Warren Buffett is like a Scrooge McDuck for the Modern Age – incomprehensibly wise, universally philanthropic and obnoxiously loaded. Buffett’s net-worth exceeds some third-world countries’ annual GDP, a sum he accrued through years of shrewd business investments – and now he wants to give you a piece of that fortune.

A billion-dollar piece of it.

Buffett has teamed with Yahoo and Quicken Loans for a March Madness bracket-challenge, and the sage soul that completes their bracket with all of the winning teams will take home a billion-dollars of Buffett’s cash. 

While that all sounds well and good, before you take to your keyboards in pursuit of your status as America’s next billionaire – here’s the caveat: the odds of correctly filling out a March Madness bracket is 1 in 9.2 quintillion. Statistically, you have a better chance of being struck by lightning twice while simultaneously being consumed by a school of cybernetic sharks that juggle in their downtime.

Although the odds are colossal, the promotion is a stroke of publicity brilliance, as aside from the global attention it’s receiving, it also bolsters Yahoo’s user-base (it requires an account to signup), and involves a brief questionnaire provided by Quicken Loans regarding personal information. Essentially, the Billion Dollar Bracket Challenge is serving as a lead-generation service for Quicken, and a boost for Yahoo, a search-engine in decline since Google took over the universe.

Contest creators are estimating that as many as 15 million people will participate, which is vast exposure for Yahoo and an ever-expanding litany of names for Quicken Loans’ associates to contact–who just may be in need of a new car or home. It’s a solid example of the PR absurdity that exists and the lengths that corporate America and its elite will go to for widespread media attention.

The Oscars are essentially the crown jewel of awards season; the Super Bowl of cinematic accomplishment, if you will. At the end of each telecast there are always the moments that caused you to double-take, or go online to watch them again. Here are my top-five moments.

1. The Selfie Heard ‘Round the World

While killing some host-time, Ellen DeGeneres made her way through the audience, where she corralled a group of A-listers and had Bradley Cooper take a selfie. The picture was immediately uploaded to DeGeneres’ Twitter account, where it made history by becoming the most retweeted photograph of all time. There was so much attention paid to the tweet that it actually crashed Twitter momentarily.

2. Matthew McConaughey Wins Best Actor

Alright, alright, alright! Matthew McConaughey parlayed his first career Oscar nomination for Dallas Buyers Club into a win, and continued his magnificent career turnaround – being dubbed The McConaissance – which includes a Golden Globe for the same category. McConaughey has come a long way from his reputation as the requisite romantic comedy pretty boy, beginning with The Lincoln Lawyer and culminating with his performance as Ron Woodruff in Dallas Buyers Club. Most critics are predicting an Emmy in his future as well for the magnificent work he’s been turning in on HBO’s True Detective.

3. Bill Murray is Still Unpredictable and Endearing

Bill Murray presented the Oscar for Best Cinematography alongside Amy Adams, and after rattling off the list of nominees, he paid homage to his friend Harold Ramis, who passed away the week before.

“”We forgot one. Harold Ramis for ‘Caddyshack,’ ‘Ghostbusters’ and ‘Groundhog Day.’”

The crowd responded with a round of applause, and it made for a touching, impromptu moment in an awards show that, for the most part, sticks to its script.

4. Bizarro John Travolta 

This wouldn’t be considered a ‘best’ moment, but definitely notable. At this point I’m convinced that John Travolta has been replaced by an extraterrestrial doppelganger. He appeared utterly robotic as he took to the stage with a blank gaze and introduced Broadway star Idina Menzel, but disastrously mispronounced her name as something that sounded like ‘Adele Dazeem.’ It was odd, it was difficult to watch, but it was absolutely memorable.

5. Lupita Nyong’o Wins Best Actress

Actress Lupita Nyong’o was officially introduced into the lexicon of great film stars as she won the Best Actress Oscar for 12 Years a Slave. She gave an earnest and heartfelt acceptance speech which touched many in the live and television audience.

In a bittersweet announcement from my post as blogger, I’m saddened to say that this Thursday will be Amanda Tucker’s final day here at PR/PR.

You can only steal so many office-supplies before your fellow employees catch on. Our move to our new location obviously affected her ability to effectively pilfer pens and staples, so it didn’t take long until we were made aware of her extracurricular activities. This is what at-home arts and crafts will get you, kids.

Kidding.

In all seriousness, Amanda is moving on to a terrific new opportunity, and she will be sorely missed each and every day. She has left an indelible mark on our company – with her steadfast dedication, her infectious laugh and unparalleled professionalism. I met Amanda near eons ago; back when 56K modems were the source of envy among peers and MTV still played music videos. We remained friends throughout high school, and celebrated together as we prepared to depart to our respective universities.

I owe my position here at PR/PR entirely to her, for informing me of the opening, and putting in a solid word prior to my initial interview. It’s safe to say that my life would be on a completely different path had it not been for Amanda’s faith and confidence: so it will be odd walking into work each day and not seeing her in her familiar spot.

Change is a part of life, and we all wish Amanda the absolute best on her new career path. I can speak on behalf of all of us when I say that her future employer will be receiving an invaluable asset: a person whose heart is as strong as her mind, whose passion for life and love is unrelenting and whose commitment to her friends and family are second-to-none.

Best of luck, Amanda – I’ll miss bothering you on a daily basis.

-Carter Breazeale

Yesterday was Martin Luther King Day, and it’s imperative that we never lose sight of this man’s contributions to our society, and the impact that the Civil Rights Movement had on our country. There are still groups fighting equality battles and channeling Dr. King’s resilient spirit to ensure that the same inalienable rights are afforded to all, without discrimination or fear of persecution.

We owe Martin Luther King Jr. an immense debt of gratitude for making the sacrifices to end the scourge of Jim Crow, promote racial tolerance and fairness and assure that the words of the Declaration of Independence ring true – for everyone.

2013 brought many changes, some expected and some out of left field – but the year’s events have enabled us to mature as a company. We look forward to continued success in 2014, and the same for our clients and contemporaries.

Everyone, have a safe and Happy New Year!