Monday, November 26, 2012

Post Thanksgiving Edition

As always the traditional eat eat and eat some more then go and nap.  I actually went and saw a movie because I knew of a theatre that is never busy (unfortunately) and I have a pass.  Sure enough, only a total of 4 of us in the theatre and afterwards went to check out Best Buy since their doors opened at midnight for Black Friday.  Got there around 12:30 and the line was ... I would say around 1000 people long if not bigger.  It reached around the building to their loading dock so said forget that, came home, went online and ordered what I wanted with free shipping.  Funny thing, went back the next day and found a parking spot right up front.  It was still busy but very manageable.  I don't know what the deal was if you were the first people in line but I have to wonder if its worth it.

Weekly Update:
Other than this past week being Thanksgiving, it wasn't too crazy except for the traffic.  I think I spent in 2 days about 10 hours of driving time because everyone hits the road or feels the need to drive just because they have to go pick up something before the holiday hits.  Who knows what the reason is but it was just simply crazy.  All the major holidays are like that though ... its as if there is a fleet of 10,000 cars waiting to hit the road to create more traffic.  I must find this base and destroy it!!  Or at least let all the air out of the tires.  But aside from that, the week was OK, nothing too exciting with a bit of driving around.

At the movies:
No big surprises at the box office this weekend as "The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn Part 2" continues its reign of terror earning an extra 43.1 million for the holiday weekend and now with a cume of over 226 mil.  Slight drop at #2 is "Skyfall" with an extra 36 mil as it passes 200 mil cume.  Climb up to #3 is "Lincoln" with another 25 mil as it continues its push to 100 mil.  New at #4 is the last of the DreamWorks/Paramount animated distribution deals of Rise of the Guardians has a holiday box office of 32.6 mil.  Rounding off the top 5 is the visually stunning film Life of Pi as it grabs a nice 30.2 mil for the holiday weekend.

New movies that did not make the top 5:
Just one this week as the remake of the original PG-13 film Red Dawn as it comes in at #7 with a holiday gross of 22 mil.  Not too bad for a remake from a re-opened studio who hasn't had much luck in the past however this film was original MGM as well as the new production of this film so it would be interesting to see 1) how much they can collect from the theatres of that 22 mil and 2) what percent goes to MGM.

Quote of the week:
"Every man is his own ancestor, and every man is his own heir.  He devises his own future, and he inherits his own past." - Frederick Henry Hedge

Other News:
Another sad week as Hollywood loses an TV legend.  Iconic actor Larry Hagman passed away on Friday after complications from his battle with cancer.  Despite having cancer and undergoing treatments, he continued to work and lived the saying, "The show must go on."  Hagman is known for being both the villain and the good guy in our TV world.  He was Major Anthony Nelson, astronaut for the sitcom "I Dream of Jeannie" and would get into various hijinks's situation while trying to live with his beautiful co-star Barbara Eden (Jeannie).  The show would go on to last 5 seasons and had a sort or reunion show 15 years later.  They would later reunite in the prime time drama "Dallas" as Hagman went on to play the eldest son of an oil tycoon, J.R. Ewing.  Although Eden only made a few appearances, the show went on to for 14 seasons with cliff hangers and drama.  One of TV's greatest moments came from this show as everyone wondered, "who shot J.R??" in one season finale.  Hagman returned to reprise his role but this time the head of the Ewing clan in the reboot of the series that started earlier this year.  Hagman was 81.

Facts & Tips:
Theodore Roosevelt had a pet bear while in office.

"You can't have my Teddy bear!" - Aedin Mincks as Robert in "Ted."

Monday, November 19, 2012

I feel like this intro section is the official "rant" portion OR monumental event like an election or a nice change of season ... so that will it be this time ... rant.  Stopping in the intersection.  I can't remember if I ranted about this before but come on people ... you can see if the car ahead of you is stopped and if you went ahead, would you clear the line or not?  It is not some crazy mathematical question, it is simply looking and paying attention.  When you block the intersection, besides being illegal, it is annoying and all the cars should honk and point you out for your stupidity.

Weekly Update:
Wow, what a crazy week this has been.  I am so freaking tired and glad it's over at the same time.  It was one of those come home late every night kind of weeks again.  Monday and Tuesday were spent on the set of "2 Broke Girls" where Tuesday was the live taping and the conclusion of that week.  But it was great to get pics with the rest of the cast:

*Jonathan Kite - from "2 Broke Girls" and a really great guy.
*Matthew Moy - also from the show and a pretty cool guy.
*Ryan Hansen - just added to the cast and a really nice guy.
*Connie Sawyer - guest appearance on "2 Broke Girls" but has been in the business 1954 and will turn 100 years old in a week!

Also on Tuesday, hoped over to the set of "The Big Bang Theory" since it was right next door and ran into:

*Johnny Galecki - from "The Big Bang Theory" and a pretty nice guy.
*Kunal Nayyar - also from "The Big Bang Theory" and super cool guy.

Wednesday was the return of the annual Young Variety Turkey Dinner and then Thursday I went to a screening of this terrible Russian funded and made movie.  I mean it was so bad, I eventually had to get up and leave.  The funny part of it, I was the 4th person to leave!  There was nothing good about the film, absolutely nothing.  Then on Saturday I went to my first video game premiere party for "Call of Duty: Black Ops 2."  It was a great time, live 80's cover band, ton of great food and just fun.  I wish they would have handed out copies of the game but oh well.

At the movies:
No surprise this weekend as the 5th and final chapter of The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn, Part 2 takes the box office crown with a hefty 141.3 million but does fall short of its previous film.  Holding ground at #2 is "Skyfall" with another 41.5 mil as it reaches 161 mil cume.  Expanding at #3 is the epic bio-pic Lincoln as it pulls in a nice 21 million.  Doing well at #4 is "Wreck-It Ralph" with another 18.3 mil as it passes the 100 mil cume with 121.5 mil.  Rounding off the top 5 is "Flight" with 8.6 mil more.

Quote of the week:
"Far and away the best prize that life has to offer is the chance to work hard at work worth doing." - Theodore Roosevelt


Other News:
The passing of an iconic company and its sweet treats ... not really.  In the later half of the week, Hostess announced it would be closing its doors after over 100 years of doing business in the bakery field.  About 3 years ago the company filed bankruptcy protection and recently went to battle against a Baker's Union strike which effected the whole company since there was no goods being made.  Over the past decade the company had been suffering from loss of sales due to better competition and healthier trends in American diets.  The confectionery is best known for its Twinkies, Ding Dongs and Wonder Bread products.  Wonder Bread had been suffering long before and when the announcement was made it set the social media world on fire.  It also started a mad rush to stores of people buying up all the boxes of Hostess foods as if the world was ending.  What folks failed to realize, the goods that Hostess were creating will not go ahead.  Just a day later, the company Bimbo announced it is in discussions to take over their operations and if all goes well, have the factory flowing sweets again within 2 weeks.  Hostess has been struggling also with poor management and high pension costs it was a wonder it lasted this long.

Facts & Tips:
Unlike the house cat, the Siberian tiger actually loves to swim.

"Thanks Deeds." - Sidney Ganis as Homeless Man in "Mr. Deeds."

Monday, November 12, 2012

ELECTION EDITION

This past Tuesday was the primary election for President of the United States ... two men entered, one man came out.  For a second term, President Elect Barack Obama won and not just the electoral college (not a real college) but also the popular vote.  Most has speculated he would win the election but not the popular vote ... even that I can't imagine why not.  One thing a lot of people do not realize and I continue to say this even 4 years ago ... whoever was elected 4 years ago can not undo all the damage that was done by Bush in one term.  The damage and the effects of his terms will take almost a decade to fix or even get to a point where we will start seeing a turnaround.  People blame Barack for not fixing things right away ... impossible!  At best he can do is stop the hemorrhaging before healing.  It isn't flipping a switch, it is a complex system of switches, levers and pulleys x100.  But of the two candidates out there, I feel the situation would have returned to getting worse with the other choice.  In fact, I think it would have gotten worse plus push us back 20 years in civil rights and what should be a step to modern times will simply be a look towards it.  People who voted the other way don't have to agree with the decision of the populous of the country but they should respect it and support it because we are a United States.

Weekly Update:
But week for me but also a little fun mixed in there.  Did the work thing but in the late afternoons and evenings, I was on the set of the show "2 Broke Girls" and hung out.  It looks like a really funny episode but I haven't seen the show itself ... yet.  I know this is their 2nd season so who knows.  While there though, I got to meet some of the principle cast:

*Kat Dennings - best known from the movies "Thor" and "40 Year-Old-Virgin" and very nice.
*Beth Behrs - pretty much an up-and-comer but very sweet.
*Garrett Morris - best known from the original "Saturday Night Live" cast and a great guy.

Next week is the live taping which should be fun on Tuesday, maybe I will get a chance to meet the rest of the cast and grab some pics with them.

At the movies:
No big surprise this weekend as James Bond is back in the next installment of the franchise.  In at #1 with a big 87.8 million opening is Skyfall to kick off the winter season.  Good hold onto #2 is "Wreck-It Ralph" with another 33.1 mil as it is barely shy of 100 mil.  Also a good hold onto #3 is "Flight" with 15.1 mil as it will reach the 50 mil cume in the next day.  After its 5th week, "Argo" continues to wow at the box office earning another 6.8 mil as I am sure it will reach 100 mil in the next couple of weeks at it's current pace.  Rounding off the top 5 is "Taken 2" with 4 mil more and 131 mil cume.

Quote of the week:
"The will of the people is the only legitimate foundation of any government, and to protect its free expression should be our first object." - Thomas Jefferson

Other News:
Here is a list after my own heart ... top 10 battles of World War II:  #10) The Battle of France - this is referring to the German invasion of the country which was both swift and easy for them.  This battle wasn't a big one but it was significant because it signified the German's complete control of the European continent.  #9) Operation Overlord - or better known as D-Day.  I think this one should be closer to the top 3 for sure since this was the invasion of France (again) but this time by the allies.  This was the turning point in the war of Europe. #8) Battle of Guadalcanal - Since the offset of the war with Japan, the US was on a constant defensive position.  With 11,000 Marines, they landed on Guadalcanal with little resistant and took the Japanese airfield there thus giving them a solid base to start their air strikes and turn the tide.  #7) Battle of Leyte Gulf - Primarily a naval war (as most significant ones in the Pacific were) and the destruction of the Japanese Southern Force.  After all, the war in the Pacific was all about air and navy.  #6) Battle of Moscow - this battle was part of a larger operation called Barbarossa in which it was the German invasion of Russia.  The objective was to blitz in and take Moscow within four months but it ended in complete disaster for the Germans primarily due to weather.  #5) Battle of Kursk - Another part of Operation Barbarossa in which this was the city the Germans were held up at.  #4) Battle of Midway - This was the biggest turning point in the Pacific Campaign which cost the Japanese navy all of its aircraft carriers from American planes.  #3) Operation Barbarossa - as mentioned, this was the third front for the Germans as they invaded Russia, something Hitler repeated in what Napoleon did and hence will be his ultimate downfall.  #2) Battle of Stalingrad - the final indication of Operation Barbarossa making any hope of victory impossible for the German Army on the Eastern Front. #1) The Battle of Britain (pictured, German Heinkel's flying over the English Channel) - the biggest time frame of air battles to protect the country of Britain.  German bombers and fighters continued their day and night attacks only to be confronted by a few measly squadrons of British fighters ... and the Brits won.

Facts & Tips:
You burn more calories sleeping than you do watching television.

"I know nobody's listening 'cos you're all looming, but I got a shot of hot rock 'n roll for you anyway." - Caroline Williams as Vanita 'Stretch' Brock in "The Texas Chainsaw Massacre 2."

Monday, November 05, 2012

Daylight Saving Edition

Ah yes, Sunday was Daylight Saving Time again and it was my favorite, we fall back an hour so you get that extra time to sleep in.  Most think of it as another hour to stay up, nope, not me.  I use to get an extra hour of sleep-in time which I wish I could spread that out over the course of as week maybe 10 to 12 minutes per day till that hour is achieved.  Like give us Daylight Saving Week!  If someone wants to use it up in one day, go for it but if you want to spread it out, you should be able to do that as well.  There must be a way to figure that out.

Other News:
Another tiring week and I spent this weekend just sleeping pretty much.  But had a lot of stuff going on but the worst was Halloween night ... I left a little early to avoid some traffic, wrong.  It still took me just over 3 hours to get home and there was no accidents that I could see, just a lot of cars.  Even when I got off the road to take side streets, it was just as bad.  It is not even a real holiday people!!!  Now this week looks to be just as crazy but at least there is no "holiday" in there that I am aware of.  I hope that little day isn't an indication of what the real holidays will be like this year because if so ... that is going to suck.  I am going to request working from home the days before!

At the movies:
No big surprises at the box office this weekend but also a nice rebound from last week's fiasco.  In at #1 is the animated comedy Wreck-It Ralph for a hefty 49.1 million.  Landing in at #2 is the action-drama Flight with 25 mil and some Oscar buzz surrounding this film.  Continuing its stride into the holiday season is the drama "Argo" with another 10.3 mil as it reaches the 75 mil mark and on its way to both Oscar buzz and 100 mil.  New at #4 is the action film The Man With the Iron Fists showing a decent 8.2 mil.  Rounding off the top 5 is "Taken 2" as this juggernaut film earns a little 6 mil weekend but now past 125 mil cume.

Quote of the week:
"If everyone voted, there would be an immediate revolution." - John Adams

Other News:
Here is an odd list I stumbled across ... 10 movies better than "Shawshank Redemption."  One would think that they meant prison movies but they are saying movies in general.  I agree that "Shawshank Redemption" is a great movie and could be in my top 10 to 15 but I don't know if I agree with this list entirely.  #10) Inception (2010) - I didn't care to see this film so I can't really say but I hear it is pretty amazing.  Christopher Nolan in general is pretty dark.  #9) Any Lord of the Rings movie (2001 - 2003) - I would disagree with that wholeheartedly.  Granted the trilogy was very good but not better.  The flaws in the third movie were so outlandishly omitted that it fell short of my top 10 by far.  #8) Fight Club (1999) - Another movie I never saw but the premise of it made it so unappealing to me.  #7) The Empire Strikes Back (1980) - disagree again, I felt out of the trilogy the third might be the better of them all.  #6) The Dark Knight (2008) - The Christopher Nolan reboot was pretty darn good and the franchise needed it.  Better? I would classify it as maybe the same.  #5) Schindler's List (1993) - Finally one I agree on, this was an amazing movie and well deserved accolades.  #4) The Good, The Bad and the Ugly (1966) - the musical score alone makes this film worthy and I agree again on the pick!  #3) Pulp Fiction (1994) - not really, pass.  #2) The Godfather: Part II (1974-Pictured) - Great film and I would agree on this one.  #1) The Godfather (1972) - Again another I would agree on.

Facts & Tips:
The most widely eaten fruit in America is the banana.

"What a super man... "Superman"!" - Margot Kidder as Lois Lane in "Superman."