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Sunday Sundown Rundown - 10/15/23

3 Up

1. Solar Eclipse - A super rare occurrence that admittedly went overlooked due to the chaos happening in the world. It's a reminder that there is beauty on this earth, and we screw it all up by being, well, us. 

2. $1.73B Powerball Jackpot Winner - A lucky winner won all that money. 1 person. I hope they use it well. 

3. Junk Fees Bill - I'm adding this to the "Up" for extreme practicality with a touch of levity. We all despise these fees that drive up costs and bust our budgets unexpectedly. I'm for this bill - get it done. 

3 Down

1. War in Gaza - Another week since the madness began in the Middle East and the violence and devastation continue to pile up. Please continue to pray for peace. The people in the region need it - the world can use it. 

2. Social Media - The images and videos online are horrific. Even worse, the amount of graphic material and misinformation continues to flood social media making an already horrible ordeal much worse. Protect your kids. Use caution with what you view and believe. There are families on the other side of all of this. 

3. Low ACT Scores - I still think our deteriorating education system is a major concern for our future. With already reports of low math and reading overall performance, we now see that college-bound students are testing worse (and worse). 

Cover Photo

The moon passes between Earth and the sun during the annular eclipse of the sun in Bryce Canyon National Park, Utah.

Rick Bowman, AP

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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...

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. 

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...