Manic Monday--Our Take on "SNL 40" and More Oscar Talk

Good afternoon and Happy President's Day! I am glad to have the extra day off, but I am not loving the polar vortex we're having right now. With the wind chills at minus 20, I haven't ventured outside the house since Saturday. Last night, the low temperature reached 2 degrees! I can't wait for spring soon enough!

Even though the "SNL" special had a little too much Kanye for my liking, there were some truly funny moments: the new digital short with Andy Samberg and Adam Sandler, the news with Tina Fey, Amy Poehler, and Jane Curtin, "Wayne's World," and the opening with Jimmy Fallon and Justin Timberlake. Emma Stone did a decent Roseanne Rosannadanna, and Melissa McCarthy was convincing as Matt Foley, motivational speaker. Steve Martin's cold opening and Jerry Seinfeld's Q&A were great, too. The big mystery of the night was Eddie Murphy. He came onstage for about 30 seconds, made a speech, and suddenly disappeared. Major disappointment.

BTW, it seems I made an error in Friday's blog. I was told that Alec Baldwin hosted "SNL" 16 times, not 12. I apologize for the mistake.

Today's Oscar topic is the Award for Best Original Screenplay. This is an award for a script not based on previously published material. The award was introduced in 1940 as a replacement for "Award for Best Story." The first winner of the award was Preston Sturges for "The Great McGinty." Here are some fun facts and trivia about the award:

• Woody Allen has received the most nominations with 16. He's won three. 
• Ben Affleck is the youngest winner at age 25. His "Good Will Hunting" screenwriting partner, Matt Damon, was 27. 
• The only siblings to win in this category were the Coen Brothers (Joel and Ethan). They won the award for "Fargo" in 1996.
• Francis Ford Coppola and Sofia Coppola are the sole father-daughter pair to win the award. 
• When Orson Welles won the award for "Citizen Kane" in 1941, he was actually booed. The film is now considered one of the greatest of all time.
• Billy Wilder holds the record for writing the most Best Picture nominations with seven.
• Francis Ford Coppola and Alan Jay Lerner hold the record for writing more Best Picture winners with three each.
• Joan Harrison was the first woman to co-author a Best Picture winner ("Rebecca").

This year's nominees for Best Original Screenplay are:

• "Birdman," Alejandro G. Iñárritu, Nicolás Giacobone, Alexander Dinelaris, Jr. & Armando Bo
• "Boyhood," Richard Linklater
• "Foxcatcher," E. Max Frye and Dan Futterman
• "The Grand Budapest Hotel," Wes Anderson; Story by Wes Anderson & Hugo Guinness
• "Nightcrawler," Dan Gilroy

It's a close race between Anderson and Linklater, who have already won awards for their respective works. For example, Anderson won the Writers' Guild Award, while Linklater received the BAFTA prize.

I would now like to present yet another movie-themed game from the shop. These samples are  a part of a series called "Movies by the Decade." Party guests will match the plots from classic films from the '20s through the '90s with their titles. Individually, the games cost $7 each. However, if you buy all nine, you pay just $55. That's an $8 savings!




Now for today's lists:

Party Idea of the Day comes from the website Lux and Concord, who shows us some upscale finger foods for your party guests. I love these suit-and-tie cake pops. The site even suggests music to get party guests in the mood, such as "Mrs. Robinson," "My Heart Will Go On," and "Over the Rainbow." Note that these are all Oscar-winning songs.

Black History Month Fun Fact of the Day: There are currently 46 African-Americans in the 114th Congress. The first black senator was Hiram Rhodes Revels from Mississippi, and the first black Congresswoman was Shirley Chisholm, who represented New York for seven terms.

Oscar Fun Fact of the Day: Nine of this year's twenty performers are first-time nominees: Steve Carell, Benedict Cumberbatch, Eddie Redmayne, Michael Keaton, Felicity Jones, Rosamund Pike, Emma Stone, J.K. Simmons, and Patricia Arquette.

Today's Birthdays: Elisabeth Olsen (26), Lupe Fiasco (33), Taylor Hawkings (43), Dave Lombardo (50), Andy Taylor (54), Lisa Loring (57), Ice-T (57), LeVar Burton (58), James Ingram (63), William Katt (64), and Jeremy Bulloch (70).

Holidaze: In addition to President's Day, we are also celebrating National Almond Day. I love almonds and try to sprinkle them on food whenever I can. According to several health professionals, almonds provide healthy fats and proteins and are part of a beneficial lifestyle. They can reduce cholesterol and risk for heart disease. 

National Do a Grouch a Favor Day is today's "nonsense" holidaze. Webster's defines "grouch" as a habitually irritating person, a complainer, a grumbler. We all have these people in our lives, whether it be a neighbor, co-worker, or family member. This is a day to surprise the grouches in our lives when they least expect it.

Breaking News: We just learned that Lesley Gore, the singer of such hits as "It's My Party" and the groundbreaking feminist anthem "You Don't Own Me," has passed away at age 68 from lung cancer. She is survived by her partner of 33 years, Lois Sassoon, her mother, and her brother. RIP.

This weeks topics will include Mardi Gras, Chinese New Year, and still more Oscar talk.

Have a PRINTASTIC day and stay warm!

Kathy