Dome Pondering

So, A-Rod... Yup, the most fascinating athlete in my lifetime (in my opinion of course) is giving us more material and more head shaking fodder than we can digest these days. As I've stated before, I've long written and wrapped up A-Rod's career once all of this Biogenesis stuff began ( Homeless: A-Rod's Legacy Is defined ).  However, it was in a conversation with my brother-in-law and my wife's cousin (Cousin-in-law?) about all things baseball in which a light bulb suddenly went off in my head. In the midst of discussing on base percentages, the relevance and applications of WAR and defensive metrics, the ideal number two hitter, Tony LaRussa's quirky use of the pitcher in the eight spot, and of course, A-Rod, it occurred to me how much his failed trade to the Red Sox changed so many things in the game.   Back in the early parts of 2004, the Red Sox and Rangers had a deal in place to swap Alex Rodriguez and Manny Ramirez, only to see the deal fal...

3 Up 1. Derek Jeter - If I said The Captain would hit a home run on his first pitch in his return, it would sound crazy. If Hollywood scripted it in a movie, it would seem too cheesy. But, that's what happened, and it was pretty awesome.  2. Qing Chen - For being a hero and saving a toddler who somehow fell out of a window above a store and ended up on an awning. Quick thinking and poise in a scary situation. 3. Matt Harvey - The guy is unbelievable. The Mets have themselves an absolute stud going forward. 3 Down 1. Anthony Weiner - Dude, seriously? Carlos Danger? Really?! Someone really needs to take texting off of your phone plan. Quite frankly, you are now up for another run of "Idiot of the Year" and the "What Were You Thinking?" Awards of the year. 2. Royal Baby Stalkers - I have a good amount of family from the UK and currently living in the UK, so I understand the importance of the new addition to the royal family. However, for ...

The following is another post that was put up on the popular blog about TNA Wrestling, TNAsylum.com. The piece written by yours truly was once again posted on the popular blog for a larger audience to see. For those interested, I touched on some of the small things TNAWrestling could do to help connect their characters to casual wrestling fans. You can either read the piece on the TNAsylum website , or below.

3 Up 1. Educated Comments on George Zimmerman Case - From President Obama to Sir Charles Barkley, there were a few really insightful and educated comments made this week.  2. Mariano Rivera's Moment - Simply. Just. Awesome.  3. First Fenway Park Visit - Yours truly makes not only his Boston debut today, but visits Fenway park for the first time for what else, Yankees vs. Red Sox. 3 Down 1. Rolling Stones Cover - Some don't dislike it, others hate it. I'm in the group of the latter. If the WWE can erase a guy like Chris Benoit from the history books, and the NFL can as well with Aaron Hernandez, why on earth should we glorify someone that produced terrorism in our nation? I just don't like the idea at all, and find it tasteless.  2. Summer Heat Wave - I like summer, but this week's temperatures have just been insane.  3. Carly Rae Jepsen's First Pitch - She might have done well in this year's DP All-Star Clash, but this act was ...

211. If you could be the master chef in any restaurant in the world, where would you choose to cook? I would probably be the chef at the White House. I couldn't think of a more dignified position to be a chef  than to prepare meals for the President of the United States.  212. If you could ensure that your child has one experience that you have had yourself, what would you want it to be? It would be to grow up in a diverse, multi-cultural, and passionate atmosphere such as New York City. Being able to relate and understand other cultures and other people is something I would want my child to be able to do and experience at a young age.

There really is not much I can say in regards to the acquittal of George Zimmerman this past Saturday. The charges of manslaughter 2 were a bit much by the prosecution as well as the underwhelming convicting evidence presented throughout the case. And honestly, there was always that feeling that you knew - you just knew - there was no way things would workout the way it should. Similar to the Casey Anthony case ( Unbelievable: The Casey Anthony Verdict ), by laws of the land, Zimmerman was not guilty, but in the court of popular opinion (and common sense), he is. We all know what happened.  As the dust settles on what is sure to be a case we all will remember, I really have no further reaction to the case. None. There is just too much out there for me to bring anything new to the table. Plus, I said my piece last March ( Same Old Script With Trayvon Martin Case ). And truly, still after a year has passed, those words still represent my opinion.

3 Up 1. Tim Lincecum - Just when we all started asking that question, " what happened to Tim Lincecum? ", he goes out and tosses a no hitter, with thirteen strikeouts as an exclamation point.  2. Improved Health of Nelson Mandella - For the last few weeks it seems as if the great Nelson Mandella was in his final days. However, with recent improvement, things are beginning to turn around. With all of the social and civil rights agendas that are hot topics, losing Mandella right now would be tough.  3. Talib Kweli's Latest Album, Prisoner of Conscious - With all of the hype over Jay-Z's "Magna Carta Holy Grail", Kanye West's "Yeezus", and J-Cole's "Born Sinner", Prisoner of Conscious earns my endorsement over them all for best rap album. Yes, I just said that. For me, album of the summer...so far.  3 Down 1. Trayvon Martin/ George Zimmerman Verdict - I know it sounds weird, but when I said that "I wasn'...

To say that the social reputation or acceptance of faith in our society is at an all-time low is very accurate. When it comes to faith, spirituality, or even that now overused and negative sounding word of "religion", there seems to be a concise eye-roll, mockery, or even the wave of the hand gesture signifying, "it's not for me".  Today we see a growing percentage of Americans who consider themselves athiests, non-believers, or even a part of other forms of spirituality in which they live their lives. All religions are now seen as something that limits the mind, rather than guiding the soul.  This is especially seen in the reputation of Christianity which has gone from household mandate in the early part of the 1900's to now being the focus of hate, hypocrisy, ridicule, and sheer passable acknowledgement in it's existence.

Note: I used to work for a park slowly in continued development in Manhattan that is five miles along the waterfront of the Hudson River. As a Public Programs Coordinator, yours truly handled anything public related in regards to permitting (athletic facilities, film shoots, photo shoots, weddings, and other small gatherings), and of course, dealing with any questions or inquiries from the public. The following series will present stories, e-mails, phone calls, conversations, interactions, and sights I've seen from the people of New York City in regards to a public park. And yes, these are all real! And are all true! Welcome to another little snippet of Parks and Recreation.

I'ts been awhile since the DP has featured a Pondering 10 list. Too long to be honest. With summer in full swing, my favorite time of the year, more so that Thanksgiving, Christmas, New Years, or any other distinct period, why not explain the reasons in a P10 list? So without further explanation or further fluff, here is the new Pondering 10: Favorite Things of Summer.

What a year the NBA had. It was thrilling, compelling, record-setting, and downright gripping. And for the first time in many, many years, even my Knicks didn't drive me up a wall! Sure, the playoffs gave me agita as expected, but looking back on it all, I would say I was very satisfied with the season of my boys in orange and blue.  As for the eventual champs, what can I say that wasn't explained in my post following the Miami Heat's win ( Another Heat Title Leaving Jordan-like Impressions )? I respect them. But I still loathe them. Just being honest. But once again, how can you not tip your cap to a twenty-seven game winning streak, that tremendously hard fought series with the Indiana Pacers in the Eastern Conference Finals, and of crouse, being one rebound away from losing in six in the NBA Finals? Resiliency at its best.  As for LeBron, the guy continues to get better, and better, and better. And quite frankly, it scares me.

3 Up 1. July 4th Weekend - I love summer, this blessed nation, and barbecues. July 4th simply puts those all together for a really awesome time.  2. Andy Murray - Winning Wimbledon is a big deal. Ending a 77 year drought for the Brits claiming the mid-summer major - historic.  3. Bruce Bochy - Kudos to you on not caving into the pressure of adding Yasiel Puig to the National League All-Star team. Allowing the fans to vote him is the right decision. There are too many guys who are well deserving to have their spot taken by Puig.  3 Down 1. Asiana Boeing 777 Crash in San Francisco - Plane crashes are never good, and always serious business. But when you hear stories of the pilot not logging enough hours to properly operate the plane, it makes you really worry about traveling. Really, it simply makes you think about how sudden your life could be over.  2. Anderson Silva - Dude, you got exactly what you deserved. Showboating is flashy and impress...

It's not often I puff my chest out and raise my chin up in a certain self-pride that my personality naturally cancels like two inverted fractions (hey! How about that blast from the past).  Nonetheless, we each have those moments time-to-time that make us realize what we are truly capable of when adversity enters her challenging doubts into our lives. And sometimes, those challenges are internal, only self-assuring and gratifying enough to the individual, and for the individual to truly understand.  Over the past month or so I've been suffering through an unknown illness that has really sapped my way of life. In the early stages, I was bed ridden with no energy, enduring several migraines, and the feeling of being, as I told my wife - the tag team partner for you new devotees - two percent. If you can imagine what feeling like two percent would feel like (With 0% being death), that's what I imagined it to be.