Are the Browns actually on to something?

The Browns are a bad football team. They've been bad on a pace that seems completely unsustainable. And yet, here they are, sustaining how bad they are. This offseason, though, they've been making a lot of moves, and at least on paper, all of those moves make a lot of sense. For some reason.
The Browns were winless last year. It's tough to put a shine on that particular turd. If there was one thing they did well, it was stop the run, which is actually pretty impressive when you get down to it. Their opponents were usually ahead, and likely running the ball a heck of a lot to wind the clock. And still, they were a top ten defense against the run.
Other than that though, the Browns were pretty bad. I won't say much more than that, as a Colts fan. The Browns finished higher in every single one of the primary categories -- Rush Offense, Pass Offense, Rush Defense and Pass Defense -- than Indianapolis. And Cleveland seems to be executing a plan more well thought out than Indianapolis',
I digress. We haven't even had the draft yet, but consider all the offensive upgrades the team has already made. They have Tyrod Taylor now at quarterback, Jarvis Landry as a top wide receiver and Carlos Hyde as running back. On defense, they completely revamped their secondary, and they will have Myles Garrett, last year's top pick, as their primary edge rusher.
Oh, and they have 2 picks in the first 4 this year.
The first pick will be a quarterback, who will suddenly end up in what I consider to be the perfect situation. Whoever they pick won't be asked to start right away, instead learning under a vet, and practicing with talented,veteran skill players. The offensive line is not a liability for the Browns, even with Joe Thomas' retirement, so whomever gets drafted will also be kept upright. The Browns are actually going to put a new quarterback in a position to thrive,
And then there is pick number 4. The world is their oyster. With so many other quarterbacks expected to come off the board, the other top players, like Bradley Chubb and Saquan Barkley, will still be available at #4. Walter Football has the Browns taking Chubb, which would mean that the Browns would have a fearsome edge rush of Chubb and Garrett.
I know what it's like to be tied to a team that seems perpetually the victim of bad luck, so something will go wrong, without question, this offseason. If not, there is a heck of a lot to be excited about with the Browns for the next couple of years. The Browns are a bad football team, but they might soon be good.

Nostalgia for good

We're at a stage where most nostalgic looks back at pop culture of yore are taking us to the 80s or early 90s, and if anyone wants to crack wise about the 80s, a go to punchline is Cyndi Lauper. Nobody exemplified the 80s quite like her.

She had the colorful hair, pop hits and the brilliant lack of staying power of pop stars identified closely with a particular decade. Still, somehow, we are seeing more and more of Lauper, either in commercials, at events or sometimes in the news.

But it wasn’t just electronic music and multicolored hair that followed pop culture out of the 80s. It was also the decade that homosexuality was more greatly acknowledged, and in many pockets of America, it was when homosexuals started to be accepted.

Part of the acknowledgement came from the recognition of the problems within the community, not the least of which were the understanding of HIV and AIDS and how they were impacting those that identified as gay, in particular. Of course, the fact that this lifestyle was associated with an epidemic only added to the stigma that has been there since the dawn of Christianity.

As with most cases of prejudice, a personal closeness with someone who is of a minority, or marginalized population can help assuage those feelings of suspicion. For Lauper, she was particularly close with the community, having a sister that identified as gay.

Coincidentally, the LBGT movement adopted the rainbow flag as a symbol for their struggle for acceptance and equal rights under the law, at about the time that Lauper released her hit single “True Colors,” a romantic song about opening up on a personal level.

While the song was not released as a gay rights anthem, the singer was, and the themes coincided nicely with what activists were striving for. Acceptance of what one truly was, and being accepted by those who loved you, even if that was a scary proposition at first. Lauper expressed something in this song beyond its original intent, and she wasn’t really trying when she did so.

10 years ago, Lauper and associates went beyond the message of the song, beyond simple acceptance, and moved tangibly to support the LGBT community, setting up the True Colors Fund. Rather than being an organization focused on rights advocacy, the Fund has dedicated itself to support for homeless LGBT youth, who disproportionately find themselves on the streets. 

This is the type of charitable endeavor that isn’t simply a vanity project for the celebrity, as many organizations run by celebrities (or even future even future presidents) can tend to be. It is a targeted program that brings awareness to a particular societal problem, rather than vaguely being for “the kids” or “the poor”. Because of its targeted concern, Lauper’s celebrity adds much needed publicity, and her passion adds more motivation.

The True Colors fund has an active roster of events and drives that seem to be well funded, and a board of directors that blends top business minds with other celebrities. The fact that this organization banked on a song that was 20 years old at the time and has seen sustained viability for 10 years says something about Lauper and the cause she is fighting for.
It's perfectly legitimate to think back to Cyndi Lauper's heyday, and think of the pink haired goofball that seems to pop up here and there even now. She was that, but we should be so lucky that a modern, seemingly flighty celebrity is so able to leverage their fame into the greater good.