Some are born, some are getting older… I turned 34 on Thursday and was congratulated first in the morning by Captain Picard. Andrew C spotted our favourite French space ambassador in Paris. In Andrew’s own words:

Spending a lot of time in Paris too, saw this shop while I was over there last weekend (it’s like a really upmarket iceland!) and thought of you

Shopping's done, beam me up!

Shortly after followed Simon’s and Andy’s collaboration; a remarkable showcase of cutting edge design and Javascript:

Hello Venla,
Simon and I have discussed in detail and we are both very very proud of you. Therefore we have made you this birthday card to celebrate how lovely you are. Bye!
Andy

Screenshot for those with Javascript (WOW!) turned off.

That interactive magical piece seamlessly combines all my interests and also reminds us about the not-enough-celebrated fact of XML turning five years in 2003. Simon and Andy have spent numerous sleepless nights to create such a harmony. Thank you everyone, being 34 has never felt so good.

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For added entertainment, my niece Aino and nephew Oiva joined me for a green birthday cake. Their words of wisdom left me both bemused and puzzled:

Venla: Did you know that if you eat green birthday cake, your skin will turn to green like Hulk’s?

Oiva: Who’s Hulk?

Venla: The alter ego of Bruce Banner – Stan Lee’s Marvel comic hero, who involuntarily transforms into the giant, raging monster Hulk!

Oiva: (spitting cake with excitement) Yes, yes, I know that! It is the one with the transparent glass and little men inside him flying in space with the hundred eyes and wings!

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Aino: You are not coming out to play with us?

Venla: Not today, I feel a bit ill.

Aino: Will you die of it?

Venla: Healthy young people usually do not die that easily. One gets ill only to get better.

Aino: (puzzled) But you are not young! You are much older than mum and dad!

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Oiva: Your Lego character has a light sabre!

Venla: Yes she does, but she is not as good as Yoda. I’ll show you some proper epic battles from Youtube, so you get to see how the real pros fight.

First we watch Yoda fighting Count Dooku and Darth Sidius followed by classic Episode 1 scene where Darth Maul kills Qui Gon.

Venla: What did you think. Cool huh?

Oiva: My dad doesn’t allow me to watch these at home.

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Oiva: Do light sabres exist?

Venla: There are some, but they are made of plastic and not laser. They are well cool, they have different colours, they make sounds and you can fight your friends…

Oiva: …can you cut heads off with them?

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Oiva: Look what happened in the Star Wars game!!!

(Hands over a slimy, drool-covered DS)

An unexpected customer

Millennium Falcon fills the whole starting room of Mos Eisley Cantina and can’t be removed or pretty much moved at all. Wonder if Amaze Entertainment ever had any game testers capable of achieving similar havoc, they should hire my nephew right at this point.

I now know Millennium Falcon FITS in the Star Wars, Star Wars cantina…