Star Wars: Fate of the Jedi: Backlash, a Review+

Backlash is the fourth volume of the Fate of the Jedi series. As such, some of this will be spoilerish for the first three books, so use that how you will.

Luke Skywalker and Ben, his teenage son, are still in exile. Luke, banned by the Galactic Alliance from entering established Jedi places, such as the Temple, is chasing a young Sith girl across the galaxy. He and Ben have tracked her to forests of Dathomir, home to rancors and Nightsisters. There they land and intensify their search for the Sith, intent on capturing her and learning all they can about the mysterious group.

Meanwhile, Jedi are continuing to go crazy on Coruscant and no one knows why. The relations between the GA and the Jedi are at a breaking point, Daala's image as Chief of State is crumbling, and the backstabbing moffs are hungry for power. Political corruption and fighting is the Coruscant way.

Like the previous books in this series, the story is split among several different perspectives, offering insights from the Jedi, from the Sith, from the GA, from the Moffs, and from others, as well. This multiple POV style is fun to read and follow, and it helps add to how grey and vague politics and religion are.

As for the plot, Backlash took steps forward with the inevitable Jedi/Sith confrontation, but the problem with the Jedi going crazy didn't really go anywhere, and only minor advancements happened with the GA/Jedi relations. Still, the story was fun and entertaining, especially all the Dathomir stuff and experiencing their culture.

Thematically, going into a modern STAR WARS book I expect to be faced with the subtle differences between the Light Side and the Dark Side of the Force. Allston did a great job at blurring the lines of truth and the way Ben sees something as opposed to Vestara. I'm particularly interested to see where their relationship goes.

Overall, I'm enjoying the Fate of the Jedi series. The Lost Tribe of the Sith is interesting, and I'm enjoying Luke & Ben's bonding time. Plus, I have no idea what's causing the Jedi to go barvy, so that's keeping me entertained, too. In the end, Backlash doesn't offer many surprises and it's about what you expect out of a STAR WARS EU novel, but it's still a fun read.

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In light of my review of Terry Brooks' Bearers of the Black Staff, where I stated that I was frustrated because I felt like Brooks didn't push himself enough, I'm left pondering the same thoughts for the STAR WARS Expanded Universe.  However, my feelings are vastly different here.  Maybe it's that the burning love in my heart is greater for STAR WARS than Shannara.  Maybe it's because the EU books have Jedi in them.

Truly, though, I think it's that the EU books do actually propel the advancing STAR WARS timeline forward by (usually) offering enough new things to make the books worthwhile.  Sure, each book has a repetitive feel to it.  Luke and the Jedi encounter some sort of brewing evil that's once again threatening the entire galaxy; Han & Leia are caught up in the brewing evil somehow or involved in the political games back on Coruscant; C3PO & R2D2 tweetle and talk; all of the main characters miraculously survive tremendously dangerous situations time and time again, giving the reader a sense of security for the beloved characters.  Still, from time to time, a book or series comes along (I'm looking at you Vector Prime) that shakes up the galaxy, and maybe it's these things I'm looking for.

Whatever it is, I enjoy reading in the STAR WARS EU.  Almost all of my EU reading has been post-Yavin, though I do think I'd enjoy some of the Old Republic stuff.  Overall, I have fun spending time with these characters, and I look forward to reading each subsequent book.

A Star Wars Rhapsody

This thing is great. It cracks me up way too much.

[Insert Creative Title Here]

Blogger and artist Greg Peltz has created three awesome Star Wars masterpieces.  If you like the picture of the suave Boba Fett above, check out the rest of his blog.  There's some neat artwork there.

the tingling in my foot

is spreading up my leg

it has been so for nigh a fortnight now

if i dwell on it for long

it almost sends me into madness

but i may flirt for a moment

with the gentle electric shock.

the bundle of nerves and veins below

skin and muscle and fat

pulsates and throbs up,

up my leg and through my twitching eye,

out with all the slime.

Had some music practice with Alex last night.  Put to music a song I wrote that sounds okay.  I hear it one way in my head, with drums, harmonica, electric stuff, piano, and guitars, but when we play it we have only a bass and an acoustic.  Not quite how I envision it, but maybe I can figure something out.

I'm considering canceling my DirecTV account.  Neither of us really watches it enough to warrant the cost.  Unfortunately, I signed a two year contract, and I've still got 12 months to go.  Canceling early charges a $20 fee per month for each canceled month.  However, if I stay with the satellite I'll be spending around $75 per month, so in the long run I could either waste $240 or $900.  How I hate wasting money.

as it travels up the body

it lingers around the heart

the beat beat beat is a kettle drum,

burning with life and indigestion,

a wildfire in the esophagus 

with tendrils reaching into my soul.

Too much going on right now in life.  Monday night tennis league keeps my Mondays busy.  Tuesday night is practice night with Alex.  Wednesday night is church night, wherein the full praise team plays until around 9:00.  I finally get a chance to see Keisha on Thursday, but come the weekend things roll on down the hill a bit too swiftly for my liking. 

Sigh no more.

unsettling to stare off

and have one eye dancing erratically,

feet slapping at its own tune.

hard it is to choose between

the tingling feet and

the twitching eye

but my choice would matter not,

as i'm gifted with both.

A Little Bit of Everything

Egads, man!  It’s not like I’m trying to go all random on you, but it just happens, y’know?  Like rain.  It just happens.  Just every once in a while my brain kicks in all random-like and stuff.  But what do you expect?  My blog’s not called Rememorandom for nothing.  First off, there’s an artist who’s captured my heart.  Ever wondered what STAR WARS would look like in a steampunk setting?  Yeah, me neither, but this guy did, and it’s awesome.

If you click on that picture or the link above you can find out more about the designer, and other works he’s done.  For those nerds out there, you’ll enjoy, as the man did some DC and Marvel characters, too.  I really like the Obi-Wan, the Stormtrooper, and Grand Moff Tarkin.  All are awesome, though.
Ever just have one of those days when a song plays over and over and over and over in your head, always the same line.  No?  Ok.  Never mind then.

Me and Alex have been working on making our own music, writing our own songs and stuff.  We’ve got one demo out right now, based on Isaiah 57:14-21.  Maybe we’ll get a finished product over the next week or two and I’ll post it up here.  I find it easier to write poetry as opposed to songs, usually, but I’m trying.
Speaking of poetry, how about I post up “isabella’s secret pt.1”?  Y’know, so you won’t think I’m all bent on dark stuff.  Cause “see the man” was dark, dude.  Dark as the outer darkness of space.  This one has a different tone.

"jetson mancer" or "isabella's secret pt. 1"

jetson mancer
was a dancer
that's how he spent his nights.
making money
with his honey
isabella poorsight.

he was comely
she was homely
but soon the two were wed.
'ere long he'd cheat
and oft repeat
with women in his bed.

isabella
had one fella
that was jetson mancer
she could not see
the treachery
and sadly got the cancer

If you’re interested, between those two poems you should be able to piece together what’s coming in Part 2.
You guys and gals wanna see the homemade muffins I made?  And by homemade I mean homemade.  From scratch.  No boxes and such rubbish.  I found the recipe from a new blogger’s site here, thought it looked good, and decided to make ‘em.  The recipe was pretty simple and it made one dozen like it was supposed to, but I lost two due to crumbling.  I guess I didn’t let them sit long enough in the trusty Pampered Chef stoneware muffin tin.  Anyway, this is how they turned out.  Rather tasty and fancy, if you ask me.  Check out the blog and the recipe if’n you’re hankering for something delicious.










The cold spell’s sitting strong here in Kentucky.  Heck, in most of the US it’s cold.  I guess that’s why it’s called winter?  It snowed somewhere between two to four inches last night, but thankfully most of the roads were navigable.

I got an email from the library letting me know that the complete series of Firefly is now available to me.  As a Buffy and Dr. Horrible fan, I just had to get it and watch it, especially since it’s got a huge following.
Another new blog I’ve started following is The Sound and the Fury of Kristopher A. Denby.  Mr. Denby shares his thoughts and ideas on various things one typically shares their thoughts and ideas on, like music, books, movies, politics, etc., but I really like his opinions.  Plus, he must have some Celtic heritage or something, and that’s a doubleplus in my book.  That, and he loved The Name of the Wind, so that sealed the deal.  (There’s a review on that book from 12/20/2009.)

There’s not much left to add.  Brandon Sanderson is doing a Q&A over at Goodreads on the Fantasy Book Club about Warbreaker.  I’m currently using 443 MB (5%) of my 7409 MB Gmail space.  Reading about the atomic bomb’s effects on Japan are heartbreaking.  I didn’t even think The Blind Side looked good, but I guess since it’s a “true” story and stuff it must be?  Why’s it making so much money?  I’m so excited for Lost’s final season to start up in February.

Yeah.  That’s about it.  Maybe something else tomorrow?  Maybe, possibly, even some musing.  People say she’s crazy she got diamonds on the soles of her shoes…

A Day in the Life + Answers to Questions

7:02am—Hit snooze one time.  (I don’t believe in setting my alarm on values divisible by five.)  Roll over.  Get attacked by warm, puppy kisses.

7:11am—Get up out of bed, throw water on face, brush teeth, get dressed.

7:25am—Take Stella out, flip coffee pot on, and sometimes read from my Bible or a devotion, and sometimes make oatmeal or cereal.  (I don’t often eat breakfast.)

7:45am—Leave for work.

8:00am—Arrive at the MLC, start up computer, wait, check email, Google Reader updates, CNN headlines, and any other personal business.

9:45am—Coffee break to the Table of Knowledge, work on USA Today crossword puzzle.

10:00am-10:15am—Return to desk and continue working on project(s).

Noon—Lunch time, drive home, cook Ramen noodles or sandwich or leftovers, take Stella out, talk to Keisha if she’s home or read if she’s not, drive back to work.

1:00pm—Arrive at the MLC, check Fark, continue on project(s).

2:45pm—Coffee break to the Table of Knowledge, finish USA Today crossword; if already finished, work on LA Times crossword, other USA Today puzzles, or read through newspaper.

3:00pm-3:15pm—Return to desk and continue working on project(s).

5:00pm—Leave work, drive home, take Stella out; if Keisha’s home, we talk or watch TV or something; if not home, I play an instrument, play with Stella, play Xbox, read, or watch television.

10:00pm—Take Stella out; head upstairs for bed, floss, brush teeth, mouth wash; drop temperature down to a comfortable cool, flip on fan and flowing-water-noise-making-thing, put on chap stick, lay down, get assaulted by Stella’s fierce love, and read.

11:00pm—Lights out, book down, try to sleep.

7:02am—Repeat.

That’s it.  Usually repetitive.  Depending on the day, the evening is substituted with a favorite television show, music practice with Alex, or heading out to shop or something with Keisha.  Thankfully, Keisha’s semester’s finally over, so we’ll get to spend more time together now.  Weekend’s are too unpredictable to pattern.  Now for some answers to some of life’s common questions.  And by common, I mean I’ve only been asked these questions once or never.  I’ll keep the askers anonymous.  You know who you are and aren’t.

How did the homeless thing go?  We had a good time last night, seeking out and trying to help people.  Unfortunately, we did not see a single person that was in need.  In fact, we met only one person, who was running with earbuds in, and he barely acknowledged our greeting.  I’m guessing because it was very cold (wind chill around 12 deg. or something I think) everybody was trying to stay warm.  We walked for around two hours, talking about various things, mostly talking about Jesus, and got in some good exercise.  We’ve not given up, though.  We’ve still got backpacks to give out and we fully intend to give them out.  We’re going to try various times and days, and eventually the Lord will provide.  We came away with more ideas of how we can impact our community, our fellowship grew closer together (I’ve only known Alex for five or six months and already consider him one of my truest and best friends), and we decided that if God provided everything on the first try then there would be no faith involved and everyone would have it easy.  We’ll be hitting the streets again.

What is the Star Wars thing?  Can you link to a site about it?  Are you going to dress up as something from the films?  Star Wars Celebration is an official Star Wars convention, kind of like ComiCon or DragonCon, but strictly Star Wars.  The official Star Wars Celebration V website is available here.  You can also read a bit more overall info, including info from past Celebrations, here or here.  Like any conference, loyal fans dress up as something, and Celebration is no different.  The costumes are amazing and well thought out.  Of course, if I were to go then I would likely dress up.  I have no shame.  I love the franchise.

What do you think about the cliché “better the left sock go missing than the right foot fall off”?  Uh, well, I think that there should be a better cliché.  What does that even mean?  Count your blessings? 

What are you doing tomorrow?  Criss-cross apple sauce, man!  I, along with my Sunday School class, am spending the day at a local homeless shelter, giving away tons of clothing, toys, and food.  If we run out, I think we’re going to get a list and write down what people would like to have, then possibly go buy some stuff and return.  I don’t know.  I’m sure I’ll probably eat at some point, too, and I’ll probably do a bit of other stuff.  I’ve done said that the weekends are too unpredictable.

Why do my feet stink?  It’s not just your feet, friend.

Will I ever find true love and happiness?  Yes.  No.  Maybe?  I don’t know.  Can you repeat the question?

Consider the Greco-Roman civilization, the medieval Anglo-Saxon civilization, the imperial Japanese civilization, and the modern day American civilization.  In a detailed list, citing primary and secondary sources, compare the electric motor scooter’s impact on each society.  Wait, what?  That’s not even a question.  That’s a command.  This ain’t a command session.

Did you see that picture of that 35-year-old parrot that doesn’t have any feathers?  Why yes, yes I did.  I saw it right here in fact.  It’s rather freaky, wouldn’t you say?

What was your favorite subject in high school?  Interesting.  I really have always been a math nerd since I was a wee lad, so probably AP Calculus.  Of course, I’ve always tried to dabble in art, and I took art classes all the way up to AP Art, too, which was a very fun class, but probably not my favorite for the whole “learning” thing.

Do you have more trouble with apostrophes or commas?  That is too hard to answer.  I want to throw commas around like they’ll solve all my problems, yet I’m sure I break the laws of grammar quite a bit.  As for apostrophes, they throw me for a loop from time to time, but probably not as much as commas.

That’s it for today folks, friends, fiends, and foes.  Remember, you can submit your very own questions in a comment, via email, in person, via Google Wave (if you want an invite I’ve got plenty to give out), or to my personal assistant, Renaldo Gustav Bolivia Montang.  Until next time, try not to write something as forced as this felt and try to watch a little Arrested Development.

The End.

Achuta Ootman. Kee chai chai cun kuta? Tah-koh tee womp rat e’nachu.

A lot of things to cover today.  Where to start?  Hmm.  STAR WARS it is then.

I haven’t reviewed them, because I’m not sure how I could without many spoilers, but I’ve just finished Volumes 1-5 of the STAR WARS Legacy comics.  This covers issues 1-26.  The Legacy series is rather cool and different in the Expanded Universe.  It’s set 137 years After the Battle of Yavin (ABY), the battle that takes place in Episode 4, where the Death Star goes boom.  The lone survivor of the Skywalker legacy, Cade has turned his back on the Force and lives his own life as a successful bounty hunter.  The Sith have ransacked the galaxy, slaughtering all Jedi and assassinating the Emperor.  Darth Krayt, the leader of the One Sith movement, takes the throne and sets out to unite the galaxy under his leadership.  From there, you can imagine the newfound joys the galaxy experiences.  Puppies for everyone, the poor are fed, and life is great and grand.

I’ve been rather impressed with this series.  There are a few times that I’ve rolled my eyes, but for the most part it’s been a fun and different kind of STAR WARS adventure.  The new breed of Sith are awesome looking, and the story is compelling.  Plus it’s all canonical, so I’m really interested in seeing how the events taking place in the current STAR WARS EU novels (the Fate of the Jedi series), which takes place around 43 years ABY, pan out and lead up to events referred to in the comics.  I want to know what happens to the heroes of the Alliance, how they die, and how the Sith come to be.  (Some of these things have been hinted at in the novels, and the comics are tying them in together nicely.)

Next up, music.

You can get the John Denver & The Muppets A Christmas Together cd at Amazon for $5 this month.  I recommend it if you’re looking for Christmas music, John Denver music, and Muppet music.  Great Christmas tunes and a fun cd, too.  It’s available here.  There’s actually quite a few good $5 albums available this month.  I highly recommend the My Morning Jacket Evil Urges cd, which happened to rank #21 on my iPod quest thing.  Highly recommend it.  You won’t find the album cheaper than the $5 unless you’re a pirate.  Then there’s the Beach Boys Pet Sounds 40th Anniversary album, Duran Duran, Celtic Woman, the Elf Soundtrack, A Charlie Brown Christmas, The Band’s Music from Big Pink, the new Switchfoot album, and a whole lot of other great tunes for $5.  Oh, what the heck.  Here’s the link to the 100 $5 albums for December.  There’ll be more in January.  Oh, and I recently downloaded the free sampler I Love the 80’s: The 1880s from Amazon (available here), which contains more than 5 hours of classical music from the time period.  It’s a rather nice collection, too, if you like quiet classical music.

Next?  Why let’s talk about the pain of stubbing a toe.

I spent a few hours cleaning up the house yesterday, washing clothes, dishes, and other things.  I was watching the Syfy original Alice while doing so, so it wasn’t all that bad.  However, at one point I managed to stub my Ring Toe (is that what it’s called?) on one of the legs of the couch, causing me to grunt in pain and agony, hop around for a few seconds on the other foot and then plop down on the same couch that caused my current duress.  Then I looked down at my toe and realized how bad I hit it.  It was purple and red and stuck to the side of the Middle Toe by blood.  Lots of blood.  And there was a big gash and some nail damage.  All in all a pretty bad stub.  So today I’m walking with care, trying to keep pressure off the toe.  I’m also trying to not wiggle my toes, which is remarkably difficult for me, as I constantly do so within my socks within my shoes all the time.  Oh well.  It could’ve been worse, eh?  I mean, I almost cut off my fingers on the food processor the other day making an Oreo cheesecake.  I forgot it was plugged in and was screwing on the blades with one hand and holding the machine still with the other.  I accidentally pressed down the pulse button and I screamed like a girl, pulled my hands up, watched Oreos fly out of the thing, watched Stella snag an Oreo, and looked at my hands.  Fingers were intact and untouched, thankfully, but it was a close one.

Speaking of Oreos…

I read an eye-opening article on some processed foods yesterday.  It’s available here.  Apparently the Stuf in an Oreo is “basically sugar-flavored Crisco.”  That’s pretty disgusting.  All of those things were pretty gross, actually.  I’m sure I’ll still eat some of the stuff on there, but I’ll likely think twice about it before I do.

Huttese?  Eniki.  If you really want to learn it, which I kind of do, then you can find more of it here.  You can also decipher the blog title, if you feel inclined.  I’ve always wanted to be fluent in a bunch of languages.  Maybe one day.

That’s about it, really.  Still getting over sinus crap.  We had our first accumulated snow yesterday.  Music practice tonight with Alex, prepping for the homeless shelter worship service this weekend.  Writing Wednesday tomorrow.  Mee jewz ku.

Ughhhhh

Yeah, so I don’t feel any better. Everything tastes like snot and mucus and my head is borderline explosive. I had a moment of sweet bliss this morning around 5:00 when I woke up, took my Vicks nose spray and gave myself two bursts up the nasal cavities. I lay there on my back, able to breathe, and fell back asleep.

Now I’m sitting here wondering if I’m going to make it through the day or if I should just go home and lay down. For now, I press on. For later, who knows?

In news, and I’m sure most of you know, Pat Rothfuss has once again posted a few blog posts about the Heifer Fund fundraiser. In fact, he’s formed a group called Worldbuilders, which I think sounds pretty sweet. Last year, Pat matched every dollar donated, which happened to be around $53k. He almost went broke from that, so this year he’s matching 50% of every dollar. There are thousands of prizes to win through the fundraiser. To be eligible you must donate through Pat’s page. More information is available here at his blog.

So, since I’ve felt like a sack full of crap for a few days I’ve been laying on the couch quite a bit. That means I’ve been playing a lot of Oblivion, which I’m finding pretty fun and entertaining, though not as much as Fallout 3.

In other news I managed to clear up around 2 gigs of my iPod by down converting many of my higher bit rate (~anything above 192kbit) to 128kbit. I can’t really tell a difference in the sound quality. So yay to me.

Yet another piece of news is that I failed (miserably) at my NaNoWriMo goal of 50,000 words. I made it to 21k, got a little bored, got really busy, got some other excuses and stalled. So, perhaps one day I’ll finish the story I started. I’ve got goals and things set for it, but I don’t know. I kind of see myself as more of a short story writer as opposed to long stories.

No one figured out my second favorite Disney film. Really. I thought it was pretty obvious, but apparently not. Of course, it’s highly probable no one bothered to look. I doubt I would. See, sometimes I get my wires crossed and my audience mixed up. I’m doing this whole blog thing for myself, and when the fancy strikes, for you folks. (O the sweet, sweet taste of pumpkin delights.) Often I find it difficult to differentiate between them, but the difference is there.

In STAR WARS related news, check out this "Best of Star Wars Twitter Thanksgiving Meme" thing. My favorite was either "It's as if millions of green beans cried out in terror and were suddenly silenced" or "I am altering the meal. Pray I don't alter it further." Pretty funny stuff. And also there's this Storm Trooper Elvis cubecraft thing, which I printed out and made. As a word of advice, if you do this, use the suggested cardstock paper, not regular paper. Mine was pretty tough to do since I used regular paper.

I don’t really want to be staring at a computer screen the rest of the day. I bought a new digital camera. I passed my Erosion test that I took a week or two ago, so now I’m an officially state-certified Erosion Inspector. Goodnight moons. Writing Wednesday tomorrow.

STAR WARS: Death Troopers

I was quite intrigued when I first heard about the STAR WARS: Death Troopers novel. Actually, I believe I was open mouthed and awe struck. The introduction of zombies into the STAR WARS universe was unusual, but I grew instantly keen on the idea as soon as I learned of it. If you follow the above link you can read the blurb on the back of the novel.

The book is only around 240 pages and the pages turn very quickly. Partially because the chapters are short and action-filled, but also partially because the plot has you reading quickly to see what happens.

It’s hard for me to decide my opinion on this book. I was entertained by the plotline. I cared somewhat about the characters. I was intrigued by the zombie thing (who isn’t?). I was repulsed by the zombie thing (who isn’t?). And if you want to think about something that can scare you, think about zombie Wookies.

One problem I had with the book was that it wrapped up too nicely, too succinct for my liking. So much so that I had to roll my eyes in disbelief a few times. Sure, I can suspend reality into believing the undead are alive and hungry in a far away, make believe galaxy, but pushing too much luck/coincidence into a character and that suspended belief turns into disbelief.

One thing I really enjoyed was the rushed pace the novel took. The action is really intense and the fear of the characters is palpable. I had no problems visualizing the mob of zombies shambling through the corridors of the spacecraft. The blood and gore was described well enough to bring home the point, too.

I had mixed feelings about the characters. The two teenage brothers have my pity and I like them, but some of their actions are a bit stupid. The “sadistic captain of the guards” is also pitiable, but loathsome. The “rogue smugglers” were a bit too trite, but they held my attention. And the “lone woman on board,” who happens to be the chief medical officer, was a tad cliché, too. However, the relationships between these characters were for the most part well done.

As I said, I had mixed feelings on this book. It definitely fits in the STAR WARS universe (and apparently it is canonized), but only by setting, really. With a few minor tweaks, the novel could work in almost any given setting. I guess I wanted more STAR WARS philosophy, but it was lacking. I can recommend this book to you because it’s a very quick and entertaining read, but don’t set your hopes too realistically. Besides the few eye rolling scenes, I enjoyed the book.

Cheesecake (again), and a Few Other Things

Where to start?  Last night I decided to attempt another cheesecake experiment, this time choosing to make a pumpkin cheesecake for Autumn.  This one was much simpler than the dark chocolate one, and so it didn’t take me as long.  In the end, the cake came out not as pretty as I’d hoped for, but not bad looking either.  The overall taste was great.  Smooth, sweet, and pumpkiny.  I didn’t like the softness of the crust, and if I choose to make this recipe again I’d probably bake the crust a little longer.  But the recipe was easy to follow and the results were definitely worth it.

[Windows—Virtual Memory Minimum Too Low.  Your system is low on virtual memory.  Windows is increasing the size of your virtual memory paging file.  During this process, memory requests for some applications may be denied.  For more information…]

So.  Yeah.  Halloween’s just 15 days away.  We’re having a Halloween party at Stewartland this year.  Our neighborhood has almost a trillion kids in it, and on our street alone there are 65 (and our street’s not very long!)  So Halloween should be fun.  I’m thinking I may wear my awesome mullet again…

I decided to jump on the bandwagon with David and Crystal.  I’ve been toying with the idea for a while, but finally the inner author in me decided to take a dive.  I signed up for the NaNoWriMo challenge, which is a challenge to write and finish a 50,000 word (or more) novel during the month of November.  You can find more information about this by following the badge/link on the sidebar.

My step-dad’s having surgery today.  Back several months ago he was helping his dad cut some limbs out of a tree and he fell.  I think it was around 17ft or so up in the air.  He’s really lucky to not have more damage than he does, but he does have a lot of damage (crushed bones and the like in much of the right side). 

Speaking of lucky, check out this video of a six-month old baby surviving being hit by a train.  Apparently his stroller rolled down a ramp just as a train was heading into station and was hit.  His mother rushed to get the stroller and the train crashed into it as she was reaching for it.  Thankfully no one was hurt.

Oh, it looks like Joe Abercrombie will be shelved slightly longer than I thought.  I forgot that I have a library book to read (the next volume of The Fate of the Jedi series), but after that I’ll jump on The Last Argument of Kings.

I guess if you’re wanting to read a shout-out to why Chewie is the best sidekick in the Sci-Fi realm, you can click on this link.  The article is actually pretty dead-on and quite funny, too.  I always liked Chewbacca much better than 3PO.  That’s about it for today.  Sorry.  Maybe better luck next time.  Reviews next week!

Open Mouthed and Awe Struck

An apology: Today’s post was not originally going to be about this. I was going to write more about the reasoning behind my blog, behind my title, behind different themes and elements that appear here. Instead, I get an email that leaves me open mouthed and awe struck. So, if you’re tired of STAR WARS news, I apologize, but I urge you to read on…

Wow. This is something I’ve honestly never expected to see. Before I go into details, just take a close look at the cover of the new STAR WARS: Death Troopers (by Joe Schreiber) novel that was released today. Can you see the blood and chains? Does the decapitated stormtrooper’s head mean anything to you? Nothing? What if I give you a one word prod in the right direction? Zombie.

Yes, friends, you read that correctly. Zombies. Or at least that’s what the blurb reads like to me. You decide.

When the Imperial prison barge Purge–temporary home to five hundred of the galaxy’s most ruthless killers, rebels, scoundrels, and thieves–breaks down in a distant, uninhabited part of space, its only hope appears to lie with a Star Destroyer found drifting, derelict, and seemingly abandoned. But when a boarding party from the Purge is sent to scavenge for parts, only half of them come back–bringing with them a horrific disease so lethal that within hours nearly all aboard the Purge die in ways too hideous to imagine.
And death is only the beginning.
The Purge’s half-dozen survivors–two teenage brothers, a sadistic captain of the guards, a couple of rogue smugglers, and the chief medical officer, the lone woman on board–will do whatever it takes to stay alive. But nothing can prepare them for what lies waiting aboard the Star Destroyer amid its vast creaking emptiness that isn’t really empty at all. For the dead are rising: soulless, unstoppable, and unspeakably hungry.

Sure sounds like zombies to me. And in the STAR WARS universe, too. The author, Joe Schreiber, is a known horror author and this is his first installment into the STAR WARS universe. In the timeline of things, it takes place just before A New Hope, and it is canon.

The review I read indicated that the novel is indeed creepy and spooky at times, and that the story is bleak and hopeless. While this is typical with the zombie genre, it’s (potentially) exciting to see how it fits into the STAR WARS universe. And, since it’s close to Halloween, I could easily fit it into some holiday-themed reading.

I’ll definitely be adding this to my reading pile.

An after-thought: It’s coincidental that two days ago I posted a review for Zombieland and yesterday I posted a review for the last STAR WARS novel I read, and then today I have a post that combines both zombies and STAR WARS. It’s odd that I’ve never heard of this novel until today, too. Tomorrow will continue along with Writing Wednesdays and the story of Hank Tasla.

Star Wars Fate of the Jedi: Outcast, A Review

In case it’s not obvious, I am a huge STAR WARS fan. As such, every so often I am compelled to make a post about my beloved SFF series, or at least use a lengthy comparison for one thing likened to something in the STAR WARS universe. With that, I’m excited to review the first book in the new STAR WARS series.

The Fate of the Jedi series takes place two years after the chaos and destruction caused by Darth Caedus. Chief of State Natasi Daala brings charges against Jedi Grand Master Luke Skywalker amounting to him failing to recognize one of his Jedi Knights was turning to the Dark Side. If Luke could have prevented the turn, then the Second Galactic Civil War could have been prevented. Within a few days, Luke Skywalker is exiled from the New Jedi Order and the Galactic Alliance for ten years, and subsequently the Jedi are each assigned a GA observer to watch and study the Jedi’s actions.

Luke and his son Ben decide to spend their exile studying what caused the rise of Darth Caedus. Their path leads to Dorin, the home world of the Old Republic Jedi Master Plo Koon.

Meanwhile, the rest of the Order is forced to cope with the departure of their beloved and famed Grand Master, in addition to those pesky GA observers. The Jedi cannot go anywhere outside the Temple without their observers (unless they’re really sneaky), and this makes their jobs a bit more difficult to accomplish, especially when trying to capture and understand two rogue Jedi.

Like the Legacy of the Force series, the Fate of the Jedi series looks to be filled with STAR WARS philosophy and the delicate relationship between politics and justice. It’s these things that make the Expanded Universe of STAR WARS fun to read and experience. I’ve read many of the EU books, and the philosophy of the Force keeps getting murkier and grey as the years pass. All in all, if you like the STAR WARS universe and you’ve read many of the EU books, then I can easily recommend this book. It was fast-paced and entertaining and a rather quick read. On the other hand, if you’ve not read much (or any) of the EU, then I would not recommend starting with this book.

On Lando Calrissian

Lando Calrissian is quite possibly the baddest dude in the Star Wars universe. He's a smooth-talking hustler, gambling smuggler-entrepaneur. Lando's skill at gambling wins him the Millenium Falcon, which he ultimately loses at the sabacc tables to Han Solo. Soon, Lando and Han part ways. Eventually Solo, along with Chewie, Leia, Threepio, and Artoo, find their way to Bespin, where Lando is the Administrator of Cloud City. The gang seeks refuge from the Empire, and Han appeals to his old friend's morals to help hide them. Calrissian agrees, only to betray them later, delivering Han into the hands of Boba Fett and unknowingly Luke into the hands of Darth Vader.

This is all old news to you, most likely. If somehow you've not seen Empire Strikes Back, then it may be slightly confusing, but I'm hoping that's not the case. However, in the final installment of the movies, Lando redeems himself by helping Leia rescue the carbonite-frozen Solo from Jabba the Hutt. Furthermore, he joins the Rebel Alliance, piloting the Falcon during the war above Endor.

Lando is one of the most misunderstood characters in the Star Wars universe. Sure, he betrayed his friends, but it was acting out of personal safety. While this is viewed as a lapse in moral character and the actions of a scuzz-bucket, it is completely within Lando's character. He is, after all, a survivor, and his personal safety is more important than anyone elses. The only other thing that seems to drive this Lando is the prospect of making money.

If Lando were to stop there, his character would indeed be weak and poor. We American's would react with a "How could he do that?" attitude, wondering where his redemption was hiding. Thankfully, as previously mentioned, Lando does go on to redeem himself, numerous times. His change in character is dramatic. Sure, he's still the same smooth-talking son-of-a-gun he always was, but now he's got a moral compass that is sympathetic to the Alliance (and later the New Republic, etc.) Lando risks his life many times for his friends, and his trust is won very quickly by everyone.

Soon enough the "ladies-man" is settled down and in love with a pregnant wife. He's ready to retire and live out the rest of his years in peace, enjoying his fortune he's managed to amass.

Yes, I like Lando Calrissian. He's not one of the major Star Wars characters (that is he's not a Skywalker or Solo), but he's still very important and crucial. Plus, I like his smooth-talking, suave ways. And, he wore a cape for crying out loud. All of these things make Lando an entertaining, complex/simple character.

A Brief Respite

I'm off, friends. I'm heading to the wilderness of western Kentucky. I'm going to take it really easy and only do a little homework. I think I'll do a bit o' resting and reading and maybe even some writing.

Farewell for now. And remember, let the Wookie win.

My First Wreck

Today's been an interesting day. Today was a special day for me. Today I got to experience my first wreck. By experience I mean that I was riding shotgun and only involved in it, not driving one of the vehicles, but it was still a near head-on collision.

We were on our way to our stream for class, traveling eastbound around 40 mph and approaching a green light. Another vehicle, a small car facing westbound, decided to left turn in front of us, right into our lane of traffic. To minimize damage, my friend, the driver, swerved left and the passenger front ends collided. (I could go into the mechanics and dynamics of the wreck, like I did in my sledding accident post, but I do not wish to repeat myself there. Instead, now would be a good point to make an aside about the Large Hadron Collider. This thing is so cool, but I don't fully understand it. But I've always been fascinated by black holes, and space in general. In fact, the only point in this aside is to point out some subtle things you may not have noticed before, but I can't point them out to you. If you notice them, kudos; if not, say sorry and move along. Like in STAR WARS where the stormtroopers tell Luke, Obi-Wan, C-3P0, and R2-D2.)

So, anyway, the wreck was very fast. Firstly, no one was injured, for which I thank the Lord. I have a pretty stiff and sore neck and shoulder and a small bruise on my chest from the seatbelt, but nothing serious. Secondly, the wreck wasn't my friends' fault; it was the other guy who ran the YIELD ON GREEN sign. Thirdly, the truck was totaled, roont. Fourthly, and finally, we still went on to class, even though we were about 30 minutes late.

And in the stream we finished surveying our reach. We also shot a cross-section of our channel and will be plotting it soon for homework. We even got to do a pebble count, but this time it wasn't as cold as before. Still pretty cold, just not as cold.

For the long of it, today's been an interesting day. An automobile accident, a stiff neck (no pun intended), homework, 45 minutes of Fallout 3, more homework, and then Heroes. Actually a pretty good day, except for the whole wreck thing.

Mighty Muggs: A Defense of Darth Maul

This is my new tv stand decor item. Mighty Muggs is a toy type from the Hasbro company. It is made from "100% recycled awesome", though I am unsure what that means. Nevertheless, I thought this particular MM figure was pretty cool for three good reasons.

(1) Darth Maul has always been awesome in the STAR WARS universe. His appearance as the Phantom Menace from Episode I was brilliant, and his use of the double-blade light saber phenomenal. The body tattoos and art was reminiscent of Mephistopheles, except way cooler and the ability to manipulate the Force. In addition to this, his few lines provided some insight to his interpretation of the Force, and his beliefs to bring down the Jedi were very clear.

(2) Several of my friends call me Darth. It is one of my many nicknames. One reason for this is that many of them know that I love STAR WARS and so they call me that. Furthermore, I created an alternate identity on Facebook as Darth Logeon.

(3) Darth Maul is so cool that my senior year of high school I woke up a few hours early on Halloween so my brother could paint my face in the style of Darth Maul. Since my brother is an artist and he is a STAR WARS fan, the end product looked very, very cool. Sadly, back then I did not appreciate pictures and so I have no pictures to provide as substantiating evidence.

There you have it. A defense on why Darth Maul is absolutely one of the coolest villains ever created. One other thing I failed to mention. When I bought my MM figure I just couldn't help myself to one other STAR WARS purchase: a bobble head Boba Fett.

Darth Vader

There comes a time in every young man's life that he finally realizes what he wants to be when he grows up. There are multiple dreams and ambitions, but there is always one definite epiphany. At least there was for me. An epiphany that rattles to the bone marrow.
I wanted to become Darth Vader. If wielding the ultimate powers of the Dark Side wasn't enough to tempt me, there was the numerous other traits of Lord Vader that were certainly admirable. He, like Johnny Cash, was a man in black. His suit was constructed to fit him perfectly, casting that ominous shadow everywhere he went. He had a lightsaber for cryin' out loud. What kind of person doesn't want to own a lightsaber? Vader also was the second most powerful person in the galaxy (at least in order of command by the Empire) and had the authority to demolish entire planets. Logically it can be determined that Darth Vader could do whatever he pleased.

But then comes the dilemma. Darth Vader, a Dark Lord of the Sith, had too many problems. Being Darth Vader comes with the burden of loss and anguish. To take on the mask means taking on his pain. He believed that Padme would die and he wanted to save her. Satan, I mean,Chancellor Palpatine twisted Vader's mind to where he didn't know what to believe. He only thought that he had to trust Palpatine to help him save Padme. Foolish, aye, but out of love. A deep love for Padme. And there was also the sorrow of having killed numerous (practically all) Jedi. He not only failed in the Order, but he failed himself.

So being Darth Vader is a tricky business. Indeed the powers and shiny black suit would be mine, but as would the heartache. I believe I must pass on it. Though the Dark Side tempts me, I shall not give in. I shall remain myself, loyal to the true Force. The Light Side is too strong to leave. And Vader finally comes back over to it, so why should I want to be him anyway? I'm sure he'd forsake all that's Dark.....