unless you’re planning to spread the needed information throughout the paper as-needed, a paragraph about the premise is a must-have.

Your opinion is NOT unwarrented! I’m thinking the same way! We’ll see what people in my class say. I’m pretty sure it’s necessary… it’s not JUST a show about time travel in the more… classical sense of the genre, where someone travels either forward or backwards in time and is stuck there (a la sucked back in time in a portal of some sort or in hibernation until the distant future, etc.).

(Accidentally reblogged this with my personal blog. Oops!)

Here's my dilemma right now:

Sun, 27 Nov 2011 14:23:00 -0800

Do I really need an entire paragraph about Doctor Who, explaining the premise of the show in my paper?

Either way, it’s staying in right now, because this is the rough draft. I’ll cut it later if I find it to be unnecessary.

But really, I’m not sure if I need it or if it’s going to look like filler. If you don’t understand the premise of the show, at least the basic concepts that it’s about an alien who travels in time and space in a ship designed for that purpose with a human companion, how will the rest of the paper make sense?

ETA: And I should really mention that when I SAY paragraph, I MEAN nearly half a page. (Just double-spaced what I have… it’s really big. I’ve got like three introductory paragraphs: one about my study, one about Doctor Who and one about conceptual metaphor.)

Singing in my office at work and organizing linguistic data about Doctor Who! What’s not to...

Sun, 27 Nov 2011 12:57:50 -0800

Singing in my office at work and organizing linguistic data about Doctor Who! What’s not to love?

Later I’m gonna be like:

There's nothing quite like watching Doctor Who (and looking for time/space metaphors) in your jammies at 8:30 in the morning while the smells of Thanksgiving waft through the house...

Thu, 24 Nov 2011 08:48:58 -0800

Happy Thanksgiving to anyone in the United States! (And to anyone who isn’t, too, because why not? It’s nice to be wished a good day full of food and family and friends. SO YES!)

Watching "The Wedding of River Song" because... ya know... all of time happening at once.

Tue, 22 Nov 2011 19:38:01 -0800

Might be interesting.

I am the same father's day/pompeii person, just wasn't sure it got through. Tumblr has been a bit odd for me lately.

Tue, 22 Nov 2011 11:30:10 -0800

Yeah, I just had a lot of Asks that day, and was trying to sort out a list to get me started! Thank you, Nonie! :D

I love having all my research on Tumblr/Google Docs, because I can literally work anywhere on this project. I’ll probably publish my work on a Google Doc when I’m finished if anyone wants to read it (as I’m sure there are a lot of you, including the Doctor Who tumblr!).

I would suggest Father's Day in season One, and Fires of Pompeii in season four.

Tue, 22 Nov 2011 11:24:33 -0800

If I’m not mistaken, you’re the same anon that told me “Oh! And…” for the Dickens episode. I probably will do both Fires of Pompeii and S01E03 this afternoon while I sit in my office because I don’t want to walk through the rain home until after a meeting I have. I’ll at least do Fires of Pompeii. Thank you, nonie!

Doctor Who Minisodes

Mon, 21 Nov 2011 17:26:37 -0800

lesserjoke:

knightsandblueboxes:

1) Bad Night

2) Good Night

3) First Night

4) Last Night

Anyone know where exactly these fit into canon? Here’s what I’ve been able to figure out:

Bad Night — Amy and Rory are sleeping in the TARDIS, and Amy mentions needing to talk to the Doctor about something. So, right before Series 6, around the time Time and Space happen?

Good Night — Amy complains that her life doesn’t make sense. Rory isn’t shown, but Amy remembers having parents. Sometime after Series 5, but when?

First Night/Last Night — The Doctor knows who River’s parents are. So, sometime after AGMGTW. (For the Doctor, I mean. River’s timeline seems pretty clear for once.)

And now I’m going to watch these. I might transcribe them later if anyone’s interested. A friend told me “Good Night” might have some stuff that works for my project. ^_^

Well, when you say life is like a book, it's like saying everything's planned already and there is a definite path each individual goes through. I mean, every book has an author, and if s/he's a good author, then they plan very carefully (take Moffat for example. just...oh dear god...mindmelter....). There are certain things that must happen at certain times for such and such important thing to happen or for the characters/audience to learn. Just a thought, not really arguing for either one...

Sun, 20 Nov 2011 22:35:00 -0800

Oh geeze, this is why I didn’t want to get philosophical. I do appreciate the input, though! I mean, the Doctor and River’s little argument in SitL (and similarly but with reversed roles in The Wedding of River Song, I think? I need to re-watch some of the later S06 episodes) about time being rewritten is definitely related to this sort of “permanence” about books. Can books/time really be rewritten? Well. If you’re the Doctor, sure. Most of the time.

(Random note: your username makes me happy! :D Bravo!)

I think the metaphor of "life is a book" translates better simply because it is a physical object that people can then compare "time" to. Whereas the definition of "a story" could vary slightly from person to person. Unless of course that is what you're going for...

Sun, 20 Nov 2011 22:30:48 -0800

I’m not so much going for what people can grasp, I’m going for how people already, pretty much unconsciously, use the conceptual metaphors. The concepts of “life” and “time” are REALLY abstract. Well, time definitely is. Life… depends on the culture/background/religion, etc, which I REALLY don’t want to get into with anyone.

I’m on the fence about this, now. I’ll probably end up going with “book,” because it’s more accessible within the data I’ve collected so far.

But I’m still so indecisive. I have most of a leg down on the “book” side of the fence, but the rest of me is still firmly ON it.

I would say time is a story because a story is passed along orally and can therefor be changed and is hardly set in stone and, as is said constantly through out the Doctor Who series, time can be changed while a book is already written and, metaphorically, cannot be changed. As for life, well, I would say the same thing but that really depends on one's personal beliefs. So, that part would be up to you. I personally think the concept is similar to the whole time is like a story. Hope I helped :)

Sun, 20 Nov 2011 22:29:35 -0800

See, THIS is exactly my problem. I may just have to suck it up and go with using both book and story, because they have JUST different enough connotations that it might make a difference. However, the Doctor doesn’t (at least that I can think of off the top of my head, sorry) really talk about stories, he usually uses the term “book.” Not sure why…

Why am I so indecisive?

I'd say go with the book because you can talk about how the Doctor skips around in everyone else's books and reads them out of order, that way you can incorporate Madame de Pompadour talking about being forced to take the slow path while the Doctor meets her whenever he finds a portal AND you can talk about the out-of-order River/Doctor relationship. [/rattlingoffrandomideas]

Sun, 20 Nov 2011 22:19:00 -0800

I do LIKE that I could talk about skipping bits. I was thinking about a section on how the Doctor conceptualizes Time as one week, and how he doesn’t like landing on Sunday afternoons, but then sometimes there’s SATURDAYS! He says something like it in the VERY start of Silence in the Library, when he says he never lands on Sundays, but that sounded more… literal.

AND NOW I have completely gone off on a tangent and I still haven’t REALLY decided. Oh crumpets.

Perhaps the answer is that it is both, the metaphor is that "life is a story" and "life is a book". They work together because both have elements that overlap?

Sun, 20 Nov 2011 22:12:30 -0800

The question is: Am I going to have enough ROOM in a paper for that? Talking about overlapping metaphors, etc? Because I don’t know the maximum page count he’s giving us. I’m gonna check. I only get 6 pages?!

I think Dr. H is going to be in for a surprise. I’m gonna have like 10 pages of DATA for the pre-Thanksgiving discussion day we’re doing… I’ll see what he thinks, maybe.

in the argument that time is like a book, look at river and the doctor. they all have the same experiences together (like chapters) but they are in a different order for each of them.

Sun, 20 Nov 2011 22:01:00 -0800

Damn, now I’m torn again. And there’s that excellent quote from Madam de Pompadour about her life being folded like the pages of a book (I’ve definitely got that one in my list of data quotes, for sure.)

Now I can’t choose! D:

I think story works better than book. Stories can have an ending in a single instance, but an individual story can still be part of a larger one (much like individual episodes in a series of television, for example). And I think that fits in well with how the show deals with time. Something ends while more things begin. And the thing that ended could be the cause of something beginning.

Sun, 20 Nov 2011 21:52:26 -0800

Yes! Thank you very much. I’m probably going to go with “story” now, unless anyone comes up with a REALLY wizard reason to go with “book.”