Come On, Babe, Why Don't We Paint the Town?

No blogging, most likely, for the next several days, as I will be away giving an academic job talk in the Windy City, just like Velma Kelly is doing in this picture. (Pretty much looks like she is owning the Q&A, doesn't it?) I have much to say about the Oscar race, especially in response to the happy bounty of Comments that accrued to yesterday's post, but as I am consumed in last-minute preparations for my trip—rouging my knees, rolling my stockings down, stuff like that—I'm going to have to keep mum till Sunday or Monday.

Also when I return, Mira Sorvino and I will be unveiling the 2005 Nick's Flick Picks Honorees, shining a bright light on the best and brightest cinematic achievements of the past year, and obviously doing a much better job of this than AMPAS ever manages. (Just kidding. About Sorvino, I mean. Y'all know good and well I would call somebody else. Maybe Joan Allen, since, distressingly, she shouldn't be too busy in the coming weeks.)