Duckburg Gazette

Did you know the Olympics started in London this past Friday?  Neither did I!!  I have to say, the ad campaign from other companies like Visa and such made it seem like the Olympics were either happening or have happened because the brilliant strategy was "Hey, we are watching the Olympics!" and of course these ads started over 2 months ago ... smart people.  I did happen to catch the opening ceremonies because I was home channel surfing otherwise, would have missed it entirely.  I think overall they were good but the final lighting of the torch was kind of ... boring.  So the finale (before the fireworks) was a let down and on top of that, Paul McCartney at the end, his singing is long past its prime.

Weekly Update:

Kind of a busy week, both warm and cold.  I was busy running around LA for most of it but Sunday was fun.  Spent the day at the park helping with the German Shepherd rescue.  Lot of dogs and just trying to stay cool.  Luckily it wasn't a terrible hot or humid day, as long as you were in the shade, it felt great.  Being in the sun was OK but after awhile it was getting warm.  But it looked like everyone had a great time and the event appeared to have ran very smooth.  I also visited DreamWorks studio in Glendale.  That place is always nice to visit and had a good lunch there.  Met up with Tim Johnson who has either directed or produced several films for them including "Antz" which was the very first animated film from them.  Tim is such a great guy and always a fun visit with him.

At the movies:

No surprises at the box office this week as "The Dark Knight Rises" stays on top for a 2nd week win with another 64.1 million to bring it close to 300 mil for a 10-day total.  The drop was more than anticipated due to the scare of the Aurora, CO shooting but enough to keep it up top.  Minor drop to #2 is "Ice Age: Continental Drift" with another 13.3 mil as it passes the 100 mil mark.  New at #3 is the comedy The Watch with only a 13.3 mil opening.  Not only does this look like a poor movie, they used Facebook to be their official website and to me, that is not only cheap but weak.  So far my theory continues to hold true.  Also new at #4 is Step Up: Revolution earns only 11.8 mil and again, another Facebook page website ... just sad.  Rounding off the top 5 is "Ted" earning an additional 7.4 mil as it comes just shy of 200 mil but should make it by mid next week I would think.

Quote of the Week:

"No person who is enthusiastic about his work has anything to fear from life.  All the opportunities in the world are waiting to be grasped by people who are in love with what they're doing." - Samuel Goldwyn

Other News:

Moving on up ... to a deluxe apartment in the sky!  And so he did ... actor and comedian Sherman Hemsley who was the lead role in the hit TV show from the mid to late 1970's titled "The Jefferson" passed away on Tuesday. He WAS George Jefferson, owner of the dry cleaning business in that hit sitcom and that is what I grew up knowing him as.  He is known more for TV than film and had many series along with special appearances in shows like "The Love Boat," "Fantasy Island" and "Family Matters."  He was also the main title character in other shows post "The Jeffersons" such as "Amen" and "Goode Behavior."  Hemsley's characters were almost the African-American version of Archie Bunker, loud-mouthed and a bigot yet, he was such a watchable and charming character.  A skilled actor on the small screen and on Broadway, Hemsley passed away in his home in El Paso, TX.  The high strutting TV entrepreneur was one of the early pioneers and he will be sadly missed.  Hemsley was 74.

Facts & Tips:

Bamboo (the world's tallest grass) can grow up to 90cm in a day.

"Once again, we got sidetracked again." - TV and film director David Silverman