The week in culture: Feb. 18-24

This one's a little late 'cause I kinda forgot to post it. I know you all are just SO torn up about that because you LIVE for this blog.

Watched:
3:10 to Yuma - oh, Bale, you can do no wrong. Someone nominate this guy for an Oscar already!
The King of Kong, an enjoyable documentary about one man's quest to become the World Champion of Donkey Kong. Nerdery at its best!
My Best Friend's Wedding - years since I'd seen it. I forgot she is supposed to be 28 in that movie. 28 as the age when you figure if you're not married, you might as well throw in the towel? That seems extreme.
Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix - just makes me want to re-read the books.
Dedication - weird indie romance, but a good performance from Mandy Moore
The Jane Austen Book Club - just as excellent the second time around

Also, the Oscars! This wasn't the most exciting year for me, as I hadn't seen/didn't feel particularly passionate about many of the nominees. Still, it was nice to see Glen Hansard and Marketa Irglova win for their great song from Once, and there were some nice speeches and nice dresses (apparently Helen Mirren is incapable of looking bad). John Stewart did a commendable job, getting off some nice one-liners and those goofy montages.

And may I just say that Tivo-ing the Oscars, then watching them when you can fast-forward whatever you like is so the way to go. It was a jolly good time watching them in that fashion with Abbey.


Read:
The No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency by Alexander McCall Smith - finally! This had been on my to-read list for ages. It was fast and unusual, with a likable lead character and mysteries that weren't just your run-of-the-mill murders.
A Home at the End of the World by Michael Cunningham - another book that was perennially on the list. Frankly, it could've stayed there. A lovely writer, but his books just dump you in the doldrums.


Spectated:
The Warriors sneaking in a win against the #1 Celtics. Despite the irritant of the tall, vocal Celtics fan in front of us, we enjoyed a heck of a game, capped by Baron Davis' winning basket with 0.3 on the clock. Those Warriors know how to pull off a close one, don't they? (They do.)

Also, the Warriors losing what should've been an easy win against the Atlanta Hawks. That was a frustrating one, but they were missing two of their best players (Jackson and Biedrins), so maybe it shouldn't have been a total surprise.


The Week in Soccer:
Non-existent! Due to all the glorious downpour that the bay was treated with, my game was rained out.


Pop Culture Site o' the Week:
Goodreads, which I keep meaning to get more involved with, is a nifty little site that lets you track what you're reading and share it with others. (My blog is the highly low-tech version of that.) If I get some time, it would be good fun to go write some reviews and roam around for recommendations from people with similar book taste.