As of now, the Academy is planning a gala ceremony Sunday, February 27, from the Kodak Theatre in Hollywood. The entire extravaganza will be televised live on ABC, beginning with a half-hour arrival segment.

In a time of war in Iraq and unprecedented human suffering in Asia, do we really need to spend millions of dollars on a half-hour arrival segment? Do we really need to watch the Hollywood left praising one another for their great "accomplishments" through phony tears?

The Academy could vote for the winners in each category in the usual way and the prizes could be sent via UPS to each winner. The results could be posted on the Academy's Web site.

The price of Michael Moore's Oscar night dinner alone would likely feed an entire Indonesian village for a week.

Meanwhile, the rest of America could be spared another night of Hollywood frivolity.

Editor's note: