Dome Pondering

3 Up 1. Greta Thunberg - Other than being blind by party politics, how can you not be impressed by this young girl who made a plea for responsibility towards our climate from the world's leaders? So much props to this girl. 2. Pete Alonso and Justin Verlander - Pete Alonso smashed the rookie Home Run record and Justin Verlander continues to make me feel terrible about the Yankees not pursuing him when the Tigers made him available a couple of years ago. Hats off to both on breaking records and achieving milestones in their respective careers. 3. MLB Farewells - There is just something about baseball that makes send-offs and the end of the season emotional. The farewells for several managers and a few players this week was touching stuff. Only in baseball. 3 Down 1. Sikh Police Officer Killed - It's amazing that even when you're doing amazing things legally, the evil that is racism and discrimination can still dip into such goodness. My heart goes out to this of...

3 Up 1. Jharrel Jerome - Jerome winning an Emmy for his role in Ava DuVernay's "When They See Us" is not a shock to anyone who watched the 5-Part Netflix piece. Jerome was absolutely fantastic. He played a younger and older Korey Wise, with Part 4 just being absolutely everything. Like, everything. Please go and watch. Congrats to Jerome on a well-deserved win. 2. Chanel Miller on 60 Minutes - Everything about the Brock Turner case makes me sick. However, watching the 60-minutes special in which Chanel Miller comes out from anonymity and tells the world about what happened to her further makes me furious on our country's rape culture. Especially so, for white men. 3. Sandy Hook Promise Commercial - If you haven't seen the commercial created for back-to-school by the Sandy Hook Promise group, then you should. No words can describe it, or do it justice. 3 Down 1. Bahamas Aftermath - Unfortunately, we often move on to the NEXT tragedy that sensationaliz...

3 Up 1. September 11th Remembrance - So many years later, 9/11 still feels eerie and the day has an aura that resonates the tragic events from 2001. #NeverForget 2. David Ortiz Appearance - The appearance of Big Papi at Fenway was an inspirational one for the Boston mega star. On the heels of the senseless attack on him which in his native of the Dominican Republic, Ortiz's honest comments about the attack were a reminder of how precious life is - "I thought I was going to die." 3. Pro Wrestling Industry - This is a rare "up" from me for 2019. I haven't really be invlovled in pro wrestling this year, but you have to give major props to an industry that is announcing major television deals for multiple organizations and companies. Wrestling is VERY healthy, and starting in October, things should really get interesting. 3 Down 1. Oman 9/11 Comments - "Some people did something". I don't care what her reasoning for the comments are, t...

3 Up 1. Man Buys 100 Generators for Bahamas - It's been an extremely rough week for the Bahamas. The buefutiful country was ravaged this week from the strengths of Hurricane Dorian. In a reminder that there is no more powerful spirit than that of the human kind, this man - who wishes to remain unidentified - walked into a Costco and spent nearly $50,000 on generators with the intent to send them to the Bahamas to aid with recovery. 2. 7 Year-Old Helps Evacuees - Staying with the theme, a 7-yeard old boy from South Carolina decided to use his allowance money to help provide food and water for evacuees coming in from off the shores where Dorian was expected to hit. 3. U.S. Open Finals - The U.S. Open was an absolutely fantastic event this year, highlighted by two epic finals. Congrats to Bianca Andreescu and the usual, Rafael Nadal, on their Open Championships. 3 Down 1. Bahamas after Hurricane Dorian - So incredibly sad to see such a beautiful country destroyed. Hurri...

3 Up 1. Coco Gauff and Naomi Osaka - The exchange between these two young talents and future of tennis was refreshing and touching. Osaka's gesture to the parents and family of Gauff was especially so. The thought that both have made it at such a young age - yes, Naomi, it is incredible. 2. Boy Consoles Autistic Classmate - Every so often there are stories like this that just renews your faith in humanity. Yes, like the one mom said, "just open your heart." 3. Verlander No-Hitter - This dude is absolutely incredible. To think that at one point we thought Verlander's best days was behind him. What hurts this Yankees fan even more is that we could have taken the chance on him. 2017 might have been different. The present could have been very different. But oh well... 3 Down 1. Odessa/Midland Mass Shooting - Is there anything I can say. But of course, Texas just eased laws on gun carry recently. Aren't the good guys with guns supposed to prevent this f...

3 Up 1. Andrew Luck - I was going to shame the crowd in Indy for booing Luck after walking off the field, but I'm going with a positive route here. Much props to Luck who did was best for HIM. Mental health and happiness is super important, and it is evident that many only cared about Luck for his athletic abilities. Good for him in doing what is best for him. 2. Jogging Man Good Samaritan - Not only is the story of a jogging man giving a homeless man his shoes a tremendous one, but now, that homeless man has a job offer. Lesson learned: a simple act of kindness can be life changing to another person. 3. Louisiana LLWS Team - I barely caught any of the Little League World Series this year, but from the highlights, it looked like yet another great tournament. And of course, much props to the team from River Ridge, New Orleans who won it all! 3 Down 1. Florida Stand Your Ground Law - The controversial law made it's way back into the news after a white man killed a bl...

3 Up 1. Green Polo Guy - The video of "green polo guy", the man who hilariously responded to a few Trump supporters protesting in Tucson City was everything this week. It truly is the way I at times want to react to some of the happenings we see in politics today. 2. Simone Biles - This blog's reigning athlete of the year, Simone Biles once again continues to dominate as she nabs her 6th U.S. Title win, and did so with a triple-double maneuver, the ONLY female to ever pull off the stunt. 3. Beto O'Rourke - I knew NOTHING about O'Rourke. But following his authentic reaction to the El Paso and Dayton (not Toledo) mass shootings that included calling the President out for his racist and dividng narrative, I also got to know the Texas politician a bit more through some interviews and podcasts. O'Rourke is a good dude - unfortunately, he has no shot at winning the Presidency. That's politics. 3 Down 1. Mass Shooting Response - Nothing was more disa...

3 Up 1. DJ Lemaheiu - In what has been an extremely rough weekend (more on that below), I'm giving the top spot this week to the guy I believe as of right now is the American League MVP - DJ Lemaheiu. Where would the Yankees be without this guy? 2. Democratic Candidates - I really wanted to give this a thumbs down, but the events this weekend as well as a weird thought, pushed it into the positive section. So yeah, I have very little faith in the candidates from afar, and even less belief that one of them could defeat Donald Trump in an election, but I'm giving the "up" to the lesser known candidates who really gained some footing tackling issues during the Dem Debates in Flint. While the main guys are attacking one another, we're hearing some quality stuff from out of nowhere - some of it which is very refreshing. 3. Saudi Women - While there is no cause for over celebration (mainly because of the prior suppression involved), the idea that Saudi Women ca...

3 Up 1. Nampa High School Football Team - This is the kind of stories I wish we heard of more in the mainstream news. An Autistic kid, Christian, only had one RSVP to his birthday party. After a bit of communication, the Nampa High School Football team arrived to make it a memorable one. Awesome, awesome stuff. 2. Puerto Rico Democracy - Democracy was at work in Puerto Rico over the past few days as natives of the country rallied and protested until Governor Ricardo Rossello resigned. Government should work for the people. This was a great example of that happening. 3. Erica Wheeler - In a truly inspirational story, Wheeler won the WNBA All-Star Game MVP. After going undrafted, bouncing around the league, and experiencing the death of her mother via cancer, Wheeler had her moment on of the game's biggest stages. Sports can often be draining because of where narratives have gone, but it's these type of stories that will always make it worth it. 3 Down 1. Garlic Fes...

3 Up 1. Mariano Rivera HOF - So yeah, this is completely biased. I'm still doing it because Mo's my guy. It was great seeing my favorite athlete of all-time give his induction speech, and of course, reminisce on an amazing career. I do miss Mo. 2. Dan LeBetard - I'm not a huge fan of the guy, but what he said about the President's words and actions were dead on. Especially, in how it plays out to ESPN. I'm not so sure if it was worth the risk for him in doing so, but he's dead on that the actions of the President were based on race, not politics, and there needs to be a stand taken. 3. Zlatan Ibrahimovic Goal vs. LAFC - If you missed this rivalry match in the MLS, you missed quite a bit. But THIS goal from Zlatan was everything you need to know about this rivalry - physical, yet, amazing. 3 Down 1. "Send Her Back" - Utter shameful. Completely disgusting. I held Charlottesville and his refusal to denounce white nationalism in an unfortunat...