Less Than Two Weeks til "An Evening With James Callis"...

And I'm not nervous at all as you can see in the picture...

So just to reiterate: I will NOT be going, but I'm getting James' autograph via Pedda at Carpica City. This is the printout I want autographed:


It's in terrible shape, but that's only because it's the same printout I've been staring at all spring when I was depressed. I had it on the bedside table. On the days when I was almost too tired to get out of bed, I used to look at it and feel a bit better.

It's suffered some damage, esp this panel where James looks a bit Mexican:


That's Cola that spilled on the other side :D Fitting! Um, it's not TOO ratty to send out, right? As long as I explain why this particular printout is significant?



And that's an old Finnish envelope, I had one more left... Just a little note for him to read. I hope it's not too long and way too much because I'm also sending him Naughty Gaius is a Nymphomaniac Narcissist (500+ pages!)

Just to make the autograph a bit more personal, I will ask him to sign it to my real name. And draw a dog for me. I hope he will. You can see my own doggie-style (heh heh) drawings in the envelope there. (The elf is not drawn by me, sadly.)

So I'll be reporting more next week (!!!). I'll be calm and mature about this. It's just a name on paper. It will go fine.

On Blogging About James Callis.

What do you post when you've been blogging for a year? I don't want to make a huge big celebration post, because those are never quite as big and celebratory as you had hoped. But I've been wanting to post something meta, so I'm going to ramble about blogging about James Callis. As opposed to rambling about James Callis (although I'm sure I will do that too before the post ends).

I can honestly say I still enjoy writing this blog, and I'm still as into James - or even more so - as I was when I started. These are things I couldn't really count on when I started the blog. You never know with fan feelings. I can also say, to my astonishment, that I've had... *checks* 8,789 views to date. That's amazing. I thought my blog would kind of disappear into the mass of possible other fan blogs and sites. I'm still surprised there aren't more pages about James Callis out there. It feels odd to think that this blog might be a resource for people looking for information on him. I feel proud and humble at the same time.

When I started, I didn't know anything about James Callis fans (nor did I know much about James Callis, coming to think of it). I didn't know what I was getting into. I'm not sure why this is, but I seem to have an easier time starting a blog than going into a forum and saying hi to people. Maybe this has changed a bit, since I am more confident now than I was a year ago. However, the blog itself has proven a good way of meeting new people. I feel a bit guilty for my lacklustre behavior at forums lately. I'm just not that good at writing at forums, and since there aren't many people talking there, the conversations run dry so quickly. We have great conversations on twitter though, so maybe we've just changed the place of discussion.

Blogging about fandom is a very personal thing for me. I try to be honest and open about my own reactions. What you see here is all from the heart: my love, my joy, my humor and - hopefully not too often - my disappointments. Sometimes I wonder if I write for myself, for the fans, or James. If I found out James doesn't care to read the blog, would my own interest wane? I like to think I'd still blog here; writing is my way of dealing with emotions. I transcribe to get to know James and hear his views on things. I read con reports to see how he interacts with other fans. I'm trying to get to know him, and even if my image of him is probably always an illusion, at least it's something very dear to me. It's my personal HeadJames.

Does the fandom also have a collective HeadJames who belongs to all of us? Sometimes in discussions, I feel like we all see the same person: smart, funny, modest and talented, and very, very kind. His love and warmth is for all of us, and it makes us better people. I'm making it sound like a religion. :D Is fandom a religion of sorts? Is fangirl high a spiritual experience? It does elevate me and give me something to believe in. Elina and I met recently and joked about Jamus religion where we'd worship James, but is there a bit of truth to that? Are we the Callis Cult?

OK, I joke about being obsessive, but seriously, I hope that the blog comes off more "warm and admiring" than "obsessive and stalkerish". I do worry about this sometimes. I think about James a lot, but so far, it's only brought positive things (above all, a positive diversion from my depression thoughts). Fandom has to be a little intense, or it doesn't feel as good. That said, if I start to sound like a stalker, please let me know.

I've had some rules with this blog, all pretty much based on the idea that James is a real person somewhere. He's my HeadJames, yet not. He's not a figment of my imagination - or even Ron Moore's - and I can say what I want about Gaius Baltar, but not about James Callis. I've tried to think of what would offend me or freak me out. I hope the blog is respectful and hasn't hurt anyone's feelings. At the same time, I don't want to gush too much. If I don't like something, I'm going to say that. I wouldn't respect a fan who can't criticize anything about me, and I don't want to be that kind of fan.

Sometimes it's hard to draw the line. If someone says something rude about James, what is my role? To defend him? To ignore it? He can speak for himself if something truly bad happens. On the other hand, people shouldn't assume they can say just anything about a celebrity. I didn't have a great experience with defending him, so maybe I'll keep out of that in the future. James probably wouldn't want his fans to start online feuds, so I won't. Unless someone says something that really pisses me off. (I suspect this isn't the last we'll see of Deniselle the defender.)

In only two weeks (!!), Pedda will get me James' autograph. That might change something or nothing in the way I feel about him. An autograph is a name on paper, so I try not to expect too much. It might mean a lot though, especially if it's also MY name written by HIM. Plus I think I'll ask him to draw a dog. I hope he obliges. I'm very curious to see his drawing style. I'll probably be at least a little sad that I'm not personally at An Evening With James Callis, but I'll try to be impartial as usual and keep my calm, matter-of-fact composure. Stiff upper lip!

I've often been complimented on my ability to find James goodies on Google and other sites. To celebrate the anniversary, I thought I'd share a few of my secrets:
-Looking for "James Callis" will give you page upon page of junk sites ("Find all the latest info!!! News item 0 of 0".) You need to type in the full name because "James" is hardly unique (I envy Tahmoh fans), but for valid results, always use other search terms along with the name. Vary the terms and try advanced searches. Be imaginative. It won't always help, but you never know.

-Google blogsearch, on the other hand, is less cluttered than the regular search. "James Callis" will give you many interesting results. However, it won't find everything, so don't rely on it exclusively. "Last week", "last 24 hours", etc. always gives more reliable results, because old posts tend to linger on the blogsearch. LiveJournal entries don't always turn up this way.

-Finding pictures on Google image search is a mess. Try Flickr.com and their search ("Most recent" is usually a good qualifier). Search not only for "James Callis", but also "Gaius Baltar", because there are way too many people who don't know his name. Ditto Photobucket.

-Fan sites are almost always more interesting and detailed than big entertainment sites. Forums are a good place to find personal meeting stories or fan observations. Sometimes you have to search thru a forum topic to find the relevant items, though.

-Cons are a pain to search. For instance, James has been at the 07 New York City Comic Con, the 08 San Diego Comic Con, the 09 San Diego Comic Con, and I'm sure I'm already omitting some. As a result, you get way too many old and useless results with name+comic con. Always use advanced search with specific terms. James Callis+con name+city the con is at, then pick "last 24 hours" or "last week" on advanced search. Be patient and search every day for a week or two if you want to see it all. You can bookmark the search for convenience. (Or, if no one else has the obsession to do this, you can check my blog. :D)

-Try locating sentences inside the text that mention something James said or did. "James Callis"+"James said" or "James Callis"+"he said" might turn up something interesting. (Although the latter can also be misleading because "he" might refer to someone else; this type of search is for patient moments only.)

-Don't expect to find any wild details on his personal life. What you see on the Unofficial website is all you get. There are no photos of his wife or children online.

-Sites promising "james callis porn" are all random spam. Sadly.

I want to send a friendly hello to all the people who read my blog regularly. It makes me so happy that you enjoy the blog and continue to read. If you want to post sometime, feel free to do so; anonymous commenting is enabled here. I read every comment before I publish it, but unless you're blatantly hateful or selling a product, I will probably publish whatever you have to say. Don't feel pressured to comment, however; I can still see you visited and appreciate it. (And don't be freaked out that I can see you; I'm not nerdy enough to do anything with your sitemeter info.) My email is deniselleDOTswanATgmailDOTcom, and all emails are welcome.

Fandom has a life span, and it's not necessarily something I can control. I can't make any promises about sticking around. (Although I was an Ace Of Base fan for almost 15 years, so if that's any indication...) I can only promise that I'll always be honest and open about how I feel, and post in this blog as long as it's fun. I do hope the blog will be around still next year and keep entertaining me and, if possible, others as well.

Let's keep the torches burning and the chanting going, and worship the one and only James Callis, artiste and warm person extraordinaire!

Jamen.

A Gaius/Six Rewatch Community!

Kixxa, Artemis_Neith and myself got the idea of starting a Gaius/Six rewatch community on LiveJournal. We talked about it yesterday and today, it's already set up!

BSG: The Journey Home.

Anyone interested in Gaius and/or Six is welcome to join or lurk, whichever you choose. You need to be a member to post, but anyone can add comments. We're starting on Wednesday, September 2nd with the miniseries. The idea is to watch one episode per week and discuss it throughout the week, whenever everyone has time. Very informal and no pressure on anyone to post.

I'll probably be cross-posting somewhat between this blog and the community. A fun chance to relive the Gaius moments with other fans. I'm looking forward to this!

James Callis iPhone App!

So - there's a new iPhone app for James Callis fans! It sounds exciting in theory:

"There has never been a better way to get accurate, in depth news about James Callis. From the beach, to the stage, to the big screen and back to the night club. It's all here with SupaFan. Download the latest video news about your star."

Wow. Um... sorry for being skeptic, but what news could there possibly be that you can't google?

I'll give you all the exciting news scoops of James Callis for this YEAR so far:
-James Callis was at MegaCon!
-James Callis appeared in Merlin and the Book of Beasts!
-James Callis appeared in Numb3rs!
-James Callis was at FedCon!
-James Callis filmed Re-Uniting the Rubins!
-James Callis had a baby girl!*
-James Callis was at Comic Con!
-James Callis will be at An Evening With James Callis!

I've been excited over a couple of these news items, but not enough to pay iPhone for them, because seriously, you can just google all of this. And also I don't have an iPhone. I wonder if James does. Maybe he could get this app for himself and find out the latest news. :D

* = Awwwww, Anika! (L)

I should make my own app. Find out the latest news on James Callis, as brought to you by the biggest stalker evah!
-Photos of James and his family! Updated twice a day, if they don't catch me! Blueprints of his apartment(s) and daily routines of his children. Don't miss an opportunity to "accidentally" bump into him in the streets of London - LocationTracker (tm) app will help you find him at any time!

-Is he microscopically bigger or microscopically smaller? Tired of squinting at his belly in pictures? PhotoScale (tm) will show you his weight changes down to the gram/ounce! No more guessing!

-How many cigarettes has our favorite chimney smoked today? Find out through the SmokeScreen (tm) app! It will show you not only the number of cigarettes, but also when his nicotine levels start to sink and he needs to have another ciggy! Smoke in the same pace if you're so inclined - cosmic!

-Wanna eat the exact same meals James does? Now it's possible! FeedMe (tm) app will show you exactly what James has been eating and when! Maybe there will be donuts today?

Download SuperStalker (tm) - be the biggest James Callis fan evah!

Random Googlebits, Part Six

(It's French. It's pronounced "sis". I checked.)

A couple more photos from Comic Con.
Blueshirt signing. James looks thoughtful and kind of nostalgic.
Did I already link to this one? Again with the shaking hands! (Maybe he was drunk?)
James talking to Mark Hammill. Not the handshake pic, and Mark's from the back, but still pretty cool.

And a few more con photos:
2008 Dragon*Con BSG party: James and Eddie. There are, uh, quite a few buttons undone on that shirt. Slurp. Hairy.
James Callis is way too skinny. Well, to each his and her own. I think he looks cute there. Since there's some beard scruff, I'd say this is Dragon*Con 2008, not Comic Con 2009. And I guess it's there in the url too. Is it bad that I recognized it just by looking at him? :D
Little man and big man at Farpoint.
FedCon photosessions.

An online chat with James and Jamie Bamber from 2006. I'm not sure if there's much here that is relevant for 2009...

EventManager Hi guys, welcome to chat!
JamesCallis Nannu-Nannu!!
JamieBamber Hello………

I'm not sure what nannu-nannu means :D I remember he used "nanoo nanoo" in some old message, so maybe it's an Indian greeting? Edit: M thinks it might be a Mork&Mindy reference. I'm too young to remember the show. Mork apparently greeted people with a similar noise. All the things I've learned from James!

scott1975 do you think us as humans are pushing the boundaries of science to far when it comes to machines(robotics)

JamesCallis No…
JamesCallis … we are destined to constantly update what we know

...

JamesCallis Watching a show back, I thought Pegasus was pretty outstanding…
JamesCallis … in a sense of being IN the show and also watching from the sofa

Pegasus is one of the best arcs, I think. It also brought out a lot of new stuff in Baltar (more empathy and a deeper connection wtih the model Six) so it's nice to see that James likes it too. As for robotics or science, he did express some concern about going too far in the Jules Verne interviews, but he doesn't strike me as the kind of guy who's scared of new technology just because it's new.

Nightsky What was it that initially attracted you to the characters?
JamesCallis Somebody who had so many sides and was seemingly so complex and duplicitous…
JamesCallis … someone who may be on the wrong side but is trying to do the right thing.

It's interesting to hear James describe Baltar like this, because many viewers have seen him as such a villain and doing the wrong thing the whole time. The aspect of him that he tries to do the right thing is interesting and kind of reminiscent of shows like The Sopranos. If Tony Soprano kills his cousin, is he doing the wrong thing? He's doing right by the family because the cousin was working against him; they're soldiers so it's ok if you have to kill someone; but from another point of view it's completely inhumane and wrong to kill someone, especially someone close to you. In the character's inner reality, something may be right even if the viewers consider it to be wrong. There are similar situations with Baltar (was it right to let Gina go, because she ends up killing Cain? Was it right to give her the nuclear war head, because she ends up blowing up Cloud Nine? and so forth.)

geordie11 What aspects of yourselves did you bring to the characters?
JamesCallis My definite sexiness, otherwise there might not be a 3rd series!!

Hee! You're a lot sexier than you think, James!

JamesCallis Perhaps a product of intelligent television is that the audience is supposed to decide what’s going on…
JamesCallis This is simply presented to you — so you’ve got to work it out — so it engenders debate.

Hmm. I guess there has been some debate on whether BSG is "preachy" or whether it just presents things without moral judgement. Some of the aspects of the finale could be said to comment on modern life (robotics etc.) But I think the show as a whole is still pretty open to interpretation. Is Baltar evil or good? Is Laura Roslin better than Baltar? You decide. I like that about the show. You can have endless discussions (that easily turn into endless fights tho, if you don't watch it :P)

Traveller Are you both surprised by the very positive critical acclaim the series has got?
JamesCallis I am surprised, only in the sense that people appreciate the show as much as we who are making the show appreciate it.
JamesCallis Sometimes that just doesn’t happen …!

From the viewer's perspective, it's also nice to know the people involved with the show believe in what they're doing.

In case you missed it, James held a baby at Comic Con. You can tell he's experienced at holding babies, because he looks totally comfortable and happy, and the baby looks safe and happy in his arms. Awwww. These photos really warm my heart, especially knowing he has a little baby himself at the moment, so I just have to re-link.

An old interview about Bridget Jones' diary:

"I suppose I shouldn't admit that I haven't read the book", says the dashing 29-year-old Londoner, "but I've seen the film and it delivers a lot of laughs. It's also touching and Renée is brilliant in it."

Hmmm. Well, i did like the first movie. I like the word "dashing" here, especially considering how many dashes he uses, hee hee. (No, I will never let that go.)

"Renée's got a degree in social anthropology or something and she's a very bright cookie," he says. "I remember one day her telling me that the reason I feel tired after a turkey dinner is because of an enzyme in the meat called tryptophan. I was like, "Oh, right, I thought it was because I got sloshed at Christmas".

I knew about that, but only because Seinfeld had an episode about it. Jerry wanted to play with this girl's toys, so he fed her too much turkey and then she fell asleep and.. actually that sounds really perverted, but it's based on the same facts. It seems more medicine than social anthropology though.

"Well not so much mine as my sister's", he explains. "A year beforehand my sister rang me up and said "I've had a dream and you are going to be starring in Bridget Jones's Diary and a year later I was!"

Kinda creepy/awesome. You could call that a premonition, because it's a specific movie. I'm not sure about "starring" though, as Tom's role was made so small.

"I write music and play the piano and when I was younger I really did want to be a popstar", says James. I still write music but I've no desire to perform it. I'd rather act. Some people do both but then you get that thing, "Fucking hell, what does he do? Does he act? Does he sing? Does he work for Cable & Wireless?"

I'm really curious to hear more of his music. I hope he plays it somewhere sometime again.

I've got to quote this old gem - a 2007 message from James, where he's apparently gone a little nuts from the heat of Delhi sun:

That doesn't stop me running my morning "chukka" for half an hour to an hour -in the mid day sun (C'mon! I've got a rep to keep up here!) {Mad wolfs and englishmen..da da da etc.}

What is a morning "chukka"? I've tried looking it up, but the definitions are so diverse.

A short, ankle-length boot having two or three pairs of eyelets.

Polo a period of continuous play, usually 7¹⁄₂ minutes [Hindi cakkar]

one of the portions into which something is regarded as divided and which together constitute a whole; "the written part of the exam"; "the finance section of the company"; "the BBC's engineering division"

So he runs his 7½ minute/half hour to an hour ankle-length boot, in which something is regarded as divided and it constitutes a whole..?

Apparently he was working on some documentary stuff too:

I have been helping on a documentary here in Delhi about performers who all live in one "Ghetto" called Shadipur (literally meaning - Marriage -place) Like many things aqui - it's a bit of an eye opener! Some of the most beautiful children in the whole wide world! so many crazy things happening - being perpetrated on this planet of ours! I myself am praying - and checking the internet every time I can in the hope of reading that Madeline has been found alive and well. And then you realize that this is happening all the time - like so many other things... bewildering and feelings of being unable to help are palpably boiling under the skins surface.

It's very touching to me how much James cares about children, and you can tell he really feels their pain in some way.

Amusingly enough:

Tried my hand at some medititation here. After one session - I was singled out in the class and asked if I wanted to enter a retreat! - Neha looked dumbstruck! I couldn't work out whether this was because I was displaying a silent (certainly to me) aura of potentiality - or because I was clearly the one person in the class - who needed most help.....? I've sated myself for now with the belief that the offer was a recognition of both the above maxims.

Hee! :D

He seems disturbed by the violence the UK has inflicted upon India:

I was trying to explain to my Delhi friends - that my family - from Poland and Russia arrived around 20 years after this massacre - thereby divorcing me from this diabloic act of violence - as until my Parents - my family were not strictly speaking English (in fact most of them not speaking English at all!) - and luckily left Amritsar just in time to escape the sectarian violence that has erupted there in the last few days.

I wonder about his family. Apparently he has a grandmother in France. Are both of his parents of Russian/Polish origin? Maybe they immigrated during the war? I guess this is all stuff he likes to keep personal. I must admit it's sort of exotic to me, all of this Jewish heritage stuff. I don't know very much about it.

Still from the same message. This is just hilarious:

so as one school report of mine once read - and I paraphrase - Life can be infuriating - troublesome - crazy - dementing - unruly - (with callis in the class) - but it is never dull! (he was my favourite teacher -)

LOL! :D Sounds like he was a bit of a hellion as a school boy.

A couple more bits and pieces from James messages over the years.

Weather in Vancouver vs. London:

When the sun shines this place is pretty fantastic. When it rains (75 to 80 per cent of the time) It's not. They say the weather is like London, but I think it's different, in London we Know it's going to rain, we just sort of expect the weather to be bad, when it's sunny it's so unexpected we call it glorious... Here there is always the hope that the sun is going to shine at some point during the day so when it doesn't, to quote our Yankee Cousins"It Sucks! Big Time"

We're in for another fall and it looks like rain for the next few days. This just randomly came to mind on the bus yesterday, so I just had to quote it.

Notes about Joshua in 2005 (so he would have been two):

This is the most time I've had with Joshua since he was born and it is a mighty treat. Every moment is a new opportunity for the experimentation of (his)play/(our)patinece. He's particularly fond of animals, Dogs "woo woo" - R No.1 and he has a penchant for dancing to hiphop - And just as he's getting settled here it looks like we'll be off to Vancouver maybe in April maybe sooner for I don't know how long!

Hee! There's something utterly cute about this note. Somehow I love that he called dogs "woo woo".

Living in two continents can be harrowing:

Then there's all that home/busines stuff (bills, mainly!) to settle if your going to be spending most of your time outside the U.K... etc. And how do those mugs at the whatever ever it is depot of ineptitude/phone comp./council tax dep./electricity/gas board of the consumer incompetence division manage to get hold of u if there's a problem and u r thousands of miles away? I have a hunch I'm gonna find out...probably when I'm back in London after Nine Months!

Hee! "ineptitude/phone comp/council tax dep/electricity/gas board of the consumer incompetence division" :D :D I love that.

Still from the same note:

When I was In Canada Last I wanted to get this T shirt made which was to have on the front. "Not Responsible" and on the back "ever" It didn't get made, why? "Responsible " wouldn't fit across the chest. OMG

Hee! The random "OMG" in the end amuses me to no end - maybe he meant LOL? Or maybe he was just so shocked at the smallness of his chest. Actually, I had this mischievious idea of having that shirt made and showing up at a con in it. Because you could easily fit the word "responsible" across MY chest. I wonder how James would have reacted.

That's about it for now, I think - I never know how to end these random posts. Maybe I should say something completely random.

Green umbrella lost in the harrowed umberland. That's who sits on my balcony beating old poetry with a hammer.

James Callis on Angels, Part 2

An adorable interview here.

James is asked if HeadBaltar was really an angel, and he doesn't really know what to say. he thinks for a moment about a simile:

"Where can I get a drink?" and someone says, "Hey, don't ask me, I just work here." That's kind of how I feel about your questions. I just read the lines, I'm not necessarily sure."

He sounds like he might have a thought but doesn't want to say anything definite, since Ron chose to keep it open. I remember back in 2006, he said he thinks HeadSix and HeadBaltar are real, but they're in a different dimension, sort of like a physics thing. I wonder if he still thinks that or if the finale changed it.

Asked if people ask him this a lot:

"They really do. And I'm like, ring Ron! (laughs) He'll sort it out for you. I can't possibly comment."

I doubt you can get a straight answer out of Ron, but if James refuses to comment, let's let a veil of mystery surround HeadBaltar forever, I guess. I am curious if he actually has a theory though, one that could possibly be squeezed out of him if he were drunk enough. Hmmm.

The interviewer, off camera, asks James what "angelic ability" he would have if he were an angel. That's kind of a weird thing to ask, because if I may nitpick, angels are messengers of God, not superheroes with powers. But I'm glad he asked, because James' answer is just the softest and cuddliest thing ever:

"Make people feel warm and happy and love each other. Something like that. Isn't that pathetic?"

He giggles nervously, like he thinks he gave a really stupid answer, when the opposite is true. The interviewer utters a delighted "Awesome", and I totally agree.

James? You already have that ability. You do make people feel warm and happy. Thank you for that. *hug*

Random Googlebits, Part Cinq

So, the con reports are dying out and I'm left here with quick fingers and search terms up to my neck, but nothing left to find. It's always a slightly sad feeling. So methinks it's time to have another random googlebits post. I know I've posted a lot of brief and random stuff lately, so I guess I'm just not ready yet for a huge transcript post. I'm also working on those, though, so I think they'll be making a comeback soon.

You may have noticed I've changed my subtitle. I make no apologies for being a fangirl, so it seems suitable. I might even add a banner. When I started out, it was all very basic and I was worried about copyrights, but I'm more eager to try new stuff now. Almost a year of blogging! :)

On to the googlebits then!

If you wish to see some of my screencaps of the beautiful Last Days of BSG video, head here to kixxa's blog. Basically, I was too lazy to remove the player and borders from the picture, but I might use some of these later as illustrations. I just thought they'd look lovely at kixxa's place, and they do. Dennys Ilic sure can take a James photo.

Speaking of Dennys Ilic and James photos - a must see here. I don't even know what to say about that one, so I'll just quote kixxa: Oh, my giddy aunt!

I'm not really sure what event this post is about, but it's pretty cute. It's about James at some... thing in Manchester in 2006. Apparently Aaron and Sam had an impersonation of him that he hadn't yet seen, and:

I told him to talk to Aaron about attending G2 in August, because he just has to be there to show us all his impersonation of Aaron. To which he replied, "I can show you that now." - he then proceeded to collapse in a drunken stupor.

Hee! :D For a moment, I thought James was actually so drunk he collapsed trying to imitate Aaron. I bet those guys had fun times together. It would be fun to see them interacting more at cons, but it doesn't look like they're going to the same ones lately. I miss seeing the BSG cast together. I wonder if I'll feel the same about the cast of another show, if James gets a permanent role somewhere else.

A brief clip from The Last Frakkin Special. Sniff! BSG is over!

This is one of my favorite James autographs: James Callis loves toasters. If I had that shirt, I would wear it every day. And I love how James plays with the rhyminess of his names.

A hilarious story from the 2006 Dragon*Con, found here at the TWOP thread:

So I try to politely ask for them to leave their drinks behind. Tamoh's sweet and polite and just decides to chug what's left in his cup and he hands it to me. I had to wave down Aaron and pantomime the 'give me the cup' request. Meanwhile James goes to a plant (fake) and begins to pour the drink. I try to politely stop him without being rude, "Um..I can take that and throw it away for you... hey, let me get that..." and finally to stop him I sorta snap "JAMES! The CUP! HAND IT TO ME. I WILL THROW IT AWAY!" He blinks and smiles at me and hands me the cup completely good natured and I'm mortified because I just snapped at James Callis. The crew bops away and I'm thinking 'oh my god, I'm totally my mother.'

Heee! :D It's like drunk, drunker, and drunkest. I'm so surprised James would be that drunk. Surprised and, I dare say, horrified. Here I thought he was an absolutist! *shakes head*

A couple of random photos:

Taken at least year's Dragon*Con panel. Sexy professor James sitting down. Gush!

Lego Six and Baltar. Heee! I love the huge boobs and the lack of cheeks on Baltar. Pretty good!

The BSG hunks. It's kind of something for everyone, isn't it? Different drools for different folks; I'm drooling over James and Aaron.

All intense. And kind of donutty. Taken at a 2007 con. Slurp!

Phonebooth Galactica. I remember James writing that this campaign ran in London just as he was away in Canada or India, and he never got to see it live. It looks pretty awesome though. I've noticed lately that whenever there's a blonde woman and a man kissing on a show, I expect it to be Six and Baltar, and have to mentally correct myself. This also happens with ads and music videos. Should I be worried?

The 4.5 DVD's are out for lucky Americans, and there are lots of extended scenes added in. Nicole_Anell has written about them at her journal. A few comments below, obviously SPOILERS for those who haven't seen season 4.

Islanded in a Stream of Stars extended:

Paulla talks to Baltar about how they'll be moving their cult headquarters off Galactica soon and a bunch of different ships are willing to take them. Which leads to a HeadSix conversation about how he has more power now than he did when he was president; when Galactica's gone he'll have more than Adama. He is completely uninterested and mopey about it.

And then HeadSix says, "She's not the one." And Gaius says, "She's the only one." EEEEE SHIP!!! Why did they cut this? I just can't believe... Well, see below where I rant about the cut scenes.

Daybreak extended:
Apparently there's a random teenage boy whom Baltar teaches about life (saying basically that you can never have enough fame, women or money. Hee!).

(2) So the scene about Caprica-Six putting his dad in a home is altered a bit, because HELLO RANDOM TEENAGER is actually there with Six -- he let her into the house. (I prefer the edited-down version, 'cause you just assume she broke in. Hee.) So there's a bit of time wasted getting Calvin out of the way before they get into the important part of the scene, and I'm not crazy about it even though Baltar admonishing the kid is kind of funny. ("Don't think I'm not going to tell your mum about this. Total abuse of my respect!")

Hee! It sounds funny, but I grudgingly admit... not altogether essential for the finale. I'm eager to see it because it's more JAMES, but it's about the first time a cut Baltar scene sounds a little... well... unnecessary. I mean, the deleted scenes on all DVD's are full of extra-long scenes of Adama and Lee talking, Adama and Laura talking, Adama and Tigh talking, Kara and Lee talking. I can usually see why they've been cut for length. But the Baltar/Six scenes have almost always been gold and I've been gritting my teeth at whoever's in charge for cutting them. This also applies to that above bit from Islanded, which really would have added something to the Baltar/Six saga.

So what happened here? I suppose the reason I'm not as excited about this scene is that it's not more of Baltar/Six, just more Baltar, with some random new character we've never seen before. I tend to think it's a bad idea to introduce someone new in the finale. That said, I'll probably love the scenes because it's Gaius Frakkin' Baltar. And he's the motherfrakking shit.