Immersion

After nearly 10 months of freelancing for the Mouse, I was finally brought on as permanent staff last week. Becoming "official" meant I had to participate in a day and a half of orientation (or, as some have dubbed it, "indoctrination"). I actually found the experience very interesting, and it was quite a nice morale booster. The highlight of the orientation was a tour of the studio lot, during which we got to walk into the sound stage for Eli Stone. Though I don't follow the show (and it is yet another ABC show slated for cancellation), it was still pretty cool. And I loved that the statue of Dopey (part of the facade of the executives' building) was adorned with a large Santa's hat in celebration of the holiday season.

We also visited the Archive Library, where we marveled over historical Disney artifacts. Did you know that decades ago, Donald Duck lime cola and Donald Duck frozen flounder fillets could be found in stores? Of course, the Archive Library also displayed props from recent films; these included Prince Edward's sword from Enchanted, the cursed medallion from Pirates of the Caribbean, and Julie Andrews' Genovian driver's license from The Princess Diaries. The best part was when the librarian brought out an Academy Award, and we actually got to hold it. The Oscar felt very heavy and substantial. No wonder so many winners remark on its heftiness!

To cap off the day of immersion, we were given tickets to attend the company holiday party at Disneyland that night. (We were brought on just in time for it!) The park was open only to employees and family members from 8 to midnight. It's been years since I've been to Disneyland, so I had a blast (despite the long day). We hit the Indiana Jones ride, Pirates of the Caribbean (the repeated references to the film trilogy felt a bit forced), the Haunted Mansion (brilliantly redone in a Nightmare Before Christmas theme, just for the holidays), Star Tours (probably my favorite ride), Buzz Lightyear Astro Blasters (no line, but I apparently suck at it!), and Space Mountain. It felt very much like grad night. ;) Even though I didn't get home till around 2 AM (and I still had another half day of orientation the next morning), I am so glad I went. To top it off, the holiday decorations were absolutely beautiful.
It certainly puts one in a festive mood. Only 9 more days till Christmas! Yay!

Baseball Blues and Other Random Thoughts

I had intended to write a rah-rah blog about the Dodgers coming back from down 2 games to even up the NLCS, but a pitching melt-down in the 8th inning precluded that from happening. What a bummer. Now they are down 3-1 in the series, and we're going to need a miracle for our men in blue to pull off an upset. Sigh. Less than 2 hours ago, I was marveling at how wonderful it was to see the NLCS back at Dodger Stadium after 20 years, and how the excitement and elation of the Dodger faithfuls, decked in blue and waving spirit towels, transcended the television set. We need some serious magic from the rally monkey... oh, wait, we don't have a rally monkey. Besides, he probably wouldn't be much help right now, considering how easily the Angels were dispatched by the Red Sox. (Being an underdog fan, I am of course rooting for Tampa Bay in the ALCS.) Anyway, even though he's not their official mascot, maybe the "rally koala" can help the Dodgers turn the series around. Sure, history is against them, but teams have come back from a 3-1 deficit before.

In more cheerful news, it is apparently the 50th anniversary of the first Paddington Bear book! Google doodles are a wonderful thing. Not only do I appreciate the artistry and occasional humor, but they are also very informative! Happy 50th to our favorite bear from darkest Peru!
And one last unrelated comment: I hate fire season.

Speaking of Kawaii Things...

On Saturday, I went to visit my friend Rockhopper. In addition to having lots of fun playing Wii Fit and watching Seinfeld episodes on DVD, we looked through some of her souvenirs from a trip to Japan earlier this year. Among the items was a mini origami notepad from the Osaka Aquarium. You can write notes on one side and then fold the paper into a penguin or sea otter. It really was too adorable for words.
And now let's segue to something that presents a somewhat twisted but very hilarious take on "kawaii-ness." I first learned about Meghan Murphy's Kawaii Not comics months ago at a happy hour gathering after work. One of the senior producers whipped out a very cute, animé-looking book and passed it around. We were each told to tear out one page and share it with everyone. We flipped through the pages amid much laughter, and it was immediately obvious that we all appreciated the "cute gone bad" humor of the 4-panel comic strips. I thought it was so funny that I had to buy a copy for myself (and one for my sister, too). If you like cute stuff with an edge, check out Murphy's Kawaii Not website. A new webcomic is posted every few days.

Look What I Won!

During an interactive presentation/training session last week, I somehow emerged as the winner! The prize was this adorable Mickey plush toy. When you press his palm, his pointing finger lights up (à la ET). Oh yes, and the presentation was very informative, inspiring, and loads of fun. Even as a freelance editor, I feel very much a part of the team. I know it's early and perhaps a bit premature to make this declaration, but I'm going to do it anyway: I love my new career! I feel engaged and challenged and happy; I don't even mind the inevitable bumps and growing pains along the way. Here's to new chapters and brighter days. =)

Detox

One would think that I'd be luxuriating in my newfound freedom by now. It is true that there have been moments when an unexpected smile would sneak up on me, taking me by surprise and causing me to marvel at this new stage in my life. I would close my eyes, take a deep breath, and let the smile spread through my being. Those are certainly nice moments, but I apparently still have some anger to work out during this detox period, and what better way to get it out of my system than through this blog?

There have been many times in the past year and a half that I wish I had the courage and audacity to carry this bag around Madame, my former boss. (Former ~ how lovely that sounds!) The bag features characters designed by Lela Lee, founder of Angry Little Girls. True, I was not actually born here, but I might as well have been. English, though not my first language, is my best language. When EvilRedhead first showed me the ALG site, I connected with Kim (the angry little Asian girl) for obvious reasons. She's the cartoon embodiment of my rarely-seen dark side. Of course, I also liked Xyla, the gloomy girl who seems to be a human, female version of Eeyore (one of my favorite Disney characters). Although I never got around to purchasing this bag and parading it in front of certain insidiously prejudiced individuals, it's nice to see someone find such a creative, funny, and financially rewarding way of dealing with unpleasant experiences and the darker emotions.

It is interesting how products can often crystallize our experiences, thoughts, and emotions, sometimes in uncanny ways. Take this beautiful perpetual calendar I purchased last month. The gorgeous book features a work of art and a related quote for each day of the year. After tearing off the shrink wrap, I spent a good amount of time perusing and admiring the glossy artworks. I also looked up various birthdays of family and friends. Quite by accident, I came across Madame's birthday. Much to my amusement and sense of the apropos, the artwork for that day was Henry Fuseli's The Nightmare, a piece I was quite familiar with from my grad school days. The painting has been frequently used on covers of Gothic fiction, and critics have noted connections between it and Mary Shelley's Frankenstein. Given Madame's nightmarish reign, Fuseli's artwork was eerily fitting...

"What Is That? A Super Goat?"

So quoth my brother-in-law upon seeing this image of our office scapegoat on my digital camera. Well, I'm sure Azazel would be flattered to be considered a Super Goat, but 'tis only his humble self bedecked in holiday finery (and my scarf) as he assumed the role of a yule goat over the Christmas and New Year breaks. What is a yule goat, you say? Here is wikipedia's explanation: "The Yule Goat is one of the oldest Scandinavian and Northern European Yule and Christmas symbols and traditions. Yule Goat originally denoted the goat that was slaughtered around Yule, but it may also indicate a goat figure made out of straw. It is also used about the custom of going door-to-door singing carols and getting food and drinks in return, often fruit, cakes and sweets. 'Going Yule Goat' is similar to the British custom wassailing, both with heathen roots." See? I didn't make it up! I love the photos included on wikipedia's yule goat page, so I shall link to them here for your enjoyment.














I realize that it is well past the yule, but a miserable cold laid me out flat for almost a week. I spent the last several days of my vacation in a kind of illness-fogged stupor. Although writing produced during that kind of mental haze may have proved interesting (or downright bizarre), I was too enervated to attempt it. I'm still not sure how I dragged myself back to work this Thursday last. Thankfully, the weekend (though wet) was just around the corner, and I finally feel more or less myself again. So, that is my excuse for this belated entry on yule goats and my belated wish to everyone for a 2008 filled with health, happiness, and good fortune.

Azazel's Adventures, Part II

Many apologies to Azazel's devote followers for the delay in this posting. I hope you'll find the latest installment in our billy goat's adventures to be worth the wait.

Distraught after being cut from the Holiday Video, Azazel succumbs to a weekend of irresponsible drinking.

Tragedy comes in pairs. Missing his owner while she travels to Ohio for a surprise family visit, Azazel indulges in a spate of tears and self-pity.

Feeling much more himself, Azazel gives it a go as a beatnik poet. Hey daddy-o...

I actually have another photo of our beloved scapegoat, but I think it merits an entry all on its own, so I'm afraid you'll have to wait until I return from San Diego for it. ;P I remain, your faithful chronicler, Aire.

Livestock Free for 23 Days...

Alas, the streak stops here. I've been so proud of the fact that in recent weeks, I managed to write about topics besides livestock and animal husbandry. (See previous animal-themed entries.) However, those stealthy alpacas have resurfaced again! Last Sunday evening, I was channel surfing when images of alpacas suddenly appeared on the screen. I did a double-take because it was not a nature show, but a contemporary comedy. I could not figure out what the show was about from the bits I saw... only that the episode dealt with pranks and family-owned alpacas. I've since learned that what I witnessed was the last few minutes of a CW sitcom called Aliens in America. The following day, KPGirl brought in her alpaca finger puppet! It really is quite adorable, and I can see why it made an effective focal point during labor. Doesn't this woolly little camelid just make you want to smile?

Simply Enchanted

On Thursday, I went to see Disney's Enchanted, a very charming twist on the traditional princess fairy tale. The film interweaves the animated world of Andalasia with the gritty world of New York City. Somehow, it manages to offer an homage to all the classic Disney fairy tales and at the same time parody those films. The parody, of course, is affectionate in nature, but it is still effective. Amy Adams played the ingenuous Giselle to perfection. When she first arrives in New York, she exhibits all the mannerisms of her animated self until, subtly and slowly, she becomes more and more "real" as a result of her interactions with Robert (Patrick Demspey) and his adorable daughter Morgan (Rachel Covey). Throughout it all, however, Giselle never loses her winning innocence and optimism. The male leads were also very well cast. I mean, which girl wouldn't want McDreamy and Cyclops vying for her affections? Seriously, though, Patrick Dempsey provided a nice foil to all the fairy tale shenanigans, but I thought James Marsden was hilarious as the dashing but slightly ridiculous Prince Edward. He's a great singer, too, but I already knew this from his performance in Hairspray . In addition, Susan Sarandon made a menacing Queen Narissa, garbed in the traditional dark purple of Disney villains, though surprisingly complemented with a pair of daunting go-go boots! Robert's almost-fiancée Nancy and the henchman Nathaniel were strong supporting characters. I thought both of them looked familiar, and it turns out that Nancy is played by Tony-award-winning Idina Menzel, who starred in Wicked (too bad they didn't write her a song to sing!), and Nathaniel is played by Timothy Spall, who appeared in the Harry Potter movies as Peter Pettigrew, a.k.a. Wormtail. However, I think my favorite part of the film was Pip the chipmunk. In the animated world, he is a wise-cracking creature with a New York accent. When he becomes a real chipmunk in New York, he loses the ability to talk and must resort to pantomimes to communicate with the clueless Edward. The charades scene between the two is sidesplittingly funny. All in all, this was a delightful modern-day fairy tale. Bravo Disney!

Azazel's Adventures

Allow me to introduce the latest addition to our office coterie, Azazel the Scapegoat. The creation of Only's Only and her artist husband TJ, Azazel joined our staff two weeks ago. There really could not be a more appropriate mascot for our department. Brilliantly wrought of papier–mâché, paint, and yarn, this scapegoat captured our hearts and tickled our funny bones the second he arrived. An overachiever, Azazel has already accomplished much in his very young life--approximately 16 days. To read about his birth, visit Only's Only's blog. Here, I offer a photo journal of Azazel's adventures thus far.

Azazel's papier–mâché body drying upside down during the birthing process.
Photo courtesy of Only's Only.

Settling in to his perch at the office, a mere 2 days after he was born.

Hosting his first office book club.
As you can see, he is already popular with some of the office regulars,
PJ (Pooh Junior) and Tux.

Directing his first film, Kidman.
He bears a striking resemblance to his predecessor, Cecil B., does he not?

Stepping in to fill my shoes while I take some much-needed vacation days to de-stress.

P.S. If you wish to know the origin of his name, hie yourself to Wikipedia's explanation of scapegoat.

Lions and Tigers and Bears, Oh My!

Yesterday, a friend and I went to see the Noah's Ark exhibit at the Skirball Cultural Center. Apparently, the exhibit had received prominent coverage in the LA Times and the NY Times, but I was blissfully unaware of this. When my friend briefly told me about the exhibit, I assumed the display would include an intricate ark in miniature, with myriad animals on or boarding the vessel. Imagine my delighted surprise when I walked into the exhibit space and found myself immersed in a hands-on, interactive experience populated with animals of all shapes and sizes made from found objects! The creativity that went into this project was awe-inspiring. I marveled at the amazing artistry of the puppet-sculptures even as my inner child gleefully emerged to create mini-cyclones, generate rainstorms, and animate various creatures by pulling levers, pumping hydraulic systems, and spinning wheels. The place truly is designed for kids of all ages.

Here are some pictures I took while wandering (and playing) through the exhibit.


Notice how the elephant's trunk is fashioned out of bamboo baskets, the kind commonly used to steam dim sum! His feet are made from steel drums, and although you can't see it in this picture, he has a "gong-able" heart. The deer's ears are shoe horns, the zebras' bodies are rotating turbines, and their manes are made from organ keys. Talk about clever usage of materials!






This picture shows part of the ark. You can load the ramp with foam animal pairs and send them up to "board" the vessel. How can one not feel like a kid again surrounded by all these cool contraptions and toys?!









More animals on the ark...

Check out the crocodile made from a viola case! And the flamingos below it have purses for bodies, fly swatters for legs, and combs for feathers on their wings.

More cool animals...



















At first, we had trouble figuring out what these brown critters were. We just thought it was cool that they had boxing gloves as bodies. Finally, I realized that these were kiwis! How cute! For more great images, check out the Skirball's website. (The penguin and hedgehog are amazing, not to mention adorable!)

Mmmm.... Ratatouille...

Since the Ratatouille DVD was released today, I will take this opportunity to extol this little gem of a film. Only Pixar can take an animal so traditionally reviled and make it not only cute and sympathetic, but get away with placing said critter in a restaurant kitchen!
The movie has heart, humor, and the usual Pixar standard of amazing visuals. The scenes of Paris are breathtakingly gorgeous; they made me ache for a return to the magical City of Light. And the food, which rivaled the culinary masterpieces one might see on the Food Network, actually made me hungry. (Never mind that the dishes were being prepared by a rat.) As for the characters, they are rendered with such detail that I swear you can see every hair on Remy's furry little body.
This feel-good movie brimming with artistry and laugh-out-loud moments will have you cheering for its unlikely but lovable hero. I think I'm going to go to amazon and order it right now...

It's an Existentialist World, Charlie Brown

As part of the office festivities for Halloween yesterday, we participated in a trivia quiz while consuming pizza and various spooky potluck concoctions. The first question on the quiz was:

Every Halloween, Charlie Brown helps his friend Linus wait for what character to appear?
a. The Grinch | b. The Great Pumpkin | c. Godot |
d. Pigpen

I found the concept of Peanuts characters waiting for Godot hilarious. Considering that the content of Charles Schulz's comics was often quite deep, ironic, and satiric, perhaps the connection is not such a stretch. Tickled by this idea, I was moved to Photoshop a couple of images to illustrate a Peanuts take on existentialism.

As part of my research for this mini-project, I went to trusty ol' wikipedia to refresh my memory of Beckett and "Waiting for Godot." (I don't know what I ever did without wikipedia before!) There, I found out that one of two possible paintings by Caspar David Friedrich inspired Beckett to write the play: Man and Woman Contemplating the Moon or Two Men Contemplating the Moon. This composite of Friedrich's painting and Linus and Sally in the pumpkin patch is my tongue-in-cheek homage to both Beckett and Schulz. (By the way, Caspar David Friedrich's oeuvre includes some wonderfully atmospheric and sublime paintings.)

Thus, another Halloween has come and gone, and we find ourselves suddenly in the month of November. And even though neither the Great Pumpkin nor Godot has shown up, we find laughter and friendship and thought and creative expression as we continue to mark our time on this earth, and it is enough.

Hum-Dinger

Yesterday was a rather anticlimactic end to the baseball season. As a champion of underdogs, I was really hoping the Colorado Rockies would fare better. Alas, the 8-day layoff between the NLCS and the World Series seemed to have robbed them of their magical spark. Since my own teams had very little impact in this year's playoffs (the Angels were trounced in the first round, and the Dodgers did not even make the playoffs), I was rooting for the Rockies to continue their miraculous winning streak. Or at least give us a long, interesting battle in the World Series. Oh well. Running into a brick wall in the shape of the formidable Red Sox certainly doesn't take away from the Rockies' amazing accomplishment of winning 21 out of 22 games this fall, forcing and winning a one-game playoff with San Diego, and winning 7 straight in the NLDS and NLCS.

And now, to the main reason for this post. Because of the increased media coverage of the Rockies in the past month, I started to notice their unique mascot during a lot of broadcast games. Thinking that the purple triceratops was cute and funny, I did some online research and found that the Rockies chose a dinosaur for their mascot because fossils were uncovered when they dug the foundation to build Coors Field. Now, that's a pretty cool connection. I also found, to much amusement, that the mascot's name is Dinger (for non-baseball fans, that's slang for home run) and that there are fans who passionately call for the demise of the hapless dino as well as fans who stoutly champion their beloved Dinger. I must admit, I was a bit surprised by the vehemence of the Dinger-haters. Personally, I think a triceratops is a way better mascot than many of the other bizarre creatures gracing the MLB universe. Case in point: take a look at the Philly Phanatic. I mean, really, which would you prefer as your team's mascot?

I guess I simply like mascots that actually resemble a recognizable animal. Cuteness, of course, and comic quality are factors too. Here are a couple of other MLB mascots that I like: San Francisco's Lou Seal (please note that liking a team's mascot does not mean I like the team!) and Florida's Billy the Marlin.

One last thing: I kind of understand why the Seattle Mariners' mascot is a moose, given the Northwest connection. However, as an English major, I've always thought it'd be hilarious if the Mariners' mascot were an albatross. Yes, I realize that not many people would get the reference to Coleridge's "Rime of the Ancient Mariner," but wouldn't you like to see this intimidating figure staring down the opponents?

iGoogle Themes

Perhaps I am just easily amused, but I was quite tickled when I recently discovered that Google has added a theme function to the customizable iGoogle interface. I selected the "Tea House" theme since it was cute, and imagine my pleasant surprise when the pictures updated themselves periodically to match the approximate time of day in my area. These are the different images I've managed to capture so far...

Cute, huh? ;) The little fox is quite industrious and leads a very full life!