Joseph Mallozzi's Blog, page 77
September 2, 2023
September 2, 2023: Our Typical Saturday Morning!
Our typical Saturday morning includes an early morning visit to the Farmers’ Market..
An early start to our day! We try to get out of the house by 7:30 a.m. at the latest to beat the rush (and make sure we can snag the free range eggs that sell out early). Akemi, pictured here with her grocery cart. I was admittedly dubious when she ordered it but, have to admit, it IS handy.
We catch the bus just a two minute walk from our house and get off at Church street. Public transport attracts all sorts of interesting types, making the commute an adventure.
The Saturday Farmers’ Market is located just across the street from The St. Lawrence Market, which is pretty great in its own right and always our second stop. Although we arrive early, the sellers are there even earlier – usually at 4 or 5 am.
Ready to shop!
Decisions, decisions…
First stop is always Clement Poultry for all our chickenly needs. Occasionally we’ll do a whole chicken or ground chicken, sometimes the delicious turkey bacon, but our go-to’s are the boneless chicken thighs and the chicken livers (which we eat once a week). If chicken hearts are available, we’ll get those as well. And, on the rare instances where they have turkey necks and butts, I’ll always pick up a couple of packages for roasting.
Next up are potatoes and the sweetest tomatoes in the market. Also, if they have it, lettage which is a cross between lettuce and cabbage and lends itself wonderfully to coleslaw.
Over to de la terre cafe + bakery where Akemi gets her baguette and I’ll pick up a pastry (cinnabon bun today). Home of the chocolatiest pain au chocolat.
Terrific sausages here at Gaucho. The honey-garlic is unreal.
Fruit
Akemi’s favorite hummus – Hanes Hummus. She picks up the “Hot Date”, three at a time.
The grass-fed rib-eye from Murray’s Farm.
Farm fresh eggs! We missed out the last two weeks so, this week, Akemi wasn’t messing around and picked up three dozen.
Veggies
Take a number and prepare for a brief wait when ordering from the hugely popular Tanjo Family Farm. Great deal on the meat here. They also carry a solid sauerkraut.
Over to Acropolis Organics to restock on olive oil. Again, Akemi doesn’t mess around and picks up the 3 liter can.
Mountain of corn.
Monforte Dairy. Akemi loves the halloumi, especially the water buffalo halloumi whenever they make it.
Kind Organics is always the high point of our trip for Akemi. She always gets pea shoots, broccoli shoots, and salads. I picked up some peppers.
Honey and maple syrup!
Oh, what have we here? Fatali, scotch bonnets and some Carolina reapers I believe. I picked up a basket of habaneros.
Leaving the farmers’ market and heading across the street to the St. Lawrence Market.
Phenomenal sandwiches here at Mustachio. Check out the rest of the basement for everything from bread to varied honeys to Mexican supplies and international spices. Tucked away in the back is a small shop where I pick up my canned cod livers.
Future Bakery putting out their European baked goods. This is where I get my Ryazhenka, a fermented baked milk.
Next stop is Chris” Cheese-Mongers where I’ll pick up a La Tur or a Juste if they have it. On this day, I picked up an ash-covered goat cheese called Sandwich.
Cheeses and chocolates!
Over to Olympic Cheese where I pick up a Brie de Meaux and a Grey Owl so fast it’s borderline liquid (my absolute favorite cheese consistency).
More meats, seafoods, fruits, veggies, breads, cheeses, and Portuguese custard tarts.
Heading home.
When we get home, Akemi deals with our purchases while I head out for a stroll with my gal.
And the results = Lunch, courtesy of Akemi
The post September 2, 2023: Our Typical Saturday Morning! appeared first on Joseph Mallozzi's Weblog.
September 1, 2023
September 1, 2023: News of Note!
The t-shirts I ordered finally arrived!
Which is your favorite? I’m partial to Roxxon Oil!
The study identified the worst offender as 51-year-old Herb Scofield of Eufaula, Alabama. https://t.co/ZdkgafSwFJ
— Joseph Mallozzi
(@BaronDestructo) September 1, 2023
It sounds like utter bullshit to me so I checked the article that cited a news release that cited the study – but clicking on the link led me to this –
Hmmmmm.
The results to this poll were very interesting…
Thoughts? I’d be Team Supervillain all the way.
Also…
What one flavor do you most miss from your childhood?
For me, it's the homemade cherry almond milk my mother made that was so labor intense and time consuming she only made it once. But it was delicious.
I also remember Fresca being…better.
— Joseph Mallozzi
A lot of interesting responses to this one.
Never trust someone who claps or slaps their leg when they laugh.
— Joseph Mallozzi
Someone asked me Why? and I told them that, drawing from my own experience, I can readily conclude that these individuals are untrustworthy.
Is this guy ever right about anything?
From the aches and pains department…
What is the most painful part of your body?
Why is it painful?
And what are you doing about it?
Me –
My right shoulder.
I may have a torn rotator cuff.
I'm sleeping on my back and doing stretches that don't seem to help.
— Joseph Mallozzi
Speaking of potential aches and pains…
My wife has shown a sudden interest in true crime podcasts specifically dedicated to Asian wives who off their husbands, in one instance disposing of his body in a giant kimchee pot.
On an unrelated note, I've been having trouble sleeping of late. pic.twitter.com/djF2mtvpvo
— Joseph Mallozzi
Today’s Yes/No…
7-Can Soup? Yes/No
Like something your six-year-old would come up with – this is a legit Food Network recipe.https://t.co/RTeY5Jo6Cx
— Joseph Mallozzi
The post September 1, 2023: News of Note! appeared first on Joseph Mallozzi's Weblog.
August 31, 2023
August 31, 2023: The Horror Marathon resumes!
Last Sentinel (2023)
A platoon of soldiers are stranded in an abandoned military base on a near future Earth waiting for the relief or the enemy, whichever comes first.
My thoughts: Slow-rolling post-apocalyptic porn for the climate crowd. The late, third act twist almost makes this one worthwhile. Almost.
3/5
Nightcrawler (2014)
When Louis Bloom, a con man desperate for work, muscles into the world of L.A.crime journalism, he blurs the line between observer and participant to become the star of his own story.
My thoughts: An unsettling thriller and dark social satire anchored by Gyllenhaal’s creepy and compelling performance. Like the lurid footage it critiques, it’s impossible to look away.
4/5
God Is a Bullet (2023)
Taking matters into his own hands, Detective Bob Hightower tries to infiltrate an evil cult to save his kidnapped daughter and avenge the murder of his wife.
My thoughts: A fairly straightforward ultra-violent revenge-exploitation flick weighed down by arthouse elements and a bloated runtime.
3/5
Insidious: The Red Door (2023)
The Lamberts must go deeper into The Further than ever before to put their demons to rest once and for all.
My thoughts: Some good scares in this overly long but satisfying final installment.
3.5/5
Silent Night (2021)
Nell, Simon, and their son Art are ready to welcome friends and family for what promises to be a perfect Christmas gathering. Perfect except for one thing: everyone is going to die.
My thoughts: Tiresome characters, annoyingly mannered performances, and a jarring tonal mish-mash make this one a trying and annoyingly unfunny dark comedy.
2/5
So, any recommendations?
The post August 31, 2023: The Horror Marathon resumes! appeared first on Joseph Mallozzi's Weblog.
August 30, 2023
August 30, 2023: Amazing Covers!
A few that caught my eye this week…
Blade #1 – cover art by David Marquez
Action Comics Presents Doomsday Special #1 – cover art by Bjorn Barends
Catwoman: Uncovered #1 – cover art by Stanley Artgerm Lau
Alice Never After #2 – cover art by Dan Panosian
So, which were YOUR favorites?
The post August 30, 2023: Amazing Covers! appeared first on Joseph Mallozzi's Weblog.
August 29, 2023
The Outline!
Back when I was in University, somewhere between my BA and my Masters in English literature, I tended bar at one of the campus’s quieter watering-holes. Among the assortment of oddball regulars that frequented the place was a fellow nicknamed Chef.
In spite of the fact that everyone called him “Chef,” Chef rarely talked about food. What Chef talked about was the Great American novel he was going to write. Time and again he’d saddle up to the bar and tell me all about the literary masterpiece he would some day complete.
But deep down, I knew that his beloved novel would never get written. And it wasn’t because it was a bad idea or because I’d seen a movie with the exact same plot several months earlier. Chef was destined to failure for the simple reason that he didn’t have a plan.
Never underestimate the importance of careful planning. Because he had a plan, Hannibal was able to score a decisive military victory over the Romans. Because they had a plan, the New York Jets were able to defeat the heavily favored Baltimore Colts in Super Bowl III.
And because the owners of the bar I was working at didn’t have a plan, the university revoked their liquor license, leaving me to spend many an endless evening eating bacon and onion pizza, serving orange juice, listening to Chef talk about his damn novel.
An outline is to writing what that map of the Alps was to Hannibal. It is a blueprint of the script you are going to write, an overview designed to ensure that there are no surprises in store for you later on.
Without an outline, you could be halfway through your script when you realize Lamont couldn’t possibly be Maureen’s long-lost brother, because you’ve already established his childhood as a Parisian street urchin. If you’d done an outline, you could have foreseen this issue.
Outlines are specific to the type of script you are writing. Most of the genre shows I worked on were made up of a teaser and five acts (occasionally a tag). The tease, or teaser, is essentially a taste of what’s to come, an appetizer of the episode you are going to watch.
A pantless middle-aged man crashes his RV in the dessert. A man in a suit wakes up at a airplane crash site. A guy goes out fishing and discovers a body. It’s wrapped in plastic!
The first four acts are the body of the story. SG-1 heads off on a mission. Complications arise. The action builds through each of these four acts, culminating in various cliffhanger Act Outs. The team is captured. They hit a dead end. The baddie makes an appearance.
Finally, it’s time for the denouement. In the fifth act, we wrap up our story. The enemy is defeated. Our allies are rescued. SG-1 saves the day. A teaser and five acts.
In order to write an outline, you must first “break” the story – a teaser and five acts – breaking those sections down into individual scenes (an average of 4-5 per act) covering all of the major dramatic beats.
When outlining, it’s always a good idea to know what you are working toward. For example: What do we want to accomplish in this act? What is the cliffhanger moment that will end the act? It’s always a good idea to have a plan for the plan.
I remember working on show where there was no plan for the plan. We sat in a room and the showrunner started the ball rolling by asking: “So, what happens in scene one?” We tossed out ideas, spun them, decided, and moved on to scene two. Then scene three. Then scene four.
Instead of working toward a goal (What will happen in this act? How will it end? What is our cliffhanger Act Out?), we were proceeding blindly through a long dark meandering narrative tunnel.
This approach worked until we realized the story structure was fucked – seven and a half hours later. And so, we had to start over from scratch the next day. Lesson learned.
I approach every outline working from macro to micro. I want to know how the episode will end. I want to know my Act Outs. I want to know my teaser. Once I have those locked, I fill in the pieces of the narrative puzzle.
This, I should hasten to add, is MY approach. There are showrunners who prefer to tread the roaming path. Which is fine if it works for them. But it doesn’t work for me.
How long should your outline be? That’s entirely up to you, but my outlines for one hour genre tended to fall in the ballpark of 12-15 pages. Pilots tend to be longer. P.S. Save your dialogue for the script.
Breaking a story with other writers is a lot easier than outlining on your own which can be a lonely, challenging, frustrating, ultimately very satisfying task. If you’re working with others, hear them out. If you’re working alone, occasionally seek advice.
Whenever I craft an outline, I’m reminded of an artist who once likened sculpting to the act of freeing rather than creating. Somewhere in there is the perfect version of your story and it’s up to you to find it by carefully chipping away.
What I love about this notion of the creative process is the suggestion that there is always an answer, a solution to any roadblock, provided you keep at it or, perhaps, approach it from another direction.
I also love the suggestion that perfection is elusive if not, ultimately, beyond reach and success really comes down to how close you can get in the end.
As I said, it’s always good to have a plan, but writing an outline can be challenging and very frustrating. On the other hand, it’s nowhere near as challenging or frustrating as coming up with an episode title. But that’s a lengthy thread for another day.
The post The Outline! appeared first on Joseph Mallozzi's Weblog.
August 28, 2023
August 28, 2023: Meanwhile, on the home front…
Today’s Yes/No…
Butter Frappuccino? Yes/No Starbucks releases a Butter Frappuccino in Japan https://t.co/6PFOlO6hGo via @RocketNews24En
— Joseph Mallozzi
The post August 28, 2023: Meanwhile, on the home front… appeared first on Joseph Mallozzi's Weblog.
August 27, 2023
August 27, 2023: Suji Sunday!
Derpy
Suji at Beatrice Cafe.
The kouign-amann – so near, yet so far.
Impatiently awaiting her snack…
Okay. Eat time!
Dad’s muse
Sleepy girl
The post August 27, 2023: Suji Sunday! appeared first on Joseph Mallozzi's Weblog.
August 26, 2023
The Strange Assassination of Kim Jong-nam
Speaking of state-sponsored assassinations, one of the strangest was that of Kim Jong-nam at Kuala Lumpur International Airport in Malaysia on February 13, 2017.
Kim Jong-nam was the son of North Korean leader Kim Jong-Il and heir to his father, but rumor has it he fell out of favor after embarrassing the family by trying to visit Tokyo Disneyland – the showcase of capitalism and Western degeneracy – with a fake passport.
Whatever the reason, he was exiled in 2003, taking up residence in Macau from where he advocated for reforms and boldly predicted the fall of North Korea’s new leader, his half brother Kim Jong-Un, in 2012.
Kim Jong-un doomed, says his brother
According to Lee Byung-ho, the director of the South’s National Intelligence Service, there was a standing order to assassinate Kim Jong-nam who escaped an attempt on his life in 2012
This prompted him to send his half-brother a letter pleading with him to rescind the order. Kim Jong-Un was apparently unmoved, especially after rumors circulated that Kim Jong-nam had had dealings with the CIA.
At approximately 9:00 a.m. on February 13, 2017, Kim Jong-Un was accosted by two women at Kuala Lumpur International Airport. Shortly after, he complained of feeling unwell. He died on his way to hospital.
The two women were arrested but an investigation revealed they had been duped by North Korean agents who had convinced them they were participating in a prank show.
The two women had been recruited a month earlier by a “producer” who tasked them with varied gags that involved them approaching men in public and either kissing them on the cheek or playing peekaboo by stepping up behind them and covering their eyes.
The women would quickly apologize, explaining they had mistaken the stranger for someone else, presumably leaving the victim startled, embarrassed, or amused.
Eventually, the pranks progressed to the point where a gel or liquid would be applied to their hands that they would transfer to their surprised victims. The women claimed they made $100-$200 a prank.
On the day of the assassination, they were given a foreign substance to apply to their hands. One woman was instructed to approach the victim from behind and clap their hands over his eyes in a peek-a-book gesture…
While the second woman would follow up by approaching from in front and laying her palm on his face. The women were unaware of the identity of their target, Kim Jong-nam.
The Untold Story of Kim Jong-nam’s Assassination
They were apparently also unaware of the fact that the combination of chemicals applied to their victim was the VX nerve agent.
Presumably, the women escaped serious harm because the toxin would have had to be absorbed through their skin – but they had been instructed to wash their hands after the gag because the gel would stain their clothing.
Kim Jong-nam, on the other hand, had the nerve agent enter through his eyes and nose, and the effects were more powerful and immediate.
Attempts by the women to reach the “producer” of the prank show proved unsuccessful, their calls going to a number that was no longer in service.
The women were tried for murder. One murder, an Indonesian national, had the charges against her dismissed while the other, a Vietnamese national, was found guilty of the lesser charge of “”voluntarily causing hurt by dangerous weapons or means”.
She was released a month later and there were reports that North Korea had issued an informal apology to Vietnam for involving one of its citizens in the assassination.
The post The Strange Assassination of Kim Jong-nam appeared first on Joseph Mallozzi's Weblog.
August 25, 2023
August 25, 2023: Fan Expo!
My reference photo of supervillain t-shirts to ensure I don’t double purchase at this year’s Fan Expo.
Akemi is Con-Ready!
Photos from Fan Expo.
Purchases? None. The verdict? Meh. I would have probably had a better time checking out Rolling Quartz at the Toronto Korean Festival.
To be honest, not a huge fan – but, surprisingly, Akemi is!
The post August 25, 2023: Fan Expo! appeared first on Joseph Mallozzi's Weblog.
August 24, 2023
August 24, 2023: Unusual Deaths and Donburi!
#UnusualDeaths
In February of 2001, a zoo keeper in Jinan, China was mauled to death by a tiger after defecating on it. Evidence at the scene suggests the man either fell or was dragged into the enclosure by the disrespected predator. pic.twitter.com/GvSkDfYeqn
— Joseph Mallozzi
#UnusualDeaths
In December of 2001, a groom in Iran choked to death on his bride's false nail after, as per wedding tradition, licking honey from his future wife's pinky.
— Joseph Mallozzi
#UnusualDeaths
On March 9, 2003, a thief who had just robbed the Rhino and Lion Reserve at Krugersdorp, west of Johannesbur attempted to make good his escape by climbing over a high fence – only to find himself in a tiger's den. pic.twitter.com/fdAEod1SMQ
— Joseph Mallozzi
#UnusualDeaths
An average of six people choke to death every year eating a South Korean delicacy called sannakji, live octopus. pic.twitter.com/56YofZJz6r
— Joseph Mallozzi
#UnusualDeaths
A 60-year-old man in Tucson, Arizona was killed on May 18, 2002, when the radio-controlled plane he was flying crashed into him. pic.twitter.com/az6IXE1EbH
— Joseph Mallozzi
Today’s Yes/No..
Bifu teki-don? (A5 Wagyu and butter on rice) Yes/No pic.twitter.com/9svXKBrf0a
— Joseph Mallozzi
The post August 24, 2023: Unusual Deaths and Donburi! appeared first on Joseph Mallozzi's Weblog.
Joseph Mallozzi's Blog
- Joseph Mallozzi's profile
- 39 followers
