Congrats to my buddy, editor Lou Anders, for picking up his very first Hugo Award! Prometheus Books put out the following press release: "Anders received the trophy for “Best Editor–Long Form” at a ceremony on Aug. 20 at the Peppermill Hotel and Casino in Reno, Nevada. Jay Lake and Ken Scholes presided as masters of ceremony,…
August 22, 2011: If the karoshi doesn’t kill me, the deep-fried fudge might!
"Have a good day. Don't karoshi!" - Akemi, Every morning before I leave for work. From wiki: "Karōshi (過労死?), which can be translated literally from Japanese as "death from overwork", is occupational sudden death. Although this category has a significant count, Japan is one of the few countries that reports it in the statistics as a separate category.…
August 21, 2011: Daredevil Eats at the CNE! The Return of the Weird Food Purchase of the Day!
Today, we hit the CNE (Canadian National Exhibit). My goal: to eat as much crap as possible. And, I'm pleased to report, this mission was a huge success... We arrived a little before 1:00 p.m. and ignored the solitary concessions, games, and rides, heading straight for the giant food court. I was on a mission...…
August 20, 2011: I’ve got this song stuck in my head…either that or it’s an earworm!
On the nutritional benefits of fish: "The tail is good for you can run fast. The head is good for your brain. The eyes are good for you eyes. Your eyes are getting bad so you should eat eyes." - Akemi, August 20 2011. I had a song stuck in my head all day today.…
August 19, 2011: Shit My Japanese Girlfriend Says!
"Truffles taste like old man's pillow." - Akemi, August 19 2011. I'm thinking of starting a twitter account called "Shit My Japanese Girlfriend Says". Seriously. Akemi is a seemingly endless reservoir of curious comments and comical expressions that I feel must be noted in some semi-official capacity. And so - provided I remember - I'm…
August 18, 2011: Maximus’s Radioactive Roadtrip II! Carl’s Belated Birthday Dinner!
Early this morning, we were back at the University of Guelph for Maximus's 2nd (of 5) radiation treatments. Like the last time, it involved sedating Max and then targeting the tumor on the inside of his right cheek with an intense burst of radiation aimed at reducing the mass. Every second week, he also receives…
August 17, 2011: Laisse les bon temps rouler!
Busy, busy, busy prepping the next shooting block (episodes #103, Sharks, and #106, Payback) for The Transporter's first season. Have been hopping between meetings and my laptop, trying to get everything in order in advance of our August 31st start of production date. "But wait!"none of you are no doubt thinking. "Weren't you supposed to…
August 16, 2011: Missing my routine!
I'm a creature of habit. There's nothing I enjoy more than the comfort and familiarity of routine. Back when I was in Vancouver, working on the well-oiled machine that was the Stargate franchise, I lived a fairly structured existence. Here in Toronto, it's somewhat different. Working on this first year production of Transporter, my…
August 15, 2011: Bento Breakfast Binder-Style! Co-workers! A Familiar Guest Star! The Maximus Update!
Akemi occasionally sends me off to work with some pretty amazing breakfasts - tasty and artistically elaborate bento creations that are, apparently, all the rage back in Japan. I've posted pics of these edible masterpieces in recent months... Well, not to be outdone, Carl's wife, Karen, sent him off with his own bento box creation…
August 14, 2011: Laws of Attraction!
For some reason, drunks flock to my french bulldog, Lulu, as if she were a kiosk dispensing wine samples at an all-night liquor store. If we're out on a walk and there's a drunk within staggering distance, guaranteed he'll find his way to her, cooing, occasionally crying, invariably getting down on the ground the better…
August 13, 2011: A Quaint Southern Saying!
There's an old Southern saying that goes: "Don't piss on my leg and tell me it's raining.". I remember hearing it ages ago and not thinking much of it at the time - but over the course of this past week, I've been thinking about it. A lot. I'm a pretty reasonable guy. Most people…
August 12, 2011: Work! A surprise guest! And more Maximus!
Despite the fact that I was only on set three days this week, I'm more exhausted today than I have been all year. Yep, one of those weeks. Expect to have a lot more of these between now and the end of November... Today, we were paid a visit by surprise guest... A usually voracious…
August 11, 2011: Maximus’s first radioactive road trip!
Today, we woke up early to bring Maximus to the University of Guelph for his first radiation treatment. We left at 7:00 a.m. so that we could be there for 8:30. Once there, we checked in and, while we waited, Maximus picked himself a comfy spot and cowered. We spoke to the radiation oncologist who…
August 10, 2011: Back on set!
Back on set today - even though my episode (#102 - 12 Hours) wrapped two days ago. I've been standing in for Paul who has been busy prepping episodes #104-105 (The Switch and Harvest), overseeing the final two outstanding days on the pilot. Yes, it's true! So much awesomeness it couldn't be contained in one…
August 9, 2011: Snow Monkeys Return! Back on Set!
Even though I'm on the other side of the country, my Snow Monkeys will be making another bid for Fantasy Football supremacy. This season, they square off against the likes of The New Old Spice Guys, Van Isle Vultures, I Can't Believe It's Not Butter, and Ivon Bartok's The Running Dead (among others). The League,…