This is how YOU can get Cleaning the Kingdom: Insider Tales of Keeping Walt's Dream Spotless by Ken Pellman and Lynn Barron.
1) Autographed softcovers can be bought from our official website: http://www.thesweepspot.com - Those will be delivered within a few mailing days.
2) It's on Kindle: http://www.amazon.com/Cleaning-Kingdom-Insider-Keeping-Spotless-ebook/dp/B0134TK7J2
3) It's on Nook: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/cleaning-the-kingdom-lynn-barron/1122508782
4) If you must buy softcovers through Amazon, be sure to get them from seller The Sweep Spot for quick delivery and an autograph.
5) "Like" this Facebook page to stay updated on book signings and other appearances at which you'll be able to buy copies.
Cleaning the Kingdom book Disneyland Disney theme parks Anaheim tourism travel books
Monday, September 07, 2015
Friday, July 31, 2015
Cleaning the Kingdom
Cleaning the Kingdom: Insider Tales of Keeping Walt’s Dream Spotless has been a long time in the making.
I can’t recall exactly how long I’ve wanted to write a book – a certain book in particular. It’s been at least fifteen years. When we had our first Custodial Reunion a few years ago, I even took down some contact info as potential interviews. Working full time and having the responsibilities of a young family didn’t leave a lot of time to research and write.
Enter in my fellow jani, Lynn. The friendship we developed while working together in Disneyland Custodial has survived my becoming “apart of the magic” and his also doing the same and moving to Utah.
Lynn took the initiative in creating and hosting a podcast, The Sweep Spot, which is focused on Disneyland history, Disneyland Custodial, and also has covered Disneyland news and current events. He had me on as a recurring guest co-host as he went through two regular co-hosts. Then I became the regular co-host.
Now having some perspective distance from our time as cast members, we also started collaborating on a book.
Lynn explored how to get a book published.
Getting some input from podcast guests and through private communications with some of our former coworkers to infuse into what we were writing about our own personal experiences, we cobbled together a book that’s over 450 pages.
It’s an UNAUTHORIZED, honest, and affectionate tribute to the men and women we worked with and those who came before and those who’ve come after – the people who’ve kept the original Magic Kingdom clean. The book is partly our memoirs as well as a detailed look at how the world famous Disneyland Custodial team operates.
There are now many books on Disneyland, but no other book is like this. We share with you things you can’t find anywhere else.
This book is for:
1) Anyone interested in Disneyland.
2) Anyone interested in theme parks.
3) Anyone interested in Anaheim history.
4) Anyone interested in an effective custodial operations for high-traffic venues.
5) Current, former, and future Disneyland Custodial cast members.
6) Anyone who wants to know more about the authors.
You can order the softcover book (and t-shirts for our podcast) at The Sweep Spot official website.
You can order the Kindle version here.
The book’s official Facebook page is here.
As of this writing, the 2015 D23 Expo in Anaheim is ahead of us. We’ll be there Friday, August 14 through Sunday, August 16. Bring your cash or credit card to buy a softcover, or if you already have your softcover, I will autograph that copy, too.
If you want to order the softcover through Amazon, be sure you're getting it through The Sweep Spot as a seller, so you can get it more quickly, complete with autograph.\
By the way, here’s the official Facebook page for The Sweep Spot, which is our free podcast. You can find the podcast here, on iTunes, on MiceChat.com, TuneIn, and Stitcher.
Saturday, February 22, 2014
Remembering Donna
When I hired into the County of Los Angeles Department of Public Works on May 1, 2000, Donna Guyovich was the senior staff member of the Public Affairs and Special Services Section of the Personnel and Public Affairs Division. Jean Granucci was the Section Head, Ida Ramos was Division Chief, Chuck Adams was the Deputy Director above Ida, and Harry Stone was Director, only the second person to hold that title. I had been brought on to fill the spot created by the retirement of Cindy Adams. Also on the team were Melinda and Natalie, and making everything run smoothly through secretarial excellence were Araceli, Ana, and Jan. Araceli and Ana were working directly for Ida, but since we were all sitting in the same part of the 12th Floor, they were always quick to help us out, just as Jan was quick to back them up. The Classification Section of PPA was there, too.
I was surrounded by women in a Department that was traditionally male-dominated. The Director, Chief Deputy, Assistant Directors, and Deputy Directors were all men, the woman who'd broken the glass ceiling having retired. Considering Public Works consisted of civil engineers and laborers (think road work, flood control, building inspectors, waterworks), two kinds of work that were traditionally male-dominated, it wasn't surprising. Of course, at Disneyland, I had worked under several women.
Jean was already heading for retirement, less than 10 months from my first day. For her party we ended up putting together a video in which we acted out parts, recounting Jean's career. Donna was great, but then what would you expect from someone who was a member of the Screen Actors Guild by age 5?
Donna had been the Public Information Officer for DPW, and since she knew just about everything and everyone, that was appropriate. She had been there her entire adult life, having started work with the Flood Control District, which merged with other County operations to become Public Works in 1985.
Before Jean retired, Donna transferred many PIO responsibilities to me. The day Jean cleaned out her office, Donna moved in, and Donna was promoted into Jean's position. With Jean's retirement and Donna's promotion, we had a vacancy. There were other staffing changes, too. For example, Melinda moved to another Division. I can think of a couple of ladies who came and went. All this time later, I am still friends with True and Marina, who had been my peers in that section.
Jean and Donna had very different personalities but had been friends since the day Jean hired in, a year after Donna. Donna's leadership continued most of the tone and practices I had experienced under Jean. Of course, Ida was still Division Chief. Any Division Chief, anyone in Administration, whether Deputy Director or Director, could and would stroll in at any time. We had nothing to hide and we welcomed the informal contact. Donna would keep the Director's favorite light handful-snack stocked at her door to encourage visits. And, at any time, we were also welcome to walk over to Administration to talk with the secretaries, and if available, the Director or anyone else.
It was a great time, at least for me. Donna adored me. Everyone knew it. That came in handy on one day in particular. We had a staff meeting in Donna's office. Donna was sitting behind her desk, and the four of us were sitting in chairs facing her desk or to the side. I was struggling to stay awake. There was a period I would routinely be working late at the office, and I think that was already going on. Since we were on a 4-day schedule, the days were already long. Thankfully, I lived a short drive away. In addition, I was working at Disneyland on my weekends, usually all three days. There were also writing projects, and I was a single man in those days, so there was associated socializing. Bottom line: I was tired. So there we were in Donna's office, and I'm struggling to stay awake as Donna was talking, because I was used to being at a computer screen and/or on the phone, multitasking, which never let me have a moment to feel tired.
Then, I noticed silence.
Next, I realized my eyes were closed.
I open my eyes, lifted my head, and I saw four women, including Donna, staring at me. Natalie's expression was especially memorable.
"Am I that boring?" asked Donna, feigning hurt.
I assured her it had nothing to do with the importance of her words.
Then there were the times I'd go out for lunch with my peers. DPW HQ was surrounded by places to grab lunch, some within walking distance, some requiring a drive. We officially had 45 minutes for lunch. One day, we had been delayed in getting back, and my peers remarked that they'd avoid any negative fallout from Donna for taking a long lunch because they were returning with me.
Donna was known to take a long lunch or two herself, especially in conjunction with Ida. After all of the years they had put in, and being hard workers in general, I figured they had earned a little wiggle room on the length of their lunches, so there was no resentment on my part. There was one time in particular my peers had to drive something time-sensitive to them to be signed. The Barkley at the northeast corner of Fremont and Huntington in my hometown of South Pasadena was the favorite lunchtime hangout for the team of Donna and Ida. There were times we'd be out and about, such as for an event, and on the way back to the office Donna would pull into a restaurant and buy us lunch.
Donna was the kind of person who'd pay to treat her dog's cancer rather than give up and put her down. She was the kind of boss who, if she was happy with your performance, would be a Momma Bear advocate. She was also the kind of long-timer who knew where the bodies were buried.
It was in Donna's office that I watched the attacks of 9/11/2001 continue to unfold, along with my coworkers, before our Director made the decision to evacuate our building and send everyone home.
Donna was passionate about some of the annual events we put together, such as Employee Recognition and the headquarters Holiday Party, complete with the very popular raffle. To me, her enthusiasm helped offset some of the stress of pulling off the events.
Working under Donna was a special moment of time in my life. Things changed a lot more after Donna retired. The structure at the office changed, with our section becoming part of the Public Relations Group, independent of what was, by then, the Human Resources Division.
Donna became a widow last year. Her husband, Ray, was significantly older than her and she cared for him as his health declined. However, she had her own health issues to deal with, and on January 23, 2014, Donna passed away in her sleep at the too-young age of 68.
This picture is of Ida and Donna at my wedding.
Donna was the second of many direct bosses I've had at the County. That alone would mean she was likely to have a lasting influence on me, but throw in her strong personality, her attention to detail, and her respect for legacy, and I couldn't forget her if I tried.
So thank you, Donna, for what you passed on to me and for the good times we shared. I stayed awake during your memorial service. I can't say I stay dry-eyed.
Saturday, May 18, 2013
Why Weird Al Yankovic Should Be An American Idol Judge
I originally posted this back in February of 2010. Things have changed a bit, but my points are still valid. As the television show American Idol seeks to regain higher ratings and bring in new judges, they should serious consider Yankovic. Read on. -Ken
The Fox television show American Idol is reaching a critical stage. Original judge Paula Abdul left before the current season. Original judge Simon Cowell will be leaving after the current season – and who knows about the last original judge, Randy Jackson? The show, which has catapulted dozens of artist careers and generated crazy money through ad sales, music sales, and texting/call charges is getting stale and is in danger of dying sooner rather than later.
There is much speculation of who could be a new judge on the show.
I think the show should bring in “Weird Al” Yankovic as a permanent judge. I’m not kidding. I know – funny music doesn’t get the respect it once did; as a result, some people dismiss Yankovic or mistakenly think he’s not all that talented. But they are wrong. Very, very wrong.
What is the job of an American Idol judge? From what I can tell, the judges must:
1. Be able to distinguish those who have singing talent and pop star potential from those who don’t – from a pool of 16-28 year-olds.
2. Be entertaining on both heavily edited and live television, mostly through comments, facial expressions, and body language.
3. Be able to offer constructive criticism and mentoring to aspiring contestants and actual contestants.
I think it is safe to say that Yankovic can do all three well.
Here are specific reasons why Yankovic would be good on AI.
1. He’s multitalented. He has lasted for almost three decades so far as a popular recording artist, songwriter, concert performer, and musician, also working as a film and television actor and writer, and a director of music videos. He does more than his well-known direct parodies of current hit songs (which he does very well). He also does original songs, many of which are done in the style of well-known artists. He also has experience in taking hit songs and translating them into another style (see his polkas), as some AI contestants attempt during their weekly performances.
2. He has closely studied pop music artists for decades. To be good at his main bread and butter, he’s had to scrutinize music artists, and carefully evaluate what they do and how they do it.
3. He recognizes talent in others. Ever see/hear his band at work? In his movie “UHF”, Michael Richards was cast pre-Seinfeld and Fran Drescher was cast pre-The Nanny. Enough said.
4. He has proven staying power. He has outlasted many of the acts he’s parodied.
5. He knows the music industry, and what is like to struggle through recording and touring and struggling for respect. He has not only had to deal with his own record company, but the record companies of acts he has parodied.
6. He is respectful of other artists. For example, he will not sell a direct parody without an artist’s blessing, even though he legally could. His parodies are more like a tribute instead of a mean-spirited dig.
7. He appreciates different musical styles and genres. Just look at the music he records and performs!
8. He is used to dealing with crazy people (record execs, artists, fans), so he can handle the crazies that show up during auditions.
9. He’s funny.
10. He’s intelligent.
11. He’s fun to watch. His facial expressions, body language, and quick wit would work well on AI. (He would also be good in interviews promoting the show.)
12. He’s family-friendly, both in his material and personal life. You won’t read about Yankovic driving drunk with a car full of strippers.
13. He has a daughter who is growing into the target audience of AI.
14. He has a highly professional, perfectionist work ethic.
15. He goes out of his way to be fan-friendly.
If not AI, then The X Factor or some other show should get Yankovic as a judge. I am NOT kidding.
Full disclosure: I do not make any secret of being a huge WAY fan.
The Fox television show American Idol is reaching a critical stage. Original judge Paula Abdul left before the current season. Original judge Simon Cowell will be leaving after the current season – and who knows about the last original judge, Randy Jackson? The show, which has catapulted dozens of artist careers and generated crazy money through ad sales, music sales, and texting/call charges is getting stale and is in danger of dying sooner rather than later.
There is much speculation of who could be a new judge on the show.
I think the show should bring in “Weird Al” Yankovic as a permanent judge. I’m not kidding. I know – funny music doesn’t get the respect it once did; as a result, some people dismiss Yankovic or mistakenly think he’s not all that talented. But they are wrong. Very, very wrong.
What is the job of an American Idol judge? From what I can tell, the judges must:
1. Be able to distinguish those who have singing talent and pop star potential from those who don’t – from a pool of 16-28 year-olds.
2. Be entertaining on both heavily edited and live television, mostly through comments, facial expressions, and body language.
3. Be able to offer constructive criticism and mentoring to aspiring contestants and actual contestants.
I think it is safe to say that Yankovic can do all three well.
Here are specific reasons why Yankovic would be good on AI.
1. He’s multitalented. He has lasted for almost three decades so far as a popular recording artist, songwriter, concert performer, and musician, also working as a film and television actor and writer, and a director of music videos. He does more than his well-known direct parodies of current hit songs (which he does very well). He also does original songs, many of which are done in the style of well-known artists. He also has experience in taking hit songs and translating them into another style (see his polkas), as some AI contestants attempt during their weekly performances.
2. He has closely studied pop music artists for decades. To be good at his main bread and butter, he’s had to scrutinize music artists, and carefully evaluate what they do and how they do it.
3. He recognizes talent in others. Ever see/hear his band at work? In his movie “UHF”, Michael Richards was cast pre-Seinfeld and Fran Drescher was cast pre-The Nanny. Enough said.
4. He has proven staying power. He has outlasted many of the acts he’s parodied.
5. He knows the music industry, and what is like to struggle through recording and touring and struggling for respect. He has not only had to deal with his own record company, but the record companies of acts he has parodied.
6. He is respectful of other artists. For example, he will not sell a direct parody without an artist’s blessing, even though he legally could. His parodies are more like a tribute instead of a mean-spirited dig.
7. He appreciates different musical styles and genres. Just look at the music he records and performs!
8. He is used to dealing with crazy people (record execs, artists, fans), so he can handle the crazies that show up during auditions.
9. He’s funny.
10. He’s intelligent.
11. He’s fun to watch. His facial expressions, body language, and quick wit would work well on AI. (He would also be good in interviews promoting the show.)
12. He’s family-friendly, both in his material and personal life. You won’t read about Yankovic driving drunk with a car full of strippers.
13. He has a daughter who is growing into the target audience of AI.
14. He has a highly professional, perfectionist work ethic.
15. He goes out of his way to be fan-friendly.
If not AI, then The X Factor or some other show should get Yankovic as a judge. I am NOT kidding.
Full disclosure: I do not make any secret of being a huge WAY fan.
UPDATE: I meant to do a search before I posted this. Sure enough, someone else has proposed this idea... they suggested it last year when Abdul announced she was leaving the show. Also see here.
Friday, April 13, 2012
Hitting the Sweep Spot
I've been working and doing the family thing, but I haven't completely abandoned my Disney hobby.
I continue to write columns for LaughingPlace.com, and you can get to them by visiting Kenversations.com.
I'm also a frequent guest on The Sweep Spot. It is a podcast by two (when I'm on it, three) former Disneyland Custodial Cast Members talking about... Disneyland. Check it out.
I continue to write columns for LaughingPlace.com, and you can get to them by visiting Kenversations.com.
I'm also a frequent guest on The Sweep Spot. It is a podcast by two (when I'm on it, three) former Disneyland Custodial Cast Members talking about... Disneyland. Check it out.
Thursday, July 28, 2011
Has Marriage Changed "Weird Al" Yankovic’s Music?
I’ve been a fan of "Weird Al" Yankovic (WAY) for almost my whole life. And being the obsessively analytical guy that I am, I have analyzed his music many ways. His Al-bums typically have a polka-arrangement medley of recent hit songs (interesting how funny the actual lyrics of "serious" songs can be, especially with the WAY treatment) and the rest of the songs are an even balance of direct parodies of hits and original compositions by Yankovic, though often meticulously done the style of a famous musical act.
Some common themes of Al's lyrics, either for the direct parodies or the originals, have been...
television (and now emerging communications technologies),
food/eating,
...and...
dating/love/attraction/relationships.
I perceive that there has been a change in that last theme since Al finally got married (to a very lovely woman) and became Daddy to a girl.
Recently (7/25/2011), the Grammy Museum hosted Yankovic for an interview, followed by Q & A, and my wife and I were blessed to attend. Although this wasn't the usual WAY public event (concert or al-bum signing), the typical Al crowd, albeit only 200 of us, was there: people of very shape, size, color, age, style, and I'd guess religion, too. I wanted to ask him a question I haven't heard him answer before, and I think I succeeded in asking him something he hadn't even considered before – whether or not he perceived a change in his lyrics since marrying.
At first, Al thought maybe I was accusing him of going soft, because he mentioned that he's always been fairly family-friendly. But that wasn't what I was talking about.
Here's what I perceive. Sometimes the female characters in his songs were the ones who were dysfunctional or horrible people, and sometimes the males were. Since getting married, it has only been the males.
Let's go chronologically through the relevant songs...
Al-bum: "Weird Al" Yankovic
Song: "Such a Groovy Guy"
The song is about a guy who thinks he's all that, and he treats women like crap.
Al-bum: "Weird Al" Yankovic in 3-D
Songs: None relevant.
Al-bum: Dare to be Stupid
Song: "One More Minute"
About all of the painful/irritating things he would rather do than spend one more minute with the woman who has dumped him.
Song: "Girls Just Want to Have Lunch"
Women want nothing other than men to treat them to lunch.
Al-bum: Polka Party!
Song: "Good Enough for Now"
He tells her that he's not all that into her, but he'll use her for now.
Al-bum: Even Worse
Song: "Melanie"
He's a delusional, rejected, suicidal peeping Tom and stalker.
Song: "Alimony"
She's taken everything and is bleeding him dry.
Al-bum: UHF – Original Motion Picture Soundtrack and Other Stuff
Song: "She Drives Like Crazy"
She's a very, very bad driver.
Al-bum: Off the Deep End
Song: "I Was Only Kidding"
His professions of commitment and love were lies, and he rubs it in her face, mocking her.
Song: "Airline Amy"
He's delusional and thinks he has a relationship with a flight attendant because she's doing her job.
Song: "You Don't Love Me Anymore"
Despite her repeated attempts to kill him, he thinks she loves him.
Al-bum: Alapalooza
Song: "She Never Told Me She Was a Mime"
He was clueless about how annoying she was.
Al-bum: Bad Hair Day
Song: "Since You’ve Been Gone"
He is miserable... but it was worse with her.
Song: "I'm So Sick Of You"
She's repulsive and annoying and clueless.
Al-bum: Running With Scissors
Song: "My Baby's in Love with Eddie Vedder"
His girlfriend/wife is obsessed with an unobtainable other man.
THEN....***Al got married.***
Al-bum: Poodle Hat
Song: "Wanna B Ur Lovr"
He offers a series of horribly lame and tacky pick-up lines.
Al-bum: Straight Outta Lynwood
Song: "Confessions Part III"
He forgets her name, is an unhygenics, disgusting liar who confesses to cheating and making a child with his "skank".
Song: "Close but No Cigar"
He doesn't think any woman in the world good enough for him, so he stupidly rejects women who are both highly attractive and intelligent women.
Song: "Do I Creep You Out"
He's an obsessed stalker.
Al-bum: Alpocalypse
Song: "If That Isn't Love"
He's self-centered, inconsiderate, clueless, but thinks he's helpful and loving.
Bad Hair Day is my ultimate example, as there are two songs strongly and clearly about lousy women and none about the man being bad. Dare to be Stupid is a close second, but Bad Hair Day is much stronger in this regard. Other songs that depict the female partner in a negative light are: "Alimony", "She Drives Like Crazy" (and there’s no counterbalance on UHF), and "My Baby's in Love with Eddie Vedder".
Contrast Bad Hair Day with Straight Outta Lynwood, which has three songs about the male partner being horrible, but, none about a female partner. It is noteworthy that he gives tribute to his daughter on the cover.
Now, the anomalies or exceptions would be the first, eponymous Al-bum, and Polka Party!, each of which have the one song about the bad male with none about a bad female. Off the Deep End has two bad male songs to the one bad female song, but the bad female in that song is homicidal.
I consider "She Never Told Me She Was a Mime", the one love song on Alapalooza, a wash.
Notice that since he married, there hasn't been a single song on any of his three Al-bums in which the woman has a problem; only the male.
This could be because when Al was a longtime bachelor, he (and his buddies) dealt with a lot of bad dates or difficult women, and that changed when he married. Now, the woman he loves has probably told him about some of the horrible dates and men she dealt with over the years. And as a father to a daughter, he's no doubt thought of what social scene his daughter is facing in the future.
Fortunately, WAY's songs as funnier than ever.
If anyone wants to pay me to lecture about subjects like this, I'm definitely open to making money.
There I am, with Mrs. Yankovic.
Some common themes of Al's lyrics, either for the direct parodies or the originals, have been...
television (and now emerging communications technologies),
food/eating,
...and...
dating/love/attraction/relationships.
I perceive that there has been a change in that last theme since Al finally got married (to a very lovely woman) and became Daddy to a girl.
Recently (7/25/2011), the Grammy Museum hosted Yankovic for an interview, followed by Q & A, and my wife and I were blessed to attend. Although this wasn't the usual WAY public event (concert or al-bum signing), the typical Al crowd, albeit only 200 of us, was there: people of very shape, size, color, age, style, and I'd guess religion, too. I wanted to ask him a question I haven't heard him answer before, and I think I succeeded in asking him something he hadn't even considered before – whether or not he perceived a change in his lyrics since marrying.
At first, Al thought maybe I was accusing him of going soft, because he mentioned that he's always been fairly family-friendly. But that wasn't what I was talking about.
Here's what I perceive. Sometimes the female characters in his songs were the ones who were dysfunctional or horrible people, and sometimes the males were. Since getting married, it has only been the males.
Let's go chronologically through the relevant songs...
Al-bum: "Weird Al" Yankovic
Song: "Such a Groovy Guy"
The song is about a guy who thinks he's all that, and he treats women like crap.
Al-bum: "Weird Al" Yankovic in 3-D
Songs: None relevant.
Al-bum: Dare to be Stupid
Song: "One More Minute"
About all of the painful/irritating things he would rather do than spend one more minute with the woman who has dumped him.
Song: "Girls Just Want to Have Lunch"
Women want nothing other than men to treat them to lunch.
Al-bum: Polka Party!
Song: "Good Enough for Now"
He tells her that he's not all that into her, but he'll use her for now.
Al-bum: Even Worse
Song: "Melanie"
He's a delusional, rejected, suicidal peeping Tom and stalker.
Song: "Alimony"
She's taken everything and is bleeding him dry.
Al-bum: UHF – Original Motion Picture Soundtrack and Other Stuff
Song: "She Drives Like Crazy"
She's a very, very bad driver.
Al-bum: Off the Deep End
Song: "I Was Only Kidding"
His professions of commitment and love were lies, and he rubs it in her face, mocking her.
Song: "Airline Amy"
He's delusional and thinks he has a relationship with a flight attendant because she's doing her job.
Song: "You Don't Love Me Anymore"
Despite her repeated attempts to kill him, he thinks she loves him.
Al-bum: Alapalooza
Song: "She Never Told Me She Was a Mime"
He was clueless about how annoying she was.
Al-bum: Bad Hair Day
Song: "Since You’ve Been Gone"
He is miserable... but it was worse with her.
Song: "I'm So Sick Of You"
She's repulsive and annoying and clueless.
Al-bum: Running With Scissors
Song: "My Baby's in Love with Eddie Vedder"
His girlfriend/wife is obsessed with an unobtainable other man.
THEN....***Al got married.***
Al-bum: Poodle Hat
Song: "Wanna B Ur Lovr"
He offers a series of horribly lame and tacky pick-up lines.
Al-bum: Straight Outta Lynwood
Song: "Confessions Part III"
He forgets her name, is an unhygenics, disgusting liar who confesses to cheating and making a child with his "skank".
Song: "Close but No Cigar"
He doesn't think any woman in the world good enough for him, so he stupidly rejects women who are both highly attractive and intelligent women.
Song: "Do I Creep You Out"
He's an obsessed stalker.
Al-bum: Alpocalypse
Song: "If That Isn't Love"
He's self-centered, inconsiderate, clueless, but thinks he's helpful and loving.
Bad Hair Day is my ultimate example, as there are two songs strongly and clearly about lousy women and none about the man being bad. Dare to be Stupid is a close second, but Bad Hair Day is much stronger in this regard. Other songs that depict the female partner in a negative light are: "Alimony", "She Drives Like Crazy" (and there’s no counterbalance on UHF), and "My Baby's in Love with Eddie Vedder".
Contrast Bad Hair Day with Straight Outta Lynwood, which has three songs about the male partner being horrible, but, none about a female partner. It is noteworthy that he gives tribute to his daughter on the cover.
Now, the anomalies or exceptions would be the first, eponymous Al-bum, and Polka Party!, each of which have the one song about the bad male with none about a bad female. Off the Deep End has two bad male songs to the one bad female song, but the bad female in that song is homicidal.
I consider "She Never Told Me She Was a Mime", the one love song on Alapalooza, a wash.
Notice that since he married, there hasn't been a single song on any of his three Al-bums in which the woman has a problem; only the male.
This could be because when Al was a longtime bachelor, he (and his buddies) dealt with a lot of bad dates or difficult women, and that changed when he married. Now, the woman he loves has probably told him about some of the horrible dates and men she dealt with over the years. And as a father to a daughter, he's no doubt thought of what social scene his daughter is facing in the future.
Fortunately, WAY's songs as funnier than ever.
If anyone wants to pay me to lecture about subjects like this, I'm definitely open to making money.
Sunday, June 12, 2011
Dropping Someone Off at Disneyland
I am going to note again that this disclaimer applies to things written on this blog.
Once upon a time, Disneyland (Anaheim, California) had this big, flat parking lot in front of the theme park entrance. If you were spending the day there, this is where you would park (presuming you drove there). If you were dealing with a disability, you were able to park right there in front of the entrance of the park. If you were just coming in to buy tickets or something at the outside souvenir counter, you could come it and use the 15 (10?) minute parking without paying. Same thing applied if you were dropping someone off or picking them up.
It was very convenient.
But in order to expand Disneyand from a park/hotel into a... ***RESORT*** ...the parking lot had to go. It was repelaced with Disney's California Adventure, a theme park themed around California, which is now Disney California Adventure, a theme park themed around... Disney... stuff. Also, there's the (Disney's or Disney... not sure anymore) Grand Californian Hotel/Resort/Spa/Whatever and Downtown Disney, which has shops and restaurants and live performers... like the theme parks do... but it doesn't have rides or the admission prices.
A large parking structure and several outlying parking lots have replaced the Giant All Inclusive Parking Lot (where many Disney cast members parked, too).
Now, if you're just dropping someone off or picking them up, you are presumably supposed to use the 15 Minute Parking Lot located along Harbor Boulevard, near where the entrance of the Giant All Inclusive Parking Lot used to be.
But there's a problem.
At least as half of the instances I have tried to use that lot, it has been closed off with orange cones. It wasn't closed for the day... as evidenced by the vehicles already parked there. But it was closed at the moment in time I was able to pass by in the thick Harbor Boulevard mix of vehicle and pedestrian traffic. This means I (and anyone in the vehicle with me) wasted time, gas, added to our carbon footprints, and added to Anaheim Resort area traffic... needlessly.
My guess is that the lot is temporarily closed so as to note which cars are still there fifteen minutes after it was closed, so those vehicles can be issued tickets.
I can't be sure, though, because apparently nobody is responsbile for the parking lot. I had long presumed Disney owned it. But Anaheim officers (police?) will be standing in there during the closures. When I've asked them, they have said it is Disney's responsibility... even though they are standing there... in unform. When I've asked Disneyland Guest Relations, I have been told it is the City of Anaheim's.
Ooookay...
I guess that means nobody owns the lot. Which would make it a great place for Disney enthusiasts to set up tents and squat, or maybe build a house. Or protest something or other, or advertise for a nearby gentleman's club. Bet you'd find out who owns the lot if you did any of those things!
This brings me to my ultimate point: Pretend that the lot doesn't exist.
If you are dropping someone off at the Resort, or picking someone up, I recommend clogging up the entrances to any of Disney's three hotels, the closest (and most expensive) being the Grand Californian. When you are approached by a friendly, helpful cast member (they are still Disney cast members, right? Or has that been outsourced), just let them know you are dropping someone off or picking them up. If they ask if you're checking in, say, "Not right now." It is the truth. If they notice you doing this on a regular basis, and ask you about it (has yet to happen to me), and they recommend the 15 Minute Lot, nod, don't argue. They don't make the rules, after all. Nod, and keep doing the same thing over and over again. Because if Disney really wanted people to use the 15 Minute Lot, they'd keep it open. They don't need to close it to do enforcement of the parking. I can think of three different ways to enforce the 15-minute limit off of the top of my head that have to be no more expensive than using a uniformed Anaheim officer.
You can also use Downtown Disney parking for dropping people off or picking people up, clogging those lots up and taking up cast member time, but the Grand Californian is closer, and a nicer atmosphere.
I'm not bothering to write directly to Disneyland about this. I know from past experience that if I rant about something online, enough people in power there will read it. Maybe Disneyland Resort Transportation and Parking is actually responsible for the 15 Minute Parking Lot, and maybe they will change tactics. Or give me a real explanation. I wouldn't be bothered as much about this whole thing if Disneyland was typically a poorly run operation. But it is usually a very well designed and operated place, and I like the Anaheim Resort upgrade in general. That's one reason why this matter irks me so much. It is an annoying, ugly blemish on an otherwise beautiful masterpiece. It shouldn't be an ordeal to drop someone off there, or pick someone up.
Once upon a time, Disneyland (Anaheim, California) had this big, flat parking lot in front of the theme park entrance. If you were spending the day there, this is where you would park (presuming you drove there). If you were dealing with a disability, you were able to park right there in front of the entrance of the park. If you were just coming in to buy tickets or something at the outside souvenir counter, you could come it and use the 15 (10?) minute parking without paying. Same thing applied if you were dropping someone off or picking them up.
It was very convenient.
But in order to expand Disneyand from a park/hotel into a... ***RESORT*** ...the parking lot had to go. It was repelaced with Disney's California Adventure, a theme park themed around California, which is now Disney California Adventure, a theme park themed around... Disney... stuff. Also, there's the (Disney's or Disney... not sure anymore) Grand Californian Hotel/Resort/Spa/Whatever and Downtown Disney, which has shops and restaurants and live performers... like the theme parks do... but it doesn't have rides or the admission prices.
A large parking structure and several outlying parking lots have replaced the Giant All Inclusive Parking Lot (where many Disney cast members parked, too).
Now, if you're just dropping someone off or picking them up, you are presumably supposed to use the 15 Minute Parking Lot located along Harbor Boulevard, near where the entrance of the Giant All Inclusive Parking Lot used to be.
But there's a problem.
At least as half of the instances I have tried to use that lot, it has been closed off with orange cones. It wasn't closed for the day... as evidenced by the vehicles already parked there. But it was closed at the moment in time I was able to pass by in the thick Harbor Boulevard mix of vehicle and pedestrian traffic. This means I (and anyone in the vehicle with me) wasted time, gas, added to our carbon footprints, and added to Anaheim Resort area traffic... needlessly.
My guess is that the lot is temporarily closed so as to note which cars are still there fifteen minutes after it was closed, so those vehicles can be issued tickets.
I can't be sure, though, because apparently nobody is responsbile for the parking lot. I had long presumed Disney owned it. But Anaheim officers (police?) will be standing in there during the closures. When I've asked them, they have said it is Disney's responsibility... even though they are standing there... in unform. When I've asked Disneyland Guest Relations, I have been told it is the City of Anaheim's.
Ooookay...
I guess that means nobody owns the lot. Which would make it a great place for Disney enthusiasts to set up tents and squat, or maybe build a house. Or protest something or other, or advertise for a nearby gentleman's club. Bet you'd find out who owns the lot if you did any of those things!
This brings me to my ultimate point: Pretend that the lot doesn't exist.
If you are dropping someone off at the Resort, or picking someone up, I recommend clogging up the entrances to any of Disney's three hotels, the closest (and most expensive) being the Grand Californian. When you are approached by a friendly, helpful cast member (they are still Disney cast members, right? Or has that been outsourced), just let them know you are dropping someone off or picking them up. If they ask if you're checking in, say, "Not right now." It is the truth. If they notice you doing this on a regular basis, and ask you about it (has yet to happen to me), and they recommend the 15 Minute Lot, nod, don't argue. They don't make the rules, after all. Nod, and keep doing the same thing over and over again. Because if Disney really wanted people to use the 15 Minute Lot, they'd keep it open. They don't need to close it to do enforcement of the parking. I can think of three different ways to enforce the 15-minute limit off of the top of my head that have to be no more expensive than using a uniformed Anaheim officer.
You can also use Downtown Disney parking for dropping people off or picking people up, clogging those lots up and taking up cast member time, but the Grand Californian is closer, and a nicer atmosphere.
I'm not bothering to write directly to Disneyland about this. I know from past experience that if I rant about something online, enough people in power there will read it. Maybe Disneyland Resort Transportation and Parking is actually responsible for the 15 Minute Parking Lot, and maybe they will change tactics. Or give me a real explanation. I wouldn't be bothered as much about this whole thing if Disneyland was typically a poorly run operation. But it is usually a very well designed and operated place, and I like the Anaheim Resort upgrade in general. That's one reason why this matter irks me so much. It is an annoying, ugly blemish on an otherwise beautiful masterpiece. It shouldn't be an ordeal to drop someone off there, or pick someone up.
Wednesday, November 03, 2010
Observations of a First-Time Pollworker
Several years ago, the County of Los Angeles decided to boost the number of people willing to volunteer as pollworkers by 1) letting County employees who are also registered California voters (regardless of where they are registered) serve as pollworkers in Los Angeles without taking personal time from their jobs, and 2) promoting said program. I was at Public Works when that began, and promoting and tracking Public Works employee participation of this program was assigned to me. I had that as one of my responsibilities until I took a promotion to come to Department of Agricultural Commissioner/Weights and Measures, but I'd never served as a pollworker.
I've been a registered voter in Orange County for quite some time, and have been a permanent vote-by-mail voter for a couple of years now, so my experience with voting at the polls in Los Angeles is a distant and outdated memory.
This time around, my boss encouraged me to volunteer, and I did. I attended a two-hour training session on a day off (pollworkers get some compensation for attending training), and I served all day at a polling place within Los Angeles County yesterday.
It's a long day. We were told to arrive by 6 a.m. to set up, as the polls opened at 7 a.m. I was slightly early, but so were others, so we were able to begin setting up. I was given a 1-hour lunch break, but I decided to return after 30 minutes away. The polls closed at 8 p.m. and then after taking everything down and doing the ballot organization procedures, I was released a little after 9 p.m. There were a few voters who thanked us for volunteering, and that was a nice touch.
We were a "Neighborhood Voting Center", meaning we had three precinct polling places in one room. All three had their own check-in tables, ballots, polling tables/stands, and ballot box. Fortunately, I was teamed with three women who were longtime veterans of pollworking and lived in the local neighborhood.
I was mostly dealing with the address list, which had the names and addresses and party affiliation of each voter registered in that precinct, listed by address. It was my job to keep copies of the list updated with who had voted, and keep a copy tacked to the wall for anyone to check. I also, at times, handled the alphabetical list where people were asked to sign their signature, and a bit of handing out ballots, and answered a lot of questions. Every vote – absentee, vote by mail, provisional, whatever - in Los Angeles County gets counted, even if the races are decided because there aren't enough ballots left to make a difference in the outcome.
Los Angeles County uses an inking system. The ballots are sent through a machine before they are dropped into the box to 1) count the number of ballots and 2) check for "overvotes" and other errors on each ballot – according to the election officials, the machines DO NOT count actual votes, as in tallying how many people are voting "YES" vs."NO". Someone who has overvoted or had some other error who doesn't want to fill out another ballot is allowed to deposit their ballot anyway – the pollworker simply overrides the machine, and ballots such as the provisionals can be slipped in the box without going through the machine.
Here are some observations:
1. If the votes really aren't being tallied by the machines, then most votes are not even arriving to where they ARE tallied until 9:30 p.m. or later, and THEN they have to be removed from the sealed containers and tallied. So when outcomes are announced at 8 p.m. or even 10 p.m., those announcements are based almost entirely on previous polling and exit polling. Some early voting might be part of that, but how many people really go vote early using one of the electronic machines? Our ballots were not sent in throughout the day. All of them were turned in together at 9:30 p.m. or later. That is standard.
2. I.D. is almost never required. Anyone can come in and claim to be one of the people on our list and vote. Yes, they'd be breaking the law, but how will anyone know?
3. I was told by more than one person that two of the people on the list were really one person – themselves. For example, Jim Smith at 123 Main Street and James Q. Smith at 123 Main Street. Jim could have easily brought along someone else and claimed that James was his son. Or, Jim could have come back later and voted as James.
4.Voters also told me that there were people on the list at their address who have moved away or never lived at their address in the first place. Those people, or someone pretending to be them, could have come in and voted.
5. Given observations 2-4, why is it standard to post the updated name and address list? I know it aids those who want to check to see who has not voted yet and call people to get out the vote, but why should election officials care about helping partisans in that way? Seems to me that fraud prevention would be more important. Wouldn't it?
6. There was at least one instance where I’m almost positive someone committed voter fraud. A distinctively dressed young man came in to vote, and noted his sister listed just after his name, and asked if she would be able to vote, given that she was in another city that day – a city that was sufficiently far away that it would take hours for her to come back. I explained what her voting options had been. I thought maybe she was a student attending college in this other city, or something like that. No, she was only there for a week. The young man voted, and maybe an hour later, he returned with his “sister”, who voted as his sister. I wasn't the only pollworker at our precinct who noticed this. If there was a way we were allowed to challenge this, we were unaware.
7. Despite this, and the long hours, overall, I enjoyed the experience. But then I'm the kind of guy who was happy to see people voting, even if I could tell from their party affiliation that they were likely voting in opposition to the votes I’d made. I believe in having a democratic republic, which means that people who disagree with me have just as much right to vote and just as much of a vote as I do.
8. Single people who want to get married and are politically active should consider volunteering as pollworkers. Why? They can ask to be placed in their own neighborhoods and they might meet someone who lives close to them who they don't bump into during their daily routines. They'll already know the person votes, and they can see their party affiliation (if that is important). Or, ask to be placed in a more upscale neighborhood, where sometimes it is hard to find enough pollworkers. You just might marry up!
It was a tiring day, and a disruption of my weekly routines. But unless the way we vote is radically changed, volunteers are needed, and I'm glad I was able to do my part to continue our democratic republic.
I've been a registered voter in Orange County for quite some time, and have been a permanent vote-by-mail voter for a couple of years now, so my experience with voting at the polls in Los Angeles is a distant and outdated memory.
This time around, my boss encouraged me to volunteer, and I did. I attended a two-hour training session on a day off (pollworkers get some compensation for attending training), and I served all day at a polling place within Los Angeles County yesterday.
It's a long day. We were told to arrive by 6 a.m. to set up, as the polls opened at 7 a.m. I was slightly early, but so were others, so we were able to begin setting up. I was given a 1-hour lunch break, but I decided to return after 30 minutes away. The polls closed at 8 p.m. and then after taking everything down and doing the ballot organization procedures, I was released a little after 9 p.m. There were a few voters who thanked us for volunteering, and that was a nice touch.
We were a "Neighborhood Voting Center", meaning we had three precinct polling places in one room. All three had their own check-in tables, ballots, polling tables/stands, and ballot box. Fortunately, I was teamed with three women who were longtime veterans of pollworking and lived in the local neighborhood.
I was mostly dealing with the address list, which had the names and addresses and party affiliation of each voter registered in that precinct, listed by address. It was my job to keep copies of the list updated with who had voted, and keep a copy tacked to the wall for anyone to check. I also, at times, handled the alphabetical list where people were asked to sign their signature, and a bit of handing out ballots, and answered a lot of questions. Every vote – absentee, vote by mail, provisional, whatever - in Los Angeles County gets counted, even if the races are decided because there aren't enough ballots left to make a difference in the outcome.
Los Angeles County uses an inking system. The ballots are sent through a machine before they are dropped into the box to 1) count the number of ballots and 2) check for "overvotes" and other errors on each ballot – according to the election officials, the machines DO NOT count actual votes, as in tallying how many people are voting "YES" vs."NO". Someone who has overvoted or had some other error who doesn't want to fill out another ballot is allowed to deposit their ballot anyway – the pollworker simply overrides the machine, and ballots such as the provisionals can be slipped in the box without going through the machine.
Here are some observations:
1. If the votes really aren't being tallied by the machines, then most votes are not even arriving to where they ARE tallied until 9:30 p.m. or later, and THEN they have to be removed from the sealed containers and tallied. So when outcomes are announced at 8 p.m. or even 10 p.m., those announcements are based almost entirely on previous polling and exit polling. Some early voting might be part of that, but how many people really go vote early using one of the electronic machines? Our ballots were not sent in throughout the day. All of them were turned in together at 9:30 p.m. or later. That is standard.
2. I.D. is almost never required. Anyone can come in and claim to be one of the people on our list and vote. Yes, they'd be breaking the law, but how will anyone know?
3. I was told by more than one person that two of the people on the list were really one person – themselves. For example, Jim Smith at 123 Main Street and James Q. Smith at 123 Main Street. Jim could have easily brought along someone else and claimed that James was his son. Or, Jim could have come back later and voted as James.
4.Voters also told me that there were people on the list at their address who have moved away or never lived at their address in the first place. Those people, or someone pretending to be them, could have come in and voted.
5. Given observations 2-4, why is it standard to post the updated name and address list? I know it aids those who want to check to see who has not voted yet and call people to get out the vote, but why should election officials care about helping partisans in that way? Seems to me that fraud prevention would be more important. Wouldn't it?
6. There was at least one instance where I’m almost positive someone committed voter fraud. A distinctively dressed young man came in to vote, and noted his sister listed just after his name, and asked if she would be able to vote, given that she was in another city that day – a city that was sufficiently far away that it would take hours for her to come back. I explained what her voting options had been. I thought maybe she was a student attending college in this other city, or something like that. No, she was only there for a week. The young man voted, and maybe an hour later, he returned with his “sister”, who voted as his sister. I wasn't the only pollworker at our precinct who noticed this. If there was a way we were allowed to challenge this, we were unaware.
7. Despite this, and the long hours, overall, I enjoyed the experience. But then I'm the kind of guy who was happy to see people voting, even if I could tell from their party affiliation that they were likely voting in opposition to the votes I’d made. I believe in having a democratic republic, which means that people who disagree with me have just as much right to vote and just as much of a vote as I do.
8. Single people who want to get married and are politically active should consider volunteering as pollworkers. Why? They can ask to be placed in their own neighborhoods and they might meet someone who lives close to them who they don't bump into during their daily routines. They'll already know the person votes, and they can see their party affiliation (if that is important). Or, ask to be placed in a more upscale neighborhood, where sometimes it is hard to find enough pollworkers. You just might marry up!
It was a tiring day, and a disruption of my weekly routines. But unless the way we vote is radically changed, volunteers are needed, and I'm glad I was able to do my part to continue our democratic republic.
Friday, August 20, 2010
In Memoriam
I noticed that the booklet for her memorial service listed the date of her death, and her birthday, but not the year of her birth. That was so Aunt Vicky. Very few people knew exactly how old she was, and that was the way she liked it. She even argued with paramedics who came to her home, not wanting to reveal her age. There are sources, including some “official” sources that got the year of her birth wrong.
Having a ceremony for the recently deceased is a unique rite in that the celebrated isn’t alive, and none of those who are present have had one of these rites in their honor; none of them have died. But every single one of of them will - barring anything of Biblical proportions happening. The same can’t be said of retirement parties, weddings, graduations, birthdays, or any other religious ceremony.
Aunt Vicky hated to be thought of as a grandmother. She was “Aunt” Vicky to quite a number of people of a wide range in ages. However, she did marry a grandfather, and thus became a grandmother. And even before that, she was like a grandmother to various kids, including me and my siblings. Heck, one of my sisters was named after her.
She was supposed to die two years ago.
That’s what the doctors said. She was in the hospital and it wasn’t looking good. They wanted to do a tracheotomy. It was time for the Last Rites.
But she made it out of the hospital. Without a hole in her neck.
And then there were other times it looked like the end would come any day. But she always managed to recover enough to make it clear she could be around for a lot longer. It was quite remarkable, and we joked that she would outlive us all. Unfortunately, recovering somewhat also allowed her to do things like fall down – something that can’t happen when you’re in bed, not moving.
And so the sharp downs and gentle ups that never quite got her back to where she was before the downturn finally came to an end on June 8.
Until that end, she kept up her appearance. That was the way she was.
On Friday, July 23, there was a church service for her that brought together family and friends. I was honored to be one of three “family” members who people who spoke about her. Her brother spoke, and another “nephew” from my generation spoke.
Afterwards, we gathered for a luncheon in her honor at the California Institute of Technology.
Aunt Vicky was one of those women who could tell a quite a story,and carry on a conversation about almost anything. She could make her opinions about everything very clear – from the state of the economy, to food at a restaurant, to how that other person was driving, to your weight and how it was going to kill you, to what you were wearing. She also wouldn’t discourage you from erroneously assuming she was a member of your ethnic group. She might even encourage that belief by drawing upon some of her vast knowledge of different customs.
She was one of those women who shattered glass ceilings, opening the way for women to follow. She did that at General Motors until she was recruited to come to NASA’s JPL in Pasadena, where she served on a committee that sought to reach out and recruit women and minorities.
When I came along, she was joined at the hip to my mother’s uncle. That’s how she became my Aunt, even though they didn’t make it official for many years. They would come to family dinners at our house, and have us over to their separate homes.
Aunt Vicky would even have me and my second cousin/best-friend/partner-in-mischief/younger-by-mere-weeks Shannon spend nights at her place and leave a pile of dirt in her bathtub after a day of playing. We couldn’t have been more than nine or ten when she had us dress up with jackets and ties and she took us to some fine dining lunch at what was then the Huntington Hotel. She wanted to show us how to do this as proper gentlemen, so she had us be the ones to approach the maitre d’. She ordered a hamburger and ate it with a knife and fork, though she didn’t allow us to order burgers.
A picture she took of us on that day is one my most treasured possessions, as Shannon was tragically killed not long after that, along with his maternal grandfather and only maternal uncle, when their small plane crashed in the Canadian wilderness.
With the passing of Aunt Vicky, all of my grandparents, both actual and honorary, are gone. It is the end of an era in my life. I miss them all. And I miss Aunt Vicky’s rice pilaf.
Sunday, July 18, 2010
I Was Quoted About Insect Traps
Stephanie Walton of the Daily Breeze consistently gets things quickly, and gets them right - at least, whenever I've talked with her seen her print something with which I have been involved. She writes answers to "Ask Us" submissions made by the paper's readers. I used to get calls from Ms. Walton when I was at Public Works, and I get them from her now, too.
This time, the question was about possible insect traps someone was seeing around Torrance. One kind of trap spotted sound like ones used for trapping Asian Citrus Psyllid.
This time, the question was about possible insect traps someone was seeing around Torrance. One kind of trap spotted sound like ones used for trapping Asian Citrus Psyllid.
That pest now has been found in dozens of cities in the county, said Ken Pellman, public information officer for the county's Department of Agricultural Commissioner/Weights & Measures. The disease the species can transmit, Huanglongbing (HLB), which kills citrus trees, has not been detected in trapped specimens in the state, Pellman said.I try to let people know what they can do, especially when an ounce of prevention is better than many pounds of cure. The Daily Breeze coverage area rangs from LAX to the ports, which means the area that will often get hit first with an infestation.
"We really need the help of your readers in preventing infestations of destructive exotic pests," Pellman said.Don't bug California!
"Fruits, vegetables and other plant materials that come from outside of California may bring with them pests - such as insects, diseases and weeds - that don't belong in California. Those things are problems because they kill or harm native species, damage buildings, destroy landscaping and home-grown fruits and vegetables, and add extra costs to California's agriculture industry - costs that will get passed along to consumers."
Wednesday, July 14, 2010
It’s Alive and Oozing From the Vault
The legends are true. Footage exists of some of the first projects of award-winning international independent experimental filmmakers Francisco Matamala and Ken Pellman.
Back in the tumultuous, war-torn days of the later mid 1980s, living along the tough streets of South Pasadena, California (the “free love” capital of the world) were two demented junior high school kids looking for a way out so they would no longer be constantly chased from Huntington Drive to the Rialto to Garfield Park by their hundreds of crazed (but hot) groupies. Pellman, the American-born aquatician, and Francisco Matamala, the Chilean-born genius, joined forces to take stop-motion animation to the next level.
Unfortunately, all they unleashed on the world was an film-based expression of something they called “Goremation”, which is certainly not to be confused with “Claymation” or a Presidential bid or climate change documentary.
Together, they wrote, produced, and directed the astonishingly well-titled silent motion picture “Laserfight”, a film about a treasure-seeking space traveler on a strange, hostile world full of peril: a rival, rough terrain, and a hyperactive food chain system where every single living organism apparently must constantly be moving and eating.
SEE LASER GUN FIGHTS!
SEE LIGHT SABERS – UH, I MEAN LASER SWORDS – IN ACTION!
SEE LOTS OF STRANGE ORGANISMS BEING BRUTALLY DISMEMBERED!
SEE… BLURRY SHOTS CAUSED BY POOR FOCUSING!
Amazingly, Matamala and Pellman did all of the lighting, choreography, cinematography, character design, animation, and special effects themselves.
Encouraged by loud audience reactions and awards, Matamala and Pellman both agreed to make a sequel. Oddly enough, it was titled “Laserfight II” The extreme demands of making the more advanced sequel required a third creative force: Todd Yamanaka. Together, the three wrote, produced, directed the grueling project, again taking on the lighting, choreography, cinematography, character design, animation, and special effects.
Now, after years of anticipation and public demand and intense negotiations with major Hollywood studios, both projects are being released for the first time on home video DVD.
…
Well, sort of. Much to the disappointment of Matamala, Pellman, and Yamanaka and legions of fans, the second half of the sequel never returned to the team after it was sent out for developing. You see, back in those days, video and digital technology in public schools was somewhat limited. So these motion pictures were shot on 8 millimeter analog chemical film, the kind that has to be sent somewhere to be developed, and the kind that deteriorates day by day. Matamala was especially hard hit by obvious conspiracy to steal the second half of the sequel – he never got over it, and about five or six years later he fled in dispair to his native Chile, where he threw himself into his work and was consoled by marrying a really hot wife and making adorable babies. Pellman likewise consoled himself by marrying a really hot wife and making adorable babies, but he only fled as far as Anaheim.
The entire first motion picture and what was returned of the second motion picture have been kept hidden deep in the vaults of the Pellman Archives for all of these years until very recently being exhumed for the purposes of being subjected to transfer to DVD.
…
The result was both better than I expected in parts and worse than I expected in other parts.
First, there’s the source material. Since we couldn’t watch the film until it had been developed and returned, we were unaware how much of the original movie had focus issues until it had been wrapped (I think I was not yet fully aware of my growing nearsightedness). We took greater care with the second production.
But speaking of the second motion picture, what we have of it was placed first on the DVD, and then the title footage from the first film was not included (perhaps it had deteriorated too much) and so the DVD watched straight through starts off with the first part of the sequel, never gets to the second part of the sequel (since we don’t have it), and then goes straight on to the entire first motion picture without any delineation. Eat your heart out, Christopher Nolan.
Other notes…
While making the first film, we pretty much were forced to change shots for each new day of filming, because the sets and characters were subject to vandalism and the equipment had to be moved. For the sequel, we were given our own tiny locked room because we were some of the few people who were actually serious about using class time to make a movie. (The instructor, who had impressive connections in the filmmaking world that she sometimes would bring in to class, wasn’t known for being a hard grader or a strict disciplinarian.)
We sculpted characters as we were inspired. We set about filming with a loose idea of what we wanted to do, and we would constantly brainstorm along the way. Two great characters that were in the lost second half of the sequel were a ninja-like opponent and a gigantic lizard. It is a shame they didn’t end up in the theatrical release or the DVD.
Finally, keep in mind that we were demented junior high school kids.
FOR A LIMITED TIME, you can view how the DVD transfer ended up by CLICKING HERE.
On the left, click on "Goremation".
You will be "treated" to the "highlights”. To see the whole thing, click on the tab that says "Entire YesDVD Video". There is no sound. Many blocks of clay died to bring you this.
If you order copies, I do not get residuals.
Saturday, June 12, 2010
Coyotes in Ventura County
One of the things my Department - Agricultural Commissioner/Weights and Measures - handles is protecting people from aggressive coyotes. However, we only do it unincorporated areas of Los Angeles County and with cities that contract with us. Currently, all of those cities are in Los Angeles County. But I spoke with Nancy Needham about coyotes within a Ventura County neighborhood, and so I was quoted in this story.
The L.A. County Agricultural Commission has a coyote removal program that uses snares to catch the coyote, which is then euthanized. It’s against the law to relocate coyotes, said Ken Pellman, spokesperson for the county agricultural commission.Just for the record, the name of the Department is Commissioner, not Commission. The head of the Department is the Agricultural Commissioner for the county. We're not run on a day-to-day basis by a commission.
"We need coyotes. They perform a service. They keep rodent populations in check," Pellman said.I was speaking more about infants and toddlers when I gave this crackerjack parenting advice...
Many people love coyotes and are quick to point out the animals were here before we were, he said.
But the wily critters are not a protected species. Although coyotes cannot legally be caught with leg traps or killed with certain poisons, Pellman said, the humane extermination of coyotes is as legal as getting rid of rats.
He said coyotes that roam neighborhoods during the day and take pets out of backyards when people are present are a problem.
"They show aggression when they do not stay away from people. They become a danger when they are not afraid of people," Pellman said.
"Children should always be watched. A child should never be left alone where coyotes have been trained to get food from people," Pellman said.Ah, the circle of life.
Saturday, December 12, 2009
The Wild Life
I have neglected this blog. I've been a little busy. You can find my daily updates on Facebook. Figured now was as good of a time as any to update this blog, since I am quoted in today's Daily News in Troy Anderson's article. It is a story about how residents can protect themselves from wild animals (coyotes, bears, etc.)
You are warned.Residents in the foothills and near the burn areas need to be cautious about wild animals displaced by the Station Fire and subsequent debris flows, said Los Angeles County Agricultural Commissioner's Office spokesman Ken Pellman.
He suggested residents keep a close eye on small children and avoid jogging or hiking near wildlife areas when animals are most active - dusk, nighttime and dawn.
"We want people to know the No. 1 way they can protect themselves is not to leave anything that could be considered food outside - whether that's food or pets," Pellman said. "People should keep their garbage cans tightly sealed and if they see a wild animal not to approach it, especially bear cubs."
Monday, August 03, 2009
Wednesday, July 15, 2009
Splash Mountain is 20, My Farewell to Bruce Gordon
My latest column is now online at LaughingPlace.com. Splash Mountain at Disneyland is turning 20. I discuss the history of the attraction and write my farewell to the late Show Producer of the attraction, Bruce Gordon. He was a hero of mine.
Sunday, May 24, 2009
Terminator Salvation
[UPDATED] Kori and I saw "Terminator Salvation" on Friday, thanks to her sister and brother-in-law watching Keelie. We get out to see movies so rarely these days.
I liked "The Terminator", I liked "Terminator 2: Judgment Day" a lot (first film I saw at the Big Newport), and I thought theme park attraction "Terminator 2:3D Battle Across Time" was awesome (but in all fairness I did know one of the main creative forces behind it an I was interning for a company that was involved).
Here's a little of what I wrote about "Terminator 3: Rise of the Machines"...
I ended my review of T3 with this:
And now we have "Terminator Salvation" (TS) with a different director (McG) and the same writers as T3, and still another John Connor (Christian Bale), Bryce Dallas Howard as his wife (instead of Claire Danes), no Dr. Silberman cameo (sorry!), and no Schwarzenegger (though we get a brief digital depiction of his character), who is busy trying to figure out how to prevent California from falling to pieces.
We get to see Kyle Reese again, albeit younger than he was in the original film.
Hey, and Danny Elfman is doing the music!
Anyway, T3 was rated "R" (violence), TS is rated "PG-13". Unlike all of the previous material, which mostly takes place in the audience's times, this film has no time travelers and takes place almost entirely in the future after Judgment Day - or the day the nukes were launched by self-aware machines in an attempt to crush humanity. As such, the film has a very different feel than all of the previous material.
It wasn't a good sign that days before TS was released, Fox announced that The Sarah Connor Chronicles wasn't returning. Presumably, the people making that decision had seen TS, and I would imagine if they liked what they saw, the TV series would have been kept. Or maybe I am overestimating TV network programmers.
All of the media I mention above is the extent of my Terminator knowledge. I have not read/played/seen anything else, like novelizations, games, comic books, etc. So perhaps some of my questions would have been answered if I had. Like... why doesn't Skynet send a really, really, really advanced Terminator (or heck, just a nuke) back in time to kill John's mother, Sarah Connor, when she is, oh, seven years old or so? Or heck, just push her mother down the stairs when she is pregnant with Sarah. Presumably everything hinges on John Connor being conceived, growing up, and leading a human resistance movement against the machines. However, Skynet always seems to find a way to launch Judgment Day no matter how many times the Connors and their friends change things. Are we to believe the human resistance would not also find a way? Maybe that will be addressed in any future films – if they can get greenlit. Ah, time travel always presents thorny issues, now doesn’t it? Just ask The Other Marty McFly. You are missed, Bruce!
TS gets into some issues about the nature of consciousness, and what it means to be human vs. what it means to be a machine. Only barely.
We finally get to see John Connor in action as an adult. But the more interesting character is Sam Worthington's Marcus Right, whose status as the film opens is the only reason the ending makes any sense. Early on, the film alludes to some people thinking John Connor is a prophet. Although he does have loyal "followers", he's not officially in leadership of the human resistance, as implied by the previous films - I'm assuming the events of this film are meant to explain how John gets to that position. The "prophet" aspect barely comes into play, which is a shame, because it could have been a very interesting angle on the sociology of the human survivors and factioning of the resistance.
Much like T3, if you like films with action, futuristic warfare, and things blowing up, this film certainly has those things (as my son, still in the womb of his hyperreactive mother knows), but it just doesn't have the punch that came with T2. There are some great special effects and other cool things the creative types came up with. You'll enjoy the film even more if you've never seen "Total Recall", ...and that’s all I have to say about that.
Unfortunately, Cindy hasn't posted a review of this film as of this writing, so I can't link to her review, which I'm sure would/will be great and say it all much better. UPDATE: Cindy has indeed posted a review, this time on her blog. Click here, but be warned... it contains spoilers.
Pellman's Bottom Line(TM): Machines Fighting! Explosions! Car Chases! Post-Apocalyptic America Without Jokey References to Current Events!
Pellman's Rating: 2.5 Brooms(TM) out of 4
Pellman's Suggestion (Theater or Home Viewing)(TM): Theater! – That is, if you really care to see it at all.
Official Website
http://terminatorsalvation.warnerbros.com/
I liked "The Terminator", I liked "Terminator 2: Judgment Day" a lot (first film I saw at the Big Newport), and I thought theme park attraction "Terminator 2:3D Battle Across Time" was awesome (but in all fairness I did know one of the main creative forces behind it an I was interning for a company that was involved).
Here's a little of what I wrote about "Terminator 3: Rise of the Machines"...
The film delivers what it promises, though it is no great leap forward like "Judgment Day" was.I ended up referring readers of my e-mail review to a review by someone I know, who had pretty much said what I had to say.
I ended my review of T3 with this:
Pellman's Bottom Line(TM): Machines Fighting! Explosions! Car chases! Jokes!The Fox Network recently ran two seasons of The Sarah Connor Chronicles, which takes place after the events in T2 and goes in a different direction than T3 (hey, with time travel, anything is excusable).
Pellman's Rating: 3 Brooms(TM) out of 4
Pellman's Suggestion (Theater or Home Viewing)(TM): Theater!
And now we have "Terminator Salvation" (TS) with a different director (McG) and the same writers as T3, and still another John Connor (Christian Bale), Bryce Dallas Howard as his wife (instead of Claire Danes), no Dr. Silberman cameo (sorry!), and no Schwarzenegger (though we get a brief digital depiction of his character), who is busy trying to figure out how to prevent California from falling to pieces.
We get to see Kyle Reese again, albeit younger than he was in the original film.
Hey, and Danny Elfman is doing the music!
Anyway, T3 was rated "R" (violence), TS is rated "PG-13". Unlike all of the previous material, which mostly takes place in the audience's times, this film has no time travelers and takes place almost entirely in the future after Judgment Day - or the day the nukes were launched by self-aware machines in an attempt to crush humanity. As such, the film has a very different feel than all of the previous material.
It wasn't a good sign that days before TS was released, Fox announced that The Sarah Connor Chronicles wasn't returning. Presumably, the people making that decision had seen TS, and I would imagine if they liked what they saw, the TV series would have been kept. Or maybe I am overestimating TV network programmers.
All of the media I mention above is the extent of my Terminator knowledge. I have not read/played/seen anything else, like novelizations, games, comic books, etc. So perhaps some of my questions would have been answered if I had. Like... why doesn't Skynet send a really, really, really advanced Terminator (or heck, just a nuke) back in time to kill John's mother, Sarah Connor, when she is, oh, seven years old or so? Or heck, just push her mother down the stairs when she is pregnant with Sarah. Presumably everything hinges on John Connor being conceived, growing up, and leading a human resistance movement against the machines. However, Skynet always seems to find a way to launch Judgment Day no matter how many times the Connors and their friends change things. Are we to believe the human resistance would not also find a way? Maybe that will be addressed in any future films – if they can get greenlit. Ah, time travel always presents thorny issues, now doesn’t it? Just ask The Other Marty McFly. You are missed, Bruce!
TS gets into some issues about the nature of consciousness, and what it means to be human vs. what it means to be a machine. Only barely.
We finally get to see John Connor in action as an adult. But the more interesting character is Sam Worthington's Marcus Right, whose status as the film opens is the only reason the ending makes any sense. Early on, the film alludes to some people thinking John Connor is a prophet. Although he does have loyal "followers", he's not officially in leadership of the human resistance, as implied by the previous films - I'm assuming the events of this film are meant to explain how John gets to that position. The "prophet" aspect barely comes into play, which is a shame, because it could have been a very interesting angle on the sociology of the human survivors and factioning of the resistance.
Much like T3, if you like films with action, futuristic warfare, and things blowing up, this film certainly has those things (as my son, still in the womb of his hyperreactive mother knows), but it just doesn't have the punch that came with T2. There are some great special effects and other cool things the creative types came up with. You'll enjoy the film even more if you've never seen "Total Recall", ...and that’s all I have to say about that.
Unfortunately, Cindy hasn't posted a review of this film as of this writing, so I can't link to her review, which I'm sure would/will be great and say it all much better. UPDATE: Cindy has indeed posted a review, this time on her blog. Click here, but be warned... it contains spoilers.
Pellman's Bottom Line(TM): Machines Fighting! Explosions! Car Chases! Post-Apocalyptic America Without Jokey References to Current Events!
Pellman's Rating: 2.5 Brooms(TM) out of 4
Pellman's Suggestion (Theater or Home Viewing)(TM): Theater! – That is, if you really care to see it at all.
Official Website
http://terminatorsalvation.warnerbros.com/
Sunday, February 22, 2009
KLSX Drops FM Talk, Goes Top 40 - Yuck
"He knows changes aren't permanent
But change is"
-Rush, "Tom Sawyer"
This past Friday at 5pm, the Los Angeles area radio market "welcomed" a new Top 40 station. CBS replaced the previous format at 97.1 KLSX, which had been "FM Talk", also known over the years as "Free FM" - to contrast it with the subscription satellite radio services right after Howard Stern left CBS radio (and affiliate KLSX) for Sirius, and "Real Radio" - to contrast it with... uh... imaginary radio? I don't know.
But essentially it was all the same - talk radio on FM, geared toward a different audience then most AM talk, and quite different from public radio. I remember being disappointed when KLSX switched from music to talk. The KLSX call letters were a play on "classics", as in "classic rock", and I liked classic rock. For years after the station added Howard Stern as he rolled out his New York-based show in more and more markets, it was "Howard Stern all morning, classic rock all day."
But they added other talkers during the week, and eventually dropped the music from the weekends.
And it was generally not good. Howard Stern called it "Radio Hindenburg". At least KLOS 95.5 FM was still around to play classic rock.
Eventually, the situation improved and stabilized with the replacement of the original lineup. Tom Leykis, who had, some years before, been on L.A. talk station KFI AM 640, landed in the afternoon drive slot. Jamie White refugees Frosty, Heidi, and Frank, out from the morning co-hosting duties at music station Star 98.7 FM (where Ryan Seacret started his quest for world domination), filled in the time between Stern and Leykis. Tim Conway Jr. and a couple of different co-hosts had the night slot.
A few years back, Howard Stern left for Sirius, and CBS struggled to fill the void. David Lee Roth handled some of the eastern stations for a a short while before being given the boot. Adam Carolla, he of "Loveline" and "The Man Show" fame, got the western radio stations. Carolla stuck, though his co-hosts changed.
From what the hosts have said, and what has been printed in the news, it sounds like the demise of KLSX as "FM Talk" is a combination of factors, including the loss of Stern, the introduction of new ratings systems (portable people meters), new media and podcasting, and the general economic downturn.
The first radio station I remember flipping was KMET 94.7 FM. My older sister and I used to listen to it – especially the Dr. Demento show on Sunday nights, but also the music the rest of the time. Coincidently, when KLSX started up, it was seen as being a slight recovery of the charm of KMET, as it had some of the personalities and other elements that had been at KMET.
Over the years, DJs and hosts come and go on various stations, and stations come and go – in recent years more often because a company decided to change formats, rather than another company buying the station. I remember 100.3 FM being KIQQ and also Pirate Radio (and also a bunch of formats that didn’t interest me in the slightest), but recently it became "The Sound" – which is okay. I remember 103.1 FM being "Mars" (which seemed like it was trying to horn in on the long-running KROQ 106.7) and more recently "Indie". But now, like so many other stations before it in the Los Angeles area, it is some genre of Spanish music.
For some reason, changes in radio seem to be a bigger deal to me and so many other people than changes on TV. Perhaps because we listen to the radio while stuck in traffic, or doing other activities we really can't do while concentrating on a TV show. Perhaps it is because of the interactive nature of shows that take calls, or that our hosts will be on the air for 3-5 hours at a time, often five days a week, while TV shows might be a half an hour a day, or as much as an hour, but are often only weekly.
I tend to listen to talk and news, in part because of my job and my commute (traffic reports). But I do check out music when the talkers take a commercial break, as they often seem to be on the same clock in terms of when they take those breaks. But I rarely find anything on Top 40 radio that I enjoy these days. So KLSX has been replaced on that preset button.
Changes are to be expected. Personalities grow, retire, or get fired, or get downsized, or die. Changes in populations and in music make format changes inevitable. But being the creatures of habit that we are, we tend to hate abrupt changes. And there have been a lot of those in recent months on Los Angeles radio.
Goodbye, KLSX.
But change is"
-Rush, "Tom Sawyer"
This past Friday at 5pm, the Los Angeles area radio market "welcomed" a new Top 40 station. CBS replaced the previous format at 97.1 KLSX, which had been "FM Talk", also known over the years as "Free FM" - to contrast it with the subscription satellite radio services right after Howard Stern left CBS radio (and affiliate KLSX) for Sirius, and "Real Radio" - to contrast it with... uh... imaginary radio? I don't know.
But essentially it was all the same - talk radio on FM, geared toward a different audience then most AM talk, and quite different from public radio. I remember being disappointed when KLSX switched from music to talk. The KLSX call letters were a play on "classics", as in "classic rock", and I liked classic rock. For years after the station added Howard Stern as he rolled out his New York-based show in more and more markets, it was "Howard Stern all morning, classic rock all day."
But they added other talkers during the week, and eventually dropped the music from the weekends.
And it was generally not good. Howard Stern called it "Radio Hindenburg". At least KLOS 95.5 FM was still around to play classic rock.
Eventually, the situation improved and stabilized with the replacement of the original lineup. Tom Leykis, who had, some years before, been on L.A. talk station KFI AM 640, landed in the afternoon drive slot. Jamie White refugees Frosty, Heidi, and Frank, out from the morning co-hosting duties at music station Star 98.7 FM (where Ryan Seacret started his quest for world domination), filled in the time between Stern and Leykis. Tim Conway Jr. and a couple of different co-hosts had the night slot.
A few years back, Howard Stern left for Sirius, and CBS struggled to fill the void. David Lee Roth handled some of the eastern stations for a a short while before being given the boot. Adam Carolla, he of "Loveline" and "The Man Show" fame, got the western radio stations. Carolla stuck, though his co-hosts changed.
From what the hosts have said, and what has been printed in the news, it sounds like the demise of KLSX as "FM Talk" is a combination of factors, including the loss of Stern, the introduction of new ratings systems (portable people meters), new media and podcasting, and the general economic downturn.
The first radio station I remember flipping was KMET 94.7 FM. My older sister and I used to listen to it – especially the Dr. Demento show on Sunday nights, but also the music the rest of the time. Coincidently, when KLSX started up, it was seen as being a slight recovery of the charm of KMET, as it had some of the personalities and other elements that had been at KMET.
Over the years, DJs and hosts come and go on various stations, and stations come and go – in recent years more often because a company decided to change formats, rather than another company buying the station. I remember 100.3 FM being KIQQ and also Pirate Radio (and also a bunch of formats that didn’t interest me in the slightest), but recently it became "The Sound" – which is okay. I remember 103.1 FM being "Mars" (which seemed like it was trying to horn in on the long-running KROQ 106.7) and more recently "Indie". But now, like so many other stations before it in the Los Angeles area, it is some genre of Spanish music.
For some reason, changes in radio seem to be a bigger deal to me and so many other people than changes on TV. Perhaps because we listen to the radio while stuck in traffic, or doing other activities we really can't do while concentrating on a TV show. Perhaps it is because of the interactive nature of shows that take calls, or that our hosts will be on the air for 3-5 hours at a time, often five days a week, while TV shows might be a half an hour a day, or as much as an hour, but are often only weekly.
I tend to listen to talk and news, in part because of my job and my commute (traffic reports). But I do check out music when the talkers take a commercial break, as they often seem to be on the same clock in terms of when they take those breaks. But I rarely find anything on Top 40 radio that I enjoy these days. So KLSX has been replaced on that preset button.
Changes are to be expected. Personalities grow, retire, or get fired, or get downsized, or die. Changes in populations and in music make format changes inevitable. But being the creatures of habit that we are, we tend to hate abrupt changes. And there have been a lot of those in recent months on Los Angeles radio.
Goodbye, KLSX.
Wednesday, October 22, 2008
Tag – I’m it!
Lisa tagged me with this. I’ve known Lisa almost entirely via phone calls and e-mails and blog postings since she was working as a journalist a local newspaper and I was working as a Public Information Officer for Public Works. I think we’ve met in person a grand total of one time. She and her husband have an adorable little girl who isn’t much older than Keelie.
You're supposed to list five joys, fears, obsessions/collections, and surprising things, and then "tag" five people.
- 5 Joys...
1. God’s love.
2. Kori
3. Keelie
4. What God gave to Kori and I to share that made Keelie (yes, I'm a guy)
5. Green Corn Tamales combo with lost of salsa
- 5 Fears...
1. Exterior heights (think most roller coasters, cliffs)
2. A food scare that takes all peppers off the market
3. I don’t life my life in fear. What can I say? Everything is under control. If I can do something about it, I will – otherwise, why spend life worrying?
- 5 Obsessions/Collections
1. Disney
2. Theme parks
3. The original Splash Mountain (read about why)
4. “Weird Al” Yankovic
5. News/Information
- 5 Surprising Things about you...
Hmmmm... the most surprising would be surprising because I deliberately do not publicize them. I'll save them for a book. I should keep this fairly innocuous.
1. I am fascinated by the sociology of cultic organizations of all types.
2. I have never been cited or even pulled over for a moving violation (hope this doesn’t jinx that).
3. I’ve never had an appendectomy, wisdom tooth extraction, tonsillectomy, or broken bone, but had two eye surgeries as a child.
4. I was among the very first guests to ever ride Splash Mountain (due to the aforementioned obsession).
5. I was published in a glossy magazine within the past year under a pen name (no, it wasn’t a smut mag!)
- Tag 5 People...
Feel free to tag yourself. I look at this one like those e-mails that say “send this to ten people you know, including the person who sent it to you.” Think about that – if everyone really followed that advice, you’d be doing nothing all day every day except sending that same e-mail message back and forth to each other...over and over and over and over AND OVER!!! It’s a Kremlin plot to waste our time! So consider yourself tagged... if you want to be and have never been tagged before and you have your own blog. So there.
You're supposed to list five joys, fears, obsessions/collections, and surprising things, and then "tag" five people.
- 5 Joys...
1. God’s love.
2. Kori
3. Keelie
4. What God gave to Kori and I to share that made Keelie (yes, I'm a guy)
5. Green Corn Tamales combo with lost of salsa
- 5 Fears...
1. Exterior heights (think most roller coasters, cliffs)
2. A food scare that takes all peppers off the market
3. I don’t life my life in fear. What can I say? Everything is under control. If I can do something about it, I will – otherwise, why spend life worrying?
- 5 Obsessions/Collections
1. Disney
2. Theme parks
3. The original Splash Mountain (read about why)
4. “Weird Al” Yankovic
5. News/Information
- 5 Surprising Things about you...
Hmmmm... the most surprising would be surprising because I deliberately do not publicize them. I'll save them for a book. I should keep this fairly innocuous.
1. I am fascinated by the sociology of cultic organizations of all types.
2. I have never been cited or even pulled over for a moving violation (hope this doesn’t jinx that).
3. I’ve never had an appendectomy, wisdom tooth extraction, tonsillectomy, or broken bone, but had two eye surgeries as a child.
4. I was among the very first guests to ever ride Splash Mountain (due to the aforementioned obsession).
5. I was published in a glossy magazine within the past year under a pen name (no, it wasn’t a smut mag!)
- Tag 5 People...
Feel free to tag yourself. I look at this one like those e-mails that say “send this to ten people you know, including the person who sent it to you.” Think about that – if everyone really followed that advice, you’d be doing nothing all day every day except sending that same e-mail message back and forth to each other...over and over and over and over AND OVER!!! It’s a Kremlin plot to waste our time! So consider yourself tagged... if you want to be and have never been tagged before and you have your own blog. So there.
Friday, October 17, 2008
My Coverage of the Disneyland Ambassador Ceremony
Did you know that the Disneyland Resort has Ambassadors? It's true. My coverage of the ceremony announcing the 2009 Ambassadors can be found on The Disney Blog.
It was nice to see some old friends and cover the ceremony. It was a busy day for us, and fortunately I was able to squeeze that in.
It was nice to see some old friends and cover the ceremony. It was a busy day for us, and fortunately I was able to squeeze that in.
Monday, August 25, 2008
My Review of the New Imagineering Book
My review of the just-released book _Walt Disney’s Imagineering Legends and the Genesis of the Disney Theme Park_ by Jeff Kurtti is now up at LaughingPlace.com. I really hope you’ll read my review - or at least pretend to. It wouldn't hurt if you bought the book through the website, either.
In case you couldn’t tell or didn’t know already, the book profiles the first Imagineers who created the first four Disney theme parks (and the Disney attractions for the 1964 World’s Fair in New York) setting off a revolution in placemaking that continues to evolve today.
In case you couldn’t tell or didn’t know already, the book profiles the first Imagineers who created the first four Disney theme parks (and the Disney attractions for the 1964 World’s Fair in New York) setting off a revolution in placemaking that continues to evolve today.
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