Time to pick up a calendar for the New Year. If you’re planning to buy the popular 2009 Barack Obama Wall Calendar: Words of Hope and Inspiration, you may have to order it or search around for it.

Sourcebooks has shipped at least 100,000 copies since the calendar first published back in August of 2008, according to Publishers Weekly. The calendar includes familiar quotes like this one from the future president: “For when we have faced down impossible odds; when we’ve been told that we’re not ready, or that we shouldn’t try, or that we can’t, generations of Americans have responded with a simple creed that sums up the spirit of the people: Yes we can.” Also, sprinkled throughout the 16 month calendar are quotes from famous people who’ve had an impact, among them Mahatma Gandhi who said: “The future depends on what we do in the present.”

 Throughout the months of this calendar, dates are noted for famous firsts and key moments that have united our nation. It’s no wonder; the calendar has become a collector’s item. I scooped up the last four on the shelf at Barnes & Noble in Burbank the day after Thanksgiving. I was told they were having trouble keeping the calendars in stock and they were on back order. I lucked out last Saturday, when I bought several more of the calendars at the same bookstore where the supply was dwindling fast.

Today when I checked, the Obama calendar rated number one on the Barnes & Noble website and number four on Amazon in the calendar category.

Heath Ledger as the Joker gets SAG nomination.

A lot of squabbling and bickering in the Screen Actors Guild this week over the upcoming strike authorization vote. The ballots are set to go out on January 2, 2009. Yesterday, for a while the debate over that vote was put aside to announce the nominees for the 15th Annual SAG Awards.

The film about a face off between a Catholic old-school nun and a progressive priest, “Doubt” earned five nominations. ”Milk” the story of San Francisco politician/gay activist Harvey Milk and the mysterious tale of a man who ages backwards, “The Curious Case of Benjamin Button” each received three nominations.

And two nominations each for “Frost/Nixon,” the incredible saga of a bright but poor Indian teen, “Slumdog Millionaire,” and “The Dark Knight.” Heath Ledger was nominated for his freaky over-the-top portrayal of  the Joker in “The Dark Knight.”  The late Ledger is considered a front runner in the Oscar race for supporting actor.

 On the television side, best drama cast nominees are “Boston Legal,” “Dexter,” “House,” “Mad Men,” and “The Closer.” For Best Comedy “30 Rock,” “Desperate Housewives,” “Entourage,” “The Office,” and “Weeds.” Also, actor James Earl Jones is in line to receive SAG’s Life Achievement Award.

The SAG Award winners will be announced in a live cable broadcast on January 25, 2009, two days after SAG’s strike authorization ballots are counted.

A lot of tension and tight-jaws about the prospects of a SAG strike these days. Perhaps, all the finger pointing, angry statements, and protests should be directed at the Big Studios who are still making millions while refusing to give SAG a decent deal. There isn’t going to be much production without SAG actors so why not go ahead and pay them. Then, Hollywood can once again focus on the business of creating entertainment.

Google file image

To say that superstar Barbra Streisand is not a fan of President George W. Bush is a humongous understatement. Never shy about expressing her political views, Streisand is a well-known vocal critic of President Bush. This is why that awkward smooch between the two of them earlier this month is such a priceless moment.

On Sunday December 7, the singer/actress/director was a recipient of the Kennedy Center Honors along with several other artists. The honors recognize those who have helped define American culture through the performing arts. The honors are part of the living memorial to President John F. Kennedy.

The other recipients with Streisand were actor Morgan Freeman, country singer George Jones, dancer/choreographer Twyla Tharp, The Who musicians Pete Townshend and Roger Daltrey. A very impressive group. Still, the event will probably be remembered most for that kiss.

Streisand talks about the kiss on her website in a statement about the Kennedy Center Honors. She says on that weekend in Washington, D.C. , “…. art transcended politics.” You might be surprised to know, Streisand wrote some nice comments about the departing president. Also, there are some amusing lines like this one, ”…I think he was kissing me hello as I was kissing him goodbye…”  Streisand’s remarks about that event are definitely worth reading.

More cold temperatures, heavy rain, and snow caused havoc in the Southland today. Flooding, snow, and ice made travel on local highways and roads treacherous, forcing some closures. Most surprisingly, the snow level dropped to around 1500 feet.

Late today, falling snow shut down highway 14 into the Antelope Valley. Hundreds of motorists waiting and hoping to get home to Lancaster or Palmdale had to turn around and find another way home or spend the night elsewhere. Also, there are reports of weather-related power outages in parts of Los Angeles County.

In Burbank, the rain has been falling, pretty heavily at times, all day long. And it’s cold and windy. This morning, the temperatures were in the 40s and have stayed there most of the day. Tonight, it’s predicted the temp will drop into the mid-30s here and as low as the 20s in some other areas. Burr! Baby, it’s cold, rainy, and snowy outside.

One of the most prestigious and meaningful honors has been announced. Time magazine’s person of the year for 2008 is President-elect Barack Obama. The former first-term U.S. Senator’s message of change has not only resonated with millions of Americans, but with millions of other people around the world.

Obama was a long shot when he officially declared his candidacy for president in Springfield, Illinois back on February 10, 2007. Despite the chill of the day, thousands packed the town square there to cheer on Obama. Throughout the campaign, the crowds of supporters grew, as Obama’s message of change became a political tsunami that swept across the nation.

 The person of the year honor doesn’t go to the most popular, but to the most influential person. That definitely fits Barack Obama in 2008.

FLLewis/A Writer’s Groove – Burbank

These are not the best of times, but it’s good to see that has not dampened the holiday spirit of some homeowners and renters. Some of them are still going all out with holiday decorations. Many have had their lights and all the festive trimmings up for weeks. In the Burbank hills, many of my neighbors braved the chilly weather to decorate over the weekend.

Holiday decorations, a nice way to showcase your holiday spirit.

 Gina Ferrazzi/Los Angeles Times

A tragic Southland highway accident scene where a CHP officer was struck and killed by an out of control car yesterday.

The first serious winter storm to swoop down on Southern California turned out to be a real doozie. The most powerful portion came through late Sunday and yesterday, but it’s not over yet. The Arctic storm came packing heavy rains, cold temperatures, snow, and hail; causing treacherous conditions that resulted in several injuries and two deaths.

On Monday, more than a dozen people were injured in Anaheim when a roof collapsed. Down in San Diego, one person was killed and another hurt when an armored truck flipped over on a wet highway. Early yesterday in Hacienda Heights, Joseph Sanders was killed when two vehicles collided on the 60 freeway and one of them crashed into the CHP officer. Sanders reportedly was putting out flares around another accident when he was hit.

 Listening to traffic reports on the radio yesterday, I was just amazed at the numerous rain-related accidents and how often the reporters would say the drivers needed to slow down. When the first edge of the storm dusted the Southland with sprinkles on Saturday morning, I was driving from Burbank to Brea in Orange County. The freeways were wet and I was surprised at the wave of vehicles, small and large, that whipped past me at 70-plus miles per hour.

Every motorist knows the dangers of rain-slicked roads. Yet in the Southland, folks will ignore wet unsafe  conditions and continue to drive like maniacs. No matter how many accidents occur, too many drivers here just refuse to lighten up on the gas pedal — even if it costs lives — sometimes their own.

We can’t control when and where the storms roll in, but motorists can reduce the number of rain-related traffic accidents by slowing their roll. 

FLLewis / A Writer’s Groove

Voters in line at a Burbank polling place on November 4, 2008 

We first got a hint at the historic turnout in the November 2008 General Election from the many reports of voters waiting in long lines to cast their ballots. Now the numbers are in for California and they confirm that the turnout was indeed huge!

 Secretary of State Debra Bowen has certified that 13,743,177 Californians cast ballots in the November 4 election. That means 79.4 percent of the 17.3 million registered voters in the state participated in this election, the highest percentage since 1976. In a news release on Saturday, Bowen said: “This was an election for the history books.”

The election that attracted the most Californians was in 1964 when Lyndon B. Johnson defeated Barry Goldwater for president. In that election nearly 88.4 percent of registered voters in the state cast ballots. 

A new remake of the 1951 sci-fi classic, “The Day the Earth Stood Still,” shook up the Box Office this weekend. “The Day the Earth Stood Still” got less than stellar reviews, but moviegoers flocked to the film anyway, allowing it to rack up an estimated $31 million to become the number one flick in the country. An impressive debut for this version of “The Day the Earth Stood Still.”

Far behind in second place, “Four Christmases” took in around $13 million. The romantic comedy held down the number one spot for two weeks straight. In third this weekend, the vampire love story, “Twilight,” with $8 million followed by the computer-animated “Bolt” with about $7.5 million in fourth and rounding out the top five, the epic adventure “Australia” with an estimated $4 million. 

FLLewis/A Writer’s Groove

I don’t know about you, but sometimes wrapping gifts can be a major hassle during the holiday season. Many charities and volunteer groups are helping out shoppers by offering low cost or free gift wrapping services at businesses like Barnes & Noble.

When I dropped by the Barnes & Noble on North San Fernando Boulevard in Burbank late one evening last month, I met gift wrappers Cari and Makhyla Pelayo. Mother and daughter are long time volunteers of the Burbank chapter of the National Charity League. The chapter website says its mission “…foster mother-daughter relationships in social, cultural, leadership and philanthropic training.” Cari Pelayo is a big supporter of volunteer work for girls in order to show them their good fortune. She says “it’s important for young people … look what you have.” 

On the night after Thanksgiving, business was slow at the Burbank Barnes & Noble. The mother and daughter team worked 5-to-10 p.m. and only collected about $50 in donations for charity. Hopefully, shoppers will be more generous in the coming days, when the National Charity League volunteers will be wrapping gifts at the Burbank Barnes & Noble on December 15, 16, 17, 18, 22, and 23.

FLLewis/A Writer’s Groove

Two shoppers purchased a fresh Chrstmas tree at a Burbank lot and then stuffed it into a convertible VW.

Shoppers are cutting back on a lot of things this holiday season, but apparently that does not include natural Christmas trees. I can’t really blame them. Artificial trees are economical. Yet, you don’t get that special fragrance and feel of a real Christmas tree.

A quick check around the Internet shows natural tree sales are up in 2008. The National Christmas Tree Association says 25-35 million real Christmas trees are sold each year. The association’s website claims for every real Christmas tree harvested three new seedlings are planted. Also, the website lists the most popular Christmas trees as balsam fir, Douglas fir, Fraser fir, noble fir, Scotch pine, Virginia pine, and white pine.

I spotted two shoppers maneuvering a Christmas tree into the back of a convertible VW on November 30, at the Evergreen Christmas Tree lot on Glenoaks Boulevard in Burbank. The small trees were selling here for $19.95 and some of the larger ones for as much as $200.  And even on this early date, I saw a steady stream of folks picking out Christmas trees and carting them off.

Christmas is less than two weeks away, so this weekend the Christmas tree lots should be packed with eager shoppers. 

Bettie (also known as Betty) Page’s sexy, but fun photos became all the rage in the 1950s. Page is credited with helping usher in the sexual revolution of the 1960s. Last night, Page died at a hospital in Los Angeles. Page had been battling pneumonia when she suffered a heart attack on December 2.

Page’s most famous pictures showed her in high heels, swimsuits, lingerie, bondage attire or sometimes nothing at all. In 1955, she posed for a Christmas theme centerfold for Playboy magazine. Decades later, Page is still a popular photo model who has inspired fashion, style, and art. 

Page’s story has been told in a documentary and at least two films. In 2005, Gretchen Mol starred in a movie about the pin-up queen called, “The Notorious Bettie Page.”  Born in Nashville in 1923, Page was divorced three times and her later years were marked by a religious conversion, depression, and time spent in a mental hospital.

Page never wanted to be photographed in her old age. She preferred to be remembered as that hot 1950s pin-up girl who became a pop culture icon. 

The race for the 2008 Golden Globe Awards began today with the announcement of the nominees. Getting the most nominations on the film side, “Doubt”, ”Frost/Nixon,” and “The Curious Case of Benjamin Button.” Each movie was nominated in five categories by the Hollywood Foreign Press Association.

“The Curious Case of Benjamin Button” and “Frost/Nixon” were both nominated for best picture, best director, best actor, best screenplay, and best score.

Surprisingly, “The Dark Knight,” which got a lot of awards buzz when it came out during the summer, only received one nomination, that of best supporting actor for the late Heath Ledger who played the Joker.

On the television side, HBO racked up the most nominations with 22 for dramas like, “In Treatment,” “Entourage,” and “True Blood.”

The nominations were announced by Terrence Howard, Rainn Wilson, Elizabeth Banks, and Brooke Shields at the Beverly Hilton hotel this morning. The 2008 Golden Globe Awards will be presented at the same Beverly Hills hotel on January 11, 2009.

The Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers wasted no time in creating a response to yesterday’s announcement of a strike authorization vote by the Screen Actors Guild. On its website the AMPTP, the representative for the big studios, slammed SAG’s leadership for the breakdown in the contract talks. The AMPTP warned the actors that, “… no strike can solve the problems that have been created by SAG’s own failed negotiation strategy. ”

Along with a brief statement condemning the prospects of a strike, the AMPTP site includes a download of its so-called final offer as well as a counter that allegedly calculates the lost wages for the 100,000-plus SAG members since their contract expired June 30, 2008. Also, there’s a flashy graphic titled, “What SAG Members Will Lose During A Strike,” which claims the actors will lose $2.5 million a day, $17.5 million a week, and $75 million a month if they walk out.

I get the impression the actors are pretty clear on what the risks are if they hit the bricks. So that suggests the producers’ offer isn’t all that and the actors feel they deserve better. I suspect they’re probably right. SAG plans to mail out strike authorization ballots to its membership on January 2, 2009.

The Screen Actors Guild is gearing up for a strike authorization vote. Today on its website, SAG announced the ballots for that vote will be going out to the membership on January 2, 2009. This is a serious step in the direction of another crippling labor strike in the entertainment industry.

On Monday, SAG leaders reportedly got a lot of positive feedback to their negotiation strategy from several hundred union members at a town hall meeting held at the Harmony Gold Theatre in Los Angeles. Two more town hall meetings are scheduled for next week. In a press release today, Screen Actors Guild National President Alan Rosenberg said: “A yes vote sends a strong message that we are serious about fending off rollbacks and getting what is fair for actors in new media. ”

The strike authorization ballots will be counted on January 23. A yes vote by 75 percent of the ballots is required for passage. However, the Guild continues to stress passage would only mean the SAG national board of directors would be able to call a strike, “if and when the board determines it is necessary.”

Today NBC revealed some details of that new primetime gig for ”The Tonight Show” host Jay Leno. Hollywood and the media have been buzzing about the new Leno show since yesterday. NBC Entertainment/Universal Media Studios co-heads, Ben Silverman and Marc Graboff, joined Leno to make the official announcement at a news conference in Universal City.

Leno will vacate “The Tonight Show” desk on Friday, May 29, 2009. NBC decided to boot Leno out of the chair so that late night talker Conan O’Brien could take over. Interestingly, Leno said he will be taking many of the popular elements of “The Tonight Show” with him to his new 10.p.m show.

Leno could draw an even bigger audience for his new primetime show than ”The Tonight Show,” which airs at 11:30 p.m. NBC is getting some good press for the deal. It accomplishes two things: it keeps Leno from jumping to another network and the new one-hour talk show will be cheaper to produce at 10 p.m. than dramas or other types of programming.

Still, I can’t help wondering why the NBC bigwigs didn’t just move “The Tonight Show” with Jay Leno to 10.p.m. and create a new show for Conan O’Brien at 11:30p.m. O’Brien will be handing over his 12:30 a.m. show hosting duties to Jimmy Fallon. 

Meanwhile, Leno has a very loyal audience. During the Writers Guild strike last winter, Leno fans kept watching ”The Tonight Show” even though it lacked writers and high-profile guests. More than likely, that same audience will gladly tune in an hour and a half earlier to catch Leno’s monologue and other familiar bits from “The Tonight Show.” First, it looked like NBC was treating Leno pretty shabby by throwing him over for O’Brien. Now it appears Leno may have come out of all of this with the best deal.

There is a lot of fallout from the Black Friday death of a temp employee at a New York Wal-Mart store. The worker, Jdimytai Damour, was 6-5 and tipped the scales at 270 pounds. Nevertheless, when a bargain hungry throng of two thousand or so shoppers rammed through the doors, Damour was trampled to death. A few days ago, Damour’s family named Wal-Mart as a defendant in a wrongful death lawsuit.

Fred, not his real name, says he’s survived some dangerous Black Fridays at Wal-Mart. He remembers back in 2006, when the Las Vegas area Wal-Mart he was working at had more special sale items than ever before. There were additional police on hand and extra precautions. “We had opened the doors and erected barriers to hold back the crowds,” Fred says.  However, the situation went from calm and orderly to a riot when a manager declared over the loudspeaker that the merchandise would be distributed on a “first come first serve basis.”

“There was suddenly a loud roaring sound of people screaming, pushing forward. They attacked the police officers, Wal-Mart associates, anyone standing in front of the pallets of the items (electronic, toys, appliances, and house wares). I was at the door of the store but I could see the mass of humanity pushing, shoving, fighting, yelling, and behaving like a pride of lions on the first meal. Wal-Mart supervisors jumped onto the pallets and began to throw items into the crowd to save their employees from being crushed by shoppers. It took this effort and the depletion of the items to bring order. The police arrested at least 10 shoppers; five Wal-Mart employees were injured,” according to Fred now a former Wal-Mart employee.

Before I spoke with Fred, I thought the tragic death of a Wal-Mart employee on November 28 occurred during a rare episode of shopper insanity. Now, after listening to Fred recount his experience, clearly Wal-Mart has had crowd control problems before. It is really too bad the retailer did not make some serious changes to curtail the Black Friday mob mentality among shoppers at its stores before one man lost his life needlessly. 

Alec Greven is only 9-years-old, but he knows a thing or two about sweet talking girls. The Colorado fourth grader wrote a self-help pamphlet for his fellow students at the age of eight. “How to Talk to Girls,” was a big hit at a school book fair. Publisher Harper Collins snatched up the dating book and released it last month.  

“How to Talk to Girls,” has been selling briskly. When I checked today, it was number 42 on the Barnes & Noble website and ranked 99 on Amazon.com’s bestseller list. Recently, the pint-size love guru has been interviewed on “The Ellen DeGeneres Show, CNN, and the “Today Show.”

 Now, the young author has a movie deal. The Hollywood Reporter says Fox made a low-to-mid six figure deal for “How to Talk to Girls.” Meanwhile, Greven is planning to write a series of sequels for various age levels as he grows up and gains more knowledge about the opposite sex.

 Like many I was shocked by the Black Friday death of a Wal-Mart store employee last month. In a totally out of control scene, a crowd of about two thousand eager shoppers broke down doors and stormed into a Wal-Mart in New York the morning after Thanksgiving. A temporary employee, 34-year-old Jdimytai Damour, didn’t move fast enough and was trampled to death. Several others, including a pregnant woman, suffered minor injuries in the stampede.

Last week, the family of the trampled employee filed a wrongful-death lawsuit naming several defendants including Wal-Mart. In a statement, shortly after the tragedy, the nation’s largest retailer said: “The safety and security of our customers and associates is our top priority.” Hmm, is this really the case or has Wal-Mart been putting profit ahead of the safety of its workers and the public?

A former Wal-Mart temp employee, whom I’ll call “Fred,” worked for several years at a store in Las Vegas. Fred says the first year he stocked shelves and helped set up displays on Thanksgiving night. Fred has an extensive work resume, but he insists he was not prepared for the Black Friday bargain shoppers. “I was surprised at the volume of people and at the aggressiveness by which they literally ran to the display and grab the items. In fact, if not for the effort, (of) one of my co-workers to push me out of the way I probably would have been trampled in the stampede.”

At Wal-Mart, Black Friday is known as “Blitz Day” because shoppers blitz the store hunting for one-time bargains, according to Fred.

Tomorrow in part 2 of this report, Fred recounts the time a manager whipped a Black Friday crowd into a frenzy with just one phrase over the loudspeaker.

Reese Witherspoon and Vince Vaugh are on a roll. Their romantic comedy movie, “Four Christmases,” is  number one at the Box Office for the second straight weekend. Moviegoers apparently are looking for laughs and romance wrapped up in the spirit of the holidays.

“Four Christmases” earned an estimated $18 million this weekend, which brings the film’s domestic total to around $70 million. “Four Christmases” had a production budget in the $80 million range. 

In second place, the teen vampire romance picture, “Twilight,” with an estimated $13 million, followed by the animated film, “Bolt” in third with around $10 million, then the adventure romance “Australia” with about $7 million in fourth, and rounding out the top five with an estimated $6.6 million the latest Bond flick, “Quantum of Solace.”