Three things we’ll be talking about this week

1The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences will announce the nominees for the 2009 Academy Awards on Tuesday morning. In the acting categories, the front-runners include Jeff Bridges (“Crazy Heart”), Sandra Bullock (“The Blind Side”), Mo’Nique (“Precious”) and Christoph Waltz (“Inglourious Basterds”). The Oscars will be handed out in March in a ceremony hosted by Steve Martin and Alec Baldwin.

2Who dat? It’s the New Orleans Saints, making their first-ever trip to football nirvana, aka the Super Bowl. Standing in their way is Peyton Manning and the Indianapolis Colts. The football season will come to an official, glorious end on Sunday with a cornucopia of overpriced TV commercials, a glitzy halftime show featuring The Who and two quarterbacks (Manning and Drew Brees) at the top of their game.

3It’s Groundhog Day on Tuesday, when all eyes turn to Punxsutawney, Pa ., to watch a little rodent name Phil predict the weather. If he doesn’t see his shadow when he pops out of his burrow on Gobbler’s Knob, an early spring is on its way. If he does see his shadow, it means six more weeks of harsh winter weather. Here in Spokane, of course, six more weeks of this winter will seem downright pleasant.