MEMORIAL DAY EDITION
Talk about some nice weather! The weekend in general was pretty tiring for me but the weather was pretty dang nice! It managed to stay in the very low 70's during the day which was great because I spent it almost entirely outside. Some over cast here and there but otherwise, just cool and the night's were cold but I don't mind. And now it wraps up with just a thought of remembering those who served and sacrificed for us and the country we have ... Thank You.
Weekly Update:
Crazy week! Started off fast too ... Fast and Furious!! Went to the premiere on Tuesday for "Fast & Furious 6" and it was a pretty exciting film from what I saw (got there late) and at the party caught some folks:
*Justin Lin - Director of the film and a really cool guy.
*Michelle Rodriquez - one of the stars of this film and WAY cool!!
*Gina Carano - not much on acting yet but very sweet.
*Sung Kang - from most of the Fast movies and a cool guy.
*Christopher 'Ludacris' Bridges - rapper and actor of the film and a pretty cool guy.
Then on the weekend was the 55th Annual Garden Grove Strawberry Festival and it was tiring. I was all over the place just wanted to take a nap some where! But while there, got some shots with some folks:
*Christine Devine - from Fox 11 news and the Grand Marshall of the parade, very nice.
*Karan Brar - from the Disney show "Jessie" and a really great kid.
*Emily Evan Rae - up and comer actress from "Parenthood" TV show to "Lost" and very charming.
At the movies:
Both a big surprise and not a surprise at the box office this weekend. The no surprise, Fast & Furious 6 takes the box office win being at #1. The big surprise, 98.5 million for its opening weekend!! That is a pretty huge number for any film but this was projected to be a little bit lower. In at #2, the Wolf Pack is back with The Hangover Part III with a disappointing 54.2 mil. Still a big number but the last film exceeded 86 mil. Holding good at #3 is "Star Trek Into Darkness" with an extra 38 mil as it quickly approaches 150 mil cume. New at #4 is the animated film Epic with an expected 34.2 mil. Rounding off the top 5 is "Iron Man 3" with 19.4 mil as it potentially could reach 400 mil cume domestic at this rate before it leaves theatres.
Quote of the week:
"The road to hell is paved with good intentions." - Samuel Johnson
Other News:
Ten Brands That Will Disappear in 2014. Another interesting article of ten brands which will disappear in the next year due to one reason or another. #10) Road & Track - old publication but that is reason enough why they will be gone, anything published! But with websites and crowded online sites there is no more room for the historical magazine. #9) Mitsubishi Motors - We have seen Saturn disappear and this motor company is simply struggling to survive like everyone else but obviously more. #8) Leap Wireless - never heard of this company but it's another manufacture of smart phone technology which there are many other brands attached to a carrier. #7) WNBA - Women's National Basketball Association ... this is still around? Thought this died years ago. #6) Olympus - known for camera's, the market is already ruled by the likes of Canon, Sony and Nikon not to mention the various smart phones and pads that have high resolution cameras built in now. #5) Volvo - known as the "civilian tank" due to its safety factor, was never a big car company in the US. #4) LivingSocial (pictured) - daily deals website and just can't keep up with the giant Groupon. #3) Martha Stewart Living Magazine - yet again, more publication simply disappearing with the rest. #2) Nook - the e-reader that is struggling ... they all are struggling with the pad technology that can be an e-reader so why buy an e-reader that can't be a pad? #1) J.C. Penny - this has been on the lists for a few years and from multiple sources. This is way over due but they continue to struggle but who knows for how much longer.
Facts & Tips:
The Basenji is the only type of dog that does not bark.
"I'm working my way backwards through the day: for dinner, I'm having cornflakes." - Paul Reiser as Paul Buchman in the TV series "Mad About You."
Surprising weather this week as it started off with a scorcher and beyond hot temps being over 100 or the high 90's and then on Wednesday, it dropped down to low to mid 70's with some really nice breezes! I have no idea why this happens but the weather called for very warm to hot all week and its like someone flipped a switch and said "too hot!" and made it nice! Why can't that happen all the time!? I don't mind a couple of hot days here and there but prefer the cool ones if I can. Not sure what this summer will be like, I hope for a high 70's average, that would be just fine with me! I wish I can arrange that but alas, I can't and not even the weather people can get it right all the time ... or even half the time ... I wonder what the average percentage of accuracy they tend to get.
Weekly Update:
Spent a couple of days on the set of a semi-new show called The First Family which is a sitcom based on the current President. The episode seemed pretty funny and I hope the show finds a bigger audience than it currently has. While there, got some pics with some folks on the show and/or guesting on it:
*Michael D. Roberts - lot of TV and film but currently the butler on the show and a terrific guy!
*Christopher B. Duncan - plays POTUS on the show and a cool guy.
*Jackee Harry - lot of shows like "227" and super nice.
*F. William Parker - great character actor a nice guy.
*Hal Williams - also from "227" and a great talent.
*Shaun Brown - new on the scene but has been in "Newsroom" and a guest on this show, great guy.
*Mary Passeri - on the show and very funny as well as sweet.
*John Witherspoon - classic funny man from the "Friday" movie and nice guy.
*Lee Reherman - from the show and a nice guy.
*John Eric Bentley - also from the show and a nice guy.
*Khylin Rhambo - from the upcoming movie "Ender's Game" and a cool guy.
*Kellita Smith - best known from "The Bernie Mac" show and very sweet.
*Ted Lange - best known as Isaac the bartender from the original "Love Boat" show and an awesome guy.
At the movies:
No surprises this weekend as the much anticipated sequel to the very successful reboot of the original Star Trek franchise ... Star Trek: Into Darkness takes the crown with a nice 84.1 million. Big drop to #2 is "Iron Man 3" with another 35.2 mil as it is now 337.1 mil cume for domestic box office. Surprise drop to #3 is "The Great Gatsby" with 23.4 mil but enough to get it within striking distance to 100 mil cume. Holding on to the #4 spot is "Pain & Gain" with 3.1 mil. Rounding off the top 5 and still on the charts after 9 weeks is "The Croods" with 2.8 mil as it will fall short of 200 mil, hovering around 180 or so.
Quote of the week:
"Education is what survives when what has been learnt has been forgotten." - B.F. Skinner
Other News:
This is a cool one ... for me anyway ... Top 10 Current Tabletop Role-Playing Games (from 2012) ... 10) Rifts - Fantasy game that involves multiple historical eras, never really played because the concept didn't appeal to me ... it was Rifts in Time more-or-less. 9) World of Darkness - looks like Vampires and never even heard of this one! 8) Mutants & Masterminds - Looks like a superhero type of game like one I used to play called Champions and it was overly detailed for a comic-book theme. 7) Traveller - no clue, never heard of it and it looks pretty boring. 6) Call of Cthulhu - deals with the horror HP Lovecraft storyline of monsters and this is a pretty fun game dealing in the sort of 1930's time frame. 5) Hackmaster - looks like a spoof of the original Dungeons and Dragons ... and kind of lame. 4) GURPS - which stands for Generic Universal Role-Playing System and never got into it because ... its generic?! 3) Savage Worlds - another one I have never heard of ... where are they getting these things from!? 2) Pathfinder - looks like an expansion/spin-off from DnD ... and why? 1) Dungeons & Dragons (pictured) - this should be the #1 game since it did pretty much start all RPG's and eventually the basis to MMO's on the computer. Still holds up today.
Facts & Tips:
The roadrunner chases after is prey at a blurring speed of up to 25 mph.
"Be cool, Soda Pop." - Kristen Bell as Veronica Mars in the TV series "Veronica Mars."
HOT!!! Summer is here! But wait, I thought this was still technically Spring? Well whatever the case may be, the week started off really hot, in the high 80's and then it dropped to the low 70's and finished off in the low 90's!! At least the nights have been cooler but wow, it sure has been 1) all over the place and 2) when it gets hot, it gets HOT! I hope this doesn't mean we are in for a really bad summer of 100 degree temps because that would just suck. Even the extended forecast coming up shows 80's and up temps. That is a bummer ... we need more rain and cool weather in general.
Weekly Update:
Pretty busy week but with conference calls! I like those, that means I can do it from any where and not have to rush to some meeting place. This coming week looks like I will be driving around more but that is OK. It will get me out of the house because it will be a very warm week! See when its hot, and I am not at home, the AC stays off! So I save energy and money that way. I have to say working from home (at the moment) is OK but there are way too many distractions for me that I don't get as much as I want done. I don't know how people do it when they have stay-at-home jobs ... I need an office, far or close, just away so I can get out and focus.
At the movies:
The weekend continues to be strong for superheroes as Marvel's "Iron Man 3" continues at #1 with an additional 72.5 million and now a hefty 10 day cume of 285 mil domestic. Strong showing at #2 is The Great Gatsby with a nice 51.1 mil for its debut. Hanging on to the #3 spot is "Pain & Gain" earning an extra 5 mil. New at #4 is Tyler Perry Presents Peeples with a very lack-luster 4.9 mil. Rounding off the top 5 is "42" earning another 4.7 mil as it continues its struggle to reach 100 mil cume but might fall slightly short of that when its all said and done.
Quote of the week:
"A single event can awaken within us a stranger totally unknown to us. To live is to be slowly born." - Antoine de Saint-Exupery
Other News:
From YahooTV comes the winners and losers of cable TV shows (with four months of ratings so far): 1) The Walking Dead (AMC - Winner): averages 11.4 million viewers per episode. 2) Anger Management (FX - Loser): Lack of popularity for both the show and star Charlie Sheen averaging 1.25 mil. 3) The Bible (History - Winner): 11.3 mil viewers and history does come alive! 4) Girls (HBO - Loser): only 661k viewers and this show basically sucks! I watched the first two and a big waste of time. 5) Duck Dynasty (A&E - Winner): 9.6 mil and fascinated with the rednecks. 6) Mad Men (AMC - Loser): After 5 seasons and 3.5 mil viewers, losing its luster. 7) Game of Thrones (pictured) (HBO - Winner): 5.5 mil for its 3rd season and continues to keep you invested in ALL the characters! 8) Dallas (TNT - Loser): 4.5 mil viewers and this is still going? 9) Bates Motel (A&E - Winner): came out soft with 2.9 mil but the growth is there, show looks boring to me. 10) Hot in Cleveland (TV Land - Loser): about 4.75 mil and slowing losing ground now in its 4th season. 11) Shameless (Showtime - Winner): 1.6 mil average but good enough for Showtime. 12) The Real World (MTV - Loser): This is still around?!?!
Facts & Tips:
The most common name for a pet goldfish is 'Jaws.'
"So Barbra Streisand became this huge star, right? But Kris Kristofferson could not take it anymore, so he drinks and drinks and crashes his car. Isn't that romantic?"- Mila Kunis as Jackie Burkhardt on the TV series "That '70
s Show."
I think people are getting dumber by the day. I was trying to pull out of a parking spot very slowly the other day when the car next to me had the back passenger (on the driver side) door fully open. I thought by me walking up to the car, starting my engine, getting the radio going, they would notice me and close the door, just a little bit ... nope. I have NO clue what they were doing so I started to pull out a little by little, turning, adjusting thinking at SOME point, they will turn and just close the door a tiny bit ... NOPE. They were in their own little universe in which everything revolves around them. That was both pretty selfish and ignorance at the same time. Be aware of your surroundings people and then show a just a little courtesy.
Weekly Update:
Kind of a semi-quiet week at least for the first half but then on Wednesday it got loud!! I went to see the next movie I will be working on and it is by the band Metallica. My ears were ringing a big afterwards but I suppose that is what good music is suppose to do. Then on Thursday night I attended the LAAPFF which many people ask, what is that? Yep, not a well known festival but its short for the Los Angeles Asian Pacific Film Festival and they kicked it off with a documentary on basketball player Jeremy Lin currently with the Houston Rockets. Why Lin? I don't know honestly because right now he isn't playing due to injury during the playoffs and also he isn't that great of a player. But while at the festival I managed to run into a couple of new people:
*Dan Lauria - best known from "The Wonder Years" as the dad and a great guy.
*Ian Anthony Dale - from "The Event" and the first "Hangover" movie, nice guy.
At the movies:
No big surprises at the box office as everything turned out as expected. Only one new film this weekend and of course, who would be dumb enough to go up against it! In at #1 is the third sequel to the amazing franchise as Iron Man 3 earns a hefty 175.3 million for its debut. All the way down to the #2 spot is "Pain & Gain" with another 7.6 mil. Holding ground at #3 is "42" with 6.2 mil more. Slight drop to #4 is "Oblivion" with an extra 5.8 as it quickly closes out. Rounding off the top 5 after 7 weeks in release is "The Croods" with another 4.2 mil as it continues to chug alone. With no animated family films in the market place, this film picked up that slack as well as cashed in on a golden opportunity to fill the void.
Quote of the week:
"Ambition is the last refuge of the failure." - Oscar Wilde
Other News:
Dying careers you should avoid. This is a really informative article of the obvious but also adds the alternatives. All of it is in relation to technology and how it has changed our world. In no particular order 1) Desktop Publisher - was much needed during the era of print, everyone had to have them and in force. Now, software is so user friendly that anyone can become one. The alternative is Graphic Designer, although many folks can do this but it takes a really good creative eye and sense to be good. 2) Reporter - not a fast dying career but not booming by any means. With social media and cell phone cameras (both video and still), everyone is a reporter now. Alternative is Public Relations Specialist - more and more is needed for company PR and to protect their image even personal image and how to manipulate the press. 3) Semiconductor Processor - this is an odd one because it is still in high demand but the process in which is used is become more and more automated and efficient it is eliminating human power. Alternative is Database Administrator because control is still needed as well as input for what is needed. 4) Auto Insurance Appraiser - Lot of accidents with a lot of vehicles but what is changing this, safer cars. Alternative is Cost Estimator as companies build and sell vehicles, bottom cost comes more important. 5) Insurance Underwriters - software, plain and simple. There are automated programs and online services with just a few pieces of information can tell you and give you want you need. Alternative - Accountant or Auditor, this process hasn't been automated and not sure if it will with the little ins-and-outs that need to be taken into consideration.
Facts & Tips:
The jaguar, the largest cat in the Western Hemisphere, once lived all over the southern US.
"You are going to take a weekend trip to Paris! Did I just sound like Don Pardo?" - Julie Kavner as Brenda Morgenstern in the TV series "Rhoda."
MEMORIAL DAY EDITION
Other News:
Facts & Tips:
