•  David Carr camps out at the Four Seasons, chats it up with a veritable who's who of the Oscar strategist spectrum. [The Carpetbagger]

•  He also reports at length at the goings on in town this week: the parties, the prep, the pageantry. [New York Times]

•  Michael Cieply, meanwhile, digs into the matter of that Academy museum that can now see the light of day with the strike settlement. [New York Times]

•  Jeffrey Wells rattles off his perspective on the season to an eager podcaster. [Hollywood Elsewhere]

•  Tom O'Neil responds to the final Buzzmeter...and he's still predicting George Clooney! [Gold Derby]

•  Gina Piccalo writes a big, juicy love letter to Oscar savior Gil Cates. [Los Angeles Times]

•  She also profiles Bill Conti, maestro of the musical cues and "45 second rule." [The Envelope]

•  Still hoofing it, Kevin O'Connell talks his plight with Vanity Fair's Cassandra Handley. [Little Gold Men]

•  Ramin Setoodeh rounds out the year with his final guesses.  The most intriguing: an Amy Ryan forecast in Best Supporting Actress. [The Gold Digger]

•  Favorite quotables from this year's nominees. [Cinematical]

•  Leslie Simmons takes note of Marcus Carl Franklin ("I'm Not There") at Friday night's Indie Spirit nominees reception.  So did everyone else, apparently. [Gold Rush]