Okay, let’s make it official. Actor Brian J. Smith – SGU’s Lieutenant Matthew Scott – is eager to take part in his very first fan Q&A, so if you have any questions for the Julliard grad, start posting them. One thing that was fairly evident from my chat with him on Friday night – Brian has been touched and overwhelmed by the fan response to both his character and the show as a whole. So let’s give him a big fandom welcome here on this blog…by being extremely nosey.
- Brian J. Smith researching his role.
Hey, you ever have that sudden anxiety kick in, sort of that panicked sensation you’d feel if, say, you realized you’d forgotten the steel cut Irish oatmeal on the stove that was by now undoubtedly burnt beyond recognition and on its way to triggering the smoke alarm? Well, I had that happen to me this morning – after I realized I’d forgotten the steel cut Irish oatmeal on the stove that was burnt beyond recognition and very close to triggering the smoke alarm. Needless to say the oatmeal was D.O.A. It’s touch and go for the pot. I opened all the doors and windows to air out the place and thought I’d done a pretty good job, until I returned from a trip to Granville Island to discover the house still smelled like burnt oatmeal which, strangely enough, possesses an odor akin to lingering fish. I’d light one of those scented candles but for fear that I’d probably burn the house down.
As it turns out, it’s great fire weather here in Vancouver. Yep, the rainy season is upon us and, for those who don’t know, it goes from now until about a month from now next year. To be honest, I don’t really mind the rain as it stirs distant memories of my youth. But, then again, so does the smell of skunk.
More pics from the MGM Atlantis vault: Sick sick sick…
- Ol’ Blue Eyes checks out an ailing Dr. Z – Stargate: Atlantis, Season 5, The Seed (photo courtesy and copyright MGM Television)
Finally, I conclude today’s entry with the return of the Food Purchase of the Day video installment. Enjoy. I know I didn’t.
Irish oatmeal is a tricksey thing. It takes a while to cook, so it’s easy to forget about it. Unless you’re really hungry and checking it every 5 minutes.
So did you promptly throw out the preserved bean curd?
Oi, that McGillion is a hunk and a half…you should bring him back for another Q&A!
Laughing my ass off with your WFP!
Hope your weekend was a good one 🙂
Hi, Joe
It’s call pickled tofu. Usually as a condiment to accompany rice porridge. It’s most seen on chinese breakfast.
Joe evidently someone had been eating the bean curd since the bottle looked only a quarter full. You been sleep eating?
You’re a better man than I, Gunga Mallozzi! I don’t think I’ve ever had the courage to taste something from the back of the fridge, expiry date or not. Especially if it’s something I didn’t remember was there!
😆 A fantastic return of the weird food purchase of the day! (You still have to eat haggis, and a hundred-year old egg, though…)
And Joe, the problem with your oatmeal isn’t that you burned it, it’s that you were eating Irish oats (what is it with you and Irish stuff??), and not:
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v54/dasNdanger/scottsporridge.jpg
It’s what gets us through the winter – cooked up in milk with raisins or dried berries, and served with honey. It’s. To. Die. For.
I haven’t burned the oats, but I am FAMOUS for making ‘pop-eggs’. Have you ever made pop eggs, Joe? Pop eggs are when you put the eggs on to hard-boil them, then get busy in the other room doing stuff, until you hear ‘Pop, pop, BOOM!’ from the kitchen, at which time you say a few choice words and rush to the stove, only to find that water boiled out of the pot, and hard boiled egg yoke on the ceiling…and the floor…and the wall…and 10 feet across the kitchen. Joy of joys…and it’s a biatch to clean up, since pop eggs turn instantly into super glue upon contact with any hard, clean surface.
As far as the pot goes, if it’s stainless steel, then scrub it (Barkeeper’s Friend works wonders), get as much black as you can out, then try cooking Campbell’s Tomato Soup in it for a bit. The acid in the soup can help clean up the remaining residue (vinegar may work, too). But it all depends on how badly burned the pot is…and how much grease you have in that artsy-fartsy elbow o’ yours. 😉
Oh, and while I’m in my PB account, LOOK! It’s Elric, the Albino Lifeguard!:
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v54/dasNdanger/timmyel2.jpg
I really must find a better use of my time… 😛
On that note, I take my leave. Thanks for the early post. Have a good evening, sir!! 😀
das
Thanks for the memories (SGA pics), never enough of Sheppard and Beckett says I.
I agree with RebeccaH, under no circumstances should you eat anything from the back environs of anyone’s frig. But, I guess it’s too late to warn you Joe as you already have done. Tsk, tsk…
Q’s for Brian:
1) Are you happily anticipating a Lt. Matthew Scott action figure? Would you faithfully play with “you”? Welcome to the Stargate family!
I understand Rachel Luttrell’s son and David Hewlett’s son each enjoy playing with their respective parents’ dollies.
2) Will you dine with Joe M again and partake of more gourmet entrees?
Q for David Blue:
Can you tell us if your character, Eli, gets a shot a romance on board the Destiny, or is it science all-the-time for him?
I greatly anticipate your portrayal. Welcome to the Stargate family!
2cats
WELCOME BRIAN TO JOES BLOG AND STARGATE FANDOM!!
As for questions, when is the deadline? I kinda need to think of some good questions so Brian can be challenged, not some whimpy questions that I would force of the top of my head.
Well psyched about SGU, even got my friend who is a mediocre stargate fan psyched about SGU(well lets just say he saw the 5 minute clip from syfy), so psyched about my friends being psyched. They were asking me questions and using big words like 9th chevron, and wormhole. Some of the questions I couldn’t even answer.
Well I couldn’t answer most of their questions because I hadn’t seen air yet.
Ok so I will stop my rambling and leave to go think of some good BJS questions.
Thanks so much,
Major D. Davis
I feel the best part of the WFP video is the moment where you realise that you have just put something into your mouth that really should never have been there in the first place.
Q for Brian:
What is your favourite movie quote?
Back of fridge = almost guaranteed disaster. Add another dangerous ingredient, the assumption of “There’s no expiry date in English so there probably isn’t one” = You know what they say about assumption. I always wonder who “they” are. You know, the “they” that people always quote when saying something like, “They say that these weather patterns are short term.”
The Thai local markets would be a great place to do a Weird Food Purchase of the Day. Refrigeration? Pft, what’s that? Expiry dates? For woosbags. Knowing what animal that piece of meat came from? The person selling it to you probably doesn’t know either. All they know is that it was already flat when they found it.
Yay! Weird Food Unknown When Purchased of the Day! That was awesome…..thanks for going where we wouldn’t.
I’ve killed many a pot and microwave with cooking misadventures. Apparently you’re supposed to watch them. However it was actually my sister that got the fire brigade visiting on our last vacation. Who had to stick around to greet the firemen? Yeah, me.
Getting rid of the smell? Er….maybe you’ll have to move. We had to throw out the spare microwave at work because we could get the smell of burnt bread roll and plastic out of it. Tried bicarb & vinegar, lemon juice etc. Didn’t work. Enjoy the new house.
Cheers, Chev
p.s. thanks, I’ve now already got one of my questions answered. I hope it had pop-ups.
Oh yeah and thanks for the infirmary pics. Why were the infirmary beds sooo small? Are the Destiny ones gonna be that small?
Cheers, Chev
Joe, I’m not sure why watching you ingest food of a questionable nature brings me so much joy, but I must admit, it DOES! I’m sure years of therapy could bring me some answers, but…I don’t wanna’ go! Thanks for the hilarious WFPOTD!! Dare we hope for some installments from Japan?
Fangirling you from afar,
LJ
das – I had a hard boiled egg explode in my face. The funniest part, or my friend’s Husband said this was the funniest part, there was a Narelle shaped egg outline on the roof. The egg had exploded into my face (so yeah, egg on my face literally) and the rest had hit the roof creating a lovely silhouette, or maybe more of a bust. Head and shoulders. My friend’s Husband kept breaking out into spontaneous laughter during the night each time he thought of it.
Joe, please confirm…
@chevron7… it looks like they used hospital guerneys, not beds, so they are easier to roll about on set. Throw on some sheets & blankies and you’re set to go!
guerney: a flat, padded table or stretcher with legs and wheels, for transporting patients or bodies
@ Narelle – 😆 You have the funniest experiences!! 😆 That’s priceless! Glad you didn’t get burned, though…
@ 2cats – Inspector Lewis…Inspector Lewis…9 pm…PBS…
Yes, yes…I’m obsessed.
😀
das
If you wanna ever clean out the pot again, put half/half or maybe third/two thirds mixture of pure undeluted all-purpose-cleaning-lliquid into the pot with water, and warm it up (not to cooking, as it will smell the place up a bit of cleaning fluid but as long as you’re not breathing it in too much and there’s no bleach in it, you should be fine). Let it soak for a bit, scrub it with a sponge, repeat until pot is clean.
Works much better than soda or any other tricks I”ve heard. The sort of cleaning fluid I’m talking about is stuff like Cif, Ajax, Andy… Not sure of the English name for that exact stuff but here’s what it should look like: http://img.alibaba.com/photo/12036645/AJAX_cleaning_liquid.jpg
@ Joe – This is one of my favorite one-shot Wolverine stories. Might not be your cuppa, but I love the atmosphere of it, especially in the beginning:
http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/1899110.Wolverine_Killing
I liked the entire story, actually…it was a bit different.
das
Hey Joe, mailbag Q (if possible) –
when filming medical scenes with a drip or a syringe or something, do you actually put the needles in/inject a saline solution?
What about the movie world in general, there’s films where you see them making an injection, do they do that for real or are there some sort of needles that retract as you push on them or something?
And thanks for the pics. Our two favourite january capricorns in hospital gowns looking good enough to… well, lick. Eating them, I’ll leave that to Das and the Wraith company she keeps…
@ Joe, again – Here’s another one – NOT the main arc (Guggenheim) which was so-so, but the one-shot at the end by Jason Aaron – one of my recent favorites:
http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/2421124.Wolverine_The_Death_Of_Wolverine_Premiere_HC
das
Joe – were you hurling in the sink? Thanks for the unsavory sacrifice – sheer, unadulterated entertainment for us all.
Questions for Brian:
Really looking forward to seeing you -very soon- in SGU.
1. What was your experience like moving to and living in NYC? Which neighborhood(s) did you hang out in? And, how was the whole Julliard experience?
2. If you go back to do stage work in the future, will it be Broadway or off-Broadway?
3. How does it feel to be in Vancouver now and working with the Stargate team?
Bon chance!
Das – have you ever popped a can of condensed, sweetened milk while trying to cook it into fudge? Until you have, you don’t know what scrubbing is, girl… :p
Liz – No…can’t say that I have. But I’ll keep the warning in mind…
So, Joe – watcha doin’??! Hubby and I are getting ready to have a little backyard — get your mind outta the gutter — campfire. Weather is lovely – in the 60s, with a light breeze. Just good campfire weather. 🙂
das
@ Joe – (Yeah, I have too much time on my hands! Hubby better get that fire going!) I see you’re reading Cerebus – lemme know how it is, especially when you get to the Elrod parts. 🙂
das
das – Have to say I did look back and realise how lucky I was. It was strange as it exploded after I’d peeled it. I was putting the fork in it to mash up for the potato salad.
Not sure why I’m a magnet for strange experiences. I think it’s hereditary. Just had a few experiences run through my head of other family members. Yep, hereditary.
Das,
Ha! I thought of you as I was reading the Elrod stories, wondering whether I should recommend it since he doesn’t seem to be an albino and has a character atypical of the guys you follow.
“chevron7
Oh yeah and thanks for the infirmary pics. Why were the infirmary beds sooo small?”
the beds are just big enough for me and Sheppard, LOL 😉 😉 😉
for Brian:
What made you get into acting in the first place?
I’m so excited about SGU, i got it marked on both my SG-1 calendars, and programmed on my cell phone. So there’s no way i’m going to miss it. LOL
To Joe M:
thanks for the pics, hope you have a great day.
speaking of reading, i just bought Shakespeare’s Love’s Labor’s Lost. for some reason i can understand it, go figure. are there any shakespeare’s novels you have read and enjoyed?
Well, I do like comedy. I think Elrod – with his Foghorn Leghorn voice – is hysterical. I understand he’s total comic relief in the story, not a serious character. Just not sure I’d like Cerebus, though…or the ‘agenda’ the writer seems to have (according to what some fans have told me). Honestly, I’d just get a kick out of reading the Elrod bits.
Ack! Hubby’s calling! He has the fire going. I sure hope Lewis records okay, or Mr. Das will get a stern talking-to for making me miss my Hathaway fix this week!
das
Great Pics, Joe!! Thanks!
Question for Brian: As you researched your role for SGU, what aspect of the character did you think would be the hardest to portray? And after filming a few episodes did it end up being as hard as you thought?
@ Narelle – That’s insane. Was it a regular boiled egg? You didn’t try to microwave the sucker, did you?
I never peel an egg hot – always wait for them to cool a bit (from the fire right into cold water, but sometimes I crack them first to assure easy peeling).
Just glad you didn’t put an eye out, or anything. You and Mr. Das sound very much alike. The stories I could tell… 🙄 …if he wasn’t waiting for me to join him by the fire. I hate when too many good things are going on in one night!
das
Hilarious weird food video. I am very curious to know how that creepy stuff made it into your fridge. Your assumption that because the expiration date is not in english, must mean there is none, is um…..just wrong! This has been a special few days of pics on your blog for this fan, thanks! Makes me not miss him quite so much. He looks happy.
otros ojos
Endless Summer! Yes! We’re Endless Summer II junkies more than the original now. Pat and Wingnut, along with the commentary crack me up every time. Spot on about it epitomising Summer. In the Summer, outside on the decking, we get out my work projector and play the DVD through my laptop projected onto the wall.
Waimea. All I can say about that place is “Wow”. Was there in ’92. We’re about 1.5 hrs from Bells. When I was younger I was there every year (spent all of my holidays on the Surf Coast so we surfed 13th Beach, Fairhaven and Bells). One day after the women’s finals Tom Curren, Kelly Slater and Layne Beachley hit the surf for practice. The beach was deserted. Tom Curren got dumped by a bone crunching shore break so I’m sure the last thing he felt like was me coming up to him with pen in hand and top to sign. As for Kelly Slater… he is the human incarnation of Huey. Somehow that man is connected to the surf. Something I noticed about both of them was their calm presence and incredible eyes.
I have reached the stage that I buy cheap pots and toasters. I have set fire to 4 toasters over the years and have lost count of the pots that have had to be thrown out.
Joe What about Marmite for the WFP – it is an acquired taste. I love it on toast.
When are you going to Japan? Is Fondy going with you this time?
With Fondy’s track record for trying to kill you off you should be wary of trying foodstuffs that you find lying around. Check to see if she has recently upped the amount of life insurance that you have.
😉
Hey Joe it’s been a while since I’ve been on. Sorry about that. I’ve been busy with the Fair here in Bishop and I am glad to have received 2nd place on my peanut butter cookies. I’m excited.
I do have a few questions for Brian – (1) What was your initial reaction to the crowd at Comic Con? (2) What is your favorite thing to do while not acting? (3) If you could live anywhere in the world, where would it be? (4) What was Julliard like?
Could we see some close ups of the teapots behind you in that shot?
@das: How’s the shoulder feeling? I hope it’s better today.
I thought of one more question for Brian – I’m attempting to gain enough courage for stage acting, what is some good advice you would give to an aspiring actor?
Thanks for the plentiful entertainment. The burnt-oatmeal account is encouraging, in that “misery loves company” way – I tend to forget that even the most dedicated foodies make kitchen mistakes. That said, I learned my lesson some years back as a wannabe kitchen maven from overfilling a lasagna dish, which led to setting the oven on fire. My bf’s buddy was on hand to put the fire out with a towel, which he plied with the flamboyance of a bullfighter. Amazingly enough, the lasagna was still edible. – Still overcook stuff from time to time, naturally, but haven’t had any badly burnt pans since. (And now I’ve probably jinxed myself.)
The WFP vid is very, very funny. Your deadpan delivery is great – to me, the best part.
– Also, thanks for your thumbs-up for A Walk in the Woods when I asked about it. I’m having a great time reading it – Bryson is yet another very funny guy.
Oh, for a hidden camera shot of you when you stepped offscreen. Mind, you are going to have to be a tad bit more careful in the future. Trying to jump the Grand Canyon. Good. Trying to jump it without a parachute.Bad. Never mind Bridge Studeo cannot afford the loss of your services. We as your fans and readers would be bereft if you were out of commission. Though we would of course laugh our butts off watching the video. I suppose we readers need to step up and find some things that fit the weird food criteria but whose safety is certain.
Just as well that you avoided the scented candles. For some reason they seem to synthesize an even more noxious odor than the original one you’re trying to cover up.Lots of fresh air, and wiping down all exposed surfaces with a very mild chlorine mixture. Run some fans until the air seems back to normal This has the bonus of disinfecting the house, so that you can get a jump on the swine flu trying to invade. Speaking of which, how did the dogs react to your boo boo?
Thanks for the pictures. While the WFP was the highlight of the post, it was lovely seeing the familiar faces. Enjoy the last day of your long weekend.
I asked this question of David Blue, but I’m curious to see what your answer will be. So, question to Brian:
What is the funniest/weirdest/most memorable thing to happen on the set of SGU so far?
Thanks, and looking forward to SGU!
@das YES! Inspector Lewis… @ 9pm…PBS…!
Yes, yes…I’m obsessed ALSO. Wouldn’t miss it.
Lewis, (aside to Hathaway) upon stepping into a new Oxford upscale pub and glancing around at the snobs “…filled with fashionable idiots…… no, just idiots”
It was a great eppy… let me know what you think after viewing the rewind. Lots of twists and turns in the plot.
I wonder if one could find transcripts of this program on the web… anyone?
G’night,
2cats
@ Sparrowhawk – Thanks for asking – shoulder is much better, I’m getting slightly addicted to the burn of Capzasin, and I’m hyper (supposedly) from the steroid shot…or so people are telling me (I posted something about it on yesterday’s blog, I think…).
My only concern is that I have some sort of damage (like a tear, or something), and by not feeling the pain, I’m doing MORE damage. The doc was pretty sure it was just an inflamed tendon (‘frozen shoulder’), but my shoulder problems have gone on for so long, I wouldn’t be surprised if I don’t have something more serious. NOT wishing for it, though…so as long as it’s feeling better, I’m happy. Nice to be able to undo my bra by myself again, too. 🙂
das
Narelle – Ooooh, haven’t watched ESII for a couple of years – maybe I’ll do that after a while. Thanks for the reminder about the funny commentary. Since I haven’t surfed for a long, long time, and have no prospects while living in the American Midwest, I moved on to other pursuits/fandoms, until a phone chat with my bro a few years back got me nostalgic enough to buy six surfing vids. (Step Into Liquid is another I like, as well as The Peru Project, with its unflinching look at the poverty of many of the villages the guys went to. It’s good to know about big names in the surfer community who have a social conscience, since we all know the stereotype.)
Tom Curren, Kelly Slater, and Layne Beachley all in one day – my turn to say WOW, even if you couldn’t get Tom’s autograph. . . . Layne Beachley is such a great role-model – or so I’ve seen her – for girls who like to do more extreme sports, and pushing the envelope if that’s what they want to do. (I could never ever in my life, but if a woman feels up to the challenge of mega-surf, there should be a competitive outlet.)
Now that’s a very nifty idea, watching DVD’s out on your deck with a projector. Outdoor home theater – although remembering the soundtrack for ESII, I guess full theater sound would have your neighbors breaking the doors down (unless you had a block party!) Sounds like good times.
@ 2cats – WEE!! I’m watching it now! I also took some sneak peeks every now and then when I had to come in the house for stuff during out little campyfire thing. David’s co-worker came over, so it gave me an excuse to sneak off and catch Hathaway. NEXT week’s ep is the biggie for him…really looking forward to it.
HA! Just caught the ‘fashionable idiots’ line. 🙂
I was just thinking about the ep ( Expiation ) where Hathaway was holding onto the fella who tried to jump/fall from the tower. What I loved about it is how the normally genteel Hathaway so sinisterly snarled out “Say it!”, and let go of the guy’s arm, when he was trying to get the guy admit he wanted to live. Just nice seeing that ‘darker’ side of him, though – as he put it – it just seemed like the right psychology at the time.
das
Woo!! WFPOTD is back!
“This stuff probably lasts forever…”
Haha HOORAY for the triumphant return of the WFPotD!!! I loved the ending…glad you didn’t swallow that! I lol’d (in spite of what Patrick Gilmore and David Blue think, some people actually DO laugh out loud every time they type that!) so thanks for making my night a whole lot brighter as I face more homework than I probably should have procrastinated on! 😀
Ick, anyone want to do my programming homework for me? It’s Java GUI. 🙁
Oh noes I posted my questions for Brian a day early… whoops! ;D
@Das Yeah, I remember that steroids made me really hyper, shaky, and my heart race when I had them (they gave them to me when I had bronchitis + asthma complications). So I suspect that is normal.
Joe,
Hilarious video, glad to see a new one after all these months. Questions for Brian J. Smith:
Have you been hurt during a stunt yet?
As an American working in Canada, what do you think of the whole health care debate?
For Brian:
Hi Brian,
First off welcome to the Stargate world. My question is an easy one. What is your favorite part about working in the world of Stargate?
Good luck with this season.
I’d hoped you would reconsider drinking the clam juice, as it would be pretty frakin’ hilarious.
I’ll have to think of some questions for Mr. Smith.
By the way, he’s got a caption contest going on Twitter, if anybody who’s on wants to have a go.
otros ojos – American Midwest isn’t exactly known for its surf 🙂 I guess that’s the advantage of living on an island. Except it’s one HUGE island and it now takes us over an hour to get to anything with a decent break so I’m sad to say I have dust accumulating on my surfboard.
Managed to get all three of them to sign my top (plus a few others I can’t remember). Still have it! And Tom Curren was charming despite his shaking hands and blood shot eyes from the recent slamming into the sand. What a trooper.
@ 2cats – Really enjoyed this episode, but the highlight for me was the ending, in Lewis’ apartment – the music, the casual chat between the two. I am really enjoying these two as partners, even more than Morse and Lewis, who never seemed to draw close like this.
I liked the ‘twist’ in who the killer was (well, betrayer and Milo’s killer). Shame about Milo, he was a cutie. I also like how things went down for her, because she got what she deserved, without innocent hands being stained with her blood. Very good ep, I thought.
And Hathaway was as charming as ever. I am eagerly anticipating next week’s ep – though I must admit to being a bit nervous about it, too. I want to be satisfied with it, not turned off by it (which sometimes happens with these ‘sexual issue’ episodes for me). But it looks like a lot of intensity from his character, which I am very much looking forward to.
I can’t wait for the Series 2 boxset now – I think it’s available this October, as is the next Del Rey Elric book, and SGU and Sanctuary…and I can already see that I’m not getting anything useful done in October! 😛
das
Loved the Wierd Food Refrigerator episode!
You have the best quirky eybrow thing going on…
Oops, forgot to add, especially because I cleaned out the frig at work today – chicken is NOT supposed to be fluorescent blue!!!! (little mold action goin on…)
Joe you’re fountain of entertainment. I just love how you explain how one shouldn’t eat such a product in such a matter of fact way. You’re also very brave for putting that in your mouth, something I’d never do. Weird things in jars are just not something I’m comfortable with tasting. I hope that what ever you find next will be tasty… or at least not bad.
Considering my day job is working in Corporate Quality Management for a Fortune 500 food company, I was pleased that you in fact survived the WFTOTD by nature of posting it. This means I can sleep tonight and not worry that I’ll be reading about your case in tomorrow’s food safety digests.
I haven’t laughed so hard in a long time. I know it must have been bad if you spit it out. Ewww. It made me squirm just to watch it. That stuff just looked nasty.
I wish that SGU would premiere already so I’d have an intelligent question to ask. It’s nice of the actors to do this so early on in the series.
That video!!! That was the best thing I’ve ever seen of yours. Hilarious. I’m sure it wasn’t very funny for your mouth, but it was very funny for the audience. Based on your reaction, I think you probably WOULD prefer the baking soda!
Mmm. I tend to leave chicken on the burner. Then the water I’m steaming it with cooks out and I suddenly hear it sizzling. That’s when I know I get burnt chicken for dinner. Yum. *sarcasm*
Questions for Brian:
1. Were you a sci-fi geek/afficionado/watcher before your SGU role? If so, give a short list of what you like! If not, do you enjoy the sci-fi setting now?
2. You’ve obviously just started your career (based on IMDB): what is life like right now that’s different from college, from how you grew up, etc. Are you taking to it well (the fame, the fans, you know), or is it a bit of an adjustment?
3. In that line, how do you like having a more prominent role on TV? Do you enjoy the TV schedule/style as opposed to the stage/movie format?
4. You graduated from Julliard, which is awesome. Way back when I considered dance as a career, that was a school I was interested in. Share some insights on the type of learning, your favorite prof, or some kind of funny story for those of us who didn’t end up majoring in the arts.
And I just have to pass this on (because actors always need more ego-boosting, right?), I think you’re absolutely adorable, Brian! I’m excited to follow your role on SGU.
Sure, sure, Cap’n Mallozzi. I’ve gone missing for the better part of a month and you didn’t send out a search party. Am I that predictable? All you had to do was hoist up some Paul McGillion pictures, and here I be. Golly it was good to see our darlin,’ blue-eyed gorgeousness again! He warms a girl’s heart, he does. 😀
And did either of you lucky girls who saw Pauly at Creation Con in Chicago collect that big hug and kiss for me? After the past few weeks, I sure could use that kind of medicine. 😀
Aw, Joe. You’ve got to allow we ladies the leeway and equal time to smile at Paul that Das gets to melt into a puddle over the pasty ones. Please, Joe, could you even write a script with that “Pauly Bond” role in it that Paul mentioned in the Q&A ? He’d love it, and so would we. 😀
Seriously, though, I’ve been skimming the blog almost daily, but haven’t had much time to read comments or chime in. (Should be asleep now.) Thanks for all the new teasery pix and hints, as well as the Atlantis archive pictures. Thanks also to Syfy for posting the back half of Atlantis season 5 episodes. Much appreciated. They did get “Outsiders” and “Inquisition” listed and headlined in the correct episode order, but they flip-flopped the videos and loaded them into the wrong slots. Just FYI, in case someone hasn’t already mentioned it.
Those pictures of Carl and Jelly? Priceless. The best one was the last one, where their heads were closest together. It was a great portrait shot of both. Am so glad Jells-y’s ultrasound came out OK. Were her liver values all right after the blood tests? I’m sure you will, but be careful when backing her off the Metacam pain reliever. Pain is such a stress on any body, furry or otherwise, and dogs often don’t show pain, as an old survival habit.
Thoughts and prayers going out to Dankriss, for your kitty; Narelle, for your Dad and most of your family; Das, for your shoulder; miz Anne Teldy, for shooing off another pesty bug; and anyone else I may have forgotten.
Medical update on my dad. Feel free to skip.
We could have lost my dad this past month, but didn’t. We are so grateful.
Things never got better after the first hospital stay in late July. Dad was in such pain from shingles, and his stomach was in such pain, that he didn’t move around much for a few weeks while at home. Otros and Sheryl, you probably know what’s coming next. Yep, he got very weak because he couldn’t eat, and got very short of breath. Those episodes were happening the week before GenCon, but I couldn’t get him to go to a doctor. The week after that it got worse. We saw the doctor, the doc “statted” (that a verb?) a blood test, and we were rushing him to the emergency room again. He had blood clots in both lungs and one leg. Frightening….
The hospital wouldn’t let him out of their sight for a week. They gave him shots and blood thinners ASAP. In the midst of everything, they also found that food tasted like the bottom of a trash barrel to him because he needs gall bladder surgery. (Every food was a WFP to him.) A thyroid scan showed a 50% enlargement from three months ago. And his voice has been hoarse. Because it will take weeks for the blood clots—and the risk—to dissolve/pass, he’ll be on blood thinners for at least 6 months. In another month, they’ll check the thyroid. They don’t figure it will be safe enough for the GB surgery until 6 months from now. At least now we’ve figured out the right mixture of stomach meds so that he is eating again. Thank goodness! And while “alpha dad” made a couple quick trips to office this week and started driving again, he still needs not to try his superman routine any time soon. He’s not yet out of the woods.
Sorry this was a long post. I miss you guys.
–Lise / for the love of Beckett
Hey Joe,
LOL I am sorry, LMAO…. :o) I can’t stop….
Okay, loved the picture of Brian. Really great subject. You also managed to get Carlyl and Jamil’s chairs in the pic. Pretty cool Joe.
Oatmeal…cook in the microwave. It is just as good and you can cook the Irish kind (use to eat it). Your pan is toast. Done the oatmeal thing a couple of times, you think I would learn. But…I guess I did..microwave. The smell might convince you.
I read an article on twitter. Here it is.
http://www.mediapundit.net/2009/09/stargate-universe-is-a-promising-show-worth-seeing.html
I find myself upset over it. This is one of the press that watched the 3 hours. Seemed familiar with the other two shows. He says to hold your opinion until you see it. He said he would watch again then write again. But wow. I have a lot of questions, not for Brian, but for you.
Maybe I’ll sit down tomorrow and try to make sense of what is bothering me most. I guess part of it is that I have never been involved with a show before I saw it. Of course I also have the background of the other two preceding shows. SGA did not veer off course from SG-1 in style or feel. Not that I expect SGU to be the same. Maybe it just starts bringing back feelings of missing SGA and SG-1 for that matter.
If you could read the article, I’ll post a couple of questions tomorrow.
Maybe I should go watch your food tasting show again…dimples and all. You are so cute. Thought I would die laughing when I heard the water running after you spit it out. Didn’t remember buying it…I wouldn’t go near it. Are you feeling okay?
Laughing again just thinking about it. “Replay” I think I will visit this again. You are soooo funny.
Best to you Joe,
Cheryl
Ohhh man… it was definitely worth the wait for that WFPOTD! Arguably the most hilarious.
Question for Brian Smith:
I am a student at the Manhattan School of Music, which in many ways is a copy to Juilliard w/out the drama and dance programs… I was wondering if and how often you would attend any of the music performances at Juilliard? How much interacting did you do w/ that part of the student population?
Watching the video has to wait until I get home.
My parents had once a similar experience like you. Not with an Irish oatmeal. But I’m sure it isn’t important which sort of food you forget on the stove. 😉 It was night (my parents forgot to switch off the stove before they went to bed), we hadn’t a smoke alarm, so the rooms were full of smoke by the time we noticed the incident.
Poor pot, we had to trash it. The smell? The only solution for my mother was to redecorate the flat. So be aware, maybe your wife will have the same idea? 😉 How was her reaction?
PS: Joe, I can’t remember if this title is in your list of favorite movies since 1992, but I know it was your mention — Shaolin Soccer is exceptionally funny. And even though it can be a very broad parody of “wire-fu,” the fx are still imaginative and great to watch. The characters were totally hysterical, but moving at times as well. I laughed basically from start to finish. – Getting this one for my library.
Oh my God!! It’s…that thing!!
Yes, I’m refering to the common Chinese food that you attempted to consume. I’d say its name in Chinese, but I forgot what it was. Wiki says it’s “dou fu ru”, but I don’t remember it being called that.
Whatever the case, that was such a trip down memory lane. I remember, when I was a wee lad, sitting beside my grand parents as we all ate lunch, and they would eat that thing; they would eat a lot of it. I still remember the taste, despite the fact that I haven’t eaten it in at least a decade, probably more; it’s very salty, its texture very soft and squishy. I don’t remember whether I loved it or not, but it seems to be something I’d like.
Maybe I should bug my mom to get me some, lol.
Ok, I’m back from bugging my mom. For us, it’s called “jiang dou fu”; I think that’s the right one. Whatever the case, we had something similar in the fridge and I tasted it…not quite the same as the one I remembered. This one was spicy; but it was still pretty good.
Also, according to my parents, this stuff never goes bad because it’s 1). already bad, because it’s made from bacterial fermenation or whatever and 2). so salty that it kills most germs. So, no problemo, Joe; eat as much as you want! *wink*
Thanks for the nostalgia, Joe. *smile*
Will think out some Qs for Brian.
Hi Mr M!!!
Woo Hoo WFPoTD is back!! Very funny…more please!
Speaking from the home of Irish Oatmeal (porridge). I totally understand how that can happen. We (as a nation) destroy more pots per capita on porridge….or so I’m lead to believe. However, help is at hand, those clever people at Flahavan’s (the best porridge in the world IMHO) have a soltion:
http://www.flahavans.com/product/porridgeoats/quick_porridge.htm
Not sure if you can get this in Canada…but investigate..The taste is pretty much the same.
Re; Q for Brian J Smith
Hi (again) Brian. Thank you so much for taking the time to do the Q and A. With SGU being your first Sci Fi gig…what has been the most unexpected aspect to the process (as against rom-com / drama / feature etc)? Keep up the tweets! Best from Ireland
Shirt’n’Tie
OMFG!! Food purchase of the day had me crying with laughter!! The look on your face when your taste buds registered LMAO!!!
as for the pot….when I do that, I hand the pot to my dad…He uses his drill and an attached wire brush/scourer thingy and it cleans it right up!!
Dad also suggested leaving some coke in it for a few days….if that doesn’t work, surely someone on set will have something to help you out if you can’t get anything yourself!! Leave it with them as a challenge 😉
P.S Dad also offered to do it for you but I suggested that sending from Canada to Australia wouldn’t be cost effective and it would be cheaper to buy a new pot 😉
Is the Sun Tzu “flown” by PLAF? If not, then who?
And was it repaired/is being repaired after the battle, since I very much doubt that the Chinese would let it left there.
I had some other questions but forgot them…
Oh yeah, do you like Red Hot Chili Peppers?
=)
Oh and Joe – have you ever tried Kvas? The brewn kind, not the cola-like herbal extract variant.
Its nice to know I am not the only one who likes to murder pots. If its a really good pot I make the effort to see if it can be saved, if not I trash it. Vinegar, hot water and dish detergent is what I usually soak it in but in case I do it again in the future I will try the tomato soup trick.
My question for Brian J. Smith…..
First off welcome and thanks for wanting to do a Q & A with us. I enjoy following your tweets. I am really looking forward to SGU. I am a TV addict, do you watch much television and if so which shows are your favorites either currently airing or shows no longer on?
Joe,
I can only surmise that I haven’t received my spectacular non-prop rock because of a tragic avalanche/mud slide brought on by all the rain in your area. I imagine the scene looks something like this:
STONES ROCKS ROCKS ROCKS
ROCKS BOULDERS TREES ROCKS ROCKS
STONES BOULDERS MORE BOULDERS ROCKS
STONES UNLUCKY HIKER (CARL?) ROCKS TREES
MORE ROCKS MORE AND BIGGER ROCKS ROCKS STONES
BUNCH OF SMALLER ROCKS BIGGER ROCKS ROCKS TREES
BOULDER ROCK jes’s non-prop rock STONES STONED STONES
I know that you’re digging frantically to rescue my rock, so no need to take time out to respond. Just keep digging, man! My thoughts, hopes, and dreams are with you.
I was going to mail you some of the exotic squashes and melons I planted this year to shore up the Weird Food availability, but not much survived the cold, wet growing season. Also, I didn’t want to be the one to mail the blights of 2009 to BC.
Cute Video. Reminds me of an Alton Brown show called “Road Tasted”. Did anyone see the show where he tried pickled pigs feet at this truck stop? He spend a few minutes scrapping off his tongue. Too Funny.
Thanks for the pictures! P.M. does such a good job of looking forlorn (hospital picture) and J.F. isn’t wearing his wrist bands!
For the love of Beckett: I’m so glad your dad is better. I’ve had a few friends with Shingles and they have told me some stories about it, ouch!
Das: Keep going to the Doctor! Sending painfree vibes your way.
One question for you, Mr. M or really anyone else who might have an idea. We’ve been watching these monster movies on SYFY. (Not much else on) Why don’t the monsters ever get full? Throughout the movie, the monsters eat a dozen people/animals. Do they ever stop to digest? Do they ever sleep it off? Just a silly question.
Hope everyone is doing ok today.
Tam
P.s. notice I didn’t do any smiles icons!
Bonjour Joseph!
vous allez bien? moi moyen j’ai passer une journée longue et pas trés drôle. Je tiens à vous remerciez pour me redonner le sourir!! Grâçe à cette video vous m’avez fait mourir de rire lol. J’adore votre tête quand vous mangez des choses mauvaises. Vous êtes vraiment le seul sur cette planète à me rendre aussi joyeuse en si peu de temp 🙂
Merci, merci, merci!
Alalala je ne sais pas ce que l’ont feraient sans vous, le monde serai surement un peu plus triste.
Gros bisou!
Je vous adore!
@Das – It’s possible that someone has already mentioned this to you (maybe even a doctor type person), but just in case – if the injection you had to your shoulder was a steroid, it’s not masking the pain, it’s an anti-inflammatory. It’s taking away the inflammation. So unless you decide to go out and do something that would injure your shoulder further (like lifting something heavy above your head), you are most likely going to be ok.
I have a rotator cuff tear in my left shoulder, and I just don’t want to deal with surgery for it. So every so often, my rheumatologist gives me a steroid injection in that shoulder (the last one was a bit over a year ago, and I’m coming up on needing another).
I have pretty good function, so I can live without the pain and long, long recovery time for the surgery. Anyway, after the pain from the injection is gone, I get amazing relief from the rotator cuff tear pain. I do, however, try to avoid the things that caused the injury in the first place. I was an idiot; I have bad arthritis in both shoulders AND on top of it, fibromyalgia as well, and I was lifting something very heavy to put it on a closet shelf. Dumb. Don’t do something like that! Get Mr. Das to do that stuff for you.
Also, if you have frozen shoulder, physical therapy can be enormously helpful. I did that for the tear as well and do pretty well when I remember to do the exercises. I’m a huge believer in PT.
I hope that you don’t in fact have fibromyalgia. It can be difficult to live with. But it can go into remission, even for years. Also, like many things, if you take good care of yourself, it doesn’t need to control your life. What works for me: avoiding stress (that’s #1); not overdoing it on physical activity – you need a reasonable amount of exercise, but overdoing is very bad, almost as bad as not doing anything; and trying to get enough sleep. The sleep disorder part of the condition is the hardest for me. Eventually my doctor put me on meds for that, and I’ve now lived for 15 years with the condition and live a relatively normal life.
I also avoid all the self-help groups on the internet. For me, they are too filled with “woe is me, how can I live with this awful condition?” instead of actual stories on how people CAN live with it. Many people just give up and become disabled. For some, their condition is just that bad. I also think that self-help groups can actually be helpful, especially with a condition that is hard to diagnose and a lot of people think isn’t real. However, I have found that many of these groups involve a lot of whining (which has its place) and less learning how to go on and live your life when the whining is over.
For me, I firmly believe that a lot of it is attitude. I realized that for me, I had one of two choices: either I learned to have a life with it, or I could stop living. The second choice was a bad one. So what I’m saying is that I hope you don’t have it, but the attitude you show in general hanging out here is a good one for learning to live with it and move on if it is something you need to face.
And oh, yes, don’t let the cats walk on the trigger points/tender points, whatever they’re called. That’s bad. I had one cat that just managed to hit everyone of them when he was walking all over me. Sadly, he’s gone on to his final rest (he was a GREAT cat and I miss him), but it was hard to get him to stop walking on every point that sent me up to the rafters!
Mary
Je viens de mettre cette video sur mon portable =D Comme ça je pourrai vous avoir partout avec moi, dés que je me sentirai triste je regarderai cette video!
Aller bonne nuit =)
A demain ♥
@Mr M
Kitchen clean up tip. The smell will linger for a long while. My usual method of getting rid of the odor is to run the Filter Queen vacuum cleaner for about 15 minutes sweeping for any odor hot spots with the hose held at shoulder level. There’s a paper filter in the machine to remove any odor, including those cause by cooking oily fish.
Do not use a wire brush on your metal pots. That will cause excessive leaching of metal to the food. Especially if the pot is aluminum. Suggest trying a lime remover like CLR first. Then cleaning agent for glass cook ware, if necessary.
The WFPOTD is not suppose to be eaten by itself. ROTFL
Thanks a lot for the Atlantis pics, especially the Shep one.
@For the love of Beckett, WOW, what a few weeks you have had, glad to hear that dad is doing better. I’m assuming he is on coumadin , a blood thinner. Decrease dark greens, no vitamin “K”. These all interfear with this med. Just watch for any signs of bleeding and call MD ASAP if you see them. Dr. should be doing bloodwork on a REGULAR basis- called a P.T. Most Doctors never tell patients these things, but they are important!! Hope things improve, … Sheryl
Love the “No” moment with the unexpected return from the trash. ^^
Thanks for the sacrifice !
@ 2cats – Just a head’s up – not sure which channel you watch Masterpiece Mystery! on – but it’s not on this coming Sunday on WHYY 12. I have DirecTV, and it is on channel 39, but not sure you get that one. It probably won’t be on 12 for two weeks.
Other stuff…
Just got back from the Naval Air Museum – hubby wanted to see the P51 Mustang, like the one his grandfather flew in WWII. His granddad was an ace (5 victories, 2 probables, 5 destroyed on ground), shot down over Germany, nearly lost his leg (he refused to allow the German doctors to cut it off), and a POW before being liberated by the Allies. He passed away in 1985.
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v54/dasNdanger/wssr1.jpg
It cost $2200.00 to take a ride in the Mustang 😯 , so needless to say, we skipped that. We had a good time nonetheless, and we were able to walk through two bombers – B-24 Liberator and B-17 Flying Fortress: These exact two – the ‘Witchcraft’, and ‘Nine O’ Nine’:
http://www.collingsfoundation.org/menu.htm
There was one tight part in the ‘Witchcraft’ – the catwalk above the bomb bay doors – that I had a wee bit o’ trouble squeezing through with my fore-and-aft build. 😳 I thought they’d have to bring out the jaws of life! It was very interesting, and has given me renewed respect for anyone who works in such tight quarters, especially in extreme circumstances.
RE: My shoulder – Thanks to everyone who wished me well – it’s much better, but I’m finding that with the reduced pain I have a tendency to over-do things, which I was afraid of. It’s one reason I live with pain – I figure it’s my body saying, ‘Don’t do that!’ I must learn that reduced pain does not = everything’s all right. But for now I have relief. And, eh…it’s just a sore shoulder. No big deal compared to what others face on a daily basis. I don’t wanna sound like a whiner, or anything.
das
Aha! Thought of a question for Brian:
What do you think of Stargate fan conventions (i.e. Creation Con in Vancouver), and do you see yourself participating in them?
WTP – that was one of the best! Your expression…then reading about Das’ popped eggs…too much……
oops – WFP – sorry
Q for Joe:
”Have you ever encountered, when writing for SG, a situation where you needed the help of the fans?”
Q for Brian:
”Hey Brian! What’s been the best part for you working on SGU? Also, who, from work do you interact with the most?”
OMG Joe you can always get me to laugh! All I can say is you must think as much of us (your readers) as we do of you for you to do stuff like the WFPOTD to keep us amused. And if your next post is from your hospital bed (from food poisoning), we’ll all feel appropriately sympathetic – and then ask you to do it again!!! 😀
BTW – is the liquor cabinet WFPOTD still a possibility?
And I’m looking forward to the next caption the picture contest. Reading everyone’s suggestions was fun … and i’m still jealous of JES and his rock – i mean authentic SG-U prop!
@ Mary – Thank you SO much! First, let me say that I posted my comment above before yours was approved, so what I said there is not in response to your advice or remarks.
My biggest problem is ‘over-doing it’. I’m a brute when I want/need to get something done, and no one else is around to help me. I will lift things that are much too heavy for me, just because I want it out of my way or sight. So…yeah…I must learn patience, and wait to have Mr. Das do things that I really shouldn’t.
Thanks for the reminder about the shot being an anti-inflammatory – I ‘know’ it, but I still have my doubts that stuff like this works the way it’s supposed to. I do hope that’s why I’m feeling relief – because the inflammation is reduced, and not just because the pain is masked.
I don’t think I had full-blown frozen shoulder syndrome, but was on my way to it. I still could move it, just couldn’t get my arm behind my back well (still a bit of a problem), or reach over to my left side (much better now – before I could barely put on deodorant, etc). But I could still raise it if I moved in a certain direction, and stuff. I think the real problem started a couple weeks ago, when I swear it quickly popped in and out of socket when I gestured during a conversation (I’m like an Italian, I talk with crazy hands!).
And I do hear what you’re saying about ‘self-help’ groups. In some ways they’re good because you can get ideas and advice from people with similar problems, but there is always that risk of becoming a ‘woe is me’ sort. Honestly…and I don’t mean for this to sound stupid…but I tend to ‘complain’ more on-line than I do in real life. I think sometimes I just run out of stuff to say, then think, ‘Well…I did stub my toe today and it really hurt like the devil, so lemme bore everyone silly with THAT story!’
😳
Anyway, about the fibromyalgia. I certainly hope I don’t have it, either. I know I have some pain due to an upper back problem (one that also showed up on my recent chest x-rays for the pheumonia), but it doesn’t explain it all. Sometimes I think it’s just old age, and I need to stop worrying about it, and then other times I think maybe there is something really wrong. Still, I have a tendency to put stuff off, mainly because of the sort of family I have – they’re real, ‘Just get over it’ types, even if your head is hanging off your shoulders by a string. 😛
Thank you again, it is much appreciated!!
*hugs*
das
@ 2cats ,, you can watch the masterpiece mystery online, after it has been shown on tv (in case you missed it).(for limited time) I like the series also, really liked Wallander,(Kenneth Branagh)(got emmy nominations) which are over for now. and Agatha Chrisitie, Ms Marple, great stuff.
–Joe, one thing for sure, you will remember the wfotd and the ones NOT to try again…thanks for the comedy relief!! Thanks for sharing the pictures, Yes Brian does look happy! -thinking of ?’s, nothing yet….
@for the love of Beckett. My sympathies and condolences on your rough summer. My dad spent most of three months in hospital, before finally turning the corner. doing good now, fortunately, but there were a lot of days when I wondered if I was going to be handling his day to day finanacial affairs, or his funeral arrangements. It’s rough, but know that you have support here with your friends.
Joe, I love porridge for breakfast, it’s healthy and filling and if you desire simplicity I can only suggest the obvious, do you get ‘Oats So Simple’ in Canada? Add milk, two minutes in the microwave and bing! Yummy oats (add honey etc for your taste). No burning or oat.
WFP: You are a far braver person than I.
@ for love of Beckett, Anne Teldy, Narelle, and others living in interesting times: Sending prayers for all of you.
Walking a rough path down here as well. 84-yr-old mother-in-law took a bad fall on Fri. Surgery this AM repaired hip and shoulder, hope she’ll be released to nursing home by weekend.
Dot’s our surviving parent, and we’re hoping to have her around for a while!
AHAHAHA!!! Are you stark raving bonkers trying out presersed tofu with no use by date? Coulda killed you!! We’d get no SGU !!
Funny vid.. loved it..
Hilarious! I’m sorry your tasting of the preserved tofu didn’t go well, but it’s really just used in sauces… Me, I love the stuff and whenever we have ong choy, I grab an extra cube of the stuff to eat with rice to get more of the flavor in every bite. ^^
Questions for Brian. I don’t think I asked any. I can’t remember. i’ve tweeted so much with him I think it’s all answered 🙂
Hmm, okay. What has been your most memorable moment on the SGU set so far?
Thanks!!
I just got back from Vegas (what an awesome break from Alaska, where autumn is almost over!) and I think I actually saw Marty G. in a Chinese restaurant on Sunday night where hubby & I were having a romantic dinner. He was with a bunch of people and he was wearing the most … uh … interesting plaid suit I’ve ever seen. That was really weird!
Big, ooops! Sorry guys I’m not who you think I am, just a fan from the states who usually posts as Hitman. Absently typed my real name in. Sorry for the confusion.
Brian,
I saw a picture of a man leaping buildings in a single bound in Los Angles. Looks like someone I know!