Pumpkin Seeds: Winter Blahs Edition

1. What to do? Against my better instincts, this blog is quickly becoming one of those personal, "yesterday I went to the Mall" kind of blogs that I find terribly boring. It's not that I don't have as much to say as I used to - god forbid that day ever comes! - but for someone reason I'm just not as compelled to log on and spend 30 minutes or so writing it out.

2. So, yesterday I stayed home from work as Isaac was battling a cold and I was fighting the beginnings of one off. Kept India home too which meant, other than a couple of work-related things via email, I didn't get much of anything done. I did get a response to an interview request re: Moon Knight's reappearance in April late in the day which is now posted over on Comic Book Commentary. Obviously, CBC has taken over as my primary blog in the past couple of months and, while I don't post there anywhere near as often as I used to here, the amount of reading that goes into each post far surpasses even the political stuff I was writing about most of last year.

3. Million Dollar Baby is an amazing film. One of the rare times I've gone to see such a high-profile movie not really knowing much about it. I hadn't read any reviews and thought it was basically a female Rocky with a better cast. Considering Rocky won Best Picture back in 1976, that's not faint praise and bodes well for its prospects this year because Clint Eastwood has outdone himself, and Hilary Swank and Morgan Freeman absolutely shine. The last half-hour is one of the most understated, emotionally-gripping sequences ever put on film. When you see it, don't make any plans for afterwards because it will weigh too heavily on your heart to let it go so quickly. Up next, Hotel Rwanda.

4. Speaking of movies, I caught the lightly-regarded Forces of Nature on TV Sunday morning and there's a future post about it bubbling in the back of my head. I loved it when I saw it in the movies, a year after getting married, and everything that worked for me then still worked six years later. I think a lot of people missed the point of the movie and I would love to interview screenwriter Marc Lawrence about where his head was when he wrote it. More on that another time, though.

5. Monday night at 13, Oscar Bermeo's feature was Ginsu Knife sharp. I'm not sure if he was feeling any extra pressure from the new format that has the slam come before the feature, with no break in between, but if he did, it didn't show as he absolutely owned the room. We joked later about how, back in 2001, he was the "little bald guy that keeps popping up." You've come a long way, baby!

6. Congrats to all of the Philadelphia Eagles fans that I know. Enjoy the glow because I honestly think the Patriots are going to eat you alive, with or without Terrell Owens. No shame there, though. As much as I hate to admit it, Belichick has built a dynasty in Foxboro. Prediction: Patriots 34, Eagles 13.

7. Today's Moment of Zen: Tiger Mates With Lion, Gives Birth to "Liger" Cub in Siberian Zoo