Doctor Who Meme - Day 18 – Whatever Tickles Your Fancy - The Daleks

Now I am less fond of the demented pepper-pots than most people. I don't know why, possibly because they don't scare me, but I've never seen them as being *the* villain, and I'm certainly less fond of them than the producers of NuWho. I wonder if it's because, when Davros isn't about, there isn't one central focus point for the Doctor's interactions with the Daleks.

That being said, one of my favourite Who-related memories is spending an entire day arguing with A and N about which was the best Dalek episode. I was, of course, pulling for Genesis of the Daleks, which hits my narrative preferences because it's got a lot of world building and shades of grey (and I don't just mean the endless corridors). A was campaigning for Destiny of the Daleks, because he thought it was cool (hovering Daleks etc) and he really liked the Movellans. N's choice was Remembrance of the Daleks because of the general air of sinisterness and explosions and again, a certain tendency towards shades of grey.

There we were, three 15 year olds, spending out precious break time on a school day arguing about which of the three episodes was the best.

A wouldn't listen to reason, when we both pointed out that that wasn't how robots worked. And I refused to acknowledge that there were far too many long, lingering shots of grey corridors in Genesis and it was a bit slow-paced. I can't remember exactly what our objection was to Remembrance. Probably "why would the Daleks need to do the thing that did?"

So yes, if nothing else, I enjoy remembering talking about Daleks.

( Other Days )

Men's Slalom

I know I've been excessively happy about the men's downhill for a week, but I may be even happier about Mario Matt winning the slalom because it's Mario and his reconstructed knees and I love him and he's been so close so many times.

:D :D :D

(Marcel Hirscher, it's not that I don't love you, it's that you'll probably be there at Pyongchang.)

Dear Ted Ligety, grow up and learn to ski slalom

I am somewhere beyond angry with Ted Ligety.

I can understand not liking to lose (see also Marcel Hirscher's look of "I hate everyone" when Mario Matt crossed the line). No one likes to lose. But lose with some dignity, man.

It's okay to say it was a difficult course, adorable baby Norwegian that came third said it was, Mario Matt who won said it was. You'd not hear a word of anger from me.

But when Ligety claims that Ante Kostelic deliberately set the course so his son would win, he not only impunes the honour of a good man and a great ski coach and course setter, but he brings the entire Olympic movement into disrepute, along with the FIS. Because two different coaches from two different countries set the two different runs so that no one country gains an unfair advantage (because you're damn right the Austrians would try that trick).

Also, given that Ivica Kostelic only finished 9th, I don't think you really can claim that it was the perfect course for him. And Ivica is the only Kostelic still racing, unless Ligety is suggesting that Mario Matt is a missing Kostelic sibling.

It's the level of whinging it takes to say, "wah, I lost because the course was too tough, and it shouldn't have been so tough".

I'm with Marcel Hirscher when he says “We are looking for an Olympic champion, not a children’s champion.”