Duckburg Gazette

HOT!  To put it simply this past week was probably the hottest it has been in a long time.  Several of the days this past week, especially towards the end, reached over 100 degrees!  Some days were just shy of 110!  I don't remember the last time we had temps this high but it was crazy.  The nights have been OK thought, usual temps in the mid 70's with some breezes so I can turn off the AC and open the windows.  But man, come 10AM, close them all up and the shades to try and keep it cool!!!

Weekly Update:

Tuesday was the 11 year anniversary of the tragic events on September 11th, 2001 and what has become known as 9/11.  I remember waking up that morning to my radio clock and listening to the DJ talking about an airplane hitting a building as I hit my snooze button.  Then after 10 minutes, they were still talking about it and I hit snooze again.  Finally, on the 3rd time, I actually started to listen and couldn't believe what I was hearing and immediately got up and turned on the TV to see the horrific events transpiring.  Watching the 2nd plane go into the 2nd tower and hearing all kinds of reports of The Pentagon, it was so surreal and crazy to hear and watch.  It will be one of those moments that one never forgets and I can not imagine the folks in New York and DC where it happened, it is a scar for them.

But the week wasn't a total drag, on Saturday and Sunday I went to the 2nd Annual Comikaze Convention but this time it was called Stan Lee's Comikaze.  It was pretty crazy but not SDCC (San Diego Comic-Con) crazy, nothing can beat that.  But much improved attendance-wise than last year by a ton!!  While there, I did grab some pics with some folks:

*Andy Dick - from "NewsRadio" fame and a really great guy.

*Kevin Smith - film and podcast guru and an awesome guy!

At the movies:

To hot at the box office??  No, not really ... but still some decent numbers for an off-season time period.  In at #1 the franchise continues with Resident Evil: Retribution takes a decent 21.1 million.  I have to say, Sony usually makes some of the crap-tastic movie websites but this one looks and feels way better!  What happened?!  Swimming into the #2 spot is the re-release of "Finding Nemo" but in 3D.  Why people??  But it did bring in 17.5 mil with the 3D addition and that is nearly all profit to the bank for Disney.  Holding ground at #3 is "The Possession" with another 5.8 mil as it struggles to just reach 50 mil cume.  Slight drop to #4 is "Lawless" with an additional 4.22 mil.  Rounding off the top 5 is "ParaNorman" with 3 mil extra as it will soon pass 50 mil cume. 

New movies that did not make the top 5:

Just one this week as a little independent film takes the #15 spot titled The Last Ounce of Courage with 1.7 million to open.  For any indie that may sound like a lot but not when they release it with over 1400 screens.

Quote of the week:

"He not busy being born is busy dying." - Bob Dylan

Other News:

The Importance of Icons.  There was a yahoo article recently about TV icons for ads of late and how important they have become for both the company and the consumer.  To me it is like following the life or the adventures of the icon and we continue want more and watch more.  This particular article focused on the following:  TALKING M&Ms: These folks have been around awhile and although I find them 50/50 on the funny to non-funny scale, they are still cute and the merchandising along must be HUGE.  According to the E-Score (a firm that measures consumer sentiment of corporate characters and celebrities from most likable to least) - 62% awareness, 66% appeal, 3% dislike.  E-TRADE BABY:  I do not like these commercials AT ALL.  They are both creepy and borderline annoying.  E-Score = 26% awareness, 58% appeal and 12% dislike.  WILLIAM SHATNER as the PRICELINE NEGOTIATOR: They actually killed the character off ... or did they!?  These have been simply fun.  E-Score - 71% awareness, 52% appeal, 5% dislike. 'FLO' from PROGRESSIVE: I have heard mixed reviews but I enjoy these, not too much but they are fun and she seems like your every-day girl.  E-Score - 49% awareness, 44% appeal, 14% dislike. AFLAC DUCK: So annoying, so so annoying.  E-Score - 41% awareness, 42% appeal, 11% dislike.  GEICO GECKO: Really a boring character, the only funny one I have seen is when he is out to lunch with the human co-worker and appears with large objects as if he pulled them out from a pocket.  E-Score - 54% awareness, 45% appeal, 10% dislike.  NATIONWIDE: I know the jingle but do not remember, if anything, of the commercials.  E-Score - 5% awareness, 29% appeal, 35% dislike.

Facts & Tips:

Women blink nearly twice as much as men.

"Ma'am, I'm eight years old. You think I would be here *alone*? I don't think so." - Macaulay Culkin as Kevin McCallister in "Home Alone."