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Star Wars @35: Hangin' With My Dad

(Image: Wookieepedia)

I remember seeing “Star Wars” for the first time like it was yesterday.

My dad used to do a lot of business in Washington, D.C. and every summer, he would take me with him for a two or three day business trip.

In July 1977, when I was 13, we were in Washington. After a couple of morning meetings, my dad came back to the hotel and asked what I wanted to do that day.

I said let’s do a museum and then catch that new “Star Wars” movie before dinner. (Remember – this was back before movies were in and out of theaters in two weeks. I think “Star Wars” played in theaters for six months.) As we walked out onto the street after the movie, President Carter’s motorcade went speeding by. For me, that was almost as cool as seeing the movie.

While most people will be noting the 35^th anniversary by talking about “Star Wars” as the cultural icon it has become, I will remember it for what it means to me: a summer day, at the movies, just me and my dad.

Haiku Friday - The Week of October 5, 2009

Something occurred to me this week: This is my first pandemic. I'm 45 years old and I've never lived through a pandemic. I've seen five Republican presidents and four Democrats, and this is my very first, bona fide pandemic. And wouldn't you know - it's happening right in the midst of the most intense health care debate in nearly two decades.

I blame Obama. That's just how it is. That's how we Americans keep score. If it happens during your presidency, you own it:

• Vietnam: Johnson (then Nixon)
• Inflation: Ford
• Oil crisis and the Iranian Revolution: Carter
• Iran Contra: Reagan
• Saddam Hussein: Bush the 1st
• World Trade Center bombing #1: Clinton
• 9/11, Iraq War, Afghanistan War, record deficits, housing bubble, torture, The Great Recession, Dick Cheney: Bush the 2nd
• Swine Flu: Obama

"Unfair," you say?

"Too bad," I respond. That's what passes for political discourse in this country these days, so I'm just piling on. And what better way to fan the flames of ignorance than with a few well chosen syllables of Japanese poetry. After all, who has time for thoughtful reflection? Not us!

Flu vaccines arrive.
Everyone wants to get one.
Women and kids first.

Health care reform? Hah!
Lots of talking, not much else.
Finally, a vote.

Polanski: Rapist.
The Swiss are not too impressed.
"No bail for you, jerk."

The Supremes are back.
First Amendment leads the way.
Michael Vick looks on.

Barry wins Peace Prize,
while still fighting Bush's wars.
(He should nuke Iran.)

Yes, the sheer volume and gravity of the news can be overwhelming. But look on the bright side: Only 76 shopping days until Christmas.

John Lennon: "Imagine if I endorsed Cheez-Whiz too."

Kudos to Harry McCracken over at Technologizer.com, who calls attention to perhaps the world's most cynically crass TV ad for One Laptop Per Child.

It stars long-dead Beatles icon John Lennon, his voice dubbed in by an impersonator (who was clearly working for union scale) and his mouth manipulated by a high-school AV club trying out a new piece of software.

I agree with Harry: creepy.

I'll go one step further though and question OLPC to begin with. In concept, it sounds nice: Get poor kids in third-world countries on-line with cheap computers. But I would argue that those kids would be better served by vaccines, good food, potable water, basic education and steady electricity.

Once they have all that, then give them access to Internet porn and "Peanut Butter Jelly Time."

Hellboy 2: My wife can't wait

I make a habit of dragging my wife to movies that she otherwise would not go to see at gunpoint. We rented Hellboy 1 a couple of years ago and she pretended not to like it. For my birthday, she promised to take me to see Hellboy 2, but I said only if the reviews were good.

Well, the reviews are in and Honey - we're goin' to to the movies!

The commercials are great, BTW