Last night, I dreamt I was back in Montreal. I was downtown and looking to catch a bus back to West Island, a ride that would take approximately 45 minutes, compounding my problems given that it was already 4:30 p.m., the Superbowl had kicked off an hour earlier, and I was supposed to be hosting this year’s Superbowl Bash. So, yeah, I’m hosting this year’s Superbowl Bash. I’m expecting about eight guests – Rob, Carl, Brad, Remi, Ivon, Alan, Lawren, and Ivon – and have planned a football feast, Joe style: six types of chips and dips, pan-seared tenderloin sandwiches, and butter-fried prawn. Ivon’s bringing the chili and Rob’s making cornbread. And we’ll top it off with pastries. I know, I know. Not exactly pizza and wings. As for which team I’ll be supporting tomorrow – I direct you to this blog entry: http://josephmallozzi.wordpress.com/2009/09/21/september-21-2009-the-all-nfl-issue-the-tip-of-the-week-my-top-5-most-hatedloved-teams/. First and foremost, I’ll be rooting for “NOT THE COLTS!”. Secondly, I’ll be rooting for New Orleans. GO SAINTS!
Prediction: SAINTS 33 COLTS 31
So when Vancouver secured the bid to host the 2010 Winter Games, politicians and pundits alike just wouldn’t shut up about how all-together fantastic this would be for the local economy. Apparently, hosting the Olympics would result in a huge windfall for everyone. Well, everyone except for all those merchants on Cambie Street who were driven out of business when construction on the new Canada Line went long, effectively shutting down access to their businesses. But, hey, if past Olympics have taught us anything, it’s that the Games are money-makers (unless you happened to have hosted the Olympics between 1932 and 1984, or in 2004, while the bottom line for the 1992 Games wavers between break even and a whopping $5 million!). So imagine my surprise when I came across this interesting article – http://www.edmontonjournal.com/sports/2010wintergames/Gary+Lamphier+Olympics+golden+economic+opportunity/2530419/story.html – which points to a recent study that concludes: “the economic impact of hosting the Games, beyond creating a few thousand temporary construction jobs, is effectively zero — neither positive or negative.”. Okay, to be honest, I’m not that surprised. Nor will I be surprised when, long down the line, even further studies reveal that the Vancouver Olympics were, in fact, a money-losing prospect. Poor Vancouver. Like a contestant on A Shot at Love with Tila Tequila, the city forged ahead, oblivious to standing history and prevailing wisdom, convinced that, this time, it would work because it was special. Instead, it will discover the Olympics to be, like Tila herself, both expensive and annoyingly unpredictable. But, hey, as stupid an idea as it sounds, the construction and maintenance of a zip-line down the heart of downtown doesn’t come cheap ($250 000) and the bills must be paid. Which is why street parking hours have been extended from 8:00 p.m. to 10:00 p.m. and the rates raised, sometimes tripled. To those complaining now or in the future about getting squeezed to pay for the Games – if you voted against them, then I empathize. If, on the other hand, you didn’t bother voting or, worse, voted FOR them, then “Suck it up, bitches!”. And enjoy your Games.
Mailbag:
Susan the Tartan Turtle writes: “Region 1 DVD? What about the rest of the world?”
Answer: We’ll be providing equally cool prizes for those non-Region I residents of the world.
Arctic Goddess writes: “I suppose I really don’t expect an answer to this question, but, do you think that SGU could benefit from new writers? If you agree with me, then you are admitting the show could use improvement. If you disagree, you come across as close minded and inflexible.”
Answer: My response to that would be that it depends on the writers. Talented new writers would certainly help any production. On the other hand, new writers who end up not being the right fit could prove detrimental to the show if we simply have to spend our time rewriting them. Having said that, we are bringing two new experienced writers onto the team for SGU’s second season, and both seem to be great additions to our standing staff.
Major D. Davis writes: “I believe I’ll be leaving on a plane flight at twelve for Ecuador.”
Answer: Better make sure before you board. Have a good time!
DP writes: “What? Peking Duck is just skin?”
Answer: It depends on the restaurant. Most of the places I visited while in Hong Kong served just the skin. Most of the places I’ve been to in North America serve meat and skin. If you’re a vegetarian, simply separate the meat and enjoy the skin guilt-free.
Tim Lade writes: “I am taking ten students down to Lousiana next week…got any suggestions for excellent restaurants in New Orleans?”
Answer: It’s been years since I visited New Orleans – and ended up getting lost in the city’s most unsavory quarters riding a pink tandem bike – so I’m not really in a position to make recommendations.
Osiristi writes: “You’ll look back “on all three shows”? Does that mean SGU will be the last of the franchise?”
Answer: Possibly not for the franchise, but certainly for me.
Laura writes: “So MSN had an article of the top 10 places to eat in Vancouver. How many of these have you visited and what were you opinions on them.”
Answer: Araxi, Bearfoot Bistro, Rimrock Cafe, and Coast = Haven’t been. Blue Water Cafe = Fine. Gotham Steakhouse = Underwhelmed on three successive visits. One of the city’s most overrated. Italian Kitchen = For real? It’s like a really nice Olive Garden. Tojo’s = Very good but prepare to drop some major coin. Vij’s = Excellent but be prepared to wait. They don’t take reservations. West = Also very good but, on my last visit, I had the Chef’s Menu and was still feeling a little peckish at the end of my meal.
Alexander of Houston writes: “Tell me joe, do you like bechamel? can you make mayonnaise? What is your favorite consomme?”
Answer: I do like bechamel, can make my own mayo, but have no favorite consomme.
Alexander of Houston also writes: “How do you like your eggs?”
Answer: Poached and served atop butter-fried sweet potatoes.
Dasndanger writes: “I woke up about 2 am – wind’s starting up now, and we have a bit of snow, but still the threat of ice/rain since we’re just about on that freeze line. The branches are really heavy with wet snow, so I won’t be surprised if we lose power again…just hope not.”
Answer: Hang in there, Das! And stay warm!
Ryan writes: “Do you think SGU appeals to more people than say SGA or SG1?”
Answer: Hard to say. I know that many of our viewers are former fans of SG-1 and Atlantis, but a significant portion are also newbies to the franchise.
Morticae writes: “When will we start getting a sense of the major story arc for the show?”
Answer: We’ve already laid the groundwork. As season one progresses and once we get into season two in particular, pieces of the puzzle will really start to fall into place, giving viewers a better sense of the big picture.
Luis writes: “No pics of LULU and the Gang???Has Brie departed yet???”
Answer: She leaves tomorrow.
Jmanzione writes: “My problem with the production team and MGM in particular is the over emphasis on DVD sales as the reason why there is no movement on the new movies.”
Answer: Actually, that was my reasoning based on the general downturn in DVD sales/rentals. We have yet to receive official world from the studio on either movie.
Jmanzione also writes: “Worldwide the Stargate franchise has several million hard core fans that would make any and every movie a hefty profit with DVD sales and TV Broadcasting, there simply cannot be a continuing denial about this.”
Answer: Believe me, MGM is in the business of making money and if it was as simple and straight forward as Producing the movies = $$$, they would have already given us the go-ahead.
South African Singularity writes: “I’ve always been really interested in the idea of the FURLINGS, knowing that they were one of the original 4 races which entered into the alliance, is it possible that we will be learning more about them during the episodes of the SGU?”
Answer: Highly unlikely.
South African Singularity also writes: “Also, wouldn’t the Atlantis database have some information regarding destiny? It obviously would have been built before the construction of Atlantis and / or the war with the Wraith, and they would have kept monitoring it’s progress in case it might stumble upon any new advantage they could gain against the Wraith at that time?”
Answer: While Destiny and the seeder ship were launched on their long journey, the Ancients never got around to manning the ship so there would have been no hard data to gather beside possible atmospheric information on planets long-since passed.
South African Singularity also writes: “Wouldn’t the sudden appearance of a City from out of space prompt the air force to come clean about the SG program? Or doesn’t that reality have anything to do with the SGU reality? Or is there some missing info we will only find in Stargate: Extinction?”
Answer: This is a question that gets answered in the very first scene of the movie.
gforce writes: “Do you know if there will be a full season DVD release at the end of season one, or are they just going to do them by the half season?”
Answer: Alas, I don’t know what MGM has planned.
Squall78 writes: “I asumed you were being snarky since Season 4 grew from 1.7 Million viewers for the 1st half, to about 2.2 Million for the 2nd half, and Season 5 saw a steady 2.1 Million.”
Answer: The point is it would make more sense to hypothesize based on trending data (ie. the steady downturn in viewership after Atlantis’s second season) rather than a single episode (Justice) and, even then, the seemingly logical hypothesis could be way off the mark (as evidenced by the data you supply showing an eventual uptick in Atlantis’s numbers).
Kevman7987 writes: “Joe, I feel sorry for you. When team USA smashes The Canadian Hockey Team for Gold that the angry rioting will probably leave Vancouver a smoking ruin.”
Answer: No need to feel sorry for me. I’m embracing the anti-Olympic spirit by quietly supporting the Russian and Swedish hockey teams. Also, I couldn’t care less if the downtown core is left a smoking ruin. I rarely frequent any of its restaurants.
PJR writes: “I would like to enquire further how – in the room – the vision for SGU, its difference and commonalities, was communicated to writers, etc.”
Answer: We were given the first three scripts – Air I, II, and III. They served as the blueprint for SGU.
PJR also writes: “Might that leave the door open creatively for writers, or is the SG/SGU bible tightly defined?”
Answer: While the SGU bible is defined, it isn’t “tightly defined” so there is room for developing certain as-yet untapped elements down the line.
PJR also writes: “In SGU, does such possibility exist or were no units brought to Destiny?”
Answer: No ZPM’s were brought aboard Destiny. Why the need for additional power sources when the ship was specifically designed to draw energy from the stars it would pass along the way?
Echelon writes: “Do you make a point to DVR or get a copy of Stargate alumni in their work after Stargate?”
Answer: Only if they happen to be guest-starring on House.
We’ll miss Brie and she’ll miss…well, the Olympics anyway. Speaking of the Games, I hear that downtown Vancouver is a circus, teeming with tourists, media, Olympics hangers-on, and, of course, the athletes who have taken to parading about town in their athlete-wear lest anyone fail to recognize them for the truly special [for the duration of these Olympics anyway] human beings they are. Today’s Olympic update comes compliments of Yahoo Sports which lists the Ten Biggest Blunders in Olympic history: http://ca.sports.yahoo.com/olympics/news?slug=ys-forbesolyblunders020310&prov=yhoo&type=lgns. Fingers crossed for this year!
I was left impressed and expressed my displeasure…
Rush pulls off his secret plan to rid Destiny of Telford and co. (Earth).
