- The reason for the subtitle, "cornered", is not based on anything I'm going through or dealing with now but it is something that's been on my mind recently and from time to time on various occasions. It sounds similar to being stuck which I have talked about before but being cornered is actually a different thing altogether. Being stuck is just that..being stuck...no movement. Being cornered, however, means being forced or maneuvered into situations or positions, such as being stuck, and having very few if any options to deal effectively with being in such a place. I can't tell you how many times I've been cornered myself and I don't think I know anybody who have never been in such a position themselves. Usually people (as well as yours truly) might have very few clues that it's happening in the first place. In a lot of cases, there is complete unawareness of such manipulation altogether...that is something I've seen firsthand at several times. Sometimes we put ourselves in corners, sometimes to stay safe or for whatever reason. Sometimes we're putting into corners accidentally by others in circumstances through which they have no control or it just can't be helped. The kind I want to get into here is the type where it's done on purpose, usually those trying to get something or some outcome through cornering others surreptitiously or otherwise, and get into some things about the behavior and the type of people who do this.
I've found that the type of people who do the purposeful cornering stuff usually seek to be either an "alpha" of sorts, or top of the food chain, so to speak, or being in the position to control events despite being a subordinate. They obsess about their reputations and how they want to be perceived, especially about how "cool" they are or want to see themselves. On the surface they seem charming...they're "your boy" or "your girl"...you have a shared history with them or you grew up together...you "ride together" or just generally do stuff together...now by themselves those aren't bad attributes whatsoever. Most of us count on them as a gauge on where we stand with folks. However, in some circumstances they can also serve as disarming ones as well. To the cornering folks, it doesn't matter to them whether they're your friend or not as long as they get or maintain whatever they have or are seeking without negative consequences to them alone. Sometimes they'll try to legitimize or make a part of a friendship the cornering behavior, like it's something to aspire to or justifying it by claiming it's "just how things are done". How many times have you heard something troubling about someone you know and when you ask them about it they answer "you know me" or they act like it's nothing but yet they don't give you a direct and reasonable answer? How many times have you been charmed to look in a different direction, away from them? Be honest with yourself now. I know it's not an easy thing to admit especially since I've had trouble admitting it to myself. I'd like to believe it's because we all look for the best in the people around us and don't want to believe we might not be with good people. Cornerers tend to take advantage of that and try to charm their way around it to get whatever they're looking for, which is usually something they should not have in the first place. I have to admit I've been very fortunate to have so many friends that aren't like this. I'm very blessed in that aspect of my life. However, I have had my share of cornerers and charmers, more than I've wanted to deal with who have also had the most negative impact of my life.
I do have a lot more I'd like to and can talk about regarding this subject but for now I just have a couple particular thoughts I want to get off my chest before I move on here. One particular thought I've had is how pervasive cornering seems to be in pop culture and sports. How many times have we seen bad behavior from celebrities and sports stars that fans of theirs tend to explain away because of their celebrity status or their skills in whatever they do such as singing, dancing, throwing a football or whatever? These celebrity types get protected by the charm they hold over their fanbases...sorta like a pied piper effect...and it puts in a corner whoever is harmed by the bad behavior as well as those who could do something about it to make things right. Those celebrities getting away with the bad stuff seem to serve as role models for the cornerers I talked about earlier. Now in terms of dealing with people who have cornered me in the past, I have to admit I haven't dealt with them all that well. "Disastrous" seems to be the appropriate word. Most times I would outright cower because I just don't have it in me to defend myself as I just want to get through whatever it is I'm being cornered for. I'm not good at dealing with conflict anyway so that complicates things. I have many scars as a result. There have been times where, like a cornered animal, I would come out swinging...sometimes rather wildly and without really knowing what or who I was lashing out at. Again, the word disastrous comes to mind. In the future, I know in my heart there will be a day when I will be cornered where coming out swinging will actually work out for me. It is a day that absolutely look forward to and it is a day that I will absolutely dread.
- Last month I headed up to the Mogadore Summer Fest to watch a wrestling show. I had no clue it was going on until the day before it was happening which for the life of me I don't know why...especially since it was happening three miles from where I live. Anyway, the group that was doing the show was Ohio Championship Wrestling (here's their website: Ohio Championship Wrestling). Since it was a free event...I like free stuff...I decided to go check it out. It was a decent show with good work in the matches and with some of the workers organically working triple-duty, meaning they were actually logically scheduled in three matches each which is something not seen too often in wrestling shows these days (the logical part, I mean). One interesting note about the first match, a 10-man Royal Rumble, was that the audience picked out of a hat the next wrestler to enter the match. I thought that was a neat concept to engage the audience with. I know the show was free but there were still about 200-300 people watching the matches which is pretty good considering I've heard of other free wrestling shows at festivals where they'd be lucky to get 10 people watching. If OCW is in your area, it's worth checking out. OCW mainly works out of Coshocton and central to southern Ohio so it was nice that they came up north to do a show especially since MCW has been on such a long hiatus...boy, I miss MCW.
- The edition pic at the top of the page is one I took of a fun house at the Mogadore Summer Fest. I have to admit...it creeps me out a bit.
- I was going to do this edition last week but I wanted to wait for something...that something being the first Cleveland Browns preseason game. They took on the St. Louis Rams last Thursday evening. I have to say that the Browns first-team on both offense and defense looked pretty darn good. The backups could probably use some more work and there is room for improvement but I can't help but be impressed by what I saw from them in that game. It didn't hurt that they won either. Now, coming into this upcoming season I had no clue what to expect from the Browns. In past seasons I would have some sort of feeling about how a season is going to go...sometimes I was optimistic and sometimes I wasn't. This season I didn't have such a feeling as it was truly wait-and-see for me. As I was watching the game, I got an impression I haven't had about them in ages. For the first time since they came back in 1999, they didn't have that expansion team feel. They came off like a regular team, which is a strange feeling for me since I haven't felt that in so long regarding the Browns. I don't know why it felt like that...only that it did. Now, that may not be all that impressive to Steeler fans or Bengal fans who have enjoyed picking on Cleveland, but given how they looked last Thursday night and with that expansion team feeling gone, I'm getting the impression that things are not going to be the same for now on and that they might want to be afraid. It's not something I'm certain of just yet, but it is the gut feeling I'm having regarding the Browns now. I guess we'll have to wait and see.
- As the summer is dying down, I've been cutting back a bit on the festivals and walking and stuff. Mostly it's because of weather, but I've also been working on taking advantage of some cheapie DVD and video game deals over the past few weeks. I've gotten a few really good deals through Amazon that I haven't even been able to get even at Christmastime, so I've been taking advantage of what I could there and replacing movies I've had elsewhere (DVD, VHS, computer, wherever) with newer updated stuff. However, there are a couple of festivals coming up I wanted to mention. First is one I talked about in the last edition, the Tallmadge Circle Fest which is this Saturday starting around 5 or 5:30 PM. I'm definitely hoping to hit up that one as there's a couple shows being put on by my former drama teacher Frank Chaff this year. Since I had a decent time last year, I'm hoping this year will be just as good if not better. There's also another festival on August 31st in Highland Square in Akron called Square Fest (here's their website: Square Fest in Highland Square). It's taking place along West Market Street in that area and I might go check that out...I haven't decided yet.
- I talked a bit about the USFL in the last edition, but since then it has apparently officially changed hands to a new LLC. The old one was bought by Touchdown Management LLC which is now being run by Jim Bailey. The reason for the change was to sever ties to the former CEO Jaime Cuadra who was kicked out and jailed for embezzlement related to this comeback effort. I am still unsettled about the league and things are still up in the air as far as when the league starts play, but I do see this as a good sign and a positive step forward even if it is a small one.
- Ten years ago tomorrow, a massive blackout happened that covered a good part of the northeastern United States as well as parts of Canada. It started with a blown transformer or circuit or something at a station in Rootstown (which is not far from where I live now) and spread across the country pretty quickly. I was at the library where the blackout hit yet the power stayed on there. The power at my home also never went out so I wasn't affected directly but the blackout did affect several people I knew. It's hard to believe it's been 10 years since then.
- After just three aired episodes, Whose Line Is It Anyway has already been renewed for a longer second season. I probably shouldn't really be all that surprised since it is one of the funniest shows on television, but for next season it would be nice if they just added a 5th chair for their special guest instead of just having them come out of the back and not have so many of that "sideways" view game they've had on several episodes this season. Just my two cents.
- Song on Repeat: "Money In The Bank" by Swizz Beats. I first heard this song from the movie "Step Up 2: The Streets" but the original version I found didn't have a particular repeated part the movie contained, so I worked a little magic on the song and created a version that had that very small 3 second part I liked. Technically, that could also make this a DJ Custom, but it was just a small bit change I did. There are some adult themes in the song so just be aware of that when listening to it.
- Shoutouts: Kristin, Debbie, Cheryl, Cory, Dave, Michael C., Justin Diaz, "Big Guns" Jeff Cannon, Holly & Bob.
That's it for this edition. I did have something else I was going to put for this edition but I'm gonna hold off until next time. I even already have the subtitle name for it thanks to the change in plans. Anyway, I hope that some of you will come out to Circle Fest this weekend and for those of you who do I hope to see you there. Until next time, folks. Take care and God Bless.
DJ
