Hello Celebritys

If you haven't read part one (click on part one, its a link!), you should probably do that before continuing for the full drama filled effect.

NOTE: So, my ex, wrote me an email begging me not to say anything mean or not to finish the story. I was taken back by this, for many reasons. One, I understand he is sorry for what happened and doesn't want to keep remembering it, and that is FINE. I understand making mistakes and wanting to let them go. Secondly, I am not the kind of person who even though someone who has hurt me, I would burn. I am NOT writing this so he feels horrible about the past. I am NOT writing this so you know what I went through and the heartache I experienced, I am writing this because I NEED to get past this, to move on, to let go.

Now, where were we? Oh yes... where it went wrong.

It was a cold night and the heater was blaring in his car. I remember it took me hours to get ready that night, trying to remember what dress he said he liked, and which he didn't. I wanted this night to be perfect. We parked outside my house, as we did so many nights before, to talk, to kiss, to lay in each others arms.

I remember the six words that changed my life forever.
"Maybe we should just be friends?"
My heart sank. I lost my breath. I started to hyperventilate. The only thing I could muster out was; " Are you breaking up with me?"
I could not believe this was happening. As tears stream down my face, I asked him to say the most hurtful thing in the world to me. I needed to hear it. I would not accept this if I didn't. It wasn't real. This wasn't real, unless he says it... and then he said it. loud and clear.

"Were over"

I wiped my tears, grasps the handle, and swung the door closed. I walked into my bathroom, slammed the door, and I sat there, crying and throwing up for hours.

After a couple days passed, we talked. He wanted to continue to be "together", but not together. What? Ya, I was lost too. The only thing I could think of during the four years it continued is: I'm doing something wrong. Everyone tried to convinced me it was him that was wrong. Not me. Yet, I went along with it. I let him pretend we were not together around people and we were when were alone, and that was my fault. It was MY fault that I let this continue to happen. It was MY fault, I didn't see the potential in myself, and see how much I deserve. It was MY fault. I realize that now, and I accept it.

I wont say that I'm thankful for this experience, because it hurt like hell. But, I will say that I learned a lot from it. I learned that when you don't see that light in his eyes anymore, walk away, because, my favorite part of any happy ending, is the look on the face of the man that claims he loves the woman in front of him... and you know what?

Boyfriend has that look. Every time he glances at me. _+

If you haven't read part one (click on part one, its a link!), you should probably do that before continuing for the full drama filled effect.

NOTE: So, my ex, wrote me an email begging me not to say anything mean or not to finish the story. I was taken back by this, for many reasons. One, I understand he is sorry for what happened and doesn't want to keep remembering it, and that is FINE. I understand making mistakes and wanting to let them go. Secondly, I am not the kind of person who even though someone who has hurt me, I would burn. I am NOT writing this so he feels horrible about the past. I am NOT writing this so you know what I went through and the heartache I experienced, I am writing this because I NEED to get past this, to move on, to let go.

Now, where were we? Oh yes... where it went wrong.

It was a cold night and the heater was blaring in his car. I remember it took me hours to get ready that night, trying to remember what dress he said he liked, and which he didn't. I wanted this night to be perfect. We parked outside my house, as we did so many nights before, to talk, to kiss, to lay in each others arms.

I remember the six words that changed my life forever.
"Maybe we should just be friends?"
My heart sank. I lost my breath. I started to hyperventilate. The only thing I could muster out was; " Are you breaking up with me?"
I could not believe this was happening. As tears stream down my face, I asked him to say the most hurtful thing in the world to me. I needed to hear it. I would not accept this if I didn't. It wasn't real. This wasn't real, unless he says it... and then he said it. loud and clear.

"Were over"

I wiped my tears, grasps the handle, and swung the door closed. I walked into my bathroom, slammed the door, and I sat there, crying and throwing up for hours.

After a couple days passed, we talked. He wanted to continue to be "together", but not together. What? Ya, I was lost too. The only thing I could think of during the four years it continued is: I'm doing something wrong. Everyone tried to convinced me it was him that was wrong. Not me. Yet, I went along with it. I let him pretend we were not together around people and we were when were alone, and that was my fault. It was MY fault that I let this continue to happen. It was MY fault, I didn't see the potential in myself, and see how much I deserve. It was MY fault. I realize that now, and I accept it.

I wont say that I'm thankful for this experience, because it hurt like hell. But, I will say that I learned a lot from it. I learned that when you don't see that light in his eyes anymore, walk away, because, my favorite part of any happy ending, is the look on the face of the man that claims he loves the woman in front of him... and you know what?

Boyfriend has that look. Every time he glances at me. _+

Ada banyak kisah duyung dari Jepang, namun kisah yang satu ini berbasis pada legenda kuno 1.400 tahun lalu. Satu kisah yang berasal dari kisah kepercayaan Shinto di Kota Fujinomiya dekat kaki Gunung Fuji, Jepang.

Di salah satu Kuil Shinto di Fujinomiya tersimpan sebuah mummi duyung setinggi 170 cm berusia 1.400 tahun. Ini merupakan salah satu mumi duyung tertua dan terbesar yang kini masih tersimpan di Jepang.

Dari bentuknya mummi duyung berpenampilan menyeramkan, berkepala besar, bundar, dan botak, hanya sejumput rambut yang tumbuh di depan kepala sampai ke hidungnya. Mata dan mulutnya tampak terbuka. Ia memiliki sepasang tangan dengan kuku yang tajam (20 cm).

Setengah tubuh bagian atas menyerupai manusia dan setengah bagian di bawah menyerupai ekor ikan. Namun, struktur tulangnya tidak diketahui pasti bagaimana bentuknya karena belum pernah diteliti.

Legenda mengenai duyung monster ini muncul pada masa Putra Mahkota Jepang Shotoku (Shotoku Taishi) di tahun 574-622 Masehi. Saat itu Shotoku berjalan melintas tepian Danau Biwa. Saat ia menyepi tiba-tiba muncul sesosok monster dari dalam danau yang berseru pada Shotoku bahwa ia adalah seorang nelayan yang dikutuk menjadi monster duyung bertubuh setengah orang setengah ikan, karena perbuatan di masa lalunya yang sering membunuh hewan untuk disantap.

Ia mengaku baru memahami kekeliruannya dan berharap agar ia menjadi peringatan bagi seluruh manusia agar tidak melakukan pembunuhan terhadap satwa. Pesan ini disampikan untuk dunia di masa depan. Karena itu monster tersebut minta agar ia (setelah mati nanti) dikeringkan dan ditempatkan disebuah kuil sebagai peringatan bagi umat manusia.

Setelah menyampaikan pesan-pesan itu monster duyung itu kemudian meninggal. Shotoku kemudian merenungkan ucapannya itu dan mengeringkan duyung tersebut menjadi mummi. Sesuai permintaan sang duyung, putra mahkota mendirikan sebuah kuil untuk mummi sang duyung.

Selama 1.400 tahun mummi ini berpindah-pindah tangan sampai akhirnya ditempatkan di Kuil Shinto di Fujinomiya hingga kini. Keberadaan mummi ini dihubungkan dengan kepercayaan yang berpantang membunuh satwa alias hidup ala vegetarian.

“Duyung-duyung” yang Nyata
Tidak diketahui pasti apakah legenda soal duyung berasal dari kisah nyata atau bukan. Namun berdasarkan telaah ilmiah di beberapa perairan yang di masa lalu duyung sering dikisahkan, justru memang dihuni hewan-hewan spesial.

Beberapa hewan spesial itu hingga kini masih hidup di perairan tawar atau asin. Hewan-hewan inilah yang sering disalahtafsirkan sebagai duyung. Mungkin karena kebiasaan hidupnya, bentuknya dan performanya yang memang mirip. Apalagi bila dilihat dari kejauhan.

Hewan-hewan ini dikenal sebagai “dugong“, “manatee” dan “sapi laut (sea cow)”. Ketiga spesies ini memiliki bentuk tubuh yang mirip, namun hidup di lingkungan perairan yang berbeda. Tergolong sebagai mamalia yang suka menyusui dan berjemur di batu karang dan tepi-tepi perairan, atau mengeluh dan bersuara lantang.

Dugong adalah mamalia laut pemakan tumbuhan. Bisa ditemukan di perairan dangkal kawasan pantai India, Pasifik Selatan (dari wilayah pantai timur Afrika sampai utara Australia), perairan pantai Papua, dan kepulauan lain di Pasifik. Dugong berwarna cokelat kelabu, tubuhnya sepanjang 2,7 meter dan mampu hidup sampai usia 70 tahun.

Manatee. Ada tiga jenis manatee yang sudah dikenal. Ada yang hidup di perairan Karibia dan sepanjang pantai tenggara Amerika Selatan.

Ada yang di sepanjang perairan pantai dan muara sungai Florida (AS), dan jenis ketiga yang hidup di perairan tawar sungai Amazon. Manatee ini ada yang hidup di air tawar dan air asin. Warna manatee kelabu, dengan ukuran panjang tubuh 4 meter.

Sapi Laut (sea cow). Pertama kali ditemukan dan diidentifikasi pada 1741 di dekat Pulau Commander di Laut Bering. Sapi laut biasanya suka hidup di perairan dangkal dekat pantai. Ukuran tubuhnya bisa sepanjang 7,6 meter dan warnanya kelabu kecokelatan dengan pola polka dot samar.

Ketiga hewan air yang menyusui anaknya ini termasuk dalam kelompok ordo (grup) hewan mamalia air yang disebut sirenia.

Penamaan kelompok mamalia air ini dibuat para ilmuwan berdasarkan kepercayaan kuno (mitologi) bahwa hewan-hewan sirenia inilah yang dulu diyakini para pelaut sebagai sirens atau duyung.

Legenda Duyung, Makhluk Setengah Manusia Setengah Ikan
Selama ribuan tahun duyung telah menjadi legenda. Dipercaya sebagai perwujudan makhluk setengah ikan setengah manusia. Dari belahan bumi barat hingga timur, utara dan selatan. Kisah-kisah duyung mewarnai khazanah mitologi dan misteri dari lautan.

Berdasarkan legenda duyung adalah makhluk air yang setengah tubuhnya manusia dan setengah lagi ikan. Bagian pinggang ke atas biasanya berbentuk tubuh perempuan cantik dan pinggang ke bawah tertutup sisik seperti ekor ikan besar. Kisah mengenai duyung ini hampir sama atau serupa di belahan bumi mana pun, karena itu ia menjadi klegenda yang universal.

Ditinjau dari mitologi Yunani, duyung dipercaya sebagai si cantik penggoda pelaut. Siapa yang tergoda rayuan sang duyung ia akan menemui ajalnya. Namun masyarakat Babilonia menganggap duyung sebagai dewa laut yang disebut sebagai Ea atau Oannes. Namun duyung ini adalah jantan.

Mitologi kuno lain (Yunani dan Romawi) juga menyebut bahwa duyung adalah makhluk yang menyertai dewa-dewa laut semacam Poseidon, Neptune dan Triton. Duyung-duyung ini umumnya berupa makhluk bertubuh perempuan dengan paras cantik jelita, berdada montok, bercahaya, namun dari pinggang ke bawahnya seperti ekor ikan.

Duyung pertama kali muncul dalam mitologi di Assyria (1000 SM). Atargatis, ibu dari ratu Assyria, Semiramis, adalah dewi yang mencintai seorang gembala namun kemudian ia membunuhnya karena cintanya ditolak. Merasa malu ia melompat ke dalam danau dan berubah menjadi ikan. Dalam transformasi menebus malu ia berubah menjadi duyung.

Lalu pada masa 500 SM, kisah duyung terdengar lagi dari seorang filsuf dari Ionia (wilayah Yunani) bernama Anaximander. Ia berpendapat bahwa manusia berasal dari satu spesies hewan air. Teori ini kemudian disebut sebagai evolusi hewan air ke manusia. Pendapatnya ini di-anggap sebagai pembenaran bahwa duyung adalah hewan air yang sedang berevolusi menjadi manusia.

Begitu populernya duyung ini, sehingga tercantum dalam perkamen dan naskah-naskah tua. Bahwa dalam catatan Alexander the Great, sang penguasa Macedonia, (356-323 SM) kisah duyung juga terselip di sana. Saudara perempuan Alexander bernama Thessalonike disebutkan berubah menjadi duyung setelah kematiannya.

Legenda dan kisah duyung ini tersebar ke mana-mana. Dikisahkan oleh para pelaut dan penjelajah samudera. Umumnya duyung digambarkan sebagai perempuan cantik berekor ikan, berambut panjang, bersuara merdu, suka berjemur di karang dan tepi pantai. Namun tak ada bukti pasti mengenai eksistensinya. Kecuali pertinggal dalam bentuk sketsa kuno dan tergambar di mata uang kaum Corinthian (Yunani).

Namun ada sebuah buku bertahun 1718 yang terbit di Amsterdam Belanda, yang mengupas soal kehidupan aneka satwa di Samudera Hindia. Buku ini dilengkapi artikel deskripsi, aneka sketsa dan gambar. Dalam buku ini ada satu catatan detail soal duyung:

“Ada monster berwujud wanita setengah ikan, tertangkap di perairan Amboyna (gugus kepulauan Maluku, Indonesia).

Berdasarkan pengukuran memiliki tubuh sepanjang 59 inci (147,5 cm), bentuknya mirip belut laut (moa). Makhluk ini hanya bertahan hidup selama 103 jam (4,5 hari) setelah ditangkap, dan mati di akuarium. Selama pengurungan diberi makan ikan-ikan kecil dan hasil laut lainnya, namun ia tidak merespons makanan tersebut.”

Agaknya duyung memang masih misteri. Dipercaya ada, namun bukti yang terlihat sampai kini tak pernah pasti soal wujud duyung yang ada legenda. Para ahli bahkan menyimpulkan bahwa kemungkinan duyung itu adalah mamalia air yang dikenal sebagai dugong, manatee dan sea cow (Sapi laut), yang disalahtafsir oleh pelaut masa lalu.

Dongeng Duyung yang Tersohor
Walau sempat ditakuti oleh banyak pelaut, ternyata kisah soal duyung justru menarik pula bagi anak-anak. Satu dongeng tentang duyung yang terkenal adalah buah karya pendongeng dunia Hans Christian Andersen.

Karya Andersen yang berjudul “The Little Mermaid (1836)” menjadi satu dongeng paling populer soal duyung dan sudah diterjemahkan ke berbagai bahasa. Bahkan kisah ini sudah difilmkan dalam versi kartun dengan judul yang sama oleh Walt Disne, namun dengan sedikit pengubahan di bagian akhirnya.

Versi asli Andersen, mengadaptasi kisah yang menjadi patron tentang duyung yang selalu berakhir dengan kesengsaraan. Berkisah soal duyung yang terobsesi dengan kehidupan di darat dan tertarik pada seorang pangeran. Untuk bisa berubah menjadi manusia ia harus rela kehilangan suaranya (bisu). Namun setelah menjadi manusia, sang pangeran tak membalas cintanya karena ia bisu. Akhirnya sang duyung tak bisa menikmati hidup dan berputus asa.

(http://misteridunia.wordpress.com)

A rescued pit/lab named Juno owned by a regular here (NYCKitten) passed on to peace last Friday after 14 years of service. Fourteen years! I only know them via cyberspace, but they played in my thoughts all weekend. I can only imagine how hard it was for both parties to say good-bye. Dogs just love physicality, and it's certain that Juno enjoyed every minute of hers thanks to her person's devotion and care.

This blog post is dedicated to Juno, whose passing helped inspire some extra love for our own two seniors, Simon (13+) and Sally (almost 12). Every morning that one of these two creatures noses me awake sets one small corner of the Universe right for the day. I can't bear the thought that a dog's natural lifespan is so short - fourteen years if you're damn lucky - but since we've been out-voted by Nature's plan, a lot of mine and Tim's energy has switched from keeping our feisty duo out of trouble to keeping them healthy and happy. We've learned so much from other dog owners; I thought I'd list out some of the tips we've picked up in hopes that it helps other soon-to-be-senior dogs grow old with grace...

Creature Comforts. It was a revelation to me that not all dogs know to seek out softer surfaces for their boney old joints. (Really?) I had to condition the stoic Simon to give up his favorite spot on the hard floor for a layer of cush, and only did so after realizing that his elbows were getting pressure sores from taking the brunt of a stiffer posture. Crap! Bed sores = Bad news.

Keep an eye on your dog's joints as his body changes and plan early to get him hooked on soft resting habits so you don't have to feel as guilty as I did once those sores go from red to raw. You can pay bucks for special padded brace thingys, but if you have it in your power: Prevent, prevent pressure sores. (He's healed now, but it was a lot of work!)

Keep it in motion. We all need to move our joints in order to, well, keep them moving. Regulate an arthritic dog's exercise so they don't overdue it and become discouraged by their pain...Two shorter walks a day for them is perfect. Extra stiff bones will appreciate a wake-up massage to warm up the tissues that tighten overnight. It's become a morning ritual for Simon to nudge up on the bed at sunrise and ask for his massage - and we both love waking up this way.

Plan for the inevitable loss of hearing by reinforcing eye-contact ("Watch me") early on and by incorporating a few important hand signs into your daily conversations with your dogs. I didn't realize how much influence signing for our fully-deaf boy Honky Tonk would have on our hearing dogs until they started going deaf too. What do you know? They already understood many of his signs!

Fight dis-ease, including cancers, by boosting that immune system. Start by reducing the number of vaccines you give your dog. Instead, fill his body with the best diet you can afford. A big group of BR people have their dogs on a raw meat diet. Yes, that means raw chicken bones, too. Raw feeders are pretty much obsessed with listing the benefits, so be careful before you get one of us started. We could talk all day about why it's the best thing we've ever done for our dogs, or how many of our foster dogs have gone from immuno-disasters to glowing examples of well muscled, shiney-haired health, but that gets obnoxious...

So, onto the next best diet tip... Grizzly Salmon Oil. Our dogs have been salmon oil junkies since our pit bull Sally was diagnosed with mast cell cancer nearly five years ago. It's an anti-inflammatory, so helps with joint issues while helping the body grow a soft, lush coat. We buy ours from KV Vet Supply for cheap with their 10-bucks-off coupons. Cod liver oil is an alternative to salmon oil, especially as we learn more about the contaminants that are showing up in fish. (WAH!) Most people already know about giving their dog glucosamine for curbing osteoarthritis. Start young, stay consistent. Trader Joe's sells it for dogs for nine bucks a bottle.

Bladder control. This is one of the best tips EVA, offered by the inimitable Susi Ming, who cares for seniors through the Bully Haven project. Powdered corn silk tablets (cheap, cheap!) are like a wizard's magic trick for strengthening leaky bladders. Two tabs sprinkled on each meal, and my dog's old once-leaky pisser is back to young-dog-mark-the-whole-neighborhood normal. I'm so relieved.

Yeah, we're told it works for people bladders too. Hallelujah - maybe our dogs can show us how we can get old with dry pants!

Despite every remedy, the best way we can hold off the inevitable whiplash of losing our pets is to enjoy the hec out of them every single day. Many thanks to Juno for the necessary reminder. Godspeed, little darlin.'

More info on Senior Dogs: srdog.com

TCU quarterback Andy Dalton has been named the Mountain West Conference Offensive Player of the Week for his performance in Saturday's 51-10 victory over New Mexico.



It's the third time this season Dalton has received the league's weekly honor.



Dalton totaled 273 yards of offense and five touchdowns as the Horned Frogs improved to 12-0 for the first time in program history and clinched the outright Mountain West Conference championship. TCU is in line for its first appearance in a BCS bowl.



A junior from Katy, Texas, Dalton completed 15-of-24 passes for 228 yards and four touchdowns against the Lobos. The four scoring tosses tied a career high set in last year's 54-7 win over Wyoming.



Dalton's 62- and 20-yard scoring strikes to Antoine Hicks came in a span of 12 seconds in the second quarter. Dalton and Bart Johnson connected on touchdown passes of 17 and 24 yards.



Dalton ran for 45 yards on nine carries, including an 8-yard scoring run.



Dalton earned his 29th victory as TCU¹s starting quarterback, tying him with Sam Baugh (29-7-2, .789, 1934-36) for the most in Horned Frog history. Dalton is 29-6 (.829).



The 228 passing yards gave Dalton a new single-season high of 2,484, bettering his previous best of 2,459 as a redshirt freshman in 2007. He also went over 7,000 career yards and is now at 7,185, just 186 shy of passing Max Knake (7,370, 1992-95) for the top spot in TCU history.



Dalton, sixth nationally with a 159.6 passing efficiency rating, has a 62.4 completion percentage that is on pace to set a TCU single-season record. He has 22 touchdown passes with just five interceptions and is fourth on the Horned Frogs with 522 yards rushing on a 4.9 per carry average.



Dalton appears on the watch list for the Manning Award, honoring the nation's top quarterback.

TCU quarterback Andy Dalton has been named the Mountain West Conference Offensive Player of the Week for his performance in Saturday's 51-10 victory over New Mexico.



It's the third time this season Dalton has received the league's weekly honor.



Dalton totaled 273 yards of offense and five touchdowns as the Horned Frogs improved to 12-0 for the first time in program history and clinched the outright Mountain West Conference championship. TCU is in line for its first appearance in a BCS bowl.



A junior from Katy, Texas, Dalton completed 15-of-24 passes for 228 yards and four touchdowns against the Lobos. The four scoring tosses tied a career high set in last year's 54-7 win over Wyoming.



Dalton's 62- and 20-yard scoring strikes to Antoine Hicks came in a span of 12 seconds in the second quarter. Dalton and Bart Johnson connected on touchdown passes of 17 and 24 yards.



Dalton ran for 45 yards on nine carries, including an 8-yard scoring run.



Dalton earned his 29th victory as TCU¹s starting quarterback, tying him with Sam Baugh (29-7-2, .789, 1934-36) for the most in Horned Frog history. Dalton is 29-6 (.829).



The 228 passing yards gave Dalton a new single-season high of 2,484, bettering his previous best of 2,459 as a redshirt freshman in 2007. He also went over 7,000 career yards and is now at 7,185, just 186 shy of passing Max Knake (7,370, 1992-95) for the top spot in TCU history.



Dalton, sixth nationally with a 159.6 passing efficiency rating, has a 62.4 completion percentage that is on pace to set a TCU single-season record. He has 22 touchdown passes with just five interceptions and is fourth on the Horned Frogs with 522 yards rushing on a 4.9 per carry average.



Dalton appears on the watch list for the Manning Award, honoring the nation's top quarterback.

The Pacific Club IMPACT Foundation has named TCU defensive end Jerry Hughes a finalist for the sixth-annual Lott Trophy.



The Lott Trophy is the first college football award to equally recognize athletic performance and the personal character attributes of the player.



Hughes is extremely involved in the community. Among a myriad of activities, he has been a mentor at the Fortress Youth Development Center in Fort Worth. He also routinely speaks to elementary and middle-school kids while volunteering at youth football clinics. Hughes is on pace to graduate this spring, in four years, with a degree in communications.



A 2008 consensus All-American, Hughes received a Local Hero Award from Bank of America last month for his work in the community. He was honored with local leaders at a luncheon at the Dallas Cowboys' stadium in Arlington.



Hughes has 15 tackles for loss, including 11 1/2 sacks, in leading No. 4 TCU (12-0, 8-0) to the cusp of its first BCS appearance.



Hughes is also a finalist for the Bronko Nagurski Trophy, Rotary Lombardi Award and Lowe's Senior CLASS Award.



The other three Lott Trophy finalists are Eric Berry of Tennessee, Ndaumkong Suh of Nebraska and Rolando McClain of Alabama. The Lott Trophy banquet will be held Dec. 13 at The Pacific Club in Newport Beach, Calif., and be televised live on Fox Sports West. The winner will be announced that night.



Sponsored by The Pacific Club IMPACT Foundation in Newport Beach, the award is given to the player who exhibits the same characteristics Lott embodied during his distinguished career: integrity, maturity, performance, academics, community and tenacity.



Ohio State linebacker James Laurinaitis was last year's Lott Trophy recipient.

The Pacific Club IMPACT Foundation has named TCU defensive end Jerry Hughes a finalist for the sixth-annual Lott Trophy.



The Lott Trophy is the first college football award to equally recognize athletic performance and the personal character attributes of the player.



Hughes is extremely involved in the community. Among a myriad of activities, he has been a mentor at the Fortress Youth Development Center in Fort Worth. He also routinely speaks to elementary and middle-school kids while volunteering at youth football clinics. Hughes is on pace to graduate this spring, in four years, with a degree in communications.



A 2008 consensus All-American, Hughes received a Local Hero Award from Bank of America last month for his work in the community. He was honored with local leaders at a luncheon at the Dallas Cowboys' stadium in Arlington.



Hughes has 15 tackles for loss, including 11 1/2 sacks, in leading No. 4 TCU (12-0, 8-0) to the cusp of its first BCS appearance.



Hughes is also a finalist for the Bronko Nagurski Trophy, Rotary Lombardi Award and Lowe's Senior CLASS Award.



The other three Lott Trophy finalists are Eric Berry of Tennessee, Ndaumkong Suh of Nebraska and Rolando McClain of Alabama. The Lott Trophy banquet will be held Dec. 13 at The Pacific Club in Newport Beach, Calif., and be televised live on Fox Sports West. The winner will be announced that night.



Sponsored by The Pacific Club IMPACT Foundation in Newport Beach, the award is given to the player who exhibits the same characteristics Lott embodied during his distinguished career: integrity, maturity, performance, academics, community and tenacity.



Ohio State linebacker James Laurinaitis was last year's Lott Trophy recipient.