Boss is here in town, in an all-day meeting with some vendor. Told me we could stop in for whatever part, but had no agenda attached telling us what they were going over. Some stuff would be quite relevant to me and might need my input, other stuff has no relation to anything I could possibly care about. Actually, scratch that, just been told 10-noon would be most relevant for me. I guess I will drop by. Am dressed relatively shabbily. Need to iron shirt. Oh well.

DESTINY: Teh Wife and I just discussed, and I got a text about it clarifying just now, how the new Star Trek was slightly wrong to play up the whole "destiny" thing about Kirk. This made me think: Star Wars originally did not have much of a "destiny" thing. Sure, Luke's father was a Jedi, but it seems a lot of people were Jedi. Initially, Luke was just an everyman. Darth Vader was not his father, Darth Vader killed his father. However, it was perfectly acceptable for them to change the plot a little and add some depth, doing so adds a little "destiny", but that's all right. BUT: fast forward twenty years to the new trilogy. Suddenly, inexplicably, everything about the old trilogy had to be foreshadowed in the new and everything about Luke and Anakin had to be about the mystical workings of destiny - including a friggin' virgin birth. Anyway. More time spent on series == more time constructing a stupid destiny that changes them from an everyman to the Messiah.

Speaking of which: http://www.chefelf.com/starwars/ep2_1-10.php

Reason #8
Jedispeak
"We're trying to protect you, not start an investigation." Why are Jedi always talking like this? Jedi have gone from being just about the coolest thing I can imagine to being know-it-all jerks. Everything anyone says in presence of a Jedi they must be cautious of. If you say anything around a Jedi they'll just change it around. "Master Yoda, we're out of Pop Tarts." "Oooh? So certain are you? Always the Pop Tarts can not be found." "But I looked in the cupboard and it's empty." "Empty the cupboard is not. Absent of food it is. As 'empty' the same it is not."

ARRRR. Don't get me started. I have a lot of hatred it seems, but it is all directed toward books and movies and broad time and modal domains. Not people. Art: it's serious business.

Okay, this one's great, too:

Reason #28
The United States of Naboo
Within thirty seconds there is mention that Amidala was so well loved that when her two terms were up they tried to amend the constitution but instead she went on to serve in the senate. Then it's mentioned that after four trials in the Supreme Court that Nute Gunray is still in charge of the trade federation. Two terms? Constitution? Supreme Court? This is just the United States of America! Where is the creative vision? I would be willing to bet that there are three branches to their government: The Judicial, the Legislative and the Executive. Some people read Tolkien or Heinlein for inspiration but apparently Lucas gets his inspiration from an eighth grade Social Studies book.

I am disappointed that Roger Ebert gave favorable reviews to episodes 1 and 3 of the new trilogy, but he redeems himself by having much the same opinion of the LOTR movies as me and giving me a lot to think about. He is simply wrong about the new Star Wars trilogy. WRONG.