But then, as Darin DiPietro likes to point out: you can always do something better, and you can always do it worse, too.

I won't admit how many times I've seen ROTS by now, either. I'm sure it's more times than you've seen it.

Tonight is hopefully the night I finish tracking everything for the upcoming Half Zaftig EP. We'll jump right into mixing as soon as Darin can get to it after that. That's 2 of 3 projects I've committed to getting finished this year down. The last one of course, is the biggie. But it's nice to get these first two out of the way.

There was a big dumb party in big tents set up over the Cinerama parking lot. It was pretty much as dumb as the one they had there for Episode II. Rather than hang out at a big dumb party, I went across the street to Ralph's Deli to get a sandwich. One of their regular sandwiches (even when there aren't new Star Wars flicks in release) is a "Darth Vader" (which has turkey, ham, and cheese if I recall). Though the night's events would make it seem that this would be the appropriate choice, I got chicken salad instead.

When I wandered back to the Cinerama, a line was beginning to form outside. The was a phalanx of 20 or so people there wearing incredibly detailed recreations of Star Wars costumes.

I mean, just look at that Vader costume! The guy even had somehow rigged up an audio loop of the famous breathing - he was even the right height!

At last they let us in. I was in no hurry, my ticket gave me a reserved seat. Popcorn and soda were on the house (I grabbed a Sprite, since I'm caffeine-free boy now).

The Cinerama is the only place I'd consider seeing this film for the first time. Well, maybe I'd rather have seen it at Mann's Chinese in Hollywood, but as news reports have pointed out over and over recently - the movie ain't playing there.

As I mentioned, it wasn't cheap to get in. I saw a lot of people I don't usually see at Cinerama screenings - loaded types. Older, loaded types. An older couple sat next to me. The guy asked me what my favorite movies were - his was Forrest Gump. He told me he'd never seen a Star Wars movie before.

After a moment, I told him he might get a little lost in the story.

The movie started, and two-and-a-half hours later, it finished. The guy next to me seemed to really like it. I told him this one sets up the original perfectly.

During the movie I was really nervous. I knew how the story ended, hell, any of us who saw the original films knew how the story ended, 'cause Alec Guinness told us, the same time he told Luke. But now, we get to see what happened. What really happened. George Lucas first talked about a duel with Vader and Obi-Wan in some interview after the first film came out. He said specifically that they had a big fight on a lava planet and that Vader ended up needing that suit to survive after it. That's no spoiler, it's been common knowledge since 1978 or so.

Seeing it, finally - it was so weird. My heart was racing.

The day I first saw Episode II I came home and immediately wrote a review of it, that you can find in the "News" section of the site from 2002. Episode II hasn't worn well with me, despite my glowing (and defensive) review of it, and I'm hesitant to write a review of the new one having just seen it. If you want a great review, one that pretty much sums up how I feel about the flick, read this one. Don't read ALL of it, because there are spoilers (but they are well labeled). The guy who wrote it describes very well the sort of "atomic bomb" effect the original movie had on the culture, and on people my age, who were just kids when it opened.

It's really good, and I'm very satisfied. It feels like Lucas is back close to his form of the original two films. There's almost no cheeseball slapstick in this one. There isn't any really cringe-inducing dialogue. For the most part, all the most critical things that had to happen are gotten right.

The best thing about the film is, it perfectly bridges to the original films. I predict a lot of people are going to want to go right home and pop in their DVD of the original film after it's over. You'll never look at that guy in the black helmet quite the same again. To me, the fact that George Lucas got me to really care about that guy - got me desperately wishing that he wouldn't turn bad, no, NO, DON'T DO IT - well, to me that just proves that the movie works how it's supposed to.

I've seen the last Star Wars film. It's over. I am very, very sad about this on a lot of levels. The original came out when I was 7. One of the best days of my life was the day my Dad took me to Marumsco Theater in Woodbridge, VA to see it. One thing I remember about that day was that he was as blown away and exhilarated by the movie as I was. I remember one of the first things he said as we walked out to the car: "Vader got away! That means they can make another one!" Now, for the first time in my life since that day, there is no longer a promise for new Star Wars. So I guess I'm gonna have to go back to Episode III a whole bunch of times.

I have my ticket for next week, on opening day.

It's gonna be a long week.

I LOVE the roads in California!

Finally arrived in Arcata late Sunday night. I awoke Monday morning to find myself in the following deluge:

I found a cute little used record shop (the vinyl kind, kids) in Arcata and browsed in it until my cell phone rang with Bryan Beller on the other end. He and Rick Musallam were leaving to meet Mike at KHUM in Ferndale to do a live radio appearance. Did I want to tag along? I surely did! On the ride to Ferndale I heard the first half of the new NIN album for the first time. Fave track: "Every Day Is Exactly The Same." When we arrived at the station, we found ourselves way, way out in the middle of a self-described "cow town." Rick wasn't actually playing during the radio appearance, so he and I went downstairs to the adjacent closet-sized burger stand ("The No-Brand Burger Stand") and ordered a couple of - you guessed it - burgers. Shockingly tasty burgers they were, too.

Right after Mike and Bryan finished their KHUM appearance. I yelled, "Be thoughtful!" right before I took this. Behind Mike and Rick is a large plastic slug with posable eye stalks, emblazoned with the phrase "SLUG NUTS."

To the venue, preceded by a visit to the Muddy Water Coffee Shop (filled with beautiful little hippie girls tapping on iBooks - to the great contentment of the assembled party - SIGH). Oh, but the venue! It was blue on the outside (didn't get a picture), but here was the inside.

Rick's pedal board, which I named "The Death Star" to Joe Travers' delight.

Sparkly.

I didn't realize that Humboldt County is pretty much America's "Marijuana Mecca." That explained all the hippies. Mom, I promise I didn't inhale.

Everybody gradually got their gear set up, and Mike noodled along to the Stevie Wonder song on the PA and I spied on him.

It being the day of only the second show of the tour, the band decided that it would be a good idea to take the time to rehearse some songs that they wanted to add to set lists in coming nights. They played through the "Cowology" using only stage volume, but the room was live, live, LIVE and representatives from the venue worried that the band was chasing away the lunchtime crowd.

"Backstage (actually to the side of the stage)." Big comfortable sofas, and free food brought out to all by more beautiful Humboldt County hippie girls. Big, appreciative SIGHS all around. The box on the table is full of Bryan Beller CD's and is marked "The View."

Bryan and Joe go all-out in the "Millipede Smackdown." An incredibly competitive pre-show activity, Joe won the first game by only 300 points. But Bryan later knocked Joe off the high scores board.

Showtime!

When Joe makes this face, it means he's about to hit the cymbal that goes "KRBRASSSSHHHHHHH" really hard.

Not sure what was up there, but it must have been inspiring. Mike was on fire this night.

Rick is my hero.

This particular set list was relentless. Bryan agrees.

The MKB takes a Van Halen bow.

I'm sort of officially unemployed. The sort of part goes like this: I haven't really been working for Corbis these last eight months. No, I've been the employee of Wonky Enterprises, Inc. (of which I am the President and CEO), who has an agreement with Corbis for me to provide software development services. While I will no longer be going into the office, Corbis still owes WEI on two invoices. Once WEI receives these invoices, they (I) will cut me a check. So I'm not really unemployed until there are no more Corbis checks coming in the mail. Once that happens WEI (me) can lay me off.

Confused yet?

What it means is that I don't have to go to work for a while, and I can scarcely wrap my head around that idea.

Another thing I had a hard time getting my head around was the mind-boggling excellence of the Mike Keneally Band last night, as they tore the Triple Door in half. Wow. Joe Travers. I had time to chat with just about everybody in the band last night, but as it should be they were all pretty in demand among friends and well-wishers, so I didn't linger too long after they were done.

I'm thinking seriously of road-tripping next Monday down to their next show in McKinleyville, CA - it's not like I have to go to work or anything. And the next night, they're in San Francisco. Hmmmmmm.

I have to be back here by Thursday evening, 'cuz no freakin' way am I missing out on the Episode III premiere.

Hmmmmmm.