First up... Snow White

This one was way different than I remembered it. Snow White is kind of ditzy most of the time, but the prince still loved her... that's encouraging for the rest of us ditzy girls!

"I'm wishing for the one I love

To find me today

I'm hoping

And I'm dreaming of

The nice things he'll say"

Yup, good song.

... And They Lived Happily Ever After

Six months ago or so, Mandy and I were watching the Disney channel one night and happened to catch Cinderella. It was pretty rad seeing a movie you haven't seen since you were, like, five, and I got the idea to watch all the old Disney movies, especially the ones that I didn't quite "get" when I was little.

For instance, Jenna rented Lady and the Tramp last week, and as we watched it I realized just how much went over my head when I watched that movie as a kid. I mean, there are a lot of references in that movie that an eight-year-old doesn't get.

Currently, Sonia, Jenna, and I are watching Snow White, which we rented from the library (free movie rentals this month- go check it out). Actually Sonia is slightly mocking it. I think she may have been deprived of Disney as a child. But Jenna and I are watching it, and I highly recommend to all my adoring fans that you also take an "grown-up" look at this movie. I don't know how I watched it at age five without being absolutely terrified. Or, maybe I was and it's just one of my many repressed memories....

Here's the complete list of Disney movies, with dates and some fun facts, that I'll be checking off as I re-watch each classic. Oh, the hours of childish enjoyment ahead of us!


Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs (12/21/1937) Granted a special Academy Award for screen innovation in 1938: one large and seven small oscars.
Pinocchio (02/07/1940)
Fantasia (11/13/1940)
Dumbo (10/23/1941) The first of the animated films to have been released on video.
Bambi (08/13/1942) As a bit of trivia, this is the animated feature with the fewest lines of dialog.
Saludos Amigos (02/06/1943) Set in South America, this film was targeted more towards the population in Latin America as the audience in Europe, and revenues from that continent, dwindled in World War II.
The Three Caballeros (02/03/1945) This is somewhat of a sequel to Saludos Amigos.
Make Mine Music (08/15/1946) Almost like a second Fantasia, but featuring more popular music in 10 shorter sequences, which lack the depth that Fantasia had. It also included Casey at the Bat. Parts of this film have been released separately, under the titles Willie, the Operatic Whale and Peter and the Wolf.
Fun and Fancy Free (09/27/1947) Contained the two stories Mickey and the Beanstalk and Bongo.
Melody Time (05/27/1948)
The Adventures of Ichabod and Mr. Toad (10/05/1949) Available as separate short films, under the titles The Legend of Sleepy Hollow and The Wind in the Willows.
Cinderella (02/15/1950) It has been said that this was Walt Disney's favorite film.
Alice in Wonderland (07/28/1951)
Peter Pan (02/05/1953)
Lady and the Tramp (06/22/1955)
Sleeping Beauty (01/29/1959)
101 Dalmatians (01/25/1961)
The Sword in the Stone (12/25/1963)
The Jungle Book (10/18/1967) This was the last film that Walt Disney worked on, as he died prior to its release.
The Aristocats (12/24/1970)
Robin Hood (11/08/1973)
The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh
The Rescuers (06/22/1977) This film was the last that was developed by the original (Walt) generation of Disney lead animators.
The Fox and the Hound (07/10/1981) The first major effort by the "new generation" of Disney artists.
The Black Cauldron (07/24/1985)
The Great Mouse Detective (07/02/1986)
Oliver and Company (11/18/1988) Made $54M in it's initial release, which at the time was the highest box-office gross of any animated film in its first theatrical run.
The Little Mermaid (11/17/1989) Grossed $89M in its initial US release. This movie is generally thought to mark the beginning of the New Era of Disney animation.
The Rescuers Down Under (11/10/1990) Disney's first official animated sequel. Grossed around $28M in its initial US release. The first feature extensively using the help of computers, which makes it stunning to look at (even from today's view).
Beauty and the Beast (11/15/1991)
Aladdin (11/11/1992)
The Lion King (6/15/94)
Pocahontas (6/23/95)
The Hunchback of Notre Dame (06/21/1996)
Hercules (06/27/1997)
Mulan (06/06/1998)
Tarzan (06/18/1999)
Fantasia 2000 (1999/31/12)
The Emperor's New Groove (12/15/2000)
Atlantis: The Lost Empire (06/15/2001)

The Great Escape

Tonight's Mood: Happy Camper

So I sat in on the first Research class today. Basically, the class is one huge senior project, the topics of which had been chosen in a previous class by all the Comm seniors this year. I was told not to worry, all I had to do was find a topic of interest in the category of Communication in one of the periodicals in the Cayot room of the library. Riiiiiight. That's what I was thinking as I sat there, bright smile plastered on my face as I went over my options for escape. Hmmm, what kind of interpersonal communication study do I want to devote the next entire four months to for the purpose of fulfilling a second capstone course? Oh, there are soooo many options.

Oh, no. I knew then and there I would have to find a way out. Fortunatley, I remembered Sarnowki's offer to do directed research with me and suddenly the entire world opened up before me. See ya, Research class. I'm taking Editing next semester, what now?

One trip to Admin, ten minute standing outside Sarnowski's door, twenty minutes laying out my plan for Dr. White, and a nice little visit with Dr. Sarnowski (in which we discussed my opinions of my own senior project), I left school enrolled in World Religions and Intro to Psych, and Research in Communications was just a thing of the past.

Life is, once again, good.

And now we are watching Anne of Green Gables, the part where Gilbert is about to become sick and Anne realizes, when he almost dies, that she loves him and they get to live happily ever after. Ahhhh, I love that movie.

Take it from me...

Tonight's mood: Frustrated

Take it from me- when you get to college, figure out quickly what you want to do and then set out your master plan on how you're going to accomplish it.

Now me, I always knew what I wanted to do, ever since I was eleven years old and tried my hand at writing my first book. It didn't get very far, but staying up late every night on that old typewriter made me fall in love with the process of telling a story. So I'm going to be a writer. Enough said.

However, when you go to a small school, such as mine, getting classes that actually help you in certain life goals sometimes is hard to accomplish. For instance, I just in the last year discovered that for the goals I have, a major in English is not very helpful. Neither is a major in Communications. But... when I combine various writing and grammar classes from English with certain research and theory classes from Communications... woo-hoo! I've practically made up my own Journalism degree.

This is quite excellent, and definitely a winning idea for any SDCCer who can't get enough out of just one major, except for one thing: I discovered this at the end of my junior year, after six semesters of setting myself up for a degree in English.

As my roommate Jenna would say, "Oh, blast."

So here I am, my second year as a senior, with just one more upper division class to fit into my schedule before spring. I thought I had it all planned until the horrendous discovery this afternoon that my Research in Communications class that I was so looking forward to is... (dramatic chords here) a CAPSTONE class! Oh, horrors! Basically this means it's a senior project class, complete with ridiculously long senior paper, maddeningly stressful senior presentation, and many moments of serious contemplation of whether one really needs a degree to get by in life or not. In other words, it's not fun.

I sit here tonight, awaiting former Communications classmates to send their opinions, via myspace messaging, as to whether I should grin and bear it in Research for the educational experience I would get aside from the project part of it, or resort, for simplicity's sake, to a class called Rhetorical Theory (which is more than likely every bit as boring as it sounds). Rhetorical isn't offered until spring, so if I opt for it, I have to figure out what elective class I would have taken next semester, and fit it in now... there's just so much to decide!!!! I can't take it anymore!!!

Take it from me, the frenzied two-year Senior-- figure it all out freshman year! Save yourself and your sanity and give yourself a nice relaxing, stress-free senior year!

Peace, out.

In a Galaxy Far, Far, Away...

Well, on Friday I had written out and saved my thoughts on the whole Pluto-isn't-a-planet-anymore controversy, to be re-worded and published later that day (I'm an English major, things have to look good and I was too rushed to approve of my own writing), but alas, I forgot about it until just now. So here's the abridged version of what I was going to write:

1) What the 'H' are they doing to the structure upon which my education was built. Does nothing stay consistent and dependable in this world?!?! (Agonizing sigh here)

2) Remember that cute little rhyme we learned about fourth grade, when we were memorizing all nine planets in our solar system? What was it....? Oh, yes. My Very Educated Mother Just Served Us Nine Pizzas. Take out Pluto, and what will the new rhyme look like? What will Mother make now? Nachos? Nectarines? Oh, what these poor children will go through.

3) I can just see the poor fourth graders now. Yesterday the teacher was talking about nine planets, and today there are only eight? Suddenly an entire planet is gone? Nine year olds can't handle that! I can't handle that!

4) Plus for scientific text book publishing companies: Increased yearly sales in 2006, as all of their authors submit their 27th editions even earlier than expected.

5) Here's the best information I got: National Geographic's got the scoop.

6) Or, if you prefer denial, check out this guy's take on it.

This one's for you, Fuller Student...

Well, we still have not found the DVD remote, but hopes are high around here. Special thanks to David and Tori for blessing us with leftovers of their wedding cheesecake, which I was able to bring home to the delight of four hungry roommates. Even Paulby (name changed to protect the innocent) got to partake in the matrimonial cheesecake, as he was given a sample slice at his birthday picnic today.

Anyway, since this is a special entry just for Josh Serrano, but I ended up talking more about cheesecake in it, I thought I would post a picture from the wedding of Josh and me (eating the cheesecake, of course).

Tag, Josh. You're it! Time to blog something new!

B22 Group Goal #1: Find the DVD remote