News flash! Lucasfilm to be Bought by Disney!

WHAT?!?  What just happened?  I can't see straight.  The room is all spinning.  Lights...flashing.  I can't breath.

You read it correctly.  George Lucas is done.  He's had enough Nerdrage.  He's selling it off.  All of it.  

Star Wars is soon to be owned by Disney.  Princess Leia will be added to the Disney Princess roster.  There are already plans underway to begin work on the next Star Wars film.

I...I...I can't believe it.

I didn't see it coming.  

Some fans are beyond excited.  Others using hyperbolic metaphors like "rape".  Um, shame on you.  

That's being a little ridiculous.  Star Wars is a huge part of who I am, how I believe, and what I do, so don't try to justify that comparison to me.

I, myself, am right now, just caught off guard and a little shocked.

As soon as I can think it through, I'll let you know how I really feel.

***********************************UPDATE***************************************

Okay,  so the shock has worn off and I've thought about it.  I'm happy.  What better security for the legend then Disney.  No, I don't think Disney will make a horrid Star Wars film with Selena Gomez and Zac Effron. They aren't stupid.  Also, Lucas still has 40% of the decision making.  His CEO is still running the show, she just reports to a different boss.  This is about making sure that Star Wars is secure.  That before George Lucas leaves this earth he has it in safe hands and in a direction that is positive and nurturing so that it lasts way beyond him.  So many people have created things and died unexpectedly, thinking their children would take it and keep it going.  Jim Henson comes to mind.  His son ran the Muppets into the ground.  Luckily, Disney was interested in the property and saved it.  From that, we got that last Muppet film, which was fantastic!

(tee-hee)

There's a whole lot of Fanrage/Nerdrage right now.  I have to wonder about these people.  They spout hate and negativity and accuse the creator of the thing they claim to love of being evil.  Seriously?!  Are you people for real?  Hate, anger and fear are of the darkside.  You are nothing more than Sith.  Scared, weak, pathetic Sith.

George Lucas has given so much to the world and to his community.  The money he has poured into creating, art, and technology is amazing.  Not only that, but do you know what he said he was going to do with that 4 billion he is getting?

"George Lucas has expressed his intention, in the event the deal closes, to donate the majority of the proceeds to his philanthropic endeavors."

Explain to me how on earth anyone could call this guy evil?  You want evil?  Look at big oil.  Look at the gas companies and their waste water frakking.  Look at Wallstreet.  Look at what is happening in front of your eyes.  George Lucas isn't evil.  George Lucas is one of my heroes.  If it wasn't for him, my life would be very different.  As would millions of others.  I think of the thousands, if not millions of people employed just because of him.  People that have created medical technology or engineering feats because they were inspired by Star Wars.  Artists, toy sculptors, writers, fan film makers, composers, and the people that those people work for or support.  Evil doesn't create.  Even in Christian Mythology it is clearly stated that the Devil can NOT create.  

So, yes, I think this is an amazing deal.  Sure, it caught me off guard, but wow!  Holy cow!  Star Wars will live forever.  That makes me happy.

P.S.  Dear fanboys/girls...you loved the Avengers, right?  Disney owns Marvel, too.  Remember?

Arrow

I'm not usually much of a CW viewer, but I'll admit, they got me this season.  They reeled me in with Arrow. I've always been a fan of Oliver Queen aka Green Arrow from DC Comics.  I had some great Green Arrow/Green Lantern team comics.  Neal Adams and Dennis O'Neil were my intro to the character.  I loved finding Green Arrow's at garage sales.  I stayed with Green Arrow through some of his dramatic changes.  They were good changes.  I was there when Ollie met Black Canary.  It made my heart swell.  Those two were perfect together.

So, when I saw CW was doing a series based on Green Arrow I thought I'd give it a shot.  Why not?  I loved Smallville.  Best Superman series ever.  So far, I have not been disappointed.

Arrow's writing is SOLID.  The writer's know their character and the actor is PERFECT.  Stephen Amell really embodies a young Oliver Queen.  The Direction is wonderful and it looks as if they have spared no expense in production, which is really nice to see.

If you liked Smallville, or enjoy superhero shows, check it out.  I don't think you'll be disappointed.

Ada Wong

Resident Evil is a game that came out in 1996.  T & I bought a copy.  It was the most expensive game I had ever purchased.  It was like $20.00 or something.  Which was a whole lot for us at the time.  Our rent was $225.00 and I made like $4 an hr. at my part time job, was paying for college, art supplies, books, my car and T was working for min. wage at Arby's.  Still, it was one of the best purchases we ever made.

We spent countless hours playing Resident Evil and screaming out loud when zombie dogs or other things would jump out of nowhere to kill us.  We played as Jill Valentine and took turns working our way through.  T ultimately beat it and we cheered!  It was a very bonding experience.  The couple that plays together...stays together.  We've played nearly every single Resident Evil since.  Occasionally getting lucky enough to be blessed with co-op instead of one player!

The thing I remember most (other than Claire's cry of "Leon") about Resident Evil 2 was Ada Wong.  She was mysterious and sexy.  You didn't know if she was good or bad.  Well, Hot Toys new Ada Wong is awesome!

Hot Toys continues to release superb sculpts of figures, toys, movie figures, game figures, etc.  Honestly, no one beats them.  Not only that, but you can see the artisans behind these sculpts on Hot Toys Facebook page.

Sideshow Collectibles has Ada Wong available now for pre-order.  She ships June 2013. 

She's a sixth scale figure meaning 12 inches tall.  She has 25 points of articulation, 7 interchangeable hands, guns, crossbows, daggers, a suitcase and so much more.  Her price isn't too bad at $199.99.  Hot Toys are, after all, a work of art.  Art ain't cheap kids.

Anime Suggestion

Sailor Moon, Utena, Project A-ko, Ghost in the Shell, Gatchaman, Space Battleship Yamato, Strawberry Panic, and more.  All Japanese Animation I adore.  Some old, some new.  Hulu and Netfix have a pretty good selection of anime.  I just finished the first season of "Birdy the Mighty: Decode" and I gotta say...I LOVED it.




The story starts with Birdy, our heroine, trying to capture some bad guys in space.  She ends up getting assigned to earth because they are hiding out on our planet.  She accidentally kills a young human boy.  Well, she mangles his body all up.  She manages to "save" him by bringing his consciousness or awareness into her body as the people she works for repair his.  So it's two people in one body.  She continues her search by night because she has to trade out with him during the day so he doesn't flunk out of school.



There's plenty of action, but the characters are awesome.  You really do get involved and care.  The thing I love best about Japanese Animation is that you really never know who will live or die.  Including your main protagonist.  I've watched anime before that left me utterly heartbroken, yet completely satisfied.  The sacrifice was justified and epic.    I have no idea how Birdy will end, but the end of the first season was intense.

So, if you love Anime, check this one out.  If you have never seen any Japanese animation, then this is a fun one to start with.  It's on Netflix right now.  It's dubbed (I like mine subtitled) but the dubbing is excellent.  Great voices that match the characters perfectly.  

Labyrinth Worm

C'mon, you know you want this.  That darn Labyrinth worm is so creepy cute!  When people come over they will squeal with terror joy! You can use it as part of your Jareth the Goblin King costume as well.  Stick it on your shoulder like a parrot and run around screaming that there's a worm on you.  Or, use it as your tea buddy.  Labyrinth worms love tea parties!  This plush is 13 inches long, 9 inches tall and 5 inches wide and so cuddly, you'll wonder how you managed to sleep before.  You can order it online at Entertainment Earth.

Limited Edition Batman Hoodie

Marc Ecko has made a kick-ass Batman Hoodie that is super limited and super cool.  It sports injected padding to buff you up if you happen to be a pencil neck. The hood pulls over just like the Dark Knight's so you can mask your identity and fight crime!  Its a 60/40 Cotton/poly fleece blend, so it's sure to keep you at just the right temperature on those long cold crime fighting nights.  It's $149.50 with free shipping.

4th Doctor Scarf

If you want to go as the 4th Doctor, played by Tom Baker, for Halloween, then there is one thing you MUST have.  The scarf.  The scarf of scarfs.  The longest scarf in TV history.  Now, if you don't have a friend like I do who has promised to make you one (okay, maybe she didn't promise me, but I'm hopeful despite the fact she's only had one lesson that I know of), then you have a new alternative!  Entertainment Earth is offering the Elope 4th Doctor Scarf for $49.99.  You can pick up a shorter version for $24.99.

Hurry though, Halloween is in 9 days!

Jar-Jar Binks in Carbonite

If you missed it the first time, you have a second chance to own the Jar-Jar binks in carbonite 3 3/4" figure as well as the entire Carbonite pack.  Brian's Toys has them in stock right now!  These were originally only available at the San Deigo Comic Con 2012.  $169.99 is the price they have set them at.

Marc Ecko Star Wars

Marc Ecko has been making sweet Star Wars clothing for quite a while.  I own a whole lot of it.  It's some of the most comfortable & best made stuff I own.  I have the Luke Skywalker hoodie.  It is by far my most favorite hoodie ever, which is saying something because I have had a crap ton of hoodies.  Not only is it super comfortable & super warm, but it has stood up to a whole lot of wear & tear.

The shirts I've purchased are also way comfy.  So soft.  The paint or screen printing ink doesn't crack easily and the images have yet to fade.  Sure, they are more expensive than the $9.99 Wal-mart Star Wars shirt, but they are totally worth it.

Go check all his cool gear out here: Star Wars Ecko

Shaak Ti Premium Format

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Rebel Scum took some pictures of her at one of the recent cons.

Pretty sweet.

P!nk

P!nk has always made music that speaks to me.  Her new album is no different.  It's amazing.  It's like she knows exactly what I've been feeling.  Lyrics like:

And you feel too much 
And you don’t know how long you’re gonna last, 

But everyone you know, is tryin’a smooth it over, 
Find a way to make the hurt go away, 
But everyone you know, is tryin’a smooth it over, 
Like you’re trying to scream underwater, 
But, I won’t let you make the great escape, 
I’m never gonna watch you checkin out of this place 
I’m not gonna lose you 
Cause the passion and pain 
Are gonna keep you alive someday 
Gonna keep you alive someday 

Dang.  Her new video blew me away.  It's everything I feel right now.



I wish I had her strength.  Check it out on Spotify if you want to hear the whole thing.  It's called "The Truth About Love".

What is this? Video Week? Maybe.

Before it's gone forever, you should check out PBS.  Frontline is an especially amazing investigative program that covers all sorts of relevant issues that affect people like you and me every day.  Things that never make your local news or the papers.  Things you SHOULD know.  The DVD above is over Forensics and how we, as America, define what makes an "expert" in the field of forensics.  It's quite eye opening & pretty damn frightening.  It's easy to see how so many innocent people end up in jail. If you want to order it from PBS, it's $19.99.

Nova has always been one of my favorite shows.  I remember watching it when I was just knee-high to a grasshopper.  Sadly, once PBS is axed, it will disappear as well.  The DVD above is also $19.99 and also is an interesting look at how Forensics as a science is still new & not really consistent nor 100% accurate.  There are examples of how it has been used to send innocent people to Death Row and even those who were put to death using false interpretations of forensic data. Again, I was shocked to see how much some cases depend on one supposed "experts" testimony which is nothing more than a loosely based scientific guess sometimes.  It really engaging stuff.  I learned things I would most certainly keep in mind if I ever get to be lucky enough to be on a jury.

All the Monsters in One Place!!!

Every once in a while a company catches a clue & understands what the public really wants.  Well, maybe not the "public" but the hardcore nutjobs out there.  People like me who love the Universal Monsters and have wanted a nice set of Blurays with every film beautifully restored.  Well, Universal has answered that call.  They have released "The Universal Classic Monsters: The Essential Collection" Bluray set.  It contains Dracula (1931), Frankenstein (1931), The Mummy (1932), The Invisible Man (1933), The Bride of Frankenstein (1935), The Wolf Man (1941), The Phantom of the Opera (1943), and The Creature From the Black Lagoon (1954).  There are also 12 hours of bonus features and a collectible book with this set.

This is a must have for Monster collectors.  I will be adding it to my collection ASAP.  

Phantom Antichrist - Kreator

The new Kreator album is awesome!  If you're a metalhead & don't know these guys, you really need to check them out.  They are epic and awesome.  Their newest singe, "Phantom Antichrist" has a frakkin' cool epic metal video to go with it.  I loved it.  It reminded me of the old classic feel of metal.  The guitar solo sings to your soul.  Good old true metal.  Like Judas Priest or early Metallica  Epic Metal.

Kachinas and Twisters

Sam Noble Museum in Norman, Oklahoma.

"Twister" 34" x 36" Acrylic on wood submitted for entry into the 1st National Weather Center Biennale.

$25.00 entry fee paid.

Fingers crossed.