Oscar-Winning Movies

I watched more of the Academy Awards Sunday night than I have ever watched. (Yes, I'm aware that most pundits maligned it as one of the worst Oscars ever.) Of the movies that were up for anything, I had only seen Juno, which I thought was a good little film. Of course, Best Picture honors went to No Country for Old Men. I haven't seen it, largely because I don't see many movies when they're current. Rather, I wait for them to come out on DVD. Ain't Netflix great?

There was an interesting segment (I think they do it every year) where all "Best Pictures" were shown. Here's a list of all the Oscar winners for Best Picture. I have seen One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest, Rocky, Chariots of Fire, Terms of Endearment, Rain Man, Driving Miss Daisy, Silence of the Lambs, Schindler's List, Forrest Gump, Titanic, American Beauty, Gladiator, Million Dollar Baby, Crash, and The Departed. (Wow, that's more than I thought I had seen!)

I have seen portions of Gone with the Wind, Ben-Hur, The Sound of Music, Patton, The Godfather, The Sting, and A Beautiful Mind.

Those are all good movies, to be sure. All of them are worth watching a second, third, or fourth time. But my favorite three of them would have to be:

1. Crash (moving, superbly acted, beautiful film)

2. Terms of Endearment (looking for a good cry? here it is on a silver platter...)

3. American Beauty (mid-life crisis anyone? kevin spacey, chris cooper, thora birch...all excellent)

What's your favorite "Best Picture"? Vote to the right --->>

Shaved Feet

These are not my feet, nor are they shaved. Perhaps they should be.

Have you ever shaved your feet? I did, tonight. Not sure why, the thought just occurred to me, and I decided what the hell? There's not a lot of hair on my feet anyway. If having a smooth foot becomes a problem, the hair will of course grow back.

5 of My Favorite Songs February 23, 2008

If someone ever asks me what my favorite song is, I look at them with a puzzled expression. How can you name one favorite song? Or movie? But I was thinking, it would be fun to run down a few songs I like and have been listening to a lot lately. So here goes:

1. Milk, Kings of Leon
2. Less Talk, More Rokk, Freezepop
3. Nuthin' but a G Thang, Dr. Dre and Snoop Dogg
4. Heart-Shaped Box, Nirvana
5. Today's the Day, Aimee Mann

More pies

I love pies...but I also love fitting through doors. Therefore, this coconut pie (possibly my favorite type of pie) will be my last one for a while.

De-pantsed

Today I had the pleasure of dropping trou at the doctor's office, for a cat scan. Actually it was pretty modest. I had a sheet over me for the cat scan, and a hospital gown for the x-ray. My doctor thinks I may have a kidney stone or two; thus the scan. I'm hoping all is well, but I should know for sure in a day or two.

I can confirm that I am human, though, having seen my x-rays, showing a pelvis, hip bones, and spine. I have a skeleton! High fives!

Now if I could only get my adapter to charge my laptop...

12 Angry Men

Last week I saw the classic movie 12 Angry Men, starring Henry Fonda. I heard about this old flick from my friend Paxton, who enjoyed it.

Nearly the entire movie takes place in a small room populated by, you guessed it, twelve angry men. These men are jurors in a murder trial. A young man's life hangs in the balance, after he's accused of murdering his own father. The evidence is all circumstancial, but it all points decidedly at the son. At stake? The young man will face the electric chair if found guilty. But the verdict must be unanimous.

It looks to be an open and shut case, with a brief jury deliberation. As the initial vote is taken, the first eleven, one by one, confirm their "guilty" opinion, and I'm wondering if this may be the shortest movie in the history of life. But, of course, there is a dissenter, played by Fonda. He asks questions, casts doubt, and opens the eyes of the other jurors. There are many tense battles, as evidence is reconsidered, and alternate possibilities explained.

It's a good, not a great, movie. One of my favorite themes that permeates this film is this: it's important, vital, to keep an open mind, even in the face of seemingly indisputable evidence to the contrary. It's okay to doubt, to ask questions, and not be certain of the answers. That theme comes through loud and clear in this film. It's worth a viewing. I'd give it 3.5 out of 5 stars. Here's the trailer.

Yesterday's Theatrics

I watched with rapt attention, the entire 4 hour, 42 minute congressional hearing regarding Roger Clemens' alleged steroid use. It was anything but boring. Clemens, separated from his newest arch-enemy Brian McNamee by a man that might as well have been a potted plant, came out firing. He staunchly affirmed his innocence, forcefully denying having ever been injected by the aforementioned Mr. McNamee with HGH (that's Human Growth Hormone for those of you who live in underground holes).

As a Yankee fan, I have tended to side with the Rocket, until yesterday. His loud protests notwithstanding, McNamee's case is more credible. Sure, McNamee is a liar, and admitted many of his falsehoods yesterday, but in THIS case, in THIS instance, the evidence is on his side. Chuck Knoblauch (the man who once struck Keith Olberman's mom in the head with an errant throw) and Andy Pettitte [who decided to come clean out of respect for "god" (yeah sure, whatever you say Andy)] both admitted that McNamee had injected them. The fact that Clemens admired Pettitte and praised him as extremely honest, actually served to discredit Clemens, since Andy had spilled the beans to authorities about previous conversations with Roger concerning HGH injections. Throw in a barbecue at Jose Canseco's place, and Roger's wife Debbie offering that she took HGH, and you have a real circus.

I loved watching Roger pitch. Regardless of the allegations, he is still one of the top ten pitchers ever to play the game. But his reputation is gone. And he likely will never see Cooperstown unless he buys a ticket.

We'll miss you, Roger. I hope I'm wrong and McNamee was lying all along. At any rate, here's a tribute.

I'm Sick

One of the most annoying sicknesses to contract, in my humble opinion, is the common cold. It bogs me down for a good couple of days. Step it up immune system!

Georgie Boy returns!

Yesterday Karen took me out to lunch. I was prepared to pay my share, but she stepped up to the plate and picked up the tab. (Thanks Sweetie!) Now I feel like George in Seinfeld, in "The Money" episode.

In that episode, George orders a pound of coffee, then has to use the bathroom. While he is indisposed, his order is ready, so Elaine pays for it out of convenience. After Elaine leaves, the following conversation ensues:

GEORGE: You see what just happened here?

JERRY: What?

GEORGE: She treated me to the Arabian mocha java.

JERRY: And you misinterpret this how?

GEORGE: She's stickin' it to me that she makes more money than me.

JERRY: I'm sure she was just being nice, buying you the coffee.

GEORGE: No, not nice. She's stickin' it to me.

JERRY: You're crazy.

GEORGE: (worked up) Stickin' it to me, Jerry.

JERRY: George.

GEORGE: (angry) Stickin' it!

Not willing to let it go (George never is ready to let things go). So he goes out and buys her a fancy cappuccino machine, then presents it to her with much fanfare, saying proudly, "Elaine, thank you for laying out for the Arabian Mocha Java."

Thank you, Karen, for laying out for the Korean buffet! By the way, would you like a cappuccino machine?

I KNEW it! I'm a prophet.

Reading a book this morning, I came across the following anecdote:

A little boy says to another boy, "When I grow up I am going to be a great prophet; I am going to speak of profound truths, but nobody will listen." And the other little boy says, "Then why will you talk, if nobody is going to listen?" "Ah," he said, "we prophets are very obstinate."

I'm usually the first boy...though sometimes the second.

Oops

I guess somebody forgot to tell the Gee-men that the Pats were to be coronated on Sunday night.

Happiness

When the name George Burns is mentioned, immediately an image pops into my head, of the funny man playing the role of deity in Oh, God, which I remember watching with my parents. I also think of his black glasses and cigar. He was also known to make witty (and one might argue, profound) statements. The incomparable Burns once defined happiness:

"Happiness is having a large, close-knit, loving, caring family...in another city." Taanks George.