Tourtière made with pork shoulder & Cretons + Ketchup Maison. Tourtère was moist and delicious with a light flaky crust – Ketchup Maison was slightly spicy/sweet, delicious enough to be eaten by the spoonful.Mackerel Omelette with Brisket. I love the fish tail sticking out – other tables also had the head sticking out (so what happened to our fish’s head?)Corn-Fed Chicken, Rabbit Royale (stuffed and rolled with it’s innards), Sliced Duck Breast, Quali Leg Confit… atop Aged Chedder Polenta & Baked Beans
Maple Sugar Pie. Not as sweet and dense as most. Kind of custard-like texture in the middle
Banana Split – Maple Ice Cream, Bananas, Sponge Toffee, Caramelized Peanuts, Marshmallow – topped with Maple Syrup Cotton Candy. Simply amazing.
I was home today where I managed to finish up a couple of kino scenes and that last pesky interludee before the big climactic blow-out that concludes my short story. If all goes well (which it rarely ever does) I can have a completed first draft by month’s end.
In an effort to make my home more secure, I brought in an ironworks specialist to look the place over and give me an estimate on some tasteful grill and gate creations. While it would admittedly be easier to simply drop a giant birdcage over the whole place and have done with it, people tell me this is not a viable option. Of course, these are the same people who told me I couldn’t electrify the fence or paint the doorknobs with a highly corrosive substance. So, really, what do they know?
While surfing the web today, I came across a restaurant review of a local restaurant. What was interesting was not so much the review (which, truth be told, wasn’t interesting at all) but some of the comments it engendered, particularly with regard to the food critics ordering of foie gras. One outraged individual wrote: “My diet this week included eating fresh Halibut and Alaskan King Crab…[…] I would not touch food from a kitchen that serves fois gras, as I believe it is the product of torture.” To which I responded: “Well then enjoy that crab, you hypocritical sadist you: http://www.livescience.com/animals/090327-crabs-feel-pain.html ”. For a less hysterical, more levelheaded take on the touchy subject, check out: http://www.incanto.biz/letters_-_shock_and_foie.html.
Speaking of which – my hometown of Montreal is foie central and my sister recently attended a Cabane a Sucre Au Pied de Cochon (basically a sugar shack hosted by the restaurant). She sent me pictures to show me what I’d missed (and to really rub it in). Check them out above along with her accompanying commentary.
Hey, here’s something interesting. Following the season finale of HBO’s Big Love, some members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints complained that the episode showed a secret Mormon ritual. Ironically, by complaining about the show, they drew attention to said ritual and, as a result, cast far more light on it than its initial depiction on Big Love. On the other hand, following a recent South Par episode in which the gang mercilessly mocked the Jonas Brothers, Disney, and Mickey Mouse in particular, the notoriously litigious Disney Company remained surprisingly silent about the whole affair, thereby not drawing further attention to the episode. Which brings me to a recent SFSignal link to a story concerning a Massachusett’s Superior Court judge dismissing a lawsuit filed by something called the Literary Agency Group against the Writers Beware website for alleged defamation. Intrigued, I checked out the Writers Beware website and learned that it’s a publishing industry watchdog group sponsored by Science Fiction & Fantasy Writers of America (SFWA) that “conducts a variety of activities revolving around the effort to raise awareness of the prevalence of literary fraud.” All you up and coming writers would be well-served by checking them out yourselves: http://www.sfwa.org/beware/
Well, that’s it for me today. Aside from that weird shooting pain I keep experiencing behind my left ear at the base of my skull. As is often the case when I experience mystery pain, I’m assuming it’s the result of something I either pulled, twisted, or aggravated while working out.
Today’s blog entry is dedicated to our friends in North Dakota dealing with the Red River threat.
Hi Joe,
I enjoy the food pictures and reviews so much!
I have a question. When you go to a restaurant, do you take a little notebook with you so you can write down exactly what it is we are seeing in the pictures you show us?
I am trying to do little journal entries online when I go out to a nice place, but by the time I get home I forget exactly what we have all ordered and can only give a general description of what the dish is!
Take care!
As for the head ache I get them in the same spot and they get bad. My doc says they are tension head aches. With all that has been going on at the house and deadlines with work and short story that might be what you have. May I suggest that you take some me time for yourself. You seem to have been pushing your self hard lately.
“You’d also need to invest in some suits of the three-piece variety, ties, and animal-themed cufflinks.”
(your reply to: “I’ve had over 1000 visitors to my blog. I’m no Joseph Mallozzi, but I bet I could be if I ran sci-fi show, ate a lot of exotic food, and had scary, yet adorable puppies to show off. In fact, if that were the case, I would in fact be Joseph Mallozzi.”)
I have a whopping collection of 2 ties. That wasn’t a typo. And I don’t even like one of them! Luckily, the golden yellow one with subtle diagonal line pattern looks sharp with pretty much any shirt I own. Will get back to you when I start a three-piece suit collection.
I guess while I’m here, I should think up Stargate-related question.
Since the Destiny wasn’t really meant to be inhabited (I recall hearing that at some point, so I’ll be disappointed if the crew finds a spa & sauna deck), will be technologically savvy of the bunch be often mcgyvering useful items and tools out of materials found on board?
Can they build a waffle maker out of ion flow regulator components and some deck plating? Space waffles are the best breakfast, after all.
Tonight I was watching “Diners, Drive-Ins, and Dives” on the Food Network. That is the kind of places I love to eat at. Joe would you ever consider trying some of those restaurants?
Joe have you ever thought about one night doing a video blog? Including a Mailbag, of course. That way we could see your facial expressions as you read and answer our questions. I think it/you would be cute!
Gotta go! SGA’s “Runner” is on SyFy right now! Arguably (when I’m arguing with myself) my favorite SGA episode of all time because of it being Ronon’s introduction.
Jeez, I swear my arteries are hardening and my teeth rotting just from looking at the pictures! That last one looks amazing, but I think I’d induce diabetes in myself by trying to eat it. There is such a thing as too much sweet!
For a less hysterical, more levelheaded take on the touchy subject, check out
Less hysterical, but not very well reasoned. I could drive a truck through the holes in the arguments. But then, I might end up as one of those vehicular deaths they mentioned (and what was that particular argument all about!? Misdirection much?)
I just saw some photos of the flooding in Fargo – pretty freaky stuff! And here we are in drought …
Because of my innate (some would say inane) pessimism, I haven’t let myself believe that I’m actually going to make it to Vancouver next week. Until now. I think, against all odds, it’s going to happen and I’m pretty excited about it. I look forward to reliving the glory days of Atlantis and checking out some of your restaurant recs.
Cross your fingers for me that I manage to avoid the marauding bands of cut throats and make it out alive on Monday.
In the interests of your home security I took the liberty of doing a bit of surfing on my own and stumbled across some interesting websites. Perhaps they might give you ideas:
Includes the silohome which is a converted missile silo. Only a cool $18million.
Also includes the world’s most secure front door made by a Colombian company (I’m not touching that). It can apparently withstand Magnum rounds being fired into it.
It got me thinking do we even know the most secure building in the world? Is it a well-known building or a secret facility? Used to be we’d all say something was as safe as Fort Knox. Perhaps there’s something more secure. What does everyone think?
Cheers, Chev
(still recovering from the end of the DVD contest…bit tired)
Had the same prob last week but on my right side…
Use a bit of muscle rub stuff [I use Ortho-gel roll-on – talk to BamBam, I’m sure he must have “something” to do the trick!] around the area, have Fondy massage it, and take half an aspirin [real ASA!]… If it persists more than a few days or there’s really sharp pain and/or nausea — SEE A DOCTOR!!
Take your pick: pulled muscle and/or pinch OR a silly little bloodclot waiting to stroke you out!
Here in the South we have something called Chocolate Chess Pie. I wonder if it’s a cousin of Maple Sugar pie.
There’s also a nasty concoction called Chess Pie which is just a sugar version of Chocolate Chess Pie. Without chocolate, though, it’s a paler representation in more ways than the literal.
Jeez I thought I’d missed a day, seems my computer got a little ahead of itself and thought it was Sunday, i didn’t think computers could catch senility.
Ok so what is Kino and why is it popular all of a sudden. I swear someone gets paid far too much for sitting in a darkened room somewhere dreaming this crap up!
Maple sugar pie? Maple ice cream topped with maple cotton candy? Hell, I’m emigrating!
Off-tangent ramble: I live in Utah. I was raised a Mormon, but had my horns clipped at 18. 16? 14? Comes of living overseas or in San Francisco, I suppose; I’m really a Californian who got transplanted to Zion. Twice. Anyway, watching Big Love is just annoying, as the real polygamists are scary and sad. However I was cheering on the “secret rituals on TV” concept. All I ever got to do was baptisms for the dead as a teen. Yeah, that was fun… NOT. full immersion for each name of a deceased ancestor on the list. what hokum. As for the show, there’s nothing like an ex-mo for sharing the secrets or engaging in anti-Mormon parodies. Some energetic ex-mos built a replica temple at Burning Man one year, pranced around in the funny super-secret underwear practicing fake endowments. I especially enjoyed Angel Moroni in golden ass-pants (chaps) blowing his own horn.
As for your headache, sounds like the right locality for an aderall headache, if that’s your scene. Otherwise, I’d say you’re tuned in okay, you just need to get Jerry to pull the high end out, on account of your still getting some hiss back here.
Thank you so much, Joe, for remembering us in the Red River Valley fighting the Red and fighting water all over the state. The community effort has been overwhelming. Day and night people are filling sandbags, building and reinforcing dikes, helping neighbors. If we lose the fight with the river we won’t lose the community. My home is safe for the moment but the medical center where I work is closed down and the patients have all been moved. No small feat for a medical center that the largest between Billings, Montana and Minneapolis.
Thank you again….it’s so touching that you would show your support by dedicating the blog for today to remembering us.
“While it would admittedly be easier to simply drop a giant birdcage over the whole place and have done with it…”
That would have stymied the roof thief. 🙂
Don’t forget him Joe. He’s the guy with the van called ‘Excellent Roof Repairs’. He (and accomplices) wait until you’re at work and then blatantly park in your driveway, remove the ladder and go through the roof.
Anybody seeing them merely think you are having your roof repaired, after all the poor man on the roof is really struggling to hand those old tiles down to the man waiting below.
That looks positively gross. Then again, right now pretty much any food other than salad looks gross to me, so nevermind me.
I discovered something fancy about one of the local supermarket chains. They’ve got a website where they detail which of their products contains what fish, and how this fish is caught/farmed and what the exact environmental impact is of this. Apparently, the impact of shrimp, which I’m allergic to, is huge, where as the impact of my favourite fish sort (I’m not sure of the name here) is minimal as the wild population is more than ample, compared to how much of it is caught… I guess that’s the only time it’s good news that nobody I know likes the taste of it.
In comparing the “Big Love” response from Mormons and the response of the Disney company to South Park, you were comparing apples and oranges. What “some Mormons” did was not the official church response:
“The Publicity Dilemma
SALT LAKE CITY 9 March 2009 Like other large faith groups, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints sometimes finds itself on the receiving end of attention from Hollywood or Broadway, television series or books, and the news media. Sometimes depictions of the Church and its people are quite accurate. Sometimes the images are false or play to stereotypes. Occasionally, they are in appallingly bad taste.
As Catholics, Jews and Muslims have known for centuries, such attention is inevitable once an institution or faith group reaches a size or prominence sufficient to attract notice. Yet Latter-day Saints – sometimes known as Mormons – still wonder whether and how they should respond when news or entertainment media insensitively trivialize or misrepresent sacred beliefs or practices.
Church members are about to face that question again. Before the first season of the HBO series Big Love aired more than two years ago, the show’s creators and HBO executives assured the Church that the series wouldn’t be about Mormons. However, Internet references to Big Love indicate that more and more Mormon themes are now being woven into the show and that the characters are often unsympathetic figures who come across as narrow and self-righteous. And according to TV Guide, it now seems the show’s writers are to depict what they understand to be sacred temple ceremonies.
Certainly Church members are offended when their most sacred practices are misrepresented or presented without context or understanding. Last week some Church members began e-mail chains calling for cancellations of subscriptions to AOL, which, like HBO, is owned by Time Warner. Certainly such a boycott by hundreds of thousands of computer-savvy Latter-day Saints could have an economic impact on the company. Individual Latter-day Saints have the right to take such actions if they choose.
The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints as an institution does not call for boycotts. Such a step would simply generate the kind of controversy that the media loves and in the end would increase audiences for the series. As Elder M. Russell Ballard and Elder Robert D. Hales of the Council of the Twelve Apostles have both said recently, when expressing themselves in the public arena, Latter-day Saints should conduct themselves with dignity and thoughtfulness.
Not only is this the model that Jesus Christ taught and demonstrated in his own life, but it also reflects the reality of the strength and maturity of Church members today. As someone recently said, “This isn’t 1830, and there aren’t just six of us anymore.” In other words, with a global membership of thirteen and a half million there is no need to feel defensive when the Church is moving forward so rapidly. The Church’s strength is in its faithful members in 170-plus countries, and there is no evidence that extreme misrepresentations in the media that appeal only to a narrow audience have any long-term negative effect on the Church.
Examples:
During the Mitt Romney election campaign for the presidency of the United States, commentator Lawrence O’Donnell hurled abuse at the Church in a television moment that became known among many Church members as “the O’Donnell rant.” Today, his statements are remembered only as a testament to intolerance and ignorance. They had no effect on the Church that can be measured.
When the comedy writers for South Park produced a gross portrayal of Church history, individual Church members no doubt felt uncomfortable. But once again it inflicted no perceptible or lasting damage to a church that is growing by at least a quarter of a million new members every year.
When an independent film company produced a grossly distorted version of the Mountain Meadows Massacre two years ago, the Church ignored it. Perhaps partly as a result of that refusal to engender the controversy that the producers hoped for, the movie flopped at the box office and lost millions.
In recent months, some gay activists have barraged the media with accusations about “hateful” attitudes of Latter-day Saints in supporting Proposition 8 in California, which maintained the traditional definition of marriage. They even organized a protest march around the Salt Lake Temple. Again, the Church has refused to be goaded into a Mormons versus gays battle and has simply stated its position in tones that are reasonable and respectful. Meanwhile, missionary work and Church members in California remain as robust and vibrant as ever, and support for the Church has come from many unexpected quarters — including some former critics and other churches.
Now comes another series of Big Love, and despite earlier assurances from HBO it once again blurs the distinctions between The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and the show’s fictional non-Mormon characters and their practices. Such things say much more about the insensitivities of writers, producers and TV executives than they say about Latter-day Saints.
If the Church allowed critics and opponents to choose the ground on which its battles are fought, it would risk being distracted from the focus and mission it has pursued successfully for nearly 180 years. Instead, the Church itself will determine its own course as it continues to preach the restored gospel of Jesus Christ throughout the world. ”
My response:
While Mormon’s are often portrayed as “zombie-like” a basic tenet of our faith is “free will”. (Which, were the Stargate story real, would mean we would be among the freedom fighters getting our collective behinds kicked by the Ori until SG-1 saved the day …. ;-)) Individual members could and should do what they consider to be ethical in such situations.
Unfortunately, in this case, it provided the free publicity that Big Love was undoubtedly hoping they would receive.
That’s very awesome of you to dedicate your blog to the people up in North Dakota. I’m down in Sioux Falls, SD (South Eastern SoDak) and luckily we haven’t had the crazy flooding they’ve had up north. It’s that last blizzard that did them in…stupid snow.
wow, seriously foie gras is all based around force feeding fowl to enlarge their liver??
I have never eaten or known what foie gras is, mostly because I can’t pronounce it to order. But come on, after all the debate about I have read here, that is nothing. I thought it was going to be about something worse than that. Off the top of my head I can think of, boiling crabs, prawns, and lobsters alive. Fish still wiggling on someones plate after being cut open and served “fresh”. And chickens….that arguement could go on forever.
I really hate when people push their ideals on other people, I’m glad you stood up and said something to them.
– Are there any more cliff-hanger episodes in the season, other than premiere/midseason/finale?
– In SGA’s ‘The Return’, dr. Lee mentions he has a lvl 75 mage on World of Warcraft, which wasn’t possible at the time. Was this intentional, or have none of you ever played WoW?
– Any plans to bring in The Trust again, in either SGU or one of the movies?
Hi Joe, the food looked good! Cretons – is that like Rillettes? Ketchup Maison, haven’t had that since my Dad was alive, and he made it sooo good. Anything maple for me. Whenever my daughter has a layover in Canada, it’s the hard maple candies (the ones here aren’t as good, not enough maple flavour), the chewy ones, maple lollypops, maple everything for me! That maple syrup cotton candy make my mouth water.
Otherwise, it looks like Flannery’s going to have an ultrasound and some more lab tests done this week 🙁 Still hoping it’s just irritable bowel or some such thing that can be treated, but at her age, one worries.
Hope you’re having a relaxing weekend 🙂 I’m just watching my wet (now covered…I shit you not) couch become a breeding ground for mold and mildew. You know the saying about flying with eagles and working (living) with turkeys? Yep, that’s it.
Ramsay’s F Word had an episode where they showed a humane form of producing Foie Gras; i.e. not forcefeeding the geese. Ramsay gave the seal of approval to the more humane version. So it seems it’s possible to enjoy an indulgent treat and still not condone the abuse of animals. For myself, I’ve yet to try foie gras in any form, though I plan to remedy that omission at some point before I reach senility.
Just another quick word on death-trapping your house. Remember, all the deadly traps should be on the INSIDE, out of view of the neighbors. That gives you the opportunity to render the thief into doggie treats, or otherwise dispose of the remains. Just remember, if one is going to utilize a bloody form of deathtrap, such as a impaling spike through the chest(ala Tracker), you must remember to have something on the floor to prevent the blood from ruining the carpet. Electrocution devices avoid this, though the smell of burning flesh may take awhile to air out.
Is your concern about burglars affecting your own outings? the pictues were nice, but it’s been awhile since we’ve seen you out enjoying yourself. If it’s a matter of companionship, well, Carl is just going to have to step up until you can go through all the resumes and arrange for a new sidekick. And charge Martin G. for the costs of the search, since he so rudely left you alone.
Looking forward to the final version of the short story. How long after it’s completed do you think it will be before we will be able to get hold of a copy? Thanks as always for the daily dose of entertainment.
Glad to hear they’ve dismissed the suit against Writer Beware (there’s no ‘s’ in the name). They’ve got a blog at http://accrispin.blogspot.com which keeps fairly up to date on the lastest scams in the publishing world. A very handy reference for writing hopefuls and professionals alike.
Glad to hear also that the short story is no longer blocked.
Has anyone ever “Googled” their house address in Google maps? I recently did and not only did they have my old business listed, which has been closed for ten years… because we live in a dead end, they showed the back of our house. It was like, “ok world see secure or unsecure our house is!”
So I emailed them and they rectified the situation. It’s amazing more houses aren’t broken into.
Hi Joe,
Glad to hear your making progress on your short story. I have a question I would like to ask, The first time I asked it I fraised it wrong so here we go.
Is it true that in real life you are mad at me for asking the budget of the Universe episodes and the Atlantis movie or is that situation just in the dream(and i did have a dream, i’m not joking)?
My attitude to food has always been, if God didn’t intend us to eat animals, s/he wouldn’t have made them out of meat. Not exactly apropos to the foie gras and crab scenarios, but revealing of me as an unregenerate barbarian, nonetheless.
Hey Joe, I watched an episode of Atlantis yesterday immediately before going to bed and it must have leaked into my subconscious, because I had a dream about it and Atlantis in general. After a filled day/week of Stargate related work, does that ever happen to you? And have you ever taken a weird idea or image from a dream and pitched it for an episode?
Rose (formerly OhioAnne) quoted: “Again, the Church has refused to be goaded into a Mormons versus gays battle and has simply stated its position in tones that are reasonable and respectful.”
Well, as long they are being respectful while they persecute people, that’s okay then…
I don’t believe the Church needs to be ‘goaded’ into the battle – they started it by arranging for the huge donations of money for the campaign and by encouraging people to vote to strip freedoms from people. You can’t punch someone in the face and then accuse them of starting something when they hit back.
Riley said: “Well, as long they are being respectful while they persecute people, that’s okay then…
I don’t believe the Church needs to be ‘goaded’ into the battle – they started it by arranging for the huge donations of money for the campaign and by encouraging people to vote to strip freedoms from people. You can’t punch someone in the face and then accuse them of starting something when they hit back.”
What’s with the SGU countdown on the mgm website?? stargate.mgm.com
First it goes Alpha- i’m assuming that’s when scifi released the first teaser
Then it goes Beta- that, again i’m assuming is when scifi released the second trailer- which was awesome i might add…
now, it’s going gamma and delta?!?! but there’s like no teasers or promos out!
I’m soo confused and i doubt it would mean the countdown to when it airs, considering that would mean the show would premiere in like 5 days- which is like impossible considering it’s not even fall over there yet (i think)….
I live in Australia btw, but i dont know if the countdown widget it broken considering the time differentials between the US and Australia.
Hubby and I watched Quantum of Solace tonight for the first time. It was quite a wild ride, and I liked it very much (I know most people felt the first Craig Bond movie was a bit better, but this didn’t have the lull 3/4 of the way through that Casino Royale had, making it a slightly more exciting film from start to finish). And it was great to see Mr. Jackson being all badass and kicking butt again…although I must admit I prefer him doing so flowing-locked, green, and shirtless. 😉
Again, I’m sorry about the loss in your Stargate family, Joe. I actually feel a bit funny about posting the above – it just seems the wrong time to do so – but I wanted to mention Neil’s work while it was still fresh in my mind. I hope that was okay…
My prayers go to the people in North Dakota as well.
Ear pain — do you happen to use a Bluetooth on that ear? There is a class action lawsuit pending about Bluetooth-related hearing loss and that the company didn’t tell consumers about the possibility.
That’s an interesting article on foie gras – sounds almost like the debate over “partial-birth” abortion in the US.
Any recommendations for places to try foie gras in Toronto?
Hi Joe,
I enjoy the food pictures and reviews so much!
I have a question. When you go to a restaurant, do you take a little notebook with you so you can write down exactly what it is we are seeing in the pictures you show us?
I am trying to do little journal entries online when I go out to a nice place, but by the time I get home I forget exactly what we have all ordered and can only give a general description of what the dish is!
Take care!
Thanks for the link, Joe.
As for the head ache I get them in the same spot and they get bad. My doc says they are tension head aches. With all that has been going on at the house and deadlines with work and short story that might be what you have. May I suggest that you take some me time for yourself. You seem to have been pushing your self hard lately.
What is a “kino” scene? Sorry. I know you’ve tried to explain what it isn’t before, but I don’t recall you ever explaining what it is.
I had something exciting to share, but I’ve forgotten it. My memory’s been playing wacky tricks on me lately. 🙁
Joe,
As always your gastro-adventures look fantastic. Looking at food creations inspires me in the kitchen. Thank you for sharing.
“You’d also need to invest in some suits of the three-piece variety, ties, and animal-themed cufflinks.”
(your reply to: “I’ve had over 1000 visitors to my blog. I’m no Joseph Mallozzi, but I bet I could be if I ran sci-fi show, ate a lot of exotic food, and had scary, yet adorable puppies to show off. In fact, if that were the case, I would in fact be Joseph Mallozzi.”)
I have a whopping collection of 2 ties. That wasn’t a typo. And I don’t even like one of them! Luckily, the golden yellow one with subtle diagonal line pattern looks sharp with pretty much any shirt I own. Will get back to you when I start a three-piece suit collection.
I guess while I’m here, I should think up Stargate-related question.
Since the Destiny wasn’t really meant to be inhabited (I recall hearing that at some point, so I’ll be disappointed if the crew finds a spa & sauna deck), will be technologically savvy of the bunch be often mcgyvering useful items and tools out of materials found on board?
Can they build a waffle maker out of ion flow regulator components and some deck plating? Space waffles are the best breakfast, after all.
Thanks!
Tonight I was watching “Diners, Drive-Ins, and Dives” on the Food Network. That is the kind of places I love to eat at. Joe would you ever consider trying some of those restaurants?
Joe have you ever thought about one night doing a video blog? Including a Mailbag, of course. That way we could see your facial expressions as you read and answer our questions. I think it/you would be cute!
Gotta go! SGA’s “Runner” is on SyFy right now! Arguably (when I’m arguing with myself) my favorite SGA episode of all time because of it being Ronon’s introduction.
Jeez, I swear my arteries are hardening and my teeth rotting just from looking at the pictures! That last one looks amazing, but I think I’d induce diabetes in myself by trying to eat it. There is such a thing as too much sweet!
For a less hysterical, more levelheaded take on the touchy subject, check out
Less hysterical, but not very well reasoned. I could drive a truck through the holes in the arguments. But then, I might end up as one of those vehicular deaths they mentioned (and what was that particular argument all about!? Misdirection much?)
I just saw some photos of the flooding in Fargo – pretty freaky stuff! And here we are in drought …
Joe,
Because of my innate (some would say inane) pessimism, I haven’t let myself believe that I’m actually going to make it to Vancouver next week. Until now. I think, against all odds, it’s going to happen and I’m pretty excited about it. I look forward to reliving the glory days of Atlantis and checking out some of your restaurant recs.
Cross your fingers for me that I manage to avoid the marauding bands of cut throats and make it out alive on Monday.
Best,
Rose
Hey Joe,
In the interests of your home security I took the liberty of doing a bit of surfing on my own and stumbled across some interesting websites. Perhaps they might give you ideas:
World’s Most Impenetrable Things
Includes the silohome which is a converted missile silo. Only a cool $18million.
Also includes the world’s most secure front door made by a Colombian company (I’m not touching that). It can apparently withstand Magnum rounds being fired into it.
According to this BBC news story of the most secure facilities Cheyenne Mountain tops the list. Is anyone using it at the moment since NORAD shut down?
It got me thinking do we even know the most secure building in the world? Is it a well-known building or a secret facility? Used to be we’d all say something was as safe as Fort Knox. Perhaps there’s something more secure. What does everyone think?
Cheers, Chev
(still recovering from the end of the DVD contest…bit tired)
Had the same prob last week but on my right side…
Use a bit of muscle rub stuff [I use Ortho-gel roll-on – talk to BamBam, I’m sure he must have “something” to do the trick!] around the area, have Fondy massage it, and take half an aspirin [real ASA!]… If it persists more than a few days or there’s really sharp pain and/or nausea — SEE A DOCTOR!!
Take your pick: pulled muscle and/or pinch OR a silly little bloodclot waiting to stroke you out!
AND *maybe* sleep WITHOUT the dogs for a night!!
Here in the South we have something called Chocolate Chess Pie. I wonder if it’s a cousin of Maple Sugar pie.
There’s also a nasty concoction called Chess Pie which is just a sugar version of Chocolate Chess Pie. Without chocolate, though, it’s a paler representation in more ways than the literal.
Check.
Hi Joe,
Quick question, who played John’s dead father in the wake picture in “Outcast”?
Was it Joe’s step dad or someone else picked at random?
Jedi
Forget the iron work and get a bigger dog. 😉
Jeez I thought I’d missed a day, seems my computer got a little ahead of itself and thought it was Sunday, i didn’t think computers could catch senility.
Ok so what is Kino and why is it popular all of a sudden. I swear someone gets paid far too much for sitting in a darkened room somewhere dreaming this crap up!
I think its cross between Origami and Ju Jitsu
*curses lack of edit function*
Maple sugar pie? Maple ice cream topped with maple cotton candy? Hell, I’m emigrating!
Off-tangent ramble: I live in Utah. I was raised a Mormon, but had my horns clipped at 18. 16? 14? Comes of living overseas or in San Francisco, I suppose; I’m really a Californian who got transplanted to Zion. Twice. Anyway, watching Big Love is just annoying, as the real polygamists are scary and sad. However I was cheering on the “secret rituals on TV” concept. All I ever got to do was baptisms for the dead as a teen. Yeah, that was fun… NOT. full immersion for each name of a deceased ancestor on the list. what hokum. As for the show, there’s nothing like an ex-mo for sharing the secrets or engaging in anti-Mormon parodies. Some energetic ex-mos built a replica temple at Burning Man one year, pranced around in the funny super-secret underwear practicing fake endowments. I especially enjoyed Angel Moroni in golden ass-pants (chaps) blowing his own horn.
Okay, you can have your blog back now, thanks.
Stanley,
Where’s the food from? Looks delicious.
Alex
Beautiful and enticing eats as always.
As for your headache, sounds like the right locality for an aderall headache, if that’s your scene. Otherwise, I’d say you’re tuned in okay, you just need to get Jerry to pull the high end out, on account of your still getting some hiss back here.
Thank you so much, Joe, for remembering us in the Red River Valley fighting the Red and fighting water all over the state. The community effort has been overwhelming. Day and night people are filling sandbags, building and reinforcing dikes, helping neighbors. If we lose the fight with the river we won’t lose the community. My home is safe for the moment but the medical center where I work is closed down and the patients have all been moved. No small feat for a medical center that the largest between Billings, Montana and Minneapolis.
Thank you again….it’s so touching that you would show your support by dedicating the blog for today to remembering us.
“While it would admittedly be easier to simply drop a giant birdcage over the whole place and have done with it…”
That would have stymied the roof thief. 🙂
Don’t forget him Joe. He’s the guy with the van called ‘Excellent Roof Repairs’. He (and accomplices) wait until you’re at work and then blatantly park in your driveway, remove the ladder and go through the roof.
Anybody seeing them merely think you are having your roof repaired, after all the poor man on the roof is really struggling to hand those old tiles down to the man waiting below.
The problem is, they aren’t old tiles at all…
Bonjour Joseph!
ahh enfin le week end =) Miame tout cela à l’air trés bon!!
..je n’est pas grande choses à raconter aujourd’hui…snif
Bisou, a plus tard
That looks positively gross. Then again, right now pretty much any food other than salad looks gross to me, so nevermind me.
I discovered something fancy about one of the local supermarket chains. They’ve got a website where they detail which of their products contains what fish, and how this fish is caught/farmed and what the exact environmental impact is of this. Apparently, the impact of shrimp, which I’m allergic to, is huge, where as the impact of my favourite fish sort (I’m not sure of the name here) is minimal as the wild population is more than ample, compared to how much of it is caught… I guess that’s the only time it’s good news that nobody I know likes the taste of it.
Ok, I’m still wondering about that secret Mormon ritual thing…
Yeah, it’s early here & I haven’t had my coffee.
I’m guessing you guys really don’t have any say in the matter when it comes to the Sci-Fi channel airing your stuff.
Considering the SG-U teaser shown last night was just a rehash of the teaser from last week :-/
No new scenes, At ALL!
Looking forward to next weeks SG-U teaser, I hope Sci-Fi actually puts something new in it.
Joe,
In comparing the “Big Love” response from Mormons and the response of the Disney company to South Park, you were comparing apples and oranges. What “some Mormons” did was not the official church response:
“The Publicity Dilemma
SALT LAKE CITY 9 March 2009 Like other large faith groups, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints sometimes finds itself on the receiving end of attention from Hollywood or Broadway, television series or books, and the news media. Sometimes depictions of the Church and its people are quite accurate. Sometimes the images are false or play to stereotypes. Occasionally, they are in appallingly bad taste.
As Catholics, Jews and Muslims have known for centuries, such attention is inevitable once an institution or faith group reaches a size or prominence sufficient to attract notice. Yet Latter-day Saints – sometimes known as Mormons – still wonder whether and how they should respond when news or entertainment media insensitively trivialize or misrepresent sacred beliefs or practices.
Church members are about to face that question again. Before the first season of the HBO series Big Love aired more than two years ago, the show’s creators and HBO executives assured the Church that the series wouldn’t be about Mormons. However, Internet references to Big Love indicate that more and more Mormon themes are now being woven into the show and that the characters are often unsympathetic figures who come across as narrow and self-righteous. And according to TV Guide, it now seems the show’s writers are to depict what they understand to be sacred temple ceremonies.
Certainly Church members are offended when their most sacred practices are misrepresented or presented without context or understanding. Last week some Church members began e-mail chains calling for cancellations of subscriptions to AOL, which, like HBO, is owned by Time Warner. Certainly such a boycott by hundreds of thousands of computer-savvy Latter-day Saints could have an economic impact on the company. Individual Latter-day Saints have the right to take such actions if they choose.
The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints as an institution does not call for boycotts. Such a step would simply generate the kind of controversy that the media loves and in the end would increase audiences for the series. As Elder M. Russell Ballard and Elder Robert D. Hales of the Council of the Twelve Apostles have both said recently, when expressing themselves in the public arena, Latter-day Saints should conduct themselves with dignity and thoughtfulness.
Not only is this the model that Jesus Christ taught and demonstrated in his own life, but it also reflects the reality of the strength and maturity of Church members today. As someone recently said, “This isn’t 1830, and there aren’t just six of us anymore.” In other words, with a global membership of thirteen and a half million there is no need to feel defensive when the Church is moving forward so rapidly. The Church’s strength is in its faithful members in 170-plus countries, and there is no evidence that extreme misrepresentations in the media that appeal only to a narrow audience have any long-term negative effect on the Church.
Examples:
During the Mitt Romney election campaign for the presidency of the United States, commentator Lawrence O’Donnell hurled abuse at the Church in a television moment that became known among many Church members as “the O’Donnell rant.” Today, his statements are remembered only as a testament to intolerance and ignorance. They had no effect on the Church that can be measured.
When the comedy writers for South Park produced a gross portrayal of Church history, individual Church members no doubt felt uncomfortable. But once again it inflicted no perceptible or lasting damage to a church that is growing by at least a quarter of a million new members every year.
When an independent film company produced a grossly distorted version of the Mountain Meadows Massacre two years ago, the Church ignored it. Perhaps partly as a result of that refusal to engender the controversy that the producers hoped for, the movie flopped at the box office and lost millions.
In recent months, some gay activists have barraged the media with accusations about “hateful” attitudes of Latter-day Saints in supporting Proposition 8 in California, which maintained the traditional definition of marriage. They even organized a protest march around the Salt Lake Temple. Again, the Church has refused to be goaded into a Mormons versus gays battle and has simply stated its position in tones that are reasonable and respectful. Meanwhile, missionary work and Church members in California remain as robust and vibrant as ever, and support for the Church has come from many unexpected quarters — including some former critics and other churches.
Now comes another series of Big Love, and despite earlier assurances from HBO it once again blurs the distinctions between The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and the show’s fictional non-Mormon characters and their practices. Such things say much more about the insensitivities of writers, producers and TV executives than they say about Latter-day Saints.
If the Church allowed critics and opponents to choose the ground on which its battles are fought, it would risk being distracted from the focus and mission it has pursued successfully for nearly 180 years. Instead, the Church itself will determine its own course as it continues to preach the restored gospel of Jesus Christ throughout the world. ”
My response:
While Mormon’s are often portrayed as “zombie-like” a basic tenet of our faith is “free will”. (Which, were the Stargate story real, would mean we would be among the freedom fighters getting our collective behinds kicked by the Ori until SG-1 saved the day …. ;-)) Individual members could and should do what they consider to be ethical in such situations.
Unfortunately, in this case, it provided the free publicity that Big Love was undoubtedly hoping they would receive.
Hey Joe,
That’s very awesome of you to dedicate your blog to the people up in North Dakota. I’m down in Sioux Falls, SD (South Eastern SoDak) and luckily we haven’t had the crazy flooding they’ve had up north. It’s that last blizzard that did them in…stupid snow.
Hey Joe,
You keep mentioning “kino scenes”. What does that term refer to? Is it a short form for “kinetic” i.e. a scene with lots of action?
Jean
Oops I just saw the comment posted by ytimynona who asked exactly the same question. Hate when that happens.
Jean
wow, seriously foie gras is all based around force feeding fowl to enlarge their liver??
I have never eaten or known what foie gras is, mostly because I can’t pronounce it to order. But come on, after all the debate about I have read here, that is nothing. I thought it was going to be about something worse than that. Off the top of my head I can think of, boiling crabs, prawns, and lobsters alive. Fish still wiggling on someones plate after being cut open and served “fresh”. And chickens….that arguement could go on forever.
I really hate when people push their ideals on other people, I’m glad you stood up and said something to them.
Couple of questions:
– Are all SGU episode slots filled now?
– Are there any more cliff-hanger episodes in the season, other than premiere/midseason/finale?
– In SGA’s ‘The Return’, dr. Lee mentions he has a lvl 75 mage on World of Warcraft, which wasn’t possible at the time. Was this intentional, or have none of you ever played WoW?
– Any plans to bring in The Trust again, in either SGU or one of the movies?
Me revoila, je vient de créer un wordpress et je voudrais savoir s’il est possible d’avoir un coin amis?
Hi Joe, the food looked good! Cretons – is that like Rillettes? Ketchup Maison, haven’t had that since my Dad was alive, and he made it sooo good. Anything maple for me. Whenever my daughter has a layover in Canada, it’s the hard maple candies (the ones here aren’t as good, not enough maple flavour), the chewy ones, maple lollypops, maple everything for me! That maple syrup cotton candy make my mouth water.
Otherwise, it looks like Flannery’s going to have an ultrasound and some more lab tests done this week 🙁 Still hoping it’s just irritable bowel or some such thing that can be treated, but at her age, one worries.
Hope you’re having a relaxing weekend 🙂 I’m just watching my wet (now covered…I shit you not) couch become a breeding ground for mold and mildew. You know the saying about flying with eagles and working (living) with turkeys? Yep, that’s it.
Oh gawd, it “make my mouth water”? Jes, I can spick Inglish, rilly. 🙂
Ramsay’s F Word had an episode where they showed a humane form of producing Foie Gras; i.e. not forcefeeding the geese. Ramsay gave the seal of approval to the more humane version. So it seems it’s possible to enjoy an indulgent treat and still not condone the abuse of animals. For myself, I’ve yet to try foie gras in any form, though I plan to remedy that omission at some point before I reach senility.
Just another quick word on death-trapping your house. Remember, all the deadly traps should be on the INSIDE, out of view of the neighbors. That gives you the opportunity to render the thief into doggie treats, or otherwise dispose of the remains. Just remember, if one is going to utilize a bloody form of deathtrap, such as a impaling spike through the chest(ala Tracker), you must remember to have something on the floor to prevent the blood from ruining the carpet. Electrocution devices avoid this, though the smell of burning flesh may take awhile to air out.
Is your concern about burglars affecting your own outings? the pictues were nice, but it’s been awhile since we’ve seen you out enjoying yourself. If it’s a matter of companionship, well, Carl is just going to have to step up until you can go through all the resumes and arrange for a new sidekick. And charge Martin G. for the costs of the search, since he so rudely left you alone.
Looking forward to the final version of the short story. How long after it’s completed do you think it will be before we will be able to get hold of a copy? Thanks as always for the daily dose of entertainment.
Glad to hear they’ve dismissed the suit against Writer Beware (there’s no ‘s’ in the name). They’ve got a blog at http://accrispin.blogspot.com which keeps fairly up to date on the lastest scams in the publishing world. A very handy reference for writing hopefuls and professionals alike.
Glad to hear also that the short story is no longer blocked.
aaaaahhh j’ai enfin finit mon blog!!! ♥♥♥….quel sujet j’ai choisi? A votre avi?! VOUS biensure!
Has anyone ever “Googled” their house address in Google maps? I recently did and not only did they have my old business listed, which has been closed for ten years… because we live in a dead end, they showed the back of our house. It was like, “ok world see secure or unsecure our house is!”
So I emailed them and they rectified the situation. It’s amazing more houses aren’t broken into.
Hi Joe,
Glad to hear your making progress on your short story. I have a question I would like to ask, The first time I asked it I fraised it wrong so here we go.
Is it true that in real life you are mad at me for asking the budget of the Universe episodes and the Atlantis movie or is that situation just in the dream(and i did have a dream, i’m not joking)?
Thanks so much
Major D. Davis
My attitude to food has always been, if God didn’t intend us to eat animals, s/he wouldn’t have made them out of meat. Not exactly apropos to the foie gras and crab scenarios, but revealing of me as an unregenerate barbarian, nonetheless.
Saw this and thought of you:
Hey Joe, I watched an episode of Atlantis yesterday immediately before going to bed and it must have leaked into my subconscious, because I had a dream about it and Atlantis in general. After a filled day/week of Stargate related work, does that ever happen to you? And have you ever taken a weird idea or image from a dream and pitched it for an episode?
Oh and If you don’t mind answering two more of my harmless questions.
1. You film an average Stargate episode in 7 days, correct? If not how many days does it take?
2. Will you begin filming Water next week? If not, when?
Thanks so much
Major D. Davis
RebeccaH said: – My attitude to food has always been, if God didn’t intend us to eat animals, s/he wouldn’t have made them out of meat.
Exactly. And if God didn’t intend for Todd to feed on humans, he shouldn’t have made Sheppard so tasty. 😀
das
Rose (formerly OhioAnne) quoted: “Again, the Church has refused to be goaded into a Mormons versus gays battle and has simply stated its position in tones that are reasonable and respectful.”
Well, as long they are being respectful while they persecute people, that’s okay then…
I don’t believe the Church needs to be ‘goaded’ into the battle – they started it by arranging for the huge donations of money for the campaign and by encouraging people to vote to strip freedoms from people. You can’t punch someone in the face and then accuse them of starting something when they hit back.
Joe is Stargate Universe going to explore Greek Mythology?? Give that all these MGM Countdowns are using the greek alphabet.
If you answer my question that means no, and if you don’t answer it, that means yes.
Riley said: “Well, as long they are being respectful while they persecute people, that’s okay then…
I don’t believe the Church needs to be ‘goaded’ into the battle – they started it by arranging for the huge donations of money for the campaign and by encouraging people to vote to strip freedoms from people. You can’t punch someone in the face and then accuse them of starting something when they hit back.”
Thank you for proving the point.
ok, that’s it!
I’m confused!
What’s with the SGU countdown on the mgm website?? stargate.mgm.com
First it goes Alpha- i’m assuming that’s when scifi released the first teaser
Then it goes Beta- that, again i’m assuming is when scifi released the second trailer- which was awesome i might add…
now, it’s going gamma and delta?!?! but there’s like no teasers or promos out!
I’m soo confused and i doubt it would mean the countdown to when it airs, considering that would mean the show would premiere in like 5 days- which is like impossible considering it’s not even fall over there yet (i think)….
I live in Australia btw, but i dont know if the countdown widget it broken considering the time differentials between the US and Australia.
thanks JM for reading my rant 🙂 O happy days!
Hubby and I watched Quantum of Solace tonight for the first time. It was quite a wild ride, and I liked it very much (I know most people felt the first Craig Bond movie was a bit better, but this didn’t have the lull 3/4 of the way through that Casino Royale had, making it a slightly more exciting film from start to finish). And it was great to see Mr. Jackson being all badass and kicking butt again…although I must admit I prefer him doing so flowing-locked, green, and shirtless. 😉
Again, I’m sorry about the loss in your Stargate family, Joe. I actually feel a bit funny about posting the above – it just seems the wrong time to do so – but I wanted to mention Neil’s work while it was still fresh in my mind. I hope that was okay…
Deirdre
@riley, I found this article here that nicely touches on at least one of the gaping holes of logic. 😉
http://www.philosophersnet.com/cafe/archive_article.php?id=41&name=provocations
In the series Stargate SG-1 Vala Mal Doran says the word “wonko”. Would you expound upon the etymology of this word?
My prayers go to the people in North Dakota as well.
Ear pain — do you happen to use a Bluetooth on that ear? There is a class action lawsuit pending about Bluetooth-related hearing loss and that the company didn’t tell consumers about the possibility.