tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32428197022185276072024-02-19T17:45:10.879+01:00Meeting GeorgeA regular update on my quest of meeting George LucasUnknownnoreply@blogger.comBlogger9125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3242819702218527607.post-7078694131942397292008-10-03T21:11:00.003+02:002008-10-06T09:37:14.059+02:00SIGNATURE DRIVE<p>I just had a new idea.<br /><br />It's a widely known fact that people, organisations and even governments of small nations, no matter how stubborn they seem at first always cave in at the mere sight of one single secret weapon…<br /><br />A secret weapon so dangerous, so terrible you have no choice but to stop and sign it when you encounter one in the street.<br /><br />I am of course talking about…<br /><br /><em>(cue cheesy scary organ music)</em></p><br /><p></p><br /><p><br /><strong>THE PETITION!</strong><br /></p><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5253007981527371026" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" height="87" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVW2GxlTXjDozgF9L_XUNh1Ven3A_LKBGDsjclADzD-A0aWzHmuoMrQx21lcpqF1Q6SuZICHehEhsXeJskTtKzH9WTXYyXwls8Lnbj3__HDywoaAwoYoBW1og6mbpbYf_RZ53UHX1wXJ7p/s320/petition.jpg" width="160" border="0" /><br /><p><br />That's right! The voice of the people shall help my cause! I've started an <a href="http://www.ipetitions.com/petition/meetinggeorge/">online petition</a> which will force (pun intended) Mr. Lucas into a meeting with me. Provided I have enough signatures of course. It's no use calling up Lucasfilm telling them I have to meet George Lucas because 15 people (including relatives and loved ones) also think I should.<br /><br />No, I need thousands of signatures! <strong>MILLIONS!<br /></strong><br /><strong>SIGNATURES! UNLIMITED SIGNATURES!!<br /></strong><br />So please sign <a href="http://www.ipetitions.com/petition/meetinggeorge/">this</a>, and then pass it on to people you know so they can sign it too. As soon as I've reached a hundred signatures, I'll forward them to Lucasfilm. Then at two hundred, I'll forward them again, then at 300, 400… You get the drill.<br /><br />Of course there's something in it for you readers as well. You people aren't going to sign something when I don't include some incentive to do so, aren't you? So here's the deal:<br /><br />At every 100 entries, I'll disguise myself as George Lucas and take to the streets for random acts of mischievousness. These acts will be filmed and will get posted online in 15 minute episodes for your viewing pleasure. Now how's that for an incentive? Wait, don't aswer that. Just sign already.<br /><br />In the meantime: lots and lots of filler material!</p>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3242819702218527607.post-20892977017098062802008-08-12T21:09:00.003+02:002008-08-12T21:13:17.481+02:00ODDS<p><span lang="en-gb"><span style="font-family:Arial;">Right. I had a sitdown this afternoon and I quickly calculated what my odds of actually meeting George Lucas are.</span></span> </p> <p><span lang="en-gb"><span style="font-family:Arial;">I approached this as a simple math problem, and I kept a number of things in account, namely:</span></span> </p> <ul><li><span lang="en-gb"><span style="font-family:Arial;">GL is a busy person. Let's say he works 7 hours a day and sleeps 10 hours. That leaves 7 hours of free time during which he COULD run into me. (Note: figure out a way of adding weekends into the calculation).</span></span></li></ul> <ul><li><span lang="en-gb"><span style="font-family:Arial;">He lives in Florida, I live in Belgium. This might be a small problem for the "accidentally meet GL on the street whilst doing errands" plan. However, the subject has been known to travel abroad. So far Monaco, London and Cannes have been confirmed as destinations.</span></span></li></ul> <ul><li><span lang="en-gb"><span style="font-family:Arial;">Suppose I meet the man. The degree of unexpectedness of the meeting will have influence on the degree of paralysis my body and brain will experience. If I'm not made aware of a meeting beforehand, the sheer idolisation I carry for the man will turn me into a frozen, drooling,</span></span><span lang="en-gb"><span style="font-family:Arial;"> mindlessly staring zombie capable of muttering only <span style="font-style: italic;">"GEOOOORGE…… LUUUCAAAAS!"</span>. Thus I will not be able to communicate, thus rendering that "meeting" a failure.</span></span></li></ul> <ul><li><span lang="en-gb"><span style="font-family:Arial;"><span style="font-size:180%;"><span style="font-weight: bold;">IF</span></span> (that's supposed to be a big if, but my font size will only go so far) George actually gets around to reading this blog, its contents may scare him away from me.</span></span></li></ul> <p><span lang="en-gb"><span style="font-family:Arial;">So, with all that taken into account, the basic formula looks like this:</span></span></p><p><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimXGEViWwboIJnZY8dmYvBUqoSIOjcH33uGUN9UoSaxxeviMtxbesr4S2Dte4EMv4SQTXYab_WamWr-DkmyRYZ3FLhtJL5xy5ue9oCFolUVYGZrBylHHC1i30dJ4i6PQ1Jkta-uVgesay9/s1600-h/formula.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimXGEViWwboIJnZY8dmYvBUqoSIOjcH33uGUN9UoSaxxeviMtxbesr4S2Dte4EMv4SQTXYab_WamWr-DkmyRYZ3FLhtJL5xy5ue9oCFolUVYGZrBylHHC1i30dJ4i6PQ1Jkta-uVgesay9/s320/formula.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5233710897004058066" border="0" /></a></p><span lang="en-gb"><span style="font-family:Arial;">And the result is 1 in 5 <span style="font-weight: bold;">millionbillionsquilliongazilliontrillion</span> (add your own amusing "-illion" word). Even the odds of succesfully navigating an asteroid field are better.</span></span> <p><span lang="en-gb"><span style="font-family:Arial;">Based on this, I'd say the odds are against me. </span></span></p> <p><span lang="en-gb"><span style="font-family:Arial;"><br /></span></span></p><p><span lang="en-gb"><span style="font-family:Arial;">No, hang on.</span></span> </p><br /><p><span lang="en-gb"><span style="font-family:Arial;">I'd say the entire universe is against me.</span></span> </p>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3242819702218527607.post-52991730787739961442008-08-10T21:30:00.002+02:002008-08-10T21:33:37.619+02:00DENIAL<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="" lang="EN-GB">I think I'll have to take into consideration that <a href="http://meetinggeorge.blogspot.com/2008/08/smashy-smashy.html">plan A</a> may have failed.<span style=""> </span>Still haven't received an answer to my mail.<o:p><br /></o:p><br />Still, I haven't received a send failure either, so the adress does exist.<span style=""> </span>Maybe some poor employee at Lucasfilm is called George and he gets about 10 gazillion fanmails from geeks each day that are intended for "that other George".<span style=""> </span><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">Imagine being that guy.</span><span style=""><span style="font-style: italic;"> </span><br /></span>Everyday at work he spends about 7 hours cleaning out his mailbox, then when he actually finds the time to do his real job, it's time to punch out.<span style=""> </span>I'd be frustrated.<span style=""> </span>But at least I'd have the decency to let people know I'm not real George instead of just deleting their mails.<span style=""> </span>That nerf herder!<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="" lang="EN-GB">On the plus side, failure made me productive!<span style=""> </span>New schemes have been plotted.<span style=""> </span>More on that next update!<o:p></o:p></span></p>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3242819702218527607.post-30986835581289160302008-08-09T10:56:00.004+02:002008-08-09T11:03:00.051+02:00PEE-ARRRR<span style=";font-family:arial;font-size:100%;" ><br /></span><span style=";font-family:arial;font-size:100%;" lang="EN-GB" >No, I'm not trying to sound like a pirate</span><span style=";font-family:arial;font-size:100%;" lang="EN-GB" > who needs to go to the bathroom.</span><span style=";font-family:arial;font-size:100%;" lang="EN-GB" ><span style=""> </span></span><span style="font-weight: bold;font-family:arial;font-size:100%;" ><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHrJ3QqRTS2bHy9jRkgBFEi7Dn_kTohyphenhyphenzvmiwq2TdePpy1z1SA4RBhZmbU8YGV7g-W99LvGoFV9c6q1GAMk-1JqgIxtBEsxkiAfUfipwglC9wMvcBFTsatbn8d1jDpCVtxm1eWr673WU1E/s320/AR16-PIRATE-01-RQ_T.gif" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5232439905784675842" border="0" /></span><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family:arial;"><span style="font-size:100%;">I'm talking about PR.</span><span style="font-size:100%;"> </span><span style="font-size:100%;">While waiting for an answer from george@starwars.com I figured I need to spread word about this.</span><span style="font-size:100%;"> </span><span style="font-size:100%;"><br />That's right.</span><span style="font-size:100%;"> </span><span style="font-size:100%;">Time to set the </span><span style="font-weight: bold;font-size:100%;" >shameless selfpromotion plan</span><span style="font-size:100%;"> into motion.</span><span style="font-size:100%;"> </span><span style="font-size:100%;"><br />No need to explain here, if all goes well, you'll be hearing about me soon.</span><br /><br /><br /><br /><span style="font-size:100%;"><br /></span></span><span style=";font-family:arial;font-size:100%;" lang="EN-GB" >[edit] </span><span style=";font-family:arial;font-size:100%;" ><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-size:11;">My mother made me promise I wouldn't do anything involving guns or suicideattempts </span><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-size:11;">to attract attention to me (this time).<span style=""> </span>No, <span style="font-style: italic; font-weight: bold;">no nudity</span> either (darnit).</span></span>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3242819702218527607.post-81579367856668645392008-08-08T20:23:00.001+02:002008-08-08T20:23:38.399+02:00GIDDY<span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial;" lang="EN-GB">Since pressing that "send" button just under 24 hours ago, I've been sitting in front of my computer like a giddy schoolgirl.<span style=""> </span><br /><br />If I press "send/receive" one more time I think that button will get a restraining order against me…</span>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3242819702218527607.post-992649503663772212008-08-07T22:16:00.005+02:002008-08-07T22:27:27.186+02:00FIRST CONTACT<p><span lang="en-gb"><span style="font-family:Arial;">Like I said in yesterday's post I've sent an email to<span style="text-decoration: underline;"></span></span></span><span style="text-decoration: underline;"></span><span lang="en-gb"><span style="font-family:Arial;"> george@starwars.com. Below is a transcript.</span></span> </p> <p style="font-style: italic;"><span lang="en-gb"><span style="font-family:Arial;">To: George Lucas (george@starwars.com</span></span><a href="mailto:george@starwars.com"><span lang="en-gb"><u><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 255);font-family:Arial;" ></span></u></span></a><span lang="en-gb"><span style="font-family:Arial;">)</span></span><br /><span lang="nl"><span style="font-family:Arial;">From: Jan Van den Abeele (iamnotstalkingyou@pleasedontsue.net)</span></span><span lang="nl"><span style="font-family:Arial;"></span></span> </p> <p style="font-style: italic;"><span lang="en-gb"><span style="font-family:Arial;">Subject: Star Wars Holiday Special, your's to destroy! <span style="font-weight: bold;">PLEASE READ</span></span></span></p><p style="font-style: italic;"><span lang="en-gb"><span style="font-family:Arial;"><br /></span></span> </p> <p style="font-style: italic;"><span lang="en-gb"><span style="font-family:Arial;">Dear mr. Lucas,</span></span> </p><span style="font-style: italic;" lang="en-gb"><span style="font-family:Arial;">It has come to my attention that you do not like the Star Wars Holiday Special. Even though millions of fans are waiting for said special to be released and to be accepted into the official canon, you persistently keep it locked up in your archives. You have even been quoted as saying: "If I had the time and a sledgehammer, I would track down every copy of that show and smash it." Personally, I couldn't agree more. If I'd have made something as magnificent as Star Wars, I wouldn't want somebody drawing a christmas hat on it and calling it "Special" either.</span></span> <p style="font-style: italic;"><span lang="en-gb"><span style="font-family:Arial;">Storywise there's not a thing wrong with it, it's all about the execution. And about Jefferson Starship. And about one of the Golden Girl's singing along with the cantina aliens. And about</span></span><span lang="en"> <span style="font-family:Arial;">Diahann Carroll</span></span><span lang="en-gb"><span style="font-family:Arial;"> singing suggestively to Itchy the wookiee. Surely <a href="http://nl.youtube.com/watch?v=SHKwRBu1VyM">that part</a> alone provides reasons enough to destroy the thing.</span></span></p> <p style="font-style: italic;"><span lang="en-gb"><span style="font-family:Arial;">But despite your gallant efforts at keeping the scourge of good taste locked away in its vault it keeps on replicating. The darkest corners of the internet are swarming with bootleg copies, yes, even Youtube has clips! I've even seen shady characters sell downloaded copies with a homeprinted cover at conventions claiming it "officially licensed". I could go on and on, but just sitting here typing my frustrations makes my eyes turn to a "sithly" yellow hue already.</span></span></p> <p style="font-style: italic;"><span lang="en-gb"><span style="font-family:Arial;">So in conclusion mr. Lucas, I think it is up to us to send a clear message and I know just the thing that will get our point across: I've got a hammer and a bootleg copy of the Holiday Special right here at home. You're welcome to come over and smash it into as many pieces as you like.</span></span></p><p style="font-style: italic;"><span lang="en-gb"><span style="font-family:Arial;">Yours truly</span></span><br /><span lang="en-gb"><span style="font-family:Arial;">Jan Van den Abeele</span></span> </p><br /><br /><p><span lang="en-gb"><span style="font-family:Arial;">Fingers crossed!</span></span> </p>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3242819702218527607.post-38923635258897791192008-08-06T19:59:00.000+02:002008-08-06T20:11:57.916+02:00SMASHY SMASHY!I promised you all crazy schemes in order to get George's attention.<br /><br />Here's the first scheme (in a series of "I don't know how many"):<br /><br />I've read <a href="http://starwars.wikia.com/wiki/Holiday_special#cite_note-14">somewhere</a> that George stated that if he had time and a hammer, he would personally track down and smash each and every copy of The Star Wars Holiday Special in order to eradicate it from human memory.<br /><br />I seem to have gotten hold of a bootlegged copy of said Holiday Special (aka the thing that should not be) and a hammer.<br /><br /><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5231467183174053234" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCzpWNkW-QQWrIXZs0IQBAuSU7Sc7P0EJYzrfT4TssKa3dUkMuogW8cjte34IQKagUOqfksvh8Usz8yCfHai1MiQqc_YsUWtGLHZ5miDFlhibzlatM2e3EBkiLHmnGCG2xO9Z__TjxeQJC/s320/IMG_0106.jpg" border="0" /><br />I shall now send an email to george@starwars.com in which I invite mr. Lucas to come over and smash away!Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3242819702218527607.post-3474890912504005642008-08-05T21:47:00.000+02:002008-12-10T12:09:48.721+01:00GEEK FROM THE CRADLE TO THE GRAVE<span lang="EN-GB">Now that the blog is up, and the plans for the promised series of crazed stunts, deranged ideas, unbridled silliness and shameless selfpromotion are being developed, I guess it's time to tell you readers something of this idolisation of mine for the Flanelled One.<span style="font-size:+0;"><br /></span></span><p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-GB">It all started when I was about 4 years old.<span style="font-size:+0;"> </span>One of my favourite pastimes back then was staring in amazement at the drawings on the covers of the books in my dad's huge sci-fi library.<span style="font-size:+0;"> </span>One day I got my chubby little hands on a "Making of Star Wars" book.<span style="font-size:+0;"> </span>As I was just a toddler, I didn't have a clue as to what was going on (I even thought the X-Wings were bad guys since they had red lasers), but the pictures and drawings in there (by McQuarrie and the Hildebrandt bros.) were even more awe-inspiring than all the other covers in the library together.<span style="font-size:+0;"> </span>Somewhere along the road we watched the movies on TV and I was completely sold.<span style="font-size:+0;"> </span>Some time later I inherited my cousins' vintage Star Wars toys (by which I mean "begged, begged, and then begged some more 'till I got them").<span style="font-size:+0;"><br /></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-GB">It was a sorry bunch: Han solo with old-chewing-gum-molded underpants, Boushh minus the helmet and through wear and tear also minus facial features and a wingless, sailless sailskiff.<span style="font-size:+0;"> </span>Still, I </span><span lang="EN-GB">was as happy as a wookiee with a piece of raw meat that's hung upsidedown in a tree.<span style="font-size:+0;"> </span>From thereon the collection started growing.<span style="font-size:+0;"> </span>Here and there old figures were on sale and my parents bought them for me, others were discovered at yard sales and some were even traded for Playmobil with my classmates.<span style="font-size:+0;"> </span>Then the movies were re-released in their Special Edition formats and slowly but certainly all sorts of merchandise cropped up around me.<span style="font-size:+0;"> </span>Slowly becoming the collecting-crazed geek I am today, I bought it all.<span style="font-size:+0;"> </span>Then the internet came and trading started with people from abroad.<span style="font-size:+0;"> </span>Slowly but steadily, the collection was growing, and the release of the prequels didn't help either.<span style="font-size:+0;"> </span>Soon the collection was bursting out of my room, spreading to the attic, even forcing my mother to vacate some of her linnen closets to make room.<?xml:namespace prefix = o /><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEij2jcK-tKLToprdZxeTlTcnAmJiAmhV5WDHwyerNCYyZlMVFMdliRkN2Ts3NtF8zM93GVI625z5AqJHONKqq0flZHBWLqGrb4xEgnDWbvuGmp7wvJpn2MBjf4Bb75CdZOOkr_bl2I9hPag/s1600-h/IMG_0056.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5231126039674541170" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; CURSOR: pointer" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEij2jcK-tKLToprdZxeTlTcnAmJiAmhV5WDHwyerNCYyZlMVFMdliRkN2Ts3NtF8zM93GVI625z5AqJHONKqq0flZHBWLqGrb4xEgnDWbvuGmp7wvJpn2MBjf4Bb75CdZOOkr_bl2I9hPag/s320/IMG_0056.jpg" border="0" /></a><span lang="EN-GB">A</span><span lang="EN-GB">nd it's not<span style="FONT-STYLE: italic"></span></span><span lang="EN-GB"><span style="FONT-STYLE: italic"> just</span></span><span lang="EN-GB"> Star Wars either.<span style="font-size:+0;"> </span>It's <span style="FONT-STYLE: italic">everything</span> mr. Lucas does.<span style="font-size:+0;"> </span>THX-1138, Willow, Labyrinth, American Grafitti and it's sequel, the Indiana Jones quadrilogy, Radioland Murders and so on and so on.<span style="font-size:+0;"> </span>It's like the man has tapped into my head from before I was born and pulled out a list of things I like and then proceeded making movies about them.<span style="font-size:+0;"> </span>I even watched that awful Star Wars Holiday special several times in bad bootlegged quality!<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-GB">When a friend bought me a Marc Ecko shirt for my birthday last year that said "Star Wars changed my life", we all joked about how much that was true since most of my savings go to Star Wars merchandise and most of my friends won't even watch the movies with me anymore because I can't keep myself from muttering the whole soundtrack along (including score and sound effects).<span style="font-size:+0;"> </span>In retrospect, I think the T-shirt would have been more accurate if it said "George Lucas changed my life".<o:p></o:p></span></p>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3242819702218527607.post-61774506558694199192008-08-05T21:42:00.001+02:002008-08-07T22:26:37.586+02:00GENESIS<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="" lang="EN-GB">An idea hit me last night.<span style=""> </span>I was watching a TV show about people who were trying to meet their idols.<span style=""> </span>Of course, as this was TV, and the whole thing was orchestrated by huge production offices and the likes, all of those people got to meet the idolised celebrity in the end.<span style=""> </span>Like most people who watch things like these on their "talking fantasyworld-box", I was thinking "Wouldn't it be cool if that were me?" and "<span style="font-weight: bold;">IF</span> it were me, who would I want to meet?"<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="" lang="EN-GB"><o:p> </o:p><br />It didn't take much fantasising for a plan to start formulating in my head:<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="" lang="EN-GB"><o:p> </o:p>What if I'd try to meet my idol?<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="" lang="EN-GB">What if I'd try my hand at a series of crazed stunts, deranged ideas, unbridled silliness and shameless selfpromotion to grab his attention?<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="" lang="EN-GB"><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="" lang="EN-GB">What if I'd try to meet….<span style=""> </span><span style="font-weight: bold;">GEORGE LUCAS</span>?<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="" lang="EN-GB"><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="" lang="EN-GB">I could document the whole process in a blog and possibly in a documentary…<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="" lang="EN-GB"><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <span style=";font-family:Arial;font-size:100%;" lang="EN-GB" >Thus the plan was hatched, the blog was brewn and then the realisation sunk in: "Dear God, what have I started now?"</span>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0