Saturday, December 15, 2012

Don't be a dick. #nodicks2013



The world has some real problems.
Some real pain.

I don’t know what will eventually emerge as the “why” behind the horror in Newtown, but I do know this – pain will be a contributing factor.

Whether that’s the pain of isolation, the pain of a broken family or the pain of mental illness doesn’t really matter.

The one.
Non-refutable fact of the horror that happened yesterday is this:

Loved, connected, supported and healthy human beings do not massacre children.

And I’m tired of living in a society where we keep ignoring that. And I'm tired of living in a society where a lot of us treat each other like shit a lot of the time. And I'm tired of living in a society where our policies have stopped being about finding the best loving, connecting and supporting ways of being 100% committed to enabling healthy human beings to do amazing things.

So what can we do? Well, the only thing I can come up with that’s actionable, today, for each one of us is this:

We need to quit being such a bunch of dicks.

Whether it’s co-workers, clients, friends, spouses or those who don’t share our religious or political beliefs – we so often forget that every second of every day, behind every single body we ever encounter there’s a real-live human fucking being.

A being who loves and hates, who laughs and cries. And a person, just like you, who’s probably just doing their best to try to get by, day-by-day, hour-by-hour.

And it’s time we all started remembering that.
A lot more often.

Because once we start thinking of each other as people instead of competitors, neighbors instead of strangers – the way we talk, interact and choose to govern as a society will change.

And no. I’m not saying that if someone had been nicer yesterday could have been avoided.

But I am saying that our basic neglect of human consideration on macro and micro levels is absolutely out of control. And our ability to relate to one another in empathetical ways has plummeted to such a disgusting level that we are now living, comfortably, in a place where 20 six year olds got killed in their school Friday morning.

And in the process of our growing dickery over gun-control and politics, our mental health safety net has continued to dissipate.

And in the rare weeks that some asshole isn’t opening fire in public plenty of domestic abuse cases are killing hundreds, tons of kids are living on the streets, even more are hungry.

And I guaranfuckingtee you the next mass murderer has already slipped through the cracks.

Want to know what's equally as heart-breaking? 

There are hundreds of thousands of our countless others. Some we'll never meet, others we already have. And they are facing pain, lack of support, fear and a fundamental lack of human connection. They won't blow up a school, but they will be a lost life and a lost chance for our country to be a better place and for ourselves to be better people because they were here too.

In our decade of protecting ourselves against outside threats and building our wallets we’ve also managed to make ourselves our own biggest threat while simultaneously destroying the basic foundations of economic and spiritual health.

And it has to stop.

The Maul of America today becomes my personal place to call out dickery. From politicians, corporations, co-workers, friends and back around to myself (because let’s be honest, I’m a complete dick a solid 60% of the time).

You don’t have to agree with me.
You don’t have to like what I say.
But for Christ's sake (not just in the "name in vain" way either folks) start paying attention. 

And start being present.

And know – that if you keep being a dick, you’re part of the problem.

And I’m committed to finding a solution.



So if you’re just flat out tired of being a dick, or having someone else being a dick to you – or if you're tired of watching our government and business leaders fight like a big bunch of dicks – then tune in, chime in and let’s do something.


At the end of the day we are all to blame for what happened yesterday.

Because when 20 kids get gunned down in a school. In a country in like ours – with all our wealth, all our opportunities and all our potential and you don’t think there’s a real problem? And you don’t think you’re part of what caused it? And you don’t think there’s anything you should do to fix it?

Then you’re a dick.

Do something.
Or you’ll find yourself on the front page.

And let's be honest - if a punter from the Vikings can become a voice of reason http://blogs.citypages.com/blotter/2012/11/chris_kluwe_is_salons_sexiest_man_of_2012.php. what the fuck have I got to lose? 

(Note: I was Kluwe before it was cool to be Kluwe. SKOL forever MF's)
I digress.

Bottom line? Dicks?
It’s time.
You're done.

Join the fight. Spread the message.
If you see someone being a dick drop me a note.
If you see someone stopping dickery do the same.
Or spread the word yourself! Whatever. 

Just start living it.
#nodicks2013

"Mockingbirds don’t do one thing except make music for us to enjoy. They don’t eat up people’s gardens, don’t nest in corn cribs, they don’t do one thing but sing their hearts out for us. That’s why it’s a sin to kill a mockingbird.” – Harper Lee

Sunday, March 11, 2012

An Open Letter to Scott Pioli from Manning (the Ship).


Dear Mr. Pioli

You don’t me.
But as I understand you’re some sort of a strange little paranoid man. 

That’s cool.

Judgment-free zone Scott, carry on and be as Weirdo McWeirderstein as you need to be.

And in the meantime sack up.

This damn town needs you.
I need you.
Peyton needs you.
I need Peyton. Wait. What?
Nevermind.

Here’s the thing about Kansas City Scotty. This town’s got a serious self-esteem problem. It’s like the nice guy who consistently misses out on the right girl because he doesn’t understand how to be nice without being a complete pushover.

Scott, I’m begging you. Look around! Do you EVEN know what you see in the eyes of the fine citizens of this town, in the eye’s of fans of this team?

You see a subtle flatness, Scott.

That’s right flatness.

It’s not unhappy. It’s not even discontent. But it’s flat.

It says, “ Yeah. It’s a nice town. It’s a good place to raise a family. Well I came back when it was time to grow up.”



And you know what you don’t see?

You don’t see the quiet confidence of the original mob town, wild west, bad ass mutha chuckin’ Missouri crazy, Scott. You just don’t see it.

And you know what that means Kim Jong Piloi?

It’s your time to shine little buddy.

This middle-aged crisis town and team is either going to buy a Corvette or start sleeping with some young bimbo who'll ruin the whole thing. 

Looking at to you Tim Tebow.
I digress...



Look Jam Master P, You got a reputation in this town. And between you, me and the listening devices you’ve got all over Todd Haley’s hot self, it ain’t a good one.  

No one does crazy quite like you Scott, so let’s see it. 

Show us your bat shit and get this Manning thing done.

It’s time to say goodbye to East Cost paranoid secret society conspiracy bullshit white collar asshole and reinvent, remerge old school KC bad ass old money mob boss go for broke on this whole fucking thing.

You get who you need to get in a plane.
You get them here.
You make them an offer they can’t refuse.

And you proclaim, for you, 
The Chief’s, 
The City and the entire god damn world that Kansas City’s back. 
And we're not fucking around this time.

Mr. Pioli. I need a man who has powerful friends. 

I need at least fifty million dollars in cash. 

I need, you Pioli, all of those politicians that you carry around in your pocket, like so many nickels and dimes. 

Because Peyton Manning needs this town and this town needs Peyton Manning.



You’re excused.

The Manning Family