Oscar Watch

NavyGuy and I typically aim to see all of the Best Picture nominees before the Academy Awards. Even as movie freaks fans, we consider this a challenging task. And the now the bar has been raised, because instead of five movies, there's 10 Best Picture nominees to see!!

Here's where we are so far - the movies in bold are ones we've both seen:

1. Avatar
2. The Blind Side
3. District 9 (available on DVD)
4. An Education
5. The Hurt Locker (available on DVD)
6. Inglorious Basterds (available on DVD)
7. Precious
8. A Serious Man (out on DVD on Feb. 9)
9. Up (available on DVD)
10. Up in the Air

Halfway there. Technically speaking, NavyGuy has seen Inglorious Basterds already, so I just need to watch it some day while he's at work (we own it), and then we'll be batting 60%. I think we can do it. The Oscars are on March 7th, so we've got just less than a month. We have several factors going in our favor (one film we can rent, two of the three left are still in wide distribution), but it's going to be a challenge. However, I'm way determined. We will see all 10 movies. Bring it Academy. Bring. It. On.

Has anyone seen any of the ones we haven't? Are we going to be irked at wasting money, or happy with our use of two hours?

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First Movie of 2010: Avatar

Oh James Cameron... must you make your movies 2 1/2 hours long? Why? Why do you insist on torturing me like that? You know I can't go 160 minutes without having something to drink, and therefore, I can't make it through your movies in the theater without performing advanced yoga moves while trying to escape my middle-of-the-row (with less leg room and aisle space than an airplane) seat and make it to the bathroom during what I hope will be the most boring, non-crucial-plot-point of the second act...

At least this movie was set in a forest. Albeit a crazy otherworldly forest with super tall blue people running around. The last time I saw a Cameron movie in the theater it was 1997... and there was a sinking boat. And just a couple drops of RUSHING WATER.

You pull this crap one more time James, and I'm gonna force six gallons of Mountain Dew down your throat, then tie you up next to a babbling brook, just down river from a ROARING WATERFALL.

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Fall TV Thoughts

Newbies that I'm Falling For...

*Modern Family - ABC, Wednesday. ABC is touting this as part of their comedy lineup (along with Courtney Cox's Cougar Town, and Kelsey Grammar in yet another sitcom that's no Cheers). I checked out the first two episodes on Hulu.com, and I'm totally hooked. It's sort of similar to the style of The Office, in that it's a situational comedy with uncomfortable humor, and characters talk directly to the camera at times. NavyGuy watched it with me, and was busting out laughing as well - I'd recommend it if you're looking for more comedies to add to your DVR.

*Glee - FOX, Wednesday. Confession - I haven't actually watched this yet... but it comes highly recommended from Sister and HistoryGirlie. And I love the commercials for the show. And I love Jane Lynch. So the plan is to get caught up on this show over the weekend, and officially become a Glee fan (Glee-aholic? Glee-ite?)

Returners That Should Never End...

*The Office - NBC, Thursday. They just keep finding ways to make me laugh and continue the story lines in a believable way. Plus Jim and Pam are getting married next week in what's got to be the most anticipated episode EVER! Check out the awwwww-inducing promo that aired after last night's episode.

*Bones - FOX, Thursday. Booth and Bones can do no wrong.

Shows I've Given Up On...

*Jon and Kate Plus 8 - TLC, Monday. It's just not interesting anymore. The original premise of "how do you logistically raise 8 kids under the age of 5 without losing your mind" was interesting - but that isn't the show anymore. I don't want to watch the kids take field trips while Kate makes veiled comments about photographers and being alone. I don't want to watch Jon being a douche bag. Sorry Gosselins. Your divorce is just to much reality for me.

*Project Runway - Lifetime, Thursday. This one's on the chopping block. I can't put my finger on why this season isn't grabbing me. The contestants? The challenges? A lack of Michael Kors and Nina Garcia on the judging panel? I don't know. I dutifully record it every week and slog through it, but my attention wanders. Anyone else having this feeling about Season 6?

Any thoughts? What shows would you add to the various categories? Any strong counter-arguments to my assessments?

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TV makes me smarter

Getting tres excited about the return of fall tv - summer reruns just aren't cutting it anymore. Found this great list on EW.com of when all the shows return. Only have to wait until next week for new Office and Bones! (Seeley Booth, will you marry me?)

What returners are you most anxious for? Any new shows that you're looking forward to checking out?

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Tuesday Tidbits

* My sister-in-law has had two Paul Rudd sightings in the past few days. He's filming a movie with Jack Nicholson (who she's also spotted) in Philadelphia, literally right outside her apartment. My jealously knows no bounds.

* Season Six of So You Think You Can Dance starts tomorrow night!!! Of course, I have to work. (Remind me what we did before DVRs?)

* I'm in a book lull. I've started three different ones in the past few weeks and nothing is doing it for me. Suggestions?

* As I currently know many babies, I'm intrigued by the cover of this weeks Newsweek: "Is Your Baby Racist?". HistoryGirlie? TWP? MOH? Any mom opinions on this? Have you heard your little angels spouting racial slurs in between Wonder Pet songs and cow sounds? Are FlowerGirl and Kitty hiding xenophobic tendencies behind those adorable smiles? Like parents didn't have enough to worry about...

* While I've been typing this, NavyGuy has been huffing and puffing and pouting that somehow an important voicemail from our bank got deleted from the home phone. After wasting a good twenty minutes growling and muttering under his breath about this travesty, he found the missing voicemail - on his cell phone. Sigh. Head shake. One more sigh for good measure.

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Updates, Info, and a Question for the Group

Update: Contact has been made with HistoryGirlie. She is alive. We covered the basics in my 24 minute drive to work this morning (sorry Washington state police - I flaunt your "no cell phone while driving" law because it's baloney sausage). On the Farm front, HG's daughter is currently obsessed with Elmo, HG is couch and carpet shopping (yea!), and Farmer is, well, still Farmer.

Update: My muscles are still sore from my excursion to the gym on Tuesday. This does not bode well for a) my fitness level and b) the likelihood I'll return to BodyPump class.

Update: MOH's baby is 1 month old tomorrow - I am determined to contact her and at least talk for five minutes. Even if I have to call while at work. Or while in the shower.

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Okay, enough updating - I have a tidbit to share for any and all So You Think You Can Dance fans! (Or STTYCD as the true fanatics know it.) After a little internet sleuthing, I discovered the two songs they play while they recap the dancers who have been kicked off! Maybe this is only exciting to me, but I happen to like both of the tunes, and upon discovery, quickly added them to my iPod.

For the female dancer, they play Kelly Clarkson's "Already Gone." The male dancer gets "On Your Own" by Green River Ordinance. Just thought I'd share a little info with you peeps. Take it or leave it.

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Last but not least, I need your opinions. It's time for a haircut. Since the wedding, I've done little more than wash my hair, and promptly pull it up into a messy knot behind my head. Super hot. I've been putting off making a decision about my hair, because I'm vacillating between several decisions:

Option 1: Get it trimmed, and wait for inspiration to strike.

Option 2: Chop it to at least shoulder-length, but keep the same general style.

Option 3: Chop it, and add bangs! I know, I know - can I really pull this look off? Will NavyGuy harass me every single day calling them "koosh ball bangs" like he THINKS I had in the early 90s? (Point in fact - I never had koosh ball bangs... ugly bangs yes, but no whirl of hair and AquaNet.) Now, when I say bangs, I'm thinking these, a la Reese, Reese, or Alexis.

Option 4: Give some parameters to my hairstylist and let her make suggestions.

Option 5: Take in a fabulous inspiration pic that one of you dolls finds!

So? What do we think? Should I take this opportunity to be a little adventurous, considering I have no major events scheduled in the near future and can risk a scandalous cut? Or should I stick with what I know best? Let's do some voting in the comments, and seriously, feel free to email or comment with photos or links to styles.

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Double Feature

Two flicks this weekend! Finally caught up on the most "recent" Netflix (which had been sitting at the house since before I went home for the wedding... in April), and NavyGuy and I hit the Anacortes theater for the latest Pixar movie.

Milk - This is the story of Harvey Milk, the first openly gay person to serve in politics in California. He was elected to the Board of Supervisors for the city of San Francisco in 1977, but was assassinated eleven months later by fellow City Supervisor Dan White. Don't worry - I'm not giving away the movie's ending. These facts are laid out early on in the film, but do not diminish the story arc or keep you from being quickly sucked into the story of Harvey's life. Sean Penn portrays Milk, and deservedly, won an Oscar for his performance. The movie is a really interesting look at the culture of San Francisco in the 1970s; everyone remembers the hippies and Haight-Ashbury, but that was just one neighborhood and one facet of life there, and Milk highlights the burgeoning gay rights movement starting in the Castro district of San Fran. Maybe I liked it because I'm a history nerd and it was great modern history, but there's more to it - Harvey Milk was a fascinating figure, and his story, though cut short, makes for great theater.

Up - Completely different end of the spectrum. Oh Pixar, will you ever disappoint? Not likely. I'd recommend reading this review, because it gives you a better idea of what the movie is actually about (which is my one criticism of Pixar - their trailers for new films never give you any sense of the plot). Basically, this was the saddest movie I've seen in a long time! I never expected to leave the theater bummed out after watching an old man fly away in a house lifted by balloons, but the story is excruciating. This is not the happy-go-lucky Toy Story, or action adventure Incredibles; Up is an adult movie that kids can also enjoy - as opposed to the previous "kids movies that mom and dad can stomach." Despite making me sob, I'd see it again tomorrow, because the lesson is fabulous, and there are a lot of really hilarious parts.

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Guest Post

Miracles do happen ladies... I got NavyGuy to watch Bride Wars with me! It did require a shrill argument about how I watched "his movie" (Taken) earlier in the week, and that he should give this movie a chance, and on and on... but I prevailed in the end and held him down convinced him to watch the movie tonight, AND to write a review of it from a groom's perspective! (Click here for my review.)

Snide Wars
by NavyGuy

Let me start out by saying one thing – THIS IS A CHICK MOVIE!* This is in fact the archetype of the chick-flick. Fittingly, the movie is narrated in a calm adult voice by Candace Bergen, the only person who is an adult in the whole movie, and in fact acts like a chaperone for the two female leads. And lets talk about the two female leads. They spend the whole movie trying to outdo each other in making the audience hate them more than the other. Not only that, but this movie hits every point of female insecurity: weight, clothes, hair, nails, style, and even money. And of course, the moment of inevitable hubris and realization for both brides simultaneously as only celluloid can deliver.

In the recent trend of “bromance” movies, this could almost be called a “sismance.” The entire narrative structure is so tired and worn, that it feels like a marathon runner being dragged across the finish line. In fact, the final twist is so transparent, even someone of only marginal foresight can see it coming from well beyond the horizon. Like the first 5 minutes of the movie.

Ok, now that I’ve finished ripping the movie on a cinematic level, I’ll at least say some nice things, or at least not as mean. The movie was cute, seeing as we just got married, it was funny to see some things from our wedding in this movie. One in particular was when one of the grooms jokes that his particular bride never lets him lead. This is something Mugs and I often joke about, as we have different senses of rhythm and we both always want to lead, which often leads to any time we dance together, we look just a little out of sync. Anyway, in the end, the movie tries to be about friendship, and if you squint real hard, and don’t really think about it too much, it sort of achieves that end.

*Note from NavyGirl: Apparently, he wants to make sure you understand he watched this under duress and should not therefore, forfeit his man card for agreeing to watch a chick flick with his wife.

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Movie Night

As if I didn't have enough things to worry about, now I have to fear abduction and sale into prostitution by Albanian thugs the next time I'm having a jolly holiday with girlfriends in Paris.

Hiding under the bed with a cell phone used to be my fail-proof plan to avoid the kidnappers, but clearly, I'll need to rethink that one.

Thank you Liam Neeson and the producers of Taken... thankyouverymuch.

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Bring. It. On.

July 15th cannot come soon enough.

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Biggest Loser Won Me Over

While home in February, Mom got me hooked on yet another TV show - The Biggest Loser. I initially watched one episode halfheartedly with her; 3/4 of the way in, I was a goner. Hooked (line and sinker). Now let's not be coy - I watch a lot of television - a LOT. Reality shows make up a good percentage of that viewing. So I could not figure out why another reality show grabbed me so quickly and so forcefully.

The Biggest Loser - or BL as TWP lovingly calls it - immediately went on my TiVo when I got back to Washington, and I've been following the participants' progress as if I knew them personally. Mom and I've dissected the episodes and drama (can you believe how off the reservation the black team went when they got the 24 hours of relaxation?!?), and as I was watching tonight's episode, I was trying to figure out why the show is so appealing...

1. It's voyeuristic. Be honest - watching overnourished people sweat is captivating. It's like those TLC specials about the 1/2 ton man. You know you shouldn't watch, you know you shouldn't stare in at this person's life and problems, but you can't turn away. The only times I've physically closed my eyes during the show is when Ron takes off his shirt to be weighed (the flapping man boobs are too much to take while eating).

2. It's inspiring. Unlike most reality shows, these contestants are actually working towards something realistic. America's Next Top Model is fun, but c'mon - have you ever seen any of the winners doing actual modeling after their win? No. But, BL participants walk away thinner, healthier, more confident, and hopefully with a new drive to live a healthy life.

3. The host and trainers aren't annoying. Allison Sweeny can get a little repetitive during the weigh-ins (does she need to remind us 83 times just how much weight so-and-so needs to lose?), but she at least means well, and doesn't try and steal the spotlight from the contestants. Jillian and Bob (the trainers) are priceless. Jillian is this hard-nosed bitch who would probably kill your dog and/or grandmother if it meant you could lose another pound; Bob is also tough, but brings a refreshing willingness to cry over anything and everything.

4. Probably the biggest reason for the show's appeal is the contestants. They're completely relate able. They look like many of us. They have families and lives and genuine fears about their health and ability to continue the weight loss after the show is over. They crave chips. And they're truly supportive of each other. Unlike Survivor or Big Brother or countless other shows, the contestants are not out to backstab each other. They're happy when people are successful. Of course, it's a game, and they're all trying to win - but they get it. They realize what the big picture is, and they focus on that. Refreshing.

Let's call this a guide for future television producers - if you can find a mix of voyeurism, inspiration, captivating personalities, and genuine goals - you've got yourself a TV goldmine. (If not, I'll still probably watch whatever crap you come up with.)

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Friday

~ Spent today subbing for the sixth grade again. There was the requisite smelly kid, who you half feel sorry for / half hope won't hang around your desk too much. Apparently I'm also making some kind of impact on the students. Several girls came up to me after lunch announcing that they'd been to the high school basketball game the previous night. At the game, a girl from the opposing team looked oddly familiar, but the sixth graders couldn't figure out why... eventually one of them realized the high school girl looked like their sub! The girls thought they were giving me quite the compliment - "it means you look young enough to be a high school kid!" Gosh, is my secret wish that transparent? Good grief.

~ Must go grocery shopping. Lunch today consisted of yogurt, Diet Mountain Dew, and a can of tuna. Not a tuna fish sandwich - that'd require bread and mayo, both of which we're out of. Just plain tuna. Yes. I ate it. Shame is relative when you're saving money for a wedding.

~ Almost finished with Season 1 of Gossip Girl. NavyGuy's sister got me hooked on it over Christmas break. Again, shame is relative.

~ Don't forget to turn your clocks forward one hour on Saturday night - we may lose a bit of sleep, but bring on the sunshine hours!

~ Random concern of the day: why are all my favorite tops "lay flat to dry"? I wash them, lay them on top of the dryer (flat) to dry, and forget they're in the laundry room until I go in there the following week to do another load. By that time, the top has molded itself into the shape of the top of the dryer (or possibly been covered by a pile of man clothes), and it probably has to be washed again. I'm not sure who's behind this evil plot, but I'd appreciate any and all conspiracy theories you can think of.

Have a great weekend!

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There Will Be Blood

NavyGuy and I finally got around to seeing this flick from last year. Daniel Day Lewis is intense as ever, but overall the movie is just kind of weird.

What made the two and a half hours worth it? Fond du Lac - my hometown, booming metropolis of 40,000, oft mocked and under appreciated - yes, that Fond du Lac, Wisconsin - got 4 (count 'em) FOUR mentions in the film!To that I say, I drink your milkshake.

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Late Oscar Fashion Round-Up

Still busy unpacking and sorting out life here in Washington. However, for your amusement: high-larious blog post about the dresses at the Academy Awards this year. I found this through a friend of a friend's blog (you know how it is when you're putzing on the computer while Lord of the Rings replays for the 72 millionth time on TNT and you can't fall asleep because your body is totally flummoxed as to whether it actually feels like two hours earlier or two hours later or maybe tomorrow... er... I digress...).

Anyhoo, no clue who the author is, but she's got fabulously saucy commentary on just about every red carpet dress - enjoy!

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Wicked

I want to go again!!!  As an early birthday present, NavyGuy got me two tickets to see Wicked at the Fox Cities PAC while I'm here in Wisconsin for wedding prep.  The seats were freakin' awesome, and I was able to take my wonderful friend HistoryGirlie (NavyGuy would have come but alas, he was stuck in Washington doing Navy... stuff).

We saw the matinee this past Sunday.  I memorized the CD over a year ago when Sister sent me a copy, and had been dying - DYING - to see it ever since I had heard the closing number of Act 1 "Defying Gravity."  The day before I went it hit me that maybe I had built it up in my mind too much, and that I would inevitably be let down as it could never possibly meet my expectations.

Ha!  As if!  The show was magical.  HistoryGirlie and I settled into our fabulous orchestra seats ("snob seats" as I called them), and took in the scene.  Before the show starts, there is a giant backdrop on stage showing a vintage looking map of Oz, with a green glittering Emerald City in the middle.  A huge dragon head spans the top of the stage.  We perused the program and waited impatiently for it to begin.

I just can't say enough about the show.  It's the type of musical that you really do need to see several times, because there are too many details to take in all at once.  The costumes, and the sets, and the nuances that are incorporated - just awesome.  My favorite was the actress who played Glinda; she had tough shoes to fill (Kristin Chenoweth set the bar high in the role in the show's debut on Broadway), but Katie Rose Clarke made the part her own and really gave it depth.  Her humorous and lively performance of the song "Popular" had us all splitting our sides.  And no, the last song of Act 1 did not disappoint (love me some "Defying Gravity.")

(Donna Vivino as Elphaba, and Katie Rose Clarke as Glinda.  A still from "Popular.")

During intermission, HistoryGirlie treated me to the drink of the show, an "Oz-mopolitan."  So yummy!  I can't for the life of me remember what was in it, but it was green and girly and wonderful :)  The second act flew by as fast as the first, with a shocking ending and more emotion than expected.  We had such a great afternoon, and I can't begin to thank NavyGuy enough.  He would have loved to see the show... perhaps I'll have to see it again with him in Seattle!

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Date Night

Saturday night excitement - dinner and a movie. We crashed the Olive Garden in Burlington, spotted a man who either had a very fuzzy ponytail or a mullet (I checked on the way to the restroom - it was a fuzzy ponytail), and dined on the finest Italian food. I had my holy trinity of fancy food - shrimp, asparagus, and risotto. One of those items alone on an entree list is enough to catch my attention; all three of them combined in a luscious bowl - jackpot.

Our main feature for tonight was Frost/Nixon. Great movie, but not for everyone. It's adapted from a play and it's a movie I would deem "talkie" meaning there's little action. It's mostly dialogue and pensive looks between people - but the dialogue is brilliant, and the pensive looks - riveting. Frank Langella portrays Nixon and is captivating in the role. You watch him for one minute and think, aww... he's just a cranky old grandpa... and then you remember his diabolical mind, rampant paranoia, and mouth that would make a sailor blush. One particular scene between Nixon, and David Frost (the British talk show host who's secured the first post-resignation interview) shows how quickly Nixon would go from coherent to totally crazy. If you're a fan of history, you'd definitely enjoy this one.

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Martini Madness

NavyGuy and I ventured out to a martini bar tonight. I'd like to say it's because we felt like being young and adventurous, but really, a flight school friend of his was celebrating her birthday, and NavyGuy felt like we needed to make an appearance (and it was a means to get me out of the house).

So we traversed forty-five minutes north to the booming metropolis of Bellingham, WA (making a long and arduous detour along the way to grab some Dairy Queen for dinner... it was ten miles off the highway, but once I set my sights on that oval sign, there's no giving up). The martini bar was located in a hotel and it was clearly the hottest thing going north of Seattle - the place was packed! Luckily another couple had snagged some tables, so we were able to get seats.

Being the "dd" for the evening, I limited myself to one Cosmo, while NavyGuy polished off three manly Dean Martinis (extra dry). My drink arrived at the table still in the shaker, and I got to pour more and more into my cute martini glass, like how at some restaurants, they bring the rest of your chocolate shake out in that metal container :) Our group grew larger and it became a martini tasting all around with people getting crazy concoctions like the Headless Horseman, the Dreamsicle, and the most popular of the night - the Gummi Bear martini! (It came with actual gummi bears in the drink, and the guys at the table decided if they renamed the drink the "Grizzly Bear" it was then butch enough to order.)

Weirdest part of the evening - the toilet paper dispenser in the ladies bathroom. It was motion-sensored! You waved your hand somewhere near it, and half a ream of two-ply came shooting out. Odd, especially considering there was nothing else in the entire bathroom that was motion-sensored. My fellow ladies at the table were also befuddled. Despite the long commute and the flying toilet paper, I am a fan of the Best Western Martini Bar.

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History as Film

More movie reviews! I'm still trying to finish recapping all of the films NavyGuy and I saw over Christmas break. So far we've touched on The Curious Case of Benjamin Button, Doubt, and Slumdog Millionaire. Next up - Valkyrie.

Remember... you may encounter SPOILERS ahead.

So, let's preface this with, I hate Tom Cruise. He's odd, he's turned cute little Katie Holmes into some weird robot, his Scientology makes me want to stock canned goods, and I do not think he's aged well. Despite the fact that Cruise headlines the movie, Valkyrie exceeded my expectations. Cruise plays a German military official who joins forces with others in Germany who are anti-Hitler, and attempts to assassinate Der Fuhrer. Operation Valkyrie was a contingency plan for the country in case of a national emergency; it involved calling up the National Reserve, and Cruise's character (Colonel Claus von Stauffenberg) reworks it in order to take over the German government once Hitler is assassinated.

Anyone who knows their World War II history knows that Hitler is not assassinated. He dies a suicidal death in his bunker as the war ends. But that doesn't matter when you're watching the movie. You spend the entire film knowing that von Stauffenberg isn't going to succeed, and yet, you watch mesmerized, hoping that your history knowledge is failing you. When you realize how many assassination attempts failed by mere chance, it becomes almost painful to watch. The Valkyrie plot failed because it was too hot that day - Hitler's meeting was moved from an indoor bunker to a venue with many windows. Because of the windows, the bomb placed in a briefcase underneath the table in the venue didn't have the immense impact it would have had in a sealed bunker. If the meeting had happened in the sealed bunker, Hitler, and his inner circle, would likely have been killed. Ah, the what ifs.

I digress. The film is just the right length to tell the story (unlike the epic Benjamin Button), and is never dull. Cruise convincingly portrays a German military officer, weighing the risks of following his conscience with the risks of ignoring it. (I will agree with my amateur movie critic friend Miss Kewi that a German accent would have significantly enhanced his performance.) There is enough action and narrative to interest even the history-hater, and the history-lover will leave the theater anxious to go home and Wikipedia the real events to learn more. If this one isn't still in the theaters near you, throw it into your Netflix queue - a reminder of the "what ifs" of history is always good.

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If You Can't Be in Washington on Tuesday...

For you poor saps that have to spend Tuesday actually working, have no fear - I'll watch the Presidential Inauguration coverage on television for you all day (I'm contemplating a drinking game based on the number of times the talking heads use the words "historic" or "Martin Luther King Jr.", but I worry I'll be completely snookered by ten a.m.).

I do want to share a great resource I found online - a guide to the television coverage of the inauguration. Just pick your network or cable channel, and go from there.

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If only we could watch TV like normal people

~ Watched John Adams again last night. (Part 3 focuses on Adams' time in France and Holland, during the Revolutionary War, trying to convince both countries to aid the United States.)

~ Debated with NavyGuy over which French king was in charge during the Revolutionary War. Called it a tie as neither of us remembered the correct King Louis number (it was 16, we both guessed 15).

~ Debated with NavyGuy over which French king designed the palace at Versailles. One point for Mugs, correctly identifying King Louis 14, the Sun King. NavyGuy argued for bonus points having Wikipedia'd Versailles and adding that it was originally a hunting lodge. Bonus points denied.

~ Debated with NavyGuy over whether or not Versailles is pretty. Another draw. Our third participant (Marine #2) agreed with me that the grounds/gardens are sweet, but took NavyGuy's side when it came to the Hall of Mirrors ("too narrow and ostentacious" plus some other crude remarks about the French).

~ Debated with NavyGuy over when John Quincy Adams becomes president. Negative points for NavyGuy (suggested J.Q. Adams was #4) and Marine #2 (suggested J. Adams was #3). More points for Mugs who correctly listed the first four presidents (Washington, J. Adams, Jefferson, Madison). Additional points for Mugs for answers a) John Quincy was 1824, and b) Lincoln was #16. However, when I incorrectly placed Polk in the 1820s, my reputation suffered, and all further historical questions were directed to Wikipedia.

So, all in all? Our impromptu history trivia bowl showed that three college degrees, two history majors, and one computer with internet access can make for a pretty interesting John Adams viewing... oh, and I won. (A rematch is inevitable, and I will be studying ahead of time so as to continue my dominance.)

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