Joseph Mallozzi's Blog, page 382

June 2, 1015: Jelly’s Last Run

I first set eyes on her in her little enclosure, backing up and charging, stopping just short of the window, then backing up and charging again. She was admittedly adorable. And tiny! So small I could have held her in my hand.

But I didn’t want a dog. Dogs were, after all, a huge responsibility and, as anyone who knows me will tell you, I’m an incredibly irresponsible person. It would have made for a terrible match. But, as I wrote back in February of 2007:

“My reasons for not wanting a dog were numerous: the expense, the unappealing prospect of having to housebreak the little furball, the loss of freedom that comes with being a pet-owner, the necessary commitment to everything from walks to vet visits. On the other hand, her argument for getting a dog was equally compelling: she really wanted one. My sister had tipped her off to a pug for sale at a local pet shop and, after an animated discussion, I agreed to accompany her to the Alexis Nihon Plaza. It was, we agreed beforehand, to be nothing more than a fact-finding mission. There would be no dog purchases on this day. Absolutely, positively, no way! I had steeled myself mentally and was prepared to stick to my guns.

We brought the puppy home that afternoon and named her Jelly after Joe Vitelli’s character in Analyze This.”

That first day, she was constantly on the move, racing around the living room, around chairs, under tables, bounding around the backyard. And then, when she finally stopped, I grew concerned. She was unusually lethargic which I deemed a significant change in her personality. “I think she’s sick!”I said, ready to whisk her to the vet. “She’s tired,”I was told. “It’s two a.m.!”

I didn’t want a dog but, once I got her, Jelly became my life. I walked her and fed her and brought her to the vet when she was sick; soothed her and bathed and brought her to doggy daycare. When I got a job working on Stargate in Vancouver, she came with me of course, to the other side of the country where she eventually settled in quite nicely, running the corridors of the production offices with the other dogs, sitting on Richard Dean Anderson’s chest when he would lie down on the floor to accommodate her, on one memorable occasion swiping Michael Shanks’s tuna fish sandwich when he briefly set it down to grab a script. Over the years, she became a mainstay of sorts, perched imperiously atop the headrest of my office couch, presiding over the the action.

In time, we became inseparable. We were the perfect match. Her – bossy, demanding, fickle, and temperamental. Me – a sucker for a cute little thing. In the 16+ years we were together, she was my longest relationship.

When she slowed down in later years, I doted on her, carrying her up and down, in and out, when she could no longer do stairs. She would sleep beside me, sometimes awakening in the middle of the night, crying out in confusion – and I’d wake up, lay my hand on her back and that would be enough to comfort her and send her back to sleep. When her eyesight started to fail, I applied the topical gel, morning and night, to help restore her vision. When she stopped walking, I arranged for the stem cell treatment that returned the strength to her hind legs. I’m not a dancer by any stretch of the imagination but, whenever she’d feel sick or down, I’d sweep her off her paws and bound around the room with her in my arms until she seemed a little better – or threw me that bewildering “What the hell is going on?” look.

There was no denying, she was well-loved. And strong. Akemi was convinced she’d live to be a hundred. Dog years anyway.

But, sadly, time caught up with her. She stopped walking. She started sleeping through the days. And, once her appetite faded, I realized it was time to say goodbye.

Jelly took her final car ride this afternoon in the style to which she had grown accustomed – lounging in her big pink fluffy bed. When the time came, I gave her a kiss on the nose (something she’d always shied from in the past, but I guess she figured that, after sixteen years, she would stop playing hard to get and give in just this once), she shut her eyes and drifted off.

In time, I’ll pick up her ashes and place them on my night stand where she’ll resume her rightful place by my bedside.

Akemi told me that, at one point today, Jelly drifted off into what seemed a happy dreamland, wagging her tail perhaps at some fond recollection. I like to think that, maybe, even if only in her mind, she was, no longer fettered by those heavy years, bounding around that backyard one last time.

Tagged: dog, Dogs, pug, pugs, senior dog, senior dogs, senior pug, senior pugs

June 1, 2015: Out and around the home front!

A crazy day today, dealing with Jelly and Dark Matter-related issues as well as getting ready for the big trip back to Vancouver.

I couldn’t believe it!  I was eating dinner at Rodney’s Oyster House, glanced over, and noticed THIS sitting in the corner.  Exterminate!  Exterminate!

Sure, they had a lot of awesome signed oyster shells on their wall of fame, but this one was by far the awesomest – framed between a couple of baseball players and a couple of hockey players.

Akemi likes to play with her food.

Sexy nerd!

My poor girl.

I had to return my lender phone to the production – presumably so they could use it in that 90’s action thriller.

The great thing about Toronto is that there’s a garbage depository on every block!

This is how Lulu plays keep-away.

May 31, 2015: Dark Matter episode #101 review! The gang from the production office take over the bridge!

The advance reviews for Dark Matter are going to start rolling in.  Here’s one from Aimee Hicks at Spoilertv.com:

http://www.spoilertv.com/2015/05/dark-matter-pilot-advance-preview.html

Dark Matter makes another must watch list.    15 Shows You Need To Watch This Summer:

http://www.lolwot.com/15-shows-you-need-to-watch-this-summer/

See, this is why we need 24 hour security.  When no one was looking, the gang from the production offices gained entry to the ship…

Elliot – texting while flying!

Natalie – caught in the act!

Touching buttons!

Caitlin – considering mischief.

Like touching more buttons!

Elliot – daring someone to kick him off the ship.  Security?  Anyone?

And, the coup de grace…

Today’s blog entry is dedicated to tinamarlin.

Tagged: Dark Matter, Dark Matter t.v., science fiction, Science Fiction Television, scifi t.v., scifi television, SF t.v., spoilertv.com, SyFy, SyFyFridays

May 30, 2015: Akemi’s big hair day!

Inspired by Jodelle/Dark Matter’s FIVE, Akemi decided to try something a little different…

So, whaddya think?  Who should she be cosplaying at the San Diego Comic Con?

Maybe.

Before heading in for her 8 hour hair sessions, Akemi and I entertained our friend Jessie – Canada’s future Prime Minster!

Alas, I think this phage treatment may come too late for my gal.  Like yesterday, she slept through most of the day (Bubba, above, offers up a sympathy nap).  She didn’t have much of an appetite so I rectified that by picking her up a tasty burger, bypassing the Wahlburgers next door (I said “tasty” after all) for the Burgers Priest four blocks up and three blocks over.  Worth the trip!  She ate the entire patty (minus Bubba and Lulu’s cut).

May 29, 2015: Two weeks to the Dark Matter world premiere! A Jelly update!

This blog’s resident television critic: Akemi.

“If this series not popular, I really can’t believe.”

– Akemi last night after watching the producer’s cut of episode #113, our season finale.

Her words echo the sentiments of my writing partner who said pretty much the same thing, in less economical fashion, after viewing prod cuts of our first two episodes:

“So, having seen the first two eps in close to finished form, I’m left thinking this: If this show doesn’t succeed, then I don’t know what people want. This is as good as television sci-fi gets. Seriously, if we don’t get a second season, then I should just retire and you should go to the Sorbonne and eventually open a restaurant.”

Well, I’m cautiously optimistic because, when it comes right down to it…

Me: I hope the show does well.

Akemi: Me too.  The dogs have to eat.

Wow!  The gang at MenLifestyle offer up this handy guide to Dark Matter complete with series overview, character descriptions, and cast bios:

http://www.menlifestyle.sg/nbcuniversal-announce-dark-matter-will-premiere-syfy-14-june-starhub-ch-517/

Get ready Brazil.  Dark Matter is coming your way…

Win tickets to the Dark Matter June 12th premiere screening in Amsterdam:

http://www.insidegamer.nl/artikel/117091/prijsvraag-win-kaarten-voor-de-premiere-van-dark-matter

Premiering June 15th in France:

http://www.frenchgeekmovement.fr/dark-matter-un-nouveau-space-opera-sur-syfy/

Jelly – cold in the morning, so Akemi bundles her up.

And, finally, thanks to everyone who inquired after or offered well-wishes for Jelly.  She’s been very low energy these past couple of days.  At this points, it’s in the hands of the vets and, hopefully, their ability to locate the treatment she needs.

Jelly – a notoriously messy eater, so Akemi got her a little something.

Jelly, of course, thanks each and every one of you for your concern.

Tagged: Dark Matter, Dark Matter t.v., old pugs, pug, pugs, science fiction, Science Fiction Television, scifi, scifi t.v., scifi television, senior dogs, senior pug, senior pugs, SF, SF television, SyFy, SyFyFridays

May 28, 2015: 15 days to the Dark Matter premiere! Tell your friends, family, co-workers, and acquaintances! Maybe a few strangers as well!

Last night, I watched Andy Mikita’s director’s cut of episode #113, the big season finale.  All I can say is: Whoa!  I envy all of you who’ll be coming into the show fresh when it premieres on June 12th.  Believe me, you’re in for such a treat. We’re not just going to surpass expectations, we’re going to blow them away by delivering a scifi series you’re going to LOVE: character-driven, ship-based science fiction full of action, adventure, shocks, surprises, dazzling visual effects, and, above all else, a sense of fun.

I want to get the word out early and often.  I don’t want to wait until AFTER we air to start bringing fans on board or rewarding them for their viewership.  I want to get things started early by making you all part of the Dark Matter family BEFORE we air.  All of these sneak peeks, photos, interviews, trailers, and endless blog posts are here (and there) because I want you all to feel that this is as much your show as it is ours.  Take ownership in it.  The Dark Matter army is strong and getting stronger!

Executive Producer Jay Firestone already has some awesome amazing giveaways planned to coincide with the show’s launch – among them, limited edition 3D models of our various ships.  When the time comes, I’ll be offering up special signed, annotated scripts like the ones I did for Stargate – with hand-written notes and insights on every page.  Official Dark Matter merchandise is on the way but, while we wait, I’ll be giving offering up some of those custom t-shirts pictured in yesterday’s blog entry.  And just wait until we hit San Diego Comic Con…

More photos of our amazing cast (hopefully a few you haven’t seen):

The stasis pods

What’s behind the big doors?

Building the bridge. Love them windows!

Meet the Dark Matter crew:

http://www.thetvjunkies.com/dark-matter-meet-the-crew/

Yeah, I ramble but, in all fairness, I wasn’t THAT drunk.

DARK MATTER — Season:1 — Pictured: (l-r) Zoie Palmer as The Adroid, Alex Mallari Jr. as Four, Anthony Lemke as Three, Melissa O’Neil as Two, Mark Bendavid as One, Jodelle Ferland as Five, Roger Cross as Six — (Photo by: Dennys/Ilic/Syfy)

That #Zobot sneak peek – just in case you were geo-blocked:

And a few wonderful Dark Matter gifs compliments of http://darkmatterdaily.tumblr.com

Today’s entry is dedicated to blog regular whoviantrish!

Tagged: Dark Matter, Dark Matter t.v., science fiction, scifi, scifi television, SyFy, SyFy Fridays

May 27, 2015: Another Dark Matter sneak peek! Don’t mess with the Zobot! More behind the scenes pics! What to expect from SyFy’s new space opera!

Well, whaddya know?  Our teaser trailer has quietly been racking up views and is nearing the 200k mark.  Let’s see if we can hit the quarter mill mark by the time Dark Matter premieres on June 12th (10:00 p.m. on SyFy!  Check your local listings!)

“Do Androids dream of electric sheep? This one’s too busy beating people up to answer.”

The SyFy site offers up a little #Zobot action in this sneak peek:

http://www.syfy.com/darkmatter/videos/dark-matter-sneak-peek-the-android-attacks

or here:

http://www.blastr.com/2015-5-27/exclusive-watch-sneak-peek-syfys-dark-matter

or here:

http://darkmatterdaily.tumblr.com/post/120023168869/dark-matter-1-01-pilot-sneak-peek

Alternate Zobot shirt design:

More pics to whet your appetites…

When he’s not traveling around the world on business, reading scripts, giving notes, weighing in on prep, visiting set, or editing, Executive Producer Jay Firestone finds time to socialize – pictured above with Director Bruce McDonald.

Emergency lighting!

All readings appear normal.

Bubba x 2

You should get that looked at!

Jodelle Ferland (FIVE)

Jodelle again. Photography by Dennys Illyic (http://www.dennysilic.com)

Akemi in the containment chamber.

“What,”I’m sure you’ve been asking yourself, “are we to expect from Dark Matter?”  Well, for starters…

“We have a five-year game plan,” Mallozzi explains. “One of the things I think audiences will love is the fact that because we’ve been able to plan so well; we’re able to drop hints to various character reveals and various twists and turns that will pay off later down the line either near the end of season one or beyond it.”

http://www.denofgeek.us/tv/dark-matter/246499/dark-matter-what-to-expect-from-syfys-new-space-opera

Tagged: #zobot, Dark Matter, Dark Matter t.v., SyFy, SyFyFridays

May 26, 2015: Akemi! Dark Matter! And friends!

“Carnibal is eat the same species.”

– Akemi on cannibalism.

“Hello Kitty’s pet is cat so not carnibal but don’t you find strange?”

– Akemi elucidating on the topic of cannibalism.

“My stomach and back is touching.”

– Akemi’s way of letting me know she’s hungry.

“Wow. So depressing Facebook account ever.”

– Akemi passing judgement on my Facebook activity which is entirely comprised of me sharing missing pet and adopt-a-dog posts.

Hey, Germany, look out!  Dark Matter is headed your way:

Space.ca offers up 5 reasons to count down the days until the Dark Matter debut:

http://www.space.ca/article/Dark-Matter#sthash.VZqdJGhx.dpufhttp://www.space.ca/article/Dark-Matter

Dark Matter makes TV.com’s list of 11 Most Anticipated New Series for summer 2015:

http://www.tv.com/news/most-anticipated-new-summer-shows-143154270939/

Get your Dark Matter t-shirts!

On a non-Dark Matter-related – but no less awesome – here is the trailer for my friend, Lou Anders’ first book, Frostborn:

And a review of his second book, Nightborn:

http://linkis.com/bit.ly/cuL8S

Another prolific friend has a book forthcoming:

https://outtherebooks.wordpress.com/2015/01/06/a-small-excerpt-from-alastair-reynolds-new-novella-slow-bullets-is-available/ 

While another friend seems to be doing alright:

http://io9.com/john-scalzi-signs-a-massive-10-year-13-book-publishing-1706919623

Tagged: Dark Matter, Dark Matter tv, Lou Anders, Nightborn, SyFy, SyFyFridays

May 25, 2015: The Dark Matter rollout! Introducing Melissa O’Neil as TWO!

Finishing up my overview of our wonderful cast, we finally come to the character of TWO.

Here’s the breakdown that went out for the role:

“AKA Boss Lady, AKA Portia Lin. NIKITA-ESQUE, BEAUTIFUL, SOFT- FEATURED. THE GROUP’S DE FACTO LEADER, SHE IS A MASTER FIGHTER and an unbelievably quick learner when it comes to any sort of weaponry. DETERMINED, TOUGH, AND MORE THAN A LITTLE HEADSTRONG, SHE IS NOT THE TYPE YOU WANT TO MESS WITH – OR DISAPPOINT. She can be cool and inscrutable. LOOKING FOR SOMEONE FIT, PREFERABLY WITH FIGHTING EXPERIENCE.  ALL ETHNICITIES.”

By far, this was the role that saw the most auditions.  When all was said and done, over 250 candidates had read for the part. We had a lot of interesting possibilities but one, for me, stood out amongst the rest.  I received her audition, a rare self-tape, from New York where she’d been on Broadway appearing in Les Miserables.

Her name was Melissa O’Neil and she was everything I was looking for in the character – someone with obvious strength and a commanding presence and yet, at the same time, sympathetic and possessed of an underlying warmth.  Too much of the former and one risked making the character unlikable.  Too much of the latter and one risked making her seem weak.  It was a very, very tough balancing act that most were unable to pull off, but one that Melissa managed to deliver with ease.  She also had MMA and martial arts experience which was a huge plus because, next to the character of FOUR, TWO was our most technically proficient fighter.  The rest of the crew were brawlers but she needed to be an expert in the use of weapons and hand to hand combat.

One of the things that impressed me about Melissa early on was her positive outlook and commitment to her craft and character.  She was a stunt coordinator’s (not to mention a director’s and show runner’s) dream, training like crazy, rehearsing complex action sequences on weekends so that she could nail them on the day.  The editors loved her because she was so good at fight choreography that we could actually stay on her in the wide shots rather than having to cut around to her stunt double.  Like the character she played, Melissa was an incredibly quick learner who picked up enough moves to give me pause whenever I debated story points with her.

When all is said and done, however, I’ll forever remember the enthusiastic emails exchanged shortly after we received her audition.  Some of the highlights: “I’m so excited about her”, “That second scene was near perfection”, “Top of my list”, “I think she’s really special and fresh”, and “She’s ready to break!”

We all knew we had a star in the making.  And, in about a month, I believe we’ll be proven right.

Tagged: Dark Matter, Dark Matter t.v., Melissa O'Neil

May 24, 2015: The Jelly Update!

For a dog at death’s door, my 16 year old pug Jelly has been doing pretty well.  In fact, ever since we brought her back home to die last Friday after receiving a hopeless diagnosis from two local vets, she’s been as animated as ever.  In fact, I’d be so bold as to say she bounced back – if not for the test results that point to kidney failure and antibiotic resistant E coli coursing through her system.  Euthanasia was recommended and I was fully prepared to follow this advice, treating my girl to one final weekend of muffins, ice cream and some of the 60 day old dry-aged steak I had for dinner the other night.  Except…the following morning, she was up and alert.  Her appetite had returned.  And she was as cantankerous as ever.  So I decided to hold off…temporarily…

A little over five years ago, Jelly all but stopped walking.  It turned out her hip dysplasia had progressed to the point where she was no longer capable of supporting herself.  Euthanasia was recommended.  Over five years ago!  I considered my options, then generated some new ones by going online and discovering the marvels of stem cell treatments.  They’ve been seeing some surprising results with this procedure – in Europe – a procedure that involves extracting the body’s stem cells (from belly fat which apparently has the highest concentration of the stuff), shipping them to a lab where they are spun in a centrifuge, then shipped back and injected into the problem areas: in Jelly’s case, her arthritic joints and eroded hips.  I contacted this company (http://www.vet-stem.com), took Jelly in for a consult (where I was told results varied so not to expect too much), and had her undergo the treatment.  A couple of weeks later, she was back on her paws  – wobbly, mind you, but once again able to support herself.

So, faced with a similar dire situation, I once again turned to the one place that had helped me in the past: the internet.  And there, I discovered a possible cure for presumably untreatable antibiotic-resistant infections: phage therapy.

I read this article about a woman who had been given a “you’ve got an untreatable antibiotic-resistant infection so prepare to die” diagnosis:

http://www.prevention.com/health/health-concerns/cure-antibiotic-resistance

Instead of packing up her belongings and resigning herself to certain death, she packed up her belongings and headed to Europe where phage therapy has been used for over a decade with great success.  She underwent the treatment and was miraculously (?) cured of her incurable infection.

From the aforementioned article:

“Bacteriophages (“bacteria eaters”), commonly called phages, are viruses that infect bacteria but not humans. Found in water, soil, and even your digestive tract, phages dwell wherever bacteria are found because they rely on them to reproduce. (Find out how what you eat affects your gut bacteria.) They drill through a bacterium’s surface, hijack its DNA, and then replicate themselves within it until the cell bursts. Cocktails of phage viruses can kill a bacterial infection in the human body with remarkable accuracy, taking out only the infiltrators and leaving important populations of “good” bacteria intact—unlike the blunt tool of antibiotics, which tend to wipe out a wide swath of good bugs and bad.”

Apparently, it’s been researched for a while here in North America with very positive results:

https://ispub.com/IJAM/7/1/13668

But, of course, the FDA (in the U.S.) and Health Canada (here) have yet to make this treatment readily available.  Why?  Rose-tinted glasses-wearing observers will argue it’s because they’re being very careful.  Cvidently, a decade of positive results in Europe isn’t quite enough for them.

Anyway, I dispatched some emails this weekend and made some inquiries.  The wheels are in motion to get Jelly the treatment.

Maybe we’ll see a miracle bounce back like we did the last time everyone else wrote her off.  Or maybe we won’t.  But at the very least, we’ll have TRULY exhausted our options.

Tagged: antibiotic resistant infections, Dogs, phage therapies, phage therapy, pugs