Hello, everybody. We've got so much ground to cover, and we begin this packed blog with the pontiff now a "simple pilgrim."

Pope Benedict XVI on Thursday became the first pope in over 600 years to resign, leaving the 1.2 billion Catholics without a leader. Now his was the polar opposite of Richard Nixon's, except that unlike the president, Benedict (who now assumes the title of Pope Emeritus) left on his own free will, and the Vatican is now under "sede vacante" mode, or "vacant see", as a few key officials will assume power for the time being.

A couple months ago, the pope entered the social media landscape with his Twitter handle @pontifex; his last words before that and all other tweets would be deleted: "Thank you for your love and support. May you always experience the joy that comes from putting Christ at the centre of your lives." 

Well, it didn't take long for Hollywood to return back to normal after Sunday's Oscars...and is Joan Rivers fuming! On "Late Show with David Letterman" Wednesday, the legendary tart-mouthed comedienne tore up Best Song winner Adele by miming a blimp shape with her arms and then later saying, "What's her song, 'Rolling In The Deep'? She should add fried chicken!" to boos from the audience. 

Now a couple days earlier, Rivers's remarks over Heidi Klum and her very low-cut gown at the Elton John AIDS Party during E!'s "Fashion Police" Oscar show ("The last time a German looked this hot was when they were pushing Jews into the ovens") drew more fire that even the Anti-Defamation League said that Joan "should know better; this remark is so vulgar and offensive to Jews and Holocaust survivors." But Rivers went on the defensive, stating, "My husband lost the majority of his family at Auschwitz, and I can assure you that I have always made it a point to remind people of the Holocaust through humor."

There was more afterglow from the awards, which was watched by over 40 million people: Supporting Actress Anne Hathaway regretted her choice for wearing what some called "the nipple dress", telling "Women's Wear Daily": "It came to my attention late Saturday night that there would be a dress worn to the Oscars that is remarkably similar to the Valentino I had intended to wear. Though I love the dress I did wear, it was a difficult last-minute decision as I had so looked forward to wearing Valentino in honor of the deep and meaningful relationship I have enjoyed with the house and with Valentino himself. I deeply regret any disappointment caused."

So Anne is a staunch Valentino supporter, and she went for Prada at the Oscars? It's like jumping from Armani to Elie Saab at the last minute, but I can tell you this: It won't happen again.

And one day and a hair dye later, Best Actress Jennifer Lawrence wasted no time returning to work on "The Hunger Games: Catching Fire" in Hawaii. Paparazzi caught her enjoying some downtime in her hotel balcony sipping on some wine with her friend and later puffing on what is believed to be an electronic cigarette. Guess she really bounced back after that fall seen 'round the world. As for the other big winners, Ben Affleck and Daniel Day-Lewis? Their post-Oscar whereabouts are unknown.

Hollywood's Super Bowl is over for another year, and we now move forward to Alaska's Super Bowl, the Iditarod. For the 41st time, 67 of the best dog mushers on the planet will be spending a week and a half (or two) in the isolated Alaskan wilderness, as they tough out treacherous terrain and bone-chilling temperatures along the way to Nome.

Defending champion Dallas Seavey is among those in...Rick Swenson. Personal reasons had the five-time champion dropping out of this year's race; he was the first under the Burled Arch in Nome in 1977, 1979, 1981, 1982, and 1991, and it'll be 35 years since he and Dick Mackey totally went at it right down to the wire. In the end, it was Mackey in a photo finish.

The first 30 finishers this year will share a $600,000 purse, but only one who's in Nome first will also be awarded with a new Ram truck. Will it be Seavey again, John Baker breaking his own record, Lance Mackey or Jeff King in their drive for five, or someone else? We'll find out in the days to come.

And last but not least: Once upon a time, there was "The Dating Game." But in 1983, "Love Connection" would bring video dating to the next level. The shows' legacies would usher in a new generation of dating as it would carry over from the television screen to our computer screens in the '90s.

For years, Match.com, eHarmony, and even part of Craigslist have been the premier dating sites, but not anymore when Zoosk.com started up. And now we have all kinds of dating sites that appeal to a wide array of palates, like ChristianMingle.com, JewDate.com, OurTime.com (aimed at seniors), Farmersonly.com, and even CougarLife.com (for a certain type on the prowl for young'uns), which I saw being advertised on "WWE Raw" recently.

I may have been voted "Biggest Flirt" in my high school graduating class of 1997, but at that time, if you were looking for that special someone you would have to hit the newspaper or online classifieds. When eHarmony was born, it was all about finding a certain quality that matches yours, regardless of background, race, or religion. That's why we have all these other sites, though my younger brother Lawrence found love in Niesha the old-fashioned way.

If you've had enough, maybe I should start a dating site of my own. And what could I call it? Maybe JustDateAlreadyGetMarriedandMoveOnWithYourLife.com! So long and stay strong.