How @SadderAndWiser #WinsTwitter

My friend, whose Twitter profile is @SadderAndWiser, keeps a pretty low profile on Twitter. That being said, if you are one of her fortunate 23 followers, then you know that there are quite a few gems on her timeline. @SadderAndWiser's Twitter account is a winner because it references awesome TV shows, her sharp wit, and her ability to tell things like they are. Here is a sort of greatest hits list for you:

Keep tweeting @SadderAndWiser!

Writing

I was just reading a friend's blog (which you can find here), and it has inspired me to try to write more. I don't just mean that I want to blog more, though I do want that. It would be great to find a way to turn writing into a devotional practice like my friend has here. I'll keep in touch with my progress and ideas in the future. Hopefully this becomes something.

The "Thumbs Up" and "Thumbs Down" on the Golden Globes

The Golden Globes have an odd reputation. On the one hand, they represent the beginning of the film awards season. But on the other hand they are often a joke. That's not to say that the winners are undeserving or that the honor means nothing. Between the odd award categories and the crapulous celebrities, the Globes just doesn't demand the respect that the Academy Awards does. Every year, without fail, the Golden Globes end and I find myself with more questions than answers about what to expect at the Oscars. Here are my "thumbs up" and "thumbs down" moments of this years Golden Globe Awards.

"Thumbs Up": Tina Fey and Amy Poehler

I'm really glad that HFPA had the common sense to ask these two to host the awards again this year. They are hilarious in a fairly tasteful way. Their George Clooney Gravity joke was one of the highlights of the night.

"Thumbs Down": Gravity not winning Best Motion Picture, Drama

I put a thumbs down for Gravity not winning as opposed to a thumbs down for the fact that 12 Years A Slave did win, because I mean absolutely no disrespect to 12 Years A Slave. I have yet to see the film (mostly cause of my aversion to graphic violence and nudity), but I have nothing but the utmost respect for the subject matter that this film takes on. Personally, I found Gravity to be a triumph in film making, and can't help but root for it this awards season.

"Thumbs Up": Amy Adams' win for Best Actress in a Motion Picture, Musical or Comedy

If you aren't already aware, Amy Adams is one of the greatest actresses of our time. Few actresses perform the range of roles that Adams does, and yet she has been chronically neglected awards season after awards season. Always the nominee, never the winner. It was nice to see her put a check in the win column. It's even more impressive that she did it up against Hollywood darling Meryl Streep. Oscar nominations are announced this week, and I really hope to see Adams' name on that ballot over Streep's. Streep gave a good performance this year, but Adams gave a better performance and has gotten little recognition for it.

"Thumbs Down": Sandra Bullock not winning Best Actress in a Motion Picture, Drama

I like Cate Blanchett a lot, and in previous awards years, I've rooted for her to win. This year though, she just didn't give the best performance. Bullock's performance had subtle physical and emotional aspects that no other actress can touch this year. Not only does Bullock carry  most of the film on her own with one of the most emotionally aware performances I've ever seen, but she does it all while tied to a bunch of contraptions that could probably be mistaken for torture devices from the Saw films. Blanchett's performance is worthy of a nomination, but her role comes off as more of a caricature than an actual person. But being a woman nominated for a role in a Woody Allen film is like having a golden ticket come awards season. Be sure, Blanchett will win any and every award, despite Bullock's flawless performance.

"Thumbs Up": Frozen winning Best Animated Feature Film

It was a no-brainer. No animated film came close to the same caliber as Frozen. Add on top of that the fact that HFPA didn't even nominate Monsters University, the only film with a ghost of a chance of winning against Frozen.

"Thumbs Up": Jennifer Lawrence's win for Best Supporting Actress in a Motion Picture

Before Lawrence became a household name and one of America's most well liked actresses, she was a mostly unknown actress giving an Oscar-worthy performance in Winter's Bone. I've been following Lawrence's amazing career ever since. American Hustle wasn't the best film released this year, but Lawrence was definitely a highlight, and I wish her all the success in her career. Her acceptance speech was charmingly affable and humble. That's nice to see in a person that could be sitting on a very high horse right now.

"Thumbs Up": Alfonso Cuaron's win for Best Director - Motion Picture

Gravity is the kind of film that takes a lot of vision, heart, and dedication to fulfill its potential. Nobody could have taken the vision for this film and made it come to life like Cuaron did here. This film is one of those works of art that you just can't help but marvel at and say to yourself, "How did he ever think to do that the way he did?"

"Thumbs Down": Steven Price not winning Best Original Score

The beauty of Price's score for Gravity is that it captures the emotion of the film as it is happening. Yes, most scores do this, but Price's score has the added task of filling in for the lack of sound since the film takes place in outer space. In Gravity all you have to supplement the explosions and fly debris in the background is Price's score, which does the job perfectly.

"Thumbs Down": U2 winning for Best Original Song

This was a clear case of HFPA giving its popular celebrity friend Bono a pat on the back. This award clearly should have gone to either "Let It Go" from Frozen or "Please Mr. Kennedy" from Inside Llewyn Davis. These two films, and their respective songs, had the most creative and professional approaches to music of any films this year. 

"Thumbs Down": Drama Awards for Television

Unless Alicia Florreck gets a sex change and turns her new law firm into a way to start selling meth, The Good Wife won't win awards. I'm aware of this, and fully expected Breaking Bad to take home most of these awards over The Good Wife. The tragedy of The Good Wife is that its protagonist has too many ethical standards, and not enough male genitalia for her show to be considered the best on television. Hollywood will always value the white man with a bad boy complex over a woman of any kind, and that speaks to the amount of progress still to be made with gender equality. Let the rest of us know when you're ready to accept a strong female protagonist, we'll be over here watching The Good Wife at the top of its game.

"Thumbs Up": Brooklyn Nine-Nine winning big

Between this show's win for "Best TV Series, Musical or Comedy" and Andy Samberg's win for "Best Actor in a TV Series, Musical or Comedy," Brooklyn Nine-Nine was the surprise of the night. It's nice to see the Globes honor one of the few new comedies that wasn't just pandering to the CBS and HBO styles of "comedy" that seem to draw in all of the awards. This show has its flaws, but it's one of the most consistently funny on television. It was also a bonus to see Andy Samberg's total shock when they announced that he had won. Rarely do you get to see an acceptance speech from someone who genuinely didn't expect to win, and his was perfect.

"Thumbs Up": Amy Poehler finally gets the recognition she deserves

Amy Poehler is the heart and soul of Parks and Recreation, a show which arguably deserves a few "Best TV Series, Musical or Comedy" wins itself. At this point, I never expected Poehler to get the recognition she deserves. Maybe it was HFPA's new found appreciation for Poehler as their host that put her over the edge, but nobody can say that this award was undeserved. Poehler is a marvel as Leslie Knope, it's about time somebody wrote that on a trophy for her.