2007 Disney Legends

This story is from the Disney Insider but is well worth reposting here. To be a Disney Legend is something we all dream of and I hope that one day, I too will be among those who will live forever in our history. This past September I had the honor of meeting a Disney Legend, Marty Sklar, and I must say that my dream is a pretty lofty one indeed! Enjoy!

The Newest Disney Legends Join the Family

It felt like a family reunion. On October 10, when the 2007 Disney Legends were inducted at the heart of the Disney Studios, there were no paparazzi on the red carpet, and no posh posturing. The crowd was largely composed of Disney Legends - both newly minted and those named in years past - their families, and their colleagues past and present. There was plenty of hugging and laughter as old friends recognized each other across Legends Plaza, where the ceremony was held.

For 20 years, the Disney Legends induction ceremony has been how Disney honors its own - the brilliant, hardworking men and women who have created the magic. This year's inductees include broadcasters and animators, executives, and songsters. Many of them have been showered with awards over the decades, but it was clear on that sunny autumn afternoon that this honor was especially meaningful - because it came from those who know them best.
"This is actually one of the nicest days on the Disney lot, in my opinion, and I think that's shared with many here," said Disney CEO Bob Iger in his opening remarks, summing up the feeling of the event. "You all know that The Walt Disney Company has a very rich heritage, founded in Walt's extraordinary imagination and creativity. This heritage is kept alive by artists and designers, performers, musicians, technicians - and yes, even executives! - whose outstanding work has brought us to where we are today."

No one knew better than Bob how influential two of the honorees have been - at various times in his career, he has worked for both of them. Roone Arledge headed ABC Sports and then ABC News during his long and distinguished career, while Tom Murphy piloted ABC from a single TV and radio station into an international media conglomerate.

Tom commented, "I'm very proud of Bob - of the great job he's doing here. And I'm a very happy stockholder because of the great job he's doing here! It's nice seeing Roy Disney here, and Jane Eisner. And going back many years ago, I haven't seen Art Linkletter for maybe 45 years!"
Art was far from the only Legend on hand to welcome the new inductees - also in the audience were X Atencio, Kathryn Beaumont Levine, Virginia Davis McGee, Richard Sherman, Dick Jones, and about a dozen more. And almost all of them had been helped over the years by 2007 Legend inductee Lucille Martin, who rose from the Disney secretarial pool to become Walt's personal secretary, and finally a vice president of The Walt Disney Company.

The Disney Parks would have lost some of this magic without inductees Ron Logan, long the man behind the entertainment at the Disney Parks around the world, and Walt Disney Imagineering treasurer Carl Bongirno.

Walt Disney Pictures chairman Dick Cook described Floyd Norman as follows: "Our next Disney Legend is an animator, a writer, and a self-confessed troublemaker - which is another way of saying that he's a Disney artist!" Troublesome the animators might be, but this enormously talented group yielded three Legends for 2007:

• Floyd, who says of his Disney years, "From 1956 until now has been a long time, but I'll tell you - every year working with Walt, working with a great bunch of people, it's been a ball."

• Art Babbitt, remembered by his wife Barbara as follows: "He was a great artist and an intellectual, and he was such an honorable man, and very deserving of this award."

• Dick Huemer, whose son Dr. Richard Huemer greeted Donald Duck at the podium when accepting his father's award with "My dad drew you, you know!"

From the other side of the drawing board came Legend Marge Champion, the live-action model for Snow White, the Blue Fairy from "Pinocchio," and even Mr. Stork in "Dumbo." Receiving her statuette, she said "I can't tell you how moved I am today - not only with thanks and gratitude for this extraordinary award, but also because it brings back so many memories. Seeing so many of you here is very, very comforting!"

A Legend we at the Disney Insider were especially happy to see recognized is our friend Disney Archivist Dave Smith, who has a regular spot in the Insider answering your questions about all things Disney. Dave said, "I'm not an actor, I'm not a composer, I'm not a filmmaker, I'm not a Theme Park designer, I'm not any of these creative categories who have usually been named as Disney Legends in the past. But over the 38 years that I've been working as the archivist for The Walt Disney Company, I've been privileged to know and work with almost every single one of the 200 people who have been named Disney Legends in the past. It's a tremendous honor for me today to join their illustrious group."

Bob Schiffer was long a legendary name in Hollywood thanks to a long career film makeup, but his son Douglas told us, "My father was in the film business for 65 years. I can say that the 36 years that he spent at the Disney Studio were his happiest. He was deeply honored to work here and he forged great friendships. He received many personal awards and accolades over the years, and I'm sure this would be his finest accomplishment."

The final honoree was film composer Randy Newman, who was escorted to the podium by his good friends Buzz and Woody from "Toy Story," and who said to the assembled crowd, "I've never seen anybody work harder than the animators and crews who make animated pictures do. It's an honor to be among that company."

Then Randy performed "You've Got a Friend in Me." It's a song that surely caught the spirit of this event, which was a reunion of long-time friends and colleagues with diverse gifts and talents, and one big thing in common - all of them are part of the Disney family.

Air Quality

Thanks to the fires in Georgia the air quality around here is horrible. I just went out to get some gas in the car and I had an asthma attack almost immediately. You can see the haze from the fires and smell the smoke. I swear I can not stand this particular aspect of living in Florida and it happens every year. For those of you with allergies and asthma, here is a breakdown that I found regarding the Air Quality Index. I, for one, never understood what all the colors and numbers meant so now that I found it I thought I would share, compliments of AirNow.Gov.

Air Quality Index
Levels of Health Concern Numerical
Value Meaning

Good 0-50 Air quality is considered satisfactory, and air pollution poses little or no risk.

Moderate 51-100 Air quality is acceptable; however, for some pollutants there may be a moderate health concern for a very small number of people who are unusually sensitive to air pollution.

Unhealthy for Sensitive Groups 101-150 Members of sensitive groups may experience health effects. The general public is not likely to be affected.

Unhealthy 151-200 Everyone may begin to experience health effects; members of sensitive groups may experience more serious health effects.

Very Unhealthy 201-300 Health alert: everyone may experience more serious health effects.

Hazardous > 300 Health warnings of emergency conditions. The entire population is more likely to be affected.

TIME's Top 100 for 2006

Thanks to TIME, for the art and info... just thought I would share who they feel are the Top 100 People for 2006. I have to say, I don't agree with all of them (heck, some I haven't even heard of before) but who does, right.

ILLUSTRATION FOR TIME BY EDEL RODRIGUEZ

Artists & Entertainers

This diverse galaxy of influential stars has won fans and spawned imitators around the globe
J.J. Abrams
George Clooney
Dixie Chicks
Ellen DeGeneres
Nicolas Ghesquiere
Wayne Gould
Philip Seymour Hoffman
Arianna Huffington
Ang Lee
Renzo Piano
Rain
Rachael Ray
Jeff Skoll
Kiki Smith
Will Smith
Zadie Smith
Howard Stern
Meryl Streep
Reese Witherspoon
Rob Pardo
Daddy Yankee
Tyra Banks
Dane Cook
Matt Drudge
Stephen Colbert


Scientists & Thinkers

Whether by harnessing the power of the Internet or probing the mysteries of the mind, they have come up with the big ideas of our time
Mike Brown
Kelly Brownell
Nancy Cox
Richard Davidson
Kerry Emanuel
Jim Hansen
Zahi Hawass
Bill James
John Jones
Ma Jun
Jim Yong Kim
Steven Levitt
Jacques Rossouw
Andrew von Eschenbach
Jimmy Wales
Geoffrey West


Leaders & Revolutionaries

Dictators, democrats, holy men (and a TV host)—these are the people with the clout and power to change our world
Muqtada al-Sadr
Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf
Hugo Chavez
George W. Bush
John McCain
Mahmoud Ahmadinejad
Ayman al-Zawahiri
Hillary Rodham Clinton
Pope Benedict
Condoleezza Rice
Wen Jiabao
Ehud Olmert
Pervez Musharraf
John Roberts
Ismail Haniya
Angela Merkel
Jigme Singye Wangchuk
Archbishop Peter Akinola
Junichiro Koizumi
Oprah Winfrey
Bill & Melinda Gates


Heroes & Pioneers

Meet some global icons—actors, politicians, athletes, entertainers and others—who are using their influence to do the right thing
Bono
Michelle Wie
Wynton Marsalis
Angelina Jolie
Bill Clinton & George H.W. Bush
Steve Nash
Orhan Pamuk
Elie Wiesel
Jan Egeland
Joey Cheek
Chen Guangcheng
Ian Fishback
Wafa Sultan
Pernessa Seele
Ralph Lauren
Mukhtaran Bibi
Paul Simon
Al Gore
Katie Couric


Builders & Titans

Innovation, grand plans, style and substance—that's what it takes to be influential in the world of business
Vikram Akula
Tom Anderson & Chris DeWolfe
Franz Beckenbauer
The Flickr Founders
Sean Combs
Jamie Dimon
Brian France
Tom Freston
Huang Guangyu
Omid Kordestani
Eddie Lampert
Patricia Russo
Sheikh Mohammed
Anne Mulcahy
Nandan Nilekani
Jim Sinegal
Steve Wynn
The Skype Guys
Dieter Zetsche

Our Lost Icons

Every generation has one - my father had Elvis, we had Princess Diana and now Dani has Steve Irwin. We were in our resort room at Disney's Beach Club because Dani wasn't feeling 100% so we decided that it was best to rest for a bit before heading out again, if at all. So we each climbed into our respective beds and turned on the television. There they played a blurp and ended with the comment about the legacy he left behind. Dani was curious what that meant and I told her how they usually say that about people who have died and they are explaining about their life. She said that it was about the Crocodile Hunter ~ he was too young to be dead. This had her glued so we waited for the commercials to end to get the full story. Sure enough, Steve Irwin had died. Dani was so upset that she called home to Nana and Pop to let them know. This was a person she "grew up" with and adored. We all had to watch the hours upon hours of him yelling Crikey and exploring the world and the animals in it.

I found this article on Inside Yahoo! and thought that it was worth posting here. As an adult, I found him entertaining and educational for my child. My child found a friend.
By DENNIS PASSA, Associated Press Writer 1 hour, 10 minutes ago

BEERWAH, Australia - "Crocodile Hunter" Steve Irwin was remembered Wednesday for his "great zest for life" at a public memorial service for the beloved conservationist and entertainer.

"We have lost a friend, a champion," actor
Russell Crowe' name=c1> SEARCHNews News Photos Images Web' name=c3> Russell Crowe said in a recorded tribute. "It will take some time to adjust to that."
Prime Minister John Howard, among the 5,000 in attendance at the Australia Zoo for the ceremony, remembered Irwin for his love of Australia.
"Steve Irwin touched the hearts of Australians and touched the hearts of millions around the world in a very special way," said Howard. "He did that because he had that quality of being genuine, of being authentic, of being unconditional and having a great zest for life.
"Throughout his all-too-short life he demonstrated a love for the two things that ought to matter more to all of us than anything else — his love of his family and his love of his country."
A exuberant television entertainer and conservationist, Irwin, 44, died Sept. 4 when the barb from a stingray pierced his chest while he was filming for a TV show on the Great Barrier Reef. His family held a private funeral service for him on Sept. 9 at Australia Zoo.
The ceremony Wednesday featured footage of the hugely popular television program that coaxed laughter from the attendees.
As expected, there was one empty seat at Irwin's personal stadium — the one set aside for the late and hugely popular "Crocodile Hunter" himself. On the stage sat Irwin's widow, American-born Terri, and their two children, Bindi, 8, and Bob, 2 — all dressed in Irwin's favored khaki outfit. It was their first public appearance since Irwin's death.
"Please do not grieve for Steve, he's at peace now," said Steve's father, Bob Irwin. "Grieve for the animals. They have lost the best friend they ever had, and so have I."
Later, Bindi Irwin told the crowd at the ceremony that she had the "best daddy in the world."
"I will miss him every day," she said.
Flags on the Sydney Harbor Bridge flew Wednesday at half-staff, and giant television screens were set up in Irwin's home state of Queensland for people to watch the service. Three of Australia's main television networks carried the hour-long ceremony, which was made available to U.S. and international networks and which family officials said could be watched by as many as 300 million people.
One of Irwin's favorite Australian country singers,
John Williamson' name=c1> SEARCHNews News Photos Images Web' name=c3> John Williamson, sang one of the naturalist's favorite songs, "True Blue."
At the end of the ceremony, Irwin's utility vechicle, packed with camping gear and his favorite surfboard, was driven from the stadium — through an honor guard of Australia Zoo employees — to an encore singing of "True Blue."
After the truck left the stadium, a group of employees spelled out Irwin's catchword "Crikey" in yellow flowers on the ground.
Crowds began lining up Tuesday night for the start of the memorial service. Later, under sunny skies just before the start of the ceremony, dozens of television satellite transmission trucks were parked outside the zoo, a flora and fauna park owned by the Irwin family since 1970.
Irwin's death set off an unprecedented outpouring of grief. Tens of thousands traveled to the zoo near Brisbane to drop off flowers and other mementoes, many of them signing khaki shirts instead of a condolence book.
Since Irwin's death, his conservation charity Wildlife Warriors has seen a surge in donations and its Web site has received millions of hits.
As part of the public memorial entitled "He Changed Our World," actress
Cameron Diaz' name=c1> SEARCHNews News Photos Images Web' name=c3> Cameron Diaz said in a video presentation that Irwin was incredibly popular in the United States.
"America just flipped for him," said Diaz. "Every kid was in love with the idea of being him."
Actor
Kevin Costner' name=c1> SEARCHNews News Photos Images Web' name=c3> Kevin Costner said Irwin put himself "out there" for everyone to see.
"He was fearless," said Costner in the video tribute. "He let us see who he was. That is being brave in today's society."

6.0 Gulf quake felt from La. to Fla.

It was weird.. I was up here posting and I felt the whole upstairs shake... I hollered down to Mom and Daddy to see if they knew what the deal was... they didn't have a clue either so we looked outside for a big truck to go down the street... later found out it was this. I found this on Yahoo! - never a dull moment in the Sunshine State!!

By PHIL DAVIS, Associated Press Writer2 hours, 36 minutes ago

The largest earthquake to strike the eastern Gulf of Mexico in the last 30 years sent shock waves from Louisiana to southwest Florida Sunday, but did little more than rattle residents.
The magnitude 6.0 earthquake, centered about 260 miles southwest of Tampa, was too small to trigger a tsunami or dangerous waves, the U.S. Geological Survey said.
The USGS received more than 2,800 reports from people who felt the 10:56 a.m. quake. Scientists said it was the largest and most widely felt of more than a dozen earthquakes recorded in the region in three decades.
"This is a fairly unique event," said Don Blakeman, an analyst with the National Earthquake Information Center who said the quake was unusually strong. "I wouldn't expect any substantial damage, but it is possible there will be some minor damage."
The most prevalent vibration, which lasted for about 20 seconds, was felt on the gulf coast of Florida and in southern Georgia, Blakeman said. But residents in Alabama, Mississippi and Louisiana also called in reports.
"It rattled our trailer pretty good," said Dan Hawks, who lives near Ocala in the small central Florida community of Pedro. "The house started shaking. We could actually see it moving. We looked at each stupidly and said, 'What's the deal?'"
Florida counties along the Gulf of Mexico called the state emergency operations center with reports of tremors but no damage was reported, spokesman Mike Stone said. Gov. Jeb Bush was informed of the situation, Stone said.
The earthquake likely did not have any effect on oil operations in the Gulf of Mexico, according to Ray Connolly, a spokesman for the American Petroleum Institute, the trade association for the U.S. oil and natural gas industry. Earthquakes are factored into the design of the industry's equipment both onshore and offshore, Connolly said.
The epicenter is an unusual location for earthquake activity, but scientists recorded a magnitude 5.2 temblor in the same location on Feb. 10.
"This kind of occurrence is unusual in that spot, especially for an earthquake of this size," Blakeman said of Sunday's quake.
The temblor was unusual because it was not centered on a known fault line. The "midplate" earthquake, deep under the gulf, was probably the result of stresses generated by the interaction of tectonic plates in the earth's crust, the agency said.
Only one of Florida's rare earthquakes caused significant damage. In January 1879, St. Augustine residents reported heavy shaking that knocked plaster off the walls.
A more recent temblor, in November 1952, prompted a resident of Quincy to report the shaking "interfered with the writing of a parking ticket," the USGS said.
___
On the Net:
U.S. Geological Survey: http://earthquake.usgs.gov/eqcenter/recenteqsus/Quakes/usslav.php

Ode to Ernesto

Ernesto, Ernesto - you are a big ol' Pesto
Why are you bothering my state?
People are scared and going insane,
Bilions of people in the check out lane.
Water and batteries flying out the store,
We have a bunch but we could always use more.

Ernesto, Ernesto - you pathetic little Pesto.
You couldn't keep it together over the Cuban mountains,
Throwing less water than the playground fountains.
Just take a sharp right and head out of sight.
I have run out of rhyme, at this particular time,
but that is okay because you aren't even a true hurricane.

A pathetic poem for a pathetic storm.

Despite Planetary Downgrade, Pluto is Still Disney's 'Dog Star'

In reaction to news today that Pluto was demoted to the status of "dwarf planet," the Seven Dwarfs issued their own short statement:
"Although we think it's DOPEY that Pluto has been downgraded to a dwarf planet, which has made some people GRUMPY and others just SLEEPY, we are not BASHFUL in saying we would be HAPPY if Disney's Pluto would join us as an 8th dwarf. We think this is just what the DOC ordered and is nothing to SNEEZE at."
As Mickey Mouse's faithful companion, Pluto made his debut in 1930 – the same year that scientists discovered what they believed was a ninth planet. Said a white-gloved, yellow-shoed source close to Disney's top dog, "I think the whole thing is goofy. Pluto has never been interested in astronomy before, other than maybe an occasional howl at the moon."

Mars - 08/27/06

Since this won't happen again between 5,000 and 60,000 years... might be worth a look now.

I'm sure some of you already know and are watching for this phenomenon, but if you aren't - here's your chance. Mars, The Red Planet, is about to be spectacular! This month the Earth is catching up with Mars in an encounter that will culminate in the closest approach between the two planets in recorded history. The next time Mars may come this close is in 2287. Due to the way Jupiter's gravity tugs on Mars and perturbs its orbit, astronomers can only be certain that Mars has not come this close to Earth in the last 5,000 years, but it may be as long as 60,000 years before it happens again.

The encounter will culminate on August 27th when Mars comes to within 34,649,589 miles of Earth and will be (next to the moon) the brightest object in the night sky. It will attain a magnitude of -2.9 and will appear 25.11 arc seconds wide. At a modest 75-power magnification, Mars will look as large as the full moon to the naked eye.

Mars will be easy to spot. At the beginning of August it will rise in the east at 10 p.m. and reach its azimuth at about 3 a.m. By the end of August when the two planets are closest, Mars will rise at nightfall and reach its highest point in the sky at 12:30 a.m. That's pretty convenient to see something that no human being has seen in recorded history. So, mark your calendar at the beginning of August to see Mars grow progressively brighter and brighter throughout the month.

Share this with your children and grandchildren.

NO ONE ALIVE TODAY WILL EVER SEE THIS AGAIN