Ready, Reset, Go! (2006-2008)

I'm leaving for my two part trip tomorrow afternoon.

And I feel odd.

See, there have been arrivals and departures locally. Without going into any details, there is a temporary shift from the norm here.

And then, of course, I'm going away for a short bit. Nothing major. A week-ish in Chicago and a Labor Day weekend in New Orleans thanks to the good graces of Brettcajun (or more correctly, his beau "E.Shrew").

Really, I should be all exited.

And I probably will be. As is normal for me, if I have no pressing associated responsibilities, I usually don't even focus on any trip - for work or for fun - until the day before I leave.

And I'm thinking I'm just staying in, packing my shit, ordering-in (cause I ain't cooking a damn thing in this heat), watching fun movies, and chilling maybe with some wine or something.

I should just enjoy it.

But this time is weird. It's a Saturday. It's super-fucking-hot. I should be in Provincetown or something. I should be connecting with people. I should totally be following up on new "leads", new folks I've encountered recently that might be - at the minimum - fun to be with.

(Someone is now shouting: "Go and have sex, goddamit!!!")

But, since I'm about to go away I need to put all that on the back-burner for now. Also need to save the cash for more exciting venues.

So, I feel disjointed.

I've had a week that kinda took me down a small notch. Nothing major, just loss of momentum and none of the out-in-the-sun and hanging-with-friends thing that I was getting to do the past few weekends..

("What about the fucking?!?! You have to f.u.c.k. more!!!!")

And, oh yeah, on top of that, regardless of today's heat, we saw a bunch of trees with bright red leaves starting to form. The end of summer approaches in New England. Never doubt that. The deep cold will always come.

So I may be disjointed because of things in flux - local people shifting around, me traveling, the seasons changing.

So, in this downtime - hopefully preceding some fun times over the next week - I feel lost. Alone, too - but mainly because tonight I am, in fact, physically alone.

("Oh my god, do we have to send a man over there for you?!? WTF!!!")

But Chicago is a big city.

I'm sure I can cure my aloneness when I get into town tomorrow.

This is fantastic! Anyone who has extensive experience in comments sections, either on personal blogs like this, or political ones or interest blogs, this should all be very familiar.

A business meeting if everything was like blog Comments Sections:


(Original Link with embedding)

Fucking hilarious! And so fucking accurate, too, no?

I've been learning to deal with burn-y pain.

Two events are tied to the cleaning service we use at home, one is just me being stupid. Actually, they all involve me being stupid. (ie, They're all my fault)



OK, first... I have some minor problems with the cleaning lady.

Well, let me back up.


Twice a month, the roomies and I pay to have a cleaning service come in and clean the kitchen and the common bathroom.

And they do a very good job.

But there are some quirks.

Oh, don't get me wrong - everything is nice and well-cleaned.

But then there's the problem of finding things afterwards.

Many is the time I have searched long and hard to finally locate: shampoo under the kitchen sink, apple cider vinegar in the bathroom closet, laundry detergent next to the bathroom soap dispenser, squeaky clean dishes in the utility drawer, spoons in the toothbrush can, a toothbrush under the kitchen sink (!), and the missing puppy from down the block in the pots&pans cabinet.

It's become commonplace for me to come home after a cleaning and do a quick search for anything I care about. Again - to be clear - nothing is missing at all, items have simply been... re-assorted.

Some of this is our own doing, of course, since I've only just begun to attempt helping to organize the kitchen (as it's not mine). So, I can understand not knowing where things should go.

I would, however, think the difference between bathroom supplies and kitchen utensils should be clear.


Nevertheless, this is not where I run into problems.

Two things actually get me all "grrrrrrrrrrrrr!" irritated - rightly or wrongly.

1) They usually run any pots or plates through a dishwashing cycle. That's certainly very nice. OK, once when we accidentally ran out of detergent, they still ran the diswasher - which makes me wonder, "do they use detergent?".

But anyway, sometimes they'll toss in a dish or pot that still has stuff in it.

A few months ago, I came home and opened the washer, only to see the pots and bowls covered in noodles, as well as the bottom filled with dirty water.

Oh for crap's sake.

And I search inside and see, at the bottom, that the dishwasher drain is completely clogged with noodles.

(The thing is, we didn't even have noodles in the house. Where did they come from?)

So I do the first thing I think of and reach in and grab the noodley mess to allow the water to finally drain out.

Then I hear

pssssssststsssstssstststssss...

Then I yell as my wrist screams in pain.

So... sometimes you think the dishwasher is done but it's really in "heated-drying" mode.

I never really thought of what does the heating.

Turns out it's that metal coil that surrounds the bottom of the dishwasher.

It's extremely hot, you know.

I know now too.

It was kinda interesting when the pus finally popped out of the welt on my wrist.

This is my wrist, three months after:

Barely noticeable at this point. Though I still get some dope asking if I tried to slit my wrist.

Frakking hell.


2) We have one of those "click-click-click" gas stoves, that autolight. The two things that make the stoves not light are if the bits that cover the range are misaligned (which happens easily after cleaning) and if the contacts between the bits and the stovetop are wet (also common after cleaning if not dried completely).

So, many times after the cleaning crew is done for the day, I come home to get prepped for making some dinner. I turn on all four burners hoping, for once, to hear the pleasing "click-click-WHOOOSH!" as the burner's flame ignites.

But no... it's always just the endless "click-click-click-click-click-click-click-click-click...".

This week, I was rushing to get something started and I had only gotten one burner back in working order (which was currently burning to warm the rest of them). In my rushing, I spilled something all over the range. So, with a pot-holder, I grabbed the all the grills, including the one on active burner, so I could clean around. No problem.

Then, without thinking and without protection, I randomly grabbed a grill to start putting them back again.

I picked the wrong one.

For a split-second, I heard

pssssssststsssstssstststssss

And then I yelled.

Learning from my dishwasher experience, I clenched bowls-full of ice for about an hour - while cooking, mind you! Because of that, I think, I managed to contain most of the injury to one small location.


Hot, no?


3) I realized I had acquired a small wart just below my cheekbone.

okokok, that's not the cleaning crew's fault.

But it's related to the rest.

See I got that super freeze burn treatment over the counter.

And I got a bit over zealous with zapping the wart away. I mean it was pretty damn small. But I figured I should freeze around it, as well.

Well, I went a whole lot around it.

After a week of healing, it's close to being normal.

But if that wart comes back, I'll be PISSED.

I am feeling uncomfortable.

I have some combined feelings of personal sadness and fears - the details of which I do not feel comfortable talking about here.

And that's sad, because I have often used this place as an outlet for my thoughts and fears.

But here I am once again with worries of abandonment and aloneness.

What's bringing this on?

I don't know - it's like the biorhythms of the world are dipping for a bit and I'm feeling it in my bones.

And now, I need to battle those emotions back down - use the confidences I've gained over these past months as leverage against the subtle dreads in my head.



It's really nothing very specific, very serious, or very new.

Or the fact that I wasn't out in the sun this weekend.

Or that I haven't gotten properly laid in a while.

In fact, it may just be that time of the month.

Or all in one.



Hmmm... did just this minor brush with John have a role to play in this?

Dunno. Probably.

I suppose if I could view John as someone who still cares about me - who maybe could offer some moral support or comfort - then I would be tempted to ask for a shoulder to lean on.

But he wants nothing to do with me or any of my problems, I'm sure.

And I suppose it's better that way.

I have to learn to be strong for myself (which I have been doing, I think). And I have to learn to share with others whom I trust.

This clip explains the post title:



Hmmm...

Watch this clip from the Daily Show last night, if you would. It's nothing special for the Daily Show, a typical funny opening bit.

But make it to the last minute and watch what I think is the most laughably irresponsible statement by a news "talking head" in quite a while. OK, considering the state of talking heads today, that's too strong a statement. But it's pretty far up there in the pantheon of idiotic pronouncements. And I'm so glad Jon Stewart caught it - because it deserves to be derided.




If you don't like Jon Stewart, for some bizzare reason, here's the clip of Erin Burnett on it's own:

"I think people should be careful what they wish for on China. You know, if China were to revalue its currency or China is to start making, say, toys that don't have lead in them or food that isn't poisonous, their costs of production are going to go up, and that means prices at Wal-Mart here in the United States are going to go up, too. So I would say China is our greatest friend right now. They're keeping prices low and they're keeping prices for mortgages low, too."

Wait wait wait... She really said this?

"If China is to start making... food that isn't poisonous... prices... are going to go up"?

While probably factually correct (making tainted food is no doubt cheap compared to food free of death), is she actually suggesting we please shut up and eat our low-cost death chow?

Is she completely mental?

I really hope what she meant to go for was "Hey look, don't paint China with too broad a brush, since they do produce low-cost goods. Of course, they need to balance cost and quality since we can't accept people dying in droves from those very same cheap goods."

To me, that sounds reasonable.

Otherwise... well, this is probably why I don't watch any news on TV - other than Daily Show and Colbert.

(BTW, you guys gave a bunch of relatively consistent comments regarding my last post, to which I responded - since I'm trying, again, to be a responding blogger. Of course, as some of you point out, I'm the only one who knows the whole reality, so I'll have to be the one to make the ultimate decisions. But even with that, your advice is both well-taken and appreciated.)
---

Back on Sunday, a few folks from the neighborhood group felt like going out to the RCC to do one of my favorite summer pastimes: lay out next to a pool with frozen drinks.

And we had a nice low-key time in the perfect summer weather.

One funny thing happened, though:

The drink server came by to deliver our drinks for us and I paid for my frozen margarita.

But at the instant I took the drink in my hand, something landed right on top of the straw.

I'm pointing at it here, though you can barely see it...

And I looked closely...

There staring back at me, not at all making moves to fly away was this...



I believe it's a dragonfly.

I turned the drink to look at it closely.

And it stayed there, just looking at me. Maybe for a minute or two.

I even got Bob (the neighborhood group's organizer) to snap those pictures.

It stayed put until I got up - trying to be gentle - to show some other folks behind me. At that moment, however, it lifted off and darted away, presumably to see what other drinks were being offered.

One of the guys behind me had been looking at the scene and informed me that, in fact, dragonflies are considered good luck in some cultures.

Well, I sure hope so - I could use some of that!

Does anyone know when it should kick in?

Or anything else about Dragonfly luck?

I'm just trying to maximize the potential here.

(happy HNT!)

So I’ve decided – once again – to pony up to the Manhunt bar. Thing is, I’m not expecting to have any more luck than before. I’m sure people are still the same bullshit artists they were a few months back.

You know… I might be insane. Isn’t insanity defined as repeating the same actions over and over while expecting different results?

Or maybe my goal is to do MH differently than before.

Anyways, literally the first day I decide to simply prowl around for a bit – not even pinging people, just looking around – I get one, and only one email with some guy opening up his “private” pics for me.

Now, it’s not like I expect to get flooded with mail just by appearing on the site – that’s not the issue. Few to no emails are normal for me there, especially if I don’t contact someone else to start something.

No, my issue was the person who sent the message.

It was my ex.

My only thought... "Oh for fuck’s sake!"

I literally flung my laptop closed and went to bed.


Now, I should point out, if it isn't obvious, that my Manhunt profile does not have any public pictures of my face. I don't know if I need to explain the reasons for this to anyone here or not :)

Now, if I were Kel (SF) or a few other bloggers I can think of, I’m sure I could have thought of some deliciously devious games I could play.

But, it’s only me…

All I could think to write back, the next morning, was:

“??!!??”

Don’t ask why. I don’t know.


The next night I saw his response:

“Not sure how to take that”

I emailed back that it was me.

And then the next day he emailed back that he supposed it was bound to happen.

And: “how are you?”

Nice pleasant banter.

And I felt a low bubbling up of my old submerged pissed-offedness.

It wasn’t very strong, my anger. Just a twinge really.

But I did feel that Manhunt is not a forum for me to have "friendly banter" with a guy that royally fucked me over.

I mean, if it were me on that end, and I wanted to try reconnecting, I would have shifted to regular email, at least. But that’s me.

As an aside, I find it bizarre that people would have any other conversations on Manhunt other than “what do you want to do, when, and where?” Maybe that explains my problems with Manhunt?

Regardless, this event brought up an issue I’d been thinking about for a little while.

It’s been over six months since I broke off all contact with John. Four, if you count the one time he tried contacting me in April.

And, in many ways, I feel like I’ve improved dramatically in those months.
I mean a lot and in many ways.

And finally, I feel mildly confident that maybe, just maybe, there is a future for me – sexually, love-wise, and even (someday?) work-wise.

And I’ve begun to think whether it would be a good idea to try to – gently – re-establish some kind of contact.

But I really worry it’ll just cause me to backslide again.

Of course, there is one possibility that makes it more likely that I’ll be ok with it.

See, if he’s on Manhunt so much these days – well… maybe things are going badly with the fuckwad he dumped me for. And since that relationship always felt like a continuous slap in the face to me, that person being jettisoned would probably make me feel less angry.

In fact, I’m pretty definite about that.


But I’m left to ponder… what to do? Let it all rest in peace? Attempt some reconciliation (remember, there’s also a child involved)? And if so, how do I protect myself from anger or getting myself hurt?

It’s all really just something that I’m just toying with in my head...

Did you know that among blog-feed aggregators, Google Reader will keep a permanent record of a post even after you delete it?

Well it does.

If you change the post, instead, I think it will actively change the post in the Reader - I'm not positive about that. But active deletion does not delete the post once it's in Google Reader's clutches.

I say this as a preface to an odd pair of missed connections posts.

OK, yes... I subscribe to Boston's missed connections in the hope that one day someone will "notice" me.

It's never happened. And frankly, I don't know if I want it to happen through the missed connections board.

Anyway, the idea is just to put up a post saying

Hey, I was at the liquor store on such-and-such road. I had on a green polo and black jeans. You were the hot built blond man - OMG, you look like Daniel Craig. You commented on my choice of vodka and flashed me a brilliant smile. If you're interested, ping me back! I'd like you shaken AND stirred.

And - hey who knows - maybe "Daniel" will read this post and ping you back through Craiglists' anonymous emails system.

But then there's occasionally people posting that clearly don't know what the board is for. Or maybe they're just bullshit artists.

Anyways, here's the bit about deleted posts and Google Reader.

The first post was deleted from Craigslist very quickly... (click the picture to make it bigger for reading)



And yet, a few days later comes this... (click the picture to make it bigger for reading)


... which was also deleted almost as fast.

I never know what to think with this kind of thing.

I'm assuming they're both bogus posts.

Well, especially the second one: "I need to see what's on that video." Mmmmm-hmmmm.

Then I think - Oh wow, what if it's real.

And then I think - It's totally not real.

And then I realize, this is what some people get off on - bullshitting the world because you can when it's all anonymous text.

Regardless, I'm wondering if, while looking for Daniel Craig to respond to my MC post, I'll see another installment of the painters' saga.

Odd post today. I guess it's a micro-rant... I dunno.

See, I stumbled upon this video...


In The Know: Should We Be Shaming Obese Children More?

Of course, this is The Onion, and therefore a parody... again, It's not a real panel.

As an aside, it really SEEMS like one, doesn't it?

And far from ridiculing the overweight (although eating the chocolate at the end...LOL!), it's ridiculing the brain-dead media. They are soooo good at that.

Think about it... if The Onion and the Daily Show/Colbert Report ever joined forces... They could probably overthrow all the dopey talking heads and actually bring sanity and responsibility back into the news.

Yeah, I know, dream on.

---
OK... but in regards to the substance of the video, you know what?

It's not far form truth.

Remember, I know that video was a spoof... but it sparked an old memory that I had kinda forgotten about.

See, back as a 10-year-old kid, when I was like 50 pounds overweight, my pediatrician - an actual trained MD that treats kids for a living, mind you - told my mom that I needed to be ridiculed relentlessly to force me to lose weight.

The more insults, the better.

That really WAS his answer.

Had he attempted any other advice in the past? A structured food plan? References to local weight loss clinics in the city? Anything?

No. Just mental abuse.

I remember hearing him tell her that and being terrified that my world was now and forever going to be a worse living hell than I had so far experienced.
---


Well... she didn't do that.

What she DID do was the responsible thing: get me the help I needed (it was one of these structured weight loss clinics) and supported me through it the whole time. And it worked. Within a year, I'd lost 40-50 pounds. I was transformed.

It's one of the best things she did for me ever - and in hindsight, I can never thank her enough for it.


(And come to think of it, I remember having a new pediatrician after that. Coincidence? I should ask...)
---


Now here's the thing - I don't know if that doctor's callous approach is really that unusual. Using derision and claiming it's for a person's own good seems to happen a lot.

It seems like many people actually get their jollies by ridiculing others. I mean, every time there's some obesity study, look just how quickly the videos of extremely obese stomachs and rear ends appear on the screen. Somewhere, deep inside, folks really get off on laughing at these people.

See, it's not that I don't think people should be forced to face such serious issues as weight and health - they really REALLY should.

It's that ridicule and derision without real help - CONSTRUCTIVE and USEFUL advice - is just abusive.

Actually, even with associated help, I'm not so hot on emotional abuse. I'd rather do it intervention style. It shows you care and you mean it.

The other way just shows that you're a minor-league sadist.


Trust me, I saw plenty of that as a kid.
---


And what made it become slowly unbearable? I really had no idea what to do or how to change things. None. I mean, I was ten years old, lost and alone. No clues, no instructions.

When I was a kid, there wasn't a damn thing that I knew about, really, to help give guidance. It was either eat normally and you'll be thin if that's you're genetic destiny, or if you're doomed, you'll just be fat. Those genetic losers (like I was, evidently) could only be thin if they eat only celery. That's what some folks told me. Seriously.

And that's all utter and complete bullshit.

And saying "just eat less and exercise" to someone is not enough - and actually slightly inaccurate ("eating smart" would be better, though not very descriptive).

It teaches nothing.

What are key foods? Problem food components? What are methods for changing what you have a taste for? What exercises are best - for beginners and, as you progress, for beyond? How do you retrain yourself for what can essentially become a brand new healthy, and hopefully happy, life?

No one - certainly not my pediatrician - had anything of such substance to offer.

What angers me about the advice that my doctor gave my mom was it was the absolute wrong advice. Make the child feel like he's living in hell, and then offer no way out.

What the fuck was he thinking?
---


But then my mom stepped up to the plate.

She was able to offer to me the some tools to begin restarting my life.

Only when I got guidance - REAL, DOABLE, COMPREHENSIVE, and SUPPORTIVE - did I begin the road to taking some control of my life. Slow and clunky, but I did begin to do that, little by little, year by year, learning just a little more each year. And, in bad periods like last year, I'd gain a bit of weight - until I'd had enough and worked it back off over time.

I kept learning - I'm still learning.


I have my mom to thank for that.
---


See, so it's funny how this spoof video brings me to remembering one of the best things my mother ever did for me.

And how I'm not actually sure I ever thanked her for it.

I'm making a note to do that right away.

When I was in Ptown last weekend, I really got a lot of sun.

Interesting thing about me, though. While I DO tan (I'd have to show the tan-line to prove it, though), my freckles tan as well.

I sometimes forget that I'm covered in freckles.

The sun really makes them pop out.

Arms and legs, face and lips, chest and stomch. Not so much my back and butt, though. Odd. Well, maybe they're there too but I don't stare at that part of me enough to notice them.

I used to HAAAAAAATE being freckled (like I used to haaaaate so much about me). I mean it was like yet another imperfection about me that made me feel less-than-gay-worthy.

Now I kinda don't care.

There is a mathematical discrepancy between the Biblical chronology of "six days" to create the world, plus the following 6,000 - 10,000 years of history leading up to the present, and scientific evidence stating the time from "creation" to today is 4.5 billion years.

To address this apparent contradiction, there is a common mode of thinking in the Judeo-Christian culture where the Biblical "six days" of creation actually refers a sort of God-Day. A God-Day would be like many hundreds of millions of our Earth years each. Thus when "human time" starts, 4,499,990,000 Earth years have already past.

And thus the statement "six days" is not wrong, no matter what any other evidence says.



Well, so maybe this is something like that.
(use the scroll-bar at the bottom of the time-line window to slide back to the beginning, then move forward.)

Speaking of time-lines (and because I idolize Jon Stewart for helping me to laugh - derisively - at these things)...

A good (if slightly money-draining) idea: Headed back to Provincetown for another weekend with terrific weather. Though, maybe a bit too much sun. Had to take a sick day on Monday, though I'm doing well now.

A great way to plunge into new friendships: For one night, I took up the offer of a couple, whom I met through our neighborhood gay social group, to stay at their place in town. I asked if they were serious, which they were. They were a little surprised at my boldness considering I had only met them a few times and, for all I knew, they could be axe-murderers. Well, they weren't and they were really great hosts. Also, I viewed it as a great way of building friendships and hope to return the favor in some way. I am too poor to have a house in Provincetown (or anywhere, for that matter), so I'll have to be more creative.

Gently treading the line between being supportive and putting myself out there as a potential date: A handsome man (friend of the couple I was staying with) had just had his husband of a few years toss him out of his life in a very similar way that my ex did to me. Relationship on the side, etc. But with a twist that was even worse than I had experienced. And it had all happened to him just in the past few weeks. No surprise that he was having a very hard time with it.

I offered my support from my own experiences.

He was also interested in me.

Normally, I would have taken the offer of hooking up with him - I liked him - without a worry. But I did worry... he was too raw... it might be dangerous for him too soon... might be prone to rebound-style affections... but sometimes alcohol dulls the worrier in me.

Nobody cares about your stupid blog: While waiting to buy drinks at the Boatslip Tea dance, I was talking with Phoenix about blogs. Well, all I was talking about was maybe using a blog template as a web centerpoint, along with google calendar, etc, for the neighborhood gay group. But we got a little techie when talking about it.

Hours later, a cute guy walks up to me at Purgatory and says,

"Hey I was behind you in line at the Boatslip. I just wanted to tell you that you're super hot but you shouldn't talk about blogging so much."

Since this is me, you can probably guess which half of that sentence I focused on. (Hint: the criticism)

Sometimes I really just need to laugh at myself. (hat-tip to Phoenix for that advice)

Meeting all sorts of people this weekend: This was like a "meet new guys" weekend. In addition to the above, I met a fun guy who is local to Massachusetts but after a while I thought I detected an accent - alcohol-induced, I believe. Suddenly he'd say words that sounded precisely like Kel in SF.

"You're from Texas," I said.

Slightly shocked and amused, he said, "How the hell did you know that? I left there in 1980," which started a whole new conversation.

I think this ability of mine might prove a good ice-breaker in the future.


Later, we were having a fun dinner outdoors with Phoenix, the no-longer-Texan, the owner of a nice guest house right in the center of town, and a few of their friends.

The no-longer-Texan and I go to the bathroom where he proceeds to joke around so much that I'm laughing. A cute guy - actually the word "adorable" comes to mind - is in the bathroom too and is laughing and smiling at me. Hmmm...

Turns out adorable-guy is sitting with a group of friends at the very next table. He looked over quite a few times. Really cute.


Are stars aligning or what?

Fast forward to the next afternoon. I'm boarding the fast ferry back to Boston. Who do I pass as he's picking up his luggage to get on the same boat? Adorable-boy. Hmmm....

While I say hi and chat for a moment, I'm still not good at initiating "next moves" when not in a bar. And, as usual, I assume there is no interest in me anyway.

The boat starts.

He comes over to where I'm sitting.
"Is that seat taken?" he asks.
"Nope, not at all."
"Mind if I join you?"
"Sure!"

We talk the whole way home.

We get off the boat in Boston and he wants to exchange numbers. OK so there's some interest in something.

When I'm off to hail a cab, he offers me a ride home.

I ask three times (which is a rule of mine with someone new) if he's sure.

He is.

We get to my house.

I get my bag out of the car.

I thank him and go to give him a "gay" kiss goodbye.

We kiss for real.

A few times.

Yeah, I guess there's interest. Go figure.

Though that ended there (I had an appointment in town I had to get to quickly), he made it clear he'd be interested in hanging out and stuff.

Hmmm...

My brain is spinning. So many new people - new ego-stroking (I was called "charming" at one point, which is a first) - and new possibilities.

And it's times like this that I am reminded that I have no idea how to do any of this... I'm still kinda winging it.

But practice makes perfect, I guess...



Oh yeah, no Jeff Stryker this time. Oh well.

Yes! Yes! Yes!!!

(And I damn well better be able to buy a frakking Wii by then!)

I have been completely out of the loop since Monday morning.

Hardly time to sit in front of a computer.

Can you believe it?!?

There's a few emails, etc, to which I haven't responded. Not for lack of interest, but for a lack of time to just sit down and read.

Will be back in gear soon.

Meanwhile... I juts noticed Flash Gordon is being done as a miniseries (or a series?) on the SciFi channel. Hmmmmm... Can't say that the trailer gets me all hot and bothered.

And, I mean, really, could they ever be able to top this classic??



(Heh heh... "GO, Flash, GO!!!")

I mean it seems like the guy playing Ming in the SciFi series doesn't even sound remotely like Max von Sydow. And, you know... he just HAS to sound like von Sydow.

But then again, I got hooked on Katie Sackhoff as Starbuck pretty damn quick, so who knows.