More cool weather, how nice it is ... After the long and extra hot Summer with a big side of humidity, the cool days and nights are such a welcome treat. I have so many nice jackets I never get to use that often except for a few times a year ... Winter is just so short these days. And they are really great jackets that will keep you warm if the weather is so incredibly bad ... although I don't think it will ever get that bad, at least I know I will be prepared for it unless of course I forget to bring a jacket which happens all the time. And it happens all the time because it is rare I need to even bring a jacket in the first place! Such a conundrum.
Weekly Update:
I was thinking the other day, I have not had a really good steak in a long while. The price of meat is a little high so the question is do I buy a nice steak and attempt to cook it myself? I am sure I will do a fair job but I am no chef so I am just guessing on how to cook it. OR, do I go to a nice restaurant and entrust their cook or chef to do it right for me?? I have cooked some pretty good steaks but I have also cooked some over done ones but still ate them because I was hungry and it was still tasty at least. How much does one really save if you cook it yourself versus a restaurant where they will wait on you and they aim to please? Not to mention I do not have to deal with any clean-up afterwards which is saving me time and energy plus any resources like water ... kind of strange when you start throwing in all these other factors!
At the movies:
Returning to the #1 spot in its fourth week is "The Martian" earning another 15.9 million at the box office and is making its way to 200 mil cume domestic. Holding ground at #2 is "Goosebumps" with another 15.5 mil and decent overall numbers. Also holding ground at #3 is "Bridge of Spies" with an extra 11.4 mil and slowly climbing in overall gross but will likely drop off the top 5 soon. New at #4 is The Last Witch Hunter with only 10.8 mil and well below expectations. This is a pretty bad number considering the expensive price tag on this film. Rounding off the top 5 is "Hotel Transylvania 2" with another 9 mil as it closes in at 150 mil cume and should get there in a day or two.
New movies that did not make the top 5:
Several this week! Up first is Paranormal Activity: The Ghost Dimension comes in at #6 with only 8.2 mil. Well below expectations and probably the poorest opening for this franchise. Are folks done with this or is horror/suspense films on a down-swing? I think a little of both. Coming in at #13 is Rock the Kasbah with only 1.5 mil and pretty much what most were predicting for this film. Although the screen count was more than expected, and that is not a good thing. And coming in at #15 is Jem and the Holograms with only 1.3 mil and extremely poor performance for a regular wide-release film. The interest for reboots at this time of bad 80's cartoons to live-action is not there.
Quote of the week:
"Those are my principles, and if you don't like them ... well, I have others." - Groucho Marx
Facts & Tips:
The penny was the first U.S. coin to feature the likeness of an actual person.
"Because! Nobody gets everything they want! Look at you, look at Miranda. You're good people and you two both got shafted. I'm so happy and... something bad is going to happen." - Kristin Davis as Charlotte York in "Sex and the City."
I guess the month of October is when you can change your health plans ... I think you should be able to change your health benefits at any time but only to upgrade. It does benefit the employee if they know they need more coverage and up it right before a Doctor visit but is not suppose to benefit the employee? I think once you upgrade you have to keep it for a least a full year before you can downgrade unless you upgrade again which you should be able to do at any time ... just my 2 to 5 cents. It is already confusing enough trying to figure it out that I think knowing you can get more coverage if needed, that would be nice to have. And I would think most people would continue the advance coverage the upgraded too because especially for new employees or those who are getting medical insurance for the first time. It is very confusing and you do not know what you want or need so I would imagine they get the minimum for starters but to have to wait to change it a year later seems a little unfair and they have to suffer either physically, mentally or financially till then.
Weekly Update:
I noticed something the other day and I can not remember if I mentioned this before but when I drink something super cold ... I have never had a brain-freeze but rather my entire chest cavity goes into pain as the ice slowly warms up in my body. This may have something to do with never having a headache before hence no brain freeze maybe? Just something very random because I know so many people who get massive headaches and also get massive brain freeze just from a soda with ice in it! Ice cream, although very cold, does not seem to effect people I know that often or just very rarely. But me, no brain-freeze, just massive chest pain but the funny part is if it happens on the first drink or gulp of something super cold, from then on out it does not effect me again ... so wierd ... so so wierd.
At the movies:
Storytelling is not dead as the teen classic book series turned to movie Goosebumps takes the #1 spot this weekend with a nice 23.5 million and right on expectations. Dropping a bit to #2 is "The Martian" with another 21.5 mil in its 3rd week and just shy of 150 mil cume. New at #3 is Bridge of Spies with 15.4 mil and also around expectations. Also new at #4 is Crimson Peak with a debut of only 12.9 and just below expectations. Rounding off the top 5 is "Hotel Transylvania 2" earning another 12.3 mil as it slowly winds down.
Quote of the week:
"When someone shows you who they are, believe them the first time." - Maya Angelou
Facts & Tips:
A manned rocket can reach the moon in less time than it took a stagecoach to travel the length of England.
"Those who don't appreciate life do not deserve life." - Tobin Bell as John Kramer in "Saw II."
I hear the Santa Ana winds are due and we are suppose to be in a huge El Nino season that we have never seen before ... then why is there no rain, no wind and it still feels like Summer in October?? I am not sure how weather is predicted anymore because it is simply wrong all the time. They give percentages now but 10 and 20% is random and I can say every day we have 15% chance of rain, a 15% chance of snow and 15% of a heat wave ... so, not matter what, I will be right because if the weather is fine for that other 55%, I'm golden. I would think technology is a bit more advance these day or our meteorologist have no idea what they are looking at.
Weekly Update:
Have you ever noticed when you are in an elevator and you hit the door close button, it doesn't seem to close right away but yet when you push the door when it is closing, it reacts immediately. I kind of wonder if the door close button is just there for looks. I recently tried it on 2 elevators at the office, both had at least a 3 second delay. Now 3 seconds may sound like nothing but count it out ... 1 Mississippi, 2 Mississippi, 3 Mississippi ... yeah, seems pretty long no? I think the button is there for looks or to think we have more control of it than we actually do. I think the open door button is there and working for safety but the close button ... its a trap! I also tried it in another building but they only had one elevator and it has an even longer pause of at least 5 seconds. And, do you hold it down or just push it? Being a button, it would indicate you just push it once and that is that. But I feel like to open a door you have to hold it down but in reality you push it once and it should reset the wait time on the door ... at least I think it does.
At the movies:
Still flying high at #1 is "The Martian" for the 2nd week in a row with another 37 million and that is only a 32% drop from last week. Way below the norm and word-of-mouth is very strong for this film. It has already passed the 100 mil mark and well on its way to 200 and possibly some award gold this coming season. Holding strong at #2 is "Hotel Transylvania 2" earning an extra 20.3 mil and also passed the 100 mil mark for this animated sequel. New at #3 is Pan with only 15.5 mil and below expectations. Look for this one to fly low ending around the 50 mark when it is said and done. Still working at is "The Intern" with an extra 8.7 mil and good numbers for this dramedy film. Rounding off the top 5 is "Sicario" with another 7.4 mil and that is a decent number for this award-worthy film.
New films that did not make the top 5:
Just one this week but not for a lack of performance but it is being released platform. Coming in at #17 on only 4 screens for its debut is Steve Jobs with 520k to open. That sounds very little and it would be but for only 4 screens? That is an average of 130k per screen which is amazing! This film should expand nicely and garner its own award buzz in the process.
Quote of the week:
"Power is like being a lady... if you have to tell people you are, you aren't." - Margaret Thatcher
Facts & Tips:
DFW Airport in Texas is larger than the island of Manhattan
"You have rough hands, and horrible shoes. Are you Amish or something?" - Emma Roberts as Chanel Oberlin from the TV series "Scream Queens."
Rain! For like an hour but RAIN! Seriously though, stupid people who do not believe in global warming ... we are only living it now so it must not exist. So what is the next thing that scientist, who study and study, test upon test, facts upon facts, will tell us next that we will not believe? That the Earth is indeed round but the flat-Earthers still think it is ... well, flat? I say this often to people that there are more dumb folks out there than us ... now I am not saying I am completely smart, far from it, but I will look at evidence, do some research and know the facts before I make claims. How hard is it to do some research, just a tiny little bit?! You will be amazed what you will learn and then when you speak to people, you are not the dumb leading the dumb but rather the educated sharing knowledge. Now it is on them if they do not believe you but the facts, we are living them!
Weekly Update:
I love watching dogs sleep because they start to breath heavy and at some point in their REM cycle I am guessing they start to make little whine sounds and kick with their hind legs. I mean just by themselves a sleepy dog is cute, what is overkill is a sleeping puppy! How can you not resist petting a sleeping puppy (and waking them up) but it is pretty dang adorable. All dogs seem to look like pups when they are sleeping to. But we think they are dreaming when they start to kick around ... but are they? Or is it just a regular reaction at some point that their body does? I am sure they dream, I think all living things have dreams but I am guessing theirs may not be a dream but simply recall from the past or what happened when they ate that day. I could be wrong but they are cute regardless.
At the movies:
Survival and space win the box office as The Martian earns the crown with a nice 55 million this weekend. Right at expectations and word-of-mouth is solid for this film it could reach the 200 mil cume mark when it is all said and done. Holding ground at #2 is "Hotel Transylvania 2" earning another 33 mil as it closes in at 100. Should get there by the end of the week. Popping into 3rd place is "Sicario" after its limited release and earning a good 12.1 mil. Very solid word-of-mouth and another potential Oscar running film. Slight drop to #4 is "The Intern" with 11.6 mil and still holding out well. Rounding off the top 5 is "Maze Runner: The Scorch Trials" with 7.7 mil extra and will likely disappear after this week.
The Walk was mentioned last week in an IMAX exclusive format and unfortunately it crawled with only 1.6 mil and showing up at #12. Not bad placement but the per screen average ($3,460) is pretty bad. It opens wide this week to over 2500 screens but not sure how that will play after its poor limited opening. At this rate could do low to mid teens.
Quote of the week:
"Music in the soul can be heard by the universe." - Lau Tzu
Facts & Tips:
The largest hailstone ever recorded in the U.S. was 17.5 inches around.
"I feel like I just found out my favorite love song was written about a sandwich." - Katherine Heigl as Jane in "27 Dresses."
More cool weather, how nice it is ... After the long and extra hot Summer with a big side of humidity, the cool days and nights are such a welcome treat. I have so many nice jackets I never get to use that often except for a few times a year ... Winter is just so short these days. And they are really great jackets that will keep you warm if the weather is so incredibly bad ... although I don't think it will ever get that bad, at least I know I will be prepared for it unless of course I forget to bring a jacket which happens all the time. And it happens all the time because it is rare I need to even bring a jacket in the first place! Such a conundrum.
Weekly Update:
At the movies:
Facts & Tips:
