I really am sick of Billy Crystal hosting the Academy Awards. Why not have Chris Rock or Jay Mohr or Ben Stiller. Lets get some younger and better comedians. Ah well, let's see who will win. It's always interesting to me to see who should win as opposed to who actually wins. And the envelope please:
(The A's are my picks, the O's are Oscar's)

A-Best Picture: LOTR. Just for the fact that it made history being filmed all at once. No more George Lucas crap where we wait 10 years between each film.

O-Best Picture: Lost in Translation. It has the buzz, a female director and is a good movie. Master & Commander, please lets give Crowe a break from Oscar. Seabiscuit? Its too formula. It smells like inspirational Hollywood sap. Empty calories.

A-Actor:I'd like to see Johnny Depp get it for Pirates only because it was a very good character. But for full depth of acting ability, I pick Bill Murray. He should have received an Oscar for his role in Wild Things.

O-Actor: Tough one. But I think they will go with Bill Murray. Again the buzz. Sean Penn yah he's gained serious status over the years, Ben Kingsley another great actor, but who even saw this movie? Johnny Depp is a favorite, but the role was too light and fun. Jude Law, the movie had some buzz, but he's young and they would likely see him get one later in his career.

A-Actress:Naomi Watts for 21 Grams. Good actress.

O-Actress: Ugh, Charlize Theron is a favorite. It's almost a sure thing.

A-Supporting Actor: Benicio Del Toro. That guy is a good actor.

O-Supporting Actor: Tough one to figure out. Tim Robbins is a favorite, but they may want to give a nod to Alec Baldwin.

A-Supporting Actress: Marcia Gay Harden, she is a really good actress. Go see her.

O-Supporting Actress: Renee Zellweger is the favorite here.

A-Director: Peter Jackson. Again he did something amazing with this movie. It could have turned into a flop Willow-style. But it made gobs of cash, was fun to watch, and did a good job all around.

O-Director: Clint has won before, so it's not likely they will give him one this time, though winning before does make anyone seem more Oscar worthy. (It's like the presidential election) Sofia Coppola may just walk away with the Oscar for this one. It was a good movie, and again has the buzz. Jackson may be snubbed purely for the fact that the movie is a fantasy movie. Comedy movies dont win many Oscars.

As for the rest? Who really cares. Costumes and Sound and Editing and all the rest. Hey I am sure good work was done, but it's not exciting to me.

Another fun-filled evening has come to an end. Did the whole Newport/Costa Mesa thing tonight and didn't even have a lot to drink. Usually I do to take the edge off when being around that kind of crowd. I get suck a kick from watching people. Not in the lurking behind your bushes peeping through your window way, but in the "I am judging you with my eyes" way. I have always been an observer more than a participant. I enjoy watching things around me and learning about my surroundings and how it all fits and works. Not just the rain cycle or photosynthesis. But how does that old man with the walker look at the two kids on skateboards with tattoos all over them. And how do they look at or regard him as they almost knock him down in their oblivious Bill & Ted stupor. I think that the observing has made me a better judge of things and has allowed me to see what is likely to happen in situations. Though that over-thinking causes me to be very judgemental and on edge.

But as I get older and continue to reflect and grow, I become much more pleased with who I am as a person and the way in which I view the world. Although I am very displeased that I have to wait yet another week for the next new episode of Alias. I liked it better when the Academy Awards were on a Monday and in March.

Enough of politics, lets talk about something more fun and less controversial. Religion. So Mel Gibson in his desire to see his beliefs spread and upheld has created this movie, The Passion of the Christ. Smart move to get him into heaven, but it may damage his career in Hollywood. Nothing Hollywood hates more than convictions and the willingness to stand for them. Anyhoo there is some talk of the movie raising Anti-Semitism because of the depiction of the Romans and the Jews and their part in the death of Jesus. Putting the historical record aside as well as the inaccuracies in the movie...I have to wonder why it always comes down to the whole "Jews killed Jesus" thing. Think about it for a moment, Any Christian should never harbor any ill feeling towards any Jew. Even if you lay the blame on the Jewish leadership at that time, let's look at it from a faith based view. Traditionally it goes like this, God send his only son to preach the gospel to men, and to ultimately act as a sacrificial lamb to die for the sins of mankind. Part of this was that Jesus had knowledge of his fate and was Ok with it. So we get this whole predestination fate thing. Still with me? Ok so if the whole thing was known by God and Jesus, and was supposed to happen so Jesus could die for the sins of mankind, then Jesus was supposed to die. In which case, whoever was "responsible" for his death was just playing a role given to them and were acting out the divine plan set forth by God.

So why would anyone blame the Jews, or hate them for (possibly)fulfilling God's will?

Obviously their are other prejudices at work, but can't we put that one to rest yet?
After all What Would Flanders Do?

What a bunch of fraidy cats. Clear Channel Radio has annouced that they will suspend airing the Howard Stern show on their radio stations because of their fear of the FCC. What is happening? Did I suddenly wake up in 1984? And I mean that literally and literaturely (yes I know that is made up). Did Ed Meese become Attorney General again? What's next James Watt drilling for oil in Alaska? Oh wait that's already a current issue. FIX THE ECONOMY FIRST. BRING OUR TROOPS HOME SAFELY. Then go ahead and limit the rights of people who love each other to marry, limit the rights of free speech, cover the breast of a friggin statue, or whatever other wild hair is up the collective right-wing ass. These people need to learn to prioritize. Distraction tactics never fail to amaze me. Though not much is different from our first real (I say real because you can't count Gen. Washington's elections, those were freebies) elections to the ones today.

Whatever your politics, beliefs, views, thoughts, etc...Think what you want, vote for what you want, say what you want. But please take a long look at what you care about when you think of what it means to be an American. Where have we come from and where do you want this country to go. When I do, I look at the Declaration of Independence. The seed from which this country sprang from, based on the Liberty of the Individual. It makes me feel idealistic and hopeful. Sure I maybe a corny sap, just call me Mr. Smith, but I will be damned if I will turn my back on the basic ideals of liberty, equality, justice and opportunity on which this country was founded.

Ok, now I am pissed. It's bad enough when the Republican Christian Agenda is given so much air-time by the media with their whole anti-gay marriage crap. Which of course leads others to only push that much harder for the pro-gay marriage agenda. You have judges and courts, city government and state governments jumping in. But now President Bush is talking about involvement on the Federal level. And not just in regards to the Supreme Court, but the Constitution. I am and have always been a big fan of the Federal Government, I couldn't stand it when the Republicans railed against it in the 80's and even the 90's. All their bullshit about leaving things to the States. And now they jump in again and want to meddle with the Constitution for another phoney issue. Gay Marriage. They wanted Amendments banning Abortion, banning Flag Burning, allowing school prayer. I say phoney, because most Americans really couldn't care less.
In love with your same-sex partner, want to live together, get married, have the states change the laws and have at it. Now the legal profession can create a whole new specialty, Gay Prenuptial Agreements and of course to follow Gay Divorces. Lawyers must be loving the prospect. Who doesn't like the idea:
Some conservative folks who pull the old "God made Adam and Eve not Adam and Steve" crap.
Chrisitians and Jews and Muslims who view marriage as a sanctified union between a man and a woman. Yes news flash its not just Pat Robertson types.
Ordinary men and women who for whatever reason just aren't comfortable with the idea of homosexuality. And I don't mean hate mongers, just people like your Aunt or Dad or neighbor, maybe you or your best friend. It leaves them feeling uneasy, but for the most part they don't care enough to protest because as much as they may not like the idea, they acknowledge that basic fundamental idea of Live and Let Live.
And that is really the big issue. Not some pro or con. Just simply let consenting adults live their life as they choose in a way that does no harm to themselves or others. What could be more American than that?

If that means that 49 states decide that marriage will continue to be a union between one man and one woman (yes, Rick Santorum is a jack-ass but he made some valid legal points) then so be it. Everyone who wants to enter into a marriage with someone of the same sex will just move to that state. And more than likely the other states would follow suit. Maybe not all, but most. It has been 35 years since Stonewall and much has changed, just as much has stayed the same. But as other civil rights movements have shown us, fear, ignorance and hatred can do little but delay the eventual legal (and hopefuly social) acceptance of a minority.