Season Finale and future plans

Four months have passed since I opened the Millennium Museum for business. In that time, I've posted at least fifty items and done at least three "big features" for the Super Bowl, the Grammy Awards, and the Oscars. I've also demonstrated how all of this fits into the bigger Millennium picture (though the idea doesn't quite come across at first) with content for every item and feature.

Looking at things now, I think it's high time for a break. Aw, don't get all down in the mouth, there; I won't be gone forever...just for a little while. There are a few pretty good reasons for the break:

1. When I started this thing, I had a items and content already done well in advance. I'm starting to run dry, and any blogger knows that near-constant maintenance is the key to maintaining one's audience. In my case, the hunting for items is pretty hard, because a lot of this stuff ended up getting thrown away, and surviving examples are fairly hard to find.
2. This coincides with #1: By closing down, I can focus on the content. More than a few times have I caught myself "grasping at straws" in looking for items to include without thinking about how they fit into a greater understanding of the Millennium phenomenon.
3. Having a month or so without new content allows me to focus on redesigning the site, sprucing things up, and overall making it a lot better-looking. When I come back, watch out for tweaks like buttons, wallpapers, and possibly a new cursor. Originally, I wanted the site to look like an old, antiquated webpage from 2000, and going with Blogger's automatic styles was just a stopgap.
4. Finally, I can get a little more high-tech. You'll start to see more video reviews and things as I learn how to do this stuff. In keeping with the 2000 theme, I'll end up importing them into the site with QuickTime, which was the streaming-video player before Adobe/Macromedia Flash.

Like I said above, the Museum isn't going anywhere anytime soon. In fact, now that I plan on not doing new content--except for next week's video review of Jesus Christ Superstar 2000, which will be a special installment--I think it might be a good time to open the Museum to the readers.

That's right--April is READER CONTENT MONTH! From the First to the Thirtieth, don't hesitate to share the Year 2000 stuff you have on your shelves or have seen in your everyday lives.

All entries can be submitted to Nickdoctorwho@gmail.com with the subject line "Millennium Museum Reader Content Month." Please include your first name, city, state, and/or country if you're posting from outside the US.

I'm looking for:

• Pins
• Clothing
• Toys, games, dolls, plush
• Books, magazines, and newspaper clippings
• Audio/video (movies, CDs, etc.)
• Promotional items (M&Ms Millennium in particular, but any other food product you see)
• Happy New Year party favors and apparel, especially the "2000" glasses that were sold at Walgreen's
• Housewares, such as drinking glasses, plates, etc. My Year 2000 champagne glasses are a good example, but there were others.
• Souvenirs from Disney World, Universal Studios (and all international equivalents thereof), Hard Rock Cafe, Planet Hollywood, Times Square, etc. (No Millennium Dome stuff, thanks--Mr. Norman Hulme of Dome2000.com has that area covered.)

The list goes on and on.

But please don't just take pictures off the Internet. It's too easy. A friend on Facebook sent me pictures of Cheerios' "Millennios" from another blog, which I'll make an exception for because of the item's disposable nature, but in general I'd really you rather not.

I started the site as a scavenger hunt, a challenge; Readers' Content Month should be an exercise in the same spirit.

So, where do you look? Your best bets are thrift shops, toy shows, and flea markets. Sometimes, if you go to those old mom-and-pop dollar stores, you might get lucky. (Why, once upon a time, I found a mint-in-box Ecto-2 in a Gurnee Mills dollar-store...)

Don't take this as an imposition, mind. If you just happen to come across an item or two in your day-to day lives, simply spare a thought for the Museum and either buy it or take a snap of it with your smartphone's camera. (Ahhh, the things we can do today that we couldn't do thirteen short years ago...remember when we had to have a cell-phone and a PDA?)

Who knows? One day I might make a book out of all this!

All the best from the past and for the future,

The Millennium Museum.

Happy Easter, One and All!

Today's Easter Sunday and the beginning of Spring in Evergreen Park. (Spring has already sprung, but today's the first warm, springlike day) So, here are some Millennium Items.

I was saving this one for Christmas or "Christmas in July," but since the "Jesus Christ Superstar 2000" video review has been delayed for a week, I suppose now is as good a time as any to use this as an Easter-themed backup.

I have held on to this one ever since it came in the mail (we had a subscription to RD back in the day). The disappointingly-short cover story reassures readers that Christianity will be stronger than ever in the 21^st Century. Simple as that, but thoughtful stuff all the same. Having said that, I found some of the other articles rather interesting. One of these involved a man with congenital Idiopathic Hypertrophic Subaortic Stenosis (in short, he inherited from his father a condition in which the muscle of his left ventricle was too big and narrowed his aortic vessels, and nobody knew why—it’s not good) and the Alcohol Ablation therapy that saved his life (in short, cold alcohol was injected into his veins, thereby inducing a controlled heart attack, which caused the enlarged left ventricle to shrink a bit). I could expound on that for ages, but…you want more Millennium Stuff, right?

Oh, hey, my birthday's on Wednesday. Think I'll just leave this here:

If you could describe anything on my blog as "putting old wine into new bottles," it's Rhino Records' 50s-themed compilation album. Featuring hits by artists such as Buddy Holly, Jerry Lee Lewis, and Canada's very own Little Ri'chard (hello, "Whose Line" fans), this was one of a "New Millennium Party" series alongside 60s, 70s, 80s, and 90s hits encompassing a variety of genres:

I say it's a repackaging, but it works well for the Millennium because the series of eight albums serves as a "20th Century Time Capsule" of popular music. The time-capsule theme appears in other marketing gimmicks during 1998/1999...in fact, you could buy a New Millennium Time Capsule at the time. I must make an effort to track that one down.

Disney Twofer Sunday!

Yes, you heard that right: today's a "Disney Twofer Sunday," in which I show off two Disney-themed Millennium Items.

This sequel to Disney's 1940 classic, “Fantasia,” appeared in 1999. It's entirely fitting that the original, breathtaking fusion of animation and classical music should be updated with brand-new material and animation techniques in time for the New Millennium. Here, for your reading pleasure, is a blow-by-blow of each segment.

“Beethoven's Fifth Symphony:” “Fantasia 2000” hits the ground running with this energetic, well-directed piece. Its abstract visuals lead me to call it “Butterflies vs. Bats”--scores of butterflies descend from Heaven and do their thing. But trouble looms on the horizon when two butterflies stray too far and end up in the World of Bats, which emerge from the ground and injure one of them. The bats swarm toward the butterflies, who repel the marauders with power and light from above. Everyone returns to their respective homes...including our injured “hero.”

“Pines of Rome,” by Ottorino Respighi: This one is by far the weirdest one, even weirder than “Beethoven's Fifth.” This absolutely beautiful piece features a trio of flying whales—a mother, a father, and a baby. Yes, you read that right. Flying. Whales. They start out in the sea, and pick up enough momentum to reach the clouds and set off for starry skies. It's dreamlike in its simplicity, grace, and utter strangeness. I don't know what else to say except, “it's art.”

“Rhapsody in Blue,” by George Gershwin: My favorite of all the pieces, this one combines Gershwin's musical stylings with the caricatures of Al Hirschfeld...it even goes as far as adding a few of Hirschfeld's trademark “Ninas” (his daughter's name) into the lines. The storyline follows the lives of several strangers—a down-and-out man, an aspiring jazz drummer, a lonely little girl, and a henpecked guy and his wife—as they go about their lives in Depression-era New York City. I love that it gives us the details of the characters' lives in just a few short, simple movements each—the Blue Man just wants a job; the Drummer wants to quit construction work; the Girl wants to have a day without being dragged from lesson to lesson and just be with her parents; the Husband wants to be away from his rich, domineering wife. The whole thing is structured like a Rube Goldberg machine: through a series of amazing coincidences, everyone gets a happy ending at the end.

“Piano Concerto No. 2 in F Major,” by Dmitri Shostakovich: This one sets Hans Christian Andersen's “The Steadfast Tin Soldier” to music. Basically, a Ballerina is in love with the one-legged Tin Soldier. Meanwhile an incredibly creepy Jack-in-the-Box keeps coming after her. Jack gets rid of the Tin Soldier for a while, but Tinny comes back, defeats the foe, and gets the girl. I'm not entirely sure this one works all that well. It is a good fusion of traditional and CG animation, yes, but...it feels like a stumble, though a minor one. I can't explain it—something about it seems “off.” I think I know why: it's a little too old-hat. Nothing stands out to me as “ORIGINAL!” about it. Maybe it's just me, but it just falls flat.

“The Carnival of the Animals (Finale),” by Camille Saint-Saëns: Now this is more like it! While the overall conceit is borrowed from Helen Lester's “Tacky the Penguin,” the treatment is refreshing and hilarious after the leaden “Steadfast Tin Soldier.” The simple story follows a flock of graceful flamingos...and one clownish flamingo, who just loves to play with his yo-yo and throw the others off. The others get furious with him. They peck at him and finally get rid of his yo-yo...but he comes back with a dozen more.

“The Sorcerer's Apprentice,” by Paul Dukas: It's good to see a familiar face once in a while, and that it's pretty much the way it was in 1940 is better still. Its grainy, cel dust-covered look and watercolor aesthetic are a welcome contrast to the clean, drawn-on-computer look of the 21^st Century. The story is pretty much as everyone remembers it: Mickey, the apprentice, tries his master's magic book on a broomstick, and it all goes downhill from there. It still holds up after all these years...amazing.

“Pomp and Circumstance,” by Edward Elgar: Finally, Donald Duck gets his turn in the limelight as he takes the role of Noah's apprentice. He ushers hordes of animals aboard the Ark and keeps missing his girlfriend Daisy by a hair's breadth. It should be corny and stupid, but no—by the end, the reunion of Donald and Daisy just melts the heart. Loads of cute touches abound: the Elephants are Hathi and Winifred from “The Jungle Book;” a pair of chameleons change color while walking across a rock; dragons and a unicorn are seen to not make it aboard (but two ostriches from the earlier “Fantasia” do); and where only two rabbits climbed aboard, a flock of babies accompanies them on dry land. Wonderful, wonderful!

“The Firebird,” by Igor Stravinsky: This one does for “2000” what Mussorgsky's “Night on Bald Mountain” did for the original. This time, a curious naiad journeys into a volcano and accidentally awakens the Chernabog-like Firebird, which lays waste to the forest. Somehow, the Firebird is less frightening to my eyes than Chernabog, but the wasteland it leaves behind is shattering to look at. So much destruction; so much ash...but wait! The naiad emerges once more and restores the beauty of the forest. Even that volcano gets a fresh layer of green! (Knowledge of basic science makes it less frightening: volcanic soil is extremely fertile.)

...So, is “Fantasia 2000” a worthy supplement and successor to the original? I'd say yes. Personally, I felt that some of the celebrity introductions took me out of the moment—Steve Martin's in particular—but its heart is in the right place. The orchestra set nicely conveys a futuristic, 2000 theme without overdoing it, and it does an awesome job of showing how far animation has come since 1940.



I feel as though I've posted this one already. Maybe yes; maybe no. If I have, please tell me. I think when I took the original pictures back in January, I wasn't happy with them. This retake, from late February/early March, is much better.

This fine pin, with a now slightly yellowed enamel finish, bears Mickey Mouse reclining above stylized icons representing Disney/MGM Studios, EPCOT, the Magic Kingdom, and Animal Kingdom. The back of the pin features Disney World’s “2⁰0⁰” logo (note subliminal Mickey Mouse shape), and reads “Celebrate the Future Hand in Hand: Walt Disney World.”

Happy St. Patrick's Day, everyone!

And to celebrate, my text will appear in festive green!

 

Technically, this little fella isn’t a Millennium Item, but it’s nevertheless an amusing adjunct to the Year 2000. Pets.com opened for business in 1998, and its sock-puppet mascot debuted in 1999. It became a sensation almost overnight, appearing on “Nightline,” “Live with Regis and Kathie Lee,” and in balloon form during the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade of 1999.

Sadly, the good times could not last: Pets.com closed its virtual doors in 2000. Since then, the mascot has moved on; it was last seen in commercials for a loan company called 1-800-BAR-NONE, whose slogan is, “Everybody deserves a second chance!”

My grandma got me this puppet for Christmas 2000. She told me that she saw it in a catalog (“What on Earth?” again, I think), and called in to ask how many were in stock. When she discovered that there were only a few left, she snapped up the one that I have.

It's time for tomorrow's update...today!

As I posted a couple of days ago, I'll be at the South Side Irish St. Patrick's Day Parade and a party at a friend's house, so I won't be posting tomorrow.

Now it's time for the long-awaited, long-anticipated recap of...

    A prolific author of what he termed “dark fantasy,” Charles L. Grant (1942-2006) wrote twenty-nine novels and countless short stories. The Curse, from 1977, was his first novel; Riders In The Sky: The Millennium Quartet 4, in 2000, was his last. He also wrote under the pseudonyms Geoffrey Marsh; Lionel Fenn; Simon Lake; Felicia Andrews; and Deborah Lewis. In addition, he was an officer of the Science Fiction Writers of America, president of the Board of Trustees at Horror Writers of America (which also gave him a Lifetime Achievement Award in 2000), and was on The Burry Man’s Writers Center’s board of advisors (http://charlesgrant.novelhost.net/biography.htm­).

Despite all that, however, he never really became a “household name” in the same way that Stephen King has; I had never heard of him until I bought Symphony in a small bookstore in Downtown Kenosha.

So...The Millennium Quartet.

Symphony (1997): The Horseman is DEATH. The story concerns a preacher in a small, unnamed East Coast town. Down on his luck and ill, he suddenly finds himself able to perform miracles. Is it a gift from God…or something more diabolical? Meanwhile, some travelers pick up a hitchhiker named Stan, who quickly finds out that he's the one in trouble...

This is the softcover edition of Symphony. It provides an object lesson in Millennium Hunting, namely that things made during the Y2K craze often featured color-changing "holographic" material, as seen above.

 In the Mood (1998): The Horseman is FAMINE. Crops, fish, and animals are dying, and the world is starving. Meanwhile, somewhere in the heartland of America, a family reunites for a gathering, and the travelers bring death along with their baggage. A young boy and his mother are on their way; Dad, who is in New Orleans, has woken up with the ability to detect violence. He, too, is about to join them, and this will be a gathering to remember.

I borrowed Books 2 through 4 from public libraries affiliated with our own in Evergreen Park's, which is why they are the hardcover editions. The paperback edition featured the same cover art, but with a white background.

Chariot (1999--are you noticing a pattern here?): The Horseman is PLAGUE. A new strain of smallpox has devastated the whole world. Las Vegas is humanity’s last stronghold. A man named Trey makes good use of his ESP on the slot machines. His luck will never run out until he tries to leave the city. Meanwhile, the Reverend from Symphony and the Father from In the Mood are looking for Trey…and, unsurprisingly, so is Plague.

It's March already...I should create a banner for the homepage. I'm still learning how to do this, so please be patient and gentle.

Oh, that reminds me--I'll be at a St. Patrick's Day party on Sunday. That means you'll get this week's update on Saturday, a full day early.But the news articles still correspond to Sunday, March 10.

I visited the Flea Market today, and...

...I found some pretty cool Millennium Items!



This is the Standard Millennium Edition of Monopoly. Parker Brothers also published a Collector’s Edition, which came in an embossed tin and featured a pair of uniquely-shaped dice and “stackable” houses and hotels (later reused in the Pokémon Edition), but I do not have this in my collection at the moment. One day...

As you can see in this image, the box is lightly battered, as if it had sustained damage in storage. The board (not pictured) has one or two water or grease stains on it, but it’s otherwise perfectly serviceable. I’m also missing a few of the tokens, but the houses, hotels, money, deed cards, Chance/Community Chest cards, and instruction manual are all present and accounted for. At five dollars, it was a bargain. I never thought I’d actually put one into the Museum, but there it is.

UPDATE, 3/5/13: I decided to take another look at game, this time for detail. The most striking thing about the game (well, the Standard Edition, anyway) is its more overt display of personal materialism and "living the high life." In place of the original New Jersey streets and properties, you have things like "Ski Equipment," "Trip to Far East," "Estate in the Country," and "Ski Chalet." There's something a little disturbing in that, to me--with the original, real estate-based game, one could find a higher purpose in the wheeling and dealing in the name of giving someone a place to live, and helping someone else while making money. In contrast, the 2000 board is all about uplifting one's own self with mere baubles.

Two things date the game slightly: "Ski Equipment" and "Premier Golf Equipment" are still purple (this was changed to brown for some reason), and "Income Tax" still says "Pay 10% or $200." Now it's just "Pay $200."

The Chance and Community Chest cards go mostly unchanged, which means the "improve your property cards" make no sense. Perhaps most worryingly, the "Get Out of Jail Free" card now reads: "Discover Legal Technicality--Get Out of Jail Free." My philosophy is, if you do right, you're guaranteed to avoid punishment. Legal technicalities are just easy get-outs that perpetuate wrongdoing, and it's something that I think is changing nowadays.

Overall, the game advertises itself as "The Millennium Edition," but it still has a very 90s sensibility to it. For me, growing up in the 90s was a bunch of kids flaunting their brand-new toys and competing over whose was newer, flashier, and better, and the game board is the "grown-up" version of that. At any rate, it still captures the zeitgeist of the 1999/2000 era.

This Beanie Baby was “born” on July 4, and it has a “2000 Edition” decal on its tag (inset).

 I bought it from a woman who didn’t think she had any Millennium Beanie Babies within her stall. She was just as surprised as I when I produced this one from the bottom of a large box.