Skip to main content

Sunday Sundown Rundown - 11/26/23


3 Up

1. Hostages Released - It might not be an overwhelming consensus - as this topic is so polarizing that I doubt we come to such agreements. Regardless, having innocent individuals released is a plus in the situation. I wish we still didn't have innocent people dying, but that's a whole other topic. 

1a. Cease Fire - Who knows how long this will last. But the fact there is an agreement in place while hostages are being released is a plus. Take it. 

2. Thanksgiving - The older I get, the more this day has a deeper focus and a sense of gratitude. Please take a moment today to focus on that among all of the chaos of food, family, friends, and everything else. 

3. CM Punk Return - How cool was that? CM Punk returns to the WWE at the Survivor Series. Never say never in that company. 

3 Down

1. NBA Ethics Optics - From Miles Bridges to Josh Giddey, its been really difficult lately to trust the NBA's moral compass. I'm not throwing them under the bus as they've done their investigations and typically are by the law, but watching Bridges and Giddey on the court is tough. I can't deny that. 

2. People Leaving Election Jobs - Why are we like this? I sometimes wonder if all of this talk of "freedom" and "democracy" is truly understood. Or is it as ambiguous, rather, different in expression, as it can feel? I don't blame election workers, but the process needs restoration. 

3. College Football Money - College athletics has a problem with students making money. Yet, we have coaches all over the place accepting buyouts at absurd amounts of money. It's hard for me not to take the side of the students when these kinds of figures are being thrown out. 

By the way, many college football coaches come off like such tools. There are times they almost feel like caricatures who are so absurd, they're unreal. Just my thoughts...

Cover Photo

Bollywood actor Anushka Sharma hugs her husband – Indian cricketer Virat Kohli – after India lost the men’s cricket World Cup final match against Australia in Ahmedabad

Credit: Mir Farid/AP

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?