Well, I haven't cluttered the cyberairwaves with my rantings for a while, so why not add a few thoughts about 2008 and hopes for 2009.

Why choose now for an update? Well...the Force was not with me today. I had an "uncontained cascade failure"...which, in collector talk, means that I was moving some figures around and one of them decided he didn't like to line up with the other Stormtroopers.

Crash...er, more like "flump flump flump". Lord Vader, choking Captain Antilles, lost balance and bumped into the unmasked snowtroopers, stormtroopers, and scout troopers enjoying a nice beer. (Courtesy of Bob & Doug action figure sets...can't be a Canadian collector without the brothers!)

Well, long story short...stormies fall down, then the weapons platoon behind them, then the Phase II Clones, followed by the Phase I Clones.

Foolishly, I tried to stop it...and caught a solitary clone commando...but missed another five, a couple of which bounced off my 'rescuing' arm and landed in the "Jabba's Court' diorama. The only thing still 'standing'?

Jabba & Salacious Crumb.

Jabba I understand...but SC?

So...I'm taking this as a sign from the Force to finally try and get the figures arranged in a manner that's "safe". But for now, I can't bear to look at hundred of figures on their back.

Hasbro, in times like this, you need to feel your customer's pains. My concern wasn't for the time putting them all back together...that may actually be "fun". My concern was for the insanely pliable blasters that droop when you look at them wrong!

I *know* that there are safety concerns. But c'mon...it's getting absurd. New stuff bends once out of the package, as if the presence of oxygen combines with the plastic to melt at room temperature.

Even the die-cast metal Titanium line's not immune...my new Shadow Trooper Gunship's rocket launchers don't shoot straight, if you get my meaning.

So that's a rant...here's some kudos:

First & foremost, to Hedec Ga, for having the Dusty Duck included in the new SW Encyclopedia!

WOTC - for making an update to the SW Minis game that was relativley cheap to complete. Seriously guys & gals...if you're going to pump out 3 new sets a year, make a few less Rares & Very Rares, please! And feed your lightsabers some Viagra while you're at it!

Hasbro - for having somewhat interchangable heads on troop builders. Just swapped the heads from a Death Star Guard with the Endor Entrance set, and added chest armor from an Imperial Engineer. And to think, I used to have to break out the dremel, sculpey, and paint to get cool customs. Please keep up the interchangability of heads.

Hasbro, again - the BMF and AT-TE were awesome. I've go nowhere to display them at the moment, but awesome nonetheless.

Hasbro - for innovation on accessories. Build a droid? Love it! The R2 blasted with ion energy in the Endor Entrance battlepack? Brilliant...not just the ion effect we've seen, but molded arms, doors, and equipment protruding from the 'zapped' droid.

A "boo" to Hasbro - we're getting spoiled. We know that you can do ball joints, elbows, knees...you can even do a double wrist joint. So please explain why some characters screaming out for that articulation are getting solid legs, or 'cut' arms? You can do better! Another boo - the Power Ranger Imperial Guard set. Seriously?

A suggestion for your titanium line...since you're going to be reusing the molds over & over, how about tinting the canopy? You're not putting a little pilot in there...even though you could, ie, TIE family...so if you can't see the pilot, how about tinting the windows? And trying some glue on T-65 laser cannons? And please - no more 'aggresive' facial poses. Neutral is just fine...I don't need, for example, and Anakin that looks like he forgot to eat fibre for a month (Swoop riding Anakin) or "My leg has an owie" Chewie (Sandstorm Chewie.)

What am I looking forward to in 2009? New titaniums in the vein of TIE Defender, Z-95...you know, EU ships that haven't been done outside of Micro Machines & customizations.

My wish list for 09?

More astromechs - the ultimate ones. Open the panels like on the animated R2, use that body as a base, and crank out some 'canon' R5's, and maybe some R6's, '8's, and '9's.
A C3 unit.
HK-47.
Tag & Bink!
Ultimate Jedi Luke Endor - full articulations, poncho, helmet.
Collector opener friendly packaging...even with medic shears, I'm averaging a plastic-cut on a finger per case of 12 figs. You can make the packaging razor sharp, but can't make a blaster rifle that won't droop? I call shenanigans!
A redo of the AT-AT and AT-ST as per the BMF & AT-TE.

Number one wish for 2009? Or 2010? Or within the next few years?
Full set of Stormtrooper armour, with a *comfortable* helmet, and armour peices you don't need to assemble yourself. Of course, I'm partial to a full set of Republic Shadow Trooper armour...

And one last thing about 2008...small tattoos don't hurt. Getting your initials in Aurebesh, or Kanji characters, isn't that bad.

Bigger tattoos, like the Rebel Starbird I got in September...uhm....yeah...they hurt.

Anyways...if you're made it this far...and even if you haven't...best wishes for 2009 for all your friends & families.

MTFBWY!