Redick:A Man of Courage

This article does a good job of showing why J.J. Redick is my favorite player in college basketball, and probably my favorite Dukie of all time. It is a very long article, but probably worth a read for the true Duke fan, and worth a skim for others. The first third is a good snapshot of the kind of guy Redick is. Here are a few quotes from different places in the article:

The script lettering on his stomach reads, "Isaiah 40:31," referring to this Bible verse: But they that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles they shall run, and not be weary; and they shall walk, and not faint.

The other tattoo, on his chest, came first. It's the Japanese word for courage, and beneath it is reference to another Bible verse, Joshua 1:9. That one reads: Be strong and of good courage; do not be afraid, nor be dismayed, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go.

That's the tat he got with grandma. And if there is one thing you can say about J.J. Redick, it's this: He's got basketball courage.

"God's got to be his comforter," J.J.'s dad, Ken, said. "There's got to be times in that spotlight, with that much pressure -- and internal pressure from the Duke system of how you have to perform every day -- when he couldn't survive without faith, without being imbued with that spirit.

J.J. Redick has been reading "The Purpose Driven Life" this winter. In basketball terms, he's been living The Purpose Driven Season.

I hope that J.J can finish his college career strong and win a National Championship, then find success in the NBA. We certainly need more role models like him in sports today for children to look up to.

Myth of the Week: Lincoln and Kennedy Really So Similar?

It's time once again for the weekly myth. The time when we look into history or science or politics etc. and find that which so many have repeated as fact, even when it's false.

This week we look at the myth that every one of has heard, about all of the coincidences and weird similarities between the lives and deaths of John F. Kennedy and Abraham Lincoln. I don't know about you, but I was even taught this in school! This article does a great job of pointing out the mistakes that this myth makes, as well as debunking some things that seem remarkable, but upon further review, are nothing special at all. It makes a person realize that you can really bend information and statistics to make your point when you want to. Check it out. It is a very worthy article to read and subject to ponder.

Muslims Show True Colors

There has been a ton of commotion lately about this caricature of Mohammed that was was drawn up by a Danish cartoonist. I do not really get the cartoon, mainly because it is in another language, but from what I've heard, I guess it is pretty degrading to Muslims and their leader. Arabs are violently angry to say the least.

Now, I have to agree that they have a right to be angry. If someone drew a degrading cartoon of Jesus, I would be offended. The Problem I have is when I read this:

A Pakistani Muslim cleric and his followers offered rewards amounting to over $1 million for anyone who killed Danish cartoonists who drew caricatures of the Prophet Mohammad that have enraged Muslims worldwide.

The cleric offered the bounty during Friday prayers as Muslim anger against the cartoons flared anew in parts of Asia.

When a World Religion goes to the point of offering death threats and bounties for slander, I think that is a red flag. I suppose it may not be entirely accurate to judge all of Islam on the actions of one (that would be like judging Christians on the comments of Pat Robertson), but I think this is a red flag nonetheless.

You can read the entire article here.

Update:
Upon further review, it seems that Muslims are offended because of the image of Mohammed that shows him wearing a turban with a bomb in it (top middle). Apparently Muslims were offended that they were being accused of being violent. What great irony. They were accused of being violent, so they just put out a bounty on the cartoonist's head. Does something seem wrong with this picture?

Myth of the Week: A Though About the Brain

I thought I would start a new weekly series about myths and urban legends. I was surprised to see from this website how many myths there actually are out there that people pass off as fact. This irritates me, as I am one who puts heavy stock in truth and validity.

This week's article has to do with the Myth that claims human's only use 10 percent of their brains. This article goes to show, in so many ways, that it is simply not true. It also makes a valid statement about the faulty claims of psychics and New Agers. This is definately worth a read.

What Kind of Pirate Arrrrr Ya?

Ok, so I know that these tests are not musings...but they are really fun. This one is by far the funniest yet. This made me wonder, though, why has there been such a heavy interest in pirates lately? What is it about them that is so appealing? Anyway, here is my pirate info. Cash is the coolest name in the world by the way.

My pirate name is:

Captain William Cash

Even though there's no legal rank on a pirate ship, everyone recognizes you're the one in charge. You're musical, and you've got a certain style if not flair. You'll do just fine. Arr!

Get your own pirate name from fidius.org.