Yes, remember that? On the old "Allen Report" site, this was the title of my weekend commentaries, though it started as "A Few Paragraphs from Jonathan Allen" from August-November 1998 and then "The Bottom Line" till the revamping in September 1999.

Since the only interesting things that were newsworthy this week were Brad and Angelina's new baby girl and Katie Couric kissing "Today" goodbye, I've decided dig through the archives (yes, I do keep all of the "NewsBeats" and "Plain Truths" dating back to October 2000; those prior to that -- including one from 1999 about the corporate renaming of event venues -- are gone forever) to bring you a couple of my greatest commentaries from "Plain Truth." The first one from March 13-14, 2004 was about how doing a lot of stuff while driving -- including talking on cell phones -- have become a lot distracting:

In the old days, the only thing worth doing while driving our vehicles is fiddling with the radio. Now, doing things while trying to keep our eyes on the road is becoming a nuisance.

Cell phones have of course started all this. 20 years ago when the first ones were introduced, they were expensive and the size of a brick. Nowadays, what they used to be luxuries are now considered vital, and the continuing growth of them worldwide have left payphones gathering dust for years.

But on cars meanwhile, it's really hard trying to get a call while driving, and too much talking may lead to life-threatening accidents. New York may be the only state with a permanent ban on cell use while driving, but Alaska and California (especially in Los Angeles, the freeway capital of the world) are among several states without a ban; others have partial bans. Around the world, many countries including Australia and those in Europe, Asia, the Middle East, Africa, and South America all have bans while in Canada, it varies.

Another thing we do on the road is eating. Then again, that's why we have rest areas along the interstates for! And now, we could watch TV or DVDs as well, and that is starting to irritate me. During our first and only road trip to the Lower 48 in 1988, the only thing I did on the road was schoolwork. Yes, I took some of my classes along with me, with a piece of paper detailing all the assignments I had to do.

I don't think these annoyances will go away anytime soon, especially the cell phone one. But if I would ever start learning to drive and later get a car, the only thing I would be doing would be -- what else -- listening to the radio!

Last summer during my two-week vacation in the South, I went on a Greyhound bus from Winston-Salem to Atlanta (though we had to change buses in Charlotte), and believe me...in an age when we can entertain ourselves with portable DVD players and iPods, the buses need a slight extreme makeover by putting in power supply outlets in every seat. It has happened on most new cars/vans/SUVs, why not Greyhound buses and planes (on domestic flights)?

On September 27-28, 2003, I commented on the excessive coloring of soft drinks. Due to the deaths of John Ritter and Johnny Cash a couple weeks earlier, I postponed it until later:

Sodas have been experimenting with different flavors for years and years now. Other than the regular cola flavors, we have vanilla, cherry, and lemon.

First, Pepsi. They started all this in 1975 when they came out with lemon-flavored Pepsi Light, followed by the "Wild Ones" line in 1991. Then there was Crystal Pepsi the following year. I tried it at one of their test markets in Denver while living in South Dakota, and when it became widely available months later reaction was mixed. Even "Saturday Night Live" spoofed it with Crystal Gravy, making Crystal Pepsi a laughingstock. The pain ended after a year.

Pepsi One came and went in the mid-'90s, featuring two people who really couldn't peddle soda too well: Oscar winner Cuba Gooding Jr. and later nutcase comedian Tom Green, whose late night show on MTV was canceled recently.

A couple of years ago, they debuted Pepsi Twist with a lemony flavor, followed later by Pepsi Blue and now Pepsi Vanilla.

As far as Coca-Cola is concerned? Well, we all remember New Coke being the "Gigli" of 1985, but Coke did clean up their act by introducing Cherry Coke thereafter. It was way more successful.

Coke resumed experimenting last year with Vanilla Coke. If you thought Cuba's Pepsi One ads were mute-button worthy, they were nothing compared to Chazz Palminteri hawking Vanilla Coke. I tried it once and it tasted more like cream soda than your usual Coke.

7up on the other hand came out with dnL several months ago, while Mountain Dew has Code Red and Livewire (the latter was a temporary thing), and Dr Pepper with Red Fusion.

In our household, we stopped drinking Coke and Pepsi altogether (unless at fast food restaurants) and now buy store brands without all the vanilla/colored/lemon junk. Generally, I drink water or Gatorade most of the time.

But for the last two decades, we have seen soft drinks colored themselves red, white, blue, green, and orange. I wouldn't be surprised if they come out with urine-flavored Coke; it would be the nastiest drink in history.

Several months ago, 7up launched 7up Plus with calcium and Vitamin C and its commercial starred "Desperate Housewives'" Marcia Cross and Nicollette Sheridan. In 2002, they had 7up Mint for Saudi Arabia; it was discontinued after a year because it tasted more like Scope mouthwash than soda. Cherry Vanilla Dr Pepper came out in 2004, the same year their Red Fusion was discontinued for the new drink.

As for Mountain Dew? After Code Red and Livewire, the experimenting continued with Pitch Black, Baja Blast (a Taco Bell-only flavor), Darth Dew (a 7-Eleven Slurpee flavor to coincide with the release of "Star Wars Episode III"), Pitch Black II, and MDX.

And just recently, Coca-Cola introduced a coffee-flavored version, Coca-Cola Blak. Actually, it debuted in France before making its way to the United States. Now I don't drink coffee (I'm into tea or hot chocolate), but I'm sure it tastes kinda nasty.

Anyway...that's our first trip down "Plain Truth" lane for now. Hope something better comes my way to talk about next time, so long!

"THE DA VINCI CODE": WAS THE HYPE REALLY WORTH IT?

Hello, everybody. I'll get to "The da Vinci Code" and how it fared in the box office in a bit, but of course, there's lots of ground to cover.

First up...After dominating the Kentucky Derby a few weeks ago, Barbaro was coming in the Preakness Stakes on Saturday hoping to be one win away from ending a 28-year Triple Crown drought. Unfortunately, just seconds into the race, that wouldn't be the case as disaster struck.

Just a few hundred yards after the start, Barbaro broke his right hind leg as the record crowd of over 118,000 watched in disbelief. The next day, he underwent surgery to correct the bones, and veterinarians now say his chances of him returning to full-strength are now "50-50."

As many of us know, the Triple Crown has gone since 1978 and Affirmed without a single winner. And now with Barbaro's life hanging in the balance, the streak is now extended to 29 years.

Last week, the Senate passed a bill making English the official language of the United States. This comes just weeks after a Spanish version of the Star-Spangled Banner was recorded...and one music critic who didn't like it was President Bush.

Let's face it...The Star-Spangled Banner, written in 1814 by Francis Scott Key but didn't become our national anthem until 1931 (117 years later), was composed in English and has always been sung in English! Creating a Spanish language version is kind of like a slap in the face. I don't see anyone complaining about "O Canada", considering that English and French are Canada's official languages. And there are both English and Spanish writings on many Procter & Gamble products! What's up with that?!

Anyway, I'd rather hear the Star-Spangled Banner in English rather than Spanish...unless I feel like learning to speak it. Oh wait...you can learn to speak Spanish for free -- by watching Univision!!

Now, back to the title of today's blog: The hype was worth it as "The Da Vinci Code" took in a worldwide haul of $224 million; here, it grossed over $77 million...thankfully knocking Tom Cruise's "Mission: Impossible 3" to the #3 spot.

Reviews all over the board were mixed, and there were some protestors outside the theaters. But not everybody slammed the film; Rev. Robert A. Schuller of the Crystal Cathedral (home of the weekly "Hour of Power" telecast) is praising it, not because it has Tom Hanks, but it's "good fodder for discussion" despite the historical accuaracy. Meanwhile, Christian leaders in some Asian countries wanted the movie banned or censored, though pirated DVDs of it are popping up in China. But because it was poorly shot with a digital camcorder and that some people were walking in front of the screen, a customer gave up and decided to see it at the theater.

I haven't seen the film, but it has garnered lots of controversy than "Passion of the Christ", when its gruesome scene involving Jesus Christ led to a much tamer re-release months later. But this is one "Code" that moviegoers did crack.

And last but not least today...We are nearing the end of both May sweeps and the TV season, and plans for the next season are already underway. Last week, the networks gave us a preview of what we expect this fall with what they call "upfronts." One upfront that had such notice was one for The CW, the merged network of UPN and The WB that'll launch this fall.

Can't you believe it? Some of our favorites from the soon-to-be-defunct networks like "Veronica Mars", "Gilmore Girls", "WWE Smackdown", "One Tree Hill", "America's Next Top Model", "Smallville", "Everybody Hates Chris", and in a surprising turn of events, "7th Heaven", will all be on one network. Here in Alaska, The CW will be on digital subchannels of ABC Alaska's Superstation in Anchorage, Fairbanks, and Juneau, meaning that longtime UPN station KYES in Anchorage will be going to My Network TV. In Fairbanks, KFXF Fox 7 -- which has run UPN shows for a few years -- could be a secondary My Network affiliate. And for those in my old stomping ground on the Mississippi coast, The CW will be accessible on cable thanks to New Orleans WB station WNOL; they'll be making the network switch.

I'm sure The CW will never fail to impress the viewers who spent 11 years flipping between UPN and WB. All we need now is a "Veronica Mars"/"Supernatural" crossover episode that'll reel them in.

By the way...there'll be some old faces returning this fall, as Calista Flockhart and Ted Danson will have shows on ABC, while Matthew Perry hopefully becomes fourth-place NBC's savior with his new gig, and Brad Garrett has a Fox comedy.

With those veterans to go along with a fresh new network containing some remnants from two former ones, talk about "TV Worth Watching" (mid-'80s PBS slogan)! With that said...so long!

"AMERICAN IDOL:" THE 21st CENTURY "TWENTY-ONE"?

Hello, everybody. Okay, I'm one of the millions of you who are NOT into "American Idol", but I can admit it: This program is now becoming the 21st century version of "Twenty-One", and for good reason...Heavy favorite Chris Daughtry unexpectedly got the boot tonight.

For those of you who don't remember, "Twenty-One" was a very controversial 1950's game show in which in which a series of scoreless ties and lack of knowledge by the contestants led to producers and sponsor Geritol rigging the show in hopes of upping its ratings. As a result, defending champion Herbert Stempel was out (thanks to him blurting out "On The Waterfront" instead of "Marty" in the question on who won the 1955 Best Picture Oscar; he was ordered to "take a dive"), and Charles Van Doren was in. Van Doren became an overnight celebrity thanks to his winning ways, including a cover subject in "Time" magazine. "Twenty-One", on the other hand, managed to beat "I Love Lucy" in the ratings.

After Van Doren was dethroned, that's when Stempel blew the whistle. Van Doren did admit to being given the answers to the questions in advance, as the quiz show scandals made headlines in 1958...well, that and Alaska about to become the 49th state.

(Oh yeah...a pilot for an un-rigged "Twenty-One" was produced in the early '80s, but never sold. And of course, the 2000 revival with Maury Povich did bring in good ratings, but not enough to unseat the then-red-hot "Who Wants to Be a Millionaire.")

Flash forward 48 years later to 2006, and "American Idol." Just seconds after Daughtry was out, irate fans wasted no time heading to the show's message boards blurting out their disgust. A few called for vote recounts or boycotts; many blamed it on the phone system; while others said with Chris gone they'll watch the other networks' shows in lieu of "Idol." Even some said Katharine McPhee should've been gone instead of Chris.

But the majority of those have said that the show has taken a page or two from the "Twenty-One" playbook and rigging the it in hopes McPhee will be in the final two. One poster said there hasn't been a good winner since Kelly Clarkson.

Despite all this, it's just the latest example of the old "controversy equals ratings" trick for "Idol." Sure, they may be television's top show, but they're doing this just to keep viewers hooked...just like "Twenty-One" and Charles Van Doren 50 years ago! Oh, and yeah, I hope McPhee wins.

Anyway, a couple of weeks ago I started Part 1 of the Round 1 preliminaries in my annual poll for 2006's Sexiest Woman. So far, Scarlett Johansson, Jessica Alba, Natalie Portman, Stacy Keibler, Jennifer Love Hewitt, and Mandy Moore will make the top 20, but it's far from over. Anything can still happen, so vote in Group A, Group B, Group C, and Group D and see what happens. Of course, those top 20 from Groups A-D and the top 20 from Groups E-H when the thing resumes in October will be advancing to Round 2.

With those said...so long.

As you already know, over the weekend it took one story to knock off TomKitten and Brooke Shields' new baby off the headlines, and it's a far more serious one.

Interior Alaska was once again in the national spotlight, as six North Pole Middle School students were arrested on suspicion of a murder plot. The premise was to disable the school's power and telephone systems so they would kill classmates and faculty and bolt out of the area which is 15 miles southeast of us in Fairbanks.

Now school violence in Alaska isn't new. In 1997, Evan Ramsey murdered a student and principal at Bethel High School. The tragedy came weeks after Evan's father, Donald, was released from prison for assualting a newspaper publisher in the 1980's. Ironically enough, this was two years before Columbine changed everything.

Why would an attemped murder plot at a middle school would transpire here? By the way, this comes 13 years after Sophie Sergie was raped and murdered at a University of Alaska Fairbanks dormitory. But after those 13 years, there has yet to be closure as to who was the person behind it. That same year, Alaskan Independence Party founder Joe Vogler turned up missing, only to be murdered the following year. Of those two mysteries that had the Alaska State Troopers working overtime throughout 1993, only Vogler was featured on A&E's "City Confidential" in a 1999 episode. The Sergie murder never made either "Unsolved Mysteries" or of all shows, "America's Most Wanted." The killer is still out there somewhere in Alaska, North America, or the world, and the time will come when he or she steps forward and admits to committing that crime.

Anyway, on to lighter fare...Near the end of last year, you crowned "Gilmore Girls'" Lauren Graham as the Sexiest Woman of 2005 in a very controversial manner -- and I was not happy with the final outcome because of the excessive voting for her and runner-up Jennifer Garner.

That's because this year, I've decided to pull out all the stops to make sure that very same mistake won't be repeated ever again. Next week (that's right, NEXT WEEK; forget waiting till October), polling will begin for the Sexiest Woman of 2006, and here's how:

The Round 1 preliminaries will be split into two parts -- Part 1 with Groups A-D, and Part 2 with Groups E-H. The Part 1 polls will last to the end of May, and Part 2 will begin in October. Of course, the top 40 ladies after those two prelims (20 from Part 1, 20 from Part 2) will move on to Round 2 with the poll goes into full strength in late October.

Now yes, with 80 beauties vying for the title, the field always consists of new faces to go along with old favorites. I'll reveal the field for Part 1 next week, because I've been working hard to fill in those blanks.

Oh yeah...despite this announcement, I'll still have the Sexiest Man of 2006 poll in November. So long!

ANCHOR AWAY!
KATIE COURIC ABOUT TO MAKE TELEVISION HISTORY WITH BIG MOVE

"I wanted to tell all of you out there who have watched the show for the past 15 years that, after listening to my heart and my gut, two things that have served me well in the past, I've decided I'll be leaving "Today" at the end of May."

And with those words, the waiting game was finally over this morning as Katie Couric made her ultimate decision, and that was to make the jump from NBC and the "Today" show to CBS to carry the legacy left over by Dan Rather (and for the last year temporarily, Bob Schieffer) as anchorwoman -- that's right, anchorwoman -- of the "CBS Evening News" this fall.

Her new job offer earns her a place in television history, as Couric will become the first ever solo female anchor of a network evening newscast. Of course Barbara Walters with Harry Reasoner on ABC in the '70s and Connie Chung with Dan Rather on CBS in the '90s tried, but to no avail. The CBS Evening News has been mired in third place for years and years, and now with Couric about to take the anchor desk it could mean a big boost for the struggling program.

But...have we knew all along? Couric might have had a series of secret talks with CBS executives in the last few weeks, and the deal may have been done without a single press release or a press conference. So it was up to Katie on her own show to make it official herself.

Not only she'll be anchor and managing editor of the Evening News, she'll also moonlight as a contributor for "60 Minutes." That means we'll probably hear her saying "I'm Katie Couric; those stories and Andy Rooney tonight on 60 Minutes." Another reason why Katie is demographics. With countless ways we get our news other than TV, radio, and the papers, Couric wants to appeal to younger viewers considering that she's pushing 50 herself and that many people think watching network evening newscasts is like living in the past...though viewerships are still higher than the cable news channels.

So, what do I think of Katie's big decision? After 1 1/2 decades of spending two hours waking us up every morning, she does look better off giving us the news every evening in a fast-paced world. I doubt CBS will ever fail now that they're going to have Couric. It happened with Walters, it happened with Chung, let's hope and pray it won't happen with Katie Couric come September when the announcer intones those words for the first time: "This is the CBS Evening News with Katie Couric." And with that, good night.

"THIS IS THE 'CBS EVENING NEWS WITH KATIE COURIC'": IS IT OFFICIAL?

Good evening. I'll have that possible news on Katie Couric and CBS later, but first...

The aftereffects of John Leguizamo's visit to Fairbanks (which I can't stop talking about) a few weeks ago has indeed paid off big! "Ice Age: The Meltdown" -- which starred Leguizamo, Ray Romano, and Queen Latifah -- literally thawed the box office, opening at #1 with $70.5 million.

However, it was not a good weekend for Sharon Stone. The sequel to the 1992 film that made her a household name, "Basic Instinct 2", earned a very disappointing $3.2 million, tying with Larry the Cable Guy's movie at #10.

I guess the main reason why it flopped was because of all the cuts they made to prevent the movie from getting the NC-17 rating. But that $3.2 million it earned was just the beginning; it will make millions more when it hits DVD...this time with all the good stuff thrown back in.

Now...with one month left on her NBC contract, the chances of Katie Couric leaving the network for CBS has become pretty good. But this week, an announcement could be made regarding her future.

Since Bob Schieffer temporarily took over at the "CBS Evening News" last year, viewership has slowly increased. And although it has languished in third place for years and years, Couric taking the anchor chair permanently could be its savior. However, the road has been a rocky one since John Roberts, tired of playing the waiting game, went to CNN a few months ago.

If Couric does happen to switch networks (and shifts), let's hope she won't fail unlike Barbara Walters almost 30 years ago, when she headed to ABC after spending 13 years at "Today." The reason: ABC offered her a $1 million contract and the job as co-anchor with Harry Reasoner on their evening news, which hardly anyone watched because everyone's TVs were tuned to Walter Cronkite or John Chancellor. After Roone Arledge gave ABC News a complete overhaul in 1978, Reasoner returned to "60 Minutes" (which was about to become the #1 show on all of television by 1979) and Walters? Well, she decided to feel right at home at ABC.

And then there was a time in the mid-'80s when CBS needed a serious morning show after light-hearted "The Morning Program" didn't wake viewers up. One person they lured to be co-host was Canadian Broadcasting Corporation newscaster Peter Mansbridge. CBS offered him a huge salary and, if he stayed around longer, the possibility of Dan Rather's successor. But just as Mansbridge was about to head south of the border, executives at the CBC stepped in and heavily pressured Knowlton Nash to give up his anchor job at "The National" and award it to Peter. In the end, Mansbridge gave CBS the black eye while Harry Smith took the morning job.

So...will Couric be like Walters and take the money and run, or will she be like Mansbridge and stay put where she is? Find out this week when she makes her big decision. Good night.

FROM LEGUIZAMO TO...LARRY THE CABLE GUY?!?!

Hello, everybody. Two weekends have already passed since John Leguizamo's visit to Fairbanks to promote "Ice Age: The Meltdown" (which opens this weekend); and if you thought we're done with star power, think again.

That's because after Leguizamo, the next major celebrity to hit the Golden Heart City in April will be one that I'm not a really big fan of: Larry The Cable Guy! Can't you believe we're going to segue from a talented actor whose credits include "The Pest", "House of Buggin'", and his Emmy-winning "Freak" to an untalented, redneck comedian (real name Dan Whitney) whose trademark catch phrase is "Git-R-Done"?

Anyway, his Fairbanks stop is one of many is his "Right to Bare Arms" tour; and trust me, I have had a couple fills with comedians myself. Bill Bellamy came by here in 1997 on the day after I turned 19; but I got kicked out of the after party at some club across town just moments after I went in because I was under 21. This happened while Bellamy was shooting pool; I don't know if I got a glimpse of him or not.

And then, there was summer 1999 when a few comedians from BET's "ComicView" did a show. I went with my mom and a couple of her friends, and boy, did I get burned or what?! I had on dark green jeans and was about to get a drink, and that's when...oh, boy.

One of the comics ribbed on me because of how tight my jeans were, and while I was walking to the mini-bar, he went "Squiggly, squiggly...", until I stopped and then he stopped. A few paces later..."Squiggly, squiggly, squiggly..." and so on. Then after I got my drink...that was when I decided to squiggly back at him. I ran back to my seat with the comedian was going..."squigglysquigglysquigglysquigglysquigglysquiggly!!!!" That was followed by wild cheering from the audience. Looking back, it was the most humiliating experience of my life because being black, I'm not used to this kind of humor before.

Now in a few weeks, we're going to have Larry the Cable Guy. After learning huge lessons from Bellamy and that other comedian, and knowing for the fact that I've already had my fill of star power with John Leguizamo, I'm going to pass this time.

By the way, a correction: Moving Images Video Production used KTUU's satellite truck "NewsStar 2" to feed their video of Leguizamo's visit to major media outlets; "Entertainment Tonight" took it of course as did ABC Alaska News.

But yes, Leguizamo was indeed the biggest celebrity we've ever had, and more flashbulbs were popping on him than President Reagan and Pope John Paul II when they briefly met here in 1984. Will Larry the Cable Guy equal or top him, as his new movie "Larry The Cable Guy: Health Inspector" is already in theaters right now (I know it's doing real bad in the box office)? Find out on April 12. I for sure know I won't. So long.

BREAKING NEWS: "KING" OF THE IDITAROD FOR A FOURTH TIME!

Good morning. After 9 days, 11 hours, 11 minutes, and 36 seconds, Jeff King has just won his fourth Iditarod in the 34th running of The Last Great Race as he crossed under the Burled Arch in Nome mere minutes ago at 1:11 am Alaska Time. His rewards? $69,000 and the keys to another Dodge Ram truck.

Now we may already have a champion, but the race is far from over. Doug Swingley will be next to head into the chute, followed by Paul Gephardt, Dee Dee Jonrowe, and Jeff Baker expecting to be there later today. King is now a four-time winner along with Swingley, Martin Buser, and Susan Butcher. Will he be joining Rick Swenson in the Five-Timers Club next year? We'll find out then.

And with that...good day!

...OR LACK OF IT: JOHN LEGUIZAMO'S FAIRBANKS VISIT

Good evening. Before I get started, a sad note: The ultimate Whammy came for Peter Tomarken, as he was killed in a small plane crash outside Los Angeles this afternoon. He was 63.

Tomarken was best known as host of the 1980s game show "Press Your Luck" as well as "Hit Man" and "Wipeout" during that decade. He and two other passengers were aboard a Beechcraft 36 when it crashed on the Pacific Ocean near the Santa Monica Pier. Of those three, Tomarken's and his wife's bodies were recovered from the crash site.

Now like most of you, I grew up watching Tomarken host "PYL" from 1983-86 both originally and in reruns. Of course the biggest highlight from the show was when contestant Michael Larson literally cracked the code when he discovered the game board's pattern and broke the $110,237 bank in 1984. As a result, random patterns were reprogrammed on the board. Larson died himself in 1999 from throat cancer. Another was from 1985, when Jim Hess mouthed off after hitting a Whammy that cost him the game. Since it was audible and the foghorn sound effect sort of half-censored it, you could barely hear him spew those obscenities on national television.

Peter Tomarken will be missed by many game show nuts like myself who thought "Press Your Luck" was a cult classic. It's too bad that he has stopped at a Whammy himself.

Now...the news of Tomarken's untimely death came 24 hours after John Leguizamo's grand visit in Fairbanks to promote "Ice Age: The Meltdown" by opening the ice park named after the upcoming movie. But today, as far as press coverage was concerned...it was more like a letdown than a meltdown.

In print, the "Fairbanks Daily News-Miner" ran a story on the Local section, "'Ice Age' star gets warm reception"; there was also a handful of photos at Wire Image. There weren't any radio reports, but on TV? Nothing but soundbites from Leguizamo on the KATN, KTVF, and KXD evening newscasts, but KTVF also included Governor Frank Murkowski's while KXD had longer footage including a clip from "Ice Age 2."

That's on the local side, but as for the entertainment news shows? Of all of them, only "Entertainment Tonight" ran a few seconds of video with Mark Steines saying "Meanwhile in Alaska, John Leguizamo was promoting his new movie 'Ice Age: The Meltdown' which opens March 31" over it. Their footage was provided by 20th Century Fox according to the end credits, and the studio was hired by local video production company Moving Images of Fairbanks to cover it. By the way, the other shows -- "Access Hollywood", "Extra", and the new "E! News" with Ryan Seacrest as Giuliana Depandi's co-host -- completely ignored it.

So in the end, it was the "News-Miner" as always that provided the best coverage...proving that once again, when it comes to a big-name celebrity like John Leguizamo coming to town, the TV news seem to go into "Who cares?" mode.

And last but not least tonight...Jeff King's final push to Nome continues; he checked in in Koyuk at 11:24 am and out 3:51 pm. Doug Swingley still follows him, leaving Koyuk at 7:16 while Paul Gephardt, Dee Dee Jonrowe, and John Baker round out the top five. With just four more stops to go before the big finish on Front Street in Nome, King may well be on his way to a fourth Iditarod win as he expects to reach the Burled Arch sometime around tomorrow evening.

With all that said...nighty-night!

LEGUIZAMO "MELTS" FAIRBANKS

Hello again. It was another memorable night here in Fairbanks last night, where Governor Frank Murkowski and actor John Leguizamo opened the "Ice Age: The Meltdown" ice park in a big way at the Ice Alaska ice park!

Now, there was plenty of time to kill before the big moment came at 7:00 pm (I arrived at 4:00), so there were ice sculptures to gawk at from all over the world in both single-block and multi-block. The best of the bunch has to be the "Balto's Charge" followed by "Time for Tea", both multi-block. The Ice Park by the way is open until March 26, meaning you've got all the time in the world to check out these masterpieces and more.

Anyway, back to Murkowski and Leguizamo: The two arrived on dog sleds and addressed the packed crowd. And knowing that they brought their flag with them, a group of fans flew all the way from Puerto Rico for this occasion. There were also a couple of young ladies -- fans of Leguizamo for years, probably since "House Of Buggin'" -- who were the only ones with homemade signs proclaiming their love for him (one of them said to the "News-Miner" that he's hot...not knowing for the fact that he's married with two children). After he and Murkowski used blow torches to cut the "ice ribbon" open, the two gave interviews to the press and Leguizamo stayed around for a few minutes to sign autographs.

I dunno about you, but from close-up, the guy looks more like 28 than 41 (he was born in 1964). At that age, I think he looks like a Latino George Clooney...only that he has darker hair.

After Leguizamo gave a behind closed doors interview at the warm-up room, it was security that had a meltdown of their own, pushing people out of the way --including me -- and grabbing them by their jackets so that they would clear the path for him to get to his limo. And believe me...that security guy played more naughty than nice; and I'm not used to this here in Fairbanks. But if you're a big-name celebrity like John Leguizamo, you had to take chances.

Despite that at the end, it was yet quite a night...and that he got way more camera time than John O'Hurley when I captured him at the 2002 Iditarod start in Anchorage. And yes, I did film it, but you WON'T -- I mean WON'T! -- see my video on any of the entertainment news shows tonight; they're for my own personal viewing...well, unless I feel like making a DVD copy. And you can tell that Leguizamo's visit was the best video I've ever took in six years: He noticed my camera and my camera noticed him.

Of course I will keep an eye on those major entertainment news shows later tonight to see if they'll have a little something on Leguizamo's visit; KTVF, KXD, and ABC Alaska News on KATN will no doubt have it as well on the local side. And yes, I'll rate them all tomorrow in another old feature from the Allen Report, "Covering the Coverage."

Now that all that's over, the attention is refocused on the Iditarod. Jeff King remains in the lead; he arrived in Shaktoolik earlier this morning at 2:00 am and left at 5:22, followed by Doug Swingley, Paul Gephardt, Dee Dee Jonrowe, and Bjornar Anderson in the top five. Dave Tresino, Matt Hayashida, and John Barron are the latest scratches. Something tells me that if King holds on in the final stretch, we might expect him in Nome sometime around early Tuesday morning or evening.

But like I said, what an incredible and another historic night I've been a part of last night, because it was John Leguizamo and all of Fairbanks turning out for him just one week after the Oscars. Screw the "Sopranos" season premiere we've been waiting 800 years for; this was a real-life moment! Oh, before I forget..."Ice Age: The Meltdown" -- in which Leguizamo reprises his role as the voice of Sid the Sloth -- hits theaters March 31. From the Golden Leguizamo -- I mean, Heart -- City, so long!

GEPHARDT TAKES LEAD IN IDITAROD AND HOLLYWOOD MEETS FAIRBANKS THIS WEEKEND

Good evening. Well, with temperatures hovering somewhere between the zeros and the teens, we've got a major star from an upcoming movie coming up here to Fairbanks this weekend to help turn up the heat. More on that in a bit, but first...

The latest on the Iditarod, as Paul Gephardt has zoomed past Doug Swingley in the last couple of days to take the lead. Earlier this morning, he reached Ruby on the Yukon River, earning him $3,500 in $1 bills and most importantly, a luscious seven-course meal; both provided by the Millennium Alaska Hotel. And knowing that I'm taking culinary arts classes in college, here's what the dinner consisted of:
Gorgonzola, Goat Cheese, and Candied Pecan Terrine
Portobello Bruschetta with Saffron Aioli
Alaskan Cioppino
Rosemary Lamb with Cranberry Balsamic Sauce
Brochettes of Melon, Proscuitto, and Fresh Mozzarella
Brandied Peach Crepes (final course)

Boy, what I've typed up is making me hungry. By the way, each course included wine and other beverages.

After replenishing from that meal, Gephardt went on to Galena, where he checked in at 3:34 pm. He's followed by Jeff King -- leaving Ruby at after 4:00 -- while Doug Swingley, Dee Dee Jonrowe, and Aliy Zirkle all remain in Ruby. Terry Adkins, Jim Warren, Richard Hurn, and Rick Larson are the latest to be scratched.

This is the first time Gephardt is maintaining a sole lead in this race since Robert Sorlie took it from him after a brief time last year. If things hold up for him, we may expect him in Nome sometime between late Monday evening and early Tuesday morning. We'll see what happens as the Iditarod heads into week two.

Now...on Sunday, the same night of the long-awaited season premiere of "The Sopranos", TiVos and VCRs all over Fairbanks will be busier than ever because we're going to have a bit of star power coming up here.

Governor Frank Murkowski will be opening the "Ice Age: The Meltdown" Ice Park, but he won't be doing it alone. Joining alongside him is one of the stars of the upcoming sequel to the movie...JOHN LEGUIZAMO!!!!! That's right, in a mixture of showbiz and politics, the two will be melting an ice ribbon with hand-held torches to open the park.

This is a big thing happening to us since we hosted the Iditarod restart three years ago, and you know it's big news with both the Fairbanks and Anchorage TV stations on hand, who'll cover this not only for their newscasts, but for the major entertainment news shows as well.

And of course...yours truly, Jonathan Allen, will be there as well, and I will have all the details for you about Leguizamo's visit on Monday! Have a good weekend.

DEATH OF SUPERMAN'S SUPERWOMAN AND THE LATEST ON THE IDITAROD

Good evening. The aftermath of Sunday's Oscars was short-lived, as Hollywood returned to normal today by waking up to the news of the death of Dana Reeve. The widow of Christopher Reeve passed away late Monday night at the age of 44 from lung cancer.

Reeve was diagnosed with the disease last summer, though she has never smoked. Dana has been right at Chris' side from when he was paralyzed in 1995 till his death in October 2004. Her last public appearance was just several weeks ago singing at a retirement celebration for hockey star Mark Messier.

Lung cancer deaths among non-smokers is uncommon and at a small percentage; according to "Inside Edition", the two main causes are secondhand smoke and radon. We're not sure how Reeve got the disease, but I'm sure it was probably secondhand smoke.

With Dana about to join her husband in heaven, her son will have to carry the burden. And the Reeve legacy will continue on with him.

Now, as promised...on to The Last Great Race, the Iditarod. For the 34th time, it's 83 of the best mushers from all over the world -- actually, it's 80 now; we've got the first three scratches -- versus 1,150 miles of the most treacherous terrain that even the "Brokeback Mountain" cowboys can't handle, as they face frozen rivers, frigid weather, and whatever else comes their way.

With defending champion Robert Sorlie not running and climates getting warmer, this year's race may be less challenging than previous years. And with a nice check of $69,000 and the keys to a new Dodge truck awaiting who crosses under the famed burled arch in Nome first, this is definitely one amazing race worth keeping an eye on...well, minus the fast forwards, road blocks, detours, and yields from that other "Amazing Race."

As to who's leading right now? It's Doug Swingley, on the hunt for a record-tying fifth win; he left Nikolai at 7:09 pm Alaska Time, followed by Jeff King (6:15 pm), Ally Zirkle (6:45 pm), and just moments ago at 9:15, Hugh Neff. Lori Townsend, Sandy McKee, and Gary Paulsen are the first three out of the race.

Of course, you can follow the race from checkpoint to checkpoint by heading to Iditarod.com; they now have the Iditarod Insiders site for deeper coverage with daily video reports from the trail. But the catch is this: You're gonna have to fork over $19.95 (annual individual price) for all this; the stuff's ain't for free, pal! Well, unless you feel like paying up, stick with the main site.

Anyway, we'll see what happens from now till who reaches Front Street in Nome first. Will Swingley hold onto his lead, or will somebody be like when "Crash" took the Best Picture Oscar and score the biggest upset in Iditarod history? Find out in the next several days, and good night.

'"CRASH"ING THE GAY COWBOYS' PARTY AT THE OSCARS

Before I get to my annual Oscar recap, some sad news: We've learned that baseball Hall of Famer Kirby Puckett, who led the Minnesota Twins to Game 7 of the 1991 World Series and later ending up winning the title for his team, died tonight at the age of 44 from suffering a stroke and undergoing neosurgery.

Well...I dunno about you, but while I was watching -- and taping -- the 78th Annual Academy Awards on my TV (which was tape delayed here in Alaska while it was live in the Lower 48), I usually spoil myself with the E! post-show on another TV. And lo and behold, when I looked at who took Best Picture, I was in shock and awe mode.

Yes, instead of the heavily favored -- and lampooned -- "Brokeback Mountain", the 3 hour, 33 minute ceremony on Sunday ended with quite possibly the upset of all Oscar upsets as "Crash" claimed that prize along with two others for Original Screenplay and Film Editing. "Brokeback" also took three honors for Director (Ang Lee), Adapted Screenplay, and Original Score.

On the acting side, it was a huge night for two major favorites: George Clooney copping Supporting Actor for "Syriana" and Reese Witherspoon, Lead Actress for "Walk The Line." Oh yeah, Philip Seymour Hoffman got Lead Actor ("Capote") while Supporting Actress went to a pregnant Rachel Weisz ("The Constant Gardener").

By the way...I was sure glad I changed my Best Picture pick from "Brokeback Mountain" to "Crash", because after five tries...I FINALLY GOT ALL SIX PICKS RIGHT FOR THE FIRST TIME!!!!!!!!!

As expected, "March of the Penguins" received Documentary Feature, while Original Song went to..."It's Hard Out Here for a Pimp?" This is the second time the Academy gave that award to a rap song; the first was Eminem's "Lose Yourself" three years ago.

But it was not a good night for sound mixer Kevin O'Connell. His 18th chance at bringing Oscar home for "Memoirs of a Geisha" wasn't to be; he lost to "King Kong." But both films walked out of the Kodak Theater with three statuettes along with "Brokeback" and "Crash." Guess the old "Schoolhouse Rock" song said it best: Three was a magic number.

However, as far as the ratings were concerned despite host Jon Stewart and producer Gil Cates and orchestra conductor Bill Conti trying to keep things under control, 30 million -- the number of people who tuned in for all this -- wasn't all that magical. Viewership was down 10% from last year when Chris Rock hosted.

Despite that, the best moments belonged to the fake attack ads for the nominees, as well as Will Ferrell and Steve Carell presenting the Makeup award with...well, makeup on their faces.

But before the stars took their seats, they've got a lot of press to meet...and a lot of posing for them. Dazzling Brit Keira Knightley may have lost to Witherspoon, but she was already a winner in her one-shouldered, purple-hued Vera Wang number. Charlize Theron was amazing in her Christian Dior, while Jennifer Lopez glammed in green. Jessica Alba looked like Oscar herself thanks to her gold-colored gown by Versace, and Jennifer Garner's Michael Kors almost had her causing a near slip-up when she went onstage. Unfortunately, Dolly Parton and Helena Bonham Carter were more like misses than hits; did Carter's hair dresser stop halfway or something?

So...what next now? For George Clooney, he has come a long way since his first television stints on "The Facts of Life" and "E/R" with Elliott Gould in the mid-'80s before the "ER" we know made him a household name and a worldwide sex symbol, with "Sexiest Man Alive 1997" and "Sexiest Man of 2001" titles. The next film we'll be seeing with "Academy Award Winner" below his name will be "Ocean's Thirteen", reuniting him with Brad Pitt and Julia Roberts.

Reese Witherspoon, on the other hand, after short but sweet roles in "Election", "Twilight" (alongside Paul Newman), "Pleasantville", and "Cruel Intentions" (where she would co-star with future husband Ryan Phillippe), knew that something big and better were coming her way thanks to "Legally Blonde", which made her millions. And now, the Southerner with what we thought to be $29 million added to her huge bank account but reports were later denied is now the belle of Hollywood's ball. Even though she won't be the highest-paid actress ever, her next film will eventually lure new fans to the slowly deserted theaters...given the theme to this year's awards was "Let's Go to the Movies."

The 78th Annual Academy Awards was quite a night of surprises aplenty. But in the end, it was one film that "Crash"-ed "Brokeback Mountain's" party.

Tomorrow, we segue from the end of Oscar's Amazing Race to Alaska's Amazing Race that's already underway: The Iditarod. Good night!

Well, considering that no one cares about Animated Feature and Foreign Language Film, I'm going to bypass those and head straight to the conclusion of "Oscar Countdown Week" with Best Picture and my predictions.

Best Picture
(Producers' names are in parentheses)

"Brokeback Mountain" (Diana Ossana and James Schamus): Two young cowboys in the 1960s develop a strong bond that turns to love over the course of a summer in the Wyoming mountains. As they share herding duties in an isolated setting, Ennis and Jack find themselves drawn into a relationship--made impossible by the time and circumstances in which they live--that will color the rest of their lives.

"Capote" (Caroline Baron, William Vince and Michael Ohoven): When the murder of a family in Kansas captures the interest of celebrated writer Truman Capote, he travels to their small hometown to research what will become his best-known book. As the details of the crime unfold and the two killers are captured and tried, Capote's involvement with the case becomes both morally ambivalent and deeply personal.

"Crash" (Paul Haggis and Cathy Schulman): The lives of a diverse group of people living in Los Angeles connect and clash over the course of two days. As a series of events unfolds that will heighten already-existing racial and cultural tensions, individuals are brought face to face with complexities that their prejudices have prevented them from seeing.

"Good Night, And Good Luck." (Grant Heslov): In the paranoia-ridden 1950s, Senator Joseph McCarthy pursues a grandstanding witch hunt for suspected Communists that destroys the lives of those he accuses. Appalled by the resulting climate of persecution and fear, veteran CBS reporter Edward R. Murrow and his producer, Fred Friendly, decide to confront McCarthy with an investigation into his tactics.

"Munich" (Kathleen Kennedy, Steven Spielberg and Barry Mendel): In the aftermath of the tragic slaying of eleven Israeli athletes at the 1972 Munich Olympics, a secret band of highly trained agents is formed to track down and kill the men responsible for the murders. As their mission unfolds, its repercussions begin to take a psychic toll on Avner, the group's leader.

My Predictions
We've now come to the biggest question of all: Who will walk out of the Kodak Theater with Oscar gold on Sunday? To recap how I did last time in 2004 when the last of the "Lord of the Rings" trilogy swept the night, I was right on everybody but Supporting Actor.

Supporting Actor: George Clooney
Supporting Actress: Rachel Weisz or Catherine Keener
Actor: Philip Seymour Hoffman (no contest)
Actress: With South Africa's Charlize Theron and Brits Judi Dench and Keira Knightley all sitting this one out, this will be an all-American battle between one of the "Desperate Housewives" (Felicity Huffman) against the now $29 million woman (Reese Witherspoon). Many "Housewives" fans are rooting for Huffman while the rest of us are favoring for Witherspoon. So, unless there is a tie and that she has come a long way from "Cruel Intentions" and the two "Legally Blonde" films that made her millions...I should say that it'll be The $29 Million Woman, aka Reese Witherspoon, when the smoke clears.
Director: Ang Lee
Best Picture: Just like most of you, I'm getting tired of all those "Brokeback Mountain" jokes and parodies myself. Fedullo and I brought up my picks today and I told him that "Brokeback" will take the big prize. But since this is the Academy Awards, upsets do sometimes happen, so I will not stick with my original pick. In the end, we could be seeing party, uh, "Crash"ers on the stage instead of the gay cowboys. Then again, I could be wrong.

We'll see how I fare on Sunday. And Monday, I'll have my complete take on all this as only I can. Have a good weekend.

PRESIDENT TRUMP: COULD IT HAPPEN? PLUS DAY THREE OF "OSCAR COUNTDOWN WEEK"

Good evening. Now, for years on the newsgroups I've been bashing and bantering about the various entertainment news shows pilferating the airwaves and that I've done a special commentary -- "Safe Route, Sleazy Route" -- about them. Of all those on the air, the best and most serious one of the bunch has to be "Showbiz Tonight" on CNN Headline News live at 3:00 here in Alaska (7:00 on the East Coast). The reason why they're better than "Entertainment Tonight" (a show I still watch occasionally after 20-odd years), "Access Hollywood" (a show I can't stand because of lots of graphics and Billy Bush) and others is for good reason: They actually report on entertainment NEWS, not gossip like the latest on Brad and Angelina!

One such example was their lead story on tonight's show. It may be two years away, but the New York State Independence Party wants Donald Trump -- yes, Donald Trump -- to make the move from Trump Towers to the White House! That's right; a website has been put up by the party to help draft Trump so that he could be hired for the top job of all top jobs: President of the United States.

In 2000, Trump seriously considered running for President under the Reform Party -- the same one that had Ross Perot as their candidate in 1992 and 1996. But now, with the Bush Administration continuing to seep into trouble and the Democrats still working on a master plan to take back Capitol Hill in November's mid-terms, the time could be right for a major change in Washington, and The Donald could be leading the charge.

But...could it really happen? Sure, he's sold more real estate than any realtor in the world (especially the lady who sold us our house); his "Apprentice" is now in its fifth season; he's got a hot daughter (Ivanka) and wife (Melania)...but could it mean a change of tune from "For the Love of Money" (The Apprentice's theme song) to "Hail To the Chief" come 2008? I don't know, but look what happened to Arnold Schwarzenegger when California elected him as their next Governor in 2003.

If Trump does happen to make the official word that he's running for the most powerful CEO in the world, then you know it'll be front page news. And the voters at the polls could be sending a huge message to the Republicans: "You're fired!"

Now, before we head to day three of my Oscar Countdown Week, you probably know that Best Actress nominee Reese Witherspoon, win or lose on Sunday, will be getting a huge paycheck: $29 million for "Our Family Trouble", eclipsing Julia Roberts as the highest-paid actress of all time by $4 million when Roberts got $25 million for her Oscar-winning role as "Erin Brockvich." And if she happens to win on Sunday, it could mean fatter paychecks...not to mention a possible cover spot on People's "50 Most Beautiful People" issue this spring. We'll see what happens; and with that said, on to...

Tonight, the Directing and Screenplay nominees:

Directing
(Directors' names are in parentheses)

"Brokeback Mountain" (Ang Lee)
"Capote" (Bennett Miller)
"Crash" (Paul Haggis)
"Good Night, And Good Luck." (George Clooney)
"Munich" (Steven Speilberg; he got that very same honor for "Schindler's List" and "Saving Private Ryan" in 1994 and 1999 respectively)

Adapted Screenplay

"Brokeback Mountain" (Larry McMurtry and Diana Ossana)
"Capote" (Dan Futterman)
"The Constant Gardener" (Jeffrey Caine): A British diplomat in Africa is drawn into a dark world of corruption and danger following his wife's murder. The mysterious circumstances surrounding the death of activist Tessa Quayle and the crime's possible ties to the international pharmaceutical market spur her grief-stricken husband Justin to search for answers that may put his own life at risk.
"A History of Violence" (Josh Olson): Tom and Edie Stall and their two children are living a quiet and seemingly ordinary small-town life when an encounter with two violent criminals disrupts their world. The quick-thinking ease with which Tom dispatches the pair leads to admiring news stories...and the arrival in town of the menacing Carl Fogarty, who insists that Tom is not what he seems.
"Munich" (Tony Kushner and Eric Roth)

Original Screenplay

"Crash" (Paul Haggis and Bobby Moresco (Screenplay); Paul Haggis (Story))
"Good Night, And Good Luck." (George Clooney and Grant Heslov)
"Match Point" (Woody Allen; his 21st nomination with three wins): When tennis pro Chris Wilton is befriended by the wealthy Tom Hewett, he finds himself drawn into the circle of Tom's family and friends and is soon engaged to Tom's sister, Chloe. His seemingly assured future is jeopardized, however, by his attraction to Tom's fiancée, aspiring actress Nola Rice.
"The Squid and The Whale" (Noah Baumbach): When writers Bernard and Joan Berkman enter into an acrimonious divorce, the emotional lives of their two sons suffer. Fourteen-year-old Walt sides with the father he adores, failing to see the self-centered pomposity that has alienated Joan, while their younger son, Frank, begins acting out at school as he becomes increasingly lost within his new, fractured family life.
"Syriana" (Stephen Gaghan, won Adapted Screenplay for "Traffic"): A CIA agent, an Arab prince, a Texas oil man, and a corporate attorney are among those caught up in a web of international conspiracies that reaches from Washington to the oil fields of the Middle East. As powerful oil interests and corrupt governments jockey for power and wealth, the lives of those who stand in their way are placed in jeopardy.

That's all from me tonight; tomorrow, Animated Feature and Foreign Language Film as Oscar Countdown Week continues. Good night!

Good evening. We continue "Oscar Countdown Week" with the Lead Acting nominees. Everybody in Best Actor are one-timers, while in Best Actress...well, it may be a "Desperate Housewife" vs. a "Legally Blonde" beauty in a battle to the death (unless there's a tie), but we've got two past winners and another newcomer hoping to put a stop and score the biggest upset in Oscar history. Here are the fields:

Best Actor

Philip Seymour Hoffman, "Capote": Philip Seymour Hoffman portrays author Truman Capote in the years leading up to the writing of his best-known book, "In Cold Blood."

Heath Ledger, "Brokeback Mountain": As Ennis Del Mar, Heath Ledger portrays a cowboy in the 1960s whose love for another man has a profound effect on his life.

Terrence Howard, "Hustle & Flow": As DJay, Terrence Howard portrays a drug dealer and pimp seeking a way out of his violent life through music.

Joaquin Phoenix, "Walk The Line": Joaquin Phoenix portrays country western singer Johnny Cash, who overcame drug use and personal struggles in the course of his legendary career.

David Straihaim, "Good Night, and Good Luck.": David Strathairn plays Edward R. Murrow, the revered television journalist who launched an investigation into the witch-hunting tactics of Senator Joseph McCarthy.

Best Actress

Judi Dench, "Mrs. Henderson Presents": Judi Dench portrays Laura Henderson, a widow who breaks with convention when she purchases a vaudeville theater and begins staging risqué revues. Synposis: Following her husband's death in 1937, Laura Henderson resolves to break free from her placid life by embarking on a career as a theater owner. With the help of veteran manager Vivian Van Damm, she astonishes staid London society by opening a vaudeville house.



Felicity Huffman, "Transamerica": Felicity Huffman plays Bree, a pre-operative transsexual who embarks on a cross-country road trip with her troubled teenage son.



Keira Knightley, "Pride and Prejudice": As Elizabeth Bennet, Keira Knightley plays a young woman whose lively, intelligent manner captivates the wealthy Mr. Darcy despite her lack of prominent family connections. Synposis: When Elizabeth Bennet meets the wealthy and eligible Mr. Darcy, she is at first put off by his proud manner and his disdain for the ill-judged behavior of her mother and younger sisters. The growing attraction between them, however, will cause both Elizabeth and Darcy to reassess their initial impressions as they discover each other's true character.



Charlize Theron, "North Country": Charlize Theron plays Josey Aimes, a single mother who is subjected to humiliating sexual harassment after she takes a job at a coal mine. Synposis: When Josey Aimes leaves her abusive boyfriend and returns to her home town, she seeks work at the mining company where her father has long been employed. As one of the few women working for the company, Josey finds herself the object of continual, degrading sexual harassment. Theron won that very same award two years ago for "Monster."



Reese Witherspoon, "Walk The Line": Reese Witherspoon plays country singer June Carter, whose strength and compassion guide her through the early days of her relationship with Johnny Cash. Synposis: The career of legendary country singer Johnny Cash is chronicled in this musical biography. Following a difficult early life, Cash establishes himself as a rising star in the country music world and falls in love with singer June Carter. Both are married, however, and Cash is struggling with serious personal difficulties.

Tomorrow as "Oscar Countdown Week" continues...Director and Screenplay nominees.

FROM OLYMPIC GOLD TO OSCAR GOLD

After two weeks, another Olympic Winter Games for the 20th time has come and gone. Sweden ousted Finland 3-2 to take the men's hockey gold, while Apolo Anton Ohno took gold and bronze in the men's 500-meter and 5000-meter short track speed skating relay respectively. And Bode Miller? Well, he leaves Turin with NOTHING! No medals whatsoever! I guess all this hype about him leading up to the games bit him in the ass.

I think in the end, Miller has become the New Coke (or Edsel or XFL) of the Olympics. I wouldn't be surprised if the next time we see him will be on "Hollywood Squares" as the next Paul Lynde.

Germany takes the most medals out of these games with 29 (11 of them gold), followed by the United States (25; tying Austria with nine golds), Canada (24), Austria (23), and Russia (22). The stage is now set for the 21st Olympic Winter Games in Vancouver in 2010, meaning it could be Advantage: Canada as far as taking the most medals are concerned.

But I guess the real ratings winner -- at least here in Fairbanks -- has to be Bill St. Pierre at Tanana Valley Television. His KFXF Fox 7 and KXD CBS 13 with powerhouses "American Idol", "Survivor", "House", and "CSI" have literally taken a chunk of KTVF's audience these last two weeks, though the final February numbers may say otherwise.

The Olympics may be over, but there's one more piece of gold yet to be handed out: Oscar gold! Next Sunday is the 78th Annual Academy Awards, and as I've been doing on the old "Allen Report" site from 2000 to 2004, all this week I get you ready for entertainment's night of nights with a look at who's up for Hollywood's biggest prize in:

(Please ignore the "NewsBeat" on the top; this came straight out of the graphics archives. As always, film synposes and role information courtesy of Oscar.com)

Supporting Actor

George Clooney, "Syriana": As Bob Barnes, George Clooney portrays a CIA agent who finds himself at the center of a conspiracy to guarantee U.S. access to foreign oil.

Matt Dillon, "Crash": Matt Dillon portrays Ryan, a racist cop whose humiliation of an African-American couple will come back to haunt him during an unexpected encounter.

Paul Giamatti, "Cinderella Man": As Joe Gould, Paul Giamatti plays a boxing manager who works with a down-on-his-luck fighter struggling to make a comeback. Film synopsis: Based on the life of boxer James Braddock, this Depression-era drama follows Braddock's fortunes as his promising career and early successes give way to hard times and despair. As he struggles to provide for his wife and children, Braddock embarks on a comeback in the ring under the guidance of his manager, Joe Gould. Giamatti's nomination is the film's only major one after being snubbed for Best Picture and Actor (Russell Crowe).

Jake Gyllenhaal, "Brokeback Mountain": Jake Gyllenhaal plays Jack Twist, a cowboy who falls in love with another man over the course of a summer in the Wyoming mountains.

William Hurt, "A History of Violence": As Richie Cusack, William Hurt portrays a brutal mobster who finds the man who disappeared after betraying him years earlier. A three-time Best Actor nominee in the 1980's (he won in 1985 for "Kiss of the Spider Woman"), this is his fourth nomination.

Supporting Actress

Amy Adams, "Junebug": Amy Adams plays Ashley, an open-hearted girl from a small town who is entranced by her sophisticated new sister-in-law. Film synposis: Six months after her impulsive marriage, Chicago-based art dealer Madeleine has yet to meet her husband's family. A dual-purpose visit to their North Carolina town--Madeleine hopes to sign a contract with an artist living nearby--leads to an uneasy stay with her new in-laws, whose small-town manners are worlds apart from Madeleine's more sophisticated lifestyle.

Catherine Keener, "Capote": Catherine Keener plays writer Harper Lee, who accompanies her childhood friend, Truman Capote, to Kansas as he prepares to write about a terrible crime. A first-timer, she was last seen in a much more light-hearted fare, Steve Carell's "The 40-Year Old Virgin."



Frances McDormand, "North Country": As Glory, Frances McDormand plays a coal mine employee who must battle both sexual harassment and a crippling illness. Her fourth nomination; her only win was for Best Actress in "Fargo."

Rachel Weisz, "The Constant Gardener": As Tessa Quayle, Rachel Weisz portrays a passionate activist whose investigation into the dealings of an international pharmaceutical company leads to her murder.

Michelle Williams, "Brokeback Mountain": Michelle Williams plays Alma, a cowboy's young wife who learns that her husband's heart belongs to another man. Her co-star and fiance Heath Ledger is up for Best Actor...

And we'll have him and the other Lead Acting nominees as (not "NewsBeat's") Oscar Countdown Week continues. Good night!

THRILL OF VICTORY FOR ROSEY FLETCHER (sort of); AGONY OF DEFEAT FOR SASHA COHEN

Good evening. Well, finally, an Alaskan did medal at the Winter Olympics in Turin today. More on that in a bit, but first...

What started out to be the night for Sasha Cohen hoping to get the figure skating gold medal turned into disaster. In the women's free skate today, she and Russia's Irina Slutskaya all fell down during their make-it-or-break-it showings, clearing the way for 24-year-old Shizuka Arakawa from Japan to come from behind and grab the gold in the end; this was her country's first medal since Midori Ito's silver in 1992. Cohen and Slutskaya settled for silver and bronze respectively while Emily Hughes couldn't match big sister Sarah's success in Salt Lake City four years ago; she ended up in seventh place.

I was hoping for Cohen to pick up where Michelle Kwan left off after she dropped out of these games, but just like Kwan in 2002, one fall did cost it all...well, at least for now. This was her first Olympics, so the next time she'll try to take a stab at that gold will be in 2010 in Vancouver, when the games return to North America. Emily Hughes will be waiting in the wings as well.

Meanwhile, an Alaskan finally stands on the medal podium as Rosey Fletcher of Girdwood gets a bronze in women's parallel giant slalom snowboarding, becoming the first U.S. woman to medal in that discipline. Fletcher is now the fifth Alaskan Olympic medalist, joining Kris Thorsness (Los Angeles 1984), Hilary Lindh (Albertville 1992), two-timer Tommy Moe (Lillehammer 1994), and most recently, former University of Alaska Fairbanks student Matt Emmons at Athens. Switzerland's Daniela Meuli claimed gold with Germany's Ameile Kober following her up with silver.

It was about time an Alaskan medaled in Turin as our athletes there performed poorly, fueled by Jay Hakkinen's dissapointing 80th place showing in the men's biathlon last week (Anchorage's Kikkan Randall did way, way better than him; she came in ninth in the women's ski sprint) as well as Scott Gomez and his U.S. men's hockey team eliminated in the quarterfinals along with Canada on Wednesday.

By the way...given the 10-hour time difference between Turin and Alaska and knowing that I love spoiling myself when it comes to results from the games...not to mention ratings for NBC's coverage being down the shitter (I wish I knew somebody in this area with a Canadian satellite dish so they can enjoy the 100% LIVE, crap-free coverage from CBC), I got the news on the figure skating from my cell phone.

Anyway, the 20th Olympic Winter Games will all come to an end on Sunday, meaning NBC afterwards will return to its fourth place standing and here, "Friends" and "Frasier" reruns will be back to their regular times at the 7:00 pm hour following the news. But in the end, it'll be the viewers grabbing gold ourselves -- by tuning out these games! Good night.

CHENEY'S GOT A GUN, AND AN ALASKAN FALTERS IN TURIN

Lots of ground to cover, so on with it!

First up...I'm sure many of you have dusted off your old Nintendo Entertainment Systems and relived your childhood by playing "Duck Hunt" again. Yes, as we already know by now, Vice President Dick Cheney opened some "friendly fire" on Texas lawyer Harry Whittington during a quail hunting jaunt over the weekend. As a result, Whittington suffered a minor heart attack

And with the Winter Olympics still going on in Turin (which I'll get to in a bit), the late nighters went for the comedy gold on that one. All of them...except Conan O'Brien, who has yet to crack a joke or two on this while he's in Finland (he's there because his show is preempted for the Olympics; so is "Saturday Night Live", who'll have to wait till March 4 to play catch-up

Whittington is the first person to be shot by a sitting Vice President since Alexander Hamilton when Aaron Burr dueled him to the death in 1804. Who knew that over 200 years later we would have that similar fate...only this time, it's not that fatal!

To comment, it looks we've finally found some weapons of mass destruction...and it's Dick Cheney packing heat!

Now, the 20th Olympic Winter Games in Turin, Italy; and with Michelle Kwan out, it looks like it'll be Emily Hughes and Sasha Cohen in a duel for the gold.

As for our Alaskan athletes are concerned? Jay Hakkinen of Kasilof fell to 80th place in the 10-kilometer biathlon, while Anchorage's Kikkan Randall and teammate Wendy Wagner advanced to the women's cross-country skiing finals for the first time ever.

Meanwhile, Australia gets their first gold in the games thanks to Dale Begg-Smith in the moguls; American Toby Dawson took bronze. In speed skating, China's Meng Wang took gold in the women's 500-meter. And on the men's hockey side, the U.S. survived a 3-3 tie against Latvia while Canada ousted Italy 7-2.

In the medals count, the United States take the most golds so far with five, followed by Russia and Germany with four apiece. Norway still leads overall with 11 (one gold, five silvers, five bronzes), followed by Russia at nine and the U.S. and Germany both at eight, while Canada and host country Italy have four.

Before I go, an early notice: The next major event after these games is of course the 78th Annual Academy Awards on March 5; and as most of you who used to visit my old site know, I get you ready a week prior with a look at the main categories.

From February 27-March 3, I'll be doing it again with my "Oscar Preview Week." Here's a rundown of what will be covered:

February 27: Supporting Acting Nominees

February 28: Lead Acting Nominees

March 1: Screenplay/Director

March 2: Animated Feature/Foreign Language Film

March 3: Best Picture/My Predictions

That's another inheritance from the "Allen Report", Oscar Preview Week, February 27-March 3.

With that out of the way...see you next time!

BREAKING NEWS: IT'S OVER FOR MICHELLE KWAN

We've just received word that Michelle Kwan's third and final attempt at a gold medal in Turin has come to an end.

Kwan has announced early Sunday morning that due to a groin injury she suffered on Saturday, she has withdrew from the Winter Olympics and therefore ending her chances at a gold medal after her silver and bronze victories in 1998 and 2002 respectively. Emily Hughes, younger sister of 2002 gold medalist Sarah Hughes, is expected to take her place.

Meanwhile, the U.S. and Canada get their first golds in the games; Texas' Chad Henrick was dominant in the 5,000 meter speed skating, while Jennifer Heil of Alberta copped the women's moguls gold. And both countries' women's hockey teams started out strong in huge shutouts; U.S. 6-0 against Switzerland while Canada dethroned host country Italy 16-0!!! Norway leads the medals count with four (two silver, two bronze) followed by Germany with their first two golds.

But once again, the main story right now is Michelle Kwan withdraws from these games. More on this as it develops.

LET THE GAMES BEGIN...THAT IS, IF YOU'RE PLANNING TO TUNE IN!

Good evening. Well, the 20th Olympic Winter Games have already started in Turin, Italy, and this is probably going to be one Olympics that may be a turn-off for television viewers. Why? In the thick of February sweeps, the other shows on other networks have pulled out all the stops to make sure NBC doesn't get any ratings gold.

On ABC, you've got the Sunday night one-two punch of "Desperate Housewives" and "Grey's Anatomy", "Lost", and "Dancing with the Stars." CBS has "CSI", "Survivor: Exile Island", and "The Amazing Race." And over at Fox, there's "House", "24", and the biggest weapon of them all: "American Idol." Here in Fairbanks, with the Fox and CBS stations both run by Tanana Valley Television and based in a small building on a dirt road off Van Horn just a few miles from KTVF (the NBC station), they're pulling no punches whatsoever.

Now I may be watching little or no coverage of the games (well, except to see whether or not Michelle Kwan will finally get that gold), and for good reason: Back in 2000 on the "Allen Report" site, I've talked up a storm about how super-crappy the NBC coverage of the Sydney games were because they were all on tape due to the huge 19-hour time difference between Sydney and Alaska...and that how many, many Americans have screw all that hugely by tuning to the CBC in Canada, where most of the coverage -- including the marquee events like track and field and basketball -- were 100% LIVE!!! It has been the case for Nagano (when CBS broadcast the games in the States), Sydney, Salt Lake City, Athens, and will be again for Turin.

However, if you have a "grey market" Canadian satellite dish or live in either Seattle (where they're still healing the wounds from the Seahawks' Super Bowl loss), Detroit, or Buffalo where CBC is accessible via cable or over-the-air, you're in true luck. I'm pretty sure SOMEBODY in the Fairbanks area, maybe in North Pole or Nenana or Salcha or Delta Junction, has a Canadian satellite mounted somewhere in their home so that they would enjoy the quality, straightforward, no bullshit coverage from the CBC -- as well as "Hockey Night in Canada" and "The National" -- without suffering from Bob Costas and the gang at NBC.

I just wish someday, somehow, ABC with the support of ESPN can get the Olympics back from NBC. Sure, they may have lost Al "Do you believe in miracles? YES!!!!!!!" Michaels to NBC so he could re-team with John Madden for "Sunday Night Football", but since Jim McKay is too old, they could get Chris Berman or John Saunders to anchor for ABC. And oh yeah...we do remember the days when ABC's coverage were far more superior and less crappy than NBC, especially McKay's "They're all gone" while reporting on the horrors in Munich.

Anyway, five Alaskans are competing in these games; we'll find out if one or some or all of them will be arriving back at Ted Stevens Anchorage International Airport from Turin with a little gold around their necks as the ultimate souvenir.

While we wait for the first gold from Turin to be handed out, the 48th Annual Grammy Awards were on Wednesday. U2 were the big winners with five including Song and Album of the Year, bringing their overall total to 21. Green Day received Record of the Year for "Boulevard of Broken Dreams" while John Legend got New Artist. Mariah Carey's comeback did pay off with three awards, but they were all given out during the pre-telecast ceremony where Chris Rock and Senator Barack Obama (D-Illinois) got Comedy and Spoken Word Album honors for "Never Scared" and "Dreams From My Father" respectively.

Kelly Clarkson went from "American Idol" to Grammy Idol when she beat out some heavy competition (including Gwen Stefani, who left the Staples Center empty-handed) by claiming Best Pop Vocal Performance and Pop Vocal Album. By the way, "Idol" clobbered the Grammys in the ratings because of the awards' return to Wednesday; it would've been better if they followed the Golden Globes' lead by holding them on Monday.

As for the fashions on the green carpet, green because Heineken was one of the Grammys' proud sponsors? Alicia Keys in amazing Armani, pregnant Stefani, and Jennifer Love Hewitt in wonderful white hit high notes with me, while Teri Hatcher was ultimately off-key with her Jean Paul Gautier getup. I mean, you could see right through her 41-year-old legs in that one! Then again, it is the Grammys, so she was, oh, desperate to outdo her Golden Globes gown.

Lastly, there were the standout performances. Madonna as the opener showed she still has the body at 47, while Paul McCartney took the Grammy stage for the first time in his life. Mariah Carey with a choir as backup, Herbie Hancock and Christina Aguilera, the salute to Sly and Family Stone with Sly Stone's surprise appearance (and wearing a MOHAWK?!?!), Kanye West and Jamie Foxx, and the show closer with the tribute to New Orleans had everybody abuzz all over...except in Malaysia, where Madonna's peformance was edited out of the Grammy show when it was broadcast there.

Well, although they faced stiff competition from "American Idol" and "Lost", the 48th Annual Grammy Awards was not really a dissapointment, but had a share of hits and misses. And that's "The Plain Truth"...oh, sorry, this isn't the "Allen Report" anymore. Have a good weekend.

DETROIT STEEL CITY

Well, as you probably know by now, the Motor City became the Steel City during Super Bowl XL tonight...Steel, as in the Pittsburgh Steelers. With the final score 21-10, they dethroned the Seattle Seahawks to clinch their fifth title, their sixth since their last win at Super Bowl XIV in 1980. Hines Ward was the game's MVP while hometown boy Jerome Bettis announced that "the Bus" stops there; he's calling it a career after 13 seasons.

With the game taping at home, I was watching it this time at the Blue Loon club a few miles outside Fairbanks. And believe me, the scene there was pro-Seahawks all the way, knowing that they're our regional team. One sign that it was a Super Bowl party to remember: My good friends Glen "Glenner" Anderson and Jerry Evans were there with their sons.

I don't need to explain the atmosphere, but they were really into what were believed to be some missed calls that cost the Seahawks the game. Well, that and the COMMERCIALS!!!

Speaking of which, the favorites according to reaction from the Blue Loon crowd were the Budweiser "streaker", Burger King's "Whopperettes", Bud Light's "Magic Fridge", the two Diet Pepsi spots, and as far as movie ads, "Mission: Impossible 3." GoDaddy.com, with the return of the WWE's Candice Michelle, was not a hit with everybody.

And then, there was halftime starring the Rolling Stones; before all that, it was Aaron Neville and Aretha Franklin belting out the national anthem. Immediately after the halftime show, there were door prizes to be given away, one of them a huge Seahawks carpet mat. Maybe I guess they couldn't find a Steelers mat.

Anyway, we'll find out later tomorrow how many of you tuned in to all this. But for Bill Cowher's Pittsburgh Steelers, 26 years was good enough. And for the Seahawks? Mike Holmgren may already have the Vince Lombardi Trophy from when Green Bay last won, but it's tough trying to win a Super Bowl on their first time. There will always be a next season for Seattle...or one after that, or another after that, and so on.

With another memorable -- and perhaps, controversial -- Super Bowl in the books, have a good night.

WHO'S UP FOR THE OSCAR?

Good evening. I'll get to the Oscar nominations in a bit, but first...

Earlier tonight, President Bush gave his fifth State of the Union address to a joint session of Congress. The main topic was prying America from its long dependence of Middle East oil, but a bigger story before the speech involved Cindy Sheehan yet again. Minutes prior, she was arrested by Capitol Police after she caused a disruption.

Calling for more money for science and math education as well as tax benefits for health saving accounts were also on the agenda tonight. The Democratic response was by new Virginia Governor Tim Kaine, who stated that Bush ignored the national debt, Medicaid cuts, and trying to rebuild the hurricane-wounded Gulf Coast during his speech.

While all that was going on, there were a bunch of protests in many parts of the country in New York, Los Angeles, Atlanta, Chicago, and San Francisco all orchestrated by World Can't Wait, an organization whose mission is to see the Bush Admimistration throw in the towel without waiting till 2008. I don't know about any Alaskan protests in Anchorage or Fairbanks, but if there were they probably had them indoors because of the continuing frigid weather here in the latter.

Now, the L.A. protest started at the Hollywood and Highland complex where the Kodak Theater is. And speaking of the Kodak Theater...it will be where a month from now we could be seeing a Gunfight at the Oscar Corral as far as "Brokeback Mountain's" chances at some booty are concerned!

That's right! Nominations for the 78th Annual Academy Awards were announced this morning, and the main stories were "Brokeback" ponying up eight nods including Supporting Actor (Jake Gyllenhaal), Actor and Supporting Actress (Real-life couple Heath Ledger and Michelle Williams), Director (Ang Lee), and Best Picture of 2005, and George Clooney's triple threat: Supporting Actor for "Syriana," and Original Screenplay and Director for "Good Night, and Good Luck."

Meanwhile, it will be a showdown between Felicity Huffman and Reese Witherspoon for Best Actress while Keira Knightley and past winners Judi Dench and Charlize Theron will sit it out. Terrence Howard surprisingly competes again Ledger, Philip Seymour Hoffman, Joaquin Phoenix, and David Strathaim in the Best Actor prize; and in Best Picture, along with "Brokeback", there's also "Capote", "Crash", "Good Night, and Good Luck", and "Munich." Oh yeah, and "March of the Penguins" is easily up for Documentary Feature, a prize "Super Size Me" almost won last year.

And then there are those whose bubbles were burst, like "Walk The Line" for Best Picture, "Cinderella Man" deprived of any main nods (except for Paul Giamatti's Supporting Actor), and Ziyi Zhang on the Best Actress side. "King Kong" received some recognition from the Academy...but only with four meaningless categories.

The 78th Annual Academy Awards, with Jon Stewart guiding us through the most unpredictable 3 1/2-to-I-don't-know-how-long-they'll-go-to hours in entertainment, will be handed out on Sunday, March 5. Why March? They don't want the Winter Olympics to get in Oscar's way, that's why.

So, will Reese walk the line to Oscar gold, or will "Crash" crash the gay cowboys' party? There are plenty of anwers to these questions and more on that date. Good night, world!