The Empire Project

Yesterday I posted about how I was considering starting a blog solely for my trip to New York. Well, I decided to go through with it. I've already posted on it, although it'll sort of lay dormant until I'm actually in New York.

What I'd like it to become is a venue for people to make suggestions for what I can do in the city, read about some of my experiences and hopefully even more.

Click here to read The Empire Project

If you have any ideas of what I could do with a blog during my internship at NBC, please leave a comment. I could really use suggestions.

Empire state of mind

So I've bid the fabulous Lex Vegas farewell, and I'm back in Cincinnati. I have a lot to do before I leave for New York next Saturday, so naturally I'm blogging instead of doing what needs to get done. I guess the main reason for that is I'm not really sure where to start. I'm gone for 2 months, so I'm essentially moving there. The question now is deciding what I need to bring with me. I need to buy more shirts, ties and dress pants. I need to figure out how to fit my life into a 40 lb suitcase and carry-on bag.

I face another decision. I want to write more. This is the perfect outlet but I haven't been disciplined enough. I've notice people write some really cool stuff when they write in the midst of a big project or event in their lives, and New York offers me just the opportunity. I need to decide whether or not to start a separate blog that will be exclusively for my experiences there, or incorporate them into The Ktulu. I have a week to decide. Each has its benefits.

A week and some change to go and then I'm in the Big Apple. I can't believe its already here.

Editor in Chief

I'm not one to toot my own horn, whatever that means, but some things have happened lately that I'd be crazy not to be proud of. It has been a crazy year. I started as an assistant features editor, and moved to features editor second semester. I then pursued an internship with NBC in New York for the summer, and I was lucky enough to land it. I start in May and couldn't be any more excited.

Then, last week, after a grueling hour-long interview I learned that I had been selected to be editor in chief for the Kentucky Kernel for the 2010-2011 school years. It is an unbelievable opportunity and I fully intend to make the best of it.

To read the brief story, click here

I was "Justified"

I've recently began to realize that FX is building quite the arsenal of TV shows. I personally only follow the comedies like It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia and The League. However, they just premiered a new show tonight called "Justified" starring Timothy Olyphant. I was sold from the moment I saw the trailer, but the show didn't dissapoint. Set in Kentucky (partially in Lexington) the show follows Raland, a cop who is sent back to Kentucky after questionably shooting a man on site in Miami. He runs into old friends and enemies, and the show has a craft for building tension.

Check out the trailer for the season and give it a try on tuesdays at 10 p.m. on FX. FX.com also posts their shows online for those that want to see the first episode and don't feel like trying to figure out when it re-airs this week.

What an ending...

I almost had a heart attack. This highlight doesn't do it justice. If you watched live, you know what I mean.

Soon enough

I'm about 12 hours away from break. One midterm separates me from freedom. After it's over I promise I'll stop neglecting you. Until then I have to play catch up for my Survey of American Lit class. But I promise tomorrow night when I get home, I'll dake a memory dump all over my laptop. There's all kindsa shit to discuss.

It's not that exciting. Sorry to the 1-3 of you that still waste you're time reading this thing. I'm doing what I can. Bare with me. One day, I'll blow you away with something amazing. One day.

Till then, here is a story I did for the paper about artists across the country who have written original songs about the UK basketball team. The videos are embedded into the story. So enjoy. They're pretty cool. I'll embed them below in case you're too lazy to read the story I wrote.

Puttin the "Hurt" on the Oscars

I made some good picks and I made some bad ones. Recapping the results of the Oscars, I still stand by what I believe should've won in many categories, while others were simply a result of having not seen the film (Crazy Heart- I'm sure Jeff Bridges deserved it). In all, I felt the Oscars was extremely well done. Creating the most successful film of all time speaks enough for Avatar, although I believe much of that goes to its directing, for which I think Cameron should've taken the statue rather than Bigelow. Hurt Locker was a good film, but not the best of the year. The problem is, its hard to pinpoint which should've beat it, between Basterds, Avatar and Up in the Air.

I am proud to say that I called Cristoph Waltz winning an Oscar 6 months ago immediately after watching INglourious Basterds on opening day. Me and everyone else who saw it. But still.

Most importantly for the night, for those who don't know me and who aren't aware of my massive crush for Sandra Bullock, it only grew tonight. I think Caret Mulligan deserved to win, but my heart was for Bullock. What was most impressive to me, however, was her speech. She is elegant, funny and delivered a message bigger than her or the movies she acts in.

In all it was a great Oscar night with countless deserving films. Hopefully the next 365 days offer us a new set of great films. Most likely not 10 worth nominating, but we can all hope, can't we?

And the Oscar goes to...

Well, we don't know yet. But seeing as I've taken the time to watch all 1o of the best picture nominees, I'm going to offer up my guesses. Now, granted, I have not seen some of the candidates for best actor/actress and some of those, but I have seen a majority. So here is what we are looking at.

Best Picture Nominees-

Avatar

The Blind Side

District 9

An Education

The Hurt Locker

Inglourious Basterds

Precious

A Serious Man

Up

Up in the Air

Favorite to win: Inglourious Basterds

I had trouble deciding this category, partly because of the amount of good flims up this year, and even more so deciding between this, Avatar or Up in the Air. Each film is so vastly different. However, I feel the screenplay for Inglourious Basterds takes the cake and the acting is on par with the others. Had Avatar had a bit more of an original plot, I think it would take the cake hands down.

Best Directing Nominees-

Avatar (James Cameron)

The Hurt Locker (Kathyrn Bigelow)

Inglourious Basterds (Quentin Tarantino)

Precious (Lee Daniels)

Up in the Air (Jason Reitman)

Favorite to win: Avatar (James Cameron)

This was tough. In my opinion it came down to Tarantino and Cameron, and the only weak spot in Avatar was its unoriginal plot- something that doesn't affect the direction. Cameron should take home another.

Actor in a Leading Role Nominees-

Jeff Bridges (Crazy Heart)

George Clooney (Up in the Air)

Colin Firth (A Single Man)

Morgan Freeman (Invictus)

Jeremy Renner (The Hurt Locker)

Favorite to win: George Clooney (Up in the Air)

I have only seen 3 of the films in this category, and unfortunately I missed Crazy Heart, and I've heard Bridges was outstanding. However, I have to go off of what I've seen, and Clooney delivered a great performance for Up in the Air.

Actor in a Supporting Role Nominees-

Matt Damon (Invictus)

Woody Harrelson (The Messenger)

Christopher Plummer (The Last Station)

Stanley Tucci (The Lovely Bones)

Christop Waltz (Inglourious Basterds)

Favorite to win: Christoph Waltz (Inglourious Basterds)

This was the category in which I had the least trouble choosing. From the moment I finished watching Inglourious Basterds last year, I said he should win an Oscar. And I still think he will.

Actress in a Leading Role Nominees-

Sandra Bullock (The Blind Side)

Helen Mirren (The Last Station)

Carey Mulligan (An Education)

Gabourey Sidibe (Precious)

Meryl Streep (Julie & Julia)

Favorite to win: Carey Mulligan (An Education)

While anyone who knows me knows my love for Sandra Bullock, unfortunately I think she will be edged out by the young Winchester native. Mulligan delivered an outstanding performance in An Education and I hope she doesn't get the shaft in favor of her elderly peers.

Actress in a Supporting Role Nominees-

Penelope Cruz (Nine)

Vera Farmiga (Up in the Air)

Maggie Gyllenhaal (Crazy Heart)

Anna Kendrick (Up in the Air)

Mo'Nique (Precious)

Favorite to win: Mo'Nique (Precious)

While each of the ladies from Up in the Air delivered memorable performances, the portrayal of an evil mother in 1980s Harlem by Mo'Nique was unforgettably wicked. She should take home the statue on this one.

Animated Feature Film Nominees-

Caroline

Fantastic Mr. Fox

The Princess and the Frog

The Secret of Kells

Up

Favorite to win: Up

It's the only animated film up for Best Picture. Enough said?

Best Art Direction-

Avatar

The Imaginarim of Doctor Parnassus

Nine

Sherlock Holmes

The Young Victoria

Favorite to win: Avatar

It is unfortunate for other art directors that this movie came out the same year as theirs. I don't see much competition here.

Best Original Screenplay Nominees-

The Hurt Locker

Inglourious Bastereds

The Messenger

A Serious Man

Up

Favorite to win: Inglourious Basterds

I simply think this was the most well-written movie in the fields this year. Tarantino should take home the little gold man for this one.

Cinemetography Nominees-

Avatar

Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince

The Hurt Locker

Inglourious Basterds

The White Ribbon

Favorite to win: Avatar

While I missed out on the White Ribbon, it is hard to see anything putting up a fight with Avatar. I'm not sure if it will be punished by the fact that the movie was almost all CGI, but it shouldn't be. (For those curious as to how the visuals for Avatar were done, check out my January 3rd post on the film)

Other Notables:

Best Visual Effects- Predicted winner: Avatar

Adapted Screenplay- Predicted winner: Up in the Air (Very close second: An Education)

This Summer is the time

Only two of the people involved in the plan are solidly locked in. But we are going to make this happen. Somewhere in the latter half of this summer Joseph and I are going to get 2-3 people to join us in a 2 week cross country trip. We have some ideas for destinations we will be sure to see as we tour the nation, but ideas in the comments section are more than welcome.

We want to spend a night in the desert (Joshua Tree perhaps, thanks Entourage). We want to make it to LA and go around Hollywood. We want to swim in the Atlantic. We want to see Mt. Rushmore. We want to see the Survivor Tree in Oklahoma City. We want to see the Grand Canyon as well as some other sweet cities near there like Phoenix.

There is a lot of cool shit to see in this country and while this list isn't all we have in mind, we need people to make sure we don't forget anything.

Kernel Basement

I think it leads to hysteria. I spend 8 hours a day in the basement of the Grehan Journalism Building working on UK's daily paper. The pay is bad, but there is something about the staff that makes a 40 hour work week, making 50 cents a day not such a bad thing. Talks about Mario Golf while listening to Bob Seger and James Taylor with the Sports and Opinions desks. Wes reminding me the perils of being white. Sure, the future of the paper for next year is up in the air, but all I know is I want to be here.

I realize this was anything but a cohesive post. It was random thoughts and sentences typed in that god forsaken basement.

I just felt like I needed to post.

By the way, keep your eye on the update section of the Oscar post below. I am making progress on the Best Picture list.