Dome Pondering

So when did expressing your first amendment right suddenly become un-American?  Look, many are going to flare up in anger on either side of the fence, much the way they already have, in reading this post - if you choose to do so. But the recent Colin Kaepernick situation has me flustered, confused, baffled, and quite frankly, a bit amused.   - Returning to my opening statement, when did taking a neutral position on sitting for the national anthem suddenly become an expression of hate for one's country? Again, I have yet to understand why many are lashing out against Kap for expressing the very right which makes us American in the first amendment? - I find the "insult to the military" argument to be utterly weak and ridiculous. Why are American's always so hell bent on rating, grading, and declaring the level of someone else's patriotism? We're always looking for an unmarked box to quickly scream, "NOT AMERICAN!". More on that in a bi...

I pulled over to take this picture on a road trip from Santa Maria to Long Beach, California. I had to pull over. It didn't seem real. It still doesn't.

3 Up 1. Simone Manuel - What else can be said about Simone Manuel? Her accomplishments this past week in earning gold far surpasses just athletic dominance and amazement. It's empowering, moving, inspiring, and yes, a long way from pools being drained because blacks touched the pool water.  2. USA Swimming - Obviously, there was Manuel, but of course, there was Michael Phelps who  might beleive is part fish. Maybe one hundred percent fish, just in a human's body. And then there is Katie Ledecky, who well, might be a fish too. And kudos to Lily King who stood up against doping. Loved that personal conviction shining through.  3. "The Final Five" - These girls were amazing in their dominance in gymnastics. I don't know a lick about gymnastics, and it was easy to see the sheer brilliance and one-of-a-kind special-ness that was n display.  3 Down 1. Thai Explosions - In a world where it's becoming evident that nowhere is safe, Surat Thani was...

Drew Hallowell/Getty Images I'm not sure how else to word this, whatever this is I feel about Alex Rodriguez NOT playing baseball as a Yankee anymore, so I'll just post a picture for now. A-Rod in pinstripes is really over. I can't believe it. It's been quite a ride. Bring on the new chapter of the New York Yankees. Goodbye A-Rod. So weird that it's over. #Yankees — Dome Pondering (@DomePondering) August 13, 2016

For some reason, the Olympics have taken my attention by storm. The event sort of crept up on me without much anticipation, but has become a mainstay on my nightly television despite some self-sabotaging efforts from NBC. More on that in a bit. Regardless, here are some quick takeaways from the first week of action.  - How freakin' amazing is Michael Phelps? At the point of this writing, Phelps sits at 22 Gold Medals (26 overall). Let me say that again, that's twenty-two freakin' gold medals! One is a major accomplishment for any athlete. Two is extraordinary. Mmmmmm, we can say four is legendary. Phelps has twenty two. Twenty flippin two!  The more you watch Phelps in his races, and the metal focus he embodies that comes before his races (see: #PhelpsFace), the more I realize how lucky we are to witness this era of sheer Olympic dominance. Amazing stuff. 

So this week marks the beginning of the end of for Alex Rodriguez as a member of the New York Yankees, and quite frankly, I am a little bummed. As you know if you follow this little blog called Dome Pondering, I am a big fan of Alex Rodriguez. In my opinion, he is the most fascinating athlete in my lifetime. You can talk A-Rod for hours, from potential, what ifs, his downfalls, and his overall talent. The guy has meant so much to baseball, no matter how you view his legacy.  So yes, I'm bummed to see him go. Yet, as a Yankee fan, I know that he needs to go.  As we close, I'm coming to grips on how he will be remembered. There is a lot of good, a lot of bad, and plenty of missed opportunities. He's not a Hall of Famer - that ship sailed for good on the second PED confirmation. But he did deliver one of the most clutch World Series runs I've ever seen, which flies in the face of scrutiny about him getting it done "when it matters". And let's be...

3 Up 1. Zion Harvey - Zion unfortunately lost his hands to a bacterial infection at the age of two. Zion then became the first child in the world to receive a double hand transplant. He went on to throw out the first pitch at an Orioles games this week. Awesome story.  2. Katie Ledecky - So not only did Ledecky make us all feel insecure when she brought home a gold medal at the age of fifteen four years ago in London, but she decided to smash a world record she set in convincing fashion this week. Oh yeah, and she picked up another gold medal in doing so.  3. Ichiro - What can you say? This dude is 42 years old, and still hitting, and now, the 30th member of the 3,000 hit club. Ichiro really is one of the best players to ever play this game. It's so amazing to think he began his career here in the states at 27. What could have been?  3 Down 1. Paul O'Neal - Another young black man killed due to police violence. There needs to be a change, in both com...

With Mark Teixeira calling it quits, it truly feels like the end of an era. It's an era that Yankee fans haven't really come to grips with yet on what it meant, what it should mean, and ultimately, how we should feel about it but, it's an important era, nonetheless. It produced a championship, and that's the only measuring stick in Yankeeland.  With a championship that stands alone in 2009, a rarity in the existence of the Yankee franchise filled with dynasties and championships in clusters, this chapter was headlined by names like Sabathia, Teixeira, Rodriguez, and Cano which hasn't been digested as of yet. Maybe time will tell, but with Cano slugging in Seattle now, A-Rod a shell of his former self, Sabathia's glory days well behind him, and now, Teixeira calling it quits, that era is coming to a close.

After the success and personal enjoyment in going through  365 Thought Provoking Questions as well as the IF Factor series , I decided to dive into another series that presents similar dynamics in cognitive thinking. And of course, there was the feedback that some of you enjoyed going through it as well. With all of that said, let's start a new adventure in the "Would You Rather" Series. As always, thanks for reading, and enjoy! 1. Would you rather live to be 1,000 or live 10 different lives that last 100 years each? Wow. The first question is rather easy - 10 different lives that last 100 years each. At least this way I can take a break in between lives. You know, digest what happened in the last one. Be able to get better at things you usually don't get a second chance on in life. Just imagine how easy those teenage years become? Though, imagine what teenage years ten lifetimes from now will be like. Yikes. Regardless, 1000 years of consecutive life sou...