For the 16th year (and ninth online), it's the one year-end list that's a true original...unlike Letterman's stale Top Tens. It's...

20, (and in her EIGHTH STRAIGHT APPEARANCE!). The newly single Britney Spears (I would've ranked her higher if she put on some damn underwear!)

19. Vice President Dick Cheney shooting an unsuspecting man in the face (suddenly, it's 1986 and that "Duck Hunt" game all over again)

18. The Miami Heat winning the NBA title (and all over Florida, people were drunk on too many Metamucils)

17. John Leguizamo visiting Fairbanks to promote "Ice Age: The Meltdown" (now we know why "Basic Instinct 2" bombed)

16. "Heroes" reviving hopes for fourth-place NBC (I'll only start watching "Heroes" if Hayden Panettiere ditches her cheerleader outfit for a bikini)

15. The WB and UPN becoming The CW (while My Network TV still has a dedicated viewerbase -- all nine of them!)

14. "Crash" upsetting "Brokeback Mountain" for the Best Picture Oscar (moments later, riots at Pottery Barns escolated)

13. Mark Foley's sex-fueled online chats to a congressional page (just imagine if the page was one of those decoys from the "Dateline" predator stings)

12. The Seattle Seahawks almost winning Super Bowl XL (it's the Rolling Stones' fault!)

11. "Grey's Anatomy", "CSI", and "TNA Impact" in a three-way battle on Thursday nights (I'll take non-soap opera wrestling over McWhoever The Hell the Male Grey's Characters Call Themselves, please)

10. TIE: Katie Couric's new stint as "CBS Evening News" anchor (which I don't mind, but give me Peter Mansbridge!), and TomKat tying the knot (I had an invitation, but it was lost in Oprah Winfrey's mail)

9. The scandal involving Miss USA Tara Conner (imagine if it was Vanessa Williams...oh wait, it did, and she really moved on; see "Ugly Betty")

8. Zinedine Zidane's headbutt at the World Cup final (maybe "Hardball" should change its name to "Head Butt with Chris Matthews")

7. Michael Richards' racial rant at a comedy club (suddenly, Julia Louis-Dreyfus is laughing heartily)

6. YouTube (America's fastest-growing network...that is, if you just want to claim your 15 minutes of fame)

5. Rosie O'Donnell joining "The View", replacing Star Jones Reynolds (thanks to her takes on Clay Aiken and now Donald Trump, the show has become the WWE gone verbal)

4. Justin Timberlake back on the charts with "SexyBack" (did he compose that song just for Cameron Diaz or after his fantasies surrounding his Super Bowl incident?)

3. Mel Gibson's scandal after his DUI arrest (glad he didn't say anything about the Jews responsible for those child predator busts on "Dateline")

2. The Democrats cleaning House (which looks to be bad news for Bush even before 2008)

And the #1 thing that had the whole world talking in 2006, even if you don't live here...
1. Alaska Governor Sarah Palin
(suddenly, The Last Frontier is about to get a little hotter!)

Tomorrow...I conclude the "Year In Review" with the final results of Sexiest Woman of 2006 (nobody cared about the men's poll anymore) and my predictions for 2007!

From the second of the "Pirates of the Caribbean" trilogy scooping up lots of box office booty, to year two of Brangelina and TomKat, to two high-profile TV hits in a Thursday night showdown, to Justin Timberlake bringing the "SexyBack" to the charts, to two networks becoming one, to Mel Gibson and Michael Richards literally spewing their guts out, the theme of 2006 in the world of entertainment should be "Hollywood Gone Wild."

At the 78th Annual Academy Awards, "Brokeback Mountain" was the film to beat; in the end, "Crash" walked away with Best Picture. But the night ultimately belonged to George Clooney and the soon-to-be-single Reese Witherspoon, as they copped Supporting Actor and Best Actress for "Syriana" and ""Walk The Line" respectively. Philip Seymour Hoffman and Rachel Weisz got the other acting honors (Best Actor and Supporting Actress), but nobody cared about them.

Not even a new (and controversial) voting process couldn't stop "24" from taking Best Drama and acting honors for Kiefer Sutherland at the 58th Annual Primetime Emmy Awards. Julia Louis-Dreyfus officially ended the so-called "Seinfeld Curse" by taking Best Comedy Actress, while "The Office" took Comedy Series. And in their respective categories, "The Daily Show" and "The Amazing Race" despite heavy competition from "The Colbert Report" and "American Idol" both remained undisputed at 4-0. "Grey's Anatomy" on the other hand, received zero awards.

Speaking of "Grey's", it really gave "CSI" (and later "TNA Impact!" on Spike TV) a run for the ratings the moment they moved to Thursdays. With the adventures of McDreamy and McSteamy drawing them in, as well as other hits "Dancing with the Stars", "Ugly Betty", and a resurged "Desperate Housewives", ABC proved they are the real "Must-See TV". Well, at least they didn't run promos telling viewers to "Watch Grey's, tape/Tivo CSI" unlike back then. CBS meanwhile remained the top network despite a controversial "Survivor", while "Deal or No Deal", "Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip", "To Catch a Predator", and "Heroes" provided glimmers of hope for STILL fourth-place NBC. And then there's Fox, with powerhouses "American Idol" and "House" in the Top 10 almost every week.

After 11 years of living seperate lives as The WB and UPN, the two networks became one as The CW, with many shows like "Veronica Mars", "Gilmore Girls", "Friday Night Smackdown", and yes "7th Heaven" continuing the legacies left behind. MyNetworkTV on the other end of the dial were just two telenovelas...but was anyone watching?

Well, pretty not, because whenever there's something boring on, we have been watching something on our computers: YouTube! Throughout 2006, and since Google took over in the fall, that site has become the one-stop place for original videos (rants and raves done on a webcam, short movies, cartoons, music) as well as lots and lots of nostalgia (TV opens and promos, clips, episodes, music videos, and commercials from decades gone by). I during Election Night have contributed to the craze, and as a result "Time" magazine named You -- and me and everybody else -- as "Person of the Year".

2006 was also quite a memorable year as Hollywood came to Interior Alaska twice. In March, John Leguizamo and soon-to-be-outgoing governor Frank Murkowski helped open the "Ice Age: The Meltdown" ice park as part of the film's promotion. And in July, Ty Pennington and the "Extreme Makeover: Home Edition" team brought Christmas to the Rogers family in North Pole, as their tiny home was transformed into an instant palace in a week's time.

At the box office, the year's biggest draw was "Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest". In its opening weekend, it grossed $135 million...which is way enough to top 2002's "Spider-Man" for the all-time record. "Cars", "Casino Royale" (with Daniel Craig inheriting the James Bond role), "Little Miss Sunshine", "The Da Vinci Code", "Borat", and "Superman Returns" all had memorable moments worth reliving on DVD, while "Basic Instinct 2" and "Snakes On A Plane" had not-so-memorable moments we'd wish to forget. But Sharon Stone did rebound from her mess with "Bobby" later in the year, and the forecast for another Oscar nomination looks to be good.

In music, it was yet another banner year for "American Idol", both on and away from the show. Taylor Hicks and his "Soul Patrol" may have triumphed over Katherine McPhee for the title; Carrie Underwood may have gotten lots of praise and honors (including a Grammy nomination for New Artist) a year after she won; Kelly Clarkson may be globetrotting in her first world tour; Kellie Pickler, Chris Daughtry, and Bo Bice may have breakout hits even though none of them won...but in the end, it was Jennifer Hudson's performance in "Dreamgirls" that had the last laugh. With a Golden Globe nomination, it probably won't be long until she goes from "American Idol" to Oscar Idol.

After two years of exile over that infamous Super Bowl incident, Justin Timberlake was back with a vengenace with "SexyBack". And back to YouTube for a bit: A music video by an unknown group called OK Go which they performed on treadmills would later lead to a major record deal. Rihanna steamed up the charts, while Beyonce literally "Sounded The Alarm." And after declaring independence from each other, Nick Lachey had a hit and Vanessa Minnillo in his hands while Jessica Simpson's "Public Affair" wasn't anything but public.

But like in every other year, 2006 was indeed a year of makeups, break-ups, and scandals.

We start with the weddings: Tom Cruise and Katie Holmes may have tied the knot in Italy with a who's who including Jennifer Lopez and Marc Anthony, Brooke Shields, and Jim Carrey among them on the guest list (thankfully, no Oprah), but it was Cruise's ex Nicole Kidman who beat them to the altar months earlier by marrying country singer Keith Urban in June in their native Australia. Other " I Dos" of the year included Tori Spelling and Dean McDermott, Marcia Cross and Tom Mahoney, and Lisa Marie Presley and Michael Lockwood.

Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie though not married gave birth to Shiloh, while months after they starred in "The Break-Up", Jennifer Aniston and Vince Vaughn would later break up themselves.

Then there are the couples who said "I Don't", and in surprising ways: Reese Witherspoon and Ryan Phillippe, Denise Richards and Charlie Sheen, Hilary Swank and Chad Lowe, Heather Locklear and Richie Sambora (though the latter would shack it up with Richards), Paul McCartney and Heather Mills, Whitney Houston and Bobby Brown (must've been Brown still going over the "KISS MY ASS!!!!!" remark by Whitney on "Being Bobby Brown"), and the ultimate surprise of them all...Britney Spears and Kevin Federline, which I'll get to in a bit!

There were of course scandals galore this year; the biggest of them involved Mel Gibson and Michael Richards. In late July, Gibson after being arrested for DUI made anti-Semitic tirades, including the "Jews are responsible for all the wars in the world" quote. However, the apologies were indeed enough, and Gibson's latest project "Apocalypto" opened as the #1 movie in December.

And then there was Richards. In November, while performing at Los Angeles' Laugh Factory, a couple of hecklers interrupted Richards while performing, and he went through a stream of racial tirades including uttering the "N" word. The cell phone video from TMZ.com would be later broadcast around the world, and Richards' reputation despite apology after apology would be tarnished forever.

Other celebrity scandals of 2006 included: Sara Evans leaving "Dancing with the Stars" before divorcing her husband over accusations of an affair between him and a former nanny; Anna Nicole Smith's son Daniel's mysterious death just days after Anna Nicole gave birth to a baby boy, leading to a huge paternity battle; and though not covered in the "Year in News", embattled Florida Congressman Mark Foley's sexually explicit instant messages to a male page.

And just recently, reigning Miss USA 2006 Tara Conner was in danger of losing her crown after spending nights of hard partying and lesbian trysts with Miss Teen USA 2006. But in the end, pageant owner Donald Trump gave Conner another chance to clean it all up.

However, not everybody was supporting The Donald's decision. Rosie O'Donnell verbally lashed out against him on "The View", but it wouldn't take long for Trump to fire back. In the meantime, Miss Nevada USA Katie Rees was stripped of her title after photos of her really letting her hair down were all over the Internet.

But perhaps the biggest celebrity newsmaker of 2006 has to be an old favorite of mine: Britney Spears. Her year began with the paparazzi taking snaps of Britney's improper holding of Sean Preston, followed by that cringe-inducing "Dateline" interview with Matt Lauer, and giving birth to Jayden James. Oh yeah, not to mention that unkempt freak named Kevin Federline...and that infamous video that was all over the Internet which included Britney burping.

However, it all came to ahead in November, when just moments after popping up on David Letterman, Britney filed the divorce papers. In Toronto, Federline way trying to push his rap album (which sold what, seven copies?) until he learned of the news...via his Blackberry.

It didn't take long for Britney to become Britney once again, and she called on Lindsay Lohan and Paris Hilton to help. However, her partying ways got to the best of them, when on some occasions, there were shots of Britney without any underwear! She did admit on her website that she took her newfound freedom a little too far, and 2007 is hoping to be a comeback year.

What kind of happenings could 2007 bring in the world of entertainment? Could either "Spider-Man 3" or "The Simpsons Movie" surpass "Dead Man's Chest" as the all-time opening weekend record holder? Who will be fitting into Bob Barker's shoes on "The Price is Right" after he says "Come on Down!" for the final time? And which celebrity couples will be no more? We'll have to find out for ourselves in the new year.

Tomorrow...the "Top 20 Things That Had the Whole World Talking in 2006" as my Year in Review continues.

BREAKING NEWS: Former President Gerald Ford Dead at 93

I'll continue with the "Year in Review" tomorrow with the year in entertainment, but there is some very sad news to report:

Former President Gerald R. Ford died earlier tonight at the age of 93 in his home in Rancho Mirage, California. Ford was the 38th president in 1974 after Richard Nixon resigned in the wake of the Watergate scandal; prior to that, he was Vice President after Spiro Agnew resigned a year earlier. Under Ford, the Vietnam War finally ended in 1975; he was also the only president never elected to a national office, only to lose to Jimmy Carter in 1976.

Ford always had a great sense of humor, as "Saturday Night Live" poked fun at him thanks to Chevy Chase. However, his President Ford wasn't very straightforward, as it was more like a bumbling idiot than a president. And in a 1996 skit, Dana Carvey as Tom Brokaw did pre-tapes covering his apparent death.

President Bush said in a statement, "The American people will always admire Gerald Ford's devotion to duty, his personal character and the honorable conduct of his administration," while former first lady Nancy Reagan said she was deeply saddened over the news.

Once again...former President Gerald Ford dead tonight at 93.

The AllenBlog's
It was the year that a two-year master plan for the Democrats to win back Capitol Hill from the Republicans worked wonders.

The year that a former NSyncer would bring the sexy back to the charts, while a new Alaska governor would bring the sexy to Juneau.

The year when one popular Internet site became the real "Must-See TV."

The year when one former "Seinfeld" star broke the so-called curse by winning an Emmy, while another revived it in his own way.

The year that an Alaskan at the Winter Olympics tasted the thrill of victory, while a favored figure skater suffered the agony of defeat.

The year that a fourth-place network made a "Deal" with some "Heroes" to get them out of their ratings rut...well, sort of.

The year when a former Iraqi dictator would get the ultimate just desserts for running his country.

The year that the second "Pirates of the Caribbean" film was da box office bomb, while "Basic Instinct 2" was a bomb.

And the year that exposing Internet predators would be the craze...though one Congressman wasn't listening.

That year was 2006.
Join the AllenBlog as I take a look back at one phenomenal year.

All throughout 2006, we've seen winds of political change being blown in North America, more soldiers and civilians getting killed in Iraq while the Stryker brigade returned home to Fairbanks, and Saddam Hussein getting the ultimate punishment for his crimes. Oh, not to mention the Winter Olympics and other sports championships being handed out.

The year started with 13 coal miners being trapped underground in West Virginia. Days later, what we thought that 12 out of the 13 that were rescued proved otherwise; it was sadly the opposite way around.

In late January, Canadians headed to the polls in the wake of a scandal triggered by Prime Minister Paul Martin's Liberal party. In the end, the Conservatives took enough seats for a minority with leader Stephen Harper claiming the top job.

The Seattle Seahawks earned their first ever trip to the Super Bowl in its 40th annual game, but missed calls gave the Pittsburgh Steelers the Vince Lombardi Trophy 21-10. Weeks earlier, USC's chances for a third national title were dashed in the final few moments of the Rose Bowl thanks to Vince Young and his Texas Longhorns.

A dream came true for the late night jokesters as Vice President Dick Cheney accidentally shot friend Harry Whittington during a quail hunt in Texas. Meanwhile at the 2006 Winter Olympic Games in Turin, what was thought to be Bode Miller's moment to shine with five gold medals being his goal didn't come to pass; he was disqualified or did not finish in his events.

As for the rest of the games...Michelle Kwan's third and final attempt at gold ended abruptly as a groin injury withdrew her. It however opened the door for Sasha Cohen to take the figure skating gold for the United States, but it ended up around the neck of Japan's Shizuka Arkawa. Cohen settled for silver as a new scoring system was imposed in the wake of what happened at the last games. Alaska got its only medal as Rosey Fletcher earned bronze in snowboarding, while the U.S. women's hockey team received bronze as well; the speed skaters continued their medaling ways with Apolo Anton Ohno receiving gold and bronze in short track speed skating. After the torch was extinguished, Germany took the most medals with 29 including 11 golds followed by the United States (25 with nine golds) and Canada in fifth (24 medals, but 10 silvers and seven golds).

A mudslide in the Philippines killed 1,800 people, while all 65 miners trapped underground after another mine explosion perished, this time in Mexico. And in March, Tropical Storm Larry wreaked havoc on the Australian coast in Queensland while over half a million people took to the streets of Los Angeles demanding illegal immigration reform. The rest of the country would later follow on May 1 in the Great American Boycott. Also in early May, two miners trapped underground in Australia were rescued after two weeks in the Beaconsfield mine collapse.

In spring sports, Florida and Maryland took the NCAA men's and women's college basketball titles respectively, while after the Kentucky Derby, Babraro's chances of breaking a 27-year Triple Crown stranglehold were looking pretty good...until at the start of the Preakness Stakes, when he suffered a severe injury. And in one of the closest finishes in Indianapolis 500 history, Sam Hornish Jr. held off Marco Andretti by a hair.

An air raid in Iraq killed Al-Qaeda's Abu Musab al-Zarqawi, while Israel was to blame for the explosion on a Gaza beach that killed eight Palestinians. The South continued to be on top of the sports world thanks to the Miami Heat (NBA champions) and the Carolina Hurricanes (Stanley Cup champions), while Italy beat France for their fourth World Cup. Of course, the biggest story coming out of it was Zinedine Zidane being given a new nickname: Butt-Head!

After Floyd Landis carried on the Lance Armstrong legacy by winning the Tour de France, it was later revealed that he failed a doping test. However, Landis is still holding on to his yellow jersey. And there was a little sign of change coming to Cuba as Fidel Castro, after undergoing surgery, hands over power to brother Raul...at least for now.

In August, it was almost like after 9/11 all over again as a foiled terrorist plot in London to blow up planes bound for the U.S. using liquid explosives had many travelers emptying out their luggage at the airports, as liquids were banned from flights. After a scary few weeks, the ban was lifted. And near the end of the month, a Comair flight crashed and killed all but one person.

Three school tragedies made news in the fall. First, one was killed and 19 others injured outside Dawson College in Montreal; second, six female students were held hostage at a Colorado high school before the gunman pulled the trigger on himself; and in Pennsylvania, five female students were killed at a Amish school. And at the World Series, it was all St. Louis as the Cardinals took the title after nearly a quarter century.

The master plan for the Democrats to reclaim Capitol Hill from the Republicans worked, as they took both houses of Congress for the first time since 1994. Gubernatorial races were decided as well this year; one of them was here in Alaska, as 42-year-old Sarah Palin -- after dethroning incumbent Frank Murkowski in the August primary -- was elected as not only the first female and youngest governor in this state, but probably the hottest piece of political eye candy ever to grace America.

Of course, we always had to give our last rites to those we've lost in 2006. Among them: Robert Altman, Ed Bradley, Earl Woods (Tiger Woods' father), four-time Iditarod champion Susan Butcher, sportscaster Curt Gowdy, the "Crocodile Hunter" Steve Irwin, game show host Peter Tomarken, actor Peter Boyle, "Jumpin'" Gene Simmons (no relation to the KISS guy), Wilson Pickett, Mike Douglas, Don Knotts, golfer Byron Nelson, former Texas governor Ann Richards, former Cabinet member Caspar Weinberger, country musician Buck Owens, Kirby Puckett, Dana Reeve, Lou Rawls, Louis Rukeyser, Coretta Scott King, Billy Preston, television animation pioneer Joe Barbera, Jack Palance, and on Christmas Day, soul legend James Brown.

So...what could 2007 hold? Will Pope Benedict XVI be making his first U.S. visit two years into his reign? Will Barack Obama and/or Hillary Clinton finally be in or out in 2008 after months of speculation? Will Palinmania spread throughout America as they embrace and adore our governor? And will Saddam Hussein really be put to death as he was given the sentence? When the clock strikes midnight on January 1, 2007, these questions and millions more will be answered.

When "Year in Review Week" continues tomorrow...the biggest entertainment and celebrity stories of 2006.

CHRISTMAS 2006: The Final Countdown

Hello, everybody. With less than a week to go, it's the final push as many of us are deciding on our last-minute Christmas gifts. And malls and stores everywhere are keeping calm as far as customers are concerned...that is, unless if you're the New York Knicks and/or the Denver Nuggets.

Yes, in shades of two years ago, a brawl broke out between those two teams as they played each other Friday night at Madison Square Garden. It began after the Knicks' Mardy Collins hit the Nuggets; J.R. Smith after a drive into the basket with 1:15 left in the game and Denver about to win 123-100. No fans were involved unlike Pistons/Pacers, but Smith and another Knicks player fought and spilled into the seats. Moments later, Denver's Carmelo Anthony punched Collins in the face.

As a result, seven players from both teams were suspended, with Anthony receiving the sitffest amount: 15 games. Smith and Nate Robinson were suspended for ten; Collins, six; Jared Jeffries, four; and Jerome James, a one-game suspension. NBA Commissioner David Stern also fined each team $500,000. There goes their Christmas bonuses.

I don't know why, but with 2006 about to come to a close, this has to stop. I guess the lessons from last time haven't been fully learned yet.

Now last month as you recall, I made my Internet debut on YouTube covering the election as the returns filtered in throughout the night. And throughout 2006, everybody including yours truly have been broadcasting ourselves on that site. As a result, "Time" magazine named all of us their "Person of the Year!" And believe me...it is such an honor sharing that prestigious title with the rest of the world.

With just two weeks left until 2007, a crop of year in review specials are already filtrating our TVs. And perhaps one good sign this year is ending is right now, I'm working on my own wrap-up which you'll be seeing on this blog all next week. From the year's biggest news and entertainment highlights to my annual Top 20 list to my new year's predictions, I've got it all covered from top to bottom; I've been doing this since 1998 (when it was on the old Allen Report site of course)! That's the AllenBlog's 2006 Year In Review, all next week! And in case you're wondering...after a one-year absence, I'm bringing back the intro.

With all that said...so long and HAPPY HOLIDAYS!!!!!

PALINMANIA HAS OFFICIALLY BEGUN!

Good evening. Yes, it was another event in the Fairbanks history books today as Sarah Heath Palin was sworn in as Alaska's 11th governor...and at 42, the youngest in this state -- and probably the hottest in America.

Instead of the traditional Juneau, the inauguration took place at the Carlson Center to a packed house. Seats were reserved for 1,600 school children...only that they were in the balcony sections! The remaining were of course open to the public.

Since Palin is our first female governor, Libby Riddles -- the first female to win the Iditarod in 1985 before the late Susan Butcher -- served as mistress of ceremonies. The Fairbanks Red Hackle Pipe Band accompanied Palin and Lieutenant Governor Sean Parnell to the stage.

The reason why Fairbanks was because the University of Alaska Fairbanks served as the site of the Alaska Constitutional Convention in 1955; that of course paved the way to statehood four years later. Four of the convention's surviving delegates were in attendance, as well as former two-term governor Walter Hickel who addressed the crowd.

When the big moment came for Palin and Parnell to be sworn in by Judge Niesje Steinkruger, flashbulbs were popping like crazy! It was like John Leguizamo all over again. After Palin took the oath of office, the crowd went into a "Sarah! Sarah" chant. Parnell's inaugural speech was straightforward compared to Palin's, but I don't need to go there.

But where was outgoing governor Frank Murkowski? He was out of town, but Loren Leman was there to help pass the torch. Don Young, Ted Stevens, or Lisa Murkowski couldn't make it as they're still in session in Washington.

Of course, the local TV stations (including KTUU in Anchorage), PBS, and the print media covered the event; I was even interviewed by one of those stations sharing my thoughts on how Palin will do.

After the ceremonies came the reception, where we all get to mingle with the new governor face to face. And believe me...she seems really cozy taking Alaska's top job; very nice and interactive compared to Murkowski. In my first conversation with her while she signed my program and poster, I brought up the Palinmania remark and that I'm now a fan of two Sarahs: Palin and Michelle Gellar. Yeah, imagine if these two ever meet!

Anyway, it would be down to business for Sarah as far as getting the gas line production up and running is concerned. Since the voters who elected her last month feel Tony Knowles' campaign platform for all proposals being on his desk by the end of January if elected would be too immediate, Palin will be taking things easy as governor. We'll see what happens in the months to come.

First, it was Leguizamo at the Ice Park in March. Then in the summer, it was the "Extreme Makeover: Home Edition" gang in North Pole. And now, on December 4, it was the inauguration of Sarah Palin as the third biggest event to take center stage in Interior Alaska in 2006! We all wish her well as Palin is about to bring the sexy back to Juneau (watch as husband and First Gentleman Todd is right now threatening to take this blog down for saying that).

All right...now that that's out of the way, it's time for me to play big-time catch up. First up...Britney Spears may be enjoying the single life now that she and Kevin Federline are no more, but has it become too much?

Last week, she has been spotted partying with Lindsay Lohan and Paris Hilton; the tabloids have been calling them the "Brit Pack". And to rub salt in the wound even further, the paparazzi have been snapping Britney showing way too much skin...on her lower body!! But hey, she turned 25 over the weekend, so I don't blame her...well, sort of.

If Britney Spears can really become Britney Spears once again, she has to stop flashing her privates in public. Then again, Paris Hilton did one time at Sean "Diddy" Combs' birthday two years ago, but was overshadowed by Tara Reid.

And two weeks later, we're still talking about Michael Richards and his profanity-laden remarks at the Laugh Factory. He has been apologizing left and right, but is it enough? Despite sales for the "Seinfeld" DVDs climbing high since the tirade, I think not. It's going to be quite a while till when Richards gets his groove back.

Man...I've talked so much and the holiday season is heating things up. That's it from me; from the home of now America's Hottest Governor, good night!