What is this?! I took this picture over the weekend because it shocked me while I was walking by it ... is that a tree with brown leaves in the middle of the Fall season in Southern California?? Inconceivable (and I know what it means)! This is a rare sight indeed since our foliage never changes colors ... its just green all year round or brown to the extent that it is something ready to catch on fire but not like this ... Fall brown! Wow.Weekly Update:Aside from it being a big food holiday, it was pretty relaxing for the most part. Had three turkey dinners during the time period and all were good. Tried to help feed some homeless but thanks to the holiday traffic, got there extremely late. I did stay away from all the "Black Friday" chaos and visited some stores in afternoon to evening and it was great. I found plenty of parking and the stores were not crowded at all ... and I saved just as much if I had went the night before with all the parking and crowds being nuts. I wish all weeks were like this ... but they can't be, 2 days of work and 5 days of relaxing. Why does it have to be the other way around??
At the movies:The vampires and werewolves manage to fend off the invaders at the box office this weekend earning another 42 million this past week. It is a big decrease compared to the previous weekend but still enough to hold on to the #1 spot as it passes the 221 mil cume. New at #2 is the revitalization of The Muppets earning a 5-day holiday total of 42 mil. A little below expectations for this time frame. Slight drop to #3 is "Happy Feet Two" with another 13.4 mil. New at the #4 is Arthur Christmas with only a 17 mil opening weekend for the holiday. Also new at #5 is Hugo with only 15 mil for its debut and for the 5-day.Quote of the week:"If a free society cannot help the many who are poor, it cannot save the few who are rich." - John F. KennedyOther News:
So with the year almost to an end, about one month left ... stumbled across this article over the weekend. Gobble Gobble: The Biggest Box-Office Turkeys of 2011 (Top 10). Granted the year is not over yet but let's see what they say. #10: "The Rum Diary" - recently just came out and this Johnny Depp off-beat comedy didn't draw anyone in, not even the rum drinkers. #9: "Mars Needs Moms" - From earlier this year, this failed Disney animated film 3D movie couldn't bring in what they needed to break-even. #8: "Larry Crowne" - Looked like a nice little Rom-Com with two big names in it that couldn't get the chemistry to work. #7: "Cowboys & Aliens" (pictured) - Supposed to be a big summer box office but I could smell this one a mile away despite the high pedigree of talent and film making behind it. Failed comic-book movie (like many others) that can't connect with mainstream audiences. #6: "Green Lantern" - Poorly acted and over special effected, another one that you could smell bad a mile away ... yet they are planning on a sequel!? #5: "Conan The Barbarian" - Looked a little too TV for me and could see it failing before it left the gate. #4: "Your Highness" - In general, "stoner" movies do fairly decent but one set in the medieval period may have missed the mark. #3: "The Dilemma" - Never even heard of this one! #2: "The Big Year" - Despite having one of my all time favorite comedians (Steve Martin), already had that "Welcome to Mooseport" feel which didn't fair well either. #1: "The Thing" - Although the concept of the movie was interesting, it just didn't have any names in the film to draw anyone to go see it. Plus in general, I think audiences are done with horror/thriller films unless they are VASTLY unique. If you look at the last 12 horror films, only one has succeeded and those odds are not good.
Facts & Tips:A rainbow can only be seen in the morning or late afternoon."And really, I think what we're talking about is standards, basically; very, very specific, rigid, you could say, but in this world where would we be without them, I think. And notice where we are." - Bob Balaban as Dr. Theodore W. Millbank, III in "Best in Show."
IN-Between EditionWhy is this the in-between edition? Well mostly because I was still traveling the start of this week and of course this coming Thursday is Thanksgiving. So in-between things that should have their own edition ... as well as Black Friday! To much and the holiday's are basically kicking in full gear. But, can't wait for the Thanksgiving meals because of all the trimmings ... I can either take or leave the turkey but I appreciate a good stuffing and that is hard to find because people tend to put all kinds of odds and ends in it. I simply like the breading, maybe a little finely chopped celery, herbs and spices and pour on some kind of gravy ... done!Weekly Update:This week wasn't as nearly as crazy as the previous but still was a bit busy. I did some fun stuff while doing a lot of work stuff so at the end ... I was tired. Aside from the end of my travels, I went to a special kick-off party for the Nickelodeon TV series Kung Fu Panda: Legends of Awesomeness that hit the small screen last week. The animation is above par for a TV series originating from a movie and the comedy ... pretty good! While there, I got to meet some of the additional voices:*James Sie - plays the voice of Monkey on the TV series and has done many other cartoons and some movies, great guy.*Kari Wahlgren - plays the voice of Tigress and also has done many shows and movies like "Tangled" and "Bolt," and an amazing person!Later on in the week, I helped out a buddy of mine with a computer set-up at Stan Lee's house. That was pretty fun to sit around and hear Stan tell story after story. What an amazing guy and very active for being 88, nearly 89! His house is nice but the view is amazing of the city.At the movies:
No surprise at the movies as the 2nd to last installment of the vampire franchise takes the crown ... The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn Part 1 earns 139.5 mil for its debut. No doubt it will carry on to be #1 next week for the holiday. New at #2 is Happy Feet Two with 22 mil to kick-off the holiday family fun. Big drop to #3 is "Immortals" with 12.3 mil, an above average percentage drop lately. At #4 is "Jack and Jill" with 12 mil as it makes its way out. Rounding off the top 5 is "Puss In Boots" earning another 10.7 mil as it gets to 122 mil cume.Quote of the week:"This is an impressive crowd - the haves and the have-mores. Some people call you the elites; I call you my base." - George W. Bush
Other News:Top 10 terrifying monsters of ... Disney? Of course! In almost all movies, you need a villain or antagonist to be the anti-hero to our hero and Disney has many of them. But is this list reflective the top 10 most terrifying? Let' see ... #10: The Kraken (Pirate of the Caribbean) - It is a massive beast but is it terrifying? I don't think so but we have seen a lot of kraken's throughout movie history. #9: Giant Ursula (The Little Mermaid) - in the start of the movie she was normal and then later became a huge behemoth that was pretty scary. #8: Cobra Jafar (Aladdin) - the wizard was pretty evil to begin with and he sure got worse toward the end. #7: The Nome King (Return to Oz) - never saw this one but doesn't sound too scary to me. #6: Monstro (Pinocchio) - the giant whale that eats both Pinocchio and his father which I didn't think was that scary at all. #5: Jubjub Bird (Alice in Wonderland) - Odd because this wasn't scary at all and just a pet. I think the Jabberwocky was MUCH more terrifying than this one. #4: Dragon Maleficent (Sleeping Beauty) - both a scary creature and moment in the movie. #3: The Hydra (Hercules) - another scary moment and creature. #2: The Firebird (Fantasia 2000) - never saw it but I associate this type of creature with a Phoenix and rebirth so not too scary. #1: Chernabog (Fantasia) - great scene bringing the night alive with his minions and without a word.Facts & Tips:
The temperature of the sun can reach up to 15 million degrees Fahrenheit."Draper? Who knows anything about that guy, no one's ever lifted that rock. He could be Batman for all we know." - Rich Sommer as Harry Crane in the TV series "Mad Men."
KANSAS CITY EDITION
That's right, it's the Kansas City Edition and why? Because I'm in KC!! Had to come out for yet another quick overnight stay but this time, I will be here longer than 18 hours!! Can you believe that?? I think it will actually be for 1 day and 9 hours ... wow, such luxuries. It's kind of interesting with today's technology of phones, video and computers that they still spend a lot of money on quick trips. I personally do not find that economical and a sort of waste of time because the trip is so short and for a singular purpose. But, what can you do.
Weekly Update:
This entire week has been ... TIRING!!! Travel, travel and travel. From Tuesday through Friday I was in San Francisco to conduct a presentation and seminar. While up there, I did visit Pixar and stayed downtown which was kind of nice, so much stuff conveniently close. I do love visiting San Francisco ... just wouldn't want to live there.
So after that, I came home and attended an event for an organization called CAPE which supports diversity in the entertainment industry on all levels from behind the scenes and in front of the camera. The event was overall OK, the location terrible on many levels and the production of the event mediocre at best. But the food was excellent and while there got to snap some pics with folks:
*Mark Dacascos - Best known as the "Chairman" on the TV show "Iron Chef: America" and a really cool guy.
*Daniel Dae Kim - Best known from both "Lost" and now the reboot of "Hawaii Five-O" and nice guy.*Maggie Q - Real last name is Quigley and best known from "Mission: Impossible III," CW series "Nikita" and "Live Free or Die Hard" and also very nice.
Then pretty much right after all of that, came out to KC ... tired.
At the movies:
Big surprise at the box office as the war with the gods took place. Debuting at #1 is Immortals with a nice mid-season 32 million. New at #2 is the comedy Jack and Jill with a nice 26 mil. Slight drop to #3 is "Puss in Boots" with an extra 25.5 mil as it breaks the 100 mil cume mark. Bigger drop to #4 is "Tower Heist" with an additional 13.2 mil. Rounding off the top 5 is the new bio-pic J.Edgar with a decent 11.5 mil considering it didn't open that wide.
Quote of the week:
"There are two ways to conquer and enslave a nation. One is by the sword. The other is by debt." - John Adams
Other News:
One of my favorite cartoonist passed away on Tuesday, Bil Keane, the creator of "Family Circus." I grew up watching the lives of Dolly, Billy, Jeffy and PJ each week and in the collection books of the comic strip but set in the form of a circus which no doubt related to the name. Keane was a self taught cartoonist and started drawing the one-panel cartoon in 1960. Keane based many of the situations of the strip on his own life with his wife and kids. Keane passed due to congestive heart failure and he left in the same spirit he drew in. His remaining family was with him and said, "I love you" to his son Jeff. He passed at his home in Paradise Valley, AZ. Keane's wife passed in 2008 from Alzheimer's disease and is survived by his five children, nine grandchildren and one great-grandchild. Keane was 89.
Facts & Tips:
A baboon is a variety of lemon.
"Frack me." - Katee Sackhoff as Kara 'Starbuck' Thrace from the TV mini-series "Battlestar Galatica" (2003 version).
Day Light Saving Edition
This past weekend we got an extra hour of ... sleep. They say it's a time of pushing our clocks an hour back but I see it as a time to get an extra hour of shut-eye. I always enjoy this time rather than where we had to lose our hour! But aside from that, the weekend ended with a MAJOR storm. I was driving home Sunday and every 10 to 15 seconds was lightning and some of it was right at me that it made it hard to see at night. Throw in a crazy downpour plus it got pretty cold that there was icy slush on the freeway! I don't think I have ever seen that before in Southern California except in the mountains ... crazy.Weekly Update:This week was WAY more busier than the previous and looking ahead ... the next two look just as crazy! Let me see how it went day-by-day ... Monday was fine but Tuesday had a last minute dinner that ran later than I wanted. Tuesday I went to a screening of the film "Tower Heist" which I had high expectations but was a little disappointed but thought Eddie Murphy was fantastic but very little of him. While there, I ran into:Anthony Robbins - been in a few movies but best known as a self-motivational speaker and a way cool guy.Then Wednesday went to the premiere for "A Very Harold & Kumar 3D Christmas" which I had NO expectations and really enjoyed it. I think it would have been better without the 3D though because 20 minutes in my eyes were killing me. While there, got some pics with:*Kal Penn - Kumar of the film and an overall nice guy.*Amir Blumenfeld - Young comedy actor and in the film, a pretty cool guy.*Richard Riehle - Great character actor and an amazingly awesome guy!*Jeremiah Brent - up and coming actor and a cool guy.*Patton Oswalt - comedian and great actor ... really nice guy too.Thursday had to attend a ribbon cutting ceremony for the brand new Variety Boys and Girls Club in Boyle Heights and the place is amazing.Then to cap it all off, I hung out with Stan Lee and gang during this new convention on Saturday which was pretty crazy because it was Stan but fun. Sunday, went to the home of a former Playboy Playmate to shoot a little commercial and it was fine.*Katie Lohmann - some minor acting in TV and nice.At the movies:
Not a big surprise at the box office this weekend but let's see how it went. Holding the crown for a second week in a row is "Puss in Boots" earning an additional 33 million as it surpasses 75 mil cume, could have the potential to reach 175 mil! New at #2 is the action-comedy Tower Heist with 25.1 mil. A decent number but I had hoped it would have been a better movie. In at #3 is A Very Harold & Kumar 3D Christmas earns a little underwhelming 13.1 mil. I think the 3D again hurts a movie than helps. Average drop to #4 is "Paranormal Activity 3" with 8.5 mil as it gets even closer to breaking that 100 mil cume. Rounding off the top 5 is "In Time" with 7.7 mil.Quote of the Week:"We had to struggle with the old enemies of peace ... business and financial monopoly, speculation, reckless banking, class antagonism, sectionalism, war profiteering. They had begun to consider the Government of the United States as a mere appendage to their own affairs. We know now that Government by organized money is just as dangerous as Government by organized mob." - Franklin Roosevelt
Other News:Sad news in both Television and world news ... legendary essayist and TV news personality Andy Rooney passed away this last weekend after complications from surgery. Rooney, who was best known for his last few minutes on the weekly news broadcast of "60 Minutes" was on the program for 33 years. He recently ended his time on the program at the start of last month after presenting 1,097 on-screen essays on the program. Each week, Rooney's pieces ranged from controversy topics which would get him in trouble but then on the flip-side, he would comment on his wardrobe and why he felt traveling was so unpleasant. Rooney once one an Emmy (his 4th one) on the topic of if there was a real Mrs. Smith who made Mrs. Smith Pies, turns out there is no Mrs. Smith. His first broadcast aired on July 2nd, 1978 on "60 Minutes" and more than three decades later, the thought behind the topics remained the same. For his final on air essay, Rooney said that he'd live a life luckier than most and said, "I wish I could do this forever. I can't, though." Rooney and his wife, Marquerite, were married for 62 years before her passing in 2004. A voice of the obvious and still made you think and say, "oh yeah" and that is all he wanted to help you do. He will be greatly missed ... Rooney was 92.Facts & Tips:
A snail breathes through its foot."I'm impressed. For a moment there, I thought you were just a dumb hick who only has sex with farm animals." - Zoe Saldana as Lt. Nyota Uhura in "Star Trek."
What is this?! I took this picture over the weekend because it shocked me while I was walking by it ... is that a tree with brown leaves in the middle of the Fall season in Southern California?? Inconceivable (and I know what it means)! This is a rare sight indeed since our foliage never changes colors ... its just green all year round or brown to the extent that it is something ready to catch on fire but not like this ... Fall brown! Wow.
At the movies:
Facts & Tips:
