Monday, September 26, 2022

World on fire... again

I feel like Earth right now is the Billy Joel song "We Didn't Start the Fire."

Queen Elizabeth, King Charles, England, UK.
California hot again, Florida Hurricanes, Puerto Rico flooded.
Inflation, escalation, gas prices back up.
Liz Cheney, Trump again, Ana de Armas as Marilyn Monroe.

Jeffrey Dahmer back again, Russia in the Ukraine, Putin mobilizes, NFL is back.
American Airlines flight attendant, Halloween, PSL at Starbucks, Generation X.
Shark Tank, Betty White, Ted Cruz booed, Texas in plight.
Shakira split, Serena Williams, Covid and Roe vs Wade.

We didn't start the fire...

See!!  It's the song or we need this song again with updated lyrics.

Weekly Update:
This week started to see temps in the high 80's but fortunately the nights remained cold (mid-60's range).  So did have to turn on the AC a few times but hopefully it won't make my electric bill crazy like it was last week with all those days in the 100+ range!  But did a lot of errands this weekend which were unexpected and some light house repairs... my current challenge is my patchy lawn and the dead areas.  About a month or two ago I had a bad sprinkler and it didn't get fixed for 2 weeks or so which meant I had to leave the system off for the most part.  And it was hot!  Between that and where Orion pee's, those areas more-or-less died.  Now that it is getting a little cooler, I am trying to re-patch them with seeds but Orion still pee's there so I need to figure out how to block it while it re-grows.  So doing smaller sections at a time and hopefully I can re-direct them but each area will take about 2 weeks to start growing something so this will be another process to deal with (image not my grass but close to what it is like).

At the movies:
New at #1 is Don't Worry Darling with 19.2 million for it's debut.  Not much else on this film so it should be a quick burn.  Slight drop to #2 is The Woman King with another 11.1 mil, it won't hit any box office milestones but possibly an award contender.  Re-appearing at #3 is Avatar with 10 mil as this re-release was just a promotional run for the upcoming sequel.  Dropping down to #4 is Barbarian with 4.8 mil and another one that will quickly make its way out.  Rounding off the top 5 and a big drop is Pearl with 1.9 more and another one that won't hit any box office records but will make its money in the after-market.

Quote of the week:
"I believe things cannot make themselves possible." - Stephen Hawking

Facts & Tips:
The average raindrop weighs less than an eyelash.

"Well, think of it this way; you can visit me in California when it's really cold in Jersey." - Raini Rodriquez as Maya Blart in Paul Blart: Mall Cop 2.

posted by McDuck @ 01:00 0 comments

Monday, September 19, 2022

Ouch that's gotta hurt...

It remained... HOT again last week.  And also humidity stuck around as well. When will this end! This is not our typically Summer or end of Summer weather. Again we have had temps in the 100's but usually 2 or 3 days, not a dozen or so.  I have no idea what is going on anymore in Southern Cali but I guess this is the proof that global warming is in fact... well, FACT!  We need to start reversing these effects or they will continue to get worse and worse each year and fast.  I don't know why people do not believe in this when it is happening in front of their eyes.  We have so many natural resources that do not cause harm to anything such as wind, solar and water (i.e. running water, not cooling water). Change needs to happen and drastically, more than just one thing here and one thing there.

Weekly Update:
I had two dentist appointments last week... one was for a prep for a bridge and tooth extraction and the 2nd was the actual tooth extraction. The prep day was  no big deal, the filed down the 2 teeth next to the one missing, quick and easy for the most part but then the extraction was for the root of the tooth still in the gum. Apparently the root of that tooth was pretty wide, wider than the tooth itself so it took some work and awhile to remove.  I didn't hurt except the pinches of Novocain they give you, have we not found a way to administer that yet where it's painless?  But it took a lot of prying and different tools (I kept seeing them get another plier-like tool and another).  Then it finally came out and I got stitches as well which will mostly dissolve. Anything left will be removed on my next follow-up appointment on Wednesday.  I hate dental work, just awkward position and of course it's always necessary because you have to eat and such to live. Folks remember to brush and floss, all I can say.

At the movies:
New and taking the crown at #1 is The Woman King with 19 million to open.  A generally weak number but for this time of year it is fair.  Could be more of an award run film but the box office won't hold it long.  Drop down to #2 is Barbarian with 6.3 mil and quickly running out. New at #3 is Pearl with 3.1 mil and this thriller-esque film will also come and go quickly.  New at #4 is See How They Run with 3.1 mil, another throw-away and could just be clearing the way for the October releases as that has become a new pre-holiday season month for movies.  Rounding off the top 5 is Bullet Train with 2.5 mil and just shy of the 100 mil domestic mark, should now get that in another week.

Quote of the week:
"Everything that is made beautiful and fair and lovely is made for the eye of the one who sees." - Rumi

Facts & Tips:
The familiar smell of rain is called petrichor.

"Well you're irritating most of the time, but don't take that personally." - Kevin McHale as Artie Abrams in the TV series Glee.

posted by McDuck @ 01:00 0 comments

Monday, September 12, 2022

Hot and now wet!!

Wow, what a crazy week of weather!  So, it was hot again, reached as high as 105 degrees around here and then several days of 100 degree temps.  Though we have had these before but at the same time it is rare and usually only have 1 or 2 days a year getting that hot.  But to have this many is both not good and extremely rare.  I hope this is not the new trend for our future because if so, we are in trouble.  And what is also new is this humidity!  We are not a humid state and though it has been low (like 10% or less), we can feel it and it is simply not normal for us at all.  And, toward the end of the week we had RAIN!  Finally the rain but it was still in the 90's with rain and that is just not right.  When it rains, it's supposed to be cold so this felt like taking a shower with low water pressure.  I don't know what is going on anymore!!

Weekly Update:
House of clutter... that is what I have, again.  I was making some great progress decluttering but then I had to get my mom's things and now the house is full again.  So much stuff to go through and then figure out what to do with it after.  No way giving it to Goodwill, that business is a sham... because the only thing they do for the community is provide jobs.  People give them free inventory and they sell it for 100% profit, how do you people not realize this?  So need to find something like the Salvation Army or maybe a veterans group that can use it to give it to those vets in need and their family.  Of course my mom's clothing taste skew older so maybe older vets would appreciate it.  We will see but have so much to go through and sort!

At the movies:
New at the #1 spot is Barbarian with 10 million to open which is a pretty common number post-Summer box office, but not much else on this film so it will be a quick burn.  Also new at #2 is Brahmastra Part One: Shiva for 4.4 mil, again a fair number post- Summer and another quick one in and out.  Speeding up to #3 is Bullet Train with 3.3 mil and now very close to 100 mil cume, will continue to work it's way there when it is said and done. Dipping back down to #4 is Top Gun: Maverick With 3.2 mil as it solidifies it's place in the 700 mil domestic box office. Holding ground but dropping down to #5 is DC League of Super-Pets with 2.8 mil as it struggles to get to 100 mil, still unlikely to get there.

New movies that did not make the top 5:
Just one this week as Lifemark comes in at #7 with 2.2 mil.  It only came on to 1500 screens but the per average is... weak.

Quote of the week:
"The past cannot be cured." - Elizabeth I

Facts & Tips:
Humans can encourage precipitation with cloud seeding.

"So who are you? Are you-you, like, some special forces guy or something?" - Erika Eleniak as Jordan Tate in Under Siege.

posted by McDuck @ 01:00 0 comments

Monday, September 05, 2022

Too hot for Summer

It's hot... it is too hot!!  Ok, I know it's still Summer and it's supposed to be warm but this is just HOT!  We had multiple days in the triple digits this past week and next week is looking more of the same.  This is not really normal for us... we MIGHT get 2 or 4 days of high temps reaching 100 but we've had at least 4 this week and looking at the forecast, another 5 maybe?  Plus there has been 1 or 2 days already before.  What is happening?  Our normal Summer high is the 90's and what is making it worse this time around is the nights!  The nights are in the 70's to 80's with little to no breezes so most nights I am running the AC!  I already saw my last electric bill and it was at least $100 more than last year and of course triple plus the normal amount month-to-month.  This is crazy right now.

Weekly Update:
This past Friday we said good-bye to my Mom and it was a lovely turn out and an interesting ceremony to be a part of (and pretty much organize as well).  I've seen this type of ceremony (Catholic) and all of them felt SUPER long but when you put it together it feels a lot shorter and thank goodness.  I'm not one for long good-byes and being in church for an hour usually feels like 3-hours.  But this went smoothly and quickly (so it felt) and I hope it did for everyone else.  One thing we did was had food to grab-and-go as people left as we couldn't find a venue in time that wasn't going to cost us $20k to do something.  And $20k was a generous estimation as it could have been more so, I had Pick Up Stix caterer with a rice bowl that had either chicken or tofu.  The food was good, quick and easy... and had way over estimated.  But, I would rather have a LOT of food left over than have one person go without.  Though our numbers were off, everyone got feed and that is what my mom would have liked.

At the movies:
Interesting week as movies were all over the place this Labor Day weekend and theatres across the nation having the special $3 event on Saturday.  Back at #1 is Spider-Man: No Way Home with 6 million and now just over 800 mil domestic cume.  Rising up to #2 is Top Gun: Maverick with 5.5 mil and just shy now of 700 mil domestic and should get there some time this week. Resurfacing to #3 is DC League of Super-Pets with 5.5 mil as it struggles to reach 100 mil but won't make it.  Dip down to #4 is Bullet Train with 5.4 mil and close to 100 mil domestic, will continue to make it's way there but will take time.  Rounding off the top 5 and big drop is The Invitation with 4.7 mil and they are already heading out the door.

Quote of the week:
"I may not have gone where I intended to go, but I think I have ended up where I intended to be." - Douglas Adams

Facts & Tips:
A bolt of lightning can reach roughly 50,000 degrees Fahrenheit.

"Forgive me, Mr. Claus. I'm afraid I've made a terrible mess of your holiday." - Chris Sarandon as Jack Skellington in The Nightmare Before Christmas.

posted by McDuck @ 01:00 0 comments