Skip to main content

Sunday Sundown Rundown - 6/23/24

3 Up

1. Connor McDavid - In what might be sports' biggest kept secret, McDavid has put up two 4-point performances in the Stanley Cup to not only force a game 7 for the Edmonton Oilers after being down 3-0, but solidify himself as one of the most dominant athletes in sports. 

2. Marijuana Pardons - I've always had an issue with the way our society has moved into accepting marijuana legally, and thus, never rectified how we exploited black and brown communities by over-criminalizing the drug. 

By the way, is it fair to say we lost the "war on drugs?" Just saying...

3. Inside Out 2 - I have yet to see it, but the film took advantage of a huge heat wave nationwide and became the highest-grossing film in 2024. 

3 Down

1. Heat Wave - It. Was. Hot. Summers are becoming sort of ridiculous. 

2. Ecuador - The country suffered a huge blackout with over 17 million people losing power. It's not what you want. 

3. Justin Timberlake - This guy has all of the money in the world...and yet chose to drive under the influence. Stupid. Dumb. Idiotic. Selfish. 

Also, all of this drug use is definitely suspect. 

3 Interesting 

1. Ten Commandments in LA - As a man of faith, even I wonder and question Lousiana's focus here. A state that is consistently at the bottom of the nation's rankings in various aspects of education, this - this! - is where they start? 

2. Phone Ban in CA - California is now banning phones in schools across the state. I'm all for the access and safety phones provide, but also, curious how this does affect student-development. There was a time...

3. Immigration Protection - President Biden has now allowed protection for undocumented immigrants who are married to U.S. Citizens. I can only imagine the amount of sham weddings that are about to happen.

Cover Photo

Mays proudly displays the four baseballs in the clubhouse representing the four homers, which he hit April 30 1961 against the Milwaukee Braves in Milwaukee. The four homers tied the record of four homers in a single game held by nine other major league players at the time.

AP

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"...