Skip to main content

Sunday Sundown Rundown - 8/23/20

 

3 Up

1. California Firefighters - Let's give it up to the awesome firefighters who are battling the raging wildfires in California right now. 2020 has been a year of recognizing the real heroes in our society, these individuals deserve that same recognition. 

BTW - This includes the many imprisoned men and women forced to fight fires for ridiculous wages by law in California. I'll leave this as is...but you know where I would've gone with it.

2. Luka Doncic - My man is phenomenal to watch. Also, can we stop comparing all awesome white basketbal players to Larry Bird? Nonetheless, Luka is amazing to watch. Mavs fans went from watching Dirk for twenty years right into Luka - I'm so incredibly jealous. 

3. WWE "Thunderdome" - Say what you want about the product right now, but there is one thing that WWE does better than any other entertainment and sports organization in the world - production. The introduction of the "WWE Thunderdome" - agreed, it's a cheese-ball - is now the standard of presentation on the COVID era. 

3 Down

1. California Fires - If the world hasn't given us enough in 2020, those in California now have wildfires that are raging and burning down their homes to also deal with. 

2. Tennessee New Bill - America simply continues to find ways to suppress voting measures. If she's not removing mailboxes, closing polling sites, or imposing voting taxes, she's now using the stripping of voting rights to maintain the status quo. Unbelievable. 

3. Lori Loughlin and Mossimi Gianulli - Yes, the sentence makes me sick. Actually, all of it makes me very sick. Just a huge WTF, and SMH. 

1 Ridiculous

1. Fernando Tatis Jr. 3-0 Criticism - Baseball is the only sport that has a budding young phenom who is highly entertaining and tampers it down with absurd reasoning. Don't hit that grand slam, one of the most exciting things in the sport, but instead, take a strike. Baseball just doesn't do itself any favors in this department. 

Recently Read

Dear Son, Big Fan of the Kid Turning Seven

---7 Years Old --- Dear Son,  It’s been a while since I’ve dropped a few thoughts. Forgive me, I’ve just been watching. Just observing. Taking it all in. Trying to be a good dad. I’m punching the keys today from one of your martial arts practices. It’s your second with “the big kids” and also the second time I’ve found myself watching from the sidelines with anxiety, with pride, and with likely my biggest fandom for you yet in this space. My feelings are much more than you playing baseball or coaching you in basketball. Your disposition is different. Your excellence is different in this space. With martial arts, you stay diligent with the process. Respectful. Working hard. Getting better. In competition with and respecting the older kids you are training with. That’s what I’ve enjoyed. It encapsulates everything you’ve grown into thus far. Still empathetic as ever, but adding an element of self-ambition and drive - something I’ve prided myself on - and to see you mature into this m...

Working in Higher Ed, Lately

"Working in higher education must be interesting these days, huh?" That question was posed to me by several people who recently learned that I worked in higher education. The recent discourse around the industry and field has certainly shifted in narrative and the overall feel within it. I recently wrapped up my fourteenth (!!) academic year. It's remarkable to think that I've been serving students and following a passion for this long. This is especially the case considering the rising turnover, the documented yearly burnout, and the increasing exodus from the field.  And, yup, there is that whole enrollment cliff combined with the politics that are more present than ever on college campuses.  So yeah, higher education is weird right now. Very weird.  Some quick thoughts : IS IT TIME?  Yes, I have thought about leaving the field several times. Especially, over the last few years. COVID didn't really bother me, but it's safe to say that the world of higher edu...

Quick Ponder: Future Self

We always think,  what would we say  to our  younger self? However,  what would  our younger self say  if they met us, today?