How BattleStar Galactica saved Science Fiction

In 1977, Star Wars reintroduced the world to the serialized space opera with groundbreaking results both creatively and financially. In the wake of this paradigm shift came a gaggle of embarrassing me-too projects both for film and television. Then there was Battlestar Galactica.

Battlestar Galactica was the brain-child of producer/writer/director Glen Larson. It was both a pastiche of the Star Wars formula, and a bizarre melding of wagon train and Egyptian mythology. The series chronicled the adventures of a “Rag Tag Fleet” running from the Cylons, a mechanized horde of robots lead by a human traitor; their destination is a mythical world called “Earth”.
Battlestar Galactica was a success both theatrically and on the television. Despite it’s campy acting and plot lines there was an endearing element in the quest of these characters. Battlestar Galactica never made any apologies for borrowing the character archetypes made so popular in Star Wars. Apollo is a dark haired Luke Skywalker, Sheba the strong female cut from the Princess Leia strand, and Starbuck as the charismatic scoundrel that Han Solo would surely approve of. Despite these obvious pastiches, Battlestar Galactica got away with it.

The death of Battlestar Galactica, however, was written in the stars. ABC has long argued it was declining ratings and cost overruns that killed the series. In reality, many argue, it was the budget which was in turn a function of the time. Motion control cameras and blue screen techniques were still a trial and error process at the time and despite the experienced staff in the Battlestar Galactica effects unit these sequences often ran over schedule and many times had to be reshot entirely. Clearly, producing big screen effects in the span and budget of a television production was not something the industry was ready for at the time.
After Battlestar Galactica was cancelled, the studio tried to resurrect the series with Glen Larsen, this time they sat certain parameters that doomed the show from the beginning: No new space battles would be filmed, only recycled footage could be used, and the original cast would be replaced by younger crew who had already made it to earth. A land locked Battlestar Galactica proved to have little appeal to fans of the original audience and it quickly died on the vine.
Battlestar Galactica continued to hold a very active cult following and after several failed big screen attempts, Producer Bryan Singer decided to take a hand at resurrecting the series with Sci-Fi channel and an international consortium of financiers. Contract obligations caused Singer to back out, but his momentum was enough for the project to continue under the guidance of Star Trek alum Ron Moore.
When the new Battlestar Galactica miniseres premiered many fans were outraged. It was billed as a “reimagining” taking only the best parts of the original series and turning some characters inside out. Several male characters, including the cliché chauvinist Starbuck, were now female. Cyclons would look like regular people, and the series would take a more political stance. Despite the nay-saying of Battlestar Galactica purists, the new min-series was a critical success and a long running series was locked in.

Since debuting in 2004, Battlestar Galactica has continued to gain accolades from the industry, the press, and fans, yet award recognition has been denied.

Much like its predecessor, Battlestar Galactica has managed to avoid the fact that it is merely a blending of several recent, well duplicated motifs in television history and stand alone in a way that brings legitimacy to the sci-fi genre by producing stories that are morally, politically, and creatively challenging.

- BuddyTV

So, if you want to find our more about Battlestar Galactica, you can visit these informational web sites Battlestar Galactica or BuddyTV Television

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Curb The TV Habit In 3 Easy Steps
So you're not quite ready to throw the TV away, but you're limiting the time spent viewing television in your home? Here are some easy tips that have worked for me.

1) Identify when and why you watch and change your habits

Do you usually turn the tube on when you get home from work? Why? Do you turn it on in the late afternoon when the kids get home? Why?

Sometimes the TV goes on when we're tired or bored. If you're tired, you either need to: get more sleep or get more exercise. So instead of automatically flipping on the television, why not go for a 10 minute walk to refresh yourself? Or, take a nap!

If you're turning on the TV to "zone out" and decompress after a busy day, try developing a new, healthier habit.

Some examples:

Brew a nice cup of hot tea and drink it slowly.
Write in a journal.
Put your feet up on the couch and listen to music.
Do crossword puzzles (a recent study showed that people who do crosswords on a regular basis are less likely to get Alzheimer's disease.)

2) Make TV watching inconvenient.

A TV does not belong in the bedroom! Keeping one there is bad for a marriage and bad for your love life! It also contributes to insomnia. Put the television in an inconvenient place like the basement. Unplug it. Cover it with a blanket.

3) Give up cable.

I decided a long time ago that I would never have cable. I can think of about a thousand other ways to spend $50 a month (Starbucks, anyone?) plus my husband would probably spend all his time watching the Discovery channel instead of talking to me!

If you live in a semi-rural area, you might not even get any channels if you cancel your cable service. But that would be a good thing if you're trying to limit TV! You can use the TV as a "movie machine" and rent DVDs so that you can at least control the content better.

Here's to turning off the TV and turning on life!

InsteadofTV.com is a valuable resource for families wanting to kick the TV habit. Sign up for your free "101 Things To Do Instead of TV" at www.InsteadofTV.com

6 Simple Tips To Help Potty Train Your Puppy
Potty training also known as toilet or house training is the art of teaching your puppy where you want him to relieve himself. Sound simple! Not exactly, at least to me and many dog owners out there. Potty training my puppy gives me the most problems and headaches when I start to house train my first puppy years ago.

It seems that my puppy is always either in the wrong place at the right time, or the right place at the wrong time! Nevertheless, over the years, after much experiments and reading up, I’ve manage to come out with 6 simple tips to help potty train your dog.

1. Try to feed your puppy on a regular schedule and remove his water supply before bed time. His potty timing would be more predictable and consistent.

2. Puppy usually instinctively wants to relieve itself after feeding, sleeping, playing and confinement. Bring him to your designated area for his potty business after such activities.

3. Do not let your puppy wander off without supervision, potty training aside, it is dangerous for a young puppy to wander around by itself. Confined it in an area where you can see to prevent accidents and reward desired behaviors.

4. Be vigilance and always be on the look out. When you see your puppy sniffing and running around in circles, bring him to your designated spot immediately.

5. Give a command to help your dog associate the potty action with. For example, “Do it now” or “Go Potty”.

6. When he is doing his potty business, praise and reward. Praise and reward again after he’s finished.

Following these tips should help you considerably in potty training your puppy.

About the Author

Moses Chia is a dog lover and owner of DogsObedienceTraining.com – The dog training resource site for a happier and healthier dog. You are welcome to reprint this article if you keep the content and live link intact.

Online degrees - specially suited to adults looking to improve their employment prospects
No longer is a university degree only available by physically attending university lectures, seminars and tutorials. Now you can work for your degree 100% online, never setting foot into the hallowed halls of learning unless you choose to.

There are universities that offer Bachelors and Masters degrees online. You can even get a Doctorate 100% online. You have a very wide choice of subject, as wide as if you physically attended the institution.

The online degree has the advantage that you can work at it in between your parenting or other commitments. You can keep up the day job, while studying for your degree in the evenings or at weekends. This option is a really attractive one for adults looking to increase their long-term employment options.

You can get an Online degree from many traditional universities, including Harvard and Yale. There are other universities and colleges that only have online courses. Some of these universities are accredited universities, others are not.

If you apply to a non-accredited institution future employers are unlikely to look favorably on your qualification. This is because some of these non-accredited "universities" are nothing more than printing shops, churning out degrees as the cheques roll in. Everyone has seen the ads for these so-called degrees - "The Get your doctorate next week" type ads.

There have been cases of prominent scientists losing their posts because their degree was exposed to come from one of these non-accredited institutions that produce totally worthless degrees and doctorates.

There are "Life-Experience" degrees where you gain credit for what you have learned in your job over the years, including for experience gained by staying at home and looking after the kids. Treat these especially with extreme caution and don't shell out your money too easily. If it's that easy to get a degree then it really is not worth the paper it is printed on.

The author is an ex-teacher who now makes a living helping people to decide about their broad educational objectives. He has a website that has more details of some of the available options.

Adult Acne
Acne is bad enough when it strikes with puberty. But when it continues or strikes again in adulthood, it can be a real nuisance. Acne is a skin condition that usually begins around the time of puberty. More than eighty percent of teenagers and preteens will develop acne to some extent. But it can affect people of every age, gender, and race. It affects both males and females, but boys are more likely to have severe acne and to have acne that continues into adult acne.

The scientific name for the condition is acne vulgaris because acne usually strikes in plainly visible locations such as the face, neck, chest and back. Acne is an age old problem that has likely been plaguing people of all ages for centuries.

What Causes Adult Acne?

Acne is an inflammation of the skin that can form in adulthood just as easily as it forms in pubescence. Acne is caused by a number of factors. Contact with an oily substance such as mineral oil, vegetable oil, or petroleum is a common cause of acne, as is the use of certain medications and steroids. However, acne is most often cause by the secretion of androgens. Acne occurs most often to teens and preteens because these androgens are initially secreted at the onset of puberty. But these sex hormones are secreted into adulthood as well and can continue to cause problems with acne. Poor dietary habits and lack of exercise also contribute to adult acne.

Androgens are male sex hormones but they are secreted by females as well. Androgens stimulate the production of oil from the skin's oil glands. Acne occurs when these oil glands become overactive and the exit from the gland is blocked, causing the oil to build up in the gland and swell. A bacteria called Propionibacterium acnes normally colonizes this swollen gland causing the development of inflammation and pus. In particularly severe cases, the glands may burst into the skin and produce cysts.

How Do I Treat Adult Acne?

Over ninety percent of acne patients, both teens and adults, respond to treatment, although the treatment may need to be
continued for months or even years. Here are a few of the most common herbal, homeopathic, and traditional methods that can be used to treat adult acne.

Keith Londrie II is experienced with adult acne of all kinds. He has put up an informative web site at acne-solution-treatments.info/ Please feel free to drop by the web site to learn more about acne. Keith E. Londrie II infoserve @ mchsi.com