A few things I forgot to mention in my Monday morning post about the Academy Awards:

* Why, when gushing about Meryl Streep's 15 Oscar nominations, do movie pundits never mention that she's lost 13 times? Or that her last win was 27 years ago? Her only two Oscars were for Best Supporting Actress in 1979 (for "Kramer vs. Kramer") and Best Actress in 1982 (for "Sophie's Choice"). Since then, she's been little more than the Susan Lucci of the film industry.

* I can't help but wonder whether Heath Ledger's family and the people who flew the "Slumdog Millionaire" kids to Hollywood were told in advance of the impending wins in their respective categories. I mean does anyone really believe the Ledger clan would have come all the way from Australia or the "Slumdog" kids would have been brought over from India if there was even the chance of them going home empty-handed?

* I honestly don't get what's so great about Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie. (Oops, sorry. I mean "Brangelina.") Both are decent actors, I suppose, but they're hardly the best in the business. It seems to me that the people who fawn over them are willing to accept great looks as a substitute for great performances. Thankfully, the academy looked past the power couple's celebrity status and rendered them also-rans on Sunday.