Monday, February 28, 2011

My Star Wars Birthday Wish...

I'm turning a year older today, and though I may not be as old as Master Yoda, let me borrow his line:

"When 38 years old you reach, look as good you will not, hmmm?"

Kidding aside, I have a planet full of reasons to be thankful for. I thank the good Lord for blessing me with a wonderful family: a beautiful, loving wife, two smart and adorable kids; a job that squeezes out my creative juices and brings food to our table; friends that have been with me through thick and thin.

On my birthday, may the good Lord grant me:

Anakin's great love for his mom and Amidala...
Yoda's wisdom...
Luke's courage...
Han Solo's swagger and confidence...
Chewbacca's strength and loyalty...
Threepio's mastery of languages...
Artoo's technical wizardry...
Princess Leia's diplomatic savvy...
Grand Admiral Thrawn's intelligence...
Boba Fett's focus and durability...

...and may the Forces of good forever prevail over the Dark Side.

Friday, February 25, 2011

25 years ago, the Marcos Empire Struck Out...

I was a freshman high school student in Legazpi City when it happened, 2 days short of my thirteenth birthday. From the time that I was born, I only knew one Philippine President, Ferdinand Edralin Marcos, and this was a landmark event in Philippine history. Marcos, the invincible, probably the most intelligent of his predecessors, a dictator who ruled the nation for 20 years with an iron fist, the might of the Philippine Armed Forces at his command, defeated by Corazon Aquino, a widow with no political experience whatsoever, but strengthened by a Filipino Force called People Power. It was like the mighty Death Star's destruction by an amateur X-wing pilot all over again....



They had no lightsabers, but had rosaries, flowers and prayer as their weapons....



The reluctant widow becomes the new President...


A New Hope was felt throughout the nation...

Today's Special: Sweet Sugar Belle's Star Wars Cookies!

This was featured in The Official Star Wars Blog and I just had to share it with you loyal carinderia patrons. These scrumptious cookies which deserve a place in a Royal Naboo feast are the handiwork of Texan mom SWEETSUGARBELLE. The Force is strong in her but she prefers to call it "cookie think" ("Everything I see becomes a cookie in my head") . That's like having your Star Wars fill and eating it too!







If you want to see more of her great cookie designs and recipes, check out her blog,
The Sweet Adventures of Sugar Belle
(Thanks Sugar Belle for allowing me to repost and share your photos!)

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Hmmmm,  I wonder if I could have my own Mos Eisley Carinderia cookies and goodies:

Boba FITA
SkywalkerFlakes
OreYODA
BiscochoD2
C3Piyaya
MaMon Mothma
Admiral Ackbarquillos
Pan SOLO

Got any other suggestions? :)

Wednesday, February 23, 2011

Kobe Bryant: Jedi, Sith or Mandalorian?

Kobe Bryant, a.k.a. The Black Mamba,  took on all East comers both young upstarts and ageing pretenders, tallying 37 points, 14 boards, 3 dimes and 3 heists to lead the West squad to a 148-143 win in the 2011 edition of the NBA All Star game.

Take that pretender King!


Lookit me...

Where you at, Rajon?


He bagged yet another All Star MVP award, tying Bob Pettit for the NBA record of 4.

Bryant has won All Star MVP awards in Philadelphia 2002...

, Las Vegas 2007...

 and Phoenix 2009 (co-MVP with ex-teammate Shaq)


I will not enumerate Kobe's numerous accomplishments anymore, but even haters would agree that his feats have been extraordinary and out of this world. This beggars the question: If Kobe was a character in the Star Wars universe, would he be a Jedi Master, a Sith Lord or a Mandalorian?


a. Jedi? - Before he became The Black Mamba, an ESPN poll conducted several years ago showed a lot of fans wanting to call him "Kobe Wan Kenobi". This was early in his career, before the "incident" in Colorado, and the moniker sounded good. Kobe showed huge potential as a Laker rookie, winning the Slam Dunk contest and scoring the most points then in an All Star Rookie Game. He was charismatic and had a youthful innocence coming straight from Lower Merion High School.



b. Sith? - As his skills improved exponentially, haters saw a cocky, arrogant ballhog who wanted the seize the limelight from his superstar teammate Shaq. He was seduced by the dark side and thirsted for power, wanting to make the Lakers his own. After winning 3 straight NBA championships , Kobe became "The Dark Lord of the Rings" (yep, I made this one up). Well publicized feuds between  Shaq and Kobe, and the loss to the Detroit Pistons in the 2004 NBA Finals led to downward spiral, with Shaq leaving LA for Miami



c. Mandalorian! - For the SW uninitiated, Mandalorians are the most feared warrior-mercs in Star Wars lore, and dreaded enemies of the Jedi. Boba Fett, the most famous bounty hunter in the galaxy, is also the best known Mandalorian. I'll make another moniker up and call Laker #24 "Kobe Fett: the Black Mamba-lorian". His Colorado episode was his Pit of Carkoon, the lowest point in his life personally and professionally. Yet like Boba Fett, Kobe managed to rise from certain doom and escape the Sarlacc. Throughout his career, he has been known to be a cold-blooded assassin who delivers the killer clutch shots during crucial games. Like Mandalorian armor, Kobe has  shown durability and invincibility, despite the wear and tear of playing 14 years in the league, and numerous injuries to his fingers, body and knees. And at the end of this season, Kobe Fett will again collect his bounty: The Larry O'Brien Trophy.

Monday, February 21, 2011

Now he's got the world's attention: Donaire demolishes Montiel in 2

It was supposed to be a battle of equals, Mandalorian Warrior vs Jedi Knight, two of the best bantamweights in the prime of their careers. Nonito "The Filipino Flash" Donaire however made Mexican legend and WBO/WBC bantamweight champ Fernando Montiel look like a patsy Battle Droid , cutting him down with the precision of a lightsaber via devastating left hook en route to a 2nd round TKO.

(images below courtesy of Yahoo Sports and Associated Press)
The beginning of the end. Donaire lands a stiff left hook to the jaw of Montiel...
...and follows it up with a right as Montiel falls to the canvass.


Cochulito falls flat on his back, legs twitching....

Montiel is dazed and valiantly tries to get up...
Incredibly, Montiel beat the count by sheer willpower. Referee Russell Mora allowed him to fight on, but Donaire landed two more powerful shots to the face of Cochulito, who offered no resistance, forcing the ref to mercifully stop fight at 2:25.

True sportsman that he is, Nonito checks on Montiel before the ref declares him the winner
Most experts predicted that the fight would not go beyond 5 rounds and could go either way, but during the post fight interview, Nonito said he knew he was going to knock out Montiel in the 2nd round, visualizing the number 2 during the course of his training.

Expect Donaire's pound for pound ranking to move up from his current number 5 position, to as high as number 2 behind fellow Pinoy Manny Pacquiao.

What's next for the Filipino Flash? While it was Donaire's plan to initially become the undisputed bantamweight by winning the 4 "alphabet" belts, Bob Arum said he is looking at the possibility of a more exciting match up with undefeated Puerto Rican Juan Manuel Lopez at 126 lbs.

Until that happens, let us all bask in the glory of Nonito's emphatic victory.

Congratulations and Mabuhay ka Nonito Donaire!

May the Force be with the Filipino Flash!

He may not be as popular (yet) as Manny Pacquiao globally, but Nonito "The Filipino Flash" Donaire will have his biggest shot at fame when he faces Mexican legend and WBC/WBO Bantamweight champion Fernando "Cochulito" Montiel later at the Mandalay Bay Casino and Resort in Las Vegas.



Since upsetting then undefeated Vic Darchinyan via crushing  KO in 2007, Donaire has racked up seven straight dominating wins, and has been ranked number 5 in Ring Magazine's best pound-for-pound boxers. Intelligent, articulate in English, Tagalog and Bisaya, highly skilled and entertaining inside the ring, with a bombshell wife to boot, what has prevented Donaire from achieving Pacquiao-esque status was the lack of quality fighters in his weight class (then flyweight).

Donaire's decision to move up in weight now gives him more chances to book big money fights. And his match with Montiel is his ticket to boxing superstardom. Montiel is by far the most dangerous opponent Donaire will face. Although the Filipino Flash has the height and reach advantage, he can never be complacent and underestimate the power of Montiel.

Let us pray for a big win by Nonito!

Thursday, February 17, 2011

The Sith Kata Video and 11 Questions with Pinoy Sith Lord S'Dat Q-nim

I've met some pretty interesting characters on Facebook and one of them is Tads Obach Acosta who hails from Iligan City. Aside from being both SW geeks, Tads and I share the name Thaddeus, so it was but natural for our paths to cross, despite being on the opposite sides of the Force. You see, Tads fancies himself to be a Sith Lord of some sorts.

The video below was actually shared last year by THE Whilce Portacio, legendary Filipino comic book artist who is no stranger to the Star Wars mythos. Before he became a famous penciller for Marvel titles (such as X-men, Punisher and X-Factor) and co-founder of Image Comics, Whilce inked Star Wars #107 in 1977.

Here's what Whilce had to say on Facebook:
"A little something nice I just received...I love it when people with passion apply it...for Star Wars fans here's one fan passionately applying himself on film...Bravo to Tads Obach Acosta, will look forward to your other efforts..."

Bravo indeed!

I caught up with Tads (aka S'Dat Q-nim) who happened to visit the Mos Eisley Carinderia and asked him a couple of questions:

jedi_randy: Where are you based and what do you do for a living?
S'Dat Q-nim: I'm still a damn bum. I took up a course 'suggested' to me and I was too obedient. I've regretted that damn decision for more than 4 years and gawd how I hate 'Nursing!' I guess this (hatred) is the source of my Sith powers.

j_r: When did this Star Wars obsession start?
SDQ: When I asked my uncle: "Who's the guy with a black cape and a kick-ass helmet?"

j_r: Where did you shoot the Sith Kata video?
SDQ:In a MEMORIAL GARDEN! I had to climb up a hill to reach the entrance and go downhill to reach the spot where I shot the short film. It was a good exercise!

j_r: How many hours/days did you shoot the film?
SDQ: 5 days, 2 hours per day since I used a lousy camcorder with a lousy battery life.
Just so you know: four days I shot the sequences ALONE. I didn't want my friends to help since this film was supposed to be a 'precursor' to my main SW project and I wanted to 'surprise' them. On the fifth day, I used my Force Persuasion on my cousin/best pal to help me shoot the vid.

j_r: Any plans of shooting more fan-made SW videos soon?
SDQ: YES. Like I said before, the Sith Kata vid is a 'precursor' to my main SW project.... Star Wars: Obscura!

j_r:  Looks like you have been consumed already by the Dark side. Who is your favorite SW character then?
SDQ: PALPY PALPY PALPY!!!!! Followed by Vader then by Luke. Hey I can imitate Palpy's voice!!! Seriously! >:)
Also EU characters: Darth Bane, Exar Kun and Darth Nihilus!
Sith Lords are more fun than the Jedis. I mean, c'mon? Black robes, wicked masks, Force lightning??? Wooo hooo!!!

j_r: If you had to pick only one, which of the SW movies is your favorite?
SDQ: Can I pick 3??? ESB, RotJ and RoTS. Heck, I was the only one in the theater who laughed when the m*thaf**kin Windu got owned!

j_r: If you could improve on any of the movies, and George Lucas was listening, what would be your suggestions?
SDQ: PLEASE ERASE JAR-JAR FROM EXISTENCE!
.... aaaaand add sequences featuring Maul mauling several Jedis to their deaths...
...and oh please erase that awful Savage Oppress too... pretty please?

j_r: If you could get any celebrity to star in your videos for free, who would he/she be?
SDQ: Gee... this one's tough... umm... I'd like... Megan Fox, Angelina Jolie and Gaga (yes... her) to be my Sith mistresses. I'd also would like to have Gary Oldman as my Sith mentor! (Gawd, I'm a huge fan of his!)

j_r: Do you have a Star Wars collections as well?
SDQ: I have a Darth Potato Head!



j_r: Is your knowledge of Star Wars an advantage or disadvantage when trying to impress babes?
SDQ: I'm a geek but not a nerd. Look how many friends I have in my FB account... most of them are girls. LOLOLOL! (jedi randy's note: Sith mind tricks are nastier than the Jedi variety)

Thank you for your time S'Dat Q-Nim! Let's have that lightsaber duel to the death soon.

Just to prove that the dark side of the Force has its flaws, here are bloopers of the Sith Kata video:


We look forward to more Star Wars videos from Tads. And if he becomes famous, remember, he was first interviewed here at the Mos Eisley Carinderia.

Bring Megan, Angelina and Gaga along on your next visit.

Wednesday, February 16, 2011

Noong unang panahon, in a galaxy far far away....Cast ng Star Wars Pinoy comedy

Kumusta mga suki ng Carinderia?

First time ko mag-blog in Filipino, meron kasi akong  ideyang maaring ikatuwa, ikagulat or ikainis ni George Lucas at ng lahat ng mga fans ng Star Wars, kaya atin-atin lang muna ito mga kabayan ha!

Kung meron kasing mga parody tulad ng Hardware Wars, Spaceballs at Star Wars Robot Chicken, bakit kaya hindi natin gawan ng Pinoy comedy version ang Star Wars? Heto ang mga magiging bida ng ating intergalactic sarswela:



Luke Skywalker - Ang bidang mahilig sa basketball at iniidolo si Samboy Lim

Princess Leia Organa - Ang kakambal ni Luke, nahiwalay nung ipinanganak at napunta sa mayamang pamilya ng mga musikero. Pinag-aral sa Berkley School of Music at nagdalubhasa sa pagtugtog ng piano

Obi Wan Kenobi - Ermitanyong Bisaya, nagtitinda ng Ube halaya. Siya ang may alam na si Luke at Leia ay magkakambal

Han Solo - Feeling cool na sigang playboy, pero ang totoo'y virgin pa at 35 years old.

Chewbacca - Mutated talking cow, besfren ni Han

Darth Vader -  1/3 man, 1/3 robot, 1/3 dart board. Meron siyang hika, kaya parang laging hirap huminga.

Threepio - Robot na madaldal. Totoong pangalan niya ay "Popopo", pero mabantot pakinggan, kaya ginawa nya na lang Threepio para maging cool

Artoo - Robot na pandak, pero di hamak na mas astig at mas matalino kesa kay Threepio. "Rrrrr Rrrrr" nga lang ang alam niyang salita.

The Emperor - Bossing ni Darth Vader. Ang totoong pangalan niya ay Palpatine, pero pinalitan niya dahil sa daming palpak na nangyari noong kabataan niya. Also known as Darth Sidious, dahil kahit may katandaan na'y mahilig pang magpa-cute sa mga kababaihan.

Stormtroopers - Mga alalay at goons ni Emperor, susugod sa bagyo at lulusong sa baha para kay bossing

Boba Fett - Babaeng bounty hunter na mali-mali

Abangan ang mga susunod na episodes...

Tuesday, February 15, 2011

Whoa, there's Sith on my head! The Attack of Bini Boshi Hats

Still searching for a unique post-Valentine gift for your loved one? Azrael Coladilla, famous mastermind of the pop culture blog Azrael's Merryland, shares photos of the Darth Vader Bini Boshi hat he scored during the recent Philippine International Hot Air Balloon Festival in Clark, Pampanga. You lucky Az-tard!



According to Az, the Bini Boshis, produced by Thought Factory (http://thethoughtfactory.multiply.com/), particularly the "Angry Birds" and "Plants vs Zombies hats" were huge top sellers (prices ranged from P250-P300)




Az adds that according to owner Alex Manabat, the Bini Boshi hats were crafted by members of a deaf and mute organization who receive a portion of the sales. 

I'd love to see Bini Boshi versions of Yoda, Artoo, Chewbacca, Ewoks, Boba Fett and Darth Maul. 

You will give me your Darth Vader Bini Boshi Azrael!

You will make me me a Star Wars Boba Fett Bini Mr. Manabat! 

(I hope my Jedi mind tricks work!)

Monday, February 14, 2011

Geeks do fall in love: Valentine cards for Star Wars sweethearts and more

Princess Leia: "I love you."
Han Solo: "I know."
 - from The Empire Strikes Back



Love is the universal Force that binds us all, and February 14 is a special day to celebrate this magical-mystical-romantic feeling. Whoever says that Valentine's Day is corny deserves a date with the Sarlacc in the Great Pit of Carkoon. Since I have work on Valentine's night I celebrated it a day earlier with my better half and 2 ewoks at Shakey's SM Dasmariñas. Happy Valentine's Day my Labski! I love you from each cell of my midi-chlorians!

So, fellow SW fans,  if you want to make this day special for your fanboy/fangirl date but can't afford that Lego Milennium Falcon set or Kotobukiya Boba Fett kit, why not create your own Star Wars Valentine Cards? I've seen some catchy and funny fan made ones on the internet that I'd like to share with all of you.

The set of images below are from Jimmy Tyler's Flicker photostream (http://www.flickr.com/photos/14531705@N00/)










Artist Grant Gould designed the cards below for StarWars.com (http://www.starwars.com/kids/activity/crafts/f20080214/index.html)


Here's another set from StarWars.com, this time lenticular cards from Hallmark, even for non-lovers



Partyamerica.com also has a Clone Wars V-day card:


How about some uber-cute designs for Valentine's day friendships from freelance graphic designer James Stowe? (http://jamesstowe.blogspot.com/2010/02/star-war-valentines-2010.html)

A smiling Luke hanging upside down with a wampa? Boba Fett feeding the Sarlacc chocolate? Yoda, Obi-Wan and Qui-Gon Jinn getting chummy with Count Dooku, General Grievous and Darth Maul? Han Solo eating ice cream with Greedo? Mr Stowe pulled it all off nicely!







Now that you have enough ideas, don't dilly-dally. Make this day special for the one you love. Do or do not. There is no try.

Happy Valentine's Day dear Carinderia Patrons!