A prizefighter with a dysfunctional family? A schizophrenic ballet dancer? A dream within a dream? The creator of Facebook? Perhaps even a bunch of toys that come to life? No, the smart money is on a stammering King of England.

The 2011 Academy Award for “Best Picture” is one of the fiercest races in recent memory. Since 2009, after the Academy announced the nominees in their flagship category would increase from 5 to 10, more room has been allotted for films that usually find it hard to crack onto the list, such as animated or sci-fi pictures. This year the list includes ilks of big-budget sci-fi, animated, psychological thriller, western, and of course drama. Though even with the expanded spectrum, a pure comedy is still the academy’s redheaded stepchild and has not seen a best picture nomination since 1997’s The Full Monty.


PROJECTIONS:

Best Actress In A Supporting Role

Who Will Win – Melissa Leo, (The Fighter)
Who Should Win – Hailee Steinfeld, (True Grit)
Dark Horse - Hailee Steinfeld, (True Grit)

No one should throw a tantrum if Melissa Leo takes home the Oscar as everyone thinks she will. Leo was phenomenal as the wayward mother of prizefighter Micky Ward in The Fighter. Her performance built animosity towards her character, passing a point of no redemption and then with a few simple scenes near the end, a believable and sympathetic mother who wants nothing more than the best for her sons shines through.

Hailee Steinfeld’s performance in True Grit as the strong-headed 14-year-old Mattie Ross, could be the best performance by a teenager since Jodie Foster in Taxi Driver (1977). Her nomination is actually completely out of place as she should be included with the nominees for “Best Actress,” considering she was in just about every scene of the film. Unfortunately there are no constringent rules that govern how the lines are drawn between supporting and lead actor nominations. Steinfeld commanded attention on the screen, held her own and at times even overshadowed the performances of Jeff Bridges and Matt Damon. It would not even be outrageous to claim that her performance is the dominant ingredient to True Grit’s “Best Picture” nomination.

Best Actor In A Supporting Role

Who Will Win – Christian Bale, (The Fighter)
Who Should Win - Christian Bale, (The Fighter)
Dark Horse – Geoffrey Rush, (The King’s Speech)

Probably the closest “sure thing” in this year’s Academy Awards is that Christian Bale will win the Oscar for his performance of Dicky Eklund, the crack addicted, past-his-prime boxer and half-brother of Micky Ward in The Fighter. The only obstacle in Bale’s way could be if the Academy decides to award a clean sweep to The Kings Speech, and bestow the honor on fellow nominee Geoffrey Rush. On Bale’s side though is the fact that Rush has already won an Oscar in 1997 for his performance in Shine. This is actually Bale’s first ever Oscar nomination and he is considered to be way overdue.

Best Actress In A Leading Role

Who Will Win – Natalie Portman, (Black Swan)
Who Should Win - Natalie Portman, (Black Swan)
Dark Horse – Jennifer Lawrence (Winter’s Bone)

Back in 2005 Natalie Portman was a long shot in the “Best Supporting Actor” category for her role in Closer. Now in 2011, she is the overwhelming favorite to land the “Best Actress” Oscar. Portman’s incredible portrayal of a professional ballet dancer who’s strive for perfection triggers her underlying condition of schizophrenia and/or multiple personality disorder, leaves a haunting remnant in audiences minds well after they exit the theaters. Portman has swept all of the major awards for her category leading up to Oscar night. Her only competition that has some reasonable clout is Jennifer Lawrence as Ree in Winter’s Bone. Lawrence has managed to defeat Portman in several smaller film festivals this year but the strength of Winter’s Bone is its ensemble cast, whereas Portman’s character of Nina Sayers is the spotlight of Black Swan.

Best Actor In A Leading Role

Who Will Win – Colin Firth, (The Kings Speech)
Who Should Win – James Franco, (127 Hours)
Dark Horse – Jesse Eisenberg, (The Social Network)

One of the deepest collections of performances this category has seen in recent years, but all signs point to Colin Firth with his rendition of King George VI’s trials of overcoming a speech impediment to be the voice of a nation in their greatest time of need. This is Firth’s second straight nomination in this category (2010, A Single Man) and like Natalie Portman he has pretty much swept all the major trophies in this category for 2010.

Also like Portman, Firth has some competition from a nominee that has overcome him in some smaller film festivals and award ceremonies. 2011 Academy Awards co-host James Franco has a legitimate shot to be the first host/winner since David Niven won in 1958 for his role in Separate Tables while he co-hosted the 30th Academy Awards. Franco’s performance in 127 Hours accentuates the unstoppable and mind altering “will to live,” that all people prey they can tap into when faced with the unthinkable. Even more so than Portman’s role in Black Swan, 127 Hours went “all in” on Franco’s portrayal of real-life adventurer Aron Ralston and his true story of impossible survival.

Gaining some steam in the last few months is Jessie Eisenberg as Facebook CEO and creator Mark Zuckerberg in The Social Network. Eisenberg had a fantastic script to work with and seemed to channel the socially awkward mind frame of a modern-day genius who ironically changed the way people communicate. Eisenberg would probably be more shocked if he won than anybody, although he too has won some smaller film critic’s awards in the “Best Actor” category for 2010, defeating both Firth and Franco.

Best Picture

What Will Win – The King’s Speech
What Should Win – The Fighter
Dark Horse – The Social Network

In 2006, the film Brokeback Mountain was nominated for 8 Academy Awards including “Best Actor,” “Best Supporting Actor,” “Best Supporting Actress,” and “Best Picture.” It was the “sure thing,” to sweep the Oscars. And even though it did receive three trophies, it was shut out of the four aforementioned categories and watched underdog Crash walk away with “Best Picture.”

The Kings Speech is in a similar position in 2011 as it has been nominated for 12 Oscars and projected to win at least a handful of gold statues with “Best Actor,” and “Best Picture,” in the forefront.

The Kings Speech is a film that leans very heavily on the exceptional performances of its lead actors Colin Firth and Geoffrey Rush and actually suffers when the two are not on screen together. The Fighter is more of an all-encompassing entity with incredible performances in every facet of the story and attention to detail that is second to none. Even long-shot The Social Network, which has been gaining momentum as of late, is a more suitable recipient of the academy’s top honor due to the fluid pace and submersing power of the story also supported with fantastic performances.

The overwhelming confidence in The Kings Speech might be setting it up for a hard fall, but it seems to be one of those films that’s a result of the perfect Oscar formula: add 2-parts past nominees, 1-part past winner, base on a true story and stir until British. Perfection!

Personally, I hope everyone including myself is wrong and Toy Story 3 wins it all. Go Woody and Buzz!


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Wow....The Milwaukee Bucks are now the HOTTEST ticket in town...with tix to their next game going for as high as $11,000!




Well, Well, Well....The Knicks finally pulled off the deal to acquire Carmelo Anthony after he held the Nuggest hostage all season....Good for Big Bad New York and another heist and corruption of the sports world. Don't get me wrong, I am glad this MeloDrama is finally over and glad he made it to the Knicks and MSG. But....when will this end in the NBA? Do we even need small market teams in the NBA anymore? After Deron Williams pushes out the longest tenured coach in the league he says he is heading to NY as well.

Are we headed for the downfall of the NBA as small market teams begin to fall apart and become meaningless....or is this just the start of an exciting 5 year run in the NBA with the Heat, Celtics, Bulls, Magic, and Knicks battling it out year after year??? Honestly, those matchups might draw me in more than anything...but I do feel for small markets and if the Magic lose D-Howard to a large market I would be very concerned.

A few more quick Wednesday morning hits.........the Knicks now have Sheldon Williams and Shawne Williams on their roster......what do you go with for his name on the back of the jerseys??? Also, reports out of Minnesota are that Justin Morneau might not be ready for the season because of his concussion he had back in July??? How is that possible? Football players sit out 1-2 weeks and are back banging heads....not questioning his toughness just really confused?

Also, Don't forget to read Koko's great movie review and Scotty's awesome adventure!

P.S. I would sure hope the Dojo's Resident NBA experts Blaze and DonJuan are stil alive to comment on this....hello????

A new edition of "Reel Reviews with Koko" has been posted for your reading pleasure.

My National Lampoon’s Venezuelan Vacation

Hey dojo clan, it’s been a long time. I was out for a couple weeks due to a trip back to Meritza’s homeland. We went to Venezuela, home to Ms. Universe, the Orinoco, Amazons, Hugo “loco” Chavez, Chino y Nacho, and more. It was a great trip where I didn’t think once about work or bills, which explain why I am filled up with major anxiety and feel like I have no time in the day, to get things done. We ate lots of good food traveled a few states and spoke lots of Spanish. Well, we ate tons of arepas, drove through the mountains for five hours and habla espanol poquito.



The trip started off with a blast! Meritza’s family lives in Merida, Merida. Merida is a state and Merida City is the capitol of the state. The state is located in the southwest, close to Columbia, in the Andes Mountains. It took us two days to get there. The first day we flew from Boston to Atlanta and then Atlanta to Caracas. Meritza’s dad picked us up from the Areopuerta, in Caracas, and escorted us to the hotel. I hear Caracas is very, very dangerous. The hotel was not in the nicest areas with graffiti and a gate. This was also my first lesson on flushing toilet paper down the toilet. That was a no no. In essence, my first action in VE was clogging up the toilet. The second day, we woke up at 4:00 am (four hours of sleep) by the crowing of roosters, to take another plane from Caracas to a town 45 minutes outside of Merida City. Brutal!

We finally arrived in Meritza’s town and let me tell you, the city is beautiful. The city is in a valley so at night, the homes in the higher mountains look like stars when their lights are on. Merida is a small city but is a hustling and bustling city. Most of the cars are economy sized, including the taxis. There are tons of taxis and they all have plus 300K miles on them. There are no stop signs and everybody drives like a mad man. There are also tons of people riding scooters or bikes and they weave in between all cars and avoid all red lights. Most of the city is old. I went to the bano and noticed a urinal from the 1950’s. No joke. They have three American food chains there, McDonalds (of course), Subway, and ……….Church’s Chicken!!!! I couldn’t believe it. I heard Wendy’s opened up for a month but wasn’t successful.

We went to VE during Meritza’s birthday. Meritza’s father threw a party in her honor the second night of our arrival. The party had a total of 100 guests. They were all part of Meritza’s family! Her dad has 13 brothers and sisters and her mom has a few as well. Those siblings have children and so forth. Meritza’s abluelos y abuelas were in attendance as well. I was nervous once the guests started to arrive but I put on the charm and met everybody. I could only say a few sentences. “Hello”, “my name is Scott….. What’s yours?” “Nice to meet you” “see you later” “good night”. I tried my best to speak without Meritza but it was rough. Survival mode kicked in and I found out 4 people could speak some English, so I stuck with them.

Meritza and I stayed in Venezuela for two full weeks and had a great time. Well I did, but it was stressful for Meritza because she got involved in her family’s business. Meritza got in arguments with her parents and siblings but I was oblivious to what was going on because of the language barrier. In fact, I was oblivious to everything going on. Meritza would be fighting with her father but I couldn’t tell until she spoke in English, in front of her parents, and said to me “I hate him [her father]” or “He [her father] is so stupid”. Speaking of not knowing what was going on, most of the time I had to ask Meritza “what are we doing?” or “where are we going?” or “why did everybody just leave?”. I felt like I needed an itinerary!



During the two weeks we mostly went to each relative’s house to visit with them. Every time we went to a relative’s house, it felt like we were royalty and they were expecting us for days. We would go to her Tia’s for lunch and she would have a big meal waiting for us. Then her Tio for dinner and it was the same deal. The meals were gigantic serving pollo, arepas, azzoz, you name it. Everybody had arepas and they were served for breakfast lunch and dinner. Once they dished it out, you had to eat it or it was an insult. You had to have seconds too! One cousin or second cousin or I don’t know how he was related but his name was Carlos. He was eyeing me from the minute we arrived. His family started serving food and he wanted to see if I liked a special sauce he made. He forked a potato dipped it in the sauce and stuffed it in my mouth. I played along but then he did it again and I had to tell him to hold on or I won’t be able to eat my dinner. Next he served me chicken and it was great. I started to pick it up and eat with my hands. I was showing him “look Carlos, this is good and I’m sucking the bone.” He ripped it out of my hands and put another one on my plate!

Besides the language barrier, VE felt like a normal country….except for the overwhelming presence of their leader. Most of the people, I talked to, don’t like him and think he is crazy. Also, although a typical country, there were some things that were just a little bit different, then the USA. For instance, as I mentioned earlier, there was no stop signs, you can’t throw TP down the toilet, the buildings were old, the cars were smaller, their coffee is smaller and weaker, turning on the water in the showers was confusing, and there was no cars parked in the car dealerships. I watched the Celtics vs. Lakers on the Space Channel, a channel that played all American shows, but could see the TNT logo in the corner. I heard Steve Levy speaking on Sports Center but they overlapped translators on top of him.

All in all, this was an experience of a life time. However, we will try to make it out there again. We are shooting for next year. Venezuela was great but it really isn’t a place for American tourism. Mainly cause there is no security. Hugo kicked out the American Embassy and there wasn’t too many police that I saw. I saw police and military personnel in the Airports and at these little check points on the road but it seemed they were there for show. They don’t write tickets and when we slowed down for the check points, they were checking their crackberrys and iphones. All they really cared about was drugs. Smuggling that is. In fact, I joked around with Meritza and her family calling VE the Wild Wild West. That’s what it felt like. All the homes had gates and electric fences, no stop signs, no police, protect yourself, get a gun.

It felt good to be coming home. We were there for two weeks. I could have stayed for a month but I was not sad to come back. The second part of the trip was traveling back towards Caracas. We drove through the mountains and across three states to visit with more family. The night before we left, Merida, we went to a dance club with her brother and sister. It was a good time but I must have had dirty ice in my whiskey and coke because for the rest of the trip I caught a stomach virus. The pain was so so and 5 minutes after a meal I had to use the restroom. I guess I know how Quintana and Tucci feel. The day before we left, we said our goodbyes and flew from Barquisimeto to Caracas. We stayed in a hotel that night. I finally had my first semi good feeling shower and flushed a couple pieces of TP down. The next day we flew out of Caracas to Atlanta. As soon as we landed in ATL I was greeted by a Starbucks. I finally got my grande coffee. A couple hours later we landed in Boston. Thank God!!

……………………………..Also one more thing, you could tell not too many Americans come by because when I spoke English people did double takes. I would mess with the little ninos and say “hello” or “what’s up” and they would stare at me or look at me as if I was a god. Funny stuff.

Well Sunshine State, you've managed to do it again. Just when we think there's no way Florida can possibly strike a new high on the moron meter; our governor rises to the occasion.

Newly elected Republican Governor Rick Scott has just turned down $2 Billion in federal stimulus aid to help Florida build the high-speed railway between Orlando and Tampa that was voted for and approved by the people way back in the year 2000.

The bullet train would've created thousands of jobs and helped small businesses. Then another line would be created to connect Miami to Orlando, which most people in the industry consider to be the real moneymaker.

Scott's excuse for turning down the funds is that it's too high a risk for taxpayers and we should be focusing more on the ports. What helping the ports has anything to do with the rail system, I'll never know. And why is it an either/or option? Can the governor not walk and chew gum at the same time? Besides, Port Canaveral just reported its 2010 revenues rose to $47 million in fiscal year 2010 from $43 million in 2009. Seems like the ports are doing just fine.

Scott also acts completely incompetent in his reasoning that Florida taxpayers will end up paying for the rail. Besides the stimulus money that he turned down, the rest of the project was to be funded and run by the private sector. Seven different companies were ready to put in bids to run the rail. Not one cent of taxpayer money was ever going towards this project. It seems like our governor has stuck his fingers in his ears and just yells, "A la la la la la, I'm not listening to you!"

Really, let's just stop with the BS and talk about why Scott really turned down the stimulus money. Do you think for one second if the money came from a republican president that Scott would've turned it down? Not on your Chick-Fil-A loving life.

So now we actually have elected officials sabotaging the progress of our state because they will not accept any idea that would even remotely give President Obama any credit.

Great choice Florida!



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I am surprised Koko decided to wage a war against Chick-Fil A for giving away some brownies to a local wedding seminar but not waging war against his giants chief rival and long known dirtbag Daniel Snyder. The Redskins owner is trying to get a local journalist fired for writing about his horrible track record as Skins owner and posting a pic of Snyder with horns and a moustache on him.

(Read Aritcle Here)
Mr Snyder, unsurprisingly, disliked the article. Rather than shaking it off, or writing a response, however, he decided to sue the paper. He is suing for $2m in New York, not Washington; and he announced his suit not by contacting the paper's editor but by threatening the investment company that controls the media company that owns the paper. "We presume that defending such litigation would not be a rational strategy for an investment fund such as yours," threatened a letter from David Donvan, the Redskins' general counsel. "Indeed, the cost of the litigation would presumably quickly outstrip the asset value of the Washington City Paper."

Now.....Is this not a clear cut attempt by Snyder to stifle Freedom of Speech? And worst of all he is using religion to do it by claiming the picture is anti-Semitic. Now, I can't claim to have any feelings on this maybe our Jewish friends can shed some light on it.....but does Snyder have an argument here? Or is he trying to do what Koko did by trying to wage a war over something that is blown way out of proportion and attempting to get people on board with the war by using religion as the rallying cry.....even though religion as nothing to do with it....in my opinion. Is this right or wrong?

Although this seems more like one of Sully's dreams....it is a pretty good commercial.

A brand new "Big Fish Recap with Dinger" has been posted for your reading pleasure.

Chick-Fil-A, the incredibly addictive fast-food chain has come under fire from equal rights groups. Apparently, they have been supporting organizations like the Pennsylvania Family Institute (PFI). The PFI filed a brief in favor of Prop 8 in California which stated that marriage is only legal between a man and a woman. They also lobbied for the right to discriminate against people purely on sexual orientation or gender identity in Pennsylvania.

Closing their doors on Sunday's to respect the Christian faith is one thing, but donating money and openly supporting the persecution of a group of people just because they are different is reprehensible.

It will be difficult, because their food is so damn delicious, but I for one am done with Chick-Fil-A until they change their view. And yes they have every right to conduct their business and give money to whatever group they like, but I as a consumer also have the right to boycott them for living in the dark ages. And I hope anyone else with even a glimmer of respect for equal rights will do the same.


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Wow! Somehow the “Epic” Superbowl Lived up to the Hype and provided us with a phenomenal game and an even greater outcome. Title town USA now has another championship and the aptly named Lombardi trophy is safely in Green Bay, WI and the 100,000 plus owners. What a great story, and this isn’t even a Big Fish review.

As part owner and #80,875 on the season ticket waiting list I want to thank all for their undying support over the years and even the great #KokoKnows on Twitter was quick to give a big prop shout out to SuperBowl MVP Aaron Rodgers. However, more than anything I hope this is a great lesson on never giving up and what a great model the NFL is for other sports, a common discussion we have had on the Dojo.

First off was any of the World Series Games “Must See” watching events?? Was an NBA Finals game a Must see or gather with friends even? Hell No. Yes, they were exciting games but entire days were not dedicated to them like the Superbowl. This is because in the NFL a small city can compete with the big boys. It’s not about how much you can outspend the other teams it’s about how well you build your team.

Pretty much the entire Green Bay Roster was built through the draft. You won’t see that happening in Baseball and/or the NBA any time soon. This is the beauty of the NFL. It doesn't matter how rich you are; it matters how resourceful you are. You don't buy championships like the Yankees; you build them like the Packers.

But I digress. Did you see Vegas had to pay out both sides of the National Anthem prop bets because of Christina Aguilera’s gaffe? Koko, I think you better tell Alexa we need a recount and Fig better not spend his money. Also, my vote for the best commercial was the Doritos one where the Grandpa and Fish were re-carnated. However, I will give honorable mentions to the Richard Lewis Snickers commercial, Darth Vader kid, and even Eminem’s Chrysler commercial got me a little amped up. Let’s all revel in the Greatness of the Green Packer organization whom now has the most championships in NFL history and the most of the last 50 Years.

So let’s take their winning example and use it in our every day lives and on the battlefields of Red Bug Lake. Let’s Go Hit Em With the Kenny G!!!!!!

If Lil Wayne Doesn't Tip your fandom for Sunday's Game I don't know what will. I know we now have the GOAT's Support and Richards.......not to mention Prosthetic Johnsons favorite rapper spouting the Green and Yellow...Green and Yellow!!!!!

Well, With time winding down and no real other options I have decided to take My Talents Right to My Couch. A no go on securing a larger Super Bowl Viewing Option so I am going with staying at the comforts of Lambeau South to view this Epic Superbowl. The Cobra Kai are welcome to join. I am hoping Koko can concoct a way to move a TV into the Dining room to accomodate more but right now that's all I Can offer. Come and Enjoy if you please.

P.S. The Wife is ordering up a party sub but after that please bring a beverage of choice and feel free to add to the appetizers.

Illegal Move?

Don't know why..but this was too funny not to share. Plus, it has so many tie-ins with the Dojo. One of the wrestlers name is Mr. Papagorgio, the Cobra Kai and the most illegal move ever in wrestling....if that's possible. Maybe the Swami can work on this one and we can use on Friday. Enjoy.

The Green Bay Packers:
- 1919 - Present
- 11 NFL Championships (most ever)
- 3 Super Bowl Championships
-26 Post-Season Appearances (1919-Present)
- Vince Lombardi
-Lambeau Field
-The Ice Bowl

The Pittsburgh Steelers:
- 1933 - Present
-6 Super Bowl Championships (most ever)
-8 AFC Championships (most ever)
-26 Post-Season Appearances (1933-Present)
-The Steel Curtain
-The Immaculate Reception
-Chuck Noll

If the Packers win Super Bowl XLV, it will put them in an exclusive group of 4 teams to ever win at least 4 Super Bowls. The Steelers are already one of those teams with 6 Lombardi Trophies, the most ever. Although, you cannot discard the Packers pre-Super Bowl history, and the only team to ever win 3 straight NFL championships of any type.

If the Steelers are victorious, they will rise to a Yankee or God (those words are interchangeable) like status of 7 Super Bowl championships, and 3 in the last 6 years.

So will this Super Bowl decide the NFL's flagship franchise? Or is it already deciced no matter the outcome?