The Oscars - A Tale of Two Cities.

I just couldn’t help wondering about a city who lauds Heath Ledger, Mickey Rourke and Robert Downey Junior, known substance abusers, while the rest of the country vilifies athletes who took ‘roids. If Barry Bonds can't make it to Cooperstown, he should move to Hollywood. At least there he would be a hero.

There weren’t many surprises – Kate Winslet, Sean Penn, Slumdog Millionaire, Danny Boyle, Penelope Cruz and Heath Ledger all had been considered favorites. I was surprised by the show, itself, and the new set. Pretty decent. While not Billy Crystal, Hugh Jackman was at least okay as host. And, I have to admit, I really enjoyed Queen Latifa’s rendition of Sentimental Journey during the memoriam montage. I was tempted to go out and buy her latest cd, but, by morning, I had come down off that Oscar high. I could feel the tension, heartache and disappointment when Jennifer Aniston stood there presenting with Brad and Angelina just a few steps away. That was sad. But I was more than shocked back into the moment by Sophia Loren who was suffering from too much botox, too much collagen, or too much make-up. She was downright scary.

Nothing sticks out among the acceptance speeches, though I do believe Sean Penn appeared slightly too pleased with himself when he was introduced as a fine human being. And, did I miss something? Did he even mention his wife?

Unfortunately, I did doze off for a good hour, but, all indications are, I saw all that mattered.

A Poor Choice of Words

Maybe, it’s just me, but it seemed a tad insensitive, tonight, when the girl reporting for CBS evening news on Sully Sullenberger, his piloting experience, and the effect the whole flight 1549 drama had on the airline industry commented that good ol’ Sully had given the entire industry a “shot in the arm.”

I mean, what are we talking about? A shot of adrenalin? More likely, it’s a shot of HGH or steroids. And this little more than a day after Alex Rodriguez admitted that he had been on the juice from 2001-2003. Perhaps when something is ailing, like a business or the economy, we should conjure up more wholesome images when alluding to a fix. Oh, I guess “fix” isn’t the best term either.

Lie To Me - Life On Mars

I’ll get right to the point. If Bush and Cheney were still at the helm, they’d be forcing the prisoners at Gitmo to watch Lie To Me. In other words, pure torture. Feeling adventurous and always on the look out for something new and exciting, I watched one episode. I will not watch a second one. This show sucks. I was predisposed to like Kelli Williams who I haven’t seen much since her days in The Practice. But nothing can save this turkey. Gobble gobble.

Life on Mars has me teetering. I want very much to like it, but the corny attempts at humor are driving me away. Michael Imperioli, Harvey Keitel, Jason O’Mara and Gretchen Mol make up a promising cast, but the writers, thus far, are not delivering. I haven’t given up on this series, yet, but, if the show continues to leave me with the feeling that I just wasted an hour, I’ll be switching my attention elsewhere.

Rod Blagojevich – The Most Dangerous Man In America

This guy is so dangerous I’m surprised he hasn’t been assassinated. Dangerous, not because of alleged crimes he has been accused of. Dangerous because he could very well reveal that what he did is what all politicians do, use their offices to promote personal gain. I mean, I’ve long been convinced that all politicians -- Republican, Democrat, Independent -- are crooked. But there are millions of people out there who believe all the hoo hah about land of the free, blah blah blah. They’re probably still praising god over the election of Obama. Spare me, please.

Certainly, the Illinois Senate voted unanimously, 59-0, to remove him from office. Of course, that vote left me thinking about the hypocrisy displayed by some of the most corrupt lawmakers in this great land of ours. Those 59 voted, not out of disgust, but out of fear and panic.

But, this could go far beyond the locals and, already, the Blagger is threatening to bring down some of those Washington tight asses. Obama’s cabinet is already losing the integrity battle. I believe more revelations are in store, especially, as regards the senate seat auction.