Oscar Rewind

This was an unusual year for Oscar in our house because we had actually seen some of the movies this year. As a result I was able to recognize some of the people who were being interviewed. I confess that I normally need a spotter next to me in the living room to explain why most of the people are being touted as celebrities. They look familiar (mug shots?) but most of them, I don't know why they're there.

This year's red carpet had some unusual guests. There was the foursome from Slumdog Millionaire, all of whom were clearly thrilled to be a part of the party. Slumdog is a really good movie; well worth a couple of hours of your time. Watching the Slumdog stars respond to Ryan Seascrest's inquiries was fun, but it also pointed ouy the limitations that Seacrest has as an interviewer. He's a chatty fellow, and he's persistent and energetic, but he's not going to be accused of being clever, and the numerous speech affectations that he offers up (e.g. pronouncing anything in Spanish, he's somewhere between Ricky Ricardo and Don Francisco, if the two of them were dweeby little snots) make you want to give him a smack.

Part of Seacrest's job was to hand off the coverage the people in the "sky box". One of the two up there, wherever "up there" was, was a woman, Juliana Rancic, who was relatively innocuous, aside from being stalker-level excited when Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie arrived. Brad & AJ are clearly the reigning Hollywood glam couple, so a lot of folks share the excitement. Juliana's skybox partner was an extremely flaming gay guy with a platinum colored flat top hair cut wearing a dinner jacket and wielding an electric pen who was all about the dresses that the stars and pretenders were wearing. Think John Madden excitement crossbred with Will & Grace swish. When gay announcer guy (sorry, I couldn't find his name) got to Penelope Cruz and Jessica Biel and their dresses, he got so excited I thought he'd float right off his perch.

The show itself was the best in recent memory. Hugh Jackman was excellent, the format of having five former winners introduce nominees was an excellent addition and despite all the improvements I feel asleep before the show ended.

That is all.

This Tuesday It's Amy

My daughter and occasional blog author: this song was a pretty big influence on how your name was chosen. It was done by Pure Prairie League, who once featured Vince Gill. That is an earlier assembly of the band at the right. Other than the accompanying photo, there's no terrible visual with this one, just some music from my miscreant past. I never knew they spelled it differently in the song title, so you were spared that affectation.


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u4xp2lgiAjY

Aren't you glad that I never really got into Chuck Berry's "Maybelline"?

Tomorrow is Paczki Day

As there is Festivus for the rest of us, so is there Paczki Day for those discerning enough to avoid NOLA on Mardi Gras. Who will have the worse hangover is open to discussion.

Paczki Day started in Poland as Fat Thursday. The cakes were made to use up all the stuff that was supposed to be avoided during Lent. When the tradition transitioned to the USofA, the little jelly bombs took the Fat Tuesday spot.

Never satisfied with just a little nosh and burp, the Midwestern folks have taken the humble paczki to levels previously unimagined, unheard of and maybe best left unexplored. There are Paczki Festivals, Paczki Races, Paczki Costumes...I'll bet there's even a Barack O Paczki somewhere out there.

Nowhere is this day taken more seriously than at the honorary ancestral home of the paczki, Weber's Bakery on Archer Avenue. While you can get your paczkis at the local grocery ("Jools") or faux paczki at the Dunkin' Donuts ("jelly donut", puh-leeze!), or at any number of perfectly respectable paczki palaces throughout the paczki world, if you want to be in the big leagues of paczki, you want to be in the game at Weber's.


Weber's is closed today, Monday, in anticipation of Tuesday's Great Paczki Rush of '09. The bakery will open tomorrow, Tuesday, at 4:00 a.m. ( I am not making this up) and they will offer no fewer than 14 varieties of paczki. Their two parking lots will be packed with Buicks long before dawn.

Here, directly from the Weber's website (no, it is not paczki.com) are the offerings:

We offer 14 varieties of Paczki:
Custard w/Chocolate Top
Custard w/Powdered Top
Strawberry, Jelly, Apricot, Cheese,
Prune, Poppyseed, Lemon,
Apple-Cinnamon, Pineapple,
NEW: Blueberry w/ Powdered Top,
Fresh Strawberry w/ Chocolate Top*
Fresh Strawberry w/ White Top*
*Sold in units of 4 only!
1 FREE with every dozen Tuesday only!

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If you decide to go, and Weber's on Paczki Day is something everyone should experience at least once in a lifetime, be ready, go early and do not be denied in your quest. You will experience the elite of the paczki consuming world, stout women in babushkas, sensible shoes and grey wool coats, women with a steely glint in their eyes, big forearms and no reluctance to use a glower and and a hip check to preserve their place in line.

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Tread lightly, friend, lest you awaken the beasts within ...and find yourself defeated, crushed and paczki-less, for these women live to compete... in this place... and on this day.

It is the Super Bowl of Cake.

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Prepare yourself to enter the sugar sprinkled, jelly packed, deep fried version of the Soup Nazi's lair... who's next how many what kind next-next-next!!!

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Weber's Bakery, 7055 West Archer Avenue.

Fool Me Once...

All we need to do now is hand around and wait for the real story to come gushing out.

Time Magazine published a list of "25 People to Blame" for the economic collapse. The husband of the current Secretary of State was included on the list.

This past Monday, former President Bill ("ain't I just a rascal!?") Clinton appeared on the Today Show speaking to Ann Curry. Bill gave an emphatic denial to having been a cause of the current economess.

So that pretty much wraps it up for me. Bill screwed up everything. He is the economic pariah of the world. It's for certain. How do I know this with certainty?

Do you recall what followed "I did not have sexual relations with that woman" ?

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Different topic: I found this picture of Al Roker and the faux chickadee with the cleverly placed necklaces to conceal, hm, what, an adam's apple, perchance and wanted to share it with you. Roker by himself in the pimp threads would have been funny enough. The lad with the high slit hemline makes it all the better.

It is yet another example of truth is stranger than fiction.

Save Big Money

Allow me to share with you my method for saving big money on electronic stuff. I'm talking about TV's, cameras, sound equipment, small appliances and computers.


Many people are still wary of buying large dollar items over the internet. I can only suggest that they get over it already. There's a lot of money being left on the table if you ignore the net based options. There are a number of electronics retailers whose internet storefronts will allow you to keep a lot more dollars in your pocket while getting the gear that you want.

To begin, when you've determined what model you think you want, go examine it in person at Best Buy or whoever is still standing. There is no substitute for personal examination.

Then do a Google search, not for the item on sale, but for the internet forum or discussion group that is seeking, using or sounding off about the item that you want. It is here, in the group, that you'll find incredible amounts of information. Be forewarned that a substantial amount of the information is going to be backyard, over the fence gossip, from people who have nothing substantial to add to the discussion but apparently feel a need to express themselves. Don't be dismayed, as there always seems to be a nugget or two about performance from people who've already actually bought the item that you want and want to share their opinions. There are likely to be angry people expressing their distaste for the item and touting what they perceive to be a superior alternative. After you've waded through a couple of these sessions and confirmed what you're going to buy, you begin data mining for the big nugget. These discussion groups are constantly surfing for the best deal, and they offer up links to the sites that are offering items at a hot price.

I have used this method a few times, and the savings have been substantial. Beside the price difference, you'll want to find a free shipping offer (that can be worth a hundred or two) and free accessories (that can be worth a hundred or two, also).

Be alert to where your chosen deal originates. Buy from a retailer who doesn't have a store in your home state (I've generally found good fortune in New York) and avoid the sales tax. That alone is worth 8%-10% off your purchase.

Read the product description carefully! Some "too good to be true" deals are for refurbished items, and I've not been prepared to make that particular leap of faith. Yet.

I say "yet" because there's a different fiscal justification to which I've finally had to acclimate. Plan on five years or less until the item you so covet today becomes a recycled piece of crap. Five years is a little quick, but it will help you avoid depression if that's as far as it goes. The laptop on which I compose this stuff has been running mostly well for eight years or so, so that's a bonus item (knock wood).

Does this really work? The new TV arrived today. It was delivered to my driveway, free TV stand, free shipping, no sales tax, from a retailer in the NYC area. All in, about 30% under the best price we could find from a local store.

It's your money.