Why I Love the Lakers

I admit it. I'm somewhat of a bandwagon fan. I've never supported the Lakers in their down years (I wasn't alive back then). However, I consider myself a pretty educated sports fan, and I feel that my love of the Lakers is fairly legitimate.

5) The enemy of my enemy is my friend.

I hate the Celtics. I can't stand Kevin Garnett. Sure, Garnett is only a recent Celtic, but I'm also a new NBA fan. Paul Pierce is too cocky. Rondo's arms are abnormally long, it's unfair. Kendrick Perkins is always angry. Baby Davis is a baby. I hate the Celtics.


This is what I call "Baby fat"

4) Likable Players

How can you dislike Lamar Odom and his obsession with candy? How can you root against Shannon Brown and his high-flying dunks? Sure, Derek Fisher can be a flopper at times, but don't you find it hilarious how much Luke Walton sucks or how Mbenga is made fun of by his entire team? No matter how much you disliked him as a Rocket, you have to admit that Ron Artest has cleaned up his game and isn't as crazy as he was before. But come on. LAMAR ODOM AND HIS CANDY! You can't hate the Lakers!



3) Fantasy Relations

As always, Fantasy sports always forms bonds between me and random players, and the Lakers have enough fantasy contributors that I've had at least one Laker on my fantasy basketball team every year. Lamar Odom, Trevor Ariza, and Ron Artest, thanks for contributing to my teams! I will continue to root for you no matter what team you're on!

2) Team Dynamics

The Lakers are very much like the Patriots of the NBA. Drama and selfishness aren't tolerated, and the team is always first. Of course this hasn't always been true, but the growth of Kobe Bryant as a leader has meshed the Lakers into a united steamroller in the Western Division. The Lakers have the perfect balance of experienced veterans and energetic youth, and everyone understands the role they have on the team. Like Belichick,  Phil Jackson is, as Skip Bayless calls him, a Zen Master that could care less about addressing the media and adhering to the league's rules about criticizing refs. The Lakers represent the perfect team.


(Also he kind of looks like KFC's own Colonel Sanders)

1) Kobe Bryant

The mental beast, the greatest player today. It's difficult to dislike Kobe Bryant. Sure a lot of people hate him, but it's really hard to hate the player he is. He shows up in big games and hits big shots. He's a cold-blooded killer and a fearless leader on the court and respectful and classy off of it. Kobe Bryant is a complete player. As Eric responded when asked if he was a Lakers fan, "I'm more of a Kobe fan."

Go Lakers!

The Origin of the MCCC Mando/Canto Divide

Why is there a Mando/Canto divide in MCCC? Are we really racist? Is there a significant socioeconomic or educational barrier? Is it just because Mandarin people are cooler?

Even though one of the three is probably a contributing factor (pssst the third one!), thinking over the history of our church and the different experiences the Mando and Canto kids have in MCCC, I believe I have uncovered the secret behind this violent cultural divide.

Listen my children and you shall see
The divide between the Mandos and Cantonese.
At the old church building while we prayed,
A foundation of hatred was being laid
Between the Mandos and Cantos in this church, Chinese.

For all of you that remember how things went at the old church, the English congregation met in the morning and the Chinese congregation met in the afternoon (if I remember correctly, it was 11 AM and 1:30 PM, respectively). The children of the Cantonese met at the same time as the English congregation, so the Cantonese and Mandarin kids really didn't know each other at all. We would meet in random times for big events like VBS and the Christmas service, but in general the Cantonese kids would meet with the Mandarin kids very little.

The Cantonese congregation had an especially strong identity and a closer bond to one another because of its small size, and this intimacy was also reflected in the kids. The Cantonese kids were extremely close to each other, as their parents were close friends and the Cantonese congregation had their own fellowships, their own services, and their own retreats.

The integration between the Cantonese and Mandarin kids started in youth group at around 6th and 7th grade. However, the closeness of the Cantonese kids was still very apparent, which caused everyone else to specifically refer to them as part of the Cantonese group. It was very clear who was Mandarin and who was Cantonese, not because of appearances or speech or anything else, but it was just the people they hung out with. As we grew older and became closer and closer with each other, this division shrank, making it somewhat more of a joke than a source of tension.

The Mando/Canto divide is dissolving, as now the Canto and Mando kids grow up together, as they go through Sunday School together, seeing each other every week.

The war is over.

An Automatic Car Cooling System

To the mechanical engineers of the world, here is my idea:

The Problem

In the summer, cars left out under the sun become like ovens, making it extremely uncomfortable when first getting into them. Getting into cars immediately cause sweat and discomfort, and it take a while before all the hot air is circulated out and the air conditioning kicks in. The current solutions to this problem are both inconvenient and ineffective, as they require screens of some sort to be put up by the windshield. While helpful, they often are just not worth the hassle of setting up.

My Proposed Solution

 My solution is to insert a solar panel on the car and to use solar energy to run small fans to continually circulate hot air out of the car and the cooler outside air into the car.

My key observations:

1) The car is hot when it is under the sun.
2) The main issue is the heat of the air, not the heat of the car itself (i.e. seats, steering wheel, etc).

Air circulation should effectively keep the air in the car relatively cool and not the heat sink that it is currently. In addition, it should keep the actual components of the car like the seats and steering wheel cool, as their heat will be transferred to the cooler air around it, which is continually being cycled. These fans should be able to run quietly for long periods of time without much energy consumption, which is something that air conditioning cannot accomplish. 

This is a relatively simple concept but the actually implementation might be difficult. Some things to consider are cost, correct placement of fans to create maximum air flow, and energy efficiency. I know that new Honda Civic Hybrids already have solar-powered air conditioning, so this add-on should be the natural next step.

In my opinion, this issue of hot cars in the summer is being overlooked by the automotive industries, as it doesn't really matter how much your car costs: if you leave it out in the sun, it's going to be nasty inside.

If any of you make any money off of this idea, I expect some sort of a reward...a new car would be nice.

Funny Picture:

Lakers, Celtics Game 2 Preview

This will be short.

What the Lakers need to do to win:
1) Stay aggressive and not settle for jumpshots.
2) The bench needs to play well as they did last game.
3) Rebound on the offensive and defensive end.

What the Celtics need to do to win:
1) Get more fast break opportunities
2) Defend the paint and grab boards.
3) Hit open 3's

After seeing what the Lakers have done, I fully believe they have the ability to easily win this series. However, the Celtics have more pride than most teams in the league, and they will come back angry. Kevin Garnett, who feels disrespected by Gasol, will play angry and aggressive. I wouldn't be surprised at all if there are a good number of hard fouls and technicals handed out.

Prediction:
Lakers 98, Celtics 90
Kobe Bryant: 30 points, 10 FT
Rajan Rondo: 20 points, 10 assists
Paul Pierce: 15 points

Lakers, Celtics Game 1 Preview

Series Preview

A lot has been said about how the Celtics are too big, mean, and physical for the Lakers to win. Pau is too soft, Fisher too slow, Bynum too injured, Odom too inconsistent, and Artest too loopy in the head. The Celtics are going to defend the post too well and run their fast-break offense too effectively for the Lakers to compete. This series is going to end the same way the 2008 series has.

This is exactly what Kobe needs to hear. Lakers fans point to Ron Artest being the defining difference between the 2010 and the 2008 teams, but I am convinced that this series is really Kobe's to win. Sure, Ron Artest brings a defensive presence and a toughness that the Lakers didn't have in 2008, but we only need to look to the leader of the team to find the team's real motivater. Kobe doesn't just want this championship. He needs it.

Even though Rondo has been touted as the best point guard in the NBA and the best quarterback in Boston (by Mark Jackson), Derek Fisher has defended Deron Williams and Steve Nash in the previous two series. Rondo's speed and athleticism won't be a surprise to Fisher. That said, Rondo's rebounding will be key, and if he grabs a lot of offensive rebounds like he did against the Magic, the Lakers could be in trouble.

think the Lakers bigs will have trouble with the combined defense of Davis, Garnett, Perkins, and Wallace. Kobe will need to soften up the defense and force double teams for his teammates to get open looks and easy buckets. Odom will need to play big, filling in for Bynum will explosive play.

I find it difficult to pick against Kobe in big-game situations, so here's my pick:
Lakers in 7. I think they'll win their first two home games and steal one at Boston. The Celtics have shown that they can win on the road, so they'll come back and even the series at 3-3, but I don't see the Lakers losing two straight home games. Lakers in 7. 

Game 1

The Celtics are very dangerous. But so is Kobe. Tonight, I think Pau will be overwhelmed by the physical play of the Celtics, making him less effective than he normally is. Kobe will shoulder much of the weight of the game, and if he shoots well, I don't see any way the Celtics steal Game 1. Ron Artest is going to be key playing at home. He needs to hit his open 3's, and if he keeps Paul Pierce from getting hot, the Celtics don't have many other players that can score consistently on the road against the Lakers.

The Lakers bench is going to prove their worth at home. Odom will play well at home, stepping up for Bynum, who probably won't play a very big role for the Lakers. Kobe will occasionally defer to his teammates, allowing them to gain confidence for the series, but he won't let the game slip out of his hands. It won't be a blowout, and the Lakers might have a good scare or two, but Lakers are going to win their first home game.

Lakers 90, Celtics 85
Kobe 25 points with 5 assists
Odom 15 points with 7 rebounds

On Dating

I've received a bunch of formspring questions asking about my thoughts and opinions and preferences of dating. Because my answer to a lot of these questions intersect, I'll attempt to answer them here.

The End
To me, the goal of dating is to marriage. This doesn't mean that a dating relationship is expected to end in marriage, but I think that the ultimate end of dating is marriage. A dating relationship is not considered successful outside of marriage, meaning that merely gaining experience or temporary comfort is inadequate. Dating without marriage in mind is useless and doesn't add much to life. Sure, the experience is helpful, but in the end, I think the hurt involved far outweighs the experience gained.

The Means
Dating is made possible only by Godly love. Even though we aren't fully capable of perfect love, Christ has given us the ability to be selfless and to put others above ourselves. People these days are afraid of the word "love" and afraid to use it. I think that the only way to have a successful relationship is through love. Sure, this love may be imperfect and need a lot of work, but without love, without being willing to sacrifice yourself for someone else, no relationship will be fruitful.

Because love means putting your own desires aside for the well-being of another, I firmly believe that anyone is "datable". This doesn't mean that I can or will date people that are very different from me or have qualities that I dislike, but it does mean that if God wants me to date or marry someone, He will give me the strength and selflessness I need to love so radically that any everything that seemed like a barrier before will be overcome. In the end, it is God who does both the choosing and the loving; I do neither.

The implications of everything I just said is that while there are things that I may not like in a person, I am to love the way Jesus has loved me: to forgive and to love. This isn't an idealistic thought that all obstacles are overcome as long as you love, but the idea is that God won't give me trials that I can't overcome or trials that He won't help me overcome.

My Preferences
I'm not going to post my preferences for a few reasons. First of all, it could be offensive and hurtful to others. Second, these are only personal preferences that I've noticed in myself, not strict rules or expectations I have of girls. Posting a list of preferences will only tempt me to treat them as expectations and strict guidelines, keeping my from trusting God's decisions and relying on my own desires.

On Dating Non-Christians
2 Corinthians 6:14-15: "Do not be yoked together with unbelievers. For what do righteousness and wickedness have in common? Or what fellowship can light have with darkness? ...What does a believer have in common with an unbeliever?" There are a lot of interpretations of this verse and opinions on dating non-Christians, so I'll just give mine. I think the general rule for all Christians is (and should be) to not date non-Christians. In my opinion, dating non-Christians should be done with caution and Christians should not marry non-Christians.

That said, I do believe that God can use relationships with non-Christians for His glory. Because God should be the center of any relationship, God should also be the center of all relationships, even if others are not Christian. If we love our friends and especially our significant others, we should, more than anything else in the world, desire their salvation. Jesus will love any girl infinitely more than I can love her, so the most loving and selfless thing for me to do is to just lead her to Jesus. Still, these relationships should be the exception and I think we need to hear God's call clearly in these situations.

Personally, I've only had one potential relationship with a non-Christian. Though I shared the Gospel with her, I found that I was changing more than she was and the way I was living my life wasn't very glorifying to God. I find that when I am close to God, my close friendships with non-Christians often suffer because I can't fully share my life with them. I don't want to impose on my friends and I don't want to be overbearing, so I don't share about my spiritual life very often. Though as Christians we want to say that we are open to dating all people and that our spiritual lives won't be affected either way, the reality is that dating a non-Christian is a risk that we should only take with an explicit call and blessing from God.

Random comic:

Waiting for my new phone...

Man...I can't wait for my phone to come. It's been almost one week since it's been ordered, but still nearly two more weeks before it will be shipped on June 7th. A recent Engadget article reported that the the long wait for phones is due to a shortage in the LED screens that the Incredible uses. 

 In a talk at a Barclays Capital conference today, McAdam made it clear that component shortages were to blame for the high-end Android handset's general unavailability -- specifically the Samsung-sourced AMOLED display, which is seeing duty in more phones all the time and will likely be in short supply for a while yet.  [http://www.engadget.com/2010/05/26/droid-incredible-confirmed-to-be-suffering-from-amoled-shortage/]

I can't wait for it to come. I feel like Calvin when he orders a beanie from a cereal box (comics are a bit small. control+ to make them more readable) :

Orlando Magic - Why There's Still Hope

Orlando is down 3-1. No NBA team has ever come back to win a series after being down 3-0, and after dropping three games to the Celtics, Orlando could be the first team to do it. Here are three reasons to have hope:

1.  Home Court Advantage

Orlando only needs to win one game on the road. If the Magic can rally behind their crowd and win their home games, they really only have one difficult game ahead of them in hostile territory. The home games are not given victories, as Boston stole the first two home games from the Magic, but if the Magic start thinking and playing like the monster of a team that they were in the regular season, they have a good chance of maximizing their home court advantage and winning the series. The Magic were 34-7 at home in the regular season, so the home court advantage could definitely be a big factor for them to come back.

2. Physical Youth

It's dangerous to concentrate too much on the effect of age on players, but the Magic have fresher legs both because of age and because of the long rests between the first two series. They are more equipped to handle  a long, grueling series because of younger players and (in my opinion), a deeper bench. As long as the Magic are in the game mentally, they should start winning the 50/50 balls and hustle plays.

3. Re-energized Stars

It's no secret that Orlando's star players like Dwight Howard, Vince Carter, Rashard Lewis, and Jameer Nelson underperformed the first three games of the series. In game 4, Dwight went 32-16 with 4 blocks, Rashard got his first double-digit scoring game against the Celtics this series with 13 points, and Jameer Nelson finished right below a double-double with 23 points and 9 assists. If Orlando's stars continue playing stars, I have no doubt that they'll have a chance to win every game they have left. The one big question mark for me is Vince Carter. He's the only player the Magic have that can truly create for himself, and if he doesn't perform, the Celtics will be able to defend the Magic much more easily.

Despite the talent and energy of the Orlando Magic, the team has one key factor missing.

Orlando is leaderless.
Orlando doesn't have a fearless leader, a player that takes losing personally and heaps the team's burden of winning on himself. Orlando has no MJ or Kobe to will their team to win. Adversity is difficult to overcome without a strong individual willing to shoulder all the weight of the team for the rest of the players on the team to look to. This could be the fatal factor, the nail in the coffin that will make it impossible for the Magic to come back and take the series from Boston.

...but wouldn't it be so great to see both the Bruins and the Celtics suffer historic comebacks? =D


Jameer Nelson, Running Back:

My One Haunting College Decision

Michigan's ultimate team, Magnum has a long tradition of greatness, always qualifying for and doing pretty well in the national tournament. Playing on Magnum was my dream ever since the college application process. I watched the following video over and over, hoping I would have the chance to make history at the greatest university in the world with one of the best ultimate teams in the country.

[It's such a freakin awesome video, right?!]

Freshman year, I had a chance at my dream. I came into college in shape and mentally prepared to make a big splash at the Magnum tryouts, and to some extent, I did. I made it onto the B team, the Magnum reserve team, and I went to all practices and finally went to a weekend-long tournament in Ohio. It was great. I was in great shape, playing well, and enjoying playing the only organized sport I have ever been involved in.

Then I quit the team. I was on the team for a month but quit the after realizing the the time commitment interfered with a lot of the things that I had already determined would be non-negotiables. These include Bible Study, church, and fellowship. I was determined not to allow anything to hinder my spiritual growth in college. I decided that being part of AIV was more important to me than being on the ultimate team.

This decision has haunted me for years. Many of the guys I tried out with that also only made the reserve team are now on Magnum. Every time I see them, I am reminded of the opportunity I missed out on. I have no doubt that if I had stayed on the B team, I would be on Magnum by now.  Every time I see someone wearing Magnum gear, I can't help but imagine what it would look like on me. I can't help but think about how awesome it would be to play on Magnum. I imagine myself scoring, throwing great passes, and making sick lays. I imagine myself holding a trophy and high-fiving and hugging teammates after a tournament victory. I imagine myself in great shape physically and great shape mentally as I mature in leadership on the team. Too bad those are only imaginations of my mind. The adrenaline of playing organize ultimate is incomparable, the comradery unparalleled. I got a taste of it, but it was just that: only a taste.

Did I make make the right decision? Was choosing AIV over Magnum the right choice? Thinking back, there are many negotiables that I confused as non-negotiables. For example: even though I was committed to going to a small group, I didn't necessarily have to go to the small group that interfered with my practices. I could have switched small groups (or even switched fellowships) if needed. In the end, I decided that AIV and the Stockwell small group were more important to me than Magnum. If I could change that decision, I might.

The mental stimulation and adrenaline of organize sports cannot be felt anywhere else. The exhilaration and joy of winning cannot be compared to winning in any other arena. The comradery and unity of the team cannot be matched, even in a healthy Christian community. I have passed up my last opportunity in organized sports, and I might live kicking myself for not jumping on this opportunity.

I chose AIV over Magnum, and I'll never know if I made the right decision.

The Illusion of Online Privacy

An obsession of privacy is an irrational, futile endeavor.
I find it interesting when people set their Facebook (and other web application) settings to have all sorts of privacy settings. They are creating for themselves an illusion of privacy. In the end, very few things on the web are truly secure, and if someone really wanted to steal your information, they really don't need Facebook to do it. In fact, most of your precious Facebook profile information can be found through a search in a phone book or directory.

To me, setting your Facebook profile sittings is like locking the front door of your roofless house. Sure, the casual observer wont be able to get into your house, but when someone really wants to steal your TV, locking the door won't matter. But people want to live in their illusion that what they put on Facebook cannot be found elsewhere. Sure, photos and stuff probably won't be elsewhere, but what exactly are you protecting, and why are you protecting it?



The REAL Facebook Controversy

Most of the people with opinions worth anything know that the real issue in this Facebook privacy controversy is NOT that it is now "less secure" but that Facebook dramatically changed their privacy policy 1) without really notifying users and 2) making it very difficult to change back to the original settings. These are the true questions that Facebook has to answer, not about why privacy sucks, because the truth is, privacy sucks in almost every application available.

Why does no one have an issue with Twitter? Is it because privacy is emphasized by Twitter? Of course not! Nobody complains about Twitter because they don't expect it to be private. When you use Twitter, you have a certain expectation of lack of privacy. This also applies to Blogger. People aren't furious that when they create a profile it's viewable by the entire internet. The issue for Facebook is this: they changed, and nobody knew it.

Random funny photo:

Phillies runner Tazed