This afternoon, since I couldn't get off the couch after the events of last nights visit to the Crows Nest and the Sons of Italy, Mattie and I watched Star Wars. Yes we are doing it the right way, starting with Episode IV A New Hope through Jedi, then watching the new trilogy, Episodes I-III after. I know this is going to lead to a hell of a lot of questions, but anything worth doing is worth doing right.Two things always stand out as bothersome to me when I watch A New Hope.
1. Why do the stormtroopers wear armor when it doesn't seem to protect them from anything?
2. Why doesn't Chewbacca get a medal and a heroes reception at the end of the movie? Is the Alliance racist against Wookies? Even Hitler presented Jesse Owens with his gold Medal at the Berlin games in 1936. I mean C'mon he did just as much work, risked just as much, and was probably the one that talked Han into coming back to help Luke blow up the Death Star. Well at least he got to throw out this ceremonial first pitch.
Last night was the first time I ventured down to the basement of the Sons of Italy to check out the indoor Bocce court. I now know I have to actually get that membership. Until seeing this court and playing for myself, I had always said derogatory things about playing this way. "Hey, if its not over the street, into the bush, off the mulch it ain't Bocce." I stand corrected. I would like to get a team together to play in their league this summer, Kov are you in?
13 comments:
A lefty with size and power? Looks like he could win Wookie of the Year. Sorry.
Man, the princess is looking VERY rough. Time has not been kind!
First, let me say Spuncie that your posts recently have been topical, interesting and somewhat social issue-oriented, so you know I'm in.
With regards to the Star Wars questions, I am by no means expert, and I am not Howard's Girlfriend Ralph, but I would say:
1. The armor is a psychological help in battle as well. Imagine archers with leather vests- come on, that's not stopping an arrow, I'm sorry. Or cops with bullet-proof but not hollow point-proof vests.
2. Perhaps society a long time ago and far far away was also stratified, with Wookies being the lowest class (perhaps caste) and not mainstreamed into society. Or another explanation could be that that society is not yet evolved and has a segregationist attitude in general. Maybe the military in this society is more like China, where warriors rarely take individual credits. A form of communism, dude.
Lastly, this is a story claiming what happened in the Games that year, not sure if its true, let me know what you think. (Those uninterested in this should read no further)-- (author and title info below)
2-13-02
Adolf Hitler, Jesse Owens and the Olympics Myth of 1936
By Rick Shenkman
Mr. Shenkman is the editor of HNN.
Everyone knows that at the 1936 Olympics Hitler snubbed Jesse Owens. As the story goes, after Owens won one gold medal, Hitler, incensed, stormed out of Olympic Stadium so he wouldn't have to congratulate Owens on his victory.
Such a performance would have been perfectly in character, but it didn't happen. William J. Baker, Owens's biographer, says the newspapers made up the whole story. Owens himself originally insisted it wasn't true, but eventually he began saying it was, apparently out of sheer boredom with the issue.
The facts are simple. Hitler did not congratulate Owens, but that day he didn't congratulate anybody else either, not even the German winners. As a matter of fact, Hitler didn't congratulate anyone after the first day of the competition. That first day he had shaken hands with all the German victors, but that had gotten him in trouble with the members of the Olympic Committee. They told him that to maintain Olympic neutrality, he would have to congratulate everyone or no one. Hitler chose to honor no one.
Hitler did snub a black American athlete, but it was Cornelius Johnson, not Jesse Owens. It happened the first day of the meet. Just before Johnson was to be decorated, Hitler left the stadium. A Nazi spokesman explained that Hitler's exit had been pre-scheduled, but no one believes that.
Several other misconceptions about the 1936 Olympics are prevalent. Not only was Owens not rebuffed by Hitler, Owens wasn't shunned by the German audience at the Berlin stadium either. Baker reports that Owens so captured the imagination of the crowd it gave him several ear-shattering ovations. Owens had been prepared for a hostile reception; a coach had warned him in advance not to be upset by anything that might happen in the stands. "Ignore the insults," Owens was told, "and you'll be all right." Later Owens recalled that he had gotten the greatest ovations of his career at Berlin.
Another popular belief is that the games marked a humiliating moment for the Nazis because a few blacks walked away with a fistful of medals while Hitler had predicted the Teutonic lads would be the big winners, proof of the superman abilities of the white race. In reality, the competition was anything but a German humiliation. It is forgotten that Germany managed to pick up more medals than all the other countries combined. Hitler was pleased with the outcome.
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This article was excerpted from Rick Shenkman's Legends, Lies and Cherished Myths of American History. © Rick Shenkman
Why do I have an image in my head of of Adolf actually putting the medal around Owen's neck? That is one strong myth!
Alright well Terry switched officer collars for Urban once, maybe that is a better analogy.
I think you may be on to something with your comparison to China. Han rescued Chewie from the Spice Mines of Kessel and Wookies believe in a life debt. Therefore, Chewbacca may have seen helping Han as his duty to him and not to the rebellion.
As for the armor, I used to like to think that it worked against earlier blasters, but then the prequels came out and squashed that theory. I just assume now that it was the Empire's way of dehumanizing its soldiers and removing their individuality.
I CAN'T HELP IT I AM A STAR WARS GEEK!!!
By the way, Princess Leah looks a lot more like Jack Black in this photo- is this some kind of prank, junior?
She looks like when accidentally captured their stunt doubles
Jeremy Schaap just wrote a book on Jesse Owens and "Hitler's Olympics." I hear it's a must-read.
Jeremy's nothing like his father
I don't think anything has been posted on this blog funnier than that.
If you ever forgot how big a jerk Knight is watch the interview wtih Jeremy Schaap immediately following his dismissal from IU.
I just openly laughed at my computer screen!
ROTFLMAO!
Spuncie, now that Imus is out of work, do you think he becomes a regular reader of your blog? What are odds on him posting? And the list keeps growing...
Scott - Is that the bocce league that plays down Lake Shore Park or is it a different league? Actually, either way, I'm interested - I just need to get the court play down a little. I called your brother yesterday to gauge his interest but it must've been a big basement day. Let me know if we need more guys, O probably won't but I could talk to my brother and now that Augie's married, he might be interested.
Kov
Kov I believe it is a separate league, but not sure. I know they have a two man tourney there over the summer.
Nardu runs a winter league in the basement.
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