My Oscar views

Okay, so I watched the Oscars.  Having no host was a big improvement.  To me, it seemed as if a lot of the pomposity was taken out of the ceremony which was fine with me.  For years the show has been more like "The Cavalcade of Stars," with presenters slowly walking to the microphone while the orchestra plays.  That didn't happen last night, they walked on and listed the nominees and announced the winner. I saw where some people complained about the set... again, I liked it.  They shrank the proscenium down, which mean shorter walks for everybody while creating a more intimate feel.  In fact, the whole show had a much more personal feel, something lacking for so many years.
Interesting points:  The two films with the most nominations failed to live up to their promise, with "The Favorite" winning one, and "Roma" winning three awards.  "Black Panther" won the most, garnering the tech and costume awards.  "Vice" didn't win anything... that didn't surprise me, in the end it's only a star vehicle to win Christian Bale and Best Actor Oscar.  "Green Book" won Best Picture.  To be truthful, that win could have gone a number of ways because there were a number of good films.  I thought, for a while, it might actually go to "Bohemian Rhapsody," except it had that Bryan Singer cringe worthy shit hanging over it; no one mentioned his name.  After "Roma" won for Best Foreign Film, it was out of the running for Best Picture...
Two things that didn't work:  Acceptance speeches - if you're a major winner, (Best Actor, Actress, etc) then you can talk.  If you win "Best Documentary," or Best Short Subject" understand you have a limited time n the stage.  If there are 4 to win awards and you're the first to reach the microphone, don't pull out a phone book and start reading - show a little consideration... you have a limited time on the stage.  The other thing that didn't work:  gowns with trains.  Holy shit!  If you do not wear a gown with a 4 foot train (or longer) do not wear one to an award ceremony where you may need to walk more than 2 feet, and then climb a stairs.  Trains were rampant last night!  What the hell were these women thinking?  There is absolutely nothing glamorous about hoisting 20 pounds of fabric over your arm so you can struggle down the aisle and up to the podium.  Perhaps they were all hoping Chris Evans would help them to the stage.
I was thought it very refreshing not to have any gimmicky bullshit like pizza getting delivered, or going to the theater next door to thank the fans.
Bette Midler was great!
Having Brad Cooper and Lady Gaga come up from the audience to sing "Shallow" was very simple and very smart.  Like I said, a lot of the pomposity we've seen for so many years was absent.
Finally, there was a lot of brown skin on stage last night.  I'm sure a lot of white Republicans didn't watch... that's part of the denial process.  What shame.  They missed a good show.

Fine

Last night I went to our Holiday Party - it was okay.  They kept the same menu as last year:  some sort of beef with mushrooms and dried chicken Parmesan.  I won a door prize:  a $10 gift card to Subway (which I gave a way) and a bag of Butterfinger candy bits (which I gave away).  I don't table-hop like some do... just not my style.  The truth is I'm not a big party person and as I grow older I'm even less of one.  The large corporation I work for, just like every other large corporation, wants you to be best friends with your associates.  That will never happen.  The last thing I want to do is spend time with my friends talking about work.  I do not bring my work home with me.  I do not take work with me when I got out to the movies or to dinner.  My life is simple, I like it that way.  My life is fine just the way it is.
And evidently last night Christian Bale won a Golden Globe for playing Dick Cheney in "Vice."  I understand he thanked Satan... in his very fine British accent.

Inspiration comes in all forms and shapes, doesn't it?  

And today is Monday and I get to go to work.  I have off Tuesday and Wednesday which is nice.  For the next couple of weeks I'm only working 32 hours per week.  That's fine, too.

There is also an interesting clip floating around out there of Faux News' Chris Wallace calling out Sarah Sanders Something or Other for lying.

You know you've been caught lying when Faux News starts fact checking you.  This was fine with me.  She gets paid to lie.  She spoon feeds the Republican base their bias and their racism for big bucks.  I'm not saying she doesn't believe those lies.  I suspect there is an ugly crook in her heart and she's fine with that because she believes.  She doesn't understand that her grandchildren will mostly likely marry people with brown skin.

And this morning, before I ate my oatmeal, I sat on the sofa for a bit, Big Seig on my left and Lily on my right, and let me tell you those moments were very fine too.

Wait and See

First of all a big 'thank you' to everyone who wished me (and the dogs) a great 2019... the year in which the Republican Party slices and dices itself in one horrific blood bath.  I saw in BBC where Mitt Romney has already thrown the first 'sucker punch.'    Isn't it funny how their boy Mitt loves the tax break which, as very, very wealthy man, benefits his bank account greatly.  He is a conservative, of course, which means he is an automatic member of the Party of My.
Yesterday I went down to York, PA to see my friend Betsy.  We had lunch at Panara and went to see a movie.  Initially I'd thought we might get tickets for "Vice."  However, the more I thought about it, the more I decided I was going to wait and rent it.  You see, even though it is a comedy and you do get a chance to laugh out loud at that imbecilic ass wipe, in the end nothing happens to him.  He doesn't go to jail.  He shoots another, very deserving conservative, in the face and gets away scott-free.  And it isn't like Cheney cares what people think, that they're going to be sitting in their movie seats laughing at him.  Hell, no.  As a conservative, and member of the Party of My, he doesn't care about people... nope, just himself.  His credo is, and always will be, 'I did it all... and I did it My Way.'
I'm thinking of buying a desk for downstairs for what used to be the dining room.  The upstairs computer is used for blogging, and playing games, and watch gaming Youtube channels.  Occasionally I do write upstairs, but mostly the writing and the research are done downstairs.  Yeah, I know it's weird.  It's easier to understand if you consider the downstairs writing is 'work' and that area is a 'work space,'  That work space is nice, but I think it's a bit cluttered.

The writing Room

Yes, you are seeing correctly, I write at an old kitchen table.  Storage space would be really nice.  Right now I find myself shuffling through notes looking for reminders of things that need to be either added, taken out, or revised.  I was looking at desks that were immense, some up to 76 inches wide, and they are all way to big.  So I've changed course, smaller, for once, might be better, and maybe kidney shaped.  That style would go much better with my Von Scheirholz porcelain.  We shall have to wait and see.