Joseph Mallozzi's Weblog

May 25, 2010: My most popular entry is… Really? Yet another guest blogger announcement!

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One of the many great things about having a blog on wordpress is the Blog Stats section that allows you to track everything from daily views and incoming links to search engine terms and referrers.  And, I just discovered this weekend, if you click on the Top Posts & Pages header, you’ll be directed to a list of every one of your posts ranked according to the traffic it has received to date.

So what, according to wordpress, has been my most popular entry of all time?  The breakdown of the Atlantis season that might-have-been in my An AU Season 6! entry?  The Amanda Tapping Q&A?  That Long Overdue Rant?

Guess again.  Here are my top ten most popular posts to date:

10. September 21, 2008: The Wrap Party!: After five fabulous years, the cast and crew closed the book on Stargate: Atlantis with a final wrap party that featured blackjack, fantastic fashion, and a chocolate replica of Atlantis itself.

9. August 21, 2008: All Good Things…: Seeing about 20% more traffic than entry #10 was my farewell to Atlantis, a bittersweet entry written on the heels of the official announcement that the show would not be returning for a sixth season.

8. April 26, 2009: The Best Chocolate Party: Last year’s chocolate party – and, perhaps not so coincidentally, the first group sneak peek at the new Stargate: Universe cast – comes in at #8.

7. August 23, 2008: Questions, Answers, Guests, and Pics!: Actress Dawn Olivieri does a guest spot on the show and, more importantly this blog – scrapping with Jason Momoa and even using his guitar as a weapon.  The entry is dedicated to more post-Atlantis-cancellation fall-out, and thank-you’s.

6. September 30, 2008: An AU Season 6!: So IF Atlantis had received that sixth season pick-up, what kind of stories could we have looked forward to?  Well, something like the notions listed in this flash-sideways entry…

5. May 3, 2009: Transforming Stage 5 From Stargate Command to Icarus Base: Occupying the fifth spot is our stroll through the corridors of what was once Stargate Command.  The SG-1 gate room, control room, and briefing room are no more, the spaces they once occupied in the midst of a transformation that will see them become the SGU premiere’s Icarus Base.

4. January 2, 2009: Brad Wright Answers Your Questions:  The man who co-created Stargate: SG-1, Stargate: Atlantis, Stargate: Universe, and was showrunner for much of the franchise’s amazing 11+ year run fields some fan queries.

3. October 31, 2009: That Long Overdue Rant: Given the online buzz and the ensuing furor it received, I figured this entry would have occupied the #1 spot – but, surprisingly, it only received roughly half the traffic of the #2 entry…

2. September 5, 2009: Dinner with Ivon and Brian!  Julia Benson!  Braving the Tokyo subway system!:  At first glance, I couldn’t for the life of me figure out what made this post so popular.  Was it the snaps of our dinner at Quattro?  A sneak peek at SGU’s Lieutenant Vanessa James played by Julia Benson?  Or was it all those Ivon Bartok fanatics checking out their favorite guy?  Well, the entry that came in at #1 gave me the answer…

1. October 22, 2009: Julia Benson! Jennifer Spence!  Birthday Swag!  The Weird Food Purchase of the Day!: Granted, this entry had a bit of everything – Carl, pretty actresses, a video of me sampling one of the hottest hot sauces out there, a picture of the bacon-chocolate chip cookies sent in by a fan – but what the hell made it so damn popular?  Well, if you compare and contrast the entries occupying the top two slots, you’ll notice one like variable: Julia Benson.  Cross-reference that with the top three Search Engine Terms used to reach my blog –

3. “joe mallozzi”: Makes sense.

2. “joseph mallozzi”: Makes even more sense given that that’s how I’m credited onscreen.

1. “julia benson”: Garnering about twice as many searches as “joseph mallozzi”.

Photo courtesy and copyright MGM Television

What does this tell us?  Well, it tells us that there are a lot of fans of strong, military women out there.  What else would it tell us?

It also tells us that it’s high time I invited actress Julia Benson to guest here and answer some fan question in her very own Q&A.

Photo courtesy and copyright MGM Television.

So if you’ve got questions for the Julia, start posting!

And between coming up with questions for Julia and dissecting the last episode of SGU, I urge you to find the time to read two of our upcoming book of the month club selections:

Swordspoint, by Ellen Kushner Discussion the week of June 14th with author Ellen Kushner

House of Suns, by Alastair Reynolds Discussion the week of July 12th with author Alastair Reynolds. It comes out in paperback today!

Finally, Special Features Producer Ivon Bartok passed this one along.  If you failed to check out SGU’s season premiere, Air I, here’s what you missed:

http://youtube.com/watch?v=IoBRFjeXfeU

Today’s entry is dedicated to birthday gals Chevron7, Lis and Sarah Lee!

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79 responses

  1. dasNdanger Avatar
    dasNdanger

    Joe – just curious…which entry had the most replies? Was it that #1 for views entry, or another?

    das

    Reply
  2. majorsal Avatar
    majorsal

    how about bumping miss benson’s character up to leading statis then! that might make me give the show another shot…

    why is chloe the lead female character again? *super rolls eyes, till they get stuck seeing the inside of scull*

    Reply
  3. Tanie Avatar
    Tanie

    Oh my! First cab off the rank! Very interesting top 10 Joe… I would never have guessed that Julia Benson would garner all those hits…

    So, questions for Julia:

    1. What sort of research did you do for this role?

    2. How do YOU think James has grown or changed over the course of S1?

    3. Have you had any ludicrously early calls to set as yet?

    Thanx kindly for your time, and hope you have a blast with the rest of S2!

    Reply
  4. Lis Avatar
    Lis

    awww, you didn’t catch my birthday note!

    Happy birthday to my birthday-twins, Chevron7 and Sara Lee 🙂

    You should definitely have Julia Benson do a guest entry. I was just thinking about her the other day; her character is strongly my favourite of the entire SU crew.

    Reply
  5. majorsal Avatar
    majorsal

    sorry for my snarkiness…

    Reply
  6. Thornyrose Avatar
    Thornyrose

    gak. got to get to bookstore. and interesting breakdown on the blog entries. Will go back and look them over once I’ve cut down on the sleep deprivation thing and can focus on the words.

    Reply
  7. dasNdanger Avatar
    dasNdanger

    Joe – I have trouble keeping up with all that you’re reading. Have you ever read The Unwritten?

    http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Unwritten

    If so, any opinions?

    das

    Reply
  8. cat4444 Avatar
    cat4444

    Q for Julia:

    1. What do you think of the criticism that you were only cast for your “chest” rather than your ability to do the job?

    2. Given that you took the top spot on Joe’s Blog, are you now going to elbow those two “losers” Alaina and Elyse out of the way so you can take your star higher? 😉

    3. Is there a particular storyline, or type of storyline, you’d like to see for your character?

    4. Lt. James seems to be having a hard time getting over Lt. Scott. Why do you think this is? She appears to be a pretty self-reliant and confident woman and it seems kind of odd that she would moon over him to such an extent.

    Reply
  9. cat4444 Avatar
    cat4444

    Hey, Joe, does the daily views count overall views or unique views?

    Reply
  10. dasNdanger Avatar
    dasNdanger

    Aww…Lis, Joey added you! 🙂 SEE??! He’s NOT all bad. 😉

    I was gonna say something else…but then I heard noises in the kitchen, and remembered that I had put eggs on to boil and YUP…I made pop-eggs. 😛 Two ‘sploded, two I may be able to salvage. At least I don’t have egg on the ceiling this time. 😛

    das

    Reply
  11. MyNameIsNada Avatar
    MyNameIsNada

    Yeah for a Q&A with Julia!
    Her are some questions:

    1) Do you think Lt. James is as cool as I do?

    2) Do you think Lt. James will ever confront Lt. Scott? Speaking of, you can’t expect to go through a Q&A here and not spill some details on those sex scenes. So, feel free to share anything.

    3) What are some things we the fans can do to ensure your survival of the series?

    4) Lt. James has yet to really be given a chance to come into the spotlight-what do you think she has best to offer Destiny and the rest of the crew?

    5) Finally, pretending you, yourself, are stuck on Destiny. What would you do to preserve your sanity?

    Reply
  12. Randomness Avatar
    Randomness

    > Atlantis season that might-have-been in my An AU Season 6

    Bah, depressing stuff, unfortunatly I still believe that Atlantis should of had a 6th season, if only to give the series a SG1 Season 8 kinda send off, the story in general just seems so incomplete, but hey, what’s happened, happened, I just don’t think you’d find any objections from anyone if someone said, hey lets do Atlantis S6 before SGU.

    Anyway speaking of Bensen, Vanessa and Chloe, to me anyway have had more meaningful screentime recently, up until recently I firmly believed that Greer/Rush/Young/Eli/Scott made SGU, then suddenly these 2 shine lol Loving what I’m seeing anyway.

    Reply
  13. Mr Anonymous Avatar
    Mr Anonymous

    Question for Julia:
    1) Have you ever been on the lonely end of a love triangle (similar to Lt. James?)

    2) You play a military officer convincingly. Have you had military training?

    Demand for Joe:
    1) Make Lt. James into a main character. Please 🙂

    Reply
  14. Gilder Avatar
    Gilder

    My two favorite questions:

    1. What is one thing you know about your character that the viewers don’t? (Other actors’ answers varied from “has a tattoo” to “is a Cylon” 😉 )

    2. Are there any knitters or crocheters among cast /crew?

    Reply
  15. otros ojos Avatar
    otros ojos

    Hey Joe, sweet trip back through a lot of memories, even if that sweetness is/was a tad bitter at times for you and/or others at The Bridge (have no idea about that part) — along with many, many fans. For me, though, SGU is about as close to perfect as a show can get. I’m thrilled it’s still on, and still predominantly goes into new territory for Stargate, but I won’t forget what I liked best about SG1 and SGA. Skimming back over some of your most-viewed posts makes for a pleasant outing. Thanks!

    Reply
  16. otros ojos Avatar
    otros ojos

    @Kymm

    Thanks for clearing up my misinformation about leather. I knew about its durability, so am glad to hear from an owner that proper maintenance can prevent stains, as well – very important point for sports fans, no?

    B&W really is great for creating atmosphere. (I have a couple of Vermont-winter pics that I also love.) – Sepia, a sense of timelessness, perhaps; both are what I love best about my wall decor, along with the subdued-palette prints.

    There’s more to that site than I knew; props for exploring. LMAO over the image you linked – hadn’t seen that one. I love Gonzo – “now more than ever,” as they say. . . Thank goodness for you spatially oriented people who see funny things in abstract images. *grins back, and giggles*

    Reply
  17. Lou Zucaro Avatar
    Lou Zucaro

    Good post, Joe, thanks. Always interesting to see what posts get the most attention.

    For Julia:

    1) As a couple other people have touched on, James has shown an interesting duality, being both tough / strong as well as almost a bit desperate as far as the relationship / romance part of the character goes. Do you relate to any part of James?

    2) Do you think the controversy regarding James’ freakout re: inhabiting Amanada’s body in Sabotage was warranted or not?

    3) When James, TJ and Chloe dress up as Charlie’s Angels in the Very Special Halloween Episode™ of SGU, which Angel do you want to be and what are you prepared to do (as James, of course) to keep TJ and Chloe from calling dibs on your favorite? Who should dress up as Bosley?

    Reply
  18. Jovanna Avatar
    Jovanna

    Always did wonder what the stats on your blog were like. Thank you.

    Reply
  19. crayonbaby Avatar
    crayonbaby

    Yay for Julia doing a Q&A! I’m so glad she’s been on the show more and more.

    Questions:

    1) Have you ever accidentally hit one of the cast members while filming a fight scene? I know sometimes accidents happen. Or someone ate the last doughnut. Or took you parking space.

    2) Are you hoping for in season two that Lt. James will be happier? Poor gal has been put through the ringer this season so far.

    3) Who on the set makes you laugh?

    Reply
  20. BStearns Avatar
    BStearns

    Very cool about Julia Benson making an appearance on the blog. I’ve found her character has gotten much more interesting lately. Quite hard to believe that those are the posts that made it to 1 and 2. Goes to show that you never know what’ll work I guess. And wow on that stop-motion animation for SGU. I can only think that some people have too much time on their hands, then again, look at what I do all day? Heh. Thanks for another great post Joe!

    -Bryan
    sff-hub.blogspot.com

    Reply
  21. Arctic Goddess Avatar
    Arctic Goddess

    @Dasindanger: Two words: Frying pan lid. Okay…three words…

    Joe: Boycott Shampoo. Buy the REAL poo.

    Do your dogs have a pecking order? Who’s on top? Uh, no, that was a real question.

    Question(s) for Julia:

    – Why did you decide to get into acting?

    – Do you have a Facebook or Twitter page?

    – What do you do to stay fit?

    Patricia

    Reply
  22. JulieAloha Avatar
    JulieAloha

    Hi Joe,

    Wow – I love the retrospective – I perused your top 10 and some of the comments, then I just started scanning for familiar names. As a relative newcomer (to your blog, not SG) I think it’s a real testament to you that you have so many loyal readers. You joked the other day that you too may someday make something of yourself; all kidding aside, I think you’re there. Your words inspire a dedicated group of people to spend part of their day consuming, reflecting and exchanging ideas with you and one another – what a great gift you have! Thank you so much for providing a place to find such community, humor and inspiration – not to mention great recipes, puppy pics, expansion of our literary horizons and phenom behind the scenes scoop!

    Thank you,

    Julie

    @ Chev, Lis & Sarah – Many Returns of the Day!

    @ Das – NOT-a-dust-bunny crawling on the ceiling today; I about jumped out of my skin and I haven’t found my heart yet to see if it’s still beating!

    @ PBmom – What was the result of the P/T meet today?

    Reply
  23. Michael Jones Avatar
    Michael Jones

    Question for Julia:

    I’ve noticed that James has been said to be the only person to be friendly to Spencer (though, it’s described as “tolerating” him, that’s more than anyone else did), and she’s seen to take an active role in caring for the unresponsive Franklin, who was also reasonably unpopular.

    Do you think James is starting to take up a position of caring for the crew’s “lost sheep”? Do you think this is a result of how isolated James herself feels, or is a remnant from the abandoned idea of her having a paralyzed brother she cared for?

    Also, I just want to say I love where your character is going. James has easily become one of my favorite characters on Destiny.

    Reply
  24. Mike Lorrey Avatar
    Mike Lorrey

    Just found your blog, while researching stargate blogs in order to expand the Stargate blog industry on http://blogshares.com. I’m really digging it, and am a fan of SGU and have some comments about the show to make, both as an SF and stargate fan in general, and as a military veteran in particular:

    a) I understand the desire to make it more drama oriented a la BSG, but I have to say that the way the military is portrayed has not been realistic, wrt the insubordination. The idea that “this is the wrong crew” simply isn’t realistic. If they had been chosen to go offword in the first place to work on Icarus Base, then they were clearly among the best of the best in the military and would not exhibit the sort of personality problems that writers love to hang drama on.

    b) the civilians: since they all came from Icarus Base, they were all contract civilian employees of Stargate Command. From my military experience, most such people tend to be military veterans themselves, and would be used to working under the direction and orders of military officers. So the whole issue of the strife between military and civillians isn’t realistic. Nor is Camille Wrays whole argument about military being subject to civilian rule, because while on the surface she is right, the civilian rule that Young is responsible to is NOT the civilian contract workers on board, but the US government. So her little insurrection is actually an attempt to usurp the legitimate governing authority of the US government and supplant it with some shipboard polity.

    c) Young was right to leave Rush. Stranding insubordinate crew members on deserted islands has a long and honorable history in naval tradition. See Robinson Crusoe aka Alexander Selkirk, his RL persona, marooned in the Juan Fernandez islands. He should have had the balls, though, to hold a court martial and sentence him to marooning for trying to frame him for murder….

    d) Rush is, well .. psychotic. The idea that he would pass ANY psych tests required to go offworld is laughable. The military has psych tests to become combat controllers, pararescuers, or survival instructors, as well as many other rather important roles. If you don’t pass, you don’t get those jobs, period.

    Overall, most of the crew acts like children.

    Beyond that, Youngs problems with Telford… Telford should have been court martialled. He’s violated several articles of the UCMJ in his countermanding Young’s orders, in attempting to seduce Young’s wife, etc.

    I realize you gotta have drama, but you guys are going overboard on the drama, basically making it a combination of Survivor and a soap opera, while excluding a lot of science fiction stuff. When the aliens finally showed up I was like “whew, FINALLY some science fiction”.

    Reply
  25. chevron7 Avatar
    chevron7

    Aw Joe you didn’t forget *big hug*. I must confess I was a bit sad last night thinking you and everyone had forgotten about me. But you were hanging out for the 25th in Canadia. 😀 Thanks heaps…..so Joe, when can I expect my picspam? 😀

    Oh and Ivon…..what’s your excuse buddy? 😀

    Happy Birthday to Lis and Sarah Lee….Hope you had awesome days.

    Cheers, Chev

    Reply
  26. chevron7 Avatar
    chevron7

    I love that you spend so much time analysing your stats.

    I was only on the “Dinner with Ivon and Brian” post on Friday. I was actually looking for photos of BamBam for some icons I was making for him for Twitter (webgurl twitpic).

    Anyhoo, that was the post where I got totally distracted….hmmm I wonder why 😉

    Joe, have you ever thought of adding Google Analytics to your blog? As well as overall visits and what pages are popular, you can see how long people spend on your site, the percentage of bounces (where people leave your site from the landing page and don’t explore further), compare new versus returning visits, where visitors are coming from etc. You should already have a Google login from your Blogger days, however you would need access to your template. Its totally free and might offer some interesting extra stats for you….of course the stats would only start from when you add the Google Analytics tracking code and GA detects it.

    Cheers, Chev

    Reply
  27. Anais33 Avatar
    Anais33

    Coucou Joseph!!
    ça va bien? Moi oui mais la pluie est revenue..

    C’est vrai que cette fonction wordpress est vraiment bien, je regrette qu’on ne puisse pas voir la popularité de chaque article sur mon blog. Tout ce que je sais, c’est que j’approche des 200000 visites! ^^.

    Je suis étonné par la 1er place, mais tant mieux! c’est vrai que Julia est trés appréciée..

    Passez une bonne journée!
    Gros bisou

    Reply
  28. chevron7 Avatar
    chevron7

    I loved the Youtube vid of Air…..wow Mark Savela and the team really do awesome work.

    I’d love to do something like that…here’s a start – this is my Eli and the KINO from earlier in the year.

    Cheers, Chev

    Reply
  29. shoeboogie Avatar
    shoeboogie

    You guys have already asked every questing I was thinking about. So I’m gonna second the voices who asked that Lt. James be utilized more. Julia is obviously a good actress and I would love to see her character do more than cry over Scott most the time.

    Reply
  30. Major D. Davis Avatar
    Major D. Davis

    SWEET! Really psyched about this Q&A

    Oh and sorry that ive been absent here, I was camping and while I was gone lightning nearly struck our house and took out our cable and internet(luckily power was still working and subversion had already recorded before lightning took out the cable so I was able to watch it Sunday). That was one sweet episode.. Tied with Space for my favorite 1.5 episode… Congrats to Paul… Did an amazing job!! 🙂

    Questions for Julia….

    First off thanks so much for doing this Q&A… been looking forward to this Q&A for a while!! 🙂

    1. What is your favorite episode in season 1?

    2. What is you favorite episode in season 2.. which one do you think will be a fan favorite(of the ones you’ve read and shot so far)?

    3. Will we get to see you character visit earth in season 2, or at least get to know more of James’ past?

    4. What TV shows do you watch beside SGU?

    5. Who is your favorite character from SGU(or maybe what character do you respect the most or relate to the most)?

    6. What was the hardest episode to film so far… and what episode did you have the most fun filming so far?

    7. What do you do to pass time on set? What are you favorite hobbies(on or off set)?

    Thanks so much(thanks again Joe… been looking forward to this Q&A!)
    Major D. Davis

    Reply
  31. Kicken Avatar
    Kicken

    I just finished watching Subversion and I must say, this really felt more like the first part in a multiple episode arc. So for me we’re really getting a 4 episode arc instead of one that’s 3 episodes long. When it comes to arcs like these, how are they born? Do you spin out a long story and divide it up into several episodes or do you create them one at a time and make them fit together?

    *Sigh* Why do you make me love you and hate you in the same breath? I love long arcs, but I hate the long wait. Especially since I’m one of those that pause themselves and watch things in one long sitting. You have truly mastered the art of TV torture.

    All that being said, I love the show. While I think everyone can agree that some moments might not be as great as others, I really don’t understand the people that bash on the show.

    Reply
  32. OHinNJ Avatar
    OHinNJ

    Hey Joe – Ironic that you mention past posts that focused on the end of Stargate Atlantis, because I just read a news headline that said “Space Shuttle Atlantis lands for the last time”.

    Change “space shuttle” to “spaceship” and, the way it’s looking now, that could have been the title of the last ep in SGA season 5.

    Sigh. Feeling wistful about both headlines.

    Reply
  33. Major D. Davis Avatar
    Major D. Davis

    Oh and I just have a couple quick questions for you too. 🙂

    1. Were you able to look into the re cap music? (I know your busy with season 2 so sorry if were nagging you). 🙁

    2. When Rush broke into Telfords house, why didn’t the alarm go off? His house looked fancy enough that there would be some sort of security system.

    Thanks so much,
    Major D. Davis

    Reply
  34. cat4444 Avatar
    cat4444

    Forgot to include THE most important question that must be asked of every guest blogger from the cast:

    What’s it like having to put up with work with Joe on a daily basis?

    Reply
  35. Shawn Cassidy Avatar
    Shawn Cassidy

    Hi Joe,

    Nice list, not surprising that Julia is number one. (There is a reason she’s up for that LEO award). I think she needs to become more of a main stay on the show, much like Dr. Beckett went from a part timer to full timer in SGA. Obviously I’m not the only one who thinks so. So how about tossing it around the writers room and lobby for her in season 2!

    Question for Julia,

    I thought you were absolutely fantastic in “PAIN”. The emotion and pain was obvious in your eyes and on your face when you broke down sitting on your bunk when Col. Young came in. I felt for your character. That’s something only a gifted actor can deliver. What is your process as a actress when prepping that scene? Was it a gut and go kind of thing or did you need to invoke some long lost torment from your past to deliver the goods?

    Thanks Joe and Julia, keep up the awesome work!

    Reply
  36. dasNdanger Avatar
    dasNdanger

    Atlantis is now officially cancelled.

    That’s right, the space shuttle Atlantis just finished her last mission. I’m just glad she didn’t crash and burn like the tv show. 😉

    das

    Reply
  37. LR-1 Avatar
    LR-1

    Most of the questions i would have asked have been asked by others, so i’ll only add only one.

    Do you feel typecast at all because of your body in the roles you get? I’m not talking about just SGU either. I first saw you in Masters of Horror a few years back and i think you did quite well there (and no, not just the bathtub scene, although the way that turned out was pretty creepy :P) and even now, you remain one of my favorite characters on SGU (even compared to the rest of the main cast)

    I personally think it’s pretty unfair to just label you like some people have. Dammit i like your acting! 😛

    I’d love to see you get more screentime in Season 2, and your character develop more over the course of it. Preferably something beyond pining for Scott. I wish you the best of luck in your career and hope to see you on screen for years to come.

    Reply
  38. Lou Zucaro Avatar
    Lou Zucaro

    @das I’m just glad she didn’t crash and burn like the tv show.

    Yeah, I saw the smiley, so I know you were kidding, but I definitely wouldn’t categorize SGA‘s end as a crash & burn situation, would you?

    We loved Atlantis as much as we did SG-1, but as its own thing, and we were really bummed when it was canceled. We felt there could have been a lot more good, fun stories there, despite whatever reasons Sci-Fi had for canceling the show at the time.

    Hey, Joe, I have a question for you that I meant to ask before. You wrote in a recent reply that you didn’t watch Lost, so I have to ask: If you didn’t work on it, would you watch SGU (or any of the Stargate shows for that matter)?

    (I relate them only because they both touch the realm of sci-fi and are not typical, mainstream dramas)

    Reply
  39. BMc Avatar
    BMc

    @Mike Lorrey – YES! Thank you for saying it so well – you’ve nailed my feelings about the show.

    @Joe M. – What Mike said.

    Reply
  40. Shiny Avatar
    Shiny

    The House of Suns books sounds good. I’m just starting Lee Child’s “61 Hours” me’self. Oh, I have been percolating on the bacon/maple ice cream dillema, and I think it needed something a bit more tart and tangy; how about trying some good beef jerky? The best beef jerky I’ve ever tasted (c’mon, I’m totally being serious, no naughty jokes please) is from the Philippines where they make a sweet and juicy jerky that’s out of this world:

    http://www.1beefjerky.com/filipinorecipe.htm

    I’m glad to see props given to the very cool Lt. James. James has been tough, vulnerable and hilarious all in the same ep, she totally rocks.

    My question for Julia Benson is did she do her own stunts in the scene where James rifle butts that Civvie in “Divided”? Cuz it was very satisfying to see one of the more whiny Civvies get a beat down by James. And will Julia get to do more fight choreography in the future? I love BamBam’s work. Great work on James, she’s quickly become one of my all time favorite SGU characters!

    Reply
  41. Facy5 Avatar
    Facy5

    Hello evrybody. I’m a SGU french fan, and I saw the last episode, Subvertion, and in this episode we can see 3 of 4 characters from the first seasons of SG-1, but, and now this is my question : Where is Teal’c ? and will he appear ?

    Thaks ! 🙂

    Reply
  42. Tammy Dixon Avatar
    Tammy Dixon

    Das: take care what you say about Atlantis or you will be on the “list” along with PG15 🙄

    Everyone else here had great questions for Julia! So even if my questions don’t make the cut, I will enjoy reading the others.
    Questions:
    Are you a cat or dog person? How does your family like that you became an actress?
    Have you always wanted to be an actress?
    How did you get interested in playing “James”? What kind of hoops did you go through to try out for “James”?

    I really enjoy your work as “James”! “James” has a bigger story to tell. So, I believe the writers should give you more!

    Reply
  43. Kymm Avatar
    Kymm

    @ Maggiemayday

    If you don’t mind I’ll answer your ice cream question from yesterday. I hate to see anyone denied their ice cream. *smile*

    You can make ice cream with rice milk, soy milk, coconut milk, goat milk, almond milk, silken tofu, and a product called Mimic Cream. The ice cream made with these alternative sources isn’t going to taste the same as ‘real’ or ‘normal’ ice cream, but if you can’t have cow’s milk for allergies etc. then these may be alternatives you want to experiment with.

    I use almond milk a lot (cereal, puddings and other specific recipes). It actually has less fat and calories than cow’s milk. I have plans to experiment using it to make ice cream this summer. You can make it from scratch (google for instructions). Personally, I buy tetra packs of the Blue Diamond Almond Breeze Unsweetened Original and Unsweetened Vanilla flavours locally, and I buy the Unsweetened Chocolate online. You can also get the sweetened variety in all three flavours, but I use the unsweetened and add my own sweetener, as needed. Here are a couple of links I have bookmarked for almond milk ice cream. Like I said I haven’t tried them yet, so I can’t attest to flavour/quality. You could also Google dairy-free ice cream for more recipes.
    http://www.grouprecipes.com/57044/mocha-almond-ice-milk.html
    http://www.healthdiaries.com/eatthis/banana-almond-coffee-ice-cream-recipe.html

    Hope this helps!!
    Kymm

    Reply
  44. t'loc Avatar
    t’loc

    @Mike Lorrey – Have to go along with your sentiment and questions.
    Mr J. you know I am a fan of SGU but the questions raised by Mike are sound. The fact that you (meaning the IOA and the Military) have stated that “Icarus” is earth’s most secret project in connect with the Stargate Program it stands to reason that only the top available personnel would be involved with the program, for obvious reason a lot of the good one are on, going or returning from Atlantis and since we wouldn’t know Atlantis timeline with regard SGU until the Movie. Its hard to imagine that the group stranded on Destiny are in anyway the top of their fields.

    So Joe what Mike said.

    Reply
  45. Arctic Goddess Avatar
    Arctic Goddess

    @ Tammy Dixon: There’s a List?

    @ t’loc: Agree. Joe, what mike said.

    Joe, fans have named today, International Jack O’Neill quote day. So, what is your favorite O’Neill Quote?

    – Mine:
    Ba’al: You dare mock me?!
    O’Neill: Baal, come on you, you should know. Of course I dare mock you.

    Patricia

    Reply
  46. Lou Zucaro Avatar
    Lou Zucaro

    Carter: There’s no redundancy for that particular system.
    O’Neill: So you’re saying there’s no redundancy?

    Reply
  47. Tammy Dixon Avatar
    Tammy Dixon

    Arctic Goddess: There’s a List? Some SGU basher’s website and PG15 has “proudly” found his way on their most hated list. 🙄

    Reply
  48. deeinsouthafrica Avatar
    deeinsouthafrica

    Yeah, yeah, I’m still alive. Just desperately looking for a place to hide before the Soccer World Cup starts.

    Ok, O’Neillisms – this one came from: http://stargate.thefifthimperium.com/Season01/0110_oneillisms.htm

    0110 – The Torment of Tantalus

    O’Neill: Whole boxes of material could be missing.
    Jackson: No… the Pentagon said this was everything.
    O’Neill: Oh, please… the Pentagon’s lost entire countries.

    Damn, I love the guy. 😀

    Reply
  49. Amara MacLeod Avatar
    Amara MacLeod

    First a comment: Thank you Joe for taking questions to the cast. Julia, you and the SGU cast are fantastic. I am very glad to see your character being given intriguing depths as we go on.

    Now for a silly question (meant completely tongue in cheek no insults or evilness attached): Was it fun for you to kill Brian Jacob Smith?

    Sorry. Couldn’t resist. *grins* If I am too inappropriate, please, at least pass on the comment.

    Thank you for being on SGU!

    Amara

    Reply
  50. Sparrow_hawk Avatar
    Sparrow_hawk

    Reposting part of this since I accidentally posted to yesterday’s post.

    By the way, Joe, I think your ice cream looks delicious.

    @Kymm: Pathologists do a whole lot more than autopsies. Most of what we do is looking at tissue removed at surgery, from little tiny biopsies of a mole on someones face to big gross stuff like colons, to make a diagnosis. We do an initial exam of the specimen the first day and cut out small pieces of areas we want to look at under the microscope. Our technicians process them and the next day we look at glass slides under the microscope to look at the cells and figure out what the disease process is. Pathologists also manage the rest of the lab, so we supervise all the blood tests, throat swabs, microbiology cultures, blood transfusions and much more.

    @das: Tiny Tim, eh? Tall, pale, skinny, long straggly hair… Yeah, that makes sense. Nice caveman joke. I’ve got one for you.

    A man finds a woman buried up to her neck on the beach. “Please help me” she cries. ” Dig me out of here!”
    “And if I do, what’s in it for me?” he asks.
    “Sand.”

    @Narelle: Sorry you’re not enjoying Selling Out. I didn’t enjoy any of the books quite as much as the first, but they were pretty good light entertainment. I think I liked the third one Going Under a bit more than the second one. I’ve never tried audio books, but I suspect that unless I was listening to them while driving or flying, I would get distracted and wander off (or fall asleep).

    Reply
  51. Bailey Avatar
    Bailey

    @das
    That’s kind of mean.
    Unless you were just being a little silly.

    Reply
  52. Dave_H Avatar
    Dave_H

    As far as the James still being hung up on Scott thing I’ve got a bit of an issue with that too. It has been quite a few episodes. Considering one season usually translates in to roughly one year on many shows I can only assume it has been a while given the number of episodes that have aired.
    Considering how all that went down, they either had a brief casual relationship which would make it a little odd for her to be hung up on the guy at this point, or, it was more serious that we know. If that is the case she was abruptly dumped in favor of Chloe which would also make it odd that she is still hung up on the guy.
    If there is a third interpretation someone enlighten me, because the first two don’t play well with me. I’m not interested in watching her pine for Scott unless there is a good reason (i.e. backstory that we get to know about that justifies it) Heh. I watched the O’neill-Carter Kyrumption* thing for years with no real payoff, so as long as we are being more realistic, a gal like James isn’t going to be a lady in waiting for long no matter how much she might have liked the guy.

    *Kyrumption. It is a Whedonism.Non Angel fans, feel free to google.

    Reply
  53. BoltBait Avatar
    BoltBait

    Fav Jack quote:

    “It’s ‘O’Neill’, with two L’s. There’s another Col. O’Neil with only one L, and he has no sense of humor at all.”

    For Julia:

    The question that every guy want’s to know but is afraid to ask…

    Are the “twins” natural or enhanced?

    😉

    Reply
  54. PBMom Avatar
    PBMom

    For details of my school meeting, you can read the generals here: http://community.myfoxhouston.com/pbmom/blog/2010/05/26/endless_ard

    Also a parody to Endless Love, the song.

    5 required people; 18 people sitting there, 16 on their side, 2 on mine (but this Friday it will be 16 on their side, 1 on my side. But no, no intimidation is implied.

    And guess what, another meeting is planned for Friday! Wow, yes, seriously. By the time Friday is over, I think we’ll have been at it 30 hours and I still do not know what they are offering for summer. School ends next Thursday (with Monday off for the holiday, Tuesday full day, Wednesday half day, and Thursday — that’s it). If I don’t like what they are offering I am allowed a 10-day recess. Okay, so that puts us into the middle of June and some very cranky people who will have to come in from their summer break who will not be receptive at all to anything I have to say.

    Cool the lovely Ms. Benson is doing a Q&A. Let me gather my thoughts and I’ll post some questions. It will get this school crap off my mind.

    Reply
  55. Lou Zucaro Avatar
    Lou Zucaro

    I gotta say, to those of you annoyed by the fact that James is still “hung up” on Scott, really?! You’ve never known anybody who was like that?!

    I’ve known a number of people who, in any other way, seemed completely grounded / normal / whatever you want to call it, but when it comes to relationships, they have a little bit of crazy in them.

    Without anything else being said about it in terms of backstory, etc., I don’t find any of how we’ve seen her react at all unrealistic when considering those types of people.

    Reply
  56. BoltBait Avatar
    BoltBait

    Speaking of O’neill-Carter, my favorite interaction was in an episode called “Citizen Joe”:

    [Talking on the phone]
    Lt. Col. Carter: So, any big plans for the weekend?
    Gen. O’Neill: Oh yeah, big. Huge!
    Lt. Col. Carter: Yeah, me neither.
    Gen. O’Neill: Oh, what are you talkin’ about? I just walked in with a whole handful of ingredients for my world-famous omelettes.
    Lt. Col. Carter: World-famous, huh? What’s in it?
    Gen. O’Neill: Eggs.
    Lt. Col. Carter: I don’t think that that actually qualifies as a recipe.
    Gen. O’Neill: Oh, don’t kid yourself. There’s a secret ingredient. I can’t tell you what it is, or I’d have to shoot you.
    Lt. Col. Carter: It’s beer, isn’t it?

    Reply
  57. Mike Lorrey Avatar
    Mike Lorrey

    Boltbait,
    If you’ve read Julia’s own blog, you’d know she has said that they are 100% natural. For those guys obsessed over this, she had a topless hot tub scene in a movie she did a while back which might be found on teh interwebz (rule 34 and 35).

    Reply
  58. Randy White Avatar
    Randy White

    For Julia:

    1.) It has been asserted in some comments by women (most notably a GateWorld podcast basically involving two women) that the writers do not let women be complex characters, typically using juvenile male stereotypes for writing the female characters. Would you agree, or would you say that you have been able to display a fairly broad range of your acting ability and the depth of your character on SGU, given the (still) less than one full season that has been aired?

    2.) Without revealing too much about season two, are you looking forward to showing even more of your (and the other actors) abilities and the depth of your character, going in directions not even contemplated yet?

    3.) How do you feel about the decision to cut the scene more fully explaining your inability to transfer consciousness with a person restricted to a wheelchair and on a respirator?

    I look forward to seeing you in more scenes in the coming episodes and next season. I think you are one of a few characters on the show we have seen too little of. Your skill as an actor is easily recognizable and should be utilized. (Feel free to use that when asking for more camera time…just not sure if it will help!)

    Joe and Julia…have to say I’m loving the show now. VERY happy I stayed with it.

    Reply
  59. Lou Zucaro Avatar
    Lou Zucaro

    @ BoltBail Re: your question to Julia…

    Sometimes I look at the sunset and it’s stunning in terms of the variety and gradation of colors. More intense and amazing that you could imagine a sunset being.

    I’ve heard people say that the sunset looks that way because of smog and pollution in the air.

    For me, when I find something to be beautiful or stunning, whether it’s natural or enhanced doesn’t really matter

    😉

    Reply
  60. jinx Avatar
    jinx

    Responses from Hulu and Syfy in regards to SGU.

    “No I do not have to “like” the characters, however, the characters and the story line should be written well enough for me to “like” the show. This is an extremely slow paced show, that helps to set back the roles of women – bed mates- another 50 years. I truly enjoyed “Lost”, but the rest of this heap is just juvenile drivel. Sex in the closet, sex with numerous women, sex with married men, lesbian sex, sex using someone else’ body…it seems the writers are unable to effectively combine drama and science fiction. It ain’t workin’.”

    Reply
  61. kabra Avatar
    kabra

    Happy Birthday Wishes – Chev,Lis and Sarah Lee!!!

    Oy the bird is sick again… Pseudomonas- this means more trips to the vet ( who is an hour away) an injection twice a day and two oral meds twice a day. I am not complaining really, I’d do anything for my birds…and today’s visit at the vet with the time off from work, gas medications and supplies – if the cops came and raided my house and saw all the syringes… seriously but the total cost approx. $ 50.00. I cannot fathom what the local vet would have charged. However, it pains me to have to give her a shot. She is very forgiving tho.
    Just ten days… just ten days… it to shall pass.

    Reply
  62. BoltBait Avatar
    BoltBait

    @Lou I like your attitude!

    Anyway, my question for Julia was a joke and I honestly didn’t think Joe would approve the comment.

    So, Julia, you can safely ignore that one. Here are more serious questions for you:

    1) Who do you hang out with on set? Off set (other than your husband)?

    2) How much time do you devote to running your lines before filming a scene?

    3) I really enjoyed watching you “kill” Scott. You showed a great range of emotion, not only in the act, but also later when you were surprised that he was still alive. (This isn’t a question, is it?)

    4) Any other characters you want to kill?

    5) Do you think you’re character will ever get together with Eli? It seems that lots of “shippers” would like to see that happen.

    6) Do you have a lot of input to the writers about what your character would say or do? Or, do you pretty much do what is written down?

    7) Do you enjoy the Kino video’s as much as us fans do?

    Reply
  63. dasNdanger Avatar
    dasNdanger

    @ Bailey – The only time I’m not silly is when someone has suffered a loss, or when I’m defending the Wraith…other than that, don’t take too much of what I say seriously.

    @ Sparrowhawk – 😆 at the joke! Oh, and about Tiny Tim. “Tall, pale, skinny, long straggly hair”…YOU didn’t have a crush too, did ya?? 😉

    @ Tammy Dixon – I’d be honored to be included on any list with pg15. 🙂

    @ Arctic Goddess – Hubby has a better idea: Set the timer. 😛

    @ JulieAloha – I have a cellar spider living in the window that’s in front of my desk. Today I noticed another one in its web – about the same size, so not sure if it’s the same – or opposite – sex. TWO cellar spiders just an arm’s length from where I sit. I think I’m being very brave! However…if they get any closer, I’m getting out my SRC (Spider Relocation Container)!

    @ Lou Zucaro – Yes, I was being facetious…however… *puts on serious cap* …

    Atlantis did ‘crash’ in that its cancellation came as a total surprise to fans, and it did ‘burn’, in that a lot of people have been hurt because of it (including some actors in the new show who have been the target of attacks by ex-fans). Let’s face it – the cancellation has stirred up far more controversy than the show was even worth. Atlantis didn’t go out gracefully because fans wouldn’t let it, and the bitterness still continues. So, in its cancellation (and not in the overall quality of the show) it could be said that Atlantis crashed, and burned.

    das

    Reply
  64. Sparrow_hawk Avatar
    Sparrow_hawk

    @das: Nah, my crushes were saved for the mysterious spy types. Illya Kuryakin (David McCallum) and John Drake (Patrick McGoohan).

    Reply
  65. Narelle from Aus Avatar
    Narelle from Aus

    Tammy – Definitely not pregnant 🙂

    Annie from Fremantle and das – Here’s a link to the GNW So You Think You Can Mime segment about the kangaroo.
    http://ten.com.au/video-player.htm?channel=GNW+CUTV&clipId=1427_gnw315-240510-sg1”
    From 7:35.
    Das, Paul McDermott was a crush for me in High School back in his DAAS days and they didn’t dress him so cleanly. Still cheeky despite the suit. You should hear some of the songs they did when they were The Doug Anthony All Stars. So, so bad if you get one stuck and your head and accidentally sing a chorus out loud.

    sparrow_hawk – I think it’s the female voice playing so many male and supernatural creatures’ voices.

    Reply
  66. Tammy Dixon Avatar
    Tammy Dixon

    PBMom: hang in there!

    Das: careful what you wish for 😉 . PG15 will not like it, if you usurp him. He has worked hard for that position on the list. 😆

    Reply
  67. Sheryl Avatar
    Sheryl

    @Karen sorry the bird is sick again,@Das, Atlantis is done but it didn’t go without a boom, and i mean literally!! Sonic BOOM at my house at 8:45 AM this morning,,scared the SHIT out of me!! I knew what it was right away,happened before, last time 2 AM,yes i live in S. Florida!! Still sorry to see it go!! Hi, Joe!! Sheryl.

    Reply
  68. Bailey Avatar
    Bailey

    @das Thanks, I do agree with your “serious cap” analysis.

    Reply
  69. Craig Avatar
    Craig

    Question for Julia Benson: are we going to see Lt. James hook up with one of the other men on Destiny (Eli?) now that Scott isn’t available? And are we going to see Lt. James get to kick some ass in “Incursion” or the second season?

    Reply
  70. Kymm Avatar
    Kymm

    I’m sorry, sparrow_hawk, I obviously watch too many coroner shows on TV.

    Kymm

    Reply
  71. JulieAloha Avatar
    JulieAloha

    O’Neill – “Oh, I am so ahead of you, I put the whole thing on tape last time, so you don’t have to start from scratch . . . ”
    fiddles with tape recorder, then bangs it on desk
    Jackson – “Well, if what you say is true then, when the loop started again your recording wouldn’t have happened . . .yet.”
    O’Neill looks chagrined – “Right.”
    T’ealc – “Did I not say that your plan would be unsuccessful . . .”
    O’Neill – to T’ealc “Careful . . . be careful . . .” to Daniel “What about notes? Indelible ink?”

    And

    “Magnets!”

    Reply
  72. Lou Zucaro Avatar
    Lou Zucaro

    @ Das Oh, I know what you mean, I just don’t have the time or patience for people like that who are so negative & serious about stuff that’s supposed to be entertaining 🙂

    Reply
  73. Dave_H Avatar
    Dave_H

    @ Lou
    Without further character devolpment shining a light on the situation or relevant backstory etc. I will find it odd.

    @ boltbait

    James and Eli? I don’t want anyone to take this the wrong way as anything negative towards the character or actor but I can say this. As a card carrying member of the general demographic that the character Eli resides in I can tell you that our batting average with women as spectacularly attractive as Lt. James is well below the Mendoza line. In fact I might go so far as to say that the two main venues where we would be most likely to hook up with gals that beautiful are bachelor parties or the fantasy world of TV sitcoms.
    That said I wouldn’t mind that storyline at all, even though I’d consider it unlikely unless it was set up the right way. I doubt very seriously TPTB will go in that direction with those characters though.

    Reply
  74. PoorOldEdgarDerby Avatar
    PoorOldEdgarDerby

    @das Too soon.

    Reply
  75. Lou Zucaro Avatar
    Lou Zucaro

    @ Dave_H

    Ok, with regard to an Eli / James hookup, I definitely agree with you there only because, again, in my experience, I find that military women tend to enjoy the company of much more athletic / active men.*

    Chicks don’t dig datin’ dudes who they can beat up 😉

    * Yes, I know it’s a generalization, but it’s one for a reason

    Reply
  76. estetica Avatar
    estetica

    I have a question about the most visited page thing. WP says that it doesn’t count our own visit, right? Does it mean when we are logged in? Because I’m quite unsure about this. Thanks for your help!

    Reply
  77. Dave_H Avatar
    Dave_H

    On second thought on the oddity of her pining for him at this date, her hallucination might mean that he has been covertly playing musical chairs, so to speak. That opens up a couple cans of worms but it would explain things a bit.

    Of course if that is so, infidelity never stays secret on TV dramas. In that scenario Chloe would eventually find out. Logically, that would mean she would be drawn to her best friend for moral support. The Eli-Chloe scene that ensued would likely give the smitten Eli the idea that he has a chance for his Chloe related dreams to come true.
    Of course no matter how close he thinks he gets that night, the next time he goes to see Chloe, ready to tell her how he feels etc, he finds out that she decided to stick with him, work it out an so forth.

    Quite the the train of guesses? I actually have seen that movie before. Entertaining show, just not the feel good story of the year.

    Another train of thought. If the Scott seeing her on the sly part of the hallucination was based in fact, then the murderous impulse could be too. That might mean James has a tiny yet Glenn Close shaped screw loose in her brain. Not a pleasant thought.

    Then again I have a vivid imagination.

    Reply
  78. sgugeek Avatar
    sgugeek

    I hope it’s not too late to post questions for Julia!

    Questions for the amazing Julia Benson:
    1) What would be the ideal gift to get from a fan? What is the coolest thing a fan has ever given you?
    2) Do you ever feel like James gets lost in a sea of main characters?
    3) Do you have any convention appearances coming up? Would you like to go to a con, if invited and your schedule permitted it?
    4) When you were little, what were your career aspirations?

    Reply
  79. GridCube Avatar
    GridCube

    i have a few question for julia, if im still at time

    How do you feel whit the character?
    Do you think that it actually represents you? or its you complete opposite?
    How do you think the female characters are representated in the SG franchise?
    and, given that you have to compete with sam and teyla’s characters that were the female figthers from the previous series, do you think your character will be among them?

    Reply

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