Month: October 2012

Happy Anniversary, Internet

I have a weird memory. I’m horrible with names. But I’m great with places and dates. The first time I saw a Yankees win a World Series was October 26, 1996. My first Weezer concert was August 30, 2000. And 20 years ago today, on October 31, 1992, I went online for the first time.

My father had just gotten a new computer. A few weeks earlier, I read an item in Wizard magazine about a Star Wars bulletin board on the America On Line service, which my father subscribed to. I started the program, dialed in and after having the modem screech at me, started discussing Star Wars with my fellow nerds.

Twenty years later, the Internet is part of everyday life. Star Wars is cool again. And I can remember October 31, 1992 like it was yesterday.

King Tom

The Firefighter and the Pumpkin

Our family reached a milestone this Halloween: Hope kept her costume on all night.

Just like last year, we let Hope pick her costume. She wanted to be a firefighter. With her rejection of the helicopter costume in mind, we wanted to keep this year’s costume simple. Helmet, boots and that’s it. She was very proud of the helmet. She was also much more into trick-or-treating. A little too much, as she wanted to keep going and eat her candy after every stop. She learned eventually and thankfully, we were able to limit her intake.

Not only was she proud of her helmet, but she also seemed happy to tell Luke what was going on and involve him in her night.

(I should note that bag isn’t her bag full of treats. It’s just a Target bag full of toys. She’s really into bags right now).

If the outfit Luke’s wearing looks familiar, that’s because it’s not the first time it’s been worn in the family. Hope (at six months) wore it two years ago. Luke, who just hit four months this week, barely fit into it. I don’t know if it’s just me, but they look similar. You’d almost think they were brother and sister or something:

King Tom5 Comments

I [Surprisingly Don’t] Have a Bad Feeling About This

Disney owns a large part of my childhood.

Growing up, I read and collected comic books and was loyal to the Marvel line. A few years ago, Disney bought Marvel.

I was also a Star Wars fan. I was into Star Wars when it seemed like no one else was and all we’d have is three movies in a galaxy far, far away. Well, today Star Wars is pretty popular, with three more movies and a lifetime’s worth of extended universe media. Oh, and a new owner. Today, Disney bought Lucasfilm from George Lucas for $4 billion.

Disney isn’t buying Lucasfilm to just hold on to the intellectual property. They’re planning on making some serious money, starting with some new Star Wars movies. From the official release:

In 2015, we’re planning to release Star Wars Episode 7 – the first feature film under the “Disney-Lucasfilm” brand. That will be followed by Episodes 8 and 9 – and our long term plan is to release a new Star Wars feature film every two to three years. We’re very happy that George Lucas will be creative consultant on our new Star Wars films…

The first I heard of today’s news, I didn’t know about Episode 7. My reaction was negative. This looked like George Lucas was selling out.

But the more I thought about it, the more I realized this is a good thing. The truth is, George sold out when he signed on with Fox to make Star Wars back in the 70s. Star Wars was a branded commodity even then, and the money it made helped ensure more entries in the franchise. I had some issues with the prequels, but overall, I enjoyed them.

Sure, Disney will Disney-fy the Star Wars franchise. But that’s nothing different from what George Lucas has been doing with Star Wars over the past two decades.

As for the future movies (and I can’t tell whether the Disney release means the saga will end with 9, or whether there will be more after that), if I’m ever worried about the story being diluted, I always have my copies of the original three episodes. Additionally, according to reports, George has been working on these new movies over the past few months (and won’t be doing any writing or directing). Additionally, Disney has made some quality movies based off its newly-acquired Marvel properties over the past few years while respecting the source material. Sure, there will be a lot more Star Wars material for kids (and that’s who the saga is aimed at), but as for the movies, with the Disney/Marvel track record, there’s nothing to be worried about.

I’m excited about this, and the biggest reason I’m excited really has nothing to do with the quality of the movies. I saw all the original trilogy in the theaters, first run with my father (well, technically, we saw the Empire Strikes Back as part of a double feature the month before Jedi came out). And I still remember that. I can say that I’ll get to take my kids to see new Star Wars movies in the theater in a few years. That’s so cool.

And for that reason alone, as a member of the Star Wars fan universe, I for one welcome our new corporate overlords.

King Tom2 Comments

Hope’s Favorite Alternative Music Artists

For as long as The Civee and I can remember, Hope has been into music. From our first few days with her, music (not just kids music) has quieted Hope and now that she’s old enough to pay attention, it entertains her.

She has been into Weezer for a while. If a Weezer song comes on while we’re hanging out at home or driving in the car, she will immediately identify it as a Weezer tune (and that includes songs that I don’t play all the time). But now, if we’re listening to the radio and a non-Weezer song plays, she will ask who plays it. For example, the other day Van Halen’s Jump was on. She asked “who plays this?” I replied “Van Halen.” She waited a few seconds, then repeated her question. I repeated my answer, adding “featuring David Lee Roth.” She asked a few more times, with me each time stating Van Halen and adding a few facts about the song. So by the ninth time she asked, I replied “Papa.” “Papa sings this,” Hope said.

So everytime she hears a non-Weezer song she will ask who plays it. She keeps asking until we reply with the name of someone she knows. Her grandmother sings Crazy Train. Her Uncle played Rockit. And her bus driver sang a bunch of 80’s rock tunes.

So if you ever meet Hope and she asks you if you sang The Safety Dance, please just smile and nod politely.

King Tom2 Comments