Hello, everybody. It's the weekend, and it's time to get my blog on!

First up...the U.S. automakers' woes never end. This week, General Motors and Chrysler announced they're closing down a total of 1,900 dealerships by late next year. According to the National Automobile Dealers Association, those combined cuts will put 100,000 more out of a job; and now GM is preparing to file for bankruptcy themselves in June.

Thankfully, Gene's Chrysler Dodge Jeep of Fairbanks won't be among those cut, as well as Aurora Motors and Chevrolet Cadillac of Fairbanks (the latter formerly Tip Top Chevrolet, run by Robbie Giinther and whose commercials have graced our TV screens for years). And Seekins Ford Lincoln Mercury is located far away from Cushman Street, on Old Steese Highway with their next door neighbors being Wal-Mart, Home Depot, Fred Meyer, Lowe's, Old Navy, Barnes & Noble, and now Sports Authority. So they're pretty much in very good company there.

We don't know what's her annual salary as Governor of Alaska, but Sarah Palin's bank account will soon be fatter...how about $7 million fatter! That's what she'll get as she's signed a book deal with HarperCollins to pen an autobiography that would be coming our way in 2010, when she's up for re-election.

But wait a minute...isn't HarperCollins owned by Rupert Murdoch? And doesn't Murdoch also happens to own Fox News?!?!? Something tells me that Palin's book ain't going to sell like hotcakes like Bill Clinton's "My Life" (published by Random House, who's owned by Bertelsmann), but we'll see what happens. Maybe we could be seeing a chapter lashing out at Tina Fey and Katie Couric making a mockery out of her.

Now Sarah was busy back here dealing with the flood victims in Eagle, leaving husband Todd to be at the White House Correspondents Association's annual dinner in Washington last weekend. If you think the Golden Globes are billed as being "the party of the year", we are proved wrong as the likes of Sting, Natalie Portman, Al Sharpton, Julia Louis-Dreyfus, Kate Walsh, Lauren Conrad, Jon Bon Jovi, Mariska Hargitay, Stevie Wonder, Kevin Bacon, Dwayne Johnson, Chris Tucker, and many more showbiz superstars get to dine with President Obama and the rest of Washington's power players while being entertained with the comedy stylings of Wanda Sykes.

And last but not least...on June 1, there'll be a transition in late night as Jay Leno hands over the "Tonight Show" reins to Conan O'Brien. Over the last 17 years, there have been some great moments from the Leno era; not as great as Johnny Carson's, but those that still had everybody talking the next morning. As the torch will be passed in a few weeks, it's time to count down...

My Top Five Favorite Moments from Jay Leno's "Tonight Show"
(five because I couldn't think of ten)

5. "The Tonight Show Unplugged" episode (2002)/Jaywalking

4. The Dancing Itos making a mockery out of the O.J. Simpson trial (1995)

3. Arnold Schwarzenegger announcing his candidacy for California governor (2003)

2. Barack Obama as a guest, becoming the first sitting U.S. President to appear on a late night show (just recently on March 19)

And my #1 favorite moment from Leno's "Tonight Show" over the last 17 years is the one that cemented him to the top of the late night ratings...

1. Hugh Grant's appearance following his brief stint with a hooker and Jay asking him "What the hell were you thinking?" (1995)

Of course, Jay will have plenty of time to wind down between June and this fall, when he returns with a new show at 10:00 pm. So long and stay strong!

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