President Barack Obama made a quiet trip to Dover, Delaware late last evening to pay his respects to soldiers who died in battle in Afghanistan. The media also followed behind quietly filming Obama as he met the plane on the tarmac and stood at attention while the coffins of the deceased soldiers were unloaded. Our former President, George Bush never in his 8 years in office, paid respect for fallen soldiers by greeting the return of their bodies on the tarmac. See the video of President Obama seeing the return of our fallen heroes below:
Friday, October 30, 2009
CBS Picks-Up UCF vs. Houston Homecoming Showdown
CBS announced today it has picked-up the broadcast rights of the UCF Knights’ Homecoming Game against the #15-ranked Houston Cougars on Saturday, November 14th. The broadcast will mark the 4th nationally-televised game for the Knights this football season! UCF’s game against the Miami Hurricanes was nationally broadcasted on October 17th on CBS, this Sunday’s game against Marshall will have a national broadcast on ESPN beginning @ 8:15pm, and next Saturday’s game against the Texas Longhorns will be shown nationwide on Fox Sports Network at Noon. UCF is now the 3rd largest university in the United States and it’s nice to see some national media coverage of the Knights’ games! GO KNIGHTS!!!
Thursday, October 29, 2009
Chimps Mourn the Loss of a Friend
A touching article from the forthcoming November issue of National Geographic:
The November issue of National Geographic magazine features a moving photograph of chimpanzees watching as one of their own is wheeled to her burial. Since it was published, the picture and story have gone viral, turning up on websites and TV shows and in newspapers around the world. For readers whod like to know more, heres what I learned as I interviewed the photographer, Monica Szczupider. On September 23, 2008, Dorothy, a female chimpanzee in her late 40s, died of congestive heart failure. A maternal and beloved figure, Dorothy had spent eight years at Cameroons Sanaga-Yong Chimpanzee Rescue Center, which houses and rehabilitates chimps victimized by habitat loss and the illegal African bushmeat trade.
After a hunter killed her mother, Dorothy was sold as a mascot to an amusement park in Cameroon. For the next 25 years she was tethered to the ground by a chain around her neck, taunted, teased, and taught to drink beer and smoke cigarettes for sport. In May 2000 Dorothyobese from poor diet and lack of exercisewas rescued and relocated along with ten other primates. As her health improved, her deep kindness surfaced. She mothered an orphaned chimp named Bouboule and became a close friend to many others, including Jacky, the groups alpha male, and Nama, another amusement-park refugee.
Szczupider, who had been a volunteer at the center, told me: Her presence, and loss, was palpable, and resonated throughout the group. The management at Sanaga-Yong opted to let Dorothy’s chimpanzee family witness her burial, so that perhaps they would understand, in their own capacity, that Dorothy would not return. Some chimps displayed aggression while others barked in frustration. But perhaps the most stunning reaction was a recurring, almost tangible silence. If one knows chimpanzees, then one knows that [they] are not [usually] silent creatures.”
President Obama Signs Federal Hate Crimes Legislation
After over a decade of fierce resistance from Bush and his fellow Republicans, today President Obama signed the first ever federal legislation mandating the inclusion of sexual orientation in all hate crimes statutes. Shortly after midnight on October 7, 1998, 21-year-old Matthew Shepard met Aaron McKinney and Russell Henderson in a bar. McKinney and Henderson offered Shepard a ride in their car. Subsequently, Shepard was robbed, pistol whipped, tortured, tied to a fence in a remote, rural area in Laramie, Wyoming, and left to die. Still tied to the fence, Shepard was discovered 18 hours later by Aaron Kreifels, who initially mistook Shepard for a scarecrow. At the time of discovery, Shepard was still alive, but in a coma.Shepard suffered fractures to the back of his head and in front of his right ear. He had severe brain stem damage, which affected his body’s ability to regulate heart rate, body temperature and other vital functions. There were also about a dozen small lacerations around his head, face and neck. His injuries were deemed too severe for surgeons to operate. Shepard never regained consciousness and remained on full life support. He was pronounced dead at 12:53 A.M. on October 12, 1998, at Poudre Valley Hospital in Fort Collins. Police arrested McKinney and Henderson shortly thereafter, finding the bloody gun as well as the victim’s shoes and wallet in their truck.
Championed by Shepard’s surviving mother and father, the Matthew Shepard Hate Crimes Act has been debated within the Congress, Senate, and Presidency for over a decade. Even though thousands of gay men and women are victims of violence because of their sexual orientation every year, Republicans denounced the bill and implied the Act gave gay and lesbian victims of hate crimes “special rights.” I personally wrote letters to my then Republican Congressman Tom Feeney begging him to pass this important legislation. Each time, I received a reply thanking me for sending my letter but he would not be supporting “special rights” for gays and lesbians. To show just how much has changed, in a resounding defeat, Democratic Congresswomen Suzanne Kosmas replaced the corrupt Republican. The reply I received from her said she resoundingly supported the legislation and believed strongly that when any class of persons is targeted with violence, the response should be swift and provide the most severe punishment permitted by law. It’s a refreshing change to see intelligence, empathy, and understanding slowly begin to erode the ignorance, stupidity, and idiocy we’ve all had to endure for the past several years. Thank-you President Obama. We are all grateful that you have signed this vital bill into law. The thousands of gay men and women who have been victims of hate crimes can now have the justice they have been sorely missing.
Wednesday, October 28, 2009
No NFL Competition for Knights’ Sunday Night National Spotlight on ESPN
The UCF Knights’ (4-3; 2-2 C-USA) home match up Sunday night against the Thundering Herd of Marshall (5-3; 3-1 C-USA) will be seen by millions of viewers across the US on an evening that will be free of football from the National Football League. The NFL has no games scheduled for Sunday night, with the UCF vs. Marshall game being the only nationally-televised football game on Sunday night. Although favored in early lines, the Knights will have their work cutout for themselves. The Herd is currently ranked #1 in the C-USA Eastern Division. Marshall’s last win was a 27-7 beating against the UAB Blazers on Saturday. UCF is coming-off its biggest margin-of-victory win on the road in its history in a 49-7 annihilation of the Rice Owls. Kickoff for UCF vs. Marshall is set for 8:15pm at Bright House Networks Stadium on UCF’s campus. The College of Nursing and College of Health & Public Affairs Alumni Tailgate Party will begin @ 3:30pm in Lot E-6 adjacent to the stadium. The game will be nationally-broadcasted on ESPN. GO KNIGHTS!!! BEAT THE HERD!!!
Saturday, October 24, 2009
Knights Blow-Out Rice, Next Up Marshall on 11/1 on ESPN
After falling to the #10 Miami Hurricanes last Saturday @ Brighthouse Networks Stadium, the UCF Knights took out their frustrations today on the struggling Rice Owls, who dropped to 0-8 (0-4 C-USA). The Knights jumped on-top quickly, immediately setting the tone for domination. Senior quarterback Brett Hodges connected with A.J. Guyton for a 76-yard touchdown on the opening play. Guyton charged another 66 of those yards after the catch. Guyton tallied 103 yards receiving in the first quarter. It was his second 100-plus yard receiving game this season. He is the only Knight who has racked up at least 100 yards rushing this season. Guyton was a major playmaker today for the Knights, throwing a 36-yard touchdown pass to Kamar Aiken on an option play, giving the Knights a commanding 28-0 lead with 1:55 left in the second quarter.
Several other Knights scored early, with reserve Ronnie Weaver reaching the end zone on a 27-yard run and Hodges reaching the end zone by scrambling ahead for one yard. During the second half, freshman Josh Robinson returned an interception for a touchdown to pad the Knights’ lead. Rob Calabrese came off the bench in the second half, connecting with Jamar Newsome and Ricky Kay touchdown passes to give the Knights a bigger advantage. The Knights now improve to 4-3 (2-2 C-USA) and get ready to be seen in a national spotlight battle against C-USA East’s #1 team Marshall (5-3; 3-1 C-USA) next Sunday (11/1) on ESPN. Kickoff is set for 8:15 pm. COHPA/CON Tailgating details will follow later this week. GREAT JOB UCF KNIGHTS!!! BEAT MARSHALL!!! (Excerpts and photo courtesy Orlando Sentinel),
Tuesday, October 20, 2009
Obama Pushing for Medical Malpractice Reform
Against strong opposition from the American Trial Lawyer’s Association, President Barack Obama announced today a plan to overhaul the way in which medical malpractice cases are decided in court. President Obama supports the appointment of neutral experts to sift malpractice facts from allegations through the creation of “health courts” that would be headed by medical professionals and experts rather than juries, judges, and attorneys. The American Hospital Association (AHA) has expressed a great deal of support for the measure, says AHA President Richard Umbdenstock: “We are trying to offer this as a constructive approach, to see if we can generate some interest,” he said. Under this type of plan, patients who claim injury at the hands of medical professionals or institutions would take their case to a local panel of experts appointed by state authorities. The patient wouldn’t have to prove negligence, only that the provider failed to follow established guidelines for clinical practice. To put some evidence behind the idea, Obama has dedicated $25 million to test a range of alternatives to malpractice litigation. This is another great example of the strong leadership and intelligence of President Obama, who is doing what is right to make our healthcare system stronger for our patients as well as the backbone of the system–its nurses and physicians!
Sunday, October 18, 2009
Lionsgate Acquires Texas Chainsaw Massacre
It looks like the buzz isn’t ready to die just yet. After a very successful remake and prequel to Texas Chainsaw Massacre, Platinum Dunes apparently has dropped their licensure holding on the rights to the series. Lionsgate just signed with rights-holder and original TCM writer Kim Henkel to bring the cannibalistic and chainsaw-wielding terror Leatherface back to the silverscreen. Both the remake and prequel were very well done. Let’s hope the new owners continue to make the series quality. Some of the remarks from producer Mark Burg conjures some skepticism on that point: “What we’re going to do with it is bring it to 2010. Make it current day and come up with a new story that takes some of the basic plot points, if you will, and make it a current day movie. I don’t want to make another Chainsaw in the ’70s, that doesn’t thrill me. I haven’t seen first draft yet, but we’re working on it.” Burg says numerous directors have expressed interest in making the film. It will also be made for a new dimension; the new Massacre will take place in 3-D. Let’s hope this doesn’t signal a cheesy teen-slasher waste of celluloid…
Principal Casting Complete on Love Never Dies
Casting is nearly complete for Andrew Lloyd Webber’s up-coming sequel to The Phantom of the Opera. The Phantom: Love Never Dies is scheduled to open at London’s Adelphi Theater on February 20, 2010 and then on Broadway in November of 2010. Today, Playbill announced Joseph Millson and Liz Robertson will join the previously announced Ramin Karimloo, Sierra Boggess and Summer Strallen as principal cast. Andrew Lloyd Webber’s follow-up to The Phantom of the Opera begins its official opening March 9, 2010. Millson will play Raoul, who is now married to Christine in the new story, set in Coney Island ten years on from where Phantom ended.For more information on The Phantom: Love Never Dies, visit the Official Site: http://loveneverdies.com.
Knights Fall to Miami, Next Up Rice
The UCF Knights (3-3; 1-2 C-USA) fell 27-7 to the Miami Hurricanes on Saturday night at Brighthouse Networks Stadium in-front of a record-breaking sold-out crowd. The Knights continued to fail to produce on Offense, resulting in only one scoring drive. The Hurricanes move on to 5-1 (4-2 ACC) and continue their drive to be a national contender this season. The game was nationally-broadcast on CBS. While UCF may not have won the game, they certainly won at tailgating! The University estimates close to 70,000 people came to the campus to partake in tailgating parties and festivities. The game was sold-out a few weeks ago; but thousands of fans showed-up anyway to have fun and hopefully find a ticket to buy for the game. The Knights now move back into C-USA play with a game this Saturday against the Rice Owls (0-7; 0-3 C-USA) and then will have another nationally-televised game next Sunday on ESPN versus Marshall. The Knights should have no trouble securing the “W” against Rice, which is one of the worst teams in I-A football. The Knights face only one more out-of-conference foe at Texas on 11/7. UCF is only 3 wins away from being a bowl-eligible team. GO KNIGHTS!!! BEAT RICE!!!