Live Blogging the Oscars (sorta)

I actually live-Facebooked (there should be a verb for that, like "tweet" or "blog") the ceremony, but I thought I'd reformat my comments into a blog post with pictures.  (I know most of my blog readers are already my Facebook friends, so you've probably already seen this, but here it is for posterity.)  Re-enjoy!


7:43pm: Katie thinks Matthew McConaughey's lady's dress is the loveliest she's seen so far...

Matt's baby mama, Camila, on the red carpet

8:00pm I take it back! Halle looks fabulous!

History book entry Halle Berry

8:44pm: Katie is amazed by this awesome virtual reality stage!

Just one of the stage's many disguises of the night

8:46pm Yay! One for Disney right off the bat :)

Alice in Wonderland's Art Direction Oscar got a little Mad Hatter treatment!

9:09pm: Katie got thanked in an Oscar speech! (What? He thanked everyone at Disney and I'm someone at Disney. You're welcome, Lee Unkrich.)

LU-LU accepts the Best Animated Feature statue for Toy Story 3

9:28pm: Dame Helen also looking ravishing!

Ms. Mirren graces the red carpet

9:34pm: Poor Melissa Leo is never gonna live down that f-bomb!

Charmer Kirk Douglas' escort took a couple of jabs from her co-stars and colleagues throughout the night

9:57pm: Finally, he loosens up! It's good to see Franco smile a little bit.

I'm not gonna lie, Frankie was a bit of a bore 

10:02pm: Another thank you [to "everyone at Disney"] from the immensely talented Colleen Atwood! Job well done!

Helena Bonham Carter showed off one of the Alice costumer's designs

10:19pm: Miss Hathaway! Fabulous sparkly gold fringe! Best one yet, classy lady.

The gracious hostess gives her gown a wiggle

10:37pm: Katie has now had her delicious daily dose of Downey. Yum :)

Bob and Judy celebrate their bromance

10:44pm: Katie can't tell if Gwyneth is nervous or just...sucks.

Paltrow's performance was a bit of a trainwreck

10:47: Hey!  One more great win for Disney!  Congrats, Randy Newman--it's about time.

Disney Legend picks up his second Oscar...of TWENTY nominations!

10:54pm: Katie is crying again...why'd they have to pick this song?!

Celine Dion rehearsing Charlie Chaplin's "Smile" for the in memoriam segment

10:57pm: Oop! Comma splice. Grammar fail, Oscars.

An example of proper punctuation of the Lena Horne quote

11:02pm: Wow, it IS hard to find that microphone from the other side.

I made fun of old person David Seidler for not being able to see the microphone, but when they finally cut to a camera angle from a winner's viewpoint, it's evident that the mic is pretty darn camouflaged.  

11:03pm: Hilary Swank, your platinum multimedia number gets an A+ from me!

Probably my favorite gown of the night

11:08pm: Who are those adorably polite and precocious young ladies they keep showing in the opera box?

Couldn't find a screencap of those girls, but they were as prim and proper as poppets in a painting

11:15pm: Natalie P.: Love the earrings, gown color, the whole ensemble.

Another of my favorite ensembles of the evening, although her hair was a mess by the time they got around to announcing her category

11:20pm: Katie "took a drink at home." Anne, you are hilarious! Way to be on your feet!

I thought Annie was a simply adorable hostess, overcoming her only flub swiftly and eloquently

11:22pm: That dress is a work of art!

Hathaway trumped her gold gown with this beautiful blue one

11:27pm: Three cheers for Mr. Darcy!

The glowing Brit deservedly wins, surprising no one who witnessed his performance

11:39pm: Katie always enjoys the Academy Awards ceremony, a throwback to classic Hollywood where the males are gentlemen and all the females dress like princesses.

For one night in Hollywood, classy attire reigns--even the Worst Dressed listers at least aren't calling attention to their naughty bits

Natalie's baby daddy helped her up the stairs to accept her award--so chivalrous!

11:40pm: And on that note, I'm bored by this finale. Good night, everybody! (Don't tell those kids!)

11:45pm Seriously, you don't need to breathe after every two words!

These overexposed YouTube sensations failed to win me over

Afterthoughts: After reading some critics' takes on the ceremony, I guess we didn't agree on much--they thought Gwyneth and PS22 were great (they need to have their ears checked) and Anne and James tanked (they were half right about that observation).  I even didn't mind Anne's whoo-ing during her applause, which one reporter reviled.  They wanted a younger audience's opinion, so here it is: her lighthearted approach to the ceremony made it less stiff and formal, unlike her zombie co-host, although he can usually charm the socks off of me.  Maybe he was just tired after cramming for mid-terms?  At any rate, they thought the ceremony was an overall disaster and I thought it was an overall delight.  Here's hoping for a bigger dose of Robert Downey, Jr., next year!

The Decade in TV and Film

So, you know I'm into movies and tv and stuff.  And I'm into reading.  So that means I read a lot about movies and tv and stuff, and almost all the stuff I've been reading lately has been lists of the top movies and shows of the decade (even though, since the millenium technically lasted until the end of 2000, I'm guessing the decade probably lasts until the end of 2010, but who's counting?).  So I thought I'd make my own little list, especially since most of their lists (especially the movie lists) are composed of total downers that nobody except movie critics have ever seen.  So anyway, here goes: a list of my favorite films and television from the oughts. 

20 Favorite Films

1. Almost Famous (2000)
2. Amelie (2001)
3. Bruce Almighty (2003)
4. Death at a Funeral (2007)
5. Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind (2004)
6. High Fidelity (2000)
7. In Bruges (2008)
8. Kiss Kiss Bang Bang (2005)
9. Little Miss Sunshine (2006)
10. Minority Report (2002)
11. Moulin Rouge! (2001)
12. Ocean's Eleven (2001)
13. Pirates of the Caribbean: Curse of the Black Pearl (2003)
14. Slumdog Millionaire (2008)
15. Stranger Than Fiction (2006)
16. The 40-Year-Old Virgin (2005)
17. The Emperor's New Groove (2000)
18. The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy (2005)
19. Tropic Thunder (2008)
20. Wall-E (2008)

20 Favorite TV Series and Mini-Series

1. Angels in America (2003)
2. Arrested Development (2003-2006)
3. House, M.D. (2004-present)
4. Monk (2002-2009)
5. Nightmares and Dreamscapes: From the Stories of Stephen King (2006)
6. Project Runway (2005-present)
7. Pushing Daisies (2007-2009)
8. The Office (2005-present)
9. Three Sheets (2006-present)
10. Ugly Betty (2006-present)
Honorable Mention: FlashForward (2008-present), too early to tell if it'll define a decade for me or not

5 Favorite TV Series not originating in the oughts

1. Futurama (1999-2003, 2010-present)
2. Inside the Actors Studio (1994-present)
3. Sex and the City (1998-2004)
4. Roswell (1999-2002)
5. The West Wing (1999-2006)
Honorable Mention: The X-Files (1993-2002), even though the seasons that aired in the oughts sucked

Disclaimer! I still haven't seen Sherlock Holmes, Extract, Wonder Boys, Freaks and Geeks, Punch-Drunk Love, The Hurt Locker, Forgetting Sarah Marshall, Extras, The Hangover, or Avatar, all of which may have broken the list if I had seen them during the oughts.  But now it's the...teens (?) so I guess they're ineligible.  Along with Alvin and the Chipmunks: The Squeakuel.  And I know you're asking, "Where're 30 Rock and Lost?" but I don't watch those shows, so... :-P

Encore 2009

If you're wondering why there hasn't been a new blog post in a little while, it's because we've been incredibly busy in the final rehearsal preparations and in the performances of Encore! I've been involved in Encore! for the past 4 summers and Eric has been for the past 3. Encore! is an organization made up of Disney cast members and their family and friends who perform a large-scale musical production every summer to raise money for charity.

This year our show was entitled, Revolution! A Musical Flashback to the '60s and '70s, and it featured music from the legendary greats (and a few one-hit wonders) of the era. This show was a lot of fun because our audience identified with the music on a higher level. Even the year we did movie songs and themes (Hollywood! A Musical Tribute to the Silver Screen), there were as many obscure tunes as there were familiar classic ones. This time the audience was singing (and dancing!) along to almost every song and really got involved and excited, which we hope will keep them coming back year after year.

Here are some photos from the show, and even more can be found tagged on Facebook.

Below is a list of songs featured or partially featured in the show, just for the heck of it.

Overture from Jesus Christ Superstar
Because by the Beatles
Downtown by Petula Clark
Going to the Chapel by the Dixie Cups
Daydream Believer by the Monkees
Big Girls Don't Cry by Frankie Valli and the Four Seasons
These Boots Were Made for Walking by Nancy Sinatra
It's My Party by Lesley Gore
Can't Help Falling in Love by Elvis Presley
California Dreamin' by the Mamas and the Papas
Surfin' USA by the Beach Boys
Surfer Girl by the Beach Boys
Fun, Fun, Fun by the Beach Boys
I Get Around by the Beach Boys
Reach Out, I'll Be There the Four Tops
Please, Mr. Postman by the Marvelettes
Stop in the Name of Love by Diana Ross and the Supremes
My Guy by Mary Wells
My Girl by the Temptations
Sugar Pie, Honey Bunch by the Four Tops
Ain't No Mountain High Enough by Marvin Gaye and Tammi Terrell
Respect by Aretha Franklin
Think by Aretha Franklin
Proud Mary by Ike and Tina Turner
Higher and Higher by Jackie Wilson
The Night the Lights Went Out in Georgia by Vicki Lawrence
Crazy by Patsy Cline
Pfft! You Was Gone from Hee Haw
Take Me Home, Country Roads by John Denver
Stand By Your Man by Tammy Wynette
Tie a Yellow Ribbon by Tony Orlando and Dawn
Jambalaya by Hank Williams, Jo Stafford, and others
All You Need is Love by the Beatles
All My Loving by the Beatles
Yesterday by the Beatles
Eleanor Rigby by the Beatles
Here Comes the Sun by the Beatles
Strawberry Fields Forever by the Beatles
I Wanna Hold Your Hand by the Beatles
Hey Jude by the Beatles
Let It Be by the Beatles
Blowin' in the Wind by Bob Dylan
Scarborough Fair by Simon and Garfunkel
Sound of Silence by Simon and Garfunkel
Puff the Magic Dragon by Peter, Paul, and Mary
I'd Like to Teach the World to Sing by the New Seekers and the Hillside Singers
Make Your Own Kind of Music by the Mamas and the Papas
The Flesh Failures/Let the Sunshine In from Hair
Theme from Star Trek
Theme from The Munsters
Theme from Dallas
Theme from Laverne and Shirley
Theme from The Jeffersons
Theme from The Loveboat
Theme from The Brady Bunch
Theme from The Addams Family
Theme from WKRP in Cincinnati
Theme from Gilligan's Island
Theme from Three's Company
Theme from The Muppet Show
Come Sail Away by Styx
Make Me Smile by Chicago
Carry On My Wayward Son by Kansas
Over at the Frankenstein Place from The Rocky Horror Show
Time Warp from The Rocky Horror Show
Your Song by Elton John
She's Always a Woman by Billy Joel
You've Got a Friend by Carole King and James Taylor
I Write the Songs by Barry Manilow
Don't Cry Out Loud by Melissa Manchester
Through the Eyes of Love by Melissa Manchester
We've Only Just Begun by the Carpenters
You Light Up My Life by Debby Boone
Nobody Does It Better by Carly Simon
All By Myself by Eric Carmen
Last Dance by Donna Summer
Boogie Fever by the Sylvers
I Will Survive by Gloria Gaynor
The Winner Takes It All by Abba
Dancing Queen by Abba
How Deep is Your Love by the Bee Gees
Stayin' Alive by the Bee Gees
We Are Family by Sly and the Family Stone
YMCA by the Village People
We Will Rock You by Queen
We Are the Champions by Queen

My Own 50 Most Beautiful People List

People Magazine recently issued its annual 50 Most Beautiful People list, topped this year by Christina Applegate. She's a great pick, but after seeing some of the other celebrities who charted, I decided to make my own list. A lot of their picks seem to depend on who has been in the news lately (or who happens to be standing in whatever firehouse or frisbee golf tournament People has decided to feature that year). If that rule applies, my list will definitely begin with this guy:

2009 MOST BEAUTIFUL (AND MOST RESILIENT)
Robert Downey, Jr., star of Iron Man, Tropic Thunder, and the upcoming Sherlock Holmes, looking quite mysterious and bad@$$ on the cover of Esquire magazine in March of '07, flanked by a very prophetic headline

The rest of my list follows. Rules:

• It is kind of governed by the Relevant Rule (as mentioned above). I'll try to do a mini-description so you don't have to Google everyone. Click on each name for a choice photo.
• I tried to stick to a No Beards rule, too (not a facial hair fan), but there are a few stubborn exceptions.
• I already broke my No Cigarettes rule (link above), so toss that one.
• My picks happen to be all Hollywood actors, not that I have anything against musicians (obviously), athletes, politicians, reality stars (okay, yeah, I do), or other public figures. I just couldn't think of any to add to this list. Except #51 at the end.

P.S. Why so serious, every person in every picture on this list?

MOST BEAUTIFUL RISING STARS
Freida Pinto, star of Slumdog Millionaire
Amy Adams, star of Enchanted and Doubt

MOST BEAUTIFUL COUPLES
Ellen DeGeneres & Portia de Rossi, television stars
Vanessa Hudgens & Zac Efron, stars of High School Musical films
David Duchovny & Téa Leoni, newly reunited stars of Californication and Ghost Town, respectively

MOST BEAUTIFUL ON-SCREEN COUPLES
Lee Pace & Anna Friel, stars of Pushing Daisies
James Roday & Dulé Hill, stars of Psych

MOST BEAUTIFUL JOKESTERS
John Krasinski, star of The Office
Kristen Wiig, star of SNL, Knocked Up, and Ghost Town
Bonnie Hunt, host of The Bonnie Hunt Show
Justin Bartha, star of The Hangover and the National Treasure films

MOST BEAUTIFUL INTERNATIONALS
Nicole Kidman, Australian (duh) star of Australia
Craig Ferguson, Scottish host of The Late Late Show
Ryan Reynolds, Canadian star of The Proposal
Anthony LaPaglia, Australian star of Without A Trace

MOST BEAUTIFUL CHILD/TEENAGE STARS ALL GROWN UP
Jason Bateman, star of Silver Spoons, then Arrested Development, Juno, and Hancock
Paul Rudd, star of Clueless, then Role Models, The 40-Year-Old Virgin, and Knocked Up
Alexis Bledel, star of Gilmore Girls and Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants, then...Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants 2.
Johnny Depp, star of 21 Jump Street, then the Pirates of the Caribbean films and Sweeney Todd
John Cusack, star of Say Anything, then War, Inc. and Martian Child
Amber Tamblyn, star of Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants, then The Unusuals
Doug Savant, star of Melrose Place, then Desperate Housewives

MOST BEAUTIFUL KID
Abigail Breslin, 13-year-old star of My Sister's Keeper

MOST BEAUTIFUL HUGHS
Hugh Laurie, star of House
Hugh Grant, star of Music and Lyrics
Hugh Jackman, Oscar ceremony host, star of Wolverine

MOST BEAUTIFUL AARP CARDHOLDERS (they hand 'em out at 50)
Steve Martin, 63-year-old star of The Pink Panther films
Chris Noth, 54-year-old star of Sex and the City
Alan Rickman, 63-year-old star of the Harry Potter films
Meryl Streep, 60-year-old star of Mamma Mia!

MOST BEAUTIFUL POTTYMOUTH
Seth McFarlane, creator and star of Family Guy

MOST BEAUTIFUL DISNEY FANATIC WHO HAS NEVER BEEN IN A DISNEY MOVIE
John Stamos, collector of Dumbo The Flying Elephant ride vehicles (and star of ER)

MOST BEAUTIFUL ENTIRE CAST OF A TELEVISION SHOW
The Cast of Ugly Betty
America Ferrera [click to view her out of character look] (Betty)
Ana Ortiz (Hilda)
Ashley Jensen (Christina)
Becki Newton (Amanda)
Eric Mabius (Daniel)
Judith Light (Claire)
Mark Indelicato (Justin)
Michael Urie (Marc)
Tony Plana (Ignacio)
Vanessa Williams (Wilhelmina)
Honorable Mention (not pictured): Freddy Rodriguez, Christopher Gorham, and Sarah LaFleur

MOST BEAUTIFUL PEOPLE YOU’VE NEVER HEARD OF (my perennial favorites who never seem to be up to much)
Alan Cumming, star of X-Men 2 and Tin Man
Hal Sparks, television/reality show personality, star of Queer as Folk and Dude, Where's My Car?, doppelganger of Dashboard Confessional lead singer Chris Carrabba

Bonus Category:
MOST BEAUTIFUL HUSBAND ON EARTH (INCLUDING ROBERT DOWNEY, JR.)
Eric Brown

Speaking of TV...

...these are the pilots, Disc 1s, and first seasons we have waiting in our Netflix and Hulu queues. If you have an opinion on whether or not we should watch any of these shows, let us know what you think. We might take your comments to heart, or we might say, "You're a doodyface," and watch the shows anyway.

Huff
Freaks and Geeks
Roswell
Stella
The Tick
Sliders
The Book of Daniel
Extras
Dexter
Good Neighbors
Weeds
Dead Like Me
30-Second Bunnies Theatre

EDIT: Never mind on Stella. We tried it today, and it was inordinately stupid. Very disappointing.

Intriguing Revelations about Karaoke

First, thanks to BestWeekEver.tv and ListoftheDay.blogspot.com, we have a list of 10 karaoke songs to avoid. Everyone on earth needs to read this because you'd be surprised how many times I hear about 80% of the songs on this list! Then, a repost from the updates section of my website, a May 2 MSNBC article about the effects of American Idol on the karaoke scene. Also, it includes a list of tips by which every karaoke singer should live!

We have sexy jobs

MSN Careers recently released a list of 10 jobs with under-the-radar sex appeal. Not only was photographer included on the list (go, me), my dad's profession of mail carrier made the cut also!

6. Mail carriers spend their days walking from house to house to deliver letters and packages, guaranteeing their legs look nice in those signature navy blue shorts. You know carriers are determined and trustworthy, seeing as they come to your house regardless of the weather and (hopefully) none of your letters are ever opened. Wouldn't most of us rather stay home on cold days and read personal letters and magazines from their bags?

8. Artsy types get a boost in the sexy department for having a strong sense of style and a unique perspective on the world. Even among artists, photographers stand out because they stay behind the camera, finding beauty in unconventional and overlooked places. Their willingness to stay out of the spotlight and focus their attention on someone else is endearing.

Mental Floss

If you haven't discovered MentalFloss.com yet, you're missing out. I just discovered it and it's already filling the void. Just thought I'd share a few interesting things that I've found so far.

First of all, Eric's brother Jeff attends Alfred University on a football scholarship. I found his school on MentalFloss.com as part of a list of 12 College Classes We Wish Our Schools Had Offered because in spring of 2005, Alfred offered a course entitled "Maple Syrup - The Real Thing."

Like many MentalFloss readers (and EricAndKP blog readers), I grew up on PBS family programming, so I thought y'all would get a kick out of 15 Reasons Mr. Rogers Was the Best Neighbor Ever. Warning: Only follow the obituary links at the bottom of the page if you have tissues handy.

And lastly, this article explains once and for all why we think it's so much fun to sing in the shower.

Lately

Well, our lives have been pretty busy lately! We've been singing in the Candlelight Processional at Epcot fairly often, which is a tradition that we really enjoy. As a part of the Concert Choir, I participated in a similarly-structured concert each year, and very early on I began to regard it as the herald of the holiday season for me. Thankfully, the Candlelight Processional Service of Traditional Songs and Scriptures (I think that's what it's called...something like that) has stepped into that role!

Also, Eric's birthday was last week. I got pretty excited and was going to bake a cake, but we didn't have any eggs. So I made a cookie cake! (This photo was taken after we had already gotten hungry and torn into it.) He also finally got the GPS he's been longing for!

In other news, President and First Lady Bush have caught up with the times and sent us a note congratulating us on our wedding. Way to get with the program, Bushes! :)


Let's see, what else is new? We're leaving for Waycross today to celebrate Christmas with the Pine-ders so Eric and I had our Christmas last night. Who has an awesome husband and got--not one but--two Coach purses? That would be yours truly! Tomorrow night we'll be caroling around the neighborhood (all six of us in harmony!) and performing at the Christmas eve service at FBC Wayx. If you're in town, swing by and have a listen!

Right now, I'm watching VH1 (instead of wrapping presents and packing), and I started to notice a pattern--I apparently love the '80s more than I thought I did because these are seriously all of my favorite karaoke songs! Namely #1 and #11, but where's "Open Arms" on this list?!

1. Bon Jovi / "Livin' on a Prayer" (1986)
2. Def Leppard / "Pour Some Sugar On Me" (1987)
3. Duran Duran / "Hungry Like the Wolf" (1982)
4. Michael Jackson / "Billie Jean" (1982)
7. Guns N' Roses / Sweet Child O' Mine (1987)
8. Madonna / "Like a Virgin" (1984)
10. AC/DC / "You Shook Me All Night Long" (1980)
11. Journey / "Don't Stop Believing" (1981)
13. U2 / "With Or Without You" (1987)
14. The Bangles / "Walk Like an Egyptian" (1986)
15. Van Halen / "Jump" (1984)
17. Whitesnake / "Here I Go Again" (1982)
20. Rick Springfield / "Jessie's Girl" (1981)
23. Cyndi Lauper / "Girls Just Want to Have Fun" (1984)
24. A-Ha / "Take On Me" (1985)
28. Wham! / "Wake Me Up Before You Go-Go" (1984)
30. Pat Benatar / "Love is a Battlefield" (1983)
33. Soft Cell / "Tainted Love" (1981)
34. Poison / "Every Rose Has It's Thorn" (1988)
38. U2 / "Pride (In the Name of Love)" (1984)
39. Modern English / "I Melt With You" (1982)
40. The B-52's / "Love Shack" (1989)
46. The Police / "Every Breath You Take" (1983)
50. Eurythmics / "Sweet Dreams (Are Made of This)" (1983)
52. Dead or Alive / "You Spin Me Round (Like A Record)" (1985)
56. Bonnie Tyler / "Total Eclipse of the Heart" (1983)
57. Toni Basil / "Mickey" (just kidding, I would never sing this song)
59. John Mellencamp / "Jack & Diane" (1982)
62. Berlin / "Take My Breath Away" (1986)
70. Joan Jett & The Blackhearts / "I Love Rock N' Roll" (1981)
78. Blondie / "Call Me" (1980)
83. Prince / "Kiss" (1986)
89. The Pretenders / "Brass in Pocket" (1980)
91. Katrina and The Waves / "Walking On Sunshine" (1983)

Fun Cruise Stuff - Volume 2

Here's the sequel to the first Fun Cruise Stuff post--the fun tidbit as promised. Our cruise director had a sense of humor, and on the last night of the cruise he presented the following list of questions asked on the cruise. Since then, I've found out that many cruise directors list the same questions, so you may have heard this list. Still, we thought it was pretty funny.

Top Ten Silliest Questions Asked on a Cruise

1. How far above sea level are we?
2. If I’m married, can I still go to the singles’ mix and mingle?
3. Does the crew sleep onboard?
4. Do I have to leave the ship to go on a shore excursion?
5. Do you think my face is too big for the mini facial?
6. Has this ship ever sunk?
7. Is the water in the toilets fresh water or salt water?
8. What happens to the ice sculptures after they’ve melted?
9. Is the island of Coco Cay completely surrounded by water?
10. If the photos in the gallery aren’t labeled, how do I know which ones are mine?

Stay tuned for one last Fun Cruise Stuff post with the video montage of our vacation!

Inaugural Post

Hello, friends, family, and faraway admirers!

In anticipation of the imminent expiration of our wedding web site's domain, we (meaning I) decided to start a family blog so that people can continue to read about our exploits if they choose. So EricAndKP.com will be alive and well until November, at which point this blog will become the primary source for your Brown family news.

For the inaugural post, I have decided to include some interesting, yet useless, information about us.

Interesting Anagrams of Katie's Name

I won't break
beatnik row
break in two
bear to wink
Bartok wine
tweak robin
twain broke

Interesting Anagrams of Eric's Name

I brew corn
brown rice
robin crew
crow brine
crew in orb

Exciting Events on Katie's Birthday

1815 - Napoleon Bonaparte exiled
1844 - Friedrich Nietzsche is born
1860 - 11-year-old constituent suggests Abraham Lincoln grow a beard
1924 - Statue of Liberty declared a national monument
1939 - LaGuardia Airport opens
1942 - Penny Marshall is born
1951 - I Love Lucy debuts on CBS
1953 - Tito Jackson is born
1959 - Sarah Ferguson, Duchess of York, is born
1964 - Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., receives Nobel Peace Prize

1990 - President Mikhail Gorbachev receives Nobel Peace Prize

Exciting Events on Eric's Birthday

1777 - First national Thanksgiving day
1936 - First giant panda imported to the US
1947 - Steven Spielberg is born
1954 - Ray Liotta is born
1965 - Brad Pitt is born
1966 - Kiefer Sutherland is born
1996 - TV ratings system adopted
1997 - Chris Farley dies

--Katie