Odds and Ends

Quick takes on a myriad of topics this morning:

--Kudos to Oshkosh School Board President Matt Wiedenhoeft for putting the brakes on planning for the expansion of Lakeside Elementary School last week.  The district was ready to plunge headfirst into a commitment it was not sure was actually supported by the parents involved and didn't yet have the money to undertake.  As Wiedenhoeft wisely pointed out in his appearance on the WOSH Morning News Focus on Friday, it looks like the School District is already spending an expected increase in property tax revenues in a few years a number of different ways.  Hopefully, some better explanations on financing will be available when the board revisits the topic at the end of April.

--I have to give it up for ESPN talking head Bomani Jones, who had the best reaction to John Travolta blowing the name of the Song of the Year performer at the Academy Awards Sunday night.  Mr Saturday Night Fever mangled Idina Menzel's name into "Adelle Dazeem" in a moment that just about broke Twitter and launched a billion "My John Travolta Name is....." social media posts.  Bomani says that Ms. Menzel should have just stood there on stage and not started her song because "I didn't hear my name called to be performing next.  I'm not going on until I hear 'Idina Menzel'".  How great would it have been to force Travota (who is considered to be of "higher intelligence" in the cult of Scientology) to come back out there--apologize for being a moron and properly introduce the next act.  In a related note, the lack of reading ability displayed by nearly all of the presenters Sunday night shows why it requires hundreds of takes and sometimes years to film movies nowadays.

--Speaking of actors, much was made last week of Seth Rogan appearing before a Senate committee to testify about Alzheimers Disease and research.  Members of the committee were taken to task because only two of them actually showed up for the hearing.  It was made to sound like every other Senator "didn't care about Alzheimers research"--or else they would have been there.  Maybe they just didn't care to hear about Alzheimer's research from a person who makes his living playing stoners and making fart jokes in movies.  (Rogan did manage to drop a joke about pot use in his "testimony".)

--And while we are on the topic of "Arts and Entertainment", did you see that Cosmos is coming back?  FOX Television is actually going to take a break from killing our brain cells and will try to grow a few instead.  Neil DeGrasse Tyson (who has never met a TV camera he didn't love) will be hosting the latest version--promising a new look at the origins, mysteries and the future of our universe and our planet.  Since the Science Channel, History and Nat Geo have abandoned actual science-based programming in exchange for Pawn Stars, Cajun Pawn Stars, Ghost Hunters, Cajun Ghost Hunters, Nazi Aliens, and Swamp People it will be nice to enjoy some "real" reality TV.  Unfortunately, I'm sure the ratings will come in lower than The Batchelor After the Final Rose, and Cosmos will be cancelled after four episodes.  Oh well, at least they tried.