I don't care if everyone else thought the Oscars was boring. It's probably the first and last time that New Zealand and New Zealanders themselves will get so many props in Hollywood. I was saying the other day that about 1 percent of the total population of the country worked on the Lord of the Rings trilogy, which - if you cut out those under 15 and over 65 - is a significant portion of the working-age population. And again, I was glad to be seeing the ceremony at home rather than in the USA, where I would have been a weepy idiot just to hear so many familiar accents.

I've been singing Peter Jackson's praises for more than a decade. He has no idea who I am, but I feel sort of vindicated. :)