I always look forward to the Academy Awards. Yes, some years the show itself is mostly a yawn fest, but usually there are enough good films, songs and performances nominated (and I always have an opinion about costumes, directing and cinematography, too) that I am very much interested in learning the outcome of the voting. During the years that Billy Crystal hosted, one could be assured that at least the first five minutes would be entertaining, and yes, I must ‘fess up to enjoying making catty comments about some of the “fashion” on display as well.

This year, as everyone who has even a passing interest in film knows, the Oscars offer some added interest. For the first time in decades, 10 films are vying for Best Picture, instead of the usual five. And not since the late ’80s has there been more than one host (although, don’t you find that after the opening monologue/production number, that job usually fades into the woodwork?), with Steve Martin and Alec Baldwin doing the honors this year. What’s really got me anticipating the show, however, is the array of really great films and roles nominated this year. Admit it, some years the pickin’s are pretty slim and it isn’t hard to figure who the winners will be. Happily for those who look forward to entertaining, enlightening, thought-provoking cinema, there’s been a lot of that to choose from this past season.

While between the two of us Harry and I have seen seven of the 10 Best Picture nominees (I haven’t seen Avatar yet, and he doubts he’ll see Precious), we are still frustrated that the movies and performances we most want to see haven’t appeared at our local multiplexes and aren’t likely to, either. We have to drive at least 30 miles to find the one small movie house that will regularly schedule smaller, independent films, and if we can’t get there within a week or two, those are often gone before we can take them in.

It is certainly one of the things one must accept in living in a smaller city, but it can be especially annoying when there are so many good films that just don’t get here. I’ve been eager to see The Hurt Locker, An Education, A Serious Man and A Single Man; and don’t even get me started on the documentaries and foreign films (those are nearly always a wait-’til-it’s-available-through-Netflix situation). I guess I just have to remember to budget some time when I’m in the Big City to zip in to a nearby theater and catch a movie I can be pretty sure won’t make it to my town (if it isn’t distributed by a big studio and it doesn’t have a doomsday scenario, lots of horny and/or murdered teenagers, supernatural creatures, fast cars or lots of explosions, it’s a candidate).

Anyway, here’s to an entertaining awards show tomorrow night; I hope your favorite wins!

– Patty Vanikiotis, proofreader

I’ve been looking forward to this weekend for quite a while. Not because we had any big plans or were going anywhere special. I just was anticipating a leisurely three-day weekend (more for my husband than for me, since working from home means my work days can often be indistinguishable from weekends and holidays), with Valentine’s Day and the start of the Winter Olympics adding fun and excitement to the mix.

This year we decided to forego a nice dinner out at one of our favorite places and instead create a nice dinner in for Valentine’s Day. I think I’ve mentioned before that Harry is some mean cook, so I’m anticipating a meal of coconut shrimp, wild rice and asparagus with Hollandaise sauce and, of course, a bottle of wine or two. I’ll be contributing a yummy chocolate dessert — can’t have Valentine’s Day without chocolate! We’ll also take in a couple of movies this weekend (we each choose one, so there’s a nice balance) and just enjoy a few unhurried days together.

The weekend began with watching the Opening Ceremony of the Winter Games in Vancouver. Well, I will admit that I was reading a magazine and doing a few chores at the same time, as all of the coverage did not require my undivided attention all of the time. I did enjoy much of the visual spectacle, though. And, with the games being held here in the Pacific Northwest, we have an added interest in them. Having lived in the Seattle area and Washington state for two decades, we’ve visited Vancouver a number of times. It is definitely one of my favorite cities for it’s stunning setting, cosmopolitan atmosphere and cultural diversity. After observing all of the preparations over the last several years for this big event, it’s exciting to now see it all coming to fruition and to see the rest of the world’s reaction to this beautiful place.

I’ve always enjoyed both the summer and winter Olympics. I have very little athletic talent myself, but I really get drawn in to the various competitions and can’t help but admire and respect all the effort and sacrifice the athletes put forth to achieve their goals. A few peeves about the coverage, though. This one applies not just to the Olympics, but any sporting event: Please, do away with the pre- and post-event interviews with the athletes. The same old cliched questions are asked, and the same old cliched responses will be given. I like the pretaped background stories on the athletes’ lives, but not those stale bits that reveal absolutely nothing new.

I’d also like to to see the events in real time, not tape-delayed and broadcast during prime time (admitting that there may be options via satellite and such). For those of us living in the same time zone as the Games are being held, it would mean we don’t have to stay up ’til midnight to catch the finals of big events. I appreciate the editing which compresses time between preliminaries and individual performances, but too much manipulation takes some of the spontaneity and anticipation out of the viewing.

Finally, I just don’t like the participation of professional athletes, especially in the team events like hockey, basketball and baseball. I know all of the history, the political and economic reasons behind the change in the rules. I know that there are the Shaun Whites and Apolo Ohnos who have made a lot of money in their sports, too — more than most professional athletes in team sports. Still, especially in those team events, I think it makes for especially uneven “competition.” And who believes the 1980 Miracle on Ice victory would have been as sweet if the U.S. team had been loaded with pros? 

Ah, but enough of that. I’m just going to sit back and enjoy the rest of my weekend, and may you do the same.

– Patty Vanikiotis, proofreader

I recently stayed at the Pineapple Hill Inn Bed and Breakfast in New Hope, PA. I have previously stayed there a few times while in town for Global Traveler business. While I always enjoy my stay at the Pineapple Hill Inn, I would like to offer a suggestion for B&Bs nationwide.

B&Bs usually have some sort of historic theme, and I can find no real reason for this. I would like to see a B&B break format and go with a different theme. I think the historic decor could be dropped in favor of a sports motif. The quaintness wouldn’t have to be lost either. For instance, in the Boston Celtics room, there could be some old black-and-white photos, some hand-stitched likenesses of famous Celtics and a green and white Celtics color scheme. Men would love this (or at least like it more than the usual historic stuff).

I’m not suggesting having old game films available to watch (although that would be cool). There are plenty of nice sports items which could fill a room nicely.

If you think sports would be too much, maybe you’d like a vacation decor. There could be rooms dedicated to Paris, Rome, New York and maybe even Las Vegas. The rooms could be filled with tasteful souvenirs and lovely artwork from each city.

Other possible themes could be classic TV, the Golden Age of cinema or music. The possibilities are endless. If you’re still stuck on history, you could do rooms in 20th-century decades, filled with things from the specific decade.

The intimacy and romanticism never has to be lost, no matter the decor. What makes history intimate or romantic anyway? Any theme could be utilized, while still maintaining the “feel” of the historic B&B if it is done properly.

Hotels are always trying new things to set themselves apart and ahead. Why must B&Bs be forever stuck in history?

– John Wroblewski, distribution specialist

Last week, I started my first graduate school class. When the professor announced in the first class that we would be watching a documentary, I jokingly thought to myself, “Maybe this grad school thing would be easier than I thought!”

The 2002 documentary, The Stone Reader, is the story of two men - Mark Moskowitz and Dow Mossman. Moskowitz is a filmmaker and a great lover of books. As a teenager, he read a New York Times book review of Stones of Summer by Dow Mossman. He attempted several times in his life to get through the book, but he never could — until the late 1990s. He once again picked up his copy and started reading. This time, he was inspired. He loved the book and looked for more books by Mossman. He found nothing; no record of Mossman — it was as if he vanished off the face of the earth after his first critically-acclaimed novel failed to find success.

The Stone Reader is about Moskowitz’s quest to track down Mossman and find out what happened. The documentary chronicles virtually everyone involved in the book publishing process — from his teachers to his agent to the book critic to the publisher and book jacket designer. Moskowitz even interviews the photographer who took Mossman’s photo for the inside flap. Does he find Mossman? Well, I won’t give away the ending, but the documentary is a great choice for anyone who loves to read.

It also offers a glimpse into the life of authors. As these men and women put their hearts and souls into their characters and plots, they can begin to lose themselves. Many never achieve critical or monetary success, and sometimes the pressure is just too great. It’s more common than you think to have one-book authors. Some of the greats only wrote one book — look at Harper Lee and To Kill A Mockingbird. The documentary is just an overall look at reading, publishing and authors.

On Wednesday, J. D. Salinger, author of Catcher in the Rye, one of the most beloved and iconic books of all time, passed away at the age of 91. Salinger is a perfect example of the above. He followed with short stories and novellas. He refused movie options. And he went on to live a semi-reclusive life in New Hampshire.

Check out The Stone Reader if you have a chance. It offers the opportunity to take an inside peek at the literary world and gain a new perspective.

– Kim Krol, eFlyer editor, circulation and public relations executive

This past Thursday, while attending the GT Tested Awards event, I was lucky enough to meet Terrence Howard. Fran Gallagher had told me the day before the event that I would be handing Terrence the awards during the presentation, so it made sense for us to meet. And this is why, not even a half hour into the event, I found myself sitting in a private area, chatting with the chairperson of the Mentor Foundation and Terrence Howard. Had I not already had a few glasses of wine, I would have found the experience much more surreal than I did, but, in reality, talking to Terrence Howard was surprisingly easy.

I can’t recall how the subject came up, but we discussed music and the recording process for a long time. Before our conversation, I had only associated Terrence Howard with acting. While I enjoy movies, it is music that keeps my heart beating day in and day out. It’s amazing to me that as successful as he is as an actor, it seems his true passion is music.

Of course, I was not able to be smooth and play it cool the entire time I talked with Terrence Howard. At one point, when he was explaining how he took on the task of putting lyrics to music, I started babbling about the difference between homophones and homonyms. Oh well, once a grammar nerd, always a grammar nerd — even when chatting up celebrities.

– Kate Gallagher, advertising and editorial coordinator