Duckburg Gazette

Weekly Update:

Not much going on this past week.  Did a lot of driving back and forth to LA and home but I did manage to stay out of the heat most of the time.  This coming week looks to be the same of that but with some meetings and events in the evenings.  But at least the weekends were relaxing ... except for the crazy heat!!  And the heat, it remains according to the forecast.  Well, not much I can do about it but try and stay cool.  And attend all my meetings and events which should all be good this week I think.  Looking ahead for the new month ... I don't really think I have much going on which is good?  I don't know but it sounds good to me.

At the movies:

No big surprise at the box office this weekend as animation takes the crown!  In at #1 for its debut is the animated monster comedy Hotel Transylvania with a hefty 43 million.  From the ads it reminds me of a throw back to the classic "Mad Monster Party" which was a favorite of mine.  New at #2 is the sci-fi action Looper with a big 21.2 mil.  Both the top 2 films are from Sony so they had a great weekend.  Drop down to #3 is "End of Watch" with an extra 8 mil.  Slight drop down to #4 is "Trouble with the Curve" earning another 7.5 mil.  Rounding off the top 5 is "House At The End of The Street" with another 7.2 mil as this horror may be all played out.

New movies that did not make the top 5:

Looks like we only have one wide release as the drama Won't Back Down only earns a 2.7 mil and the #10 spot this week ... this film grades an F on the opening scale.

Quote of the week:

"The world is changing very fast.  Big will not beat small anymore.  It will be the fast beating the slow." - Rupert Murdoch

Other News:

Here is a very specific list I came across ... top 10 most famous Londoners.  Basically the 10 most famous people who were born within the boroughs of the city of London in the UK.  #10: Daniel Day Lewis (for acting) - Born in Greenwich in 1957.  He is best know for his amazing performances and has won two Academy Awards for "There Will Be Blood" and "My Left Foot."  #9: Michael Faraday (for science) - Newington Butts in South London in 1791.  Often referred to as the man who invented electricity.  #8: John Keats (for poetry) - from Moorgate in the city of London in 1795.  Often referred to and has one of the most famous poems called 'Ode to Autumn.'  #7: David Beckham (for soccer) - from Leytonstone, East London in 1975.  One of the best soccer players in the last decade and now resides in California.  #6: David Bowie (for music) - from Brixton in South London in 1947.  Popular music for decades and continues to perform today.  #5: Clement Attlee (for being the Prime Minister) - from Putney, South-West of London in 1883.  He had one of the biggest impacts on the country such as a free health service.  #4: Queen Victoria (for being the Monarch) - from Kensington Palace in South-West London in 1819.  Ruled during the greatest transformation of the city into the modern day metropolis.  #3: Alfred Hitchcock (for film directing) - from Leytonstone, East London in 1899.  One of the biggest and best thriller directors of all time and had such classic hits as "Vertigo," "North by Northwest" and "Psycho."  #2: Charlie Chaplin (pictured) (for acting/directing) - from Walworth, South-East London in 1889.  Classic silent actor who always had a boyish charm and notable performances in "The Tramp" and "The Great Dictator." #1: Samuel Pepys (for being a Londoner) - from Fleet Street in London in 1633.  He helped to keep a record of the city itself with his diaries.  It represented and told the story as a witness of The Great Plague, The Great Fire and The Second Anglo-Dutch War.

Facts & Tips:

More Siberian tigers live in zoos than in the wild.

"I was thinking more along the lines of the dangerous type. What you hear about the bad boy, the sexy scumbag, the serial killer who gets married in prison. I have never felt like that. Until I met you." - Marcia Gay Harden as Liz Whitewood in "Bad News Bears."