Broke Hoedown

I liked this graph, from GraphJam:

Now, don’t y’all get all freaked out about the fact that the graph doesn’t reflect the most current data, or the fact that these cheapquels probably closely mirror the adoption of VCRs into the home…because dude you know it’s funny anyway!

I do so love GraphJam!

Have you seen the most-recent Disney DVD release of My Neighbor Totoro, a Hayao Miyazaki tour de force? No? Well then, get thee to Netflix or BestBuy or your DVD procurement method of choice. My Neighbor Totoro is a sweet, gentle, engaging movie about forest spirits that come into the lives of two young girls. Fans of Spirited Away will see similarities in imagery, and a similar Shinto tone.

(My reference to the Disney release is not gratuitous…it’s actually quite important. You don’t want the Fox DVD release, which is a pan-and-scan. This is a gorgeous movie, and you need every single pixel, I swear to you.)

The very-real Sayama Forest, which provided inspiration for the spiritual and aesthetic grounds of the movie is now endangered. The Totoro Forest Project, a non-profit organization, is working for its protection, and is having both a special exhibit at the San Francisco Cartoon Art Museum and a charity auction at Pixar Animation Studios Campus. Dude, I cannot tell you how badly I would like to be at both events!

Tip o’ the hat: Collateral Damage, aka Mr. Broke Hoedown.

I’m so excited about heading down to Magic Meets this weekend! I’ve been hanging out in the Disney online fan community for a few years now, and this is the first time I’ll be attending a major fan gathering. I’ve been to a few smaller ones, informal meets organized on the DISBoards, and it’s always been fun to meet up with people who are as crazy as I am, at least when it comes to Disney stuff. (Sometimes there’s more overlap too…online or in-person, I have in fact met people who also share my passions for roller derby (hi Geoff!), anime conventions, and queer liberation.

Lisa and I ramble on a bit about MagicMeets on this week’s Those Darn Cats podcast, and throw in a few other odds and ends as well.

So, are any of y’all heading to Camp Hill, Pennsylvania this weekend for the big event? MagicMeets Roll Call!! And hey, if you’re there please don’t be shy, come over and say hello…ye shall know us by our furry little ears, and we’ll have some little buttons to give away.

Truly astute and observant readers of Broke Hoedown may have noticed something…there’s now a sponsored link in the right-hand navigation bar, linking to “Walt Disney World Tickets”. And you might have wondered, hey, what’s that about?

Broke Hoedown has joined the Affiliates Program over at Orlando Fun Tickets, which offers discounted tickets to Walt Disney World and other Orlando-area attractions. Being a member of the Affiliates Program means that when you follow that link, and purchase tickets from this company, it helps to support Broke Hoedown.

So, please consider checking out their prices next time you’re planning a trip. And be sure to mention in the “comments” section of their order form that Broke Hoedown sent you!

Super kawaii!! How did I miss this before? GizmoDiva posted in February about a group of German game modders who modified their Game Cubes to look like our adorable little friend. (Hat tip: Dark Roasted Blend.)

Astute and long-term Broke Hoedown readers may have noticed something’s changed about my eleven-year-old son recently: He’s cut his long, blond, curly hair. This was partly for sheer convenience; it’s hard to maintain hair of that length and texture. But there’s a bit more to it.

My extended family has been deeply affected by cancer in the past couple years. Two members of my husband’s family passed away recently, and several others are cancer survivors. And while the incidence in my family is higher than the statistical average, it’s by no means unique…I’m also watching cancer wreck havoc in the lives of many friends and colleagues.

My son’s response to this was quite clear and direct: He decided to donate his hair to Locks of Love, which “provides hairpieces to financially disadvantaged children in the United States and Canada under age 18 suffering from long-term medical hair loss from any diagnosis.”

In the tradition of parents and children everywhere, I’ve been inspired by the younger generation’s example. No, I won’t be growing my hair out to donate…I’m a bit too vain, and can’t stand the thought of growing my hair long (which looks awful on me) or letting it revert to its natural color (who knows what that is by now, anyway?).

Instead, I’ll follow in the example of Jonathan’s Team Voice, and that of so many others who use the WDW Half Marathon as a fundraising opportunity, as well as a focal point for their personal health goals. I can’t be in that particular race, but I can be inspired by their actions…and I’ve just registered for the Susan G. Komen Race for the Cure, which works towards the promise “to save lives and end breast cancer forever by empowering people, ensuring quality care for all and energizing science to find the cures.” If you’d like to support my efforts, a web page is available for tax-deductible contributions.

Can’t get enough of that kitchy Mary Blair goodness? Well then, “Golden Legacy: Original Art from 65 Years of Golden Books” might be just what you need. Blair is among many artists whose work will be displayed in this art exhibit, currently at Children’s Museum of Manhattan.

Hat tip: BoingBoing.

Design News has an indepth article about the technologies behind Toy Story Mania, including various types of network implementations. Here’s a snippet, so you’ll know whether it’s too geeky, not geeky enough, or just right for your tastes:

For vehicles to move through the attraction, the vehicle’s onboard controllers wirelessly communicate their position data over ProfiNet RT to the wayside controller. That central controller then generates a signal, which goes out over a proprietary, hardwired network to the 397 busbar zones on the vehicle steel track. That signal is then transmitted back to the individual ride vehicles through a brush shoe that contacts the busbar Gerstner calls this control out a “go, no-go PWM signal.” It tells individual vehicles whether they have permission to proceed at their programmed speed, whether they should stop or whether they should proceed at a reduced speed.

The game controls likewise have both centralized and onboard elements. A centralized PC-based gaming controller distributes gaming data from each ride vehicle to a bank of computers that run all the gaming software. The massive computer farm for Midway Mania houses more than 150 computers in all, including one Windows XP PC from HP for each of the attraction’s 56 game screens. The on-vehicle controllers handle game information specific to each vehicle, such as the positioning of the shooter and onboard score display.

Hubba!

I also must say that I was impressed by the loading/unloading setup for transferring from wheelchairs or ECVs. There’s a smaller loading area off to the side designed just for this purpose, and the attraction vehicles switch in and out of the area much the same way railroad cars are routed into various lots. A practical and elegant solution to the need that so often can slow down some of the older attractions.

Hat tip: WDW News Today.