Kids are listening and need your support

Today my heart breaks for the kid or teenager who had to sit through a church service and hear someone who claims to be called by God preach hate. My heart breaks for the kid had to sit there and hear someone tell  them something is wrong with them. My heart breaks for the kid who left that church thinking their love is a sin.

My heart breaks for the kid on Friday who had to hear their parents or role models spew hate and homophobia. My heart breaks for the kid who didn't get congratulations texts from their friends or parents. My heart breaks for the kid who doesn't feel like they have a reason to celebrate.

My heart breaks for the kid who saw his family members post on social media that their "lifestyle" is a sin and somehow makes them less worthy of God's love.

LGBT adolescents are more likely to be homeless, and more likely to attempt or commit suicide than their straight peers. They're more likely to be bullied.

Stop for a minute and think about the message you're sending those kids before you talk and post bigotry and hatred. If you claim to be a Christian, stop and think about Jesus' message of love.

Madam President / Women's History Month

There's a prevalent (false) media narrative that the Democratic Party lacks a bench of candidates who could run for president. The truth is, many prominent Democrats are not interested in running in 2016 because the party has coalesced around a strong candidate who is incredibly popular--Hillary Rodham Clinton. Clinton is unique in that she brings a breadth of experience to the table that is unmatched in recent years. Also, the prospect of making history as the first female president is exciting to many people. While I am solidly in the Ready for Hillary camp, in honor of Women's History Month, I'd like to showcase a dozen phenomenal Democratic females other than Hillary Clinton who could easily make great presidential candidates in 2016 if she declined to run.

Tammy Baldwin

2013 - Present, U.S. Senate (Wisconsin)
1999 - 2013, U.S. House of Representatives (WI-2)
1993 - 1999, Wisconsin State Assembly
1986 - 1994, Dane County Board of Supervisors

• First openly gay U.S. senator

• Advocate for single-payer health insurance

• Former member of the House Progressive Caucus

• Sponsor of  National Breast and Cervical Cancer Early Detection Program

Maria Cantwell

2001 - Present, U.S. Senate (Washington)
1993 - 1995, U.S. House of Representatives (WA-1)
1987 - 1993, Washington House of Representatives

• Former Chairwoman of the Senate Small Business Committee and Senate Indian Affairs Committee

• First woman (along with Sen. Debbie Stabenow of Michigan) to defeat an incumbent senator

• Strong privacy advocate, including Internet privacy

• Sponsor of the Clean Money, Clean Elections Act, and later strong supporter of the McCain-Feingold campaign finance reform bill

• Led effort to black drilling in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge in 2005

Diana DeGette

1997 - Present, U.S. House of Representatives (CO-1)
1993 - 1997, Colorado House of Representatives

• Served as Chief Deputy Whip for the Democratic Caucus

• Co-chair of the Congressional Diabetes Caucus and Pro-Choice Caucus, as well as Vice Chair of the LGBT Equality Caucus

• Served as Assistant Minority Leader in the Colorado House of Representatives

• Author of the law known as the "Bubble Bill" requiring women in Colorado unobstructed access to abortion clinics and other medical care facilities 

Kirsten Gillibrand

2009 - Present, U.S. Senate
2007 - 2009, U.S. House of Representatives (NY-20)

• Served as Special Counsel to Andrew Cuomo while he served as Secretary of Housing and Urban Development

• Helped lead the effort to repeal Don't Ask, Don't Tell in 2010

• Proposed legislation removing military sexual assault cases from the military chain of command

• One of three original sponsors of legislation to legalize medical marijuana

• Introduced the FAMILY Act in 2014 which would provide for paid sick leave and maternity leave

Christine Gregoire

2005 - 2013, Governor of Washington
1993 - 2005, Attorney General of Washington

• Implemented early childhood educational programs and higher math and science standards

• Signed a gay civil rights bill that protected sexual orientation and gender identity in cases of discrimination in 2006, a domestic partnership bill in 2007, and same-sex marriage bill in 2012

• Board member for the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, and breast cancer survivor

Amy Klobuchar

2007 - Present, U.S. Senate (Minnesota)
1999 - 2007, County Attorney of Hennepin County

• Named Attorney of the Year by Minnesota Lawyer in 2001

• Vice-Chair of the Joint Economic Committee

• Former legal adviser to former Vice President Walter Mondale

Barbara Lee
1998 - Present, U.S. House of Representatives (CA-13 / CA-9)
1990 - 1996, California State Assembly

• Former Chairwoman of the Congressional Black Caucus and former Co-Chair of the Congressional Progressive Caucus

• Co-Chair of the Congressional Caucus on HIV/AIDS and the Congressional Out of Poverty Caucus

• Only member of Congress to vote against authorizing military use in 2001 after the 9/11 attacks because she believed it was too broad

Patty Murray

1993 - Present, U.S. Senator (Washington)
1989 - 1993, Washington Senate
1985 - 1989, Shoreline School District Board of Directors

• Taught preschool and a parenting class prior to her career in politics 

• Current Democratic Caucus Secretary, a role she's held since 2007

• Former Chairwoman of the Senate Committee on the Budget and Senate Committee on Veteran's Affairs

• Chaired the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee from 2001-2003 and 2011-2013

Janet Napolitano

2009 - 2013, U.S. Secretary of Homeland Security
2003 - 2009, Governor of Arizona
1999 - 2003, Attorney General of Arizona

• Current President of the University of California

• Served as an attorney for Anita Hill and as a U.S. Attorney for the District of Arizona, she was involved in the investigation of the Oklahoma City Bombing

• Named of the five best governors in the U.S. by Time magazine in 2005

Loretta Sanchez
1997 - Present, U.S. House of Representatives (CA-46 / CA-47)

• Her younger sister was elected to Congress in 2002, and they became the first pair of sisters to serve simultaneously in Congress

• Major focuses while in Congress have been education, crime, economic development and protections for senior citizens

• Holds a degree in Economics and was a financial analyst before entering politics

Kathleen Sebelius

2009 - 2014, U.S. Secretary of Health and Human Services
2003 - 2009, Governor of Kansas
1995 - 2003, Insurance Commissioner of Kansas
1987 - 1995, Kansas House of Representatives

• Named of the five best governors in the U.S. by Time magazine in 2005

• Helped eliminate a $1.1 billion debt she inherited as governor 

• First woman to chair the Democratic Governors Association (2007) and delivered the Democratic response to President George W. Bush's final State of the Union address in 2008

Jeanne Shaheen

2009 - Present, U.S. Senate (New Hampshire)
1997 - 2003, Governor of New Hampshire
1992 - 1996, New Hampshire Senate

• First (and to date only) woman to be elected both governor and U.S. senator

• National Chairperson of John Kerry's 2004 presidential campaign

• Co-authored the Medicare Transitional Care Act aimed at providing follow-up care for discharged patients to reduce re-hospitalizations

• Taught high school before entering politics

Operation Oscar 2015

The 87th annual Academy Awards are Sunday, February 22. I've been preparing by seeing each of the 17 films nominated in the major categories. Here are my picks for what I think is the best and should win along with my predictions for what will actually win.

Best Picture

1. Boyhood
2. The Theory of Everything
3. The Imitation Game
4. Selma
5. Birdman or (The Unexpected Virtue of Ignorance)
6. Whiplash
7. The Grand Budapest Hotel
8. American Sniper 

Looking back on the films, this year was a little lackluster to me. There's usually one or two films I really love. I enjoyed most of these movies, but nothing overwhelmed me. In the Best Picture race, Academy members must rank the nominees (as opposed to just voting for one as they do in the other categories.) I'm putting Boyhood first because I think overall it was the best made film of the group. I think there were great performances (particularly Ellar Coltrane and Patricia Arquette) and I really enjoyed the dialogue in the film. I know a lot of people think the movie was dragging and boring in parts, but I honestly feel like that was the point. It's meant to be a metaphor for growing up. How many times did you feel as a kid or a teenager that life just wasn't going anywhere? I felt like this was a unique take on the coming of age theme.

Ranking the movies is always difficult because of their diversity, and choosing a number two between The Theory of Everything and The Imitation Game was tough. It's interesting to me that they both happen to be true stories of British men. Anyway, the former was just a better made film in my opinion.

A lot has been said and written about Selma. I think it's a good film that could've been better in places, but above all it's an important film and a story everyone should be familiar with if they don't know it already. I was particularly impressed with performances by David Oyelowo and Carmen Ejogo in the film.

Birdman or (The Unexpected Virtue of Ignorance) was unique and interesting to me, but needed to be a little tighter to me. I would've been okay with just those five nominees. (I would've also thrown in Gone Girl and Into the Woods). Whiplash was a good movie, with great acting, but I just wouldn't call it Best Picture worthy.

As for The Grand Budapest Hotel and American Sniper, they just aren't my type of films. I can see the appeal and originality of Wes Anderson's style, but it's just not what I enjoy. I could probably write an entire post about American Sniper and the politics surrounding it, but that's for another time. Just taking it for what it's worth as a film, it was a mediocre war movie with decent acting.

Prediction: Boyhood
Part of me thinks this year could be leading to an upset. A win for Boyhood or Birdman or (The Unexpected Virtue of Ignorance) is what is expected. The guild awards point to the latter, while the BAFTAs suggest the former. Leading experts and notorious award prediction site Gold Derby are split 50/50 between the two. While Birdman or (The Unexpected Virtue of Ignorance) has gotten a lot of recent buzz and chatter, I just don't expect it to win. I would keep an eye on The Grand Budapest Hotel for an upset.

Best Director

1. Richard Linklater - Boyhood
2. Morten Tyldum - The Imitation Game
3. Alejandro González Iñárritu - Birdman or (The Unexpected Virtue of Ignorance)
4. Wes Anderson - The Grand Budapest Hotel
5. Bennett Miller - Foxcatcher

I'm going with Richard Linklater's remarkable 12 year labor of love. The next two on my list were pretty strong as well. I don't really get the nomination for Bennett Miller. That was surprising. I would've rounded out the category with James Marsh for The Theory of Everything.

Prediction: Richard Linklater - Boyhood
Another race where Boyhood and Birdman or (The Unexpected Virtue of Ignorance) seem to be the frontrunners. But, again, don't discount Wes Anderson.

Best Actor

1. Eddie Redmayne - The Theory of Everything
2. Benedict Cumberbatch - The Imitation Game
3. Michael Keaton - Birdman or (The Unexpected Virtue of Ignorance)
4. Bradley Cooper - American Sniper
5. Steve Carrell - Foxcatcher

I think these are all worthy performances even though I would have loved to see David Oyelowo honored for his performance as Martin Luther King, Jr. in Selma. Eddie Redmayne just rises above the competition for me. His incredible performance is moving and subtle. Benedict Cumberbatch is a very close second, and if I were playing favorites, I would say I want him to win. I'd be happy either way.

Prediction: Eddie Redmayne - The Theory of Everything
The dynamics and buzz surrounding this race really changed after Eddie Redmayne won the Screen Actors Guild award in late January. Michael Keaton went from the overwhelming frontrunner, to being a solid second. Redmayne seems poised to win on Sunday night.

Best Actress

1. Julianne Moore - Still Alice
2. Rosamund Pike - Gone Girl
3. Felicity Jones - The Theory of Everything
4. Marion Cotillard - Two Days, One Night
5. Reese Witherspoon - Wild

Julianne Moore's performance in Still Alice was magnificent. Rosamund Pike was also stellar and haunting in Gone Girl. By far the best two female performances of the year.

Prediction: Julianne Moore - Still Alice
This race pretty much looks like a lock for Julianne Moore. Despite four previous nominations, she has never won an Oscar. That should change Sunday night.

Best Supporting Actor

1. Edward Norton - Birdman or (The Unexpected Virtue of Ignorance)
2. J.K. Simmons - Whiplash
3. Robert Duvall - The Judge
4. Mark Ruffalo - Foxcatcher
5. Ethan Hawke - Boyhood

I don't have too much to say about these performances. I thought Edward Norton and J.K. Simmons were both good in their respective roles. Robert Duvall and Mark Ruffalo were also good. Ethan Hawke's nomination seems a bit out of place to me, but I chalk it up to love for the movie.

Prediction: J.K. Simmons - Whiplash
This race seems to be a done deal as well. J.K. Simmons has swept the pre-Oscar awards and looks like a strong favorite to win the Oscar.

Best Supporting Actress

1. Meryl Streep - Into the Woods
2. Patricia Arquette - Boyhood
3. Keira Knightley - The Imitation Game
4. Laura Dern - Wild
5. Emma Stone - Birdman or (The Unexpected Virtue of Ignorance)

So many women I just absolutely love in this category! Obviously I adore Meryl Streep, but I'm also a big fan of Laura Dern and Emma Stone--not to slight the other two ladies. It's hard to outdo Meryl Streep, and I just don't think anyone did in this category. Patricia Arquette comes in second for me. I enjoyed all of these performances and thought all five of these women did a great job. I think it's telling that it's a strong category when I had to put Emma Stone in fifth place, because she's great, and she did a wonderful job in Birdman or (The Unexpected Virtue of Ignorance). Honestly, these could be ranked in a different order on a different day for me--this was the toughest one for me.

Prediction: Patricia Arquette - Boyhood
Once again, as with the other acting categories, this seems to be a foregone conclusion. Expect Patricia Arquette to become an Oscar winner on Sunday evening.


Best Adapted Screenplay

1. Anthony McCarten - The Theory of Everything
2. Graham Moore - The Imitation Game
3. Damien Chazelle - Whiplash
4. Paul Thomas Anderson - Inherent Vice
5. Jason Hall - American Sniper

I would be super happy with The Theory of Everything or The Imitation Game winning this award. I thought Inherent Vice was a little dull, and American Sniper just wasn't my taste.

Prediction: Damien Chazelle - Whiplash
The screenplay races can be hard to predict. Most of the experts are predicting Graham Moore will win for The Imitation Game. However, there is strong support for Damien Chazelle's Whiplash. The Oscar prognosticators I trust the most, along with my gut instinct, tell me to go with Whiplash for the win. It will almost certainly be one of those two films.

Best Original Screenplay

1. Richard Linklater - Boyhood
2. Alejandro González Iñárritu, Nicolás Giacobone, Alexander Dinerlaris, Jr., Armando Bo - Birdman or (The Unexpected Virtue of Ignorance)
3. Wes Anderson, Hugo Guinness - The Grand Budapest Hotel
4. Dan Gilroy - Nightcrawler
5. E. Max Frye, Dan Futterman - Foxcatcher

Boyhood was my favorite, so it gets my top pick. Birdman or (The Unexpected Virtue of Ignorance) is well written, too. I thought Nightcrawler was interesting and a fascinating idea for a movie. I was rooting for Gillian Flynn (Gone Girl) and one of my favorite writers, Nick Hornby (Wild).

Prediction: Wes Anderson, Hugo Guinness - The Grand Budapest Hotel
Birdman or (The Unexpected Virtue of Ignorance) could win this race and I really wouldn't consider it an upset, but it seems much more likely that the award will go to The Grand Budapest Hotel.

A few words about Sen. Barbara Boxer

I’ve always had a casual interest in politics. However, my political awakening came in 2005, around the same time I began to come out as gay to friends. Sen. Barbara Boxer was one of the first national figures to make it onto my radar. She was one of the very first candidates to whom I donated money. She was the ranking member of the Environmental and Public Works Committee (which she would later chair when Democrats were in the majority) and was a strong outspoken champion for environmental protection and combating climate change. She was one of only 14 senators to vote against the Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA) in 1996. I can remember when she and Sen. Ted Kennedy were pretty much the only senators to publicly support same sex marriage rights. She became a hero of mine and quickly became my favorite senator. She’s remained my favorite senator for a decade. She never backed down from a challenge and was always a champion for progressive ideas. She matched her fiery rhetoric with hard work and sponsoring and co-sponsoring important progressive legislation. As Nancy Pelosi said, “Small in size, but a giant in terms of her contribution to her country.” I look forward to seeing the work she does in her final two years as a U.S. Senator, and I’m sure she’ll continue doing great things afterwards as well.

2014 in Review

December of each year is littered with year end lists and recaps. I happen to be obsessed with these things, so I did my own. I know these are supposed to be done in December, and here we are on January 1, but I am a known procrastinator. It's even been documented in a professional evaluation that I am a person who turns things in at the last minute. So, without further ado, here are a few of my own end of the year lists.

14 Biggest Moments of 2014

I was going to make a list of the "best" moments of the year, but I think "biggest" is more appropriate. Whether good or bad, these were 14 of the most impactful events of 2014 for me personally.

• Snowpocalypse: January 28-29

It wasn't supposed to "stick." Meteorologists said, "No accumulation," over and over. They were wrong. Two inches of snow fell on Tuesday, January 28, and it shut the entire city of Birmingham down. No one was prepared for the snowfall, and the company I work for wouldn't dream of closing early for a weather event, so it got a little crazy. People got stranded and slept in cars and all sorts of other craziness happened. Luckily, I ended up in a comfortable hotel room, and made it home the next day, but it was total madness. I love snow, but this was not fun snow.

• Kaitlin & Jonathan's Engagement Party: February 15

My baby sister is getting married this year! My cousin Jenny and I got together and threw a pretty epic engagement party for my sister and her fiance. It was beautiful and fun, and the two families got to meet and hang out while getting to know each other.

• Oscar Party: March 2

My best friend Heather and I have embarked on what we call Operation Oscar for the past several years. We watch each film nominated for best picture, best director, and those nominated in the acting and writing categories. We review them, we discuss them, we debate them, we decide who we want to win and who deserves to win, and then we watch the ceremony together. This year we had our two person party at my place, complete with red carpet, appetizers and gift bags. Fun as shit. You should be jealous.

• Jordeather Nashville Trip: March 29-April 1

Heather and I took a long weekend trip to Nashville this spring and had a blast. The two main events were two concerts--the first being Cher and Pat Benetar, the second Demi Lovato, Cher Lloyd and Fifth Harmony. We were definitely the youngest people at the Cher concert, and the oldest people at the Demi Lovato concert (without kids). Cher was fucking epic. Seriously, if you haven't seen her live, you need to. She puts on a hell of a show. Demi Lovato is incredible as well. We did a lot of other fun things in Nashville too, including eating good food, touring the Country Music Hall of Fame and strolling around Opry Mills. The two of us always have the most fun together on road trips and this was no exception.

• Birthday Weekend in ATL: May 2-4

Heather and I took a road trip to Atlanta for my birthday weekend and I got to do so many nerdy amazing things. We went to the Jimmy Carter Presidential Library, the MLK Center, a couple of gay bars, saw some drag performances, spent hours in IKEA, ate incredible food, and saw the musical American Idiot. It was a great way to ring in 29!

• Hangout Music Festival & Beach Trip: May 15-19

Heather, Cassandra and I traveled down to the Gulf Coast for the Hangout Music Festival in May. The weekend was an extended celebration of Heather's 30th birthday (thanks for paving the way for us into the 30s!) While Heather attended the actual music festival, Cassandra and I spent time in the sun by the pool (and eating Guthrie's). It was a fun weekend of beach and friend time.

• Brother Sister Weekend: July 12-13

My sister Kaitlin came up to Birmingham and the two of us had a slumber party, then drove to Atlanta to see The Little Mermaid musical. The Little Mermaid is her very favorite movie, so I surprised her with tickets to the show for her birthday. I found myself once again being old in a place without having kids, but I thoroughly enjoyed the production, and as always, had a wonderful time hanging out with Katie-Fran.

• Family Beach Trip: August 2-9

Our family took its annual beach trip to Orange Beach the first week in August. Other than a nasty eye infection and some nasty homophobic remarks my mom made behind my back, the trip was wonderful. I love being on the Gulf Coast and I had a really relaxing week. I also read Rainbow Rowell's Eleanor & Park (in 24 hours) and it made my whole trip even better. Incredible novel!

• Taylor Swift's 1989: October 27

Yes, I am including Taylor Swift's newest album release as one of the biggest moments of the year. It's that good. She's that good. This album is musical greatness and she's a musical genius. I'm still listening to 1989 on repeat.

• Midterm Elections: November 4

I love voting and democracy. Election night results weren't particularly joyful for me, but I got to know and work with some really fantastic candidates here locally. I hope I haven't seen or heard the last from Cindy Bell, Miranda Joseph or Mark Lester.

• Aaron Carter Concert: November 19

Kaitlin and I went to see Aaron Carter in concert in Tuscaloosa. Yet again, I felt so fucking old. Most of the kids at this concert weren't of drinking age, and he didn't go on until after 11:00 p.m. I stayed out super late on a work night, but it was worth it too see Kaitlin freak out in excitement over seeing him. She was obsessed with him when we were kids, and she loved the concert. I had a good time as well and I'm glad I got to experience it.

• Screen Adaptations of Books

Four novels I really love were made into movies or television series this year. My favorite novelist Nick Hornby's A Long Way Down was released and had an amazing cast--Pierce Brosnan, Toni Collette and Aaron Paul. I really enjoyed seeing the film version of this great story. Tom Perrotta's The Leftovers was turned into an HBO television series. The show strayed a lot from the novel and took a much darker turn, but it was gripping and I'm looking forward to the next season. My favorite book of all time, Lois Lowry's The Giver, had its film adaptation released this summer. It didn't receive great reviews and many people seemed let down, but I was pleasantly surprised. It was wonderful re-reading an old favorite and then watching it come alive on screen. Plus, you really can't go wrong with Meryl fucking Streep! My favorite of the adaptations I saw this year was the film version of Jonathan Topper's This Is Where I Leave You. Once again, a stellar cast--Jason Bateman, Tina Fey, Jane Fonda and many others. The movie did such a great job at not leaving important things out and I absolutely loved it.

• The Clinton Family

Not-so-newsflash: I'm obsessed with Hillary Clinton and the entire Clinton clan. It was a big year for them. Chelsea Clinton and her husband Marc announced their pregnancy in April and welcomed their daughter Charlotte in September. Hillary's latest book Hard Choices was released in June and it chronicled her tenure as secretary of state. It's a truly fascinating and detailed look at America's foreign policy. Many in the media attacked her appearances, and I had an entertaining Twitter exchange/fight with CNN's Jake Tapper over one such criticism. She made a triumphant return to the campaign trail in 2014, and delivered the keynote speech at Iowa Senator Tom Harkin's final Harkin Steak Fry. Candidates she campaigned for received a noticeable bump in support after her campaign appearance. I'm eagerly awaiting what she has in store for 2015, which will hopefully include a presidential campaign announcement.

• Shania Twain

Even less of a newsflash is my obsession with Shania Twain. In 2014, she played her first concert outside of her Vegas gig in 10 years in Calgary in July. Tickets sold out within a minute prompting concert promoters to schedule a second show, which also sold out in minutes. She was named Best Resident Performer in Las Vegas, recorded an updated version of her mega hit "You're Still The One" as a duet with Portuguese singer Paula Fernandes in English and Portuguese, and ended her stellar two year residency in Vegas. In the midst of all of this, she found time to reply to one of my tweets in May, which made me pretty fucking happy. She is expected to release a new album and tour in 2015, and I desperately hope that it does indeed happen!

14 Favorite Television Shows of 2014

So much great TV, and so little time. These were my favorite shows in 2014.

• American Dad
• Family Guy
• Girls
• The Good Wife
• House of Cards
• How to Get Away with Murder
• The Leftovers
• The Mindy Project
• Mom
• The Newsroom
• Orange is the New Black
• Shameless
• Veep
• Vicious

Honorable Mention: Scandal  - I just started watching in 2014. I did a binge to catch up, and I'm officially hooked.

14 Favorite Songs of 2014

These are the songs that made 2014 great and the songs I jammed out to on repeat this year.

• “Bartender” – Lady Antebellum
• “Blank Space” – Taylor Swift
• “Chandelier” – Sia
• “Cool Kids” – Echosmith
• “Girls Chase Boys” – Ingrid Michaelson
• “Habits (Stay High)” – Tove Lo
• “I Choose You” – Sara Bareilles
• “Shake it Off” – Taylor Swift
• “Sky Full of Stars” – Coldplay
• “Stay With Me” – Sam Smith
• “Talk Dirty” – Jason Derulo feat. 2 Chainz
• “Timber” – Pitbull featuring Kesha
• “Try” – Colbie Callait
• “Turn Down For What” – DJ Snake and Lil Jon

14 Hottest Guys of 2014

The guys I crushed on and lusted over in 2014.

• Darren Criss

• Zac Efron

• Neil Patrick Harris

• Colton Haynes

• Anton Hysen

• Nick Jonas

• Macklemore & Ryan Lewis

• Jake Miller

• Alex Minsky

• Dan Osborne

• Michael Sam

• Ari Shapiro

• Brian Sims

• Justin Theroux

The Genius of Taylor Swift

                Taylor Swift knows exactly what you think of her, and she’s capitalizing on it quite remarkably. It’s all part of her genius.

                I don’t use the word genius lightly, but when it comes to Swift and music, it fits. She’s an exceptional songwriter and storyteller, and she’s an energetic and lively entertainer and performer.

                There’s the perception that is more than overplayed out in the public arena. Swift is a boy crazed, play the victim whiner. It’s an opinion that is not based in fact, and says more about the patriarchal society we live in than it says about her as a person.

                There’s discomfort when a young woman displays confidence and speaks out telling her own truths. There’s discomfort when a young woman achieves such a high level of success. Society reacts by attempting to knock her down a peg—to put her in her place so to speak.

                Luckily, those attempts are proving futile. With the release of her newest album, 1989, Swift became the only artist in music history to sell more than one million copies of a single album in a single week three separate times. Her two previous releases, Speak Now (2010) and Red (2012), were the other two albums that helped her reach this feat.

                Swift is not just another pop star. Her music has a refreshing candor and depth than many of her peers’ lack in their works. And, she’s not afraid to use the negativity thrown at her in her favor.

                Take for instance the first single released from 1989, “Shake It Off.” She speaks to the accusations that she cannot keep a man and flippantly yet poignantly writes the naysayers off.

                The video for the album’s second single, “Blank Space,” furthers her new self-aware attitude in the best way possible. It’s an absolute brilliant video where Swift not only pokes fun at herself, but taunts those that choose to hurl insults her way.

                It’s electrifying when art is so clever and spot on, and that is the genius of Taylor Swift.

Operation Oscar 2014

A week from today is the 86th annual Academy Awards. I have succeeded in seeing every film nominated in the major categories--Best Picture, Directing, Acting and Writing. I've also managed to see a few others as well. Here's a rundown of the major categories with my favorites and predictions. I've also posted some additional commentary in each category.

In each category, I've ranked each nominee from my favorite to least favorite.

Best Picture

As usual, there is a wide variety of films this year. It's always hard comparing the films because they're so different. This year was an interesting year for me. Usually the films I enjoy the most and think are the best are the ones I would want to watch over and over. 12 Years a Slave was the best film for me, but I don't know if I could watch it again. It's tough to sit through, but it's an important film. Based on a true story, it's a beautifully written tragic story. The performances by the actors are amazing, and the scenery is beautiful. I think it deserves to win. Her was the film the surprised me the most. It's a great portrayal of relationships. It's also a beautifully shot movie--I loved the futuristic aspect of the film. The Wolf of Wall Street is an important story for people to see in light of the financial crash in 2008. It's another film with great acting and a great script. I really enjoyed Dallas Buyers Club, Philomena and Nebraska. All three films made me laugh and cry. (I cried much more than laughed during Dallas Buyers Club.) The other three films on the list would not have been included if it were up to me. Captain Phillips is a good movie, and Tom Hanks was great in it, but it just wasn't as good as the others for me. American Hustle and Gravity are highly overrated in my opinion.

1.      12 Years a Slave

2.      Her

3.      The Wolf of Wall Street

4.      Dallas Buyers Club

5.      Philomena

6.      Nebraska

7.      Captain Phillips

8.      American Hustle

9.      Gravity

Prediction: 12 Years a Slave

The experts seem to be split on 12 Years a Slave and Gravity. Maybe it's just wishful thinking, but I feel like 12 Years a Slave will prevail. There's strong support for American Hustle as well. The way the Academy tallies votes for Best Picture, any of those three films could win.

Best Director

Martin Scorsese did a great job with The Wolf of Wall Street and deserves to win. I would also be thrilled if Steve McQueen won for 12 Years a Slave. As great as that movie was, there were some interesting directional choices that didn't quite work for me. Overall, it was good, but those few shots give the edge to Scorses for me.

1.      Martin Scorsese – The Wolf of Wall Street

2.      Steve McQueen – 12 Years a Slave

3.      Alexander Payne – Nebraska

4.      David O. Russell – American Hustle

5.      Alfonso Cuaron – Gravity

Prediction: Alfonso Cuaron - Gravity

I think Alfonso Cuaron has a strong lock on this category. There's a chance Steve McQueen could play spoiler with 12 Years a Slave, which I'm hoping for (since I don't think Scorsese has a chance).

Best Actor

Chiwetel Ejiofor gives such an incredible performance in 12 Years a Slave. I think he deserves to win. I would be really happy for Leonardo DiCaprio if he won as well. He's an incredible actor, and this is his fourth Oscar nomination--and this year marks the 20th anniversary of his first Oscar nomination (Best Supporting Actor in What's Eating Gilbert Grape). Every man in this category was exceptional in my opinion. I thought Christian Bale was the best part of American Hustle. I was glad to see him included in this category.

1.      Chiwetel Ejiofor – 12 Years a Slave

2.      Leonardo DiCaprio – The Wolf of Wall Street

3.      Christian Bale – American Hustle

4.      Matthew McConaughey – Dallas Buyers Club

5.      Bruce Dern – Nebraska

Prediction: Matthew McConaughey
This seems to be one of the more fluid races of the season. Matthew McConaughey's great work in Dallas Buyers Club has already won him several awards, including a Golden Globe and a SAG award. I think it'll also earn him an Oscar. Don't count out Leonardo DiCaprio though. There's a late surge of support for him. On the other hand, Chiwetel Ejiofor, who was a frontrunner earlier in the awards season, seems to be fading.

Best Actress

There just isn't anyone that can do what Meryl Streep can do. I know she's not going to win, but let's be honest--she gave the best performance of the year. She was incredible in August: Osage County--a movie that didn't get enough love from the Academy. Cate Blanchett was really great in Blue Jasmine. She's such a great actress as well. I really think Emma Thompson should have been nominated. She would easily be third on this list. (Also, for anyone that thinks I'm too biased in favor of Meryl Streep, see my rankings for Best Supporting Actress, and for the record, I didn't rank her first in 2009.)

1.      Meryl Streep – August: Osage County

2.      Cate Blanchett – Blue Jasmine

3.      Judi Dench – Philomena

4.      Sandra Bullock – Gravity

5.      Amy Adams  - American Hustle

Prediction: Cate Blanchett - Blue Jasmine

I'd be shocked if Cate Blanchett didn't win this race. Amy Adams is most likely to play spoiler, followed by Sandra Bullock. 

Best Supporting Actor

Jared Leto hasn't acted in six years. His comeback performance is incredible. Michael Fassbender is also amazing in 12 Years a Slave. The other performances aren't as powerful in my opinion.

1.      Jared Leto – Dallas Buyers Club

2.      Michael Fassbender – 12 Years a Slave

3.      Barkhad Abdi – Captain Phillips

4.      Jonah Hill – The Wolf of Wall Street

5.      Bradley Cooper – American Hustle

Prediction: Jared Leto - Dallas Buyers Club

Of all four acting races, this one seems to be the one that is the most settled. Expect to hear Jared Leto's name called on Oscar night. 

Best Supporting Actress

Julia Roberts is my favorite actress. I've loved her for as long as I've been old enough to enjoy movies. She's great in August: Osage County. I'd love it if she won. However, Lupita Nyong'o's performance in 12 Years a Slave is nothing short of breathtaking and heartbreaking. She brings such depth to the role of Patsey. I think her performance was the best, and I'll be rooting for her. As an aside, I loved June Squibb in Nebraska. She was so funny. I'd love to see her in more roles.

1.      Lupita Nyong’o – 12 Years a Slave

2.      Julia Roberts – August: Osage County

3.      June Squibb – Nebraska

4.      Jennifer Lawrence – American Hustle

5.      Sally Hawkins – Blue Jasmine

Prediction: Lupita Nyong'o - 12 Years a Slave

This race is a close one between Lupita Nyong'o and Jennifer Lawrence. I think (and hope) Nyong'o will win. 

Best Adapted Screenplay

As a writer, I love the writing categories. These are all good screenplays. No disrespect to Billy Ray, but I'd be happy with any of the first four on this list winning. Captain Phillips just doesn't quite hold up to the others in my opinion. I really enjoyed Before Midnight and the two predecessors in the trilogy. It told an interesting story and I thought it provided thought provoking insight on life and relationships. I'm going with John Ridley's adaptation of 12 Years a Slave just because it's such a compelling story.

1.      John Ridley – 12 Years a Slave

2.      Terrence Winter – The Wolf of Wall Street

3.      Steve Coogan, Jeff Pope – Philomena

4.      Richard Linklater, Julie Delpy, Ethan Hawke – Before Midnight

5.      Billy Ray – Captain Phillips

Prediction: John Ridley - 12 Years a Slave

The screenplay categories can often be more up in the air than other categories, but John Ridley seems to be a strong favorite here.

Best Original Screenplay

Just like above--no disrespect to Eric Warren Singer and David O. Russell--but I'd be happy with any of my top four winning this race. Nebraska was a clever, original story. Her was just above and beyond great for me. I was surprised actually--but it was incredibly well written. I'm really rooting for Spike Jonze.

1.      Spike Jonze – Her

2.      Bob Nelson – Nebraska

3.      Craig Borten, Melisa Wallack – Dallas Buyers Club

4.      Woody Allen – Blue Jasmine

5.      Eric Warren Singer, David O. Russell – American Hustle

 
Prediction: Eric Warren Singer, David O. Russell - American Hustle
This looks to be a close race between American Hustle and Her. I'm mostly picking American Hustle because I don't expect the film I want to win to actually win--plus the Academy really likes Russell and they love this film. With it likely getting shut out of the other big categories, I expect the Academy to throw a bone its way with this award.

So, there are my thoughts on the major categories. Agree? Disagree? What do you think? Leave a comment and let me know.