MONDAY Minor surgery for Suji. Lunch with Zoie. Dinner with some of the old Student Bodies gang. TUESDAY Lunch with my favorite network exec, Gosia Kamela. Dinner with Jay Firestone to discuss Dark Matter's third and fourth seasons. WEDNESDAY Catch an early flight out to Montreal. THURSDAY Catch a late flight out of Montreal. FRIDAY Sit in…
May 6, 2017: Aches and Pains!
Eons ago, while I was on a journey through the Far East, a practitioner of the mystic, manipulative arts foretold I would experience dark times later in life. Specifically with my left shoulder. Okay, so she was the masseuse at the Shangri-la Hotel in Hong Kong back in 2006, but she turned out to be eerily accurate.…
May 5, 2017: Courting Controversy!
The admission that I abhor kiwis is often met with outrage. And when I clarify that I am, in fact, referring to the fruit, not the people of New Zealand, that outrage is often doubled. Today, in an bid to further alienate blog readers scandalized by the aforementioned aversion, I present to you a list…
May 4, 2017: Happy Star Wars Day!
May the 4th be with you! Hey! Guess what video has over 17,000 views on instagram? THIS one - Yes. That's Suji eating apple slices. We have GOT to make her a series regular on Dark Matter. Okay, in addition to all my reading, I'm finally going to catch up on some television as well. On…
May 3, 2017: Dark Matter Update!
I work in a very strange, unpredictable business. Three years ago, I was 100% certain that Dark Matter was dead and I was poised to go into production on another show I had developed. Within the span of 24 hours, that other show was dead and Dark Matter was suddenly a go. You just...never know. The fact is, despite…
May 2, 2017: Some of the delicious things I’ll miss when I leave Toronto!
When I head back to Vancouver in a couple of weeks, these are the Toronto treats I will miss most... The sushi omakase at Yasu Sushibar. The tacos at Campechano. The corn soup and veggie wrap combo at Ravi Soups. Scallops conserva in Galician sauce at Bar Raval. The grilled whole octopus at Bar Isabel.…
May 1, 2017: Happy Birthday, Suji!
Our girl turned 12 today (even though she looks 20!). Her other life. This was the pic on the Pacific Pug Rescue adoption page. We quickly discovered she was a little girl with a big personality. Yo, Four-Eyes! Handle with care! On the bridge of The Raza, taking her to FTL. Running The Raza corridors.…
April 30, 2017: The inside scoop on some local productions!
Being in this business makes you automatically privy to the inside scoop on various film and television productions, mind-blowing accounts of egos run amok, exorbitant cost overruns, professional ineptness, and just plain bad behavior on the part of people in power. Anecdotes of these ongoing disasters always command a great deal of attention but, occasionally,…
April 29, 2017: Taking a break. Sort of. And your Dark Matter season 3 titles!
Even though I remain busy with post duties on Dark Matter season 3 (cuts, music reviews, mixes, and VFX approvals), I have made it a point NOT to think about season 4. Not yet. I do have a game plan complete with story and character arcs for next year but, for now, I'm taking a little break.…
April 28, 2017: Akemi’s Toronto Art, Graffiti, and Other Tour!
Next to natto and shopping online for dog clothes, there's nothing my girlfriend enjoys more than good old-fashioned outdoor photo op. #oddballgirlfriends
April 27, 2017: Tonsilitis and Titles!
"Tonsilitis,"said the doctor. "Tonsilitis?"I repeated. "Tonsilitis?"asked a concerned Akemi. "Tonsilities,"he confirmed. "Surgery?"I asked. "Surgery?!"said a suddenly panicked Akemi. "No surgery,"said the doctor. "No surgery?"I asked. "No surgery,"he confirmed. Apparently, tonsil surgery went out of style with in-flight smoking and salad gelatine. Instead of a tonsillectomy, all she needs is about a week's worth of antibiotics. Oh,…
April 26, 2017: Name the Dark Matter season finale!
Over the past two seasons, you, the fans, have helped shape the show. You've weighed in on everything from concept designs to episode titles and, today, your opinion counts more than ever as we seek to name the Dark Matter season 3 finale. As in previous polls, I'm offering up a choice of three potential titles -…
April 25, 2017: The Farewell Tour has begun!
This is the time of year when I put on the pounds. Between show wrap and my return to Vancouver, it's about four weeks packed with goodbye lunches and dinners. Farewell to friends. Farewell to co-workers. Farewell to the crispy sirloin, green pepper and onions taco at Campechano. I'll miss you all! Today, was a…
April 24, 2017: My Favorite Genre Short Stories of 2016
Yesterday, I offered up a list of My Favorite Genre Novelettes of 2016. Today I’d like to offer up a list of My Favorite Genre Short Stories of 2016. Of the roughly 200 stories I read last year, these were, in my humble opinion, the Top 30. I’ve included a short synopsis and links to…
April 23, 2017: My Favorite Genre Novelettes of 2016!
It's that time of year again, the time of year that the various big name genre awards start generating their list of nominees. As a fairly prolific reader, I'm often left bewildered and genuinely annoyed at some of the titles that make - and, often, do NOT make - these lists. So much so that,…