LotR Awards (and a guest post!)

Rebecca at Just me... gave me these awesome LotR awards!  Thanks so much Rebecca!
 


And now the questions that come with them!

1) Who is your favorite LOTR character and why?
Sam.  He's so loyal to Frodo, and I love that although he's in this huge world, fighting battles and facing dangers that most men would not see in their lifetimes, he stays who he is and doesn't lose his simple Hobbit self.

2) If you were in Middle Earth, what species would you be?
Probably a human, but otherwise a Hobbit!  I love their unique traits and charming lifestyle.   Plus I'm short.

3) If you were in Middle Earth where would you be from? Would you be from the Lothlorian Forest? Or maybe the great hall of Rohan? Where would your home be?
Again, with the Hobbits in the Shire!  It's so pretty and not too dangerous.  But I'd want to visit Rivendell sometime!

I give these awards to The Director at Castles, Quills, and Cameras, and any other LotR fans!


Also, on Friday I wrote a guest post on Sophia's blog, Life and Times of a Geek.  Go check it out!

Hope you all have a great week, and may the Lord be with you!

Padmé on "Shadow Warrior"

(source)

THIS POST CONTAINS SPOILERS.
Padmé Amidala is a senator for Naboo in the Galactic Senate.  When she was fourteen she was elected queen and led her people through the Naboo Crisis.  She has been on many missions of diplomacy for the Republic in the Clone Wars and is respected as a great supporter of democracy.

I would have written this sooner but lately I have been tied up in special sessions of Congress.  We are considering a motion to defer more powers to the Chancellor.  However, I was able to snag some time this weekend to view the latest episode.  As is clear, this one was more personal for me than the previous episodes of season four.  There are many things that could be said on the episode, but here are a few things I would like to mention.

While the Mon Calamari arc portrayed Jar Jar and the Gungans as warriors, this showed a bit more of the light side of their nature.  I must admit that I was laughing a bit as Jar Jar, disguised as Boss Lyonie, tried to keep Grievous from finding out what was going on--and from killing him.  Perhaps more seriousness would have been called for in the situation, but Jar Jar must have been very frightened.

This was my first time seeing how the Gungan army managed to capture Grievous.  To be honest, I found it slightly unrealistic that they were be able to overcome him, his two lightsabers, and advanced training.  It seems we have all underestimated the Gungans.  I am thankful to have them not only as allies, but as friends.

Their capture was not without cost.  During the struggle, Grievous killed General Tarpals.  He was instrumental in the Battle of Naboo and his loss was a great one.  After a few days of recovery, we held a traditional Gungan funeral for him, honoring his sacrifice for Naboo and the Republic, and mourning him as our friend.

As I'm sure you can imagine, the choice between holding Grievous or exchanging him for Master Skywalker broke my heart.  In war, we are too often forced to choose between duty and personal feelings.  If the Republic had Grievous in custody, we might have been able to end the war.  But in the end, Jar Jar and Boss Lyonie convinced me.  They were right--I don't think I could have ever forgiven if Anakin died because of me.

Something that I found unsettling as I watched the episode were the words the Sith spoke to Count Dooku.  It seemed he knew that in this case I would put duty aside.  How?  What does he know about me?

On a lighter note, for all of you wondering where Boss Nass was, do not worry--he is alive and in good health.  He attended General Tarpals' funeral and afterward had some time to catch up with Anakin and me.  I will always be grateful for his help in defeating the Trade Federation all those years ago.

I suppose that's all for now.  Wish us luck in the Senate--I pray that we will be able to come to a resolution on the additional powers within the next couple of days.  Hopefully then I will be able to watch Friday's episode and see how C3P0 and R2D2 fared on their relief mission.  May the Force be with you all!

Jar Jar Binks on "Prisoners"

(source)

THIS POST CONTAINS SPOILERS.
Jar Jar Binks represents his people, the Gungans, in the Galactic Senate.  He was a general and hero in the Invasion of Naboo and is bravely serving the Republic in our war through negotiation.  He lives in Otoh Gunga, Naboo.

Hello!  Mesa called Jar Jar Binks!  Mesa doing dis guest post thingy for Arda, who doesn't weally have anything to say on de episode.

[Hey!  I've got stuff to say!  Like...um...Kit Fisto had a good line.  Well...he stole it from Indiana Jones.]

About de eels!  Oh nosa!  Dos eels were bad!  Wesa starting to get berry scared in dare.  Padme almost drowning!  Luckily mesa got a few tricks up mesa sleeve...

[Yeah, that was cool and all, and great that you saved Padme, but...it was a little gross.]

Yosa seen nothin.  Yosa ever been to da core?

[Of Naboo?  I guess technically not...]

Dey got muy slimy fishes down dare.  Yosa no wantin to go dare.

[I'll keep that in mind.]

Good!  Weell, lots of tings did happen in de episode!  Like Lee-Char uniting da people against da Separatists!

[That was pretty brave.  Turning against the Separatists was a big risk for the Quarren; they knew how ruthless Dooku and Tamson were.  And Lee-Char asking them to do that--]

Exactly!  And he let himself be taken just so he talk to...ah...

[Let me open Wookieepedia...Nossor Ri!]

Dat's it!  And den Captain Ackbar could get the armies together!

[IT'S A TRAP!]

What yousa saying?

[Never mind, that hasn't happened yet.]

Anyways, day all got together at de execution--

[The bad guys should really learn that these public executions are perfect opportunities for escape.  And they should read the Evil Overlord List.]

And dey blasting de Separatists aways!

[Yay!...*has nothing to say*]

Yosa no liken de episode?

[No, I liked it fine, just...I like Lee-Char, but prefer the ones that are more Jedi-centered, the ones I'm more emotionally invested in.  With Anakin and Obi-Wan and Ahsoka.]

Dey weally couldn't do much here.  Dis is really Lee-Char's battle.

[Yeah...it was really more about him gaining confidence and growing into his role as king of Mon Calamari.  That was pretty nice.]

Dis a good message for all da younglings!  Believe is youse self, don't be giving up, and be willing to give yoself up for youse people!

[Aww, that was nice Jar Jar.  Looks like you might be doing dat - I mean that - in the next episode.]

Well, mesa does have a role in it.  And Ani dos too!  But he's looking hurt.

[Yeah, poor guy never gets a break does he?]

Noo...poor Ani!  Mesa hate to see him get zapped by dos eels.  And next week he's getting zapped again!

[Yep...well, any closing thoughts?]

Mesa just wanting to tank all of yousa for reading mesa review.  Mesa ask for all of yours support during dis galactic war.  In de Senate, we are working muy hard to protect de Republic and end de war.  But Padme never keeps around good snacks.  So if dare is anyone who wants to donate, Arda will be setting up de donations box on de side bar so yousa can just--

[Jar Jar!]

But--but mesa doing nothing!

Happy Hobbit Day!

I'm know I'm posting this late, but it's Bilbo and Frodo's birthday!

Doesn't "Hobbit Day" just sound like a delightful holiday?

I've done little things for it in the past, but it would be so fun to have a real party some year.  We could have lots of food, music, and of course - do the Hobbit chicken dance.

Oh!  And not only is it Bilbo and Frodo's birthday...

It's Ashley Eckstein's birthday!

(from Wikipedia.org)

Can this day get any awesomer?  Ashley has been such an inspiration to many of us.  I could write a whole post on how great she is and how she has affected my life.

Speaking of which, I would like to thank all of you for the way you've affected my life.  I really appreciate you all taking the time to read and comment on my blog.  I have loved getting all of your comments, and the ones on my TCW review were very touching.  You are all really great people and I love you.

And in reply to said comments, I am planning on writing arranging for more reviews of The Clone Wars from our friends in the GFFA (galaxy far far away)!  Who will depend on who has the most to say on each episode.  I would love to write for ask Ahsoka, and will try to do her soon.  For all of you watching "Prisoners" tomorrow night, I hope you have fun!

But for now, have a blast!

LotR pics from Council of Elrond.

Anakin Skywalker on "Water War" and "Gungan Attack"

(source)

THIS POST CONTAINS SPOILERS.
Guest blogger Anakin Skywalker is a Jedi Knight and general in the Grand Army of the Republic.  He is known as the "Hero Without Fear" and is held in high esteem by the Supreme Chancellor.  When not on the battle field, he lives on Coruscant training his apprentice, Ahsoka Tano.

Well, this new season of The Clone Wars sure started with a bang.  Two episodes, both describing our struggle to keep Mon Calamari out of Separatist hands.  I had one of my rare quiet days today, so my good friend Senator Amidala and I got together to watch the episodes.  I've got to say, Dave Filoni and his crew are doing an incredible job of bringing you these documentaries of the Clone Wars.  The animation in this episode was particularly impressive - the simple things like the clouds and water were very realistic for being animated, and the explosion of our ship was well done.  Even though I didn't exactly want to see that again.

Last season put more emphasis on what was going on away from the front lines, but this season brings you right back.  The second battle of Mon Calamari was a conflict with a unique element - most of it took place underwater.  Luckily, Master Fisto, Ahsoka and I already had lightsabers built or modified to work when wet.  Regular lightsabers would short out.

Also, to set the record straight, I learned to swim not long after coming to the Jedi Temple and have since become as accomplished as Senator Amidala, who grew up swimming on Naboo.

But back to the battle, as you saw, it wasn't easy.  It was supposed to be peaceful negotiations between the Mon Cala and the Quarren.  But once the Separatists got the Quarren stirred up, negotiations came to a dead stop, even with the diplomatic Senator Amidala there.  And the battle that followed...it's a shame that so many of the Mon Calamarian people were taken captive or killed as the Separatists attempted to take another world.

That young prince, Lee-Char - he's a good kid.  Completely unprepared for the role he's been forced to take, but with Captain Ackbar and myself advising him, he's doing all right.  He's going through a lot, dealing with the grief of losing his father, and now in danger of losing his people as he's thrust into the middle of the war.  I saw that my Padawan Ahsoka was doing a good job of not only protecting him, but encouraging and advising him as well.

Ahsoka has really grown.  She's gained a lot of wisdom since she became a Padawan.  Hearing her today on the show reminded me of just how much she's matured.  I told her to take the Prince somewhere safe and lie low...and she did.  If I told her to do this when she had just graduated from the Temple, she would have done anything but lie low.  These battles have taught her a lot about how even though the Jedi are powerful warriors, fighting is not always the best move.  There is wisdom in waiting and watching (man, Obi-Wan's going to be thrilled to hear me saying this).

This Friday is the conclusion to this arc on the second battle of Mon Calamari.  If you've seen the preview, you know that after I got captured with Senator Amidala, Master Fisto, and Representative Binks, things got a little rough.  But you're going to have to wait and see what happens this week.

May the Force be with you.

This post was inspired by Father Longenecker at Standing on My Head and his hilarious, informative, and very creative "alter egos".

I Can Has Smiles?

I've been kind of tired/busy today and don't think I could write a great post right now, so here are some cute/funny pictures from icanhascheezburger.com.  This is such a fun site, and easy to waste time on (especially at night when you don't want to go to bed...and no, that's not to blame for me being tired today...entirely).

Any dream will do...

Wonder how many bars you can get in Catlantis?

This makes me think of "Pick-a-little, Talk-a-little."  I love words like tomfoolery.

Trussssst in me, jusssst in me.  Close your eyes, and trusssst in me...

Perhaps these two are conspiring together!  Excellent...stop repeating everything I say!

D'awwwww!  Anyone have a caption for this one?

We takes the precious!  Mine, mine, mine, mine, mine, mine, mine, mine!

Those poor toes never had a chance.

We ned 2 get u somb roller-sk8s.

 A useful pot to put things in!

GETITOFFGETITOFF!!!

Hope you've had a good Monday!

Fall Releases

Ba de ya, say do you remember
Ba de ya, dancing in September
Ba de ya, never was a cloudy day
September - Earth Wind & Fire


I like September.  Even if it's not any cooler than August, and even though school is starting.  It's a promise that autumn is coming.  And it has a pretty name.

It also marks the beginning of new seasons of TV shows, holds many other releases.  My brother and I recently put together a list of all the releases and premieres we're looking forward to the rest of the year.  Here's what we have:

September 16

Star Wars: The Clone Wars Season 4

It's almost here!  The trailers and photos released promise an epic season.  Dave Filoni said Season 4 will be darker than the previous seasons, and the subtitle "Battle Lines" hints at more battles this time around.  As events move toward Revenge of the Sith, it seems Anakin is going to becoming closer to his dark side self this season.  But with Gungans in the second episode, hopefully we'll have some fun too.

September 19

The Sing-Off Season 3

The Sing-Off is a musical competition between a cappella groups.  It's really amazing the music they can make with just their voices.  The contestants are always very talented and great people as well, and there isn't any backstage drama, which I really like.  Also, the judges give kind and informative critiques on the performances.  I always watch this with my mom and brother, and it's a fun thing to do together.  Definitely looking forward to the next season.

October 4

Perry Mason Season Six, Volume 1 DVD

CBS begins to release the sixth season of Perry Mason for fans of the expert defense attorney.  Perry Mason is a courtroom drama based on the series of books by Erle Stanley Gardner.  Along with secretary Della and detective Paul, Perry cracks open murder cases the prosecutor, Hamilton Burger, thinks are perfect.  Perry will not only prove his client's innocence, but unmask the true murderer as well.  The shows are always very complex and exciting.  Volume 2 will be released November 22.

October 4

The Heroes of Olympus: The Son of Neptune

The second book in the series following Percy Jackson and the Olympians!  I can't say much about the plot as it would spoil the previous book (The Lost Hero), but it's going to be incorporating some new characters and put an old character in an intriguing new setting.

October 17

Professor Layton and the Last Specter

The fourth game in the Professor Layton series for Nintendo DS is being localized!  This one is a prequel, and will show how the main characters, Layton and Luke, first met!  I've heard a lot about Emmy, the Professor's assistant in the prequels, and am looking forward to getting to know her.  This game has more puzzles than any of the other games, so that should be fun.  My brother and I are going to pre-order it and figure out how to play it at the same time.  I am so incredibly excited!

October 18

Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides DVD

The new movie sails to the shelves on DVD and Blu-ray!  Although the first three are my favorites, this movie was still a lot of fun.  It will be great to watch it again and have a better understanding of what's going on, and opportunities to memorize more good quotes!  Plus my mom will get to see it so my dad, brother and I can stop trying to avoid spoilers!  There are a few different versions coming out - the regular DVD edition will come out November 15.

November 4

(poster from Japanese version)

Professor Layton and the Eternal Diva DVD

Another Professor Layton localization - this time the movie!  Following Last Specter, the movie has been out for a while in Japan and Europe, and is finally coming to North America!  Although I've been spoiled on one cool part from looking at fan art, I'm as excited for this as Last Specter!

November 23

The Muppets

They're baaaack!  And in a new movie!  Although I've always preferred Sesame Street to The Muppets, but I've been enjoying a few clips lately (particularly the Swedish Chef), and the hilarious trailer promises an entertaining movie.  If only Yoda were in it...

December 6

The 39 Clues: Cahills vs. Vespers: A King's Ransom

A King's Random is the second books in the series following The 39 Clues books.  Each book is written by a different author (some write more than one), and this one is by Jude Watson, my favorite Star Wars author!  I'm definitely looking forward to it.  The books are set in the modern world, but they incorporate history and give it a different meaning, which is very cool.


A few other things coming out soon are:
September 16, Star Wars Blu-ray
October 11, Kung Fu Panda 2 DVD
October 18, The Clone Wars Season 3 DVD
November 1, Cars 2 DVD

So those are a few releases I'm excited about this fall!  What are you looking forward to?