SPRING EDITIONThis past Tuesday was the first day of Spring for 2012. Of course you wouldn't know it around here because it has been extremely cold! The nights typically in the 40's and just this past weekend had some major rain for Sunday with a few T-storms. Not sure what is going on but honestly, we need the rain (I always say that) but so many folks do not realize it and just complain. More water please!! Our river beds are so dry and what we get here, the mountains near us get in snow which is like water reserves for us because when they start to melt, the flow to us. So keep it coming but I know we aren't that lucky.
Weekly Update:Not much of a week for me, had a bunch of small meetings and for some odd reason I had a buffet lunch on Monday and then another one on Tuesday! I was WAY too full and I don't know how that happened. I like buffets but not so close together because, well, that is just way too much food. I know I should only take a little but then it becomes a little of this, a little of that ... you just want to sample a lot too. One of the buffets was really good, an Indian place on Wilshire in Los Angeles. My first time there and it was really good. The Marsala and Samosas were so good I had to have a 2nd helping. I think what really put me over the top that day was the rice pudding. Usually not a big fan of this stuff because most places tend to put fruit or raisins in it but this was really good. Just rice and I guess very lightly sweetened coconut milk. I don't know what made this one so good but one tiny bowl was enough ... I mean it was a very tiny bowl but still so filling!At the movies:
No surprise at the box office this weekend as all indicators pointed to who would win and by how much. In at #1 with a BIG opening is The Hunger Games with 155 million to open. Big drop down to #2 is the action-comedy "21 Jump Street" with an extra 21.3 mil as it quickly climbs to the 100 mil mark. Down at #3 is "Dr. Seuss' The Lorax" with another 13.1 mil as it passes 175 mil cume. Big drop to #4 is "John Carter" as it earns another 5 mil struggling to reach 70 mil but may end up short at the end. Rounding off the top 5 is "Act of Valor" with 2.1 mil more as we will probably see this one for the last time in the top 5.Quote of the week:"We can not have people in this country worried about criminals stealing their children for profit, and I will do my damnedest to stop it." - Michael Ogborn
Other News:This was something interesting I stumbled across the other days. 10 things you should buy in bulk. It is not in any particular order but let's check it out. 10) Toilet Paper - totally agree and it never goes bad. When on sale, buy a lot of it because it will come in handy some day. 9) Bottled Beverages - again, agree but depends on what they are talking about. Water is sound because again, it won't go bad and comes in handy in the event of an emergency. 8) Diapers - only makes sense if you have kids that require it but it is a good thing to have. 7) Dog Food and Treats - kind of the opposite of diapers but these are things that can spoil but the shelf life is amazingly long even past the expiration date. 6) Gum - if you like it, go for it but keep in mind gum might have other applications besides just having something in your mouth to chew. It does have a shelf life but another one that is very long. 5) Laundry Detergent - completely agree especially in those households that have a lot of people, bulk comes in handy and detergent doesn't expire but as it gets older the potency weakens but not enough you may even notice or just require using a little more. 4) Meats - if you can, great. If you have an extra freezer, then buying meat in bulk when deals come around is a good idea. The shelf life is much shorter but you save a lot on bulk and if you can vacuum seal, that will increase the shelf life even more. 3) Storage Items - this is referring to storage units to put items in ... unless it is something like a freezer or air tight, doesn't seem necessary. 2) Personal Care Items - I'm guessing they mean shampoo, toothpaste and the sort, overall a very good idea. 1) Paper Plates and Plastic Forks - although not ideal for the environment but in the case of parties or trying to save water it helps but then you are kind of doing the opposite in terms of landfill. Maybe not a ton but buying some of these in bulk is not a terrible idea.Facts & Tips:
Most lipsticks contains fish scales."Bolt, zoom zoom!" - Miley Cyrus as Penny in "Bolt."
FREEZING! It has been extremely cold this week. I heard the mountains near us got massive blizzards while we got some rains. But the temps have been in the high 40's at night and during the day, maybe 60 degrees at best. Very unusual weather patterns for us and during this time of year. It would be VERY interesting if it ever snowed here ... would completely throw this city (LA) for a major spin!Weekly Update:
Not too bad of the week other than the weather being pretty cold but you know what, I like that! Mid week I went to the premiere for "Casa de mi Padre" which is the Will Ferrell comedy in which he speaks nothing but Spanish. It was amusing at best, I enjoyed it but for a very short movie, it felt really long. I think that may have been due to the constant reading of the film but that was part of the gimmick of the film. While there though, got some pics with:*Brett Gelman- recently known from "The Other Guys" and a nice guy.*Maya Rudolph- from SNL and "Bridesmaid" and very sweet.*Fred Armisen- from SNL and a nice guy.*Adrian Martinez- from the film "Casa de mi Padre" and a really cool guy.*Efren Ramirez- best known from "Napoleon Dynamite" and from the movie, nice guy.*Gael Garcia Bernal- from the film as well and an OK guy.*Genesis Rodriguez- from the film and incredible sweet.*Will Ferrell- star of the film and many more, great guy!Over this past weekend I went to WonderCon at the Anaheim Convention Center. This is traditionally a convention that is in San Francisco but due to some remodeling, they moved it just for this year. It was a little under-whelming than I thought it would be but still interesting to go. Not sure what happened but I ended up helping Stan Lee and his crew (as well as being part of it) for a few hours. But again, interesting.
At the movies:No surprise this weekend as comedy-action take the crown this week with a bullet as TV show gone movies 21 Jump Street earns a hefty 35 million for it's debut. With a slight drop to #2, "Dr. Seuss' The Lorax" earns another 22.8 mil as it passes the 150 mil mark. Average drop to #3 is "John Carter" with 13.5 mil as it struggles along in the domestic box office market. Bigger drop to #4 is "Project X" with 4 more mil as it tries to reach the 50 mil mark. Rounding off the top 5 is "A Thousand Words" with 3.8 mil extra as it barely breaks 10 mil cume!Quote of the week:"Remembering that I'll be dead soon is the most important tool I've ever encountered to help me make the big choices in life. Because all external expectations, all pride, all fear of embarrassment or failure just fall away in the face of death, leaving only what is truly important. Remembering you are going to die is the best way I know to stop thinking you have something to lose. You are already naked. There is no reason not to follow your heart. Stay hungry. Stay foolish." - Steve JobsOther News:
With gas prices still on the rise (but slowing down) and the economy stagnate ... stumbled across this quick article that has 10 ways to save gas in your car in which saves you money! The is not in a top 10 list but just a list: 1) Brake Correctly - easy braking instead of a quick stop will help. Easiest way to do this is anticipate the actions of the car that is in front of the car in front of you (if you can) and that is something I happen to do. 2) Use Cruise Control - using this simple device does save a lot of gas however on surface streets or busy freeways, just not possible. 3) Shift to Neutral When Still - this does a few things including not using as much gas, reduces transmission strain and allows it to cool down as well ... another thing I happen to do! 4) Drop Extra Weight - take out heavy items you know you don't need in your car and wait till fill up your tank when you are near empty ... another thing I do as well. 5) Pick the Best Route - I think this one is obvious, know your routes. 6) Turn Off the AC - this is a big gas guzzler. 7) Remove your Ski Rack - that is just mass extra weight and causes wind resistance as well ... but I don't ski so doesn't apply to me. 8) Carpool - of course removing another car off the road helps everyone. 9) Check your Air Filter - This I didn't know, having a clean air filter can improve mileage by 10% 10) Drive Slower - for every 5 miles per hour you reduce highway speed will reduce fuel consumption by 7%
Facts & Tips:Twins have a very high occurrence of left handedness."Has it ever dawned on you it may be your uvula?" - Laraine Newman on the TV show "Saturday Night Live."
DAYLIGHT SAVING EDITIONIt is that time of year again!! Set our clocks from Saturday to Sunday and we leap forward (or Spring forward) one hour so instead of 1PM, it is 2PM. I make no secret that I hate this and much prefer the Fall back one hour in, well, the Fall! That way we get to relive 1AM twice and by reliving I mean sleep. Oh well, we do the Spring forward once a year since just about forever so why stop now I suppose.Weekly Update:Been a pretty crazy week for me but at the same time, very glad it is over. Not much to comment about other than on Saturday I went to a comedy show to see an amazing impressionist named Jim Meskimen. He has been doing voices of celebrities for years as well as been in some big movies like "Apollo 13" and " Frost/Nixon." He is an amazing guy with an amazing talent! If you have not seen his act before, I do recommend it. Part of the fun is sort of closing your eyes and imagining that celebrity is there talking to you. Some may have been off a bit but the majority were spot on.At the movies:
No big surprise at the box office as the animated hit "Dr. Seuss' The Lorax" takes top honors for a 2nd week in a row with an additional 39.1 mil as it quickly surpasses the 100 mil cume mark! New at #2 with disappointing results is the Disney sci-fil epic John Carter with 30.6 mil to open. That may sound like a good number however the price tag on this film is astronomical it needed at least twice that to think of breaking even. Slight drop to #3 is "Project X" with 11.6 mil for it's 2nd week. New at #4 is the horror Silent House with a soft 7 mil opening. I am not sure if this is the official site or not, can not find it and this appears to be it or it could be the original movie from 2 years ago ... either of which, it isn't very good. Rounding off the top 5 is "Act of Valor" with 7 mil as it passes the 50 mil cume mark and about to run out of ammo.New films that did not make the top 5: Just one this week as Eddie Murphy tries to take on comedy with a bit of heart but falls very short once again. In at #6 is A Thousand Words with only 6.4 mil to open.Quote of the week:"Never let your ego get so close to your position that when your position goes, your ego goes with it." - General Colin Powell
Other News:Another sad week in not just Hollywood but the world. Legendary song writer Robert Sherman (picture: Standing opposite Walt Disney and at the piano his brother, Richard Sherman) of the Sherman Brothers passed away peacefully on Monday in London. He was one half of the legendary duo who wrote all of the big Disney hits for several features as well as created a lot of the music for the now popular Disneyland. What is unusual for the Sherman Brothers is they wrote and created such amazing music together and once the work was done, they never saw each or spoke to one another outside of the studio. In fact, after they finished collaborating, they probably spoke and saw each other maybe twice and in those brief moments, the exchange of words were but a few. The Brothers were responsible for such amazing musical scores for the films: the original "Parent Trap," "Mary Poppins," "The Jungle Book," "Chitty Chitty Bang Bang," "The Aristocats," "Charlotte's Web" and "The Slipper and the Rose" to name a few. They were the minds that brought so many Disney theme park tunes including the forever "It's A Small World After All." The music they created will live beyond forever as Walt's legacy has ... their music is a big part of it. From Grammy to Academy Award, the well deserved accolades to what they gave the word will forever give you a happy tune. Robert Sherman was 86.Facts & Tips:
A polar bear cannot be seen by an infrared camera, due to it's transparent fur."It followed me here. THEY followed me here!" - Arielle Kebbel as Allison in "The Grudge 2."
Carts! I don't understand no matter where you are, shopping center, grocery store, any place that has shopping carts for you to use ... people are in their own little zone and forget that other people are around and block the aisles with their carts! It is simple folks, if you are shopping and you stop to look at something or even read the labels, that is fine but move your cart to the side and not in the middle of the lane! Don't block the lane! It's like driving on the road, if you want to use your cell or text, you wouldn't stop in the middle of the road! Ideally you would move off to the side.Weekly Update:Little bit of a busy week, had a big charity event on Wednesday which was the crazy point of the week and I am glad it is over because it was a lot of planning and just preparing for it. But when it was all said and done, everything seemed to have worked out pretty well. With that, I sure don't remember too much of the rest of the week. OH wait, I did go to the Lantern Festival on Saturday. That was kind of fun and it's a yearly thing right there across from Union Station in Downtown LA. There was a Chinese-American Museum, who know that was there! I did not look at the whole museum but it was narrow and only saw the first floor, it was also pretty warm in there. I'm not sure how long that building was there but it was pretty old. Other than that, glad the week is over.
At the movies:Shocker at the box office as the next Dr. Seuss movie hits the big screen and it also opened on Seuss' birthday! This movie is funny, well made and delivers a message of environmental importance. The good Doctor takes the crown with Dr. Seuss' The Lorax with 70.7 million! New at #2 is the comedy party movie of Project X with 20.8 mil. Not a bad number for mid-season. Slight drop to #3 is "Act of Valor" with another 13.7 mil. Also slight drop to #4 is "Safe House" with an extra 7.2 mil as this film moves past the 100 mil cume mark. Rounding off the top 5 is "Tyler Perry's Good Deeds" with 7 mil more.Quote of the week:"Do what you can with what you have where you are." - Theodore Roosevelt
Other News:Double bad news this week as not only Hollywood loses some folks but the art community as well. This past Wednesday, music and TV personality Davy Jones passed away due to a sudden heart attack. Jones is best known for his sitcom TV show "The Monkees" during the mid 1960's and the premise was a musical group that lived day-to-day with antics and fun. Jones was the lead singer of the group but it was also a collaborative effort. The show was pretty silly but at the same time, normal for the time. They would have an adventure each time and throughout the course of the show, they would sing a couple of musical numbers or show a zany montage set to their music. The show and band had some controversy when it was discovered none of them played or knew how to play instruments yet showed them in the show using them. They quickly learned how to play and became a legitimate band. Davy Jones was 66.
On Saturday, a great visionary and artist passed due to complications with Parkinson Disease, Ralph McQuarrie. The name may not be known that well but his works are. His greatest works (or well known) are when George Lucas, the creator of the "Star Wars" films had Ralph help him envision this sci-fi fantasy world he was creating. Ralph's work set the tone and future of Lucas' universe. Ralph also is known for influencing other films such as "Close Encounters of the Third Kind," "Raiders of the Lost Ark," the original TV series "Battlestar Galactica" and "Cocoon." For the film "Cocoon," Ralph one an Oscar for Best Visual Effects (1985). I was suppose to meet this legend late last year but due to health reasons, I was unable to. He was 82.
Facts & Tips:Taft was the heaviest U.S. President at 329lbs; Madison was the smallest at 100lbs."In your position it's important to ask yourself one question: what would Picard do?" - Jonathan Frakes as Commander William T. Riker in the TV series "Star Trek: The Next Generation."
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