And the Oscar goes to....

Who cares?
At least that what the ratings showed this year for the 80th annual Academy Awards.
Even with Jon Stewart, "Juno," Cate Blanchett in two categories, the Red Dress parade on the red carpet, George Clooney (oh, my stars!), fewer people tuned into this year's Oscars than any in recorded history!
Wow....that says a lot. It says a lot about movies, people, the ceremony itself, traditions....
When the Oscars were in their prime, there were only really three broadcast TV stations (just imagine!). There were only about a hundred or so movies released a year (in the USA), versus more than 400 in the last few years. The proliferation of VHS/DVD was not like it is today. Folks respected the votes and opinions of experts. Awards meant something.
Today, top-rated films include animated movies, foreign films, horror films, teen humor. What is the "Best" in those contexts?
The world is in on the Oscars - note the award-winners for acting - all from countries other than the USA.
Times have changed. Perhaps everything should be the world's best versus the nation's or even the continent's.
Perhaps, like the Golden Globes, or, horrors, the MTV Movie Awards, there needs to be more sub-categories, such as horror, musicals, love stories...
Or maybe it's just time to look at box office and see where the money is, the butts in seats votes.
That's the way other things are prized and praised, sort of like TV ratings, best-sellers in music and books.
Where were the "top" actors, such as Denzel, Will(s), the guys from Superbad?
Check out the top DVD rentals each week - you won't find a Cohen Brothers movie on it.
Let those who know better figure out how to give Oscar back his shine. I'm settling back with my popcorn to watch "The Game Plan," and yes, "Michael Clayton" (you go, George!).

I'm back.....

It's been almost nine months (Now THAT'S scary).
Since then, I've lost my mother and turned 50.
What's that about life stresses....
Oh,well, I'm still here. And I feel the need to write, the skill I've had all my life, the skill I've based my career on. The skill I know like the inside of my favorite pj's.
My mom died - myocardial infarction - heart- Thank goodness it hadn't really given her a problem until now, in her 85-86 year.
What a wonderful, wonderful woman. I hope I told her that enough.
She inspired me in everything I did, from the music I listened to and sang to the material I wrote.
Still, she gave me room when she saw I was headed down a path that was different from the rest of the family: first to get a job off the family farm, first to go to college, first to date a boy nobody knew, first to live away...
She was always there. I tell folks, the greatest gift she gave me was freedom. She encouraged me to choose my own path and then stepped aside to let me follow it.
In recent years, the path brought me right back to her. I wanted to spend more time, stroke her hands, rub her feet, look into her lovely, bright eyes and tell her how much I loved her and appreciated her.
What I liked most about all of that was she accepted it with such humility. I don't think she realized how great she was, what an inspiration of a good woman, wife and mother, friend and neighbor, citizen and Christian.
Mom, on my 50th birthday, when I normally give you a call and tell you thanks for having me, I write my love instead, on the vastness of the World Wide Web, for all to hear and see, for maybe, eternity.
Forever, your daughter, Joanne