Hello, everybody. As we're doing this, a newsflash: Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie were finally wed in a private ceremony last Saturday in France. This was Pitt's second marriage (Jennifer Aniston, anyone?) and Jolie's third (Jonny Lee Miller and Billy Bob Thornton), and one that we weren't expecting after seven years together.

Now...it was a good night for "Breaking Bad" as the 66th Primetime Emmy Awards Monday night as the already ended AMC series went out on a high note with Drama Series and acting honors for Bryan Cranston, Aaron Paul, and Anna Gunn. "Modern Family", despite the threat of Netflix's "Orange Is the New Black", remained unstoppable with their fifth Comedy Series prize (tying with "Frasier") and Ty Burrell's second Supporting Actor. 

But the major winners were all reruns anyway: Jim Parsons, Julia Louis-Dreyfus (still Best Actor/Actress-Comedy), Julianna Margulies (Best Actress-Drama), "The Colbert Report" (still Variety Series despite Gwen Stefani's flub; also won for Writing as the Creative Arts awards), and "The Amazing Race" (once again Reality-Competition program after losing to "The Voice" last year). Other winners include "Fargo" (Miniseries) and "The Normal Heart" (Movie).

This was the first time since 1976 that the Emmys were held on a Monday, and for good reason: The Sunday was already booked for MTV's Video Music Awards across town at the Forum (which I won't get into) and that being on NBC this year, they were committed to "Sunday Night Football." Look at this year's Grammys; they had them in mid-January to avoid clashing with the Olympics, and the Oscars moving from late March to late February/early March in 2004 had the American Music Awards being held twice in 2003. Despite all that, the show pulled in a strong 15.6 million viewers, already making it the week's top program.

Other than host Seth Meyers moving things along (and ending the show a few minutes ahead of schedule) and Cranston and Louis-Dreyfus re-creating their "Seinfeld" scene, what moved us of course was Billy Crystal's tribute to Robin Williams that capped the In Memoriam segment that also included Mickey Rooney, Paul Walker, James Garner, Maya Angelou, and Don Pardo.

Once again, without running down the fashion roundup, my top five best-dressed were: A very glowing Hayden Panettiere (Lorena Sarbu), Amy Poehler (Theia), Sofia Vergara (Roberto Cavalli), Lucy Liu (Zac Posen), and Halle Berry (Elie Saab). The bottom two worst dressed besides Lena Dunham: Debra Messing (Angel Sanchez) and Katherine Heigl (John Haynes).

And last but not least...Labor Day weekend is two things: The unofficial end of summer, and of course, the Muscular Dystrophy Association's annual "Show of Strength" telethon Sunday on ABC. Among the many neuromuscular diseases they're trying to find a cure for is ALS, or Lou Gehrig's Disease, in which awareness has been raised in such a big way.

For the last month now, almost the entire world has been taking part in the ALS Ice Bucket Challenge including numerous celebrities too many to name and even former President George W. Bush. The premise is this: Take a bucket or cooler full of ice, fill it with water, issue a challenge to who knows how many people (friends, family, co-workers, even the Pope), have yourself or somebody dump it on you, and make sure you get it on video. Oh yeah, and make a donation to the ALS Association, who thanks to all this has raised $94.3 million as of Wednesday.

But not everybody has been digging this summer craze. Pamela Anderson on her Facebook page has been slamming the ALS Association for animal testing saying, "Recent experiments funded by the ALS Association, mice had holes drilled into their skulls, were inflicted with crippling illnesses, and were forced to run on an inclined treadmill until they collapsed from exhaustion. Monkeys had chemicals injected into their brains and backs and were later killed and dissected."

The California Biomedical Research Association, however, tends to differ. According to them, animal research has always been used in medical breakthroughs over the decades. Remember when monkey kidney cells were the key to Dr. Jonas Salk's polio vaccine in the 1950's? That was the result of animal research.

Back to the ice bucket challenge: As someone who used to donate to MDA, nobody has called me out yet. But if they do, I'll be ready...to take a worthy plunge colder than Nestea! So long and stay strong.

Hello, everybody. Boy, it's been months, but what has been up in my life? A new job here in Atlanta, of course (and in the very high-end Buckhead district)! But other than that, scores of things going on, starting first up with -- you guessed it -- the World Cup.

Group play in the 2014 FIFA World Cup in Brazil has already ended and we're now into the next phase: Win or go home. And in the case of the United States, they ain't going home...at least not yet.

After beating Ghana in their first game, the attention turned to Portugal last Sunday, where a win against them means a berth in the next round. We were just a few heartbeats away from that, until Portugal, thanks in no small part to Cristiano Ronaldo, tied it up at 2-2 in the very end. Not since Game 6 of the 2013 NBA Finals (in which San Antonio almost won the title until Miami's Ray Allen's 3-pointer kept his team alive; the Spurs truly got their redemption this year) have we ever seen the whole country -- especially soccer fans watching the game at Atlanta's Soccerfest in Brookhaven Park -- suffer emotional strokes after that last-second goal.

So it's on to the next game against Germany, and despite our 1-0 loss...we barely made it to the Sweet 16! Germany may have won Group G (which has been dubbed the "Group of Death"), but it's Portugal and Ghana -- among several countries including England, Australia, and defending champions Spain -- that's gone home. We survived Ghana, Portugal, and Germany; can we do the same with Belgium? We'll find out on Tuesday.

Now the USA/Portugal match was on television, but right after that, most of us hit our computers, tablets, and/or smartphones for that other big event on Sunday: The 41st Daytime Emmy Awards. Now usually I've recapped the Primetime Emmys, but quite frankly, the daytime counterpart has never been the same since Susan Lucci finally won in 1999 after some 20-odd nominations. At one point it ended up on The CW and even HLN to the point that nobody even cared anymore.

So, what did they do this year? Put the show exclusively online and, just like PBS, commercial-free! It could've been also rated TV-MA because presenter Sharon Osbourne, knowing that the awards aren't televised anymore, dropped a few F-bombs before awarding Best Drama to "The Young and The Restless." The other big winner was the absent Steve Harvey, claiming both Game Show Host ("Family Feud") and Informative Talk Show.

And last but not least: I've said that most of Atlanta watched the USA/Portugal match at Soccerfest last Sunday, which is quite fitting as we have become a soccer-crazed city as of late.

It started last spring with the Mexico/Nigeria exhibition match, which filled the Georgia Dome to the brim. That success led to the announcement of a Major League Soccer franchise, helmed by Atlanta Falcons owner Arthur Blank; they'll be playing in the new Falcons stadium under construction right now. And on the night before I started my new job last month, I went to a Braves game for the first time. Fairbanks may have a baseball team of their own with the Goldpanners, but let's face it: baseball season back in Alaska lasts about only 13 weeks while high school football runs from September till late November.

In about a few years when soccer comes our way (team name TBA), we're all going to be in our seats with our sweet tea shouting, "GOOOOOAAAAALLLLLLLL, ya'll!" So long and stay strong.

Hello, everybody. We'll get to the Oscars in a moment, but I should start with the serious news up front.

First up...the continuing conflict in Ukraine, as the United States and its allies are left with a decision to bolster their missile defense systems in Europe. Secretary of State John Kerry will be heading to Kiev on Tuesday to meet with the Ukrainian government while calling on Russian President Vladimir Putin to pull his troops out of the Crimerian peninsula, which until 60 years ago was part of their country's territory. But according their Prime Minister Arseniy Yatsenyuk, Crimeria is still on Ukrainian soil despite the Russian presence.

Back here in the States, the week has already started with the never-ending winter with the latest (and hopefully last) blast pummeling the Mid-Atlantic and Northeast, closing down schools and businesses yet again. Up to 10 inches of snow will have fallen in Washington and Baltimore with a foot of snow to come in New Jersey and parts of West Virginia, with governors of Tennessee and Virginia declaring a state of emergency.

Punxsutawney Phil was right about those six extra weeks of winter coming our way. Here, we have General Beau Lee, whose forecast called for an early spring in Atlanta. When it comes to weather in March, it's all about asking yourself one question: Who do you trust?

And now...

Slavery and "Gravity" triumph at the Oscars!

"Gravity" may have walked out of the 86th Annual Academy Awards on Sunday with the most overall haul (seven Oscars including Best Director for Alfonso Cuaron); but in the end, the more prestigious honors belonged to "12 Years A Slave" with Adapted Screenplay, Supporting Actress for Lupita Nyong'o, and Best Picture of 2013. Those two films and "American Hustle" were in a cutthroat battle for the big prize, with "Slave" coming in with a huge advantage after racking up Golden Globes, Screen Actors Guild, and BAFTA wins ("Hustle" on the other hand, got nothing, as did "The Wolf of Wall Street").

As predicted, Matthew McConaughey was named Best Actor for "Dallas Buyers Club" with Jared Leto claiming Supporting Actor, while the heavily favored Cate Blanchett completed her winning streak with her second overall Oscar, this time Best Actress for "Blue Jasmine." 

Other big winners include: "Frozen" (Animated Feature and Original Song ("Let It Go")), "20 Feet From Stardom" (Documentary Feature, punctuated by Darlene Love ultimately singing her praises), Italy's "The Great Beauty" (Foreign Language Film), and "Her" (Original Screenplay in a surprise).

Ellen DeGeneres in her second go-around as host put a whole lot of fun into the 3 1/2-hour Oscarcast, as opposed to Seth McFarlane's fawning last year. In addition to serving pizza to the audience, she was also solely responsible for the selfie that crashed Twitter, amassing 2 million retweets and counting. But I thought the best highlight went to Bette Midler in her first visit to the Oscar stage with "Wind Beneath My Wings" closing out the In Memoriam segment (which was probably completed on the fly to include Harold Ramis, whom Bill Murray gave a shout-out to)

One major highlight prior to all that's going on was in the skies above Los Angeles, as torrential rains threatened to put a damper on the fashion action. But thankfully, the sun came out to play just in time, though Jennifer Lawrence still couldn't get the sting from last year out of her head as she tripped in her red Dior yet again...this time on the red carpet. Though they both graciously lost to Blanchett, Sandra Bullock and Amy Adams looked like Old Hollywood in Alexander McQueen and Gucci respectively, while among the men, Jared Leto looked like a true winner himself in his Yves Saint Laurent jacket and red bow tie.

I think the best honor goes to Lupita Nyong'o in her icy blue Prada, but (back to the guys) Pharrell Williams? This is the Oscars, not the Grammys; leave those shorts in the house!

Cate Blanchett has always been the odds-on favorite ever since "Blue Jasmine" was released last summer, and her Best Actress prize did the trick for her. As for Lupita Nyong'o? Like Jennifer Lawrence last year, this is definitely not the last we'll be seeing of her...well, unlike Mo'Nique when she won that very same award four years ago.

And then there was the Sexiest Man of 2005 winner whose Texas charm has drawn the females wild for years. Even though his big-screen persona has now been carried over to the small screen in HBO's "True Detective", there is no doubt that Matthew McConaughey's stature is well cemented now that he and his wife Camilla have welcomed the newest member of their family: an 8 1/2 bundle of joy named Oscar.

Heroes and Hollywood may have been the theme, but there was one other keyword all throughout the 86th Academy Awards that held true: Diversity, and we've seen it. Quite fittingly, the Oscars did soar to new heights in more ways than one. So long and stay strong.

Hello, everybody. I'll get to my Oscar preview in a bit, but first up, the latest on Young Hollywood's bad boy and a relocation:

Now other than Keshia Knight Pulliam, I can't think of any other major celebrities that call Atlanta home. But soon, you can add Justin Bieber to the list as he has reportedly purchased a home in the exclusive Buckhead area, which has been dubbed the Beverly Hills of the South.

Apparently, some people were so against their newest resident that they wanted Bieber out...or so we thought? A group that called themselves the "Buckhead Neighborhood Coalition" started up a Facebook page and on Monday morning, even went all out to hold a protest near Blackland Street, where the house is located. It garnered worldwide media attention, but in the end...it was all for show! Yes, this whole thing was brought to us by Rock 100.5 radio's The Regular Guys, the brains behind the phony group/fake protest, and we were all duped. Even though there were only five "protesters", two others were actually pro-Bieber. Sam Massell, the head of the real Buckhead Coalition, had nothing to do with the faux protest and is welcoming Bieber with open arms.

After that prank, I'm really all for Biebs shacking it up in Atlanta; but since it's that time of year once again, the Girl Scouts should be given fair warning.

And now...with the Winter Olympics in Sochi already over, we are immediately moving forward to two big events this weekend: the 42nd annual running of the Iditarod back in Alaska in which dog mushing's biggest names will be roughing it to see who'll be the first to Nome; and of course, the 86th Annual Academy Awards on Sunday. For the latter, crews have been working round the clock to prevent a soggy red carpet as those aforementioned rains are continuing to pound Los Angeles with a vengeance.

Meanwhile, host Ellen DeGeneres will be doing everything in her power to get the show back to becoming a major event again in the face of not just Richter scale ratings, but also AMC's "The Walking Dead" already ruling Sunday nights after taking a chunk of viewers away from the Olympics. A lot has changed since DeGeneres last hosted in 2006, but after last year's host Seth MacFarlane got some lambasting (thanks primarily to "We Saw Your Boobs") followed by Billy Crystal's rusty return and James Franco and Anne Hathaway bombing (though Hathaway got a lot of redemption also last year with her Supporting Actress win), the Academy felt that Ellen is the safe bet.

"American Hustle", "Gravity", and "12 Years A Slave" are locked in a three-way battle for Best Picture with "Slave" already the heavy favorite. As for "Captain Philips", "Dallas Buyers Club", "Her", "Nebraska", "Philomena", and "The Wolf of Wall Street"? They wished it was back to just five nominees.

Supporting Actor may be all about Jared Leto, but Barkhad Abdi, Bradley Cooper, Michael Fassbender, and Jonah Hill in the mix. The Supporting Actress showdown is between Lupita Nyong'o and Jennifer Lawrence, who wants to add that to go along with the Best Actress she collected last year (Sally Hawkins, 2000 Best Actress Julia Roberts, and June Squibb are also in there). 

Matthew McConaughey may have Best Actor in the bag, but he's not alone as Christian Bale, Bruce Dern, Leonardo DiCaprio, and Chiwetel Ejiofor could take that away from him. And Best Actress? If not Cate Blanchett, then Amy Adams', Sandra Bullock's (winner of that same category four years ago), Judi Dench's, or three-timer Meryl Streep's names could be on that envelope instead.

With all that said, here's whose names I think will be embedded on that ultimate piece of hardware after Sunday night:

SUPPORTING ACTOR: Jared Leto

SUPPORTING ACTRESS: Jennifer Lawrence had one hell of a 2013 with her memorable trip to the Oscar stage as the headliner, but she's been a workaholic and is deserving of a long breather. The chances of back-to back Oscars have already been against her, so it's safe to say that Lupita Nyong'o is the easy bet.

BEST ACTOR: Matthew McConaughey

BEST ACTRESS: Sandra Bullock may have also shared the same sentiment with Jennifer Lawrence, but remember what Mo'Nique said when she won in 2010: It's the performances, not the politics (or your name, for that matter), that land you the Oscar, and Cate Blanchett's in "Blue Jasmine" was a whole lot powerful than political.

DIRECTOR: Alfonso Cuaron, "Gravity"

BEST PICTURE: "12 Years A Slave"

We'll see how I fare Sunday on the original Show of Shows (sorry, Wrestlemania!), with my full recap to follow on this blog Monday. So long and stay strong.

Super Blowout for Seattle!

Hello, everybody. In what was one of the most lopsided finishes in history, the Seattle Seahawks ran circles around the Denver Broncos 43-8 in Super Bowl XLVIII Sunday night. Fueled by their powerful defense, linebacker Malcolm Smith was named the game's MVP, giving the Broncos' Peyton Manning the worst defeat of his career.

A blowout Super Bowl like this has also resulted into blowout ratings. The game pulled in a new all-time record 111.5 million viewers, knocking the series finale of "M*A*S*H" out of the top five!!!

Maybe it was because of New Jersey natives Queen Latifah and opera superstar Renee Fleming with "America The Beautiful" and the "Star-Spangled Banner" respectively before kickoff. Maybe it was because of the unseasonably warm climates of MetLife Stadium (49 degrees!), with fears that a blizzard might postpone the big game. Maybe it was because of Hall of Famer Joe Namath and his coat that made the folks at PETA switch to the Puppy Bowl. Maybe it was because of Bruno Mars at halftime with the Red Hot Chili Peppers, which I thought was excellent though Bruno, for the love of God, should get a haircut!

Or maybe, perhaps MAYBE, it was the commercials. Crude was out, class was in this time, and here were my top five favorites from the game:

5. Coca-Cola's "It's Beautiful" (remember the controversial Spanish version of our national anthem years ago? This one, on the other hand, wasn't like that in my opinion)

4. Bud Light's "Ian's Up For Whatever" (what really happens when you cast a llama, Minka Kelly, One Republic, and Arnold Schwarzenegger alongside an average Joe? Hilarity ensues!)

3. Radio Shack's "Phone Call" (Whatcha gonna do when the California Raisins, Jason from "Friday the 13th", ALF, Chucky from "Child's Play", Q*Bert, Mary Lou Retton, and Hulk Hogan clean out your very outdated store still full of boom boxes and Tandy computers and make an ass out of you?)

2. Audi's "Doberhuahua" (which was why the Puppy Bowl took a chunk of the Super Bowl's ratings this year)

And my number one favorite commercial from the Super Bowl which was also tops in "USA Today's" Ad Meter:

1. Budweiser's "Puppy Love"

(the King of Beers remained the King of Super Bowl ads, and this one was a prime, touching example)

There were others that failed to impress me, like Chrysler. They were tops on my list for three years in a row, but their "American Import" with Bob Dylan? They missed the mark this time. Scarlett Johansson's SodaStream ad (in which there was an alternate ending) also fizzled, as did Maserati's with Quvenzhane Wallis, Dannon Oikos' "Spill" after all the pre-game buzz, and newcomers Turbo Tax and Squarespace. Talk about $4 million for 30 seconds of ad time being pissed away.

The last Seattle sports team to ever win a major title was the 1979 Supersonics (now Oklahoma City Thunder). That 35-year drought has come to an end, as another trophy is coming their way...the Vince Lombardi Trophy. All of the Emerald City is still celebrating, as is my brother Lawrence in Tacoma and especially the whole state of Alaska, which has been Seahawk Country all along. And for this Super Bowl blowout, at least they, uh, "smoked" Manning and company.

Now while all this was happening, there was one major story developing on the other end of the George Washington Bridge: Philip Seymour Hoffman, who won an Oscar in 2006 for "Capote" and has also starred in "The Hunger Games" among other films, was found dead in his New York City apartment late Sunday morning of an apparent drug overdose; he was 46. An autopsy was conducted Monday while we have learned new details on his tragic death, as Hoffman had a syringe in his arm and packets of heroin stamped with an ace of hearts symbol.

The actor joined the "Hunger Games" franchise with "Catching Fire" and "Mockingjay"; he was here in Atlanta working on both films. Lionsgate has announced that Hoffman won't be replaced and said in a statement: "Philip Seymour Hoffman was a singular talent and one of the most gifted actors of our generation. We're very fortunate that he graced our 'Hunger Games' family. Losing him in his prime is a tragedy, and we send our deepest condolences to Philip's family."

This is the second time in seven months that we have lost someone who was in the prime of his or her life; Cory Monteith is the other. And after that other week, I hope Philip Seymour Hoffman serves as a wake-up call to Justin Bieber after his DUI arrest/smiling mugshot.

And last but not least: President Obama's State of the Union Address snagged in a paltry 33 million viewers, as the state of Atlanta, Georgia was a whole lot more important. All last week, a violent snowstorm closed down schools and businesses and our freeways turning into something out of "The Walking Dead", as hundreds of cars took 12 hours or even more trying to get home from work. A lot of fingers have been pointed at Mayor Kasim Reed and Governor Nathan Deal to blame for all this, as Atlanta thought they learned from their mistakes stemming from the 2011 snowstorm that shut the city down for days though since then, they were well prepared.

Meanwhile, my folks back in Alaska had a nice laugh at all this, as at the same time, temperatures hit to as far as 60 degrees! But when it comes to heavy snow like we had, they are the experts at handling it.

Now all my life in Alaska, I've had my share of brutal winters, but Atlanta this time of year is a completely different animal. But whose winter is the 800-pound gorilla of them all? I settle this score once and for all in my...

Winter in Alaska vs. Winter in Atlanta

ON A CLEAR WINTER NIGHT YOU CAN SEE:

Winter in Alaska: The Northern Lights

Winter in Atlanta: Bunches of stars above the Atlanta skyline

Advantage: Draw

SCHOOL CLOSINGS DUE TO EXTREME WEATHER:

Alaska: None, but school children stay inside during recess

Atlanta: Lots, causing school children to catch up on Netflix

Advantage: Alaska

STUDDED TIRE USAGE:

Alaska: Yes, from November to May

Atlanta: No, if you have all-weather tires

Advantage: Alaska

BUNDLING UP FOR THE COLD:

Alaska: Carhartts and Sorel boots

Atlanta: Varies, as temperatures fall to as low as the single digits with below-zero windchills

Advantage: Draw

AND FINALLY, TRAFFIC:

Alaska: Normal

Atlanta: As we've seen last week, hellacious!

Advantage: Alaska, with auto-starts and cars plugged in at 20 degrees or colder

By a score of 5-2, experience triumphs over inexperience.

Both areas until the beginning of the year have never heard of the term "Polar Vortex", but I've been seeing the aftermath of last week's storm here with help large and small, from strangers helping out fellow strangers on the roads with food, water, and even cat litter, to business offering shelter and free meals to those who were stranded for hours. We never saw that same outpouring after the ice storm in Fairbanks a few months ago that left most without power for days.

But at the end of the day, Alaska has always been immune to severe winters as opposed to Atlanta, and for good reason: We're more well prepared than them, and there's no need for calling out our government leaders after all that mess. That's how they do it in the AK, and I have put that same expertise to work now in the ATL. So long and stay strong.

Hello, everybody. They had to do it a little early to avoid the Super Bowl/Olympics crush, but the 56th Grammy Awards on Sunday was dominated by crushing wins and not-that-crushing moments.

Daft Punk and Pharrell Williams (who with his fedora was named Arby's honorary Employee of the Year) claimed the most with five Grammys including Album of the Year for "Random Access Memories" and Record of the Year and Best Pop Duo/Group Performance for "Get Lucky". Macklemore and Ryan Lewis were not that behind with four; Best New Artist among them. They were followed up by New Zealand sensation Lorde picking up Song of the Year and Pop Solo Performance for "Royals", and Pop Vocal Album going to Bruno Mars ("Unorthodox Jukebox"), as a warmup to what will be an extremely cold Super Bowl halftime next week. 

And although Robin Thicke and Taylor Swift got nothing, there were others that got something: Alicia Keys (R&B Album, "Girl on Fire"), Kacey Musgraves (Country Album, "Same Trailer Different Park"), Stephen Colbert (Spoken Word Album, "America Again: Re-becoming The Greatness We Never Weren't"); and finally, after many nods, Kathy Griffin (Comedy Album, "Calm Down Gurrl").

Beyonce with the help of Jay-Z kicked things off as only they could, but the night's ultimate highlight belonged to a mass wedding of 33 straight and gay couples during Macklemore and Lewis' "Same Love" with Queen Latifah officiating. 

As always, there are little to no rules when it comes to Grammy fashion, and I thought Taylor Swift, Alicia Keys, Anna Kendrick, and Beyonce aboded by them. Madonna, Paula Patton, and Katy Perry? I'm afraid they violated them.

But of course, the big talk prior to the Grammys was Justin Bieber, as on Thursday he was arrested for DUI and drag racing on a Miami area street. That would be followed by pulling a Tom DeLay for his mugshot before being released on $2,500 bail. On Sunday, he spent some downtime in Panama, but the news of his arrest was pure comedy and social media gold. You know, if I was the U.S. ambassador to Canada, I would deport Bieber's ass and bring Celine Dion with him.

And last but not least...ugh, not again! The Deep Freeze which has numbed the Midwest and Northeast U.S. on two different occasions this month has returned with a vengeance, and is now spreading to as far as the Deep South including here in Atlanta. Chicago is once again the epicenter, as wind chills may fall to -40, with schools, businesses, and city governments closed. But back in Alaska, a series of avalanches have shut down the only road to and from Valdez on the Richardson Highway, and it will remain so for a week.

With Super Bowl XLVIII now less than a week away, the only places that are worried right now are New York and New Jersey, and if the pundits are right, we may see the big game happen earlier or maybe later than Sunday. And to my Seattle Seahawks: I hope they came well-prepared; they may probably need more than gloves to grab not only the football in the frozen tundra of MetLife Stadium, but the Vince Lombardi Trophy. So long, stay strong, and stay warm.

Hello, everybody, and welcome to our first blog of 2014. The road to the Dolby Theatre began in Beverly Hills on Sunday and the 71st Annual Golden Globe Awards, where "12 Years A Slave" (Drama) and "American Hustle" (Musical/Comedy) took the top film honors and setting things up for the ultimate showdown on March 2.

Matthew McConaughey picked up Best Actor-Drama for "Dallas Buyers Club" (which also earned Supporting Actor for Jared Leto), Cate Blanchett beat out Sandra Bullock for Best Actress ("Blue Jasmine"), and Leonardo DiCaprio collected Best Actor-Musical/Comedy for the profanity-laden "The Wolf of Wall Street." 

But it's "American Hustle" that's prematurely coming in with the huge advantage, thanks to wins by Amy Adams (Best Actress-Musical/Comedy) and Jennifer Lawrence (Supporting Actress). Meanwhile, Foreign Language Film went to Italy's "The Great Beauty" and Animated Feature Film, "Frozen."

On the television spectrum: "Breaking Bad" picked up where they left off from last September's Emmys by cooking up Best Drama, with Bryan Cranston finally Best Actor. Robin Wright received Best Actress for Netflix's "House of Cards", leaving -- you guessed it --  a now-pregnant Kerry Washington in the dust yet again. "Brooklyn Nine-Nine" shot out perennial Emmy winner "Modern Family" for Best Comedy (ditto for Best Actor Andy Samberg), while repeat Golden Globes co-host Amy Poehler collected Best Actress ("Parks and Recreation") after planting a big one on Bono. Other winners include fellow Emmy leftover "Behind the Candelabra" (Miniseries/TV Movie and its star Michael Douglas) and Jacqueline Bissett, who not only took forever to get up to the stage, but sort of woke up the censors a bit. Woody Allen was honored with the Cecil B. DeMille Award, in which Diane Keaton accepted on his behalf.

The only malfunction that occurred well before the show was a water sprinkler flooding a portion of the red carpet and the press line -- yards away from the "Entertainment Tonight", "Access Hollywood" and E! platforms -- leading up to the entrance of the Beverly Hilton.

Once again bypassing the usually dull fashion rundown, I'll say that Amy Adams (in Valentino) gets my best-dressed prize, while Sandra Bullock (Prabal Gurung)? She may be turning 50 soon, but I didn't think she didn't look it.

The Golden Globes ended a thaw from the Deep Freeze that numbed most of the country in the first full week of the year. Temperatures plummeted to as low as -15 in Minneapolis, which is the Lower 48's equivalent to -40 in Fairbanks, which I don't have to deal with anymore. Here, it went to as low as 8, which resulted in a growing number of school closures all throughout metro Atlanta including Clayton County, where I live. But three years ago at this time, a violent snowstorm shut the whole city down, turning roads into instant ice rinks for the vehicles. Compare that to the recent ice storm Fairbanks had this past fall, which left most residents without power for days.

Long story short: I'm glad that I'm enjoying real weather once again, especially when it's 50 degrees above zero...in January! Take that, Mike Shultz, and so long and stay strong.

As we speak, it's the next-to-last day of 2013 while in Australia, it's already the last day of 2013. So without further ado, I present to you...

The Top 15 Things That Were Trending in 2013

(15 because I couldn't think of 20)

15. The Cronut (The Cadillac of baking wonders. But who wants to plunk down $40 for a croissant/donut hybrid when Krispy Kreme has one cheaper for about $4.25)

14. Manti T'eo's imaginary dead girlfriend (the spirit of the "invisible chair" from last year's Republican Convention lives!)

13. The return of Hostess snack cakes (Twinkie the Kid was offered to host next year's Academy Awards; he declined)

12. Amanda Bynes (if only Penelope Taynt knocked some sense out of her...oh, wait)

11. Selfies (If Geraldo Rivera snaps one one more time, I'm deleting my Instagram account. Then again, I don't do Instagram!)

10. "Scandal" (they call die-hard fans of the show "Gladiators." Isn't that a slap in the face to "American Gladiators?")

9. Robin Thicke's "Blurred Lines" (Wonder if a nearly naked Emily Ratajkowski attempted to twerk in front of Robin?)

8 (and in her 15th consecutive appearance). Britney Spears (with her two-year Las Vegas gig now underway, she is still working it, bitch!)

7. Candy Crush Saga (already causing fake diabetes among mobile users)

6. The ends of Justin Bieber and Selena Gomez, Ryan Seacrest and Julianne Hough, and George Clooney and Stacy Keibler (proof that the "13" in 2013 was unlucky indeed)

5. TIE: Prince George and Pope Francis (one has touched the hearts of royal watchers, the other prefers to touch everyone's flesh without the aid of extra security)

4. The Healthcare.gov website (cue dial-up modem sound here)

3. "Duck Dynasty" (as Bart Simpson once said to Orthodox Jews thinking as if they were ZZ Top, "You guys rock!"...to the point that anti-gay remarks in between seasons would get you in trouble in bit. But the Osbournes and Kardashians they aren't)

2. TIE: Jennifer Lawrence (she's had one hell of year with "Hunger Games", "American Hustle", and some new man in her life that lives in their family home)/The Harlem Shake (suddenly, the bosses at work were going, "You're all FIRED!!!!)

And the #1 thing that was trending in 2013 which will continue in 2014 once her much-anticipated tour kicks off in February (she's coming here to Atlanta on March 24):

1. Miley Cyrus (And yes, we advise you keep your foam fingers, tongues, wrecking balls, and twerking to yourselves while seeing her live)

And that's it, the AllenBlog's 2013 Year in Review. So long, stay strong, and HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!

The Year in Pop Culture

The top keywords throughout 2013 in the world of pop culture were "twerking", "selfie", and "sharknado"...all not necessarily in that order. But in between all those, lines were blurred, lionesses roared, royal babies on opposite sides of the Atlantic were born, and we've experience a dynasty which right now appears to be quacked away. That, or a coked-up Canadian mayor has cared more about Candy Crush Saga and less about running his city.

But we begin with redemption, and Ben Affleck got his when even without a Director nod, "Argo" walked out of the 85th Annual Academy Awards the big winner with three Oscars including Best Picture (sharing it with George Clooney). Daniel Day-Lewis made history by becoming a triple Best Actor holder, while Jennifer Lawrence's Best Actress would be the start of her landmark year, which I'll get to in a bit.

"Modern Family" continued to reign supreme at the 65th Primetime Emmy Awards, while "Breaking Bad" closed out in style with Outstanding Drama. "The Colbert Report" ended "The Daily Show's" long streak, "The Voice" was the next show to dethrone "The Amazing Race", and Bob Newhart after many decades finally took home his first Emmy.

In other 2013 television highlights and lowlights: "NCIS" finally becoming the #1 show in all of television, the live "Sound of Music" musical starring Carrie Underwood attracting 18 million eyeballs, the returns of Robin Williams and Sarah Michelle Gellar in "The Crazy Ones" and Arsenio Hall in late night after a 19-year hiatus, "Sharknado" reviving once-dead careers of Tara Reid and Ian Ziering, "Sleepy Hollow" and "Brooklyn Nine-Nine" ratings grabbers for Fox, the ends of "Private Practice", "The Office", and "30 Rock", the very ends of "1600 Penn", "Golden Boy", and the "Ironside" reboot, and "All My Children" and "One Life To Live" being granted second lives online. And speaking of which, Netflix had a banner year themselves with "House of Cards", the new "Arrested Development", and "Orange Is The New Black" (in which one superfan, Julianne Hough, took her obsession with the show a little too far by going as Blackface for Halloween) all worth the $8 monthly subscription fee.

And then you have what was the year's biggest TV phenomenon: "Duck Dynasty" and the Robertson family whose beards would make ZZ Top go duck hunting themselves. From scoring sky-high ratings for A&E to merchandise galore, it was duck season all year round...that is, until just recently. Phil Robertson, the engine behind all this, made a remark about homosexuals in GQ magazine which didn't sit well with A&E executives, and he was put on indefinite hiatus. With the show's future on the line, many have now come in defense of Robertson, hoping the network reverses its decision. As of publish time, we've now learned that Robertson will be back on board after all and that A&E has just lifted the ban on Robertson.

In movies, "Gravity" soared to new heights, the minions returned in "Despicable Me 2", we felt "The Heat", and "Her", "Dallas Buyers Club, "Nebraska", "Saving Mr. Banks", and "Nebraska" had filmgoers sending a three-word message to Oscar voters: "For your consideration". As for "The Lone Ranger", "R.I.P.D.", the "Carrie" remake, and "The Fifth Estate?" They were sent that very same message alright...to Razzie voters.

The world of music saw some shocks and surprises. First, the surprises: Robin Thicke's "Blurred Lines" and its very saucy video creating a star in model Emily Ratajkowski, Justin Timberlake still having "20/20" vision, Katy Perry still "Roar"-ing (all while becoming the new Twitter queen with 48 million followers), and the biggest of them all: Beyonce dropping her latest album right from under us...unlike Britney Spears, whose new album "Britney Jean" came in time for her new stint at Las Vegas' Planet Hollywood Hotel and Casino, which begins by the time this portion gets published.

There is that show "Scandal" which was fiery hot this year...and then there were actual scandals that were more than just fiery hot! The annual queen of them all, Lindsay Lohan, passed the crown to Amanda Bynes this year, as her erratic behavior and saliacious selfies have landed her to a psychiatric facility. Sassy celebrity chef Paula Deen was at the epicenter of controversy when she dropped the N-bomb after having an all-black waitstaff at her brothers plantation-themed wedding. That cost her her Food Network contract as well as partnerships with QVC and Smithfield Foods. 

We also had Lance Armstrong admitting to Oprah Winfrey that he was indeed doping before his races, Reese Witherspoon busted for DUI and trying to play the celebrity card to a Georgia state trooper (this was months before I moved here to Atlanta), Justin Bieber's wild adventures ranging from urinating in a mop bucket to getting kicked out of his Brazilian hotel for getting way too freaky, and Alec Baldwin threatening paparazzi in New York followed by some very scathing remarks that led to his MSNBC show being yanked off the air.

But forget "Girls Gone Wild"; in 2013, it was all about "Politicians Gone Wild"! Anthony Weiner's latest sexting scandal (and using the psuedonym "Carlos Danger") costing him his one and only shot at New York City mayor, San Diego mayor Bob Filner resigning in the wake of numerous sexual harassment claims, and you have the king of them all: Toronto mayor Rob Ford admitting to smoking crack cocaine, pushing a city council member, and even a cable news stint that lasted only one night. Toronto City Council took action and stripped Ford of almost all his powers, even though he vows to remain mayor for who knows when. If only Chris Farley lived 16 more years to offer his own spin on this...

Technology and trends continued to run rampant this year, with Apple releasing the iPhone 5S and 5C and the iPad Air (all with the new iOS 7) being the major highlight. And we now know why sales have continued to be up the creek: "Selfie" becoming the Oxford dictionary's word of the year, and the addictive Candy Crush Saga the app to get hooked on. Speaking of which, the Harlem Shake had us up on our feet though thanks to somebody else which I'll get to later, that craze didn't last long.

Christian Slater and Brittany Lopez, Kristen Bell and Dax Shepard (just moments after applying for a marriage license), Kelly Clarkson and Brandon Blackstock, Kate Bosworth and Michael Polish, Keira Knightley and James Righton, Kristin Cavallari and Jay Cutler, Kerry Washington and Nnmadi Asomugha, Jimmy Kimmel and Molly McNearney, Avril Lavigne and Chad Kroeger, and John Legend and Chrissy Tiegen were among the couples that headed down the altat this year, while Dario Franchitti and Ashley Judd, Bethenny Frankel and Jason Hoppy, Khloe Kardashian and Lamar Odom, Orlando Bloom and Miranda Kerr, and Diane Lane and Josh Brolin were those that headed to divorce court. And those who headed to Splitsville? George Clooney and Stacy Keibler, Kaley Cuoco and Henry Cavill, Nina Dobrev and Ian Somerhalder, Ryan Seacrest and Julianne Hough, and Minka Kelly (who too returned to TV with "Almost Human") and Chris Evans.

The year's two biggest births belonged to Prince William and the Duchess of Cambridge with Prince George, and Kim Kardsahian and Kanye West with North West. But there were several others: Channing and Jenna Dewan-Tatum (Everly), Halle Berry and Olivier Martinez (Maceo, three months after they were wed), Jennifer Love Hewitt and Brian Hallisay (Autumn James, shortly after their secret nuptials), Jimmy Fallon and Nancy Juvonen (Winnie Rose), Jessica Simpson and Eric Johnson (Ace Knute), Kate Winslet and Ned Rocknroll (Bear), and Elton John and David Furnish (Elijah Joseph Daniel). And this year, we've been seeing baby bumps on the aforementioned Kelly Clarkson and Olivia Wilde.

All that's left now is to name my Entertainer of the Year for 2013: Jennifer Lawrence! And why? She began her year with that much-deserved Oscar for "Silver Linings Playbook", continued it with "The Hunger Games: Catching Fire" collecting over $160 million in its opening weekend, and is already capping off with "American Hustle" earning Golden Globe and SAG honors...which could result in a repeat trip (not trip-up) to the Oscar stage.

But the most honorable mention goes to Miley Cyrus, as her 2013 was ripe with...well, everything. From using both her foam finger and twerking technique to arouse Robin Thicke at the MTV Video Music Awards while tonguing it out, to saying "It's over!" to Liam Hemsworth, to straddling around naked in a wrecking ball for her music video, to going toe-to-toe with Sinead O'Connor, you can sure bet that Santa was busy this Christmas putting tickets to her upcoming Bangerz Tour in 2014 in stockings everywhere.


And that's not the only thing that'll happen in the upcoming year. No Screen Actors Guild and Golden Globe nods for "The Butler" (and Oprah Winfrey) opens the door wide open for an Oscar race that may come down to "Dallas Buyers Club", "Nebraska", and "12 Years A Slave" for the big Best Picture prize, and a showdown between Tom Hanks vs. Matthew McConaughey and Jennifer Lawrence vs. Sandra Bullock. Speaking of J-Law, she's been filming "The Hunger Games: Mockingjay" on and off here in Atlanta, and so were Jim Carrey and Jeff Daniels with the "Dumb and Dumber" sequel; both will be making millions in the box office. And One Direction will be hitting the road in a stadium tour that is expected to be sold out, while new late night torches will be passed from Jay Leno to Jimmy Fallon (who's upgrading to 11:35) and Seth Meyers. There are countless scenarios that'll come into play in 2014, but as the old saying goes: "Expect the unexpected."

Next time: We wrap it all up with the Top 20 Things That Were Trending in 2013 and what I call the "Britney Guarantee"!

The AllenBlog's

It was the year when a highly-anticipated healthcare website got a low-speed rollout.

The year when twerking outnumbered Harlem Shaking 45 to 2.

The year when one girl was on fire while another sputtered out of control.

The year when "Iron Man 3" and "Gravity" soared to new heights, while "The Lone Ranger" and "The Fifth Estate" fell rock bottom.

The year when one city after a major bombing took the second half of my closing phrase very seriously.

The year when two mayors and one wannabe mayor turned their city halls into something out of "Animal House."

And yes, it was the year where we gave birth to royalties, dynasties, and selfies, and a new Pope, while bidding farewell to one dynasty who helped changed the world.

That year was 2013.

Join the AllenBlog for a look back at these 52 weeks.

All during these last 52 weeks of 2013, we experienced one Pope stepping down and another taking the throne, one government website up to speed (well, dial-up speed, anyway) while being shut down, a massive typhoon slamming the Philippines while no hurricanes slammed the United States, and a real life "Catch Me If You Can" of epic proportions, and 361 others that happened every day

President Barack Obama's start of his second term kicked off the year, but not without controversy...no, not by George Stephanopolous confusing Morgan Freeman with Bill Russell, but Beyonce, as it appeared she sang live to her pre-recorded track of the Star Spangled Banner. That would be followed by Super Bowl XLVII a couple weeks later, as her blowout halftime performance allegedly blew out the fuses at the Mercedes-Benz Superdome as the second half was underway. In the end, it was the Baltimore Ravens turning out the San Francisco 49ers' lights 34-31.

Another major sports story took place in Boston, but in separate months: In April, two bombs exploded during the Boston Marathon close to the finish line, set off by Dzhokhar and Tamerlan Tsarnaev and killing three people while injuring 260 others. Tamerlan would be shot to death early on the 19th, while Dzhokhar would be captured very later in the night, ending a week of terror that birthed the meaning "Boston Strong." That mantra would be carried over to the World Series, as the Red Sox won their first title at home (and eighth overall) since 1918.

Other sports highlights throughout the year include: Adam Scott finally winning the first Masters Green Jacket for Australia, LeBron James and his Miami Heat still ablaze with their NBA title repeat, the Chicago Blackhawks hoisting their fifth Stanley Cup, Justin Rose blossoming at the U.S. Open, Andy Murray's first Wimbledon title for Britain in a long time, Louisville (men's) and Connecticut (women's) ruling the college basketball court, the Seaveys keeping the Iditarod in the family with father Mitch's second trip to the Burled Arch a year after son Dallas's first time, Jimmie Johnson burning up the Daytona 500 track with Danica Patrick finishing eighth, Tony Kanaan's first Indianapolis 500 checkered flag, Tokyo being awarded the 2020 Olympics (their second and Japan's fourth), and in what was the play of the century...with no seconds left on the clock, Auburn being denied Alabama's quest for another national championship thanks to a missed field goal that led to Chris Davis's 109-yard touchdown. And you thought Canada's gold medal-winning tiebreaker over the U.S. at the 2010 Olympics in Vancouver had that whole country exploding.

Pope Benedict XVI became the first pontiff to resign in nearly 700 years, and a conclave would decide his successor. When the cloud of white smoke was created outside the Sistine Chapel, it was Argentina's Jorge Bergoglio who emerged from the balcony as Pope Francis. His reputation as "the People's Pope" recently made him "Time" magazine's Person of the Year.

In Egypt, President Mohamed Morsi was sent packing in a coup d'etat, which resulted in non-stop bedlam. And in Nairobi, Kenya, 62 were killed in a terrorist attack at the Westgate Mall. Meanwhile, the ongoing Syrian conflict entered its third year with no end in sight.

There was a real-life scandal as far as the National Security Agency was concerned, as Edward Snowden leaked dozens of documents, including phone conversations of over 30 world leaders. The government was after Snowden's blood and wanted him jailed for life, but faster than you could say "Catch me if you can!," he exiled to Russia. Back here, George Zimmerman was acquitted for the wrongful murder of Trayvon Martin, which set off some racial firestorms; Jodi Arias got the opposite verdict for the 2008 murder of ex-boyfriend Travis Alexander in a trial that had Nancy Grace working overtime. And 14 years after Columbine, Colorado experienced yet another school shooting at Arapahoe High outside Denver in which the only victim, 17-year-old Claire Davis, would later die from her severe wounds.

In weather, it was a bad month for Oklahoma, as 24 people were killed in one tornado in Moore followed by 76 more tornadoes in the Great Plains. Though the hurricane season in the United States was very quiet after Sandy, the same couldn't be said for the other side of the International Date Line at Typhoon Hayian turned much of the Philippines into ghost towns leaving over 6,000 dead; months earlier in June, 5,700 lives were taken in a series of flash floods and landslides in India.

While there were a lot of new names in the spotlight in 2013, we reflected on others who were dimmed, including: Peter O'Toole, former British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher, Annette Funicello, James Gandolfini, Cory Monteith, car dealer Cal Worthington, Bonnie Franklin, Paul Walker, former New York City mayor Ed Koch, Joe Weider, religious broadcaster Paul Crouch, Helen Thomas, Esther Williams, video game tycoon Hiroshi Yamauchi, musician Lou Reed, Roger Ebert, Richard Griffiths, astronaut Scott Carpenter, Julie Harris, Ray Dolby, Jonathan Winters, pianist Van Cliburn, George Jones, Patti Page, Conrad Bain, C. Everett Koop, Venezuelan president Hugo Chavez, Mindy McCready, Tom Clancy, Dennis Farina, Karen Black, Ray Price, David Frost, Joan Fontaine, Jean Stapleton, and world changer/former South African president Nelson Mandela.

So, what was the biggest story of 2013? It was back in Washington, and the Affordable Healthcare Act (aka Obamacare) now in effect. Healthcare.gov was launched, but not in the kind of fanfare President Obama wasn't expecting. It appeared that the website was riddled with problems, even right down to the loading times; it was like as if it was 1998 and the site was compatible with Netscape rather than Firefox.

What's in the crystal ball for 2014? The Winter Olympics will take center stage in Sochi, Russia; it will be their first Olympics since the dissolution of the Soviet Union and for the United States and several other countries who boycotted the 1980 games in Moscow, they've waited 34 years to compete in Russia. President Obama will be entering the year with his lowest approval rating to date, and with no confidence for either Republicans or Democrats, Election Day could turn into Independents' Day as we may see a seismic shift on Capitol Hill. And there's speculation that a violent blizzard may postpone Super Bowl XLVII by a few days; why they're hosting it in New York/New Jersey, I don't know. What we do know that there will be hundreds of other things happening in between all those, and it all begins at midnight on January 1.

Next time when the "2013 Year in Review" continues: The biggest entertainment stories and trends galore.

Hello everybody, and welcome to my first full blog since moving from the coldness of Fairbanks, Alaska to the warmth of Atlanta, Georgia (though for the last month or so, Winston-Salem, North Carolina has been my "home") in late September. 

And we begin first up with the aftermath of the devastation caused by Typhoon Hayian in the Philippines. With its 147-mph winds and a massive 20-foot storm surge to rival Hurricane Katrina, the city of Tacloban became one instant landfill with the official death toll at 942, though authorities placed the estimates at 10,000 or even more as communication and transportation were cut in many areas.

9.7 million people in 47 provinces throughout the islands were affected by the typhoon, with around 800,000 evacuated in advance. Philippine soldiers were already distributing food and water, with the U.S. military stepping in with food, water, generators, and Marines. But that isn't enough, and more international help is on the way.

Here, the help -- especially in California, home to 1/3 of the Filipino-American population -- has never been greater. In Van Nuys, a 5K run raised $7,000 for the effort, while a Los Angeles area church held a rummage sale that took in $400. Filipino Americans are the largest group of Asian Americans in 10 western states including Alaska, and you know they are utterly concerned about their families they have either escaped the typhoon's wrath or not. Let's hope and pray that the rumors about those 10,000 dead from the storm won't be true.

Now, onto a much lighter note: I am new to Atlanta, which has always been regarded as of the best sports towns in America. But right now, it is a worse time as the Falcons are now 2-7 and the Hawks' NBA season is off to a sluggish start.

And then you have what was once dubbed "America's Team", the Braves. They have come so close last month from making the NLCS, but the Dodgers (which would be beat by St. Louis, which would be beat by the Red Sox in the World Series) stopped them in their tracks. Since moving the franchise from Milwaukee in 1966, they have always played in Fulton County; in a few years, it'll be Cobb County as the new home of the Braves.

The team announced Monday that they will be moving to a new 42,000-seat stadium just 10 miles from downtown Atlanta with a $672 million price tag. News of this came with immediate mixed reaction, as the new location would be right in the heart of the team's fan base (i.e., where a majority of game tickets are sold) with a median household income of $61,000 and an 8.6% poverty level. The neighborhood surrounding their existing stadium, Turner Field, has a $23,000 income and a 40% poverty level.

Turner Field, named after the team's former owner Ted Turner, was formerly Olympic Stadium for the 1996 Olympics; after the games, the venue was converted for baseball and Atlanta-Fulton County Stadium was imploded to make way for parking space. But perhaps the main reason for the move is because the Braves' 20-year lease expires in 2016, while the Falcons will be moving into their new stadium the next year (replacing the Georgia Dome).

By the way, Turner himself had this to say about the impending move: "It is my understanding that the Atlanta Braves announced their plan to move from Turner Field to a new stadium in Cobb County. When Time Warner merged with AOL in 2001, the Atlanta Braves were part of the merger package, and later acquired by Liberty Media Corporation. I am no longer part of the company and have not been involved in the decision making since 2001. I just hope the Braves will be happy in their new location and continue their winning ways." 

Now whenever a team moves to a newer, sleeker venue replacing their old, very antiquated one, it has always been met with Richter scale cheers and jeers: Cheers because of growing metro populations, and jeers fearing tainted legacies. Los Angeles is one prime example, as the Lakers and NHL Kings moved from the Forum in Inglewood and the Clippers from the L.A. Sports Arena all to the Staples Center downtown. But some thought that three teams in one roof sounded crazy, as the Forum has remained in continuous use while the Sports Arena is rarely used at all anymore.

But wait a minute here...doesn't L.A., New York, and Chicago each have two baseball teams? Atlanta could offer big money if they have to to move a lowly team there like, say, the Rays from Tampa Bay or the A's from Oakland. Yeah, that'll keep Turner Field busy beyond 2017.

So, is the move worth it? I guess so, as Atlanta continues to grow by leaps and bounds. And as their newest resident, I'm sure it won't be long before the Braves become America's Team once again.

And last but not least...a few days into my new life in Atlanta came this news I broke to you, and one that set the entire social media ablaze: Sarah Michelle Gellar has finally joined Twitter. Well, in the weeks since, a few more of our favorites have followed her lead: Sharon Stone, Katie Holmes, Lucy Liu, and just recently, Cameron Diaz, who quickly reached her first 100,000 followers in a matter of three hours (Sarah took an entire month to get to 100,000)!

But all of those five have a very long way to go to top Katy Perry, who has recently surpassed Justin Bieber and Lady Gaga with over 47 million followers, thus becoming the most followed person in all of Twitter.

In light of both Twitter going public on the New York Stock Exchange last week, as well as her hit show "The Crazy Ones" still pulling in the ratings, it appears Sarah Michelle may have kickstarted a new Twitter revolution...well, as far as actors and actresses are concerned.

As I've said on this blog back in 2009, a number of celebrities were slowly flocking to Twitter to get the record straight, debunk any rumors, and of course, opened their private worlds to the public. At the heart of that first revolution were Ashton Kutcher and his then-wife Demi Moore; at one point, Ashton snapped a pic of Demi undressing to all his (now) 15 million followers.

To make a long story short, the re-revolution has been Twitter-ified; all you have to do is...follow the leader! So long and stay strong.

Farewell, Fairbanks!

Hello, everybody.

Well...here we are. After spending most of my life here for a total of 25 years, this is my last day in Fairbanks, Alaska. Late night tonight, I'm leaving here for the final time for my new digs in Georgia. More on that in a bit.

But I am blessed and proud to have grown up here since 1983. I started my education at Joy Elementary, started my love for technology at Barnette Magnet School in 1985 (when I returned for the second time), and in 1995, started my career at the Geist Road McDonald's at the age of 16. And over those years, I have made personal and professional friendships with anybody and everybody, especially with some of the area's best-known celebrities like Glen "Glenner" Anderson, Jerry Evans, Mike Shultz, Darryl Lewis Sr., and Curtis Thomas.

And speaking of celebrities...I've had a front row seat -- or close to it -- to some top names right here. Who could ever forget B.B. King and 98 Degrees in 2001, John Leguizamo in 2006, and Jerry Seinfeld last year? I sure missed out on Elton John in 2008, and my leaving here will cost me Martin Short and Dave Chapelle in October.

As one of those "tough Alaskans", I have survived unexpected weather and brutal winters here, especially the deep freeze in 1989 and the 2010 ice storm that blanketed Fairbanks and Anchorage which closed down roads, businesses, and schools. In late April, Mother Nature brought us unneeded snow when it was supposed to melt away.
But now, with fall already here, the time has come to turn a new leaf. And for me, it's also time for a new change in scenery. This weekend, I'll be movin' on up like "The Jeffersons" to a far more world-class city than Fairbanks: Atlanta, Georgia!

It's no secret that I've always wanted to settle down there ever since they won the bid to host the 1996 Olympics. Okay, so the story was we were torn between that and Seattle; but when we found out that the living costs in Seattle are worth more than our Permanent Fund Dividend ($900 is this year's payout), we decided in the end, Atlanta.

I have been to some sporting events here in Fairbanks like the Top of the World Classic and a few Fairbanks Grizzlies games, but they pale in comparison to the real sports Atlanta has in store (Falcons, Braves, Hawks), especially college. We have the Alaska Nanooks with hockey and basketball as their top sports; they have the Georgia Bulldogs and Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets of the SEC and ACC respectively, and their main sport? Football!!!

Atlanta has a more burgeoning economy, with Coca-Cola, The Weather Channel, and the Turner networks all headquartered there. And when it comes to media, they run circles around Fairbanks in that, especially film and television production (Walking Dead, The Vampire Diaries, Family Feud, anything Tyler Perry). For the latter, 20 years ago, Orlando, Florida used to be Hollywood South with studio lots at Disney World and Universal; but tax breaks have led to producers migrating up I-75 to Atlanta.

Being in the foodservice/restaurant/hospitality industry since 1995, I sure know that Atlanta will be a definite "step up" from Fairbanks in my career...considering they're also home to the CDC. But I'm getting ahead of myself here, as I'm between jobs at the moment.

Alaska has been my home for most of my life, and when opportunity knocks elsewhere, you have to follow your instincts. For the last year, losses of longtime businesses and rising energy costs had us questioning our future: stay in Fairbanks and tough it out or raise the white flag and hightail to the Lower 48 once again? The decision has already been made, and it's goodbye to Fairbanks and hello to Atlanta. I want to thank those for making me feel right at home here for all those 25 years, especially the aforementioned people as well as my fellow colleagues past and present. Thank you for all those memories I've made in the Golden Heart City, good and bad; and most of all...thank you, Fairbanks, for making me grow up in the place I love.

And so, for the final time from Fairbanks before I come to you from Hotlanta...so long and stay strong.

Hello, everybody. The 65th Annual Primetime Emmy Awards reached seniority Sunday night with a few junior wins. AMC's "Breaking Bad" (in its final season) picked up Outstanding Drama Series, beating out "House of Cards" and last year's winner "Homeland", which earned Claire Danes back-to-back Lead Actress honors over sentimental favorites Kerry Washington and Connie Britton. "The Newsroom's" Jeff Daniels surprisingly took Lead Actor while Supporting Acting went to Bobby Cannavale ("Boardwalk Empire") and Anna Gunn ("Breaking Bad"). HBO's "Behind The Candelabra" also won big with Outstanding Movie/Miniseries, Lead Actor (Michael Douglas) and Director (Stephen Soderbergh).

"Modern Family" remained unstoppable as far as Outstanding Comedy Series was concerned, while Jim Parsons ("The Big Bang Theory") and Julia Louis-Dreyfus ("Veep", making her the only person to have won for three different series) once again collected the lead acting trophies. The Supporting acting side belonged to first-timers Merritt Wever ("Nurse Jackie", in what was the briefest speech ever) and Tony Hale (also "Veep", who later stood behind Louis-Dreyfus).

"The Voice" became the second show to topple perennial Reality Competition Program winner "The Amazing Race", while after ten years, the streak was over for "The Daily Show with Jon Stewart" as sister show "The Colbert Report" won not only Variety Series, but Writing as well. Other winners include: Derek Hough (Choreography, "Dancing With The Stars" and the show's second), David Fincher (Directing/Drama, "House of Cards"), Laura Linney (Actress, Miniseries/Movie, "The Big C"); and at last week's Creative Arts Awards, Heidi Klum and Tim Gunn (Reality Competition Host, "Project Runway") and, finally, Bob Newhart (Guest Actor/Comedy, "The Big Bang Theory").

There was a twist in the usual In Memoriam segment, as there were five special ones devoted to Cory Monteith (eulogized by Jane Lynch), James Gandolfini (Edie Falco), Gary David Goldberg (Michael J. Fox), Jonathan Winters (Robin Williams), and Jean Stapleton (Rob Reiner). Jack Klugman, Larry Hagman, Bonnie Franklin, Andy Williams, and Roger Ebert among others were featured in the extended version.

For the second time (and being that it was on CBS), Neil Patrick Harris served as host; Elton John performed his new song "Home Again" while Carrie Underwood did The Beatles' "Yesterday", and at the halfway point, the Emmys became the Tonys once again with "The Emmy Gold Dancers" and "The Number in the Middle of the Show."

Of course, there a lot of fashionable numbers before the show: Heidi Klum (Versace), Claire Danes (Armami Prive), Kerry Washington (Marchesa), Julianne Hough (showing a lot of sheer leg in Jenny Packham), and Carrie Underwood (designer info unknown). I thought Sofia Vergara in her Vera Wang ultimately sizzled the most, while "Girls'" Lena Dunham: Is that a table cloth, or do my eyes deceive me?

This year's Emmys was also the last awards show I'll ever watch live at 4:00 pm here in Alaska, as next week, my new home sweet home will be Atlanta. More on that in a special blog on Friday; till then, so long and stay strong.

Hello, everybody. I know it continues to be very, very hot in many parts of the country, so consider this to be a cool-off.

We begin first up with the controversial acquittal of George Zimmerman in the shooting death of Trayvon Marton, which went down last Saturday and resulted in some supposedly peaceful protests turning more than that...at least in California. Jurors found Zimmerman, an Hispanic, not guilty of second-degree murder and manslaughter while acting in self-defense when he shot the unarmed 17-year-old Martin.

In Los Angeles, 13 people were arrested, while upwards to 150 people jumped on cars and even vandalized convenience stores. Up the coast in Oakland, nine arrests were made and demonstrators blocked off Interstate 880 for several minutes during rush hour traffic. And one on Thursday in San Bernardino resulted in six more arrests after protestors hurled bottles and rocks at vehicles' direction.

President Obama on Friday wanted the nation to move forward after the trial in a more civilized manner, saying that Martin "could have been me 35 years ago" and that state and local laws such as Florida's "stand your ground" law should be X-rayed even further. U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder has noted that the Justice Department is looking into the case, seeing whether or not Zimmerman violated Martin's civil rights.

I think just like Rodney King's which ignited the L.A. riots over 20 years ago, the Zimmerman verdict has torn many of us apart. Race didn't play any key role in the trial whatsoever, but one thing was clear: It has been the first time in 45 years that somebody with a "Martin" in his name was slain, only this time, valuable lessons were learned after Memphis and Florida.

"Rolling Stone" has been home to the most provocative covers in history, but the latest one of surviving Boston Marathon bombing suspect Dzhokhar Tsarnaev isn't likely to become a hit at newsstands. Several chain stores opted not to sell the issue out of respect. 

And now comes new photos of a bloodied Tsarnaev from his capture, taken by Sgt. Sean Murphy of the Massachusetts State Police and appearing in "Boston" magazine. But back to the "Rolling Stone" cover for a bit: Is it just me or does Tsarnaev look like he's the Brad Pitt of terrorism?

Anyway, he's not alone. There were other magazine covers that have crossed the line for as long as we can remember, like "Time's" (the darkened mugshot of O.J. Simpson, the red X on Adolf Hitler, "Is God Dead?"), "National Lampoon" ("If you don't buy this magazine, we'll kill this dog") "Vanity Fair" (a nude and pregnant Demi Moore, a swimsuit-clad Cindy Crawford shaving k.d. lang's face), and "Newsweek" with a wonky-eyed Michele Bachmann.

Dr. Hook & The Medicine Show sang it best in 1972: "We're big rock singers, we've got golden fingers and we're loved everywhere we go. We sing about beauty and we sing about truth, at $10,000 a show. We take all kinds of pills to give us all kinds of thrills, but the thrill we've never known is the thrill that'll getcha when you get your picture on the cover of the Rolling Stone."

Among those who also landed on the cover of the Rolling Stone over the years is the cast of "Glee", who is still suffering the loss of star Cory Monteith from an overdose of alcohol and heroin in a Vancouver hotel room also last Saturday.

At first, Monteith was sober here in the States, but appeared to have left the demons in his native Canada. Celebrity hotel deaths have become common over the last 30 years; cases in point: John Belushi, Chris Farley, Anna Nicole Smith, Whitney Houston, and just a few weeks ago, James Gandolfini. Cory's death from heroin, meanwhile, comes almost 20 years since River Phoenix and later Kurt Cobain fell victim to the drug. It's so sad that someone from a hit TV show would be the latest to go just too soon.

And last but not least: The second time I moved back to Fairbanks, it was in 1985 when we were still riding high. The following year, oil prices plummeted like a stone, moving many Alaskans to the Lower 48 while others like myself soldered on for as long as we can.

At the same time, Detroit was still coming on strong like never before. But now, the Motor City has become the Broke City as Detroit becomes the largest U.S. city to file for Chapter 9 bankruptcy (replacing Stockton, California) with an $18 billion debt. 

So...what happened? During the first half of the 20th Century, Detroit as the automobile capital of the world rode high as a kite. But then sometime in the '70s and the first gas shortage, the Japanese and European auto industries began making cheaper, fuel-efficient cars that wouldn't bust everyone's budgets, and Detroit would start falling further behind. The final blow came when General Motors lost their longtime dominance of the market to Toyota and went bankrupt.

But that's not the only problem. The average wait time for police is close to an hour, 50% of all city parks have been closed over the last five years, the city's population is now down to 700,000 (triple than Anchorage's), over 78,000 abandoned buildings have transformed Detroit from a metropolis into a war zone, and the unemployment rate is at its highest ever.

Seattle -- which will be my new home this fall -- is no Detroit by a longshot, but as the home of Starbucks, Boeing, Microsoft, and game show contestant extraordinaire Ken Jennings, their economy...nah, I won't go there. And you thought Eminem's Chrysler Super Bowl commercial would help get Detroit out of their mess! So long and stay strong.