What is it they say? Fool me once, shame on you. Fool me twice, shame on me. But what comes next? Fool me three times and...what? I need to know because, despite the obvious history, I'm going down THAT road again. It's like that friend who always shows up late to the party despite the…
April 10, 2014: The Chinese foodless Vancouver Chinatown Tour! Our Stargate: Altantis re-watch continues with…The Shrine!
Last night, I met up with my foodie friend - Nicole, Lan, and Missy - for a little culinary tour of Chinatown. Nicole, our guide on this trek, had us hopping from one place to the next, covering four different places in which we sampled about a dozen different dishes... We met at The Pie…
April 9, 2014: Continuing our Book of the Month Club discussion! And our Stargate: Atlantis re-watch!
And continuing our discussion of our April Book of the Month Club selection: Annihilation: Jenny Horn writes: "One thing regarding Annihilation I had not yet considered…perhaps Area X is not on Earth." Answer: Now that's an interesting possibility. It would explain why the region is so much larger than originally mapped out. Maybe even an area…
April 6, 2014: Vote for our next Book of the Month Club selection! Continuing our Stargate: Atlantis watch/rewatch – The Japanese Girlfriend Edition!
Cast your vote for our June Book of the Month Club pick! We've got a nice, wide-ranging selection this month: COLDBROOK by Tim Lebbon Coldbrook is a secret laboratory located deep in Appalachian Mountains. Its scientists had achieved the impossible: a gateway to a new world. Theirs was to be the greatest discovery in the…
April 5, 2014: A Book of the Month Club Reminder! Resuming our Stargate: Atlantis season 5 rewatch with…Search and Rescue!
A reminder to all that our book club reconvenes this Monday (April 7th) for a discussion on our April BOTMC pick: Annihilation by Jeff VanderMeer. You can always check this blog's right sidebar for info on our upcoming Book of the Month club reads (including our May selection: The Rich and the Dead by Liv…
April 3, 2014: The projects update!
I recall reading somewhere that Stephen King likes to listen to ("rock") music while he writes. That's amazing because I couldn't imagine a scenario or musical genre (even classical!) that would actually help my in-progress writing process. I make the distinction because every pilot I work on tends to have a theme, a song that perfectly…
April 1, 2014: The April Fool’s Roundup!
Check out Samuel Adams' new HeliYum-induced beer: YouTube announces its lineup of upcoming viral trends for 2014: Samsung's pigeon network will bring WiFi to London: In response to events in Crimea, the European Union drafts a blacklist that includes Putin's dog: http://euobserver.com/foreign/123706 Virgin America introduces personal climate control for each individual passenger: Meanwhile, Canadian airline, West…
March 28, 2014: The land of lawsuits!
A judge has allowed Big Beef's lawsuit against ABC News to proceed: http://www.csmonitor.com/USA/Justice/2014/0328/Pink-slime-lawsuit-moves-forward-Could-ABC-News-be-held-liable I'm sure you all remember if not the story then, certainly, the image of the infamous "pink slime" (aka "finely textured beef"). Beef Products Inc. claims the ABC news story was slanted and cost the company $1.2 billion while ABC insists their…
March 27, 2014: April under-the-radar releases to look forward to! Or not!
DOM HEMINGWAY Release Date: April 2, 2014 What it’s about: Following a near-death experience, an ex-felon safecracker attempts to re-connect with his estranged daughter - and pull off one final score. What it’s got working for it: The trailer suggests a movie with a Sexy Beast, Layer Cake, Lock Stock and Two Smoking Barrels feel. Three…
March 25, 2014: Meet and Greet! And Stand and Wait!
Today, I attended an industry meet and greet. A rarity for me because I tend to find these "informal" get-togethers uncomfortable, earnest, awkward, and always permeated by that unmistakable stench of desperation. "Hi, I'm Bill Swizby! Love your show! I hope to one day write for a production of equally high calibre!" (subtext: "Hi! I…
March 24, 2014: Notes of interest! And on notes!
It's the routine on practically every production I've worked on: 1. Writers receive notes. 2. Writers get on the phone to discuss notes with executives. 3. Writers do (ish) the notes. But, in my later years on Stargate, I decided to implement a new policy. I started giving notes on the notes I received (let's…
March 21, 2014: The #SadTVShows highlights!
The highlights from last night's #sadTVshows twitter extravaganza:
March 20, 2014: News of note!
Those who make fun of FOX News clearly have not taken the time to check out CNN lately or, as I like to call it, The Jodi Arias Missing Malaysian Airline Network. Their anchors are always indignant, voicing their theatrical outrage about something or other. But, every so often, we're treated to actual hard news. Like…
March 19, 2014: Expressions I really hate!
DON'T use these around me. You've been warned! Amazeballs: This was amusing for about twelve hours back in 2009. Redonkulous: Really? You're still quoting a characters from FOX's defunct The O.C.? Addicting: I've mentioned this one several times. The word you're looking for is addictive. Frak: Yeah. I get it. You like science fiction. And,…
March 18, 2014: Casual dining, out and at home! Dogs snacking on phyllo crisps!
I checked the mailbox today where I discovered a note from Canada Post informing me that they tried to deliver a package yesterday morning but no one was home. If I wanted to pick up the parcel, I could do so at the nearby post office. "Package for me?"asked Akemi as I walked back into…