I Own a Black Hoodie

I own a black hooded sweatshirt, but you've never seen me wear it. I've worn it merely twice, both times, including once for this picture, in the privacy of my own home.

I am hot. I am not only hot because it is hot in this hoodie, but I am also hot with the emotion it currently brings. I must now admit that it is no accident that I have never worn this sweatshirt in public. I mean, I may as well wear it. Absent the sweatshirt, I still have trouble getting a cab.

[major, major shout out to the awesome, awesome blond couple who helped me orchestrate a bait-and-switch on a cabbie just last night… yes cabbie sit there in silence… we all know…]

Absent the sweatshirt, the CVS manager still *thought* he saw me put something in my bag and still kicked me out of the store, instead of apologizing, when I simply wanted to know what he saw and requested to escort him back to the camera room in lieu of showing him my bag. *What? I simply wanted to see the tape; I'm not a "jerk." *

Absent the sweatshirt, I still almost got keyed in the face by a girl I had the unfortunate luck of needing to walk in her direction to get where I was going in my neighborhood in Lincoln Park, Chicago. Why do I still remember this like it was yesterday when it happened countless years ago? Because it hurt my feelings, because it made me want to cry… because sometimes I am sick of it… because I'm overreacting [not]… because I know it is why I cannot wear my black hooded sweatshirt.

I have not worn my black hooded sweatshirt in public…and… I … still … have … my …. life. Trayvon does not. I feel for Trayvon's friends and family, but this happens every day. This issue is NOT blown out of proportion – because it happens every day. Yes it does. YES it does. We've an opportunity to learn from this because Trayvon looks like me, he looks like Barack, and he looks like Tiger. Let's be honest… but that's a different issue altogether. Let's just get better. Let's just be better. Okay, it's hot … I need to remove a layer.

PS. A great article from my CEO ---  Ask the White Guy: Why Is Trayvon a White-on-Black Crime?

Buckeyes Now Up 10, Phew!

Do I have one more in me or have I exhausted my words for the night

My Buckeyes are playing the Bearcats and the game is a bit too tight

Perhaps if I were more focused on the game, it wouldn't be such a fight

Let's go Columbus, put out Cincinnati's lights

Hit your fucking free throws! Do you hear me? Alright!

Where is this going? I should have stopped and it's showing

Can I really be judged for not knowing?

No, but I could be judged for posting

Coasting and begging for a roasting

Toasting, hopefully to a Buckeye win, but definitely to tonight's end of my flowing

Yay! I'm Still Insane...

I must confess, I will win the coy contest

I'm too complex and can't predict what's next
EC is plus one Craig of limitless
And that line is one transition short of context
It stops now because I'm teetering between self-impressed and perplexed

In a Poetic Mood

In a poetic mood

So taking a second to return to my roots
I have a new muse
A new friend and a new attitude
I'm a blessed dude
And this is my show of gratitude

Oh boy, he's coy; I delete and annoy
It's EC's evil ploy to play with words like a toy
A mystery behind everything, ambiguity versatile like soy

Oy! What did that mean? Evil C's mean like Listerine
It burns as one works up the nerve
To interpret the last verse and get nothing but a swerve
Curse! Was that a fast ball or curve?
Winners swing the bat and winners get what they deserve
For what it's worth, sometimes there's just no meaning to my words
I just type away and stop as close as I can to absurd

Joe Biden: Happiest Guy in the World

Would you just look at that mug!? I don't need to write much because, here, the cliché is true. Let the thousand words run through your mind. Or two point five words: he's happy.

Wouldn't you be? Dude gets to roll with and play number two to arguably the coolest rock star President in the history of the United States, Barack Obama. There is no expectation that Joe Biden will ever be President (and he exudes no inkling of desire), so there is likely no competition, posturing or jealousy there. Certainly being POTUS comes with seemingly unmanageable stress, but beyond Joe Biden, Bill Clinton, Derek Jeter and Snoopy (… as Joe Cool), Obama seems to be as cool as a cucumber. I know our executives do work – look at what they’ve accomplished – but, I imagine Biden and Obama hanging out, joking, drinking beer, gossiping, shooting basketball, playing pool and exchanging looks/inside jokes during government meetings. I think he loves his job.

  

What Vice President wouldn't, honestly?

But what else does Biden have that has escaped many a Vice President? Minimal drama and very few haters. As I write this, no doubt, Jimmy Fallon made fun of Biden for falling asleep during his own speech. Additionally, I was reminded that Biden "speaks honestly and just offends" and I, sadly, want him to step down. Not because I don't like him. No, no, no, but only upon the condition that Hillary Clinton becomes Veep. I love her and miss the drama. But seriously, what else is there to say about Biden… Consider his predecessors: 

• Dick Cheney. Evil Incarnate, corruption, defacto decision-maker, heart trouble, shot someone in the face.
• Al Gore. Boring. Looked clammy under camera. Claims he invented the internet. Even if he didn't really actually claim as much, this misunderstanding speaks for itself, right? 
• Dan Quayle. Clumsy, misspoke regularly. "Is no Jack Kennedy." 
• GW Bush. Probably a GREAT VP. Probably great like Al Gore and probably as powerful as Cheney. Growing up I recalled thinking: wow, he ran the CIA?!? I actually thought he ran the CIA as Veep, so always figured, shaaaa-dyyyy.
• Spiro T. Agnew. First of all use of middle initial, nuff said. Not enough? Served as Veep to Nixon. Enough? No? Um, only VP to ever resign because of criminal charges.
• LBJ. Handled the presidency with grace under pressure. As Veep, a hater.
• Nixon. Tell me Ike didn't strain his neck looking over his shoulders? 

I'll stop now. The realty is, Biden will likly go down in history, Alben Barkley. Who? Yes, exactly. But for now, he's chillin'. I'm giving him a shout out because he's currently VP and I love his smirk. Furthermore, he's Catholic, has a cool secret service code name (Celtic), and has a hot wife. I'd say life is good for Joe, I'd say Mr. Biden is happy.

Wireless Connection



Blog was almost taken offline by an old computer with spotty wireless, but I will not talk too ill about my old and trusty relic because I am now online. But for how long? Hopefully long enough to compose whatever it is I intend to compose at this very second and quickly post it so as to post for the sake of posting.



What ado about this excuse again? I know, it's weak. Well, I had choices, obviously, but none were appealing; none were feasible. Consider[ed]: 

• Using one of my two fully functional work-issued laptops? Nope and nope. I a-b-s-o-l-u-t-e-l-y refuse to blur the lines between work and private. Call me paranoid, respectful or whatever, but: I do not blog at work; I do not check personal email at work; I do not check my bank account at work; and I do not put my personal items on the work network. I am a conscientious and responsible employee and that's all I'll say on this subject. Paranoid.
• Sitting next to my port to hardwire in? Did that before. It stresses me out; I'm too commitment phobic (I want to hyphenate this, but I'm just not sure, ugh!) for that. It also hurts my back. Makes no sense, I know --- think it is just psychosomatic manifestations of commitment phobia (grrr, LYN).

• Blog via iPhone or iPad. Strongly considered. Not ready for all that yet, though, I'm sure it is only a matter of time. I regularly compose emails on my phone and I drafted an unbelievably long and important work email on my ipad at 3AM last night. That's decent practice. Obstacles. Straining my eyes on my phone. Composing on my phone, hitting the wrong button and losing everything; I'd LOSE my shit and either break my phone or shut the blog down permanently. Words with Friends and/or Chess with Friends. I blame Zynga for my unread queue of iBooks. Seriously. No way I'd ever get through an entry on the iPad unless 3 of my closet comrades ALL decide to go to bed at 11PM all on the same night. 
• Buy a new computer. I want a Mac badly. I'm trying to exercise discipline. I could reestablish my photo-editing hobby, organize my music and, of course, just … who knows, but… I feel I need another 3 substantive excuses.



It was a little more difficult than this, originally





Alas I am disconnected again. Time to troubleshoot and post quickly. And with this post, I've completed task #1 on my weekend checklist. And this isn't even one of the three things I've placed in my queue to write about. Procrastination at its finest.