Academy Awards: Partly since I don't like Jon Stewart, I did not watch them this year, but apparently this was no great loss. As to the awards themselves, the only real surprise was that Crash won over Brokeback Mountain for Best Picture. Crash was a racial message movie with a lot of emoting by various stars, including Matt Dillon and Sandra Bullock, who it's always nice to know can get real work. It was Paul Haggis' baby, he of Million Dollar Baby fame, and sounds like a perfect Hollywood choice: right message, lots of acting. He also won Best Original Screenplay. It sounds like tiring tripe to me and received mixed reviews on that level as well, though there was some talk that it had a shot.
One movie that lost out was Good Night, and Good Luck, though George Clooney won for Syriana. Not surprisingly, but somewhat disappointedly, the cute man and dog couple from England won over The Corpse Bride for Best Animated Film, especially since Wallace and Gromit already won in the past. Memoirs of a Geisha and King Kong won three techs a piece (art/editing/makeup and sound/visual). "It's Hard Out Here For a Pimp" won Best Song, while Tsotsi, an African redemption story (apparently with a great soundtrack) won Best Foreign. Overall, standard fare, with various tiring filler and music even during the acceptance speeches -- that is, usually the best part of the ceremony (there is always a couple nice remarks, sometimes among the lesser known awards). Jon Stewart received mixed reviews.
Adams vs. Jefferson: I am listing to this book on CD. It is sort of force advertising, since it at first glance is about the disputed election of 1800, but is really about the first twenty or so years of our nation's history. It does focus on these two guys, but it basically supplies a rather straightforward (boring) summary of events from c. 1780 on. Thus, I am on Disc 7 of 10 and we have yet to reach the actual election of 1800! It is acceptable as a basic summary of events and read well, but one expects more. There also is not enough context at times -- we hear what certain people thought, but the author does not comment if they were right to do so.
One thing that it does underline is that we should not idolize our fathers THAT much. These people have serious faults and problems as much as the rest of us. The fact that things were basically started from scratch suggests they had more places to shine, but really, look at these guys. First, there is the whole slavery and class inequality deal ... it is not ahistorical to note this, even if it is just to remind ourselves these are not demi-gods (as Franklin notes in 1776). Second, there was more than enough of the usual graft and chicanery, including a crooked Georgia land deal that basically affected the whole legislature (the people kicked them out, so maybe we should honor them too).
Third, Hamilton, Madison, Jefferson, and the rest all had their less than prime moments, down to the infamous duel. But, what about Madison counseling Jefferson not to send a conciliatory letter to Adams after the election of 1796, since it might cause problems come the next election cycle? TJ definitely is an imperfect character. And, Adams let Hamilton's lackeys walk all over him for over half his term, while distrusting democratic republicanism a bit too much at times. He does at times come off as the most likeable of the bunch, if someone who spent more time at home than Bush does.
[One amusing tidbit: while the capital was in Pennsylvania, the President had to pay rent.]