Rookies

I am EXTREMELY excited for the new episode of Star Wars: The Clone Wars this Friday. Why? Because the episode has to do with clones. Period. That's it. Well I guess technically them and battle droids. The "main" characters (i.e. Obi-Wan, Anakin, Ahsoka, etc.) will not be featured and may not appear at all. Not that I don't like them; that's not the case at all. But I'm a trooper man and this new episode, entitled "Rookies", looks promising. Here's some information from the online episode guide:

"The best confidence builder is experience."

Synopsis: Alone on a distant outpost, clone officers Rex and Cody must inspire their rookie unit to believe in themselves to stave off a Droid Commando invasion.

Director: Justin Ridge
Writer: Steve Melching
Key Characters: Clone Captain Rex; Clone Commander Cody
Key Locales: Rishi Moon
Notable: All clone / droid episode.

Niiiiiiiiiiicccceeee. I have been pleasantly surprised by the cartoon thus far. While I enjoyed the movie there were a few things I didn't like. However, the 30-minute show version has been awesome. The stories have been great, the animation is top-notch, and they tie into the universe well. I cannot wait for this new episode!

Other Star Wars Notes: If you missed out on the Target exculsive Commander Fox figure, you can get him online now at Target.com ... Also available now is the Target exclusive Clone Trooper Voice Changer Helmet (Seante Security deco) ... The plain white version is available too ... I can't find the sight that asked the question to Hasbro, but a clone evolutions set is planned for 2009.

PSWCS Toy Drive

From the Pennsylvania Star Wars Collecting Society website:

Garrison Carida Toy Drive

The Pennsylvania Star Wars Collecting Society, in association with Toy Cave and Steel City Con, is holding its annual Star Wars toy drive to benefit Garrison Carida of the 501st Legion. Garrison Carida encompasses much of the mid-Atlantic region, including Pennsylvania, Delaware and West Virginia. They are a truly service-oriented chapter of the 501st, dedicating the majority of their efforts to helping children. They visit children's hospitals throughout the year where they pose for photos with the patients and hand out Star Wars toys. The toys collected through this drive will be given to the children during these visits.

PSWCS will accept donations until December 6th, 2008. This year we are holding two live collection events. First, look for our booth at Steel City Con on October 24-26 at the Pittsburgh Indoor Sports Arena in Cheswick, PA. Then on December 6th PSWCS will collect toys at Toy Cave in Carlisle, PA. We're expecting many fully-armored members of Garrison Carida to be on-hand for both events, so bring your cameras!

If you would like to contribute to this toy drive, you can mail your donations to the address below or attend one of the collection events mentioned above. We can accept Star Wars action figures, vehicles, and games. However, Garrison Carida does not hand out role-playing toys or weapons.

We hope you will join PSWCS in supporting this fine organization and their efforts to brighten the days of children who need it most. Help bring a smile to a sick or needy child this holiday season. Take a minute to look around your vast collections and then think of the children who can't make weekly toy runs, or even afford a few new toys because of medical bills. Its amazing what even a few small toys can do to the spirit of a child stuck in the hospital! So if you can, please donate! Thank you for the support!

If you have any questions, send them to cable@pswcs.com. Please mail your donations to:

Garrison Carida Toy Drive
c/o Andy Loney @ Toy Cave
147 N. Hanover St.
Carlisle, PA 17013

Star Wars Roundup

Collecting wise Star Wars is in a bit of a lull. The massive release at the end of July has sort of taken a bit of air out of the rest of the year. Releases are erratic and sporadic around the country. Some areas have not yet gotten the second Saga Legends wave or Clone Wars wave 2. Luckily I have managed to score the second set of Saga Legends and third wave of The Legacy Collection as well as wave 2 of Clone Wars. In addition to the figures, I recently found and bought the Wal-Mart exclusive Republic Gunship. This exclusive costs $50 and is just a repaint of the 4 prior releases. A big part of the new deco is the nose art, featuring a Twi'lek. I also saw the Wal-Mart exclusive Green Leader's A-wing Fighter, which costs $30.

Outside of toys, Star Wars has been a big success. The new animated cartoon, Star Wars: The Clone Wars, has aired 3 episodes to date. This weeks episode, Destroy Malevolence, is the third and final part of the Malevolence plot. Star Wars: The Clone Wars airs every Friday at 9pm on Cartoon Network. The new show has shattered Cartoon Network records and is not slowing down. The show has been a pleasant surprise after a so-so debut as a full-length feature in August.

I'll have pictures of my recent additions up in a bit.

Phillies in the World Series!

I don't post too much about sports on my personal site. Besides, I have a separate site for that sort of thing. But I know many of you are delighted by the outcome at Chavez Ravine last evening. PHILLIES WIN THE PENNANT!!! Bring on the Rays or Red Sox!


If the Rays choke in the last 3 games of the ALCS I guess I'll have to change this. Regardless, LET'S GO PHILLIES!

Clone Wars Web Comic Debuts!

This weeks version is simply titled Clone Wars: Prelude. It has some sweet looking clones in it; check it out!

Different atmosphere, it is. Pitch the same, you must.

The Phillies won their first playoff game in 15 years yesterday thanks to masterful work from starting pitcher Cole Hamels. Hamels went 8 shutout innings, struck out 9, and allowed only 2 hits and 1 walk. The outing was much better than last years Game 1 against the Colorado Rockies. So what was different? Why was he more comfortable? It all comes down to the Phillies' Yoda.

"I knew the importance of the game," Hamels said. "And it's something where, because of last year, I learned what it really takes in trying to kind of mellow out, not to have that sort of excitement where you can't really control everything."

It wasn't just last year's disappointment that delivered that powerful message. It was also this pitching staff's resident Yoda -- veteran left-handed sage Jamie Moyer. Moyer said he approached Hamels in the trainer's room this week for a little chat about how to deal with postseason madness.

"I told him, 'It's the playoffs, yes. But you still have to go about it the same,'" Moyer said. "I said, 'Just remember you're the same person. Don't lose sight of why you're here or what you've done to get here.'"

Thanks for your help yesterday, Yoda.