Rah rah, Carolina-lina.

Out of all the #1 seeds in the NCAA tournament, only ONE has an athlete graduation rate higher than 50%.

You see where this is going, I'm sure. Carolina has an athlete graduation rate of 86%. Kansas - 45%, Memphis and UCLA - 40%.

I wonder how much of this is attributed to players leaving early for the NBA.

FYI, Duke's graduation rate is only 67%. Just another way that we are better than them. (:

ESPN says: Academically, this year the Final Four would include five teams: Western Kentucky (100 percent graduation success), Butler (92 percent), Notre Dame (91 percent), Purdue (91 percent), and Davidson (91 percent). Xavier, a No. 3 seed, was close behind with a 90 percent success rate.

Love/hate.

I LOVE this commercial.

And then there were ones.

For the first time in NCAA tournament history, the Final Four is comprised of all the Number 1 seeds. On Sat. April 5, UNC plays Kansas, UCLA plays Memphis. It's just as I predicted in my bracket! (:

I'm starting to question my choice of Memphis beating UCLA though. I think it's going to be UCLA vs UNC in the final. With Carolina winning, of course!

I <3 Psycho T!
GO HEELS!!

It's beautiful to be good.

One of my favorite causes to support is wildlife in Africa. I just heard about this new haircare line by Kate Hudson and her hairdresser, David Babaii, that was created from completely natural, organic ingredients, and donates a portion of its proceeds to WildAid, a global wildlife conservation organization. None of the products are tested on animals - only on Kate.

You can read more about WildAid here.

I'll remember you in the blue skies.

Citizen Cope had a show scheduled at the Lincoln Theater in Raleigh in a couple of weeks, but I couldn't go - and it ended up being canceled. But just today he announced one at the House of Blues in Myrtle Beach - one of my favorite venues for live music. I bought a ticket for Tom and I immediately (after checking his schedule to make sure he didn't have a show). I am so excited!

The son's gonna rise in a mile.

Just wanted to remind everyone (all 4 of you that read this) about Earth Hour - tonight at 8 pm (your local time). All you have to do is turn your lights off for one hour to have a tremendous effect on climate change. Cities and people all over the world are participating. It's easy to do something good!

My new mantra.

NC Voter Registration Info

The North Carolina Presidential Primary on May 6th will have added significance this time around due to the close race for the Democratic nomination between Sen. Barack Obama and Sen. Hillary Clinton.

The deadline to register to vote is April 11th.

You must be registered as either a Democrat or Unaffiliated to vote in the Democratic Primary. While Arizona Sen. John McCain has already clinched the Republican nomination, NC Republicans will also vote on May 6th.



One-Stop Absentee Voting
If you miss the April 11th deadline, North Carolina will be holding "One Stop Absentee Voting" from April 17-May 3.

What this means is that within these dates, you may register and vote at the same time, but you'll have to show up at a One Stop Voting Site.

You can find them through your county's Board of Elections.

In New Hanover County, you can vote at one of these 3 sites: The Board of Elections (230 Government Center Dr.), the Senior Center (2222 S. College Rd.), or the Main Library downtown (201 Chestnut St.).

Be sure to bring identification with name and current address.

Once again, you can register and vote at the same time from April 17th-May 3rd if you miss the April 11th deadline to register.

If you miss the deadline, this is your only way of voting.

You will not be allowed to vote on May 6th.

In addition, you are not allowed to change your party affiliation during one-stop voting if you are already registered.

Make any party affiliation changes by the April 11th deadline.



Mail-in Absentee Voting
Absentee ballots must be requested by April 29th and must be signed and hand-written.

They must be mailed in to your county's Board of Elections.

(New Hanover: Mail to New Hanover County Board of Elections, 230 Government Center Drive, Ste 180, Wilmington, NC 28403)

If you are 17 years old, you are eligible to vote in the primary as long as you will turn 18 by November 4th, the date of the general election.

You can check your registration status online here.

We all want something beautiful.

[Reposted from people.com]



It hasn't been an easy road for Counting Crows lead singer Adam Duritz. While touring the world and performing onstage for adoring fans, the "Mr. Jones" singer was battling severe depression and an inability to connect with people, he reveals to PEOPLE.

"I've been dealing with mental illness," Duritz, 43, says. "But I didn't want to say anything for a long time. I went crazy. It was scary."

After years of not knowing exactly what was wrong with him, he recently found a doctor who diagnosed him with a disassociative disorder, which can distort reality for those who have it.

"Being crazy is bad," he says. "It's scary when the world isn't real to you. You come untethered. Everything seems imaginary. You look around the room and nothing seems real. You don't feel pain. I stopped letting myself feel."

Now, almost six years since the release of their 2002 hit album Hard Candy, the Counting Crows are back with their newest studio album, Saturday Nights & Sunday Mornings, a double album inspired by the painful emotional journey Duritz experienced.

"The album [out March 25] is about a downward spiral, losing my mind and about trying to get it back," he says. "Not about getting it back but trying to get it back."

The album is divided as such: "The Saturday Nights record is about madness and spiraling out of control and disillusionment," explains Duritz. "The Sunday Morningsrecord is mostly about failing at the things you're trying to do when you are getting better. It's not redemption, necessarily. It's more like the hangover."

As Far Away Mentally as I Can Be
One of his lowest moments came on tour, when he lost two of the people he was closest to on the same day. "We were in Perth and in one 10-minute period I got a text message from my girlfriend telling me that I needed to get out of her life – eight minutes after the phone call from my mother that my grandmother had died.

"So not only am I as [far] away physically as I could be in Perth, which is farthest city from any major city on earth – but I am as far away mentally as I can be. So I lost a girl and my grandmother at the same time."

His grandmother's health deteriorated severely after a stroke. "In the last five years of her life I barely saw her because I was always working. She didn't recognize me. To her I was this fat, hairy, bearded guy with dreadlocks. I think I scared her some of the time. And then it was too late."

Instead of boarding a plane back to the United States for his grandmother's funeral, he decided to continue with the tour – with his "obligations." It was a friend's tough words that convinced him otherwise. "I thought about everything all night long. I decided to go to the funeral. Getting from Perth to Baltimore is not easy in one day," Duritz says.

All in a Song
The song, "Hanging Tree," reflects the angst he felt during this time. "It's about losing that girl. It's a snapshot about when I am very much in love but I know I have to leave ... I wasn't good at being caring. It was a lot to handle me. I was 10,000 miles away and I wasn't there for her."

The saddest song on the album is "On a Tuesday in Amsterdam Long Ago," he says. "It goes, 'Come around. I'm still here.' And the band is still here. We're still here 18 years later because we work our asses off. No matter what was going on in my private life, I played my heart out up there. The hours onstage are magic. I love playing gigs. I have been so lucky to have this one in a billion chance to do what I love."

And life is certainly better for him these days. "My friends are trying to find a wife for me," he says. "I'm dating a girl right now and a bunch of people are coming up to me and saying, ‘We love her. We love her.' " As for his take on her: "She's wonderful. I'm lucky to know her."

Really?

When would you EVER need a purse this big? Is it so you can crawl in it and hide if you need to?

Lighten Up.

Hilary Duff is blonde again. For the record, I don't see it.

The sun'll come out tomorrow.

Hope everyone had a happy Easter weekend. I was spoiled by the 4 day weekend and now I need another. Jayla's visit was way too short and I miss her tremendously. I will get to see her again next Friday though. If it weren't for that I think I might not have gotten out of bed today. I think the pollen has a lot to do with how depressed I feel - I just felt so yucky today.

So here's Jayla in her Easter dress, which I got to see her in because she wouldn't take it off, even for the 4+ hour car ride.

We went to the Aquarium yesterday, which was pretty fun. I'd never been there even though I've lived in Wilmington for 7 years. We saw Nemo, of course, and some sharks and turtles and jellyfish and all kinds of stuff.

My nephew Chase is visiting Disney World this week - I have never been but I am sure he's having a great time. I can't wait to see the pictures and hear him talk about it.

Carolina had two easy games this weekend - scoring 100+ pts in back to back games. Sweet Sixteen games start Thursday - I hope they are as easy as the first 2 rounds. If they make it back to the final game, I will be back in Chapel Hill... I wouldn't miss it.

Happy Birthday to Matt today, and congratulations to Claudia and Josh who just got engaged! I don't know if I mentioned Erin and Mark, who got engaged on Valentine's Day, but I am so excited for all the engagements happening and all the love that's in the air. (:

P.S. ZOMG - George Michael just announced a US tour!!1!

Things that I think are awesome...

... and wish I actually had time for:

• SouthParkStudios.com [beta] is live! [From Gawker] The maybe-a-little-bit-groundbreaking ad-based site allows users to stream every single episode from every single season of the maybe-a-little-bit-groundbreaking animated series for free. This development, coupled with the debut of [non-beta] Hulu, bodes well for television obsessed people who have way too much free time on their hands. Hopefully a SwansCrossingStudios.com isn't far behind. (Haha!) Oh! And! There are tons and tons of clips that you can embed on your blog website! Just like the wonderful Scientology clip here:

Really?

Zubaz pants are back?

Srsly?

I mean, FINALLY!

I'll tell ya what I want, what I really really want.

I'd like to welcome the newest member of our household, the entertainment center! After ordering it what feels like ages ago, and the first time it was delivered it was all smashed, now we finally have it and it's not smashed and we put pretty things on it and it looks great! Although it makes it look like our TV is a miniature TV but oh well. I love it!

I am soooooo excited to see my mom and Jayla tomorrow! It has been months since I've seen them, I think this is the longest I've ever gone w/o seeing them. I miss them so much. Even though it's a quick visit, I am grateful for it and can't wait for them to get here tomorrow night. Tom and I worked allll day loooong trying to get the house clean and ready and organizing and going to Goodwill and the recycling center and doing laundry and I still am not done but I am so exhausted. I feel more tired right now than I did last weekend after running 6.2 miles and dancing for hours!

I love that Duke lost to WVU today. I love even more that I picked it in my bracket.

If you're one who celebrates Easter, then Happy Easter! If not, then happy first weekend of spring!

P.S. In case you were wondering, yes, that IS a Shady bobblehead on the top shelf.

Oh My God, Whatever, Etc.

All I’m saying is, if you are planning to wear that electric blue Marc Jacobs raincoat to the prom, one of us is getting our weave pulled out.

A challenge to the conscience of the world.

There's a lot going on in the world right now, and recently in the news we've heard a lot about a situation that is near and dear to me. The human rights violations in Tibet... if you've been following the events, you know of the suffering and repression and violence that has been going on as the Tibetans are struggling to make their voices heard. Demonstrations continue to happen all over Tibet and the death toll continues to rise.

There is one good side to all that is happening - it has brought the situation to the forefront of the news and people are starting to be made aware of the atrocities that the Chinese government has been committing for years, and continues to commit.

So I am hoping the publicity will spark some change. Already some positive things have happened - Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi is meeting with the Dalai Lama in Dharamsala, and has harshly condemned China's actions. She is calling for an outside investigation into the situation and some of China's allegations against the Dalai Lama.

There are a few things you can do to help if you live in the US:

1. Call on President Bush not to attend the opening ceremonies of the Olympic Games in August. From Steven Spielberg to parlimentarians, many leaders are rethinking their involvement. We need to demand that our leaders stay away from the opening ceremonies in the wake of the bloody and continuing crackdown in Tibet. You may reach the U.S. President at 202-456-1111 or by email at comments@whitehouse.gov.

2. Visit www.racefortibet.org, or www.savetibet.org for more information, or to make a donation to the International Campaign for Tibet,

March Madness

(Click to view larger version)

Fuel burning fast on an empty tank.

Today was the 4th Annual Steve Haydu Lo-Tide Run on Carolina Beach. My first 10k ever. After seeing some pictures of other St. Patty's Day festivities, I decided I wanted to dress up and of course Nicole was also stoked about this idea. So we came up with a costume that consisted of awesome green/white striped knee high socks (which Nicole wrote our last names on!), green/white retro 70's running shorts, custom made shirts (also with our last names on them) and shamrocks on our faces. Also, I wore a shamrock headband while Nicole wore shamrock wristbands. It was AWESOME!! We got so many compliments on our outfits and have decided this should be a yearly tradition to run this race.

The weather was PERFECT even though the forecast called for a possibility of thunderstorms (which we're getting in a major way right now). There were a lot of people participating (there was also a 5k), and lots of our awesome friends came out to cheer us on and begin the St. Patty's weekend celebration!

It was fun, but challenging - especially the last 1/4 mile which was on the actual beach (sand!). I worked hard to train for it and am glad that I did it. Some others in our group of friends are now inspired to try a 5k, so the next one we do will definitely be a lot of fun! Most of the pictures taken are on Nicole's camera, so as soon as she uploads them, I will post a link.

Tom is playing tonight at Slick + Red's, but if the weather does not get better I don't know if I will be going. There are tornado watches and warnings right now and are supposed to last until 1 am. The thunder and lightning outside right now is fierce! Shady is practically on top of me. She is not a fan of thunderstorms.

I just finished Middlesex (read my review). I think I will start Random Family next... I have been looking forward to reading this one for a while.

I have officially recovered from the heart attack Roy's Boys gave me today... I was not expecting such a close game against Va. Tech, esp. considering their last matchup had UNC winning by 40 pts. But today came down to the last 0.08 seconds and a shot by Psycho T... and they won. I seriously chewed my lips for the last 15 minutes... I do that when I am anxious or nervous! ALSO, second best to UNC winning is Duke losing, which THEY DID, to Clemson! Duke sucks. Tomorrow UNC plays Clemson for the ACC Championship... then the real March Madness begins with the NCAA Selection.

I think it's time to end this novel of a post... not much else to report anyway. For those of you wondering about Shady -- her blood sugar is STILL super high. She is still on antibiotics though so I am hoping that as soon as she finishes them, the insulin will work better.

The baffled king composing Hallelujah.

Tonight's title is in honor of the great Leonard Cohen, who was inducted tonight into the Rock N Roll Hall of Fame. Although maybe I should use a different lyric... Hallelujah has been covered so many times that there are many who don't know it's a LC original. It's funny, today on Gawker there was a post/graph about people covering Hallelujah. I personally can't complain because Jeff Buckley's version happens to be my very favorite.

Tonight when I was updating my nike+ training log, it gave me this warning about my shoes:




You can click for a larger version but it says: There are 303.57 mi logged on the shoe named 'Kinsei'. Because this is 3.57 mi beyond the designated cumulative distance of 300 mi, you may want to retire this pair of shoes. Once a running shoe has passed its distance lifespan, the cushioning material begins to lose its effectiveness. Updating your running shoes can help avoid injury; we recommend that you begin to run with a new pair."

I agree completely, Nike! Which is why I have a new pair of Asics waiting to be broken in. Hopefully I can get to that before the St. Patty's Day run. There are so many great features of nike+ and the nike+ site, including the training log, which I am a little bit obsessed with. In a good way.

Just finished Interpreter of Maladies! Am hoping to start Middlesex soon (just got it today, thanks Katie!), but I know tomorrow night is reserved for the LAST SHOW EVER of the best show on TV. (The Wire, obvs). Yep, now we all have to quit cold turkey.

Led Zeppelin performing now, going to go pay attention!

In life I know there's lots of grief.

My grandma called me earlier tonight because she is pretty shaken up over the murder of Eve Carson. For those not familiar with the story, she was the Student Body President at UNC-Chapel Hill (where I went to college), and she was found dead Wed. morning, after being shot several times. It is so sad and disturbing and shocking. I didn't know her but just knowing of her, you have to wonder how something like this could happen. Chapel Hill is not a place where murder is common. There are not random drive-by shootings or even a lot of drug-related crimes. It makes it that much more mysterious and confusing as to what happened. The police said last night they were searching for a suspect who was recorded attempting to use her ATM card and was driving what they thought was her car, or a car that belonged to her? I really hope they get some answers soon. I can't even imagine what her family and friends are going through. Something like this would just tear me to pieces. I've been thinking about it a lot too, it has really disturbed me and it makes you think a lot about life and how nothing is guaranteed. My heart is in Chapel Hill in spirit and I hope everyone can begin healing soon.

On a less serious but also somber note, we bid farewell this week to NFL legend Brett Favre. I am sad to see him retire, but after hearing his reasons, no one can possibly blame him. He played 17 long and successful seasons, and he works as hard as anyone does. He just doesn't want to do it anymore, and if your heart's not in it, you shouldn't be either. I'll miss watching him on Sundays, but I'll be hoping he's happy wherever he is.

And on a final note... I should not be doing things like making shirts after I've taken Ambien. In fact I probably shouldn't be typing right now. I was making mine and Nicole's shirts for our St. Patty's Day race next weekend, and one of the shirts was inside out and I didn't realize it. So I ironed on the design on the inside of the shirt. And wouldn't ya know, it DOES NOT come off. So now I have to hope I can find another shirt and that I have enough ink to print out another design (:

I miss Tom! He's only been gone a few hours but just knowing I won't see him until Tuesday makes it seem like forever! Ok, time to go test Shady before I get too out of it, otherwise this could be dangerous!

Hey - Wait! I've got a new complaint.

I am NOT a fan of Daylight Savings Time. At least not the way it works right now. Why do they take away an hour of my weekend? Don't they know that the weekends are the only time I can get ANYthing done?!? I would be perfectly happy if it happened on a Monday, say at 3 pm or something. Why does it have to be an hour of sleep I miss out on? Or an hour of doing something productive, or even relaxing? Not cool. Not cool at all.

Yesterday there was no relaxing. I was a nervous wreck about the game and put all of my nervous energy to good use, doing some spring cleaning. OH - in case anyone needs clarification... the Carolina/Duke game. The first time they play in the regular season is still a big deal, but for some reason I don't get as worked up about that one. It also depends on how the first meeting goes - if Duke wins, the next game is HUGE, because we have to win. Anyway... that was yesterday. And we won!!! I am a little bit superstitious so now I will have to wear the shirt I had on for every game they play now (:

Shady still has an infection, is still taking antibiotics, and as of this morning, is not eating. And I can't give her insulin until she eats. Her blood sugar has not come down yet... it's like a catch-22... the blood sugar being high causes the infections, and the infections/antibiotics keep the insulin from working effectively. Something's gotta give but I don't know what it will be.

Just started reading Interpreter of Maladies, by Jhumpa Lahiri. So far it's really good...

Tom is headed to Raleigh today for a show tonight at Amra's on Glenwood Ave. Then Monday night he'll be at Crowley's, also in Raleigh. Things are exciting right now - we have a publicist working with us, and right now she's at South by Southwest doing some promotion. Hopefully some good things will come of this, I am excited about it.

xo

Things that I think are awesome.

#1. Today is National Grammar Day!

#2. Polaroid Digital Picture Frame


Polaroid Digital Picture Frame

There's a dry erase portion on the bottom, and the frame can stand on its own or be pinned to a cork board for added realism. "Standard" mode emulates a regular digital frame, while "Classic" mode slowly fades the picture into view.

And as we all play parts of tomorrow...

I don't know if there's anyone reading this who lives in Texas, but if so, please read the following information. It explains how the Texas primary is different from other states - and it's more crucial this election year than ever.

In Texas, you can vote twice on Tuesday, March 4 - once in the primary between 7 a.m. and 7 p.m., and then again in your local caucus at 7:15 p.m. Both count toward delegates needed to win the nomination.

Your primary location and caucus location are the same place. Find it at Barack Obama's website: http://my.barackobama.com/page/content/txevlookup

You can also call the Texas Secretary of State with any questions at (512) 463-5650 on a weekday.

You must vote in the primary to vote in the caucus. Caucus leaders should have a list of who voted – but if you have your marked voter card or your receipt from early voting, bring it.

If you voted early, you can still caucus. But your location is NOT necessarily the same as where you voted. So be sure to look up your standard voting location at the Secretary of State's website.

Visit the Move On website for more information.

She's going the distance.

I debated over whether to keep my travel plans for this weekend. I had planned to go see my family... my mom, my sisters, Jayla and Chase, my grandparents. I'd decided to take Shady with me (Tom had to stay for a show), for a few reasons. When I leave her, even though she looooves Tom, she gets kinda depressed. And I would've worried about her. But I kept feeling these bad vibes and I decided to listen to my gut and stay home. It crushed me though because I was sooo looking forward to seeing everyone, esp. Jayla. I have not seen her since her birthday, the first weekend in Jan. To be only 3 years old though, she was very understanding. I talked to her for almost an hour yesterday and she kept asking me if I would come to her house when Shady felt better.

Anyway it's a good thing I stayed, because after going to the vet yesterday, it turns out Shady has a "raging bladder infection." (The vet's words) He gave her a stronger antibiotic than usual and said that the infection could be why the insulin does not seem to be working. And it explains why she hasn't been feeling well this week. So I am glad I stayed, it seemed to be for a reason after all. We have to check her again next Friday to see if the infection has improved any.

I ran 7 miles yesterday! My farthest run yet. I felt great afterwards but it definitely took a lot out of me! I had to stop for water and food a few times, otherwise my little hypoglycemic body might not have made it. I feel a little bit more prepared for the St. Patty's Day 10k now.

I'm trying to figure out what book to start next. I think maybe Into the Wild. Tom just read that and loved it. I just finished Water for Elephants, which I highly recommend.