Vintage Star Wars

There are Star Wars purists out there who have been clamoring for the original Star Wars trilogy to be released on DVD. By original, they mean the versions first seen in theaters--not the digitally touched up and "improved" versions George Lucas made available in recent years. Apparently, Lucas is giving them what they want... sort of.

Above, from The Empire Strikes Back, is just one of the many modifications to the Trilogy made by Lucas. For my part, I think I like having access to both.

Compare & Contrast

Here's a pretty thorough listing of the changes made to the Star Wars trilogy over the years. There were even differences between the 70mm and 35mm theatrical versions!

Animal Planet

And then there was the time this guy rented a car and thought someone had thrown a rubber snake across the dash:

[Dan] McBride got into his car ... and saw the snake draped across the console. McBride said he thought it was a rubber snake someone put there as a joke. McBride even gave the snake a pat and put the car into drive. Then, as McBride drove toward the exit, the snake lifted its head.

Police determined the snake was harmless and lured the thing out with a baton. Luckily for everyone involved, the snake was typical of its breed: a

Ball Python.

Henson On Exhibit

That's an extremely young Jim Henson to the right--with an early Kermit puppet.

A friend of mine owns the entire Muppet Show library on VHS tape. A little over a year ago, he lent me some of the tapes, and, now, my three-year-old daughter is a huge Muppets fan. And with last year's release of the Muppet Show's first season on DVD, I would imagine a new generation of young fans is in the making.

To celebrate the 50th anniversary of The Muppets, the post office has issued a page of commemorative stamps, and The National Museum of American History in Washington D.C., is currently showcasing a Henson exhibit.

Airbag Justice

Could have been staged. Hope it wasn't.