President Obama meets with White House Chief of Staff Rahm Emanuel in the Oval Office.

The parties and celebrations of the historic inauguration of the 44th president are over. (Technical problems on my site blocked me from blogging yesterday. Some of the glitches are still being worked out.)  Meanwhile today, President Barack Obama got down to the business of running the country and dealing with its myriad of problems.

President Obama’s first full day on the job got off to a fast start with the signing of several executive orders and phone calls to Middle East leaders about the conflict in Gaza. This afternoon the new president is scheduled to huddle with the nation’s top military leaders to discuss a timetable for the withdrawal of our combat troops from Iraq; one of Obama’s main campaign promises.

As part of his activities on this Martin Luther King Jr. Holiday, President-elect Barack Obama today visited  a shelter for homeless and runaway teens in Washington, D.C.  A renovation project was underway, so the future president picked up a roller brush and helped paint.

“Today, we celebrate the life of a preacher who, more than 45 years ago, stood on our National Mall in the shadow of Lincoln and shared his dream for our nation. His was a vision that all Americans might share the freedom to make of our lives what we will; that our children might climb higher than we would.”

“Dr. Martin Luther King’s was a life lived in loving service to others. As we honor that legacy, it’s not a day just to pause and reflect — it’s a day to act.”

President-elect Barack Obama in a statement released today.

Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.  ( January 15, 1929 – April 4, 1968)

His life and legacy remembered on a national holiday every third Monday of January.

“And I must confess, my friends  that the road ahead will not always be smooth. There will still be rocky places of frustration and meandering points of bewilderment. There will be inevitable setbacks here and there. And there will be those moments when the buoyancy of hope will be transformed into the fatigue of despair. Our dreams will sometimes be shattered and our ethereal hopes blasted… But difficult and painful as it is, we must walk on in the days ahead with an audacious faith in the future.”

 From the “Where Do We Go From Here?” speech delivered by Dr. King to the Southern Christian Leadership Conference on August 16, 1967 in Atlanta, Georgia.

Photo by Doug Mills/The New York Times

Somewhere between 500-and-750-thousand people ignored frigid temperatures to gather on the National Mall in front of the Lincoln Memorial in Washington D.C. today for the “We Are One” concert. Superstars who took part in the event included Bruce Springsteen, Beyonce, Garth Brooks, Stevie Wonder, U2, Usher, James Taylor, Tom Hanks, Denzel Washington, and Tiger Woods.

The free concert was a big draw, but most in the crowd came to hear the next President of the United States, Barack Obama, who delivered a speech of hope and inspiration.

Photo by Doug Mills/ The New York Times

  ”… what gives me the greatest hope of all is not the stone and marble that surrounds us today, but what fills the spaces in between. It is you — Americans of every race and region and station who came here because you believe in what this country can be and because you want to help us get there.”

“There is no doubt that our road will be long, that our climb will be steep. But never forget that the true character of our nation is revealed not during times of comfort and ease, but by the right we do when the moment is hard. I ask you to help me reveal that character once more and, together, we can carry forward as one nation, and one people, the legacy of our forefathers that we celebrate today.”

“Paul Blart: Mall Cop”  #1 at the Box Office

Movie theaters reportedly are doing great business over this long Martin Luther King Junior Holiday weekend. Leading the pack of films at the Box Office, a new contender “Paul Blart: Mall Cop,” which is now the number one flick in the country.

“Paul Blart: Mall Cop” racked up an estimated $34 million. The comedy is about a mild mannered security guard who takes on a group of bad guys in a New Jersey mall. Last weekend’s front runner, “Gran Torino,” got bumped to second place with around $22 million. Close behind in third, a new horror film, “My Bloody Valentine 3-D” with about $21.9 million.

The new biopic of the late hip-hop legend Christopher Wallace aka Biggie Smalls and Notorious B.I.G. came in fourth with an excellent haul of $21.5 million. “Notorious” played in only 1,638 theaters, far less than any other film in the top five, but it earned a whopping screen average of $13,126.  Rounding out the top five, the new family comedy “Hotel for Dogs,” with around $18 million.

 photo by Richard Perry/The New York Times

Today President-elect Barack Obama rode the rails from Philadelphia to Washington, D.C. with family, friends, supporters, and the media. Vice-President Joe Biden and his wife Jill boarded the train in Wilmington, Delaware. Thousands of people braved brutally cold weather to cheer on the new president and his administration of change. The whistle stop tour followed part of the journey taken by Abraham Lincoln to his own inauguration ceremony in 1861.

President-elect Barack Obama made several stirring speeches about our history, our hopes, our dreams, and the work ahead.

In Philadelphia Obama said: ”… we should never forget that we are the heirs of that first band of patriots, ordinary men and women who refused to give up when it all seemed so improbable; and who somehow believed that they had the power to make the world anew. That is the spirit that we must reclaim today.”

Actor Brendan Fraser is about to hit the big screen in another fantasy adventure film. Last year, Fraser gave movie fans a wild ride in the remake of “Journey to the Center of the Earth,” and the third installment of the Mummy franchise, “The Mummy: Tomb of the Dragon Emperor.” Fraser starred in the two previous Mummy movies as well. All were Box Office hits. Each film earned more than $200 million worldwide.

Fraser’s latest film, “Inkheart,” is scheduled to open next Friday, January 23.  Based on the bestselling young adult novel of the same name, “Inkheart” is about a bookbinder who has the magical ability to bring characters to life when he reads stories out loud. This leads to an incredible adventure for the bookbinder and his daughter.

 German author Cornelia Funke says “Inkheart” was special from page one: ”No story has ever forced itself onto paper as strongly and uncompromisingly and I think this has to do with the fact that it is a story about my own deepest passions – for books and for reading stories aloud.” The fantasy adventures continue in book two and three of the trilogy, “Inkspell” and “Inkdeath.”

Next Saturday, January 24, Funke will make a special appearance at the Buena Vista Branch of the Burbank Library. She will be discussing the ”Inkheart” novel, the motion picture based on it, as well as answering questions from fans and signing copies of the book. The library is at 300 North Buena Vista Street. The doors open at 1:30 p.m and the event begins a half hour later at 2 p.m. This is a joint production between Warner Bros. Studios and the Burbank Library.

Holy Name of Mary Church at 724 Bonita Avenue in San Dimas

Hundreds packed the Holy Name of Mary Church today to mourn and remember the nine family members killed in that vengeful Christmas Eve massacre by a gunman dressed in a Santa costume. The media was not allowed on the church grounds. KNX 1070 newsradio reported a huge crowd filled the church, which seats more than a thousand, forcing many to listen to the funeral service over loudspeakers outside. 

 Police say 45-year-old Bruce Jeffrey Pardo, an unemployed recently divorced engineer, stormed into the Covina home of his ex-in-laws during a Christmas Eve party. Pardo shot several people and then torched the home with a homemade device. A few hours after the attack, Pardo killed himself.

All of the victims of that massacre have been identified: they are Pardo’s 43-year-old wife Sylvia, her parents 80-year-old  Joseph Ortega and 70-year-old Alicia Ortega, her brother 50-year-old Charles Ortega and his 45-year-old wife Cheri, her brother 52-year-old James Ortega and his wife 51-year-old Teresa, her 46-year-old sister Alicia Ortiz , and her 17-year-old nephew Michael Ortiz.

The cremated remains of the victims will be buried at Forest Lawn Memorial Park in Covina Hills. 

Breaking into the entertainment business as a screenwriter is tough for most folks. You need luck, connections, and probably some help from a higher power to go along with talent. A new online screenwriting contest is making some attractive offers, which could led to that much needed “foot in the door” for some script writers.

Co-Write is asking for writers to submit their best ten pages for possible inclusion in a community-created screenplay. Story idea and submission details are on the website. Benderspink, a top management and production company, is backing the project. The goal is to have a screenplay written collaboratively by a group of writers over the next six months “… one big writing team trying to make a script sale and produce a Hollywood blockbuster.”

The deadline for submitting the first set of ten pages is coming up pretty quickly. So if I may paraphrase that famous line by Clint Eastwood in the film ”Dirty Harry” (1971), “Do you feel lucky?”  If so, click over to the site and check out the Co-Write screenplay challenge and the prizes offered to the winners.

One of the most important showcases for independent cinema, the Sundance Film Festival, opens today in Park City, Utah. Sundance is celebrating its 25th year. More than 115 films and 16 documentaries were selected for screening during the 10-day festival. Entertainer Chris Rock has a film in the U.S. documentary competition. In “Good Hair” Rock takes an amusing look at the complex culture of African-American hairstyles. ”Good Hair” is directed by Jeff Stilson who shares screenwriting credits with Rock, Lance Crouther, and Chuck Sklar.

Also, Rock is going to be applying his special brand of humor to a new book. There are reports out this week that the comedian has a new deal with Grand Central Publishing. The new Rock book is scheduled for the fall of 2010. Rock’s last book, “Rock This!” was a best selling collection of essays, which came out in 1998.

 Rock has won three Primetime Emmy Awards and produces the popular TV series, “Everybody Hates Chris.”  Also, he stays busy as an actor. Last year, Rock appeared in the movie comedy, “You Don’t Mess with the Zohan,” and he was the voice of Marty the zebra in an animated film ”Madagascar: Escape 2 Africa.”

FLLewis/A Writer’s Groove

Four copies of the first edition of that special Obama/Spidey comic went on sale for $40 at Legacy in Glendale 01/14/09.

Marvel Comics’ special inauguration issue of “Amazing Spider-man” dropped yesterday and the company is already planning a second edition. Some folks who were able to find and buy a copy were thrilled, while those who could not find the issue were understandably disappointed. Now, here’s some good news.  The word is there will be plenty more copies hitting comic book shops next month.

At the House of Secrets in Burbank, the doors opened at 11 a.m. yesterday and an hour and a half later all copies of the regular cover version of “Amazing Spider-Man” 583 were sold. I stopped by there in the afternoon. Manager Erik Warfield was still getting inquiries about the special Obama/Spidey issue, “every other phone call … since last Friday.” 

Warfield and owner Paul Grimshaw say they were as disappointed as frustrated would-be buyers that they did not get more copies of the special issue. They received only 70 regular issues and 45 of them were pre-paid orders. Apparently, retailers received an allotment of the the issues calculated on a complex formula based on certain previous orders.

Over in Glendale, Legacy Comics and Cards got only 30 of the regular Obama/Spidey issue and those were sold through pre-orders before the store opened its doors at 11:30 a.m. Legacy fared better than many retailers in that it got 47 copies of the limited special issue with the president-elect and Spidey on the cover. Twenty-three of those were pre-paid. When I picked up my copy of that issue at 3 p.m. they had only four copies left.

Aaron Eaton, who has worked at Legacy seven years, says some buyers were very determined to get that limited special issue. One woman, who happened to be in Las Vegas yesterday, had a co-worker pick up her copy. Another lives in Pennsylvania  and could not find it there — so she had her mother buy a copy at Legacy. Also, while I was at Legacy, local Telemundo anchor Jose Ronstadt came in and bought two copies of the limited special issue.

 Still for some the price tag of $40 for the limited special issue was too much. I saw a mother and a young boy leave empty handed for that reason. However, they’ll get another chance. The second edition of the special inauguration issue of  “Amazing Spider-Man” is due in stores on Wednesday, February 11, 2009. 

Amazing Spider-Man # 583

President-elect Barack Obama has done some pretty amazing things before even taking the oath of office. His historic victory in the 2008 presidential race probably tops the list. More than likely somewhere on that list is Obama’s hook-up today with that web-slinging wise-cracking superhero, Spider-man.

Through the magic of Marvel Comics, Obama and Spidey team up to stop an old foe of the webhead from disrupting the swearing -in ceremony on January 20, Inauguration Tuesday.  Since it was previewed in the media last Friday demand for the special issue has been running very high.

Yesterday, I called House of Secrets on West Olive Avenue in Burbank and was told their phones had been ringing constantly with buyers looking for the Obama/Spidey issue. They’ll have the first version on sale for $3.99 today, but not the so-called variant issue with Obama and his superhero pal on the cover. Both versions are limited, and the one with the Obama/Spidey cover rarer still.

Legacy over on Wilson Avenue in downtown Glendale has both versions. Last night, there was already a waiting list for the comic with Obama and Spidey on the cover. The price; 40 bucks plus $3.30 for sales tax. That’s pretty steep for a comic book, but the buzz is this one is a collector’s item from day one.  So I dropped by and plopped down my money for the issue with the new dynamic duo on the cover.

 Both local comic book shops are expecting a lot of foot traffic today. I would imagine speciality stores nationwide, which managed to get copies of the Obama/Spidey issue, will be doing a bang-up business as well.

John Travolta, Kelly Preston, and daughter Ella in 2007

Actors John Travolta and Kelly Preston continue to be gracious and thoughtful to others, while dealing with their family tragedy. Yesterday, a letter from the Travolta family was published in the Ocala Star-Banner newspaper and on its website. The Travoltas have a home in Ocala, Florida and that’s where a memorial service was held last Thursday for 16-year-old Jett Travolta.

The teenager died on January 2, after being discovered unconscious in a bathroom of the couple’s vacation home in the Bahamas.  An autopsy was performed, but the official cause of death was not released. There are reports Jett Travolta died as a result of a seizure.

In their letter to “The People of Ocala,” the Travolta family (John, Kelly, and daughter Ella)  thanked neighbors and friends for their sympathy and support: “Comforting words, thoughts and prayers of Ocala’s citizens have made an impossibly painful situation, a little less painful.”

The Travolta letter ended with a message that seemed to extend to more than just their Ocala neighbors: “In parting, we want all of you to cherish your loved ones and your friends like there was no tomorrow, to live your lives to the fullest by continuing to help one another, and to be true to yourselves.”  

Dev Patel and Freida Pinto star in “Slumdog Millionaire.”

“Slumdog Millionaire” has some additional Oscar buzz today after winning several major awards at the 66th Annual Golden Globes ceremony last night in Beverly Hills. “Slumdog Millionaire” picked up Globes for best movie drama, best film director, best film screenplay, and best original film score. The drama is about an orphan who struggles through a life in the slums to become a contestant on India’s version of the TV game show, ”Who Wants to Be a Millionaire?”

Other top winners include Kate Winslet for best supporting film actress in “The Reader” and best film actress in a drama for “Revolutionary Road.” Mickey Rourke won the best film actor trophy for his work in “The Wrestler.” As expected, the best supporting actor in a film drama Globe went to the late Heath Ledger for his incredible performance as the Joker in “The Dark Knight.”

The Hollywood Foreign Press Association handed out a bunch of Globes for television achievement as well. The HBO mini-series “John Adams” won four awards.  Also, “30 Rock” was selected best TV comedy and “Mad Men” won for best TV drama. The complete list of all the winners along with photos and videos are on the Golden Globes website.  

Clint Eastwood producer/star/director of “Gran Torino.”

The New Year is off to a great start for 78-year-old mega-star Clint Eastwood. His new film, “Gran Torino,” went into wide release this weekend; and quickly barreled right to the top of the Box Office to park in the number one spot. ”Gran Torino” pulled in an estimated $29 million, the best opening ever for an Eastwood film.

“Gran Torino” is a drama about a gruff Korean War veteran, played by Eastwood, who stands-up for some victimized immigrants in his Detroit neighborhood. Eastwood produced and directed the film as well. After five weeks, “Gran Torino” has chalked up $40 million and a lot of Oscar buzz. Eastwood has won four Academy Awards; they are for best picture and best director for the films “Unforgiven” in 1993 and “Million Dollar Baby” in 2005. 

 Coming in second, the new romantic comedy “Bride Wars” raked in $21.5 million, followed closely by the  new horror flick, “The Unborn” with $21 million. “Marley & Me” takes fourth with a haul of $11 million and rounding out the top five, “The Curious Case of Benjamin Button” with around $9 million.

FLLewis/A Writer’s Groove — Burbank

Now is definitely the time to kick that sluggish or dormant workout plan into high gear. The holiday noshing is over; the business of working off those extra pounds is well underway for a lot of folks. I was out this week, huffing and puffing my way through the Burbank foothills along with other walkers and joggers.

This morning, when I stepped outside it was around 45 in Burbank. I thought that was a bit chilly. Still, today’s weather forecast is for sunny clear skies and temperatures in the mid-70s. Tomorrow, we may be up into the 80s in Burbank. Oh, yeah! This is my idea of winter. Quite a difference from Orr, Minnesota, the coldest spot in the nation this morning with a low of 31 below zero. The high there today is only expected to rise to 6-11 degrees above zero. Burrr!

Living in the Southland has its disadvantages like earthquakes, wildfires, and crazy freeway drivers, but on a January day like today — the negatives don’t seem to be that big of a deal to me.

In these troubled and shaky financial times who doesn’t need some professional advice on money matters. Along that line, talk show host and mega-successful entrepreneur, Oprah Winfrey, is offering one of the best bargains around.

Right now, at www.oprah.com readers can download a free copy of “Suze Orman’s 2009 Action Plan.” Orman is a top notch finance guru and the author of six consecutive New York Times bestsellers. A lot of folks are buying Orman’s latest book as well. Today “Suze Orman’s 2009 Action Plan” is number one on the Barnes & Noble website. Orman’s book of tips and plans for weathering the turbulent financial scene in 2009 is ranked number 5 over on Amazon’s bestseller list.

The Oprah free download of Orman’s book ends next Thursday, January 15. Also on that date, Orman will be answering money questions in a live webcast — details on the Oprah website.

Barack Obama and Spidey share a fist-bump in Marvel Comics’ upcoming special issue of ”Amazing Spider-Man.”

President-elect Barack Obama has met plenty of famous people, but next week he will get a rare opportunity to hang with a superhero. On January 14, Marvel Comics plans to release a special issue of “Amazing Spider-Man” featuring Obama.

The story line of “Spidey Meets the President” revolves around an old foe of the web-slinger trying to disrupt the swearing in ceremony of the 44th president during the inauguration ceremony in Washington, DC on January 20. “”When we heard that President-Elect Obama is a collector of Spider-Man comics, we knew that these two historic figures had to meet in our comics’ Marvel Universe,” says Marvel’s Editor-in-Chief Joe Quesada. “Historic moments such as this one can be reflected in our comics because the Marvel Universe is set in the real world. A Spider-Man fan moving into the Oval Office is an event that must be commemorated in the pages of Amazing Spider-Man.”

 Reports have been flying around for a while about Obama being part geek. Nevertheless, his appearance in the special issue of “Amazing Spider-Man”  is unusual, but not unprecedented; example in 1963, President John F. Kennedy was depicted in Action Comics #309 where he protected the secret identity of Clark Kent.

Still, it’s pretty cool that Obama is going to be teaming up with one of the most popular superheroes ever. Marvel Comics will be shipping ”Amazing Spider-Man” #583 to comic book stores nationwide. The issue is expected to quickly become a collector’s item when it goes on sale next Wednesday.

Today several films got a boost in the Oscar race with the announcement of the contenders for top feature film director of 2008 by the Directors Guild of America. The five nominees for the DGA Award are Christopher Nolan for “The Dark Knight,” Gus Van Sant “Milk,” David Fincher “The Curious Case of Benjamin Button,” Ron Howard “Frost/Nixon,” and Danny Boyle for “Slumdog Millionaire.”

This the first DGA nomination for Danny Boyle and David Fincher; the others have several nominations to their credit. Taylor Hackford, DGA Third Vice President, explained the significance of the award: “What makes this award truly meaningful to directors is the knowledge that only this award is decided solely by their peers – the men and women who live the passion, sweat and fear that goes into creating feature films.”

Also, the DGA Award nominees quickly become front runners for the best director Academy Award. They began handing out the DGA Award in 1948; since then only six times has the winner of that award not gone on to win the Oscar for best director. In 1995, Ron Howard won the DGA Award for “Apollo 13,” but Mel Gibson took home the best director Oscar that year for “Braveheart.” Howard had better luck in 2001 when he won both the DGA Award and the best director Oscar for “A Beautiful Mind.”

The winner of the 2008 DGA Award will be announced on Saturday, January 31, 2009 at the Hyatt Regency Century Plaza Hotel in West Los Angeles.

 Actress/singer Beyonce has plenty to smile about these days. The nominations for the 40th NAACP Image Awards were announced in Beverly Hills today. Beyonce’s name was mentioned five times in connection with her hot new album “I Am…Sasha Fierce.” The entertainer received a sixth nomination for her supporting role in the film “Cadillac Records.”

Actress/singer Jennifer Hudson received seven nomination and is competing against Beyonce in a number of music categories. Also, Hudson is going head-to-head with Beyonce in the best supporting film actress category. Hudson was nominated for her performance in “The Secret Life of Bees.”

In the best motion picture category “Cadillac Records” will compete against “The Secret Life of Bees,” “Miracle at St. Anna,” “Seven Pounds,” and “Tyler Perry’s The Family That Preys.” Perry scored six nominations for his television series, “Tyler Perry’s House of Pain,” including best comedy series. The other TV comedies in that category are, “Ugly Betty,” “The Game,” “Everybody Hates Chris” and “30 Rock.” For best TV drama the nominations went to “The Wire,” “The Unit,” “Grey’s Anatomy,” “House,” and “Lincoln Heights.”

The NAACP received 12 hundred entries for the five slots in each of the 53 categories. The organization’s membership will vote for the winners who will be announced during an awards show, Thursday February 12, 2009 on Fox. The 40th NAACP Image Awards broadcast will be hosted by actress Halle Berry and screenwriter/actor Tyler Perry.