Friday, April 28, 2006

Quaker instant Oatmeal Express ...

We have these little cups of Oatmeal at work that all you do is add hot water. Nice, simple, easy and ready to eat in about a minute. What I don't understand about these things is that there is a little dotted line halfway up to where you fill the water too. When you do that you stir it up and it doesn't rise past that dotted line ... WHAT ABOUT THE REST OF THE CONTAINER?! There should be more oatmeal or something. Don't give me this little container and then cut me off halfway with no more to eat. Just another thing that doesn't make sense to me I guess ... there are a lot of those in the world.

Weekly Recap:
So I went ahead and signed up for the Improv classes. Its a total of 4 classes every Tuesday night from 7 to 10pm. Its nice because its near work but on the way home sort of. Also nice because the class size is very small so its not as intimidating. We were told on the 22nd of May we are suppose to do this family and friends showcase ... wha?! Well I think it is optional and I am just doing this for fun. I will miss the next class however because I got invited to the Saturn Awards ... never been but hey, be interesting to go to a Sci-Fi/Fantasy Award Show.

I also moved into my new office last Tuesday (aka the former kitchen). Its nice, small but not too small ... about the same size as my office at MGM. No windows but I look out my door to a window in which I see a tree and a soundstage beyond that ... so no real view. I do have a skylight which is nice though.

I saw an improv show on Saturday which was really fun. My friend Bill Chott's Musicale! show filled with song and sketches all inter-mixed together based off of one topic provided by the studio audience ... Missouri! Shows every Saturday through May at 8pm at the IOWest on Hollywood Blvd. Fun times! Also that night I ran into David Koechner who was very cool.

At the movies:
Robin Williams with his film RV takes the box office crown this weekend opening with 16.4 million. Those numbers are very decent considering the film is nothing of substance. The #2 spot was United 93 (one-sheet image to the right), a very tough film (from what I hear) to watch but still well done. It sweeps in at 11.6 million but what is interesting about this number is that it only played on half the number of screens RV did. Stick It starring Jeff Bridges takes #3 with 11.2 million, respectable number. Filling out the top 5 are Silent Hill at the #4 spot with a cool 9.3 million and Scary Movie 4 closes up with #5.

Q&A:
Not really questions but some comments. Regarding the Improv classes ... you know I don't really consider myself funny but I just like to have fun. But the classes are not really focused on how to be funny but just to be honest and that there are no real mistakes.

It was also brought to my attention regarding one of my previous blogs about chocolate. Apparently the white stuff on the outside is cocoa butter that seperates itself given time and forms that white residue (although still safe to consume). Thanks to someone I know as Liaster and Alton Brown.

Other News:
So all the big talk these days is the rise of gas prices at the pump and how the oil companies are posting record breaking profits this quarter. Its no surprise they are if the prices are increasing yet everyone still buys gas instead of carpooling or taking public transportation if they can. So how can they complain that much? My ideal situation would be gas at the level its at and more people taking public transportation. This would make my commute so much nicer and in the long run I would then save gas because of no traffic! I don't mind paying 3 to 4 bucks a gallon to make this happen!!! But on the flip side I do disagree with the way things are going. What is also sad is the role the president is playing in all of this. Naturally he has interests in the oil companies hence no real federal help in this situation. In fact he is urging the lift of environmental restrictions on gas production and opening up the Alaskan parks which have proven to be rich in oil deposits. When the last oil crisis hit which was ... hmmm, during the 1st Gulf War? Or maybe right after that ... I can't remember now but either Bush Sn or Clinton released millions of barrels from the federal reserve which dropped gas prices way down and it eventually leveled off to a reasonable figure. Bush jr instead reduces the amount that goes into the federal reserve which kind of means nothing. Its like planting one tree in a million acre forest fire.

Facts and Tips:
Children grow faster in the spring.

"Do you remember the Shire, Mr. Frodo? It'll be spring soon. And the orchards will be in blossom. And the birds will be nesting in the hazel thicket. And they'll be sowing the summer barley in the lower fields... and eating the first of the strawberries with cream. Do you remember the taste of strawberries?" - Sean Astin as Samwise Gamgee in "The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King".

posted by McDuck @ 10:22 2 comments

Thursday, April 20, 2006

Autographs!!

What is the big fascination with getting an autograph from someone famous or of that nature were they are a "big deal" to you? I can understand if you get it in person or even have it personalized but buying it at like a collectors store or online? How do I know its authentic is my first concern and what they are asking for a signed picture sometimes is just crazy. Why? I will admit I have items that are signed but that is either because 1) I meet them, 2) Friend got it for me because of personal relationships or 3) I don't have a reason for this one but I thought 3 points was necessary. Fraud is a big business in this area so I question many items out there that I see. Once I was with my friend Tony Chui checking things on the internet and we found on E-Bay a signed jacket by "John Woo" (can't remember what movie it was for, maybe Mission Impossible II). Well Tony is the nephew of John and he spotted right away it was completely fake. We notified E-Bay but not sure if we caught it in time or not since the auction was only going for another day. But without him there and knowing it was fake ... how else can we verify these things? The item even came with a COA (Certificate of Authenticty) but obvioulsy that is fake as well. I actually make COA's all the time for various items that work has donated for charity ... they are EASY to produce and make-up.

Weekly Recap:
Last Tuesday night I took a free Improv class from my friend Bill Chott. It was pretty fun and it focused more on social skills and just being yourself rather than trying to be funny. The funny just kind of comes out naturally from there if you take everything more lightly. I may take some more classes and see how those are. Not that I want to be any kind of comedian, I just think its fun to have that in your background. More on that if it develops.

At the movies:
Silent Hill, based from the popular video game, came in 1st this week at the box office. This suspense/horror/thriller swept the weekend with a big 20 million dollar opening while knocking Scary Movie 4 to 17 mil and the #2 spot. That is actually a strong hold for Scary Movie. Taking #3 is the new film The Sentinel which had a respectable weekend of 14.7 million. Rounding out the top 5 with #4 Ice Age: The Meltdown still going strong taking in another 12.8 (168 million domestic and 300 million internationally) and The Wild closes up at #5 with 8 million. Other new films that didn't make the top 5 is American Dreamz making its debut at #8 with just 3.7 million.

I went to another "Hollywood Collectors" show ... another nerd fest but got some cool, wierd and "ok" pics with some folks:

Allyce Beasley- so incredibly sweet
Bonnie Aarons- not so well known but was very nice
Cindy Pickett- so so
Cindy Williams- so so
Corin Nemec- very cool guy
Dick Christie- blah
Marla Pennington- blah
Gary Busey- woah ... crazy is a crazy does
Kevin Sorbo- very nice guy
Michael Bailey Smith- interesting
Michael J. Anderson- cool dude
Rip Taylor- sweet man
Vern Troyer- hmmmm, jury is still out
Michael York- very very nice, extremely cool

Q&A:
None at this time.

Other News:
No child left behind ... except in the US. So the drop out rate from high school has dropped from 3.8% in 2004 to 3.5% in 2005 ... that still seems bad. The program Bush put into place since he took office is nothing short of failure. One thing in his more recent update is he wants to do away with vocational programs (tradeskill classes). There are thousands of kids out there who are content with learning a specific skill like car repair or construction and either 1) do not want to go to higher education or 2) can not afford it. At least with vocational opportunities in high school, they stay in school to learn the trade and if anything walk away with a diploma and a valuable skill that can put them in the work force immediately (and probably earn more money than a college degree might offer). College isn't for everyone, not just in cost but on many other levels. Why eliminate an option?

Facts and Tips:
The Average American walks 18,000 steps a day.

"Oh, he's very popular Ed. The sportos, the motorheads, geeks, sluts, bloods, waistoids, dweebies, d**kheads - they all adore him. They think he's a righteous dude."- Edie McClurg as Grace, the Secretary in "Ferris Bueller's Day Off".

posted by McDuck @ 11:04 3 comments

Monday, April 17, 2006

Doritos baked chips ...

For the win, they are some good stuff. I gave up chips for lent this Easter and all last week was this jar/tub of Doritos baked nacho chips ... just teasing me! But today, I dug into them and the reward was just so sweet. The baked stuff is pretty tasty compared to the fried ones, way to go Doritos!

Weekly Recap:
The weather here is starting to warm up a bit and the rains are gone (for the time being). Last Friday was suppose to be a big thunderstorm ... it was VERY light and no thunder to be heard, what is the deal?!!? I was so looking forward to all the rain on Friday and Saturday to only be getting some on Friday and none on Saturday. Other than that, the weekend was pretty mellow and I finally got a bluetooth ear piece for my blackberry for when I am driving ... I know, such a slacker.

At the movies:
Scary Movie 4 took the box office lead with just over 40 million. I can totally see the Weinstien Company morning meeting today, "Greenlight #5 and lets get shooting!" We have not seen the end of these I am sure. Ice Age: The Meltdown in its 3rd week squeeks in another 20 million taking the #2 spot. That is really amazing considering a brand new Disney animated film came out and that was The Wild which only did 9 million and takes the #4 spot. I am sure Disney is not too happy over there. The film didn't look that good to begin with but my feeling is that they started this project a long time ago amidst the talks between Disney and Pixar. Not knowing where those two were headed, so they started this film and since the deal is now almost 90% done, released it anyway because they just wanted to get it out there and done with ... its pretty much done with. And rounding off the top 5 is The Benchwarmers which did 10 million at the # 3 spot and Take the Lead with 6.7 million at # 5.

Q&A:
None this time around.

Other News:
April US troop death tolls spike up despite February and March being the lowest. Already 48 US troops have been killed in Iraq and its only April 17th. That is almost 3 per day which is extremely high since the average use to be 2 per day. What is extremely sad about all of this is if it got to 1 per day people are thrilled ... but what about the one who was killed and their family and friends? 30 Troops killed in March (1 per day), 70 killed per month is the average for 2004 and 2005 and the average for 2006 currently is 48 per month. The civilian death toll has skyrocketed as well because of the civil unrest and on the brink of Iraqi civil war ... I think I wrote somewhere this was going to happen or be very close to happening. And on top of all that, the infratstructure is still in complete disarray despite the lack of trade embargo over the past 10 or so years. And to but a cap on all of this ... the current president's popularity is at an all time low along with many questionable actions from this administration. Let the good times roll!!

Facts and Tips:
You have to play ping-pong for 12 hours to lose one pound.

"Damnit Derek, I'm a coal miner, not a professional film or television actor. "- Jon Voight as Larry Zoolander in "Zoolander".

posted by McDuck @ 11:44 2 comments

Monday, April 10, 2006

Chocolate ...

I am not a HUGE chocolate fan but I do enjoy the occasional cookie or cake, but just not a big "chocolate lover" as I know many folks are and they "die" for it. I was in line today paying for my lunch when I noticed a jar of chocolate chips. They had other toppings like granola and such because it was right next to the frozen yogurt/soft ice cream machine and you help yourself to the toppings. Just like the chocolate chips I have at home in a jar for the next time I use them ... they were covered in the color white. What causes this or what makes chocolate chips get this way however they are still very usable? Curious.

Weekly Recap:
Kind of a very quiet week wich was nice. I got a chance to play a bunch on the computer ... fun times. The weather here overall was relatively nice. Some light rain, clouds, not too cold and was breezy a day. We are suppose to get some rain and thunderstorms late this week but t-storms here ... its like being stung by a bee that had no stinger to begin with, like some deformed/mutant bee ... poor bee.

At the movies:
Didn't see anything lately other than some stuff on TV. Like I said, kind of a quiet week this week.

Ice Age: The Meltdown was able to remain #1 at the box office again making just over 30 million. That puts the film over 200 million world-wide for the first 10-days. Other openings were The Benchwarmers that did 20 million (decent but not great), Take the Lead with almost 13 million (not that good) and Inside Man with 9 million (pretty good because its week #3 for them making it a total of about 66 million). Rounding out the top 5 is Lucky Number Slevin which did only 7 million (very bad considering its high powered cast) ... yep, another fine film from the new MGM distribution. They are now officially 0-2. When you make a come-back, you do not want to have these kinds of numbers out the gate.

I got a last minute invite to the premiere of "American Dreamz" last night starring Mandy Moore, Dennis Quaid and Hugh Grant. The basic movie premise is about a reality game show that makes one lucky American the next pop music idol and at the same time, the film views a President who doesn't have a clue what is going on merging the two worlds together while throwing in a terrorist faction cell who love the show but hate the President ...

That is the sum up and basically this movie is spoofing America's current "water cooler" topics. Unfortunately it lacks being funny when its suppose to be and the performances were all very sub-standard which is unfortunate with a semi-decent cast. The portrayal of the clueless President (Quaid) was actually kind of entertaining and clearly makes many references to our current President with so many similarities (ie: no grasp of reality, drunken-stooper past, father was President). With the President just winning his 2nd term election, "American Dreamz" gets rated the #1 show in America (if not the world) and they set for another season with an extremely shallow host (Grant). They try and recruit a spectrum of contestants (Moore) for the show trying to be diverse, controversial and human all at the same time. Some of the singing performances were pretty good but also a lot were just corny. Eventually a contestant gets in who was once training in Afghan in a terrorist camp and was sent to the OC because ... he kept fouling up. They sent him away just to get rid of him and in a strange twist of events, he gets on the show and they then call upon him for Martydom! However he has gotten a great taste of America and its people ... his dream(z) are now elsewhere. This all comes together when the President becomes a guest judge on "American Dreamz" ...I don't think I would rent this film and just wait for it on TV if I wanted to see it again.

It comes out later this month and its rated PG13 for brief strong language and sexual references. I give this * 1/2 (1.5 out of 5) stars because some of the singing was decent.

A good thing out of last night was I was able to get a few pictures with some peeps:
Dennis Quaid
Sam Golzari
Jeffrey Ross
Ralph Garman (mostly known for local radio station DJ at KROQ)

Q&A:
None this time around.

Other News:
I heard on the radio last week that ginseng causes ovarian type cancer cells to self-disentergrate or destroy itself! Wow ... this was only one study so far but I am sure with these kinds of findings, more studies are sure to be on the way soon! Can you imagine if this natural ingredient can do this ... buy ginseng stock and what a huge medical break through this would be!!

Facts and Tips:
The first VCR was made in 1956 and was the size of a piano.

"I love the smell of napalm in the morning."- Robert Duvall as Lieutenant Colonel Bill Kilgore in "Apocalypse Now".

posted by McDuck @ 13:30 0 comments

Monday, April 03, 2006

April showers ...

A rainy day here in SoCali but I like it because over the winter it was nothing but sun and too warm! But as I mentioned before, our weather here has been really screwy.

Weekly recap:
Nothing really is going on or anything worth mentioning ... its been a semi-busy week with work stuff but other than that the rest of it was very quiet. I like quiet, I miss quiet. Its rare that those times come around so I am going to take advantage of them and just ... be lazy. Watched several episodes of A&E's Horatio Hornblower ... good stuff.

At the movies:
So Ice Age: The Meltdown opened this past weekend to 71.0 million, that is an amazing number considering its a non-holiday time period. Other movies that opened were the urban drama ATL (over 10 million) and the thriller Basic Instinct 2 which scraped a meager 2 million at the box office. I can not tell you how bad that is and its that bad! I think the cost of film printing and shipping was near 3 million if that tells you anything. This remake is 14 years too late.

The new The Simpons The Movie trailer debuted along with Ice Age. This is a movie that has been discussed for so many years and I hope its not too late. The trailer is very simple and also very funny! I can not wait to see this one when its ready to view. The show itself is at or over 18 seasons which means 18 years. I am not sure if that number includes the short skits on the old Tracey Ullman Show. They also recently signed a deal for 2 more years for the show ... 20 YEARS!!

Q&A:
None this time around.

Other News:
Today is the official first day of baseball ... weeee, after today there is like only a gazillion games left to play. If a game gets rained out, gazillion and one. I am not a baseball fan because the games are just too slow and there are too many of them. But, there is something about being at a stadium and having a hotdog or nachos there.

Facts and Tips:
A goldfish's attention span is three seconds.

Did you remember to set your clock ahead an hour? Yep, daylight savings was Sunday were we "spring ahead" ... I hate that but what can you do. I know Arizona doesn't observe this and I am sure all across the world doesn't either. We American's are an odd lot.

"These are new times, Mr. Simpson. You have no hold over us here."- Ioan Gruffudd as Midshipman Horatio Hornblower in "Horatio Hornblower: The Duel"

posted by McDuck @ 17:44 2 comments