Well, I just sent off my preliminary outline for The Scourge (formerly The Blight which I changed because, technically, it isn't a blight - but don't get too attached to this title either). Last time Robert Picardo was in town (for Prototype) he was telling Martin how much he'd love to get in on the action for a change. Well, he'll get his wish in this episode and may regret it once he sees what's in store for Woolsey. Hope he's not squeamish. Many thanks to Martin Gero and Damian Kindler for the great notes on the preliminary preliminary outline.
I just finished a terrific 12-episode anime series called Paranoia Agent. The animation is amazing and the story is a real mind-trip. I can't recommend this one enough. I've followed up with a three-part mini-series tittled, appropriately enough, Interlude. Watched the first episode last night and thought it was...meh. However, the reviews I've read say it becomes very complex, offering a variety of twists and turns as it progresses - so I'm looking forward to checking out the next installment tonight. I picked this particular series because the reviews intrigued me and because it is fairly short. With the new Harry Potter book coming out this weekend, my evenings will be otherwise occupied next week.
Some of you ask - how do you find the time to watch so much? Well, I wake up at 6:00 a.m. every morning and do an hour of cardio. While I hit the elliptical, I'll watch an hour of television (which roughly breaks down to a one hour show at roughly 43 minutes and a half hour show at roughly 21 minutes). As many of you know, I'm working my way through the first season of Babylon 5. Its tough to judge a scifi series especially by its first few episodes since so much of those early stories are set-up - however, the last two episodes I watched - Deathwalker, and Believers - were homeruns. Loving the political intrigue. After completing the second season of South Park, I tried an episode of Titus, then switched over to Dilbert. I loved the books and the show's scripts are funny and clever, but the voices just seem...well, different than I imagined them in my head. About a third of the way through Alias season one. On the movie front, had Alex and Ivon over for movie night where Ivon screened the Girls of Scifi video shoot. It looks great. Ivon is responsible for most of the cool, behind-the-scenes features on the DVD's and did a terrific job with The Girls of Scifi, working long hours to film it, then edit together a terrific-looking 30 second sneak peek. I look forward to checking out the finished 45 minute version once he's done. Anyway, we watched The Green Butchers, a Daniosh film that felt like it really skirted the line between drama and dark comedy without really committing one way or the other. Nevertheless, it had its moments.
Nothing new on the ice cream front as I work my way through the last batches. However, I did pick up ingredients for a Caramilk Caramel ice cream and a Coffee Coffee-Crisp batch.
Off to read Carl's revision of Critical Mass. When the truth is revealed...what a surprise! Or not, depending on how much of the script gets leaked.
Executive producer Joseph Mallozzi has been on the SG-1 writing
staff since Season Four. Along with writing partner Paul Mullie, Joe has
written such fan favorite episodes as "Window of Opportunity," "Summit,"
and "Lockdown." Joe lives in Vancouver, British Columbia. 
Hey Joe!
Just wanted to pop on and say "Hey!" and that I've finally caught up on all the episodes I missed while not having access to cable tv/satellite (a whole lot in case you were wondering).
Anyway, I see you've been experimenting with ice cream and saw this one on the Food Network yesterday and it looks awesome so I'll pass it along.
Hope you're doing well!
-Bianca aka TheHuntressDiana
6 (approximately 2 1/4 pounds) ripe bananas
1 tablespoon fresh squeezed lemon juice
3/4 cup light corn syrup
1 vanilla bean, scraped
1 1/2 cups heavy cream
Place bananas in freezer and freeze overnight. Remove bananas from freezer and allow to thaw for 45 minutes to 1 hour. Peel bananas and place in bowl of food processor along with the lemon juice. Process for 10 to 15 seconds. Add corn syrup and vanilla bean seeds and turn processor on. Slowly pour in the heavy cream. Process until smooth. Chill mixture in refrigerator until it reaches 40 degrees. Transfer mixture to an ice cream maker and process according to manufacturer's instructions. Place mixture in an airtight container and freeze for 3 to 6 hours before serving.
Hey Joe!
Just wanted to pop on and say "Hey!" and that I've finally caught up on all the episodes I missed while not having access to cable tv/satellite (a whole lot in case you were wondering).
Anyway, I see you've been experimenting with ice cream and saw this one on the Food Network yesterday and it looks awesome so I'll pass it along.
Hope you're doing well!
-Bianca aka TheHuntressDiana
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
BANANA ICE CREAM
6 (approximately 2 1/4 pounds) ripe bananas
1 tablespoon fresh squeezed lemon juice
3/4 cup light corn syrup
1 vanilla bean, scraped
1 1/2 cups heavy cream
Place bananas in freezer and freeze overnight. Remove bananas from freezer and allow to thaw for 45 minutes to 1 hour. Peel bananas and place in bowl of food processor along with the lemon juice. Process for 10 to 15 seconds. Add corn syrup and vanilla bean seeds and turn processor on. Slowly pour in the heavy cream. Process until smooth. Chill mixture in refrigerator until it reaches 40 degrees. Transfer mixture to an ice cream maker and process according to manufacturer's instructions. Place mixture in an airtight container and freeze for 3 to 6 hours before serving.
Hey there Joe:)
MMMM!!!
Your flavors of ice cream
Sound Yummmie!! Infact
it's making me hungry for
some ice cream.
To bad you can't email
food.
Thanks Sharing
Hugs
Shortea
just finished watching the stargate premier, brilliant. i don't think i could have waited any longer ;)
/rami
Hi. I just watched the Stargate premier. There was only one problem the intro... it was too short... needs to be longer... and have the song.... the one that everyone associates with SG-1. You guys did a great job though... but the intro has to be longer.
Sincerely, Raven
just dropping in to say hi, and thank you for the wonderful shows. watch them both religiously. :)
don't know if you already know this or not, but stargate has a pretty big fanbase over here in romania. i wish they aired atlantis too, have to watch it on the german channels... ;)
either way, thanx for the shows, and for the time you take to keep us up to date thru this blog. :)
all the best from good old romania, annie
Ice cream flavours - we swear by cinnamon - Delia Smith does a basic ice cream with the only flavouring being the addition of cinnamon and it comes out so complex and subtle, you would swear that there was lots of different things in there, but no, just the spice.
I don't do recipies, I just slam things in and hope for the best (hence I'm a lousy baker but great with the wok) so I couldn't give you precise mesurements, but we make a basic icecream base then add about a table spoon of cinnamon.
Particularly good with Christmas Pudding
You'll really enjoy Babylon 5. I saw the whole series through 3 times. It's amazing everytime. Also, you should check out the movies after you finish watching the series.
Alias seasons 1 & 2 are great. Season 3 gets a little boring and kind of dumb but season 4 really is great. Another good series to watch is Strong Medicine. I know it's just drama about female doctors but they do address a lot of pertinent issues. I find it much better than ER. Also, there's this great Australian series on Women's Entertainment network (WE tv) called Macleod's daughters. It's really great. FYI, MI-5/Spooks series 3 hopefully comes back in January. I'm sure they'll do something about last week's bombings.
Oh yeah, one more thing: a great new game out of Japan, called Sudoku. It's a numbers logic game and it's really challenging and a great way to relax. Also, crocheting is a great hobby too.
hi, i agree with one of the people in the above messages about the opening song thingee being far too short i really missed it on atlantis it just didn't seem right (it's just not cricket,whatto!) loved both the shows you lot did a brilliant job didn't think that the whole farscape dude would work but hey ya got me i loved it! hope you enjoy harry potter i gonna get the book 2 moro and just like stargate- i can't wait!
Joe,
Just recently discovered your blog and am enjoying it very much, Thanks for taking the time to share with all of us, especially everything about the ice cream.
I see that you’ve taken up watching the Babylon 5 Series. Good Choice. Although I watched Babylon 5 when it was originally broadcasted, I’ve been going through it again on DVD. I’m into season two now and one bit of advice I have for you as you go through the DVDs is to not listen to the DVD commentaries the first time around. Way too many spoilers for someone who has never seen it before. However after you finish the series, you’ll love hearing J. Michael Strazynski talk about his show. Although his commentaries are after the fact, the clarity of his vision for the story in the beginning comes through in the show itself. I am continually amazed at how he wrote all but one of the episodes of the five year series himself. Absolutely fascinating. One of the best sci-fi shows ever. I’m looking forward to hearing more of your reactions to the show.
Regards,
Sela
Heh...thanks for commenting on Paranoia Agent. :) I just noticed your post over on AOD about it and came blog-hunting to figure out if the user-name there was really you. Glad to have that question answered so easily. I'm only partially through PA myself, so trying to remain unspoiled. :)
Greatly enjoyed the SG-1 premiere, and it's great to hear Robert Picardo will be back!
Hope you like the 6th Harry Potter book. I'm halfway through it and by the looks of thing, it IS INDEED GREAT.
Joe - I need your secret for more energy. I don't know how you do it keeping up with your Blog, your Q&A at GW, writing for the show, etc.
Maybe the secret is homemade ice cream, eh? Hmmm...
Glad you're catching up on B5. I watched all 5 seasons a couple of years ago. S1 has some good episodes but not fantastic overall. You have to watch it, though, to appreciate all the foreshadowing JMS drops in. S2 really takes off and S3 and S4 may be the best back-to-back seasons of a scifi show I've seen. I think those were the two seasons where JMS wrote almost every episode.
I loved the show so I'll also be interested to hear your thoughts as you go.
Thanks for all your time this year. I actually love reading you blog because it makes you seem like a real person - not just one of "TPTB". *vbg*
Best wishes for successful seasons of SG-1 and Atlantis,
keshou
You guys deserve an onslaught of glomping for the premieres this weekend..I was so ready to hate and debunk the new seasons but completely loved them. Is there a list I can sign away undying devotion and awe to? or will gooely salivating over all the spoilers for the upcoming eps be sufficient to prove how great a job you've all done?
(And if it's required of us to recommend every other tv show that we feel is massively profound; I suggest 'Garth Marenghi's Darkplace' mini-series, not a politically charged, overdramatic spy killing spy over computer chip that can make the universe implode and turn pink - but British sardonism at it's most brilliant - it has mutants in it. Feel you should be getting English pop culture influences into your viewing time too)
*glomp* - ray
Hey Joe:)
It nationall Ice Cream day
here in the states!!
What would be a good flavor
to have on such a day?
I might as well follow the trend of recommending TV shows. I would suggest you get on Kath and Kim. Good aussie comedy, mocumentary style to begin with, but it sort of moves away from that as the show progresses. Definately worth a look if you ask me.
As long as you're watching anime, you should check out .hack//SIGN and .hack//LIMINALITY. Excellent series there :) (ignore this if you've already seen it)
*slaps his evil browser* apparently when I clicked preview it reset the form to anonymous. can't edit the comment, so... yeah >.<
Joe, as you're watching Babylon 5, go check out a website called The Lurker's Guide to Babylon 5. The site is still up on the web, and it was one of the first fan sites on the web for sci-fi shows.
The site was updated each time there was a new episode, and it gave a lot of commentary as well as a place for JMS to post his thoughts and comments. The episode comments are particularly good and you should read the commentary for those episodes that you've already seen. It was a well-run site. I think of Gateworld as being a newer, more sophisticated version of the Lurker's guide.
Enjoy.
B5 was an interesting show. It was all about ideas and character, and by the time you get into the third season God help you if you miss an episode, because everything fits together. Both the dialogue and the acting were often heavy-handed, but if you can just accept that, it's great.
Joe, watch 24!!!!!