Hong Kong 2011

Home sweet home!! I am finally back from three weeks of holidays in Hong Kong, BAGllelujah!! I miss writing to all my friends and do I have some exciting stuff to tell the masses about Hong Kong.

For the first week, I stayed at the "Butterfly on Prat", a Hong Kong boutique hotel in the Tsim Sha Tsui district. I wanted my freedom, so I didn't tell my mom and dad I was in Hong Kong, am I asking for trouble or what?? Ha!! Ha!!

The hotel was great, very central, clean, modern, and the room was bigger than I expected!! Lots of shopping, restaurants, and I was surrounded by bars, BAGllelujah!!! Five minutes away from the subway station, how convenient!!

The exchange rate was one dollar Can. to eight dollars Hong Kong, I am in cloud nine!! To B.A.G., it is party times eight, ha!! Ha!! I can shop till I drop, and then crawl to the next store and shop again, ha!! Ha!! I can eat like a king and party all night long, and still have money for a midnight snack.

The weather was cool, so a light jacket was all I need. What a perfect time to be in Hong Kong!! I thought I was in paradise, until I realized that I have to pay for all these vice when I get back to Vancouver. Oh well, life is just too short, hooray for plastic!!!! B.A.G. will deal with it whenever, ha!! Ha!!

Chinese New Year Turnip Cake "Law Bok Gow", YUMMY??????????????

Every Chinese New Year, I would get my BUTT off the couch and make my famous Turnip Cake "Law Bok Gow". Oh, "famous" meaning in my own deluded mind that is, ha!! Ha!!

I always make around 10 to 12 boxes, and give them to my friends. Everybody loves them, but I don't know if it is free food that they like or do my Turnip Cake really taste good.

You know how people are, they are just too polite to tell you your food really suck. I have no problem with telling anybody about what I do not like, because I do not want that person making that dish ever again!!

One of my friend wanted to try making orange chicken, so after two hours of intense cooking, dinner was served. My brother and I took a bite of the chicken, and like a shotgun, we spitted it out so fast that I nearly took out my friend's eye, ha!! Ha!! We told our friend never to make that shit again, and that was that. If my brother and I were polite, we would still be eating that shit today!!

I hate hearing contestants on American Idol telling the judges that they have been singing since two years old and that all their friends and family love their singing.  Nobody sings when they are two, come on!! Friends and family are most likely tone deaf, and all of them are just too polite to tell you to sit down and let somebody else sing for awhile. Truth hurts, thank god!! I say, it is better to hurt you than to hurt me, ha!! Ha!!    

 

Change - For Better or Worse? - Part two

I am back!!! Do not even ask what happened, because it will take at least two pages to explain. Just be happy that B.A.G. is back and ready to rant.

So, I was in Roger Video being sad about the closing of my beloved corner video store, when suddenly, the devil or angel, who knows which, kicked me in the butt and reminded me there is a sale going on.

In a flash, I was running around the store picking up "2012" (I am in this one!), "Ninja Assassin", "Gunless", "Macqruber" (Don't even ask!), "Robin Hood" (God, Russell looks fat!), "Predators", "Repomen", "Karate Kid" (I thought Karate came from Japan, why is the kid in China learning Kung Fu??), "The Last Airbender" (OMG! WTF! BORING and BAD at the same time!!), "Watchmen" (I am in this one too!), "Star Trek" (Out of this world!), "Million Dollar Baby" (Heard it is good, will see it soon.), and a lot more!!! After an hour, I had stacks of DVDs on hold behind the counter, and then I started on the game section, Go B.A.G. Go!!!

I had 20 DVDs and games in my arms, foaming at the mouth, when someone tapped me on the shoulder. I think I was growling when I looked up to see my wife and daughter staring at me. They saw my car outside and came in to say hello, but at that moment, they were reinforcements!! I briefed them on the situation and off we went hunting down every aisle.

Another hour passed by and our stacks of DVD were so high, I needed an axe to chop them down. Finally, we were done picking, now we need to decide which ones to buy. Life is so hard sometimes, do I keep "Grown Ups" or "Sex in the City 2"? Do I throw "Furry Vengeance" back and buy "Cop Out"? Should I hold on to "The Bounty hunter" and just say no to "The Back-up Plan"?

                                  
       Leo Chiang - Tattooed Pilot on BSG on set with B.A.G.


At the end of the day, we left Rogers with about 50 DVDs and 10 games, and big smiles on our faces. I know my wallet is $500 lighter, but at around $8.00 for "Star trek" or "Watchmen", I am laughing to the bank. You ask, do I need all those DVDs and games? Well, not really, I do not need them, but I want them!! Why do I work so hard for, if not for what I want!!

I got home and I started to phone all my friends about the sale, hey what are friends for?? Ha!! Ha!!

O.k., here comes the moral of the story. One week later when I was at BAGminton, I was still telling people about the sale, ha!! Ha!! Then my friend Larry told me that Rogers lost a lot of money in those first two days, because somebody at the head office made a mistake of putting all the new DVDs on sale too. In one location, it took one day for the customers to clear out the whole new release section, which according to inside information, they lost ten thousand dollars just at that location for that one day. On the third day, the blunder is corrected, but the damage were done already. Somebody is getting a spanking at the head office, oops!!!

I guess "change" in this case is better, because it was better for me, ha!! Ha!! Capitalizing on somebody else mistakes were very satisfying this time, so one up for B.A.G., ha!! Ha!!

Change - For Better or Worse? - Part One

Walking by Roger Video the other day, and was stop dead by the sign in the window. It said "Closing - up to 75% off"!!!!!!!

My first reaction was "sadness", not so much this location is closing, but it seems like another thing that I grew up with is disappearing. Cassette tapes, vinyl records, Playboy magazine, and soon my beloved corner video store would be a thing of the past.

The day I give up on life would be the day they stop printing books, because the feel of a book in my hands is like hugging my friend. Where reading from a machine makes me feels like I am talking to a blowup doll.

I looked at the sign, had a moment of silence, and my second reaction kicked in. A sale!! 75% off!! I was in the store faster than you can say Mississippi!! Once in the door, I asked the beautiful clerk "what happened?". Apparently Netfick bought Roger Video and some locations are closing down. I guess downloading is in and DVDs are out, dam it!!

I guess things change, and things move forward, and life goes on, but is it for the better?

After I read a book, I can close my eyes and remember it's cover, the feel of the book in my hands, the smell of the pages, and most of all, that one book is mine, all mine!!

What do I get from a Kindle?? Well, when I close my eyes, I can remember a picture on a flat screen, the feel of plastic and metal, the smell of plastic and metal, and most of all, I don't own a book, I just have a copy of a book in my hard drive.

In our throw away society, I don't even have to throw away the book, I just need to press a button and it will be deleted. I care and I love my books, but why would I care about 38KB on my Kindle??

Here ends Part One, and I hope you enjoyed the pictures of my beloved library, 1500 books and counting!!!

Stargate Universe "Visitation" - Part Three

Hey, I am back!!! I haven't written for a long time, so let's just say I was on vacation, o.k.??? I also was very upset with the axing of SGU, so no joke, I didn't really wanted to write, sorry. Now I am ready to continue my story, so let's go, BAGllelujah!!

It was in this deleted infirmary scene, on August, 12th, 2010, lying down in the infirmary, when Will (the director) introduced Mr. Joe Mallozzi to me. Joe then told me, B.A.G. had lots of fans and asked if he can interview me for his Blog. I was speechless, but was able to find my voice to say "O.K.!!".

After Joe left, I asked Will why I was being killed off.

Will answered "Bill, this is SF, we can bring you back anytime we want, and we will never show you dead on film, just some blankets over some bodies".

For the rest of the day, my hope was up for a miracle come back, I was on cloud nine, surprised and kind of stunned!!

The 21st of August was coming up fast, so on the 16th I reminded Will that I was going to be out of town on the 21st.

Will replied "Don't worry about it, we will just get you a body double, and put a blanket over him all the time."

Where did B.A.G. go on the 21st? That is the question!!! It is also another reason why B.A.G. couldn't be dead on the planet, because he was not even there, ha!! Ha!! The body double froze to death, not B.A.G.!!

Here is the kicker, B.A.G. was in Vegas at the time!! Ha!! Ha!!

My mom and dad were having their 50th Wedding Anniversary on the 22nd, and they invited the whole Butt clan to Vegas for four days. We stayed at the Bellagio, ate like pigs, shopped till we dropped, and partied like there was no tomorrow.

Wouldn't it be funny to show a split screen of the "Faith" crew freezing on one side, and on the other, B.A.G. is partying it up with strippers, eating at the buffet, and dancing the night away? Ha!! Ha!! I think that would be hilarious!! That sure explain why B.A.G. couldn't be dead, BAGllelujah!!!

                            
                                            Cool petite BAGuette

Stargate Universe "Visitation" - Part Two

Let's see, where did I left off? Oh yes, I was running away from the actors, ha!! Ha!!

August, 19th, 2010 was the day the famous Herbert Summerfeld joined us on set, what a treat! Herbert is an extremely nice guy, a real professional, always a gentleman, and according to the girls, he is not too bad to look at either.

While we were sitting around the tent talking about B.A.G., I mentioned that lots of people on Gateworld were asking about my real name. At that time I was not on Gateworld, because I was still trying to get a grip on the whole B.A.G. thing. Herbert said he was on Gateworld and he would be happy to announce my real name to the world. I was apprehensive at first, but gave into all the positive comments from all the background performers in the peanut gallery. Therefore, I have to credit my emergence on Gateworld to Herbert Summerfeld, my friend and the best dam background performer/actor in the world. Thanks Herb, from your humble servant!!!!!!

Don't all actors just hate editing sometimes? Most of the time, editing just means cutting out scenes, or in my case, my scenes!!!! I bet anyone $20.00 that it is possible to make two more episodes from the film that is on the editing room floor, any takers?

There was one whole scene that was cut from "Visitation", and dammit, Dr. Lisa Park was holding my hand. The scene was in the infirmary, where we the "Faith survivors" were all being cared for before we hit the body BAGs. Ha!! Ha!! Sorry, I just had to slipped that one in, I am bad.

There were lots of cast and background running around trying to help us, but there were nothing they can do except to make us as comfortable as possible. Some were under sheets dead already, some dying on their beds, and I was the only one still sitting on the side of my bed with a blanket over my shoulders. I was shaking like a tree, holding the blanket close to my chest, and trying to look miserable. Dr. Lisa Park came over and took my temperature, while Lt. Tamara Johansen whispered to Colonel Young that there is nothing more she can do for us.

I am sorry, but I have to stop writing for now. I just found out that SGU got axed!! There are no words to describe my feelings at this moment, so I will continue in Part Three.

                                               Fans for life

                                                         BAGuettes                                                    

Stargate Universe "Visitation" - Part One

Wow, the wait is over and like a penned up fart, I can finally let the big one go. I can finally talk about "Visitation"!!!

Tuesday, November, 23rd, 2010, Stargate Universe - "Visitation", the most anticipated episode in the world was aired on Syfy. O.k., maybe the world did not hold their breath waiting, but most SF fans were on the edge of their seats waiting. Well, maybe not most SF fans, but just some crazy, diehard Stargate fans and B.A.G. fans were, ha!! Ha!!

Ever since August, 12th, 2010, I have been dying to talk about my appearance and my questionable demise on "Visitation". Now, I can without restrain, and just let it rip!!

I was asked to be on "Visitation" back in late July, 2010, and was told filming will begin early August. Information were vague, 4 to 5 days, in the studio and maybe one day back on location. Obviously, I said yes, because I would be on my favorite show and why would I turn down 5 days of work. It was late July that I found out the dates were on August 12th, 13th, 16th, 19th and 21st, which didn't sit very well with me. I've told my agent a long time ago that I won't be in town from the 21st of August for five days, so what to do? I was told they still want me and they are going to decide what to do depends how the shooting goes.

Well, August 12th onward were like a dream to me, because after finding out about B.A.G., I was on cloud nine. All the background performers were talking to me about B.A.G. and making all these funny B.A.G. jokes.  I can't stop smiling and didn't know how to deal with people when they came up to talk to me.

We were having lunch and when I was walking behind the actor's table, Patrick Gilmore turned around and talked to me.

He said "Hi, I am sorry, what's your name?"
I said "Bill", while we shook hands.
He then asked me "Do you know you have lots of fans?"
I answered "These fans are so funny, I am just having a lot of fun with it."
Alaina Huffman, Ming Na, and David Blue all laughed and Mr. Gilmore said "That is great, good luck to you." I replied "Thank you!", and left quickly, because I am sure my face was red, and I just don't know how to react to people paying attention to me.

Here ends Part One, because I have to go to bed, so until Part Two!!!