Taboo Tuesday

 

Welcome back to the Two Minute Drill. Remember, when news breaks...we fix it!! ;-)

360 degrees of Gaming

So today is the day that millions of gamers in the US have been waiting for: The launch of the Xbox 360.

Sleek

 

This bad boy cranks out the most realistic looking graphics to date and is specifically designed to be an intregal part of your home entertainment center. All for the low-low price of $299 for a base unit and $399 for the advanced unit.

What does the Xbox 360 do you ask? Well, it plays games, movies, music and can even display your digital photos. Not only that, the Xbox 360 also can turn back the clock, do your taxes and solve all of your life's problems. ;-) Seriously, what happened to just "It plays kick ass games?"

(Warning, rant session ahead)

As technology increases, obviously our tastes change. Many tech freaks out there want the latest and greatest when they buy their systems right? But it seems that nowadays the video game console makers are going more for the "awe" factor than actually giving you a satisifying experience. Dont get me wrong, its cool when you're playing a game and it totally engrosses you with its detail. But even if the game is pretty and all, what if the game itself sucks? Graphics arent everything and I think I'm finally understanding that.

I see the Xbox 360 and I see that most of the games that are coming out are just ports of the games that are available on current systems. Sure they've been spiffied up and given more substance, but its still the same game you can play on a regular Xbox.

Now, I've been a gamer since I first picked up that old Atari joystick back in the day and playedmy first game of Mario Bros. I've been hooked to games ever since. But my love for games has been strictly for Nintendo systems. From the original NES, to the Super NES. The N64 and finally the Gamecube, I've been a Nintendo "fanboy" all my life. I know that puts in me in the minority, but I could care less. For me, its all about the games and I have yet to be disappointed with the Big N.

Thats not to say that I dont give props, where props are due. I think the "Halo" series is awesome and the "G.T.A." franchise is alot of fun, albeit controversial. But given a choice, I'd much rather be en engrossed in a game like "The Legend of Zelda" than shoot up hookers in a game like "G.T.A.".

Its all about the games. Think back to when you were a kid and all you had was the 8-bit NES. When you were playing a game like "Contra" did you care that the bad guys didnt look or move realistically? Or that the physics of the game were just unreal? NO! All you thought about was "Wow, this game is fun to play!" I think that the game makers are starting to lose sight of that. Of course we the public are to blame for that as well. The so called "hardcore" gamers demand better graphics and better sound and more extras and junk otherwise they wont give the game a second look.

Consider a game like "The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker". When "Zelda" was first announced for the Gamecube back in 2000, it was introduced as a realistic dark game. The critics loved it, just because it looked realistic.

 Link from the Legend of Zelda how he looked in the first demo for a "Gamecube Zelda" back in 2000.

Then Nintendo decided to change the look of the game and went with a cartoony "cell shade" look.

Link after his redesign for "The Wind Waker"

The critics blasted this game because it made the "Zelda" franchise into an almost Looney Tunes-esque farce. Yet, when you actually sit down and play it, the core of the series is still there. Its still a blast to play, even if it did look like a kiddy game.

 Next year, Nintendo will finally give us that realistic looking "Zelda" game. Its titled "The Legend of Zelda: The Twilight Princess" and the critics are already singing its praises.

2006 Link

Is it because it looks realistic? Or is it because the game plays well?

I just hope that as technology increases and "realisim" takes over the graphics dept, they (the game makers) dont lose sight of one thing: Its the games, stupid.

Next year in the Spring Sony's PS3 (With its price tag of anywhere between $400-$700 if you believe the rumors) will be hitting the stores and a little later after that the Nintendo Revolution.

The Mighty P$3..i mean PS3. ;-)

Nintendo's "Revolution"

 

We'll see just how well these two systems differentiate themselves from Microsofts 360 machine. One thing is for certain. The days of simply picking up a controller and having simple fun are long gone. Its all about framerates and bit counts and what not. What will the next evolution of game systems bring us? I guess we'll find out in about 5 years when Microsoft releases the Xbox 720, Sony releases the PS4 (now with nuclear reactor) and Nintendo hits us with the Super Revolution.

 

OK, sorry for the rant. Thanx again for reading. Til the next time...

DQ

Monday Update

 

Hello everyone and welcome back to the "Drill". Its Thanksgiving Week and I'm sure alot of you are counting down til the long weekend. I know I can't wait! On with the show...

 

Its the Most Wonderful Time of the Year!: Christmas Time @ Disneyland

Well, its time. Another Holiday Season is upon us and Disneyland has returned to its full Christmas glory. With the "Christmas Fantasy" parade making its season premier this past Friday, everything is now in full swing at the resort. Here are some pics:

(Following photos all courtesy of "Dark Beer")

The World Famous Disneyland Xmas Tree. This year its all gold n white.

The tree at night. Geez, look at that crowd!!!

California Adventure is getting into the spirt too. The entrance letters get the "candy cane" treatment.

DCA finally gets its own Xmas tree...

..complete with Tinkerbell topper

The tree at night.

Santa gets a new ride in the "Christmas Fantasy" parade.  (photo courtesy of Mouseplanet)

 

As reported last week, Disneyland is facing a huge staffing crunch at  the worst time possible. The problem is that the resort is losing far more employees than it can replace. Disneyland HR is doing everything in its power to try to shore up the staff levels. There's been aggressive recruiting all around the area and in the theme parks themselves. They are even contacting former cast members to see if they have any interest in returning. Things are so bad that now cast members are no longer guaranteed days off or even personalized schedules. All employees are basically being forced to work whatever hours they need them. you might be saying "Who cares?" right? But think about it this way: If you've been working like 6-7 days straight with OT and no days off against your own will, just how well are you going to be treating those you interact with? Or how motivated are you going to be to do everything right? They're running these poor workers ragged and now its affecting the overall running of the park as well. Several shops are no longer open all day and some may even be closed on "slow" days. There's no end in sight to the shortage either, so for those of you planning on visiting the parks in the coming weeks, exercise patience and remember that the frazzled cast member in front of you has probably been working non-stop since Halloween. ;-)

 

Weekend Box Office Report

Rupert Grint, Alan Rickman and Daniel Radcliffe in "Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire"

 

1) Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire, $101.4 Million: WOW!!!! This opening is huge on so many levels. Its the highest opening for a "Harry Potter" film to date. Its the fourth highest three day opening ever (Spider-Man opened to $114 million back in 2002. Shrek 2 and Star Wars: Episode III both took in $108 million for their three day opening) and the highest opening for a movie opening in November. WB was expecting something in between $85-$95 million so to say they're "pleased" with this opening is an understatement. There was concern that the Harry Potter franchise was starting to fizzle as each film has grossed less than the last, but this puts the franchise right back on track. This opening also helped Hollywood break out of its box office slump it had been experiencing lately. We'll see how week number 2 plays out.

2)Walk the Line, $22.4 million: Considering the competition this one had, $22 million isnt bad. The Johnny Cash bio-pic has many people talking Oscar. Joaquin Phoenix is being praised for his portrayal of Cash. Next week will probably be a better indicator of how well this film will do. Everyone's Harry Potter hang over will have worn off by then. ;-)

3) Chicken Little, $14.7 million: The little film that could. Well, not "little" really considering how much it cost to make. Yet, nobody thought it would be practically on the cusp of breaking the $100 million mark at this time. Heck, it might have already gone over by the time you read this. Disney Animation finally has a blockbuster, although not a mega one like "Shrek" or any of the recent Pixar films. Still, its a start and it at least shows they're on the right track.

4)Derailed, $6.5 million: Jennifer Anniston was just named GQ's first ever "Woman of the Year." Crazy. Oh and her film isnt doing too bad at the box office either. Its been a "mild" success so far. Still, it wont hang around much longer unless word of mouth saves it.

5) Zathura, $5.1 million: This was the film that was supposed to give "Goblet of Fire" a run for its money. Instead its sinking fast and audiences arent really giving it a second thought. Which is too bad, because according to the critics its a great film. And the guy from "Punk'd" is in it! I didnt even know those guys had a life after they were done with the show. ;-)

 

The Lakers lost to the Clippers last Friday, showing once again that the balance of power may be shifting as far as LA basketball is concerned. Funny to see how many Clippers fans are coming out of the woodwork now that they're team is respectable. Congrads to them, their long suffering fans deserve a chance to cheer for once. Alot of people are still waiting for the bottom to fall out on this team. Its not how well you start, but how well you finish the season that counts. So far though, this young team has hung in there.

OK, thats all for now. Hope you all had great weekends. Til the next time.

DQ

Taboo Tuesday

Hello again and welcome back to the drill!! A rare back to back update I guess you can call it. Hopefully it becomes a normal occurrence. Lets get started shall we?

 

More Thoughts on Eddie Guerrero

WWE Stars watch a video tribute to Eddie Guerrero on RAW

Last night on RAW the superstars of the WWE paid tribute to their fallen friend and brother in the ring. It was an emotional night full of dedication matches and testimonials about the life of a truly great man.

Eddie's ride

The show began with the entire roster standing on the stage. A tricked out Low Rider (A Eddie Guerrero signature) was propped up next to the stage. After some words from WWE Chairman Vince McMahon they held a "10 bell salute". A memorial video package was then shown and afterwards there was not a dry eye in the arena. (or at home for that matter).

A fan pays tribute to Eddie

Throughout the night superstar after superstar paid tribute to Eddie and they showed clips of some of his career highlights. Perhaps the most emotional testimonial of the night was from Eddie's nephew Chavo Guerrero, Jr. Chavo talked about how yes, technically Eddie was his uncle, but he considered him more of a brother. Chavo struggled to remain composed throughout the entire interview.

WWE Champ John Cena made this makeshift shrine for Eddie at the close of the show.

All in all, it was a fitting tribute to a man that touched so many lives in the industry. Knowing that he was a Man of Faith, I know that he is in a better place now. Eddie was a great man and as long as we fans always remember him and remember his greatness he will never be forgotten.

 

Dodger Blues

What a horrible time to be a Dodgers fan. The team finished in 4th place in 2005 and lost 91 games! It was the 2nd worst loss total in LA franchise history. But that was nothing compared to the turmoil that was coming in the offseason. Manager Jim Tracy was fired two days after the season ended. General Manager Paul Depodesta cited differences in managing philosophies as being the main reason behind the move. Then, two weeks later as Depodesta was in the midst of finding a manager to replace Tracy, owner Frank McCourt stunned everyone by firing Depodesta! So much turmoil and upheaval in this once proud organization that its making even the most hardcore fan cringe. And to think, 2005 started off a high note when the team had the best April in almost 50 years. Then the injuries started mounting and the team seemingly imploded. From 1st to 4th in a span of 3 months. Well, with the search for a new GM under way Dodgers fans are on pins and needles waiting to see who will be the next person to try to build this team into a contender. Dodger Nation has their fingers crossed. Its been 16 years since we last held a late October party in Los Angeles. Its time for this team to reclaim its proper spot in the upper ranks of baseball. The Dodgers were once of the most storied franchises in the game. Only the Yankees have a richer history than the Dodgers. Its time for the McCourt family to get serious about winning once and for all and put people who actually know what they are doing in charge of running the team. The fans of LA wont stand for another 91 loss and if they arent serious about winning, the fans will stop coming. Simple as that.

 

Random Thought
The Clippers have a better record than the Lakers?! Be afraid people..be very afraid. ;-) In all seriousness, I've always said the Clippers were a good team, they just needed a good coach to get make this young team gel and work hard. It seems like they have finally found that coach in Mike Dunleavy. Can this young team keep up the winning? I guess we'll have to wait and see.

Well, thats all for now. As always, thank you for reading and see you next time.

DQ

Monday Update

Greetings one and all! It is I, the worlds biggest procrastinator!! Apologies all around for the delays. I've got a pretty big update for you all today, so hopefully its worth the wait. Enjoy

 

Thoughts on Eddie Guerrero's Passing

So last night I'm minding my own business at home, watching "Punk'd" when I get a shocking txt message on my cellphone from a friend. "Did you hear Eddie Guerrero died?". My first reaction was that it was some sort of mistake. Eddie dead? No way. We had all just seen him live a few weeks ago at the Staples Center and I had just seen him on TV on Friday Night Smackdown two days earlier. I responded to the message asking for clarfication and confirmation. When I got the response with the confirmation I was FLOORED. Eddie Guerrero..Latino Heat...Mr. Lie.Cheat.Steal..Gone. One of the most entertaining and gifted athletes in the WWE was gone. I immeadiatley began to think the worst. That he had once again succumbed to the demons that he had battled all his life and that they were responsible for his death. I hoped to God that it wasnt true. Eddie was a hero to so many latino fans that the thought of him dying because of something stupid was too much to bear. I then began to think about his family. His wife and their two daughters. His mom and his dad who is the patriarch of the Guerrero Family Dynasty. I began to think about all the great Eddie moments from the past: His flair for the dramatic, for the entertaining, "The Eddie Shimmy", Latino Heat, Lie,Cheat, Steal. I couldnt believe we wouldnt be hearing those words again. One of my favorite wrestlers was gone and cut down in the prime of his life.

Finally becoming WWE Champ (2/04)

Today, as word begins to spread out, millions of wrestling fans around the world mourn the loss of Eduardo Gory Guerrero. May God Bless his soul and his family.

Wrestlemania XX

I will never forget Wrestlemania XX when he and Chris Benoit celebrated in the middle of the ring. Both men had been told all their careers they couldnt carry a company. And yet there they stood. Arms raised. Both men champions and at the top of the ladder.

Latino Heat forever

Eddie, you were the man. You brought me and many other fans around the world to our feet each and every week. I'm thankful to have been able to see you do your thing live. RIP Latino Heat. We will all miss you.

 

 

It Begins...Holiday Time @ Disneyland

As reported here a few weeks ago, the Holiday's at Disneyland are going to be JAMMED. Want proof? How about last Friday when the gates at Disneyland actually were CLOSED throughout the day because of overcrowding! Last Friday marked the return of the Christmas decorations and fireworks and such and everyone seemingly wanted to be there!

This notice greeted visitors on Friday (photo courtesy of Mouseplanet)

This past weekend also saw record numbers, but the gates werent closed. This is only the begining kids. This upcoming Friday marks the return of the "A Christmas Fantasy" parade so crowds should be big for that one also. Add to this the fact that Disneyland is actually having HUGE staffing problems and it's not going to be pretty down in Anahiem.

Gridlock on Main St. for the snow (photo courtsey of Mouseplanet)

If you are one of those lucky ones to go, please be patient. Yes its going to be crowded and lines may be moving slower because of the staff shortages. But those hard working cast members that are actually there will be doing their best to make your experience a good one. Besides, how could you be angry at the Happiest Place on Earth?! ;-)

Weekend Box Office Report

1) Chicken Little, $32.0 Mil: This Chicken's got legs. (Feel free to roll your eyes.) In all seriousness, this one has a good shot of breaking the $100 million mark and has done wonders for Disney Animation. Is it a GREAT film? No. But it is a good one and will definetly keep you entertained for the 77min it runs. Chicken Little's showing should do wonders for Disney's negotations ith Pixar. It gives them SOME leverage at least.

2)Zathura, $14.0 Mil: One of the weekends new films. Didnt do too bad considering the competition, but opening up a week after "Chicken Little" wasnt going to help it a whole lot either. Not to mention the fact that more of its audience is going to be siphoned away when "Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire" opens this week. We'll see if this film can hang in there.

3) Derailed, $12.8 Mil: Wow, an adult type film in November. ;-) Not too bad an opening. This was the first film released under the new "Weinstein Co." label founded by Hollywood power hitters (and brothers) Bob and Harvey Weinstein. With so much kid stuff opening up in the next few weeks, this one might just have the market to itself.

4) Get Rich or Die Tryin, $12.5 Mil: "Fitty" didnt do too bad actually. This movie openend on Wed to solid numbers and the $12.5 is really just its weekend take. All together it has taken in $18.3 million.

5) Jarhead. $12.2 Mil: Wow, this one fell hard in its second week. Word of mouth has been mixed on this one and it no doubt affected its box office take this week. Still could do well considering there isnt much 17 and over stuff to watch right now.

 

OK, that will do it for now. Hopefully I can get this thing back on track on a more consistent basis. Thanx to everyone who has been reading and sending the words of encouragment. Til the next time

DQ

Thursday Thoughts

Well, we knew the streak was too good to last! hehe..Welcome back to the Drill. Today is Thursday, or as I like to call it "Tease Day". Why is it "Tease Day" you ask? Because its one more day til Friday. Such a tease!! Today is all about baseball, so if you dont think it would interest you feel free to pass. ;-) OK, on with the show..

World Series Wrap up

 

After 88 years, the Chicago White Sox are champions of baseball

 

OK, before I admit how wrong I was about this series, let me point out that I did predict the White Sox to win the whole thing. I didnt get the number of games correct however. Oh well. I guess I gave Houston too much credit. It was a good (albeit, short) series with drama in each game. The White Sox basically wore the Astros down in the four games. Add to that, the fact that the Houston offense pretty much fizzled out and its no wonder they were sent packing quickly.

Wow, I didnt do well at all in this postseason. I had the Boston Red Sox and the St. Louis Cardinals going all the way to end with the Cardinals winning the series. Well, Boston was bounced in the first round and the Cardinals were taken care of by the Astros in the NLCS. Then again I also thought for sure the Dodgers would repeat as NL West champs. Heck, after they started 12-2 all of us in Dodger Nation were talking World Series appearance. Then injuries took their toll and my beloved Dodgers finished a distant 4th. Oh well.

 

"The Thrill of victory..the agony of defeat"

 

So the Red Sox ended their curse last year. (More on curses later) The White Sox ended their World Series drought this year. So now it falls on the Chicago Cubs to end 97 years of World Series heartbreak. The last time the Cubs won it all was 1908!!! Is anyone still alive that saw them win it all? Those are some hardcore fans in Chicago's northside of town.

Curses!!

For those of you that dont know, baseball is quite possibly the most superstitious sport of them all. What with curses and lucky charms and omens and such. Here are some of the more well known "curses" in baseball

The Curse of the Bambino....Team: Boston Red Sox

What it is: After the 1919 baseball season Boston owner Harry Frazee sold baseball legend Babe "the Great Bambino" Ruth to the Yankees for a large sum of cash. Frazee believed Ruth wasnt worth the money he was paying him anymore. Low and behold the Yankees suddenly became the mighty powerhouse in the American League during the 1920's (Thanks in large part to Ruth) making six world series appearances and winning 3 of them. The Red Sox? After winning 4 titles with Ruth, never even made it back to the Series until 1946. But then it was just heartbreak and misery usually inflicted on them by their rivals in New York. Finally, in 2004 the Red Sox got the better of the Yankees by becoming the first team to rally back from an 0-3 deficit in the ALCS and then rode that momentum to their first title in 86 years. The curse is now over, but maybe a new one is starting since they got bounced so quickly in this years playoffs. ;-)

The Billy Goat Curse......Team: Chicago Cubs

What it is: This actually is the funniest just because its so outrageous. In 1945, a bar owner by the name of Billy Goat Sianis tried to bring his pet goat "Murphy", into Wrigley Field before Game 4 of the World Series. Cubs owner P.K. Wrigley denied Murphy a seat saying "The goat stinks". An angry Sianis replied, "The Cubs, they aint gonna win again." And of course, they havent. For years Cubs fans have tried to remove the curse, even allowing Sianis' nephew to bring in a goat before Opening Day in 1984. It didnt work obviously. The curse lives to this day.

The Black Sox Curse......Team: Chicago White Sox

What it is: Probably the most scandalous of the curses, in 1919 the White Sox had the most powerful team in the league. They were heavy favorites going into the World Series that year against the Cincinnati Reds. But something was wrong when that series started. White Sox ace Eddie Cicotte hit the very first batter he faced and never really seemed into the game. They lost that game 9-1. Game 2 saw the White Sox fall 4-2. Could the Reds really be handling the mighty Sox that easily? It turned out that nine White Sox players had agreed to "throw" the World Series in exchange for large amounts of money. By the time the players involved realized the wrong they were commiting it was too late. The Reds won the series and the "fix" was revealed to the public about a year later. All nine of the White Sox players were banned for life from baseball. The White Sox (until yesterday) never won another World Series title and the 1919 team were forever known as "The Black Sox"

The West Coast Curse.....Team: San Francisco Giants

What it is: Not so much a curse as it is a theory. Before moving to San Francisco the Giants were National League powerhouses in New York winning 4 World Series titles and 13 National League Titles. That string of success ended when they joined the Dodgers in California before the 1958 season. Since moving west the Giants have been to the World Series only two times and none of those appearances resulted in a title. With an aging team in San Francisco right now, it doesnt seem likely this "curse" will end anytime soon.

Sorry, just had to throw this in there! ;-)

OK, that will do it for now. Sorry for the "baseball history lesson". Be back tommorrow to wrap it up for the week! Before I go, here's a comic I found online. It made me smile.

Amen

 

DQ

 

Taboo Tuesday

Back to back updates! I cant remember the last time that happened!! ;-)

Welcome back to the drill. No time for monologues today, lets just get to it

 

Death of a Pioneer

 

Last night, a true American icon and hero passed away. Rosa Parks, who many considered the "Mother" of the Civil Rights movement, passed away at age 92. Parks had been in ill health as of late, but her death was nonetheless shocking to those who knew her and those close to her. Parks' story of how she refused to give up her seat for a white passenger on segregated bus is legendary. Her refusal landed her in jail and sparked a national boycott of buses by colored people everywhere. This event also allowed a relatively uknown activist at the time to rise up and help lead the civil rights movement. That person of course was Martin Luther King, Jr. Its important to realize the impact that her stand made that day. For too long, colored people had been oppressed and ridiculed by the very country they were citizens of. Parks' "Enough is Enough" stance that day became a rallying cry for the oppressed and discriminated. She took a stand, while sitting. All people of color, minorities,etc, owe her a debt of gratitude. Her actions made the country realize "Hey, this isnt right". RIP Ms. Parks, the world is a better place because of you

 

While on the topic of inequality, i know that I often joke alot about stereotypes and what not. I've always said that if we can't laugh at each other, who can we laugh at? But I've always been bothered by racisim and ignorance. Have we come a long way as a society? yes. Could we do better. YES. But its going to take everyone coming together to end it once and for all. Mr. King's dream of a color blind society may come true one day. But only if we as people work towards that dream

 

OK, so people were asking me why I was gone for so long and what happened to me during the time off. In a homage to "The Late Show" I present my own top 5 (yeah i'm too lazy for 10!!) list which I call:

TOP 5 Reasons Doug Didnt Upate his Blog

 

5. Never returned from trip to Disneyland on July 17th

 

4. The Dodgers continued struggles forced him to spend more time at Stadium with the Rally Homer

 

3. Pin induced stab wounds kept him in bed all this time.

 

2. Myspace, myspace, myspace!

 

1. Was too busy camping out a spot for Disneylands 75th Anniversary.

 

yeah that was horrible. i know. ;-)

 

Game 3 of the World Series is tonight on FOX. Can the Astros bounce back and make this a series again? Or will the White Sox take a near insurmountable 3-0 lead in the best of 7 series? Should be a good one tonight. Already some controversy to go with the game. Apparently the Commissioners office has ordered that the roof at Minute Maid Park in Houston remain open for the game. The impact this will have on the teams remains to be seen, but theres no doubt that opponents have had a much tougher time of it playing in the noise/mad house that is Minute Maid Park with a closed roof.

 

I'm still saying Sox in 6!

 

OK, short one I know. Still trying to shake the cobwebs so to speak. Til the next time.

 

DQ

The Return

Its been a LLOONNNNGGGG time coming. But after a lenghty lay off, I'm happy to say this little piece of the internet I call "The Two Minute Drill" is back! Alot has happened since I last updated this blog. Lots of worlds events and such. It may take a while to get back into the groove of things, but bear with me and I'll make it worth your while. So once again join me and see whats inside..its what happens when boredom and creative writing collide!

 

World Series thoughts

The White Sox celebrate winning Game 2 of the World Series after Scott Podsednik's walk off HR in the bottom of the 9th.

Naturally I'm going to start off with something I am most familar with (not including Disneyland which I'll get to later). I'm talkin bout baseball of course.

So it came down to the Chicago White Sox and Houston Astros. Two teams built on strong pitching and solid defense. Houston, despite having arguably the best trio of starting pitchers going (Roger Clemens, Roy Oswalt and Andy Pettite) find themselves down 2 games to none after the first two games. Not to make excuses, but the White Sox were more than likely energized by playing in front of an electric crowd that hasnt seen a World Series played before them since 1959. That and yet another questionable call went their way in Game 2 which turned the momentum of the game in their favor. The next 3 games are being played in Houston and if you think the Chicago fans were crazy, wait til Houston fans get to expereince their FIRST EVER World Series game(s). While I would like the Astros to win their first title ever, I think they've got a huge task ahead of them. I want to say the White Sox will win it in 5, but you can never count out the Astros. Not after the year they had. Still, the White Sox have caught all the breaks so far. OK, here it is..My PREDICTION: White Sox in 6. If I'm wrong, I'll be right here to face the music.

 

Disneyland notes and news

Now, no update would be complete without a Disneyland update. Not a whole lot going on right now, but I'll see what I can dredge up. For starters, attendance continues to surpass all expectations @ Disneyland, thanks in large part to the ongoing 50th Anniversary celebration. The usual "off season" slowdown has not happened and Disneyland was actually forced to expand operating hours. October has brought with it a bit of a slowdown, but even weekdays are crowded. All this means is that the already busy Holiday Season is going to be nuts. For the record, there will be no new attractions or events scheduled for the holidays. The Christmas Parade will indeed be returning to Disneyland (After initially being banished to California Adventure) but the "Believe..in Holiday Magic" fireworks show will NOT.

"Believe, in Holiday Magic"

Instead they will be running the regular "Remember, Dreams Come True" show and tacking on the snow effect at the end. However, public reaction to this may force them to change plans. They also will continue to run "Walt Disney's Parade of Dreams" during the holiday season so that parade route down Main St. USA is going to be super busy come December. I'm wondering how they're going to deal with the crowd control problems that will no doubt spring up during this time. If you've been in the hub area after the "Remember..." fireworks show you know just how JAMMED those walkways become. Add the extra crunch of people waiting for the snow and its going to get ugly out. If you're planning on visiting Disneyland during the holiday's, be prepared to deal with huge crowds and long lines for everything. Off record, TDA (Team Disney Anaheiem, the management at Disneyland) is expecting the largest crowds in recent history this Christmas season.

Box Office Report

Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson in "Doom"

1) Doom, $15.3 Mil: Yet another movie based on a video game. I think this movie may have been a little too late. I mean "Doom" was at its peak in the mid to late 90's. Now its sort of outdated, but I guess the game still has its fans. One interesting thing they did with this film was replicate the "First Person" view of the game for the shooting scenes. According to The Rock, they wanted to stay as true to the game as possible. Sometimes it works (Like in this film and the Mortal Kombat series) sometimes it doesnt (The disaster that was "House of the Dead" and "Super Mario Bros: The Movie). I dont see this movie hanging around for too long though.

2) Dreamer, $9.3 Mil: Family films usually do well in October because of the fact that every other movie that comes out is a slasher/gore fest. A good move putting this movie opposite "Doom". It gave the family set out there something fresh to choose.

3) Wallace & Gromit: The Curse of the Were Rabbit, $8.7 Mil: See above. To that I'll also add that this has been a relatively strong franchise for years. Its no surprise its doing well.

4) The Fog, $7.3 Mil: Last weeks number 1 plummets 3 slots. It should take a bigger hit next week when "Saw II" opens and takes away alot of that horror movie crowd.

5) North Country, $6.4 Mil: The weeks other big opener didnt fare that well. Its being hyped as an Oscar contender, but so far its not much of a box office one. Lets see if word of mouth helps this one along.

 

OK, that will do it for now. Not a bad little way to start things back up I think. If you're new to the site, feel free to browse through the archives (Dating back to Dec 2004) and see my earlier work. Til the next time.

DQ