What I can’t understand [...]]]> I can understand if people don’t like the Lakers. And, I can definitely understand why people wouldn’t like the deal they orchestrated to obtain Chris Paul. It is a step in helping the Lakers build a dominate team for many years to come. Bad news for teams like Dallas and Miami.

What I can’t understand is how the NBA, the owners, David Stern, or whoever is responsible for nixing the deal, can justify their actions. The deal “isn’t good for basketball.” Really? To me it looked like the NBA was getting tons of publicity when the deal broke. It would only boost the ratings for the Christmas opening to have Chris Paul in a new role with the Lakers.

The deal is “unfair” to the small market teams? Really? There were some great players involved in that trade. I might even argue that the Lakers were giving up too much to obtain Paul. The problem is, the small market teams are always going to have trouble keeping/obtaining big names. Why penalize them by not allowing them to trade their players and get something in return before they walk away as free agents?

There was an email uncovered from one of the owners to Stern calling foul because the deal would help the Lakers move closer to the salary cap, while obtaining a star player. How can you penalize a team for trying to save a little money? Oh, it’s because that would shrink the NBA’s profits generated by the luxury tax fees? Let me cry foul regarding your greedy ways for trying to keep a team well above the luxury tax threshold.

This whole charade stinks. What I don’t get is why anyone would want to play in a league where trades can be rejected because someone doesn’t like it.

I sure hope the league lets the deal go through. I don’t think they can give any real justification for their actions.

My fear is that this is going to negatively affect the few record stores that are left and drive up prices of used discs.

Fears aside, it just saddens me that a whole generation will [...]]]> Here’s the news I’ve been dreading for quite some time. I can’t say it surprises me but… dang.

My fear is that this is going to negatively affect the few record stores that are left and drive up prices of used discs.

Fears aside, it just saddens me that a whole generation will not know the joy of going to a store on Tuesday to pick up the newest releases. They will miss out on the entire social experience of purchasing music.

Don’t get me wrong, iTunes is great, but it can never give you the same experience. It’s just not the same.

I’m gonna have to go off and cry a little now.

My question is why? Why would someone need to use the Gmail app?

Don’t get me wrong, I love Gmail. I have my Gmail account setup as an Exchange Account on my [...]]]> So, rumor has it that Google is working on a Gmail app for iOS. They may have even submitted it for review already.

My question is why? Why would someone need to use the Gmail app?

Don’t get me wrong, I love Gmail. I have my Gmail account setup as an Exchange Account on my iPhone. You can also set it up with IMAP or SMTP, but Exchange allows me to sync my email, contacts and calendar. If it’s on Gmail (including calendar and contacts) it’s on my phone, if it’s on my phone it’s on Gmail. It works great. I have no complaints.

So, my question is why? Why would someone need a separate app for their Gmail? What would your Gmail experience gain from an app?

It’s really upsetting to me when votes fall along party lines and nothing gets done. Now, I’m not [...]]]> I got to thinking yesterday, when I heard that the House had voted down the President’s Jobs Bill, that I’m really tired of partisanship. What happened to compromise? What happened to working together toward the common good?

It’s really upsetting to me when votes fall along party lines and nothing gets done. Now, I’m not saying that the Jobs Bill is good or bad. This isn’t intended to be a commentary on that. What bothers me is that I get the impression that Republicans and Democrats will only vote for their own ideas. It doesn’t matter if it’s a good idea or not. What matters is who proposed the idea and that’s a terrible way to go about anything.

So, why do we let out politicians get away with it? Why do we settle for nothing getting accomplished? Are we so disillusioned that we think only one party can be right? I hope not. I hope we know better deep down inside. I hope that in the coming election we can set a course to change this situation. I hope we can get passed our hang ups and work together. We’ve seen what happens when we can’t so let’s try something different.

Apparently you should think twice about liking, or not liking, someone’s posts. Consider this your warning.

It is interesting though, the amount of validation we can get [...]]]> If you thought Facebook was good, harmless, fun, think again. I read this story recently on Mashable.com: Man Assaults Wife for Not “Liking” His Facebook Update (http://mashable.com/2011/10/09/man-assaults-wife-facebook/).

Apparently you should think twice about liking, or not liking, someone’s posts. Consider this your warning.

It is interesting though, the amount of validation we can get and give through social media. There’s power in a good comment, a retweet, or a simple “like.” We probably SHOULD think twice about how we use these tools to encourage. It could make the difference.

Why would Jesus ask his followers to take a peice of bread and some juice and remember him?

Was he afraid they would forget?

I forget things all the time. I can get up, walk into a room and completely forget what I was doing. I forget [...]]]> Do this in remembrance of me.

Why would Jesus ask his followers to take a peice of bread and some juice and remember him?

Was he afraid they would forget?

I forget things all the time. I can get up, walk into a room and completely forget what I was doing. I forget passwords, dates, conversations… The list goes on and on. I could see why we might need to be reminded to remember.

But something Bryan Schackmann asked in a class at church got me thinking a little more about this. He asked if Jesus lives inside us?

It can be a scary question if you were to answer it honestly. Is Jesus really a part of me?

And is that true all the time?

I don’t know that we, followers of Christ, ever COMPLETELY forget about Jesus, but we may not always live as though we remember him.

When we take the bread and juice in communion with each other and God we need to remember that Jesus is a part of each of us. Living in us.