Alexandria's Little Corner of the World

Last night was a new episode of Gilmore Girls entitled "To Whom It May Concern."

Show summary: Sookie is acting weirdly about a ski trip she and Jackson are taking, during which time Lorelai is babysitting Davey and Martha. Lorelai and Jackson later figure out that Sookie is acting weirdly because she is pregnant. On a walk around town, Lorelai reminds Sookie about all the great things about babies and Sookie warms up to the idea of being pregnant for a third time.

Luke and Anna are in court for custody of April. The judge reads out a character reference written by Lorelai on Luke's behalf. In it, she states that Luke has been like a father-figure to her daughter Rory and that once Luke is in your life, he's always in your life. She also says that to not allow Luke to be a father to April would be depriving April of one of the best things in her life. The following day, the judge grants Luke shared custody of April with weekend visits once a month, every other holiday and a month during the summer. He calls Lorelai to share the good news.

Inevitably, because Lorelai wasn't up front about writing the letter, Christopher accidentally finds the letter while searching for the leveler for the big flat screen TV he is installing. He gets upset, naturally. When Lorelai comes home from Sookie and Jackson's, Christopher confronts Lorelai about the letter and says that he thought he could be second best but he can't anymore and storms out of their house.

Rory leaves Lucy a letter of explanation in regards to not admitting that she knew Marty. In the dining hall with Paris, Rory spots Lucy who has not replied to her yet. Paris confronts Lucy and Lucy forgives Rory.

At the end of the episode, during a lecture at Yale, Richard slumps over the podium and clutches his heart. The screen fades to black and Rory's voice can be heard yelling "Somebody call 911."

Plus Lauren Graham was credited as a producer for the first time in last night's episode.

My commentary: With Sookie's pregnancy and Lane already expecting twins, I think this is Stars Hollow's biggest baby boom. Three new babies in the coming year! If only Kirk's girlfriend Lulu would get pregnant, too!

I'm so glad Rory and Lucy have reconciled with some sledding with cafeteria trays. I just couldn't handle another episode of Rory moping over Lucy or some fake exchanges between Rory and Marty. I used to think Marty was cute during that first year at Yale, but when he came back this season, he was a pathetic, dorky guy. Enough already! Let Rory move on and let Alexis Bledel do something more!

And thank goodness for the return of Paris. I had forgotten how much I missed the spitfire in Paris until last night. I love her "calls things as I see things" attitude and how she took charge of the Rory and Lucy situation and about her and Rory's last semester at Yale. As always, Paris was aiming high and forcing Rory to do the same. Paris is a nice contrast to the wishy washiness of Lucy and Olivia.

The show started off with Lorelai, Rory and Christopher at Friday night dinner with Emily and Richard. After leaving the house all three revealed crumpled napkins with the famed snail recipe Emily had tracked down, and a discussion of how to get rid of the snails without Emily finding out. It was a pretty funny moment, especially when Rory mentioned the "chicken kiev incident from 2002."

And so now the big stuff: the eternal Luke/Lorelai/Christopher triangle.

And so now I see that this is how they will turn Christopher into a bad guy, thus making Luke the good guy and therefore Lorelai has no choice but to end her marriage to Christopher and jump back into Luke's arms.

The precursor incident happens at the very beginning of the show when Sookie brings over muffin tops and coffee from Luke's. First Lorelai reacts weirdly when Sookie tells her the coffee is from Luke's, then when Christopher comments that it's good coffee, Lorelai says it's from Luke's diner and Christopher pushes the cup away. Why exactly? Do the cups from Luke's diner have cooties? Did Luke know that the coffee was for Lorelai so he licked all of the cups? It's just coffee. While I can see that it might be awkward or uncomfortable to be drinking coffee from your wife's ex-fiancee's diner, get over it. It's coffee. Is he 13 and won't drink the slushee made by the pimply-faced ex-boyfriend? It was all a bit melodramatic for my taste. It reminded me of Lucy's tantrum when she found out Marty and Rory had lied to her about not knowing each other. At least Lucy had good reason to be angry.

Christopher later finds the letter for Luke is rightfully angry with Lorelai. He says that she still loves Luke and that's why she didn't want to move away from Stars Hollow. He says that he thought he could be second best but he can't and storms out of the house. The next morning Lorelai wakes up and realizes that Christopher has not slept in their bed.

This scene makes it seem as if Christopher is indeed 13. Yes he was angry and I agree with why he was angry, and I get that he needed to cool off but to not go back to your own home for the entire night? Where was he and what was he doing all night? And did he stop to think about all the other reason why Lorelai might want to continue to live in Stars Hollow other than Luke? Like maybe she spent the last 20+ years of her life there, she has friends there, and she has a business there. It was clear from the coffee scene that she hadn't been to Luke's since she and Christopher were married, or even before that, after she and Luke broke up. What kind of irrationality is this coming from Christopher?

The next episode (7:13 - I'd Rather Be in Philadelphia) doesn't fare well for Christopher either. Richard is in the hospital and Christopher is no where to be found. The CW previews show Loreali trying to call Christopher and saying something along the lines that he's her husband and that [his disappearance] isn't right. But who does show up? Luke of all people.

I just hate how they are ruining Christopher's character in this way. I get that the majority of fans want Luke and Lorelai back together but to get there does Christopher's character have to be stripped of his dignity? And in doing so don't they realize that it will destroy whatever friendship he and Lorelai have but also any relationship he might have with Rory?

Arrrrrgggghhhhh!

Labels: Gilmore Girls

This evening, at 8:19 p.m. I made my 100th post at my Gilmore Girls forum. And along with my centennial post comes a special privilege: to grant karma points to other members of the forum. I can either hit someone with a pretty stick if I like their posts and want to boost their karma, or I can lash them with a snarkastic one to lower their karma. (I've actually seen some members with minus karma points, ouch!)




Since being granted my powers I have already hit two members with the pretty stick and hit one other with the snarkastic one. Oh the power!

Labels: Gilmore Girls

Tomorrow, Queen Beatrix will celebrate her 69th birthday, and in celebration of it, the Dutch royal court has released a new picture of Trix with her seven grandchildren.

Little Eloise (to the left of the queen, holding her baby sister Leonore) looks like a mini Laurentien and is beaming from ear to ear. She's all teeth that Eloise!

And Amalia looks so grown up in this picture, even from her pictures from her birthday at the beginning of December she looks older. I think it's the longer hair and the longish pants. And what cute tops Maxima has dressed her two girls in, and how Amalia is in green pants and Alexia is in red ones. But what is with Luana's outfit? She looks like the poor little servant's kid who snuck into the picture at the last minute. Couldn't Mabel find her eldest daughter something nicer to wear than what was in the dirty laundry hamper? I'd even settle for something with bows than this striped shirt and pants with the socks pulled up nearly to the knee caps. You got Amalia and Alexia dressed in matching floral blouses, Eloise in tights and a cardigan, Claus-Casimir in a button up shirt while Luana is in some mismatched outfit and Zaria has no socks. Come on Mabel, pull your kids together!

Labels: Dutch, Royalty

This past week, with the return of new episodes for Gilmore Girls, I have been busy posting at my Gilmore Girls forum. I have been deeply engrossed in a discussion about whether or not Lorelai actually cheated on Luke in the episode called "Partings" by sleeping with Christopher, or if they had actually broken up and as such she wasn't cheating on Luke with Christopher, just that she made a bad decision. (I am of the opinion that in giving Luke the ultimatum to elope she was breaking up with him, so sleeping with Christopher was just a bad decision on her part but that she didn't cheat on Luke.)

As I have been spending a lot of time this past week and this weekend at my Gilmore Girls forum, I have become increasingly obsessed with gaining karma or community points. Karma points are given (or taken) by other members based on how helpful your posts around the forum are or how thoughtful (or unthoughtful) others find your posts. Of course karma points -- sometimes referred to as being "hit with the pretty stick" after a phrase on GG -- can be given and taken away frivolously.

So far I have 13 community points. I must be getting all those points from my fellow Balcony Buddy supporters!

Labels: Gilmore Girls

Prince Charles and his wife, Camilla, the Duchess of Cornwall are currently on a visit to the U.S., which has a focus on youth development, urban renewal and the environment.

Last night, Charles and Camilla attended a concert at the Academy of Music in Philadelphia to celebrate its 150th anniversary. Camilla wore a burgundy velvet dress with a plunging V-neckline and a very impressive ruby and diamond necklace that Rod Stewart was informed was property of the Duchess's. Not only was the necklace to die for -- akin to something straight out of Cleopatra's jewellery box -- but it fully showcased the Camilla's cleavage. Oh my!

Labels: British, Royalty

Feeling a bit stir crazy today, and the roads too slippery to get in the car and drive around on undeveloped roads to go house hunting, I decided to clean the house I am currently in. Or rather to sort out one part of it. Namely by bookcase, which is stuffed to the brims with books. In fact new books don't actually even make it into the bookcase because there isn't room anymore, so they lay around on the floor.

So I decided to do a big purge, keeping books by my favourite author Alice Hoffman, my Harry Potter books and other books I might read again as well as books I've bought over the years and never got around to reading (there are way too many of those) on the shelves. Some others that I might read again but don't need to look at everyday, I've packed away into boxes and stored in the basement. And a bigger selection I've put into milk crates to be donated to the library. Most of those were books from university -- I didn't like King Soloman's Mines the first time so I probably wouldn't touch it again unless it was to kill a spider.

Before


After


I can actually see to the back of the shelf now! And it means room to buy more books!

Labels: Life

On Wednesday, Princess Laurentien of the Netherlands opened the 20th edition of the Kinderjury, a panel of schoolage students who choose the best books of the year. Laurentien is an active fighter against illiteracy, so this is a cause right up her alley.

As per usual, Laurentien doesn't always make the most conventional of clothing choices. Her very colourful outfit rather blends in with the stage and the confetti strewn about. I'll admit that the outfit seemed funny at first, but on a second reflection, looking at the outfit three days later, it's grown on me. It's not for everybody of course, but it is a colourful and spirited outfit and fitting for the people she was spending the occasion with. What 5 year old wants to see a woman in a boring black suit, right?

Labels: Dutch, Royalty

This morning, as it was extra cold at minus 24 degrees celcius, I walked underground to work. And of course walking underground means not just keeping warm for an extra 10 minutes, but it also means shopping along the way. While all the clothes shops are having great sales, nothing in the stores is screaming at me.

This morning something compelled me to stray a bit off course on the way to work however. Perhaps it was the aroma of freshly-brewed coffee that compelled me to head into Starbucks. There I got not coffee, but the prettiest little coffee cups from the Starbucks Holiday collection.

The special thing about them is that there is a star pattern cut out of the bottom of the cup. And when I got up to the cash register with the last two in this pattern, the cashier told me that the saucers came with them. Even better they were on sale for 75% off! Score! To make the purchase even sweeter, the saucers have a star cut out that lies on top of the plate so that the cup and the saucer are like a puzzle piece.

Labels: Home decor

Some quotes from my friend Teresa, all the way from Portugal. Some early thoughts for Valentine's Day!

What is a kiss? It is a pink exclamation mark in "I love you!" (E.Rostand)

In women everything is heart, even the head. (J.P.Richter)

Love is a desire that wells up from the heart's excess of liking. (Jacopo da Lentini)

Labels: Quotes

Today, when Mary attended an engagement at the Museum of Copenhagen on behalf of the Children's Aid Foundation, she was sporting a new do. A shoulder-length bob that is a big contrast to the long locks that used to flow down her back. After the initial shock of seeing the pictures this morning at The Royal Realm, and now having consumed some caffeine and had some proper food, looking at the pictures again, the look is growing on me for Mary. It makes her look older yes, but it also makes her look more professional.

Of all the princesses, I'm surprised that she has been the one to cut her hair so short. She seems to be one of those who has embraced the glamour part of her new life the most with a wardrobe to match her new life. For me, the image of a princess always goes hand in hand with long hair -- all the better for those up-dos and French twists with your tiara. It's certainly do-able still of course with short hair, but it just takes a bit more work.

Labels: Danish, Royalty

This evening I had the most horrible commute. The train system never fails to surprise me about how inefficient it can be. No wonder a friend at work calls it the No-GO train. It really shouldn't call itself the "GO Train" since it rarely goes properly.

First the train was late 10 minutes and as today was the coldest day this winter, it was not too much fun. But thankfully the train doors were right in front of me so I was one of the first on the train and I got a seat. I vowed not to be grumpy for this small bit of luck.

But just before the first stop, Kipling Station, which is 15 minutes from Union Station in Toronto, the train got stuck because of a mechanical problem. I was napping on the train so I didn't notice how long we were stuck on the tracks. When I woke however and had sat long enough to get bored and crack back open my book ("The Constant Gardener"), I did look at my watch to see that it was nearly 6 p.m., so we were nearly already 15 minutes late. Then I realized that the heat wasn't working at least on my train so my feet were getting cold, which made me lose concentration in my book. I sat and listened to my iPod for a while when it was announced that the mechanical problems on our train could not be fixed and that everyone would have to deboard the train and wait on the platform for the next one. Grrrrrrr!

Time: 6:10 p.m.

So back on the platform with all the other grumbling passengers tired from yet another day at the office. There were two annoying and immature girls standing next to me on the train who were yelling into their respective cell phones to their family or friends about the train problems. My feet were starting to get cold again. I wondered how long it might take for my feet to totally freeze and have to be sawed off in order to save the rest of my leg ... Did I mention that it had started to snow as I was leaving the office and by now it was coming down heavily? Enough snow to cover and stick to my coat so that I had to brush off the snow with my mittens.

The next train came ten minutes later. Someone behind me pushed me into the side of the train in their rush to try to get on the train.

On the already full train it got more packed. To say that it was standing room only would be an understatement. Everybody was standing shoulder to shoulder on both levels. Nobody was happy. It took about ten minutes to board everybody and even still people were left behind at Kipling Station. And because of the volume of people, it was taking longer for people to get off the train at their stations.

When we pulled into my station it was 7:20. Normally when I leave my office at 5 p.m. to catch my 5:30 p.m. train I get home at 6:20 p.m. I was an entire hour late. And because it was snowing so heavily, I had to crank the heat to get my car warmed up and defrosted. I also had to brush the three inches of snow off my car, which meant standing in the cold with my still frozen feet and more snow falling down. When I got in the car, I turned the heat to just my feet, which were shaking so much I was worried they might slip off the gas or break pedals. (There were also two car accidents on my short drive home. In one case I could see that a car had driven off the road and head on into the sign post. A police officer and a tow truck were on the scene.)

Driving home (very, very slowly), I realized how hungry and grumpy I was. I was not in the mood to come home and cook nor did I want a salad. So I did the only thing any reasonable person in my position would do: I drove to a McDonald's and did a drive-thru run for a McChicken meal.

The first thing I did when I got home and hung up my wet jacket, hat, scarf and mittens to dry was to stand on top of one of the heating vents in my home warm my feet. So there I stood on top of the heating venting in my living room warming my feet and with my McDonald's fries. When I felt that my feet had sufficiently thawed, I sat on the couch with a hot water bottle on my feet and my fleece blanket wrapped around me eating my burger. And if that weren't all gluttonous enough, to cap off my meal, I ate the last cupcake leftover from Kimberly's birthday cupcakes. So all in all, a winner of an evening.

But before my entire evening was ruined, a nice surprise did happen today. This morning after my boss had come in I could hear her laughing at her desk (we sit in cubicles so her desk is only a cubicle and a half away from mine since I share a cubicle), then she came over laughing. But as she was walking over she was already apologizing to me. In her hand she held a Christmas gift bag. She said that at Christmas our company had given everybody a gift bag but because I had left for the holidays already and the stuff inside the bag was rather expensive and she didn't want it to sit out in the open for two weeks, she locked the bag in her bottom desk drawer for safe keeping. But apparently she doesn't open the drawer very often because she had forgotten it until now, a month later. But at least it was January 24, so it was a post-Christmas Eve gift! Inside was a big box of Laura Secord chocolates (yummy!), a bottle of Chanel No. 5, some Vanilla Smirnoff Ice, chapstick, a card for free music downloads and a sample of Vera Wang's Princess perfume. (What a shocker that the gift was so good this year. Last year it was cheap contra: tapenade that is still sitting in everyone's cupboards untouched, condoms and lube (really!), face wash and gum.) So Christmas in January it was for me today.

Labels: Life

Today the Oscar nominees were announced, which are listed below.

Performance by an actor in a leading role
	Leonardo DiCaprio in “Blood Diamond” (Warner Bros.)
	Ryan Gosling in “Half Nelson” (THINKFilm)
	Peter O’Toole in “Venus” (Miramax, Filmfour and UK Council)
	Will Smith in “The Pursuit of Happyness” (Sony Pictures Releasing)
	Forest Whitaker in “The Last King of Scotland” (Fox Searchlight)
Performance by an actor in a supporting role
	Alan Arkin in “Little Miss Sunshine” (Fox Searchlight)
	Jackie Earle Haley in “Little Children” (New Line)
	Djimon Hounsou in “Blood Diamond” (Warner Bros.)
	Eddie Murphy in “Dreamgirls” (DreamWorks and Paramount)
	Mark Wahlberg in “The Departed” (Warner Bros.)
Performance by an actress in a leading role
	Penélope Cruz in “Volver” (Sony Pictures Classics)
	Judi Dench in “Notes on a Scandal” (Fox Searchlight)
	Helen Mirren in “The Queen” (Miramax, Pathé and Granada)
	Meryl Streep in “The Devil Wears Prada” (20th Century Fox)
	Kate Winslet in “Little Children” (New Line)
Performance by an actress in a supporting role
	Adriana Barraza in “Babel” (Paramount and Paramount Vantage)
	Cate Blanchett in “Notes on a Scandal” (Fox Searchlight)
	Abigail Breslin in “Little Miss Sunshine” (Fox Searchlight)
	Jennifer Hudson in “Dreamgirls” (DreamWorks and Paramount)
	Rinko Kikuchi in “Babel” (Paramount and Paramount Vantage)
Best animated feature film of the year
	“Cars” (Buena Vista) John Lasseter
	“Happy Feet” (Warner Bros.) George Miller
	“Monster House” (Sony Pictures Releasing) Gil Kenan
Achievement in art direction
	“Dreamgirls” (DreamWorks and Paramount) Art Direction: John Myhre Set Decoration: Nancy Haigh
	“The Good Shepherd” (Universal) Art Direction: Jeannine Oppewall Set Decoration: Gretchen Rau and Leslie E. Rollins
	“Pan’s Labyrinth” (Picturehouse) Art Direction: Eugenio Caballero Set Decoration: Pilar Revuelta
	“Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man’s Chest” (Buena Vista) Art Direction: Rick Heinrichs Set Decoration: Cheryl A. Carasik
	“The Prestige” (Buena Vista) Art Direction: Nathan Crowley Set Decoration: Julie Ochipinti
Achievement in cinematography
	“The Black Dahlia” (Universal) Vilmos Zsigmond
	“Children of Men” (Universal) Emmanuel Lubezki
	“The Illusionist” (Yari Film Group) Dick Pope
	“Pan’s Labyrinth” (Picturehouse) Guillermo Navarro
	“The Prestige” (Buena Vista) Wally Pfister
Achievement in costume design
	“Curse of the Golden Flower” (Sony Pictures Classics) Yee Chung Man
	“The Devil Wears Prada” (20th Century Fox) Patricia Field
	“Dreamgirls” (DreamWorks and Paramount) Sharen Davis
	“Marie Antoinette” (Sony Pictures Releasing) Milena Canonero
	“The Queen” (Miramax, Pathé and Granada) Consolata Boyle
Achievement in directing
	“Babel” (Paramount and Paramount Vantage) Alejandro González Iñárritu
	“The Departed” (Warner Bros.) Martin Scorsese
	“Letters from Iwo Jima” (Warner Bros.) Clint Eastwood
	“The Queen” (Miramax, Pathé and Granada) Stephen Frears
	“United 93” (Universal and StudioCanal) Paul Greengrass
Best documentary feature
	“Deliver Us from Evil” (Lionsgate) A Disarming Films Production Amy Berg and Frank Donner
	“An Inconvenient Truth” (Paramount Classics and Participant Productions) A Lawrence Bender/Laurie David Production Davis Guggenheim
	“Iraq in Fragments” (Typecast Releasing) A Typecast Pictures/Daylight Factory Production James Longley and John Sinno
	“Jesus Camp” (Magnolia Pictures) A Loki Films Production Heidi Ewing and Rachel Grady
	“My Country, My Country” (Zeitgeist Films) A Praxis Films Production Laura Poitras and Jocelyn Glatzer
Best documentary short subject
	“The Blood of Yingzhou District” A Thomas Lennon Films Production Ruby Yang and Thomas Lennon
	“Recycled Life” An Iwerks/Glad Production Leslie Iwerks and Mike Glad
	“Rehearsing a Dream” A Simon & Goodman Picture Company Production Karen Goodman and Kirk Simon
	“Two Hands” A Crazy Boat Pictures Production Nathaniel Kahn and Susan Rose Behr
Achievement in film editing
	“Babel” (Paramount and Paramount Vantage) Stephen Mirrione and Douglas Crise
	“Blood Diamond” (Warner Bros.) Steven Rosenblum
	“Children of Men” (Universal) Alex Rodríguez and Alfonso Cuarón
	“The Departed” (Warner Bros.) Thelma Schoonmaker
	“United 93” (Universal and StudioCanal) Clare Douglas, Christopher Rouse and Richard Pearson
Best foreign language film of the year
	“After the Wedding” A Zentropa Entertainments 16 Production Denmark
	“Days of Glory (Indigènes)” A Tessalit Production Algeria
	“The Lives of Others” A Wiedemann & Berg Production Germany
	“Pan’s Labyrinth” A Tequila Gang/Esperanto Filmoj/Estudios Picasso Production Mexico
	“Water” A Hamilton-Mehta Production Canada
Achievement in makeup
	“Apocalypto” (Buena Vista) Aldo Signoretti and Vittorio Sodano
	“Click” (Sony Pictures Releasing) Kazuhiro Tsuji and Bill Corso
	“Pan’s Labyrinth” (Picturehouse) David Marti and Montse Ribe
Achievement in music written for motion pictures (Original score)
	“Babel” (Paramount and Paramount Vantage) Gustavo Santaolalla
	“The Good German” (Warner Bros.) Thomas Newman
	“Notes on a Scandal” (Fox Searchlight) Philip Glass
	“Pan’s Labyrinth” (Picturehouse) Javier Navarrete
	“The Queen” (Miramax, Pathé and Granada) Alexandre Desplat
Achievement in music written for motion pictures (Original song)
	“I Need to Wake Up” from “An Inconvenient Truth” (Paramount Classics and Participant Productions) Music and Lyric by Melissa Etheridge
	“Listen” from “Dreamgirls” (DreamWorks and Paramount) Music by Henry Krieger and Scott Cutler Lyric by Anne Preven
	“Love You I Do” from “Dreamgirls” (DreamWorks and Paramount) Music by Henry Krieger Lyric by Siedah Garrett
	“Our Town” from “Cars” (Buena Vista) Music and Lyric by Randy Newman
	“Patience” from “Dreamgirls” (DreamWorks and Paramount) Music by Henry Krieger Lyric by Willie Reale
Best motion picture of the year
	“Babel” (Paramount and Paramount Vantage) An Anonymous Content/Zeta Film/Central Films Production Alejandro González Iñárritu, Jon Kilik and Steve Golin, Producers
	“The Departed” (Warner Bros.) A Warner Bros. Pictures Production Nominees to be determined
	“Letters from Iwo Jima” (Warner Bros.) A DreamWorks Pictures/Warner Bros. Pictures Production Clint Eastwood, Steven Spielberg and Robert Lorenz, Producers
	“Little Miss Sunshine” (Fox Searchlight) A Big Beach/Bona Fide Production Nominees to be determined
	“The Queen” (Miramax, Pathé and Granada) A Granada Production Andy Harries, Christine Langan and Tracey Seaward, Producers
Best animated short film
	“The Danish Poet” (National Film Board of Canada) A Mikrofilm and National Film Board of Canada Production Torill Kove
	“Lifted” (Buena Vista) A Pixar Animation Studios Production Gary Rydstrom
	“The Little Matchgirl” (Buena Vista) A Walt Disney Pictures Production Roger Allers and Don Hahn
	“Maestro” (Szimplafilm) A Kedd Production Geza M. Toth
	“No Time for Nuts” (20th Century Fox) A Blue Sky Studios Production Chris Renaud and Michael Thurmeier
Best live action short film
	“Binta and the Great Idea (Binta Y La Gran Idea)” A Peliculas Pendelton and Tus Ojos Production Javier Fesser and Luis Manso
	“Éramos Pocos (One Too Many)” (Kimuak) An Altube Filmeak Production Borja Cobeaga
	“Helmer & Son” A Nordisk Film Production Soren Pilmark and Kim Magnusson
	“The Saviour” (Australian Film Television and Radio School) An Australian Film Television and Radio School Production Peter Templeman and Stuart Parkyn
	“West Bank Story” An Ari Sandel, Pascal Vaguelsy, Amy Kim, Ravi Malhotra and Ashley Jordan Production Ari Sandel
Achievement in sound editing
	“Apocalypto” (Buena Vista) Sean McCormack and Kami Asgar
	“Blood Diamond” (Warner Bros.) Lon Bender
	“Flags of Our Fathers” (DreamWorks and Warner Bros., Distributed by Paramount) Alan Robert Murray and Bub Asman
	“Letters from Iwo Jima” (Warner Bros.) Alan Robert Murray
	“Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man’s Chest” (Buena Vista) Christopher Boyes and George Watters II
Achievement in sound mixing
	“Apocalypto” (Buena Vista) Kevin O’Connell, Greg P. Russell and Fernando Camara
	“Blood Diamond” (Warner Bros.) Andy Nelson, Anna Behlmer and Ivan Sharrock
	“Dreamgirls” (DreamWorks and Paramount) Michael Minkler, Bob Beemer and Willie Burton
	“Flags of Our Fathers” (DreamWorks and Warner Bros., Distributed by Paramount) John Reitz, Dave Campbell, Gregg Rudloff and Walt Martin
	“Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man’s Chest” (Buena Vista) Paul Massey, Christopher Boyes and Lee Orloff
Achievement in visual effects
	“Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man’s Chest” (Buena Vista) John Knoll, Hal Hickel, Charles Gibson and Allen Hall
	“Poseidon” (Warner Bros.) Boyd Shermis, Kim Libreri, Chaz Jarrett and John Frazier
	“Superman Returns” (Warner Bros.) Mark Stetson, Neil Corbould, Richard R. Hoover and Jon Thum
Adapted screenplay
	“Borat Cultural Learnings of America for Make Benefit Glorious Nation of Kazakhstan” (20th Century Fox) Screenplay by Sacha Baron Cohen & Anthony Hines & Peter Baynham & Dan Mazer Story by Sacha Baron Cohen & Peter Baynham & Anthony Hines & Todd Phillips
	“Children of Men” (Universal) Screenplay by Alfonso Cuarón & Timothy J. Sexton and David Arata and Mark Fergus & Hawk Ostby
	“The Departed” (Warner Bros.) Screenplay by William Monahan
	“Little Children” (New Line) Screenplay by Todd Field & Tom Perrotta
	“Notes on a Scandal” (Fox Searchlight) Screenplay by Patrick Marber
Original screenplay
	“Babel” (Paramount and Paramount Vantage) Written by Guillermo Arriaga
	“Letters from Iwo Jima” (Warner Bros.) Screenplay by Iris Yamashita Story by Iris Yamashita & Paul Haggis
	“Little Miss Sunshine” (Fox Searchlight) Written by Michael Arndt
	“Pan’s Labyrinth” (Picturehouse) Written by Guillermo del Toro
	“The Queen” (Miramax, Pathé and Granada) Written by Peter Morgan

Labels: Hollywood

Today Princess Mabel of the Netherlands, in her role as the patron of the THIMUN (The Hague International Model United Nations) Foundation, made the keynote opening speech to the General Assembly in The Hague. In her speech she made reference to her husband who had participated in a mock UN in 1984 representing Oman. She said that he had told her that the task taught him the importance of considering the motives, perspectives, objectives and priorities of other nations and from looking at a situation from their perspectives and to try to solve problems by considering their perspectives as well. She discussed her internship at the UN in 1993 and how she went there with great ideals for the institution itself, of her trip to Bosnia where she witnessed firsthand the violence and aggression there, and how despite the greatest and most evil acts some people are able to still be kind to others and to do good for others even when they have so little.

I think that despite all the controversy surrounding "Mabelgate" and her alleged relations with a mob boss and whether she and Friso lied to the government about her activities, Mabel is a very intelligent woman with a big heart. Her intelligence and her social conscience are greatly overshadowed by all the pre-wedding scandal. And that she is someone who aspires to greatness for the betterment of the world and that with her tough as nails attitude she will fight hard for the things she feels strongly about, and whatever you think of her fashion sense or whether she lied to the Dutch government, you have to admire someone who will go so far out on a limb for something they believe in, even if you don't necessarily believe what they are fighting for.

Labels: Dutch, Royalty

Today was one of those days when I had no energy to do anything but loaf around the house. Usually Sundays are quiet days for relaxing, but that isn't to say that I don't usually do anything.

A typical Sunday comprises of tidying up like putting laundry away, paying bills and cleaning my desk, and then lunch. After lunch I usually veg in front of the TV (usually a DVD of Gilmore Girls) and scrapbooking, or of late, knitting my scarf. After an hour or two of that I usually put some time in the kitchen, making some meals for lunch through the week. Then it's a mug of tea and back in front of the TV with Gilmore Girls and my scrapbooking again.

But today I was feeling rather lethargic. I grazed over a little bit of pasta salad that I was sent home with from my goddaughter's birthday dinner, so lunch was later than usual, which apparently threw me for a bit of a loop. This afternoon I just vegged in front of the TV with an old tape (yes, I still have VHS tapes) of Mad About You episodes. A friend had mentioned that it was one of her favourite shows earlier in the week and it reminded me that up in a closet shelf I had a box of old VHS tapes with episodes of Mad About You, Friends and Murphy Brown. So I put a tape in and just lay on the couch. I even had a short nap for a bit before remembered that I had laundry in the dryer.

I had forgotten how funny and sweet the show is in it's own simple way. And Paul Reiser and Helen Hunt are pretty good actors, too. And the little baby who played their daughter Mabel (named from the acronym invented by her mom played by Carol Burnett for "Mothers always bring extra love") was so adorable.

One of the episodes I watched today was how Jaime and Paul met: at a newsstand when she took the last paper on the premise that her parents' obituary was in it. She left behind her dry cleaning slip and so he picked it up and tracked her down to her office building, going up the first 31 floors asking every receptionist if someone fitting her description worked there. It made my heart melt and made me wonder why I can't meet guys like that.

Labels: Life, TV

Princess Ingrid Alexandra of Norway turns three today. She is the first child of Crown Prince Haakon and Crown Princess Mette-Marit, and will one day be Queen of Norway.

Although the family is currently in the Caribbean -- King Harald took his entire family there for two weeks in honour of his upcoming 70th birthday (in February) and his wife's 70th birthday (in July) -- some pictures and a video of Ingrid Alexandra with her parents, step-brother Marius and baby brother Sverre Magnus (whose sole camera moment is of him sleeping) skiing earlier this January were released today by the Norwegian royal court.

At three, Ingrid Alexandra is already a proficient skier, who shares a sweet moment with her mom: Ingrid Alexandra falls while skiing and when her mom Mette-Marit goes to help her, she too ends up falling and both mother and daughter end up on the ground laughing.

The family appears to be a close-knit one (and apparently a typical Norwegian family in their wooly hats and on their skiing vacation) with Marius helping his step-sister ski downhill and nobody is treated differently whether they are a step-child or the future Queen of Norway.



(Check out how Ingrid Alexandra has her stuffed animal on her shoulders like her dad has her on his shoulders! How cute!)

Labels: Norwegian, Royalty

In my home
I garnish a special moment
I sprinkle a giggle here and there.
I caramelize a sweet expression.

In the well lived home,
you share a memory with every meal.

It's a sanctuary.
It's a comfort zone.
It's a creative outlet.

Labels: Quotes

It is my goddaughter Kimberly's birthday today. Actually, her birthday is January 26 but there is a dinner for her tonight. In honour of her 11th birthday I have made her cupcakes -- her favourite, chocolate fudge.

Usually I like the frosting to match the cake - eg. white frosting with a white-battered cake or chocolate frosting with a chocolate-battered cake - but while baking, I remembered that I had some sugar crystals from Christmas cookies left over and I thought it would be whimsical (and simple) to just sprinkle them on top. But they would look prettier on white frosting rather than chocolate so I have broken my own rule.

I had originally envisioned sprinkles all across the top of the cupcakes but it was hard to achieve that look without also making a big mess of my kitchen. At first I was taking individual cupcakes and sprinkling the sugar crystals over them with a spoon but they weren't sticking as well to the icing. (Probably because I frosted all the cupcakes first and then did the sugar crystals, when I should have been decorating the cupcakes as I was frosting them. Live and learn.) Failing that, I poured some sugar crystals onto a plate and dipped the tops of the cupcakes into the sugar crystals but then they were coated in a thick layer of sugar crystals which didn't look whimsical anymore. So I went back to spooning the sugar crystals on top.

Labels: Entertaining, Food, Kimberly

Clinton Launches 2008 White House Bid
By BETH FOUHY and MARC HUMBERT, Associated Press Writers



Democratic Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton embarked on a widely anticipated campaign for the White House on Saturday, a former first lady intent on becoming the first female president. "I'm in and I'm in to win," she said on her Web site.

Clinton's announcement, days after Sen. Barack Obama shook up the contest race with his bid to become the first black president, establishes the most diverse political field ever.

Clinton is considered the front-runner, with Obama and 2004 vice presidential nominee John Edwards top contenders. New Mexico Gov. Bill Richardson, who would be the first Hispanic president, intends to announce his plans on Sunday.

"You know after six years of George Bush, it is time to renew the promise of America," Clinton says in a videotaped message in which she invites voters to begin a dialogue with her on the major issues — health care, Social Security and Medicare, and the war in Iraq.

"I'm not just starting a campaign, though, I'm beginning a conversation with you, with America," she said. "Let's talk. Let's chat. The conversation in Washington has been just a little one-sided lately, don't you think?"

Clinton, who was re-elected to a second term last November, said she will spend the next two years "doing everything in my power to limit the damage George W. Bush can do. But only a new president will be able to undo Bush's mistakes and restore our hope and optimism."

In a defiant statement — and a nod to questions about her electability — Clinton said: "I have never been afraid to stand up for what I believe in or to face down the Republican machine. After nearly $70 million spent against my campaigns in New York and two landslide wins, I can say I know how Washington Republicans think, how they operate, and how to beat them."

With millions in the bank, a vast network of supporters and top status in nearly every poll of Democratic contenders, Clinton is undertaking the most viable effort by a female candidate to capture the White House. Her creation of a presidential exploratory committee allows her to raise money for the campaign; she already has lined up campaign staff.

She is the first presidential spouse to pursue the office; her husband, Bill, served two terms in the White House from 1993-2001.

Obama said in a statement soon after Clinton's entry, "I welcome her and all the candidates, not as competitors, but as allies in the work of getting our country back on track."

Clinton's announcement was the latest step in a remarkable political and personal journey for the 59-year-old Clinton — from Arkansas lawyer to first lady to New York senator to front-runner for the Democratic nomination.

A polarizing figure since she burst onto the national scene during her husband's first presidential campaign, Clinton engenders strong opinions among voters, who either revere or revile her but rarely are ambivalent.

She often is compared to her husband and found lacking in his natural charisma. Others have criticized her for being overly cautious and calculating when so many voters say they crave authenticity.

Many Democrats, eager to reclaim the White House after eight years of President Bush, fret that she carries too much baggage from her husband's scandal-plagued presidency to win a general election. Among many voters, she is best known for her disastrous attempt in 1993 to overhaul the nation's health care system and for standing by her husband after his marital infidelity.

Clinton's allies counter by citing her strengths — intelligence, depth of experience, work ethic and immense command of policy detail. Advisers argue those skills, plus her popularity among women and younger voters, position her strongly as both a primary and general election candidate.

In her first run for the Senate from New York in 2000 — a state where she had never lived and where she was branded a carpetbagger by many — Clinton won a landslide victory. Through dogged campaigning — including a "listening tour" of the state's 62 counties — Clinton was able to convince voters even in the conservative upstate region that she would represent them effectively in Washington.

Clinton's 2002 vote authorizing military force in Iraq has become a significant political challenge. It angered activists who want her to repudiate her vote and aggressively seek to block Bush's proposed troop increase.

She has toughened her criticism of the conduct of the war and Bush's handling of the conflict, and she recently called for capping troop levels in Iraq at around 140,000. She has rejected calls from liberal groups and Edwards to cut off funds for Bush's planned increase in U.S. troops.

Clinton grew up in the Chicago suburbs in a conservative Republican household and was a "Goldwater girl" in 1964, supporting conservative icon Barry Goldwater in the presidential race won by Democrat Lyndon B. Johnson.

By 1968, she was a Democrat. After graduating from Wellesley College, she attended law school at Yale where she met her husband, Bill Clinton. In 1974, she worked on the House Judiciary Committee's impeachment investigation of President Nixon before moving to Arkansas where she and Clinton were married in 1975.

An influential player in her husband's political career in Arkansas, she leapt to the national scene during the 1992 presidential campaign when the two fought to survive the scandal over Gennifer Flowers' allegations of a lengthy affair with Clinton when he was the state's governor. The Clintons appeared together on CBS' "60 Minutes" to talk about their marriage — her first famous "Stand by Your Man" moment.

As first lady, Clinton headed up a disastrous first-term effort to overhaul the health care insurance system. There was more controversy as the couple battled allegations of impropriety over land deals and fundraising, missing records from her former Arkansas law firm and even her quick and hefty profits from an investment in cattle futures.

There was no letup in the second term. The president found himself denying — then admitting — having a sexual relationship with White House intern Monica Lewinsky. As he battled impeachment and possible removal from office, his wife's poll numbers rose.

Her own political career began to take shape in late 1998 when New York Democrat Daniel Patrick Moynihan announced he would not seek re-election to the Senate seat he had held since 1976. Within a few weeks, the first lady was being talked up by fellow Democrats as a possible successor for the veteran senator.

On Feb. 12, 1999, the very day the Senate was voting not to remove her husband from office, Clinton met in the White House's family quarters with New York Democrat Harold Ickes, a former Clinton administration deputy chief of staff, to talk about a Senate run.

The campaign trail was not always friendly. For almost every cheer, there was a shouted "Go home, Hillary!" and the emerging Republican theme that carpetbagger Clinton simply wanted to use New York as a launching pad for a later presidential run. She pledged to serve her full six-year Senate term if elected.

In the Senate, Clinton quickly moved to establish herself as someone who could work with Republicans or Democrats, often sponsoring high-profile legislation with GOP colleagues.

What big news! I think she is a very viable candidate and if I were an American citizen I would have a hard time choosing between her and Obama Barack as a future president. I only wish they might have considered running together on the same ticket -- now that would've been an unbeatable team!

Labels: Politics

Today, Crown Princess Mathilde of Belgium celebrates her 34th birthday. A woman of noble birth, she is one of three daughters to Count and Countess Patrick d'Udekem d'Acoz. She is a former speech therapist who married Crown Prince Phillippe on December 4, 1999, and the couple now have three children: Princess Elisabeth, Prince Gabriel and Prince Emmanuel.

She has just been chosen by the World Economic Forum as one of the Young Worldwide Leaders, a great recognition for her work with vulnerable people. The future Belgian queen is involved in a variety of economic missions associated with the United Nations, UNICEF and her own organization, the Princess of Mathilde Fund.

Labels: Belgian, Royalty

The fashion is half the fun of watching awards shows. The ladies who looked classic and the ladies who obviously didn't look in a mirror before they left their Hollywood mansions.

On the whole, the fashion at the Golden Globes seems to be more relaxed and more daring or experimental -- to both fabulous and horrible results. While at the Oscars the ladies go for the classic shades of black, black, white and sometimes cream or navy, at the Golden Globes all the colours of the rainbow are on display, and again to both good and horrible results. This year, short, cocktail-style dresses seemed to be the trend with Reese Witherspoon, Tina Fey, Renee Zellweger and Cate Blanchett (sort of) sporting above the knees smocks. And heart-shaped necklines were all the rage, extra fashion points if those dresses were also white.

As it's always more fun to start with the bad, here we go!
Vanessa Williams must've had a Freaky Friday moment with "Ugly Betty" on this occasion, or she was channeling Diana Ross. The big hair and the fur jacket and the boobs that look like they will fall out of the dress if she sighs too deeply.


Rinko Kikuhi may have received critical acclaim for her performance in "Babel," enough to be recognized with a nod at the Golden Globes, but I bet she doesn't receive critical acclaim for this outfit. Pom poms and evening gown are not two (okay, three) words that ever go together in a sentence. And how did she walk or sit in that outfit? Didn't it feel like she had gobs of toilet paper tucked into her underwear and trailing her around?


Oh Annette Bening, I know your husband received an honourary award on this occasion, so why do you look like you stepped out of your house in a fancy nightgown? You managed to domesticate Hollywood's lothario -- did you really do it with outfits like these?


And Heidi Klum seems to be taking a page from the Annette Bening style book. She looks like she just wrapped her bed sheets around herself and left the house. You're a supermodel Heidi! You're just a bedsheet away from a moo-moo. (And the elbow-length white gloves seem like afterthoughts. Like you knew how bad your outfit was so you tried to dress it up with a pair of gloves. It didn't work. Don't try it again!)


More from the bedsheet chronicles ... Salma Hayek's dress is better than Annette and Heidi's combined, but perhaps it wouldn't have hurt to borrow a bit of fabric from Heidi's dress for yours, Salma. We know you're blessed in the bosoms, but must they hang out like that? Didn't your mom ever tell you that less is more?


Really, there must have been a white sale in Hollywood. You get to wear a white doctor's jacket all day on the set Ellen Pompeo, on your next glammed out evening perhaps you could try a different colour. And preferably that doesn't make you look like an alien. What's with the "hook" from your behind to your shoulder?


I guess your character Alison didn't have any dreams to share with you about your outfit, Patricia Arquette. I know the Golden Globes are a laid back affair but a leather bustier should not be seen outside of the bedroom or a S&M club, please.


And finally, I hate to diss you Cate Blanchett, because I think you're a class act and I like your movies, but what's with this dress. It's like you couldn't decide if you wanted to go long or short so rather than make a decision you went wishy washy. That or your designer ran out of black lace.



And the good, who are very, very good.
Radiant Rachel Weisz in red, try saying that three times fast. But it's worth it. The soft curls, the simplicity of the dress and the cheery red against that porcelain skin, it just doesn't get better.


Unlike her costar Vanessa Williams, Becki Newton was not channeling anything ugly in this emerald number. Fitted and elegant with her hair pulled back and chandelier earrings, this is classic Hollywood at its best.


All rise for Her Majesty! Helen Mirren is a classic in this chiffon number and shows that a little cleavage isn't just for the youngsters. The topper however is the hair: Softly pulled back, she is as majestic as the queen she portrays.


If I could only look at you Emily Blunt from the waist up, I'd be a happy gal. Everything from the waist up works for me, especially the beaded straps and neckline. It's simple and beautiful with some detail to keep things interesting. But from the knees down, it looks like the mummy unwrapped itself and now pools of fabric circle your feet. Your outfit would've looked so much nicer if there wasn't such a contrast between your slight train and the rest of your dress.


Meanwhile, Jada Pinkett-Smith has pulled off the mummy-wrapped look to perfection. It's carried through all the way from the top of the dress to the bottom, giving Jada a lovely swirly shape at the hem. And the orangey-coral choice is superb: Not only does it look good on you it's a colour that's sure to stand out even from the paparazzi planes circling above. (Plus having Will Smith on your arm isn't a bad accessory, either!)


Kyra Sedgwick, I want to call you a Grecian goddess because you look that good! Sometimes your fashion choices are questionable. I've raised an eyebrow more than once at your red carpet choices. But not this time. It's simple and flattering and it becomes you.


Keshia Forester, not an actress herself (at least I think not), but her husband Forest Whittiker, won the award for Best Leading Actor for his role in "Last King of Scotland," looks beautiful in her white dress. Looks like Forest had two great accessories that night: his wife and his Golden Globe!


And from the look-alike dresses department ...
Toni Collette ("Little Miss Sunshine") and Mary Lynn Rajskub ("24").


Ditto for Sarah Paulson ("Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip") and Kate Winslet, down to the last loose ringlet.


And Cameron Diaz, I'm just not sure whether to make heads or tails of your outfit. I want to like it, it is a nice outfit, but the feathery thing and the bright red lips combined are all just a tad too much.


And while not nearly as interesting, the men's fashions. Everything from black tie to black suits with ties -- quite the range, apparently! Clockwise: Eric Mabius (from "Ugly Betty), Brad Pitt, John Stamos (he'll always be Uncle Jesse to me!), Patrick Dempsey, Leonardo DiCaprio and Justin Timberlake.

Labels: Hollywood