Thirty years ago today, one of the most influential films of a generation was released in theaters. Star Wars is still extremely popular today after three decades. Hundreds of books, comics, and fan films have been written around the world that George Lucas created. To honor the birthday of this generational pop-culture phenomenon, I’ve included a link to my short story “Geekend,” which I wrote the day after seeing Revenge of the Sith in the theater. Enjoy.

Let the conspiracy theories about the NBA draft continue.

NBA draft lottery has been the source of speculation and conspiracy theories among sports fans since the 1985 draft, where the New York Knicks won the right to draft Patrick Ewing. The envelope that gave the Knicks the first pick had a sinister bend in the corner, starting the speculation. Most years since, it has been easier to prognosticate which teams would end up with the top three picks in the draft then who would succeed in the NBA playoffs.

So is the conspiracy in effect this year as well? Some would say yes.

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The Recording Industry Association of America has recently threatened college students that use peer-to-peer file sharing programs to download music illegally.  Since the days of Napster, file-sharing software has been the bane of the music and software industry.  Recent advances in technology and software have made it easier to download movies, much to the chagrin of the Motion Picture Association of America.

In an open letter posted on InsideHigherEd.com, Mitch Bainwol, chairman and CEO and Cary Sherman, president of the Recording Industry Association of America explain their position.  “[T]here is broad understanding of the impact from this activity, including billions of dollars in lost revenue, millions of dollars in lost taxes, thousands of lost jobs, and entire industries struggling to grow viable legitimate online market places that benefit consumers against a backdrop of massive theft.”

Thousands of lost jobs?  Did this mean music companies would be forced to fire bands?
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As we start the month of May, September feels like a distant entity we do not want to discuss. The weather in Wisconsin is just starting to improve, and school is about to finish. No one wants to think about the doldrums of fall, apparently including the General Manager of the Packers Ted Thompson.

This column is not designed (exclusively) to bash Thompson for his handling of the NFL draft. After the last two seasons, I’ve acquired enough faith in Thompson that I give him the benefit of the doubt; at least to see how his choices perform throughout next season. The question is, when the Packers starts play in September, will anyone be watching.

As May begins, the Milwaukee Brewers have the best record in baseball. Let me repeat that, as I thought I would never have an opportunity to say it; the Brewers = best overall record in baseball! The Brewers have always excelled in April, but this year there is a sense it may be their year. They might finally get back to the playoffs, and even have a chance to contend for a pennant.

So assuming both teams continue along their current trajectory, what happens when they vie for our attention in the moth of September?
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