Skip to main content

Sunday Sundown Rundown - 12/6/20


 3 Up

1. MORE Act - The U.S. House of Representatives voted to pass the MORE Act this week which could decriminalize marijuana on the federal level. Of course, the Act can have sweeping effects, including the way we perceive the thousands of individuals currently incarcerated for marijuana possession. 

2. Stimulus Discussion - It's overdue. Long overdue. With the Coronovirus back in full force throughout the nation, help is definitely needed if we're asking individuals to comply with stay-at-home lockdowns. You can't have it both ways. 

3. Lavar Ball - Say what you want about the guy - loud, boasting, arrogant, annoying, whatever. He has essentially gotten all three of his boys to the NBA. You can't argue with that. 

3 Down

1. Coronavirus - The numbers are rising, and in many areas grim. Even worse, we haven't fully seen the backlash from the Thanksgiving holiday, nor what is to come with the gatherings of the upcoming Holidays. Please continue to stay safe out there. 

2. Unnecessary Lockdowns - I don't understand the lockdowns not based on science. If the numbers are effectively telling you that it is okay to remain open, then we should be doing so. The California shutdown does indeed worry me. Especially when small businesses have no help. 

3. Teacher Shortage/Exhaustion - One of the many underlying issues of COVID has been the toll it has taken on our nation's education. Coming to light is the fatigue teachers are seeing with virtual lessons, increased time lesson planning, stagnant pay, and of course, declining mental health. Many teachers have left the profession of teaching with an increase in areas across the country now reporting teacher shortages. 

Just a shame. So many props to the teachers who are currently in the grind. We appreciate you. 

Recently Read

Quick Ponder: Future Self

We always think,  what would we say  to our  younger self? However,  what would  our younger self say  if they met us, today?

Turning 40 - Grateful and Renewed

I became a forty-year-old individual yesterday.  The milestone is very significant for many and has its societal measures and benchmarks that carry some fear for those approaching its gates. Regardless of approach, turning 40 is filled with reflection, pondering (of course), and preparation for what should be a "new" stage of life. A life stage centered around "transitioning" into a stage seen as the "pre-senior" years.  Sure. Whatever.  I won't disagree that the new "4" digit that sits in front of your age feels encompassing even without understanding completely. Yet, as I stated last year when I turned 39 (going into my 40th year on this earth), I was ready for it. Ready for 40. Today, oddly enough, I am not filled with profound life lessons, ponderings, or reflections.  I sit here, punching the keys, filled with gratitude. I am 40, and I love it.   I carry my baggage of life and bear scars from it at 40. I am grateful for so many experien...

Knicks Trauma - Ugh Not Again

Well, that was a kick in the stomach.  Coming off a week where the word "catharsis" was used as the description for the euphoria and release of joy from two and a half decades of suffering, Game 1 of the Eastern Conference Finals against the Indiana Pacers brought about another word - trauma.  Watching the Knicks collapse was the kind of moments that come with these deep runs and moments. NBA Playoff basketball will do that. Yet, this loss - this one - feels about as bad as the 2004 ALCS when the Yankees collapsed in the series to the Boston Red Sox.  That one carries some serious trauma. Luckily, the series isn't over.  Some other quick thoughts from this awful, awful night, New York Knicks Basketball.  - Not to conjure up hyperbole, or even contribute to "hot take" sports reaction culture - but this might have been the worst loss in Knicks franchise history. I cannot think of another in my lifetime, or historically.  - Tyrese Haliburton's "choke"...