By The Associated Press
The mid-movie dash to the restroom can turn us into calculating Hussein Usain Bolt wannabes: Ah, this looks like a lull -- time to dash.
When we return to our seats, we pray the answer to "What did I miss?" isn't "Darth Vader is really Luke's father" or "the girlfriend is really a guy."
The Web site RunPee.com can help with such anxious guesswork.
The site provides recommended opportunities to race to the restroom. It tells you when the action or romance wanes, and gives you a cue ("Baby O.J. is taken from Bruno") for your exit.
The site tells you how long you've got and even summarizes what you missed. Since early July, RunPee.com is available as an iPhone app, too.
Launched in August 2008, RunPee took off earlier this summer. It's been one of the season's runaway hits -- a clever idea that has spawned a lot of word-of-mouth from moviegoers.
"Helping your bladder enjoy going to the movies as much as you do," the site boasts.
It was created by Dan Florio, a 42-year-old Flash developer who got the idea during the three-hour-plus "King Kong" remake in 2005.
Florio, who lives in Orlando, Fla., with his wife, does everything for the site, though he gets some help from his wife and his mother. He's become a regular opening day attendee of movies, busily taking notes in the back row.
Friday, he sat through a double feature of "Funny People" -- which runs nearly 2½ hours -- and "Aliens in the Attic."
"I never intended to refocus my energies on this," says Florio. "And I never thought that I'd be seeing every single movie that comes out, either."
The site averages 3,000-6,000 visitors a day, Florio says. The iPhone app is available on iTunes for $1. It's not a huge moneymaker (Florio estimates he'll make $800 this month) but is providing him a little extra cash.
He believes that not only do moviegoers benefit from the service, but theater owners do, too.
"Lots and lots of people comment: 'Ah! I can get that 64-ounce drink now!'" Florio says.
Florio designed the site to be wiki-based with break times submitted by users, but it has turned out that he has done most of the work. Finding the right moments and recording the correct time is more work than it might sound -- most moviegoers leave their stopwatches at home.
"It's not fun," says Florio. "I would literally have to pay someone to do this."
Generally, the better the movie is, the harder it is to find a break.
There are, of course, limits to the usefulness of RunPee. But it has also found friends in cyberspace like WhereToWee.com, a site in the works that tells you where the nearest restroom is.
Recently in Events & Activities Category
Ford, the Chambers of Commerce and Cities of Hermosa Beach, Manhattan Beach, Redondo Beach, Torrance and Los Angeles County Department of Beaches and Harbors present the 2009 International Surf Festival July 31 through August 2. Area lifeguards and youth compete in challenges include bodysurfing, sand volleyball, paddleboarding and a 2-mile run.
Find out which events take place where and when here including the Dwight Crum Pier-to-Pier swim and the Velzy-Stevens Pier-to-Pier Paddleboard Championship. The site also has photos and results from past events.
The National Park Service is looking to stimulate summer vacations at national parks.
Interior Secretary Ken Salazar announced Tuesday that entrance fees at 147 national parks and monuments -- including the Grand Canyon and Yosemite -- will be waived on three weekends this summer. The weekends are June 20-21, July 18-19 and August 15-16.
"During these tough economic times, our national parks provide opportunities for affordable vacations for families," Salazar said at a news conference at Cuyahoga Valley National Park in Ohio. "I encourage everyone to visit one of our nation's crown jewels this summer and especially to take advantage of the three free-admission weekends."
Most Americans live less than a day's drive from a national park, Salazar said. Last year, national parks attracted more than 275 million visits, generating an estimated $10.6 billion for local economies and supporting more than 213,000 jobs, he said.
For the Park Service, the free weekends will mean a loss of an estimated half-million dollars a day from entrance fees that range from $3 to $25. A total of 147 parks and monuments charge entrance fees; the nation's other 244 parks are already free.
Kendra Barkoff, a spokeswoman for Salazar, said the lost revenue should be more than offset by an increase in park tourism. Many tour operators, hotels, restaurants, gift shops and other vendors near national parks will offer other discounts and special promotions on the free weekend dates, she said.
The waiver applies only to entrance fees and does not affect charges for camping, reservations, tours or concessions, Barkoff said.
Looking for something to keep your kids busy this summer without breaking the bank? Check out some of these summer movie programs geared toward kids.
AMC Theaters runs $1 movies during its "Summer Movie Camp" every Wednesday at 10 a.m. The Southbay Galleria 16 in Redondo Beach and the Del Amo 18 are participating this year. Here's the schedule:
June 17: Space Chimps
June 24: Kung Fu Panda
July 1: Madagascar: Escape 2 Africa
July 8: Tale of Despereaux
July 15: Horton Hears a Who
July 22: The Spiderwick Chronicles
July 29: Nim's Island
Aug. 5: Star Wars: The Clone Wars
The Promenade Stadium 13 in Rolling Hills Estates participates in Regal Cinema's "Free Family Film Festival." Every Tuesday and Wednesday during the program, movies are free at 10 a.m. for kids and their parents. Here's the movie schedule:
June 23-24: Pirates Who Don't Do Anything: Veggie Tale Movie (G)
Inkheart (PG)
June 30-July 1: Everyone's Hero (G)
Madagascar 2: Escape To Africa (PG)
July 7-8: Mr. Magorium's Wonder Emporium (G)
Alvin And The Chipmunks (PG)
July 14-15: Kit Kittredge: American Girl (G)
Igor (PG)
July 21-22: Doogal (G)
Surf's Up (PG)
July 28-29: Space Chimps (G)
Hotel For Dogs (PG)
Aug. 4-5: The Tale Of Despereaux (G)
Nim's Island (PG)
Aug. 11-12: Charlotte's Web (G)
Kung Fu Panda (PG)
Pacific Theaters don't have a kids program, but they do have Monday Morning Mommy Movies at the El Segundo theater each week at 11 a.m. Here's the spiel:
Moms, Dads and Caregivers - here's your chance to see a first run adult-themed movie...with your baby! No one will mind if your baby cries, everyone will have a baby and all babies cry. So pack up your diaper bag and stroller, and we'll see you at the movies!
The City of Torrance screens family movies in some city parks for free on Saturday evenings during the summer. Bring your own popcorn, lawn chairs and blankets and see a flick under the stars. Follow the links for more info. Here's what's showing:
July 18: Back to the Future
Aug. 1: Singin in the Rain
Aug. 15: Ratatouille
Redondo Beach also sponsors a similar Outdoor Family Classic Film Festival. Here's the line-up:
July 24: West Side Story
July 31: On the Waterfront
Aug. 7: The Searchers
Aug. 14: Breakfast at Tiffany's
RELATED LINKS:
Database of fun stuff to do with kids in the South Bay
Database of South Bay restaurants with kids eat free deals
Calendar listings for family-friendly South Bay events
Happy birthday to you! Now blow out the candles and make a wish.
If your wish happens to be getting more free stuff, FreeBirthdayTreats.com will make it come true.
The site was created by people interested in finding out which restaurants and other companies share in your celebration by offering gratis goodies.
The online database has categories for adults, kids and even pets.
Narrow down your search by entering the state, type of business and if you're looking for discounts, freebies or both.
You can also submit your own treats to the database or sign up for new offers to be delivered via e-mail.
Two hundred years ago this Thursday, President Abraham Lincoln was born, and coast-to-coast celebrations will mark the occasion.
Kentucky will host the U.S. Mint presentation of the redesigned penny -- one of four -- that reflects Lincoln's birth and early childhood in Kentucky.
Hawaii is putting on display a letter Lincoln wrote to King Kamehameha V expressing condolences for the death of the Hawaiian monarch's brother.
In Washington, Ford's Theatre will reopen after an 18-month renovation.
And diners at the Lincoln-Douglas Cafe in Springfield, Ill., can order a $2.12 plate of ham and bones -- just the kind of meal Lincoln ate, the cafe says.
Can't make it to Springfield by Thursday? You can turn your commemoration into a virtual party.
Smithsonian Connections has a list of links to Lincoln, including videos and virtual tours of Smithsonian artifacts (such as his famous stovepipe hat), and maps and stories of his connections to things and places at and around the National Mall in Washington.
Other links modernize Lincoln's memory. With Lincoln's iPod, you can read about and offer suggestions on what music the 16th president would listen to today and songs he has inspired. So far, his playlist includes "Ain't Got No Home" by Woody Guthrie and "Go Tell It on the Mountain" by Mahalia Jackson.
A Flickr link brings Lincoln celebrations across the country to you, showcasing photos from recent parades (complete with Lincoln impersonators) in honor of and historical landmarks linked to Lincoln.
Wannabe stargazers can bid on red-carpet bleacher seats for the Screen Actors Guild Awards ceremony in an online auction that will continue through Monday.
Ninety seats with views of the stars arriving at the Shrine Auditorium Jan. 25 are up for grabs in the auction benefiting the charitable SAG Foundation. A gift bag from People magazine is included.
The seats are available in 15 sets of two and 15 sets of four.
Another auction, of items connected with nominated actors, will begin Jan. 23. Past auctions have included autographed scripts, posters, wardrobe pieces and props.
By The Associated Press
Ladies, picture this: You search for weeks before finding the perfect gown for an inaugural ball. You're thrilled; its silhouette and color are exactly what you had imagined.
Then, on the night of the fete, you spot another woman wearing the same dress.
Oh, the horror!
A new Web site, www.dressregistry.com, hopes to limit these social nightmares by allowing you to "register" the gown you're wearing to a specific inaugural ball. It includes a place to detail the color, length, designer, neckline description and other distinguishing characteristics. You can even upload a photo.
The genius behind it? A man.
Andrew Jones got the idea after his wife traveled from their home in West Palm Beach, Fla., to New York City to buy a gown for a charity ball in their hometown -- solely to avoid seeing the same dress at the event.
"I kind of put two and two together and I said, 'I think there's a way technology can help us here,' " said Jones, a 42-year-old automotive industry consultant.
The dress duplication problem has long caused anxiety among women.
Hollywood's A-list stars know their garb may end up on a magazine page -- with a side-by-side comparison to someone who wore it better. Jones cited first lady Laura Bush's "Oh, no!" moment at the 2006 Kennedy Center Honors, when she was one of four women wearing the same red Oscar de la Renta gown. Bush quickly changed into something different.
"If it could happen to the first lady, it could happen to anyone," Jones said. "With the inauguration, it just all came together in my mind. I thought it would be a great time to roll it out."
At specialty stores in the Washington area, some thought the Web site a novel idea but suggested it may not be foolproof.
"Nothing's exclusive anymore," said LaShea Green, couture buyer at Saks Jandel in Chevy Chase, Md., who had not yet heard of Jones' Web site. "I don't care how much you register, there's going to be someone (at an event) who didn't register."
So far, inaugural partygoers have registered about 100 gowns for more than two dozen official and unofficial events, including the Constitution Ball, the American Indian Inaugural Ball and the Green Inaugural Ball hosted by Al Gore. As the inaugural festivities near, the registries keep growing.
"I've had people self-registering their events every day," said Jones, adding that he's recorded some 300,000 hits and more than 10,000 unique visitors since the Web site launched Dec. 1.
Kids always want to do want grown-ups do, but news stories remind us that Facebook and MySpace aren't the safest playgrounds. But then there's KidZui.com, which, according to chairman and CEO Cliff Boro, incorporates "the best aspects of MySpace and Facebook ... in a way that works for kids" -- and for their parents.
To satisfy the kids, the site's features include customizable "Zui" avatars, a live feed that keeps them connected with friends and lets them chat and share content from
1.5 million kid-appropriate sites.
To satisfy the parents, all friend requests require parental approval from both sides, the content categories available to each child can be changed and reports on your child's recent searches and interests are generated weekly. Membership is free.
And for both the kids and the parents, the site also includes the Homework Helper, which matches Web pages, photos and videos to grades from kindergarten through eighth grade to help kids find resources related to their subjects of study.
Like their parents and older siblings on Facebook and MySpace, kids on KidZui can "befriend" John McCain, Barack Obama, Joe Biden and Sarah Palin, who each have KidZui profile pages. And future political experts can analyze the "befriending" results at www.kidzui.com/election2008.
Kids can also keep their friends up to date on their every move and mood, whether it's "moody" and "doing homework" or "energetic" and "by the pool."
From our wire services:
Movie fans eager to see their idols up close will be able to enter a lottery for seats along the red carpet on Oscar night.
Beginning Sept. 22 at 9 a.m., movie buffs and star-gazers can enter an online lottery conducted by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences for a chance to win one of 300 available seats along the 500-foot-long walkway in front of the Kodak Theatre in Hollywood.
Following the stars' arrivals, the winners will be invited to watch the Academy Awards telecast at a nearby location.
The lottery will be open for one week only. Applications can only be made online, at www.oscars.org/bleachers.
Applicants can register for up to four seats, but only one form will be accepted per person or group.
People whose names are selected will be notified in early October. They then will have to submit additional information for security purposes prior to final approval.
Winners will receive a confirmation letter in early December.
In previous years, as many as 20,000 fans have applied online for the bleacher seats.
The Academy Awards ceremony for outstanding film achievements of 2008 will be held on Feb. 22, 2009.
