Congratulations! Hope you have a great time! How much did the tickets costs for you?  I'll be watching this on monday and maybe they'll get a shot of you when they do the crowd shots.

I don't think she has any shot at winning.  Adams, Henson and Davis all outact her in the drama department and Penelope Cruz gets the slightly off center/quirky performance usually nominated by the academy.  Didn't Mira Sorvino win an Oscar for Mighty Aphrodite playing a similar role?  Although, Cruz' performance is more dramatic in nature and less reliant on comedy.

I saw this the other day and thought he was great in it.  However, I think they might give it to Langella.

Did anyone actually see this?  Does she deserve it?  I find it odd that Cate Blanchette didn't get one for Benjamin Button since she was just as central to the movie as Pitt's character.

I'm rooting for the Cardinals too since I can't stand the Steelers.

However, this thread does make an interesting point regarding parity.  Would you rather have a league where essentially regular season accomplishments mean nothing (NFL)?  Or would you prefer a sport where the regular season holds some meaning (NBA)?

As much as I like some aspects of parity--quicker rebuild time for a franchise, genuine hope for say 75% of teams to have some kind of playoff aspirations--part of me wonders whether or not some of those Super Bowls would have been better had the higher seeded team won.  I can't even remember when the last time there was a one seed vs one seed in the Super Bowl; I think Super Bowl 26 WAS vs BUF might have been the last one.  I think the general goal of every team should be to make the playoffs since its pretty much a crapshoot now and the records are wiped clean and everyone is 0-0.

I suspect the price tag for the record 10+ million had something to do with it.  In addition, since 2000 (or 2001) the record was always "rumored" to be released.  You can only "cry wolf" for so long until people stop paying attention altogether and treat it as a joke.  The reality is that when people (not the diehard fanbase but just ordinary Joe) hear that a record has taken up millions to make and still hasn't been released they kind of shake their head and say that's a prime example of overindulgence.

See previous response for answer to this point.

I'd take the contrarian viewpoint the mystery and aura of this record was what kept interest for so long.  If the leaks had happened in 2001 or 2002 would the anticipation have been as much?

I'll agree as it would have led to less overproduction and much better flowing songs that don't sound cut and pasted to death.  I think that a Better version 2001 and a quality produced version of the original Catcher in the Rye with Brian May could have been the hits that the band was seeking though.