Dome Pondering

Go ahead. Take a deep breath before we jump into this again.  Smmmmfffffff...wheeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeew!  Soooooo, Alex Rodriguez...Yes, A-Rod, that guy. Here we are again with that very guy in the center of the controversial universe again and living up to his "Lightning Rod" NYC-given nickname.  Upon hearing the news this morning as I opened my eyes with sports radio introducing my day, I laid there in utter disbelief. I'm not shocked by the fact that athletes are still trying to cheat and get an edge, but I was amazed that A-Rod, a man with so little equity with even his own team's fan base, would risk it all - again. A man who I've said so many times before, had very little time following his 2009 performance enhancing drugs  admission to really make a lasting (and long enough) impression on the baseball world to define his overall legacy.

Courtesy: WWE.com Its the Royal Rumble we all saw coming, but hoped the WWE would prove us wrong. As we start the road to Wrestlemania and the best time of the year for pro wrestling fans, the road seems to be already set with a headlining match-up of John Cena vs. The Rock II. With a Royal Rumble full of a few for-sures, a handful of wishfuls, lots of filler, and even those who were a waste of time (The Godfather? What was that all about), the WWE seemed to stay the course on the obvious.  I totally understand the box-office draw a Cena/Rock II would generate, and even the idea of a story of John Cena, the current conquering super hero of the WWE, getting his revenge on The Rock after last year's Wrestlemania defeat, but I really was hoping for a hook, a twist, or even a minor bump before we got to this point.

After ten years of importing materials, words, pictures, and videos from other sites her for your viewing and for archiving, I never thought I'd get to the point where I'd be EXPORTING material out to other sites. Yes, the DP continues to grow, and yours truly had the kind opportunity to contribute a guest column to an awesome Pro Wrestling blog with a very large audience. The piece has since been very well received, and I hope to have the opportunity to do so in the future, and maybe even other sites and avenues as well.  You can read the column here on the TNAsylum website (special thanks to them as well for posting), or the entire text below:

Let's put this Beyonce fiasco to bed. The mere thought that this lip-sync tid-bit has grown from a story to a so called "act-of-disrespect" is ridiculous and borders on insanity. More so, it reveals just how much of a jump-the-gun society we have become with the opportunity for instant attention and cynicism right at our finger tips.  From the print and social media, to television and blogs (now including this one), everyone has an opinion, and unfortunately, the majority are reacting as if Beyonce presented some type of disservice to her country in her performance of the Star Spangled Banner during the President's inauguration. Many have called the act a moment that cheated us all, and some have gone as far as saying it ruined the day.  Seriously? Let's relax, folks.

141. If you would have a single button beside your bed that did one thing, what would you want it to be? It would automatically make me a cup of tea (see: cup-o-tea maker from IF Factor Question #137) 142. If you could have one single kind of appliance attached to your bed, what would it be? Either a computer touchscreen of some kind, or yes, my cup-o-tea maker. But that could be weird, so I'd go with a touch screen device to take care of some last minute payments, tasks, blogging, or a browse if need be before bed.   143. If you were to have Shakespeare to dinner tonight and could invite one other person from history, who would you pick?  Well if my wife wasn't already included, I'd pick her as she has a habit of being chameleon-like with accents and would instantly talk Shakespearian. If she's included, I'd go with someone like, Stone Cold Steve Austin. I just want to hear him say "what?" after everything Shakespeare would say.

What is it about? An escaped convict is motivated to take down the people who set up him and to really steal the diamond he was accused of taking, all while proving his innocence to the world.  Who is in it?  Sam Worthington - Nick Cassidy Elizabeth Banks - Lydia Mercer Jamie Bell - Joey Cassidy Genesis Rodriguez - Angie

What is it about?  Two twelve year old children who are misunderstood, fall in love, and run away into the wilderness which causes a mixed party to search for them.  Who is in it?  Jared Gilman - Sam Kara Hayward - Suzy

131. If you were going to initiate a new charity, what would be its mission and who would it benefit? A new charity would go towards helping children of immigrant parents and giving them opportunities they may not already have open to them, or simply keeping them on the right track towards making a better life for themselves in this great country.  132. If you could have been vice-president to any America president, which president would you choose? Hmmm, I'd go with President Clinton. No, not for those reasons he's become a punch line for, but for the solid reason that the nation was in a much better place during the 90's when he was president. Growing dot com industry, very little international affairs to worry about, and booming economy.

Note: I used to work for a park slowly in continued development in Manhattan that is five miles along the waterfront of the Hudson River. As a Public Programs Coordinator, yours truly handled anything public related in regards to permitting (athletic facilities, film shoots, photo shoots, weddings, and other small gatherings), and of course, dealing with any questions or inquiries from the public. The following series will present stories, e-mails, phone calls, conversations, interactions, and sights I've seen from the people of New York City in regards to a public park. And yes, these are all real! And are all true! Welcome to another little snippet of Parks and Recreation.