A bit of a frustrating day all around. I went into the office this morning with the intention of revising both drafts and having the scripts out by this afternoon. A little after lunch, I had to revise my all too ambitious plans and, instead, aim for only one script. By late afternoon, it was clear that both scripts would have to wait until Monday. A variety of issues had conspired to undermine me – the usual office distractions, the fact that I haven’t been able to sleep past 5:00 a.m. four nights running, the possibility that I’m feeling a little tapped out after the torrid pace I’d set for myself in a bid to complete first drafts of both scripts, and a couple of producer edits – ensured I’d be working through the weekend instead.
Yes, producer edits of Space, episode #11, which I wrote, and Divided, episode #12, that Paul wrote. Both are going to be great and while Space will no doubt get the most online buzz in the lead-up to its airdate (for reasons that will become readily apparent as more hints about this episode are released), I think Divided is the one that really sings. It is taut, suspenseful, filled with intrigue, and offers up some terrific dramatic performances by many of our cast.
So, I’ve been on the program for about three weeks – hitting the weights, running, eating better, having five mini meals a day rather than three huge ones, etc. – and while, quite frankly, a bit of a pain in the ass (ricotta with protein powder and cherries, thought admittedly tasty, is no replacement for chocolate), I’m certainly noticing results (ie. My pants fit again!). Anyway, for lunch today, I thought I’d skip the rotisserie chicken for a healthier alternative: the Santa Fe chicken salad from our local Earl’s. After my meal, I went online to check how many calories (and fat) I’d consumed, figuring it would be a modest amount. I figured wrong. Way wrong! 900 calories and a whopping 58.1 grams of fat (15.4 grams of saturated fat)! Holy Good Lord! Compare to a Big Mac (540 calories, 29 grams of fat, 10 grams saturated fat), an order of Arby’s fries (215 calories, 10 grams of fat) and a Krispy Kreme chocolate doughnut (250 calories, 12 grams of fat) which, at a 100 calories more for the total package, would have been immeasurably more enjoyable. Or better yet, an entire Jacques Torres Brulee Crunch milk chocolate bar – and half a Christopher Elbow Dark Rocks dark chocolate bar with popping candy for dessert!
Hey, if anyone ever takes you to task for not doing enough to curb carbon emissions, ask them if they have kids. If they do, call them hypocrites and point them in the direction of this article (http://www.scientificamerican.com/podcast/episode.cfm?id=are-babies-bad-for-the-environment-09-08-06). According to a new study by professors at Oregon State University (http://oregonstate.edu/ua/ncs/archives/2009/jul/family-planning-major-environmental-emphasis), having a kid is – short of starting up your own oil refinery – probably the worst thing you can do to the environment: “…the carbon legacy and greenhouse gas impact of an extra child is almost 20 times more important than some of the other environmentally sensitive practices people might employ their entire lives – things like driving a high mileage car, recycling, or using energy-efficient appliances and light bulbs.” 9 441 is the metric tons of carbon dioxide an American child will add to the atmosphere (If you choose to have your child in China instead, divide by five.). Now, I’m not saying don’t have kids. I’m just saying that if you have kids, you’ve abdicated the right to lecture me on bottled water and extra-long showers.
The title of the link read “Amazing footage of world’s cleverest bird!”. I clicked on it, expecting to see parakeet program a PVR or a mina bird explain Mulholland Drive. Instead, I was treated to this video (http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/uk/science/article6753086.ece) of a crow demonstrating some ingenuity. Smart, sure, but not as smart as a parakeet who can program a PVR.
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