SPOILER ALERT: Lt. Cmdr. Data defines...friendship

#sttng

#geekbumps 

#geekfeels

Doctor Who - Explained by Craig Ferguson

Looking for a simple, clear and completely awesome

explanation of what is the phenomenon

called, DOCTOR WHO?

"It's all about the triumph
of intellect and romance
over brute force and cynicism."

Well, Craig Ferguson had a few thoughts:

Doctor Who Are You?

It's DOCTOR WHO

It's The Who

It's Pete Townshend

It's "Who Are You?"

Star Wars: Episode VII: The Force Awakens - So...many...parodies

It seems like a great time to celebrate a second tease
into Star Wars: Episode VII: The Force Awakens

But we can't stop there, can we?

Let the parodies begin!!

Let's start with LEGO's!!!

****************************************************************
Now...let's remember our first tease into a larger universe back in November 2014:

Wow.

That was awesome.

I feel like a little kid.

So...that was 88 seconds, huh?
That seems reasonable for what it was.

Let's watch it again.  Shall we?

Wow...even better the second time.  And the ninth.  And the twentieth.

But surely that can't be all?

Oh...there is a LEGO version of that?  

Ok...

Wow..that's amazing.  

Oh...there's a second LEGO version?

Ok...

Wow...that was even better than the first LEGO parody.

And of course, Saturday Night Live

had to give their take...

And Family Guy couldn't sit on the sidelines:

Oh, there is a Wes Anderson version, too?

Well, that's just crazy enough to work!

Ok...

Yeah...that was perfect.  

I would watch the heck out of that...

after I see the JJ version.

Man...there is only one person who could screw THAT up.

Ok...

Actually, I quite enjoyed the Special Editions

(with a few noted, uh, disagreements).

But I think that version pretty much captured 

the essence of the Special Editions.

But there is so much to see.

I wonder how it would be if there was a version

that gave us a little more time with just one character.

I know...the BB-8 version (you read right):

Heh...that was cute.

You know what else is cute?

Nintendo.

I can't believe so many people 

spent so much time and effort on making parodies

of one 88 second trailer.

I wonder what would happen if someone

spent little to no time or effort.

Even the sweded version is fantastic!

Man...this has all really gotten me 

feeling sentimental for the Original Trilogy.

Oh..they did one in that style, too?

Ok...

If you know of any more...

...please post in the comments.

How many days until December 18, 2015?

#geekbumps

So, you say your friend isn't excited about Ep. VII?

The following is a responds to the Blog Post, "It’s Okay to Not Be Excited for the Star Wars VII Trailer" by Rory Stark on GeekDad.com.

There are a few emotions when someone doesn't "get your thing".

First, let's discuss...why do we even CARE if someone get's "your thing"?  Well, there is a sense of relief when you get to be honest.  If you are hiding a part of you because you are ashamed or worried about ridicule, it hurts.  So, when you find a kindred spirit who shares "your thing" you can relax, lower your guard and just be yourself.

There is sadness that they haven't been exposed to "your thing", especially when they share enthusiasm for some of your "other things."  You got joy from it, and it hurts you to know that there is joy that exists that they do not get to experience.  In this case...it is perfectly fine to give them a recommendation.  I love getting recommendations about movies, TV, books, etc. from kindred spirits.  Just remember...recommend and then let it go.  Once you've brought it up, if they find the time to check it out...they will.  If not, you put it out there, and that's all you can or should do.

However...

...there is the shock when friends with shared interests HAVE experienced "your thing" but it is not "their thing".   You THOUGHT you had a kindred spirit...but now, you realize they may not share your values.  You now wonder if you can really let down your guard around this person.

Well, there is good news.  If they were real friends...it won't matter.  There are so many different reasons why we are tied emotionally to our "things".  Does a movie remind you of a feeling it gave you?  Does a hobby remind you of the person who taught it?  Does a recipe remind you of a particular trip you took?  Does a book remind you of the awe of finding a new way to look at the world?

Your experiences are so specific that it is rare to share commonality with anyone.  Ever try to share a funny experience with someone not present, only to fall flat and conclude with, "Well, I guess you had to be there."

With Star Wars...you had to be there.  You had to be a fan or a kid in 1977.  Otherwise, the old movies will be just that...old.  It was an experience.  And for those who were kids in 1999, I can assure you that for them...the lightsaber dual between Anankin and Obi-wan in ROTS was a much better fight than the duel between Vader and Luke in ROTJ.  (This is incorrect, by the way...but I digress.).  For my son, who is a kid now, Star Wars is The Clone Wars.  He loves Anakin, Obi-wan and Ahsoka as much as the kids of the 70's love Luke, Han and Leia.

My point is that we can not expect people in our lives to share all elements of ourselves.  I have a buddy who loves Lonesome Dove as much as I love Star Wars.  He has seen it so many times, he's got it memorized.  It is "his thing".  I seem to remember enjoying it...but it is not "my thing".  And that's fine.  We are still buddies.  We don't see eye to eye on everything, but we know we can be ourselves without fear of ridicule or threat.  And that is what it's all about.