These Are Trying Times...

An awful long absence has been broken, and in these trying times, we are shocked to see what is becoming of the US under a new notorious president. Science and human rights have been threatened. History has taken a back seat to potential repetition. And adding to the start of a Second Cold War, we wonder...

...how will Epcot Center survive the next four years? Will it be able to survive the next eight years?

Hence this is why WOL4EVA is inviting many of our readers to come over and discuss in the comments section

<blockquote>If the President were to have control over Epcot, what exhibits or attractions will he put up? Whats the worst thing that can happen?</blockquote>

While all we can do is speculate, this is what this post is for. In fact, WOL4EVA has decided to open up discussion because the right way is to unite. However, it's best to discuss in civility as always; hate only breeds hell.

So hang in there, all.

 

For Orlando...

The events of June 11 in recent days have shocked the city of Orlando, and the whole world in turn. Fourth nine souls have been lost in the terror massacre, and what officials confirm, a hate crime. But if there is one force that can help heal a wound from hurt, it is solidarity. Numerous people, gay or straight and anyone in between, now standing in solidarity for the fourth nine souls taken too soon, even less than a year after same-sex marriage was approved nationwide on June 26th last year.

And as Wonders of Life Eterna knows, solidarity is genetic. Together we will be a step stronger.

 

Clear! #ZAP

Due to unforeseen shifts in priorities, Wonders of Life Eterna wishes to assure its readers that there will be new content to arrive soon.

Just as soon as we try to get whoever it was hitchhiking from our upcoming Footsteps article to keep its nose out of the blog archives.

Emphasis on the nose intended.

That is all.

Soap Box: Epidemic in the Freezer

Greetings again, from the blog currently in the freezer due to unforeseen priorities, but a lot has happened while Wonders of Life Eterna last posted during the holiday season. Some of us have heard of the day when the measles epidemic was first reported in Disneyland (Anaheim, California), and due to a surplus population of the unvaccinated, an epidemic is projected to be dramatically high.

And the debate is ever so high. Debates along the lines of vaccines being the root of debilitating diseases through to conditions (the autism-vaccine link has yet been destroyed thanks to safer vaccine developments), through to parents being overprotective of their children for the above reasons, and through to religious reasons. And with all this hitting the fan, as well as the world well fighting the war on Ebola (which has since ravaged, but remains contained in West Africa), this leaves Wonders of Life Eterna wondering...

How on planet Earth will Wonders of Life ever spread the message of vaccination? In this case, it would be a good idea to backtrack to the glory days of how Disney educated the masses on how to keep clear of infectious diseases, in the quest for better health. In this case, I might embed a few videos as cases in point.


Earlier (if my memory serves correctly), I have made mention of the early film "How to Catch a Cold", which focused on two characters - the Common Man, who is infected with the common cold, and Common Sense, the human conscience equivalent of none other than Jiminy Cricket, who educates Common Man on many aspects on the common cold - how a worn out body means someone is susceptible to catching a cold, through to how a cold can infect a neighbourhood in minutes, and how the body can fight off the cold, provided it is able to rest. Up in the 80s, the film was remade, this time with Goofy being the primary conscience for the young boy seen battling the common cold. Although campy by today's standards, I believe that the message remains the same... we are no match to common colds... or worse.

With regards to what would Wonders of Life would do on the subject of immunity, as well as the ongoing fight against disease, the more fitting question would be... what would B229 do? Body Wars could have expanded from being just a thrill ride to a whole-scale institutional exhibition on body systems and biomedical technologies (even though we have Frontiers in Medicine) to help open up the message to everyone. Also the premise of watching the immune system at work could be a great backstory for Body Wars as well; if the white blood cells dissolving a splinter on the ride were a sight to see, wait till we start watching them eat, attack and eventually build up resistance against attenuated (weak and useless to cause harm) viruses and pathogens from an effective vaccine treatment. Now that would be a thrill ride worth boarding (and being sick all over again). Even Captain Buzzy would be welcome to introduce us to the immunity crew as part of an open day exhibit, what do you think?

If you have any more ideas that would give Wonders of Life the immune boost it needs, you are welcome to leave a comment below. But since the vaccination debate is already heated up as it is, please be nice.

Soap Box - MH17, 7/17/97 - 7/17/14.

Federation Square, 7/24/14. The flags at half mast correspond to the nationalities of the passengers who perished in the plane crash.

While this blog is not the centre of very sad news, we are all too soon touched by the news of the downing of flight MH17, and the many related issues connected to the flight. As of the date of this photo (taken from the 16th floor of a building miles from Federation Square, Melbourne), people are fixated on the many news and issues, tempers and tears shared in the midst of the crash. As observed, many countries and organisations have lowered their flags at half mast out of tribute to the many people killed in the flight, and memorial services for the victims were held.

With regards to Wonders of Life Eterna, and its focus on the incident, the news of the 298 passengers killed were due to attend the AIDS 2014 conference in Melbourne (current reporting city for Wonders of Life Eterna) is not just a tragic blow to the health community, but also the whole world. Add to the 1.6 million people who have died from AIDS-related complications in 2012 to date (UNAID, 2014) and we now know how important a health issue has become escalated for the following reasons

• To quell the HIV epidemic through education - safe sexual practices is one area of focus.
• To improve recovery and resilience in the lives of those living with AIDS
• To build and deliver awareness of medical innovations against HIV and AIDS
• To pay tribute to those who have died of AIDS, year by year.

All eyes are now on Melbourne as the conference is running underway, discussing solutions and tackling issues of the disease and loosening its grip on society. With regards to Epcot Center, had the Wonders of Life pavilion been operational, nurtured and updated (instead of left to ruin in New Years' 2007) to see the event, it would have closed out of respect, and remained closed until mourning day. As blogmaster, I remember the last time Epcot had responded in tribute to a recent traumatic event, where cast members of the Norway pavilion in World Showcase have presented a temporary shrine in tribute to those killed in the Oslo bombing and Utoya shootings on July 22nd 2011.

Documented by a CM from the Norway Pavilion; image found on an archived website (http://web.archive.org/web/20130109095407/http://norwaypavilion.com/2011/07/)

I can imagine a small shrine in memory of those the passengers who perished on the flight - families, young couples, students, businessmen, friends, doctors and important leaders - starting their holidays or going home from them, going to work or attending wonderful events - the six delegates and activists destined in the AIDS 2014 conference, many internationally known, would have been honoured.

So on behalf of Wonders of Life Eterna, breaking the writer's block in the midst of a saddening current event, we deliver condolences and support to grieving families and populations of the horrific crash; we also hold a minutes silence to remember those who have died of AIDS - famous and civilian - as we gain resilience to not only combat the disease through education and innovation, but in tribute to the six who were lost too soon.

Signed, the blogmaster, due to update soon.

:')

References:

UNAID, 2014. Fact sheet. [ONLINE] Available at: http://www.unaids.org/en/resources/campaigns/globalreport2013/factsheet/. [Accessed 24 July 2014].

Running On Dry

Apologies for the long absence, as right now most of my ideas banks have run dry, and all in the middle of the holiday season. Many would think the blog may be a step closer to shutting down or gathering dust, just like the pavilion (don't worry, it won't.) But there is hope, and there will be a snowstorm coming for this blog, in a festive turn of events.

A little since Thanksgiving, I have been developing an advent calendar accessible from the informational website... yes, I hear your groans, but there are me some thoughts on how the Wonders of Life pavilion would have celebrated the holidays, especially now in this day and age (just remember, it's all speculative, but you'll see.)

Each advent entry contains a little description of a holiday activity or issue, as well as a thought on how Wonders of Life would tackle such, as well as an advent badge icon.

On a functional note, there may be some bugs on the advent page, so if there are some, let me know, but I'll be constantly checking and tweaking it for your enjoyment, and hopefully I'll start work on each advent. Spoiler alert, to date, four consecutive adverts are done, and I'll try my best to keep up with them, so as not to leave you with nothing in your stockings.

And we return to normal programming in three, two...

In Bed with Imagination, Currently Ill

Massive yawn at this hour, and after a rollercoaster of uncertainty for this blog, there is a rumor going hot off the press about the Wonders of Life's right brained ally (yes, I meant ally in a sense), the Journey into Imagination pavilion. Of course, you may wonder why a Wonders of Life centered blog is writing about the Journey into Imagination pavilion, but out of respect, there are a lot of issues at stake in which I will provide one of Epcyclopedia's articles explaining what's to come.
Apparently, the renovation job is not due until somewhere in 2014, but already, there is a discussion in both sides pertaining to the fate of the pavilion; it is asking a whole lot of questions altogether - what should go into its place? Who should run the show? Is Figment coming back? Dreamfinder? Unfortunately, no answers are revealed at this point, but there is another question that is bugging us too: will it end up being abandoned?
As scary as it may sound, some pavilions and locations within Epcot have actually been abandoned for many reasons - sponsor walking out, maintenance problems or just too few to stop by - and to have Wonders of Life (as a pavilion in this case) hanging in the balance between closure and its status as a festival center apparently stuffs the situation right into its seams.
While things may as well yet to be finalised on what will take the place of Imagination later on (to the Imagineering department, we hear you! Good luck!), there is likely a different story pertaining to the Wonders of Life pavilion. While it is too soon to speculate, there is a reason why the Wonders of Life Eterna blog exists in response to events like this. It is in inspiration of the various memories held by many guests who have actually been into the pavilion - young and old - and it is in the interest of these people, no matter how variable they are, who would be interested in
If you are brave enough to look back, it is quite interesting to figure out how many possibilities (even from my own thoughts, as well as the thoughts of others) exist if the pavilion were to actually come back. However, the only (and likely, futile) way would be to put the pressure on management to finally look into brainstorming different ways to treat an ailing patient in Future World East. And, yes, I meant that as an architectural metaphor.
On a different side, for some odd reason, one of the servers for the informational site appear to be down, so the most likely thing to do is open up a mirror site to serve as a backup operator in case. However, some interactive components are building up offline, especially the pavilion articles and the interactive map. (Did you hear that? An interactive map!) So hopefully, as soon as the site situation is rectified, then expect the site to return with these wonderful features.
So until next time, if you have any possible thoughts on whether management (whether they are done with the Imagination refurbishment or not) should focus on Wonders of Life, feel free to leave a comment (it's always moderated), or even feel free to share the petition, or complete the survey online, or even view the results corresponding to the pavilion. I'm all ears!

How's April Fools For You?

Apologies for the awfully long wait between posts, as there is a lot more work happening offline than online. However, as today is April Fools day, there was some deliberate planning put into one of the April Fools stunts happening within Wonders of Life Eterna. Ready?

Love it or loathe it, this is comparatively a very clever April Fools prank that has been shown to a select fanbase, and thanks to prior research, has been received well with giggles and all-around smiles. Even one viewer mentioned that the spoof adverts were also in tune with the subject matter of the informational site. Hopefully if all goes well, there will be the possibility of a few design tweaks on the informational site, in order to stay in tune with the blog.

If you know of any other stunts or pranks that WOL Eterna could have pulled, please mention it in the comments below. Or else you are drafted to pilot a chihuahua destined for beauty pageants. Your pick!

Pictorial proof of the Stunt that happened

New informational site!

Apologies for the long absence as there is currently a lot of work on developing a purely informational website based on the blog, which will hopefully serve as an effective companion source. Currently translated into numerous languages, the site can be found here in English
Pease stay tuned until further notice for further updates.

One year on, and new habits for Habit Heroes!

Sorry guys, no write long time, and after some activity elsewhere, it is time I suppose to consider a look back at one of Epcot's current niche attractions, and a little about its history so far.

Last time Habit Heroes was mentioned on this blog (this is true!), it was when it was being blacklisted for its unintentional backlash towards the wide belted community (for lack of a generalised PC term), especially under issues of body image, bullying and even a failure to convey the message of keeping healthy – it was a rather viral campaign blogged around the web less that one tear after the attraction's soft opening. More obscurely enough (and this counts as shameless bluffing), the sweeping to light of day of Epcot's previous attraction equivalents, making for a conversational chaser with regards to what could have improved Habit Heroes from there. Hence the shameless bandwagon post here.

And now, one year on under loads of tweaking, there has been a tremendous overhaul between the two attractions as far as anyone has concerned. Believe it or not, only one YT user has provided video evidence of the previous attraction that has raised a few eyebrows (and loads of tempers), and next to it, the newer one.

Habit Heroes 1.0	Habit Heroes today

As obvious, they did lay off the duelling duo Callie Stenics and Will Powers, along with the extensive cast of villains personifying the common bad health habits (in which a brave contributor has managed to restore them here, here and here), as previously featured on the former multiple-role player game site. Now they have put together an entirely new cast of heroes each representing a positive healthy habit as follows: Agent Fuel representing nutrition, Agent Quench representing hydration and Agent Dynamo representing physical activity and drive. The villains in question are reduced to diminutive pests by comparison, but some reckon they do a better job at representing the consequences of neglecting good health habits represented.
What's more, the blueprint of the attraction is prominently displayed in the second incarnation of the attraction, and especially where things used to be. Here's the image comparing these differences:

Two blueprints and how we supposed it went. Any questions?

As far as it goes, the notable difference is that there is a little more interaction-involvement with the cast members compared to the previous show, and in this case, the end of the attraction involves a little more than a beginners scavenger hunt around Epcot, each involving the good habits featured. While mixed reviews persist pertaining to the latest incarnation of the pavilion (just not the same without the villains) all that matters is that Habit Heroes has finally wormed their way back into visitors hearts after under a year of correction.

Of course, as this blog still keeps the attraction predecessor Wonders of Life in its memories, it would have only been fair to have it bring back the pavilion from the dead (or at least save it from its eventual demise). Now that Habit Heroes has gotten over its weighty hurdles, what more can we ask?

In that case, let's offer some brains back into the workforce!

Okay, kidding here. But there's a lot of things going on at the moment, so best bet is to stay tunes. If there's a burning issue you want to discuss, please leave a comment to this article or shoot off an email, I'm happy to hear it from you. All ears. At ease!

Double Milestone Post!

Sorry for the late blog post in breaking news, but there is something particularly controversial with regards to US politics. For those who were tied to the SCOTUS mandate on the Healthcare reform, I'm sure it's got some mixed opinions, but given that this blog focuses on EPCOT's take on health and life in a rather successful way how, I'm going to present to you a rather interesting tweet in reference to this milestone:

"Dr. Lair's study of inflammatory neutrophils via Body Probe will now be government funded."

EPCOTExplorer (also found here)

Words of wisdom! But it could be sadly unlikely, since the Body Wars attraction, thanks to witness reports (give or take) have had their probes shelled out or dismantled for parts, as well as the unlikelihood of finding another sponsor to 'revert or refurb' the pavilion. So let's never forget that the Wonders of Life once did an excellent service in educating the guests on health and life, and entertaining them well. Oh wait...

As I am writing this, WOL4EVA celebrates its second birthday! Yay! And a lot of things have happened with regards to the blog, some statistics after the jump.

To the readers opposing the blue-furred smothering of WOL4EVA...

...we apologise.

But yes, come to think of it, it's not every day that our now famous (and for some, notorious) blue furred extraterrestrial has turned 10 wonderful years on this planet (since his first movie enthralled audiences and warmed hearts back in 2002), I guess it's only safe to allocate this week to pick out the (fortunately few!) highlights attempting to make use of Stitch (after all, his first theme park attraction, Stitch's Great Escape did not really do him justice since he came on the scene and bumped Alien ExtraTerrorestrial in November 2004).

Yes, love him or loathe him, Stitch is definitely mischievous, cheeky and annoying at times, but be blessed, he's loveable, and right now he has a fanbase spanning worldwide (well, give or take a few large fanbase concentrations in the US and Japan). No shame, however, with the author actually familiar with such a blue furred celebrity, and being one of many, many, Stitch appreciators and fans celebrating this anniversary. Or maybe there's opportunity for merchandise. Some of us do not know. But it's happening.

Anywho, some articles of interest that touched on Stitch in the previous two years...

• From What The WT-, some thoughts and ideas if Stitch would have been picked as a Meet and Greet character for Wonders of Life to symbolise its futuristic/science aspects.
• From Operation: Imagineer, as part of the second part of the post, if Stitch was involved as a character candidate for the pavilion (and probably a few hints on how I would wished it to be)
• And inspired by a thread comment which mentions how bad it could be if you bring blue fur overboard (no scorn! no scorn!), plus a forum board stunt which involved some voting between members (only forum members eligible to vote, but rather interesting results so far.)

Also, end of June marks the 2nd birthday of the WOL4EVA blog, but unfortunately, since this is purely an online awareness mission, we don't really have cake. But don't fret, because but here's an apt dessert for the anatomical appreciator in all of us for make up for it. Enjoy!

These beauties can be found over on  http://popperfont.net/2012/05/17/anatomical-pancakes-sciencepancake-no-2/  

Header Changes and View Counts

Hello, readers, and if you're amazed by the header change, then it's probably because of that cheeky colour scheme toying with my ideas. Sure, those who are familiar with the blog know that the Wonders of Life pavilion grand-opened on October 31st 1989, but there is an interesting fact this blog has to offer. And for some reason, it's just useless information in comparison to everything else on the blog. Ready?

Tonight's post is sponsored by...

...this word cloud, made over at Wordle. I have gathered lots of iconic names of the attractions, and a handful of stars who made it possible.

Please standby as we resume our usual transmission...

For all you fellow WOLnuts out there

Here's a cute little badge, for those who like lame puns but still can't help to declare remembrance of a successful pavilion in its heyday:

Okay. So not everyone likes lame puns. But I actually like it, given that it's a quick photoshop job I have put together. Most of the pav. exterior elements I put together were done in Illustrator, and then after finding a walnut photo, I photoshopped it together.

Now, ladies and gentlemen,  on with the segment...

First up, while I was on a photo search in regards to my research for my pavilion, I have come across an interesting photo of, well, a lone corridor somewhere in the Body Wars probe loading area. This one is 'staff only' - and because it's in the style of a MET testing lab facility, it's meant to be a staff area for maintenance of the B229 probes. Well, although I do not condone spelunking or trespassing into property to gather any shots for all manner of reasons (besides, the photo was taken a long time ago before the pavilion gave up the ghost), all that I can say is that there are many people out there who have a twisted sense of humor. For those people out there reading this...

...uh uh. Don't take it as an instruction.

Next on the list is actually a photoshop job I put together, from nothing more than scraps of photos, as well as images from the inside of my head. What you didn't know is that this job was done a a little earlier, probably in memoriam of our beloved Cranium Commando... Of course, for the very few fascinated by the concept of rapture events (people disappearing for no reason at all), well...

...I wonder what would General Knowledge say after this?

Okay, rest assured that if he were looking at this right now over my shoulder, I might like to let him know that YES, the whole thing is photoshopped.This will save the amound of worrying over one recruit going AWOL without his, well, knowledge. As mentioned, I've scoured the net for images of typical Commando attire (the hat, boots and even the aviator's jacket) and after finding a convincing interior photo of the WOL pavilion, I got right to work placing the objects, even adjusting the shadows and even enhancing the colours to make it look like the loss of our iconic brain pilot a litle convincing. Okay, so it's a little amateur-ish by the looks of things, but I guess this is what I tried to convey in regards to poor Buzzy.

Now to resume transmission of potential Imagineering plans... please stand by, readers!

A Change in Layout

Dear readers,

You may have noticed that the blog layout has changed recently. Amazed? Here's how:

• The header has been redesigned. Simply, I have kept the elements of what the Wonders of Life pavilion was since its birth in 1989, but I opted for a silver medallion look, as a possible logo redesign should the pavilion be given a reboot, one way or another.
• The background was also designed from scratch, thanks to my digital artwork skills. of course, the wallpaper is sadly covered up by the rest of the blog articles, but fortunately, I have included it here for use as a personal wallpaper:

WOL4EVA Wallpaper - 1024px by 768px

Right now readers, it's time for a little feedback on the look of the page. What do you think would have been done better? Do you have anything else WOL related that you would like me to share? Anyone?
Anyways, feel free to post your comments below. Until next time, readers!