Whew! Hello, faithful readers. What a whirlwind couple of weeks it has been. The February/March issue is safely at the printers and my desk is (mostly) clean, so let's talk turkey.

Miss America 2010

In a nutshell, I feel as though this pageant was probably the most successful, cohesive, and enjoyable since Miss America made the move to Las Vegas. Bravo to the national staff, TLC, the production team and, of course, the contestants.

Why do I feel this way? Lots of reasons.

First and foremost, I feel that MAO and TLC finally caught their stride together and delivered both a pageant and a telecast that was an equal mix of traditional pageantry and modern reality television.

The addition of America's Choice and Contestant's Choice were bold, I am willing to admit. But I really feel like it worked. Not only did these elements get the at-home audience involved, but the Contestant's Choice kept people tuned in longer than the opening numbers and the calling of the Top 14. Very nice.

The preliminaries were excellent this year. I loved that we had three different hosts, all equally funny and enamored of Vivica A. Fox, it would seem. I don't want to play favorites, but I adore Dena Blizzard (she was on our cover!) and would like to be her best friend if she and Vivica ever get into a fight. A clip of her getting Rush Limbaugh to dance has made the rounds of late night television and, I think, is still available for viewing on TMZ.com. So great!

The Judges

You are probably aware that the judges panel this wear was a wee bit controversial and I think we were all going into the pageant with a big question mark as to how that would pan out.

I had the distinct pleasure of attending the press conference with the judges and left feeling as though it was a solid panel, and that each person was committed to finding an incredible, competent Miss America.

You can learn more about what the judges had to say in the February/March issue, as our Five Minutes With...feature is on the judges.

I will say this, since you won't be getting that issue for a few more weeks. They took their jobs very seriously and respected the tradition and future of the organization. Again, well done.

The Contestants

I wish I had some sort of statistic to back this up, because I really don't want to look like I am gushing and playing favorites, but MAN. The contestant pool this year was out of this WORLD. The first night of prelims, every group was so strong in their area of competition that I honestly assumed the next nights would have some weak spots. I mean, it stands to reason that if an entire group knocks it out of the park in swimsuit, maybe their talent or onstage question will have some weak spots.

But I was wrong! Wrong wrong wrong. Each night, the suspense mounted as every single contestant proved to be consistent, aware, and bound to become Miss America. It really was a compelling competition.

Of course, I was thrilled to pieces to see Miss Puerto Rico Mimi Pabon compete and though she did not make the Top 15, I think her showing more than made Puerto Rico proud and was befitting of a Miss America contestant. I am looking forward to seeing Miss Puerto Rico compete again next year, after I judge their pageant this summer, of course - hint, hint.

Miss America 2010 Caressa Cameron

What can I say about this lovely young woman?

On a visceral level, I just enjoy her. I adored her evening gown, I was impressed by her talent. She's poised, self-possessed, and funny to boot.

Beyond that, my advice to you is to watch the video of the press conference she gave about 20 minutes after being crowned Miss America. You will be blown away. I was.

She is affable, humble, beautiful - everything you would want to be, or your daughter to be.

Her platform is hard-hitting and very personal to her, and I admire her for being bold enough to say, "I have lost someone to AIDS. I don't want that to ever happen to anyone else."

She will be on the cover of the April/May issue and I look forward to sharing more information about her with you, faithful readers.

Okay, so what did YOU think of the pageant?