Tis the Season...

Ok, I'm just about done with my Christmas shopping for the year. The short list of 4 people I was shopping for swelled to 9 over the past week, so it appears I won't be treating myself to that special gift, after all :-(

But fuckit, it's all in the spirit of the season, so I really don't mind. Although I have no children of my own, watching kids rip thru wrapped gifts gives me great joy, so I'll gladly take the extra hit in the wallet for their sakes.

You see, Ma told me guest would be staying with her over the holiday & that I'd better not show up without presents, lol. So just 2-3 more smaller items, then I'm completely done, I'll be sure to handle those before midweek hits. There's no way you'll catch this guy here dickin' around in anyone's mall just days before Christmas.

Roads in the DC area are a congested nightmare, even without holiday traffic, so best of luck to any of you last minute shoppers out there.

I did manage (well... I almost manged) to stay within my shopping budget & that even includes what I expect to spend on the final few items I've yet to buy. I find I always struggle to stay within my set budget most years.

What can I say? I guess I'm just not a shitty gift-giver. Truth be told - I wish I was, at times, since buying thoughtful gifts can be challenging when you actually give-a-fuck. Plus, I know how it feels to get a shitty gift & I'd simply rather not be thought of in that particular light, lol.

Admittedly, for birthdays & other celebratory occasions, I'll quickly grab a gift card & call it a day, all in the name of saving time, I guess. But for Christmas, if not supplied with a list, I really do like to get people useful gifts.

All & all, I'm pleased with the gifts I came up with. I didn't even go the Internet route this year. I actually put in the leg-work myself for all but 1 gift & that was only because I ran across a really good online deal.

Anyway, since I doubt I'll post again between now & Sunday, I guess I'll take this opportunity to wish all of you a very merry Christmas! Enjoy the time with close friends & family. Despite all of the commercialism that Christmas now involves, remember above all... this is a time for love, peace & goodwill, regardless of religion -- now go out there into the world & BE somebody, lol.

Oh Yea??? It's cool, bet that...

So... it seems the world seems to has effectively forgotten about the kid, eh? Well check this out, I've decided to forget about the world. Yunno, those I never call, or who never call me? Deleted. Ex-girl('friends') who've lingered for years, but have no intentions of somehow developing anything meaningful? Deleted. Reluctant women who I've recently pursued, but to no avail - ALL deleted, deleted, deleted. You've been nothing but a huge waste of my fucking time, lol.

Long story, short... I've decided to nix the folks who don't enhance my life to some degree. In addition, I'm taking a break from social networking for the time being, as I no longer have any desire to update those connected to my past, with any of my current comings & goings. Why wait for the new year when I can cut the fat right now?

The way I see it, I've waited my entire life for people to act right & since that still isn't happening, its well beyond time for me to cultivate an entirely new crop of humans for harvest. Don't get me wrong, I'm not angry with any of the folk referenced above - but I'm very much offended & no longer care enough to carry each respective 'friendship' on my own.

You see, I've discovered that (outside of a few loyal niggaz) I've got 1 person I can count on in this world, ONE! The rest of my associations are comprised of people who are very much interested in getting theirs & really couldn't care less about the potential impact upon others.

Clearly these aren't healthy relationships worth preserving in the 1st place, so with that in mind, I'm consolidating my efforts, & strictly looking out for those who look out for me. Where exactly do I go from here, you ask? I've got no idea & to be quite honest - I'm absolutely terrified.

What I'm NOT afraid of is cutting my losses, & moving onto better opportunities in life. Any friends, family or lovers who truly wanted to be here... would be here - PERIOD. We've all got different priorities in life, so if you've chosen not make me 1 of yours, I'm completely cool with that, just don't expect me to check for you anymore either.

At this point, there isn't a soul who'll save me except for myself, life has proven that much, but I've finally come to terms with that & you know what? I feel better about it already... silly rabbits.

Goddesses of the Gridiron...

Last night I attended my 1st Lingerie Football League game as the Philadelphia Passion defeated the Baltimore Charm, 24-12, so I decided to blog about the current state of the 3 year-old league. But 1st-off, the game was well-attended & the atmosphere in 1st Mariner Arena (located in downtown Baltimore) was pretty electric throughout the contest & the action was FAR more exciting to witness in-person.

It just so happened that 1 of the league's best players (if not the best), Marirose Roach, plays for Philadelphia and she was very impressive! It definitely won't be my last taste of 'Friday Night Football' - I had a blast! The 2011-12 season began back in August & this makes the 2nd time in a year that I've blogged about the league (click here to see that post), but this time I felt the league deserved it's very own post. I know a lot of folk view the LFL as a joke or objectifying towards women, but the LFL actually features quite a few studs (if it's ok to call women studs, lol).

The women of this league definitely play with an extremely high level of passion & aggression - I respect that. There will always be those who view the league as a gimic & regardless of whether that's true or not, it's currently the only place where women can play (televised) competitive professional football, giving the LFL a certain amount of instant credibility in my eyes. Besides, who doesn't love a good ol' fashioned chick fight from time to time? Lol.

But seriously, what many critics fail to understand is that LFL teams are often led by former NFL players & the rosters are comprised of women's golden glove boxing champs, US Olympic hockey team stars, lacrosse, basketball, softball standouts, & even the daughters of previous NFL Superbowl champions - bottom line, these gals are ATHLETES, not just pretty faces in sexy uniforms attempting to be cute.

In the games I've watched on tv & now in-person, I've noticed much improved coaching & overall gameplay. Quarterbacks are throwing fade patterns, receivers are pulling in 1-handed grabs with ease, running backs are slamming into would-be tacklers, defenders are running down opponents & finishing with big hits too! At this point, I honestly think I could go without the revealing uniforms, especially if it meant more people taking the league more seriously. I just don't think the lingerie is necessary to push the popularity of the league anymore, but a very nice bonus, I'll admit, lmao.

Above all, the young league seems to be flourishing. Game footage normally condensed into half-hour highlight segments for television, are now hour & a half time blocks reserved for complete, live game coverage. Now you're able to see coach/player interaction in-between plays & really get a feel for both the attitude & tempo of a game. They've even got instant replay challenges & better in-game analysis by television commentators (including former NFL athletes).

I've found that I'm even learning certain strengths & weaknesses of various players across the league. The LFL is doing a great job of developing recognizable stars & I've even got a favorite player now! Since 2009, the league has expanded from 10 to 12 teams, each playing a 4-schedule, not including playoff games & the widely known Lingerie Bowl (a perennial pay-per-view event broadcasted during halftime of the NFL's Superbowl since 2004, which ultimately lead to the start actual LFL league play).

League commissioner, Mitchell S. Mortaza, expects future expansion in 10 more U.S. cities (including Houston, New Orleans & Washington, DC) in coming seasons. To help promote the LFL's 1st attempt at an international league, LFL Canada, the 2010-11 LFL all-star game, appropriately dubbed the "All-Fantasy Game," was played in Hamilton, Ontario this past July. Additional international expansion is expected to include LFL Australia (2013) & LFL Europe (2014). LFL Canada will begin play in 2012.

During regular season games, arena's often appear to be filled to near-capacity & both men & women, alike, seem to enjoy the non-stop action. Hopefully, the very next orders of business will include longer schedules & getting future games/seasons broadcasted in high definition! Of all sports, the Lingerie Football League has the absolute most to gain from an HD format for obvious & quite perverted reasons & I won't even get started with what a 3-D presentation might do for one's viewing enjoyment :-D