Wednesday, March 31, 2010

Music (What A Descriptive Title!)

Okay, first off: I love music. And I have one of the most eclectic iTunes libraries of any of my friends. It ranges from Aaron Neville to ZZ Top, with almost 5,000 songs in between. A lot of it is stuff that I've downloaded and forgotten about; I have a terrible habit of downloading the entire discography of an artist because I want one or two songs. This means that I end up with a huge amount of music that I've never even listened to.
Every few months, I decide to go through all of that music that's never been played on my iTunes and find some new favorites. It's almost like when you clean out your purse and find that lip balm that you bought ages ago but never used. There are currently 789 songs on my"Never Listened" playlist. This is actually pretty low for me- it's typically over 1,000. But the crazy thing about going through stuff I've never listened to is finding songs that I love, but had no idea I had.
A great example of this is Bonnie Raitt. I ripped her greatest hits album over the summer when I was home (my mom has it) and promptly forgot all about it. It never came up in shuffle, and I never thought to look for it. But I found it while searching through my never listened playlist, and I'm currently working my way through it. And it's excellent. I never appreciated the music my mom listened to when I was younger, but I'm realizing that she had some really excellent stuff (Joni Mitchell, Carole King, The Clash...). I really do like older stuff that my mom likes. I'm a big fan of classic rock; Springsteen, Supertramp, Fleetwood Mac, Jefferson Airplane, Phish, Van Halen, the Doobie Brothers, Wings, The Who, the Rolling Stones...all the bands that they play on WAAL at home. And I get so surprised when I realize I have some of their stuff on my computer!
I also have a soft spot for country. Not the older stuff, like Loretta Lynne, but I secretly really like modern country music. I think a lot of it has to do with where I grew up, and the fact that in Deposit, you hear WHWK basically everywhere you go. I don't have much of it on my computer, but I do appreciate it when I go home. It's the kind of music that makes me think of home, in the summertime, driving to the lake with the windows rolled down and the radio turned WAY up, with a cold drink in my hand and flip flops on my feet.
A really big music scene that I never even came close to experiencing at home was indie music. Everyone defines "indie" differently, but to me, it just seems to be music that isn't really popular among mainstream America, but that is big among 18-26 year old urbanites. This seems really specific, but it's actually a huge thing. A lot of my friends from home have never even heard a lot of these artists, and would probably be really confused if they heard them. Joanna Newsom, Neon Indian, Ariel Pink, Fang Island...this isn't exactly the kind of stuff we listen to in Deposit.
Since coming to NYU, I've really grown to enjoy some relatively unknown bands, though, and I now read pitchfork, videogum, baeblemusic, etc. pretty regularly (and no, I don't want to talk about the videogum redesign. The wounds are still too fresh.), I download an obscene amount of music (legally, right? right.), and I have succeeded in completely confusing my brother with over 75% of the music on my iPod (my favorite comment: "Titus Andronicus? Wasn't he in Gladiator? Why are you listening to some old Roman dude?" Sigh. Keep in mind, though, that this is coming from someone whose favorite band is Metallica.).
I could keep writing about all the other genres of music I love (heavy metal, blues, and rap among them) but I would rather keep this post a manageable size. Maybe later.

Friday, March 26, 2010

Random.






















































I certainly couldn't tell you why, but I absolutely love this picture.

Wednesday, March 24, 2010

Insanity!


This week is crazy, all the way around.
I feel like professors are mad that we had a week off for spring break, and therefore are determined to make us do an obscene amount of work this week to make up for it. For one class alone, I have two papers due: one this Friday, and one next Monday! What?!?!
But I digress.
Last Sunday I did something I've been waiting to do for quite a while: I walked from my dorm, to the Brooklyn Bridge, across it, and then back across and all the way back home. The entire walk is about 3.5-4 miles (about the same amount I walk when I go to the gym or when I walk the hills at home) so it was a nice alternative to being in the basement of Palladium on such a nice sunny day.
I hadn't been downtown in quite a while, and I had never taken that route before, so it was really interesting to see a part of the city that was unknown to me beforehand. That's one of my favorite things about living here: having the opportunity to go discover something new about the city every day. I walked down Lafayette Street, passing the Laf dorm, where quite a few people I know live. I have some friends there, but I've never actually been in the dorm; it's really far from campus, there isn't much to do in that area (it's awkwardly sandwiched in lower Chinatown, close to the Financial District), and almost everyone else I'm friends with lives in the Union Square area.
The nicest thing about the walk, though, was crossing the bridge. I arrived there relatively early in the morning (around 10:45), so I was able to actually take some time to look at the sights without a ton of tourists around. It's definitely one of the best viewpoints around for seeing all the big landmarks: the Statue of Liberty, Empire State Building, Chrysler Building, etc...and of course the photos you could take of the bridge itself would probably be stunning. This was only the second time I'd walked the bridge- the first time was on one of the hottest days EVER, I was wearing the absolute worst clothes possible, and I was with people I could have done without. Needless to say, this was a much more enjoyable experience. I'm probably going to make this walk a regular thing, now that it's getting nicer outside. I'd so much rather be outside in the sun than in the gym!
This weekend is jam-packed with things going on. I'm working all day Friday, Mass Transit has their show on Friday night, and then Saturday night is Richie's show. Somewhere in there I have to fit in writing two papers, a few parties, and celebrating my dear best friend's birthday (he's going to be twenty! that means I'm going to be twenty soon! eek!)...I'm sure that somehow, it'll all get done. I hope.
Syracuse is playing again tomorrow, at 7:00. They're up against Butler. This is definitely going to be their toughest game yet, but I'll be rooting them on. I'll definitely be wearing my Orange shirt all day, just like on all the other game days, and it seems to be a good luck charm so far. If they lose, my bracket will really be worthless. Of the teams in the Sweet 16, only 6 of them were the ones I chose in my bracket. But at least I'm not the only one with a worthless bracket; it seems like everyone is having a rough go of it this year.


Friday, March 19, 2010

An Obligatory Post About The Nice Weather


Yes, it's been absolutely gorgeous outside this week. I love spring, and even though it freaks me out a little that it hits the high 60s while still technically winter, you won't find me complaining.
One of the reasons that the nice weather is so...nice...is that my boss appreciates it as much as I do. He's let me leave at least an hour early every day this week because he thinks that one of us should be outside in the sun. And also, we're not busy at all, since it's spring break week.
I'm currently watching the Syracuse-Vermont game...I've resisted the urge to liveblog the whole thing because no one needs that much basketball commentary from me. They're doing extremely well (currently have a 25 point lead), which is excellent. I wore my Orange shirt today and got a lot of blank looks from the people I work with (I think they think it's supposed to be ironic, since the shirt itself is orange and it says Orange on it...sigh...working in the Math department of a school that cares nothing about sports is really frustrating sometimes) but I was stopped quite a few times by the guys doing construction around the building to talk about basketball. One guy even yelled "GO CUSE!" while I was walking down the street. Giggle.
Tomorrow's plan is to go to the Met and Central Park, since I haven't been up that way in quite a while. It's supposed to be beautiful again tomorrow, with a high of 71, so I'm looking forward to spending the day enjoying the sunshine. I also need to get some cleaning done (my room looks like a tornado hit), so it should be a nice busy day.
This weekend is going to be pretty relaxing overall. I've got a busy week next week, along with quite a full weekend, so it'll be nice to have a few days to decompress before "real life" starts again.

Thursday, March 18, 2010

March Madness


Okay, a confession.
I love college basketball.
I know that this probably doesn't surprise most people, as I'm a pretty avid sports fan anyway, but I have a special place in my heart for March Madness.
This of course doesn't take away from my adoration for either my NY Giants or my beloved Red Sox, but there's something about rooting on the Orange in March that gets me all flustered and excited. 2003 was one of the best years ever (I mean, really...Carmelo, Gerry, Hakim...enough said) and with our #1 ranking this year, it looks like we've got a really good chance to actually progress pretty far in the tournament. Sure, I may have been just a little biased when I placed them as national champions in my bracket this year, but it's really not that far-fetched.
And it's not just Syracuse, either. I watch as many games as I can, even if I'm not that familiar with the teams. I watched the Vanderbilt/Murray State game this afternoon, and it was excellent. A buzzer-beater (0.7 seconds left! What?!?!) to win the game by one point? AMAZING. I was watching it at the gym, and I literally forgot to keep going on the stairstepper during the last twelve seconds or so of the game. The other people working out also were very confused by my random outbursts, since I don't think any of them were watching the game. Sure, it was Murray State that won, which messed with my bracket, but honestly I don't care, because the game was so good. The first four games of the tourney this year have been won by a combined twelve points. (I don't know about the rest of them played today, as I haven't checked the scores since getting back from dinner.) That's insane.
I could go into the details about all of the games so far, but I won't, because it's really boring and anyone that cares to know will look it up for themselves.
Syracuse plays their first game tomorrow against #16 Vermont. It should be a pretty easy win for the Orange, but honestly at this point there have been so many upsets that we can't take anything for granted. But you can bet that I'll be watching from start to finish, and yelling at the TV the whole time.
And the best part about March Madness? Since I don't like the NBA at all, it saves me at just the point where I'm starting to go through major football withdrawal, and once it ends, it's time for baseball season again!

Wednesday, March 10, 2010

A Few Words On Lady Gaga


Full disclosure first: I am supposed to be writing a literature review for my Psych class right now. But as it often does, the Internet sucked me into its dark abyss with incredible strength, and I found myself reading a blog post by a former friend. I don't look this person up often (in fact, I believe this is the first time I have done so), but for some reason I was tempted to see what she has been up to. A few keystrokes and clicks later, I found myself reading a post she had written regarding a recent Cosmopolitan article on Lady Gaga. And found myself becoming more and more frustrated by what she had written with each sentence.
Now, I don't read Cosmo often. I pick it up every few months if it catches my eye at the grocery store, and I flip through it, reading the sex stories and fashion tips. But this person is a subscriber. She receives the magazine each month, reads it cover to cover, and comments on many of the articles to those around her. So she undoubtedly knows more about the magazine than a casual reader such as myself.
Apparently, this month's issue features Lady Gaga on the cover, and includes a photo spread and a short interview. I'll admit, I have not read this article or anything from this issue, but from my experience (reading previous issues of Cosmo as well as articles and photo spreads in other magazines featuring Lady Gaga), and from reading this person's review of the article, I think I know the gist of what the article contains: Gaga talking to the reporter about how it's important to be yourself and be comfortable in your own skin, how sexual freedom is okay, and how women should celebrate themselves and their bodies.
Good for her.
I honestly think Gaga is one of the most important artists of our time. She makes incredible music that is almost universally appealing (I think the only person I know that doesn't care for her music is my brother- though this could have something to do with the fact that I go to a university that is predominately "gays and girls") and she sends a wonderful message to her fans, especially the younger ones. The idea of being yourself, being comfortable with your weirdness, is something that's taken me quite a long time to adjust to. I wonder if my own self-acceptance would have been easier if, when I was thirteen, the biggest pop star in the world was preaching a message of self-love.
Gaga is a fashion symbol, with photos of her outfits constantly circling the Internet. Say what you will about her wackier choices (the Kermit dress among them), but she is never afraid to make a statement. Her Grammy outfit, by Versace, was one of the most talked-about pieces of the awards show season, and her use of Alexander McQueen in the "Bad Romance" video helped give the designer massive brand recognition, especially of the "armadillo" shoe.
Gaga's performances are nothing short of legendary, with each redesign of her "Monster Ball" tour (currently in Europe) raising the bar higher and higher in terms of creativity and possibility. And awards shows have her to thank, at least in part, for the ratings boost they've enjoyed this season. Once her VMA performance aired, she became a huge draw for every show.
The post that I read about the Cosmo article argued that Gaga is the most influential musician of all time. I believe that this is a bit crazy. Although I would never want to demean Gaga's impact on mainstream society, she may be popular now, but she hasn't yet proven herself to have the kind of longevity that makes her deserving of that title.
I suppose the thing that really got to me about this post, though, is the self-righteous tone that the author took. She complained about the brevity of the Gaga article and lamented the fact that the photos in the spread were not outlandish enough, claiming that they made Gaga seem to be just another "blonde bombshell". I saw the photos on the Cosmo website (you can find them here), and while they aren't her most incredible, I still think that Gaga's personal style was preserved (I mean really, look at that mask!), while toning down some of the more extreme aspects for a mainstream audience. Not even Gaga wants to wear latex dresses and obscenely heavy hats every time she does a photoshoot.
There's no reason to complain about these photos, or to be upset that many articles were longer than Gaga's interview. You subscribe to this magazine. You read it every month. You ought to recognize by now that you are paying not to read the in-depth personal stories of celebrities, but rather the latest sex updates and makeup tips. At the end of the day, I suppose what I'm trying to say is, stop your whining.
So tonight, on the eve of the "Telephone" music video premiere, I say to you, Gaga: You go, girl. Don't let anyone bring you down.

Tuesday, March 9, 2010

My Wish List


Everyone has a little wish list of things that they love, and I'm no different. Once in a while I'll do some online window shopping, and I've cultivated a few things that I really love and would buy if I had any disposable income whatsoever.
But, I always seem to forget about this list when my birthday or Christmas rolls around! Neither is coming up (my birthday isn't until July) but I think I'll share a few of my dream items with you now. :)
The first is this lovely umbrella. It's $38 on the MOMA website. I know $38 for an umbrella sounds ridiculous, but honestly, in Manhattan, an umbrella is one of your most important investments. Maybe it's not needed all the time, but when it is, you'd better not be without it (considering I walk an average of 60 blocks per day, it's extremely important to be able to stay dry on those rainy days). And since my last umbrella bit the dust (breaking completely in half while I was in the middle of crossing 4th Avenue), I'm in the market for a new one. I'm tired of buying $10 drugstore umbrellas, only to have them not be sturdy enough for the gusts of wind that typify NYC rainy days. This one is excellent quality, plus it changes color in the rain (the splotches start off white, and become colorful when they get wet)! But I just can't justify paying that much for an umbrella for myself. So if someone decided they wanted to be super-nice and buy it for me...well, that would be just wonderful!

The second item on my wishlist is a Microsoft Courier. Now, technically it hasn't been released yet, but I know that when it comes out, I will be drooling over it for days. Say what you will about the iPad, but I'm a PC girl, and this thing is SO COOL. I've been checking every so often for a release date, or at least some new information on it, and Microsoft is apparently being very tight-lipped over the whole thing. I know it's going to be obscenely expensive, but the fact of the matter is...I want one!

The third item is rather predictable, I'm afraid. I will, before I die, own a pair of Christian Louboutin heels. Come hell or high water, I will have some of those red-soled beauties on my feet. It's almost enough to make me want to become a celebutante, because those girls seem to wear nothing but Louboutins. I spend far too much time lusting after them on the Neiman Marcus website. These are my current favorite. Simple. Chic. Endlessly wearable. But $695. Through some magic of the Internet, please be mine!

Number four would have to be Lady Gaga concert tickets. I love her music and the whole message that she sends to her fans, and I would absolutely adore the opportunity to see her live in concert. My concert budget is one of the first things I had to get rid of when I made major spending cutbacks, and I miss going to concerts and shows so much.

The fifth thing is a Burberry trench. I really love Burberry, and their trenches are absolutely gorgeous. And absolutely, obscenely, disgustingly expensive. But I knew someone freshman year that had a Burberry trench, and I drooled over it every time she wore it. Again, once I'm older and making money, it'll be another thing that I'll (hopefully) be able to afford for myself. Sigh.

The last, and most important, is this. A signed first edition of my favorite book in the world, Gone With the Wind. It's currently on sale for the measly little price of $11,500. This is something that I will probably want for the rest of my life, and if I'm very, very lucky, may someday be financially stable enough to make the investment in. I'd really love any first edition, but a signed one would really be one of the most amazing things ever. Sigh. A girl can dream, right?

Well, I know it's a short list, and there are many more things, but I have a midterm tomorrow (the third in three days) so I suppose I should stop procrastinating (read: stop going through the Louboutins again) and study!

Sunday, March 7, 2010

One Of The Best Things I've Ever Seen

I love this video.
So much.
I haven't figured out how to embed YouTube videos, so you'll have to go to the link, but trust me, it's worth it.

*UPDATE*
Thanks to the lovely Ms. Jenson, I know now about embedding! So here it is!



Saturday, March 6, 2010

A Tough One

This has been one of the worst weekends for me, personally, that I've ever had.
And it's only Saturday.
I haven't been outside in two days, even though today was gorgeous and pretty warm (from what weather.com told me).
I've eaten very little and spoken in person to no one but my suitemate (who left yesterday afternoon for home), my RA (in the elevator) and the Domino's delivery guy.
Why the hermit-like behavior, you ask?
Well, it didn't start out with me wanting to do this. I had Friday off from work, and I was actually planning on getting a bunch of stuff done. But I woke up feeling worse than I have in years. I don't get sick, ever, but when I do, I get very sick. I had the flu. I was throwing up, had a horrible headache...the whole bit. I did nothing but nap, watch TV, and drink orange juice.
This, of course, was not how I like spending a day. But I figured I would make it up to myself today, and go uptown, maybe to a museum. I haven't been to the Met in a while, and I like to go a few times each semester. Plus, I always feel like I'm cheating myself when I don't take advantage of living in Manhattan, so this was going to be my payback.
So I got up this morning, did my laundry, and prepared for a good day. I still wasn't feeling 100% healthy, but I'm lucky in that I recover from illnesses fast, and I was pretty confident that I would be up to a trip uptown.
But then I checked my email.
The RA position that I had applied for, been through training for, dreamed about, planned activities for already? Yeah. I didn't get it.
Needless to say, I was heartbroken.
This RA position was what I had been putting all of my hopes on. NYU is an obscenely expensive school, far too expensive for me, and the housing and dining grant that comes with the RA position was going to be my way of continuing my education here. And it's not even all about the money. I was looking forward to being able to be an influence on kids just starting at NYU, to helping people, to giving something back to the ResLife system that has done pretty well by me.
Technically, I didn't get denied. I'm on their "alternate list" which means that they "think I would make a fine staff member, but couldn't offer me a position at this time". But it feels like a rejection.
It's especially hard because everyone else I've heard from that also went through the RALI process got offered positions. So I don't know what I did or didn't do that made the difference.It's also really hard because most of the people that I know that have been offered positions don't really need it. I know that they want to do it, and I'm sure they're going to be great RAs, but this position, for me, was going to mean so much, in terms of whether or not I can even be here next year.
I'm really at a loss right now as to what I'm going to do next year. I really hope I can figure something out that will allow me to stay at NYU, but if I don't, I don't know what I'm going to be doing come fall.
So anyway, I called my mother, spoke briefly to Richie, and then put my pajamas back on. I ordered Domino's (I'm a stress eater- I crave carbs especially when I'm really anxious- and did you know that Domino's will bring you chicken alfredo in a bread bowl?), sat down in front of the TV, and watched Mythbusters for hours. I'm currently watching The Incredibles. And I have no shame about it.
I feel like every step of the college process for me has been such a struggle. From senior year of high school, making the decision to mortgage my future on an NYU education; to freshman year, with the intense struggles with friends and my own anxieties; to working so hard to make it back this year, and having every penny I earn go right back to NYU...I feel like I ought to be due for some kind of good fortune. Does working so hard for this education make me appreciate it more than the kids who are able to have their parents just write a check for their tuition balances? Of course. But sometimes it just doesn't seem fair. I see these kids with their $3000 computers, $500 bags, and that go to Zurich for their sweet sixteens and Berlin for nineteenth birthdays (no lie, these people exist) and I just wish that they would recognize that their complaints about how their moms "only let me get an apartment if it was, like, less than ten grand a month, it's, like, so not fair, you know?" are ridiculous.
Sigh.
So I really hope tomorrow doesn't get worse. Because really, I can't take any more at this point. How about giving me a good day, universe? Please?

Thursday, March 4, 2010

The Envelope, Please

Well, it's that time of year again: Academy Awards season. I've never really been that interested in the Oscars before, though I would typically watch them just because I love awards shows in general. It was always cool to see the winners announced, especially if I had seen the movies that were in contention.

But this year I've become really interested in the Oscars. I've seen (almost) all of the Best Picture nominees, and since there are ten of them this year, I feel pretty knowledgeable about the majority of the categories. I'm not exactly a sound editing wunderkind or anything, so a lot of these are guesses based on my own personal feelings about the films and some pretty extensive reading of professional predictions while bored at work.
So, ladies and gentlemen, I am proud to present:
Amelia's Oscar Predictions, 2010 Edition!

First off, the biggest prize of the night, Best Picture.
Nominees: Avatar, The Blind Side, District 9, An Education, The Hurt Locker, Inglourious Basterds, Precious, A Serious Man, Up, and Up In The Air.
Winner: The Hurt Locker. This film floored me. I watched it by myself on a slow Saturday night, and it's been my front-runner for Best Picture ever since. It's intense, suspenseful, and gritty. The other strong contender, Avatar, was excellent, don't get me wrong, but the writing left something (read: a lot) to be desired, and both times I watched it, I got the sense that it was unnecessarily long. I thought District 9 was really amazing, and was shocked that Sharlto Copley wasn't nominated for Best Actor, but it just doesn't have enough critical acclaim to make it. Precious was another absolutely breathtaking film, but it has the same problem as District 9. Inglourious Basterds was thoroughly entertaining, and if The Hurt Locker or Avatar doesn't win, it'll be this one. The Hurt Locker was really an incredible film all the way around, and at the end of the day, it's got to get my vote.

Best Actor.
Nominees: Jeff Bridges (Crazy Heart), George Clooney (Up In The Air), Colin Firth (A Single Man), Morgan Freeman (Invictus), and Jeremy Renner (The Hurt Locker).
Winner: Jeff Bridges. I haven't seen Crazy Heart, but everyone is raving about Bridges' performance. He's been a great actor for a long time, and has never been rewarded with an Oscar. I say it's abut time for him to get a little golden "dude" of his own. Clooney was very good, but he seems to be playing the same role over and over again, and while I always enjoy watching it, I don't think the Academy will reward it. I loved Renner, too, but I don't think he's got enough to beat Bridges.

Best Actress:
Nominees: Sandra Bullock (The Blind Side), Helen Mirren (The Last Station), Carey Mulligan (An Education), Gabourey Sidibe (Precious), and Meryl Streep (Julie & Julia).
Winner: Sandra Bullock. Of the acting categories, I'm most unsure about this one. Sidibe was excellent in Precious, and it's ridiculous to try to think of an actress that's better than Meryl Streep (I am one of the Streep devotees who will go see a film just because she's in it [like It's Complicated...sigh]), but like Bridges, Bullock has been a mainstay in Hollywood for years and has never won an Oscar. It's her turn. And her work in The Blind Side really was heartfelt.

Best Supporting Actor:
Nominees: Matt Damon (Invictus), Woody Harrelson (The Messenger), Christopher Plummer (The Last Station), Stanley Tucci (The Lovely Bones), and Christoph Waltz (Inglourious Basterds).
Winner: Christoph Waltz. He is the overwhelming favorite in this category, and for good reason. He was fantastic in Basterds. I originally watched the film for Brad Pitt (and because it was an assignment for class), but I was quickly drawn in by Waltz. If he doesn't win, I think the Academy may have a riot on their hands.

Best Supporting Actress:
Nominees: Penelope Cruz (Nine), Vera Farmiga (Up In The Air), Maggie Gyllenhaal (Crazy Heart), Anna Kendrick (Up In The Air), and Mo'Nique (Precious).
Winner: Mo'Nique. Hands down. If any category is a lock, it's this one. Her performance in Precious was nothing short of amazing.

Best Director:
Nominees: Kathryn Bigelow (The Hurt Locker), James Cameron (Avatar), Lee Daniels (Precious), Jason Reitman (Up In The Air), and Quentin Tarantino (Inglourious Basterds).
Winner: Kathryn Bigelow. All of the press about her being the first woman to win this award aside, she absolutely deserves it. (I suppose my bias towards The Hurt Locker is a little apparent, but really, have you seen the movie? If you haven't, get on it. Now. Seriously. I'll wait.)

Best Original Screenplay:
Nominees: The Hurt Locker, Inglourious Basterds, The Messenger, A Serious Man, Up.
Winner: For me, it's between the first two, but I think I'm going to have to go with Basterds on this one. Tarantino rewrote World War II, and did it with a great combination of comedy and suspense.

Best Adapted Screenplay:
Nominees: District 9, An Education, In The Loop, Precious, and Up In The Air.
Winner: Up In The Air. I really did love District 9 (another one that if you haven't seen it, you need to, right now) but Up In The Air was extremely well-written. Another reason is that UITA was a critical darling in the earlier rounds of predictions (before the BAFTAs, etc.) and this is an opportunity to give an award to a film that deserves at least one.

Best Cinematography:
Nominees: Avatar, The White Ribbon, Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince, The Hurt Locker, and Inglourious Basterds.
Winner: Avatar. While I wasn't a fan of the writing or acting, this film was one of the most visually stunning things I've ever seen. It deserves this one.

Best Editing:
Nominees: Avatar, District 9, The Hurt Locker, Inglourious Basterds, and Precious.
Winner: The Hurt Locker. To me, the nominees for this category seem like the ones the Academy "really" wanted to nominate for Best Picture. The Hurt Locker was edited beautifully, with lots of suspense. All bias aside, it should win.

Best Art Direction:
Nominees: Avatar, The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus, Nine, Sherlock Holmes, and Precious.
Winner: Avatar. Duh.

Best Costume Design:
Nominees: Bright Star, Coco Before Chanel, The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus, Nine, and The Young Victoria.
Winner: I haven't seen any of these movies, but Coco Before Chanel and The Young Victoria are the current front-runners. I'm going to have to give my vote to Coco Before Chanel, purely because it's a movie about Chanel. And I love Chanel.

Best Makeup:
Nominees: Il divo, Star Trek, and The Young Victoria.
Winner: The Young Victoria. Roger Ebert says Star Trek, but I think that there should be a bit more to it than Vulcan ears. Stills I've seen from The Young Victoria look lovely, so I'm going for that one.

Best Original Score:
Nominees: Avatar, Fantastic Mr. Fox, The Hurt Locker, Sherlock Holmes, and Up.
Winner: Up. Seriously, the music in this film is so excellent. Even listening to the theme now brings tears to my eyes. I really like Michael Giacchino's work, and I think he deserves this one wholeheartedly.

Best Original Song:
Nominees: Crazy Heart, Faubourg 36, Nine, and two songs from The Princess and the Frog.
Winner: Crazy Heart. I didn't much care for any of these songs, but listening to "The Weary Kind", it seems to be the most likely choice for voters.

Best Sound Mixing:
Nominees: Avatar, The Hurt Locker, Inglourious Basterds, Star Trek, and Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen.
Winner: The Hurt Locker. I don't have any idea what this category means, but anything that Transformers is nominated for makes me giggle. The Hurt Locker is the clear front-runner among experts, so I'm going to trust them.

Best Sound Editing:
Nominees: Avatar, The Hurt Locker, Inglourious Basterds, Star Trek, and Up.
Winner: Again, I have no idea about this category, but apparently it's a toss-up between The Hurt Locker and Inglourious Basterds. I guess I'll say Inglourious Basterds, because The Hurt Locker wins Best Picture and Tarantino needs something to keep him warm at night.

Best Visual Effects:
Nominees: Avatar, District 9, and Star Trek.
Winner: Avatar. Again, duh.

Best Animated Film:
Nominees: Coraline, Fantastic Mr. Fox, The Princess and the Frog, The Secret of Kells, and Up.
Winner: Up. As only the second animated film ever to be nominated for Best Picture, Up should win this category no problem.

As for the rest of the categories, I'll confess I've only seen one nominee (Food, Inc., nominated for Best Documentary). So these are purely based on professional predictions I've read, and as such, I'll only put who the winners will be.

Best Foreign Language Film:
The White Ribbon

Best Documentary:
Apparently it's between The Cove and Food, Inc., but The Cove has won a ton of awards already this year, so it'll probably win.

Best Short Documentary:
Rabbit a la Berlin

Best Animated Short Film:
Wallace and Gromit in 'A Matter of Loaf and Death'

Best Live Action Short Film:
Miracle Fish


That's really about it for the predictions...the rest of the technical awards aren't covered by anyone, and I don't know anything about technical aspects of filmmaking, so I guess I'll leave it to the experts.

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Tuesday, March 2, 2010

I ♥ NY

I realized earlier that the URL of my blog isn't exactly right. I live in the greatest metropolis in the world, but I rarely go on what could be termed "escapades". I mostly stay within a 20-block area that spans about six avenues. The idea of going to midtown makes me shudder. I've done the touristy Times Square bit, and my hatred of obscene amounts of people makes me (and pretty much every other New Yorker) avoid midtown as much as possible.
But while midtown is the most obvious destination for tourists, I really enjoy knowing some of the "local" things about NYC. I'm not a native urbanite, but I've been here for long enough to discover some of the hidden gems in this area.
The biggest plus to living on Union Square is Trader Joe's. It's right on my block, literally just steps from the front door of my building. This is the only TJ's in Manhattan, and I'm so glad that I live so close to it. The thing that always shocks people when they go into TJ's for the first time is the line. It really is ridiculous, curling through aisles throughout the entire store. Even if you're just trying to pick up a few things, don't expect to spend any less than half an hour there (and that's on a lucky night). But it's worth the time commitment. It's the cheapest grocery store I've found in this area, and the quality of their products is incredible. It's very organic- and vegetarian-based, but they do have a decent poultry selection. Plus, the vibe there is really fun. All of the employees wear Hawaiian shirts, and I've never encountered one that wasn't friendly and super-helpful. I'd love to work there (I have prior grocery store experience!) but the application process is crazy, and they really only want full-time people. Sigh. Maybe someday!
Another recent find is Dogmatic, which is on 17th between USWest and 5th (thanks, Richie!). This is a really specialized place, but they've got some of the best chicken sausage I've had in a long time. The mac and cheese leaves something to be desired, but they put the sausages with a cheese sauce inside a little bread tube. It sounds weird, but chicken sausage with tomato basil feta sauce was excellent.
Patsy's pizza is some of the best around, in my opinion (side note: I just found out today that Grimaldi's is coming to Manhattan! To the old church on 6th in Chelsea! Oh happy day!). It's super-cheesy and not too thin, plus they're not too heavy on the sauce. I like a 2:1:2 cheese:sauce:crust weight ratio, and they're pretty spot-on at Patsy's.
I really like being so close to the Angelika Theater as well. I saw Slumdog Millionaire there before it was so popular, and it really was an excellent experience.
There's a little cafe called Paradis that I pass every day on my way to class. I've never stopped in (because I'm always late!) but the smell that comes from there is divine. Maybe one of these days I'll get up early and stop for a scone or something.
There's always the usual spots, but it really is nice to be able to feel a little bit like a tourist sometimes, too. That's what's so great about living in NYC!