Hello everybody, as we're about to light up and blow out 234 candles on America's birthday cake this Fourth of July weekend!

First up...with the Elena Kagan confirmation hearings making news here, there was already one heavily ignored political story that happened last week on the other side of the hemisphere, as Kevin Rudd was forced out and Julia Gillard stepping in to history as Australia's first female Prime Minister.

So it's time to play...What Do We Know about Julia Gillard? Well, she's 48 years old, unmarried without children, and until the change in power she served as Deputy Prime Minister (equivalent to Vice President of the United States) under Rudd. And by watching her first Question Time as prime minister, Gillard looks to be a cross between Julianne Moore and Gillian Anderson.

But...will she hold on to that job for long? Gillard may be calling for an election to be held between this fall and spring 2011, and she might join Kim Campbell as not only their countries' first female prime ministers, but the short-lived as well. Most of you don't remember Campbell, who served as Canadian Prime Minister for 132 days in 1993, which is longer than Chevy Chase's disastrous late night talk show that year (or the one and only XFL season in 2001).

Australia is not a soccer-crazed country, but the big-name countries have been dropping like flies in the World Cup lately as we near the homestretch. First, the United States; then, England, Mexico, Ghana (who eliminated the U.S.), Portugal (yes, no more of the Taylor Lautner of soccer, Cristiano Ronaldo); and now, powerhouse Brazil is back home thanks to the Netherlands. By the way, defending champions Italy were gone last week.

It's clear to us that the country to watch for now is Germany, and I have a strong hunch they may still take this.

Larry King announced this week that after 25 years, it'll be the end for his CNN show this fall. But he made himself clear that he's not done entirely. Larry will still be at the cable network doing occasional specials and documentaries, proving why he's the King.

But who will take the reins of saying "(insert city), HELLO!" One name that pops in my mind is Pat O'Brien, who will be penning his memoirs set to be published next fall. I know he hasn't done any television work in a couple of years, and I'm sure taking Larry's suspenders (okay, so he wears a belt) would be a great chapter to add in his book.

And last but not least...other than the World Cup and Wimbledon, the biggest sports story back here Stateside is going on at this moment: where will LeBron James land next?

The Cleveland Cavaliers superstar is officially a free agent and available for the taking...but by who??? Like "The Bachelor(ette)", NBA team owners from the New Jersey Nets, New York Knicks, Chicago Bulls, Washington Wizards, to even the always lowly Los Angeles Clippers are lining up, though there have been reports that the Miami Heat executives have been making their move at him.

It won't be long till one of them asks the question, "LeBron, will you accept this jersey?", only that he'll say yes. So long, stay strong, and HAPPY BIRTHDAY AMERICA!!!!!

Hello, everybody, on the one-year anniversary this weekend of the deaths of two iconic entertainers: Michael Jackson and Farrah Fawcett. More on that in a bit, but first up...

Call it the goal seen 'round the world! Facing premature elimination, Landon Donovan's last minute goal against Algeria has kept the U.S. team's hopes alive in the 2010 World Cup so far; next up for them is Ghana as they have advanced to the next round.

Now we're not a soccer-crazed country compared to say, Brazil or those in Europe, but as we've seen all over YouTube, there has been reaction left and right to the one goal that saved our butts from being out (Brian Rowe and him going apeshit over Sandra Bullock's Oscar win, eat your heart out). There's a good chance we may beat Ghana, but could we go all the way? I think so...or maybe not; we'll see what transpires as the World Cup rolls on.

(UPDATE: The U.S. will have to wait till 2014; Ghana eliminated them 2-1 on Saturday in extra time)

One year ago Friday, the world said goodbye to two pop culture icons: Michael Jackson and Farrah Fawcett. Jackson's sudden death -- which I broke it to you on this blog -- was of course the biggie, and knocked Farrah's off the headlines after only a few hours. Shortly thereafter, I chronicled the lives and careers of those two in a special blog.

And now a year later come the commemorations. At Forest Lawn Mortuary outside Los Angeles, the rest of the Jackson family including sister Janet joined Michael's fans as they paid homage in his mausoleum, while Fawcett's friend Alana Stewart along with his longtime love Ryan O'Neal and sister Tatum opened the Farrah Fawcett Foundation designed to aid cancer research.

Farrah passed away after a long bout with anal cancer, but there have been some unanswered questions as to how Michael was killed. Dr. Conrad Murray, who may have supplied the sedatives that took his life, is free on bail pending trial on a felony and involuntary manslaughter charge though he has pled not guilty. But Jackson is still a moneymaker even after his death; his estate has raked in over $1 billion.

In 2008, Lindsay Lohan gave us the surprise of our lives when with the help of photographer Bert Stern, she re-created Marilyn Monroe's "Last Sitting" shoot for "New York" magazine. Now flash forward two years later to 65-year-old Helen Mirren naked in a bathtub for that very same magazine! I'm probably thinking every senior's masturbatory fantasy right now is Mirren and Betty White spending New Year's Eve in Miami Beach (which will never happen because they would overshadow Stacy Keibler). Boy, if only my grandmother Mildred lived a few more years to make it a threesome!

And last but not least: Except for here in Alaska, there have been long lines forming throughout many parts of the world on Thursday for Apple's new iPhone 4 which is out now. CEO Steve Jobs unveiled the current version a few weeks ago, with brand-new features such as retina display, front and rear cameras with LED flash on the latter, multitasking, HD video recording/editing, and something called FaceTime. On its first day of sale, 1.5 million of those new phones were sold.

Earlier this week, the iOS 4 operating system came out with almost the same features as well (except for the background on second-generation iPod Touches). Like I tweeted before on Tuesday, I spent a total of 3 1/2 to four hours downloading the software and then installing it to my iPod, which was worth it.

But yes, the new iPhone 4 comes at a time when the rival competitors already have smartphones of their own that are out for Apple's blood. And you've gotta hand it to Steve Jobs and his gang for making sure his creation has always been originated, not duplicated. So long and stay strong.

Hello, everybody, on this Father's Day weekend (which is always boring compared to Mother's Day weekend).

First up...in his first primetime address to the nation from the Oval Office, President Obama on Tuesday night literally went toe-to-toe with BP, vowing to make them pay for the continuing oil spill that has left the Gulf Coast waters in ruins on the 57th day.

Obama said, "We will fight this spill with everything we've got for as long as it takes", and called for the formation of a Gulf Coast Restoration Plan to be led by former Mississippi Gov. Ray Mabus and funded by BP. According to a group of scientists, about 2.5 million gallons a day have been leaking; if you do the math, that's over 116 million gallons so far.

On Wednesday, the president met with BP executives in person, and they will establish a $100 million fund to compensate the unemployed oil rig workers who were affected by the rig's closure. By the way, the seafood from the gulf is still safe and so are the waters...for now.

Call it the Sweet 16 as the Los Angeles Lakers in a winner-take-all Game 7 narrowly took down the Boston Celtics on Thursday to clinch back-to-back NBA titles -- and for coach Phil Jackson, his 11th -- with Kobe Bryant once again series MVP. With that win, the three largest U.S. cities now claim sports championships: New York (Yankees, World Series), Chicago last week (Blackhawks, their first Stanley Cup since 1961), and now L.A. New Orleans doesn't count, even if their Saints won the Super Bowl.

But of course, the one big sporting event the whole world is paying attention to right now is the 2010 FIFA World Cup in South Africa. The U.S. appears to be in good shape at the moment, but that could change as the tournament goes on.

However...is it just me or have the venues become the world's largest beehives? I'm saying this because unless if you've been watching with the mute button and closed-captioning on, plastic horns known as vuvuzelas are being blown all throughout the World Cup. And if you ask me, they have been nothing but a nuisance.

Now while we're sticking to the subject, Africanized bees are known for its aggressiveness and its stings can be fatal. European bees, on the other hand, are more kinder and gentle. At one time, there was a spread of African bees blanketing portions of the southwest United States including all of Arizona and even past Southern California including Los Angeles.

Okay, back to the World Cup: For a summer quadrennial sporting event happening in a Southern Hemisphere country like South Africa where it's winter, you can be sure the action will be both hot and cold; hot because of the high kicks and low scoring that make soccer famous, and cold because of those damn vuvuzelas drowning all the excitement and atmosphere away! Now that's not as sweet as honey!

And last but not least...two years ago, that one photo Annie Leibowitz took of a backless Miley Cyrus in "Vanity Fair" both made headlines and caused firestorms around the world because Miley was only 15 at the time. I of course had something to say about it on this blog.

But now looking back in retrospect, the infamous photo proved to be a sign of things to come for the "Hannah Montana" star, as Miley lately has been going Britney Spears on us...and in a good way!

Why is that, you ask? Because at 17 going on 18, she's been sexing up her image prematurely thanks to her new album "Can't Be Tamed" out right now. Prior to that, Miley's "Wonder World Tour" last fall sold out venues across the U.S. and Europe, and as lots of video proof on YouTube shows, she has never been afraid to push the envelope a bit, performing in the most provocative outfits we've ever seen.

Now this came after her so-called "lap dance" performance at the Teen Choice Awards which sparked more controversy. And despite poor reviews of her movie "The Last Song" (where she met her current boyfriend Liam Hensworth), it was a success, though a video was surfaced of Cyrus giving the film's producer Adam Shankman a lap dance at the wrap party. However, while performing on "Britain's Got Talent" earlier this month, Miley simulated a girl-on-girl kiss with one of her female dancers. Since it was the same show that suddenly shot her to stardom last year, I wish it was Susan Boyle instead of a dancer!

And while in Europe, she gave us quite a show at two Rock in Rio concerts showing off lots of leg in even hotter outfits. If only dad Billy Ray accompanied Miley, but you know he's been defending her superstar daughter as only she could.

It's no secret that Miley is attracting more older fans than ever before, and thanks to that "Vanity Fair" pic, she's never been afraid to cross the line. But of course, off stage it's just typical, regular Miley we see out and about. To paraphrase what I've said about Britney Spears almost a decade ago while publicly defending her MTV VMA performance...let Miley Cyrus be Miley Cyrus! So long and stay strong.

Hello, everybody. A lot to get to this Memorial Day weekend, so first up...

On Friday, the sudden death of former child star Gary Coleman at 42, who was best known as Arnold on "Diff'rent Strokes" where he coined the show's catchphrase "Whatchu talkin' bout, Willis?" Coleman died after suffering from a brain hemorrhage for a couple days at his home outside Salt Lake City and was taken off life support at a nearby hospital.

Besides "Diff'rent Strokes", which lasted a total of eight seasons on NBC and later ABC, Coleman also had his own Saturday morning cartoon show that ran for one season. But after his hit show left the air, Gary fell into the same doldrums of other child stars: going from the A-list to D-list with guest roles on other shows while attempting to reclaim the luster he lost. He even worked as a security guard and in 2003, he tried to follow in the footsteps of Jesse Ventura by running for California governor; that didn't work.

And just like his fellow co-stars Todd Bridges and Dana Plato (the latter died in 1999), Coleman was also plagued with a series of other problems including filing for bankruptcy in 1999 and even suicide attempts. He wed Shannon Price in 2007, but that marriage was kept a secret until the two went on "Divorce Court" the following year.

Now I definitely remember "Diff'rent Strokes", and let me tell you...that show had "troubled youth" written all over it. But if it wasn't for Gary Coleman's character, we wouldn't have had Jaleel White's Steve Urkel cementing its place in pop culture lore. At least the two will live on as long as we're still living.

And on Saturday, we've also learned that actor Dennis Hopper ("Easy Rider", "Hoosiers", "Colors", "Speed") has died from complications of prostate cancer; he was 74.

By the way...hours after the sad news of Coleman's passing came the happy news that Spencer Pratt and Heidi Montag splitting up. But let's move on to more serious news, like...

The latest on the Gulf of Mexico oil spill as President Obama made his second visit to the Louisiana coast on Friday; it has now eclipsed the Exxon Valdez in 1989 as the worst oil spill in U.S. history.

For over 40 days now, BP has been doing everything in their power to end the spill as hurricane season is about to be underway. But the aftereffects are already being felt, with the seafood industry the hardest hit as costs are expected to be its highest ever and fishing season up and down the coasts canceled.

This week was finale week for two of television's top-rated shows: "Dancing With The Stars" and "American Idol." First, "Idol" as 24 million viewers cared less about Lee DeWyze taking the crown (in an upset over favorite Crystal Bowersox, who broke up with her boyfriend before the finale) and more about saying farewell to Simon Cowell after being part of the show since day one. Among those who helped in the goodbye: Paula Abdul -- who's returning to television this fall fronting a new dance competition show for CBS -- and almost all the past "Idol" winners including Kelly Clarkson, Carrie Underwood, and Kris Allen; David Cook was doing a charity event in Kansas City. By the way, 24 million viewers was the lowest-rated finale in the show's history, a tell-tale sign that we don't care anymore. Despite that, "American Idol" for the sixth season in a row now remains television's #1 program.

Meanwhile, it was Doll domination as Pussycat Doll Nicole Scherzinger and Derek Hough took the mirror ball trophy on "Dancing With The Stars." That finale also brought back all of this season's contestants including the most talked about of all, Kate Gosselin. Around 18 million viewers tuned in for all that, and next season, it and "NCIS" may be one of the two shows out for "Idol's" blood now that Simon's gone.

And last but not least: The two hosts of those shows, Ryan Seacrest and Tom Bergeron, have been watched by more viewers than ever before, though they are already broadcasting veterans. But there are times we hate one show and prefer the other, so who's really the host with the most? Let's settle the score right now with my fourth...

Yes, after doing the ladies three times before (Kirsten Dunst vs. Natalie Portman in 2002, Amanda Bynes vs. Hilary Duff in 2004, and Megan Fox vs. Angelina Jolie last year) it's the guys' turn now!

Where they got their starts:
Tom Bergeron: WHAV in Haverhill, Mass.
Ryan Seacrest: WSTR in Atlanta, Ga.
Advantage: Draw; it all began for them at their hometowns

First television gigs:
Bergeron: WBZ-TV in Boston where he hosted "Lottery Live" and "People Are Talking"
Seacrest: "Radical Outdoor Challenge" on ESPN and the syndicated "Gladiators 2000"
Advantage: Bergeron

Biggest national break:
Bergeron: The FX cable channel with "Breakfast Time" (it later moved to the main Fox network and became "Fox After Breakfast")
Seacrest: The game show "Click" created and produced by the late Merv Griffin
Advantage: Bergeron, because he had a show on Fox before Seacrest!

Accolades:
Bergeron: An Outstanding Game Show Host Emmy for "Hollywood Squares" in 2000 (tying with Bob Barker), though he was nominated five times
Seacrest: None, though he hosted the 2007 Primetime Emmys (which became a fast-forward fest)
Advantage: Bergeron

When they're not doing their prime jobs:
Bergeron: "America's Funniest Home Videos" (now on five times a week), the Jerry Lewis MDA Telethon, and kicking back at his East Coast home in Connecticut
Seacrest: "American Top 40", "E! News", "Dick Clark's New Year's Rockin' Eve with Ryan Seacrest", and "On Air with Ryan Seacrest" on the radio (the television version was short-lived. Oh, he's also a television producer.
Advantage: Seacrest, though he has yet to pen a book like Bergeron did

Sign-off phrases:
Bergeron: None, though he always begins "Dancing With The Stars" with "LIIIIIIVVVEE!!! This is Dancing...With The STARS!!!!"
Seacrest: "Seacrest...out!"
Advantage: Draw

Shameless self-promotion:
Bergeron: None
Seacrest: Scope mouthwash commercials
Advantage: Bergeron, he would never stoop low to pushing dental hygiene products!

In the end, I have my score: Tom Bergeron 6, Ryan Seacrest 1.

It's the decades of experience that makes you the true king of all media (sorry, Howard Stern), and Tom Bergeron has triumphed Ryan Seacrest over that. I am too old for "American Idol", and I have a feeling that with Simon Cowell now gone, it won't be the #1 TV show for long. And besides, Bergeron's suaveness is more tolerable and camera-friendly than Seacrest's smugness, which explains why he's been at the game longer than him. But then again, Len Goodman, Carrie Ann Inaba, and Bruno Tonioli are "Dancing With The Stars'" answer to Simon Cowell, Paula Abdul, and Randy Jackson respectively, and as they remain one of the top-rated shows, it will prove to a point that judging always comes in threes...though Carrie Ann is quite a looker, and I would give her a "10!" And yes, guys, she's single.

So long, stay strong, and enjoy the rest of your Memorial Day Weekend.

Hello, everybody.

We begin first up with a change in power, as Gordon Brown's resignation as British Prime Minister has led to David Cameron taking the top job as of Tuesday. This comes in the wake of last Thursday's general elections that resulted in a hung parliament, meaning neither of the three main parties (Labour, Conservative, Liberal Democrats) received 326 seats for a majority government. 326 seats is sort of like Canada's equivalent to 155 seats for a party to claim majority in a federal election, or here in the States, 270 electoral votes needed to win the presidency. By the way, the Conservatives won 306 seats; Labour, 258; Liberal Democrats, 57.

What we experienced across the waters is reminiscent of 2000 and Florida right here. Remember that? The drama lingered for weeks until it was in the hands of the Supreme Court, and speaking of which...also on Monday, President Obama named solicitor general Elena Kagan as nominee. If confirmed by the Senate, she would succeed retiring Justice John Paul Stevens; that would be sometime later this summer.

Over the weekend, we've lost two political and entertainment icons; first, Walter Hickel. The former Alaska governor and Interior Secretary died Friday night from natural causes; he was 90.

As one of the architects for statehood, Hickel served as our governor from 1966 to 1969 when he became Secretary of the Interior under President Richard Nixon, before a showdown over his Vietnam War policy stemming from the Kent State shootings had him fired 22 months later. In 1990, he switched party affiliations from Republican to the Alaskan Independence Party and ran for governor one more time in hopes of picking up where he left off 20 years earlier; he won, defeating Democrat Tony Knowles with 39% of the vote to Knowles's 31%.

However, Wally switched back to Republican in April 1994, and decided not to run for re-election. Last year, he had some harsh words to say about then-governor Sarah Palin; a year prior to that, he called for Sen. Ted Stevens's resignation over the VECO scandal.

On a personal note...I remember meeting Hickel in Juneau in 1994; he was my second acting governor following Bill Sheffield, who I shook his hand with when he visited what is now Barnette Magnet School in 1986. Tony Knowles, Frank Murkowski, and of course Sarah Palin would all come over the last 20 years, but no Steve Cowper. Counting former governors, the late Jay Hammond has to be included.

Wally Hickel will now be joining Hammond in heaven, as he was the last of the old-school Alaska politicians who knew how to run this state with class.

Another legend who passed away was entertainer Lena Horne on Sunday at 92. During the 1940's, it was Horne who set the standards for African-American entertainment, breaking racial barriers during segregation thanks to her signature role in "Stormy Weather." She even received the ultimate shout-out from Halle Berry when she claimed her Oscar in 2002 while mentioning Diahann Carroll and Dorothy Dandridge as well in her acceptance speech.

Even till the end, she and Hickel were true trailblazers in their fields, and their legacies will continue for generations to come.

And last but not least: Live from New York, it's Betty White! In what was the most anticipated television event of the year, the TV legend hosted "Saturday Night Live" on Saturday to the show's highest ratings in 18 months.

Now it was revealed that "SNL" tried to get Betty to host for years but she said no, until a Facebook campaign that was launched thanks to her Snickers commercial proved otherwise. But at the age of 88, Betty has been in hot demand these days. Last year, she starred in "The Proposal" opposite Sandra Bullock last year; this fall, it's "You Again" with Kristen Bell. And earlier this summer, she returns to television in TV Land's "Hot in Cleveland."

While Milton Berle will forever be known as "Mr. Television", Betty is Mrs. Television, being in the game for over 70 years. It's true; she got her start in 1939 in Los Angeles doing an experimental broadcast in an automobile showroom before the New York World's Fair a few months would introduce the medium to the world. Over the decades, her resume has included "The Mary Tyler Moore Show", "Life With Elizabeth", "Mama's Family", and "The Golden Girls" among others.

Betty has had years of game show experience both professionally and personally; her one and only husband was "Password" host Allen Ludden. White even hosted her own game show, the short-lived "Just Men!", in 1983 (two years after Ludden's death) and became the first female to win an Emmy for Outstanding Game Show Host.

Let's face it, folks: Even if she's just 12 years away from hitting 100, Betty White isn't slowing down anytime soon depending on her health (which I think is very good for her age). She's not really red hot again these days; White hot is more like it! So long and stay strong.

Hello, everybody. As always, there's so much to get to on this Cinco de Mayo, so first up...

We have been learning new developments into the Times Square bomb plot from last weekend as Faisal Shahzad, a naturalized U.S. citizen born in Pakistan, was arrested on charges of terrorism and weapons of mass destruction for rigging an SUV with explosives and trying to blow it up at the famed New York tourist attraction.

Shahzad was in custody after being taken off a plane bound for Dubai at John F. Kennedy Airport Monday night despite being on the "no-fly" list. Shazad had been in constant watch for some time at his Connecticut home, but authorities lost track of him. The criminal complaint recorded that Shazad confessed to buying the SUV, a 1993 Nissan Pathfinder, and rigged it with bombs before driving it to Times Square. President Obama said that "hundreds of lives" may have been saved thanks to the quick action of citizens and law enforcement who X-rayed the parked vehicle.

Now in an ironic twist of fate, "The Simpsons'" newest episode last Sunday was about hundreds of surveillance cameras rigged up all over Springfield in light of a bomb scare. Cameras on every block sound like an invasion of privacy to me (except for that "Big Brother" show), but most high-end homes have beefed-up home security which includes cameras. Me? I'm fine with the original home security device there is: my dog.

Another huge story we're following is the oil spill off the Gulf of Mexico that is threatening the Mississippi and Alabama coastlines, as they've been trying to do everything it takes to not become another Prince William Sound.

Yes, Prince William Sound...ground zero for until now, what was the most costliest oil spill in U.S. history with the Exxon Valdez in 1989. The current one is bringing back to us memories of over 20 years ago, and I remember it being on the front pages of all our papers for weeks.

This time, BP is responsible for the almost one million gallons that have exploded off an oil rig outside Louisiana so far, and that's more than the Exxon Valdez. I hope all this gets cleaned up in time for summer to begin.

Now two stories have been making news for the last few days here in the United States...but 24 hours from now, the attention will shift across the waters to Britain as we find out who'll gain tenancy at 10 Downing Street in their general election. Gordon Brown as Labour Party leader may be in his last few moments as incumbent Prime Minister, while David Cameron (Conservatives) and Nick Clegg (Liberal Democrats) have been making their moves since the election was called a few weeks ago. With all 650 seats up for grabs, all bets are off as the forecast may call for the same kind of change we experienced in 2008: a Conservative majority with Cameron in charge.

This campaign was unique in more ways than one, as for the first time ever, the party leaders debated each other in primetime in U.S. style debates for three weeks; first on ITV, then Sky News, and finally the BBC. But unlike us, there are no 30-second "(insert party) approves this message" ads aired on the main networks. Instead, five-minute paid political broadcasts by each of the three parties are aired nightly before the news.

Also, the polls on Thursday close at 10:00pm British Time (all other time zones, you do the math) and the counting by hand lasts into the middle of the night, meaning it would be the crack of dawn before 100% of the numbers are in. In most U.S. elections, most polls close at 8:00pm their time; and with today's modern voting methods like Accu-Vote here in Alaska, we'd have 100% of the count within three to four hours! In other words, by the time we hit to bed we'd know who won, and that will be the very same case in the gubernatorial primaries this summer followed by the big general election (and the mid-terms) on November 2 when we find out whether or not Sean Parnell will be given an additional four years of residency at the Governor's Mansion in Juneau!

But no matter what the outcome will be on Thursday night, it could mean an advantage to either the Democrats or Republicans on this side of the Atlantic in November. May the best party win. So long and stay strong.

Hello, everybody. We've got tons of territory to cover, so enough with the bull and let's get on with it!

First up...For the eighth time, Larry King is headed to divorce court. On Wednesday, the 76-year-old CNN talk show host has filed for divorce from his seventh wife Shawn after 13 years citing, of course, irreconcilable differences. At the same time, Shawn filed her divorce papers as well and she's seeking sole custody of their two children, Chance and Cannon.

Like I just said, this is King's eighth divorce, and he has had more marriages than Elizabeth Taylor! Now with the current one, this has the makings of one of Hollywood's nastiest divorces to go along with Burt Reynolds and Loni Anderson, Brad Pitt and Jennifer Aniston, and of course (even though they're far away from Hollywood), Jon and Kate Gosselin. Sandra Bullock and Jesse James may not be far behind, but we're keeping a watch on that.

Now Larry King has been a proud member of the Turner networks family for almost 25 years, but this fall there'll be a brand-new addition: Conan O'Brien! That's right, it was announced this week that he'll be taking his late night act to TBS in November, bumping George Lopez's show to midnight. Dunno if Andy Richter and Max Weinberg will join him, but I'm sure the popular comedy bits like "In The Year 3000" will return under new names (NBC owns the intellectual properties). We'll see what happens.

And speaking of Kate Gosselin...she is perhaps one of the reasons why "Dancing With The Stars" has become the weekly television event this season. It is so hot that for the second time, it has beaten the once-powerful juggernaut known as "American Idol" in the ratings! Kate does get to dance for another week, but despite juggling between rehearsals and his "Stars On Ice" tour, favorite Evan Lysacek is still coming on strong.

But of course, we're watching to see if Pamela Anderson really is wardrobe malfunction-proof, while Chad Ochocinco is doing all it takes to make his partner Cheryl Burke a three-time winner. So far, we've seen Shannen Doherty, Buzz Aldrin, and now Aiden Turner being kicked out of the dance floor; who will be next? Kate???

Now I'm old school when it comes to watching TV shows right on my television as it's airing, but of course watching it anywhere, anytime has become the way of life these days. There is now an ABC Player app for the iPad where you can watch its shows such as "Dancing With The Stars" anywhere there's a WiFi connection available.

Yes, Apple's new iPad is out and starting at $500, it's slowly but surely starting to sell like hotcakes...at least here in North America. In Britain, the launch date there has been delayed for some time. Maybe it's because of high demand here, or that some general election coming up on May 6 -- to see whether or not Gordon Brown will live a few more years at No. 10 Downing Street -- is more important than the iPad.

I've said last summer that the whole world's gone app crazy. There is already a growing number of apps that are made only for the iPad while most of them are compatible for that and the iPhone/iPod Touch. While some of those paid apps start at 99 cents, the iPad apps ain't cheap: they start at $10 a pop.

Of course, I'd love to get my hands on one of those iPads myself, but I better wait till a) my 32nd birthday, b) Christmas, or c) when I feel I have enough money to shell out for one.

And last but not least: Dove skin care products aren't for women anymore, as recently they've rolled out a men's line.

For the last few months now, we've seen the skin care aisles beefed up with Dove Men+Care, Nivea for Men, Neutrogena for Men, and Suave Men. With those products, the days of Old Spice are already long gone.

But what is it with those once only women's brands catering to men as well? Then again, one section at most stores is set aside to black hair care/skin care products that I buy on occasion.

I'm hunching that within a year or two, we'll be seeing Pantene for Men, Olay for Men, and god forbid, Crest for Men (Procter and Gamble, are you listening?). And in the case of Crest for Men...how are they going to promote it? So long and stay strong.

Hello, everybody. Of course a lot of things have happened this week including the aftermath of the health care reform bill now into law; but as promised, this is a very special blog as when it's springtime, it could mean only one thing: Sexiest Woman of 2010!!!

That's right! For the last few days, I've been creating the modifying the starting field of 90 for this year's tournament. In light of last year when Lisa Edelstein upset everybody in the final round that lasted only a couple days, this year I've decided to pull out all the stops to make sure we play things fair and square. Therefore, the field this year will be like no other, with dozens of brand new faces to go along with the old favorites we've known and loved for years.

Enough chitchat; on to the field starting with the Juniors:

Group A
Kristin Cavallari
Miley Cyrus
Dakota Fanning
Selena Gomez
Blake Lively (last year's top co-Junior)
Audrina Patridge
Rihanna
Kristen Stewart
Ashley Tisdale

Group B
Amanda Bynes
Kaley Cuoco
Ashley Greene
Vanessa Hudgens
Victoria Justice
AnnaLynne McCord
Lea Michele
Taylor Momsen
Hayden Panettiere
Emmy Rossum

Group C
Lauren Conrad
Miranda Cosgrove
Hilary Duff
Julianne Hough
Demi Lovato
Leighton Meester
Emma Roberts
Amanda Seyfried
Jessica Stroup
Taylor Swift (last year's top co-Junior)

And now, the Seniors...

Group D
Kristen Bell (2007 runner-up and 2008 winner)
Courteney Cox
Dana Delany
Stacy "Fergie" Ferguson
Lauren Graham (2005 winner)
Anne Hathaway
Stacy Keibler (2003 third-place finisher)
Mila Kunis
Jennifer Lopez (2001 runner-up)
Reese Witherspoon

Group E
Paula Abdul
Christina Aguilera (1999 runner-up)
Jessica Alba (2000 and 2003 winner)
Sandra Bullock (who has been in the news as of late as far as Jesse James is concerned)
Shannen Doherty
Mariska Hargitay
Jennifer Love Hewitt (2002 third-place finisher)
Beyonce Knowles
Eva Longoria Parker
Shakira

Group F
Christina Applegate
Jessica Biel
Mariah Carey
Jennifer Garner (2005 runner-up)
Teri Hatcher
Alicia Keys
Demi Moore
Britney Spears (1999 winner and 2000-2001 third-place finisher)
Olivia Wilde
Kate Winslet

And finally, the Underdogs...

Group G
Cheryl Burke
Marion Cotillard
Kim Kardashian
Diane Kruger
Olivia Munn
Nancy O'Dell
Stephanie Pratt
Zoe Saldana
Lindsey Vonn
Emma Watson

Group H
Cheryl Cole
Cat Deeley
Kara DioGuardi
Christina Hendricks
Samantha Harris
Stana Katic
Avril Lavigne
Sarah Jessica Parker
Karina Smirnoff
Alison Sweeney

Group I
Dianna Agron
Erin Andrews
Brooke Burke
Kristin Chenoweth
Tina Fey
Katharine McPhee
Marisa Miller
Katy Perry
Nicole Scherzinger
Kate Walsh (last year's top Underdog and third-place finisher)

(NOTE: The field may change at any time)

Now a lot of you are wondering, "Where is Jennifer Aniston?!" Well, as runner-up both last year and in 2006 (as well as finishing third in 2005 and 2008), she gets an automatic bye for the first two rounds.

Okay, here's how the whole show will go...

Top 60 ladies after Round 1 (20 Juniors, 20 Seniors, 20 Underdogs) advance to Round 2 where only 30 will remain (ten from each category). But when we get to Round 3 with Aniston joining the party, the categories are removed and it's anything goes from here on out as the field decreases to 20 for Round 4.

The top ten ladies after Round 4 will go on to face last year's winner Lisa Edelstein in the fifth and final round; if everything goes according to plan, that will be around mid-November!!!!

It's going to be very exciting with every vote, so mark your calendars for April 8 when the Sexiest Woman of 2010 tournament kicks off with the first round preliminaries! And oh yeah...unlike last year, there's no accompanying video on YouTube for this. So long and stay strong!

Hello, everybody. Well, I don't know what was even more nail-biting on Sunday: The road to the Sweet 16 in the NCAA basketball tournament or the road to the Sweet 216 on Capitol Hill as that number was all it took to pass a make-or-break health care reform bill that was over a century in the making. And by God, it did pass 219-212. I tell you...I was on the edge of my seat keeping an eye on the "Yes" votes waiting for that magic number to hit their way.

President Obama will sign the bill into law Tuesday, and it will take a few years to be put into effect. The bill will give 32 million Americans health insurance, which will put us a step closer into full universal health care with 95% coverage.

I have said on this blog in 2007 that the whole health care system in the United States has been broken for decades and is in need for a head-to-toe overhaul; otherwise, we would be fallen in line. What the Clinton administration couldn't do in 1993 (which led to the Republicans cleaning house the following year); the Obama administration did over the weekend. We have prayed for years for our country to be granted universal health care, and despite Bart Stupak being called "Baby killer!" after the vote, our prayers were finally answered. No more flatlines; there's a new pulse beating in America as we already experienced the real March Madness.

Spring has sprung, and that could mean only one thing that starts in spring: No, not the new season of "Dancing With The Stars", but something I've been doing since 1999: SEXIEST WOMAN OF 2010!!!!!!!

That's right! It's that time once again when we ask the question of all questions: Who will be crowned Sexiest Woman of the Year by year's end? If you recall, last year's finals was very short-lived when Kate Walsh at first had the lead, then Lisa Edelstein from out of nowhere did the impossible and scored the biggest upset in the 12-year history of the tournament and won with Jennifer Aniston once again coming close (Walsh finished third).

Also last year, we had the starting field of 120; this time, it's back to 90. Who will those 90 be as they have one chance to dethrone Edelstein for the title? You'll find out next week as I'll unveil the Juniors, Seniors, and Underdogs; and let me tell you this...it'll be a field like never before, and I want to emphasize the words "never before"! So long and stay strong!

Hello everybody, as we are on the verge of what could be a monumental turn of events in the history of American politics. By the time this blog is put to bed, we would be hours away from the House's do-or-die vote on the the health care reform bill Sunday...one that is over seven decades in the making, though we tried an attempt before.

For the last few days, President Obama has been working the phones and meeting face-to-face with our Representatives, especially the Democrats who want to hit the all-important target number of 216 votes needed to pass the bill. For those of you who have been in space and don't know what I'm talking about, here's what's at stake:

• The bill would expand health insurance coverage to 32 million Americans, giving us 95% full coverage
• Health insurance would be affordable to the middle class and small businesses
• Insurance companies would be held accountable to keep premiums down and prevent denials of care and coverage
• Medicare benefits would be improved with lower prescription costs for those in the "donut hole"
• And most of all, the deficit would be reduced by more than $100 billion to $1 trillion over the next two decades.

On Friday, Obama made what could be his final push for reform at a rally in Virginia, which was followed Saturday by a meeting with Democrats at the Capitol.

While victory may be guaranteed, the Republicans are saying otherwise. As we have seen in the last eight months or so, tea parties from all over the country have been helping send Obama the message. But we have already learned a lesson in the early '90s when Bill Clinton's health care plan crashed and burned, and we don't want to see deja vu all over again. Forget the NCAA tournament; the real March Madness will end on Capitol Hill Sunday with the one vote that could end a century of hell on earth in this country. The time for reform really is now!

You can tell that spring is the favorite time of year for CBS's Jim Nantz: first with the NCAA basketball tournament and after that, Tiger Woods returning to action at the Masters as that announcement was made this week. This comes as text messages from Tiger to alleged mistress Joslyn James from July to October 2009 were released; some of them are too explicit to even post here, but you can read them for yourself.

The Masters are the Super Bowl of golf, and even though ratings for this year's tournament are expected to be high with Tiger back on the green, the ad rates have already been locked in before his decision. That's because Augusta National Golf Club (which runs the Masters) stipulates that only four minutes of commercials must be run per hour, compared to 12 or so minutes at other tournaments including the U.S. Open, British Open, and PGA Championship.

Also, being right there to witness it all will be a challenge. A one-day pass could run up to $1,000, and cameras and mobile devices/phones are not allowed at Augusta National. But whatever; we'll see if the Tiger will really roar in his comeback bid for the green jacket as the Masters get underway on April 8.

And last but not least...earlier this week came the shocking news (which I reported on this blog) that Kate Winslet and Sam Mendes are separating after seven years of marriage; this comes after Kate attended this year's Oscars to present Best Actor to Jeff Bridges.

Kate picked up Best Actress last year for "The Reader", and now it appears that the fabled Oscar Curse has hit her successor, Sandra Bullock! Why is that? Bullock may have claimed her Oscar for "The Blind Side", but we have learned that she has been blindsided herself as tabloid reports boasted that while filming her movie, husband Jesse James was getting freaky with Michelle "Bombshell" McGee. The only difference: Jesse's and Michelle's bodies are loaded with tattoos; Sandra's isn't.

Sandra knew something was up as she canceled her trip to Britain to promote "The Blind Side" there (after all, movies with an American football theme rarely do well overseas) while James issued this apology: "The vast majority of the allegations reported are untrue and unfounded. Beyond that, I will not dignify these private matters with any further public comment. There is only one person to blame for this whole situation, and that is me. It's because of my poor judgment that I deserve everything bad that is coming my way. This has caused my wife and kids pain and embarrassment beyond comprehension and I am extremely saddened to have brought this on them. I am truly very sorry for the grief I have caused them."

Okay, I ain't buying this one bit. Over the years, Sandra has dated the likes of Tate Donovan to Matthew McConaughey, but what did she really see in Jesse? They may look happy together as evidenced at the Golden Globes and Academy Awards, but you know there is an opposite side we've never seen, and it was already exposed that Jesse is a cheater.

I don't know if Sandra will either forgive him to take him to divorce court, but one thing's for certain: Jesse James really is a dead man after all! So long and stay strong.

Hello, everybody. 8 days, 23 hours, 59 minutes, and 9 seconds with an average speed of 5.15 miles per hour was all it took for Lance Mackey to breeze through the Burled Arch in Nome at close to 3:00 pm Alaska Time this afternoon to claim his fourth Iditarod title in a row and in near record time! His rewards were the same as the last three times: $50,000 and a new Dodge truck.

Hans Gatt of Whitehorse, Canada would follow him to Nome arriving at 4:04, and four-time champion Jeff King was next just an hour ago at 5:22 pm. But right now, the most popular Lance in sports is not Armstrong, but Mackey as he has once again defied the odds as winner and still champion of The Last Great Race. So long and stay strong.

Hello, everybody. Not much going on, but as I tweeted earlier today, Kate Winslet and director Sam Mendes are calling it quits after seven years of marriage.

Winslet won an Oscar last year for "The Reader" while Mendes has an Oscar himself for directing "American Beauty"; he also directed Kate in "Revolutionary Road", reuniting her and "Titanic's" Leonardo DiCaprio. A rep for the couple says in a statement, "They are saddened to announce they separated earlier this year. The split is entirely amicable and is by mutual agreement. Both parties are fully committed to the future joint parenting of their children." And by their children, we're referring to son Joe and daughter Mia, the latter from Kate's first marriage to Jim Threapleton.

Now this comes just after Kate presented Best Actor to Jeff Bridges at last weekend's Oscars. But you also noticed that Sam wasn't present with her at that and the BAFTA awards a couple weeks prior; she was out there all alone. And according to sources, Kate has been "bored with Sam", and that the break-up took place last summer.

Kate and Leo got hot and heavy in two films, but I don't see them doing that in real life anytime soon. Also, this is part of what has been called "The Oscar Curse": Julia Roberts, Reese Witherspoon, Halle Berry, Charlize Theron, and now Kate Winslet have fallen victim to it, while Nicole Kidman and Gwyneth Paltrow remain curse-proof. Sandra Bullock better watch her guard!

Now...the latest on Iditarod 38, or as I like to call, "The Lance Mackey Show" as the defending champion remains on cruise control for a quadruple victory. He checked in at Elim at 12:51 Alaska time this afternoon and out 15 minutes later, with White Mountain as the next stop.

Meanwhile, it's already a battle for second place between Hans Gatt and Jeff King with Gatt still in front; Ken Anderson and Hugh Neff round out the top five.

Right now, Front Street in Nome is already rolling out the welcome mat for Mackey and the big finish is now estimated to be between Noon-3:00 pm Alaska Time tomorrow afternoon (4-7pm Eastern/1-4pm Pacific). I'll try to be able to watch the finish live online; if not, there's always the tweets followed by the full details on tomorrow's blog. So long and stay strong.

Hello, everybody.

First up...the sudden death of Corey Haim early Wednesday morning at age 38 that took everybody by surprise.

The Canadian-born former teen heartthrob rode high in the 1980's with "The Lost Boys" (alongside another Corey -- Corey Feldman) and "License To Drive" (which introduced the world to Heather Graham, a decade before "Boogie Nights" and others to come including last year's "The Hangover"). But in later years, his career and him in general took a turn for the worse, as he was plagued with drug problems. Also, according to Feldman, he attempted suicide numerous times though he had some projects under his belt.

Corey's death came just months after drugs killed Brittany Murphy and later heiress Casey Johnson. It's sad that one of "The Lost Boys" is now one himself.

Now, the latest on Iditarod 38, as Jeff King was first to the Yukon River early Friday morning reaching Ruby. His reward? $3,500 cash and an eight-course meal from the Millennium Hotel Anchorage which consisted of Alaskan king crab, bison stew, grilled halibut with citrus sauce, lemon sorbet, potatoes, brown sugar and carrots, and blackberry jubliee. This may be King's last Iditarod, and if he wants to end it on a high note with a fourth trip to Nome he better maintain his lead...or else.

And speaking of which, as of Saturday morning King is still in the lead exiting Kaltag but barely with Lance Mackey not far behind and Hugh Neff in third in Nulato. The big finish in Nome is expected to be between early Tuesday morning to Wednesday evening, so will King cling on to dear life to prevent Mackey from getting a four-peat? We'll find out.

(UPDATE: Mackey has just taken the lead exiting Kaltag with Hans Gatt now in second and Jeff King third)

Things went back to normal after last weekend's Academy Awards, as Mo'Nique was back to work on her BET talk show after claiming Supporting Actress. And here's one tidbit you don't know about: Usually, the Oscars the winners would pick up on stage would have to be taken back to the Academy to get them engraved. Not anymore; at the Governors' Ball, they would be done right on the spot! So first, you see Best Actress Sandra Bullock at the press room showing off her hardware to the world; then an hour or so later, it has the inscription on it for all times.

We all knew that that Oscar would belong to Sandra and it was well deserved. But in the case of one guy...well, let's just say it was like as if he won the lottery.

25-year-old filmmaker Brian Rowe of Los Angeles was watching the Oscars like everybody else, and with a T-shirt saying "I (heart) Sandra Bullock", his heart was pounding during the Best Actress segment. When the big moment came with Sean Penn saying "And the winner is...Sandra Bullock!", he totally went nuts all over the living room with screams of "Oh my God!!!" throughout; he literally couldn't contain himself! Hey, I was never like that when Halle Berry won!

Anyway, the video of all this is already a worldwide hit on YouTube, and I even e-mailed and later called Brian on Thursday about it asking if it was staged or was it all real. No need for a response, because knowing he's been a huge Sandra fan for much of his life, his reactions were 100% real. But what if it was Meryl Streep on stage instead of Sandra? He would've been bawling like there was no tomorrow!

And last but not least...In January, I had Sandra at the top of my first Celebrity Twitter Wish List as one of the many celebs I want to see on there. But last time on my Oscar recap blog, I said that husband Jesse James -- who has a Twitter handle himself -- has been getting all the congratulatory tweets on her behalf. Well, I have an open message to Jesse, and I hope he can relay this to his now award-winning wife:

GET SANDRA BULLOCK A TWITTER ACCOUNT OF HER OWN!!!!!!!

That's right!!!! Another devoted Sandra fan (not Brian Rowe, but somebody else) put up a Twitition some months ago demanding you, Jesse, to follow all the other celebrities' lead to get Sandy on Twitter herself. She has lots of free time between now and her next project, and you're pretty much paying the bills for her, so teaching Sandra the ropes might do the trick. A Facebook page might help in the process of getting it verified as well.

If everything goes according to plan, I can see about 30,000 to 50,000 followers after the first week compared to 21,800 compared to yours. Sandra Bullock is on top of the heap again with Oscar gold as the ultimate career highlight; now it's time for you, Jesse James, to step up to the plate and return the favor to her fans all over the world...especially of course that Brian Rowe guy.

By the way...Kevin Spacey is the most-followed Oscar winner on Twitter with over 1.6 million followers followed by Tom Hanks with 300,000 and Marlee Matlin with around 37,000 (Meryl Streep, who Sandra beat last Sunday for the big prize, has only 1,900). I'm sure Sandra can do better than that, and trust me...she will. So long and stay strong!

"Hurt Locker" leaves "Avatar" blue-faced at the Oscars!

Hello, everybody. As always, they were not broadcast live at 4:00 pm here in Alaska, but for 3 hours and 37 minutes the 82nd Annual Academy Awards on Sunday with hosts Steve Martin and Alec Baldwin kept things lively for every moment.

And in the case of "The Hurt Locker", it was a very lively affair for them as the big winner of the night with six Oscars including Original Screenplay, Best Picture of 2009, and for the first time ever -- a female taking Best Director, as Kathryn Bigelow beat out ex-husband James Cameron for that prize. But his "Avatar" didn't go home empty-handed, picking up Cinematography, Visual Effects, and Art Direction.

Christoph Waltz and Mo'Nique as expected claimed Supporting Actor and Actress for "Inglourious Basterds" and "Precious" respectively (for Mo'Nique, it came just 60 years after Hattie McDaniel became the first ever black Oscar winner for "Gone With The Wind"); Jeff Bridges got Best Actor for "Crazy Heart"; and the heavily favored Sandra Bullock, 24 hours after being dis-honored with a Worst Actress Razzie ("All About Steve"), capped off her year to remember with Best Actress gold for "The Blind Side." More on her in a moment. And for the third time...I got all my picks right on the nose!!!!

Meanwhile, "Up" got Animated Feature; Argentina's "El Secreto du Sus Ojos", Foreign Language Film; and Original Song went to "The Weary Kind" from "Crazy Heart."

Now, on to the show: Neil Patrick Harris opened with a song-and-dance number before segueing to Martin and Baldwin handling the festivities for the rest of the night. And I thought they moved things along pretty well, even cracking a Toyota joke during the monologue.

But the best highlight of the show was Brat Packers Molly Ringwald, Anthony Michael Hall, Ally Sheedy, and Judd Nelson, as well as Matthew Broderick, Jon Cryer, and "Home Alone's" Macaulay Culkin all on stage paying an emotional tribute to fellow director and friend John Hughes with his family in the audience.

There was also the ubiquitous "In Memoriam" montage set to music by James Taylor performing "In My Life", though there was a lot of outcry over Farrah Fawcett being excluded. Let's set things straight about this before I continue:

1. Farrah was known primarily for her television work than feature films, and
2. She was already included in the "In Memoriam" piece at the Primetime Emmy Awards last September! Now do you understand?

Anyway...another moment was Ben Stiller going "Avatar" on us presenting Best Makeup in blue Na'vi makeup.

But the skies above the Kodak Theatre prior to the show was more gray than blue, though the tented red carpet turned into the world's largest greenhouse with blossoming fashions aplenty. We saw Meryl Streep as classy as she can be, Anna Kendrick elegant in Elie Saab, Cameron Diaz looking marvelous in metallic Oscar de la Renta, Miley Cyrus feeling like a woman in Jenny Packham, and Rachel McAdams awash also in Elie Saab.

So...who blossomed the most? Has to be Sandra Bullock; she definitely looked like an Oscar winner in her Marchesa with hubby Jesse James as her accessory. And for Gabourey Sidibie, Diane Kruger, Mariah Carey, and Zoe Saldana? Too much Miracle-Gro!

For the first time in over seven decades, we had ten films up for Best Picture. And only one of them had to stand out from the pack with Kathryn Bigelow finally doing something Jane Campion couldn't in 1994 when she lost to Steven Spielberg: Becoming the first female Best Director winner. As for Jeff Bridges? His father Lloyd must be smiling up above knowing that one of his sons finally caught the big one.

But in the end, Oscar Night 2010 ultimately belonged to a woman who was voted "Most Likely To Brighten Your Day" by her senior class at Arlington, Virginia's Washington-Lee High School in 1982. And in the years since, she has indeed brightened everybody's days, starting out on the short-lived TV version of "Working Girl" then working alongside Sylvester Stallone in "Demolition Man" before "Speed" would put her on the map followed by "While You Were Sleeping" and "The Net" to come.

The two "Miss Congeniality" movies would keep her busy during the 21st Century, then "Crash" and "The Lake House", reuniting her with "Speed's" co-star Keanu Reeves. And then came 2009, with "The Proposal" and "The Blind Side" both raking in enough money to put her back in the spotlight. Now, over two decades of living and breathing her career has paid off for the better, as Sandra Annette Bullock has a second man in her life to go along with Jesse James: a gold-plated fellow named Oscar!

Mo'Nique said it best during her speech: It's the performances, not the politics, that make you a winner. And that was what the 82nd Annual Academy Awards were all about, as the night's theme should well be "I Am Woman, Hear Me Roar!"

By the way...ratingswise, the Oscarcast was a hit, up 20% from last year.

Now that I've got the Oscars out of the way...I'm just getting started, folks!

Within moments after her win, Sandra Bullock immediately became a trending topic on Twitter. However, it's Jesse James that's getting the congratulatory tweets on her behalf because he has a Twitter, she doesn't.

Since my first wishlist, fellow Oscar winners Julia Roberts and Reese Witherspoon established their own homes on Facebook instead of Twitter as well as Sarah Jessica Parker who has both. And even though they have been tape delayed in Alaska as I mentioned on top, I have been following this year's awards on Twitter. But enough babbling; here now is my second Celebrity Twitter/Facebook Wish List:

• Michelle Pfeiffer (see August 13, 2007 blog)
• Tara Lipinski (hey, fellow Olympian Evan Lysacek has an account, so why not her? And after all, she isn't doing anything!)
• Hilary Swank (who wowed us five years ago in a backless gown when she picked up her second Best Actress and once again at the Vanity Fair party on Sunday in a low-cut number)
• Kate Winslet (last year's Best Actress had a Twitter before, but somehow deleted it)
• Lori Loughlin (if a middle-aged hottie like Demi Moore has a Twitter, so can her!)
  

Once again there are others, but I'll save them for next time.

Now onto the 38th running of the Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race, where over 70 of the world's finest mushers have one goal in mind: to prevent Lance Mackey from claiming a fourth straight title as they take on 1,150 miles of the most challenging terrain known to man while facing who knows what along the journey to Nome. As of Monday afternoon, Sebastian Schnuelle, John Baker, and Warren Palfrey have all exited Rainy Pass while Mackey is 15th.

Of course the race is just getting started, and you know Mackey as always will make his move when the homestretch comes. Who will be the first to cross the famed Burled Arch in Nome for $50,000 (yes, it's down from the usual $69,000) and the keys to a new Dodge Truck? We'll find out in the next week-and-a-half.

And last but not least: Okay, I'll admit it...I'm a soft-core porn junkie.

With the current state of TV nowadays with "Real Housewives" this and "Jersey Shore" that, the late night fare offered on Cinemax has always been a sensual respite with shows like "Life On Top", "Lingerie", and "Zane's Sex Chronicles" airing at random. Alright, so I sampled hardcore porn as well, but it's not my cup of tea.

The idea for this topic came a few weeks ago while browsing through a Castle Megastore here in Fairbanks (my boss at work calls it White Castle) looking for any softcore fare on DVD. I was shocked to find out that rarely any of that are released on DVD, especially on Amazon, eBay, and even Netflix! And I should know because I had my first taste of softcore porn while staying at a hotel room in Juneau in 1994, only to realize my bill would run up to $45!

But how come softcore porn is never on DVD but the hardcore are? Is it because the producers couldn't find any good distributors to market them exclusively to online retailers like Amazon? Or is it because we're better off taping them off of Cinemax and then dubbing it to DVD ourselves?

I have ordered only a few of those softporn movies from Amazon over the years, but that ain't enough. After all, I don't mind seeing hot and heavy action, though many of us miss the funky '70s porno music that made us want to "get it on!" So long and stay strong!

Hello, everybody. The preparations continue down in Hollywood for Sunday's Academy Awards (which I'll get to in a bit), but first up...

Meet your new cast of "Dancing With The Stars", headlined by Kate Gosselin! Yes, the mother of eight will be showing the world if she have what it takes on the dance floor, and Kate's not alone. Joining her will be ESPN sportscaster Erin Andrews (who had her share of drama last year with the peephole scandal), "Baywatch" beauty Pamela Anderson, "90210" bad girl Shannen Doherty, Pussycat Doll Nicole Scherzinger, Olympic gold medalist Evan Lysacek, Apollo 11 astronaut Buzz Aldrin, comedienne Niecy Nash, "All My Children" hunk Aiden Turner, Chad Ochocinco of the Cincinnati Bengals, and "The Bachelor" Jake Pavelka.

But before the cast of characters was revealed, producers were in the middle of a cattle call for Tom Bergeron's new co-host to replace Samantha Harris. Brooke Burke and Mel B. reportedly auditioned, but there were 20 others including Stacy Keibler, who said on her Twitter she tried out as well.

By the way...whatever happened to Jann Carl and Ananda Lewis? They haven't been on TV in months and months, so they may have auditioned as well. The new season of "Dancing With The Stars" is March 22 on ABC, and by then, we'll have the answer as to who'll be grasping the bedazzled microphone. As for who'll grasp the mirrored ball trophy? My money's on Evan Lysacek; Buzz or Niecy will be the first to go.

But on Sunday, the whole world will be finding out who'll grasp that 8 lb. sculpted piece of 24-karat gold that is Oscar at the 82nd Annual Academy Awards.

Bill Mechanic and Adam Shankman are the men in charge of this year's show, and they have tweaked things up a bit. First, Louis J. Horvitz was unavailable (again) and Bruce Gowers and Glenn Weiss were too busy (the former with "American Idol"), so they hired an unlikely director: Hamish Hamilton, known for directing concert videos featuring Britney Spears, Christina Aguilera, and U2, as well as the Victoria's Secret Fashion Show and several MTV Video/Europe Music Awards. But one thing you won't be seeing for the first time in 82 years: a live orchestra; they have done away with it.

And after last year, the list of presenters is made public once again; along with last year's winners, you'll also see Tom Hanks, Charlize Theron, Kathy Bates, Matt Damon, Robin Williams (all of them past winners), Queen Latifah, "Twilight's" Taylor Lautner and Kristen Stewart, Tina Fey, Jennifer Lopez, Tyler Perry, Miley Cyrus, Samuel L. Jackson, John Travolta, and many more.

"Avatar" and "The Hurt Locker" are coming in as the front-runners; both are up for nine awards including Best Picture. The other eight films vying for that big prize are "The Blind Side", "District 9", "An Education", "Inglourious Basterds", "Precious", "A Serious Man", "Up", and "Up In The Air." Yes, for the first time in decades, we've got ten films up for Best Picture of 2009!

"Up" is also up for Animated Feature, and it could make Oscar history by taking both that and Best Picture. "Beauty And The Beast" was the last animated film nominated for Best Picture in 1992, but "Silence Of The Lambs" cleaned house that year.

Jeff Bridges is expected to take Best Actor for "Crazy Heart", despite weak competition from Supporting Actor winners George Clooney and Morgan Freeman, Colin Firth, and Jeremy Renner. As for Best Actress, Sandra Bullock is in a showdown with 16-time nominee and double winner Meryl Streep, leaving past winner Helen Mirren and first timers Carey Mulligan and Gabourey Sidibe in the dust.

And now comes the moment you've been waiting a few paragraphs for: Whose homes will be adorned with the most famous piece of hardware in the world after Sunday night? Here are my predictions:

Supporting Actor: Christoph Waltz (no contest)
Supporting Actress: Well, Mo'nique with Golden Globes and SAG honors may have got this in the bag, but looking back at my picks history, I'm always wrong. In 2007 I said that Eddie Murphy will take Supporting Actor for "Dreamgirls", but that ended up in the hands of Alan Arkin. However...we haven't had a black Supporting Actress winner since Whoopi Goldberg in "Ghost", and I think that 20 years is long enough; Mo'Nique should end that drought! And if not her, then Anna Kendrick or Maggie Gyllenhaal in an upset, but my pick is final.
Best Actor: Jeff Bridges (who else?)
Best Actress: Like I said, it's all about Sandra vs. Meryl; last year it was Kate Winslet vs. Meryl, and Kate won. Streep, being a great talent she is, may be the most-nominated actress ever, but Bullock has had a phenomenal 2009 headlined by "The Proposal" and "The Blind Side" raking in the bucks with the latter finally giving the honors she deserves. So in the end, I'd really love to hear Sean Penn say those life-changing words: "And the Oscar goes to...Sandra Bullock!"
Director: Kathryn Bigelow ("The Hurt Locker")
Best Picture: "Avatar" as first was the early favorite with a Golden Globe win, but not anymore. In 2006 I was rooting for "Brokeback Mountain" to take the big prize; but in the end, "Crash" crashed the gay cowboys' party. James Cameron may keep his trophy for "Titanic", but once again I'm playing it safe and say...war movies have traditionally taken Best Picture before; see "The Deer Hunter", "The Bridge On The River Kwai", "Patton", "Platoon", and most recently, "The English Patient." "The Hurt Locker" should continue that Oscar tradition.

Last year I swept the board, will I do it for a third time? We'll find out on Sunday when Steve Martin and Alec Baldwin host the 82nd Annual Academy Awards. And despite the show still being on tape delay at 7:00 pm here in Alaska (come on, you think there's no way for me to race home from work at 4:00?), it still wouldn't hurt spoiling ourselves while watching the show on who already won.

And like I've been doing for the last 11 years, I'll recap it all on Monday (the show, the fashions, and the stories behind the big wins) in what will no doubt be one blog that's filled to the brim! Along with the Oscars, I'll have my second Celebrity Twitter Wishlist as well as why do so many of the soft-core porn we see late nights on Cinemax are never out on DVD. That's all on Monday, so so long and stay strong!

(CORRECTION (3/22): The last black Supporting Actress winner after Whoopi Goldberg and now Mo'Nique was Jennifer Hudson for "Dreamgirls" in 2007)

Hello, everybody. There's so much to get to; let's get on with the show!

First up...on Friday, Tiger Woods faced the press and the world for the first time in months since his infamous car accident/infidelity affairs in a 15-minute news conference. For support, only his mother was right by Tiger's side; no sign of wife Elin and their children.

During the press conference at PGA headquarters in Florida, Woods said, "Every one of you have good reason to be critical of me. I want to say to each of you...I am deeply sorry for my irresponsible and selfish behavior." As for his accounts with those mistresses, he also admitted, "I was unfaithful, I had affairs, I cheated. I am the only person to blame."

He later went on, saying: "I know people want to know how I could have done these things to my wife Elin and to my children...I have let you down, and I have let down my fans. For many of you, my behavior has been a personal disappointment. I have made you question who I am and how I could do the things that I did...For all that I have done, I am so sorry. I have a lot to atone for."

Tiger did claim that his ego went way over his head. "I stopped living by the core values that I was taught to believe in. I lost track of what I was taught...I thought I deserved to enjoy all the temptations around me, I thought I was entitled...I was wrong, I was foolish. I don't get to play by different rules."

What about getting back to action? "I do plan to return to golf one day; I just don't know when that day will be...When I do return, I need to make my behavior be more respectful of the game." In the end, he asked for forgiveness: "I ask you to find room in your heart to one day believe in me again."

After the conference, Tiger returned to rehab in Mississippi, where he spent for the last 45 days.

Of course, this was broadcast around the world, and it's a sure thing Tiger didn't pull a Jimmy Swaggart by keeping his tears to himself. He will get back to the sport he loves alright, but it just won't be the same.

Boy...is the United States kicking ass at the 21st Olympic Winter Games in Vancouver or what? In the first week, we have been on quite a tear thanks to gold-medal performances by Shaun White (snowboarding), Lindsey Vonn (alpine skiing), Apolo Ohno and Shani Davis (men's speed skating; Ohno is now on track for the most Winter Olympics medals ever while Davis became the first African-American to claim back-to-back golds in the 1,000-meter), and Evan Lysacek holding off Russia's Evgeni Plushenko by a hair in men's figure skating! On Saturday, Davis and Vonn added two more medals with silver in the 1,500-meter and bronze in Super-G respectively.

As of Saturday, we are way ahead in the medal rankings with 22 including six golds, followed by Germany with 14 (they led the count very briefly) and Norway with 11. As for the host country Canada? They're slowly but surely catching up with eight.

NBC has also earned gold themselves, as the Olympics have also clobbered "American Idol" in the ratings.

We're now heading to week two of these games, as ladies' figure skating and of course hockey will take center stage. 30 years after the fabled "Miracle on Ice" and that famous call by Al Michaels, could the U.S. men's and women's hockey teams go all the way to pull off a miracle of their own in the land where hockey is born and immortalized? We shall find out.

And last but not least...Film director Kevin Smith of "Clerks" fame is declaring war against Southwest Airlines after his weight ejected him off one of their flights.

Now we have heard their woes before. Remember when Hooters waitress Kyla Ebbert was kicked off a Southwest flight a few years back for being deemed "too sexy to fly" because she dressed "inappropriately" and "too provocative"? Well, it didn't take long for her to fight back by ditching those revealing clothes for "Playboy."

By the way, Smith would board a later Southwest flight which had two seats for him; he was also given a $100 travel voucher as make-up. But whether you are too fat or sexy to fly them, the "ding" won't mean you are free to move about the country; it means you are free to move about the airport looking for another flight from another airline. So long and stay strong.

Hello, everybody.

Well...what can I say? The New Orleans Saints came from behind to wallop the Indianapolis Colts 31-17 in Super Bowl XLIV on Sunday with its quarterback Drew Brees as MVP. What did it for them? A fourth quarter interception by Tracy Porter for a 74-yard touchdown.

And if you were among the 106.5 million Americans who tuned in for all this, congratulations; you have made television history forever! With that record number, it was not only the most-watched Super Bowl ever...but after 27 years, has also dethroned the series finale of "M*A*S*H" to become the most-watched television broadcast of all-time!!! The game easily scored a 56.3 rating in New Orleans with snow-covered Washington, D.C. not far behind with a 56. In Indianapolis, it came in fourth with a 54.4.

On Monday, the team arrived home in New Orleans with the Vince Lombardi Trophy still in their possession, and a victory parade is scheduled for Tuesday. After suffering through five years of hell on earth following Hurricane Katrina, you can say that both New Orleans and the Mississippi Gulf Coast are indeed back in force, and the Saints' Super Bowl victory was indeed the final chapter.

Now of course, the game was indeed entertaining from beginning to end (The Who at halftime didn't entertain me)...and so were the commercials of course! There were so many of them to choose from, but here are...

My top ten favorite commercials from Super Bowl XLIV

10. Megan Fox for Motorola (Lemme see that picture...please?!)

9. The Boost Mobile Shuffle (Too bad they couldn't get Walter Payton because he shuffled on to heaven a decade ago)

8. Focus on the Family with Tim Tebow and his mother (this was the one that drew some controversy prior to the game)

7. Bridgestone "Whale of a Tale" (imagine if it was Mr. and Mrs. Potato Head driving with Richard Simmons in the back seat)

6. TIE: The E*Trade babies/Go Daddy (okay, I'm getting sick and tired of them, especially with Danica Patrick teasing us every year! Replace her with someone more worthy, like Stacy Keibler or whoever!)

5. Budweiser Bridge (perhaps my personal favorite because think of the pain they suffered from making that human bridge!)

4. Budweiser "Clydesdale Fence" (yes, a Bud Clydesdale ad is not #1 on this year's list, but you couldn't help be touched by the latest masterpiece)

3. Bud Light House (I thought the "Magic Fridge" one was better, but this one takes the cake...except that the fridge has no room for cake!)

2. The "Late Show" promo featuring David Letterman, Oprah Winfrey, and Jay Leno together (nobody saw this coming, and this was the one that had everybody talking. More on that later)

And my #1 favorite ad from Super Bowl XLIV which was also tops on "USA Today's" Ad Meter:


Snickers with Betty White and Abe Vigoda
(Proving that even at the ripe old age of 88, Betty can still kick your ass!)

Of course, there were some others I also liked but didn't make the top ten, including Bud Light's "Asteroid" (which turned out to become a pebble upon impact), Monster.com with the fiddling beaver (I prefer the Career Builder ad from last year with the spectacled koala), and Coca-Cola featuring "The Simpsons" (and you thought Mr. Burns doesn't have a heart).

Now back to Leno/Letterman/Oprah: That promo was shot last Tuesday, and things were kept under lock-and-key without no one knowing. Leno (who arrived at the Ed Sullivan Theater in disguise after getting permission from NBC brass) and Oprah were in secret green rooms while Dave taped his show, and the late night titans' greetings according to "Late Show" executive producer Rob Burnett were "very friendly, very professionally, very cordial."

Of course Leno has Monday and Tuesday night left at 10:00 and then it's a two-week break for the Winter Olympics (and based on the temperatures in Vancouver, it'll become more like the Spring Olympics) before he returns to the air on March 1 back at 11:30. So long, stay strong, and Believe Dat!

Who's going to Hollywood's big dance?

Hello, everybody. Earlier this morning, and as you saw on my Twitter, nominations for the 82nd Annual Academy Awards were announced, and leading the way are "Avatar" and "The Hurt Locker"; both with nine nominations including Director (ex-couple James Cameron and Kathryn Bigelow) and Best Picture of 2009. Those two films are among the ten up for that prize, including "The Blind Side", "District 9", "An Education", "Inglourious Basterds", "Precious", "A Serious Man", "Up", and "Up In The Air."

Golden Globe and SAG winner Jeff Bridges ("Crazy Heart") has plenty of company on the Best Actor side, with George Clooney ("Up In The Air"), Colin Firth ("A Single Man"), Morgan Freeman ("Invictus"), and Jeremy Renner ("The Hurt Locker"). And if Sandra Bullock wants to add Best Actress to go along with her Globes and SAG trophies she got so far for "The Blind Side", she'll have to get past past winners Helen Mirren ("The Last Station") and Meryl Streep (her 16th nomination, this time for "Julie & Julia"), Carey Mulligan ("An Education"), and Gabby Sidibe ("Precious").

On her Twitter, Supporting Actress nominee Anna Kendrick had this to say about being given the wake-up call of her life: "I'd love to say that 140 characters couldn't cover how I'm feeling; right now but I'm honestly speechless." Meanwhile, Pixar is happy that "Up" has two chances to make Oscar history by winning both Best Picture and Animated Feature on the same night; their "The Princess and the Frog" is also up for the latter.

James Cameron was king of the world when his "Titanic" dominated in 1998; will he be king again in 2010 with "Avatar?" We'll find out on March 7, when the 82nd Annual Academy Awards will be handed out with Steve Martin and Alec Baldwin handling the festivities. So long and stay strong.

Hello, everybody. It was ladies' night Sunday at the 52nd Annual Grammy Awards, as Beyonce earned a record-setting six awards -- the most for any female -- including Song of the Year for "Single Ladies" and Best female Pop Vocal Performance for "Halo" while Taylor Swift picked up four including Album of the Year honors for "Fearless". Meanwhile, Kings of Leon's "Use Somebody" received Record of the Year while the Zac Brown Brand was named Best New Artist.

The night's other winners include Green Day (Rock Album, "21st Century Breakdown"), Jay-Z and Rihanna ("Run This Town"), and Stephen Colbert (Comedy Album, "A Colbert Christmas: The Greatest Gift of All!"), who brought out the latest gadget which I'll get to in a bit.

There were great performances left and right, but one poignant moment belonged to Michael Jackson's children Prince and Paris as they paid tribute to their departed father; that followed the 3-D musical tribute of "Earth Song" by Smokey Robinson, Carrie Underwood (also a winner herself), Jennifer Hudson, Usher, and Celine Dion.

Of course, the fashions were all in 2-D; the best-dressed went to Rihanna (Elie Saab), Swift (Kaufman Franco), Fergie (looking busty and leggy in Emilio Pucci), Pink (Tony Ward), and Katy Perry (Zac Posen). Of course Lady Gaga was guaranteed worst-dressed, but I thought Ciara also looked great...in 1-D!

Now that Grammy fever is over for another year, first thing tomorrow morning it'll be Oscar fever as the nominations for the 82nd Annual Academy Awards will be out. I'll have the main categories on my Twitter page with the complete rundown on this blog.

As I hinted earlier, Stephen Colbert opened the show reading the nominees for the first award on the newest product Apple introduced last week but won't be out till the spring: the iPad. In other words, it's a supersized version of the iPod Touch though it will have the same capabilities except taking calls.

The wi-fi version will come out first in late March with the 3G version to follow in April, and the starting price: $500. I think this will sell very well unlike their last tablet computer, the Newton MessagePad, in the '90s; there were scenes of it in action in "Under Siege 2."

The question now is: How will Apple promote the iPad? There are rumors about a commercial to air during Super Bowl XLIV, but Apple isn't saying anything. Just like their groundbreaking Macintosh ad in 1984, they prefer to keep things hush-hush until kickoff when the Indianapolis Colts and New Orleans Saints clash for the Vince Lombardi Trophy with Carrie Underwood belting the national anthem and halftime belonging to The Who. And of course, growing up in a certain part of the country, you know who I'm rooting for (Saints).

And last but not least...Miss Virginia, Caressa Cameron, was crowned Miss America 2010 on Saturday. But...did anyone watch? Or for that matter, did anyone really care?

Miss America has always been the Super Bowl of beauty pageants for over eight decades, but let's face it, folks: Ratings for televised pageants are not what they used to be 10, 20, 30, or even 40 years ago.

Once upon a time, the Miss America, Miss USA, Miss Teen USA, and Miss Universe pageants were definitely the original must-see TV for men, because there was so much eye candy on one stage in one night. And the viewership was definitely eye-popping: upwards to 20 million viewers.

But then came cable in the 1970's, offering us soft-core fare in the late night hours; home video would later follow in the '80s.

The pageants still scored modest numbers well into the '90s...until the Internet came along, providing us unlimited access to much more eye candy with just a click of the mouse! That's when the suffering really began, followed by "Maxim" and other men's magazines to help contribute to the ratings slide.

Over the last decade or so, Miss America went from its longtime home on NBC back to ABC for a few more years until moving to two places not known for airing beauty pageants: CMT and now TLC. And to rub salt in the wound even further, Atlantic City would be traded for Las Vegas as the pageant's new home base.

(UPDATE: It was announced in May that after six years of being on cable, the Miss America pageant is returning to ABC in 2011; there's also a possibility that they may move it back home to Atlantic City where it belongs!)

In the mid-'90s, Donald Trump acquired the Miss Universe franchise; in 2003, they all moved from CBS to NBC after 40-plus years. I remember living in the Mississippi coast around the time they had the 1990 Miss Teen USA pageant; with 51 of the most beautiful teenage girls descending on our area, it was like as if we played host to the world's largest beach party! By the way, that year's crown went to Bridgette Wilson, who would later marry tennis superstar Pete Sampras.

To sum things up: Are televised beauty pageants dead after over 50 years? Not really, but they are on life support. It's just that the world is full of very sexy people...only that there is no one distinguishable as Bert Parks to serenade them after being crowned. So long and stay strong.