Joseph Mallozzi's Blog, page 463

April 12, 2013: Insight in SGA’s Quarantine! News of Note!

Let’s kick things off with a little something from a far flung prep week on Stargate: Atlantis’s Quarantine…

Atlantis Tower/McKay’s Lab

Remember the scene?  We require a steel for throwing, a tempered glass for breaking.  The existing wall has to be re-finished so that it looks convincing on camera and, of course, we need to add the climbing pieces.  There’s a note for both Paint and VFX reminding them that green lino will be required on the floor since the long drop down will be a visual effect.

Tower Climbing Wall

I didn’t recall – until reminded by this handout – that the Stargate: Continuum wrapped perhaps weeks before we went to camera on Quarantine.  There’s mention of the cargo hold (where Baal makes his grand entrance) and the Achilles Bridge/Deck that had to be removed, to be replaced by a high stunt climbing wall.

Infirmary

Recalling the Keller/Ronon isolation scenes.  Tempered glass (because we don’t want our actors stepping on the real thing).  There’s the reference to the 02-cylinder gag and specific placements for the various elements as they are moved around the room.

Plant Room and Botany Lab

The “gak box” to the right of the door is, again, a reference to a mass of wires/crystals/general techy innards McKay can fiddle with in an attempt to get the door open.  A nod to continuity makes reference to a larger version the hero plant “Rodneyana villosa” from Tabula Rasa. The best prop is, of course, the bag of manure for McKay’s “pillow”. Label to read “100% Organic Manure”.  It’s nice to know Rodney was resting his hand on the pure stuff and none of that synthetic crap.

Control Room Balcony

Where Sheppard ends his climb.  There is a note to possibly reinforce the rail.  The last thing we needed was for our hero to complete the hair-raising climb, go to hop over the rail and have the thing collapse on him and send him plummeting.  Tempered glass for breaking – and potted plants for throwing.

Atlantis Facility Corridors and Vent Entry

The episode’s most unlikely hero, Radek, makes his infamous vent climb, crawl and tumble.  Let’s hear it for the Zelenka!

Moving on to the News of Note:

Following yesterday’s blog entry about writing, here is Cracked.com’s tips for punching writers block in the face: http://www.cracked.com/blog/5-tips-punching-writers-block-in-face/

Finally!  Iranian scientist claims to have invented ‘time machine’ – Telegraph

NOW they’re worried?  It’s about time.  Broadcasters worry about ‘Zero TV’ homes – Yahoo! News

From the “Oh, you noticed” department.  Tech upstarts threaten TV broadcast model | Reuters

Tragic.  More U.S. Children Being Diagnosed With Youthful Tendency Disorder | The Onion – America’s Finest News Source

Teen has eaten nothing but ramen for 13 years!  And has the health of an 80-year old!  Teen’s Strange Ramen Addiction  | Healthy Living – Shine from Yahoo! Canada

My Causes of the Week:

Heather Weiand’s dogs were seized from her home for presumably biting a neighbor while she and her husband were out despite the fact that the dogs were left padlocked in their kennels on their property.  From Change.org: “On the date when the alleged incident took place, as well as every other day, the dogs were contained in their crates inside their locked home. When the family is home and the dogs are outside they are leashed or on leads. There is NO possible way they were involved! What is even more shady is that they asked to have bite impression the dogs to prove they weren’t involved, but were told “it’s too late for that the bite has already started to heal. In TWO HOURS?!”  Help out these poor dogs by visiting their facebook page: Help Save Kannon, Thunder and Sarge

Facing a similar predicament is PTSD service dog Dutch: Save Dutch

Today’s entry is dedicated to blog regular and birthday boy Jeff W!

Tagged: Atlantis, Help Save Kannon Thunder and Sarge, Quarantine, Save Dutch, SGA, Stargate, Stargate: Atlantis

April 11, 2013: Sculpting the perfect script!

Someone, I don’t remember who, once likened the writing process to the work of a sculpter.  In this view, the writer isn’t so much creating as attempting to free their vision imprisoned within.  Somewhere in that hunk of stone, or deep inside the mind of the writer, exists the perfect version of what has been imagined.  How close one gets to achieving that version is entirely dependent on the skill of said artist. In other words, there are no impossible ideas; simply a variation in the ability to execute them.  A talented sculpter, for instance, will know where to chip away and how much to remove in order to liberate that trapped masterpiece.  Similarly, a writer strives to attain that faultless script by finding innovative solutions to seemingly insurmountable problems and, most importantly, by not settling.  In other words, they don’t rely on coincidence or contrivance to fix narrative shortcomings. There is always a better way to tell that story.

In truth, no work is flawless. There is never enough time achieve that ideal.  An artist, however, owes it to their audience to try to get as close as possible.

I bring this up because, today, I had a breakthrough on a pilot idea that had me stymied for weeks.  It’s a challenging premise and there were times I wanted to give up but, instead, whenever I grew frustrated, I merely set the pilot aside for a while and redirected focus to other matters.   And then, this afternoon, finally, that hitherto elusive piece of the puzzle snapped into place and a key part of the script took form.  As I knew it would.  Eventually.  It’s just a matter of putting yourself in the proper frame of mind to tap the answer.  It’s there, in your head, somewhere.

I can’t tell you how many times, while I was working on Stargate, I’d hit an impasse on a story at the outline stage.  Rather than worry about it, I’d assure myself that, when the time came, the solution would present itself.  And it always did. Surprisingly (or maybe not that surprisingly), when all was said and done, those  latent ideas would prove the script’s most memorable moments.

And so I return to the pilot-in-progress, confident I can make it work. It’s a long way from being finished, an even longer way from being perfect, but it’s a small step in the right direction.

April 10, 2013: I have this friend…

I suspect that someone I know may have a drug dependency issue.  I can’t say for certain because I can’t really talk to her about it. Confronting her with my suspicions won’t do any good because she just wouldn’t understand.  In the fourteen years I’ve known her, she’s been obstinate, set in her ways, and simply unwilling to listen to reason.

My “friend”, let’s call her “J”, started taking Percocet for the pain associated with a chronic hip condition a little while ago – not much, maybe a quarter tablet every eight hours mixed with some dog food. She seemed better after a while, certainly much happier, and eventually stopped taking the medication.  Then, last night, she started acting strangely – crying, pacing, bouncing, panting, barking. The fact that she was on the move suggested it wasn’t the hip issue – so what was it?  Seemingly sensing my confusion, she scampered over to the kitchen island and stared up at the Percocet.  Could it be?  Was she jonesing for a fix?

Another friend who was over at the time (let’s call him Lawren Bancroft-Wilson) to watch a certain television show (let’s call it American Horror Story, season 2) suggested that might be the case.  J seemed unusually agitated.  And noisy.  Eventually, I relented and gave her a hit.  Moments later, she was back in her bed, relaxed and quiet, neither bothered by the anxiety nor the onscreen potpourri of horror genre trappings.

Getting down with the get down

I’d like to head this off before it balloons into a bigger problem so I consulted a website to identify some symptoms of addiction, just to be sure:

Dependence: Signs point to yes.

Mood and behavior changes: Absolutely.  See above.

Financial problems associated with having to purchase more and more pills: Unable to confirm – however, I think I’m missing five dollars from my wallet.

Neglecting responsibilities: She doesn’t have any responsibilities per se outside of making sure she doesn’t mess inside the house and even then her adherence to this simple rule has been spotty over the past few years.

Unusual smells on breath or body: Yes!  Further compounded by a reluctance to take baths!

Borrowing or stealing money: See Exhibit A below -

Hmmm.  I think an intervention is in order.

 

April 9, 2013: A trip through time…

I’m working my way, backwards, through this blog – seeking out, copying, and pasting passages I’m thinking of using for an upcoming project.  The experience has proven a little surreal, like traveling back in time.  Unlike a photograph that captures an instant for future reflection, these 2358 entries, one for every day since I started this blog, are more like a movie, surprisingly detailed in the developments of the various aspects of my life.  I hit rewind.  My dog Jelly’s hip dysplasia miraculously improves as her staggered gait transforms into an enthusiastic bounding.  My other dog, Maximus, is alive again, the effects of the disease that claimed him gradually reversed as he fills back out, hale and hearty, and reassumes his place among the pack.

My year in Toronto goes from bad to worse to an impossible-to-navigate morass and then to better once again, on to hopeful and positive at the start of the journey where I want to wave my hands to grab my past self’s attention and shout: “Look out!” – but, of course, it won’t make a difference.  I’m traveling upcurrent through the timestream, a mere observer to past events.  Akemi and I go from worrying about whether we should move to worrying about the status of her Canadian Residence application to worrying about the approval of the extension to her visitor’s visa, and then another, and then another, and then she’s settled in and then she’s considering staying on and then she’s back from Perth and then she’s going to Perth and then she’s visiting Canada for the first time and then we’re back in Tokyo and out on our first date and I’m thinking “What will come of this?”.

I clear out my office and leave The Bridge Studios for the last time and then we’re hearing that the show has been canceled, then we’re hearing the show will be back for a third and final season, and then we’re working on SGU’s second season, and then it’s first, and then we’re being told Atlantis won’t be back for a sixth season and I’m not really understanding why the hell not.  Paul and I are show running SGA’s fifth season, then it’s fourth.  I’m on the phone with composer Joel Goldsmith who is telling me, as he’s told me countless times before, how much he loves the show. Don S. Davis is sitting in my office, all smiles, happy to be back, suggesting we go for dinner, a dinner, I realize now, will never happen.

Blog regulars come and go and come once again.  Long lost friends return.  Former co-workers I haven’t thought about in years are suddenly foremost in my mind. Past relationships, dissipated by time, coalesce and take form.  Past decision, and indecisions, haunt.

And, suddenly, it’s November 21, 2006 and I’m sitting in my office, watching the battery recharge on my new HD camera (less than an hour to go!), making final preparations for my trip to Hong Kong and Tokyo.  The plan is to keep a travel diary of sorts – and keep you all entertained, natch – and, if I can figure out how to do it (provided I can theoretically do it at all), I intend to include some pics to accompany the undoubtedly dry text to follow.

And there my journey ends.  Beyond this point are fractured pieces of my life, free-floating memories cast adrift, losing focus as they recede.

But if the impossible were possible and I could manage to communicate via an infinitesimal data burst from the present to that me sitting there in my office 5+ years ago, the message would be concise: Don’t worry so much.  And appreciate the now.

Today’s entry is dedicated to birthday gal poundpuppy29 (Erika)!

April 8, 2013: The Supermovie of the Week Club reconvenes! Cookie Monster reviews Super Capers!

If nothing else, Super Capers prove dat absolutely anyone can make a movie.  You not need to have a good idea or a good skript or good direktor or good aktors.  Just two million dollars and you too can take creative equivalent of a big, cheesy dump onscreen.

Some movies me have reviewed left monster happy.  Others left monster sad.  Still others left monster angry.  Dis be de first time a movie leave monster feeling embarrassed – for everyone involved with dis sorrowful excuse for a film.  And sad for anyone who watched it, espeshully me.   Also for everyone reading dis review.  Seriously.  You can be doing someting much more constructive wit your time, like sleeping or starting a drug habit.

Monster honestly thought it not possible to get any worse den Shark Boy and Lava Girl, but dat before me watched dis movie.  If SB&LG be bottom of de barrel, dis move be de big pile of crap de barrel sitting on top of.

Team Craptastic

Plot involve some superhero wit no real super powers who get sued by burglar he roughed up.  He get sentenced to halfway house where other lame superheroes-in-training reside.  Hilarity NOT ensue. Instead, we treated to leftover gags not funny enough for unfunny Superhero Movie, accompanied by cartoon sound effects and music cues dat be dere to remind audience dat Super Capers is supposed to be funny.  Oh, and some time travel.

Verdikt: Terruble on every possible level.  Monster can’t say for certain, but me pretty sure even de catering sucked.

Rating: 0 chocolate chippee cookies and potential bitter deathbed realization dis be 98 minutes of monster’s life me wish me could have back.

Tagged: Cookie Monster movie reviews, Cookie Monster reviews Super Capers, Super Capers, superhero movies, SuperMovie of the Week Club

April 7, 2013: Foodly Matters! And a Supermovie of the Week Club reminder!

The other night, Akemi and I checked out one of the buzziest Taiwanese restaurants in Vancouver, the well-reviewed, foodie favorite: Kalvin’s Szechuan Restaurant.  Akemi has a couple of Taiwanese friends who swear by the place and so, more than a little intrigued, we headed out to Victoria Street to see (and taste) for ourselves.

The restaurant is notoriously busy.  Reservations are recommended. And arriving promptly for your reservations is also strongly advised. Not wishing to take any chances, we booked a table for 5:30 p.m. and arrived early – only to realize it doesn’t open until 5:30 p.m.  And so, after a stroll through the neighborhood, we were at the door – then at our table – on time for our reservations.

It didn’t get busy until 6:00 p.m. or so at which point the tiny room was packed, mostly with – from what I could tell – regulars.  Prior to that, however, we had the place – and the staff – more or less to ourselves.  The service was attentive, friendly, and downright warm. We placed our orders and our dishes arrived sooner after, all bold, wonderfully balanced flavors.  Some of the highlights included…

Spicy pig’s ear.

Not for everyone but I love the texture – crunchy and chewy – and Kalvin’s version is, by far, the best I’ve ever had.  We were asked to specify a spice level and we elected to go medium, which packed a nice little kick.  Next time, I think I might hazard the hot.

Diced chicken and peanuts with chili peppers

The restaurant offers many traditional Taiwanese dishes but, as the name implies, some Szechuan fare as well – like the above dish, Akemi’s favorite.  A robust and, yes, fiery dish.  Despite their size, the chicken morsels are moist and tender, a step above the tougher, drier versions I’ve had elsewhere.

Shredded pork with garlic and chili sauce

This one came highly recommended on a couple of the foodie blogs and I wasn’t disappointed.  Also spicy but possessed of an aromatic spice I couldn’t quite place that simply wowed.

We rounded things out with a hearty, slightly sweet corn soup, 5-spice beef rolls, and a spring roll.  Throughout our meal, Chef and Owner Kalvin himself popped out of the kitchen – when it wasn’t too busy – to see how we were enjoying what we’d ordered.  And then, as more customers filed in, he broke off to greet them – most by name.  I felt like I was in the Cheers of Taiwanese restaurants.

According to Kalvin, his restaurant will celebrate 30 years in business this year.  30 years!  Given my first-time experience – and the obvious loyalty of his cliente – I’m not at all surprised.

Chef Kalvin and (I believe) his wife.

Kalvin’s Szechuan Restaurant (604-321-2888)

Open for lunch and dinner daily (except Wednesdays)

5225 Victoria Dr

Vancouver

Then, on Saturday, Akemi and I paid a return visit to the Bakers Market.  This time, Bubba stayed home so Akemi was free to take her time and roam the aisles.  Like last weekend, we loaded up on a variety of treats -

First stop was Mamaz Sweetz N’ Treatz where I picked up -

Red velvet white chocolate chip cookies.  Surprisingly, this was the first time I’d had red velvet in cookie form.  A winner.

Last week, I picked up chocolate biscotti from home baker Giada Vacca’s Treats and Blossoms.  On this visit, these caught my eye -

Amaretti – crunchy AND chewy, a tough balance to pull off.

A return visit to my friend at Life’s Lemons…

Last weekend, I was their first sale ever.  This weekend, they apparently sold out.  I’m clearly a trendsetter.

This time out, it was the Apple Pie shortbread cookies that tasted…yes, amazingly like apple pie!

[in the oven] offers assorted caramels and a killer salted caramel sauce.

The owner recognized me from last weekend and asked how I enjoyed the caramel sauce.  I admitted that I hadn’t tried it yet because I’d run out of ice cream.  ”You can eat it right out of the jar,”she assured me. “I won’t judge you.”  Well, I forgot to pick up ice cream on the way back home so I did end up trying it right of out of the jar after all.  And it was unbelievable.

Don’t judge me!

The gals from Sweet Talk, bakers of my surprise favorite on last weekend’s visit: the lemon poppyseed cake.  And, this weekend, I discovered they bake a pretty mean chocolate salted caramel tart.

And a return visit to Sweet Lily, this time for -

Chocolate chip, oatmeal raisin, and lime cornmeal cookies.

Maple bourbon pecan brioche.

The ladies of (my favorite cupcakes) Vivi’s cupcakes, sweets and treats

Chocolate cupcake, red velvet cupcake, and cheesecake brownie.

The plan was to just sample a bit (so we could try a bit of everything) and have the rest after dinner.  Well, that WAS the plan.

Baker’s Market – Bakers Market – The Sweetest Event in Vancouver

Treats and Blossoms | Facebook

Life’s Lemons- sweet treats baking co. – Vancouver, BC – Community …

[in the oven]

http://wangamylee.wix.com/sweettalk

Sweet Lily Bakery – Vancouver, BC – Food & Grocery | Facebook

Vivi’s cupcakes, sweets & treats – Vancouver, BC … – Facebook

Finally, what sweet Saturday would be complete without a visit to Vancouver’s premiere chocolate shop: Beta 5.  Their selection changes monthly and, this weekend, they kicked off their April Union Pack with an outdoor theme: “On the Forest Floor”.  Among the offerings are “deer droppings” (a mix of 63% dark chocolate covered raisins, and 39% milk chocolate covered peanuts), melt-in-your-mouth “candy cap caramels” (earthy, sweet Candy Cap mushrooms captured in a buttery, caramel bite with a flavor reminiscent of maple syrup)…

French Toast Toadstools: house made brioche soaked in a ganache of “blonde” chocolate maple syrup, cinnamon and rum, then paired with a dollop of spiced apple butter.  Unbelievable.

Chocolate twigs: 45% milk chocolate and 63%, 72% and 85% dark chocolate sticks dusted with cocoa powder and presented on a bed of matcha white chocolate.  Akemi’s favorite!

Bark: olive oil and salt roasted Marcona almond, blended with 50% milk chocolate from Madagascar, and finished with a touch of flaked sea salt.  Nearly impossible to stop eating once you start.

They ship!  http://beta-5.com/

Our Supermovie of the Week Club reconvenes tomorrow with guest film reviewer, Cookie Monster, weighing in on his latest superhero-themed screening: Super Capers.  If you haven’t already seen it in preparation for tomorrow’s discussion – spoiler alert! – it’s beyond awful.  Don’t bother.  But do stop in to check out monster’s thoughts on what could arguable be the worst superhero movie yet.

For Cookie’s previous supermovie reviews (as well as his opinion on Snakes on a Plane and There Will Be Blood), head on over here: http://cookiemonstermovereviews.wordpress.com/ 

Tagged: Bakers Market, Beta 5, Chocolate, Desserts, food, Kalvin's Szechuan Restaurant, Life's Lemons, Mamaz Sweet N' Treatz, superhero movies, SuperMovie of the Week Club, Sweet Lily, Sweet Talk, sweets, sweets & treats, Taiwanese cuisine, Taiwanese food, Treats and Blossoms, Vancouver bakers market, Vancouver Restaurants, Vivi's cupcakes, [in the oven]

April 6, 2013: Design your own Destiny! Let the Resurgence Art Department package be your guide!

In advance of my official Days of Stargate Universe Past trip down memory, how about a little something to whet your appetite?  Ah, this takes me back!  The Resurgence Art Department package accompanied by visuals from various points in Stargate: Universe’s two-year run…

Destiny corridors, areas & rooms

Destiny corridors

The Gate Room…

Gate room – upper level concept art

Gate room upper level – complete

Looking out from the gate – concept art

Looking out from the gate – completed set

Central staircase

Gate room

Gate room consoles

The control interface room…

Art Department concept

At work in the core control room

The apple core…

Carl figures it out

Kino room and Eli’s quarters

Action in the kino room

Observation deck

The green screen view off the observation deck

Chloe’s quarters

Wray’s quarters

Wray’s artwork

Varro’s quarters

In his quarters, Varro gets the red card for making the moves on Colonel Young’s ex:

Young’s quarters

Stage 5 level 1

The Destiny mess – last day, final scene

Destiny shuttle and corridor

Under construction

Coming along…

Look in to the shuttle from the corridor.

Destiny infirmary

Stage 5 level 2

Stage 6 layout

So, there you go.  Everything you need (minus the construction material, equipment, manpower, and money) to build your very own Destiny!  Check in next week and let me know how it’s coming along.

Tagged: Resurgence, science fiction, Science Fiction Television, scifi television, SF television, SGU, Stargate, Stargate Universe

April 5, 2013: Nebula Awards Showcase 2013!

I know a guy who knows a gal who knows someone (another guy? another gal?  a super-intelligent chimp?) who knows a gal who got me an advance copy of…

Nebula Awards Showcase 2013 edited by Catherine Asaro

The book includes Nebula winners in the categories of Best Short Story, Best Novelette, Best Novella, Best Novel, the winner of the Andre Norton Award for YA Science Fiction and Fantasy, various nominees and other goodies.  Like any collection of this sort, there will be subjective hits, misses, and delightful surprises.

Some of the entries that stood out for me…

“The Paper Menagerie” by Ken Liu (Nebula Short Story Winner).  I gave this short story a shout-out last year (November 14, 2012: Sweet, sweet, elusive sleep! News of note!) after reading it during my annual Tokyo trip.  I described it then as “mighty brilliant” and “incredibly touching”.  Some five months later, on re-reading it, it still resonates as strongly with me – the tale of a boy struggling with his sense of identity.  Despite the story’s fantasy elements, the heart of the narrative is grounded in the strained relationship between the young protagonist and his mother, a cultural outsider who silently suffers and sacrifices for her son.  Check out my previous post for a link to the story.

“Ado” by Connie Willis (2011 Damon Knight Grand Master Award Winner).  I imagine that, in the not too distant future. there will come a time when people will look back on our politically correct society with the same amusement and bafflement we, today, reserve for quaintly antiquated notions like “duck and cover” PSA’s, blue eye shadow, and flat Earth theory.  But, before we attain enlightenment, we’ll have to hit critical mass.  And, in “Ado”, Connie Willis presents us with that point in society.  A teacher, eager to have her class study the bard, is informed that some of his work won’t be permissible for various reasons.  Othello is racist.  Romeo and Juliet promotes teen suicide. There’s all that Devil worship in Macbeth, The Tempest, A Midsummer Night’s Dream, The Winter’s Tale, and Richard III.  In the end, after exhaustive research, the teacher proceeds with her lesson and her class is finally able to read The Complete (permissible) Works of William Shakespeare – all four inoffensive lines of Hamlet.  It’s funny, pointed, and a little maddening because it’s not that ridiculous a premise.

“The Axion of Choice” by David W. Goldman (Nebula Short Story Nominee).  A story structured like one of those “create your own adventure” books that, in a humorous, winding way, questions the very notion of free will.

“Movement” by Nancy Fulda (Nebula Short Story Nominee).  The story of Hannah, a five year old girl with temporal autism, who perceives time differently.  While her parents wrestle with a decision on an experimental treatment that could “make her normal” (at the cost of her gift), Hannah eventually arrives at her own conclusion.  Having just completed some research on autism spectrum disorder, I found this story fascinating and dead-on.

Among Others (novel excerpt) by Jo Walton Nebula Novel Winner). Diary excerpts tell the tale of a fifteen year old girl who is sent away to a boarding school following the death of her twin sister.  Her mother, a powerful witch, holds her responsible for the tragedy – but young Morweena has some supernatural connections of her own.  In addition to elements of fantasy, the book is peppered with SF references as well, making for a nostalgic, magical, wholly absorbing read.  How much did I enjoy the excerpts?  Enough to pick up the novel – which I’m presently reading.

The Freedom Maze (novel excerpt) by Delia Sherman (Andre Norton Award for YA Science Fiction and Fantasy Winner).  In 1960′s Lousiana, 13 year old Sophie is spending the summer with her aunt and grandmother when she happens upon a trickster spirit in the old family maze.  Sophie is eager to embark on an adventure that will whisk her away from her difficult situation – specifically, her strained relationship with her divorcing parents – so the trickster honors her request. Sophie is transported 100 years into the past, back to her own family’s plantation, where previous perceived hardships pale in comparison.  It may be a YA (Young Adult) entry, but it’s well-written and engaging.

The Man Who Bridged the Mist by Kij Johnson (Nebula Novella Winner).  Our protagonist is a bridge builder, charged with the task of connecting the towns of Nearside and Farside, long separated by a treacherous Mist river.  While he may be good at what he does, he, ironically, has always had trouble connecting with others.  Things change with this new assignment.  With it comes friendship, inner awakenings, and a chance at love.  A wonderful journey.

Thanks to the fine folks at Pyr Science Fiction & Fantasy for the sneak peek.

Tagged: Ado, Among Others, Connie Willis, David W. Goldman, Delia Sherman, fantasy, Jo Walton, Ken Liu, Kij Johnson, Movement, Nancy Fulda, Nebula Awards Showcase 2013, science fiction, scifi, SF, The Axion of Choice, The Freedom Maze, The Man Who Bridged the Mist, The Paper Menagerie

April 4, 2013: Akemi-isms! Okay, here’s the plan!

“I’d love to be a judge on this episode of Iron Chef,”said Akemi.  ”The secret ingredient is heroin.”

“Heroin?”I asked.  And here I’d thought they couldn’t get any more surprising than “battle scotch”.

“Heroin,”she repeated.  And then enunciating just to be sure: “He-ro-in.”

Hunh.  You think you know a  person…

“The fish,”she added.  ”Like aji.”

“Herring?”I asked.

“Yes.”

“HerRING is a fish.  HeRO-IN is a drug.  HerRING and HeRO-IN.  Not the same thing.”

“Well, they sound the same to me.”

Another one to file away for my upcoming book, Shit My Japanese Girlfriend Says, along with the many Akemi-isms I’ve been introduced to over the past three years.  Like “punching sweet” as in “This candy is punching sweet!”.  She threw that one out a little while ago and, hours later, when I declared something “punchy sweet” she shot me a mystified look and asked me what I meant.  Apparently, the correct term is “punching sweet” and no variation is acceptable, much less comprehensible.  This despite the fact that SHE MADE UP THE TERM! Still, like other Akemi-isms (ie. “melty sleepy”), it’s memorable and does kind of sort of make sense.

So, your mission, if you choose to accept it, is to start incorporating these Akemi-isms into daily conversation.  Let’s start with these -

Punching sweet: Something so cloying it feels like you’re being punched with sweetness.

Melty sleepy: So sleepy you feel as though you’re melting.

Supa-mochi: Fabulous!  Awesome!  Fantastic!

Well, upon further consideration, I realize I’ve been going about it all wrong.  I’ve been lucky in my career to date.  I went from writing/story-editing animation straight into writing/producing teen sitcoms, then right into one hour action shows, then right onto Stargate where I spent the next 11+ years writing and producing. From Stargate, it was off to Toronto to work on that other show and then, from there, right back to Vancouver where Paul and I worked on the Delete miniseries and have since been developing pilots for several networks.  It’s been a lot of fun and, in most instances, very fulfilling both creatively and financially, but the reality is that, at the end of the day, it’s not enough.

Now don’t get me wrong.  Most of those productions afforded me an incredible amount of creative freedom.  Still, given my line of work, I have a choice: I can be happy doing what I’m doing, working as a hired gun on other peoples’ shows, or, I can set up my own show.  I would prefer the latter.  And, as much as I’d love to do it in Vancouver, it has become increasingly obvious that if I’m going to take that next step, I’ll have to make the move to L.A.

Last year, I was out for dinner with a friend from L.A. who told me about a fellow who had been in a similar predicament.  He’d done very well for himself back home but was gaining little traction in the U.S. market.  So, he took his agent’s advice and moved to L.A. He went from being an enormously successful show runner to a staff writer-producer.  Three years later, after working hard, making connections, and proving himself, he was an enormously successful show runner once again.

So that’s the plan.  Leave Vancouver for L.A. so that I can set up my own show and move back and shoot it here in Vancouver.

Crazy, no?

April 3, 2013: My gals! News of Note! Mailbag!

Check out what I picked up today at The Comic Shop today.  It’s the latest addition to my collection of supervillain statues.  Magneto, Master of Magnetism!  When Akemi asked me what I bought, I told her it was her early birthday present (two weeks away!).  Unbeknownst to her (in the unlikely event she doesn’t read this blog), I’ve got some other things in the works for the big day – “special plans” that I can’t divulge because she has spies everywhere.  I can, however, divulge that it involves the consumption of comestibles in a public setting.

In the meantime, my other girl, Jelly (pictured above) has been having a rough couple of days.  Despite the fact that she suffers from hip dysplasia (made manageable by the stem cell treatment she received via Vet-Stem - Vet-Stem Cell Therapy: Arthritis in Dogs & Cats | Tendons …), she usually manages a wobbly walk down to the corner and back.  But, as of yesterday, she is incapable of even a few steps. I’m not sure whether it’s a deterioration in her condition or a possible injury she suffered on the slippery hardwood floor (those areas not covered by runners for her comfort).

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I knew it!  Salad is more dangerous than beefburgers, leading food expert warns – Telegraph

Ah, good old holier-than-thou PETA.  Classic “Do as we say, not as we do”: PETA Euthanized 1,675 Animals in 2012 – J.K. Trotter – The Atlantic Wire

How spiral galaxies evolve:  http://www.space.com/20477-evolution-of-spiral-galaxy-arms-simulated-using-supercomputer-video.html

Finally, sad news regarding one of my very favorite SF authors: Author Iain Banks has terminal cancer

Mailbag:

Lewis writes: “Curious though, no one from SGU.
If it had gone on for more seasons, is there anyone from SGU that you think could have made it on the list?”

Answer: No one from SGU because all of the supporting characters we developed over the show’s two year run (ie. Volker, Brody, Park, etc.) were envisioned as recurring rather than one-offs.  Even the character of Varro was introduced with the intention of having him play over several episodes, perhaps eve more (which is what ended up happening).

Patricia Stewart-Bertrand writes: “I would also include Apophis, played by Peter Williams, the very first ‘over-the-top’ bad guy.”

Answer: Again, not conceived as a one-off character.  He was established as a Big Bad early in SG-1′s run.

gforce writes: “Did you notice that the movie that the gangster father was taking his kid to see was “The Spirit”?”

Answer: Not The Spirit but (even better) The Spirit III!  It was the unintentionally funniest part of the movie.

Mike A. writes: “One last question, I assume this movie would’ve taken place during the events of Continuum, correct? Hence, Carter’s mentioning of the “new moon base”?”

Answer: Yes, that was the original plan.

Kymm writes: “Why don’t people have to go to the bathroom in space? I mean some of those puddle jumper trips were pretty long…”

Answer: March 7, 2009: How do you answer the call of nature if you’re stuck on a cargo ship?  In the case of the puddle jumper, I imagine everybody just holds on tight while the rear ramp is lowered, then allow rapid decompression to do the rest.