22 Days & Counting....

LOST Season Premiere Review, courtesy of TV Guide:

The first seasons' flashbacks now seem utterly quaint. And the more recent flash-forwards? Relatively simple. As promised, previewed and teased by the producers of Lost ever since Season 4 came to a close, the next cycle of episodes introduce a new storytelling "device" of sorts that might make you want to keep a notepad and pen next to your TV remote.

But enough about that. No, really — that's enough. I can't say more, given the confidentiality request that prefaced the first two Season 5 episodes made available to the press.

Instead, I will simply note that the episodes "Because You Left" and "The Lie" offer compelling twists for both the half-dozen "survivors" of Oceanic flight 815 as well as those who are still on the island (wherever it may be).

The first hour is the stronger of the two, as it sends the mind reeling and uncorks infinite possibilities. Picking up soon after the events of the season finale, "Because You Left" reiterates Ben's claim that Jack et al must return to the island to make things "right" (as Michael Emerson shares in this video, there's a "scientific need" for that reunion to happen), then lets slip a bit of insight — from the perspective of those left behind — as to where the island moved. Alas, just as they figure it out....

Next up, "The Lie" revolves around a major predicament for one of the Oceanic 6, setting the stage for a twist that significantly staggers Ben's plan to "get the band back together." Meanwhile, Sawyer, Juliet and the others are subject to old island problems, new revelations and surprise saviors, with the showstopper being one of Lost's most electric and intense action scenes ever.

Familiar faces return. New faces create new problems ... or perhaps offer solutions (hello, Fionnula Flanagan!). People die. All told, the foundation is laid for a pivotal penultimate season.

Before I go, a few more teasers to whet your whistle until the new season arrives Wednesday, Jan. 21.

• Within the first minutes, Daniel Faraday turns up in a most unexpected place.

• Jack shaves his strife beard ... in the premiere's second such shaving scene. (And no, you'll never guess the first familiar face to take razor in hand.)

• There's "another" plane crash.

• Someone gets a nosebleed. (Uh-oh.)

• Kate is haunted by a decision she made.

• As previously spoiled, a dead gal briefly resurfaces — in a somewhat surprising (and somewhat ironic) capacity.

• Did someone order a big helping of frogurt...?

• Every theory I have read about how Desmond might remain in the mix, even though he and Penny were free and clear at the end of the season finale? No one got it right.

• Someone dares call Sawyer an "inbred." That can't end well. And it doesn't.

• Speaking of Sawyer, he remains shirtless for the entire first hour plus the first eight minutes of the second episode. (ABC, you owe me big time for spreading the word on that.)

Why Didn't I Think Of This?

How cool is this? A LOST nativity scene.

Plan Accordingly

To help you wile away the hours, nursing whatever hangover ailment you happen to be sporting, here's a handy list of TV marathons. Aren't I so helpful?

New Year's Eve Wednesday December 31 2008
A&E: Dog the Bounty Hunter
Bravo: Project Runway
Cartoon Network: 6teen
Discovery Health: Untold Stories of the E.R.
E!: Keeping Up With the Kardashians
Food: The Next Food Network Star
Green: Living With Ed
GSN: $100,000 Pyramid
Logo: Sordid Lives
National Geographic: Earth: The Biography
Nickelodeon: Drake & Josh
Nick Toon: Adventures of Jimmy Neutron, Boy Genius
Science: Survivorman
Sci-Fi: The Twilight Zone
Spike: CSI
Style: Clean House
Sundance: Spectacle
TLC: Mystery Diagnosis
Toon Disney: Spider-man
TruTV: Most Daring / Speeders
TV Guide: Close Up
TV One: Divorce Court
TV Land: I Love Lucy
USA: Elf
Versus: Rocky movies
WE: Bridezillas / The Locator


New Year's Day Thursday January 1st 2009
A&E: The First 48
AMC: Rocky movies
BET: Notarized Top Video Countdown
Bravo: The Biggest Loser
Cartoon Network: Looney Tunes
CNBC: American Greed: Scams, Scoundrels and Scandals
Comedy Central: South Park / Drawn Together
Discovery: Mythbusters
DIY: Dream Home / Renovation Realities
ESPN 2: 2008 World Series of Poker
Food: Iron Chef America
Fox Reality: American Idol
G4: Spaceballs: The Animated Series / Human Wrecking Balls
Green: Living With Ed
History: Ice Road Truckers
MTV: Engaged and Underage Bridal Bowl
The N: What I Like About You
Science: Deconstructed / Weird Connections
Sci-Fi: The Twilight Zone
Soap: Private Practice
Spike: CSI: NY
TLC: Ashley Paige: Bikini or Bust / Inside Brookhaven Obesity Clinic / Half-Ton
TNT: Bones
Toon Disney: Spider-man
Travel: Anthony Bourdain: No Reservations
TruTV: Speeders / The Smoking Gun Presents: World's Dumbest Criminals
TV Land: Brady Bunch
TV One: The Jeffersons
USA: Monk
Versus: World Extreme Cagefighting
We: Bridezillas / Momma's Boys
WGN: Honeymooners

50 Things

50 Things We Know Now

Definitely some interesting tidbits to be found.

Surprisingly Prophetic

Newsweek's Gadgets Shopping List from 1997:

PalmPilot (PALM) Professional, $369. And don't forget a bevy of accessories, like the Metricom Ricochet wireless modem -- another $349, plus $30/month for service.

Seiko MessageWatch, $79.95 to $189.95. For $14.95 a month, you get unlimited local paging and email up to 16 characters long. By the way, where's our Casio TwitterWatch?

Sony (SNE) Playstation, $149. Better than its rivals, the Nintendo N64 and Sega's Saturn, says Newsweek. Wacky 1997 rumor: Sega will be working on an "affordable but ultrahighend 128-bit system possibly in partnership with--guess who--Microsoft" (MSFT).

Motorola (MOT) StarTac 8600 Cellular Phone, $800 to $1,200. Motorola's big hit of the late '90s, this phone was even "wearable" with the right armband or necklace accessory. Includes a built-in answering machine!

Midisoft Family Music Center, $199.95. Four octave programmable keyboard, doubles as a digital studio mixer.

Canon PowerShot 350 Digital Camera, $599. No mention of megapixels, but enough memory to store 47 pictures at once. "For even more pictures, snap in the 2MB CompactFlash memory card."

"Austin Powers" DVD, $25. "For those early adopters on your Christmas list who already have Digital Video Disc (DVD) players hooked up in their home entertainment centers."

Rolodex Rex PC Companion, $129 to $179. Tiny, read-only pocket organizer "so small you could conceal it under a credit card" -- "the equivalent of a stuffed Filofax."

Alphasmart 2000 Keyboard, $249. A keyboard with a built-in word processor that can store up to 64 pages of single-spaced text. Synchs up with an Apple (AAPL) Mac or PC.

Sony SPP-SS960 Digital Spread Spectrum Phone, $199. Cordless home phone.

Fritz 5 Chess, $88. PC chess game with a talking coach, database of 100,000 games and a "dazzling library of opening moves."
Bonus: Apple "Think Different" ad with $5,699 PowerBook G3 notebook.

Duggar #18 Born December 18!

Just in case you haven't heard the news yet, Duggar #18, Jordyn-Grace Makiya, was born December 18th. She was due January 1, but was delivered via c-section because she was all sideways and stuff. Apparently this is common with mothers who've been pregnant a lot - their uterus gets so loose that the baby can just flip all over. I am very impressed with their TV editors, as TLC is advertising that their "birth special" will air Monday at 10 PM. (Hopefully this is an episode about Jordyn-Grace's birth, rather than composite of all the previous birth specials, which so far is all we're seeing on the commercials. But after 18, are they really all that different?)

We Have To Get Back!

Check it out:

The Latest Buzz

Courtesy of various sources:

Q: The John Scott character on Fringe is such a joyful enigma; maybe one of you can convince the producers to bring him back from the dead?

A: When I asked my friends o' Fringe about John Scott's possible reanimation, there were rumblings and whispers and gasps before they told me that John's state of being will be a crucial topic of discussion come January. So far, Olivia has enjoyed only the benefits of her mind-meld with her dastardly former lover (played by Mark Valley), but there are also drawbacks.

And in Lost news....
A new Dharma Logo was spotted on the Othersvlle set, the logo with a wrench in the center! Othersville is freshly painted and looks all nice and new. A Dharma "Processing Center" is a part of the set, which includes several props including pictures of new recruits. The latest date spotted was 1976! A yellow lab, possibly Vincent, was spotted. Regarding the VW filming on the cliff, Hurley was spotted in the driver seat while Sawyer had a Dharma jumpsuit on, but Jack was in the shirt in tie still. Kate and Lost producers Damon and Carlton were on set. At another set at Kawela Bay, some large props were spotted including a structure that seems like a 20 ft tall Teepee without the covering. Plus, as part of their most recent podcast at The Transmission, we get a confirmation that we will see Young Charlotte and learn about her birthplace afterall perhaps via a Charlotte flashback or because the island has traveled back in time.

Rousseau and Walt could be back, but Michael will stay dead. Flashbacks and flash-forwards will be part of the mix, and be on the lookout for that four-toed statue. Oh, and don't expect that Desmond-Penny bliss to continue forever.

Women Film Critics Circle

I love women and support equality of the sexes. But these have got to be my two favorite categories.

MOST OFFENSIVE MALE CHARACTERS
Aaron Eckhart: Towelhead
Sam Rockwell: Choke,
Larry Bishop: Hell Ride
Paul Rudd, Sean William Scott: Role Models
Jason Mewes: Zack And Miri Make a Porno

TOP TEN HALL OF SHAME
Roman Polanski: Wanted And Desired
House Of The Sleeping Beauties
The Women
The Life Before Her Eyes
The Hottie and the Nottie
Savage Grace
Made Of Honor
The Family That Preys
Hounddog
Zack And Miri Make A Porno

I can't even imagine what kind of attention the "Men Film Critics Circle" would get if it included categories like "Most Offensive Female Characters." But I would love to see the nominees.

AFI Weighs in on the year...

TOP TEN MOVIES:

The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
The Dark Knight
Frost/Nixon
Frozen River
Gran Torino
Iron Man
Milk
WALL-E
Wendy and Lucy
The Wrestler

TOP TEN TV SHOWS:

Breaking Bad
In Treatment
John Adams
Life
Lost
Mad Men
The Office
Recount
The Shield
The Wire

Bush's Final F.U.

Click here courtesy of Rolling Stone

My Horn Can Pierce The Sky

So was this week's episode of The Office one of the best ever? What did you think of Phyllis' revelation about Dwight & Angela? Will Toby ever catch a break? And Michael trying to pull off an intervention after offering Meredith that crazy drink concoction?

Crazy, funny, really good stuff this week.

Most Emailed News

Don't want to hunt & peck for all the popular stuff? Check this out!

Wedding Songs

What will be or was the first song played at your wedding? White Wedding? Butterfly Kisses?

Rolling Stone Best Albums of 2008

1. TV on the Radio, DEAR SCIENCE
2. Bob Dylan, TELL TALE SIGNS - THE BOOTLEG SERIES VOL. 8
3. L'il Wayne, THA CARTER III
4. My Morning Jacket, EVIL URGES
5. John Mellencamp, LIFE, DEATH, LOVE AND FREEDOM
6. Santogold, SANTOGOLD
7. Coldplay, VIVA LA VIDA OR DEATH AND ALL HIS FRIENDS
8. Beck, MODERN GUILT
9. Metallica, DEATH MAGNETIC
10. Vampire Weekend, VAMPIRE WEEKEND

Full list here.

Their top 5 songs are:
1. Single Ladies, Beyonce
2. Les Artistes, Santogold
3. Time to Pretend, MGMT
4. Furr, Blitzen Trapper
5. Lollipop, Lil Wayne

The Globes Are In!

PICTURE, DRAMA:
"The Curious Case of Benjamin Button"
"Frost/Nixon"
"The Reader"
"Revolutionary Road"
"Slumdog Millionaire"
"The Visitor"

[Can anyone else wait to see Benjamin Button? My vote here now is for Slumdog.]

PICTURE, MUSICAL OR COMEDY:
"Burn After Reading"
"Happy-Go-Lucky"
"In Bruges"
"Mamma Mia!"
"Vicky Christina Barcelona"

[I only saw Mamma Mia and it should not be nominated for anything except "Best Cheese."]

DIRECTOR:
Danny Boyle, "Slumdog Millionaire"
Stephen Daldry, "The Reader"
David Fincher, "The Curious Case of Benjamin Button"
Ron Howard, "Frost/Nixon"
Sam Mendes, "Revolutionary Road"

DRAMATIC ACTOR:
Leonardo DiCaprio, "Revolutionary Road"
Frank Langella, "Frost/Nixon"
Sean Penn, "Milk"
Brad Pitt, "The Curious Case of Benjamin Button"
Mickey Rourke, "The Wrestler"

[Is Mickey going to steal it from Sean or Brad?]

DRAMATIC ACTRESS:
Anne Hathaway, "Rachel Getting Married"
Angelina Jolie, "Changeling"
Meryl Streep, "Doubt"
Kristin Scott Thomas, "I've Loved You So Long"
Kate Winslet, "Revolutionary Road"

ACTOR, COMEDY OR MUSICAL:
Javier Bardem, "Vicky Cristina Barcelona"
Colin Farrell, "In Bruges"
James Franco, "Pineapple Express"
Brendan Gleeson, "In Bruges"
Dustin Hoffman, "Last Chance Harvey"

[James Franco!!!]

ACTRESS, COMEDY OR MUSICAL:
Rebecca Hall, "Vicky Cristina Barcelona"
Sally Hawkins, "Happy-Go-Lucky"
Frances McDormand, "Burn After Reading"
Meryl Streep, "Mamma Mia!"
Emma Thompson, "Last Chance Harvey"

SUPPORTING ACTOR:
Tom Cruise, "Tropic Thunder"
Robert Downey, Jr., "Tropic Thunder"
Ralph Fiennes, "The Duchess"
Philip Seymour Hoffman, "Doubt"
Heath Ledger, "The Dark Knight."

[I think Robert Downey should be nominated for an Oscar.]

SUPPORTING ACTRESS:
Amy Adams, "Doubt"
Penelope Cruz, "Vicky Cristina Barcelona"
Viola Davis, "Doubt"
Marisa Tomei, "The Wrestler"
Kate Winslet, "The Reader"

ANIMATED FILM:
"Bolt,"
"Kung Fu Panda"
"Wall-E"

[Were there only three animated films this year?]

TELEVISION:

DRAMATIC TV SERIES:
"Dexter"
"House M.D."
"In Treatment"
"Mad Men"
"True Blood"

[I'm going True Blood here. Although Dexter and Mad Men are great. Can't speak to the others. Where's Lost?]

ACTOR, TV DRAMA:
Gabriel Byrne, "In Treatment"
Michael C. Hall, "Dexter"
Jon Hamm, "Mad Men"
Hugh Laurie, "House M.D."
Jonathan Rhys Meyers, "The Tudors"

ACTRESS, TV DRAMA:
Sally Field, "Brothers & Sisters"
Mariska Hargitay, "Law & Order: SVU"
January Jones, "Mad Men"
Anna Paquin, "True Blood"
Kyra Sedgwick, "The Closer"

[Will they stop nominating Mariska for every award please?]

TV SERIES, MUSICAL OR COMEDY:
"Californication"
"Entourage"
"The Office"
"30 Rock"
"Weeds"

[Tough call between 30 Rock and Weeds. I go 30 Rock this year because it's so absurd!]

ACTOR, TV MUSICAL OR COMEDY:
Alec Baldwin, "30 Rock"
Steve Carell, "The Office"
Kevin Connolly, "Entourage"
David Duchovny, "Californication"
Tony Shalhoub, "Monk"

[Will they stop nominating Tony Shalhoub for every award?]

ACTRESS, TV MUSICAL OR COMEDY:
Christina Applegate, "Samantha Who?"
America Ferrera, "Ugly Betty"
Tina Fey, "30 Rock"
Debra Messing, "The Starter Wife"
Mary-Louise Parker, "Weeds"

MINISERIES - I took these out because all you have to know is that John Adams will win them all.

ACTRESS IN A SUPPORTING ROLE IN A SERIES, MINISERIES OR MOTION PICTURE MADE FOR TELEVISION:
Eileen Atkins, "Cranford"
Laura Dern, "Recount"
Melissa George, "In Treatment"
Rachel Griffiths, "Brothers & Sisters"
Dianne Wiest, "In Treatment"

[Laura Dern all the way (sorry Rachel)... but is this the dumbest category or what? It's basically "Best Actress in the World!"]

PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTOR IN A SUPPORTING ROLE IN A SERIES, MINISERIES OR MOTION PICTURE MADE FOR TELEVISION:
Neil Patrick Harris, "How I Met Your Mother"
Denis Leary, "Recount"
Jeremy Piven, "Entourage"
Blair Underwood, "In Treatment"
Tom Wilkinson, "John Adams"

CECIL B. DEMILLE LIFETIME ACHIEVEMENT AWARD:
Steven Spielberg

Full list here.

Pay Attention

While Detroit Slept

LA Film Critics Best List

Best Picture
Wall-E
Runner-up: The Dark Knight

Director
Danny Boyle, Slumdog Millionaire
Runner-up: Christopher Nolan, The Dark Knight

Actor
Sean Penn, Milk
Runner-up: Mickey Rourke, The Wrestler

Actress
Sally Hawkins, Happy-Go-Lucky
Runner-up: Melissa Leo, Frozen River

Supporting Actor
Heath Ledger, The Dark Knight
Runner-up: Eddie Marsan, Happy-Go-Lucky

Supporting Actress
Penelope Cruz, Vicky Cristina Barcelona and Elegy
Runner-up: Viola Davis, Doubt

Screenplay
Mike Leigh, Happy-Go-Lucky
Runner-up: Charlie Kaufman, Synecdoche, New York

Foreign-language Film
Still Life
Runner-up: The Class

Documentary
Man on Wire
Runner-up: Waltz With Bashir

Animation
Waltz With Bashir

Cinematography
Yu Lik Wai, Still Life
Runner-up: Anthony Dod Mantle, Slumdog Millionaire

Production Design
Mark Friedberg, Synecdoche, New York
Runner-up: Nathan Crowley, The Dark Knight

Music/score
A.R. Rahman, Slumdog Millionaire
Runner-up: Alexandre Desplat, The Curious Case of Benjamin Button

New Generation
Steve McQueen, Hunger

Douglas E. Edwards independent/experimental film/video
James Benning, RR and Casting a Glance

British Critics Choice Awards

These categories are WAY better than the Academy.

BEST PICTURE
Changeling
The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
The Dark Knight
Doubt
Frost/Nixon
Milk
The Reader
Slumdog Millionaire
Wall-E
The Wrestler


BEST ACTOR
Clint Eastwood - Gran Torino
Richard Jenkins - The Visitor
Frank Langella - Frost/Nixon
Sean Penn - Milk
Brad Pitt - The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
Mickey Rourke - The Wrestler


BEST ACTRESS
Kate Beckinsale - Nothing But the Truth
Cate Blanchett - The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
Anne Hathaway - Rachel Getting Married
Angelina Jolie - Changeling
Melissa Leo - Frozen River
Meryl Streep - Doubt


BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR
Josh Brolin - Milk
Robert Downey, Jr. - Tropic Thunder
Philip Seymour Hoffman - Doubt
Heath Ledger - The Dark Knight
James Franco - Milk


BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS
Penelope Cruz - Vicky Cristina Barcelona
Viola Davis - Doubt
Vera Farmiga - Nothing But the Truth
Taraji P. Henson - The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
Marisa Tomei - The Wrestler
Kate Winslet - The Reader


BEST ACTING ENSEMBLE
The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
The Dark Knight
Doubt
Milk
Rachel Getting Married


BEST DIRECTOR
Danny Boyle - Slumdog Millionaire
David Fincher - The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
Ron Howard - Frost/Nixon
Christopher Nolan - The Dark Knight
Gus Van Sant - Milk


BEST WRITER (Original or Adapted Screenplay)
Simon Beaufoy - Slumdog Millionaire
Dustin Lance Black - Milk
Peter Morgan - Frost/Nixon
Eric Roth -The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
John Patrick Shanley - Doubt


BEST ANIMATED FEATURE
Bolt
Kung Fu Panda
Madagascar: Escape 2 Africa
Wall-E
Waltz With Bashir


BEST YOUNG ACTOR/ACTRESS (Under 21)
Dakota Fanning - The Secret Life of Bees
David Kross - The Reader
Dev Petal - Slumdog Millionaire
Brandon Walters - Australia


BEST ACTION MOVIE
The Dark Knight
Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull
Iron Man
Quantum of Solace
Wanted


BEST COMEDY MOVIE
Burn After Reading
Forgetting Sarah Marshall
Role Models
Tropic Thunder
Vicky Cristina Barcelona


BEST PICTURE MADE FOR TELEVISION
John Adams
Recount
Coco Chanel


BEST FOREIGN LANGUAGE FILM
A Christmas Tale
Gomorrah
I've Loved You So Long
Let the Right One In
Mongol
Waltz With Bashir


BEST DOCUMENTARY FEATURE
I.O.U.S.A.
Man On Wire
Roman Polanski: Wanted and Desired
Standard Operating Procedure
Young At Heart


BEST SONG
"Another Way to Die" (performed by Jack White and Alicia Keys, written by Jack White) - Quantum of Solace
"Down to Earth" (performed by Peter Gabriel, written by Peter Gabriel and Thomas Newman) - Wall-E
"I Thought I Lost You" (performed Miley Cyrus and John Travolta, written by Miley Cyrus and Jeffrey Steele) - Bolt
"Jaiho" (performed by Sukhwinder Singh, written by A.R. Rahman and Gulzar) - Slumdog Millionaire
"The Wrestler" (performed by Bruce Springsteen, written by Bruce Springsteen) - The Wrestler


BEST COMPOSER
Alexandre Desp lat -The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
Clint Eastwood - Changeling
Danny Elfman - Milk
Hans Zimmer/James Newton Howard - The Dark Knight
A.R. Rahman - Slumdog Millionaire

Australia

What can I say except this movie is TERRIBLE! But at the same time beautiful, big, dumb and fun. But terrible.

Time Mag Top 10 Everything

Read the full lists here.

Movies
1. Wall-E
5. Milk
6. The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
7. Slumdog Millionaire
8. Iron Man
9. Speed Racer (really??)

Best Film Performances
Female:
1. Kate Winslet, The Reader
5. Angelina Jolie, Wanted (I totally disagree here)
Male:
1. Heath Ledger, The Dark Knight

TV Series
1. The Shield
2. Mad Men
7. Lost
8. Battlestar Galactica

TV Show Episodes
1. Lost, The Constant, "At its best, Lost rips your heart out while it ties your brain in a knot."
6. Battlestar Galactica, Revelations
8. 30 Rock, Cooter
9. Mad Men, A Night to Remember

Top Albums
1. TV on the Radio, Dear Science

Bored?

Go check out Face in Hole

New York Post Ten Worst Movies of 2008

1. 'The Love Guru'
2. 'The Hottie and the Nottie'
3. 'Mad Money'
4. 'What Happens In Vegas'
5. '10,000 B.C'
6. 'Babylon A.D.'
7. 'You Don't Mess With The Zohan'
8. 'Rambo'
9. 'Witless Protection'
10. 'Beverly Hills Chihuahua'

I saw 5% of these movies. I fell asleep halfway through Zohan.

Rolling Stone Top 12 DVDs of 2008

I used to be a big DVD person, not so much anymore. Kind of a waste of money when you have Netflix. But I still buy the good ones. Here's what Rolling Stone put on their list:

1. Dark Knight
2. Wall-E
3. Godfather Trilogy
4. Iron Man
5. Shine a Light
6. Wanted
7. Man on Wire
8. Hancock (I have this at home now)
9. Bottle Rocket
10. Dr. No (Bond on Blu-ray)
11. Journey to the Center of the Earth
12. Cool Hand Luke (cool!)

I love lists

So I'll be posting a lot of them.

National Board of Review

Best Film
SLUMDOG MILLIONAIRE

Best Director
DAVID FINCHER, The Curious Case of Benjamin Button

Best Actor
CLINT EASTWOOD, Gran Torino

Best Actress
ANNE HATHAWAY, Rachel Getting Married

Best Supporting Actor
JOSH BROLIN, Milk

Best Supporting Actress
PENELOPE CRUZ, Vicky Cristina Barcelona

Best Foreign Language Film
MONGOL

Best Documentary
MAN ON WIRE

Best Animated Feature
WALL-E

Best Ensemble Cast
DOUBT

Breakthrough Performance by an Actor
DEV PATEL, Slumdog Millionaire

Breakthrough Performance by an Actress
VIOLA DAVIS, Doubt

Best Directorial Debut
COURTNEY HUNT, Frozen River

Best Original Screenplay
NICK SCHENK, Gran Torino

Best Adapted Screenplay
SIMON BEAUFOY, Slumdog Millionaire and ERIC ROTH, The Curious Case of Benjamin Button

Spotlight Award
MELISSA LEO, Frozen River and RICHARD JENKINS, The Visitor

The BVLGARI Award for NBR Freedom of Expression
TRUMBO

Top Ten Films
(In alphabetical order)
BURN AFTER READING
CHANGELING
THE CURIOUS CASE OF BENJAMIN BUTTON
THE DARK KNIGHT
DEFIANCE
FROST/NIXON
GRAN TORINO
MILK
WALL-E
THE WRESTLER

Top Five Foreign Language Films
(In alphabetical order)
EDGE OF HEAVEN
LET THE RIGHT ONE IN
ROMAN DE GUERRE
A SECRET
WALTZ WITH BASHIR

Top Five Documentary Films
(In alphabetical order)
AMERICAN TEEN
THE BETRAYAL (NERAKHOON)
DEAR ZACHARY
ENCOUNTERS AT THE END OF THE WORLD
ROMAN POLANSKI WANTED AND DESIRED

William K. Everson Film History Award
MOLLY HASKELL and ANDREW SARRIS

Merry Christmas

...and with it comes a new U2 Christmas song. Pretty good!

No Doubt

Not only are they preparing a new album for 2009 (!!!!!), but if you are a Rock Band owner you can download their "Singles" collection so you can rock steady with them.

Important Grammy Update

Kathy Griffin was nominated for her comedy album, "For Your Consideration!" If you watch the show, you'll know the only reason she recorded the album was so she could win a Grammy. Brilliant!

The only thing lamer than the Grammies is their website

Record of the Year (I've finally learned that this means best recording of a song):
Chasing Pavements - Adele
Viva La Vida -Coldplay
Bleeding Love - Leona Lewis
Paper Planes - M.I.A
Please Read The Letter - Robert Plant & Alison Kraus

Okay... not awful but very mainstream.

Album of the Year
Viva La Vida Or Death And All His Friends - Coldplay
Tha Carter III - Lil Wayne
Year Of The Gentleman - Ne-Yo
Raising Sand - Robert Plant & Alison Krauss
In Rainbows - Radiohead

Quite honestly, I think Radiohead and Coldplay are the only ones deserving here. I still maintain that if it weren't "Coldplay" (and all the baggage that came with them), people would've been very impressed with their album. Imagine if it were their "first album." This is Radiohead's best album. But what about Beck, Sigur Ros, My Morning Jacket, Panic at the Disco, Hot Chip, Does It Offend You Yeah?, Black Mountain, Black Keys? Those are all better than Coldplay and certainly the other three non-Radiohead nominees. I'm probably forgetting about 25 other albums that rocked the joint.

Best New Artist
If the Jonas Bros are nominated, this is crap. Yeah, they're nominated.

The only other two I really care about:

Best Rock Album
Viva La Vida Or Death And All His Friends - Coldplay
Rock N Roll Jesus - Kid Rock
Only By The Night - Kings Of Leon
Death Magnetic - Metallica
Consolers Of The Lonely - The Raconteurs

Kid Rock?

Best Alternative Music Album
Modern Guilt - Beck
Narrow Stairs - Death Cab For Cutie
The Odd Couple - Gnarls Barkley
Evil Urges - My Morning Jacket
In Rainbows - Radiohead

When my favorite albums are all in lower categories, I know this awards show just isn't for me.

Lost Tidbits

Television Without Pity offers up some nuggets o' Lost, after a recent interview with Exec Producers, Carlton Cuse & Damon Lindelof:

- "I think its safe to say you'll be seeing Christian again in season 5," Lindelof says. "And what's up with those white tennis shoes he was wearing back in season 1?"

- Lindelof adds, "As for Jin, we'll definitely be seeing more of him in season 5. But as we're moving through past, present and future, who knows when we'll see him.

- Says Cuse: "More on the four-toed statue to come!

And might we see a Lost feature film after the series ends? "The answer is no," Lindelof says. "We've always felt that the show should definitively end the same place it started ... on television. To bring our characters to some sort of cliffhanger where the audience gets none of the answers that they really care about and then say, 'Now give us ten bucks, buy some popcorn and we'll give you the rest!' would pretty much be the worst thing ever."

40 Greatest Lost Pop Culture Icons

I found myself going, "oh yeah....." at recalling the various people on this list courtesy of Nerve.com

Sneak Peak

Indie Spirit Award Nominations

Okay, the first nominations of the year! And I haven't seen most of them.

Best Picture
Rachel Getting Married
The Wrestler
Wendy and Lucy
Ballast
Frozen River

Best Female Lead
Summer Bishil - Towelhead
Anne Hathaway - Rachel Getting Married
Melissa Leo - Frozen River
Tarra Riggs - Ballast
Michelle Williams - Wendy and Lucy

Best Male Lead
Javier Bardem - Vicky Cristina Barcelona
Richard Jenkins - The Visitor
Sean Penn - Milk
Jeremy Renner - The Hurt Locker
Mickey Rourke - The Wrestler

See the full list here.

Thanksgiving Movies

Since I was battling a bad cold this entire past weekend, I opted to see a few movies rather than drink lots of wine. Okay, I had lots of wine, too.

I saw Milk. This is the true story of Harvey Milk, who was the first openly gay official elected to high office in the United States. Sean Penn delivers a performance unlike anything we've seen from him before. It's funny, happy and optimistic. The rest of the cast is equally great, especially James Franco and Emile Hirsch. I didn't even know it was Hirsch until the end credits. You may know how the movie ends, but probably wouldn't expect it to be a truly inspirational film and certainly more than a "gay movie." It's a movie about the human condition and equality.

Milk would've been my favorite movie of the year so far, except last night I saw Slumdog Millionaire. You may not have heard about this movie yet, but you will.

Slumdog is directed by Danny Boyle, who did Trainspotting and 28 Days Later. He also did the awful Sunshine and The Beach. This is his best movie. Jamal is on the Indian-version of "Who Wants to be a Millionaire?" and he knows the answer to every question on the show. But he doesn't know anything else, so he is accused of cheating. The movie is basically an explanation for how he has come to know these very specific answers. The filmmaking is colorful, kinetic and boasts beautiful performances - plus great music - the kind you'd hear in a Bollywood film! The movie is about doing the right thing and choosing the correct and honorable path. It is about coincidence. It is about violence and hate and revenge. And it is about love. This is the most entertaining movie of the year.

Reality Line-Up

Winter Reality Schedule:
* Bad Girls Club 3 [Oxygen, Dec. 2, Tuesdays at 10]
* Secret Millionaire [Fox, December 3 at 8, Wednesdays and Thursdays at 9]
* A Double Shot of Love [MTV, Dec. 9, Tuesdays at 10] news
* Intervention [A&E, Dec. 15 at 10, Mondays at 9]
* Momma’s Boys [NBC, Dec. 16 at 10, Mondays at 9 but 10 p.m. as of Jan. 5]
* Countdown to the Crown [TLC, Jan. 2, Fridays at 10] news
* Superstar Dancers of the World/Superstars of Dance [NBC, Sunday, Jan. 4 at 9, Mondays at 8]
* The Bachelor 13 [ABC, Jan. 5, Mondays at 8] news
* True Beauty [ABC, Jan. 5, Mondays at 10]
* Greg Behrendt’s Wake-Up Call [SoapNet, Jan. 8, Thursdays at 11]
* American Idol 8 [Fox, Jan. 13, Tuesdays and Wednesdays at 8] news
* Hell’s Kitchen 5 [Fox, Jan. 29, Thursdays at 9] news
* Around the World for Free [WGN America, January]
* Chris & John to the Rescue! [Logo, January]
* Gone Country 3 [CMT, January 2009]
* Jockeys [Animal Planet, Feb. 6]
* Survivor 18 [CBS, February] news
* Wingman [Fine Living, Feb. 10, Tuesdays at 9]
* Running in Heels [Style, March 2009]


2009

* 13: Fear is Real [The CW]
* Blonde Charity Mafia [Lifetime]
* The City [MTV, first quarter 2009]
* Creature [Animal Planet]
* Dance Your Ass Off [Oxygen]
* Ghost Hunters [Sci Fi]
* How’d You Get So Rich? [TV Land]
* Jingles [CBS]
* Untitled Larry Birkhead series [E!, 2009]
* Lock ‘N Load [Showtime, 2009]
* Make Me a Supermodel 2 [Bravo] news
* Make My Day [TV Land]
* The Phone [MTV]
* Project Runway 6 [Lifetime, Wednesdays (on hold due to court order)] news
* The Real Housewives of New York City [Bravo] news
* RuPaul’s Drag Race [Logo]
* Shark Taggers [NBC]
* Southern Belles [SoapNet]
* Swords [NBC, summer]
* Toddlers and Tiaras [TLC]
* When Women Rule the World [FOX, future uncertain]

Only 62 Days.....

Shout Out

Here's a little shout out to my friends, Sarah and Lola

Please check out their blogs. I'd appreciate it and I'm sure they would as well.

In TV News

From TV Guide:

Fans of The Office may be missing seeing Rashida Jones at Dunder Mifflin, but they'll soon have her back on the same network.

Jones has been cast in a new series from the creative minds of Office executive producers Greg Daniels, Mike Schur and Howard Klein, and fronted by Saturday Night Live alumna Amy Poehler. In the as-yet-untitled comedy, Jones will play a nurse named Ann Logan (no relation to General Hospital's famous virginal Florence Nightingale).

As for the series' overall premise, showrunner Michael Schur maintains, "It is not a spin-off of The Office." Rather, he quips, "It is a spin-off of M*A*S*H, called Seinfeld II."

Are you ready to have Rashida back on NBC? Any guesses on what the new series will be like?

Beating Dan To The Punch

In Oscar/Lost news... (betcha never expected to see those 2 things in one sentence!)

Lost composer Michael Giacchino will be the musical director/conductor on Oscar night.

I have no idea what that could possibly mean but maybe they'll find the island on the Oscar stage... or perhaps the shiny gold dude will appear in a flash-forward.

I Am Freaking Out!

I love all things Wienermobile and today I learned about some amazing stuff. First, there is a HotDogger Blog where you can read about life inside the Wienermobile, plus a bunch of other good stuff. Additionally, there is now a SMALL sized Wienermobile... the LTL LINK! OMG! OMG! OMG! They have combined 2 of my most-favorite things; a Mini Cooper & the Weinermobile into this:


If you're into Twitter (and really, who isn't?) you can follow the Weinermobile by Clicking Here While you're at it, why not Follow Me!

Geeky Cool!

Okay Mac users.... this is the coolest thing I've run across in days....




Get yours at Throwboy

The Moose Stops Here

And, another Susan-recommend read can be found by Clicking Here

The Wild Wordsmith of Wasilla

Thanks to my sister, Susan, for the heads-up on a great article by Dick Cavett in the NYTimes. Click Here to read.

Forbidden Love: Polygamy

For some reason I hadn't heard about it in advance, but managed last night to catch a new show on TLC called "Forbidden Love: Polygamy." The host, Dawn Porter, traveled to Arizona to spend time with two different polygamist families. The show was filmed during the raid on the FLDS compound earlier this year, so maybe not the best time to do a TV exposee on this lifestyle, but actually after meeting with some women in the first community, they did allow her in.

The community where the first family lived was a whole town of polygamists, so the kids growing up were surrounded by this environment. The 14 year-old son (they said he was oldest, and in charge while his father was away, but there were also grandchildren in the family, so he was probably just the oldest still living at home) said he wanted as many wives as he could get, and when asked if he had his eye on any of the girls at school, he said, "All of them!" This family had three wives, and 16 kids currently in the house - the woman Dawn spent most of her time with had given birth to eight. In an interview with the first wife, we learned that she'd been married to her husband for 17 years before he brought in number two. How much would that have sucked?! Apparently, it wasn't until she got sick and recovered a couple years ago that she suddenly no longer felt any animocity toward the other wives. She said knowing what she knew now, she'd like to join a family as the fifth wife - by that time, all the struggle is over and systems to run the household are set up. The husband in this family was actually out of town while the show was filmed, and I wonder if this was because he didn't want to be on the show, or because the women were trying to keep it a secret from him? (Or maybe just bad timing.)

Dawn spent a day with another family, who lived in a double-wide trailer in the middle of nowhere, she said with no water or electricity. There were two wives, and I think six children? The oldest daughter was 14, seemed relatively normal, and said she wasn't sure whether she'd like a polygamist marriage or not. The two wives were young and attractive-looking, and the girls were all wearing pants! However, husband Moroni (yes, his name sounds very close to "moron," but he says it's an old family name) admits that there was jealousy between his wives at first. He also says he's looking to add a third..! But he's apparently been turned down more than once, needing his other wives to console him. (Hmm, maybe they found out what the living arrangement was going to be.) After spending a night at this home, Dawn says her goodbyes and gets into a waiting truck with her camera crew. She seems really shaken/upset, and kept saying what an experience it was staying there. Well, I think there were some things about this situation that didn't make it into the show, but they are mentioned in this blog entry, written by the host. (She also mentions how she picked up her colorful, vintage wardrobe for the show.)

At the end of the show, Dawn still seemed unable to wrap her head around why anyone would choose to live this lifestyle, but she had exposed some positive aspects, such as the community atmosphere, and oh did you know that you'll become a goddess? Yeah, that was news to me, especially considering Mormons are christian (and therefore, like, don't believe in multiple gods and goddesses)... Another Mormon-related question I had: LDS weddings involve "sealing" the bride and groom together for eternity, and this can only be done in a special room of the temple you can only enter if you've done certain Mormon things, which is why non-Mormon family members can't watch their Mormon kids get married, bla bla bla. Anyway, since polygamy was offically outlawed by the church in 1890, does the second wife and beyond get to be sealed to the family too? Maybe they have their own polygamist temple that will allow this?

After doing some research, it looks like this was just one of a four-part series originally called "Dawn Porter: Extreme Wife." Next week TLC will air "Forbidden Love: Geisha," and there are two other programs in this series, on mail-order brides and a German free-love commune, which will air next year in the US but not on TLC.

Hero

A new Showtime series about a gay superhero!

"Thom Creed tries not to disappoint his dad, a disgraced caped crusader who now toils as a factory drudge, so he keeps his gay identity and his developing superpowers under wraps. Then he secretly tries out for the prestigious League, joining aspiring heroes in villain-busting adventures that escalate alongside more private discoveries."

I thought all superheroes were gay?

Somehow I Forgot About Fringe

Check this article out about Fringe. It was back on last night and I completely forgot to tune in. Hopefully my season pass snagged it. If not, I'll just find a recap. Anyone watch it?

And in LOST News...

ABC will premiere season five of its serialized drama Lost Wednesday Jan. 21, according to the network.

ABC will air a clip show at 8 p.m., followed by the first and second episodes of the new season at 9 and 10 p.m. respectively.

The series will return to its normal 9 p.m. Wednesday slot the following week.

Season four of Lost was scheduled on Thursday’s at 9 p.m., the new season will return the series to Wednesdays, where it made its debut on the network.



'Lost' Season 5 Promo from Broadcasting & Cable on Vimeo.

Top Chef

Season 5 is on tap tonight, 10pm. This season they are in NYC. Definitely season-pass worthy!

A Step In The Right Direction

Obama Transition Announces Rules for Lobbyists in Transition

Washington, DC: During a briefing today at the Presidential Transition Team headquarters, Obama Transition Co-Chair John Podesta announced the strictest, and most far reaching ethics rules of any transition team in history. The rules are:

- Federal Lobbyists cannot contribute financially to the transition.
- Federal lobbyists are prohibited from any lobbying during their work with the transition.
- If someone has lobbied in the last 12 months, they are prohibited from working in the fields of policy on which they lobbied.
- If someone becomes a lobbyist after working on the Transition, they are prohibited from lobbying the Administration for 12 months on matters on which they worked.
- A gift ban that is aggressive in reducing the influence of special interests.

Statement of Thomas Mann
Brookings Institution

"The ethical guidelines released today for the Obama transition are tough and unequivocal. They will prevent some honorable people with rich experience from serving in the transition. That is a real cost but it is more than balanced by the strong signal sent by the President-elect. He aspires to attract to government able individuals whose highest priority is to serve the public interest. This is a very constructive step in that direction."

Statement of Norm Ornstein
American Enterprise Institute

"Restoring trust in government is a prerequisite to enacting good policy and the tough choices the country needs. This ethics policy for the transition is a far-reaching, bold and constructive step to do just that. The policy may exclude some good people with deep experience in their fields, but it will also exclude those who see government service as a springboard to financial success, or who are more intent on pleasing future potential employers or clients than making tough choices in the public interest. As much as anything, this ethics policy is a statement about the tone and tenor of the Obama administration. It is a good sign."

Statement of John Podesta
Co-Chair of President-elect Obama and Vice President-elect Biden's Transition Team

"President-elect Barack Obama has pledged to change the way Washington works and curb the influence of lobbyists. During the campaign, federal lobbyists could not contribute to or raise money for the campaign. Today, the President-elect is taking those commitments even further by announcing the strictest, and most far reaching ethics rules of any transition team in history."

Direct Link

17 Kids and Counting: "Duggars Learn to Drive"

Was having almost an entire episode dedicated to Jinger a shout-out to her fans? It was great to hear her described as "spunky," and Michelle kind of said (in not so many words) that she's a drama queen. Sounds like she still has some personality left in her! Free Jinger! What was up with their training technique - they don't do time-outs, but teach the kids to sit still in a chair? Jackson was not looking happy in that chair, by the way, though he and Johannah were cute when they had their "violin lesson." The episode opened with yet another product-placement moment when Michelle was shown cleaning with Pledge or something. I hope everyone caught it, because it's probably the only time you'll ever see her clean something! (At least until the older girls are married and gone.) Michelle commented that it's difficult to keep the house clean with so many people, especially "little people." Was that a dig on the Roloffs? Also, we had the rare treat of getting a brief interview with second son (and potentially autistic?) John David. He seemed normal, and he got his driver's license on the first try. Meanwhile, Jinger was in the car by herself with an unrelated man! And a TV camera. Even though she admitted to speeding and not reading signs, she still passed and got her license. That's good, it would've been really embarrassing to not get it while on TV (cough cough, Jeremy Roloff, cough).

Looky! Pictures!

Check out Obama's election night Flickr set here,

I want a restraining order against Beyonce.

Does she have to be EVERYWHERE and sing EVERYTHING? She volunteered to sing at Obama's inauguration. Honey, I think you need to be ASKED to do stuff like that.

Proud Ohioan!

We Interrupt This Election....

...to bring you BREAKING NEWS

Must-Have!

As many know, I am a mullet hunter. I think this bag is essential, don't you?




Head over to Durtbagz to get one.

Brothers & Sisters

So I haven't cried at this show in a while, but it's still good. Even though the website idea for Brenda, er, Rachel Griffith's character is pretty lame. I think that may bother me for a while.

Heroes

The executive producers were fired Sunday. Apparently I'm not the only one that thinks this show, um, SUCKS this year.

Palin Got Pranked

Little Shop of Alternative Endings

I love Little Shop of Horrors. It is one of my favorite childhood movies. The stage version was decidedly darker, with the entire cast dead by the end. The movie was originally shot that way, but then reshot for a happy ending.

Go to YouTube to watch the original endings, which have barely ever been available. Here is the link to Part 1 (there are 3 parts).

What a Douchebag!

Watch This

Uh... Joe.....

Gotta love it....

Where's Joe?

Renting the Claude W. Henkle Middle School courtyard - $15,000
I paid campaign supporter Joe the Plumber - $10,000
Introducing Joe the Plumber when he's not at the rally - Priceless

Joe the Plumber NOT in Defiance, Ohio

So Joe the Plumber stood McCain up... in Defiance, Ohio of all places! And apparently 2/3 of the crowd was the ENTIRE Defiance School District, who was bused in from their schools.

From MSNBC's Chueck Todd: "A local school district official confirmed after the event that of the 6,000 people estimated by the fire marshal to be in attendance this morning, more than 4,000 were bused in from schools in the area. The entire 2,500-student Defiance School District was in attendance, the official said, in addition to at least three other schools from neighboring districts, one of which sent 14 buses."

What is going on with this??? Not everyone in Defiance is a Republican....

Awesome!

So Long Cowboy!

17 Kids and Counting: “Trading Places, Duggar Style"

The promos for this episode made it sound like the Duggar kids really traded jurisdictions (that’s Duggar-ese for “chores”), but it was more like “boys make a mess with soup while the girls learn auto maintenance.” Plus there was a commercial at the end for Scrubbing Bubbles, starring Jim Bob, Josh, and John David. (Don’t tell me that wasn’t product placement - who holds up a bottle like that with the label facing forward and everything while they’re just talking or standing around?) I did appreciate that the producers asked Michelle a couple of the real questions that have been brought up about their jurisdictions and the amount of housework that the girls do: did she think their allocation of chores reinforced gender stereotypes, and did she think she was raising the girls to be stay-at-home moms? Michelle’s answer was awful, though: the girls like doing those chores because gender stereotypes are “innate,” and also “most” of them want, in their hearts, to be SAHMs (because it’s the only career they know of for women?!).

So, the little boys did laundry (and they were using brand-name detergent - what happened to their homemade laundry soap from last week?) while the girls put on plaid flannel shirts over their long skirts and learned to change the oil in the car. Then the boys "helped" Michelle cook green beans and Tater Tot Casserole for lunch while the girls were "stranded" 200 yards from the house and left to change a flat tire on their own. The two oldest boys were nowhere to be seen during the chore swap, except when they drove the girls out to the tire change spot in a Corvette..? (Bet Josh "borrowed" that from the used car lot.)

The Duggars' double-standards just make me so angry. Jim Bob and Michelle kissed before they were married! Michelle wore pants! She worked outside the home (first in JB's mom's yogurt shop, then with JB as a real estate agent, and she even mentioned last night that she occasionally had to drive a tow truck when they ran a towing business)! Not to mention, they both got to attend public school, where Michelle was even a cheerleader!

For those of you interested in this type of fundie entertainment, TLC will be airing a special this Sunday on Purity Balls.

Bored?

This site cracks me up.

see famous look-a-like faces

My Birthday Party

My birthday is November 3, so I'm having an election results slash birthday party on November 4. We're going to have our own electoral college, too. Because I live in Los Angeles and no one that lives here was born in California, each person gets the number of electoral votes that their home state receives. For instance, I was born in Ohio and get 20 votes. One of my friends is from Massachusetts, so she gets 12 Liberal Elite Electoral Votes. My friends from Hungary, Egypt and Germany get 3 Totally Made Up Electoral Votes.

I had a similar birthday party in 2004 and had a 4-year hangover. It looks like this year's party will go a little better.

Who will play Michelle Obama

If the word on the street is correct, then it's Maya Rudolph! I love all the returning cast members. Tina Fey as Sarah Palin! Will Ferrel as Bush! (How funny was last night, by the way?) Chris Parnell the other night as Tom Brokaw, too! Not to mention Alex Baldwin last week. SNL has been at its best lately. And it's starting to feel more like a comedy troupe rather than a cast. You never know who's going to be on the show! Me like!

Undecided?

read this David Sedaris article

Must Have!

I have a pretty cool sign on my desk that says "Plate Is Full". I made it myself and thought it was pretty ingenious. But today I stumbled across this:




I must have the Do Not Disturb. Maybe one for home, too.

Shoe Rack "Kickit"

Is this amazingly cool or what? Kick off your shoes into this cool rack.

McCain Left On Bus

John McCain Accidentally Left On Campaign Bus Overnight

I Don't Need To Know

I have a feeling the Madonna/Guy Ritchie thing is going to get bad. Very bad. I just ran across an article about Guy giving an interview regarding their sex life. Okay people... let's move along. No one cares.

Mike Singletary

I have been a Bears fan since high school but I might have to break ranks because my most favorite player of ALL TIME has been named head coach of the 49ers. Way to go, Mike!

17 Kids and Counting: "Cheaper by the Duggars"

Last week I speculated that this week's episode, "Cheaper by the Duggars," would feature such money saving tips as shopping at Aldi's and thrift stores, and getting TLC to build your house. Well, two out of three right isn't bad! After hearing how all the kids' shoes have fallen apart (one girl had covered the heels of her boots with duct tap!), we saw Michelle take the younger boys shoe shopping at a thrift store. There are ten boys in this family. They left with thirty pairs of shoes. Is that three new pairs per person? Whatever, they were $1/pair. We saw the older girls making laundry soap, which they've been doing for a year now, after getting the recipe from another family. We saw Jim Bob collecting rent from one of their commercial properties, and he showed off their biggest money maker, the cell phone tower on their property. And he proudly proclaimed he had a full signal while standing nearby. Of course we saw the shopping trip to Aldi's, where they ignored the urine/bleach smell (at least if it's anything like the Aldi's by me) and bought $3000 worth of groceries in 11 shopping carts. Oh and also they were being followed by a Korean film crew, which the TLC crew was filming. They're being featured in Korea to inspire people to have kids, I guess, since they have a low birth rate. When Jim Bob met them, he said, he told them his was a "typical American family." Har har, Jim Bob. If that were true, why would they have chosen you out of the entire country? No, they realize you're abnormal, that's why your wife's on TV in Korea. A neighbor from town, Mr. Charlie (?), set up one long row of a vegetable garden for the Duggar kids to help tend and get some veggies from. They kept saying how they loved cucumbers, but I think we know from past Duggar specials that what they really love is pickles! Finally, the most shocking revelation in the entire show: the older Duggar girls perm their hair! Hello, what about your countenances, ladies? Anyway, pretty much everything they showed seems to be in response to various comments made on TWoP and elsewhere on the internet (especially Jim Bob interviewing on what he thinks their environmental impact is, but also "how do they get their income?" and "why don't they grown their own vegetables?"). If this trend holds, based on current TWoP discussion, we should see them doing some volunteer work in a future season of their show.

Still Thinking of Voting For McCain?

If so (and even if you're not), please read the following:

Courtesy of Alexa, on Flotsam,More Wounded Than Eloquent, I'm Afraid

How In The Hell Did This Man Get Nominated For President?

Republican presidential nominee Senator John McCain reacts to almost heading the wrong way off the stage after shaking hands with Democratic presidential nominee Senator Barack Obama at the conclusion of the final presidential debate at Hofstra University in Hempstead, October 15, 2008.

REUTERS/Jim Bourg

Fringe-Worthy Reading

Compliments of Televisionary:

5 Suggestions to Improve Fringe

I Just Wet Myself

Project Runway 5 Finale: And the Winner is...

Leanne Marshall! Love her style and personality! I hope she goes far. If the worst the judges could come up with was that she might become known for her "petals" and get called Petals Marshall, well, Christian (last season's winner) should be known as Puffy Sleeves Siriano.

I was almost certain that they were setting up a "bad guy" win for Kenley, like they had with Jeffrey in Season 3, but I was very glad to see that they didn't.

I'm sad Jerell didn't get to compete, though. He really was this season's Austin Scarlett: flamboyant and feminine, and eliminated just before the finale. But the thing I liked most about him was that he had a really good attitude throughout the competition. Even when he was eliminated, he still kept his spirits up and took it in stride.

Why Does Every Republican Administration Need An Idiot?

Sarah Palin today:

"It seems like, and in our last rally too, and in other parts around this great Northwest, here in New Hampshire, ya just get it."

(Yes, I'm addicted to the election.)

Little Big Planet

If you have a PS3, this is the next game you need to buy. I was lucky enough to be part of the online Beta, and couldn't stop playing for the week I had it. The characters are so cute (way cuter than Mario), and the gameplay is fun and bouncy. Essentially, you're a "sack boy" (a boy made out of a potato sack), you can customize him however you want, and you play levels that are built out of everyday items like skateboards and fences. The most exciting part of the game: you can create your own levels with the items you collect! I sucked at creating levels, but it was a lot of fun to play other people's levels. Rumor is there will be levels set to look like Mario Brothers, God of War, Metal Gear Solid, etc. It's the YouTube of videogames!

Even the advertising for the game is so cute... I've seen mini-billboards sticking out of plant pots and on the beach here in Los Angeles. Look out for them!

Fey on Palin

If she wins, I'm done. I can't do that for four years. And by "I'm done," I mean I'm leaving Earth.

Fringe Recap

From TWOP:
Meet Joseph Meegar. He's a loser in a dead-end job to support and crabby old mother, and he's creepily obsessed with the receptionist at a firm he delivers packages to. Unlike most losers, though, when he gets upset, he seems to have an effect on electrical devices around him (you know, like Boo in Monsters, Inc. [these are the movie references available to me as the father of a two-year-old]). So this is bad news for his crush and the other people in the elevator when Bethany discovers, via his cell phone full of surreptitiously taken pictures of her, his obsession, his stress sends the elevator screaming twenty-six floors to the basement. Joseph walks away, only to get fired from his job, which is bad news for his boss, who loses his arm to a conveyor belt.

The Fringe crew is looking into it, and discover the elevator victims were electrocuted before the elevator hit the ground. In a shocking (sorry) twist, Walter once worked on a project that maybe has something to do with this.

Joseph's firing prompts some more scolding from Mama Meegar, which makes Joseph freak out, frying her pacemaker.

So how does the Fringe team track her down? Simple: helped in part by Olivia's visions of the late John Scott, they train homing pigeons to track Joseph based on his magnetic fingerprint, and find him being "adjusted" by the psycho mad scientist who screwed with his brain's wiring and turned him into Electro in the first place. Hallucinations of dead people and homing pigeons: if only all their cases were so easy to crack.

---Jen here. Sorry, but I felt this particular episode was weak and even more far-fetched that past episodes. I am really hoping the storylines don't go downhill and become ridiculous because so far, I like this show enough to watch it at its regular scheduled time (and that's saying something! especially considering I am 4 episodes behind on Project Runway).

Love Me Some Amy Sedaris

Strangers with Candy alum Amy Sedaris is set to bring her oh-so-special brand of funny back to television, having signed a deal with 20th Century Fox TV to create, write and star in her own sitcom project, says the Hollywood Reporter.

The as-yet-untitled series is being fleshed out by Sedaris and writing partner Paul Dinello, but the premise is based on an idea Sedaris came up with six years ago. Dinello will direct the single-camera show, and no less than Sedaris BFF David Letterman's Worldwide Pants will co-produce.

But first, Sedaris will lens a two-episode arc on TNT's The Closer, playing Fritz's sister. (His psychic sister, TVGuide.com has learned.) Master interrogator Brenda Leigh might get a psychic for a sister-in-law? I smell a zany buddy comedy!

17 Kids and Counting: "When Big Families Collide" and "Bates vs. Duggars Smackdown"

Hi everybody! New contributor Lola here, writing today about the latest episodes of the Duggar Family's new series, 17 Kids and Counting. Just the latest in TLC's "abnormally large family freakshow," this series of half-hour shows is more of a "reality TV" look at the super-Christian Duggar family of Arkansas, who until now we've only seen in a few hour-long specials and an occasional news appearance when mom, Michelle, pops out yet another little "blessing." (Without getting too in-depth into their beliefs, the Duggars are part of the Quiver Full movement, which believes that children are blessings from the lord and people shouldn't do anything to inhibit getting pregnant. Which is fine and all, except most QF families end up with maybe 5-6 kids. The Duggars actively try to get pregnant as soon as possible after each birth, which is why there are a kajillion of them.)

In their two latest episodes (shown back-to-back), the Duggars received a visit from the Bates family from Tennessee. With 16 kids and one on the way, they have almost caught up to the Duggars (though actually, there are two sets of Duggar twins, so by number of pregnancies, the Bates are winning). If you thought the Duggars' uniform of khakis and polos for the boys and long skirts for the girls was conservative, take a look at the Bates! Okay, khakis and polos again for the boys, but those poor girls are dressing like Little Clown on the Prairie! The Bates women thought if they wore dresses "it would be pleasing to the lord," so one of the older girls sews the same pattern in various sizes and color combinations so everyone can wear a matching dress with a giant collar and ruffled trim. However, while the Duggars currently dress in what they refer to as "Modern Modest," it wasn't too long ago that they were all rocking the big frilly collars as well.

Anyway, some other stuff happened, the two families did some good Christian activities like skydiving and paintballing, but probably the funniest part was when they went to Silver Dollar City to see people in old-timey costumes demonstrate blacksmithing and candy making. The Bates girls' dresses were the same as the old timey costumes! (Meanwhile, Jinger Duggar was shown rolling her eyes at the candy demo. Free Jinger!)

Coming up next week: see how the Duggars save money on necessities like food, clothing, and shelter! (Based on past specials, I'm going to guess it involves trips to Aldi's and the thrift store, and getting TLC to build you a house.)

Quite The Mavericks, huh?

McCain-Palin First Ever Ticket Where Both Candidates Found To Have Violated Ethics Standards Before An Election

Hey Cool!

Who woulda thought you could combine breakfast cereal and politics? Apparently the good folks at AirBed & Breakfast did!

Brokers With Hands On Faces

Not sure whether to laugh or cry about this one

Pick Your Pumpkins!

I am really excited about this. I cannot wait to buy pumpkins now!

Yes We Carve

Guitar Hero News

Courtesy of Gizmodo:
If you're looking to pick up Guitar Hero: World tour when it comes out on October 26th, you'll have a choice between the wussy regular edition and the awesome deluxe edition. While yes, we may be headed for an economic depression, you'll still want to spend the extra $50 on the deluxe edition. It comes with a keychain!

It also comes with two t-shirts! And a couple recharge kits! And a gig bag! And nothing else! That's right, $50 for a bunch of crap you'll never use. All for $240, more than the cheapest version of the console it's meant to be played on.

Seriously RedOctane, I know that deluxe editions are all the rage these days, but you can't really think your customers are so stupid as to drop $50 on a couple of shirts and a keychain, can you?

For All You Procrastinators

and, to keep the multi-taskers focused.... here's what to get them for Christmas (or other gift-giving occasion). You can buy it at Pretty Bitter

Fringe!

Is totally blowing my mind. Why aren't YOU watching?

I Love This!

Pundit Kitchen

see Sarah Palin pictures

She Really Should Shut Up

My favorite comment: "I've diagrammed it out, and implementing her suggestions would apparently result in a pineapple upside-down cake."

Post Turtle

The old rancher said, “Well, ya know, Palin is a ‘Post Turtle.’”

Not being familiar with the term, the doctor asked him what a post turtle was.

The old rancher said, “When you’re driving down a country road you come across a fence post with a turtle balanced on top, that’s a ‘post turtle.’”

The old rancher saw the puzzled look on the doctor’s face so he continued to explain. “You know she didn’t get up there by herself, she doesn’t belong up there, and she doesn’t know what to do while she’s up there, and you just wonder what kind of dummy put her up there to begin with.”

Get Angier!

A must-read: Op-Ed by Maureen Dowd

Attention Magazine Lovers

There isn't much I like better than to come home to a new issue of a magazine I subscribe to. Well, there is other things I get excited about, like shoes, but anyhow... for those who like Netflix, you might wanna check out Maghound.com

I'll have to do some more snooping around the site before deciding whether or not I'd sign up, but it does appeal to me.

Vapid Is Right!

Dan Froomkin is one of my favorites. Here's his latest column, regarding President Bush's "handling" of the economic crisis we are currently in.

Bush's Vapid Reassurances

Under The Mattress?

Where did the government get $85 billion to bail out AIG?

Did Someone Say 'Lobotomy'?

Doctors remove benign lesion from Bush's forehead...

FRINGE!

Okay, so I'm a total geek. I am absolutely in love with J.J. Abrams new show, Fringe. I watched the premiere and I watched the encore. Tonight at 9pm FOX the next episode will air. I already have the show on my Season Pass, but I plan to watch it in real-time, which I rarely do. Who has time to schedule their life around a tv show? But I promise you... Fringe is definitely worthy of your time. I am captivated by it, much like I am with Lost. There are some similarities... heavy on the sci-fi, creepy music, even one of the actors is on both shows. But I promise... the scripts are nothing alike.

Are you watching Fringe?

9/11

Tonight at 9 p.m. ET, on the seventh anniversary of the Sept. 11 attacks, History Channel debuts 102 Minutes that Changed America, a two-hour, commercial-free documentary that chronicles the time between when the first plane hit the World Trade Center until the second tower collapsed.

Please Read

By JIM KUHNHENN, Associated Press Writer Wed Sep 3, 11:48 PM ET

ST. PAUL, Minn. - Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin and her Republican supporters held back little Wednesday as they issued dismissive attacks on Barack Obama and flattering praise on her credentials to be vice president. In some cases, the reproach and the praise stretched the truth.

Some examples:

PALIN: "I have protected the taxpayers by vetoing wasteful spending ... and championed reform to end the abuses of earmark spending by Congress. I told the Congress 'thanks but no thanks' for that Bridge to Nowhere."

THE FACTS: As mayor of Wasilla, Palin hired a lobbyist and traveled to Washington annually to support earmarks for the town totaling $27 million. In her two years as governor, Alaska has requested nearly $750 million in special federal spending, by far the largest per-capita request in the nation. While Palin notes she rejected plans to build a $398 million bridge from Ketchikan to an island with 50 residents and an airport, that opposition came only after the plan was ridiculed nationally as a "bridge to nowhere."

PALIN: "There is much to like and admire about our opponent. But listening to him speak, it's easy to forget that this is a man who has authored two memoirs but not a single major law or reform — not even in the state senate."

THE FACTS: Compared to McCain and his two decades in the Senate, Obama does have a more meager record. But he has worked with Republicans to pass legislation that expanded efforts to intercept illegal shipments of weapons of mass destruction and to help destroy conventional weapons stockpiles. The legislation became law last year. To demean that accomplishment would be to also demean the work of Republican Sen. Richard Lugar of Indiana, a respected foreign policy voice in the Senate. In Illinois, he was the leader on two big, contentious measures in Illinois: studying racial profiling by police and requiring recordings of interrogations in potential death penalty cases. He also successfully co-sponsored major ethics reform legislation.

PALIN: "The Democratic nominee for president supports plans to raise income taxes, raise payroll taxes, raise investment income taxes, raise the death tax, raise business taxes, and increase the tax burden on the American people by hundreds of billions of dollars."

THE FACTS: The Tax Policy Center, a think tank run jointly by the Brookings Institution and the Urban Institute, concluded that Obama's plan would increase after-tax income for middle-income taxpayers by about 5 percent by 2012, or nearly $2,200 annually. McCain's plan, which cuts taxes across all income levels, would raise after tax-income for middle-income taxpayers by 3 percent, the center concluded.

Obama would provide $80 billion in tax breaks, mainly for poor workers and the elderly, including tripling the Earned Income Tax Credit for minimum-wage workers and higher credits for larger families.

He also would raise income taxes, capital gains and dividend taxes on the wealthiest. He would raise payroll taxes on taxpayers with incomes above $250,000, and he would raise corporate taxes. Small businesses that make more than $250,000 a year would see taxes rise.

MCCAIN: "She's been governor of our largest state, in charge of 20 percent of America's energy supply ... She's responsible for 20 percent of the nation's energy supply. I'm entertained by the comparison and I hope we can keep making that comparison that running a political campaign is somehow comparable to being the executive of the largest state in America," he said in an interview with ABC News' Charles Gibson.

THE FACTS: McCain's phrasing exaggerates both claims. Palin is governor of a state that ranks second nationally in crude oil production, but she's no more "responsible" for that resource than President Bush was when he was governor of Texas, another oil-producing state. In fact, her primary power is the ability to tax oil, which she did in concert with the Alaska Legislature. And where Alaska is the largest state in America, McCain could as easily have called it the 47th largest state — by population.

MCCAIN: "She's the commander of the Alaska National Guard. ... She has been in charge, and she has had national security as one of her primary responsibilities," he said on ABC.

THE FACTS: While governors are in charge of their state guard units, that authority ends whenever those units are called to actual military service. When guard units are deployed to Iraq or Afghanistan, for example, they assume those duties under "federal status," which means they report to the Defense Department, not their governors. Alaska's national guard units have a total of about 4,200 personnel, among the smallest of state guard organizations.

FORMER ARKANSAS GOV. MIKE HUCKABEE: Palin "got more votes running for mayor of Wasilla, Alaska than Joe Biden got running for president of the United States."

THE FACTS: A whopper. Palin got 616 votes in the 1996 mayor's election, and got 909 in her 1999 re-election race, for a total of 1,525. Biden dropped out of the race after the Iowa caucuses, but he still got 76,165 votes in 23 states and the District of Columbia where he was on the ballot during the 2008 presidential primaries.

FORMER MASSACHUSETTS GOV. MITT ROMNEY: "We need change, all right — change from a liberal Washington to a conservative Washington! We have a prescription for every American who wants change in Washington — throw out the big-government liberals, and elect John McCain and Sarah Palin."

THE FACTS: A Back-to-the-Future moment. George W. Bush, a conservative Republican, has been president for nearly eight years. And until last year, Republicans controlled Congress. Only since January 2007 have Democrats have been in charge of the House and Senate.

Sarah Palin

From Alex Balk:
"Also, did you ever think you’d live long enough to see a campaign where “My teenage daughter can’t have been the mother of my child… because she’s pregnant herself” is considered an effective strategy for rebutting uncomfortable rumors? This is some crazy-ass Peyton Place shit we’ve got going on here."


From Twitter FakeSarahPalin:
“ No, I don’t think being vice president will interfere with my ability to be a mom for my daughter when she needs me. ”


Must-Read.... Disclosures on Palin Raise Questions on Vetting Process by NY Times

Must check out.... Perez Hilton

Caption This

bwah! what an old coot!

Helen Thomas

Tonight, as part of its summer documentary film series, HBO debuts a documentary that profiles Helen Thomas, the journalist who’s known as the “first lady of the press” for covering all presidents since Kennedy. Thank You, Mr. President: Helen Thomas at the White House debuts at 9 p.m. ET, and repeats frequently this month and next.

Words Escape Me

W.... at the Olympics....

Reality Roundup

The Hills [MTV, August 18, Mondays at 10]
Making the Band 4 [MTV, Aug. 19, Tuesdays at 9]
Architecture School [Sundance Channel, Aug. 20, Wednesdays at 9]
Glam God With Vivica A. Fox [VH1, August 21, Thursdays at 10]
The Cho Show [VH1, August 21, Thursdays at 11]
Tabatha’s Salon Takeover [Bravo, August 21, Thursdays at 11]
America’s Toughest Jobs [NBC, Aug.25, Mondays at 9(4 episodes); Sept.19, Fri's at 8]
My Super Sweet 16 Presents: Exiled [MTV, August 25, Mondays at 10:30]
Janice Dickinson’s Modeling Agency [Oxygen, August 26, Tuesdays at 10]
Grizzly Man Diaries [Discovery Channel, Aug. 29, Fridays at 9]
America’s Next Top Model 11 [The CW, Sept. 3, Wednesdays at 8]
Top Design 2 [Bravo, Sept. 3, Wednesdays at 10]
Kitchen Nightmares [Fox, Sept. 4 at 8, Thursdays at 9]
Dogtown [National Geographic Channel, Sept. 5 at 9, Fridays at 10]
The Locator [WEtv, Sept. 6, Saturdays at 9]
Rachel Zoe Project [Bravo, Sept. 8 at 11, Mondays at 10]
Hole in the Wall [Fox, Sept. 11, Thursdays at 8]
Solo: Lost at Sea [National Geographic Channel, Sept. 15, Mondays at 10]
The Biggest Loser 6: Families [NBC, Sept. 16, Tuesdays from 8 to 10]
Survivor Gabon [CBS, Sept. 18, Thursdays at 8]
In Harm’s Way [The CW, Sept. 21 at 7, Nov. 2 at 6:30]
Dancing with the Stars 7 [ABC, Sept. 22, Mondays at 8 and Tuesdays at 9]
Opportunity Knocks [ABC, Sept. 23, Tuesdays at 8]
Extreme Makeover: Home Edition [ABC, Sept. 28 at 7, Sundays at 8]
The Amazing Race 13 [CBS, Sept. 28, Sundays at 8]
World’s Toughest Fixes [National Geographic Channel, Sept. 28 at 9]
Tim Gunn’s Guide to Style [Bravo, Oct. 2 at 11, Thursdays at 10]
Wife Swap [ABC, Oct. 3, Fridays at 8]
Supernanny [ABC, Oct. 3, Fridays at 9]
Real Housewives of Atlanta [Bravo, Oct. 7, Tuesdays at 10]
Gimme My Reality Show! [Fox Reality, Oct. 11]
Stylista [The CW, Oct. 29, Wednesdays at 9]
My Bare Lady 2 [Fox Reality, Nov. 8, Saturdays]


Fall

Cash or Capture [Sci Fi, November]
Celebrity Rehab 2 [VH1, October]
Creature [Animal Planet, fall]
Estate of Panic [Sci Fi, November]
Hulk Hogan’s Celebrity Championship Wrestling [CMT, fall]
Mr. and Mrs. Wolf [Animal Planet, October]
The Phone [MTV, fall]
Project Runway 6 [Lifetime, November, Wednesdays]
The Real Housewives of Orange County [Bravo, fourth quarter 2008]
Rock of Love Girls: Charm School [VH1, fall]
Ruby [Style, November]
Sandhogs [History, Sept.]
Scream Queens [VH1, fall
Top Chef 5 [Bravo, fourth quarter 2008]
Whale Wars [Animal Planet, fall]

Annoy Your Co-Workers

Bubble Wrap Calendar