Dome Pondering

150 days to go.

So, with a nice round number as on hundred and fifty days to go, yours truly has sort of gotten on the ball, so to speak, in regards to 9.24.11. With the days coming and going, and several aspects of the day shaping up, I followed up on my vow to begin increasing my participation beyond 30%. And with that said, I’ve begun the process of putting together Team Robo, or “The Squad” as it has slowly become known as. For those of you who haven’t caught on yet, yes, I am referring to my groomsmen.

With Team Robo in tact with it’s core members, consisting of my closest friends throughout my life, and yes, my tag-team partner’s brother, the team has always felt incomplete. Like my last Unity Road Writing post (End of This Road, On The Road), there still seemed to be a void on Team Robo heading into Lethal Lockdown (or War Games for you old school wrestling heads).

Team Robo had a mystery partner.

After a crushing sweep at the hands of those evil Boston Celtics, the unbelievable ride of a season that was the 2010-2011 New York Knicks is now over. From that deflating 3-8 beginning, to a playoff push with a killer pick-and-roll of Felton and Stoudemire, to the big trade, then a long losing streak full of doubt, into another high heading into the playoffs, the season was a rollercoaster of emotions. And of course, the playoff excitement, only to be swept. A rollercoaster ride indeed. However, after a 41-41 prediction in the preseason outlook (Five Keys to Knicks Season 2010-2011), a 42-40 finish is greatly accepted, and hopefully, an indictment on where things are (finally!) headed. The “You. Us. We. Now.” promotion was one to re-connect the fans with the product, and not only has the Knicks done that, but they have created a sense of interest for the next few years. With that said, let’s take a look at the off-season decisions that the New York Knicks face, and some personal opin…

What is it about?
A young adolescent boy, Alejandro, works, lives, and hustles in and around a Queens Auto-body shop in attempt to make a better life for his 16 year old sister and himself.
Who is in it?
Alejandro Polanco – Ale
Isamar Gonzalez – Isamar
Ahmad Rasvi – Ahmad
Carlos Zapata - Carlos

It’s something very simple. Something very minuscule. Something often overlooked, and for some, often taken for granted. On Friday, I will get to see something that I haven’t seen for seven years. A sight that at one time seemed like a sure thing. However, for yours truly, it is something that I now appreciate, and on Friday night, when I see it again, I will never take it for granted ever again. I am talking about that simple NBA playoff logo on the floor of Madison Square Garden. Casual readers here at the DP and DP devotees know how much the I love my New York Knicks, and how much the last seven years has caused me so much misery and pain. However, this year, the sky is now clear, the W’s are on the board, and finally, playoff basketball is back in the Garden again. [Blog side note: And while we’re on this topic, let me just say, from this Knicks fan, and probably them all, thank you Donnie Walsh. Someday, you will be immortalized here at the DP (if that validates anything), and y…

On April 11th, 2011, Edge, due to injury, was forced to retire from pro wrestling forever. And as stated in Goodbye, and Thank You, Edge, the announcement of his retirement was bittersweet. Nonetheless, as another wrestler that yours truly has grown with as they became a superstar (in Edge’s case, a Rated R Superstar), the memories will go on forever. From the early days on WWE Saturday Night Shotgun and WWE Velocity to of course, headlining Wrestlemania, there are plenty. As we celebrate the end of a great career for Adam Copeland, here is the Pondering 10 list of my favorite Edge career memories:

This one definitely came out of nowhere. While watching Raw this weekend, the graphic that showed Edge’s impending retirement was one that caused immediate interest. I knew, all die-hard wrestling fans knew, that Edge (real name Adam Copeland) had made comments a couple of months earlier stating he would retire in a few months due to physical reasons. As the ten o’clock hour hit, Edge’s Alterbridge music hit (in m opinion, the best in pro wrestling) and he made his way to the ring, everyone knew that this “retirement” was now for real.
As he stood in the ring with a live mic thanking the crowd for all that they did for him as well as going through the highlights of his career, it was a bittersweet feeling.

Often times I am blown away by the sheer stupidity in some of the cases and crimes that are reported on the nightly news, or become mainstream stories. About half of those times I shake disgust in what seems like a senseless crime, or a crime that just forces you to wonder about the morals and sense consciousness, or lack thereof, that human beings have. And yes, there are those few times where some of these cases cause an uproar that is blatantly unnecessary, and in many ways baffling in thought that there is a defense.
The story of the Cleveland, Texas gang rape is a story that just carries all three of the descriptions below. It has blown me away with it’s stupidity. It is disgusting. And it has an unbelievable share of protestors defending the guilty. 
For those of you who are unaware of the Cleveland, Texas gang rape saga, feel free to click here (and here) for precise details on the story. How twenty-eight men can gang rape an eleven year-old girl repeatedly is indeed mind blow…

As the news broke that Manny Ramirez had retired, I must admit, I was indeed shocked. It was so sudden. So abrupt. So, in the middle of an attempt to prove to the world that he was indeed still a productive player. And then, I learned why he decided to retire: for violating (and failing) once again, Major League Baseball’s drug policy. Yeah, not a shock anymore. The biggest shock of them all is the continued mercy and pass that Manny Ramirez continues to receive. I will admit, steroids, drugs, or PED’s aside, Ramirez is one of the greatest right handed hitters I have ever seen. And as a Yankee fan, I’ve seen that swing too many times do a lot of damage. And while his reputation as being the fun and aloof superstar made him into a character, his work ethic as a hitter can never be questioned. You will hear it all the time from everyone that has penciled his name into a lineup: Mike Hargrove, Grady Little, Terry Francona, Joe Torre, Ozzie Guillen, and Joe Maddon. Unfortunately, the pra…

Why does every modern television show that I immerse myself into becomes cancelled controversially?First, it was Friday Night Lights (Set to conclude this summer), and now it is the drama series, Lights Out.Yours truly doesn’t have many appointment-like television besides sports and pro wrestling, but Lights Out slowly became that kind of viewing for me. For those of you who aren’t aware, Lights Out was a drama series about a former World Champion boxer, Patrick “Lights” Leary, and his comeback to reclaim his thrown amidst various struggles financially, physically (a battle with pugilistic dementia), supporting his family, and dealing with the inner workings and underground deals that happens in the world of boxing. Like many other boxing shows/films, Lights Out at first was compared to the ever-so-popular, Rocky Series. However, even as a fan of Rocky, Lights Out presented a product that had much more depth than Rocky ever had. Rocky, which usually presented the character of Rocky B…

The Rock vs. John Cena.
April 1st, 2012.
Sun Life Stadium, Miami, Florida.
Wrestlemania 28.
It seems almost fictional to believe that this match will occur a year from now, however, after last night’s Monday Night Raw, it appears this dream match will become a realiity for all wrestling fans. A match that can possibly have one of the biggest box office draws for a Wrestlemania pending nothing major occurs within the next year.

174 days to go.
I received some really interesting news not too long ago and it really got the wheels in my head turning.
Ever since this wedding has been put together, I’ve slowly realized that I had to actually invite family and friends. Yeah, I know, imagine that, huh? As we move closer to the fall, my realization has grown into concern.
As we constantly and consistently run through the invite list, I grow with a subtle embarrassment, concern, intrigue, and reflection. See, my tag team partner, who has an amazing caring family, is all about Family. And I don’t blame her one bit for being so. Her family is one that is huge, and very close.
My family? It’s big, yes. However, I have no clue where or who they are.

My family, the majority who are of West Indian decent from the island of St. Vincent, are not your average, or even basic for that matter, type of family. Unlike most, the family connection line within my family is very broad and limited at best. And while I won’t lie, lik…