Joseph Mallozzi's Blog, page 435

January 6, 2014: I’m Hamlet, Khan, and Charles Bingley rolled into one!

While I was in Montreal for the holidays, one of my relatives asked me for my Facebook info so that she could friend me.  I was perfectly happy to do so until she mentioned having to partially block another friend because all she did was post about her burgeoning art career.  In that case, I thought, I’m the last person she’d want to friend. Almost my entire Facebook activity is comprised of dog-related shares from animal rescues and missing pet sites.  If these are of interest to you, then look me up: Baron Destructo!

A productive first day back at the office (the office not being an actual office in an office building or even a home office as I prefer to work on the dining room table by my liquor cabinet.  I completed a first draft of the southern gothic pilot and sent it Tara’s way, then switched gears and addressed the notes to the other script we have in development and sent it Paul’s way.  I worked out the next scene for the horror script and, time permitting, will write that tonight during the BCS National Championship game.  I’m taking the 11 points and the Auburn Tigers!

Last night, Akemi and I started watching Stargate: Universe’s second season.  A terrific season opener in Intervention written by my writing partner, Paul Mullie.  I enjoyed it immensely although it did make me a little wistful – and reminded me that I have to start my SGU Trip Down Memory Lane at some point in the next few weeks.  Before the start of the episode, we were treated to previews for Atlantis and Akemi was impressed with the visual effects.  Once we’ve finished Universe, maybe we’ll switch gears to Atlantis and, if you’re all game, we can do a group watch-a-long and discussion.  Interested?

I’m The Dude! (via tdylf.com)

Speaking of Facebook, I notice a lot of people posting these “Which X Character Are You?” personality tests.  You know the ones I’m talking about.  You answer a bunch of questions and your responses allow them to match you to a personality type?  I am, apparently, The Walking Dead’s T-Dog, The Hobbit’s Bilbo Baggins, Shakespeare’s Hamlet, Star War’ Landro Calrissian, The Simpsons’ Krusty the Clown, Star Trek’s Khan, and Pride and Prejudice’s Charles Bingley.  The science behind these various quizzes is questionable and I think a more accurate personality assessment could be derived from an inverse approach.  Instead of figuring out what fictitious character your personality yields, we should be analyzing what fictitious characters we assume say about our personalities.  For instance, the characters my friends and I chose to play in Dungeons & Dragons said a lot about our respective personalities.  Stalwart, noble Nick was a paladin.  Creative, ambitious Cas was a magic user.  Cryptic, mysterious Paul was a fighting monk.  And I, of course, was a goblin thief.

So, tell us about yourselves through the characters your used to play.  And in the unlikely event you never played any such games (or, more likely, just don’t want to admit it), tell us which fictional character you most identify with.

January 5, 2014: On tap for January!

Spending quality time with the dogs = check!

Okay, following twelve glorious days of unbridled eating and a weekend of football-watching, it’s time to buckle down and get back to work.  I’ve got a big January ahead of me…

1. We’ve been told that a decision will be made by early February on a project Paul and I currently have in development.  So, this week, we need to address some notes on the first draft script, make sure it’s a tight and compelling read – y’know, the kind that makes you want to green light it to series – and then deliver it…and hope for the best.

2. I’ve been spinning my wheels on the last few scenes of the southern gothic pilot I’m co-writing with my talented friend, Tara Yelland with the help of my research assistant (and Georgia native), Jeffrey Wilson.  I just have to push through and get it done, hopefully by tomorrow, then send it Tara’s way so that we can both give it a re-read and decide on next steps for the rewrite.  At a whopping 65 pages, it needs some significant tightening-up in addition to a (southern) dialogue polish.  If my 2013 luck carries over into 2014, the reaction to this script will no doubt be: “We love it!  But can we set it in Chicago instead?”

3. Back in October, Paul and I were hired to develop a series pitch for a science fiction novel written by “the dean of science fiction writers”.  We traveled to Toronto in November to pitch it to broadcasters there and, in the third week of January, we’ll be going to L.A. to pitch it there.

4. While in L.A., we’ll be meeting with the team behind a terrific, big-budget period series that needs a show runner, someone to write the pilot, and is looking to shoot in – of all places! – Vancouver.

5. Also, while in L.A., we’ll be starting the meet-and-greets, laying the groundwork for a possible return trip in April-May with an eye to staffing season.

6. I’m about 17 pages into the horror feature I’m co-writing with .  It’s a solid start – creepy, weird, and mysterious.  Ideally, I’d love to hit the 30 page mark before handing it off to Alex who presently has his hands full working on Orphan Black.

7. Stargate Special Features Producer (and runner-up in our Stargate Fantasy Football League this year) Ivon Bartok and I have been talking about co-scripting something for a while but could never quite agree on the right project.  I wanted to write a musical while he had his heart set on a martial arts extravaganza.  Eventually, his people got together with my people (we basically exchanged texts) and decided on a comedy.  So far, it’s only a kernel of an idea – but a pretty damn funny kernel!

8. And, last but not least, visit my doctor to find out why my heart has seemingly migrated to the right side of my chest.

January 4, 2013: The Montreal Restaurant Countdown!

In addition to enjoying my mother’s home cooking, I also managed to get out while I was in Montreal.  In all, I visited nine restaurants over the course of my stay.  No favorites like Au Pied de Cochon or Garde Manger this time, and still no luck getting a table at either Kitchenette or Joe Beef, but I did get to check out a few new places in addition to paying others a return visit.

So, how were they?  Well, some disappointed while others surprised.  Still others – well, they were pretty much what I expected.

Counting them down…

9. PETINOS (Dollard-Des-Ormeaux)

I purposely avoided calling this a Worst to First list because, in truth, I didn’t visit any bad restaurants.  On this trip, they ranged from okay to terrific.  Petinos finds itself on the bottom mostly owing to the fact that I simply don’t like breakfast places. If I really want eggs, I can just make them at home and, quite honestly, I’ve never gone somewhere and said “Wow! I’ve really got to come back for these eggs!”. Having said that, Petinos offers more than eggs.  Much, much more.  My sister, for instance, had the nutella-banana crepe which was good – though, again, I’d argue something I could just as readily make at home.  I had a fine omelet.

8. DEJEUNER COSMOPOLITAN

Another breakfast place but this one rates a little higher owing to the dish I ordered: a couple of poached eggs, blueberry pancakes, and creton.  The latter is a grey Quebecois “pork spread” that, frankly, doesn’t taste anywhere near as good as it sounds (and thats being kind).  The eggs and pancake, on the other hand, were good.

7. OSTERIA VENTI

The Tuscan chicken liver

All of my fellow diners seemed to enjoy this restaurant a lot more than I did.  I suppose if I’d limited myself to the Tuscan chicken liver starter (two portions – sweet, salty, and a  touch of bitter – served in rustic fashion) this restaurant would have rated higher.  However, I ordered the breaded veal cutlet which turned out to be a huge disappointment.  Instead of golden crisp, its breading was moist, fell off in clumps, and tasted of bad oil.

6. AVOCADO SUSHI DU VILLAGE

Sushi assortment

Back when I lived in Montreal, I loved going out for sushi.  Then, I moved to Vancouver (and, later, visited Japan) and discovered how truly great sushi could be. On subsequent visits to Montreal, I returned to some of my old haunts and discovered the truth: sushi in Montreal pales in comparison.  This, I think, forces them to be more creative in their roll making, combining such diverse, occasionally odd, ingredients as fish, fruit, vegetables, and sundry sauces.

A nice place with inspired rolls; above-average by Montreal sushi standards.

5. RESTAURANT CHAO PHRAYA

The seafood red curry

I used to love this place back when I lived in Montreal and, while I still enjoyed a good meal here on this visit (some 15 years since my move), it didn’t quite hold the same appeal this time out.  Maybe it’s my mind playing tricks on me, but I seem to recall this place being a little more upscale, the dishes a little more refined.  Still, it was a very good dinner and Akemi, in particular, enjoyed the red curry – which she ended up sipping at meal’s end (but regretting later that night).

4. BOUILLON BILK

Pork belly and crispy oyster in spicy broth with shitake mushrooms, carrots, and cherries.

Lobster cavetelli with black trumpet mushrooms, squash, lardons, and burrata cheese.

My friend, Tom, raved about this place and rated it his favorite on HIS last trip to Montreal, so I was very eager to try it out.  The service was excellent and the dishes were inspired, almost outstanding – if not for the fact that almost all of them were overly salted.

3. SMOKE MEAT PETE

My preferred place for smoked meat is this little spot on the West Island.  I always order it medium (not too lean and not too fatty) and it never disappoints.  The fries on this day, however, were a little greasy.

2. 400 COUPS

Nova Scotia trout with yogurt foam, beets, crabapple, and basil.

Crispy chiffon cake with sea buckthorn (?) and peach sorbet.

Similar to Bouillon Bilk in terms of the creativity on the plate, 400 Coups gets the edge on this trip owing to its subtlety of flavors and superior desserts.  High end dishes in a warm and casual environment.

1. RESTAURANT MEZCLA

The duck heart amuse bouche

Crispy BBQ duck and foie gras torchon in a steam bao bun with sake soy glaze and micro watercress

Cornish game hen with vegetable makis, tari sauce, and yucca.  Oh, and fries!

This restaurant, specializing in nuevo latino cuisine, was the surprise hit of this trip. How good was this place?  So good, that even my mother couldn’t stop raving about it.  So good that I wanted to go back for one more dinner before I left town (Unfortunately, they were closed).  I’m pretty confident that those duck heart starters and the morado (purple corn) sauce are going to end up being one of my Top 10 Tastes for 2014.  Crazy good!

Tagged: Mezcla, Montreal restaurants, Smoke Meat Pete

January 3, 2014: Au Revoir Montreal!

Final day in Montreal.  I am Vancouver-bound tonight!

This morning I woke up to this…

Freshly squeezed orange juice

My mother used one orange and three tangerines for this single glass and it was delicious.  I don’t understand how some breakfast places can get away with calling their orange juice “freshly squeezed” when the taste is so damn different.  I can only assume “Freshly Squeezed” is a reference to a brand name.

Mom, meanwhile, enjoys her morning coffee.

Last night, mom was watching Murder She Wrote when a commercial came on for one of those assisted living facilities.  It featured uplifting interviews with the presumed children of the elderly parents being put away.  All seemed very pleased and couldn’t say enough nice things about the place.  One woman happily chatted away while, beside her, her mothers sat silently staring off into space, possibly hatching her escape plan.  As the ad cut to a montage of seniors “enjoying themselves” (ie. watching television, walking around, talking to each other – all things they no doubt couldn’t do on their own), my mother commented: “And then, when no one’s looking, gli schiaffi incominciano (literally: the slaps begin).” an obvious reference to the accounts of elderly abuse on the part of caregivers.  Mom has made it mighty clear that, when the time comes she can’t take care of herself (And I can’t imagine such a time.  She turns 80 next month!), she aint going into no “old folk’s home”.  In her eyes, fobbing your elderly parents off on a nursing home is a North American thing.  In Europe, where many men live with their parents well into their 30′s [More than half of Italian men live with their mums - The Local] and aging parents move in with their married kids, the workings of the family unit are very different.

Whenever we touch on this topic – at least once or twice every time I visit – the conversation inevitably turns to MY future and, specifically, my mother’s concern that I don’t have a senior fallback plan of my own (a.k.a. kids).  I keep trying to reassure her that you blog readers are like children to me and that you’ll all be more than happy to bathe me, feed me, and tuck me in at night when the time comes – which, I’m thinking, may be some time this summer as I could use a good vacation.

Ralphie without sis

Ralphie, ready to hit the slopes.

Ralphie – warm ear version.

Putting Felix’s boots on. A lot trickier than it looks.

I’m going to miss this guy!  Oh, and mom.  And sis.

For our last night in Montreal, Akemi and I went out to dinner with one of my oldest friends, Lawrence, and his lovely wife Melanie.  They’re back in Canada after spending three (four?) years working in London.  They’re both huge Coronation Street fans.  No, really!

‘ello guvnah!  Smashing kippers, wot?

We enjoyed a late lunch of spareribs, brussel sprouts, green beans and a surprise dessert -

Yes, Cookie Dough Carly cupcakes from Jazzycakes [http://jazzycakes.wix.com/cake] compliments of blog regular (Sneaky) Sylvia!  A half dozen!

Cookie dough! On the INSIDE!

Terrific!  I had two!

Thanks, Sylvia!  For the cupcakes AND the corn soup six years ago!  Now YOU are someone who can take care of me.

Tagged: Jazzycakes, Jazzycakes Cupcakes

January 2, 2014: The Change-up! Jazzycakes Cupcakes!

No sooner do I finally get used to writing “2013″ in the blog title instead of “2o12″ than I have to start writing “2014″.  2014!  It just feels like yesterday the world was supposed to end – back in 2012.  Or at the end of 1999.  I’ve got to stop selling off my worldly possessions and accept the fact that armageddon is NOT around the corner.  Of course, I say that now and, two months down the line when the world ends, I’ll be the guy with egg all over my face.  And all of my worldly possessions.

While the apocalypse may not be upon us – yet – I’ve noticed a definite speeding up of my sense of time.  It seems the older I get, the quicker the days, weeks, months, even years pass by.  My friend Alexander claims this is because when we’re younger, we’re constantly experiencing new things – as opposed to the mundane routine of our later years.  New experiences apparently influence our perception of time differently than habitual activity.  Trying new things and mixing things up may not, technically, give you a longer life – but it’ll certainly feel that way.

Now I’m a guy who likes his routine, so this is going to be a bit of a challenge, but I’m going to try anyway.  I’m going to start injecting a little “different” in every one of my days.  I’m not sure how or what, but it’ll be new and interesting and, no doubt, blog-worthy.

Maybe I’ll start a new hobby (for about a month before switching to another so that I don’t want to fall into a routine), or travel somewhere new in completely new ways (backpacking through Yemen?), or a second, third, maybe even a fourth career (hat designer, glassblower, goji juice salesman, ayurveda healer).   Have any suggestions for me?  Let’s hear ‘em!

Speaking of “the effects of re-experience”, Mike A. posted the following question today: “When you watch a finished episode(as it was aired) of a show you’ve worked on, does being the writer/director/showrunner/EP(or whatever your role on a particular episode might have been) “taint’ your viewing experience somehow? Are you able to watch your show with the same kind of objectivity we do? Logic would dictate no because you already know what’s going to happen. But you’re a smart guy and a definite fan of not only the craft, but the story as well who truly appreciates others’ work when it’s well done. So, that tells me yes. I just think it’d be challenging to watch something you were there for the making of and enjoy it to the same level as a regular viewer. Or, is the finished product(after VFX, sound, editing) far enough removed from what was shot(the first hand/personal experience) that making that psychological distinction is a little easier?”

Answer: It really depends on the episode.  Any shortcomings are always magnified, any bad memories certain to taint my enjoyment when I sit down to re-watch something I wrote.  It’s very rare I actually sit through one of my episodes and think: “That was great!”.  More often than not, it’s “That could have been better!”. There are, however, instances in an episode which will elicit an occasional: “That was great!”.  Most recently, the last 15 minutes of Insurrection II.

And, speaking of trying something new like, say, a new business – I met up with my old buddy, Phil, the other day and he informed me that his young daughter had started her very own cupcake company!  Out of a desire: 1) to help out my friend’s daughter and 2) for cupcakes, I ordered a half dozen, six Coconut Courtneys and six Red Velvlet Vickys.  I picked them up on my way home from shopping and discovered Phil had surprised me with two extra flavors: a Vanilla Vanessa and a Cookie Dough Carly.  Cookie dough!  In a cupcake!  I couldn’t wait to get back home and try it…

The Proud Poppa

The Enterprising Entrepreneur

I arrived home to discover my mother entertaining two of her neighbors.  ”Offer them some cupcakes!”said my mother in Italian.  I opened up the box and set them down on the table offering the first neighbor a choice between: “Coconut or red velvet?”.  She chose the red velvet.  I then gave the other (more, er, colorful) neighbor the same choice: “Coconut or red velvet?”.

“What’s that?”she asked, pointing to my single cookie dough cupcake (Yes, mine.  I’d laid claim the second Phil had told me there was one in the box).

“Cookie dough,”I informed her.

“Cookie dough?”she asked, clearly perplexed.  And then: “Okay, I’ll take that.”

“It’s cookie dough,”I attempted to enlighten her.  ”RAW cookie dough.”

“Yeah, that’s okay.”

So one neighbor ate the red velvet cupcake, and the other ate my cookie dough cupcake.  I consoled myself with a coconut cupcake.  And, later, a red velvet cupcake.  And the vanilla cupcake.  And another coconut cupcake.  They were delicious with a perfect cake to frosting ratio!  The one neighbor found the red velvet especially good because it wasn’t too sweet.  ”Mine was a little sweet,”said the other neighbor.

“Of course it was a little sweet!”I wanted to say.  ”It’s filled with cookie dough!!!!”

And, for the record, I love SWEET cookie dough!

Ah, well.  Maybe next trip!

Jazzy Cakes – Wix

Today’s blog entry is dedicated to Deni’s grandson, Michael/Anakin in honor of his first birthday!

Tagged: Jazzycakes, Jazzycakes Cupcakes

January 1, 2014: Our annual marathon New Year’s bash! Parenting tips! Worst of 2013!

Yep, that’s about how I felt this morning following last night’s raucuous New Year’s Eve celebration.  Our guests were prompt, arriving by 7:30 p.m., as requested (or we were eating without ‘em).  We had dinner, dessert, did the dishes and were done just in time for…10:00 p.m.!  We still had TWO HOURS to kill!  Now I’ve never run an Ironman Marathon but I’m pretty sure those two hours were akin to participating in one but with less swimming and biking and more meandering anecdotes and orange-flavored Grand Marnier.

Lasagna

Shrimp

Dessert

The traditional shaving of the chocolate onto the chocolate mousse.

Nerd dog!

Parents, please consult this handy guide to proper child care: http://funkypickens.com/how-to-be-a-parent/ 

It’s also a useful resource for non-parents as well.  For instance, I found a few of these tips particularly informative:

As we look forward dot 2014, let’s look back on the mistakes of 2013 with these Worst of Lists:

The worst TV of 2013 · The A.V. Club

“Worst suicide attempt: Maya Lewis, Scandal
Scandal took gore up a notch when Olivia Pope’s mother, played by Khandi Alexander, ate her own wrists to get transferred from her high-security cell to an infirmary, allowing for her easy escape.”

The 15 worst films of 2013

“4. Man Of Steel
One of the most hilariously pretentious scenes in Christopher Nolan’s The Dark Knight Rises was the football stadium apocalypse, which was scored to a boy soprano singing “The Star-Spangled Banner.” Zack Snyder’s Man Of Steel sustains that same level of pomposity over 143 interminable minutes.”

The Worst Video Games of 2013 – Forbes

”Ride to Hell: Retribution is a spectacular monument to failure. If failure were Paris, Ride to Hell would be the Arc de Triomphe…”

Entertainment’s worst moments of 2013 | Toronto Star

“Harlem Shake: The backlash started in March. But the damage was already done. By early February, the Harlem Shake was a meme, a retina-singeing, eardrum-detonating series of copycat videos that proved talent was not a strict condition of popularity in 2013.”

The 5 Worst Toys of 2013 | Fast Company | Business + Innovation

The iPotty

The 20 Worst People of 2013 – Village Voice Blogs

“The bank held the mortgage on his Hermosa Beach, California condo. Unfortunately for Larry, Wells Fargo mistook him for another customer, who happened to owe thirteen grand in back taxes. Despite his protests, it doubled Larry’s mortgage to pay off the non-existent taxes. He quickly fell behind.

At some point, Wells Fargo discovered it had confused Larry with another resident of his complex. But the company foreclosed on him anyway.

Being a banker means never having to say you’re sorry. And you get to take people’s homes. It’s a win-win situation.

Larry lost his condo and was forced into assisted living.”

Horovitz: 5 worst ads of 2013 more than stank – USA Today

The worst social media blunders of 2013 | New York Post

The 39 Worst Words, Phrases, and Parts of Speech of 2013 | Mother …

“Donald Trump is considering a run for…” No, he’s not. He just isn’t. And if you’d like to get him unearned publicity, you should at least get some stock options out of it.”

http://www.washingtonpost.com/lifestyle/style/the-worst-ideas-of-2013/2013/10/24/a9822978-3c20-11e3-a94f-b58017bfee6c_gallery.html#photo=2

“ ‘Results’ before the ‘election’

An election app released by the Central Asian nation of Azerbaijan had the incumbent president leading — a full day before the October vote. The partial “results,” blamed by the government on a errant test of the online app, showing hypothetical results from one district, had President Ilham Aliyev winning in a landslide. And he did.”

20 worst rap lyrics of 2013 – AUX.tv

Viral Internet Trends: Worst Internet Trends Of 2013 – MensXP.com

America’s Worst Charities – Tampa Bay Times

Tagged: worst of 2013

December 31, 2013: Blog Year in Review!

Another year, another 365 days of blogging, bringing the grand totals to:

2 625 posts!

140 000+ comments!

And 10 000 000+ all-time views!

Among other interesting stats compliments of WordPress:

On to our annual countdown of this blog’s most prolific commenters.

Who were they?

Well, counting down the Top 5 of 2013:

DP, congratulations on making the Top 5.  However, with 104 less comments posted than in 2012, you’ve fallen from the fourth to fifth spot!

Randomness, welcome back!  And welcome to your first Top 5 showing!

Ponytail, only 14 comments off 2013′s torrid pace, but it’s enough to slip you out of the #2 spot!

Tam Dixon, with 44 more comments than you posted in 2012, you’ve climbed up and secured a place at #2!

And, finally, 2013′s top commenter…and reigning champion…

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dasndanger, running away with it for a second year in a row.  And, this year, it wasn’t even close!  Das, you improved on your 2012 showing by a remarkable +204 comments!  Congratulations!

And thanks to everyone who has taken the time to post, read, or simply visit this blog anonymously.  Over ten million visits is spectacularly impressive – especially when you consider I’m retroactively charging everyone $10 for each one.

To save me the time of having to process each individual payment, please get together and coordinate amongst yourselves, then forward me a check for $100 million at your earliest convenience.  Thanks!

Big happenings await in 2014!

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December 29, 2013: Cookies and Canines! Soliciting your literary opinions! Your Top Reads of 2013!

Seriously.  If I had to narrow down these holidays to a single theme, it would be Cookies & Canines.  Okay, technically TWO themes but they do occasionally converge.  Like earlier tonight when I came across mom’s dog, Caramel, chewing on a molasses cookie that apparently fell off the kitchen table.  Let’s just say that dog demonstrated a “less than festive spirit” when I attempted to divest him of the cookie.  Hours later, he’s still riding his sugar high.

So, yes, Cookies & Canines…

I woke up this morning to discover mom had gotten up early to do some baking.  Almond cookies = my favorites.

Another old favorite from her repertoire = molasses cookies.

We visited my aunt, an accomplished baker herself, who served up fourteen varieties.

And then there’s my mother’s cross-street neighbor who served them up with a French twist: macaroons, financiers, brownies, and boozy truffles.

As for the dogs…

Felix sports his youthful do.

Caramel – sleeping off his sugar high?  And, by the way, who names their male dog Caramel?  I can’t blame mom because she adopted him after his former owner surrendered him.

Ralphie stylin’ in Hilfiger.

Aha!  Caught in the act!

All told, I will have read about 80 books in 2013.  Not bad, but down from previous annual averages.  I think that part of the problem this year was the fact that I got bogged down in a lot of mediocre reads.  Not bad reads – those I’ll just give up on – but middling reads, those books you continue reading in the hopes they’ll improve. Sadly, in almost all cases, they do not.

In order to improve my reading efficiency in 2014, I consulted a bunch of Best of 2013 lists, read the reviews, studied the synopses, consulted the covers, and eventually distilled the titles down to 25 Maybe-Must-Reads:

Ancillary Justice – Ann Leckie

The Interestings – Meg Woltizer

League of Denial – Mark Fainaru-Wada

The Circle – Dave Eggers

Tenth of December – George Saunders

Super Graphics – Tim Leong

A Tale for the Time Being – Ruth Ozeki

Gorgeous – Paul Rudnick

Life After Life – Kate Atkinson

Nexus – Ramez Naam

NOS4A2 – Joe Hill

Neptune’s Brood – Charles Stross

Brilliance – Marcus Sakey

Dogtripping – David Rosenfelt

Vampires in the Lemon Grove – Karen Russell

The Ocean at the End of the Lane – Neil Gaiman

The Goldfinch – Donna Tartt

The Isle of Youth – Laura Van Den Berg

Love Minus Eighty – Will McIntosh

On Looking – Alexandra Horowitz

This Explains Everything – John Brockman

Time Warped – Claudia Hammond

Anything That Moves – Dana Goodyear

Schroder – Amity Gaige

Lives of Tao – Lesley Chu

Familiar with any of the above titles?  Are there any you’d recommend?  Any you’d advise me to steer clear of?

Better yet, what were YOUR Top Reads of 2013?

December 29, 2013: Old Montreal!

There were three certainties I could look forward to n every one of my elementary school years:

1. Compulsory phys. ed. class, usually comprised of such sterling athletic pursuits as dodgeball, the parachute, and the trampoline – which yielded one sprained neck, four bruised fingers, a severely broken arm, but no greater appreciation for the sport.

2. A field trip to the Dow Planetarium where, for one gloriously tedious hour, we sat in the dark, some napping, some discussing quietly amongst themselves, some striving to endure the labored astronomy lesson.

3. A field trip to Old Montreal, the city’s quaint historic center with its cobblestone streets and heritage buildings.

To be honest, I was never a fan of any of the above.  I found them all incredibly boring, with the exception of gym class which was a little more interesting only insofar as every class held the possibility of serious injury.  All grown up now, I’ve discovered a new appreciation for those mainstays of my youth.  Well, maybe not the phys. ed. class, the memories of which still make me cringe.  And certainly not the Planetarium that, while well-intentioned I’m sure, continues to be the recipient of one of my longest held grudges.

Old Montreal, however, is different.  Over the years, I’ve come to love this place.  Its unique and beautiful and home to many of the city’s best restaurants (and, to be fair, some of its worst tourist traps).  Just last night, I was thinking that if I were to buy a condo outside of Vancouver (say, if I win the lottery or actually get one of my shows green lit – whichever comes first) Old Montreal would be the place.

Also, Vegas and Tokyo.

And possibly Hong Kong and Italy.

Tagged: Montreal, Old Montreal

December 28, 2013: Stargate Universe 1.5! The Japanese Girlfriend Edition!

Akemi and I finished watching the second half of Stargate: Universe’s first season today.  It’s been interesting to see her develop a genuine passion for the series.  ”I love Stargate!”she declared this morning.  ”Please call me, geeku-chan!”

Like any fan, Geeku-chan had her favorite characters, her favorite episodes.  Robert Cooper’s Time is still tops in her books.  She can’t get enough of that kino!

What follows are her thoughts on episode #11 through #20…

 SPACE

Being a big fan of the show’s visual effects, Akemi greatly appreciated this episode, especially the sequence of the ships exchanging fire (“Poom poom poom”).  She, did, however, have some reservations about the alien who proved disappointingly weak in her opinion.  She also wasn’t a fan of Young in the alien suit – “He looked like an oompa loompa!”.

Overall though, a solid episode in her estimation.  ”I feel like I’m watching a movie.”

DIVIDED

She found certain elements of this one confusing, particularly those related to the transfer of the ship’s control.  Still, she did find it suspenseful (“Jamil almost killed Patrick!”she exclaimed at one point) and loved the space walk.  On the other hand, she found the operation sequence “scary”, the part where Rush awakens in the middle of surgery especially distressful.

FAITH

For some reason, she found this episode difficult to understand and expressed disappointment that we never got to see “the alien who built the Tokyo towerish thing”.

She did find the burgeoning/grudging friendship between Rush and Young interesting, noting: “I find science guy and old Young very friendly now but a few episodes before they were cranky cranky.”

As for T.J.’s predicament, she was surprisingly noncommittal: “Don’t feel sad for her because it’s personal situation going on.  No comment.”

HUMAN

“I watched twice and still don’t understand!”  Alas, yes.  She fell asleep the first time and then started from the beginning in the hopes that she wold actually understand it the second time around.  No such luck.  What was the problem?  Well, beside all the back and forth between reality and the Rush’s world: “Very confusing because science guy very mumblesome.”

LOST

An emotionally strong episode for Akemi who was on the edge of her seat throughout.  She confidently predicted our intrepid foursome would make it back to the ship at the end of last episode and, when they didn’t, she was downright shocked.  So, when the remaining trio didn’t make it back in the nick of time a second time, she was incensed.  ”F**ing scientist!  Why dial?  Give last five minutes to them.  It shouldn’t happen such bad timing!”  Sadly, it did and Scott, Eli, and Chloe ended the episode off-world with seemingly no chance of rejoining Destiny.

Akemi: “I like this episode because twisted.”

Me: “You mean because there was a twist.”

Akemi: “Yeah.  Twisted.”

Her appreciation for Ronald Greer/Jamil Walker Smith continues: “I like Jamil.  I mean Jamil’s character.”, “I like Jamil’s character more because he had bad experience as a kid.”, and “I like young Jamil with yellow t-shirt and crazy hair.”

SABOTAGE

This episode may not have been a fan favorite, but Akemi liked it just fine, especially the visual effect shots of the robot fixing the ship.  She did find it odd that T.J. (conveniently) didn’t knock when paying a call on Rush, simply opening the door to his room and catching him and Rush/Dr. Perry/Wray in an “awkward” moment.

This episode also begged the question: “When is geek guy going to get with her?  When will other guy die?”.  She’s apparently a Chloli shipper but likes Scott just the same.  ”Very handsome,”she told me.  ”But geek guy also very cute and unique.  In Japan, both would be equally popular.”

PAIN

Right off the bat: “Why Young stop shaving his beard?  Depression comes from being father?”  I don’t know.  Maybe?

She thought this a good, scary episode with an ending that left her wanting more.  Ultimately, a great episode “because written by Carl Binder-san.”

SUBVERSION

At some point, she started referring to a character as Chef.  Well, I knew “scientist” referred to Rush and “geek” referred to Eli, but “Chef”?  Turns out she was referring to Lou Diamond Philips because she remembers him from his varied Food Network forays.  Some of her comments on this episode:

“I the scene of Jamil punching his face, stupid chef.”

“Why chef flip it?  How he get brainwashed?  I guess it is what it is.”

“Nice to see Mike Dopud.”

“Mike Dopud is alien?  Looks like human though.”

As for the episode as a whole: “I like but why stop there?  I’m curious and can’t sleep.”

INCURSION I

She was on the edge of her seat from start to finish and, when the episode ended, requested we roll right into the next episode.  The highlight for her?  Eli’s courageous bid to keep Chloe safe, at one point literally sweeping her off her feet. (“I love geek boy.”).  The lowlight?  She didn’t like the fact that Young didn’t vent the the gate room the second the Lucian Alliance came through.  Chef be damned!

INCURSION II

Not quite the consistent nail-biter that was Incursion I, Incursion II delivered big time for her in its last fifteen minutes.  ”Very movie-ish!”was her take on the season finale.  BUT she didn’t like the fact that there was no ending.  ”Not finished?  Not happy!”  The problem?  She feared for her favorite characters.  Why?  ”I’m afraid because my boyfriend has no mercy.  I like happy ending but my boyfriend not all the time.”

Hmmm.  Makes me wonder what she’ll think of the series finale.

Tagged: science fiction, scifi, scifi television, SF television, SGU, Stargate, Stargate Universe