Our photos from Morocco are FINALLY up at:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/noizangel/sets/72157619964209048/

Sorry I kept you waiting/But I'm here now...

I haven't written in forever; weirdly I have a lot less time that one would think, given that I'm off.  Things have just really started to slow down after the work-travel-work craziness of May and early June.  It seems like almost every day I've had something to do - and there's always stuff to do at home.

Now that things seem to be settling, Rat and I are embarking on a three-day-a-week reno plan (3-4 hrs a day) which I hope works out okay.  There's a lot we can manage to do even on limited funds, so that's a plus.  Still not running, and I still seem resistant to any actual writing schedule, but I am trying to work that out for myself.  Something's blocking me and scaring me, frankly - so I need to get past that.

I've been in and out of the CBC lately, which is nice for seeing people and just keeping my presence around.  Everyone's been cool about passing along opportunities and ideas, which is awesome.  I miss S+C something fierce, and all my friends on it.  I'm exploring a lot of different avenues for my next steps, which is good - and I'm trying hard to make room for my own projects, as now is the time.  I went to an audio/video open source workshop, which was excellent, and I have a WIFT event coming up next week.

Working on the Morocco pictures - I was almost done with them, but an iPhoto crash left me bereft. I also lost a good podcast-in-progress recording yesterday.  Bad day for data!  Anyway, I will post the flickr link once it's sorted sometime this weekend.  Baking a cake for my dad's birthday tomorrow as well, which is fun.  I'm attempting a four-layer vanilla white cake with orange, lemon, and key lime filling, which sounds more difficult than it is - but I gotta tell you, it is a little embarrassing to buy three 1 kg bags of icing sugar.  I've been baking a fair bit, as it's relaxing and remarkably fulfilling.

How are you guys?

Y'know, World Cup, Hockey playoff, Olympic celebrations regularly cause more traffic congestion than any protest held in this city.  Do people worry about someone getting to the hospital then?

Anyway.

Dragon's Den Block One was pretty rough in terms of the 12 hour days on my feet, shooting the Dragons and pitchers on set.  It's a whole lot of fun though, and the people are great.  The Dragons are all very cool too, and they seem to have a great time doing the show.  It's sometimes very emotional and inspiring, especially seeing amazing ideas and people get the deals they need to really expand their businesses.  Two of the Dragons - Robert and Kevin - will be on the US version by Mark Burnett, called 'Shark Tank' - and I'd suggest checking either show out.  It's funny when I'm there, so I imagine it'll be hilarious once edited.  If you want to see updates from the set for Block Three, follow me on Twitter: @noizangel.

About to do some shopping, see Star Trek, and get ready to go away.  Freaking out a little this time!  I'm excited but jumpy.

G and I will be in Morocco for ten days, and we leave tomorrow.  I hope to update you all during the trip, but if not, you'll hear about it on our return.  If I don't post again, have a great week!  Hope the weather is nice and the city is business as usual.

Due to a cancellation, I have an extra free ticket for the Elle Fashion and Beauty show:

http://www.ellecanada.com/show/index.shtml

If anyone is interested, let me know!

Been trying to get to the Vancouver domain's website and have been unable to.  Does anyone have an e-mail contact for the Cam out that way?

Help is, as always, appreciated!

The Good: New Democrat MP Angus: The CBC is a Conversation

The Horrible: Iraqi Gays Sentenced to Death for Their Sexuality Face Execution; Afghanistan President legalizes rape in marriage, gives tacit approval to child marriage

The Interesting: Public Sector Salary Disclosure 2009 for Ontario; CRTC Calls for ideas on how to manage Internet

The Hilarious: Omegle - Message with random anonymous strangers!

The BSG: BSG Didn't Need Outer Space:  Critically-acclaimed TV series Battlestar Galactica broke one of the cardinal rules of hard science fiction: It wasn't really about science. Instead it was hard social fiction, a realistic look at the future of human culture.

The Update:
Time gets eaten in big chunks like some great time-eating behemoth.  I don't know where it goes, or how I manage to so completely fill it.  This time is stolen time and I try not to feel too guilty for that.  Soon, I'll have nothing but time unless things change, so hey.  It's not the end of the world to be busy now.  I've got a ton of ideas and a few projects that have been spoken of, but mostly in an 'if X happens' sort of way.  So, I am looking for a gig as of end of April, and I'm hoping some stuff might work out, but if you see of something that would work for me, let me know.

Tired a lot the last few weeks, but learned I'll have four days off at Easter.  Lots of time to do work around the house and write, and plans to make sure both happen - a good test for when I'm off.  It's way too easy for me to waste time.

My 'cunning plan' of telling my family my tattoo has ALWAYS been there has not borne out.  So expect pics for when it gets healed!  Dave Glantz at Archive Tattoo did the work, and it looks freaking amazing.  Can't wait to show you all!

Marvel Studios has started a writers program. The goal is to put more than half a dozen film writers on staff, give them an office, and "work them like horses!" one of my sources says. I've confirmed this smart move. (Makes you realize how backwards Warner Bros is by comparison on their DC Comics film development.) *UPDATE: Marvel comic book writers are not excluded from applying.* One source tells me the terms of the program "are apparently more onerous than the terms of the Disney Writers Program. Before the writers are even allowed to come in and meet, they must sign a non-disclosure agreement and a 70-page, non-negotiable contract. Among other things, the contract gives Marvel ownership over everything the writers create during the one year term of [the] deal, plus a first look and last refusal to any and all projects the writers have previously written or will write for 24 months in the future." Egads! Unfortunately, with Hollywood feature development at a near standstill, I suspect Marvel could have its pick of film writers in exchange for $5 and a hot lunch.
- Nikki Finke's Deadline Hollywood Daily

That's a hell of a contract.

I only heard about Ada Lovelace Day today, through Twitter – as more and more of my news is coming lately.  I think it’s an awesome idea to have an international day of blogging to draw attention to women excelling in technology.  There’s not much time left (always last-minute!), but I still wanted to participate, as technology has given me a career, and the opportunity to work in a lot of places that I might not have otherwise.

On the eve of big announcements about the state of things at the Corp, here’s a few of the women in tech I think kick ass at the CBC:

- Guinevere Orvis – Guin is one of the Associate Producers for Factual Entertainment; though she works on varying projects, she’s most often linked to Canada’s Next Great Prime Minister and Dragon’s Den.  She blogs about new media at fittingly, About New Media, and she’s an amazing all-round producer – good code, good writing, great ideas.  She’s also a very cool person who I learn new things about all the time.  And ALSO, she just got accepted to a tech MBA at Ryerson!

- Tessa Sproule – Head of Digital for Factual Entertainment. Tessa is the person responsible for championing the BitTorrent distribution of Canada’s Next Great PM around this time last year.  She’s been at the CBC for years and has been involved with a ton of similarly successful projects.  She’s also a great manager and a very accessible resource when difficulties arise.  And she still usually leaves by 5!

- Amanda York – Interactive Producer, Steven and Chris.  All you need to do is to look at the show site to see she’s amazing at design.  She’s also all about online video, having produced online content for Slice, among others.  She’s the most career-focused person I know, and though she’s a fun person, she’s serious when it comes to business and is not afraid to offer advice or help.

Some serious talent here.  I’ve learned from all of them over my time at Factual, and it’s been awesome working with them.

Okay, I'll just quote because I'm foaming at the mouth:

OTTAWA — The Harper government is considering help for Canada's troubled private TV broadcasters, including looser regulations and tax changes.

In an interview Wednesday with The Canadian Press, Heritage Minister James Moore says the government is looking at how to assist CanWest Global, which is teetering on the edge of bankruptcy.

He suggests the help could come in the form of loosened regulations and changes to the tax system, which would also help other private networks.

CanWest, CTVglobemedia and Quebecor have all been lobbying Prime Minister Stephen Harper and his cabinet for assistance.

CanWest hired a former senior adviser to Harper to help with its lobbying efforts.

Industry and government sources say discussions are going on at the highest levels on how to help avoid the closure of more local stations due to the tough economic times.

ARRRRRGH  WTF WTF HARPER YOU BASTARD

From the Fox Theatre:

Dear BSG Fans,

Although we originally obtained approval from NBC Universal, the individual who provided this approval was not authorized to do so. When scheduling the finale at the theatre we were operating in good faith, believing that the rights had been properly cleared.

NBC Universal is not authorizing a public screening of the Battlestar Galactica finale. In screening the finale at the theatre, we would be in violation of copyright law and will be subject to legal action by NBC Universal.

We are deeply disappointed with this outcome. We sincerely apologize for any inconvenience.

Please inform anyone else who purchased a ticket that the screening is cancelled.

Refunds will be available at point of purchase starting Friday March 20th.

Maybe we all ought to look for fewer answers and just learn to enjoy the ride.

In Florida, one man has carved out 30-acres to provide a home to nearly 500 unwanted felines, who travel from far and wide to settle into their elaborate sanctuary, Caboodle Ranch. The founder of the ranch fronts all of the facility's costs out of his own pocket.

"This is animal control," Grant said. "It's a place where people want to bring their cats. They're not going to drop them in a shopping center when they hear about Caboodle Ranch. They will want to keep them here."
Source

You can donate or learn more at:  www.caboodleranch.com

Who are those two lovely ladies at the top of the piece?  Well, one's my co-worker.  The other is obviously me.  LOL.

I have never seen people actively wishing I would lose my job before.  But now I have.  Thanks, internets - for deciding I don't deserve to have a job because you don't like who I work for.

http://www.insidethecbc.com/layoffs-loom-no-bridge-loan-for-the-cbc

Sorry to any of you who see this twice, or aren't in the Toronto area:

Thanks to the Fox Theatre in the Beaches, the BSG finale will be screened on March 20th!

Doors open at 8:30 PM
Show starts at 9 PM
Tickets $7

A portion of funds will be donated to the Daily Bread Food Bank.  Tickets will go on sale in early March, with sales locations to come.
http://www.foxtheatre.ca

I'll be updating details as they come, online:

- Twitter: follow @battlestarTO (http://www.twitter.com/battlestarTO/)
- Facebook Event:  http://www.facebook.com/home.php#/event.php?eid=66138297224&ref=nf
- Blog: http://battlestartoronto.blogspot.com

Given recent discussion, I thought I'd add this in, via Galactica Sitrep:

On his blog, BSG co-exec producer Mark Verheiden reveals some insights into the process of writing for Battlestar Galactica:

There's been some discussion in the ether about how shows evolve, occasionally punctuated with the criticism that the writers and producers are "making it up as they go." That meme strikes me as bizarre. Of course we make it up as we go, that's what writing is all about. In the case of BSG ,we always had a destination in mind, but there was plenty of room for inspiration and mid-course correction, based on a myriad of factors.

A small case in point occurred during the breaking and writing of the episodes "Oath" and "Blood On The Scales." While writing the script for "The Oath", it struck me that it might be interesting/dramatic if one of our main characters suffered a dramatic set-back in the course of the mutiny. The moment wasn't in the outline, but as I was writing I considered adding a beat where Col. Tigh was shot and badly wounded during the scene when he and Adama confront the Marines escorting them to the brig.

Sometimes on BSG you could just give this sort of thing a try, but blasting a character like Tigh had ramifications for other episodes (obviously), so I checked in with Ron Moore before actually doing it. He understood the impulse to up the tension and to create even more stakes for Adama, but he felt Tigh had been through so much (eyeball gouged out, poisoned own wife, discovered he was a Cylon) that shooting him would have been overkill. But the idea of having one of the final five seriously wounded? That idea stuck...

And so poor Samuel T. Anders wound up being "shot in the cabeza" (as the scene was described in the writer's room) in "Blood On The Scales." And that plot development... well, now we're getting into spoilers for episodes that haven't aired yet.

Source:  Read the full post at Mark's blog, link above.

From Mo Ryan's interview with Michael Angeli, writer of the most recent BSG, Blood on the Scales:

Sometimes fans rip on this show's writers for making stuff up as it goes along. Well, yes, of course they do!

I don't know how much of this show's endgame was planned out in advance, and over the course of the four seasons, we each may have our own personal nitpicks -- I know I do -- about the way certain story points have been handled.
But as Alan Sepinwall points out in his review of "Lost's" "The Little Prince," sometimes spontaneous decisions made along the way -- or left turns made out of sheer necessity -- result in great storytelling.

"For all we talk about whether or not there's a master plan at work on 'Lost,' we have to keep in mind that a TV show, unlike a novel, or even a series of novels, is a living, breathing organism, one that changes and grows in ways that even its creators couldn't anticipate. Characters and events that seemed so important in the early days have turned out not to be for all sorts of reasons... By the same token, a plot device that was cooked up on a whim to fix a specific episode ... might inadvertently lead to one of the series' greatest episodes ('The Constant') and its most beloved couple..."

---

This is what I feel television excels at - the shaping and reshaping of ideas due to the input of different artists.  Writers, actors and directors - directors of photography, costumers - hell, even the network have an impact on the story of the show.  Would BSG be the same without Karl Agathon?  He was meant to be left on Caprica and out of the storyline in the first part of the mini series.  What would Lost be without Ben Linus?  Michael Emerson wasn't meant to be a brilliant, evil genius manipulator - but he's just that good at it that they had to keep him.

There's not many mediums that allow that kind of storytelling and flexibiity.  It may not always work for the good (especially in the case of network intervention), but more often than not - particularly with scripted drama - the ability of so many people to make an impact on the finished product can create some of the most amazing storylines.  In terms of this week's BSG, there were so many quirks of casting and of storyline (some of which was added after the show wrapped in webisode format) that made it all the more compelling, and left me stunned at one point, in mute horror.  No one could have predicted those events three or four years ago - and it feels all the more organic for it.

In other news, I am working on a Battlestar Galactica Finale Party.  I am talking to a few contacts about it, and the outlook is beginning to look very good.  So we'll probably all be watching it on the big screen - well, those of us who are fans, anyway. ;)  I may need some help, so ya'll will be the first to know. ;)

Belated, though it may be.
Step 1: Put your music player on shuffle.
Step 2: Post the first line two-ish lines, one isn't enough to go on, from the first 25 songs that play, no matter how embarrassing.
Step 3: Strike through the songs when someone guesses both artist and track correctly.
Step 4: For those who are guessing -- looking the lyrics up on a search engine is CHEATING!
Step 5: If you like the game post your own.
Step 6: Skip songs you don't like very much and limited it to one song per artist. If you feel like it. It's just what I did.
( I apparently listen to a lot of rap. )

So, I had this big post about stuff I miss, but then I mistakenly went 'back' and it went away, so I took it as a sign.  I miss writing posts and conversating with you all in various forms.  It's a really busy time with work, and I am enjoying it, but it can also take a lot out of me.  There's so much more we could be doing that we overreach on a regular basis and make it look easy - which sorta screws us later on.  The good news is everything is crazy successful, but I am behind in all but the least essential TV shows, my RSS reader's out of control, and people are keeping ME up to date on gossip.

It's just embarrassing.

Likewise are my abilities at returning phone calls and e-mails in a timely and reasonable fashion.

I also miss people - like, if you're reading this, I would lay good odds on my wanting to see more of you.  Some of this is recent 'geez, it's been awhile' stuff, but some of it has been/is like 'WTF happened there?'  Anyway, point being, I'm gonna try to hibernate less if possible.  I'm better as it gets lighter.

<3

Congrats Americans on the changeover.  Hope we get one soon.  Though the words today were all pretty freaking impressive, here's the ones I was most moved by.

(  We encounter each other in words, words spiny or smooth, whispered or declaimed; words to consider, reconsider. )


In today's sharp sparkle, this winter air, anything can be made, any sentence begun.  What a turn of phrase, a description of promise.