Ex-Red Devil lives out dream

Basketball has always been in Rehka Patterson's life.

When she was a teenager, instead of doing odd jobs like babysitting or working as a life guard, Patterson was busy breaking down film of Lumberton Pirates boys' basketball games and soaking up whatever basketball knowledge spilled out of her mother, longtime Red Springs girls' coach Eva Patterson-Heath.

That training helped Patterson, who is coordinator of basketball operations for the Baylor University women's basketball team, do what she's always dreamed.

"Basketball is all I really know," Patterson said. "Watching film and coaching basketball is what I love and what I know and what excites me.”

Patterson, 30, was a four-year letterwinner and two-time team captain for the North Carolina A&T women's basketball team before graduating with a degree in public relations in 2001.

She earned her master's degree in education with a sports management emphasis from Baylor in 2004.

While in school at Baylor, Patterson served as the program's graduate assistant was responsible for film exchange, coordinating recruiting correspondence and visits.

After coaching stops at Creighton, Ball State and Eastern Illinois Patterson returned to Baylor in April of 2008.

"I knew from the first time I hired Rekha as a graduate assistant that her attention to detail was exemplary," Baylor head coach Kim Mulkey said. "Her resume was perfect. It had no typos or grammar errors, and that’s rare.

"When she finished being our GA I wanted to keep her on staff but didn’t have a position for her. As soon as one came open, she was the first person I thought of."

“The biggest thing I do is to make sure our players are good, whether that be academically or on a personal level," Patterson said of her responsibilities at Baylor. "I do a lot of on-campus recruiting. I cant do any off-campus recruiting or sending any letters at this time, but once they get on campus I show them around and hang out with them. I try to make sure things move smoothly. I'm a fire stopper."

With Brittany Griner, the top ranked prep player in the high school class of 2010 enrolling at Baylor in the fall, Patterson has had a lot of fires to put out.

"All of the leg work on her recruitment had been done before I got here," Patterson said of the 6-foot-8 sensation, who has gained notoriety from dunks posted on Web site Youtube. "We just have to understand that she is the No.1 player in the country and still highly sought after. Her dad has called a couple of times and people have tried to start Web sites. So, we had to contact our compliance office, to make sure we’re not putting her career in jeopardy."

Patterson, who often studied film with her stepfather, former Lumberton High boys' coach Tim Heath, has had an influence that extends beyond Waco and the Big 12.

Her mother, a soon-to-be inductee into the Robeson County Athletics Hall of Fame, sometimes talks strategy with her daughter. That's resulted in some uncanny similarities between the Red Devils and Baylor.

"We talk sometimes after games," Patterson-Heath said. "There are a lot of things that we run in our half court set that we have gotten from her.”

But it turns out that Patterson-Heath has more than a subtle affect on her daughter's coaching technique. Patterson turns to her mom for advice pertaining to off-the-court matters, such as how to keep young people motivated and how to deal with problems they may have.

And all the practices with her mom as her head coach — she was a standout player for Red Springs — certainly have shaped Patterson's coaching style.

"I catch myself saying things that my mom would say or reacting how my mom would, whether it’s her mannerisms or words," Patterson said. "Then I’m like ‘Oh my god, that’s something my mother would do.’"

Baylor was in North Carolina this weekend playing in the regional semifinals. The second-seeded Bears were denied a shot to play for a Final Four berth when they were upset by third-seeded Louisville on Saturday.

Patterson-Heath was looking forward to seeing her daughter on the sidelines.

“Oh shoot, I’m just hoping that I can contain myself.," Patterson-Heath said. "We were excited when she got her masters and now she’s back and working with hall-of-famers. We’re just going to be cheering for Baylor. No red and white and black this weekend. We’ll be in our green and proud parents in the stands.”

In her fifth year as an assistant coach, Patterson dreams of one day being a head coach. But she's in no rush.

“A year removed from college I was thinking I can’t be an assistant coach for too long," she said. "This is my fifth year and I have so much to learn. I’m in a great place with a great coach and great players. I would like to be calling my shots and running my own program.

"I can’t say that in five years I’ll be a head coach and I can’t say I won’t either. I just want to make sure I’m ready.”

When asked about her daughters chances of becoming a Division I head coach, Patterson-Heath responded with confidence.

“She'll be a head coach, no doubt. It’s just a matter of time."

3-point line strips game of integrity

I used to love her.

Prior to 1986, college basketball was a sport where athleticism, post play and general basketball skill were required to succeed.

The best players shined brightly because of these attributes and, more often than not, the best teams won too.

But 23 years ago, the NCAA put a white-arching line 19-feet and nine inches away from the basket.

The three-point line and shot have developed over time into what ESPN analyst Dick Vitale calls “the great equalizer.”

In other words, less talented teams, with less talented players actually have a shot to beat the behemoths of college basketball because of the three point shot.

That may seem appealing, but in reality, Cinderella detracts from the party instead of enhancing it.

Watching George Mason struggle in the Final Four against Florida wasn’t great basketball — it was annoying. The same can be said for Cleveland State, Southwestern Missouri College of the Arts, or any other directional school that shouldn’t be mentioned in the same breath as teams like Duke, UCLA, Memphis, Michigan State and Pittsburgh.

See, for all its faults the BCS usually gives us the two best teams in its championship game, while basketball does not.

A huge part of the best teams not making the championship game is the three-point shot.

How many times has your favorite team fallen to one shooter, who seemed to be unconscious from beyond the arc?

For Carolina fans, the names Glen Rice and Harold Arceneaux are forever embedded into tournament lore because of their three-point exploits.

I’m sure James Naismith — the inventor of basketball who’s been dead for 70 years — is turning over in his Lawrence, Kansas grave at the thought of teams bombing away from deep.

For some reason, we have a fascination with that little white arc.

Go to your nearest high school or middle school game or even playground basketball court. The obsession starts young.

Instead of warming up with a lay-up or mid-range jump shot, kids are mysteriously drawn to the line where they start hoisting up long-distance jumpers like Larry Bird.

That’s why tonight’s game — especially for those who like real basketball –—between Duke and Villanova in the East regional semifinals is particularly scary.

On the season, the Wildcats have hoisted 636 three-pointers, while the Blue Devils have put up an astonishing 736.

Neither team has a traditional back-to-the-basket post player and neither team really cares that they lack an inside presence.

The three-point shot has done a lot for basketball over the last 23 years but most of it hasn’t been positive.

So, when Duke’s Kyle Singler or Villanova’s Scotty Reynolds passes up an easy lay-up for an open three, it’s OK to be mad. It’s OK to be upset.

In fact, it’s OK to be down right infuriated. After all, there’s a certain inventor turning over in his grave.

I used to love her — college basketball — but now she’s gone. Rest in peace…

Former Fairmont player becoming top prospect

It's Feb. 11 and Quincy Miller can't believe where he is.

Miller is at the epicenter of college basketball's greatest rivalry, sitting just two rows behind the Duke bench during the Blue Devils' first meeting of the season with arch rival North Carolina.

He can glance up to the rafters of Cameron Indoor Stadium shows the jersey's of Duke greats such as Mike Gminski, Grant Hill, Christian Laetner and Jason Williams. Also dangling from the historic arena's ceiling are banners for three national championships and a myriad of ACC title banners.

Sitting just a few feet in front of Miller on the Duke bench are Gerald Henderson, Kyle Singler and Jon Scheyer, the newest generation of Blue Devils that coach Mike Krzyzewski has tabbed to carry on the storied program's rich tradition.

And if the Hall of Famer had his way, Miller would join that select company in a few years.

This is life these days for Miller, a native of Chicago who played his freshman year at Fairmont High School. When you're one of the nation's top college basketball prospects comfortable seats and red-carpet treatment are the norm.

Standing at 6-foot-7 and blessed with athleticism and basketball talent, Miller is being wooed by some of the top schools in the country.

"Duke, North Carolina, USC, Memphis, Florida, Wake Forest, Baylor,

Oklahoma State are recruiting me the hardest," says Miller, who rattles off the list of basketball powerhouses as if it were a list of his favorite songs.

The life of a high-major Division I recruit can be challenging, filled with lots of calls from newspapers, recruiting services and coaches. Miller leans on a close inner-circle that he has developed to help him stay grounded.

One member of that group is former Lumberton High standout Stargell Love, who is Miller's teammate at Quality Education Academy in Wiston-Salem and one of his best friends.

"Stargell is doing well up here," Miller said. "We were already tight before came, but now we've just extended our friendship. He's real nice."

In addition to Love, Miller confides in his uncle Lamont Taylor and his mother Aneisha Scott , who still lives in the suburbs of Chicago.

Leaving home

Despite his current success, life hasn't always been kind to Miller.

In 2005, Miller's older sister Keisha, was killed in a car accident . She was only 17.

Miller's father was never around, and the lack of guidance, coupled with the normal temptations any 13-year-old faces, soon made it clear that he couldn't stay in Chicago.

"He was pretty much hanging with the wrong crowd, and he called me one

day crying, saying that he wanted to get away from all the drugs," Taylor said. "All

he wanted to do was play basketball. Because he was my nephew I had

decided I'd go ahead and let him live with me here in Robeson County."

Added Scott: "It wasn't a good area that we're staying in. There wasn't a lot of activities for kids here to do. So he wanted to better himself. He wanted to go down there and make something of himself. He didn't want to be like all these kids and be another statistic."

When he first arrived in North Carolina in the summer of 2007, Miller experienced a bit of culture shock.

"Man, it was just real slow down here," he said. "It was different. I like the people down there though. I came down there so I could change the way I was."

On the court

Not one to shy away from comparisons, Miller likens himself to one of the best college players this decade.

"I try to play like Kevin Durant," Miller said. "I can play inside and outside, I can pretty much do anything just like he can."

Dave Telep, national recruiting director for Web site Scout.com, says Miller has sky-rocketed up the recruiting boards of college programs across the country.

“Quincy Miller, in a relatively short period of time, has distinguished himself as one of the top sophomores in North Carolina," Telep said. "Athletically, he’s extremely gifted and he’s scratching the surface. Over time, he’ll become either an athletic face up four man or a small forward, depending on how he rounds out his skill set."

Taylor, who directs the Robeson Rockets AAU basketball program, said that Miller's ability to play multiple positions is his greatest strength.

"His versatility is amazing," Miller said. "Being that's he's 6-foot-8, he's able to play inside and outside. Up until 2005, he was only 5-foot-10, but he's grown almost a foot since then. He's always had to play the guard position, so he's ball-handling is there. He can pass like a uard, shoot like a guard, but can defend the middle. "He's just getting better and better."

Despite talking with household names college basketball such as Krzyzewski, Roy Williams and Billy Donovan almost daily, Taylor says Miller has only recently gained a greater grasp on recruiting.

"The star-struck is gone," Taylor said. "At first, any major coach that called him

he'd sway to whatever major university that was. Now it's let's concentrate on the grades, let's concentrate on getting better. Our goal is for him to be the top 10 in the country by the time he is a senior."

Among the interested parties in Miller's services is Illinois coach Bruce Weber. But Miller's mother says returning to him home state isn't an option.

"We're going to leave this decision to him, but I'm against that, I dont' want him to come back this way," Scott said. "It's not to good around here, so I would have some impact on this down here."

However, there is one school that is out in front of the pack.

"He is favoring Wake Forest. He really, really loves Wake Forest.," Taylor said. "We went to the Wake Forest-Duke game and met all the players. It astounds me more than it does him that my little nephew is getting all this attention."

That attention is just an illustration of Miller's long journey.

"I'm very proud because he's come a long way," she said. "I'm overwhelmed actually, Words can't express the way I feel."

20 years since Exxon Valdez

By any stretch, you wouldn't consider me a "green" person. I try to eat well, recycle and I even changed the little bulbs in my apartment to the super energy efficient ones.
Still, I have joined Green Peace and while I'm maybe not as active as I should be in the green movement, I think I do my part.

All that said, a story on MSNBC caught my attention as I purused all the news Web sites this morning.

It's been 20 years since the Exxon Valdez registered the biggest oil spill of my lifetime (thus far). I remember the pictures of ducks and seals and whales covered in black gold. It scared me at the time, being that I was only seven going on eight.

But to think that the area is just as toxic today as it was then, really scares me as we move forward and try to end our "addicition to fossil fuels" as President Obama has said.

Oil plagues Sound 20 years after Exxon Valdez

Excerpt:

Twenty years after the Exxon Valdez spilled 11 million gallons of crude oil in Alaska's Prince William Sound, oil persists in the region and, in some places, "is nearly as toxic as it was the first few weeks after the spill," according to the council overseeing restoration efforts.

"This Exxon Valdez oil is decreasing at a rate of 0-4 percent per year," the Exxon Valdez Oil Spill Trustee Council stated in a report marking Tuesday's 20th anniversary of the worst oil spill in U.S. waters. "At this rate, the remaining oil will take decades and possibly centuries to disappear entirely."

The council's findings come two decades after the March 24, 1989 disaster, when the single-hulled Exxon tanker hit a reef, emptying its contents into Alaskan waters. The spill contaminated more than 1,200 miles of shoreline and killed hundreds of thousands of seabirds and marine animals.

Other regions

Sorry, I didn't have time to do the breakdown for the other regions.

My Final Four is Louisville, Memphis, UNC and Pitt.

Louisville vs UNC in the title game and UNC wins it all.

Why not just call Glendale, Phoenix?

They should just go ahead and skip to the regional final here. Even though most of the players on UConn's team have never won a postseason game (NCAA or ACC tournament) they should coast to the Elite 8. Same thing with Memphis.

No. 1 UConn vs. No. 16 UT-Chattanooga — Will Thabeet get a triple-double? The Pick: UConn

No. 8 BYU vs. No. 9 Texas A&M — All the players on BYU are on my age and have what we like to call "that grown man strength." The Pick: BYU

No. 5 Purdue vs. No. 12 Northern Iowa — Honestly, I just don't have the energy to do real research on Northern Iowa. Purdue played really well in the Big 10 tournament — which is like doing really well in middle school football — so, I guess they should win here. We'll see though... The Pick: Purdue

No. 4 Washington No. 13 Mississippi State — Isiah Thomas is the point guard for Washington, which means they can't lose can they? Besides they have Jon Brockman in the paint and Mississippi State will be playing it's fourth game in seven days. The Pick: Washington

No. 6 Marquette vs No. 11 Utah State — Marquette has not played extremely well since Dominic James went down with a season-ending injury. But, they still have loads of talent and I think a six-seed is a nice spot for them. Still, Tyler Newbold is one of the best names in the tournament and the kid is kind of good.

No. 3 Missouri vs. No. 14 — Discussing College Basketball a few days ago with my friends, I saw something that surprised me. "Missouri is No. 13 in the country?" I asked. Turns out Mike Anderson has turned them into his UAB teams and similar to the Arkansas 40-minutes of heck that Nolan Richardson ran when Anderson was an assistant. That doesn't bode well for Cornell. The Pick: Missouri

No. 7 California vs No. 10 Maryland — Being in ACC country, I consider the conference a speciality. Maryland has absolutely nothing outside of Greivis Vazquez and anybody who loses to Morgan State (even though they are a tournament team) shouldn't be in the tournament. The Pick: California

No. 2 Memphis vs. No. 15 Cal State Northridge — This will be their 26th-straight win. The Pick: Memphis

Second Round

No. 1 UConn vs. No. 8 BYU — ESPN's Doug Gottlieb thinks this will be a very tough game. He says that BYU will not be intimidated by UConn and they have a particular set of skills necessary to be the Huskies. I don't disagree, but everyone has a close game in the tournament. The Pick: UConn

No. 4 Washington vs. No.5 Purdue — Is it me or are all the potential No. 4 or No. 5 match-ups really, really boring. I have zero interest in this game, but I do know that Washington has three legitimate All-Pac 10 players. In the end, talent wins I suppose. The Pick: Washington

No. 6 Marquette vs No. 3 Missouri — Maybe I'm inflating Marquette and the Big East, but I just don't believe in Missouri. They seem like a team that is a one-trick pony. If you break their press, what else do they have? Marquette still has good guards, even though James is out. I'm actually leaning towards Marquette here in one of the best stories of the tournament. The Pick: Marquette

No. 2 Memphis vs. No. 7 California — Yawn. Another game that won't be close. Don't believe the hype about Memphis' schedule and lack of playing a big time team. They have unbelievable confidence and swagger (I know it's an overused word). They shouldn't be tested here. The Pick: Memphis

Regional Semifinals

No. 1 UConn vs. No. 4 Washington — Jon Brockman could give Hasheem Thabeet and Jeff Adrian fits. He's kind of the west coasts version of Tyler Hansbrough and a double-double machine. Still, UConn has too many athletes and too many parts for Washington to hang with. The Pick: UConn

No. 2 Memphis vs. No. 6 Marquette — Memphis has two all-conference caliber big men in Robert Dozier and Shawn Taggart. Both are experienced seniors and have had stellar college careers that include — two elite eights and a final four last year.

Regional Final

No. 1 UConn vs. No. 2 Memphis — Quick fact: Over the last 10 years one of the teams ranked No. 1 or No. 2 in Kenpom's efficiency ratings have won the National Championship in every year but 2003 (Syracuse). This year? Memphis is No.1 and UNC is No. 2. This is a game UConn would win with Jerome Dyson, but without him. I just don't think it will happen. The Pick: Memphis

Mike Tyson doesn't like Indianapolis

I'm not sure what to think about this region. It actually seems relatively weak — because I don't believe in Wake Forest or Kansas. Louisville should easily walk into the final four (because I say that, it certainly won't happen).

No. 1 Louisville vs. No. 16 Play-in game winner — Will Rick Pitino bust out the all-white suite like Colonel Sanders? That's the only mystery in this game. The Pick: Louisville.

No. 8 Ohio State vs. No. 9 Siena — One thing you will learn about the NCAA tournament and really sports in general, is to never trust the Big 10 outside of Michigan State. It's basketball — just like it's football — is slow, plodding and excruciatingly boring. I don't know much about Siena, but I know that they aren't slow and they didn't play in the Big Ten. The Pick: Siena

No. 5 Utah vs No. 12 Arizona — Another tried, trusted and true rule of March: If everyone says it's going to be an upset, it's probably not going to be an upset. This seems to be the en vogue pick as the 12 seed beating the 5 seed. I just don't see it — Arizona is always predicted to do something in the tournament and always fails. The Pick: Utah

No.4 Wake Forest vs. No. 13 Cleveland State — Even though they are in the top 10, Wake is as inconsistent a team as their is in the tournament. Please don't buy into the hype of them making the Final Four and all that jazz. They have trouble scoring in stretches and Dino Gaudio hasn't proven he is a high-level coach as of yet. Still, they should (emphasis on should) beat Cleveland State. The Pick: Wake Forest

No. 6 West Virginia vs. No. 11 Dayton — I'm a huge fan of Ken Pomeroy's adjusted offensive and defensive efficiency rankings. To me, they are the best indicator of whether a team will be successful in the tournament. West Virginia ranks No. 6 in those ranks so, suffice to say, that I have them going far. The Pick: West Virginia

No. 3 Kansas vs No. 14 North Dakota State — Kansas isn't Kansas of 2005 and North Dakota State ain't Bucknell. The Pick: Kansas

No. 7 Boston College vs. No. 10 USC — For my money, this will be the best first-round game in this region. USC is extremely hot and it's not like they don't have a lot of talent. Demar Derozen, Gibson and Hackett will probably all in the NBA. Meanwhile, Boston College is OK, but I just never really bought them (despite its wins over Duke and North Carolina). I think Gibson dominates in the paint and USC ends Tyrese Rice's career. The Pick: USC

No. 2 Michigan State vs. No. 15 Robert Morris — I just don't think Robert Morris can beat Michigan State all by himself. He seems to be a great guy, but 1-on-5 isn't exactly the way to go. The Pick: Michigan State

Second Round

No. 1 Louisville vs. No. 9 Siena — Offensively Siena and Louisville are very similar in regards to their KenPom efficiency ratings, but defensively Louisville is No. 2. Siena won't score more than 50 points and Terrence Williams is almost always the best player on the court. The Pick: Louisville

No. 4 Wake Forest vs. No. 5 Utah — What a boring, un-enticing, un-exciting game. I'll be sure to not watch. The Pick: Wake Forest — I guess...

No. 6 West Virginia vs. No. 3 Kansas — Losing its entire National Championship team will finally catch up with Kansas. West Virginia's offense will draw Aldrich away from the basket and when he is away he doesn't do much. Ruoff dominates and WVU wins. The Pick: West Virginia

No. 2 Michigan State vs. No. 10 USC — Another great game, that doesn't have much scoring I'm anticipating. Michigan State's Kalin Lucas is a superior point guard but, USC actually has the experience factor. Hackett and Gibson have been in the tournament three straight years and made the Sweet 16 three years ago. Michigan States survives because Ramar Morgan shows up, barely. The Pick: Michigan State (barely)

Regional Semifinals

No. 1 Louisville vs. No. 4 Wake Forest — The temptation is there to pick Wake for a lot of people, because they are flashy, deep and have a lot of great athletes. But don't believe the hype! Wake has trouble scoring and Louisville is the second-best defensive team in the country. Plus, Pitino could outcoach Gaudio in his sleep. Also, the Terrence Williams applies here. The Pick: Louisville

No. 2 Michigan State vs No. 6 West Virginia — All the battles in the Big East have prepared West Virginia for this slugfest of a game. Two good coaches, two solid teams. Most of the time I'd be inclined to go with West Virginia, but I believe in Ken Pomeroy. The Pick: West Virginia

Regional Final

No. 1 Louisville vs No. 6 West Virginia — Louisville has beaten them already this season, mostly because Alex Ruoff went 0-for-his-life on senior night against the Cardinals. He might play better, but they aren't beating Louisville.
The Pick: Louisville

How to win your bracket pool

Not going to do the super regional breakdown like we always do. Instead, just here are some things to look out for in picking your bracket.

I have four tried and true, nearly infallible rules that will help you win your NCAA pool or bracket contest.
These were posted in a similar column on King, that you can find here. (http://www.king-mag.com/online/?p=4885)
This is a 2009 reboot.

1) Your team must have a head coach who understands the difference between a fast break and a lunch break. Since 1980, Steve fisher, who led Michigan to the 1989 title with the interim tag, is the only coach not already in the hall of fame – or probably headed there – to win a championship. You could argue the resumes of Tubby Smith, Nolan Richardson and Gary Williams, but I think they’ll eventually be in. The rest of the winners read like a who’s who of college coaches, including names like Crum, Thompson, Dean, Pitino, Calhoun, Tubby, Roy, Coach K, Roy and Donovan. Poor Wake Forest...

2) You must have an animal in the paint that can devour opposing frontlines without regard for his well-being or safety. I'll concede Arizona’s perimeter oriented team from 1997, UConn’s Richard Hamilton-led upset of Duke in 1999 and the Carmelo Anthony driven Syracuse triumph in 2003 as rule-deviants. You won’t find a team since 1990 – outside of those mentioned – that hasn’t had an all-conference caliber post player patrolling the paint. Sorry West Virginia, Boston College, Marquette, Villanova, Marland, Xavier, UCLA, Illinois and Syracuse, all clubs who lack such a big man this season.

3) You must have an experienced point guard because freshman point guards don’t win National Championships. Mike Bibby and Gerry McNamara are the only freshman point guards – ever – to lead their teams to a title. The curse struck Memphis hard last season. Despite Derrick Rose's great play, the freshman missed a couple of free throws and eventually succumbed to this stone-cold rule.
Thanks for playing Washington and Memphis. Kind of sucks for the Tigers — two years in a row that a freshman point guard will keep them from winning the title.

4) An unwritten and very unscientific rule is that you must have three NBA players on your roster to compete. Not just guys who might get drafted, but players who will stick in the league. At first glance that might sound a bit far-fetched, but again the rule proves to be true. Since 1990, only four teams that went on to win the championship, 93’ UNC, 95’ UCLA, 99’ UConn and 03’ Syracuse, have lacked at least three players to stick in the NBA. They’ve all had two. So, so long to Utah, Cleveland State, Dayton, North Dakota St., Michigan State, BYU, Texas A&M, Mississippi State, Missouri, Utah St, Cornell, California, Oklahoma State, Tennessee, Wisconsin, Butler, Arizona State, Temple and Clemson.

So there you have it. One of the following five teams, Louisville, UConn, Pittsburgh, UNC or Gonzaga will raise the nets in Detroit in April. I know that’s not exactly going out-on-a-limb but that is what the rules give us.

Mark it down. Type it. Send it. Fax it. Ship it.

Scientists find "God Spot" on brain...

LINK

Excerpt:

A belief in God is deeply embedded in the human brain, which is programmed for religious experiences, according to a United States study.

Scientists searching for the neural "God spot", which is supposed to control religious belief, believe several areas of the brain form the biological foundations of religious belief.

The researchers said their findings supported the idea that the brain had evolved to be sensitive to any form of belief that improved the chances of survival, which could explain why a belief in God and the supernatural became so widespread in human evolutionary history.

"Religious belief and behaviour are a hallmark of human life, with no accepted animal equivalent, and found in all cultures," said Professor Jordan Grafman, from the US National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke in Bethesda, near Washington

.

I'd live there

City floating on the sea could be just 3 years away

Excerpt:

A floating city off the coast of San Francisco may sound like science fiction, but it could be reality in the not-too-distant future.
The Seasteading Institute has drawn up plans for a floating city off the coast of San Francisco.

One project engineer described the prototype as similar to a cruise ship, but from a distance the cities might look like oil-drilling platforms.

According to the plans, the floating cities would not only look different from their land-based counterparts, but they might operate differently, too.

Patri Friedman, a former Google engineer who now works for the Seasteading Institute, said floating cities are the perfect places to experiment with new forms of government.

Some of the new political ideas the group is tossing around include legalizing marijuana and making intellectual property communal -- so that everyone would take ownership in art produced on the city at sea.

"The idea isn't just about getting away from rules or getting rid of rules. It's about a system that encourages experimentation with different political systems," he said.

Ho-hum, another ACC regular-season title

Beating Duke has kind of lost its luster a little bit for me. Not because i don't respect Duke (I really do) but, as a Carolina fan, there was never a point in the game when I thought "man, we might lose this game."

It's pretty simple, for the last four years UNC has been a consistently better team than Duke.

Since the start of the 2005 season, UNC is 117-21.

Just think about that for a few...

Should we laugh or cry?

Michael Jackson announces 'curtain call' concerts

Excerpt:

Reclusive pop icon Michael Jackson will perform 10 concerts in London in July in what he described Thursday as a "final curtain call."

The summer shows, Jackson's first major live performances in 12 years, will take place at the O2 Arena from July 8. Jackson appeared in front of fans and media at the venue Thursday to announce the "This Is It" shows.

"This is it. These will be my final shows performing in London. "This Is It" really means this is it," Jackson said.

"I'll be performing the songs my fans want to hear. This is the final curtain call. I'll see you in July and I love you so much."

Tickets for the shows will cost £50-75 ($70-105) and will go on sale on March 13. Fans can pre-register to purchase tickets at www.MichaelJacksonLive.com.

He took no questions at the brief news conference and it was not immediately clear if Jackson meant the concerts were his "curtain call" for London or the wider world.

Jackson was more than 90 minutes late for the announcement that lasted about three minutes.

Black men can't win

Tiffany passed this article on to me and I thought it was pretty interesting. Basically, black men like "full-figured" are now the cause of black women becoming more obese.

So, if we like them how they are we contributing to their untimely demise. If we tell them their lifestyle is unhealthy we are trying to change them and can't appreciate a non-traditional image of beauty.

It's no-win situation for black males.

Is this an image of beauty?

Excerpt:

RAPPER SIR Mix-a-Lot’s ‘90s hit Baby Got Back became an anthem to celebrate the larger figure of the average black woman. Referring to the standard images of skinny European models featured in women’s magazines, Mix-a-Lot was clear where he stood. ‘So Cosmo (magazine) says you’re fat, well I ain’t down with that!...give me a sister, I can’t resist her.’ Mix-a-Lot spoke for how many black men feel when it comes to definitions of female beauty, and more importantly his comments reflected how many black women feel about themselves.

According to research, black and Asian women generally have a more positive body image than white women. In research among American high school pupils, 80 percent of the black girls were happy with their body size compared to only 43 percent of white
girls.

For African-Americans, the problem of expanding waistlines is grimmer still; 60 percent of black men and 77 percent of black women are too heavy, doubling their already elevated risk of diabetes and other diseases.

To compound the problem a recent Pennsylvania Medical Center study claimed that black women have ‘a biological disadvantage’ that makes it more difficult to lose the extra weight. Researchers have found that even at rest, overweight black women burn almost 100 fewer calories daily than their white counterparts.

Explicit Ills

This movie looks kind of dope. Maybe it'll make it to a theatre I can go to sometime soon.

Trailer

Review


Excerpt:

A poetically crafted, politically heartfelt debut for writer/director Mark Webber, Explicit Ills lyrically weaves its ways through a series of seemingly disconnected private inner city moments of its culturally and economically disparate characters. The semi-autobiographical account of coming of age in Philly for this twentysomething filmaker, captures that sense of youthful alienation in an enigmatic world, and at the same time a mature grasp of both emotional confusion and sociopolitical certainty.

Webber imaginatively intertwines the resonant sights and sounds of Philly neighborhood life as intimately experienced by numerous conflicted characters and families. The vignettes include the more weakly conceived portraits of drugged young yuppies with artistic aspirations, and an African American family trying to enlighten the community about healthy eating, while searching for money to open a health food grocery and dealing with raising a withdrawn teen. There's also the vigorous but abbreviated dramatic thread touching on a struggling young actor (Paul Dano) experiencing the psychological turmoil of discovering his creative identity in a society indifferent about providing any welcoming clues.

Patriot Act

The New England Patriots finally made a mistake.

Trading Matt Cassel to the Kansas City Chiefs signals the end of their run as the NFL’s smartest and most successful franchise.

It seems the trade, in which all the Patriots got was a second-round pick, was much more about telling the world they trust Tom Brady than getting rid of Cassel because of cost.

Truth is no one should have faith in Brady.

Sure, the three-time Super Bowl winner has had a good run and should be considered one of the greatest quarterbacks in NFL history.

But, much like the Pittsburgh Steelers, the best way to be a consistent franchise in the NFL is knowing when to cut ties with veterans who may not perform at the level they once did.

With Brady, no one has absolutely any idea how his surgically repaired knee will respond to the rigors of a 16-game regular season and, possibly, the playoffs.

Carson Palmer, quarterback of the Cincinnati Bengals, who was once mentioned in the same breath as Brady and Peyton Manning, experienced a similar injury three years ago and has never returned to the level he once was.

Now, New England is one wrong hit on Brady away from going to another unproven, inexperienced quarterback as its starter.

Except, whoever it is, won’t have the pedigree and talent of Cassel.

It’s simple — the Patriots traded the wrong quarterback.

Trading Brady would’ve saved the team money (which was said to be a side motivator in the Cassel deal) and gotten — at minimum – a first round pick or maybe two.

With an aging defense the two draft picks would provide more leverage for future trades or a shot of adrenaline to guys like Richard Seymour and Rodney Harrison.

Not to mention Cassel proved he can lead the team to a good season. The Patriots finished 11-5 in 2008.

Oh, and the 26-year-old Cassel is five years younger than Brady.

Brady could come back and put up record-breaking numbers again and prove all of this was over-thinking.

I highly doubt it though.