Gift ideas

Still trying to come up with a few gift ideas for that special tech loving guy & don't wanna resorting to the standard gift card as result? Here are a some ideas that might give you some thoughts on how to jump-start your holiday shopping:

This 1st one is probably the most common idea, so I’ll get it out of the way with right now… it’s of course, the all important Apple iPod. There are several versions of iPods available, so the 1 you’d want to target would certainly depend on the intended use of the device. But for any tech geek in training such as myself – the iPod Touch ($230 - $400), is the best option as it boasts the most features of any current iPod model. The iPod Nano starts as $140.

If “Mr. Man already has an mp3 player/iPod or mobile phone that he uses or music playback, a set of BT Headphones (which is NOT to be confused for a standard BT earpiece) is a relatively cheap gift for your favorite tech lover at $50, but can get as expensive as $300 depending upon how high-end the model/manufacturer is. A docking station is never a bad gift for any iPod/iPhone owner either.

If he reads or has the desire to do more of it, Amazon's Kindle e-book reader would be another great solution for such. The Kindle 3G retails for about $190, & there’s a non-3G (Wi-Fi only) version that starts at about $140.

Nowadays BluRay players are cheaper than ever before, I’ve seen many priced in the $120 range recently, so that’s another gift idea if he’s a movie watcher, especially if premium sound & graphics are at the forefront of his desired movie watching experience.

Playstation 3 video gaming consoles feature BluRay playback as an embedded option, so this too is a decent, albeit pricier idea ($250 - $400) if you have any thoughts of killing 2 birds with one stone.

Has he been super-good this year? If so, he might really enjoy the use of an Apple iPad. iPads feature a wide range of media, gaming, application & web browsing capabilities which are perfect for occasional or frequent use. Wi-Fi only iPads start at about $499, Wi-Fi + 3G iPads starts at about $629.

***Note: Anyone weary about buying an iPad 3G for use with AT&T’s data plan (in anticipation of the iPhone’s unveiling on Verizon in 2011) should keep in mind that Verizon already offers iPads with 3G data services & they’ve been available in their stores since about the 18th of this month, so you could always grab an iPad now & get an iPhone at some point in 2011.

If he’s an Apple product ‘head’ like myself, or simply uses his iPod or iPhone ALOT for music in the home, viewing videos, photos or YouTube, AppleTV is wonderful media extending device that combines the functionality of each of Apple’s device capabilities to create the perfect audio-visual multimedia experience & it keeps getting better with each update. Quite simply, it remains the best media extender on the market. AppleTV syncs with the iTunes library to stream media to any given TV/entertainment system.

Some of the many conveniences of AppleTV includes access to your iTunes library, the iTunes Music Store – for HD (& standard definition) tv show/movie rentals/purchases, song/music video purchases & more. It can be used to view sites like YouTube, Flickr & will even allow access to you individual account. It flawlessly handles online or streamed photos/video including internet radio & of course allow you to listen to/watch video & music from your own iTunes library. It’s not an expensive device either these days, as it’s priced at just $99 on Apple’s website. I bought one 2 years ago for $250 in comparison.

Lastly, does he have a billion components connected to the TV/entertainment sytem, complete with a remote for each device? A universal remote might be another good gift idea then, that way he can get rid of all but one remote. I use the Harmony 1100 Universal Remote Control which controls everything from my laptop to my PS3, to electric window shading (If I had those kind of shades, of course – lol).

The rechargeable remote (& included docking station) features a colorful, touch-screen & fully customizable design that can be used to display wallpapers, favorite channels & activity power-up/down sequences with the push of just one button. Updates to the remote (essential when new devices hit the market) can be found online using the included software & installed by syncing with any computer. It’s a pricey device, but he won’t need another one for 10 years - it can be found online or in major electronic stores in the range of $250 to $400, so shop around.

iOS 4.2.1

Earlier in the week the most recent OS update to Apple's iPod & iPhone (& most importantly the 1st significant update for the iPad's operating system), iOS 4.2.1 was officially released & after a few days of playing around with the various new features, I'm pretty impressed with the direction in which the devices are heading. The iPad has essentially replaced my laptop as far as everyday use & each week it seems I find a new reason to use it even more.

I absolutely love the convenience that this device has given me since the spring of this year when the 1st shipments finally started rolling out. I carry it with me during my daily commute to/from work & at this point I'd be lost without it. Anyone who doesn't see the need for such a device clearly has no clue of all that it does. Between it's audio/video media playback & management, file storage, data & word processing, web browsing & advanced email capabilities, it does everything I need it to do as far as my day to day needs are concerned.

I'd highly recommend it to anyone considering the purchase of a conventional note or net book for similar uses. In conjunction with the use of any desktop or stationary computer in the home or office, most would be hard-pressed to find limitations to the overall functionality of this wonderfully designed tablet computer.

The following are the 3 are the upgrades to the OS I looked forward to the most (on the iPad specifically):

- Multitasking is now supported on the iPad & folders have finally been introduced as well (so no more swiping through page upon page of apps on the iPad).

- AirPrint is a pretty useful new feature to the iPad (allowing for printing to a wireless printer operating on the same network as the device).

- Far better mail & calendar support (including improved syncing between MobileMe & Google have also been implemented with the introduction of the update).

-Interestingly in a very uncommon move for apple, The OS update was used to make a slight change to the hardware itself. The page orientation lock swith now serves as the mute sound switch, the page orientation lock toggle is now found by swiping left within the multitasking dock (just like the on the iPhone after previous updates).

For the most part, all of the new iPad features unlocked by the new OS are available on the iPod & iPhone respectively, but most had already been implemented in previous updates to those devices a month or so back, so there aren't many brand new features that come to mind in that regard.

I did however notice that the iPhones now have the native ability to have newly added sms/mms alerts assigned to specific contact entries, so u know exactly who is texting you by the sound of the alert alone (17 new sounds I believe), but I won't get much mileage out of this feature myself since my iPhone is jailbroken & I have my own custom alerts sounds anyway, but many non-jailbroken iPhone users should find a practical use of the new capability.

Black Friday...

Interestingly, both women & children seem have a way of deciding to show their ENTIRE asses right when the holiday season starts. You know, those crucial days/weeks before or after Thanksgiving when your busy deciding what you're gonna spend on who & more importantly — why. Have you been a good girl or boy this year? If not, you've got exactly 25 days to make amends for any recent misgivings, lol.

Many of you are out gettin your Black Friday shopping on today. So in that spirit, I'm at my desk at work & just completed my holiday shopping list & while there have indeed been some notable, last minute changes & omissions to this year's list, I remain confident that I've included all of those close to me who are deserving of such accolades & will complete my shopping accordingly.

I've always enjoyed this time of year, even upon becoming an adult when the amount of money spent on gifts began to exceed the amount of gifts received, lol. I guess I just love the act of gift giving and seeing the enjoyment that various people within my circle take from the occasion.

Aside from that, it's a special time of year when people seem more kind (in general) & generous just because. We live in such a self-absorbed society that it's almost a pleasant surprise each year to see that the holiday still exists. Despite the commercial extravaganza that this season has become over the years, there's still something special in the air during this time & I love it.

Hopefully, the up-beat spirits of the people roll right on into the new year! I've got big plans for myself in 2011, so I'd love nothing better than to finish-off 2010 on a high-note. Best of wishes go out to you and yours — Happy Holidays!

Broke Another Mirror Today...

Apparently there's something about my personality that fosters a breeding ground for miscommunication & lack of understanding & though I've never tired of any opportunity for success in this regard, here I sit confused, exhausted & without a clue of where to go from here. If I fight to express that in which I believe is right, I lose. If I remain silent & allow certain beliefs or misconceptions to continue, I lose.

It's a shame that we're unable to really know the people we involve ourselves with until we're knee-deep in shit, but I guess that's the way life & love works - it's always a leap of faith! You just hope that the individual you find yourself involved with invests the same amount of time/energy as you have as far as understanding & respecting each other.

I haven't always gotten that effort from women, but to be fair, there were certainly times when I failed in this arena as well. Nonetheless, I can honestly say I have no problem forgiving a person who takes accountability for his/her mistakes, or actions but when there isn't even any willingness to recognize the fault - really what's the point?

With each day I learn that what I want in life may not be what God wants for me. Sometimes people are going to shit on you regardless of how thoughtful you are of them. The thing I've benefitted from most in life is knowing which personal bridges to cross & which ones I should burn. After all, a man can only take so much...

Call of Duty: Black Ops

Earlier last week I finished playing the 7th installment of the Call of Duty video game series, Black Ops, for the Playstation 3 platform & I'm pleased to announce that the overall gameplay did not disappoint this particular gamer in the least bit.

Publishers of Call of Duty, Activision decided to use different developers than those of it's very successful & most recent predecessors, COD: Modern Warfare 1 & 2 to assist with the creation COD: Black Ops. While I did notice differences in the two gameplay experiences, that had more to do with the the fact that I'm comparing vastly different titles (in terms of storyline). Black Ops (developed by Treyarch) is NOT a sequel to Modern Warfare 1 nor 2 (developed by Infinity Ward).

Yet with Black Ops it didn't seem to me that there was any noticeable drop-off. My guess as to why they used another company would be that Activision wanted to ensure that there wouldn't be too long of a lag-time between the respective release dates of their various COD titles, so it makes sense to use more than 1 company for logistical purposes - that & the old adage of 'never putting all of your eggs into 1 basket,' of course — word is... there is a continuing beef among Activision & Infinity Ward.

In further comparison, the Modern Warfare titles featured a better variety of distinctly different battlefields & missions across the globe, while Black Ops seems to concern itself with fewer world-wide locales & focuses on the Cold War, so it seemed like I was fighting many battles in similar locations for much of the gameplay experience.

But again, to be completely fair, both Modern Warfare 1 & 2 were fruits far different from other releases in the COD series. Black Ops & most older COD titles involved more of a historical representation of World War II events, whereas Modern Warfare 1 & 2 had no such restriction during creation, so the sky was very much the limit. Modern Warfare 1 & 2 focused on more recent aspects of war during present time, so this isn't a criticism, but more of an observation rather.

I was slightly disappointed to with the rather short single-player campaign mode (much like Modern Warfare 1 & 2) & resulting ho-hum final battle, but giving rise to the extreme attention to detail required to produce such titles, I guess I can accept the somewhat flat ending of it all.

There are; however, other gameplay modes that become available upon the successful completion of a single-player campaign in addition to what has become customary for the COD series, a multiplayer mode which opens a new world of additional gaming to compensate for the shorter storyline of the single-player campaign.

Above all, I'm certainly glad I bothered to wait in line with at least a couple hundred other idots at midnight on November 9th, to pick-up my copy of the popular game. Initially, I planned to simply wait until getting off-work the following afternoon to grab my reserved copy (like the rest of the world, lol), but the closer it got to midnight, the more my anticipation grew...

It was worth the anticipation & any previous fan of this particular series of military based, role playing games should again, come away with a well-rounded (albeit virtual) sense of the battlefield experience & have tons of fun achieving each & every mission's objective. I eagerly await the release of the next Call of Duty title, Modern Warfare 3 in 2011...

Jay-Z.... (still encoded for now)

I was all primed & ready to order the new Jay-Z book, "Decoded" tomorrow but was fairly disappointed to find that while the Hardcover version of the book comes available tomorrow, I won't be able to download the e-book via Amazon's Kindle app for another 3 weeks on Dec. 7th.

Upon reading my 1st e-book, I decided I could never go back to hauling around an actual book ever again. I absolutely love the way the Kindle apps on my iPhone and iPad both sync with one another so that regardless of which device I choose to read from, my most recent stopping point & notes are saved (& synced over-the-air) in both apps.

I've also read e-books via the Kobo app as well the iBook reader designed specifically for Apple devices. After trying each at some point, the Kindle app remains my favorite e-book interface to navigate.

But I guess it's just as well that the e-book won't come out til December since I won't even have finished the Bush book by then - but still, I really wanted it on-deck in the archive.

I'm finding that I've been far more willing to read since the increased popularity & sales of e-book downloads for Kindles, iPads & other similar devices. Initially (though fully aware of the technology), I ignored the concept realizing that only the most popular titles were offered as e-books.

It appears the trend has finally begun to swing in the opposite direction as many more titles are available for immediate download the same day that their hard copy counterparts are. So it seems (at least until the next generation of reading technology comes along) e-books are here to stay. If you 've never before read from a e-book reader of some sort, give it a spin. Who knows? You just might re-discover the world of literature just like I did...

Hoya Paranoia...

Last night the Georgetown Hoyas opened the 2010-11 season on the road, in a rather hostile environment vs the Old Dominion Monarchs with a 62-59 win. You've gotta give Coach Thompson credit for not being afraid to start the season against a very worthy adversary in such a feisty environment.

From the opening tip in Norfolk, it became clear that inside play of forwards Julian Vaughn (senior) & Hollis Thompson (sophomore) will be key once Big East play begins, otherwise there could be issues with the lack depth/experienced size in the low-post with the departure of Greg Monroe for the NBA. Both Vaughn & Thompson struggled from the field, so it'll be important to get the kiddies plenty of minutes before Big East play starts in December.

The Hoyas do however maintain a strong back-court with the return of senior guards Austin Freeman & Chris Wright. I think the play of junior guard Jason Clark will be critical to their success as well. The three played well, though Wright had a few 1st-game jitters as evidenced by a some shaky decision-making during Hoya fast breaks. But the Bowie, MD native came up huge down the stretch & looked very much like a senior, shooting 7-13 from the field, including 4-6 from 3-point land, finishing with 19 points to lead all scorers.

G'town got off to a fairly slow start and continued the poor shooting, for much of the 1st-half before a late run made it apparent that it would only a matter of time before they'd fully awake. Early foul trouble kept the Hoyas from opening the game up down the stretch, but solid guard-play secured the win. Sophomore guard Vee Sanford definitely needs more minutes as he looked like one of the most athletic players on last year's team, didn't see his at all last night.

Freshman forward Nate Lubick got plenty of minutes & looked good down-low in relief of Vaughn & Thompson. I'd also like to see more of center Henry Simms (junior) on the court with Vaughn a little more, that way size wouldn't be such an issue with the 3-guard lineup. Nonetheless, the Princeton offense seems to once again be affective in crossing defenses up & I look forward to the start of conference play...

'Dubya'

Amazing – I still can’t quite believe this myself, but I’m actually reading the memoirs (entitled 'Decision Points') from George W. Bush’s two terms in office as the 43rd President of the United States of America, but that’s precisely what I’m doing! For many years, I’ve harbored ‘certain’ feelings for this man & never dreamed that I’d ever feel any differently. Yet incredibly, my feelings have since changed in that regard.

1st off, let me emphatically state that I claim to be neither republican nor democrat (I think BOTH parties suck ass). As far as political affiliations go, I guess I’d be best described as an independent; however, I’d beg to differ with that assessment in many instances as well.

It all started with the 2008 release of Oliver Stone’s biopic “W.” which traced the ultimate rise to power of the former President (played by Josh Brolin). Though much of the movie was more or less frowned upon & viewed as sketchy by the Bush camp in general, it allowed people to see a side of him that was often rumored & discussed, but rarely documented & never before depicted on-screen.

It was at this point that I started to think to myself, ‘this dude actually ain’t that bad,’ sure he might have been misunderstood & aloof at times (ok, ok – most of the time, lol), but far from the devil reincarnate that many people would have you to believe that he was.

As far as his opponents & critics (including myself), I think his perceived lack of intelligence & foresight simply became the easiest thing to attack. Though I still question many of his domestic & foreign policy decisions, I feel I have a clearer understanding of why he felt the need to make some of the choices he did.

Then came his November 9th appearance on the Oprah Winfrey Show. To me, he appeared to be a far more relaxed & easy-going person & while I've come to understand this to be typical of most presidents following their respective presidencies during my lifetime, he seemed far more genuine in his responses to the various questions that Oprah placed upon him & she certainly threw some hardballs at him, so I was pleasantly surprised to observe the candor in his responses.

Sure, it's common for people of his stature to get coached before making appearances, but I don't really see the motivation for such in this instance. He's done with all hoopla we've come to know as being Head of State — so really, why would he even bother to put forth the effort of so triumphantly fooling people at this point? I realize at the end of the day he's still a politician, so it may be deeply ingrained into his subconscious after so many years, but I really don't feel that's the case in this instance.

I was especially interested in hearing his thoughts on the tanking of our economy, 9/11 & the Katrina/FEMA debacle. Those were definitely the biggest issues during his reign & he again succeeded in pacifying my thoughts, even though the hour-long format of the show only afforded him to briefly touch upon each topic. I can't really determine how his interview came across to other viewers at this point, but my gut leads me to believe that many felt the same afterwards.

I look forward to finishing the book & will undoubtedly share my conclusive thoughts of the man with you all upon doing so...

IFFL Championship Game!!!

The championship game for the men’s flag football team I’ve been a part of for the past three years is now upon us. Last fall we came up short in the title game & ended up with a sour, 2nd place taste left in our mouths – while silver is indeed one of my three favorite colors, it would be really nice to take home the gold this season!!!

There were quite a few bitter feelings shared among many of our players at the conclusion of

last year’s championship game & those feelings even spilled into the spring season, which we ended up not taking part in as a result. So this fall we established a new team name, new uniforms & a renewed sense of camaraderie.

We’ll be facing a team that we lost to during the regular season. They’re clearly the most athletic team in the league – but I’ve got a feeling we’ve found a few holes in their scheme to exploit this Sunday, hopefully what we’ve learned about their team thus far will help us out in that regard.


We lost 27-7 during that regular season match-up & though there are no excuses in sports, we were missing some major components from ourtypical game-plan (due to several missing players & hell – even I showed up late for the game now that I think about it). I’m wondering if the other squad will come into the championship game feeling a bit over-confident. If so, it’ll be bad news for them!

I'm actually considering hanging up the cleats for good after the big game. But I'm hardly sure whether this is or isn’t my farewell tour. If I did stop playing, I’d need to pick up another activity to make up for that portion of exercise I'd be losing. At this point, I haven't a clue what said activity would be.

I’ve typically had similar feelings following the conclusion of the past couple seasons. I guess I'll make that decision next spring, when I'm actually forced to. One thing I DO know is that it’s been a great ride with these guys & I’d hate to not ever see many of them again, so I’ll give it much thought over the next 3-4 months.

It’s been a great run, getting to know & play with these guys who come from so many different places & walks of life. If indeed I do decide to retire from the team/league at the conclusion of this postseason, I’ll walk away with no regrets – knowing full well that is was an absolute honor to complete & sweat with such a great group of men.

A Psychic, I am NOT...

It never ceases to amaze me just how much talking is done about open lines of communication (in regard to interpersonal relationships with folk), yet we still tend to expect people to somehow be clairvoyants in the end. If you take a moment to step back & analyze it from afar, it’s usually pretty cut & dry type of thing: either you open your mouth to voice your opinion on a certain topic, or carry it to your grave, minus the bitching & groaning after you realize that you should have spoken on it at the time. It's just not fair to the other person at that point.

That’s my take on it anyway. Maybe there should be an unwritten (or written, lol) rule somewhere that stipulates forfeiture of all future complaints, viewpoints & out-right whining beyond the “open-comment period,” lol. It always bugs me when people let negative emotion build-up, especially when you’re begging for their input in the 1st place. Then out of no where, they spring it on you down the road as if it’s been an issue they’ve openly expressed all along.

We’ve got to start doing better than this people. I think the difficulty of feeding a closed mouth has been well documented over the years. It may be time for us all to walk the walk & be more honest & upfront with one another. Granted we all have our faults & things we’d perhaps change about our unique personalities if given the chance, but since that’s not gonna happen, let’s seriously give this honesty thing a try & live life in a more proactive manner across the board.

Excuse this overly used cliché but let’s ‘be real’ here. No significant other, friend, parent, co-worker or stranger has much chance of knowing what’s on your mind at any given moment, so why not make like a little easier on entire world & just say what’s on your mind while it’s still a relevant topic of discussion.

Most times when people take issue with any normal day-to-day routine or business that directly impacts their lively-hood or well being, the time is taken to correct the issue right then & there. So why do treat our day-to-day relations with actual people any differently? Your honest thoughts have little to no value once there’s nothing that can be done about it, so step up & take the lead in your success story and stop waiting for someone else to write the script.

In a perfect world, I’d love to help as many people as I can. But I can’t, so I chose to 1st help the most important person to me – myself. If that calls for being honest in the expression of my feelings (& taking on the bad guy role) regarding any given subject, it’s my responsibility to myself to do just that. It’s rather liberating (even in ultimate failure) to know that you gave your all, but when you know there are things you left on the table that might have changed things… well, I’m sure you get the drift.

I’d expect the same from you – otherwise, how can the issue ever get resolved? I’m very receptive to people who take the time indicate their desires – besides, what have you really got to lose in end? The worst thing any person can say to you is ‘no,’ at last check, not many people die from that. On the other hand, if you’re not willing to 1st be honest with yourself & me, in-turn… guess you can pretty much miss me with that bullshit, lol. Ok end-rant    the “open-comment period” for this post begins now, lmao…

Looks like the iPhone on Verizon is Finally a Reality...

It appears Apple and Verizon are finally geared up & ready to play nicely with one another in early 2011 (as confirmed by Fortune magazine). AT&T's death-grip on the exclusivity of the iPhone has long been rumored to be dead in the water, but Apple, AT&T & Verizon have been much more willing to talk about the issue in recent weeks & it appears officially no longer a pipe-dream.

Personally, this iPhone user is ecstatic that Verizon will be joining the game. But not for the reasons that most iPhone owners are. I've always preferred Verizon phones for the simple fact that they were for many years the only carrier's whose cell phones worked underground in subway tunnels and such. Though other companies now offer a similar convenience, Verizon still maintains the most reliability in that regard. Probably a pretty trivial reason to prefer one carrier over another, but hey - we live in a trivial world, lol.

But I think most iPhone owners will probably tell you that they're looking forward to the increased call quality & network that Verizon will offer. Many current iPhone owners have often dogged AT&T's network and customer service during the years since they gained initial rights & exclusivity of the device, but honestly I've never encountered much of an issue, if any with AT&T. I've always thought any of the big 3 or 4 major carriers was about the same, so while AT&T may not be the best - they certainly aren't the worst either.

I'll admit; however, that I'm not a huge talker on the phone, so the calling aspect of any smartphone I own is probably the least used feature, so it's very possible that I'm not so picky about call quality for that reason - all I know is that it makes and receives calls whenever I need it to. I'm a huge user of data so as log as I getting a 3G data signal (at minimum), I'm happy!

In general, I get rather close to obtaining the maximum potential from my iPhone as I use it ALOT for everything from emailing, texting, my iTunes music library, & banking to social networking, watching video, film/photography, news/weather, shopping & much, much more! So the future development of this phone (& corresponding carriers) remain only radar.

I can recall some point in early 2008, when I got my 1st iPhone. After losing my 3rd iPod, I said fuck it, switched carriers & made the iPhone thing happen - best move I could've made & I'm STILL pissed that I didn't get on-board back in 2007 when iPhones debuted. It's been the most practical & user-friendly device I've ever owned.

I actually still have my old Verizon account active & in good standing, so I'm sure to make switch shortly after we're given the green-light. Perhaps Verizon finally being in the mix is what the rest of you guys (who refuse to admit the superiority of the iPhone) need to finally jump on-board and see what you've been missing. Or maybe not, either way, you'll definitely see more iPhones - whether you like em or not, lol. All I need now is my Apple desktop computer & I'll be all set!

With that being said, I own stock in Apple, AT&T and Verizon - so I'm also excited from a financial standpoint & really couldn't care less about which carrier has the most success with iPhone sales. Clearly, the additional iPhone sales for Verizon are sure to give any Apple & Verizon stock a boost, so I'm looking forward to the upswing that's sure to take place within my portfolio when it all goes down.

As you can see, I could go on & on about the iPhone, but it's midnight & I've gotta go pick-up the new Call of Duty: Black Ops game - I'm such a child - why can't I just wait until I get off of work tomorrow? Lol...

The League...

Hasn't this been one crazy year in the NFL? I think my beloved Baltimore Ravens have pretty much performed as expected this season, at least as far as my expectations are concerned. A 6-2 record & forward momentum going into the back-stretch of the season is all any fan can ask for in my opinion. But getting back to the rest of the league:

-Brett Favre & the Vikings have looked bewildered & lost most of the time in many of their games played this year...

-The Raiders are actually commanding respect once again...

-The Cowboys (who were hoping to play in the Superbowl, which is in their home stadium) have yet to win a home game PERIOD - did I mention they just fired their head coach today???

-Randy Moss has been on 3 (count em' ), 3 teams this year...

-& my favorite feel-good story of the season is the fact that Michael Vick is not just a starting, but credible quarterback in the NFL once again...

These are just a few major stories thus far, how's that for just half the season gone? There have been sooooo many story lines that you almost forget there's a game that remains to be played on Sundays. Speaking of the game itself, a MUCH heavier emphasis has been place upon violent head-to-head hits & its been very noticeable.

Still not so keen on the idea of fining players such large amounts for hits that have been part of the game since its inception, yet I do understand the need to protect players from numerous head injuries. Just not so sure the NFL is going about resolving the issue in the proper manner. Troy Polamalo (of the Steelers) had an interesting idea as far as the Roger Goodell so willfully playing judge & jury (& executioner).

He said something to the effect of there needing to be some sort of council or group that makes important decisions in regard to the game itself & not just one individual - he mentioned 'separation of powers.' I couldn't agree more with his thoughts. Goodell has far too much power & I think everyone can now see various examples of such, like the harsh punishments he hands out to some players at will, while at the same time, affording others the opportunity to make amends for their off-field transgressions.

Overall the league has been very exciting this season, & I look forward to seeing how things play out in the end. I just hope the league doesn't do anything further in terms of decreasing the enjoyment of the game. They've clearly done ENOUGH, any further changes should be reserved for the off-season when owners are given the opportunity to provide input before decisions with such far reaching ramifications are made.

Offline...

I think, I'll be taking a break from my most frequently used social networking websites for a while (i.e. - Twitter and Facebook). I guess this is just a part of my normal cycling on & off schedule, yet for some reason I feel as though this particular break may last a bit longer than usual.

Quite frankly, Facebook has long been a bore to me, with hoards & hoards of “friends” posting pics, meaningless status updates so on & so fourth all in an attempt to show-off, brag, inform – or whatever people chose to call it, and quite honestly, I don’t give a shit about 95% of the things I see there. So taking a step back from it, really won’t be much of a problem at all since I’m not on there much anyway.

Twitter, on the other hand, is my 1st love in terms of networking is concerned, but that too has begun to bore me just a tad. It seems as though lately, folks just enjoy the act of posting shit for others to read, but they haven’t been very active in terms of reacting or commenting on the various tweets that come up in their respective timelines, so I’ll chill out on that for a while as well.

Generally, from time to time I like to avoid networking sites to re-focus on my real life obligations & responsibilities like friends, family & work, but during this hiatus I'll also be using the time to create more content for this blog. So hopefully anyone who's interested in what's going on my life will stop by & check out whatever is here.

Or maybe not (judging by the amount of comments I've rec'd on this blog since it's inception back in July, lol). In either instance, I do this for me, so expect to see some fresh material & possibly a newly revamped layout in the coming days/weeks since I'll have the additional time to devote to it. Be well peeps!

Should I Pop the Red, or Blue Pill?

I'm actually beginning to believe that I've found a special connection with a rather unique individual. So here I stand, staring at a relationship & chance at love squarely in the eyes; all the while, I'm scared shitless.

Should I blindly take this leap of faith, not fully knowing the true potential of this union, or should I cautiously observe things a bit longer, and risk losing her simply because I appear to be dragging my feet One thing that's certain right now we're coming from two different places in life, so I can't seem to figure out just where she and I should meet.

Personality-wise, she seems very much my equal, and I definitely feel like I'd compliment her as well, yet there are so many more things I need to know about her and I'm really beginning to feel like I'm putting the proverbial 'cart before the horse' in terms of my advances towards her, yet I can't stop

In what I guess amounts to a defense mechanism on my part, I've typically always fired the 1st shot and gotten the hell out of Dodge, whenever I begin to question a woman's passion or devotion towards me. But I don't feel inclined to handle things quite the same this go round. And while I'm very much confused at this point in time - I simply can't get enough of her.

Would it really make any sense to preserve any portion of my heart for past women who have in some cases considered me, merely a 2nd option? Would I not be cheating myself to remain on standby for those women who've yet realize the outstanding upgrade to their lives I could provide. What do I really owe any woman who wasn't strong nor wise enough to fight for me anyway? I can assure you, I'm far more than a 2nd option and to any woman who has failed to realize such - it's their loss & shame on them!

All and all, I guess I'd rather end up being someone to love and not just something to do and I truly wish there were a way to know her genuine thoughts before-hand, the secret ones trapped behind her wall of self-preservation that she so vigorously defends. So here I remain, trying to decide whether to plug myself deeper into the matrix or haul ass as fast as possible in the opposite direction. To be quite honest with myself, I'm definitely leaning towards the hopeful blue pill - and not the fear-stricken red one. Hopefully she feels the same...