Disney Macabre

Randomly discovered this gem while perusing the blog of a Horror photographer named Joshua Hoffine. As creepy as his work is, I rather enjoy it. I think it's the part of me that adores Burton and Edward Gorey.

Anyway, it's the coolest and creepiest Disney cartoon I've ever seen. The animation blows me away. It makes me wonder how something animated in 1933 could greatly surpass the quality of films like "The Last Unicorn" and most cartoons from the 60s to now, even. I mean, have you seen some of the crap cartoons Disney puts out now? Oh how much rolling Walt must be doing in his grave...

The Wizarding World of Harry Potter

(via Monsters and Rockets)

I cannot believe that this is real...

I have been a Harry Potter fan since the very first book came out 11 years ago. I remember ADORING the fact that I was practically the same age as the main characters. Everyday while walking home from school I would imagine that I was reading Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone while it magically floated in front of me.

Since then, I have read every book and have seen every film. I always love the books more than the films but they do it as much justice as possible, I suppose. I am convinced that children of the future will look at this series like we look at Lord of the Rings and The Chronicles of Narnia- as a timeless classic.

Now, after the series has officially ended and J.K. Rowling has become the 12th richest woman in the UK, Universal has decided to open a Harry Potter attraction in Orlando called "The Wizarding World of Harry Potter". The above video shows conceptual art of the layout of the park due to open Spring 2010! So soon!

Being a huge fan, I hope to visit this place ASAP! I don't think I'll ever want to leave!

Passion

I have struggled for quite a long time with discovering what I am truly passionate about. Sure, there are things that anger me at times. Sure, there are things that I enjoy doing but what exactly sets me on fire?

Today at lunch I had a discussion with my dad about the Holocaust which then somehow lead to the discussion of younger generations and their aversion to reading books. Once I started on the subjects, I could not stop myself! I just kept ranting and ranting and perhaps talking a bit louder than my usual "inside voice" at times.

Really, it just makes me happy to think that I became passionate about something. I may not base my future career on my lunch-time discussion but knowing that I have the ability to become truly passionate about any subject brings me joy :)

Tiny Life Lessons.

Perspective is an interesting thing.

For instance, right now I was just setting my alarm for 7:30am to get up and get ready for college group at 9am. Now, on any other day in my past I would look at that time and feel like sobbing and vomiting all at the same time. Drastic, yes, but that is the depth of my disdain for waking up early. Tonight, however, I look at that time and think to myself, "Well, I don't have to work tomorrow... So, no biggie. I'll be tired but it'll be a good day off!"

I'm slowly but surely discovering how much of my life I can control. Of course there are countless situations and events and people that I have absolutely no control over but there are also countless emotions, opinions, feelings, etc. that I do have control over. Most recently I have found a situation that I can 100% control my feelings for. I don't need to go into detail but I feel like if I can handle this one thing then everything else should be much easier for me to get over... You know?

I'm also discovering how much of the necessary solutions to the crap in my life are almost always already in my head but I never think I'm right or I am just too dang scared to listen. I'd say that 99.9% of the time when I have a problem, I know exactly how to fix it. Even when I do something wrong or I'm unsure of what to do in a situation or anything like that, I usually know the answer but just doubt myself so much that I have to rely on others for the solution. (Or, I do the other thing... which is completely avoid the solution and make matters worse. Great.)

This happened at work tonight right after we had a big dinner rush. The lobby was a wreck but I wasn't necessarily the one responsible for cleaning it up but I knew that the person who was was busy and I knew that things were slowing down so I wouldn't have to worry about what I was responsible for until more customers came in. I kept running orders out to people and seeing how disgusting the floor was, how messy the tables were, etc. and went past it probably five or six times. Honestly, I was waiting for the manager to come out to tell someone to go do it but I had a feeling it was going to be me anyway because I was the "least busy looking" one out front. I knew, just KNEW, that it should be me to go clean the lobby even though I didn't want to. I even had a really super brief conversation with God while I was running an order where I mentioned wanting someone else to do it and telling Him that I figured because I wanted someone else to do it, He was totally going to make me do it. He and I have this relationship... you know?

Anyway, I went up front after that and said to one of my co-workers, "The lobby is a disaster." I grabbed a broom, rags, and sanitizer and cleaned that sucker like it was no body's business. The manager never even came out to see the lobby, nor to see that I was cleaning it (which would have been a nice little perk for me, but that's not why I was doing it!), but it didn't matter. I felt good about doing something that I didn't necessarily have to do and doing it well and doing it because it needed to be done.

I've learned a lot of tiny little life lessons at work, really. Not my dream job but it makes it so very apparent that God makes something of every situation!