Billion Dollar Baby

A dollar bill is 6.14 inches long and .0043 inches thick. If you were to lay four billion of them end-to-end they’d stretch around the earth nine and one half times. A stack of four billion ones would be over 271 miles high.

Courtesy Google Images

$4.05 billion; that’s the amount, in cash and stocks, that The Walt Disney Company paid George Lucas for Lucasfilm. When I sat in a theater in 1977 and watched Star Wars Episode IV: A New Hope I never dreamed the franchise would be worth such a vast sum; heck, I never dreamed there’d be a franchise.

Back then, people compared Star Wars to the, then, defunct Star Trek franchise. They said the special effects in Star Wars far outshined those from the 1960s series.

Seriously? Being a fan of Captain Kirk, et al, I was offended. Movie and television technology had dramatically advanced in the decade after Star Trek ended. What did people expect? of course the special effects were going to be more … special.

According to ABCnews.com, Disney also announced that in 2015 they will release Episode VII. That is awesome! Lucas had decided that he was done with Star Wars movies after Episode III so I think that with the backing of Disney Studios there’s a chance we may see Episodes VII through IX.

Does anyone else share my rejuvenated Star Wars excitement?

Geek Themed Spaces

What kid doesn’t want to decorate their bedroom in the theme of their choosing?  When I was a young'un I papered one wall of my bedroom with the Sunday comics.  I painstakingly removed the comic strips from the newspaper, prepped the wall and used wallpaper paste to permanently attach the funnies to the wall.  I had understanding parents.

In high school my chemistry instructor informed the class his son had taken six of his LPs, painted them gold and made himself transporter pads.

But I think I found the ultimate geek.  The other day I came across a story about Tony Alleyne who resides in a one room apartment in Hinckley, Leicestershire, England.  He has converted his apartment into a replica of the bridge of Star Trek’s Starship Voyager.  He estimates that he spent about $150K.  Unfortunately for him, his ex-wife owns the apartment and she wants to sell it.  But it is awesome nonetheless!

The following are five themed living spaces that I found intriguing.

1.   Tony Alleyne’s Voyager apartment

2.  The ULTIMATE Star Wars Themed Home.

Collector Cho Woong has turned his apartment into a Star Wars shrine.  He has an impressive collection of Star Wars memorabilia in every room of his abode; even the bathroom.

3.   Jules’ Undersea Lodge

Key Largo, Florida is the home of the Jules’ Undersea Lodge.  Located at the Key Largo Undersea Park, this hotel affords guests the opportunity to eat, sleep and live underwater in hotel-like comfort.

4.   Star Wars Tours in Tunisia

Visit the place that was Luke Skywalker’s home, Tatooine.  When the Star Wars filmmakers finished filming, they left all manner of Star Wars memorabilia, including Skywalker’s home.

5.   World’s First Hobbit Motel

Think the Hobbits had it made?  There’s a Hobbit motel in Waitomo, New Zealand.  Each unit has a shower, kitchen and can accommodate 6 people.

So what do you think, ready to redecorate?

Review of Inheritance by Christopher Paolini

SPOILER ALERT!!!!

Inheritance is the fourth installment of Christopher Paolini’s Inheritance cycle.  The series follows a 16 year-old boy (Eragon) as he transforms from simple farmer to mighty Dragon Rider and joins  allegiance with the Varden to overthrow the Empire ruled by the tyrant, Galbatorix.

Inheritance opens as the Varden’s forces, comprised of Humans, Elves, Urgals (orge-like creatures), and Werecats (feline-like beings that can assume human form) march toward a final confrontation with the seemingly invincible Galbatorix, his powerful dragon, Shruikan, and his vast army.  The Varden’s leader, Nasuada, is captured by a Galbatorix raiding party.  Eragon reluctantly assumes the mantle of leadership.  Events progress, Galbatorix is defeated and Eragon sails off into the sunset; literally, he boards a ship and sails away.

I have a couple issues with book four.  In two places, Paolini took the easy way out with problem resolution for major plot points that were disseminated over course of the four books.

First issue: 

Paolini has created an ancient language for his magical world.  The books are rife with instances of ancient language usage.  In Paolini’s world, everybody and everything has a true name in the ancient language; that name, if known, allows a practitioner of magic to exert control over that person or thing.

Galbatorix has divined the true name of the ancient language.  With this knowledge, he can control all spell casters.  When the time arrives to reveal the true name, all Paolini could come up with was “The Word.”  Come on!  In six years and four books, he couldn’t come up with something more creative?  Why bother creating an entire language if the reveal is in English?

Second issue: 

In the first book, Solembum, a Werecat, relays to Eragon a cryptic message containing two pieces of advice.  The first states where Eragon can find a vital weapon (which he finds in book three, Brisingr).  The second tells Eragon to find the Rock of Kuthian and speak his name to open the Vault of Souls only when times are bleakest.

After Nasuada’s capture, Eragon summons Solembum.  He cajoles and badgers but Solembum cannot expand on his second piece of advice.  All Solembum can say is the answer must be in the book Domia abr Wyrda.  When all seems lost, Solembum enters a trancelike state and tells Eragon what chapter, page and passage of the book to peruse.  Just like that, Eragon discovers the clue that leads him to the means of defeating Galbatorix.

Come on!  Paolini needed to get this information into Eragon’s mitts and this is how he chose to do it.  Eragon presses Solembum, he spaces out and presto, problem solved!  It seems way too easy a solution for a linchpin event.  Again, six years, four books, yet this is what he came up with.  Nothing should ever come easy to the hero.  Overcoming adversity is what differentiates heroes from the ordinary.

Don’t get me wrong, the Inheritance cycle  was an enjoyable read.  For the most part, I think Paolini has weaved an interesting tale (similarities to Star Wars notwithstanding) and built a fascinating world, which is why I felt let down with his easy outs.  I would look forward to reading further exploits of Eragon if Paolini decided to rebuild the Dragon Riders or write a prequel to the Inheritance cycle.

Maybe I’m being too critical, but these two things really stuck in my craw.  What do you think, overly critical or justified?

Paolini Vs. Lucas

I’m reading Inheritance by Christopher Paolini, the fourth installment of what had originally been the Inheritance trilogy but is now the Inheritance cycle.  Paolini was fifteen when he began writing Eragon, the first book in the cycle.  It was originally a self-published effort that was picked up by Alfred A. Knopf in 2003.

I’ve enjoyed the series; book one, Eragon, book two, Eldest and book three Brisingr.  My main complaint is the amount of time between Brisingr and the final book, Inheritance:  3 years.

The books have been well crafted.  There was a movie, Eragon, based on the first book and it was awful.  It was disjointed and poorly crafted.  It failed to capture the spirit of the book.  The director, Stefen Fangmeier, seemed more concerned with cinematic effects as opposed to storytelling.

I originally bought the book for my youngest son.  We had been reading the Harry Potter series and we were waiting for Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince.  I was cruising Barnes & Noble and I spied Eragon.  It looked like an easy read and I thought it would be a nice fill in.  It didn’t resonate with him, but it hooked me.

The cycle reminds me of Star Wars.  It’s … JRR Tolkien meets George Lucas.  The book is full of elves, dwarves and good and evil wizards.  The storyline is similar to A New Hope, Episode IV of the Star Wars saga.

I was wondering who Paolini named as influences.  I think every writer can name someone who has influenced their writing.  I was surprised to discover that he didn’t mention Lucas.  Hmm, interesting.

If you're interested in a plot summary of Eragon go to Paolini's site.

The following are details that are striking in their similarity.

The central figure in each tale is an orphaned teen on the cusp of manhood who lives with an uncle on a remote farm.  The boys come into possession of objects:  Eragon finds an egg and Luke Skywalker finds Death Star plans.  These objects are coveted by their respective evil overlord.  Possession of these items leads to the destruction of the boys' homes and the death of their uncles.  The youths flee, and their flight is assisted by wizened older men:  Brom, a weaver of tales and Obi-Wan Kenobi, a recluse, who do what they can to teach their charges the ways of an elite warrior.

Initially both stories don't give any indication that these sage men were once powerful warriors; Brom, a Dragon Rider and Obi-Wan, a Jedi Knight who were forced to live in anonymity when their respective organizations were destroyed.

Both stories had an organization that was betrayed from within and had become nothing more than a memory, the stuff of legends. 
The Dragon Riders had been an elite group of elves and humans that ensured justice is dispensed.  The Jedi Knights were a peacekeeping force.

Brom & Obi-Wan attempt to impart upon the boys the basics of their respective brotherhoods.  Brom and Obi-Wan recognize each lad has an innate ability that could allow them to become the next Dragon Rider and Jedi Knight.  Predictably, each teacher is slain before he can complete the training.

Star Wars has an older being that tries to complete Skywalker’s training after Kenobi’s death.  Likewise, Eragon’s instruction is continued by an ancient Elvin rider.  Both figures are introduced in each saga’s second installment.

It’s not my intent to be negative.  I like the series.  I think Paolini does a super job of bringing the land of Alagaësia to life.  I’m hoping he does a prequel.  We’re given a broad brushstroke regarding life prior to Eragon.  I’d like to know how the Riders rose to prominence and how Galbatorix usurped power?

These are just my random thoughts.  Anyone else care to opine?