Sublime and Ridiculous:The 85th Annual Academy Awards

When Sally Field,wearing a red Valentino dress,arrived at the Dolby Theater in Los Angeles for the 85th Annual Academy Awards,she brought her years of accumulated wisdom with her.She felt that she wouldn't care if she won or lost the best supporting actress competition for her role in "Lincoln."It wouldn't determine what she got out of the experience.
Her expressions during the ceremony seemed to back that up.There was no distress on her face when she did in fact lose to Ann Hathaway.She smiled and applauded when others received their awards.That someone would be surly about not winning an Oscar is something only in the minds of the media.It is perhaps their innermost wish,so they will have something outlandish to report about.
Anne Hathaway was attired in a white Prada dress and Tiffany jewelry.She said she looked up to Field and her other competitors.Best actress winner Jennifer Lawrence.22,wore a Dior Haute Couture strapless white gown which she tripped over as she ascended the steps to the stage to receive her Oscar for "Silver Lining Playbook."She was uninjured and gave a simple,unaffected acceptance speech.
Vocalist Shirley Bassey,76,gave a remarkably competent performance of "Goldfinger,"a James Bond theme which she first sang in the 1960s.
Once you discover him,I think Lincoln absolutely stays with you forever,said  Daniel Day-Lewis of his best actor Oscar-winning role in "Lincoln".He is the only man to win best actor three times-out of just five films,no less.His acceptance speech was basically an exercise in humility.
Other winners were:
Best supporting actor:Christopher Waltz,"Django Unchained"
Best foreign language film:"Amour,"Austria
Best original score:Mychael Danna,"Life of Pi"
Best original song:Adele Adkins and Paul Epworth,"Skyfall"
Best director:Ang Lee of Taiwan,"Life of Pi"
Best picture:"Argo"
A low point of the ceremony was host Seth MacFarlane cracking a joke about Abraham Lincoln's assassination.His other wisecracks were better received.
First Lady Michelle Obama delivered a surprise short speech via satellite feed from the White House on the best picture award,citing the importance of the arts for young people and announcing the winner,"Argo."

Asia This Day

The Chinese markets are closed today,Monday,for the Dragon Boat Festival.New Zealand is closed for the Queen's Birthday.Japan's Nikkei average and the Australian ASX 200 were down this morning,as was Singapore's Straits Times Index,on concerns about the U.S. economy.
The Australian dollar was up 0.22 this morning on the belief that a U.S. slowdown will support the yield advantage.The Royal Bank of Australia will meet tomorrow for its interest rate decision.Ausralian retail sales rose the most in 17 months in April,and Australian pension funds have retrieved their financial crisis losses,a review report says.
Elsewhere in Asia,shoemaker Prada sets its initial public offering price range today.Prada may raise as much as 2 billion dollars with the offering and is the first Italian firm to list in Hong Kong.India is planning its biggest highway expansion with 12 billion dollars in projects to satisfy its burgeoning transport needs.The country's expansive middle class demands more roads for its new cars and commerce continues to broaden.
In Sydney,it is pleasant today under partly cloudy skies with a temperature of 61F.The winds are west at 17 mph and the humidity is 45%.