"Keep Moving Forward"

In the first Disneyland construction, it was everyone's "first time" to do everything.

There is a restaurant about Disney's second movie "Pinocchio". In this restaurant, every character of the movie has his own themed room, including, the cat named "Figaro". This is how it looks like:

Now, as you know, for general security measures, a lighten sign saying "Exit" must be placed above every door. While building this room, the Imagineers (Disney engineers), made a calculation mistake and the "Exit" sign ended up being off-center from the doorway.. While it still functioned appropriately as an exit light, it simply looked silly.. So, the imagineers drew a Figaro cat pulling the sign in order to balance things... And of course, it worked:

But Imagineers didn't stop there. When they built the same style restaurant in Disneyland Paris many years later, they remembered to get that exit sign right. And, to celebrate that lesson learned, they painted Figaro giving a big thumb's up.

The message is about learning from one's mistakes and moving forward (indeed, that is the central message in Pinocchio, Meet the Robinsons and other Disney wonders). When we say making mistakes, we don't mean misconduct. "Misconduct" is about immoral, unprofessional, or incompetent behavior centered around mal-intent. "Making mistakes" is about incorrect, unwise, or unfortunate behavior caused by bad judgment, lack of information or simply, bad luck.

One must learn from his own experiences and move forward. He cannot dwell long on the past, nor can he be punitive as he learns what he needs to do in moving forward.

"Around here, however, we don't look backwards for very long. We keep moving forward, opening up new doors and doing new things... and curiosity keeps leading us down new paths."

Walt Disney

Adapted from "Keep Moving Forward: From Figaro the Cat to Meet the Robinsons, by Jeff Kober.

Convincing...!!!

People say I'm convincing, and most of them look at it as a super-power or something.

But what does it mean to be "convincing"? I mean, do they really think of it as if I manage to hypnotise the people around me, enter into their brains and make them agree on what I'm saying?

The matter is very simple to tell you the truth. Once I believe in something, and I want someone to really understand my point of view. I just present my "reasoning". I just tell him how I thought of it, and how I reached this opinion.

If this works, it means that they don't have a better reasoning or that they are really convinced with what I'm saying. So far so good.

But apparently, it's not as simple as is. By trying to communicate my opinion, by reaching the outcome of "convincing" someone with my argument, I subconsciously take the responsibility of making sure this argument withstands time and proves to be right. My "opinion" becomes a "commitment". And this opinion turning out to be not so right becomes "a failure".

Yes, I am condemned at a lifetime of being obligated to very carefully choose my words and opinions. Because, having a weak argument isn't only my own problem anymore. I learnt this the hard way.

You see, this is what I call "responsibility being thrown into your lap without you even wanting it".

Look through my eyes

At one point in my life, I started adopting a policy in my judgment that I turned very proud of later. I used to summarize this policy in one sentence " There is no such things as a "bad person"".

By minimal experience, I learnt to always give excuses to others, to always try to see things from their point of view, and stretch the most incomprehensible actions they take till they become quasi-comprehensible to me. By this, I reached a certain degree of peace of mind and harmony with the external world (the internal one being the world of my own). By this, I learned not to judge, and to always see the good in people, to neglect the ugly side, to make an effort not to see it, to do my best promoting those people into only showing their good side, till the bad one actually vanishes by time. And, it worked... it actually did miracles.. I taught me how to see beyond the external look of things and persons, and see what's inside. Because that is what really counts.

In reward, I was blessed with the most valuable treasures anyone could ever have.

The deepest most powerful friendships anyone could ever dream of having.

And THAT is something I bet most people will never have the chance to even see in their lifetime..

You see... We all see people every day, every minute.. walking around, talking, running, sitting, reflecting, assuming, judging and deciding. But the problem is, everyone of us seems to live in this world as the center of his own universe. The leading actor of his own play. And all the people around him, all the events surrounding him do not exceed the role of props, backgrounds, decorative elements, "the media". People are just "moving objects that play the role of "people". Nothing more, people are people... if you replace the people you see in the street everyday with completely different people, you won't notice a thing.

That's normal, you say? Well.. It's common, if that's your definition of normal.

For me, this is what makes the difference between watching the movie Cendrilla, and actually being in front of the real Cendrilla castle in Disneyland... This is what I call "Depth".

You see, most people are two dimensional to you. When you look at them, you only see their height and their width, nothing more. They're just a moving piece of paper, walking around in your life... They have no depth. Yet, you don't realize that. Why? well, simple, because you ONLY look at them from in front. You only see their frontal view. This is the only view you see. You never tried to look at them from a different position. And of course, they only show you their "apparent", "front" view, after all, you shouldn't expect them to turn 90 degrees and make you look at them differently, simply because they know very well that they are 2 dimensional to your sight. They're a piece of paper, if you look at it from its side, you might not even see it.

But when you learn to stop being fooled by what you see from your first, rapid shot at them, when you learn that the only way of making those people real, is to look at them differently. When you give yourself the chance of putting those magical 3D glasses, life just pops up instantly, and you suddenly see your entire world in 3D...

A person might look aggressive, intimidating, violent and immoral. Why, this impression might even be the one 99% of the people have about him. Give yourself the chance to see what's inside, put your 3D glasses, and you'll discover something totally different. A whole new depth. Or, another person may be very impressive to most people, you put on your 3D glasses, and you realize that this fellow doesn't even have a 3rd dimension, he is 2D EVEN with the glasses on...

And once you've seen that, they will see it too. Your magical 3D glasses will show you life's wonders day after day. You'll be blessed with crystal clear souls, with sincere and benefit-free relationships that you would be proud of for the rest of your life. You'll be with REAL 3 dimensional people you can count on and trust forever.

And if you're lucky, not only would you be having this golden hearts shining along to light your way, but you might as well be blessed with the best feeling anyone can have: The feeling of actually making a difference, even a tiny one, in someone you love.

For that my friends, is what I have. For that is my real trophy.

Kronk... Buy one get one free...

And let's not forget Yzma's right-hand man.
Every decade or so she gets a new one.
This year's model is called "Kronk".

Kronk is big, Kronk is dumb and tone deaf.
I'm so glad I abandoned ship before he began his chanting.

This is Kronk on the night he's supposed to help Yzma poisin Kuzco, the emperor....:


Yzma: So, is everything ready for tonight?
Kronk: Oh yeah, I thought we'd start off with soup and a light salad, and then see how we feel after that.
Yzma: NOT THE DINNER! The...hmm.. you know...
Kronk: Oh, riiiiiiiiiiight! The poison. The poison for Kuzco. The poison chosen specially to kill Kuzco. Kuzco's poison.......... That poison?
Yzma: YES

Men el akher, Kronk would make a great cook in a 3 stars restaurant... His brain functions cannot exceed that level, yet, since fate has thrown him in Yzma's lap, her victory has put him directly in the Kingdom's second-man position.

But, Kronk, will still be Kronk... He will never change. Maybe he's now a bit polished and shiny. Maybe he's now got responsibilities. But, no matter what he does, his IQ will always hit a certain ceiling.

And that's the fate of our country, to be governed by people like Kronk, just because of his "muscular" participation in the overthrowing. This is the outcome of drastic bloody changes. To have Kronks in incompatible leadership positions. And too pre-maturaly.

Let's just hope that the real Kronk would think twice before "executing" any of Yzma's missions in the future.

They should put those people in safe places where smarter people won't take advantage of them.

The Crowd - La Foule

Here it is, the city, filled with ecstasy and delirium,
Suffocating under the crowd and the noise.
And I hear with the valsing music,
those laughters that burst and bounce around me.

Lost amongst those people that keep pushing me.
Disoriented and scared, I freeze in place.
Then suddenly I turn around, and look above my shoulder
and the crowd throws it and puts it in my embrace, just close to my heart.

Carried away by the crowd that pushes,
the crowd that carries,
the crowd that presses us till we become only one,
And the flow pushes us, bound together with mere effort,
and leaves us rediscovered, intoxicated and blessed with happiness.

Carried away by the crowd that turns,
the crowd that danses,
the crowd that valses one crazy valse,
our fates remain joined together.
And sometimes our two tired bodies fly into the air altogether
and fall on the ground rediscovered, intoxicated and blessed with happiness.

These joy and happiness that I got, penetrates my body and shines from within.
But suddenly, I give a scream between those laughters,
when the crowd takes it back from my embrace.

Carried away by the crowd that pushes,
the crowd that carries,
the crowd that separates us from each other,
I fight and I struggle.
But the sound of my voice gets lost between others laughters,
and I scream in pain, in anger, in despair, and I weep...

Carried away by the crowd that turns,
the crowd that danses,
the crowd that valses one crazy valse,
I get carried away.
And I grasp my fist, cursing at the crowd that took from me.
The air of my lungs, the joy of my life that it once gave me
and that I'll never get back again...

Je revois la ville en fête et en délire,

suffoquant sous le soleil et sous la joie.

Et j'entends dans la musique les cris, les rires,

Qui éclatent et rebondissent autour de moi.

Et perdue parmi ces gens qui me bousculent,

étourdie, désemparée, je reste là.

Quand soudain, je me retourne, il se recule,

Et la foule vient me jeter entre ses bras...

Emportés par la foule qui nous traîne, nous entraîne,

écrasés l'un contre l'autre,

Nous ne formons qu'un seul corps.

Et le flot sans effort nous pousse, enchaînés l'un et l'autre,

Et nous laisse tous deux épanouis, enivrés et heureux.

Entraînés par la foule qui s'élance,

et qui danse une folle farandole

Nos deux mains restent soudées.

Et parfois soulevés, nos deux corps enlacés s'envolent

Et retombent tous deux, épanouis, enivrés et heureux...

Et la joie éclaboussée par son sourire,

me transperce et rejaillit au fond de moi.

Mais soudain je pousse un cri parmi les rires,

quand la foule vient l'arracher d'entre mes bras...

Emportés par la foule qui nous traîne

Nous entraîne, nous éloigne l'un de l'autre,

je lutte et je me débats.

Mais le son de sa voix s'étouffe dans les rires des autres.

Et je crie de douleur, de fureur et de rage Et je pleure...

Entraînée par la foule qui s'élance,

et qui danse une folle farandole,

je suis emportée au loin.

Et je crispe mes poings, maudissant la foule qui me vole

L'homme qu'elle m'avait donné et que je n'ai jamais retrouvé...

Who is Yzma....!!!

Yzma...

Yzma is one of the best Disney villains ever created...

She was best described as "Ugly beyond all reason".

Scary? no, not really... Funny.. Oh yes, definitely... She's taking her "villain business" too seriously, while actually, she's only succeeding at making others laugh.

Yzma has the most idiotic side kick, "Kronk". He's not a bad guy, his destiny just threw him in her laps and, since he has congenital brain absence, he's kinda being the "muscles" and letting Yzma do all the thinking. More about him later.

But beware.... Yzma is only funny when she's on the other side of your TV/Cinema screen. But when Yzma is for real.... That's a totally different thing.

For me, Yzma represents many things... Sometimes she even represents many people in the same time.

At this moment in my life, Yzma represents... well... I don't know if the Internet is safe enough to say the real name, so I'll just go and say, now Yzma represents "the citizens of Vienna".

By the way, Vienna is a charming place that I once visited with some of my dear friends, and where we got to choose between giving up what we had in mind, or giving up our freedom :) Charming isn't it?

Wow... So is sooooo like the Mayor of Vienna internal Speech, the similarity is spooky:

" Oh i know, I'll turn him into a flea, a harmless little flea, and then, I'll put that flea in a box, and I'll put that box inside of another box, and I'll mail that box to myself, and when it arrives..hahahaha I'LL SMASH IT WITH A HAMMER!...

It's BRILLIANT BRILLIANT BRILLIANT I tell you, GENIUS I say..

or to save on postage, I'll just poison him... with THIS! "

And the "to save on postage" part, represents the bureaucracy you can find in places like Vienna...

Hitler, you lucky bastard...

Now I know how Hitler must have felt just before he killed himself.

It may be true he was responsible for the death of at least 42 million human being.

It may be true that he caused the destruction of cities, cultures and entire populations.

It may be true that his whole ideology was about eradicating any other "non-supreme race".

BUT... The man believed in something. He believed in it with all his heart. His belief was so powerful, that he transmitted it to an entire country. He pursued his belief till the end. Doing EVERYTHING he can to reach his dream, no matter how crazy it was.

The last days of his life, he saw his whole dream collapse in front of his eyes. He saw his entire system of belief, goals, wishes and ideas fall into ashes. He witnessed the death of the plant he was growing for the most part of his life.

By the death of his dream, he had died already. By the fall of everything he has created, his soul was already buried. The suicide was only the documentation of his death.

What did he do wrong? well, I'll tell you: He wasn't selfish enough...

OH YES, hear me out: He didn't seek HIS best interest like most human beings on this earth. He didn't devote his entire life to get money, a wife, a dog and a house by the sea. The guy sacrificed all his efforts to create what "he thought to be" the good for his community, his country and the entire world.

On that last day of his life he must have thought... "I sacrificed everything, including my image and my name that has become associated with crime, tyranny and murder. Later I found out that other countries didn't believe in my cause, I was ready to fight them for the sake of my own country and the countries that believed in this cause.I've been doing something FOR the world, and now I realize the entire world DOESN'T even want it.. So, what's the point?"

Hitler should have been more selfish in his life, to only think of HIS OWN profit.

Hitler was lucky, at least his country stood by him till the end.

Hitler was VERY lucky, he killed himself with his own hands. At least, among the pains he must have felt, he didn't feel the pain of his friends' rusty knifes penetrating his back.