There are a lot of things I like to do with my free time – reading, writing, watching t.v. on DVD – but, personally, I find nothing quite equals the deep satisfaction I experience while working on my taxes. And it’s not just the joyous hours spent checking, double-checking, and triple-checking numbers, or the ever thrilling quest for misfiled documents, or even the sudden sinus-clearing rush of exhilaration that comes with realizing I’ve made an erroneous assumption that will necessitate my starting over. No. The best part of working on my taxes is knowing that, at the end of the day, my hard-earned tax dollars are contributing to worthy causes like Canadian t.v. shows that nobody watches (Hey, why is Falcon Beach always so overcast?) , questionable art projects, leaky submarines and, best of all, the 2010 Games! Well, I suppose there are worse things they could be spending the money on.
Crack, is one.
I can’t think of anything else off the top of my head.
Well, if things go your way and you end up scoring a tax refund, why not celebrate with a trip down to the Yaohan Mall in Richmond where you can enjoy a veritable Asian feast for under ten dollars. The greatest food court in Vancouver offers a wide variety of dishes, from dumplings to congee, barbecued meats to bubble tea. Whenever I go, I usually pay a visit to the Supra BBQ. On our last visit, I went all meat: tender, nicely marbled cha siu (barbecued pork), sweet and savory lap cheung (pork sausage), and some salty cured duck. Fondy did the cha siu and soy chicken on rice. Next time you’re in town, check it out, especially if you happen to be in the Richmond area for a science fiction convention.
By the way, special thanks to Patricia for offering wonderfully villainous advice.
And, oh yeah, Superbowl Sunday tomorrow. I know, I know. The Colts look like a shoe-in and it could be a cake-walk but…remember that old saying: “Offense wins games but defense wins championships”. The Bears defense is truly awesome and if Grossman can keep it together, they have a good shot.
Question, questions, questions…
Peter writes: “By the way, how do you pronounce “gnocchi”? Is the “g” silent?”
Answer: Nyoki!
Majorsal writes: “What do you think you’d be doing now if you weren’t a writer?”
Answer: Probably speculating in comic futures. Or maybe a food tester for European royalty.
Bugguy writes: “…Heroes has made a splash for N.B.C. […] Have you seen it and what do you think?”
Answer: I’m always pleased when I hear that genre shows are doing well. And Heroes is doing exceptionally well. But to be perfectly honest, it isn’t a show I was able to get into.
Mary Beth writes: “Why isn’t there an audio commentary for Threads?”
Answer: Search me. And I didn’t even need the Magic 8 Ball for that one.
Sally writes: “How do you balance writing what ‘you’ (stargate writers) want to happen on the show vrs what you know the fans want?”
Answer: Uh, balance? Hmmm. To be perfectly honest, we write the types of stories that resonate with us. Some the fans love, some they don‘t love so much. Variety is key. By telling different types of stories, we try to keep the series fresh not only for the audience, but ourselves as writers.
Shipperahoy writes: “I was just wondering, do you think that writing for t.v. is something in which you actually have to like the genre you’re writing for or can you still write quality scripts if you could care less about the arena in which you work?”
Answer: I don’t think you could work in an area in which you “cared less” about the genre. And, of course, having an interest and background in a genre like science fiction certainly helps. That said, I don’t think it’s necessary. Take Carl Binder for example. He doesn’t come from a scifi background and yet he has produced consistently solid scripts for Atlantis.
Kiwigater writes: “I feel your office is missing something… perhaps one or two stuffed lemmings on the wall …”
Answer: It’s funny you should say that. When Lawren brought the box into my office, all I could see what the white fur and I automatically thought: Lemming!
Pattirose4 writes: “You mentioned the other day about a script going over the network and I was curious what kind of changes do they usually request? And do you always do as they request? Do you pretty much have to? Is the network the reason we see scantily clad large breasted women?”
Answer: First off, it’s only natural that a network would desire input into a show they have purchased. In the case of SciFi, and specifically my dealings with Nora O’Brien, script notes center on suggestions or requests intended to strengthen the story: clarification, dialogue tweaks, points of logic. While we don’t take dictation, we are open to any issues the network may have with a given script and always willing to talk things through. If need be, we’ll state our case for why we feel something should remain as is. But, more often than not, the notes we receive are the kind we tend to agree with when all is said and done. Finally, the network has never put in a request for scantily clad large breasted women. We’re still talking about the show, right?
NowIWillDestroyAbydos writes: “With the exception of Gero, what other Stargate cast and crew members have MySpace profiles?”
Answer: As far as I know, none. But Rob Cooper will be starting a blog over on the MGM Stargate site. I’m sure he’d love to hear from the fans, and is eager to field any questions they may have regarding the first SG-1 movie. If you head on over, ask him if the Ori are really dead and whether we’ll ever find out about that ninth chevron. I’m too shy to ask.
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