Posts from — February 2012

Oh my darlings, my dears, I am just a sucker for the Oscars.

It’s the one night, when no matter how bad things are you can just put it away and get lost in the glamour of Hollywood old and new.

Watching Billy Crystal, the best Oscar host since Bob Hope take the stage was just the right touch of old-style-new-style vaudeville meets 2012 that Oscar needed. There were great moments for me like when the super real and wonderful Octavia Davis won for best supporting actress and got a standing ovation.

I was a bit sad when Viola Davis did not pick up the Oscar for her spectacular job in The Help, losing to buddy Meryl Streep. But after 29 years of being nominated and not winning I think Meryl did deserve her moment and the woman is so charming, so un-affected and so gracious you just love to see her shine.

And of course “The Artist” swept the Oscars. When French actor Jean Dujardin won for best actor it proved that the voice is not necessarily needed to show great acting talent. The man is something of a cross between Fred Astaire and David Niven, Old Hollywood style for sure.

But speaking of Old Hollywood…

My favorite moment of the night was when 82-year-old Christopher Plummer took the stage to win his first Oscar. The elegant, dapper, humble man was a wonder to behold.

Between Betty White and Christopher Plummer, wow it gives you hope that 50 really is the new 30!

And today is Monday, back to the normal life most of us have but with perhaps a little pixie dust sprinkled on us from a night of dazzle. I went to sleep last night dreaming of Marilyn Monroe, Audrey Hepburn, the great icons of yesteryear and today’s new heirs to the throne of wonder. Yes indeed I’m quite a sucker for the Oscars. Sigh.

We were watching Saturday night live when a news flash hit the screen,

“Whitney Houston is dead at 48 years old”

It seemed impossible to comprehend but when Saturday Night Live flashed a quick picture of Whitney and Molly Shannon some years back, we knew it wasn’t a mistake.

I can hear her music in my head as I type this. “The greatest love of all”

What a magical song.

But it was Dolly Parton’s (another amazing babe) song “I will always love you” that really seemed to make the world stop.

I’d heard rumors about Whitney being gay for years. This rumor didn’t shock me. The idea that she might have spent her life hiding her true self seemed like agony and anyone in that much pain would have that much passion.

What shocked me was when this elegant, beautiful talented, regal woman entered into the agonizing marriage to Bobby Brown, (any man who beats a woman is less then human but to beat Whitney Houston, throw the bastard in jail and lose the key!).

But when the news came out that was addicted to drugs. I just couldn’t believe it. I don’t know which of these things seemed worse, Brown or Drugs. Same really.

During her attempted comeback I watched her struggle through a song but those otherworldly magical pipes were eroded from drugs and the sound that came out of her was no longer the Whitney we’d grown to love. Still I thought, many great voices were almost more interesting after life had taken its toll. I still love the raspy sad-ness that had crept into Billy Holiday’s voice in her latter days.

I’ve always been a hard-core rock chick, shocking I know, so pop rarely reaches my soul, but Whitney’s glorious voice had won my heart. I even submitted to watching a Kevin Costner film (I think watching this man is like watching paint dry) just to see beautiful Whitney belt it out in MY BODY GUARD.

She died on the eve of an event that she had ruled for years The Grammy’s.
At a place I’ve stayed at, that’s associated with Hollywood’s glory. The Beverly Hilton, just hours before a party by her mentor and discoverer Clive Davis.

The Grammy’s tonight will be shadowed by this great loss and maybe this is right. We need an event this huge to mourn a loss this great.

I don’t really care whether or not Whitney was gay, only that she was sad, clearly sad and we have watched her whither away for many years.

She now joins the tragic list of mega-talented, tortured glorious women, weakened by drugs who died too young. Billy Holiday …Janus Joplin….Whitney Houston.

hey kids
just a few things to rant about
first of all i gotta know
did mitt romney really drive to canada with his dog or his dog in a bin
tied to the roof?
david letterman’s been joking about this every night
and i gotta know if its true

on other news
love that obama struck a deal today to get some money from the
bad big banks and into the pockets of victims struggling with fore-closure
i do hope congress stops being ruled by the party of NO
and starts offering more help with refinancing
but im glad obama was able to get something great done without the NO No bastards
i like it when dems and republicans can work together

as to the repubs i gotta say i can’t stand rick santorum
but i like that he just caused this big upset
winning three states, romney was just a bit too smug for my nerves
although between newt rick and mitt
if i had to have one of them romney seems the least horrible

feeling way bad for syria
and worse about how to help them
if america gets into it
then we’re also in yet another war
not to mention tangling with russia and china
who are backing the bastard syrian super prick

ILL NEVER EAT PITA BREAD AGAIN!!!!
so i guess it’s gonna be lots of under the table
helping and hoping others jump in
i wish it didnt always have to america who does the right thing
maybe we are so broke and strapped from our economy
iraq
aphganistan
that it would be nice if some other folks would jump in
HELLO NICE OTHER FOLKS WHERE ARE YOU??
but watching the footage of all those murdered children
does feel about as bad as it gets
and americans well we have a heart don’t we?

sigh
here’s hoping for peace soon for syria
a new owner for romney’s dog
a nice break for american home-owners
and a hearty how-are-you to gail and ratney for your groovy comments

rock on