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Sunday Sundown Rundown - 2/26/23


3 Up

1. Jason Arday Story - I absolutely love stories like this. Jason Arday overcame autism, and a delayed reading track, and stands today as a young black professor at Cambridge University. Absolutely amazing. I love stories like this. 

2. Femke Bol - I will forever be amazed at track athletes. It's probably because I'm so slow. Nonetheless, Bol smashed a four-decade-long world record in the 400M. This week has been filled with some fantastic human-accomplishment stories. 

3. Brian 'Thee beast' Story - Continuing the trend this week is this story about an individual who used video games as not just an interest but an escape from poverty. Again...great stuff this week. 

3 Down 

1. Ohio Toxic Crash - There is so much happening out of this incident in Ohio that is unfortunate, and even more that feels speculative, secretive, and somewhat controversial enough for great concern. So many "Erin-Brokovich-like" vibes coming out of this incident. 

2. Turkey Aftershocks - As if Turkey already didn't have enough to overcome the devastating earthquakes, the region suffered through serious aftershocks this week causing even more wreckage and fatalities, and further disrupting the recovery effort. 

3. Extreme Weather - Southern California is under snow? What is going on? 

1 Interesting

1. ChatGPT - I had a student share with me their use of this app - it's absolutely frightening that we don't even have to work on communication. It is absolutely frightening. 

2. Mississippi Lawmakers - Have you looked into the policy being discussed - some enacted - in Mississippi? It's head shaking and worrisome. Lynching? Forms of Segregation? What are we doing? 

3. Healthcare Shortage - A New York Times article discussed the growing shortage of healthcare workers, many of who are burned out following the Golabl Pandemic. What happened to the reverence we had for these essential workers? 

Cover Photo

Femke Bol, the Olympic 400m hurdles bronze medalist, broke the longest-standing world record in a track race, taking down a 41-year-old record in the women’s indoor 400m on Sunday.

Getty Pictures

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Sunday Sundown Rundown - 11/15/15

3 Up 1. Paris Stadium Security Guard - Not much has been revealed, and we don't even know if this security guard is still alive, but whomever this person is/was, they helped save a lot of lives. LOTS! Just by doing their job well and finding the vest of the bomber, they prevented what could have been a much larger catastrophe. Too often we mock security guards, especially those who approach their jobs with lackadaisical effort. This person is a hero. A huge, huge, big time hero.  2. Facebook - I'm not a huge fan of Facebook as I find Twitter and Instagram to be more interesting. That's just me. However, Facebook's "Safe alert" feature is a new concept that is just brilliant. Knowing a former student who worked for me and who now lives in Paris, it was nice to see her check in as "safe" in the midst of the chaos. I can't even imagine how convenient it was for those with closer friends and family.  3. Holly Holm - As gloomy as the week...

Trump Wins.

I can't say that I'm surprised.  This week, I purposely took some time to take in the moment, the time in history, and even those around me - strangers and known individuals - to understand it all. The hours and days after I awoke from going to bed purposefully (I was under the weather) to awake to an alert on my phone - DONALD TRUMP ELECTED 47th PRESIDENT - not once did I feel shocked. In fact, I'm not sure that I felt anything at all.  I said to my wife heading into election day, I very much don't blame anyone for voting for him in this election. I'm not a big Trump guy. I gave him a chance in 2016, and well, I'll do so again in 2025. I have no choice. However, after watching Kamala's run toward the election, granted, it was short and abbreviated (somewhat forced), it was hard to understand. The celebrities. The counter-rallys. For a party that said the right lost themselves, how could it be, that the party of the working class was trying to persuade my vo...

Quick Ponder: Man Love

"A man is only loved under the condition that he provide something"  - Chris Rock  Feeling that these days,  with the understanding  of privilege,  and responsibility.