The “original" Star Wars trilogy will be released a week from today, and I can’t wait to see them in that format. I am especially wanting to see The Empire Strikes Back, as that is my favorite one. Today on the way to work, there was a story on NPR about the restoration of old films and transferring them to DVD, and they played some of the Star Wars soundtrack. Now at work I am listening to the soundtrack to Episode I. I really want to hear the original, but those cd’s are at home (I think). Anyways, it’s some good music to listen to while working, actually.

On The Force.net I came across some of the further edits/changes that George Lucas decided to put into the movies. Click Read More to see the descriptions of the changes, or click here to see the actual screenshots.

A New Hope:
- 24’51” : twin sun effect has been renewed.

- 48’50” : Han Solo avoids Greedo’s shot before shooting at him.

- 50’30” : Jabba effect renewed completely, in accordance with Episode 1.

- 71’30” and after : Death Star jail corridor is much deeper.

- 77’ : the garbage monster has been improved.

- 82’10” : “Power” and “Tractor Beam” stencils have been replaced with Star Wars “foreign” signs.

Empire Strikes Back:
- 50’56” to 52’05” : Emperor’s hologram has been reshot with Ian Mc Dairmid. A new dialog has been recorded and Palpatine informs Vader about Luke’s real identity!

- 63’42”, 87’18” & 98’39” : Boba Fett’s dialog has been re-recorded by Temuera Morrison.

- 92’05” & 92"15 : Han Solo’s black jacket has been erased, due to cut mistakes in the original movie.

- 101’40” : Luke’s scream, which was added in the ‘97 Special Edition, has been removed again.

Return Of The Jedi:
- 24’44” and after : Edge transparency defects around the Rancor have been removed.

- 115’41” : Old Anakin’s eyebrows have been erased and eyes are now blue, to fit with Hayden Christensen.

- 120’44” : Naboo has been added to Tatooine, Bespin, Coruscant and Endor victory celebration scenes.

- 120’58” & 121’03” : Senate & Jedi temple are now included in Coruscant panoramic view.

- 122’30” : As everyone knows already, Hayden appears as a ghost beside Yoda and old Obi-Wan at the end of the movie.

We returned yesterday from our short trip to So. Cal. It was great fun, but too short! We visited with family and ate tons of great food! The first day we had some awesome Jamaican food including curry crab, breadfruit, plantain, ackee and rice & peas. I ate so much crab this past weekend!

One of the highlights of the trip was a visit to Disneyland. It was great because there weren’t many people at the park the day we went. School just started in California, so the lines were very short. Most were only a few minutes wait, and Pirates of the Caribbean and It’s a Small World had no line at all. The only downsides to the trip were that it was a *hot* day (Pirates was so nice because it was a chance to cool off) and several of the attractions were being renovated for next year’s 50th anniversary celebration. The castle, for instance, was covered with a big blue tarp. Luckily, my friend Mikey is a Disney fanatic and warned us beforehand, so we weren’t shocked. All-in-all, we had a great time at Disneyland and are looking forward to going back. As the kids grow older, they will enjoy it more and more too! 

We are getting ready for a short trip to California. Bay is pretty excited because we are going to Disneyland! I’m excited because my Mom is making curry crab (Jamaican style). I love it! I can’t wait to see my family. Bay and Koa will have fun with their cousins too. And we are also looking forward to eating some good ramen.

Here’s a headline on ESPN’s MLB section:

“Dodgers pull up pants, cinch size-43 Beltre”

I have no idea what that means. And the actual story doesn’t give me any hints, except that Adrian Beltre hit his 43rd home run. (Dodgers up by 6.5 games in the NL West!)

The other week when I was laid up in bed with a fever, I decided I would quit coffee too. It was actually that I was too sick to drink it. I usually drank three cups of coffee a day, so I knew that going a day without caffeine would be painful. I usually get a terrible headache and sometimes the chills. I figured that I already had a headache and chills from my illness, so I might as well throw in the coffee withdrawal too. At any rate, I haven’t had any coffee since, and I feel great! I am not fatigued in the afternoon and nights anymore, and when I wake up in the morning, I have tons of energy. I also notice that I have a brighter outlook and have a lot more patience. I do miss the taste of coffee, but right now I am loving the break from caffeine!

There is a dog food out there which is advertised as being lo-carb, for older, heavier dogs… I think it’s Pedigree. The whole concept of an overweight pet that needs to become slim again is just strange. In fact the fact that pets can become overweight is weird! Sure, there are fat cats, but it just seems like animals should “naturally” be their optimal weight, and if they get fat, then something is seriously out-of-whack with the owner. (Special medical conditions of the pet excepted)