Journey In Darkness

On a trip this evening, we traveled through a very dark and stormy night indeed. On the windshield of the car, sitting right in front of my superstitious nose, was a condensation mark that would not fade - and it resembled (very strongly) a pirate flag with the skeletal mask and crossbones of that emblematic banner.

Talk of evil omens!

Through my mind flashed remembrances of all the stories I'd ever read of people who got themselves into healthy helpings of trouble after seeing some kind of fabled, magical deathmark. But of course nothing of undue interest occurred on the way. Conversation, strange radio stations of the heartland, a little dinner, and the usual suspects you find on a road trip.

And a few you don't generally encounter.
For example, a road sign that read: "Flushing Bethesda."

Seriously.

Talk about darkness.

We need a montage!

If they're forcing award winners to cut their speeches down to under 30 seconds what's the point of screening fifty-two-million three-minute montages throughout the course of the Oscar show?

Aren't montages supposed to advance the storyline and not stymie it?

The mind boggles.