Save The Small World

I ran into an interesting article today and thought I'd share it. It's about subject close to my heart.

Save the Rainforest. Save the Small World."it's a small world" is the world-famous Disney theme park attraction which first debuted at the 1964 World's Fair. Designed by Disney for UNICEF and Pepsi Cola, "it's a small world" is the crowning achievment of artist Mary Blair and numerous other talented individuals. The attraction, dubbed as "The Happiest Cruise That Ever Sailed 'Round The World" was designed with UNICEF's core values in mind, and offers a "prayer for peace" sung by the Children of the World.

Recent reports say the Walt Disney Company will be making several significant changes to the original "it's a small world" attraction at Disneyland Park in Southern California. Walt Disney Imagineering has confirmed the addition of new dolls representing characters from Disney's animated films including Alice in Wonderland. Reports also claim the the Papua New Guinea rainforest show scene will be replaced with a tribute to America.

"it's a small world" was never designed to be a place for popular Disney characters. These changes risk damaging the attraction's core message of world peace by trivializing the show's stars and message bearers - the Children of the World. Simply put, Mickey Mouse, Stitch, and Cinderella are not appropriate in an attraction designed as a child's "prayer for peace."

Furthermore, "it's a small world" was designed for its American audiences to take a step back and take stock in the world around them. Removing the Papua New Guinea show scene in favor of a tribute to America would detract from this goal. Additionally, the removal of the Rainforest would be removing a show scene designed specifically for Disneyland audiences when the attraction was moved to the park after the 1964 World's Fair.

Save the Rainforest is a campaign for positive change. Disney has a long tradition of enhancing aging attractions to renew and maintain interest, but these enhancements traditionally aim to maintain and strengthen the core themes and messages an attraction holds. The proposed additions to "it's a small world" do not enhance, support, or strengthen the core message and themes of the show, and thus the additions should be cancelled by Disney.

Change should be a step forward. It should clairify, strengthen, and enhance the experience an attraction creates for guests. It should not distract, muddle, or change it with superflouous additions.The time to act is now. Others, including Kevin L. Blair, son of attraction designer Mary Blair has already spoken out with an open letter to the Walt Disney Company.

Let your voice be heard, and tell Disney to Save the Rainforest and Save the Small World.

CALL

The Walt Disney Company: (818) 560-1000

Walt Disney Imagineeering: (818) 544-6500

Disneyland Resort Public Relations: (714) 781-4500

WRITE

Walt Disney Company

Attn: Robert Iger

500 S. Buena Vista St.Burbank, CA 91521-0001

Walt Disney Imagineering

Attn: Tony Baxter

1401 Flower StreetP.O. Box 25020Glendale, CA 91201-2421

Disneyland Resort

Attn: Ed Grier

1313 S. Harbor Blvd.Anaheim , CA 92802-2309

E-MAIL

Disneyland Resort -

www.disneyland.com/contact

Further Reading and Media Coverage
3/29 - LA Times - Disneyland is jeered over ride restyling
3/29 - LA Times - Theme park news: Uno meets Snoopy; Save Small World; Pixar parade repairs
3/25 - LA Times - Disneyland to add 'Alice' to Small World ride
3/21 - TMZ.com: Yep, Disney's Going to Ruin The World
3/20 - TMZ.com: Disney Ruining the World?
3/19 - LA Times: Save Small World, ride creator's family begs Disneyland
3/18 - Re-Imagineering: The BLAIR Family Speaks
3/06 - Re-Imagineering: There's so much that we share...
3/04 - Re-Imagineering: A World of Tears
2/26 - MiceAge: it's a changed world

The Scope

I was at Hoag Hospital for a procedure last Thursday. A scope was inserted in my lungs to take pictures and get tissue samples for a biopsy. Yecch! It sounds really awful. But it is a better alternative to surgery.

The airways in my right lung is constricted and there are nodules in that area as well. There is no evidence of cancer based on the last CT scan and blood test results from my oncologist. But the issue on the right lung has been unresolved and has puzzled 3 doctors. This procedure will hopefully give us a clue on what the problem is.

I was groggy the whole day yesterday and the most part of today. I was under a "twilight" anesthesia and the drowsy feeling was actually restful.

I will have results by Monday.

Back In Town

I am back in town from what seemed to be a long but relaxing week. It sounds rather silly to take a vacation from my ongoing indefinite vacation, yet going away for a bit is a welcome relief from the daily uneventful humdrum.

I am now back and ready to tackle my work in progress and get my blog pictures back up. I also need to get to put some time into my watercolors. The art exhibit in New York is coming up and I need at least three more paintings.

There are a couple of major changes that I am dealing with, all good, but I need time to process the changes and sort through my thoughts and emotions. The speed by which the changes occur can be overwhelming, so I'm taking a deep breath before I take a plunge. And my fingers are crossed.

Work In Progress

Whew! I started re-uploading the pictures for my blog. I have a long and tedious work ahead. This week is a little hectic and I will be out of town at the end of the week. So the work in progress will be in progress until next week.

The Blog Picture Fiasco

Spring is here and it is definitely time for some spring cleaning. And I don't mean dusting nor sweeping. It means cleaning my cyberspace trash and organizing the web clutter.


I have to blame it on the"pea" incident the night before. My lack of sleep resulted in a lack of focus. No shit. "Do not operate any machinery when brain-dead from the lack of sleep." I inadvertently deleted by blog pictures from its source and consequently lost pictures on some of my blog posts.

Most of the blog posts are incomplete without the attachments. The good news is that I have a back up. But it would take hours of downloads and having a slow high-speed connection does not help. And doing the layout is a pain. Blogger.com is a little primitive on picture downloads and only has the basic functionality. I have my work cut out for me.

The Princess & The Pea

I was up all night tossing and turning. I counted sheep, I counted lamb, and to no avail. When I finally fell asleep, it was time to wake up.

After my morning coffee, I went up to my room to make the bed. On the floor, close to my bed, was a good-sized pea! A pea! It was a good-sized, green-colored pea on my bedroom floor.

Remember the story of the princess and the pea by Hans Christian Anderson? I was chuckling, I'm not royalty, that's for sure. But I am almost certain my sleepless night was on account of this garden-variety legume. And that's no fairy tale.

Kickboxing III

Three and a half months into kickboxing and the benefit of the high- impact workout is beginning to show. I still kick and punch like a girl but I am a girl! Still there is a lot more power to my punches and kicks. It feels great!

More Tests

I saw my doctor last Friday. The last CT scan did not show any improvement on the lungs. Although there is no evidence of cancer, there is no marked improvement in the narrowed airway on my right lung.

So the concession between my two doctors is a bronchoscopy. This procedure involves inserting a scope that would allow the doctor to look at the inside of my lungs and get tissue samples for a biopsy.

But one thing is unclear, what are they looking for? What do they think is wrong? They are stumped. They cannot give me an educated guess.

I am supposed to call my doctor today to schedule the procedure. But maybe, it is time to get a second opinion.

Untitled

I'm stumped. I haven't found the appropriate title yet. Suggestions anyone?

The Elaborate Procrastinator

I like to think of myself as a perfectionist. But really, I am just an elaborate procrastinator.

Case in point: I shop at the last minute looking for perfect presents.

The Jane Austen Book Club

I saw a movie last week. Great movie, a character study of sorts, the respective characters and plots and life lessons presented in neat parallel universes.

On its surface, 'The Jane Austen Book Club'' is a tidy number, a perfectly cut and polished little gem with just enough facets. It is a portrait of a California reading group. The action takes place over several months in a university town near Sacramento and the book club comprises five women and one man.

As the members gather on a cool March evening to discuss ''Emma.'' Their hostess, Jocelyn, is a ''control freak'' who has not only organized the club, picked the members and chosen the first book but is also a breeder of aristocratic show dogs. The club meetings are peppered with the requisite literary patter. But the focus is about the members themselves, their stories told in detours and digressions. As the story unravels, it reveals a varied bunch.

Jocelyn, in her early 50's, has never married. Sylvia, her best friend from childhood, has learned that her husband is leaving her for another woman. Sylvia's gorgeous 30-year-old daughter, Allegra, is an artist, a lesbian who has just broken up with her girlfriend. Prudie, a 28-year-old high school French teacher, is married but vaguely discontented. The eccentric Bernadette, single at 67, has had multiple husbands, including a movie mogul and a politician. Grigg, a temp in the linguistics department at the university and a tech support guy, is in his early 40's and a science fiction fan.

Each of these members has ''a private Austen'' and sees the books through different eyes, revealing the proprietary attitudes some of them assume. Each of the members brings something different to the club, something at once comic, affecting and lyrical. This is a surprising movie, and there isn't a boring line in it.

This is a highly recommended "must-see" movie. Order it from Netflix or Blockbuster soon.