“Marvel’s The Avengers” has reached another milestone. Last Sunday, the superhero ensemble flick hit the $1 billion mark worldwide. It did so in only 19 days, according to Box Office Mojo. Meanwhile, “The Avengers” clobbered the competition in the domestic box office over the weekend, by holding onto the number one spot with a haul of $103 million.

Far behind in second place, “Dark Shadows” with a debut of $29.6 million. This is a  take-off on the Gothic TV soap opera, “Dark Shadows,” but despite having Tim Burton as the director and Johnny Depp as its star, the film stumbled. The word is this horror comedy has some funny moments yet fails  because of a disjointed script.

Meanwhile,  the romantic comedy, “Think Like a Man,” is continuing to pack them in at theaters. The movie earned $5.8 million, good enough for third. In a month, “Think Like a Man” has collected $81.4 million. “The  Hunger Games” took fourth with $4.5 million, and rounding out the top five in the weekend box office derby, “The Lucky One” with $4.1 million.

Have you ever seen broken branches on a gusty day?

And then, have you seen a bird nest hanging on that branch?

Yes, that’s really amazing.

Though branches may be broken by strong wind, bird nests won’t be broken.

Jennifer Hudson file photo

Today a Chicago jury came back with a verdict in the murder trial involving the shooting deaths of three members of entertainer Jennifer Hudson’s family: her mother 57-year-old Darnell Donerson, brother 29-year-old Jason Hudson, and 7-year-old nephew, Julian King. The jury convicted the brother-in-law of the Oscar-winning actress on all counts. Thirty-one-year-old William Balfour faces a mandatory life in prison term.

The prosecution argued the motive for the killings, back in October of 2008, was jealousy after Jennifer’s sister Julia dumped Balfour and was seeking a divorce. The actress/singer attended every day of the two week trial. More on the verdict here on the Chicago Tribune website.

Photo: Terje "Terry" Canavarro/Freelance Photog -- Crowds greeted President Obama as he arrived by motorcade in Studio City for a star-studded fundraiser at actor George Clooney's house May 10, 2012

President Barack Obama boarded Air Force One at LAX  this morning, headed for Reno, Nevada. Obama’s visit to the Southland was brief, but lucrative. Last night, the president was the main attraction at a posh dinner party at the Studio City home of actor George Clooney, which reportedly raised $15 million for his re-election bid — the most ever for a campaign fundraiser.

Local freelance photographer Terje “Terry” Canavarro got pictures of  the presidential motorcade arriving in Studio City around 7 p.m. last night.  Terry shot his photos from the balcony of a restaurant near Ventura and Laurel Canyon Boulevards.  Here are more of his photos.

Photo: Terje "Terry" Canavarro/Freelance Photog --A crowd gathered at Ventura and Laurel Canyon Boulevards in hopes of seeing the president's motorcade go by in Studio City May 10, 2012

Photo: Terje "Terry" Canavarro/Freelance Photog --President Obama's motorcade in Studio City May 10, 2012

Photo: Terje "Terry" Canavarro/Freelance Photog -- Crowd cheered and waved at President Obama as his motorcade traveled Studio City streets May 10, 201

The most detailed and interesting report about the Studio City fundraiser, including observations from the White House press pool, is over on Deadline.com. President Obama reportedly spoke for about 20 minutes before going around to chat with the guests at each of the 14 tables (among them Hollywood stars and major players like Robert Downey Jr. and Barbra Streisand).  First, however, he gave some shout-outs to Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa, San Fernando Valley Congressman Howard Berman, DreamWorks’ Jeffrey Katzenberg, and of course the host, George Clooney.

President Obama:

“… let’s face it, we raised a lot of money because everybody loves George.  (Laughter.)  They like me; they love him.  (Laughter.) And rightfully so.  Not only is he an unbelievable actor, but he is one of those rare individuals who is at ease with everybody, seems to just occupy a constant state of grace, and uses his extraordinary talents on behalf of stuff that’s really important.  And he takes time to actually figure out the facts and the issues.  (Applause.)  And so we couldn’t be prouder of George.  Thank you.  (Applause.)  And I couldn’t be prouder of him as a friend.”

Also, the president gave some props to the American people and their steadfastness during the past three years or so of tough economic times.

“And one of the great privileges of being President is you travel around the country and every day there’s an affirmation of how decent and how strong and how caring the American people are.  They’re not always paying attention to the babble in Washington.  They don’t have the time to read big briefing books on the latest ideas for Medicare reform.  But they have good instincts about what’s right and what’s true.  And it’s those instincts and it’s that resilience that really has enabled this country to weather an extraordinary storm.”

The nominees for the 39th annual Daytime Entertainment Emmy Awards were announced this morning on the NBC “Today Show.” The ceremony is scheduled for next month, on Saturday, June 23 at the Beverly Hilton Hotel, but oddly a decision on who will carry the live broadcast has not been made yet.

ABC collected the most nominations with 56, followed by PBS with 51. ABC’s long running soap, “General Hospital,” got the most nomination this time around. In second, “Sesame Street” and “The Young and the Restless” tied with 16 each. A list of all the nominations here. Also, The Hollywood Reporter has more on the nominations and the uncertain telecast.

Photo: Pete Souza/White House -- President Obama spoke on the economy at the State University of New York in Albany, N.Y. May 8, 2012

President Barack Obama is due to arrive in the Southland tomorrow and is expected to attend a major star-studded re-election fundraiser in Studio City. It’s sort of a house party at the palatial pad of actor George Clooney.

The sold-out affair is shaping up to be a biggie with a number of major Hollywood players throwing down serious bucks to get on the guest list. The cost; as high as $40,000 per person, according to The Wrap. However, one lucky contest winner gets two free guest passes to the fundraiser. More here .

Also, LA Observed has a detailed post on President Obama’s  upcoming trip to the Southland, the Clooney bash,  and the traffic mess it could cause around Studio City.

Walt Disney Studio wasted no time in greenlighting a sequel to its mega-hit, “Marvel’s The Avengers.” Disney CEO Bob Iger confirmed today what most suspected, that there will be a second teaming of “The Avengers” for the big screen. The superhero flick had a super opening weekend and has performed extremely well in foreign markets.  Deadline.com has more on “The Avengers 2,” plus some interesting comments about the blockbuster film and its sequel.

Photo: FLLewis/Media City G -- Ticket holders for "Marvel's The Avengers" had to wait in specially designated lines at the AMC Burbank 16 May 04, 2012

“Marvel’s The Avengers” had an incredible weekend debut according to the final figures released yesterday. The superhero team-up of  Iron Man, Captain America, Thor, Hawkeye, Black Widow, and the Hulk earned a record breaking $207.4 million last weekend — easily becoming the number one film in the country. The mega-hit centers on what happens when the Avengers assemble to fight Thor’s evil brother Loki who is trying to take over Earth. The stars include Robert Downey, Jr., Chris Evans, Scarlett Johansson, Mark Ruffalo, Chris Hemsworth, Jeremy Renner, and Samuel L. Jackson.

“Marvel’s The Avengers” captured the crown for the top grossing opening weekend. It smashed previous records for fastest film to reach $100 million, $150 million, and $200 million. More on the superhero flick’s monumental achievements since opening last Friday on Box Office Mojo.Oh, the film has quickly scooped up $447 million in foreign markets. The big question now is how quickly will “The Avengers” hit the one billion dollar mark worldwide?

As for the rest of the top five, the romantic comedy “Think Like a Man,” slipped from first to second place with $8.1 million — for a total of $73 million in three weeks at the domestic box office. “The Hunger Games” came in third with $5.58 million, followed closely by “The Pirates! Band of Misfits” $5.5 million and “The Lucky One” with $5.3 million.

Photo: FLLewis/Media City G -- A very long line at the ticket window of the AMC Burbank 16 Friday evening May 4, 2012

As expected “Marvel’s The Avengers” is off to a very fast start at the domestic box office. Yesterday, opening day, the superhero ensemble film packed them in at the theaters across the nation to the tune of an estimated $80.5 million. Some of those moviegoers waited in long lines to see “The Avengers” at the AMC Burbank 16 over on East Palm Avenue in downtown.

“The Avengers’” is now second only to “Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2″ for opening day grosses. That Potter finale holds the record with $91.1 million on opening day.

Photo: FLLewis/Media City G -- Special lines were set up for "The Avengers" ticket holders at the AMC Burbank 16 Friday May 4, 2012

No doubt “The Avengers” will be the box office champ this weekend. The question is how much will the blockbuster earn? Estimates are running as high as $175 and even $200 million. Wow!

“Marvel’s The Avengers” is the big movie this weekend. The superhero ensemble flick reportedly raked in around $18 million at midnight shows last night. If you are not into comic books or you missed some of the other superhero movies like “Iron Man,” “Captain America,”  ”Thor,” or you just need a refresher on who’s who and what’s at stake — check out the witty guide on The Wrap called “‘The Avengers’: 5 Things You Need to Know If You Don’t Read Comic Books.” The post proves background on the bigger-than-life main characters and answers the important question of what is a tesseract?

The Mega Millions jackpot is on a money roll. No one got all of the winning numbers correct in last night’s draw. Those hot numbers are 24, 27, 31, 45, 52, and the Mega is 38. However, two California players did get all but the Mega right — each ticket is worth $197, 007.

Today the Mega Millions money pot stands at $118 million — could be even higher by the next draw this Friday, May 4, at 7:45 p.m.

Photo courtesy Guest Blogger Jean Youn

Now, the solar calendar is the one which most of the countries on the globe use. However, there are some countries which use both the solar and the lunar calendar, especially in the Orient. China and Korea are representative among them.

A leap year in the solar calendar system, which occurs every four years, has 366 days. But a leap year in the lunar calendar system comes every three years and has 13 months, instead of 12 months. This additional month is called a leap month. In the lunar calendar, now it is leap March, the second March of this year.

One interesting thing is that in Chinese culture, a leap month is considered as an unlucky month for doing as little as possible. In contrast, in Korean culture, it is regarded as an extraordinary month when good outcomes will come whatever you may try to do.

Though it is the same period of time, the ways to assign and interpret are completely different. Of course, it is not about which is right or wrong. It is just a difference in old tradition and culture.

That flushed Mega Millions lottery jackpot is growing again. Today it stands at $88 million, after no on picked all of the winning numbers in last Tuesday’s draw. Those hot digits: 3, 9, 15, 37, 38, and the Mega ball 39. The next draw is tomorrow, April 27, at 7:45 p.m.

Photo: PRnewsFoto/Pasadena Tournament of Roses -- Dr. Jane Goodall, 2013 Rose Parade Grand Marshal, with Tournament of Roses President Sally Bixby Pasadena April 25, 2012

Legendary scientist and conservationist, Dr. Jane Goodall, is the Grand Marshal for the 2013 Tournament of Roses festivities. The big announcement was made today in Pasadena. ”We selected our theme, ‘Oh, the Places You’ll Go!’ with Dr. Goodall in mind as Grand Marshal,” said Tournament of Roses President Sally Bixby in a PR newswire release.  ”The theme can be interpreted as a celebration of accomplishment, discovery and travel of course, but equally valid is its implicit call to action.  We think Dr. Goodall’s life story is a testament to the sense of adventure and openness to possibility that this phrase suggests:  As a young woman, she defied convention to follow her dreams, and she has committed herself to a life of global citizenship, inspiring children and adults alike along the way.  2013 will be the 53rd anniversary of her field study of the Gombe chimpanzees.  I can think of no one whose life has better exemplified our theme and message than Dr. Jane Goodall.  Dr. Goodall is now an international icon, but it is her passion for discovery and how she has used her celebrity for the betterment of the world that has drawn us to her.”

“I am honored to be the Grand Marshal for the 2013 Tournament of Roses,” said Dr. Jane Goodall in the release.  ”New Year’s Day symbolizes the opportunity to work toward new goals, experience new beginnings, and make a difference.  My dream for this New Year’s Day is for everyone to think of the places we can all go if we work together to make our world a better place.  Every journey starts with a step and I am pleased to see the Tournament of Roses continue to take steps toward not only celebrating beauty and imagination, but also a cleaner environment.”

Dr. Goodall is known for her love of the planet and more than 50 years of pioneering research on the behavior of chimpanzees, which has changed “scientific perception of the relationship between animals and humans.”

The long awaited officially authorized documentary about the reggae legend, Bob Marley, is out in limited release. “Marley” is available on demand and is playing  in some local theaters. Details here on Facebook.

Actress and TV talk show host, Ricki Lake, has had plenty of life drama. In her new memoir, “Never say never: Finding a life that fits,” Lake shares the lessons learned from a painful childhood, weight issues, divorce, and the struggle to find a comfort level in her own skin. “Never say never” hit stores last week. Lake is out and about promoting her new book with TV appearances as well as stops in stores. Tonight at 7 p.m., she’ll be at the Barnes & Noble at The Grove in Los Angeles. More on Lake, her new book, and appearances here.

A surprise at the domestic box office. The big sci-fi hit, “The Hunger Games” got kicked to the curb this weekend by romantic comedy, “Think Like a Man.” After four consecutive weeks in the number one spot, “The Hunger Games” got dethroned by “Think Like a Man, ” which pulled in $33.6 million on its debut weekend, according to the final figures released today. “Think Like a Man” was produced on a small budget of $12 million.

“Think like a Man” is based on the runaway bestseller “Act Like A Lady, Think Like A Man,” by comedian Steve Harvey. The self-help relationship book, written for women about how to deal with men, was a  New York Times bestseller and a publishing phenomenon. It had broad appeal and apparently so does the movie it inspired. Opening last Friday on only 2, 015 screens, there were reports of sold out theaters for “Think Like a Man.” Also, this romantic comedy about the battle of the sexes had a very funny trailer, which is not always the case with the rom coms.

“Think Like a Man” centers on several women who shake up their relationships with men when they begin following the advice in Harvey’s book, “Act Like A Lady, Think Like A Man.”  The cast includes Michael Ealy, Regina Hall, Kevin Hart, Taraji P. Henson, Gabrielle Union, Terrence J, Jerry Ferrara, Meagan Good, and Romany Malco.

In second place, the new romantic drama, “The Lucky One,” starring Zac Efron, Taylor Schilling, and Blythe Danner. It opened with $22.5 million. “The Lucky One” is the adaptation of  the best seller of  the same name by popular romance author, Nicholas Sparks. In the movie, a U.S. Marine returns home from Iraq to search for a woman in a photo he found in the war rubble — a photo that became his good luck charm.

“The Hunger Games” landed in third with $14.6 million. In a month, the blockbuster based on the young adult novel by Suzanne Collins, has collected around $573 million worldwide.  In fourth, the new nature documentary narrated by Tim Allen, “Chimpanzee” with $10.6 million. The doc is about the adventures of a young chimpanzee named Oscar.

Rounding out the top five, “The Three Stooges” with $9.7 million.

Photo: FLLewis/Media City G -- A new paint job for the Nickelodeon Animation Studio on Olive Avenue in Burbank April 4, 2012

The new paint job for the Nickelodeon Animation Studio on Olive Avenue is definitely eye catching. The nearby Nickelodeon parking structure/adjacent building got the same treatment. This studio produces kid friendly animated series like “SpongeBob SquarePants” and “The Fairly OddParents.”

A short while ago, Burbank City Council member Emily Gabel-Luddy brought up Nick’s new look at a council meeting and asked if  it is in line with city codes and regulations. What you think? Is it a dig or no dig?

Photo: FLLewis/Media City G --New paint job for Nickelodeon parking structure/adjacent building at Olive Avenue and Victory Boulevard in Burbank April 4, 2012

It’s not a record breaker, but a sizable jackpot is up for grabs in tomorrow’s Mega Millions draw. The money pot for that lottery game is at $65 million. No one hit the double-M jackpot in last Tuesday’s draw. Those winning numbers: 1, 16, 24, 32, 48, and the Mega Ball 2.

The next draw is Friday, April 20 at 7:45 p.m.

Photo: FLLewis/Media City G -- Burbank Recycle Center 500 South Flower Street Burbank

The Burbank Recycle Center, over at 500 South Flower Street, is planning a fun-packed family fair for this Saturday, April 21. As you might expect, the team there will be offering environmentally helpful things like document shredding, mulch and compost giveaway, free reusable bags along with live music, food trucks, exhibits, cute animals to thrill the kids, face painting, games, and a ton of other stuff.  It all starts at 11 a.m. and wraps up around 4 p.m. More details here.