Joseph Mallozzi's Blog, page 141

December 9, 2021: Echocardiograms, Shoulder Scans, and Matcha Cream Puffs!

Yozo!

Today, I went in for my echocardiogram. Being the hyper-punctual person I am, I gave myself plenty of leeway between the time I left home and my appointment. This resulted in me arriving a full 45 minutes early (!). Although it didn’t get me in any earlier, it did ensure that I get seen that day since a glitch in their system caused them to triple book my appointment time. And, since I was the first one to sign in, I was the one to get the spot.

The test was comprised of two different sections: the ultrasound and the EKG. First, the dour ultrasound technician had me lie on my side and instructed me to raise my left arm over my head. Alas, because of my recent shoulder issues, I wasn’t able to fully comply which resulted in her running the transducer probe over my chest with one hand while using the other to continually prod my elbow out of the way. Once done, I was escorted into another room where the kindly EKG technician attached a bunch of electrodes to my chest, checked my blood pressure, then had me run on a treadmill for 15-20 minutes at increasingly steeper inclines and faster speeds. Once my heart rate hit 160, I was instructed to lie down while the ultrasound technician did a follow-up pass with the transducer probe. At some point, the doctor came in and reviewed the data and gave me the news…

I’d have my results in a day. Maybe two. Their system has been kind of wonky of late.

He did, however, note that the anomaly present in my last EKG was present in this test as well. What does that mean?

Guess I’ll find out tomorrow or Monday.

In the meantime, I did receive the results of my shoulder x-ray ultrasound. I have a chronic rotator cuff tear. The results have been sent to my physiotherapist who will decide on the best course of action. I suspect she’ll go with…physiotherapy? Which is okay with me. I’m not keen an either surgery or steroid injections.

I had an early light lunch so that I could have a heavier after-test late lunch (Very hobbit-like, no?). We ended up at Tokyo Kitchen, where Akemi enjoyed some salmon sashimi –

While I went with the heart-healthy katsu-curry…

Our walk home took us through a part of downtown we haven’t passed through in some two years – and the plethora of Asian-themed businesses in a three block stretch. I wanted to visit them all but Akemi insisted we needed to pace ourselves – and promised we could come back. So we ended up check out Bloom Cafe where we sampled…

A matcha cream puff filled to bursting with delicious matcha cream.

\

A delicious assam cream-flavored eclair with a delightfully crunchy exterior.

And a surprisingly great bitter-sweet matcha latte.

Fortunately, I brought along my sipping mask!

Tomorrow, it’s errands, a zoom call about another potential project and perhaps, dare I say it…test results?

Then, this Saturday…

Deck the halls with @dial_the_gate this Saturday 12/11 with two new LIVE shows! We'll be taking YOUR questions!
·Stargate Writer/Exec Producer Joseph Mallozzi (@BaronDestructo), focusing on SGA Season 3.
·Mack Martin of @WyvrenGaming, Lead Game Designer, SG-1 Roleplaying Game pic.twitter.com/MGhfZOt3nd

— Dial the Gate (@dial_the_gate) December 9, 2021

Finally, today’s Yes/No…

3-Course Meal Pizza? Yes/No
Domino’s introduces A New Pizza Topped With A 3-Course Meal In South Korea: https://t.co/ekGQG5z5Yr

— Joseph Mallozzi (@BaronDestructo) December 9, 2021

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Published on December 09, 2021 14:52

December 8, 2021: Amazing Covers!

A few that caught my eye this week…

Star Wars: Crimson Reign #1 – cover art by Rahzzah

Batman: One Dark Knight #1 – cover art by Jock

One-Star Squadron #1 – cover art by Steve Pugh

Dreadnoughts: Breaking Ground – cover art by John Higgins

Sea of Sorrows – cover art by Alan Cormack

Hellions #18 – cover art by InHyuk Lee

So, which were YOUR favorites?

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Published on December 08, 2021 10:12

December 7, 2021: It’s either a tear, a detached tendon, or I might be pregnant.

Some thirteen years ago, a masseuse at the Peninsula Hotel in Hong Kong predicted I would have shoulder problems when I got older. Well, she was right. Turns out the Mallozzis have notoriously bad shoulders and this curse has manifested itself over the past decade in the form of limited mobility, aches, pains, and the occasional sleepless night. During my last physical, my doctor had me attempt a range of motions and, based on my shocking inflexibility, surmised I may be suffering from a torn rotator cuff. He recommended physiotherapy and, after weeks of resistance exercises, spider-climbing walls with my fingers, and rolling a rubber ball against the sore spots, I was sent for x-rays and an ultrasound. Which is where I was today – twisting, turning and posing while they scanned and snapped. The ultrasound technician isn’t allowed to offer any meaningful insight into the results, so you are left to suss out potential bad news on the basis of changes in facial expressions or subtle shifts in mood. I tried to commit to memory the various wispy images that flashed by, rushing home to cross-reference them with results I brought up on google images. Hard to say but from the looks of things, it’s either a tear, a detached tendon, or I might be pregnant. At one point, the technician highlighted a dark section. “That doesn’t look good,”I prompted. “Oh, there are a lot of these,”he noted, running the cursor over similar smaller dark sections that he hadn’t taken the trouble to highlight.

“You’re doctor will contact you in one or two days,”I was reassured, leaving me less than reassured.

And so now I wait for the results. Fortunately, I have tomorrow’s dentist appointment and Thursday’s echocardiograph to keep my mind otherwise occupied.

Today’s Yes/No…

Insect Sour? Yes/No
Kick back after a hard day with a thirst-quenching bottle of Insect Sour https://t.co/Yofu2oQLx5 via @RocketNews24En

— Joseph Mallozzi (@BaronDestructo) December 7, 2021

Finally, lets conclude with some goodies from the Stargate vault…

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Published on December 07, 2021 14:58

Are you going back to theaters and why not?

It’s funny. I was just thinking about this earlier today…

Theaters go out of style

Box Office numbers are down and people rightly blame Covid, but at what point do things turn around? Specifically, WILL they turn around? The more I think about it, the more I come to conclusion that, in all probability, they won’t. The two year lockdown has changed things for a lot of people, not just in terms of discretionary measures but overall convenience. Yes, I’m sure there are a lot of people who are still leery about going to a movie theater for fear of catching Covid, but I suspect there are a lot more who just can’t be bothered as they’ve come to rely on the ease of home entertainment. Why weather the inconveniences of travel, rigid viewing windows, big screen commercials, and annoying audience members when you can just stream it in the comfort of your own place. Yes, there’s the exclusivity that comes with in-theater releases, but it seems like that is becoming less of a draw for audiences who have an endless array of programing to choose from. I mean, Resident Evil: Welcome To Raccoon City will be landing on Starz sooner than later. What’s the rush?

Yes, as the article lays out, newer seats and cheaper popcorn may draw in a few more viewers, but I don’t think it will be enough. So what’s the solution? Well, I agree with the fact that: “If theaters want to stay afloat, they’ll have to remind people there’s something magical about going to the movies that you can’t recreate in your own living room.”

Problem is I don’t know what that is.

Also, where the hell’s our Stargate revival?Today’s Yes/No…

Absolute nonsense.Finally, check out this SG-1 cameo in the classic issue #8 from Alan Moore and Gene Ha’s Top 10…

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Published on December 06, 2021 13:49

December 5, 2021: Suji Sunday!

Chawing down on a dental chew.

Out and about with dad.

Her serious look.

No. Seriously.

Suji stares down a suspicious dog….

View this post on Instagram
A post shared by Hi. I'm Sujiすじ子 (@newoldpugsuji)

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Published on December 05, 2021 10:23

Top 10 Kpop Tracks of November, 2021!

Top 10 #KPOP Tracks of November, 2021
9. #Scientist – #TWICE #트와이스
I jumped the gun and put this in my October ranking instead of The Feels. #KpopTop10 pic.twitter.com/erJoajy6Zu

— Joseph Mallozzi (@BaronDestructo) December 4, 2021

Top 10 #KPOP Tracks of November, 2021
7. #MyDomain – #EmilyMei #Sorn #AmberLiu
I want to watch the feature version of this MV.#KpopTop10 pic.twitter.com/5abcoftgaX

— Joseph Mallozzi (@BaronDestructo) December 4, 2021

Top 10 #KPOP Tracks of November, 2021
5. #AllKill #All_Kill – #T_ARA #TARA #티아라
Two for two on the comeback. Both great tracks but this one gets the edge for me as it's a little more reminiscent of their classic sound. #KpopTop10 pic.twitter.com/9F6IOYhQCs

— Joseph Mallozzi (@BaronDestructo) December 4, 2021

Top 10 #KPOP Tracks of November, 2021
3. #Siesta – #WekiMeki #위키미키
As I said 3 of 4 were surprises – and this one was the outlier. Picky Picky remains my favorite WekiMeki song but Siesta is a terrific track all the same. #KpopTop10

— Joseph Mallozzi (@BaronDestructo) December 4, 2021

Top 10 #KPOP Tracks of November, 2021
1. #Timeless #괴물 – #Bibi #비비
Surprised by how much I fell in love with this song. Part of the OST to an equally great series (#BeyondEvil – thanks to my bestie @baguettemast3r for the tip) #KpopTop10 pic.twitter.com/Hj8pmLT43T

— Joseph Mallozzi (@BaronDestructo) December 4, 2021

Damnit Part 2. THIS is my #1 song of the month of November. Adjust rankings accordingly…#UP – #HAJIN pic.twitter.com/CMa2Y0wa4S

— Joseph Mallozzi (@BaronDestructo) December 4, 2021

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Published on December 04, 2021 16:47

December 3, 2021: Chicken Pops!

Akemi came across this old(ish) photo from a wedding we attended in Osaka many years back. It was, at one point, suggested that I wear a man’s kimono to the event. Akemi’s family thought I would look great and I seriously considered the possibility before ultimately deciding to go with the suit. And, in retrospect, a good thing I did because on the day of the wedding, every Japanese male guest in attendance was wearing a suit. I would have looked like a fucking idiot!!!

I can’t help but feel I was being set up.

Akemi today: Dr. Blackjack was telling me about shingles today. You have to get your shot if you had chicken pops.

Me: Chicken pox. It’s called Chicken Pox.

Akemi: No, chicken pops because the pimples pop out of your skin.

Okay.

They call me…Mousse Killer…

Today’s Yes/No…

Potato Chip Peanut Butter Cup? Yes/Nohttps://t.co/KBpoVUNqMG

— Joseph Mallozzi (@BaronDestructo) December 3, 2021

Well hmmm….

Australian man eats nothing but KFC for a month

“‘That is because this type of diet releases more serotonin and drops the dopamine, so therefore you not only feel unmotivated and less positive, you’re also happier being on the couch and doing less.'”

This may explain a few things. Might need to shake up the old diet!

Addendum:

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Published on December 03, 2021 16:24

December 2, 2021: Projects, Androids, and a Scroogey Suji!

It’s been very quietly lately. Maybe a little…to quiet…

No, scratch that. It’s been perfectly, exquisitely quiet. Everyone appears to be in holiday mode, meaning scripts won’t get read – or decisions made – until well into the New Year. Still, hoping to hear back from a potential South Korean partner on one project in advance of turning around the script polish. Fingers crossed for that elusive…

Also have a near future android-themed project in the works. Still working out the details of the pilot outline while checking out a lot of inspirational material…

I don’t know man pic.twitter.com/YldkZEneKG

— 🆂🅼🅺🅴 (@terrill) December 2, 2021

Hahaha. Adorable!

My week in food…

Which reminds me – I have my stress echocardiography next week!

Today’s Yes/No…

Chocolate Orange-Flavored Mayonnaise?
Heinz is releasing a Terry’s Chocolate Orange-flavoured mayonnaise https://t.co/N49xcRDM24

— Joseph Mallozzi (@BaronDestructo) December 2, 2021

The latest line-up for our semi-regular whiskey nights with Kevin and Emily from down the hall. To date, we have sampled 54 whiskeys and 7 “others” (including cognacs, a 21 year old rum, and Akemi’s homemade limoncello). I figure we can do 3-5 more gatherings before we start repeating bottles – or just do a Best Of Extravaganza.

Well, we’ll be heading to Montreal for Christmas, taking the train with Suji who will, no doubt, be less than thrilled to have other dogs around. The last time we were in town back in 2019, Lulu was around to lend some reassurance and comfort. This time, however, Suji’s going solo and I have no doubt she’ll be in Scrooge Mode for the duration of our stay.

So, what are YOUR holidays plans?

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Published on December 02, 2021 14:48