Merry Christmas from Disney, etc.!

I know the ol' Etc. has been short on posts lately, but I've been too engulfed by the Christmas spirit to use a computer! Sorry 'bout that, folks. After the holidays, expect a return to our regularly-paced, exciting stream of news all about Disney, Pixar, Movies, and everything in-between.

I hope I haven't lost any of you beloved readers due to my recent lack of . . . consistency. More news is to come! Reviews! The rousing Awards Season! What Makes it Timeless! It's all coming your way, and it's all coming very soon.

Until then, have a Merry Christmas, and a Happy New Year!!

Oh, and watch Mickey's A Christmas Carol tonight. I demand it.

Merry Christmas!

Read More...

CNN at Pixar Animation Studios

Above is a short video of CNN touring Pixar Animation Studios. The video doesn't have anything amazingly never-before-seen, but are there some nice segments on the animation process, the RenderFarm, and Lasseter's toy-laden office. Watch it above.

I'm glad that Pixar is getting more and more news coverage every day. They certainly deserve it. Behind-the-scenes stuff should reach the masses more often.

Read More...

Disney Parks to "Simplify and Streamline Product Delivery"

Today Disney announced that it will consolidate the Walt Disney Parks and Resorts' operating structure in a hope to "streamline decision-making and eliminate redundancy".

They feel that the consumer doesn't want multiple images of the Disney company and its parks, but rather "one-Disney" experience:

"We know that our Guests want a 'one-Disney' experience and we must organize around that expectation," said Rasulo. "The long-term success of Parks and Resorts depends upon our ability to adapt and innovate and respond to Guest preferences. These changes are essential to maintaining our leadership position in family tourism and reflect today's economic realities."

As a result, the management for the separate, domestic parks will consolidate into one organization in a hope to make the parks more similar and turn the consumer's view of multiple "Disneys" into "one-Disney":

A new Global Business Development team led by Executive Vice President Nick Franklin will combine the existing development functions of business and real estate development. The team will be responsible for driving growth by working with existing businesses on their development strategies, while also exploring new business opportunities around the globe.

Another interesting thing about this new policy and management is that now Imagineering will "be reorganized into a single practice merging resort development with attractions and entertainment development to bring the creativity of Disney storytelling to the design and delivery of products at all Disney destinations."

All of these changes are effective immediately, but chances are that this will not really change much about the parks to us consumers; just to execs, managers and the other "behind-the-scenes" people.

Source: Walt Disney Parks and Resorts Press Releases

Read More...

The Large Hadron Collider: Answer to the Mysteries of the Universe, Or the End of the World?

Right now, there is an unbelievably complex machine with an unimaginable amount of power bordering France and Switzerland. This awesome device is called the Large Hadron Collider. It has a circumference of 17 miles (27 kilometers), and, at its deepest, it goes 175 meters underground.


It contains two adjacent beam pipes and 1232 bending magnets. It requires 1600 superconducting magnets, 90 tons of liquid helium, and a temperature of -456.25 F. This machine's sole purpose is to produce high-energy particle collisions to study subatomic particles' construction. Its kinda like smashing a watch with a hammer to see how the watch was made. Another thing that the LHC may achieve is the discovery of the Higgs Boson particle. This is the particle, if discovered, will confirm all of the "missing links" of physics. It can explain how particles acquire mass. The Higgs Boson particle will also help us search for the Grand Unified Theory.


This machine's first major test will begin on September 10 of this year, and the result is sure to be a surprise. Some believe that it has enough raw power to develop a small black hole within the Collider which would quickly eat up the Collider, France, Switzerland, Europe, then onto the world. Others believe it might explode, and others have actually taken legal action. Most, however, believe that it is a vital step that we must take to unlock the secrets of our world, and the rest of the universe. The Large Hadron Collider has passed all safety tests, but that doesn't stop the public from worrying about power which we haven't yet explored.


Here is an awesome picture gallery of this truly amazing piece of machinery: Boston.com

Read More...

The Homer Simpson Euro

A sweetshop owner in Spain was counting the day's take when he stumbled upon a very curious coin. It was a Euro, but it did not have Spanish King Juan Carlos on the front. In his place was Homer Simpson. The sweetshop owner has been offered 20 euros for the 1 euro coin.

Source: FOX News

Read More...

The Roundest Object Ever Has Been Created

Recently a team of scientists have developed the roundest sphere possible. It has never really occurred to me that a sphere could be less round or more round than another, but apparently it can. And this object is the roundest!

You may be asking yourself, "What is the point of creating this round object? How will it serve the world we live in?" Well, this sphere was created in the hopes of solving the "kilogram problem". This problem, you see, comes from the fact that "the kilogram is the only remaining standard of measurement tied to a single physical object: a 120-year-old lump of platinum and iridium that sits in a vault outside of Paris, France." This is an issue, because the various copies of this lump of mineral are changing relative size and shape, thus, the kilogram is no longer a reliable or exact measurement. This extremely round sphere just may be the answer to this "kilogram problem".

Read more about it here.

Read More...

A New Style of Milk Jug Brings Solution and Problem

Wal-Mart and Costco have adopted a new style of milk jug that deals with several issues that have recently come up. The traditional milk jug is terrible for the environment, a bit expensive, they take up too much space, and they require crates. The new style of milk jug is great for the environment, requires no crate, can be bought at far cheaper prices, and saves a bunch of space. The "miracle jug" is simply a rectangle, as pictured above.

You may be asking yourself, "What could possibly be wrong with these jugs? They seem great!" Well, there is one major problem found by a lot of consumers forced into purchasing these new jugs. This problem is that there is no spout on the jug, and therefore it is very difficult to pour. In fact, some Sam's Clubs offer milk pouring classes.

Greg Soehnlen, the creator of these new jugs, next to the space-saving, money-saving palettes.

Source: The New York Times

Read More...

Today, there is no news.




By Pixelsurgeon (Link)

Read More...