Le Mailbag du Jour:
Kiwiclare writes: “Oh Joe, that video was brilliant. How did you keep a straight face? Poor Carl!!”
Answer: Keeping a straight face was ease. The tricky part was keeping my face from blossoming to a rosy red. That stuff is killer.
RebeccaH. Writes: “You do realize Carl Binder is never going to trust you again.”
Answer: Yeah, that’s what they said after the 100% cacao dark chocolate bar incident.
RandomQ’s writes: “i thought ghost chilies were the hottest on Earth?”
Answer: You thought right. Ghost chiles a.k.a. Naga Bhut Jolokia peppers.
Brian writes: “did anyone else try it after Carl’s reaction?”
Answer: Yep. Robert Cooper and John G. Lenic sampled some as well. And haven’t had any since. I, on the other hand, had some at lunch both yesterday and today.
Noelm writes: “Was the stargate at Icarus found on that planet, or did the air force bring it there because of the planet’s core?”
Answer: The gate was brought to the planet after the planet was deemed suitable.
Noelm also writes: “And who knew the ancients had such lovely taste in bedding? How did the material last hundreds of thousands of years?”
Answer: Five star room service.
Terry writes: “Do the bacon-chocolate chip cookies really have bacon in them? Even when I was eating bacon, I couldn’t imagine that combo.”
Answer: Yep, real bacon. It’s a very nice savory, sweet, and smoky taste medley.
Major D. Davis writes: “What can I get you for your birthday??????”
Answer: You’re continued support and friendship is all I need. That and a Maserati.
Das writes: “Poor Ashleigh – forcing her to work when she’s on death’s door. She should be home, in bed, with a good book and a hot totty (though I prefer a hot Toddie…J”
Answer: Yeah. I bet. I think the medical term is “albinically inclined”. As for Ashleigh – her condition is a source of misery for all. Yesterday, we had to stop watching a mix because of one of her coughing fits. I suggested that to avoid distracting people, she cough with her mouth closed to minimize the noise (and, alternately, sneeze with her nose sealed). Either that or go into Carl’s office, which has been designated the office Coughing Room, shut the door behind her and get it out of her system.
DasNdanger also writes: “WHY, oh WHY did you have Ashleigh stick her disease-infected nose into your bottle of hot sauce BEFORE you sampled it??”
Answer: I guarantee you that any germs and/or parasites unlucky enough to make contact with that sauce would have been killed instantly. Sort of like my taste buds.
Liz writes: “How did these people know where to mail you stuff anyway? How do people ever know where to mail movie makers and actors and scriptwriters stuff anyway?!”
Answer: I’m not sure about actors and other movie makers, but I get my mail via Santa at the North Pole.
EternalDensity writes: “Hey Joe, have you heard of the SGU Over-Dramatisation Awards? http://mattsilver3k.livejournal.com/1280.html”
Answer: Good stuff. And I’ve seen even better potential nominees out there.
Ytimynona: “Thanks for the AWESOME video. Who edited it all together?”
Answer: Resident computer whiz Lawren Bancroft-Wilson.
Arctic Goddess writes: “are actors in any of the StarGate series chosen based on previous work with any of the producers?”
Answer: On occasion, yes. Robert Picardo was brought on to assume command of Atlantis off our experience working with him on SG-1. Similarly, David Hewlett’s character of Rodney McKay was a late addition to the Atlantis team off of his multi-episode appearances in SG-1. Along the same lines, both Claudia Black and Jewel Staite were made regulars as a result of the favorable impressions they made in one-off guest spots.
Dyginc writes: “Who is publishing your short story? Is it PYR and Lou Anders?”
Answer: With Great Power: edited by Lou Anders for Pocket Books.
Dyginc also writes: “i will be getting to meet Lou Ander on 11/29/09 at a book signing in Powell’s in Beaverton OR…i want to have something cool for him to sign so if you have any suggestions on books that he has published or if your story has an ARC or something that would be really cool.”
Answer: Might I recommend Fast Forward I and/or Fast Forward 2, a couple of excellent SF anthologies.
Michelle writes: “Joe, can a Canadian bypass the public system and go to private doctors if he/she has the money?”
Answer: Sure, as long as they’re willing to travel to the U.S. to do it.
Tammy Dixon writes: “Do Canada’s lawmakers exclude themselves from the public health care system in Canada?”
Answer: They’re not supposed to – although I’ve read reports about politicians who chose to travel south of the border for treatment rather than play the waiting game here.
Jlgrand writes: “Have you read The Chronicles of Thomas Covenant: The Unbeliever by Stephen R. Donaldson?”
Answer: Yep. Robert Cooper recommended it to me years ago.
DP writes: “Is it true BC will outlaw wearing a bullet-proof vest without a permit?”
Answer: That’s outrageous! Well, guess I’ll have to triple sweater then.
Mary writes: “Things aren’t perfect in Canada, but for every horror story like your mom’s, I’ve heard more than one story lauding the care in Canada, and I’ve heard many more horror stories in the US.”
Answer: Oh, without a doubt there are plenty of horror stories coming out of the US system, especially from those who cannot afford proper treatment. Like I said in entry, I wasn’t trying to weigh in on either side of the healthcare debate, simply offering up a personal account that is decidedly less rosy than the picture painted by Michael Moore in his documentary.
Shawna Buchanan writes: “I just finished reading Ender’s Game, and I found out that there are many more books by this author set in the same world. Have you read any of them, and if so, are they good?”
Answer: I read Ender’s Game and enjoyed it immensely. I also read Speaker for the Dead which, while totally different, was excellent as well. I’ve heard varied opinions on the other books, but mostly good things about Ender’s Shadow (which is the fifth book in the series and centers on Ender’s academy buddy Bean).
Imadaman writes: “Also does the whole gate spin, or just the front?”
Ansswer: The whole gate spins.
The Asgard writes: “will the DHD device(the PSP looking thing) be able to dial other planets true out that galaxy.”
Answer: If the gate is within range, it certainly can dial. Whether it gets a lock or the planet possesses an atmosphere capable of sustaining life is another matter.
Tammy Dixon writes: “Did Canadians follow the “balloon boy”? Hard to believe any parent would do that.”
Answer: Oh yeah. I came late to the party. When I saw the actual “balloon” I couldn’t understand how anyone could possibly think it would be capable of lifting off carrying the weight of a Chihuahua, much less a five year old kid.
EFroh writes: “What an amazingly ignorant post.”
Answer: Oh, I’m sorry. Are you refuting the claim that my mother waited a grand total of 28 hours without receiving a diagnosis? Do you actually work at the Lakeshore General? Is this you, mom? If so, I’d love to hear more so you can shed light on this personal incident. If not, then kindly shut the fuck up.
Jean writes: “Also, a question – how far would Destiny have to travel before a planet gate got “out of range”? Presumably it would have to leave the galaxy, because in Milky Way and Pegasus you could dial a gate on any planet within the galaxy with a 7 chevron address. Does that mean that Destiny is galaxy hopping with each episode??”
Answer: A couple of FTL jumps wouldn’t take Destiny out of the galaxy but would be enough to take it out of range of certain gates.
Joshua Meyers Extraordinary Teenager writes: “What episodes have you written this year?”
Answer: Space, Incursion I, Incursion II.
Ytimynona writes: “Also eagerly awaiting Darkness ratings. I imagine they suck because of the same baseball games that seem to have taken over House!”
Answer: Actually, considering we were up against baseball, Dollhouse, and a huge opening for Where the Wild Things Are, the numbers held strong, especially among key demos (Bavarian kale farmers).
Jeff writes: “When the people on destiny go off-world, do they dial 7 chevrons to get back to the ship or do they dial the 9 chevron “code” to get back?”
Answer: They dial a 7 symbol address.
Tammy Dixon writes: “Being a writer, does it make it harder for you to enjoy a show?”
Answer: Yep, some t.v. shows but mainly movies.
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