WDW@50

"Walt Disney World is tribute to the philosophy and life of Walter Elias Disney...and to the talents, the dedication, and the loyalty of the entire Disney organization that made Walt Disney's dream come true.  May Walt Disney World bring Joy and Inspiration and New Knowledge to all who come to this happy place...a Magic Kingdom where the young at heart of all ages can laugh and play and learn - together."

Roy O. Disney, October 25, 1971

Yesterday, Walt Disney World celebrated its 50th anniversary.  On October 1, 1971, the Magic Kingdom opened its gates for the first time.  At that time, Walt Disney World was a lot smaller than we would think of today, consisting only of the Magic Kingdom theme park, the Ticket and Transportation Center, and the Contemporary and Polynesian resorts, all located on the monorail line circling Seven Seas Lagoon.  

With the success of Disneyland in Anaheim, California, Walt Disney began exploring several options for a second theme park location.  Primarily, Walt wanted to find space to combat the encroachment of motels and shops that had sprung up right next to Disneyland.  

"The Florida Project", as it was known, was intended to present a distinct vision with its own diverse set of attractions. While a theme park would be included as an attraction, it was only a small portion of Walt's vision.  His original plans also called for the inclusion of an "Experimental Prototype Community of Tomorrow" (EPCOT).  Instead of the theme park we know today, this EPCOT was a master planned community intended to serve as a testbed for new city-living innovations. 

Walt's death in 1966 during the planning phase of development left the company wrestling with the idea of whether to bring the Florida Project to fruition. However, Walt's older brother, Roy, came out of retirement to make sure Walt's biggest dream was realized.   And it was Roy who insisted the name of the entire complex be changed from Disney World to Walt Disney World, ensuring that people would remember that the project was Walt's dream.

Though the pandemic put a damper on a lot of the celebration plans, the company is still celebrating in true Disney fashion, with two nighttime spectaculars, EARidescent decorations and costumes, and lots of nostalgic food and souvenirs.  The pandemic also didn't stop massive crowds from arriving yesterday to celebrate the anniversary, with the Hub area filling to capacity in early evening for the new fireworks show.

The celebration will be continuing for the next 18 months in typical Disney fashion, and we will look forward to celebrating this December.  

Happy Birthday, Disney World!  Here's to 50 more magical years!

NPR@50

NPR marks its 50th birthday today.  May 3, 1971, NPR started its first broadcast.   While the station had began airing Senate hearings of the Vietnam War on April 20, 1971, May 3 marked the first day it aired its own programming.  All Things Considered, their afternoon drive-time newscast, premiered with host Robert Conley, discussing the news of the day.  The broadcasts could not be aired live during the first week, but could be recorded to be played later.  Thankfully things have exploded from there.

While it is not as much a part of my daily life now, NPR was my lifeline for a very long time.  Growing up, I couldn't have imagined it, but I've become a fan of talk-radio.  Of talk shows.  I like feeling like I'm joining into a conversation, whether it be on radio and on podcasts.  

Because of that, my hour long commutes were filled with NPR or podcasts.  And I loved a lot about NPR.  Marketplace Morning Report, BBC Newshour.  I love the irreverent part in Wait, Wait, Don't Tell Me... and Ask Me Another.  While I have issues with her interview style at times, I enjoy Fresh Air.

NPR provides that essential lifeline of information.  Freely available.  Open to all.  About as center of the political spectrum in news that you can ask for.

It's amazing that it has lasted this long.  Let's pray to keep it funded for another 50 years into the future.

Happy Birthday NPR!  To many more...

Abbey Road

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50 years old.  

One of the most iconic album covers of all time turns 50 years old.  This photograph was taken August 8, 1969.  A design from an idea that McCartney sketched, it’s such a simple shot outside the EMI Studios. The cover features neither the artist name nor the album title on the front cover, the only original UK Beatles album to do so. As John Kosh, Apple Records creative designer, put it “we didn’t need to write the band’s name on the cover … They were the most famous band in the world.”

The group crossing that zebra stripe crossing has become one of the most imitated images around.  I know Brooke tried her hand at it on our trip to London in 2000.  There’s even a webcam that has monitored it since 2011.

It has sparked fringe theories like the “Paul is dead” theory.  That since, McCartney is the only one barefoot and out of step, he’s deceased.  The line is then a funeral procession, led by Lennon in white as the religious figure.  Followed by Starr in black as the undertaker, with Harrison in denim as the gravedigger.

How many other album covers can say that?

And though the recoding process was contentious, and though it represented an end for the Beatles (though Let It Be would be technically the last worked on and released), man what an album.

• Come Together
• Something
• Oh! Darling
• Here Comes The Sun
• Because
• Medley with Golden Slumbers, Carry the Weight, and The End

Talk about going out on a high note.  Those are songs where most groups would hope to have just one on an album.

We’re never going to have another group like the Beatles.  There’s so much content, it’s so fractured, that I don’t believe anything will ever hit like that.

And without a group like that, an album cover or cd cover, or associated image with a track is never going to pop like this one.

In remembrance, let’s heed the words of the final collective Beatles song -

“And in the end, the love you take, is equal to the love you make…”

Be good to each other.  And if you have Abbey Road photos, share them here.

One Small Step For Man

“Now this is a choice which this country must make, and I am confident that under the leadership of the Space Committees of the Congress, and the Appropriating Committees, that you will consider the matter carefully.

It is a most important decision that we make as a nation.  But all of you have lived through the last four years and have seen the significance of space and the adventures in space, and no one can predict with certainty what the ultimate meaning will be of mastery of space.

I believe we should go to the moon.  But I think every citizen of this country as well as the Members of Congress should consider the matter carefully in making their judgment, to which we have given attention over many weeks and months, because it is a heavy burden, and there is no sense in agreeing or desiring that the United States take an affirmative position in outer space, unless we are prepared to do the work and bear the burdens to make it successful.  if we are not, we should decide today and this year."

President John F. Kennedy, May 25, 1961, Speech to Congress

Fifty years ago today man first stepped on the moon.

The Eagle landed on the moon at 20:17:40 UTC on Sunday, July 20, 1969 carrying Buzz Aldrin and Neal Armstrong down to their moment in history.  “Houston, Tranquility Base here.  The Eagle has landed."  Aldrin commemorated the landing with a private communion, prepared by his pastor at Webster Presbyterian Church.  

With that landing, Armstrong and Aldrin became the first of twelve men to set foot on the moon.  Twelve over a period of fifty years, despite 326 attempted human spaceflights, beginning with Vostok 1.  A very rare brotherhood, indeed.

Space has always fascinated humans, from the very first moment we could see the stars.  From art to science, our trajectory had always been moving us to try and leave our atmosphere for that frontier beyond.  To reach the stars.

Space flight gave us perspective.  "It suddenly struck me that that tiny pea, pretty and blue, was the Earth.  I put up my thumb and shut one eye, and my thumb blotted out the planet Earth.  I didn’t feel like a giant.  I felt very, very small.” Neil Armstrong.  It reminded us of our place in the universe.  On a pale, blue dot, suspended in a beam of light.  

I'm grateful with Artemis, we seem to be dreaming again.  We're seeking to reach even further.  Our new moon shot, now to human missions to Mars.  To push beyond the boundaries of what has been, and explore beyond our current experience.  Not through a space force, through the militarization of the final frontier.  But through the continued humanitarian discovery of the world beyond.

We're celebrating this milestone in a lot of interesting ways.  NASA has stunningly recreated point of view footage of Armstrong's landing on the moon.  CBS News livestreamed the footage of the launch of Apollo 11.  The National Air and Space Museum is projection mapping the Apollo 11 launch on the Washington Monument, for a pretty cool recreation.

May we keep pushing forward.  Hopefully in the next fifty years, we will have explored so much further beyond.

Here men from the planet Earth first set foot upon the Moon, July 1969 A.D.  We came in peace for all mankind.