Subject: ATTN JMS: Permission to Use B5 Date: 9 May 1995 01:20:23 -0400 Alas, for contractual reasons, all that stuff has to go through Warner Bros.,and I suspect they'd turn it down. jms Subject: ATTN JMS: ANFaW "Cold Equation Date: 9 May 1995 01:28:54 -0400 I don't see *any* similarity whatsoever. "Cold Equations" was most definitely NOT about a "teenager who accidentally 'spaces' himself." For starters it was a girl, but MOST important, in "Cold Equations," it was a deliberate *choice* to walk out the airlock. The whole premise of the story is that the young girl stows away on a ship bringing vaccine to a colony world. Only other person on the ship is the pilot. The ship is stripped down for speed; there's only enough fuel for the pilot, the ship, and the landing. If she stays, the ship will run out of fuel on or just before re-entry, they'll die and the colonists will die. If the pilot sacrifices himself, she can't land the ship on her own, same result. So she must make the conscious decision to sacrifice herself to save the others, because you can't argue with math. That is absolutely different from somebody screwing around and accidentally getting blown out an airlock. jms Subject: ATTN: JMS: Has the Arc Changed Date: 10 May 1995 00:37:04 -0400 Actually, no, believe or not the arc really hasn't changed much; it's gotten filled out a bit in places, but the direction hasn't altered. I had always had kind of a (?) in the thing as to how to transition clearly from Sinclair to the Shadows, because I needed some way to connect the stories, but having Sinclair have a hook to the shadows just strained credulity past the breaking point. Gradually I figured out a way to do that, and that (?) was filled. Other than that, no; it's going where it was always going. jms Subject: SPACE BATTLES (some spoilers)( Date: 10 May 1995 00:37:23 -0400 Actually, all sides in battle use ECM (Electronic Counter Measures) to throw off the targeting systems on the "enemy" vessels. But usually it only takes a couple of quick firings to compensate (which is what we've done). jms Subject: Harlan Ellison on TV Tonight Date: 10 May 1995 00:47:18 -0400 B5 conceptual consultant Harlan Ellison will be on Politically Incorrect tonight at 11 pst, check your local listings for local times. jms Subject: Why Is Babylon 5 So Bad? Date: 10 May 1995 04:19:15 -0400 Dear S.S. (an appropriate acronym, assuming this is indeed your real name) ...there is a quote about books which applies just about as well to televsion. I pass it on to you as the sole reasonable reply to your missive. "A book is like a mirror. If an ass peers in, you can't exactly expect an apostle to peer out." jms Subject: To JMS: Stop the Conspiracy St Date: 10 May 1995 05:04:16 -0400 Short answer: No. Medium answer, from Rod Serling, when a device he created for a fictional story (a bomb wired to a plane set to detonate when the plane dropped below a given altitude) ended up being used in real life: "A writer cannot be held accountable for the pathology of fools." Long answer.... Fiction ain't the problem. To say that it is "immoral" for SF writers to tell stories about government conspiracies is not only contrary to the very nature of fiction and SF in particular, it also misses the point by a thousand miles. It isn't that folks in the backwoods have been watching TV shows or reading novels about fictional government conspiracies...it's that some folks have been making "documentaries" and writing tracts that are supposed to be THE TRUTH about what's going on. It isn't fiction that's the problem...it's G. Gordon Liddy telling people that if they're going to shoot at ATF officers they ought to aim at the head because they wear flak jackets...it's Jesse Helms who told the press that if Clinton ever came to his state the Pres better bring a bodyguard with him...it's Rush Limbaugh and his other ilk who for years have been making the distinction between Liberals and Americans...it's fanatical elements within the Religious Right who feel the need to create vast government conspiracies that say the government is going to come and stamp the Number of the Beast on their forehead any moment now.... A climate of fear and paranoia and disloyalty for the crime of disagreement has been created and fostered by those who have most to gain from it. And now they are trying to run from what they have done. It ain't TV shows about stuff happening in the far future. I don't think anyone out there watching B5 has any belief whatsoever that this stuff is real, and present, and can be responded to. If there are one or two lunatics who might possibly read something into it, they could do so to ANY program, regardless of content. People have committed crimes and murder and gone insane because of things in the Bible...should we therefore ban the Bible? One recent movie-goer was killed because he got the last bag of popcorn at a movie theater, and another patron was pissed off about it. Should we ban popcorn? There's nothing you can do that someone won't read something into. Should we destroy all storytelling out of the fear that somewhere, someone MIGHT be provoked by it? You can't live in fear. Your concern obviously grows out of the Oklahoma situation, but this has no bearing upon that whatsoever. The problem is poverty, and ignorance, and political rhetoric, and manipulation in the real world, not the fictional one. A TV writer can turn an audience against a killer, a stalker, a criminal. It takes a politician to turn us against ourselves. jms Subject: Garabaldi's Eyes??! Date: 11 May 1995 01:09:21 -0400 (sigh) Our rotoscope EFX guy was waiting for a bunch of PPG EFX to finish rendering in that battle scene, and was bored, and like many such EFX types, filled in the eyes of Garibaldi with weird stuff while waiting around. When the other scene finished rendering, he got out, believing that he had not saved that one frame. Unknowingly, he had. Nobody caught it until after broadcast. We talked. jms Subject: Re: In the Shadows of Z'Ha'Dum Date: 11 May 1995 16:23:01 -0400 When Delenn underwent the chrysalis, it modified the epidermal layer at the back of the head, making it somewhat smaller, more human; this left a gap between the bone (which grows out from the temples and joins at the back, like antlers in reverse), and the hair comes through this gap. jms Subject: New Vegas Date: 11 May 1995 16:24:48 -0400 New Vegas is on Mars. jms Subject: JMS! WWII/Za'ha'Dum Question Date: 11 May 1995 16:25:57 -0400 Correct; Delenn and Kosh have said nothing about G'Kar's claims because they're trying to keep a low profile. jms Subject: JMS: Delenn's Hair??? Date: 12 May 1995 01:38:34 -0400 I had her hair changed. I felt it was starting to make her look VERY severe, and arch. I much prefer the new version. jms Subject: ATTN JMS: Taking No Prisoners, Date: 12 May 1995 01:38:44 -0400 Thanks. Certainly the last 4-5 episodes of the season are totally uncompromising and unflinching. Very tough stuff in places. But that's kinda the fun. jms Subject: From jms re: Internet Gateway Date: 17 May 1995 22:22:21 -0400 To those who've inquired: my regular GEnie internet gateway is down and has been for the last several days. This happens periodically, for whatever bizarre reason. I can still get private email, but not the usenet. It generally comes back up again in a bit. jms Subject: Good writing Bad writing in Za Date: 17 May 1995 18:24:31 -0400 Except, of course, that Earth identicards use genetic fingerprints, which they have access to, and the idea that the ID is forged or a fraud could be dispensed with in, oh, about ten seconds by just checking his DNA against the file. jms Subject: Enough of this "B5 is this and Date: 18 May 1995 01:09:56 -0400 What I find fascinating in this whole discussion is that, whenever a novel comes out, people don't generally go through page by page and say, s"Oh, I think Niven was ripping off/drawing from "Lensman" when he did this part." They generally only do this to TV people...because it's assumed that TV people don't have an original idea in their head, and can ony (only) borrow from other people. Though I may sometimes nod to one or another landmark of SF, I'm not doing the Prisoner, Lord of the Rings, Childhood's End, MacBeth, the Illiad, The Mountains of Madness, or any of the thirty other works that I'm supposed to be doing, all mutually contradictory. I'm telling this story, my story, and though it's nice to be compared to such other works, it does become bothersome after a while when everybody tries to pin down which work I'm supposed to be "doing" when they NEVER do this to novelists, because this is TV. C'mon, people, I've written published novels, and short stories, and plays, and radio dramas, and I *do* have a brain in my head to maybe make up something on my own, y'know. (And yes, my server is back up again, though I think it doesn't have anything from the days in which I wasn't online, and just picked up from today.) jms Subject: Attn JMS: a few background que Date: 18 May 1995 02:42:29 -0400 Security personnel are part or EA, but primarily hired by and work for B5. Garibaldi is part of Earthforce proper, and is ranked a Chief Warrant Officer, correct. And the Narns did help us during our last war. jms Subject: Vir's Comments: ItSoZ Spoilers Date: 18 May 1995 02:42:59 -0400 Then again, there's always the character of God's Fool, who wanders in and out of the most dangerous situations, is reckless with his life, yet in the end is the only one to survive. Just a thought.... jms Subject: JMS: You kids are warped, you Date: 18 May 1995 02:43:17 -0400 Yeah, the air freshener was a cool touch.... jms Subject: Shadows must be incompetent! ( Date: 18 May 1995 02:43:34 -0400 The shadows are only incompetent if there is not a reason why they have not chosen to pass beyond the rim. There is. And they *are* currently playing it slow and patient; they *have* learned. jms Subject: ATTN JMS: Worldcon in August Date: 18 May 1995 02:42:44 -0400 At this point, no, no one from B5 is slated for Worldcon or Nasfic. jms Subject: ATTN: JMS - Anna *Sheridan*? Date: 18 May 1995 02:44:04 -0400 Anna chose to take Sheridan's last name. Her decision. You have the option. Some do, some don't. If you start to pass rules that no woman CAN take her husband's name or she's betraying something, then you're being just as restrictive as those who insist a woman MUST take her husband's name. Me, I'm pro-choice on every level. She felt like it. (And I note that my own spousal overunit kept her own name. But then, who in her right mind WOULD take Straczynski...?) jms Subject: ATTN JMS: Official... or not! Date: 18 May 1995 19:33:21 -0400 Unless they're dealing with the Dell books, no, this Starbooks thing definitely ain't legit. jms Subject: ATTN: JMS, The Word ZaHaDum. S Date: 18 May 1995 19:31:26 -0400 A very good analysis of the name. And no rest, as we're still in post production, and hopefully gearing up soon. (Well, a little rest.) jms Subject: ATTN JMS: Foul Balls in "KNIVE Date: 18 May 1995 20:53:11 -0400 Actually, Sheridan WAS hitting fair and home run balls in the front of the show; later, though, when he was more rattled, they were all foul. jms Subject: ATTN:JMS--Thanks for Vir Date: 18 May 1995 20:52:51 -0400 Thanks. I like Vir a lot. Many folks were willing to write him off in the beginning, not understanding that there was more beneath the surface (a problem Vir has also had in his "life"). But you gotta be careful; characters have a way of surprising you. And I like that, and intended that, Vir be the first one to stand up to Morden. jms Subject: JMS: Icarus Problems Date: 18 May 1995 20:57:43 -0400 The Icarus is a zero-g interior vessel while in spaceflight; the crew just has to deal with it. It piggy-backs on larger, jump capable ships, making arrangements for pickup after X-days or weeks with the same or another ship. jms Subject: JMS: Icarus name connection in Date: 18 May 1995 20:58:02 -0400 No, I picked Icarus because I was up to I in the Name Dictionary. Yes, unless I've been unknowingly receiving spirit messages, table tappings or divine revelation, it was an intentional connection. jms Subject: I hate this damn Greek dichoto Date: 18 May 1995 20:54:27 -0400 Of course, you're assuming the shadows are evil sui generis. May not be that simple. jms Subject: Congratulations to JMS! (Was R Date: 18 May 1995 21:13:07 -0400 Let me clarify this. We have not -- NOT -- been officially renewed, nor is PTEN looking for money. Every year, the two parts of PTEN (the stations, and Warner Bros.) engage in negotiations over that year, in terms of deal points, commercial times available to sell, number of runs per week and other areas. They have indicated to us that they would like the PTEN shows to continue, but that is all contingent upon both sides working out their differences on deal stuff. That is where we stand at this moment. It's taking a while for them to nail all this stuff down. jms Subject: JMS : CGi in "And Now For a Wo Date: 18 May 1995 21:13:33 -0400 "Whoever thought up the idea of *security cams* for FX shots...." That's how it was scripted. jms Subject: Left hand? Date: 18 May 1995 21:13:50 -0400 I'm right-handed. Most of our cast are lefties. Who knows why...? jms Subject: JMS: What rastB5 means to me.. Date: 18 May 1995 21:14:04 -0400 That's wonderful, and I appreciate seeing it. It's been fun here, too, all things considered. jms Subject: JMS: Now you did it!!! Date: 18 May 1995 21:14:21 -0400 The balance of season two eps will show up in reruns between the end of May and the next batch/last batch of year two eps...which I've learned will be held until *OCTOBER* to (in theory) help folks get a running start on year three (still awaiting final word). Also, WB is concerned about running year one reruns because it might confuse people to see a different CO running the place. (I just report the news, I don't make it.) jms Subject: One question answered, anyway Date: 18 May 1995 21:28:24 -0400 Again, look at the Kosh/Morden scene in "Signs." A light is suddenly blown out off to one side. Morden didn't move. So who did it...but his constant companions? jms Subject: What happened to Harlan's voic Date: 18 May 1995 21:28:40 -0400 All the voiceovers on PTEN shows were dropped this season, us, Kung Fu, and Pointman. Corporate decision. jms Subject: why ask the question at all? Date: 18 May 1995 21:29:15 -0400 Because the story's not just about causing conflict. jms Subject: The one problem my gf has with Date: 19 May 1995 01:58:46 -0400 Your girlfriend is a yak? This seems very strange to me. But if it makes you happy.... jms Subject: ATTN JMS: References Date: 19 May 1995 02:05:43 -0400 Securecam is NOT a reference to Max Headroom. It is a work formed out of Security and Camera, which is the function of the ones mounted on the station, as Maintcam goes on the maintainance bots. The Psi Corps line in the commercial is not a reference to Paranoia. Not everything in this show is a reference to some other show. We do have some interest in doing our *own* story, rather than nodding to every series on the face of the planet, and not all concepts started in the other shows that used them. jms Subject: Attn JMS Who do we write about Date: 19 May 1995 02:06:01 -0400 Airing schedule decisions are made by Warner Bros. jms Subject: ATTN JMS: Neurotic Question Date: 19 May 1995 02:06:15 -0400 He said stop because Zack had found the right wavelength (at least briefly) and didn't want him to go further and lose it again. jms Subject: This is going too far Date: 19 May 1995 02:05:27 -0400 Then again, you are assuming that you are being told the truth about the bothersome phone call. I'm not saying it *ain't* true, or that it is, only that I've seen this gag pulled before, where somebody comes in, posts a message that gets an argument going, gets ganged up on, and then says he or she is being "threatened" or intimidated in some way, in order to play the victim (and also win an unwinnable argument) and get people on his/her side. In all the years I've been on the nets, I haven't encountered one real case of this, and given the nature of discussion on this forum, there have been *real major* flamewars which cause this one to pale into insignificance, and if THOSE didn't provoke such calls, I don't see why this one would, all of a sudden. jms Subject: Re: JMS says PTEN wants to del Date: 19 May 1995 02:19:07 -0400 There are NO "production time restraints" involved in delaying the last 4 episodes until October, which can be easily verified by the fact that we'll be delivering all the finished episodes in time for the UK to air these same last 4 episodes in June/July. They'll just sit on a shelf here in the US until October. jms Subject: ATTN JMS: Season 2 Delay/18 we Date: 19 May 1995 02:19:20 -0400 Warners is reluctant to rerun season one episodes because they're afraid of confusing the audience with a different CO on B5. jms Subject: ATTN JMS: When Will He Put It Date: 19 May 1995 02:25:59 -0400 Remember, we the audience have information withheld from Sheridan. But he'll have it all pretty much together by season's end. jms Subject: Notes from jms Date: 19 May 1995 04:04:44 -0400 Some quickies.... 1) Claudia Christian, Bill Mumy and I will be appearing (on various days/times) at the Creation MegaShow to be held at the Anaheim Convention Center, in California, May 27-28. I don't know when they'll be up, but I'm slated for Sunday. (Plus Mark Hammil, Stan Lee and some Voyager folks.) 2) Parents with small kids who watch B5 may want to consider screening the next episode, "Confessions and Lamentations," first, in order to determine how to talk to your kids about it. It's a *very* intense episode and uncompromising. 3) Yes, as discussed elsewhere here, Warners has scheduled the last four episodes of this season to run in October, to build momentum toward what (we hope) will be the season three debut, though no official word has yet been given on year three. jms Subject: More "Old Friends?" Date: 20 May 1995 04:57:57 -0400 No plans for Ironheart just now. We will be seeing Draal again this season. jms Subject: Re: Attn JMS Who do we write a Date: 20 May 1995 04:46:27 -0400 I cannot make a formal statement on this in either direction. jms Subject: ATTN JMS: Z'Ha'Dum pronumciati Date: 20 May 1995 19:17:08 -0400 The difference is just in accent. ZA HA DOOM is the way I pronounce it, but ZA cHA DOOM is also acceptable (from someone who's learned to more or less accept the 47 different ways in which one may pronounce straczynski). jms Subject: B5 Book 3: Blood Oath Date: 21 May 1995 03:59:12 -0400 As stated, all of the B5-related items -- books, comics, merchandise, you name it -- go through my hands. Usually I have only minor notes; in some cases, I have more substantive notes. Nobody's fault, it just happens. When you've got diverse hands tugging the B5 universe in various directions, sooner or later someone's going to go down the wrong road. It is my job, and responsibility, to pull it back when that happens. That's the whole point. Book #3 had, as stated, gone down some wrong roads, and needed to be brought back into alignment with the series. I had a substantial number of notes. Not John's fault, it just Is. Or Was. The revisions required to bring the book back into line were going to be enough to push back the publication date by a month or two. Dell wasn't exactly thrilled with the idea. I insisted. We went back and forth. Finally, the revisions were implemented. Hence the slight delay. (The revised manuscript has already come and gone through my office, and been approved, thanks to John's careful revisions.) No relation to the other PTEN stuff; this is just jms being a pain in the ass. But that's part of the process, so that when you see something with the B5 name on it, you know it's been done reasonably right. jms Subject: Re: C&L reaction: spoilers Date: 23 May 1995 01:26:06 -0400 Re: Lyta and G'Kar...G'Kar *specifically* stated in that scene that there would have to be substantial genetic manipulation to make the mating work. jms Subject: ATTN JMS - Alternate Distribut Date: 23 May 1995 22:49:33 -0400 Due to the nature of our contract with PTEN, which in essence owns the copyright to B5, I don't think there *are* any alternatives. jms Subject: Screw the plague! (possible sp Date: 24 May 1995 00:51:14 -0400 Next time I will try and locate every other producer in town and see what they plan to produce, so I can plan accordingly. When I wrote the episode, Outbreak hadn't been promoted yet or known about, Voyager hadn't aired, ER hadn't told me what they were going to do...if I'd known there would be such a glut...well, I probably would've done so anyway, because this isn't so much about the plague and saying its' dangerous, but about our attitudes when we are confronted by this, which really hasn't been dealt with that much in SF. (And I'm sorry, but don't even *try* to bring the Voyager story into this; the ship is threatened by a cheese contamination? I almost fell off my chair.) jms Subject: So-- how much does it cost to Date: 24 May 1995 03:22:53 -0400 The budget for B5 is classified, but I can say it's under one million per episode. (ST is generally $1.4 to $1.6 million.) jms Subject: which comes first... Date: 24 May 1995 04:47:55 -0400 Actually, the chronological order was *supposed* to be "Knives," THEN "Z'ha'dum." In "Knives" you get the reminder about Anna, then in "Z'ha'dum" you get the payoff. That was originally how they were intended to be aired, but there was *so much* CGI work and rotoscope work and creature animation involved in "Knives" that it got flopped to second in that order. So while it works *best* the way it was intended, it still works okay in this order. jms Subject: Some technical questions Date: 24 May 1995 04:54:42 -0400 The majority of those questions are best left to Ron to one day explain in a tech manual, as he has more of the hard-science info at his fingertips than I do. Certainly, both tachyon and ansibles are part of an instantaneous communications system. And yes, there was some amount of conscription during the wars. jms Subject: "Rip-Offs" and Con Organizing; Date: 24 May 1995 20:51:23 -0400 I would venture that there has been some change in the tone and attitude of some conventions over the years, not always favorable. Now, bear in mind, I've been a fan of SF for all my life, I've gone to cons for well over 15 years as Just Another Guy, so in some of this I have my Fanboy hat on, though from time to time my Producerboy hat may slip on as well. There are some conventions I never miss; LosCon here in LA, and San Diego Comic Con, because both have a sense of real fun about them, and the people running them are generally swell (absent one or two years of LosCon when, I dunno, something went weird at the ConCom level). As a rule, Westercon is great, Icon is great, and though I haven't had that much exposure to Chicago ComicCon, that seems pretty nifty as well. But over the years, at some other conventions (not all of them, but a growing number), you start to run into a problem in fan/pro relationships. One convention I know of (no names) didn't bother to send out invitations to the pros or offer guest passes because "Well, they always come every year ANYway, so why spend the money on stamps? BECAUSE IT'S POLITE TO BE ASKED, YOU NUMBSKULL. Consequently, a number of pros passed and didn't come. I've had a real problem with a couple of recent WorldCons, where I shelled out my own money as a pro with a whole lotta TV SF credits to fly up, paid for my own room, transportation, everything...and was told upon arrival that even having done all this, and after they'd used my name to bring in more people, they WOULDN'T EVEN GIVE ME A GUEST PASS to the convention. I had to pay to get in. When they pulled this one on me in San Francisco, I chewed those involved several new orifices, and only went to the one panel I really wanted to do, and otherwise said "screw it." More and more, it seems, conventions which rely on pros to draw attendees adopt a give-a-shit attitude toward those pros, as though tyey (they) are *expected* to perform, and should be happy for the chance to appear anywhere. I cannot tell you the number of calls I get from people putting cons together *right now* that explain, "Yes, we want you as our GoH, but you'll have to pay your own way at every step," often including buying admission. When you protest, they get snippy and say, "Well, you know, we're doing this for YOUR benefit, to give you exposure to your show to the fans, we're doing you a favor." At which point I usually hang up the phone hard enough to shatter phone lines from here to New Orleans. Now let me repeat...this is not the standard, but it has been happening enough, and growing, that a lot of pros are having second thoughts about the whole convention idea. A number of 'em just won't go anymore...and where that's unfortunate is that it hurts the goodly number of great conventions put on by terrific people, and there are many. It's caused me to be very selective in the conventions I attend, and I work hard with my cast, who are new to all this, to try and help them avoid any that I know are going to be trouble. I'm not sure what the root of the problem is, whether it's some fans taking pros for granted, or the growth of cons as Big Business rather than just a chance to have fun and hang out, or what. So I can't even begin to describe what needs to be done, only to agree with Paul that there is a problem, but to disagree with him on the notion that there aren't good ones out there. Yes, you can be taken advantage of, and that happens more than it should in every area, and SF cons are no exception. But I don't think it's time yet to throw the proverbial baby out with the proverbial bathwater. jms Subject: Scientific Progress goes BOINK Date: 24 May 1995 21:42:07 -0400 Tom, we *do* have a medical/biological advisor, whose primary comment on the notion that a virus couldn't pass between one species and another..."We have yet to contact one other alien life form to make an analysis. We do not know for a fact that their biology will be radically different than our own. Until we actually make contact, it's as likely as not." A biologist works from what's known; unless you've got a specimen of alien life somewhere and aren't showing it to anyone, or you're simply making a guess, which is neither more nor less correct until we have something testable in our hands. jms Subject: Re: Take my Biologist, please! Date: 24 May 1995 23:30:48 -0400 "...they are very similar in their cellular/biochemical makeup." EXACTLY. That's why it was stated in those specific terms in the course of the episode. jms Subject: ATTN JMS: B5 Video and Time Ou Date: 25 May 1995 01:50:42 -0400 Yes, please, by all means, send a copy of both, actually, to me at 14431 Ventura Boulevard, Suite 260, Sherman Oaks, CA 91423. Thanks! jms Subject: Was that all? (spoilers for "C Date: 25 May 1995 20:40:50 -0400 Suffice to say there's one more major hit yet to come, and I do mean major. jms Subject: ATT JMS: other episodes out of Date: 25 May 1995 20:46:49 -0400 I think there are one or two out of order, but at this point I'll be damned if I can remember anymore.... jms Subject: Re: "Rip-Offs" and Con Organiz Date: 25 May 1995 20:57:55 -0400 Re: Tom C.'s statement that he "had to call in a lot of favors" to get us into CapriCon is one of the -- no, make that THE -- most ludicrous thing I have ever heard. More of his trying to inflate his position. I suspect that if Michael O'Hare or I or anyone else showed up at a con, we probably wouldn't have a hard time getting in, given the number of requests that come in for their presence. More CMC bullshit. Pure and simple, and as with all the CMC bullshit, painfully obvious for what it is. Which is one of many reasons I withdrew any endorsement from B5 for their "event." I wouldn't work with these people if I were dying of cancer and they were paying in chemotherapy. jms Subject: For JMS: Cons and Con Jobs Date: 25 May 1995 21:20:59 -0400 Dan'l...you make a lot of good points. The only one I'd argue with is the "Worldcon is an exhibition, and all attendees at businsss exhibitions pay to get in." (Paraphrase) Not true. Invariably, any good exhibition of business convention allows for industry passes; I was at E3, the big multimedia exhibition/convention in LA a week or so ago, with 30-40,000 attendees, and media pros/industry types were comp'd, because it's the presence of these individuals that brings in others. If Worldcon is, as you say, more a business than a convention (which is on one level kinda less than it was intended, he said wistfully), then it should begin acting like one. jms Subject: New B5 CGI AVIs on AOL Date: 25 May 1995 21:23:35 -0400 IF the clips are directly provided by Warner Bros., as is the case with the avi's uploaded to AOL, then they may be re-uploaded anywhere. jms Subject: ATTN JMS Series 2, Channel 4 a Date: 25 May 1995 21:28:01 -0400 The shows will continue to air weekly. jms Subject: C&L Analysis *SPOILERS* Date: 25 May 1995 22:52:27 -0400 What you also have to do is step back for a moment and remember that the dinner began prior to Keffer and the rest leaving B5; and was ending about the time they got back. Add up the time indicated, and you've got a ritual that has gone on for at LEAST 3-4 hours now, probably closer to 5-6; seated in a small room, legs crossed, after what was almost certainly a busy day. Show me somebody who WOULDN'T doze off after a while. jms Subject: C&L (spoilers) Date: 25 May 1995 23:10:04 -0400 John: you have made a very perceptive observation. jms Subject: Re: "Rip-Offs" and Con Organiz Date: 25 May 1995 21:27:40 -0400 1) Tom C. informed me that arrangements had been made with Capricon for the bunch of us to appear there on Saturday, though explaining that it "couldn't be put into the program because we didn't have an exact time." Which seemed kinda funny to me at the time. 2) Upon arriving, at Tom's insistence (I at no time even knew about the convention until Tom told us we were booked to stop by as a "goodwill investment"), it did seem that *nobody* knew we were coming, which upset me more than a little. 3) I did insist on a room rather than being stuck in the dealer's room, at a table selling unauthorized merchandise. 4) As we left the convention, I had a very angry conversation with Tom, in that insufficient groundwork had been done, no preparations or arrangements had been made, and the entire thing was sloppily done, and that it couldn't be allowed to be done this way again. So Bruce, if you're going to start talking about "the net of a thousand lies," I strongly suggest you get your OWN facts straight first, because all of points 1-4 preceding can be verified by all the cast members who were in that car. You, I note, were not present. jms Subject: JMS: and anyone else who knows Date: 26 May 1995 02:20:03 -0400 To answer your questin: I will be at the Anaheim Convention Center on Sunday at the Creation MegaShow. Claudia and Bill Mumy will also be there thoughI think Bill is Saturday only. jms Subject: Big Bang Warning from jms Date: 26 May 1995 02:35:47 -0400 I just received a message from someone I know that there is an ad for the Big Bang Convention in the current issue of STAR WARS INSIDER that just came out listing me as attending. I am in the process of getting my hands on the actual ad to verify this, but since the source is a reliable one, I wanted to alert anyone who might see this that I am most definitely NOT attending, CMC/Tom Christofferson has known this for months now, and the advertisement is absolutely false in that regard. He has been forbidden to use any references or representations regarding me or Warner Bros., and if this information turns out correct, and I have no reason to doubt that at the moment, this will be turned over to lawyers. Meanwhile, to repeat: I will NOT be attending this convention, nor is this convention in any way endorsed by Babylonian Productions or PTEN or Warner Bros. jms Subject: Re: "Rip-Offs" and Con Organiz Date: 26 May 1995 21:20:32 -0400 It's very sad, Bruce, that you think the only way to get a response is to insult people and use emotionally-laden "hot-buttons" to try and inflame them. I've generally found that a reasoned, simple, polite question gets answered far more often. Perhaps next time you should try it. Jerk.* jms (*emotional hot-button #47, I knew you wouldn't mind) Subject: Shadows and the facts of life Date: 26 May 1995 21:20:59 -0400 Morden never said "wait" in the hall with Talia. jms Subject: Re: JMS detractors take note Date: 26 May 1995 21:22:14 -0400 Exactly. You will note that Macabee says, of the Ministry, "...or Minipax, as we like to call it around the office." It's an in-house joke, not the real name of the thing. jms Subject: ATTN JMS: Re: "Rip-Offs" and Date: 26 May 1995 21:22:43 -0400 I've only heard back second- and third-hand, but from what I haer, (hear), "da guys" had a great time at Marcon. jms Subject: ATTN JMS: More thumbs up Date: 26 May 1995 21:21:47 -0400 Thanks; all support gratefully accepted. Welcome to the fold.... jms Subject: Re: C&L Analysis *SPOILERS* Date: 26 May 1995 21:51:04 -0400 Londo has not yet finished doing exactly what the shadows wish, though he has made a good start of it; and no, there were very few others involved in the Narn/Centauri war. jms Subject: ATTN JMS: C&L: NO Spoilers! Date: 26 May 1995 21:53:46 -0400 Frederick: thanks.... jms Subject: Re: "Rip-Offs" and Con Organiz Date: 26 May 1995 21:50:13 -0400 Here's a dilemma I'd like to throw out to those who've run conventions before, because I don't have a good answer for it, and maybe it'd help to illuminate the discussion a bit. I was talking to X, who is a prime mover behind one of the for-profit convention companies. I noted, in the course of the conversation, my surprise that Actor Y had not been invited to many conventions by that company. X's response: "Well, that's because Actor Y keeps showing up at fan conventions for free. How can we justify paying someone who's lowered his/her market value like that?" Initial reaction: that's rather odious thinking. Secondary and tertiary reactions: you're an actor. You don't really come out of the SF field, you don't know the ins and outs, or what the diff is between a fan con and a profit con. Convention A asks you to do their convention, and will pay $4,000 plus transportation and airfare. Convention B asks you to their convention, but can't pay anything but the hotel and a guest pass. Actors are not limitless pools of money; they have the same fiscal nuts to crack as everyone else...mortgage, car, alimony, kids, doctors, name it. It does put things very much in the favor of the paying cons when it comes to actors and the like. How does one tell an actor not to do it? (Not that it is my job or anyone else's to do so, and I'm not entirely sure it would be *right* to do so...any opportunity an actor has to perform for an audience, and be properly compensated for that performance, should be seized.) So maybe it isn't so much "don't do this one," as "be OPEN to the other type as well." But then how do you counter the X/Y conversation above? It is, frankly, a real mess.... jms Subject: ATTN JMS: "Chrysalis" question Date: 26 May 1995 22:25:27 -0400 As I recall, she intended primarily to tell him of the souls business. jms Subject: JMS: Home world destroyed?