On Sunday, Kobe Bryant died in a helicopter crash. Eight other people also died, including his 13-year-old daughter Gianna “Gigi.”

When I heard the news, I was as shocked as anyone, but I was not emotionally affected. He was not a personal friend of mine or a member of my family, so I did not cry or become upset at his passing. I never knew Bryant personally. I didn’t have much fan/professional athlete relationship with him. I probably only watched him play a handful of times. So, I can’t speak to his basketball legacy, and I’ll let others more qualified pay those respects with their tributes. I can only say he was an unbelievably talented basketball player who led the Los Angeles Lakers to two championships.

Sports are essential in my life, but Kobe Bryant was never one of my icons. I will likely be more affected when Larry Bird or Michael Jordan passes away. At the very least, I met Bird before his NBA career and watched both play many more times than Bryant.

The story of Bryant’s death shot around the world in seconds. I thought of the others who died. None of it was fair. We are losing far too many good people and not finding enough replacements that meet the standard. By all accounts, Bryant was doing his best to spend more time with his family. He was trying to be a better father and husband. It is a shame we will never see that second life he building blossom decades from now. I read his poem from The Player’s Tribune and mourn what might have been.

I’m aware of his rape trial, but now is not the time to revisit this black mark on Bryant. Speaking ill of the dead is uncivilized. All I remember about this incident was the giant apology ring he gave his wife and that she did forgive him. Who am I to judge another person’s relationship? I don’t believe Bryant was a saint, and I’m sure those who have survived sexual abuse and trauma aren’t happy he is being celebrated all across the media.

Who am I to judge how another person manages their grief?

Will Leitch, writing for New York Magazine, laid out Bryant’s post-player career and it honestly surprised me.

Since retiring from the NBA, Kobe had laid down a framework for an athlete’s post-retirement life that was as groundbreaking a template as his Hall of Fame on-court career was for active players. He founded and ran a company, Kobe Inc. that worked in sports branding and ended up earning him more than $200 million when Coca-Cola bought one of the companies he’d invested in. He started a venture capital firm. He hosted his own streaming television show for ESPN. He partnered with a multisport training academy for young athletes. He became an outspoken critic of the president during a time when players were finding their political voices more and more. He published a number of books. An outreach program in China made him the most popular player in the country still, five years after he left the game. He retained one of the best-selling shoe brands for Nike. He won a freaking Oscar.

Kobe fit more into his four year post basketball career than most humans could stuff into several lifetimes. And he’d only been out for a few years. He was still, somehow, only 41.

And Kobe wasn’t just thriving and evolving with his businesses. In recent years, his four daughters (including a baby born just last June), and his place in their life, began to take center stage. His daughter Gigi had become an up-and-coming basketball player herself, and Kobe was her coach; a clip of Kobe explaining a basketball concept to her daughters was his last viral moment in a lifetime of them.

Undoubtedly, he would have excelled in his after-professional basketball life. He was already prospering, and he’d only been out of the game a few years. As Leitch says, he was just getting started.

In a 2008 interview, Kobe Bryant spoke with Priya David about his inspiration for creating The Kobe Bryant Basketball Academy. In the interview, he expresses what he wanted the young people who attended the camp to learn.

“Have a good time. Enjoy life. Life is too short to get bogged down and be discouraged. You have to keep moving. You have to keep going. Put one foot in front of the other, smile, and just keep on rolling.”

Life is too short. It is filled with happiness, laughter, sorrow, and tears. There isn’t much to say but to remind everyone to treat life like its precious jewel. Don’t take unnecessary risks; put yourself out there and work hard. Find your passion. Don’t let go of your dreams. Tell the girl or boy you love them. Jump into the world and live because it’s your only life.

My heart goes out to the families of everyone lost to this senseless crash. It is a reminder never to take the time we have with loved ones for granted. While I’m not personally grief-stricken, there are others right now experiencing unimaginable grief and heartbreak.

When a tragedy like this happens, it reminds us that curveballs come at the most inopportune time. At any given moment, a more personal tragedy could befall us. We have no control. I never want it to be too late to tell the people I love them very much.

Make the most of the opportunities before you. Don’t wait for a tragedy to tell someone you love them, be with them, and cherish them. Enjoy life with the ones who make you happy.

For so many young people, Bryant was their inspiration. Watching someone play the game with such intensity and passion is inspiring. You can learn to harness your passion by taking a page out of Bryant’s all-too-brief time here.

He was larger-than-life and one of the greatest basketball players ever. It did not come easy. He had immense talent, but he worked incredibly hard for years and had tremendous discipline to become the player he was.

Everyone can be inspired by Bryant’s work ethic and love of his passion. Not everyone will reach his heights, but we can all work with that same intensity. We can all channel his work ethic into our pursuits.

Kobe Bryant was always an inspiration. What lessons can you learn from a life well lived?

I barely watched the last Democratic debate. I did not watch much of the earlier ones either. The reason is simple: I’m voting for whomever the Democrats put forward because making Donald J. Trump a one-term president is of utmost importance.

The problem I see is I have no idea which of these candidates can beat Trump.

Spending time on policy topics is a waste of time. The American public does not care one iota about policies. To be sure, when presented with various policy positions, they will have opinions, but deep down inside, they do not care unless the policies affect them directly. I care about several policy positions and less about others. However, overall, I don’t care about the nuances between the candidates, and I suspect most Americans feel the same way.

All that matters is who is going to beat Trump.

Joe Biden should have run in 2016 when he was just 74. I know he didn’t because he lost his son in 2015, but he also lost his shot. Seriously, if he were 68 or even better 58, he’d be beating the field by even larger margins. Still, he has the added appeal of Obama voters who want to return to that simpler time, massive support from the African-American community and white-working class, and is incredibly popular. Unfortunately, his ability to form robust, long-remembered sentences is compounded by him mumbling and stammering. Yes, I’m aware of his stutter, but I don’t remember even hearing about his stuttering during the Obama years. I worry he won’t be able to handle the bluster of Trump’s Adderall (probably) fueled energy. He’s a good man whose time has come and gone. I’d rather remember him as the fun-loving vice president of Obama than a candidate from yesterday who doesn’t understand modern-day Republicans.

I very much like Elizabeth Warren, but I see far too much of the Hilary Clinton-level baggage when up against Trump and the Republican hate machine. One of the reasons I gravitated toward Barack Obama was his professorial demeanor. Warren has a similar appeal, but she also has the stupid ancestry thing over her head, among other encumbrances. She has fight, and she would win a debate with Trump, but she might not win the election. Adding Julian Castro has helped her, but I don’t know yet if that’s enough. I like her balance between having a strong vision for the country and then being able to execute her policies. I hope, if she becomes President, that she can do it.

The candidate who is most trying to act and sound like Obama is Pete Buttigieg. I love his candidacy when presented as the polar opposite of Trump, and he would mop the floor with both Trump and Pence in a debate, but I’m not sure he can walk into a room and have all eyes on him. He lacks charisma but has a Midwestern charm. He’s so smooth. I’m mostly worried that he has virtually no African-American appeal, and he should have a strong appeal to the young vote, but he doesn’t. What’s appealing to someone like me is that he represents generational change without a massive far-left agenda. Of course, that’s why Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez didn’t endorse him. The other Midwesterner still running is Amy Klobuchar, but she has zero gravitas and doesn’t have much traction. She will drop out of the race after the Iowa caucus when voters finally tell her she has no shot.

And then there was Bernie.

I don’t particularly like Bernie Sanders mostly because he comes across like a parody of a Brooklyn Jew and that he’s 78 years old. Can he beat Trump in an election? I don’t know. However, he knows his stuff and is battle-hardened after Clinton was anointed in 2016 before he could make the better case against Trump. He has never wavered in his beliefs, and that is comforting. His commitment to righting the wrongs of inequality are consistent and noteworthy. I can see him easily taking on Trump and exposing him for the con man he truly is.

On the other hand, he recently suffered a heart attack. He’d be the oldest person ever to enter the White House, and getting through his first term, let alone campaigning for a second term, would be a dark cloud over him. His appeal to young people is enormous. The AOC endorsement is important. Can he win? Maybe.

The billionaires in the race are not worth much thought. They are running vanity campaigns and are basically in the way. They don’t have a shot at the nomination and would be better served if they both put their money, campaign field offices, production, and on-the-ground marketing and promotion teams to work for the candidate chosen. Don’t be naïve; both Sanders and Warren would take help and would do so gladly.

I like this idea put forth by Robert Reich on Twitter -

Hell, if we’re dreaming, why don’t we convince Michael Bloomberg and Tom Steyer to float a billion dollars to Trump to resign? That would solve a great many problems.

So here we stand with Bernie and his energy, “Bernie-bros,” and young people inspiration and Grandpa Joe with his Obama connection, appeal to black and Midwestern voters, and a return to normalcy. At this point in early January before the Iowa caucus… I’m not feeling anyone quite yet.

Momentum is a funny thing. A win in Iowa can carry a candidate. Most people are just barely paying attention to the election. Once a candidate is set, I think it will move at a blistering pace. Who might the candidate be who can beat Trump? I’m not sure anyone knows.

Of course, I’m voting for the Democrat, whoever it is. Trump is a stain on the American experiment, and he should never have gotten a whiff of the White House, but here we are. An insane threat to the entire planet buzzes for another Diet Coke from the Oval Office and watches his impeachment trial, and we have to pretend that nothing is wrong.

Grandpa Joe, Mayor Pete, Professor Warren, and Brooklyn Bernie walk into an election. It sounds like the start of a joke. Let’s hope this time the election isn’t one.

Andrew Zaleski, writing for MIT Technology Review, has an inspiring and remarkable story about a veteran with a horrific injury and what it took to give him back his dignity.

I had no idea this was even possible.

Jemele Hill, writing for The Atlantic, has an interesting story on what’s wrong with college sports and why Congress needs to step in and fix the problem. It smartly focuses on Cory Booker, who was a D1 college athlete and is now a Senator and Presidential Candidate.

Basically, the NCAA doesn’t want to share the wealth. It will be interesting to see where all this goes in the next five to ten years.

pic.twitter.com/czVJztm9iY

— David Freese (@DavidFreese) October 12, 2019

He provided one of the greatest moments in St. Louis Cardinals history and will be remembered forever because of it.

Mark Frauendfelder, writing at Boing Boing, points us to a video by Jonathan Coulton that appeared at the end of The Good Fight episode “Day 450.” It’s a loving tribute to Schoolhouse Rock. I don’t watch The Good Fight and had no idea this existed.

Seems apropos.

Mark Manson, writing at this site, has coined a new term, “Negative Self-Help.”

Whereas positive self-help believes that we’re all wonderful and destined for greatness, Negative Self-Help admits that we’re all kind of shitty and we should come to terms with that. Whereas positive self-help encourages you to create ambitious goals, to follow your dreams, to reach for the stars—*vomits*—Negative Self-Help reminds you that your dreams are probably narcissistic delusions and you should probably just shut the fuck up and get to work on something meaningful. Whereas positive self-help obsesses over “healing” old “wounds,” and “releasing” pent up emotions, Negative Self-Help gently reminds you that there’s no end to the pain in this shitstream called life, so you might as well get used to it.

Yes kids, you too can get your shit together and live a more satisfying and meaningful life by pursuing less, by letting go of all the stupid assumptions you’ve accumulated throughout your self-absorbed life, by forgetting about happiness and accepting that everything meaningful in this world requires struggle and sacrifice. So you might as well start picking out the scars you want for your birthday, kiddos, because we’re all going to get them anyway. Negative Self-Help can completely alter your perception of life, the universe, and everything. Just sign up now for a limited time offer of…

…oh, what am I saying? It’s fucking free.

He then proceeds to explain everything. You owe it to yourself to read it.

Dana Blanton, reporting for Fox News, has a story the White House won’t like.

A new high of 51 percent wants Trump impeached and removed from office, another 4 percent want him impeached but not removed, and 40 percent oppose impeachment altogether. In July, 42 percent favored impeachment and removal, while 5 percent said impeach but don’t remove him, and 45 percent opposed impeachment.

So, even Fox News can’t deny the whole “lets get rid of the criminal grafter” movement.

Bill Haisley, writing for Deadspin, recounts a social media post by St. Louis Cardinal player Randy Arozarena that, undoubtedly, was not for public consumption.

Mike Shildt:

“The [Braves] started some shit. We finished the shit. And that’s how we roll. No one fucks with us ever. Now, I don’t give a fuck who we play. We’re gonna fuck them up. We’re gonna take it right to them the whole fucking way. We’re gonna kick their fucking ass.” pic.twitter.com/2J7jyJc60O

— STL Sports Central (@stlsportscntrl) October 10, 2019

Pretty sure Arozarena is gonna be in deep, deep trouble for that video. I mean… he’s gonna not be on the NLCS roster methinks.

Austin Kleon on recognizing a good book.

If a book makes me want to keep reading, it’s the right book.

If a book makes me want to start writing, it’s the right book.

Any other book is not the right book. (Right now.)

Seth Godin on understanding the difference between projects and tasks. This is the kind of observations I love that Seth does. It’s all about ownership.

I’ve been friends with @kennyloggins for thirty years and every time we’ve had dinner somewhere and the server asks if he’d like anything else and he says, “I’m alright” as soon as they walk away I look at him and go, “Seriously?”

— Richard Marx (@richardmarx) October 8, 2019

’80s yacht-rock superstars Richard Marx and Kenny Loggins are still having a good time. Thankfully, The Angry Fan chimed in with an excellent bon mot.

But if he texts you that he is running late do you reply I'll be right here waiting for you?

— X Angry Fan (@theangryfan) October 8, 2019

What a throwback to when Twitter was fun and not a cesspool.

Anne Rogers, writing for mlb.com, has an excellent profile of St. Louis Cardinals manager Mike Shildt.

“Believing in individuals and teams only gets tested when things aren’t going your way,” Shildt said. “And the easiest thing in the world is to punt on somebody. Sometimes it’s necessary in competition if a guy just doesn’t feel or look right, but not necessary when you have guys that you believe in that you know their work is taking place in the right manner, their head’s in the right spot. You know they’ve got a process for what they’re doing and how they’re doing it.”

Good read. Now go win Game 5.

WHO ELSE?! 🐐 pic.twitter.com/zKq8msNJer

— St. Louis Cardinals (@Cardinals) October 7, 2019

#THATSAWINNER and #THATSAWALKOFF!!! 👏👏👏 pic.twitter.com/tEUSEEG6Eg

— St. Louis Cardinals (@Cardinals) October 7, 2019

Yadi is clutch.

Time to put the Braves away on Wednesday.

Jim McLauchlin, writing for Newsarama, has a great story on the importance of a book that came out in 1974 — Origins of Marvel Comics by Stan Lee. Without this book and the marketing showmanship of Stan Lee going around and promoting it, the Marvel Comics of today might not have existed.

"Origins was the trade paperback before the trade paperback market even existed," says filmmaker Kevin Smith. "And it wasn't just some Marvel in-house compilation book. It was published by Simon & Schuster, a real publisher, a book-book publisher. Most importantly, that was an indicator that somebody outside the comic book market was treating this seriously."

“If you were looking for a comic book in the library in the ’80s, good luck,” he says. “You weren’t finding one, except for this. That legitimized what Stan was doing, what comics were doing. This was a beautiful, perfect way into the Marvel Universe for someone who didn’t grow up in it, or a classic revisit, a nostalgia jolt, if you were reading Marvel back when this happened.”

I had a similar experience to Kevin Smith. My father bought this book in hardcover, and I devoured it growing up. When I was a kid, all his comics were in banker’s boxes in the attic and was not a place I could easily get to when I wanted some Silver Age DC to read. However, Origins was on the bookshelf. Soon, Bring on the Bad Guys was in my possession too.

These two books helped me become a much better reader when I was 7 years old and allowed me to understand concepts other kids weren’t thinking about, like not being popular, the importance of self-sacrifice, not being self-centered, and so much more.

Now, I’ve got to go find those books at home and crack them open again.

Shirley Li, writing in The Atlantic, highlighted one of the better sketches from the most recent episode of Saturday Night Live. The racial stereotypes and the “game” was funny and smart. SNL could use more sketches like this.