Monday, July 27, 2009

Days remain toasty while the nights are cooling down. Besides the weather, our foster dog Mabel was adopted on Saturday and we dropped her off the same day. At least she was adopted by a good friend and his family so we know she is well taken care of. Still hard to say good-bye but at least we can visit and find out how she is doing from time to time. She is a good, actually great dog with a big heart for people. See you soon Mabel and rest to your heart's content.

Weekly Update:
I survived the 2009 San Diego Comic-Con again but like last year, I only went for one day and it was a Thursday. Still a bit crazy but it was way better than last year for me. As always saw some interesting things from toys to people in costumes and also attended a couple of parties. Got to meet some cool folks as well as some friends:

*Alison Lohman- recently from the movie "Drag Me to Hell" and very sweet.
*Betsy Russell- from several "Saw" movies and very nice.
*Tobin Bell- from all the "Saw" films and a nice guy.
*Terry Crews- numerous movies and TV such as "Everybody Hates Chris" and a way cool guy!
*Alaina Kalanj- from the upcoming show "Stargate Universe" and very nice.
*Robert C. Cooper- one of the co-creators of all the "Stargate" TV shows and a nice guy.
*Brad Wright- another co-creator of the "Stargate" TV shows and another nice guy.
*David Blue- from the upcoming "Stargate Universe" show and a really cool guy.
*Elyse Levesque- from the upcoming "Stargate Universe" show and very sweet.
*Brian J. Smith- from the upcoming "Stargate Universe" show and a pretty cool guy.
*Jamil Walker Smith- from the upcoming "Stargate Universe" show and a REALLY nice guy!
*Robert Carlyle- I know him from "The Full Monty" the bad guy in "The World is Not Enough." He was very nice.

At the movies:
A little surprised here as the new family film G-Force takes the box office crown with a 32.2 million opening. Bumped down to 2nd place is "Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince" with only an extra 30 mil. Still enough to bust past 200 mil but how much further will it go now? New at #3 is The Ugly Truth with only 27 mil, a little below expectations but does it mean Heigl's career is rocky? New at #4 is Orphan with only 12.8 mil and around expectations. Rounding off the top 5 is "Ice Age: Dawn of the Dinosaurs" with an additional 8.2 mil as it struggles to reach 200 mil.

Quote of the week:
"Our inventions are wont to be pretty toys, which distract our attention from serious things. They are but improved means to an unimproved end." - Henry David Thoreau

Other News:
A new list to share and this one is about 7 franchises that went bankrupt ... and where are they now? The first on the list is Mrs. Fields which is also responsible not only for the brand name stores but TCBY (1,200 locations total). Last year the company filed Chapter 11 but then in October of the same year it restructured its $196 million debt down to $50 mil and has survived for now. #2 is Cork and Olive out of Tampa, Flo which is a wine retail franchise. I've never heard of it myself but they filed in June of last year just four years after they opened. The parent company actually didn't tell the franchisees about the filing ... hah! Today the company struggles as the franchisees meet regularly to stay afloat. #3 is Bennigan's out of Plano, TX. The chain closed all corporate locations when it filed Chapter 7 in July of '08. The 138 franchisees remain open and in October of of last year a private company acquired the company. The new company reopened some of the closed stores and it actually is surviving well today. #4 is Dial-A-Mattress out of Long Island City, NY. Declaring bankruptcy this past March with Chapter 7 and then eventually Chapter 11. Right now this company is in a state of limbo. #5 is Bally Total Fitness out of Chicago. This company has seen filings in both July of '07 and December of last year. JP Morgan is lending but can they survive with such a bad tasting brand name? #6 is Fatburger out of Santa Monica, Ca. Ok, I've had Fatburgers before and so what? They are actually very overpriced for both the portion (not fat at all) and quality. They filed Chapter 11 in April as the company defaulted on $3.9 million in loans. Fatburger is a waste of space. And finally, #7 is Buffets, Inc out of Eagan, Minn. Never heard of them but they filed Chapter 11 in January of '08. This is a steak restaurant chain which controlled outlets like Old Country Buffet, HomeTown Buffet (have heard of this one) and Ryan's. This company controlled about $964 million in assets however carried more than $1 billion in debt. So far 52 locations out of 626 have closed despite statements saying they will keep operating. Last April the company did emerge from bankruptcy with a new balance sheet and reduced debt.

Facts & Tips:
To clean paint off your hands, use olive oil - it softens the paint and makes it easy to remove.

"Why you gotta go racial? Look, don't put me in a box, all right? What, because I'm black I can't listen to Green Day?" - Arlen Escarpeta as Lawrence in "Friday the 13th."

Monday, July 20, 2009

HOT, need I say more? I guess this is the high point of the summer ... at least I hope so because the temps around me have hit triple digits and I just do not want a lot of days like that. The nights are cooler of course but even those are getting to be a little warmer than normal. Air Conditioning can be expensive but if you are home, you want to sleep or rest ... its a must! At least for me anyway because I would be sweating all night and not getting any sleep which is always a desperate need for me these days.

Weekly Update:
So what did I do this past week ... sort of a lot of stuff but it wasn't AS exhausting that I had thought it would be, and that is good! Tuesday night I went to the Jimmey Kimmel Show which was fun. Hung out in the green room before and after the taping. First time I had been to that show, the set up is very tight so you are pretty close. Then on Thursday went to what I like to call "half of a movie premiere" because the good folks at Sony totally dropped the ball on this event. But saw "The Ugly Truth" which was ok, very predictable and felt like a couple of movies put together into this one. Since Sony disappointed on the evening, I did take the sister-in-law to the lobby and attempted to catch some folks as they were leaving the theatre. We did meet with some good success!

*Eric Winter- Really nice guy.
*John Michael Higgens- One of the "Christopher Guest" crew and a very nice guy.
*Rocco DiSpirito- Celebrity chef and a very cool guy!
*Gerard Butler- Probably most famous for the film "300" but also a nice guy.

Almost forgot, earlier that day I went to a "Simpsons" table read again and got some pics with:

*Al Jean- One of the creators of the TV series.
*Paul Reiser- He was a guest that day like me and a really nice guy.

Last Saturday I attended what I like to dub "The Geek Fest" where some classic TV and film stars gather to meet fans, sign some autographs and ... well honestly try and make an extra buck. Here are the folks I got to meet there:

*Adrienne King- Best known from the original "Friday the 13th" movie and an incredibly terrific person!
*AdrianneCurry- Best known for some reality shows and married to Christopher Knight of "The Brady Bunch" fame. Very nice and tall person.
*Mike Lookinland- Better known as Bobby Brady from "The Brady Bunch" and a really nice guy.
*Anson Williams- Best known as Potsie from the TV show "Happy Days" and a very nice person to meet.
*Don Most- Also from "Happy Days" and was known as Ralph Mouth ... very calm and nice guy.
*Davy Jones- Hey Hey It's The Monkees from fictional to actual rock band and a nice guy.
*Jack Riley- From "The Bob Newhart Show" and a nice person.
*Bill Daily- Also from "The Bob Newhart Show" and "I Dream of Jeannie" on top of being a really nice guy.
*Kristy Swanson- Claim to fame for being the original Buffy from the movie and also very sweet.
*Kathy Najimy- From "Sister Act" to "Wall-E" and a nice person.
*Shannen Doherty- The original bad girl from "Beverly Hills, 90210" and she was actually very nice!

At the movies:
Surprised and not surprised at the #1 spot this week. The not surprised is Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince being at #1. The surprise is that it had an opening 5-day of only 159.7 which to me seems a little bit low. Holding strong at #2 is "Ice Age: Dawn of the Dinosaurs" with another 17.7 mil as it begins its crawl to 200 mil. Still hanging in at #3 is "Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen" with an extra 13.8 mil and now over the 350 mil cume mark. BIG fall to #4 is "Bruno" with another 8.4 mil and suffering an above average drop of 73% from its opening weekend. Rounding off the top 5 is "The Hangover" with 8.3 mil and is definitely this summer's R-Rated comedy hit.

Quote of the week:
"True creativity is characterized by a succession of acts each dependent on the one before and suggesting the one after." - Edwin H. Land

Other News:
"And that's the way it was ..." Legendary news anchor Walter Cronkite passed away Friday evening in his New York Manhattan home. Cronkite was called "the most trusted man in America" with his reassuring voice in times of turbulence and uncertainty. Reporting day-in and day-out honestly, to the point in all fairness. His range covered post World War II, Korea, Vietnam, Cold War and Post-Cold War Russia as well as national news. He became the face of CBS News for nearly 21 years also covering the changing times in our national history such as JFK's assassination, Rev. Martin Luther King, Jr to racial and anti-war riots, Watergate scandal and the Iranian hostage crisis. To America he was "Uncle Walter" and his calming yet distinctive voice can be heard narrating numerous TV programs and specials. The mood is always set when his voice started and if the news good or bad, you can trust the source presenting it to you no matter what the topic may be. No doubt Cronkite has made TV reporting what it is today with a standards bar so high that very rarely someone comes to it ... many try but so many fail. A voice of America just got quieter. Cronkite was 92.

Facts & Tips:
Every ton of recycled paper saves about 17 trees.

"I may look stupid, but I'm Italian. I know how to find information!" - Daniel Roebuck as Jay Leno in the TV movie "The Late Shift."

Monday, July 13, 2009

HOT days, cool nights! Now it feels like a consistent summer as the days hit the high 80's to low 90's however the nights dip as low as 65. I like the cool nights but the hot days are too much as it will probably get even hotter from here on out through early September. But that is SoCali and that is the summer season for you. It has also been very dry which is kind of scary as it means fire season as well. Very dry heat lately. Some rain or moisture would be nice but I don't think we will see any of that till probably November if we are lucky.

Weekly Update:
I'm tired and the new week just started for me and it could potentially be a busy one! Last week was kind of relaxing, calm before a storm perhaps? Not sure but I did get some better sleep in general but its never enough for me. I use to rely on naps over the weekend but this time didn't really get chance for much if any. Maybe need to hit some coca-cola for a caffeine boost once and awhile this upcoming week ... I may just need it. Overall the past week was good, relative in town visiting for the week and it should be fun. The dog had surgery on Thursday and is doing well but hates the stylish cone-o-shame it has to wear for a week or so. The first day of the surgery, the dog was out of it but come the next day seemed pretty normal ... fast recovery!

At the movies:
No shocker here as the gay fashionnista Bruno takes the box office crown with his 30.4 million opening. Good number for this kind of film but it will be a very short lived reign. Holding strong at #2 is "Ice Age: Dawn of the Dinosaurs" with another 28.5 mil and now over the 100 mil cume. Holding to #3 but still having sizable drops is "Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen" with another 24.2 mil and close to hitting the 350 mil cume soon. Despite the bad word-of-mouth on this film, it is sure to still be one of the top 3 of this summer in terms of grosses. Hanging on to #4 is "Public Enemies" with another 14.1 mil and could actually reach the 100 mil cume at this rate. Rounding off the top 5 is "The Proposal" with 10.5 mil.

New movies that did not make the top 5: I didn't think we would have a wide release in this category for the summer but sure enough. The throw-away film I Love You, Beth Cooper pops into the #7 spot with only 5 mil for a summer opener. This could be the worse summer opening and I say its a throw-away because clearly there was no support for its release.


Quote of the week:
"All you need in this life is ignorance and confidence -- and then success is sure." - Mark Twain

Other News:
LIST!! I found a new list which I thought was kind of interesting. This one is called "20 Most Worthless Pieces of Junk" and it focuses on the household things that consumers buy which are deemed worthless according to the list. This has the top 20 but I am going to focus on just the top 10. Starting at #10 - Books! I tend to agree and disagree on this one. I suppose you can't beat holding a good book to read but in this technological age, you can have one device the size of a wallet and it stores over 10,000 publications at your finger tips. #9 - Home Theatre Sound System. I disagree with this one because sound is an important part of a movie. The solution is not to have it LOUD but to have it encompass you so you are there in the experience. #8 - Ice Cream Makers & Bread Machines. I can agree mostly with this because the cost of ingredients plus the unit itself kind of adds up. Plus with the frozen yogurt craze re-surfacing you don't see much demand for ice cream. I will say this though, I do love a fresh loaf of bread but if you don't eat it all within the first day it isn't that special. #7 - VCRPlus Gizmos. I think this needs no explanation as anything with the word "VCR" in it is dead. #6 -Ionic Breeze. Never had one but I have friends who swear by them. I think it depends on how allergic you are to pollens? I think the ones from Sharper Image are cool but not worth the $100 plus they sell for. #5 - Single-Slot Piggy Banks. This seems more like a toy and a starter device for kids to save their pennies. Not really worthless but also not really a consumer good. #4 - Ab Rollers. Yeah, this is kind of dumb. #3 - Radar Detectors. I have always thought these were useless because with today's technology, police do not use radar. #2 - Wipe Warmers. Yeah, this seems kind of dumb too. Room temperature is not that bad plus wouldn't it cause them to dry out faster? And the #1 item is ... Happy Meal Toys! This is a big "depends" on the quality of the toy. I have seen some really dumb ones and wonder "why" but then things like "The Simpsons" or when "The Lion King" did toys which were pretty cool to collect. Once a chain did a "Wallace and Gromit" series which was just the coolest thing ever!

Facts & Tips:
Maine is the only state with a one-syllable name.

"Over six hundred channels and nothing to watch. Think I'll turn in. We have a big day ahead of us tomorrow." - Cliff Simon as Ba'al in the TV series "Stagate SG-1."

Monday, July 06, 2009

4TH OF JULY EDITION

Its both nice and sad that the 4th of July falls on a Saturday. Nice because its a Saturday but bummer/sad because if it were to fall say on a Thursday, usually businesses give you the Wednesday through Friday off making it an even LONGER weekend. But, I guess I can't really complain because I did manage to get both Thursday and Friday off anyway. Though it did get a lot warmer this past week, still fun to sleep in and do ... nothing!

Weekly Update:
The week started off pretty ... crazy! I had a couple of events all very close together but I survived!!! So Monday I went to the 2009 Ivy Bethune Tri-Union Diversity Awards, phew, say that 5 times fast! Basically it is three unions in the entertainment industry (SAG, Actor's Equity and AFTRA) honoring a member from each organization and then one person who happens to be part of all three associations. It was a pretty cool event, small venue and got to meet some cool folks:

*Larry Omaha- VERY funny comedian and all around cool guy.
*Charlie Hill- Another funny guy and amazingly down-to-earth.
*Amy Hill- Not related to Charlie, very nice lady and I remember her recently from the film "50 First Dates" as she played Sue.
*Cheryl Burke- Known for a dancer on "Dancing with the Stars" and a very talented person.
*Danny Murphy- Has appeared in several Farrelly Brothers films and a nice guy.
*Jason Winston George- MC for the night and from the short lived show "Eli Stone" AND all-around nice guy.
*Nichelle Nichols- Best known as Nyoto Uhura from "Star Trek" and a sweet sweet lady.
*Robert David Hall- Known from the show "CSI" as the medical examiner and a GREAT guy!
*Sabrina Bryan- A Disney's "Cheetah Girl" and pretty nice.
*Vik Sahay- From "Chuck" and a decent guy.
*George Takei- Mr. Sulu from "Star Trek" himself and such an AMAZING guy and storyteller.

So, that was Monday and then Tuesday I managed to get involved with this little bet between a co-workers brother and some guy from a movie, it was pretty special. During the process I got to meet:

*Rob DeFranco- My co-workers brother and cool guy.
*Jennie Garth- Still looks the same from her original days from "Beverly Hills, 90210."
*Peter Facinelli- Best known as the doctor from the film "Twilight" and a very cool guy.

At the movies:
A little bit of a shocker and I am sure there are some figures left out but a TIE for the #1 spot this week! I guess we will give it to the new movie as Ice Age: Dawn of the Dinosaurs earns an opening total of 67.5 million. This film did open on Wednesday and for the official weekend it did 42.5 mil. In at #2 respectively is "Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen" with another 42.5 mil and now just short of the 300 mil mark. This film did suffer some BIG drops from last week to this week however. New at #3 is Public Enemies with a 5-day total of 41 mil and a weekend of 26.2 mil. Hanging in to #4 is "The Proposal" with an extra 12.8 mil. Rounding off the top 5 is "The Hangover" with another 10.4 mil and now just broke the 200 mil cume mark. Pretty strong for an R-Rated comedy, way to go!

Quote of the week:
"If a man empties his purse into his head, no man can take it away from him. An investment in knowledge always pays the best interest." - Benjamin Franklin

Other News:
Yet another sad week in Hollywood as legendary TV and film star Karl Malden passed away Wednesday in his Brentwood home. Having so many credits to his name, Malden won an Oscar for his 1951 role as Mitch in "A Streetcar Named Desire." He was also in one of my favorite films "Patton" opposite George C. Scott and another great role in "On the Waterfront." The credits are not only long but amazing if you look at them. Another amazing role was his TV show "The Streets of San Francisco" which earned him five Emmy nominations. Malden also additional TV credits from such shows as "The West Wing." Malden was also no stranger to the stage and was in numerous plays and was part of various Broadway productions. You could say he was a talent-of-all-trades in this business. Malden is one of the great ones who will be sorely missed. He was 97.

Another loss hit us last Tuesday as another veteran actor passes. Film, TV and stage actor Harve Presnell passed away in Santa Monica from pancreatic cancer. Harve had many roles but his more notable ones (to me) were from such films as "Saving Private Ryan" and "Mr. Deeds" starring Adam Sandler. Others knew him from the film "Fargo" and "Paint your Wagon" as well as the TV series "The Pretender." Harve's biggest notoriety comes from the stage in his many performances of "Annie" and "The Unsinkable Molly Brown." He was 75.

Facts & Tips:
Vultures can fly for six hours without flapping their wings.

"Do you have any Equal?" - Rita Rudner as Carol Benson in "Peter's Friends."