State Senator Ken Cuccinelli to Announce 2009 Plans Today

Republican State Senator Ken Cuccinelli is scheduled to announce his plans for the 2009 state elections this afternoon, plans that could include a run for State Attorney General.

Cuccinelli, a small business owner and lawyer, currently represents the western portion of Fairfax County and West Springfield in Northern Virginia.

In last year’s elections, Cuccinelli narrowly defeated Democratic hopeful Janet Oleszek by a mere 101 votes. It was another sign that the few remaining GOP strongholds in the area have started turning blue.

Should Cuccinelli seek the AG nomination and win, the GOP will have to find a viable candidate to keep control of the 37th Senatorial District.

Last week, Lt. Gov. Bill Bolling announced he would seek re-election and not square off against current AG Bob McDonnell for the Republican nomination for Governor.

Friday Fhoto

A CGI of the Washington Nationals new ballpark. The Nats open the season against NL East foe Atlanta, Sunday night on ESPN. President Bush is scheduled to throw out the first pitch.

Davidson’s Curry Showing Off his Big Time Game to ACC Doubters

The high school stats and accolades are all-world. All-time leading scorer at Charlotte Christian with over 1,400 points, all-conference, all-state and team MVP following both his junior and senior year. Throw in 48% from three point range and the only thing the guy was missing was a Grammy or an Oscar.

But Stephen (Stef-en) Curry barely got a sniff from the ACC top dogs, among others, when he was ready to graduate to bigger and better things in college. The doubters said his 6-2, 185 pound frame wouldn’t work in the ACC.

Those doubters included 2008 ACC Coach of the Year, Seth Greenburg of Virginia Tech. The name Curry is a popular one in Blacksburg, especially when it comes to the round ball. Stephen’s dad, Dell, played for the Hokies, is a member of the Virginia Tech Hall of Fame and had a 16 season NBA career. Stephen wanted to be like his dad and continue his playing career at Tech.

But Greenburg and the Hokies only offered the sharpshooter a walk-on opportunity. He declined, leaving Curry without many options.

Along with Davidson, Curry did have scholarship offers from VCU and Winthrop, and ultimately chose to stay close to home and play for the Wildcats. Now Curry is walking all over the competition.

Before his arrival in 2006, Davidson hadn’t won an NCAA Tournament game since 1969. Oh how times have changed.

In an 82-70 first round loss to Maryland last year, Curry dumped in 30 points, vowing to make a return this year. And with another year in the Southern Conference under his belt, Curry led the Wildcats back to the Big Dance in 2008.

But unlike 2007, so far the outcome has been different.

In the first round, Davidson a 10 seed, defeated Gonzaga 82-76. Curry ended up with 40 points, and went 8-10 from 3 point range. (Dad must have been proud)

The second round matched Davidson against Big East power Georgetown, a Final Four team in 2007. The Wildcats erased a 17 point second half deficit and upset the Hoyas with a 74-70 victory with their young shooting guard leading the way. He contributed 30 points, 25 of which came in the last 14 minutes.

Tomorrow night Curry and company hit the hardwood against Big Ten giant Wisconsin in the Sweet Sixteen, looking to continue the magic from last weekend.

If you didn’t know Stephen Curry before the NCAA Tournament, chances are now you do. His story really isn’t Cinderella, but rather a sensational.

Greenburg and the rest of the ACC would probably agree.

I Might Cry a Wii Bit

At first I thought I would never leave my suburban Richmond home come June 22, 2008. But then I learned that the release of Rockband for Nintendo Wii probably won’t be greeted with fanfare, but rather boos.

And you can throw in a hiss or two for good measure.

Just for an opening act, there’s NO downloadable content and NO online gaming capabilities. Oh, and you’re Guitar Hero III guitar, not compatible.

But wait, before you take your seat, you must shell out a whopping $169.99. That’s right; Nintendo has created an absolute dud on one of the hottest games on the market.

One would think that a gaming system with the ooh’s and ahh’s of the Wii would do it right. Instead, Xbox 360 and Playstation 3 can now rest easy.

I guess I’ll continue to be a one man band - for now.

Hype Haiku

Bolling chat today

Saying what to you and me?

Doubt Bob will be there

Friday Fhoto

The Buzz around the Brackets

Call it what you will, snubbed, heartbroken, expected. They're all words that sum up the thoughts of nearly all of the D-I men’s basketball teams in the state when it comes to playing (or lack there of) in the NCAA Tournament this week.

Last year the Commonwealth sent four teams to the field of 65, ODU, VCU, Virginia Tech, and UVA. This year only one team, George Mason, received an invite – an automatic one at that.

Patriot Power in 2008?

We all know about George Mason’s magical run to the Final Four in 2006, breaking brackets near and far. This year the Patriots, a 12 seed, lost four of seven games before winning the CAA hardware, and must face a tough Notre Dame team with shoe-in Big East Player of the Year Luke Harangody. The Patriots do have two prominent members of the 2006 team left – Will Thomas and Folarin Campbell. Their play and leadership will determine just how far George Mason goes. It might be the trendy 5-12 upset pick, but it won't be mine.

NIT CBI WTF?

As for the four participants from last year, Virginia Tech and VCU were the only two teams that remotely deserved NCAA bids in 2008.

Arguments can be made for and against their causes, with most bracket banter surrounding Virginia Tech, the fat kid in dodge ball. Should the fourth best team in the ACC make the tournament? Probably.

However unlike Tech Coach Seth Greenburg would say, the NCAA Selection Committee isn’t “certifiably insane” for neglecting his squad.

A 1-7 mark against the RPI top 50, and a very weak non-conference schedule that included losses to Penn State, ODU, and Richmond, didn’t help their chances. Six of there nine conference wins included sweeps over Maryland, Virginia and Boston College (ACC also-rans in 2008). They played close in some losses, but that only counts in horseshoes, hand grenades, and atomic bombs.

The Hokies are now relegated to the NIT, where they could clash with VCU in Blacksburg if both teams win opening round home games tomorrow night against Morgan State and UAB.

As for the other state teams that made the Big Dance last year, ODU and UVA, they will be playing along with newcomer Richmond in the College Basketball Invitational. A tournament that isn’t worthy of the words I type.

Welcome to March Madness!

Could you soon mail a letter to Henrico, VA?

The short answer: yes! But the residents of the County of Henrico will have the final say if an envelope labeled “Henrico, Virginia” will be accepted by the USPS.

Surveys asking residents to vote on the change from “Richmond, VA” to “Henrico, VA” are expected to be distributed next month.

So what’s the big mess over the mail all about?

Like everything else, it comes down to dollar bills. Henrico leaders claim they are losing upwards of $5 million dollars a year in tax revenues because of address confusion.

Basically there are people paying taxes to the wrong place and county officials feel that the correct county or city should receive the payments for its services.

But if you’re like me and you prefer “Richmond, VA,” don’t worry, you’re mail will still be delivered. Henrico will become the primary address and Richmond the secondary, thus making both acceptable.

Sandston and Glen Allen residents don’t fret. Your addresses won’t be changed. If the measure is approved, it could be implemented by the end of this year.

Friday Fhoto

He's Black. He's legally blind. He's the Govenor of New York. Hopefully he's not Client number 10.

Thanks for the Memories

Sean Singletary surpasses 2,000 career points in win over Maryland last night

He's showed up for work 119 times, poured in 2,002 career points (and counting) and has scored in double figures for 51 consecutive games, the longest active streak in the ACC.

But if you asked University of Virginia's Sean Singletary about his stats, he'd answer you with a question of his own:

Did we win?

Fourteen times this season, the answer would've been no. But last night it was a resounding yes, as Singletary and three other UVA seniors capped off their careers at the JPJ with a 91-76 defeat of Maryland.

Singletary lived up to his senior duties carried the Hoos on his oft-injured 6-0 frame for nearly the entire season.

Last night was no different. Singletary, who had his #44 jersey retired before the game, backed up the ceremony with a line of 27 points, 8 assists, 6 rebounds, and 1 steal.

It's nothing new. He's guided a team that started an abysmal 1-9 in ACC competition, but rebounded to win four out of its last six conference games, gaining some much needed momentum heading into the ACC Tournament this weekend.

It's safe to say Singletary is an anomaly. In an era when many college ballers choose to kick and scream instead of study and score, he’s quietly gone about his business for four years, and is on track to graduate in the spring with a degree in Commerce.

Following the victory last night, Virginia Head Coach Dave Leitao backed that up. "It's a great way [to end his career] for all of us, and I hope we're zeroed in because I'm not so sure in our lifetime that we'll see a guy perform night in and night out the way he has over four years."

I couldn't agree more. I was fortunate enough to witness his shock-and-awe campaign nearly 30 times. And for a season that has left many with a bitter taste, Singletary's sucess over the last four years has been a sweet treat, with the final blast of flavor coming last night.

Sean Singletary is now a member of an elite group of great basketball players in both Virginia and ACC history.

But he'll never tell you that.

Friday Fhoto

In honor of my favorite day of the year (holidays excluded) arriving on Sunday, Daylight Saving, here’s a fhoto that puts the Earth and Moon into perspective.

This fhoto, courtesy of NASA, was taken on October 3, 2007 using The High
Resolution Imaging Science Experiment (HiRISE) camera on the Mars
Reconnaissance Orbiter. This shot is from 88 million miles away.

Florida

I recently traveled to the Sunshine State for the 50th running of the Daytona 500. I’ve visited Florida numerous times in the past, but this time I kept finding myself thinking about the pros and cons of calling Florida home one day. Here’s my list:


Pros:
Warm weather all year round
No income tax
Pro sports teams dot the state
Daytona & Homestead
Pothole-free roads
Space Shuttles
Air Boats

Orange juice
Sandy beaches
Flo Rida - reebok's wit tha straaap
Disney

Cons:
Disney

high sales tax
And I thought RIC humidity was bad
Tolls – lots of them
Molesters and kidnappers – hot spot
Hurricanes, Wildfires, Tornados
Gators
Cuba only 90 miles away
Snowbirds
Mobile homes galore
English as a second language

RIC Connection: Family Guy Spinoff in the Works

If you watch FOX’s “Family Guy” and enjoy the reoccurring character Cleveland Brown, there might be more to watch once the credits roll. According to the Hollywood Reporter, FOX is considering a spinoff of “Family Guy”, with Cleveland Brown as the main character, simply titled “Cleveland.”

The slow-talking Cleveland is part of Peter Griffin's core group of "Family Guy" friends. He recently divorced his long-time wife Loretta and now spends most of his time in his deli. Cleveland also enjoys karaoke every once in a while.

Cleveland's character comes from the voice of Richmond native Mike Henry, a writer-producer for the politically incorrect cartoon series.

Henry, who also voices Herbert (the elderly pedophile), Bruce (the “lady-like” performance artist), and the Greased Up Deaf Guy, met “Family Guy” creator Seth MacFarlane while his brother, Patrick, (haha, nothing like a little colonial humor) was attending the Rhode Island School of Design.

Henry, a graduate of W&L, has also done some voices for the zany show “Robot Chicken.”

Here’s an interview Mike Henry did at last year’s SXSW Conference in Austin, TX:

Richmond Police to be Featured on New A&E Show

This Thursday at 10, the Richmond Police Department will be featured in the premiere episode of a new series, Crime 360, airing on A&E. Any fan of The First 48, or any other A&E programming for that matter, needs to check out Crime 360.

Crime 360 is a blend of CSI and The First 48. The show mixes state-of-the-art technology with good old-fashioned investigative skills. The show brings the crime scene to life through computer generated images, 3D laser scanning and 360-degree digital photography (hence the name.)

Below are airdates and a full rundown of Thursday’s show:

Thursday, March 06th 10:00 pm ET
Friday, March 07th 02:00 am ET
Sunday, March 09th 06:00 pm ET
Saturday, March 22nd 02:00 pm ET

On a hot summer day in Richmond, VA, Detective Shane Wait is called to a local apartment complex where a murder victim has been bound and stuffed in the trunk of the car. With no witnesses and no original crime scene, the detective has to heavily rely on the forensic evidence gathered from the victim's body and the car. Waite has forensic tech Detective Faith Flippo test the vehicle for blood, DNA, and anything else that might help identify the killer. A break in the case occurs when Waite gets a 911 tip from a witness who said he that heard two gunshots the night of the murder at his apartment complex and saw two men entering the building

Click here to check out Crime 360 for yourself.