Lemme splain something to you about limited imaginations and discussing Star Wars

Lets talk about the limits on Star Wars and some people’s imaginations.

Ok here is the deal.  There are multiple dimensions of Star Wars (or any large film, comic, or book franchise for that matter).

First, we have the imagination of the creator George Lucas (GL). Along with what was in his alleged original notes and the storyboards by the likes of Joe Johnston, script versions, concept art of Ralph Mcquarrie and all the authors, artists, and effects artists that filled in the blanks between George’s ideas and gave life to the second dimension – most importantly the soundtrack of John Williams and effects of BenBurtt. 

All of the above is the Genesis of the second dimension, what we see on film (including the Clone Wars and new Rebels series). What we hear in the radio dramas and read in the novelizations. And, depending on how you feel about the recent Disney/Lucasfilm announcement all other forms (i.e. the around 80 books and two dozen or so comic series, the  expanded universe then you can either add or ignore the E.U., the role playing games, the most excellent Dark Horse comic run and the various video games that added background content in addition to the movie that was not a movie, the Shadows of the Empire.

Third we have the real world, the actual limitations of the universe we live in. When a Storm trooper hits hishead on a Death Star hatch (it’s a hatch if it is on a vessel and the Death Star is a vessel for all intents and purposes so take any arguments elsewhere)…as I was saying… when a Storm trooper hits his head on said hatch it is seen by the general bandwagon fan, casual audience, and amateur film critic as a mistake that was missed in editing or kept in because the producers could not afford another take. However, that same scene is seen by fanboy and fangirl as a wrinkle that needs to be given a backstory.  So that 30 years later that Stormtrooper is named Harry and has four kids and joined the Empire only to earn some extra money to support his wife’s Sabacc addiction, and the reason he just hit his head??? He got a call earlier that day from his wife, he has another kid on the way, so he was a little out of sorts when charging into that control room and did not notice the door so cut the guys some slack and “move along…move along…”

Ok so those are your three dimensions of the SW universe. Why do I feel the need to break this down? Well I have been catching a lot of evidence of limited imaginations in the SW fan universe.

First back in the late spring (on our world) we discovered that SW had moved its production to Abu Dhabi. Not the tourist destination of choice so there must have been a reason. First assumptions by everyone was that it must be a fill in for Tatoonine. Just because it has desert. I can list the reasons that not only is limited thinking but also pretty stupid to assume since there are reasons that can be pulled from each of the three SW dimensions…so I will…

1.                    There are thousands or millions of planets in the SW universe, why assume Tatooine

2.                    The deserts of Yuma AZ filled in for Tatooine for RTOJ during the Jabba Skiff scene why involve the extra cost of security and travel to film in Abu Dhabi when AZ is sitting there all bored and ready to go?

3.                    Real world reason to not go to Tunisia where Tatooine was filmed for SW, TPM, and ATC was due to a less than ideal security situation however there are other parts of the same desert (in other words more like the desert used for Tatooine in the other movies) nearby such as in Morocco or even safer parts of Egypt.

4.                    Why do we have to return to Tatooine in the first place? Sure there are possible story lines that take us there looking for old Luke Skywalker or maybe a return there looking for an artifact Obi Wan left or some other reason. However again, with all the talent that have written hundreds of E.U. stories, why limit us to a planet that has been in nearly all the existing movies?

The limited imagination of some of the podcasters and bloggers “is killing me softly” (to quote Alicia Keys…is she not the HOTTEST chick ever???). It is now spreading to some more leaked photos we have seen online.

(SPOILER ALERT) so there have been shots of the Millennium Falcon and some possible X-Wing variations from an outdoor set in England. The issue here is there has been great discussion on the variations on the paint scheme and some what appears to be spare parts laying around the lot.  Here we have some huge assumptions and a problem with the fan need to speculate about EVERYTHING… Real world – the spare parts may be simply parts for the equipment (like cranes or what have you) used in the production. Or maybe it was some junk left over from previous uses. Or maybe it is part of the set, however just because it looks like a podracer engine does not mean there are podracers there. Think for a minute that the podracers were modified from something else, so if podracers use engines originally designed for other uses (like small space ships…) then it would stand to reason you would see them in a hanger area for X-wings. Oh and the X-wings are not necessarily the same models – 30 years have gone by, so there have had to be modifications in the same scope and range that you see from the Republic star fighters to the X-wing and so on. It is convenient that 30 years has passed in the SW dimension was well as real world so use that knowledge to base your “guesses” and make them educated.

If anyone has gotten this far then you have to be a fan, no one else would have read this much gibberish. Congrats and I hope to see you on 18 December 2015!

Dinner Party at the Edge of Tomorrow

...Ok understand the nature of this "blog" is in the name - Rambling thought. Mostly I just have an idea and turn it into diarrhea of the keyboard. And as is my nature, I use that as my excuse to do as little editing and proofreading as possible, other than the obvious things that need to be fixed to make it tolerable to read.

Disclaimer - I had this one rolling in my head for about 24 hours. I took a short road trip where I drove about 11-12 hours each way and as a warning to any drivers out there, my mind tends to wander. And after a few hours of listening to Star Wars, Ghostbusters and Political Commentary podcasts my mind asked me a question.

If you could invite 10 people to a dinner party who would they be and why? Well this is a fun game and just to keep from making it too easy, my mind then threw out a few rules. It told me to stick to anyone who was alive during my lifetime, must have had influence on me but also some segment of the population (so no 3rd grade teachers or old high school crushes). So immediately the obvious like Jesus, Buda, Einstein, The man (or woman) who invented fire or the wheel were all out of contention. Guess they will have to get some smoked Salmon, stuffed peppers, and grape soda at another dinner party.

In no particular order.

George Lucas. Anyone who knows me will think this is a no brainer. But the reasons may be not as obvious. This man sucks as a director, ok we all know that. The original Star Wars succeeded despite his involvement with it as director. What he did do was create a marketing powerhouse by retaining the rights to future movies, he brought together huge stars like Alec Guinness and Peter Cushing to play along side unknowns like Mark Hamill and Carrie Fisher. He tapped the brilliant talent of John Williams and Ralph Mcquarrie while "discovering" the future genius of Ben Burtt, John Dykstra, and Lorne Peterson. He created Skywalker sound, THX, ILM and other powerhouses that were key in the development of the future of film, sound, effects, and the theater experience. And he sold it all for 4 Billion, knowing as Kenny Rodgers sings about - when to hold em, when to fold em, when to walk away and when to run.

Ozzy and Sharon Osbourne. First of all they have to come as a couple. If not for her, he'd be dead. If I had to pick a John Lennon for my lifetime Ozzy would be at the top of the list. I have a lot of favorite bands, songs, solo artists, and albums, but the Oz man himself holds most of the tops spots of all those lists. He may have been fighting a battle of inner demons his whole life and few mothers will hope their kids grow up to be like him, but he is a survivor. And not to ignore Sharon, she is a cancer survivor and a very successful woman in her own right. I could not see one without the other and to have them both attend this dinner party will simply mean that the emphasis will be on party.

Well if I can't have Albert Einstein (damn my own rules) I had to argue with myself if I would rather have Carl Sagan or Stephen Hawking. I mean I COULD have both, but I am not going to be greedy here and if I am one thing - I have eclectic tastes. So as much as I appreciated watching Sagan in my youth on his Cosmos Series (look it up on iTunes) and in my not so humble opinion his book Contact is one the best out there. I have to go with who I think has had more influence and that would be the man himself Stephen Hawking. He is the real 10 pound brain in the room, however through his books Brief History of Time and Briefer History of Time, he has probably brought more advanced science down to a laymen's level in a way that is easy to digest and understand than hundreds of science teachers. Not only a genius, but humble playing himself on the Simpsons and The Big Bang Theory. He may not be right on everything (he does not believe in God), but I can't dispute he is probably one of the smartest men on the planet right now and how can you not invite him and have him sit between George Lucas and Ozzy Osborne?

Mr Rodgers. Hell YEAH!!! What American kid was not watching him sometime during the 70s, 80s, or 90s? Hell, how many adults didn't sneak a quick look over on PBS and see what was going on in the land of make believe or what Mr. McFeely was going to deliver? I guess I could throw a little love to "The Street" (Sesame Street) or Capt Kangaroo, but really it was Mr. Rodgers who got the little 4-6 year old me learning about the world around me and throwing a few etiquette lessons in there for good measure (like changing from out door shoes and sweater to indoor) not that I kept up with any of that turning into the slob I am today. If you are feeling just a little nostalgic here you go (click here).

President Ronald Reagan and Nancy Reagan. Again another couple because after reading the President's diaries a few years ago I can not picture one without the other. The President was loneliest when he was away from Mrs. Reagan even surrounded by aides, staffers, cabinet members and dignitaries. Their relationship alone is enough for me to admire and respect. Now add in that I don't care what anyone says, I firmly believe that Reagan, Thatcher and with some help from willing and amicable allies like Helmut Kohl and Pope John Paul (and others) the cold war would have continued for at least another decade or two. The cold war may have become hot had it not been for Reagan's steadfast stance against communism while courting Mikhail Gorbachev and meeting half way with him. There is too much to bring up and I want to save some items for dinner conversation but needless to say the Reagans will be the power couple at the party as long as Nancy doesn't catch Ozzy doing any blow in the bathroom.

The Dalai Lama. I guess simply put, if you have seen the movie Seven Years in Tibet then you may understand. You want an example of someone who does not quit even in the face of overwhelming odds and facing a never ending fight to achieve a goal you know you will not see in your life time, while providing spiritual guidance for millions and setting an example for billions, then the D man is your guy.

Not to leave out a little balance Pope John Paul II. I mean the guy survived an assassins bullet then forgave the attacker even before his wounds healed. He led the church during some of the biggest growth and biggest controversy. Outsiders may never understand and mock the very office of the Pope but he sat at the head of the church with the most dignity of any other leader of that time. Plus having God's right hand man at the dinner may give me some karma points to balance out some of my other choices.

Now I figure I need some comedy. I listen to hours of satellite radio and it is 90% the comedy channels. I have my favorites and Bill Cosby, Steven Wright, Bob Hope, Carrot Top...NO FREAKING WAY, just kidding about Carrot Top... so many greats ones. But I think this will be a surprise, gotta go with the Late Great Bernie Mac. Left us way too soon and maybe that is why he is on this list. If I could bring him back for one more show then I would do it. His comedy was good for all ages, sometimes not PG but he could do the PG stuff or take it to that dark dirty corner that only consenting adults go into. He was a great actor and took care of his family. Plus I could never pull it off but he had style and could rock some crazy suits. Truly a King of Comedy.

Well to be fair that is ten. But when I was driving I was not taking notes - well at least not after I swerved across the median and into the oncoming lane the third time. After that I had to keep it in my head and I had a few more invites to send out-

Bob Ross. You know him, if you are my age or older you had to be turning the TV channel knob and catch his show on some random Sunday or Saturday Morning. Maybe you were just a little hung over or coming down from a Fruit Loop sugar high rush (depending on your age at the time ... or maybe not) and it was either watching Bob paint or Bill Dance catch bass. I admit it was usually a coin flip, but looking back I realize Bob's cadence when he spoke and the way he injected adjectives into what he was paining i.e. "just going to put a little happy tree here, ohhh yeah I see it now, just sitting there in his happy meadow with some jolly birds here in the corner, just a swipe of the brush will do it, maybe a few more over here with another happy tree..." There were a number of weekend mornings in the 90s that Bob saved me from jumping out into traffic to get rid of a beer soaked headache. I only wish I learned to paint while at it. Bob is another one who the world is not as nice without him.

Britney Spears. Well if everyone I knew read these posts then there is about  25 people who just yelled - OK NOW YOU"VE WENT TOO FAR..." and at the same time they were secretly thinking - "Yeah that is the guy I know". I think she is hot, can dance, can sing, and well I still celebrate every December 2nd (her birthday) hoping one day she will notice me following her and let me get close enough to smell her hair.

Angelina Jollie and if we HAVE to then her husband that one guy...what is his name? ...Brad Pitt, yeah he can come too - I guess. Look I like Angelina Jolie, she does good for a lot of causes and doesn't just shoot a 30 second commercial every few years. She goes to some hell holes and brings attention to organizations helping in 3rd world countries. Yeah her and Brad are a little granola but who cares, it's my party and I'll invite her. Oh and she is sitting on one side while Britney is on my other side. And to be fair, if I looked like Brad I'd have went after her too.

Jim Henson. Politics aside, I wanted to be a puppet master when I was younger. I did not really pursue it but it was hard maybe to consider something so abstract when we lived in small communities overseas in the dark ages before the internet and other resources. But I did have a few puppets mom and dad let me buy as a kid and I remember putting together a few puppet shows for the kids in the neighborhood. Unfortunately it never grew beyond a few hand puppets. But if you consider what Jim Henson did with his imagination and creations. He created the whole worlds and his puppets have been seen by billions of people. If he accepted the invitation I would only hope he would bring Animal, Gonzo and Fozzie the Bear along with him.

... I just realized I forgot the others, most importantly Bob Newhart and Stan Lee. Both have brought so much to the world. Mr. Newhart's comedy is spot on an he is the most humble person in the public spot light (search for his Emmy acceptance speech from 2013). And of course Mr. Excelsior himself Stan Lee. Creator of the Marvel Universe. I think Bill Nye was one, and I mentioned him earlier, but Ben Burtt who did the sound design on the original Star Wars Trilogy and edited the prequals was another. Both are at the top of their fields and have had some influence on me and my interests. I am sure I was thinking of adding Terry Bradshaw, Franco Harris, and Lynn Swann on there but I still hold a grudge against the current Steelers so would probably would just invite Franco since he saw the light and played for Seattle at the end of his career.

As with any list I am sure I forgot someone I had on my mental list in the car. I have a feeling I am forgetting someone I really want on there but I will hit them next time.