Dale Smith

@dalesmithonline

Writer of things mostly about #DoctorWho and infrequent conversationalist. Also works with #Drupal / #PHP I don't have access to DMs.

1.047 Folgt982 Follower6.305 Posts

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Dale Smith@dalesmithonline· Jun 23

Me visiting the reflecting pool.

A man in a white uniform holding a gun, his left arm disappearing into a blob of green goo that also spreads across his face. It looks almost as if an over-stretched make-up department wrapped him in bubblewrap and painted it green BUT THAT IS DEFINITELY NOT WHAT HAPPENED OK?

Dale Smith@dalesmithonline· Jun 8

This one aged well.

Doctor Julian Bashir - a handsome young man in a blue Star Trek uniform - tells Data that machines can't have hallucinations.

Dale Smith@dalesmithonline· Jun 5

Make a Doctor Who title less scary.

The title card for the 15th Doctor story "Boom", only I have changed the name of the story to "Boop" for comic effect. Aren't I a wag?

Dale Smith@dalesmithonline· Jun 4

Should be this badboy m.media-amazon.com/images/M/MV5...

Dale Smith@dalesmithonline· Jun 4

Addendum: it's not possible that in 1988 this wasn't a reference to the Fifth Doctor, right?

Jeff Goldblum in his 20s looking bemused at the camera whilst wearing a cream jacket and a cricketing jumper. He looks ready to step in and play the Doctor should Peter Davison be unable. Which he never is. Davison is the GOAT.

Dale Smith@dalesmithonline· Apr 23

Writer achievement unlocked.

An anonymous white building in the background with green trees in the foreground. The building is surrounded by a wire fence, and the focus of the picture is a sign that reads BBC Written Archives Centre - Private Property - Authorised Access Only. This is the reading room where - by prior arrangement, and often for a fee - you can access the BBC's old paperwork for research purposes.

Dale Smith@dalesmithonline· Apr 23

There are lies, damn lies, and this street sign, which was *fucking miles* away from Fallowfield.

Picture of a street sign in Reading that reads "Fallowfield Close".

Dale Smith@dalesmithonline· Apr 22

The Andrew formerly known as Prince trying to lie low in the back seat of his car, a haunted look in his eyes, as his two drivers attempt to get him past photographers without being papped. Nice work, drvers: you nearly did it.

Dale Smith@dalesmithonline· Mar 25

@felixfrazer.bsky.social @theiainmartin.bsky.social

A small child looking up at the Vimto statue in Manchester, a wooden representation of a Vimto bottle, raspberries, black currants and I think grapes? Maybe they're gooseberries. Who actually knows what's in Mr Vimto's super secre recipe.

Dale Smith@dalesmithonline· Mar 6

Maybe I had this AI thing all wrong.

A screenshot of a Google search for "As A Kang Should Be" "reviews" that reads as follows:

"As A Kang Should Be by Dale Smith is a highly acclaimed, "brilliant" Doctor Who spin-off novel set in the Paradise Towers universe. Reviews praise it as an original, deeply emotional, and "necessary" piece of fiction. It has received glowing praise for its unique take on the characters, with one reviewer calling it "highly recommended".

Key Takeaways from Reviews
Highly Recommended: Described as one of the most original pieces of Doctor Who related fiction.
Emotional Impact: The story is deeply engaging, with at least one report of it moving a reader to tears."

Note that the AI seems to have gain this opinion primarily from reading the reviews page on my website, which exists primarily to sell the book to potential readers. So the book is declared to be "critically acclaimed" because its writer has highlighted a number of reviews that say it's worth you buying.

That reader who was reported to be "moved to tears"? My daughter, as is made clear on the page in question. I'm sure nobody could ever find a way of gaming this system.

Dale Smith@dalesmithonline· Feb 24

Oh yeah, it's definitely an influx of other religions that's doing it.

By Tweedle - Own work, data taken from Measuring religious affiliation in Great Britain: the 2011 census in historical and methodological context, using Tables 1 and 3 (up to 1978) and BSA Religious affilation surveys from 1983 to 2018., CC BY-SA 4.0, The chart shows that the number of people claiming no religion has grown exponentially since the 1980s. https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=128461024

Dale Smith@dalesmithonline· Feb 15

BBC News screenshot: "'Fast-spreading' measles outbreak hits several schools in London" over an image of a child's belly covered in measles spots.

Screenshot from Planet of the Apes (1968) with Chuck Heston on his knees screaming about nuclear war or something. As if it would've been nuclear war. All the clever money was on refusing to take life-saving vaccinations.

Dale Smith@dalesmithonline· Jan 25

Always keep the shop assistant guessing.

A tube of No More Nails (Original Instant Tack) laid over a small pack of Nails, purchased at the same time from my local hardware store.

Dale Smith@dalesmithonline· Jan 21

Watched #Grease last night, which - as you can see from this screengrab - is a remake of Attack of the 50ft Woman made in the 1970s about the 1950s, kind of like someone making a Brit pop musical now. The producers have taken songs from everyone - the theme is a Barry Gibb number - but it works.

Giant Sandy terrorises poor Danny Zucko as he begs her not to destroy Rydell High in a screengrab from the movie Grease (1978): a disproportionally big blonde woman on the left of the screen with a young, slick-haired greaser standing on a metal gantry to the right.

Dale Smith@dalesmithonline· Jan 19

Why, I, in this weak piping time of peace,
Have no delight to pass away the time,
Unless to spy my shadow in the sun
And descant on mine own deformity:
And therefore, since I cannot prove a lover,
To entertain these fair well-spoken days,
I am determined to prove a villain
And hate the idle pleasures of these days.

Dale Smith@dalesmithonline· Dec 31

It wasn't quite as straight-forward as that, although nobody ended up getting charged (but it is tricky to see an innocent explanation).

Headline from the Campaign website: Betting controversy around announcement of new Doctor Who. It's a newspaper I've never heard of but the only one not operating a scammy "pay us and we'll let you opt out of cookies" system. https://www.campaignlive.co.uk/article/betting-controversy-around-announcement-new-doctor/871086

Dale Smith@dalesmithonline· Nov 12

Repost with an iconic fictional band (if you feel like it)

An 80s stadium band on stage. The lead is a big-haired woman with a guitar, and behind her are two other women: the bass player and a keytar player. Both are looking across stage right to the third guitarist, a small duck in a power suit holding a red guitar. Behind them is a globe made of lights. It's a still from Howard the Duck (1988) featuring the band Cherry Bomb in the climactic performance of the theme song.

Dale Smith@dalesmithonline· Nov 6

Another fine episode, but all the way through I couldn't quite remember the cover they were talking about and could only think of this fine painting. Pretty close, I reckon.

The painting that Captain Blackadder claimed to have painted showing the horror of war, as a black haired soldier stands horrified over the body of a dead nun on the ground. The painting style is expressionist, and TBH the screen-grab is a bit blurry.

Dale Smith@dalesmithonline· Nov 2

@philyarrowactor.bsky.social Jealous yet?

A screenshot of my Bluesky mentions that say Electrasy - the nineties band behind the song Morning Afterglow - have decided to follow me.

Dale Smith@dalesmithonline· Oct 23

The big screen versions of British sitcoms don't always work, but I think this one manages to send Gary on holiday to Spain without spoiling the tone of the original. Shame they recast though.

Promo image for the sitcom Gary: Tank Commander, featuring Greg McHugh in military camouflage gear squinting at the camera and looking macho with three other similarly dressed characters behind him. The title of the show is at the bottom of the image.

Dale Smith@dalesmithonline· Oct 12

Finally found the right picture to show Stephen Fry so he properly understands the Scunthorpe problem.