Do NOT watch the trailer for The Time Traveler's Wife

Why? Because...

(1) Ron Livingston is not in it

(2) It gives away most of what made the book suspenseful

(3) Never let a good movie ruin a great book. Read first, watch later.

(4) See point #1

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Trying to stay abreast of the technology curve...

I just discovered Google Reader. This may be old news to most, but it's really helping me keep up with blog postings.

GOOGLE READER!!

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The Madness ends....in One Shining Moment

Well, the Duke loss demoralized this blog, but the Carolina Blue(*) faithfully plugged on past LSU to a series of perfect wins. And now we know, Spartan may beat Trojan, but it does not beat Tar Heel.

It's sad when the tournament ends, but the cherry on top for me every year is the "One Shining Moment" montage at the end. No matter who wins, who loses, or how boring or lop-sided the game, I will stick around for One Shining Moment. (I am slave to the Inspirational Sport Montage).



(*) See, it's good to be both a UNC and Duke fan. If one lets you down the other will come through!

Click through for some other random thoughts.


Other random thoughts:
-sort of boring tournament this year, no Cinderella, no stand out player.
-the last minute narrative trumped up by the media that Michigan State was this little can-do working class team that was going through the tournament slaying one-seeded giants sort of ruined the hoop-la surrounding the final. Michigan State is good, always has been good. They are as much big time b-ball as UNC is. Shut up media.
-there was more narration than usual in the One Shining Moment montage, which I liked at first, but then at the end I thought the praise of North Carolina was excessive.
-also, I thought for sure the One Shining Moment montage would have a clip of Scheyer tossing the ball back in-bounds during the Duke-Texas game, instead they went with a clip of Scheyer making one of his now almost trademark funny Scheyer-faces.
-finally, I heart kids who stay to play all four years.

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The Madness forges ahead

Tonight this blog will be rooting for:

Louisville (because they are the more fun team to watch)
Syracuse (because Oklahoma is evil and MUST BE STOPPED)
Michigan State (go Spartan Spirit!)
UNC (I hate to see Gonzaga go, but I love Carolina Blue)
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The Madness renews

Tonght this blog will be rooting for:

Connecticut (because husky dogs are cute and tough)
Xavier (because Duke has a better shot at beating Xavier)
Missouri (go big 12 team)
Duke (I love them blue devils!!)
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The Madness persists

Today this blog will be rooting for:

Syracuse (because I like oranges)
Xavier (because I like it when the A10 wins)
Dayton (because I like it when an underdog from the A10 wins, even if said dog is in Ohio)
Arizona (because Cleveland is in Ohio(*))
Pittsburgh (because I'm from Pennsylvania)
Marquette (because I like their name)
Michigan State (because Spartan always beats Trojan)
Siena (because I'd like a huge upset)

(*)Yes, I realize I am haphazardly applying the anti-Ohio rule.

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The Madness endures

Today this blog will be rooting for:

Villanova (because I like Philly cheese steaks)
Maryland (because I like an upset)
Connecticut (because I must not root for Aggies)
Purdue...or Washington (Big10 + Pac10 BBall makes me sleepy)
North Carolina (because I can't help myself)
Michigan (because, say it together now, Oklahoma is evil)
Western Kentucky (because they were the only low seed that came through for me on Thursday, but my bracket has Gonzaga)
Duke (because my parents did a better, longer brainwash job on me training me to root for Duke basketball; Texas however did a successful brainwash job on me for football)
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Iranian New Year is sooo popular this year.

The President is into it. (Probably because he figured out the phrase "happy new year" in Farsi includes the word "barak")

Even the Israeli President is into it.

But the best, most thorough salute to the Iranian New Year (which is TODAY), came from Steven Colbert last week. His particular attention to the traditional dish of herbed rice and fish (a.k.a Sabsi Polo and Mahi) as well as the table of seven s's (a.k.a the Haft Seen) is what sets his tribute apart:



Happy Noruz!!
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The Madness continues

Today this blog will be rooting for:

Syracuse (because of the six overtimes)
Oklahoma State (because Oklahoma is evil, as in "the enemy of my enemy is my friend")
North Dakota State (because they had the best crowd at the selection show...I think the crowd consisted of half the residents of North Dakota)
Marquette (because of my bracket)
Temple (because they are in the A10)
Pittsburgh (because of where my parents live...and my bracket...and I want Duke to prove everyone wrong and beat them...and yes, that would take a tall miracle in the defensive post position)
West Virginia (because of where I live, also, Dayton is in Ohio)
Mizzou (go Big 12 team that is not OU)
Louisville (because of my bracket)
Arizona (because they deserve the chance to prove they do belong in the tournament)
Boston College (I love ACC basketball)
Xavier (I root for the A10, even when said A10 team is a GWU rival)
Wake Forest (ACC team from North Carolina!!)
Siena (because, when burnt, it makes a nice crayon...and because when they win, Ohio State will cry)
Robert Morris (because of where my parents live, but, yes, of course, my bracket has Michigan State)
Florida State (because I enjoyed watching them play in the ACC championship)
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The Madness

It's basketball time.

Keep up with all the action via this website.

Don't worry, it has a useful boss button.

Today this blog will be rooting for:

BYU (because I must not root for the Aggies)
Northridge (root for the Cinderella even when it goes against my bracket)
Butler (more fun to root for them than LSU)
Purdue...or Northern Iowa (I don't really care)
UNC (because I was raised to love the Tarheels)
Maryland (because of where I work)
Connecticut (because I miss Stephen Curry and wish to punish the rest of his conference)
Washington (because of my bracket)
Texas (hook 'em.....until they get to Duke)
Clemson (Tigers rawrhh!)
American (go little Eagles soar!)
Gonzaga (because Akron is in Ohio)
Duke (because I was raised to love the Blue Devils...you may think this expressly conflicts with a certain statement above, but in my family light and dark blue are completely compatible colors)
Morgan State (because Oklahoma is evil)
VCU (I never root for UCLA because as a kid I got UCLA confused with UNLV and as a kid I was a Duke fan)
Western Kentucky (because they had a fun crowd at the selection show)
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I Want To Go To There

I watch the show 30 Rock. My favorite quote from the show is "I want to go to there," used whenever the character Liz Lemon hears about something she likes. It's hilarious. I've tried adopting it as my own little catch phrase. And it turns out this very funny, much beloved catch phrase was written by a BABY! Watch the hulu clip below, as Tina Fey explains how her baby daughter originated the catch phrase when she saw a Disney World website on the computer.



A freaking Baby wrote my favorite catch-phrase...this might say something about my taste in humor...
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Lent and The Bar Exam

It seems an odd confluence of events.

Lent (to me) is a sober time of thinking about the reward of grace in our lives. Some people do this by abstaining from chocolate. Some people don't even think about grace and abstain from chocolate anyway. Either way, somehow, thoughts of Lent get tied up with thoughts of self deprivation, religious study, internal reflection and general unfunness. Then Easter comes. The sun rises, and Christians release their 40 days of gloomy abstinence and unfunness in a celebration of eternal life by singing songs, chasing after colored eggs, eating chocolate bunnies and wearing Sunday finery.

Just my luck that for the past 40 days and more I have been largely abstaining from fun, drowning in legal study, reflecting on my stressed out state of mind and experiencing general unfunness due to the impending February Bar Exam. Am I looking forward to my day of release? Yes. But there's a catch.

The Bar Exam ends on February 26th, which also happens to be Ash Wednesday, the day Lent starts. The seemingly arbitrary and bewilderingly complex lunisolir calendar and computation system has conspired not only to force me to take a six hour essay exam on Fat Tuesday/Fastnacht Day(*)/Fasching/etc., but to also morally obligate me to be reflective and penitent on an evening on which I will be wanting to feel release. Somewhere, some religious scholar is thinking: "how apt." I am thinking: "I will eat off a chocolate bunny head to spite him."

(*) Fastnacht Day is Amish Donut Day in Lancaster County, PA. If you go to school, your teacher buys the class fat, heavy, delicious donuts and you eat them all day long. It is heaven.

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Oscar Nominations

Every year I know fewer and fewer of the movies nominated for Academy Awards. This year, I thought I might actually have a good chance of having seen at least one of the best picture nominees. Turns out, I’ve seen Two. Although, of the over 40 different films nominated for various awards, I have seen Six. That’s right six.

Click through to see who those lucky six are....

Happy-Go-Lucky
Nominated for: Best Original Screenplay
This is a nice little movie that doesn’t feel like a coherent film until the very end, when you finally understand that it’s about how much work goes into being a happy person, and how special and beautiful happy people are. Sally Hawkins, the actress who plays the happy-go-lucky main character Polly is delightful to watch. (Her portrayal reminds me for some reason of the character Donna Noble in Doctor Who, which is why I’m probably heavily disposed to like this movie). Also, the movie has a memorable catch phrase: “En-Ra-Ha!” (Watch the movie, and you’ll understand.) It’s nominated in the proper category, and I hope it wins.

Slumdog Millionaire
Nominated for: Best Picture, Director, Cinematography, Editing, Original Score, Origianl Songs (“Jai Ho” and “O Saya”), Sound Editing, Sound Mixing, and Adapted Screenplay.
Wow, a “little” critical darling and I’ve actually seen it. I’ve seen it because it’s good and it’s joyful. Really, whether it wins or not, go see this movie. It has humor, romance, culture, tragedy, adorable child actors and a Bollywood-esque dance scene during the end credits. A very great movie. I don’t know if it’s “best picture” material, but I’d be happy to see it win. It should win for Best Original Score. The music, while often fun, also carries the film from highs to lows and between flash backs. Both nominated best songs “Jai Ho” and “O Saya” are good. I’m considering downloading them. (Also, I'm actually look forward to watching the Oscars if it means the cast recreates the dance to “Jai Ho” at the broadcast Ceremony).

Frost/Nixon
Nominated for: Best Picture, Actor (Frank Langella), Director, Film Editing, and Adapted Screenplay
This is a nice movie to watch. The only problem with it is its lack of historical accuracy. Frank Langella, nominated for his portrayal of Richard Nixon, does an excellent, riveting job. He makes Nixon quirky, compelling, awkward, arrogant, tall, handsome and sympathetic, qualities, all of which, do not accurately apply to Nixon. Check your facts before or after you go into the film. Aside from historical accuracy, the film is very pleasant. I think it’s too pleasant for an Oscar as best picture though. It’s fluff masquerading as meaningful historical fiction. Actually, for the sake of history, it shouldn’t win anything.

Iron Man
Nominated for: Best Visual Effects and Sound Editing
Seeing as how The Dark Knight got shut out of any fun awards, Iron Man is lucky it got nominated at all. Fun movie. I’ll leave the judgment as to visual effects and sound editing to professionals.

The Dark Knight
Nominated for: Best Supporting Actor (Heath Ledger), Art Direction, Cinematography, Film Editing, Sound Editing, Sound Mixing, and Visual Effects.
If The Dark Knight had been nominated for best screenplay, best direction or best picture, then I wouldn’t say this, but since it got otherwise ignored in the marquis categories: Heath Ledger only got nominated because he’s dead. That’s not to say Heath Ledger doesn’t deserve it. His Joker was fantastic, but so was the rest of the movie. Even though (or maybe because) it has the same theme as last year’s best picture winner, No Country For Old Men, it somehow didn’t rate a best picture or best director nomination. Very sad, that one of the best superhero movies ever can’t get nominated. (The Watchmen has no chance next year).

Tropic Thunder
Nominated for: Best Supporting Actor by Robert Downey Jr.
Robert Downey Jr. was the funniest part of this movie...but doesn’t the nomination sort of play into what the movie was trying to mock? The character in Tropic Thunder went to extreme lengths to change his appearance (a white actor playing "black face") in order to gain critical renown. He even lectures the Ben Stiller character on the strategy of choosing roles as Oscar bait.

Kirk Lazarus: Everybody knows you never go full retard.
Tugg Speedman: What do you mean?
Kirk Lazarus: Check it out. Dustin Hoffman, 'Rain Man,' look retarded, act retarded, not retarded. Counted toothpicks, cheated cards. Autistic, sho'. Not retarded. You know Tom Hanks, 'Forrest Gump.' Slow, yes. Retarded, maybe. Braces on his legs. But he charmed the pants off Nixon and won a ping-pong competition. That ain't retarded. Peter Sellers, "Being There." Infantile, yes. Retarded, no. You went full retard, man. Never go full retard. You don't buy that? Ask Sean Penn, 2001, "I Am Sam." Remember? Went full retard, went home empty handed...

It's nice of the Academy to recognize a comedic performance, but I are they recognizing a performance or playing into a joke at their own expense?

Regarding the movies I haven't seen...
I guess I should see that darn Benjamin Button movie. And I know, I know, I know, I need to see WALL-E. The Wrestler intrigues me. I suffered through reading the novel "The Reader," so I'm not all that thrilled about seeing the movie. The subject of Milk just doesn't interest me, but I might like it. I wouldn't mind seeing Rachel Getting Married. I'd be interested in seeing Doubt and the nominated documentary Man On A Wire.

Any Oscar opinions you care to share?

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Beware of French Dog

I think the headline in the Daily Mail says it all:

Former French President Chirac Hospitalized After Mauling By His Clinically Depressed Poodle

Follow the link above for the shocking details about this ferocious political assassin.

Incidentally, a french poodle in French is called a caniche.  These poofy, ferocious canines must have something of a reputation, because a quick google search revealed a French indie rock band called Cannibal Caniche.

Well, all I can say is: Vive la France! Mort pour la Caniche!

Note: I don't speak French. My messing with the language is, admittedly, completely irresponsible...but funny, no?

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Oh Mr. Darcy!

In 1995, I and many other women across the globe swooned over Colin Firth's portrayal of Mr. Darcy in the miniseries Pride and Prejudice. It seems some of us are still swooning. A portrait of Mr. Darcy, used in the miniseries, sold for 12,000 British Pounds at auction today. In case you were wondering, 12,000.00 British Pounds equals $16,765.06, according to this website. And yes, it is a truth universally acknowledged, that a single woman in possession of a good fortune, must be in want of a good smack to the head to spend that much money on a prop.

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