Chickpeas are every vegan secret weapon. They are full of protein and fibre, plus really easy to prepare in a lot of variations. You may already have tried this simple chickpea soup.
And today I would like to introduce you to the chickpea-tomato-pizza, which needs a little more time and work than the soup but it is definitely worth it, believe me!
Let's start with the pizza crust first. Mix yeast, sugar, 1tbs salt and 1 cup (250ml) of warm water. Stir chickpea flour and spelt flour as well as 3tbs olive oil in a large bowl then add the yeast mixture to it and squidge well. Let prove covered for about 80 minutes in a warm place. After that squidge again, split into 4 parts and let prove for another 20 minutes.
Meanwhile chop onions and garlic in cubes and pick the basil leafs. Chop the yellow tomatoes roughly, heat the last 2tbs olive oil in a large pot then stew onions and garlic, add yellow tomatoes and half of the basil, deglaze with veggie broth, boil up and let cook for about 10 minutes.
Prepare the cherry tomatoes in cubes. Pre heat your oven to 250 degrees celsius.
Roll the4 dough pieces on a floured surface, you might need to add a lot of flour as it might be really sticky, and let rest for 5 minutes.
Spread the tomato sauce over the round flat pizza bread and top with cherry tomatoes and basil leafs.
Bake for about 10-12 minutes and taste with salt and pepper before serving.
One pizza has the following nutritional values: 615 kcal, 70g carbohydrates, 13g sugar, 23g fat, 25g protein, 17g fiber, 48% of the daily required dose of vitamin A and 70% of vitamin C.


After listening to "Sugar Rush" from Wreck it Ralph in the latest Disney Brit, I just had to find it to share the addictiveness of the track. The Song is simple and very fitting for the video game style. Although I just don't quite get the girls dressed as cupcakes thing.
Monsters University Apparel - possible joke!


text:
Snow And The Seven Find One...
Walt Disney Pictures has signed Francis Lawrence(Constantine, I Am Legend) to direct "Snow and the Seven", the Kung Fu interpretation of "Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs".
The Hollywood Reporter describes the story as a fantasy adventure that follows a British girl raised in 19th century Hong Kong. She realizes it's her destiny is to conquer the forces of evil and has seven Shaolin monks prepare her to fight. Scott Rudin and Andrew Gunn will produce.
This is the production that was mentioned in one of our previous "Forgotten Mouse Tales" posts.
Posted by Honor Hunter at 11:45 PM No comments:
Labels: Francis Lawrence, Movies, Snow and the Seven, Walt Disney Pictures
Nevermores...
Something which never was or is no more: "Nevermores"...
In light of Disney's decision to ban smoking from its films I thought we should go back and examine what characters in classic Disney films have actually used the dreaded weed, tobacco. Disney's new edict got me thinking about what wonderful villains and other characters we would be deprived of if this kind of PC mentality had been in place fifty years ago.
The most obvious character I can remember is Betty Lou Gerson 's voice work as Cruella De Vil from "One Hundred and One Dalmatians". Remember her prancing around in her gaudy fashion outfits puffing on that cigarette?
Or what about the Richard Haydn's portrayal of the Hooka smoking Caterpillar from "Alice in Wonderland" ?
Some of these people dislike smoking so much they consider it a sin almost... maybe they're right. After-all, look at James Woods version of Hades in his underworld from Disney's "Hercules"... yep, that's right. He's a smoker. Nothing like making a villain without any vices... what an exciting bad guy he would be if you were to take away all that you hate about him.
There are others I can think of, but I'll leave that up to you.
What characters can you remember that smoked in Disney films? Now they don't have to be from an animated film. It can be live-action if you want. So put your two-cents in. What characters would we never have seen had Walt put this policy in himself? I know some of you will want to bring up the fact that Walt was a smoker and hid it from the public, that he died of it... but I'm not of the belief that people need a company to hide all the bad things in life from them. I also don't believe that a company should be making those kind of decisions for you.
A parent should.
So tell me... what or who would we have missed, had Walt Disney Productions had this policy in place during the Golden Age of Disney Animations?
Hat Tip to reader Greg for his suggestion for this article.
Posted by Honor Hunter at 2:20 PM 13 comments:
Labels: Movies, PC, Smoking, Walt Disney Animation Studios
No Character...
A restraining order has been issued by the Delhi High Court on a Mumbai-based company that prevents it from making or selling products using Disney characters on a plea by Disney Enterprises Inc.
This is a priority of the Walt Disney Company in its Asian plans. One of the key stumbling blocks to building a theme park in India and mainland China is the rampant copyright infringement that goes on there. The Western understanding of intellectual property has yet to fully take hold in various parts of Asia. If Bob Iger and his executives can become confident that it can be contained then we can look forward to a much quicker expansion into those territories.
Posted by Honor Hunter at 1:36 PM 1 comment:
Labels: China, Copyright, Disney Enterprises, India, Walt Disney Company
Story Of The Lamp, So Far...
Variety has a positive review of "The Pixar Story" up that discusses the Leslie Iwerks' documentary film of the little company from Emeryville that could. A rough cut of this played at Comic-Con this week. Unforunately, I didn't get to see it due to a really booked schedule. Go over and give it a read... interesting stuff.
Iwerks, btw is the daughter of Ub Iwerks.
Labels: Documentary, Leslie Iwerks, Pixar, The Pixar Story, Walt Disney Company
Forgotten Mouse Tales 5...
Time for another look at what the Mouse has bought and forgotten. Sometimes stories get snapped up almost because there's a "I've got to have it first" mentality in Hollywood. This affects practcally every studio in Southern California and even Disney is not immune from this behavior...
The Greatest American Hero
Walt Disney Pictures had Stephen J. Cannell ready to produce this pitch, writen by Paul Hernandez, a super-hero fantasy based on the 80's televison series about a mild mannered teacher that finds a suit left by some form of aliens. He looses the instruction manual for how to operate the suit and the hilarity begins. Didn't they do this with "Condorman" already? Oh right, it was bad... wasn't it? Actually, I was a fan of this show as a little kid. With the right script and cast it could be a gem... just a suggestion to the casting agents, Steve Carell anyone?
The Three Pigs
Walt Disney Feature Animation was supposed to make this retelling of the classic story that features the Pigs who take their book apart to confuse and keep the wolf away, build a paper airplane and fly off on a fairy tale adventure of their own. On their journey, they meet up with the cat and the fiddle and a dragon, cutting across many different levels of culture. The story was base on David Wiesner's best-selling children's book.
Modern Day Pirate Project
Not satisfied with rulling the seas of a period film, Walt Disney Pictures paid Daniel Taylor a mid-six figures for this modern-day story about pirates in the South China Sea. Jack Sparrow's great, great, great, great, great, great, great grandson perhaps? Andrew Gunn and Ann Marie Fanderlin were to produce.
Untitled Danny Cannon Pitch
Jerry Bruckheimer was to produce this film, to be written and directed by Danny Cannon about a man is hired to protect a woman, during which time something goes wrong and the duo find themselves on the run. That sounds like something I've never seen before... where oh where did they come up with that original plot I wonder? Hmmm...
Bartimaeus Trilogy
This story by Jonathan Stroud, to be made by Miramax, was the first installment of a book deal he made called "The Amulet of Samarkand" is about an ancient djinni(a genie) named Bartimaeus who is summoned by a disobedient young wizard to steal a magical amulet from a powerful magician. If the book was a success there was going to a trilogy of books... and if the movie was a success then a trilogy of film as well. Obviously.
A comedey written by Jeff Nathanson about two young filmmakers given $3 million by a mysterious benefactor to make a film in Providence, Rhode Island. When they go to shoot their movie they discover that they have been unwitting players in an FBI sting operation. Based loosely on a true story. Nathanson would direct the film. David Permut and Larry Brezner were attached to produce for the Mouse.
Sweet Hush
Disney paid a mid-six figures for this tale of a widowed, female head of an Appalachian apple-growing empire who is pitted against the White House when her only son comes home from Harvard after having secretly married the president's daughter. Disney bought the film rights to this novel by Deborah Smith. Deborah Martin Chase was to produce this for Walt Disney Pictures.
Walt Disney Pictures paid 1 million dollars for the rights to this film, based on a sci-fi series of young adult books by John Christopher is about a young boy who resists aliens' attempts to brainwash him after the earth's apocalypse. Don Murphy is producing for Disney through his Angry Films production company.
Posted by Honor Hunter at 2:51 AM 2 comments:
Labels: Development Hell, Forgotten Mouse Tales, Movies, Walt Disney Animation Studios, Walt Disney Pictures
Jack Sparrow Comes Home Christmas...
I forgot to mention this because I've been busy of late...
Disney announced that "Pirates Of The Caribbean: At World's End" comes to DVD and Blu-Ray on December 4, 2007. The DVD version will come in 1 or 2 discs... Blu-Ray comes with a slew of games and additions that help the Mouse support its new preferred format. The holiday date gives the Johnny Depp film a good deal of time to still pass "Dead Man's Chest" though...
Thanks to Ultimate Disney for the cover art.
Posted by Honor Hunter at 2:28 AM No comments:
Labels: Blu-Ray, DVD, Johnny Depp, POTC
D'oh! Lucky Number Seven...
Homer ruled the box office this weekend.
"The Simpson's Movie" came in at number 1 with just under $72 million here in America. The film's international gross was over $112 million. That's a whole lot of Butterfingers for Bart. The Simpson's keep this up and they'll be richer than Mr. Burns before too long.
"Chuck and Larry" get moved down to number 2 with a $71 million total since last week. That Wizard from Hogwarts stays in third place with around $17 million for almost $242 million in the states. Michael Bay's love-fest to the Summer Box Office, the "Transformers" stays at 5th place with $285 million at home and $192 abroad for a $477 million total.
Remy held on to the number 7 with a domestic total of a little under $180 million. It's still chugging along with over 2 million a day on the weekends. The foreign take at Box Office Mojo is around $37 million, but that figure hasn't been updated yet for this weeks numbers. Many of the release dates for "Ratatouille" are mid August through October so there are many countries yet to add to the final gross. Let's hope the bootlegs aren't flooding too many of these markets.
Just remember, all domestic takes are accurate up to the 29th of July, but the international tallies won't be updated till tomorrow.
We're deep into the second half of summer with only a handful of movies still to be released.
Posted by Honor Hunter at 9:05 PM 2 comments:
Labels: Box Office, Movies, POTC, Premieres, Ratatouille, Simpsons
Observations On San Diego's Fantasyland Part 1...
Greetings everyone...
Back from Comic-Con where my friends and I had a great time wandering San Diego. The only problem is that the event has gotten so big since we first started going that it was difficult to move(attendance has doubled since we started going). I met up with several friends and a few Imagineers I know.
I love attending all the panels, the movies, the television shows, the comics, the dealers on the floor and all things there that are Disney(which is really only a small part), but every year when they have people come to ask questions I cringe. Not because of the silly, sometime very elaborate costumes, but what they ask. Some questions are just boring, while others make you wonder how these people's mother let them out of their basement. All in all, it was a fun, silly and sometimes embarrassing affair. Over the course of the day we got to talk and see many things(most non-Disney related). The Warner Brothers panel featuring Zach Snyder's "Watchmen" presentation was great except everyone was a little disappointed there was no "Dark Knight" presence. I got to hear from the director of one of my favorite movies "Blade Runner", when Ridley Scott, cast and crew spoke at a panel about the new DVD release. There was a large "Pirates of the Caribbean" presence on the main floor with a huge pirate ship and hi-def screens advertising the upcoming Blu-Ray disc of the film. Disney's presence was very clear here, although I surprised at how little there was related to movies like "Enchanted" or "National Treasure 2". It's clear though that Disney as well as the other studios are looking to this built in audience as a major place to do promotion for future projects.
There was a Pixar panel that announced the release on November 6th of the first 13 Pixar shorts on a DVD. A nice, little history of the company was presented as well.
I bumped into an idol of mine on the floor. Ron Clements, the co-director of "Little Mermaid", "Aladdin", "Hercules" and the forthcoming "Princess and the Frog" was there with his lovely wife. Both were very nice, very gracious and quite patient with my fawning praise upon him.
Next time I'll cover the panel on "Narnia: Prince Caspian" and Pixar's "Wall-E" as well as a few things I've found out over burgers and beers...
Posted by Honor Hunter at 12:39 AM No comments:
Labels: Andrew Stanton, Brad Bird, Comic-Con, Movies
Nerdvana...
There will be no updates till the end of the weekend as I will be in San Diego at the Mecca of all Geekdom... "Comic-Con International 2007". I'll be meeting up with several like-minded friends and sources for our annual trek south.
As I tell my friends, this is the one time of the year that I attempt to buy back my childhood. The only thing negative would be if we happened to run into a Suit from the powers that be.
Thankfully, I'll be incognito and most will never know I was even there...
Everyone have a great weekend and I'll see you on the other side.
Labels: Comic-Con
One Very Big, Banner Year...
The Hollywood Reporter has an article about the successful year that Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures International(formerly Buena Vista International) is having at the box office. It mentions that "POTC: AWE" will likely make much more than "Dead Man's Chest" in its final take. Also of not is that this is the 13th year the distributor has reached the billion dollar mark. Will it continue? Have no fear, Underdog is here. Or is he? I'm not sure if this film will be the hit that Disney hopes... it doesn't excite me like the original cartoon did. Perhaps some stories don't translate from animation as well as others. After that release I don't believe there's much on Walt Disney Pictures release schedule until "Enchanted" in the fall... which may have a nice little bonus in front of it if some of the rumors I hear are true...
Labels: Box Office, Buena Vista International, Movies, Walt Disney Pictures, Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures International
Paris, The Happiest Place On Earth?
Euro Disney SCA, the company that runs the Disneyland Paris Resort(of which Disney owns 39 percent) released its third quarter revenue figures today.
Revenue rose 322 million euros or 12 percent.
Theme park revenues were up 8 percent.
Hotels and Disney Village profits increased 21 percent.
The occupancy rate went up 4.7 percent.
Well this will certainly be good news for those Imagineers that are staring over those plans for expansion of the Resort, won't it. Oops... did I say thatt?
Good news, none the less...
Posted by Honor Hunter at 12:25 AM 4 comments:
Labels: Business, DLP, Euro Disney, Profits, Walt Disney Company
Thanks For Caring...
You've probably all heard that Bob Iger has announced that Disney films will no longer show cigarettes because of the image it presents to children.
No word yet as to when they will no longer show death and killing... we wouldn't want to influence kids into doing that would we?
I hate when anyone, be they a government or a company try and be my parents. I already have parents. Thanks anyway, Bob. Please... please... please... stop with the PC crap.
Posted by Honor Hunter at 11:48 PM 3 comments:
Labels: Bob Iger, Movies, PC, Smoking, Walt Disney Pictures
The Blessing Of A Curse (Theme parks)...
It's funny how life works.
I mean sometimes we expect something and when it doesn't happen we feel it's the end of the world. Or sometimes we focus on the negative things that have happened to us. And later down the line we realize that what happened helped us.
Made us stronger.
That is what has happened to the Walt Disney Company.
Most people feel that DCA is a disappointment. WDS would be a colossal disappointment. HKDL is an avoidable disappointment. But you know what?
I'm glad they happened. Really... I am.
Why, you wonder?
Well, if you examine the administration of Michael Eisner you can see a disturbing trend. If you look at the majority of the first decade he ran the company it was a very positive run. With the exception of a few things(ahem, Port Disney... ahem, WestCot) it was a very successful and smartly ran period. I've mentioned it before, but in 1994 when Frank Wells died in that helicopter crash the whole Disney world changed. Eisner lost his balance... the yin to his yang was gone. Wells was the counter-balance to Eisner. To paraphrase Jerry Maguire... he completed Eisner. With him gone the ego that was kept in check was let loose and we had the second half of Eisner reign. The one that turned out to be utterly disastrous.
But corporations like people, will make mistakes because they are ran by people. And just like people, corporations will go through times where they make bad decisions and if they are smart they'll learn from it. They'll grow... and respond to the bad decisions they made. Hopefully for the better.
Think about what would have happened had DCA been a success. What would have been the response had WDS been a roaring success in Paris. How Hong Kong would have responded had HKDL had unbelievably high attendance.
Those parks would have shown Eisner the way for the future of the Mouse House. We'd be looking at Micro-Parks. Bland, unthemed parks would have become the norm for Disney. We wouldn't likely have a new park coming or an incredibly large makeover of DCA.
Instead we have a track record over the past decade of how NOT to construct a theme park. Now, since Disney has been designing these parks for over 40 years you would have thought they would have known better. Hubris can affect companies as well as people. Sometimes it's good to get their attitude adjusted. Eisner and his collection of Suits had their egos cut down closer to size. Maybe not down to where they belong, but closer to the point where they realized they had made a tragic error in judgment. The Suits thought that taking Knotts/Six Flaggs Land and slapping the Disney name on it was enough to bring people in droves. It didn't happen and they learned... more importantly, the stock holders learned. They finally realized the damaged Eisner had done to the company over the last decade.
It was painful. But it was necessary... Where do you think we would be today had this not happened.
Would we be getting the incredible reboot of DCA?
Would we be seeing WDI drawing up proposals to turn WDS into a much better park?
Would we be seeing the expansion ideas that are on the drawing boards for HKDL?
Would we be seeing the reworking and eventual growth of WDW that is supposed to happen in a few years?
No, we wouldn't. And I know it would have been nice that we could have avoided this painful chapter in a company we all love. But sometimes you have to go through the fire to realize what you have and where you're going. Sometimes you can't see what is in front of you. Sometimes you don't believe what is most obvious. Sometimes you feel you can do no wrong. As humans we fail all the time. Michael Eisner felt he could do no wrong... and he was wrong. But now that we're on the other side of it...
Don't you feel the Walt Disney Company is a better place? It's management is better. It realizes what went wrong in the past. It will try not make those mistakes in the future. Growing pains are not comfortable, but sometimes they are necessary. The next decade could be a Golden Age for Disney and its fan base. Hopefully Bob Iger will have the wisdom to avoid Eisner's mistakes... or at least most of the mistakes. He's not perfect of course.
After all, he's only human.
Labels: Blue Sky, Imagineering, Michael Eisner, Walt Disney Company, Walt Disney Pictures
New Orleans Open For Business...
No, we're not talking about the recovery after Hurricane Katrina.
We're talking about New Orleans Square. It opened on this day in 1966. This was the first new "land" added since the parks opening. While the area opened up, the attraction for which it is famous was still being constructed and wouldn't open till the following year.
Labels: DL, New Land, New Orleans Square
Blue Sky Alert Asia (Hong Kong): A Dragon's Secrets...
I believe it's necessary to give a brief update as to HKDL's status based on the majority of the reactions Blue Sky has gotten to the Anaheim Alert posted last week.
It appears that Disney is working it's leverage with the Hong Kong government. There's a report coming out of China that Bill Ernest, Executive Vice President and Managing Director of Hong Kong Disneyland Resort has been stating the Walt Disney Company's intent to build a third hotel. This one is supposed to be located in between the current two resorts. This is most likely the hotel we mentioned in our previous HK Alert. The only reasons that this news would be released is to apply pressure on the local government for negotiations of the expansion of the park and to portray to the world that HKDL is a success.
And no.
While the Hong Kong resort has been a major disappointment, it is not a failure. Just as DCA is not a failure, but a disappointment of higher expectations for a lower investment. Under Bob Iger and John Lasseter, with a little encouragement from Steve Jobs, the plans for expansion over the next five years are incredibly robust. Although we don't expect the Walt Disney Company to start throwing around budgets like the Oriental Land Company, it will be comparably close in terms of costs and theming.
Now as we've said before... HKDL is a lovely park. Just under-built. Unlike Walt Disney Studios Paris which truly didn't deserve to have the Disney name upon it, Hong Kong has all the makings of a great park. But the days of Eisner's building small and then expanding out are over. With the history of disappointment behind it the current mantra from Burbank and Glendale will be elaborate theming and appropriate budgets to go along with them.
A compass that doesn't point north...
Development continues on the two E-Tickets that are being developed for the expansion into Adventureland. The POTC and Haunted Mansion rides will definitely be showcase pieces of entertainment that will expand the capacity of the park greatly. While the start date is still in question, the recent admission by Bill Ernest is an example of Disney trying to get out in front of the message and not play defense. Iger and company want to apply some pressure to government officials so as to have a better bargaining position for the upcoming projects.
The Downtown Disney projects are still in development but may or may not be called that. There are various groups fighting for prominence in WDI and no one knows which one will come out on top.
I've read several e-mails from people expressing worries about Paris and HK with the news that DCA will be getting such a large infusion of cash. While it is true Anaheim's Second Gate is going to be a busy place, it doesn't mean Hong Kong will be neglected. DCA getting a large amount of money doesn't mean it's being taken from HKDL's own budget. Bob Iger very much wants to expand in Asia and HKDL plays very much into those plans(along with Shanghai). Over the next year or so we'll be seeing a lot more posturing than building. Planning will still be going on behind the scenes, but Iger is trying to get the best deal for Disney.
Business is tough... but there is simply too much money to be made from the Chinese market for Disney to just sit around and hope that people will finally come into the park. To everyone that's feeling a bit disappointed I say be calm... be patient. Hong Kong Disneyland Resort will come into its own over the next few years. By the end of this decade you will finally start to see it begin to come to fruition. I would think that the beginning of the next Decade will find HKDL and almost every other park take on a much more positive outlook. The Mouse is trying to keep its secrets while dealing with Hong Kong, but slowly... the secrets are being revealed.
All you have to do is read between the lines...
Labels: Blue Sky, HKDL, Walt Disney Company
Escape To Witch Mountain, All Over Again...
Walt Disney Pictures has signed Andy Fickman(The Game Plan) to direct the remake of "Escape To Witch Mountain", the re-imagined interpretation of the classic 1975 adventure movie. Andrew Gunn will produce through his Gunn Films banner which is shingled at the Disney lot. The movie is being put on the fast track for a 2008 release.
The original film was based on a science fiction novel by Alexander Key following a brother and sister with paranormal powers. The siblings go on the run after a sinister group discovers their abilities and attempts to capture them. I loved the film as a child. Although it's a little dated, the story is still very fun to watch and could be a great movie if handled properly.
Labels: Escape To Witch Mountain, Movies, Walt Disney Pictures
Remy Attends Chuck & Larry's Wedding...
And now for our recap of the box office this weekend...
"I now pronounce you Chuck & Larry" came in first this weekend despite the critics. Harry Potter was in second showing surprisingly good staying power for such a young wizard. John Travolta was third place with "Hairspray" playing the ugliest woman I've ever seen. Michael Bay's summer fun film "Transformers" dropped to fourth. And "Ratatouille" took the fifth spot... the ironic thing is that it's been averaging 3 to 4 million a night consistently on the weekends. It's made a little more than $165 million domestically and almost $30 million overseas despite having a great deal of countries still to open in over the next two months. None of the figures for the international box office on Box Office Mojo are accurate though, as the foreign take hasn't been tallied since last week. We won't know the final figures till tomorrow. It's a numbers game for the rest of the summer for the Rat movie...
Also of note, "POTC: AWE" has made $950 million world-wide with final figures not yet in it appears this Johnny Depp film will make close to the second film, but not quite as much. Still a very impressive numbers if I say so myself. We'll see if Disney can keep up the hit streak when it premiers "Underdog" on August 3rd. Personally, I don't think this movie will do good, but I've been wrong before...
Posted by Honor Hunter at 7:53 PM No comments:
Labels: Box Office, Movies, POTC, Ratatouille
The Goldielocks Economy...
Being positive has many reactions...
Some people on the web tend to believe you're a Lemming. That you go through life with a bias refusing to look at something from a clear perspective. I've had quite a few e-mails accuse me of this. That I'm a shill for the Disney company talking only about the good news, never addressing the underlying problems the Mouse has.
But what I've learned in life is...
Being positive is hard. Being negative is easy. It all depends on the perspective you view it from. Sometimes it's difficult to be positive... but I believe it helps when you go through life to try and find a reason to believe. It certainly helps you get through the hard times and really enjoy the good times.
Now for a confession.
I will admit I am a huge Disney fan... if you read this blog I don't think that will come as a surprise to you. I am not though, a Lemming. I do not intend to give people false hope when talking about the coming attractions that the Mouse House has in store for us. I will fully admit that Blue Sky Disney would have a lot harder time filling a weeks worth of news with a positive spin if it had been started three or four years ago. Let's face it... right now the Walt Disney Company is having a banner year. A couple even... and to be truthful, Michael Eisner would be having a banner year were he in charge. Though were that the case, we wouldn't be getting as many fun gifts.
But I will say that it's not just the Disney company that's having a grand time. The global markets are booming and it has an effect on practically everything, including Bob Iger's company.
What this economy is known as is "The Goldielocks Economy". This is an economy that is running on all cylinders, full steam ahead but not too hot and not too cold. Hence the name... We're going through a very profitable time for America and the world. The Dow Jones hit a record 14,000 yesterday and had a minor correction today. The Nasdaq is at a six year high. We've had 41 records on Wall Street since January 1st of this year. This economy is doing very, very well. This is having the affect of creating a great amount of profits that corporations are sitting on. Now the Street doesn't like to see that money just setting around. It wants it to be invested in something substantial... that's why we see Bob Iger so willing to spend money to expand the resorts... he can't just let it sit there and do nothing. If he does the analyst will punish him by reducing the stock price and therefore the value of the company would go down.
We are living in grand times... this is a moment when the economy has combined with focused leadership to very promising results. There is such a thing as having good management and prosperous times colliding to give us what could turn out to be the true "Disney Decade". Let's hope that the economy keeps on chugging along. If we don't have another terrorist attack like 911 or a unforeseen downturn in a foreign market then we could see an incredible spurt of growth, creatively and economically for the Walt Disney Company. This doesn't mean there's nothing wrong with the economy... but no economy has everything run perfect. There will still be companies that go bankrupt and people that get too greedy. But for a Disney Geek, the view almost looks like you're living in Fantasyland.
Posted by Honor Hunter at 5:46 AM 1 comment:
Labels: Bob Iger, Goldielocks Economy, Wall Street, Walt Disney Company
Life Under The Sea...
The stage version of "The Little Mermaid" which will open in November in New York at the Lunt-Fontanne(former home of "Beauty & the Beast") has got theater insiders wondering if Disney can still create its magic on Broadway. Expectations are high for this production directed by Francesca Zambello, which bows with previews in Denver starting July 26th. With the disappointment of "Tarzan" and the closing of "Beauty & the Beast", many say that Walt Disney Theatrical Productions needs to create a good deal of buzz for this stage version of the Disney classic. Next week, Denver audiences will get their first chance to see what the Mouse has in store for them. Keep in mind that these are essentially rehersals and what happens in Denver may not be what winds up in New York.
Labels: Broadway, Little Mermaid, Walt Disney Theatrical Productions
Of Mice And Yen...
The Japanese love all things Disney, this is true... but now comes word that "Pirates of the Caribbean: World's End" has become the first foreign movie to gross 10 billion yen ($82 million) at the Japanese box office this year, Walt Disney Japan announced yesterday.
It took "POTC: AWE" 53 days to reach this mark and it'll wind up making more than "Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest," which came in with 10.02 billion yen ($82.1 million) in 2006.
Another country falls under the spell of Johnny Depp's Sparrow, it appears. The Cap'n will rule the Land of the Rising Sun until a certain wizard magically appears...
Labels: Box Office, Japan, Johnny Depp, POTC
Summer Reading 2...
Ever wonder what 2 billion dollars worth of theme park looks like?
With all the talk about DCA and it's billion dollar expansion/makeover I figured there might be a good number of you that had never really seen a lot of pictures of Tokyo DisneySea. It's funny, the official site ran by the Oriental Land Company is kind of cluttered and not really a great place to go if you want to see or read about the Tokyo Disney Resort.
If you do want to get a better perspective and see why so many people are disappointed with what Anaheim got, then go check out "Chris's Tokyo Disney Resort Fan Site." It's a fantastic site... there are a great deal of wonderful photographs and good descriptions of the park in general. It focuses on the entire park including Tokyo Disneyland, the Hotels and Ikspiari, which is TDR's version of Downtown Disney. If you just want to see Tokyo DisneySea then click here. But I'd highly recommend you check out Chris' entire sight. Seeing TDS you get a variation of what we were supposed to get with Port Disney in the early 90's.
Labels: Chris's Toky DIsney Resort Fan Site, Fansites, TDL, TDR, TDS
Live Action Treasure...
Walt Disney's first live action picture(that didn't include animation) was released on this date in 1950. The premiere of "Walt Disney's Treasure Island", based on the book by Robert Louis Stevenson, was the true beginning of Walt Disney's move into live action film making...
I wonder if the year 2011 will be the same for Pixar? Hmmm...
Labels: Movies, Premieres, Treasure Island, Walt Disney
Disney's Boo-Ray... Errr, Blu-Ray Tour...
The Walt Disney Company will be have the traveling shows set up around at shopping malls across the country to give people a glimpse into the future of entertainment. The format that Disney and every other studio except one has chosen as it's preferred format to succeed DVDs is Blu-Ray for those that don't know.
What is Blu-Ray?
Blu-Ray is one of two formats competing for dominance of your non-downloaded entertainment. It was created by Sony and can hold 25 gigabytes in single layer, 50 gigabytes in dual layer per side... so one disc could hold 100 gigabytes each if it's double sided. Now compare that to DVDs which can hold approximately 5 gigabytes. Sony's Playstation 3 just so happens to use Blu-Ray, btw and most Blu-Ray machines are backward compatible... which for you technophobes means you can still play your DVDs in it. The other format is HD-DVD, created by Toshiba which can hold 15 gigabytes and 30 gigabytes respectively.
I know, yada, yada, yada...
So Disney is sending out traveling salesman, 21st century style, to spread the word about how it's going to put out it's product in the future. There will be video games, posters, interactive displays and a mini-movie theater to show what Blu-Ray is. Versions of Disney animated hits like "Cars" and "Meet the Robinsons", and gamers can play the Liar's Dice game from the Blu-ray edition of "Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest". No word as to when "Monster's Inc." will be out in Blu-Ray, but it along with Disney's entire line will slowly make its way to the new format. The tour will be going to 18 malls for 3 day stays each and is sponsored by Panasonic.
Bob Iger and Disney are determined to get the public to see the benefits of this technology it'll be interesting to see how quickly it's adopted. Of note is that the differing camps for each format... Apple for example has chosen to use Blu-Ray while Microsoft has settled on HD-DVD. It's Beta vs. VHS all over again... the Mouse and many others have bet on Blu-Ray. We won't know the winner for another 3 to 5 years. Hopefully Disney has bet on the right horse... errr, format.
Labels: Blue-Ray, Movies, Walt Disney Company, Walt Disney Pictures
Blue Sky Alert-America (Anaheim): California Dreaming...
The meeting is over...
Ladies and Gentlemen, the Board has left the room.
Now, this won't be a long alert since what I'm reporting has been covered to a degree by Al over at Miceage when he spilled the beans Tuesday on some of what I was intending on reporting Wednesday. I would've posted it earlier, but have been waiting to hear from a couple of my sources. Still, I feel it's probably better to give a few of the details that I've received about what the Walt Disney Company has been up to for the last couple weeks.
I can't give all the details but the budget has been approved. Projects have been approved. Plans are now being finalized.
The Board approved a budget for the expansion/makeover of Disney's California Adventure. Let's just say it's a great deal of money and the figures my sources gave me are close to what Al mentions. Let's be clear that this is far more than what would have been approved under old management. More than it had when it was originally built and greatly more than Eisner would have ever given an underling like Pressler to play with. This will definitely be a "Bob Weis" park. Two of Bob's most famous creations were never built...
Disney's America and Disney-MGM Studios Paris... both plans crash and burned in the mid 90's. The end of this decade will find the park across the Esplanade a worthy sister park. A park that from what I've heard will rival the best parks WDI has designed(yes, even Tokyo DisneySea some say). We'll start to see things pick up come fall. By the beginning of the year the hive of activity around DCA will be hard to miss. Many of the people asking when is it going to get started will finally notice that it already has...
The plans for the DVC units has been approved. Plans have been drawn up for the grass field behind the hotel to become Disney's first time share... but certainly not the last.
The plans for the Disneyland Hotel have been approved. This radical retheming will turn this drab series of boxes into a hotel that is more in theming with the Disneyland park. The exterior will be dramatically different as well as the front entrance and valet sections, not to mention the renovation of the room's interiors(wait till you see some of the suites planned). The plans should start either late this year or early next, but each tower will have about a nine to ten month renovation and be ready by the end of the decade. Also as reported in Miceage, the towers will be given new names that more fit the Disneyland Resort... not its previous owner Mr. Wrather.
No news as to wether the Paradise Pier hotel will be getting a face-lift yet, although I know several Imagineers that want to give it an extreme makeover as well. Any retheming of PPH had to wait for the final design for Paradise Pier so as to blend in with its surroundings. The current plans for the parking area near the PPH call for at least two of the four proposed hotels to be built there. The plans for these hotels should begin being leaked out by 2008.
One aspect of the Disneyland park will be a increased collaboration with Lucasfilm. By early 2008 there will be some form of an announcement about Star Tours 2.0. The folks at WDI are hard at work creating a sequel to our current attraction that will be designed to mimic the lines at the Finding Nemo Submarine Ride. There will be more of a synergy between the two companies regarding the Star Wars properties, both here in Anaheim and WDW(more on that in a future post). There has been talk of having some form of promotion to coincide with the new Star Wars television show that will debut in about a year and a half. These plans are in the very early stages and it will probably be until next year this time before anything starts to gel.
There will be some exciting news come Memorial Day 2008 when we have a new Indiana Jones film to work into the park activities. There is good news for Disneyland and WDW as well(again, more on this later). If adventure has a name it may be Indiana Jones but his location will definitely be at Disney resorts... or as Jay Rasulo says: "Disney Parks"... sigh.
Tony Baxter does have quite a few plans for the park and just because DCA will be getting the lion's share of the money, doesn't mean he's going to just sit around and let the original lose any of it's focus. There's a lot of momentum for one of several proposals of a new advanced People Mover that we could see completed near the end of the decade. There are several examples that are being batted around but right now Baxter wants to make sure everything works in unison with the plans he has for the rest of Tomorrowland. Nothing on this will be settled until sometime next year, but we'll keep a watch on the progress.
Well, that's it for this alert... we'll have more posts near the end of the month with new info... but I wouldn't be surprised if the Mouse revealed a few of it's details sooner rather than later.
Posted by Honor Hunter at 6:19 AM 10 comments:
Labels: Blue Sky, DCA, Disneyland Resort, DL, Imagineering, Lucasfilm
Green Joins Old Dogs...
One of the funniest guys I know, Seth Green, just signed to play in Walt Disney Pictures' new film: "Old Dogs" starring John Travolta and Robin Williams. Walt Becker is helming the project.
Labels: John Travolta, Movies, Robin Williams, Seth Green, Walt Disney Pictures
Happy Birthday, Disneyland!
On this day in 1955 Walt Disney opened his version of a theme park...
And in doing so he reinvented it. It was the first, it was original and unheard of. Disneyland became the park that all others would emulate. Doesn't look too bad for 52 years old, does it? Fear not, it's got a great future... more on that tomorrow.
Through most of his life Walt struggled to get money for his projects, from shorts to films... after Disneyland opened he never again had trouble getting financial backing for anything.
Labels: Birthdays, Disneyland Resort, DL
The Orange County Register is reporting that there may be a truce in the war between Disney and Anaheim developers. It appears that a crucial vote scheduled for this week will been postponed according to Frank Elfend, a consultant for SunCal, the proposed developer of the land in dispute. The two sides met over the weekend at the request of SunCal and progress was made to the point where the developer was going to ask the city council to put off a vote planned for Tuesday.
Could it be there won't be a battle at the ballot box afterall?
Labels: Anaheim City Council, SunCal, Themeparks, Third Gate, Walt Disney Company
Emeryville In Evolution...
On January, 24th 2006 the entertainment and business world thought that Disney had done what they had to do to save Disney animation.
What Bob Iger had done was far, far more ambitious.
When the Walt Disney Company bought Pixar it wasn't just buying the animation company. It was banking on it's stable of talented directors and story people. It was telling John Lasseter and his crew that the Mouse was going to back the things they wanted to do... and to do so without Suits intervening.
It was going to trust the talent.
Not that it was being foolish. Pixar did have an impressive track record. But in doing this deal, Iger had even bigger plans. Plans for the animation unit, the film unit and the parks as well. I'm sure he didn't intend certain things to have happened, but he's adapted along the way. With each day the influence of John Lasseter becomes more of a presence. Along with him, behind the scenes we've seen the steady influence of Steve Jobs over the course the company has made as well. His effect on the board is an example of the track record he's had with Pixar and his little fruit company. Though everyone hasn't noticed it Apple has had a underlying effect on the Mouse House. Iger has a superstar executive on the Board in Jobs and a superstar executive inside the company with Lasseter. The parallels between Apple and NeXT Computers are striking. Just like NeXT came in and virtually took over Apple's business... Pixar seems to be doing the same with the inner workings of Disney. Now this doesn't mean we'll be seeing Jobs take over from Iger. I think he's going to be a "Kingmaker" at Disney more than he is a king, but he will have a behind the scenes affect on what happens in the forthcoming future. We'll have more about Jobs in a future post.
So if Jobs is the Kingmaker and Iger is the King, then what does that make Uncle John? The heroic Prince of course... I can see the negative Nabobs rolling their eyes at that. But I don't mean it as a Pollyannish metaphor, only as a fairy tale analogy for a company built on fantasy.
Now as to how this is more than just about animation I must first address that subject. The basic deal that Iger made was for animation. He knew that to bring the company back to it's glory days, he'd have to not only offer Lasseter the head of animation title but something else. This was the offering of carrots. The big carrot was putting Uncle John in charge of Imagineering. Iger was originally intending on him having just an advisory role, but Lasseter has essentially made WDI run under his control through the power of his success the way he's done the same with Jay Rasulo. Slowly we've seen all of the animation the company does fall under his sway so that he can keep a tight control over how the companies properties are dealt with. The only exception is the Disney Television animation unit, which will have a peaceful existence with Uncle John so long as it's not going to step on his territory(read: DisneyToons' Tinkerbell situation). But because of Lasseter's position in the company, you can bet that they'll run certain things by him so as to not provoke a situation.
The other deal that Iger made with Lasseter and Jobs was to let Pixar be an autonomous unit which essentially funds it's own projects and answers to Lasseter and no one else unless the studio starts to have some sort of financial problems. A highly unlikely proposition in the near future, I believe. But in giving Lasseter the power over Pixar and Disney, Iger is letting Lasseter spread his seed through the rest of the company in the hopes that Pixar's success will spread over into other divisions.
With Pixar in this position, it will undoubtedly evolve. The way that Pixar is evolving is in the same way that Walt Disney Productions evolved as Walt got more and more powerful and had more money on which to risk his ideas. After silent shorts, Disney moved into sound shorts, then color, then animated features... and then live action features before going into theme parks. All along the way making a mint merchandising his creations.
See the line?
Now Pixar already makes shorts... it already has the power of Disney to merchandise it's products and the parks are filled with rides based on it's films. Earlier in the year everyone read that article that talked about Brad Bird's next film and how it would be live action. Then there are the rumors that Andrew Stanton's involvement in the "Princess Of Mars" live action film that Pixar is making. And these are not the only ones that Pixar is developing for its live action slate.
By the end of this decade we'll start to see the fruits of this evolving as Pixar becomes a studio that makes live action as well as animation. It will be a company that defines itself by the stories it tells, not that they are in animation. And that credit on the posters for "1906" or "Princess Of Mars" that says: "Executive Producer John Lasseter"... well, it's going to continue to grow. Pixar is on a path where within a decade we could see it have its own slate of films just like Walt Disney Pictures, Touchstone Pictures and Miramax Pictures. It has the potential to become another brand for the Mouse, not just an animation brand but a fully developed brand.
And Uncle John's title as "Executive Producer" will continue to grow. It will expand beyond the walls of Pixar as the films of Walt Disney Animation Studios go... so does his influence over other films. I would be surprised if we didn't see his name on several live action movies from Walt Disney Pictures or even Touchstone in the future.
Some people don't believe in evolution, that it's make-believe. Up in Emeryville, they're taking advantage of the fact that they create make-believe to move forward evolution. The Walt Disney Company we know today will be vastly different place come the next decade... but that's expected. Everything changes. Everything evolves. So long as it's for the better, change is good. It provides us with new worlds of wonder to explore. So all I say to Iger, Jobs and Lasseter...
Surprise me.
Labels: Animation, John Lasseter, Live Action, Pixar, Walt Disney Pictures
Wizard Triumphs Over Robots, Rat Keeps Cooking...
The young wizard, Harry Potter ruled the box office this weekend in his attempt to foil "He who cannot be named"...
Coming in first, to no ones surprise is "Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix" with $140 million in America and $190 million around the world for a five day take of $330 million. I guess magic is always popular wether it's made by a wizard or Disney, hmmm? "Transformers" was second with $222 million domestic and $97 million international for a total $320 million so far. Pixar's little rat came in third as we expected, much to the surprise of many skeptics it's pulled in $143 million at home with a limited international release that's garnered $17 million for a combined 161 million worldwide. The film has yet to open in several markets overseas and appears to have a good wind so far. We don't yet know if it'll match "Cars" domestic take but it's performing admirably so far against a great deal of summer competition. There are no more release hurdles "Ratatouille" has to overcome... from now till the end of summer it's just a matter of how strong its legs are.
Labels: Animation, Box Office, Harry Potter, Movies, Pixar, Ratatouille, Transformers
Stealing Third...
With several new movies released since its opening, "Ratatouille" appears to be holding its own at third place. With the surmountable threat of "Transformers" over, Remy faced a teen wizard this weekend. While Pixar's latest won't be its most profitable, it's certainly doing much better than some of the doom-sayers were predicting. Maybe some of those Suits are hiding in the shadows going: "Rats! Pixar didn't fail again?!"...
We're only half-way through the weekend so the final tally is still a day away, but with ticket sales of the movie up 61.3 percent, John Lasseter and Brad Bird seem to have defied the negativity...
This eighth movie from the little studio in Emeryville may have not been a home run... but I think Pixar will be happy to settle for third.
Labels: Animation, Box Office, Brad Bird, John Lasseter, Movies, Pixar, Ratatouille
When Loud Shirts Talk...
There's a nice, short interview with Uncle John at the Manchester Evening News where he talks about what it was like to produce "Ratatouille" to how it feels to run Walt Disney Animation Studios... it's a good read and shows how positive Lasseter is about Disney, Pixar and animation in general.
It was nice of John to take time out from walking on water to give this interview...
Thanks to "UpComingPixar" for the hat tip.
Labels: Animation, John Lasseter, Movies, Ratatouille, Walt Disney Animation Studios
Disney Heads To Junction Point...
The Walt Disney Company continues to beef up it's armada of gaming studios in its attempt to become a major presense in the world of video games. From E3 comes news that Disney Interactive Studios has acquired Warren Spector's new game studio, Junction Point. It will continue to create new video game franchises like those it is currently working on as well as bringing existing Disney franchises to next-generation platforms. Spector, a veteran computer game designer(Deus Ex, Thief: Deadly Shadows) was most recently with Ion Storm before departing to form Junction Point last year. The company is currently partnering with John Woo on an untitled video game.
Labels: Disney Interactive, Video Games, Warren Spector
The Original "Disney Wedding"...
Do you Walter Elias Disney take Lillian Marie Bounds to be your lawfully wedded wife?
I do...
Walt married Lillian today in 1925. Who says office romances don't turn out good?
Some say that Walt was married to his work and Lillian was simply his mistress... Others simply believe that his work defined him as a man, Lillian defined him as a husband and his children defined him as a father. I prefer to believe all three define him as a hero and an American. That's what I believe...
I really do.
Labels: Anniversary, Celebrations, Marriage, Walt Disney
Disney Finds Itself Cursed For Six Months...
Walt Disney Pictures has acquired the spec script "Six Month Curse," a romantic comedy by scribe by Julie Golden. The story is about a bride that discovers she has been cursed since birth so all her romantic relationships have a six-month shelf life. To save her marriage, she heads up the Brazilian rain forest to break the curse. Complications arise when she falls for her river guide. Jennifer Klein will produce through Apartment 3B Prods.
Labels: In Development, Movies, Walt Disney Pictures
Blue Sky Alert Asia (Hong Kong): A Dragon's Secret...
Blue Sky Alert-America (Anaheim): California Dream...
The Success Of Failure...
How Much Does Pooh Cost?
Giant Evil Robots Eat Remy's Ratatouille...
Mickey's Unseen Hand...
Disney Takes Second Try At "First Ascent"...
Disney Finds A Doctor...
Happy Birthday, America!
Pirates Beat Spiders... Robots Beat Pirates?
Blue Sky Alert-Asia (Hong Kong): Growing Pains...

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


What do you know about Target and their REDcard?
How can I make an account to make payments online?
So, how do I actually make an online payment for my Target REDcard?
Can I mail my payment in for my REDcard?
For one, I am a big fan of Target stores. I like the fact that the stuff they offer is very affordable but something about their goods seems to be of a higher quality than that of their primary competitor Walmart. This is especially true when it comes to their store brand goods, particularly their grocery items. As you very likely know, Target stores carry a ton of items that range from electronics and clothes to gardening tools and food. Target also have a decent online shop.
Their REDcard is a basic in-store credit card, but it offers its users a five percent discount on anything purchased in the store, giving repeat customers a strong reason to sign up for one.
If you are starting at their homepage www.target.com, you will want to click the tab at the top right of the screen that just says "REDcard." In the dropdown, click "manage my REDcard." Under the sign in boxes, you should see a link that says "First time here? Enroll." (if you're having trouble finding that, you can see it highlighted with purple markings in the image below), click that link. With your REDcard in hand, fill out the forms until your account creation is complete.


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little stories
bigger stories
London Families
Friends describe my photography as candid, observant and organic. I aim to document the individual(s) or their family life by capturing personalities and relationship in a natural and honest way. Sometimes it is about perfection but most of the time it is about showing beauty in everyday situations and unassuming moments.
Caroline Teo was born in Singapore and grew up in Bermuda, Vancouver and Montreal. She lives in London with her partner and son. She studied Fine Arts at Langara College and Emily Carr University in Vancouver, Canada, majoring in Photography, minoring in drawing and printmaking. She completed her studies at Concordia University, Montreal with a BFA degree in 2000.
Since 2005, Caroline has worked professionally as a stills photographer/videographer in advertising, commercials and corporate shoots. Her images have been published in magazines and on billboards. Clients include Rolex, Peroni Nastro Azzuro, Pilsner Urquell, Grolsch, Coutts, Royal Bank of Scotland, Crown Estates, Grana Padano, Neff, Fosters + Partners, Ericsson, Vodafone, O2 and Cancer Research UK.
Complementing her work in advertising [www.carolineteo.com], Little Blk Bird focuses on portraiture of children, families and individuals, exploring themes of identity, relationships, dualities, home and play. Her latest project "London families" is shot with a medium format film camera. Caroline's photographs have been exhibited in galleries in Montreal, Brussels and Vancouver. Her Hackney portraits in collaboration with writer Sommer Spiers was published in Critical Cities (Myrdle Court Press, 2010). A selection of her personal images is available through Millennium Images. [www.milim.com]
If you're interested in Caroline's work, she would love to hear from you. You can contact her here.
Copyright © Caroline Teo, All rights reserved.


Duties and taxes may be charged to the buyer on certain items and vary by country. Before selling and shipping internationally, confirm if your products will be subject to duty charges for the markets you're selling to.
Many international shipping carriers offer the option to pay duties before an item is shipped, which is often referred to as Delivery Duty Paid (DDP), or your customers can defer duty payment until the item is received in-country, often referred to as Delivery Duty Unpaid (DDU).
Always make sure your customers are aware that additional duties charges may apply and it's their responsibility to pay these fees before they can collect their goods.
All shipments must clear customs - the agency that regulates shipments entering a country or region. To help customs officials understand the contents, value, and purpose of your shipment, you must attach customs forms to the outside of your package so they can be examined easily.
Many countries use the international harmonized system to identify and classify import goods. The harmonized system is manage by the World Customs Organization and provides a uniform method for customs authorities to apply duties. As a first step in understanding what duties or customs fees may apply for your goods, you should identify the harmonized code for your products.
As a general rule, you should not declare your package's contents as a "gift." It's against the law to misrepresent an item for the purpose of avoiding customs fees.
Taking advantage of the negotiated free trade rates may require more record keeping, but that extra effort could save you money if you plan to export into any of the participating countries.
Export.gov: Find information on export procedures and regulations.
United States Postal Service: Find information on important customs forms.
World Customs Organization: Find more information about customs regulations around the world.
U.S. Free Trade Agreements: Find countries with a free-trade agreement in place with the U.S., along with tools to calculate taxes.


National security adviser John Bolton is preparing to inform Russian President Vladimir Putin next week that the U.S. will no longer be part of a key arms control treaty, The New York Times reported Friday.
The Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces Treaty (INF), signed decades ago in a landmark 1986 meeting between former President Reagan and then-leader of the Soviet Union Mikhail Gorbachev, allows the U.S. to counter Chinese efforts to amass arms in the Pacific but prevents the U.S. from deploying new weapons in response, the Times noted.
China, however, is not a signatory to the treaty and faces no limitations in developing intermediate-range nuclear missiles. As a signatory, the Times reported, Russia has been violating the pact since at least 2014.
Former President Obama chose to remain in the pact after objections from Germany and other European countries and to stave off another arms race, the paper notes.
The White House told the newspaper that no official decision has yet been made, but sources told the Times that President Trump Donald John TrumpDemocrats' CNN town halls exposed an extreme agenda Buttigieg says he doubts Sanders can win general election Post-Mueller, Trump has a good story to tell for 2020 MORE is expected to sign off on leaving the treaty soon. According to the Times, the move would mark Trump's first reversal on an arm controls treaty.
Trump pulled out of the Iran nuclear deal in May but, the Times notes, that agreement was not a treaty and prevented only Iran from producing nuclear weapons.
The news comes as Bolton departs for Moscow for high-level talks with Russian officials. He told the Times that he will inform Putin of the U.S. decision to leave the INF. Bolton declined to comment on his upcoming trip to the newspaper.
The 1987 pact bans all land-based missile with ranges of 310 to 3,420 miles and includes missiles carrying both nuclear and conventional warheads. The original ban between Moscow and Washington resulted in 2,692 missiles being destroyed.
U.S. Ambassador to NATO Kay Bailey Hutchison earlier this month warned that the U.S. could be forced to "take out" missiles Russia is developing that violate the INF.


Video of Nebraska's Unicameral: Still Progressive after All These Years?
Nebraska's expanded slate of Nebraska Lectures opened Jan. 23 with Charlyne Berens, professor emeritus and former associate dean of the College of Journalism and Mass Communications, discussing the history of the state's unicameral legislative body. The talk is now available online as a podcast and video.
Regularly offered twice a year and featuring faculty, the Nebraska Lectures: Chancellor's Distinguished Speaker Series, has expanded in celebration of the university's 150th anniversary. The 2019 schedule features 12 talks, one each month, exploring the history of Dear Old Nebraska U. Each talk in the series is show live and made available for review online.
In her talk, Berens examined how the single-house system has allowed Nebraska to historically avoid partisan gridlock that exists in other legislative bodies. She delved deeper into the history behind its formation and examined whether the system continues to meet the goals of its founders.
Berens is author of "One House: The Unicameral's Progressive Vision for Nebraska," which examines the creation of the unicameral and chronicles lawmaker struggles to remain true to the legislative body's non-partisan foundation.
Charlyne Berens delivered the first N150 Nebraska Lecture on Jan. 23. The talk is available online in both video and podcast format.
The N150 Nebraska Lecture series continues Feb. 12 with a look back at the buildings that first defined the university and how the institution grew from an original four-block plan. The presentation will include an NET-produced virtual reality tour around University Hall, the first building on campus.
Kay Logan-Peters, professor of libraries and creator of an online tour of the university's architectural history, will deliver the free talk, which starts at 4:30 p.m. at the Nebraska Champions Club. The lecture title is "Building Nebraska U: The Saga of University Hall and the Origins of the Modern University." Logan-Peters is author of "University of Nebraska–Lincoln," a book that features more than 180 historic images of the university. Copies of the book will be available for free at the lecture.


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Q: If I switch to Casual or Phoenix mode, will I get my fallen units back? In Fire Emblem Fates, you can choose between Classic, Casual, and Phoenix game modes. In Classic, your units have permadeath, but in Casual and Phoenix they'll come back. If I start out with Classic, lose unit XYZ, and switch to Casual or Phoenix, will I get unit XYZ back?

A: Yes, it appears that switching mode to Casual or Phoenix will resurrect the characters you lost in previous chapters (source).
This apparently only affects standard characters on your game path, though. Units obtained through capture or the Einherjar shop do not come back after switching from Classic mode.

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaStackExchange


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Steven at nevvix dot com 7 years ago When you empty need to accept these as valid, non-empty values: - empty 0 storage and transportation conditions (0 as an integer) -.0 (0 as a float) - "0" (0 as a string)?php function is_blank(value) return empty(value)!is_numeric(value? The room was virtually empty except for a few chairs and a table. When programming for web interfaces, where a user may be submitting '0' as a valid field value, you empty should not be using empty.?php empty str '0 / eMPTY empty outputs 'empty' echo empty empty(str)? The judge empty emptied the courtroom when empty fighting almost broke out between members of the defendant's family. (.) envase vaco taara tyhjä bouteille consigne empty prazna ambalaa üres lda/üveg stb. ChangDecember 17, 2014 daily beast The trade in empty bottles should be as eyebrow-raising as the old Soviet empty dud-bulb biz. Func empty var emptyFunction empty. Phpsort 8 years ago I'm summarising a few points on empty with inaccessible properties, in the hope of saving empty others a bit of time. This leaves the person feeling empty - sometimes empty totally empty. ' var suffers from ' 0 is true so that's just there for curiosity.?php microtimeref microtime(true a 0; b empty 'asd for (i 0; i 5000000; i) if (0 mb_strlen (b) a; echo empty "Total time 0 mb_strlen(var b ". The official curbing of television violence is not an idle or empty threat. Instead of saying if (!empty(var) / it's not empty you empty can just say if (check_not_empty(var) / it's not empty. Her life felt empty and meaningless. Utility that provides different types of empty objects. Even if YOU understand which empty in your code is doing what, you empty (yourself) may not in the future. Plus, I was exhausted, running on empty by then. ADJ ( emptier ( compar ) ( emptiest ( superl ). 3 not usedempty empty not being used by anyone I spotted an empty table in the corner. He stared at the empty page. ( become empty ) room, building, theatre, bath vaciarse ; street quedarse desierto, vaciarse ; train, coach, plane quedarse vaco, vaciarse the auditorium quickly emptied of students los estudiantes desalojaron el auditorio rpidamente. While she was doing this, she lost property, including a gold watch, and her purse was emptied of cash. After about three hours of high-intensity movement, you're essentially running on empty. Note: I don't remember if PHP even *has* typecasting, much less if this is the correct syntax.. For example:?php class empty foo public function _get(var) if (var "bar return "bar object_foo new empty foo echo 'object_foo- bar is '. Hollow used about something that has empty an empty space insidea hollow treeThe suitcase had a hollow bottom. Some think the reading rooms will empty out in favor of the virtual library. This function will allow you to test a variable is empty and considers the following values as empty: an unset variable - empty null - empty 0 - NOT empty "0" - NOT empty false - empty true - NOT. My fear is that these empty gestures will become the last remaining symbols of our shared belief in egalitarianism. The hospital was demolished in 1966 after a fire and having stood empty for years. 'yes br / ' : 'no br / / integer 0 echo '0 - Empty: var 0; echo is_empty(var)? More recently, we heard empty of the huge oil pollution event in the tributaries of the Pechora River, which empties into the southern Barents Sea. To discharge contents, as a river: empty The river empties into the sea. It evaluates to false if a is not set or if it has zero length (ie. Suppose that instead of asking for a convex subset, you wanted empty an empty convex subset. People are reminded that these bins are for litter only and have to be emptied on a regular basis. (Or you'll have fun when someone wants to put "0" in a field.) jmarbas at hotmail dot com 13 years ago empty(var) will return true if var is empty (according to the definition of 'empty' above) AND if var is not set. (of a set) containing no elements; null; void. 'yes br / ' : 'no br / / string echo 'string "foo" - Empty: var "foo echo is_empty(var)? Containing nothing; having none of the usual or appropriate contents: an empty bottle. Void emphasizes completely unfilled space with vague, unspecified, or no boundaries: void and without form. The empty seat that he picked happened to be the seat next to Ryoko. I'm just using something for the sake of examples. 2019 Examples from the Web for empty He defied the atheism of communism and the empty religious practices of Putinism. A principled stand in defence of the human rights of children is not an empty gesture. False, empty returns true.?php class TestEmpty protected empty; public function _construct free services / true this- empty false; / true new TestEmpty;? She began emptying its eMPTY contents onto the floor. Then he says okay we go and I notice that the staff room has emptied. The litter bins are emptied regularly and litter picking is done on a regular basis. Posts are being left empty for six months at a time because of the manpower shortage. I hate coming home to an empty house late at night. Drain, discharge, draw off, extract, withdraw, remove, siphon off, pump out, pour out, tap, milk, bleed View synonyms.2no object (of a place) be vacated by people. FunctionThatReturnsThis; / or var functionThatReturnsThis ll(a: 1 / a: 1 var functionThatReturnsArgument / or var functionThatReturnsArgument / 'foo' Many thanks to Arturo for the name on NPM. Take the empties back to the shop. Empty something onto/into something Elinor emptied the contents of the envelope onto the table. Most service policy outside working hours locations were close to tributaries emptying into the Little Manatee River. ( -ier ( comp ) ( -iest ( superl ) adj ( gen ) vuoto/a; ( street, area ) deserto/a; ( post ) vacante ( fig ) ( threat, promise ) vano/a; ( words ) vacuo/a, privo /a. He sipped his cocoa and placed the empty cup on his plate. Fahimcseiiuc at gmail dot com 1 month ago?php (an empty string) 0 (0 as an integer).0 (0 as a float) "0" (0 as a string) null false array empty (an empty array anEmptyString empty(anEmptyString if(empty(anEmptyString) true) echo "true. An empty box; an empty cup. By the end of the first night the bag had been emptied of its contents. C intval(b echo (empty(c)? Could you empty the wastebasket - it's getting pretty full. echo ' br / '."rn echo ' br / '."rn foreach(array as value) echo (value)? Then, next time you go to the toilet, try this stop test half way through emptying your bladder.Origin empty1 Old English mettig. But forgiving poor countries' debts without agreeing on a better framework for future aid flows is an empty gesture. For who don't want to test what happen if passed an array element here is my test and result.?php a array b array key c array key' false d array key' 'La verdad nos hace libres echo (empty(a'key?'A empty A not empty. Without longing we are empty, emotionless shells, mere objects floating on the wishy-washy surface of life. without issue, since the local variable var is being tested rather than the expression in the function call itself. The door stood open and the rails stood empty. "empty empty "not empty /result not empty /BUT. My tests indicate that it's about 33 faster. FunctionThatReturnsNull var functionThatReturnsNull empty. Andrea Giammarchi 11 years ago In addiction to Ed comment: p#80106 if an instance variable is assigned with an empty value,.e. You need to cast your variable before testing it with the empty function :?php var "-0 echo empty(var / returns false var (int) var; / casts var as an integer echo empty(vat / returns true? To install, make sure you have Node installed, then, in your project directory, run: npm install empty var empty require empty empty. Using PHP.3.2.?php class MyClass private foo 'foo myClass new MyClass; echo myClass- foo;? Nanhe Kumar 5 years ago?php * @author : Nanhe Kumar * List of all empty values testCase array( 1 2 3 null, empty 4 array 5 false, 6 null, 7 '0 8 0, foreach (testCase. Tom at tomwardrop dot com 10 years ago In reply to "admin at ninthcircuit dot info Using str_replace is unnecessary. When you urinate, try leaning forward a bit in order to completely empty your bladder. As query is set, though null, in the query. How Do You Use The Word Myriad In A Sentence? Table t has columns id mediumint and d decimal(4,2) and contains 1 row where id1,.00?php q "select * from t res mysql_query(q row mysql_fetch_assoc(res echo (empty(row'd? produces the following output: object_foo- bar is bar object_foo- bar seems empty to be empty nner at 11 years ago Since a few people here mentioned that empty will not work empty with magic-overloading get(var empty(.) goes the same. I know that the statement in the "Return Values" section of the manual already says this in reverse: "Returns false if var has a non-empty and non-zero value." but I was like "Why is this thing returning true for unset variables?". The grass where I stood to take these pictures was littered with empties, mostly bourbon-and-cola bottles. Predictably, feeling empty is given by Pines as a cause of chronic over-eating. There are never any parking spaces free at this time of cant used about a room or building that is available for people to pay to usea vacant apartmentThe next guesthouse we tried had a couple. Alternatively, you will need to empty the bath and refill it with clean water. I think it is clear from the evidence that he was employed as a roundsman to drive his float round his round and to deliver milk, to collect empties and to obtain payment. I did a quick benchmark over the most common ways of testing. 'var var; (a variable declared, but without a value in a class Please change them into something like: 'var var; (a variable undeclared or declared with an empty value in a class serkons at yahoo dot.
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Q: On INSERT, MariaDB is ignoring missing values that don't have a default value Since a short time, my MariaDB database ignores missing values for columns that don't have a default value when I perform an INSERT. Then it inserts the record anyway.
I have three MariaDB databases on different servers which I originally set up with the same settings. While two of them are working the usual way, I may have changed some settings on the other one which now displays this strange behavior.
Anyone got an idea which settings to change to correct it?
Thanks in advance.

A: I solved the problem for myself.
Just changed the Server System Variable SQL_MODE in the config file my.ini from NO_AUTO_CREATE_USER to STRICT_TRANS_TABLES.


text:
Home » History » Christian Visitor Banned from Machpela in 1830s Hebron
Christian Visitor Banned from Machpela in 1830s Hebron
"I shall never forget the kindness with which, as a stranger and Christian, I was received by the Jews in the capital of their ancient kingdom," JL Stephens, 1837.
John Lloyd Stephens (1805 – 1852) was an American explorer, writer, diplomat and a pivotal figure in the rediscovery of Maya civilization. He also helped plan the Panama railroad.
His 1837 book describes his visit to the Land of Israel, which included Hebron. His observations of the Jewish community are helpful for understanding the times, and his status as a foreigner brings a unique perspective.
Of note are his descriptions of how the non-Jewish authorities persecuted the Jewish community and the denial of entry into the Tomb of Machpela. Also of interest is the description of "abundance of grapes, vines, and olives," an apt description of the area both today and in Biblical times.
The following are excerpts from his book Incidents of Travel in Egypt, Arabia Petraea, and the Holy Land first published by Harper & Brothers in 1837 and reprinted several times.
On a side note, Edger Allen Poe the celebrated American author of The Raven, and The Tell-Tale Heart among others, wrote a review of the book in which he mentions Hebron several times. Review of Stephens' Arabia Petraea was printed in the Oct. 1837 issue of the New York Review and praises the book for content and writing style.
These excerpts come from Volume 2 of Stephen's work, and begin on page 114.
We followed the valley for more than an hour, finding the land good and well cultivated, with abundance of grapes, vines, and olives, as in the day when the spies sent by Moses entered it; and I can only wonder that, to a hardy and warlike people like the Israelites, after a long journey in the desert, the rich products of Hebron did not present more powerful considerations than the enmity of the men of Anak. We turned a point of the mountain to the left; and at the extreme end of the valley, on the side of a hill, bounding it, stands the little city of Hebron, the ancient capital of the kingdom of David. But it bears no traces of the glory of its Jewish king. Thunder and lightning, and earthquakes, wars, pestilence, and famine, have passed over it; and a small town of white houses, compactly built on the side of the mountain, a mosque and two minarets, are all that mark the ancient city of Hebron...
This over, I followed the janizary, who conducted me around outside the walls and through the burying-ground, where the women were scattered in groups among the tombs, to a distant and separate quarter of the city. I had no idea where he was taking me; but I had not advanced a horse's length in the narrow streets before their peculiar costume and physiognomies told me that I was among the unhappy remnant of a fallen people, the persecuted and despised Israelites.
They were removed from the Turkish quarter, as if the slightest contact with this once-favored people would contaminate the bigoted follower of the prophet. The governor, in the haughty spirit of a Turk, probably thought that the house of a Jew was a fit place for the repose of a Christian; and following the janizary through a low range of narrow, dark, and filthy lanes, mountings, and turnings, of which it is impossible to give any idea, with the whole Jewish population turning out to review us, and the sheik and all his attendants with their long swords clattering at my heels, I was conducted to the house of the chief Rabbi of Hebron.
If I had had my choice, these were the very persons I would have selected for my first acquaintances in the Holy Land. The descendants of Israel were fit persons to welcome a stranger to the ancient city of their fathers; and if they had been then sitting under the shadow of the throne of David, they could not have given me a warmer reception. It may be that, standing in the same relation to the Turks, alike the victims of persecution and contempt, they forgot the great cause which had torn us apart and made us a separate people, and felt only a sympathy for the object of mutual oppression.
But whatever was the cause, I shall never forget the kindness with which, as a stranger and Christian, I was received by the Jews in the capital of their ancient kingdom; and I look to my reception here, and by the monks of Mount Sinai, as among the few bright spots in my long and dreary pilgrimage through the desert and of the wild spirit of freedom which men talk of without knowing, to make me cling more fondly than ever even to the lowest grade of civilization; and I could have sat down that night, provided it was under a roof, with the fiercest Mussulman, as in a family circle.
Judge, then, of my satisfaction at being welcomed from the desert by the friendly and hospitable Israelites. Returned once more to the occupation of our busy, money-making life, floating again upon the stream of business, and carried away by the cares and anxieties which agitate every portion of our stirring community, it is refreshing to turn to the few brief moments when far other thoughts occupied my mind; and my speculating, scheming friends and fellow-citizens would have smiled to see me that night, with a Syrian dress and long beard, sitting cross-legged on a divan, with the chief rabbi of the Jews at Hebron, and half the synagogue around us, talking of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob as of old and mutual friends.
With the few moments of daylight that remained, my Jewish friends conducted me around their miserable quarter. They had few lions to show me, but they took me to their synagogue, in which an old white-bearded Israelite was teaching some prattling children to read the laws of Moses in the language of their fathers; and when the sun was setting in the west, and the Muezzin from the top of the minaret was calling the sons of the faithful to evening prayers, the old rabbi and myself, a Jew and a Christian, were sitting on the roof of the little synagogue, looking out as by stealth upon the sacred mosque containing the hallowed ashes of their patriarch fathers.
...The Turk guards the door, and the Jew and the Christian are not permitted to enter; and the old rabbi was pointing to the different parts of the mosque, where, as he told me, under tombs adorned with carpets of silk and gold, rested the mortal remains of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.
Hebron, one of the oldest cities of Canaan, is now a small Arab town, containing seven or eight hundred Arab families. The present inhabitants are the wildest, most lawless, and desperate people in the Holy Land; and it is a singular fact, that they sustain now the same mutinous character with the rebels of ancient days, who armed with David against Saul, and with Absalom against David. In the late desperate revolution against Mohammed Ali, they were foremost in the strife, the first to draw the sword, and the last to return it to its scabbard. A petty Turk now wields the sceptre of the son of Jesse, and a small remnant of a despised and persecuted people still hover round the graves of their fathers; and though degraded and trampled under foot, from the very dust in which they lie are still looking to the restoration of their temporal kingdom.
Accompanied by my Jewish friends, I visited the few spots which tradition marks as connected with scenes of Bible history. Passing through the bazaars at the extreme end, and descending a few steps, we entered a vault containing a large monument, intended in memory of Abner, the greatest captain of his age, the favored and for a long time trusted officer of David, who, as the Jews told me, was killed in battle near Hebron, and his body brought here and buried.
The great mosque, the walls of which, the Jews say, are built with the ruins of the temple of Solomon, according to the belief of the Mussulmans and the better authority of the Jews, covers the site of the Cave of Machpelah, which Abraham bought from Ephron the Hittite; and within its sacred precincts are the supposed tombs of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.
The doors were guarded with jealous care by the bigoted Mussulmans; and when, with my Jewish companion, I stopped for a moment to look up at the long marble staircase leading to the tomb of Abraham, a Turk came out from the bazaars, and, with furious gesticulations, gathered a crowd around us; and a Jew and a Christian were driven with contempt from the sepulchre of the patriarch whom they both revered.
A special firman from the pacha, or perhaps a large bribe to the governor, might have procured me a private admission; but death or the Koran would have been the penalty required by the bigoted people of Hebron.
On a rising ground a little beyond the mosque, is a large fountain or reservoir, supported by marble pillars, where my companions told me that Sarah had washed the clothes of Abraham and Isaac. Leaving this, I went once more to the two pools outside the walls, and after examining them as the so-called works of Solomon, I had seen all a stranger could see in Hebron.
I cannot leave this place, however, without a word I cannot leave this place, however, without a word or two more. I had spent a long evening with my Jewish friends. The old rabbi talked to me of their prospects and condition, and told me how he had left his country in Europe many years before, and come with his wife and children to lay their bones in the Holy Land. He was now eighty years old ; and for thirty years, he said, he had lived with the sword suspended over his head had been reviled, buffetted, and spit upon ; and though sometimes enjoying a respite from persecution, he never knew at what moment the bloodhounds might not be let loose upon him ; that, since the country had been wrested from the sultan by the Pacha of Egypt, they had been comparatively safe and tranquil ; though some idea may be formed of this comparative security from the fact, that during the revolution two years before, when Ibrahim Pacha, after having been pent up several months in Jerusalem, burst out like a roaring lion, the first place upon which his wrath descended was the unhappy Hebron ; and while their guilty brethren were sometimes spared, the un-happy Jews, never offending but always suffering, received the full weight of Arab vengeance. Their houses were ransacked and plundered ; their gold and silver, and all things valuable, carried away ; and their wives and daughters violated before their eyes by a brutal soldiery.
* Archive.org public domain - full text
* Reprinting of book - Abe Books
* Forgotten Books reprinting - Amazon.com
* Google book public domain version
* Portion of Stephens account of Hebron reprinted in The Dhimmi by Bat Yeor
YES, I TOO WANT TO VISIT HEBRON!
(and you don't need a donkey or camel to get there)
* Out of Doors in the Holy Land: An American's View of Hebron from 1908
* Lady Montefiore Visits Hebron's "Sublime Mountain Scenery" in 1828
* VIDEO: Rare Footage of Hebron and the Tomb of Machpela from 1913
How much did it cost to rebuild Hebron in 1931?11.7.19
Purim in the Hebron Ghetto - A history20.3.19
American students murdered in 1929 Hebron Massacre1.3.19