In the event you're passing through Vancouver and looking for something to eat, here are some interesting dishes I've enjoyed of late... Sweet and sour whole fish - Lin Chinese Cuisine and Tea House (1537 West Broadway). Akemi's favorite - especially the eyes. Cheesecake with raspberry sauce at Cheesecake Etc. (2141 Granville Street). Although Akemi…
August 20, 2010: An all-encompassing meandering rant! Production developments! Mailbag!
It's been my experience that making a contribution to charity leads to nothing but trouble. A few fleeting seconds of contentment at the prospect of helping out those in need isn't worth the endless follow-up phone calls from not only the charity in question but the countless other organizations your charity has sold your information…
August 19, 2010: Another SGU-related Q&A! Carl’s acting up! Mailbag!
First there was the Save Daniel Jackson campaign. Then, there was the Save Elizabeth Weir Campaign. Then there was the Save Carson Beckett Campaign followed by the Save Stargate: SG-1, Save Stargate: Atlantis and Save the Stargate Movies campaigns. But those campaigns paled in comparison to the biggest fan campaign of all: the campaign to…
August 18, 2010: Find your personality type! Another little something from the Art Department! An interesting mailbag!
In my opinion, people fall into four personality types... Jelly types are natural born leaders. They tend to be bossy, stubborn, and set in their ways. Bubba types are impulsive and enjoy having a good time, but they also tend to be anxious and given to excessive worry. Maximus types are hedonists, enjoying the finer…
August 17, 2010: A little more from the Art Department! A super secret set pic! Some book of the month club discussion!
A little something from the Art Department. The suit isn't as fitted as I'd like and I would never wear that tie in a million years, but I'm certainly looking presidential. Assistant Director Bill Mizel, on the other hand, is looking positively old-timey in his portrait. Hell, he was so delighted with James Robbins' work…
August 16, 2010: The Devil’s Alphabet, by Daryl Gregory
A mysterious plague strikes the tiny community of Switchcreek Tennessee, killing a third of its inhabitants and transforming most of the rest into one of three mutations: giant grey-skinned Argos, wine-colored seal-like Betas, and obese Charlies. For the handful of individuals unaffected by the bizarre outbreak, their apparent good luck proves both a blessing and…
August 15, 2010: MY Top 10 Favorite Stargate Episodes
And when I say "MY" Top 10, I am strictly referring to episodes I am credited on otherwise the list would be comprised solely of episodes scripted by the likes of Cooper (Time), Wright (2010), Binder (Life), and Gero (Duet). And of the episodes I've been credited on, I'm not counting those scripted solely by…
August 14, 2010: Decisions, Decisions, Decisions! And Pictures!
Ah, decisions, decisions, decisions. I hate 'em. For the most part, I prefer to sit back and allow situations to resolve themselves. Take the big move from Montreal to Vancouver eleven years ago. Paul and I had just submitted the first draft of our script, Scorched Earth, to the producers of Stargate SG-1 and there…
August 13, 2010: Author James Maxey drops by! Guest blogger announcement! A hint of things to come in SGU’s second season!
The recently released anthology, Masked, boasts some impressive talent, its various authors hailing from diverse backgrounds: comic books, literary SF, and television. But James Maxey is one of the few contributors with experience writing specifically superhero-themed prose fiction - like his cult classic debut novel, Nobody Gets the Girl, as well as several of his…
August 12, 2010: Some production updates! Some news of note! Some mailbag!
I rolled onto the lot this morning and found THIS sitting by the building... Qu'est-ce que c'est? Set work in progress? Contemporary art sculpture? Or just a bunch of garbage being cleared out? I suppose time will tell. Or the next episode up in the production schedule. Today, we finally finished that Day 1 mix…
August 11, 2010: Production update! Another hint at what’s to come in season two! Carl’s new office!
Holy smokes! It's taken us a day and a half to watch the Day 1 mix of Trial and Error - and we're still not done! Had our sit-down with the Art and Construction departments today about the new late season set we'll be discovering in my episode, The Hunt. We talked playback, atmosphere, functionality,…
August 10, 2010: Birthday celebrations kick off! A cryptic SGU season 2 clue! John G. Lenic’s culinary show and tell!
Hey, look who's on the move... With Robert Cooper, gone, Carl wasted no time in exercising squatting rights on his recently-vacated office. Although the premises were originally earmarked for a local children's charities, it looks like the tots are out of luck. Carl is, after all, an Executive Producer. AND a birthday boy... Yes, that's…
August 9, 2010: Author Mark Chadbourn drops in! An old friend visits the production offices! Back on set! With pics!
My love of comic books has waxed and waned over the course of my life. I'll go years without reading a single issue and then, one day, pick up a copy of every title on the racks. I'll continue to follow the books that appeal while dropping those that fail to hold my interest, whittling…
August 8, 2010: Blog stats! Dogs! And back to work!
Every one in a while I like to check out the blog stats on this site to find a little more about you, the readers. For instance, what were the most popular referrer links to this blog over the past few days? (http://michaelshanks-online.com/news/index.shtml and http://forum.gateworld.net/threads/72174-Sam-Carter-Jack-O-Neill-Ship-Appreciation-Thread-2.0/page659) What was my top post of the month? (July 15,…
August 7, 2010: Author Daryl Gregory pops in! Another hint at SGU season 2 things to come! More from the Atlantis archives! And the mailbag!
When editor Lou Anders sent me an advanced copy of Masked for proofreading purposes, I ended up reading the entire anthology over the course of two days. I remember emailing Lou soon after to discuss, among other things, Daryl Gregory's brilliant contribution to the collection. I enjoyed "Message from the Bubblegum Factory" so much that…