I'm Older Than Star Wars!

I already knew that, but a friend's post commemorating the premiere of Star Wars (which when it came to be part of a series also got the name "A New Hope" and designated Episode IV ... I'll go with Episode IV, but please Please PLEASE don't call it "A New Hope" with me) today in 1977 just works for me. So does the last day of school for Sarah and Jeffrey -- not just for that, but because Martha took the day off work to take them to school as she does the first and last day of each school year. Later she'll pick up Sarah while her sister Margaret will get Jeffrey who wanted one last day after school later. I don't begrudge my bride that at all, believe me!


A group of unicorns is called a blessing, Jeffrey shared with me last night.



And again on the other side of the world, we find Korea. In Harry Turtledove's latest novelistic re-imagining of the 20th century, we find and I read Bombs Away (ISBN 9780553390704) where in order to gain a tactical advantage over the oncoming Chinese and North Korean forces in the Korean War, U.S. President Harry Truman authorized commanding general Douglas MacArthur to use atomic bombs on that area. Which in our world you may remember Truman did NOT do, one reason why more people in our world don't glow in the dark. And the cold war of our world -- essentially, the United States and Soviet Union taking each other on all over the world -- turned very hot indeed.




And still hotter, as this is the first book of a planned series that takes place with people real and fictional, in the air and on the ground, all over the world. The big question here is how much of a planet will be left after the fighting's over. Despite what you hear in The LEGO Movie (important: always capitalize LEGO for it is the brand name which comes from a Danish phrase meaning "play well") everything is not awesome. But the book I picked up and read quickly regarding the origin of LEGOs and their propensity to be just where you'll step on them in your bare or stocking feet ... ok, I made that last part up. Anyway, the book I refer to below is a quick fun read.


Lee Slater's LEGO Manufacturers: The Kristiansen Family (ISBN 9781624039775) details how Ole Christiansen (he changed the spelling later) started with a carpentry and furniture making business with the making of wooden toys as a sideline until the 20th century's Great Depression. It became apparent quickly that customers wouldn't buy as much furniture, but they would buy as much or even more toys for their children. After a 1942 fire destroyed the business, Ole decided that the LEGO Group -- it was a family business -- would only make toys from there on out. With an injection molding machine in use seven years later to produce the plastic building blocks, the rest is history.


There are only 18 flawed pieces out of every million LEGOs produced, so the book says.


I just don't want to step on one, David