lurkers-guide/ftp/GEnie/jms95-01-01

This file contains messages posted by J. Michael Straczynski on GEnie from
Jan 1 - Jan 15th, 1995.  Postings are copyright 1995 by J. Michael Straczynski
with compilation copyright by GEnie.

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Topic 1         Mon Oct 26, 1992
SF-MARSHALL [Dave ]          at 18:50 EST
Sub: Babylon 5 - The Series  (Non-Spoiler)

Welcome to the Babylon 5 General category.  This is the main topic for  the
hit SF series.  We discuss all general information on the series in this
topic.  Topic 2 is for SPOILERS!  DO NOT POST STORY IDEAS!

543 message(s) total.
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Category 18,  Topic 1
Message 261       Sun Jan 01, 1995
STRACZYNSKI [Joe]            at 19:17 EST

     Re: on-air stuff...honest to Kosh, folks, I'm not saying that to be
convinced otherwise, not trolling for rebuttals, my job here is to talk
straight with you.  Radio, I'm okay on; typing online, ditto.  But put me on
TeeVee, and it all goes straight to hell.  I'm convinced that every time I go
on, millions of little old lady fans of America's Most Wanted suddenly point
at the screen and start screaming, "THAT'S HIM!  THAT'S THE ONE!"

     These things should be left to professionals.

                                                                    jms
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Category 18,  Topic 1
Message 270       Sun Jan 01, 1995
STRACZYNSKI [Joe]            at 23:59 EST

     Re: the Tom Skerrit TZ episode of mine...ehhh...that was done when I was
on freelancer basis, and had no control to what happened to it after it was
turned in.  I'd written it with a moral point to the story -- that the father
was doing to the son what was done to *him* when he was a kid, being too
possessive, closing off the kid's world -- so that he would come to understand
that.

     This, to me, was the Twilight Zone.  Only after I turned it in, I
learned that Phil DeGuere (the exec producer) didn't *want* to do morality
tales because it was too Twilight Zone.  (Go ahead, explain *that* one to me.)
So they yanked out the whole *point* of the damned story, which left the rest
toothless and without point, just an excercise in wish fulfillment for the
characters.

                                                                 jms
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Category 18,  Topic 1
Message 289       Mon Jan 02, 1995
STRACZYNSKI [Joe]            at 20:59 EST

     Which "incomplete images?"  Haven't noticed any so far.

     The TV camera is different than a live audience; the camera either loves
you, or hates you.  Cameras generally despise me, but they *love* Harlan.  Go
figure.

     BTW, Bruce Boxleitner married Melissa Gilbert on New Year's Day.

                                                               jms
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Category 18,  Topic 1
Message 303       Tue Jan 03, 1995
STRACZYNSKI [Joe]            at 03:44 EST

     The shows done on my watch are generally referred to as TZ3, yes, and
Christy's is among them.

                                                                 jms
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Category 18,  Topic 1
Message 321       Wed Jan 04, 1995
STRACZYNSKI [Joe]            at 00:09 EST

     Actually, when I saw the CNN spot, it mentioned among his credits "are
Scarecrow & Mrs. King, and Babylon 5."

     We don't generally get ratings reports broken down by competing shows,
since it varies from town to town.

     I was story editor on TZ3, and wrote about 11 of the episodes.

                                                      jms
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Category 18,  Topic 1
Message 332       Wed Jan 04, 1995
STRACZYNSKI [Joe]            at 18:45 EST

     BTW, and just for the heck of it...the line about paying off karma at an
accellerated rate is something Kathryn has been muttering for ages; I popped
it into the script for fun.

                                                                    jms
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Category 18,  Topic 1
Message 348       Thu Jan 05, 1995
STRACZYNSKI [Joe]            at 01:35 EST

     Messages 345 and 346 above are both correct answers to the queries posted
here.

                                                            jms
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Category 18,  Topic 1
Message 386       Sat Jan 07, 1995
STRACZYNSKI [Joe]            at 03:00 EST

     So far, nobody's said boo to us from any agency that means a damn.   A
couple of watchdog organizations last year put us into the "most violent shows
on TV" top-ten, along with (get this) DS9 and Brisco County, but that's it.

     I would deep-six the show or walk off it if any pressure group tried to
change what we are, with official backing.  You cannot make with timidity a
show about courage.  I have no idea if it'll ever happen or not; I would hope
not.  On one level, if it does, it'll elevate our visibility and our ratings.
So hey, let 'em come.  And if the horse should be shot out from under us, be
assured that we will go down fighting tooth and nail.  There are only a very
few things in life that genuinely frighten me, and looking for a new job isn't
one of them.

                                                                    jms
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Category 18,  Topic 1
Message 406       Sat Jan 07, 1995
STRACZYNSKI [Joe]            at 21:00 EST

     I do seem to recall that at some point there were discussions between
Harlan and the ST team about a City sequel, and an arc for DS9.  What Harlan
pitched had scope, and sweep, and action, and would probably have caused quite
a stir.  And the response from B&P was to go *hmmm* and to go *hrrmmm* a lot,
and wonder if this or that part could be toned down a bit, and finally the
idea just sank beneath the waves.  Harlan once described for me, in detail,
the opening teaser of what he planned for a TNG episode...and it would've
caused the hairs on the back of your neck to stand up.  A *really* good Picard
story.

     Re: winning/losing battles...on the Harry Chapin collection double CD
set, there are some interview snippets with Harry.  In one of them, he tells
this story (which I'm going to try and replicate from memory as well as I
can).  "My father always used to tell me, Harry, there's good days, and
there's bad days.  A bad day can be a day when you *won*...but you fought
other people's battles, lived other people's agendas, and at the end of the
day, there was really very little of *you* in there, and when you hit the hay,
you toss and turn, you don't settle easy.

     "A *good* day, ironically enough, can be a day when you *lost*.  But you
don't even have to say it, because you know you lived your life,  fought your
battles, dreamed your dreams.  And when you hit the hay at night, you can
sleep the sleep of the just and say 'Take me away.'"

                                                                    jms
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Category 18,  Topic 1
Message 418       Sun Jan 08, 1995
STRACZYNSKI [Joe]            at 04:43 EST

     What's funny is that a number of Trek fans who put down B5 did so on the
basis that we used CGI, which Trek would NEVER do (and B&P reinforced this
notion in their statements).  Except of course now they ARE going to
CGI...which in some ways levels the playing field.

     (Saw this on Internet a few minutes ago...don't hurt me, I'm just the
messenger, thought it was funny..."What's the difference between a Trekkie and
a Trekker?  Trekkers like B5.")

     Seen on a local BBS echo: "B5 IN 95!"

                                                             jms
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Category 18,  Topic 1
Message 443       Sun Jan 08, 1995
STRACZYNSKI [Joe]            at 22:38 EST

     Yeah, Newt Gingrich, a man who as soon as he made it big dumped his wife,
even though she had cancer...that's really somebody I want teaching me about
family values....

                                                                    jms
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Category 18,  Topic 1
Message 463       Tue Jan 10, 1995
STRACZYNSKI [Joe]            at 00:25 EST

     The thing to do when you see a shirt with "Today's Score: Deep Space 9,
Babylon 5," is to respond with, "Oh, I see you're a golf fan too."

                                                                jms
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Category 18,  Topic 1
Message 467       Tue Jan 10, 1995
STRACZYNSKI [Joe]            at 04:12 EST

     I'm told it's hitting the stands this week.  Some places have already got
it.

     Well, turned in the first formal draft today of "In the Shadow of
Z'ha'dum," which means there are now only five scripts remaining to be
written.  These will pretty much all be jms scripts, since the continuity on
the last five-six episodes is going to be *very* tight.  There's an awful lot
of terrain to cover in those episodes, and we really have to start cranking
things.

     It's weird to be able to look down just a ways and already be able to see
the end of the second season when we haven't even aired episode seven yet.

                                                                 jms
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Category 18,  Topic 1
Message 485       Tue Jan 10, 1995
STRACZYNSKI [Joe]            at 23:23 EST

     Well, actually, there are various forms of "turning in a script."   First
I turn in a First Draft, which is only circulated amongst the upper tier
production staff (me, Doug, John, usually Larry, Warners, and if it has lots
of EFX, prosthetics or wardrobe, the head of whichever department is gonna get
whapped).  Out of 17 scripts to date, we have only gotten notes from Warners
on 3, all in the very first batch of episodes, mainly in terms of urging
clarity for new viewers.  Nothing since.  Nonetheless, it's pro forma to send
it along at that early stage just in case.

     Shortly thereafter, I turn in my Final Draft (the second draft in
sequence).  Usually, there's little or no difference between the First and the
Final Draft (at least on this show)...the only real distinction is that this
is the one that gets circulated to all cast, crew, support and production
staff, and casting.

     "Z'ha'dum" has only been seen by a few people at this early stage, but
folks like it.  The big one, though, is really "And Now for a Word," which has
gotten more responses from crew, cast and others than any other script to
date.  From top to bottom, everyone is absolutely excited about it.  It's
going to be a very challenging shoot, but the result, I think, will be worth
it.

                                                                    jms
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Category 18,  Topic 1
Message 512       Fri Jan 13, 1995
STRACZYNSKI [Joe]            at 01:05 EST

     Richard Biggs will be at a convention this weekend in South Bend, though
only on Sunday (it's a creation con, I believe).

     Meanwhile, it looks like there's going to be a big convention in Chicago
come June with Michael O'Hare, Mira Furlan, Bill Mumy and me in addition to
the aforementioned Richard Biggs.

                                                                 jms
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Category 18,  Topic 1
Message 522       Fri Jan 13, 1995
STRACZYNSKI [Joe]            at 21:03 EST

     It's June 24th/25th, the Science Fiction Expo.  More than that I don't
yet know at this time.

                                                                  jms
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Topic 2         Wed Nov 20, 1991
STARR [Arne]                 at 19:41 EST
Sub: Babylon 5 -- The Series!! >>SPOILERS<<

Babylon 5 is moving into a second season of 22 episodes.  This series can be
seen at 8 Pm on Wednesdays, in most areas.  This topic is for SPOILERS only.
Just remember our NO STORY IDEAS rule and we'll let you live. <g>

406 message(s) total.
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Category 18,  Topic 2
Message 337       Sun Jan 08, 1995
STRACZYNSKI [Joe]            at 04:49 EST

     Re: G'Kar...the politial assessment is more or less correct.  The Narn
idea of an ambassador isn't just someone who SPEAKS for his people, he
REPRESENTS his people on every level. (So the strain and pressure is quite
great.)  As such, he is the highest-ranking representative on B5; he is
responsible for taking care of the ceremonies of G'Quon, was appointed by the
Kha'Ri, and can only be removed by the Kha'Ri, or by direct physical
challenge.

                                                               jms
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Category 18,  Topic 2
Message 352       Mon Jan 09, 1995
STRACZYNSKI [Joe]            at 05:00 EST

     Boy oh boy oh boy are YOU guys gonna love the next few new episodes
(given the last ten messags or so).

     Decisions by G'Kar are only binding on Narns living at or visiting B5.

     And yes, please continue to remember Franklin's little downbelow clinic
for a while....

                                                                  jms
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Category 18,  Topic 2
Message 388       Fri Jan 13, 1995
STRACZYNSKI [Joe]            at 01:02 EST

     So, Bill, are you saying the coffee is not what it seems?

     Next you'll be dragging those damned owls into this....

                                                               jms
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Topic 4         Tue Nov 03, 1992
STRACZYNSKI [Joe]            at 03:12 EST
Sub: Babylon 5 - Cast & Characters      

For discussion of the actors who will be bringing BABYLON 5 to life with their
performances...for information before, and discussion after the airing of "The
Gathering" pilot.
296 message(s) total.
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Category 18,  Topic 4
Message 266       Sat Jan 07, 1995
STRACZYNSKI [Joe]            at 03:02 EST

     We've spoken to Mark, and he even came by the studio to visit.  (We
actually had a 3-way interpersonal crossover when Walter Koenig stopped by at
the same time; we had Star Trek, Star Wars and Babylon 5 main guys in the same
room at the same time.)  It's something we'd like to do one of these days.

                                                                jms
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Topic 10        Thu Nov 12, 1992
SANDMAN [Henry]              at 19:25 EST
Sub: Sex in Babylon 5                   

Can't do without this one!!


437 message(s) total.
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Category 18,  Topic 10
Message 435       Thu Jan 12, 1995
STRACZYNSKI [Joe]            at 00:22 EST

     Fair Use is also determined by volume of quote or re-use vs. volume of
original material.  Quoting 30 lines from a novel or reference book may not be
a problem; quoting 30 lines of a song *is* a problem, since that's probably
the entire song.

                                                               jms
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Topic 11        Sat Nov 14, 1992
J.SHEEN1 [Leviathan]         at 18:09 EST
Sub: B5 Adrift!                         

 BABYLON 5 Topic Drift
 If you feel like talking about it, but it doesn't fit anywhere else... If its
only connection to B-5 is that you thought of it in this CAT...
 This is where to come and get it out.
403 message(s) total.
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Category 18,  Topic 11
Message 368       Thu Jan 05, 1995
STRACZYNSKI [Joe]            at 22:56 EST

     The 5 was specifically designed by John Iacovelli; the purpose, though
we've rarely ever used it, was to create a moving number with the two parts
interlocking...the round o part of the 5 swings around, and stops when the L
shaped top of the 5 drops into position, locking it into place.

                                                                   jms
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Topic 12        Wed Nov 18, 1992
B.WIST [Brad]                at 18:12 EST
Sub: Babylon 5 Sightings                

Post here when you've spotted Babylon 5, whether it be on Television,
Magazine, or somewhere else.  Let us know where we can find it/see it, too.
220 message(s) total.
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Category 18,  Topic 12
Message 219       Tue Jan 03, 1995
STRACZYNSKI [Joe]            at 01:27 EST

     The Washington Post TV insert will have a piece on  Bruce and B5 either
this week (just having come out), or next week.

                                                             jms
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Topic 13        Mon Nov 23, 1992
T.ORTH [Mr. Rico]            at 21:00 EST
Sub: Babylon 5 - Science & Technology   

Jump gates, nanotech, high-tech weapons, starship drives, sound in space, and
other subjects of science and technology in Babylon 5.
398 message(s) total.
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Category 18,  Topic 13
Message 344       Tue Jan 03, 1995
STRACZYNSKI [Joe]            at 01:25 EST

     I know I'm going to regret asking this, because I know I'm not going to
understand the question, and I'm just going to get confused and fall down,
but...what's the difference between a Unified Field Theory and a Complete
Unified Field Theory?

                                                                jms
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Category 18,  Topic 13
Message 370       Sun Jan 08, 1995
STRACZYNSKI [Joe]            at 04:52 EST

     What kind of BB?  Wanted a BB gun once, but my family said I'd put my eye
out.  But they also said that when I wanted a cat.

     "Does anybody really know what time it is?  Does anybody really care?"

                                           jm(head go thunk)s
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Category 18,  Topic 13
Message 376       Sun Jan 08, 1995
STRACZYNSKI [Joe]            at 22:42 EST

      ...never an anvil around when you really need one....

                                                              jms
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Category 18,  Topic 13
Message 384       Mon Jan 09, 1995
STRACZYNSKI [Joe]            at 16:53 EST

     Mostly, yeah; fortunately, most of them were fairly common CDs, and easy
to replace.  (Oddly a lot of them were Beatles disks.)  The more rare ones
were deep down in the pile and thus protected.

                                                                     jms
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Category 18,  Topic 13
Message 388       Tue Jan 10, 1995
STRACZYNSKI [Joe]            at 04:16 EST

     I hate it when you do that....

                                                           jms
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Topic 17        Tue Jan 19, 1993
C.STOBBE [Colin]             at 21:02 EST
Sub: Babylon 5 - Merchandising          

A place to discuss all the neat Babylon 5 merchandising coming out (hopefully)
soon
342 message(s) total.
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Category 18,  Topic 17
Message 329       Wed Jan 11, 1995
STRACZYNSKI [Joe]            at 03:44 EST

     Absolute misinformation.

                                                               jms
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Category 18,  Topic 17
Message 332       Fri Jan 13, 1995
STRACZYNSKI [Joe]            at 05:25 EST

      We're close to closing a deal for a B5 screensaver package, with
wallpaper, slide shows, wav and video files.  Will advise.

                                                                jms
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Topic 31        Sat Jul 09, 1994
STRACZYNSKI [Joe]            at 20:23 EDT
Sub: Really Stupid Questions from JMS   

Every so often, I need Information.  (You won't get it!)  Technical stuff,
research or reference stuff...and given the brain trust here, I figured this
could be a useful resource from time to time.  With appreciation.
206 message(s) total.
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Category 18,  Topic 31
Message 180       Sun Jan 01, 1995
STRACZYNSKI [Joe]            at 19:20 EST

      How does one change the DMA address of a sound card?

                                                                 jms
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Category 18,  Topic 31
Message 189       Mon Jan 02, 1995
STRACZYNSKI [Joe]            at 00:03 EST

     The card, as I recall, is a Pro Audio Spectrum.

                                                                jms
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Category 18,  Topic 31
Message 196       Mon Jan 02, 1995
STRACZYNSKI [Joe]            at 21:04 EST

     Leningrad Cowboys on January 7th?  That's the one!  Folks...listen to
me...I *know* it's gonna weird you out, but you gotta check out this movie.

                                                                   jms
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Topic 36        Wed Nov 02, 1994
BOB-WALKER [P12+]            at 22:13 EST
Sub: Babylon 5 Trivia Questions         

Help contribute questions to a B5 trivia game.  Our goal is to get 300
questions for each season.  We need easy, medium, hard and killer questions in
both True/False and Multiple Guess formats.
63 message(s) total.
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Category 18,  Topic 36
Message 45        Thu Jan 05, 1995
STRACZYNSKI [Joe]            at 23:08 EST

     But on the other hand, I know many jews who are very upset when a member
of their family becomes an atheist; they say you can't be a jew and an
atheist, and that no matter what their belief system, they remain jews.  I
think there is a mix here; on the one hand, anyone can convert to Judaism,
from any ethnic background.  But certainly in the various judao-christian
scriptures there are the tribes of Israel, and rules that were set aside for
the jewish people to follow, that even Moses made the distinction between his
people and the Egyptians.  Perhaps the problem is in the use of the word
itself; is one a jew, or is one an Israelite?  One can be an Arab, or a
Palistinian, defined by location; on one level, the notion of being jewish is
without borders; so maybe Isrealite is the more technically correct term to
use in distinguishing between ethnic background and religious belief.

     Ethnic language gets misused a lot.  One of the things that makes me nuts
is when I see newsmagazines like TIME talking about "anglo" as a term for
caucasians, meaning white.  I'm sorry, but I'm not an anglo; that refers to a
very specific part of the world, as in anglo-saxon; my people come from
eastern europe.  To call all caucasians "anglo" is, to me, as offensive as
calling all hispanic people puerto ricans.  Anglo first popped up as a
derogatory term, and became legitimized.  I think one can say caucasian
(though that tends to have more european resonance, because of the mountainous
region to which it refers), white, Eastern European, or come up with some new
term.  But anglo just doesn't cut it.

                                                                    jms
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Topic 37        Sat Nov 12, 1994
DUNEWALKER                   at 00:25 EST
Sub: Questions, answers and/or speculations

General questions, and answers or speculations concerning plots and sub-plots
of Babylon 5.
22 message(s) total.
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Category 18,  Topic 37
Message 19        Sun Jan 08, 1995
STRACZYNSKI [Joe]            at 22:43 EST

     I don't believe the wire-frame is B5; I think it's an analysis of a ship
docking at that moment.

                                                                   jms
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Topic 38        Mon Dec 05, 1994
K.BURNFIELD [KB]             at 18:05 EST
Sub: Babylon 5 - The Comic Book         

Starting in Dec. 1994, DC comics will present its comic book based in the
universe of J. Michael Straczynski's television series.
20 message(s) total.
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Category 18,  Topic 38
Message 19        Sat Jan 14, 1995
STRACZYNSKI [Joe]            at 01:51 EST

      Between "Revelations" and "Geometry."

                                                                jms

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