Short Takes ...

And the winner is ... Tonight's Academy Awards ceremony seems to carry with it a bit more hype than usual. It could be due to the fact that the show's writers were on strike until just a week ago and the Hollywood bigwigs were scared to death that the Oscars would end up on the trash heap that claimed many other awards shows and dramatic programs in recent months. We'll see if the writers, with a new deal in their pockets, will give Jon Stewart something clever to say to keep the Oscar marathon moving. Please, say it ain't so ... Ralph Nadar has become a joke and has undermined all the good work he started out doing as a consumer advocate. He's obviously an egomaniac who doesn't know when it's time to exit stage left. Instead, he announced today plans to run for president -- again. So far, we've been blessed with a vigorous presidential campaign with good candidates and good issues. Nadar hopes to muddy the waters, though I don't think many voters will notice. Soup's on ... The Capital District takes its lumps -- some deserved, some not -- from many who live here and some who don't. "Smallbany" was cute when it was still coined; Schenectady has had to address a tarnished reputation from time to time, as has Troy. But we sure can eat well here. A family dinner at Carmine's in Colonie last night was outstanding, as usual. The little-noticed Apian Way on Van Vranken Street in Schenectady is consistently good. And the Sunday Gazette had it right today with a positive review of the new Apertivo, next to Proctor's. These are just three of many, many excellent independently owned restaurants, diners, bistros and cafes that we're fortunate to have as dining choices.