Les Jones

Vintage Donnie and Marie Osmond Star Wars craptacular

Thursday, November 27th, 2008 | Star Wars | Permalink | No Comments |

How have I never heard of this? It’s a six minute song and dance skit from the Donny and Marie Osmond variety show with the Osmonds as Luke Skywalker and Princess Leia, Redd Foxx as Obi-wan Kenobi, Kris Kristofferson as Han Solo, and Paul Lynde as a singing Grand Moff Tarkin. They actually got George Lucas to loan them the costumes for Chewbacca, Darth Vader, C3PO, and R2D2, which proves that everyone was on drugs back then.

The sound and video are out of sync, which come to think of it was true in the Seventies, too. At least the vertical hold is working, or else I’d have to wrap aluminum foil around the rabbit ears.

Hey, Star Wars fans!

Friday, October 17th, 2008 | Star Wars | Permalink | 1 Comment |

David Friedman at Ironic Sans has been on a roll now for months. Check it out.

That’s from A political campaign far, far away.

- I See AT-AT Walkers
- I See Darth Vader
- “Darth Vader. Only you could be so bold.”

Family Guy “Star Wars” Spoof Runs Again Tonight

Sunday, April 6th, 2008 | Star Wars | Permalink | 2 Comments |

If you missed “Blue Harvest” the first time it’s on again tonight on FOX.

Star Wars Tattoos

Wednesday, December 19th, 2007 | Star Wars | Permalink | 3 Comments |

One of which is NSFW.

What kind of idiot do you have to be to get a Jar Jar Binks tattoo?

Overheard

Friday, November 23rd, 2007 | Quotes, Star Wars | Permalink | 1 Comment |

“Atlanta is the Mos Eisley of the South.”

New Femtrooper Pics

Wednesday, November 7th, 2007 | Star Wars | Permalink | 3 Comments |

That gal on the left has a plunging neckline suitable for the aging, cougar femtrooper. The femtrooper on the left right looks like our old friend Sithvixen.

Via Fanboy.com.

See also:
- Femtrooper Sithvixen: “guys love boob armor”
- That’s a Sweet Femtrooper
- Word of the Day: Femtroopers
- Non-traditional Stormtroopers
- Leia’s Metal Bikini - the Greatest Web Site on the Entire Internet

Saudi Ruler Greeted by Darth Vader’s Imperial March

Saturday, November 3rd, 2007 | Star Wars | Permalink | No Comments |

Life-Sized X-Wing Rocket

Friday, October 19th, 2007 | Star Wars | Permalink | 3 Comments |

When Star Wars Meets Country Music

Tuesday, October 2nd, 2007 | Funny Ha-Ha, Star Wars | Permalink | 3 Comments |

If I was a country singer in search of a gimmick I’d wear a Darth Vader helmet and call myself Darth Brooks. Or maybe Garth Vader.

“You don’t know the power of the B side. I must obey my manager.”

“My new album is complete.”

“I find your lack of Faith Hill disturbing.”

“And now, your highness, we will discuss the location of your rebel moonshine still.”

“I see you’ve constructed a new doghouse. Your carpentry skills are complete.”

Don’t miss his hit single “I’ve Got Friends in Low Orbit” from his album, “Ropin’ Mace Windu.”

Bonus! - If you play a Darth Brooks song backwards your hand regrows and you get your space station back.

Darth Brooks or Garth Vader?

See also:
- Elvis + Star Wars = Elvistrooper
- Luke Skywalker: a One-man Play Performed by Cletis
- “Bloggin’ Tradition” by Hank.blogspot.com

Elvis + Star Wars = Elvistrooper

Wednesday, September 5th, 2007 | Star Wars | Permalink | 1 Comment |

Two great tastes that taste great together, momma.

Photo from Retrocrush.

Chris and Josh went to DragonCon last weekend, too. Pics here and an Elvistrooper pic here.

Elvis Lyrics Rewrite Contest

Saw Elvis in a stormtrooper uniform. Wrote a song about it. Here it go.

“Well since Han Solo found me / I’ve got a new place to dwell
Inside the warm and squishy guts I call / Tauntaun Hotel”

78 Reasons to Hate Star Wars Episode I

Friday, August 17th, 2007 | Star Wars | Permalink | No Comments |

Chefelf:

Reason #2 - The Trade Federation

This yawner hits you early on while the classic introductory text is still scrolling up.

Turmoil has engulfed the

Galactic Republic. The taxation

of trade routes to outlying star

systems is in dispute.

Huh? Trade routes? What kinda plot is that? This sounds more like some boring course in American History than the plot for a Science Fiction movie. Isn’t this what started the War of 1812? Is Andrew Jackson going to be in this movie?

Someone said a better name for Episode I would have been How a Bill Becomes Law in Space. It’s as if George Lucas wrote the script after being audited by the IRS and getting his building plan rejected by the county zoning commission.

Man, I almost wrote “Steve K.” over the Vader guy’s head

Wednesday, August 15th, 2007 | Star Wars | Permalink | 2 Comments |

Click for a larger version. Via Joe Powell.

Boston Globe “Man on the Street” is Kinda Odd

Wednesday, July 18th, 2007 | Media Behaving Badly, Star Wars | Permalink | 2 Comments |

From Bruce at MAss Backwards, the Boston Globe interviewed a New Hampshire “man on the street” for an article about Hillary Clinton.

“I am a Republican, but I would vote for her,” said Paul Giovannucci, 38, a general contractor from Nashua. “When he was president the economy was strong and we aren’t in all the mess we are in now. I think we have an idea how she would run the country based on how he ran things.”

Bruce Googled the guy and found a Paul Giovannucci of Nashua, NH on the page of the 501st New England Star Wars Imperial Army brigade.

And here he is back in his stormtrooper days:

Giovannucci may be a Republican, but he isn’t a chickenhawk Fighting 101st Keyboard Brigade wannabe. No, sirree. He’s out there in the shit, man.

5 Most Recent Tours of Duty

• Granite State Comicon
• - Free Comic Book Day @ Jetpack Comics
• Timothy Zahn ALLEGIANCE Book Release Nashua NH
• Timothy Zahn’s ALLEGIANCE Book Release Burlington MA
• Red Cross Blood Drive with WAAF

You know, I actually do give him credit for giving blood. That’s always a good thing.

Alt headline for the Boston Globe story: “Average Stormtrooper on the Street Endorses Darth Hideous.”

Star Wars Postage Stamps

Saturday, July 14th, 2007 | Star Wars | Permalink | 4 Comments |

My wife went to the post office this morning and came home with these new Star Wars postage stamps. This was the first I had heard of it. Nice! More at USPSJediMaster.com and StarWars.com.

Bonus! - The USPS R2D2 mailboxes are really cool, too. I can’t wait to see one on the street.

Stormtrooper Bike Helmet

Friday, July 13th, 2007 | Star Wars | Permalink | No Comments |

Stormtrooper-style bike helmet for people with asthma or allergies is equipped with air filters.

Hat tip to BoingBoing.

Femtrooper Sithvixen: “guys love boob armor”

Friday, June 1st, 2007 | Star Wars | Permalink | 2 Comments |

In comments to this post lara identifies the femtrooper in that picture as SithVixen, who describes the evolution of her Femtrooper costume:

This suit of armor was designed by Richie several years ago for his daughter. It gained notoriety and several other female friends including myself requested a set.

He complied and the Femtroopers (aka Richie’s Angels) were born. There are approximately 30 or so of these world wide and it comes as a 4 piece set or so. It may have changed since I last purchased it.

The costume also requires that you own the Stormtrooper set, since the legs, arms and shoulder bells are not included. Some modifications in my case were required, including cutting the codpiece, warming up the armor in the oven and forming it closer into my rib cage and trimming my Stormtrooper pieces to be more form fitting.

There is a bit of work involved but it pays off; guys love boob armor. In fact, this armor got me a front page shot of the living section on the Atlanta Journal Constitution newspaper! Thanks Richie!

Bonus! - Photoshop of SithVixen at the Tattoine Hooters

Jawa Ion Blaster Replica

Monday, May 28th, 2007 | Guns, Star Wars | Permalink | 3 Comments |

Replica of the Jawa iob blaster from Star Wars, made from a Lee-Enfield rifle, and offered for sale on eBay.. Via Xavier, who has more info.

It’s neat, but it isn’t much of a replica. Some of the Star Wars guns were based on real arms, but the ion blaster seems to have been made from scratch. The actual movie prop looks completely different.

UPDATE: In comments Trebor writes;

Actually, that *is* an more-or-less accurate recreation of the Jawa rifle from A New Hope. The movie prop, like the eBay item, was made from a cut-down Lee Enfield #1 Mk 3.

Here’s a link. Look at the pic of the Jawa with the rifle.

http://www.starwars.com/databank/technology/jawablaster/?id=bts

That second picture is a prop from one of the later movies of a different Jawa gun.

Man, if you can’t trust Wookiepedia, who can you trust?

Lithath Favorite Movie ith Thtar Warth

Monday, May 28th, 2007 | Star Wars | Permalink | No Comments |

LissaKay in comments:

Now why in the world didn’t they have this Star Wars celebration earlier this month? Like on May the 4th … Be With You.

*rimshot*

That’s a Sweet Femtrooper

Sunday, May 27th, 2007 | Star Wars | Permalink | 4 Comments |

In the motif of the 30th anniversary of Star Wars:

See also:
- Word of the Day: Femtroopers
- Non-traditional Stormtroopers
- Leia’s Metal Bikini: the Greatest Web Site on the Entire Internet

Star Wars Rock Out Picture

Saturday, May 26th, 2007 | Star Wars | Permalink | 3 Comments |

So via Tam I realize today is yesterday was the 30th anniversary of the original Star Wars. Now I’m digging through my unpublished posts to see what I’ve got.

Picture via Anarchangel.

There’s a Korean Version of Star Wars?

Tuesday, May 8th, 2007 | Star Wars | Permalink | No Comments |

Skywalkers in Korea Cross Han Solo.

Hat tip to Sarcastro at his new Wordpress digs.

Steampunk Star Wars

Monday, May 7th, 2007 | Star Wars | Permalink | 2 Comments |

While prowling around Dave’s Long Box for a seekritt project I found a link to Eric Poulton’s blog and his ideas for Star Wars rendered in steampunk. I’m just barely aware of steampunk, but as I understand it’s retro sci-fi set in the past - particularly the nascent industrial era - rather than the future, and usually with a Victorian flavor.

Here’s Poulton’s idea of what Han Solo & Mr. Chewbacca would look like.

• Sir Obi-wan Kenobi

• Lord Vader
• Steam-powered R2D2
• The Death Star
• Jabba the Hutt
• Free desktop pictures
• Prints for sale

More steampunk artwork at Brass Goggles. Also check out Eric Poulten’s Zombie Valentine’s Day cards.

An Early “Happy Cinco De Mayo” to Star Wars Fans

Friday, May 4th, 2007 | Star Wars | Permalink | 1 Comment |

Loose Galactic Credits

Friday, March 2nd, 2007 | Star Wars | Permalink | No Comments |

Uncomfortable Questions: Was the Death Star Attack an Inside Job?

We’ve all heard the “official conspiracy theory” of the Death Star attack. We all know about Luke Skywalker and his ragtag bunch of rebels, how they mounted a foolhardy attack on the most powerful, well-defended battle station ever built. And we’ve all seen the video over, and over, and over, of the one-in-a-million shot that resulted in a massive chain reaction that not just damaged, but completely obliterated that massive technological wonder.

Like many Americans, I was fed this story when I was growing up. But as I watched the video, I began to realize that all was not as it seemed. And the more I questioned the official story, the deeper into the rabbit hole I went.

Hat tip to Tam.

“Shoot Me First Vest” - a WOTD, Quote, Guns and Star Wars 4-in-1

Wednesday, February 7th, 2007 | Best Of, Guns, Nifty, Star Wars, Word of the Day | Permalink | No Comments |

Some of the more common topics I cover are quotes, the word of the day, guns, and Star Wars. Consider this a 4-in-1.

Shoot me first vest - What some people call a vest worn to conceal a gun, either inside the vest itself or holstered on the belt and covered by the vest.

Some people in the concealed carry community think that armed robbers entering a convenience store or whatever will shoot the guy with the photographer’s vest at the first chance, assuming that he’ll be armed. Other people dismiss the idea. They counter that the “shoot me firsters” are just being self-conscious about their handguns, and that most people are blissfully unaware of the fact that people in society carry concealed weapons.

So there’s the word of the day and gun angle. Here’s the quote and Star Wars angle. Massad Ayoob is a police officer, self-defense instructor, and a popular gunwriter. This is what he had to say about the idea of concealment vests being shoot me first vests:

After all these years, I’ve only found one case of anyone “getting shot first” because they were wearing vests. It is found in the very first Star Wars movie. The rebel bodyguards of Princess Leia are all wearing a uniform that includes a black vest which looks remarkably like something from Concealed Carry Clothiers. When the Imperial Storm Troopers led by Darth Vader attack their ship, the Storm Troopers blast every rebel so dressed.

Of course, Han Solo wore a vest and he didn’t get shot. Then again Han tended to preclude that problem by being the one to to shoot first. (Or at least he did until Lucas released the “special editions” of Star Wars and edited the cantina scene so that Greedo shot first.)

Bonus! - Top 10 Other Things that Han Shot that Didn’t Shoot at Him First

Previous WOTD - Pigovian Tax