Tuesday's Media Mix (CNN's Ratings Continue Dwindling, iPhone for Verizon Customers, Dog Tries to Bite Cop Car)

Video Clip of the Day: Dog tries to bite cop car

Raw Ratings: CNN's rating free fall continues

On the Verizon: Apple to launch two new iPhones, one for Verizon

'Le Whif': Coffee inhalers sold in France

Hoopster-in-Chief: CBS' Harry Smith to Shoot Interview, Hoops with Pres. Obama

In Case You Missed It (March 29)

What a slow news day. Here in Louisiana everything seemed to center around the start of the legislative session. Governor Jindal had a lot to say in 30-minutes. Nationally, a story about Christian warriors and a plot to kill police is creating a lot of buzz.





Eight Arrested: 'Christian warrior' militia accused in plot to kill police


Murder Trial: Boy Who Killed Step-Mom Will be Tried as an Adult


Saturday's Off: USPS One Step Closer to Dropping Saturday Mail

Uh, Duh!: Ricky Martin Says He's Gay

Sell Outs: 'American Idol' Owner Confirms Buyout Talks

Session Starts: Jindal speech opens legislative session

Monday's Media Mix (Big Bucks for "Lost" Finale, Sold Out of iPads & Rats Choose Junk Food Over Healthy Food)

Video Clip of the Day: Frog a little late for lunch

Big Bucks: 30-second Ad During Lost Finale $900,000

Sold Out: Suppliers Expect to Ship 8-10 Million iPads in 2010, Apple Sells Out of iPads in Stock

The New Crack?: Scientists Compare Junk Food to Cocaine as Study Shows Rats Fed Junk Food Go Hungry When Given Healthy Food

Friday's Media Mix (Netflix via Wii, Man Jailed for Soup, CBS 'Got to Dance' & Leno Leads Again)

WiiHoo: Netflix via Wii Is Almost Here

Copy Cats: CBS Orders Dancing Competition 'Got to Dance'

Suspicious Soup: Man Jailed in Tijuana for African Dish

Leno Leads (again): "Tonight Show" Leads for Third Week

In Case You Missed It (March 25)

Is the Pope getting picked on? His handling of alleged sex abuse cases when he was a bishop is creating all sorts of headlines. And it's official ... again. The Houses passes a Senate bill fixing health care reform. But did anything change?

Final Fix: House passes Senate's health care 'fixes' bill

Picking on the Pope?: Vatican Strongly Defends Abuse Decision

Tough to Tan: FDA Mulls New Tanning Bed Restrictions

Show Time: Mars and Moon Put on Sky Show Tonight

Freak Accident: Teen Dies in Blast After Cigarette Sparks Hair Bleach

Series Finale: 'At the Movies' is canceled

Lawsuit Filed: LSU police major claims gender discrimination

In Case You Missed It (March 24)

As the battle over health care reform continues (didn't Pres. Obama sign it into law?), threats are being made against Congressmen. Another battle is brewing in the Alaskan wilderness. And we can blame Sarah Palin.


Sarah's World: Sarah Palin to host reality TV series

You've Got Mail: Stupak Received Threatening Messages for Health Care Vote

Tummy Tuck: Authors of New Atkins Book Hope to Revive Diet

RIP: 'I Spy' Actor Robert Culp Dies

Who Dat: New Orleans, D.C. & New Hampshire Top The Charts For Penis Size

Just a Number?: Pre-filed bill aims to set public office qualification age limit

Struggling to Survive: Blockbuster is 'bleeding to death'

Wednesday's Media Mix (Digg the new app, Hope for Chuck, Reverse jail break & Viagra and sex offenders)

Video Clip of the Day: Cheerleader falls during routine. Oops!

Digg It: Digg’s iPhone App Launches Today

Panic Time: NBC's Chuck in Danger of Being Canceled

Jail Break: Inmate Gets 15 Years For Breaking Into Jail

Bulls Eye: Palin unveils midterm target list

Dysfunctional Bill: No Viagra for Sex Offenders

In Case You Missed It (March 23)

President Obama signs health care reform into law, and VP Biden drops the F-bomb! How great would it have been if Obama and Biden broke out into a song and dance number during the ceremony? I'm picturing it, which is scary! Speaking of song and dance, gay proms are like the new shark attacks. Mississippi says no while Georgia says yes, and the national media is on a feeding frenzy to cover it all.

Gay Ole Prom: Gay Prom Date Approved in Georgia

Not So Fast: Judge rules against lesbian teen in prom flap

Your Sued!: 14 states sue to block health care law

Big F***ing Deal: Just Biden Being Biden?

Got Game: Nintendo to Launch 3-D Version of Handheld Console

Ewwwww: 100 Sssnakes Ssslaughtered in Florida

Knitters Gone Wild: Tree Branches and Light Poles Covered with Little Sweaters

Watch CBS News Videos Online

Tuesday's Media Mix (Assassination Tweets, Conan Can't Give Back & Eatable Oscar)

Video Clip of the Day: Curious Chimp Checks out Camera

Assassination Tweets: Secret Service Investigation Tweets Calling for Obama's Assassination

Indian Givers: NBC Says “No” to Conan to Appear on “Idol Gives Back”

Eatable Award: Nominees for 'Oscars of the food world'

Live to Bark: Dog Shot Five Times But Miraculously Survives

In Case You Missed It (March 22)

It seems everyone with an opinion about the health care reform legislation made it heard today. And poll after poll seems to show that Americans aren't in favor of President Obama's health care bill. Guess we'll know the real effects of the bill during the upcoming mid-term elections. As we continue to digest what the new law will mean, new details are being released in the Michael Jackson investigation.

New Details: Michael Jackson's doctor interrupted CPR to dispense with drug vials

Political Poll: Most Say Health Care Fight About Politics, Not Policy

Not Good News: Majority disapprove of Obama for first time

Set to Sue: Louisiana set to file suit over controversial healthcare bill

Chinese Censorship: Google quits censoring search in China

Tell it to a Judge: Lesbian Teen Prom Date Case in Court

Dancing Away: Who’ll go ‘Dancing’ off with mirror ball trophy?

Strange But True: Man dies in auto accident after attacking wife, kids

Monday's Media Mix (Banged up mail, Twitter attacks, Scripted TV finally? & A 4th BDay celebration)

Video Clip of the Day: I sure hope this isn't true!

Guessing Game: How Many Scripted Hours on Broadcast Primetime Next Fall?

Twitter Fish: New Twitter Phishing Attack: “You’re On Here?”

#thankstwitter4: Twitter Celebrates Fourth Birthday with 140 Wishes

Welcome Back: Blue Butterflies Come Back from the Brink

In Case You Missed it (Weekend Edition)

What happened this weekend? Well, history was made. President Obama's push for health care reform finally saw the light of day and was passed by the U.S. House of Representatives. Despite your views on the issue (mine will be coming tomorrow), it's a very historic moment. If that wasn't big enough, Tiger Woods broke his silence ... TWICE!

Health Care Vote: House passes health care bill on 219-212 vote

Tiger Talks (Finally): Woods gives first interview since crash Transcript

Fire and Ice: Iceland Fears 2nd, Even Larger Volcanic Eruption

Flood Fight: Red River Crests in North Dakota, Floodwaters Recede

On the Road: Jindal’s frequent travels proving lucrative as he raises more campaign funds outside of Louisiana

In Case You Missed It (March 19)

The health care debate is heating up ... will President Obama and the democrats have enough support for a vote this weekend? Once again abortion is causing problems and scaring away not only republicans but House democrats too. The Red River is rising, causing problems for residents in Fargo, ND. Will the sandbags hold and protect towns from flooding? And is your NCAA bracket busted like mine? Too many upsets to talk about.

Cornell scores NCAA upset for Ivy League

Presidential Push: Obama targets insurers in final health care push


Flood Woes: Sandbags in place as Red River rises


Pope's Problems: Pope's former diocese in Munich takes on "tsunami" of abuse cases


Full House: Foreclosure Proceedings Have Begun on Home of Octomom


Prom Payment: Ellen presents $30,000 to lesbian in prom flap

Left in Tears: Cookie Monster Swipes Girl Scout's Cash

Watch CBS News Videos Online

Jennifer Lopez Planning to go "Overboard"

I'm not usually a big fan of remakes, but I'm super excited that Jennifer Lopez (my future ex-wife) is in talks to star in the remake of the 1980's comedy "Overboard."

According to The Hollywood Reporter, Will Smith is producing the new version of the film. Adam Cooper and Bill Collage worked on the current script with Leslie Dixon.

Goldie Hawn and Kurt Russell starred in the original comedy in 1987. Garry Marshall directed the movie, which was about a rich, spoiled and snooty woman who falls off her yacht and is convinced she's the wife of a local carpenter. She becomes a housekeeper for his four boys only to fall in love with the entire family.

And don't forget the future Mrs. Daniel Brown (aka J.Lo) hits theaters in April for her romantic comedy "The Back-up Plan."

Friday's Media Mix (Sarah Palin's Reality Show, Battle for Sex.com & Invisibility Cloak)

This summary is not available. Please click here to view the post.

In Case You Missed It (March 18)

I was out of work sick, so I'm a little behind on what happened today. It looks like health care reform and Tiger's sexy text messages was what everyone is talking about (besides March Madness, of course).



Just Madness: ODU Edges Notre Dame; St. Mary's Topples Richmond; Villanova, BYU Escape with OT Wins

Final Countdown: Where does health care reform stand?

No One Puts Sandy in the Corner: Jesse James Asks for Forgiveness

Amanpour Out: Christiane Amanpour to join ABC News

Sexting: Joslyn James Releases Racy Texts With Tiger Woods Via Web Site

Play Protests: Dutchtown production brings out hundreds of protesters

Pants on 'da Ground: Baton Rouge woman on crusade to pull up your pants

Thursday's Media Mix (Barack-etology, Google TV, Conon on Fox?)

Video Clip of the Day: Barack-etology 2010 (The President's Picks)

Girls Rule?: Boys Are Struggling With Reading in All 50 States

Tune In: Google TV is Coming to a Living Room Near You

Foxy CoCo: “A Deal We Can Live With” Outlined

Surf's Up: Alpaca hits the waves in Peru

In Case You Missed It (March 17)

It was a slow news day today. It took a little digging to find the biggest news stories. An Irish rally on Wall Street was probably one of the biggest stories today. That as the push for health care reform continues.

Irish Rally: Stocks end at 18-month highs

Presidential Push: Temperature Rising for Health Care Votes

BR Tea Party: Tea turns conservative protest into party

Grisly Discovery: Body of missing mother of five found under hotel bed

Death Sentence: Jury says Dacarius Holliday should be put to death

Only in Louisiana: Pint-sized dogs used to hunt nutria on Bayou St. John

Infant Left in Oven Overnight, Dad Blames Drugs & Booze

Buckle your seat belts for this one!


A Kentucky dad is in jail for putting his five-week-old son in the oven, leaving him there overnight. (The oven door was open slightly, and the oven was not on.)

Larry Long says he was high on marijuana and drunk on whiskey. He apparently got high at work and went home to share a fifth of whiskey with the baby's mother. According to police reports, Long finished off the bottle as the mom went to bed. When she woke up the next morning, she heard the baby crying ... the cries were coming from the oven.

Sometime that night, Long called a mental health crisis line and told them what he had done. They alerted police. The baby was taken to the hospital, and he was okay.

Long isn't taking responsibility for his actions. Get this: He believes the marijuana he was smoking at work was laced with a hallucinatory.

What the hell?

I just thank God the oven wasn't on and the baby wasn't hurt. Larry Long needs to spend time in rehab and several years in jail. Blaming the pot you're smoking isn't a good enough excuse! How about you lay off the drugs and booze, and actually try taking care of your kid!

His only saving grace is that he did finally realize what he did and called that crisis line. It's just too little, too late. I do hope he gets the help he needs and may one day be a father to this poor baby.

The baby was removed from the home and is now being cared for by family members.

Decoding What the "American Idol" Judges Really Mean

Didn't get it, Yo Dawg, Didn't work for me, I'm a fan of yours ... these are all phrases you'll hear each and every week on "American Idol."

CNN did a great job decoding what these phrases really mean. If you have ever watched "Idol," then you'll get a good laugh!

When Simon says ...
"You didn't do anything different with the song." What he really means is "I am incredibly bored right now. Thank goodness they pay me so much money to sit here and listen to this."

"You are a Broadway singer." What he really means is "At this point, I have absolutely no idea how in the world we would market you if you were to win."

"I didn't love the song, but you sang it very well." What he really means is "That wasn't nearly as bad as I anticipated."

When Kara says ...
"You have a great radio voice." What she really means is "It wouldn't be the worst thing in the world if you won this competition."

"That was authentic. I felt it" What she really means is "You were able to cover that song without sounding like a bad karaoke rip-off."

"Part of the problem is that you haven't figured out who you want to be as an artist yet" What she really means "You haven't been able to take the extremely confusing critiques we have been giving you and synthesize that into giving us exactly what we want."

When Randy says ...
"I don't know. That just didn't work for me." What he really means is "That was awful, and I know you can do better than that."

"Dawg listen, the song was a little bit too big for you." What he really means is "You don't have that great of a voice to even go there."

"Yo, that was dope!" What he really means is "Yo, that was dope!"

When Ellen says ...
"You are adorable" What she really means is "You might want to start thinking about a career in acting instead of music."

"You have such a great personality!' What she really means is "You are cute, but not as adorable as some of the others so let's focus on some of your better attributes, shall we?"

"You know I am a fan of yours ..." What she really means is "I am about to deliver a comment that should be harsh, but because I am so nice I will completely sugar-coat it."

And while Ryan Seacrest isn't a judge, he's got a bit of code speak in him also.
When Ryan says ...

"Do you agree with what the judges just said?" What he really means is "Give us a juicy, biting quote about the judges, Simon in particular, so I can blow it completely out of proportion."

Wednesday's Media Mix (March Madness Meets Social Media, Losing it with Jillian & Shortest Man Dies)

HAPPY ST. PATRICK'S DAY!

Video Clip of the Day: Why can't I have a job like this!

Hoops Hoopla: The Ultimate March Madness Social Media Guide

Seriously?!!?: NBC Prepares for 'Losing it with Jillian' This Summer

RIP: World's Shortest Man Dies

In Case You Missed It (March 16th)

A new feature for your reading pleasure ... a look back at the day's big news stories. I'm calling it (drum roll please) IN CASE YOU MISSED IT! Would love your feedback!

Here we go again: Honda to recall 410,000 vehicles for brake problem

Green jacket alert: Tiger Woods seeks a quiet return to golf

Don't hold your breath: Holder - Bin Laden Unlikely to Be Captured Alive

Oops: Plane crash-lands on beach, killing jogger

Naughty Mom: Rielle Hunter Pictures in GQ are "Repulsive," Says John Edwards' Lover

And the winner is: Musher Lance Mackey wins fourth consecutive Iditarod

That's just wrong: Sheriff will allow inmates to order meals from online food service

How Stupid Can You Be? Driver plows into a rock slide

Words can't describe this man's ignorance. MORON!

Tuesday's Media Mix (Rock & Roll Inductees, Fox News Making Money & Live Nude Art)

Video Clip of the Day: Half-court shot by special olympian
(happens about 1:20 in )

Ready to Rock: Jimmy Cliff, ABBA among rock hall inductees

Money Makers: Fox News Most Profitable, Edging CNN & Headline News Combined

Nude Painting: Art Exhibit Causes Blush for Some Patrons

12-year-old Boy Faces Life in Prison for Murder

Murder is wrong and it doesn't matter the age. But the case of 12-year-old Jordan Brown in Pennsylvania is raising all sorts of ethics questions. At the top of the list, how young is too young to be on trial for murder as an adult?

In almost half the states across the country, children can be prosecuted and tried in adult court. But a majority of homicide cases involving children as young as Jordan are traditionally tried in juvenile courts.

Jordan was a chubby-cheeked fifth-grader, quarterback for a community football league and loved riding bikes and reading Harry Potter books. He's accused of shooting his pregnant step-mom with a 20-gauge shotgun. Police say after the shooting, Jordan boarded the school bus and went about his day as if nothing happened.

I've read a few court documents on this case. Jordan never exhibited any violent streaks, but was reportedly jealous of his dad's new wife. The few documents in the case that have been released (most are sealed because of the possibility this could head to a juvenile court where information is not public), suggest the Jordan was jealous of his step-mom. This is something Jordan's father says is simply not true.

I don't think a 12-year-old should be tried as an adult. I really don't think he knew what he was doing, nor did he know the consequences of his actions. I think back of things I did when I was 12. While I never committed murder, I remember pushing the limits to see what I could get away with. I learned from my mistakes.

At the same time, I wonder if Jordan could snap again one day. If tried in the juvenile courts, he would be free at the age of 21. It'll be interesting to see what comes of this case, and if a judge will decide to send this to the juvenile court system.

6o Minutes: Derek Paravicini's Extraordinary Gift

Every now and again you'll come across a story that just grabs your attention. It usually happens to me every time I watch "60 Minutes." They just know how to tell stories in a compelling way. But this week a story aired that didn't need storytelling. The story alone was amazing.

It was about a man named Derek Paravicini. He's blind with severe disabilities. He can't do everyday things or even tell his right hand from his left. But what he does with a piano is amazing. It will leave you with chills.

Watch CBS News Videos Online

Baton Rouge: Top City for Young Workers

Finally some GREAT news for Baton Rouge!

Portfolio.com studied nearly 70 metropolitan areas across the U.S. looking for qualities that would appeal to workers in the 20s and early 30s. And making the top ten is Baton Rouge!

The study looked at places with strong growth rates, moderate costs of living and areas with the most educated young adults employed.

Portfolio.com called Baton Rouge a "success story" of Hurricane Katrina, adding that the Red Stick "boasts a high concentration of young adults and a strong rate of income growth."

Not surprisingly, Austin, TX came in at number one. But I'm proud of Baton Rouge for making the top ten list for something positive!! I guess the only thing better would be making Letterman's Top Ten list ... I'll write a letter to WorldWide Pants!

1. Austin, TX
2. Washington, D.C.
3. Raleigh, NC
4. Boston, MA
5. Houston, TX
6. Oklahoma City, OK
7. Dallas-Fort Worth
8. Tulsa, OK
9. Seattle, WA
10. BATON ROUGE

Monday's Media Mix (March Madness, Scrubs Canceled?, Stolen Bridesmaid's Dresses)

See more funny videos and funny pictures at CollegeHumor.

Video Clip of the Day: Forget the toilet, dog discovers the fridge!

March Madness: NCAA Tournament Set as Selection Committee Rolls Out Men's Bracket

Scrubbing Out: Will low ratings leave ABC no choice but to cancel "Scrubs"?

Bridezilla: Bridesmaid's Dress Stolen Hours Before Wedding

Friday's Media Mix (Yankee Stadium Falls, Betty to SNL, Leprechaun Museum & Gulping Snail Slime)

Video Clip of the Day: Granny DJ knows how to spin

Hail the Snail: Worshippers Ill after Gulping Snail Slime

Hidden Treasure: Ireland's New Museum for Leprechauns

Legendary Demolition: Old Yankee Stadium Upper Deck Comes Down

Golden Girl: Betty White to host 'Saturday Night Live'

Fallon Falls While Making Martinis (pretty funny)

Thursday's Media Mix (Where are the tweets, breast milk cheese & CNN's new initiative)

Video Clip of the Day: What NOT to do during a live shot

Not so Social: Twitter users tend to follow other users rather than post their own messages

Facebook Focus: CNN says they're not worried about low ratings, focused on social media instead

Cheese Mommy?: Woman whose chef husband turned extra lactation into cheese says it's totally safe

Oscar interrupter's tall tale?

It's the Oscar moment that everyone is talking about ... not the fact that "The Hurt Locker" won best picture ... but the one part of the show (one of the boring parts ... that quickly got interesting) when a winner for best documentary short was basically pushed off stage by (what appeared to be) an over zealous woman (co-producer/co-winner of the documentary).

The whole incident is being compared to the Kayne West/Taylor Swift debacle at the MTV Video Music Awards. Roger Ross Williams was about 10 seconds into his acceptance speech when Elinor Burkett edged him from the microphone.

(Burkett: "Just like a man, never lets a woman talk ... Isn't that just the classic thing?")

Burkett claims Williams raced to the stage and edged her out of the way. New Oscar rules tried to keep only one person from speaking (despite multiple winner for categories) and limited the speeches to 45 seconds. Burkett says she just wanted to make sure she got her two-cents in.

While Burkett was sharing her story with Joy, Williams swung by "Larry King Live" to talk about the incident. He called it "shocking." Larry King (being the kind and generous soul he is) gave Williams 80 seconds to complete his acceptance speech.

Newsflash: Williams and Burkett are no longer friends.

Wednesday's Media Mix (Chelsea Handler Speaks, Caulk Implants, Banning dog meat in China)

Watch CBS News Videos Online

Video Clip of the Day: I have a love for Chelsea Handler that's hard to explain ... she's way too funny not to be a late-night comic on CBS/NBC/ABC. I'm okay with her on E!. If you haven't seen her show, it's worth a look!

Bathtub Butt: "Caulk" Butt Enhancements Hospitalize 6

Meow, It's What's for Dinner: Inside the cat and dog meat market in China

Letterman Back on Top: Letterman beats Leno in demo on Monday night

Porn for Bibles? Sad but True.

It's called the Smut for Smut campaign. Atheist students at the University of Texas at San Antonio launched a porn for bibles trade ... giving any student (over 18, of course) porn if they trade in religious materials.

Leaders of the campaign say porn is no worse than what's written in the bible and other religious texts. The good thing here is that most students at UTSA don't agree with campaign.

This is disturbing on so many different levels. Whether you are a Christian or not ... it's hard to believe that this is true. And while I think this is despicable, two wrongs don't make a right!

Monday's Media Mix (Newsroom brawl, 'Real World' Congressman & Poor on Purpose?) Plus #musicmonday

Video Clip of the Day

Newsroom brawl ... Good thing WAFB doesn't do this (at least not on camera).

Poor on Purpose: "People are unemployed because they want to be," Tom Delay to CNN's Candy Crowly

Real World to Capitol Hill? Can former MTV reality star be the next Congressman?

World's Best Granny: Granny Camps Out 43 Hours For Grandson's Ice Cream

Music Monday: @LadyAntebellum "Something 'Bout a Woman"

The Jersey Shore Presents: Oscar Nominations 2010

I don't watch "Jersey Shore" (and may be the only person who doesn't) ... but even I got a chuckle or two from these clips on "Lopez Tonight." It features the cast of "Jersey Shore" being their GTLselves in this year's Oscar nominated films for Best Picture.

"Alice in Wonderland" Shatters Box-Office Records

The Box-Office Top Five
#1 "Alice in Wonderland" ($116.3 million)

#2 "Brooklyn's Finest ($13.5 million)

#3 "Shutter Island" ($13.3 million)

#4 "Cop Out" ($9.1 million)

#5 "Avatar" ($7.7 million)

Moviegoers were transported to the whacky world of Wonderland this weekend as director Tim Burton's "Alice in Wonderland" debuted to a decisive first-place finish at the box office. Lovers of cinema both stateside and abroad put their stamps of approval all over the 3-D Disney film, which earned a domestic total of $116.3 million and a foreign gross of $94 million, for a worldwide tally of $210.3 million.

"Wonderland" established several new records during its opening weekend, including the greatest premiere for any film released in 2010 thus far, as well as the best ever March debut, outpacing the $70.8 million earned by Zack Snyder's "300" in 2007. "Wonderland" marks the most successful film launch of the Burton's distinguished career. Disney's latest also enjoyed best opening weekend ever for a non-sequel film, though the brand of "Wonderland" is clearly recognized across the globe. All of these records owe no small thanks to the increased ticket prices from 3-D and IMAX locations.

But even though the movie is currently enjoying phenomenal success at the box office, "Wonderland" is far from being a critical darling. According to Rotten Tomatoes, only 53 percent of critics have favorably embraced the movie.

As "Wonderland" commanded the majority of box-office business this weekend, competitors were forced to settle for a comparatively slimmer audience. "Brooklyn's Finest," also a new release, took home the second-best haul with $13.5 million, an admirable result given the cop drama's reported $25 million production budget.

Martin Scorsese's "Shutter Island" and Kevin Smith's "Cop Out" took the gold and silver medals last weekend, but both films slipped to third and fourth place with $13.3 million and $9.1 million respectively by Sunday's conclusion.

James Cameron's "Avatar," the 3-D science-fiction epic that earned its status as the most successful film of all time in just a handful of weeks, slipped out of the top five on Friday for the first time since its December debut. But it was able to rebound for a fifth-place finish of $7.7 million before the end of the weekend.

By Josh Wigler / MTV

Oscar Math (How Best Picture is Decided...and Why "Up" could win)

Oscar oddsmakers have "The Hurt Locker" and "Avatar" in a virtual dead heat for best picture. So it's a sure bet that one of them will win on Sunday, right?

Not necessarily.

Voting for best picture – and tabulating those votes – isn't a simple case of majority rule. For one thing, with 10 nominees this year, it's more likely than ever that no film will receive 50 percent-plus-one of the vote: If "Avatar" and "Hurt Locker" are as close as believed, even if the other eight nominees combined drew, say, just 15 percent of the votes, that likely would be enough to keep either of the favorites from reaching 50 percent.

In the past, that wouldn't have mattered: the top vote-getter would take the trophy, end of story.

But this year, the Academy changed the script. When it expanded the best picture category from five nominees to 10, it also changed the voting system from a plurality (most votes wins) to something that sounds like a communicable disease – STV. It actually stands for the Single Transferable Vote system, and it's also known as Instant Runoff, Preferential Voting or Alternative Voting.

Basically, instead of just selecting a favorite, each voter ranks all 10 nominees. The ballots are separated into 10 groups: those with "Avatar" No. 1 in one group, those with "Hurt Locker" as the top pick in another, and so forth. Then, if no film has a majority of No. 1 votes, the system goes to work.

Let's say, for argument's sake, that "A Serious Man" receives the fewest No. 1 votes. (Sorry, Joel and Ethan.) That film would be knocked out, and the ballots in that pile would be redistributed among the remaining nominees, based on those ballots' second choices. If that doesn't produce a film with a majority, the process is repeated with the No. 9 movie, and so forth.

Some people see this system as favoring "Hurt Locker." They reason is that even people who didn't love the war drama respect it as a well-made film, while people who disliked "Avatar" really hated it, because they disagree with one of its perceived messages, or they just don't think a special-effects-heavy film should win best picture. So while many people who don't rate "Hurt Locker" first might put it second or third, voters who don't pick "Avatar" to win might rank it at or near the bottom.

See the problem with handicapping a 10-nominee race under these rules? You have to predict not only voters' first choices, but how strategic they'll be filling out the rest of the ballot. I think the system could open the door for a film that, while not many think of it as a best picture, just about everyone loved – a film like "Up."

By the way, you may not have heard of this system before, but it's been around a while. In fact, the Academy has long used it to choose the best picture nominees. It's also gaining a foothold in politics: it's been used or is set to be used in some 15 cities and states, including Memphis, Minneapolis, San Francisco, and Burlington, Vermont, as well as in the United Kingdom, Ireland, Australia, and other countries. Supporters say it eliminates the expense of runoff elections, and ensures the winner has a mandate from a majority.

We'll find out Sunday night which film has the "mandate" of the Academy membership.

From: CNN Entertainment Senior Producer David Daniel

Time for the Oscars (Time for Predictions)

The 82nd Annual Academy Awards are tonight, and I'll actually get to watch! Last year I was waking up for work as the winner for best picture was crowned! I'm not really looking forward to watching the nearly four hours of awards (although I'm excited about hosts Steve Martin & Alec Baldwin), but I'm hoping some of my favorites will win.

Do you remember who won Best Picture last year? I honestly couldn't remember until I looked it up and saw that "Slumdog Millionaire" won the Oscar. That telecast was three hours and 30 minutes long. The longest Academy Awards broadcast was in 2002 (four hours and 23 minutes). The host was Whoopi Goldberg (who has hosted four times) and the best picture winner was "A Beautiful Mind."

This is the first year since 1943 that ten movies are nominated for best picture. Producers are hoping the move will draw bigger audiences (traditionally people watch to root for an underdog). And this year's best picture winner could make history as well.

"Avatar," "District 9" and "Up" would be the first science fiction or animated films to win the best picture award ... and "Avatar" is a favorite to take the top prize.

I'm all for seeing history made, but I'm rooting for something different. I'm hoping "The Hurt Locker," "The Blindside" or "Inglourious Basterds" wins. Something a little different. (But I wouldn't be upset of "Up" won ... it was a great movie.)

My predictions:

• Best Picture: "The Hurt Locker"
• Best Actor: Jeff Bridges
• Best Actress: Sandra Bullock
• Best Director: Kathryn Bigelow
• Best Animated Film: "Up"
• Best Original Song: "The Weary Kind (Theme from 'Crazy Heart')"