#MNR: ANGRY SMURF
 
“Slide down 2-fifth, nigga I’m to the #eastside.”
J-Worthy
 
People who know me casually or in a professional manner would probably tell you that I, Ty Thompson, am a benevolent and gregarious human being. They would be correct. I am both benevolent and gregarious. Those same people would probably go a step further and insist that I am a teddy bear. They would again be correct, but only partially. I am a teddy bear – half teddy. I love unconditionally. I always treat my ladies like the queens they are. I never call them out of their name or speak in a condescending manner. Never in this life would I lay a hand on them in a manner that isn’t loving. I treat my niggas like the brothers they are. I don’t disrespect, emasculate, or belittle them. I don’t make moves on their old ladies. I treat their girls as my sisters. What they don’t know is that the other half is all grizzly. 8’6”, 625 pounds. I can run up to 35 mph, I can decapitate you with a single swing from my mitt with razor-sharp claw attachments. I can climb a tree to come get your dumb ass, or I can just shake that bitch until your silly ass falls to the earth and I decimate you.
 
Yeah. That’s me. Ty Grizzly. I have an attitude problem. It rarely makes an appearance, but when it does, it can get late early. It mostly rears its head in public interactions with transit operators, stupid ass humans, and other MF of the like. I don’t carry a firearm. I am not Michael Jai White or one of those MMA niggas. I am me. I’m with the shits and I haven’t been scared since Spring 1995. I don’t start shit, but I am a willing participant in any associated fuckery.
 
I’m lying like a MF. Sometimes I’m the Firestarter.
 
I have no regret or empathy if I feel I’ve been slighted or violated. It is what it is, and it’s up ‘til it’s stuck. Anytime it’s fuck me, it’s ALWAYS fuck you. That’s the way it has to be. There’s no love outside, just ugly. I’d rather be the aggressor than the pussy. I’m no Tough Tony. I am very aware that there are men walking these streets who have the fighting acumen to hurt my entire frame. I’ve never been a dumb nigga. I certainly would never walk into certain death. But disrespect is disrespect. And even if you are one of those MMA niggas, allow me to introduce myself. My name is Patience. I’ll see you eventually, but you won’t see me coming. I’m the type of nigga to be posted by your down-low weed spot. Surprise...
 
Calm down, Monday. You’re scaring the casuals.
 
Ok. Allow me to reapproach. I meant everything I’ve said thus far, but I’d like to speak on the time(s) I’m not satisfied with my grizzly attitude. I’m noticing that I tend to have a high level of hostility when I’m aboard transit. I know we are all in proximity, and I respect that aspect of transit. I hate it when others aren’t respectful of my bubble. Watch your fucking step. The last time I was in the X, an African man on the BX40 smooth stepped on my London grey Vapormax...and left a black smudge. I almost had a Fred Sanford (IYKYK). That MF is lucky that 1) he had his daughter with him 2) he was exiting the bus 3) I didn’t feel like paying another fare, as I am seemingly the only slow MF in NYC who pays to ride the fucking transit buses. I could be lying, but I swear I saw a Baptist pastor steal a fare on the BX35 the last time I rode that dirty MF. I wasn’t mad at him; so does everyone else. Everyone except me, apparently. GET BACK TO THE DAMN TOPIC, MONDAY. My bad, y’all. I was having too much fun. All jokes aside, I was going to see ‘bout that acorn-headed bastard. Through the blessings of God (and the repellant spray I use for all new kix) the smudge simply wiped off. NO MONDAY, THE OTHER POINT. THE ONE ABOUT NOT BEING SATISFIED WITH YOUR PISSY ATTITUDE. Oh yeah. Tonight, I wiled up an [CENSORED TO AVOID HATE CRIME SPECULATION] man on the 166T because I felt that he should have chosen another seat. Yeah, I was that type of shitty today. Today was one of those. That man just wanted to sit down like everyone else. I only paid for one fare. The nerve of you, Monday. You need to calm that dumb shit down, good brother. You’re better than that. I know, I know. I have my reasons for feeling the way I initially felt, but they are not a collective excuse to be an asshole. Like I said, the good vitriol is great, but pissy vitriol and shitty actions are bad. Really bad. Like Aeon Flux bad. And I’m not talking about the animated series. I’m talmbout the 2005 film with Charlize Theron.
 
We cannot allow fuckery at any level. I have to level up when it comes to transit hostility or any time I’m on my bullshit for no rational reason. I’m as wrong as two right shoes for my actions, but I just don’t like most of yous.
 
What? I’m not going to lie for the sake of making it seem like my contrition borders on amazing. Ignore the benevolence and gregarious nature. I don’t like most people. I am that I am. Don’t step on my feet without an earnest apology or violate my bubble and we’re chilly cool-cool. And oh yeah...if I board the bus and I have a 3-zone pass, bitch don’t ask me where TF I’m going. I’m going home, you idiot. Ask the [CENSORED] where they’re going.
 
Before y’all execute me, asking where I’m going implies that I’m stealing a fare. I’m not a thief. I don’t like the karma.
 
Even if you do execute me, I said what TF I said. If you don’t like it, send a CashApp and leave the reason why in the note. $TyMonday$. Please and thank you.
 
Crew niggas to the exit, we out.
 
tymonday.com: @tymonday on Twitter & IG
crewunb.com: @crewunB on Twitter & @theunbearablescrew on IG

TIME TO CASH OUT
By Ty Thompson
12Nov23
 
Brian McGuire Cashman has been the general manager of the New York Yankees since the organization’s mythical season of 1998, when they went 114-48 and cruised to a World Series title. ’98 would be the first of three consecutive world championships, giving the team the distinction of being the last to three-peat in Major League Baseball. Going three for three to begin one’s career as a GM is more than noteworthy. It’s historic. It immediately made Cashman the premier GM in all of sports. Oh yeah. There’s just one caveat: it’s imperative to mention that that team was built by the great Gene “Stick” Michael and Bob Watson. Michael, during the time in the early ‘90s when former owner George Steinbrenner was exiled from the team and MLB for unscrupulous actions, built the Core Four of Derek Jeter, Jorge Posada, Mariano Rivera and Andy Pettitte.
 
Cashman has one World Series all to himself, winning the Fall Classic in 2009. Even then, the Core Four were still vital parts of the well-oiled engine. Pettitte returned for a second run after spending time in Houston while The Captain, “Jorgie” and “Sandman” remained stalwarts for the club. Cashman’s footprint was certainly evident, as key players Alex Rodriguez, CC Sabathia, Hideki Matsui (World Series MVP), Mark Teixeira and fan favorite Johnny Damon became Yankees during Cashman’s tenure. The team’s starting second baseman Robinson Cano, before his performance-enhancing fall from grace, was poised to eventually join his namesake in Cooperstown. Cano was perhaps Cashman’s greatest prospect before Aaron Judge, signing with the organization as an amateur free agent in 2001.
 
2009 is far in the rearview of Yankees lore. The Yankees failed to win a World Series in the 2010s, marking the first decade in a century that the Yankees didn’t hoist the trophy at least once. The 2020s haven’t exactly been a beacon of hope thus far. Large payrolls and lofty expectations have not equaled ultimate success. The New York Yankees, the most valuable franchise in baseball according to Forbes at $7.1B, struggled to escape the cellar of the AL East of 2023. They finished 19 games behind division winner Baltimore, and it took a 17-10 September to (barely) finish above .500 at 82-80. The organization ended up missing the playoffs for the first time since 2016, posting its worst record since the nascent days of the Michael rebuild in 1992. Just a year prior, Judge and his record-breaking MVP effort led the team to a division title before eventually being swept by the World Series champion (and hated) Astros in the ALCS. Even the most positive of Yankees fans (if you can find one) have struggled with morale the past decade or so. The glory days of ’09 might as well be centuries ago in the Bronx. Sure, this was only the first time since ’16 that the Yankees missed the playoffs. That’s not bad at all for about 29 clubs. But not at 161st St and River Avenue, #BXNYC, in the house that The Boss built. In there, it’s all about #28.
 
In the land of the YES Network, it’s easy to place blame at the foot of Hal Steinbrenner, Yankees owner and son of George. “The Boss is rolling over in his grave!” some say. True Yankees fans long in the tooth are quick to remind the forgetful that The Boss would have made any and every move possible to return the World Series trophy to its most acquainted home. That perhaps was the greatest aspect of Steinbrenner’s allure to the fans. He may have been (and certainly was) overzealous at times, but every fan knew the best interest of the team was always his only objective. There was no price too heavy to prevent The Boss from pulling his checkbook out. Fans just don’t see the same thing these days. Many are quick to point out that megastars like Justin Verlander, Bryce Harper, Manny Machado and currently Juan Soto have been available to be fitted for pinstripes over the past few seasons, but “budgetary strategy” has prevented such measures. Almost all that resentment is aimed at Hal. But further analysis may serve as defense for Hal and increased scrutiny for Cash.
 
The 2023 Yankees were $55M over the luxury tax threshold, second in MLB to their interborough rival Mets, whose season didn’t quite go as intended either. The Dodgers and Red Sox, two franchises with hefty purses and world championships in the past calendar decade, spent less on team payroll than the Yankees. Their number two ranking obviously means that they outspent both 2023 World Series participants (and everyone else in the 2023 Postseason). So, if Hal isn’t quite the pinchpenny Yankees fans paint him out to be, then what is the problem? Better, who is the problem?
 
It's Cashman, and it’s time for Cash to go. It’s time for the Yankees to cash out.
 
The simple reality that the Yankees organization faces is that Cash has had far too many misses and not enough hits the past decade. Bringing Gerrit Cole into the fold and re-signing him long term (9 years/$324M) was a hit. Cole has been a steady #1 since he joined the staff rotation and may walk away with some hardware this season. Despite pushback from a few social media general managers across Yankees Nation, Cash did what had to be done in giving Judge a huge (9 years/$360M) re-up. Cool. The problem lies within the misses. There have been quite a few over the years. Let’s tailor the focus to the past year or so.
 
 The first miss came on August 1, 2022, when Cash made a trade with Oakland that brought RHP Frankie Montas to the X. The move looked to be more reactionary than strategic, as Bleacher Creatures were seething over Cash’s inability to land elite and available RHP Luis Castillo. The Reds were looking to move him, and everyone in the sport knew it. He and Cole could have possibly been the best 1,2 punch in the game. Cashman passed and Seattle pounced on the opportunity. Official hindsight from the Monday Morning Quarterbacks Club shows that Castillo was an all-star for the second consecutive season. Montas missed most of 2023 with injuries after an underwhelming performance with the Yanks in ’22. Bummer. After a solid whiff on the first swing, there’s only one thing to do as a perfect follow-up: whiff again.
 
A day after the Montas deal, Cashman, apparently disenchanted with the idea of having two quality lefties pitch in front of the short porch in right field, made the decision to trade Jeff Montgomery to the Cardinals for Harrison Bader. Cash was eager to bring a solid CF to the team after finally atoning for the reality that the Aaron Hicks signing was yet another disastrous acquisition. Apparently, the potential of the young CF was more than enough to trade a solid southpaw amidst his prime. The Yankees CF of the future lasted exactly one year before being waived on August 29. Yes, waived. And as for Monty? How did things work out for him? Well, after a cup of tea with the Cardinals, he was traded to the Rangers. He started Game 2 of the 2023 World Series. He won a ring. Cashman essentially gave him away for nothing. Good morning, good afternoon...
 
The Yankees entered the 2022 Winter Meetings determined to reel in a big-time arm to bolster the rotation. Cole was Cole. Nester Cortes was the toast of the town, going 12-4 with a 2.44 ERA and earning an all-star selection. Things got a bit muddy from there, as the injury bug had bitten Luis Severino once again and Domingo Germán struggled as a starter. With that in mind, Cashman cast his line into the free agency pool and reeled in LHP Carlos Rodón for 6 years/$162M. Rodón was supposed to be the final piece of the puzzle. He was tough as nails against the Astros lineup, holding them to 2 or less runs every start of his career before becoming a Yankee. Unfortunately, injuries (a motif in Rodón’s career) limited him to just 14 games started. He went 3-8 with a 6.85 ERA in 54.1 IP. But hey, at least he did eke out a 5 inning win versus the Astros in early September when the Yankees were a light year out of first and battling with Boston to see who’d inhabit the basement of the AL East.
 
Goodnight. That’s a whiff and a punchout.
 
Brian Cashman has rested on the glories of days past for far too long now. The abject debacle of 2023 only exacerbated things. Children born the last couple months of 2009 will enter high school next fall without the Yankees having won a World Series in their lifetimes. Perhaps this kind of mediocrity would fly in a mid-market city with a championship or two to its credit, but not in New York. It doesn’t matter how defiant Cashman sounds in expletive-laced tirades at MLB GM Meetings. The proof is in the Yankees’ lack of success the past decade-and-a-half. The Yankees need new direction in the front office.
 
It's time for the Yankees to Cash out.
 
-30-
 
 
 
 
 

 
Sources


Cot’s Baseball Contracts
ESPN.com
Wikipedia.com

#MNR: DELTA CRIMSON 5.0
 
“Aye do your MF dance, nigga. I hope this pistol don’t fall up out my pants, nigga.”
Compton Av
 
“Some beef is everlasting.”
Nasir Jones
 
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu recently said that he would never support Palestinians being given their own state, even though he has spoken about its possibility multiple times in the past. Ardent readers of this blog know which side I’m with on this one. It is what it is. But tonight, I simply want to convey the horror of what it sounds like when mankind can’t be reasonable. It’s harrowing to hear, irrespective of a man’s title or socioeconomic status. It’s downright frightening to know that these words come from the leader of a nation. Humanity must be paramount in this situation. The facts are that, after 1,200 of your citizens were taken hostage (many having other heinous crimes committed upon them) by the terrorist group Hamas, you have proceeded to kill over 25K innocent civilians. This is tantamount to war crimes in my opinion. It is imperative that I state that although the official number of Palestinian deaths is around 25K, some have said that the total is as much as double that. That’s pure speculation, but it must be stated. Why? Simple. No one believes stats. I don’t believe the UCR (Uniform Crime Report) – ever, and that’s on this side of the Atlantic. I said that to say that I damn sure don’t believe the numbers I’m hearing out of Gaza. You have bombed the bit of land those folk had. There’s nothing of worth left for them to return to, only rubble and cement-filled water pipes. I searched and searched for the number of Palestinian refugees displaced by the current Israeli/Hamas conflict, but I quickly learned that the associated numbers are a cumulative number beginning with the 1948 war (around Israel’s creation) through the 1967 Mideast war until now. That cumulative number is upwards of 6M refugees. I’ve stated in blogs before that this conflict precedes biblical times. Now, please take a moment to revisit the second quote of tonight’s #MNR. God bless Palestine.
 
FREE PALESTINE
 
We all know that you’re unpopular amongst your own people, Netanyahu. I’m merely a sideline analyst. It is what it is. But the good book told me, “For with what judgement ye judge, ye shall be judged...”  
 
P.S. – Hamas told the press this morning that, in light of Netanyahu’s decision, the remaining 1,200 hostages will never be released. That means that ole boy is going to try his best to exterminate the majority of Palestinians. I smell genocide in the air.
 
I try to stay out of politics on here as much as possible. I love politics. I love discourse. I can do this shit all day. But politics can be divisive. Politics can make enemies of friends and family. I don’t give a fuck who you vote for or who you affiliate yourself with. That’s your choice. My only goal is to bring truth and pragmatism to political discourse. Don’t talk about who you don’t like because of some shit you heard on The Shade Room. I don’t care what you saw on the Twitter. Give me discourse rooted in fact. There can only be common ground when fact is present. Otherwise, common ground is impossible.
 
I’ve heard so many stories about Illmatic since it was released in 1994.
 
SIDENOTE: THIS MICROSOFT WORD SPELL CHECK DOESN’T RECOGNIZE SHIT BUT IT RECOGNIZED ILLMATIC. RESPECT.
 
Err umm, like I said. I’ve heard so many stories about Illmatic over the years, including plenty of myths. As the seminal work of art nears its 30th year of existence, I’ve learned that a lot of the myths weren’t mythical at all. Many were fact. But of all the stories I’ve heard about Illmatic, my favorite story is about why his father Olu Dara chose to play the legendary notes he played at the end of “Life’s a Bitch,” the source of the definitive bars of my lifetime. Olu asked his boy what he wanted him to do on the song. Nas simply replied to play something that reminded Olu of Nas and Jungle’s (his younger brother) childhood. The rest is history. Legendary history.
 
I had a whole piece I wanted to write about my bond with my mom at a particular moment in time when I was a little one, but I don’t feel I can sufficiently convey its joy. All I can say is that it’s where my mind goes when I listen to Olu play the cornet at the end of the song. That’s my best and most indelible memory. I wasn’t ever afraid of Metropolis because I had Superwoman. RIP to Shareon and all the real ones in heaven. God bless all of us stuck down here trying our best to endure and navigate.
 
I was always the type to dance with the girl I brought to the party. When it was over, I walked her home. Fuck all the others. It was all about her. I never had a problem picking a side; I always sided with the real. I never switched up. I stuck with the side I was always on. If one of us can’t get in, fuck you and your house or venue. We out. If you’re down for me, I will eternally ride for you. It’s not difficult. If you don’t fuck with us, step the fuck off. I’m not much for fair-weather friends or frenemies. A lot of you hoe ass niggas and trifling bitches switch up with the frequency I bathe and switch up my Polo drawz (twice a day, bitch). I don’t fuck with y’all. Eat a dick.
 
A Delta crimson Mustang 5.0 was my mother’s favorite vehicle around that particular moment in time. I believe it was the 1985 edition. She always rented it when we traveled to South Boston to see family. I’m going to get one and paint it Delta crimson, and switch the interior out to cream leather. Just for her.
 
Shoutout to my ace and all this Black culture and fuckery we enjoy.
 
“And I switched my motto. Instead of fuck tomorrow, that buck that bottle coulda struck the lotto” are the definitive bars of my lifetime.
 
Aye yo CEO, take us the fuck outta here.
 
tymonday.com: @tymonday on Twitter & IG
crewunb.com: @crewunB on Twitter & @theunbearablescrew on IG

#MNR: MONTGOMERY/’LANTA/CHICAGO
 
“He set my mind free, so my mind free at last.”
The Game
 
I’ve always been fascinated by individuals who took the road less traveled and risked their lives for others, even though they didn’t have to. My favorite biblical figure is Moses. Why? Because Moses was the right hand to the king of Egypt. They were raised together. Moses could have played his part and been the second most powerful man in Egypt. But Moses said fuck that. I know from whence I came, and I choose to lead my people through the wilderness. Hebrews 11:24-29 tells the story in brevity. Hebrews 11 is my favorite chapter in the Bible; I tatted it on my right forearm. It’s my favorite chapter because it details acts of faith throughout the Old Testament. Moses’ story always intrigued me because he seemingly gave up everything, but for righteousness’ sake. “He chose to be mistreated along with the people of God rather than to enjoy the fleeting pleasures of sin” (Hebrews 11:25). That’s deep. I’m that type of believer. I ride and die for mine.
 
Martin Luther King, Jr. could have Cadillac’d his way to a calm and peaceful life. He was the son of a preacher man who pastored a thriving urban Black church, Ebenezer Baptist. He was sent to university to study: Morehouse College (BA), Crozer Theological Seminary (BDiv) & Boston University (PhD). He didn’t attend either of the three on a United Negro College Fund scholarship. Jr. could have patiently sat beside Sr. in the pulpit and waited for his time to come. He would have made a good living and been out the way. But that wasn’t Dr. King’s road to travel. He settled in Montgomery and ran Dexter Avenue Baptist Church. He led the Montgomery bus boycott. He did make his way back to Atlanta and sat beside pop, but he returned to help found the Southern Christian Leadership Conference (SCLC). So began his ascension into the national spotlight and impending mortality. We all know the story’s highlights and its tragic end.
 
Of the many actions of MLK, I’m most intrigued by something that I found out about only a couple of years ago as I began to read The Assassination of Fred Hampton. I learned that MLK, Ralph Abernathy and other civil rights leaders spent the summer of 1966 living in a tenement apartment building in the slums of Chicago on the West Side. They sought an educational experience and to demonstrate their support and empathy for the poor (all the men were from the Black middle class). The experience was far from a success. King was actually hit with a brick during a march, but he continued to lead marches in the face of personal danger. Although the Chicago experiment had its troubles, I admire the moxie of Dr. King for staying in the slums of one of America’s most dangerous cities. That wasn’t just a social experiment. That could have been calamitous in many ways. Again, he could have been somewhere earning an easy check and cooling out. He chose to take the road less traveled. He was a king. He was brave-hearted.
 
SIDENOTE: From what I gathered from my Fred Hampton readings, Chicago’s gang culture was way too strong, superfluous and influential for the non-violent Civil Rights Movement to make any real strides.
 
In “Letter to the King” by The Game featuring Nas, both men salute the slain Civil Rights icon. The song is great, and its candid tone leaves an indelible mark on the listener’s psyche. Both men spoke about how, when they were younger, they didn’t put much thought into Dr. King, his accomplishments or legacy. They candidly admitted that they took MLK for granted before maturing and realizing his greatness and legacy. The words of both men are so poignant. Nas did his thing, but The Game’s second verse is legendary. It may be his best 16 ever.
 
“I feel the pain of -- Nelson Mandela, ‘cuz when it rains, it pours. I need Rihanna’s umbrella -- for Coretta Scott’s tear drops -- when she got the phone call that the future just took a fucking head shot...I wonder why Jesse Jackson ain’t catch him before his body dropped. Would he give me the answer? Probably not.”
 
LONG LIVE MLK
 
tymonday.com: @tymonday on Twitter & IG
crewunb.com: @crewunB on Twitter & @theunbearablescrew on IG

#MNR: 2023 RETROSPECTIVE
 
“Dearly departed, for years I reminisced, inhaling chocolate.”
Nature
 
“We don’t want no problems, B. Get your name in the obituary column sheet. Cuz life is too short, and it just gets shorter. I wish I had a quarter for all my people they slaughter.”
Special Ed
 
TYRONE THOMPSON, SR. · TAMICA EPPS · RODERICK BOO ROBINSON · JADON JOHNSON · TRUGOY THE DOVE · ANDRE BRAUGHER · MUTULU SHAKUR · TINA TURNER · JIM BROWN · HARRY BELAFONTE · WILLIS REED · AHMAD JAMAL · LANCE REDDICK · RICHARD ROUNDTREE · RUDOLPH ISLEY · MAGOO · GANGSTA BOO · IRISH GRINSTEAD · TASHA BUTTS · BILL LEE · ELISE FINCH · RUSCHELL BOONE · VIDA BLUE · OTIS TAYLOR · WAYNE SHORTER · RON CEPHAS JONES · ELLEN HOLLY · GEORGE BROWN · SUZANNE SOMERS · BOB BARKER · JIMMY BUFFETT · BROOKS ROBINSON · BOB KNIGHT · ROSALYNN CARTER · BURT YOUNG · NORMAN LEAR · MATTHEW PERRY · DIANNE FEINSTEIN · JEFF BECK · PAUL REUBENS · RYAN O’NEAL · JUSTICE SANDRA DAY O’CONNOR · BILL RICHARDSON · SINEAD O’CONNOR · JANE BIRKIN · TONY BENNETT · JERRY SPRINGER · RAQUEL WELCH · BURT BACHARACH · BOBBY HULL · LISA LORING · BILLY PACKER · DAVID CROSBY · LISA MARIE PRESLEY · GAIL O’NEIL · CLARENCE AVANT · CHRISTINE KING FARRIS · WALTER DAVIS · DJ CASPER · HUGHES VON ELLIS · CHICO DEL VEC · DJ MARK THE 45 KING · HOWELL WAYNANS · BIG POKEY · GEORGE MCGINNIS
 
“Read the headlines – Noreaga blast with nines.”
Tragedy Khadafi
 
ISRAEL BOMBS GAZA, REPEATEDLY
4 INDICTMENTS, 91 CHARGES FOR #45
HAWAII WILDFIRES KILL 99, WIPE OUT TOWN
MESSI COMES TO AMERICA
TITAN SUBMERSIBLE GOES MISSING, IMPLODES
HUNTER GETS INDICTED
CANADIAN WILDFIRES FUCK UP AMERICAN LUNGS
TRAIN DERAILS IN EAST PALESTINE (OH), CAUSES TOXIC FIRE
MIGRANT BUSSING TO LIBERAL CITIES TESTS URBAN RESOLVE
 
“And discover, my level is that of no other.”
Black Thought
 
KANSAS CITY CHIEFS · DENVER NUGGETS · LAS VEGAS ACES · LAS VEGAS GOLDEN KNIGHTS · TEXAS RANGERS · MANCHESTER CITY · GEORGIA BULLDOGS · CONNECTICUT HUSKIES · LSU TIGERS · OKLAHOMA SOONERS · LSU TIGERS · QUINNIPIAC · WISCONSIN
 
 
 
 
 
“Last year, around the time this year, if I would’ve got locked, yo, I wouldn’t even care.”
N.O.R.E.
 
2023 was a year of definitive endings and new beginnings. It was the first full year in seemingly too long that COVID-19 didn’t dominate the news in some form or fashion. It’s far from being eradicated and likely never will be, but it is far removed from the headlines and has ceased being a point of contention. Out of sight, out of mind (I guess). Apparently there’s a new variant strand that’s causing concern... (Ju voice) NEXT! We may have moved on from COVID, but its enduring effects still linger. The supermarket continued to be out of control in 2023. Shrinkflation is the realest shit since the invention of the air fryer. Frito-Lay should be ashamed of itself. Y’all fucked up the pack. Literally. PepsiCo is their parent company, and they’ve been just as shiesty with pricing. There are plenty of other companies involved in the fuckery; serving sizes decrease yet prices increase. In some cases, they increase drastically. Thankfully, pump prices eased up in the last quarter of 2023. Last I checked, a gallon of petrol is $2.95 in North Jersey. Housing continued to be in low stock, though mortgage rates and prices remained high in 2023. Good luck. Nike continued to bump up in pricing in 2023, but I can say that sneaker availability was better than the prior couple of years. The sneaker resell market fell dramatically, thankfully. Playlists continued to dominate the music scene as album sales continued to approach irrelevance due to streams. The only major release that I can remember came from Drake. I don’t remember the album title, but I do remember that his son drew the album cover art (that’s love). It received meh reviews and wasn’t mentioned in popular culture within a month. From what I did hear on the album, it was a quarter pound of mid. His Joe Budden-eviscerating IG post rang more bells than the album. His metrosexual (at best) photo shoot caused more of a stir than the album did, too. I had to add that. It’s the nigga in me. I do know that Brent Faiyaz is my favorite young R&B artist not named H.E.R. His Larger Than Life mixtape was my favorite project of 2023, and “Forever Yours” was my favorite track of 2023. Yes, all 1:36 of it. Nas and Hit-Boy concluded (allegedly) their epic six albums in 37-months run by dropping Magic 2 AND Magic 3 in 2023. To sum it all up in a single word, it was...magic. I became a K-Pop fan in 2023, as Tonantzin, one of my students, formally introduced me to the genre. She’s a big Blackpink fan, but “OMG” by NewJeans was my favorite K-Pop bop of 2023. 270 Park Avenue, aka the JPMorgan Chase Building, plateaued in 2023, and says hello to me every morning as I approach the Lincoln Tunnel helix. Its base and middle have glass exteriors in place while the uppermost part remains bare, surrounded by scaffolding. It is expected to be completed by 2025. I can hardly wait. Oh yeah, speaking of “can hardly wait,” Rockstar formally announced a 2025 GTA6 release date in late 2023. Word is the most expensive version will be anywhere from $150-$200. PlayStation Network, please charge my AmEx immechiately.
 
School and mass shootings continued in 2023. Yeah, it’s as American as apple pie.
 
 I don’t like what Israel is doing to Palestine. They took one terrorist attack and went super OD. I understand that Hamas committed a true act of terror, but killing 50K civilians is past ridiculous. You’ve bombed Gaza to the point that those folk have nothing left to return to. That’s all the way fucked up. I’m also not a fan of the propaganda that is disseminated through YouTube ads. Ain’t shit you can tell me to justify what’s being done. Ye too shall be judged accordingly.
 
I respect the migrant dreamers and their quests for decent lives, but there’s no room in our major cities for you. You ain’t got to go home, but you got to get the fuck up out of here. Respectfully.
 
If you’re stupid enough to think that Donald J. tRump is being persecuted through prosecution, you are in the throes of a cult. It’s going to get very dark for your god in 2024. Please don’t blow up a federal building while I’m up in that bitch trying to get some paperwork straight. Just go into your doomsday bunker, take the pin out of a hand grenade, caress it and do the Griddy until you hear a pop.
 
“Meditate daily, I do so I sort, things I consider in my mind as deep thought.”
O.C.
 
In 2023, life did a lot of lifing. I began the year under the assumption that I had secured my Great Value version of a dream job, only to be deceived in the end. It almost crushed me, but I kept the faith. I applied for a job at an autism center in the city just ‘cause. I had no expectations. I went on the interview because it was a day off from two jobs and an opportunity to potentially bum around in the city after another letdown. I actually got the job. I actually got to remember the feeling of working a single job (I’ll probably still get a PT). I actually got to matter again as an employee. Goodbye, EPSD. I love most of the kids from over the years. I love plenty of the faculty throughout the district, past and present. I don’t love EPSD. Au revoir. And then, just when it seemed like everything was Candy Lane, I lost two of my Virginia Union folk within weeks of one another. I learned that my guy Boo passed after battling an illness. Shit hurt. I road tripped with my bro Louie and Boo to The Lou. We shared some good times back when. Before I could begin to digest losing Boo, I got word that my baby girl Meek died in an auto accident. That damn near crushed me. I loved that girl. She was my kind of people. I don’t know if I’ll ever fully get over that one. You know what they say, y’all. Death comes in... I lost my father in May. He succumbed to the same thing that almost ended me exactly four years ago: a pulmonary embolism. He and I hadn’t spoken in a decade, but the last time we did speak, my last words to him were, “I love you, dad.” Tyrone and I are straight. If he made it up top, I hope he did right by Shareon. If he didn’t... I ended a long-term relationship with an extraordinary lady in 2023. It wasn’t easy for either one of us. I’m thankful that we’re in a good place. All these things happened before June. C’est la vie. The second half of the year wasn’t quite as eventful [thankfully]. I did make it to Homecoming. It’s always the greatest of blessings to spend time with my folk from college era. Our bonds are indelible. 2023 was alright, I suppose. I made it through. Here’s to 2024. We have so much to live for. Let’s get it.
 
tymonday.com: @tymonday on Twitter & IG
crewunb.com: @crewunB on Twitter & @theunbearablescrew on IG