Day 1168: Dignity, Always Dignity

I definitely have Disney to thank for my love of Singin' in the Rain. After all, if it weren't for The Great Movie Ride, I probably wouldn't have decided to watch the film at all, even if the songs are pretty catch and much more well known than I originally realized. Really though, I could watch this movie every day for the rest of my life and still never tire of it. It makes me want to sing, it makes me want to dance, and it definitely makes me want to go back to the 1920s. However, while watching the film the other day, I realized that there were more than a few lessons between the notes of this film that we all need to keep in mind throughout life. 

"Dignity, always dignity" is quickly represented as an important line of the film, and it may just be one of the most important. It, along with the background music of "Fit as a Fiddle" reminds us that we can't all be the greatest musician, actor, or person straight off. We're going to fall into deep pits of despair and failure at some point, but as Don reminds us, as long as we keep our dignity, things are going to be alright. The hard work you put in now will pay off in the long run. 

"Make 'em laugh" is sort of a universal truth, because laughter really is the best medicine. It's one of the best ways to cheer a person up, and it never fails to make something more entertaining. If we embrace a little more humor in our lives, maybe we'd all be happier and more willing to make others laugh. I don't think we all need to roll around on the floor with a doll, but sitting on a piano is a good way to start. 

Cosmo and Don hold a special place in my heart too, because around I constantly hear the joke about "don't forget the little people when you're off becoming rich and famous." The truth is, I have no anticipation of becoming rich or famous, although I suppose a little extra money wouldn't hurt. However, even if, by some fluke of fate, I do find myself in front of the cameras, you'd better believe that my friends and family will be right next to me. 

Don't forget to dance and sing in the rain. I said a moment ago that Dignity might be the most important lesson here, but really nothing can surpass the simple fact that we all need to remember to have fun. Life is a lot of work, whether it be blogging, going to class, sitting at a desk job, or working at a Disney park. But it won't seem like work all the time if we remember to make it fun and do a little singing and dancing along the way. 

There are tons of other lessons in Singin' in the Rain, but for now, I'm going to go hope that this snow turns into rain so I have something to dance in. Dancing in snow just isn't as fun because it's cold and you usually end up falling on your face...but then again...dignity. Always dignity. 

Have a magical day! 

Day 1167: For the Fourth Time

To a musician, one of the best parts of life is meeting other musicians, especially when they're your favorite musicians! Of course, meeting your favorite saxophone player four years in a row isn't a chance everyone has, but it's definitely become a highlight of my spring semester these past few years! 

You can find the FIRST, SECOND, and THIRD times I met Mr. Eric Marienthal by clicking the links, but this year we headed back to the Shawano Jazz Festival, or Shazz for short, with a whole bunch of jazz musicians ready to see Marienthal and this year's other guest artist, Chuck Loeb. 

For those of you that don't know these musicians, Eric Marienthal is a professional saxophone player and produces some of his own music as well as with Gordon Goodwin's Big Phat Band. He's won one Grammy award and has performed with artists such as Elton John, Barbara Streisand, Billy Joel, Stevie Wonder, Johnny Mathis, Olivia Newton-John, and many many others. Chuck Loeb is a Grammy nominated guitarist, composer, and producer, as well as a #1 jazz recording artist. He has been a producer of over thirty world-renowned recording artists and produced 18 solo CDs. So I guess you could say that these guys are pretty important in the music world. 

This year at Shazz, Eric performed my favorite song of his, "Baby Cakes," and they also did some tracks from their new album Bridges. If you're looking for some new jazz to listen to on this fine day, definitely check both of them out! After all, I know for sure that Eric has plenty of connections to Disney, and I'm sure Chuck does as well! 

Have a magical day! 

Day 1166: When Times Are Tough

Life certainly likes to throw curve balls. Really, after how the fall semester went I figured that there was no way anything else could go wrong...and then we were all thrown for another loop that had my friends and I panicking. It affected a lot of us, and all in all, today was one of the most draining days since last December. Thankfully I have great friends now, most of which are going through the same thing I am, questioning what's even going on and attempting to adjust to drastic changes in the matter of days. I'm not going into the situation at hand, but that's not why we're here anyway. 

After an excessively long day that included multiple recitals and dinner out with friends, the night came to a surprisingly late and much-needed end. One of my good friends and I decided that the only way to deal with the situation was to not think about it and watch Tangled instead. Needless to say, it worked, and we actually ended up also watching part of Into the Woods and the first episode of Game of Thrones, but it just goes to show that there's not a bad day that a little Disney can't fix. 

I realize that this is an extremely short blog post, but honestly there isn't much else to say other than to thank the universe for great movies and great friends that are always there for you when you'd be otherwise floundering. 

Maybe we should have watched The Little Mermaid...

Have a magical day!

Day 1165: No More Snow

[Luckily], I took this picture earlier in the semester, but it certainly is still winter, and I feel like I blog about it every couple of days. However, as we reach the end of the snow, it seems, I thought we might remember some of our favorite snow-capped moments from Disney movies! 

The one that always stands out to me is from 101 Dalmatians, when little Lucky is so darn cold that everything has froze, including his tail, nose, ears, and toes! I can relate, because it's basically my experience going to class every morning. 

And here we have the most accurate representation of me ice skating (or walking in winter in general) that there ever has been or will be. On the left you see expectations for what it'll be like walking over ice...and on the right is the hard reality. 

Next up we have the expression of everyone the entire winter through. The only time it changes is for the occasional really beautiful snowfall or the first snowfall of the year. Then we just get salty. 

Seriously though, we usually don't look like this 

And now, because of course there couldn't be a post about winter in Disney movies without a little Frozen, have some Elsa, whom I've asked multiple times to help me stop the winter and she refuses to do so. 

Oh well, I guess instead I'll just have to continue trying to figure out how to make this work in my backyard: 

Have a magical day! 

Day 1164: Spaceship Earth History

What is it about Spaceship Earth that's so interesting? Why in the world do I like it so much, and how in the world did it get there? After all, an 18-story geodesic sphere doesn't just build itself in the middle of Florida! So instead of just talking about how great Spaceship Earth is again, let's take a second to appreciate it's history...and talk about how great it is. 

Way back before Epcot opened, Spaceship Earth was designed with the help of a well known science fiction writer named Ray Bradbury, who also happened to assist with the original storyline for the attraction that would call the geodesic sphere home. The term "Spaceship Earth," however, came from Buckminster Fuller, who developed the structural mathematics, which many compare to a large golf ball (even I called it that once). If you really want to get technical, it's geometric shape is a derivative of a pentakis dedecahedron, which features each of the 60 isosceles triangle faces divided into 16 smaller equilateral triangles. Each of the 960 flat panels is then divided again into four smaller triangles, which are divided again into three isosceles triangles. So, in theory, there should be 11,520 total triangles on Spaceship Earth. However, some of them don't exist or are only partially there due to structural supports and doors. Instead, the official number is 11,324 full triangles, with some 200 partial panels. 

Gosh, all that math and we still haven't gotten to the actual construction, which took 26 months and 40,800 labor hours. So, in other words, the next time you feel like that lego building your working on will never be finished, remember how long Spaceship Earth took to take shape. Technically, the attraction is two separate structures, with the external shell of the sphere itself and the internal ride system we all know and love. To support the structure, they drove six legs deep into the ground (somewhere between 100' and 160' feet down), meaning Spaceship Earth is almost as tall underground as it is above ground. Oh, and if you've ever wondered how heavy it is, the weight listed on most websites is 15,520,000 pounds. Try fitting that on a scale. 

Inside, Spaceship Earth was originally sponsored by the Bell System from 1982 to 1984, until AT&T took over until 2004. And finally, starting in 2005, Siemens became the sponsor of Spaceship Earth, and continue to do so today. The interior attraction, of course, tells the story of communication all the way from the earliest cave dwellings and far into the future, whether that future be portrayed through audio animatronics like the rest of the attraction or a short video featuring you as the main character. And if you were wondering about the historical accuracy of what you see, just remember that several universities and the Smithsonian were called in to help make the experience historically accurate, and every item is an authentic representation of the time period. 

If you want to know more about the history of Spaceship Earth, here's a fun documentary from 1982! 

Have a magical day! 

Day 1163: Missing a Month

Unfortunately, due to traveling, concerts, and classes, I'm obviously not participating in the March Disneybound Challenge this year, a decision that definitely gives me a bit of extra time in the mornings since I don't need to think about what I'm wearing all the time, but also sort of makes me sad. I love doing the Disneybound Challenge, and as a part of the Disneybound group on Facebook, I absolutely adore seeing everyone's outfits!

So, to give myself a bit of cheer today, I thought it might be fun to take a look back at some of my favorite Disneybounds from last year's challenge!

One of my favorite parts about Disneybounding is the opportunity to do some less common outfits, like Russel or Carl from Up or Iago from Aladdin. But more than anything, it's an exercise for both my creativity and my closet as I go through the various options. Some things are definitely used more than others, like my yellow Converse that make multiple appearances, but in the end I usually end up using at least everything in my closet at least once! 

But for now I'll have to stick to a regular t-shirt and jeans combo to get me through my days. Maybe later this year we'll go for a month of Disneybound though! 

Have a magical day! 

Day 1162: A Giraffe's Cousin

If you thought I was going to waste an opportunity in my Environmental Science class to do an Endangered Species project on something other than an animal I learned about at Animal Kingdom, you'd be wrong.

Picking an animal wasn't hard! I just went through pictures from our past trips until I found an animal that really stuck out to me, and that's exactly what the Okapi did. Most people probably have no idea what an Okapi even is, but thanks to my numerous travels on Kilimanjaro Safaris I knew exactly what I was talking about in regards to the cousin of the giraffe. That's right, giraffe, not zebra!

The okapi lives in the Ituri Forest, a dense rainforest in central Africa. It's located on the northeastern edge of the Congo River Basin in the Democratic Republic of Congo, with savanna in the North, highlands in the East, and lowland forest to both the South and West. Because of these drastically different climates, the population of the Okapi is kept relatively low naturally, even without a large number of predators. However, in recent years, mostly since 1995, the Okapi population has reduced by more than half due to ongoing fighting in the regions, which impacts the efforts to save the okapi. In addition, the population is poached, and deforestation and destruction had made an already limited habitat smaller.

There's a few other awesome facts about the Okapi I learned though, such as the fact that it was once referred to as the "African Unicorn" since, until 1901, many believed the creature was a myth due to its intense ability to hide in the surrounding forest. Also, the okapi's tongue is used for grooming, and is so long that it can reach its eyes and ears!

So next time you head on Kilimanjaro Safaris, keep these facts in mind, because now you too know a little bit more about the okapi!

Have a magical day!