3 Things That Make Me Happy Today

1. This blog keeps cracking me up. My faves? This one (motion graphics, FTW) and this one:

2. LOST PREMIERE TONIGHT! Be sure to read the Ack Attack season 5 recaps if you need to get caught up. Her recaps are hilarious.

3. Oscar nomination day! Yay! You can see the full list of nominees at the official website but I’ve summarized below. Note: This year the best picture category has been expanded to 10 films.

Best Picture
“Avatar” James Cameron and Jon Landau, Producers
“The Blind Side” Nominees to be determined
“District 9” Peter Jackson and Carolynne Cunningham, Producers
“An Education” Finola Dwyer and Amanda Posey, Producers
“The Hurt Locker” Nominees to be determined
“Inglourious Basterds” Lawrence Bender, Producer
“Precious: Based on the Novel ‘Push’ by Sapphire” Lee Daniels, Sarah Siegel-Magness and Gary Magness, Producers
“A Serious Man” Joel Coen and Ethan Coen, Producers
“Up” Jonas Rivera, Producer
“Up in the Air” Daniel Dubiecki, Ivan Reitman and Jason Reitman, Producers

Actor in a Leading Role
Jeff Bridges in “Crazy Heart”
George Clooney in “Up in the Air”
Colin Firth in “A Single Man”
Morgan Freeman in “Invictus”
Jeremy Renner in “The Hurt Locker”

Actor in a Supporting Role
Matt Damon in “Invictus”
Woody Harrelson in “The Messenger”
Christopher Plummer in “The Last Station”
Stanley Tucci in “The Lovely Bones”
Christoph Waltz in “Inglourious Basterds”

Actress in a Leading Role
Sandra Bullock in “The Blind Side”
Helen Mirren in “The Last Station”
Carey Mulligan in “An Education”
Gabourey Sidibe in “Precious: Based on the Novel ‘Push’ by Sapphire”
Meryl Streep in “Julie & Julia”

Actress in a Supporting Role
Penélope Cruz in “Nine”
Vera Farmiga in “Up in the Air”
Maggie Gyllenhaal in “Crazy Heart”
Anna Kendrick in “Up in the Air”
Mo’Nique in “Precious: Based on the Novel ‘Push’ by Sapphire”

Directing
“Avatar” James Cameron
“The Hurt Locker” Kathryn Bigelow
“Inglourious Basterds” Quentin Tarantino
“Precious: Based on the Novel ‘Push’ by Sapphire” Lee Daniels
“Up in the Air” Jason Reitman

I need to rent “Hurt Locker.” I’ve been reading great reviews of it for ages and it just recently came out on DVD. Kathryn Bigelow is only the 4th woman to be nominated. She’s ex-Mrs. James Cameron. And she directed the awesome ridiculous action flick, “Point Break.” Incidentally, we just saw “Up in the Air” over the weekend – holla St. Louis! I enjoyed the flick and love me some Jason Reitman and George Clooney.

Thoughts on any of the above?

This is how I started my day

I am such a geek because this song really tickles me.

Tetris by Powerglove

Not as geeky as my husband though, as he’s seen the band. Live. Recently.

News I Can’t Wrap My Brain Around

There have been a couple of things in the news this week that I just can’t understand.

1. The US Supreme Court’s ruling on corporate campaign spending just kind of blows my mind. I mean, really?

2. The California Proposition 8 Supreme Court hearing is going on – that’s the one to review the legality of the ban on gay marriages in California. I’ve been following this because I believe it’s an important civil rights issue. During the trial the following happened:

During an afternoon of scathing inquiry from prominent plaintiffs’ attorney David Boies, William Tam, a controversial figure in the Proposition 8 movement, was confronted repeatedly on views depicted as hostile to the rights of gays and lesbians. Tam testified he likened same-sex marriage to pedophilia, polygamy and legalizing sex with children, and that California would fall into the “hands of Satan” if same-sex couples could wed.

*sigh*

3. Everything coming out of Haiti.

4. The weather reports out here in California. I have seen hail here, people! And I had plans for this weekend and next week that didn’t involve torrential rains!

But to end on a funny note, here’s Doctor Laura and Canadians as house slaves, thanks to some witty Facebook theatre lady friends of mine.

Another random IM

I got another random instant message tonight, this time a Biblical reference. The IM simply said “EZEKIEL 23:20.” Not familiar with this off the top of my head, I Googled it.

Ezekiel 23:20 (New International Version)

20 There she lusted after her lovers, whose genitals were like those of donkeys and whose emission was like that of horses.

Huh.

Hump Day From Jyoseph

Because Jyoseph got this song jammed all up in my head yesterday, here’s a little bit of Snow for your Wednesday. I didn’t realize Snow looked like such a nerd – those glasses are killing me!

Informer by Snow

A licky boom boom down y’all.

Dirty naughty puppets

I finally got to see Avenue Q live and on stage and hoo boy was it fun.

If you’re not familiar with the show, it’s Sesame Street style puppets singing. But they’re not for kids. One of the big songs from the show is called “The Internet is for Porn” and it’s side-splittingly funny.

I’d only ever listened to the cast album so I had no idea that the Bad Idea Bears existed and they cracked me up. I’m pretty sure I live with and am friends with a few Bad Idea Bears of my own, but that’s another story.

The theatre hosting the road show was in downtown San Jose at the San Jose Center for the Performing arts and was really quite lovely in a 1970s kind of a way. And they have a brilliant idea. If you buy one of their sippy cups, you can take it into the theater with you. Genius. Why haven’t more theaters come up with this?

After the show we walked around downtown to grab some dessert and drinks. We ended up at A Perfect Finish and had yummy stuff.

All in all a lovely Saturday night!

Happy Hump Day You Simple Minds

I refer to this song as “The Breakfast Club song” because, well, it’s such a big part of that film. Happy Wednesday!

Don’t You Forget About Me by Simple Minds

In Which I Commit Spousal Abuse

For the past few weeks I have been having REALLY vivid dreams, and I don’t often have vivid dreams. They’re often influenced by television or books or things I’ve done throughout the day lately too. Last night, in the middle of the night, I was having a weird dream where I was being kidnapped by the huge guy who picked me up and his hands were wandering where they shouldn’t be. So I fought back. Wound up and gave him a good jab in the nose and then the throat so he’d drop me. Except it turns out that I actually wound up and punched my slumbering husband, square in the back. Which woke me up with a shout as my dreaming body wasn’t expecting to actually make contact with something solid. It also woke my husband up with a shout, who unconsciously retaliated by throwing his right elbow out, toward my not quite awake face.

We are such a loving couple, aren’t we?

Content Providers are the new Ma Bell

Two interesting tidbits from the world of content providers.

1. The Department of Justice will be taking a look at the proposed merger between Comcast and NBC. I really don’t like the idea of my cable company/ISP owning one of the over the air big networks and production companies.

2. Netflix has struck an agreement with Warner Brothers to not rent new release films for the first 28 days after the DVD/Blu-Ray release of WB films. This is intended to boost sales of new release titles for Warner Brothers. I’m wondering if that really will help them make more sales.

Thoughts? Does this make you re-think your Netflix plan?

Hump Day – Underage Style

The Glee mash up of this has been stuck in my head for a few days now and I thought I’d dig up the original video for this Hump Day. Plus, young Sting is totally adorable.

The Police – Don’t Stand So Close to Me

Enjoy!