http://search.deviantart.com/?q=by:bluejake01&section=today deviantART RSS for by:bluejake01 en-us Copyright 2009, deviantART.com Fri, 04 Dec 2009 12:49:48 PST deviantART.com http://blogs.law.harvard.edu/tech/rss http://s.deviantart.com/minish/widgets/apple-touch-icon-precomposed.png http://bluejake01.deviantart.com/journal/26923125/ http://bluejake01.deviantart.com/journal/26923125/ Sun, 30 Aug 2009 19:10:56 PDT
]]> *bluejake01 http://bluejake01.deviantart.com/journal/26847821/ http://bluejake01.deviantart.com/journal/26847821/ Wed, 26 Aug 2009 23:53:09 PDT
To help with the withdrawals while I wait for that next magic filled trip, I thought I would pass the time by periodically posting a new memory of the "Happiest place on earth". They are all so special that I can't really pick a favorite memory, so they won't be in any particular order.

The memory that is jumping out at me most right now is of something simple. Oranges. Sunkist oranges to be precise. Sunkist oranges being freshly squeezed into orange juice on Mainstreet to be even more exact. No morning at disneyland was complete for me without it. Now the shop is another relic in the yesterland museum. It actually reminds me of all the wonderful and unique touches that made Maimstreet such a special place. Slowly they have been stripped away in favor of huge, mega, homogonized retail centers housed behind facades that no longer have meaning. Thanks again for nothing Paul and Cynthia. Don't get me wrong, the charm of Mainstreet isn't gone completely, but it used to be so much more. The candy shop remains a shining example of what is right with Mainstreet. Oscar is still cooking away, making his special daily, as he has done for half a century. The horse drawn trolley and the vintage vehicles and their drivers continue to bring a vibrancy and living energy to this often overlooked land. I still can't help but miss the Mainstreet that was.

]]> *bluejake01 http://bluejake01.deviantart.com/journal/25907367/ http://bluejake01.deviantart.com/journal/25907367/ Sun, 12 Jul 2009 20:22:28 PDT
I am looking forward to Gabby's 1st birthday, and an October trip to Disneyland. They are ramping up the Halloween time offerings again this year, adding a new (possibly modeled after Hallowishes)fireworks show, and they have just officially announced a Space Mountain overlay (possibly modeled after the Ghost Galaxy overlay from Hong Kong Disneyland). Meanwhile at DCA the World of Color Show continues to grow, and the infrastructure makes it look like it will give Fantasmic a run for it's money. They have broken ground on the Little Mermaid D++ Ticket ride and Carsland. Soon work will start on the new main entrance. I'm really excited about the things happening in Anaheim.

Well...I'm exhausted...so I'm gonna go pass out.

]]> *bluejake01 http://bluejake01.deviantart.com/journal/24779599/ http://bluejake01.deviantart.com/journal/24779599/ Sat, 16 May 2009 00:40:27 PDT
1. What does your deviantart name mean and why?

Well, my best friend and I grew up watching the Blues Brothers. We can qoute every line, sing every song, duplicate most of the driving stunts when we have a junker car or two to bang around, and we dressed up as Jake and Elwood for our senior prom. JakeBlues is always taken when I go to sign up somewhere, so over time it became bluejake, and then I forgot my password to several sites and had to create bluejake01, so now it's my login name for everything.

2. What fandom were you obsessed with when you joined and what are you into now?

This is a tough one for me. I have obsessions, but never considered myself a member of any fandom. The concept is way too social for me. I am a very introverted person, and it takes a long time to get to know/see the real me. I mean seriously, ask my friends. I have heard more than a few times that people are surprised when they finally see past the crunchy candy coating. As a result of being as solitary as I am, I tend to be the type of fan that can tell you lots of little trivia, and being that I am a very detail oriented person I get obsessed with the minutia. I can draw a fairly accurate diagram of all the components on the Time Machine Delorean from Back to the Future from memory. I can tell you the differences between the NCC-1701 and the NCC-1701 A, both the models, and the fictional blue prints. I have never been to a convention, and don't think I would enjoy one. Uhm...I don't think I'm really answering the question am I?

Okay...I dug and still dig Disney (with emphasis on the early shorts and the theme parks), Star Wars, Star Trek, Back to the Future, Dr. Who, Futurama, Masters of the Universe, Transformers, Voltron, The Blues Brothers, anything Jim Henson Studios has made, Robocop, Quantum Leap and old school Scooby Doo (Harlem Globetrotters and the Addams Family episodes for the win)

3. How many watchers do you have now?

Dunno??

4. Name 3 of your favourite artists on DA.

I don't play favorites...

5. Do you comment, fav, or both?

I comment when I have time. My 9 month old daughter takes up most of my time these days, but I try and at least comment on everything I fav.

6. Do you participate in clubs' contests here on DA?

I have once...and I won said contest. Again, that's a pretty social thing, and I don't do well in social situations...even virtual ones.

7. What is your most popular deviation?

Sora in Star Wars attire, with a lightaber key blade.

8. What are your favourite non-anime TV shows?

True Blood, Scrubs, Boston Legal, Reaper, and Bones.

9. What are the things you wish you could draw better?

Everything. I would really like to become more dynamic in my art. It's fairly static. I have a lot of technical skills, but no real vision.

10. Summer or winter?

Winter...I can bundle up in winter, but in summer I can only take off so many clothes before it's illegal, distasteful, and downright frightening to those around me.

11. Rain or Sun?

Rain

12. What's your favourite type of music?

I like music that moves me to an emotional response. My playlist is very ecclectic. It's also a bit confused.

13. PC or Mac?

I like Justin Long and all, but give me PC any day.

14. Anime or Manga?

Too lazy for extended Manga reading.

15. Coke or Pepsi?

Dr. Pepper or Root Beer. I would say I lean more towards Dr. Pepper. It contains 23 different flavoring agents. It is a little known fact that the more flavors one has, the more bad-ass they are. Chuck Norris has 426 flavors, where as George W. Bush has only one, and it isn't very pleasant.

16. Read or TV?

I used to read...a LOT. Now I don't have the time or energy.

17. How many hours a day do you spend on DA?

Very few

18. Name a hidden talent.

Hidden from me, or hidden from strangers? I hide most of my talents.

19. Flash or traditional cartoons?

Ink and Paint please...or at least tools in a computer that emmulate ink and paint.

20. What is your favourite fast food restaurant?

In-n-Out

21. What are your top 3 favourite books?

Dorothy and the Wizard in Oz, Red Dwarf: Infinity Welcomes Careful Drivers and Frankenstien

22. Wii or Playstation?

NES

23. N... ]]> *bluejake01 http://bluejake01.deviantart.com/journal/24037007/ http://bluejake01.deviantart.com/journal/24037007/ Fri, 03 Apr 2009 08:33:10 PDT

We finally have a real home of our own!!!!!!

We aren't renting, we don't answer to landlords, we have to do our own repairs and yard work...it's fantastic, and exhausting.

We won't have internets until Sunday, and we are still getting settled. Things feel a little strange, having new furniture and new surroundings. Gabby is having some security issues and has been a bit clingy. Other than that we are reasonably well...if not drained. I hope everyone else is doing well.

]]> *bluejake01 http://bluejake01.deviantart.com/journal/23636706/ http://bluejake01.deviantart.com/journal/23636706/ Wed, 11 Mar 2009 00:58:40 PDT
First thing I learned is that banks don't remember from day to day what is happening with a particular property. One minute they accept your cash offer, just to turn around and sell the house at auction the next day, for less than the offer they had already agreed to accept from you. Their response? "oops, there must have been a paperwork error"

The second thing I learned is that when they finally do accept and honor an offer on a house, and you enter into a legally binding purchase agreement, they tend to make sure things go in their favor. Say that you enter into a purchase agreement, with a 15 day deadline for closing escrow as one of the terms. Let's also say that the contract is such that if you drag your feet and go over the 15 days with your end of the paperwork, or funds, then you are charged per diem a penalty. Let us also assume that it is written in such a way that if the bank, in this case acting as the seller, is delinquent with paperwork and it holds back the close of escrow, then they have no penalty...at all...and we just have to sit around with our thumbs up our asses...and reschedule our furniture deliveries...and push back our renovation schedule...and interupt our moving timetable.............

Seriously...what is the hold up? It's a cash purchase. All we have to do is instantly, electronically, wire the funds into the escrow account. We aren't waiting on financing. We aren't waiting on someone to put a lien on the property. It's a standard title transfer. No special terms and it's an as-is sale. We were supposed to have the keys by now. The 10th was the deadline, come and gone. Now we have been told that if all goes smoothly the bank will have all their paperwork in by tomorrow and escrow will close........wait for it........"Sometime NEXT week" Really? That's the best they can do? SOMETIME? NEXT? WEEK?

There is so much work to be done to move in, and so much that needs to be done here to move out and get our deposit back. My head is literally spinning...seriously, I look like Linda Blair from The Exorcist, only I'm not sickly pale, I don't have ritualistic cuts on my face, my head isn't actually literally spinning, I'm not wearing a night gown and I'm not in bed. Come to think about it...I don't look anything like Linda Blair in The Exorcist...not even a little.

I need to buy a gas range, which would be easy to do, if the size I need isn't 36". I have to special order it from Lowe's, unless I want to pay way more than I'm willing to to pick up a designer one from a specialty appliance place. I'll wait the two weeks for the less expensive (by more than half), just as functional one. I need to have an electrician fix a few wiring issues. I need to redo one of the bathrooms. I need to have a roofer fix a patch of roof. I need to replace a window. I need to have the water heater closet redone for safety reasons. I need to paint. I need to have the carpets replaced with Pergo flooring and I would like to find a cheaper source for the Haunted Mansion's foyer wallpaper. I found a site that sells posters that they want people to tile together to make wallpaper, but at $27.99 a pop it would cost me about $500 to do my foyer.

I guess I'm just frustrated and overwhelmed. I thought things would be tight time wise as it is, but to lose a whole week is maddening. What's worse is to lose a whole week and not be compensated for it, when I would have to compensate the bank if I lost them time.

]]> *bluejake01 http://bluejake01.deviantart.com/journal/23570483/ http://bluejake01.deviantart.com/journal/23570483/ Sat, 07 Mar 2009 08:14:13 PST

The sequel series to the brilliant, and I mean absolutely brilliant BBC series "Life on Mars" (crappy watered down American versions need not apply) debuts on BBC America tonight. It's called "Ashes to Ashes" and involves another wounded cop from the present being transported back in time. This time it's a female cop who takes a bullet and lands in the 1980's. I imagine that the soundtrack will be driven by 80's pop in the same way that "Life on Mars" was driven by 70's pop. I am really excited to see Gene(The Gene Genie)Hunt do his thing. He is politically incorrect, a throwback to the hard boiled detectives of yesterday...a cop that plays dirty but gets the job done. Imagine an English Dirty Harry, only cooler, more talkative and with wittier quips and one liners. Anyway, Life on Mars was way better than anything that's been on American TV in decades, and Ashes to Ashes promises to be just as entertaining.




Personal Update:

We are in the final stages of paperwork hell, trying desperately to close escrow before the original deadline of the 10th, but we do have an extension filed so we technically have until the 13th. We should take posseion of the house no later than Friday the 13th. We have new furniture set to be delivered on Saturday the 14th, and Empire Today will be coming the following monday with samples and will give us a quote for our new Pergo flooring. We have decided to get rid of all carpeting, as it will play hell with our new and improved respiratory defects. A good portion of the house is already Tile, such as the foyer, dining area/kitchen, the laundry room and the bathrooms. The rest will be pergo, in a lighter wood style. There is so much wood in the house, and the furniture we picked has a lot of really rich greens, and earth tones, with really great textures...I think it will all look very nice. I am also trying to find an actual wall paper that has Marc Davis' wallpaper pattern for the Haunted Mansion's foyer on it. I think it would look really nice in our small, but very ornately detailed foyer. We are also going to be painting a mural on Gabby's wall. Not sure exactly what yet, but I am working on some ideas. Perhaps you all have some?

]]> *bluejake01 http://bluejake01.deviantart.com/journal/23409377/ http://bluejake01.deviantart.com/journal/23409377/ Thu, 26 Feb 2009 01:05:00 PST
Having decided to leave the baby with my mom, since she was still a bit under the weather, we left our house at about 4 A.M. on Saturday. We made really good time getting to Anaheim. We picked up our ticket package from Downtown Disney and checked in to our hotel early. They had rooms ready and so we unpacked and walked to the park (mistake number one for a group that had three people in it with varying degrees of respritory infections). We brought our friend Piper with us, who had only been to Disneyland one other time in 1993, so everything was all new to her really. Our first stop was the Opera House to show her the 50th anniversary show. At that point I thought it would be safe to call our other firend's who we were meeting at Disneyland and let them know we had arrived and secure a meeting spot. I then called my mom to check on the baby...and found out that she had to take Gabby to the ER that morning with a fever and vomiting. That felt like a punch in the stomach to be honest, and I spent most of the trip missing her and feeling guilty. Well...guess who shows up while we are waiting for the next showing? Maynard...and we told him we brought a first time visitor to see him...and he went in to full performanc mode. It was a treat for Piper, even though she couldn't quite hear everything he was saying. After a few missteps we finally met up with our friends, and broke the Haunted Mansion...I mean rode...I really mean broke. Uhm...there were other things we did...saw a parade...had a really cool dinner with royalty, shot things on screens (Toy Story Midway Mania is really a lot of fun, and much faster paced than I thought it would be) I'm sure I'm forgetting stuff, but I was having so much fun. Oh yeah, Becky's drink glowed...

We slept, and did another day at the park, only Kat had to sit it out due to her lungs...our friends were great and showed Piper around while we were out of commission for most of the day. Oh...and there was a situation in the Esplanade and they weren't allowing people in the main gate, so we had to take the Monorail. Turns out there was a white powder scare. Lines were short early in the day thanks to that. Uhm...More stuff happened, and then we went to dinner I think...

We slept and went to Disneyland again...yay...we had lunch at the Blue Bayou, saw Billy Hill and the Hillbillies and then we met Pintel and Ragetti...like actually met them...well the actors anyway. I was sitting outside of the Haunted Mansion waiting for CJ and Piper to come back from Tom Sawyer's island and I saw Lee Arenberg and Mackenzie Crook walk by, headed for the smoking area. I approached them while they were smoking. CJ and Piper were waiting for a raft to come back from the island. I told them both that I didn't want to disrupt their day, but I asked if they would be willing to wait just a few moments so that my wife could meet them. They were very generous with their time. Lee was very outgoing and seemed to dig the recognition. Mackenzie was pretty quiet until I started talking about The Office. (He said it was hard for him to watch the American version at first) We talked about Pintel and Ragetti being on the Island in Dead Man's Grotto (they did do the voice recordings, but hadn't been to the island as of yet) We discussed the Pirate's set, and the 12 hour night shoots...I knew some of the crew on that production and had some knowledge already of the gruelling conditions they were working under...We chatted for a good deal of time it seemed...and I really didn't want to call attention to them, but CJ still recognized them from the Island as she was waiting and saw me talking to them, so she snapped a few pics of us chatting.

In my line of work I meet a lot of celebrities, so I have a pretty easy going attitude when meeting them, considering it's mostly in a professional setting, but my wife doesn't get to meet them a lot, and she really liked Pintel and Ragetti, so it was a big thrill for her. They were very real and extremely accomodating, just very nice guys all around. So anyway, she made it back from the island and they posed for pictures with her and our friend Piper, who said "What you can't see right now is that I'm grabbing his (Mackenzie's) butt", to which Lee said "That's real pirate booty".

http://bluejake01.deviantart.com/journal/23267962/ Wed, 18 Feb 2009 09:04:49 PST
Turns out I have asthma...I wasn't previously aware of it. But what I was experiencing was having an asthma attack while having bronchitis. After a bear sized albuterol treatment I feel so much better. And I finally got some good sleep. So with any luck this won't impact our plans.

]]> *bluejake01 http://bluejake01.deviantart.com/journal/22974910/ http://bluejake01.deviantart.com/journal/22974910/ Mon, 02 Feb 2009 22:56:45 PST
It's almost morbid the thoughts that can fill the troubled mind of new parents. The media doesn't help with their constant reporting on SIDs and all the new "causes" of SIDs they think they've discovered. All I know is that pneumonia can be fatal to infants, and it's hard not to let your mind go there when your baby is coughing and screaming in pain, and there are no appointments at the doctor's till the next day. She is the greatest thing I have ever helped create, and she means so much more to me than any words could ever hope to describe. So I am a mess, but at least for now she is finally sleeping. I only hope she isn't being troubled by bad dreams, and that she is resting peacefully, something I don't think I will be able to do tonight. I wish I could suffer for her, I really do.



And in totally unrelated news...The bank that holds the first mortgage on the house we are trying to buy has accepted our offer as-is, and all that's left is for the bank that holds the second mortgage to agree. Considering that the second mortgae is useless if the first bank forecloses on the property and they would get literally NOTHING in a foreclosure you would think they would be absolute fools to turn down the admitedly small ammount of money that would be their share of the sale., so we will see.


Even less related news: We plan on taking Gabrielle to her homeland at the end of February, assuming all of our health improves. We are hoping to see friends and introduce them to our baby while we are down there.(Becky and Wayne, Kellee, Emi and if we can manage to make it to her neck of the woods Raven) I'm not sure about the wisdom of traveling with a 6 month old, but we are going to be staying directly across the street from Disneyland's maingate and we have a team effort mentality. There will always be someone that can go back to the room with Gabby for the proper rest for her. The advantages of coming off-season are reasonably mild weather, light crowds and cheap prices on hotel rooms, which is what is allowing us to stay so close to the maingate.

]]> *bluejake01 http://bluejake01.deviantart.com/journal/22269432/ http://bluejake01.deviantart.com/journal/22269432/ Mon, 29 Dec 2008 21:26:40 PST
In other news, the owner accepted our lowball offer, which was about $40,000 less than we were willing to go. Now it's up to their bank to accept the offer. The bank may ask for more money, but I doubt it. I think they will be happy to be rid of it. Their alternative is to foreclose on the property, spending more money to do so, and then be stuck with a house that may or may not sell to people that may or may not qualify for a loan, and may or may not pay. It's much better for them to cut their losses and take our cash offer. But as I said we still have more money that we are willing to spend if they want to haggle. The most frustrating thing is the waiting. Some call it a waiting game, but I've always thought games were meant to be fun. This is more like dental surgery during a boring lecture...after drinking a gallon of water.

]]> *bluejake01 http://bluejake01.deviantart.com/journal/21956087/ http://bluejake01.deviantart.com/journal/21956087/ Fri, 12 Dec 2008 23:01:27 PST
So it's going to be a waiting game, to see if the two banks that currently hold the mortgage on the property will take our offer. If not there are a lot more that are a lot less, but will take TONS of work to get them up to the same level as the one that we are aggressively pursuing. Since the house has been vaccant and the banks have been losing money on it for 166 days now, and there are no other active offers, I think we have a good chance of ending up with it.

]]> *bluejake01 http://bluejake01.deviantart.com/journal/20691837/ http://bluejake01.deviantart.com/journal/20691837/ Fri, 26 Sep 2008 17:50:48 PDT
Oh...and I am very tired, very busy, and very happy being a new daddy. My daughter was and will always be my most cherished Disneyland souvineer. She was concieved in Anaheim on one of our many Disneyland trips, during the Year of a Million Dreams. She is our little piece of Disney magic. So...borrowing from my wife I want to ask all of you if you have a special Disney moment that really stands out? Be it at a Disney park, or about a Disney movie...whatever makes you think Disney Magic.

]]> *bluejake01 http://bluejake01.deviantart.com/journal/20222738/ http://bluejake01.deviantart.com/journal/20222738/ Fri, 29 Aug 2008 17:05:28 PDT

P.S. She is the most beautiful thing I have ever seen...and yes, I am biased...so

]]> *bluejake01 http://bluejake01.deviantart.com/journal/18467916/ http://bluejake01.deviantart.com/journal/18467916/ Fri, 23 May 2008 18:09:40 PDT
Shia LaBeouf continues to impress me with his range. I have been watching his film career closely since Holes took him from Disney Channel goofball to movie star. I worry he will suffer from over exposure, but he reminds me of a young Tom Hanks and hope his charisma will take him to leading man roles in the future.

Karen Allen was great, and I loved the tongue-in-cheek banter between her and Indy. The audience knew they would end up together, the characters knew it, the actors knew it...and it was a really great game of "lets all pretend for dramatic purposes that they won't end up back together" that the audience was in on. It actually felt like live theater at times, where there was a rapport and respect between audience and performer. I swear I could almost see them wink at the audience when they first see each other. There was no pretense, or attempt to insult the audiences' intelligence. It was refreshing.

I loved the old style Paramount Pictures logo, and the understated credit sequence. I loved the refferences to The Young Indiana Jones Chronicles. I loved seeing the Ark again. I loved every cheesey, gooey momment of classic serial goodness. I loved the one-liners and hero shots. I loved the cartoonish villians. I loved the double crossing. I loved the macguffin. I loved the way that Marcus Brody (a character that I missed immensely) managed to save Indy's ass one last time posthumously. I loved the soft lenses used for the wrap up. I loved John Hurt's performance. I loved...loving this movie. I loved the way it made me feel, to see Indy back after so many years.

The world is a much different place than it was when Indy first swung into action, and it would have been easy to craft a film that would be more palatable to an increasingly cynical and jaded audience, but it just wouldn't be an Indiana Jones.



BTW...here is my Indy Ranking order.

1. Raiders of the Lost Ark
2. Temple of Doom (which beats Kingdom only because of Short Round and the dining scene)
3. Kingdom of the Crystal Skull
4. The Last Crusade (...for the Holy Grail)

]]> *bluejake01 http://bluejake01.deviantart.com/journal/18015379/ http://bluejake01.deviantart.com/journal/18015379/ Thu, 24 Apr 2008 22:35:42 PDT and I are taking , her husband and to see Wicked on Saturday night. We had hoped that we would get to go to Disneyland, but alas it wasn't in the cards. At least we will get to see friends and a good show.

]]> *bluejake01 http://bluejake01.deviantart.com/journal/17999165/ http://bluejake01.deviantart.com/journal/17999165/ Wed, 23 Apr 2008 21:12:30 PDT
]]> *bluejake01 http://bluejake01.deviantart.com/journal/17705215/ http://bluejake01.deviantart.com/journal/17705215/ Sat, 05 Apr 2008 20:05:30 PDT


"(April 4, 2008) A local newspaper reporter got it right when she wrote that, after we updated Pirates of the Caribbean last year, “many fans grudgingly acknowledged that… the additions may make the ride more appealing to young park goers." Now, based purely on rumors that are mostly inaccurate, we are being criticized for touching another one of Walt Disney’s “classics.”

We all agree that “It’s A Small World” is a Disney classic. But the greatest “change agent” who ever walked down Main Street at Disneyland was Walt himself. In fact, the park had not been open 24 hours when Walt began to “lus” Disneyland, and he never stopped. Having started my Disney career at Disneyland one month before the park opened in 1955, I can cite countless examples.

Like all my colleagues at Walt Disney Imagineering, I was pressed into action to help make “It’s A Small World” happen at the 1964-65 New York World’s Fair. We were all working to complete and open Ford’s “Magic Skyway” and General Electric’s “Carousel of Progress” (I worked on both) as well as “Great Moments with Mr. Lincoln” for the State of Illinois. But 11 months before the World’s Fair opening, Walt agreed to do “a salute to the children of the world” for UNICEF, and all the Imagineers somehow made it happen.

Mary Blair’s illustrations were, of course, the spark. But this was one of those great Disney “team efforts,” and many Disney legends joined her: Marc Davis; Blaine Gibson; Rolly Crump, Harriet Burns and numerous others. And, of course, Bob and Dick Sherman added that song we can’t get out of our heads. I interfaced with all of them to write and produce a 24-page souvenir book that was sold at the Fair, because Walt wanted to showcase and thank the team for an extraordinary accomplishment

Now the rumors are swirling that we are “ruining Walt’s creation.” I’ve heard that we are planning to remove the rainforest, add Mickey and Minnie Mouse, create an “Up with America” tribute, to effectively “marginalize” the Mary Blair style and Walt’s classic (all not true).

In fact, just the opposite is true. We want the message of brotherhood and good will among all children around the world to resonate with more people than ever before, especially today’s young people. Our objective is to have everyone who experiences “It’s a Small World” understand (in the words the Shermans’ wrote 44 years ago) that “there is just one moon, and one golden sun, and a smile means friendship to everyone.”

To make “It’s A Small World” even more relevant to our guests, Tony Baxter (who created the concepts for Big Thunder Mountain Railroad, Splash Mountain and other Disneyland classics) and I arrived at the same place eight years ago. To accomplish our objective, we decided to seamlessly integrate Disney characters into appropriate thematic scenes in the attraction, and do it completely in the distinctive “Mary Blair style.” We spent many long months exploring ways to accomplish this.

We are not turning this classic attraction into a marketing pitch for Disney plush toys (rumors to the contrary). Between Tony, our chief designer Kim Irvine, and me, we represent 128 years creating Disney park entertainment and fun for literally billions of guests around the world. We are not “young marketing whizzes” trying to make a name for ourselves. We were fortunate to have trained, and worked with, all of Walt’s original Imagineers.

In the Shermans’ song, it’s the oceans that are wide, and the mountains that divide. Our goal was, and always will be, to bring people together, and keep this classic “the happiest cruise that ever sailed around the world” (words I personally wrote for that souvenir guide nearly half a century ago).

Or, as Walt Disney phrased it in his introduction to that guide, “a magic kingdom of all the world’s children.”

Martin A. Sklar
Executive Vice President
Walt Disney Imagineering
Imagineering Ambassador "

]]> *bluejake01 http://bluejake01.deviantart.com/journal/17682945/ http://bluejake01.deviantart.com/journal/17682945/ Fri, 04 Apr 2008 12:49:37 PDT [link]

This is the interactive AA that they are going to have outside the attraction...outside the attraction. Let me say that again, this is just the attention getter. It's very exciting.

]]> *bluejake01 http://bluejake01.deviantart.com/journal/17548618/ http://bluejake01.deviantart.com/journal/17548618/ Thu, 27 Mar 2008 20:34:58 PDT [link]

The link leads to a thread on micechat, that has some pictures of some of the new IASW Disney character dolls they will be using in Hong Kong. I don't imagine the ones we will get in Anahiem will be much different.

]]> *bluejake01 http://bluejake01.deviantart.com/journal/17419499/ http://bluejake01.deviantart.com/journal/17419499/ Thu, 20 Mar 2008 01:00:53 PDT [link]

This is a link to a framed pin set that depicted an abandoned idea to change IASW at the Magic Kingdom park at Disneyworld. Hmmmmm...Disney characters done in a pseudo Mary Blair style inserted into the ride...that sounds oddly familiar...

]]> *bluejake01 http://bluejake01.deviantart.com/journal/17263344/ http://bluejake01.deviantart.com/journal/17263344/ Sun, 09 Mar 2008 21:14:38 PDT
We are also goin to be going down to SoCal one last time before the baby arrives, to see friends, go to see Wicked (with friends) and hopefully Disneyland (hopefully with firends). There are some new mouse ears CJ and Kat want, and I would like to at least see the facade for Toy Story Mania in person, even though it won't be open yet. Well...and...see Tomorrowland again before the next remodel...spend some time with Wendy, my favorite goat...say good bye to the underwhelming entrance area of DCA...find my center.

I know...I'm a strange duck...Disneyland is where I go to recharge when life takes it out of me. Not that life has been unkind. In fact I consider myself to be very blessed. I don't think I willl ever be wealthy, but I am rich beyond measure. I have love, life, liberty, liccorice, lemon drops, Listerine, lycopene, language, lights...uhm...Im sure there are plenty of L-words I have missed...so much for the depth of my grattitude.

I don't know why I am even using paragraphs. I am using them incorrectly and my thoughts are all over the place. I guess I figure that even in chaotic rambling there should be a semblance of order. I mean, seriously, to the casual observer this whole mess would look nice and organised. Unless you take the time to read the actual content you might be under the impression that I have, at least a shadow of an idea where I am going with this. Fooled you

]]> *bluejake01 http://bluejake01.deviantart.com/journal/16877766/ http://bluejake01.deviantart.com/journal/16877766/ Thu, 14 Feb 2008 08:42:50 PST
[link]

]]> *bluejake01 http://bluejake01.deviantart.com/journal/16559405/ http://bluejake01.deviantart.com/journal/16559405/ Thu, 24 Jan 2008 22:45:23 PST
I have been devoting a lot of time to my personal growth, expanding my concepts of reality and getting re-intouch with my spirituality. It's been a winter full of reflection and introspection. This is a never ending process for me..I have always been one that believes that if we stop growing then we start rotting.

My dreams have reflected the work I have been doing on "me". I have had several dreams about houses, either ones I have lived in, or that have played a big part in my life. In these dreams there are two things happening. The first is renovation, there is construction of new rooms, excavation of old and buried rooms that contain things I haven't had in many years. The second is a good cleaning, things are organized and packed away while other things are washed and put on display. One of the most exciting things in these dreams is finding a hidden room that is filled with fond memories and things I had almost forgotten. There are rooms that scare me as well, filled with pests, and filth and decay...I have been reluctant to go in them, but with help from other people in the dream I have made quite an impact on them, but the cleaning continues.

In early December one of these dreams concluded with my mom coming out of one of the new rooms that I had been building over several dreams. She was carrying a baby. She began to hand it over to me and said simply, "It is time". My wife did not have her monthly cycle in December. She took a home pregnancy test on January 15th, and it was an instant positive. Today we spent the morning at the OB/GYN. She had an Ultra-sound, and I got to see the baby's heart beat...it was much faster than ours, but it looked strong and rhythmic.

I am scared, but only because CJ has had two prior miscarriages, but we are told that is common. Both times the gestational sac was empty, which was an indicator that something had gone wrong in implanation. The ultra-sound was normal today, there was a baby, I saw it, I felt it's energy, and that FILLS me with hope. Kat is scared too, but neither of us will let the fear rob us of the joy of hope, and the honor and duty to both be there for our wife.

The future is uncertain, but I know that we will be alright...I now KNOW that I will be a good father...which was my biggest fear of all.

-With love to all my family, friends and fans (if I have any)
John Martin

]]> *bluejake01 http://bluejake01.deviantart.com/journal/16164924/ http://bluejake01.deviantart.com/journal/16164924/ Sun, 30 Dec 2007 10:35:09 PST

]]> *bluejake01 http://bluejake01.deviantart.com/journal/16134959/ http://bluejake01.deviantart.com/journal/16134959/ Fri, 28 Dec 2007 07:56:55 PST
]]> *bluejake01 http://bluejake01.deviantart.com/journal/14410946/ http://bluejake01.deviantart.com/journal/14410946/ Thu, 30 Aug 2007 13:34:20 PDT
The rumor mill is on high gear right now, and a LOT of them are confirmed. These are some of the rumors that have me very excited or very nervous.


DCA:
Brand new entrance to DCA, based on LA of the 1920's

Re-imagined Hollywood area, no longer a backlot theme, but actually Hollywood of the 1930's

Hyperion Theater plussed to the max...a possible high end concert venue

Expansion into the last remaining section of the original Disneyland Parking Lot

LITTLE MERMAID DARK RIDE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

The whole park will be re-themed, reimagined, improved and Disney magic infused


Disneyland:
Tomorrowland will get a lot of attention over the next decade, including...Star Tours 2, the return of the People Mover in some form or another and a new E-Ticket attraction that will push the boundaries of Tomorrowland almost to Harbor Blvd.

The Haunted Mansion will get even more upgrades and new effects and gags

Pirates will be tinkered with again. Possible inclusion of Tia Dalma in the Blue Bayou area of the ride, and return of one of the turntable gags previously removed

Phase 2 of Pirates Lair on Tom Sawyer's Island.

Fantasyland will recieve upgrades and improvements to classic dark rides.


Resort Area:
New Hotels
A third gate (a New Disney Park)
Expanded Downtown Disney District
Rebuilt Disneyland Hotel
More specially themed suites at the different hotels.




So any thoughts? Any rumors I left out that you guys have heard and are excited about? Concerned about? Let me know.

]]> *bluejake01 http://bluejake01.deviantart.com/journal/13801842/ http://bluejake01.deviantart.com/journal/13801842/ Thu, 19 Jul 2007 23:14:42 PDT
]]> *bluejake01 http://bluejake01.deviantart.com/journal/13415849/ http://bluejake01.deviantart.com/journal/13415849/ Wed, 20 Jun 2007 06:32:02 PDT
It's also come to my attention that not having friends living nearby sucks. All my friends either live in the Bay Area, the southern central valley or southern California. I miss living in the Bay Area. I miss ocean air and the culture and color of the Oakland/Berkeley/San Francisco areas. I miss having friends to go to dinner with, or have over for BBQs or see movies with. As it is, I am going to have to see Transformers with out the joy of sharing it with my friends that also grew up with Optimus Prime as a surrogate father figure.

All of this grousing is because two of my best friends from Jr. High came up to see me out of the blue this last weekend. It reminded me how much I miss the dynamic of having friends around more often. Though I do travel around California quite frequently, it's hard to co-ordinate leisure time with people when there is so much distance between you.

Well...uhmmm...Not much else to say. I hope all of you are doing well

]]> *bluejake01 http://bluejake01.deviantart.com/journal/13118171/ http://bluejake01.deviantart.com/journal/13118171/ Sun, 27 May 2007 21:28:38 PDT
I am closer than ever to actually filming a feature length film. I am wading through the mire and muck of Screen Actors Guild legalese, so that I can utilize the friends I have that are union actors. Once I have figured all that out I still need finish a decent draft of my script. Then I can work with a producer friend of mine to have him help me come up with a realistic shooting schedule. This all has to be done while we have access to the Viper cam. We are developing a capture solution with Thompson for the camera, which is one of the top studio used HD cams out there, and we get to use it for free to test it.

We are also going to do some on-set and on-location testing in a couple of weeks. We are doing the tests with the Sony F-950, which was used on Star Wars Episode 3, and the camera operator is going to be David Stump. He was the visual effects directory of photography on the X-Men movies, and well, a lot of other movies. I am hoping to learn a lot from him, and it should be a really fun couple of days of shooting.



Re: My Birthday
I am looking forward to a trip to my happy place and getting to spend time with friends that I don't see often. So that will be fun. My wives found a framed, original Star Tours poster from 1986 and presented it to me as an early birthday present!!!!! Oh...and I got something I have wanted for a very long time for my birthday. My parents got me a Kitchenaid classic stand mixer. I can't wait to see how my baking improves. Of course now I have like 30 different attachments I want, but the main ones are the pasta roller and cutter, the meat grinder and sausage stuffer, the juicer, and the slicer. The thing is much heavier than I thought it would be. I love it, and am thinking about having it custom painted. Alton Brown (from Good Eats) has one that he had an Auto body shop paint flames on. That's pretty trick...I may have to do just that. K...I'm just sorta blabbing on for no reason...sorry.

]]> *bluejake01 http://bluejake01.deviantart.com/journal/12990608/ http://bluejake01.deviantart.com/journal/12990608/ Thu, 17 May 2007 15:03:37 PDT
In my youth I began having dreams of riding the Matterhorn, only it was different than what we know today. It was hollow for the most part, and looked unfinished There were exposed beams and wooden platforms. A few years ago I found out that originally it was exactly that. It wasn't until 1978 that it was finished with ice caves and tunnels.

I was born a year after that change. I thought that was strange at the time, but made little of it. Today though, I was looking around Yesterland (which is a kickass site BTW) and someone sent in photos from the inside of the Old Matterhorn!!! I was floored. I sat there looking at the Matterhorn that has visited my dream since I was a small child. Not similar...but exact. I was flooded with images and what can only be called memories. [link]


That is not the only thing I remember from Disneyland that predates my birth in this life. I have recollections of them building Space Mountain...and my mind always married them with very early childhood memories from this life. Again, I did my research a few years ago and found that the years just don't match up.

Seeing old photos of Disneyland before my birth is sometimes a jarring experience. It's almost scary remembering things you can't have memories of in this lifetime.

]]> *bluejake01 http://bluejake01.deviantart.com/journal/12983221/ http://bluejake01.deviantart.com/journal/12983221/ Wed, 16 May 2007 21:04:36 PDT
]]> *bluejake01 http://bluejake01.deviantart.com/journal/12761617/ http://bluejake01.deviantart.com/journal/12761617/ Sat, 28 Apr 2007 01:21:31 PDT
I have been tagged. In theory I am not a very interesting person, and in fact even less so...

Here are the rules:

The player of this "game" starts with the topic "6 facts about yourself" and people who get tagged need to write a journal about their 6 facts as well as stating the rules clearly. In the end, you need to choose the next 6 people to be tagged and list their names. Don't forget to leave a comment that says "you are tagged" in their devpage comments/ or send a note and tell them to read yours....

1. It is my one big goal in life to complete a feature length film.

2. I am rather fond of water. Not like in a "I need to drink it to live" way (though that is an important reason to be fond of something). I love the way it feels on my skin, especially when it's cool, or cold. I love the way it soaks into my hair, making it heavy. I love the way fresh rain in the spring smells.

3. I am a lover, not a fighter. I can be pushed to lash out, but generally I like to make those around me feel good about themselves. I don't enjoy seeing other people miserable and if it were possible to heal the world with my love I would.

4. I don't keep up with current world events. It hurts too much to see a world gone mad through the twisted eyes of the money driven media. They prey upon fear and negativity to sell papers and get ratings. The bottomline for them is advertising revenue.

5. I am a pagan, specifically a Druid. This is not out of a literal belief in the religion of the ancient Celts, but out of a kinship to the spirit and ideals they lived by. Their religion is also the metaphor I most closely identify with, and aids my personal connection with the divine. I also use it to focus my "magical" influence on the world around me.

6. I tend to offer more than was asked. For example, six facts about me became one fact and five paragraphs about me. That strikes me as a bit self indulgent, but I really couldn't fit the thoughts into one sentence each.




Bonus facts:

I am lazy and ask that you tag yourselves if you'd like to be tagged.

I love cheese, but have problems digesting dairy.

When I travel I always search for the best mom and pop, hole in the wall type pizzerias and BBQ joints.

I love to cook, and shop primarily at the Whole Foods Market.

I just spent a week in Vegas at a trade show. We shared a demo suite with a company owned by Bernie Laramie, a producer on CSI. The first breakfast meeting we had before the show, I went on a rather long rant about the procedural and technical inaccuracies of CSI. I did not know he produced CSI at this point. It turned out to be a very good discussion. Bernie is a great guy with a solid sense of humor and a realness about him you don't get with Hollywood types. His final thought? "I can barely justify some of the stuff we did on the CSI pilot, let alone what they are doing now".

]]> *bluejake01 http://bluejake01.deviantart.com/journal/12683969/ http://bluejake01.deviantart.com/journal/12683969/ Sat, 21 Apr 2007 18:43:17 PDT
Things are really moving forward. We met so many HUGE companies that are really interested in what we can do. We are able to provide functionality that no one else does. We are on the cutting edge of the budding HD-3D market. We are also moving on-set, which will greatly streamline the process of shooting HD video, and provide directors with very powerful tools for playback and review. It was an exciting year, and I can't wait to see what comes next.

But...I am dead tired...like in serious need of days worth of sleep. It's exhausting to be so far away from home and working 16+ hour days, for so long. By day 6 I was at the end of my rope...some how I hung on though.

]]> *bluejake01 http://bluejake01.deviantart.com/journal/12535983/ http://bluejake01.deviantart.com/journal/12535983/ Tue, 10 Apr 2007 07:26:20 PDT
Since last years show we added many companies, including ILM to our growing list of clients. Most of those companies were woo'd by our rather impressive showing at NAB. Our in suite demos and lunches are almost booked solid, with only a few slots available for stragglers. I will likely be on the tradeshow floor primarily, spreading the good word about our newest products and services. Jason felt it was appropriate that my business cards say "Evangelist" this year.

Even though this is a "broadcasters" convention, the point of the show is to showcase new technology in the media. A LOT of our traffic last year was made up of special effects houses and studios. Our Rave HD has performed tremendously in the film industry, but also in television and other industries where HD video is handled.

I always enjoy the show. I have made connections and built friendships with people that work in the industry I love, and a few at the company I have ALWAYS wanted to work for...Disney.

So...this wasn't meant as a brag session...I am just sharing the good news, like my new business cards insist that I do.

]]> *bluejake01 http://bluejake01.deviantart.com/journal/12372732/ http://bluejake01.deviantart.com/journal/12372732/ Thu, 29 Mar 2007 08:02:27 PDT
I am starting a project today, which when completed, will be a record of my life in regards to Disneyland. Essays, photos, and art will come together to paint a clear picture of what Disneyland has meant to, it's tremendous impact on who I am, and it's continued place in my heart. Wish me luck, it's going to be a very long labor of love, since it's so hard for me to sit at my work station for long periods of time. Back injuries suck...

]]> *bluejake01 http://bluejake01.deviantart.com/journal/12261173/ http://bluejake01.deviantart.com/journal/12261173/ Tue, 20 Mar 2007 16:40:19 PDT
As a matter of some fact, the day started less than normal. To be honest the day was performing sub par and I had been meaning to discuss it's termination with the head of Calendar Resources. (I don't imagine there is a severence package, but I think bad days are eligible for unemployment benefits). The waking up was normal, don't get me wrong, it was just everything after that. To put it plainly...I was bored.

It was about the time that I had reserved myself to looping Return of the Jedi all day, while painting a statue of Yoda, that my ex-girlfriend Becky called me. This was a common occourance, and did little to raise the signifigance of the day.

Becky had a habit of calling me when she was bored. You see, I had a car...if you could call it a car. For all intents and purposes it qualified. Wheels, seats, windows, engine, radio...sure, the tread on the wheels had long been rubbed off on the pavement. And yes the front seat was broken, being held in it's required upright position by a broom handle. Of course only one of the windows went down, on a good day. The engine? It...uhm...yeah...and the radio only got 5 stations, and 3 of them were in spanish...but it was a car alright. A glorious, rotten Cherry red, 1986 Mustang.

After much whining and begging I agreed to pick Becky up and go out for a drive. I also had to promise to stop whining a begging, but that's another story.

I was over her for the most part, and we had managed to remain good friends, but just being around her made me lonely. Not because I wanted to be with her, but because being around her reminded me why I felt so alone.

In my younger years I had a very hard time connecting with people. They rarely understood me, and even more rarely liked me. Becky got me. Her, and Mike and Demica and Spyder got me. They saw me when others didn't and they spoke a similar enough language that we could communicate on a basic level. When Becky and I broke up I felt like I couldn't even maintain a relationship with someone as different as I was. I was young, and young heartbreak feels like it will last forever. Thankfully it didn't. Thankfully my lonely days were over.

So here it was, this miserably boring, lonely day. I was driving down the road with my ex-girlfriend, listening to static covered spanish radio, with one window down, a radiator hose that was duct taped together, and a hole in my heart.

We were passing Demica's street.

Actually we had passed by it completely when I felt a sudden urge to turn around. So...I did. With out slowing down, with out signaling I simply turned the wheel. The car, since we are still calling that hunk of metal a car, complained and squeeled, but managed to spin around and face the direction I wanted. Becky screamed almost as loud as the tires and didn't stop until we had pulled into the 7-11 parking lot. I decided it would be a good idea to call Demica before dropping in on her, so I got out of the car, leaving a pale faced, very angry ex-girlfriend behind.

]]> *bluejake01 http://bluejake01.deviantart.com/journal/11849476/ http://bluejake01.deviantart.com/journal/11849476/ Sat, 17 Feb 2007 00:36:06 PST
]]> *bluejake01 http://bluejake01.deviantart.com/journal/11038525/ http://bluejake01.deviantart.com/journal/11038525/ Tue, 12 Dec 2006 10:23:53 PST
You'd think that with a new theatrical Teenage Mutant Turtles movie coming out in 3-4 months there would be more hype. Sure it's CGI, but the animation looks really good and the action looks amazing. It reminds me very much of the original Eastman/Laird graphic novels. Where's the love?

Howard the Duck is still a horrible movie, but I can't help loving it.

Rocky 1 and 2 were great.

Rocky 3 was mediocre, but I pity the fool that doesn't give Mr. T his props.

Rocky 4...had a Russian...and...uhm...James Brown...yeah...

Rocky 5...why?

Chicken Little was really cute, but I have to wonder if they wrote Chicken Little to be like J.D from Scrubs, and went after Zack Braff, or if they hired Zack Braff and re-wrote the character to be like J.D. from Scrubs... Which came first, the Chicken Little or the egg?

Mary Poppins is still the best Disney live action movie ever made.

The Shaggy Dog remake should have been called the Shaggy D.A. or actually resembled the plot from the original, not it's sequel.

Herbie the Love Bug...need I say more?

Bruce Campbell's watch doesn't tell the time...it tells the time to kick ass.

I have more talent than I give myself credit for. Now this is one to examine...I get down on myself quite a bit, but if you stood shoulder to shoulder with people that have arrived, people that make the movies you dream of making on a daily basis you'd begin to doubt yourself too.

I don't express myself well sometimes. I may seem like I don't like people...I do...I just don't know how to say it.

I am lucky to have met my wife's friend's from her youth. They challenge me. Becky and Kellee, you guys are honest and frank, I always know I will get true reactions from you. I wish we knew eachother better, but in case I never say it again, I want you to know I am better for knowing you than if I didn't. Emi you challenge me to be myself and constantly try and pull me out of my defensive shell. It's not always easy for me, but I love you for it. Raven, you make me think and bring out my sillier, wittier side. Thanks.

Everyone that reads this has my respect and admiration, I'm sure of it. If you read this you watch me and I watch you. I may not comment as much as i would like to, but I do care, and you are all very talented.

Love...it's the greatest force on this plane of existence or any other.

uhm...my back really hurts, so I must go...thanks for reading this.

]]> *bluejake01 http://bluejake01.deviantart.com/journal/10978807/ http://bluejake01.deviantart.com/journal/10978807/ Tue, 12 Dec 2006 20:42:47 PST
The first ten people to reply to this journal will get featured, with my three favorites of their works displayed in thumbnail. I'll write a brief description of what I like about their galleries, and perhaps why I like the three I present. I only ask that, if you call a feature slot, you do or have done the same thing in your journal.




1. What can I say? She is my light when it is dark, my warmth when it is cold and my smile when I am sad.

- This is one that really stands out...it is full of movement and energy. there is so much going on and the design pulls your eyes around the page so fast it's dizzying.

-What is there to say really? It's a zombie chick...awesome...heh...

- I am a lucky, lucky man.




2. I enjoy the thought provoking debates she finds a way of dragging me into, and more often than not we agree with eachother, which is nice. She passionate about her interests, talented and full of life.

I love Disneyland, and this captures one of the millions of magical things that you can find there on any given day.

The most amazing thing about this one is the background. It makes it look like an 80's "TrapperKeeper" folder insert. I love the blend of photography, drawing and abstract design.

This one is all about atmosphere...and it really catches the eye.




3. I don't know much about her, except she hangs around with some chums of mine from highschool. She seems really nice and she's talented...blah.

I love the fact that this looks like cell animation on a watercolored background.

Flapper girl... need I say more?

Besides being cute, the textures are lovely.




4. From what I gather she is the bee's knees, and my wife and my friends that know her are very fond of her. I am an antisoci... ]]> *bluejake01 http://bluejake01.deviantart.com/journal/10588125/ http://bluejake01.deviantart.com/journal/10588125/ Wed, 01 Nov 2006 22:58:56 PST
]]> *bluejake01 http://bluejake01.deviantart.com/journal/10551673/ http://bluejake01.deviantart.com/journal/10551673/ Sun, 29 Oct 2006 18:07:55 PST
I am also stuck on my Disneyland Fanfic. I am hoping that another trip to the park will help get me back on track. We are going in November, thanks to an early x-mas present from my mom. We now have annual passes for Disneyland/California Adventure. Plus, if all goes to plan we will be members of Club 33 in...oh...about 7-10 years. That is the aprox. wait time on the waiting list, according to the Club 33 secretary. It's worth the wait, and I am saving all my pennies already.

]]> *bluejake01 http://bluejake01.deviantart.com/journal/10513180/ http://bluejake01.deviantart.com/journal/10513180/ Thu, 26 Oct 2006 02:48:03 PDT
On a similar note: I do have a new deviation you might want to check out. it's a bit of fan art.

]]> *bluejake01 http://bluejake01.deviantart.com/journal/10341459/ http://bluejake01.deviantart.com/journal/10341459/ Mon, 09 Oct 2006 20:19:40 PDT
]]> *bluejake01 http://bluejake01.deviantart.com/journal/10275273/ http://bluejake01.deviantart.com/journal/10275273/ Tue, 03 Oct 2006 19:03:50 PDT
Disneyland gave me the boost of positive energy and creative light I needed. I am glad I went, even if I haven't recovered.

Ta and thanks.

-Just this guy

]]> *bluejake01 http://bluejake01.deviantart.com/journal/9913031/ http://bluejake01.deviantart.com/journal/9913031/ Wed, 30 Aug 2006 22:00:55 PDT

I am a waste. What ever talent I may have once had has been pushed aside, and my head filled with the trivialities of surviving in this world. I am wasting away at my job, every day I become less important. Why was I born with a talent I can't use? Why was I put here? To make pizza? Is that really what I was created to do? I know this might sound like I am feeling sorry for my self...and you may be right, but I have really tried to think this one through.

I have to work so that my two very special life partners and I can survive. I screwed up so much in my professional life when I was young, that the only regular job I could find was delivering pizzas. I work a job that is sucking my soul out. I retired from creating my art. I didn't have any creativity left, and still don't. I keep hoping it will come back.

From time to time I get a graphic design job thrown my way...or I get to work for Spectsoft in the film industry...depending on work flow and business. This is not enough to survive, so it's always back to my soul sucking job. I can go from hanging out and working with people from Disney, PDI, ILM and The Orphanage one week, to delivering pizza the next. Today, some of the guys from Spectsoft were on-set with James Cameron, talking with him and the Technical director about a new project that they want our software and hardware for. I was getting covered in cornmeal and flour...and driving around a hot ass city delivering pizzas.

Now...I have never been one to look down on any member of society...I don't think I am above anyone else. I don't half ass my job at Papa John's...I have a high work ethic...so is it wrong of me to feel like I am wasting away? To feel like that job isn't for me...that I am better used somewhere else? I feel like a prick...I feel conflicted and frankly...I feel like a hypocrite. I am better than this...or am I? Maybe I am just put here to fade into mediocrity... ]]> *bluejake01 http://bluejake01.deviantart.com/journal/9505160/ http://bluejake01.deviantart.com/journal/9505160/ Wed, 26 Jul 2006 20:18:27 PDT
The first five people to comment on this journal will get a free sketch on the subject of their choice: If I like the subject and/or the sketch, I might finish the sketch... nothing is guaranteed. The only price is: if you request a sketch, you must put up this same journal and offer five free sketches to the first five people to comment on that journal. I will check.

Here are my five slots.

1.
2.
3.
4.
5. ]]> *bluejake01 http://bluejake01.deviantart.com/journal/9306678/ http://bluejake01.deviantart.com/journal/9306678/ Fri, 07 Jul 2006 21:45:47 PDT

Stellar cast

Noteworthy performances

The best completely CGI character I have seen on screen yet (Davy Jones)

Complex and realistic exploration of the characters, their motivations and their emotional development

Thrilling action sequences that served the story rather than replacing it

The locations, sets and digital matte paintings blended seamlessly

Johnny Depp

Classic swashbuckling homages

The Kraken

The sound engineering

The music



The Bad:


Excessive (some are nice...this was too many) recycled jokes and visual gags from the first film

Sloppy and heavy handed plot exposition using throw away dialog

Mediocre editing, and pacing



The Ugly:

Davy Jones...man was he Fugly






Overall a great film, that is not as strong as the first. There were too many times that it just missed the mark, that the editing and sloppy script took too much away from the moment. It almost seemed as if the writers used the first film as a crutch, which kept Dead Man's Chest from getting it's own legs and standing alone. ]]> *bluejake01 http://bluejake01.deviantart.com/journal/8782916/ http://bluejake01.deviantart.com/journal/8782916/ Mon, 15 May 2006 20:43:48 PDT *bluejake01 http://bluejake01.deviantart.com/journal/8042570/ http://bluejake01.deviantart.com/journal/8042570/ Wed, 01 Mar 2006 23:25:12 PST *bluejake01 http://bluejake01.deviantart.com/journal/5951733/ http://bluejake01.deviantart.com/journal/5951733/ Sat, 16 Jul 2005 14:22:59 PDT
Mood: Uhm....
Listening to: Butterfly on a Wheel
Reading: The Druids
Watching: Charlie and the Chocolate Factory

Emboldened by my preconceptions that A)Charlie and the Chocolate Factory is a wonderful morality tale, that speaks volumes about lost innocence and wonder, B)Time Burton is one of the most unique voices in film history and C)That Johnny Depp can play any role, in any film, and own it...I proudly marched out to the theater to slap down 20 bucks for CJ, Kat and I to go see Charlie and the Chocolate factory.

From the first scene of the now famous "Wonka" bars being made, to the Oompa Loompa's giggling laugh at the end of the credits, three important factors kept my ass in the seat and my eyes on the screen.

The first is the masterful direction of Tim Burton. The film is at once a fantastic dream and a terrible nightmare. It walks the delicate line between imagination and dellusion, clarity and insanity. True to Roald Dahl's book, the movie takes a stark and honest look at the vices that have destroyed the creativity, imagination and innocence of post modern children. The books was decades ahead of it's time, and the newest film is following suit, taking fantasy, satire, and family entertainment light years forward.

The second is the score by Danny Elfman. From Oingo Boingo to one of the hardest working composers in film, Danny Elfman has come a LONG way. His music is eccentric, and full of wonder. Not since Edward Scissorhands has his score so perfectly matched the images on screen. He also got to stretch his "rock star" legs and wrote the music for the Oompa Loompa songs that, unlike the 1960's "Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory", used Roald Dahl's lyrics from the book.

The third, and probably the most important is the performances. Everyone is on their game, from the adorable and genuine Freddy Highmore (Charlie Bucket) to the ever capable Christopher Lee (Wonka's father), the cast is perfect. None more so than Johnny Depp. Depp is famous for bringing eccentric characters to life and making them 3-dimensional, and he does it yet again. It's hard not to compare Gene Wilder's original film version of Willy Wonka, to the new version. Suffice it to say, both men are masters at their craft, and that the films and the portrayals of the character are both wonderful and both unique. To compare them would be unfair, given that the new film is a re-adaptation of the book, and not a remake of the movie. Some have compared Depp's Willy Wonka to Michael Jackson, and while both are rich, eccentric, and awkward shut-ins, that is where the similarities stop. Willy Wonka is a man that is used to living in a world of his ownimagination. He has built a paradise of the strange and magical ideas he has...answering only to his own sense of fun. He is a Peter-Pan character, a rejected child that has refused to grow up. Depp balances the witty humor, the social ineptitude and the darker sides of Mr. Wonka very well, and I cannot say enough good things about him as an actor.

]]> *bluejake01 http://bluejake01.deviantart.com/journal/5883345/ http://bluejake01.deviantart.com/journal/5883345/ Sat, 09 Jul 2005 06:10:08 PDT
Mood: Uhm....
Listening to: Butterfly on a Wheel
Reading: The Druids
Watching: Land of the Dead

Does anyone actually like me? I mean...assuming you know me...or have read my journals enough to think you know me. I am not looking for a flood of responses, but would welcome thoughtful and honest ones. I don't think I am a likeable person. I am arogant, stuborn, opinionated, and overly sensitive. I have a severe personality disorder and have trouble communicating in positive, constructive ways. On the other hand I am supportive and protective of those I care about. I am generous and thoughtful. I recognize those first few traits as flaws and wish to change them. I try and learn something everyday and am always pushing for positive changes. I believe in human rights, peace, and love. I believe there is beauty in every size, shape, gender and age. I do have a high IQ, even if I don't use it.

It's criminal I tell you! ]]> *bluejake01 http://bluejake01.deviantart.com/journal/5447315/ http://bluejake01.deviantart.com/journal/5447315/ Tue, 24 May 2005 11:08:51 PDT
Mood: Not repeatable
Listening to: None
Reading: Dante's Inferno
Watching: Star Wars: RotS

Indulge me a moment...I know I am. I wonder why I bother...Why I carry on. It seems much easier to sink down into the muck than to try and rise above. Why do I care if I have friends or not, when I treat them like shit? WHy do I want people to like me when I don't like them?

Fucktastic!!!!! ]]> *bluejake01 http://bluejake01.deviantart.com/journal/3903036/ http://bluejake01.deviantart.com/journal/3903036/ Tue, 23 Nov 2004 17:17:05 PST *bluejake01 http://bluejake01.deviantart.com/journal/3143258/ http://bluejake01.deviantart.com/journal/3143258/ Mon, 16 Aug 2004 22:37:17 PDT *bluejake01 http://bluejake01.deviantart.com/journal/2839105/ http://bluejake01.deviantart.com/journal/2839105/ Fri, 09 Jul 2004 06:17:12 PDT
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ~~~~~~

Clubs:



The Bishies I be pimpin' yo:
Shady Watanabe by

Whisp by ]]> *bluejake01 http://bluejake01.deviantart.com/journal/2839024/ http://bluejake01.deviantart.com/journal/2839024/ Fri, 09 Jul 2004 05:53:28 PDT

Thank you all so much for getting me to this point, and the person closest to 1,500 will get a drawing. It's like 9 away, so good luck. ]]> *bluejake01 http://bluejake01.deviantart.com/journal/2707002/ http://bluejake01.deviantart.com/journal/2707002/ Fri, 25 Jun 2004 16:42:09 PDT
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ~~~~~~

Clubs:



The Bishies I be pimpin' yo:
Shady Watanabe by

Whisp by ]]> *bluejake01 http://bluejake01.deviantart.com/journal/2658877/ http://bluejake01.deviantart.com/journal/2658877/ Mon, 14 Jun 2004 13:30:45 PDT
I never go to Gay Pride events, because living in California, close to a major metro, I don't feel the need for them. They did have their place here in California once, and they still do hold meaning in other less open areas of the country. I don't mean to criticize the hard work that goes into them, or the people that hold them, but I am honestly affraid of the pendulum swing they will cause. There was a time when us "queers" really needed to be "in your face" and loud. There was a time when we needed to stand up and shout. Our message needed to be heard, and for the most part, it was.

The last pride event I went to in San Francisco had become little more than a freak show. It was a circus of decadence, debauchery and open sex acts. Is that really how we want to be remembered? Is that the legacy we want to leave the next generation of the GLBT community? Now, I am not saying that all people that attend and march are lewd, nor am I saying the community as a whole is. What I am saying is that straight America will begin to see the vocal minority and forget that most of us are not flamboyant hedonists that engage in open sex acts or simulated sex acts at public events. They will forget that we are their family, friends and neighbors. They will forget that we are human beings capable of loving, commited relationships. This scares me, and over exposure can really turn the masses against us again.

So I don't go to Gay Pride Parades. Does this mean I am not proud of who I am? Of course it doesn't. It simply means I choose to show it in different ways.

Good...rant over...now to the fun stuff. For the last two years I have become more involved in Sacramento's Pagan Pride Festival. I am impressed with their goals of public education, tolerance and responsible activism. I have been a part of the annual art show, and will be doing the same again this year. I only wish that more GLBT pride events were like this, and given media coverage. It would be a nice change from the circus show the media chooses to show us everytime there is a GLBT pride event.


~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ~~~~~~

Clubs:



The Bishies I be pimpin' yo:
Shady Watanabe by

Whisp by ]]> *bluejake01 http://bluejake01.deviantart.com/journal/2575443/ http://bluejake01.deviantart.com/journal/2575443/ Thu, 03 Jun 2004 16:11:12 PDT So check it out everyone, and keep pimpin' those bishies. ]]> *bluejake01