Whether you enjoy the Oprah Winfrey empire or would rather pass, it's undeniable that Winfrey is a force to be reckoned with. It is a hard admission for me to make as a pop-culture aficionado that I do not actually have a television.

I'll be honest. I thought that I was going to be the one who would do the YouTube video where mascara is streaming down my cheeks and I'm crying to leave Sarah alone because she's just so awesome and you guys just are so mean and man, Chris Crocker is really emotionally draining to imitate. It must suck being him, and not just because of that haircut he clearly received from the Hair Cuttery.

A couple of days ago The Huffington Post did a video roundup of GOP VP pick, Alaska Governor Sarah Palin. The videos were of her comments on important issues relating to Alaska. Well anyone can do that. But tell me, have you seen clips of Governor Palin back when she was a sportscaster? Or watched as she hiked to her office from her house with a local Alaskan podcaster? Or heard what the Red State Update has to say about the moose hunting firebrand? That's where I come in.

As Katy, Erin and I worked the convention from one end of Denver to the other we were treated to celebrity sightings galore. Despite the fact that Erin and Katy are from Los Angeles and are each tangentially related to the entertainment industry, I was the chief celebrity spotter due to my role as a diligent (um, some might say unhealthy - I like to call it thorough) pop culture observer.

Strap on your high heeled sneakers Ladies and Gentleman 'cause it's time for "Dancing with the Stars" to rumba it's way back into your living rooms. Who will win? Who will lose? Who will make first class fools of themselves all in the name of shameless entertainment? Well we found out who yesterday when the new cast of "Dancing with the Stars" was announced on "Good Morning America."   Unlike some of the questionable D-listers from previous seasons, this time many of the contestants really are stars.  Good times, they are a comin'.

Years ago, when our family "game machine" was a clunky little gadget from Radio Shack and the best games were of the Pac Man generation, I watched my son become addicted to games. He still is, and he's passed the torch to the next generation, his 12 year-old daughter.

If you're diving into television, movies, or books lately, you may have noticed that vampires are having a renaissance again. From Twilight jumping to the big screen to television shows, I decided to round up what's at stake this fall and holiday season (I'll show myself out).

Julia Boorstin of is an entertainment and media reporter for CNBC.  Her job allows her to cover issues as varied as the projected opening box office for films like "Dark Knight" and "Mamma Mia," to interviewing the founder of Facebook, Mark Zuckerberg.  She also writes a blog called "Media Money" for CNBC's website that covers new media, old media and everything in between.  Next week I'm going to have the pleasure of doing a podcast interview with Julia about her job, her life and above all media and money. 

Hate your body? Can't bear to look in the mirror? If your answers are yes, stop right where you are and listen to this podcast interview I did last week with Kelly Park.

We're halfway through the 2008 Beijing Summer Olympics so it's time to rate NBC's coverage.  First a caveat, I haven't seen every single hour of the coverage, but really, who has?  My opinion based on the many hours I have watched?  For once, I'll give them a thumb that's almost pointing up.  Some thoughts:

Raise your hand if your kids are sleepy.  Mine are.  They've been staying up entirely too late watching Olympics, and who am I to stop them?  I was 12 years old when Mary Lou Retton won her gold medal, and I remember having my nose firmly glued to the TV.

The ad men of AMC's "Mad Men" are sleek, stylish and mired in a 60's culture that's been meticulously recreated.  They smoke like bad oil, they drink like cheap dates and they sleep around like they've earned the right.  Three weeks into the show's second season and just a few weeks before going for sixteen primetime Emmy awards, "Mad Men" is maintaining its buzz.