5 Types of Background Actors...

1.) Those who use film/TV extra work as a steppingstone to becoming professional actors...

2.) Those with a full-time job who do background work when they have a day-off or want to make money on the side...

3.) Those who are unemployed and do background work to make some quick and easy cash...

4.) Those who dread 9-to-5 office jobs (like me) and like doing background gigs because of the variability of each assignment; that, and the fact it's an easy way of working on film and TV sets (much less difficult than being a production assistant)...

5.) And those who are so incompetent (which would include certain ethnicities and middle-aged, accident-prone women) that they're unable to follow directions, and are incapable of getting a full-time job.

Just sayin'.

More Photos of the Day... If there's one thing Facebook is actually good for, it's the Internet memes that are constantly posted on my newsfeed. 17-25... That's the Lakers' current record in the NBA. Needless to day, Kobe and company won't be avenging last year's postseason loss to the Oklahoma City Thunder this spring. WE WANT PHIL!

Jayne Kamin-Oncea / USA TODAY Sports

Photos of the Day... Just thought I'd share some random images from today's Inauguration ceremonies at Washington, D.C., as well as a pic from last Saturday's raising of the Los Angeles Kings' championship banner inside STAPLES Center...




AP Photo / Carolyn Kaster


AP Photo / Alex Brandon


NASA / Bill Ingalls


NASA / Bill Ingalls

Photo by Ben Cooper of LaunchPhotography.com

New Horizons: 7 Years Ago Today... At 11:00 AM, Pacific Standard Time on January 19, 2006, NASA commenced its long-awaited journey to explore Pluto when the New Horizons spacecraft was launched from Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in Florida. 7 years later, New Horizons is 'only' 673 million miles from the dwarf planet...having traveled 2.4 billion miles since it left Earth in 2006. Today, the grand piano-sized probe is a little more than a year away from crossing Neptune's orbit (which will take place on August 25, 2014—25 years to the day that Voyager 2 made its historic flyby of that gas giant). From there on, New Horizons will officially be in 'Pluto space'...with observations of the former 9th planet from the Sun expected to begin in January of 2015. The big day itself, the closest approach to Pluto, is targeted for July 14, 2015. Can't wait!


ABOVE: The green line marks the path traveled by the New Horizons spacecraft as of
11:00 AM, Pacific Standard Time, on January 18, 2013. It is 2.4 billion miles from Earth.
Click here to view the official webpage showing where New Horizons is in space.
(AU stands for Astronomical Units, in case you're wondering.)

NEW HORIZONS Blog Entries Archive:

September 26, 2005
December 19, 2005
January 7, 2006
January 17, 2006
January 19, 2006
April 12, 2006
June 15, 2006
February 27, 2007
October 22, 2007
June 8, 2008
October 23, 2008
March 18, 2011
January 20, 2012
July 13, 2012
January 19, 2013

Image courtesy of the Pacific Battleship Center - Facebook.com

Photos of the Day... A couple of days before the Los Angeles Kings are to raise their championship banner up at STAPLES Center and begin their lockout-shortened NHL season, the Stanley Cup finally made its way aboard the USS Iowa in San Pedro yesterday. Having been displayed with space shuttle Endeavour at the California Science Center's Samuel Oschin Pavilion last November, the only other new museum piece that arrived in Los Angeles last year that hasn't yet been visited by the Cup is Levitated Mass at the L.A. County Museum of Art (LACMA). Not as cool as a retired, $2 billion-dollar spacecraft or a decommissioned battleship, but LACMA's boulder would also be an interesting exhibit to place the trophy next to [or underneath—just so the Kings Ice Crew (above) can get some shade from the Sun...before an earthquake strikes, that is]. Carry on.


Image courtesy of the Pacific Battleship Center - Facebook.com

Freedom Tower update... The 1 World Trade Center (1 WTC) is inching closer to completion as assembly has begun on the antenna spire atop the 104-story-tall skyscraper. The first segment of the spire is now bolted in place on the 105th floor rooftop level...with the 408-foot (124 meters) high antenna scheduled to be completed this March. While the 1 WTC still has ways to go before it opens later this year or early 2014, the building will be a sight to behold (moreso, that is) over the New York skyline once the spire finally brings the tower to a symbolic height of 1,776 feet (541.32 meters).

All photos in this entry are courtesy of WTCProgress

Go Beach (Part 2)! More than three weeks after I posted an entry stating that my alma mater was deemed the 7th most secure campus in the nation, I got another newsletter from Cal State Long Beach mentioning that it ranks 2nd in the U.S. in terms of the number of students enrolling at the school from overseas. I'm not surprised by this...seeing as how CSULB is only several miles from the beach (hence our motto, 'Go Beach!'), has the famous Walter Pyramid (shown above) and is also the alma mater of folks like Steven Spielberg...who graduated from there in 2002. (Yes, I attended the commencement ceremony.) Anyways, check out the article below...and know why the 49ers rock. No, not San Francisco's football team. My college mascot.

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Cal State Long Beach Ranks 2nd Nationally Among Peers in Number of International Students Enrolled on Campus

California State University, Long Beach (CSULB) is a popular campus for international students, judging by its No. 2 national ranking among master's degree institutions that enroll students from other countries. The rankings were listed in a recent article in the Chronicle of Higher Education.

CSULB enrolled 2,563 international students during the 2011-12 academic year (the most recent year for which data is available). The country represented most among CSULB's international students is Saudi Arabia with more than 325 student from that country, and India was a distant second with about 235. Next on the list was China, which had around 200 students from its borders, followed by Korea and Japan with about 180 and 175, respectively.

The rankings are based on the latest "Open Doors" report from the Institute of International Education (IIE).

"Here are three top reasons why international students choose Cal State Long Beach: The quality of our academic programs, our welcoming campus environment, and our location in the heart of Southern California," said Nathan Jensen, senior director for CSULB's Center for International Education. "We only need to continue to get the word out.

"We offer students quality academic programs which are offered at a lower cost than programs in other states," he continued. "Many of our students come to study at CSULB because they have been told by former students how welcoming and supportive our campus is to international students. Students are also attracted to the weather and business environment of California."

Jensen explained that the Center for International Education staff reaches out to prospective international students, processes their applications and advises them once they enroll to help them move to graduation successfully. He also believes the presence of international students is good for the campus' American students.

"Interaction with international students in the classroom provides a valuable learning experience for our domestic students," he pointed out. "Additionally, international students pay for the entire cost of their education, so these students do not ever displace California resident students. They actually allow the university to offer more sections of courses than we could otherwise."

The article in the Chronicle of Higher Education noted that double-digit percentage growth in students from China along with a steady gain in Saudi Arabian students were largely responsible for a 5.7 percent increase in international enrollments in the United States over the 2010-11 year. The total number of international students enrolled in U.S. colleges in 2011-12 was 764,495.

The story also noted that for the first time in 11 years there were more international undergraduate students than graduate students in the United States. IIE President Allan E. Goodman told the publication that the change was significant because undergraduate students not only stay longer than graduate students, they also have more impact on campus culture, both inside and outside the classroom.

Written by Rick Gloady - CSULB.edu

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Lakers Update... This photo showed up online last Monday in response to rumors that there was an off-court fight between Kobe Bryant and Dwight Howard (due to the fact that the Lakers are currently winless in 2013). Nice to see Kobe and his center just jokin' around... I'm sure this wouldn't have been the case back in the summer of 2007, when KB24 might've well been in the brawling mood with the team's previous center, Andrew Bynum, following the Lakers' loss to the Phoenix Suns in that year's playoffs.

On a more realistic note, shouldn't the two NBA All-Stars be gangin' up on Antoni in this pic instead? (I intentionally left the 'D' out of the coach's last name, 'cause it's also missing in actual games. Those who know and watch basketball will know what I'm talking about.) Props to Steve Nash for recording his 10,000th assist (against the Houston Rockets) last night.

Back in Business! Almost seven months after they won their first Stanley Cup championship in franchise history, the Los Angeles Kings were back on the ice today after National Hockey League team owners and the Players' Association agreed on an initial collective bargaining agreement yesterday. The shortened NHL season will begin for the Kings on January 19...with the defending champs finally raising their title banner at STAPLES Center that day. One thing's for sure: If the Kings manage to repeat this year during a shortened 40-50 game season, they won't deserve an asterisk for retaining Lord Stanley's trophy (unlike in basketball—with the 1999 NBA champion San Antonio Spurs and the defending champ Miami Super Friends, err Heat, after last year's lockout season). The Kings proved last spring that they could thoroughly and decisively win it all.

On a not-so-different topic, imagine if the Clippers (who currently have the best record in the NBA...at 27-8. The Oklahoma City Thunder are in second place at 26-8) AND the Kings were in the position to raise more championship banners at STAPLES Center at the start of the 2013-'14 season! Just comes to show you how much things have changed in regards to L.A. sport teams over the last few years. The Lakers? Don't know what Phil Jackson told Jim Buss in talks late last year to make Jerry Buss' son shun Phil and decide to hire the coach from the Phoenix Suns and New York Knicks who doesn't know how to teach defense. Dwight Howard and Pau Gasol are injured (again)? Good grief.


Photo courtesy of the Los Angeles Kings - Facebook.com

Happy New Year, Everyone! Unlike 2012, this year won't be very action-packed in terms of what's happening in space exploration—with NASA's only deep-space robotic missions set for flight being LADEE (Lunar Atmosphere and Dust Environment Explorer), which launches to the Moon this August...and the MAVEN (Mars Atmosphere and Volatile EvolutioN) orbiter that lifts off for Mars in late November. Also, SpaceX's Falcon Heavy rocket is set to make its maiden flight from Vandenberg Air Force Base in California sometime this year (a specific launch date hasn't been set yet). And in a final milestone for NASA's retired space shuttle program, the orbiter Atlantis officially goes on public display at the Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex in Florida this July.



In terms of movies, this May will see the third installments in The Hangover and Iron Man franchises being released in theaters, as well as the return of Star Wars prequels Attack of the Clones and Revenge of the Sith (both in 3-D) to the big screen this fall. Oh, and this December will see the second (and originally the final) film in The Hobbit series, The Desolation of Smaug, coming to cinemas as well. Unlike An Unexpected Journey, I have absolutely NO intention whatsoever of seeing The Desolation of Smaug in the High Frame Rate (or 48 frames per second) format. Peter Jackson did a pretty good job on the 3-D, though. And lastly, Michael Bay should begin filming 2014's Transformers 4 sometime this year. Obvously... Carry on!



January 2013
-BCS National Championship Game in Miami Gardens, Florida: Notre Dame vs. Alabama (Jan 7)
-Gangster Squad (Jan 11)
-Zero Dark Thirty (Jan 11)
-70th Annual Golden Globe Awards (Jan 13)
-Broken City (Jan 18)
-U.S. presidential inauguration ceremony for Barack Obama (Jan 21)
-Hansel and Gretel: Witch Hunters (Jan 25)
-Movie 43 (Jan 25)



February 2013
-Super Bowl XLVII in New Orleans, Louisiana (Feb 3)
-Top Gun 3D (Feb 8)
-55th Annual Grammy Awards (Feb 10)
-A Good Day to Die Hard (Feb 14)
-Escape from Planet Earth (Feb 14)
-2013 NBA All-Star Game in Houston, Texas (Feb 17)
-55th annual Daytona 500 in Florida (Feb 24)
-85th Academy Awards (Feb 24)
- First flight of Orbital Sciences' Cygnus spacecraft atop an Antares rocket (TBD)



March 2013
-SpaceX's Dragon ship launches cargo to the International Space Station (Mar 1)
-Jack the Giant Slayer (Mar 1)
-Oz: The Great and Powerful (Mar 8)
-2013 NCAA March Madness basketball tournament begins with Opening Round Game (Mar 19)
-Conclusion of the March Madness tournament prior to the 2013 Final Four games in Atlanta (Mar 24)
-G.I. Joe: Retaliation (Mar 29)



April 2013
-Jurassic Park 3D (Apr 5)
-Orbital Sciences' Cygnus freighter launches to the International Space Station (Apr 5)
-2013 NCAA Final Four basketball tournament in Atlanta, Georgia (Apr 6)
-NCAA Final Four Championship Game in Atlanta, Georgia (Apr 8)
-Oblivion (Apr 12)
-Launch of Europe's fourth Automated Transfer Vehicle, Albert Einstein, to the International Space Station (Apr 18)
-A partial lunar eclipse will be visible over Europe, Africa, Asia and Australia (Apr 25)
-NFL Draft (Apr 25-27)
-Pain & Gain (Apr 26)



May 2013
-Iron Man 3 (May 3)
-The Great Gatsby (May 10)
-Annular solar eclipse over Northern Australia and South Pacific (May 10)
-Star Trek into Darkness (May 17)
-Fast and Furious 6 (May 24)
-The Hangover Part III (May 24)
-Start of the 2013 French Open tennis tournament (May 26)
-97th Indianapolis 500 at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway (May 26)
-After Earth (May 31)



June 2013
-Conclusion of the 2013 French Open (Jun 9)
-Man of Steel (Jun 14)
-This is the End (Jun 14)
-World War Z (Jun 21)
-Kick Ass 2 (Jun 28)
-White House Down (Jun 28)
-Start of the 2013 Tour de France (Jun 29)



July 2013
-Croatia set to join the European Union (Jul 1)
-The Lone Ranger (Jul 3)
-Pacific Rim (Jul 12)
-Launch of Japan's fourth H-2 Transfer Vehicle to the International Space Station (Jul 15)
-2013 Major League Baseball All-Star Game in Queens, New York City (Jul 16)
-R.I.P.D. (Jul 19)
-Conclusion of the Tour de France (Jul 21)
-The Wolverine (Jul 26)
-Retired space shuttle Atlantis goes on display at the Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex in Florida (TBD)



August 2013
-300: Rise of an Empire (Aug 2)
-RED 2 (Aug 2)
-Elysium (Aug 9)
-Launch of NASA's LADEE spacecraft to the Moon (Aug 12)
-2 Guns (Aug 16)
-Start of the 2013 World Rowing Championships in South Korea (Aug 25)



September 2013
-Conclusion of the World Rowing Championships (Sep 1)
-Riddick (Sep 6)
-I, Frankenstein (Sep 13)
-The Little Mermaid 3D (Sep 13)
-Rush (Sep 20)
-Star Wars – Episode II: Attack of the Clones 3D (Sep 20)
-SpaceX's Dragon ship launches cargo to the International Space Station (Sep 30)



October 2013
-Sin City: A Dame to Kill For (Oct 4)
-Star Wars – Episode III: Revenge of the Sith 3D (Oct 4)
-NASA's Jupiter-bound Juno spacecraft to make first gravity assist flyby of Earth (Oct 9)
-A penumbral lunar eclipse over the Americas, Europe, Africa and most of Asia (Oct 18)
-Paranormal Activity 5 (Oct 25)



November 2013
-Ender's Game (Nov 1)
-Total solar eclipse over the Atlantic Ocean (Nov 3)
-Thor: The Dark World (Nov 8)
-Launch of NASA's MAVEN orbiter to Mars (Nov 18)
-The Hunger Game: Catching Fire (Nov 22)
-India to launch its first Mars probe, Mangalyaan (TBD)



December 2013
-The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug (Dec 13)
-Anchorman: The Legend Continues (Dec 20)
-47 Ronin (Dec 25)
-Jack Ryan (Dec 25)
-Comet C/2012 S1 to make close flyby of Earth (Dec 26)