The Apocalypse, Brexit, Sit-ins and More

Photo Credit: Jason Haskins

The first sign of the apocalypse happened late last Sunday night. It didn't involve armies rising from the East or the earth opening up with fire and brimstone.

It happened in Northern California when, for the first time in franchise history the Cleveland Cavaliers won the NBA Championship. Not only that, it was the first time since 1964 the city of Cleveland hoisted a championship trophy. LeBron James turned out to be the Ohio savior that was promised to Cleveland sports fans. And no, the refs did not win him and the city the title.

In Chicago, the Cubs are enjoying one of their best seasons in years. Many are starting to wonder if the Cubs are due to end their long drought of not winning a World Series come October. If that happens, sign of apocalypse number two will be upon us.

Makes you think that if that happens, a Donald Trump presidency might not be far behind, thus securing three signs that will lead to the end of mankind as we know it.

With that, welcome to this week's blog. 

Initially, this was going to be a week in review. One that covered the sit-in by Democratic Representatives in the House. For 24 hours, these politicians called for the Republicans to at least consider the gun bills presented before them. Per usual, rather than taking a stand and thinking for themselves, these Republican representatives let their lined pockets do the talking for them. In the end, the Republicans called for and voted on to break until after the July 4th holiday. Our finest elected representatives at work, folks.

Okay. Enough politics. I tend to shy away from them in this format because nothing gets solved. Opinions are opinions. Hateful arguments are had, very rarely accomplishing anything. The internet is a vile world that too many of us reside in. I have seen too many links shared and posted from non-credible news sources (those of real and satire) that I've begun to doubt everything within the realm of the internet. A word of advice: Do a little research before hitting the share button especially if you've never heard of the website posting the "information".

A little research might have gone a long way in voting to keep Britain in the European Union. Instead, the 'Leaves' have it, leaving a world market stumbling to recover and uncertain future for England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland.

As an outsider, I can honestly say I don't know all of the details involved. I do know part of it has to do with closing off immigration to the United Kingdom and tightening up the borders, an issue that is very close to what is going on here in America. Because I've already let a bit of politics seep into this post, I will just say this: Please go vote. In November, for sure, but vote whenever the opportunity arises. There is so much at stake. Please remember that yes, your vote does count.

Off of my soap box now. I spent a fair amount of time Wednesday and Thursday nights following coverage of the aforementioned events. I use a variety of sources, to compare and contrast, to see everything that's being reported. And yes, I learn from all sources of the political spectrum--makes it easier to decipher the bs--giving me a wide array of opinions. Do I become to enamored with coverage of these world events? Perhaps, but it's all part of staying educated.

Staying educated. Easier said than done. It should be the complete opposite, in this internet age. Too many people don't take advantage of the endless resources we have both on and off line. Too many websites create news that isn't news--not in a satirical way--leading to streams of endless garbage. 

Do we need to know that James watched The Godfather six times during the NBA playoffs? Yes, it's a nice nugget of information that could be tweeted out or included in a longer article about the Cavs winning the NBA Finals. What we don't need is ten articles just about the fact he watched the movie, basically saying the same thing over and over again to fit a 300-500 word quota.

That's just one example. Between articles on Britney Spears and her new Instagram photo and articles about the people at Good Morning America making a mistake in a tweet (because people are perfect, right), I was given an overload of information I don't need. It's like the internet is starting to become one giant issue of The National Enquirer.

I don't know, maybe this post is contributing to the same thing I'm railing against. It's hard to say. I know I've at least got better at avoiding click bait headlines. Or the aforementioned examples might have included a much longer list.

Old man rant complete. This turned into more of a week in review than I thought it would. I will be back later this week with some posts on soccer and baseball, two of America's favorite sports. Until then, keep those cameras safely rolling...Wait, I can't use that. That's Bob Saget's line.

Let's try this again. Until then, be kind to each other. Sometimes it's all we have in this crazy world.








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