Monday, March 03, 2025

Another dry spell

Some rain was supposed to come our way this past weekend but instead, dryness again.  The temps did drop though from the 80's to low 60's during the day but we need some sky waters!  Our riverbeds are completely dry again and with our reserve waters being dumped by the idiot running this country right now, he has left California in desperate times to replenish that supply for our famers this Summer.  There looks to be some snow left on the mountains so that is a good sign but we still need so much more as this has been an extremely dry Winter compared to the last couple of years.  Last year was great with having rain fall almost through May!  We need several more years of that kind of rain to get us out of the drought but this year has basically put us further into the negative right now.

Weekly Update:

This past week we have seen a lot of talent pass and for very unusual causes.  Early in the week actress Michelle Trachtenberg passed at 39 which is very young but they believe to be complications from a liver transplant she had earlier.  Then almost the next day, Gene Hackman and his wife (along with their dog) were all found dead with reasons unknown at this time.  Some think possibly gas but too early to speculate.  Then toward the end of the week was David Johansen who was both a singer and actor.  He had been battling stage 4 cancer and a brain tumor for years.

At the movies:

Hanging on to #1 for a 3rd week-in-a-row is Captain America: Brave New World with another 15 mil as it approaches 200 mil mark and should get there with it's current course.  New at #2 is Last Breath with 7.8 mil and there is some good buzz around this film but this is also a lull time frame for movies as we conclude the award season tonight.  Drop down to #3 is The Monkey with an extra 6.4 mil and not a bad drop from last week's opening.  Also down a notch to #4 is Paddington in Peru with 4.5 mil extra and should be wrapping up it's run soon.  Rounding off the top 5 is Dog Man with 4.2 mil more and also should be wrapping up at the box office too.

Quote of the week:
"Let there be work, bread, water and salt for all." - Nelson Mandela

Facts & Tips:
the fear of long words is called hippopotomonstrosesquippedaliophobia.

"It's Friday night and you're doing homework." - Aubrey Anderson-Emmons as Lily Tucker-Pritchett in the TV series Modern Family.

Monday, February 24, 2025

Let's GO!

GOooooooooo!!

This past Friday I participated in an event at the Rose Bowl in Pasadena for Pokemon Go! This was my first ever Pokemon event and it was a bit daunting then I anticipated.  LOT of walking, not sure how much I walked but it was a lot.  The event utilized not only the Rose Bowl stadium itself but the golf course next to it and at least four of the greens.  There was at least a few thousand people and it was only the initial Friday (day one) of the whole event.  I can't imagine what Saturday and Sunday were like as more people had the weekend off.  Met a nice group of people and spent most of my time with them. Also met some people I work with or have worked with for the first time from Florida so that was pretty nice too.  But overall the event was fun but very exhausting and wasn't quiet prepared for that.  I think I must have walked the four golf greens at least 3 to 4 times each and the stadium 4 times as well.  My back was killing me after awhile, I completely forgot to take or bring some Advil with me and paid for that pain.  I don't know how all these people do these events if it was super hot and/or humid!

Weekly Update:

This lingering cough won't go away!  I feel pretty recovered for the most part except this cough which makes my nose running and it is not letting up.  I've been taking cough syrups and downing cough drops constantly but I'm constantly trying to clear my throat.  I guess the cough isn't as bad but does come in stages.  But the constant having to clear my throat because it always feels like something is in there is annoying.  And then after trying to clear it, a cough comes and if the cough is weak, another one, then another than it makes my nose running.  It is like a constant cycle of just annoying!  I just want it all to go away already.  My schedule lately has been kind of hectic and having 2-consecutive days off is a bit tough to find which is what I think I need of just bed rest and stuff like Nyquil to knock me out, sleep and hopefully wake up with the cough much reduced if not gone.

At the movies:

Holding on to #1 for a 2nd week is Captain America: Brave New World with an another 28.2 million and now well over 100 mil cume.  It did suffer a pretty substantial drop though so it could be quickly on the way out at this pace.  New at #2 is The Monkey with 14.2 mil and not bad for this independent film.  Drop down to #3 is Paddington in Peru with 6.5 mil and struggling along. Down to #4 is Dog Man with 5.9 mil and getting closer to hitting 100 mil which will struggle to get it but will likely top off there.  Holding at #5 is Ne Zha 2 with 3.1 mil and probably be out next week as soon as something new releases.

New movies that did not make the top 5:

Just one this week, coming in at #8 is The Unbreakable Boy with 2.5 mil which is a very low per screen average and won't get much more.

Quote of the week:
"If you can't describe what you are doing as a process, you don't know what you're doing." - W. Edwards Deming

Facts & Tips:

Our solar system has a wall.

"What did you do, wake up this morning and say, "Today, I'm going to ruin a man's life"? - Michael Douglas as Jack Colton in Romancing the Stone.

Monday, February 17, 2025

Relapse!

I fell into a relapse of being sick and it's just miserable.  This time though it's more of a runny nose, congestion and cough.  No aches or pains though which is good so all I did all weekend was sleep all day and night.  But I knew it was coming back when I returned from my trip and could just feel it with the change in temperature being so drastic and also that air on the plane is not healthy.  Now I have some more events coming up this next weekend and I need to get better for again as they will be outside!  I just need like a month or two weeks of doing nothing, that would be nice.  At least right now I am not taking as many meds as I did the first time I got sick as I don't need them but still taking several meds.

Weekly Update:

We managed some solid rain for a few days over last weekend but this week and for the rest of February it appears it will be bone dry.  We are no where near the reserves we lost recently and have to make up that along with the draught we have been so we are in more than double jeopardy right now if we can't get at least a solid month of rain.  One solid month of rain should almost get our reserves back and then we can start filling the reservoirs but... where is the rain.  But because of the moronic current US administration, lack of knowledge or how anything works, our reserves were emptied which is the water supply for our farmlands for this upcoming Summer... now completely gone and for what?  Nothing that impacted anyone so we are simply screwed as a state now.

At the movies:

New at #1 is Captain America: Brave New World as the shield is passed to a new Captain and earns a decent 88.5 million.  In terms of openings compared to the first three, this one ranked 3rd and word-of-mouth is just fair on it.  2nd weekend will be a big tell but I suspect a big drop will occur.  New at a distant #2 is Paddington in Peru with 13 mil and will probably do better in the after markets.  Drop down to #3 is Dog Man with 10 mil and that is actually an increase at the box office!  Drop down to #4 is Love Hurts with 9.7 mil more and actually not a bad drop too.  Rounding off the top 5 and also new is Ne Zha 2 with 7.2 mil and not a bad number considering less than 1,000 runs.

Quote of the week:
"One word frees us of all the weight and the pain in life. That word is love." - Sophocles

Facts & Tips:

Mount Everest isn't the tallest mountain on the Earth.

"Now here's the situation. This bird has got no electrical and in about two minutes we're going to be kissing gravel, so listen to me you sperm sucker! Either you get off your butt and clear us for landing or I'm gonna fly this rocket right up your socket!" - Naomi Watts as Jet Girl in Tank Girl.

Monday, February 10, 2025

It was Super... bowl!

Had the 2nd rare chance to go to the Superbowl game on Sunday in New Orleans and even though the game was pretty much a blow-out, was still a great time.  Also, this was my first time visiting New Orleans and it was so packed!  There was tons of security and roads closed so it was really difficult getting around when you are trying to park but once you are on foot, it was still so packed and hard to get around.  I'm not sure what it's like during Mardi Gras but this past weekend there were intersections you could not move when walking in the streets.  Most people just stop in the middle of the street usually waiting to get beads thrown at them or looking at their phone.  Also, aren't he beads for Mardi Gras and mean something?  Not just because there is thousands upon thousands of people?  I didn't quite understand the beads during this event though but I guess since it's just being New Orleans.

Weekly Update:
While being in New Orleans I sure saw a LOT of people walking when they shouldn't have.  Going against traffic and just utter chaos.  Surprised no one got hit or maybe they did and I just didn't see it happen.  But traffic in New Orleans was insane and people didn't care.  Perhaps some were drunk or most were, others just decided why not and went.  I know I've done it but only if the cars are completely stopped and waiting for the car in front to move but they aren't.  But in general I tend to wait for the crossing signal to tell me because you don't know when a random car will come out of no where making a turn.  Also saw several jay walking warning signs but not sure how strongly that is enforced when you have such massive crowds all over the place.

At the movies:
It was Superbowl weekend and was out for the game so late edition... but interesting numbers this week.  Holding at #1 is Dog Man with another 13.7 mil and half-way to 100 but unlikely reach it with the big drop off it had from week 1 to 2.  New at #2 is Heart Eyes with 8.5 mil and will be quickly dropping out soon. Also new at #3 is Love Hurts with only 5.8 mil to open, also not a great number and could be out sooner than expected.  Slight drop to #4 is Mufasa: The Lion King with 3.9 mil extra as it slowly wraps up its reign.  Big drop to #5 is Companion  with another 3 mil and likely the last time we see it in the top 5.

New movies that did not make the top 5:
Just one this week in at #7 is Becoming Led Zeppelin.  Earned a modest 2.6 mil but it was only in less that 500 screens.  Likely won't do much more than that.

Quote of the week:
"Treasure your relationships, not your possessions." - Anthony J. D'Angelo

Facts & Tips:
The Sun makes a sound but we can't hear it.

"I will fist fight you in your head right now." - Pauley Perrette as Abby Sciuto in the TV series
NCIS.

Monday, February 03, 2025

Cough, cough, cough

Since Monday I've been fighting a cold and what has made it worse is that every day after work and on the weekend I had something to do so I couldn't just rest.  And these were things I had to do such an 2 allergist appointments and other meetings been missing and rescheduling for a year.  So I just had to hunker down, wrap myself up in layers and take tons of meds!  The worst part of it was really the night time regime.  Trying to sleep but can't because I couldn't breath normally and the congestion.  Also if I took something like Nyquil then I am pretty out of it the next morning for awhile.  I hate being sick, it's so annoying and just messes up your routine, plans, everything.  But less than a full week later it has gotten better, I would say maybe 75% better and hopefully the remaining 25% won't take much longer!  I have more things to do and other stuff!

Weekly Update:

I've noticed quiet a change in prices lately.  So with the political and economic climate drastically changing, I made some bigger item purchases before the year ended.  I bought a new computer for about $850 and also a new curved monitor because I thought they were neat and wanted to try it, for about $225.  I also had my tires replaced since I still had the original when I got the car in 2019 and they were getting down on wear and those 4 were about $1000 with everything like tax and service.  So recently I checked that same computer and monitor... the computer is now selling for $1400 and all the same specs.  The monitor is about $600 so that is a significant jump.  The tires I am not sure on yet, I need to check the brand and specs to make sure I get the comparison right but I can see those going up, just how much I don't know.  It is only going to get worse from here!

At the movies:

As we continue into this sort of lull box office season, we have another new #1 at the theatres!  Taking the lead with 36 million is Dog Man and appears to have a good and fun word-of-mouth.  Could do fairly well in the long run.  New at #2 is Companion with 9.5 mil and this will fade out pretty fast.  Slight dip to #3 is Mufasa: The Lion King with 6.1 mil as still continues in the 200 mil range but unlikely it will go past that.  Also slightly dipping to #4 is One of Them Days with 6 mil and will eventually fall off.  Big drop to #5 is Flight Risk with 5.6 mil more and due to recent events, that could have affected it a lot more than it should have dropped.

Quote of the week:
"Never bend your head. Always hold it high. Look the world straight in the eye." - Helen Keller

Facts & Tips:

The world's oldest dog lived to be 29.5 years old.

"It's not that bad. If this were 1775, you'd be a total chick magnet." - Mike Erwin as Colin Hart in the TV series "Everwood."