Joseph Mallozzi's Blog, page 413
September 10, 2014
September 10, 2014: Travel Day for Tokyo Joe!
Off to Japan today and one of the things I’m especially looking forward to – besides the sushi, pastries, and robot toilets – is the sake. To be honest, I’m not a big drinker. I don’t do wine and rarely drink beer. I will have the occasional glass of bourbon – but it’s not some I drink a lot of. Sake, on the other hand…well, I CAN drink a lot of sake. As my good friend and former Japan travel companion, Ivon Bartok, learned first hand on OUR trip to Tokyo a couple of years back. Some people are more charming when they drink. Others considerably less so. Me, I’m just more hungry for convenience store eclairs. Look at me go!
Ah, good times, good times!
September 9, 2014
September 9, 2014: Ranty rant rant!
I was planning to rant today about news I received on another project, but I’m not going to do that. Nope, I’m going to keep things positive and won’t even bother expressing my irritation, anger, and general disappointment with a potential scenario that has presented itself today – despite the fact that the individual who pitched it to me presented it as a positive development. I’m just going to put it out of my mind and focus on my upcoming trip.
I’m also going to ignore that managerial request that came my way today. Like children, puppies, and cavemen who are defrosted from centuries’ slumber and forced to reintegrate into modern society, managers are generally oblivious to the ways of the real world – so I’m going to cut this guy some slack.
I’ll also ignore the fact that I was finally looking forward to trying out Gyoza Bar, Vancouver’s new gyoza and ramen restaurant. It opened to much fanfare on Saturday and, two days later, I planned to have dinner there with Akemi and our friends Kathode and Catherine. They don’t take reservations, so KC arrived early…only to discover:
Seriously? Closed for a private function TWO DAYS after your grand opening? Tell you what – I’ll come back and check out in the summer of 2015. IF you’re still in business. And not closed for a private function.
Picked up sis at the airport today. She’ll be here for the next ten days, house-sitting and spending quality time with the dogs. Oh, and hopefully updating this blog while I’m away. No?
On the bright side, all goes well with that SF show. Today we discussed playback – and then, coincidentally, I ran into our old Stargate Playback Supervisor Krista McLean!
Also got preliminary shooting schedules for episodes #1-3. There are some fairly ambitious days in the opening two-parter and I suspect things will even out once everyone has had time to digest those first four scripts and we make a decision on what goes on which stage. I’m thinking that having the shuttle on a separate stage may open up more 2nd unit opportunities. Whaddya think?
Alright. Off to hit the waiver wires. Then bed. Big travel day tomorrow. Are you guys packed?
September 8, 2014
September 8, 2014: News of note!
As it turns out, it wasn’t Prince Albert Victor or Queen Victoria’s obstetrician or author Lewis Caroll. It was…some crazy guy:
His parents aren’t kicking him out of the house! And the poor kid’s only 29!
Bananas prevent strokes! Eat more bananas!
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/health/article-133083/How-banana-day-strokes-bay.html
Apple cider vinegar helps you lose weight and ward of heart disease! Drink more apple cider vinegar!
http://www.care2.com/greenliving/7-health-benefits-of-apple-cider-vinegar.html
Eating chocolate may help ease cramping associated with peripheral artery disease! Eat more chocolate!
http://health.clevelandclinic.org/2014/09/can-dark-chocolate-help-ease-your-pain-from-pad-2/
Chocolate may contain lead and cadmium! Don’t eat anymore chocolate!
Chocolate help guard against heart attacks and strokes! Eat more chocolate!
Socks can lead to tummy upset! Don’t eat socks!
September 7, 2014
September 7, 2014: The Lodger!
Pictured above – Petunia, our lodger, who has been with us since Friday but went home tonight. She’s been a wonderful guest, very polite with the other dogs and has only had two accidents. Having an extra dog does make a world of difference, however, especially at night. And even on a king-size bed. I got squeezed out at one point and had to retreat to the guest room. About an hour later, Akemi had to join me. So WE had to make do with the smaller bed while they enjoyed the sprawling spaciousness of the master bed.
A sad start to the Fantasy Football season for my Snow Monkeys who are about to go 0-1. Fortunately, after a year in which I cared A LOT and spent most of my free time researching and managing my team only to NOT make the playoffs, I’ve decided to adopt a new approach this year and NOT care so much. So, not caring. So much. But still caring a little. :(
© Takero Kawabata
Holy Smokes! Less than three days before I board a flight for Tokyo! And less than a month before I move to Toronto! Who’s helping me pack?
Today’s entry is dedicated to birthday gal and blog regular Jennifer Draves.
September 6, 2014
September 5, 2014
September 5, 2014: Miscellaneous photos!
Yep. Just as the title implies. Miscellaneous photos of miscellaneous things…
Drove by this car emblazoned with an unfortunate company name. Sure, P.O.S. can stand for Point of Sale. Or Positively Outstanding Service. But, if you happen to spend any time on the internet, another turn of phrase will probably come to mind.
Not a vehicle you want to rear-end. I’m not sure what 100 curries of Iridium 192 is, but I’m guessing I wouldn’t want it on my lap.
Two of Akemi’s recent prized purchases. I’m actually afraid to use them for fear of chipping one of those bat ears.
We parked behind these guys the other day and, when I approached to feed the meter, they went completely nuts with excitement at the prospect of us going over to say hi. Which we did of course.
When we were in Yaletown, this little guy chased Akemi down so that she could give him some much-needed attention. Look at him, so comfy!
Jelly is all better now and doesn’t need the diapers – but I’m going to miss those sassy shorts.
Akemi and her boyfriend.
My girlfriend.
Lulu prefers to play the field over being tied down.
September 4, 2014
September 4, 2014: The Game Plan!
Today, I completed a first draft of episode #12 in which the various arcs we develop over the course of the show’s first season converge in a story about identity, loyalty, and friendship, culminating in a shocking conclusion that sets the stage for an even more shocking finale. It joins my first draft of episode #9, on a virtual shelf, until the intervening bunch of scripts get done. Paul is halfway thought #5 while Rob and Trevor have started work on scripts for episodes #7 and #8 respectively. Ideally, I’ll have a bunch of first drafts to review by the time I come back from Japan on September 21st.
Yes, I’m off to Japan next week for 10 glorious days of cultural enlightenment and eating my face off. Before then, however, there’s plenty to do. Tomorrow, a conversation with our VFX guys, Mark Savela and Lawren Bancroft-Wilson, to discuss the first four episodes. Next week, Tuesday, another conference call with our Line Producer and Production Designer – also about episodes #1-4, and ship and space station designs. And I’m hoping we’ll have our first three directors slotted before I leave.
When I get back from Japan, I’ll have roughly two weeks to do my passes on episodes #5-8 before I head to Toronto for our first official week of prep: more meetings in which we’ll discuss key crew members and casting.
At present, the plan is to head to Toronto for that week of meetings during which I’ll stock our new Toronto place with everything we’ll need: dog mats, dog beds, kitchen gadgets, pillows, toiletries, and a big-ass winter coat. Then, I go back to Vancouver to pick up my dogs – and girlfriend – and make the final move. Since we’ll no longer have access to a handy backyard, I’m going to also have to buy a doggy stroller to make life a lot easier for Jelly – and Akemi. On top of all that, I’m going to have to find an animal clinic where Jelly can continue her accupuncture treatments:
Is it helping her? Well, tough to say. Between the accupuncture, Metacam, painkillers, pulsed electro-magnetic dog bed, and joint pills, SOMETHING is working.
September 3, 2014
September 3, 2014: Crackle Creme!
The other day, Akemi and I happened across a small dessert shop in Vancouver’s Strathcona district. It’s called Crackle Creme and it specializes in creme brûlée – oh, and waffles. Real Belgian waffles with pearl sugar, not those other ones!
The place is a one-man show run by Daniel Wong and, what he lacks in restaurant experience he more than makes up for in passion and sheer enthusiasm. On the afternoon we checked out his place, there were 12 different varieties of creme brûlée available. Since it was our first visit, I decided to go simple – straight vanilla bean creme brûlée.
Daniel Wong = proprietor, creme brûlée master.
Layering on a fine crackle.
The brûlée was perfect – neither eggy nor overly sweet with a nice thin caramelized sugar covering.
Check out the vanilla beans.
As if often the case when I can’t decide between two desserts, I get both. And so, in addition to the brûlée, I also ordered a Liege waffle with “adult nutella” (Pssst. The secret ingredient is booze!).
Studded with pearl sugar that he imports for his waffles.
Golden crisp with a nice chewy center.
Topped with the adult nutella.
A terrific waffle – which I thought could have been even slightly more so with a dollop of whipped cream or vanilla ice cream. But I’m no waffle purist.
Check it out the next time you’re in town.
Crackle Creme
Opens Wednesdays to Sundays, 11:30 a.m. to 10:00 p.m.
245 Union Street (Vancouver, BC)
Tagged: Crackle Creme, creme brûlée, creme brûlée Vancouver
September 2, 2014
September 2, 2012: Draft Day! Snow Monkeys on the clock!
As it turns out, today was Draft Day for my fantasy football league! Following a season in which I dedicated most, if not ALL of my free time to researching the NFL, only to miss the playoffs, I decided to take a more laid-back approach to the process this year. I waited until the last moment, browsed some online articles, printed up some “expert” cheat sheets, and then discarded everything in favor of a “gut” approach on draft day. So, how’d I do?
Well, not bad. Not bad at all.
Also, not particularly good. Not particularly good AT ALL…
Prepping!
I got the fourth overall pick and decided to choose the Bears’ Matt Forte over Green Bay’s Eddie Lacy on the assumption that the Packers have always been a past first, second, and third team – and why would that suddenly change?
My strategy was to pick up another RB or a high-end WR in the second round but when I saw Green Bay’s Aaron Rodgers sitting there (see above), I had to pick him up.
To compliment Rodgers, I picked up his #1 WR, Randall Cobb – unwittingly putting myself in a very bad position in week 9 when all three of my picks-so-far are on a bye.
In round 4, I selected former Viking RB Toby Gerhart who finally gets his chance to step out of Adrian Peterson’s shadow and into the limelight…in Jacksonville. The Jaguars can’t really throw the ball, so I’m assuming Gerhart will see a lot of touches.
With my fifth pick, I went with the 49ers Michael Crabtree, back from an injury-plagued season to reassume the mantle of San Francisco’s #1 receiver.
Round 6, I got New Orleans receiver Marques Colston. Very happy with this one. I expect he’ll see a bunch of targets this season with his ankle fully healed.
In round 7, I gambled on Bills RB Fred Jackson who has shown no signs of slowing down.
Then in round 8, I saw Carolina’s DeAngelo Williams sitting there, so I grabbed him. Not many lead RB’s left on the board at this point, so I was glad to get him.
I’m not convinced I made the right choice in round 9, choosing former Seahawk Golden Tate, but I figured he’s speedy and looking to impress on a team that likes to throw the ball A LOT in Detroit. Megatron should draw all the double and triple teams, allowing Tate to get some looks. Will he be able to step up is the question.
Oh, how the mighty have fallen. Former fantasy beast Darren McFadden was just sitting, waiting for someone to pick him up in round 10, so I did. He’s been dinged up quite a bit over the past couple of seasons and even though MJD is now in Oakland, McFadden should see plenty of touches on a team that will have to rely on the run when their passing game comes up short. Which should be most of the time.
I reached a little and took Cecil Shorts in round 11. No, the Jaguars can’t really throw the ball but when they did, last year, the speedy wide-receiving duo of Shorts and Blackmon got all the looks. And with Blackmon now gone – the NFL and Jacksonville front office tired of his off-the-field antics – that leaves Shorts to hopefully pick up the slack.
By the time round 12 came around, the herd had been thinned. I picked up former Packer great (and present Viking mediocre) Greg Jennings who showed a spark of promise last season. Maybe if the Vikes can sort out their QB issues, Jennings could well pan out nicely.
And another gamble in round 13 with former Panther WR Steve Smith who now finds himself in Baltimore. He’s a scrappy player. I love his attitude.
This late in the draft, I shifted my sights to landing a defense. I don’t really subscribe to the “Draft a Top D school” of thought simply because the top D’s change every year. Instead, I decided to plug-and-play, choosing a different defense each week based on their match-ups. I’d been eyeing the Bears D which will hosting the Bills and their anemic passing attack – but somebody nabbed them. And so, I had to settle for the Steel Curtain, hoping the Pittsburgh D can have a field day with Cleveland’s equally shaky passing game – and suspect running game.
With my second to last pick, I finally got around to picking up a TE. The drop-off from first tier Jimmy Graham to the second tier likes of Gronk and Julius Thomas is debatable. But there’s no debating the drop off from that second tier to the sizeable crowd who make up the third tier. In the words of the Gilligan’s Island theme song: “…and all the rest!”. I picked up Travis Kelce because I figured he’d probably be very involved in a KC passing game led by short play dump-off master Alex Smith.
And so, in the final round, I got around to picking up a kicker. Kickers are always a crap shoot. If you pick a kicker on a high scoring team, you’re often saddled with a guy who kicks nothing but extra points. On the other hand, if you pick a kicker from a team with a weak offense assuming they’ll have to settle for field goals when they can’t punch it into the end zone, you’ll be disappointed with a guy who rarely gets a shot because his team is never in field goal range. And so, with my last pick, I took veteran Adam Vinatieri because I’m backing on QB Andrew Luck getting the Colts inside their opponents 2o plenty of times – only to come up short because their running game is mediocre at best.
Ladies and gentlemen, presenting the 2014 soon-to-be-champions SNOW MONKEYS…
And these are the results of a computer analysis of today’s draft. I figure if I replace all of my starters with all of my bench players, I’d take over the No. 1 ranking:
So, how’d everyone do on THEIR drafts?
Tagged: fantasy football
September 1, 2014
September 1, 2014: Talking to Strangers!
“Never in my life have I seen someone so chitchat with cashier staff.”
- Akemi today on my propensity for engaging retail staff in conversation.
It happens a lot at Whole Foods whenever the cashier gives us the option of getting ten cents off our total or making a contribution to charity (for bringing in our own reusable shopping bag because Akemi always remembers). I always go with the donation and am invariably offered three possible charities.
“Who’s winning?”I always ask. Not that I’m really curious because I already know the answer. The animal charity is winning. It’s always winning. And any charity to do with cycling is always losing. It should come as absolutely no surprise that people love puppies and kittens, and despise cyclists. Giving money to support cycling projects is akin to donating the money to juvenile offenders or telemarketing companies – except that juvenile offenders and telemarketing companies don’t occasionally veer into your lane, block you from making right turns, or sail through red lights assuming you’ll stop.
And it’s not just retail staff. I’ll talk to anyone: fellow customers, taxi drivers, those people standing in line to use the bathroom.
“I thought he was your Stargate friend.”
She makes this assumption a lot. I’ll talk to someone for a little while and then, as my conversation partner heads off, she’ll ask: “Who was that?”
And I’ll often shrug and say: “I dunno.” Or, maybe, “Phil” or “Tom” or “Henrietta” if the person offered their name AND I happen to still remember it seconds later (an admittedly rare occurrence).
I suppose that, in Japan, social interaction with strangers is considered unusual, if not frowned upon – although, from my limited experience, Japanese retail staff are surprisingly receptive to the odd (in both senses of the word) attempt to engage them in conversation, possibly due to a number of reasons: professional courtesy, genuine delight, or sheer terror. I can’t wait to continue this social experiment when I hit Tokyo and Osaka late next week. And I’m sure Akemi will be thrilled.
Am I unique? What say you? Do you ignore that age-old advice and actually “talk to strangers”?
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