bed news, bad weather
Someone turned on the heat and broke the switch so now it's left on HOT! As we go into Fall, our weather here as jumped substantially. End of this week and into next week, we will have several days of 100+ degree weather when normally we should be back in the 70's. I guess this is part of the Super El Nino that is occurring as we sit in that window of extreme heat and dryness while above and below is will expecting flooding. I don't know if there is a temperature change and it could be a warm rain for them instead of a cold rain which is what we are used to here. I wouldn't mind warm rain as long as its rain because this extreme heat is extending our fire season by a LOT. It did get pretty windy on Saturday mid-day which is what I typically associate with El Nino weather but the heat and dryness is new (to me). I just want normal weather again but I fear that may be over with how global warming has changed our patterns so drastically.
Weekly Update:
I do believe in Karma and how good deeds get rewarded in some fashion back to you and bad ones will eventually bite you at some point. But I'm not sure what I did to get (what I feel) is bad karma or simply bad luck and news. From personal bad news which felt like a load of bricks just hits you to work bad news, it just seems to pile on and on nearly all at once. How does it do that and why? Like does one part of the universe tell the other, hey I am going to make this happen so you should do this so we can sandwich them in-between? But yeah, when stuff like this starts, it really does pile on or so it feels like and you just have to wonder... why and will it ever get better? I seem to have had consistent bad news and luck for like the past decade with very few good moments here and there, where's the balance? Or hey, why can't all the bad not show up at all? I feel like I am not at my peak due to lack of rest and sleep but I still manage to do what I need to do... I bet I could do so much more if I was more rested or so I think. When or will this bad news streak ever end? The saying is true though, when it rains, it pours and that is what it feels like is going on for me.
At the movies:
New week, new #1 as Verity takes the box office crown with 32.6 million to open. Solid number for this time of year since it's usually a lull between seasons. Holding at #2 is Resident Evil with an extra 12.5 mil as it does well overall at the box office. Also holding at #3 is Heart of the Beast with 11 mil and a fairly small drop, but won't go too much further. Holding at #4 is Primetime with 8 mil with a sizeable drop but not enough to lose its ranking. New at #5 is Digger with a very disappointing 8 mil to open and will fade out very fast.
New movies that did not make the top 5:
Only 1 this week at #8, Drishyam: The Conclusion on a limited run and earning 2.7 mil with only a $5k per screen average.
Quote of the week:
"No matter what people tell you, words and ideas can change the world." - Robin Williams
Facts & Tips:
Cats can hear ultrasound."Whoa. Is my hair out?" - James Woods as the voice of Hades in
Hercules.
Still noisy!
Apparently this year we are due for a SUPER El Nino and what does that mean? Some of the strongest wind currents will sweep across the globe and cause potential catastrophic damage. The damage can range from massive heat waves and dryness in some areas while other areas will get mass rain and flooding. I'm not sure when it starts of if it has started but there is like a belt across the wide-axis on the Earth that it will flow I think West to East. In my area it is hard to tell if it will be a lot of rain or heat but one thing we have gotten recently was a heat wave and more humidity which is not normal. The coming week also shows increased temperatures again, could be up to 100 again which will be so miserable. But will this mean another big year of dryness when we have already been in a 20 to 30 year drought. Climate change is only getting worse and worse each year... El Nino is a reminder of that.
Weekly Update:
Ever noticed that the hum of a Tesla car is actually quite load? My neighbors have 2 of them and one regular car, after they start the regular car, I don't really hear it but then while the Tesla's are sitting idle, they keep humming and it's kind of annoying. I wonder if that is similar to like the white noise from electronics that after a period of time, kind of gets to you. I just want them to turn off their car if they aren't going anywhere, why keep it going? Doesn't that use up some kind of power even if idle? In doing some surface research I guess this is a thing as they sell noise kits or mention ways to reverse the sound so they know they are noisy? So they do not add to regular pollution but just general noise pollution, that still can't be good for something, right? I wonder if it affects things like animals and maybe babies with developing senses. There has to be a study out there for it but yeah, turn off the car till you are going to leave especially in your own drive-way. I don't believe these cars need to "warm-up" the engine and even if they do, we are in Southern California! It's not that cold!
At the movies:
Big shake up at the box office this weekend! New but not-so-new at #1 is Avengers: Endgame Encore for 26 million as it sets up for the new Marvel film later this year which will no doubt be huge. This 26 mil is all profit since next to no marketing was needed. Drop down to #2 is Resident Evil with 23 mil as it breaks the 100 mil mark. New at #3 is Heart of the Beast with 20 mil and good word-of-mouth so may carry it further. New at #4 is Primetime which has mediocre responses and unsure how far this will go. New and rounding off the top 5 is Forgotten Island with 12.8 mil and may drop out fairly quickly.
Quote of the week:
"There is nothing on this Earth more to be prized than true friendship." - Thomas Aquinas
Facts & Tips:
Giraffes have no vocal cords.
"Your men don't want you to defy the gods. But the gods say only you make it home." - James Remar as Tiresias in The Odyssey
Cooling times...
Now this is Southern California weather! Finally the nights are nice and cool, almost cold again. Sleeping with the windows open, I don't need to run the house fan anymore and the ceiling fan I tend to turn off just before bed or some time in the middle of the night because it's too cold! And using the sheets and blankets again... this is how it should be. The days are ok, not hot, maybe a little warm but the breezes are what makes the difference between nice and HELL! The breezes are back and hopefully here to stay. I might get to a point where I will close the windows at night because it will get too cold but not there just yet. I just hope it maintains this way from now on till next Summer. Low 80's during the day and in the 60's at night, just as it should be. Welcome back SoCali weather, where have you been and we missed you.
Weekly Update:
I discovered recently that Gold Peak Ice Tea has a zero sugar version! I went to Wendy's and they had one of the Freestyle machines and there it was, Gold Peak Zero Sugar! I love Gold Peak tea, has a good flavor and always get it iced or very cold but can't drink it due to the sugars. But the zero sugar version tasted just as good and so happy they have it! Now I just need to find it at the store but hopefully it's not crazy expensive as the cost of everything is going up. But I should go to Wendy's more often to just get a large drink, have one there and refill it before I leave to drink more later. But however I get it, I'm just glad it exists now as all my options have been either Diet Coke or Diet Pepsi which are both good but something about Gold Peak just hits the spot when I'm thirty. Not sure if the zero sugar is caffeine free or not but I will assume it is not so will have to be careful what time of day I drink it when I have to be up early the next day.
At the movies:
Another new movie at #1, coming in with a solid 60 million to open is Resident Evil and a strong opening for this time of year. Word-of-mouth is good on this film and should carry it past 100 mil. Down to #2 is Practical Magic 2 with 12.2 mil as it drops close to 60% and may fall short of hitting 100 mil. In at #3 is Spider-Man: Brand New Day with 6.5 mil as it is close to 950 mil cume. Holding at #4 is The Odyssey with 4.9 mil as it slowly winds down. Rounding off the top 5 is Coyote vs. Acme with 4.5 mil and this one is almost tapped out.
New movies that did not make the top 5:
Several this week starting at #7 is Daniel and the Fiery Furnace with 3.1 mil on a wide-release pattern and a very poor per screen average. New at #8 is The Transformers: The Movie 40th Anniversary with 3.1 mil and this was a limited showing and still turned out 3 mil which is almost all profit. Finally at #9 is The Weight with 2.3 mil as it goes out on a semi-wide release but still a very poor per screen average.
Quote of the day:
"We cannot change anything until we accept it. Condemnation does not liberate, it oppresses." - Carl Jung
Facts & Tips:
Elephants are capable of swimming 20 miles per day.
"I grew up thinking of snow as a luxury you visit." - Director John Landis
Remembering 9-11
Friday was the 25th Anniversary of the 9/11 attacks in the United States. 25-years ago waking up because my clock radio was set to a local radio station and they were mentioning accidents. But then I thought I heard the word "attack" and that made me wake up to see what was going on. I went over to my TV... yes, my TV and turned on the news to see the horrific images of the World Trade Center hit from a plane. I do not remember if I saw it before the 2nd plane struck the other tower though, I think it was after though but before they collapsed. Then heard about the one at the Pentagon and the other plane crashing in the field thanks to those brave souls on board who took matters in their own hands and no doubt prevent something bigger. I remember calling my boss at the office, he was already there since he was always in super early and he said just stay home till you hear otherwise. I just remember it being a very dry day outside and not knowing what to do next. It was a shocking morning and one I won't forget.
Weekly Update:
The heat struck again this past week! It hit over 100 degrees on both Tuesday and Wednesday and night it stayed in the mid-80's but worse of all, the sticky humidity! It was nice that after that bump in temperatures, it did drop a lot to 90 the following day and has been hanging around there since. The big thing though is the humidity is not as bad and both later in the evening and early mornings are cool and crisp again. We are getting more cloud cover or layers which I am not sure what those are from. It is almost like when we have that June-gloom weather but it's September and no rain that may come with it. So is it from the Ocean or just random cloud cover that is like a big blanket in the sky? I don't know what it is but if it ensures us staying cooler than a 100, I welcome it!
At the movies:
A new #1 takes the box office! Taking the crown this week is Practical Magic 2 with 30 million to open and decent word-of-mouth on this film after 28-years from the first one. Drop down to #2 is Spider-Man: Brand New Day with 8.4 mil as it starts to wind down and might fall short of hitting 1 billion domestic. Holding on to #3 is The Odyssey with 7.4 mil as it hits the 600 mil mark. New at #4 is Runner with 6.7 mil and not a lot on this film, may fall out quickly. Rounding off the top 5 is Coyote vs. Acme with 6.2 mil more and likely the last we see on this one.
New movies that did not make the top 5:
At #8 is Hope with 3.3 mil but a very low per screen average. Coming in at #9 is The Uprising with 3.3 mil and even less per screen so this will be out fast.
Quote of the week:
"The first principle is that you must not fool yourself and you are the easiest person to fool." - Richard P. Feynman
Facts & Tips:
The bullfrog is the only animal that never sleeps.
"You heard about Pluto? That's messed up, right?" - Dule Hill as 'Gus' Burton Buster on the TV series
Psych.
Storytelling
We had a very wet and humid Labor Day Weekend, well, not all weekend but Sunday was so humid with rain. It felt like Florida but maybe 10 degrees cooler. It started off cold with rain which was nice but come 11AM, the humidity kind of came out of no where and why?! If it rains here, it's cold, not warm or hot like some places I know. That was not pleasant and from the weather forecast, looks like we are heating up again in the 90's to as high as 100! Make this make any sense to me because it doesn't and this is the green house affect or global warming. For those who didn't believe in it years ago, thanks... we are at the brink of it is no longer reversable and it will only get worse and worse. You did this to us, the same people who didn't believe in vaccinations and now we have cases of measles death when we eliminated it over 10-years ago. The people who said there hasn't been a case in a decade... BECAUSE WE WERE DOING VACCINATIONS. Numb-nuts, should go to an island and live there, the turn over rate of living will be high so it will never get overpopulated!
Weekly Update:
Sunday I had the opportunity to visit the new Lucas Museum of Narrative Art in Los Angeles at Exposition Park. It was the member preview but it was sure crowded and wet as it rained all day. But, the museum itself looks like a big space ship and could take off once it was done. It felt a lot bigger on the inside than what you see in the inside. Do not expect to just see Star Wars and Indiana Jones... those are their own exhibits but in fact Indiana Jones is part of another exhibit for Adventure. The had so man amazing exhibits with original artwork from the likes of Frida Kahlo, Carl Banks, Norman Rockwell, a Warhol (I only saw one piece) and then I got to see original Banksy art for the first time. It was amazing and moving all at once. I can see why it sparks such emotions when you see it and with today's political climate. Truly amazing and from what I heard, 2 of the pieces were created and built in the museum late at night just before opening! So not only where they originals, they were brand new! The museum officially opens on September 22nd to the public and I highly recommended going!
At the movies:
Holding on to #1 for a 6th straight week is Spider-Man: Brand New Day with 18 million and now just over 900 mil. It's a fair distance from that billion dollar mark and might get there in the very end but not till after it's out of the top 5 more than likely. Up a notch to #2 is The Odyssey with 13 mil as it closes in at 600 mil and should get there eventually. Drop down to #3 is Coyote vs. Acme with 11.3 mil and not a bad drop but overall performance is low. New at #4 is By Any Means with 7.4 mil and this one is in and out. Hanging on to the #5 spot is Insidious: Out of the Further with 6.5 mil as it slowly fades out but still did well overall.
Quote of the week:
"Talent hits a target no one else can hit; Genius hits a target no one else can see." - Arthur Schopenhauer
Facts & Tips:
Frogs cannot swallow with their eyes open.
"I don't get jealous of other girls, because I was ... raised in a cloning lab to be the perfect woman for Hugh M. Hefner, so, other than the fact hat my I.Q.'s probably a little higher than he would like, I have nothing to worry about." - Holly Madison from the TV series The Girls Next Door.
