dookisevil

I was driving back from Fayetteville on Saturday, tuned in my local station to hear NC State playing Carolina. It was the Wolfpack's broadcast team. I was unable to tune in the station I knew was UNC's, and knew I'd be able to pick it up shortly, so I opted to listen in instead of searching.

The game was a good game, State was trying to come back, and the analysis was decent, that is until the Heels pretty much had the game in had and the closing seconds of the game were dwindling. Coach Williams had pulled a few of the starters and put in a few guys from the bench. Basically what happened after this is a matter of perspective. Carolina had the ball and tossed it into a player that does not get much playing time, who really wanted to score. And if you didn't get much playing time, wouldn't you? He got tossed to the ground rather hard by the State player. It was called an intentional foul. Coach Williams sent his player off the court, to keep the situation from escalating further, walked over and talked to Coach Lowe. Neither coach wanted to make a big deal out of it, Carolina put another player in, shot the free throws, got the ball and held it, the buzzer went off, the coaches shook hands and then the players.

This is a summary of State's broadcast of what transpired, Whoa, he shouldn't have gone for that shot. I think it is a technical. Now why is Roy Williams over at the scorer's table? He's over there talking to Sydney Lowe. He's probably saying that his players are just going to exit the court without shaking hands...

at this point, I switched stations to see if I could get a better analysis of what transpired, to hear Woody Durham say (again a summary), that seems to be a flagrant foul, it seems the player was ejected. Coach Williams is talking to Coach Lowe at the scorer's table, I think they just want to finish this game and not make a big deal out of what just happened...

I was rather surprised to hear State's broadcast team make such a huge assumption, because that is unsportsmanship at such a high level. Very rarely do you see team's not shake hands after the game, unless there was a bench clearing brawl. After the game in the post game conferences, Coach Williams apologized for the attempt to score, it was unnecessary, said he went over and apologized to Coach Lowe in the game, and told him they were going to hold the ball and let the clock run out for the remainder of the time. The player who went for the shot, also apologized as did the player who had the hard foul. All in all, the coaches nipped this in the bud and handled it well...but if you were listening to one radio broadcast not the other, would you know what really transpired?

**Note I am not mentioning any names, because that's not what I am trying to discuss here**

On the campus of NC State, there is a free expression tunnel, where you can paint pretty much whatever you like. Someone painted a mural to honor the late Kay Yow, a tribute. It was defaced sometime Saturday with light blue paint and the statement "cancer rules". I figured this would probably happen, and it has, the student body president for State was interviewed on the Noon news, and said that he suspected it was someone from Carolina, being that it was light blue paint and that Carolina played State in Raleigh on Saturday. That claim goes well beyond the rivalry, anyone who would deface such a tribute to the late Coach is a senseless piece of crap. The basketball community all over the nation is mourning her passing, not just members of the NC State community. Not only was Carolina's Coach Sylvia Hatchell very good friends with Coach Yow, she's also a survivor of Breast Cancer herself.

It troubles me that someone would deface her mural, it troubles me that this accusation has been made. You would think that there is more class in this rivalry between these two teams, and the fans. And whomever stooped so low to do such a thing, you are just not right.

This morning, as I was driving into the studio, I received a phone call. The person on the other end asked me if I had heard that Coach Yow had passed away this morning. I was not shocked, but saddened by this news.  Although I was never fortunate enough to meet this fantastic person, it saddened me deeply.  Coach Yow had been with the Wolfpack for as long as I could remember, in fact for the large part of my life she helped change Women's College Basketball. She was an icon for the sport, for women and children alike.

After she was diagnosed with breast cancer in 1987, the majority of her fight against the disease was public. She shared her ordeal so others receiving the same or worse diagnosis(s) would have the courage to fight. Just when you thought she'd overcome her battle with breast cancer, it'd try to knock her down, even until the disease ultimately took her life this morning, it never, ever knocked her down. She always had fight. She always had a positive spin and attitude to place on any given situation.

As a coach, she had achieved so much on the court, an Olympic Gold Medal, ACC Championships, Final Four appearances.

As a person, she's made a permanent impact in many people's lives to give them the courage in their darkest hours, to continue their fight.

Thank you Coach Yow for everything you did. Thank you for being you. Thank you for having a voice. Thank you for never giving up.

You were truely an inspiration.

May you rest in peace.

I said this prior to the playoffs beginning, and will say it again, the Superbowl will be the Ravens vs the Eagles. Hence a Bird Bowl. Everyone doubted me that my Eagles would make it past the Wildcard game, and most doubted that the Ravens would make it past the Dolphins either. Who would have thought that the Cardinals, Steelers, Eagles and Ravens would be the four playing for their respective Divisional Titles?

But I stood firm on my ground, knowing that Donovan McNabb and company were solid and would perform. After Coach Andy Reid benched Donovan a few weeks ago, he's had something to prove, he's come back on the field with a fury. Brian Westbrook is who everyone is gunning for, because he's like superman out there, he is at most times unstoppable. The Vikings could not stop him last week and while the Giants tried, he eventually found his way to get some yards yesterday. While the focus for the opposing defense has been on stopping Westbrook, it has certainly given more opportunity to rookie DeSean Jackson, Correll Buckhalter and Kevin Curtis.

It is not all offense that has gotten Philadelphia this far in the playoffs, it is the solid defense that they play. They stuck it to the Giants yesterday, was able to stop the run, and had Eli Manning's number, thus showing yet again, he is not a premier QB. He is Peyton's little brother, trying to live up to a myth, who got lucky last year, and this year just couldn't live up to the hype. Brian Dawkins leads the Eagles defense, on and off the field, but there are others that need to be mentioned as well, they are a young defense but performing fantastically, Trent Cole, Sheldon Brown and Asante Samuel. This defense intercepted Manning 2 times. Held the Giants to a field goal on the first drive, when they had fantastic field position.

The unsung hero, in all this is, kicker, David Akers, who hit three field goals. His golden foot is basically the difference in the game. Since the final score was 23-11, the Giants did get a safety on McNabb when Justin Tuck stormed him in the endzone. Also, a factor in this game, Giants kicker John Carney missing two field goals, one wide right, one wide left. I am left to wonder after he missed the first one, was Coach Tom Coughlin wondering should they let him kick a field goal, with the delay in sending the kicking team (btw he actually made that one...)

Now onto other NFC game on Saturday, the Cardinals OWNED the Panthers in their house, Jake Delhomme and company looked like they were strung out on cat nip looking for their litter box or something.

And being from Baltimore, I must add, I am proud of my hometown team, the Ravens, all my friends, including myself I must say, are wacco for Flacco. Joe Flacco has led the offense for the Ravens while Ray Lewis who just is so subdued, he never gets emotional (just kidding) leads that defense. Baltimore winning their game, sets up a much heated rivalry match-up against the hated Steelers.

As for my prediction, you have the two top defenses in the AFC going against each other, but I just think the Ravens have the momentum, going with the Ravens. In the NFC, the Eagles will soar in this one, even with Anquan Boldin returning healthy for the Cardinals, Eagles defense is just too tough for the Cards...

Hence the reason I will have a heavy heart  in the Superbowl... My Eagles against my hometown Ravens, that is when my loyalty for the Ravens stops...my blood will be Eagles green that day...

And all y'all homers that said the Eagles hoovered a few weeks ago...where are you now? Oh your team is already on vacation, hope you are enjoying these exciting playoffs.

Once again, it's the same story, different year, great team's that should be in contention for the National Championship are out of the running, simply because they have one or two losses, some even three. I have said this on countless occasions on this site, and will say it again, the BCS is a ridiculous system, that crucifies each team that loses. There is no chance to rebound, no chance to show that your team had a close game and just simply lost. Every other major collegiate sport under the NCAA has a tournament to crown it's champion. It is not decided by computer rankings or calculations.

Every year, someone that should be considered for the National Championship is left in the dark. Reasons are, they lost a game or their strength of schedule is not as good as another team's are, or the computer did not pick them. This controversy has been going on for years, and frankly I am tired of hearing about it. It is a matter of greed among the NCAA and the universities and it needs to stop. For the greater good of college athletics, the system desperately needs to be revamped, the solution is simple, but people are scared to change a system that doesn't work.

Currently in Division I Football, by the BCS Championship Bowl Game.

In the next tier, Football Championship Subdivision (formerly known as Division I-AA), a playoff system of 16 teams is in place. The sunday after the final game is played, the field of 16 is released, playoffs begin later that week, eight games. The following week four games, the following week, the semi-finals, then the following week, the finals. This playoff system has been in place for quite some time and is proven to work. Also, the top four team's are ranked and there is home field advantage involved. The champion from the subdivision, is called the FCS Division I Champ...although old schoolers like me still find themselves referring to it as D-IAA.

Basically, what I am saying is the BCS system has failed miserably, and has bored the fans of college football. It is time for a major change in a positive direction. That direction should be a playoff field, it could be 16 teams or another number. I think it should be based on the AP poll, decided ultimately by committee as the field of 64/65 is for the Men's Tournament is for March Madness. Yes, ultimately someone is going to be upset they are not included. Also, since there is a tremendous amount of money involved in bowl games, so many programs and conferences have team's that are bowl eligible, there would need to be sufficient playoff spots to appease the coaches and athletic directors. The monetary sponsorships that would normally go with bowl games could go to each tournament location. The logistics of this would still need to be determined, would it be a home field advantage as done in the FCS or would it be another locale?

Ask yourself these question, how many bowl games did you watch last year? How many games really excited you? How many games did you turn off during the game because it was truly boring? I found myself flipping to find something on, the bowl games just bored me, they lacked excitement. And I love football, I love college football. This does not do these players who have worked so hard to get to the post-season justice. Imagine the excitement this would create for college football, and how a true national champion would be crowned in Division I through this manner (by the way, fans of the FCS...including myself, do not beleive the BCS crowns a true National Champion, that title is extended to the Champ of the FCS Division). And as for excitement to watch a tournament and watch your team survive and advance from week to week, and ultimately win the National Title is a phenominal thing.

The Big East has always been one of the toughest conferences for college basketball, this year will be no different. There should be a bit of a shuffle as to who will win the conference compared to what happened last year. UCONN was chosen as the preseason number one, followed by Louisville, Pittsburgh and  Notre Dame wraps up the top four. Defending Big East Champion, Pitt, is in the top four, but will have to fight to contend this season.

Notre Dame’s Luke Harangody  (20.4 ppg, 10.6 rpg, 1.7 apg) was the Big East’s Player of the Year for last season, will be the player to watch this year. Top players to  watch in the league this year are, Hasheem Thabeet (10.5 ppg, 7.9 rpg, .4 apg), AJ Price (14.5 ppg, 3.5 rbg, 5.8 apg), Johnny Flynn (15.7 ppg, 2.7 rpg, 5.3 apg), Sam Young (18.1 ppg, 6.3 rpg, 1.2 apg) Terrence Williams (11.1 ppg, 7.2 rpg, 4.5 apg). Other key players to watch are Earl Clark, DeJaun Blair, Jerel McNeal and Jeff Adrien.

Connecticut finished the conference last year 13-5 and overall 24-9. They are the preseason pick for the top of the Big East. Junior C Hasheem Thabeet, senior G AJ Price and senior F Jeff Adrien will be the leaders on this team. The expulsion of Nate Miles has hit the team hard. Look for junior G Jerome Dyson, junior F Gavin Edwards and senior G Craig Austrie play supporting roles.

Louisville went 15-3 in the league and rounded the season out at 28-6. They were chosen as the #2 spot in preseason. The Cardinals are returning four starters, including stand out, senior F Terrence Williams. Louisville does have a depth issue this season, but could get a little help in the front court from freshman F George Goode. Also look for a decent contribution from Mississippi State transfer, Reginald Dell.

Pittsburgh finished the season 27-10 last year, but also won the Big East Championship. Sophomore F DeJaun Blair will be a key factor for the Panthers success this season. Rounding out the starting line-up, senior G Levance Fields, freshman G Jermaine Dixon, sophomore F Gilbert Brown and senior F Sam Young. Travon Woodall and Ashton Gibbs, both freshmen could also contribute to the Panthers defending their Big East Title.
Notre Dame went 14-4 in the conference and 25-8 overall. Last season’s Big East POY, F Luke Haragody to pave the way to the Fighting Irish to be in the mix for contenders for the league.

Villanova finished last season 22-13. They were voted to finish as fifth in the conference. Junior G Scottie Reynolds should be a standout for the Wildcats. Senior F Dante Cunningham was the only player on the team to start every game last season, the wildcats will be looking to him for leading on and off the court.

Marquette wrapped up last season 25-10. While returning 3 seniors, Marquette lacks front court depth. Senior G Jerel McNeal and senior G Dominic James are key factors for the team. The best contribution from the bench will most likely come from JUCO transfer, Joseph Fulce. Junior G David Cubillan is recovering from off season surgery, look for him to resume his role with the team once he’s recovered.

Georgetown finished last season 28-6. The Hoyas lack depth in the back court, which could be a large flaw for the squad. Their two reserve guards do not seem able to handle the PG duties. Junior F DaJuan Summers and freshman F Greg Moore are the players to watch out for this season. Transfer Henry Sims, could make a huge contribution as a big man for Georgetown.

Syracuse went 21-14 last season. They are picked to finish eighth in the Big East.  There does not seem to be a depth issue with this  squad. Sophomore G Jonny Flynn and junior G Andy Rautins are key players for Syracuse this season, once they fully recover from their injuries.

West Virginia was picked to finish ninth overall in the league. Coach Bob Huggins believes the Mountaineers will finish higher, as has been the trend in the past few seasons. The key player for this team is freshman F Devin Ebanks, look for him to make a huge contribution for West Virginia.

Providence was picked in the preseason poll to finish tenth in the Big East. The Friars return all five starters this season. Senior G Jeff Xavier led the team in scoring last year.

Cincinnati was picked to finish eleventh overall in the conference. Cashmere Wright has a torn ACL in his left knee, he is out for the season. With Wright out of the line-up, it reduces the Bearcats 8 man roster to 7. Look for Cincinnati to dominate in the paint this year and to have a strong defensive presence with the combination of Anthony McClain and Yancy Gates.

Rutgers was picked to finish twelfth overall in the Big East. Senior F JR Inman is out for 3-4 weeks. Look for senior G Anthony Farmer and junior C Hamady Ndiaye to have big rolls for the Scarlet Knights.

Seton Hall, chosen to finish thirteenth in the league has little depth. The depth issues are worsened with the eligibility of Herb Pope and Keon Lawrence.

St John’s, DePaul and USF wrap up the preseason polls for the Big East. St. John’s Malik Boothe could make a challenge for PG. DePaul’s Mario Stula is sitting out for a few weeks, and when he returns could be a force off the bench. USF is dealing with eligibility issues for Maryland transfer Gus Gilchrist.

Last season, Memphis owned the Conference USA, finishing the season 16-0 in the league. This year however, look for Memphis to have a target on their back throughout conference play this year. There will be 6-7 teams contending to finish at the top of the league this season. Do not expect Memphis to go undefeated in the conference this year, there is simply too much competition. Last season Memphis was ranked 15th nationally in scoring offense (3196 points in 40 games); their individual players did not lead the conference in many scoring categories. Per the final conference statistics, Memphis was consistently at the top of the team stats but not the individual stats.
As for individuals that stood out last season and are returning, national rankings, placed Stefon Jackson (Sr., G, UTEP) at 7th  in individual scoring, playing in 33 games, with 778 points, he averaged 23.6 ppg. Robert Vaden (Sr., G/F, UAB) ranked 3rd nationally from beyond the arc, in 33 games, he made 142 out of 355 three-pointers, (4.3 3pg). C-USA players to watch this season are Robert Vaden (Sr., G/F, UAB), Stefon Jackson (Sr., G, UTEP), Jeremy Taylor (Sr., G, UCF), Jerome Jordan (Sr., C, TLS) and Jeremy Wise (Jr., ,USM).

2008-09 C-USA Preseason All-Conference Team
Robert Dozier - Sr., F, Memphis
Stefon Jackson - Sr., G, UTEP
Jerome Jordan - Jr., C, Tulsa
Jermaine Taylor - Sr., G, UCF
Robert Vaden - Sr., G/F, UAB
 
The Memphis Tigers finished the season 38-2, they were undefeated on the road, and lost only one game at home, their other loss came to Kansas in the National Championship at a neutral site. After a disappointing finish and performance in the title game to KU, look for Memphis to be on the prowl this season. The players have watched and re-watched the tapes from that game and are looking to rebound from their performance in that game. Memphis has a 42 game winning streak in the conference. The Tigers lost key player Joey Dorsey to graduation, but are returning senior’s Robert Dozier and Antonio Anderson. Dozier is the team’s top returning scorer (9.2 ppg) and rebounder (6.8 rpg). While Anderson, is a huge defensive presence. Look for Anderson and Dozier to break 1,000 points this season. Also keep an eye out for sophomore point G, Derrick Rose.

The UAB Blazers are a pre-season pick for second in the conference this year. The Blazers were 12-4 in conference play last year and finished the season 23-11. They are returning six seniors, led by C-USA Preseason Player of the Year, senior G/F, Robert Vaden (21 ppg). Vaden has dropped some weight and is looking for post season honors.  Other key players for the Blazers this season, senior F, Lawrence Kinnerd, senior G, Paul Delaney, senior G, Channing Toney and post player, senior F Howard Crawford. Expect a lot of leadership and experience from these players on and off the court.

The Tulsa Golden Hurricanes was a pre-season pick for third in the C-USA this season. Tulsa finished at .500 in the league last year and rounded the season out at 25-14. In post season last year, The Golden Hurricane won the inaugural College Basketball Invitational (best-of-three-series). Tulsa will be led this year by the junior duo,  G, Ben Uzoh (15.6 ppg and 5.4 rpg) and C Jerome Jordan (10.5 ppg, 7.9 rpg, 3.7 bpg). Uzoh lead the team in scoring last season, averaging 15.6 points, he scored in double figures 34 times. Jordan finished the season ranked 6th in the nation for blocked shots per game.

The UTEP Miners coming an 8-8 finish in the league, their final record was 19-14 is picked to finish fourth in the C-USA. The Miners are returning three starters, notably, senior  G Stefon Jackson (23.6 ppg, 5.7 rpg, 1.7 apg and 1.25 spg) and sophomore G Randy Culpepper (12.8 ppg, 2.1 rpg, 1.1 apg and1.6 spg). Leading the way for the newcomers on the team this year, transfer from Memphis, 7’0” Kareem Cooper. Jackson, is fourth in school history with 1,548 points, and should be a big offensive leader. Also this season, in memory of the legendary Coach Don Haskins, the team will don a patch with his initials.

The Southern Miss Golden Eagles were picked to finish 5th in the league after going 9-7 in C-USA play and rounding off the season at 19-14. Look for junior G Jeremy Wise (18.7 ppg and 4..2 apg) to be the key for the Golden Eagles. Last year, Wise tallied 41 three-pointers and led the team in scoring 20 out of 33 games.

The Marshall Thundering Herd finished conference play at .500 and the season at 16-14. Senior G/F Markel Humphrey injured himself in a pick-up game a few weeks ago, the injury resulting in a stress fracture in his left foot. He is expected to be out for six weeks, but is hoping to suit up for the season opener. The Herd will be led by sophomore F Tirell Banks (11.5 ppg and 5.8 rpg), junior F Tyler Wilkerson (9.2 ppg and 5.9 rpg) and senior G/F Markel Humphrey (13.1 ppg and 5.6 rpg). Humphrey crossed the 1,000 points mark last season, look for him to produce for the Herd. With Marshall having three very good transfers this year, look for them to finish higher then what most may think.

The Houston Cougars wrapped conference play up at 11-5, and the season up at 24-10. The Cougars might just be a sleeper in the C-USA. No one is looking at Houston right now in pre-season, since they lost 4 out of 5 starters last year and are returning only 2 seniors. This season look for coach Tom Penders to start a new and fresh line-up that will be highly talented. Houston lost Robert McKivee, who led the conference with total points in a game, 52. Also notable roster losses, Dion Dowell (6.8 rpg) and Tafari Toney (6.3 rpg), who were the team's top two rebounders.

The UCF Knights finished the season 9-7 in the conference and 19-14 overall. Watch out for, senior G Jermaine Taylor (20.8 ppg  and 4.7 rpg). Taylor led the team in scoring in 23 games. He also scored twenty points in 20 games.
The Tulane Green Wave was 6-10 in the conference and finished the season 17-15 overall. After starting last season off to a good start (15-6 and 5-2 in conference play), the Green Wave hit an 8 game losing streak. Coming off the 8 losses, late into the season, Tulane seemed unable to recover from the late season injuries and did not mesh will in team play.  Look for Tulane to provide some decent competition within the league.

The East Carolina Pirates were 5-11 in the conference and overall 11-19. Last season they hit 232 three-pointers, a school record, but Coach Mark McCarthy thinks they need to go beyond the arc even more. Look for ECU to work the ball to the outside and shoot more threes.

The SMU Mustangs went 4-12 in conference play and were a dismal 10-20 under Coach Matt Doherty. The Mustangs lost top scorer Jon Killen to graduation, look for senior C Bamba Fall (11.8 ppg, 5.6 rpg and 2.1 bpg) to pick up the pace for SMU in scoring.

The Rice Owls bottomed out the conference last season 0-16 in the cellar and finished the season at a bleak 3-27. The Owls have a new coach, Ben Braun, who is one of 17 in Division I coaches with at least 500 wins (552). Look for this to be a rebuilding year under Coach Braun, as Rice returns to their newly refurbished Tudor Fieldhouse.

College Basketball Season is just around the corner. I am stoked, excited. My Tar Heels have some unfinished business after their dismal showing in the Final Four against Kansas last year. I have now gotten over the disappointment of their play, the lack of coaching in that last game, and have chalked it up to it being another team from the we don't want to play dimension.

Yesterday, Carolina hosted their first practice and media day. The guys looked great, had some fantastic comments for the media. As did Coach Williams, who stated he does not have any dreams of having an undefeated season this year.

I am very much looking forward to this season...

Then the news showed the nasty team in dark blue...and the rat king, and well...I guess they get coverage as well.

GO Heels!

Not to shed light away from Breast Cancer Awareness, but October is also Domestic Violence Awareness Month as well.

Chances are you know someone that has been victim to Domestic Violence. The statistics are staggering. One in four women has been a victim to domestic violence in her lifetime. Did you know that almost 1/3 or the American society say they know someone that has been a victim of domestic violence?  You can find more statistics at: http://endabuse.org/resources/facts
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For nearly a third of my life, I was a victim to domestic violence. At first it started off as verbal abuse. Here I was this independently outspoken female, being shouted down and demeaned into a corner. Fearing my life with every breath, every wrong comment. I began to disassociate myself from people I knew and loved, I was ashamed, scared that they'd see through the mask I was putting up and see the reality. I was called nasty names, and while all this was going on, I made excuses...it's stress, I provoked things, etc.

I was never able to find an out, I had lost a sense of myself, I was not who I used to be. I was tattered and feared if I misspoke or did something that would set things off, we'd have an outrageous blow-up. I walked rather lightly at times, chose words rather lightly, learned not to push buttons and bite my tongue and turn the other cheek.

I had a son, and things got worse. I almost left, but feared things would get even worse, so I stayed. Continuing to fight a silent fight. Then one day, I found some friends, that convinced me I needed to take action. I began to make plans secretly to remove myself and my son from the situation. And then one night, something I had never expected to happen did. No longer was it only verbal, it became physical. My life flashed before my eyes. I knew I could not leave that night, as it would have been a struggle, but as soon as it was safe I did.  My son and I left, not knowing the road ahead.

Sometime has passed since the incident, I have had the benefit of the assistance of close family members as well as very supportive friends. They have lifted me up and made me realize I was worthwhile and can do this. I can be myself. I can be independent, creative again. I often wonder, what if I did not have the support systems that I had, would I still be in that situation? Shortly after the incident, I had a conversation with a social worker, she told me had I wanted to flee to a shelter instead of my Father's, I would have had to wait for three weeks, as that was the waiting list for a shelter for victim's of DV. I was shocked. Three weeks for victim's of DV, could be the difference of walking out of an abusive situation on your own accord, or being carried out on a stretcher or much worse in a box.

I chose to fight, to no longer be a victim, to no longer be victimized, I CHOSE to survive.

I have also had people say to me after the fact, I suspected something was wrong, but did not want to say something. If you ever suspect that someone you know is a victim of DV, be the outspoken friend, lend support and enable and empower your friend or family member a way out of the situation. I did not realize that so many people noticed that I was in a bad situation...but very few had the courage to speak.

Victim's of domestic violence are everywhere. We can be anyone, we could be your corporate CEO, the greeter at your local discount store, stay at home mom, fry cook at your local eatery, the person standing next to you in line...anyone. As a survivor of DV, my goal now is to share my story, with whoever will listen, give a voice to those who need it, and give an exit to those who need one.

Spread awareness. The Purple Ribbon is for Domestic Violence Awareness.

Before I vent, I hope all of you that live in the path of Hurricane Ike, have evacuated safely, and are no longer in harms way. That you have been able to prep your homes and any other interests in the area. For those of you that chose to stay, you have my prayers as are in my prayers, this storm is huge.

Once again, us regular people are being strong armed by the Oil Companies, and the people who own Gas Stores. Ike is on it's way, threatening the Gulf Coast. The vast storm is shutting down the oil refineries that operate within the Gulf. And with this threat, price gouging has already begun.

Gas here in the Triangle area is already high. The state has a ridiculously high gas tax that is added to each gallon of gas purchased. You leave this area, go into different areas and the price drops substantially. After Hurricane Katrina hit, the Atlantic pipeline had been substantially damaged, add to it the increase in price of fuel already seen from post Katrina, this area was hit hard. We saw stations run out of fuel, record high prices, with no relief in sight.

As Ike threatens, the Gulf Coast, people in this area are panicking, long lines are forming everywhere. Gas prices went from around $3.70 this morning, to some stations charging as high as $4.79. BJ's warehouse is out of gas at the moment at one location. I drove by one station that was charging $4.77, while the station immediately next to it was charging $4.17. I drove to BJ's thinking I could get my car filled up and then get the items I need there. While en route, I passed by three stations, two right next to each other, one was charging $4.25 the other, $3.99, the one that was about 1/3 mile down the road, $4.19. The variance from station to station is absolutely amazing. Once I got to BJ's, I realized they were dry, I turned around hoping to get gas for under $4.00 a gallon. I was successful. Thankfully, I had just over a half a tank, and was merely topping off.

Can someone please tell me why it is justified to increase the price for gas when a threat as this imposes, it is not the cost that the vendor paid for the fuel, it is simply price gouging. I understand the entire supply and demand issue, but to be able to increase your price simply because of the threat of a hurricane immobilizing the pipeline is not warranted, nor justifiable. The oil companies and the local gas vendors have us consumers by the jugular, as this is something we need to make our vehicles go, to get to work, to get to the store. When is someone going to make and take a stand against these big oil giants and say enough is enough...we aren't talking millions in profits, we are talking billions.

The economy has suffered greatly over the past few years, yet these corporations still push forth and make profit after profit, quarter after quater, year after year. Everyone has been hit hard by this fuel situation, alternate fuels are not readily available, neither are the vehicles that utilize them, nor are they rather affordable.

In the past month, I switched vehicles from a 2004 Saturn VUE to a 1993 Honda Accord. There was a lady at the station where I was topping off this afternoon, filling up a huge SUV, she commented, I wish I had your car...really, than why are you driving that big thing when it's just you?

I do not have time to drive around looking for the cheapest fuel. But I also do not have money to throw away into the wind like I have a surplus. I also do not have time to sit and wait at a gas station for 45 minutes because they are the cheapest.

Remember when gas was 99 cents a gallon in the 80's? I am sure some of you remember it being even cheaper. I doubt it will ever get this low again. The bottom line, the fuel price hitting where it is now, is putting pressure on other aspects of our economy, people are losing homes, unable to pay bills, because they are putting fuel in vehicles. You may think this an extreme thought, but look at what your fuel cost was two to three years ago...what are you doing now? Look at the home foreclosure rate now compared to two to three years ago, it has increased tremendously.

I am tired of big oil getting all the breaks, this needs to end...and end NOW.

Last night, we had our draft in the Come Buzz with dook league here at CBS. People were kicked out of the draft room, or had to leave because the system was non-responsive. The chat function just stopped working. The queue would not work , then all of a sudden did queue several. The timer for the picks were off...it would be 15 seconds into my pick and then it would say it was my turn...it was the worst draft I had been in, by far.

I took my son to Burger King today because he wanted some of those new "apple fries" that they are selling. So I ordered him a kids meal with apple fries, which are chunks of apple shaped like a steak fry. While looking at the menu, I noticed that there was an additional charge for the apple fries, was like no big deal. The guy on the drive thru made sure to ask, are you aware they cost additional, yes, I want them.

But as I was waiting for my total, I began to peruse the menu a little more, I believe they also have apple wedges, no additional charge, french fries are also no additional charge. But the special apple fries are, why because they come in a presealed package, and a french fry cup...SERIOUSLY?? In this day and age, with childhood obesity rate being as high as it is, you want to charge me an additional dollar because MY SON WANTS TO EAT AN APPLE INSTEAD OF FRENCH FRIES.

This is rather frustrating, in general healthier food choices are often much more expensive at fast food places, think about it, a bottle of water or a salad often costs a lot more and is not available on their dollar or value menu.

These restaurants promote healthy fare eating, but not at an economical price...and for many people for the convenience and price they pay at a fast food restaurant, they will opt for the sandwich and fries, and soda...sad isn't it?

As to why young athletes are dying?

We had yet another incident of this here in the area this week. Not only is it shocking but it is tragic. Chapel Hill High School Senior Offensive Guard Atlas Fraley passed away after practice on August 12. He went home after practice, called 911, they sent a unit out and was later found dead.

Fraley was widely recruited by many schools, and possibly had potential to play on the college level.

My heart and prayers go out to his family and friends for their loss.

His passing raised some questions in my mind, why is this happening. He was only 17. This seems to happen more and more. My questions are, in this day and age of competition in the high school arena increasing are the practices too intensive for these youngsters? Are the medical screenings not sufficient? Is it because we have access to the news 24/7 we are hearing about it more and more now? Or is it something else?

We all know about the numerous foundations that promote and support breast cancer awareness and research. But there is a new one that puts a spin on things a little differently.

A lot of you know that I am a photographer, about a month ago, I photographed a little 6 month boy with his mom in matching Breast Cancer t-shirts. They were rather humorous, but drove the point home, from an entirely different perspective. Being a public relations person, I thought this was a fantastic approach to a great cause, and a fresh way to one create awareness but to also do so with a lighter approach.

I will certainly be purchasing some of the apparel from this organization for myself and my son, as well as a bumper sticker for my car.
the son's shirt was the one in the middle

This is a fairly new organization, that launched their mission on July 1, 2008, and they have raised $182,000 for breast cancer research in a short period of time. www.savethetatas.com/catalog.htm

I am thinking of getting one of the bumper stickers for my 67 year old Dad, one because I think he'd get a kick out of it, two because I think he'd actually put it on his car.

Kudos to this organization for finding a brilliant approach to increasing awareness for a deadly disease.

Now i just need to decide which tank tops I want to get...

The O's kicking the Bosox butts last night was not enough to save me from having to fly this for a week...manny says it will make me look cooler than I already am, I however disagree, quite heavily.

I just wish he'd wager against me for our alma mater's this fall, App State vs Western, would love to see him with an App avi, but he refuses.  Oh well will have to get him as he's already agreed for dook vs Carolina...