Chit-Chat...

So I've got these 4 buddies that I've been chatting with (via group messaging app). If only I could disclose the sheer fuckery that takes place within, lol. 

We each, at the very strong urging of a mutual friend (& sister), accepted invitations to join the private chat group at some point earlier this fall. 

The on-going chatter typically begins between 6-7am (Monday thru Friday) & continues well into the evening. Group members chime-in (at their own discretion) at various points of the day to talk about absolutely anything under the sun. One never knows what the next chat topic will be, but it's sure to be funny!

Early morning commute & lunch times provide ample opportunity for each member to talk sh!t, but it's the chat sessions that take place following the close of business on weekdays that crack me up the most! Each chat group member is different & in so many ways too - it provides quite an entertaining dynamic.

The group is pretty active during the weekend as well... so we're usually up, chatting away by 10am or so. It's pretty interesting, more closely following the lives of 4 friends in such a manner. It seems the chat group reveals interesting & unknown information about a member each day. There's never a dull moment I tell ya. 

Soon we'll be selecting our secret Santa gift recipients... I'm pretty excited about that. As you can see from the photos attached to this post, we share daily (& sometimes hourly) selfie shots, sometimes there are themes for the selfies - we like to have fun with it, we can get really competitive about it too. 

The group even has bylaws governing the amount of time we can spend away from the chat, as well as the frequency of those breaks - lmao! But in all seriousness, the chat group is a pretty cool way for us all to pass the time. It's nice to keep up with several good friends whom I wouldn't otherwise be able to hang with as much.

Insomnia...

Despite my best efforts, I was just unable to sleep last night. Don’t know what the deal is, I didn’t take a nap or anything on Sunday.  I did manage to catch about 2 hours of sleep between the hours of 10p & midnight, but when I awoke, I was wired all over again. So rather than watch tv & play video games all night long, I just brought my ass into work for a lil OT, hell I’ll even get some night differential pay out of it.

So here I am blogging from my desk, when I’d rather be home catching some zzz’s. But what can you do? No worries though, there’s always plenty of work to do here, so at the very least, I’ll have a much lighter Monday workload once my normal tour of duty starts at 7a. I haven’t blogged in a while anyway, so this clears an item from my to-do list. I figure I’ll like crash at about 2p, which should be perfect since I’ll  be back out the door by 3p.

Once I do roll for the day, I’m gonna try & force myself to stay awake until it’s time to sleep again tonight – don’t want to end up repeating this same routine by taking a midday nap. Perhaps I’ll go & cut my folks’ lawn once I’m off, now that the weather has finally dipped below 100 degrees again. The grass in desperate need of a cut, fortunately this east coast heat wave has also prevented the grass from getting any taller.

As for the latest happenings in my world - eh, not much of anything goin on to be honest, guess that explains why I haven’t blogged lately. No one's been added to the shit-list since I last posted, so I find myself really reaching for any sort of relevant content to publish here. Sorry, there will be no deep, philosophical insight to share with you this morning, lol. I can only confirm that I’m indeed breathing & still walking the Earth. Hopefully that’ll suffice for now.

Alright, I guess I'll get some work done (while the rest of you sleep, lol).

Selective Discipline...

Yea, I know - it was more than 3 weeks ago, but I'm still angry about it... ever since Roger Goodell took over as NFL Commissioner in 2006, I've generally been supportive of the changes he's made & pretty much given him a pass on most of the questionable rule-changes & decisions he's made, but the Terrelle Pryor 5-game suspension, quite honestly, pissed me off.

Just to catch you up, Pryor (and 4 other teammates) received a 5-game by the NCAA for selling championship rings jerseys and awards along with accepting gifts & money from a tattoo parlor & it's owner during his time at Ohio State University, an infraction his coach Jim Tressel, had full knowledge of, but failed to report to the NCAA. The improper benefits were later discovered by the NCAA this past winter, but Pryor & company were allowed to play in OSU's bowl game, provided they agree to serve the 5-game suspension the following season.

Pryor & his 4 co-conspirators did indeed participate in the Sugar Bowl (a 31-26 victory over Arkansas), but this summer Tressel resigned as head coach of OSU amid the ongoing scandal & Pryor decided to go pro, rather than return to OSU. Since the NFL draft had already taken place in April, Pryor entered his name into the NFL's supplemental draft (a closed-door draft held for players with special circumstances preventing them from participating in the NFL's general draft) to be held just before the start of the season.

He was allowed to participate in the draft provided he agree to serve a 5-game NFL suspension following his eventual selection by the Oakland Raiders in the supplemental draft. There are few things in life that bug me more than interfering with a person's right to go out & make money. In my mind, the league has no right (nor authority) to impose any sort of suspension based upon infractions in a previous 'amateur' league.

Yes, he most likely committed infractions while a student-athlete but there is no previous precedent that justifies commuting an NCAA suspension to any sort of NFL punishment. In fact, the exact opposite is the only precedent that existed before this situation. In 2009, Jeremy Jarmon was suspended for his ENTIRE senior season at the University of Kentucky for what the NCAA called an illegal diuretic. The NFL allowed him into the supplemental draft that year with no carryover punishment whatsoever, so.... wtf???

Colleges & universities are hit with NCAA sanctions all the time based upon infractions committed by players who have long since gone pro, so why is Pryor being made an example here? It would have been all-too-easy for the League to develop & properly publicize such future penalties for players who go pro & are later found (or already known) to be violators of NCAA rules, but to be singled-out & be used as a lab rat isn't right either. This is the same league that denied Johnny Unitas (& many more) disability pay for injuries clearly sustained as a result of a professional football career, & now all of the sudden the league has a conscience? Yea, right.

League spokesperson Greg Aiello said Pryor was suspended by Goodell for 'essentially' violating the spirit of the supplemental draft... really? So violating the spirit of rule justifies completely making up your own in response? The case-by-case evaluation of players to be disciplined by the league has gotten completely out of hand. It seems that Gooddell & the League office haven't a clue as what they're doing & I'm wondering when the NFL Player's Association (or any civil rights group for that matter) will step-in.

I was even MORE disappointed to learn that Pryor would not be appealing the 5-game suspension. I guess I understand why - he just wants to cut his losses & get started with his pro career & put this all behind him, who could blame him? But I think he did he & his fellow league players a bit of a disservice by giving-in to 'Master Goodell' so easily. Incidentally, did you know that a violation of the league's substance abuse policy typically only carries a suspension of about 4 games (for repeat offenders) & as few as 1 game, or in the case of popular stars like Pittsburgh's Hines Ward, a 0-game suspension? So that means the NFL's penalty for getting slapped with DUI, using coke, smoking weed or taking steroids is LESS severe than receiving improper benefits while attending any of the NCAA's member schools - what a f@#%ed up system.

Oh & Pryor's former college coach? He accepted a coaching position with the Indianapolis Colts, without penalty from the League. Instead, the Colts themselves decided to suspend Tressel (for 5-games) days later, as the new hiring began to pick up steam among media outlets. When asked about the team-imposed suspension, Goodell said he would have suspended Tressel if the Colts had not already done so, bull-sh!t, absolute bull-sh!t.

He didn't waste a moment suspending Pryor beforehand, so why would he sit back and allow the Colts the opportunity discipline Tressel themselves, when he hadn't offered the Raiders the same opportunity with Pryor??? While I don't condone Pryor's improper actions, such infractions have existed for years & it's hardly fair to use Pryor as an example to help supplement the League's weak stance regarding players & their previous NCAA infractions before turning pro.

What if you quit a VOLUNTEER job, failed to give 2-weeks notice & the government decided to dock your 1st 2-weeks of pay at your new PAYING gig? The way I see it, that's basically what happened here. Yes, quitting the job & giving no notice is certainly frowned upon & probably considered immoral by many, but you'd go ballistic if you were penalized for actions taken while employed in a previous position.

The 1st thing you'd probably wonder is 'why the government is involved in the 1st place' the second might be 'can they even do this?' Where is the equal standard of justice? All I ask for, in any walk of life, is consistency across the board - the League has proven to be incapable of providing such. I don't trust the Goodell to be fair in such dealings & can't possibly conceive how any NFL player would either...

Relax, it's Just Sext...

They were talking about sexting on the radio this morn... ever send sexually suggestive text messages or naked photos of yourself to significant others or 'buddies? Well why-the-fuck-not??? Personally, I'm not so huge on the dirty text messages myself (that's a little too much work), but I'll definitely admit I'm guilty of sending a nude pic here & there :-D

Generally such messages have been reserved for girlfriends I've had in the past, but there have been more than a few times when that wasn't necessarily a prerequisite, lol. I really enjoy receiving sext messages/nude photos - always a blast whenever the fun is reciprocated on the other end.

Now that I think about it, I haven't gotten 1 in a while - soooo... if you've got my number............. lol. It's a no-brainer that you've gotta be careful with these kinds of messages & photos. It's seems everyday we learn of a prominent figure who goofed & sent compromising photos or messages that are later shared with the world.

But fuckit, I'm not running for office, nor am I ashamed of my body, so even if revealing photos of myself were somehow leaked to the public - big fucking deal. I actually think I'd be far more embarrassed by a sext message I'd composed than any nude photo of myself.

If you're a card carrying member of the 'Fun Police' & you remain completely uncomfortable with trusting your naked flicks with ANYone ever, the most obvious suggestion for you would be to keep your face out of the photo (if you want to be a punk about it, lol), that way if it's ever shared, folks can't be certain it's you.

Still everything aint for everybody & some people will continue to live like it's the 19th century forever, so to you folks I say... do you. Besides, I guess the last thing you want to do is offend someone who isn't quite as in touch with their sexuality (or yours).

I can only recall maybe 1 time that I actually managed to offend someone with a suggestive photo & it wasn't even nude, lol. As I recall, she never responded to the pic, she flat-out ignored it, rather. I'd soon come to find this women to be a bit of a prude - God bless her in each & every 1 of her future endeavors, but.... next!

To make a long blog short, I fully support sexting and/or nude photos of all kinds. It keeps things interesting & fun, whether you are or aren't involved a relationships. So yea, I've done it before & I'll certainly do it again - now c'mon, live a little & send him or her a little eye-candy right now! You scared?

Whatever Doesn't Kill Me...

So.......... if a jogger falls running along a trail in the middle of the forest & there's nobody around to hear him, does he make a sound? Damn, right I did & it was something along the lines of "@&%#."

Earlier in the evening while treading the portion of my jog that takes me through the woods, I took a pretty good spill & even managed to break some skin as I hit the dirt, lol. You know how when tripping in public you look around to see who witnessed your mishap? Yup, I did it - even alone in the middle of the forest, lol.

Before taking-off again, I DID take a few moments to collect (& laugh at) myself. Honestly, I don't know what the fuck happened - I was coasting along gracefully 1 moment & the next, I was tumbling forward (& cussing all the way to the ground, lol). Guess I clipped a fallen branch or unearthed tree root.

I finished today's run exhausted, slightly traumatized & most definitely distracted. Hell, it had to happen at some point, I'm just glad it took place out of plain view & upon a soft (though apparently not soft enough) surface. I'm tellin' ya - I'd pay good money to somehow get video footage of the blunder.

Even though tomorrow is 1 of my normal rest days, I'm really tempted to get back out there & redeem myself. At any rate, I guess I'll cross that bridge tomorrow - assuming I can manage to figuratively stay on my feet, of course...

The Art of Compromise...

Compromise — A settlement of differences by mutual concessions; an agreement reached by adjustment of conflicting or opposing claims, principles, etc., by reciprocal modification of demands.

Conflict — A disagreement between two or more people over values, needs, beliefs, perceptions, or expectations. It can lead to relational stalemates.

In the hours that passed between my falling asleep last night & awaking this morning, I learned something about myself. I'm not happy in any situation that requires me to over-compromise who I am (even on a rare basis) for any person who needs constant validation for what simply amounts to appropriate behavior & decorum.

Rewarding people for expected actions never really made much sense to me & I don't see how others can so easily sweep the complete & utter bullshit of others under the rug time & time, again. I'd also add that it really bothers me when people's apologies are always followed by a 'but.' The instant you attempt to justify your reasoning for doing whatever you've done, you've devalued the apology.

Sadly, I guess I don't possess the ability to ignore (for lack of better words) 'stupid shit' just for the sake of a friendship or relationship as I sometimes secretly wish I could be as forgiving (or ignorant) as those who are quite willing to compromise their ultimate happiness for a 'sense of general security.

What's even more interesting to me is how those, well-versed in the art of bullshit, actually think its you with the problem because you won't subscribe to their backward way of thinking. To me, the bottom line is when you're wrong, your excuse is unimportant, at best.

Anyone who openly decides they can't or won't change regardless of how others are impacted, must in the same line of thinking, be bold enough to accept that others reserve the right to walk away from what they perceive as a no-win situation. Any failure to recognize the validity in such a philosophy would certainly qualify as the quintessential double standard in my mind & I've been on both ends of the spectrum, so I'm definitely speaking from experience here.

Looking back, I can honestly say that anyone who chose to walk away from me completely in the past, did so for what was most likely a good reason & I'll never question it. Consequently, I've got no issue with doing the same to anyone who shows any similar lack of regard for the proper way to treat those whom they claim to care about.

We're all left with 2 options when dealing with people who maintain extremely stubborn and/or highly volatile states of mind. Either resign one's self to constant attack or defeat at the hands of a hypocrite, or remove one's self from the situation altogether, thereby eliminating any ill-fated destinies that would surely accompany yet another obscene compromise on your part.

The moment I lose confidence in your ability to demonstrate general reasoning skills, or (at the bare minimum) think logically, you've lost me. That being said, I'll leave you guys with a favorite quote of mine by the Roots. I found it to be very appropriate for this post:

"I'd die in a bed I laid, before I'd lay with a love I loathed."

Dear Metro: Is that how you feel?

Ok, really - what's the damn deal? So Friday Metro implemented the 2nd wave of fare increases in the past 6 months, and they did so in a pretty sneaky manner. They're calling it a Peak of the Peak-time Surcharge, wtf??? And the bastards couldn't even wait until 1st of the month to put the new fares into affect (as was previously announced). There was no surcharge for the 'peak of the peak-time' during the morning commute, but by Friday afternoon they had signage at each station indicating that the new fares were indeed in affect for the afternoon commute. Bitches!

Perhaps I wouldn't be so pissed about the constant fare hikes if the overall service & function of Metro was ever enhanced by the additional revenue - but Nope! Service has gone nowhere but down-hill since last year's train crash. At this point the shit is beyond ridiculous.

Lazy-ass station managers act as though your interrupting them whenever u experience a problem. Train drivers don't allow enough time for passengers to board ('in an effort to stay on schedule' - yeah, right). Not mention we're still waiting for Wifi in ALL stations as promised a year ago, escalator outages are a dime a dozen (you can forget about the convenience of an elevator anytime u actually need one) & many of the stations and train cars have no AC.

The dysfunctional organization has been on the constant decline despite the hikes and goo-gobs of federal funding they've received in addition to funds acquired locally. At this point, I'm convinced that the big wigs who run Metro simply don't give a damn.

If were cheaper to ride the train as opposed to driving to work many of these problems might remain a small after-thought as was the case to until this year. But with the constant increase in fares it's that's clearly no longer the case so there's alot more scrutiny being placed upon the level of service that Metro provides it's patrons & rightfully so!

Interesting Reaction (to say the least)...

So the 1st green text message you see here to your left is from last night. Now you tell me, what on earth would warrant such a response? Keep in mind, there was no prior dialogue or bad blood of any nature that preceded my initial text.

For those of you who might not be that familiar with SMS shorthand, "w/e" signifies "whatever." I'm not sure who pissed in her cereal, but apparently I'm the 1 who earned the distinct pleasure of feeling her wrath, lol. Perhaps some people are just confrontational for no reason at all. I never got a reply to the 2nd green text message, but just in case I didn't feel the salt in her lone reply last night, she went the extra mile & de-friended me on Facebook, lol - wow, really tho?

As you might imagine, I won't be extending the olive branch anytime soon in regard to this silly knee-jerk reaction, but damn, I'd be a liar if said I didn't wonder what brought this on. Ah well.. what can you do, right? Just a lil suggestion for any of you who might decide to 1 day take some bold stance against someone, requiring such antics - make sure the person understands why you ain't fukkin wit em no more. Otherwise you're the one that actually comes off lookin crazy. I'm just sayin'...