Right now, I'm watching the Oscars in the background as I blog to you

Yes, the Sabbath is over, the darkness of the Sunday evening has come, and as I blog, I've got the TV on, watching the Oscars. I'm almost amazed that so far nothing has occurred that roused my ire to turn it off (I'm not that strict!). I have heard no politicizing harangues (so far), and I say that after seeing Sean Penn present the Award for the Best Song won by Jorge somebody, and sung most beautifully earlier by Antonio Bandera, accompanied by the venerable Carlos Santana, I couldn't believe my eyes for seeing Penn so well behaved, nor my ears for hearing "Al Otro Lado del Rio" from The Motorcycle Diaries, written by ... by ... Jorge somebody I don't yet know, for the first time tonite. What a joy, altho I understood just a few words. The tone, the vocalizations were wonderful. Now back to fixing some of the scrambled HTML that messes up my PermaLinks and prevents my list of blogs past from appearing under Politicarp's RSS Calendar of Political Events. Postponed. Now, they've just awarded Jamie Foxx for Best Actor in a Leading Role for the title role in "Ray" (about Ray Charles).

During the commercial on the Tube, I want to mention that the whole presentaion is so superior to what I had become accostumed to ... that I got indifferent to because of it's overdone set (still tonite a big one, but much more tasteful) ... and the Emcee, the Bad Boy, Chris Rock. Update on Chris Rock as Oscar Host Clint just got it for Best Director, Million Dollar Baby. And, now, Clint Eastwood got the Oscar again this year for Best Picture, Million Dollar Baby, which has been denounced for its sad ending and some ideological denunciation by certain Cultural Hawks of the More Miserable Stretches of the Rightwing, way out there on the tips of the furthermost feathers.

I missed an awful lot, but had a really entertaining evening. I should add that Mel Gibson's The Passion of Christ, while up for a few Awards, won none of them. Nothing for The Passion of Christ, which was hi-ly favoured by the public, but not the Academy. - Owlb

UPDATE: Mon, Feb28, 4:04 AM

BEST ACTOR IN A LEADING ROLE
---------------------------
Don Cheadle - HOTEL RWANDA
Johnny Depp - FINDING NEVERLAND
Leonardo DiCaprio - THE AVIATOR
Clint Eastwood - MILLION DOLLAR BABY > Winner!
Jamie Foxx - RAY

ACTOR IN A SUPPORTING ROLE
--------------------------
Alan Alda - THE AVIATOR
Thomas Haden Church - SIDEWAYS
Jamie Foxx - COLLATERAL
Morgan Freeman - MILLION DOLLAR BABY > Winner!
Clive Owen - CLOSER

ACTRESS IN A LEADING ROLE
Annette Bening - BEING JULIA
Catalina Sandino Moreno - MARIA FULL OF GRACE
Imelda Staunton - VERA DRAKE
Hilary Swank - MILLION DOLLAR BABY > Winner!
Kate Winslet - ETERNAL SUNSHINE OF THE SPOTLESS MIND

ACTRESS IN A SUPPORTING ROLE
---------------------------
Cate Blanchett - THE AVIATOR > Winner!
Laura Linney - KINSEY
Virginia Madsen - SIDEWAYS
Sophie Okonedo - HOTEL RWANDA
Natalie Portman - CLOSER

ANIMATED FEATURE FILM
---------------------
THE INCREDIBLES > Winner!
SHARK TALE
SHREK 2

ART DIRECTION
-------------
THE AVIATOR > Winner!
FINDING NEVERLAND
LEMONY SNICKET'S A SERIES OF UNFORTUNATE EVENTS
THE PHANTOM OF THE OPERA
A VERY LONG ENGAGEMENT

CINEMATOGRAPHY
----------------
THE AVIATOR > Winner!
HOUSE OF FLYING DAGGERS
THE PASSION OF THE CHRIST
THE PHANTOM OF THE OPERA
A VERY LONG ENGAGEMENT

COSTUME DESIGN
---------------
THE AVIATOR > Winner!
FINDING NEVERLAND
LEMONY SNICKET'S A SERIES OF UNFORTUNATE EVENTS
RAY
TROY

DIRECTING
---------
THE AVIATOR
MILLION DOLLAR BABY > Clint Eastwood > Winner!
RAY
SIDEWAYS
VERA DRAKE

DOCUMENTARY FEATURE
---------------------
BORN INTO BROTHELS > Winner!
THE STORY OF THE WEEPING CAMEL
SUPER SIZE ME
TUPAC: RESURRECTION
TWIST OF FAITH

DOCUMENTARY SHORT SUBJECT
---------------------------
AUTISM IS A WORLD
THE CHILDREN OF LENINGRADSKY
HARDWOOD
MIGHTY TIMES: THE CHILDREN'S MARCH
SISTER ROSE'S PASSION

FILM EDITING
------------
THE AVIATOR > Winner!
COLLATERAL
FINDING NEVERLAND
MILLION DOLLAR BABY
RAY


FOREIGN LANGUAGE FILM
----------------------
AS IT IS IN HEAVEN
THE CHORUS
DOWNFALL
THE SEA INSIDE > Winner!
YESTERDAY

MAKEUP
-------
LEMONY SNICKET'S A SERIES OF UNFORTUNATE EVENTS > Winner!
THE PASSION OF THE CHRIST
THE SEA INSIDE

MUSIC (SCORE)
-------------
FINDING NEVERLAND > Winner!
HARRY POTTER AND THE PRISONER OF AZKABAN
LEMONY SNICKET'S A SERIES OF UNFORTUNATE EVENTS
THE PASSION OF THE CHRIST
THE VILLAGE

MUSIC (SONG)
------------
"Accidentally In Love" - SHREK 2
"Al Otro Lado Del Río" - THE MOTORCYCLE DIARIES > Winner! Beautiful!
"Believe" - THE POLAR EXPRESS
"Learn To Be Lonely" - THE PHANTOM OF THE OPERA
"Look To Your Path (Vois Sur Ton Chemin)" - THE CHORUS

BEST PICTURE
------------
THE AVIATOR
FINDING NEVERLAND
MILLION DOLLAR BABY > Winner!
RAY
SIDEWAYS

SHORT FILM (ANIMATED)
---------------------
BIRTHDAY BOY
GOPHER BROKE
GUARD DOG
LORENZO
RYAN

SHORT FILM (LIVE ACTION)
-----------------------
EVERYTHING IN THIS COUNTRY MUST
LITTLE TERRORIST
7:35 IN THE MORNING
TWO CARS, ONE NIGHT
WASP - Andrea Arnold director > Winner in this category!

SOUND EDITING
-------------
THE INCREDIBLES
THE POLAR EXPRESS
SPIDER-MAN 2

SOUND MIXING
-------------
THE AVIATOR
THE INCREDIBLES > Winner!
THE POLAR EXPRESS
RAY
SPIDER-MAN 2

VISUAL EFFECTS
--------------
HARRY POTTER AND THE PRISONER OF AZKABAN
I, ROBOT
SPIDER-MAN 2 > Winner in this category!

WRITING (ADAPTED SCREENPLAY)
----------------------------
BEFORE SUNSET
FINDING NEVERLAND
MILLION DOLLAR BABY
THE MOTORCYCLE DIARIES
SIDEWAYS > Winner!

WRITING (ORIGINAL SCREENPLAY)
----------------------------
THE AVIATO
ETERNAL SUNSHINE OF THE SPOTLESS MIND - Winner!
HOTEL RWANDA
THE INCREDIBLES
VERA DRAKE

FILM EDITING
--------------
AVIATOR > Winner!


------ That's all, Folks! -------------------------

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