OK, looks like I had a bug in the Contact Us response page.

If your name is Carlos and you sent a message... Please try again. My super galactic test crew assures me that all systems are go now. And by "super galactic test crew" I mean me. And by "all systems are go" I mean a single test message worked.

You can always send an email to info@galacticbeacon.com

Let's talk about the EyePhone.

I'll say up front that I don't have an iPhone, but I don't hate them. They are cool devices. They don't, however, raise the dead.

We won't talk about the typical Apple Fanboi. Yes, they can be annoying, but are they really any worse than Prius owners? Sure, but still, they just love their tech, and I can't hold that against them.

No, we're going to talk about Steve Jobs and how in the far future he will in fact be Hubert Farnsworth.

When all the world was pointing out the ALLEGED flaw in the iPhone 4's antenna, he took the stage in all his charismatic glory and began an explanation that would do Professor Farnsworth proud.

Just imagine the following bit read in the voice of the Professor:

See?

Just for the record, I think this is about the third animated GIF I've made since 1997. Back in the day when the Internets be blinken'.

I just posted an essay from the anthology Galactic Beacon: Volume 1 called Man Vs. Robot.

In this essay I debate the use of manned versus robotic space missions.

I also debate which robotic explorers I could best in personal combat.

Let's talk about droids.

You know, the droids you are looking for.

In Star Wars we see droids that are clearly sentient. They are often smarter than the humans and aliens with whom they associate. I'd be hard pressed to name a more emotional robot than C3PO without resorting to Marvin from Hitchiker's Guide To The Galaxy.

The treatment of the droids is also clearly the treatment of slaves.

If we accept that they are sentient, then they should cease to be treated as inanimate objects and property. Yet even the noble Jedi treat the droids in the most cavalier ways.

In the first movie we see the use of torture in the Jawa Sandcrawler. We see a boxy little fellow turned upside down and hot irons are applied to his feet. A non-feeling toaster-bot would not have SCREAMED now would he?

When Luke tries to get R2 to play back the hologram of Leia, the little droid states through C3PO that he can't because of the RESTRAINING BOLT. Would that be electro-shackles?

What does R2 do just as soon as the restraining bolt is removed? He runs away. The little guy needs an underground, hyperspace railroad.

Check out my comic on the subject.

When you start to think in this way you find yourself asking "Was General Grievous leading a slave rebellion?" He wasn't fully a droid you say. That quickly sets up a comparison with a mixed-race person, doesn't it?

Over-think much?

I'll stop now before someone points out that Star Wars was a popcorn movie targeted at 11 year olds. You should hear me go off on The Lion King!

Last thing I want to talk about is the picture at the top of the post. I had that Droid Factory and it was a lot of fun. In retrospect it sure looks like a slave auction, doesn't it? Now I just feel bad that I didn't free the droids to live their own lives. Of course they fared better than Han Solo whose leg was chewed off by my beagle...

I just finished making a lightbox for use in drawing (well inking) my comics.

Wood working is really fun and satisfying. If you want to see more pictures and read about the process (and rationalization) check out this page.

I enjoy working with traditional hand tools most of all.

Now it's time for me to get cracking on some more comics!