Category: Of Interest

Those miscellaneous things that just must be published.

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Writer’s Strike Part 2

Is SAG trying to kill television? Don’t they know the second in a series is almost always bad?

The contract between the Screen Actors Guild and the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers expires Monday, and negotiations have dragged on for weeks with no apparent headway…A strike in July…could delay the return of many fall TV shows. [Source, MSNBC, Strike 2? Hollywood braces for actor walkout]

Seen on Shavar’s Blog (which has music that autoplays).

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Pleasure Island and Adventurer’s Club closing

If I had the ability, I’d make multiple trips a year down to Disney World’s Pleasure Island. It is an innovative and unique entertainment experience primarily made up of different themed night clubs. Every night at midnight they celebrate New Year’s. The had comedy clubs, discos, country and so forth. All clubs were within a gated area separated from the parking lot by a moat. Under 18 could be on the island until a certain time then it because an adult only party. I always thought it was very well done.

My favorite part of Pleasure Island was The Adventurer’s Club. Oh what was the word we members used? Bangalosh or something.KUNGALOOSH!!!!(Thanks Missybw!) The Adventure’s Club is one part alcohol, one part animatronics, one part puppeteering, and one part improv comedy. You entered the club from the 2nd story which had a balcony overlooking the activity below. Downstairs the actor’s were dressed in costume as 1930’s adventurers some pompous, some safari attire, etc. They would tell stories of their adventures (despite some clearly having never ventured outside the club much less the wilderness) and statues and other adornments on the walls would chime in to share commentary. You never really knew what would speak next.

When I was there once, some pyt came into the club and glanced over the rail at the activity to watch. One of actors saw her and addressed her. "‘Ello Missy! Ave ya ev’r been to The Adventurer’s Club?" The entire room turns their attention to her as she leans on the rail, shakes her head and blushes. "Well, you really should come down here and join us! Since you’ve arrived, things are looking up!" She was a wearing a very, very short skirt.

I seem to recall a bell too. Often an actor would enter one of the rooms (there was a study, a lounge, and a couple of others if I recall correctly, all just off the center room), ring a bell and make an announcement. The Adventurer’s Club was always jovial and unexpected activity. Instead of closing it, they should be copying its model in every major city and college town across America!

According to the Pleasure Island FAQ:
"By September 28, 2008, all of the nightclubs on Pleasure Island will close. It will be last call for the last time at 8 Trax, The Adventurer’s Club, Mannequins™ Dance Palace, BET Sound-Stage™ Club, Motion and The Comedy Warehouse."

They’re replacing the nightclubs with outsourced restaurants.

Annual passholders get to play a round of golf instead.

Great. Thanks for shutting down the single most creative attraction at Disney World.

[Source, Gobo, BoingBoing commenter]

BoingBoing notes an online petition is going around to save The Adventurer’s Club. Somehow I don’t think that will hold much weight with the Disney execs.

Update: The PI FAQ makes it sound like Pleasure Island will become more like Disney Marketplace.

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Ambivalence from Too Much

Ever feel overwhelmed? Sometimes we have too much on our plates and cannot decide what to do. I have just returned from the beach and feel very relaxed. Nonetheless, I look at my desk and my todo list and know that I should be doing something productive. Instead of doing anything, I hid in bed and pondered what to do. It is vicious because the more you think about it the more you can raise your anxiety level and still accomplish nothing. A half an hour later you may still be under those covers having accomplished nothing and still unable to decide what to do.

I don’t want to lose my peace, the relaxed state of being I achieved over this past week. So how do you break this ambivalence? Easy! Achieve and succeed! Pick something small and achievable and do it! You must succeed so make sure the task can be done in a brief time. For me, I am going to clean out the car. For others, that may be too much. Perhaps for someone else, the task might be "make a cup of coffee." But set a goal that can be done in a brief time, focus only on it, and get it done quickly. Welcome back!