Randy steps out of the Teamsters HQ and gives his temples a quick massage before beginning to speak.

Friends, enemies, schlubs.  I have noticed a worrying trend over the last few weeks, a trend of petty bitching and demeaning of one another on these streets. 

I ask you, is it worth it, or is it counterproductive to your cause?

It reminds me of someone I once knew:

The guy was called Guido.  Guido was a schlub, never had a good word to say about anything but was always looking for someone to bait and berate.  He didn't have many friends, he didn't have many contacts.  He had MANY enemies and detractors. 

A result of his somewhat lackadaisical attitude was this:

He had gone out to deposit his remaining bonds into his savings account one morning; it was a glorious day and the warmth of the early morning sun warmed his back though he had no good words to offer up to anyone about the snugness of the atmosphere.  As he turned down 420th Street he heard the grumble of a Cadillac Town Sedan.  It wasn't far off, maybe a block or two away, but the sound was unmistakable.  "One day", Guido thought to himself, "one day I will have one of those".  He smiled to himself and shouted a few cheap shots at a Chicago Made Man who had been irking him over the last week or two.  "No matter", Guido thought to himself, "I am a Capo, he is only a Made Man, I pull rank".  As the grumble of the Cadillac drew closer Guido glanced over his shoulder.  He recognised the Car, he recognised the driver, what were Chicago doing in Detroit?  Suddenly, a dull thump, followed by another and a warm wetness spread across his dorsum; as he hit the ground he heard 2 pops, the unmistakable sound of a Colt M1911A1; "a reliable weapon, a good choice", Guido thought to himself as he fell to the ground.  Lying in the street with his life draining for him, Guido turned his head and saw the Cadillac round a corner and disappear before the world went black.

With the Gods seeing fit to bestow upon us bonds for our speeches, do you not think that by baiting your fellow mobsters you are doing nothing but furthering their cause and, in effect, making them richer and yourselves poorer?  

I throw out there that, if we look at things objectively, it would be far more beneficial to yourselves to simply allow those that you disagree with carry on about their business and not stoke the fires of discontent?  This would, in turn, reduce their divine income and maybe serve to dissuade them somewhat from fishing for your ire.  If you do not take the bait, then there is no reason for them to throw it into the water, right?

I would throw out there that rather than going backwards and forwards attempting to demean one another, your time would be better spent working on content of your own to throw out to the masses, making a name for yourself for exuding positivity rather than negativity? After all, no-one likes a negative Nancy now, do they?

It's an interesting point you make, Randy.

You may find this surprising, but I agree with you. I myself have been one to have petty arguments in these streets, and what has it accomplished? A whole lot of not very much! I take your point, and will actually try to enforce this into my own life. Petty arguments are exactly that, petty, with the majority of which are not even worth your time.

I do however think that we shouldn't be discouraging disagreements out on these streets. Some of the best debates come about because two or more people have very different stances on a point. It's just how their points are conveyed, which is important. Again, this is maybe something I need to work on myself.

A day not spent bettering yourself, is a day wasted.

Here's the thing.  Those that try the gangster life are generally very thin-skinned, prone to outrageous acts of pettiness and bitchiness, and people get killed for nothing.

Chalk - what did you do yesterday to better yourself?  Seems to me that you try, but you fail, to emulate the man who you appear to dislike the most.