CERN, VIFF, and Presidential Debates

Okay, so now they've had to take the Large Hadron Collider offline because it was overheating. Well duh. I could see that one coming. I kept telling them 'just pull over and top up that radiator fluid' but did they listen?.. They NEVER listen to me...
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Went to some pretty cool forums today at the Vancouver Film Festival. It was TV Day and the topic was "Series That Have Legs". Ironic, no? And you know what was the most common factor cited as "hooking" and audience? -- Character. Good strong, identifiable characters. They draw an audience.
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Whew. There's hope for me yet... (so if you know any exec. producers out there looking to cast a series - bump my name up, will ya?)
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Speaking of hope in troubled times: watched the US presidential debate on TV tonight (the Canadian election was on another channel, but it wasn't as good a show) and I must say I was impressed with the level of debating going on. It was sure a relief to hear intelligent discussion after what we've been seeing and hearing for the past eight years. I wish you guys well. I wish us ALL well. Pick the right guy.
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Can you guess the song Robert Picardo is playing?

Goodbye Reuben Tuesday

The Large Hadron Collider went online today. Big news for Switzerland. Not such a big deal for us on Atlantis. We use ours at work to make Reuben sandwiches.

Tired Monsters

Doesn't it get hot under all that rubber? Especially in Atlanta in the summer?!... You guys are epic. Most of the 30,000 of you at DragonCon last weekend were dressed up in some way, and often it was pretty amazing. I saw several Shaun's of the Dead, many many Stormtroopers, and at least two dozen "new" smeared make-up Jokers. Impressive. There were fairies and furries, clones and clowns, and all manner of living dead. The hotel was pretty epic too. Love that 50 storey atrium.
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Met many of you from a part of the world I rarely travel to and wish I did more: the U.S. South. I even had the Cream of Wheat porridge FOR SUPPER instead of breakfast, like y'all do down there. And it taste nothing like grit. It taste like porridge for dinner is all...
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Hard to believe but this will be my last week on Atlantis the series. Three days this week, two on "Enemy at the Gate", the finale; and a day on "Vegas" the penultimate Atlantis adventure. Whew. Those five years went fast! It seems like only yesterday a hapless doctor with a weird accent told his commanding officer to "stop talking please". That was way back. Atlantis old school.
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I'll bring my camera. Take some piccies.

Mirror Beans, Big Pizzas, and the Next Thing

Hard to believe - cancelled - after five years. Atlantis the series has been wrapped. It's all so sudden. Even when you know it can happen anytime, when it does you go: where did that come from? I barely have digested the news before the "what's next?" questions started up. What's next?
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Well, frankly, I don't know. More work. More good roles. More ways to connect. I hope.
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We move on.. and next up Atlanta! Never been, leaving in a few hours. Understand it can get hot there. Pshaw.
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Chicago last weekend was terrific - met some great people, went up a tall building, saw a magical mirror-bean which predicted that in the future, we will all take pictures of ourselves with our telephones and speak to people that are not really there. Weird. Ducked into the Art Institute of Chicago and stared at a Maigritte for a long time. I like how he tells a story in his paintings.
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The blog will continue its current haphazard reportage. If I find out anything about the fate of the good doctor, I will let you know; however - they never tell me anything.
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It was great to see you guys. Thanks for the support. See you again soon.

And the winner is...

How do you do it? I mean you had the answer within hours of me posting it! The internet is sure a pretty big place when you're looking for things.
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Congratulations to Susan the Tartan Turtle for being the first in correctly identifying Cadboro Bay, Victoria, BC - and Gyro Park. Send me a mailing address and watch your mail! Seriously - how'd you do it?
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Shooting for "Identity" coming up this week, after a bit of a break. And then - the last two of season 5. We better hurry up, you guys are eating them up fast...

Many Places

The middle of summer. Ahhh. Time to do some CSI'n.(See above) That's the venerable and highly misunderstood Sean Murphy, the best-of-the-best, our Second A.D. (not b.c - just to be clear) He's the glue that holds the lot together. He's, I dunno, Italian, I think.
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Dispatches from a moment by the desktop -I'm very old school that way: a couple more scripts have rolled in, and they are, by all accounts, stunning because of what happens to- mmmGrgp PHkhh h . ff.F.
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There's also a behind the scenes videoblog coming out on the MGM site somewhere, I think, soon, and - last but utterly not least, a visit to the many of you very fine folk out there in Americalandia - is that how you pronounce it?.. in CHICAGO very soon, and then ATLANTA soon after that. Most excellentness.
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And, last but utterly least: Name the Location - Episode 7 or something: To the Correct Identifier goes a signed photograph of the good doctor with a Special Added Bonus of a shard of glass from a 'recent episode'. Guess the exact location of the first picture, and the staff over here at Letters From Pegasus will send you that and more!!...
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Enjoy summer. Go for a swim.

Townsvillians?... Rockhampters?...

Okay. Here it is. I'm delivering on my promise: the ever-popular and very fine Paul McGillion and a Pachyderm (he's the one on the -- ... aw ha ha ha..). There's also some Alan Tudyk - very nice to meet you, a fine fellow indeed, again, and of course the ever-popular David Nykl, who who's generating some serious Oscar® buzz with his latest picture "Queensland Mystic". Yup.
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Thank You Australia Zoo! It was... was... Crikey!
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I'm also very proud to be publishing what I'm pretty sure is the only know photo of Paul McGillion and a Wombat in existence.
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Oh and I can't forget the enigmatic and virtuous Mungo McKay (right) who showed up just on the nick of time. Awesome.
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We haven't played Name the Location in an age, haven't we?... Remember? The Name the Exact Location Game, where I publish a photo and you try to guess the location? I think it's time. It's been far too long. And I've got a bunch of new ones...Right after this commercial break .. ..

Brisbanonians

Like Torontonians, except for "from a warmer climate". It's winter here, which means a frigid 19 degrees celsius. The poor locals are forced to wear something called a "jumper" along with several shawls to fend off the inclement weather. How do they do it? I mean it's almost a wee bit chilly here. Better "rug up". I have one word for you, Brisbane, when it comes to winter: Winnipeg.
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*rolls eyes*
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Loving it here, meeting a lot of awesome fans and seeing another chunk of my beloved Oz. We're off to the zoo today. Hope to get some pictures of Paul McGillion feeding a croc. I'll keep you updated...

Off to Oz...

Quick update - busy travel month...
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Australia is confirmed and happening, I'm just off to the airport. See all you in Brisbane this weekend!!

So Precious

Aren't they just so darling? These are the models I got "for review" from the Action Toy Doll Making Company. Yeah. They're making an action doll out of Zelenka! Ain't that cool.
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Resemblance ?...

3-2-1 Hiatus

Has anyone who blogs noticed that Hindi translator button tucked away up on the blogger compose page? Neither did I. I thought I was going crazy there for a while. Suddenly, I was able to type in fluent Hindi. Cool.
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Well I wrapped out of the mid-season two parter today - my final scenes before summer hiatus. There's still a week of production before the break, but I got let out early for good behaviour. It's been a fun episode to shoot - and a great script -finally getting some screen time with the very fine Rachel Luttrell.
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Next up: a guest spot on Sanctuary, (Thanks, Martin Wood!) That's going to be fun - I've never been to the Hindu Kush Mountains before. Then there's the second of the audio dramas I'm doing with Big Finish. I did one last week and the script was really really good. And they're a lot of fun to do. I think you'll like them a lot.
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Still possible I'll make it out to Brisbane in July, if all goes well. Still waiting on that one. I have, however booked another convention in the U.S. in Cherry Hill, NJ, in November. So that brings the total to three for this year - finally - I know it's been a while but I'm making up for it this summer and fall. Looking forward to seeing you all.
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There's this picture I really have to show you... but it will have to wait till next post...
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Be well!

Never too far from a sandwich on Stargate Atlantis

Many people don't know this but transporting processed cheese slices through the stargate causes the enzymes to reconstitute into pure sugar. So not only do you get grilled cheese sandwiches for lunch, you also get the taste of blue cotton candy. It's why Glen's sandwich cart is so popular.
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Meet our new gate tech Banks. Since coming to the control room this past year, Chuck hasn't quite been himself. Something's going on...