Monday, September 29, 2014

I was driving down Commonwealth, a semi-busy street in Fullerton, in the Downtown Fullerton area when I noticed a car parked off to the side in front of some stores.  There was this average side woman (not thin or big) and she seemed to be in her 30's maybe early 40's and completely obviously of anyone else in the world.  How do I know?  After she parked, she opened her car door to the fullest extent and then I noticed she had not parked fully against the curb or remotely close to it.  So when she opened the door, it covered about half of the driving lane!  I did see one car stop, honk and then wait for her to either 1) close her door so he could pass or 2) get out and close her door.  What did she do?  Nothing ... she sat in her car, left the door opened so the guy went around.  When I got to her, I was one lane over, but I looked to see what she was doing, rummaging through her purse.  Really?  Close the door when you do that!!  People, the dumb one's outnumber the rest, no joke. (Picture note: remove the bike lane, move the car 2 more feet out and there you go).

Weekly Update:
It was another hot and humid week but toward the end it cooled down enough to do a fun scavenger hunt at ... Disneyland!  It was a LOT of running around but pretty dang fun at the same time trying to figure out clues and get to one place to another.  Some of the tasks included certain rides and finding certain statues, people and places.  Also having to know a bit of Disney trivia really helps.  It was a really fun event, I just wish there was more time to do it but we had a 4 hour time limit.  That may sound like a lot of time but when you have to run around, figure out tasks and wait in line for a ride or two, it goes fast.  But in the end, came in first place but missed the bonus questions which then dropped us to 2nd because it was very close between 1st and 2nd.  I would do that again, maybe one where it was like a Midnight Run where you get a clue that leads to you a location where there is another clue or puzzle to figure out the next location and so on.  Now THAT would be really fun and take some skill than just knowing stuff.

At the movies:
Denzel takes the box office crown with this mid-season action-drama film.  In at #1 is "The Equalizer" bringing a solid 35 million and word-of-mouth is good on this film.  This one fell right about expectations as well.  Holding ground at #2 is "The Maze Runner" with an extra 17.5 mil as it tries to reach 100 mil cume but will fall short of that finish line.  New at #3 is "The Boxtrolls" with 17.3 mil which is just shy of expectations but I see potential on this film for a better than average run.  Drop to #4 is "This is Where I Leave You" earning another 7 mil and this is where we leave it.  Rounding off the top 5 is "Dolphin Tale 2" with an extra 4.8 mil as it continues to swim a bit longer but should be the last time we see it on the top 5.

Quote of the week:
"Red is the ultimate cure for sadness." - Bill Blass

Facts & Tips:
New York City is made up of 50 islands.

"Welcome to Earth. I'm Admiral Bullock, and I'll be your commanding officer for the next six months. Questions, comments - bring them to me. Problems - talk to Lieutenant Kinis." - Tucker Smallwood as Admiral Bullock on the TV series "Star Trek: Voyager."

Monday, September 22, 2014

Weather getting a tad better but still too warm and humid.  I was outside one day for a good portion and after a bit of time I felt like I had breathed in water, it was just so heavy and dense.  I did have the AC on for two nights so I could sleep but I really do hate doing that because you really don't notice it on at night and when you do, you are too tired to do anything about it except for getting up in the covers and snuggling tight so you stay warm.  Then when you wake up in the morning, you realize the AC was on for the entire night (maybe not on but it was set to be one if the thermostat is working properly) ... what a catch-22 it is but at least it was only two nights ... it is not suppose to be this hot or warm anymore during this time!!!  I felt like this cat in the picture, you do what you can to stay cool.

Weekly Update:
You know what I discovered that was interesting (to me anyway) ... different search engines work better for different types of searches.  You have your main three out there: Yahoo, Google and Bing, for the most part are it.  Sure there are a lot of them but those are the primary three in my opinion.  So as I use different ones, I find that using Yahoo is OK for simple things like finding other web pages.  I think that Google is good in a broader search, at least the results that come up are more refined.  Then I find Bing to be great in finding images and in a higher resolution than the other two.  So depending on what I need to find, I will use that search engine ... pretty easy really but interesting at the same time to me.

At the movies:
New movies finally taking the lead again at the box office after a very long and interesting Summer!  Finding it's way to the #1 spot is The Maze Runner with a solid 32.5 million for it's debut.  Word-of-mouth is fair on this one so could do OK in the long run for the season.  This was pretty on par with my predictions.  New at #2 is A Walk Among Tombstones with 13.1 mil and below general expectations.  Also new at #3 is This is Where I Leave You with an 11.9 mil debut and not much buzz on this one, this was close to on point with predictions as well.  Holding some ground at #4 is "No Good Deed" with an extra 10.2 mil as it slowly comes to an end of its run.  Rounding off the top 5 is "Dolphin Tale 2" with another 9 mil and lesser drop than most films.  This still has some juice in it but no doubt will be the last time in the top 5.

Quote of the week:
"Keep changing.  When you're through changing, you're through." - Bruce Barton

Facts & Tips:
To make one pound of honey, a honeybee must tap about two million flowers.

"Every ounce of my training tells me he's hiding something." Cathy Silvers as Lt. Monday in "Sgt. Bilko."

Monday, September 15, 2014

Holy fark it is HOT!!!  Seriously, the weather is so bad right now and we are suppose to be heading into Fall?!  It feels like DEEP Summer like what I would imagine July to be without the humidity and what is up with all that?  We don't get moisture like that and it is way not normal for California.  We have been getting it more and more lately and it is simply not right!  At least Florida gets storms with some rain and usually breaks the heat for awhile but we aren't even getting that.  It could be be 80 degrees out but due to humidity, feels like 100+ and it probably was that for several days, I just wanted to melt and do nothing but was drenched (OK, not drenched but felt very uncomfortable) in my own sweat.  It was also getting harder to breath at times as well ... stop!

Weekly Update:
Yet another sad week in Hollywood as the legendary villain henchman, Richard Kiel, best known as "Jaws" in at least three James Bond films, has passed.  He was a giant of a man at 7 feed 2 inches and passed 3 days just before his birthday.  I have met him a few times but the first was on a cruise ship.  I don't think many people recognized him as he went from place to place on the ship in his wheelchair.  But I spotted him off the bat, who can forget Jaws ... he was very nice and did me the honor of a couple of photos; one regular and one he wanted to do with his ginormous (yes, that is a word now, look it up) hands around my neck.  He couldn't have been more accommodating and friendly ... he will be sadly missed.  Richard was 74.

Shifting gears a bit, then on Sunday I did something neat an
d interesting ... I got to attend a big private event (about 150 people) to see the famous Stanley Cup, NHL's highest honor and trophy.  The Los Angeles Kings won the championship this past season and my friend's father works for the Kings.  He has been doing the radio play-by-play for about 20+ years so he is included with the team as they get the cup for the day.  I did a nice hugging post with it, many people kissed it but after seeing that, I strayed away from doing that.  It was a nice and fun event, the cup is pretty neat ... Way to go Kings!

At the movies:
New movies take the top spots at the box office this weekend!  What is generally a slower time for films and almost a throw-away season, new films manage a nice weekend ... could be the weather.  With it being generally hot and humid the past few days across the country, who doesn't want to go to a nice air conditioned movie theatre to escape the heat!  New at #1 is No Good Deed with a debut of 24.5 million.  Not much else on this film, could be a quick burn.  Swimming up to #2 is Dolphin Tale 2 with 16.6 mil and this could carry an extra week.  Holding ground at #3 is "Guardians of the Galaxy" with 8 mil and now just past the 300 mil cume mark which makes it the biggest film of the Summer (but we already knew that).  This film still has some juice left too.  Also holding on to #4 is "Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles" with 4.8 mil as it gets just a bit closer to 200 mil but will definitely be shy of that mark.  Rounding off the top 5 is "Let's Be Cops" with another 4.3 mil and more than likely be the last showing in this range.

Quote of the week:
"Failure is the condiment that gives success its flavor." - Truman Capote

Facts & Tips:
The Inca built the largest and wealthiest empire in South America, but had no concept of money.

"I think people are universal." - Director Ang Lee

Monday, September 08, 2014

I have to say it sure has gotten humid but the nights are so great!  It is almost like Summer and Winter with a flip of the switch!  It is suppose to be record breaking temps next week but I hope that isn't the case, we shall see.  But the weather is about 90 but feels like 100 with the heaviness in the air, I almost couldn't breath one time because it felt like my lungs were being pressed on by the weight of the air!!  But then at night, need a jacket which I do not mind ... like I always say, it is easier to get warmed up than to cool down and that is so true!  I mean sure you can cool down with AC but then you are using electricity and equipment ... just stay cool please!  I'm not sure what is going on in the picture I found but that is what came up with I put "humidity" in ... go figure.

Weekly Update:
A comedy icon passed but one I think will be quickly forgotten.  TV personality and comedian Joan Rivers, had passed.  She was one of the few women comedians in the 80's that I really enjoyed.  Her jokes at that time were actually funny but still made fun of primarily her husband at that time but weren't as mean spirited as they were in her latter years.  As she grew older, her style and comedy became very bitter and lack taste and any kind of sincerity but she was a pioneer back in the day.  She was often made fun of being made of plastic with her constant cosmetic surgeries.  Quiet frankly I think she would have aged well if she did not have anything done but I think it speaks volumes of her personality and vanity.  I found and chose a picture of her back in the day with the late great Johnny Carson ... yeah, I think she would have aged very well.  She was 81.

At the box office:
The Summer is definitely over and you can see it at the box office.  Still doing well at #1 is "Guardians of the Galaxy" with another 10.2 million as it is now just shy of 300 mil cume.  It might have it by the weekend but definitely by the end of this coming weekend.  Holding ground at #2 is "Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles" with 6.5 mil as it continues to struggle to reach 200 mil but I don't think it will make it.  Hanging on to #3 is "If I Stay" with another 5.8 mil.  Still in the top at #4 is "Let's Be Cops" with 5.4 mil extra.  Rounding off the top 5 is "The November Man" with another 4.2 mil it's 2nd weekend and will be done around the 25 mil cume mark.
 
New movies that did not make the top 5:
As expected and at the #11 spot is The Identical with a debut of only 1.9 mil and really not much more to say on that one.

Quote of the week:
"The family is a court of justice which never shuts down for night or day." - Malcolm De Chazal

Facts & Tips:
Giraffes can lick their own eyes.

"Face it, Dinesh, you're gay for my code. You're code gay." - Martin Starr as Gilfoyle in the TV series "Silicon Valley."

Monday, September 01, 2014

LABOR DAY EDITION

It's Labor Day and no labor to do or shouldn't be done.  An extra day of rest but for some (not me) it means an extra shift at a job or possibly some overtime pay for working.  We need more days like this, at least once a month.  I know almost every month has a nice extra day of the week off that the whole county observes but months like January, not all take Martin Luther King, Jr. Day off and they should!!  I don't think there is a day in April but Tax Day should be a holiday for those who didn't do them in time, should take that day to take care of it ... yep, I think there should be at least one day in every month that gives us an extra day off.  Not being lazy but just to rest.

Weekly Update:
Interesting week and slightly busy which is cool.  But the nice part was attending a charity event for Kelly Hu at the Audi dealership in Beverly Hills.  Lot of good food and helped out the event during the last minute but looked like it all worked out great.  While there grabbed some pics with some folks:

*Jacob Young - from various soap operas and a cool guy.
*Eme Ikwuakor - some TV and small projects, up and comer.
*James DuMont - recently from "Dallas Buyers Club" but I remember him from "S.W.A.T." and a great guy.
*Rob Steinberg - from "12 Years a Slave" and a nice guy.
*Michael Trucco - best known from the newer "Battlestar Galactica" series and a cool guy.
*Robert Costanzo - I know him best as the quirky waiter from "Forget Paris" and a really nice guy.

At the movies:
A couple of days late but had to wait for those final Labor Day Weekend numbers and the winner is ... "Guardians of the Galaxy" in it's 5th week earns an additional 22.9 million for the holiday and now with a cume of just over 280, making it's way to 300+!  Holding ground at #2 is "Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles" with another 15.6 mil as it will struggle to hit 200 mil.  Hanging on to #3 is "If I Stay" with another 11.8 mil for this romantic drama.  Also hanging on to #4 is "Let's Be Cops" with 10.4 mil in it's 3rd week.  Rounding off the top 5 and new at #5 is "As Above, So Below" with a debut of 10.3 mil which is slightly below expectations.
 
New movies that did not make the top 5:
Just one this week as "November Man" only manages 10.1 mil and enough for the #6 spot and also well below expectations.

Quote of the week:
"Any sufficiently advanced technology is indistinguishable from magic." Arthur C. Clarke

Facts & Tips:
A nautical mile is 800 feet longer than a land mile.

"When you've known someone a long time, you just want to kiss them just to see if they're a good kisser. There's nothing wrong with that, right?" - Jordan Ladd as Karen in "Cabin Fever."