- The reason for the subtitle of this edition, "whoa!," is because since the last edition I have been exclaiming "Whoa! an awful lot. That will be the running theme thoughout this edition today but I did want to touch on a couple of things before I get going here, both of which also made me go "whoa!" First, I want to say Peaceful Journey for football great Junior Seau, disco queen Donna Summer, and Bee Gee Robin Gibbs. Their passings were a shock to many including myself. The second...well, it's something good but I can't actually reveal it yet. All I can say at this point is that it's something that's happening in the middle of next month but once it does I'll be able to talk about it afterwards. Oh, and before anyone asks...it's not about me.
- I think something magical happened in regards to the "Tree Hill" edition I posted early in April. That edition is now the most read edition of DJ's Random Thoughts by a wide margin. It outright smoked the 100th edition and the "single" edition back in 2009 by a mile and it's still going strong even now. Talk about saying "whoa!" This couldn't have happened without you guys 'n gals, so thank you, thank you, thank you! Oh yeah...keep it up.
- I decided once again to change the top part of the blog layout yet again, but I think this one's going to stick. I was able to put the title in the middle once again, separating the top menu, and shrunk the social media icons in the process. I decided to remove the randomized "DJ Facts/Book of DJ" stuff and save that for when I transform DJRT which I'm still working on. I've replaced it with the Facebook "Like" for DJ's Random Thoughts that lets people like the FB page dedicated to the blog so that people can keep up with the latest developments related to DJRT through the Facebook page. Unless something major comes up that I might want to add or change up outside of the logo from time to time, this will be the layout for the top of the page for the foreseeable future.
- This upcoming weekend, on Saturday May 26, MCW returns to south Akron to the Knights of Columbus building. Something that made me go "whoa!" in regards to this show is that it will be the first appearance of former ECW, WWE, & TNA star Rhino (the last champ in the original ECW) in the company. The reason I said it is the first is that he will be a regular part of MCW for the next YEAR. Having someone the caliber of Rhino appearing on the roster would be a big deal for any independent wrestling organization and MCW got him. Now, many of you on who are on my Facebook have probably noticed that I've been promoting the show somewhat regularly over the past couple of weeks. A couple of people asked me to help promote it and help keep MCW coming back to Akron. It is a really good show and a really good group of wrestling talent, so I'm doing what I can to help keep them coming back and will do so until the night of the show. Tickets are $15 for the first two rows (though they might be sold out by the time you read this), $12 for general admission ($14 at the door the night of the show), and children under 10 get in for free. You can get tickets at Mr. Zubs deli on W. Market St. in Akron (the Highland Square area, next to the Matinee). I've already been to two awesome shows and, believe me, this show will be just as good if not better. Here's the poster (which I'm making a bit larger than usual) promoting the event:
To give you all an idea on what MCW is about and what's happening currently, I'm also posting here the latest edition of MCW Riot Television with a recap of recent events to prepare those of you coming to the show on what you can expect:
For more information, go to MCWpro.com.
- About a week and a half ago I decided to indulge my amateur inner photographer on what was a beautiful day in the Akron area. I went out to Cuyahoga Falls to visit the riverfront area where I would go from time to time to think about stuff. I took some pics of the area and thought I'd share what I took with all of you today. You can take a look at the album here: 05-11-12 - Cuyahoga Falls Downtown Riverfront - Cuyahoga Falls, OH.
- My friend Pastor Cory Pariseau is now a published author! Earlier this month his book "Standing at the Crossroads" was released. I am so happy for him now that he got his first book published and so proud of him for this accomplishment. It is a book full of inspirations from one of his mentors Pastor Jim Mullett. Cory also talks about his childhood and reflects a bit on his path toward serving the Lord. You can find the book for sale from these places: Barnes & Noble and Amazon.
- As some of you may or may not know, besides being a big-time Browns fan I am a fan of alt football leagues. I'm not talking fantasy leagues, but leagues like the old USFL, the UFL, and even the XFL. Well, it looks like the USFL is aiming to come back in the spring of 2013 as a developmental league. I've been keeping track of this since the current group trying to organize it, End Zone Sports, took over the effort back in February. It is in the planning stages right now but they just hired Fred Biletnikoff and Jeff Garcia for its advisory board of the proposed league as well as former Browns Executive Vice President Jim Bailey. The reason I'm bringing this up now is that there has been talk that the league will put a franchise in Ohio in either Akron or Columbus. The most likely spot would probably be Akron and the city has been contacted regarding a potential team playing in Infocision Stadium near the University of Akron campus, but I wouldn't rule out Columbus just yet. There have been preliminary discussions with Akron city officials and the mayor himself has talked about it a bit. Here is an article from the Akron Beacon Journal about the potential of a pro football team coming to Akron: Pro football in Akron? City being considered for renewed USFL.
- I am not a health food nut. I know a lot of people really get into that stuff but as a rule I usually don't go for that type of food. Sure I like some fruits and vegetables and try to eat smart, but I am rather suspicious of brands that overly market themselves as "healthy" or "alternative" because I think they just promoting themselves that way to sell poor tasting food at jacked-up prices. With that in mind, I came across one particular food that...well, I actually liked. It was a chocolate fudge brownie from Fiber One, of all places. I have found most of the so-called "healthy" stuff tastes so bland, but this brownie from Fiber One is actually pretty good. I have to admit...my first reaction to eating that brownie was "oh god, either I'm getting old or my taste buds are turning to crap!" I got past it (somewhat) but now it's on my snacking list.
- I'm going to get serious here for a moment. As a few of you know, around this time of year it can be rather difficult for me personally and emotionally. Twenty years ago I got bullied, stalked, and outright terrorized by a couple of goofnuggets who took advantage of my pacifistic nature (to clarify, I don't like getting into or starting conflicts or fights...but I'm a pro wrestling and football fan...go figure). Because I've talked about it before I'm not going to rehash the details, but it is something that completely changed me and I still deal with the effects of what happened to me then to this day. I continue to hope beyond hope that one day events and stuff in my life will become so good that it eclipses that time and that memory and though that hasn't happened yet I continue to work towards such an eclipsion (if that's a word). With that in mind, recently I came across a blog with stories about bullying and what it's like to deal with it as an adult. I'm posting a link to this blog in the hope that people start to realize how pervasive and prevalent bullying really is. You might get some insights into bullied people, myself included...maybe not...but if there are people who read this and aren't affected after seeing some of these stories, I'd actually have to feel sorry for those folks...and I hate pitying people. Here's the blog: Bullying Stories - Dealing with bullying from an adult perspective.
- Song on Repeat: "No More I Love You's" by Annie Lennox. This is one of the most haunting-sounded songs I've ever heard yet one of the most poignant. Annie Lennox took a minor British hit and turned it into an international sensation and a Grammy for herself. It's a song that still resonates today. Here's the song:
- SLP to the following: Ron, Justin Mane, Bob, Lynn, Pastor Cory, Holly, Cheryl, Daryl, Ernest, Aunt Sue, Al, Isaiah, Aunt Sandy, Debbie, Jessicka Havok, Paula M., Griff, Shasta, Mindy, Micah, Shadow, & Michael L.
That's all for this edition. With all the links and promoting I had for this edition maybe I should have called the subtitle something else, but the one I had was appropriate given all the stuff going on. I hope to see some of you at the MCW show on Saturday night. Summer's almost here...well, weather-wise it is...and I'm going to go enjoy it. Hope to see you all again soon. Take care and God Bless.
DJ
