Since Akemi was attending a party for her ESL (English as a Second Language) class tonight, I thought I'd take advantage of her absence to make something a little atypical for dinner, something she probably wouldn't enjoy (until she tried it of course) if she was home. I wanted to make duck hearts. Now, last…
September 27, 2012: Quinto Quarto dinner! Days of Stargate Atlantis Past! Kindred I!
"In the cuisine of modern Rome quinto quarto (literally the "fifth quarter") is the offal of butchered animals. The name makes sense on more than one level: because offal amounts to about a fourth of the weight of the carcass; because the importance of offal in Roman cooking is at least as great as any of the outer quarters, fore…
September 26, 2012: Spinning our creative wheels! Dark Matters! Days of Stargate Atlantis past! Midway!
My writing partner, Paul, came over for Day #2 of our spinning session for the new pilot script we're working on. Next to starting a script and, perhaps, passing a kidney stone, there's nothing more painful than outlining a story, especially in those first few days. Ideas are pitched. They're shot down. The story is…
September 23, 2012: Football Sunday! Mystery Reads! Days of Stargate Atlantis Past! Trio!
Whew! After two winless weeks in fantasy football league play, my Snow Monkeys appear poised to claim their first victory. Ivon's team, The Running Dead, require a near miraculous performance by both his wide receivers to make up a big 49 point deficit. This win is, of course, huge for the defending champions who are…
September 18, 2012: Recommend me a great mystery read! Days of Stargate Atlantis Past! Spoils of War!
Not a fine mystery read or a good mystery read. I'd like you to recommend me a great one. A couple of guidelines: 1. As much as I respect the classics, I'd prefer to read something set in our contemporary world. Well, contemporary-ish. I'll pass on Sir Arthur Conan Doyle and Edgar Allen Poe but…
September 17, 2012: The Supermovie of the Week Club reconvenes! Cookie Monster reviews Spiderman 2!
Spiderman 2 be most disappointing sekwel since Grover's little brother, Mervin, born. Unlike first solid outing, dis foray into web-slinging adventure be peppered wit WTF (What de Fudgee-o) moments and cheesy dialogue. First movie skirted line between serious and fun, but dis movie veer into stupid-silly territory, at times reminding monster of Richard Lester Superman.…
September 12, 2012: Conversations with my Japanese Girlfriend – Podcast #1 (the story of Noah)! Days of Stargate Atlantis Past! Seer!
The cultural divide between Akemi and I has made for some very interesting conversations. More often than not, my attempts to explain certain facets of the Western world have only served to baffle her as she makes the all too innocent error of attempting to apply logic to such notions as tipping, fashion, and vegetarianism.…
September 11, 2012: Fantasy Ennui! Days of Stargate Atlantis Past continues! Missing! Mailbag!
What a difference a week makes. Well, actually a weekend in which my Snow Monkeys were upset in fantasy football league play. In the days leading up to the week one kick-off, I was incredibly excited, scouring the internet in preparation for the season to come - researching, analyzing, deciding. Today, I could barely muster…
September 10, 2012: The Supermovie of the Week Club Reconvenes! Cookie Monster reviews Hellboy!
Smart, stylish, funny and romantic. No, dis not Monster's horney.com profile. It be desktription of Hellboy, a movie me would call an anty-superhero movie. Why monster call it anty-superhero movie? Becuz monster's Anty Florence not big fan of superhero movies, but she really like superhero movies dat defy de genre by taking established cliches and…
September 8, 2012: We’re go for Philly Cheesesteak Sunday! Fuji blows its top? Days of Stargate Atlantis Past! Travelers!
While out shopping this afternoon, I came across this: Okay all you know-it-all gourmets, let's hear your best ostrich egg recipe. According to the shop owner, although it may seem daunting, I shouldn't feel obliged to use the entire egg in one meal. Apparently, ostrich eggs keep surprisingly well. I honestly considered picking it up…
September 6, 2012: The Great Philly Cheesesteak Debate! Days of Stargate Atlantis Past! Reunion!
Well damn. Little did I realize the firestorm reaction I would elicit when I mentioned that I would be making Philly Cheesesteaks this weekend and serving them in focaccia. Apparently, there are some Philly Cheesesteak purists among this blog's readership who would sooner smack me upside the head than eat a Philly Cheesesteak with focaccia.…
September 4, 2012: Days of Stargate Atlantis Past! SGA’s Fourth Season! Adrift!
2007 marked the year Paul Mullie and I took over as showrunners for Atlantis's fourth season. It also marked my first full year of blogging. As a result, some of these look-backs will be a little more involved, starting with... ADRIFT (401) The episode opens with a frenzied shot of the medical team wheeling a…
The Supermovie of the Week Club Reconvenes! Cookie Monster reviews Hulk (2003)!
At one point during movie, monster get so enraged he charge into food court and start smashing, stomping, screaming, and trowing Sbarro pizza toppings at frightened children when - Oh, sorry. Dis not scene from movie Hulk. Dis was Cookie Monster's REACTION to movie Hulk, one of de most tortuously long and plodding superhero movies…
August 31, 2012: News of Note! Cast your ballot for The Most Heartbreaking Moment in Stargate History!
Off to dinner with Ivon and Tio tonight to discuss - what else? - football! Our fantasy football season kicks off tomorrow when our league (Vancouver Unite) holds its 2012 draft. As you all know, my Snow Monkeys are 2011 league champions looking to defend the title. I've done my research and plan to spend…
August 30, 2012: The things we do for our pets! Cast your vote for The Most Heartbreaking Moment in Stargate History!
Some of you were wondering about my sister's dog, Aspen, who made an appearance in yesterday's blog - a video of him following his post-chemo treatment, clearly feeling a little zoned-out. Well, here's the update. In early June, the poor boy was diagnosed with prostate cancer that had metastasized to his bladder and lymph node.…