What? No animatronic teleprompter?

My family and I are getting ready for a trip to Disney World next week. I don't know whether we'll get to visit the Hall of Presidents this year, but thanks to YouTube, I can get an idea what the latest additions look like:


Seriously, here's what it looks like now: George Washington introduces Barack Obama:


I really think it is not a good idea to have the current president speak in the HOP. Presidents need to be judged by history, and Disney World should not be a PR forum for the current administration. I say this even though I applauded the animatronic W and would struggle to not boo the animatronic Obama. As it is, animatronics of current presidents say absolutely nothing substantive, in order to not put off any Disneygoers. So a good show is interrupted by meaningless fluff instead of any time-tested presidential wisdom. It would be fairer and more inspiring to include a montage of famous past presidential quotes: "Of the people, by the people, for the people..." "We have nothing to fear but fear itself" "Ask not what your country can do for you" "Tear down this wall"

It would be reasonable to adopt the U.S. Mint's policy (actually a federal law): Don't feature living presidents.

It turns out the first current president to have a speaking animatronic was Bill Clinton in 1993. It was a little embarassing when the Lewinsky scandal broke and people began booing the current animatronic president, beginning an unfortunate tradition.

I think Disney should discontinue speeches by sitting presidents in the HOP when the next Republican president is elected because a) this will hopefully be in 2012, and b) Republicans are less likely to protest, or are at least more likely to understand a business decision.

Highly Illogical

"I guess it's somewhat unusual for a politician to be so precise, logical, in his thought process," actor Leonard Nimoy ...told The Associated Press in an e-mail interview. "The comparison to Spock is, in my opinion, a compliment to him and to the character."

This confirms my suspicion, after seeing the new Star Trek, that Leonard Nimoy is senile.

Or maybe he has Bendii Syndrome, the Vulcan equivalent of Alzheimer's.

Obama hasn't a snowball's chance in Gre'thor at achieving the Kolinahr. This president consistently defies logic: spending sprees during a recession, abandoning allies, befriending enemies, ballooning the deficit and calling it cost savings, denouncing success, for starters.

The AP reporter doesn't know Trek. Obama is not Spock, he's Sybok, Spock's illogical fully-Vulcan half-brother from the movie I tried so hard to forget but which has suddenly become useful for analogy.

Kirk: What is this power you have to control the minds of my crew?
Sybok: I don't control minds. I free them.

J'Onn: Where did you get this power?
Sybok: The power was within you.
J'Onn: I feel as if a weight has been lifted from my heart. How can I repay you for this miracle?
Spock: Join my quest.
J'Onn: What is it you seek?
Sybok: What you seek. What all men have sought since time began. [Free health care?] Ultimate knowledge. [Oh yeah. Then free health care?]

Sybok was a utopian who lured masses to a false god through emotional appeals and hypnotic conversions, abusing his telepathic powers to his own ends, violating the ethics of his own people.

Nimoy should remember this scene:

Sybok: Spock. It's me. It's Sybok. After all these years you've finally caught up with me. Don't you have anything to say to me?
Spock: You are... under arrest. For seventeen violations of the Neutral Zone Treaty.

Sybok's fate was to be destroyed by that which he sought, at the cost of many of his followers.

But back to Nimoy, in 1975 he wrote a book titled, I Am Not Spock. He later wrote I Am Spock (1995). He was right the first time.

Footnote: I have to admit that "Barock" (if you spelled it that way) isn't a bad Vulcan name.