Cancer claims local newscaster Heather Pick

Columbus newscaster Heather Pick died this morning after a lengthy battle with breast cancer.
Pick, a morning co-anchor for WBNS-TV (Channel 10), passed away at her Hilliard home with her husband, Joe Cygan, and other family members at her side. She was 38.

"I'm devastated," said Andrea Cambern, news anchor at Channel 10. "We all knew that the future was not bright, but it's still such a shock and tragedy. She was our beacon, our little light in the newsroom. We all love her very much."

Pick's battle with the illness began with a diagnosis in 1999, when she worked as an anchorwoman at the NBC affiliate in Rockford, Ill. In 2004, two years into her life in Columbus, she learned that the cancer had not only returned but moved to her spine and pelvis.

Pick faced the setback with an "unbelievably" positive attitude, said Tom Griesdorn, Channel 10 general manager.
"If you met her on the street, in the newsroom, if you ran into her at lunch at Katzinger's or wherever, you'd have never known she was dealing with the challenges she did on a daily basis," Griesdorn said.

At home after the diagnosis, Pick focused on her blessings by enjoying her family, including daughter Julia, 7, and son Jack, 4. She often spent afternoons at the Columbus Zoo or in a park, walked several miles a day and gardened.

She thumbed her nose at the disease by participating in the 2005 Columbus Marathon, finishing in 6 hours 37 minutes and 49 seconds - ahead of 199 other entrants.
"I always thought it would be cool to do a marathon, so why not do it now?" she said at the time. "When something like cancer hits you, you feel a sense of urgency."

In recent years, Pick became a public leader in the community fight against cancer.After Pick's health took a final turn for the worse, she appeared on the noon newscast for the last time Oct. 6 - from home, wearing a pink wig (in a nod to Breast Cancer Awareness Month).

I know a lot of people may wonder why I have this story on here? A lot of people may not even know who Heather Pick is? Yes she is a local reporter for WBNS 10TV, but she was also a very active member within the cancer community. Especially women with cancer.

I myself had never had the chance to meet Heather, but I have always followed her work, he speeches, and charities that she was apart of. I really admired her strength and courage to be so outspoken on such a silent deadly killer such as cancer.

I myself have lost 3 people in this year alone due to cancer. Its a very serious illness and can take the lives of any and everybody of every race, age, religion, or creed. My heart truly goes out to her husband, 2 small children, and a host other family and friends who I know suffering and devastated over the loss of a love one.

With that being said I'd also like to send my love to those who I have lost this year...

Mom 02/2008

PawPaw 10/2008

Uncle David 11/2008

You all will forever live inside my heart, mind, and character. All of you equal a part of me and keeps me motivated to keep being the intelligent, kind hearted, courageous, hardworking woman that I am today and will forever be. I love you always........... Miranda Marie

Iverson Trade Boosts Detroit Pistons Ticket Sales

Allen Iverson hasn't yet stepped on the court for the Pistons, but Detroit's new star already is boosting the team's fortunes.

The Pistons have averaged 5,000 daily individual ticket sales since the deal was announced Monday. The team also has sold 100 additional season tickets.
The team says Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday were the Pistons' biggest sales days of the season

Billups, Antonio McDyess and Cheikh Samb to Denver for the former league MVP.
The Pistons also announced Thursday that more than 1,000 orders have been placed for Iverson jerseys. They are expected to arrive in stores on Friday.

I remember when I first heard this..lol I was halfway sleep and I knew the Pistons were playing and I kept hearing the announcers say " Iverson this, Iverson that..". But I was sooo sleepy all I remember is thinking is, " That's not the color of the Denver Nuggets??" lol Clearly I was exhausted! But then the next morning I heard about the trade. I was thrown off, but then again I was happy because now he's not too far from me to go see a game!!

Anyone who knows me knows I love basketball and that AI is one of my FAVORITE players. He's what in his mid 30s and still be ballin' harder than some of the younger cats in the game. But then again, when you absolutely love what you do, you'll do whatever it takes to always be your best and give a great performance. I'm looking forward to traveling to a few games at The Palace of Auburn Hills!!!

Beyonce Album Preview: I Am ... Sasha Fierce Shines Light On B's Alter Ego

In therapy, the goal would be to unite a fractured personality — but in music, putting your alter ego on display is all the rage. Beyonce is giving hers, Sasha Fierce, some serious attention.

I Am ... Sasha Fierce, due out November 18, is a two-disc set. Part one, I Am ..., showcases the singer's more personal material, her Beyonce side. The second part, Sasha Fierce, is intended to contain the more daring dance tracks.

"Half the record, I Am ..., is about who I am underneath all the makeup, underneath the lights and underneath all the exciting star drama. And Sasha Fierce is the fun, more sensual, more aggressive, more outspoken side and more glamorous side that comes out when I'm working and when I'm onstage. The double album allows me to take more risks and really step out of myself, or shall I say, step more into myself, and reveal a side of me that only people who know me see."

But Beyonce may have integrated these sides of herself far more than she realizes, for the I Am ... portion of her album is actually the more daring side, since it requires more bravery to step outside what she's known for — uptempo top-40 R&B — and try for a more timeless sound in a classic sense (perhaps the influence of playing Etta James in " Cadillac Records"?) And Sasha Fierce, fun though it might be, is mostly familiar-sounding dance tracks and doesn't stretch Beyonce as an artist the way I Am ... does.

I am a HUGE Beyonce fan and I have been waiting for her next album to come out and now its finally here! On Nov 18Th we will be able to hear more music from this talented artist! I have heard some of the leaked tracks and I think they are awesome!!! Right now everyone is jamming to " If I Were A Boy" And " Single Ladies". But once you hear " Diva ", its a wrap!! All the ladies will fall in love with it!! If you loved " Upgrade You", then this will def grab your attention!! I actually think its better than " Upgrade You". She also has a song called " Radio " that's nice too!! Oh, and also be on the look out for " Video Phone", that's a nice one too.

I'm very anxious to see how this album will do in sells. It is very different because she is giving you two sides of her, but at the same time is very creative and I believe its one of her best since the " Dangerously In Love Album"!! And you know how HUGE that album was and still is?

Amazing: Obama Helped Stranded Stranger 20 Years Ago

The Norwegian newspaper VG has reported a truly amazing story about a newly-wed trying to get to Norway to be with her husband, and the stranger who helped pay an unexpected luggage surcharge.


It was 1988, and Mary Andersen was at the Miami airport checking in for a long flight to Norway to be with her husband when the airline representative informed her that she wouldn't be able to check her luggage without paying a 100 surcharge:


When it was finally Mary's turn, she got the message that would crush her bubbling feeling of happiness.

You'll have to pay a 103 dollar surcharge if you want to bring both those suitcases to Norway, the man behind the counter said.

Mary had no money. Her new husband had travelled ahead of her to Norway, and she had no one else to call.

I was completely desperate and tried to think which of my things I could manage without. But I had already made such a careful selection of my most prized possessions, says Mary.

As tears streamed down her face, she heard a 'gentle and friendly voice' behind her saying, 'That's okay, I'll pay for her.'

Mary turned around to see a tall man whom she had never seen before. -He had a gentle and kind voice that was still firm and decisive.

The first thing I thought was, Who is this man? Although this happened 20 years ago, Mary still remembers the authority that radiated from the man.

He was nicely dressed, fashionably dressed with brown leather shoes, a cotton shirt open at the throat and khaki pants, says Mary.


She was thrilled to be able to bring both her suitcases to Norway and assured the stranger that he would get his money back.

The man wrote his name and address on a piece of paper that he gave to Mary.She thanked him repeatedly. When she finally walked off towards the security checkpoint, he waved goodbye to her.

Who was the man? Barack Obama. Twenty years later, she is thrilled that the friendly stranger at the airport may be the next President and has voted for him already and donated 100 dollars to his campaign:

He was my knight in shining armor, says Mary, smiling. She paid the 103 dollars back to Obama the day after she arrived in Norway.

At that time he had just finished his job as a poorly paid community worker* in Chicago, and had started his law studies at prestigious Harvard university.

Mary even convinced her parents to vote for him: In the spring of 2006 Mary's parents had heard that Obama was considering a run for president, but that he had still not decided.

They chose to write a letter in which they told him that he would receive their votes. At the same time, they thanked Obama for helping their daughter 18 years earlier.

And Obama replied: In a letter to Mary's parents dated May 4th, 2006 and stamped United States Senate, Washington DC, Barack Obama writes:

I want to thank you for the lovely things you wrote about me and for reminding me of what happened at Miami airport. I'm happy I could help back then, and I'm delighted to hear that your daughter is happy in Norway. Please send her my best wishes.

Sincerely, Barack Obama, United States Senator.

The parents sent the letter on to Mary. Mary says that when her friends and associates talk about the election, especially when race relations is the heated subject, she relates the story of the kind man who helped out a stranger-in-need over twenty years ago, years before he had even thought about running for high office.

Truly a wonderful story, and something that needs to be passed along in the maelstrom of fear-and-smear politics we are being subjected to right now.


UPDATE: Thanks for the recommends, folks! Also, remember this was 1988, when 100 dollars was quite a bit of money, compared to today's value.


I received this email awhile back, and I thought it just seemed so fitting to post today!!! This is the kind of man we having running our country now. If more people would have just a little bit of the kindness of his heart it would definitely have a huge impact on how the world is and how we live in it!!!

YES WE CAN, AND YES WE DID!!!

JAY SAID IT BEST: " MEN LIE, WOMEN LIE, BUT NUMBERS DON'T!!"

NOT ONLY DID WE " BARACK THE VOTE" WE CAME OUT IN MAJOR NUMBERS TO SHOW THAT WHEN WE ALL COME TOGETHER FOR A COMMON GOAL, NO MATTER WHAT RACE, RELIGION, OR CREED, ANYTHING IS POSSIBLE!!

NOW ITS TIME TO PROGRESS AND FINALLY HAVE OUR DREAMS, GOALS, AND CHANGES FOR A BETTER LIFE AND FUTURE FOR OUR CHILDREN TO KEEP SHARING THIS SAME MESSAGE FOR YEARS AND YEARS TO COME!!!

SPECIAL SHOUT OUT TO MY HOMETOWN OF OHIO AND ALSO TO PA AND FL!!! WE DID IT BIG AND SEALED THE DEAL!!!

Not Just A Strong Black Woman, But A Strong Woman

Michelle LaVaughn Obama (née Robinson, born January 17, 1964) is an American lawyer and the wife of Barack Obama, the Junior United States Senator for Illinois and the 2008 Democratic nominee for President of the United States. She was born and grew up on the South Side of Chicago and graduated from Princeton University and Harvard Law School. After completing her formal education, she returned to Chicago and went to work for the law firm Sidley Austin, on the staff of the Mayor of Chicago Richard M. Daley, and for the University of Chicago and the University of Chicago Hospitals.
Michelle Obama is the sister of Craig Robinson, men's basketball coach at Oregon State University. She met Barack when he went to work for Sidley Austin. When Barack Obama was elected to the Senate, the Obamas chose to live on Chicago's South Side rather than Washington, D.C.
She has made several appearances on various best-dressed lists and draws frequent comparisons to Jacqueline Kennedy.When her husband is elected president she will be the first African American First Lady of the United States.

She met Barack Obama when they were among very few African Americans at their law firm (she has sometimes said only two, others have pointed out there were others in different departments) and she was assigned to mentor him while he was a summer associate. Their relationship started with a business lunch and then a community organization meeting where he first impressed her. The couple's first date was to the Spike Lee movie Do the Right Thing. The couple married in October 1992, and they have two daughters, Malia Ann (born 1998) and Natasha (known as Sasha) (born 2001). Throughout her husband's 2008 campaign for President of the United States, she has made a "commitment to be away overnight only once a week — to campaign only two days a week and be home by the end of the second day" for their two children.
She once requested that Barack, who was then her fiancé, meet her prospective boss, Valerie Jarrett, when considering her first career move.Now, Jarrett is one of her husband’s closest advisors. Early in the presidential race, Michelle Obama did not portray herself as an advisor to her husband. In fact, she was quoted in interviews saying "My job is not a senior adviser."
The Obamas send their daughters to the University of Chicago Lab School, which is a private school affiliated with the University of Chicago. According to an Obama interview on the 2008 season premier of The Ellen DeGeneres Show, the couple does not intend to have any more children.

Career
Following law school, she was an associate at the Chicago office of the law firm Sidley Austin, where she first met her husband. At the firm, she worked on marketing and intellectual property. Subsequently, she held public sector positions in the Chicago city government as an Assistant to the Mayor, and as Assistant Commissioner of Planning and Development. In 1993, she became Executive Director for the Chicago office of Public Allies, a non-profit organization encouraging young people to work on social issues in nonprofit groups and government agencies. She worked there nearly four years and set fundraising records for the organization that still stood a dozen years after she left.
In 1996, Obama served as the Associate Dean of Student Services at the University of Chicago, where she developed the University's Community Service Center. In 2002, she began working for the University of Chicago Hospitals, first as executive director for community affairs and, beginning May, 2005, as Vice President for Community and External Affairs. She still holds the position, though she is working part time in order to devote more time to being a mother.
With the ascent of her husband as a prominent national politician, she has become a part of pop culture. In May 2006, Essence magazine listed her among "25 of the World's Most Inspiring Women." In July 2007, Vanity Fair magazine listed her among "10 of the World's Best Dressed People." In September 2007, 02138 magazine listed her 58th of "The Harvard 100," a list of the prior year's most influential Harvard alumni. Her husband was ranked fourth. In July 2008, she made a repeat appearance on the Vanity Fair international best dressed list. She also appeared on the 2008 People list of best-dressed women and was praised by the magazine for her "classic and confident" look. Some sources compare her to Jacqueline Kennedy due to her sleek but not overdone style, and other sources such as the New York Times compare her to Barbara Bush as well not only for her fashion sense, but also for her demeanor. Obama's package of attributes is anticipated to be well-suited for the role of First Lady by some.
She served as a salaried board member of TreeHouse Foods, Inc. (NYSE: THS), a major Wal-Mart supplier with whom she cut ties immediately after her husband made comments critical of Wal-Mart at an AFL-CIO forum in Trenton, New Jersey, on May 14, 2007. She serves on the board of directors of the Chicago Council on Global Affairs.
According to the couple’s 2006 income tax return, Michelle's salary was $273,618 from the University of Chicago Hospitals, while he had a salary of $157,082 from the United States Senate. The total Obama income, however, was $991,296 including $51,200 she earned as a member of the board of directors of TreeHouse Foods, plus investments and royalties from his books.
Obama has accepted the invitation of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Incorporated to become an honorary member.

Hobbies
Michelle Obama as well as her daughters have been said to be avid hula hoopers. Barack Obama told People Magazine that one of his wife's secret talents is that she can really hoop. "She is the best Hula-Hooper I know. Once she gets the rhythm going, she can drop to her knees!"

This is a true example of an INDEPENDENT woman. She is intelligent, sophisticated, determined, funny, humble, loving, stylish, dedicated, and most of all unselfish. She is making history herself not just because she's riding the coat tail of her husband, but because she has her own career, goals, and ideas.

Check out her track record!!! What's listed above is just her accomplishments thus far!!! Mrs. Obama still has issues, challenges, differences, and advances she wants to happen and I have no doubt what so ever that she will not get them accomplished. With or without Barack, Michelle would be just as successful either way. They just compliment each other so good, that they don't have a choice but to win and make a CHANGE come about of our nation!!!!

This also reminds me of a qoute I once read:

"How important it is for us to recognize and celebrate our heroes and she-roes!"

Maya Angelou

So tell me, what do y'all think?????

INSPIRATION

I woke up this morning feeling well rested and with a smile on my face. Granted moments like this hasn't been happening for m for awhile so it felt good to do so. But what really put a smile on my face is a message I received from a younger cousin of mine. We are very close and not too much of a difference in age.

He is a senior in college is definitely having the senioritis!!!lol But we had been talking about something earlier in the week and obviously he was feeling what i was saying, because he sent me a message saying that I had inspired him to do something.

A lot of people in life would hope to inspire someone, and there may be some who don't?? I am a woman and individual who would love to inspire many, but if it's only one I will take it!! That's a compliment to me that I've done something right, or showed a good example, a good character to someone and it made them want to improve or better themselves.

So with that in mind I leave you with a quote from one of the greats:

" He who is not courageous enough to take risks will accomplish nothing in life."

Muhammad Ali