Friday, July 18, 2008

Dream Team Auction

The DisneyWorldTrivia.com Dream Team Project is spreading the word about a special part of  Fred Block’s MagicMeets Disney Fan Gathering event and their Charity auction happening on July 19th.  The best part is that it is for people who can’t be at MagicMeets. 

 

The Dream Team Project (http://www.disneyworldtrivia.com/Dream-Team-2008-Auction.html) raises money to help send seriously ill children and their families to Walt Disney World through The Make-A-Wish Foundation® of America. Their annual silent auction at MagicMeets raised $9000 last year, and this year they hope to do even more to bring smiles to the faces of children who need it most.

 

WDW Today podcast will be broadcasting live during MagicMeets. Co-host Mike Newell (Mouse World Radio) came up with a great idea to include a tie in to the Dream Team Charity Auction during the MagicMeets Live Show. 

 

Any donations made to the FirstGiving web page for the DWT Dream Team between 9:00 a.m. and 2:30 p.m. on July 19th will be announced on the WDW Today live show podcast.  The FirstGiving website, http://www.firstgiving.com/dwtdreamteam allows guests to make donations securely using a credit card.

 

All donations made during the time period will be included in the Auction total announced at MagicMeets.   When you fill in your donation, please include your Internet community affiliation in the comment field, so that you can be thanked properly on the air. 

 

Check out the WDW Today podcast website, http://www.wdwtoday.com/ for details on how to join them for this and all their live shows. They will have a chat room going during the broadcast, which is always lots of fun, and sometimes have a live video feed direct from MagicMeets.

 

For people attending MagicMeets, or those who want to see what they will be missing, check out the DWT Dream Team Blog, http://www.disneyworldtrivia.com/Dream-Team-Blog/  for some previews and behind-the-scenes peeks.  Starting on July 1st, previews of all the auction lots will be available on the DisneyWorldTrivia.com forums. http://www.disneyworldtrivia.com/forums/dream-team-project/17074-2008-dream-team-auction-previews.html  

 

The Dream Team Project is really looking forward to this event and would like to thank Mike Newell for the great idea and WDW Today’s help implementing it. Together we can spread some Disney magic and make a difference in the lives of seriously ill children. 

Posted by Doc Terminus at 21:40:07 | Permalink | Comments (2)

Wednesday, July 16, 2008

Parking News

For those of you heading to downtown Passamaquoddy, please keep in mind that two of the parking lots are currently closed for re-tarring.  Both the lots named “Queasy” and “SeaSnot” are currently blocked off.  It is recommended that you proceed past Crustacean Command to the larger lots “Sludge”, “Gurgley” and “Gloppy”.

Posted by Doc Terminus at 00:44:37 | Permalink | Comments (3)

Monday, July 14, 2008

Get ready for next year.

Hello friends, 

It’s been over a week now since our July 4th weekend cookout and we wanted to thank you all for heading to town.  The town was abuzz with new business.  Even people who decided not to stay for the event left town they had nothing to say but compliments.  One man yelled out as he ran out of town: “This town has the biggest bunch of mouthbreathers I’ve ever seen”.  I’m not sure where other people breath from but I’m sure that was a compliment.   Not even thesecond biggest!!

Over the next year, the town will see some changes.  For example, the All-Starfish resort has already announced they may consider getting new sheets.  So, if you want to see those powder blue terrycloth sheets from 1981 one more time stop in to the All-Starfish.  Thats what happens when you fill all 6 rooms for 3 days straight.

But in the meantime, this years celebration was a blast.  Many of you heard our town represented on the”ALL ABOUT THE MOUSE” Disney podcast as Bryan and Jonathan took over our airwaves for a bit.  Jeff Pepper of 2719 Hyperion showed us some great Disney 4th of July paraphernalia.  The other Jeff, Jeff W from the Snowy Tundra training site gave us a nice look down memory lane. DOC from the Disney obsession recounted their trip to our beautiful town and Ryan from the Main Street Gazette gave an indepth examination of the American Adventure show.  The Imaginerding boys brought along some cool vintage Disney maps and Those Darn Cats gave us their thoughts on what a 4th of July celebration needs to be.  Finally, Jessica from “If we can dream it” provided our fourth of July fireworks and they were a blast.  Be sure to visit all of these friends.

We are looking forward to next year.

Here is a letter from Fred Appleton.

Posted by Doc Terminus at 12:56:30 | Permalink | Comments (3)

Friday, July 11, 2008

Movie Night: Johnny Tremain (1957)

The story of Johnny Tremain was the perfect little patriotic piece for the Walt Disney company to take on as a television show.  It emphasizes the type of patriotism and story sense that Wlat personally voiced for his works, similar to Davy Crockett two years earlier.  And even though the two episodes are still unique and separate, they were wisely combined into one larger theatrical film, especially considering some of the craftsmanship apparent on the screen.

The story follows the youth of an aspiring silversmith whose career is cut short by a smithing accident.  Unfortunate as the incident is, it launched his life into a patriotic journey that would bring him to the birth of the Revolutionary war.  His works on the fringe of the”Sons of Liberty” brings him into contact with many historical patriots including Samuel Adams and Paul Revere.  It takes him from his work in he silversmith household to the Boston Tea Party and then on to the start of the war.

One of themost stunning elements of thie film is teh outlandish amount of matte painting provided for this film.  Peter Ellenshaw and his team were kept very busy as they created colonial Boston from countless angles and locales.  That and the music created for the film show the quality required by Disney for a simple television show.

Johnny Tremain is a film guilty of persisting Disney’s image as someone who promotes patriotism with the acceptance of a child.  The patriots are brilliant, the attacking English are bumbling idiots.  Battles result in few people falling in a bloodless howl, and mostly by the men in red.  Most obviously, the Boston Tea Party appears no more dangerous and rebellious then Mrs. Nesbit’s tea party.  This patriotism carried over into the first appearance of the HALL OF PRESIDENTS in the Magic Kingdom.

We in Passamaquoddy are always interested in the live action films put out by thre Disney folk, as they are usually relegated to the background behind the theme parks and animated features.  In many cases these live action films provide a nice logical bridge between the two.

Tomorrow we’ll close out the week of our 4th of July cookout includoing comments from attendees.  See you then…  If you see me tonight, Herring Whip is on me…

If you’d like to see more movie reviews, search for “Movie Night” in the right menu search engine.

Posted by Doc Terminus at 00:15:55 | Permalink | Comments (3)

Tuesday, July 8, 2008

Music Hall: George Bruns

Disney Legend George Bruns is probably best known for his theme park music.  Most notably songs from Pirates of the Carribean which he co-wrote with X Atencio.  But that wasn’t the extent of his career.  He also contributed to the Oscar nominated song “LOVE” from Disney’s animated Robin Hood as well as THE JUNGLE BOOK.

Sunday night at the Passamaquoddy music hall we heard a rendition of Bruns song THE LIBERTY TREE from the patriotic film JOHNNY TREMAIN.

And sing along with these lyrics.

Plant the seed in our homeland, boys. Let it grow where all can see.
Feed it with our devotion, boys. Call it the Liberty Tree.

It’s a tall old Tree
And a strong old Tree
And we are the Sons
Yes, we are the Sons
The Sons of Liberty.

Save it from the storm, boys. Water down its roots with tea.
And the sun will always shine on the ole’ Liberty Tree.

It’s a tall old Tree
And a strong old Tree
And we are the Sons
Yes, we are the Sons
The Sons of Liberty.

March along with the piper, boys. We were born forever free.
Let’s go pay the piper, boys, beneath the Liberty Tree.

It’s a tall old Tree
And a strong old Tree
And we are the Sons
Yes, we are the Sons
The Sons of Liberty.

Pay the price they’re asking, boys. Always pay the tyrant’s fee.
Never give up the struggle, boys. Fight for the Liberty Tree.

It’s a tall old Tree
And a strong old Tree
And we are the Sons
Yes, we are the Sons
The Sons of Liberty.

Stand for the rights of man, boys. Stand against all tyranny.
Hang the lamps of freedom, boys, high on the Liberty Tree.

It’s a tall old Tree
And a strong old Tree
And we are the Sons
Yes, we are the Sons
The Sons of Liberty.

N’ it will grow as we grow, boys. It will be as strong as we.
We must cling to our faith, boys- faith in the Liberty Tree.

It’s a tall old Tree
And a strong old Tree
And we are the Sons
Yes, we are the Sons
The Sons of Liberty.

 

Incidentally, one of the more interesting tidbits about Johnny Tremain is that it represented the film premiere of Walt Disney’s daughter  Sharon…  There were articles and interviews with co-stars about the work provided by Sharon.  Everyone worked to make her premiere a noteworthy event but when it was all said and done, her role was very minor.  In fact she is only briefly seen and silent except for singing along with the group during “THE SONS OF LIBERTY”.

 

If you want to hear more from the Passamaquoddy Music Hall, search for Music Hall in the right menu search engine.

Posted by Doc Terminus at 05:13:20 | Permalink | Comments (1) »

Monday, July 7, 2008

The Ellenshaw Museum: Johnny Tremain (1957)

What a weekend!  Thanks for all who participated.  The town is quieting down now.  The population plummeting back down to double digits.  The place is a bit of a mess.  Thanks to Mr and Mrs Doc who hung around to clean up. 

I have read how Jeff W has been running quite often back in Iowa, and it shows.  Tonight, after selling his fried corn right next to Chumshop Earth, he broke the land-speed record at least twice racing over to the port-a-pottys.

The town is recovering, even though nobody can explain why there is kitty litter all over the ride vehicles on Gillian and Charo’s safari.

But after such a high this weekend, I hung around downtown as the crowds disippated.  I took in tonight’s Patriotic film, Johnny Tremain, and immediately headed over to the Ellenshaw museum…

Even though the film Johnny Tremain began as a two part television special, the amount of matte work done for the film is astonishing.  The display in the museum had some nice offerings to highlight the work.

Here is a piece of concept art and the subsequent film painting:

Here is another view of Ellenshaw’s paintings of Boston including the LIBERTY TREE which played so prominently in the film.

I’ve got the film Johnny Tremain on my mind now so I’ll probably talk about it for a couple days, but tonight I’ll close out with a photograph of one of Ellenshaw’s greatest fans showcasing his work on Johnny Tremain.

I hope you had a happy and healthy Independence Day for those who celebrate it, and I look forward to seeing you all again back in Passamaquoddy.

If you’d like to see more exhibits from teh Ellenshaw museum, search for “Ellenshaw” in the right menu search engine.

Posted by Doc Terminus at 05:46:58 | Permalink | Comments (1) »

Friday, July 4, 2008

Happy 4th of July

Our little town of Passamaquoddy has seen a lot of excitement of late.  But nothing could prepare us for this weekend’s celebration.  Not only do we get to celebrate our country’s Independence, but we also have packed our town with the greatest of our friends, all excited to share in the holiday and festivities.

Rather than bore you with my ramblings, we’re going to take a tour around the downtown fair area and stop in at some of our friends to see what is going in. Follow along…

Most Passamaquoddians are very familiar with the ALL ABOUT THE MOUSE Disney podcast.  It airs consistently on KWDY.  Bryan has been to Passamaquoddy before when he was running down to the Walt Disney World half marathon.  And Jonathan flew in a bit early to host the 4th of July extravaganza.

This week, in honor or our country’s independence, Bryan and Jonathan recorded portions of their show live from Passamaquoddy.  For this episode they interiew Paige O’Hara - famous for creating the role of Belle in the animated classic BEAUTY AND THE BEAST.  Then they spend some time talking with our own Doc Terminus.

Check out the episode here,
listen to it while you continue your tour

Our first stop on our tour is at the COMB AND TOME where we find our great friends the Taylor Brothers.  When I first met the nerdys, not only did we share a passionate enjoyment for many facets of Disney, we also were rewarded with a free dinner at San Angel Inn in Mexico.  I quickly found two friends for life.

So, I was able to convince them to take up part time residence here in town when the barber moved on to Quoddomapassy.  They aren’t very good with the haircuts but their bookstore is top notch.

Swing on by to see what the’ve got going on for our cookout here.

Our next stop is at the booth for Ryan Wilson’s newspaper THE MAIN STREET GAZETTE.  As you can tell from the picture, Ryan arrived in our seaside town wearing his robe and a towel on his hair.  He was a bit disappointed to find the closest swimming beach is 360 miles south.

Ryan is also known around town as the guy who supplied the plastic red and white checkered tablecloths used at so many of the booths for this weekends event.  Thanks Ryan!

The Main Street Gazette is a very, very active opening that is sometimes updated 3 times a day, so stop by the Gazette often.  For this weeks Passamaquoddy 4th of July celebration, Ryan shows some of his thoughtful perspective and mind for detail.

Who was that running by?  Could it be…  Yes I believe that was Jeff W from Iowa. 

Jeff W and Doc terminus are possibly separated at birth.  Not only is the creative force behind some of Passamaquoddy’s recent additions, he is also a good friend.

If you are interested in running, getting in shape, Disney, or just some clever fun, be sure to visit Jeff in the snowy tundra.

For our 4th celebration, Jeff has prepared a look at an early visit to Walt Disney World. 

Check it out here.

Jeff W also took responsibility for opeing the event with the pledge of allegiance.
Click here and stand up straight. (no talking. that means you two!

This is the first year that Jennifer and Lisa spent any time in Passamaquoddy, and from what I have seen so far the town has some serious recovery time ahead of them.  These stars of both blog-o-sphere and podcast-o-sphere have a very unique approach that has to be seen and heard to be believed.

In what could easily be called A TALE OF TWO DOCS, I’d have to say meeting Greg for the first time was like seeing a lifelong friend after years away.  Now The Obsession Doc and Doc Terminus have been able to communicate over the internet where DOC discusses whats on his mind at any given moment.

Stop by to see DOC and MRS DOC.  In fact they are here in Passamaquoddy for the week.

Check out their trip report here.

We are honored to have Jeff Pepper of 2719 Hyperion in our town.  Jeff runs one of the most reputable, trustable, enjoyable (and many other “ables”) blog on Disney out there.  Fortunately for us, he’s in town for the weekend.  Unfortunately for him, he’s staying at Jeffrey C Salt’s lighthouse - his cousin. 

Be sure to visit 2719 Hyperion… the most important address we know.

Check out the 2719 Hyperion conference hall.

Jeff has also brought along some cool 4th of July souvenirs to check out.

Check them out.

And for our Grand Finale we stop in with Jessica from “If We can Dream It”.  The perfect blog for the driveby web surfing, Jessica fills the space with her photographs of the minimal details that make such an impact.  Additionally, she designs and makes the coolest hats and shirts on the planet.

Jessica has provided the 4th of July fireworks this year.

Interesting tidbit… Jessica’s blog is in the GRINNEN’s BOOK OF WORLD RECORDS as the only blog that has more pictures of crates than Passamaquoddy…

Posted by Doc Terminus at 07:26:53 | Permalink | Comments (6)

Tuesday, July 1, 2008

A Patriot Steps up…

Every once and awhile a small town like Passamaquoddy has a problem and our folk take it on the chin.  When the VOICES OF LIBERTY had to cancel early this morning, we must admit we had written the opening night concert off.  After all, the mayor has just returned to town (wearing a strange plastic cloak), and the big 4th of July Cookout is in the final stages of planning.  So when an attorney from Seattle said he would fill in the vacant slot.  Be sure to come on down to the bandshell for the concerts Thursday and Friday night.

For those unfamiliar with THE VOICE OF LIBERTY’S work, here are some of the songs we expect to hear…

America, Golden Dream
Yankee Doodle
Oh, Susanna
Bryan’s always at Disney
Oh Susanna
Team Voice Overture
The Bear Necessities
Bryan’s probably at Epcot
America the Beautiful
A suite from BEN & ME
If you’re on It’s a Small World you’re probably sitting by Bryan

Posted by Doc Terminus at 03:29:38 | Permalink | Comments (3)