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Forward thinking

An entirely subjective look at the week ahead

By COLETTE BANCROFT
Published January 24, 2005

JUST A FEW MORE QUESTIONS

Last week, Senate Democrats delayed the voting on two Cabinet nominees for more debate on their controversial records. The vote on whether Alberto Gonzales should be named attorney general is likely to be in a couple of weeks, the vote on Condoleezza Rice as secretary of state on Wednesday. Have an opinion? You can e-mail Florida Sen. Bill Nelson at billnelson.senate.gov/contact/index.cfm#email; Sen. Mel Martinez at mel_martinez@martinez.senate.gov

TOO MANY CANDIDATES

The most satisfying of show biz awards, the Golden Raspberries, celebrates its silver anniversary this year. Nominees for the very worst of filmmaking will be announced today at 3 p.m. Find them online at www.razzies.com/asp/directory.) Gigli swept the Razzies last year, winning worst picture, actor, actress and screen couple; Ben Affleck and Jennifer Lopez apparently took a hint. There's no clear leader this year, although all those toga flicks are strong contenders. (We know why Jen really dumped Brad: She was embarrassed about Troy.)

HELLO AGAIN

If the Apple Macintosh were human, it would be old enough to vote today. Introduced in 1984, it looked like a cheerful cartoon character and retailed for $2,495. To see the still-astonishing ad that introduced it - it was directed by Ridley Scott Blade Runner and ran only once, during Super Bowl XVIII - go to www.uriah.com/apple-qt/1984.html

ONE WAR'S END

Thursday marks the 32nd anniversary of the Vietnam Peace Agreement. The longest American war began in 1955, when U.S. military advisers arrived to train South Vietnamese troops so they could fight the war on their own. Eighteen years and 58,000 American dead later, Henry Kissinger and Le Duc Tho signed a peace accord in Paris on Jan. 27, 1973 (although the last Americans would not leave until the fall of Saigon to Communist troops in 1975).

PIRATE POINTERS

Here at Forward Thinking, we've been catching beads (personal best: 42 strands) at Gasparilla parades since, well, almost since there were real pirates. Our tips for Saturday's festivities: Don't bring babies or dogs; they'll be scared silly by the gunfire. Don't do anything to someone else's lawn you wouldn't want done to yours. If you hope to have lunch in the neighborhood after the parade (might as well, because traffic isn't going anywhere), make a reservation now. And if you're taking kids, be prepared with a way to explain those women who keep raising their shirts.

WILD WONDER

A pair of exhibitions showcasing two lions of American nature photography open Saturday at the Ringling Museum of Art in Sarasota. "Ansel Adams: Celebration of Genius" and "The Florida Landscape Photography of Clyde Butcher" bring together the works of two men who share a genius for letting the viewer see into the heart of wild places. And at least a couple of decades from now we'll have the pictures to look at when all the glorious slices of Eden they capture have been entombed under Wal-Mart Supercenters. For information, go to www.ringling.org/

TWO OF AMERICA'S SWEETHEARTS

Ellen Degeneres is 47 on Wednesday.

Oprah Winfrey is 51 on Saturday.

Vice President Dick Cheney is 64 on Sunday.

[Last modified January 22, 2005, 05:04:05]