Okay. Adding in the last few weeks (in other words, cutting and pasting from the earlier entry). And on a related ratings note... Jewel Staite guest starred on Stargate Atlantis this past Friday (too much prosthetic make-up for my taste but the voice was all Jewel - and I thought she did a great job with the so-so-ness that is the norm for that show). Stargate Atlantis was the SCI FI Channel ratings winner for that night. There were 16% more viewers this past Friday than there were the week before. So, Jewel Staite guest stars, increase in viewers. Coincidence? I think not.
SciFi run *:
Serenity, part 1 (07-22-05) - 1.6 million households
Serenity, part 2 (07-29-05) - 1.5 million households
The Train Job (08-05-05) - 1.4 million households
Bushwhacked (08-12-05) - 1.5 million households
Shindig (08-19-05) - 1.5 million households
Safe (08-26-05) - 1.4 million households
Original run **:
The Train Job (09-20-02) - 4.3 million households
Bushwhacked (09-27-02) - 3.8 million households
Shindig (11-01-02) - 3.0 million households
Safe (11-08-02) - 3.1 million households
Serenity (12-20-02) - 2.9 million households
* all ratings information from the SciFi rebroadcast run found at GateWorld.
** all ratings information from the original run of Firefly found at Matthew Wahoske's excellent resource, Nielsen Ratings for Firefly's First Season.
Tuesday, August 30, 2005
Monday, August 29, 2005
So many options
I've driven the 5 through the San Joaquin Valley more times than I can remember. It's a drive that I really enjoy but I never pay attention to any of the other highways that intersect during the trip. They're just milestones to help me gauge progress.
This Sunday, while driving back from LA, I decided to write down all the state highways that I was passing over and figure out how many of them I've driven on. So, starting from where 99 splits off, here goes...
166 - Doesn't ring a bell.
119 - Never been.
223 - Nada, but wasn't this part of the name of a TV show?
119 - Again? Did I write that down right?
43 - Nope.
58 - Ah-ha! Finally. This one I've actually driven the entire stretch. Going east is fun but once you get over the hills it's basically a straight shot across the high desert. Going west is actually a very enjoyable trip over the hills to the 101. You come out on the 101 just north of San Luis Obispo. Not a trip for those in a hurry.
46 - One of the routes to the 101, probably the second best if you're trying to do it quickly. Takes you right into Paso Robles. And there's the James Dean death site.
41 - I'm sure it's a very nice road but I wouldn't know.
269 - Other than an adolescent giggle every time I see the last two digits, nothing.
198 - One of these is heading west. I think that's this one. A fun drive to 101. Not quick at all. Matter of fact, one of the slower ways to gap the distance. Quite windy and narrow. Brings you in a little south of King City.
198 - I think I've got them in the right order. If so, this heads east and out of my range of experience.
33 south/145 - I couldn't tell you a thing about the 145 but the 33 south is on my to-do list.
33 north - Surprisingly, the 33 north did not make the to-do list. That's probably because I tried to find a gas station along this road one dark night and ended up sweating all the way to the next state highway.
165 - I don't know why this road sounds familiar. My tires haven't graced it. Or, if they have, I wasn't in the car at the time.
152 - This is it. The premier speed route to transition from the 5 to the 101. Less than 45 minutes. I've also taken this east to the 99.
Depressing how few of these highways I've been on. Must. Correct.
This Sunday, while driving back from LA, I decided to write down all the state highways that I was passing over and figure out how many of them I've driven on. So, starting from where 99 splits off, here goes...
166 - Doesn't ring a bell.
119 - Never been.
223 - Nada, but wasn't this part of the name of a TV show?
119 - Again? Did I write that down right?
43 - Nope.
58 - Ah-ha! Finally. This one I've actually driven the entire stretch. Going east is fun but once you get over the hills it's basically a straight shot across the high desert. Going west is actually a very enjoyable trip over the hills to the 101. You come out on the 101 just north of San Luis Obispo. Not a trip for those in a hurry.
46 - One of the routes to the 101, probably the second best if you're trying to do it quickly. Takes you right into Paso Robles. And there's the James Dean death site.
41 - I'm sure it's a very nice road but I wouldn't know.
269 - Other than an adolescent giggle every time I see the last two digits, nothing.
198 - One of these is heading west. I think that's this one. A fun drive to 101. Not quick at all. Matter of fact, one of the slower ways to gap the distance. Quite windy and narrow. Brings you in a little south of King City.
198 - I think I've got them in the right order. If so, this heads east and out of my range of experience.
33 south/145 - I couldn't tell you a thing about the 145 but the 33 south is on my to-do list.
33 north - Surprisingly, the 33 north did not make the to-do list. That's probably because I tried to find a gas station along this road one dark night and ended up sweating all the way to the next state highway.
165 - I don't know why this road sounds familiar. My tires haven't graced it. Or, if they have, I wasn't in the car at the time.
152 - This is it. The premier speed route to transition from the 5 to the 101. Less than 45 minutes. I've also taken this east to the 99.
Depressing how few of these highways I've been on. Must. Correct.
The secrets of life
Happiness is replacing the toilet water inlet valve without having to take a trip to the store.
Our valve quit working while I was gone (but it had been giving us notice for quite some time that the ghost was going). The water wouldn't shut off and would pour over into the tube, meaning that the tank was always filling. S had turned off the water to the toilet and called the property manager. Until he got around to sending someone out we would have to turn the water on to flush and immediately turn it off. And since his track record is, how shall I put this, less than stellar the situation could've gone on for days. After recuperating from the trip, this headed my list of things to get done.
I had replaced another assembley in the toilet bowl tank earlier in the year but the only way I could buy the part I needed was to purchase a kit. The kit included a bunch of extra stuff (extra for that job at least). One of the extras was exactly what I needed this time around.
The hardest part of the job was remembering where I left the kit.
Our valve quit working while I was gone (but it had been giving us notice for quite some time that the ghost was going). The water wouldn't shut off and would pour over into the tube, meaning that the tank was always filling. S had turned off the water to the toilet and called the property manager. Until he got around to sending someone out we would have to turn the water on to flush and immediately turn it off. And since his track record is, how shall I put this, less than stellar the situation could've gone on for days. After recuperating from the trip, this headed my list of things to get done.
I had replaced another assembley in the toilet bowl tank earlier in the year but the only way I could buy the part I needed was to purchase a kit. The kit included a bunch of extra stuff (extra for that job at least). One of the extras was exactly what I needed this time around.
The hardest part of the job was remembering where I left the kit.
Wednesday, August 24, 2005
Just come out and ask.
Some set up.
We have a neighbor, who we've nicknamed Projecto, who has definite boundary problems. Busybody, project starter, space encroacher, has this goal of renovating the entire complex and trying to get the neighbors to join in the work, etc. One lesson I've learned is to be very careful what I say and do during any conversation with Projecto. When Projecto starts going on about the latest thing any politeness, such as nodding, will be interpreted as agreement on my part that the project should be done. And then the project will get started half-assedly and never finished. And at some point I'll probably step in and attempt to clean up the mess. So whenever I'm in a conversation with Projecto I usually minimize my body language and say pretty much nothing. I'm getting quite good at it.
That's one bit of background.
There's a bathroom attached to the back of the garage under the neighbor's stairs. Small little room with a toilet and sink and window with the door opening on the driveway. It's nice to have around (well, we've used it once or twice in the three years we've been living here when our water was shut off for some work - but it was definitely nice then) and we keep the door unlocked. Or try to at any rate. There have been some problems with transients using the bathroom so periodically one of the neighbors will lock the door. And no one has the key. So we leave the window unlatched. It's a very easy job to bring a chair over, push up the window, get a leg over the sill and onto the toilet, duck through the window, reach over and unlock the door. I don't even have to bring my other leg through the window. Piece of cake. Takes less than a minute total.
Okay. Now we're ready.
I'm sitting out back this morning on a smoke break, finishing up a short story, when Projecto comes around the corner of the house. We make eye contact and Projecto makes a beeline over and starts talking. (paraphrasing), "The bathroom door is locked again." (pause) "I've pried up the window but I'm too big to climb through. (pause) "I've cleaned off the window sill." (long pause) "Maybe I can get C (our upstairs neighbor) to unlock it." (longer pause). My only response throughout this whole monologue is a noncommittal, "Hmmnh."
And then Projecto walks away, over to the bathroom window, kind of hovers in the general vicinity for half a minute or so and then goes back to the front of the building.
As soon as I hear a front door shut I pick up my chair, walk over to the bathroom, unlock the door, bring my chair back to the lawn and sit down to finish my smoke.
Sometimes I really enjoy being petty. I should probably work on that.
We have a neighbor, who we've nicknamed Projecto, who has definite boundary problems. Busybody, project starter, space encroacher, has this goal of renovating the entire complex and trying to get the neighbors to join in the work, etc. One lesson I've learned is to be very careful what I say and do during any conversation with Projecto. When Projecto starts going on about the latest thing any politeness, such as nodding, will be interpreted as agreement on my part that the project should be done. And then the project will get started half-assedly and never finished. And at some point I'll probably step in and attempt to clean up the mess. So whenever I'm in a conversation with Projecto I usually minimize my body language and say pretty much nothing. I'm getting quite good at it.
That's one bit of background.
There's a bathroom attached to the back of the garage under the neighbor's stairs. Small little room with a toilet and sink and window with the door opening on the driveway. It's nice to have around (well, we've used it once or twice in the three years we've been living here when our water was shut off for some work - but it was definitely nice then) and we keep the door unlocked. Or try to at any rate. There have been some problems with transients using the bathroom so periodically one of the neighbors will lock the door. And no one has the key. So we leave the window unlatched. It's a very easy job to bring a chair over, push up the window, get a leg over the sill and onto the toilet, duck through the window, reach over and unlock the door. I don't even have to bring my other leg through the window. Piece of cake. Takes less than a minute total.
Okay. Now we're ready.
I'm sitting out back this morning on a smoke break, finishing up a short story, when Projecto comes around the corner of the house. We make eye contact and Projecto makes a beeline over and starts talking. (paraphrasing), "The bathroom door is locked again." (pause) "I've pried up the window but I'm too big to climb through. (pause) "I've cleaned off the window sill." (long pause) "Maybe I can get C (our upstairs neighbor) to unlock it." (longer pause). My only response throughout this whole monologue is a noncommittal, "Hmmnh."
And then Projecto walks away, over to the bathroom window, kind of hovers in the general vicinity for half a minute or so and then goes back to the front of the building.
As soon as I hear a front door shut I pick up my chair, walk over to the bathroom, unlock the door, bring my chair back to the lawn and sit down to finish my smoke.
Sometimes I really enjoy being petty. I should probably work on that.
Friday, August 12, 2005
Good enough to make it on the netflix queue
You've got to be taught to hate and fear
You've got to be taught from year to year
It's got to be drummed in your dear little ear
You've got to be carefully taught
You've got to be taught to be afraid
Of people whose eyes are oddly made
And people whose skin is a different shade
You've got to be carefully taught
You've got to be taught before it's too late
Before you are six or seven or eight
To hate all the people your relatives hate
You've got to be carefully taught
You've got to be carefully taught
from South Pacific (Rodgers & Hammerstein - 1958)
* lyrics from here.
Firefly rebroadcast ratings
This falls under the category of "not enough numbers to attempt interpretation." It just is what it is.
SciFi run *:
Serenity, part 1 (07-22-05) - 1.6 million households
Serenity, part 2 (07-29-05) - 1.5 million households
The Train Job (08-05-05) - 1.4 million households
Original run **:
The Train Job (09-20-02) - 4.3 million households
Serenity (12-20-02) - 2.9 million households
* all ratings information from the SciFi rebroadcast run found at GateWorld.
** all ratings information from the original run of Firefly found at Matthew Wahoske's excellent resource, Nielsen Ratings for Firefly's First Season.
SciFi run *:
Serenity, part 1 (07-22-05) - 1.6 million households
Serenity, part 2 (07-29-05) - 1.5 million households
The Train Job (08-05-05) - 1.4 million households
Original run **:
The Train Job (09-20-02) - 4.3 million households
Serenity (12-20-02) - 2.9 million households
* all ratings information from the SciFi rebroadcast run found at GateWorld.
** all ratings information from the original run of Firefly found at Matthew Wahoske's excellent resource, Nielsen Ratings for Firefly's First Season.
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