I was thinking today about how I could use all of this stress I am experiencing and turn it into a power for good... or evil, which ever comes first, I suppose. I think I would make a grand leader of the planet Earth. I can hear the chanting now... All Hail Darth Fartanus! Oh, wait, that doesn't have the ring that I thought it would. If I ever do take over the entire planet, you can just call me Melvin. Heh. Melvin. 

This blog post was supposed to have some deep meaning to it but then I watched the trailer above and all sense in the galaxy was trapped during a layover in Denver. The trailer brought my typing fingers to a stand still. I was going to write something about how the Phantom Menace was going supposed to be the continued life-adventure for all of the Star Wars fanboys. We were supposed to find out the truth. We were supposed to experience what happened prior to Episode IV and add it to the memories of Star Wars pre-digitial effects.

That so didn't hapen. At least, they got rid of Jar Jar in the trailer.

I have had some trouble sleeping tonight, so, I thought I would post up a few blog posts with. This video was passed along to me today and I love it.

I hope VW doesn't make me sad by doing something stupid. Why not work on those electric cars we've been hearing about. Oh, right...

Over the last couple of years, I have gained yet another level of nostalgia around the holidays. Today, I started thinking about where my nostalgia for the holidays comes from. Why do I feel this way? Is it the food? Is the the presents? Candy canes? It could be about the fact I am getting older and beginning to realize it. Perhaps it is something else entirely. The end of the decade has come and we're about to venture into 2011 - so, that may be it. I am not sold on any particular holiday experience being the catalyst. I don't think I ever will truly know as I stopped wondering how my brain worked many, many years ago. I just let it go crazy and do whatever it wants. You should try it some time. You might scare yourself into being happier or something, something, something.

Anyway, when started thinking about it, I came to the realization that I have formed a few rituals in recent years. For example, two years ago, I began listening to Dicken's A Christmas Carol as read by Patrick Stewart. This is not entirely unusual as many people most likely watch or read some form of the story. For me, I put it on my iPod (after a quick jaunt to the library a couple of years ago) and have made sure to listen to it either on the 23rd or the 24th. I can't seem to bring myself to read it after Christmas Day, it just isn't the same. Something else I noticed last year was I always watch Mickey's Christmas Carol even if it is by myself. It is quick and I like it. I am a Disney guy, after all.  I think this year, I will check out the 1938 movie. I saw it years and year ago. I suppose I am due for another viewing of the old black and white edition. I seem to be addicted to that one story. I did look for a collection of Dicken's other Christmas stories (they were quite short, if I recall) but have yet to find a copy. If you have a line on one, please let me know.

Another of my rituals is to lay down in the snow on a cold night and stare at the stars while watching my breath slowly curl into the dark. I find that this activity is required. There is something about taking a few minutes to just do nothing and let your mind wander the sky. I have done this for years. I recall, one Christmas Eve when I was maybe ten years old, going out into back yard (possibly the outside deck) and laying down in the snow with my Star Wars snowspeeder. I loved that thing. I always thought it was so cool that I could put a toy snow speeder in real snow. I think this was how I broke the two main guns off the toy by crashing it into the snow and then pretending an AT-AT was going to step on it.

One more ritual I have identified is also movie related. I like to watch Home For The Holidays and Home Alone. Home Alone is just a good film. Not amazing. It is just entertaining. Home For The Holidays is a Thanksgiving film but I find it astoundingly bizarre and hilarious. It is like someone tore a page out of my life (or how I perceived it at one time) and made it into a movie. I do recommend it because, no matter how many times I have watched it, I laugh out loud. The performances are great and it was directed by Jodie Foster who seems to touch anything and turn it to gold.

There you have it. Three rituals that I have identified. I think to qualify as a ritual it needs to be a very personal reaction. I find interactions with family don't count if they are just the traditional "jamming" everyone in as much as you can during a Christmas visit (that is assuming you don't live near your immediate family). I think of these rituals as quite personal and not necessarily something you share openly with others. With that in mind, do you have any worth sharing?

About ten minutes ago, I posted to my blog.

About seven minutes ago, I did a few last minute edits.

About three minutes ago, I realized I had edited out an entire thread of that post - and left a mention of it in the title.

Right now, I am adding that text back in an expanding on it because I am obviously brain dead.

This past weekend, as a part of my "smelling the flowers" movement, I went out to a movie with Jonathon Narvey. Now, if you don't know Jonathon, let me point some things out about him. He is a nerd. Not just any nerd. This guy is hard core nerd. We have a nerd bond. He and I nerd out. This bond is strong. Nerd power! (I am just waiting for his rebuttle! Hee hee.)

The film we checked out is called Fanboys. It is a film about a bunch of Star Wars fanatics who try to steal a pre-release print of Star Wars: The Phantom Menace before it hits theatres. Pretty cool, huh?

What is interesting (and scary) about this film is that it is an accurate depiction of me, my friends, and everyone I knew back in 1999.

(cue dramatic music)

Some will say that there are times in a person's life when they know their exact location when some kind of life changing event occurs. My parents know where they were when Kennedy was shot and I knew where I was on May 19th, 1999 at 11:59pm. I was in a theatre line up in Langford waiting to be let in for the next Star Wars movie.

(cut dramatic music, a few broken notes)

Hmm. Having just written that out, it isn't so exciting. I mean, look at what Phantom Menace became. Mee-sa-saying itsa maybee not-a that-see citing, Shane.

Well, in either case, go see the movie. It had a long hard road to getting into theatres and deserves some support. And I give it a thumbs up.