has escaped the opening weekend of March Madness with her bracket intact, whew! Oh, and Go Heels!

has been infected by the ookie monster and feels like hell

hopes ETSU can pull off a win against Pitt. Go Bucs!

says now after complaining about basketball preventing sleep, now she can't sleep.

says the one thing she dreads on the opening weekend of March Madness is the lack of sleep. But it's well worth it!

says only things she dreads with March Madness is it makes for a lack of sleep the first weekend

says Oglesby ejected? WTF???

says come on, Nova! Don't want to bust the bracket on the first night!

is psyched for the Clemson/Michigan game. Bring it!

is not happy the UNC/Radford game is not being shown here. Watching on the computer is not working out so well.

says Clemson vs. Michigan in The Dance? Bring it on!

is counting the hours til Bracketology, Baby!

says the doctor gave me medicine for my knee, and all I've got to say is mamma said knock you out!

is not looking forward to seeing the doctor, especially at such an early hour

is not looking forward to seeing the doctor tomorrow

is thrilled ETSU has made the Big Dance. Now if Carolina can only get that #1 seed and Clemson can get a #2 seed...

announces this is it

says This is It

says how does Dexter celebrate Cat Day? By finding and almost fileting a mouse in my kitchen at 1am.

is not sure the stomach bug she had over the weekend was from a virus or from Rush Limbaugh...

is not sure the stomach but she had over the weekend was from a virus or from Rush Limbaugh...

is now enduring a stomach bug in addition to grading. Joy.

is enduring the Seventh Circle of Hell and counting the pages to freedom

is celebrating Fat Tuesday. Happy Mardi Gras and laissez les bon temps roulez!

is looking for the 3+ hours she lost of her life watching the Oscars. Pleased w/ all wins save for anything involving Slumdog.

thinks she just saw Hugh Jackman's photo on a milk carton.

is wondering if she is watching the Tonys or the Oscars...

says watching this Oscar show is like swimming through molasses.

wishes everyone Happy Oscar! Updates to come throughout the evening.

is wondering where the music is coming from

Slouching Toward Oscar Sunday--The MS Maven Oscar Predix Extravaganza!!!

Hi Folks!

It's that time of year when the mornings are cold, the days are getting longer, and the Maven makes her annual predictions for her High Holy Day.

But first, I will make one prediction perfectly clear. I believe this year's Oscar show will go down as one of the worst in history. Now, you may ask why I say this when the show is still about 24 hours away. Two names: Lawrence Mark and Bill Condon. They couldn't make Dreamgirls into a palatable film (and the wonderful Jennifer Hudson was the film's only saving grace--and they were damned lucky she graced the film w/ her presence), so how are they going to produce a decent show? Configuring the awards into a narrative throughout the evening? More song and dance numbers to pick up the spirits of a downward nation? Queen Latifah singing for the "In Memorium" segment? Have they lost their fucking minds? I'm just glad I've got a fully stocked bar to get through the evening.

Hugh Jackman is one hot dude (not as hot as George Clooney Baby, but stil), but don't know that he can save this one. It's been said there will not be a lot of political/topical jokes. Look, Bill Condon is not Gower Champion, so why the emphasis on the shuck-and-jive routines? They claim the country needs to have a positive show. Here's a suggestion: focus on the movies rather than dance numbers. The country is already near suicide en masse, so don't make us pull the trigger.

Enough of that. Here's the predictions:

Picture--Slumdog Millionaire
upset--Milk

However, never underestimate a Miramax Jew. Weinstein and The Reader could pull it off, plus it would be a tribute to the late great Anthony Minghella and Sydney Pollack. But don't be surprised w/ an upset in the category, despite what the pundits indicate. I think Milk is the best film of the lot and has a shot, as does Button, over the horrifically overrated Slumdog. Slumdog is a film that has become popular because it exhibits real poverty in the first half and turns into an unrealistic film in the latter half. Happy endings in dark times, they say (whomever "they" are). Sorry the film is a perverse carnival ride that trivializes the plight of a lot of Indian citizens. Don't mean to be cynical for, as I said, I did enjoy it. But Oscar worthy? It's like that line from George W. Bush at a press conference in France years ago when an American reporter tried to ask a question in French. W's reply? "Listen to this. He says a few words in French and he thinks he's an intercontenental." Need I say more?

Director--Danny Boyle
upset--David Fincher

Actor--Mickey Rourke
upset--Sean Penn

This is a really hard one. These performances are two of the best I've seen since Duvall in the Apostle, and you all know how I feel about him. Both in the roles of their career. Won't be upset if either wins and either win will be a highly emotional moment for me.

Actress--Kate Winslet
upset--Meryl Streep

Save for Iris, this is the role of Winslet's career, not the terrible Revolutionary Road; folks are blinded by the Roger Deakins light (and why the hell is he not nominated for this?) for this one, for it's a beautiful package w/ nothing inside. Whatever you feel about The Reader, and though it's uneven I do like it, she is incredible in it. That said, why the hell isn't Sally Hawkins here? But I digress. I am really surprised that folks are considering Streep. She's fine (as is Viola Davis) in a very weak film. I think it's because she won the SAG but folks don't consider she may have won because she had never won a SAG before, plus the mixed-up confusion w/ what to do w/ Kate (and, sorry, she should have been in Actress over Supporting all along for The Reader).

Supporting Actor--Heath Ledger
upset--Robert Downey, Jr.

Heath's dead, he'll win. That's it. He truly deserves to win for his original, haunting performance. But I would vote for Michael Shannon, easily the best thing about ROAD. 15 minutes and blows everyone out of the water. Would love to see Downey take it, but Ledger make be taking one for the Dark Knight team for not being up for Picture or Director by winning.

Supporting Actress--Penelope Cruz
upset--Viola Davis

I said forever that Cruz is a lock. But I don't think anyone saw the movie. Woody didn't get a screenplay nod for one of his best films, so that says a lot. But don't count her out. Davis is every bit as good, and this is the toughest category of the night, what w/ Winslet out of the category. But don't be surprised if Taraji P. Henson wins; she should have been up for Hustle and Flow and this may bode well for her. And wouldn't it be funny as hell if, as in 1991, the actresses split the votes once again and Marisa Tomei won? Love Davis and love Cruz, but I've flip-flopped worse than John Kerry on the Chesapeake Bay on this one, but I'm gonna stay w/ my original gut on this one and go w/ Cruz. Ask me in an hour and could change, but seriously, I'm staying w/ Cruz.

Original Screenplay--Milk
upset--Wall-E

Adapted Screenplay--Slumdog Millionaire
upset--The Reader

Foreign-Language Film--The Class
upset--Waltz With Bashir

Original Score--Slumdog Millionaire
upset--Wall-E

Song--"Down to Earth"
upset--"Jai Ho"

Animated Feature--Wall-E
upset--No upset, no questions asked.

Cinematography--Slumdog Millionaire
upset--The Dark Knight

Editing--Slumdog Millionaire
upset--The Dark Knight

Art Direction--Benjamin Button
upset--Revolutionary Road

Costume Design--The Dutchess
upset--Benjamin Button

Sound Mixing--The Dark Knight
upset--Wall-E

Sound Effects Editing--The Dark Knight
upset--Wall-E

Visual Effects--The Dark Knight
upset--Benjamin Button

Makeup--Benjamin Button
upset--Hellboy II

Documentary Feature--Man on Wire
upset--Trouble the Water

Documentary Short--The Witness
upset--Conscience of Nhem Em

Live Action Short--On the Line
upset--The Pig

Animated Short--Presto
upset--La Maison en Petits Cubes

WINS

Slumdog Millionaire 7
Milk 2
Doubt 1
The Dark Knight 4
Benjamin Button 4
The Reader 1
Frost/Nixon 0
Wall-E 2

Running Time: 3 hours 26 minutes

That's it. I hope I'm wrong in a few categories. Feel free to call/text during the show: 423-943-9566. Feel free to message/send your predictions. I'll be ranting and raving and avoiding grading. I usually predict one major surprise but this may actually be a year in which there is more than one, so I'm begging off. I just hope the show is not as bad as I anticipate it will be.

Enough said. Happy Oscar!

is pondering the Oscar predicament for her predix

is reading the Sunday papers and fighting a massive headache.

says the Devils didn't do it and are definitely blue today. Carolina forever, baaaaabbbyyy!!! (with apologies to Dickie V, of course)

says the Devils didn't do it and are definitely blue today. Carolina forever, baaaabbbyyyy!!!

awaits tip-off of the UNC/Duke game tonight. Go Tarheels!

is looking for her stimulus package

is having the time of her life reading minutely-detailed descriptions of women's murders, thanks to the late, great Roberto Bolano

didn't know that Super Bowl Sunday was also known as Flag Day.

is tailgating and reading the Sunday papers--but not in that order--awaiting kickoff.

is getting over the ookieness of a stomach bug, albeit very short lived.

is having a jam session at the Maven Mansion

is mourning the loss of Author John Updike

has just watch The Wrestler. Mickey Rourke has the Oscar.

says her Oscar noms post-mortem: Thrilled for Jenkins, Leo, and Shannon, Winslet for Reader not Road. But no Sally Hawkins or Springsteen? WTF???

wishes everyone Happy Oscar Nomination Day!

Oscar Nomination Predix

Folks,

Here's my list of what may happen tomorrow morning come 8:37 Eastern Time:



Best Actor
Sean Penn
Mickey Rourke
Frank Langella
Clint Eastwood
Brad Pitt
--
Leonardo DiCaprio
Richard Jenkins
Josh Brolin


Best Actress
Kate Winslet
Anne Hathaway
Meryl Streep
Sally Hawkins
Cate Blanchett
---
Melissa Leo
Angelina Jolie
Michelle Williams


Best Supporting Actor
Heath Ledger
Dev Patel
Josh Brolin
Robert Downey, Jr.
Michael Shannon
---
Philip Seymour Hoffman
James Franco
Tom Cruise

Best Supporting Actress
Penelope Cruz
Kate Winslet
Viola Davis
Marisa Tomei
Taraji P. Henson
---
Amy Adams
Debra Winger
Rosemary DeWitt


Best Picture
Milk
Slumdog Millionaire
Curious Case/Benjamin Button
Frost/Nixon
The Dark Knight
---
Wall-E
The Wrestler
Doubt

Best Director
Danny Boyle
David Fincher
Ron Howard
Christopher Nolan
Darren Aronofsky
---
Gus Van Sant
Clint Eastwood
Sam Mendes

Best Original Screenplay
Vicky Cristina Barcelona
Happy-Go-Lucky
The Wrestler
Rachel Getting Married
Wall-E ---
Milk
The Visitor
Burn After Reading

Best Adapted Screenplay
Curious Case / Button
Slumdog Millionaire
Frost/Nixon
The Reader
Doubt
---
The Dark Knight
Revolutionary Road
The Duchess


Nominations

Benjamin Button 10
Slumdog Millionaire 6
Milk 7
Frost/Nixon 5
Wall-E 4
The Dark Knight 8
Vicky Cristina Barcelona 2
Happy-Go-Lucky 2
The Wrestler 5
Gran Torino 1

is horrifically upset she cannot find her beret

is euphoric for the events of the day but concerned for Ted Kennedy and Robert Byrd

wishes everyone Happy Inauguration Day!

is doing the mole thing and basking in the Obamathon glow.

has had a rather adventurous day traversing the terrain.

Goodbye, Bushie...

After having listened to W's news conference earlier this week and most of his farewell address (which should have been deemed "Not gone soon enough"), I am amazed that he has still not taken responsibility for all of his faux pas. Sorry, he did admit that "Mission Accomplished" was a mistake. Well, took him about six years to do this. Well, failure is his modus opporandi, after all.

Most upsetting to me is the fact that he still sees no wrongdoing in his actions toward the citizens of New Orleans after Hurricane Katrina struck. W claims he got aid to the area immediately afterward. He is a liar all the way around, and we all know where liars go. In fact, I hope there is a special place for him. I don't wish death on anyone, but I hope he has a long, slow painful death as just desserts for the way he treated the people at the Convention Center ("those people"), in the city, and along the Gulf Coast. To have the balls to stand in Jackson Square and tell them that the government is there to help in any way possible to rebuild? Bitch, please... Now, if he just said, "Hey, I fucked up, and I admit I should have done more," I might respect that a bit more. How can one have hindsight if you have led through tunnel vision?

I'll stop here because I am passionate about the city of New Orleans--its people, its culture, its music--and its revitalization and if I continue to go on about W and his lack of leadership, concerning this matter, the War, the economy, I won't stop typing for the next hour.

I will add one more observation. W claims he took office during a recession. As I recall, the .com bubble burst, but it was not a recession. Must have been one of his classes at Yale in which he earned a "C." Bastard.

is just a tad bit nippy this evening, for it's Nipsey Russell outside.

Golden Globes and Carolina

Just finished watching the Golden Globes, that wonderful lovefest/drunkfest of "love" and "art." It left me with a few burning questions:

1) Since Kate Winslet won both Actress (Revolutionary Road) and Supporting Actress (The Reader), for which performance will she win the Oscar?

2) So will Mickey Rourk take the Oscar from Sean Penn?

3) Will Slumdog Millionaire feel the Oscar love and sweep there as well?

4) Was Tracy Morgan drunk? (Well, it tis the Globes, after all).

5) Will Sally Hawkins (Happy-Go-Lucky) take Melissa Leo's spot when
Oscar noms come out? (I think so).

6) Will Brangelina get hosed nominationwise?

I will write a full analysis and answer these questions over the next couple of days, once I ponder and consider them.

As far as Carolina is concerned, they played like Clemson--used to, anyway. In the cellar of the ACC? Really? Counting the days for the ACC tournament for when UNC will make things right, or when Duke loses a couple more, which will happen, by the by. Et tu, Bunny?

The Lull

Januarys suck, especially if you are at university. It's that odd time when one is recovering from the holidays (mine is still going on w/ a couple of folks), the weather is iffy, the sun doesn't exist, and all one can do is either read or drink. Now, if you are a professor like yours truly, it is also that odd nadir in which you really don't want to go back to teaching but you also cannot wait to get in the classroom again and warp young minds. It's an exhausting job but somebody's gotta do it.

The syllabus will be finished and ready for classes over the weekend but the lull is deadly. Anxious and curious about the vibe of my classes this time. Once I'm in that first class on that first day, though, I hit the ground running and I'm fine.

Now, mind you, I am still plowing very delightfully through Roberto Bolano's 2666, and one would think I would spend every waking hour trying to finish this puppy by my self prescribed deadline of January 15th. Ain't happenin'. I will discuss the particulars of this massive tome later, but suffice it to say I bought the three volume paperback edition, for it seems less intimidating, and I am about through Book One/Part 3. Thus far, it is one of the best books I've ever read, and I am devouring it very slowly. (Funny, you give me the uber academic article and I can fly through it, but give me fiction or poetry and I read at a snail's pace. Go figure). Language, baby, language!

Greetings from Hell

Hi, folks. The Maven has entered the 21st Century and is inviting you to listen to my rants and musings about everything from academics and politics to jazz and film and all the elements jammin' in the margins. Oscar season is about the get under way, as well as Obama's inauguration, so you will see several posts regarding these important events.

Feel free to comment, vent, rant, question, and speculate, but just be true to yourself and give an honest opinion. As Barbara Jean says in the Robert Altman movie Nashville, "As Granddaddy always said, if you are ever down by the river, I hope you'll drop in."