Monday, December 28, 2009

HOLIDAY EDITION

I was wondering the other day, whatever happened to batteries having the test impressions that allowed you to see how much power was left in them little suckers? I found a bunch of batteries the other day and I wanted to know if they were all still good or not and it had me thinking, "whatever happened to those test batteries?" I guess in the long run they were just not worth the cost of making and how many people actually used them. Maybe they shortened the life of a battery with that extra indicator? Well, I think rechargeable batteries should have them since we are able to reuse them over and over again. I don't even think they make them anymore.

Weekly Update:
Had a nice holiday trip up to San Francisco. It was cold and it rained but it was still a fun holiday. It sounded like it was just as cold at home anyway so didn't miss out on that. The drive up was kind of crazy coming out of the grapevine because of all the high winds and it was dark. I don't really recommend traveling that at night if you can avoid it. The trip home was pretty long, lot of traffic but I suppose you can expect that as everyone makes their way back from the holidays. It was also freezing during the day with a lot of heavy mist and fog along the way. Did most of the drive back during the day so it wasn't as bad but the traffic was pretty bad half of the trip ... probably added at least an extra two hours to the whole drive. But, there is something about driving down your own street after a long trip and coming home.

At the movies:
Big surprise at the box office as "Avatar" hangs on to the #1 spot with only a 3% drop from last week, however having a holiday in there sure helps. It lead the weekend with an additional 75 mil and now just breaking the 200 mil cume mark. Still a ways to go to pay off that 500 mil price tag but it just got a lot easier. New at #2 is the new vision of Sherlock Holmes with a debut of 65.4 mil. In at #3 is Alvin and the Chipmunks: The Squeakuel with a weekend opener of 50.2 mil however this film did open on a Wednesday so it has a grand opening total of 77.1 mil. New at #4 is the romance-comedy It's Complicated with 22.1 mil. Rounding off the top 5 is "Up In The Air" with an additional 11.8 mil as it also saw a huge screen count increase as well.

Quote of the week:
"If it weren't for Philo T. Farnsworth, inventor of Television, we'd still be eating frozen radio dinners." - Johnny Carson

Other News:
Let's end this last blog of mine for 2009 with ... A LIST!!! This is a fun one (I think at least), the top 10 games of the decade! These are based off of Yahoo! Games and let's see how they do with my take on them. In at #10) Super Mario Galaxy (2007) for the Nintendo Wii. I haven't played this but so far I have enjoyed all the Wii games I have played. #9) Half-Life 2 (2004) mainly for the PC. I didn't care much for the first Half-Life all around so didn't bother with this one. #8) Wii Fit (2007) for ... well, the Wii of course. Have not tried it and heard mixed reviews on it. #7) Bejeweled (2001) for the PC. Fun but I hate the free trial and time limit versions, those get boring faster than just playing it! #6) Wii Sports (2006) and haven't tried it myself. #5) Halo (2001) for X-Box. Seriously this game looks fun and intense as a multi-player group but honestly, this is the only thing keeping X-Box alive. #4) Guitar Hero (2005) for the PS2. Limiting and set the stage for bigger and better things. #3) The Sims (2000) for the PC. Boring and more boring ... next. #2) World of Warcraft (2004) for the PC. Without a doubt the leading MMORPG out there but for me it is just lame and the graphics are actually really bad. And the #1 game for the decade according to this list is ... Grand Theft Auto III (2001) for the PS2. Agree that it is a fun and addicting game but #1? Possibly. I was hoping Rock Band would be on there as it is both fun, able to update and a great group activity.

Facts & Tips:
Wipe the leaves of your plants with the soft inside of a banana skin to bring up shine and remove dust.

"It's been very important for me to stick to the tone. I feel so reverential to the first two [movies], I'm not reinventing anything that's already been done." - Director Brett Ratner on movies.

Monday, December 21, 2009

Interesting weather this week. During the day it felt like summer when temps constantly reached the low to mid 80's. THEN ... at night it drops down to 50. Talk about weird, I am not sure what to make of it. If it its hot then the nights are usually warm here but if its cold then the nights are even colder ... for us native SoCali's anyway. But I guess it does beat having snow and below freezing weather. I like snow though, it would be fun to get that once and see the whole southern part of the state completely freak out!

Weekly Update:
Sort of a busy week this past one ... had a lot of stuff to do!! Junk going on Tuesday and Wednesday and Thursday ... and it wasn't really fun but just busy! I am not sure how that happened since I don't have a lot of work work to do. Saturday was pretty fun thought, did the annual Variety Boys & Girls Club of Boyle Heights Toy Giveaway ... wow, that is a long worded event! But every year the Variety Boys and Girls Club of Boyle Heights (man that is too long to say too!) gives out a lot of toys to all its members and even the neighbor kids! Seriously though, with today's economy, this event is the only Christmas they may get and every kid should get a toy! Plus, the Boys and Girls Club (of Boyle Heights, yada yada yada) is such an oasis in neighbor hoods like these. We need more of them.

At the movies:
No surprise this weekend on who was going to be #1 at the box office. The return of James Cameron in what is probably one of the highest price tags to-date for a film production! In at #1 is Avatar with 73 million to open. A huge number indeed but considering what it cost, about half of what it needed to make to break even. However, if the film has legs, it could survive so next week is crucial for this film. In at #2 is "The Princess & The Frog" with 12.2 mil more as it struggles to reach that 100 mil mark with still a long way to go. At #3 is "Blind Side" holding strong with another 10 mil. New at #4 is Did You Hear About the Morgans? with only 7 mil and I am guessing no one did hear about them. Rounding off the top 5 is "The Twilight Saga: New Moon" with an additional 4.4 mil as this will probably be the last time on the top 5 list.

Quote of the week:
"We live in a moment of history where change is so speeded up that we begin to see the present only when its already disappearing." - R.D. Laing

Other News:
Another icon left us last week as nephew to Walt Disney passed away after a long fight with stomach cancer. Film producer, sailor and author Roy Edward Disney died in Newport Beach on Wednesday morning, Dec 16th. Roy is the son of Roy O. Disney, brother to Walt Disney. Roy became instrumental of the hiring of Michael Eisner which re-shaped and brought the Disney company out of certain turmoil and oddly enough later was instrumental in having Eisner taken out of the Disney company. He has been the living legend up to now through the last 56 years with the Disney company helping with various operations of the company and involvement with many projects ranging from TV to film. Roy's commitment to both traditional animation and new technologies has kept the company the leader in the genre. He was 79.

More bad news strikes on Sunday ... young talented actress Brittany Murphy was pronounced DOA to Cedars-Sinai in Los Angeles after reports of her suffering from massive cardiac arrest. Murphy is best known for her roles in "Girl Interrupted", "Clueless" and then later in "8 Mile." She was also a voice talent in both TV and Film from "King of the Hill" to "Happy Feet." Her career was only just beginning in my book and the one time I got to see her in person, she lit up the room. She was only 32.

Facts & Tips:
The Caspian Sea is actually a lake.

Da-dum-duuummmm! I, am Captain Chaos! And this, this is my faithful companion, Cato... Say hello, Cato!" - Dom DeLuise as Captain Chaos (Victor Prinzim) in "Cannonball Run."

Monday, December 14, 2009

HANUKKAH EDITION

Last Friday started this year's Hanukkah, or the festival of lights for 8 nights. Gifts for 8 nights, that is not a bad way to do things if you are a little kid. I mean so what if some of the gifts are tiny or little like chocolate ... its still chocolate! I think Hanukkah should always end on December 24th and then that way everyone could celebrate both holidays and get the BIG gift on the 25th! Also a way to unite two cultures/religions during the holiday times ... well, its a thought but at least somebody is celebrating something that is positive.

Weekly Update:
Sort of a minor busy week but it was also interesting on a couple of occasions. Last Tuesday work had some of the executive producers and writers from the TV show "Lost" doing a DVD signing which I thought was kind of cool. I don't watch the show personally but I have a few friends who do and I invited them to come over and meet them. I had no clue who any of these people were but I decided to take a picture with the two head guys there and it turned out ...

*Carlton Cuse- Not only one of the Executive Producers of "Lost" but he also worked on a show that I really liked called "Brisco County Jr." and he was such a cool guy.
*Damon Lindelof- One of the creators of "Lost" but he also produced the recent "Star Trek" and is working on the next one along with "Tron Legacy," also another very cool guy.

Later in the week (Thursday) I helped out with the annual Variety Children's Charity Luncheon at the Beverly Hills Hotel. Hanging out in the lobby doing some press interviews for his latest film was ...

*Matt Damon- He was a very approachable and a cool guy. He was sitting talking to someone and he saw me coming to him and got up to shake my hand.

At the movies:
Family is back on top this week as the newest addition to the Disney animated catalog takes the box office crown ... The Princess and the Frog earns a nice 25 million as it goes wide (previously on 2 screens for 2 weeks). Holding strong at #2 is "The Blind Side" with another 15.5 mil and now hitting the 150 mil cume mark. New at #3 is Invictus with 9.1 mil. Dropping down to #4 is "The Twilight Saga: New Moon" with another 8 mil as it races to 300 mil cume. Rounding off the top 5 is "Disney's A Christmas Carol" still hanging in there with another 6.9 mil as it is just shy of 125 mil cume.

Quote of the week:
"All the wrong people remember Vietnam. I think all the people who remember it should forget it, and all the people who forgot it should remember it." - Michael Herr

Other News:
Here is a sad list ... those entertainers we have lost this past year. A fond farewell to a selection of icons which I have posted throughout the year but a recap is due. In memoriam: Ricardo Montalban of "Fantasy Island" and "Star Trek: The Wrath of Khan" fame died in January at the age of 88. Natasha Richardson from such films as "The Parent Trap" remake and "Maid in Manhattan" died in March at the age of 45. Veteran actress Bea Arthur from numerous 70's sitcoms died in April just short of her 87th birthday. Comic actor Dom DeLuise died in May at the age of 75. Sidekick legend Ed McMahon died in June at the age of 86. 70's sex symbol Farrah Fawcett died in June at the age of 62. Music legend Michael Jackson who had 17 #1 hits died in June at the age of 50. Martial-arts expert and actor David Carradine died in June. News legend, anchorman Walter Cronkite reminded us of our history died in July at the age of 92. Legendary filmmaker John Hughes (pictured) leaving us with such classics as "The Breakfast Club" and "Ferris Bueller's Day Off" died in August at the age of 59. Dancer-actor Patrick Swayze left us in September at the age of 57.

Facts & Tips:
Shrimp can only swim backward.

"Is that it? Is that all you're gonna ask me? Well I got a couple of thousand goddamn questions, you know. I want to speak to someone in charge. I want to lodge a complaint. You have no right to make people crazy! You think I investigate every Walter Cronkite story there is? Huh? If this is just nerve gas, how come I know everything in such detail? I've never been here before. How come I know so much? What the hell is going on around here? Who the hell are you people?" - Richard Dreyfuss as Roy Neary in "Close Encounters of the Third Kind."

Monday, December 07, 2009

Today is the anniversary of Pearl Harbor ... remember.

COLD!! The temps sure dropped on us and fast! We have been having steady night weather of about 50 degrees and the days were low 70's, that is winter for these parts! No rain yet though but we are due for some. So is this the start of a SoCali Winter? I am not sure because it could get hot again but if it doesn't and stays cold longer this year ... nice! Makes up for last year and the year before! But we shall see what happens. On Friday we did get this pretty awesome fog too!

Weekly Update:
It was a busy week for me, at least the first part of it. I had a few functions to attend and it just made for a tiring week. It wasn't anything that fun either from meetings to charity functions to more meetings. The real problem was that most of these events were within 2 days, probably wouldn't be that big of a deal if they were more spread out and then I wouldn't necessarily have noticed it. But what can you do if you don't schedule them but have to attend them. One fun thing was the studio lot had their annual tree lighting ceremony on Tuesday which was kind of fun. Fake snowed ended the ritual and then it was time to leave right after. I thought the event could have been a bigger splash but it was still fun regardless.

At the movies:
Some surprises at the box office this week as "The Blind Side" climbs to #1 in its 3rd week in release earning an additional 20.4 million. This brings the phenom sleeper hit to a cume of over 128 mil and along with some Oscar buzz ... could be the surprise hit of the year. Falling to #2 is "The Twilight Saga: New Moon" with another strong 15.7 mil and now over the 255 mil cume mark! New at #3 is Brothers with 9.7 mil to open. Hanging onto #4 is "Disney's A Christmas Carol" with 7.5 more as this film quickly loses more steam. Rounding off the top 5 is "Old Dogs" with another 6.9 mil as this will more than likely be off the list next week.

New movies that did not make the top 5: A couple this week as the action film Armored gets the #6 spot with only 6.6 mil to open. At #10 is the comedy-drama of Everybody's Fine with only 4 mil for it's debut. One other film that came onto the radar with just over 1,000 screens called Transylmania earns the #21 spot and only earned 275k. The additional sad part of this film other than the overall low gross is that it comes out to only 274 dollars per screen average ... I haven't seen numbers that low for a release of that size in a LONG time ... if ever.

Comment Response:
Yeah let me know next time you are in town! Also, I don't think I need to see the Twilight series to get perspective in my field ... yeah, I'll pass on that one.

Quote of the week:
"Conservative, n. A statesman who is enamoured of existing evils, as distinguished from a liberal, who wishes to replace them with others." - Ambrose Bierce

Other News:
America's Best Bang-For-The-Buck Cities ... do you live in one? A combination of solid housing market, relatively stable employment, enviable cost of living and quick commutes makes up this list ... Lets take a look at just the top 5 as this list is pretty extensive. In at #5) August- Richmond County, GA - Though unemployment is high, it makes up for affordability and low estate tax rates. #4) Des Moines, IA - very low unemployment however the estate tax rate is pretty high. #3) Jackson, MS - numbers across the board are good with its strength being in low estate tax rate. #2) Little Rock, AR - nice numbers overall again with a high affordability rate. And the best place to live based on your dollar is ... Omaha, NE - despite a high estate tax rate their unemployment is almost zero.

Facts & Tips:
The "ZIP" in the ZIP code stands for Zone Improvement Plan.

"Nineteen thousand dollars a year for my services? What do you think I am, some kind of a Bionic cocktail waitress?"- Lindsay Wagner as Jaime Sommers in the TV series "The Bionic Woman."