Open B5 questions

[grumbler]

Originally posted by WorkerCaste
In many histoiries, the authors tend to take certain, well-known things for granted when they write. In the case of coffee beans, the unfortunate discovery of Ricardo Valdez (decendent of Juan) is rarely noted. Shortly after the Centauri sold gate technology to Earth, Mr. Valdez decided to apply his great wealth to travelling amoung the stars. He took with him a great store of coffee beans, being highly addicted to the beverage at the foundation of his families fortune. He also brought with him all the equipment necessary to roast the beans, money being no object. After the first jump, however, he made a most unwelcome discovery. Hyperspace adversely affects the beans. The resulting brew was so revolting, it bore no resemblence to any coffe brewed on Earth. Mr. Valdez spent much of his travellings trying to perfect transportation of the beans through hyperspace, but never did succeed. He did find that the plants can be transported with no harm, but given the limited places where those plants can be grown and harvested, this was of limited application.

Now, see, here is a man using his noodle. I like this, even if it is completely nosensical, because it makes sense of The Canon, which is more sacred than is common sense.

[grumbler]

Originally posted by Capt.Montoya
IIRC the stated reason for no real coffee on B5 was shipping weight, only the freeze-dried instant coffee was readily available.

I don't recall any "stated reason." I would welcome correction on this.

An additional issue could have been the amount of waste that used coffee grounds would produce.

Don't know of any garbage issue on B5. links would be great, otherwise i can just say you are at least thinking, and may be right.

Similarly there were no fresh eggs, but Marcus managed to get real eggs and bacon for Ivanova.
So it's likely that real coffee could be smuggled, or imported at a very high price.

God, do I know about eggs and milk being short. Been there, done that. Stale eggs give the worst, and the smelliest, gas problems one can imagine.

Anyone else here salty enough to recognize the term "daisy milk"? the strawberry flavor was so bad that it was saved to use in "crossing the line" ceremonies. (shudder)

But to keep with the canon I'd go with the idea of a genegineered (or specially bred) coffee plant, made to grow fast and be of small size.
This would mean that Ivanova took coffee roasting lessons at one time on her life, and somehow got hold of a compact roaster.

Laurel as well, since she started that bit of canon.

But this speculation on the coffee grounds waste made me wonder of something else:

How did B5 dispose of trash?
Just send it to burn on the atmosphere of Epsilon 3? I don't remember this issue being adressed in the series.

JMS was so proud of showing toilets in space that he didn't have the heart top drive the garbage spike home on his competition.

[Night Marshal]

In the ep where Garibaldi made the Bagna Cauda does anyone know what the other thing he made?

[Jan]

Originally posted by grumbler
JMS was so proud of showing toilets in space that he didn't have the heart top drive the garbage spike home on his competition.

Actually, at one point he did intend to have an environment tech character but is seems to have never happened.

Jan

[Jan]

Originally posted by Night Marshal
In the ep where Garibaldi made the Bagna Cauda does anyone know what the other thing he made?

I don't recall any other items in that episode. He made pasta another time as I recall, though.

Jan

[Night Marshal]

I seem to remember it was white-yellow cubes of some kind. but I don't know what they were and I know it wasn't the thing that john made for Delen

[Jan]

Originally posted by Night Marshal
I seem to remember it was white-yellow cubes of some kind. but I don't know what they were and I know it wasn't the thing that john made for Delen

Could it have been bread? As I recall, Bagna Cauda is a fondue-style dish and they were dipping bread cubes into it. I may need to check my B5 cookbook when I get home, though.

Jan

[circularREASON]

i'm still drooling....

[Dr Maturin]

<<In the ep where Garibaldi made the Bagna Cauda does anyone know what the other thing he made?

-

I don't recall any other items in that episode. He made pasta another time as I recall, though.>>

I think he is referring to the dessert:

Michael: ...just wait for dessert.

Stephen: Wait, I didn't approve dessert.

Michael: Well, then, you can't have any.

I passed the ep a few weeks ago and I am on Comes the Inquisitor tonight.

EDIT: As for what they were dipping in the baugna cauda, it was probably figasa bread, the greatest tasting bread on Earth.

[grumbler]

NP. Thought I had read to the end, but hadn't.

[bakana]

Recycling was mentioned in passing several times.

But, only in passing: JMS took it for granted, so it never became a plot element, unless you count the Carrion Eaters.

Pak'ma'ra quarters = The ultimate Recycling plant.

Why do you Think they were hanging around?

Wanted: Environmental Technician.
Excellent Salary.
Added Benefit: all the Garbage you can eat.
Send resume to Babylon 5 personnel office.

[wataru]

Does anyone know what happened to the son of sheridan and delenn. Molari gave sheridan a present to give to his son on his sixteenth birthday, and inside there was a keeper.
At the end of the series 5, nothing is said about this any more....
The same goes for the keeper on molari. How comes the Drakh did not put one on vir after molari died?

[Jan]

Originally posted by wataru
Does anyone know what happened to the son of sheridan and delenn. Molari gave sheridan a present to give to his son on his sixteenth birthday, and inside there was a keeper.
At the end of the series 5, nothing is said about this any more....
The same goes for the keeper on molari. How comes the Drakh did not put one on vir after molari died?

Welcome, Wataru!

Those are questions that everybody wondered after the series ended. They're answered in detail in the Centauri Prime Trilogy written by Peter David. You find out more about Londo's wife, Timov, too, and other loose ends are tied off.

I highly recommend it!

Jan

[KoshN]

Originally posted by Jan

Those are questions that everybody wondered after the series ended. They're answered in detail in the Centauri Prime Trilogy written by Peter David. You find out more about Londo's wife, Timov, too,

Don't forget Mariel. She figures prominently in the trilogy. Don't remember if Daggair was in it, though.

Originally posted by Jan
I highly recommend it!

As do I !!!

Plus, Garibaldi gets to utter one of his best lines of all time. (NOBODY SAY IT, OK?)

[Dr Maturin]

<<Don't remember if Daggair was in it, though.>>

Mentioned. They ask Mariel if she thinks Daggair would be interested in working as a spy.