Ben's Best 10

I consider myself a college basketball expert. Arrogant? Probably, but I do watch a ton and I absolutely love college basketball. Here are my top 10 teams, throw out all that your pre-conceived notions about the best teams, cuz here are the ten best:

1 Kansas-finally lost last week but all-around are probably still the top team, got a ton of talent here.
2 UCLA-They have looked great recently and really took it to a talented Arizona team. This team is healthy and rolling
3-Memphis-undefeated but you have to question their conference, but they do have Tennessee coming up, which should be interesting.
4-North Carolina-Ty Lawson is out possibly which obviously is a big loss, but the injury shouldn't be huge. This team has great depth and seasoned players.
5-Duke-Coach K has led his surprising Devils to a great season so far. I'm not sure if push comes to shove they could beat the top 4 teams that I've mentioned but they've done great just to be this good.
6-Arizona-Surprise! With Jerryd Bayless back I believe this team is a very good one and can compete with anyone.
7-UConn-beating IU and Pitt back to back is impressive. I don't really think of this team as elite but they are moving up quickly in everyone's mind.
8-Tennessee- I believe they are a bit overrated in the polls. They have a bunch of offensive talent but they don't have any role players to do the 'dirty work'. Still, a threat to beat anyone.
9-Clemson-Team is healthy and is playing some of its best basketball. Getting James Mays back has been a huge lift.
10-Kansas St-had a huge win at Kansas but then turned right around and lost to Colorado on the road. This team has the potential to be great with Bill Walker and frosh phenom Michael Beasley but they need to gain some consistency.

Just Outside my Top 10 : Stanford, Georgetown, Louisville, Xavier, Michigan St.

Things To Think About Vol 5 1st Edition

"This is the first day of your new life". How many times have I heard that quote? Many find it brilliant, I find it to be a load of crap. The point of this quote in my opinion is to get people to find hope and joy in waking up every and thinking of having a fresh start. However, Life is not merely a day-by-day process where you can start over each day. Choices have consequences and life is all connected together through many choices, situations, and developments.

I'm trying to think of a situation that you could actually apply this quote to, and I can't think of any.
People that are homeless and in poverty are usually in these situations because they were born into them and made poor choices in their life. I have spoken with homeless people and they all regret the choices they have made in their past that have led them to the life that they have now. If they could just wake up one day, get a solid job, find a home and have a family, they would in a heartbeat. However, its not that simple. No employer wants them, and if someone does its a very low-paying job. They didn't go to college, and most of them probably dropped out of high school. And college takes a ton of money. So tell me, how are they one day just going to wake up and say "today is the first day of my new life"? They can't. Its unfortunate, but all choices have consequences, and some are life-long consequences.

People in the work world I really can't see them applying this either. You either love what you do, you think it could be better, or you hate it. People that hate it and think it could be better would want to wake up and say "today is the first day of my new life", but guess what, they can't change it. They have a certain education in a certain field and if they don't like it, well thats what you chose so you are stuck with it. Also, the longer you work with a company, the more benefits you get. So exactly why would you wanna start over again with another company and lose everything you gained? Thats the reality of choices

You can apply the quote in a spiritual sense such as if you become a Christian you can start your life over, but I almost never hear this quote used in that sense.

If I made up a quote, I guess it would just be this- "choose wisely"

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Things To Think About Vol 4 1st Edition

I hate how the church gets all involved in media and politics, it really irritates me.
First of all, you really notice this during primary season and election season like we are in now where many politicians are concerned about appealing to evangelical Christians and church-goers etc...yes, that bothers me because I think candidates are just using the church to get themselves votes. But what really gets me is so called "Christian leaders" who are backing a certain candidate. It really concerns me, not so much the leader itself, but the people who will follow that leader's choice in candidates even if they know nothing about that certain candidate.
If a religious leader (lets say an important catholic leader) supports Mike Huckabee for example, it seems to me that everyone catholic (hypothetical) is almost bound to vote for and support Huckabee. I know this happened in our church way back when Bush was running. Everyone supported Bush and they were excited to back a "Christian" president and I remember even during church after 9/11 happened how happy they were to have a "Christian" president and us even talking about this during a service or two. I'm sure everyone can tell by reading this, that I do not support Bush very much, but still I believe that people should be able to make their own decisions based on what they believe in, not what someone else does. If you are waiting for your church leader to make a decision on who they are voting for so you can vote for the same person, I'm sorry, but you shouldn't be voting. Look into the candidates for yourself and make a decision.


On to the other part of my rant, which is getting the media out of the church. Many churches nation-wide were promoting the heck out of "The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, The Witch, and The Wardrobe". Why? Because it was written by a Christian author and it had some Religious undertones in it. Was this really a life-changing movie that the church really needed to go hoop-la over? No. It was basically a Harry Potter movie. But the church hates and despises "Harry Potter" because it uses witchcraft. But the church loves "Narnia" because it uses witchcraft along with a supposed "christian message". What is this "christian message"? It goes like this-in Narnia, the lion sacrifices his life to save another and comes back to life just like Jesus did. Ok yes, that is a religious parallel. However, how many other gazillions of movies can you also make religious parallels if you are looking for them? I talked to some people who had seen this movie and they weren't even aware that this was supposed to be a Christian movie. If you ask me, Disney knows that if they put out a movie that has a Christian theme to it, but make the theme as unnoticeable as possible, then sell it to the church, they know they will make millions even if it is a crappy movie. Disney knows that the church is a very easy target and they will make huge money.

So is church a place where we worship God, or is it a political machine and a media target?

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Stokes' Sports Report Vol 4 1st Edition

I had the unfortunate privilege of watching the IU/Minnesota game last Thursday at the Barn in Minnesota. It literally should have been played in a barn, it was one of the ugliest games I've ever seen in my life. Indiana's offense looked like a middle school girls team for a majority of the game, turning the ball over a rediculous 25 times in the first 30 some odd minutes in the game. Freshman Eric Gordon looked very uncomfortable handling the ball as he turned the ball over seemingly every time he touched it. However, as hard as IU tried to give the game to the Gophers, IU still ended up winning. The Golden Gophers just do not have the talent to be a force on the national stage.

In other college basketball, the Texas Longhorns fast start with wins against Tennessee and UCLA seems like long ago, as they have really struggled lately and barely squeaked out a 2 point home win against Colorado. They have lost 3 of their last 6 and it very easily could have been 4.

UNC finally lost, and since I'm a Duke fan I love it. North Carolina does not play good defense and it caught up with them against Maryland.
Duke looked very good against a very good Clemson team on Saturday night and is going pretty much un-noticed because UCLA, Memphis, UNC, and Kansas are getting the spotlight as the top teams.

Ben's Guide To Music/Movies Vol 3 1st Edition

Its not often that I will watch comedy movies 3 times in a row, but for some reason recently, it happened. Anyway, I save my 9 and 10 ratings for my favorite movies ever and the best movies ever made, and I have never seen a comedy movie yet that I have ever given a 9 or 10, the highest comedy movie rating I've ever given is an 8 to Monty Python's Life Of Brian. So basically, any comedy movie that is around the 7 range is pretty good for me.

Blues Brothers- 7/10 (B-)
You gotta love this movie. Though I could do without some of the musical numbers, its a fun movie. It combines music, comedy, and action brilliantly and makes this movie very enjoyable. Dan Akroyd and John Belushi make a great pair and this movie has some memorable scenes and lines.

Hot Fuzz- 5/10 (C-)
This is the 2nd very highly acclaimed comedy movie that Edgar Wright directed (Shaun of the Dead was the other). First of all, I will say that the writing for this comedy movie is very good. There are alot of original ideas and some great lines. However, I enjoyed this movie in bits and pieces but all together I was semi-entertained. The problem I had with this movie as well as Shaun of the dead is that it pokes fun at the horror/gore/action genre very well, however I don't particularly like gore/blood/horror stuff mixed in with comedy movies. I know some of the gory stuff is supposed to be done in a funny type way, but I didn't really find a dude slipping on a toy car then landing his throat straight through a metal stake all that amusing, more gross. Anyway, enjoyed some, and didn't enjoy some.

Clerks-7/10 (B-)
This is one pretty funny movie. I have to say that I knocked it down a bit because I do have morals and a couple things went a bit too far. Overall though, the writing appealed to my sense of humor and I thought the character of "Randall" was absoltely hysterical. Definetly deserves to be called a classic comedy

Things To Think About Vol 3 1st Edition

I want to bring up a controversial topic that is very touchy in the U.S. Its the issue of Americans vs. the Islam. After 9/11 happened, many Americans displayed anti-Islamic attitudes, which really bothered me. The attitude towards Islams and any person from the Middle East seemed to be that they are violent, they smash planes in to buildings, and that their Muslim religion encourages them to do it.

Many people have pointed out Surah 9:5, a verse in the Quran (Islamic Bible) that reads this: "Fight and slay the non-believers wherever you may find them". But you cannot read that verse alone and make the conclusion that every Muslim is a terrorist. Instead, here are some verses that describe what the Muslim religion does believe in:
"God does not forbid you respecting those who have not made war against you on account of your religion, and have not driven you forth from your homes, that you show them kindness and deal with them justly; surely God loves the doers of justice. God only forbids you respecting and loving those who made war upon you on account of your religion, and drove you forth from your homes and backed up others in your expulsion, that you make friends with them, and whoever makes friends with them, these are the unjust. fight in the cause of God those who fight against you, and do not commit aggression. Indeed God does not love those who are aggressors".
-Now lets examine verse 9:5, which says "But when the forbidden months are past, then fight and slay the Pagans wherever ye find them, an seize them, beleaguer them, and lie in wait for them in every stratagem (of war); but if they repent, and establish regular prayers and practise regular charity, then open the way for them: for Allah is Oft-forgiving, Most Merciful."

-So what does this mean? In the religion of Islam, they believe in showing compassion to their enemies. But, they do not show compassion for people who make war with them. It says in the beginning of verse 9:5-"But when the forbidden months are past, then fight and slay Pagans", this means that Muslims are required to give a 4 month grace period when war is upon them. The Quran tells them to turn the other cheek while being killed for 4 months, then, If they continue with war, then you are allowed to fight back and kill.

While I am a Bible believing Christian, if you take one verse from the Bible, a person might think that all Christians are terrorists, such as :
"Now therefore, kill every male among the little ones, and kill every woman who has known man intimately. But all the girls who have not known man intimately, spare for yourselves." (Numbers 31:17-18)

"Do not think that I have come to send peace on earth. I did not come to send peace, but a sword. I am sent to set a man against his father, a daughter against her mother, and a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law" (Matthew 10:34-35)

And this verse which is very similar to the Quran verses which I previously posted:

“When you approach a city to fight against it, you shall offer it terms of peace. If it agrees to make peace with you and opens to you, then all the people who are found in it shall become your forced labor and shall serve you. However, if it does not make peace with you, but makes war against you, then you shall besiege it. When the LORD your God gives it into your hand, you shall strike all the men in it with the edge of the sword. Only the women and the children and the animals and all that is in the city, all its spoil, you shall take as booty for yourself; and you shall use the spoil of your enemies which the LORD your God has given you… Only in the cities of these peoples that the LORD your God is giving you as an inheritance, you shall not leave alive anything that breathes (Deuteronomy 20:10-17)

My point about the Quran and the Bible is that you have to look at what context the verse is in. You can't just take out one verse or two and make a statement like "All Muslims want to do is kill". All I'm saying is be open to people and be informed before you start making accusations. Nothing makes me more upset than people making accusations and claims when they have no idea what they are talking about. Almost all Muslims aren't extremists, actually like 99 point something percent of them aren't, just like 99 point something percent of Christians aren't killers/murderers.
There have been groups that call themselves "Christians" that have "killed in the name of God" (KKK, religious cults etc...) so do not think that this is just a one-sided affair.

Anyway, I guess it all comes down to being open

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Stokes' Sports Report Vol 3 1st Edition

Ahh...Down to the final 4 in the NFL Playoffs. Who's gonna take home that Lombardi trophy? Thats an issue I'm gonna try to tackle

AFC-San Diego/New England
San Diego has been the turn-around team this season. They got off to a horrifying start but have come back with vengeance and last week beat the Indianapolis Colts for the 2nd time this season. Will They have enough to beat the undefeated Patriots? I don't think so. First of all, QB Phil Rivers is banged up from last week and is questionable to play. Mr. All-World running back Ladanian Tomlinson was also nicked up last week as well. Given that the game is also in Foxboro Massachusetts, You gotta give the Patriots the benefit of the doubt here, though I think just about everyone wants them to lose.

NFC-Green Bay/ Giants
Honestly, I don't think this one will be close. I think Green Bay will beat them pretty handedly. The Pack Attack really got it goin' on with Ryan Grant now in the backfield, plus this game is at Lambeau and I just don't see them losing to the "other Manning".