As if coordinating the move and dealing with outstanding home issues isn’t enough, yesterday one of the light indicators in my Q7 went off meaning I’m going to have to bring it in for a bulb change. Not a big deal, but with 101 things already on my to-do list, making it 102 IS a little annoying.
And so, a short entry today as I address this and that, get my hair cut, and then head over to Fuel tonight for what will undoubtedly be THE Meal of 2011! I know, I know. Joel Robuchon and E by Jose Andres were pretty damn impressive, but the buzz leading up to this dinner has me very intrigued. I’m expecting BIG things from the gang behind my annual chocolate party soirees and annual Whole Hog dinners.
No pressure, guys!
Anyway, just so you don’t leave today’s blog feeling like you’ve been ripped off (ie. “I came all the way over here to check out his blog and all I get is some complaint about a blown tail light!”), here’s some behind-the-scenes action from an upcoming episode.
But first, a gentle reminder: Get your questions in for Ghosts of Manhattan author George Mann!
For George Mann:
– What was your very first concept for what eventually became the story, and what did you then do to run with its development?
– Is that how you usually work?
– How long did it take, from lightbulb moment to first draft?
– What was the most difficult part of doing the story? What came out the easiest?
– Who do you like to read, and why?
– What was the last movie you went to see, and did you chomp popcorn?
– So, the main characters have a few beers with Newbury and Hobbes, all taking tine out from appearing in drafts of your next novels. What are they talking about, and are they nice about it?
– What are you most looking forward to reading, or watching, next?
– If you were to bestow Joe’s Kitchen with a recipe, what would it be?
Thanks. PJR
ur sneeky mr m, I GOT A BRAND NEW LAPTOP IN THE POST 😀 😀 😀 😀
Enjoy your special dinner, Joe, and do tell us all about it!
Thanks for the behind the scenes pics, and yes, I do want to hear about your dinner!
Have a good night!
Have fun at Re-Fuel… Can’t wait to read all about it…
Good luck in the move adventures!
Cheers
(Never read that book but no one needs to know that lol)
Sorry if they are kinda lame :3. I do try and get questions done for people but sometimes miss the section that says get your questions in for *Insert name here* lol sorry..
Questions for George Mann!
1. What inspired you to write Ghosts of Manhattan?
2. What character do you emphasize the most with in the book?
3. Which character did you enjoy writing most for and why? And what points of the story did you think it really paid off for them, like experiences, or even events that may of occured.
4. Would you mind sharing some experiences you had when writing the book, could be anything from being stuck for ideas, to simply having a good day and getting a lot done, would love to hear.
5. As an author, what would you say your biggest achievement has been so far and why?
6. If you were to write your dream book that would get turned into a TV show, what would it be, and why?
7. What kind of interests do you have, like hobbies?
8. Are you a fan of Science fiction shows, such as Stargate, if so, which of the three Stargate shows do you enjoy most and why?(Stargate SG1/Atlantis/Universe)
9. Do you like the cook? If so, what would you say your favorite dish is, and recipes even?
10. If you were to give life advice to someone, what would it be and why?
Enjoy your dinner, Joe! Sounds like it’ll be a great evening.
I didn’t have the time to comment on yesterday’s blog, so I’ll just say here that it’s great to see that Carl will be joining you guys. It’s like the gang is (almost) back together, minus poor Brad. I feel kind of sorry for Brad; it seems like he’s on his own now for trying to keep the Stargate franchise going.
It will be nice to hear about your antics while working on the new show; it’ll be just like old times since it’ll be mostly the same people!
for Mr. Mann: Why does Celeste not take the Ghost into her confidence? Why does “an extended family” spend centuries watching a criminal mastermind.rather than using their numbers to pin him down and kill him? It seems odd to spend all that time waiting to sacrifice a family member to stave off an alien/demonic invasion, rather than preventing that invasion by stopping the agent precpitating it. Also, and further adventures of the Ghost in the works or prepped for publication? There are a lot of unanswered questions Ghosts of New York left hanging..and thanks for a good read.
Mr. M, enjoy yourself and looking forward to teh report.
New hair cut! Great meal! What could be better, oh yeah behind the scenes pics!! We are too spoiled!!
Enjoy your dinner!!
Two words and an acronym: Karma. The CIA.
Between the two of them, they’re behind 99.9% of Mr. Murphy’s principle – or so I feel sometimes.
I’m going to the vet tomorrow to get some Gravol.
Looking forward to seeing what’s up at Refuel. Hope you enjoyed immensely.
Is it wise to dangle a spotlight and cable into water with a stunt person? Seems a mite dangerous, but I’m guessing there wasn’t like electricity going through it…right? Cool looking stunts, looking forward to the next ep.
I hope you have a wonderful Refuel dinner, I imagine it will be amazzzzzzzzing! Seems like this is all moving so fast now, much luck in the coming days to keep your sanity.
I read the Ghosts of Manhattan,what a neat story. I certainly hope there is a sequel. Will we find out more back story on Gabriel? I thought Celeste might have been related to the roman like a wife or daughter, but it turns out she was the slayer, cool. Too bad she had to die. I have to admit I thought stargate when i heard about the roman ring of stone. what a nice thought..
Questions for Mr. Mann:
1. I really liked the Ghost/Gabriel as a character. What where the inspirations behind his creation?
2. I loved the growing trust between Donovan and the Ghost and by chapter 15 I had connected with both characters, I really started to care about what happened to them. They make a great team! Will we, perhaps, see more of these two in the future?
3. Did any of your characters ever do something as you were writing that even surprised you?
4. What inspired the setting – both the time period and the steampunk elements?
5. Do you consider the twist at the end of the story to be a supernatural one, or more along the lines of science fiction?
6. Have you ever flown a biplane? 🙂
7. To change the subject for a moment, thanks to Elric’s papa, Mr. Moorcock, I am a rabid fan of Monsieur Zenith the Albino. He really should have been a hero. 🙂 I have both the novel bearing his name, and the Sexton Blake, Detective anthology that you edited, as well as a disc of Blake stories featuring Zenith from Mark Hodder. However, I find it hard reading the stories from the computer screen, and those old copies of pulp rags can put a strain on my eyes. So, I was wondering if you have ever considered a similar Blake anthology featuring only stories in which Zenith appears? I can tell you right now, I’d be first in line to buy it! (Especially if it contains The Box of Ho Sen. 😉 )
Thank you, Mr. Mann, for Ghosts of Manhattan, I thoroughly enjoyed it and look forward to more if it’s in the cards. And thank you, too, for the Blake anthology, I’m so glad someone has made the effort to preserve these stories.
das
Changing a tail light is surprisingly easy and quick – you can do it faster than a trip to the dealer. Get a bulb at your local auto parts store and look up online how to do it for your specific vehicle make/model.
Better yet, send Akemi into the auto parts store, you hide somewhere in the parking lot, and have her ask the boys inside if they wouldn’t mind helping her with the repair.
They will almost always help a lady in need. I know it’s sexist, but even an bfugly girl like me can get help from the auto parts boys when I need it.
That reminds me of a joke: How many Executive Producers does it take to screw in a tail light bulb?
Whoopsies. I screwed up my coding in that last paragraph. Sorry. I’m really tired. I guess I couldn’t bother you to change the /b at the end of Ghosts of Manhattan to /i , though I guess it’s not important.
Tonight I made a Japanese-themed (albeit seafood-less) dinner: chicken teriyaki (yummy!), rice, soup (I cheated and used chicken stock since I’m not too sure if my miso is still good and I don’t care for the fish-based soups – added a little carrot, celery, hakusai/napa, leek, and a pinch of hijiki – it was tasty!), and a side of sweet potatoes. I found the recipe in a Japanese cookbook – it’s a twist on the traditional way sweet potatoes are served: sliced and simmered until soft, with orange slices (inc. rind), a vanilla bean, and a little sugar. VERY yummy! Topped it off with a little sake and toasted-rice green tea. We did it to honor those suffering in Japan right now, to feel a connection with them, and to pray for them.
Gotta get some sleep – nites, Joe…hope your dinner met your expectations – and I’m sure it did!
das
hello =)
is there something new about the 3. season ? the end of season 2. is not very satisfying! is there anywhere an information what happens in the last battle if no next season will be published ?..
sorry for my english 😉
thanks
Thanks for the SGU pics!
They look awesome as usual!
BTW I loved Twin Destinies!!!
Great Story and great acting!
Each episode just keeps getting better and better!
sorry for that, i forgot episode 11 & 12 ^^
but im already interested in news about season 3 .. any news ? =)
Ah, nice photos. Looks awesome. *sniffles*
It’s always something, isn’t it, Joe?
Here is something you’ll all love: Pole dancing for Jesus:
http://www.myfoxhouston.com/dpp/news/local/110316-pole-dancing-for-jesus
Because, you know, this was the side of the Last Supper portrait you didn’t see. Hmm… She doesn’t pray, there is no worship, they just pole-dance to upbeat Christian music. Something about “Dive” by Steven Curtis Chapman that just leaves the sexy out of pole dancing. She should try Supermassive Black Hole by Muse and just call it Pole Fitness for Personal Empowerment.
Well, I’m not reading fast enough. I’ve still only gotten about a quarter of the way through Ghosts of Manhattan. But I did see this comment that you made a couple posts back and wanted to reply to it:
“The only other creative decision to give me pause was the choice to maintain an air of mystery surrounding the Ghost’s true identity rather than reveal it from the get-go. It stuck me as odd given that it was very obvious throughout. In fact, it was so obvious that, at a certain point, I began to suspect it was a clever misdirect and my assumptions would be upended by a wholly unexpected revelation. Ironically, when the Ghost’s alter ego was finally revealed, I’d so convinced myself that I was in for a surprise that when I wasn’t surprised I WAS surprised!”
As I said, I’m only about a quarter of the way through, but I really don’t get the impression that the Ghost’s identity is meant to be a secret. As you said, it’s pretty obvious from the get-go (the guy’s basically Batman, after all). As soon as Gabriel was introduced, I was working under the assumption that he was the guy we met in the first chapter. When, after seeing the Ghost for the second time, it started talking about how he felt about Celeste and what he thought of Gabriel, I thought that cinched it that the author at that point was no longer even pretending that the reader didn’t know. Is this the point of revelation that you’re talking about, or is there something later in the story that’s a more obvious reveal? Because it seems to me that from the second time we see the Ghost, there’s no pretense that we don’t know exactly who he is. I took the fact that the narration switched between calling him Gabriel and the Ghost as just an indicator to us as to which guise he was currently in.
Maybe I’m talking too soon and should finish the book before commenting, but I’m afraid by this point I’ll have missed all the discussion by the time I’m done.
I found out the zoo in Sendai is alright, although they are having trouble getting in to feed and care for the animals. The pet rescues are underway, and there are a number of good ways to donate to animal rescue in Japan just now. Google is your friend there, I found a way through Animal Planet. I have to admit, I donated more to rescuing kitties than people.
Hi there Joe.
I hope u & are feeling very well and have pleasure while experiencing the whole spectrum of ya taste buds.
Thanks a lot 4 sharing all pics, especially from SGU.
The episode “Twin Destinies” was an absolutely amazing episode. I´d like the way how Nicholas Rush told his shipmates how important it is that they stay on board and how the volunteers reacted to this – knowing that there exists a greater good. U can be proud that you´d produced this show, and i hope seriously that there´ll be a way to save this and the riddle of Destiny´s destination can be solved and told.
Best wishes 2 u, ya family and the gang and all of ya buddies.
Like ever, stay healthy and cheerful! 😉
Coucou!
ça va bien? Moi oui =)
Cool, merci pour ces photos!
J’ai vu les audiences du dernière épisode et ce n’est pas bon du tout =( j’espere vraiment qu’elles vont augmenter!!!…en France aussi les audiences sont trés faible : http://www.stargate-fusion.com/actualites/1215/la-baisse-continue-sur-nrj12.html
Aller gros bisous,
=)
@bergy
Season 3 sadly was on the planet Kiva used to dial Destiny and was lost to us all T.T
In all seriousness, Syfy cancelled the show and the show hasn’t been performing great to Syfys Nielson viewers, so sadly the chances of a Season 3 are Zero, and the chances of a movie are almost Zero too. Best to just enjoy the remaining episodes and think about what could of been, and of course, blame the 25,000 Nielson households of which Americas ratings system is based off for having no taste in television(Thus ignoring SGU) lol
Where are my manners? In K-class (where, for better or for worse, I didn’t learn obedience [but I can do a decent half-gainer for puppy treats – oh very well, yes, that’s a lie]) – Mrs. Williams always said manners were the first thing you should put on in the morning. She was old-skool Vermont, but very kind. . . can’t complain. Anyway, I meant to give you props for taking care of moving business. Like many members of Destiny’s community, you seem to do very well when faced with a deadline.
The predictable segue: Life has been hectic of late, and global news has taken up what, for me, is an unusual amount of TV-viewing time (gleaning info online is my SOP); but last night, I finally watched both Deliverance and Twin Destinies. Deliverance was excellent; Twin Destinies was electrifying. It grabbed me at the very beginning and just kept tugging until I felt like I was onboard with everyone else. I’m *not* exaggerating – I was a bit stuporous for half an hour or so after the show ended. . . . no alcohol involved, but a touch of shell-shock, for sure.
If life were fair, SGU would have received multiple Emmy awards, instead of being designated as genre programming (which never seems to get the respect it often deserves, especially as concerns sci-fi), and ultimately winding up on the chopping block. But yeah, no one ever said life is fair.
As before, thanks so much to all the cast and crew for doing a superb job with every aspect of these two episodes. This is the type of show for which I’d gladly pay full ticket-price to see on the big screen, even with the abbreviated runtime for a TV episode.
I know you said that the final-season cliffhanger ending will be a heartbreaker, but once the ache from SGU’s untimely demise settles down, I know it will all have been worth it – for many fans, and I hope for all of you who contributed to its production.
Cool. Space hot tub.
I was pleasantly surprised to see the most recent two episodes of SGU on hulu. Thank heavens someone at the network came to their senses! Thirty days is a loooonnnnngggg time to wait for a series that has already been canceled.
Two great episodes! How many times has LDP been killed now? Is anyone keeping track?
Oops, I should have put in a spoiler alert. Sorry!
Jenny Robin wrote,
“That reminds me of a joke: How many Executive Producers does it take to screw in a tail light bulb?”
I know…I know…!!
4 to gather together and spin how to do it.
1 to write the directions.
3 to read directions and provide notes.
1 to finish writing the directions.
And lastly,
1 Executive Assistant to get it done.
Hey Joe!
Hope things are going great with the new show.. can’t wait for the announcement. 😀
Just had a quick question… is there any way I could get in contact with Brad Wright.. is there some email or place I could shoot him a message (and for him to reply if he wishes to do so).
Thank you so much,
Major D. 🙂
Also catching up on your blog…
Man that Friday song is a royal piece of s***… and the video was even worse 😛
Ponytail, you are so smart! I didn’t really have an answer to my question, but I was going to include spinning and hanging a lantern on it somewhere in there.
I love your answer, so we will go with that!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B8ISzf2pryI
thought this might make you smile..
Good luck with the move Joe, but as for the throat infection have you tried Ivy Thyme?
I’ve suffered from throat/chest related problems on and off for years and a herbalist put me on to this years ago and I’ve had few problems since.
Basically you take 15 drops in a small glass of water 3 times a day on the first onset you think there is something starting. Then normally, 9 times out of ten, it solves the problem within a couple of days.
In the UK you can buy it in Holland & Barratt, but I suppose you could get it in a good health store near you. All I can say is its worth a try.
Either way, I hope you feel better soon.