The Carolina Hurricanes visit the Washington Capitals in one of the most important games this season. With a win in regulation, the Canes can clinch the Southeast Division and a 3rd seed in the playoffs. The Canes, with the 8th most points in the Eastern Conference, currently have a 2-point lead over the Caps with just 3 games remaining in the regular season. Williams and Whitney are listed as "probable".

The puck drops at 7pm on FSN (TWC channel 50).

On July 23 the Unity Tour comes to Time Warner Cable Music Pavilion at Walnut Creek. Headlining the tour is 311, with Snoop Dogg and Fiction Plane opening.

On Saturday night the North Carolina Tar Heels beat the Louisville Cardinals to earn a place in college basketball’s vaunted Final Four. It is both the school’s 17th trip and another chapter in the Triangle’s storied history in one of sports’ largest events.

In the "Modern Era", the Triangle has had a team in 20 of the last 28 Final Fours. Going back further, the Triangle has placed a team in 30 of the last 45 Final Fours, cementing the national event as an important part of our local culture.

The Triangle area is not short on national championships, either. In the last 26 years, 7 have come from the Triangle. Remarkable runs have occurred during that time, too. From 1986 to 1992, Duke only missed the Final Four 1 time (including 5 straight appearances). UNC went 6 times in a 10 year period from 1991 to 2000.

With Roy Williams and Mike Krzyzewski still bringing in outstanding recruiting classes, this part of our culture isn’t likely to fade soon.

Bold indicates National Champion

The Bravery will be playing a free concert in Greensboro tonight. The 6pm show was originally scheduled to be outside, but has been moved to the Greensboro Coliseum Special Events Center.

Their most recent CD, The Sun and Moon, ranks as my personal favorite CD of 2007. If you can’t make the road trip, catch their appearance on Late Night with Conan O’Brien on Wednesday night. They will be performing "Believe", the latest single from The Sun and Moon.

Rampant foreclosures are sinking markets like Las Vegas and Tampa, but stable markets do exist out here. Raleigh was named #2 by Forbes in their list of Best Places to Buy Foreclosed Homes. The 100 largest American cities were ranked based on foreclosure rates from RealtyTrac.

Local kitchen and bathroom upfit specialists Kitchen & Bath Galleries will soon open a showroom in The Lassiter at North Hills, across from Tyler House.

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Get ready for a big night at the Lincoln! On May 10 Yo Mama’s Big Fat Booty Band will play with George Clinton & Parliament Funkadelic. Clinton, a Kannapolis native, is a funk legend who has gotten scores of presidential write-in votes through the years. He just may get mine in this upcoming election.

3/27/08 Update: Hobex is also playing. This concert is by Band Together and will benefit SAFEchild, a local non-profit child abuse prevention agency. This will be an outdoor show held on a blocked-off Cabarrus Street, which is in downtown Raleigh right in front of the Lincoln Theater. Get your tickets here! and will benefit

Forbes Magazine has named Raleigh in its latest list of best places to "live and launch". Cities were ranked on a mix if items including business conditions, lifestyle options, tax rates, startup activity, housing affordability, and cultural activities. Raleigh came in #20. The pros? A thriving tech industry, and proximity to major research and business centers. The con? Inability to keep up with growing infrastructure needs.

Other cities in the region mentioned are Charlottesville, VA at #18, Virginia Beach #14, Durham #12, and Charlotte at #8.