Twilight Fans: Did you watch Eclipse with the cast?

Summit Entertainment announced that approximately 20 cast members of Twilight's Eclipse will be secretly appearing in movie theaters this July 4th weekend and will watch the movie with their fans. Which theaters? What dates? When? Don't know which dates or specifically what time they will be appear at the theaters (why ruin the fun), but if you live in one of these cities, you may be in luck!

Atlanta, Chicago, CLIFTON, NEW JERSEY, Cleveland, Dallas, Detroit, Jacksonville, Kansas City, Kona, Hawaii, Las Vegas, LONG ISLAND, NEW YORK, Los Angeles, MANHATTAN, NEW YORK, Minneapolis, Nashville, New Orleans, Orange County, CA, PARAMUS, NEW JERSEY, Phoenix, San Francisco, Toronto, Vancouver and Washington D.C./Northern Virginia. (per the Eclipse Website and Fandango)

Eclipse is the third book of the Twilight Saga -- where new vampires are created, where "werewolves" join forces with the Cullen family to fight other vampires, and where you will watch one of the biggest fights in Twilight series; oh, not to mention you will witness the love story between Bella and Edward evolve! This will be the "darkest" of the three movies and will be one of the most interesting you will watch (or at least this is one of my favorite books of the series!)

We know Twilight fans continue to love Stephanie Meyer's books and the movies are also receiving the same acclaim -- especially as you see the box office receipts continue to climb -- the movie is estimating to have pulled in $161.7 million since the five release, topping the charts for this July 4th weekend (competing against The Last Airbender and Toy Story 3). In comparison, Twilight's two previous movie releases (over five days) -- The Twilight Saga: New Moon's had $164.7 million first weekend and even the first Twilight's $80.1 million debut per Box Office Mojo). And, it will continue to climb!

So, enjoy the movie, Twilight Fans and hope you are one of the lucky few who watch it with a cast member!

For an exclusive interview with Twilight's Ashley Greene per Fandango, click here!

If you don't want to pay $13 for a movie ticket to see this movie, SAVE YOURSELF SOME MONEY and read this posting to learn how you can watch a movie in New York for $6 (yes, that's unheard of!)

UPDATE: I just watched the movie and I think you'd feel better if you paid $6 for the movie as opposed to $13. I'm a big Twilight Book Fan and also a believer that the imagination is more creative than any movie you can watch -- so watching it on the big screen was different, and sadly, in my personal opinion, any movie you've previously read, is usually more fun to read than to watch on the big screen. However, that still doesn't keep me away from the theaters. :D Just set the expectations low. :D

Happy July 4th in 2010!

Happy July 4th!

How are you going to spend your July 4th this year!?!?!

Whatever you do ...

Drink responsibly, eat merrily, and enjoy yourself!

If you're not sure what you are going to do, you can check out the Macy's July 4th Fireworks, and check this page for NYC activities on July 4th.

Here are some interesting and fun facts about July 4th, aka Independence Day from The U.S. Census Bureau (yes, those survey you fill out do help! jk)

On this day in 1776, the Declaration of Independence was approved by the Continental Congress, setting the 13 colonies on the road to freedom as a sovereign nation. As always, this most American of holidays will be marked by parades, fireworks and backyard barbecues across the country.

309.6 million

The nation's estimated population on this July Fourth.
Source: Population clock

Flags - $3.0 million

In 2009, the dollar value of U.S. imports of American flags. The vast majority of this amount ($2.5 million) was for U.S. flags made in China.
Source: Foreign Trade Statistics

Fireworks -- $209 million

The value of fireworks imported from China in 2009, representing the bulk of all U.S. fireworks imported ($217 million). U.S. exports of fireworks, by comparison, came to just $42.9 million in 2009, with the United Arab Emirates purchasing more than any other country ($14.5 million).
Source: Foreign Trade Statistics

$331.4 million

The value of U.S. manufacturers' shipments of fireworks and pyrotechnics (including flares, igniters, etc.) in 2007.
Source: 2007 Economic Census

Fourth of July Cookouts: More than 1 in 4

The chance that the hot dogs and pork sausages consumed on the Fourth of July originated in Iowa. The Hawkeye State was home to 18.9 million hogs and pigs on March 1, 2010. This represents more than one-fourth of the nation's total. North Carolina (9.1 million) and Minnesota (7.2 million) were the runners-up.
Source: USDA National Agricultural Statistics Service

6.5 billion pounds

Total production of cattle and calves in Texas in 2008. Chances are good that the beef hot dogs, steaks and burgers on your backyard grill came from the Lone Star State, which accounted for about one-sixth of the nation's total production. And if the beef did not come from Texas, it very well may have come from Nebraska (4.6 billion pounds) or Kansas (3.9 billion pounds).
Source: USDA National Agricultural Statistics Service

Please Pass the Potato Salad

Potato salad and potato chips are popular food items at Fourth of July barbecues. Half of the nation's spuds were produced in Idaho or Washington state in 2009.
Source: USDA National Agricultural Statistics Service

Macy's July 4th, 2010 Fireworks on the Hudson

Macy's Annual July 4th Fireworks (Last Year: 2009)

The 34th annual Macy's July 4th Annual Firework celebration begins at approximately 9:20 pm tonight, along the Hudson River between 24th and 50th street. The 26 minute pyrotechnic show will feature more than 40,000 displays of "jaw-dropping" effects over the Manhattan skyline. The theme in this year's fireworks display is American Harmony, which is a new "one-of-a-kind" score featuring a selection of America's musical traditions from gospel, a-cappella pop music, barbershop quartets and choral singing. The score will be performed by the New York Pops and the Grammy award-winning Mormon Tabernacle Choir. For information on access points to see the show and how to get there by subway, bus, or train, click here for "how to get there". Or for more information about the show (i.e. musical score, the fireworks, and other details), click here for "About the Show".

If you do not want to brave the crowds this year, you can watch the fireworks from your couch and see the live broadcast on NBC starting at 9:00 pm. Justin Bieber will be on the broadcast.

Enjoy and be safe this July 4th!

Nathan's Hot Dog Eating Contest -- July 4th -- Coney Island

Every July 4th, the Nathan's Famous International Hot Dog Eating contest takes place in Coney Island. Last year, Joey Chestnut competed against Takeru Kobayashi and won by eating 68 hot dogs (w/ buns) in 10 minutes -- 3.5 more than Kobayashi. It was Chestnut's third win. Patrick Bertoletti finished in third place with 55 hot dogs. Every year, thousands of people descend on Surf and Stillwell avenues to watch this incredible challenge among some of the most competitive eaters in the world. The event is sanctioned by International Federation of Competitive eating.

Unfortunately, this year, Kobayashi will not compete in this year's contest and the re-match between Chestnut and Kobayashi will have to wait. In 2006, Kobayashi was the reigning champion and had won against Chestnut by eating 53.75 hot dogs in 12 minutes.

So, don't forget to check out this year's Nathan's Hot Dog Eating Contest at Coney Island. If you don't have an opportunity to watch, you can view it live on ESPN at noon.

If you haven't seen the competition before, below is a video I took in 2008 (its not a perfect recording, a little jumpy). It was an impressive match-up between Chestnut and Kobayashi, where Chestnut won in a five-dog overtime match, after both ate 59 Nathan's Famous hot dogs and buns in the 10-minute regulation match.

Xi'An Foods coming to St. Marks in the East Village! aka Xian Foods

I previously blogged about Xi'An Foods in the Golden Mall, Flushing Queens (click for past review) and discovered that they will be opening their fourth store on St. Mark's Place in the East Village! Woo Hoo! Its coming to their second location in Manhattan this weekend!

You definitely should order the Spicy Lamb Sandwich!

Place: 81 St. Mark's Place.
Date: July 3rd
Time: 11 am - 11 pm:

Below is their email they sent out to past customers! If you respond now, you can receive a free burger on the day of their opening (available to the first 400 people who show up).

Facebook event www.xianfoods.com

Xi'an Famous Foods is opening up its 4th store location in St. Mark's Place in the East Village of Manhattan, NY!

We have come a long way since our original basement store on Main Street in Flushing, NY (which still does exist, by the way), and it's all thanks to our fans! :D:D

Mr. Liang Pi would like to say thanks to our fans for their support with some free giveaways and promotional prices! Here's how it works:

1. RSVP as "ATTENDING" to this event, and also send invites to anyone you know on Facebook. If you have friends that do not have Facebook, please have them email their full name (as shown on any photo ID) to xianfoods@gmail.com.

2. Show up at our new St. Mark's Place store at 81 St. Mark's Place on our event date with a photo ID that matches your Facebook profile name or a name that you emailed in.

3. Each guest on our "Attending" list will get their choice of one of our famous burgers for FREE! Our current burgers are: Savory Cumin Lamb Burger and Stewed Pork Burger. See menu at http://www.xianfoods.com/menu.php to see what they are!

4. Other promotional pricing will also be offered that day on our most famous dishes! Please check for Updates in your Inbox, or on here, for detailed info!


*The date of the event may be changed due to unforeseeable circumstances, but we will let you know of any changes ahead of time, so please check our Facebook/Twitter/your Updates inbox.

** Due to production capacity, free burgers are limited to 400 burgers total, so after you have RSVPed here, come earlier rather than later on the day of!

Expensive Movie Outings No More -- AMC Theater / Regal Cinema Deals!; $1 Each for Popcorn or Drink this July 4th Weekend

I went to see a movie a few weeks ago and was just shocked at the price (yes, I thought I would be numb to it already ... but no, sticker shock is still prevalent in NYC...). Guess how much one ticket costs? $10? Nope, that was "soooo, 5 years ago.!! Guess higher. $13! Yes, $13 for a movie. Matinee? You're in New York -- only Broadway shows have matinees, so you're out of luck -- or are you?

MATINEES DO EXIST in New York! You can watch a movie for $6 at AMC Theaters (i.e Kips Bay, Lincoln Center, Time Square Empire 25 -- everyday before noon). The days vary for each theater (i.e. includes/excludes weekends), so click here to see if the theater near you is $6 and for which days.

Want more?

So, this is what I found out for you New Yorkers who want to watch a movie, but don't want to spend your lunch money on a two hour experience.

AMC Gold Experience Tickets
$34.99 - If you can't do the math, that's $8.75 per ticket
No Restrictions/ No Expiration (from Costco)
Includes S&H

AMC Gold Experience™ tickets are good at any AMC theatres, Loews theatres, Cineplex Odeon theatres, Magic Johnson theatres and Star theatres nationwide, excluding Canadian theatres.

Present ticket at box office to exchange for the movie and time of your choice. Tickets are valid any day of the week. Tickets do not expire.

Visit www.amctheatres.com for showtimes and locations nearest you.


Regal Entertainment Group
Premiere Super Saver Tickets
$32.99 - $8.25 per ticket
No Restrictions / No Expiration (from Costco)
Includes S&H

Premiere tickets are valid for any movie, any day, any time at any Regal Cinemas, Edwards or United Artists Theatres nationwide - without ever expiring. There is a surcharge fee for all IMAX, Large Format or 3-D Films and Manhattan, NY locations. Regal Entertainment Group is the largest motion picture exhibitor in the world with over 500 theatre locations in 39 states.

Visit www.regmovies.com for showtimes and locations nearest you.

Only caveat is -- you need to have a Costco Card. If you don't have it, I am sure someone in your family or one of your friends has it. So ask them! They'd probably be happy to get in on the deals!

Add popcorn and a drink to that $13 ticket -- you're looking anywhere around $20-$22 per person. So, do you want some deals with popcorn and drinks? Of course you do!

For this weekend only, you can get popcorn or a drink for $1 at AMC Theaters on July 4th. Yes, you read that right - $1 for popcorn or $1 drink, or splurge and get both! I just stumbled upon this on the AMC website.

Click on this link here: AMC $1 popcorn and $1 drink.





And for any other days, Costco has this deal.

2 AMC Tickets, 2 small drink vouchers, 1 small popcorn
$29.99

Take advantage of the All-in-One AMC Movie Bundle. 2 AMC Gold Experience™ tickets (unrestricted), 2 Drink Show Snacks® vouchers and 1 Popcorn Show Snacks voucher all together in one envelope. Perfect for date night, holiday gifts, employee incentives & rewards. Save up to 35% off in-theatre prices!



If you've made it this far, that means you're still looking for deals. So here are a few other, ODDS & ENDS for savings that I know of.

- Check your place of employment to see if there are any movie ticket discounts. Beware, some of these tickets will have an additional $1 or $1.50 surcharge at the movie theater box office for NYC. But cost anywhere around $10.

- Regal Cinemas Super Saver Tickets, variety of deals, but would need to buy a pack of 50 or more to get the deal (um, hello Costco!)

Dos Toros Taqueira, Welcoming FANTASTIC California-like Burritos!

Helllllooooooo California Burrito! Dos Toros Taquiera has one of the best burritos I've had in a very long time. This place will certainly give Calexico (one of my favorites in the city) and Chipotle a run for their money. It was started by two brothers, Leo and Oliver Kremer, who came to New York from San Francisco and discovered the city lacked some of their favorite Mexican food... so, wha-la, Dos Toros came to be!

Dos Toro's menu is simple: burritos, tacos, quesadilla, and plato (burrito sans tortilla) served with your choice of filling: carnitas (pork), carne asada (steak), pollo asado (grilled chicken) and basic rice and beans. The cool thing about the tacos is you can either have the shell "hard" or "soft" (get your mind out of the gutter! ha ha). Prices are in-line w/ Chipotle around the corner and Calexico food cart in Soho -- with a protein filling, burritos are $7.35, tacos are $3.67, quesadillas are $5.97, platos are $7.35 and less w/o meat.

Everything on the menu looked great, but I decided to start out with the Carnitas burrito. it was delicious. The pork was succulent and mouth watering. The beans and rice were plentiful and the pico de gallo was perfect - not tangy, not too hot, juuuuust right. :D The burrito is quite big (um, that's what she said) ... so you won't leave this place feeling hungry afterwards. I sadly did not add the guacamole (poor decision), but I would suggest adding it as my friends said it was very fresh and tasty!

Even though I was more than happy with my burrito, I certainly had food envy as I saw my friends with their meat filled to the top tacos and strangers with their cheese-oozing quesadillas. Needless to say, you can't go wrong with anything you order and I will certainly be back to taste the other items! And, seeing how long the lines are at this place, I'm not alone in my thoughts. However, its worth the wait.

Happy eating!

137 4th Ave
(between 13th St & 14th St)
New York, NY 10003

Neighborhoods: Union Square,

(212) 677-7300

www.dostorosnyc.com

photo taken with a "bad" samsung phone camera

New York City Film Festival: Food Truck Drive-In Reminder

In a previous blog, I talked about the The New York City Film Festival: Food Truck Drive-In Festival and wanted to remind readers it is happening tomorrow.

Where: Under the Brooklyn Bridge, Dumbo, Brooklyn
When: June 26, Starts at Noon and ends 10 pm
Tickets: Tickets were free (donations were appreciated) and is currently sold out; however, it may be worth it to show up and see if you can get in!
Proceeds: Food Bank of New York City

For more information see: http://nycfoodfilmfestival.com/ and
For a list of food truck participants click here: http://nycfoodfilmfestival.com/FoodTruck.html

Michael Jackson: Apollo Theater Memorial from Last Year

I took this picture last year near the Apollo Theater and thought it would be appropriate to share it today, on the anniversary of Michael Jackson's passing.

Did you know that the Apollo Theater has a "side"walk of fame? Among the people listed in front of the theater include Michael Jackson, Ella Fitzgerald, Gladys Knight & the Pips, Little Richard, James Brown, Smokey Robinson, Patti LaBelle, Quincy Jones, and Aretha Franklin. The sidewalk was made possible by a Community Initiatives Program grant funded by the Harlem Community Development Corporation, a subsidiary of the Empire State Development Corporation.

side note: this is also the day Farah Fawcett passed away.
past blogs: Michael Jackson on newstands, Worth More Dead Than Alive

$10,000 Treasure Buried Somewhere in New York City - You up for the hunt?

A friend passed this on to me and I thought, this will be hilarious if found. $10,000 in one dollar coins are hidden somewhere in one of the five boroughs of New York City. Is it true or a hoax? One will only know if you go on the treasure hunt! There will be eight weekly video clues posted on the website leading you to the treasure chest! The first clue will be revealed on August 1. Stay tuned!

Website: www.welostourgold.com

Press release below

-----------------------------

$10,000 Treasure Buried Somewhere in New York City

New York City, USA (June 21, 2010) /PRNewswire/ — A treasure chest filled with ten thousand dollars in US Mint coins is buried somewhere in New York City, and a new Internet video series will give clues to its location. The currency was hidden by puppets, who no longer remember its secret whereabouts.
Now anyone can find it.


Premiering on August 1, 2010 eight weekly videos will be released, setting off a modern-day treasure hunt in the largest city in America. The Internet series chronicles four puppet pirates and their attempts to retrace their steps and find the lost treasure. Hidden in each video are clues and easter eggs that, if properly decoded, will lead the viewer to the buried coins.


This is not a joke or a hoax. It’s very real. This is not a contest, nor is it a promotion. Viewers can watch all eight videos, find the clues, solve the puzzle, and find 10,000 U.S. coins in a treasure chest.

While the pirates can't remember where they buried their treasure, they do know digging randomly will not get you anywhere. "Don't just dig, ye codfish!" said The Captain in an earlier statement. "The spot be clearly marked! Diggin' at randoms be as pointless as… wait, did I says the spot be marked? BOLLOCKS! Don't print that, ye swab!"


The pirates appear concerned that this web series is exploiting their activities, and jeopardizing the safety of their treasure. But they have shown no opposition to interacting with media outlets.
"Yeah, I'll talks to whoever wants to talk," said Mulligan, the ship's First Mate. "You name it, I'll talk about it. Can we talk about Bill Murray? Wait… what are we talking about?"

Added his colleague Crothers: "I refuse to speak to anyone. Except that I will. An' I prefer to speak to ladies. Of ill-repute, if'n that ain't a bother."


Fellow pirate Tom declined to comment, the Captain having reportedly killed Tom's Japanese translator over a game of pinochle. When questioned, the Captain appeared unwilling to deny the allegation.
"That bloke kept screamin' PINOCHLE in me face. So I handed him tha wrong end of a Marlin Spike, and said 'here's yer pinochle'. If any media-type folk wants anythin' from Tom, they can speaks to me. Now bugger off. I gots no comment."


For more information, go to www.welostourgold.com

Missed Opportunities: Sotheby's Polaroid Collection Photographs by ABC News

I was there, I should have shot these photos and sent them in. Afterall, I did take time to blog about it as well. Sigh, missed opportunities to be in print and to sell images to Getty Images.

http://abcnews.go.com/Business/slideshow/polaroid-auction-10980071

Must be more aggressive than the next person. :D

Worth More Dead Than Alive?

Hmm... Worth More Dead Than Alive seems to be the theme this week, especially with my recent posting of the Sotheby's auction of the Polaroid Collection, where Ansel Adams prints have sold in the hundred of thousands of dollars ($722,500 was highest bid in this auction). But, what is it with being worth more dead than alive that seems to be true? Well, if you look at life, we have life insurance policies that guard a loss one's wages and then we have artist's works that become more valuable after they are dead because we know another will not be produced (i.e. Vincent Van Gogh, Ansel Adams, Elvis Presley). This sounds grim, but after reading an article written in the NYTimes.com about Michael Jackson's estate a year after his death, it has some truth to it.

While alive, Michael Jackson was a celebrity; a celebrated individual who was a singer, songwriter, dancer, performer -- an all around music icon. But all of that was soon forgotten or cast aside as he was persecuted for child abuse, plastic surgeries and strange public behavior. However, his public perception changed as soon as he passed away. Once you heard about his death, tears rolled down people's cheeks, vigils were held, his music played everywhere (radio, bars) ... people almost instantly forgot and forgave him for his past -- or soon realized, it was not important in comparison to what he had achieved over his lifetime ... and the music sales soared.

I found a quote by Robert F. X. Sillerman in the article amusing:

"Death changes everything ... There’s something unique about Americans,” he said. “We root against people and look for the negative while people are alive, and then we’re very forgiving, whether they deserve it or not, and we celebrate their success in death.”

As the first anniversary of his passing approaches on June 25, the article in the NYTimes says that "the Jackson brand has generated hundreds of millions of dollars, and experts in the management of celebrity estates say that in the long term it might very well equal or eclipse the value of what until now has been the ultimate entertainment estate: that of Elvis Presley, which earned $55 million last year, according to an estimate by Forbes magazine." In addition, "last year Jackson sold nearly 8.3 million albums in the United States, according to Nielsen SoundScan — far more than any other artist." His movie, "Michael Jackson's This is It" also grossed $261 million around the world, according to boxofficemojo.com.

Wow! In the last few years of Michael Jackson's life, he was in financial turmoil (at least thats what the news headlines were saying) and was in more than $400 million in debt -- but just in the last year, it seems to be that his Jackson brand has made a comeback. Incredible isn't it? Worth more alive than dead (ok, this is a quick generalization, but the idea is interesting).

But one thing is certain, once someone dies, that is, someone who has made a "brand name for themselves", their work is immediately sold for higher prices (artwork: Ansel Adams, Andy Warhol) than when they were alive or their work is sold in much higher volumes (i.e. Michael Jackson, Elvis Presley).