For want of a zip-tie the buckle was lost,
For want of a buckle the belt was lost,
For want of a belt the Jedi couldn't keep her Ion Blaster in one place.... Not to mention her pants....
As I slipped my utility belt around my waist, I realized I needed an extra weapon for where I was going; I needed an ion blaster.
I added the holster, and the ion blaster slapped comfortingly against my hip, but when I tried to secure my belt, the buckle came apart.
A quick reach into my emergency pouch and I came up with a zip tie, secured the buckle and my belt, leaving my ion blaster in easy reach.
I strode down the main street of Mos Eisley, my cloak billowing out behind, my lightsaber on one hip and the ion blaster on the other, both weapons in plain sight. I could be intimidating when I needed to, and going into the Blasted Ion Cantina required me to be so.
I was sure my contact would find me at the bar, how many red-haired Jedi sporting ion blasters could there be?
"I assume the Ion Blaster is the house specialty?" I asked the bartender.
He pushed the frothy cold drink across the bar, "One Ion Blaster," he said, "Blended, not pulverized."
I felt a presence behind me, and turned to face my mysterious contact, my right hand instinctively reaching for my lightsaber while my left pulled back my cloak to show my ion blaster.
He inclined his head towards a table in the corner of the Blasted Ion's dark interior, and we sat down across the table from each other.
"I have information for you, Jedi," he said, "But I prefer to be paid in credits instead of having my ions blasted into oblivion."
"You'll get your credits," I said, in my most persuasive voice, "as long as you don't cause me to use this ion blaster."
He snorted, and I caught sight of his right hand edging its way towards his Blastech pistol, and I ignited my lightsaber while pulling the ion blaster from its holster.
"Don't try it," I said, "As a Jedi, I always have my eye on blasters."
"Don't shoot me with that ion blaster," he begged, not realizing he was about to lose a hand to my lightsaber.
"Tell me where to find the gunrunners who are supplying ion blasters to the pirates on the Perleman Trade Route," I said, as I extinguished my lightsaber but kept it in my hand.
"If I tell you, will you put that ion blaster away?" He asked desperately.
"Tell me first, and then I'll think about holstering the ion blaster."
"It's the notorious pirate gang Kaldo who's supplying the ion blasters," he said. "They're holed up on Wayland, in a fortified ion blaster factory."
As I rose from the table, I holstered my ion blaster and tossed him a sack of credits. "Don't try to follow me unless you want the taste of blasted ions on your tongue."
With his information, Republic Intelligence was able to take out the gang of gun runners, and shut down the ion blaster factory on Wayland.
The true hero of this tale of lightsabers and ion blasters is the zip tie. Without it, my utility belt would have gone flying off in the streets of Mos Eisley, not only losing my ion blaster, but embarrassing me as well.
So I've added zip ties to my emergency supplies, along with hairpins, Velcro and extra ions for my blaster. You just never know when you need to keep something together long enough to vaporize it with your ion blaster.
Monday, June 30, 2008
Wednesday, June 25, 2008
Sunday, May 04, 2008
YOU CAN LEAD A GUNDARK TO WATER, BUT NOT ON TATOOINE
Traveling through hyperspace ain't like dusting crops.
Well, it seems to me that all the crops on Tatooine would already be dusty, it being a desert and all... everything in Arizona is certainly dusty. But if the crops on Tatooine were water, how would they be dusted? It would be mud. And if the crop was water, where did the food come from? Chinese take out? Thank you for calling the Tosche Station Pizza Hut...
Mos Eisley spaceport. You will never find a more wretched hive of scum and villainy.
Oh, I don't know about that, Obi-Wan, there's always north Scottsdale... and the consulting firm I used to work for... which pales next to the air conditioning place I worked at...
"I'll have an Eyeblaster," the Princess said. "Atomized, not fizzled!"
I can see Princess Leia in the Mos Eisley cantina. Completely unfazed by the assortment of beings, and staring down the patrons at the bar. "You have the death sentence on twelve systems? I don't give a damn, I'm a Princess!"
The hot weather has me thinking about Tatooine, as you can surmise by my random musings. It's hot, dry and some days the wind blows up enough dust to make the sky brown. The weather forecast? Hot and getting hotter every day until October. And my point? Have the meteorologists take the summer off. I bet Tatooine didn't even HAVE meteorologists... unless they were there to look out for meteors...
You know why the best cheeseburgers come from the asteroid belt? They're meatier.
The pioneers looked for water holes along the trail; we look for hotels with pools. Here in Arizona we all have pools, and we have artificial lakes. Only in Arizona would a city council have to vote on putting water into the town lake, which was created in a dry riverbed, which is dry because we dammed up the river to have water for our pools...and you thought New Republic politics were complicated...
So, with the coming of summer I'll be in the house all day, and have lots of time to blog... hopefully the next one will have some substance.
And may the Force be with us all!
Well, it seems to me that all the crops on Tatooine would already be dusty, it being a desert and all... everything in Arizona is certainly dusty. But if the crops on Tatooine were water, how would they be dusted? It would be mud. And if the crop was water, where did the food come from? Chinese take out? Thank you for calling the Tosche Station Pizza Hut...
Mos Eisley spaceport. You will never find a more wretched hive of scum and villainy.
Oh, I don't know about that, Obi-Wan, there's always north Scottsdale... and the consulting firm I used to work for... which pales next to the air conditioning place I worked at...
"I'll have an Eyeblaster," the Princess said. "Atomized, not fizzled!"
I can see Princess Leia in the Mos Eisley cantina. Completely unfazed by the assortment of beings, and staring down the patrons at the bar. "You have the death sentence on twelve systems? I don't give a damn, I'm a Princess!"
The hot weather has me thinking about Tatooine, as you can surmise by my random musings. It's hot, dry and some days the wind blows up enough dust to make the sky brown. The weather forecast? Hot and getting hotter every day until October. And my point? Have the meteorologists take the summer off. I bet Tatooine didn't even HAVE meteorologists... unless they were there to look out for meteors...
You know why the best cheeseburgers come from the asteroid belt? They're meatier.
The pioneers looked for water holes along the trail; we look for hotels with pools. Here in Arizona we all have pools, and we have artificial lakes. Only in Arizona would a city council have to vote on putting water into the town lake, which was created in a dry riverbed, which is dry because we dammed up the river to have water for our pools...and you thought New Republic politics were complicated...
So, with the coming of summer I'll be in the house all day, and have lots of time to blog... hopefully the next one will have some substance.
And may the Force be with us all!
Monday, April 28, 2008
STORMTROOOPERS, CLONES AND JEDI, OH MY!
Cancer is a serious subject. Raising money to help fight cancer is a serious subject. But with the help of Star Wars, it can be fun.
Saturday night, the Arizona contingent of Mountain Base of the Rebel Legion participated in a Relay for Life event for the American Cancer Society. The Dune Sea Garrison of the 501st had a team, and graciously allowed us to move into their campsite for four hours to help support the effort and raise some money.
Ben Kenobi, Visas Marr, five Jedi (one with spiky hair), two Leias, a Rebel Fleet Trooper and a Tusken Raider hung out and hobnobbed with Darth Vader, Darth Nihilus, Boba Fett, a Clone Commander with a BIG blaster, an Imperial Commander and several stormtroopers.
There were some solemn moments during the various ceremonies, and seeing the stormtroopers remove their helmets during one of the memorials was touching. As Jedi, we bowed our heads in respectful silence.
But the overall theme of "movie night" was FUN! Walking laps in costume, cheering on the walkers, browsing the various raffles and fundraising sales... and holding our own raffle to raise money which had the added bonus of making people, especially some eager kids, very happy.
My thanks go out to all my friends of the PLB, the Spew Crew and the GHG for their generous donation of prizes allowing us to have 25 lucky winners! And cash raised for the American Cancer Society at no cost to them.
My highlight of the night was walking backwards to the relay walkers with a handful of raffle tickets, in my full Jedi costume, hitting up those who were working their own booths. At one point I was walking straight into Darth Vader and a group of stormtroopers! A boy of about ten ran up to me and said, "Look out, Darth Vader's coming!"
"I ain't afraid of Darth Vader!" I told him loudly, and as he passed we exchanged high fives, and so did the stormies.
It was a little too hot and I sunburned my ear
in the hour before the sun went down, but over all it was a happy and successful evening!
Saturday night, the Arizona contingent of Mountain Base of the Rebel Legion participated in a Relay for Life event for the American Cancer Society. The Dune Sea Garrison of the 501st had a team, and graciously allowed us to move into their campsite for four hours to help support the effort and raise some money.
Ben Kenobi, Visas Marr, five Jedi (one with spiky hair), two Leias, a Rebel Fleet Trooper and a Tusken Raider hung out and hobnobbed with Darth Vader, Darth Nihilus, Boba Fett, a Clone Commander with a BIG blaster, an Imperial Commander and several stormtroopers.
There were some solemn moments during the various ceremonies, and seeing the stormtroopers remove their helmets during one of the memorials was touching. As Jedi, we bowed our heads in respectful silence.
But the overall theme of "movie night" was FUN! Walking laps in costume, cheering on the walkers, browsing the various raffles and fundraising sales... and holding our own raffle to raise money which had the added bonus of making people, especially some eager kids, very happy.
My thanks go out to all my friends of the PLB, the Spew Crew and the GHG for their generous donation of prizes allowing us to have 25 lucky winners! And cash raised for the American Cancer Society at no cost to them.
My highlight of the night was walking backwards to the relay walkers with a handful of raffle tickets, in my full Jedi costume, hitting up those who were working their own booths. At one point I was walking straight into Darth Vader and a group of stormtroopers! A boy of about ten ran up to me and said, "Look out, Darth Vader's coming!"
"I ain't afraid of Darth Vader!" I told him loudly, and as he passed we exchanged high fives, and so did the stormies.
It was a little too hot and I sunburned my ear
in the hour before the sun went down, but over all it was a happy and successful evening!
Sunday, April 13, 2008
A POOLSIDE JEDI or LIVING IN THE MOMENT
The other day I had five good minutes.
Grampy-Wan decided to clean the pool, and this requires my assistance... my special contribution being my ability to get down on the concrete and finagle the vacuum hose around until it's plugged in tight and all the air is gone without losing suction... after this feat, I sat and watched...
And while sitting in the sun in my yellow pajamas and sun glasses, my back to the brick wall, I saw things. I heard things. I noticed things.
And for five minutes I was a good Jedi, focused on the here and now. I let the Force flow through me and heighten my awareness of the ordinary. No thoughts back to the regrets of the past, no worries about the future... Just a few moments in the sun.
Obi-Wan Katnobi walked across my lap with a meow and took his place on the corner of the fence overlooking his kingdom. A bird flew by and I didn't worry about him catching it and dragging it into the house...
The wind rustled the trees, and I noticed my neighbor's tree has leafed out, and I didn't think about the shade trees I used to have in my yard that I killed...
Some freshly cut grass floated on top of the water and I didn't think about how they might clog up the filter... I just watched the sun shine on the little, tiny waves... and listened to the birds chirp and the wind moving the trees...
My other neighbor has a TV antenna, and I wonder if back in the 60s, when the neighborhood was new, if every house had a TV antenna on top it... I see the turbo-vents whirling on the roof on every house around... Air conditioners turning on and off...
And the sparkly clear water looked so soothing, reminding me of how much I love the water, and then I realized how I'm stuck here for another stinkin' summer!!!!!!
So, the moment was over... I was back to my fretting and worrying and complaining.
But it made me stop and think how Star Wars has affected my interpretation of things. Now when I wonder, I wonder about the GFFA.
Do they have pool-cleaning droids? That's not all that far out there, what with the automatic, built in pool cleaners that new pools have these days...
But do cats chase birds in the backyards of Bakura? Do palm trees rustle in the breeze on Dantooine? Does cut grass skitter across the clear water of the Silver Sea? Did an idiot with a salt-water fish tank kill all the trees on Coruscant? Oh wait, that was me...
Do Jedi ever stop and sit with their feet in the water?
So now instead of fretting, I'm going to dream about barefoot Jedi on the shores of distant lakes, and Force sensitive cats, and flying cars... that don't need gas...
And may the Force be with us all...
Grampy-Wan decided to clean the pool, and this requires my assistance... my special contribution being my ability to get down on the concrete and finagle the vacuum hose around until it's plugged in tight and all the air is gone without losing suction... after this feat, I sat and watched...
And while sitting in the sun in my yellow pajamas and sun glasses, my back to the brick wall, I saw things. I heard things. I noticed things.
And for five minutes I was a good Jedi, focused on the here and now. I let the Force flow through me and heighten my awareness of the ordinary. No thoughts back to the regrets of the past, no worries about the future... Just a few moments in the sun.
Obi-Wan Katnobi walked across my lap with a meow and took his place on the corner of the fence overlooking his kingdom. A bird flew by and I didn't worry about him catching it and dragging it into the house...
The wind rustled the trees, and I noticed my neighbor's tree has leafed out, and I didn't think about the shade trees I used to have in my yard that I killed...
Some freshly cut grass floated on top of the water and I didn't think about how they might clog up the filter... I just watched the sun shine on the little, tiny waves... and listened to the birds chirp and the wind moving the trees...
My other neighbor has a TV antenna, and I wonder if back in the 60s, when the neighborhood was new, if every house had a TV antenna on top it... I see the turbo-vents whirling on the roof on every house around... Air conditioners turning on and off...
And the sparkly clear water looked so soothing, reminding me of how much I love the water, and then I realized how I'm stuck here for another stinkin' summer!!!!!!
So, the moment was over... I was back to my fretting and worrying and complaining.
But it made me stop and think how Star Wars has affected my interpretation of things. Now when I wonder, I wonder about the GFFA.
Do they have pool-cleaning droids? That's not all that far out there, what with the automatic, built in pool cleaners that new pools have these days...
But do cats chase birds in the backyards of Bakura? Do palm trees rustle in the breeze on Dantooine? Does cut grass skitter across the clear water of the Silver Sea? Did an idiot with a salt-water fish tank kill all the trees on Coruscant? Oh wait, that was me...
Do Jedi ever stop and sit with their feet in the water?
So now instead of fretting, I'm going to dream about barefoot Jedi on the shores of distant lakes, and Force sensitive cats, and flying cars... that don't need gas...
And may the Force be with us all...
Saturday, April 05, 2008
I HAVE A BAD FEELING ABOUT THIS!
Yes, the rumors are true, it's my birthday... I am officially as old as Yoda and not in half as good a condition... and it's Toxic Waste Day...
Does it mean anything that the city in which I live had it's semi-annual "Household Hazardous Waste Collection Event" also known as "Toxic Waster Day' today, on my birthday? Oh, I hope it was a coincidence... although we know from our Jedi teachings that everything happens for a reason, and there is no coincidence...
A long time ago, in a town 900 miles away, on this date in history, in a hospital that doesn't exist anymore, I was born...
Was it a big deal? I suppose... my parents already had three children, the youngest of whom was 10... so to say I was a surprise would not be out of line... shock was probably more like it...
I'm sure my birth would have created a disturbance in the Force had I been born in the GFFA... I'm not sure where I would have fit in had I been born there... Would Qui-Gon be saying, "Had she been born in the Republic...."? I consider myself fortunate to have been born in the US... but to be born a Jedi would have been truly special...
To have a special power, a gift, so to speak... and the training to use it properly, for good... to be bathed in the light of the Force... to give myself over to it, to trust it implicitly... to hold the power in my hand and go forth into the galaxy to do good...
Yes, it would have been the best thing one could be... unselfish, compassionate, dedicated... to always know the right thing to do, because of the power of the Force...
Emotion, yet peace.
Ignorance, yet knowledge.
Passion, yet serenity.
Chaos, yet harmony.
Death, yet the Force.
Yes, I can see my self living the life of a Jedi... or envying it from afar... they would most certainly be my heroes if I could not be one of them...
Sigh... instead I am a mere human, earthbound... I hold no special powers, I am ruled by my emotions, I fear death, and my most serious decisions revolve around which frozen meal to have for dinner... or which fabric to buy for my newest Jedi costume...
So.... What is Granny's point, you're all thinking?
My point is... I CAN'T POSSIBLY BE THIS OLD! What the hell happened? I should be a about 35 or 40 or so... My past is longer than my future...
But I don't worry too much about that, because I won't remember it anyway...
Friday, April 04, 2008
Monday, March 31, 2008
Wednesday, March 19, 2008
THE THIN LINE BEFORE THE DARK SIDE
There's a line between the good side and the Dark Side of the Force, but is it always clear? Does every Jedi know where the line is? Does every Jedi have a moment when he finds himself on the verge of crossing over?
Mace Windu channels his darkness into his fighting style and draws strength from it, and he was ready to kill Palpatine in the heat of battle. Was he about to cross the line himself? I don't think so. Destroying evil doesn't make one evil.
"It's not the Jedi way," Anakin pleads with him, but we all know Anakin's motivation is selfish. Isn't the purpose of the Jedi to guard peace and justice? To ensure freedom throughout the galaxy.
"He's too dangerous to be kept alive!" Mace replies, and indeed, how would imprison a Sith of Palpatine's power? What shackles or prison cell could hold him?
Yoda tells Luke he'll know the difference between the good side and the darkness when he's calm and at peace. Luke's moment is on the second Death Star, after attacking Vader in anger he has him down and helpless, but he refuses to kill him. "I am a Jedi," he says, "Like my father before me." He seems so sure at that moment that he's doing the right thing.
Side note: Not killing Vader was a good thing, throwing away his lightsaber was definitely NOT the "Jedi Way."
Obi-Wan's moment is on the black sands of Mustafar. He will not kill a helpless Anakin, and instead leaves his fate to the will of the Force. Was he as sure at that moment that it was the right thing, or could he not bring him self to kill the young man he loved like a brother?
That would not have been the Jedi way, to put his personal feelilngs get in the way of his duty? I wonder did he torture himself for the next 20 years every time he heard of some new atrocity committed by Darth Vader...
It's interesting to note, however, that earlier in the fight he has Anakin down and without a weapon and he raises his lightsaber to deliver a fatal blow, but Anakin calls his lightsaber to his hand and blocks Obi-Wan's blade at the last second. Obi-Wan was certainly ready to kill him at that moment, though possibly he would have regretted it afterwards?
Was that a line before the Dark Side? Or was he so deep into the Force that his actions would have been guided by it without concisous thought?
Anakin's moment comes in Palpatine's office, when he kills Mace, but he knows it was wrong. "What have I done?" And after attacking the Temple and killing the younglings he evades Padme's questions about what he's going to do. He knows he's crossed the line so far he can never go back.
Only Yoda seems sure of himself, "Destroy the Sith, we must," he tells Obi-Wan. He isn't leaving any room for doubt there, he wants them dead and knows it's the only way.
I just watched ROTS for the zillionth time... That movie is so sad, when Obi-Wan says "You were the chosen one..." I get tears in my eyes...
I was speed-watching it... which means I watch the first 25 minutes or so and then jump through the rest so I get less talk and more action... less Palpatine and more Obi-Wan...
It occurred to me that Yoda and Obi-Wan should have gone to fight Sidious together... Yoda knows Obi-Wan can't take Sidious alone, but wouldn't the two of them have had a better chance? Was he so sure he could win? Or was he afraid they'd both die and leave no one to confront Anakin?
Either way, he should have known that as long as Sidious lived it wouldn't matter if Anakin did or not, the "Oppression of the Sith" had returned, with or without Darth Vader.
All throughout the saga I'm certain Palpatine has backup plans, and no matter what happens he manipulates things to go his way. Until he meets a certain young Jedi named Luke Skywalker, but Palpatine underestimated the wisdom Luke carried, that of both Obi-Wan Kenobi and Yoda. Wisdom gained from experience, and from 20 years of regrets.
How could a Sith so powerful make such a devastating error in judgment? Because he was evil from within. He never faced the crossing of the line before the Dark Side.
Thursday, March 13, 2008
THE LURE OF JEDIISM - CAN THAT REALLY BE A WORD?
#78 --- Jediism -- George Lucas is a nice guy. Let's not have him elroned.
- The Stooge, Top Hundred Time, 3-3-08
I've been thinking about this for a week... and I agree, let's not have George elroned, or celebrate the Sacred Month of May, or have his birthday made into a national holiday (although it should be)...
But I was thinking about the lure of the Jedi. They had the Force, and the Force gave them their powers, but it also gave them something more. The Force gave them inner peace, self-confidence, a purpose for living, and everlasting life.
Sound like a religion? Sure it does, but in the GFFA the Force was a proven fact, not just a happy idea taken on faith. It was only years of Palpatine's propaganda that turned it into a "hokey religion". They were not "mystics" or "magicians" they were just beings exercising a special talent.
Some people were given the gift of Force sensitivity, and others were not. Why? And how? Was it by chance? We see it is hereditary, so perhaps it skipped generations and popped up every now and then in a child, who then became a Jedi Knight. Perhaps it was at random. Perhaps it was "the will of the Force."
In the book form of ROTS, Obi-Wan describes the "will of the Force" as the explanation for that which could not be explained, comparing it to the will of a river to flow downhill. Beautiful words! Just as it is our will to be good or evil, the only two things we can really control.
It seems in our world, that some people are given the gift of faith, and others or not. I was not, and there's no changing that. And the old saying is true... if you don't have it, you can't understand the explanation, and if you do have it, you don't need an explanation.
The lure of Jediism (that can't be a word! ) is obvious. We all want inner peace, self-confidence and everlasting life. "Luminous beings are we!" But we are not all blessed with faith, or the emotional strength to obtain peace of mind.
But we don't have to be blessed with anything, like faith or midi-chlorians. The Jedi had the Force, but they still had to train themselves to feel it and use it. And how not to mis-use it. If I were to theoretically attain perfect peace of mind, it would not be of any use for me to stay inside my mind and keep myself company, for example. (The attaining of perfect peace of mind was the theoretical part, not the keeping myself company...)
I think for me the big fascination for the Jedi came from their ability to do everything right. That calm acceptance of their fate, be it life or death. The sureness of themselves. The light in Obi-Wan Kenobi's eyes at the moment he decided to sacrifice himself.
Somewhere in us all is the ability to achieve inner peace, to calmly accept our fates, to learn the difference between right and wrong, to let go of our selfishness for the greater good. We don't need the Force or faith to do these things.
To be at peace with ourselves, no matter what. To know that we are making the right choices. To know that our choices effect others, so that they may achieve their own inner peace.
That, my friends, is the attraction of the Jedi.
- The Stooge, Top Hundred Time, 3-3-08
I've been thinking about this for a week... and I agree, let's not have George elroned, or celebrate the Sacred Month of May, or have his birthday made into a national holiday (although it should be)...
But I was thinking about the lure of the Jedi. They had the Force, and the Force gave them their powers, but it also gave them something more. The Force gave them inner peace, self-confidence, a purpose for living, and everlasting life.
Sound like a religion? Sure it does, but in the GFFA the Force was a proven fact, not just a happy idea taken on faith. It was only years of Palpatine's propaganda that turned it into a "hokey religion". They were not "mystics" or "magicians" they were just beings exercising a special talent.
Some people were given the gift of Force sensitivity, and others were not. Why? And how? Was it by chance? We see it is hereditary, so perhaps it skipped generations and popped up every now and then in a child, who then became a Jedi Knight. Perhaps it was at random. Perhaps it was "the will of the Force."
In the book form of ROTS, Obi-Wan describes the "will of the Force" as the explanation for that which could not be explained, comparing it to the will of a river to flow downhill. Beautiful words! Just as it is our will to be good or evil, the only two things we can really control.
It seems in our world, that some people are given the gift of faith, and others or not. I was not, and there's no changing that. And the old saying is true... if you don't have it, you can't understand the explanation, and if you do have it, you don't need an explanation.
The lure of Jediism (that can't be a word! ) is obvious. We all want inner peace, self-confidence and everlasting life. "Luminous beings are we!" But we are not all blessed with faith, or the emotional strength to obtain peace of mind.
But we don't have to be blessed with anything, like faith or midi-chlorians. The Jedi had the Force, but they still had to train themselves to feel it and use it. And how not to mis-use it. If I were to theoretically attain perfect peace of mind, it would not be of any use for me to stay inside my mind and keep myself company, for example. (The attaining of perfect peace of mind was the theoretical part, not the keeping myself company...)
I think for me the big fascination for the Jedi came from their ability to do everything right. That calm acceptance of their fate, be it life or death. The sureness of themselves. The light in Obi-Wan Kenobi's eyes at the moment he decided to sacrifice himself.
Somewhere in us all is the ability to achieve inner peace, to calmly accept our fates, to learn the difference between right and wrong, to let go of our selfishness for the greater good. We don't need the Force or faith to do these things.
To be at peace with ourselves, no matter what. To know that we are making the right choices. To know that our choices effect others, so that they may achieve their own inner peace.
That, my friends, is the attraction of the Jedi.
Saturday, March 01, 2008
TEN INCOMPLETE LINES IN THE STAR WARS SAGA
10. "No, I call it aggressive negotiations!" What do expect me to do, you little twerp, stand here and let them shoot me? - Padme Amidala, AOTC
9. "He's dangerous, they all sense it, why can't you?" And after you're dead I'll be able to say TOLD YOU SO! - Obi-Wan Kenobi, TPM
8. "We will watch your career with great interest" While I manipulate you into helping me take over the galaxy. - Palpatine, TPM
7. "Only Imperial Stormtroopers are so precise." Oh wait, no they aren't. - Obi-Wan Kenobi, ANH
6. "Some day you're going to make a mistake and I just hope I'm around to see it!" If you don't kill me first with some damn fool flying maneuver! - Princess Leia, TESB
5. "I am a Jedi, like my father before me." Except that I just kicked his butt and could take you, too, if I hadn't just thrown away my lightsaber {smacks himself on the forehead} - Luke Skywalker, ROTJ
4. "I have taught you everything I know" Except how to beat me in a lightsaber duel... - Obi-Wan Kenobi, ROTS
3. "And I thought they smelled bad on the outside!" And I'll never go back to the BBQ joint back at Echo Base... - Han Solo, TESB
2. "He's headed for the small moon!" That's no moon, that's the Emperor's Butt! - Luke Skywalker, ANH
1. "I have a bad feeling about this!" And why don't I listen to myself? - Several Characters, and all six movies!
Monday, February 25, 2008
Sunday, February 24, 2008
THE PITIFUL LITTLE BAND RAWKS WONDERCON!
The Emperor may have felt safe from Luke Skywalker and his "pitiful little band" of rebels, but guests at WonderCon in San Francisco last night didn't stand a chance.
WE WON THE FREAKIN' LUCASFILM AWARD!
Yes, it's true, the winners of the WonderCon 2008 Masquerade Lucasfilm Award just happen to be Star Wars Bloggers! Well, three bloggers and a spouse... close enough.
Jedi Master Mina, Hansgirl, Grampy-Wan and I competed in the WonderCon Masquerade. So what you say? Well, it was the first time for all of us, in any sort of costume contest... And we converged upon Coruscant from three distant points in the galaxy without benefit of in-person planning or rehearsal or costume fittings...
The whole deal was co-coordinated by email, IM's, phone calls, and a last minute practice session on Saturday afternoon!
This wasn't just a walk-across-the-stage type of costume contest, this was a presentation style show. We had 2 minutes... sound like a short time? When you're rehearsing, it's an eternity.... But on stage it went fast... even when one is out of step...
I take credit for the costuming, because I did make them all myself. And I created the music track... but BIG ROUND OF APPLAUSE for Hansgirl for choreographing a dance to fit my poor edit of Meco's 1970's disco style "Star Wars" theme and trying teach JMM and I the steps... (we loved the clashing saber parts the best).
And of course a BIG ROUND OF APPLAUSE for Jedi Master Mina and myself for not falling down, passing out, running into each other, or tripping over the curtains and falling off the stage....
Here we are pre-performance.... Jedi Master Mina (as herself), Hansgirl as Princess Leia, Grampy-Wan as Yoda and me as Mara Jade Skywalker. And here we are post prize winning! Yes, the bicycle was the prize... supposedly it's very valuable.... Or so the M.C. says that Steve Sansweet says.... I'm certain they're joking, and a rather cruel joke at that...it seems like an odd prize to give to convention goers that MIGHT BE FROM ANOTHER STATE! Good thing we didn't fly in....
On a side note, Grampy-Wan paid homage to his hero this morning, in spite of a great Force wind blowing... and I posed with the Master, too...
In other bits of Convention news....
Met up with Nob01 and the expectant Pidluk... I have visions of baby Jedi costumes dancing in my head...
Friday I got a snuggle from Richard Hatch of Battlestar Galactica fame... I had such a crush on him back in 1979... almost as big as the one I had on Mark Hamill... and I was no giggling teenager back then, either....
And here is the face behind the greatest Fan Film ever, Hardware Wars... Ernie Fosselius himself, along with Artie Deco and the Wookie Monster...
Also, I learned a bit about droid building, mold making, and the secret of industrial strength Velcro...
We saw several Star Wars Fan Films, a couple of cool trailers for action movies, heard a couple of great guests and got WOWED by the Indiana Jones and Clone Wars trailers shown on a big screen!
Sadly, we did not hear any news of the fate of the next Star Wars Celebration.... So they're having one in Japan, BFD.... It's all such a long way from here....
BUT FRIENDS & STAR WARS ARE FOREVER!
WE WON THE FREAKIN' LUCASFILM AWARD!
Yes, it's true, the winners of the WonderCon 2008 Masquerade Lucasfilm Award just happen to be Star Wars Bloggers! Well, three bloggers and a spouse... close enough.
Jedi Master Mina, Hansgirl, Grampy-Wan and I competed in the WonderCon Masquerade. So what you say? Well, it was the first time for all of us, in any sort of costume contest... And we converged upon Coruscant from three distant points in the galaxy without benefit of in-person planning or rehearsal or costume fittings...
The whole deal was co-coordinated by email, IM's, phone calls, and a last minute practice session on Saturday afternoon!
This wasn't just a walk-across-the-stage type of costume contest, this was a presentation style show. We had 2 minutes... sound like a short time? When you're rehearsing, it's an eternity.... But on stage it went fast... even when one is out of step...
I take credit for the costuming, because I did make them all myself. And I created the music track... but BIG ROUND OF APPLAUSE for Hansgirl for choreographing a dance to fit my poor edit of Meco's 1970's disco style "Star Wars" theme and trying teach JMM and I the steps... (we loved the clashing saber parts the best).
And of course a BIG ROUND OF APPLAUSE for Jedi Master Mina and myself for not falling down, passing out, running into each other, or tripping over the curtains and falling off the stage....
Here we are pre-performance.... Jedi Master Mina (as herself), Hansgirl as Princess Leia, Grampy-Wan as Yoda and me as Mara Jade Skywalker. And here we are post prize winning! Yes, the bicycle was the prize... supposedly it's very valuable.... Or so the M.C. says that Steve Sansweet says.... I'm certain they're joking, and a rather cruel joke at that...it seems like an odd prize to give to convention goers that MIGHT BE FROM ANOTHER STATE! Good thing we didn't fly in....
On a side note, Grampy-Wan paid homage to his hero this morning, in spite of a great Force wind blowing... and I posed with the Master, too...
In other bits of Convention news....
Met up with Nob01 and the expectant Pidluk... I have visions of baby Jedi costumes dancing in my head...
Friday I got a snuggle from Richard Hatch of Battlestar Galactica fame... I had such a crush on him back in 1979... almost as big as the one I had on Mark Hamill... and I was no giggling teenager back then, either....
And here is the face behind the greatest Fan Film ever, Hardware Wars... Ernie Fosselius himself, along with Artie Deco and the Wookie Monster...
Also, I learned a bit about droid building, mold making, and the secret of industrial strength Velcro...
We saw several Star Wars Fan Films, a couple of cool trailers for action movies, heard a couple of great guests and got WOWED by the Indiana Jones and Clone Wars trailers shown on a big screen!
Sadly, we did not hear any news of the fate of the next Star Wars Celebration.... So they're having one in Japan, BFD.... It's all such a long way from here....
BUT FRIENDS & STAR WARS ARE FOREVER!
Monday, February 18, 2008
NO SIGNS OF IMPERIAL ACTIVITY, WE ARE CLEAR FOR HYPERSPACE!
Mos Eisley may have been a wretched hive of scum and villainy, but I bet it at least had holo-net towers...
There's something intriguing about blogging from the car. It's not that I have anything in particular to say, it just seems so damn cool, so high-tech, that I have to do it.
I'm on my way from Arizona to California, which could be a short trip or a long trip, depending upon where you start and where you finish. In this case it's a long trip, about 900 miles... Right now I'm actually writing this offline, because on this particular stretch of US-95 there hasn't been a cell tower in sight for... many parsecs.
I would have posted while I was crossing the state line, in this case the Colorado River, but I was eating a double cheeseburger at the time and I have limits to my multitasking abilities while riding in a car...
There's a whole lot of nothing going on out here in the Mojave Desert, just tumbleweeds and motor homes... Quartzsite, AZ must be the RV capital of the galaxy... I expect to see Lone Starr and Barfolomew on the road at any time now... I'm sure he'd blast the pipe truck and the two RV's that are in front of us, slowing down traffic...
It's nice to be in a rented landspeeder... only 245 parsecs on the odometer... but what good does it do to have 8-cylinders of hyperdrive if you never get to use it? We've just come over a hill and can see Needles, California... from here it looks a bit like our first view of Mos Eisley in ANH.
But, just as that wretched hive of scum and villainy was the closest thing to civilization that Luke and Old Ben had, Needles undoubtedly has cell towers....
I just had a flash of memory of a vacation with my parents, I must have been about 10, going from California towards New Mexico, and we stopped at a Denny's in Needles for dinner... I remember it was hot, and the motel next to the restaurant had a pool that looked sooooooo inviting.... I'd heard of Needles before, since that's where Snoopy's brother Spike lives...in fact, we just passed Spike Road...but I thought it must have been named Needles because the temperature was so high it was like needles of heat stabbing you...
Aha! I can see the interstate through the haze...Interstate 40, talk about a wretched hive...have I ever mentioned that I've been on every mile of it? I've crossed the Continental Divide so many times I don't know which way to spit, but at least I won't on this trip... but at least I-40 has hyperspace lanes... and cell towers!