Monday, November 30, 2009

Thanksgiving Day Edition
I was expecting some rain but got like 16 drops of water on my windshield. I heard San Diego got some heavy showers, I think they stole some of ours!! The weather overall here was pretty good during the day. Funny, it read in the high 50's for temps but the sun was out and bright it felt like it was probably around 70. Of course as soon as you stood in the shade or had a breeze hit, then it felt like 50's!! The nights were COLD ... I think we are in winter mode now yet it isn't technically winter yet for a few more weeks. I like the cold, just wish we had gotten some rain with it thought, that would have been nice.

Weekly Update:
Kind of a slow week for me again but this upcoming one looks to be filled with stuff ... it must be December soon. Had Thanksgiving at my friend's family house which is now a tradition going back several years, at least 10 that I can remember and most definitely more. I think I only missed one or two Thanksgivings in that time for one reason or another but it is pretty consistent for the most part. Of course filled up on turkey and stuffing ... mmmm, stuffing. I do like me some stuffing with some gravy on top. Just give me a bowl of stuffing with gravy and I will call that a meal! I did do some shopping before and after Black Friday, it wasn't that bad but then I went to places like Costco and Home Depot, your not-so-typical retailers where you would find the people who were camping out the night or two before to be first on some deals. Those people who camp out at stores to save a few bucks, I call them ... crazy.

At the movies:
No surprise this holiday weekend as "The Twilight Saga: New Moon" takes the crown again earning an additional 42.5 million and now a shocking cume of over 230 mil in its first 10 days! There has to be a record in there somewhere. Holding stronger at #2 is "The Blind Side" with another 40.1 mil to add and break 100 mil in its first 10 days as well. Hanging in to #3 is "2012" with another 18 mil for its 3rd week. New at #4 is Old Dogs with a 5-day opening of only 16.8 mil. This is well below expectations for a family film during this time. Rounding off the top 5 is "Disney's A Christmas Carol" with another 16 mil as it finally breaks 100 mil cume.

New movies that did not make the top 5: We have two this week which neither are surprising at their numbers. In at #6 is the no-talent-name action film Ninja Assassin with a 5-day opening of only 13.1 mil. Semi-new at #9 is The Fantastic Mr. Fox with only about 6 mil to open. This film did open limited a couple of weeks ago and this holiday was its big weekend of ... nothing.

Quote of the week:
"How far that little candle throws his beams! So shines a good deed in a weary world." - William Shakespeare

Other News:
So there is "Black Friday" and I guess now "Cyber Monday" ... why? At least I did not hear of any shopping related deaths this year in the news unlike last year at a couple places like Wal-Mart. And I understand the term "Black Friday" but what I don't get is why "Cyber Monday" when it seems like in reality that it should just be Cyber December. I think folks shop online more than just Monday and I am also sure Monday is not the biggest day of selling. Nor is it the start of online shipping since almost every retailer had deals going online that Friday as well. So to me the term neither makes sense nor is correct yet they talk about it like it is the next phase in this yearly holiday shopping. How about just calling it "Black Cyber Friday" as it seems more and more sales are being shifted to online anyway as people prefer the comforts of their own home.

Facts & Tips:
The average woman consumes six pounds of lipstick in her lifetime.

"You know, a lot of people don't realize that bushes, just like flowers, emit a wonderful aroma especially at night. Who wants to sniff this bush?" - A.D. Miles as Martin Gary in "Role Models."

posted by McDuck @ 00:46 1 comments

Monday, November 23, 2009

Winter stars are out and they are my favorite! I don't know why but I much prefer the winter night sky over the summer. Maybe it is more clear and crisp? I don't know ... perhaps it has some of my favorite constellations like Orion (aka The Hunter) and the dippers? I must say that Orion is my favorite constellation and it usually starts to appear in the early evening come late November and stays with us till at least March till you can't see it till much later in the AM hours. It is a simple constellation of 4 stars forming a box (representing Orion's arms and legs) with three stars in the middle close together being his belt and two, almost three stars from that which is supposed to be his scabbard/sword.

Weekly Update:
I must say this past week was ... nice! Besides the lack of sleep it was a very quiet and non-eventful week which is always good to have in the mix to rest and recovery ... and just do stuff that means nothing. Besides that, the weather dropped a lot during the day and even more so at night. It is almost time for the heat to go on but we can hold off a little bit longer to save a little bit of money on the electric bill. This next week will be very short work-wise due to Thanksgiving and you bet I am going to stay home as much as I can over the rest of the week and avoid any stores or malls like the plague ... THE PLAGUE!!

At the movies:
No surprise at the box office as the 2nd installment of the Twilight Saga sucks up top honors this weekend ... The Twilight Saga: New Moon earns a hefty 140.7 million in just its first 3 days. No surprise as it past 100 mil, the real question was just how far! In at #2 is the drama The Blind Side with 34.5 mil and it would suggest that Sandra Bullock is on a little bit of a buzz this year at the box office. Holding ground at #3 is "2012" with an extra 26.5 mil as it passes the 100 mil cume mark. New at #4 is the animated comedy Planet 51 with only 12.6 mil as it is well below expectations. Rounding off the top 5 is "Disney's A Christmas Carol 3-D" with 12.2 mil as it crawls its way to 100 mil.

Quote of the week:
"Hollywood, that's where I could've gone if I wasn't such a punk. If I just learned to bend over and say thank you a little more politely, it could've been great." - Mitch Ryder

Other News:
Top 10 worst video games ... made into movies!! Now here is another fun list and you find yourself asking, "why did they make that??" This list doesn't necessarily seem to have a cohesive order but I think it does go the way I am presenting it ... in at #10) In the Name of the King - not a great game by any means and not a great movie. #9) Silent Hill - horror game into horror movie so since it is horror, I didn't see the movie. I know it did well at the box office but not great. #8) Bloodrayne - I heard this movie should have been made for a TV-movie rather than a full production movie. I didn't know the game was that popular either. #7) Dead or Alive - never played it or seen the movie but looking at the numbers, it was a box office fiasco! #6) Alone in the Dark - another horror based video game, pass. #5) House of the Dead - I liked the game but I heard this movie was quiet the opposite. If movies cost a quarter like the old days of video games ... save the quarter. #4) Wing Commander - now I LOVED this game when it first came out and when they expanded it and you can play either human or cat-people, cool! I saw part of this movie ... I LOVED this video game! #3) Street Fighter - Was never into the 1-on-1 fighting games but I did see this movie and thought it was ... OK. Sad part is that I think it was one of Raul Julia's final films before he passed. #2) Double Dragon - ok the game was lame and the movie (unlike most movies) followed the game! And at #1 ... Super Mario Bros. - Yeah, I have to agree with this as being the worst movie from a video game yet the game was fun ... sad.

Facts & Tips:
The oldest know animal was a tortoise, which lived to be 152 years old.

"Hey... knock a self a pro, Slick! That gray matter backlot perform us DOWN, I take TCB-in', man!" - Al White as Second Jive Dude in "Airplane!"

posted by McDuck @ 00:01 0 comments

Monday, November 16, 2009

Veteran's Day Edition

Last Wednesday was Veteran's Day and it was kind of weird having it in the middle of the week. I am sure it jumps around each day because of the date but this is one holiday that sort of sneaks up on you and did not really notice it that much to be honest. The one nice thing about the day was there was very little to no traffic going to and from work!! I like days like that were those of us who still have to work sort of at least get a break.

Weekly Update:
What a week this was ... the big thing that happened though was on Monday on the way to work, my work car broke down. It has just over 8,000 miles on it and about 2 miles from the office, everything basically shuts off as if someone flipped the power switch. I still had gas going for a little bit longer while I made my way over to the curb but I learned later that when I hit my hazard light button, they didn't even turn on!! How safe is this car if there isn't enough power or some kind of small battery to keep the hazard lights on!!! Well, the leasing company did take care of everything but I do have to say that I am VERY unimpressed with the Saturn Vue and then my replacement car was the Saturn Aura which is supposed to be their luxury sedan ... luxury for who? I'm sorry but these cars feel and are very cheaply made. I feel like their version of "bells and whistles" on a car is having AC and headlights. I guess that is the quality you see in American auto engineering ... they just do not feel like a solid car but more like a toy. So finally, I get the car back on Friday (yep, 5 days later) and the problem was the positive battery cord (??) shorted and melted for some unknown reason. OH and how is this for "ghetto" for this day and age, I got to sign for my car and there is about 2 packets of forms. Well the lady behind the counter had this tray of used carbon paper sheets and was inserted them between the forms and then of course after I signed, she put them back in the tray ... really? Can't an auto dealership afford something more professional or maybe the type of paper that it has it built in or something?

At the movies:
Disaster takes the box office crown this week as the predictable 2012 earns top honors with 65 million to open. This nice first place weekend is very short lived with the Vamp suckers rising up next week. Holding ground at #2 is "Disney's A Christmas Carol" earning another 22.3 mil. At #3 is "The Men Who Stare at Goats" with another 6.2 mil as it slowly makes its decent out of the top 5. Rising up to #4 is "Precious" with another 6.1 mil as it climbs 226% from last week. Rounding off the top 5 is "Michael Jackson's This Is It" with 5.1 mil more and probably the end of this song and dance number.

New movies that did not make the top 5: One this week but it also didn't go normal wide as most films. It did open to over 800 screens which is notable. The movie based on the true story, Pirate Radio earns only 2.9 mil and also the #11 spot this week. I think the boat is sunk before it had a chance to leave the harbor.

Quote of the week:
"America, now is not the time for small plans." - Barak Obama

Other News:
LISTS! I love LISTS!! This one is a good one too! It's called: WORST PLACES TO LIVE ... (if you're in a disaster movie). This is a very fun list and SO true too!! Starting from the bottom at #10: Baltimore, MD due to nuclear terrorism and bad crab cakes as seen from "The Sum of All Fears." At #9: Rome, Italy with their freakish lightning storms and Visigoths coming from "The Core." At #8: Las Vegas, NV when its overrun with zombies from "Resident Evil: Extinction." Coming in #7: London, England for also zombies mixed with dragons and nuclear disasters thanks to "Reign of Fire", "28 Days Later", "The Day the Earth Caught Fire." Chilling in at #6: San Francisco, CA thanks to rampant sea critters, mutants and magnetism! Ranging from the classic "It Came From Beneath the Sea" to "The Core", "X-Men: The Last Stand" and "Monsters vs. Aliens." Shining in at #5: Paris, France basically due to objects falling from space. Thanks to "Armageddon" and "Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen" it proves Michael Bay hates the place or something! Coming in at #4: Washington, DC from aliens, floods and more aliens! Thanks to films like "Independence Day", "The Day After Tomorrow", "Deep Impact", "Mars Attacks!", "The Day the Earth Stood Still" and "Earth vs. The Flying Saucers." Counting down to #3: New York, NY with just bad weather, killer aliens, monsters and corporate mascots! Again we see "Independence Day", The Day After Tomorrow" and "Deep Impact" and then add "I Am Legend", "Ghostbusters" and "Cloverfield." Let's not forget #2: Los Angeles, CA thanks to fire, water, earth and air ... all the elements! This list is long but a few highlights include "Volcano", "The Day After Tomorrow" and "Independence Day" then throw in some "Earthquake" and "Terminator 2: Judgement Day" to name only a few! And the #1 worst place to live if you're in a disaster movie is ... quite obvious really, Toyko, Japan! Constant plague of giant rubbery monters. One word sums it all up ... Godzilla!

Facts & Tips:
The first Ferris wheel was built in Atlantic City in 1869.

"For the past seven years I have done nothing but travel around the world getting shot up, locked up, blown up... and all I have to show for it are a couple of empty rolls of duct tape." - Richard Dean Anderson as MacGyver in "MacGyver."

posted by McDuck @ 00:05 0 comments

Monday, November 09, 2009

I have to start this off on a very sad note. The first dog we have ever fostered (Mabel) passed away on Saturday (put down) due to a growth on her chest area, under the left front leg. It went from a baseball size to football in about a week and it had grown into her ribs and other areas that an operation was just not possible. She was in much pain and the only thing they could do was put her down to end the tremendous suffering of such a sweet sweet dog. Mabel, she was an older dog but 100% loyal, extremely friendly and listened. She had a rough few weeks with an ear infection and having a canal removed but her adopted home treated her like a queen. Her last few months were nothing short of luxury and love ... now she is out of pain, running in the blue skies above and watching down on all of us smiling.

Weekly Update:
Last Tuesday I went to the AFI/Premiere for our film "Everybody's Fine" but only to the after-party which was at a really interesting venue that was sort of tucked away, looked really tiny from the outside but then had a HUGE upstairs. One thing I was shocked was in that only one of the cast from the film went and no other talent attended the party ... very lack luster and shocking for me. But that one person I did get to meet ...

*Kate Beckinsale- best known as Selene from the "Underworld" franchise and an extremely nice person!

The rest of the week I pretty much spend the time up in San Francisco for some meetings, did the fun Pixar visit and tried to stay dry during all the rain on Friday. Overall a good trip!

At the movies:
The holidays are upon us as Disney starts off the season with the re-telling of a classic story ... Disney's A Christmas Carol earns an "ok" 31 million. I am sure the hope was MUCH higher but it is early and frankly this movie looks scary. Holding ground at #2 is "Michael Jackson's This Is It" with another 14 mil. New at #3 is The Men Who Stare At Goats with 13.3 mil and I think that will be it for this odd one. Coming in at #4 is The Fourth Kind with 12.5 mil and it feels like it is a week too late. Rounding off the top 5 is "Paranormal Activity" with another 7.9 mil as it is now just 3 mil shy of 100 mil cume. Not bad for a film that cost less than 30k to make!

New films that did not make the top 5: Just one this week as the thriller The Box earns only 7.9 mil and enough to make it #6 this weekend. In a big surprise, in at #14 is a small film called Precious earning 1.8 mil. Now that may sound like a very small number but it only opened on 18 screens!! That is a screen average of 100,000 each and if you compare it to something like "Christmas Carol" which did 8,418 per screen, you can see how successful it is. This film is also a heavy consideration for Oscar contention as it expands these coming weeks.

Quote of the week:
"The best way to destroy an enemy is to make him a friend." - Abraham Lincoln

Other News:
Thursday saw tradegy as a gunman opened fired within Fort Hood, Texas killing 13 people at the bases Readiness Center by another soldier. During the incident, an additional 29 were wounded as the gunman wielding two hand guns opened fired to people standing in lines. The list of the fatal was just released:

*PFC Michael Perason of Bolingbrook, ILL - deploying to Iraq or Afghanistan, he was 21.
*PFC Aaron Thomas Nemelka of West Jordan, UT - Ready to deploy to Afghanistan, he was 19.
*SPC Jason Dean Hunt of Tipton, OK- Second deployment to Iraq, he was 22.
*Sgt. Amy Krueger of Kiel, WI- She was 29.
*PVT Francheska Velez of Chicago, ILL - Returning home for maternity leave, she was 21.
*Chief Warrant Officer Michael Grant Cahill (Ret.) of Spokane, WA - Assisting with physicals, he was 62.
*PFC Kham Xiong of St. Paul, MN - Deploying to Afghanistan, he was 23.
*Capt. John Gaffaney of Sierra Mesa, CA - Psychiatric nurse, he was 56.
*Justin DeCrow of Evans, GA - Returned from South Korea, he was 32.
*Maj. Libardo Eduardo Caraveo of Woodbridge, VA - Deploying to Afghanistan, he was 52.
*SPC Frederick Greene of Mountain City, TN - assigned to the 510th Engineer Company, he was 29.
*Capt. Russell Seager of Racine, WI - deploying to Iraq, he was 51.
*Lt. Col. Juanita L. Warman of Havre De Grace, MD - Physician's assistant, she was 55.

The gunman was killed by a base police officer who was also one of the wounded but currently in stable condition. A great tragedy on US soil and one of the worst incidents of soldier-on-soldier violence.

Facts & Tips:
Fresh cranberries can be bounced like a rubber ball.

"Break it down, It would be my honor to be your new step-father." - Andy Samberg singing the song "Mother Lover" from Saturday Night Live.

posted by McDuck @ 00:01 0 comments

Monday, November 02, 2009

Daylight Savings Edition

Did you remember to set your clocks back an hour? I did, in fact I started to change them around the house around 6pm on Saturday. It was a very lazy day for me and since I had no plans I just changed them ... I like this DST (Daylight Savings Time) because we get that extra hour of sleep ... ah, sweet sweet sleep, how I miss you so.

Weekly Update:
Kind of a weird work week for me. Almost every department in our company has either been told they are staying after January or they are going (with the majority going) except our department. Our head of HR was in town and we thought, "Oh good, finally we will know and get the official word!" and her statement to all of us, "We still don't know about you guys, sorry." Great, so we continue to wait and this happened on Wednesday. I guess the parent company is going through some changes which may effect us I suppose. That is the only reason I can think of as to why they have not said anything to us. Then we get more crazy news on Friday as the head of the company announced that he will be leaving at the end of January and closing down the NY office while moving everything to LA! Ok, I have always said having an NY office (at least headquarters) in this business makes very little to no sense at all. The head of the company was the one keeping the NY office and pretty much all the people who are suppose to be with the company in NY. NOW, this happens and it changes everything but I am not sure if it will be good or bad. So, again we wait and wait. I am still assuming the worse right now because I haven't been told to think otherwise and we have already been prepared for the worse case scenario ... I'm ready for bed.

At the movies:
The music scene takes the movie box office this weekend ... but barely! The late King of Pop, Michael Jackson's This Is It earns top honors with a 3-day opening of 21 million and a 5-day opener of 35.9 mil. Very underwhelming as pre-sale tickets led everyone to believe this film could break 100 mil world-wide opening weekend and in reality, it flopped much like MJ's last record. Hanging on to the #2 spot is "Paranormal Activity" with another 16.5 mil as it makes a steady climb to a possible 100 mil. Holding on to #3 is "Law Abiding Citizen" with another 7.3 mil. Still hanging on and in at #4 is "Couples Retreat" with an extra 6.1 mil. Rounding off the top 5 is "Saw VI" as it plummets to earn an another 5.6 mil.

Quote of the week:
"Readiness is all." - William Shakespeare

Other News:
One of my favorite things ... lists!! This is a kind of a good one to think about during these tough economic times. This list mentions the top 6 thriving jobs that are here to stay! These are not listed in any particular order ... 1) Alternative Energy Engineers - This is a good one as more and more companies are looking at going "green" and ways to do this are constantly being updated and looked at. 2) Registered Nurses - Health care is on everyone's mind and I know the schooling of nurses have waiting lists of up to 4 years yet we can not get them through the programs properly fast enough that there is always a high demand but a low supply. 3) Accountants - I guess we all need them (if we can trust them) to help us stay afloat! 4) Paralegals - As lawyers get more and more swamped with things ranging from frivilous lawsuits to criminal matters, assistance is at a all time high. 5) Physician Assistants - kind of goes along the lines of nursing but not to that high of an extreme and level of difficulty. 6) College Professors and Post-Secondary Teachers - This is probably the biggest one of them all as all of these other 5 jobs rely on this one to get them to where they need to be!

Facts & Tips:
Bees' wings beat 11,400 times per minute.

"I-can't-help-it. It's-so-beautiful." - John Lasseter as Harry the Mosquito in "A Bug's Life."

posted by McDuck @ 00:03 0 comments