It Begins

And so it begins.

Michael Cohen, President Trump's personal attorney and fixer plead guilty to several different counts including breaking campaign finance laws, multiple counts of tax evasion, and a single count of bank fraud.  In doing so, he implicated the president regarding the campaign finance violations.  Cohen told the judge that the payments to two women to keep them from speaking publicly of their affairs with the president during the 2016 election were made "in coordination with and at the direction of a candidate for federal office."  He further stated that this conduct was "for the principal purpose of influencing the election."

This is huge.  While Mr. Cohen is the latest in a string of people connected to the Trump campaign that have been convicted or plead guilty, he is the first to directly implicate the president.  Even Trump campaign manager Paul Manafort's conviction, which came hours after Mr. Cohen's plea, did not directly concern the president himself.  Manafort's conviction on several counts of financial fraud focused on Manafort's own personal financial actions.

Cohen makes it clear that the campaign finance violations were directed by the president.  This allegation was made under oath, under penalty of perjruy.  And it would seem he has the tapes to back up these allegations.

Perhaps the oddest thing to me to come from these cases, is Trump himself downplaying campaign finance violations.

Michael Cohen plead guilty to two counts of campaign finance violations that are not a crime. President Obama had a big campaign finance violation and it was easily settled!

— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) August 22, 2018

Trump is essentially trying to argue campaign finance violations are not a crime.  And while campaign finance violations can be both a criminal and civil violation, a knowing and deliberate violation of campaign finance laws is most definitely a crime.  It fulfills the "intent" requirement of a crime.  Further, a federal judge is not going to allow someone to plead guilty of something that is not a crime.

The violations that Trump mention for the Obama campaign did involve a big dollar amount, but from all evidence reflected a fairly low-level, benign paperwork error.  A mistake that was corrected by a civil fine. The fine was the among the largest ever levied against a presidential campaign according to the Federal Election Commission, but it was a reflection of the dollar amount involved in the campaign, not of intent.

Cohen's plea acknowledges knowing and deliberate campaign finance violations. An attempt to commit fraud.  That will always be a crime.  And if the president did indeed direct Cohen's actions, then he is involved in the crime as well.  Admittedly, this is not a huge crime in the scheme of federal crimes, but it is still fraud to sway the election and more than enough for "high crimes and misdemeanors."

So now we have the first sitting president since Richard Nixon accused of a crime.  Will Cohen be Trump's John Dean?

This is only the beginning.

Now, I don't say it often, but I do agree with President Trump on one thing.

If anyone is looking for a good lawyer, I would strongly suggest that you don’t retain the services of Michael Cohen!

— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) August 22, 2018

Cohen's attorney tried to portray Michael Cohen as a patriot who put country over his previous client, President Trump.  I have a large problem with that sentiment.  It would seem Cohen is the very type of lawyer that gives my profession a bad name.  Someone who goes along with the crime until it starts to implicate them personally.  If Mr. Cohen had convictions, those should have been raised before engaging in the violations.  Thankfully, he will likely soon be disbarred.   The New York State Bar would not let him continue to practice after his guilty plea.  And that will not be easily reversed.

He may start the process to bring down a president, but he's not the type of lawyer I want representing us.

If I Were Disney CEO Part 18 - Hong Kong Disneyland and the Hong Kong Disneyland Resort

"To all who come to this happy place, welcome."

Fifty years ago, Walt Disney introduced the world to enchanted realms of fantasy and adventure, yesterday and tomorrow, in a magical place called Disneyland.

Today that spirit of imagination and discovery comes to life in Hong Kong.

Hong Kong Disneyland is dedicated to the young and the young at heart - with the hope that it will be a source of joy and inspiration, and an enduring symbol of the cooperation, friendship and understanding between the people of Hong Kong and the United States of America.

Donald Tsang

Chief Executive

Hong Kong S.A.R.

Michael D. Eisner

Chief Executive Officer

The Walt Disney Company

Dedicated this 12th day of September, 2005

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Hong Kong Disneyland is the tenth Disney park to be built around the world, opening fifty years after the opening of Disneyland in Anaheim, California.  In many ways, it represents an interesting reaction to several events in the history of the Disney Company.  As a first entry into China, it is the first Disney castle park to be designed with at least some attention to the principles of feng shui, with wider open spaces and several garden attractions.  As the first castle park built after EuroDisneyland, it was purposefully built small, down to the replica of the castle in Anaheim, in recognition of the cost overruns experienced on the continent.  As a result, for the longest, Hong Kong Disneyland was seen as a half-day park, with an underwhelming attraction lineup.  Thanks to much needed investment and previously announced plans for the future, Hong Kong Disneyland is shaping up to be one of the more interesting castle parks in Disney's roster, with potentially a very unique feature that no other park will have.

Primary Goals:

• Increased Attractions - While the attraction count has been improving over the years, it is still shy of where it needs to be to attract guests to the park.  A primary focus would be adding attractions to the expansion areas and to currently under-served locations.
• Build Out Beyond the Berm - Hong Kong Disneyland is poised to achieve something that is not possible in any other Disney castle park: to have a ring of lands and attractions that allows guests to walk nearly completely around the park outside the berm.  Traditionally in Disney castle parks, guests have been bound by the railroad tracks, with small exceptions for single attractions or single lands.  With the construction of Grizzly Gulch, Mystic Point, Toy Story Land, and the upcoming locations of the Frozen and Marvel lands, as well as the placement of it's a small world and Mickey and the Wondrous Book, there will be distinct pathways both inside and outside the tracks to circumnavigate the park.  I would seek to continue and finalize this pathway with lands and attractions in the remaining expansion areas.
• Keep it Unique - Particularly with the competition between Hong Kong and Shanghai, there is a need for unique attractions in both parks to draw guests to each.  Accordingly, while I may pull from something that is in the stateside parks or Disneyland Paris, I will not look to duplicate anything from Shanghai Disneyland or even from the Tokyo Disney Resort.

With these goals in mind, I’ll walk through each land in the park and discuss the updates.  I'll be walking through the park clockwise from Main Street, heading through Adventureland first, out beyond the berm and working around to Tomorrowland.  This is generally the approach we take in visiting castle parks, so it makes the most sense to me to approach it this way in addressing the parks needs and changes.

Main Street:
Main Street is largely a recreation of Main Street USA from Disneyland in Anaheim.  As such, it serves its purpose as a retail, dining, and performance corridor.  Great Moments with Mr. Lincoln has been appropriately exchanged for the Animation Academy.  There are definitely a few areas for potential expansion, including pathways for bypasses if needed, but I hesitate to touch them as I do not feel they are needed.  Plus, Hong Kong Disneyland really does Halloween right with temporary mazes and shows and I would hate to touch any of the locations used and block those from future use.

Main Street Possibilities

The castle is currently going under renovation, changing it from a direct copy of Sleeping Beauty Castle in Anaheim, to a tall, new castle inspired by all thirteen Disney princesses.  If Shanghai was bigger, this will be taller.  This new castle will also have a purpose built stage and seating area for entertainment.  This renovation promised to help balance the castle with the mountains of Lantau in the background, creating a unique and stunning view.

(c) Disney

Adventureland:
Adventureland proper in Hong Kong Disneyland puts a unique spin on the concept.  Tarzan's Treehouse has been moved to an island in the center of a large river, similar to Tom Sawyer Island in Disneyland.  The Jungle Cruise, the areas signature attraction, circles the island much like the riverboats stateside, providing a similar but very different experience to the familiar attraction.  The area is rounded out with a water play area and two stage shows. Accordingly, Adventureland could use a couple of small attractions to help round out the land.

Adventureland thoughts

I would propose adding a version of the Enchanted Tiki Room close to the entrance of the land.  For guests in Hong Kong, this attraction would need to represent a significant upgrade in technology, but could provide a tested small-form attraction that would fit with the Moana stage show and Tahitian Terrace in the area.

Secondly, I would add a Jungle Book dark ride in an Angor Wat inspired temple facade.  The ride would be kin to the Fantasyland dark rides in scope, but would get the additional projection mapping and effects necessary to make it a fulfilling experience.

Indiana Jones Mini Land:
Starting now outside the berm, the first expansion plot that is reached is the one initially planned for a unique version of Pirates of the Caribbean.  That plan was rejected and while I would love to have pirates in the resort, I feel they are better suited for the second park.  For this section of land, I would look to a similar exotic location, South America, to add an Indiana Jones inspired pulp adventure mini land.  Full of Incan temples and ruins, the area would provide a nice transition from the Polynesian/African adventure land, to the North American wild west Grizzly Gulch.  Similar to Lost River Delta in Tokyo DisneySea, this area would house an Indiana Jones adventure ride, either the enhanced-motion vehicle from Disneyland/DisneySea or a version of the Pirates ride from Shanghai.  This grand dark-ride would serve as the area's E-Ticket attraction and could potentially interact with the railroad, as the initial Disneyland Anaheim plans called for.

Indy inspired sub-land

Grizzly Gulch, Mystic Point:
I have nothing to add to these lands.  They are wonderful additions and set the standard for additions to the park going forward.  Mystic Manor in particular is a game changing variation on the Haunted Mansion genre.

Toy Story Land:
If I really had my preference, I would remove Toy Story Land for the proposed Glacier Bay.  This adventurous exploration of the Artic would be a perfect transition area from the Adventureland themed sub-lands to the new Frozen expansion for Fantasyland.

However, in the interest of adding and not subtracting, I'm working from Toy Story Land and continuing to develop.  With that in mind, I would focus on adding Toy Story Mania and Andy's Lunchbox to the area working around toward Fantasyland.

Toy Story Expansion and a new version of a classic

Beyond this addition, as a new pathway is created to connect to the Frozen expansion, there is little room left for another sub-land.  Instead I would look to balance the Frozen addition with a classic Disney attraction updated for the new millennium: Journey Into Imagination.  I would focus on updating and recreating the original version of the classic attraction with Dreamfinder and Figment, adding in every trick that Imagineering has at its disposal.  This creates kind of a symmetry with the Frozen land bookended by Journey Into Imagination and it's a small world, and adds an attraction with an amazing hourly capacity.

Arendelle, Frozen sub-land:
For the large expansion pad on top of Fantasyland, Disney announced a Frozen themed land.  Originally this land was to include a version of Frozen Ever After from EPCOT in Elsa's castle and a dancing sleigh ride like Luigi's Rollickin' Roadsters from California Adventure.  The dancing sleigh ride has been replaced by a sleigh coaster similar to the Seven Dwarfs Mine Train.  This land looks to be an incredible addition, and while I'm not the largest fan of lands consisting on only two rides, as a part of the larger Fantasyland, this will be welcomed.

Expansion Pad

(c) Disney concept art

Fantasyland:
Beyond the Frozen land and Journey Into Imagination, there is not much else that could be added to Fantasyland proper.  The two garden areas seem redundant, but I'm not sure that there is much that could be added to replace them.  Of the two, I would most likely look to replace the Fantasy Gardens.  The newer Fairy Tale Forest seems more akin to a walkthrough Storybookland Canal Boats and as such has a little more value, to me at least.  The Fantasy Gardens, while pretty, largely houses meet and greet locations which can be moved to other locations.  If replaced, I could envision putting a Princess and the Frog dark ride, or a version of the Mater Whip ride themed to the Rite of Spring section of Fantasia.

New ride location

Pandora:
For the expansion pad between Mickey and the Wondrous Book and Tomorrowland, I would look to add Pandora.  Avatar is the highest grossing film in Hong Kong and the theme park area in Animal Kingdom has one of the most cutting edge attractions that Disney has created in Flight of Passage.  This is exactly the type of addition that would bring locals to the park.  There may be logistics issues with the particular location and the back of house buildings that could not be moved.  If necessary, the floating mountain look could be replaced for a different Avatar themed land, while still housing the specific rides.

Pandora addition

This would be a priority, especially if Avatar 2 and beyond continue to do as well in the international markets.

Tomorrowland:
A large part of Tomorrowland is already undergoing a transformation into a Marvel based land.  Buzz Lightyear is being replaced by an Ant-Man and the Wasp Nano Battle ride.  The Iron Man Experience is already in the park.  And the last connecting parcel outside the berm is rumored for an Avengers mega E-ticket.  The concept art is amazing.

(c) Disney

I am all for this change, but would also seek to help beef up the remaining Tomorrowland portion.  Hyperspace Mountain would be replaced by the traditional Space Mountain.  Stitch Live would return to the theater just off the side.  Comet Cafe would be reworked so as to include a smaller set of windows for Comet Cafe and to build an Alien Encounter attraction like the one from the Magic Kingdom.  This could house either the original WDW Skippy or could house a xenomorph from Alien now that the Fox deal is most likely going through.  With the Hong Kong audience already accustomed to a scarier Halloween celebration, a scarier attraction like the original Alien Encounter should not be as big of an issue as it was in Florida.

Seasonal Overlays:
While I cannot envision many Christmas overlays, I can see the value of expanding upon Hong Kong Disneyland's Halloween offerings.  Hong Kong Disneyland is already the only Disney park that does traditional haunted mazes, ranging from macabre to a little scary.   I would continue to develop those, particularly the Graves Academy and Revenge of the Headless Horseman themes that have proven so popular in the past.  I would bring back and plus the haunted version of the Jungle Cruise, as well continue to develop Space Mountain Ghost Galaxy.  Perhaps the new enhancements to the Mad Tea Party at the Magic Kingdom could be utilized here as well.  They've also added a new Halloweentown area and experience which I think will prove to be a much welcomed addition.

Parades and Nighttime Spectaculars:
Hong Kong Disneyland currently has the Flights of Fantasy daytime parade and Paint the Night for its nighttime parade.  Both are excellent parades and I would focus on plussing them in the coming years.

With the castle under renovation, the nighttime spectacular is a projection show in Main Street entitled We Love Mickey! It's very good for a temporary show and it would be exciting to see the technology incorporated into what ever nighttime show is staged when the castle is finished.  With the fountains and the projection mapping technology on Main Street, Hong Kong Disneyland could stage something like a combination of Ignite the Dream and Disneyland Forever, which would be exciting.

Magical Guardian and Cartoon Mascot:
For the magical guardian, I would propose the Genie from Aladdin.  Apart from Tinker Bell who was already so tied to Disneyland, the other guardians have really been assigned in order of release.  It thankfully worked out where there was some kind of tie to the resort.  This is the first where there is no specific tie, but believe it could be played up if need be.  Perhaps a Magic Lamp Theater in Fantasyland. Plus, though Disney's version is not, there is some basis for the traditional Aladdin being Chinese.

For the cartoon mascot, I would pick Goofy.  Goofy is a character that has been dressed in traditional attire and has been played up along with Pluto in Year of the Dog celebrations.  Goofy would make a good key figure for the resort.

Hotels:
There are currently three hotels in the Hong Kong Disneyland resort.  The Disneyland Hotel, The Hollywood Hotel (an Art Deco themed, slight budget hotel), and the newer Explorer's Hotel.  There is a expansion pad that was skipped that can be used for a fourth hotel and an entire strip that can be used to expand with the second.

A plan for expansion

For the fourth hotel plot, I would go for an ultra-modern themed hotel like the Contemporary Resort.  To tie into the Tomorrowland section of the park.  This would help further the modern image the city of Hong Kong maintains.

The fifth and sixth hotels I would propose are tied to the second parks and beyond.  The fifth hotel location is directly across from the Disneyland Hotel.  It would be the location for a similar signature hotel.  I would carry on the Disney Grand hotel theme with something potentially like Disney's Grand Oriental, something like the Regal Oriental, the Mandarin Oriental, etc. in Hong Kong.  It would be a grand celebration of China, tied to the Republic period.

The sixth hotel plot would be used for an expansion to the rest of the beach front.  This hotel would be a Boardwalk Hotel, either as Disney's Boardwalk or the Pleasure Island Hotel or the Paradise Pier Hotel, etc.  Perfect for a beachfront hotel and recreation center.

Second Park:
As indicated in the image above, there is room for a second park directly across from the Hong Kong Disneyland park, almost as an exact mirror image.

There are a couple of different ways this park could go.  To appeal to the bleeding edge desire, I could envision a Disney Space park.  This park would have a base camp "Main Street" entrance leading to a rocket tower.  An icon to blast off to the other worlds of the park, like a Sakaar based Marvel Studios section with Guardians of the Galaxy Mission: Breakout and Thor: Ragnarok based attractions, Pandora (which would need to be moved to this park instead), Star Wars land perhaps based on Endor, Naboo, or Tatooine, a Buzz Lightyear Space Ranger base with Buzz Lightyear Space Ranger Spin and Alien Spinning Saucers, and other attractions like Mission: Space, Alien Encounter, etc.

This could be a great park.  My only issue with it is that it could be placed anywhere.  In fact, it would make a great park to round out the Land, Sea, and Sky approach Tokyo is taking.  There is no specific reason to build it in Hong Kong.

I would rather go for a park that reflects a true Chinese approach to a Disney park.  Hong Kong Disneyland truly reflects a western (Disney) park with light eastern influences.  For the second park, I would like to see an eastern park with light western (Disney) influences.  A Middle Kingdom park to the Magic Kingdom park.

For that, I would work with Chinese artists, sociologists, and historians to determine what the themes of the park would look like.  If Walt Disney had been Chinese, what broad categories would he select for his park.  In building Disneyland, he looked to the genres were most popular in America at the time.  What would that look like in China.  A Republic era "Main Street" entry?  Would a Pirates of the South China Sea area be more appropriate here?  A wuxia inspired medieval China with Mulan darkride?  What exotic locations inspired dreams for Adventureland - South America? Africa?

This would be an inspired park.

Beyond:
The walkway from the hotels to the park entrances should be lined with retail and dining opportunities.  This should be the Downtown Disney or Disney Springs area.  Perhaps Disney Market for the particular location.

Disney Market

The area from the entrances to the train station provides a great location for guest services and other retail and dining.

The land is prepped and this would be a great step in transforming the area into a great resort.

Further, beyond the second park, I can envision a mini-park based on a historic pleasure pier or boardwalk along the beach.  This is a great location to make use of something that Disney does not always have access to - natural setting.  Here the true beach front location would give Disney the opportunity to recreate a classic park like Luna Park, Coney Island, etc.

I could envision an integrated Boardwalk hotel acting as the entrance and continuing into a Victorian Toyville Trolley Park inspired third gate.  This park would include a roller coaster like California Screamin, a carousel, Silly Symphony Swings, Jumpin' Jellyfish, mad mouse coaster like Primeval Whirl or Goofy Sky School, bumper cars, Disney Princess Tunnel of Love like Voyage to the Crystal Cove.  If Toy Story Land could be replaced, this third gate could even be fully Toy Story Pier incorporating all the rides from Toy Story Land.  Or it could be a combination of different IPs within the Victorian traditional pier theme.

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As always, thanks for reading.  Next in the series is the final Disney resort - Shanghai Disneyland.

An Enemy of the People

"The press was to serve the governed, not the governors."

New York Times Co. v. United States (1971)

The title of the blog is a phrase that has been increasingly used over the past several months, but one whose concept is likely ill understood. 

The FAKE NEWS media (failing @nytimes, @NBCNews, @ABC, @CBS, @CNN) is not my enemy, it is the enemy of the American People!

— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) February 17, 2017

Over the course of the last century, the phrase has been used repeatedly by dictators and autocrats to delegitimize foreign governments, opposition parties, and dissenters.  Though the phrase dates back to Roman times, it came into use in the modern period during the French Revolution.  Ennemi du peuple was used to referred to those who disagreed with the new government during the "Reign of Terror."  It was further used by the Third Reich to describe the Jews as a "sworn enemy of the German people."  Vrag naroda was then used by the communists during the early years of the Soviet Union.  It referred to anyone to disagreed with the ideologies pushed forth by the Bolshevik government and the newly-formed Soviet Union.  In recent years, Hugo Chavez in Venezuela has also called political dissenters "enemies of the homeland."

The phrase also served as the title for a play by Henrik Ibsen, later further adapted by Arthur Miller.  Ibsen wrote the play in response to the outcry to his previous work Ghosts.  The play focuses on a doctor who discovers that the source of the town's economy, health baths, has been contaminated and is poisoning its inhabitants.  The action centers on his attempts to reveal the truth and the attempts by others in the town including his family, the mayor, and the newspaper editor to suppress that information.  The term "enemy of the people" is thus used to describe the protagonist for the damage he would do to the town's reputation (despite the fact that he would be saving them all).

Trump has almost exclusively used the phrase to refer to the "mainstream" media, as part of his decrying of "fake news."   His administration continued to support this position, even reaching the point where his Press Secretary Sarah Sanders refused to say the press was not the enemy of the people in a press briefing.  This has led many others to push back.

On Thursday, August 16, 2018, the senate unanimously voted to assure that the press is not the enemy of the people.  Further, hundreds of newspapers across the country printed editorials to elaborate and to extol the virtues of a free press.

Trump responded in appropriate fashion.

There is nothing that I would want more for our Country than true FREEDOM OF THE PRESS. The fact is that the Press is FREE to write and say anything it wants, but much of what it says is FAKE NEWS, pushing a political agenda or just plain trying to hurt people. HONESTY WINS!

— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) August 16, 2018

Freedom of the press is a foundational belief in our country.  "Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or the the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the government for a redress of grievances."  Tied to the freedom of speech, it is fundamental to our representative democracy.  It's one of the "great bulwarks of our liberty."

Further, the United Nations as part of its Universal Declaration of Human Rights recognized that "[e]veryone has the right to freedom of opinion and expression; this right includes freedom to hold opinions without interference, and to seek, receive, and impart information and ideas through any media regardless of frontiers."

It is disconcerting to see such a fundamental right be continually attacked and denigrated, particularly by the highest offices of our nation and particularly when it is done as to so clearly pander to a base constituency.

The irony is the term "enemy of the people" truly can be used to describe to someone that was perceived threat to those in power, but who has the best interest of the society in mind.  It's definitely the way that the play uses the term, and how history has represented its use by dictators and autocrats.

Perhaps then, it is most appropriate here.  After all, the press is warning us of the abuses of an administration that perhaps sees that the walls are closing in.  And the press has played a large role in the resignation of a corrupt president before.

I just pray we don't lose sight of its value in the interim.

Thomas Jefferson famously wrote to a friend, "Were it left to me to decide whether we should have a government without newspapers, or newspapers without a government, I should not hesitate a moment to prefer the latter."  He may have changed his thoughts during his presidency, but perhaps therein lies the central conflict.  It's hard to champion the free press when you are its target.  It then rest with the rest of us to make sure such a fundamental right is maintained and appreciated.

The New York Times makes a very good point in its editorial on the subject.  Subscribe to your local papers.  Praise them when they do well and criticize them when they could do better.  But be involved and be a part of it.

We're in this together.

Resting

Woke up this morning and every muscle I have was so sore and tight had to take myself in to the clinic.  They think it is just a viral infection, so I've got an anti-inflammatory and am told to rest.  Am doing so now.

Just wanted to drop a line regarding why there has been no blog.  Things are scheduled out for the next few days already.

Pens Down and Registering - Developing

My birthday gift to myself is a present that I never imagined I would be achieving. I'm registering my adaptation of Pygmalion entitled Thou Fair Eliza for a copyright.  The registration is fairly cheap, but what it represents is very exciting to me.  With approval, it signifies that I can say I am a playwright.  An author with a copyright.  That's incredible and something I would have never imagined.

And even more, I'm excited to move on to the next project tentatively titled The End of Civil Discourse.  A three act play on the Buckley-Vidal debates from the 1968 Presidential campaign.  I envision this project in many ways similar to Thou Fair Eliza, one of adaptation in many ways.  Act Two would largely be the complete penultimate and tenth debate between the two at the Democratic National Convention.  Act Three would be at least a portion of the final debate and a bit of context following, showing where the two men went from there and how that debate shaped political commentary that followed.  Act One then becomes setup and a bit of cherry picking of the first nine debates to escalate tension.  The act of writing becomes one of selection and contextualizing more than creating whole cloth, but this particular play would require much more new material at the edges.  An interesting experiment.  Plus, attempting to add contextual lines for such erudite men will be a challenge.

The next idea beyond that is wholly original and much more time consuming.  But it is an idea that needs to get out.

There's still a little bit left with Thou Fair Eliza.  Now that the full five act version is completed, I now am working with Jamie to help condense it down into a one act version that could be performed in just under forty minutes for competition.  I have a feeling this will prove a more daunting challenge that the initial writing process.  It's going to be tough sifting through the original and added material to determine what's essential to carry the plot for a much abbreviated version.  Kill your darlings, indeed.

I started this process to solve a problem - to help adapt a script for a specific purpose.  But it seems now this may be an ongoing concern.

I'll keep you posted on how things are going.  I've got somewhere between three to eleven months for it to be finalized.

The Traveler's Report Part 5 - Budapest

Part 5 of the Traveler's report, from Jamie:

"Driving into Budapest the speakers of our bus blare George Ezra as we all sing along. Hungary's capital is rich and vibrant. We are first introduced to this city by night on a cruise of the Danube. The ship plays classical music and one cannot help but feel highly sophisticated while on board. Hungarians are sarcastic and proud and very quick to note this which is why they’re also a lot of fun to be around. Hungarians believe you can trace your heritage back here. They even jokingly have a saying that Jesus is Hungarian. This contains one of my favorite places on this tour....Fisherman’s Bastion."

Gorgeous tile roof of St. Matthias Church

Fisherman’s Bastion. It reminds me of something out of a fairytale or Lord of the Rings.

Langosh. Best meal ever. Imagine if a funnel cake got together with a pizza and this is the tasty dish you’d get.

Rest In Peace Queen Of Soul

Next traveler's report delayed until tomorrow for something more timely.

Aretha Franklin passed away yesterday at the age of 76 from complications in advanced pancreatic cancer.

The Queen of Soul is dead.

And with a six decade career, Ms. Franklin definitely earned that title.  Forty-four Grammy nominations, eighteen wins.  Sold over seventy-five million records worldwide.  112 charted singles on Billboard, including 77 Hot 100 entries, 17 top ten pop singles, 100 R&B entries and 20 number-one R&B singles, becoming the most charted female artist in the chart's history.  First woman inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.  Kennedy Center Honor recipient.  National Medal of the Arts and Presidential Medal Freedom recipient.  Gospel Music Hall of Fame inductee.  

Voted the number one vocalist by Rolling Stone magazine.

And boy was she.

She took every song and made it transcendent.  Far beyond pop and R&B, she was up to whatever challenge presented itself.  No other act demonstrated this more than her performance of Nessun Dorma at the 1998 Grammy Awards.  Luciano Pavarotti's signature aria from Turnadot, he was slated to perform at the Grammys but became too ill to perform.  Pavarotti's cancellation left a big hole in the show and producer's scrambled to find a replacement.  The producer of the telecast Ken Ehrlich had remembered Franklin performing the aria previously and knew that she was slated to perform in another portion of the Grammy ceremony already.  As the ceremony crept closer, Ehrlich ran to her dressing room to ask a huge favor.  Armed with a boombox and cassette tape so Ms. Franklin could here the dress rehearsal. She gave it a listen, reportedly said "I can do that." 

And the rest is history.

I like to imagine she is now singing gospel more richly than anyone could understand here on earth and I look forward to being able to hear that.

Thirty-eight and Thank You

Thank you to everyone for the birthday wishes yesterday.  It's always a humbling experience to see the number of people who take time out of their day to wish you well. 

It was a good day.  Time with my family, good food, and I learned something about myself.  Cannot ask for more.  The song of the day on a favorite Disney theme park and classic television/records streaming site was "Smile Darn Ya Smile" from Who Framed Roger Rabbit?, so it had to be a good day.  Further, for a comic book fan, it's always fun when your birthday falls on a Wednesday, when new comics drop.

In terms of what I learned, I discovered what might be the root of my fascination with theme parks.  I was born on the anniversary of the opening of Tivoli Gardens in Copenhagen.  It opened August 15, 1843 and is one hundred and seventy-five years old today.  The second-oldest operating amusement park in the world, the gardens served as one of the early inspirations for Disneyland.

I also discovered a connection to my appreciation of Make Mine Music and in particular The Whale Who Wanted to Sing at the Met.  It went into wide release August 15, 1946.

Today is also National Relaxation Day.  I appreciate that very much.

Malcolm slew Macbeth on this day in 1057.

The Sistine Chapel was dedicated on this day in 1483.

The Panama Canal opened on this day in 1914.

The Wizard of Oz premiered at Grauman's Chinese Theater in 1939.

India declared its independence on this day in 1947.

The Beatles played at Shea Stadium to a crowd of nearly 60,000 in 1965.

And Woodstock began on this day in 1969.

I share a birthday with Jennifer Lawrence (1990), Ben Affleck (1972), Debra Messing (1968), Justice Stephen Breyer (1938), Julia Child (1912), and Napolean Bonaparte (1769).

So, yes, a good day.

As always, thank you for reading.  I'm continually amazed.

If I Were Disney CEO Part 17 - Disneyland Paris Resort - Disney Village, Hotels, and Third Park?

In this edition of the If I Were Disney CEO series, I will be looking beyond the theme parks at the Disneyland Paris Resort and to the surrounding properties and experiences.  Similar to the previous posts for Disneyland in California and Walt Disney World in Florida.

To determine what could be added to the resort, it became important to understand how much land around the parks and hotels Disney owns.  And since Disney has assumed full control of EuroDisney SCA, this has become a little easier to track down.  The answer is actually surprising.  The area owned (or at least owned at one time) by Disney for Disneyland Paris is about a fifth of the size of Paris.  The image below simply identifies the easy to recognize, clearly Disney properties of the larger Disney parcel.  They include the parks, hotels, and Val d'Europe (a Celebration-like, master planned community) within the circle and then Disney Golf (the extension to the right in the image) and Davy Crockett ranch (campsites) and Villages Nature (a hotel, waterpark, and retail complex) at the very bottom of the extension.

A rough idea of Disney property

With these boundaries in mind, it becomes easier to see what can be added to the property.  My intent is to address the Disney Village, an additional hotel, and the possibility of third park, before moving on to any additional opportunities in the property.

Disney Village:

The Disney Village (previously Festival Disney) is the Downtown Disney retail and dining area for Disneyland Paris. Like Disneyland in Anaheim, it also serves as a corridor connecting the parks to the hotels.  Originally just a single strip, Disney Village has now expanded to include an additional pathway with a grander World of Disney, cinema exit, Vapiano, and Five Guys.  The area now ends at the Dome du Disney Village, a circus tent inspired meeting space and the very utilitarian Disney Events Arena.

In designing Disney Village, architect Frank Gehry approached the project with a power plant meets starry sky inspiration.  The end result looks a bit like a post-modern/Googie-inspired mess.

Thankfully, Disney Village is slated for a massive overhaul, starting with a renovation of the existing spaces and then moving into expansion, replacing the temporary Dome and Event Center.

Regarding reworking the existing facilities and tenants, I have a couple of suggestions.  With the new World of Disney, I would replace the older Disney Store, with a new tenant.  There is no need for two stores that serve the exact same function and there are other Disney owned stores like the Gallery, Disney Fashion, and the World of Toys that additionally sell Disney branded merchandise.

Second, I would take a hard look at attendance for the three themed restaurants in a row: Planet Hollywood, King Ludwigs, and Billy Bob's.  These three locations seem to be the most likely candidates for an overhaul. Billy Bob's at least offers a concert venue, so it may be the most likely to stay at least in some form, but Planet Hollywood is a declining franchise and King Ludwig's seems the oddest fit (burgers and German food in a very intricate medieval castle).  With this making up the restaurant row, essentially, it would benefit from a second look.

Finally, the best guess is that Buffalo Bill's Wild West Show with Mickey and Friends will get an overhaul, if not an outright replacement.  This is essentially a wild west version of Medieval Times, with stagecoach robbery, Pony Express, real Native Americans, rodeo cowboys, bison, longhorn cattle, and quarter horses.  It would be a shame to lose this show, but it would demand a look at revenue.  I would love to find a way to keep it.

Below in green, I've indicated the spaces for potential expansion.  I would definitely look to expand the space, particularly with a building across from World of Disney (the small parcel on the left).  This would potentially be tricky, as it would be on the roof over the trains, but this segment would go a long way in creating the impression of a true second corridor.  Likewise, to be able to expand beyond Five Guys on the bottom and beyond McDonald's on the top would greatly help create a sense of place, particularly if a nice pathway between the green and blue sections, creating a connection between Disney Village and the hotels.

Ideally, the retail and dining options should be a good mix of international options that create unique experiences for locals and international guests.  Like having Uniqlo in Disney Springs, similar options should be offered here.

Hotels:

There are currently six hotels in the Disneyland Paris Resort: the Disneyland Hotel at the main gate of Disneyland Paris Park,  Disney's Hotel New York, a Michael Graves postmodern New York skyline, Disney's Newport Bay Club, themed to a 19th century New England nautical resort, Disney's Sequoia Lodge, themed to National Park Lodges, Disney's Hotel Cheyenne, themed to an old west town, and Disney's Hotel Santa Fe, themed to a motel in the American Southwest.  There is also a campground called Disney's Davy Crockett Ranch.  

All hotels have been in existence since the opening of the resort.  And this proved to be the biggest problem of the property.  Disney opened a grand theme park within an hour's train ride of Paris, along with six hotels with around 5,765 hotel rooms.  A bit of overkill for opening day that would prove a terrible financial decision.  The hotels struggled to meet initially to meet expectations, but have increased in occupancy over the years since, peaking in 2008 at 90.9% occupancy.  Occupancy is now around 77%, a figure that has been affected by continuing renovations throughout the resort hotels.

While there is room for several additional hotels, there is only one that I would seek to add. I would look to fill out the last remaining hotel pad around Lac Buena Vista.  Here I would add Disney's Grand Parisian Hotel.  A Belle Epoque grand Parisian influenced hotel.  I could envision something very similar to the concept art for the unused Main Street Hotel.  

(c) Disney

To me, Disney has two distinct repeated hotel brands: the Disneyland Hotel and the Grand series.  The Disneyland Hotel traditionally has been repeated across Disney's international parks and follows the Hotel del Coronado, also used as inspiration for the Grand Floridian.   The Disneyland Hotel in Shanghai breaks this pattern, going for a Art Nouveau style, but it still fills the niche of a flagship resort hotel.

The Grand series has so far been composed of the Grand Californian, an Arts and Crafts flagship, and the Grand Floridian, again a Hotel del Coronado flagship.  With this pattern, the Grands celebrate the particular location of the resort with a specific architecture style.

Continuing the Vive la France! goal for the resort, I would love to see a hotel that is a celebration of Paris.  A beautiful Belle Epoque building and hotel in a premier location on Lac Buena Vista (as identified in blue in the image above re: Disney Village).

Third Park:

There is plenty of room for additional parks, and previously had been a promise for a third park as part of the land deal for the resort.  The potential date has been pushed back, and rightly so.  In fact, I am hesitant to even suggest a third park, but have come around to an interesting possibility.  The third park should not even be considered until park build outs are completed according to the previous two posts and the Disney Village renovation is complete.  But once those are done (or are sufficiently near completion), I would announce the third park:

Disney's Enchanted Forest.

This park would be an exploration of the forests that are such a key part to the fairytales that Disney has animated.  The forest is really a key component of so many European fantasy tales that this park would be a wonderful connection to the continent.  A celebration of the stories that have resonated to this day.  

The park would be a much greener park given the connection to nature and could be a fit to have a combination of Animal Kingdom and the Magic Kingdom.  A place for beautiful encounters with nature, both flora and fauna, though in an appropriately European or North American setting.

I envision the entrance to the park having the park gates situated to where you are exiting the castle gates.   This opening act or "Main Street," then, would be a medieval village that acts as the buffer between the castle and the forest. At the end of the village, the park icon, the weenie, would be a wooden castle, based on concept art for the Enchanted Forest.  This is a beautiful piece of art and a very unique castle style structure that I would love to see built.

(c) Disney

If not this castle, I could also envision a version of the Pixie Dust Tree from Pixie Hollow (again, leaning a bit closer to Animal Kingdom).  The tree symbolizing the combination of magic and nature.

(c) Disney

From there, I can envision lands based on Pixie Hollow, Tugley Wood (from Alice in Wonderland), the 100 Acre Wood, Sherwood Forest, Bambi, Pocahontas, the bayou from Princess and the Frog, the Forest of No Return, and the Dark Forest (a place for Mad Madam Mim's cottage, the Headless Horeseman, and perhaps even a decrepit castle ruins). It would be a place that could include Elysium Fields for Hercules and Fantasia.  A place for the Beastly Kingdomme concepts.  And could include live deer, live rabbits, etc. in animal encounters like in the Oasis at Animal Kingdom.  

A unique park offering that still plays to the strengths of Disney storytelling and celebrates the beauty of European fairytales and folklore.

The planned location for the third park is past the Sequoia lodge.  This puts is removed from the other two parks, but creates unique opportunities.  The space, ostensibly, could contain a mirror of the two parks with just a slight modification of the bisecting road.  I'm not sure two additional parks will ever be necessary, but it may be good to leave the option open.  I've included a more central location, but the park could be pushed northward to accomplish that goal.

Either way, I would propose an extension of the Disney Village concept to lead from the space between the Sequoia Lodge and the Newport Beach Club to the new park(s).  This would also help provide a literal bridge over the road in between the spaces, allowing the Disney Village to build over the road (much like in Anaheim) creating a seamless walkway between the spaces.  This would also position the Sequoia Lodge and Newport Beach Club as the signature resort choices for the new park(s).

Beyond:
Beyond the parks, the Disney Village, and the hotels, it will be continually interesting to see how Disney develops the land of its resort.  The master-planned community and large shopping complex of Val d'Europe.  The Villages Nature resort with its mix of waterpark, retail and dining, and eco-tourism.  There is a lot of potential and I will be eager to see what develops.  My focus would be on getting the parks and resort area finances in better order through the steps outlined in the posts and above.

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As always, thank you for reading.  For the next post, we'll be moving around the globe to Hong Kong Disneyland and the surrounding resort.

Cura Te Ipsum

Cura te ipsum - physician, heal thyself.

This is a familiar proverb used to chastise someone who gives advice or support that they do not apply to themselves.  The idea of a doctor who heals others, but does not take care of themselves.

Jesus is even quoted using the proverb in Luke 4:23.  "Then he said, 'You will undoubtedly quote me this proverb: "Physician, heal yourself" - meaning, "Do miracles here in your home town like those you did in Capernaum."'"  Jesus continues on to discuss how no prophet is accepted in his own hometown.  In this context, Jesus is counseling to attend to ones own defects before criticizing those in others, similar to removing the plank from your own eye before discussing a speck in someone else's.

In other contexts, this proverb can be used to address taking care of problems that you yourself have created.  A bit of Munchausen at Work.  Munchausen Syndrome speaks of a person who makes up illnesses and diseases in order to get sympathy.  Munchausen at Work manifests as someone creating problems in order to solve them.  To be seen as a hero who swoops in and saves the day.  It could be by withholding help or key information until the last moment and then stepping in.  Or creating rumors and then dispelling them.  Creating a problem to draw attention to oneself when you solve it.

I raise this issue because I'm getting tired of seeing a new meme going around that posits this question:

China has removed its 25% tariff on oil

Why isn't the mainstream media talking about this?  Because it's a big win for Pres Trump?

Here's the problem with this argument:  President Trump does not get credit for China removing something they only threatened to do in the first place.  China never enacted a 25% tariff on oil, only threatened to do so.  Further, he does not get credit for them removing something they only threatened as a response to the tariffs he enacted.

You don't get praise for solution to a problem you created in the first place.

Trump seems to have a history of doing this.

He's bailing out farmers that have been hurt by his trade war.

He signed an executive order to end immigrant family separations that were caused by the zero tolerance policy he enacted.

It's not a sustainable way to continually govern.  At some point, we have to worry about the problem that is created being larger than any possible solution.  We're seeing this with the family separation as there are so many intended and unintended consequences that are playing out leading to the deaths of children in the tender care facilities, abuse of the children in those facilities, and families that will never be reunited.  Who knows if the bailout for farmers will be sufficient.

At some point, we need someone to step in and prevent the problems from ever being created in the first place.

Physician, heal thyself.

Politician, govern thyself.

Please.

Where We Are

There are days where it is hard to decide what to write on, how to sift through the glut of information and news that we have, particularly about the state of our nation.

The Manhattan Madam testifying before the Mueller investigation because of her connections to Roger Stone.

Trump ramping up tweets about the Mueller investigation.

Recordings of Devin Nunes seemingly rallying protection of the president at all costs.  "If Sessions won't un-recuse and Mueller won't clear the president, we're the only ones, which is the real danger. [...] We have to keep the majority.  If we do not keep the majority, all of this goes away."

Omarosa claiming other damning tapes exist from Trump's time on the apprentice.

At least two immigrants still being able to obtain citizenship.

Washington D.C. braces for a white nationalist rally.

All concerning.  All continuing the pattern of behavior we have seen before.  All newsworthy.

But it was an image last week that impacted me the most.  If a picture is worth a thousand words, then this speaks volumes about our country at this moment.

So I took this photo yesterday of two guys from Delaware, Ohio at a Trump rally. Learn more about them here. https://t.co/nEPZFvdCS0 pic.twitter.com/kzdcwWtXfm

— Jeremy Pelzer (@jpelzer) August 5, 2018

Apparently, these shirts are available from a variety of retailers.

Have we really reached the point where segments of the population would rather align with a true enemy state than someone from our own country with a different point of view?

Are we that empathically challenged that we cannot understand that someone else having a different idea about how to make America great doesn't make it a bad idea, just different?  And that maybe that idea should be given some weight?

I don't know.  I know these things shouldn't surprise me anymore, but they do.

We certainly live in interesting times.

Proverbs and Pooh

Late night thoughts...

“Hatred stirs up conflict, but love covers over all wrongs.”
‭‭Proverbs‬ ‭10:12‬ ‭NIV‬‬

“Above all, love each other deeply, because love covers a multitude of sins.”
1 Peter 4:8

“Love is taking a few steps backward, maybe even more...to give way to the happiness of the person you love.”
Winnie-the-Pooh

Take wisdom where you find it and hold on to it.

It is interesting to me, that what the world really, truly needs, is love. It’s there in the scripture and yet we like to downplay it.

It’s a wisdom from the mouth of babes. Something so simple, the simplest of truths, that we like to overcomplicate it.

Jesus himself would describe the entire scripture in “love God” and “love others.”  Of faith, hope, and love, love is the greatest.

It’s woven throughout the story of the world and repeated to us over and over again. It would seem to be very foundational to our faith. A command so important and so radical that we are to love those that would be deemed unlovable. To love our very enemies, those that would seek to hurt or eliminate us.

It would seem that “all you need is love”, after all.

So, let’s listen to the silly old bear, and take a few steps back to let others shine.   Let’s love radically. It’s how they’ll know whose we are, by our love.

We’ve seen where division, conflict, hate, ego, apathy, suspicion, fear, and all our other vices get us.

Let’s try love.

It’s all we need.

Why I Love My Church 4 - Family Worship

This Sunday, August 12, 2018, Stonepoint will be holding Family Worship at all worship services.

To explain how this is unique, let me give a little detail on our normal Sunday morning experience.  Stonepoint offers five worship services on Sunday mornings across two campuses.  Three in Wills Point and two in Edgewood as identified above. We do not generally have Sunday School as some would expect, but do offer classes for children under sixth grade (or under youth) during the worship hours.  This means parents and their young children are generally separated during the worship services.  For us, Avalyn and Jude get a double dose, hearing the same lesson twice as we volunteer at least one service and attend another.

Family Worship is a time when the kids are brought into "big church."  We will still have childcare for infants, but all other children's classes will not be meeting.  The goal is to bring families fully together to worship.  The amps are cranked up to eleven.  There may or may not be confetti cannons.  Beach balls will be bouncing about.  The music is pulled form what the children are learning in their classes (and for that reason Jamie is going to get to jump around on stage with the band instead of me this week).  And the message will be conveyed in a method geared toward reaching children and their families.

I find this particular Sunday important and impactful for a couple of reasons.

It's important that parents see and aid their children in worship.  "Train up a child in the way he should go, and when he is old he will not depart from it."  Proverbs 22:6.  It's important for parents to see to their child's spiritual life.  To teach them the Word, to bring them into worship, and to lead and direct them.  We have wonderful teachers and volunteers in the children's ministry at Stonepoint, but we must remember that we as parents are that first line of education and reinforcement.  Family worship is a great way to see them in the worship service and to ease them into that transition as they are ready.

It's also important that children see their parents and other adults have joy in worship (and be a little silly).  "Make a joyful noise unto the Lord, all the earth: make a loud noise, and rejoice, and sing praise."  Psalms 98:4.  It is vitally important that children observe joy and excitement in worship.  I understand the need for reverence and know its power in song and in word, but across the world we have way too many worship services that look like funeral services.  It can be ironic to have a time that is called praise and worship that seems to have very little outward praise.  We've seemingly conditioned ourselves to feel that outward expressions of joy and exuberance are to be avoided.  That solemnity should rule.  And that's a really hard barrier for kids to break.  This is what most often separates children out into kids church and big church.  We want "big church" to be quiet so the message is heard.  We want them to sit still and quiet, when their bodies and our bodies, were meant to dance, to jump, to shout, and to sing praises to our King.  We have way too much to be thankful for than to be silent all the time.  "I will not be silent, I will not be quiet anymore - Make a joyful noise to the Lord."  Our children need to see us being excited, being joyful, praising out loud, so they know it is acceptable and desirable for them to do so.  They are little sponges observing and taking in all we do.  We need to give them the best example in this area.

So, come join us.  Come dance for joy for what the Lord has done.  Come sing praises to his name at the top of your lungs.  It doesn't matter if you know the words or the tune.  It's called a "joyful noise" for a reason.

And if you are worried about looking silly, don't be.  We're all in this together and doing it for the best reason possible:  all for the glory of God.  This dates me, but I think of Undignified by David Crowder Band.

I will dance
I will sing
To be mad
For my King
Nothing Lord is hindering 
This passion in my soul

And I'll become
Even more undignified than this
Some would say it's foolishness
But I'll become
Even more undignified than this
Leave my pride by my side

It's all for You my Lord!

If you are looking for a church home, to find a place to truly connect and dig in deeper, you can find out more about Stonepoint here.

The Traveler's Report Part 4 - Kunta Hora

Part 4 of the Traveler's report, from Jamie:

Kunta Hora, Czech Republic just a day stop on our tour but well worth the detour. This place houses the beautiful gothic cathedral, St Barbara and the mysteriously macabre and wonderful Sedlec Ossuary aka the Bone Church. This was an interesting stop to say the least.

The Sedlec Ossuary has a long history, beginning in the 13th century when the Abbot of the Sedlec Monastery (Abbot Henry) brought a handful of earth from Golgotha. He scattered the holy soil across the Sedlec cemetery, making it a coveted burial site for everyone in Bohemia and neighboring countries. Due to its popularity it quickly became overcrowded and there simply wasn’t enough room for everyone to rest in peace so the bodies were moved to a crypt to make room for the newly dead.

František Rint, a local woodcarver was employed for task of artistically arranging the thousands of bones. The purpose was to display the reminder that though death is inevitable, there is victory for the believer. At Sedlec each pyramid of skulls is topped with a carved crown symbolizing victory over death. (Revelations 2:10) I couldn’t help but think we’re all the same underneath. The quote beneath from Catholic Insight sums up my thoughts on the place.

“....the long and narrow east-facing underground chapel with the main altar and a large crucifix in front of a tall bright window creates a stunning visual effect and a dramatic contrast to the darkness — it is from behind, from the sun (God the Father), and through the large crucifix (crucified and resurrected Christ) that the bright light (Holy Spirit) pours into the dark grave, illuminating it and defeating the darkness (Death).”

St Barbara’s Cathedral