Imminant Shipment of Goods
I just wanted to let everyone know that my mother is coming to visit me next weekend (Feb 5-6), and that anyone wishing to send a care-package along with her is strongly encouraged to do so, and should contact her within the next few days to make arrangements. Among the items that are in short supply and, consequently, most welcome are:
1. sponge candy (and other Valentine's Day gifts/chocolates)
2. love letters/pictures
3. music (burned cds are just fine)
4. homecooked food and/or baked good, including but not restricted to, pizza, white trash, hello dollies, and sauce
This list is provided merely to give suggestions and to spark the benevolently-inclined imagination. The semester is about to get ugly - REAL ugly. And for those of you who haven't heard the tragic story of my scheduling CATASTROPHE, feel free to contact me or my mother/father to hear the sad tale; it will not fail to arouse your pity, and inspire you to send along various items, consumable or otherwise. I appreciate your support - it gets me through.
- posted by Nicole @ 11:00 PM

 
Happy Australia Day!
Due to meetings running late and excessive seminar reading assignments, Australia Day festivities have been postponed until tomorrow night. Activities include the consumption - in mass quantities - of Foster's ("Australian for Beer") and Shiraz (southeastern Australian wine) and the celebration of much beloved Aussies, including Russel Crowe, Hugh Jackman, Nicole Kidman, Heath Ledger, and Baz Lurhman. Musical entertainmant provided by Australian artists Savage Garden, in addition to the song "Land Down Under" by Men at Work. Here's to Oz!
- posted by Nicole @ 11:33 PM

 
Garden State
Honestly, one of the best movies I have ever seen. And I've seen a lot of movies. Like, life-changing. WOW!
- posted by Nicole @ 1:45 PM

 
Golden Globes Postmortem
I am appalled.
- posted by Nicole @ 11:56 AM

 
My Picks for the 2005 Golden Globes (Tonight)
Here are my picks. They are NOT what I think will win (as often, what I think SHOULD win and what I think WILL win are completely different). Voila:

Best Picture Drama:
Closer
(NB: I have not yet seen Hotel Rwanda, but I think if I had, that would get my pick instead of Closer . . .and if the Aviator wins, I'll commit suicide or never see another movie every again.)

Best Picture Comedy/Musical
Don't care, haven't see any of them, and most look bad

Best Actor Drama
Johnny Depp for Finding Neverland (and not just cuz I think he's hot), though I think Don Cheadle (Hotel Rwanda) would be very good too.

Best Actor - Comedy/Musical
I guess Kevin Kline for De-Lovely

Best Actress Drama
Don't care, but it's always nice to see Nicole Kidman win

Best Actress Comedy/Musical
I guess Ashley Judd for De-Lovely

Best Actor Supporting
Clive Owen for Closer

Best Actress Supporting
DEFINITLY Natalie Portman for Closer, though Cate Blanchett was very good in the Aviator, and I like Laura Linney a lot.

Best Director
Mike Nichols for Closer
(If Martin Scorsese wins, I'll puke. Really.)

Best Screenplay
Closer (I know, I'm so boring)

Best Score
Bad bad bad . . . ummm, I guess the score for Finding Neverland, though I don't really remember it, and so it probably didn't stand out to me.

Original Song
Haven't really heard any of them, but I'll go for "Million Voices" from Hotel Rwanda)

Foreign Film
Saw A Very Long Engagment (France) last night and didn't love it. And while I haven't seen House of Flying Daggers (China) yet, it looks awesome, and I've seen other films with the same leading actress and same cinematographer and I like their stuff.

So there it is. Unfortunately, I'm going to miss the first hour because I have a screening for my World Cinema class. What self-respecting film prof schedules a screening during the Golden Globes?!?!

- posted by Nicole @ 2:56 PM

 
Glee Club Tour
Our concert tour to the Southwest was awesome! We had such an amazing time! (Gosh, these music concert tour things rule!) We started off in Phoenix, AZ, and then drove to Flagstaff and the Grand Canyon (where we ran into the most ferocious bizzard I've ever seen, even in Buffalo! I was like, damn! I didn't need to leave Buffalo for this kind of snow!) We almost got stuck, but it worked out ok. Then we drove to LA. My host family for LA were these ridiculously rich people in Pasadena who lived in a mansion on a hill - no, I'm serious. Marble vestibule, authentic 18th century art, salon (not just a living room), brick oven in their kitchen (you know there are brick oven pizza restaurants? well, they have one in their kitchen). The four of us staying there lived in the "guest apartment" on the third floor, and we each had our own beds. It was just incredible. We went to Hollywood (yea!) and then to Santa Monica, where we stayed right on the pier. Then on to San Diego, and we got to go to the San Diego Zoo (and see the PANDAS!). It was an awesome time! There are so many awesome people in the GLee Club, and I got to be close friends with so many of them - it's really a fabulous group of people. And SO talented too. We got back kinda late on the night before classes start (which my neurotic self wasn't too thrilled about), and there was kind of that void that settles in after an experience like that - kind of like after the AMA tours - but the best part is, we're still together, and have concerts and rehearsals all semester, and then at the end we go on tour AGAIN to Australia and New Zealand! I may go as far to say that Glee Club is the best thing that's happened to me at Yale.

So, one of my friends on the trip put his pics online, take a look. His pictures turned out really great: Will's pics.
- posted by Nicole @ 1:34 PM

 
Posting from LA
Hello from sunny (well, ok , so the weather has actually not been that great) Southern California. This Glee Club concert tour has been totally awesome! YGC has been one of the all time best additions to my life!

In other news . . .

Drumroll please . . . . . . . . . . . TA DA:
4.0

Go me.
- posted by Nicole @ 2:08 AM