Monday, March 29, 2010

HOLY CRAP this daylight savings time frame always screws me up. I don't realize when it is almost 7pm and I am still in the office. Plus I am nearly falling asleep every day. I need to catch up on my sleep and soon ... so so sleepy. I've been trying the choccochino at work which is a combination of coffee and hot chocolate and it doesn't help. Plus I don't care for coffee to begin with even though it is hazelnut blend. I wish we could work 10 hour days and just work 4-days a week ... oh wait, I usually do work 10 hours day ... ok, where is my 4-day work week??

Weekly Update:
Unlike the past two weeks, this last one was really mellow and I enjoyed it. Except the work part which was very slow and quiet ... but in the next month I have some stuff that are kind of tight together that in the middle of the month it may get a bit crazy but we shall see. You know with all the rush this, hurry that in the world ... it is nice to just relax more often and re-charge and unwind. I think many people lose sight of that and get caught in a cycle of work-work-sleep-work.

At the movies:
Animated takes the crown this week as How To Train Your Dragon earns a nice 43.3 mil. A solid number for the beginnings of Spring Break so hopefully it will hold for a bit. Slight drop to #2 is "Alice in Wonderland" with an extra 17.3 mil and now just shy of the 300 mil cume mark! Laughing in at #3 is Hot Tub Time Machine with 13.7 mil and a decent opening for a comedy of this type ... but the studio behind it needed way more to help its empty pockets. At #4 is "The Bounty Hunter" with another 12.3 mil. Rounding off the top 5 and a big drop to #5 is "Diary of a Wimpy Kid" with an extra 10 mil.

Quote of the week:
"The time is always right to do what is right." - Martin Luther King, Jr.

Other News:
More sad news in Hollywood as veteran actor Robert Culp passed away on Wednesday after he collapsed outside his Hollywood home. Culp was best known for his role in the TV series "I Spy" opposite Bill Cosby and what is also considered a ground breaking TV series. The show was the first integrated television show to feature a black actor in a starring role. I knew Culp best as agent Bill Maxwell in "The Greatest American Hero" TV series. His credits were numerous and included such films and TV shows like; "Turk 182," "The Rifleman," "PT 109" and "The Pelican Brief." Being a California native, he was born in Oakland, CA and attended schools in Stockton and San Francisco. When Martin Luther King, Jr. was killed, Culp and Cosby went out to Memphis, Tenn., to join the striking garbage workers King had been organizing. His death is found to be accidental, Culp was 79.

Facts & Tips:
Frogs cannot swallow with their eyes open.

"Thou art notified that that thy kind has infiltrated the galaxy too far already. Thou art directed to return to thine own solar system immediately." - John de Lancie as Q in the TV series "Star Trek: The Next Generation."

Monday, March 22, 2010

So tired ... so so tired. Drove back from Vegas on Friday morning and although it was a nice drive, just a tiring one after spending almost as week there. Glad to be home!!

Weekly Update:
Attending the annual ShoWest Convention in sunny Las Vegas and ... from the very first step out of the car I felt like I never left and I also felt instantly tired. I am not sure what it is with this city but it just sucks the life out of you. Did a little gambling and lost and then came back and ended up $5 bucks ahead and decided to call it quits after that. Also during the convention, I got to meet some folks:

*Tom Selleck - Best known for "Magnum P.I." and he was a very cool guy!
*Sylvester Stallone - Best known for "Rocky" and "Rambo" and he was really nice.
*Alex Pettyfer - Up and coming new star of tomorrow and an extremely cool guy.
*Vanessa Hudgens - Of "High School Musical" fame and very sweet.
*Billy Bob Thornton - We talked shop about "Bandits" and a really friendly guy!
*Jennifer Lopez - From Fly Girl to movie star ... and pretty nice.
*Amanda Seyfried - Best known from "Mama Mia" and she was nice.
*Jerry Bruckheimer - Credits too many to name, world famous producer and all around cool guy.
*Todd Phillips - Director of "The Hangover" and a good guy.
*Zach Galifianakis - From the "The Hangover" and a nice guy.
*Kristin Davis - From "Sex in the City" and EXTREMELY AMAZING!!
*Cynthia Nixon - Also from "Sex in the City" and a little quite but nice.
*Sam Worthington - From "Avatar" to the new "Clash of the Titans" and one of THE nicest guys you can meet.
*Katherine Heigl - From "Grey's Anatomy" to "27 Dresses" ... she has had a lot of bad press and reputation but I could not believe how amazingly nice she was!

THEN, on Saturday I went to a new Geek-Fest which was kind of lack-lustre but there was bad dealings with the guy who owns the other show and he is a complete jerk. The show wasn't a success by any means which is unfortunate because the other guy needs to be knocked down a few pegs. Well, while there I did manage to meet some folks:

*Alex Hyde-White - Various projects but I remember him best from "Pretty Woman" and a great guy.
*Bruce Mahler - Best known as Douglass Fackler from the "Police Academy" movies an ok guy.
*Bubba Smith - Hightower from the "Police Academy" movies and a really cool guy.
*Marion Ramsey - Soft spoken Hooks from the "Police Academy" movies and very sweet.
*Erick Avari - TOO MANY recognizable roles but my favorites include "Stargate" and "The Mummy", VERY cool guy!
*Meredith Baxter - Best known as Elyse Keaton from "Family Ties" and nice.
*Michael Gross - Steven Keaton from "Family Ties" and nice.
*Mira Furlan - Best known as Delenn from "Babylon 5" and she was nice.
*Rene Auberjonois - From "Benson" to "Deep Space 9" and nice as well.
*Stephen Tobolowsky - From "Groundhog's Day" to "Heroes" to "Glee" and a pleasant fellow.
*William Zabka - Johnny Lawrence from "The Karate Kid" and a really cool guy.

At the movies:
The box office crown continues to stay with "Alice in Wonderland" as it earns another 34.5 million this weekend and now with a 3 week cume of over 266 million. New at #2 is Diary of a Wimpy Kid with 21.8 mil at the box office. Just barely behind at #3 is The Bounty Hunter with 21 mil. New at a disappointing #4 is Repo Men with only 6.2 mil to open and probably close with. Rounding off the top 5 is "She's Out of My League" with an extra 6 mil in its 2nd week.

Quote of the week:
"The easiest way for your children to learn about money is for you not to have any." - Katharine Whitehorn

Other News:
Did you know that Saturday was the first day of Spring? Meh, it really isn't a big deal, at least to me it isn't because when you live in Southern California it is either raining (rare) or warm so that means winter or summer. We don't have the changing of colors here or animals flying south for the winter ... we are sort of an exception to all the nature laws out there. Either that or we just simply screwed up the animal instincts with our pollution and global warming that they have no clue as to what to do anymore from this place. So we are officially in Spring as we start to hit temps in the 80's and more than likely will climb. I do hope we still get some "April Showers" but, not going to hold the breath on that one. Now one thing I might do a LITTLE of is some "Spring Cleaning" and make some room here and there. I have too much junk around, need to sort it and such but also need help with it! OH well, little at a time I guess.

Facts & Tips:
The world's biggest pyramid is not in Egypt, but in Mexico.

"Stupid is a mean word." - Madison Pettis as Peyton Kelly in "The Game Plan."

Monday, March 15, 2010

DAYLIGHT SAVINGS EDITION

So now is the time were the clocks jump AHEAD one-hour ... I hate this one. More daylight and I lose that precious hour of sleep that I need, especially this past week where I haven't slept since the following Friday or even longer than that!! So so tired ... and this is also the LAS VEGAS BOUND EDITION since I am here for the annual ShoWest Convention ... but at least this trip will be more relaxing then most previous ones since I am sort of here on my own accord instead of for work. Not sure how this week will play out but we shall see. Hopefully it will be mostly kick-back and relax but you never know when things pop up!

Weekly Update:
This past week was pretty dang tiring for me ... I haven't drank coffee in YEARS. I mean I have had frapaccino's awhile back but coffee itself, hardly ever. I did drink some to help me stay awake at the office but I did make the mochachino's which is half hot chocolate and half coffee (hazelnut blend). It was pretty dang good but I am hoping when I return back to the office next week, I won't need it! Actually being in Vegas may be good, at least I can pretty much sleep in for the most part ... ah sleep ... can never get enough of it!! But other than that, the week was so-so, work wasn't anything special. Handling one movie is kind of ... slow. Well, as the opening draws near, let's see if that speed changes any as it gets closer.

At the movies:
The strange still owns the box office crown as "Alice in Wonderland" earns a nice 2nd week of 62 million with a 10-day cume of just over 200 mil! New at #2, what looks like a Bourne prequel is The Green Zone with 14.5 mil. Kind of a weak gross when compared to the 2nd week of the #1 movie. Showing up at #3 is the comedy She's Out of my League with only 9.6 mil but honestly, a bit more than I would have guessed. New at #4 is Remember Me with only 8.3 mil and it just goes to show you that Robert Patterson is only good for one film series. Rounding off the top 5 is "Shutter Island" with another 8.1 mil and now just hitting the 100 mil cume.

New movies that did not make the top 5: Just one this week as the poorly made comedy Our Family Wedding chimes in at #6 with 7.6 mil and probably the end of this movie.

Quote of the week:
"A lie gets halfway around the world before the truth has a chance to get its pants on." - Sir Winston Churchill

Other News:
Another sad week in Hollywood as we lose another two of its own. The first is once child actor who had fallen from grace, Corey Haim who is best know for his roles in "The Lost Boys" and "License to Drive" both opposite long time friend Corey Feldman. Haim had fallen out of the public eye shortly afterwards from various drug related reasons and tried to revitalize his career with a reality show called "The Two Coreys" which never caught on. Corey felt ill very early Wednesday morning when he was rushed to Providence St. Joseph Medical Center in Burbank where he was later pronounced dead at 2:15 AM. Haim was 38.

Suffered from an apparent heart attack outside his LA home, best known as Jim Phelps from "Mission: Impossible" as the leader of a group of special agents ... Peter Graves died Sunday. Graves had just returned from a Sunday breakfast outing with his family when he collapsed making his way back to his home. I remember him from some great works such as the classic "Stalag 17" where he played the German spy amongst POW's in a Nazi prison camp during WWII. His comedy flair as Clarence Oveur in the 1980 disaster movie spoof "Airplane!" and of course his long standing action-drama of the TV series "Mission: Impossible." Graves is survived by his wife and college sweetheart of over 50 years, three daughters and six grandchildren. Graves would have been 84 later this week.

Facts & Tips:
The lifespan of a taste bud is 10 days.

"I shop, therefore I am." - Justine Bateman as Mallory Keaton in the TV series "Family Ties."

Monday, March 08, 2010

My week felt kind of long. I am not sure why because it wasn't anything out of the ordinary. Perhaps it was the lack of sleep? The hours? I am not sure but it just felt ... long. I am going to guess it was the lack of sleep and for days I felt on the verge of getting sick but was able to keep it at bay for about 85% of it. Now the weekend is over and I feel around 95% better and still no sleep ... (explained in the Weekly Update).

Weekly Update:
So I had a VERY long and CRAZY weekend!! Left Friday morning to Scottsdale, AZ for a friend's bachelor party and it was all non-stop from there. Rode in a big van with about 7 other guys, including the groom-to-be, and it was about a 6 to 7 hours of driving but honestly, it did not feel that long at all. Going to SF is a little shorter but feels longer, but maybe because I am so use to that drive it just seems boring now. Friday night we went to a hot spot for the locals and it was packed of course. Then the rest of the night was just filled with drinking. Although I don't drink, I did enjoy just hanging out with everyone. The placed we stayed at was kind of odd because it looks like it was a place built for maybe 6 people but they managed to fit 16 bed in there! Two floors, 3 kitchens (but one main one) and TV's every where! It was kind of cool, very cramped and no rest whatsoever!! Saturday was more drinking with a baseball spring training game between the A's and the Angels along with more drinking. I am glad I went along as the official designated driver because then I was able to make sure everyone got home safely. It rained on Saturday night and Sunday coming back. One thing I noticed about the rain in AZ ... it didn't rain a lot but the drops that did come down were big fat droplets!!! Now ... I am ready to go to bed!

At the movies:
No surprise at #1 this week but what is a shock is the dollar amount! The crown goes to Alice in Wonderland which earns a HUGE 116.3 million for its debut. This is a big number considering this time of year you don't see figures that high. With this film taking every IMAX and the lion's share of the 3-D screens out there, that can be a big contributor to its numbers with the premiums associated with those. New at #2 and at a very distant spread at that is Brooklyn's Finest with 13.5 mil to open. Average drop to #3 is "Shutter Island" with another 13.3 mil. With a weaker drop than anticipated to #4 is "Cop Out" with another 9.1 mil. Rounding off the top 5 is "Avatar" taking in an extra 7.7 mil.

Quote of the week:
"How's that hopey changey thing working out for you?" - Sarah Palin

Comment Response:
Well my post will still be weekly, what I meant is if I did the Best/Worst of then it throws things off. My favorite film of 2009? I think I would have to go with the re-vision of "Star Trek" which was pretty dang amazing.

Other News:
Big night in the movie industry as the 82nd Annual Academy Awards took place. The big surprise (to most but not me) is "Hurt Locker" taking the big ones away from "Avatar" like Directing and Best Picture. But honestly, if you really think about it, I personally do not think "Avatar" should have even been nominated for either category, well maybe Directing. Without question the film is visually amazing and the technology surround the movie is ahead of its time ... but that is where it ends for that film. Another winner of the evening (and again I disagree with) is Mo'Nique for "Precious" because honestly, she is not an actress for the art but simply for the money. Aside from "Hurt Locker" I think the big winner was, and no surprise to anyone, Sandra Bullock for "The Blind Side" but not because of just her performance but because of her attitude and personality. Sure the many films she has done in the past aren't exactly Oscar-style films but she was still great in many of them and this one let her shine out-loud finally! Well, I think the best part of the evening was the job of the dual-host of Steve Martin and Alex Baldwin who I both really like as entertainers. Steve Martin has always been my favorite and Alex Baldwin is just brilliant overall. Not a bad night.

Facts & Tips:
Honeybees are the only insects that create a form of food for humans.

"No Daddy, NO!" - Brandon Molale as Kevin Ward, the N.Y. Jets Quarterback in "Mr. Deeds."

Monday, March 01, 2010

I think I will forgo doing a "Best and Worst" for 2009 because there are way too many worst than best. Plus it does take a lot of time and it also throws my scheduling off on doing this weekly blog. So, I will just not do it anymore and through out the year I will just include cool things along the way as well as really bad things. This blog is a continuous list of the best and worst that I come across that I just have to share it!!

Weekly Update:
Last Tuesday we had our 4th Annual Young Variety Pool Tournament and we beat our attendance and how much we raised from the previous year! A lot of new things were added to this year including some movie and local radio talent which was nice. I think everyone had a great time and all for a great cause on top of that. I'm not sure how much we made yet but every year we have done this, it has gone up just a tad more and I think collectively through the past 4 years we should be well over $100,000 raised by this one event. It is nice to see because with so many charities out there and companies scaling back more and more, having the support is hard to find. Amongst all the talent, I did get a quick picture with someone new to add to the collection:

*Petros Papadakis- Does a lot of sports for Fox TV and radio plus he was a pretty cool guy. I listen to him all the time when he is a guest on KROQ radio.

At the movies:
Not too much of a surprise at the box office as "Shutter Island" maintains the #1 spot with an additional 22.2 million. New at #2 and no surprise it didn't take #1 is the comedy Cop Out with 18.6 mil. Also no surprise is the #3 film this week, The Crazies with 16.5 mil and no doubt will drop like a rock! Holding strong at #4 is "Avatar" with another 14 mil to add to the already huge pot. Rounding off the top 5 is "Percy Jackson & The Olympians: The Lightning Thief" with 9.8 mil and I sure hope this is the last we see of this title because it is WAY too long!!

Quote of the week:
"I'm mad as hell, and I'm not going to take it anymore." - Peter Finch as Howard Beale

Other News:
Two very sad and tragic events occurred this past week. The bigger one is the 8.8 magnitude earthquake that hit off the coast of Chile and was felt all the way to Hawaii. The destruction in Chile is pretty substantial as over 500,000 homes and structures were destroyed and the current death toll is up to 708 which is a far cry from Haiti's disaster. It sounds like Chile is more modern in terms of structures than Haiti is but can they recover from this without aide? Stories are coming out of the country with a few about heroic deeds while numerous stories of banditry hit the streets. In the province of Concepcion the military was given the role of police and security as looters hit gas stations, supermarkets and banks. Several other cities are hit with the same situation ... law and order needs to be restored first it sounds like before anything else can begin to happen.

(In other news, Andrew Koening, the son of Star Trek alumni Walter KoeningChekov), was found dead from an apparent suicide at a park in Vancouver, BC, Canada. Andrew is best known for his sidekick role as Richard "Boner" Stabone from the 80's hit show "Growing Pains" starring Kirk Cameron. Andrew had suffered years and years from depression and he first went missing during the opening days of the 2010 Winter Olympics. People began to worry when he did not return as scheduled. His family knew Andrew went to Vancouver many times, it was a place he found some peace but still very troubled. He was only 41.

Facts & Tips:
The longest one syllable word is "screeched."

"You are an agent of the Bureau For Paranormal Research And Defense." - Anna Walton as Princess Nuala in "Hellboy II: The Golden Army."