So, George Lucas decides to sell Lucasfilm and all the associated companies to Disney. For over $4 billion.

As Yoda said, “Always in motion, the future is.”

Personally, I think Disney got a bargain. They paid almost half again as much for Pixar. And they got Lucasfilm (and all the rights to films produced by that company including Indiana Jones and the Star Wars franchise), Industrial Light and Magic, Skywalker Sound and Lucasarts, to name a few. And they get property rights to a lot of ground, too. Figure in all of the merchandise sold by various franchises and it comes to a pretty penny.

$4 billion ought to keep George happy and busy for a while. A nice little retirement.

But if you look back to why George was in Northern California and compare his own rise with that of Walt Disney, the tale has some interesting parallels.

Both spent time in a small town. Much so that they both call upon that experience for inspiration later on in life. With Walt, it was Marceline. With George, it was Modesto. With Walt, it was Disneyland. With George, “American Graffiti”.

Walt Disney did things the way he wanted. Making the pictures that appealed to him and the audiences he felt important. Not the ones that other studios made. George? Can one guess how this turns out.

You don’t need to know a great deal about the history of film to know that Lucas was one of the “Hollywood Mavericks” who did what they could to work outside of Hollywood. Gravitating to the San Francisco Bay Area, he and others with a passion for film found a home. One outside of the usual Hollywood that allowed them the freedom they sought. The kind of place that let Pixar and Lucasfilm become what they are today. They never would have done the same back in Southern California.

I have always wondered if Walt would have walked away in a similar fashion at some point. Had he lived to see Mineral King and the first phase of the Florida project completed, I think he might have looked forward to enjoying time with his family. Taking more the role of grandfather than studio boss and company chairman. He knew that he had good people in place and that they could have handled things without his direct control. With a timely transition, the company could have undergone a less tense change. Less bound by confusion and stymied as it wondered what Walt would do. Given a clearer goal, I think that things would have indeed been different.

In the now, one certainly gives Bob Iger credit. He first brought Pixar into the fold and now with Lucasfilm sets a course that should be clear enough to follow. Still the mystery of who will succeed him awaits, but safe to say, someone who shares the vision and is willing to stand his or her ground to get there.

Another good bet is that somewhere, fans can expect Disney to cash in with a theme park that places guests in the world of Star Wars. With so much to draw from, with such worlds awaiting, an all immersive experience can’t be overlooked. When it comes to theme parks, you have to imagine that there are people already hard at work coming up with ideas to make it the experience for the hardcore and casual fans, too.

Exciting times ahead, no doubt about it. At theme parks, in theaters and who knows what else?

Where to start?

I’ve been bouncing around online for quite a while now. All the fault of a good friend who introduced me to the online community way back when on AOL. After an evening in a chat room – The Best Little Chathouse – I was well and truly hooked. Being able to communicate around the world from my keyboard was addicting.

I went from there to being a volunteer at AOL and was on GEnie as well. When the Internet opened up, I was one of those folks way back when on Usenet, too. Eventually, it all became a paid gig (royalties) with AOL and a title. Manager of the Television Viewers Community. Chat rooms, message boards, file archives and a whole lot of fun. The years were good but it eventually ended as AOL’s business model matured.

In 2002, I joined the staff at Jim Hill Media. On a somewhat regular basis, I offered stories that usually were different than the usual Disney stuff. Trying to show that there was more than just that fandom out there. In 2007, I struck out on my own with The Blue Parrot. That name came after one too many late night viewings of Casablanca. Good pal Ken Mitchroney provided the classic art that recreates a painting on the wall outside the cafe, owned by Senor Ferrare.

My weapon of choice in being online has been the products from Cupertino. Started way back on a second hand Apple ][e, and graduated to a Mac SE. Went mobile with a Powerbook Duo 230 and haven’t looked back since. Today it’s the Mac Mini and and iPhone 4s. Thank you, Steve Jobs for making it all possible. (That’s not to say that I have not dabbled with the Dark side along the way. I can and do use Windows in a pinch.)

It has been fun along the way. More things and places I never would have visited than you can shake a stick at. Looking back offers great memories, but looking ahead has some fun in store, too. You just never know what life has in store.

If I were to guess, I have been online more than 20 years. Hard to imagine where it all would lead if I thought about it then.

So, loyal readers, thanks for being here with me. And if you’re just joining the fun here, check out some of the posts from those years. The scary thing is that somewhere I do have some transcripts from those early days on AOL. Maybe I’ll share one sometime.

It’s deja vu all over again.

Baseball in late October. Nothing like it. One heck of a Game One. Still, I wish it were the Oakland A’s instead of the San Francisco Giants. In some alternate universe, it is…

Can’t say I am a fan of some of the things coming along in plans for a certain theme park in Anaheim. Walt envisioned a place where families could all enjoy their time together. Not to squeeze every last penny out of their pockets. But you can’t blame the company for trying. If folks keep paying the prices, the stockholders are happy.

And it’s the season of ghouls and zombies, too. Every four years we get some of the finest theater ever presented. Is it just me or has Mitt really got his ironic smile down pat? One of the scariest since Jack Nicholson in “The Shining”. The shame is that Mitt won’t be eligible for an Oscar for his performance. Speaking of scary, Donald Trump’s hair.

So, it seems that fall has really come to Northern California. Complete with rain and snow. And colder temperatures, too. Time to get out the extra blankets and light the pilot light on that heater.

Was nice to hear Tom Hanks give such a big plug about the Walt Disney Family Museum during a recent appearance on David Letterman’s show. After his two recent visits and time spent with Diane Disney Miller, there may be hope for “Saving Mr. Banks” after all.

On the subject of Mr. Hanks, how is it that he isn’t getting some kind of chance to throw out the first pitch at an A’s or Giants game? Many years back, he certainly threw enough peanuts around the Coliseum and Candlestick to earn such an opportunity. Celebrity that he is now, it seems appropriate. If the A’s can summon the spirit of the 80’s and invite MC Hammer to open a game, why not?

Christmas is coming, too. This year is the 200th birthday of Charles Dickens. Should be a great time at the Great Dickens Christmas Faire. Some new actors in great roles, an extra weekend (five instead of the usual four) and extended hours. London promises to be in fine spirits this year during the holiday season. And of course, what would a visit be without tea at Cuthbert’s?

On the big screen, of course I am waiting to see “The Hobbit“. And “Cloud Atlas” looks interesting as well. Can’t help but lament the end of film prints, but am glad to see studios re-releasing classics for the big screen again. Wonder when Disney will start again? Before the growth of home video, that seven year plan seemed to work so well. Glad to see a few titles coming along, but 3D isn’t for every one or every film. Would hate to see “Gone With The Wind” get that treatment.

Another day, week, month, year. Where does the time go and what happened to all those folks who made things so good then?

Perhaps it is time for some Hot Buttered Rum…

Ah, the joys of the Internet…

I do enjoy reading c0mments from you, my loyal readers. Always glad to know you enjoy something or learn a bit of extra goodness to go along with a post.

But, I really can do without all the bots that seem to have found the blog. You name it, I get comments about it. The usual little blue pills or how to enhance one’s love life. Links to purchase all kinds of stuff. Every thing but porn. That one I expected but seem to have been spared so far.

And even though I use my trusty Mac to handle the duties, I am not free of malware attacks. Or at least, attempted ones.

Moderating the site’s comments takes me back to some of my earliest days online. Back in the stone age, on AOL, roaming message boards, looking for naughty words or testy comments about the lineage of a poster who dared suggest someone’s favorite actor might have a fandom of a particular flavor. When life online was simpler. Nostalgia, take me away!

It really is too bad that all this has taken on the name it has. With a negative connotation. Spam. Meat in a can that has a cult following all it’s own. I can even admit to enjoying it. A sandwich of a slice or two of this canned conglomeration on white bread with mustard and ketchup. Takes me back to summer days as a Boy Scout at camp. I can taste it now… Spam musubi, too. An occasional favorite at L&L.

But, all this is part of the joy of having a blog. And I guess I will continue the slog. Even as the spammers continue their efforts.

Such is life online.

To finish today, an ode to Spam. You know you like it…

It never hurts to be a fan of the underdog.

And if like me, you are a fan of this year’s Oakland Athletic’s, we are indeed the underdog.

For one, we should not even be discussing this. Anyone recall that we went into the month of September way behind the Texas Rangers. We were supposed to be out of it by then. If one listened to various pundits, the A’s were heading for another losing season. Building for the future. The same excuse we’ve heard for all too many years.

You can question Lew Wolfe and his approach to baseball. It is no secret that what Lew is really after is a real estate development, not a winning baseball team. As the managing partner of the team, he has cheaped out time and time again. San Jose remains his destination of choice. Say it or not, the method has been that if the team was bad enough, folks would stay away. When attendance numbers dropped to the right spot, he could make the case that moving the team was the only option.

Unfortunately, this bunch of misfits has been playing some good solid baseball through the 2012 season. Good enough to defeat the Rangers on the very last day of the season and to win the Western Division title in the American League. You won’t find league leaders among the A’s. But you will see a bunch of guys who have done what it takes to win games when it counts.

If they manage to win tonight, it is on to the American League Championship Series. Best of seven games to decide who represents the AL in the World Series. Been a long time since the A’s got to that point. Fans who have stuck with the team over the years are more than ready to see it happen again in Oakland.

As Coco Crisp said after the Game 4 victory last night, “At some point, it’s got to be just good baseball,” Crisp said. “There’s no magic.”

He’s right. “Just good baseball” gets it done. That is what October baseball is all about.