The 17th ranked North Carolina State Wolfpack women's gymnastics team had an impressive win in a quad meet with Temple U, Towson U and the host University of Penn., in Philadelphia over the weekend.
As a result, three Wolfpack gymnasts were honored by the EAGL, which is a gymnastics only conference which has teams from the ACC, Big East as well as The University of New Hampshire.
Taylor Seaman, a sophomore from Greensburg, Pa., won the all-round in Philly with a 39.450, which lead to her being named EAGL gymnast of the week.
Brittney Hardiman, a freshman from Apopka, Fla., finished second in the quad meet and she was named EAGL Rookie of the Week. Hardiman set a career high on the balance beam (9.800) and uneven bars (9.775) at the Penn. meet.
Brittany Vontz (note the different spelling of first name), a freshman from Lincoln, Neb., set a career high on the bars with a 9.875, and hence she was named EAGL Specialist of the Week.
I am hoping to have more coverage of college gymnastics on this blog. The NCAA championships will be held at the University of Georgia in April.
Since my late father came from Istanbul, I have to wonder if there are any good Turkish restaurants in Athens, Ga.?
Useful Link:
http://www.gopack.com
Tuesday, March 4, 2008
Austin, Tx., Man Votes at 6:40 a.m.-Second Super Tuesday Coverage
We start this entry by saluting Ken Zornes of Austin, Tx., who cast his vote at 6:40 a.m. because: "I love democracy," according to Ralph K.M. Harwitz of "The Austin American- Statesman."
The same newspaper reports that record turn-out is expected in Texas, which is holding the most important Democratic primary of the day.
High turn-out is also expected in Rhode Island even though it is raining there today. The state is expecting 30 percent turn-out today.
Prof. Darrell West of Brown University told "The Providence Journal" that high turn-out and few voting sites could spell problems for election officials.
The same publication reports that Lori Dorsey, 53, of Cranston, RI, a social worker, managed to vote in spite of troubling back problems which made her think about giving up, but election officials gave her a chair to make her more comfortable so she could cast her vote.
Chelsea Clinton will be holding a rally at a Providence shopping mall this afternoon.
Vermont is also expecting high numbers. "The Burlington Free-Press" reports that Sen. Barack Obama, who is expected win big there, spent $360,000 on tv ads in Vermont compared with $80,000 that was shelled out by the Hillary Clinton campaign.
In Ohio, "The Columbus Dispatch" reports that Tom Roberts of Hillard, Ohio, took his two children Sarah, 19, and Brett, 17, to the polls to vote for Obama.
Sarah said: "I don't know much about the elections," but she added that both her and her family really like Obama.
Lynda Calabres, 46, of Powell, Ohio told "The Dispatch" that she was voting for Obama for a different reason. As a Republican, she does not want to see Hillary in the White House.
But, her fellow Republican, Kristi Thompson, also of Powell, said she was voting for the former first lady out of her personal admiration for her.
Political blogger Chris Cilliza of "The Washington Post" said Clinton must win the popular vote in both Ohio and Texas today to stay competitive in the race.
On the GOP side, John McCain is expected to wrap the nomination. Neither his campaign, nor his rival Mike Huckabee, had offices in Vermont, which is considered to be one of the most liberal states in America.
Useful Links:
http://www.projo.com
http://www.burlingtonfreepress.com
http://www.washingtonpost.com
The same newspaper reports that record turn-out is expected in Texas, which is holding the most important Democratic primary of the day.
High turn-out is also expected in Rhode Island even though it is raining there today. The state is expecting 30 percent turn-out today.
Prof. Darrell West of Brown University told "The Providence Journal" that high turn-out and few voting sites could spell problems for election officials.
The same publication reports that Lori Dorsey, 53, of Cranston, RI, a social worker, managed to vote in spite of troubling back problems which made her think about giving up, but election officials gave her a chair to make her more comfortable so she could cast her vote.
Chelsea Clinton will be holding a rally at a Providence shopping mall this afternoon.
Vermont is also expecting high numbers. "The Burlington Free-Press" reports that Sen. Barack Obama, who is expected win big there, spent $360,000 on tv ads in Vermont compared with $80,000 that was shelled out by the Hillary Clinton campaign.
In Ohio, "The Columbus Dispatch" reports that Tom Roberts of Hillard, Ohio, took his two children Sarah, 19, and Brett, 17, to the polls to vote for Obama.
Sarah said: "I don't know much about the elections," but she added that both her and her family really like Obama.
Lynda Calabres, 46, of Powell, Ohio told "The Dispatch" that she was voting for Obama for a different reason. As a Republican, she does not want to see Hillary in the White House.
But, her fellow Republican, Kristi Thompson, also of Powell, said she was voting for the former first lady out of her personal admiration for her.
Political blogger Chris Cilliza of "The Washington Post" said Clinton must win the popular vote in both Ohio and Texas today to stay competitive in the race.
On the GOP side, John McCain is expected to wrap the nomination. Neither his campaign, nor his rival Mike Huckabee, had offices in Vermont, which is considered to be one of the most liberal states in America.
Useful Links:
http://www.projo.com
http://www.burlingtonfreepress.com
http://www.washingtonpost.com
I am 38 Today.......Two More Years Before the Dreaded 4-0
It is a rainy day here in Roanoke, Va. So far, I haven't received any gifts yet, but I'm going to try to talk my mother into getting me a cd from Rusisan-American punk band Gogol Bordello. I feel as if I am still 14 years old, except Gogol Bordello wasn't around back in 1984_ which was the year I got a profanity-laced Eddie Murphy record for my birthday.
There have been some rather troubling things which have happened on my birthday before. My father Mehmet Gokbudak died very suddenly on my 13th birthday, and my first stepfather Ralph Wright died on my 26th birthday after complications from a heart attack.
But, I did start a new job in Woodstock, Va., on my 29th birthday, and my since deceased Turkish relatives made a surprise visit to see me on my 8th birthday back in 1978 when we were living in the Black Sea town of Eregli, Turkey. And, I had one pretty cool party on my 18th birthday in 1988. Some cute girls who were high school cheerleaders even came over to the house, but of course they brought their fill-in-the-blank boyfriends with them.
As it turns out, I share my birthday with actress and "SCTV" alumnus Catherine OHara, who played the mom in "Home Alone" and crime writer James Ellroy of "L.A. Confidential" fame.
I want to thank my friend Jack Payden-Travers who works with the ACLU of North Carolina for sending me an e-card earlier today.
I only wish I lived in a place like Lubbock, Tx, today, so I could finally get a vote in for this darn presidential candidate selection process.
Needless to say, as much as I admire the man's tenacity, I would NOT be voting for Mike Gravel. The long, long-shot Democratic who gets about a thousand votes per primary is amazingly enough still in the race!
There have been some rather troubling things which have happened on my birthday before. My father Mehmet Gokbudak died very suddenly on my 13th birthday, and my first stepfather Ralph Wright died on my 26th birthday after complications from a heart attack.
But, I did start a new job in Woodstock, Va., on my 29th birthday, and my since deceased Turkish relatives made a surprise visit to see me on my 8th birthday back in 1978 when we were living in the Black Sea town of Eregli, Turkey. And, I had one pretty cool party on my 18th birthday in 1988. Some cute girls who were high school cheerleaders even came over to the house, but of course they brought their fill-in-the-blank boyfriends with them.
As it turns out, I share my birthday with actress and "SCTV" alumnus Catherine OHara, who played the mom in "Home Alone" and crime writer James Ellroy of "L.A. Confidential" fame.
I want to thank my friend Jack Payden-Travers who works with the ACLU of North Carolina for sending me an e-card earlier today.
I only wish I lived in a place like Lubbock, Tx, today, so I could finally get a vote in for this darn presidential candidate selection process.
Needless to say, as much as I admire the man's tenacity, I would NOT be voting for Mike Gravel. The long, long-shot Democratic who gets about a thousand votes per primary is amazingly enough still in the race!
Monday, March 3, 2008
Obama is Still Winning the Youth Vote
There are four primaries tomorrow in Rhode Island, Vermont, Ohio and Texas. The Lone Star State appears to be the most competitive one with Sen. Barack Obama edging out Hillary Clinton in most polls by two or three percentage points.
It looks like the youth vote will matter, especially in Texas. Political insiders are saying that Obama is likely to win in Austin, Tx., which is (shockingly perhaps) one of the most progressive state capitals in America, and amazingly enough George W. Bush once resided in the governor's mansion there!
Two surveys, one from "Time" and the other from American University in Washington, DC, show Obama winning the youth vote. According to "Time," 29 percent of college-age students favor Obama as opposed to 20 percent for Clinton and nine percent for John McCain. Several candidates like John Edwards and Mitt Romney have dropped out of the race since the "Time" poll was taken.
This lead Jason Evans, 19, a Republican/Libertarian student at the University of Georgia to tell "Time" that:
"Young voters think their vote won't count. But it will make a difference"
I actually voted when I was 18 back in 1988, though there were no primaries in Virginia back then. I think I would have voted for Joe Biden (perhaps) if given that opportunity, though he did drop out after plagiarism charges.
I did vote for Michael Dukakis in the general election though. When informing my since deceased uncle Omer Bati, an Istanbul lawyer, of this at his residence in the suburb of Yesilyurt, he did in fact (more or less) threaten to throw me off the balcony!
For those who don't get the joke, Dukakis was a Greek-American. Turks are the traditional rivals of the Greeks, but we get along quite well these days. Let's just hope their soccer teams don't meet in the next World Cup!
Incidentally, this entry is NOT an endorsement. If I lived in Akron or Providence, I would be voting for Hillary tomorrow. Wasn't she great on "Saturday Night Live?" Well, of course, no one would ever vote for someone for such a superficial reason.....at least, not in America:)
We will have complete coverage of the primaries tomorrow, which also happens to be my 38th birthday.
Useful Links:
http://www.time.com
http://www.washingtonpost.com
It looks like the youth vote will matter, especially in Texas. Political insiders are saying that Obama is likely to win in Austin, Tx., which is (shockingly perhaps) one of the most progressive state capitals in America, and amazingly enough George W. Bush once resided in the governor's mansion there!
Two surveys, one from "Time" and the other from American University in Washington, DC, show Obama winning the youth vote. According to "Time," 29 percent of college-age students favor Obama as opposed to 20 percent for Clinton and nine percent for John McCain. Several candidates like John Edwards and Mitt Romney have dropped out of the race since the "Time" poll was taken.
This lead Jason Evans, 19, a Republican/Libertarian student at the University of Georgia to tell "Time" that:
"Young voters think their vote won't count. But it will make a difference"
I actually voted when I was 18 back in 1988, though there were no primaries in Virginia back then. I think I would have voted for Joe Biden (perhaps) if given that opportunity, though he did drop out after plagiarism charges.
I did vote for Michael Dukakis in the general election though. When informing my since deceased uncle Omer Bati, an Istanbul lawyer, of this at his residence in the suburb of Yesilyurt, he did in fact (more or less) threaten to throw me off the balcony!
For those who don't get the joke, Dukakis was a Greek-American. Turks are the traditional rivals of the Greeks, but we get along quite well these days. Let's just hope their soccer teams don't meet in the next World Cup!
Incidentally, this entry is NOT an endorsement. If I lived in Akron or Providence, I would be voting for Hillary tomorrow. Wasn't she great on "Saturday Night Live?" Well, of course, no one would ever vote for someone for such a superficial reason.....at least, not in America:)
We will have complete coverage of the primaries tomorrow, which also happens to be my 38th birthday.
Useful Links:
http://www.time.com
http://www.washingtonpost.com
Sunday, March 2, 2008
My Friend Joe Scott Interviewed Will Ferrell
Since I am back in my hometown of Roanoke, Va., for spring break (alas, since I will be 38 on Tuesday, I am a bit too old for Daytona Beach), and there isn't much to do here around mom's house, I thought I'd check out my friends' blogs.
As it turns out, Joe Scott who hosts The Movie Show on a Greensboro, NC, radio station, had a chance to interview Will Ferrell as the comedy movie star was in Chapel Hill to promote his latest film "Semi-Pro."
Scott actually asked Ferrell about the underlying themes of his films, like "Talladega Nights," and asked if there was any intended focus on American excess. Ferrell acknowledged that this was indeed the case.
Scott also used his interview for a story in the Greensboro newspaper "The News-Record."
The entire interview, which included questions from other North Carolina media personnel, can be seen on his blog:
http://themovieshow.blogspot.com
Some of the other things discussed on the blogs of my other friends include a review of the new dvd for Rob Zombie's remake of "Halloween" at http://talkingmoviezzz.blogspot.com
Sam Riddleberger (pen name), who is a children's book writer, discusses what would happen if one crossed children's lit and science fiction. One idea was "The Berenstein Bears Go to Outer Space.*" Sam also talked about a recent classroom visit at Roanoke Catholic School here in the Star City.
http://riddleberger.wordpress.com
And, lastly, self-described filmmaker/independent thinker Christopher Knight from Reidsville, NC, is back after a hiatus on his blog "The Knight Shift," at http://theknightshift.blogspot.com
As it turns out, Joe Scott who hosts The Movie Show on a Greensboro, NC, radio station, had a chance to interview Will Ferrell as the comedy movie star was in Chapel Hill to promote his latest film "Semi-Pro."
Scott actually asked Ferrell about the underlying themes of his films, like "Talladega Nights," and asked if there was any intended focus on American excess. Ferrell acknowledged that this was indeed the case.
Scott also used his interview for a story in the Greensboro newspaper "The News-Record."
The entire interview, which included questions from other North Carolina media personnel, can be seen on his blog:
http://themovieshow.blogspot.com
Some of the other things discussed on the blogs of my other friends include a review of the new dvd for Rob Zombie's remake of "Halloween" at http://talkingmoviezzz.blogspot.com
Sam Riddleberger (pen name), who is a children's book writer, discusses what would happen if one crossed children's lit and science fiction. One idea was "The Berenstein Bears Go to Outer Space.*" Sam also talked about a recent classroom visit at Roanoke Catholic School here in the Star City.
http://riddleberger.wordpress.com
And, lastly, self-described filmmaker/independent thinker Christopher Knight from Reidsville, NC, is back after a hiatus on his blog "The Knight Shift," at http://theknightshift.blogspot.com
Saturday, March 1, 2008
Game Day Results.....Congrats to UNC Gymnastics
Sports fans around the country were perhaps more aware of the University of North Carolina men's basketball team's win over Boston College on Saturday, but the Tarheels also produced a resounding come from behind victory in the sport of women's gymnastics yesterday.
UNC edged out the University of New Hampshire and the University of Maryland to win a quad meet which also featured William & Mary. The final results were:
1. UNC 193.775
2. UNH 193.600
3. UMD 193.250
4. William & Mary 189.025
Sophomore Christine Nguyen was the high scorer for the Tarheels as she scored a 39.450 in the all-around competition.
The meet was the last home meet for the three seniors who were competing. Among them Shawna Kelly scored a 9.550 on vault, a 9.700 on bars and a 9.675 on floor.
Angela Lauten scored a 9.7 and Alice Xu scored a 9.625 on the balance beam.
The Tarheels trailed UNH at several junctures during the meet, and the team had a major setback when Rachel Schneider suffered an injury on a warm-up vault.
But, the team's coach Derek Galvin said that the captivating win helped the Tarheels through adversity, which included injuries from last week's meet against the University of Florida:
"The only thing that could have helped this team endure the emotional impact of these injuries is a performance like this tonight," Galvin said of the meet which drew more than 1,000 spectators.
According to a fan on collegegymfans.com, the meet was also a season-high performance for Maryland who were without all-arounders Brandi George and Abigail Adams.
While most of the focus on the campus of Duke University today was on Coach K's 800th win in a narrow victory over North Carolina State in men's basketball, the second-ranked Duke men's lacrosse team, which made national news for an off-the-field series of circumstances, defeated the University of Maryland Terrapins by a 15-7 count in Durham, NC, Saturday.
Zack Greer, Max Quinzani and Brad Ross scored three goals each in the win which was watched by 4,328 spectators at Kokinen Stadium.
As I discussed in my last entry, my alma mater Radford University faced Liberty University in Lynchburg, Va., in men's basketball on Saturday. But, the home team Flames beat the Highlanders 78-71 behind Anthony Smith, who scored 29 points for LU.
Radford University (10-19, 5-9 in the Big South) next faces my cousin Michael Dawkins' alma mater, Winthrop University, which has won the first two meetings of the year, on March 4 in RockHill, SC. The game is a qualifier for the Big South Tournament in Asheville, NC.
And, my second cousin Lauren Gokbudak's school, the University of California at Santa Barbara won their men's basketball game over another team called the Highlanders from UC-Riverside by a 70-62 count thanks to a career-high 22 point-performance from Ashlee Brown. Lauren celebrated her 19th birthday on Saturday.
In the last entry, we incorrectly stated that the Gauchos were playing UC-Irvine, and as it turned out the Saturday game took place on the road in Riverside, Calif. But, since it wasn't a paid obituary, there is no need to apologize! Of course, someone might still actually bother to gripe...........
I also wanted to provide the link for the Turkish restaurant Tallula's in Chapel Hill, NC, that was mentioned in the earlier entry: http://www.tallulas.com
Tallula's was named the best new restaurant in 2005 by Independent Weekly, which is an alternative newspaper that covers the Raleigh-Durham area.
Congratulations again to the UNC women's gymnastics team, which is now 12-2. They will next face the University of Minnesota for a road meet on March 7.
On a personal note, I would like to thank everyone who has stopped at this blog as I have now (finally!) passed the 5,000 hits mark.
Useful Links:
The Joy of Writing????!!!!!
I was a bit surprised to learn through Facebook that a friend of mine in Turkey is apparently a big fan of the late Bob Ross who hosted a PBS show called "The Joy of Painting."
As an amateur playwright, I am not so sure I can say that I take joy in trying to write a complete play before I get to be Neil Simon's age, but one can try.
This leads me to a quote in the back of an English book that I am using to teach students this semester. It comes from the late Southern writer Jesse Stuart:
"Write something to suit yourself and many people will like it; write something to suit everybody and scarcely anyone will come for it."
Time permitting, I am hoping to write a poem or short play for No Shame Theatre in Roanoke, Va., next week.
No Shame is an enterprise of Mill Mountain Theatre, which is currently producing the great Larry Shue play "The Foreigner," which reportedly has a cameo from one-time No Shame regular John Brill.
I, myself, have not acted in a play since a production of Joseph Stein's "Enter Laughing" at Virginia Western Community College in Roanoke in 2004. As my friend Greg Wood who just finished a play at Live Arts Theatre in Charlottesville, Va., tonight, it is indeed hard work!
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