Back on the weekend of Nov 16-18, 2007 Creation had its BSG Convention.

Like pretty much every con the reports of what happened and what was said during the star panels stared rolling in almost immediately following.

One Blogger in particular decided to make a report that was very far from the truth AND attribute comments, thoughts and mental intent to Katee Sackhoff. This ONE blogger's report was picked up by no less than FIVE..count them FIVE Internet Media sources. Among them was TV Guide. They gleefully reported these false comments never thinking that the Fan who had written them might be lying.

Of course the backlash in comments at these sites was very quick and very direct. Katee NEVER said or even alluded any of the things be written in this blog regarding one particular aspect.

A couple of the sites went and checked "other con reports" and printed mollifying retractions. Stating that maybe Katee didn't "say" it but possibly everyone had their interpretation of what was said. HUH??? Okay, so those Media sources didn't want to say "Hey we screwed up".

But the ONE site that takes the prize for me is Syfy Portal. They picked up on the blog, reported it as if it were true fact, then found out FROM Katee its was lies. What did they do. Blame the fans.

There is no mention in the article about the NUMEROUS Fans that sent in comments to that site and the many others setting the record straight. There definitely must not have been any mention of it to Katee because her reaction was...well...a slap in the face to all of those that stood up and called these Media Folks on the carpet.

In answer to whatever was said to her Katee replied - per Syfy Portal "It's sad because you want to connect with the fans, and then they throw it in your face in a negative light," Sackhoff said.

So to Katee I say this. ONE fan did this and a HUGE number defended you and did so believing they were protecting a your integrity and hoping that this wouldn't taint the fandom or cast a bad light on them. You took a swipe at the wrong people in your annoyance over this. While we all realize that the media is the star's lifeline, this time it was them who created this problem NOT the fans. You owe a great number of fans an apology.

To the Media sources that just took this bad information and ran with it. This truly showed your colors. Site hits and sponsor $$ is the highest priority on your list. This is no secret to us out here reading. But we do have a small, very small expectation that you will at least check the facts before posting something. You owe both Katee and the fans an apology.

To Syfy Portal specifically, I am appalled that you threw the fans under the bus on this one. Instead of stating that it was your own shoddy research that even allowed this to be posted on your site, you blamed the fans and apparently said as much to Katee based on her remarks.
You owe all of the fans an apology. As one of the largest Sci-Fi web sites you should hold yourselves to a higher standard.

Sadly it is once again the Sci-Fi fans who will be painted with the large brush of negativity. The Sci-Fi genre has already been forced into the role of unloved weird step-child. The fans treated with disdain or worse laughter at their fandom. Its truly sad that the very Media resources that cater to this fandom, have no compunction to tell the truth, check the facts and when it blows up on them blame the very fans that support them.

For once I am more inclined to say I am a fan of the FANS rather than to say I am a fan of Katee OR the outlets that report about her. They at least had no agenda except the HOPE that next year they would have yet another chance to sit and chat with a star.

I sit here trying to find a way to deal with a lot of sadness today. My Grandfather passed away this morning.

Right now I am sad and angry kind of all at the same time over this. Sad because I will miss my Granddad and angry because in a way I feel like I got my hopes up a bit too high. He had a brain aneurysm rupture last Monday and we thought that was it, but he came back and the Doctors were telling us not to get our hopes too high yet. So we were cautious. But eventually he did get up and walk, he could recognize some folks and he was coming around. Well yesterday they moved him to the Skilled Nursing Facility to begin about 3 months of therapy and this morning he died. The move had me hoping a bit too much I think. I never expected him to come back fully, but I don't think I expected him to die now either.

When I get *real* about things though, I realize that the very thing that saved his life from the aneurysm, the beginning stages of Alzheimer's, would have been the very thing that took away his quality of life had he lived. So what was really the important thing here in the end? The fact that he lived? Or the fact that he had a good life while he lived?

I have to choose the latter and be glad that when he died he still knew who the family was. He still knew that it was his eldest daughter, my Mom, who was holding his hand and kissing his cheek. He still knew all the faces of his grandchildren and great grandchildren. He still knew the faces of his great great grandchildren.

So Quality is better than quantity in the end.

It is too bad that this is a lesson that wasted on too many people these days or you have to be *older* to learn just how important that it is.

I listen to young folks talk around me, I listen to my son, his wife and their friends. Its always about who has the most, the biggest, but never just the best. Its about high scores, who won, and who came in first.

Quality - character with respect to fineness, or grade of excellence. Does anyone try to achieve this anymore? Or is it all about quantity? Who has the most toys? Who has the most money? Who has more posts? How many people think just like me?

Quality of life is a dying thing in our society. It has been replaced by quantity of of life. That is how many folks measure themselves these days. Not by the values they hold dear, their integrity, their moral compass, their character. But instead by their ability to amass *something*, be it inanimate objects, or opinions or money or followers, or whatever you can imagine outside of the human elements of love, compassion, honesty, integrity, honor, humor, diplomacy, and self-sacrifice.

We as a society have lost sight of whats really important.............

Well if you came here thinking I was talking about the Asgard, the Ori and the Go'auld you'll be waiting a long time ...sorry.


I am talking about Ship as in relationSHIP and the great issues it causes on many of our favorite TV shows SG1 and SGA included.

I have always found it somewhat ironic that folks argue about Ship. Why? Because most folks have or want to have some sort of romance in their life and if they want to see a show that is focused on characters why would they think it would be different for them.

The arguments vary from "I don't watch this show to see a Soap Opera" to "If I wanted to see a romance I would rent a romantic movie" all the way to "This is an action/adventure/sci-fi series romance has no place here" to "It takes away from the main story-line"

All of those arguments have some validity if you have no expectation of the characters growing or having any depth. Really think about it. Name me a show that has not had ANY sort of romance in it and is an HOUR long drama/action/character driven show.

I don't mean that the leading man or leading woman is always the one having the romance either. I mean romance period. It is ALWAYS there. Now in shows that are more highly rated one of the leading characters is usually involved in some sort of romantic moment. Either with one other individual or with multiple individuals on a regular basis. Since I am mainly focused on Sci-Fi I will look there for examples. Capt. Kirk was the *Man about town* with the ladies, Commander Riker and Troi always had a an undertone of something. Troi even had a few side flings with Worf and various other Aliens. Dax (I think that was her name) married Worf and had some fun. Sigorney Weaver had *ship* with the audience as well as some by-play with various members on the Alien movies, granted it was very understated but it is there. The changeling dude from Deep Space nine and the First Officer had a romance. Capt. Piccard had a few ladies here and there.

And of course John and Aeryn from Farscape along with D'argo and Chianna. As well as Stark and Zan. Even Sparky had a lady or two and he was a puppet :-)

On Star Gate you have Jack and Sam, Daniel and Janet, OR Daniel and Sam Or Teal'c and Sam or Teal'c and Janet OR Jack and Janet. It completely depends on your way of viewing. Although the writers did let us in on the fact that Jack and Sam had feelings for each other.

Then on SGA you have John and Elizabeth, Teyla and Ronon OR John and Teyla and Ronon and Elizabeth and a few other side ships I haven't even thought of :-)

My point is that romance is a NATURAL part of life and if folks want a show that is somewhat true to life but with a twist...then romance needs to be there in some capacity for it to make the characters fully human and more easy to identify with. To NOT have romance would seem unnatural to me and the characters less than believable.

I was so happy when FINALLY Capt Archer from Enterprise had a girlfriend for one episode. Because I was really having a hard time respecting a Capt that did stuff I won't discuss here in the shower rather than find a girl to like and have a bit-o-romance with ;-)

I like ship that is fairly subtle because just like real life sometimes it does have to take a back seat to what else is going on in our lives and there is a job that needs to get done. But to ignore it completely is just unrealistic in my opinion. Unless of course the writers just totally suck at writing it...then maybe I should retract my whole post. Because badly written ship is no better than no ship at all. And it makes the writers as well as the actors just look stupid.

Lastly ship is and should be FUN for the fans. When I read snotty posts from on Ship Fandom regarding another Ship fandom I am just amazed. Why? Well because first off this is NOT REAL. Secondly because if someone sees a romance where I don't who cares!!!!! I still see MY ship and I still get to enjoy MY ship and the fact that another person sees a different sort of romance in no way changes my eyesight or my thoughts so why would I worry about it?

Let them enjoy the show their way and the ship they see. If that is what makes the show fun for them who am I to argue. It is not going to change my daily life if I as a Jack and Sam shipper run into a Daniel and Sam shipper on the Forum. We can each either agree to allow the other to see what they want and enjoy each other as individuals with diverse opinions and find other common ground as fans OR we can be immature gits that think we have to somehow change their mind because life as we know it will now never be the same...*sigh*. Sadly the latter seems to be the majority of what I see in many fandoms.

Its too bad that the question of *To ship or not to ship* and *if so Whom* seems to be such a catalyst for heated debate. I can explain why I like romance in any TV show I watch as I have done here and someone else can come along and say ..."I don't agree and here is why". Just because they don't agree with me doesn't make them my enemy. It means just that...they don't agree with me. Okay... thats allowed. It doesn't mean I am going to miraculously change my opinion nor does it mean I have to. It also doesn't mean I have to say anything in response if I don't want to. All it means in the end is we have differing opinions...thats it...we are both still living the same lives we were before, we are both still the same people were were before and if we do engage in conversation we may come away with a friendship OR we may find that we don't have much at all in common to talk about. Either way........ neither of us is fundamentally changed as people in the vast scheme of things.

So knowing that I really have to wonder why so many folks act like in the end only their thoughts and opinions must win out or the world will cease as we know it. I also have to wonder.... why hasn't it already then...mmmmmmmmmmm ;-)

see ya on the flip side gaterites

I know I said I would try to update this with more regularity. I LIED!!!

I didn't mean to lie of course but real life has a way of interfering with all of the fun things we want to do in life. It kind of sucks and it kind of doesn't :-)

My Grand daughter has come to live with me and her Grandfather for a little while and so life in the *Mr & Mrs Tame* household has gone from being mundane to being utter CHAOS LOLOLOL

I had completely forgotten just how much a pre-toddler can take over your life. When my twins were almost 1 year old I was a stay at home Mom and I definitely didn't have to deal with the daily juggle that many Moms and Caregivers have to face. Getting things together for the next day for daycare, for work and making sure all your ducks are in a row so the morning goes smoothly. Not to say that as a stay-at-home Mom I wasn't organized but it is just a different set of organizational rules LOLOL SO this has been an interesting month to say the least.

One thing I was NOT prepared for was *What do you do when the baby gets sick?* Well Grandma has to stay home THATS WHAT.... I was so not ready to have to go into my Boss and explain that daycare has just called and the baby has a fever and I need to go NOW. Is there anyway I can work from home??? Thank the Lord there was and I was able to do some juggling that way a few weeks ago. ...Then the next crisis hit.. The ear infection we thought was gone CAME BACK and just two weeks later I get another call, the baby has another fever, back to the Dr and yes they let me work at home again BUT when we hit day three they said no more... you will have to go on PTO at this point. I am so so so grateful they even let me work two days from home that I will never complain that they said no more on day three. BUT HOW do working Moms deal with the guilt?? I mean I am bargaining with the Dr about when she can go back to daycare and then I am feeling like a schmuck because this is my grand daughter and she is SICK and she should be home until she feels better. So its almost like I am having to choose one over the other. Well of course its NO CHOICE, my grand daughter comes first, end of conversation. But that still doesn't stop the guilt you feel over the work that you are not doing. That your co-workers are picking up your slack in some way. In my case no one else does my job so it will just sit there until I return, so folks are just waiting. GADS, this is almost ridiculous how you go through a gamut of emotions.

One thing it sure does is make you look at our Societies priorities. You definitely realize that in our Society we give alot of lip service to how *Kids and Family come first* but we definitely don't practice it. Not in our businesses, not in our Government, and not in our working lives.

It also made me look at our microcosm of a Community here at GW with a new eye. Too often we as members of the GW Community forget we ARE part of a COMMUNITY and not little sects forced to coexist. As a community our priorities have shifted from trying to build an intelligent discussion forum of Star Gate and Sci-Fi fandom to *I only want to talk to people who think like me* fandom. Similar to our overall society that seems to worship the almighty $$ at the expense of all else, the Fandom has come to worship the {insert polarized opinion here} at the expense of all else.

To be able to think and speak FREELY there is but one rule...you MUST respect that others will have a varying opinion from yours and be WILLING to listen (read) to that opposing opinion with an open mind. Because if YOU don't allow others to speak freely, then how can you claim the right for yourself?

I know you are saying "Well Tame that is all fine and good for you to say, but if I let them talk they will just belittle my opinion and talk trash and I am tired of defending my opinion."

Well, first off no one said you HAD to defend anything. Secondly, if that is what happens, then I will call a spade a spade here in this blog. That person is more impressed with their own ability to rile you up then they are intelligent enough to form their own opinion on the subject. If that person is unable to express their own opinion, that might directly oppose yours in a manner that is respectful, civil, and conversational why even bother replying? Their purpose isn't to have a discussion, their purpose is to put you on the defensive because they have nothing better to offer. If you take the bait... that my friend is YOUR insecurity about your opinions.

Folks that want to discuss and engage in lively intelligent debate won't go there. they won't resort to sarcasm, they won't resort to name calling and they won't resort to condescension. Why won't they? Because they are honestly and truly looking for a discussion. they are not looking to lord their opinion over you, they are not looking to *show how smart* they are. They are not looking to *best* you. They just want to share in the fandom.

It very well may be a topic you have no interest in or think is stupid. So if you think that...move on. No one gives a hoot that you think its of no interest or that its stupid. In fact if you feel you must express that, what we do think is that you are a pompous *beep* that thinks we give two shakes. The topic is interesting and important to those that are discussing it. Check your ego at the door.

For our society its all about the $$$$ and it seems for many in the Forum its all about them and their little sects. Both need to get over themselves and figure out in the end... you can't take $$$ to the grave and one day you won't be posting in this forum as much but you may have hurt a number a of people while you were here because you were too self important to exhibit some common respect and civility. The friends will come and go that you meet over the internet....the ones you have hurt...will never forget you. Thats a pretty distasteful legacy both in life and on the internet.

So in the end...what choices will you make? and what choices will seem like no-brainers at first but send you into a quagmire of self doubt later? Everything affects everything in this world in some way..........................

see ya on the flip side gaterites

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