Hello, everybody. After spending 9 days, 21 hours, 38 minutes, and 46 seconds on the trail with an average speed of 4.76 miles per hour, Lance Mackey has officially settled in Nome for the third straight time as Iditarod champion, crossing the Burled Arch earlier today at 11:38 am Alaska Time. And just like last year and the year before, he gets $69,000 and the keys to a new Dodge truck.

Meanwhile, Sebastian Schnuelle and John Baker are expected to finish second and third as they have left White Mountain. And last year's runner-up Jeff King is right now in 12th place. But for now, it's all about Lance Mackey.

However, while Lance is basking in the glow of his Iditarod three-peat, there is some very sad news to report: Actress Natasha Richardson has died earlier tonight in New York from her injuries stemming from a skiing accident; she was 45. I'll have more about this tomorrow, so so long.

Hello, everybody. As I said on my Twitter preview, there are two major stories I'm following on this St. Patrick's Day: Natasha Richardson clinging to life and Lance Mackey clinging to his Iditarod lead as he's still miles away from Nome.

First, Richardson. The Tony-winning actress, daughter of Vanessa Redgrave and wife of actor Liam Neeson is in a New York hospital after suffering from a near-fatal skiing accident in Canada. She was first treated at a Montreal area hospital on Monday before being transferred to New York. There have been conflicting reports about Richardson's condition, from "brain dead" to "critical condition", but the latter appears to be the latest for now.

A couple weeks ago, it was the Rocky Mountain News; now, another paper has bit the dust: The "Seattle Post-Intelligencer" printed its final ever edition today after 145 years and will continue only online. That leaves the "Seattle Times" as the only major paper in Seattle and based on its circulation (not to mention also being at Alaskan libraries), it ain't going anywhere anytime soon.

Finally, the Iditarod as Lance Mackey's final push to Nome continues. He checked into White Mountain earlier tonight at 6:05 Alaska Time and it appears that the big finish will be between 10:00 am-3:00 pm tomorrow (that's 2:00 pm-7:00 pm Eastern Time, 11:00 am-4:00 pm Pacific).

Because I work around that time frame, I won't be able to watch the live finish online, but I will try to have a Twitter update moments after; if not, the full details here tomorrow. So long and stay strong.

Can Lance Mackey be stopped?

Hello, everybody. I Twittered this morning with news that Lance Mackey left Shaktoolik and was on to Koyuk as the 2009 Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race is in its second week. Well right now, he is in Koyuk with 123 miles to go. But watch out for Sebastian Schnuelle; he's on Mackey's tail, exiting Shaktoolik at 10:00 am Alaska Time.

Lance is well on his way to becoming the second musher to three-peat since the last one from Doug Swingley in 1999-2001. The late Susan Butcher first won three years in a row from 1986-88; it came a year after Libby Riddles' only title and those two have been the only females so far to win the Iditarod (Aliy Zirkle, DeeDee Jonrowe, and Jessie Royer are now 13th, 14th, and 15th respectively).

Will it happen? The famous Burled Arch is in place on Front Street in Nome right now waiting for Mackey's arrival, and if the weather holds up, we may be expecting him between tomorrow night (yes, on St. Patrick's Day!) and early Wednesday morning (around the time the East Coast starts to wake up). We'll see what happens, so so long and stay strong.

Hello, everybody; we've got a very filled-to-the-brim blog tonight, so here we go!

First up...For stealing millions of dollars that led to hardships for many who've invested their money to him, Bernie Madoff on Thursday got his just desserts: 150 years behind bars!

He has lived the good life in a penthouse overlooking the New York skyline, but his new home for the rest of his life will be anything but swanky: The Manhattan Correctional Center for a few months followed by a permanent home at a medium security prison far away from the Big Apple. And here's how his new daily schedule will go:

Lights on--6:00 am
Breakfast--6:30 am
Lunch--11:00 am
Dinner--5:00 pm
Lights out--11:00 pm

Yep, 11:00 pm means no more staying up late for any more bombardment of Madoff jokes from Leno, Kimmel, Ferguson, Letterman, and now Jimmy Fallon.

With the way our economy is going, I think Bernard Madoff got what he deserved on the eve of Friday the 13th, only that it's 1 1/2 centuries of bad luck instead of seven years. May he rot in hell for all eternity.

By the way, the news of Madoff being hauled to jail immediately knocked the Chris Brown/Rihanna/Octo-mom trifecta off the headlines, and yes, I've had enough of them.

Now, we don't know how much the 2009 Alaska Permanent Fund Dividend will be until this fall, but in 2013 thanks to the recession, the pay is going to be low...very low...how about $68 low!

That's the Alaska Permanent Fund Corp.'s projection, as we could be receiving around $1,500 this year before plunging back to three figures for the next three years ($845 in 2010, $244 in 2011, $345 in 2012) and then $593 in 2014 and finally back to four figures in 2018 with $1,771.

I don't know if I'm still going to be in Alaska by the time we get that $68 check, but can you imagine the commercials they'll be running? Hell, the only thing that $68 is good on is groceries!

The first full week of the 2009 Iditarod was capped off with Lance Mackey's arrival in Anvik Friday afternoon, making him the first musher to reach the Yukon River. His reward? A nice, nourshing eight-course meal compliments of the Anchorage Millennium Hotel; the menu consists of:

• Braised Pork Belly
• Heirloom Beets Salad
• Crab Agnolotti
• Alaskan Bouillibasse
• Breast of Duck
• Artisan Cheese Plate
• Flamed Strawberries Romanoff
• After-dinner mint of $3,500 (not edible, but...)

Meanwhile, Jeff King is in second place followed by Sebastian Schnuelle, Aaron Burmeister, and Cim Smyth rounding out the top five so far.

And last but not least...awards season already ended weeks ago with the Oscars and now spelling bee season has begun. Spelling bees for years have been the only way for kids across the country to gain instant fame and fortune without going on any of those stupid reality shows by doing one thing they love best (or dread most): spell the toughest words known to mankind. The road starts at local schools, followed by the citywide or statewide bees, and then on to the big one being the Scripps National Spelling Bee in Washington, D.C.

Mississippi, one of my old stomping grounds, had their statewide bee this week televised on Mississippi Public Broadcasting (the same people who brought Clyde Frog into America's classrooms over 30 years ago); and watching it on YouTube, it was a cakewalk.

We all remember this scene from "A Boy Named Charlie Brown" in which Charlie went all the way to the spelling bee and was one of the only two contestants remaing. His misspelling of the word "beagle" as B-E-A-G-E-L cost him the championship.

I had my own "beagle" moment, albeit prematurely. It was 1993, and seeing that movie years prior made me want to take part in a spelling bee and hopefully claim my fame. A few days before the school bee, I was given a booklet of words that may be featured in the bee for me to study on; I concentrated on the tough words and I would spell each of them with my eyes closed.

So now we move on to the school spelling bee; I was attending Tanana Middle School at the time and there were a handful of other contestants besides me. Everything turned out smooth...until I hit a brick wall with "bosky", some Russian word. I spelled it B-O-S-K-E-Y...ding! It was all over immediately. My one and only shot at making the big time melted away for good because I didn't know there was no "e" in "bosky"! At least I tried my best.

This year's national bee is early this summer; who knows what words will be in their vocabulary. And you don't have to be a "numbnut" to find out. So long and stay strong.

Hello, everybody. As always, a whole lot to cover, so here we go!

First up...the unemployment rate for February released Friday rose to its highest in over a quarter-century: 8.1% as 650,000 jobs during that month were lost. And since the recession began in 2007, over 4.4 million Americans have been out of a job.

Now this comes as job fairs all over America are happening, and like I said before, with summer about to creep in on us it's going to be a tough time filling those jobs even if most of them are temporary. President Obama in his weekly address over the weekend may have said that we will get through this, but he doesn't have a magic wand to wave around and end this overnight. It's going to take a few years before most of us will be back on our feet.

A couple weeks ago, we've seen another newspaper roll the presses for the last time, as the "Rocky Mountain News" after 150 years published its last ever edition. We here in Alaska experienced something similar, as the "Anchorage Times" (famous for screaming out the "WE'RE IN!" banner headline in 1958 when the Statehood Act passed) stopped their presses for good in 1992.

But come June 12, though some already signed off forever on the original February 17 date, all other TV stations across America will be shutting off their analog transmitters for the final time as they'll be broadcasting only in digital. For them, it'll be the end of an era; and for us? Six decades of smacking the tops of our TVs and fiddling with our antennas struggling for a better picture will be done away with once and for all.

Since this is a once-in-a-lifetime occasion, I think there should be analog TV shut-off parties being thrown on June 12 to celebrate and witness this historic transition. If you have old TVs stashed in the storage shed that still work after countless years (black-and-white or color, portable or console), hook those "rabbit ears" antennas and tune each of them them to whatever stations who'll still intend to sign-off. Also, I should consider livening up the atmosphere with decorations and illustrations proclaiming the end of analog TV and the beginning of digital TV; one example is a tombstone reading "R.I.P. Analog TV: (insert date and year the first station signed on in your area)-June 12, 2009".

We don't know when each station will press the "OFF" buttons for the final time, but they should have a final countdown to the big moment. And yes, we'll be counting down along with them, and I'm certain those videos will be hitting YouTube almost immediately, just like those Britney Spears concerts so far!

Speaking of which...Britney's first concert tour in five years, "The Circus Starring Britney Spears", kicked off last week in her home base in New Orleans where I first saw her back in 2000 during her second tour. And looking back at that (covering it of course as an "Allen Report Special Report"), I thought it was a bit cheesy and paltry.

The marquee outside the New Orleans Arena on the first night of the "Circus" tour still said "Tickets on sale now", but shouldn't it have said something different, like "SOLD OUT!"? Also, I remember most of the crowd at the 2000 show being tweens and younger teens (and handfuls of horny adults like myself); now of course, it's teens and older adults; the latter who've followed Britney's adventures every step of the way over the years. Even though I'll be following it thanks to the magic of YouTube, I'm sure Britney Spears' tour will be one of the most-talked entertainment stories of 2009 so far...that and Octo-mom, Chris Brown/Rihanna, and "The Bachelor" scandal.

Last but not least...Britney may be scorching up venues all over the Lower 48, but here in Alaska, we're cooling things off with the 37th running of the Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race already underway. And this year's field is a bit paltry as well: 67 of the world's finest mushers including familiar faces like back-to-back winner Lance Mackey as they challenge 1,150 miles of the most treacherous terrain known to mankind, facing bone-chilling weather and whatever else comes their way. Also, after a successful trial last year, all mushers have GPS tracking devices so we could follow their every move in real-time.

Even though the recession has hit them with a smaller purse, $69,000 and the keys to a new Dodge pickup truck awaits whoever musher's lead dog marks the first pawprint under the Burled Arch in Nome. Will it be Mackey in a three-peat? Will it be Dee Dee Jonrowe, after coming so close so many times before. Or will it be someone from out of the blue, like a rookie? We'll find out in the next 1 1/2 weeks, so so long and stay strong.

Bollywood meets Hollywood at the Oscars!

Hello, everybody. With an official running time of 30 minutes past the promised three-hour mark, the 81st Annual Academy Awards on Sunday under the direction of producers Laurence Mark and Bill Condon and host Hugh Jackman was given a whole new life.

And life was very good for "Slumdog Millionaire", the big winners of the night with eight Oscars including Original Score and Song ("Jai Ho", and how about their performance?), Director (Danny Boyle), and Best Picture of 2008. The late Heath Ledger as expected picks up Supporting Actor for "The Dark Knight" with his family accepting on his behalf; Penelope Cruz claims Supporting Actor ("Vicky Cristina Barcelona"); Sean Penn beats out Mickey Rourke for his second Best Actor prize ("Milk"); and after six tries without a win...Kate Winslet finally comes up to the Oscar stage to grab possession of Best Actress ("The Reader"). And me? For the second time, I was SIX FOR SIX in my picks!!!!

Other winners include "WALL-E" (Animated Feature Film), "The Curious Case of Benjamin Button" (Art Direction, Makeup, and Visual Effects), and Japan's "Departures" (Foreign Language Film).

Like I said, in an attempt to boost sagging ratings from years past, the show got a whole new attitude with us staying tuned as to who the presenters will be to over five decades of past acting winners helping to pass the torch. And as for Jackman as host? I thought he made things work his way.

The stars worked their way on the red carpet as well prior to all this. We saw Angelina Jolie baring her shoulders in beautiful black Elie Saab, Sarah Jessica Parker looking like Cinderella in Dior, Freida Pinto in John Galliano, and Alicia Keys and Heidi Klum not afraid to show a little leg in Armani and Rouland Mouret respectively.

So, who do I give my Best Dressed props to? She may have lost graciously to Winslet, but Anne Hathaway in her Armani Prive was always a winner to me. And for Worst Dressed? In a tie, has to be Jessica Biel (she looked way better two Oscars ago, but this is what she gets for sleeping with Justin Timberlake!) and for the first time, a guy: that being Mickey Rourke!

As always, there are stories behind the big wins. She has come a long way from starting her career on the BBC in the early '90s; a few films and her first Oscar nod later, it would be "Titanic" that made her a household name worldwide. With several others to follow such as "Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind", "Finding Neverland", "Flushed Away", "The Holiday", and recently "Revolutionary Road" (reuniting her and "Titanic" co-star Leonardo DiCaprio), her grace and beauty has lit up the silver screen every time. And now comes the icing on her career cake, as 33-year-old Kate Elizabeth Winslet's 18-year journey is topped and sprinkled with Oscar gold!

Meanwhile, "Slumdog Millionaire's" huge haul is a huge make-up for "Quiz Show" losing Best Picture to "Forrest Gump" for game show fans. And all of India is celebrating as well, as the 81st Annual Academy Awards was indeed the night when Bollywood met Hollywood. So long and stay strong!

Oscar, Oscar...Who will win?

Hello, everybody. I'll get to my Oscar preview in a bit, but first...

Last week, the stimulus bill passed the Senate by a hair, and President Obama signed it into law on Tuesday. But now come the aftereffects, as the president launched an anti-foreclosure plan...and one person wasn't buying a single thing.

CNBC reporter Rick Santelli went full blast on Thursday lashing out against the new scheme, even lecturing the traders behind him in Chicago about organizing a new tea party in July. That video is already a major hit on YouTube, and I think it was a nice change of pace from all the Chris Brown/Rihanna/Octuplets mother mess we've been fed down our throats for over a week.

Now even though our economy remains in the shitter (sorry for the language), one thing that has survived all this for so long comes our way Sunday: The 81st Annual Academy Awards! For years on the former "Allen Report" site and on this blog, I have spent a week previewing the awards; but now, I've decided to cram all this into a few paragraphs.

The producers of this year's show, Bill Condon and Laurence Mark (the duo behind the feature film version of "Dreamgirls") have pulled no punches in an attempt to boost the awards' sagging ratings in recent year, even keeping the list of presenters under wraps until showtime...or so we thought. Tabloids have leaked out some names, including Jennifer Aniston and "Twilight's" Robert Pattinson and Kristen Stewart to take the stage. And John Travolta is rumored to make his first public appearance there since the tragic death of his son. We'll all find out for ourselves.

"The Curious Case of Benjamin Button" and "Slumdog Millionaire" are coming into the awards with 13 and 10 nominations respectively; both along with "Frost/Nixon", "Milk", and "The Reader" are battling it out for the Best Picture prize.

One notable name expected to posthumously claim Supporting Actor is Heath Ledger for "The Dark Knight", but we also got Josh Brolin, Robert Downey Jr., 2006 Best Actor winner Philip Seymour Hoffman, and Michael Shannon in that. Meanwhile, Mickey Rourke may be bodyslamming his way to a Best Actor win following his Golden Globe and BAFTA victories, but don't count out Sean Penn; he got a SAG Award for "Milk" and he wants to add Oscar #2 to his mantle (Oscar #1 was for "Mystic River" five years ago). Richard Jenkins, Frank Langella, and Brad Pitt round out the All-American field

On the Best Actress side, it's all about Meryl Streep vs. Kate Winslet in a rivalry similar to the Yankees/Red Sox. Streep is up for "Doubt" and her 16th overall nomination while Winslet has been up so many times before without a single win. Whose name will Daniel-Day Lewis read when he opens the envelope? If not those two, then Anne Hathaway, Angelina Jolie, or Melissa Leo; they want to put a stop to this.

And the one other question we'll all be asking is: How long will the show go? It is promised to be timed at three hours tops, but will it be kept?

Now that you're all set, here's who I think will walk out of the Kodak Theatre Sunday night with the richest prize in all of entertainment:

Supporting Actor: Heath Ledger
Supporting Actress: Penelope Cruz
Best Actor: Mickey Rourke thinks he may have had it in the bag, but the Academy voters have given Best Actor to those who've played gay characters before; Tom Hanks in "Philadelphia" one of them. I think Sean Penn will continue that tradition this year.
Best Actress: Angelina Jolie's chances for a second Oscar (she last won in 2000 for "Girl, Interrupted") are now anything but diminished, and Anne Hathaway and Melissa Leo are praying for an upset. Streep and Winslet are great actresses, but I feel that it's time to pass the torch to Kate Winslet.
Best Director: Danny Boyle ("Slumdog Millionaire")
Best Picture: "Slumdog Millionaire"

We'll see what transpires when the 81st Annual Academy Awards with Hugh Jackman keeping things under control (and keeping an eye on his watch) comes at us Sunday night. And of course, I'll continue my ten-year tradition of sharing you my take on all this on Monday. So long and stay strong!

Hello, everybody. Earlier tonight in his first primetime news conference, President Obama pulled no punches when he pressured Capitol Hill to give the okay on that life-or-death stimulus bill.

This comes as over 11 million Americans are now out of a job (600,000 of them in January alone), and the president started his day with a town hall meeting in Elkhart, Indiana, where the unemployment rate is triple the national average. And here in Alaska, legislators are debating on whether or not to up the minimum wage here from $7.15/hour to $8.75. I don't know how much I made when I started working in 1995, but it's $8.50/hour for me now.

Alaska is somewhat recession-proof for now, but when tourist season gets underway in spring, it's going to be an even tough time hiring people. At least we in Fairbanks don't have any dead neighborhoods; if you saw Michael Moore's "Fahrenheit 9/11" when the cameras panned to a decrepit area of Flint, Michigan with abandoned houses and overgrown sidewalks while talking about joining the Marines or Army as the only major jobs available, you know what I'm talking about.

At least I am recession-proof myself...but, for how long?

Now...the 51st Annual Grammy Awards on Sunday, when Robert Plant and Alison Krauss dominated the night with five awards including Album of the Year ("Raising Sand") and Record of the Year ("Please Read The Letter") while Adele beat out Duffy and the Jonas Brothers for Best New Artist. Coldplay also won big for Song of the Year ("Viva La Vida"), and Jennifer Hudson, still high from her memorable rendition of the national anthem at last weekend's Super Bowl, picked up Best R&B Album honors for her self-titled "Jennifer Hudson."

Other winners included Carrie Underwood (Female Country Vocal Performance, "Last Name"; and boy, was she a knockout during her performance!), the late George Carlin (Comedy Album, "It's Bad For Ya"), and Al Gore (Spoken Word Album, "An Inconvenient Truth").

But of course the big story happened away from the show, when Chris Brown was arrested for alleged domestic violence. It is believed to be that his rumored girlfriend, Rihanna, may have been involved in the incident and canceled her performance at the awards with Justin Timberlake in his place.

The fashions? I thought Kate Beckinsale, Katy Perry, and Underwood hit the high notes, while Bai Ling and the very pregnant M.I.A. hit flat.

Now back to Brown before I close things up: I have nothing else to say except for the fact that his career may be toast if he did beat up Rihanna. What a shame. So long and stay strong.

Call them the Sixburgh Steelers!

Hello, everybody. In what was quite an epic clash till the end, the heavily-favored Pittsburgh Steelers deflated Kurt Warner's Arizona Cardinals 27-23 in Super Bowl XLIII earning them their sixth unprecedented Vince Lombardi Trophy, all thanks to Most Valuable Player Santonio Holmes' last-minute touchdown with less than 45 seconds left.

The game was viewed by 95.4 million people, making it not only the second most-watched game behind Super Bowl XLII last year (when the New England Patriots' chances for perfection weren't to be), but is now the third most-watched program in televison history, sending the "Who Shot J.R.?" episode of "Dallas" to #4!

Before and during the game, our entertainment was provided by Journey, Faith Hill with "America The Beautiful", Jennifer Hudson's first performance since the family murders with the national anthem, Bruce Springsteen rocking us at halftime...and of course, minutes of commercials. There are so many to look back to, so for the second time I'm counting down...

My Top Ten Favorite Commercials from Super Bowl XLIII

10. MacGruber featuring Richard Dean "MacGyver" Anderson for Pepsi (Will Arnett doesn't impress me)

9. Careerbuilder.com (I would've ranked it higher if it was just a five-second ad of just the koala being punched)

8. GoDaddy (DAMN YOU, DANICA PATRICK!!!!!!!! They should dump her and get Jamie-Lynn Sigler or Anna Kournikova!)

7. The return of the E*Trade babies (a bit more cuter than last year)

6. "Vroom Vroom Party Starter", aka Conan O'Brien pitching for Bud Light in Sweden (next year, it'll be Craig Ferguson hawking Miller Lite in Japan)

5. Mr. and Mrs. Potato Head for Bridgestone (would've been funnier if the sheep were replaced by either Richard Simmons (from last year) or Vince, the ShamWow guy)

4. TIE: Pepsi Max "I'm Good" (more like "I'm really, really hurt and need to go to the hospital!"/Coke Zero's remake of the Mean Joe Greene Coca-Cola ad (I guess this is why the Steelers won)

3. ANOTHER TIE: Budweiser Clydesdale fetching the stick/Pedigree (for the latter, they tried to get a lion, but one of them were too busy mauling the Detroit Lions)

2. The two Doritos ads, including the "Free Doritos" one (By the way...the lady who got stripped to her lingerie in the "Power Of The Crunch" ad is Christina Wildes; keep an eye on her and take note of that name, 'cause just like Ali Landry, she's going to be very, very big!)

The "Free Doritos" commercial may have been tops in "USA Today's" annual AdMeter poll, but this is my #1 favorite from Super Bowl XLIII:

1. Budweiser Clydesdale Circus
(Just like the Clydesdale Team from last year, purely tender)

The other big sports story of the weekend belonged to Olympian Michael Phelps, whose photo of him being caught smoking marijuana published in a British tabloid had him in hot water. In a statement, he said "I engaged in behavior which was regrettable and demonstrated bad judgment. I'm 23 years old and despite the successes I've had in the pool, I acted in a youthful and inappropriate way, not in a manner people have come to expect from me. For this, I am sorry. I promise my fans and the public it will not happen again." The International Olympic Committee ultimately accepted his apology.

I think Phelps took his new-found fame a bit too far, and I'm sure he's already learned from his mistake.

And last but not least...public radio listeners here in Fairbanks got some very super news when the cancellation of three shows led to the pickups of three new shows; one of them was worth the, uh..."wait, wait" after quite a while.

KUAC informed listeners on that "Calling All Pets", "AK", and "St. Paul Sunday", all airing on Sunday mornings, have been canceled. Starting next Sunday, "Pets" will be replaced by "On The Media", "St. Paul Sunday" by National Public Radio's "From The Top", and perhaps the most joyous news of them all...the extremely popular "Wait, Wait...Don't Tell Me!" also from NPR, which I have been enjoying online and/or on my iPod for a couple of years, replaces "AK"!!!!

I think KUAC made a right move in revising their Sunday morning lineup, because after all...Ryan Seacrest with his "American Top 40" isn't all that entertaining but "Wait, Wait" is. So long and stay strong.

New America, New Regime

Note: This portion of this blog was done on a WordPad late Tuesday night because my modem has lost connection to the network. The extended version will follow.

On Wednesday, January 20, 2009, a whole new America was born as 47- year-old Barack Hussein Obama raised his right hand and took the Oath of Office to officially become the 44th President of the United States and the first ever African-American to take that job. Along with being the most powerful CEO in the world, he is awarded the keys to the White House, possession of Air Force One, and a brand new presidential limousine.

Upwards of 2 million people right at Washington D.C. witnessed every historic moment, and if estimations are correct, the inauguration may be watched by close to 3 billion television viewers around the world (yes, 3 BILLION)...which could be more than the funerals of Pope John Paul II and Princess Diana, the Prince Charles/Lady Diana wedding, and even the Apollo 11 mission; it could even surpass the "M*A*S*H" series finale, Super Bowl XLII, and the "Who Shot J.R.?" episode of "Dallas" to become most-watched television event of all time!

But of course, the atmosphere surrounding the Nation's Capital even right up to the big moment was already at a high. Millions braved the 30-degree temperatures all day throughout every corner of Washington, from the National Mall where they watched the inauguration on giant Jumbotrons to Pennsylvania Avenue where they would get their first public glimpses of the new First Couple.

The ceremony had Aretha Franklin singing "America" (what the hell was that on her hat, by the way?), while Saddleback Church pastor Rick Warren (who was criticized for being one of the masterminds behind the passing of Proposition 8 in California) delivered the invocation. That was followed by Joe Biden being sworn in as Vice President moments later.

Then, at a few minutes past noon, the moment generations have been waiting for finally arrived when Obama, despite the slip-up by Supreme Court Chief Justice John Roberts, took the oath of office. And I tell you, it was quite a sight to behold with the sea of flags waving immediately after he said "So help me God."

From there came the speech and whatever choice quote from it that would follow the lead of FDR's "Only thing we have to fear is fear itself" and John F. Kennedy's "Ask not what your country can do you." After his first paragraphs as President came the luncheon inside the Capitol, where the mood changed as Senators Edward Kennedy and Robert Byrd experienced health problems and were rushed to the hospital; they were both doing fine.

After a fond farewell to now former President George W. Bush as he made his final trip aboard Marine One to Andrews Air Force Base, the Obamas would later make their trip down Pennsylvania Avenue where a throngs of people would await them as they stepped out of the limo for their traditional walk down a few blocks.

Meanwhile, the Bushes returned to Midland, Texas for a homecoming rally. No longer in power after eight tumultuous years and back to civilian life, George can now have all the vacation time he wants without being scrutinized about his job. But the only bright spots from his term were the creation of the Department of Homeland Security and the capture of Saddam Hussein. Everything else? Who cares!

Now that all the inauguration balls are over and the majority of celebrities (too many to name, but they were all over Washington these last few days) about to head back to work, it's now on to the first 100 days of the Obama administration and solving a series of crises that faced us under Bush. The economy is of course the prime issue, and we could be seeing the founding of a 21st Century New Deal that would put America back to work and make our country much love livable.

In 1963, Martin Luther King gave his milestone "I Have A Dream" speech that was the turning point of the Civil Rights Movement. And now, over 40 years after his death, that dream is now a reality as the world's top job belongs to an African-American. Here's hoping that Barack H. Obama maintains that dream for the next four to eight years in office, and to paraphrase his motto: Yes, he will!

And now, the extended version...

All night long Tuesday, the Obamas and Bidens hit all eight inaugural balls, but the highlight of them all was Beyonce belting out "At Last" during Barack and Michelle's first dance at the Neighborhood Ball. It was a moment she'll never forget.

The following day of course, newspapers all over the world put out banner headlines that would become collector's items. The Fairbanks Daily News-Miner screamed "A day of change" while the Anchorage Daily News had "The 44th President: Barack Obama"; both filled out their front pages with the ultimate money shot of President Obama being given the Oath of Office.

And speaking of which...also on the first full day of his presidency yesterday, it was take two for Chief Justice John Roberts, this time without any flubs and it was privately in the Map Room.

By the way, concerned about father Ted's health after being released from the hospital, Caroline Kennedy decided to withdraw her bid for the New York Senate seat left behind by Hillary Clinton, who is now the new Secretary of State.

Now...among the countless number of celebrities that hit the balls all throughout Washington on Tuesday was Anne Hathaway, and come next month, she might become the belle of the biggest ball of them all!

Nominations for the 81st Annual Academy Awards were out this morning, and leading the pack is "The Curious Case of Benjamin Button" with 13 nods including Best Actor (Brad Pitt), Supporting Actress (Taraji P. Henson), and Best Picture of 2008. The four other films battling it out for the latter prize include "Frost/Nixon", "Milk", "The Reader", and the surprise Golden Globe winner, "Slumdog Millionaire".

Up for Best Actor besides Pitt are Richard Jenkins ("The Visitor"), Frank Langella ("Frost/Nixon"), Sean Penn ("Milk"), and some guy named Mickey Rourke ("The Wrestler"). Hathaway ("Rachel Getting Married") has plenty of company on the Best Actress side, with Angelina Jolie ("Changeling"), Melissa Leo ("Frozen River"), Meryl Streep in her 15th general nomination ("Doubt"), and Kate Winslet ("The Reader"). And of course, the late Heath Ledger is up for Supporting Actor ("The Dark Knight").

Meanwhile, "Bolt", "Kung Fu Panda" and "Wall-E" go for the Animated Feature Film prize; but there's some good news for one Kevin O'Connell: No 21st nomination for him!!!

Last year's show got the lowest ratings ever, all thanks to the acting Euro-sweep. But you can sure bet that with this field and with Hugh Jackman as host, there's a good chance that Brangelina, Meryl, Anne, maybe Sean, maybe Mickey will bring Hollywood's biggest prize back to American soil when the 81st Annual Academy Awards will be handed out on February 22.

With all that including my belated take on the inauguration, so long and stay strong!

The final countdown to an inauguration for the ages

Hello, everybody. The eyes of the entire world right now are focused on Washington, D.C., where tomorrow morning, a new America and new world will be born as Barack Hussein Obama raises his right hand and takes the Oath of Office to officially be christened as the 44th President of the United States.

And over the weekend, the festivities have been underway, kicking off with a star-studded concert at the Lincoln Memorial broadcast on HBO that featured the likes of Beyonce, Stevie Wonder, Bruce Springsteen (who has another big afterwards, I'll explain later), Oscar winners Jamie Foxx, Tom Hanks, and Forrest Whitaker, Shakira, and others. Ben Affleck (who is now the proud father of a second baby girl he and Jennifer Garner gave birth to recently), Jennifer Lopez and Marc Anthony, Rosario Dawson, Hayden Panettiere, Jessica Alba, Samuel L. Jackson, Queen Latifah, and of course, Oprah Winfrey have also descended to the Nation's Capital to not only witness history in the making, but to also have even livelier parties than last week's Golden Globes!

But not everybody will make the red-eye flight to Washington...unless if they're flying US Airways! The Sundance Film Festival is going on in Utah, while some of the big names are premiering their films in Europe; among them, Tom Cruise ("Valkyrie"), Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie ("The Curious Case of Benjamin Button"), Leonardo DiCaprio and Kate Winslet ("Revolutionary Road"), and Kate Hudson and Anne Hathaway ("Bride Wars"). Of course, they will be watching the inauguration on TV.

Meanwhile, security all over Washington is at its tighest ever, and police estimates say that upwards of over 3 to even 4 million people from all over the world are there. And unlike George W. Bush's inaugurations in 2001 and 2005, there will be tolerance and civility, especially when Obama and his family make their traditional walk down Pennsylvania Avenue.

One of the attendees who'll be at tomorrow's inauguration is Chelsey "Sully" Sullenberger, the heroic US Airways pilot who landed his plane to safety down the Hudson River last week without a single life lost.

Anyway, this will be a 56th Presidential Inauguration that'll be remembered for generations to come, all with a hefty price tag: Over $150 million! Now that is disputed, but it'll still be the most expensive ever at around $50 million. That's a sharp contrast to the two $40 million inaugurations for Bush, $33 million for Bill Clinton's first in 1993, and $30 million for the senior George Bush. We're not sure how much Ronald Reagan's were, but I think the government footed the bills.

We have come a long way from Martin Luther King's dream, and tomorrow afternoon, that dream will become a reality as the old regime under George W. Bush will be out and a new regime under Barack H. Obama will begin. And like I said when I commented on the election, I wished my grandmother Mildred lived a few months longer to witness what will sure be every historic moment of the inauguration.

Now as I stated a few paragraphs ago, Springsteen's next big gig will be halftime during Super Bowl XLIII...and speaking of which, it's on as only the Arizona Cardinals and the Pittsburgh Steelers remain for sole possession of the Vince Lombardi Trophy on February 1 at Raymond James Stadium in Tampa!

"The Boss" is not alone; Journey will kick things off with their pre-game performance while in her first public appearance since the tragic family murders last fall, Jennifer Hudson will do the national anthem. And of course, there are the million dollar commercials, especially from the old standbys Anheuser-Busch and Pepsi.

Since the Steelers prevented the Seahawks' chances at a Super Bowl title three years ago, I'm now leaning towards the Cardinals to pull it off, and for good reason: I grew up living in the Phoenix area in the early '80s, back when I...oh, who the hell cares how I looked!

Till tomorrow and my inaugration recap, so long and stay strong!

Hello, everybody, as we begin our first blog of 2009 with what else--the 66th Annual Golden Globe Awards!

After last year's show which was reduced to a 30-minute news conference thanks to the writers' strike, the awards were back in full force last night picking up where they left off. And in the case of underdogs, it was "Slumdog Millionaire" who ruled the show with three awards including Motion Picture-Drama, Director (Danny Boyle), and Screenplay. Kate Winslet picked up two honors for Drama ("Reservation Road") and Supporting Actress ("The Reader"), while in a surprise, it was Mickey Rourke who upset everyone for Motion Picture-Drama Actor. And of course, the late Heath Ledger received Supporting Actor for "The Dark Knight."

Meanwhile, "Vicky Cristina Barcelona" got Motion Picture-Musical or Comedy, Foreign Language Film went to Israel's "Waltz With Bashir", and Motion Picture-Animated went to "WALL-E." Musical or Comedy acting prizes went to Colin Farrell ("In Bruges") and Sally Hawkins ("Happy-Go-Lucky")

On the television side, "30 Rock" and "Mad Men" continued their winning ways with Drama and Comedy/Musical honors respectively, while Tina Fey and Alec Baldwin ("30 Rock"), Anna Paquin ("True Blood"), and Gabriel Byrne ("In Treatment") took home acting Globes themselves.

Now of course, we in Fairbanks ended the old year and started the new with two weeks of super-cold temperatures that dipped way past 40 below zero; it was reminiscent of 1989 when we suffered through hellish colds that went from 50 to even 60 below zero!! So what we saw on the red carpet definitely warmed us up thanks to hot fashions by Eva Mendes, Beyonce, Drew Barrymore, Jennifer Lopez, and Cameron Diaz. But the hottest of them all belonged to Anne Hathaway and Eva Longoria Parker as my best-dressed picks, while Miley Cyrus and Renee Zellweger? We love you both, but please...fire your stylists!!

The Golden Globe Awards may long be billed as "the party of the year" when the biggest names in entertainment mingle with each other, but let's face it, folks...they're nothing but a warmup to the REAL party of the year that's going to happen in Washington D.C. next week when Barack Obama is inaugurated as the 44th President of the United States! Planners for the several of inauguration parties that'll be scattered throughout the nation's capital are right now in the middle of finalizing their guest lists, and you can bet that some of the same celebrities who were at the Globes last night will have a second encounter with paparazzi and fans when they land at Dulles International Airport outside Washington this coming weekend for what is definitely a couple of days and nights to remember. And oh yeah...I'd love to see our new Senator Mark Begich hobnob with Anne Hathaway; maybe he could use his political power to give me her contact info! So long and stay strong!

It's the 11th time (18th in general since 1991) I rank what was on the minds of the world throughout this past year. I call it...

The Top 15 Things That Had the Whole World Talking in 2008

15. Detroit's woes (Mayor Kwame Kirkpatrick behind bars, the Big Three automakers pleading for a government bailout, the Detroit Lions win-less season...the only two bright spots were the Red Wings winning the Stanley Cup and hometown girl Kristen Bell being voted Sexiest Woman of 2008!)

14. O.J. Simpson finally going to jail (no comment, but I'm glad he got his just desserts)

13. Tricia Walsh-Smith's YouTube rants about her ex-husband (great, but not as exciting as...)

12. The old video of Bill O'Reilly mouthing off being leaked onto YouTube (sure beats Casey Kasem!)

11. The Jonas Brothers (nothing on them, it's just that their bodyguard Big Rob used to be Britney Spears' main protector back in the day. But does he suck at rapping or what?!)

10. Leona Lewis' "Bleeding Love" being the #1 song worldwide (eat that, Mariah!)

9. The Eliot Spitzer/Rod Blagojevich/Ted Stevens scandals (nothing, but at least we voted Stevens out of office)

8. Miley Cyrus (the "Vanity Fair" scandal didn't faze her, but being 16 never looked so good)

7. TIE: Lindsay Lohan getting naked for "New York" magazine (about damn time!)/"The Dark Knight" making box office history

6. Blu-Ray triumphs over HD-DVD (watch out, LaserDisc...oh, wait)

5. The New York Giants' upset win over New England in Super Bowl XLII (the Detroit Lions should take notes)

4 (in her TENTH STRAIGHT APPEARANCE!!!!!). Britney Spears (did I mention it was the biggest comeback of the decade so far?)

3. TIE: Michael Phelps (out-swam anybody else than any swimmer around)/The recession (how much do I have in my bank account...in the case hell freezes over?)

2. Sarah Palin (she may be our governor, she may have co-lost the election, but does she play a mean flute or what?)

And it comes to no surprise as to who #1 is...

1. Barack Obama (who re-wrote history on November 4, and will so again on January 20 as the 44th President of the United States!)

That's our look at 2008 through the eyes of the AllenBlog; till we meet in 2009, so long, stay strong, and HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!!!

The Year in Entertainment and Celebrities

A record-breaking box office...the Jonas Brothers packing venues worldwide...Hollywood taking part in the presidential election...celebrities unexpectedly going au naturel and raising eyebrows...scandals involving two governors...and the comeback of all comebacks after last year's false start...we kissed it all in 2008 and we liked it!

The 80th Annual Academy Awards drew the lowest ratings ever, not because of the aftermath of the writer's strike, but because of all four acting awards going to Europe: Best Actor (Daniel Day-Lewis, Ireland), Best Actress (Marion Cotillard, France), Supporting Actor (Javier Bardem, Spain), and Supporting Actress (Tilda Swinton, United Kingdom). Despite all that, "No Country for Old Men" did pick up three more Oscars including Best Picture of 2007. In response to the European sweep, the Americans have been fighting back hard this year with stellar performances by Anne Hathaway ("Rachel Getting Married"), Angelina Jolie ("Changeling"), Brad Pitt ("The Curious Case of Benjamin Button"), and Amy Adams ("Doubt").

2008 was Tina Fey's year to shine, largely thanks to her dead-on Sarah Palin on "Saturday Night Live" as well as her "30 Rock" claiming Comedy Series and Comedy Actress at the 60th Primetime Emmys. AMC's "Mad Men" became the first basic cable program to receive a top honor (Drama Series), while their winning streaks at 6-0 continued for "The Daily Show" and "The Amazing Race."

Also on the TV front this year: The "Battle of the Davids" on "American Idol" between Cook and Archuleta in which the former won it all; Kristy Yamaguchi, Kim Kardashian, and Brooke Burke displaying their fancy footwork on "Dancing With The Stars"; Showtime gaining some ground thanks in part to the theft of "Inside The NFL" from HBO...which, on the other hand, had a new hit in "True Blood; "Gossip Girl" and the new "90210" providing glimmers of hope for the ailing CW; and of course...NBC still buried in fourth place dropping shows left and right, but that could change next year when Jay Leno moves his gig to primetime.

Not even a dying economy couldn't slow down the box office, with "The Dark Knight" and the late Heath Ledger's last performance earned a record-breaking $158 million in its opening weekend. "Twilight", "High School Musical 3", and "Mamma Mia!" all had great moments worth seeing over and over again on DVD (or Blu-Ray), while "Meet Dave", "The Love Guru", "Leatherheads", and "Bangkok Dangerous" had moments worth seeing only once.

In music, we've had catchy tunes from newcomers Leona Lewis ("Bleeding Love") and Katy Perry ("I Kissed A Girl") to go along with the newest from Alicia Keys, Rihanna, and Coldplay, while Taylor Swift started climbing up the charts after getting a little publicity from the Jonas Brothers...who sold out venues all over and had us whipping out our earplugs because of the non-stop screams from fans.

Unexpected celebrities got naked or almost naked this year, and we haven't seen those coming. Lindsay Lohan did a titillating re-creation of Marilyn Monroe's "Last Sitting" photoshoot for "New York" magazine, which had many men blowing their loads like there was no tomorrow. There was also Eva Mendes, whose Calvin Klein commercial was banned in the United States (and a few other countries) because she showed a little extra. And in between those, we've got Miley Cyrus backless in "Vanity Fair." That photo got her in hot water for a while, but it as well as racy photos of her in a bra leaked onto the Internet didn't diminish her fanbase one bit as she was about to hit the Sweet 16.

Scandals aplenty also dominated the headlines in '08. The first big one was New York governor Eliot Spitzer, who was caught on a wiretap arranging to meet with a high-priced prostitute. He was forced to step down, handing the reins to David Paterson, while Ashley Alexandra Dupre (the woman at the epicenter) became a household name. We also had TV legend Barbara Walters admitting in her memoirs that she had an affair with a Congressman decades ago, Detroit mayor Kwame Kilpatrick's public service ended with a text-message affair, and ex-presidential candidate John Edwards also admitting to -- yep! -- having an affair.

In celebrity couples, John Mayer and Jennifer Aniston had everyone talking this year. Scarlett Johansson and Ryan Reynolds were one of the few who tied the knot, while Madonna and Guy Ritchie headed to divorce court...not before rumors of a fling between her and Alex Rodriguez began to surface.

Other entertainment newsworthy events include: The writer's strike ending but fears that the actors' may be next; Christina Applegate's breast cancer ordeal; videos of Bill O'Reilly during his "Inside Edition" days and New York newscaster Sue Simmons cussing up a storm making the YouTube rounds; a Paula Abdul fan bitter for not making "American Idol" taking her own life nearby Paula's house; O.J. Simpson being sentenced to up to 15 years in prison for his involvement in a robbery attempt in Las Vegas; and a very happy ending for "America's Most Wanted's" John Walsh when the case was finally closed as to who killed Adam Walsh: It was Otis Toole all along.

2008's instant celebrity was Alaska governor Sarah Palin, who was in the worldwide spotlight as John McCain's running mate in the election. Even though they lost to Barack Obama and Joe Biden, we have never seen this kind of craze since Geraldine Ferraro when she ran alongside Walter Mondale in 1984. But of course, she got skewered along the way, not just by Fey, but Katie Couric when she grilled her about reading any newspapers. Also, Palin decided to make Anchorage her home base for her gubernatorial duties instead of the usual Juneau because of her home in nearby Wasilla. And just a couple weeks after the election, while Palin was interviewed at a turkey farm, a turkey behind her...well, let's just say it was Butterball-bound.

And thanks to the almighty YouTube, Tricia Walsh Smith also became an instant celebrity this year when she used the site to lash out against her soon-to-be ex-husband.

Without any doubt, the biggest entertainment story of 2008 belonged to a person who has always delighted and surprised us with every move she's made over the last decade: Britney Spears!

After a botched start last year, she was indeed back in a big way with winning her first MTV Video Music Awards in September, followed by her new album "Circus" immediately reaching #1 all over the world. And coming in 2009, she'll be coming to a city near you during her latest tour starting in New Orleans (where I saw her back in 2000; I had a special report on it) and ending in London, where six shows at the O2 Arena have been booked.

Also in 2009: Will the Americans bring Oscar back to the homeland? Who will be the next celebrity couple that'll be the talk of the world? And will NBC's gamble finally pay off with Leno every night at 10:00? We'll find out then.

Next time when the Year in Review continues: My annual list of the Top 20 Things That Had the Whole World Talking in 2008!

The AllenBlog's

It was the year when a Sarah from Alaska became more popular than that Sarah from "Sex And The City" and that other Sarah from "Buffy The Vampire Slayer".

The year when one team made one "Giant" leap for sportskind.

The year when "Eight Is Enough" returned...minus those Van Pattens, but starring Michael Phelps.

The year when a 21st Century Great Depression would be imminent, with Wall Street getting crooked and the U.S. automakers crying out to Washington for help.

The year when "The Dark Knight" had moviegoers saying "Pass the popcorn", while "Meet Dave" and "The Love Guru" had them saying "Pass the Pepto-Bismol!"

The year when Katy Perry kissed girls and females trying to kiss the Jonas Brothers.

The year when one of our favorites after a false start last year made one of the biggest comebacks of the decade.

And of course, it was the year when an epic showdown for the keys to the White House ended up in the hands of a man whose intention is to forget eight years of turmoil and focus on up to eight years of cleanup.

That year was 2008.
Join the AllenBlog as I look back at another historic year.

The Year in News

From terrorist bombings in India, to deadly natural disasters in Burma and China, from a "Giant" upset in Super Bowl XLII, to Michael Phelps' historic Olympic gold rush, to slumping economies worldwide that led to businesses and individuals tightening our belts, all the way to an election for the ages that resulted into a change of power -- and race -- in the White House...yes, we did witness it all in 2008!

The year began with stock markets all over crashing hard in the aftereffects of the mortgage crisis of 2007. It of course would continue year-round, with the Dow dropping back to under 10,000 for the first time in a long time thanks to massive drops up to almost 800 points. More on this later.

The New England Patriots were well on their way to perfection going into Super Bowl XLII, but in the end, the New York Giants stopped all that beating them 17-14. The game was viewed by over 97 million people, making it not only the most-watched Super Bowl ever, but is also the second most-watched television program of all-time...behind the "M*A*S*H" finale but ahead of the "Who Shot J.R?" episode of "Dallas" (which is now #3)!!

The other big sports story of the year were all at the Summer Olympics in Beijing, headlined by Michael Phelps accomplishing his goal of eight gold medals, surpassing Mark Spitz. Meanwhile, while the Chinese gymnastics team claimed overall gold, Nastia Luikin and Shawn Johnson were a force to be reckoned with on the individual side and Team USA correcting their mistakes from 2004 to grab the men's basketball gold. And in track and field, it was all about Jamiaca's Usain Bolt who outpaced everybody else (including the Americans) and shattered world records in the 100- and 200-meter dashes. Talk about your cool runnings!

After all was said and done, the United States took the most overall haul of medals with 110; but when it came to golds, host country China had the advantage with 51 (100 overall) while the U.S. took 36.

Other sports happenings during 2008 included Lance Mackey's second straight trip to the Iditarod Burled Arch; Trevor Immelman becoming the "Master" of his golf domain; Brett Farve calling it a career after 17 years with the Green Bay Packers...that is, until he recanted and was traded to the N.Y. Jets; Kansas (men's) and Tennessee (women's) ruling the college basketball court; Scott Dixon holding fort at the Indianapolis 500, the Boston Celtics possessing their 17th NBA title; the Detroit Red Wings clinching another Stanley Cup; Tiger Woods claiming the U.S. Open immediately followed by knee surgery, ending his season; the Philadelphia Phillies grabbing ahold of the World Series trophy, and yes...the Detroit Lions not winning a single game.

But the Olympics weren't the only major story coming out of China this year. A series of earthquakes in Sichuan, Panzhihua, and Yingjiang rocked the country, with Sharon Stone's comments about the first one having her in hot water. Also, many popular toys made in Chinese factories had lead poisoning which kills children, and those health concerns also made news.

Pope Benedict XVI set foot in the United States for the first time, while 143 million pounds of frozen beef were recalled in California. Somalia was the piracy capital of the world, where German, Japanese, and Iranian cargo ships were seized off there. And in Los Angeles, a cell phone was to blame for a commuter train/freight train collision that killed 25.

Terrorist attacks and suicide bombings also made headlines this year. India was rocked with several of them in Jaipur, Bangalore, Ahmedabad, and the big one in Mumbai killing 164. In July, 48 were killed from bombs exploding in Baghdad and Kirkuk, Iraq, which followed 17 killed over two blasts in Istanbul, Turkey.

The weather was also the news, from Hurricanes Gustav, Ike, and Hanna, to a tornado outbreak claiming 58 lives in the Southern U.S., to over 133,000 killed by Cyclone Nargis and Typhoon Hagupit killing scores of people from China to Vietnam.

Back to the economy, which had a very awful year this year: Wall Street was hurt the most, with Lehman Brothers falling victim, Merrill Lynch bought out, and AIG bailed out by Washington. Also, the federal government took over control of Freddie Mac and Fannie Mae, who handle most mortgages. But the ones who were deeply wounded the most were the Big Three automakers, Ford, General Motors, and Chrysler, whose executives pleaded for a bailout themselves to prevent from going belly up...not before they were criticized for taking private jets to Washington. For their second attempt at wooing the lawmakers, they drove their own vehicles to Capitol Hill.

2008 of course was an election year, and not just here. In September, Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper set the 40th federal election date for October 14 in the hopes of a stronger government in the wake of a weaker economy. After all the polls were closed, Harper's Conservative party gained 144 seats, not enough for a majority (155 seats are needed).

But it was not over. The opposition parties didn't like what Harper was doing just 1 1/2 months after the election and formed a coalition with one thing in mind: to boot Harper out. In order to save his bacon, Harper decided to suspend Parliament.

And then of course, came the biggest story of 2008 with an historic ending: The U.S. Presidential election.

It started this spring with the Iowa caucuses, New Hampshire primaries, and Super Tuesday, in which Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama were in a showdown for the Democratic nomination with John McCain, Mike Huckabee, and Mitt Romney (who would later drop out) fighting for the Republicans. As the weeks went by, everybody but Obama and McCain threw in the towel, and the veepstakes began. Obama picked Sen. Joe Biden of Delaware, and we were in for the shock of our lives when John McCain's running mate would be none other than Alaska Governor Sarah Palin! Not since the 1989 Exxon Valdez oil spill have we seen Alaska make front page news!

The candidates introduced themselves to the world at the Democratic and Republican National Conventions in Denver and St. Paul respectively (Obama used Invesco Field for the last day to speak in front of over 80,000), and then the battle was really on. Obama's speech in Berlin in front of 200,000 had McCain's camp whipping out an attack ad comparing him to Britney Spears and Paris Hilton, while someone happened to find a long-lost tape called "Miss Alaska Pageant 1984" and put some very interesting portions of it on YouTube: Palin in the swimsuit competition and playing the flute in the talent portion. I'll have more on Palin's sudden popularity in the "Year In Entertainment."

That's followed by the debates, in which the Vice Presidential one between Palin and Biden had competition north of the border with the Canadian Leaders' debate. And at the third and final Presidential debate, McCain introduced a new secret weapon: Joe The Plumber. Obama, meanwhile, channeled his Ross Perot and broadcast a half-hour infomercial on CBS, NBC, and Fox attracting over 33 million viewers.

And last but not least, came the big night itself: Election Night, where it's winner take all. Thousands of voters stood in long lines for hours in every corner of the country all waiting to step inside the voting booth. McCain drew first blood when the first polls of the night closed; but in the very end, it was 47-year-old Barack Hussein Obama who wrote the final sentence in the 56th U.S. Presidential election that was two years in the making. Around the world, whether if they were staying up in the wee hours of the morning in Europe, enjoying their afternoon lunch in Australia, or gathering around in bars, hotel lobbies, community centers, or wherever else there's a TV at nighttime here in North America, the celebration was on as new chapters in both American history and Black history were written.

Of course, the Obama/McCain showdown wasn't the only story coming out of the election. Ted Stevens' 40-year reputation as Alaska's senior Senator was put to the ultimate test, as he was indicted over the summer and later found guilty on all seven counts of corruption charges. That opened the door wide open for Anchorage mayor Mark Begich, who had one thing in mind: Uncle Ted's job.

On election night, Stevens had the early advantage and thought he was going to hold it...until absentee ballots proved otherwise. When 100% of all the votes were tallied, Stevens raised the white flag and Begich broke out the bubbly.

Even though we've been introduced to new faces this year, we've spent some time to say our final goodbyes to the old. Among them: Heath Ledger, Jim McKay, Paul Newman, British television personality Jeremy Beadle, Suzanne Pleshette, Estelle Getty, Sir Arthur C. Clarke, film directors Anthony Minghella and Sydney Pollack, William F. Buckley Jr., Bo Diddley, Michael Crichton, Harvey Korman, Eddy Arnold, game show host Jack Narz, Tim Russert, George Carlin, Cyd Charisse, Yves Saint Laurent, Tony Snow, Bettie Page, professional wrestler Killer Kowalski, Bernie Mac, Isaac Hayes, world-famous voiceover actor Don LaFontaine, Charlton Heston, Studs Terkel, fashion critic Mr. (Richard) Blackwell, W. Mark Felt ("Deep Throat" from the Watergate scandal), Eartha Kitt; and one that really hit me...my beloved grandmother, Mildred Allen.

And now with 2008 about to come to an end, the stage is set for what will happen in 2009. How will President Obama fare in his first 100 days? Will this whole economic mess finally be resolved? And 101 years later, will the Chicago Cubs ever win a second World Series title? We'll find out when the clock strikes midnight on January 1.

Tomorrow, the "Year In Review" continues with 2008's biggest entertainment and celebrity headlines.

Hello, everybody. A lot of stuff has been happening, so let's not waste any time getting those out of the way.

First up...Illinois has had a history of corrupt politicians, and that trend continued last week when Governor Rod Blagojevich was arrested by the FBI for trying to sell the Senate seat vacated by President-Elect Barack Obama. Obama is calling for Blagojevich to resign, but he is not budging one bit.

Of course the scandal was another bonanza for the late nighters including Jay Leno, and speaking of which...last week, it appears that Leno will remain on the NBC payroll after handing his "Tonight Show" reins to Conan O'Brien next year with a continuation of his show at a much earlier time: 10:00 weeknights. And at that slot, his competition will be "CSI: Miami" on Mondays, "Private Practice" on Thursdays, and other shows.

Leno's new show will almost be like the one he's doing now, but albeit a bit different. And with NBC still languished in fourth place...do they really still need him to get them out?

And last but not least...with two weeks left until 2009, that means it's my cue to hit the Notepad and work on my special blogs recapping 2008. I've been doing this every year since 1998, when we go over the year's news and trends as well as my Top 20 list. Look for the AllenBlog's 2008 Year In Review on Christmas weekend; and for the last time this year, so long, stay strong, and happy holidays!!!

Hello, everybody. If you thought you're full from your Thanksgiving meals, think again because I've got some extra helpings of my own!

First up...In just a matter of moments, Britney Spears' fifth album, "Circus", comes out worldwide on ironically enough, her 27th birthday. And over the Thanksgiving weekend, Britney as part of her comeback plan burned up Europe with performances at the Bambi Awards in Germany, on "Star Academy" in France, and on "X Factor" in Britain...which raked in a ratings record for the ITV network: Almost 13 million viewers, which translates to a 53% share.

Back here in the States, her heavily-promoted MTV documentary "Britney: For The Record" aired, in which she opened up about everything from her makeups and breakups to almost losing full custody of her two sons. And watching it, it opened my eyes to take a glance at the real Britney, not the one we see in the eyes of the tabloids and paparazzi.

I have a feeling that "Circus" is going to sell big, compared to "Blackout" last year which did so-so; I'll find out for myself when I get it later this week.

With over a month to go till he's sworn in as our 44th President, President-Elect Barack Obama as expected delivered the Secretary of State bait to Hillary Clinton...and she took it. Robert Gates will still be around as Defense Secretary, while Gen. Jim Jones is handed National Security Adviser.

But the slumping economy is still on everybody's minds as we're now into the holiday shopping season. Two weeks ago, executives of the Big Three automakers pleaded in Washington for a savior (bailout), but they were shown the door.

And now, as we're spending hundreds or thousands of dollars on gifts, some are taking some minor precautions this year by avoiding credit cards in favor of debit cards or good ol' cash. We don't know what is the most-have Christmas item to follow along with Tickle Me Elmo, Furby, or Playstation 2/3, but I'm thinking it's BluRay discs and players as costs are getting low.

Last but not least...Families regularly spend about $100 or more making holiday dinners, and that includes the meat. But being as someone who watches my wallet and wants to save hours slaving away at the kitchen, I buy one of those heat-and-serve holiday dinners at the stores.

Last year, I bought the turkey (Thanksgiving) and prime rib (Christmas) dinners at Fred Meyer and Safeway respectively; Fred Meyer's turkey was huge while Safeway's prime rib roast looked like a shriveled-up log. And for this Thanksgiving, I got the turkey dinner from Safeway, and let me tell you something: Their turkey was anything but! It looked more like a really young turkey than a Butterball-like turkey, but nonetheless, it was juicy. I can't wait to see what Fred Meyer's prime rib is like; I hope it's bigger than Safeway's.

Even though their holiday dinners cost a few bucks less, I'll never purchase another one from Safeway ever again...though I'll admit I did it just for the next set of Alaska Airlines miles. So long and stay strong!

Hello, everybody. A lot of ground to cover as always, so let's zip right to it.

First up...While the transition of power from President Bush to President-Elect Obama continues with Eric Holder now being offered an Attorney General job (and the first African-American to possibly take it), there is a bigger transition here in Alaska: After 40 years, Ted Stevens doesn't have a job anymore!

With almost 100% of the count in thanks to 24,000 absentee and question ballots, the Associated Press reported that Ted Stevens has lost another bid for re-election to Anchorage Mayor Mark Begich, 47.56% to 46.76%. A recount is possible, but it may mean Begich will still have the edge.

I guess the indictment, the guilty verdict, and the call from Governor Sarah Palin for him to step down were indeed the final nails in the coffin for Stevens, and that means the only Republican Senator left to represent Alaska is Lisa Murkowski. Speaking of which, she's doing very well, and here's something I forgot to bring up while I was in North Carolina and Virginia a couple months ago for my grandma's funeral: She and a companion (definitely not her husband) were on the same flight to Minneapolis as us -- and we were a few rows and a First Class curtain apart! Of course we had connecting flights to elsewhere, but the Republican National Convention was not on Lisa's agenda...and it was the third night when Palin would shine in her acceptance speech.

Like I've said before, Begich promises change on Capitol Hill...and picking up where his father Nick left off, he will.

Obama's first interview since being elected two weeks ago gave "60 Minutes" its highest rating in quite a while, which is not unusual since the show was first #1 in all of television in the late '70s and for three more seasons in the early '90s. And now, the demand for tickets to the January 20th inauguration are at its highest ever with the crowd estimates hovering over 3 million.

Of course, all of Hollywood will descend to Washington for the festivities, and bunches of parties all over are right now at its planning stages. If you thought the Golden Globe Awards are being called "the party of the year", that's nothing compared to the series of inauguration parties that'll be thrown all over the nation's capital which will culminate with Barack Obama taking the Oath of Office and beginning a whole new era for America and the world.

And last but not least: Not since the late Heath Ledger in "The Dark Knight" have I ever seen a whole lot of buzz created for one of the highly-anticipated films of 2008, and I know you're starting to get sick and tired of the spots for it being played all over the TV: "Twilight"!

At the premiere Monday night in Los Angeles, it was absolute chaos as fans camped out over the weekend just to get their glimpses of the main stars Robert Pattinson and Kristen Stewart on the red carpet. Now these two are unknown to the world, but after Friday when the film opens, you'll remember those names.

But if "Twilight" wants to be #1 as expected, it'll have to go past Disney's "Bolt" starring the voices of John Travolta and Miley Cyrus which too opens on Friday; they had their premiere on Monday as well. And just for the record: Miley is still alive and well; somebody posted a video on her YouTube page over the weekend saying that she was killed in a drunk driving accident. Apparently, the person happened to have hacked into Miley's account, and the video was swiftly removed.

Both films want to take down "Quantum of Solace", which is #1 right now and have earned more than the last James Bond movie, "Casino Royale"; that proved to be no match for the animated "Happy Feet"...and that's in the domestic box office! But whichever way goes, "Quantum" will still be the top film worldwide, and "Twilight" (if the hype is really worth it) will follow suit.

I'm not part of this "Twilight" craze myself, just following it...unless if I resist myself seeing it on Thanksgiving weekend. So long and stay strong.

The Day After

Hello, everybody. Things have went back to neutral just 24 hours after the election was called for Barack Obama, making him the first African-American to be elected President of the United States.

The celebration over that news immediately spread all over the world, and not just in the United States. From looking at hundreds of videos continuing to filtrate YouTube, there were many in cities large and small; it was like New Year's Eve all over again. Even in England, when most of them were supposed to be asleep, they stayed up late in the wee hours to witness history in the making. Grant Park in Chicago may have been the place to be last night, but it was absolute bedlam outside the White House; many of them didn't want to wait till January 20 to evict President Bush out and put Obama in.

The newspapers of course wasted no time starting the presses. Here, the News-Miner had "History is made" with a full-page photo of Obama adorning the front page, while the Anchorage Daily News had "Obama makes history" on theirs.

But you've got to hand it to John McCain in what was the most hard-fought battle for the White House since Kennedy vs. Nixon. He pretty much knew there was no way to catch up to Obama later in the night (although he had the early lead when the first polls closed at 7:00 pm Eastern), and I thought he was very gracious and cordial in his concession speech outside the Biltmore Hotel in Phoenix. As for Governor Sarah Palin? It may have been deja vu for her, but she's now back home in Alaska leaving behind months of memories...and Tina Fey.

And today, Obama wasted no time starting the transitional process as he wanted Rahm Emanuel as his Chief of Staff with hundreds of other slots to fill (John Kerry -- who almost beat President Bush last election -- is rumored for a Secretary of State post). He only got about ten weeks, so he's choosing carefully.

Of course, we wore out our thumbs flipping across the dial last night in terms of television coverage. I thought NBC's overall presentation (including graphics) was the best among the broadcast networks; CBS was also good, but ABC? They bored me to tears!

On cable, my high marks went to CNN, especially their "hologram" interviews and John King's "magic wall". And it showed, as they beat everybody else in the ratings. And on the international side, there was the BBC and CBC in Canada (whose coverage was simulcast on C-SPAN2); I watched CBC's more. Oh yeah, in between all those, I checked out Univision, Comedy Central, and WGN in snippets.

But to sum it all up...in 1984, Jesse Jackson was the first African-American to run for President, but he hit a brick wall along the way. A few others tried including Alan Keyes in 2000, but in the end, Barack Obama decided to step up to the plate and take a stab at reforming America for the better. The road was rough with a few speed bumps along the way, and when he got the nomination, it started to pave with bits of John McCain as the potholes.

And last night, except for the first hour, it continued to pave all the way to quite an historic end. America went through the Civil Rights revolution of the '50s and '60s; soon, it'll be the Obama revolution and a 21st Century Camelot that John F. Kennedy would appreciate. It's too bad my grandmother Mildred didn't live long to witness what was truly another chapter written in the Black History books, but I know up above she was celebrating like the rest of the world.

Come January 20, 2009, the three most important words that'll be in our vocabulary won't be "Joe The Plumber", but "President Barack Obama." So long and stay strong.

Back at AllenBlog Election Central where we're still awashed in emotion over Barack Obama becoming our next President, and the polls here in Alaska have already closed a short while ago. And hate to say this to you, but it doesn't look too good as far as change here is concerned...at least so far.

With 36% of the numbers in, Ted Stevens leads over Mark Begich 49% to 45% in the Senate. Over on the House side, Ethan Berkowitz is getting killed by Don Young 51% to 44%. And even though the whole deal is sealed, McCain easily gets Alaska's three electoral votes but Ralph Nader got only 1%.

But of course, it will be a bit longer till we declare a winner or two, so there may be some glimmer of hope for Begich and Berkowitz. And with polls in all 50 states now closed (though some of they have yet to be called), the electoral vote scoreboard now reads: Obama 338, McCain 141.

Well...it's been fun updating this blog all through the night on what was indeed a 56th Presidential Election already in the history books. I'll have my final thoughts on all this tomorrow, so so long, stay strong, and good night!