Dome Pondering

  This is the time of the year that is truly intriguing to every wrestling fan, Wrestlemania season. The months leading up to the biggest show in the industry is always filled with surprises, athleticism, and of course, entertainment. That road always begin with one of my favorite events, the Royal Rumble . The actual Royal Rumble match, which is sort of like the company's all-star game, involves the who's who of the WWE along with a few surprising entrants which makes for a great event. Over the years there have been Rumbles that have been very transparent and predictable, while others have been big shockers, yet, they all feature the present, the future, and sometimes, a little bit of the past in the industry. After this past Sunday, the 25th version of the Royal Rumble left me emotionally flat, and very worried about the wrestling industry as a whole.

33. If you could choose one book as a mandatory read for all high school students, which book would you choose? Well, if I could, I would have everyone read Friday Night Lights by H.G. Bissinger because it's pretty much an awesome book with real ideals that face our culture as a nation. And of course, it is my favorite book. However, I don't really think FNL would be appreciated by the High School student looking to get out of reading assignments. The book more suitable would be one that I recently completed, Tuesday's With Morrie by Mitch Albom. A short read with reasonable chapters that is filled with questions and thought consuming ideals that can help prepare students for life beyond High School in an enlightened way. It's a book that would connect with the youth, and has unlimited potential for classroom discussions. 34. Would you rather have less work or more work you actually enjoy doing? Easily more work that I actually enjoy doing. Have you

As Super Bowl XLVI is now set between the New York Giants and the New England Patriots, a Jets fan like myself could not be any more depressed about the possible outcome of this year’s big game. A season which was anticipated to be a joyful one, has crashed and burned like no other. However, as I dread the next two weeks of Super Bowl hype, I find myself thinking about Mets fans, and the feeling of embarrassment they must have as those four great words – pitchers and catchers report – nears. My Super Bowl misery is nothing in comparison to the no-light-at-the-end-of-the-tunnel hope they are experiencing. Yes, I am a Yankees fan, and a die hard one, however, with all of the recent turmoil, mismanagement, and hopelessness that surrounds Citifield, I find it a bit harsh to revel in such gloominess. Heck, after all, as a big Knicks and Jets fan, I can somehow relate. I’ve made it known in the past the resemblances of the Knicks and Mets ( Metropolitan’s Mishap Mirror Midtown ). Yet

With his recent retirement announcement, the 2012  season will be the first one for the New York Yankees since 1994 without Jorge Posada . For many Yankee fans, the absence of number twenty in the lineup continues the unforgiving truth that our heroes from the late nineties are stepping away from the game. Now with Posada hanging up the spikes, the core four that has been lauded for their loyalty and consistency, is now down to two. And with the discussion of whether Posada, who continued a lineage of great Yankees catchers, should be placed in the Hall of Fame, his career is under a microscope more than anytime, moreso than when he played. And while fans, experts, analysts, statisticians, and even haters weigh in on either side of the HOF coin, there is a certain Jorge Posada that I hope does not get lost in the number crunching and reasoning, and it is summed up into two words: pride and grit.

It wasn't too long that I found myself worked up about this issue. In fact, I had such strong emotions and opinions that I needed two posts ( Why Did Derrion Albert Have To Die ) ( Why Did Derrion Albert Have To Die - Part II ) to somewhat cover the reverberations of those feelings. Sickening. Disturbing. Disgusting. All adjectives that were tied to the story of Derrion Albert. Yet, of it all, the strongest way to describe the horrific ending to the story of Derrion Albert was wrapped into one simple question - why? On Wednesday, January 18th, 2012, I found myself engulfed in the same passionate bit of rage and raw emotion as I opened up the New York Daily News website and read the lead story titled, " 7 Teens, Including a girl, arrested in brutal beating of Chicago Boy ". As I read, I could not help but make the comparisons to the situation that lead to the tragic ending of Derrion Albert's life. Both in Chicago. Both involved the youth. Both somehow filme

For more articles, documents and text (some never released) from and about Dr. King, please check out a new personal favorite, www.thekingcenter.org .

17. Have you done anything lately worth remembering? Remembered by whom exactly? We all perform, act, and accomplish various things that can be construed differently in terms of worth remembering. Some like to be the center of attention, others strive for goals, and others are discreet with charitable ways. Being remembered is also in the eye of the beholder. You can be remembered in the worst of ways and for the changing the world. And sometimes, the memorable part isn't worthy at all. At the end of the day, I haven't done anything other than doing everything possible to help and progress my friends and family. Yet, to comply with this series and to answer the question, as a low-key person, nope, I guess I haven't. 18. What does your joy look like today? My tag team partner, or in normal terms, my wife. She's weird, awkward, interesting, creative, and most of all crazy. Yet, her craziness is like heaven.

There are often questions in life that cause the gears in our brains to move endlessly. Sometimes we have a handle on these questions, other times, we simply stare in mere panic and embarrassment, as we rush for a clever answer, but stall to find the truth with in us. A new series here at the DP and in-line with the original and still motivating theme of our little blog here, "As we struggle to make sense of things, life looks on in repose", yours truly will tackle over the course of 2012 the ever so popular 365 Thought Provoking Questions written and compiled by the folks over at Marc and Angel Hack Life . Here are my answers to these difficult and provoking questions. What are yours?

Credit: Ric Tapai/NFL Photos "After all these years I completely understand why Tim Tebow is admired by so many, and it is not because of what he did on the field, but in fact, who he is"  Yours truly wrote those words on February 6th, 2010 ( Jumping Aboard The Tim Tebow Bandwagon ) in response to the controversial legendary status of Tim Tebow at the University of Florida. At the time, I found Tebow to be a superb athlete with amazing will and leadership, but a poor quarterback with limited tools. Sound familiar? However, it was shortly before his departure to the NFL that I understood what makes Tim Tebow, well, Tim Tebow - his character. A character that embodies leadership, honor, respect, and a personal favorite, faith.

I have never been one to be amazed, engulfed or interested in or by the lives of celebrities. I have seen my share of celebrities and famous people in my lifetime and even have had the chance to converse with a few, yet, removing the two or three times I have been nervous or "star struck" in someone's presence, never have their lives ever consumed mine. So when it comes to the pop culture world of gossip, rumors, first photos, hook-ups, break-ups, babies, fashion, and meltdowns, I could not be any less interested. I know, breaking news, yours truly is not in pop culture...shocker. However, the response and frenzy to Jay-Z and Beyonce's new baby girl has truly triggered perplexing thoughts on our society, and it's now more-than-ever apparent social hierarchy. Blue Ivy Carter, who was born this morning has not only caused fans of both stars worldwide to discuss and share their thoughts on the topic, but the interest expands to casual fans as well. Howev

Same. Old. Jets.  And so goes the saying after every season that ends without the Vince Lombardi trophy in Woody Johnson's hands. A normality, and usual feeling and/or saying for every New York Jets fan in the nation.  However, after the debacle in which this season ended, it leaves an unusually bitter taste rather than that normal flavoring of disappointment. This year, as has been so thoroughly discussed and analyzed, the Jets imploded more so than were defeated. We all witnessed the makings of the perfect tragedy with superstar captains quitting mid-game, coaches not having "the pulse" of the team, the typical blame of the general manager, the quintessential criticism of the offensive coordinator and finally the cherry on top, the on-going quarterback debate come together to destroy the Jets season.

What is it about?  Paul Conroy, a United States truck driver working in Iraq, wakes up buried alive in the desert after his convoy was attacked by a group of terrorists. With only a lighter and a cell phone, Conroy must battle the threats of terrorists and race against time in order to escape.  Who is in it? Ryan Reynolds - Paul Conroy

On December 30th, Brock Lesnar announced his retirement following a first round TKO defeat to Alistair Overeem. The announcement marked the end of an interesting run by Brock Lesnar in the Ultimate Fighting Championship. It is not a secret that Dana White and the UFC attempted to make Lesnar the face of the company. Fight fans complained about the promotion of Brock's fights and the fast track he was given to the World Heavyweight title, including the hypocritical nature of White promoting the former pro wrestler.  However, it was hard to argue with the numbers and attraction that Lesnar brought. Lesnar fights drew casual fans into MMA, including helping pro wrestling fans cross over to continue following Lesnar's career.

What is it about?  A ballet dancer is perfect in portraying White Swan in her role as Swan Queen, but eventually loses her mind in her attempt to become the Black Swan.  Who is in it?  Natalie Portman - Nina Sayers Mila Kunis - Lily Vincent Cassel - Thomas Leroy