Le Spectacle ! La Pluie ! Les Jeux Olympiques !

Yesterday's opening ceremonies on the 2024 Olympics in Paris was a sight to behold! Three hours worth of drama, entertainment, and an unexpected game of where will the Olympic Flame finally come to rest. Oui, mais bien sûr! (Yes, but of course!) Suspended by a giant hot air balloon, the giant cauldron was blaze with more spectacle. Aside from the ridiculous fashion show as part of it all, this opening was one to remember.

(Photogaph by Olympia de Maismont/AFP/Getty Images.)

東京ディズニーランドで一日より良い?

城は豪華ではありませんか?それは確かに芸術作品です!東京ディズニーランド・リゾート全体がテーマパークの中の宝石です。東京ディズニーランドで一日を過ごせ!横山レンの写真は美しいが、以下のニュースはさらに壮観です。はい、これが真実です。以下の良いニュースのために読み続けてください。私を信じて、これはオリンピックよりも優れています。

神は世界を愛し、彼は彼を信じる人は誰でも滅びるのではなく、永遠の命を持つべきである、彼の一人息子を与えました。 神は、世界を非難するために、世界に彼の息子を送ったのではなく、世界が彼を通して救われるように。ヨハネ3:16-17 - それはイエスのすべてです。

(写真著作権 横山レン)

Karen Carpenter in Brazil

The Summer Olympics 2016 are over, but recent events like those surrounding Ryan Lochte will keep the country of Brazil in the news headlines for months to come. 

With that in mind, I stumbled across these interesting photos of Karen Carpenter as she and brother Richard were busy promoting their newest album, Make in America there. Brazil's famed Sugarloaf Mountain looks to be the location here. 

Upon close examination, Karen looks thin but very stylish. And it seems as if her time posing for her photo sessions for the aborted solo project were put to good use. There are very few times she looked comfortable in front of the cameras, but this seems to be one of them. 

Unfortunately, it wouldn't be much longer after this time that the beloved singer would be gone, leaving millions of fans in shock and mourning.

Brazil for Epcot's World Showcase

Watching the Olympics sure makes me wish Disney Imagineering had gone ahead with their plans for an Epcot World Showcase version of Brazil! Of course, nowadays, any new thing added to World Showcase which actually focuses on the nation vs. a cartoon character would be welcome.

Black and white is also nice!

The concept art above, in color and in black and white, makes a pretty impressive statement. Either way, it's a shame it never made it past the drawing boards. First found on the great WDWMagic site courtesy an insider...

(Art copyright The Walt Disney Company.)

Going Hardcore

Don't you love it when folks go hardcore? I mean when they put everything into what they are doing- heart, mind, and body. 

Every time the Walt Disney Company steps up and goes all in on a project, they please fans and stockholders alike. Cars Land shows full commitment. Tokyo DisneySea brims with excellence, and you can almost see every yen spent in creating it. 

When a musician pulls off an excellent and celebrated album, they have a chance at superstardom versus just being popular when the public purchases the disc in droves. Michael Jackson's Thriller stands above most.

And let's talk sports here- a gifted athlete with a powerful team behind him/her can bring results on the scale of a Michael Phelps slam at the Olympics or a winning Super Bowl team. Hours of investment can yield incredible return.

This "win at all costs" mindset is what I love about Jesus Christ. Far from the whimsy blonde haired victim some portray him as, he accomplished the most difficult thing ever done: completing the job given to him by God the Father. Choosing to follow through and die for the sins of all men who would change their ways and embrace him- and then, when all hope seemed lost, raising again to life on the third day. 

He gave it all. His was a life devoted to pleasing God the Father. Nothing else mattered. Pleasing men never entered his mind, only saving them from eternal damnation. Religious leaders of the day were threatened by His passion, his boldness, his unearthly wisdom, and his unconventional manner. The crowds loved him.

Jesus pulled no punches and always spoke the truth, and He paid the price for it with his life. One day they are praising him in the streets during the most rustic of parades. The next, they are chanting for his crucifixion, mesmerized and manipulated by the authorities. Little did they know that this all played right into God's hand. 

Days later, the miracle of all miracles took place- and sin was conquered for all time. Hid body broken, bloodied, and scarred beyond recognition all for our benefit. Never the victim. Always the victor.

Totally hardcore.

A Bit of Sochi at Epcot

The Sochi Olympics are certainly a hot news topic. Hotel rooms in disarray, reports of insufficient security into the Olympic Village, corruption, kickbacks, and more. Wouldn't it be nice to be able to travel and see the country without having to encounter the harder traveling conditions? Well, truthfully, usually what's different about a country is what makes the travel exciting. New food, new experiences, walking around touring and hearing languages different than your own. With the cost of airfare rising again- and mileage plans such as United Airlines Mileage Plus cutting their travel rewards programs by increasing how many you need for a free flight- it would be terrific if you could visit a place such as Russia without all the headaches.

It almost happened. Yes, a Russian pavilion was this close to being built at Epcot's World Showcase. A couple of times, actually. Imagineers envisioned giving guests the opportunity to visit Red Square, enjoy an attraction taking riders into the history and culture of the land, and the chance to eat some authentic food. 

What stopped this from becoming a reality? Short-sightedness. As with the poor planning and execution of some parts of this year's Winter Olympics, the suits at the Walt Disney Company instead chose to focus on the short term: big bonuses for executives (just another form of payola) and quick return on stock instead of long term investments for continued growth. So, this project, like so many others, is now relegated to on-line discussion, coffee table books, and fodder for Imagineer presentations. Decisions like this, and the infusion of character tie-ins at attractions which have absolutely no business incorporating Disney characters in the show, have helped make Epcot a shadow of its former greatness. Another sad story of greed.

(Art copyright The Walt Disney Company.)