The wind whistles and pushes against my back, urging me to walk faster. My lips are chapped, my cheeks burnt, my eyes watering in its relentless gale. Tiny pebbles driven by the wind abrade bare arms. The camp rustles and whispers with the voices of its long gone residents. As we approach, I’m struck by the lone guard tower, where once there were eight. And at the former reception center, a guide map illustrates the scattering of buildings that were their whole life. The guard tower, silhouetted against the waning sun chastises as I read that there, there was the nursery school. Beneath the glare of the guards, under constant surveillance, a rifle sited now outward, but in, toward the residents.
Read MoreCracked recently put out one of their better sourced articles with a title that makes a pretty damning claim, titled: 5 Ways Disney Movies are Even More Sexist Than the Classics (An alternative title lists it as 5 Ways Disney Has Actually Gotten More Sexist Over Time). Of course it got a lot of clicks and comments with no shortage of people calling bullshit on their claim. Are Disney movies like Frozen and Brave really more sexist than the classics, Cinderella and Snow White? Is that possible?
In a word, and this is just my opinion at this point, no.
Read More"Mickey!" The little girl squealed. "Look mom, it's Mickey Mouse!" She tugged at her mother's sleeve as they reached the front of the line.
"Hi ya, pal!" Mickey greeted her as she ran forward to get her picture taken.
"Around here,' Snapped her mother, 'we say, Hello friends." She dragged the now crying little girl away.
Read MoreHave you been on a recent trip to Disney and brought back inexpensive souvenirs for you friends and family? Want to take gifts from stocking stuffer to under-the-tree worthy without bankrupting your savings? You want to make your Hanukkah gift budget stretch to all 8 days and nights? It just takes a little imagination.
Read MoreI'd rather eat hot dogs and ramen with my son, than dine on lobster and steak without him. In all our crazy years, two of my best memories of Thanksgiving are memories of Walt Disney World with family.
Read MoreDisney movies are rotten with fallacies... logical fallacies, that is. That's why we love them. Nothing quite gets the blood boiling like your favorite baddie rolling his Rs and telling the hero that they're worthless and no one will ever believe them. My righteous indignation meter just pegs out, whether it's Jafar denigrating Aladdin, or Medusa being meanie-pants to poor, pitiful Penny. That's partly because we know it's just not true! Disney movies seem to know how to get our little kid no fair! circuits firing all at once. It's also a matter of just finding their terrible arguments frustrating to my nerd brain. And it isn't just the bad guys that sometimes employ a logical fallacy or two. Here's a whole bunch of examples for your outrage fuel. Pop some popcorn, and let's play, Spot the Logical Fallacy!
Read MoreI learned a few things over the course of my research. Details are important to Disney fans. In that light then, allow me to share some of my favorite details that make appearances in my new book Three Shots Fired from Cinderella Castle, some to a greater extent than others.
Read MoreSelf-publishing is a fun way to discover more about both the craft and business of books. My own experience has been one of learning one thing, only to discover how much more I have yet to learn. When the writing is done, the editing is finished, and you've started the publishing process, you might be tempted to think your job is done. Not so fast. There's still the marketing to get to. And yes, if you are a self-published author, that's your business too. One important part of that, which I've spent considerable hours on over the last week, is creating video ads.
Read MoreI missed posting my blog post last week. How come? What was I doing that was so important?
I was defeating Pete and building my own theme park, of course.
Read MorePlanning a vacation to sunny Florida and our favorite theme park requires some strategic planning in light of the war against Zika. But with a little battlefield intelligence and some smart tactics, you can safely enjoy a stress free holiday in the Magic Kingdom.
Chikungunya, Dengue, and Malaria... Florida's historic battles with the mosquito have become as legendary as the names Olustee Battlefield and the Castillo de San Marcos. . . . Enter the Zika virus in Florida.
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Florida had become adept at recognizing and dealing with new mosquito borne diseases. So most people in the tourism industry have been pretty optimistic that they are ready to defend against the newest smart weapon in the mosquito's arsenal, Zika.
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