I am really excited to hear Eric Howell’s Ana’s Playground now qualifies for an Oscar nomination. Here is what Eric wrote in his blog,

I am very pleased to report that “Ana’s Playground” has won “Best International Short Film” at the 22nd Foyle Film Festival in Northern Ireland. This festival is one of a few festivals that are sanctioned by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts & Sciences. WIth a win in the short film category, Ana’s Playground has automatically qualified to be considered by the Academy for an Oscar nomination in NEXT year’s award cycle. Wow.

Congrats Eric! I am really happy for you.

You can check out my previous interviews with Eric and a film trailer linked here and here.

On December 1, 2009, Harvey Milk, and 12 others, will be inducted into the California Hall of Fame.  Assassinated in 1978 after only 8 months on the San Francisco Board of Supervisors, Harvey Milk was an outspoken advocate of the LGBT movement.   He was the first openly gay man elected to public office in California, challenging others to come out of the closet.  In 2009, he was posthumously awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom by President Obama.

From the California Museum’s website: “In a state of millions, it’s easy to get lost. But there are some who dreamt big and who persevered in the face of adversity. These stars of arts, education, business and labor, science, sports, philanthropy and public service exemplify the best of California and will continue to inspire generations to come.”

For a list of this years inductees, see the California Museum page, here.

To see the museum’s entry on Milk, go here.

Planet Out has a good article, here.

Ciolos: My nomination is advantage for Romania

Hello everyone, I have some news…

Lumuhuku has been nominated for Best Personal IndiBlog Category for the year 2008.

And I am delighted to be nominated alongwith bloggers, whom I look upto. So am I good enough to win? Not at all. Just check the blogs in the category Lumuhuku has been nominated, and you will know why. They are all so terribley awesome!!

But if you can vote for me, then I will be really very thankful to you.

Here is a step by step guide to vote for Lumuhuku –

1. Click here to go to IndiBlog voting page.
2. Go to the category “Best Personal IndiBlog” (Sr. No. 16) [its way down the end of the page].
3. Find & click on the radio button in front of “Lumuhuku”.
4. Click Submit.
5. You will be asked to fill up your e-mail ID.
6. Once you submit your email ID, you will receive a confirmation mail with a link. Click on the link and that’s it. You have voted in my favour. Thanks.

And if anyone is so sweet enough to further my cause, by posting on their own blogs, then the person shall receive a really big thanks from me.

And if you want to know more about the blog’s author, you can read it in About Me section. You may also find it interesting to read about the Things that Dev wants to do before he dies.

But that section has been written a while back and I would like to add here that Dev is a Lamborghini fan, a-guy-who-always-wanted-to-play-guitar-but-could-never-do-it-actually, bookeater(!) and stock market stalker by passion. You can read a few more of his posts to know him better (if you have time to waste ) like –

Poems – I am still waiting for you, Discrete Moonlight

Travel – Desert Biking Trip, Journey To Nowhere, Aravallis Trekking, South India & 48 Hours train journey

Fun – Curse of the alarm clock, Lewis Hamilton’s Letter to Obama, Paris Hilton on Fa(K)ebook, A letter to Fernando Alonso,  Shri Shri Rock On Akhtar Ji Maharaaj’s Holy Teachings, Dream Lunch with Warren Buffet

Emotions – Love, Sacrifice is disgusting, My shadow is the only one that walks besides me.

Theories – Orbit Theory of Life

Help my cause & ….

PS – Voting has started 25^th November and will end on 10^th December 2009. The results will be announced on 15th December 2009.

I tried….I swear I try to avoid posting on the Palin Saga….since she has NO experience past sign checks in Wasilla….she should NOT have the air time or camera time that she is receiving……but every time I try to move on past the manure pile….something always drags me back into the toilet…..

OMG!  The circus that was the last presidential election was not enough…..now we have Ms. Palin is on her whirlwind book tour….and then there is this:

Sarah Palin has suggested Fox News firebrand Glenn Beck could be someone she’d consider as a running mate if she makes a bid for the White House in two years.

“I can envision a couple of different combinations, if ever I were to be in a position to really even seriously consider running for anything in the future, and I’m not there yet,” Palin told the conservative news agency Newsmax.

This is just too rich to ignore…..do you recall the Rev. Wright circus?  If so, can you imagine the field day people will have with the crap that Beck spreads?  If you think that Palin has NO experience at being an effective politician, then Beck should scare the crap out of you.

She carves the spotlight and will do what she can to remain in the glow of media scrutiny…..media bites on whatever she says and reports and such and then she gets even more air time…..but is there a solution to the Palin saga?  You betcha! (he said with a wink)……IGNORE HER!……she will go away…when you give her the air of respectability you keep the teabaggers (HA…cannot say that without the sexual snicker) in the forefront of the political battle…they are a fringe……and the media does everything they can to marginalize any fringe movement….that is except the Palin Theater…..

For the sake of America’s political future……IGNORE HER!

Now Accepting Nominations for National Justice for Animals Week 2010!

Has your prosecutor or other local law enforcement official taken a strong stand against animal cruelty, or won real justice for animal victims of a crime? Let us know! Submit your nominations for who should be honored during the Animal Legal Defense Fund’s second annual National Justice for Animals Week, February 21-27, 2010!

Make a nomination!
Watch a video of Adam, a spunky black cat who survived a vicious attack when he was 8-weeks-old, and who was the mascot for National Justice for Animals Week 2009.

Yeah. I finally decided, after long guessing, pondering and evaluating, to add myself to the Fedora Ambassador Sterling Committee election nomination list. I really appreciated that Francesco Ugolini asked me to nominate myself for FAmSCo elections, that means the job I’m hardly doing for the Italian Community is good.

My long-terms goals are really simple (and you can find it in the link above) and world wide:

• Keep FAmSCo up to date on Local groups activities/problems/improvements;
• Improve communication within and outside the FAmSCo and the fedora ambassadors project
• Help Ambassadors with events organization, supporting Ambassadors ideas and initiatives.

Vote vote vote (for me of course)

A documentary about Korean superstar Rain “Hip Korea, Seoul Vibes” has been nominated in four categories at the 14th Asian Television Awards, according to his agency on Friday.

The documentary, which aired worldwide on the Discovery Channel earlier this year, was nominated in the following categories — Best Music Program, Best Infotainment Program, Best Direction and Best Cross-Platform Content, J. Tune Entertainment announced in a press release.

The program shows the past and present accomplishments of the Korean singer and actor, from his childhood upbringing to the difficult journey leading up to his success in music, television and movies.

It was produced by Singapore-based company Bang Productions, which previously made “Crossings: Jackie Chan” and is currently working on “The Dragon Wars”, through cooperation from the city of Seoul and the Korean Film Council.

The Asia Television Awards(ATA), which is considered Asia’s equivalent of the Emmys, selects the best television programs that aired in the region including Korea, Japan, China, Singapore, India, Australia and New Zealand. This year, 204 programs from 14 countries were selected for the finals, out of some 1,000 television programs that had been submitted.

The winners of the 14th Asian Television Awards will be announced at the ATA 2009 Gala Dinner in Singapore on December 3.

Rain is currently on the U.S. promotion tour for his upcoming Hollywood blockbuster “Ninja Assassin”, which opens worldwide on November 26.

Reporter : Lynn Kim

source: 10Asia

Two things: I’m still taking a break so no reviews or other stuff yet. And the Oscar Awards is really near. No wonder, there are a lot of good films being shown lately. And to add the fact that there are a lot of sites getting ready for the upcoming awards night.

Just yesterday, Variety came out with possible contenders for the Best Animated Feature, five of which will be considered for the nomination. Here are the films:

“Alvin and the Chipmunks: The Squeakquel”

“Astro Boy”

“Battle for Terra”

“Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs”

“Coraline”

“Disney’s A Christmas Carol”

“The Dolphin – Story of a Dreamer”

“Fantastic Mr. Fox”

“Ice Age: Dawn of the Dinosaurs”

“Mary and Max”

“The Missing Lynx”

“Monsters vs. Aliens”

“9”

“Planet 51”

“Ponyo”

“The Princess and the Frog”

“The Secret of Kells”

“Tinker Bell and the Lost Treasure”

“A Town Called Panic”

“Up”

I’ve only seen six films already, as I’m not much amused with the animated genre. Nonetheless, I’m assuming that Coraline, Ponyo, and Fantastic Mr. Fox make the list. Closing the five would be Up and Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs.

And isn’t it quite surprising that there are a lot of animated films this year? I think that’s a great boost for the animation industry as there are a handful of Filipino people good in this genre. Way to go Oscars!

Lucy Skaer, nominated for her solo exhibition at the Fruitmarket Gallery and A Boat Used as a Vessel at the Kunsthalle Basel, provides the spectator with an array of challenges to the eye. Using photographic sources, Lucy aims to transform a simple picture from one state to another, testing the perception of 2D and 3D boundaries in her artwork. 

Skaer’s concept of image translation can definitely be identified in Thames and Hudson (2009), an installation that is reflective of an art-book publisher and/or two cities with their two rivers. The image of a wooden chair projects from one piece to another from a physical wooden chair to a calligraphy style print that is almost reminiscent of an algebraic equation.  Skaer covered parts of the chair in black ink and produced the 2D print, which appears behind the chair in the centre of the installation. There seems to be a recurring theme in the works of this artist of removing an image from its context.  By looking at both 2D and 3D parts, there becomes a constant comparison between different forms, which is ultimately a test to the viewing experience.   Skaer believes that translation between pieces results in a “graphic return to the real world”

By slowing down the understanding of these contributions, the works become reduced to the art of looking itself.  Leviathan and Edge (2009), a partial sperm whale skeleton, definitely proves this point.  The installation can only be seen through vertical breaks in two false walls and there is a distinction between details and the whole.  The spectator takes more time to consider the piece and therefore more detail is discovered at an immediate viewpoint.

Black Alphabet (2008) appears as a flock of coal dust sculptures that feature as a repetition of Brancusi’s Bird in Space (1923).  Skaer produces the sculpture 26 times, the total of times that Brancusi produced the work. Dependent on angle, the piece reveals a medley of different letter-looking shapes. It could be said that this piece holds significance on the basis that Bird in Space (1923) acted as the foundation of a lawsuit which challenged what constitutes art.  As Skaer aims to challenge the perspective of the viewer, implementing images into different forms, this would certainly have influenced her decision to create Black.

Skaer can be commended on her transformation of simple images into ambiguous artwork.   Her works lie somewhere in between reality and imagination, delaying comprehension and directing the audience to differentiate between mental and physical landscapes.

The video for OUT OF MY HANDS, directed by Isaac E. Gozin, is nominated for the International Shortfilm Festival 2009

http://www.kortfilmfestival.be/2009/

source: Milow Facebook Page

Agata has been busy, busy, busy with interviews lately!!!

Take a look at the links below to see her interview in Connected Magazine and the article about her in the Irish Times last Saturday:

Connected Magazine

The Irish Times Magazine

And also………

Agata has been nominated for the Best Fashion Photographer ar the Off the Rails Fashion Awards. All of us at the studio have our fingers crossed for her!!!

For more information on the Off the Rails Fashion Awards click here.

It’s 1AM and for some reason I feel like at least trying to get nominated for this competition, ’cause really, this blog is starting to look pretty darn nice right?

Anyways, if you have 2sec to type the url to Art Sponge in whatever category feels appropriate to you, I’d sure appreciate it.

And thank you so reading my blog, you guys and gals are AWESOME

HERE IS THE LIST OF CATEGORIES FOR NOMINATIONS

From Jasoncurious.com

Jason Sechrest

Thank you!
Thank you!
Thank you!
Thank you!
Thank you!
Thank you!

YOU have nominated us for a Cybersocket Web Award in the category of Best Personality!

Congratulations to ALL nominees and please vote at:
http://www.cybersocketwebawards.com/vote.php

I’m actually hosting the awards ceremony for the first time ever this year along with fellow nominee Chi Chi LaRue in February 2010!

The video for OUT OF MY HANDS, directed by Isaac E. Gozin, is nominated for the International Shortfilm Festival 2009

http://www.kortfilmfestival.be/2009/

source: Milow Facebook Page

I love, LOVE my bloggy pals. Jen (Huckdoll) nominated me for Best Individual Blogger and Best Small Blog over at the 2009 Weblog Awards.

(Thank you, Jen!)

Honestly, I can say that just being nominated is very cool. And that someone else did the nominating is icing on the blogger cake.

If you feel so inclined to help me get into the finals, you can go click on my name (ifmomsaysok) for Best Individual Blogger or over at Best Small Blog.

While over there, check out some of the other nominees and categories, there are a lot of fabulous bloggers represented. If you don’t see your favorite’s name, make your own nomination.

Nominations continue through Nov. 20. Finalists will be announced on Dec. 28. You can vote for nominees early and often…

… and I thank you for your support.

I want to thank Cisse Spragins, the incoming president of Pi Chi Omega, the pest management industry’s fraternity, for giving me the opportunity to serve as the chairman on its awards committee. I look forward to helping this amazing group forward to fulfill its mission of service to the pest management community by recognizing those who are doing excellent work on behalf of their communities and the industry.

The work a href=”http://bit.ly/1rPAAb”>Pi Chi Omegadoes, whether it’s preserving the industry’s history, providing scholarships for students or offering guidelines on how to give back to your communities, is invaluable and much appreciated. Please take a moment to look at the Web site and consider joining yourselves. The work they do is impressive, and we would absolutely have you join us in our mission.

For an idea of what the group does, check out former president Gerry Wegner’s White Paper guidelines on how to provide gratis pest management services.

I’ll work on getting them to figure out how to put the nomination form online so that you can do it from your computer, and I’ll add that to my mission.

Part of the list of TVB 42nd Anniversary Awards (2009) are out, confirmed and official nomination list:

These are the few most important categories:

Bolded ones are my pick of top 5 and itallic one is my predicted winner.

Best Actor Nominees

Wayne Lai – Rosy Business (definitely he will win, no one doesn’t know his phrase of ‘one person has how many ten years’ in the series)
Ray Lui – Born Rich
Gallen Lo – Born Rich (comeback to act in series after a long break, fresh outcome, acts as the villain too)
Damian Lau – In the Chamber of Bliss
Bowie Lam – The Gem of Life
Kevin Cheng – Burning Flame III
Wong He – Burning Flame III
Bosco Wong – Burning Flame III
Moses Chan – Beyond the Realm of Conscience (he need to get fat to look more like an emperor in the series, his acting is always so real)
Dayo Wong – You’re Hired (first series after a long break, a fresh outcome too, acted pretty well)
Joe Ma – When Easterly Showers Fall on the Sunny West
Michael Miu – E.U.
Steven Ma – Sweetness in the Salt
Roger Kwok – D.I.E. Again (unable to win last year in D.I.E. , this year will be expected to reach only top 5, his performance slack a bit this time)
Chin Ka Lok – A Bride for a Ride

Best Actress Nominations

Sheren Tang – Rosy Business (her acting as fourth wife in this series is awesome, might be winning too)
Anita Yuen – Born Rich
Kenix Kwok – Born Rich
Jamie Chik – Born Rich
Maggie Siu – The Gem of Life
Gigi Lai – The Gem of Life (her final series, TVB will appreciate her last appearance on series this time)
Ada Choi – The Gem of Life
Myole Wu – Burning Flame III
Charmaine Sheh – Beyond the Realm of Conscience (TV Queen, sure will get into Top 5)
Tavia Yeung – Beyond the Realm of Conscience (breakthrough for her, acting as main villain for the first time, facial and eye expression very amazing in the series, has put a lot of effort on this ancient series)
Teresa Mo – Off Pedder
Kathy Chow – E.U.
Liza Wang – When the Easterly Showers Fall on the Sunny West
Sonija Kwok – D.I.E. Again
Louise Lee – The Stew of Life (her acting is always good, on any series, rather than just Heart of Greed and Moonlight Resonance)

Best Supporting Actor Nominees

Michael Tse – E.U. (his acting as Laughing Gor in the series get praised from all parties, causing another movie production based on the character)
Joel Chan – E.U.
Elliot Yue – The Gem of Life (his acting is not only good in this series, but also mainly in Rosy Business too, as the strict,decision-making father)
Kenny Wong – The Gem of Life
Dominic Lam – In the Chamber of Bliss
Ngo Ka Nin – Rosy Business                                                                                                                                                                                    Ron Ng – Rosy Business
Raymond Wong – Sweetness in the Salt
Lee Kwok Lun – Beyond the Realm of Conscience ( he acted a lot in this hot series as the villain, the male villain of the series, good expression in character too)
Ram Tseung - Beyond the Realm of Conscience
Tsui Wing – Off Pedder
Stephen Au – Off Pedder
Kenneth Ma – Born Rich ( time for youngster like him to strive forward, in this grand production series)
Derek Kwok – D.I.E. Again (he acted very well in this series too, same with D.I.E.)
Evergreen Mak – The Stew of Life

Best Supporting Actress Nominees

Michelle Yim – Beyond the Realm of Conscience (last year best actress, this time sure will get into top 5, her acting is always good, especially as villain again)
Susanna Kwan – Beyond the Realm of Conscience (her acting in the series is good, any characters suit her, from evil to good one)
Mary Hon – Beyond the Realm of Conscience
Susan Tse – Rosy Business (her face is fated for her to act as villain, her facial expression will scare people, her acting in Rosy Business as evil first wife and in Beyond the Realm of Conscience as the evil Grand Empress Dowager is absolutely fantastic)
Kara *** – Rosy Business
Kiki Sheung – Rosy Business
Nancy Wu – Rosy Business
Angela Tong – In the Chamber of Bliss
Linda Chung - The Gem of Life
Aimee Chan – Burning Flame III
Selena Li – Beyond the Realm of Conscience (a very hardworking actress, has acted on a lot of series, but is not appreciated much, time for some appreciation)
Fala Chen – The Stew of Life
Christine Ng – The Stew of Life (her acting is not bad, the character suits her style too, acted pretty real)
Joyce Tang – Just Love II
Elanne Kong – E.U.

Most Favourite TV Male Character Nominees

Wayne Lai – Rosy Business (if he can’t win Best Actor, he will definitely grab this award)
Michael Tse – E.U. (his performance is outstanding in the series as Laughing Gor)
Michael Miu – E.U.
Ray Lui – Born Rich (first comeback series, fresh outcome on a grand production series)
Gallen Lo – Born Rich
Bowie Lam – The Gem of Life
Moses Chan – The Gem of Life
Kenny Wong – The Gem of Life
Wong He – Burning Flame III (long time didn’t act on series, sees him as fireman again, but this time paralysed one, interesting character)
Kevin Cheng – Beyond the Realm of Conscience
Dayo Wong – You’re Hired (he always act as funny person, full of comedy, this kind of character is always favourited)
Steven Ma – Sweetness in the Salt
Roger Kwok – D.I.E. Again
Chin Ka Lok – A Bride for a Ride
Kenneth Ma – Man in Charge

Most Favourite TV Female Character

Charmaine Sheh – Beyond the Realm of Conscience (her acting no one can debate, she forever acting as the kind person, which is favourited)
Tavia Yeung – Beyond the Realm of Conscience
Charmaine Sheh – You’re Hired
Sheren Tang – Rosy Business (if she can’t win best actress, she will definitely grab this award)
Kathy Chow – E.U. (acting full of effort, still remember the scene she was being killed innocently by Michael Miu in the series)
Kenix Kwok – Born Rich (long time didn’t act in series, fresh outcome)
Anita Yuen - Born Rich
Jamie Chik – Born Rich
Ada Choi – The Gem of Life (also long time didn’t act in series, great outcome too)
Maggie Siu “The Gem of Life
Sonija Kwok – D.I.E. Again
Teresa Mo – Off Pedder
Louise Lee – The Stew of Life
Fala Chen – The Stew of Life
Christine Ng – The Stew of Life

Most Improved Actor

Most Improved Actress

———————

20 series were aired before the anniversary awards which will be contested on the category of Best Series of the Year (2009):

Knowing that no more sequel to the Heart of Greed (Best Series 2007) and Heart of Greed aka Moonlight Resonance (Best Series 2008), it’s time for fresh new series to get this award.

My prediction of Best Series nomination:

Top 3:

E.U. (a very memorable and exciting series, new actors and actresses seen, nice plot)

Rosy Business (exciting, interesting, memorable, favourited, great plot especially on the evilness of first wife)

Beyond the Realm of Conscience (almost everything is perfect, background, costumes, plot, actors, actresses, language, etc, nothing more to comment, perfectly done)

(Born Rich and Off Pedder might be a dark horse in this category, but Beyond the Realm of Conscience will definitely win with some challenges from Rosy Business)

————–

The awards will be held on 4th of December 2009 (my birthday date).

The list is official and the thoughts are mine, so may be different from yours, do not hesitate to leave your opinion too…who do you think will grab this year main awards?

So fast one year has gone, still remember last time, very grateful that Michelle Yim and Ha Yu won TV Queen and King…this year who…who…who…???