15th SAG Awards: 2009 SAG Awards nominations/nominees list

The 2009 Screen Actors Guild (SAG) Awards nominations / nominees have just been announced earlier today echoing earlier choices made by various critics organizations and the Golden Globes who announced their nominations earlier this month. For Academy Award (Oscar) watchers, the SAG Award nominations are considered a bellwether of Oscar acting nominations. The actors' branch is the largest academy voting bloc and is responsible for creating the short lists for the various Oscar acting categories. Many previous Screen Actors Guild (SAG) nominees went on the be nominated in the Oscars, and many previous SAG winners have likewise gone on to pick up the most coveted prize of them all. However, there have been misses as well. A SAG win is by
no means a guarantee of an Oscar. Take last year as an example. Though last year's SAG lead actor winner, Daniel Day-Lewis, won the best acting Oscar for his performance in "There Will Be Blood," the Screen Actors Guild lead actress winner, Julie Christie, didn't duplicate the feat. Christie, who was nominated for "Away From Her," lost to Marion Cotillard, who played Edith Piaf in "La Vie en Rose."

Still, a SAG win is one of the most prestigious awards an actor can receive in Hollywood, and the SAG Awards have been one of the major awards events since 1995. Nominations for the awards come from 4200 randomly selected members of the union, with the full membership (120,000 as of 2007) available to vote for the winners.

Here are the nominations/nominees for the 2009 Screen Actors Guild (SAG) Awards as announced a few hours ago:

For Outstanding Performance by a Cast, the nominees are "The Curious Case of Benjamin Button," "Doubt," "Frost/Nixon," "Milk" and "Slumdog Millionaire."

For Outstanding Performance by a Lead Actor, the nominees are Richard Jenkins ("The Visitor"), Frank Langella ("Frost/Nixon"), Sean Penn ("Milk"), Brad Pitt ("The Curious Case of Benjamin Button") and Mickey Rourke ("The Wrestler").

For Outstanding Performance by a Lead Actress, the nominees are Anne Hathaway ("Rachel Getting Married"), Angelina Jolie ("Changeling"), Melissa Leo ("Frozen River"), Meryl Streep ("Doubt") and Kate Winslet ("Revolutionary Road").

For Outstanding Performance by a Supporting Actor, the nominees are Josh Brolin ("Milk"), Robert Downey Jr. ("Tropic Thunder"), Philip Seymour Hoffman ("Doubt"), Heath Ledger ("The Dark Knight") and Dev Patel ("Slumdog Millionaire").

For Outstanding Performance by a Supporting Actress, the nominations are Amy Adams ("Doubt"), Penelope Cruz ("Vicky Cristina Barcelona"), Viola Davis ("Doubt"), Taraji P. Henson ("The Curious Case of Benjamin Button") and Kate Winslet ("The Reader").

For Outstanding Performance by a TV Drama Series Ensemble, the nominations are "Boston Legal," "The Closer," "Dexter," "House" and "Mad Men."

For Outstanding Performance by a TV Comedy Series Ensemble, the nominations are "30 Rock," "Desperate Housewives," "Entourage," "The Office" and "Weeds."

For Outstanding Performance by a Lead Actor in a TV Drama, the nominees are Michael C. Hall ("Dexter"), Jon Hamm ("Mad Men"), Hugh Laurie ("House"), William Shatner ("Boston Legal") and James Spader ("Boston Legal").

For Outstanding Performance by a Lead Actress in a TV Drama, the nominees are Sally Field ("Brothers and Sisters"), Mariska Hargitay ("Law & Order: SVU"), Holly Hunter ("Saving Grace"), Elisabeth Moss ("Mad Men") and Kyra Sedgwick ("The Closer").

For Outstanding Performance by a Lead Actor in a TV Comedy, the nominees are Alec Baldwin ("30 Rock"), Steve Carell ("The Office"), David Duchovny ("Californication"), Jeremy Piven ("Entourage") and Tony Shalhoub ("Monk").

For Outstanding Performance by a Lead Actress in a TV Comedy, the nominations are Christina Applegate ("Samantha Who?"), America Ferrera ("Ugly Betty"), Tina Fey ("30 Rock") Mary-Louise Parker ("Weeds") and Tracey Ullman ("Tracey Ullman's State of the Union").

The 15th annual Screen Actors Guild (SAG) Awards will be announced on January 25.

I was scanning through the list as I was making this post and I noticed the shutout for Grey's Anatomy in the television drama category. Surprising considering how well the show and its cast have fared in the SAG previously. Same goes for Desperate Housewives. But then again, they were ignored by the Golden Globes as well. On the other hand, kudos to Michael Hall for another nomination for 'Dexter'. I hope he wins this time. However, Hugh Laurie, a perennial favorite and winner, looks strong again in this category. And don't count out Jon Hamm for 'Mad Men' either.

Nicole Buffett: why Warren Buffett disowned Nicole (pics/pictures)

Who is Nicole Buffett and why is everybody suddenly interested in her? Is it because of what she does, who she is or, maybe, it's because of her name? Well, it's all of the above. Nicole Buffett is no ordinary mortal. Let me rephrase that. Nicole Buffet was no ordinary mortal a few years ago. Though not born into the privileged Buffett clan, her mother married one of Warren Buffett's sons, his youngest, Peter. We all know who Warren Buffet is, don't we? He's the world's richest man who recently surpassed longtime number 1 Bill Gates with an estimated wealth of about $58 billion (how many zeroes are ther in 58 billion? He he). Anyway, Peter Buffett legally adopted Nicole and her identical twin sister when their married into the
Buffett family and life hasn't been the same since.

But now Nicole Buffett is an ordinary mortal, living in Berkeley by selling her artwork and working part-time in a boutique. She has no health insurance and can't even afford cable television! This is far from the comforts of life as a Buffett. Though life then was simple, in keeping with Warren Buffett's motto of simplicity and low profile, it was comfortable. What happened? Why is a Buffett grand daughter suddenly 'poor'? Well, Nicole was disowned, disowned by Warren Buffett himself and labeled as the family black sheep.

In an interview with Marie Claire magazine, Nicole Buffet reveals that she was disowned by her grandfather Warren Buffett after making the mistake of talking publicly about her low-profile family in a documentary two years ago. Warren Buffet keeps a low profile, and he wants everybody in the family to adhere to this as well. Thus, when Nicole dished out family "secrets' in 'The One Percent' two years ago, she was kicked out!

Here is an excerpt from that Marie Claire magazine interview, which details how and why Nicole Buffett was kicked out from the family, including details of the cold letter she received from 'grandpa' when she was disowned.

As a child, Nicole made regular visits to "Grandpa's" modest home in Omaha, where he still lives, purchased in 1958 for $31,500. Despite the humble digs, Nicole remembers the occasional spoils of Buffett's wealth. At Christmas, when she was 5, he gave her a crisp $100 bill from his wallet. Once, she was invited on a private tour of the See's Candies factory he owned. And twice yearly, Peter Buffett packed up his brood for a vacation at his father's compound in Laguna Beach. Nicole also remembers once tiptoeing into her grandfather's study to fetch something, careful not to disturb him while he read the Wall Street Journal. Just as she turned to slip out, Buffett cleared his throat and said, "Nicole, I just want you to know that your grandmother and I are very proud of all that you've accomplished as an artist." "It's a really big deal for him to communicate on such an emotional level," says Nicole, her eyes welling. "So it was a big deal for me."

Nicole was clueless about the scope of the Buffett fortune until she was 17, when her grandfather appeared on the cover of Forbes for having topped the magazine's annual list of the richest Americans. Her classmates nearly stampeded her at school with the news. "I called my dad, and he said, 'Yeah, Grandpa is going to be getting a lot more press, and we're going to have to get used to that. But we'll be living our lives the same way and doing what we always do,'" Nicole says.

Two years later, Nicole agreed to appear in The One Percent, a documentary by Johnson & Johnson heir Jamie Johnson about the gap between rich and poor in America. "I've been very blessed to have my education taken care of, and I have had my living expenses taken care of while I'm in school," she states on camera. None of the Buffetts, a famously press-averse bunch, had ever before appeared in so public a forum to dish about their upbringing. Though Nicole informed her father of her role in the film and he had no objections, she failed to give her grandfather a heads-up. Asked in the film how he'd react to her interview, Nicole responds, "I definitely fear judgment. Money is the spoke in my grandfather's wheel of life."

Nicole concedes that the remarks may have sounded brusque. "I meant that my grandfather is like a Formula One driver who only wants to race — he just loves the game and wants to be the best," she says. But Buffett was galled. He had for some time felt ambivalent about Nicole and her sister's claim to his fortune — though Peter had legally adopted them, he divorced their mother in 1993 and remarried three years later. To make matters worse, while plugging the film on Oprah, Nicole confessed, "It would be nice to be involved with creating things for others with that money and to be involved in it. I feel completely excluded from it."

The perceived sense of entitlement and Nicole's self-appointed role as family spokesperson prompted Buffett to tell Peter that he'd renounce her. A month later, the mega-billionaire mailed Nicole a letter in which he cautioned her about the pitfalls of the Buffett name: "People will react to you based on that 'fact' rather than who you are or what you have accomplished." He punctuated the letter by declaring, "I have not emotionally or legally adopted you as a grandchild, nor have the rest of my family adopted you as a niece or a cousin." Nicole was devastated. "He signed the letter 'Warren,'" she says. "I have a card from him just a year earlier that's signed 'Grandpa.'"

watch Friday Night Lights season 3 episode 11 (s03e11/3.11)

'A Hard Rain's Gonna Fall', that's the title of this week's installment of Friday Night Lights 3.11 (season 3 episode 11 / s03e11). What's in store for us this week? Well, for one thing, the Dillon Panthers are in danger of being dismantled with the sensitive information Coach Eric Taylor and Tami learned. What is it? We'll just have to tune in to find out. Also, Grandma suffers and accident which understandably flips out Matt. These and other exciting developments unravel in 'A Hard Rain's Gonna Fall', Friday Night Lights season 3 episode 11 (s03e11).

The full episode video of Friday Night Lights 3.11 will be
available online online soon. As always, a copy of season 3 episode 11 will be posted on this page once the video becomes available. please check back regularly for it. For now, here is a short synopsis of this week's episode 'A Hard Rain's Gonna Fall', Friday Night Lights s03e11 (3.11).

There is now preview available for this week's episode. In its place, I have posted a copy of last week's Friday Night Lights episode, 'The Giving Tree'.

Coach and Tami learn of a change that could dismantle the Panthers team. Matt flips out when Grandma suffers an accident. Tim sees another side of Lyla. Tyra is desperate and once again turns to Landry. Tensions escalate between JD and his father.

Private Practice season 2 episode 10: Private Practice s02e10

Worlds Apart' deals with love, romance and jealousy in this week's episode of Private Practice 2.10 (season 2 episode 10) as Pete, Violet and Pete's girlfriend, Meg, figure in a love triangle of sorts. After returning from Los Angeles, Meg notices that Pete and Violet are closer than before and this sets up a rather uncomfortable situation for the three. Love and romance are also the themes this week for Addison and Kevin as the latter wonders where their relationship is heading. Meanwhile, on the professional side, business isn't doing well as their newly-opened competitor continues to attract patients from Oceanside Wellness. Find out how all of these situations pan out in
Private Practice s02e10, 'Worlds Apart'.

The full episode video of this week's episode will be available online soon. As always, a copy of it will be posted on this blog so check back regularly for it. For now, here is a brief synopsis of season 2 episode 10 of Private Practice (2.10), 'Worlds Apart', as well as its official preview video.

BTW, this is the last episode of Private Practice for the year. It returns next year but on a different time slot as posted earlier in this blog. It will then be seen every Thursday right after Grey's Anatomy.

Pete's girlfriend, Meg, returns to Los Angeles and notices that Pete and Violet are considerably closer; Kevin questions the direction he and Addison are headed in as a couple; Cooper treats a young diabetic boy with a mysterious past; and Charlotte and her team of Pacific Wellcare doctors continue to siphon business away from Oceanside Wellness