Monday, November 30, 2015

POST Thanksgiving and Black Friday Edition

It felt like Winter!  The weather was cold and had that nice crispness to it and you could see your breath as you breathe ... aw Winter, where have you been?  Now if we just had some rain then it would have been perfect but I will take the beat-the-heat any day!  I hope this is an early indication of what our season will be like because last year just sucked.  It was literal Summer weather and stayed in the 80's ... not cool ... no pun intended.

Weekly Update:
Had a lot of work planning this week but on Sunday, attended the Hollywood Christmas Parade and that was interesting.  It was at night and it actually will not air till later on in December but
you can see them do a few takes while filming which I guess will be edited later.  It was like watching a live broadcast that wasn't live to be edited.  But while there I got to meet a couple of folks:

*Holly Madison - Best known as Hugh's girlfriend from the series "The Girls Next Door" and super nice.
*Brec Bassinger - from the kids show "Bella and the Bulldogs" and also very sweet.
*Jonathan Silverman - of "Weekend at Bernie's" fame and a very chill guy.

At the movies:

The games remain #1 as "The Hunger Games: Mockingjay Part 2" holds on to the holiday box office with another 51.6 million and is just shy of 200 mil cume.  Still full steam ahead for this film with a potential 300 mil cume when it is said and done.  New at #2 is The Good Dinosaur with a 5-day total of 55.6 mil but a 3-day weekend total of only 39.2 mil.  A bit of a disappointing box office and below expectations for a Pixar family film.  Still could carry its way to a decent box office.  New at #3 is Creed with a weekend of 30.1 mil and a 5-day total of 42.6 mil overall.  Fairly close to expectations and should punch out at around 100 mil total.  Holding on to #4 is "Spectre" with another 12.8 mil as it crawls to try and reach 200 mil cume domestic.  Rounding off the top 5 is "The Peanuts Movie" earning an extra 9.7 mil as it slowly winds down.

New movies that did not make the top 5:
Just one this week and no surprise here as Victor Frankenstein comes in at #12 with only 3.4 mil for the 5-day opening.  Pretty much at expectations and will soon be on a cable channel near you.

Quote of the week:
"The best preparation for tomorrow is doing your best today." - H. Jackson Brown, Jr.

Facts & Tips:
There are 293 ways to make change for a dollar.

"I want to do the comedy version of The Tonight Show." - late night TV host Jimmy Kimmel

Monday, November 23, 2015

Pre-Thanksgiving Day

This week will be Thanksgiving and I think last year I had a McRib if I recall?  I had to work and I will have to again.  A new tradition perhaps?  Probably but we shall see.  The hours I have to work are so weird because everyone I know will either eat at 1 PM for a late lunch but early dinner (which does not sound like an early dinner to me at all) or a 5 PM (which that is an early dinner for me) however I do not end till after 7 PM.  By the time I am off of work, everyone is done with their meals and have ended their night.  Sure I get invited to swing by after but by that time it is closer to 8 PM and just feels so awkward and blah that you do not want to feel you are interrupting as they get ready for bed!  So, McRib it may be again!  I don't mind, I love the McRib and try to enjoy it at least once or twice a year which so happens to be around this time of year!

Weekly Update:
Not much of a week for me that I can recall, same old stuff but just getting cooler temperature wise.  I am trying to remember if anything of note happened that is worthy to mention ... nope!  This picture of a dog on a laptop sums up my week for the most part.  I wish I could do that but then I would probably be pushing all kinds of buttons and who knows what I would type and what might accidently get sent out.  I would probably look like afdlkvaliavelkja or avjmomva9999lklxxlv ... because those are the buttons in the middle part of the keyboard area except for the numbers of course.  Yep, pretty bored.

At the movies:
No big surprises at the box office this weekend as the holiday rush starts early.  Shooting into the #1 spot is The Hunger Games: Mockingjay Part 2 with 101 million, a tad below expectations but a solid start to a potential 300 mil cume domestic box office.  Holding ground at #2 is "Spectre" with 14.6 mil more as it crawls to 200 mil cume.  Also holding ground at #3 is "The Peanuts Movie" with an extra 12.8 mil as it is just shy of 100 mil and should reach it in the next day or two.  New at #4 is The Night Before with only 10.1 and closer to expectations.  Rounding off the top 5 is The Secret in Their Eyes with only 6.6 mil and pretty much at final expectations.

Quote of the week:
"The only way to enjoy anything in this life is to earn it first." - Ginger Rogers

Facts & Tips:
The only insect that can turn its head is a praying mantis.

"I'm Carson Daly!" - Aries Spears as The Other Carson Daly in "Josie and the Pussycats."

Monday, November 16, 2015

Did it just get cold like Winter??!  Inconceivable!!!  We got a few drops of rain this week and when I say a few drops, I do mean a few drops that I could count the number of water spots on the ground.  I know they say at least we got something but really??  I did have to put on some heavier coats this week but how long will it last?  The nights are cold but I can still open my windows through the evening to keep some fresh air and be in the covers without needing a heater or extra clothing on at night.  I know our Winters are mild but I should at least be able to close my window, be under the covers and put on some heavier socks or something to stay warm ... nope.

Weekly Update:
This may sound dumb or petty but I have noticed a lot lately that when I go to a website, say for example my mobile device site to access my account, there is a little box when I log in that says "Remember Me" thinking by clicking on that, the next time I come to the site I do not need to log in or put in all my information again.  Nope, the only thing it does is remember that the box is checked mark and I still have to input my user name and password.  I also noticed it with several other sites and it still requires me to input the user name and password.  What is wrong with this box that it does not remember me or anything??  So what is the point of that little box to check mark if it will not work and I have to keep re-entering my information?  USELESS I tell you, useless!

At the movies:
The box office this weekend was as expected as "Spectre" takes the #1 crown for the 2nd weekend in a row earning an extra 35.4 million and well over 100 mil cume.  A healthy road to 200 mil cume domestic.  Also holding its spot at #2 is "The Peanuts Movie" with another 24.2 mil as it is shy of 100 mil cume.  It should get there by the end of next weekend but overall a solid performance for this dated cartoon subject.  New at #3 is Love the Coopers with 8.4 mil and almost exactly on predictions for this early holiday film.  Still showing life at #4 is "The Martian" now in its 7th week earning another 6.7 mil and past the 200 mil cume mark.  Continues with a lot of strong buzz and a solid award contender this year.  Rounding off the top 5 is The 33 with 5.9 mil and slightly below expectations but not surprising at all.

New movies that did not make the top 5:
Just one wide release as My All American goes out with over 1500 screens and shows up at #12 chiming in with 1.4 mil and soon to be out of theatres pretty soon.

Quote of the week:
"Never complain and never explain." - Benjamin Disraeli

Facts & Tips:
The weight of the moon is 81 billion tons.

"Watching John with the machine, it was suddenly so clear. The terminator, would never stop. It would never leave him, and it would never hurt him, never shout at him, or get drunk and hit him, or say it was too busy to spend time with him. It would always be there. And it would die, to protect him. Of all the would-be fathers who came and went over the years, this thing, this machine, was the only one who measured up. In an insane world, it was the sanest choice." - Linda Hamilton as Sarah Connor in "Terminator 2: Judgement Day."

Monday, November 09, 2015

Maybe a little cooler but at least it was not hot!  Starting to actually cool down a bit which is finally nice.  We are only in November but it was still pretty warm in the direct sun but at least there was no more humidity or close to 100 degree weather.  I do not understand what is going on but, and I may have said this before, it feels like we need need tho daylight saving our calendar a whole month!  So instead of an hour back, adjust a whole month back and the weather will make a little more sense! Well, maybe someday our weather will make sense but till then, enjoy this picture of our current winter view.  It is very disappointing for winter but we will endure some how.

Weekly Update:
Went to the annual Blizzcon convention this past weekend and it was pretty fun.  Got to demo the new Overwatch game and for an FPS style game, it was pretty fun.  Not a big FPS gamer these days since and when I was, I preferred the squad based games like Ghost Recon.  This, from what I can tell is teams so not sure if they will have a campaign type mode for team building with a story line.  The characters are all over the place with who they are and represent so who knows.  Tried the new World of Warcraft expansion and that was fun to play again and some StarCraft which is good to get back into again.  But when I was there I ran into a couple of people ...

*Cree Summer - best know on the TV series "It's A Different World" and super nice!
*Abraham Benrubi - remember him from "Parker Lewis Can't Lose" and a very nice guy.

At the movies:
The box office rebounds nicely!  New at #1 is Spectre in the latest installment of the James Bond franchise with the resurfacing of an old nemesis.  Bond brings in a cool 73 million for its debut and will likely hit 100 mil by the end of this coming week.  This was so close to estimations too!  Also new at #2 is The Peanuts Movie with a fantastic 45 mil to open and above expectations.  Looks like the holiday season has kicked off a bit early and it is good so far.  Holding ground at #3 is "The Martian" with 9.3 mil and very close to 200 mil cume  It should reach that in the next few days more than likely.  Still doing well at #4 is "Goosebumps" in its 4th week with another 7 mil.  Rounding off the top 5 is "Bridge of Spies" earning an extra 6 mil and should fall out of the top 5 next week.

Quote of the week:
"Step with care and great tact, and remember that Life's a Great Balancing Act." - Dr. Seuss

Facts & Tips:
Honeybees have hair on their eyes.

"No soup for you!" - Larry Thomas as Soup Nazi in the TV series "Seinfeld."

Monday, November 02, 2015

HALLOWEEN / DAYLIGHT SAVING TIME EDITION

Creepy and spooky ... warm and more warm.  Not much this past weekend for Halloween, got home late and just fell asleep.  Yeah me!  No trick-or-treaters that I was aware of but that is OK.  I do miss my old neighborhood and you would see several packs of kids roaming around going door-to-door and I would say at least 90% of the homes had their lights on and were giving out candy.  You would find that odd home with no lights on but go up to the door anyway and someone was still show up with candy.  And then the very small percentage of someone not actually being home which is understandable.  People do have lives and other family I am sure they will visit and spend the evening with at their homes and greet their trick-or-treaters.  But the times have certainly changed a lot and now a lot of folks go to malls and visit all the stores.  Safer, nosier for sure with all the echoing of a mall and all in one central location.  Plus if you can not trust a store to give you safe candy, then that store will have some serious problems!


Weekly Update:
It was Comikaze this past weekend and I spent pretty much all day on Saturday and Sunday there.  It was a really wierd set-up with two separate halls and did not function or flow as smoothly.  They lost part of the regular hall th
ey used due to another convention which I think was poor planning on the cons part and not planning ahead possibly?  Plus having it on Halloween did not seem to help.  I thought they were doing trick-or-treating but I did not see any indication of that any where.  But during the two days, I managed to bump into a lot of familiar faces and friends ... and met some new ones:

*Larry Wilcox - best know from the TV show "CHiP's" and a pretty awesome guy!

*Ellen Hollman - met her before and kind of know here, super sweet and super awesome.
*Austin St. John - from the original Power Rangers and a chill guy.
*Danielle Panabaker - from the current TV series "The Flash" and very sweet!

At the movies:

Not much this weekend in terms of overall gross and surprises.  Still surviving at #1 is "The Martian" in it's 5th week and with another 11.4 million with a cume of over 180 mil now.  It should get to 200 mil not to mention some award nods.  Also holding on to #2 is "Goosebumps" with another 10.2 mil and is maintaining a good solid hold since opening. Doing well at #3 is "Bridge of Spies" also in its third week with another 8.1 mil but not an overall big box office number.  Continuing in its 6th week and in the #4 spot is "Hotel Transylvania 2" earning an extra 5.8 mil as it passes 150 mil cume.  Rounding off the top 5 and something finally new is Burnt with 5 mil to open.

New films that did not make the top 5:
Pretty much both new movies that opened which is pretty sad but yet, expected.  In at #8 is Our Brand is Crisis with only 3.4 mil and at expectations sadly despite the film pedigree of talent. New at #12, theme for the season is Scouts Guide to the Zombie Apocalypse with only 1.8 mil and well below expectations.  Horror not so popular right now.

Quote of the week:
"Intelligence without ambition is a bird without wings." - Saint Augustine

Facts & Tips:
A flea can jump 30,000 times without stopping.

"Charlotte has pudding in her Prada." - Cynthia Nixon as Miranda Hobbes in "Sex in the City."