Mac Windo

Okay, I'll admit it beforehand: this is going to sound geeky. Really Geeky. Just try to bear with me, even if the subject is no interest of yours. Maybe the following will make you appreciate it more, maybe your dislike of it will grow, maybe you'll still feel the same about it. I'm not trying to make you change your mind about it, or promote it, or encourage you to start cheering or flaming or threatening, or any of that. I just want to talk about it, and I'd like you to listen. Read. Whatever. If you don't like it, you're free to leave at any time.

Still here? Fantastic. Let's begin, shall we?

The subject of this blog entry is going to be about none other than the most well-known saga of science fiction movies (probably); the Galaxy far, far away. Yes, Star Wars.

Don't say I didn't warn you! I told you this was going to sound geeky!
You're still free to leave. Just, I don't know, click the "X" in the upper right corner of this screen, and you're gone.

Don't be shy. I will not be insulted. Leave, if you want to. Just go.

Still reading?
Ah, it looks like I still have an audience. What's your name, boy? What? Obi-Wan? You're kidding me, right? Oh, you are. It's Ewan.
Ladies and gentlemen, Obi-Wan is one of the main characters in the Star Wars movies (or is it "Starwars", without the space in between? Obviously something like this needs a lot space... nevermind). Now, I will not make a summary of Star Wars, because most of the fanatics that are still reading probably know a lot about it anyway, and just why would I want to waste my precious blog by making a summary of six movies?
What exactly do I want to tell you about Star Wars then, you probably wonder. Well, to be quite frank, I still do not know. I just wanted to tell you how I like the movies, the blogs at starwars.com, some of the humour, some of the action, and how some things in the story are so similar to things in "the real world".
It's also sort of a warning, because I intend to write about Star Wars more often. Beware.

Why I like Star Wars is hard to explain. It's got action, drama, a little philosophy... I just like it. I see parallels between that galaxy, created by George Lucas, and this little planet. It's even got politics in it. Those of you who actually watched Episode III (Revenge of the Sith) might remember this bit of dialogue between Obi-Wan Kenobi and his former padawan Anakin Skywalker: "If you're not with me, you're my enemy." "Only Sith deal in absolutes." If you know that the Sith are the "bad guys", you might see how, in some indirect way, the president of the United States is being criticized here. Or that's just what I think.

One of the things that comes with this succesful concept, is merchandize. I love Star Wars, I must have one of the Star Wars lunchboxes/costumes/action figures/lightsabres/videogames/whatnot.
I both dislike and like this aspect. I dislike the fact that it's used for cheap commercial gain. But hey, it's a movie. Six of them. Made to cash in. It's not a charity. But still.
I do like some of the videogames. Usually when a videogame is made from a movie, it sucks. Big time. Try the Matrix game.
However, since there's six movies, lots of books, and millions of fans, there are several Star Wars games. And they don't all suck. In fact, most recent Star Wars games are quite good, often creating a story of their own, instead of sticking with the familiar movie scripts. Good examples are Republic Commando and Jedi Knight II: Jedi Outcast. I love Jedi Outcast!

Anyway, on the Star Wars website, there's a whole community of fans. They do blogs, too. And there's a particular group amongst them that has my attention. They call themselves a Pitiful Little Band (PLB), a quote from the movies, and as a member called NecRomance, I am - sort of - part of them.
Well, not quite. Here's the catch: most of them have paid some money to have certain privileges, like having a blog of their own on the site. It's called Hyperspace, and the people are Hyperspacers. I, however, am a mere Realspacer. I'm a member who didn't pay. I'm cheap. Well, actually, I'm financially challenged. I'm a Dutch student with no income besides my parents' contributions. I'm only a member of the PLB in the sense that I read their blogs and sometimes comment on them. I can't start a blog of my own on StarWars.com. It's not half the fun, I think.

Therefore, I have followed the example of one of them: I made my own blog. Yes, you're looking at it. However, as much as I love Star Wars, there's a lot more in my life, so this blog is not all about the Force and purple lightsabres. It's about me, and about my interests, even if they're a bit boring or geeky sometimes. Deal with it.
Now, about this other guy who set up his own blog. He called it the Official PLB Fan Club and now it's actually sort of famous, with the right kind of crowd. They're having applications for other people who want to join in. And there lies my dilemma.
I want to join. I'd love to. I want to contribute, and make a name for myself, and discuss interesting issues with people who know what I'm talking about (especially Vicomte; I love hearing his arguments even when they are completely contraditory to my viewpoints. He has a way with words). But I don't want it to be a club of over a hundred different people who all want to give their opinion; I'd like a small group, like a couple of friends, chatting and socializing and talking dirt about immature sw.commers. I want to be part of their club, but I wouldn't want to be any part of it if they let me in.

I don't know. Maybe I just need to find another club of people. Another pitiful little band of brothers who know what I meant with the title on top of this entry. Why a certain lightsabre was a certain colour. Why antlers mean trouble. Why Yoda is green; hell I don't know. I just want to talk about one of my obsessions with fans that are equally obsessed, and preferably literate, eloquent, and patient with me.

Ah well. I still have this little blog. My hideout. My delirious ranting and psychedelic ponderings. My Dragon's Breath.



You know I'm not that geeky, right? Right?

Well, I am.
"May the Force be with you."

Darn, why did I have to say that? Of all the things I could have quoted...

DragonFang