My response and review of the 2015 Oscars, mostly a collection of posts on Facebook!

Wow! That Opening number for the Oscars was totally brilliant! Neil Patrick Harris is going to make tonight good! Happy Oscar Night!

So glad that Patricia Arquette won, and spoke up for women's equal rights. Good for her! Boyhood should have been called "Motherhood" instead. Loving Neil in his underwear, but we are both married men, so I'll get over it. Go Neil. Everyone is still holding their Lego Oscar that's so cute.

When Tegan and Sara sang the Oscar nominated song for "The Lego Movie," they passed out Lego Oscars to people in the audience! The song nominated is called "Everything Is Awesome!" You could probably watch it on Youtube sooner or later.

Elizabeth Peña we're all proud of you! ‪#‎Oscars ‪#‎InMemoriam ‪#‎RIPower

Wow! Lady Gaga can sing Rodgers and Hammerstein's "The Sound of Music," and sound lovely, operatic, and elegant! I'm impressed. Being close to Tony Bennett made her into an even greater singer. Go Lady Gaga Go!

Alejandro González Iñárritu, a Mexican director, won for Best Directing for Birdman. He said "that little prick, the ego" and they didn't bleep it out! Viva Mexico!

I hate that Sean Penn said something so racist about Alejandro González Iñárritu for winning Best Picture for Birdman. Penn said when he opened the envelope, "who gave this son of a bitch his green card!" Mike and I said that was horrible! We used to like Sean Penn for playing Harvey Milk. Is he some kind of proud fascist? I still like the movie "Milk," I don't care what he says. He can't take the legend of Harvey Milk down. Harvey Milk was given a U.S. postage stamp last year too. Penn does not have a respectful mouth!

I had trouble with Birdman, because it had mostly white actors, and hardly any non-white actors. Some Latinos consider themselves white, and they are capable of racism against their own people, and well as racism against other peoples. Then again, Alejandro defied stereotypes with Birdman, creating a sardonic, satirical look at acting in "American" life. All people can look at that movie and see an American experience with emotions we can all understand, but there are emotions so complicated in Birdman that it also defies understanding. I still think that Selma, The Imitation Game, or The Theory of Everything deserved the Best Picture Oscar more. Birdman is not a film that many can relate with.

People are telling me to lighten up about Sean Penn's comment, but I'm not. I said to them: It's wrong people, and people who don't think hateful sarcasm is funny, are bound to get the wrong message. Even if they're friends, I don't laugh about this messed up immigration discrimination in the U.S. People suffer badly because of it. I don't think making fun of people's suffering is funny at all. Stupid, and wrong. It's still out and out racism, too!

So many people in the audience where moved to tears by the performance of "Glory." Oprah wiped tears off of David Oyelowo's face. So touching. I'm glad that "Glory" won Best Original Song. Just a little more justice for the peaceful message of Martin Luther King Jr.!

I really liked Neil Patrick Harris tonight. The magic trick he did in the end was totally cool! How did they do that! They must have used mirrors, and a scribe writing frantically all that was going on tonight and printing it on little cards! Neil loves magic. He has a room full of magic tricks in his place in New York, where he lives with his kids and husband. He wants to teach his kids magic when they grow up! The only thing that I had trouble with tonight at the Oscars was that Neil was a bit nervous and he said his jokes really fast that they went over everyone's head. The ones I got were hilarious though! He's a sweet man! Peace, Love, Equality, and Best Wishes, Ruben and Mike.

Although I like that J. K. Simmons said something nice about Moms and Dads, and their kindness to all of us, he should have spoke out against bullying. His performance in “Whiplash” almost enables bullying, and that is so wrong. I like that Graham Moore and the best documentary people spoke out against suicide. Mental Illness is such a serious issue that is not getting the justice it deserves. Through therapy, many mentally ill people learn to be mentally healthy, non violent, kind and contributing people of society. Mental Health activists say that many treated mentally ill people do not hurt others or hurt themselves, like the character in Birdman. More people need to speak out about this, because it is why Chris Kyle was killed, and people with disabilities get ignored, because of people fears and stigmas! Say more and do more and stand up for justice and the rights of the disabled. Live the message of peace that King, jr. promised us all. Peace, Love, and Best Wishes, Ruben and Mike.

"Stay weird, and stay different." Don't lose hope, and don't try suicide is Graham Moore's message(while accepting his Oscar for the screenplay of “The Imitation Game.”) Life gets better most of the time. Give your time to charity, and stand up for people dealing with depression. Brave speech, Graham. Thanks for choosing to live to write this moving film, and further the civil rights and equal rights of Gay people like Alan Turing, who suffered in silence. Speak out, take a stand, march on, and express yourself!

This speech by Graham Moore put a tear in my ear last night, because when I was in high school and going through difficult times, my best friend at the time wrote in my yearbook, "Stay weird, stay cool!" I thought of that time in my life, when life seemed full of difficulty and trouble and sadness, and how my sense of humor got me through. My wicked sense of humor has matured into a more topically, politically correct, and socially responsible humor, but I still love to laugh! When we laugh with sympathy, we survive things! Peace, Love, and Best Wishes, Ruben and Mike.

Here's a great review of last night's Oscars by The Hollywood Reporter. I agreed with it for the most part. Mike and I enjoyed the show, and were surprised that everyone won the Oscars they did. Despite the "whiteness" controversary of the nominations, Mike and I still saw every movie nominated for Best Picture, investing quite a bit in liking some of these films, and disliking others. Mike guessed 8 right on his ballot, and I guessed 13, getting 8 wrong. It was hard knowing what the Academy was thinking this year. They are so picky and white! We both said, as well as everyone else, that Julianne Moore would win for "Still Alice," and she did! She gave a funny and moving speech, saying that people with disabilities are not invisible, and deserve to be seen! I loved the opening number and all the special effects on the screens for the number. So cool. Some of Harris' jokes fell flat, but I still love his boyish charm. He's a very sweet host, and not too sarcastic. Also, Neil looks great in tighty whities underwear! Billy Crystal half naked wouldn't have been as appealing. Peace, Love, and Best Wishes, Ruben and Mike.


Common and John Legend gave a very moving acceptance speech from last night's Oscars for the song "Glory" from the movie "Selma." That speech is very moving to hear, and so deep too. Common and John Legend said so many important things about civil rights, freedom, equality, justice, and poverty. If Martin Luther King, Jr. were alive today, he would say that there is still a struggle for peace, justice and equality that still needs to be won. We need to become the voice of the voiceless, the liberation for the oppressed! Non-violent peace activism is still important today, because anger swells up like a Tsunami in American society, and around the world. Peace is the goal, justice is the key! March on! Peace, Love, and Best Wishes, Ruben and Mike.

Be strong and be courageous, and don't give up, even if you feel you are losing. Things turn around, and later you can win. Learn everything you can, and read every book you can get your hands on. Write a journal or diary, start a blog, start writing poems and songs. Make life into a life-long learning experience. Watch the best movies, listen to the best classic songs, and read all the classic books. It takes a little practice, but one day you will be very good at something. Maybe you will even write a book, or act in a play, or put out a cd. Never let anyone tell you are not star potential, and that you are not presidential. Opportunities are everywhere. You have nothing to lose and everything, everything to gain. All you need is the courage and confidence to believe in yourself. Write what you know, write what you lived through. Have the courage to make mistakes and learn from them, and again, never, never give up. The mind can remember and learn lots and lots of things. Never limit yourself, and the goal is not just to succeed once, but to have a successful attitude all of your life. To keep trying is the key and the secret to success! Peace, Love, Courage, Confidence, and Best Wishes, Ruben and Mike.

I agree with this for the most part, but somewhere along the way difficult movies to watch became the norm for the Oscars. What ever happened to movies that were close to reality and funny and romantic and also good enough to win Oscars too. "It Happened One Night" was the first screwball romantic comedy to win Best Picture, and after that, it became the formula for romantic comedies. "It Happened One Night" is also a movie you can watch over and over again, and enjoy it every time! Some movies nominated today, I wouldn't sit through more than once, unless it was to study film. Bottom Line: Lighten up, or be more real film industry. Aren't their interesting real life novels to discover? Life is not completely messed up for everyone! Or is it? God only knows. I'm still tuning in on the Oscars, because I adore Neil Patrick Harris, and think he is a very funny, openly Gay actor. I'm curious to see what happens next. Peace, Love, Classic Film, and Best Wishes, Ruben and Mike.

Some famous people can be very nice to non-famous people who adore them, granting them a signature or a photo. But it's true, they rarely exchange phone numbers with the non-famous, and set up dates. Famous writers love to talk to people at readings, and listen to their stories before they sign a book for them. Adam Zagajewski, was very kind to me, when I told him it was my birthday at a reading at the Art Institute. He wrote, "Happy Birthday Ruben," in my book, and I love that he did that. The poet Dean Young, who used to be my Creative Writing Teacher at Loyola University Chicago, wrote, "So nice to see you again," in a book he signed for me. Although writers move on to the next one just like famous people, sometimes they we take the time to listen to you and respond. Having famous dinner company is very rare if you are not famous yourself, but it's not impossible. Oh, and then there are the snobs. We must not forget the famous who don't have time for non-famous people, and keep walking with their nose in the air. It happens too! Can I hold your Oscar? No! Okay, then move on. Peace, Love, and Best Wishes, Ruben and Mike.