James Doohan remains launched into space

On Saturday morning at 8:56 local time, James Doohan’s cremated remains were successfully launched from a New Mexico desert into suborbital space.  Best known for his role as Scotty on Gene Roddenberry’s Star Trek, Doohan wanted to follow Roddenberry’s lead and take this final journey into space.

Doohan’s wife, Wende, and Susan Cooper, widow of Mercury astronaut Gordon Cooper, were on hand to help fire the 20-foot rocket.  In addition to carrying the remains of more than 200, the rocket also included a CD with notes and well wishes from more than 11,000 of Doohan’s fans.

End of Era for Disney’s Buena Vista Label

In an effort to minimize marketing costs associated with its numerous brands, Disney will streamline many of its brand names to Disney, ABC or ESPN.  Up next on the chopping block is the Buena Vista label which will be renamed simply to Disney, according to Bloomberg.  This change marks the end of an era, a 54-year old era. 

Not sure you’ve seen the Buena Vista label?  Check out any of your Disney animation movies from the recently released Cars to memorable hits like Cinderella and Snow White.

Similarly, the Buena Vista label was also used on many of Disney’s family-oriented live-action movies as well.  Classics like Parent Trap, Escape to Witch Mountain, and The Absent-Minded Professor are all released under the Buena Vista label.

Founded in 1953 by Walt and Roy Disney, Buena Vista is named after the street Disney calls home to its studios and corporate headquarters.

As a huge Disney fan and a stockholder (minimally), I feel like a should be saddened by this news.  However, I am oddly ambivalent.

While I’ve noticed the Buena Vista logo on all my Disney movies, I’ve never really done more than glance at the logo, except that one time as a kid I asked why the Disney movie said Buena Vista.

I’ve never gone to see a movie because it was a Buena Vista movie.  I always went to see it because it was Disney, which will remain the same.

Still, I might be a little hesitant to give up or replace my Buena Vista videos and DVDs since newer versions will no longer bear that logo.  But I bet that I hardly notice if my next DVD doesn’t have the Buena Vista logo as long as the quality stays the same.

On second thought, I am saddened that another little piece of the “Walt” era of Disney is gone.