lollipops entered the street in the centre of Philadelphia, quickly stepping up on a makeshift podium some of his lackeys had made of a couple of crates. The barrel of his gun was still hot from an assassination he had performed only moments earlier. He took a deep breath, and initiated his speech.

Is it chess? Backgammon? Or maybe Mahjong or Poker? Of course not. But there are players. There are hundreds of participants in "this game of ours". Each with their own well-defined roles, each with their individual functions, allowing the game to progress endlessly and without abruptions – but with many diversions and turns. Or is that entirely correct?

Would it be fairer to say that there’s only a handful of players? Fundamentally, there are few active and critical players, and hundred people playing along, only semi-knowingly. Game-masters, we could call them, the godfathers of this world. And then there’s the hundreds of victims, unable to interact with the mechanics of the game, but in their own passive way are dependent on the progression of it, and contribute to its continuation, even though they are the ones who yearn that the tragedy comes to an end. And while the game is ongoing, more people join in, many people, and they all contribute.

Every violent horror story contains different stages, just like in a game. Firstly, the game must naturally contain an opening move. In this instance, the opening move is irrelevant, as long as it is violent. The Godfather can wipe a city because he’s paranoid, or because he’s holding a grudge. Or because the passive players start showing more of an interest in that city instead of his own.

The game-master could obviously also just be a pathological narcissist, or his bloodline could’ve been wiped themselves in the past, and now he suffers from some sort of Freudian repetition compulsion. That’s not relevant to this story.

lollipops paused shortly, in anticipation of retorts from some of the crowd that had gathered to listen. He attempted to address them quickly, and continued

Don’t get me wrong, people, I’m not here to whine. We all chose to play the game of the underworld when we became thugs and joined the mafia. And the current iteration of game-masters are playing it excellently.

The point is, Dear Listener, that if you recognise yourself in the description of the passive player, you should reconsider the moves you’re making. Today, the most influential game master, GFC Spaceman, was removed from his position, and this serves as an excellent opportunity for you to act. You may have suffered because of a few bad opening moves, but you can turn it around in the end game.

As soon as lollipops had uttered his last sentence, he took off to his private jet. He didn’t have any more time to waste, as he knew he needed to get a lot of things done before sundown.

lollipops aka Frankie4Fingers.

Merry Christmas too you also. <3

I like rogues.

Especially the ones with bloodshot eyes and locks of dirty hair draping across their ugly faces. The foam that manifests on their lips as they scream and yell in anger is off-putting ofcourse, but I always see that as the embodiment of frustration and the lack of control of one’s emotions. They spiral around and with trembling hands point their weapon of choice at random bypassers. It’s that typical image of people we tell our children to avoid like the plague. We whisper in the ears of our loved ones that if they ever want to become successful and relevant that they shouldn’t be like them.
 

But imagine the confusion for our children if a rogue appears that doesn’t fit that image. What if we put the rogue label on someone who dresses well, accomplished that what we tell our children to aspire to and who manages to put words out there that have meaning?
 

Do we think that everyone in this community that looks at this speech dismisses it as the bullshit of a lunatic? If our kids ask about this, do we have the answers to tell them how things really are? Was lollipops an idiot or was December 24th something we rather ignore and hope our kids don’t take notice?

I like rogues - the good ones - because they ask questions. Killing them isn’t the answer, because their questions echo until long after they died. I personally don’t buy into the demotivating situation lollipops sketched here. People aren’t staring at a wall, but at a broad horizon. Opportunities to be in the know and get status are very real, but it’s a two-way street between leaders and members. Leaders who ignore their talent are at a loss they will eventually pay for. History has plenty of examples of that. Members who stay in the dark, often, are themselves to blame. Meeting expectations is no guarantee for being involved. Exceeding expectations will open doors. That might mean respectfully going beyond what is expected of you. When the traditional hierarchy is in the way a creative member can still find people to impress, without breaking the family rules. Perhaps a first-of-kin might never win, but their descendants should be able to align themselves better.

I like rogues. This one was effective, no denial there. My previous account was among the first few that died the day before Christmas, so I’d know. Lollipops’ arguments brought here are one-sided. I’d expect the community to give the topic raised more attention though. Not because of the rogue, but because of our children.

Happy New Year!
2019 is bright and beautiful. It’s not Santa Claus, it won’t swing by magically and give you presents. So don’t be a whiny kid. Don’t get into an angry rage if things aren’t swinging your way. But if you, as a member of this community, want to achieve something; Show effort and come grab the chances that are there.

Be the best in whatever. Be a leader. Be a debater. Be a friend. Be a hero.
 

Damn, I forgot to wish Maerry Christmas to manu in here so here you have it.

MERRY CHRISTMAS all and also a very good New Year 2019 to all.