With the year ending, a lot of people and publications have been coming up with their Top 10 lists of 2010. Time Magazine named its Person of the Year as Mark Zuckerberg which I personally disagree with. I despise Facebook's ever changing layout and its lack of "Reply to Sender [Only]" feature in its message section.
The Onion published its list of The People who Mattered in 2010. My favorite person on the list is Glenn Beck and his blurb reads: "Glenn Beck - The Lone Voice Of Reason In An Age Of Hysteria. Every single day of 2010, Beck's quiet words of humility and reason have touched the hearts of all Americans, healing countless wounds and elevating the level of our national discourse."
So before 2010 ends in a few hours, let me squeeze in my list of my favorite moments of 2010. I can't remember much of the first half of the year, so my list only contains two items:
Update: I just finished watching the 8 part mini-series since starting it last night. What a great series! I absolutely love John Adams from 2 years ago and now The Pillars of the Earth. I have a new found appreciation for mini-series. Each episode of The Pillars of the Earth was so enthralling with each part being like a really good movie. And, unlike tv shows, it doesn't drag on. What makes it all even better is the rewarding ending of the series.
So, I definitely recommend it. It's on Netflix instant watch right now. Go watch!
I decided to find out what The Pillars of the Earth is all about after seeing it on the list of nominees for the Golden Globes.
It has quite a star ensemble that includes actors and actresses whose faces are familiar but whose names are difficult to recall. So, it features:
Hayley Atwell - Lady Julia Flyte in Brideshead Revisited
Eddie Redmayne - Antony Baekeland in Savage Grace
Matthew Macfadyen - Mr. Darcy in Pride & Prejudice
Rufus Sewell - he's been in a score of films like A Knight's Tale, but I know him best from Paris, je t'aime's first short film.
Alison Pill - who looks so familiar, but I haven't seen any of her films
Donald Sutherland - who needs no introduction (Yes, Mr. Bennet in Pride & Prejudice).
Sorry, lists are so boring.
The set, cinematography, and special effects kind of remind me of the History Channel, which is not necessary the best thing. But I think the story line is quite engaging. At first, the story was a bit confusing. There are two seemingly disconnected story lines--one about the shifting power in the monarchy and one about a master builder who is trying to build a cathedral. Ultimately, these stories become intertwined and characters bond and fight. After watching the first episode, I really want to know what happens next.
It's my favorite time of the year! No, it's not Christmas (although I do love Christmas). It's award season which kicked off on Tuesday by the Golden Globes! Yesterday, Screen Actors Guild came out with its nominations for the SAG Awards. So after a whole year of cinema-going, we finally get to see which films are considered the best by industry insiders. But, of course, since most nominated films are shown at the end of the year, close to the nomination consideration period, we I really haven't seen any of the films (I'll just speak for myself. I've only been to the movies a handful of times this year including the time to watch the god-awful Clash of the Titans--I predict it will earn several Razzies this year. And with Netflix, I just don't want to pay more to watch a film.)
So the top nominees this year for both the Golden Globes and SAG Awards are...The King's Speech (which I mentioned on this blog after it won the Toronto Film Festival's People's Choice Award) and The Fighter. Other notable nominees are The Social Network, Black Swan, andThe Kids Are All Right.
How's the view, Geoffrey Rush?
Déjà vu???
I am particularly happy for Natalie Portman for her Best Actress nomination in a Leading Role for Black Swan at both the Globes and SAG. She seems so genuine, smart, and amiable. And I think it's about time for her to be in the spotlight after her roles in Garden State, Closer, and V for Vendetta.
What the what? Who is who?
A real black swan that I shot at Leeds Castle.
Natalie, what are you doing? It's like what you did in Closer but classier.
On the television front, I am hoping to see The Big C take home some awards at the Globes especially for Laura Linney. Strangely, The Big C is not nominated at all that the SAG Awards. I would also love to see Modern Family, which is the top nominee at the SAG with 4 nominations, win some awards. Modern Family is a show that I've been trying to catch up with on Netflix, and it's been giving me some great laughs.
Gabourey, your career is lasting a lot longer than you expected, huh! Oprah's prediction came true!
What a lovely neighborhood you live in!
Oh, hi everyone.
Temple Grandin, a made-for-television movie, was a big winner at the Emmy's earlier this year and again a big nominee for the SAG and Globes. Having seen Temple Grandin in person, I can testify that Claire Danes' performance was a perfect portrayal of Grandin. Read my thoughts on Temple Grandin here. I am little bit disappointed to see Dexter nominated for so many awards. I am a huge fan of Dexter in the past. I absolutely loved seasons one through four, but season five is just awful, so much so that I stopped watching half way through. Michael C Hall should have done what Katherine Heigl did and withdrew from award consideration.
Sadly, the on-screen siblings and real-life couple recently filed for divorce. Awkward~
Anyways, I wish I can go on and on but this post has already gone on too long! So last two things: I was particularly intrigued by Nicole Kidman's nomination for Best Actress for her role in Rabbit Hole. I definitely want to see what this film is all about.
Looks interesting right?
And when will Julianne Moore ever win her big prize???
Oh WhAt! Julianne, I didn't know you were the La Grande Odalisque in real life! You sure are popular around here! Can you hear a thing?
Over a month passed since my first post on my vegetable garden. Here are some new photos!
The peas have gotten really tall. The trellis I set up isn't quite enough, so I found them all bend over one morning. The peas have been blocking the sun from reaching the sweet potatoes on the left. Those little guys aren't doing as well these days.
They're quite pretty, aren't they?
The first pea!
Tangled
I'm going to harvest the lettuce when I get the chance.
The beets are peeking through the soil.
I watched a Youtube video on Fibonacci numbers and how they apply to nature the other day. I can't help but think of how they're applied to these carrot leaves. On a different note, I think they are almost ready for harvest!
Tomato blossoms
Tomatoes--I'm quite surprised that they are growing! Oh California weather.
Guava
Some lemons are ripe. The lemon blossoms smell really good.
