Dome Pondering

An absolute train wreck.  That is my walking away thought of what SHOULD have been a Presidential debate.  This was no debate. It was a battle of demonstrative gestures, interruptions, name-calling, attempted slander, and ego-checking chest-pounding, all adding up to a sum that rendered a unanimous decision: America lost.  I found myself embarrassed not only for what we were watching but for us - all of us - Americans. Because quite frankly, this is the kind of fight you keep inside of your house, instead, we were on global television for all to see. Every single second revealed just about where we are in our politics, our grace, our poise, our empathy, and overall, our global reputation. 

  3 Up 1. COVID Vaccine Hope - We've been hearing about "vaccines" for months. Now, it seems like there are many that are legit - like, for reals-for reals. I'm not ready to jump into the pool of imagining life without COVID - or a vaccine for the virus, but it is a bit welcoming to hear that some type of relief or hope is possible and not simply political garbage.  2. RBG Memorial - Unfortunately, 2020 gave us another memorial, but yet, another beautiful one. Silver linings, I suppose. Of course, Ginsburg was the first woman to lie inside of the U.S. Capitol - of course, so fitting. For me, it was her trainer doing the pushups by her casket. That was awesome.  3. NBA Overlooked Praise - I say it all the time - we appoint "superstars" in the NBA too often and too premature without them actually accomplishing something - sometimes anything. Thanks day time sports TV! Other times, we miss it. That's where Jimmy Butler and his leadership have the Miami Heat

--- 2 Years and 90 Days --- Dear Son, Your dad is a nerd. I'm sure you've come to realize that by now (assuming at the writing of this that I haven't suddenly changed), but yes, this is the case. I like books. I like debates. I like knowledge. I like writing (obviously). And, I like thinking through many of life's challenging topics through various lenses - especially pertaining to people, sociology, and everything that makes us, us.  As a young boy, I was instantly met with this reputation as I was the kid who always did well in school. And truthfully, early in my grade years, I was very competitive with my grades. It was one of the reasons I skipped an entire grade. So yeah, total nerd.  But don't be fooled, I wasn't immediately wired this way. It was more so a construction, coaching, and building of this understanding that knowledge and education should be sought and pursued. It's a never-ending chase. 

3 Up 1. Ruth Bader Ginsburg - There aren't words that I could place here to capture, justify, or represent RBG's life and influence. Or really, what hasn't been said already. She was pretty awesome. It's so, so, so imperative that we pick up her work and continue to push forward.  2. Bam Adebayo - That block! Man, that block! It had me out of my couch when it happened. The courage, the guts - loved everything about it. Major kudos to Adebayo! 

131. Would you rather watch a movie at home or go to the movies? Well, this is already an interesting question. I haven't been to the movies for nearly thirteen years. Yes, it's true. I'm sure I'll enjoy the movies experience one again one day, but for now, enjoying movies from the comfort of my couch, cheaper food, and being able to pause if needed - I'll take that.  132. Would you rather fight alongside the Starks from Game of Thrones or the Avengers? I know nothing about Game of Thrones . I like The Avengers , so I'm rolling with that squad. They also just feel cooler. 

  3 Up 1. Firefighters - The wildfires out West have been an intriguing thing to watch unfold. The pictures of orange skies and famous scenery under ominous layovers spark so many questions about our planet, and really, just what the heck we are doing to it. Nonetheless, those who are fighting these out of control fires deserve all the praise. God bless our firefighters.  1A. Imprisoned Firefighters - And oh yeah, the ridiculous rule of using imprisoned men and women as firefighters finally received some kind of benefit - allowing them the ability to work as firefighters upon release - a measure they would have been prohibited from. Hopefully, it's a real bridge - I guess we'll see.  2. Sgt. Thomas Patrick Payne - President Trump honored Sgt. Payne with the Presidential Medal of Freedom this week, and it was definitely worth the honor - it was a great selection by the President. Payne helped save over 70 captives from execution by the evil Islamic State - just amazing. Well des

It's been several months since I've last punched the keys solely on this experience that is and has been a global pandemic - and truthfully, we now say pandemic as if we've become used to and seasoned experts to these scenarios. Ah, you know, we'll do that when we're not in a pandemic! But since my last post in this thread ( Corona Times II ), our outlook as a nation and society has changed vastly on how we're approaching everything that is the Coronavirus. For starters, it's all become politicized. Opening protocols. Masks. Preventative measures. Schools. Work. Sports. Heck, just the mere validity of the virus' existence is still debated in some circles. Nonetheless, we've gained a bit more knowledge on the virus and how to live with it, but it still remains a thorn in the side of our everyday existence - or in getting back to some sort of acceptable, normalized, standard. 

  3 Up 1. Bloomberg's $100M Gift for Black Doctors - While we can still poke fun of Bloomberg's Presidential attempt - all five minutes of it (sorry, I tried) - his attempt to solve the issue of the shortage of black doctors (as well as the disproportionate rate of lacking healthcare for black America) is commendable. The initiative is interesting, and really, is a window into how so many billionaires can truly solve many of the world's problems if they tried - or cared.  2. Mike Trout - Trout is starting to go down as probably the best athlete to not have any type of buzz. Trout smashed his 300th career home run, moving him past Tim Salmon (Trout passes Salmon, hey yo!) on the Angels All-Time Homerun list. Trout is at 300 Homeruns at the age of 29. Baseball needs to get Trout into the playoffs...badly.