Daybreak (obs.)

Ok, so I guess she’s not a fan of Zhang Ziyi.

And you can blame my daughter, really? I mean sharing a birthday with China’s most popular actress in Hollywood really wouldn’t be that much of an honor, would it? Yes, she has put forth a few solid efforts – namely Memoirs of a Geisha and Crouching Tiger Hidden Dragon. But there was House of Flying Daggers, which while beautiful, was vastly overrated. And after one, JUST ONE, major crossover hit (CTHD) – she signs on to do an American flick – and she chose RUSH HOUR 2? I mean come on! I think Chris Tucker has taken a vow of silence after that flick out of shame – and for those who know Chris Tucker – a vow of silence would be damn near impossible.

And from viewing Ms. Zhang’s IMDB profile, we learn that the Beijing beauty has served as an ad spokesperson for Tag Heuer, Maybelline, Pantene, some Korean mineral water, Coca-Cola, and Lenovo Computers. Damn, that’s a tad materialistic – not exactly a value I want instill in our little girl. Don’t get me wrong, I think it’s important to double fist soda and water while working on your laptop and knowing the time, and seeing you reflection in your monitor only to reveal a nice foundation and hair with bounce. However, my kid’s got to concentrate on the quantity and hue of various fish, first.

We see that Ziyi’s next project is providing a voice for this summer’s Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles flick as well. While I don’t necessarily think that we need another Turtle Power movie, I would like to see this movie spliced into Adult Swim’s spring offering, to reveal the real movie we’ve all been waiting for: Aqua Teenage Mutant Ninja Hunger Turtle Force: Back to the Minors.

Zhang Ziyi could be a Mooninite.

So long story, well, long, Clara Grace has decided to wait and not be compared with Zhang Ziyi for the rest of her life, and wait for a better birthday to come along. We profile the next two days in a second edition of Daybreak, here.

TODAY – FEBRUARY 12th!

Important Events: Two days before Valentine’s Day – let’s see what slackers were creating history rather than running out to Hallmark to get the Mrs. some candy. New York City saw Rhapsody in Blue premiere in 1924, and the first artificial ice rink open at Madison Square Garden in 1879. In 1832, Ecuador annexed the Galapagos Islands. The inhabitants wanted to fight for their freedom, but damn it, were to slow to get to the battle.

Famous Birthdays: Abraham Lincoln, Franco Zeffirelli, Judy Blume, Arsenio Hall, Owen Nolan, and Michael Ironside – ah, Jester from Top Gun. Why doesn’t IMDB recognize him today? Oh. Jester’s dead.

Holidays: Yes, the 13th is actually Lincoln’s birthday. Which means if Clara was to come today, we would observe her birthday on an arbitrary Monday to co-celebrate the birthday of some other non-related neighborhood kid.

TOMORROW – FEBRUARY 13th!

Important Events: In 1955, Israel obtained 4 of the 7 Dead Sea Scrolls. However, what they really needed was a scoring winger and a stay-at-home defenseman to strengthen the blue line. In 1880, Thomas Edision “observes the Edison Effect.” In other non-shocking news, Lou Gehrig died of Lou Gehrig’s disease. Coincidences?

Famous Birthdays: Duke Coach Mike Krzyzewski – at least his parents were merciful. They could have named him something like Vladimir or Bourdleaux or Zelimkhan – just to see him cry trying to write his name on the first day of Kindergarten.

Holidays: The 13th is the Feast of Saint Fulcran, showing that the Catholic Church is a strong supporter of Science and the support on which a lever turns in raising or moving something.

I never paid much attention in Physics.