With the deadline for the 2016 Hugo Awards nominations fast approaching (Thursday, March 31st), I thought I'd help out prospective voters by generating a list of recommended reads to guide them through the myriad titles released in 2015. In the past, I could have put together a rundown of potential Best Novels but, alas, the past year kept me…
March 20, 2016: More Akemi-isms!
Akemi's English has vastly improved over the 6+ years (!) we've been together. Nevertheless, she's still prone to the occasional Akemi-isms, those odd turns of phrase uniquely hers. I've covered them in past blog entries, everything from terms like "punching sweet" (super sweet) to descriptives like "tastes like old man's pillow" (her take on the…
March 13, 2016: Things that have landed on my patio but, thankfully, not my head. Yet.
Last year, when we lived in this apartment, Akemi would joke that the construction on neighboring building was so close that she could play catch with the construction workers. Well, we returned to the same apartment this year to find the construction had inched just a tad closer. How close? Well, THIS close - I…
February 22, 2016: Continuing our trip down this blog’s memory lane…
I started this blog on another hosting site before moving over to my permanent home here on wordpress. I was able to transfer all of the pre-existing comments with me - but, sadly, not their IP addresses. So, more or less... KathyC writes: "I definitely was a lurker for a long time before actually posting…
February 21, 2016: A trip down memory lane with you!
Last week, I almost convinced Akemi that we should adopt a senior pug. More to the point - I did convince her that we should adopt THIS 10 year, 9 lb bundle of joy - It seemed such a sure thing that Akemi was entertaining a possible name change to Konatsu (a type of Japanese orange)…
February 15, 2016: A mini mailbag!
Drea writes: "Think we can do another mailbag soon?" Answer: Okay, let's do it! arcticgoddess writes: "By the way, it’s that time of year again. The time of year that you decide and let us know whether you will be visiting San Diego Comicon again. So, will you?" Answer: No. After my experience at last…
February 14, 2016: An atypical Valentine’s!
I celebrated Valentine's Day today with an afternoon nap. In all fairness, I've been feeling under the weather of late, so bad that I even elected to forego my weekly visit to The Silver Snail, our local comic shop. Now THAT is pretty sick. And it didn't help that this weekend's weather has been, well,…
February 13, 2016: Deep freeze – and equally deep cuts!
Even though it's the weekend and we're not on our sets shooting (for a change), I still can't quite escape the pull of Dark Matter. I just spent the past two hours reviewing the director's cut of Episode 204. A very robust director's cut of 204. I've made the easy trims but the next round of…
January 31, 2016: The weekend round-up!
Something weird's been up with Lulu lately, and I'm not referring to her fashion sense. She's been up at all hours of the night, drinking a lot (water only as I keep the whisky bottles out of reach), and seems to have lost a lot of the bulldogly exuberance that made her alternately adorable and…
January 16, 2016: Edits, dogs, and tasty coffee drinks!
Whew! I spent a good chunk of the day reviewing and writing up notes on Amanda Tapping's excellent director's cut of Episode 201. An incredibly dynamic opener. I look forward to getting in the room with our incredible editor, Wendy Hallam Martin, Monday and Tuesday. But it wasn't all work today. This morning, Akemi and I…
January 14, 2016: Cat Shirt Thursday on the set of Dark Matter season 2!
Cat Shirt Thursdays! The tradition continues... Jayson Clute - B Camera Operator, Dark Matter Matt Purdy - Stand in, Dark Matter Chris Toudy - Key Grip, Dark Matter Alyssa Pawlak - Stand in, Dark Matter Kelly Anastasiou - B 2nd Assistant Camera, Dark Matter Drew Williams - Boom Operator, Dark Matter Nicola Moss - On Set Key Props, Dark Matter Well, today…
January 13, 2016: Director Bruce McDonald’s (space) salad days!
Director Bruce McDonald serves up madness, mayhem, and remaindered produce. The crew on recycling duty. One prisoner's trash is another's treasure. You never know what you're going to find... From the inside looking up. A rare shot of yours truly in action compliments of Alyssa Pawlak. A spooky walking tour of the Hyperion-8 set: Today's…
January 12, 2016: Dark Matter and doggy doings!
Anthony Lemke (THREE) and director Bruce McDonald discuss tattoos and such between set-ups. Is it possible to have any more fun on set? Bruce sets up his first shot of the day. A meeting of the minds. Meanwhile, back on the home front, the dogs express their delight for their winter wear... He's saying: "Noooooooooo!"
January 6, 2016: Dark Matter Season 2, Episode 202, Day 4!
Today was all about the Android. Between set-ups, I finally got a chance to sit down with actress Zoie Palmer and take her through our plans for the Android in season 2. We discussed the surprising encounter in Episode 204, the wildly atypical happenings in Episode 205, and those late-season developments and payoffs (plus much…
January 2, 2016: Back in Toronto!
And I am absolutely exhausted. Following a two week whirlwind Montreal stay, early wake-ups, an intense new morning workout routine, and a four and a half hour drive back to Hog Town, I'm feeling a lot like these two - I have a little over a day to rest up before I head back to the…