Thursday, May 25, 2006

VIVA LAS VEGAS part deux!!

Here in Vegas AGAIN but this time for a different convention. The sad part about it is I am at the same hotel and almost for the same amount of time as last time. Instead of Sunday through Friday, this trip is only Sunday through Wednesday. Technically though this convention is a Friday through Thursday night ... thank goodness I don't have to attend everything and stay as long. I like Vegas and all but not in such large increments. I tell people this all the time, 1 day in Vegas = 3 days in real life ... its like dog years. So anyway, the convention I am here for is the Variety Children's Charity International Annual Convention ... phew, say that 2 times fast! I am here representing work (the 2nd picture is one I took from my hotel room).

Weekly Recap:
Last Monday I had my Improv Showcase as I mentioned before. There were two groups there, the intermediate group (Grandma Smut) and our beginning group (first called "4 Weeks in May" and then became "Howard's End"). The first piece was a joint act between the two classes that went very well. Then the intermediates took stage left and we performed. I got to say, I was surprised at the laughs we got. The crowd wasn't HUGE, it was around 15 people but its also a very small space. We did about 30 minutes of various acts/games while the audience gave us situations much like the TV show "Who's Line Is It Anyway?". There was a camera crew there filming one of the guys in our group because they are doing a documentary on him possibly for HBO. His name is Howard (hence the team name) and maybe I can get a copy of that. But all in all it was a great night, much laughs and totally fun. We had an awesome teacher and friend!

At the movies:
X-Men The Last Stand takes the holiday weekend #1 spot with an estimated 120 million! The last installment for this action trilogy opens big despite a new director. The Da Vinci Code comes in 2nd with a big 43 million on the easy road to a cool 200+ million. Over the Hedge pulls in another 35 million as this animated laugher struggles to reach 150 million domestic. M:I:III pulls in another 8.5 as it continues its downward spiral and finishing off the top 5 is Posiedon with 7 million, this boat is pretty much sunk.

Q&A:
I haven't seen The Da Vinci Code but I am in no real hurry either ... I hear the movie is so-so and the question on most people's mind is "what is up with Tom's hair??"

Other News:
The Great Wall of Bush! So they are (or it seems they are going to) build a wall seperating Mexico from the US. I think of what walls have done in the past and who built them ... The Great Wall of China build to protect the dynasties from mongal invaders from Mongolia and Manchuria. Protection and preservation of a people from invading hordes. The Berlin Wall, built by East Germany (approved and occupied by the Soviets) to prevent the mass exodus to West Germany because there was a better life away from occupation. And now Bush Jr's legacy is a wall to divide two countries because ... um, what was the reason again? The Statue of Liberty states:

Give me your tired, your poor,
Your huddled masses yearning to breathe free,
The wretched refuse of your teeming shore.
Send these, the homeless, tempest-tost to me,
I lift my lamp beside the golden door!

I guess that excludes Mexico ... or to quote a movie line from Lethal Weapon 4, "sign says no vacancy".

Facts & Tips:
Add up opposing sides of a dice cube and you'll always get seven.

"The Tuck Pendleton machine: zero defects."- Dennis Quaid as Lt. Tuck Pendleton in "Innerspace".

posted by McDuck @ 11:54 5 comments

Wednesday, May 17, 2006

Hot and cold ...

Make up your mind!! So the last week it has been chilly and overcast in the morning but not that bad where I would need a coat. Then noon its like summer and hits the mid 80's AND then at night its overcast (sometimes) again and the temp drops like the morning. I don't know about this weather we are having this year because its certianly not typical for this area.

Weekly Recap:
I believe I mentioned before I was taking an improv class, well that ended last Tuesday night and it was a pretty fun experience. I might consider taking the intermediate level stuff but I need to find more info on that. SO tonight (1 night only!!) we are doing a showcase! Our class (which is only about 3 to 4 of us that were left) will do several improv sketches for 30 minutes while our teacher/host chooses the activity. After us is the intermediate group and they go for 30 minutes as well. So at least its not that long and hopefully will just go quick. But hopefully we can ... mak'em laugh!

At the movies:
The Da Vinci Code made its opening debut this weekend with a strong 77 million at the box office and over 250 world-wide, despite the critic reviews and the Catholic Church "denouncing" the film. When will churches learn that doing something like that only helps a movie. For starters its basically free publicity and when they do go public like that it can nearly triple the box office. I bet Sony was thrilled when that started to roll out and knew they had money in the bank! I remember when something similiar happened with "The Last Temptation of Christ" and what was projected to do a small few million turned in a box office smash thanks to the churches and other religious organizations. Dreamworks Animation's Over the Hedge takes #2 with a surprisingly low 37.2 million, I was hoping to see closer to 50 myself. M:I:III holds on to #3 with another 11 million, not a bad gross drop for the 3rd week, word of mouth might be helping as folks say it is a good movie. The sinking Posiedon clutches on to #4 in week 2 with 9.2 million and at #5 RV still shows a strong black ink at 5.1 million. Films opening this week that didn't make the top 5 would be See No Evil at #6 with 4.3 million. I think Horror is done for now.

Q&A:
The clover phenom continues! I remember finding four-leaf clovers all the time and do not understand why there is some kind of scientific study on odds/ratio. Sit in a field, I am sure you will find one.

Other News:
Seems like the housing boom is now leveling off. Just announced last week that interest rates will flatten out therefore causing the price of homes to not necessarily decline but expect them to cease rising. Since November of last year the slow down already started and fewer new homes built were sold as well as a smaller decline in homes sold in general. So the new home medium is set but we may see a shift now toward home improvements instead of a buy/sell market.

Facts & Tips:
The average raindrop falls at seven miles per hour.

"We're the phone company. We don't care; we don't have to."- Lily Tomlin as Ernestine the Telephone Operator in "Saturday Night Live" (TV).

posted by McDuck @ 11:16 3 comments

Tuesday, May 09, 2006

Parking is good ...

Lately the parking lots here have been really good in terms of finding a spot! I think its because TV production is over so you don't have to deal with all the staff, crew and talent for one show which can mean up to a few hundred people. And I am sure a very small percentage are carpooling. So now I can come in an hour late and find a really good spot. I wonder when they start up again for the fall season?

Weekly Recap:
E3 is the big electronic gaming convention and I have been trying to go each year for the past 4 to 5 years. Been lucky on getting free passes from some really good friends who work(ed) either at MGM or Sony! So I went on Wednesday of last week and it was HUGE as always. Takes up all 3 convention halls at the LA Convention Center and of course Sony and Microsoft/X-Box were the two biggies. Nintendo was pretty big but they were really focused on their upcoming Wii which didn't seem that awesome to me while it floored others. I did some very cool W.W.II games that I would like to play but at E3 what you see is usually upcoming stuff so I may have to wait awhile on some. But boy, my feet were beat! It is a LOT of walking and my $2.50 can of Sierra Mist tasted only $2.23 worth.

At the movies:
Mission Impossible: III holds on to the #1 spot this weekend with a decent 24.5 million. I hear that is what Paramount folks expected however I am sure that is adjusted due to the poor opening weekend last week. Debuting in the #2 spot this weekend was Poseidon at 20.3 million which is a poor opening consider the price tag for this film. Sony's RV holds onto #3 in its third week at 9.5 which is a good number. Just My Luck starts off not so great at #4 with 5.5 million. To round off the top 5 is An American Haunting with a good 3.7 million.

Q&A:
Actually the four-leaf clover is not just from a kit but its a very random and rare occurrence in general. If you come across a field of clovers, there is like a 1 in 1 million chance that you will find a four-leaf.

Other News:
The "Minute Men" had their caravan to DC last week and boy, this is a group of vigilantes that is like a powder-keg ready to explode. What bothers me about this group is they are clearly centered and focused on one group, Mexicans. Last I checked, there were no Minute Men groups on the Canadian borders or even on seaside areas. They are primarily focused (well, actually all focused) in either Texas or Arizona. Yes, I can see them monitoring our Canadian borders from Flagstaff, AZ. If you are going to have an organization like this, it has to be national and not just one region. I am waiting for the day it becomes violent ...

Facts & Tips:
The first jukebox was located in San Francisco in 1899.

"I'm surrounded by idiots."- Jeremy Irons as Scar in "The Lion King".

posted by McDuck @ 14:11 2 comments

Wednesday, May 03, 2006

Four-Leaf Clovers ...

So I got this kit to grow my own 4-leaf clovers and ... well lets just say I am no gardener. These little kits are kind of neat and I have gotten other ones that require very little extra items to use/produce them. The clover requires water, easy. I got a pumpkin spice cake last year and again all I add is water and microwave, easy (but not very tasty). I must say these little kits are fun, easy and very inexpensive to give out as small tokens. I think a long time ago I got a business card that if you add water it would expand and then you had a sponge.

Weekly Recap:
This past week has been kind of non-stop for me but also pretty good. As I mentioned last week, I got an invite to the Saturn Awards which was ... well, the flow of the ceremony was kind of hard to watch as it didn't flow one bit. Had an interesting list of guest who were there ... from sci-fi stars to creators of horror to one who puts a DVD together to a porn star (who disappeared for some reason). NERDS UNITE!!!! Was the theme of the night for me but still had a good time.

At the movies:
Mission Impossible: III took #1 at the box office this weekend with a disappointing 48 million. Although this is still a respectable number, it is well under the projected estimations for a film of this caliber. I hear the movie is well made and better than the 2nd. Tom Cruise wacky factor? RV held on to the #2 spot for its second week with 11.1 million. An American Haunting showed up at #3 with 6.4 million, a very good number considering how many screens it was on (under 1700 theatres compared to M:I:III's 4000+ locations). Stick It holds on with another 5.5 million in its 2nd week for the #4 spot and United 93 rounds off the top 5 with 5.2 million.

Q&A:
Regarding my Quarker Oat comment from last week ... I did think it was because of the heat but when I put my hand underneath on the bottom, its not that bad at all. However with that said, maybe I am not using EXTREMELY HOT water or I have extra thick skin that can resist a certain temperature ... yeah, that does sound kind of lame.

I did get one question regarding how I select the quotes at the very end. Up to date I have been picking someone I have met in person (and gotten a photo with) and then I go through their movies and find an interesting or memorable quote they have said ... and then I like to find a very young or embarrasing photo of them for fun!

Other News:
Immigration has been the hot topic lately now and last Monday was the big scheduled protest. I am glad to hear there were no incidents because there is a group of people out there that go to these things just to create havoc. I think they are even an orginization as well! I have two sides to this issue but not to bore anyone with it. One thing I will say that just shows you how the youth today are failing in education ... prior to this protest, students in the month of March had several days of walk-outs during school hours in LA. They claimed they did it to support the immigrants and to oppose the current proposals by the state and government. SO, when the school board and city council set up an open forum, like a city hall meeting, to discuss the issue after school ... hmm, amazing, not ONE student showed up!

Facts & Tips:
Squids can have eyes the size of a volleyball.

"Did you hear that? I said I didn't want any other daddy but him. Why don't you write that down?"- Dakota Fanning as Lucy Diamond Dawson in "I am Sam".

posted by McDuck @ 17:44 4 comments