Ellen DeGeneres Will Rock the Oscars Tomorrow Night!

Ellen DeGeneres has been set to host the 79th Academy Awards telecast, producer Laura Ziskin announced. It will be DeGeneres’ first time as Oscar® host, as well as her first appearance on an Academy Awards telecast.

I’m so happy Ellen is doing it this year. Hosting the Academy Awards is a tough gig, but I know she’ll pull it off and be hilarious. Big names like David Letterman, (remember the embarrassingly unfunny “Uma, meet Oprah” bit?) Chris Rock and Whoopi Goldberg have tried to host this show and failed miserably, in my opinion. I’m predicting an “A” grade for Ellen tomorrow night!

“Ellen DeGeneres was born to host the Academy Awards,” said Ziskin. “There is no more challenging hosting job in show business. It requires someone who can keep the show alive and fresh and moving, as well as someone who is a flat-out great entertainer. Ellen completely fits the bill. I can already tell she is going to set the bar very high for herself and therefore for all of us involved in putting on the show. Now all we need is a lot of great movies.”

DeGeneres is the host of the syndicated talk show “The Ellen DeGeneres Show,” which this year won its third Emmy for Outstanding Talk Show and earned DeGeneres her second Emmy for Outstanding Talk Show Host.

Launched in September 2003, the show won four Daytime Emmys in its freshman year, including Outstanding Talk Show, after garnering a record twelve nominations. In its second season, the show won five Daytime Emmys, and this year earned a total of six Emmy Awards.

My Oscar Predictions for 2007

Here are my Oscar predictions for 2007:

Best Picture: Babel (I am changing my vote to The Departed here. I must admit, I was influenced by all the buzz about Babel, but after seeing it last night, I have to say it is good, but not worthy of winning Best Picture. It's essentially an art film and it is very good, but The Departed is better. Knowing the Academy, Babel will win, but I still believe even Little Miss Sunshine is a better movie.)

Best Actor: Forest Whitaker, The Last King of Scotland

Best Actress: Helen Mirren, The Queen

Best Supporting Actor: Eddie Murphy, Dreamgirls

Best Supporting Actress, Jennifer Hudson, Dreamgirls

Best Director: Martin Scorsese, The Departed

Best Original Screenplay: Michael Apted, Little Miss Sunshine

Best Adapted Screenplay: William Monahan, The Departed

Julian Beever: An Amazing Pavement Artist

Julian Beever is an absolutely incredible pavement artist. He uses chalk to create amazing images that look so real. Check out his stuff at: http://users.skynet.be/J.Beever/index.html.

What do you know about Financial Consolidation?

A lot of folks don’t realize it, but financial consolidation is so very important to the success of a company. Effectively managing consolidation cycle times and shortening statutory reporting processes without sacrificing vital controls or compliance with laws and regulatory bodies has become of key importance to most organizations. That’s why getting good Financial Consolidation Software is so vital. The ability to consolidate increasingly complex corporate hierarchies, while managing key stakeholder relationships is fundamental to businesses.

This Week's Restaurant Review: The Cliff House Bistro in SF

I like eating at landmarks and historic places. Just thinking about the history of a famous and inspiring spot makes me hungry, I guess. Restaurants with great views are also nice. The Cliff House Bistro at Point Lobos in San Francisco has both of those things going for it. It’s a historical landmark with a spectacular view, a combination not found everywhere. Their motto is “Where San Francisco Begins,” and the place is world renowned for a lot of reasons. I don’t really feel like giving you the whole story about the Cliff House, Playland, the Sutro Baths and their storied pasts right here, because that would take up this whole review. What I want to talk about is the Bistro. The Cliff House Bistro serves breakfast, lunch and dinner all the time, which is a big plus for me. I hate places that cut off breakfast or lunch at a certain time. Hey, the kitchen is open, right? If I feel like Eggs Benedict for dinner, why shouldn’t I be able to order it? Another thing I like is that you don’t have to make reservations at the Bistro. If you feel like going there on a whim, you can just stop by. My experience is that they move patrons in and out of the place pretty skillfully, so you should never have too long a wait. The Cliff House Bistro consists of two long rooms, all of which have a great view. The walls are covered with photos of all the famous celebrities who have dined there. They have some great signed photos of classic entertainers like Shirley Temple, Bing Crosby and W.C. Fields. But, guess whose picture we had to sit next to last time we were there? Nicholas Cage! Just my luck! I nearly lost my lunch. The food at the Bistro is what I could best describe as hearty. Don’t get me wrong – the ingredients are fresh and the chefs there obviously know what they’re doing. But, let’s just say that no one at this place is breaking any new culinary ground. The Bistro has some great breakfasts – like the Johnson Omelet ($16.95), with Dungeness Crab Meat, Avocado and Sour Cream; or the Thick Sliced Sourdough French Toast ($12.95), with Vermont Maple Syrup, Bacon and Apple Compote. Most compotes I’ve had in the past tasted more like compost, but this one was really flavorful. For lunch, first-timers should always try the famous Cliff House Chowder ($5.95 for a cup/$7.95 for a bowl). It’s amazing, with a lot of clams, herbs, fresh taters and carrots. The lunch specialties include things like a Broiled Portobello Mushroom Burger ($12.95); a Classic Cioppino ($22.00), a San Francisco Fish Stew with every type of shellfish imaginable; and a pretty decent Half Pound Beef Burger ($12.95). Dinner entrees of note include a wonderful Grilled Salmon with a light Mustard Glaze ($19.95); Steamed Mahi Mahi ($19.95) with a Green Onion Confit and Jasmin Rice; a Grilled 14-ounce Ribeye Steak ($26.95), and a Braised Lamb Shank ($19.95). The service is very professional at the Cliff House Bistro, but if you haven’t noticed yet, the place is pricey. But, hey – you’re paying for the view and the atmosphere, right? If I was eating this stuff facing a wall, I’d be upset, but dining in an environment like the one at the Cliff House means I’m very forgiving. The Cliff House Bistro is at 1090 Point Lobos in San Francisco. Believe it or not, there’s usually plenty of free parking along the wall there. Their phone number is: (415) 386-3330.

A-Rod and Jeter: Breaking Up is Hard to Do

Wow. This article on www.aol.com really kind of shocked me. Two huge superstars aren’t hanging out together anymore. I get all teary-eyed when I read this kind of thing. Do you mean that A-Rod and Jeter aren’t going to be doing a LaVerne and Shirley this season? No riding bikes together or playing board games on the weekend? No long walks in the park? How about an occasional night out on the town, chasing Paris Hilton and/or Mariah Carey? In my opinion, the problem is with A-Rod. He’s not a team player like Jeter has proven he is. It won’t faze either of them, anyway. When you make the kind of cash these two guys do, you can buy all of the friends you’ll ever need! Besides, Babe Ruth and Lou Gehrig never got along, either – and it didn’t slow them down.

TAMPA, Fla. – Alex Rodriguez sat himself precisely upon the sheet of notebook paper with "13" written on it, the unspoken direction located on the home-dugout bench at Legends Field here, wedged between a smile and a sigh.
He arrived at New York Yankees camp Monday. He stopped by for his annual physical, which, as it turned out, preceded another 15 minutes of poking and prodding, this without the benefit of the Latex glove.
There are five issues that dog the two-time MVP, and he came prepared to discuss them all.
First, he is 4-for-41 without an RBI in his last 12 playoff games for the Yankees. ("I've stunk.")
Second, it got so bad Joe Torre had to hide him in the eighth place in the order. ("I was embarrassed.")
Third, he won't really say if he'll opt out of the final three years of his contract after this season. ("I want to be a New York Yankee.")
Fourth, Derek Jeter doesn't want to be his best friend anymore and hasn't wanted to be for quite some time.
Fifth, does this Jeter thing have anything whatsoever to do with any of the first three?
OK. Alex?
"Well, let's make a contract," Rodriguez said. "You don't ask me about Derek anymore, and I promise I'll stop lying to all you guys."
That sounds fine. Wait a second. …
"Let's be honest," he continued. "Look, Derek and I were best of friends about 10, 12 years ago. Became best of friends. We're still good friends. We get along well. We cheer hard for each other. He cheers for me. And we both want to win a world championship. Do we go to dinner every night like we used to? No. But we're good friends, have a lot of respect for each other, and we want to win. No more questions about that."
Which, of course, brought a few nods and about 10 more questions. Because this is Derek Jeter and Alex Rodriguez we're talking here, and for six weeks every spring this little green corner of Tampa becomes New York without the snow shovels. And what was that about the lying?
"I think it's just important to cut the [BS], you know?" he said. "I mean, it is what it is. I think when you get into all the [bull], people start assuming that things are a lot worse than what they are, which they are not. But they're obviously not as great as they used to be, when we were like blood brothers, you know?"
The natural follow-up, then, as everyone had decided to opt out of the A-Rod/Jeter contract anyway, was: What happened? And why?
"You don't have to go to dinner with a guy four or five times a week to do what you do," he said. "It's actually much better than all you guys [suspect], but I just wanted the truth to be known. … You go from sleeping over at somebody's house five days a week, and now you don't sleep over. It's just not that big of a deal. That's happened with your friends, I'm sure. Some of your friends.
"I think it's just important to let all you guys know. You guys haven't heard it from me [before]. It's an old question. There's nothing there. It's much better than you guys are going to write, but the reality is, there's been a change in the relationship over 14 years and hopefully we can put it behind us."
Rodriguez starts his fourth season as a Yankee, his 14th as a big-leaguer – he's more than halfway to 900 home runs – and finds it necessary to divulge he no longer sleeps over at the shortstop's house.
If Jeter were charged with opening a hole for A-Rod to run through, or if Jeter were the point guard and A-Rod his points-hungry power forward, this might matter.
But this is baseball and these are grown men.
Jeter gets his at-bat, then A-Rod gets his. If A-Rod can't reach a ball to his left, then Jeter gets it. That's the end of it.
Sure, Rodriguez must deliver, particularly in October, assuming the Yankees get there. Sure, he's in danger of getting those 900 home runs and no one remembering a single one. And sure, he gets booed a lot, and right about now a lot of New Yorkers probably can't decide if they're overjoyed Rodriguez might opt out of his contract or indignant Rodriguez might opt out of his contract.
But to suggest Jeter has anything to do with those failures, or that his friendship or public support would have done anything to avert them, is misguided.
The Yankees presumably would benefit greatly from an emotionally secure A-Rod, but could Jeter really play a part in that?
"I care about what he thinks about me on the field," Rodriguez said. "I think it's important for us to be on the right page and we are. We're here to win a championship together."
Beyond that, he said, "I'm a big boy. I'm 31 years old now. So I should be able to help myself out there."
Exactly.

Hungover on President's Day!

I don’t know why – I really didn’t drink all that much – but I woke up this morning with a hangover that had my head pounding like 500 jackhammers. I think it must have been the combination of things I consumed. I had sake, whiskey and wine – three things I’m pretty certain that you’re not supposed to mix. I used to be able to imbibe with the very best out there when I was in my 20’s and 30’s, but now that I’m in my late 40’s, I just can’t drink like I used to.

Ratdog Reviews Bella & Daisy's Doggy Boutique

Ratdog has been hired by www.bayareacritic.com to do a series of reviews about popular pet places in the Bay Area, including dog-friendly hotels, retsurants, parks and stores. This is his first review, so bear with him.

There’s a great place a couple blocks from where we live on Union Street in SF called Bella & Daisy’s Dog Bakery and Boutique. Just thinking about the place has my little tail wagging a mile a minute. Bella & Daisy’s offers a full range of exclusive products for your favorite pooch: practical and more decorative high-end collars, coats and sweaters, fashionable carriers, books, aromatherapy, beautiful beds, a wide variety of foods (including raw foods), and every kind of treat you could imagine: fresh baked and made to order birthday cakes, cannoli’s, doggie donuts, carob-dipped pretzels, doggie latte cookies, “dog stickers,” sushi cookies, and more! All for the one you really love! My masters take me to Bella & Daisy’s when I’ve been a good dog, which is a lot. Once in a while I get in their doghouse for barking or humping the ottoman, in which case I don’t get to go to Bella & Daisy’s. I especially love the doggy pastries there – just thinking about them has me drooling all over the carpet. My favorites are the doggy dim sum and the cupcakes. And best of all – they have bones! Every type of dog treat imaginable can be sniffed out at Bella & Daisy’s. They’ve got Zuke’s Treats, Greenies, Nutro, Mother’s Finest Dog Cookies, Old Mother Hubbard, Flossies and more. All of the treats are made with the finest healthy ingredients, meaning I won’t get heartburn or gas. It really doesn’t matter, because my master blames me when he’s gassy anyway. Sometimes a mutt just can’t win! They also have a place at Bella & Daisy’s called Kitty Korner, although I’ve never seen a cat in the place. If I did, I’d 86 it, because, in my opinion, B&D’s is for dogs only. We don’t want no cats in our place! Some of the events that they have at Bella & Daisy’s are real fun, too. Around Christmas, you can get your picture taken with Santa Claus. I liked his beard but he smelled like vodka! They also have book signings, doggy psychic readings, and special dog training sessions by top trainers. But, the best thing at B&D’s has to be the Yappy Hour every Friday evening from 5 pm to 7:30 pm. They have wine and cheese for the dog owners and all kinds of treats for us doggies. Everyone dresses up in their finest cocktail wear and it’s a Par-ty! I met a Great Dane there last week and we exchanged collar tags. Who knows? It could be puppy love! Bella & Daisy’s is located at 1750 Union Street, between Octavia and Gough in San Francisco. Their phone number is: (415) 440-7007. Their web site is: www.bellaanddaisys.com

How Wrong is Tim Hardaway?

Tim Hardaway made some pretty caustic remarks recently about former NBA player John Amaeci being gay. They were hateful and inappropriate. Now he’s getting a lot of flack about it. Personally, I’m torn on this subject. First, I have no problems with homosexuals or lesbians. I live in super liberal San Francisco, where people walk around every day naked and drooling with tennis balls tapped up their butts while talking to dogs in three different languages, and no one in this town, including myself, really cares – as long as they don’t drool on me or ask me to play catch with the tennis ball. And don’t get me wrong, I’m not comparing those crazies to gay folks in any way. I’m just making a point. The gay people I know are compassionate, creative, wonderful individuals and human beings just like anyone else. Someone’s sexual preference has never been a concern of mine, so if someone is attracted to members of the same sex, more power to them. If they like livestock or hump ottomans, I could care less. To each his own has always been my belief. On the other hand, if Tim Hardaway doesn’t like gay people, why shouldn’t he have the right to express his opinions? Now the NBA has asked Hardaway not to attend their All-Star Weekend in Las Vegas because of his remarks. I understand embracing diversity in the workplace, but I feel like we’ve gone too far in trying to be completely accepting of everyone. Some groups just don’t like other groups, for whatever reason, and as long as they don’t threaten or harm each other, I believe they’re totally within their rights to express it. We supposedly live in a free-speech society. What if Hardaway had spoken out against the war in Iraq, Catholic priests, pay toilets or chronic jaywalkers? Would he have been banned for that? His opinion may be moronic and many of us may disagree, but why should he be punished and chastised by society just because he’s homophobic? People from the KKK and other racist, hateful organizations get up all the time and spout their propaganda in the media. If they’re protected by the Freedom of Speech, why isn’t Hardaway? Athletes say stupid stuff all the time (examples: Charles Barkley, Mike Tyson, Dennis Rodman), because they’re human and have a porous filter between their brains and their mouths, but why should they be penalized for it? I don’t think Hardaway is going to be invited to be the marshal of the Gay Day Parade, but even if he is an idiot and a homophobe, he doesn’t need to be banned for saying what he believes. Dumb-ass celebrities, redneck racists, and even ignorant politicians all have a place in American society. That’s the downside of living in a totally free country.

Pet Twister Finals this Weekend!

It's been an exciting couple of weeks for Angelina and I. Amazingly, both of our dogs have made it to the 2007 Pet Twister Finals, to be held in Milpitas this weekend. That's right -- after extensive training and practice, both Ratdog and Shelly are in the finals. We're really thrilled -- it's been like watching our kids play Little League. Shelly was able to upset a Great Dane who had twice her reach in the large dog semi-finals , while Ratdog initially lost a heart breaker to a toy poodle, but advanced to the small-dog finals when the mutt tested positive for steroids and was subsequently stripped of her title.