Photos of the Week: January 21-27

21. Inauguration Day
22. Union Station flag
23. Come on Red!
24. Morning snowfall
25. More snow!
26.More free throws
27. Le Cirque Des Oeufs

2013 Screen Actors Guild Awards Predictions

Throwing this together in a pinch. I'll come back to edit it and make it look pretty. But here are my picks off the top of my head. I don't really consider this a major award show, so I went with more "I wish you'd win" picks. We'll see what happens.

Update: 8 for 15. I'm upset that I didn't pick Tina Fey to win, but I am consoled that she also thought Amy Poehler would win. (Is it wrong to want Amy to finally win?) Some of my misses I had been back and forth between two nominees and obviously chose wrong. Should have gone with Tommy Lee Jones after that thrilling performance as grumpy old man at the Golden Globes. Anyway, still came out ahead in the count and I still think the SAG awards are pointless. So yeah.

Outstanding Performance By A Male Actor In A Supporting Role

Alan Arkin, Argo
Javier Bardem, Skyfall
Rober De Niro, Silver Linings Playbook
Philip Seymour Hoffman, The Master
Tommy Lee Jones, Lincoln

Watching: Luther Series 2

Back of the box description

Idris Elba won a Golden Globe for Best Actor in a Miniseries for his riveting performance in this heart-pounding psychological drama. Elba stars as John Luther, the near-genius detective struggling with his own demons. Devastated by the brutal murder of his wife, Luther returns to policing in a different world. His old unit has gone and he's working in the newly created Serious and Serial unit, headed by former police complaints officer Martin Schenk. Luther quickly gathers together his team, rescuing his old partner, Detective Justin Ripley, from uniform. It's not long before they're dealing with their first case. A masked man wanders the streets of London, carrying out ritualistic murders in historic locations, working his way up to one final masterpiece... Crackling with energy and beautifully shot, this new mini-series sees Luther take bigger risks and face even darker challenges.

My words

The day after I finished series 1, I immediately bought the second series (which was also $4.99 on Amazon Instant Video) and started watching it. What is most disappointing is that it is only 4 episodes. We don't see nearly enough of Alice or Mark. However, there are a couple of new characters added to the equation this time around: DS Erin Gray and Jenny Jones (who I instantly recognized as "Sketch" from Skins). I thought DS Gray, who is all about following the rules to advance her career, was a good foil to Luther and Ripley. And since Zoe's death last season, Jenny fills the void in Luther's life as someone needing his protection. At first, she was difficult to care for because she had that tough-exterior and resisted Luther's attempts to help her. What really sold me with her character was when Luther and Jenny were going about their morning routine as if they had been father-daughter for ages.

Compared to last season with its individual episodic murder mysteries, the criminal storylines for this series were divided into two-episodes-long arcs. I felt like the stakes were higher this year because time was given to develop the murders and then to solve them.

I loved that both series have ended with the phrase "now what?" (S1 by Alice; S2 by Jenny). And now I must ask myself the same question. What do I do now that I have caught up on all of Luther? The 3rd series is currently in production and will be release later in 2013. But now what?

Listening: Ellie Goulding Concert

Last night I went to the Ellie Goulding concert along with my faithful concert buddy. I had seen her once in concert before back in October 2011. That was long before she really broke out in the US. I managed to get front row placement that time which I had never had before. Anyway, now she's selling out venues and the crowd sings all her songs. And it was fantastic.

This time we didn't have such luck with placement. Middle of the crowd and behind a couple of tall people. Seriously, what are they putting in the water to make 15 year olds like 5'8" or taller? As someone who is 5'3" on a good day, I think it is just unfair. But I digress.

I knew I was going to love this concert and I did. I'm still getting used to her new album, which was released in October. At times, I couldn't quite figure out which song was playing until the chorus. But all of that didn't stop me from singing along with the rest of the audience. I was supremely shocked at how many people actually knew the lyrics. Many times during the night Ellie would point the mic to the audience and let us take over. That always gives me chills. I can't imagine writing a song and then finding myself on a stage and having a couple hundred people sing it back to me.

Ellie was entertaining. She kept pacing back and forth on the stage, telling us how she nevers says so much during a concert. But because of this closeness between audience and performer, she started telling us about dying her hair and her brother's metal band names and completely ordinary stories. It was a little bit awkward but sweet and entertaining, like I said before.

And her opening act, St. Lucia, is now a band I will definitely check out. I had heard the name before but I wasn't sure of what songs they did. I was completely surprised by the 80's sound they had with their guitars and synthesizers.

Photos of the Week: January 14 - 20

14. Early office view
15. Union Station corridor
16. Hands up
17. Painted stage
18. End of the workday
19. In the Basket
20. Ellie Goulding in Concert

Watching: Luther Series 1

Back of the box description

Golden Globe Winner Idris Elba stars as Detective John Luther in this thrilling new crime series from BBC America. A self-destructive near-genius, Luther might just be as dangerous as the depraved criminals he hunts. Luther follows his own moral code as much as the rules of criminal law. But he quickly becomes locked in a lethal battle of wits with Alice, a beautiful, highly intelligent mass murderer, and his decision-making process becomes increasingly murky. The strain begins to tell as he’s drawn deeper and deeper into a series of horrific murders, and the shadow of a former case threatens to bring him down. Forced to face his own capacity for violence, he struggles with why his wife left him and what draws him to Alice. As the stakes get higher and more personal, Luther’s lonely path pulls him towards the very edge of temptation. Is he a force for good or a man hell bent on self-destruction?

My Words

So I had been entertaining the idea of watching Luther upon the recommendation of my similarly tv-obsessed cousin. And then the right moment came along: it was $4.99 on Amazon Instant video. Can't complain when you can watch six quality episodes for less thank 5 bucks. What really hooked me on this series was the interrogation scene in the pilot episode. It was like watching an epic chess match between Luther and Alice.

And this series has some of the most interesting and beautiful shots I have ever seen on television. The use of negative space in some scenes is beyond comparison to any other show. But I'd place Luther as second artsiest show I watch (Breaking Bad being number 1).

The cases are not the most unique in terms of criminal procedural shows. But why reinvent the wheel? The difference here is how Luther and the rest of the unit react to the crimes and how they try to prevent it from reoccuring. It is not really a whodunit because we see the murder usually happen in the first few minutes.

Advice: Don't start episode 5 before you go to bed. Not that it is much scarier or grizzlier than the previous episodes. Once you finish episode five you'll want to start the finale immediately. So you'll have to explain to your boss why you're so tired the next day.

I highly recommend this show because it is pretty and Idris Elba is fantastic in everything he does and the first season is only 6 episodes. Why not spend $5 on good television?

Photos of the Week: January 7-13

7. Reflections on the Metro
8. LasAgna
9. Belated Orthodox Christmas
10. Blue trees during rush hour
11. Red bear at Phillips Collection
12. Late night tv
13. Discovery building

2013 Golden Globe Predictions

As much as I love the Golden Globes for sticking tv and movie actors and actresses in one room for a night of drunken camraderie, I do no like making my ballot picks for this award show. It is so difficult to predict what the Hollywood Foreign Press Association will deem award-worthy. I mean, they thought that Glee was a comedy and deserving of nominations. This year's out-there picks include Smash, the show everyone hate-watched, for best tv comedy or musical. I guess they were trying to fill the musical part of the category?

The more tv I watch, the more conflicted I become with baots. It is like picking a favorite child. Sure, everyone has a favorite but they don't like making that choice. You want all of your kids to do well in these award shows. But that just can't happen. And god forbid you pick another show that you hate above one of your own. That is the ultimate betrayal. So it's a fine line between picking who is most likely to win and who you want to win out of the bottom of your heart. Anyway, here it goes.

Update: 16 out of 25. Led the pack of my friends, which I'm psyched about because I love being right. Overall, I'm satisified with all the wins. I should have gone with my gut with Damian Lewis. I guess all the Breaking Bad I've been catching up on swayed me. Live and learn.

Best Motion Picture, Drama

Argo
Django Unchained
Life of Pi
Lincoln
Zero Dark Thirty

Reading: Looking for Alaska by John Green

Over the weekend I finally finished reading Looking for Alaska by John Green. It wasn't a particularly large book. Just your standard 200+ page young adult book, but it had a topic that was difficult for me to read. While reading I reached a point where I had to just put the book down and say "Pause. Can't read this right now".  Not to spoil much, but that topic is mortality and death in general. I think you really have to be in the mood to read about that type of book because it can be a downer. Plus, when I got to that point I was on a plane and I was not ready to cry in front of strangers 30,000 feet in the air.

Anyway, I picked up the book again because I felt ready to tackle it and I wanted to be done with the book. There is nothing worse than that nagging feeling that you left something unfinished. So I finally picked that book up and read the final 80 or so pages. And it wasn't as terrible as I thought it would be.

Yes, I cried again in the last few pages. But I wasn't a bawling mess through the entire reading. What I really took away from the book was Takumi's line about having a monopoly on liking someone. I think it was an important lesson to learn especially when it comes to serious topics like grief and loss.

I think the months long break I took from reading Looking for Alaska split the book into two parts in my mind, much like how it is actually split in the book. There is the "before" with boarding school hi-jinks and then there is the "after" which has a different tone to it. Anyway, I did enjoy the book. Maybe some time in the future I'll sit down and read the whole book in one "sitting" and not drop the book because of feelings. Still not ready for The Fault in Our Stars though. That is like the boss level of John Green books.

2013 Critics' Choice Awards Predictions

So with the Oscar nominations released this morning and the Golden Globes on Sunday, I just realized that the Critics' Choice Awards are tonight. Yes, this is one of the more pointless award shows (People's Choice and Teen Choice Awards are bottom of the barrel). But I need to practice my ballot skills in anticipation of the bigger award shows. So I've put together my list of picks from my gut feelings, but mostly random guesses.

Update: I scored 12 out of 28, which is disappointing. I did very poorly in the non-acting awards like screenplays and editing. I thought Lincoln would win more since it was the most nominated. Though I'm not disappointed that Silver Linings Playbook won 4 out of its 10 categories. For comparison, Lincoln won 3 times out of its 13 nominations.

BEST PICTURE

Argo
Beasts of the Southern Wild
Django Unchained
Les Miserables
Life of Pi
Lincoln
The Master
Moonrise Kingdom
Silver Linings Playbook
Zero Dark Thirty

10 Things I'm Looking Forward to in 2013

1. TV shows return! (January)
   It seems like shows are returning sooner than ever in 2013. Midseason premieres include Bomb Girls (Jan. 2), Downton Abbey (Jan. 6), The Good Wife (Jan. 6), Once Upon a Time (Jan. 6), Happy Endings (Jan. 6/8), Pretty Little Liars (Jan. 8). And that's within the first week of 2013. Besides shows I already watch I am looking forward to the new show on FX called The Americans, which is about Russian spies posing as Americans during the Cold-War. Hopefully that will  tide me over until Homeland returns in the fall. 
2. Golden Globes (January 13)
   Tina Fey and Amy Poehler hosting the drunkest award show ever. Need I say more?
3. 30 Rock series finale (January 31)
   What the what? This is a bittersweet goodbye to a show that has become an all-time favorite/life coach to me. What would Liz Lemon do? The answer is curl up in a snuggie (it's for a joke) and work on her night cheese while watching the finale. And I plan on doing that too. 
4. Community's return (February 7)
   It will finally be October 19th on February 7th and I am eager to see how the show will come back with a new showrunner and writers. Plus it will be nice to know that Thursdays at 8pm are still a safe TV spot as I will probably still be mourning the end of 30 Rock. 
5. Game of Thrones (March 31)
   A Storm of Swords was my favorite book from A Song of Ice and Fire so I'm really excited about the new season this spring. Also the 5th book A Dance with Dragons will be released in paperback so I'll finally get around to reading that (though I've been told not to get expectations ups). 
6. Arrested Development season 4 (TBD)
   After years of petitions and quoting the entire series, Arrested Development is finally maybe probably coming back. At least that's what they say, but it is easy to be skeptical after 7 years of "maybe a movie?"
7. Monsters University (June 21)
   This is a no-brainer. There's no shame in looking forward to a Pixar film. 
8. Catching up and watching the final 8 episodes of Breaking Bad (July 14)
   Already a few episodes in the 4th season. It will be an interesting experience to watch the show live and have to wait a week between episodes. I can't wait to see what artsy shots they have of the New Mexican desert. 
9. Catching Fire (November 22)
   As excited as I am for Catching Fire, I find myself looking forward even more to the press tour. It was during the last cycle of late-night shows and red-carpet interviews that I (and the rest of the world) fell in love with the quirkball Jennifer Lawrence. How will she outcrazy herself this time?
10. Getting a kitten (TBD)
    I've already named it (Lemon). Figured 24 was a good age for owning a living thing. 

Inspired by : AVClub's list of 63

Photos of the Week: January 1 - 6

1. Celebrating the New Year!

2. Waiting for a train

3. View from a Boston hotel room

4. Old State House

5. White Lights

6. Bright Lights

Traveling: Boston

If the beginning of the year is any indication, it seems like 2013 will be a big travel year for me. I got to fly to Boston on the 3rd for a conference. It was pretty frigid up north, but all those years living upstate taught me how to handle the cold. I didn't have much time outside of the conference so I stuck around the hotel. I took a lot of photos of the same building from my hotel room as evidenced in the photo above.

Then there were some random shots from my walks around Boston such as Christmas street decorations, the labyrinth that is Boston roadway system, the Old State House, and of course a giant Dunkin' Donuts sign. A DD on each street corner was a nice welcoming sign of being in the Northeast. I made sure to have a donut before leaving.

By the time I got oriented with the streets, I had to go home. Such a whirlwind trip. Maybe I'll get to go back sometime when it isn't below freezing!

2013 New Year's Resolutions

Last year, I kinda blew it off and made a joke resolution to not throw up at all (which I then broke less than a month into it). I'm taking it a bit more seriously this year.

1. Take a photo every day. 
I recently used a photobook service for creating a Christmas present. And they had a "365 Project" and of course it was geared so that once you finished you would put all your photos into a book and buy it. I don't know if a coffee table book is what I'm looking to get out of it. But I think it would be cool to see the places I've been and what I did in 2013. Good storytelling (and by that I mean blogging) means "show, don't tell". Plus, I've got a sort of new camera that I just want to play with.

2. Post more original content.
Too often in social media, I resort to posting something someone else thought of  or made (crediting them, of course). I don't want to be someone who just regurgitates material. I want to make something that someone else share or repost. I want to be a creator. I want this blog to be a space where I show off things I've made and done.

3. Learn a new language.
And brush up on the one I already know. My trip to Switzerland this past October has inspired me to get in touch with my roots and actually learn German. With some help from Christmas presents, I will be trying to learn German. The biggest obstacle I see to this resolution is that I can't make my mouth work properly. I can figure out how languages work and comprehend what I'm reading, but when it comes to actual conversation, that is where language fails me. This is all done in hopes that I can go back to Switzerland and prove to my extended family that I'm not a mute.

4. Organize my life.
Okay so this is a generic, every year kind of resolution. But I still need it because I never learn. I need to organized my cubicle. I need to organize my apartment. Heck, I even need to organize my flash drives because there is a serious amount of redundancy going on there and I do like dragging files into sub-folders. My life is very messy and contrary to popular belief, I don't like it like that. It just has always been easier to not do something. But by breaking it down into smaller, more manageable parts I will hopefully be able to create long-lasting order for my life. And above all else, this will probably call for trips to the Container Store and IKEA. Score!

There. Resolutions are now written down. Now is the time to actually do something about them.