Now here's a grand look back at the glory days of Hollywood, in light of today's Oscar nominations:


Humphrey Bogart was a titan of the big screen and he beat out an impressive field, perhaps winning due to past losses when he turned out so liked. Or, maybe there was a split vote.

Who wins this Christmas' movie slugfest with some mighty contenders?

I suspect it may be "The Hobbit,' which brings out the dedicated fan base. 'Les Mis' may do ok in the long run as its got some star power, but the little hobbit could be bringing in families.

How will 'Django Unchained' and 'Jack Reacher' do, both carrying massive stars — Tom Cruise and Quentin Tarantino — and also extreme violence, perform? I think they'll do fine in terms of what they're expected to earn. People who like these movies will watch them. I would, and perhaps will.

I wonder if Oscar favorites, or critical darlings, like 'Lincoln' and 'Argo' will reemerge after weeks in release, bringing in big dollars.

Christmas isn't just good for the retail economy, it's crucial to the film and entertainment industries, too.

Merry Christmas!

Ok, I'm back, as Oprah has gone quietly into the night.

So a while back I wondered about the next big media explosion, and it turned out to be a couple of slowburners. Neither the flooding of the Mississippi nor Oprah Winfrey's final episode completely dominated the news, but combined they kept the newscasters and bloggers busy for a week or two, as the water slowed moved southbound and Oprah moved her army of wellwishers through the couches and chairs.

Arnold Schwarzenegger's stunning double life and admitted affair almost surpassed the royal wedding....oh, nevermind, nothing came close to covering that affair, but Arnold gave it a good go. What's so amazing about that story is how the media MISSED it for more than a decade. It was a juicy story before the political career started but both Hollywood paparazzi and the nation's political reporters had no clue about the love child. How did Arnold get the free pass? Perhaps because he played with the media and didn't run from them, so they had little reason to dig.

How impressive that he kept the child and affair hidden. It almost came out because he (or really, his wife) decided it was time to come out with the separation.