George Lucas - yet another award!

George Lucas will receive Entertainment Software Association's Champion Award for his contributions to gaming next month.
Here's the article from IMG.

Carrie Fisher in #####, Newfoundland!

Carrie Fisher wrote an article, published 9/25/05, in New York Times' T Style Magazine, about her travels to Newfoundland with Meg Ryan.

LM

A Year Makes a World of Difference

Last year at this time I was recovering from surgery. It really wasn't the surgery itself but the aftermath of anaesthetic. While I'd not had any reaction what-so-ever with two previous surgeries, both in the two previous years, I had a major reaction to this one.
After a particularly grueling summer of combining motherhood and work I had a painful attack which rendered me as helpless as a kitten and in a massive amount of pain. I was rushed to the hospital only to find out I had to have emergency surgery. The procedure was to be what's considered "overnight." That overnight turned into a 5-day *cue Gilligan's Island theme*, relentlessly sick, stay at the hospital. (Turns out it was the anesthesia)

My hopes of meeting an important work deadline were dashed completely. For almost three weeks I was as sick as a dog and lost over 15 lbs from an already thin frame.
Within a couple of weeks of that I was nearly back to normal...well, normal for me. While I didn't make my deadline I did get back to work with the help of my family and friends who traveled 200 miles to help nurse me back to health.
Fast forward to this year. While my summer was busy, I was just not overwhelmed with combining my super toddler with work this year. I do both at the same time, no sitters, no daycare...just me and the boy all day, all night...and work. Not a complaint at all, I enjoy it. Don't get me wrong there ARE moments, believe me. Just recently my enterprising young son figured out the locks (thanks to a well-meaning? gift from his grandparents) leading from the workshop to the yard and beyond. He let himself out, barefoot and diaper-clad, and was well into the quiet (thank you) street before I got to him. I was petrified, absolutely horrified and sick to my stomach. An hour later we were back to normal...again "normal" is relative (doors fortified with nearly boy-proof locks (is anything really boy proof?) he was drawing, I was drawing. All was good.

I was hoping to go north (Santa Barbara to San Jose to San Francisco and beyond) but I have to chop it to just a weekend, I just cannot spare the extra days. My friends and I are going to see Serenity (a midnight show) We loved the series!
Then? Relax for almost two days. I am ready.
After all...You can't let your work become your life, otherwise you'll have nothing if and when work stops.
LM

Thanks!

LM

Luke? No. Not Really.

Hm, maybe Better Homes & Gardens editors ought to do a little more fact-checking:

Luke Skywalker?

LM

Trivia Question; Updates; Yes, Admiral; John Williams...

Hello! A lot to go over in a short amount of time! Good to see that everyone made it through the Summer and are forging ahead into Fall.
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Trivia: What do Jeremy Bulloch (Boba Fett) and Robert Watts (producer/cameo appearance in ROTJ)?

Answer (highlight): They are half brothers.________________
Quite a few updates on the site today, a lot to make up for I suppose: Nerf-Herders Anonymous
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While there is still much work to be done in finishing the Star Wars Actors Database I still seem to find huge pockets of information on the existing actors I have, including a lot of actor connections.
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I read Yes, Admiral yesterday, between work breaks. I read it a couple of years ago but never culled any information from it for the site. I added my findings to the site (linked above), really neat going over it again and seeing how much Michael Sheard really enjoyed his fans, his family and his travels, even if flight scared him a bit. We'll miss you Mr. Sheard!
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On Friday a friend took me to see John Williams: Master of Cinema at the Hollywood Bowl. We had a fantastic time and were out rather late at Jerry's on Ventura Blvd. Got home around 3am.
Williams was terrific!

The concert went as follows:
National Anthem
Liberty Fanfare
Excerpts from Close Encounters of the Third Kind
War of the Worlds (2 pieces): Escape from the City and Epilogue

Williams talked a little about his bosses throughout his younger career and how sad it was to lose all of them in the same year:Goldsmith: Star Trek The Motion Picture
Radksin: Leonard Bernstein: theme from The Magnificent Seven
Rózsa: Parade of the Charioteers (Ben Hur)

After a short intermission Williams spoke briefly about the Katrina situation and that he hoped that we could enjoy the concert and send our good feelings and hopes to all those affected.
A montage on the side screens started (Monsters, Beauties, Heroes) and he played excerpts from King Kong - Jaws - Casablanca - An Affair to Remember - Robin Hood - Superman - Far and Away: (county Galway, June 1892; The Fighting Donellys; Joseph and Shannon; Blowin' Off Steam (The Fight); Finale
Amistad: Dry Your Tears, Afrika*
Schindler's List main theme with Bing Wang on violin (stunning)
Star Wars: Cheers and lightsabers popped up everywhere:
Battle of the Heroes (Ep III)Luke and Leia (Ep VI)Duel of the Fates (Ep I)*
Encore1Raiders of the Lost Ark Main Theme (more cheers)
Encore 2:Yoda's Theme
Encore 3:E.T. Main Theme
Encore 4:Star Wars Main theme
*The Cal State Fullerton University Singers were quite excellent, on queue and with great emotion. Lovely. Just lovely.

After the show my friend was able to meet Mr. Williams briefly and present him with a token of appreciation. Mr. Williams loved the gift and was just as kind as one would imagine him to be.
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Santa Barbara was quite lovely this trip. The weather was just about perfect, it was a needed break to the heat here and I'll be going up again at the end of September and after the first week of October. I miss the coziness of the city still but I find that I wouldn't want to go back to live.
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Early last week we had what is called a "swarm" of earthquakes. Not too close to me in particular but I could feel the house shake. The thing about the swarms is that they occur close together in time and in physical space. They ranged from little tiny quakes 1.1 to larger shakers, 5.1. With our heat it's always a sort of "shake and bake". :p
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I'm in the middle of listening to the Star Wars Radio Dramas, hadn't heard them in...well, since they first aired. They were a generous gift from a friend...great while I'm working.
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Katrina...what can I say about this?? Simply dreadful. We had a few family members in the area, they are fine but just without power. We have a pretty strong connection to New Orleans going back to the 1800's. My x great grandfather piloted a flat boat (which he built by hand) from IOWA (and other points north) down the Mississippi River. The flat boat carried produce and goods (up to 30 tons) from the north down to New Orleans.
My x grandfather and those with him would sell all the goods, break up the flat boat, sell the wood then walk back to their homes up through the Natchez Trace (trail), that was as hazardous as travel got. They encountered Rogues of every sort, Indians (friendly and hostile), ladies of the night (to be nice), and the very long walk home to family.
The only family members that are in New Orleans at this time (after the storm) have been permanent, immovable residents for a very long time, they are buried there. We hope that the graves survived the flooding.
New Orleans has been my favorite US city for years and it's just heartbreaking to watch the city and all it's inhabitants in the throes of destruction and despair.

I also have to say a bit about Biloxi, Mississippi. I spent a summer there just two years after Hurricane Camille struck. I remember there was still quite a bit of destruction and debris from Camille at the time of our visit but all of the houses on the air base, where my uncle was stationed at the time, and other points in Biloxi did not suffer as horribly as they did with Katrina. While watching over this past week I couldn't recognize a thing. Very, very sad.

I hope we do all we can to help everyone in the area and learn from our mistakes so other cities and towns will not suffer as much as they are now.

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Work is going fairly well, I've got more to create before the deadline arrives (Oct 18) but have family and friends coming on separate visits and I have a trip up north to take in the first week of October. I'll get it done! I love working!!! :D

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ok, worky worky!!!!

LM