- Before I start, I want to note something about the pic from the last edition. I used it for a while on my Facebook account and I think a few people were wondering what was up with that and why I did that or if I was becoming antisocial or something...or more antisocial than people believe me to be. I did put a quick note about it at the end of the last edition but it was likely glossed over so let me set a few things straight on that. The last edition's pic was actually inspired by a running theme regarding Ohio State and Cleveland sports teams. Even though I have felt that way many times over the years for different reasons, fans of those teams generally feel like they get dumped on an awful lot especially by national media pundits (one I will talk about a bit later and what happened to him as of today) and that it's like the world is against them. I just started messing around with some ideas and remembered some of those times where it felt like the world was against me, so I decided to do an "advisory"-type pic. Let me note that I don't think the world is actually against me...I'm okay for the time being...but I was still inspired to do that pic anyway. The big reason I did that pic as well as the one for this edition has to do with DJRT in general. As a lot of you are aware of by now, I've been working on the evolution of DJRT into something more. A big part of that next iteration is expanding on the DJRT Store with clothing and merchandise that will indulge more of my creative and artistic ideas ala DJ Customs that will help promote and maybe even help support DJRT. Right now the store just has some basic shirts with a few other items up for sale. I am seeking feedback on some of the parody and original design ideas that I am thinking about using for merchandising, so that's what I'm aiming for. I apologize if there was any confusion on that. Speaking of the edition pic, for this edition the pic I'm using is definitely NOT a final design but I wanted to get some feedback on the "unauthorized, unofficial, uncensored" part of the pic that I had originally designed for something else a few years ago. I'm not thinking of using the DJ Logo on it, at least not as it is in the picture if I do, but as far as this edition pic goes I'm using it as more of a contrasting watermark. I'm not sure what I'm going to use with that particular part of the pic just yet but I wanted to get feedback on how it could be used down the line. I will be doing this (putting up pic ideas I have) in future editions of DJRT until the time I get that next iteration started up. Give me some input, folks!
- Anyway....back to the show, so to speak. The major reason for the edition subtitle this time around is that a major league Cleveland sports team is on the verge of winning a national title for the first time in over 50 years. I'm not counting my chickens before they hatch, but the Cleveland Cavaliers have made the NBA Finals and it's the closest the city has tasted a big time championship since the Indians in the 90's. Yes, the Cavs were in the 2007 finals but I didn't believe they had a shot then. With the team they have now, I believe they finally do. I've been more invested this year in the Cavs than I had been in previous years, from going to their official NBA Draft Party to LeBron's Homecoming at Infocision Stadium to going to a preseason game against the Dallas Mavericks to just keeping up them through the regular and post seasons. It's been one heck of a ride and as beat up as they are they are so, so close that my fellow Cavs fans and I are salivating. This is a very exciting time, one that many of us never thought would happen again in our lifetimes but the stars are aligning. C'mon, Cavs...4 wins to go...time to finish what you started.
- Speaking of the subtitle, it's no surprise to anybody that I've been on the verge of so many things over the years. There's been the verge of success...the verge of failure...the verge of changing everything...the verge of going crazy...the verge of going sane...the verge of greatness...the verge of defeat...the verge of starting something new...the verge of giving up (that is unfortunately recurrent)...the verge of cooking up a chicken sandwich. It could easily be said that I have been on the verge of "something" all of my life. A lot of us could say that about each other but it could very well define a lot of events revolving around me. Honestly, I hate being on the verge. I'd rather just be in it and have the certainty of what's going on, maybe even hopefully relishing in whatever I was on the verge of originally...not everything, obviously, but definitely the good things and the good times. That has not really happened a lot as of late due to my current situation but I can say I'd rather be on the verge of those potential good things than be distant from them. I do have to say I may have to give up one thing dream-wise that I didn't want to but I may have to so I can move forward with my life (I've had to do this many times before...I hated each time it's happened and I'm hating this now), but other than that I feel like I'm on the cusp, that I just need one big break or several of them and then great things are going to happen. Until then, I guess I'll just plug away at what I can do for now, continue to dream and stay on the verge just in case.
- Again, speaking of being on the verge, the city of Akron is about to go through something I never thought would happen in my lifetime...not having Don Plusquellic as it's mayor. Early last month, Plusquellic announced he was resigning from the mayor position he's held nearly three decades. I have many thoughts on this but of the man himself I have only one...he was an unmitigated, bullying, thin-skinned, condescending, grade-A jackass...and this is from someone who is on the same side of the political aisle as he was for the most part. Despite his accomplishments as mayor, he was a very petty man who treated many people like crap if they didn't exactly agree with him. My father and one of my uncles had to deal with the ramifications of his antics early on in his tenure when they worked for the city. For that alone and the crap he's done since then I despised him. I did encounter him about 10 years ago in Columbus. I was working for a political campaign at the time and I saw Mr. Plusquellic at a big statewide event. I approached him and told him who I was and, more importantly, who my father was. I was being cordial to him at the time because I hadn't actually met him before and didn't know how he would react to me. He stammered about something that seemed really weird to me then excused himself and went pretty far across the hall where the event was at. I'm telling you, it was so obvious that he couldn't get away from me fast enough. I don't think I can recall that ever happening in my life, at least not under similar circumstances. I called my mom shortly after it happened and she laughed...loudly. He was seriously spooked. My family has this thing where we tend to be stubborn and stand up to people we think are giving us crap and it seemed very obvious he experienced that first-hand with my family before and got scared...just like anybody would expect a bully to do and that's what he did. Of course on his way out the door he took some potshots and made excuses as to why he was leaving but as of a couple days ago he is no longer the mayor. I have to admit...once I heard his announcement I was tempted to sing "Ding Dong, The Witch Is Dead" song from The Wizard of Oz around the house but thought better of it. I have no idea what the future of Akron holds now that he's gone, politically or otherwise, or what kinds of changes might be in the offing especially with a mayoral election coming up later this year but I do believe that there is a chance it will be brighter now that the bully Plusquellic is no longer in charge. I don't say this often or even about people in general, but in his case I'll make an exception...good riddance!!!
- I've been playing an MOBA game online called "Infinite Crisis" based on the DC Universe on my computer the past couple months and I just found out that after only a couple months the game is shutting down. I have to admit, I didn't play it all that much but quite frankly the only surprise in this for me is that Warner Brothers is able to shut it down so quickly. I think it has to do with problems with the game developers' priorities...they seemed to prefer promoting their online channel about the game and them playing it rather than actually do their jobs and developing it. It could have been a decent game if they did what they were supposed to be doing in the first place. I'm just glad I didn't get too invested in it...otherwise I would have been upset, but the lesson here is that if people don't do what they're supposed to be doing, bad things can happen...and quickly, as it's evidenced in this case.
- Festival season is upon us. I was able to catch the tail end of the recent Riverfront Concert Series concert last Friday night with a Journey tribute band which wasn't bad, but other than that I haven't done much festival-wise yet. I am planning to do some stuff but I just haven't had it in me to do anything just yet. Maybe it's because it's early in the season but I hope I don't feel like that this summer like I did at times last year. I did find out that the Mogadore Summer Festival is coming back on July 17-19 and it's very likely that Ohio Championship Wrestling will be returning to it on the 18th so I am very much looking forward to that. There's a lot of things coming up in the next couple months or so and I hope I am up for going to them.
- Song on Repeat: "Money Can't Buy You Love" by Ralph Tresvant. This song was featured in the Damon Wayans movie "Mo' Money" and it was one I used to put on repeat back in the day. I just rediscovered the song and, once again, it's been on repeat a lot as of late.
- Shoutouts: Dave & Sarah, Mary, Melissa, Alan, Stan, Jay, Anna, Maggie, Leslie, Ernest, Ron M., Stacey, Cory, Jenny K, Sean, and Kate.
Before I take off here, I want to congratulate my niece Maddy on graduating from high school. I swear, she was a little girl just a few years ago and now she's already a legal adult. Time flies, folks. Anyway, thank you for reading today's edition of DJRT. We are on the verge of the sixth-year official anniversary of DJRT and the 150th edition coming up. I'm not sure when I'm gonna get around to that or what I'm going to talk about but right now I think I'm gonna go get some sleep because it's late. Until next time, folks. Take care and God Bless.
DJ
