Thursday, January 22, 2009

Lost premiere Because You Left: Lost season 5 episode 1 s05e01


After a full season of absence, Lost season 5 premiere with episode 1 of a two-part opening salvo. In Because You Left (Lost 5.01 / Lost s05e01), several survivors of Oceanic Six feel compelled to go back to the island. This episode was shown after a one-hour recap of the first four seasons, probably to refresh the memory of the television audience on what happened previously as it has been several months since the show last aired. Going back to Lost season 5 episode 1, Because You Left, why will the survivors go back to the island, and where will they go back to since their former home has vanished out of sight? Learn more about this when you watch Lost s05e01/Lost 5.01.

The full video episode of Lost season 5 episode 1 / Lost 5 01 will be available online soon, and as always, a copy will be posted on this page for those of you who missed its regular airing on television. You can check back for it regularly. In the meantime, here is a short summary of Because You Left (Lost s05e01 / Lost 5.01) followed by recently released video clips.

Several of the Oceanic Six survivors come to grips with their need to return to the island... on their own terms.

Video Clip: Because You Left: Lost season 5 episode 1 / Lost 5 01


Lost 5 premiere The Lie: Lost season 5 episode 2 (5.02/s05e02)


In the second installment of our season 5 premiere, Lost season 5 episode 2 / Lost 5 02 see the island survivors being attacked. But by whom? Nobody know, yet. They are being attacked by unknown forces and they seem helpless. Kate is forced to hide the truth after receiving help from an old friend. What's in store for our survivors? And who is responsible for the attacks on the island? Find out the answers to these questions when you watch The Lie, Lost 5.02 / Lost s05e02 as it unfolds tonight.

For those of you who have prior commitments (or work) and won't have time to watch Lost season 5 episode 2 / Lost 5.02 during its regular airing, don't

worry because the full episode video will be posted on this page. Please check back for it. In the meantime, here is the synopsis of Lost season 5 episode 2 (The Lie) followed by its previously released video clips.

Hurley and Sayid are hunted down by the cops. Jack and Ben try to bring everyone together as a team. Kate recieves help from an old friend to hide the truth.

Preview: Lost season 5 episode 2 / Lost "The Lie"


2009 Academy Award nominations / 2009 Oscar nominees list


In a few hours, the 2009 Academy Award nominations / 2009 Academy Award nominees will be announced in Hollywood ending weeks of speculation on who will get the distinction of forever being known as an Oscar nominee, the second most coveted title in Hollywood after "Oscar winner". As in previous years, the announcement of the 2009 Oscar nominations / 2009 Oscar nominees will be done at the unholy hour of 5 AM when most everyone is still in deep slumber. But for Hollywood, this is one of the best days of the year to be up early, especially if you're gunning for an Oscar nomination / Academy Award nomination. The Grammys have done away with this tradition

this year, opting for a nomination announcement concert instead. But the Oscars seems to sticking with tradition. (Image source: MisterMad)

Who are up for Academy Award nominations this year? Well, for one, Slumdog Millionaire. The movie has been showered with nominations and wins from different critics, press and guild awards that it is certain to be one of the 2009 Oscar nominees for Best Film. And expect it to get a few more in the different categories as well. The nominations Best Director, Screenplay, Editing, among others, will likely include Slumdog Millionaire. Other films to watch out for are the Brad Pitt starrer The Curious Case of Benjamin Button, Clint Eastwood's Gran Torino, and Meryl Streep's Doubt. Also, with a Golden Globe nomination to its credit, Revolutionary Road is expected to be in the 2009 Academy Awards nominees list as well.

In the acting categories, though there is no clear favorite for the win as of yet, the nominations will almost certainly include the names of Meryl Streep, Ann Hathaway and Angelina Jolie. And, with a double win in the Golden Globes recently, Kate Winslet is a sure nominee is at least one acting category, if not both. On the actors' side of the fence, the names of Brad Pitt, Sean Penn (for Milk) and Mickey Rourke (for The Wrestler) will certainly be shoo ins this year. And how about Dev Patel of Slumdog Millionaire? Well, he has never figured well in other awards (except fro Most Promising Newcomer) but the tide of interest carried by Slumdog Millionaire may just land him a 2009 Oscar nomination for Best Actor. Clint Eastwood may also figure in the least. He is a perennial Oscar favorite after all.

Snubs? Will there be a major Oscar snub this year? Who knows. There have been some disappointed potential nominees in the past years and there may be some again this year. Let's just wait for the 2009 Academy Awards nominations / 2009 Oscar nominees to be revealed later. The full list will be posted here as soon as the list is revealed so please check back regularly.

BTW, Heath Ledger for The Dark Knight is another almost-certain nominee. His wins and nominations from other awards organizations, plus the sentiment carried by his death last year, bolster his chances of an Oscar nomination (and win) this year.

2009 Oscar Awards nominations / 2009 Oscar Awards nominees


The 2009 Oscar nominations / 2009 Oscar Awards nominees will be announced shortly in Los Angeles, the most anticipated film awards nominations of the season. Who will be included in this year's list? Does a nomination from another award-giving organization guarantee an Oscar nod? Does a win in the Golden Globes guarantee an Oscar nomination? Though variations in different film nomination/nominees list are common every year, it is generally believed that a win or nomination in the Golden Globes or the SAG (Screen Actors Guild) guarantees an Academy Award nomination. And a win in any or both of these prestigious organizations bolsters one's chances of winning

at the Oscars / Academy Awards. Having said that, who, then are the front runners for the 2009 Oscar nominations / tions2009 Academy Academy Awards nomina?

The acting categories are always hotly contested and this year is no different. Both in the actors and actresses categories, no one has emerged as the clear favorite this year. Not only because of their equally good performances but also because the different award giving organizations have proclaimed different winners in the past month or so. But expect the names of Meryl Streep, Kate Winslet, Anne Hathaway, Angelina Jolie to be read from the 2009 Oscar nominations list later today. The same goes for Brad Pitt, Sean Penn and Mickey Rourke. I am also expecting a nomination for Heath Ledger for The Dark Knight.

Expect Slumdog Millionaire to be in the list, especially in the Best Picture and Best Director categories. Critics have loved it since it came out last year and have showered it with praises, nominations and awards. Its recent win in the Golden Globes almost guarantees an Oscar nomination. The same thing goes for its director. And, if a film becomes a favorite going into the awards season, chances are, it will be generously given nominations in other categories by the members of the Academy, such as in the screenplay, editing and other technical aspects of the film. Though this also happens in the acting categories, I doubt if any of its relatively unknown cast will snare an Oscar nomination this year.

Other films in contention are Revolutionary Road, The Curious Case of Benjamin Button, Milk, Gran Torino and Doubt. Wall-E seems to be getting some buzz this awards season so let's see if it materializes into a 2009 Oscar nomination. Another film being watched for this year's Oscars 2009 nominations is The Dark Knight. Will it get an Academy Award nod? Let's wait and see.

The 2009 Oscar nominees / 2009 Oscar nominations will be announced in a few hours. Let's just wait who will be given this highly-treasured distinction. This list will be posted on this page as soon as they are announced. Check back for it.

ledo had designed. Obama bought the outfit at Ikram, a Chicago outlet for Toledo's clothing line. And here's more about Isabel Toledo from Wikip


Barack Obama retakes Oath of Office today amid speculations that his first Oath of Office during the inauguration was technically flawed. When Obama took his oath before millions of supporters in Washington DC and billions around the world yesterday, he became the 44th President of the United States of America. Or did he? Well, according to some experts, maybe not. During that inauguration oath-taking, Barack Obama and Supreme Court Chief Justice John Roberts fumbled a few lines of the affirmation, words that are prescribed in the Constitution of the United States. This prompted advisers and political experts to worry that a technicality may ensue because of the mistake.

The word in question was "faithfully," which was misplaced by Roberts after Obama interupted him during Tuesday's inauguration ceremony. The exact words should be:

"I do solemnly swear (or affirm) that I will faithfully execute the Office of President of the United States, and will to the best of my ability, preserve, protect and defend the Constitution of the United States."

But this was how it went on Tuesday during the inauguration:

ROBERTS: I, Barack Hussein Obama…
OBAMA: I, Barack…
ROBERTS: … do solemnly swear…
OBAMA: I, Barack Hussein Obama, do solemnly swear…
ROBERTS: … that I will execute the Office of President to the United States faithfully…
OBAMA: … that I will execute…
ROBERTS: … the off -- faithfully the Pres -- the Office of President of the United States…
OBAMA: … the Office of President of the United States faithfully…
ROBERTS: … and will to the best of my ability…
OBAMA: … and will to the best of my ability…
ROBERTS: … preserve, protect and defend the Constitution of the United States.
OBAMA: … preserve, protect and defend the Constitution of the United States.
ROBERTS: So help you God?
OBAMA: So help me God.

As a result, in an effort to ensure the validity of his presidency, Barack Obama again stood before Chief Justice John Roberts and retook the Oath of Office, erasing any doubt that he is now the 44th President of the United States of America.

According to news reports, at 7:35 PM earlier tonight in the White House, John Roberts asked Barack Obama if he was ready to retake his oath, the President reportedly replied: "I am, and we're going to do it very slowly." He took his second Oath of Office without the Bible this time. No video cameras were present during his second oath-taking thus no videos are available for posting.

It was not the first time that a retake of the Presidential Oath of Office happened. Several past United States presidents have also taken the oath of office a second time for a variety of reasons. President Calvin Coolidge and President Chester A. Arthur both retook their oaths after the first one was taken in private when notified about the death of their predecessor. President Woodrow Wilson, on the other hand, took his first oath when the Inauguration fell on a Sunday. He later took a second oath during a public ceremony.

Barack Obama Oath of Office and Inaugural Speech

Isabel Toledo: Michelle Obama's Isabel Toledo inauguration dress


Obama inaugural address transcript/Obama inaugural speech text


The Barack Obama inaugural address / Obama inaugural speech (transcript below) is probably the most anticipated inaugural address of all time. For every presidential inauguration, the inaugural speech is the highlight. For any incoming president, it is a big challenge. But, as events have witnessed in the past six months, Barack Obama has set very high expectations for his inaugural speech. We know how accomplished a speaker he is. We have heard him deliver winner after winner during the campaign and after winning it. But this time, this is the speech that will matter most. It will define what his presidency is going to be. It will back up all the hopes and promises of the past

months. It will inspire a nation with its new president and a new administration.

Barack Obama's inaugural address / inaugural speech is expected to be a rather short one, around fifteen to twenty minutes long. But it will be meaningful and inspiring. Predictions are that it will revolve around a theme of responsibility and sacrifice. In a time of both hardship and promise, Barack Obama is expected to summon American spirit to work with him in achieving the nation's goals. Faced with a financial crisis that seems to be getting worse each day and a continued security threat, Obama will say that their goals are achievable but will likely highlight the need to work together and be prepared for some difficulty.

As I hear commentaries from different news anchors covering the Obama inauguration, one line struck me. Obama will need a catchy phrase, they say, a line from his inaugural speech that will be remembered throughout history and be a source of inspiration as well, much like John F. Kennedy's "Ask not what your country can do for you, ask what you can do for your country". I agree. He needs something more than "Change" or "Yes, we can". Let's wait what he will come up with.

Barack Obama's Inaugural Address (transcript) / Obama Inaugural Speech


My fellow citizens:

I stand here today humbled by the task before us, grateful for the trust you have bestowed, mindful of the sacrifices borne by our ancestors. I thank President Bush for his service to our nation, as well as the generosity and cooperation he has shown throughout this transition.

Forty-four Americans have now taken the presidential oath. The words have been spoken during rising tides of prosperity and the still waters of peace. Yet, every so often the oath is taken amidst gathering clouds and raging storms. At these moments, America has carried on not simply because of the skill or vision of those in high office, but because We the People have remained faithful to the ideals of our forbearers, and true to our founding documents.

So it has been. So it must be with this generation of Americans.

That we are in the midst of crisis is now well understood. Our nation is at war, against a far-reaching network of violence and hatred. Our economy is badly weakened, a consequence of greed and irresponsibility on the part of some, but also our collective failure to make hard choices and prepare the nation for a new age. Homes have been lost; jobs shed; businesses shuttered. Our health care is too costly; our schools fail too many; and each day brings further evidence that the ways we use energy strengthen our adversaries and threaten our planet.

These are the indicators of crisis, subject to data and statistics. Less measurable but no less profound is a sapping of confidence across our land - a nagging fear that America's decline is inevitable, and that the next generation must lower its sights.

Today I say to you that the challenges we face are real. They are serious and they are many.

They will not be met easily or in a short span of time. But know this, America - they will be met. On this day, we gather because we have chosen hope over fear, unity of purpose over conflict and discord.

On this day, we come to proclaim an end to the petty grievances and false promises, the recriminations and worn out dogmas, that for far too long have strangled our politics.

We remain a young nation, but in the words of Scripture, the time has come to set aside childish things. The time has come to reaffirm our enduring spirit; to choose our better history; to carry forward that precious gift, that noble idea, passed on from generation to generation: the God-given promise that all are equal, all are free, and all deserve a chance to pursue their full measure of happiness.

In reaffirming the greatness of our nation, we understand that greatness is never a given. It must be earned. Our journey has never been one of short-cuts or settling for less. It has not been the path for the faint-hearted - for those who prefer leisure over work, or seek only the pleasures of riches and fame. Rather, it has been the risk-takers, the doers, the makers of things - some celebrated but more often men and women obscure in their labor, who have carried us up the long, rugged path towards prosperity and freedom.

For us, they packed up their few worldly possessions and traveled across oceans in search of a new life.

For us, they toiled in sweatshops and settled the West; endured the lash of the whip and plowed the hard earth.

For us, they fought and died, in places like Concord and Gettysburg; Normandy and Khe Sahn. Time and again these men and women struggled and sacrificed and worked till their hands were raw so that we might live a better life. They saw America as bigger than the sum of our individual ambitions; greater than all the differences of birth or wealth or faction.

This is the journey we continue today. We remain the most prosperous, powerful nation on Earth. Our workers are no less productive than when this crisis began. Our minds are no less inventive, our goods and services no less needed than they were last week or last month or last year. Our capacity remains undiminished. But our time of standing pat, of protecting narrow interests and putting off unpleasant decisions - that time has surely passed. Starting today, we must pick ourselves up, dust ourselves off, and begin again the work of remaking America.

For everywhere we look, there is work to be done. The state of the economy calls for action, bold and swift, and we will act - not only to create new jobs, but to lay a new foundation for growth. We will build the roads and bridges, the electric grids and digital lines that feed our commerce and bind us together. We will restore science to its rightful place, and wield technology's wonders to raise health care's quality and lower its cost. We will harness the sun and the winds and the soil to fuel our cars and run our factories. And we will transform our schools and colleges and universities to meet the demands of a new age. All this we can do. And all this we will do.

Now, there are some who question the scale of our ambitions - who suggest that our system cannot tolerate too many big plans. Their memories are short. For they have forgotten what this country has already done; what free men and women can achieve when imagination is joined to common purpose, and necessity to courage.

What the cynics fail to understand is that the ground has shifted beneath them - that the stale political arguments that have consumed us for so long no longer apply. The question we ask today is not whether our government is too big or too small, but whether it works - whether it helps families find jobs at a decent wage, care they can afford, a retirement that is dignified. Where the answer is yes, we intend to move forward. Where the answer is no, programs will end. And those of us who manage the public's dollars will be held to account - to spend wisely, reform bad habits, and do our business in the light of day - because only then can we restore the vital trust between a people and their government.

Nor is the question before us whether the market is a force for good or ill. Its power to generate wealth and expand freedom is unmatched, but this crisis has reminded us that without a watchful eye, the market can spin out of control - and that a nation cannot prosper long when it favors only the prosperous. The success of our economy has always depended not just on the size of our Gross Domestic Product, but on the reach of our prosperity; on our ability to extend opportunity to every willing heart - not out of charity, but because it is the surest route to our common good.

As for our common defense, we reject as false the choice between our safety and our ideals. Our Founding Fathers, faced with perils we can scarcely imagine, drafted a charter to assure the rule of law and the rights of man, a charter expanded by the blood of generations. Those ideals still light the world, and we will not give them up for expedience's sake. And so to all other peoples and governments who are watching today, from the grandest capitals to the small village where my father was born: know that America is a friend of each nation and every man, woman, and child who seeks a future of peace and dignity, and that we are ready to lead once more.

Recall that earlier generations faced down fascism and communism not just with missiles and tanks, but with sturdy alliances and enduring convictions. They understood that our power alone cannot protect us, nor does it entitle us to do as we please. Instead, they knew that our power grows through its prudent use; our security emanates from the justness of our cause, the force of our example, the tempering qualities of humility and restraint.

We are the keepers of this legacy. Guided by these principles once more, we can meet those new threats that demand even greater effort - even greater cooperation and understanding between nations. We will begin to responsibly leave Iraq to its people, and forge a hard-earned peace in Afghanistan. With old friends and former foes, we will work tirelessly to lessen the nuclear threat, and roll back the specter of a warming planet. We will not apologize for our way of life, nor will we waver in its defense, and for those who seek to advance their aims by inducing terror and slaughtering innocents, we say to you now that our spirit is stronger and cannot be broken; you cannot outlast us, and we will defeat you.

For we know that our patchwork heritage is a strength, not a weakness. We are a nation of Christians and Muslims, Jews and Hindus - and non-believers. We are shaped by every language and culture, drawn from every end of this Earth; and because we have tasted the bitter swill of civil war and segregation, and emerged from that dark chapter stronger and more united, we cannot help but believe that the old hatreds shall someday pass; that the lines of tribe shall soon dissolve; that as the world grows smaller, our common humanity shall reveal itself; and that America must play its role in ushering in a new era of peace.

To the Muslim world, we seek a new way forward, based on mutual interest and mutual respect.

To those leaders around the globe who seek to sow conflict, or blame their society's ills on the West - know that your people will judge you on what you can build, not what you destroy. To those who cling to power through corruption and deceit and the silencing of dissent, know that you are on the wrong side of history; but that we will extend a hand if you are willing to unclench your fist.

To the people of poor nations, we pledge to work alongside you to make your farms flourish and let clean waters flow; to nourish starved bodies and feed hungry minds. And to those nations like ours that enjoy relative plenty, we say we can no longer afford indifference to suffering outside our borders; nor can we consume the world's resources without regard to effect. For the world has changed, and we must change with it.

As we consider the road that unfolds before us, we remember with humble gratitude those brave Americans who, at this very hour, patrol far-off deserts and distant mountains. They have something to tell us today, just as the fallen heroes who lie in Arlington whisper through the ages.

We honor them not only because they are guardians of our liberty, but because they embody the spirit of service; a willingness to find meaning in something greater than themselves. And yet, at this moment - a moment that will define a generation - it is precisely this spirit that must inhabit us all.

For as much as government can do and must do, it is ultimately the faith and determination of the American people upon which this nation relies. It is the kindness to take in a stranger when the levees break, the selflessness of workers who would rather cut their hours than see a friend lose their job which sees us through our darkest hours. It is the firefighter's courage to storm a stairway filled with smoke, but also a parent's willingness to nurture a child, that finally decides our fate.

Our challenges may be new. The instruments with which we meet them may be new. But those values upon which our success depends - hard work and honesty, courage and fair play, tolerance and curiosity, loyalty and patriotism - these things are old. These things are true. They have been the quiet force of progress throughout our history. What is demanded then is a return to these truths. What is required of us now is a new era of responsibility - a recognition, on the part of every American, that we have duties to ourselves, our nation, and the world, duties that we do not grudgingly accept but rather seize gladly, firm in the knowledge that there is nothing so satisfying to the spirit, so defining of our character, than giving our all to a difficult task.

This is the price and the promise of citizenship.

This is the source of our confidence - the knowledge that God calls on us to shape an uncertain destiny.

This is the meaning of our liberty and our creed - why men and women and children of every race and every faith can join in celebration across this magnificent mall, and why a man whose father less than sixty years ago might not have been served at a local restaurant can now stand before you to take a most sacred oath.

So let us mark this day with remembrance, of who we are and how far we have traveled. In the year of America's birth, in the coldest of months, a small band of patriots huddled by dying campfires on the shores of an icy river. The capital was abandoned. The enemy was advancing. The snow was stained with blood. At a moment when the outcome of our revolution was most in doubt, the father of our nation ordered these words be read to the people:

"Let it be told to the future world...that in the depth of winter, when nothing but hope and virtue could survive...that the city and the country, alarmed at one common danger, came forth to meet [it]."

America. In the face of our common dangers, in this winter of our hardship, let us remember these timeless words. With hope and virtue, let us brave once more the icy currents, and endure what storms may come. Let it be said by our children's children that when we were tested we refused to let this journey end, that we did not turn back nor did we falter; and with eyes fixed on the horizon and God's grace upon us, we carried forth that great gift of freedom and delivered it safely to future generations.