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Honestly, this is the first Acadamy Award show that I sat all the way through. In recent years, I would be a channel flipper and only catch the categories that I wanted to see. I think that this was actually an entertaining show; not performance wise (even though that dance troupe was HOT, and seeing as how there really wasn’t many performances, except for Neil Patrick Harris’ opening), but because of the films that were nominated.

One of the biggest, if not THE biggest surprise of the night, was that ‘Avatar’ was not the “big winner” of the night. I actually had all of my money on the fact that the James Cameron film was going to get the top honor. I haven’t even seen ‘Hurt Locker’. I will definitely be watching this week however, to make sure that it was “Oscar worthy”. It had better been, with the six awards that it won, including the “big 2″: Best Picture and Best Director.

What did not surprise me, was that Sandra Bullock recieved her very first Acadamy Award for her stunning performance in “The Blind Side”. I truly think that she deserved it. Funny thing though; when I was watching the Barbara Walter’s Oscar Night Special, Sandra Bullock mentioned that she wouldn’t cry. She said that her mother would get on her for crying. But when she accepted her award, her emotions overcame her, and she almost let go. I thought it was very touching.

Congrats to all winners and nominees!

What did you think of the Oscars? Were you surprised with the results?

Photos courtesy of ABC Network

Coming to the big screen in Disney Digital 3D™ on March 5, 2010, ALICE IN WONDERLAND is an epic 3D fantasy adventure starring JOHNNY DEPP as the Mad Hatter and MIA WASIKOWSKA as 19-year-old Alice, who returns to the whimsical world she first encountered as a young girl, reuniting with her childhood friends: the White Rabbit, Tweedledee and Tweedledum, the Dormouse, the Caterpillar, the Cheshire Cat, and of course, the Mad Hatter. (Courtesy of Disney)

I’m always excited to see anything that Johnny Depp is in! He never ceases to amaze me (well his make-up crew never ceases to amaze me) with the elaborate measures that they take to transform him into whatever character the director deems necessary. Yet again, Mr. Depp is thrown in the fabulously uncanny world of Tim Burton.  I can’t wait to see the film!

Are you going to see it?

That’s all folks. The Hummer, one of America’s most symbiotic cars of machoism, is finally riding off into the sunset.

General Motors last week announced the likely end of the Hummer after a deal with a Chinese automaker fell through.

For those who opposed the huge vehicle, they’re ecstatic about the news. But for Hummer owners, they have mixed feelings. Many are just happy that the cars wouldn’t be outsourced to China.

Owners are hoping for a last-minute buyer to emerge before the Hummer joins the maligned Pinto in the scrapyard. GM has said it is trying to salvage the Hummer, setting May 1 as a deadline for other possible deals to be made.

I don’t know how I feel about GM no longer making Hummers. I’ve always felt that they were tough on gas, especially in this economy, but for those who could afford it, to each their own. Just because they are no longer making it, doesn’t mean that the ones already on the roadway are taking a permanent seat in the garage. I’m also pretty sure that the military will still be using them until they find something bigger and better.

How do you feel about the soon disappearance of the Hummer?

This February was the 12th-coldest in Memphis history and December to February was the 14th-coldest in the city’s history, according to the National Weather Service.

For the period of December to February, Memphis averaged 38.5 degrees; the coldest on record was 35.4 in 1917-18.

This is all the more reason for the Spring season to hurry up and make it’s presence known! Sure the snow was pretty, and snuggling up to a warm fire with some hot cocoa is fun, but enough is enough! I need WARM sunshine, clear blue skies, the fresh scent of the newest spring buds, and being able to grill again! (Which is a personal favorite of mine. )

Spring officially starts on March 20th. I’m counting down the days!

What about you? Do you love or hate cold weather? Or do you fall somewhere in between?

So, exactly what does one have to do to get their own iPhone app? Everyone seems to be getting them nowadays. From Diddy, to Britney Spears, it’s like getting your own iPhone app is the new celebrity ‘it’ thing. It’s no wonder Madonna would want to add herself to the ranks.

The Madonna app will keep fans up-to-date with nearly everything Madonna-related. There’s a tab for news, her music videos, track downloads, photos and even what her fans are saying about her on the fan page. I guess that’s great if you’re a hardcore Madonna fan.  Hey, it’s better than the Britney app that blurts out expletives when you shake it.

Would you download the Madonna app? Have you downloaded a celebrity’s app before?

Hey everyone! Let’s break out the sweatpants and sweatbands because it’s time for a workout! Only this isn’t your normal workout. You’re not dreading stepping on automated stairs for an hour, nor spending half of your workout time trying to figure out how to work the new exercise machine. This is actually fun!

It’s called Zumba, and it has taken over the nation! Memphis especially. The workout infuses Latin beats, coupled with lots of hip and arm movement, making for a full cardiovascular workout. The intensity goes up and down throughout the hour allotted. Once you’re done, you won’t feel like you worked out at all because you had so much fun! Well, at least not until about 30 minutes later…

When working out, I like to keep my mp3 player handy, to make things run a little easier. Zumba is no different. Only these aren’t the same beats you hear in your kickboxing class! In a statement about the music used by Zumba founder Beto Perez, she says “Zumba Fitness music is not the synchronized, synthesized monotonous beat you have heard in many aerobics classes,” Perez writes. “We use the originality passion, feel and flow of the song as intended by the music’s artist, rather than the syncro-syntho-mono beat. Our music is not simply background music or a way to keep a beat; it is the driving force of Zumba.”

Want to check out some Zumba classes in your area? Try the Shady Grove Presbyterian. They hold classes every Monday and Thursday evening from 6:15 to 7:15. For more classes, here’s how to search.

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