Monday, December 25, 2023

New traditions on a dry holiday

The rain came... and then it went.  We even had a night of thunderstorms, not loud at all but saw the lightning which was cool.  But it was very little overall and barely enough for us.  The forecast shows no more rain for the rest of this week so we will have a very dry Christmas eve and day. I thought we are supposed to have one of the worst rain seasons ever here but... I think they miscalculated that like they do every year.  Just can't seem to get it very accurate overall with this stuff, I don't know why with all the modern science we have. But I hope after the new year, more rain is on the way... I mean we have the clouds for it still so where is the water?  I can't even see the mountains yet to find out if they are covered in snow or not.  Cloud cover is good too, saves me energy but funny I guess those with solar panels, it doesn't save them!

Weekly Update:
I made the mistake of visiting Costco Gas over the weekend and it was just insane.  What makes it worse is when you see people who are getting their gas and then proceed to clean out their car!  Who knows how long it was when the pump was done pumping the gas till they noticed after stuffing the station trash can full of their stuff.  Also, who keeps that much trash in their car for so long and why do it when you are a gas station that has over 30+ cars waiting!  The image isn't mine but that is how it was when I decided to get gas on Saturday.  I am glad I did because it was pretty cheap and now I don't have to worry about it all week, especially if I need to drive any where on Monday.  But yeah, that lady probably did hold up the line, I mean if I took the time to time it, I bet she was at least double the amount of time at the pump then the others around her.  Seriously just do that at home or pull over to a gas station where they have a parking spot or an air station.  Not when there are massive lines waiting to get to the pump that you are occupying.

At the movies:
Swimming to the top this holiday weekend is Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom with 28.1 million to open, nearly 1/3 of what the first film made during a different (yet similar) holiday time frame.  This one had bad word-of-mouth before the ad campaign even started... they should have re-casted one role or gotten rid of it altogether in this sequel.  Drop down to #2 is Wonka with 17.7 mil extra, this film should hit 100 mil but not the way it wanted to get there, over time.  New at #3 is Migration with 12.3 mil and that is a fair number for the holiday but a tad under the bar.  Also new at #4 is Anyone But You with 6.2 mil for this rom-com.  This one will likely fade out very fast. Rounding off the top 5 (and new) is Salaar Part 1- Ceasefire with 5.5 mil but this opened to less than 1000 screens so that is a pretty good number!

New movies that did not make the top 5:
We have a couple this week, coming in at #6 is The Iron Claw with 5.1 mil and though not a great number, could be more for award consideration.  At #10 is Dunki with 2.7 mil but this was a limited run of under 1000 as well.

Quote of the week:
"Be faithful in small things because it is in them that your strength lies." - Mother Teresa

Facts & Tips:
No rain fell in Iguigue, Chile, for 14 years.

"If you eliminate the impossible, whatever remains, however improbable, must be the truth." - Zachary Quinto as Spock in Star Trek.

posted by McDuck @ 00:00 0 comments

Monday, December 18, 2023

The forgettable Unforgettable

With everything that was going on the past two weeks, I did get a bit paranoid with getting sick.  Add to the temperatures being all over the place but mostly freezing at night, I didn't want to catch a cold.  As soon as I felt a little scratchy throat or a sniffle, any aches or pain come on, I immediately took 2 Tylenol and carried that routine of having 2 every 4 hours.  Now did it work or help?  I don't really know but I wasn't about to take any chances and I constantly took cough drops to soothe my throat.  But through all the stuff I had going on and all the weather changes... I think I survived!  I'm not saying it's a wonder drug but I think it helped me with those minor aches and paints and nipped any possible illness before it could develop into a bigger illness. Thanks Tylenol!


Weekly Update:
What a week it has been and just so relieved it is finally over!  Filled with events that were almost back-to-back or at least if felt like it.  Week started off pretty normal but on Wednesday I had to attend the Rebel Moon movie premiere.  This is another  Netflix film that will show on select IMAX screens first and then right after be on the streaming service.  The event was pretty good and it felt nice to be back on a red carpet again.  They had closed off the street in front of the Chinese theatre for both the carpet and after-party.  You know what is kind of funny to think... that as you are sitting on some nice chairs or couches that you are literally in the middle of the street under a big tent.  Then on Saturday I had to attend the 21st Annual Unforgettable Gala in Beverly Hills and like previous years it was just utter chaos.  Filled with tons of wannabe's and "who are they??" people sprinkled in with a few actual celebrities.  I'm not sure what the goal is here but they need more familiar faces and not the ones from youtube, in my opinion.

At the movies:
New at #1 is the smell of chocolate... but not a lot of dollars.  With a very mild opening of 39 million is Wonka in this 3rd incarnation of the story.  This will struggle over the holidays and not satisfy that sweet-tooth at the box office.  Holding it's ground at #2 is The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds & Snakes with 5.8 mil extra as it continues to struggle but still will end up just north of 150 mil cume for domestic.  Drop down to #3 is The Boy and the Heron with 5.2 mil and not too bad for this genre of film. Slide down to #4 is Godzilla Minus One with 4.9 mil as this one also is struggling to get out of the sea and into the crowds. And rounding up the top 5 is Trolls Band Together with 4 mil more and should be the end of this concert.

New movies that did not make the top 5:
Just one this week but also for a limited event.  In at #7 is Christmas with the Chosen: Holy Night with 2.9 mil.  Not a great number considering how many screens it went to but also not meant to be a regular theatrical release.

Quote of the week:
"From a small seed a mighty trunk may grow." - Aeschylus

Facts & Tips:
The alchemy symbol for water is an inverted triangle, resembling a cup of glass.

"You go ahead and do what you want. Even if I fail, I have to finish what I started." - Steven Yeun as Jacob in Minari.

posted by McDuck @ 01:00 0 comments

Monday, December 11, 2023

Palm trees are evil

Windy wind wind... saw a lot of wind this week but also extremely dry!  The weather has been in the low 80's and high 70's but also pretty windy lately at least in the mornings to noon.  Nights were very breezy when then felt pretty chilly.  But where is our rain?  The air has been very dry which kind of worries me because prime fire weather now!  With it being this dry with no moisture or even humidity, one little spark and then the wind to fan that flame could cause some serious damage.  I drove through some nearby canyons this week and the brush was bone dry.  Hope for some rain of any kind soon as we need it for more than just the water but the moisture!

Weekly Update:
The weather here lately has been pretty windy and because of that, a lot of branches and leaves are falling from all the various trees that surround my house.  One of which are palm trees... these are very nasty trees!!  I never realized till I had to start picking up the things that fall off from them.  So almost towards the top of a palm tree is this very thick bramble and the closest comparison would be nature's barbed wire!  They are very clumped together and a bit prickly as well as hard.  A cluster fell and when I picked it up to put it in the trash, I realized wow, this could be a good defense against something.  Now the palm leaves, if you happen to move your hand in the wrong direction, they will cut you up!!  I was holding them about to bend them to fit in the trash and I noticed that it felt pretty dang sharp along the edges.  These are just simply not friendly trees and not sure what real purpose they serve other than looking tropical?  The trees were originally here when I moved but wondering why... at least get me the kind that grow coconuts!

At the movies:
New at #1 is The Boy and the Heron with a nice 12.8 million to open.  Not a great number but a good one for this specialty type film that will do really well in the after markets.  Holding it's ground at #2 is The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds & Snakes with 9.4 mil more and a very minor drop from last week but still overall under-performing expectations.  Also holding at #3 is Godzilla Minus One with 8.3 mil extra and not much roar left in this monster.  Still at #4 is Trolls Band Together with 6.2 mil a it continues to struggle to reach 100 mil but still do not see it happening.  Tailing at #5 is Wish with 5.3 mil and I'm sure it wishes it did more at the box office.

New movies that did not make the top 5:
Not really a movie but one that did play on the big screens on a wide release pattern.  In at #8 is Waitress: The Musical with 3.2 mil to open and likely will be gone and stay on the stage instead.

Quote of the week:
"We are most alive when we're in love." - John Updike

Facts & Tips:
Fire's alchemy symbol is a triange, resembling a campire.

"It is a thing of beauty, is it not? What a man may accomplish if mind is set to purpose." - Nick Tarabay as Ashur in the series Spartacus.

posted by McDuck @ 00:30 0 comments

Monday, December 04, 2023

The holiday time is definitely upon us as traffic is getting increasing worse and the temperatures dropping.  I have gone to the mall and places like Costco and just packed full of cars and people. I will say I have been VERY lucky with my parking and gotten spots generally within the top 10 to 12 cars from the front in the general first 3 rows of where the entrances are.  Not sure how I've been so lucky but when I leave, there is usually someone waiting for me to pull out to take the spot immediately.  I try not to delay as I have seen people stroll, take their time... adjust everything.  Why?  Just get in and leave, get as far as away as you possibly can!!  Get home or your next destination so you can relax and not have think about or worry about the traffic and parking for the rest of the day, weekend, week!  You know what I really hate though are those people who pretend to be walking to their car, stop and then turn around.  You know they are doing it on purpose to mess with people and they are just plain rude.  If I don't see them holding bags or something, I just ignore them and keep moving.

Weekly Update:
There is this middle eastern bakery in the mall, been there about 2 months maybe and like all mall stores it is struggling till the holiday season.  I went there on "Black Friday" and it was closed!  The lights were on but the gate was down and no signs or anything of why.  I went back this past Friday and they were open again and I usually see this girl working but this time it was a guy.  I had told him I came by last week and it was closed, apparently the girl (or woman) is his wife and that day she was out back of the store and some kids were playing on their bikes.  One of them ran into her so he had to take her to the hospital and ended up closing for 3-hours.  Talk about a bad situation worse when they needed that day for sales!  Well, she is ok but will be out of commission for awhile and I was able to pick up a few treats but I hope they make it, not just her but the store as well.

At the movies:
Singing her way to #1 is Renaissance: A Film by Beyonce earning 21 million.  A decent number for this time of year but my guess is they were expecting to match or come close to Taylor's numbers.  I hope this doesn't start a trend of concert films flooding the theatre.  Drop down to #2 is The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds & Snakes with 14.5 mil as it finally breaks the 100 mil mark after 3 weeks (with a holiday).  Should drop quickly though from here on out.  New at #3 is Godzilla Minus One with 11 mil.  Not a great number and this could be a franchise that is just tired out at the box office now, should consider just streaming with these numbers.  Holding at #4 is Trolls Band Together with 7.6 mil and still a long ways from 100 mil.  Rounding off the top 5 is Wish with 7.4 mil and definitely no where near the 100 mil mark.

New movies that did not make the top 5:
Several this week!  Coming in at #7 is Animal with only 6 mil.  It was under 800 screens, however, the per screen average was poor.  New at #8 is The Shift with 4.4 mil and an even worse per screen average with a very wide release.  Lastly is Silent Night at #9 with 3 mil and probably too silent no one heard it was coming.

Quote of the week:
"Conflict cannot survive without your participation." - Wayne Dyer

Facts & Tips:
Air's alchemy symbol is a triangle with a horizontal bar.

"Fine, I just thought I'd ask you before going down to Jefferson Avenue." - Jamie-Lynn Sigler as Meadow Soprano in The Sopranos.

posted by McDuck @ 01:00 0 comments