Dome Pondering

3 Up 1. Vanessa Bryant - In the top spot is the justice that Vanessa Bryant got for the despicable acts by some officials who thought it was cool to take photos of the bodies of Kobe and GiGi Bryant. Sick people in this world.  Though...instead of the individuals who will suffer and have to pay $16 million, it is the state of California. Because, of course.  2. Madam CJ Walker Barbie - Mattell is now making a Madam C.J. Walker doll and that's pretty cool. Good to see a diverse set of women getting dolls that can inspire other girls to learn about their contributions to history and women's empowerment.  3. Mack Rutherford - This dude is seventeen - SEVENTEEN! - and just became the youngest pilot to fly around the world. That's just crazy.  3 Down 1. Continued Extreme Weather - A new week, and the extreme weather continues. In some areas, it's droughts and dry weather, in other places it's wildfires, and in others, it's a crazy amount of waterfall that is floodin...

3 Up 1. FDA Hearing Aids Over Counter - Yay accessibility! With the FDA approving hearing aids for over-the-counter sales, the valuable tool will become more accessible and affordable for millions. Think about that - such a simple move opened it for millions! At the core of all of this is a peak into health care and how such small needs, when made more accessible, can be for the greater good.  2. Gas Prices - Well, the price continues to drop. It's nice seeing a 3 in front of the price of gas. Hopefully, the trend continues. Can we get it under $3?  3. Albert Pujols - I predicted it in my MLB Crazy Predictions post, but who takes that seriously? I certainly don't. But seriously, as much fun as it is hoping Judge can chase down 61 home runs, is not Albert's run at 700 just as much fun? Even more so, a remarkable story considering his age and improbability? 3 Down 1. Random Floods - It's easy to put the crazy hot weather and heat waves across the globe here as a "d...

It probably won't come as a shock to anyone who follows this blog that I will say the following statement: Impact Wrestling may just be the most consistently entertaining and fresh - very important adjective here! - wrestling product that I've engaged with over the past two years. It's just always there, as solid as it can be. No real highs, or lows that push me away as a fan - just good, consistent, thorough, solid pro wrestling enjoyment.  Now, make no mistake about it, over the past summer, I found myself a whopping thirteen weeks behind this solid product in favor of the still new (and intriguing) AEW product and my on-again-off-again hope in the WWE due to nostalgia. However, trusty-work-from-home days have allowed me to binge watch (and work, of course) and it certainly opened my eyes to a new experience when it came to wrestling. Removal from the episodic style habit, and the feel of episodes bridging together seamlessly.  Also, remove from the internet culture of we...

3 Up 1. Little League Kid Hit in Head - If you haven't seen the video of the kid who was hit in the head by a wild pitch, and proceeds to first base, then to the pitcher's mound to console the opposing pitcher to was distraught over the action, then please do. Easily my favorite thing this week. And a stark reminder that there is good in the world.  2. Women Athletes Retire - Serena is hanging it up after the US Open. I saw it coming, but it's just tough to fathom when it becomes real. We'll have time to give Williams her flowers, but let's do so for Sylvia Fowles and Sue Bird - both legends in women's basketball who finished up remarkable careers today.  3. NEW CDC Guidelines - Okay, so most probably don't care about the CDC going forward. Has the pandemic officially been called off yet? Regardless, if the CDC is saying that quarantine (ah yes, that noble concept that once again feels as foreign as it was when it was introduced) is no longer needed, then we...

Signature sneakers for WNBA athletes? Ummm, yes, please!   This has been a long time coming. Since the debut of those signature Sheryl Swoopes from Nike , the market has not seen many women athletes given signature kicks, and more importantly, a platform for little girls and fans of the WNBA to emulate their favorite players and superstars - you know, the way we've always had it with our male athletes.  I want to live in a world where yes, little girls too can get excited about rockin' their favorite female basketball player's shoes. Shoes that are in their size...made for their feet.  Lately, we've seen a slow trend back into this space as the WNBA continues to gain popularity with a devoted following (like myself), but also as companies look to diversify their portfolio in a sports world that is ever-evolving.  I feel like Candace Parker helped revitalize that with the "Exhibit" line under Adidas. The design was endorsed, but not necessarily a signature shoe...

3 Up 1. Vin Scully - The baseball world lost the absolute best to have ever done it behind the mic. As someone who frequently watched Dodgers games for more baseball after the Yankees wrap up, I had the privilege years ago to have Scully guide me soothingly through nine innings of baseball as if he solely was talking for and to me. That was the ultimate magic in his communication. So good. He'll be missed.  2. Democrats - Sure, I've been hard (and skeptical) of Dems during this administration for not getting enough done. But gotta give them their due, they had a week! From passing a bill in support of Medicare for Veterans to the big one in locking in the Inflation Reduction Act, it was a big week for the Blues.  3. Economy adding 528, 000 Jobs - I keep reading and hearing about a potential recession on the loom (this millennial can't endure yet another economic setback - come on, we've suffered enough!). Yet, just this week, the job market has added almost 530K new job...

With the recent announcement of Vince McMahon retiring ( my thoughts on Vince's legacy ), and really, the appointment of Paul "Triple H" Levesque holding the golden pen as the lead for creative going forward in the WWE, that ultimately was the biggest draw for me heading into SummerSlam. I wasn't sold on the main event or the big stadium. It was the possibility of a "new era", and also the fact that SummerSlam (like Wrestlemania and Royal Rumble), needs no general intense build-up for me because well, it's already engrained into my being. It's nostalgic, it's tradition, it's...SummerSlam. WWE can keep that trademark tagline if they like. Free of charge.  Nonetheless, as someone who has generally watched less and less WWE programming in my pro wrestling fandom, I was so intrigued to see what felt like the beginning of not just a post-Vince era, but an era that possibly could pull me in on a weekly basis. You know, the way Triple H's NXT u...