Archive for March, 2012

The Commerce of Commercials on Dish Network

Commercials on dish network channels have a charm of their own. sometimes they have a very negative influence on the attention of the viewers. Though that is the more prevalent reaction to commercials on satellite TV, with the coming of advanced digital programming things are looking to change. Direct video recorders or DVRs can record your favorite dish TV channels skipping the commercials in the process. you only need to set a timer and your work is done. But the question is, do you really want to skip commercials on your direct satellite TV channels? Let’s examine some facts.

Dish network channels have gripping content playing on the channels. these shows have twists and turns at every level, making them eminently watchable. the commercials that are sprinkled through the shows provide a very vital break for you. you can get out of the couch for a cup of coffee or a quick drink. the gap in the broadcasting replenishes your attention span. That way, when you get back to watching satellite TV, you can think fresh and follow the plotline better. the commercial break also allows you to think it over in your mind, making you more involved in the show.

This works best when you are watching a detective show on dish network channels. in the commercial break that you get, you can do a bit of sleuthing of your own. How about tossing around the clues in your mind while you relish a drink? Sounds fun, doesn’t it? But many customers prefer to leave out the commercials while they record satellite TV channels. They prefer to watch the channels uninterrupted. Being a consumer, you can go either way. This choice has, however, put direct satellite TV providers in a whole of dilemma.

DVRs are a prime attraction for dish network providers. But the DVRs offer the option to skip commercials while recording shows for which advertisers may a lot of money in terms of advertising slots. If the viewers skip the ad, the advertiser loses money. This discourages the advertiser from investing money for the dish TV channel. Air time on direct satellite TV is expensive and when advertisers pay for that, it’s obvious that they want to make the most of the money. to ensure that they do not overpay dish network channels, they are installing a chip in the satellite TV receivers.

This chip will inform advertisers when the consumer programs the satellite TV receiver to record a show by skipping the commercial. This prompts the advertiser to skip paying the dish network channel. Advertisers pay for opportunity to see and this does not count as one This had caused a huge upset in the direct satellite TV world.

Teach Yourself Spanish – Part Three – Nouns You Should Know

If you’re going to teach yourself Spanish well, you’ll need to keep adding more nouns to your vocabulary. we will go over some words for things you will see almost everyday.

Save this list as a reference. Don’t try to memorize everything, just practice using the words you think you might need the most, and gradually learn the rest as you become more comfortable and begin to teach yourself Spanish verbs and phrases.

Teach yourself Spanish – in the Kitchen – En la Cocina.

• la comida – food
• la bebida – drink
• el arroz – rice
• las judias – beans
• la lenteja – lentil
• la leche – milk
• el queso – cheese
• el pan – bread
• el pescado – fish
• los camarones – shrimp
• la carne – meat
• la carne de res – beef
• el cerdo – pork
• el cordero – lamb
• el pollo – chicken
• el pavo – turkey
• el pato – duck
• la lechuga – lettuce
• el maiz – corn
• la zanahoria – carrot
• la patata – potatoes
• la cebolla – onion
• el brocoli – broccoli
• la col – cabbage
• la espinaca – spinach
• el tomato – tomato
• la manzana – apple
• el platano – banana
• las uvas – grapes
• la pera – pear
• la pina – pineapple
• la naranja – orange
• la fresa – strawberry
• la cereza – cherry
• el vino – wine
• las hierbas – herbs
• la mesa – table
• la silla – chair
• el tenedor – fork
• la cuchara – spoon
• el cuchillo – knife
• el plato – plate
• el vaso – glass
• la copa – cup
• la cazuela – saucepan
• la sarten – frying pan
• la olla – pot
• la nevera – refrigerator
• el horno – oven
• la estufa – stove
• el grifo – tap
• el fregadero – kitchen sink
• el lavaplatos – dishwasher
• el microondas – microwave
• el gabinete – cabinet
• la cafetera – coffee maker
• la batidora – blender
• la basura – trash

Here’s A Quick Kitchen Quiz

You’re having a salad. Put five ingredients in it, using the Spanish words, of course.

You’re putting together a fruit basket. what will it include?

What will you eat for dinner tonight?

Will you cook dinner in the microwave, in the oven, or on the stove?

When you finish dinner, do you put the dishes in the sink or the dishwasher? Answer in Spanish

Teach yourself Spanish - Sobre la Casa – Around the House.

• el edificio – building
• el ascensor – lift
• la escalera – stairs
• el garaje – garage
• el piso – flat
• la terraza – terrace
• el balcon – porch
• la calefaccion – heating
• el aire condicionado – air conditioning
• la habitacion – room
• la puerta – door
• la ventana – window
• la sala de estar – living room
• el sofa – sofa
• el sillon – armchair
• la lampara – lamp
• la tele – television
• la alfombra – rug
• el comedor – dining room
• el dormitorio – bedroom
• la cama – bed
• el colchon – mattress
• la sabana – sheet
• la manta – blanket
• la almohada – pillow
• el armario – closet / wardrobe
• la comoda – dresser
• el atico – attic
• el cuarto de bano – toilet

Give the correct English/Spanish answers.

• la ventana =
• attic =
• el dormitorio =
• sofa =
• el piso =
• terrace =
• la cama =
• armchair =
• la puerta =
• building =
• el armario =
• sheet =
• la manta =
• dining room =

Teach yourself Spanish – La Ropa – Clothes.

• los pantalones – pants
• la camisa – shirt
• la blusa – blouse
• la corbata – tie
• el vestido – dress
• la falda – skirt
• el traje – suit
• la chaqueta – the jacket
• el abrigo – coat
• la bufanda – scarf
• los guantes – gloves
• los calcetines – socks
• los zapatos – shoes
• el bolso – purse

Another Quick Quiz

If you open your armario, what’s the first thing you see?

What should you wear on a cold winter day?

What do you wear to la oficina?

Today you can wear anything you want. what would you choose?

Teach yourself Spanish – El Cuerpo – The Body

• la cabeza – head
• la cara – face
• el ojo – eye
• la nariz – nose
• la boca – mouth
• la oreja – ear
• el pelo – hair
• el pecho – chest
• el brazo – arm
• la mano – hand
• el dedo – finger
• la pierna – leg
• la rodilla – knee
• el pie – foot
• el dedo del pie – toe

Quick Quiz

Give the correct English/Spanish answers.

• el dedo =
• hand =
• el brazo =
• mouth =
• la cabeza =
• face =
• el pie =
• toe =
• la mano =
• ear =
• la nariz =
• hair =

How are you doing so far?

Once you start to accumulate knowledge of the nouns in this way, it becomes far easier to teach yourself Spanish sentences and then to begin to hold your side of a conversation. when you are able to pick out the occasional words here and there, everything starts to become clearer. You will suddenly find yourself thinking my god I actually understand what they’re talking about this will give you the most amazing feelings of accomplishment.

Sunday Night Football – The Weekly Television Broadcast of Sunday Evening National Football League

Sunday Night Football is a weekly television program on NBC that allows you to watch the Sunday evening National Football League games. The first program was telecast on Sunday, August 6, 2006. at present, the program stars Jerome Bettis, Tiki Barber, Dan Patrick, Cris Collinsworth, Keith Olbermann, Bob Costas, Andrea Kremer, and John Madden. The program runs for at least three hours, but the running time may get extended by the time the game is concluded.

Flexible-Scheduling System

Before August 6, 2006, ESPN used to air these Sunday Night Football programs. they aired these Sunday games from the 1987 through 2005 NFL seasons. this NBC television program is the beneficiary of the league’s new flexible -scheduling system. NFL has the flexibility to choose games to air on Sunday night from the final seven weeks of the season.

Theme Music And The Theme Song of The Show

The instrumental theme music for Sunday Night Football has been composed by Academy Award winner John Williams. The broadcast also has a theme song, which was first sung by Pink, but in the 2007 season, the country singer Faith Hill replaced her. Different lyrics have been used for the song depending upon the occasion. Some of the lyrics include Waiting all Day For Sunday Night, and Waiting all Year For Opening Night. this theme song resembles the Joan Jett song I Hate Myself For Loving you.

Scoreboard, Logos, And Graphics

The scoreboard, logos, and graphics of Sunday Night Football have been designed by Troika Design Group. The NBC’s show uses the same bottom line scoreboard that Monday Night Football used in the 2005 NFL season.

The 2008 schedule started on April 15. The timing for Sunday Night Football is 8:30 pm, but sometimes, the show starts at 7:00 p.m. – it recently happened on September 4 for the NFL Kickoff Game between the defending Super Bowl champion new York Giants and Washington Redskins.

Kan., Ill., Md. tickets share lottery jackpot

CHICAGO (AP) — Lottery ticket-holders in Kansas, Illinois and Maryland each selected the winning numbers and will split a $640 million jackpot that was believed to be the world’s largest such prize, a lottery official said Saturday.

The winning numbers were 2, 4, 23, 38, 46, Mega Ball 23.

Photos: Mega Millions mania

Mike Lang, spokesman for the Illinois Lottery, said his state’s winning ticket was sold in the small town of Red Bud, near St. Louis. the winner used a quick pick to select the numbers, he said. the Maryland Lottery announced earlier Friday that it had sold a winning ticket at a retail store in Baltimore County. No details were immediately available about the Kansas ticket. Lang said each winning ticket was expected to be worth more than $213 million before taxes. the winning numbers in Friday night’s drawing were 02-04-23-38-46, and the Mega Ball 23. Carole Everett, director of communications for the Maryland Lottery, said the last time a ticket from the state won a major national jackpot was 2008 when a ticket sold for $24 million. “We’re thrilled,” she said. “We’re due and excited.” the estimated jackpot dwarfs the previous $390 million record, which was split in 2007 by two winners who bought tickets in Georgia and new Jersey. Americans spent nearly $1.5 billion for a chance to hit the jackpot, which amounts to a $462 million lump sum and around $347 million after federal tax withholding. With the jackpot odds at 1 in 176 million, it would cost $176 million to buy up every combination. under that scenario, the strategy would win $171 million less if your state also withholds taxes. From coast to coast, people stood in line at retail stores Friday for one last chance at striking it rich. Maribeth Ptak, 31, of Milwaukee, only buys Mega Millions when the jackpot is really big and she bought one on Friday at a Milwaukee grocery store. She said she’d use the money to pay off bills, including school loans, and then she’d donate a good portion to charity. “I know the odds are really not in my favor, but why not,” she said. Sawnya Castro, 31, of Dallas, bought $50 worth of tickets at a 7-Eleven. She figured she’d use the money to create a rescue society for great Danes, fix up her grandmother’s house, and perhaps even buy a bigger one for herself. “Not too big — I don’t want that. too much house to keep with,” she said. Willie Richards, who works for the U.S. Marshals Service at a federal courthouse in Atlanta, figured if there ever was a time to confront astronomical odds, it was when $640 million was at stake. He bought five tickets. “When it gets as big as it is now, you’d be nuts not to play,” he said. “You have to take a chance on Lady Luck.”

Why Occupy Wall Street Matters

Taking it to the streets. What began with dozens of ne’er-do-wells on Constitution Day (September 17th) is now a multi-continent event. with the Day of Rage on October 15th we witnessed thousands in the streets across Europe, and thousands more at home. in Rome, the demonstrators assaulted police and private property with bricks and stones, causing police to respond with tear gas and water cannons. Some groups of demonstrators in Germany were masked and carrying clubs – their purpose clearly not a peaceful protest.

In new York, Occupy Wall Street morphed into a march on Times Square. many thousands of students, union members and their ‘paid for protesters’, the unemployed and a smattering of ‘professional demonstrators’, anarchists, and even Ron Paul supporters added their voices to the cause – or causes. And, perhaps not coincidentally, Reverend Al Sharpton and his National Action Network (NAN) held their Jobs and Justice rally and march in Washington, D.C. the same day. Co-sponsors and affiliated groups included AFSCME (the government employees union), SEIU, AFL-CIO, planned Parenthood, and the NEA (the powerful teachers union), among others.

The media has been frenzied for weeks, each laboring to put a label on the demonstrators and trying to discern their message and future direction. But the crowds and their varied interests and causes seem to confound definition.

However, the seeds of OWS, brainchild of AdBusters, a Vancouver based not for profit activist group, were sown months ago by founders Kalle Lasn and Bill Schmalz.

But to what purpose or end did they make this call to action? looking to their foundation’s mission statement is perhaps instructive:

We are a global network of artists, activists, writers, pranksters, students, educators and entrepreneurs who want to advance the new social activist movement of the information age. Our aim is to topple existing power structures and forge a major shift in the way we will live in the 21st century. (AdBusters Media Foundation, emphasis mine)

AdBusters was founded in 1989 and boasts a circulation of 120,000 for its bi-monthly magazine. its international editions span Australia, Sweden, France, Norway and Japan. Community organizers going global, I guess. But these are serious, creative, thoughtful people who have gained a significant following both in North America and abroad.

That last sentence no doubt caught your attention as it did mine, Our aim is to topple existing power structures and forge a major shift in the way we live in the 21st century. to me, it sounded a lot like mr. Obama’s pre-inaugural warning (or promise), we are five days away from fundamentally transforming the United States.

Statements like these give me pause. Toppling existing power structures or fundamentally transforming a nation seem to line up well with the Occupy Wall Street messaging.

Over the past several weeks I have watched hours of livestream video, seen many occupiers on the street interviews, and have read countless tweets sent to and from protesters in new York and elsewhere. Together they have forged a montage of revolution in the making – an anti-capitalist rebellion. And while their numbers are not yet significant, their reach and influence is becoming so as the media laps up every action and nuance.

The 99%, as they call themselves, have at least one common theme, their hatred and distrust of the big banks and brokerages. many among them extend these feelings to multi-national corporations and the rich (the 1%), in general, and some to the corporate/government cronyism.

What brought each individual to new York and elsewhere, though, spans the ridiculous to the sublime. many are university students or graduates calling for forgiveness of their student loans. many there are demanding jobs, or a living wage, or an end to foreclosures, or free anything and everything. And there are those who just want to stick it to the rich, either through higher taxes or through confiscation. And some are there because they just don’t know where else to turn.

It is a shame really, that because so many of the participants are such ultra fringe, that some reasonable complaints and cases of real suffering are lost due to the messaging and messengers. we are indeed in a world of hurt in this country. the OWS crowd view capitalism, big banks, and corporate greed as the cause. Unfortunately, we are what we teach. For decades, our students have been fed a steady stream of Progressive thought. from grade school through the universities, we are beginning to see that a different set of values and a corrupted view of our history and principles is being taught and cemented in the minds of our youth.

This worldview is supported by much of the media and the Progressive leadership in Washington, D.C., not least our own President. When you consider each of the protesters concerns or complaints, it is easy to find examples of the same sentiments from mr. Obama. Bank-bashing, talk of corporate greed, the haves and the have-nots, the millionaires and billionaires not paying their fair share, and a desire for equality of outcomes. with a presidency that began with a worldwide apology tour, mr. Obama has railed against almost every major industry in the United States, faulting big pharma, big oil, big insurance, big banks and others for our economic malaise. with his redistributionist philosophy and anti-capitalist rhetoric, is it any wonder that these people are now in the streets echoing this mantra?

Many others in academia, government and media have added their voices to the chorus. the aforementioned Reverend Sharpton made this statement on Tom Joyner’s Morning show, we cannot sleep through the revolution.because those students, those young people that started a movement that’s now spread over the country are right about the distribution of wealth and the 1% controlling the country.

MSNBC analyst Donny Deutsch recently spoke about the clarifying moment of the 1960s movement and its most stirring image – Kent State. he almost seemed to yearn for a climax moment of class warfare somehow played out on screen that articulates the clash.

Illinois State Representative Jesse Jackson, Jr. in a press interview this week called on the President to declare a national emergency and take extra-constitutional action administratively and have the Federal Government directly hire the 15 million unemployed at an average salary of $40,000. he also called on the President to erase state and local government debt.

Arun Gupta, Editor of new York’s Indypendent News, a part of IMC, was interviewed this week at OWS and was asked about the Occupied Wall Street Journal, the newspaper that quickly appeared on the streets of new York. His answer as to how it came into being – it was a group effort, a coming together of Naomi Klein (linked to AdBusters), Code Pink, Michael Moore and Anonymous, among others. Gupta’s organization, IMC, has been a beneficiary over the years from George Soros’ Tides Foundation and Open Society Institute ($376,000 in grants). His characterization of the movement – this is a social media revolution.global capitalism is the problem.

Seemingly echoing the thoughts of Jesse Jackson, Jr., mr. Obama, speaking of his frustration with Congress and his Jobs Bill, said this, But we’re not going to wait for Congress.I’ve instructed (jobs council members).to scour every corner and identify all those areas where we can act administratively without additional Congressional authority, and just get it done.

And then there is Van Jones, president of the Rebuild the Dream group, and former White House Green Jobs Czar, who has put together a coalition of more than 70 progressive, union, and socialist organizations. their goals mirror FDR’s infamous Second Bill of Rights. Van Jones appears near daily on one or another liberal talk show expressing his support and solidarity with those occupying Wall Street and speaking of his Progressive fight back.

Similar expressions of support and solidarity with the cause have been heard from Nancy Pelosi, Joe Biden, Debbie Wasserman Schultz (head of the DNC) and many other Democrat legislators, all yearning for their version of the Tea Party.

It is clear to see that all the usual suspects are circling the wagons with the OWS crowd. Coupling these far flung groups and organizations, pundits, politicians and union leaders, I am reminded of the Madison, Wisconsin movement earlier this year, only on a much grander scale. Notably and thankfully, to date, both the OWS protesters and the police have shown restraint and violent behavior and property damage have been minimal. I pray it remains that way. make no mistake, though, the likes of Donny Deutsch are many, pining for that climax moment, that Kent State event, to stir the masses and define the movement.

Occupy Wall Street is the culmination of a deteriorating economy, widespread fear and frustration, and a convoluted and misunderstood or mischaracterized cause and effect view. this movement is sure to have some legs with the widespread support of the aforementioned parties and a potent, progressive media endeared to the causes.

On one thing I agree with Donny Deutsch. he has wrapped up the OWS group cause as leading to a call for corporate social responsibility – a nice sounding term. But behind it, effectively he is seeking a socialist/fascist political system that will hold major businesses under the thumb of the Federal Government, governing hiring, wage, and employment practices.

In recent weeks and months, we have witnessed the NLRB dictating to Boeing (our largest exporter), we have seen Dick Durbin on the Senate floor calling on Bank of America customers to run on the bank, and we have heard the relentless class warfare rhetoric from our President. Is there any doubt as to the direction we are moving as a country?

Nikolai Lenin, founder of modern Communism, told us long ago, give me your children for four years, and the seed I plant will never be uprooted. Supported by our liberal media and dumb-downed by our schools, our children and young adults have bought the socialist view hook, line and sinker. They have been weaned on the story of Stuff and the Rainbow Fish, then steered in our institutions of higher learning by the likes of Bill Ayres, Bernadine Dorn, Frances Fox Piven and Ward Churchill. Lenin only required four years. Remember the Nazi youth? we have given over our children for a generation or more.

As I wrote earlier, we are what we teach. Occupy Wall Street is simply the latest manifestation of our education system, our failure to teach our American history, values and principles. the underpinnings of our civilization have been lost. Our Founders knew their experiment in self-government and individual could only exist with a moral and educated people. we are failing on both counts.

We see the results in the lack of personal responsibility, the moral degradation in our society, the decay of the traditional family unit, and the gangrenous infection that has gripped the government/big business complex.

The Occupy Wall Street crowd has rightly identified some of the symptoms of our decaying society. now we need to attack, with vengeance, the real disease.

I am saddened by what I see occurring in our country and by the stresses and heartaches felt by so many families and individuals across America. many feel helpless, hopeless and angry. few families in America have been left untouched. For those who, through no fault of their own, have lost jobs or homes, or have seen their savings devastated, one cannot help but be moved. There are some demonstrating on Wall Street that fall into this group, and their frustration and anger is warranted, though partly misdirected.

If the jobs, debt, and economic crisis weren’t enough to face, we also clearly have an enormous deficit in education and values. These deficits are evident with many protesters on Wall Street, and for that matter, in the halls of Congress. There is no understanding of very basic economics, no understanding of business – how it works and the benefits that accrue to all through their success. Our core values of faith, family, hard work and personal responsibility have been undermined, forgotten or ignored.

Occupy Wall Street may be a small, forgotten footnote a decade from now, or it may turn out to be the tipping point for America, defining our next generations. Which it will be, I can’t foretell. But as with the rise of the Tea Party and 9/12 movement, and now OWS, it is clear America is grappling with a momentous decision. Will we restore the Founders vision of America or will we fully embrace the Progressive/Socialist vision? again, no crystal ball. But I will pray for the former.

Lotto Winners Stories

I was interested to find out if there was any common thread in the stories of past lotto winners.

The solution as always, was to go to the Internet and do search on Lotto Winners stories and Lottery Winners stories.

Well it seems that pretty ordinary people win the lottery. the bulk of these winners are in the USA where it seems there are hundreds of different lotteries every day in every state.

The most interesting story to me was about Jose Salmon who won $13,000,0000 in the Florida lottery.

Jose was convinced he would win big one day and spent $600.00 per day on lotto tickets After spending something like $600,000.00 his numbers finally came up and he was one of 4 people who shared in a $52,000,000.00 (fifty two million dollars) jackpot.

Jose decided he wanted a lump sum and not an annual annuity. That choice meant he forfeited $7,000,000.00 and he was then taxed on the balance. the net amount he received (before paying any bills) was $5,300,000.00.

Not a bad sum of money.

But the interesting part is that Jose said he would never play again

The common thread throughout most of the stories was of ordinary people who just wanted to get ahead of their debts.

That’s all most of us want to do:

That really isn’t asking too much.

All of these things are achievable if we could just stay out of debt in the first place and live within our means.

So what if you could find an occupation that you enjoyed and it paid you well enough to be able to do all these things? would you still buy lottery tickets?

Through having losing lottery tickets that is exactly what I landed up with.

A career that pays me well, gives me free time and allows me extra money at the end of each month.

WGGB abc40/FOX 6: News, Weather, Sports: Springfield, MA – Home

Western Mass. has MegaMillions Mania

REGION (WGGB) – You may have already heard. MegaMillions is at a record high $640 million. This jackpot does have tickets being bought at a brisk pace and people dreaming big.

Even with the odds against them, the legendary jackpot has people dreaming of what could be.

People coming in and out of the Country Trading Post in Chicopee have been buying tickets in all kinds of amounts from $5 to $500.

Business at the Trading Post has been brisk over the past few days of what they would do with all that money.

“It’s been rather insane. It’s just been like we have never seen before. It’s just been crazy,” says Country Trading Post owner Carl Roy.

Crazy though is to be expected when the MegaMillions jackpot reaches record levels.

Cashier Buffy Lariviere says, “It’s been fun. Everybody’s been good. All the customers are excited and they dream a little bit.”

The world’s largest jackpot is creating a frenzy nationwide.

People in western Massachusetts have differing opinions on what to do with the potential winnings.

“If I won, the first thing I would do….I would take me and my daughter on vacation…and probably get a lawyer,” says Nathan Windoloski of Chicopee.

Peter Cote of Chicopee says, “Well, I’d put some into my retirement. Share it with my family, and probably end up donating some to charity.”

At the start of the day, the jackpot was at $540 million. By noon, $640 million.

What about the women behind the counter? What would happen if they took home all that money.

“I guess I would disappear for a little while. I have a dear friend getting married tomorrow, so they’ll get a better present than they were originally going to get.

These women have seen it all this week. From people spending $50 to people reserving their tickets in case no one wins Friday.

“You want five?”

“For tonight, next Tuesday and Friday. I’m leaving for the Carolinas. I don’t want to miss it.”

The astronomical odds against winning certainly aren’t scaring anyone off.

“Well, I believe it was 175 million to 1? I got a shot. I just didn’t want to be the last guy that was left out and didn’t play,” says Christopher Maddock of South Deerfield.

Right now, the estimated jackpot is $640 million dollars, but the Mass. Lottery Commission says that that number could rise again once the final tickets are counted tonight.

In case you’re curious, if you take the lump sum option, it equals out to roughly $452 million.

NCAA Final Four: Cardinals, Wildcats battle for Kentucky bragging rights

The Louisville Cardinals, Kentucky Wildcats, Ohio State Buckeyes and Kansas Jayhawks head into the biggest weekend of the college basketball season and only two will emerge from the Final four ahead of Monday’s National Championship final. The Post’s Eric Koreen takes a look at the matchups and predicts who makes it out of the weekend alive.

Louisville vs. KentuckySaturday, 6:09 p.m. ET

Louisville CardinalsNo. 4 seed, West Region

The roadRd of 64: no. 13 Davidson 69-62Rd of 32: no. 5 N. Mexico 59-56Sweet 16: no. 1 Mich. St. 59-44Elite 8: no. 7 Florida 72-68

The starRuss Smith, sophomore guard: After averaging 11.6 points per game during the season, Smith has stepped up for the at-times offensively challenged Cardinals. Smith has averaged 15.7 points over the last three games, shooting 81.2% from the free-throw line.

The supporting castThe Cardinals had six players score between nine and 12 points per game this year, led by Kyle Kuric, who has had a quiet tournament. Freshman big man Chane Behanan scored 17 points against Florida, while Senegalese centre Gorgui Dieng blocked seven shots against Michigan State.

The coachThe matchup pits two of the most famous college coaches (and NBA flameouts) against each other. Louisville’s Rick Pitino has six Final four appearances on his résumé, and one national championship — with Kentucky in 1996. He has led Providence, Kentucky and Louisville to the Final four.

Kentucky WildcatsNo. 1 seed, South Region

The roadRd of 64: no. 16 W. Ky. 81-66Rd of 32: no. 8 Iowa State 87-71Sweet 16: no. 4 Indiana 102-90Elite 8: no. 3 Baylor 82-70

The starAnthony Davis, freshman forward: not much has changed for the first-pick-to-be as the spotlight has grown brighter on Davis. He is still swatting all kinds of shots — 18 in four games — and is averaging 14.5 points and 11.0 rebounds per game in the tournament.

The supporting castThe Wildcats have three potential lottery picks (Davis, small forward Michael Kidd-Gilchrist and forward Terrence Jones) as well as guard Doron Lamb and Marquis Teague, who could be drafted in the first round if they declare. Kyle Wiltjer, who plays for Canada internationally, also sees some time on the floor.

The coachJohn Calipari is the best recruiter in the land, and is aided by his relationship with Creative Artists Agency, which is involved with all sorts of NBA interests. Calipari has had two of his Final four appearances (1996, Massachusetts; 2008, Memphis) marred by recruiting violations.

The storylineThis is a heated intrastate rivalry, with Kentucky Governor Steve Beshear even being roped into it. “The best thing about this game is that a team from Kentucky will play for the national title,” he responded, favouring political correctness.

The predictionKentucky 87 Louisville 70

Ohio State vs. KansasSaturday, 8:49 p.m. ET

Ohio State BuckeyesNo. 2 seed, East Region

The roadRd of 64: no. 15 Loyola 78-59Rd of 32: no. 7 Gonzaga 73-66Sweet 16: no. 6 Cincinnati 81-66Elite 8: no. 1 Syracuse 77-70

The starJared Sullinger, sophomore forward: The Buckeyes big man is perhaps the most offensively polished player in college basketball. Sullinger has a wide range of post moves that get defenders to jump, and if he stays out of foul trouble, he is nearly impossible to stop. He averaged 21 points and nine rebounds per game in the Boston regional.

The supporting castPoint guard Aaron Craft is a wonderful perimeter defender, and just kind of annoying. forward Deshaun Thomas has had a huge tournament, averaging 21.8 points. Senior guard William Buford is counted on for clutch three-point shooting.

The coachWell regarded and well liked, Thad Matta is making his second trip to the Final four with the Buckeyes. His first came in 2007, when Greg Oden, Mike Conley, Daequan Cook et al led them to the national title game. then, his team ran into the stacked Florida Gators. This time, Kentucky could lurk.

Kansas JayhawksNo. 2 seed, Midwest Region

The roadRd of 64: no. 15 Detroit 65-50Rd of 32: no. 10 Purdue 63-60Sweet 16: no. 11 N.C. St. 60-57Elite 8: no. 1 no. Carolina 80-67

The starThomas Robinson, junior forward: The national player-of-the-year candidate has three double-doubles in four games in the tournament, coming up a rebound short in the regional final against North Carolina. However, he is shooting just 38% in the tournament. Kansas depends on Robinson for scoring, almost to a fault.

The supporting castCentre Jeff Withey is a shot-blocking beast, with 20 swats in four games, including 10 against Cincinnati. Senior guard Tyshaun Thomas is Robinson’s main scoring support. against Cincinnati, he shot 2-for-14. He bounced back against North Carolina with a huge game — 22 points, six rebounds, five assists, five steals.

The coachSince bill Self took over for the oft-criticized Roy Williams in 2003, Kansas has not missed a beat. The Jayhawks won the national championship in 2008, and have three other regional final appearances. The consensus is that Self has gotten the most out of a marginally talented team this year.

The storylineSullinger will be the focus of the game. His low-to-the-ground game could make him susceptible to Kansas’s formidable interior defence, led by Withey. If Sullinger can produce at his normal rate, the Buckeyes will be in good shape.

The predictionOhio State 70 Kansas 66

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2 men shot in parking lot of Tallahassee Lowe’s

The associated Press

Updated: 5:36 p.m. Friday, March 30, 2012

Posted: 4:26 p.m. Friday, March 30, 2012

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. — Four men are in custody after a parking lot shootout in front of a Lowe’s home improvement store just outside the Tallahassee city limits.

Leon County Sheriff’s Department spokesman Jame McQuaig said one of the two men hospitalized Friday with gunshot wounds was seriously injured.

McQuaig said the early afternoon gunfight appeared to be the result of a drug-related, botched robbery.

One of the shooting victims was taken to a Tallahassee hospital from the scene while the other managed to reach a convenience store about two miles away before being apprehended and taken to the hospital.

Police cordoned off the entrance to the Lowe’s store — located just off Interstate 10 — on the northwest side of Tallahassee for about two hours following the parking lot shootout.

March 30, 2012 05:36 PM EDT

Copyright 2012, The associated Press. all rights reserved. this material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

A Review of ESPN: Those Guys Have All The Fun

A couple of weeks ago, I started reading Those Guys have all the Fun: Inside the World of ESPN, a history of the network from its inception (started with a $9,000 investment) to the huge conglomerate it is today. at 745 pages, I thought it would take me forever to read it. Instead, it took me one week. It’s one of the most fascinating books I’ve ever read about a network I’m a HUGE fan of. How big of a fan am I of ESPN?? I think ESPN is on my TV 90 percent of the time when I’m home. in fact, as I’m writing this, I have ESPN on my TV.I eat, drink, breathe ESPN. This book drew me in because I wanted to see what it was like behind the curtain, to see how this company became embedded in today’s society. I absolutely LOVE the book because it was written in a unique style. The authors had a small blurb leading into a topic, and let the ESPN people explain everything in their own words. I felt like I was sitting at a bar as they told story after story of their up and downs, the highs and lows, and feuds and fights, and the success and failures of the network. it was compelling enough I didn’t want to put the book down.

Here are a few things I realized after reading:

1) to be successful in life especially in your career need a massive ego. This was evident at ESPN. every successful anchor wanted to be more than a journalist, they wanted to be a Star. one of my favorite parts of the book was when NBC received part of the NFL package, and NFL Primetime on ESPN taking away. Chris Berman threw a fit calling the commissioner trying to save his precious NFL Primetime as mark Shapiro put it. I always thought Chris Berman was overrated and tried to be bigger than the story, and this pretty much cemented what I thought of him.

2) ESPN is a tough place to work. in order to work at ESPN, you pretty have to dedicate your life to them. that means, you have to sacrifice your family time to work 6 or 7 times a week. when people leave the network, the personalities always seem bitter and burnt out.

3) A You do it my way or no way mentality. ESPN has such a grip on the sports journalism landscape they tend to look down upon people who fight back. The 100 or so pages about Keith Olbermann’s time at ESPN time was fascinating reading. I never seen a guy have so much success, yet be unhappy cause he didn’t get everything he wanted. The story about the beginning of ESPN 2 and management wanted Olbermann to do it their way or the highway was an example of this.

Even though, I look at the personalities differently..I still LOVE ESPN and will continue to support anything with the ESPN brand on it. I highly recommend this book to anyone who wishes to see the growth of ESPN in it’s short 30 years of existence.