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Make-A-Wish Builds A Millennium Falcon Fort For Boy 94

Posted by samzenpus from the it's-fast-enough-for-you-old-man dept.
Thanks to the Make-A-Wish Foundation and a production crew from Little Mountain Productions, a 9-year-old is getting the best fort ever. The crew is making him a Star Wars-themed fort with a gigantic Millennium Falcon with solar-powered LED interior and exterior lighting to sit on top. No word on how fast it can make the Kessel run, but lets hope the kid gets a long trip.
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Make-A-Wish Builds A Millennium Falcon Fort For Boy More

Make-A-Wish Builds A Millennium Falcon Fort For Boy

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  • Overheard in the background... (Score:5, Funny)

    by Anonymous Coward on Wednesday June 23, 2010 @02:12PM (#32667954)
    What a piece of junk!

  • Parsecs (Score:4, Funny)

    by pavon ( 30274 ) on Wednesday June 23, 2010 @02:13PM (#32667986)

    No word on how fast it can make the Kessel run

    I think you meant how short it can make the Kessel run.

    • Re: (Score:1, Informative)

      by Anonymous Coward
      No, that would be revisionist history, compensating for Lucas' misuse of "parsec."

    • Re:Parsecs (Score:5, Informative)

      by Isotopian ( 942850 ) on Wednesday June 23, 2010 @02:41PM (#32668314)
      I'm getting a little tired of people saying that. It may very well have been Lucas not knowing what a parsec was, but it has long been corrected in the canon. The Kessel run was a smuggling route that skirted the Maw black hole cluster. The more daring pilots would take uncharted routes that brought them dangerously close to singularities - hence the bragging of "the ship that made the Kessel run in less than 12 parsecs." Yes, George probably just made an astronomy boo boo. But that was corrected a long time ago in lore, and it's just tiresome when people point that out, not witty.

      • Re:Parsecs (Score:4, Interesting)

        by geekoid ( 135745 ) <dadinportlandNO@SPAMyahoo.com> on Wednesday June 23, 2010 @02:46PM (#32668394) Homepage Journal

        And it was corrected in the lamest way possible.

        It would have made more sense if the ships drive bent space. This would have the side benefit of explaining how they can get around so fast.

        It also make more sense because Lucas was clearing trying to have Han boast about the ship engine. This ties in to Lucas love for hotrods at the time.

        If the Kessel run was 20 parsecs, but the ship bent space around itself so the ship only need to travel 12 parsecs, this would be the space craft equivalent to shaving seconds off a drag race.

        In fact, I assumed that's what he meant when I say SW the first time.

        • Keep in mind, this is according to Star Wars canon, so flame me not for anything that is impossible, but you have part of a good point. The majority of travel done in the star wars universe is via hyperdrive, which functions vaguely as a wormhole generator - the ship travels to an alternate dimension, and the travel time to an exit point is vastly shortened - thousands of years to hours. This, combined with nonsense like inertial dampeners and "relativistic shielding" allows neat sidestepping of the massive

        • It also make more sense because Lucas was clearing trying to have Han boast about the ship engine

          Well I'm glad "it make more sense". Something has to...

        • requiring that your pilot and ship be capable of flying dangerously close to black holes to shave distance off a shipping route is *lame*? your way requires the cannon to all be altered to change the way the ship engines in the star wars universe work.

          • your way requires the cannon to all be altered to change the way the ship engines in the star wars universe work.

            Ok, let's just simplify the damned thing once and for all. Star Wars engines shoot gremlins out their ass.

        • That's what I thought, too, in my own attempt to technobabble it. That it bent the space until the (wormhole) length was only 12 parsecs.

          The only problem with that is that that's still years objective at 0.99999c.

          Unless, of course, light speed is different in the wormhole. But if that's the case, an explanation need not include distance. Then the parsec thing falls apart as stupid.

        • Thank you Dr. Cooper

      • Re:Parsecs (Score:5, Insightful)

        by Anonymous Coward on Wednesday June 23, 2010 @03:14PM (#32668812)

        Corrected? The movie says what it says, there's no "correcting" to be done. Han's bragging line is what people call "techno-babble". Neither of the sequels make any explanation of this bit of techno-babble, nor do they need to, any more than someone would need to explain what a "hydrospanner" is.

        Techno-babble permits inane crap to help move the story from one plot point to the next. When done well, it works like this [imdb.com]:
        Brandon's Mom: Where are you going with those fireworks?
        Brandon: Well, the Protector got super-accelerated coming out of the black hole, and it, like, nailed the atmosphere at Mach 15, which, you guys know, is pretty unstable, obviously, so we're gonna help Laredo guide it on the vox ultra-frequency carrier and use Roman candles for visual confirmation.

        • any more than someone would need to explain what a "hydrospanner" is.

          That one is easy. It's nothing more than a garden hose nozzle with a conically shaped spray.

      • That might be the dorkiest, fanboy post I've ever read; and this is SlashDot!

      • Re: (Score:2)

        by Lundse ( 1036754 )

        Only on slashdot is this "insightful".

        (I am not saying it is not true, it might even be informative. It is, however, irrelevant, because when you mention George's "Kessel boo boo", you are not evaluating his ability to retcon, but his basic astronomy knowledge).

    • Space dilation! relativity http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Time_dilation [wikipedia.org]
    • Also (Time dilation) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KHjpBjgIMVk [youtube.com] Lucas might have made a mistake but might be right anyway. The closer to light speed you travel the shorter distance the rider actually sees.
    • Ok here it is... A faster millennium falcon would defiantly make the Kessel run in fewer parsecs...
      http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Length_contraction [wikipedia.org]
      This might have been added to the script by a staff writer that talked to a university professor back when people gave a damb about science fiction. Now it's all vampires and magical fearies anyway.
  • Seriously, they do some real nice stuff for these kids.

  • The gigantic Millennium Falcon is just the top (Score:1, Funny)

    by Anonymous Coward

    The Falcon will sit atop a 20-ft high Jar-Jar Binks, so wishing the kid a long trip might actually be cruel.

  • They are the Best! (Score:2, Insightful)

    by GregC63 ( 1564363 )
    Make a wish is a fabulous organization! Kudos to them and Little Mountain Productions for giving this young man a ray of sunshine!
  • ..with the terminal illnesses have all the luck!

    Seriously though, Make-A-Wish is one of the few charities I give to. It is truly wonderful what they do for the children.

    • Re: (Score:2, Interesting)

      by Nos. ( 179609 )

      Yup, a great charity. One of my nephews took a trip to Florida to do all the theme parks and space centre there. They had a great time. My sons are also eligible, but we'll give them a few more years before we starting thinking about a wish for our oldest (4.5 years). We're thinking one wish will be a trip for sure, maybe both, but its up to them to decide when they're old enough

  • He could have gotten a whole lot more... [theonion.com]
  • I have a new favorite charity...

  • Follow the superhero story link in TFA... (Score:4, Informative)

    by BobMcD ( 601576 ) on Wednesday June 23, 2010 @02:36PM (#32668246)

    Follow the superhero story link in TFA, that one's really touching, too.

  • It really great that they built a Millennium Falcon for the kid and all; but if he really had a wish and is a Star Wars fan, he really should've wished that Greedo shot first.

    • You can wish all you want, but you can't change the truth. What Mr. Lucas? Did you just say you CAN change the truth? ohhhh.... :(

    • It really great that they built a Millennium Falcon for the kid and all; but if he really had a wish and is a Star Wars fan, he really should've wished that Greedo shot first.

      What? No!

      Greedo shot first in the Special Editions. So the kid would basically have already got his wish. It's supposed to be Solo who fires first, with Greedo dead before firing a shot.

  • ... to hope the kid hurries up and dies so we can bid for it on ebay? Am I right!?

  • Sweeeet! (Score:1, Informative)

    by Anonymous Coward

    That's sooo awesome! Good luck, kid, you have good taste :)

  • Not be a ghoul (Score:3, Interesting)

    by Itninja ( 937614 ) on Wednesday June 23, 2010 @02:52PM (#32668474) Homepage
    But what happens to this thing after the boy dies? Usually MaW gives activies (i.e. Disneyland trips or visits with a rock star), not physical things.

    Wonder if the parents will sell it for a (sure to be) tidy sum. Not sure what I would do in the same situation.
    • Given that the parents can't pay medical bills with toys, they will probably sell it.

    • Re: (Score:2)

      by RESPAWN ( 153636 )

      Actually, these days the Make a Wish foundation will also handle requests from patients who have contracted conditions that are usually terminal but from which they may make a recovery.

      I have a 2nd or 3rd cousin (I can never remember how it works past 1st cousin) who took a trip to Disney World but who was also predicted to make a recovery from her cancer.

      So, best case scenario, this kid recovers and gets to live out the rest of his childhood with the coolest fort that any kid could ask for. I hope that's

  • ...that it is damn ugly (and small).

  • Dibs! (Score:3, Funny)

    by morphotomy ( 1655417 ) on Wednesday June 23, 2010 @03:11PM (#32668738)
    Dibs on that shit when the kid kicks the bucket!

  • the Star Wars kid [slashdot.org] is filing a suit against the Slashdot community for not building him a Millenium Falcon fort. In a recent interview Ghyslain Raza exclaims, ".. that is totally the coolest thing and all I got was this #@!%$^* iPod".

  • Now if they could just get Harrison Ford, Carrie Fischer, Mark Hamill and Peter Mayhew to get in costume and come play with him.

  • Does the fort come complete with a Jar Jar Binks punching bag? 'Cause that would make it perfect!
  • More pics [geekologie.com]

    Does a 50-year old man wanting to get invited over to this kid's house to play sound at all creepy to you?

    • Does a 50-year old man wanting to get invited over to this kid's house to play sound at all creepy to you?

      Nope. Just sad. There again, I bought a complete set of TinTin books with the paycheck from my first contracting job, so I qualify for a special award of sad.

  • Yes, but (Score:4, Funny)

    by Megahard ( 1053072 ) on Wednesday June 23, 2010 @03:54PM (#32669648)
    The kid next door is building a Death Star.

    • Dont worry... the plans specify a small thermal exhaust port, right below the main port. The shaft leads directly to the reactor system. A precise hit will start a chain reaction which should destroy the fort. Only a precise hit will set up a chain reaction.

      Unfortunately though, The shaft is ray-shielded, so you'll have to use proton torpedoes.

    • Are you sure? I thought it was a moon...

    • The kid next door is building a Death Star.

      Yeah, but the kid with the Millennium Falcon ain't interested in your revolution, man, he's in it for the money. He expects to be well-paid. He's not crazy enough to attack that battle station, that's suicide!

    • Comment removed based on user account deletion
  • How many LucasFilms lawyers are thinging about sueing?

  • Look at this thing, would you? How the hell could they miss such a simple and important design feature as the mandible toe-in?

  • Typical Slashdot... OP is about a dying kid getting the fort of his dreams, and /. debates star wars lore.

    please... THINK OF THE CHILDREN!

  • Everyone knows the ultimate wish is infinite wishes.

  • make me feel better about humans. I'm glad a bunch of talented people decided it was a worthwhile goal to make a kid happy. Hope he finds an even (faster/shorter) Kessel run!
  • from __fark__ import tag_sappy

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