Halloween Sing-Along

Gee, it just dawned on me that I’ve been calling this a sing-a-long when it should be sing-along. D’oh!

Ms. Natalie Portman guest stars in this installment. She tends to get overly dramatic here — I think she was gunning for an Oscar nomination. I didn’t have the heart to tell her that the sing-alongs are not Oscar-eligible. Oh well!

Whew! 58 songs. No wonder I’m tired. It’s a new sing-along record.

[30 October 2006]

 

Jumper

Yet another connection

I just finished Steven C. Gould’s book Jumper, on which Hayden’s newest film is based. Man, do I have a lot to say about this project. I was on a natural high (for reasons I won’t go into) when I began to read this book. It was such a page-turner that I couldn’t put it down and finished it over the weekend. Quite a feat considering that (a) my reading speed isn’t what it used to be, and (b) I watched five sporting events (three football and two baseball games) this weekend. Saturday night, just as Game 1 of the World Series got underway, my phone rang. It was Mom.

“Would you like to watch the World Series on a new 37-inch plasma television?”

I gasped. Would I…??!!!

Just 24 hours earlier my parents were agonizing over whether to spend the big bucks for a high definition TV because their 5-year-old television’s picture was going awry. Watching the World Series (Detroit Tigers vs. St. Louis Cardinals) on a small screen was unthinkable. When I arrived, Mom giddily demonstrated the difference between analog and HD (digital) output. Wow! Night and day. Golly, I sure wish I could afford one of these sweet HDTVs. Last night while watching Game 2, I remarked that I would probably have to bring over my Star Wars DVD sometime (you know which one) to view on this new TV. Hayden in hi-def… could it get any better than that?

Jumper. Oh, yeah. The book. Gee, it was terrific. Highly recommend it. I can absolutely see Hayden in the role of Davy. I definitely get why he jumped (pun intended) at the chance to do it. It’s tailor-made. Davy is thoughtful, extremely bright, kind-hearted, and polite. However, he also has a dark side. Volatile, prone to violent outbursts of rage, and the ultimate sensitive guy. Yeah, bucketloads of tears. We all know that Hayden is excellent at the crying histrionics. I’d call Davy a crybaby except that his tears are mostly out of anger and frustration. He’s not doing it for sympathy. The guy’s got some real issues.

At first I thought the fake Ann Arbor, Michigan location (see my previous post) was a stand-in for Davy’s fictional hometown of Stanville, Ohio. However, I now believe it may be a replacement for Stillwater, Oklahoma, where Davy’s love interest, Millie (played by Rachel Bilson), is a psychology major at Oklahoma State University. That happens to be another strange coincidence. OSU once figured very prominently in my love life, even though I never set foot on the campus, or even in the state itself. It all stems from a serious but flawed romantic relationship of mine.

The former love of my life. Goodness gracious!
Let’s just say I’ve moved on.

I’m eager to see how screenwriter David Goyer translated the book to film. How much got cut out and what was changed. For instance, much of the story is set in New York City and the World Trade Center figures prominently in one hair-raising episode. Davy’s mother meets a horrible fate by the hands of Islamic terrorists. Gould’s book was written in 1992, long before the events of September 11, 2001. I’ve noticed that Tinseltown is loathe to tackle the subject of Islamic terrorism. Even though it is the reality in today’s world, Hollywood’s relativism shies away from portraying as villains a group that it sees as victims. Sure, TPTB may retain the terrorist aspect, but they will probably turn them into Branch Davidians (i.e., Christian extremists) instead. Although that would ruin the story, in my opinion.

Davy is much younger than Hayden’s actual age — seventeen going on eighteen in the book. I wonder if they aged him since it appears they recast the Millie role to age her character (from 21 to 25? will she now be a graduate student?). I never bought the whole Davy as an eighteen-year-old premise anyway. He seemed far too mature in his thoughts and actions. But I guess growing up with an abusive, alcoholic father and having your mother abandon you at age 12 does force you to grow up quickly. I enjoyed the playful banter between Davy and Millie. I hope, hope, hope that Goyer kept some of that — as well as their obvious “enthusiasm” for one another. Otherwise, I will be massively disappointed. Hey, we girls like to live vicariously through Hayden’s leading ladies, am I right? If the film is anything like the book, there will be some action between the sheets (wink, wink).

Is it me or did it suddenly get hot in here? Whew! Would somebody open a window, puh-lease?

I should think, from a director’s standpoint, that this would be a very challenging film to make. Lots of disjointed snippets that need piecing together. In the book Davy teleports from one location to another at the drop of a hat, often for mundane reasons (e.g., to retrieve a flashlight from his dad’s garage, to avoid opening doors… what a lazy butt). And he experiments a lot to ascertain the limitations of his teleportation (jumping) skills. To be honest, I could have used these skills myself to avoid paying for multiple viewings of Sith in the theater. Hmmph. I would love to give away more secrets, such as his rules for jumping and how he supports himself financially, but that would take away all the fun. I really liked this Davy character, but I can’t help but wonder what that says about me.

I think it will be a serious film with liberal dashes of humor, which should make it fun. Some of the humor, I expect, will come at the expense of Samuel L. Jackson’s character, whom Davy provokes in clever ways. I am very psyched to see this film despite the fact that it’s still in production and will probably require a fair amount of post-production work (e.g., CG SFX). As much as I loved the book, I thought it had a relatively weak ending. If Mr. Goyer improves the ending, I will be ebullient.

[23 October 2006]

 

The Ann Arbor Connection

Strange but true

Imagine my surprise when I read in Trent University’s student newspaper that the film Hayden is currently filming, Jumper, is partially set in a “small university town in Michigan.” Okay, that’s interesting. Then I read that a local coffee shop in Peterborough, Ontario, was transformed into a “Seattle’s Best Coffee” while the Royal Bank became “Washenaw County Bank.”

Whoa. Hold it right there, pardner. Washenaw? Could they, perchance, mean Washtenaw, the county where I work and live? [Twilight Zone music plays in background] I repeat, where I live… and work.

For the record, the only places that serve Seattle’s Best Coffee around here are located inside Borders bookstores, including the one on… Washtenaw Avenue. I must admit that the photograph of the filming location in Peterborough does eerily resemble Ann Arbor’s State and Liberty streets, which are just two blocks from my office (my favorite Borders store is located on Liberty Street, across from a Starbucks, in case you care). And, yes, Ann Arbor is the county seat and home to The University of Michigan.*

Now, I can’t help but wonder… is "Washenaw" a typographical error by a clueless newspaper or was it misspelled (intentionally?) on the bank sign. Unfortunately, only the coffee shop sign is visible in the photograph accompanying the article. Did Steven Gould, author of the book on which the film is based, use Ann Arbor or some other non-descript Michigan college town as a location in his sci-fi thriller? I guess I will do a little sleuthing. Our small town university library owns a copy of Mr. Gould’s work, so I shall be consulting it very shortly.

It also begs the question: if they wanted to simulate the hip, coolness that is Ann Arbor, why not utilize the real thing? Gee, I can think of at least one webmistress who would have happily sacrificed her accrued vacation time to serve at Hayden’s beck and call be an extra in this film.

Oh, and in case anybody cares, some chick named Rachel Bilson (The O.C.) joined the cast of Jumper. Hoorah!

Update: During quick browsing I found no references to Michigan in Gould’s novel, but Davy (Hayden’s character) teleports often to his fictional Midwestern hometown of Stanville, Ohio. For you trivia lovers: Ann Arbor, Michigan and Peterborough, Ontario have been sister cities since 1983. Oh, duh! Here’s the connection… the Jumper screenplay was written by David Goyer (Batman Begins), who grew up in Ann Arbor and graduated from Huron High School. See, I do have topnotch sleuthing skills!

*Lil’ podunk Ann Arbor is also the world headquarters for Borders Group, Inc., Zingerman’s delicatessen, and Domino’s Pizza.

[18 October 2006]

 

Tennis, Anyone?

A coworker has a photograph hanging on her office wall of a very cute guy wearing a Toronto Maple Leafs jersey. It’s had me perplexed for quite some time because I watched several TML games last season and, although this guy looked vaguely familiar, none of the Leafs are that hot looking (sorry, fellas). This photograph also had me flustered because I initially thought it was a photo of Hayden. Could one of my coworkers have the same good taste in men as moi? Anything’s possible. Then I thought… it might be a picture of her husband, since I haven’t the foggiest idea what he looks like. Eventually, after careful study I came to the conclusion that it definitely was not a photo of Hayden. But I was still curious to know who it was. Unfortunately, she was out on leave all spring and summer and didn’t return to work until fall.

Today, she asked me to install some software on her computer. No problem. It’s what I do. She hung out in the office while I did the installation, so it seemed like the perfect time to spring The Question: Who is that mystery guy on your wall? Turns out it’s a photograph of tennis pro Andy Roddick. She loves tennis and plays in local tournaments — so it made perfect sense. Next obvious question: Why is he wearing a Leafs hockey jersey (Hayden’s beloved team)? Unfortunately, my colleague didn’t know. She thinks Mr. Roddick was attending a tennis event in Toronto at the time. The guys standing behind him, also sporting Leafs jerseys, were tennis players, too. Clears up that mystery, but tennis players donning hockey jerseys… it kind of messes with your mind… until you remember that Hayden played both tennis and hockey. Must be some mutant gene causes it. She also had a question for me, “Why do they call them Leafs instead of Leaves?” I pondered that for a few milliseconds before replying, “Because they’re Canadian,” at which we both xenophobicly guffawed. I couldn’t locate her photograph of Roddick, so here’s a nicely framed (ahem) photo of him. Now, if anyone can point me towards a similar eye candy photograph of Hayden making his tennis moves, you shall have my undying gratitude. However, the shirtless photo shown above will do in a pinch.

[10 October 2006]

 

Hayden Sing-A-Long 2

If you’re a regular reader of this website, then you already know the rules for the sing-a-long. Since Hayden is good at keeping his private life private, I don’t know the names of any of his former or current girlfriends. So, for the sake of simplicity, I’ll play the part of the jealous girlfriend. Now, I’m not suggesting that Hayden would actually deign to utter such inane dialogue in real life… let me tell you kids that this sing-a-long stuff is a lot harder than it looks.

 

iTunes users: hayden sing-a-long 2 (iMix)

Due to the limitations of the iTunes Music Store, I had to substitute songs from a different album or, occasionally, another artist altogether.

Here’s the iMix for the first sing-a-long: hayden sing-a-long 1 (iMix)

[09 October 2006]

 

It’s a Dirty Job…

but somebody has to do it!

In real life, sometimes you just can’t avoid those dirty jobs. Take, for instance, cleaning the fridge. There has to be 101 jobs that are more enjoyable, more rewarding. Okay, maybe 1,001. Higher? Yeah, that’s probably why they invented the term “googol.” No, not Google™. That’s a company. Googol is a very large number. Hey, I was a math major. Trust me, I know what I’m talking about.

Where was I? Oh yeah, that f’lovely fridge. Well, today it was my turn to clean the fridge at work. It was either that or endure an eternally long week of kitchen duty. Since I clearly lack the domestic goddess gene, an hour of drudgery versus a cumulative 2-3 hours of drudgery seemed like a good trade-off. Well, I daresay our fridge had not been cleaned all summer. Luckily, I was spared of an unusually high quantity of indistinguishable science experiments. And I did get moral support from a number of my coworkers who passed by as I toiled (ha! more like they were relieved it was I who took on the Yuck Factor). Still, there were unforeseen calamities, such as The Food Drawer That Is Not To Be Opened, which sounds a bit like He Who Shall Not Be Named. Same frightful concept applies. Actually, I went a tad overboard in this offensive task. To put it bluntly, in our office “cleaning the fridge” constitutes tossing out fuzzy, slimy, gunky and stinky stuff. No more, no less. Cleaning the gooey residue that adheres to the innards is clearly above and beyond the call of duty. Darn near heroic. But something came over me and I started removing drawers and shelving and… and there was suds and sponges tossed through the air and I… I just lost control. So, I started musing — as Obi-Wan would say, musing is my speciality. I mused that it wasn’t such a bad job after all and I might actually get all hyped up to do this… for real… at my house.

Naaaaaaa!

Thus, I continued to muse — who cleans Hayden’s f’lovely fridge? A fair question. Is he actually the dream guy who purges undesirables on a weekly basis? Or, like the majority of the male species, does he only stock the essentials, i.e., beer and Gatorade? Or, does he wait until Mom visits (peers inside, clucks disapprovingly, then rolls up her sleeves whilst grabbing the garbage can and the Clorox Wipes)? Certainly, he can afford to have hired help come in once a month. Then, it hit me like a ton of frozen fish. That’s what female friends are for, right? Sure, we’ll tolerate untold fuzz and fetid food in our own fridge, but allow our dear, sweet, wonderful Hayden to choke and die on fourteen-day-old delivery pizza? Never! So, as a loyal fan of the distaff persuasion, would I clean Hayden’s fridge?

No. comment.

[29 September 2006]

 

Quandaries, Part 2

For those who like a little whine with their cheese…

In the beginning I had such grandiose plans for this website. Like providing a number of “skins” — page styles appealing to the tastes of visitors. Regrettably, that hasn’t happened. I also thought I would provide the best, breaking news about Hayden, gleaned from a variety of sources. But then a strange thing happened: I developed a phobia toward Hayden-focused news. Whenever I look up news about Hayden I feel like a voyeur. It seems sordid and creepy, like I am invading his privacy. It’s hard to avoid the rumors and hearsay about a celebrity; I wish there was a gossip-free zone on the Internet. I really, really want to know what he’s up to and yet… I feel terrible if I discover something that causes me to question my generally positive feelings toward him, even when I doubt its reliability. It’s the Suggestion Factor: just planting the nefarious thought in my head does damage. Thus, I can go weeks at a time without checking news resources. Foolish, I know, but that’s my little quirk. So, I guess that’s the protracted way of saying if you want gossip and timely news, you better look elsewhere.

Photos of Hayden. Ah, yes, we all live for those. I have a particular addiction predilection for them myself. Early on I decided that I would use my fledgling Photoshop skills to frustrate y’all. That is, never provide enough of Hayden to satisfy the soul. Well, occasionally I renege on that point. The soul simply cries out for nourishment from time to time and extreme cruelty is not part of my repertoire. Sometimes I do it out of necessity, to prove a point. To reveal, or not to reveal — definitely a dilemma!

Likewise, should I divulge my politics or spirituality when musing about Hayden? At first that seemed like a no-brainer: No way, José. I can’t understand why actors commit professional suicide engage in it. Why risk the possibility of alienating a portion of your fan base? It might give you a transitory feeling of superiority to pontificate on such matters, but what if fans X, Y and Z dump you as a result? Fans can be fickle and you don’t miss them until they jump ship (I once boycotted the CBS television network for a year because they canceled my favorite show). Granted, I’m not looking to be your best friend, but I still value your patronage. Still, biting my tongue is not easy for me. I have definite opinions and principles and don’t really view that as a negative, but I don’t find it necessary to push them onto strangers. Besides, it feels like a bait-and-switch tactic: hook ’em with Hayden lust then—Bam!—change the subject. Should I slip and make such references in passing, may they be decidedly flame resistant.

Then there is the elephant-in-the-room quandary: why do I do this when there isn’t a snowball’s chance in Hades of getting his attention? Ouch! Maybe because I’m… an eternal optimist? glutton for punishment? introvert? frustrated creative writer? in denial? Mmmm, possibly all of the above.

These are but a few of the many quandaries I have faced in being a fan of Hayden. See, it’s tougher than you thought! Still, I’m usually thoroughly convinced that Hayden is worth the effort, so I guess I’ll keep at it until I lose my mind.

[22 September 2006]

 

Quandaries, Part 1

One might think that a Hayden Christensen fan would not be conflicted over being a Hayden Christensen fan. Why be conflicted? He’s cute (check), talented (check), seemingly nice and well liked by his peers (check, check), and drives a Ferrari. What’s not to like?! Nonetheless, I do have qualms and consider myself a semi-closeted HC fan. I started this website last October, informing a single Internet friend who was already familiar with my previous Joe Lando endeavors. Alas, she does not share my undying lust affinity for Hayden. I subsequently “came out” to the non-virtual world last December when I ordered a HAYDENC license plate for my car, yet I didn’t tell a soul about it. The first person to notice it was a friend at a social gathering. Another friend in the same group said, “Oh, you mean OHSULLY,” referring to a previous license plate in honor of Mr. Lando’s television character, Byron Sully. I sheepishly explained that no, this was a new one for Hayden Christensen who played Anakin Skywalker in two Star Wars films.

My parents were the next to notice the license plate, albeit many weeks later. Mom first, then Dad, who simply inquired, “Who’s ‘Hay-denk’?” I think they both shrugged it off as their poor, misguided progeny being celeb crazy once more. Given that I haven’t force-fed them Hayden’s cinematic work, like I did with Lando, they’ve pretty much let it slide. Sis didn’t see the license plate until July, when we attended a Nickelback concert. She immediately voiced her disapproval, as I have previously alluded. However, following our Labor Day excursion to the Star Wars exhibit, I bravely gushed about some of his upcoming films (as her eyes glazed over). My brother has utterly failed to notice the plate, but at least he has the excuse of not being around much. So, as you can see, familial support is virtually nonexistent.

Then my boss caught sight of HAYDENC and asked what it meant. I stammered, red-faced, that it was for the actor Hayden Christensen and reminded her that my previous license plate had been for another actor, implying that such behavior was perfectly normal. Little does she know, a photo of Hayden hides in plain sight in my office!

When I started this website I thought it would be a great way to learn how to use Cascading Style Sheets (CSS) and Photoshop. I taught myself how to code in HTML eons ago, without the aid of sophisticated web page design software. I was impatient to learn. After all, I wanted to create the first-ever Joe Lando fan site, which, I am happy to say, eventually caught the eye of the Lando man himself. Although he tried to contact me (I have the voice mail recordings to prove it), we never did connect and he eventually embraced a rival webmistress (who later appropriated the name of my beloved yet defunct website without so much as asking permission). Ah, those were bittersweet times. Had I the money, I would have sued her butt… no, not really. I’m not the vindictive type. If that website helps Joe, then I’m glad.

To Be Continued

[20 September 2006]

 

9/11 (OT musing)

Where were you when it happened?

That’s the question being asked in recent advertisements produced by ad agency TBWA/Chiat/Day. So, where was I on September 11 when it happened? Home sick from work. Not sick actually. More like exhausted, sleep deprived. I thought I would grab a few extra zzz’s then go to work that afternoon. I actually slept through it all, waking up around 11:45 a.m. Eastern Time. I sauntered drowsily into the living room, picked up the TV remote and actually said to my cat (the one that bears a strong resemblance to Lord Vader), “Gee, I wonder if there is anything interesting on.” Interesting? Boy, what an understatement!

At first I was confused. There was a news reporter standing on the Detroit side of the Ambassador Bridge (to Windsor, Ontario, Canada), talking about the border being closed. A crawler along the bottom of the TV screen mentioned that the RenCen (Renaissance Center, a skyscraper complex in Detroit) had been evacuated. What the heck is going on, I wondered. A few minutes later an inset was displayed of the World Trade Center towers with thick smoke billowing out. Barely comprehending it all, I picked up the phone and dialed my mom.

She had just started to give me a synopsis on the morning’s events when I saw video of one of the towers collapsing. “The tower fell?” I asked incredulously. “Yes,” she replied, “both of them.”

“Both towers?” I was bewildered. It didn’t immediately sink in that I was viewing a video replay, not a live feed. Then Mom told me about the Pentagon and the plane that went down near Pittsburgh. It was surreal. This can’t be happening. I never went to work that day. Instead, I sat glued to the TV. How could you not? It was scary. I would shake and cry, off and on. I still get emotional like that whenever I see actual footage of the planes striking the towers. It was the first time, ever, that I felt real fear.

That evening I attended an impromptu service at my church. Adults wept, which had to be unnerving for all the children present. But how could you not weep? It was terrifying and the enemy attacking us was still largely unknown at that time. I will never forget the eerie quiet of the next few days when all air traffic was grounded.

Three weeks later I learned my cousin had been in the World Trade Center that day. She was an executive for an insurance company on the 35th floor of the North Tower — the first tower struck and the last to fall. We knew she had worked in Manhattan but were unaware that she worked in the WTC. Her parents waited 7 agonizing hours for word of her status because phone service was out in that area. My cousin got out OK and helped evacuate another woman who was injured. She was actually several blocks away when the first tower fell (she’s a fast walker).

I’m the only member of my family who has not been to New York City, although I would like to someday. During this summer’s Pennsylvania trip my sister and I visited the Shanksville site where United Flight 93 crashed. Presently, there is a temporary memorial site (pictured above), but the National Park Service has plans for a permanent memorial. It is in a very rural, remote area. Very quiet, serene yet somber. It was difficult to envision the horrific scene it must have been five years ago.

Recently I saw the Magnum Photographers’ traveling exhibit, “New York, September 11.” Magnum is a prestigious photography agency that just happened to be holding a meeting in NYC on 10 September 2001. Eleven of their members photographed the aftermath. Thomas Hoepker’s photograph of the Brooklyn Bridge captured, for me, both the darkness and hope of that day: a gloomy backdrop of smoke and menacing skyscrapers surrounding a small, but vibrantly colorful, U.S. flag fluttering atop the bridge.

Some say that America is hated throughout the world because of her recent foreign policy. Rubbish. America has been despised (and envied) for generations — for its freedoms and prosperity and work ethic. Post-9/11 actions just brought that out into the open and exposed its ugliness to naïve Americans. Four of my ancestors came here on the Mayflower in 1620. Two of them died during that first harsh winter. The other two married and raised ten children. I wouldn’t be here at all if my ancestor, John Howland, hadn’t the presence of mind to grab onto a topsail halyard (rope) as he was swept overboard by a violent storm while crossing the Atlantic. Americans are tough and smart. We will persevere. God Bless America!

Front pages from newspapers around the world — 12 September 2001

[09 September 2006]

 

Star Wars on Tour

Crikey! I nearly missed seeing the Star Wars: Where Science Meets Imagination exhibit! It was in Columbus, Ohio all summer and I kept telling myself, “No hurry, kiddo. You have ALL summer.” Last week it suddenly dawned on me that summer was nearly over. A quick check of the website showed only four days remaining and timeslots rapidly selling out. Eek! I hurriedly e-mailed my sister in Columbus. Labor Day, the final day of the exhibit, was the only day we both could attend. I have to admit, it was a blast. Other related science displays — robotics, prosthetics, aerodynamic levitation — were mixed in with the Star Wars stuff to provide hands-on tasks for kids, such as “programming” and controlling robots. A display next to Luke Skywalker’s gravity-defying X-34 landspeeder explained how maglev trains work. My favorite part of the exhibit, despite the 90-minute queue, was the Millennium Falcon multimedia presentation, where we experienced the jump to lightspeed (i.e., entering hyperspace) multiple times. The mock-up Falcon cockpit accommodates a 4- to 6-member “crew.” Since there were no kidlets among our crew, my sister and I seized the pilot and co-pilot seats — she was Han Solo while I got to be her his Wookiee sidekick, Chewbacca. How cool is that?

Yoda, Mace Windu, Princess Leia, Han Solo, Obi-Wan Kenobi, Anakin Skywalker (child and adult), Padmé Amidala, and Darth Vader were represented, as were R2-D2, C-3PO, Wookiees Chewbacca and Tarfful, a Jawa, Tusken Raiders, an Imperial stormtrooper, a wampa ice creature, and an assortment of droids. Curiously, no Luke Skywalker or Palpatine costumes were included. I realize you can’t haul the entire Star Wars universe to Columbus, but no Luke? no Palpatine/Sidious? There was also a plethora of weaponry and scale models on display: lightsabers, Wookiee bowcaster, thermal detonator, Millennium Falcon, Imperial star destroyer and TIE fighter, X-wing starfighter, AT-AT walker, General Grievous, Kashyyyk treetop terrain, and Anakin’s Tatooine digs were highlights on the tour.

There were two disappointments associated with my visit: the Star Wars gift shop was pretty well cleaned out in its final day, plus it was difficult to get decent still photographs of the displays. The place was packed, with one or more people usually blocking my view of the displays. Almost everything was behind plate glass, which meant a lot of reflection from overhead lights and people standing in front of the glass. Thus, none of my pictures of Anakin’s sigh-worthy Jedi costume from Revenge of the Sith came out particularly well (note photo above). However, a few photos turned out nicely, especially one of my sister standing in front of the Darth Vader costume. I’d share it with you but there’s no way she would allow its inclusion. So here is the best photo I have of something Anakin/Vader-related: his prosthetic hand used in Attack of the Clones.

Exciting, huh?

I’m loathe to diss Star Wars, but Padmé Amidala’s costume was a personal letdown. It was from The Phantom Menace when she dressed incognito as a servant girl while accompanying Qui-Gon Jinn and Obi-Wan Kenobi to Tatooine. Among Padmé’s magnificent couture they picked that ratty outfit? Totally lame.

Much to my surprise, the Center for Family Research has offices at the COSI Columbus museum. In the hallway next to their office was a pictoral genogram (below) showing the relationships of the Skywalker-Naberrie family (Naberrie was Padmé’s birth name while Amidala was her royal name). As an amateur genealogist, this discovery really made my day. However, this genogram graphically reminds me that Anakin was raised in a single-parent household, which might explain his gravitation to the dark side. Research shows that kids from single-parent homes, especially those lacking a father figure, tend to have a tougher life.

After leaving the science museum, we drove past Hayden Avenue. Unfortunately, I wasn’t fast enough to capture a snapshot of that sign. Drat!

The traveling exhibit next opens 11 October 2006 at the Oregon Museum of Science & Industry (OMSI) in Portland, Oregon. Don’t miss it (like I almost did)!

Updated: I see that OMSI is charging extra ($5 US) for the Millennium Falcon presentation. Boo hiss! I guess that will keep the lines down.

[06 September 2006]