From Game Informer, current issue, page 61.

"Specter wanted Oswald the Lucky Rabbit [1] to be the centerpiece of Epic Mickey. But that wasn't possible until a years-old dispute was resolved. 'Disney didn't own the rights to Oswald,' Spector explains. 'So there was no way I could use him as a character in this game.' But Bob Iger, the CEO of Disney, went to NBC/Universal, which after 80 years owned the rights to Oswald, and TRADED AL MICHAELS, a human sportscaster, for the rights to a cartoon rabbit."

(Technically this is old news, but since I hadn't heard about it, I'm assuming Simmons hasn't either).

[1] The first character created by Walt Disney (prior to Mickey).

Update: This one is nastier than I thought. I'm in the process of backing up in prep for a wipe. Ugly.

Let me just say, in passing, that American Airlines is a vile jobbing coxcomb, a mewling company destined for the scrapheap decades ago and only reprieved because bankruptcy law does not punish failure so much as reward incompetence. (But apparently does not rewards it enough, being too good for the numerous banks and auto builders that so richly deserve the vampire's kiss). I don't know where the fine print was that said "After paying for this ticket months in advance, we can tack on whatever fees we like at the gate" but I have high hopes that the (presumably Catholic) CEOs & Lawyers who wrote it will find themselves at the pearly gates being informed that while they had indeed confessed their sins and done penance, there were some last minute rules changes and some unpaid fees, and if they would just get in line to see the service agent (easy to spot because if his lovely tan, and screams of anguish from his satisfied customers) they'd work this out. Then St. Peter could apologize for any inconvenience.

And, say what you will about auto dealerships, but it only cost me $16 to fix having the bottom of my car fall off (not counting inconvenience). Donuts were provided, and they may have actually taken a loss on the deal. Time elapsed -- 30 minutes. Or, as I like to say, 1/3rd of a flight delay. No, wait, 1/5th. No, 1/10th. And counting.

All props to Mike for not looking terribly dorky in that picture. It helps that he's the only in-shape guy with hair.

Lets just say that personally, I hope that's what happened. The ending is more annoying intellectually than emotionally, and Moore & Eck can claim that they've been playing up the, uh, angle they used since the first episode (true enough), but still. There were a few things I really liked about the last episode. But I'm glad it's over. I may watch the Plan. Caprica? Probably not.

I also have a secret tape of Alan Moore after he snuck out to see Watchmen, but it's just several hours of laughter and "I told them so." Not a bad flick, per se ...

So, what do your secret tapes tell you?

Update: Apologies to David Eick for misspelling his name.

Since I just got back from Orlando (with just a small sunburn, thank you very much) ...

• Disney's Line Management technology continues to improve by leaps and bounds. I wonder if it's trademarked or otherwise protected from IP, since so many people could learn from it. Even if you don't have the resources of Disney, some simple ideas should proliferate. I'm looking at the TSA here.

• Overheard in Epcoyt — "I didn't think the Amish would come to Disneyworld." "That's a cast member in a period americana costume." "Oh."

• The most powerful concept in Judaism is Afikomen. I'm glad that the Jewish Media Cabal lets Disney use this power for good ... the KimPossible missions in Epcoyt makes going through the World Showcase possible with small children.

• Favorite attention to detail moment — Epcoyt has a game where kids recycle (and otherwise save the earth). It's funded by Waste Management, so you have kid-sized garbage trucks to push around from station to station. If you pull the truck to back up, it beeps.

• Verdict on Animal Kingdom — Meh. The Safari is good. Everest Expedition (Rollercoaster) is good. Tree of Life is vaguely neat. Finding Nemo show (ala Lion King broadway, but only 30 minutes long) was ok if you like that kind of thing.

• The Land (at Epcoyt) has three attractions (apart from shops/restaurants). One is a hang-gliding simulation. One is a boat ride. One is a preachy video about conservation. Actual land gets screwed pretty hard, if you ask me.

• That video is the most bizarre thing I saw at Disney. Timon and Poomba destroy the African Plains by damming up a river .... to build a theme park. I spent the entire latter half slack jawed in amazement. It was like an addict's cry for help. "Please, for the love of God, don't waste valuable energy/land/resources on Disneyworld!" was the message throughout. And I'm completely convinced that they took 7 minutes of footage from Koyaanasqatsi and just replaced Philip Glass's soundtrack with excerpts from the Lion King.

• How come Mr. Toad's Wild Ride is gone but the Swiss Family Robinson Treehouse endures? That's the saddest place in the happiest place on earth.

• The closing show in Hollywood Studios (Fantasmic!) has one of the most stunning effects I've ever seen, but blows it in the first few minutes. I spent the rest of the show waiting for it to be topped. And (Spoiler Alert!) Mickey beats the villains. Seriously, the Harlem Globetrotters would kill for that streak.

• Epcoyt and Tomorrowland prove that Disney should stick to the past. At some point they fixed spaceship earth (the big ball thing) so that it did history instead of predictions. Good call. Ride still sucks, but much less now.

• The "Interactive cartoon" technologies (used in the Monster Inc Laugh Floor and Turtle Talk with Crush) works pretty well. (A voice actor talks with the audience, and the lips move roughly in time with his speech, and he presumably directs the animation somewhat). Thank the maker Imagineers used this technology to add a fart joke for the children.

• And according to the Juxtapositional humor on the laugh floor, I was supposed to bring churros for 200 guests.

• Ah Mulan. Banished to the Chinese Pavilion at Epcoyt.

• The Haunted Mansion still rocks. Now with addtional M.C. Escher!

• EPCOYT stands for Experimental Prototype Community of Yesterday's Tomorrow.

• (My wife insists that was an actual Amish person).

• The kids favorite ride was Søren, a ride through the dismal philosophy of Kierkegaard.

• Most shocking moment — The lost and found got the hat J lost.

• I liked all the rollercoasters (that I got to ride), but the Orange ride of Mission:Space made throwing up seem like a pretty reasonable option. I was never in any serious danger, but I was queasy for a good two hours afterwards.

• I always remember too late that Space Mountain sets of primal "You are going to hit your head" warnings deep in the lizard brain. (Probably from not being able to judge distances/heights of all those girders in the dark).

Update: Oh, one last thought -- Norway has a Viking Ride, China has acrobats and replica Terra Cotta Warriors, and Canada has ... Martin Short. Ye gods.

Redbelt -- A good flick, and one of David Mamet's more uplifting pieces (most characters have their lives trashed). I mean, you have a guy who makes selling timeshares into an interesting play/movie, and now he's writing about hollywood, honor and MMA? [The DVD's extras include a Q&A with Mamet].

Dollhouse -- "Fox shifted to soft-core pornography so gradually, I barely noticed!" I'll stick out the season, because I'm not terribly bright, and I want to see what happens once Joss pens an episode. (If he actually shifts to a "boom-chicka-wa" bass line as his episode's soundtrack, that's good enough for me).

Battlestar Galactica -- Watching this parallels living it: a joyless journey led by those making it up as they go along in the hopes that the rest of the survivors don't notice. I apologize to everyone I introduced this to ...

Saturn's Children -- I like Stross, but I flung aside Halting State with great force. This seems like a romp so far (granted, just started).