Best and Worst of the Oscars- Ceremony Edition

There are more best than worst cause I am an optimist and I thought, for the most part, the show was great this year. Here goes:

Best- The Montages – Especially the action and comedy ones- I haven’t seen The Reader either, but putting it in the comedy section was inspired. Now I will probably laugh when I shouldn’t. The action montage just ruled- nuff said.

Worst- Irritating music playing while presenters were talking- While I like the idea of the throwback to a dinner club, etc. The extra music was distracting.

Best- The Stage and Seating design- They made it intimate and the old school club setting worked well.

Worst- Movie Musicals number- Yikes. I love musicals and I hated this. First of all, I’m not sure when the rule started that Beyonce isn’t allowed to wear pants, but it is time to change that. Girlfriend is hot as she can be, but it is getting old. The songs were too random and choppy sequencing just didn’t work. I would have been much happier to see the cast of Mamma Mia, period.

Best- Acting Award Presentations- It actually was an honor to be nominated because each nominee was given more than the obligatory name check.

Worst- Sophia Loren- I am all about the legends and older women owning their sexuality, but there comes a time, okay. The make up was bad, the wig was bad, the dress was reaaaaaaalllllly bad. Her delivery of her section seemed like it was done with eyes half way rolling. Meryl deserves better.

Best- Shirley MacLaine to Anne Hathaway- Even if it was written for her, Shirley made it feel like she was talking off the top of her head and Anne’s reactions were priceless.

Worst- Dark Knight doesn’t win much- I loved Slumdog Millionaire, but The Dark Knight got way snubbed. It was one of the best movies of last year, easily.

Best – Sean Penn’s speech- Mentioning in an honest way, as a friend would do, Mickey was gracious and touching. The opening line was classic and without being overly dark, he said exactly what he meant about prejudice.

Best- Danny Boyle’s smile- Effusive, genuine and contagious

Best- Dustin Lance Black- Whatever your opinion, there is never anything wrong with telling young people that they have value. He used his time up there to do something besides read a list of names. Good on him.

Worst- Cut to Angelina repeatedly during Jen’s stage time- It was in bad taste (but we knew it had to be done). It was like watching your divorced parents at a wedding and wondering how it is going to go. Surprise everybody! They are both grown ups so it was fine and a nice smile was exchanged.

Best- Kate Winslet’s dad- That whistle and her big wave to him was so adorable. It reminded you that she is just somebody’s kid and she wanted to wave to Mum and Dad.

I'm Just Sayin'

This is supposed to be a "warts and all" picture of Brad Pitt in W magazine. He isn't that boy from "Thelma and Louise" anymore, but there ain't nothing wrong with that.

The Cool Mom

I have started re-watching “The Cosby Show” – introducing my daughter to the classics- and I am realizing how different it is to watch this show, that I loved so much as a kid, now as an adult. I felt the same way watching “thirtysomething” after I got married and became a thirtysomething. When I watched them before, they were enjoyable, but all the relationships were sort of theory. I didn’t really have anything to compare them to. Now I am seeing where I got some of my habits, my sayings and some of my values. My daughter laughed out loud when Claire Huxtable was sternly warning Vanessa about something or other. She said, “Mom that is soooo you.” I took that as a compliment since I think she was the most realistic mom on TV, in the way that she dealt with her children. She lost her temper sometimes and grumbled under her breath about them, but she also managed to be there for them in gentle ways too. She was not their best friend; she was their mother.
It is hard because sometimes I want to be the “cool mom”, but I always remember that my mom was never afraid to be the bad guy and I loved her for it later. Sometimes it even worked to my advantage. I was what some would call a bit of a goody-two-shoes in high school. I had fun, but never did the hard partying or anything. I was invited to a few parties that I knew would be a little wilder than I was comfortable with but didn’t want to look like the stick in the mud. She would always tell me to, “Blame me. Just say I wouldn’t let you go.” So I did. She didn’t care if she was the “Cool Mom” to my friends or not- and that is what made her cool in the long run. True rebels define themselves.

Memories- mmmm mmmm good

The former glory of what is now known as "The Warehouse District" - first scene at 4th and Colorado, 24th street by campus as showcased in "Slacker". Austin still has some weird, but this was definitely the end of an era. Go rent the whole thing!

11/5/08

I woke up this morning and had to remind myself it was real. And when Lily woke up this morning, her first words were, “Did he win?” It meant so much to hear her say that, not because she likes Barack Obama, because she is just following her parents on that, but that she is interested. She was fascinated with all the results flashing across the screen last night and was full of questions.

I don’t really know how to describe my feelings today. I have already held back tears more times than I will admit. I would have been happy to have this man elected if his skin was any color of the rainbow cause I think he is the best man for the job at hand. We have to admit, though, that it is especially significant that he is a man who, just about 150 years ago, could have been considered property by some people. Last night, seeing Jesse Jackson, a man who was with Martin Luther King, Jr. the day he died, nearly breaking down watching Obama’s victory speech (I am sure with a mixture of pride and some sadness too that he was born just a little too soon) was more than I could handle. This morning watching an impromptu recitation of “I Rise” by a burstingly proud Maya Angelou was something I will always remember, and finally, seeing Donna Brazile note that President-elect Obama will take the Oath of Office on steps that were built by slaves who could have never imagined this event - all of these things reminded me that we are now a part of history- for real.

Now comes the hard part, but we can do it. (Come on, you know the rest.)

To quote Ice Cube

Today was a good day.

Cameron Road Youth Group Reunion

I just wanted to have a space we could comment to each other. It has been too long! Let the memory wash over you...