Video of the Day: Atlanta Rhythm Section
Posted: Oct 02, 2009
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gongsi028 says...
"But before you leave us, we must demonstrate the power of this station onceand for all, in a conclusive fashion. In a way, you have determined the choice ofsubject for this demonstration. Since you have proven reluctant to supply us withthe location of the rebel stronghold, I have deemed it appropriate to select as analternate subject your home planet of Alderaan." "No! You can't! Alderaan is a peaceful world, with no standing armies.You can't…" Tarkin's eyes gleamed. "You would prefer another target? A military target,perhaps? We're agreeable grow tired of such games. For the last time, where is themain rebel base?" A voice announced over a hidden speaker that they had approached withinantigrav range of Alderaan-approximately six planetary diameters. That wasenough to accomplish what all of Vader's infernal devices had failed to. "Dantooine," she whispered, staring at the deck, all pretense at defiance gonenow. "They're on Dantooine."Gravel and fine sand formed a gritty fog beneath the landspeeder as it slid acrossthe rippling wasteland of Tatooine on humming repulsors. Occasionally the craftwould jog slightly as it encountered a dip or slight rise,UGG Boots Clearance to return to its smooth passageas its pilot compensated for the change in terrain. Luke leaned back in the seat, luxuriating in unaccustomed relaxation as Threepioskillfully directed the powerful landcraft around dunes and rocky outcrops. UGG Boots Clearance "Youhandle a landspeeder pretty well, for a machine," he noted admiringly. "Thank you, sir," a gratified Threepio responded, his eyes never moving from thelandscape ahead. "I was not lying to your uncle when I claimed versatility as mymiddle name. In fact,UGG Boots Clearance on occasion I have been called upon to perform unexpectedfunctions in circumstances which would have appalled my designers." Something pinged behind them, then pinged again. Luke frowned and popped the speeder canopy. A few moments of digging inthe motor casing eliminated the metallic bark.Ugg boots clearance "How's that?" he yelled forward. Threepio signaled that the adjustment was satisfactory. Ugg boots clearance Luke turned back intothe cockpit and closed the canopy over them again. Silently he brushed his wind-whipped hair back out of his eyes as his attention returned to the dry desert ahead ofthem. "Old Ben Kenobi is supposed to live out in this general direction. Even thoughnobody knows exactly where, Ugg boots clearance I don't see how that Artoo unit could have come this farso quickly." His expression was downcast. "We must have missed him back in thedunes somewhere. He could be anywhere out here. And Uncle Owen must bewondering why I haven't called in from the south ridge by now." Threepio considered a moment, then ventured, "Would it help, sir, if you toldhim that it was my fault?" Luke appeared to brighten at the suggestion. "Sure…he needs you twice asmuch now. Probably he'll only deactivate you for a day or so,Ugg boots outlet or give you a partialmemory flush." Deactivate? Memory flush? Threepio added hastily, "On second thought, sir,Artoo would still be around if you hadn't removed his restraining module." But something more important than fixing responsibility for the little robot'sdisappearance was on Luke's mind at the moment. "Wait a minute," he advisedThreepio as he stared fixedly at the instrument panel. "There's something deadahead on the metal scanner. Can't distinguish outlines at this distance, but judgingby size alone, it could be our wandering 'droid. Hit it." The landspeeder jumped forward as Threepio engaged the accelerator, but itsoccupants were totally unaware that other eyes were watching as the craft increasedits speed. Those eyes were not organic, but then, they weren't wholly mechanical, either.No one could say for certain, because no one had ever made that intimate a study ofthe Tusken Raiders-known less formally to the margin farmers of Tatooine simply asthe sandpeople. The Tusken didn't permit close study of themselves, discouraging potentialobservers by methods as effective as they were uncivilized. A few xenologiststhought they must be related to the jawas. Even fewer hypothesized that the jawaswere actually the mature form of the sandpeople, but this theory was discounted bythe majority of serious scientists. Both races affected tight clothing to shield them from Tatooine's twin dose ofsolar radiation, but there most comparisons ended. Instead of heavy woven cloakslike the jawas wore, the sandpeople wrapped themselves mummy-like in endlessswathing and bandages and loose bits of cloth. Where the jawas feared everything, a Tusken Raider feared little. Thesandpeople were larger, stronger, and far more aggressive. Fortunately for thehuman colonists of Tatooine, they were not very numerous and elected to pursue theirnomadic existence in some of Tatooine's most desolate regions. Contact betweenhuman and Tusken, therefore, was infrequent and uneasy, and they murdered no morethan a handful of human per year. Since the human population had claimed its shareof Tuskens, not always with reason, a peace of a sort existed between the two-aslong as neither side gained an advantage.
gongsi028 says...
"Listen," his uncle told him, "for the first time we've got a chance for a realfortune. We'll make enough to hire some extra hands for next time. Not 'droids-people.UGG Boots Clearance Then you can go to the Academy." He fumbled over words, unaccustomedto pleading. "I need you here, Luke. You understand that, don't you?" "It's another year," his nephew objected sullenly. "Another year." "How many times had he heard that before? How many times had theyrepeated this identical charade with the same result? Convinced once more that Luke had come round to his way of thinking. Owenshrugged the objection off.UGG Boots Clearance "Time will pass before you know it" Abruptly Luke rose, shoving his barely touched plate of food aside. "That'swhat you said last year when Biggs left." He spun and half ran from the room. "Where are you going, Luke?" his aunt yelled worriedly after him. Luke's reply was bleak, bitter. "Looks like I'm going nowhere." Then headded, UGG Boots Clearance out of consideration for his aunt's sensibilities, "I have to finish cleaningthose 'droids if they're going to be ready to work tomorrow." Silence hung in the air of the dining room after Luke departed. Husband andwife ate mechanically. Eventually Aunt Beru stopped shoving her food around herplate, looked up, and pointed out earnestly, "Owen, you can't keep him here forever.Most of his friends are gone, the people he grew up with.Ugg boots clearance The Academy means somuch to him." Listlessly her husband replied, "I'll make it up to him next year. I promise.We'll have money-or maybe, the year after that." "Luke's just not a farmer, Owen," she continued firmly. "He never will be, nomatter how hard you try to make him one." She shook her head slowly. "He's gottoo much of his father in him." For the first time all evening Owen Lars looked thoughtful as well as concernedas he gazed down the passage Luke had taken. "That's what I'm afraid of,"Ugg boots clearance hewhispered. Luke had gone topside. He stood on the sand watching the double sunset asfirst one and then the other of Tatooine's twin suns sank slowly behind the distantrange of dunes. In the fading light the sands turned gold, russet, and flaming red-orange before advancing night put the bright colors to sleep for another day. Soon,for the first time, those sands would blossom with food plants.Ugg boots clearance This formerwasteland would see and eruption of green. The thought ought to have sent a thrill of anticipation through Luke. He shouldhave been as flushed with excitement as his uncle was whenever he described thecoming harvest. Instead, Luke felt nothing but a vast indifferent emptiness. Noteven the prospect of having a lot of money for the first time in his life excited him.What was there to do with money in Anchorhead-anywhere on Tatooine, for thatmatter? Part of him, Ugg boots outlet an increasingly large part, was growing more and more restless atremaining unfulfilled. This was not an uncommon feeling in youths his age, but forreasons Luke did not understand it was much stronger in him than in any of hisfriends. As the night cold came creeping over the sand and up his legs, he brushed thegrit from his trousers and descended into the garage. Maybe working on the 'droidswould bury some of the remorse a little deeper in his mind. A quick survey of thechamber showed no movement. Neither of the new machines was in sight.Frowning slightly, Luke took a small control box from his belt and activated a coupleof switches set into the plastic. A low him came from the box. ugg boots clearance The caller produced the taller of the two robots,Threepio. In fact, he gave a yell of surprise as he jumped up behind the skyhopper. Luke started toward him, openly puzzled. "What are you hiding back therefor?" The robot came stumbling around the prow of the craft, he attitude one ofdesperation. It occurred to Luke then that despite his activating the caller, the Artoounit was still nowhere to be seen. Tarkin sighed reluctantly. "I am a dedicated man, and the pleasures I reservedfor myself are few. One of them is that before your execution I should like you to bemy guest at a small ceremony. It will certify this battle station's operational statuswhile at the same time ushering in a new era of Imperial technical supremacy. Thisstation is the final link in the new-forged Imperial chain which will bind the millionsystems of the galactic Empire together once and for all. Your petty Alliance will nolonger be of any concern to us. After today's demonstration no one will dare toopposite Imperial decree, not even the Senate." Organa looked at him with contempt. "Force will not keep the Empire together.Force has never kept anything together for very long. The more you tighten yourgrip, the more systems will slip through your fingers. You're a foolish man,Governor. Foolish men often choke to death on their own delusions." Tarkin smiled a death's-head smile, his face a parchment skull's. "It will beinteresting to see what manner of passing Lord Vader has in mind for you. I amcertain it will be worthy of your-and of him.
tuckerhead says...
Hey I heard a rumor that Buffalo is no longer writing for Swampland. Please say it aint true. Is it?
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