Dome Pondering

Well that surely was interesting. Yes, it was highly anticipated, but not for what we expect a Presidential debate to be - to provide voters and the public with an opportunity to gauge and measure the policies, thoughts, prospective actions, and an overwhelming feeling for the empathy of each candidate.  And quite honestly, as a debate nerd, I very much dislike the cynicism, the cheap hype tactics, and the overwhelming emphasis on "entertainment" this debate has surrounding it. But then again, this presidential race has been nothing but hyperbole, cynicism, and all sorts of nonsense. So yeah, it was expected, and it was surely, well, interesting.  With that said, last night, we got ourselves the first of four anticipated debates to help us choose who will have the position of leader of the free world. Here are some quick thoughts on last night's first presidential debate:

Jasen Vinlove/USA Today Sports Life is way too short. #JDF16

3 Up 1. Betty Shelby Booked - It's only justice served that this woman was charged with murder for her actions against Terence Crutcher. Those who are claiming otherwise have political agendas or are just not privy to the understanding of what has been going on in our country for years, decades, even, centuries. That Terence Crutcher video is still horrifying.  2. Eduardo Perez - Kudos to Eduardo Perez in keeping his emotions together well and long enough to really educate and drive home the person - not the player - that Jose Fernandez was this morning. The story he shared about Fernandez jumping overboard to save a stranger when defecting to America, only to find out it was his mother was just crazy. Fernandez is gone way too young.  3. Jason Brown - Brown quite playing football at the age of 29 with $25 million in the bank and has since been running a farm to help feed those in need. Much respect to Brown who chose to get his money, and get away from the possibl

I originally intended to share some feelings on the latest wrongful death of a black man in this country, but right before punching the keys on this post, I immediately held the backspace button and deleted my opening thoughts.  Why?  Because, quite frankly, it's becoming exhausting to empty my soul on such a topic - again. After all, what is there left to say in which we haven't seen, read, felt, or reacted to over the past thirty or so months. After every situation similar to this (you know the names), we follow up with the outrage, the discussions, and then something comes along that provides a convenient discourse to bury the lead.  In a new layer in this latest spin, is the protest of that of Colin Kaepernick. To spare you the retro-feelings, you can read my thoughts on that here . But I will follow up on those thoughts by finding it very, very powerful the way his protest has spread to others, and now with another death of this kind, how it leaves those w

What is it about?  Toni, a little girl training at a boxing gym becomes enamored with dance. As she struggles to fit in and to pick up the routines, the group begins to suffer from fainting and violent spells. Who is in it? Royalty Hightower - Toni Alexis Neblett - Breezy

What is it about? A rookie bunny cop and perceived con-artist fox end up working together to uncover  conspiracy and preserve the right of an existence where all animals live together.  Who is in it? Ginnifer Goodwinn - Judy Hopps Jason Bateman - Nick Wilde

3 Up  1. 15th Anniversary of 9/11 - Never Forget. It's as simple as that.  2. Tim Tebow - I touched on this a little bit this week ( I Admire Tim Tebow ), and I'll again give credit to Tebow. He just signed a minor league contract at the age of twenty-nine. Say what you want, but the guy chases dreams despite his critics.  3. Travis Rudolph - After sitting with Bo Paske during his lunch in a photo that went viral last week, Rudolph followed up on this by giving Paske a personalized Seminole's jersey. This has been such a great story.  3 Down 1. North Dakota Pipeline - Where is the media coverage on this? Like the in-depth coverage to inform viewers of what this is really about? Unbelievable. And of course, nothing like continuing the marginalization of Native Americans in their own land. Ugh...America, sometimes.  2. Kaepernick Opposers - I still don't understand the viewpoint of those who wish Kaepernick to have "done it differently"

So Tim Tebow is playing baseball. Even more accurate is this little nugget - Tim Tebow is a player inside the New York Metropolitans' organization. Yeeeeeeeah, I'm not sure I've wrapped my mind around that fact as of yet, either.  Despite his dorky look during his tryouts which begged "I'm a baseball player!!", what I will say is this, I admire Tim Tebow. I really, really do. Even on a day like today where he signs a professional baseball contract, many are lashing out in cynicism towards him and towards the Mets organization. And of course, there are those who find an avenue in which to mock Tebow for his faith. Apparently, having faith and spiritual convictions in today's America makes you an outcast, or subject for ridicule. Whatevs, another topic for another day. 

What is it about? After the death of his wife, a man comes to the realization of breaking down his life, the lies that supported it, and reclaiming his true happiness through the help of a customer service rep and her son. Who is in it? Jake Gyllenhaal - Davis Naomi Watts - Karen

11. Would you rather spend three weeks cleaning the bathrooms at LAX or spend 48 hours under observation in a psychiatric ward? I would probably prefer to spend the three weeks cleaning the bathrooms at LAX. 48 hours under observation really can be damaging, and quite frankly, if it's in isolation, that would be a nightmare. At least at LAX there is a silver lining experience that could come out of that work.  12. Would you rather get married through an arranged marriage or spend the rest of your life being single and never dating anyone? Arranged marriage. That may sound crazy, but there are at least some odds of liking the person you are set up with. Heck, it might even be a hit. Being single and never dating, really, never sharing life with anyone - that's absolutely zero odds. I'll take my chances with the arranged marriage.