Randumb Fact #23: Why can Goofy talk but Pluto can’t? According to Disney, “Goofy was created as a human character, as opposed to Pluto, who was a pet.”

fee0560f2809a39d379dcf8a212eb828_xlargeAnd the age-old question has been answered! I don’t know about you guys, but I always wondered why Goofy could talk and Pluto couldn’t. I mean, they’re both dogs, but Goofy can actually communicate with others and walk on his two feet whereas Pluto can only bark and make somewhat discernible noises and has to walk on all fours. It was just so strange to think that two characters, who represent the same animal, are represented in different interpretations: one as a human and another as a dog.

Disney-The Lion King1Disney has been the hallmark for creativity for such a long time. For as long as I could remember, I was dwelled on the magic and beauty associated with Disney and everything that it offered, from princesses, to boys that grew long noses when they lied, to the elephants with giant ears that enabled them to fly, Disney never failed to bring about the creativity and innocence that comes with being a child. I still remember the first time that I watched The Lion King. I cannot begin to tell you all how much I love that movie, even as a college student, I would gladly drop whatever it is that I was doing, and just sit down and watch The Lion King. A tale of a young lion cub who, after losing his father to a stampede, was raised by a meerkat and warthog to eventually become the next king, gives us all a sense of hope that no matter what circumstance come in our way, no matter what trials and tribulations we face, we must persist in our efforts to be who we were meant to be. Using animals to portray these messages appeals to children because it is anything unlike reality. Sure, a movie with people talking can be exciting, but to reach out to our inner child, using talking animals gives the audience greater motivation to watch the film for its comedic aspects, as well as learn a few lessons along the way.

spongebob-imaginationCreativity is an attribute that should never be undermined. It is with creativity that we came to have the bicycle, the microwave, and every college student’s “must have:” the iPhone/Android/Smartphone. Thinking outside of the box is what we need to do to deliver messages of great worth and importance and what is needed to do to grab the attention of others.

Randumb Fact #22: The guy who invented the karaoke machine, Daisuke Inoue, couldn’t sing, couldn’t read music, and played the keyboard about as well as your average third-grader.

karaokeSometimes we limit ourselves to what we CAN’T rather than what we CAN do. I can’t run fast, so I can’t be a track and field star. I can’t paint, so I can’t be an artist. I can’t stand the sight of blood, so I can’t be a doctor. While some of these hold up to be true, sometimes we have to take a moment to look at the positives and focus on what talents or abilities we have been given, or work harder to master the abilities that do not come so readily to us. Look at Daisuke Inoue for instance, if he let his lack of musical ability determine who or what he could become in the future, we would’ve missed out on people doing their own renditions to the classics that make up the heart of American culture.

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Ahhhhhhh!!We can’t let others define us as to what we are and are not capable of doing or becoming in the future. There is no guarantee that everyone finds their destiny at a particular point in time, or if their calling or talent becomes apparent early in their life as it may for others. For some, their “calling” is not readily apparent because it may present itself to not be a talent in the initial stages. It may prove to be an obstacle that seems impossible to move past or to accomplish. We all have something in our life that constantly challenges us, something that does not come naturally to us as it may to others. Does this mean that we should just accept defeat? Does this mean that we should just give up and try to focus our efforts elsewhere? While I would like to go all motivational speaker-like and tell you all that we can anything we want if we put our minds to it, sometimes, if we put all our effort towards something, it still doesn’t work out in our favor. Sometimes we are victorious and the world is happy place where anything is possible, but sometimes, life is hard, and even if we don’t want to admit it, we have to tell ourselves that although we tried our best and things didn’t work out, it just means that there is still something out there worth discovering, something worth trying, something worth living for. We need to understand that not everyone will understand their purpose or find their groove early on, but for some, it takes time and experience to find that one thing that makes us all happy. In the end, isn’t that what matters?

Randumb Fact #21: Hallmark sells a line of “encouragement” cards you can send to people who’ve lost their job.

hallmarkEver get bad news that you felt you could have gone your day without having known about? Needed something to just brighten up you day and put a smile on your face? Why not send your friend a Hallmark card that tells them that it’s okay to be sad, or in this case, that it’s okay that they lost their job?

Honestly, when I first read this post, I wasn’t exactly surprised when I saw that Hallmark actually made a card for those who were a job loss. Every time I go to the big chain supermarket or the local dollar store, there’s always that one section dedicated to Hallmark cards for almost EVERY occasion. From birthdays, to holidays, to absurd accomplishments, there is a card for almost every occasion.

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I don’t know about you guys, but I’m one of those people who like to give one of those perfect cards with every gift, especially the ones that play music when you first open the card. Others just see them as, not a nuisance per say, but unnecessary. They say that most people don’t even read cards, they just glance at them and throw them aside and continue to open their present and be on their way. I however, like to say that people like to actually read their card because in a way, it makes it seem as though there are two presents because before or after you open your first present, you have another one to look forward to opening too. I guess a person’s opinion about the significance of a card is related to how they feel about the effect that an expression of words can have on a person’s being. Sometimes, it’s all based on what you say AND how you say it, and when a person can’t do it, then sometimes a card can.

Randumb Fact #20: Those doves released at weddings and other formal ceremonies are actually white homing pigeons. True ring-neck doves are bred to be kept as pets and rarely survive out of captivity.

jimkennedySometimes, what you see isn’t what you get. When you watch a cereal commercial and the company advertises the toy inside the cereal box, it looks and seems so amazing and big and something that you just couldn’t live without. So, of course you beg your mom or dad to go and buy that cereal box from the store, regardless of whether or not you actually eat that cereal, just to get the toy. The minute they buy it for you, you promptly open the box and pour out all of the cereal until you finally get the toy and “lord and behold,” it’s absolutely nothing like what you originally thought. It’s small and 100% unimpressive, in fact, I probably could have bought something like it at the 99 cent store.  I’m sure some of us have had this moment, where we thought what we wanted, something seemingly amazing, was not quite what we had expected at all.

wedding046-1-ddb17fBut sometimes, what you get isn’t always SO bad. Does the fact that the so called “doves” released at weddings aren’t actually doves ruin the whole wedding? Of course not, the magic of the wedding is all there: the bride and the groom kiss, the guests applaud and cameras are shot, and the doves, or white pigeons, are released into the air signifying the beginning of a union. Nobody really cares about whether or not they get doves at their wedding, they just want to add a bit of aesthetics to make their wedding look magical to everyone who came to celebrate with them. Sometimes, I feel as though that is how we approach many of the things that we do in life. We would prefer if something LOOKED good and functioned well, rather than just functioned well on its own. I guess it all goes back to the fact that “beauty is in the eye of the beholder,” and there is just as much value in something as trivial as doves at a wedding, as long as it is aesthetically pleasing.

Randumb Fact #19: To deter nativity scene theft, BrickHouse Security provides free GPS trackers that can be installed in Baby Jesus.

“Things will always get better, you’ll see” an age old phrase that is usually said after some sort of tragic or catastrophic-like event. I don’t know about you guys, but it just seems like the minute our world gets its act together (or tries to), something comes in the way to disrupt that sense of relief that we set into our minds, that maybe things will turn out okay. From earthquakes, to tsunamis, to hurricanes, it just seems like our world is off its rocker, and doesn’t seem to want to back to its balance.

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With natural disasters aside, on the ground, humans are also spiraling down this hole to a point of no return. Everything from petty theft to 1st degree murder to arson, it’s been done and speculated by the media. In particular, we seem to be seeing an uproar of gun violence terrorizing Americans everywhere. No one feels safe anymore. A typical trip to the grocery store, can easily become a hostage situation caused by hold up at the cash register. While it’s grim to think about, I feel that no matter how hard we try to be optimistic, our world just seems to be spiraling down a hole of destruction and chaos, one that we may never be able to climb ourselves out of. I mean, here we at the point of having to install a GPS tracker in the baby Jesus figure of the nativity scene because of the fear that someone would come and steal it. Now you know that it’s bad when the nativity scene, a symbol for the birth of Jesus Christ, has to be guarded from those who would actually have the audacity to steal it. We have to take a good look at the world today, and what it may be like in the future. We have to find a way to go back to the times where there was hope, not only for a better today, but for a better tomorrow.

Randumb Fact #18: While working on Pac Man, video game designer Tohru Iwantani was allegedly inspired by the shape of a pizza with one slice removed.

pizza-with-one-slice-removed-isolated-on-white-background-pixmac-picture-87762558It’s kinda funny how we can go through life without ever realizing why things are the way they are. There are some who do not go above and beyond to see how things came to be the way that they are today, not because they lack the ability to do so, but because going beyond what is expected, thinking outside of the box, may prove to be more difficult, or trivial than many would to admit or care to actually do. We never take the time to look and see how the great minds before us, came up with the ideas that are currently in place today. How did the creator of the television, come up with the idea for a television? How did the creator of Nutella, know about the deliciousness of hazelnut in a spread form? There are so many questions out there, but not a lot of us actually take the time to truly appreciate them or take the time to really consider them?

579071_10150794877275928_354156345_nthink_3I always wondered how I was going to make a difference in life. I mean, I knew that I wanted to become a doctor and travel around the world through Doctors Without Borders, working in clinics, and making a difference in the life of those who do have the access to healthcare, but I always wondering whether or not I would be able to create something that would be recognized or used nation-wide. Will people look at a product and be like, “Hey Reshma John made that!” Maybe, maybe not, but in order to get to a place like that, people need to understand how businessmen and inventors have made their way in society and how, even though their idea seemed outrageous at the time, it may prove to be much more successful than planned. I guess what I’m trying to say is that, we need to start thinking outside of the box and putting our ideas to concrete use. Question more. Learn more. Focus more.

 

Randumb Fact #17: Bela Lugosi, famous for playing Dracula in the 1931 classic, was not fluent in English, but learned his words line for line for the movie.

“Your brain has a capacity for learning that is virtually limitless, which makes every human a potential genius.”-Michael J. Gelb 

When faced with the possibility of new experiences, while exciting at the time, we are often shy away because we do not feel that we have the capabilities or the skills needed to accomplish whatever comes before our eyes. Some of us do not believe in going outside of our comfort zone. Many of us try to place ourselves in a bubble, a bubble surrounded by familiar experiences, places, and people, so as to not venture out into unfamiliar territory. But why do we limit ourselves to “the known?” Why are we afraid to going out into an unknown environment? Are we afraid of being rejected by others because we are different? Are we afraid of spreading our wings too far, to the point where we no longer fly but rather shoot down towards the sky? I guess we each have our own answer to that question.

Annex - Lugosi, Bela (Dracula)_04In my own life, I try to welcome all types of new experiences, and this concept was not weary in college. I made sure that I was not only active in my academic life, but in my social life as well. Engaging in new experiences, making memories, and living life to a higher degree than in my high school degree. Although I do feel weary at times for certain experiences, I do my best to go outside of my comfort zone. After all, how else are you going to be able to tell your friends about all of the amazing experiences you’ve had during your college years? We’re all given this one life. There are no do overs, there are no second chances….unless you’re one of those who believe in reincarnation, but we’ll get to that some other time. It’s important to not only appreciate life, but to also embrace our own selves. We have to stop downgrading ourselves and recognize that we are intelligent and reasonable human beings. We shouldn’t be afraid of what this world has to offer us, but rather, we have to embrace everything that we have and everything that’s still out there for us to try. I mean, look at Bela Lugosi! If he hadn’t embraced the English langauge (kind of), he would not have been a part of Dracula, one of the most well-known movies of all time and he would missed out on such a great opportunity. Now, take what I’ve just told you and go live your life to the fullest!

Randumb Fact #16: On an episode of Saved by the Bell: The College Years, A.C. Slater learned his last name was actually Sanchez. His dad changed it 25 years earlier to get into the military academy. “He felt he had to hide his heritage to be accepted,” Albert Clifford explained.

One of the best things about living in my small town, is just how culturally stimulating it can be, well at least in the Asian aspect. My town is completely filled with all types of Asians: Chinese, Japanese, Korean, Filipino, Indian, etc., etc. Everywhere you turn, there is some sort of Oriental Grocery store on the horizon or some native tongue being spoken between two town residents. My town embraces the Asian community that resides in it, celebrating our culture through town-wide festivals and traditional cuisine themed restaurants.

Saved-by-the-Bell-CastI am so lucky to be able to live in America and celebrate my culture without the worry of being judged or harassed. I am lucky to live in an environment surrounded by people who do not judge me for my heritage or where my family came from, but rather, they judge me based upon my character and my personality. Not everyone however, can say the same about their lives. Some of us are not free to express our heritage, the roots of our ancestral lineage, or some of us are not comfortable expressing their culture because it is simply out of the norm. What I liked about this interesting, and random post, besides it’s Saved by the Bell reference, is how it brings about the idea of acceptance with one’s own nationality and heritage. A.C’s dad changed his last name so that it would be in line with Wester culture, because he felt that the military academy would not accept him otherwise. Now this does not imply that he was ashamed of his heritage, but it does point out being true to his culture did not seem to be the advantageous decision. Sometimes, it seems that the better option, is not to stand out, but blend in with the crowd.

I personally believe that it is not right to pretend to be something or someone that you are not. Being true to oneself is, in my opinion, is always the better option. After all, how can we expect to accept one another, if we cannot accept ourselves?

Randumb Fact #15: The “Crows Nest” on a ship (the basket near the top of the mast) used to actually contain a crow. The ships navigator would use one of the birds as a guide in bad weather, since they invariably flew towards land.

Yogurt iPad Wall MountToday’s society just so complicated and overwhelming. From iPads at frozen yogurt shops, to talking electronic personal assistants, modern society has been, and will continually get more confusing as the years go by. While I do enjoy these little gadgets that make our lives easier in some way, shape, or form, I long for the simple life at times. Not so simple in the sense that we churn our own butter and sow our own clothes, but we learn to appreciate the little things in life, and try not to rely on technology to guide our way through this crazy journey that we call life.

crowsnestI don’t know about you guys, but when I need directions to go to a new destination, I get out by GPS, not a bird, but then again, I tend to travel on the road rather than on water. Most ships nowadays come wit some sort of computerized navigation system, but there are a few boat owners who may rely on old-fashioned techniques to drive their boat, using the birds to detect the direction of land during times of bad weather. Sometimes I wonder whether or not we remember the humble beginnings that we came from, or the ones that our ancestors came from. The time before all the this progress was made, and things were much simpler and easier to understand. I feel that sometimes, we underestimate the luxuries that we have been giving in our lives, everything from cell phones to a college education. We forget how the times before ours was a completely different experience. Our parents, and their parents, did not have the same opportunities as us and were not exposed to the same elements in the world that we are. Their experiences, as well as our own, have helped shape who we are today, but we need to remember that although the world may constantly be changing, we need to remember what our world was once like, because only then can we know what will be.

Randumb Fact #14: Beanie babies were such a craze in the 1990s that even struggling MLB teams used them to sell out home games.

1-this-kid-is-awesomeBoy Meets World, ring pops, cassette tapes, and the Macarena. What do all of these things have in common? They were all a part of a typical 90’s kid lifestyle. I still remember the days when me and my friends would sit around and talk about what neopets we got and which ones managed to survive as the boys at the end of the cafeteria table would alternate between games of Yugi-Oh and Pokemon. Many of us say that the 90’s were a better, simpler time and whether’s that right or wrong is pure speculation but we can definitely say that the present day is nothing like the past.

Beanie-Baby-Sizes-300x269One I first read this post, I experienced a wave of nostalgia. I still remember the day I got my first Beanie baby. I was so happy because everyone else had one and I didn’t, and frankly before that point, I had no idea what the big deal was, it was just another toy right? Just another stuffed animal? I guess the wonder behind a Beanie baby wasn’t behind the little stuffed animal itself, but the fact that it was a collectible, and the fact that you had a choice as to which one you wanted, which one you preferred and that there was no real limit to how many you could buy. I guess that’s why baseball teams with very little profits from home games used these little toys as a way to boost their profits. What little kid wouldn’t want to come home from a game with 4 or 5 Beanie babies in their hand? The Beanie babies market helped these teams and their players and business and gave them a chance to play the game as long as they could.

It’s nice to think about the past that seems so long ago, especially the 90’s where most of our childhood took place, but what’s even better is seeing how the future turns out. Now everyone says that it is important that we don’t dwell on our past, but it is nice to just take a look back and appreciate everything we have experienced and everything that we will in the future.