The Lost Art of the Pun

Due to the execrable state of English language usage, one of the dying arts is that of the pun. This use of word play has been relegated to eye-rolling attempts at humor. Here is one by the great Groucho Marx that I came across recently. It is very good!

Time flies like an arrow; fruit flies like a banana.

Happy New Year!

Has Happy Holidays Gone Too Far?

This is the time of year (well, it was until December25th) when many in our politically correct society painstakingly avoids saying, "Merry Christmas" and instead use the generic, "Happy Holidays." Now I can understand the thinking that December is a month filled with many holidays including, Christmas, Hanukkah, New Years', Festivus, and who knows what else.

However, I must take exception when someone dressed up as Santa Claus says, "Happy Holidays." I mean he is Santa for crying out loud! If you see a picture of a menorah or dreidel, you would expect to see the phrase Happy Hanukkah. Why should one of the principle representations of Christmas have to deny, or at best water down, the specific holiday he represents?!

Okay, my rant is done. Happy Holidays and Merry Christmas!

Star Wars Cross-Promotion

I just wanted to let you know that I've made a new blog entry over on the official Star Wars Web site. You can check it out with this link: http://blogs.starwars.com/JediRob7/8

The BCS Farce

I love it. Number one Missouri and number two West Virgina lost yesterday and has sent the country into a tizzy. No one know who will be playing in the national title game, even after all the regular season has ended. The obvious conclusion for any sane person is that the BCS is a bunch of BS.

Let's look at the three arguments that the SEC commissioner, overseer of the BCSBS, raised prior to this weekend:

1. Preserve the regular season - The most common argument is that the regular season of college football is the best of any American sports and that a playoff system will make the regular season less important. However, since only the top two teams are in the "playoff" usually a single loss will forfeit a team's chance for the postseason. Thus, teams will schedule cupcake out-of-conference games to improve the chances of an undefeated season. Michigan has already said they would never schedule a game against a 1-AA team ever again after losing to Appalachian State. You won't see an exciting game like that ever again thanks to the BCSBS. Maybe Michigan will schedule a contest against a high school team. Won't that be riveting football?

2. Protect the bowl system - The second argument is that the existing bowl system must be preserved. To translate that into English, the huge profits made by companies off the effort of college athletes must be protected. In other words, protect the big money, the corrupt system. They can try to trot out the legacy and heritage of the system, but lets look at reality. The Rose Bowl began in 1902, five major bowls in 1940, eight major bowls in 1960, and eleven in 1970. The system has now inflated to a ridiculous thirty-two bowls. Aside from the vacation for the teams and their fans, the bowl game has no real importance. Does it really matter if you lose a bowl game? The importance is making it to a bowl game. What exactly is so great about this system, aside for those who profit from them?

3. The Student Athlete. This is probably the most laughable argument that is practically undeserving of a response. In major football programs, the players are there to play football, not to get an education. Every one knows this. This is not debatable. The reason they go to class, declare a major, keep decent grades, is because the NCAA forces them to. To play football you have to go to class. The current system disgusts me because of all the people who make money off of college athletes while they receive little compensation. Some may argue they get a free education, but the football powerhouse schools are not the best academic schools. Furthermore, the coursework students take must be light so they can focus on football.


4. No Perfect System. The final argument, which shows just how indefensible the BCSBS really is, is that a playoff system (or other proposal) will still have schools complaining about not being in the postseason. What the argument fails to recognize is that there is a big difference between school number three versus school number nine or seventeen.

College 1-A football is one of the only sports in America without a playoff system. Beauty pageants have better methods of determining its winner. This is a travesty because college football is also one of the most competitive sports. If you ask me, there are only three choices:

1. Have a playoff with more than just two teams. This is the right choice. The only one that makes sense. Read this article for a great idea on how this could work: The Wetzel Plan.

2. Replace the BCSBS with a lottery. Rather than try to pretend that some combination of polls and calculations can determine the best teams (need I refer to the last two presidential elections on the accuracy of such methods?), let's just do a pure lottery. The teams with the best records get more chances to win. If you want to "keep the regular season exciting" and still generate all the talk about the post season, do a lottery. Many sports fans are gamblers anyway (more profiteers from college athletes).

3. Go back to the way things were. If you can't or won't have a playoff, lets just do away with the farce of the BCSBS. It's obvious under the current system that we still don't know who the top two teams are in college football.


For a laugh: How the BCS Works

For more laughs: SEC Commish on College Playoff

Pixar's New Projects

We are finally getting some clues about Pixar's releases after next summer's Wall-E. In 2009 we will see Up, which is an action adventure story starring an 80-year old man. It will be directed by Pete Doctor, who also did my personal favorite Pixar movie, Monsters, Inc.

In 2010 (are you ready for this?), Toy Story 3 will premier. You may have heard that Disney was in pre-production for this second sequel back when they were negotiating a contract with then-independent Pixar. When Lasseter and company merged with the Mouse, they quickly pulled the plug on the "Buzz is recalled" storyline. Lee Unkrich, who co-directed Toy Story 2 with Lasseter, will be the solo director on this project. I'm usually not a fan of sequels, but considering how much better number two was over the original, I expect Toy Story 3 will not disappoint!

Oh, and we also have a release date for Wall-E: June 27, 2008. That will be one weekend before the Fourth of July holiday weekend.

Bee Movie Is a C

My wife, son, and I saw Dreamworks' latest animated movie, Bee Movie, staring Jerry Sienfeld. It was an entertaining film and definitely toddler friendly, so I appreciate that aspect. However, the premise of a bee suing mankind for stealing honey is funny but so ridiculous that you never really end up believing in the film. On more than one occasion I had to roll my eyes and wonder what the heck the filmmakers were thinking with some of the scenes.

Perhaps not coincidentally, we recently bought and have watched a number of times Pixar's Ratatouille. Comparing the two films is like comparing a nice steak to a Quarter Pounder with cheese - there really isn't any comparison. Pixar makes films that will endure for generations to come whereas most of Dreamworks works will fade from memory.

I can't wait for Pixar's next release, WallE, that comes out next summer.

Vandy Beats #6 South Carolina!

These are the days for which Vandy fans live. Many of us have learned to live with victories like this for an entire season, or sometimes much longer. For the first time in seventy years, Vandy has beaten a sixth ranked team. That previous victory was a 7-6 win against LSU in 1937. This is also Vanderbilt's first victory against coach Steve Spurrier, who began his fourteen game streak as the Duke coach in 1987. Not enough sevens for you? Well how about the final score today: 17-6.

It is the first victory against the Gamecocks since 1999 when Widenhofer was the head coach. South Carolina is now out of contention for the national title since they now have two losses. It is the second upset of the week with number two South Florida falling to Rutgers on Thursday night.

Coach Bobby Johnson has put together a great football team. It is hard not to be excited as a Vandy time. We beat Tennessee in 2005, Georgia in 2006, and now #6 South Carolina with still plenty of games left in the season. This is even more impressive considering all of Vandy's opponents in the SEC East division are in the top 25 this week.

The 'Dores need two more wins to be bowl-eligible, which is something they haven't been since 1982. The path won't be easy. The remaining conference games are against Florida, Kentucky, and Tennessee. Out of conference games are against Miami of Ohio and Wake Forest. Still there is a chance and a hope and that is all a Vandy fan needs.

Read more at my Vandy Football site.

Thoughts on the Vandy-Georgia Game

It was another heartbreaking loss for yours truly and the fellow Vanderbilt fans (the few but faithful). Vandy was leading 17-10 at the half, just like South Florida was against Rutgers last night. Unfortunately, both Vandy and South Florida suffered defeat when the game was over.

In hindsight, I am still proud of how the Commodores played during this nationally televised game. Unlike Vandy teams from a few years ago, we did not seem like an inferior team. There weren't many boneheaded calls or head shaking blunders in play execution. Granted the two fumbles we had, especially the one by Jackson-Garrison in the UGA red zone late in the fourth quarter, were very costly. But even the best of teams can fumble the ball a couple of times. Match that with only four penalties for 16 yards and you have a pretty good game.

QB Chris Nickson continues to have a disappointing year, going only two-of-five for a paltry six yards. The good news is that sophomore Mackenzie Adams had a strong showing with seven completions on ten throws for 125 yards and 46 yards rushing including a 21 yard run. I strongly disagree with Coach Johnson's decision to swap quarterbacks throughout the game. Adams was clearly having the better game and putting in Nickson just disrupted the flow and caused many three-and-outs.

D.J. Moore was very impressive with his kickoff returns and the double-reverse touchdown with Walker in the first half. On defense, senior middle linebacker Jonathan Goff continued to show why he is considered one of the top five linebackers in the upcoming NFL draft. He racked up 14 tackles, including 12 solos.

There was some confusion in the press following the game. Initial reports had that UGA coach Mark Richt and Coach Johnson were yelling at each other during the post-game handshake. In reality, it was Richt yelling at his players to stop dancing on the Vanderbilt star logo at mid-field as it was unacceptable and disrespectful behavior. I have a lot of respect for Richt and I suppose I should be upset at this incident. But the way I see it, for the Bulldogs to do that means we had them worried about losing this game. They didn't see us as the doormat of the SEC. I like that.

Fun & Free Halloween Games

Looking to get into the mood for Halloween? This fun, free, and family-friendly game is worth checking out: http://www.ytv.com/gamepad/play/games/jinx/episode1/play.asp

Here is one imitating the 1980's cartoon arcade game, Dragon's Lair - but in stick figure form. A lot of fun: http://www.studiohunty.com/dungeon/

A Billion Dollar Redo

In case you missed it, Disney announced that they will be spending around $1.1 billion to remake Disney's California Adventure. This is the theme park they built right next to the original Disneyland in the hopes of making the area a mini Walt Disney World (WDW).

This new park was originally intended to be the Epcot of the West Coast (dubbed Westcot). However, when then CEO Michael Eisner met with his senior executives together in Aspen, Colorado, they decided to change course. What resulted was a theme park concept utterly devoid of anything related to Walt Disney or the company he founded. When it opened in 2001, it's headlining attractions were a vegetable garden, a tortilla factory, and carnival rides including a roller coaster.

This last element particularly disgusted me when I learned of it. Those who have read any of the many Walt Disney biographies know that it was the insipid and nasty carnival rides that provided the creative spark that eventually resulted in Disneyland. Even the concept itself was prima facie a failure. Disneyland draws primarily from its local region of California and the West Coast (as opposed to WDW, which is truly global). Why in the world would people living in or near California want to pay $66 for a synthetic California experience when the real one is right there? It is almost as if these executives intentionally decided to do everything the opposite of what Walt did half a century ago. Why are they surprised it has been such a spectacular failure?

Now their $1.1 billion dollar investment needs another $1.1 billion dollars in renovations. This time the renovations will focus on infusing Walt and Pixar themes all over the place. While I think this is a step in the right direction, do we really need Cars land? It's a great movie and all, but I don't think its smart to dedicate an entire land to just one film.

Time will tell if they can turn things around. I think their best move is to convert it over to something like the Disney-MGM studios in Orlando, but focus it more heavily on Walt Disney.

You can read the news article here.

A New Blog: Biztory

I've started a new blog today. This one, called Biztory, looks to draw analogies from history on how to survive and succeed in the business world.

Take a look and leave a comment on what you think!

http://biztory.blogspot.com/

My Haunted Yard

Okay, so apparently I have an audience for my blog and have been fussed at for going too long without a posting. So I will fix the situation now! It's not like I haven't been busy. In fact one project I recently finished is the subject of this post.

I love decorating the house and yard for Halloween. It's the one "holiday" where I can really get creative. One dream job I've always had was being an Imagineer for Disney. So, I use this opportunity to try my own hand at creating an entertaining environment. My challenge is coming up with ideas that aren't gory. I want my work to be family and kid-friendly, but still spooky, like Disney's Haunted Mansion.

You can find plenty of Web sites of people with similar Halloween decorating interests. You should see this huge list of projects! It can be a little overwhelming, so I just pick one or two projects to try out each year. This year's project is a graveyard fence.

You can see all my work on my Web site: The Haunted Yard.

Nickelback Kicks Major Tail!

My wife and I saw Nickelback in concert last night and we both agree that was one of the best concerts we've ever seen! If you don't know who they are, go ahead and Google them or search for them on YouTube or iTunes. They've had a bunch of hits and get regular rotation on the radio.

The show itself was fantastic - very good use of lighting, projection screens, and pyrotechnics (though my wife can't stand the sudden explosions). One video they had playing on screen while they performed live was Savin' Me. If you've never seen this video, it is worth watching. One of the most powerful music videos I've ever seen!

They did all their big hits: Far Away, If Everyone Cared, How You Remind Me, Animals, Too Bad. They did a cover of Elton John's classic Saturday Night's Alright for Fighting and a cool tribute to the late Dimebag Darrell (guitarist of Pantera). The drum solo by Daniel Adair was incredible (reminded me of Lars Ulrich from Metallica).

As a side note, lead singer Chad Kroeger said he was out until 8am that morning with John Rich from the great band, Big and Rich. I swear that John must be on the hospitality committee for the rock stars that come to town, because this isn't the first time his name has come up during a concert!

Anyway, if you like Nickelback's music and your town is on the tour list, they are definitely worth seeing live!

Thotmarket - Pop Culture Stock Market

I learned of this web site from the forums of The Force-Cast Star Wars podcast. It is a site where you can buy and sell imaginary shares in various entities, such as Taco Bell, Star Wars, and the FBI. I just learned about it a little while ago and have bought shares in a number of things. I'll have to watch it and see how it goes!

http://www.thotmarket.com/

Star Wars Blog

Okay, so I have been going a little crazy on the Star Wars stuff here (and i guess in general too!). So to keep this blog from becoming exclusively a Star Wars blog, I had created a new blog over on the official Star Wars web site. Check it out at http://blogs.starwars.com/JediRob7!

IndyCar Rules!

Forget NASCAR. The IndyCar series is the best motorsport out there, in my opinion at least. Tempers flared last week at Watkins Glen between my favorite driver Tony Kanaan and Sam Hornish, Jr. Check out the video.

It should be a good race at the Nashville Superspeedway for the Firestone Indy 200 on Saturday. Be sure to watch on ESPN Saturday night!

Fireworks!

One of the great things about living in the South is being able to legally buy and use fireworks! Last year was the first time I bought anything more than sparklers for my own use. However, after watching some spectacular shows from around the neighborhood from last Independence Day, I resolved to educate myself more about this fun activity for next year.

Well, we are less than two weeks away from the Fourth of July and I am pretty well stocked! I hit a couple of discount firework stores and a bunch of seasonal roadside shops for some great buys. Read on to see some of the big items I will be trying this year!

The one I am most excited about is the Star Spangled Cannon by Black Cat. It is my first reloadable shell firework. This means that instead of having the firework, housing, and fuse all bundled into one package, you have a single mortar and a bunch of individual firework shells. You put one shell into the mortar, light the fuse, and then stand back! After the explosion, you load the next shell and repeat. The shells are 4mm in diameter, which should produce a 55 foot diameter burst at a height of around 125 feet. Not bad for consumer-sized fireworks!

The second biggie that I have is simply called Attack by Brothers Pyrotechnics. You have to love the cheesy pictures on some of these fireworks! It produces crackling flowers after the initial burst which I looks really great. The store I bought this from had a DVD with tracks for each of the fireworks, which definitely helped to pick the one I really wanted!

On a somewhat smaller scale, I have a bunch of multi-shot aerials (their bigger brothers are called cakes since they look like a box a cake would come in). Black Cat's Willows should hopefully be a good one. Like the name says, it rains down sparks like a willow tree. Another Black Cat I have is Blue Star. There are other ones that don't have a brand name, like Magic Crackles and Wild N' Crazy. We'll have to see which ones are the best.

Aside from the artillery shells and multi-shot aerials, I also bought some fountains. These are fireworks that don't launch into the air but just spit out pyrotechnics from the top of its container (like a sparkler on steroids). I had a bunch of small fountains last year, which were okay but nothing too spectacular. This year I bought some good sized 9" ones - a four pack by Black Cat called the Great Barrier Reef (a little Australian flavor for the Fourth). Each fountain lasts 90 seconds, which seems pretty good to me!

Some of the more bizarre fireworks I picked up include a spinner called Moonshine (great for a Southern theme!). Another is the Brothers Magic Crystal. I was told by a store employee that these little guys are very popular. They spin on the ground and then shoot up with a whistle. Some other no-name brand fireworks under my "bizarre" category are Star Ball Contribution and Cute Little Ship. They were only a couple of bucks each so I figured what the heck.

Rounding out the arsenal for the holiday are your typical firecrackers (which I got for free, I wouldn't pay for the noisy things), glow sticks, and sparklers.

If you are going to do some fireworks yourself, enjoy but be safe! Remember to never use or even attempt homemade fireworks. Keep water or a fire extinguisher nearby. Make sure everyone stays a safe distance from the firework and don't ever hold a lit one in your hand or throw it. Let's all be responsible so that fireworks aren't banned from more states!!!

I'll report back after the Fourth and let you know how the fireworks turned out.

PoTC: At World's End Review

I just got back from seeing the third installment of the Pirates of the Caribbean trilogy and have to say that I really liked it. In a nutshell, it was better than Dead Man's Chest, but can't hold a candle to the original Curse of the Black Pearl.

I'll try to be spoiler-free in my comments here. Of course we know that Barbossa is back in this movie. I think his absence in the second movie was a big problem with that movie. Geoffrey Rush's portrayal is quintessentially piratical. Johnny Depp is superb, as always. Orlando Bloom is less obnoxious than usual. Keira Knightley is passable.

Some reviews complained that the story was too complicated. I don't think so at all. The movie takes it time as it moves the plot forward. Sometimes a little too slowly, which is another complaint some people have. The flip-flop of allegiances, now a standard plot device in these pirate films, were more methodical and gave the viewer time to think out the implications of the latest bargain.

My favorite scene was also the most surprising to me. Our heroes encounter the body of an enemy and, while some rejoice, Sparrow looks saddened. Barbossa says the world is getting smaller. Sparrow replies that no the world is the same size, there is just less in it. That has really stuck with me. These pirate movies offer adventure of almost mythic proportions. Following the tales of Sparrow and his compatriots is like watching the fantastic intermingled with the mundane. The death of an enemy removes some of the fantasy (read imagination) from our lives. The world is indeed the same size, but it is a little dimmer.

Anyway, it is hard to say much more without giving away the movie. There are some pretty gruesome and macabre scenes, so this is one movie definitely not for children. I especially disliked the opening scene. There are ways to make the same point without having to be as graphic as that. (As an aside, Lord Beckett says "finally" after one of his lackeys makes a report. The movie never explains why he was waiting for that sign...)

Still, all in all, it is a very good movie and worth shelling out the money to see it on the big screen. Oh, and stay past the closing credits - there is a little surprise that I unfortunately missed...

Star Wars on Jeopardy

Last night on Jeopardy, there was a Star Wars category. The questions are shown below with the answers in white text next to the question. Use your mouse and highlight the blank space to see the answer. This may be a little tough since they showed video as part of the clue during the show...

There's a vast array of props and costumes at this 2,300 acre facility named for a hero of the Star Wars saga. [QUESTION: What is Skywalker Ranch?]

This is a less terrifying Lucite version of this weapon, whose second version is being built during Return of the Jedi. [QUESTION: What is the Death Star?]

When George Lucas saw a preliminary version of what would become this Star Wars ship, he said, "Make it look like a hamburger". [QUESTION: What is the Millennium Falcon?]

Though he didn't look like this in the film, you don't need to use the force to know that these are early models of this good-natured Gungan. [QUESTION: Who is Jar Jar Binks?]

I don't know what the $1,000 question was. It was not on the Web site I found...
Grr.

New Star Wars Videos

Star Wars . Com has undergone an overhaul over the weekend. I like the new interface, plus the new videos that have shown up there recently.

I am really looking forward to the Star Wars special on Cartoon Network's Robot Chicken show. There are a few trailers that you can see. My favorite moment is Admiral Ackbar's cereal:

Their tongues can't repel flavor of this magnitude!

Another great Robot Chicken clip features the one and only George Lucas

The Kessel Run: Time & Distance

HAN: Han Solo. I'm captain of the Millennium Falcon. Chewie here tells me
you're looking for passage to the Alderaan system.
BEN: Yes, indeed. If it's a fast ship.
HAN: Fast ship? You've never heard of the Millennium Falcon?
BEN: Should I have?
HAN: It's the ship that made the Kessel run in less than twelve parsecs!
Ben reacts to Solo's stupid attempt to impress them with obvious
misinformation.

Ben Kenobi may have the right idea. You see, a parsec is a unit of distance defined as the distance from the Earth to a star that has moved one arc-second (a certain distance as observed while our planet orbits the sun). It is the unit of measure for one of the oldest methods of determining astronomical distances.

Some Star Wars apologists have argued that a parsec has a different definition in this far, far away galaxy from a long time ago. Unfortunately, Dexter Jettster of the diner on Coruscant, shot down that theory when he talked to Obi-Wan in Attack of the Clones:

OBI-WAN: Well, Dex, if droids could think, we wouldn't behere, would we?
(laughing) Kamino... doesn't sound familiar. Is it part of the Republic?
DEXTER JETTSTER: No, it's beyond the Outer Rim. I'd say about twelve
parsecs outside the Rishi Maze, toward the south. It should be easy to find,
even for those droids in your archive. These Kaminoans keep to themselves.
They're cloners. Damned good ones, too.

If you want to get really scientific, one could argue that time and distance are interchangeable when dealing with astronomical scales. According to Einstein's special relativity, twelve parsecs is equivalent to about forty Earth years. Of course that assumes you are traveling close to, yet definitely slower than, the speed of light. All bets are off when you assume the fanciful hyper-luminal speeds of Star Wars space vehicles.

The best explanation to me comes from the creator himself, George Lucas. On the audio commentary track of A New Hope DVD, Lucas explains that traveling through hyperspace requires precise calculations to avoid smashing into a star, planet, black hole, or any other large object. The Millennium Falcon is able to plot some of the shortest distances possible. Thus, the ship can arrive at its destination faster than vehicles traveling longer distances.

So what the heck is the Kessel Run?

There are some variations on this story, depending on which source of the Expanded Universe you reference. The Kessel Run is a dangerous path from the planet Kessel past the Maw Black Hole Cluster. It is a space lane frequented by smugglers transporting the illegal narcotic Glitterstim spice (fictitious of course!) from Kessel.

By the way, Threepio mentioned Kessel's spice mines earlier in A New Hope while still aboard the Tantive IV blockade runner: "They're heading in this direction. What are we going to do? We'll be sent to the spice mine of Kessel or smashed into who-knows-what!"

Dovetailing Live Action Series with A New Hope

This is pure speculation on my part, but I think it would be an excellent way to end the live-action television series that is set to debut in 2009. Hopefully, the series end will be many years past 2009! In the opening crawl of A New Hope, the second sentence hints at a victorious battle:

It is a period of civil war. Rebel spaceships, striking from a hidden base, have
won their first victory against the evil Galactic Empire. During the battle, Rebel spies managed to steal secret plans to the Empire’s ultimate weapon, the DEATH STAR, an armored space station with enough power to destroy an entire planet.

However, despite all the movies, books, comics, and video games that have been released over the past thirty years, there has been no word what this first victory was. What better way is there to end the television series than to show the Rebels victorious and the Tantive IV rushing out to Tatooine to recruit the old general Obi-Wan Kenobi?

The Wilhelm Scream

We can thank the genius of Ben Burt for the original and iconic sound effects of the Star Wars saga. Even the most casual fan can recognize the buzz of a lightsaber, the blast of a laser rifle, or the roar of the Tie Fighter flying by.

However, there is another sound effect in the films that Ben Burt did not create himself, but rather inserted as an homage to his childhood love of sound effects. As a kid he listened to and studied the audio of countless movies, many of them Westerns. He noticed that the same sound effects, including a particular scream, was used many different movies.

As a young sound editor, he inserted the scream into A New Hope (a stormtrooper falls off a ledge just before Luke and Leia swing across the chasm in the Death Star). The scream makes an appearance in every Star Wars film, as well as every Indiana Jones film, and a bunch of other places. You will never forget this scream after watching this compilation of Wilhelm Screams in movies on You Tube!

You can learn more about the history of the scream and Ben Burt's involvement in its use by following these links.

Never too old for Star Wars toys, right?

My own way of celebrating the 30th anniversary of A New Hope was to buy some Star Wars toys - err - I mean "collectibles."

I bought a Stormtrooper Combat Engineer action figure a month ago. I think this is my first Star Wars action figure purchase since the 1980s. My young son found it and carried it around with him everywhere. The helmet is actually removable (how cool is that!) and since then he loves to walk around wearing the stormtrooper helmet like a thimble. I love it!

Speaking of my son, I am glad to see the Galactic Heroes action figures, I started stocking up on this line of toys when my wife was pregnant and he his just now at the age of playing with toys like these. His first favorite character is also my favorite figure as a kid - Boba Fett. A few days ago, he lost the figure. My little boy was going around the house calling, "Boooh-bah! Boooh-bah!" I am so proud! (He did find him in the end)

A couple of days ago, I bought the Tie Fighter vehicle. This brought back a lot of memories. I had a Tie Fighter as a kid and loved the spring action wings that would pop-off. That toy is now long gone, lost or thrown away with countless other toys. So, I thought I'd get the latest and greatest version, for old time's sake.

Of course, I had to get something related to the more recent trilogy, so I picked up Darth Vader's Sith Starfighter. This vehicle wasn't in the movies, but it is obviously the vehicle he used immediately after Revenge of the Sith. The style is very similar to the Jedi Starfighter but is taking on more of a Tie Fighter look. 'Course I had to buy a Darth Vader figure to go with the fighter.

Oh and how friggin' cool is this?! I wish they had a toy like this when I was a kid and buying all the Return of the Jedi stuff. Kids these days are so spoiled! I had to use a broomstick and my imagination.

Happy Birthday, Star Wars!

On May 25, 1977, the first Star Wars movie - later to be renamed Episode IV: A New Hope - debuted in a mere 32 theaters. The movie became a cultural phenomenon that continues to propagate into the 21st Century.

Fans from all over the world have converged in Los Angeles for the ultimate Star Wars convention - Celebration IV. Sadly, for a variety of reasons, I couldn't go to CIV. But, thanks to the guys at The Forcecast, I can at least get a taste of what it must be like. There was also a two-hour special on the G4 channel covering the event. Maybe I can go to Celebration V, but who knows when or where that will be!

I expect there will be some major announcements made at CIV, so I will be watching The Force . Net and Rebelscum . Com for the latest updates. Star Wars . Com is also planning a major announcement this Memorial Day weekend, so stay tuned to that site too!

Be sure to head over to your local post office and buy the new Star Wars stamps! Later this weekend they will be announcing the Star Wars stamp that received the most votes during the month of May. The two finalists were Yoda and Darth Vader. You've gotta love that! The winner is YODA! Way to go light side!

I've Met The Robinsons

A few weeks ago I was Disney's latest movie, Meet the Robinsons. I thought it was a good, but not great movie. With so many horror movies showing up in theaters, with each one trying to be more evil and more gory than the last, it is nice to be able to see movie that I, my wife and young son can all enjoy together. Looking at it from that perspective, it was a great movie!

A real treat and surprise for me is that there was an actual classic Disney short that preceded the movie. Apparently the short you see depends on where you see it. The one we had was the 1938 classic, Boat Builders. The cartoon is about Mickey, Donald, and Goofy assembling a boat from a kit that is so easy, "even a child can do it!" Mishaps ensure, of course...

The feature presentation was also very entertaining. I won't rehash the storyline since you can learn about that at many many other Web sites. My own perspective is that is the best non-Pixar Disney animated movie since Lilo & Stitch. This isn't exactly the strongest compliment, but it is a huge step in the right direction after the horrific Chicken Little, Treasure Planet, and Atlantis.

The film has heart warming and heart-breaking segments that work very well. The biggest problem I had was the segment where Lewis (the main protagonist) meets the futuristic family. The pace is so frenetic that only people with severe attention-deficit disorder could follow it. I don't understand why Disney feels its necessary to have such a chaotic and breakneck pace. It really took me out of the movie!

Also, a word of warning if you are bringing a little one with you to this movie. The attack of the Tyrannosaurus Rex is very intense. Also, an alternate future filled with zombies and dark industrialized cities can be very scary.

The movie does provide some good moral messages of caring for others, not letting the fear of failure overpower you, and forgiveness. The movie has a surprising but low key ending that will tug at the heartstrings of any die-hard Disney fan.

All in all, it is a fine family film that is worth seeing, but not necessarily owning on DVD.

Star Wars Fun

I've had a bunch of Star Wars-related links to the left of my blog for awhile now. But, I thought I'd highlight them, as well as some new ones, in a new blog entry. If you know me at all, you know that I am a Star Wars geek. Granted my fandom had been latent until rumors surfaced that the prequels were going to made! Now with the last of the movies finished and the two new television series on the horizon, I have rekindled my interest in all things Star Wars.

2007 is an especially significant year since it marks the thirtieth anniversary of the release of Episode IV: A New Hope in theaters. There will be plenty of events to celebrate this anniversary. It started with two Star Wars floats in the Rose Bowl Parade in early January this year (including the appearance of many members of the 501st Legion). On May 25th, the Post Office will release a sheet of Star Wars stamps. You can even go to their Web site and vote for your favorite Star Wars stamp. The winner will get his/her/their own sheet!

One thing that I really hate missing is Celebration IV. It is the mother of all Star Wars conventions that is being held in Los Angeles. There will be over 30 Star Wars actors present, including Anthony Daniels and Carrie Fisher, tons of booths, activities, shows, and event exclusives like action figures based on Ralph McQuarrie's original designs.

There are sure to be many more events before this year is out. I will keep you posted...

If you want to listen to a fantastic podcast on all things related to Star Wars, you have to check out The Forcecast. This is the official podcast of two major (but unofficial) Web sites: The Force.Net and Rebelscum.Com. Jason and Pete really work well together and their love of Star Wars really shines through. Plus, they both have a great sense of humor, which makes it even better! They even have their own channel over at You Tube. Take a look at Lando Endorses the Forcecast!

Speaking of You Tube, there are some hilarious Star Wars-related videos over there:

Simpsons Duel - This is a parody of lightsaber duel between those ancient enemies of Bart Simpson and Principal Skinner. They even have the soundtrack of Duel of the Fates!

Star Wars Ragtime Piano - I am also a big Disney fan, so I was happy to discover this video of a ragtime piano player on Main Street in the Magic Kingdom doing Star Wars tunes.

Vader Being Wise Guy - Who ever did this video is either a film editor or should be given a job as one. The comedic timing is perfect and, unless you know the movies by heart like I do, you can't tell that the scene wasn't real!

Vader Calls Palpatine - This is a great what-if parody. What if we saw the scene of Vader telling Emperor Palpatine that the first Death Star was blown up. Hilarious!

Nashville Predators at a Crossroads

The sting of yet another first round playoff exit is still being felt by many NHL Nashville Predator fans and players. A season that had so much promise, a team with superstar and youthful talent, with the third best regular season record in the league, ended in disaster with a five game elimination at the hand the San Jose Sharks. Now with Forsberg possibly retiring from the NHL for good, many high profile players becoming free agents, and the coaching staff with expiring contracts, everyone is wondering what to do next.

Rumors of the team re-locating to another city have been consistently squelched by the front office and team owner Craig Leipold. Yet, we all know that it is hard to sell-out a game in the Music City due to the lack of support from the business sector. The arena no longer has a name since Gaylord Entertainment failed to live up to its contract. Leipold has been looking for someone to take a minority ownership in the club. A strong playoff run would have been a huge boost in support as has been demonstrated in other Southern cities like Carolina and Tampa Bay. Unfortunately, that didn't happen.

Another question is who is to blame for this third lousy outing into the post-season. Can Trotz and his staff coach an NHL-playoff contending team? Or is it general manager David Poile's player choices for small and fast players ill-suited for the post-season. Clearly there is plenty of blame to go around.

The summer of 2007 will be a season of soul-searching as the team tries to find an identity that can compete in the post-season, fill seats in the Nashville Arena, and contend for Lord Stanley's cup.

Double-Translation Fun

I was inspired by my friend's blog to try double translation. This is where you take some text, convert it to another language using Babelfish and then convert it back again to English. Here is the preamble to the Declaration of Independence translated from English to Japanese and then back to English:

We that all person do these truths because it is self-explanatory with their originators, it was drawn up the life of of happiness among these of that the same, they are contributed, a certain transfer impossible right to be freedom, and pursuit you keep.

When with any form of government these edges become harmful, there is a right of the thing people who are provided with the human where in order to guarantee these rights with anytime, government is controlled and, it changes that that whether, or abolishes obtains fair power from acceptance builds the basis in that kind of principle, organizes the power of that kind of form, the fact that new government is provided perhaps seems that brings safety and happiness and in regard to those.

Prudence, it decides that, the government which completely, is long established should not change because of the light/write and transient cause,; And with the abolition of the form which has been accustomed as for badness it is sufferable with right itself but, in consequence of that as for shewn everything of hath of experience, that mankind by in order to suffer to a feeling. But as for the train whose abuse and usurpations are long in order without fail to decrease those under Despotism which pursues the same purpose by all means when showing the design clearly, the right separated, to throw from that kind of government to offer the new guard to their future guarantees, the obligation which that is, is.

Here is the original English:

We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed, by their Creator, with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty, and the pursuit of Happiness.

That to secure these rights, Governments are instituted among Men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed, That whenever any Form of Government becomes destructive of these ends, it is the Right of the People to alter or abolish it, and to institute new Government, laying its foundation on such principles, and organizing its powers in such form, as to them shall seem most likely to effect their Safety and Happiness.

Prudence, indeed, will dictate that Governments long established should not be changed for light and transient causes; and accordingly all experience hath shewn, that mankind are more disposed to suffer, while evils are sufferable, than to right themselves by abolishing the forms to which they are accustomed. But when a long train of abuses and usurpations, pursuing invariably the same Object, evinces a design to reduce them under absolute Despotism, it is their right, it is their duty, to throw off such Government, and to provide new Guards for their future security.

The Force Unleashed

In case you didn't know, 2007 is the thirtieth anniversary of the A New Hope (the first Star Wars movie). While I am sure there will be many events this year to celebrate this historic event, such as the 501st Legion and two floats in the Rose Bowl Parade in January, it seems we have a whole lot more to look forward to.

The Force Unleashed is a new multimedia event in the Star Wars universe. You may remember the Shadows of the Empire multimedia effort from a decade ago. It was a concept of offering all the movie accouterments you usually find, such as video games, comic books, a novel, a soundtrack, action figures, but without an actual movie! It was a big success for Lucasfilm. They hope to repeat their success with The Force Unleashed.

The centerpiece is The Force Unleashed video game for the "next-gen" console systems - Xbox 360 and PlayStation3. You will notice the obvious omission of Nintendo's Wii (as well as a PC version!). Considering how well the Wii is doing against its other two rivals, Lucasfilm obviously bet on the wrong horse when developing the game. At least there will be a portable version for the Nintendo DS (and PlayStation Portable), so Nintendo owners won't be left completely out in the cold - just stuck inside a smelly tauntaun...

There will be some groundbreaking technology built into this game - hence its focus on the next-gen consoles. The following are You Tube links that you must see:

• Demonstration of Digital Molecular Matter physics
• Demonstration of Euphoria AI interactions
• Example of gameplay

Other rumored media for this campaign include a novel, graphic novel, and action figures. There is also speculation that the storyline established here could carry forward into the Star Wars television series scheduled for 2009.

The release date of TFU video game is November 2007, so we will have a long time to wait and anticipate! To keep up to date on the progress, check out the official Web site and also the excellent unofficial sites of The Force.Net and Rebel Scum.com.

March 5th Update - The Star Wars: The Force Unleashed novel will be written by Sean Williams (writer of three New Jedi Order books). It will be one of the few sources of the official canonical story of events (the video game offers multiple endings).

Can Lost Survive Long Enough?

After a three month hiatus, Lost is back on the tube and is suffering badly. This latest article shows how low the ratings have dropped for the first two episodes of 2007. The most recent one, on Valentine's Day, was a series low of 12.8 million viewers.

I guess this is to be expected after a long delay. To draw a sports parallel, the NHL had a lockout that cancelled an entire season of hockey. With the second post-lockout season coming to a close, the league is still struggling to stay relevant. The problem they created for themselves is the same as Lost team now - people have learned to live without them.

I was a die-hard hockey fan and season ticket holder for an NHL club. However, with the lock-out, I realized I could get by just fine without hockey. There are so many things with which we Americans can occupy our time. Think about all the things we don't really need, but think we need - iPods, the Internet, video game consoles, sports teams, music, etc. If you take one of those things away, we will easily switch to something else.

This is not to say that the three month break is the only cause for the drop. The drawn out storytelling approach of answering a question with a question with a question is starting to fatigue even the most die-hard fan. I am willing to be patient and have faith that they will eventually provide answers to the sixty or so mysteries they have created. But, like I said above, many people have other competitors for their Wednesday nights.

Producers Lindeloff and Cuse have said repeatedly that they didn't want this show to drag on past the story it wanted to tell, like Twin Peaks and the X-Files did. However, based on the ratings in this hyper-competitive world, they may not have enough time now. It would be a shame if the show is cancelled before the story is finished. It is even more of a shame that cerebral shows such as this don't appeal to Americans. How is that for an indictment on the state of our schools and culture!

I don't want to see Lost become another Push, Nevada.

The Nintendo DS Revolution

Well, I've made the plunge once again into the world of video games. My last two systems were the original Nintendo Entertainment System (how is that for dating myself!) and the original Sony Playstation. Since buying the PS1, games and consoles have gotten too expensive and I've had too little time to make it worth it.

This changed when my wife was introduced to Big Brain Academy by a friend. Subsequently, she was on a mission to buy a pink DS Lite in early January. Of course with the Christmas season supply shortage still going strong, she had to resort to eBay to get her DS. I was lucky enough to find a white one at Wal-Mart.

What makes the DS so great is the reason why I hadn't been part of all the console wars over the past few years. The games are reasonably-priced, well designed, and just fun to play. It seems most video these days are geared toward hard-core gamers who buy every possible peripheral, including wireless headseats, and are somehow able to use three different controls and nine different buttons simultaneously. The DS reminds me of the old days when you had a D-pad and two buttons. Sure they threw in another four buttons, but the design is far less overwhelming!

The touch screen is really a great innovation. It allows for completely different game experience than has ever been offered before. Then you add in the free Wi-Fi ability! You can search for DS-compatible Wi-Fi spots in your area at this Nintendo site. Let's hope that plenty of game developers continue to take advantage of this technology.

I am a big fan of podcasts and have found two DS-related ones that are really good. The first, Dual Screen Radio, is a bit rambling and low on the production values but their Web site is fantastic. If you want an easy interface to keep track of the games you own and games you want to own, this is the place to use. The other show I like is the DS Life Podcast. It is more concise and just sounds better.

I'm looking for some good screen protectors. I got some that came with a DS kit (carrying case, extra stylii, headphones, etc.) but they aren't working too well. I've heard some mixed reviews about Pelican's screen protectors. This review at Four Color Rebellion looks interesting. I may try those out. Despite the name, Decal Girl has a great selection of skins for both guys and gals. They have skins for all your major electronic devices such as the iPod, Xbox, and of course the DS.

Well, that's it for now. I'm sure I will have more to say about the DS soon. But right now I need to get back to Metroid Pinball. It is a lot of fun!

Welcome to my Blog!

Welcome to my blog. I'm honestly not sure what this might become. It will probably be a collection of my thoughts since I have such a bad memory. I hope you find something that will interest you.

Please post comments. I would like to know what you think!