Alice is the New Black

A list of "Popular Searches" from SpiritHalloween.com:
Alice In Wonderland
Michael Myers
Vampire
Michael Jackson
Wigs
Masks
Pirate
Slipknot
Star Wars
Teen Costumes
Nurse
Zip
Clown
Gangster
Witch
Mad Hatter
Sailor
Fairy
Indian
Batman

They were handing out bags that said "Alice is the New Black" somewhere at the Disney Expo - wish I could have found that. Anyway, it's gonna be a big Alice year. And vampires, natch. Has anyone come up with a derisive name for Twilight devotees yet? Just curious! In any case, plan accordingly!

I Admit It...I WAS Bamboozled

I should have known better. But of COURSE "bamboo" fabrics are just rayon. Ditto for your birch tree sheets, Marnie, or whatever those were. Rayon sucks. Arrrrgh! More here and here.

They used to show the scores

Got to spend a few hours with our friends Britt, Eileen, and Eleanor at Disneyland last night. We pretty much stayed in Tomorrowland, that was unusual for us. Greg decided not to SHOOT during our Buzz Lightyear ride, so his score was 0. The teenager in front of us was shooting the whole time and got 100 so 0 doesn't sound that bad (hit one thing = 100). Anyway, here's pretty much our only photo from inside the park since I am still camera-less.

Deal on Eco Shoes

Payless.com (really) is carrying a cute new line of animal- and eco-friendly shoes, zoe & zac, for women and girls. It's BOGO time (buy one, get one half off) and lots of styles are already discounted. It's only online. There's also some really cute jewelry. Check them out!

RIP John Hughes

This Current piece is a good intro to why he was so responsible for people caring about good music.

A High Level of Insanity

The crazy people are scaring me. Make it stop. That is all.

About Half of My Mom's Family in Matching Shirts

We are at the top because mom was the first of 8 siblings.

A Boat Named Amelie

In all of the hundreds of times we have ridden Pirates of the Carribean, I had never noticed that the boats had names and numbers. Maybe once had we ever sat in the front. So last Friday, I see the names. And then we get to the front, and I see that the one we are getting in is named "Amelie" and is boat number one. Here's the picture Greg took just before he clocked his head on the loading dock.

Amelie and a Sea Lion

Greg and Amelie visited the aquarium while I was up in the Bay Area for Sam's birth. This happened, and it's so cool. Hope you like it!

Good News for Vegetarians at the Campfire

Deelicious Sweet & Sara vegan marshmallows, which are gourmet, but s'more-able and roastable, are available at most Whole Foods, though you may have to search the store a bit to find them. We found them in the Venice Beach store, in the vegan hummus refrigerated case (?) thanks to persistence and one helpful clerk. I will update once I can check the same spot at my local store. They were $7.99.

My New Nephew!!

Baby Riddle was born today. He's huge, and adorable! Some photos/video.

The Woods Go Hollywood, Disney-style

This Past Tuesday, Amelie and I were one of the first people EVER to see Disney's new movie, the Princess and the Frog, starring an African-American princess (set in 1920s New Orleans), and I am pleased to report it does not suck. There's still a ways to go, as, for instance, 75% of the animation was in some stage of unfinishedness (have you ever watched the DVD deleted scenes for Disney? Like that.). The story needs some tweaking but they know that as that seemed to be the purpose of our screening and the two-page survey for me and single page for Amelie that we filled out afterwards. I would say that 80% at least of the screening audience was non-Caucasian. Everyone seemed to enjoy it.


Overall, I think Tiana was a good role model for the princess obsessed girl, as the take home message was not to wait for some drippy prince to sweep a girl off of her feet, and that wishing is not a fool proof way of getting what you want when you wish upon a star (ahem). The prince was more a comic than romantic character at this point - he is also almost always a frog

**SPOILER**

(as is Tiana, which you will know once you see the toy line)

END SPOILER*** .

I'm still wondering how they can make that love story a little more believable. But, on a positive note, that creepy frog scene on the official web site is nowhere to be found in the cut that I saw.

My only real complaints are that the music is just not as good as previous Disney musicals scored by Ashman and Mencken or even Elton John or Phil Collins. I hate to jump on the hate on Randy Newman bandwagon that is forming on the interwebs here, but no particular song stuck with me. It's like they threw in a token number for every New Orleans style (zydeco? check, gospel? check, dixieland...) but they lack the zing. And my only other quibble is that one of the bad guys is almost exactly the same as the Nathaniel character in Enchanted. Weird.

Anyway, it was very neat to be able to be a part of this at this early stage. The movie comes out in December.

New photos, covering 2009 to date

Captions to follow, but mainly Disneyland, around town in El Segundo, and lovely Lake Tahoe. Hope you enjoy!

2009_04

March 2009

DL 109

A Message from the Sierra Club for California Residents - Do This!

Your Action Needed NOW to Reduce Greenhouse Gases from Fuels in California



To Everyone Concerned About Global Warming:

One way in which the state’s global warming law, AB 32, calls for reducing greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions is by requiring cars and trucks to use low carbon fuels. But the devil, as always, is in the details. The state Air Resources Board (CARB) is about to specify those details in a regulation. But industry lobbyists are trying to make those regulations weak.

The Sierra Club will be testifying at the April 23rd hearing as the CARB board listens to arguments about this regulation.

You can help fend off attempts to weaken it by taking a moment to send this message (suggested text below) to CARB:

Please personalize your message if at all possible.

Here is the suggested email text to send to mnichols@arb.ca.gov

Please send a copy of your email to us at globalwarmingaction@gmail.com



Mary Nichols, Chair

California Air Resources Board
1001 "I" Street
P.O. Box 2815
Sacramento , CA 95812





Dear CARB Chair Nichols,

Thank you for your support of the Low Carbon Fuel Standard (LCFS).

I hope that the Board will pass a very strong LCFS, without any loopholes. Specifically:

· Please make sure to account accurately for GHG emissions from land use change when converting land to production of biofuels such as ethanol and biodiesel. Taking land out of use for growing food can lead to cutting down forests or tilling fallow land to make up for lost food crops. This would release large amounts of GHG.

· Please require use of ultra-low carbon fuels to produce electricity, for example from solar and wind power. That will reduce GHG emissions much more than modestly low-carbon fuels like ethanol. If we simply bring more fuels like ethanol into the state, consumers in other states may turn to oil. That in turn will not incentivize developers of electric vehicles, as well as of wind and solar power.

· Since some methane – a GHG even more powerful than CO2 – escapes from landfills even with the best methane capture technology, please do not allow landfill gas to be classified as a low-carbon fuel until all of its emissions can be accounted for.

Coloring for Wolves

Maybe you want to talk to your kids about that pretty lady in the glasses who is not Tina Fey and who likes to have wolves killed. Maybe not. But, if you do, this is fun.

Mookie (RIP) on Lolcats

moar funny pictures

Wind Power at Costco

Before, the most oddball thing they had on Costco.com was coffins, now they have a home wind generator, way cool! $1899.99 for 900 watts.

Tattooing Gone Awry

Is it just me, or does this guy's back look like the Trapper Keeper of that guy that sat next to me in 9th grade Government class?

From failblog.com via KTLA.

Our Next House

So it looks like we'll be moving, again, for a little more elbow room and a little more rent (ouch) but the good news is we will have some decent guest quarters and space to entertain (and places to hide our unnecessary crap) so please come visit - we only start charging rent after the first two days! No, I'm kidding...pretty much.... Anyway, we can keep Amelie in the same school. It's a little more on the noisy/odorous side of town but not such as you would notice, I hope!

Annie in Hollywood

It's a Hard Knock Life - Greg scored these awesome seats at the Kodak Theatre for "Annie". It was only about half full, but they put on a great show. His coworker got the same box 2 days later but had to give up his seats for a "VIP" - who turned out to be Michael Jackson and his two kids.

A little late, but how cute is this? She wrote it on the wall poster at the campaign office. I love the portrait!

Amelie's first slide

Video of Amelie's first time standing on a snowboard during her first lesson. Flagstaff, AZ, Jan 27, 2008.