ROAD TO THE OSCARS 2009 ~ SUNDAY NIGHT

80 YEARS OF OSCARS ~ 80 YEARS OF FILMS









Tomorrow night at eight o'clock EST, The Motion Picture Academy of Arts and Sciences will present once again, the awards for movies made in 2008. It's one of my favorite nights, not so much because it's fun to see the Red Carpet arrivals, although I certainly do enjoy that, but what has always fascinated me about the awards (and I've been watching them ever since they came on TV), is the emotional effect that films have on the viewers. Just like Gone With The Wind, [I'm watching it right now on Turner Classic Movies], what we learn from films can be transforming to our souls, to our lives. Indeed, certain films do earn the right to be awarded the highest honors for the emotion and stimulation they bring to us, sometimes changing the way we see the world. Film is the medium through which all things are possible.



HERE IS A MONTAGE OF THE 80 BEST PICTURES


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Oscar Nominees:

Best Picture
'The Curious Case of Benjamin Button'
'Frost/Nixon'
'Milk'
'The Reader'
'Slumdog Millionaire'

Best Director
Danny Boyle 'Slumdog Millionaire'
Stephen Daldry 'The Reader'
David Fincher 'The Curious Case of Benjamin Button'
Ron Howard 'Frost/Nixon'
Gus Van Sant 'Milk'

Best Actor
Richard Jenkins 'The Visitor'
Frank Langella 'Frost/Nixon'
Sean Penn 'Milk'
Brad Pitt 'The Curious Case of Benjamin Button'
Mickey Rourke 'The Wrestler'

Best Actress
Anne Hathaway 'Rachel Getting Married'
Angelina Jolie 'Changeling'
Melissa Leo 'Frozen River'
Meryl Streep 'Doubt'
Kate Winslet 'The Reader'

Best Supporting Actor
Josh Brolin 'Milk'
Robert Downey Jr. 'Tropic Thunder'
Philip Seymour Hoffman 'Doubt'
Heath Ledger 'The Dark Knight'
Michael Shannon 'Revolutionary Road'

Best Supporting Actress
Amy Adams 'Doubt'
Penelope Cruz 'Vicky Cristina Barcelona'
Viola Davis 'Doubt'
Taraji P. Henson 'The Curious Case of Benjamin Button'


Jiva

JULIE ANDREWS GETS HER VOICE BACK

THE NEWS IS OUT... JULIE SINGS AGAIN !





JULIE SINGS HER FAVORITE SONG MY SHIP BEFORE SHE LOST HER VOICE... SO BEAUTIFUL...




THIS VIDEO ACTUALLY HAD ME IN TEARS...
Recorded August 12, 2008.

Such wonderful news... I happened to do a search to see what the news was, if any, about Julie's voice, as I had heard rumors that her voice was returning! And apparently this is true, although not the range she once had, more like a very low range, but that could change, as she is seeing voice coaches, and trying not to go beyond the limited range she now has, so as not to injure her vocal chords further than they already were damaged by the disastrous surgery she had twelve years ago to remove a non malignant cyst in her throat. She was supposed to be well with a voice better than ever within two weeks of the surgery, but alas, her voice did not return. She quips at The Hollywood Bowl, "I can sing the hell out of Old Man River."
But just the fact that she can sing at all, after this long silence, is a miracle. Everyone is cheering her on. God bless that sweet woman, her voice was her life, and now she has her life back.

To see the article about the return of her voice, click HERE.




Here is a clever clip put together by Nesha1987 on You Tube,
showing how IMPOSSIBLE THINGS ARE HAPPENING EVERY DAY !!
Thank you Julie for not giving up. You are an inspiration.
Julie is an amazing 73 years old this year.
It just flies, the time, doesn't it?


Jiva

SO LONG ESTELLE, SING YOUR SONG IN HEAVEN

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ESTELLE AND RONNIE





ROCK AND ROLL HALL OF FAME 2007 ~ THE RONETTES INDUCTED


THE ORIGINAL HIT ~ BE MY BABY BY THE RONETTES

Ronettes star Estelle Bennett dies at 67 yesterday at her home in New Jersey.

Always sad to see them slip away... Deepest sympathies to you Ronnie...


Jiva

I'M FEELING STIMULATED BY PORK, HOW ABOUT YOU?

I cannot deny that I am diametrically opposed to this stimulus bill that is passing in the Senate today.
I don't think it will stimulate anything except the pockets of a few
people who are without ethics.
If any of the money actually gets where it's supposed to go,
I'll be really surprised.

I have a link for you, from a web site that has the audacity to explain why this bill
will not work, why it will do very little to stimulate anything, and why it is a bad idea.

MORE SIMPLE ARITHMETIC

Other than that, the only thing that comes to my mind is this:



I rest my case.

Jiva

SULLY GETS AN OVATION AT SOUTH PACIFIC

The pilot of the US Airways flight that landed in the Hudson River,
attended SOUTH PACIFIC last night, and at the end of the show,
Kelli O'Hara stepped forward and announced that Sully and his
family were in the audience.

He received a STANDING OVATION, which was richly deserved.
The Associated Press sent the story around the world.

Sully and his family are in New York this week to not only
see a Broadway show, but to be regaled by New Yorkers for
his heroism in bringing in that plane with 155 survivors
all due to his quick thinking and aero expertise.

Mayor Bloomberg will give Sully the key to New York City.

Tonight, he will be interviewed by Katie Couric on CBS 60 Minutes at 7 o'clock.

I will be watching for sure.

There are not enough good words to praise this man,
he came along at a time when America needed a hero,
and a hero he is.

AND HERE IS A POSTSCRIPT TO THIS INCREDIBLE STORY:
Sully had checked out a book from the U of C at Fresno Library.
It was in the Cargo Hold of the plane in the Hudson River.
Sully contacted the library asking for an extension and waiver
of fees.

"Fresno State library officials said they were struck by Sullenberger's sense of responsibility and did him one better: they're waiving all fees, even lost book fees, and placing a template in the replacement book dedicating it to him.

The book's subject? "Professional ethics."

AND NOW, IF WE COULD ONLY HAVE EVERYONE IN CONGRESS READ THAT BOOK,
AND ALL COMPANY CEO'S, WHAT A WONDERFUL WORLD IT WOULD BE.
This is why Sully is a hero, because he represents everything
that is lacking in America today. He is a man of Integrity.

Story from The Associated Press.


Jiva

BEAUTY IS AS BEAUTY DOES... DOROTHY DALE KLOSS

On January 15, 2009, Palm Springs Mayor Steve Pougnet declared that day to be "Dorothy Kloss Day" for residents and visitors of Palm Springs, California. Dorothy is in the Guiness Book of World Records as The Oldest Still Performing Show Girl. She is 85 years old. She performs daily at the Plaza Theatre show, Palm Springs, California, in The Fabulous Palm Springs Follies.

This is particularly significant to me because Dorothy is a former Merriel Abbott Dancer,
just as I was once, a group of girls who trained their bodies to be strong, beautiful,
and apparently long lasting! As you can see from the photos, Dorothy Dale Kloss is one of
those very beautiful girls.


Jiva

WHEN THE LAS VEGAS STRIP WAS A TWO LANE HIGHWAY

HOTEL LAST FRONTIER ~ GAY NINETIES BAR ~ WESTERN STYLE ~ 1942

EL RANCHO VEGAS ~ FIRST HOTEL ON THE LAS VEGAS STRIP ~ 1941

THE FLAMINGO HOTEL OPENED ON NEW YEAR'S EVE 1946

FREMONT STREET WAS AND STILL IS THE HEART OF DOWNTOWN LAS VEGAS

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You can see that the showgirls and dancers wore clothes back in those days!

I was in the chorus with The Merriel Abbott Dancers at The Last Frontier Hotel during the Fall of 1953. We opened and closed the show. Xavier Cugat and Abbe Lane were headliners. What a great place it was. We stayed at The Desert Spa, which was an off-shoot of The Desert Inn, right across the street from The Frontier.

Seven hotels on The Strip. Facing North: El Rancho and Last Frontier on the left, and The Sahara, Flamingo, Desert Inn, Sands, Thunderbird on the right. The strip was a two lane highway! You know, today, it's a ten lane highway! Chuck Wagon cost a dollar for "all you can eat," and an entire show could be seen for the price of a drink. Big name stars were everywhere. It was a blast. The Mary Kaye Trio played in the lounge, but most of us weren't allowed in there or in the casino because we were underage. Our youngest was only 15! We went horse back riding during the day out on ranches. There were bramble bushes blowing and rolling down the highway late at night, and sounds of rattlers very close by in the empty land between hotels. I loved the desert and the feeling of wide open spaces.

I never noticed any rough characters when I was there, just a lot of Hollywood stars, like Jimmy Durante, Shelley Winters, Janet Leigh, Sinatra, the Ritz Brothers, Hank Henry from The Silver Slipper next door... like that... everyone was family back then. We all hung out together and did silly stupid fun things... to be so young and experience that... nothing like it.

I went back to Las Vegas in 1978 which was my 25th Anniversary of having first worked there, and I got a job as a Keno Runner at The Tropicana just for fun. I can tell you there were definitely mob people running things then, they seemed to be everywhere. I loved the outfits the men wore, those black silk shirts with the white satin ties. And those low, graveley voices that sounded like they had eaten cement.

The comedian on our show was Bobby Sargent, and when I went back in 1978, his picture was on the elevator wall at the Hilton. Really surprised me! He was still around.

When we had to leave on the train to go back, I didn't want to go. I cried and cried, wanting so much to stay. But I was under age, and had not much say in my life. By the time we were back in Chicago, I seemed to forget all about it, as other issues took over.



Jiva

LIFE IN FLORIDA ~ WINTER WONDERLAND

Seems like winter brings many northerners down here, a lot of Canadians,
and people who feel that endless summer is not such a bad idea...

Apparently, they want to get away from the cold and experience 80 degree temps.
Well, this is what it looks like folks, in case you were wondering. Sure,
I know it's a tough life to take. I've been here 28 years, and am wanting
so much to feel some cold weather on my skin, look off into the distance
and see mountains. To feel like I'm out west with sturdy people of strong
character, who love life. Florida makes me feel lethargic and lacking any
ambition whatsoever! Hard to believe, even Paradise gets old after awhile.

By the way, not to mislead... the above is not my house, oh no...
it's the house of a friend and it's for sale for $750,000... not
anything I could afford! It's just very representative of the life
so many people lead here in the sub-tropics... swimming pools, always.

Jiva

HERE SHE IS, MISS AMERICA

KATIE STAM, MISS INDIANA, THE NEW MISS AMERICA 2009

THE WINNER HEARS THE NEWS

SHE'S OVERJOYED



KATIE STAM IN JEANS AND BIKINI

FINALIST JACKIE GEIST JUMPS FOR JOY

MISS GEORGIA, CHASITY HARDMAN, FIRST RUNNER UP

MISS INDIANA, THE WINNER



MISS CALIFORNIA, JACKIE GEIST AND MISS ARKANSAS, ASHLON BATSON



MISS KANSAS, EMILY DEAVER, AND MISS FLORIDA, SIERRA MINOTT

Another year, another parade of beauties to represent America to the world.
Congratulations Katie Stam, Miss Indiana, Miss America 2009


Jiva