Well, well, well – look at who picked up the latest issue of my comic book series, Dark Matter. None other than my buddy (and former Stargate Special Features Producer) Ivon Bartok. While I appreciate the effort and obvious enthusiasm, I can’t help but feel there’s an ulterior motive here. Let’s face it, it’s no coincidence that, the day after I ask for casting suggestions for the Dark Matter t.v. series, Ivon suddenly sends me the above pic. And it’s no secret that our Mr. Bartok has a background in television performance –
– and yearns to land another lucrative onscreen gig he can use as a stepping stone to the big screen (and his oft-discussed future love scene with Scarlett Johansson and Mila Kunis in Wild Things 3). Now this is all sorts of awkward. To be honest, I don’t mind bringing him in for these network auditions if he didn’t always introduce himself as “Ivon Bartok – and I don’t mind doing onscreen nudity. In fact, I PREFER it!”.
So, yesterday I mentioned my inability to transfer photos form my MacBook to Akemi’s iPad and, along the way, ranted a little about Apple’s apparent unwillingness to facilitate the process by actually providing some sort of connector cable. According to the guy at Future Shop, there was simply no way to do it. Well, the solution came to me this morning compliments of tech wiz Robert C. Cooper (Akemi: “HE should be working at Future Shop!”) who emailed me with a simple suggestion: why not use the USB plug on the iPad recharger and transfer the photos that way. So I did. And it worked! Problem solved, right? Well, yes. THAT problem solved. I successfully transferred (as it turned out) all 1600+ photos onto Akemi’s iPad using iTune’s sync feature. Unfortunately, as it turns out, it is impossible to delete synced photos from your iPad. Presumably, there must be a way to sync only select photos to another device, but I have yet to figure that one out.
Last night Akemi made okonomiyaki. Check out the dancing bonito flakes –
Bonito flakes, by the way, are actually dried, smoked tuna. They certainly look alive and, the first time they were presented to me at a Japanese restaurant, dancing atop a plate of sizzling eggplant, I thought I was witnessing the death throes of some strange exotic creature.
Anyway, the finished product was delicious and, I dare say, even better than the one I had in Tokyo –
Took all three dogs out for a walk this morning. I have to say that, despite being unusually stubborn and given to planting himself on the grass whenever he grew tired of trying to keep up, Maximus was the best strolling dog. He always kept a fairly even pace, never charging ahead or wandering over to investigate some suspicious bush. He ignored other barking dogs but always took the time to happily greet those that stopped to say hello. He was very good with people, calm and appreciative of any attention directed his way, and especially great with kids (and the occasional drunk) who would flock to him like fervent convention-goers to a post-panel Joss Whedon.
Akemi is remembering him through a Buddhist ritual in which food offerings are made to the recently departed.
Joe, it’s possible to select only specific folders to your iPad if you want. You just select it through iTunes after you connect your device. Check the link I posted yesterday. It has more specifics.
I think the food offering in remembrance of Max is a beautiful idea.
I totally think you should give Ivon a (major) role in any television production of Dark Matter! Then again, I think you should also give supporting roles to all us blog followers so maybe I’m not that great at casting. 😉
1. Miss you, too, Max. 🙁
2. Those dancing bonito flakes are just plain CREEPY!!!! 😯
3. DUH! Casting for the black dude in Dark Matter? GREER! Uh…I mean…Jamil Walker Smith. 😉 Then there would be TWO hotties for me to enjoy! 😀
4: Gotta run. Gotta blow my nose…again. I’m thinking of making a nest out of my tissues, sorta like liver-eating mutant in the X-Files episode, Squeeze…only my episode would be called Sneeze…and I’d be eating hot sauce, since that’s just about the only thing I can taste right now. 😛 😛 😛
das
Joe there is an easy fix to your apple problem its called Android o/s way better than apple plus you get more hardware choices I read this blog everyday from my Droid razr and unlike I phone I can view your videos within the browser.
How lovely of Akemi to do that for Max. The bonito flakes were a little creepy! It’s freezing and I’m going back to bed. 🙂 Nightie night, all!
@ JeffW – I am very jealous of your daughter! I would love to meet Chris…but I missed my opportunity, and now I suppose it would just be too bittersweet because he’ll never be Todd again. (I like many of Chris’ roles – he’s got great eyes and a great voice and I just find him very irresistable…but Todd simply stole my heart…there will never be another one like him.)
As far as the Japanese kid goes, I think the actor is now in his mid-twenties. Not sure how old he was in that picture. I think he was also a pop singer. There are several young Asian actors (Korean, Japanese, Chinese) with that beautiful ‘anime’ look. It’s sometimes difficult to find one that strikes a good balance between beauty and masculinity, but I think he does…or, should I say, he CAN. It really all depends on make-up and such.
Okay…back to blowing my nose…and watching Psych. 🙂
das
Hi Joe:
If you were asking me for casting suggestions, and I know you weren’t, I’d love to see Cliff Simon, Colin Cunningham and Mike Dopud. That would be a serious hottie crew.
And…I suggest you give your fans a chance to write a script for the show. Then you pick the best one and get all the legal stuff out of the way. Give someone a chance to break into television. Don’t you think that’s a cleaver idea? Right? Cleaver? or is that clever? The other word being a device to chop things. Freudian slip…yeah, that’s what that was.
Very nice and noble gesture to Maximus with the Japanese ceremony of remembrance. Some traditions should cross cultural barriers and be used by all.
Patricia
@Das:
My wife and daughter fell in love with Chris at the convention…he was very approachable and engaging. At the Friday night karaoke party he even sang along with and encouraged my daughter Jackie in her singing. I sing bass, so there is not much I can do in the karaoke department; still Chris found me later to give me a compliment on Jackie’s singing; he wanted to encourage her to keep singing and performing.
Oh, and I think you nailed it on Jamil Walker Smith…
Hey joe. I was at refuel today for brunch and was really disappointed. Came on a big rectangular plate, one end a bowl with arugula salad sans anything to give it color or taste, a whole lot of nothing in the middle third and then the tiniest breakfast sandwich I’ve ever seen. I know they have their own meat etc but that was one of the poorest presentations I’ve ever seen. Also nowhere near enough to fill me up. Oh and my friend had a latte and was asked if she wanted cream and sugar with that?! Really cream with a latte??
I hadn’t been there since they rebranded, not in a hurry to return. No wonder it was empty while bugoo, browns and so on was packed.
Starting the blog with a sexy guy and food, damn Joe, you know what makes me happy, don’t you! lol
The food does look alive and personally I always lose appetite when my food still moves >_< uaahhhh…
We all miss your little pirate 😉
Beautiful ceremony from Akemi. Great way to remember!
@ das
I could fill a dumpster with tissues right now, srsly we need +10°C around here.
I read your last to entries just now, and wished I’d seen it earlier, as Apple does provide a way to get photos directly to an iPad. It’s called the “Apple iPad Camera Connection Kit” and can import photos directly from a camera or SD card. If the photos are already on your computer, you could put them on an SD card, and put the SD card into the SD Card Reader plugged into the iPad’s dock connector. Here’s a link to the product on the Apple store: http://store.apple.com/ca/product/MC531
Whoops, that should have been “last two entries”. That “w” likes to run away from me sometimes.
Akemi’s ritual is such a sweet jesture, awww. It bet it’s very therapeutic. Food is a form of art and art therapy can really help in the healing process. We had four birds at one time, we have one very active Quaker now. This past Christmas I made a blanket – one of the fleece blankets you can put your favorite photo on.
I designed a layout of pics of all our birds that passed away and put it on a throw.
Not sure if that worked, my HTML is a little rusty.
Has anybody mentioned Adam Baldwin yet? I can’t think of anything he’s done, that I’ve seen, that I haven’t enjoyed him in, including Stargate! I remember you mentioning you wanted to bring him back for a minor recurring role in the SG franchise. Well, he’s recently out of a job now with Chuck all done(*sheds tear*). Adam’s one of my favorite actors. He really nails the dark, mean, lovable guy thing.
Just a thought!
-Mike
Don’t trust anyone who wants to act. It’s a creepy concept. I can’t even practice presentations because it feels so dishonest to pretend there’s an audience. I think you should do casting calls by staging a time-share buy-out.
I think Akemi’s offerings are wonderful. Though not religoius myself, I have done the same once or twice for my mother. It’s amazing how soothing a feeling you get. by such a simple rite. Being of the “dogs have souls” side of the argument, Maxiumus is certainly worthy of such rememberences.
On the Dark Matter front, I managed to grab the last copy at the store, managing to avoid using vulgarities to cuss out the clerk for failing to hold the copy for me. I did not enjoy the increasing sense of panic and pounding of my heart as I scanned the shelves with increasing concern. Happily, I spotted it before that suspicous person at the end of the isle could work his way down and steal it from me. Well worth the effort, and Im excited at the thought of Mr. Bartok, with or without clothing, playing a role in the series version.
Thanks for the daily posts. Though I’ve been reduced lately to lurker status, I have been here, and your posts have been a high point in some days that have been …less than fun. When I win one of these 300million+ lotteries I’ll try to demonstrate my appreciation…
First, my condolences. It’s never easy losing a friend.
Second, I think I read something a few posts ago about how you where thinking of starting to read mangas in Japanese in order to tune up your language skills. Tat when it hit me, have you ever give any thoughts to do that with cooking mangas? The one that came to mind is “Mister Ajikko”, though there are others. Read a fun manga, brush up on your Japanese and read about delicious food, all at the same time.
Akemi’s okonomiyaki is very attractive! (I am soooo hungry)
I love bonito flakes on my rice, num num num.
And what a lovely remembrance.
Joe, just as you uploaded the pics, can you not download the unwanted pics in the same way? It’s bothersome, but everybody just loves Apple. The question that begs to be answered is, “why didn’t the Apple techs think of that when they developed their system?” Boggles the mind.
Akemi, what a wonderful tribute.
Hey Joe
Got up this morning, took me a while to understand why there was no NFL pre-game on. Damn, season’s over, now the long, long wait ’til September…
Rest, Snow Monkeys, rest.
Elminster
One of the several crappy things about Apple is that its very restrictive. Pretty much the only way to manage files on your device is through the iTunes synch function. Otherwise even if you manage to delete it from the device, but not iTunes, it will just reappear the next time you synch.
Omigosh! Those bonito flakes are alive! 😉 Creepy!
“Dark Matter -The Series”…I love it! 🙂 I would watch it. As for casting ideas…how about Ben Browder or Kavan Smith? 🙂
Akemi…that was very sweet of you to remember Max that way. He will be truly missed but always remembered. Akemi…how’s your resident statis coming along?
Hey Joe,
Don’t forget Ivon’s role in “The Adventures of Joey & Ivon: Codsperm!”
Akemi…that is such a sweet tradition for Maximus. How long do you leave it up…always?
Best to you,
Always,
Cheryl
Is it for real Joe??? Are you and Paul actually going to start Interviewing Actor’s for your Dark Matter T.V. series????
Nothing better to do on a cold, windy and snowy Sunday – so I did my taxes and braved the elements and mailed them off to Revenue Canada. Now we’ll see how fast they are turning it around, they’ve been promising 10 days… what to do with the $2200 I get back…
Elminster
Akemi, nice tribute, so very thoughtful, Maximus is smiling.
–Ivon has changed a bit since the ten dimensions, gotten taller I think, coz he was already cute. and are you going to post his audition?
Ok so now I don’t want an ipad, will wait for the next big invention to come out. Wish I would have hit the powerball, but I guess you have to play to win, then maybe I could back your tv project, hoping it all goes well. Have you been to California yet to talk about with the people? Have a great evening.
Eoin Macken from Merlin is a super cutie and can handle a sword, if that counts. Alexa Vega and Nicholas D’Agosto (Election) were terrific in the worst movie I’ve seen in years, Prada to Nada, natural and charming despite the godawful script.
And how badass is Tom Wlaschiha from Game of Thrones and Valkyrie? Okay I haven’t seen either, just a clip from Valkyrie and I gotta say wow. The guy speaks like seven languages or something.