Went into the office today and found a huge shipment from Amazon.com awaiting me. The veritable treasure trove of titles included Tobias S. Bucknell’s Ragamuffin, Jeff Carlson’s The Plague Year, Karen Jay Fowler’s Sarah Canary, Ken MacLeod’s Newton’s Wake, about a half-dozen books by Jeffrey Ford, and numerous others. I selected a few from the shipment and a few from my standing library to form my back-up Summer hiatus reading pile. Anybody out there familiar with any of the titles?
I settled in and worked on Remnants, rewriting the last McKay-Zelenka scene. At about 10:00 a.m., everyone else got in and we retired to the writers’ room for a quadruple feature: Broken Ties (Day 2 Mix – only two notes: 1. Pre-lap the tavern walla in the Ext. Village – Night establisher and, 2. Put the walla back in the Sheppard-Woolsey scene), Ghost in the Machine (Day 1 Mix – Overall a pretty good mix. A few ADR requests, a desire for a less instrumental CLANG off the top), and the mid-season two-parter First Contact and The Lost Tribe (Marty G.’s producer’s cut – Great! Can’t say enough good things about the Daniel-Rodney dynamic, loved the heist sequence, and couldn’t help but think that a certain scene is sure to have all those Todd-Woolsey shippers out there falling all over themselves).
Today’s entry is dedicated to high school grad Steph and Narelle’s hubby. Narelle, please tell him best wishes, love Joan.
Today’s pics: My dinner with Carl at Sea Harbour Seafood Restaurant in Richmond, and my back-up book pile.
Today’s video: Carl makes a mess. I can’t take him anywhere! Photobucket is down so, hopefully, google will allow the video to play. Eventually.
Mailbag:
Thornyrose writes: “Were both parts of the mid season two parter filmed before the break, or does filming resume with the second half?”
Answer: We finished shooting episode 14 (Outsiders) and prepping episode 15 (Prodigal) before heading off on hiatus.
David writes: “In reference to yesterday’s picture of your phone, where could one get that skin? Or is specially made just for you?”
Answer: They were part of a special giveaway at last year’s San Diego Comic Con. Contact the gang at the official MGM site to find out if they were a one-time-only deal.
Wraithfodder writes: “Joe, have you ever looked at the ‘automatically generated’ possibly related posts on your blog?”
Answer: Uh, yeah. I looked into disabling the feature but I believe that doing so would also disable a feature I actually want. For the time being, please consider them “Impossibly Unrelated Links”.
AMZ writes: “…do the actors who get speaking parts on Stargate:Atlantis have to be SAG members?”
Answer: Some of our local actors are not SAG.
Eri writes: “How does one get an idea turned into an actul episode when they don’t write for the show?”
Answer: Have an agent query the show (and here, I refer to shows in general) to find out whether or not the production is looking for freelance pitches.
McWraith writes: “Do you know if any of the crew write blogs?”
Answer: I don’t, but I know that both Davids do occasionally blog.
Nika writes: “Do they recognize the camera or just ignore you now?”
Answer: Like most everyone I know, they just ignore me.
Arctic Goddess writes: “What does a best boy and a key grip do?”
Answer: A best boy (who, incidentally, does not necessarily have to be a boy) makes sure the daily operations of his/her department (lighting or grips) runs smoothly, covering everything from equipment delivery to scheduling. A key grip deals with set logistics, overseeing the moving of various equipment and scenery and the set up cranes and dolly tracks.
Shawna writes: “Really? What’s the significance of that particular spot that would make actors want it?”
Answer: It stands out.
Portlandbound writes: “Do you think this is the best season overall your team has done? Is there times you could do something but can’t because of money? What’s the craziest thing an actor has done for the show to this date?”
Answers: It’s too early to tell how this season measures up against the preceding one. AT present, we only have one completed episode. If I had unlimited cash, I’d spend it on creating some truly wild alien landscapes. The craziest thing an actor has done for the show to date? Well, Chris Judge did work shirtless in the snow for an entire afternoon when he was shooting an episode of SG-1 (I believe it was Threshold). I suppose someone should have checked the weather forecast the day before.
Sander writes: “Did you adopt your pups or buy them from a breeder, and which breed do you personally think would make a good apartment dog? Do they bark alot?”
Answer: I think that pugs make pretty good apartment dogs in that the don’t require as much exercise as other breeds. However, they are EXTREMELY affectionate and do require a lot of attention so only consider a pug if you’re willing to make the time or them. They’re not excessive barkers, but my gang will bark up a storm if they hear a suspicious noise like someone knocking at the door or a dinner guest sneezing.
Lt.Col.Errandboy writes: “Noooo!! Don’t cancel September!! […] Cancel October if you must.”
Answer: No can do. My birthday is in October. Sorry.
MysterMadchen writes: “ When did you realize that you loved writing and wanted it as a career? What got you in the door? What was the first thing you had published, not in a school paper or student book, but actually sold? I’m sure you get this sort of question a lot and understand if you have no desire but since you are a writer and like to read would you be willing to read my rough draft?”
Answers: I’ve been writing since I was a kid, penning short stories as far back as second grade. I made my first professional sale to an animation studio for a show called The Busy World of Richard Scarry. My very first produced script = Patrick Pig Learns to Talk. As for reading your rough draft – I’m sorry, but I my plate is pretty full. Now that hiatus is here, I’ll be enjoying some desperately needed downtime.
Annie from Freemantle writes: “God do your pugkids get any cuter?? How many chewtoys do they own anyway???”
Answer: No enough. Lulu has been going through them very quickly of late.
Anais33 a ecrit: “Serait t’il possible d’avoir une interview du grand Joseph pour mon blog? Quand et comment?”
Answer: Il serait plus facile si je répondais à vos questions ici sur mon blog.
Translation: Rather than doing Q&A on fan blogs, it would be easier for me to simply field any questions here.
Irmo writes: “You know what sport needs changing? Needs to be more exciting? Golf.”
Answer: Make it formal wear only (tuxes), actual quicksand in the sand trap, add more alligators. Also, make the hole bigger.
Lady Dulcinea writes: “Scrapple is typically made of hog offal, such as the head, heart, liver, and other scraps, which are boiled with any bones attached (often the entire head), to make a broth. Once cooked, bones and fat are discarded, the meat is reserved, and (dry) cornmeal is boiled in the broth to make a mush. The meat, finely minced, is returned, and seasonings, typically sage, thyme, savory, and others are added. The mush is cast into loaves and allowed to cool thoroughly until gelled.”
Answer: Hmmm. This sounds a lot like something I ate at Fuel last night.
Sector24 writes: “…tonight I was watching SG-1 Season 6’s “Descent” on DVD, and I was wondering about the scene with Carter and O’Neill, trapped in the corridor when it flooded. So, since you and Paul wrote it, can you tell me, were the sets waterproof and can they be used after the water filling. Or maybe it was filmed in a pool, decorated as a Goa’uld ship’s corridors?”
Answer: The latter. We built a set and submerged it at Vancouver’s Olympic pool. So, in those scenes in which the water levels are rising – the portion of corridor is actually be lowered into the pool.
Nanook660 writes: “What is the hardest part about what you do? and How do you unwind after a hard day at the office?”
Answer: The hardest part of the job? Writing. I don’t think there’s a writer on any show who will tell you otherwise. As for how I unwind at the end of a work day = I write up my blog entry, go out for dinner, watch some t.v. with my wife and dogs, then read in bed.
Cheeky Lil Devil writes: “ I promised Brigitte I wouldn’t post some of the pics, but a couple of the Wraith queen’s chair has already been posted on the LA Times site, so would it be ok if I just posted the couple we have of those and none of the others, obviously until the eps air?”
Answer: Hey, Cheeky. It was a pleasure meeting you and Linz. Sure. Go ahead and post the chair pics. If you like, send me any pics you’d like to post (moorsyum@yahoo.com) and I’ll tell you if they’re too spoilery or not.
Eglaviel writes: “Oh and if there is a Season 6 *fingers crossed* of SGA…what are the chances of us seeing Daniel Jackson again on the show?”
Answer: If we do get a sixth season pick-up, he’s at the top of our list.
Scifan writes: “I’m not sure if you can answer this or not because of spoiler reasons, but I just saw an extended version of the SGA promo trailer. After they show Teyla giving birth, Scifi has a caption saying, “A prophet is born.” Is this one of Scifi’s bad publicity stunts or is there some truth to that?”
Answer: Are you sure it was Stargate: Atlantis? Doesn’t sound like Stargate: Atlantis.
So I am back home after my surgery. Just wanted to share what got me thru the “freak out” stage. So I am in the prep room for over two hours and find out that my surgery is pushed back again. But then my sister leaves me to go let my mom in to see and I start flipping chanels and low and behold I hear my favorite theme song ever! SG1 and in hearing that beautiful sound I actually started to relax and held a permant smile on my face. The episode playing was Hathor…but here is the really funny part. My mom comes into the room, sees me smiling, looks at the tv and goes “You don’t need me here for support…your SG1 is on and I can tell you would rather watch that until it is your time than chat with me.” She was even laughing while she said it. To anyone who is not a fan that my sound really sad…that a show…that theme song…would make me relax to the point that I wasn’t scared anymore…I was elated. I love SG1 and then when i got into my recovery room…SGA was on…i don’t know the title of the episode right now since I am a little wonky on some pain killers but I wanted to thank you Joe for being a part of one thing that makes me happy…and also for listening to your fans. And I am half way thru Garden of Iden…interesting voice. Well I am going to go and let the meds get me to sleep…i can barely see this page but I promised myself I would post and great big THANK YOU
*sniffles* Gee I feel like crud, apparently I picked up whatever super bug has been running rampant through the population of the house.
So my QOTD- Have you been to Mon Chocolat lately? I’m possibly planning a trip into the city to celebrate my birthday(in august) and was thinking of popping by. When my dear friend brought me back the mare’s milk and oats bar it was amazing!
Shawna writes: “Really? What’s the significance of that particular spot that would make actors want it?”
Answer: It stands out.
That’s all, huh? Does that mean that the first position in credits is also negotiated?
Please post more pics on your dogs Joe 🙂 Love them all !!
Is Teyla’s Baby going to become a longterm story and will Michael kidnap the child ?
I know alot do not like the baby story arc but I do and find it very good so I’m hoping it is not dropped suddenly and the baby killed off for story purposes .. Any hints on the name Teyla chooses ?
Hey Joe!
I survived my seven year old’s dance recital! You know how you were saying soccer could use some improvement?
Well, guess what? They’ve added an EXCELLENT feature to the dance recital that I totally love. It’s called “The Dads’ Dance”
There is NOTHING better than finishing off a night of tutus, tap shoes, feathers, and leotards than having the stage filled with big, burly dads dressed in drag! Any dad can be in it, too. No… Jeremy refused to be a part of this. And I would have paid good money to watch him up on stage.
Did you see Hairspray? It was like watching a stage full of John Travoltas! 😆 Seriously good fun.
Every dance recital should have a Dad’s dance.
And thank you for not taping me eating and making a mess at Fuel. Poor Carl! I would have done the exact same thing. How can you eat that thing without making a mess? 😉
Trish
Hi Joe! Thanks for sharing the dog pics – soooo adorable! 😀
What is Carl eating in that video and could you identify what the food is in these shots posted today (more specifically what those round things are in the fourth pic)? I have never seen that before. I grew up in the northwoods where we pretty much ate brats and drank beer. I know, not very sophisticated! ;P
I’ve been taking a chocolate class these last couple of months and it is amazing all the chemistry that goes into making something so wonderful. When I have the money, I would like to take the next course in the program, one of which is available at the Cocoa West Chocolatier, Bowen Island, BC.
Care to share with us some more of your latest chocolate discoveries, if any?
chokolaj
I read – translation, was forced to read – Fahrenheit 451 in eighth grade. To be honest, I haven’t yet gone back to read it with my newfound adult ideals and mindset, but I do remember a very strong hatred for the book. I’ve gotten into many a dispute over the book, because I’ve found that some people did actually enjoy and were moved by it. And yes, there’s the potential for that, but I think 451 struck me in the same way the first book of the Left Behind series struck me. Nice idea, poor execution. I made it about sixty pages into the Left Behnid book before I gave up. My theory with 451 is that you either love it or hate it, like The Giver. (I hate that one, too.) Or maybe it’s just me. Meh.
Dear Joe,
So, I’m gonna assume that it’s Scifi’s cleaver way of advertising, unless you say otherwise.
Here’s a link from someone that recorded it from their cell phone. They admit that it’s a poor quality vid, but what I’m talking about is right after the clip of Teyla having the baby. It so threw me off.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YuY5a14O1V8
Thanks for responding to my question.
Hi ya Joe,
Very funny video of Carl eating what you state is the best dessert ever! Hummmm … What does it taste like? Is it savory or sweet?
Trish… I’d pay money to see Jeremy dance in drag too!
Giggles! 😉
Kassandra… I hope you feel better soon! Try Airborne…it really works, so does anything with Zinc in it!
Hey Anne T. How are you doin’? Good?
Toodles,
Patricia Lee
This is random but thought I’d share my off-the-wall thought pattern. So I find three white hairs on the left side of my head…totally bummed me out…especially since I’m only 29….curses….
Anyhow, still reeling from the discovery…I hopped on the web, googled how I could change my diet, lessen stress, etc. to stop the non-pigmentation, then had the notion to see if any internet thoughts existed out there on any correlation to having white hairs appear on either the left or right side (possibly wondering if it had anything to being a right or left-brained person)…well didn’t find anything…but what I did find was a Creative Test from the Art Institute of Vancouver to see if you are a right or left-brained person:
http://www.wherecreativitygoestoschool.com/vancouver/left_right/rb_test.htm
I discovered I’m 38% left & 62% right…always knew I was a creative person now I guess I know how much…yet who knows why I’m prematuring getting white hairs…argh! Curses them again.
Anyhow…check out the link, take the quick quiz and let us know what percentage you are. And if you have them…what age did you notice your first white hair? You can clearly tell I’m so bummed by this discovery and had to share…but hey you get to take a fun quiz w/ my post.
P.S. – saw the first promo for Season 5 tonight – Can’t wait!!
Hi, Joe.
Ah…”Rocket Ship Galileo” by Robert Heinlein. That was the VERY first scifi novel that I read. It was 1952 and I was *cough* 8 years old. I was near the end of my Western/Cowboy & Indian phase (I was raised in S. Dak.), having read all the Zane Grey, Louis Lamour, Marie Sandoz, Laura Ingalls Wilder, etc., novels I could find in our local library.
I wanted to try something different…saw “Rocket Ship Galileo”…and the scifi journey lifted off!
10,000 or so books later, still reading. Currently hooked on “The Dresden Files;” the Stargate SG-1 pro novels (and fan fiction); Robert B. Parker and Meg Gardiner mysteries…
🙂
Morjana
Hi Joe!
Hurray! October is saved!! *happy dance*
What are those big beige things with the holes in picture four? Tomatoes gone horribly wrong (but still taste good)?
I haven’t seen the extended SGA promo (or any SGA S5 promo), but thanks for truthing us on the whole “prophet” question. Maybe it was a promo for a new Sci-Fi series about John the Baptist. . .in Space?
May I borrow a Wraith for a few days? There’s a guy. . .a real, genuine scumbag that one may think only exists on TV. . .whom I would like to meet a Wraith in a dark alley. . .a dark, hungry alley, eh?
(Yeah, yeah, it’s supposed to be a hungry Wraith, but I think this sounds more ominous.)
Anyway, he’s a scumbag criminal who does shady real estate deals and currently owns some commercial property in my neighborhood and is letting it all rot and decay. I spent a few hours at a city property standards meeting listening to him and his lawyer obfuscate. Grrrg.
So, if you could let me know when a Wraith is both hungry and available, I’ll cover travel expenses, eh?
Thanks!
eddy 🙂
P.S. Thanks for the upcoming Daniel/Rodney scenes, and the added bonus of a heist!!
dyginc, glad to see you came through surgery well, and that you had the comfort of SG to help you through it. Mr, M, once again terrific pics. Carl looks like he’s having a great time, even in the video. Too funny. Out of your additional books, I’ve read about half of them. Got Odyssey, but its sitting on the shelf waiting to be read. Something about a BotM club thing that keeps pushing it back on the pirority list… so, another load or two and you should have enough to make it through the hiatus.
It’s interesting to see how the season progresses. You’re up to episode 15 in terms of actual filming, but only have one episode totally “in the can” so to speak. So the hiatus is much more for the cast than the crew, even though it comes with a reduced work load for you. Is it a safe bet to say that the Fx folks, audio people, and other departments are running full tilt to get the rest of the top half episodes ready for airing? If so, when will they enjoy their version of hiatus? I’ve been following this blog for 10 months now, and I’m still fascinated at the processes it takes to bring the show to the tv screen. I recall you stating that the season was going to be a tightly run one, and so far it seems to be. Do you consider the show to be running on schedule, behind schedule, or ahead of schedule at this point?
Anyways, thanks for another great post and continue to enjoy your days of relative freedom. We’ll want you back at work rested up so you can come up with new ways to torture our favorite characters…
Maybe Teyla will give birth to a half Ferengi baby (we really don’t know all that much about Kanaan); they could have promo’d it as “A profit is born!”
ok, not that funny 🙁
Thank you for saving October! i don’t know what i’d do without Halloween…
QUOTING maggiemayday:-
Online friendships … I have many online burner friends, some of whom I’ve only met in person once or twice out on the playa. But we take care of each other; …. Online friendships? Online family!
DITTO here maggiemayday. I belong to 3 forums and the emotional support is PHENOMINAL. I personally have found more support for my uni studies with online friends that with my own sisters!! this is why I might be picking a vodaphone mobile so I can text my online (re: overseas) mates too.
@ Lt.Col. Errandboy – where you snowboarding?? I live down south so if you in the neigbourhood – coffee??
Hey Joe – the (??)chicken in pic3 and the buns in pic5 look yummy (I believe that’s the technical term??).
OH! OH! sorry for the double post but
—%–%—
Oh dear part of my post go lost in the “mail”
what happend to my roses??
anyway – 4 DAYS TO SGA S4 BEGINS
@Scifan: Is it just me or do a couple of tose clips look like they were from S4 (specifically, Shepard and Weir running).
Hey Joe. When you’re answering our questions, do you just choose a few at random or do you just answer questions that are interesting?
Also, have you ever watched the movie “Lions for Lambs”? If so, what did you think about it? I watched it tonight and thought it was a very good movie, but it had a really bad ending!
Thanks Joe. Oh, if you ever need someone to eat out with one night during the summer, let me know!
Hi Joe:
The CBC is highlighting a restaurant in Vancouver called Vij’s. Have you ever eaten there? It has a reputation for being a world class restaurant with crickets on the menu. C’mon, Joe, I dare you! Try the bug entree and report back to us. We await your comments.
Maybe bring Carl with you. I bet he’d love that place.
Patricia (AG)
To make golf more interesting, me and a friend came up with a concept that we call ‘full contact golf’. It’s kinda like hockey meets football meets golf. People can charge you as you drive and you have to beat them to your ball and fight them off on the green… oh, and there’s someone guarding the hole. We figure that this would make golf much more interesting to watch on TSN.
I think that we’re all excited about the new season of SGA… I certainly am! Even more so my birthday is the 11th of July!
You always post such delightful pictures of food and entertainment. Those buns above looks scrumptious – are they BBQ pork or chicken?
But this question is possibly personal.
I wonder how do Marty G and Carl B maintain their rather slender and superb physiques given all the wining and dining you guys do (not including the amount of chocolate you all consume)??? Or are they blessed with remarkable genes? You’ve admitted that you work out but what about them?
Also, I saw on you tube some SGA bloopers – I’m not sure if it was unintentionally leaked or intentionally leaked. I have been waiting for the DVDs to come out and am still planning to buy them.
I was just going to add that I liked the bloopers. They do look like a stellar cast and crew! 😀
(RE: your above post; Todd-Woosely shipping…???? What the? Yelch!)
Brilliant ambition – remember to ask for more landscapes instead of money at the next pay raise negotiation 😉
Wow I just took that brain test… and boy-oh-boy I am LEFT brain all the way… who would of thunk it!
Thank you for taking the Creativity Test. The results show your brain dominance as being:
Left Brain Right Brain
63% 37%
Joe, I’ll bet you’re a RIGHT brain kinda guy!
Q: Are you going to take the test?
Cheers
Patricia
dear Joe,
Thanxs for the publicity for my cell phone company in your blog, i really appreciated it and i hope you found something you liked in my selection.
Joe, there is a little matter regarding the sga plot thats been bothering me ever so slighly. Back in season 1 we found out in the episode Underground that there existed in and about 60 hiveships in the Pegasus galaxy with many more cruisers. Now with the with replicator-wraith war and the wraith civil war as well as the 14 wraith hiveships destroyed that we witnessed:
The Siege 1-2-3………………..5 Hives
The Hive…………………………2 Hives
No Man’s Land…………………..1 Hive
Misbegotten……………………..1 Hive
The Pegasus Project (SG-1)…..1 Hive
The Seer…………………………2 Hives
Be All My Sins Remember’d…….1 Hive
Spoils Of War……………………1 Hive
Can you please rectify how many are left or any sort of information that will wet our scifi appetite.
thanxs again sir
I thought that Torri wasn’t coming back this season yet she’s in the promo running away from something with sheppard. Huh! I guess I’ll have to watch and see. You keep mentioning about the Restaurant “Fuel”. Where is it and is it expensive? I have family who live in the Vancouver, BC area so when I ever visit I would like to eat there because the food looks very interesting. I just watched last years comic con video on my computer last night and I have a great laugh. Loved your bit taping everyone at the convention. Do you like going to those conventions? Never been to one. Great job you are doing on SGA.
I’ve emerged from Training Officer Hell only to find I have two houseguests for the week! One of them is sleeping in the room where my computer is, which is seriously cramping my relaxation habits (GeekBoy occasionally reluctantly moves to the XBox so I can get my online fix using “his” PC). I had to read three days of postings at once! Plus wine-drinking is not an approved activity when they’re here. Sleeping seems to be okay, so I mostly plead fatigue and go to bed early.
Since I may have whined here once or twice [cough] in the last two weeks, I’ll just say that Trainee is now Former Trainee, and I have finished writing the final evaluation that hopefully won’t result in tears from Former Trainee, my supervisor, or the lawyers. Well, 2 out of 3 may have to do.
That’s a hilarious clip of Carl. It looks like you guys had another great meal. Your new pile of reading material looks really interesting, I’m sure it will help you relax during the break.
I can’t wait to see the Todd-Woolsey back and forth. I’ve been doing a lot of Bob Picardo watching on Star Trek lately. Do you have any favorite Bob Picardo moments from his non-Stargate body of work?
Hi, Joe!
The latest issue of SCI FI Magazine hit newsstands today, and will remain on sale through August 18.
This issue also includes features devoted to the new seasons of SCI FI’s Stargate Atlantis, Eureka, and Charlie Jade.
The official SciFi Magazine site:
http://www.scifi.com/scifimag/
Morjana
Aww Joe now you have me craving egg yolk buns! I’ve never had any that are that runny though, are they a Sea Harbour speciality? In the first pic is Carl enjoying bowl of shark fin soup? Mmmm…. that’s my kind of dinner. Also, I agree with Carl, red bean soup dessert is something to be desired. I’m more of a cold tapioca soup girl.
I don’t have a question today. So I will end it here with a THANK YOU to you, the other writers, and the cast and crew for workng so hard on such a fantastic show. I can’t wait to get my hands on the S4 DVD’s and for S5 to start. With what I’m going through with school right now (Spring/Summer semester is HELL!,) having the ability to watch S4 again and all the special features will allow for an excellent escape. Can you tell I’m counting down they days? LOL
Thanks!!!
-K8T
Joe said:
Hehehehe. Thanks Joe, I will. I can see we will now have the conversation in reverse.
“Who’s Joan?”
“You know, how you thought it was Joan’s blog?”
He’ll blame industrial deafness, I say selective hearing.
He hears the word Stargate and this fog fills his eyes. Actually, when he hears the word Stargate he automatically says in a high-pitched voice “Teal’c!”. He knows 1.5 characters from Stargate. I say 1.5 because “MacGyver” I’m afraid only scores a half mark.
With only one fully completed episode will this mean some crazy hours when you officially return? Or are there others not on hiatus who are finishing up other first half of the season eps?
Food question…
If you go to an Italian Restaurant do you expect to see Italians running the show. If you go to a Thai Restaurant do you expect to see people of Asian appearance in the kitchen?
My business partner comes from an Asian background. We went into a noodle shop to find a young, blonde girl cooking the noodles. We looked at each other and he says “See, these noodles already lack credibility”.
Right side vs Left side results were 57% left 43% right. Which explains a lot as I often think that the two sides of my brain are having an argument and I’m just stuck in the middle of it – or maybe I should look at some therapy or heavy prescription medication?
I recognized the titles of some of your back up books (Specifically Fahrenheit 451 and The Chrysallids) but I’ve never really read any Sci-Fi Novels. Are there any you might suggest I start off with that might wet my appetite for them? I’ve never been much of a reader but lately I’ve been wanting to read more, specifically Sci-Fi.
Joe
How did the blooper real from the Season 4 DVD get on YouTube? Was it loaded by someone who already has the DVD… it’s that illegal? If not, it should be.
Wondering?
Patricia
It’s been a huge day – work, ran errands 45 miles up the road (for work), comic book shop stop (for me – yay!), more work, night out with friends – now it’s after midnight and just crawling in the door, and I’m pooped. Just wanted to check out the blog for a ‘nightcap’, with no intentions of commenting…BUT…
1. Am I the only one who thinks the pork buns look like a plateful of boobies?
2. Am I the only one totally freaked out by the thought of a Todd-Woolsey…ship????? I’m not a fan of ships, but if Todd has to be paired off with anyone, let it be Keller – she’s a floozy anyway. 😉 But Woolsey???! That is NOT the mental image I wanted in my head right before bed!!!!
I so need to take a bath now…
….in bleach.
*shudder*
(I sure hope this involves feeding, and not mouth-to-mouth resuscitation… 😯 oh please, god – not the mouth-to-mouth…*shudder* )
Oh, this reminds me –
I know Kolya is dead, but if he was ever brought back to life, I’d love to see him come to his ultimate end at Todd’s hand. It seems like the way he should have gone out (loved the way Todd leered at him after his third helping of Sheppard’s Pie in CG – it was such a ‘you’re next’ kinda look). It would be such an appropriate ending…Sheppard – totally disgusted with Kolya’s latest dirty deeds – leads him off to a dark, secluded cell/room…opens the door, locks him in. Kolya – cocky as ever – yells something smartassy at Sheppard, smirks, and turns to face the darkened room. He hears something…sees something…knits his brow…then out of the shadows steps Todd, hungry hand a’flexin’. I can just imagine Kolya’s ‘oh, s**t!’ face, right before the scene goes black. Yeah – that would be sweet. And it’s not like Sheppard hasn’t fed his pet before… 😉
das
Joe, if I’m ever in Vancouver, can I go to lunch with you? Please? You always make me drool with the pictures of the food you get, I LOVE food.
I see that you have the book Odyssey by Jack McDvitt. If you like it you should check out his book SEEKER. So far I am hooked on his work. Also what is it that you guys are eating in these pictures, it looks really good.
Joe I figuared you were very busy and I completly get that you have no extra time, if you ever get terribly board and have nothing better to do let me know. 😉 Thans so much for answering the questions. I’ve been writing stories for so long myself it has always been a part of my life and something that I enjoy more than anything else. When asked what I would take to a deserted island, i’ve always said a pen and paper. It’s nice to know there still a chance my work might be published. Have a wonderful Hiatus and enjoy your break. I’m keeping my fingers crossed season six will be right around the corner and can’t wait for season 5’s first episode. Thanks again for the answers and I am glad you got your first script published so that stargate and stargate atlantis can jump onto my television screen each Friday night. Have a good, Nicole.
Ok that last sentence should actually be Have a good night. 🙂 Or Guten Nacht, auf duetch. German for good night.
Hi Joe,
Well I’ve just taken about an hour to catch up on the blog, man I never realized how much going back to school to work on my master’s would effect the other aspects of my life…. At any rate, my question, should we get to see a season 6 (crossing fingers) is there a chance that we’d see Carson (Paul M) back as a series regular? Or will it be the same as season 5 just the occasion guest spot (which is still at 5 correct?)
Thanks Much
Karen N
Joe, if you had to choose just one cuisine to eat every day for the rest of your life, what would it be? And you can’t say “Chinese/Indean/French/Italian/Filipino fusion” 🙂
I think I’d choose Chinese because it encompasses so very many foods. As evidenced by your lovely pics. I don’t think Carl was so messy — none of it ended up on his shirt like it would have for me!
Joe- Thanks for the dedication for my sister the other day. I’m sure she would be thrilled, but she left the country before I could tell her. I’m sure she’ll be back eventually…unless she takes to the life of an international jewel thief.
About that scrapple… souss (I think it’s spelled…) is a similar situation, only it’s mainly snout. It smells like vinegar and despair.
Oh and by the way, I saw an ad on facebook that said “Let’s get these two icons together.” It appeared to be a petition to get Kylie Minogue on Stargate. I didn’t think Stargate and Kylie Minogue would have that much fan crossover, but there you go.
Although, she has already been on Dr. Who, so why not… I guess..
Hi Joe!
I was thinking about the Ancients. If the Ori could get energy from their religious followers by faith, than it is possible that the “forgotten” and near wiped out Ancients get energy by the users of their technology? So more and more world use the stargate system in MW, than they will be stronger and stonger. I would like to hear something about this in Universe. 🙂
Can we see new stargate types in Universe? Will the team gate over a galaxy in every season? Or do you plan to short the “playing ground”? I ask the earlier spoiler mentioned galaxies, which seems to be a bit wild for me. 🙂
BW mentioned that Atlantis was planned to be in MW, so you couldn’t know at season 2, that there will be other gate systems. If you could change the last scene of Fifth Race, than would you put a new stargate with Asgard runes, when O’Neill arrived?
You spoke about alien landscapes. Is there any chance to see a swamp world in Atlantis? It would be cool to see palm trees around the gate. Is there any chance to travel abroad to shoot some scene in the second half or in season 6? Maybe Hawaii or Hungary could be used in some episode, but I know that the travel cost of the crew would be more expensive than building a set in the studio. The Painkiller Jane came here, because we have some nice filming location. But I would be happy, if you could find a new filming location near Vancouver. Or maybe you should try using more digital set, because maybe it will be future of the scifi genre.
P.
Are we talking guest, recurring, or regular — preference-wise?
ah the twins are fighting for dominance again, 53% left 47%right its a close match!
Actually I’m using diversionary tactics because in about 10 minutes I have to be out the door and into Plymouth to get the rest of my outfit for the wedding, now I’d quite happily turn up in PJs and slippers but apparently thats not good enough and some effort is required, I dunno some people want blood. Wish me luck cuz its a big world out there and there are people in it, never a good combination for me although I could set a record for the quickest purchase in history, it might even look ok and fit thats if I’m REALLY really lucky.
Oh well, once more unto the breach…
Coucou Joseph =) Stmpathique ces photo =)
Devinez quoi? demain soir je dîne sur les Champ Elysée et Samedi a Bruxelle ….c’est la vériter^^! Sa sera le 1er fois que vais a Paris, et en Belgique, de plus pour fêter la fête de la musique Samedi soir on je vais au concert d’avril l’avigne. Quel Week end Charger^^!
Alalala c’est t”éllement gentil de votre part de répondre a nos question =)
Donc voila votre MIni interview Joseph, réponez au question que vous voulez:
1)
2)
3)
4)
5)
6)
7)
OUps désoler j’ai cliker alors qu’il ne fallait pas….Donc voila les questions
1)Selon vous quel sont les qualités qui caractérise une bonne science fiction?
2)D’aprés un sondage récent sur mon blog, Stargate atlantis se terminera au bout de 8 saison, quel est votre opinion?
3)Avez vous deja l’intention de faire un blooper Reel de la saison 5?
4)Si Stargate Atlantis s’arrête, que feriez vous?
5)Quel genre de scéne préférez vous tournée?
6)Avez vous une petite new croustillante sur la saison 5 a nous révéler?
7)Un petit mots pour tout les fan Français de stargate ……?
Voila, en ésprérent que ces questions vous conviendront et que vous aurez le temp d”y répondre.
Gros bisou, je vous adore! Bonne journée!♥
http://www.dinehere.ca/restaurant.asp?r=1603
You can write reviews and cross off the restaurant you have visited.
Your birthday’s in October? So is mine! I’m on the fourth if you were curious AND I’m turning 18! What date is yours? and if you’re willing to answer how old are you turning?
P.S. Have you ever heard of nanowrimo(http://www.nanowrimo.org/)? If you have, would you recommend trying it out? and have you ever participated in it? I was thinking of possibly doing it this year but it depends on if I’ve finished all my exams and if I feel up to it.
Je vient de voir le nouveau “Super Fans return – Stargate promo ” et il est génial^^ XD Vraiment trés drôle^^!
http://fr.youtube.com/watch?v=y1Ir4HhtqH4
Hi Joe,
Mmmmm! barbeque pork buns their my favourite! The steamed ones are really nice too! Now I’m gonna have to go & pick some up now! *Yummy*
Like the piccies too!
Have you tried the custard buns?
Take care & happiness always!
Cathie
I’ve read House of Stairs in middle school. My older sister was reading it in HS and I borrowed it from her. It was one of my (except for This Perfect Day) first genre novel. I really liked it, so much that I bought a copy a couple years ago, but have not reread it.
And I agree with the statement about The Giver – I didn’t hate it, but did dislike it (mainly because it was so much like This Perfect Day)
Haven’t commented in awhile, but woohoo, school is out for the summer (I teach)
Hi, just a random fan from France stepping by. I discovered Stargate Atlantis thanks to a friend and I have to say that I like it a whole lot, except for season 2 which I found less thrilling. My favourite episodes so far are, in order of appearance, “Before I Sleep”, “Michael” and “Common Ground”. There is only one I really disliked: “Sunday”. I found it boring and when it at least went to the point, my reaction was something like “all that for such a meaningless death?!”
As for dull deaths, I agree with dasNdanger: I wish Kolya would have died by having his life sucked by Todd. Maybe the way dasNdanger imagines (would Sheppard do it?), or in “Common Ground” with the idea that it was _his_ life that Todd gave Sheppard back. But a great villain like Kolya deserved a greater, awful and much more painful death. :->
As for Todd, I just love this character. I wonder if he’s not my favourite one; and I know for sure he’s in my top 4 with Sheppard, Weir and McKey. I’m not your average wraith fan, although I must confess a deep interest in vampires and friends, but I love that Todd is neither black nor white but some shade of grey in-between. Despite a preference for him being light grey, I’m totally fine with never being sure. Intelligent, self-controlled, never telling other people what he has in mind, yet loyal in his wicked way, I love him!
Anyway, I really hope he will never become a foe of Atlantis. I wish him to become… well, maybe not an ally, but something akin a business partner: Todd and Atlantis being eager to help each other – but always for a price, or when it’s both sides best interest. And I’m definitely looking forward to a deeper relation with Sheppard himself, a mutual understanding, trust and concern. Of course, I like Todd remaining a wraith who feeds on human life force and, hungry enough, would kill him. But I wish they could both acknowledge this and go over it – both doing their best to avoid such a situation.
So far, Sheppard has been a real bastard with Todd, even starving him almost to death. Poor Todd, he doesn’t deserve it. He didn’t even complain. :’-( If only the Atlantis team could admit that a wraith _needs_ human life force… Most wraith _act_ evil, but what for those who _don’t_, like Todd? Do they fear that acknowledging this postulate is a tricky path to accepting what they do to survive? They should look closer at their own actions too. The wraith-to-human therapy could have seemed a good idea at first (which reminds me: Did they really manage to capture a thousand wraiths alive?!), but inflicting it to Michael the second time was just cruel, whatever they may believe. As he said himself, they should have just killed him instead (except he wouldn’t have become the formidable opponent he now is 😉 )
I know you already stated otherwise but I wish wraith (at least, those loyal to Todd) and Terrans could achieve some kind of peace in the “live and let live” way: Wraith agree to let Earth and the Milky Way alone, and humans agree to let wraith continuing their “cullings” in the Pegasus galaxy. Well, if anything, pleaaase, never genocide the wraith! In a world where people work with DNA manipulations and nanites on a daily basis, there should be ways to cohabit, shouldn’t it? On the other hand, evil wraith are perfect enemies you love to hate, so my preference goes to having _some_ factions (including Todd!) at peace with Atlantis while other are still trying to get to Earth.
On an unrelated topic, Todd-Woolsey?! I can’t imagine shipping Todd with anybody in the romantic way (sorry guys), I can’t imagine shipping Woolsey with anybody either, but Todd and Woolsey together?? *blinks in terror* (Of course I know it has nothing to do with a love affair, but the mere idea of a Todd-Woolsey ship horrifies me. 😀 )
Before I terminate my rant, please, don’t end season 5 with a huge cliffhanger if you’re not sure there will ever be a 6th season. I would hate being left with an unfinished “part 1” episode. :-/ (Incidentally, how can we help ensuring there _will_ be a season 6?)
That looks like raw egg coming from that dumpling thingy… sounds lovely if it is!
Can’t see how anyone can eat that neatly! Even you OCD Joe hehhe..
Gawd all that food. You’re bad news for someone on a diet.
My weight loss so far… 65lbs! tada!!!!
Hello Joe!What kind of dessert have you eaten yesterday?
Oh, I totally forgot to ask about “Todd’s blog”: http://blog.myspace.com/toddthewraith . It looks like an unofficial fansite; however, as it’s listed on IMDB at http://www.imdb.com/character/ch0056880/ , I’m a bit puzzled. Do you know the author? Has she a special knowledge of the Stargate universe? I long for an official peek into Todd’s thoughts and motives, what he thinks of the humans he knows, after all what has happened since his escape with Sheppard… Will we have a chance in season 5, in “The queen” maybe?
As I was thinking about wraith names or their absence, I came to the conclusion that they could lack pronounceable names despite the need for any sentient species to distinguish between individuals. After all, they’re are telepathic. Instead of giving names, what about sending a “telepathic signature” to indicate a specific wraith? Totally alien and more logical than having no names at all, in my opinion.
I think I’m done this time. 🙂
What’s the big idea with scifi using Torri Higginson in the promo for season five?
Is it a cheap ploy for ratings, or do they, unlike you, realize that she’s actually a drawcard when it comes to viewers?
Either way, it’s a big fat lie. A lot of fans are going to be disappointed when they realize they’ve been lied to.
And Teyla’s baby’s a prophet? Nice cliche.
Thanks so much for the link to the quiz Mazeykins. My results are as follows:
Left Brain 41% Right Brain 59% (It’s a battle that’s bigger than Gladiators)
You are able to visualize the “whole” picture first, and then work backwards to put the pieces together to create the “whole” picture.
(yup, that sums it up)
Your thought process can appear quite illogical and meandering.
hey that’s kinda mean. who are you, spock?
You probably find it easy to express yourself using art, dance, or music.
ah, easy? not really. i kinda suck at dance and music and well if art includes my killer doodles during conferences etc then i’m good at that.
Some occupations usually held by a right-brained person are forest ranger, athlete, beautician, actor/actress, craftsman, and artist.
well i can be sorta crafty but maybe not in a career kinda way. maybe we can stretch artist to include web design?
Your Left Brain Percentages
37% Linear (Your most dominant characteristic)
34% Verbal
13% Logical (Your least dominant characteristic)
Your Right Brain Percentages
48% Intuitive (Your most dominant characteristic)
39% Random
6% Holistic (Your least dominant characteristic)
And that is a peek inside Chev’s brain.
If anyone has any more quizzes like this please share. I LOVE THEM!
Cheers, Chev
* Waves*
Hello Joe,
Haven’t written in months. Looks like you are still having fun. What dragged me out from under the rock is the new promo. I know you had mentioned long ago that you or the other producers do not have any hand in making the promo that scifi airs. My question is though, don’t you think having Elizabeth Weir in the promo for S5 is a little misleading? Unless I am missing it completely? When I saw her in there, I admit I sat up and took notice. Until I realized one of the clip was from S3 and the other from S4. I’d think most casual viewers would not put 2 & 2 together, and assume she will be in S5. Is that not false advertising?
I may be misunderstanding this completely, so apologies in advance. One last question, what is that in Pic #4 & 5? They look scrumptious.
Have a great day, Mr. M.
Heinlein, Vance, BRADBURY- now you’re gettin’ into some readin’!!
The steamed egg yolk buns are… sexy 😉
Todd-Woosely shipping what is this, Torchwood?
Answer: No can do. My birthday is in October. Sorry.
Ditto. Best month of the year in the Northern Hemisphere.
After they show Teyla giving birth, Scifi has a caption saying, “A prophet is born.” Is this one of Scifi’s bad publicity stunts or is there some truth to that?”
I saw that. They haven’t even updated the website with anything new. Screw them. I know they cough the $$ and lip-supportive but I wish SGA had other channel options.
And on that bright note, I see that Psych has drawn the USA Fri 10pm slot. Bad news unless the DVR continues to be taken seriously. We will, of course, watch SGA live when we can but there’s that Summer thing again.
Daniel Jackson Answer: If we do get a sixth season pick-up, he’s at the top of our list.
WHOOO HOOO!!!
And thanks Paul McG for clearly stating scary-and-better-be-brilliant Whispers is a Shep-ep.
DD
I watched Sunday for only the second time tonight. Not really a fan of watching episodes that tug at the heartstrings.
When Sunday was written and I first watched it I wasn’t a part of fandom so had no idea it was coming. It’s probably been asked from when it first aired, but I have to ask how it felt to be part of the writing team? The writing shows how well each of the team interact and care for each other, so it made me wonder how it feels to write a character’s demise that was so well liked.
With the way the episode came together it felt as though it would have been tough to close the back cover of that script and say “Ok. We’re done”.
And Dr Mallozzi’s Anime Collection? Or was I hearing things?
It’s a shame that Atlantis is on so late on free-to-air TV here in Australia, but at the same time it’s a nice way to end the night, switch the TV off and go to bed.
So on that note.
Seeeeeeya.
Do you have any input into ScFi’s promos for Stargate Atlantis? They sure make me wonder what they are doing by having clips of Weir from The Long Goodbye and This Mortal Coil mix into their new Season 5 promo.
My local library is participating in the Big Read, a NEA grant-funded program to encourage reading by having an entire community read the same book at the same time, and I’m pleased to say Fahrenheit 451 is the book they chose. There are some neat events planned, so I am excited. Reading and sci-fi celebration time!
If the rumored promo clip is an actual promo clip, then I don’t know what they’re smoking at Sci-fi. I think advertising Torri when she won’t appear in the season will irritate a lot of casual viewers expecting to see her.
Are there any episodes in s5 featuring Ryan Robbins (Ladon)?
How come I snagged comment 41 but its still up as awaiting moderation?
Oh well, I survived Plymouth, mum and I are still on speaking terms too so that’s a bonus and I got the rest of my wedding gear and no I’m not hiding under a hat! I think I need to watch some Atlantis to calm my frantic brain.
nope, looks like wordpress was misinforming me as all looks fine now. I wonder if I’m gonna need extra wedding insurance? hmm.
@ mazeykins
Thanks for the link to the test. I got the opposite:
Left Brain: 64%
Right Brain: 36%
I like maths and science. I’m an engineer, and I come from a family of engineers (dad, great mom, great aunt, mom and sister. Hehe). No surprise there 🙂
Dear Joe,
Here’s a better link for the promo vid. Thanks to Redhooks.
[link doesn’t work]
What makes you assume it’s Joe’s big idea?
eddy
Books? I’ve read The Chrysalids and Farenheit 451 and remember enjoying both of them. Not read any of the others, though they look interesting so I might just give one or two of them a try!
I’m really, really looking forward to the mid-seaon two-parter – even if it does contain something to get those Todd-Woolsey shippers going…! *grin* A heist? Sounds intriguing…
I see from the promo on YouTube that Rodney delivers Teyla’s baby – that I have just got to see!! Does she have to tell him to breathe? LOL!
Leesa
Interesting…I’m 58% left brained/42% right brained.
I thought the results would come back 40%/40% with a 20% no brain result.
Joseph P. Mallozzi, III, a gentle reminder for the ice cream recipes as you find the time.
Thanks.
I enjoyed Newton’s Wake. I love most all of Ken MacLeod’s stuff, but this one was a little different. Action packed, definitely, but raised some interesting (and difficult!) questions about identity. For a one-off world, it’s remarkably deep. I’d like to see him write more novels in that universe.
Sounds like you’re pretty much done with Remnats – does that mean the Shep scene you’ve been fighting over with your fellow writers is still in the script?
I just had to comment about the pugs. Pugs are a great dog to have, but they are also prone to illnesses. I had my pug for 11 years. She passed away this past Saturday. When she was a puppy, she had hip displaysia. That usually goes away, but not always. It did for her. Many pugs have breathing problems. While it can be annoying, it doesn’t cause problems. Usually. If they need surgery, that’s when there is a problem. Because of the breathing issues, pugs don’t always wake up. And it turns out there is a problem vets are seeing more often in regards to pugs at advanced ages. They seem to develope a cist in their spines that collects the spinal fluid, making them looses mobility, and eventually die. That is what my Princess had. Surgery fixed the cist, but her little heart couldn’t take the surgery, being put to sleep, and then the stress of not being able to walk. So if anyone is thinking about a pug, be careful in that decision. They are one of the greatest dogs on earth, IMO, but they have a lot of problems as well. Little kids will get attached, and they might still be too young if the pug does get some of the problems.
Although, they are breeding pugs to be taller and have longer snouts, which will help quite a bit, I think.
Someone else mentioned NaNoWriMo. I love it!!!! I did it last November, and it was great!!! I did’t finish my story, but that’s because finals are evil! I think anyone with time that loves to write should do it. And you can meet people from your area that love to write.
You were talking about fan responses before. I get the differences between focus groups and forums, but which do you think is more acurate? I know GateWorld has hundreds, even thousands of people that are pro this/anti that, and I would think that would be more telling about what is popular. And would you put much stock in mailing campaigns? I mean, would you, if you agreed with the campaign/petition/etc, would you try to go along with the campaign?
[About the s5 promo]
As JM said many times, he has nothing to do with them. If he had, we wouldn’t have seen Carson in that promo from The Kindred I in s4…
I doubt Sci Fi has put those Elizabeth tidbits thinking they’d get more viewers.
Firstly, the second half of s4 had the highest number of viewers since s2, so I don’t see any reason why they would think they’ll need to trick the audience into thinking she’s back, when the show is getting more viewers than before (and I liked Elizabeth a lot, this is not meant as anti-Weir or nothing like that).
Secondly, Sci Fi stated in their s5 press release that Torri Higginson wouldn’t be coming back. If they wanted to trick the audience into thinking Elizabeth is back, why would they clearly say Torri isn’t coming back in a public release? They certainly wouldn’t have saying anything about Torri in that in the public release if that was the case.
And thirdly, I think some fans are reading too much into that promo. The people who make these promo for TV shows and movies are doing their jobs, making promos of shows/movies they’ve never watched. The persons who made this one probably don’t have any idea about even the name of the characters and actors, much less who is in this season and who’s not. They probably included those clips because they thought that line looked cool (The Long Goodbye) and two characters running under fire looked cool too (This Mortal Coil).
And about the prophet thing… once again, I think fans are reading too much into it. After all, didn’t they mention “replicators” when advertising Carson’s return? Everybody went “OMG, he’s a replicator” and it turned out that it had nothing to do with replicators.
SQUEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!!!!!!!!
The chance to get to see Daniel again if there is a season 6 of “Atlantis”………….
((((((THANK YOU))))))
dff
@mazeykins:
Look what ya started! It’s a battle of the brains! 😆
So I took the test and my results were:
Left Brain: 46%
Right Brain: 54%
Who knew? Although it’s certainly not a landslide. I’m right handed so I always assumed, ya know, left brained. But I am very artistic/creative, etc. All my *dream* jobs include something creative. Although when I was young I wanted to be a vet VERY badly. Then I had to disect a starfish. Um, yeah, that was disgusting. Vet dreams went up in smoke on that dreaded day. 😛
Anyway, thanks for the interesting test.
As for white hairs? Oh puhlease! I’m sorry but I was 13 when I found my first gray hair. My mom and older sisters were all gray by their early 30s.
I’ve heard going gray early can be a sign of osteoporosis which does run in my family. Lucky me! Even my grandfather had it. So I eat calcium like it’s chocolate.
I suggest you look into the osteoporosis factor. And then if you are at risk, start doing those things that help prevent or slow down getting it. And for the gray (or white hair) I suggest you dye them. That’s what the women in my familly do. Works like a charm. No one’s the wiser. 😉
Ok. That’s my two cents. Good luck!
Trish
Hey Joe!
I just wanted to post to thank you for meeting Cheeky and me last week. I had a wonderful time, and after witnessing the professionalism, dedication and enthusiasm all involved with SGA have for the show, I love the SGA even more than before…is that even possible? It was such a thrill for me to see the sets, chat to directors, crew, actors and, yes, even Executive Producers who steal my wallet! 😉
On a different subject…it’s been made very clear that SciFi do their own promos – hence the incorrect spelling of Sheppard and Ronon previously, and it seems to me, some random guy puts together old clips with the odd new one and doesn’t even watch the show, let alone know who the current regular characters are, or what the future storylines may involve. The new SuperFan promo vids are so good that they put SciFi’s one’s to shame, IMO.
Anyway, thanks again for making the time to meet me ( and Cheeky). I’m still pinching myself to actually remind myself I didn’t dream everything! 🙂
Did that right/left brain thing – it was fairly accurate (I’m left-handed, so the dominant right-brain thing is correct).
Left Brain – 45%
Right Brain – 55%
“You are more right-brained than left-brained. The right side of your brain controls the left side of your body. In addition to being known as right-brained, you are also known as a creative thinker who uses feeling and intuition to gather information. You retain this information through the use of images and patterns. You are able to visualize the “whole” picture first, and then work backwards to put the pieces together to create the “whole” picture. Your thought process can appear quite illogical and meandering. The problem-solving techniques that you use involve free association, which is often very innovative and creative. The routes taken to arrive at your conclusions are completely opposite to what a left-brained person would be accustomed. You probably find it easy to express yourself using art, dance, or music. Some occupations usually held by a right-brained person are forest ranger, athlete, beautician, actor/actress, craftsman, and artist.
This was pretty close, except I’m a bookkeeper/office manager – which my high school aptitude test said I should NOT be. 🙄 WHY didn’t I listen!?! My dream was to be an archaeologist, but I had no desire to further my education in a structured environment – I hated school that much. So, instead, I dig through local fields and find arrowheads and bottles and bones and stuff. Works for me! Of course, it would work a hellava lot better if I’d find something I could actually use, like…gold…or, better yet – OIL. 😆
The closest thing I’ve been able to get to ‘forest ranger’ is my love for gardening, animals, and camping. So, maybe that counts. I am an artist, just not a very good one. I’ve dabbled with model shipbuilding (but it’s hard to find the time – only completed one model so far, a wee little gun deck). I am a ‘craftsman’, of sorts – I do stained glass, leatherwork, and some woodworking, but limited to refinishing, and ship maintenance. I am now a pro on that palm sander! And the things I can do with a little pine tar and oakum… *wriggles eyebrows*
I can’t sing or dance or really play an instrument. However, I have a house full of musical instruments, including a didgeridoo, dulcimer, bodhran, and djembe (and a bagpipe practice chanter – not sure that counts). I can ‘play’ them all – you just don’t wanna be within listening distance when I do. I can just hear Steve now…”You play your djembe poorly, ‘Danger.” 😛
Your Left Brain Percentages
37% Linear (Your most dominant characteristic)
34% Logical
25% Symbolic
22% Sequential
20% Reality-based
14% Verbal (Your least dominant characteristic)
Your Right Brain Percentages
46% Concrete (Your most dominant characteristic)
45% Random
44% Nonverbal
29% Intuitive
29% Fantasy-oriented
6% Holistic (Your least dominant characteristic)
The only thing I disagree with there is the ‘holistic’ part. It says I am not the sort to ask ‘why’ – but that’s not true – I am VERY much the sort who asks ‘why’. I need a reason to know why I’m doing something so that the NEXT time, I don’t have to ask ‘why’, but can just do it automatically, fully understanding the mechanics of what I’m doing, and what the results would be. Oh, and I do talk a lot, but only when I’m overly excited or really nervous. But otherwise, I am kinda quiet (just not in public…or…on-line… )
Thanks for that link, mazeykins – can’t wait for my husband to try it – he’s so much different from me. A real loyal, dependable guy who’s always on time and a true man of his word. He’s ‘Cyclops’ to my…uh…’Deadpool’. 😕 My husband says I keep life interesting because he never knows what woman he’s going to get from day to day. I *think* he means that as a compliment…
As far as white hair – I’m just now getting them, since hitting 40, I suppose. Didn’t have any until a few years ago, and my dad – who’s nearly 80 – still has a pretty dark head of hair. So guess that means I’ll never have those long beautiful Wraithy locks I love so much. 🙁
Ack!! Yes, yes! It IS all about me… (sorry). 😳
das
While SGA is in Production I often wondered if the actors and actresses on the show are allowed to do Guest Roles on other shows? and Can the Writers on SGA write for other shows or are they not allowed to do so?
Hugs
Fran
The Special Effects are awesome on the show. I just love the effects they are so cool. How many people work on these Effects and Where can one write to these brilliant people to tell them they do an awesome job?
Hugs
Fran
We didn’t see much of Mitch Pileggi in Season 4, are we going to see more of him in Season 5?
Yay for the thought of more Daniel on SGA!
I watched Morpheus for the first time last night and I absolutely LOVED it!! I noticed you and Paul wrote it, so I must ask…who came up with one of my absolute favorite line of the whole series?!?!
Vala: “Question 2… you are in the desert…you see a tortoise lying on his back, in the hot sun…”
*Landry leaves*
Vala: “you recognize his plight but do nothing to help…why? …hmmm…why… ”
*realizing*
Vala: “because…you are also a tortoise.”
I laughed and laughed and laughed!
Absolute brilliance!!! 😀
Forgive if I babble. I’m still taking the really good pain killers from my surgery.
I read Ragamuffin awhile back. To me the story didn’t flow very well; the plot didn’t unfold smoothly. I couldn’t get into any of the characters. It was one of those books I had to force myself to finish.
I would personally put it on my back, back, back burner for reading.
@ Laura Dove – I couldn’t agree with you more. You have expressed many of the same things I have regarding Todd, and his relationship with humans (as well as Wraith/human interaction in general). And I’m not a fan of vampires! (loving The Queen of the Damned soundtrack doesn’t count, since I never saw the movie… 😀 )
My last post was way too long, so gonna make this quick. I Love the concept of the Lanteans/Terrans (whatever we’re supposed to call them) coming to the realization that Wraith need people for food, and not because they’re horrible monsters who just take delight in human suffering. Adopting a ‘live and let live’ policy would be interesting, but hard to do since the Wraith will still need to feed in order to survive.
I’ve been thinking about this (yes, a wee bit TOO much) and came to the realization that I 1. never want to see the Wraith stop feeding on humans, and 2. want to see some sort of evolution in this process so that it can become mutually beneficial.
Call me sick, but I just keep thinking about blood-sucking insects and how interesting their relationship is to their host, especially the whole ‘they need us, we don’t need them’ thing. But what if we DID need blood-sucking insects – a sort of gradual blood-letting that actually benefits us (lowers blood pressure, reduces high iron levels which can lead to clots and heart attacks, etc)? Of course, right now we don’t need them and they give us diseases, so we find all sorts of ways to rid our lives of them, whether tick, flea or mosquito. Just saying ‘what IF’ we discovered they were actually useful??
So, been applying this ‘logic’ to the Wraith. First, the Wraith have been called parasites, but – technically – that isn’t true. A parasite (as a rule) is “an animal or plant that lives in or on a host, obtaining nourishment from the host without benefiting or killing the host.”
But the Wraith do kill their ‘host’. This isn’t a great relationship for humans. Also, as far as we know – humans don’t need the Wraith anymore than a dog needs fleas. But what if that changed? What if it was discovered that a Wraith ‘taking a little’ was actually a benefit to its human host? And what if a way was found for Wraith to feed on humans, but not kill them or permanently harm/age them? Of course, humans don’t miraculously heal…but there IS that Wraith enzyme. Certainly the Wraith – little mad scientists that they are – could discover a way to tweak that enzyme so that it not only makes their host stronger, but helps them fully regenerate from a light feeding (emphasis on the ‘light’). Total feedings would be the same (and any feeding would still feel the same), but a little life-sustaining suck here or there would cause no permanent damage to the host.
What would the humans get in return? Well, there’s that handy dandy gift of life (though not sure if that can heal a person from anything, or JUST restore stolen life force). It could also be discovered that a light Wraith feeding – with the enhanced enzyme – gives humans a little of that superstrength without turning them into drug-addled Fords. Other benes would be access to Wraith tech and science, their agreement to refrain from complete feedings/cullings, their support in alliances against greater enemies, and – hopefully – an exchange of hair care tips. (Just throwing that in to see if anyone actually reads this crap. 😉 )
I suppose the reason I’m intrigued by something like this is because I’ve always loved stories where two people (or an animal/human) are mutually reliant on one another for survival. Imagine going into battle with your Wraith ally – you need to keep him alive because he can heal you – he needs to keep you alive because you’re his MRE. You’d still hate him because feedings hurt like hell, and he’d still look down his green nose at you because you’re food that talks back. But in the end, you both need each other because it’s not just for you two, but for the greater good of all.
(Of course, with a tv show such as SGA, the easiest thing to do is just get rid of the Wraith (or totally ‘cure’ their need to feed) and problem solved – a lot ‘safer’ that way with the audiences. But I prefer the complexity of a sacrificing human/feeding Wraith relationship, though it is probably too self-indulgent a wish, and best left to the story in my head)
I’m also on the same page as you about romance and Todd, even the Wraith in general. I mentioned Keller in a joke, but – honestly – the Wraith are just perfect as life-sucking eunuchs, delighting in the debauched pleasures of feeding without the slightest interest in whatever it is they keep zipped up in those snazzy leather pants of theirs. In general, I’m not a fan of romance in the shows I watch – much more a fan of the exploration of camaraderies and friendships – both those forced upon people due to circumstances, and those purposely sought out.
Yup. That turned out to be longer than I intended, too. Sorry again.
😛
das
Will the Wraith and the Replicators merge to form the Wraithlicators and robot dance and life suck their way to victory?” Answer: Sure. We’ll be looking for a dance choreographer. You busy?
Oh, oh! Pick me! I’m free!
The round dessert and pork buns are very strange looking. Are they jellied to make them stay in that form?
I’m familiar with Farenheit 451. I actually once won an state academic contest by answering a question regarding that book. *cue applause* lol It’s pretty good. And once you read it, you should check out Equilibrium with Christian Bale. Very similar ideas. (And Equilibrium is similar to The Matrix…though I liked it better than Matrix.)
a friendly warning to all who want to read the captions for the pictures
my semi-computer geek brother says IE is “an unsecure piece of sh**. Those captions are not included in Firefox because they’re unsecure. To see them, right-click the picture and choose properties, then look for alt text.”
Hi, Joe!
SciFi.com has a Stargate Atlantis season 5 cast graphic.
http://www.scifi.com/
I also have it at my blog:
http://morjana-subductionleadstoorogeny.blogspot.com/2008/06/stargate-atlantis-scifi-channel-new.html
For those fans who may be unable to access the SciFi.com site.
Best wishes, Morjana
Joe you said Outsiders is episode 14, is this correct? I thought it’s episode 13 followed by Prodigal (14) and Remnants (15). thanks
to KIM My condolences on the passing of your pug. It’s never easy losing a pet. 🙁
eddy
I saw the sci-fi channel preview….Rodney delivering Teyla’s baby, that should be interesting 😀
What is Carl eating while making that sour face in the 6th photo?
Forget it, I see the caption says red bean soup. The captions don’t always come up for me for some reason.
Old clips including Weir by sci fi for the upcoming season might be related to only one ep being fully completed?
Hard to say “This season on Stargate Atlantis” cut to Joe holding a script in his office “oh, um, can you come back in a little bit?”
And to those having a dig about the promo’s. Put it in perspective… at least you are getting season 5! Sci fi in aus is promoting the new season about to air which is season 3.
By the way, why would the left brain/right brain test list skating judge as a potential career for me? Of all careers? And a career revolving around ice… In Australia… That’s just mean. A true calling never to be fulfilled. Sigh. Dejection.
Apparently I am 20% fantasy based and 27% reality based. What the hell am I doing the other 53% of the time? No brain function at all? Now that I think about that it’s more than probable.
Sorry to post again Joe.
Forgot to say…
Shiningwit All the best for your daughter’s upcoming wedding. The memories of the craziness are still fresh in my mind from our wedding … and the overwhelming desire to kick some people in the shins.
Even those so called “simple” weddings cause pain. As soon as the guest list extends past:
1. Bride
2. Groom; it becomes complicated.
Good Luck! Loved your sunrise pics too.
Kim Sorry to hear about your pug 🙁
Hey Joe,
You should make us your own exlcusive (and accurate) season 5 promo.
By the way, are there certain blogs you check out every day like we follow yours?
@dasNdanger – Seems we are quite same-minded. 🙂 I’ll add I’m not a fan of Anne Rice but of vampires in general, because they have so much potential. With vampires, you can raise a lot of highly interesting questions: About good and evil and all intermediates, about nature/instinct/physical needs versus intelligence/ethics/willpower, about how we humans behave with “lesser beings”, about difference and how we can learn to know and even appreciate opposite people, about tolerance and compromises…
So far, I have found hints of all this in Stargate Atlantis, except that the characters themselves didn’t seem to notice. I await with great impatience the moment when they will be forced to admit that they are no better than the wraith. (Remember what Todd said, dear John Sheppard: Humans and wraith are more similar that you would like to believe.) I hope that future seasons will not just waste this wonderful potential. I love exploration and action but these questions really add a depth to the show.
I like your idea of finding a way for humans to completely heal from a light drain, and even gain a benefit from it despite the unbearable pain. Wraith going from predators to parasites to symbionts, yay! I don’t wish the “gift of life” to become too common, however; but I like the idea of an enhanced wraith enzyme that has additional benefits for the human, such as giving temporary strength or even regeneration. (And I agree for a lesson on how to get beautiful long silky hair. 😉 )
The interesting part is that even with such ways to improve wraith-human relationships, some/most wraith would still refuse them. After all, they share with the Ancients (and the Atlantis team, if I may add) a bad case of a superiority complex. Why refrain from completely draining people when there are billions of humans available on Earth? But some of them (Todd!) could be clever enough to know that humans are too dangerous a prey, and thus accept the compromise. Todd wants to regain his lost power on the other hives? Excellent, Atlantis could help… and gain personal enemies among other wraith. Lots of great stories to tell (hint hint! 😉 )
I’ve got my treasure trove from Amazon today as well, containing the two books I ordered following your previous list of reading–CONSIDER PHLEBAS and OPHIUCHI HOTLINE.
I happen to have in the pile of books also Ian Banks’ MATTER, his newest. I haven’t read it yet, but it was highly recommended.
I haven’t read any of the ones you mention, although I’ve heard of a couple. On the other hand, I have a terrible memory for authors. So…
Another thing–the way I worded my statement about SG-1 in my last post (and the first one on your blog–way to go, AR!) was really off. So, I am here to correct and apologize–When the series was running, I was too busy to watch any TV, nor was I too much into series on TV because it drives me nuts to wait from week to week. (Which of course, I’ll now be doing with Season 5 of SGA!. That’s cruel and unusual punishment for someone like me) What happened, because I couldn’t follow it from week to week, I didn’t have a chance to be captured by it. That’s what I meant by it ‘didn’t grab’ me. Stargate Atlantis I got on DVD, and watched the whole thing, as I said, in one gulp, so I got ‘captured’ before I knew it. 🙂 Haven’t had the time to go back to SG-1 and start watching it on DVD. Sigh…
NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO! Please say it’s NOT true. I watch the Scifi ad which goes “A prophet is born.” Puh-lease tell us that Teyla’s baby is not going to be some Miracle-Gro kid.
thanks for the pictures,always enjoy them.
I’m now counting four dance choreographers that need to be added to the SGA payroll and I’ll send through my bank account details shortly. I think we’re going to need more offices, a PA and a coffee machine.
I think the idea of a baby as a prophet is a fab idea. You could shake it like a magic eight ball – if it gurgles things are looking up, if it vomits everywhere shaker beware.
@ Laura Dove – I like how you put it – “About good and evil and all intermediates, about nature/instinct/physical needs versus intelligence/ethics/willpower, about how we humans behave with “lesser beings”, about difference and how we can learn to know and even appreciate opposite people, about tolerance and compromises…”
And I absolutely agree. First, no entire race or species can be wholly ‘evil’. You will always have individuals who choose to do good, others who choose bad, and the majority stuck somewhere in the middle. There are so many possibilities with the Wraith/human relationship because their need to feed is not ‘evil’ in and of itself – THAT is just a complication. It’s how they use it (and use their overall power) that can reflect the level of goodness, or badness, in the individual. I don’t see the Condemned Wraith as evil…he was more like a slippery used car salesman. Not evil – just smart. Steve wasn’t evil at all – just arrogant and self-absorbed (and quite beautiful 😉 ). Bob was just doing his duty as part of a military offensive. But Superwraith – the one who beat the snot out of Ronon – he was a bad’un, as well as the Allies Queen. But most of the other Wraith we’ve seen – even The Defiant One – were only trying to survive…eat so they can keep on living. I can’t condemn them for that (though probably most viewers can).
I also agree that if any alternative was found so that Wraith and human could coexist, the majority would refuse it, arrogant things that they are (the only thing that saves them from being as intolerable as the Ancients is their dry humor, and their stunning good looks 🙂 ). And even the ones who accept it could never be totally trusted, no more than you can totally trust your trained tiger. But that’s what I want – I want to keep the edge, while opening the characters up for greater possibilities beside their already done-to-death role as clay pigeons.
As far as using the gift of life too much – I agree. Actually, I hate to see anything overused/overdone. Like the ‘mutual benefit’ example I gave – you couldn’t show feeding scenes in every episode, it would lose its impact and become annoying. But little hints of it now and then – comments slipped in so that you know what’s going on when the cameras aren’t rolling, so to speak. The power of suggestion is often much stronger than constantly showing the details…but again, not even hints all the time, but only when it will have its greatest affect.
If you’d like to, join us over on Gateworld, in the Wraith Defenders Club thread – we discuss things like this all the time (we also get goofy and gush over them, too, just like the grown-ups that we are…), and it might be better to move this discussion off of JM’s blog so we don’t bog it down. Here’s the link:
http://forum.gateworld.net/showthread.php?t=37661&page=494
Also, a thread dealing with the humans being more Wraith-like than the Wraith:
http://forum.gateworld.net/showthread.php?t=52366
Hope to see you there!
das
Lt.Col.Errandboy writes: “Noooo!! Don’t cancel September!! […] Cancel October if you must.”
Answer: No can do. My birthday is in October. Sorry.
Can we cancel the rest of June? PLEASE? Work’s driving me batty, and I want my vacation coming up in July! Ooh, or maybe send me that time machine jumper?
I know I’m behind so this will probably be ignored, but I thought I saw Jack McDevitt’s Odyssey in your book pile. It’s a great book. Have you read it yet, or the rest of that series? If you did, did you like them?
There are some great classic sci-fi authors in that pile; I’ve read all of them except Jeff Carlson. _Plague Year_ sounds interesting. I remember reading William Sleator’s _House of Stairs_ in middle school–it’s a very memorable book and would inspire a fascinating episode of SGA.
I’m looking forward to your talk with Kage Baker–one of my favorite authors of recent years. I’ve read all her Company novels. I remember when I first discovered her via _In the Garden of Iden_–I was just blown away by that novel. Mendoza is an amazing character; she reminds me of Joanna Russ’ Alyx in _Picnic on Paradise_ and _The Adventures of Alyx_, another tough and tortured time-traveler. They are two of the best female characters in science-fiction, or just fiction, for that matter. Smilla in _Smilla’s Sense of Snow_ is my vote for the best in all of ficton.