Walt Disney Animation Studios Vs. Pixar

Pixar Vs. Disney (Animation)

Disney or Pixar? A topic of debate that has the potential of dividing movie fans and animation lovers nationwide. Which company produces better movies... Walt Disney Animation Studios or Pixar? Now, before comparing the two companies, let's get a couple things straight. First of all, there are likely to be many factors leading to an individual's response to this question, such as personal bias to a specific director or writer, an emotional attachment to a particular movie of either company, preference of a voice actor, and so forth. Not to mention, the word "better" can have many definitions. Also, as most of you are probably aware of, Pixar and Disney do work TOGETHER. Well, actually, Disney owns Pixar and has since 2006, having payed a total amount of about $7.4 billion! However, it's quite obvious who's movies are whose, as Pixar movies come out labeled "Disney Pixar" and Disney movies are simply "Disney." Now, most people may not be able to tell you the difference between the two companies or their movies but are still likely to have strong preferences for certain movies. Some people though may be completely certain in their preference of either Disney or Pixar and would be happy to offer their opinion of why one company is superior to or lesser than the other.

It's actually quite difficult to find an existing reliable source giving the statistical preference of Disney versus Pixar. However, certain statistics regarding each individual company are pretty much undeniable and can be helpful in creating an opinion of each... Walt Disney Animation Studios has produced and released a total of 54 "full-length" feature films, including most of the beloved princess movies and other classics, such as Winnie the Pooh and the Jungle Book. Walt Disney himself was the first to use and produce a full-length animated film in English and Technicolor (Snow White and the Seven Dwarves in 1937). Also a pioneer in it's league, Pixar Studios was the first to produce a full-length feature film in computer animation (Toy Story in 1995). Following this film are 14 others, and more on the way!

Though it may be difficult to choose between Disney and Pixar, it should be acknowledged that it is argued over more than necessary. Regardless, both companies are brilliant and produce BRILLIANT movies! Personally, I have to say that I can't choose! I probably have more respect for Disney as I believe they (specifically the man himself) have had the most influence in animation. However, my all-time favorite movies probably include more Pixar movies (Ratatouille, Up, Inside Out, A Bugs Life, Monsters Inc, and Nemo) than anything!

Please share your thoughts and favorite movies... I wanna know!!

Early Birds VS. Night Owls

You may have heard the saying, "The early bird gets the worm," but do morning people really have an advantage over night owls? There are two types of people that divides America, early birds and night owls.

Ben Franklin once said, "early to bed and early to rise makes a man healthy, wealthy, and wise," but studies have shown that this is not exactly true. The researchers analyzed a national sample of men and women who'd been surveyed years earlier on sleep patterns as well as measures related to health, wealth, and wisdom. There were 356 early birds in the group (in bed before 11 p.m., up before 8 a.m.) and 318 owls (in bed after 11, up after 8). Contrary to Franklin's decree, night owls had larger incomes and seemed to score higher on cognitive tests than did morning birds. Although, Franklin's adage about morning types being healthy does seem to hold in one regard - a number of studies have found that night owls are partial to bad habits such as drinking...

There are many differences between the two:

• Early birds are persistent, cooperative, agreeable, conscientious, and proactive. They also procrastinate less and tend to be happier.
• Night owls are more creative, have higher cognitive abilities, and are known to be risk takers.

Also, society largely runs on a 9-to-5 schedule, so night owls can be at a disadvantage.
A new study by Jawbone has mapped when Americans fall asleep - The results are as follows:

Unsurprisingly New York has the most night owls with an average sleep time of 12:07am, and Hawaii has many who go to bed much earlier at around 10:31pm (they probably get up earlier too).
In conclusion to this battle over bedtime, night owls are not lagging behind in life, they are just lagging behind in time!
So the question is, are you up early in the morning or are you more energized during the evening? :)

Football or Baseball

This category is a separating factor for Americans. If you ask most Americans what the national past time is, most would probably say football, when in all actuality it is baseball. I am definitely biased in this situation just because I play baseball, but the facts are facts baseball is America's favorite past time and it is for good reason. It's a great sport and while football is a great sport, baseball is definitely better.

Snape: Was He Actually A Good Guy?

     I'm sure we've all read Harry Potter. If you haven't you need to because it's an important piece of literature.

     Also you maybe shouldn't read this post because spoilers.

     The big debate at the end of the Harry Potter series is: is Snape actually a good guy? Some people think that yes he is. He loved Lily and so he betrayed the Dark Lord for her. He risked his own life to be a spy for Dumbledore. He did his best to not let her death be in vain.

     On the opposite side of the debate are those who think that just because he loved Lily, that doesn't make him a good guy. He still tormented his students, one of which being his love's son, and tried to out a werewolf out of sheer spite. He was a bully and never seemed to care how his actions would affect his students.

     Sure Snape helped in defeating the lord but did he only do it for selfish reasons?

Break Your Bank or Break Your Feet

For many years, Nike and Adidas have been competing to see who is the best sportswear brand. Nike and Adidas are the two top brands for athletic shoes, and while for me there is no doubt Nike is better, some people find Adidas better. 

This picture shows different comparisons between Nike(left) and Adidas(right) as of 2014

Nike's shoes are both comfortable and trendy but they are expensive. Adidas shoes are durable but they do not set trends like Nike shoes do. Adidas was the at the top until they fell behind in advertising. Nike stepped up and is now representing 98 colleges/universities, while Adidas only sponsors 48. Nike also leads in social media and has 5.32 million followers on twitter while Adidas only has 2.29 million. Even though each brand has its flaws, it will always be a debate which is better.

Dogs vs. Cats

You know, both dogs and cats are pretty popular pets. I mean, dogs are pretty dang obedient, and cats make those purring sounds. I'm not sure which is better. Personally I have two dogs, and they're very annoying when they tap dance at me for food. Something tells me a cat wouldn't tap dance at me. Unless I'm the judge of a tap dancing competition for cats.

iPhone Vs. Android

In America today, it is hard to find someone who has not owned or used a smart phone.  In fact, some low income families rely on smartphones for their only source of online access, taking the place of a computer because many smartphones are affordable.  Since producing and selling smartphones has become highly depended upon in America, it is a competitive field in which two companies have risen to the top: Apple and Android.  

The topic has become somewhat of a heated debate between which company produces better smartphones.  While owners of each type of phone almost always fight strongly for the company of the smartphone they own, they often argue based on what they feel, not the true facts.  While both companies make similar products, each provides different advantages and setbacks which makes it impossible to arrive at a logical decision on which is best.  The decision lies with the consumer, it depends on the needs, likes/dislikes, and purpose each individual wants from their smartphone that allows them to make the choice.  Neither phone can be a perfect match for everyone, but the owners of each seem to think otherwise.  

Public School System vs. Private School System

The debate between which free education vs. paid has been debated about all over America.  People believe that one certain type of school system is better and has more benefits than the other.  This issue between whether the public school system or private school system is better for students has divided America.

There are thousands of schools all over America, but they are mainly divided up into tax-paid public schools or tuition-based private schools.  Each type of school system has their own advantages and disadvantages.  For example, the private school system is preferred because they are mainly smaller schools with small class sizes.  In most private schools, you would not find hundreds of students in one grade like many public school systems. Some people like the fact that private schools are smaller because there is not as many people to worry about and there might be less drama in the classrooms.   On the other hand, private schools are more strict on what is allowed on the campus. Many private school have rules that make it easier to control how the students behave with their classmates.   The public school system is not as strict because there are many more students and it would be hard to control them all.   These students have more freedom to express themselves during school. An example of this is in the dress code.  Students in public school typically do not have to wear uniforms, they can wear clothes that they choose within certain boundaries.

One does not simply choose between Star Wars and Lord of the Rings

A long time ago in a galaxy far, far away a question was asked that changed the history of the world. A question so vitally important that many wars have been started and many lives have been changed. This question was... Star Wars or Lord of the Rings?

This question has caused a lot of divisions in my friend group and I realized that many people across America feel extremely passionate about this topic.  It's really a simple question that is a matter of opinion but when ever this topic comes up many people feel the need to prove why their side is best and convince anyone who disagrees with them that they are wrong. I could give you a hundred different reasons for why each side is better but in my opinion both are so different that they should never have been compared in the first place. However, a recent online poll was done that favored Star Wars (50% Star Wars 38% Lord of the Rings and 12% Equal). There will always be a divide between Star Wars fans and Lord of the Rings fans, no matter how many polls are done you can never actually prove which is better.

Pies Versus Cake

For decades, cake has been a birthday party staple as nationally accepted as Mac ’n Cheese. However, pies have always been a favorite holiday dessert. The average American has a definite opinion on which they prefer. People express there opinions on cake versus pies in subtle ways. One example of this is that little children are forced to eat cake at countless birthday parties since there are rarely any other options for dessert. However, at parties or reunions for adults, there are other options for desserts. This is because the hosts realize that the adults are already set in their opinions, but the children can still be brainwashed towards cake.

Unlike cake, pie has been a holiday tradition for hundreds of years. Many people prefer pies to cake because pies are generally viewed as healthier. Additionally, there are an infinite number of pies, while cakes have fewer, blander flavors.

Cake proponents believe that cakes are “more fun” and “better for a crowd.” However, pies are often eaten by a family as they share a Sunday evening and grow closer to one another. This is one of the reasons that I believe that pies are the superior dessert.

Which do people really prefer, though? One survey found that cake is the favorite. However, it was a close tie (Cake: 56%, Pie 46%).

 

 

DISNEY VS UNIVERSAL

Imagine you're going on the trip of your life to Orlando, FL. You want to go to an amusement park, but you're torn between two.... Walt Disney World or Universal Studios.
Disney's main focus is for everyone to find their "Disney side" and embrace their inner child. Universal is seen as the "big kid" park where adults can have more fun without as many little kids in the way. But so is Disney if you think about it. They are very similar, yet very different.
They  are both really large theme parks that millions of tourists from around the world visit every year. Both include elements to your favorite movies, that they own, of course. Who doesn't love Harry Potter? If you want to go see Universal Studio's Harry Potter World, then Disney isn't the place for you. Who doesn't want to embrace their inner Princess, Prince, or Pirate? Go visit Disney World! Disney has a much bigger area of land, whereas Universal Studio's is small in comparison. No matter what you choose, you will love your experience in Orlando; so get ready, get set, and prepare for adventure!


Here's a link to a recent poll that has been taken:
Disney Vs Universal

Let me know what you think! Walt Disney World or Universal Studios?

Knowledge is Power (Google vs Bing)

In this day and age, information is so readily available to anyone on the internet. Want to know how to tie a tie? Watch a step-by-step YouTube video and be ready for your big interview. Need to know who invented the segway? A quick search will yield the name in a matter of seconds. With all this information so easily attainable, one question divides the nation (more or less). By what search engine do you access the internet?

When someone asks a question, and no one knows the answer, what happens? The phrase "Google it" has become so common whenever someone needs any sort of information. This attests to the clear dominance of the search engine Google compared to Bing.

Bing uses constant advertising to "prove" it is superior when in fact, all it does is prove the opposite. Google doesn't need to advertise because it knows it is the best. Bing questions whether it is or isn't and uses advertising as a sorry attempt to sway the masses. But everyone already knows Google is superior.

I am morally opposed to putting America into two groups, but will anyway.

America is a large multifaceted environment with many groups and large overlaps between groups.Because of this it is difficult to break America into two sections without limiting them and being unfair. For America to be separated into two groups there would have to be gross generalizations and force fitting. In spite of my feelings on this, I will do exactly that. So, do Americans prefer hamburgers or hotdogs. In the past the answer was hotdogs, however in recent years the hamburger has taken a massive lead as the American favorite. Personally, I think they are on pretty equal standing and when given the choice between hamburgers or hotdogs will usually opt for both. Tell me which you like more in the comments and explain why. I am very interested. 

Burger King vs. McDonalds vs. Krystal's vs. White Castle vs. Carl Jr. etc.

Just because the United States has the word "united" in its name, doesn't automatically make it united on all fronts. One of the topics the United States will never be united on is food, specifically one's favorite burger joint. Some love Krystal's, others are enthusiastic about Whataburger, while still some select few do not even like burgers and will pick the one with the best chicken nuggets.

The picture below shows the division of America when it comes to Fast-Food Burger joints. Each color represents a different joint and the map is filled with these colors showing the preferred burger joint of certain regions. As you can see in Georgia the favorite burger joints seem to be 1. Krystal's, 2. Checkers, and 3. Stake n shake ,but these are far from being the national favorite. There will never be a burger joint that is the favorite of all Americans unless one day there is only one burger joint in America.

You Knew this One (or two) was Coming

Imagine, sitting at a restaurant. The air is light. You're breathing comfortably, and enjoying a great, carefree time. You're happy to see the waitress, as she strolls over to take your drink order. You order a tall glass of cold, refreshing Coke. Then, she hits you with the question that literally rocks the South and makes you the most disappointed human to live: "Is pepsi ok?" So, I guess the real question is: Which carbonated beverage is better, Pepsi or Coke?


 

The same question has been around since carbonation existed. The image above, from www.economist.com, shows the percent changes in sales in North America from 2004 to 2014. According to this chart and other statistics over the years, Coke has had more revenue in sales than Pepsi has. Although these results may seem obvious or shocking to you, there has been a major decline in the past five years of overall soda. The reason is health precautions and overall health consciousness. Whether you're from the North (and drink Pepsi religiously) or from the South (and have "Coca-Cola" tattooed on your right arm), there will always be the debate of which soda is better, and there will always be this great divide in our country. Comment your preference/thoughts bellow!

The Worlds Greatest Division of All Time Ever

The big question. The question that divides all of the world into two groups. The question that can can completely change how you see someone for the rest of your life. You already know what it is, but I'll tell you anyways for the sake of this blog post: "Are you a dog person or a cat person?'

It may seem like a simple question, but its much more than that. The world has constantly been arguing about cats vs dogs and its one of the most common arguments to have with a friend. The division of dog and cat people has been seen through all of history as well. The people of Nepal and India have worshipped dogs while the ancient Egyptians preferred worshipping cats instead. But which traditional pet is truly superior?

A recent Associated Press poll reveals that more people like dogs than like cats.  In a survey of just under 2000 people, 59% of who were pet owners (mostly of dogs or cats) 74% said they liked dogs “a lot” but only 41% said the same thing about cats.  Only 2% said they disliked dogs “a lot”, but 15% feel that way about cats.

Of course its a small sample size, but it looks like dogs win in this case. National geographic also did a "national" poll and found that dogs were favored too. http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2013/06/130619-pets-poll-animals-united-states-nation-dogs-cats/

So for now, it looks like people like dogs better than cats. Man's best friend will continue to reign supreme in this country. Which are you? A dog are a cat person?

America's Gun Control

Gun control is such a controversial topic in our country today. People say guns are this countries problems and that they should be illegal. Others are huge gun activists who protest anti-gun laws every chance they get. The problem people don't see is that whether they restrict guns or not there are always going to  be criminals out there that can get there hands on guns to terrorize this country with. 

Here is the right to carry in the states since 1986.

This shows just how the states have changed in regards to the right to carry. Since 1986 we have had armed crimes take place all over the country and even now that most states allow the right to carry these crimes are still going on, they were going on before 1986 and they're still going on now which means no amount of gun control has changed whether or not these armed crimes are going to stop. At this point the people who say we should have gun control are fighting a losing battle because with the amount of change we have had in the area of gun control and yet no change in the armed crime level suggests that guns are not the problem.

The Great American Divide

America is divided into two types of people.

Not democrats and republicans, not rich and poor, not young and old. No, there are two types of people in this world.........

Coffee people and Tea people.

And now you are thinking about your warm beverage addiction, and saying "But which is the dominant group?????"
Well, in  a study done in 2011, it was found that people drank waaaaay more coffee than tea. The average coffee consumption for that year was over 9lbs. per person; whereas the average tea consumption was under a pound per person. HOWEVER, the numbers are changing, and tea has been becoming more and more popular. So it is possible that one day, tea will be the preferred beverage of Americans. But NOT THIS DAY!

I myself am a coffee person. I can't go a day without it. I'll probably have a diagnosable addiction by the time I'm 20, but so will pretty much every other "basic white girl" in America.

(This video explains how I am before coffee:https://www.youtube.com/embed/G0NnpJb0NwY?feature=player_embedded")

If you want to know the differences between coffee and tea drinkers, you can check out this link: http://thoughtcatalog.com/chelsea-fagan/2013/02/tea-people-vs-coffee-people/!!

I Align With (edited)

This morning on the Greatest Country in God's Green Earth, I woke up with my American flag wrapped around my waist and a bandanna on my forehead. I sang the national anthem eight times before continuing my morning routine. As I was reciting the Pledge of Allegiance before starting my homework, it hit me... not everybody sides with what isidewith. I chose to put off flexing in the mirror while grunting "murica" in order to get a quick start on my blog post. As I read through this morning's prompt, I was promptly reminded of a political quiz I had recently taken. After completing the quiz I was taken to the main website where I could view different polls and how the United States is split over multiple issues. I discovered that when you vote in a poll, the website takes you to a chatroom where you can discuss your answer and see other people's reasoning.


An example of an issue mentioned on this website is The Patriot Act. The question is,"Do you support the Patriot Act?"and there is a circle graph showing 53% for and 47% against out of roughly 10 million voters. It may simply seem that there is more support for the patriot act than not; however, "yes" and "no" have two sub answers. There is "yes" which got 35% of all the votes and "yes, but limit the scope of the government's power" which got 18%, both are considered a "yes answer". What is very surprising is the fact that "no" got 41% of all the votes, but its sub-answer, "no, and pass strict laws forbidding any government surveillance", only got 6%. It doesn't just end there, the website gives you the option to filter the poll based on different areas, people groups, and nationalities.

My point is that we live in a nation that is divided in many different ways, but that's ok. If we weren't divided then that would be an indicator that we were being ruled by a dictator. Our system of Government, which allows for representation of all groups no matter where they land in polls, is so beautiful because it lets people speak their mind and show their opinions. However, not everybody's going to agree on everything, but that's also a good thing. The more opinions and more inputs that are put into our system reduce the likelihood of corruption. For this reason I am glad to live in a nation that is ruled by the people for the people (for the most part).




Oh and go to this website

The Southern vs. Northern Accent Debate

What is in a accent? Is a rose by an other twang still a rose? Well, yes but the people of America still take great pride in the accents of their homeland. Each dialectic in our country has connotations of different things. A sweet Southern drawl brings to mind memories of mason jar sweet tea on your back porch in the midst of an unusually strong summer. Northern accents remind you of the bright fall colors of Boston or the bustling streets of New York City. American accents have their own symbolism and culture surrounding them which is why they are also wrapped in conflict. The most of controversial of these debates is the use of 'y'all'. The term 'y'all' is most commonly used in the south to describe a group of people. Unfortunately, the rest of the country has yet to learn the value of such a useful phrase and are left with an extra syllable- 'you guys'. This is the most major of all divisions among accents and it may never be decided which phrase is "correct". Until then, I shall be content with my y'all's and Southern sweet tea. 

Americas favorite Baseball team

One way our country is divided is by what our favorite MLB team is. With there being 30 teams all over the country you have a very wide selection. Since 2003 The New York Yankees have been voted Americas favorite team with the Los Angeles Angels coming in second and The Atlanta Braves and Texas Rangers going back and fourth for third place.

By chandler Jackson

Pop vs. Soda vs. Coke

The United States of America are often not so united. There are several different issues that can divide the country. One of the most divisive is that of SodaPop. There has always been a big debate over the proper name of carbonated beverages. Many call it pop. Many call it soda. However, many in the south simply call it Coke.

This picture from popvssoda.com breaks the division down into regions. The website has polled people all over the country and records the data by county. For example, in Forsyth County, out of the 200 people that have contributed to the survey online, Pop receives 10 (5%) votes, Soda 43 (22%), Coke 119 (60%), and Other 28 (14%). It is a unique survey, and I suggest you vote in order to make you voice heard. I generally refer to it as either Coke or Soda (never Pop) - I use the two interchangeably. Comment your preference below.

This post is dedicated to Christopher Joseph McClenathen (my favorite Yankee).

By Devin Young

Free Cheese, The Dollar, and American Division

Everyone loves something free, right? Stores advertise for free deals to bring people in, and "free" seems to have a good connotation about it. But what does free exactly mean? Does it mean nothing is exchanged for something, or is it more tangled than that within the web of business and economics? Free is American. American freedom from what? The British. American business tactics? Let's give it free to attract them. But if free is exactly what it is defined as, something for nothing, then how would it be profitable to anyone at all?

"Free cheese is always available in mouse traps" ~Anonymous

What does this quote mean? Well, mice love cheese right? That's obvious; but, what is a mouse trap? It can be used to kill the mice. The free cheese is used as bait to get the mice towards the stuff they love, but they end up having to pay for that cheese with their life. In other words, something is never free. Someone somewhere has to pay for that free thing, even if it doesn't directly affect you.

Now to the point of division, what is one of the government's problems right now that is steadily growing? DEBT! The debt of America continues to increase at an alarming rate, and hardly anything is being done to prevent its increase. As the debt increases, the government has begun to print more money, which could lead to the inflation of dollar and then collapse of it all over the world, a serious economic problem. The division within America that is correlated to this rising debt are the working force vs. those who are on government handouts. The men, women, and families being supported by government funds is increasing, but why? Well, first off, yes there are some who need these handouts to live as it is their only option until work is found. But what about those who are now quitting their jobs and getting on to the government funding programs? Instead of working and producing capital within America to be circulated as well as boost the economy, they have lessened the work force and also are helping to raise that American debt higher, as the government spends more money it doesn't have. But these handouts aren't exactly free, so who ends up having to pay for them? The American taxpayers and working force. As the workforce produces their own living, taxes taken out are mixed within government money and used to support these government handouts. Why should those who work have to pay for those who are capable of working, but choose not to, just living off others?

For knowledgeable taxpayers, this has caused division between them and the government and freeloaders. Some are not quite aware of the web that government ties between them and those on the handouts, but it still affects their income. The number of those on these handouts is increasing, as a chain of events has taken place. Starting since a little after the Great Depression, those who needed the government handouts were granted them. But after so long, others began to realize that they could live just as easily with less work, so they then join the handouts as well as quitting their job for some. As more and more people see others doing this, they join as well, and the chain is well on its way. As it probably will only get worse until the dollar collapses or something is done to stop its increase, we will see how the U.S. holds out, especially with the promises of this upcoming election candidates.

(Wow that was long, but thanks for reading! Until next Wednesday friends! ~Brooke)

The Divided States of America

With election season upon us, we are hearing a lot about how divided we are as a country. Democrat vs. Republican, left vs. right, blue vs. red, liberal vs. conservative: middle ground is harder than ever to find. But politics is not the only way to categorize Americans. In the ever-important category of breakfast foods, did you know we are either waffle people or pancake people? And can you imagine living in a place that didn't have a Waffle House or two at every highway exit?

For your blog post paragraph today, divide American in two. You can write about the political divide or another serious divide, such as race or religion. Or you can research another, less obvious way that we can be placed into two categories. Our nation is one of the most heterogeneous major nations in the world, so there should be no end to our differences.

      Sweet Tea or Unsweet tea? If you are from the south you always get sweet tea, rarely ever       unsweet tea. However, Throughout The United States people not from the south prefer to drink unsweet tea. Why the difference? In the South, ice tea is not just a summertime drink, it is served year round with most meals. However in the North, people really just don't like the taste of sweet tea. The way the they drink tea is black or unsweetened is that how it is, they just don't like sweet tea.