Monthly Archives: November 2013

People-watching, learning and storytelling

Posted on 28/11/2013 by ValeryNorth

When you write stories, your subject is always (for want of a better term) “the human condition”. People, and the ways that they behave, interact, come into conflict and resolve their conflicts. Different writers and genres focus on different types … Continue reading →

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New survey reports rape findings – less than 1 in 7 reported to the police

Posted on 26/11/2013 by ValeryNorth

Among the headlines from today’s announcement of the first findings of Natsal-3 (National Survey of Sexual Attitudes and Lifestyles 3, conducted between 2010 and 2012) are their first survey of non-consensual sex. The Guardian reports that these figures show “the … Continue reading →

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The post-War Doctor and character progression [SPOILERS for new-era Doctor Who stories]

Posted on 25/11/2013 by ValeryNorth

In my last post, I wrote about a few of the continuity questions raised by the events of “Day of the Doctor”. While that is always going to appeal to my geeky fanboy side, the questions I started asking with … Continue reading →

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So that was The Day of the Doctor [SPOILERS for Day of the Doctor, Night of the Doctor]

Posted on 23/11/2013 by ValeryNorth

Steven Moffat is by turns brilliant and incredibly frustrating. He certainly falls well short of the genius of Russell T Davies. Fortunately, this story was Moffat at his best. The most exciting bit is the question of continuity. Having seen … Continue reading →

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“Go forth in your beliefs”

Posted on 21/11/2013 by ValeryNorth

Tonight was the airing of “Adventures in Space and Time”, Mark Gatiss’s dramatisation of the early years of the making of Doctor Who. While I enjoy a lot of things Gatiss has written, most are ultimately pleasant fluff. This promised … Continue reading →

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Does knowing what’s right mean you end up doing wrong?

Posted on 18/11/2013 by ValeryNorth

In Saturday’s Guardian Magazine, Oliver Burkeman discussed the intriguing evidence that people who study ethics turn out to behave in a less ethical way than their counterparts in other fields, as studied by US philosopher Eric Schwitzgebel. Whether it’s hypocritically … Continue reading →

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Age of consent – should it change?

Posted on 18/11/2013 by ValeryNorth

The BBC news website has a report discussing calls to lower the age of consent in England and Wales. Prime Minister David Cameron has rejected the suggestion, made by Faculty of Public Health president Prof John Ashton. The article explains … Continue reading →

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7 ways to get the most out of meeting your younger self

Posted on 15/11/2013 by ValeryNorth

Life is change. I worry about how I get on with others. From time to time, therefore, I wonder about how I would get along with myself if I were to meet me. And sometimes, I wonder about meeting my … Continue reading →

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How long does it take to meet?

Posted on 11/11/2013 by ValeryNorth

“How quickly do you meet up?” is a question I see asked fairly often on dating advice sites, talking about online dating in particular. My best guesstimate for my own preference is “after 1,000 words”. That’s one thousand words each … Continue reading →

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Only a little bit late – targets, failing, and ownership

Posted on 08/11/2013 by ValeryNorth

Last week I decided to set regular posting days so that I would be putting out a blog post at least twice a week. I chose – more-or-less arbitrarily – Monday and Thursday as the days when I would post. … Continue reading →

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