And so on...

I had another rather uneventful day on Friday.

I got up with Jeff and fixed his breakfast (so nice of me, don't you think?), then ate my own. I did a bit of cleaning, and reading and research. I did a follow-up call to Jo-Ann's, but had to leave a message and can only hope they'll call me back. I called a few other places, and have appointments to go in next week. I went to the store to buy some groceries. Such was the excitement of DSFGE Day 5.

On the plus side, I made pizza from scratch, and also chocolate chip cookies. Danny called to chat for a few minutes (and shared some humorous tidbits about the latest adventurous episode in the world of ICBM test flights), and Christina called a while after that.

Sci Fi Friday was a bit disappointing tonight. We've added a fourth show to our repertoire, so now we have:
John Doe: Hokey but engaging. Dominic Purcell is unconventionally handsome, and acts in such a way as to be interesting and sympathetic, despite the unbelievable character he's called to portray. I don't hate any of the supporting actors, so it's okay.
Stargate SG-1: They're trying to keep it interesting by adding new characters, as well as resurrecting old plotlines to keep a feeling of continuity, but I haven't really loved any of the recent episodes. Feeling a bit stilted, really. Last night's episode didn't grip me, but I did like how it illustrated (perhaps a bit too patly) the various personalities on SG-1. Daniel Jackson as an intellectual was convinced that a peaceful solution could be negotiated, whereas Cameron Mitchell was clearly the shoot-first-and-ask-questions-later kind of guy; Sam provided technical problem solving. Perhaps the series will regain its energy when Claudia Black rejoins the cast next season. It seems that Richard Dean Anderson is not coming back, so we've got to look to others to keep the spark going.
Stargate Atlantis: Okay, most of the time, I like a good political drama, but I don't want my Sci Fi Friday entertainment to be TOO political. I think too much as it is. When I watch television, I want my brain to be lulled into gentle beta-brainwave patterns. This episode ("The Tower") kind of riled me up, so it wasn't good for me. Watching this episode helped my realize and understand some things that I didn't initially agree with, in Dante's De Monarchia. I wouldn't say I totally agree with Dante anyway, but I can see where his views would work. Acknowledging this would work in a dramatic sense, fueling a setup for confrontation of contrasting yet valid idealogies. This is what Stargate Atlantis failed to see as a legitimate part of the plot--monarchy and feudalism as a possibly good system of government; they dismissed its possibilities out of hand, without stopping to consider. As a child, I objected to feudalism on general principle; as I grew older, I saw how it worked, but wasn't convinced that its benefits would outweigh its perils. Now that I'm very old (okay, 28), I have a low enough view of all systems of government (seeing as how they are made up of people, of whom I have a very low view) to consider the strengths of a feudalism. Okay, well, 99% of my blog readers have now checked out, so I'll just go on to the next thing.
Battlestar Galactica: All right, I respect the writing, acting, directing, and producing talent on this show. They almost always manage to put out a good product, that is dramatically consistent, engaging, and fast-paced. This episode ("Scar"), however, didn't grab me at all. I was pleased that they're finally resurrecting the subplot involving the human survivors back on Caprica, since there are a lot of possibilities there, but the whole flashback/flashforward structure is getting old, AND is an arty one that must be handled with care; they did it better a few weeks ago with "Resurrection Ship (2)". I felt like the overall narrative of the season took a hit, since we didn't see Roslin, Baltar, etc., at all, and we only saw key players like Adama in bit roles. The viper pilots took center stage, struggling to take down a dangerous Cylon raider, and I found that I didn't much care about the outcome. It's nice that the writers are finally letting Starbuck work through her inner demons, but some of us are getting tired of wondering if Starbuck and Apollo are ever going to actually get it on. It's not like their morality would prevent them, or anything. Oh, yes, and the ending was corny. So, anyway, here's to a more gripping BSG next week!

[I was writing this last night, but someone who shall remain nameless, but it wasn't me or the cats, turned off the server, so I couldn't post it.]