Tag Archives: Darth Vader

Star Wars Episodes 7, 8 and 9 – can it get any better than this?

Quite simply put – no.  This is a whole other level in excitement.  Episodes 7, 8 and 9 from 2015 every 2 years and after then there could be even more!  My little boy will be 6 when episode 7 comes out, virtually the same age I was when my dad took me to see the original episode 4 (“A New Hope”) back in 1977, in Hong Kong with my friend and his dad.  We’re now a generation on, 2 more movies plus 3 prequels down, a bucket load of Star Wars Lego to the play with, the original 3 movies re-mastered and more, and everyone knows who Darth Vader is!  We had no idea 35 years ago what an amazing story this was going to be…

Even better the great Disney is buying LucasFilm and Star Wars – what better home for it.  And with George Lucas as a consultant.  Rumours are that Darth Vader is coming back from the dead – somehow.  And that they won’t be following the stories in any of the Expanded Universe books or games.  Interesting to see how it pans out.

Director apparently lined up – not sure who.  Writers ready.  Actors soon.  3 years of mega-marketing hype but it’s going to be the Star War fans here already who create the biggest buzz.

For some of this buzz, check out this blog by a fellow excited Star Wars fan…

I can’t wait.  Me, my little ones and my dad all to go and see it.  Need to figure out where though – dad’s over in Sydney with mum and my sister and her family so no cinemas anywhere close to us all!

And in 2015 we also have the NASA spacecraft New Horizons reaching Pluto – the now demoted planet.  But also a Disney dog.  Just a coincidence?

What a great time to be alive…!

10 reasons why Darth Vader was an amazing project manager

A work theme for project management and consultancy, plus Star Wars?  Genius.  A great post I had to share care of GeekWire and written by Brandon Koeller (link here takes you to Brandon’s blog).

10 reasons why Darth Vader was an amazing project manager

And they are:

  1. Prioritisation according to strategic values
  2. Decision making based on objective data
  3. Deliver on committments
  4. Take time out to keep perspective
  5. Pre-emptively manage risks and expectations
  6. Be persuasive
  7. Pick a methodology and stick with it (until it doesn’t work)
  8. Push through challenges and find solutions
  9. It’s never too late to make changes to plans
  10. Get involved and be prepared to get your hands dirty

Darth Vader as a good project manager?  Bet that never crossed your mind until now!  With the work he did in episodes 1, 2 and 3, before 4, 5 and 6, he could even be a Galactic programme manager.

May The Force Be With You…

Figuring out how fast you can run

A very cool online running calculator that I found from McMillan Running, that looks to give good estimates of times and paces for different distances…

When I say looks to work, I mean when I enter my recent distance paces – when run under race-ish conditions – it gives times (and paces) for other distances that match up with what I’m doing and aiming for for the marathon.

Entering the time from my 1/2 marathon on Friday…

And this gives “Equivalent Performance Times” of…

So bang on for what I’m aiming for for the marathon – just under 3 hours 30 minutes.  So in theory all on track, with just under 4 weeks to go.  The calculator also gives your optimal training paces – which also tie in very nicely with what I’ve been doing (particularly for the longer runs)…

A recovery weekend this last weekend (no running or karate) and the last week of long runs this week (x3), with a 20 or 22 miler on Friday, then it’s time for the taper for the last 3 weeks.

But a visit to Legoland over the weekend for their Star Wars Invasion Weekend – nothing short of awesome!  And the little Nobles enjoyed it as much as daddy.  Little Darth Vader got to meet big Darth Vader…