HOT! The start of the week was fine but then at the very last couple of days, BAM ... massive heat wave. The valley almost reached triple digits on Sunday but the OC remained in the high 80's ... are we now in summer? You know what I haven't noticed this year ... June Bugs. Usually you see those things every where as they go kamikaze into windows and other things like a swimming pool. But so far, nothing ... not that I don't mind but usually they are all over the place, interesting.Weekly Update:
The week itself was pretty normal but toward the end of it I had a lot of events going on! Saturday I had a good friend's birthday party which had other friends there along with some new ones that I made. Included in that is the Perry Brothers who put together the YouTube series The Retarded Policeman, VERY funny series and highly recommend it. Josh "The Ponceman" Perry plays the Retarded Policeman and is a very sharp actor ... give it a look see. Then on Sunday, I had another birthday party which involved some mini-golf (yeah!) and right after I went to a wrap party for a film I helped on called "Shuffle" starring TJ Thyne who has become a pretty cool friend to me. The party was fun and I hope the movie gets some kind of distribution ... although I would like to see it first.
At the movies:NOOoooo surprise here as the new action packed movie Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen takes the #1 spot with a hefty 201.2 mil for its first 5 days. Almost a new record but just falling short of "The Dark Knight" by around 2 mil! Holding well on to #2 is "The Proposal" with another 18.5 mil. Continuing to show strong at #3 is "The Hangover" with another 17.2 mil as it breaks the 180 cume mark. Slight drop to #4 is "Up" with an extra 13 mil and now reaching the 250 mil cume! Rounding off the top 5 is the new drama My Sister's Keeper with only 12 mil.Quote of the week:"The humblest citizen of all the land, when clad in the armor of a righteous cause, is stronger than all the hosts of error." - William Jennings BryanOther News:
HEeeeeeeeeeeere's ED! The "Tonight Show" sidekick to Johnny Carson, Ed McMahon died early Tuesday at the Ronald Reagan UCLA Medical Center surround by his wife and other family members. McMachon was best known for being the sidekick to Carson for nearly 30 years. McMahon was also the host of "Star Search" for so many years giving inspiring young talent a chance in show business through comedy, song and dance. His signature call though was from the "Tonight Show" as he introduced Johnny Carson each night and played along with his many skits and pranks through those 30 years. Prior to that, the both of them worked on other shows such as "Who Do You Trust?" before taking over the "Tonight Show" from Jack Paar back in October of 1962. When Johnny retired in 1992, McMahon retired along with him. His voice was the signature opener for Johnny and continues to be imitated today. Over the past few months, McMahon's health was hit with several problems. McMahon was a gentle and caring soul and I am sure Johnny is introducing him right now as he makes his appearance at the pearly gates. McMahon was 86.
Another shocker as 70's icon and sex symbol Farrah Fawcett passed away Thursday morning after a long battle with cancer. Farrah was the picture girl of the 70's when she was the TV show "Charlie's Angels" and the iconic poster of her in a clingy swimsuit could be seen up in millions of boys rooms across America. Later that poster and image would be replaced by her signature red bathing suit poster and flowing blond hair. She was also best known for her short role in the sci-fi hit "Logan's Run" while sporting the Farrah Fawcett hairstyle. In 2006, she was diagnosed with cancer and struggled to stay out of the limelight and keep her health and worries out of the public view. Fawcett was 62.What a week! Thursday afternoon, iconic pop singer 
Michael Jackson died from a cardiac arrest in his rented home in Los Angeles. Paramedics arrived at the scene where he wasn't breathing and rushed him to UCLA Medical Center where he was officially pronounced dead. Despite Jacksons rocky recent past, he still remains one of our beloved song-writers and musician. Jackson started his career at a very early age of 4 with his family and being the center spotlight of The Jackson 5. When he branched out on his own, he was almost an instance success and continued to be so through the 80's and 90's. He tempted songs to break racial barriers, change the world by changing yourself and simply love. His dance styles also became signatures of the pop legend with the moonwalk and crotch grab. Fashion also added to his flair with the red "Thriller" jacket and glittering single hand glove. Some of his better known hits include "Thriller," "Beat It," "Billie Jean," "Smooth Criminal," "Wanna Be Startin' Somethin'" to just name a few. He reached out into movies, TV specials and some of the most memorable TV Commercials we have ever seen. This week in general has been devastating in the entertainment industry not to mention the world where some folks try to make a difference ... and did. We have lost a tremendous voice. Jackson was 50.
Facts & Tips:The flea can jump 350 times its body length, that is like a human jumping the length of a football field."I've given some thought to moving off the edge. Not an ideal location. Might get a place in the middle." - Nathan Fillion as Captain Malcolm 'Mal' Reynolds in the TV series "Firefly."
Yesterday was the Summer Solstice (June 21st) so it's officially summer!!! Although living in southern California, pretty much close to summer year round. But, our cloudy weather seems to have continued a bit longer so the days have been nice and cool, the nights not so cold. I am guessing come late July, through August it will be scorching hot ... I just hope not record breaking heat though because then its always miserable.Weekly Update:For the most of this past week ... I was sick. Caught a nasty sore throat with a cold and I think it was mainly due to a lot of lost sleep. I did catch up on the weekends for the most part but I guess it simply wasn't enough. Now, the start of a new week and feeling much better. Just have to remember to go to bed early when I can!!! Also, this past week we started to foster a dog. This isn't my first time with having a dog but the wife's first time with any kind of dog. The dog's name is Mabel but she never responds to it and also a German Shepherd. Very tame, big and craves to be around people. The shelter believes she is 7 or 8 but I am thinking could be as old as 9 perhaps. But she is a very good dog, perfect for a first timer and hopefully we can teach this old dog a few new tricks.At the movies:
Comedy with a side of romance takes the crown this weekend as The Proposal earns a huge 34.1 million at the box office. Slightly above industry expectations but this movie is very funny. Still strong at #2 is "The Hangover" with 26.9 mil and now over 150 mil cume. Also strong at #3 is "Up" flying in with another 21.3 mil and it passes the 220 mil cume mark! New at #4 is the comedy(?) Year One with 20.2 mil. Rounding off the top 5 is "The Taking of Pelham 1-2-3" with another 11.3 mil.Quote of the week:"The trouble with being poor is that it takes up all of your time." - Willem de KooningComment Response:Not sure what is going on that week, a lot of times events just happen spur of the moment for me.
Other News:North Korea on the rise? North Korea has continued to test their nuclear capabilities lately and has declared themselves a nuclear country ... when they said they were not creating such a thing. NOW they threaten the US if we attack them. However, they are planing a long range test towards Hawaii supposedly around 4th of July. Do these people hear what they are saying? Clearly they are doing everything they can to delay any kind of global interference upon their country. Naturally other countries like Japan and China do not want to see them with any nuclear capabilities especially in the hands of the mad man, Kim Jong-il. Even though both China and North Korea share the same political structure in a sense, doesn't mean they like each other. Of course South Korea is the most worried since they share the same peninsula with North Korea. So with all the testing and now claiming nuclear power ... how come 99% of the country still lives in poverty and without simple amenities like ... oh, I don't know, electricity??? If you have nuclear power or generators, shouldn't you be using it for the people's comfort unless you obviously have another intention in mind for it. The satellite image (enhanced) to the left is from 2006 ... and if you look at a picture from 1996, it is the same ... PROGRESS!Facts & Tips:
The first household refrigerators cost about $16,000, in today's money!"Do you know anyone in New York?" - Barry Shabaka Henley as Thurman in "The Terminal."
Is it summer? I guess technically it isn't yet since we still have one more week till the Summer Solstice on June 21st but on all other accounts it should be ... yet we still have this overcast weather which started the last week in May. I guess the "June Gloom" continues but I think it will start breaking up for us here pretty soon. Do other states or parts of even this state get this weather? I am sure some do, others do not but with our area of the world being on a coast and this temperature zone must all play factors in it. No real rain however but some misting and drizzles from time to time in the mornings. They say thunderstorms later this week ... but for the most part the weather reporters have been about 10% accurate the past 6 months.Weekly Update:
Started slow, ended LONG! The week was pretty quiet for the most part but then toward the end of it I had sudden events pop up. Went to a play/show on Wednesday, a comedy show late Thursday and then pretty much all day Friday was on the set for a small indie film again that I helped with last week. For the most part the weekend was quiet which I needed but I am still tired. I could use a vacation but not really one where you go somewhere, just one where you do nothing and catch up on sleep and simply relax. But then I am sure after two days of that I would get bored and would want to get back to doing stuff. I think we should change to a 3-day weekend and a 4-day work week ... or better yet, make Wednesday a mid-week-day-off to break things up!! How about that idear!
At the movies:Winning its first weekend on its second week is "The Hangover" barely taking the #1 spot with 33.4 million. Still showing it's strong legs is "Up" with another 30.5 mil and now past the 185 mil cume mark ... sure to reach 250 domestically easily. New at #3 is the action-drama-remake of The Taking of Pelham 1 2 3 with 25 mil and a low opener for a summer release. Holding on to the #4 spot is "Night at the Museum: Battle of the Smithsonian" with another 9.6 mil. Rounding off the top 5 is "Land of the Lost" with a big summer drop but still making another 9.1 mil and sure to be the last time on the top 5.New movies that did not make the top 5: One this weekend and another BIG disappointment for Eddie Murphy. Coming in at #6 is Imagine That with only 5.7 mil. This is a big concern since many thought that Murphy was still very strong with the family/children films as his other films the past few years have been complete failures ... now it looks like he may not have anything left anymore.Quote of the week:"A musician must make music, an artist must paint, a poet must write if he is to be ultimately at peace with himself. What one can be, one must be." - Abraham MaslowComment Response:Actually "Up" did in fact win that week over "The Hangover" because WB gave out false numbers to be #1 on their opening weekend. This kind of thing happens often if the numbers are close and WB is one of the biggest culprits of number fudging. But if you look at the actual physical returns, "Up" did win it but it was very close. So in the news "The Hangover" won but on paper it was "Up."Other News:
Did you know that the Los Angeles Lakers won the NBA Championship?? Sunday night was game 5 (best out of a 7 game series) which took place in Orlando, Florida versus the Magic. The Lakers went into the game with a 3 to 1 lead in the series and hoping to close it out last night which they did. This game marks the 15th title that the LA Lakers have won and this had made the 4th title for player Kobe Bryant has won which have all been with this team. Coach Phil Jackson gets his 10th title but also his 4th with the Lakers. Clearly the Lakers were the better team in this match-up after taking game 1 by 25 points (in LA). Game 2 was closer but the Lakers managed to squeeze ahead by 5 points in overtime (in LA). Orlando managed to win game three by 4 points (in Orlando). Game 4 we saw the Lakers win it in OT by 8 points (in Orlando). Finally, with a commanding lead of 13 points, the Lakers close the books on Orlando, in Orlando. There will be a lot of partying going on in Southern California tonight ... when does the parade start?
Facts & Tips:20% of tuxedo rentals take place in May."Yo! That was the illest rhyme I ever seen!" - Marlon Wayans as Shorty Meeks in "Scary Movie."
Did you know that Saturday was the 65th Anniversary of the invasion of Normandy beach during World War II? More commonly known as D-Day or The Longest Day. Operation Overlord was the first turning point in the war in Europe against the Nazi's. June 6th, 1944 and that morning nearly 160,000 men invaded the beaches along with paratroopers inland to hold strategic points to help the landings. Allied forces made up of United Kingdom, Canada, Free France, Poland, Norway and the United States secured the launching point of what would be the start of the end for Nazi Germany. Estimated German strength is said to be around 380,000 troops, however no one expected such an attack and were caught unprepared. Every year on that day I try and watch one of the greatest war movies ... The Longest Day from 1962 and with a cast that included Richard Burton, Red Buttons, Paul Anka, Henry Fonda, Peter Lawford, Roddy McDowall, Robert Mitchum, Robert Wagner, Sean Connery and John Wayne ... to name a few. Easily one of my favorite films of all time.Weekly Update:This past week has been kind of long and ... wet! Lot of random showers came and went, it almost felt like being in Florida. It wasn't cold when it did rain but almost muggy, sort of humid. So now my car is very spotted with rain drops, it needs a bath. I did help on Friday on a film shoot for this little indie project. No one big is in it, kind of a wierd but interesting story. All I did was be a background person which was fun but long. Some folks there who were extras spent over 12 hours there from 11 am to 1130 pm there. I just showed up around 130 and left by 10, they can't expect to keep me when I am not being paid you know. Plus I was getting tired and the place was an old creepy hospital probably from the early 1900's in downtown LA ... time to go when the sun goes down! I'll be back to help them again next week though. Should be fun.At the movies:
No surprise here who gets the box office crown this weekend as Disney Pixar's "Up" flies in for its 2nd week in a row with an additional 44.2 million and now a 10-day total of over 135 mil! The drop for this film was only 35% which is VERY low. Look for this film to finish as this summers top 10, possibly top 5. New at #2 is the hard comedy The Hangover with 43.3 mil. A very strong number for an R-Rated comedy mixed with a below average summer screen count. New at #3 is the action-comedy film The Land of The Lost with a very disappointing 19.5 mil which is clearly well below industry expectations. Hanging on to the #4 spot is "Night at the Museum: Battle of the Smithsonian" earning an extra 14.7 mil. Rounding off the top 5 is "Star Trek" hanging in strong with another 8.4 mil and a cume of over 220 mil as it speeds its way to 250 mil.New movies that did not make the top 5: Just one this week but simply because it went on only about 1100 screens. Which finds itself between limited and wide release ... so a limited wide release as they say. In at #9 is My Life in Ruins with 3.2 mil. Not a great number but respectable for a film of this type.Quote of the week:"The only difference between saints and sinners is that every saint has a past while every sinner has a future." - Oscar WildeComment Response:I do not watch horror films, I don't understand why people like to scare themselves or want to be scared. Denver is kind of a ways off ... not sure. No immediate travels plans in general though.
Other News:Film and TV personality David Carradine was found dead last Thursday morning in his hotel room by the cleaning lady while in Bangkok filming his next movie. Causes are a little unclear at this moment as authorities are calling it a self hanging but not a suicide. Folks in the Carradine camp are saying natural causes but that doesn't seem or sound right either. Carradine was best known as Kwai Chang Caine from the 1970's TV show "Kung Fu" about a wondering Chinese monk in 19th Century America helping people he came across while over-coming racism and prejudices. The term "Grasshopper" was given to his character in that series by his master in the numerous flash back scenes of his youth and training by Shaolin monks. Carradine came and went with role to role but remained under the radar for the most part till about 2004 when he returned to the big screen in Quentin Taratino's two-part saga "Kill Bill" vol. 1 and vol. 2 as Bill. David was 72.Facts & Tips:
One in 500 humans has one blue eye and one brown eye."Girls mature faster than guys." - Ian Ziering as Steve Sanders in the TV series "Beverly Hills, 90210."
June gloom? Well we are not in June just yet ... ok, technically we are but the last week and a half of June has seen some pretty glooming weather in these parts. I know the expression is June gloom but in May? I think our calendars are off from the hundreds of years when it was accurate that it could use some adjustments ... or just do away with such sayings might be the easier thing. Unless of course throughout the entire month of June it is glooming but for some reason I doubt it will be. Probably won't even be 50% glooming at that.Weekly Update:So I am slowly getting my computer back up to where it use to be before I had to completely wipe out everything and re-load the operating system. I can't stress the need for back-up more than ever now because prior to my desktop going down, my laptop went out. Fortunately for me, the laptop was still under the extended warranty I bought from Alienware but I still lost the data. Now I have back-ups for the back-up for the back-up ... and then another one just in case. Is it redundant? YES but if two systems go down, I still have two back-ups (sort of). I have had one external hard drive go out on me before ... maybe a 5th online back-up for at least photos is a good idea. Also invest in a power back-up, they are cheap now at Costco (around $100) but hey if it gives you enough power to give you enough time to shut off your computer saving everything, money WELL spent. Not to mention the built-in features like a surge protector are always nice.
At the movies:No surprise here as Pixar Disney's UP soars at the box office to #1 with a great opening of 68.2 million which is slightly above industry expectations. Word-of-mouth is very strong on this film so the legs will carry it through the summer to be one of the top grosses. Slight drop to #2 is "Night at the Museum: Battle of the Smithsonian" with an extra 25.5 mil and just breaking the 100 mil cume mark. New at #3 is the horror Drag Me To Hell with a 16.6 mil opening and about right where I thought it might be. Slightly below the predictions but not for me, something about this film didn't "scream" out that much. Big drop to #4 is "Terminator: Salvation" with another 16.1 mil and racing to break 100 mil soon. Rounding off the top 5 is "Star Trek" with another 12.8 mil and now well over 200 mil as it continues to play strong.Quote of the week:"Happiness is something you get as a by-product in the process of making something else." - Aldous HuxleyOther News:
As we head into summer, something interesting is starting to happen globally and that is the economy is slightly rebounding. Nothing we will notice however, and one thing that is going in the opposite direction is oil prices. During the summer period is typically when we (being the US) consume more oil over an extended period of time from cooling units to travel. Asia is seeing the highest rise in oil prices at the moment while the rest of the world is feeling increases but not as high. What still amazes me is when a barrel of crude oil goes up in one day, the gas prices we pay remain high for weeks. When the price of a barrel of oil drops for a day, it takes weeks till we see that effect and usually only lasts for a very short period of time. It's definitely an excuse for refinery companies to raise prices right away and keep them high and then when they drop, they take their time about lowering them ... or simply reduce the output so the demand remains higher than the supply. It will always stay this way till we can find more alternative means of fuel for our many different uses of it. Otherwise, it really is a slowly losing battle.
Facts & Tips:The first alarm clock could only ring at 4 a.m."How is it possible that Courtney Love looks worse than Kurt Cobain?" - Jeffrey Ross as himself at the "Comedy Central Roast of Pamela Anderson."
At the movies:
Another shocker as 70's icon and sex symbol Farrah Fawcett passed away Thursday morning after a long battle with cancer. Farrah was the picture girl of the 70's when she was the TV show "Charlie's Angels" and the iconic poster of her in a clingy swimsuit could be seen up in millions of boys rooms across America. Later that poster and image would be replaced by her signature red bathing suit poster and flowing blond hair. She was also best known for her short role in the sci-fi hit "Logan's Run" while sporting the Farrah Fawcett hairstyle. In 2006, she was diagnosed with cancer and struggled to stay out of the limelight and keep her health and worries out of the public view. Fawcett was 62.
Michael Jackson died from a cardiac arrest in his rented home in Los Angeles. Paramedics arrived at the scene where he wasn't breathing and rushed him to UCLA Medical Center where he was officially pronounced dead. Despite Jacksons rocky recent past, he still remains one of our beloved song-writers and musician. Jackson started his career at a very early age of 4 with his family and being the center spotlight of The Jackson 5. When he branched out on his own, he was almost an instance success and continued to be so through the 80's and 90's. He tempted songs to break racial barriers, change the world by changing yourself and simply love. His dance styles also became signatures of the pop legend with the moonwalk and crotch grab. Fashion also added to his flair with the red "Thriller" jacket and glittering single hand glove. Some of his better known hits include "Thriller," "Beat It," "Billie Jean," "Smooth Criminal," "Wanna Be Startin' Somethin'" to just name a few. He reached out into movies, TV specials and some of the most memorable TV Commercials we have ever seen. This week in general has been devastating in the entertainment industry not to mention the world where some folks try to make a difference ... and did. We have lost a tremendous voice. Jackson was 50.
Facts & Tips:
