Workouts, Secret Message to Mustang Sally, Potterdamerung

I slept late, but I managed to wedge the Who workout in. Hopefully, since we're between seasons of Who and before Potterdamerung, I can get through LJ before I have to leave for work.

( The Doctor Who Workout Mix )

[Poll #1022966]

People are getting more into spoiler discussions about Harry Potter. Now, everyone on the f-list has been absolutely grand about cutting and spoiler-warning, which I deeply, deeply appreciate. It's just that the urge to click is warring with my noble intentions to abstain and remain pure until Friday midnight (at which point I have every intention of reading the last page by sonic screwdriver light as I walk back to the car, but that's different. Really.)

... although I've never minded spoilers before...

...and with the yard sale (COME TO MY HOUSE NEXT SATURDAY MORNING, GOOD STUFF CHEAP!) and my parents coming down it's not like I can read it in a gulp...

...abstaining, abstaining, abstaining... for now.

Secret Message to mustangsally78: David Tennant's first screen test

Race & Who again; the British Actor's POV

With a few notable exceptions, the discussion about race and Doctor Who has been just that - a mature discussion with a lot of issues being brought up from several different perspectives. Fascinating and educational, and I'm so proud of the fandom as a whole for leaving the wank for the canonicity of Lungbarrow and treating this with gravity.

But a few have knee-jerk dismissed it. Not just said "I don't see it, what are you seeing?" (that makes sense to me; it's subtle and I honestly think subconscious on RTD's part) but refused to consider the concept. One of the methods of dismissing the point is to insist "That's American oversensitivity; such things do not exist in Britain."

And for that, I point out this article from the Telegraph.

Its mix of wholesome entertainment, homely features and television listings has brought Radio Times millions of loyal readers.

So they are likely to be surprised to find its editor at the centre of a racism row.

Gill Hudson has admitted that black and Asian people seldom feature on the magazine's front cover but insists her hands are tied by commercial considerations.

Miss Hudson, who has edited the BBC-produced magazine for five years, told The Sunday Telegraph: "I do notice when we put an Asian or black figure on the copy and I think, 'Yippee', but it's not often you can do it. We have to sell almost a million copies a week and we have to go for the biggest programmes possible. I can't choose the cover by quota. It's about getting the right programme, not the right ethnic mix."

Miss Hudson's comments came after Noel Clarke, one of Britain's brightest young black actors, whose credits include appearances in Doctor Who and Auf Wiedersehen, Pet, accused listings magazines, including Radio Times, the biggest seller, of discriminating against ethnic minority stars.

Tuesday Roundup, and the racism article

Fic rec: Sweet little Martha and Jack post-Last of the Time Lords fic: The Aftermath of Companionship by jmtorres. Slightly NSFW but only a PG-13 rating.
Any sufficiently advanced society will tell you that the default setting for sexual preference is 'Yes, please'

Bento
So, I took the yellow classic bento box for a whirl today. Although it has the same capacity as the vivas, the trimmer size (it's 6x3x3.25 inches) makes it more challenging to fill. For example, even the applesauce cups don't fit, and perhaps less than a dozen cherries.

The first surprise was that the inner lids don't fit tightly. I had a tupperware snaplock in my mind; these really need the elastic belt to stay together. (Especially the way I stuff them.) So nothing runny goes in here. On the other hand, the two halves are microwaveable, and this configuration means you can pack to-be hot stuff in one and cold in the other.

British/American Racism
God bless reference librarians, they can find anything! The article by a black British reporter discussing two types of racism was written in 1996 by Gary Younge.

I know that one of the reasons that Americans discuss race so much is because there is so much to talk about. Both the present -- affirmative action, the demise of the inner cities, poverty, church burnings -- and the past -- civil rights, slavery, segregation -- offer no end of subjects that can and should be debated.

Nevertheless, in England, which has similar but nowhere near as acute social problems affecting the black community, race ranks alongside sex, politics and religion as a topic not to be brought up in polite conversation.

( Entire article under cut )

I think that should be posted in as many comms as have shown an interest in the Who racial discussion, but I can't think of a way to relate it specifically to Martha for lifeonmartha and I'm not a member of deadbrowalking. Please feel free to copy it wherever it applies as long as all credit to original author/publisher remains attached.