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Showing posts from December, 2024

Dome Pondering - 2024 Year in Review

2024 felt exhausting. It was shifty in many ways, but the word "exhausting" keeps coming back to mind as 2024 felt like a constant crisis in areas that truly aren't crises, on top of the already occurring crises.  That sentence was exhausting.  As mentioned in my Most Fascinating Things of 2024, the year felt like it was about culture and society, and we surely battled and attacked everything. Like, everything! EVERY. SINGLE. THING! And of course, we lived through an eventful political season that was the Presidential election.  Exhale...breathe...wheeeewwwww! 2024, you're even tiring in thought.  Before we get to it all, as always, I would like to thank all of you for your continued support and reading of this little site called Dome Pondering. I've somehow come full circle where I punch the keys whenever life allows, and truly from a place of freedom (since the pressure for "content" is via social media). I appreciate all of you for sticking with thoug...

The Pondering 10 - Most Fascinating Things of 2024

Well, here we go! It's that time of year again. 2024 brought all sorts of weird. However, the one common thread of this calendar year is that it exposed so much about culture and society - and everything within it. Good and bad. Disgusting and tolerable. The mirror was held up in a lot of places.  Nonetheless, we kick off the "Year-End" season around this slice of the internet called Dome Pondering with the "Most Fascinating Things" post and later, the upcoming, "Year in Review".  Let's do it. The following is my 2024 Most Fascinating Things List:  --- 10. Joey Swoll  The anti-influencer, influencer. Yeah, that's it. Swoll started as a fitness creator and found his calling in calling out fellow "Influencers" who mock others and utilize poor gym etiquette all in the name of social media and gaining clout. Swoll's mission evolved beyond just gym videos as he now takes down (and on) many social influencers who clearly go above by do...

$oto Thought$

So, have you heard that Juan Soto is now a member of the New York Mets?!  Yes, that was a little tongue-in-cheek comment there, but the conversation and narratives have been exhausting in various ways. Maybe it's because I live in the New York market, so the entire Mets vs. Yankees dynamic is at play and has to be examined from every angle, including whether Soto ever donned a slight sliver of orange giving reason why he made his home for the next fifteen years in Flushing, Queens.  For me, the answer is so straightforward. Money.  That's it.  Soto's free agency reminds me so much of what I experienced when I was a teenager with theAlex Rodriguez free agency. A-Rod made his way to the Texas Rangers in what once felt like earth-shattering money. He didn't go for the future. He didn't go for the school system. He didn't go for the tax breaks. In the moment, and still in hindsight, it felt like he should've stayed with the Mariners, or sign on with these same N...

Dome Pondering Movie Review: Blindspotting (2018)

What is it about?   A man begins to evaluate his friendship and those around him while on probation, bringing the issue of race, social class, gentrification, and authority to an intersection.  Who is in it?  Daveed Diggs - Collin Rafael Casal - Miles Favorite Scene:  [spoiler alert]  After an altercation at a holiday party, Collin and Miles get into an argument and many of the surrounding issues regarding their relationship come to a front.  Favorite Quote:  "You monsters got me feeling like a monster in my own town!" Review:  Blindspotting should be used in college courses. It really should. I know there are many go-to faves for dissecting society, specifically "Crash" being one of those selections. However, there is something about Blindspotting that is thought-provoking throughout the entire movie, even in such subtle ways. The dynamics of the film and portrayals of the characters and scenes force you to look beyond your blindspots or your ex...

Dome Pondering Movie Review: I Used to Go Here (2020)

What is it about?  A somewhat successful author finds herself back at her alma mater and deep amid a group of college students who feel very familiar.  Who is in it? Gillian Jacobs - Kate Jemaine Clement -  David Josh Wiggins - Hugo Favorite Scene:  After a crazy night, Kate and April cross paths on the doorstep.  Favorite Quote:  "Just because a connection with a person doesn't last forever, doesn't mean it's not real." Review:  I Used to Go Here was just another random selection on Amazon Prime for me. What was a random selection for background noise while working out turned into a more formal approach to inviting the move in with thought and inner digestion. The movie isn't deep but does a great job of connecting the line between an individual's college days and potential with the essence of adulthood and the real world.  The film really could have gone super cliche, as most college films can, but it tight-rope walked and offered some nuance a...

The Pondering 10 - Wrestling Roster Moves (2024)

2024 was a great year for pro wrestling. So many things are going on, and so many options for whatever you enjoy. For me, pro wrestling felt fun again, especially as my son is now all about the special art form as well.  As 2024 comes to a close, and I begin placing together the traditional posts in the "Most Fascinating Things" and the "Year in Review", I felt it would be fun to drop a new Pondering 10.  In this one, I take a look at the overall landscape of pro wrestling, and fantasy move a wrestler to another company. Again, this is my list. For all of the company tribalists, don't come at me! All in fun!  With that said, here is my Pondering 10:  10. Jonathan Gresham to NWA Gresham's style is unmatched. The dude is old-school and can make technical wrestling look like a modern science happening right before your eyes in storytelling. NWA is still grasping to establish that identity in the landscape by catering to the "old-style" presentation co...

WWE Survivor Series 2024 Review: "I don't think War Games needs all of the plunder..."

I don't think that the trivia of Survivor Series is the longest premium live event after Wrestlemania ever gets old. It's sort of a novelty within the trivia because it's the PLE that somehow feels like it has lost something - anything. From the days of the traditional four vs. four survivor matches to dropping them, to now picking up some WCW tradition with annual War Games matches, the event now has a new life...somewhat.  Whatevs.  I'm still scarred from 1998. Poor Bret.  For me, Survivor Series 2024 was a good one. It carried along some great stories and provided some good matches. The five-match card continues to win me over. It really does give you time to breathe as a fan. Just my take.  Ultimately, I'm not in love with the War Games format (more on this in a bit). And as mentioned above, I wonder if it will run it's course soon. Hey, great idea?  Maybe bring back the "8-man survivor series" concept?  Here are a few more quick thoughts on Surviv...