The 84th Academy Award nominations were announced last week, and most of those receiving Oscar nods followed projections, with a few surprises (and snubs) thrown in just to keep things interesting. But making predictions on this year's winners is a bit trickier than in the past; with roughly a month to go until Oscar night, there are some genuine horse races in progress, unlike recent years, when most of the recipients were pretty much foregone conclusions. So, with that said, here's what I expect out of the major categories in this year's competition as of now.Best PictureNominees: "The Artist," "The Descendants," "Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close," "The Help," "Hugo," "Midnight in Paris," "Moneyball," "The Tree of Life," "War Horse"The Field: [...]

Portraying the events of 9/11 on screen is a daunting task -- and, regrettably, one that's easy to get wrong. Read more about my views on this in 'Extremely Loud...' proves incredibly unsatisfying, my VividLife review of "Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close," available by clicking here. And to find out more about the movie, visit the film's official web site.

"Going deep" is more than a sports term; it's a metaphysical concept as well. To find out more, read The Benefits of Going Deep, my latest post FengSHe post, available by clicking here.

What do you get when you cross conscious creation with recent British history? Find out by reading 'The Iron Lady' reveals how 'what we think, we become', my latest post at www.VividLife.me. And to find out more about the movie, click here.

What should we expect out of life? It depends on us. Read more about it in 'A Better Life' shows how expectations govern outcomes, my latest VividLife post, now available by clicking here.

"I Am" (2011). Cast: Tom Shadyac, Ray Anderson, Marc Ian Barasch, Coleman Barks, Noam Chomsky, John Francis, Elizabet Sahtouris, Dacher Keltner, Rollin McCraty, Chris Jordan, Lynne McTaggart, Daniel Quinn, Dean Radin, Thom Hartmann, Marilyn Schlitz, Richard Shadyac, David Suzuki, Desmond Tutu, Howard Zinn. Director: Tom Shadyac. Writer: Tom Shadyac. http://iamthedoc.com/Examining what's right and wrong with the world is a tall order in almost any context, but doing so within the body of a documentary (without an unreasonably long running time) is, arguably, a seemingly insurmountable challenge. However, director Tom Shadyac has done an excellent job in tackling this task, effectively and succinctly encapsulating his take on these grand notions in his new documentary, "I Am.""I Am" is both a philosophical [...]

I’m so excited to share some great news with you. Today, December 31, 2011, I am the featured Inspirational Luminary on InspireMeToday.com, sharing my wisdom with the world. This free web site is one to bookmark! Inspire Me Today features the “Brilliance” of a new Luminary every day. You can start your day with the wisdom of Sir Richard Branson, Guy Laliberte, Seth Godin, Neale Donald Walsch, Marci Shimoff or one of hundreds more, now including me. I’m so honored to be with such esteemed company!To help you stay inspired, you can sign up to receive this 3-minute “Today’s Brilliance” pick-me-up each day by email, by RSS feed or as an iPhone app. You can even subscribe to it on [...]

Change is said to be the only constant in life, and the more we make peace with it, the better off we'll be. It's a theme of one of this year's most critically acclaimed films, too, a subject I write about in my latest VividLife post, 'The Artist' explores the need to evolve, now available by clicking here. And to find out more about the film, visit the picture's official web site.

Transformation is a goal for many of us, and there are many routes to get there, both conventional and unconventional. Find out more about both in Personal growth takes center stage in 'A Dangerous Method', my latest post at VividLife.me.

Want to bring some cheer into others' lives? Read more about it in Spreading Joy Through Creation, my latest FengSHe post, available at www.FengSHe.org. Happy Holidays!