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The full list of oscar nominations, and some very quick reaction, can be found after the jump.

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Last Tuesday morning, without telling our four kids where we were going, we woke them up at five o’clock in the morning and drove them to the airport for a surprise, last-week-of-summer pilgrimage to pay homage to the Mouse. The oldest two had been once before, nine years ago, though they barely remembered it. The younger two hadn’t been and really had no idea what to expect. Of course, the trip had been months in planning and it took a considerable amount of self-control on my part to keep the secret. The night before I got little sleep, like a kid on Christmas Eve. By Sunday morning, as we began our slow Bataan-like march home, I was exhausted. I had pretty much worn us all out, though I don’t have any regrets. Below are some of my observations about our Orlando, Florida Disney experience.
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Just a reminder: the AMC original series The Killing begins tonight. AMC’s original programing (Mad Men, Breaking Bad, Rubicon, The Walking Dead) is generally regarded by critics as nearly flawless, so there’s plenty of reason to believe that this show will also be terrific. I haven’t watched any of it so far, but I predict this is one we’ll be talking about here at Kulturblog.

http://c.brightcove.com/services/viewer/federated_f9?isVid=1

I meant to get this an open discussion started weeks ago, when it would have been more timely. But it’s not too late, I figure. Like many people, one of the highlights of the holiday season for me is staying up late playing games with family and friends. And there’s still time for that, right?

Based on recommendations here at Kulturblog (and especially Bret’s very informative posts), last year we picked up Wits and Wagers, which has proven to be a solid game-night player. Anything else out there? I personally prefer the casual games that don’t require hours of playing time and can accommodate large groups. (We’ve also enjoyed Ticket to Ride, but it’s probably near my limit in terms of a required time commitment.) I’ll listen to all sorts of recommendations, though, and it goes without saying that it’s not all about me.

Does your subconscious echo in the pop culture that surrounds you?
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For more than a decade, The Foxymorons have been making their own flavor of indie guitar rock on their own terms, surfacing every few years with yet another collection of pop gems. Originally hailing from the middle-class suburb of Mesquite, Texas, for the last few years, collaborators David Dewese and Jerry James hadn’t even been living in the same state. While recording their last album, Dewese lived in Nashville and James in Los Angeles and the pair would trade tapes by mail (or, one assumes, email), getting together during vacations to record. (Recently, Dewese packed up and moved to California—and James moved back to Texas.)

Most recently, the Foxymorons produced Bible Stories, probably their strongest effort yet. As with prior albums, the songwriting duties are evenly split, with each member’s effort on display in alternating tracks. Deweese’s songs tend to be bright and melodic, while James’ are more sardonic and ragged—or, then again, maybe that’s more descriptive of their respective vocal styles. Both seem to draw on similar influences: Big Star, Pavement, Wilco, Centro-matic, and a healthy dash of radio pop thrown in for polish.

David and Jerry agreed to an interview for Kulturblog via email, reproduced below.
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Unfortunately, this notice comes to late for those who missed last night’s part 1 of 3 in this Sherlock Holmes re-imagining. Pity, too, because the first episode, “A Study in Pink,” was brilliant.

This version of Arthur Conan Doyle’s brilliant anti-hero detective is set in twenty-first century London. But don’t let that put you off; it still translates remarkably well. Sure, Holmes uses cell phones and computers, but his prime tools is still is remarkable powers of observation and deduction.

Stephen Moffat is the source of this translation, proving again that he’s one of the most talented people working in television. If you’ve seen the British series “Coupling” or the newest version of “Doctor Who,” you may be familiar with Moffat’s work. (My favorite might be an episode of Doctor Who called “Blink” featuring the now rising-star actress Carey Mulligan.) Moffat’s stuff is usually creepy, funny and well-paced. He’s a fantastic storyteller, and “Sherlock” is no exception.

Sherlock also features fine performances. Martin Freeman plays Dr. Watson. Freeman is probably still best known for playing “Tim” in the original British “The Office” (the character re-named Jim in the U.S version). Freeman was recently announced as the actor cast to play Bilboa Baggins in the upcoming Peter Jackson “Hobbit.” The improbably-named Benedict Cumberbatch nails the brilliant and anti-social title character.

Check it out. PBS is running these under the Masterpiece Mystery banner on Sunday evenings. If episodes two and three are anything as good as the first, they are well worth your time.