And now for something completely different, I decided to write an article on the greatest players to play for the same coach/program over the past 50 years (since 1960). My rule of thumb for this list is that the coach had to be with that program for at least 20 years. Unlike my previous articles, I am in now way going to attempt to rank any of these five great programs, so this is simply a list in no particular order. I will however pick my starting 5 for each program and list the bench, so we can have some discussion regarding that part of it.

Coach Mike Zrzyzewshi and the Duke Blue Devils

Hard as this may be to believe, but this is Coach K’s 27 year at Duke, so you can now refer to him as an “icon”. Let me start off with my starting 5 of the Blue Devils.

1. Point Guard – Bob Hurley
2. Shooting Guard – Grant Hill
3. Forward – Christian Laettner
4. Forward – Elton Brand
5. Center – Mike Gminski

Bob Hurley ran coach K’s offense just like it was drawn up, he finished his career as the all time leader in 3 point field goals made in NCAA tournament history, a mark that lasted until this year (2007) when it was broken by Humphrey of the University of Florida. Grant Hill was the ultimate team player, could score at any point in the game and basically play 3 different positions for the team. Christian Laettner was the greatest college player since Bill Walton at UCLA, and was the leader on the last college team to repeat as national champion until Florida this year. Elton Brand was a strong rebounder and an underrated scorer in college whose picture could have been in the dictionary under the word Power Forward. The Center, Mike Gminski was one of the first true stars for coach K and was a hard working “lunch pail” type of player that coach K just loved. Filling out my Duke bench are Johnny Dawkins and Jay Williams, Phil Henderson, Tommy Amaker, Danny Ferry, Shane Battier, Gene Banks, Mike Dunveavy and Carlos Boozer round out my roster.

Coach Bobby Knight and the Indiana Hoosiers

Bobby Knight coached at Indiana for 30 years and was coach K’s coach and mentor. For the Indiana starting five you have.

1. Point Guard – Isiah Thomas
2. Shooting Guard – Keith Smart
3. Forward – Scott May
4. Forward – Landon Turner
5. Center Kent Benson

Isiah Thomas was probably the best overall player for Knight at Indiana and was a tremendous scorer as well as a floor leader. Although he only played 2 seasons at Indiana, leaving for the NBA after his second season, there is no doubt he belongs as the starting point guard. Shooting guard Keith Smart was as his name reflects a very smart heady ball player that fit perfectly into Knights system. Scott May was a workaholic forward who had a great college game. Landon Turner was a bull of an inside presence both on the rebounding side of the game as well as having great post moves. Kent Benson at Center provides the wide body game and passing that any great team needs to be successful. Off the bench you have Tom Abernethy and Bobby Wilkerson, Randy Wittman a very deadly 3-point shooter, Dean Garrett, Steve Alford, Quinn Buckner and Calbert Chaney.

Coach Guy Lewis and the University of Houston Cougars

One of the biggest injustices in all of basketball is the fact that Guy V. Lewis is not in the basketball hall of fame. This man coached the Cougars for 32 years and was the first college coach to integrate African-Americans into a southern school back in the 1960’s. Let’s take a look at his “all-time” team in my opinion.

1. Point Guard – Don Chaney
2. Shooting Guard – Clyde Drexler
3. Forward – Dwight Jones
4. Forward – Elvin Hayes
5. Center – Akeem Olajuwon

Don Chaney got the slight nod over Rob Williams as the starting guard on this team, paired with Clyde “the glide” Drexler at the shooting guard, who was the leader of the famed 80’s “Phi-Slamma-Jamma” teams. Dwight Jones was an extremely tough and powerful rebounder and Elvin Hayes was the schools first true superstar and the main figure that made college basketball popular on the TV with his match-up again Lew Alcindor in the “game of the century” in the astrodome in 1968. Rounding out the starting five was 3 time Final 4 participant Akeem “the dream” Olajuwon, who wound up at U of H by accident after his flight landed in Houston from Nigeria. On the bench for Guy V, were Dwight Davis, Ken Spain, Theo Lee, Michael Young, and Sweet Lou Dunbar, who was the first 6’9″ point guard, Alvin Franklin, Rob Williams, Ricky Winslow and Otis Birdsong.

Coach Dean Smith and the University of North Carolina

Dean Smith coached at North Carolina for 36 years and when he retired he held the NCAA division 1 record for most victories in a career, both men and women. Lets take a look at the starting 5.

1. Point Guard – Phi Ford
2. Shooting Guard – Michael Jordan
3. Forward – Bob McAdoo
4. Forward – Walter Davis
5. Center – Brad Daughtery

This was a team that was probably the second hardest to pick a starting 5 from. So since you know whom that is, now I have to give you a bench. How about Charlie Scott and Kenny Smith (a NCAA player of the year on the bench huh?) And Jerry Stackhouse (oh wait make that 2), Sam Perkins, Eric Montross, James Worthy, Rasheed Wallace, Bobby Jones and Mike O’Koren round out this FANTASTIC team. It is hard to believe that with all of these great players, many of which did play together on the same team, that they only won 2 championships (1982 and 1993), but there is a very good reason for that, it is the final school on my list.

Coach John Wooden and the UCLA Bruins

Let’s see here, we have the coach for whom the current NCAA Player of the Year award is named after coached the Bruins for 27 years and is mostly responsible for all of the coaches listed above, with the exception of coach K, not wining more NCAA championships. During the 60’s-70’s Wooden won 10 championships in 12 seasons. UCLA won 38 straight tournament games and had streaks of 47 straight and 88 straight and he had 16 First Team All Americans. So you tell me picking his all-time team was easy, let alone the starting 5.

1. Point Guard – Lucious Allen
2. Shooting Guard – Gail Goodrich
3. Forward – Marques Johnson
4. Forward – Sidney Wicks
5. Center – Lewis Alcindor (AKA Kareem Abdul-Jabbar)

Now for the bench, and this is the scary part of this team. 3 time player of the year Bill Walton, Curtis Rowe, Henry Bibby, Walt Hazzard, Larry Farmer, David Meyers, Richard Washington, Keith Wilkes and Swen Nater.

Well there you have my college basketball teams of teams. See you soon.

When the first Paranormal Activity was released, it split the audience firmly into those who thought it was amazing and chilling, and those who thought it was absolute tosh. I stand as one of the people who thought it was an absolute masterpiece. And now, second time around, Oren Peli’s tale has been brought back with a vengeance.

Much as 2004’s Saw brought something new and fear-provoking to the world of horror; reinventing the genre for today’s audience with not just gore and scares, but an edge-of-your-seat narrative, so did 2007’s Paranormal Activity. Much like Saw, it was incredibly low budget, featured minimal cast and brought something epic to the abused and dried up horror genre of the 21st century. Of course, people saw that this was an excellent money-making opportunity; Saw was contracted into sequel after sequel, year after year: each year bringing an even worse film to the franchise.

So people of course, expected the same abuse to happen to Paranormal Activity when it became an instant hit. And so, the abuse happened as it was signed for a sequel. People groaned. People flocked to see it. They were thrilled. And now there is a third addition contracted for the later months of this year. Bad thing, right? Maybe not.

Second time around

This second installment is incredibly adept with its story-telling, taking the franchise to a whole new narrative level. (Awesome!) The first film spelled out a relatively rich mythology for main character Katie’s (Katie Featherston) family history, surrounding their haunting by a demon, which came back in her adulthood, possessed her and forced her to kill her fiancé before she disappeared. In 2, we don’t simply have a repackaged version of this story, but an elaborative prequel and simultaneous plot that stretches the audience’s knowledge on the history of the demon and why it came to possess Katie’s family, which succeeds in slapping the tiresomely annual horror sequel of today.

Not only does the film succeed in scaring the audience with its plot, but it comes back again with its strikingly terrifying pace and style. The minimalistic nature in which the demon haunts again (or for the first time, for pedants out there) is just as scary as the first. A slamming door here, a falling pan there, and a hovering shadow everywhere. The way the Paranormal Activity franchise continues to absolutely chill its audience with minimalistic action is phenomenal in ratio to the response that it is given.

This being a prequel, it does create some slight inaccuracies or audience-finger-wagging material; its failure to inform the audience in the first film that the main character’s sister and her family were haunted only weeks prior is slightly annoying (especially considering the fact that the ending to the first was changed twice from Katie ending up dead – in order to make way for a sequel) but that can be overlooked.

Watching alone versus the theatre experience

I purposefully made the choice to not go and see this in the cinema (which is why it is being reviewed as a DVD) because I knew that if it was anything like the first film, I didn’t want to go and see it with a bunch of people; where they would see me beating the record for Furthest Thrown Popcorn or Highest Pitched Scream. Nope, I wanted to watch it in the middle of the night in a dark room again and be scared to the bone because that’s what I personally feel that this is what this film is for.

The film-making style; a voyeuristic journey feels so much more intense when watching this personally filmed story in the privacy of your own home – on top of the fact that it’ll creep the hell out of you even more when watching, regardless of whether or not you have company.

I am, of course, a little sketchy about there being a third film since this one seemed to tie up any loose ends and elaborate the story as far as it could go from the first. And I may not be so hesitant about the film if it weren’t contracted to feature Katie and Micah (Micah Sloat) again – Micah having been dead since the end of the first film. But given the immense quality that this sequel has achieved, I am willing to give the film the benefit of the doubt and get excited for the third – even if it is slowly becoming an annual horror film; the very thing I despise. Hell, I may even go see it in the cinema to see if I can beat that popcorn throwing record.

The Nintendo Wii will be available for the holidays, hitting store shelves November 19 with a price tag of $249.99 U.S.

At a press conference in New York yesterday, Nintendo of America president Reggie Fils-Aime said Nintendo's goal is to sell four million units before the end of 2006, keeping a constant flow to minimize stores running out of stock, something Xbox didn't manage to do.

Although Nintendo's biggest goal with the Wii seems to be to attract more non-gamers to gaming, the system is going to have something for everyone.

At a press conference in Japan, also held yesterday, 104 different titles were showcased.

"The widest range of launch titles ever," said Fils-Aime.

For the older crowd, the Internet connected Wii will be able to download classic NES, SNES and N64 console games.

"It's a great way to get 30 and 40-year-olds back in gaming," said Fils-Aime.

The games can be downloaded by spending Wii points, which can be obtained online or by purchasing a 2000 Wii point card for 20 dollars at a retail outlet.

NES games are 500 points while SNES and N64 games cost 800 and 1000 points respectively.

The Wii will also has features meant to act as a "pied piper" to get non-gamers playing the games.

One of those is the Mii channel. On the Mii channel, players can create an avatar of themselves, their friends or anyone else which can then be inserted into Wii games that support the Mii channel.

There's also the ability to view photos off an SD card, along with getting headline news, weather and a web browser on your TV screen through the Wii.

Then there's the already heavily discussed Wii controller that senses motion, allowing players to

act out the game, whether it be throwing a bowling ball or firing a bow and arrow.

The Wii will be going head-to-head with Sony's PlayStation 3 for the holiday season, but being less than half of PS3's price tag, it's clear which system will be bringing more new gamers on board.

Shiloh was a Christian commune populated with young adults in search of a spiritual way of life that did not involve drugs and alcohol.

In the late 1960s and beyond, young adults in search of a better or more spiritually meaningful life joined various communes. Some communes were nothing more than drug and sex havens. Some communes had a more spiritual purpose in mind. Shiloh was one such community that united young people through communal living, prayer, and work. Each resident contributed to the cause for the benefit of everyone.

Shiloh – Hippies for Jesus

In 1968, John Higgins and a small group of men and women started the House of Miracles in Los Angeles, California. This group of spiritual independents and visionaries were known as “Long Haired Jesus Freaks”. They went against the grain of traditional organized religion. Eventually, the community moved to Dexter, Oregon and became the Shiloh Youth Revival Center. Shiloh means “tranquility” or “rest giver”. It is also another name for Jesus the Messiah.

Shiloh was a non-denominational Christian organization focused on spiritually enhancing the lives of wayward adults over 18 years old who were lost or discontent with other organized religions. Anyone was welcome into the commune, provided that they do not use alcohol or drugs. The residents were required to participate in daily group prayer services and work to help support the organization financially. All wages were put into the communal fund for goods and services to benefit everyone.

Shiloh was a semi-self-sufficient enclave of young people. There was an onsite farm to help sustain the population. The residents had access to medical facilities.

Young Adult and Hippie Communes

Communal living offered young adults with alternative living and spiritual arrangements. Even though they were legally capable of forming traditional nuclear families, and belonging to traditional religious organizations, they opted to become part of large, extended families with similar ideas, interests, and goals.

Obviously, communal spiritual living was not for everyone. Many people shuddered at the idea of scores of religious hippies living together. Whether folks accepted or condemned their lifestyle, they were living the great American dream of personal and religious freedom.

Dangerous Cults

Hippie, environmental, pagan, religious, and secular communes are still in existence today. However, they are few and far between. They are generally located in somewhat isolated or remote areas. The residents tend keep to themselves.

Unfortunately, sometimes communes evolve into bizarre cults, where the leaders prey upon the members and brainwash the followers into believing outrageous religious doctrines. The Branch Davidian cult in Waco, Texas was a classic example of the leader, David Koresh who brainwashed his followers.

In 1993, there was a standoff and shootout between the Branch Davidians and FBI. Four federal agents and six Davidians were killed. Fortunately, nearly all communes are not violent organizations. The Waco incident was an anomaly.

Shiloh – A Safe Haven

Shiloh was not a dangerous place or a strange cult. It was cohorts of many young adults seeking their place in the world through communal activities and personal spiritual growth.

It is really no different than when young adults go off to college to discover themselves. The methods are different, but the ends are the same.

There are no right or wrong answers when selecting a spiritual path. But, your spiritual path must never hurt anyone else. Too many extremists injury and kill people in the name of God. This irrational behavior and way of life is completely wrong and is totally unacceptable.

Shiloh was a peaceful retreat and spiritual learning center. The organization dissolved in 1978 due to internal power struggles, which is unfortunate for many wayward young souls today.

Gone are the days when kids spent their summer days splashing in the backyard kiddie-pool. With so many parents now working full time, many children spend much of their summer months in summer camps and day camps.

Sleep Away Camp or Day Camp?

Generally speaking, there are two types of summer camps for children: overnight or “sleep away” camps and day camps. Sleep away camps are best suited for older children but can afford wonderful opportunities to fully immerse in the camp experience. They are also considerably more expensive.

Day camps, on the other hand, offer many of the same advantages as sleep away camps, but give families the chance to come back together at the end of the day.

What Type of Day Camp is Best?

The most important consideration when looking at summer camp is what interests the potential young camper. Is the child into the outdoors? Does he or she love sports? Has the child shown promise in drama or music? Is he or she an animal fan? To coin the phrase from the popular phone commercials, “There’s a camp for that”.

Although organizations like the YMCA still offer day camps that provide a little bit of everything, there are many more interest-specific options now than ever before. A well-chosen camp can not only combat boredom, but can even give a child a leg up in his or her chosen sport or field of interest by the time the new school year starts.

Where to Find Quality Day Camps

The school district is often a good place to start when looking for a list of quality area day camps. Many camps provide information to the schools for this purpose.

Other places to search include:

• Local colleges and universities
• Local music schools, dance schools, karate schools
• State parks and recreation departments
• City parks departments
• YMCA and YWCA
• Area sports teams
• Athletic clubs
• Churches
• Museums, planetariums, aquariums, etc.
• Public libraries
• Word of mouth!

Friends, neighbors, and searchable databases like kidscamps.com and summer-daycamps.com can also be great resources.

What to Consider When Evaluating a Day Camp

Once a camp has been selected, the real work begins. Even a day camp whose description looks great, may not be all it’s cracked up to be. Parents should ask plenty of questions and the camps should be ready and willing to answer them.

Depending on the personality of the child and whether or not he has spent time in camps, after school care, or day care, he may or may not be enthusiastic about the idea. Don’t give up! Camps with well-trained staff are well equipped to deal with reticent campers and can usually help ease the transition for even the most resistant child.

Questions to Ask of a Summer Day Camp

In addition to the background and training of the staff, parents should know:

• How long has the camp been in operation?
• What is the counselor to camper ratio?
• What is the setting like? Is it clean, well organized, etc?
• Will campers be transported anywhere during the day and how?
• What procedures are in place for emergencies?
• What is the daily schedule?
• Are there additional costs involved, besides the registration fee?

Some camps may also provide the names of past campers for reference.

By doing some digging and asking a few questions ahead of time, parents can help ensure not only a great camp experience for the kids, but a less stressful summer for the whole family.

Since going solo, it would be fair to say that Derek Webb is known for writing thought provoking lyrics with a musical style in the vein of acoustic singer/songwriter. To say Webb spoke his mind would be an understatement.

Change in Musical Style

Webb’s fourth solo album, The Ringing Bell, has the same thought provoking lyrics but has shifted the musical styling just a bit. He has traded in the hollow acoustic for the solid body electric. Webb kicks up the tempo for most of the songs and harkens back to a time when dissent in music was the norm.

When talking about the change in style, Webb says, “I have just been listening to too much Beatles and too much of the great plugged-in Dylan music.” The influences of the Fab Four and Bob Dylan can be felt through much of the CD. From the transition of “The End” to “The Very End”, the first two songs on the disc, to the rockin’ riffs that open up “A Savior on Capitol Hill” we are treated with Webb and Co.’s version of 60s era Rock and Roll.

The Ringing Bell Challenges Us

True to his previous albums, Webb takes a closer look at his soul and bares what he sees to his audience. “A Love That’s Stronger Than Our Fear” challenges us with the real strength of our convictions. He believes in exactly what the title says. The laid back rock sound gives the song a deceptive feel good vibe. Those that listen to the lyrics will be rewarded with a message that encourages while it challenges.

The opening riff of “I for an I”, along with the punctuated guitar riffs interspersed, could be included on The White album. Webb brings home the message he hopes to convey on this CD with this song. “I think The Ringing Bell is a record about peace on the whole,” he says of the concept.

Some Fun Moments

While The Ringing Bell does tackle some heavy and important issues, Webb isn’t a wet blanket. “I Want to Marry You All Over Again” is a lighthearted love song. It’s a tale of the meeting and courtship between Webb and his wife, the beautiful and talented Sandra McKracken. Whether it’s really true to life or not, it’s sweet and fun and shows Webb’s heart.

The Ringing Bell Convicts Us

If there is one thing Webb is good at, it’s making his audience look within themselves. He turns the mirror around and makes them take an honest look. His closing song doesn’t have the rocking beat of its predecessors, but it might just have the most power.

“This Too Shall be Made Right” digs up the muck that is in all of our souls. It brings to the surface the apathy that many are guilty of for personal gain. Webb evokes sad images of war and hunger that happens all over the world. He hits too close to home when he says, “I join the oppressors of those I choose to ignore/ I’m trading comfort for human life/ and that’s not just murder it’s suicide.”

When Webb gives us a message, it’s one that he has labored over. He has asked the questions of himself and searched the depths of his soul. He does a service of making Christians take a look at what they believe and why they believe it. Whether or not they change those beliefs is neither here nor there. They will have a better understanding why they believe what they do.

So, you are retired but you are still considering
going back to work. Well, most retirees all over the world today go back to
work after official retirement. So, it’s something normal. Besides, it can help
you make some money and supplement your fixed income. Besides, having something
to do is a great thing as it gives you a sense of purpose. While going back to work is always a good thing to do
for most people in retirement, you should never take up any part-time job
before considering the following.

1. Job
   environment

Not all job environments are friendly to people who
have attained the age of 65 and above. So, before you take up that job, find
out whether the job atmosphere is friendly to the elderly.

• Your
  passion

Before you take up any part-time job after retirement,
ensure that you are passionate about what your job description entails, and
that you will enjoy doing that job. When you are enjoying your golden years,
your happiness is what should matter, and money should come second. Don’t just
take up a job because you need to earn some money, or just because you don’t
want to stay at home doing nothing. Even if the job is in line with your
career, don’t accept it unless you are passionate about what you are expected
to do.

• The
  pay

The pay is another important factor every retiree
should consider before taking up a job after retirement. Consider how much you
will be paid for the job. This is especially true if your income is fixed and
reduced, and you want to earn some money to boost your income.

• Taxes

Don’t just consider your gross income. Consider what
taxes you are supposed to pay while on that job, and then ensure that the money
you are going to earn will cater for all the taxes. Remember that failure to
pay taxes can attract huge fines in any country.

• Expenses

What you are paid also matters a lot. Even if earning money is not the reason you are going back to work after retirement, you should ensure that the money you are going to earn will at least cover all the expenses that come with the job. For instance, what you are going to earn should cover expenses such as transportation, parking, meals and so on. Enroll in 2019 Medicare advantage plans via https://www.medicareadvantageplans2019.org