Your Weekend in Pop Culture

This is like the fourth time we've done this. We are accomplishing goals!!!

Anyway, here are some things to do with your weekend:

Tonight - Go out and drink to our pal Dave, who turns 31 today. He loves chili, Chad Ochocinco and Twitter so if you could somehow work those things into your celebration, I'm sure he'd appreciate it.

Saturday - Go wine tasting for another friend's birthday. What? What's that you say? You live somewhere cold and not conducive to wine growing year round? Sucks to be you!!!

As an alternative, you can go see one of the 10 Oscar Best Picture nominees you haven't had a chance to see yet. I'll be checking out The Blindside (the last one I need to see). The Oscars are next Sunday, ya'll!

Sunday - Watch the US (hopefully) take on Canada (maybe) in the gold medal game. USA! USA! Also, closing ceremonies. RIP Winter Olympics 2010.

Have a great weekend!

Talking 'bout my generation

Some friends and I played trivia last night (and won, of course. Woot woot!) and one of the categories was The Beatles. It’s widely accepted that they’re the defining band of our parents’ generation, and that got us wondering: What is the defining band of our generation?

“Our generation” for this particular group of people is the Gen Y/Millennial generation. We were all born between 1980 and 1984. For my money, our defining band is Radiohead. They came out when we were roughly in junior high, at the age where you start obsessing over music; they grew with us, putting out increasingly adventurous albums; and they have mass appeal.

The only other band that comes close is Pearl Jam, but they really had their height in the mid-to the late ‘90s, and haven’t been as relevant this decade (sorry, Beckeye). Our generation is also arguably the first that could have a hip hop star as its “defining artist,” like Jay-Z, but we all know I’m hopelessly white and can’t really speak to that.

So what do you think? Also, I know some of you guys are more Gen X-ers (I'm kind of on the cusp), so maybe you have your own defining band/artist. The stock answer is Nirvana, got a different one?

Remember, this isn’t necessarily your favorite band, but the one that will soundtrack the inevitable remake of the Big Chill that will come out in 2018 and discuss the woes of people who graduated from high school around the turn of the 21st Century.

Best Picture Ever?

Best Picture Ever.

Wherein Red Needs Some Advice About Dating

So, I signed up for one of those online dating sites. I was bored one day at work (shocker!) and tired of family members asking, "So, Bridge, how's ya luv life?"so I gave it a shot. I've not had a lot of success (I'm not really sure why. Probably because, as most of you know first hand, I am hideous (kidding! It's probably because I make a joke about cheese on my profile that makes me seem weird) Whatever! That's not important right now!).

ANYWAY, I have been on 2 dates with a very nice guy. He's the right age, attractive enough, but I'm just not feeling it (I could all tell you the reasons why, but Liz says that would be mean. Let's just say robots and an atrociously filthy apartment are major factors (I've also realized, as much as I joke about being "alone" forever, I really like being single and don't really want to make time for men I'm only marginally interested in to appease friends and family)). So here's my question...how do I end this? Most people I've polled on the subject say I "owe" him a phone call, but why? We've only been out twice. It's not like we've formed some special bond. Why can't I just email and say, "Sorry. This isn't working for me"? Sure it's the easy (cowardly?) way out, but I think, if I were in his position, I wouldn't really care if I received the news via email. In fact, I think it would be easier on both parties.

So, help me out here. Do I owe Robot Boy an actual phone call to reject him? Or can I just email him the bad news and then delete my online profile knowing now I'm not really up for online dating right now or probably ever? Help me make decisions in my life!!!

Your Weekend in Pop Culture (Vol. 2)

Here's the part where we sporadically tell you what you to do with yourself over the weekend:

Oh yeah, I pah-k'd my cah wickid hah'd

Friday

Shutter Island: Marty Scorsese' latest hits theatres. It takes place in Bah-stin, so expect wretched accent work, as well as thrills, chills, Red's nemesis, and Leo. Cat sounds!

Saturday

Go to a brewery: I will be visiting the Stone Brewery (and possibly Lost Abbey) in North County San Diego this weekend. This Web site will help you find craft breweries near your home town.

More Olympics: And more, and more and more! This weekend we got luge, skiing (of all varieties), bobsled, speed skating and your grandmother's favorite - ice dancing.

Sunday

New on DVD: Wind down the weekend with a movie at home. Newly released this week are A Serious Man, Couple's Retreat and The Time Traveler's Wife. I haven't seen any of those. I know Red liked A Serious Man.


There. Now put some pants on and get out of your house!

Top 5: Olympic Hotness Monsters

The Olympics began on Friday and I've been watching. I freaking love the Olympics. The sport! The pageantry! The hot, super fit dudes! So, in true GitW style, here are the top 5 hottest men spotted this weekend in Vancouver:

Armin Zoeggeler - The Italian Lugeman (that's a word, right?) kept me watching a sport I'd never really thought about before. Zoeggler is really, really good looking, like many of the Luge athletes, which takes us to...

Shiva Keshavan Kannan Palan - We could obviously never be married (seriously, that name is out of control!), but Shiva is proof my Indian phase is still in full effect *cat sound*

Robin Szolkowy - The German pairs figure skater is the first person of color I can remember seeing in a big figure skating competition. He's breaking barriers!!! Plus, he's super dreamy and bears a slight resemblance to my ex-boyfriend, Matt Kemp. (P.S. His partner's not bad either.)

Dario Cologna - This cross-country skier from Switzerland won gold...and we all won the chance to gaze into his adorable face.

Bode Miller - Amidst great hype, he was a bust in 2006, but he returned to Alpine skiing and the Olympics with a renewed sense of purpose. He's kind of the OG Olympics hotness monster and I, for one, was glad to see him again. USA! USA!

Feel free to discuss your picks, male and female, in the comments.

Response to the Dodge Charger Super Bowl Ad

Word.

Top 5: New Things that Make me Jealous and/or Annoyed

I've done this before, but the world never ceases to create things that make me jealous and/or annoyed, so let's do it again!

Things that Make me Jealous

1. Snow Days - This may come as a surprise to you all, but we never get snowed in here in Southern California. It sucks, man! I want to stock up on food and drinks and sit at home for a few days when I should be working. You people in the rest of the country have all the fun. *hrmpf*

2. Emily Blunt - She's gorgeous and has the cutest boyfriend on the planet. Plus, she's super talented and English. Some people get all the good stuff.

3. Anthony Bourdain - Does anyone in the world have a better job? Do you have any idea how good I would be at traveling the world, being snarky and eating? True calling = missed.

Things that Annoy Me

1. Google Buzz - I totally resent, after successfully avoiding Twitter, that Gmail has essentially forced it upon me...or they did until I figured out how to hide it. +1 Me.

2. Valentine's Day - For the record, it doesn't bug me because I'm single. It bugs me because it's a sham to get people to spend money in February for no really good reason. I'm kinda over all pre-determined gift-giving holidays, actually. If I want to give you a gift, I'll send it to you on May 14th if I want...and you'll like it, damn it!

Sorry. I may have gotten a little carried away.

So what makes you jealous and/or annoyed?

Awkwaaard!

RIP Cap'n Phil

Last summer, pretty much every day I would come home from work and find The Boyfriend on the couch, watching one of the seemingly daily "Deadliest Catch" marathons on the Discovery Channel. So Phil Harris was strangely a part of my life. Arguably the gruffest in a cast full of gruff Alaskan King Crab fishing boat captains, Harris died yesterday after suffering a stroke.

I wouldn't go so far as to say, "I love me some 'Deadliest Catch,'" but having seen approximately 500 episodes of it, I feel a sense of loss here.

Pour one out, homes. Pour one out.

Your Chance to be Thanked on Our First Record When We Become International Pop Superstars!

We're writing a new song for The Let's Make Outs that may or may not be about Liz Lemon and I need a rhyme for "hot dog."As you may remember, if you are a REAL 30 Rock fan, when we first meet Liz, she's buying all the hot dogs from the street vendor to stick it to some jerks who cheated and started a second line. When we meet Liz in our song, she's buying all the hot dogs, too. So it starts:

When we first met
You bought all the hot dogs

Now, I need two lines with an end rhyme for "hot dog." This is your assignment for the day. 3...2...1...Go!

Add this to your Queue (or don't): In the Loop

I really liked this movie.

Red did not.

Rent it, decide what you think, and find out whether you're "a Liz" or "a Red"!

This Obsession May Be Getting Out of Hand

Happy Super Sunday

Go Saints.

Happy Birthday Liz!!!

It's the Fantastic Ms. Liz's birthday today. She's still not as old as me, but she's getting there! Here are some of my favorite things about Zombie Liz:

- She lets me call her Zombie Liz...an homage to the book-we-loved-before-we-ever-actually-read-it-and-realized-it-was-better-in-concept-than-execution, Pride and Prejudice and Zombies.

- She always introduces me to the newest, coolest music. Seriously, I'd be musically lost without her.

- She wrote and produced the catchiest damn song in history.

- Even though everyone told me to watch Lost, I never listened until the advice came from Liz. Where would my life be without her?!? And John Locke?!

- Her willingness to go on vacation with me without The Boyfriend. Girls trip! Look out New Orleans and your lack of open container laws!

- She really is, in all seriousness, a fantastic friend and I cherish her.

Won't you please join me in extending your birthday wishes?

The best of the overlooked

Oscar nominations were announced earlier this week. I got 41 out of 50 in the predictions I posted here, and 73 out of 106 overall. Every year there's destined to be many deserving contenders overlooked. Here's what I think are the best of the unsung in the major categories:

PICTURE
Fantastic Mr. Fox
Where the Wild Things Are
Star Trek

DIRECTOR
Spike Jonze "Where the Wild Things Are"
J.J. Abrams "Star Trek"
Wes Anderson "Fantastic Mr. Fox"

ACTOR
Liam Neeson "Taken"
James Nesbitt "Five Minutes of Heaven"
Michael Stuhlbarg "A Serious Man"

ACTRESS
Melanie Laurent "Inglourious Basterds"
Emily Blunt "The Young Victoria"
Maya Rudolph 'Away We Go"

SUPPORTING ACTOR
Zach Galifianakis "The Hangover"
Peter Sarsgaard "An Education"
Jackie Earle Haley "Watchmen"

SUPPORTING ACTRESS
Julianne Moore "A Single Man"
Evan Rachel Wood "Whatever Works"
Diane Kruger "Inglourious Basterds"

ADAPTED SCREENPLAY
Wes Anderson and Noah Baumbach "Fantastic Mr. Fox"
Spike Jonze and Dave Eggers "Where the Wild Things Are"
Anthony Peckham "Invictus"

ORIGINAL SCREENPLAY
Scott Neustadter and Michael H. Weber "(500) Days of Summer"
Michael Jai White, Byron Minns and Scott Sanders "Black Dynamite"
Dave Eggers and Vendela Vila "Away We Go"

Adorableness

Some things too cute not to share:

Liz and I have discussed this picture of Joshua Jackson gleefully holding an umbrella for his lady, Diane Kruger, on several occasions. Love!

The Puppy Bowl line up includes some of the cutest freaking puppies in the history of ever!


But, none of them are as cute as my princess kitteh!!!

She's not fat...she's just big boned!

Wale Chillin

Since we have Lady Gaga fans on this blog thought I'd share this one too:

The List: Vol. 7

Once again, some things worth checking out/chatting about:

TV: Lost - So what did we think of the premiere, kiddos? Pretty freaking awesome if you ask me. As I told Liz earlier, everyone is totally gonna jump on my "I Heart Terry O'Quinn" bandwagon now, I can just see it.

TV (Part 2): Damages - I don't have any in the theater movies to recommend (it's the crappy time of year), but you know I have an endless supply of TV shows. Damages is back with a new season on FX. Glenn Close rocks my world. This show would actually be pretty easy to jump into without seeing previous season. I mean, you'd miss out on a lot of great backstory, but it's definitely doable.

DVD: Der Baader Meinhof Komplex - I recently watched this Academy Award nominated German film about the early years of the Red Army Faction. It's pretty damn good...especially if you like communism and chicks with machine guns and I think I speak for everyone when I say, "Who doesn't?!"

Music: Stars Set Yourself on Fire - So apparently, this album is 6 years old and this band has been around for 10 years, but this is the first time I've heard it/them (I mean, c'mon...they're Canadian). I'm obsessed with the first track, however. I was shocked (SHOCKED!) to learn they were not comprised of skinny English hipsters! Wonders never cease.

WWW: Unhappy Hipsters - Speaking of hipsters, this site is hilarious.

Your turn to share!

New Rap Music: B.o.B. aka Bobby Ray

So I e-mailed Liz and Red yesterday, I was checking out some new rap and just found out about this guy. He's got some pretty dope stuff out there, if you like Outkast/Andre 3000 you'll dig him for sure. Personally I think he kicks the isht out of Kanye and Lil Wayne but you be the judge. Here's a few of my favorites so far, hope you enjoy as much as I did (PS the fourth one is a bonus, awesome song from Big Boi f/ Gucci Mane from his upcoming album):

Nothin on You- (very poppy song, Live version)


I'll Be in the Sky- (this one bangs, cool message too)


Don't Break my Heart- (a cover of one of everyone's Something About Mary fav)


Shine Blockas- (Free Gucci...even though I have no clue what he's in for lol)


Alright hope you enjoyed and let me know what happens on Lost. They get off the island, right?

PS next up, Charles Hamilton and MF Doom returns...

Big Freaking Day!

Have you still not seen The Hurt Locker? Get on that! It's on DVD. YOU HAVE NO EXCUSES!!!

So the Oscar nominations are out. They're okay, I guess. Glad to see A Serious Man on the Best Picture list. Dying inside from two (TWO!) nominations for Best Song for Randy Newman. I hate that guy. Every time I see his name in the opening credits of a movie I think, "Man, this movie is gonna suck!" (which is rarely true, of course, because he's scored some really great films, but I contest he had absolutely nothing to do with their greatness) and it was true one time...when I watched Michael. (Christ Almighty, look at that movie poster! Crazy eyes Travolta and a dog with a feather in it's mouth. Good Lord, what a crapfest!)

Anyway, in even bigger news, the final season of Lost debuts tonight!!! I can't wait!!! What will happen? Will we finally understand all the mysteries of the island? Do we really even want to? What question are you most hoping to have answered? (If you say, "Where's Claire?" I will say, "Who effing cares?! She is boring without Charlie" and I will be correct...as usual.)

Finally, in horribly tragic news, I just did my taxes and I OWE money for the first time ever. This gives Red a sad face...

Of course, being reunited with John Locke in mere hours gives Red a happy face. Mmmmmm...John Locke...

The Grammy Awards: A Running Diary

Hell is for children.

I’m a huge music fan, yet I’ve never cared about the Grammys. I tried to get to bottom of this once, but couldn’t quite figure it out. The last few years though, the show has provided its share of water cooler moments, so I decided to throw qualms to the wind last night and watch, with Red and The Boyfriend as my co-pilots.

Here’s a running diary of the evening:

8:00 We begin with Lady Gaga performing against a steampunk-meets-Flashdance backdrop. She’s wearing some kind of green, heart-shaped unitard that’s been bedazzled within an inch of its life, and has pink triangles around her eyes. So far, so good.

8:04 After a few minutes of “Polker Face,” her dancers dump her into a vat of fire – like you do - and she re-emerges at a piano with, Who else? Elton John. He is wearing glasses covered in a sequence and has a giant birdcage earring. I want to baby-sit their children.

8:09 OK, that spectacle is going to be hard to top, but the Grammys are trying, because there’s Stephen Colbert! Huzzah. The Boyfriend just asked if Colbert is hosting. I wish.

8:14 Hold on a sec, Monday is February 1st isn’t it? Excuse me while I write my rent check.

8:18 Jeez, it’s taken almost 20 minutes to get the actual awards on this thing. The awards are really a secondary part of this ceremony, which makes sense, since Grammy awards are worthless.

But here we go with Song of the Year. I have no idea who is nominated for anything tonight, so this category – as with the others – will be a complete surprise. The nominees are “Polker Face,” some Maxwell song, “Single Ladies,” “Use Somebody,” and a Taylor Swift song. I like “Use Somebody,” but I’m pulling for Beyonce.

8:19 Beyonce wins! All is right with the world.

8:21 J. Lo introduces Green Day, who perform a song from 21st Century Breakdown with the cast of the Broadway production of American Idiot. I don’t care enough to think about how confusing this is.

8:25 Honestly, how is Taylor Swift “country”? I bet she doesn’t even own a set of Truck Nutz.

8:28 Aww yeah, Beyonce time! She’s got an army of dancers and … Did she just grab her crotch? God, I hope so.

8:32 Halfway through Beyonce’s performance, the stage went red and she started singing “You Oughtta Know.” Red is using every fiber of her being not to stand up and start singing along, I can tell.

8:34 Woo, good thing it’s a commercial break because I need a cigarette after that performance. And I don’t even smoke.

8:39 We’ve just been told that Leonard Cohen won the first of about 382 Lifetime Achievement Awards they’ll be handing out tonight. But he’s not there; instead Pink performs on a trapeze. Is Leonard Cohen dead?

8:44 Leonard Cohen is not dead.

8:47 Ooooh, Best New Artist, the “Kiss of Death” award! The Zac Brown Band wins. I’ve never heard of them before, and probably never will again, since they won this award.

8:54 Red, The Boyfriend and I are debating who’s sexier: Miley Cyrus or Taylor Swift. The consensus is Miley, and the creepy factor in my living room just rose by 112%.

8:55 Now the Black Eyed Peas are berating us to have fun. For a second during their performance, the sound cut out. It’s probably because Fergie said something naughty, but I like to think that somewhere in the bowels of the Staples Center, a sound tech guy decided to give Liz’s nerves a 5 second break.

9:05 Red gets all excited that a band called Lady Antebellum has a “scrim,” which is apparently theatre nerd talk for “see-through sheet thing.”

9:06 HA! The scrim fell on the chick singer’s head. More scrim please!

9:17 Record of the Year time. There is always confusion over the difference between Record of the Year and Song of the Year. I believe Record goes to the songwriter, and Song goes to the artist. The Kings of Leon win for “Use Somebody,” which doesn’t help me test my theory at all because they both wrote and recorded it. I’ll forgive them because they admitted to being drunk.

9:20 Hey, its Robert Downey Jr.! Red is yelling at me for not recognizing him right away, even though he was in the dark. See what I have to put up with?!?

9:22 Auto-tune Auto-tune Auto-tune

9:26 East Coast Bias Alert! They’re doing this thing tonight where you can vote for what song Bon Jovi will perform, but by the time they’re airing it on the West Coast, the voting is closed. Why must our voices always be stifled!!!

9:36 This “Zac Brown Band” is performing America Beautiful. Seriously: Never. Going. To hear from them. Again. Ever.

9:47 Stevie Nicks makes a surprise appearance in the middle of a Taylor Swift song. The Witch keeps fixing Taylor with a look that says, “Talk to me in 30 years when Lindsay Buckingham’s written four albums about you and your septum’s been dissolved by cocaine.” You’re all right, Stevie.

9:50 FYI, Sam Adams Winter Lager and Cool Ranch Doritos don’t go well together :(

9:52 Awww yeah, here we go: Its time for The Michael Jackson Extravaganza! This is either going to be awesome or a complete train wreck. I’m hoping for a little bit of both. 3D glasses … on!

9:53 Wait, what? Earth Song?!?!? LAAAAAME!!!! Even this would have been better than that.

9:59 Aw, poor orphan Jack-o kids. I know it hurts, but your Daddy is free now. HE’S FREE!

10:07 OK, time to see what EVERYONE EXCEPT THE WEST COAST thought Bon Jovi should sing. And the winning song is … Oh wait, first we have to hear a few new songs no one cares about.

10:14 And the winning song is … “Bed of Roses”! Just kidding. It’s “Living on a Prayer,” obvs.

10:25 Hey Wyclef. While you’re here, why don’t you tell us about Haiti?

10:33 Oh Christ, we just realized this beast goes until 11:30!! Mother of God. Red’s going home. I wish I could, but I’m already there!!!

10:47 Beyonce wins “Best Diva.” Or something. Stop acting surprised, B.

10:55 Seriously, does anyone listen to Maxwell? I never hear him on the radio or anything. Someone explain Maxwell to me, please.

11:03 Oh look its Jeff Bridges. You know I’m really glad to see … OH MY GOD WHAT IS LADY GAGA WEARING?!? They just showed her in the audience, and she’s costume changed into what appears to be an artistic interpretation of an iceberg. She is not the new Madonna. She is the new Cher.

11:12 Quentin Tarantino is taking the Elvis approach to aging, isn’t he?

11:15 They’re having a coming out party of sorts for Drake, the DeGrassi star turned rapper. He shouldn’t have come out after Lil’ Wayne and Eminem, though. It was probably designed to be a torch-passing thing, but they’re just cold schooling him.

11:25 OK, final award of the night. Thank Christ. The nominees for Album of the Year are Beyonce, Black Eyed Peas, Lady Gaga, Dave Matthews Band and Swifty. Yawns all around. And the Grammy goes to …

11:26 … Taylor Swift. Yeah, whatever. I’ve spent the past three and a half hours being reminded of why I don’t watch this thing.

As a reward for those of you who read this long, here’s a dose of what last night’s show desperately needed. Cheers!

It never get's old.

Last Minute Oscar Nom Predix

I decided not to do the same long series of blogs predicting Oscar nominations this year because frankly 2009 was a pretty boring and terrible year for film. It's such a shame that the year they reinstate nominating ten films for Best Picture like they once did in the 30's and early 40's is during a year when I don't think there were even ten films worthy of a nomination. Putting my own top ten list together I came up with only eight titles (Fantastic Mr. Fox, Where the Wild Things Are, Inglourious Basterds, Star Trek, The Hurt Locker, Black Dynamite, Up, 500 Days of Summer) accompanied by two fillers of movies that I enjoyed more as a moviegoing experience than would actually praise as great cinema (Fanboys, Paranormal Activity). At any rate, the following lists are what I expect to be announced tomorrow morning in the major categories. If you're curious what I'm predicting in any of the other categories you can click on the name Garney in the approved time wasters column and check my post there.

BEST PICTURE
An Education
Avatar
District 9
The Hurt Locker
Inglourious Basterds
Invictus
Nine
Precious
Star Trek
Up in the Air

BEST DIRECTOR
Kathryn Bigelow "The Hurt Locker"
James Cameron "Avatar"
Lee Daniels "Precious"
Jason Reitman "Up in the Air"
Quentin Tarantino "Inglourious Basterds"

BEST ACTOR
Jeff Bridges "Crazy Heart"
George Clooney "Up in the Air"
Colin Firth "A Single Man"
Morgan Freeman "Invictus"
Jeremy Renner "The Hurt Locker"

BEST ACTRESS
Emily Blunt "The Young Victoria"
Sandra Bullock "The Blind Side"
Carey Mulligan "An Education"
Gabourey Sidibe "Precious"
Meryl Streep "Julie & Julia"

BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR
Matt Damon "Invictus"
Woody Harrelson "The Messenger"
Christopher Plummer "The Last Station"
Stanley Tucci "The Lovely Bones"
Christoph Waltz "Inglourious Basterds"

BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS
Vera Farmiga "Up in the Air"
Maggie Gyllenhaal "Crazy Heart"
Anna Kendrick "Up in the Air"
Mo'Nique "Precious"
Julianne Moore "A Single Man"

BEST ADAPTED SCREENPLAY
Neill Blomkamp and Terri Taychell "District 9"
Nora Ephron "Julie & Julia"
Geoffrey Fletcher "Precious"
Nick Hornsby "An Education"
Jason Reitman and Sheldon Turner "Up in the Air"

BEST ORIGINAL SCREENPLAY
Mark Boal "The Hurt Locker"
Coen Brothers "A Serious Man"
Jon Lucas and Scott Moore "The Hangover"
Jon Neustadter and Michael H. Weber "(500) Days of Summer"
Quentin Tarantino "Inglourious Basterds"

BEST ANIMATED FEATURE
A Christmas Carol
Coraline
Fantastic Mr. Fox
The Princess and the Frog
Up