Okay so over the past 24 hours the streets have had a little buzz about them reguarding a certain speach started by a wiseguy. BUt if you take away the undertones of the speach you see that he was commenting on the lack of activity in the streets.

This has also been addressed by another in a more politically correct format, but essentially it says the same thing and a similar conclusion has come up about the coffeeshops. Now what I have been thinking about is this, I spend sometime in certain coffeeshops the conversation that flows can only be described as trivial as to what is actually happening in our world.

Unless some major event is happening the coffeeshops are used mroe by those who reside in our world and those who have retired to the next life. It is a place for people to get together, to keep in touch and to share ideals and experiences more so about the "other world" than this one.

Yes I agree, the coffeeshops are an intergral part of our world, but I cannot fathom how they may have led to the decline in the streets that we see today. The main use as we all know for the coffeeshops is for the hitters, they have their secure backrooms that allow them a measure of anonimity, in fact many of us who reside in the coffeeshops go under a different name. Maybe not to hide who they are but to try and distance some of their "world opinions" to their "life opinions" The days off coffeeshop arguements spilling over into out streets and resulting in death are few and far between compared to what they once were.

So I've got to wonder; other than the poker tournaments, hitsquad rooms or family coffeeshops what relevance do the coffeeshops actual have to the streets?

Also with the decline of many old bloodlines and with the rise of many new bloodlines is it time to start bringing back conversations about Omerta, family values, our way of life in general?

Well as you said in your speech and i quote "The main use as we all know for the coffeeshops is for the hitters, they have their secure backrooms that allow them a measure of anonimity" now i know im only quoting some of your speech and i know you address the issue that the coffee shops are used for more than just hitters but id like to focus on the hitters.

Hitters are by far the greatest risk to people in this thing of ours, they can strike at any time and all we have to protect ourselves is the belief that our bodyguards can stop any attempt made on our lives. The fact that these deadly people of the night use the coffee shops so extensively should weigh heavily in deciding if the various coffee shop issues should be taken into the streets.

I myself have always believed that some coffee shop issues should be addressed in the streets now i realise that i am among a minority in my belief but i dont care. And to be honest it doesnt bother me. If my crew leader decides to take an issue into the streets then ok i will follow him, if he doesn't then i will drop the issue as fast as i took it up with him.

Furthermore wars are extensively and almost exclusively planned and executed in the coffee shops, sure a Godfather or Don might grace the streets to justify the war to the masses not that he should feel that he has ANY compulsion to do so i might add. But the majority of the time they are in the back room amongst powerful and deadly men and women discussing amongst themselves whos life to cut short in a hail of bullets.

Durzo flicks 2cents into a hat on the ground as he steps back from the front of the crowd

Spotting DurzoB giving his 2 cents worth on this topic Stallion just knew he had to get in to

 

.............but I cannot fathom how they may have led to the decline in the streets that we see today............

"I personally am not a fan of the coffee shops. But sometimes you have to use something you don't want to. Why? Because the coffeeshops are such a vast source of information. So in that regard I can see why some believe the coffee shops have led to the decline in the streets. If a war happens or some serious shit goes down a lot of the times I go to the streets to find answers and get none. People sometimes rather not inform others in the streets of whats happening. But then I visit the coffeeshops and I find all my answers. So either people generally think by not talking in the streets others won't find out whats going on and are ignorant of how word spreads through the coffee shops or they just accept the fact everyone already knows and don't bother with the streets."

...........what relevance do the coffeeshops actual have to the streets?

"But another side to the argument is that the coffeeshops help the streets be active. If ever I want to bring a discussion in the streets it only ever happens because I was discussing it before hand in the coffeeshops with friend and eventually realised it was worthy of discussing in the streets. The coffeeshops help to spark discussions. So in that regard they do have relevance towards the streets. Also the coffeeshops help spread the useless gossip and keep the streets for more important topics and discussions. I would rather that then seeing the streets flooded with useless shit."

"I guess you can say the coffeeshops and the streets balance each other out. Sure the coffeeshops have negative impacts on the street but then they also have positive impacts."

Spotting a hat on the ground Stallion finds two cents in it. Taking the two cent and putting the hat on he walks away whistling while flicking the coin in the air

looks down at the hat on the ground and smiles, it's gonna be a long way to that 100 bucks he needs for new shoes

Gentlemen let me first of thank you for your views. Out of the many who frequent our world I thank you for taking your time to listen to what I have to say.

turns to DurzoB

I understand what you are saying about issues but that wasn't exactly what I was getting at. Allow me to explain myself a little better, there are many issues in our world that once were the talk of the streets; pick-pocketing etiquette, random wacking, under 48 hr kills, how to join a family, what to do when you joined a family, the concept of omerta are to name but a few. For those of us who have older bloodlines we recall the vast number of different speeches that were brought up on these subjects, but as has been pointed out else where many of the older lines have left.

So how does the new blood learn? Before they found the majority of their information from the streets, then if anything wasn't clear they would ask their family to learn more. Now it seems that crew rules are so vast that they do not need to use the streets, when was the last time we got a regular influx of new gangsters coming to the streets and asking questions?

turns then to Stallion

Ah, I like how you've shown 2 sides of the coin here. I can understand your lack of taste for coffee, it's something I stay away from myself unless I have no other option. But yet you are right, they are a huge resource to us, between arranging drug deals, spotting targets, organizing jail parties. The ability to communicate rapidly with family members is true bonus.

I have to say something you've touched on is something that does irk at me, any big events happen in the past the streets were flooded with cries of who, where and why. But now it's all quiet bar the sounds of gunfire and then if your lucky a day sometimes 2 days after there is an announcement from the victor, sometimes we find out a lot of information, other times very little.

lights up a smoke and takes a long draw

Ah see now there is something I feel is the problem, discussions happen in the coffeeshop and if it comes round to getting to the streets, all those who have been in on the original discussion stay quiet leaving very few left who might actually have an opinion or thought to share, which is how conversations drift off into nowhere.

takes another draw on his smoke and leans against a lamppost waiting to see if anyone else might come along

Personally, my blood has always had a severe distaste for the coffeeshops. Agreed... they are needed for certain things, but some of the conversations I see in there would be of much better use in our fair streets. The exchange of views and opinions is a lifeblood of our world and whether people would like to admit it are not, it is the truth. Without lively encounters in the streets, the new blood who do use the coffeeshops will turn into mindless drones. Yes, I believe that we do need to teach the new bloodlines we are seeing stack up on our shores, there is a generation here that I believe has never been taught the basics, they have had to learn it themselves. Am I the right person to do this... considering the recent furore over my speech yesterday, no. But I truly hope that someone or a group of people take up this mantle as I believe it is very much needed.

Sorry to keep harping on about the past but I feel this is very relevant...

(OOC: A lot of the people still here used to riducule players from a game called dark-future for being monotonous click-monkey's, now those same people are doing the exact same thing, seems rather hypocritical to me)

I was planning on making a very similar speech to this today, but from the flip-side of the coin. However after listening to you I believe the way you have done it is much better than I could have managed, kudos.

Facts are facts.

Coffee Shops killed the streets years ago. Anyone who claims otherwise is a fool and a liar. There is no going back.

Real time discussions between leaders, that you would have used to see out here, are far easier to have and use to your own advantage. You can reprimand, order, command or belittle people with very little comeback or proof. There are many con artists who can change a conversation to look real. No-one believes the scripts anymore.Thats why people use the shops.

The Streets, unless the coffee shops burn to the floor, are forever dead. No amount of bonuses or cash will change that. It's too much like hard work. A faceless world where you can have real time conversations would always wipe this street out. It's sad to see but was predicted long long ago.

IrishCarBomb listens to the others speak, and when it quiets he tosses his cigar and begins to speak

I, too, agree that the coffeeshops did contribute SOME to the decline of action seen here on our fair streets- however, as stated in the original thought: much of what goes on in the coffeeshops is irrelevant to what happens here in our world. In the coffeeshops, I see mafiosi relaxing and taking a load off, sharing a drink and a smoke, talking about home, kids, jokes, trivia.

On one hand, the conversations there tend to be more personal.. but do we really want to bring those conversations to our streets? We'd have loads of activity, but we'd be shoveling through it in order to find things that pertain to our world- as opposed to our personal lives.

Some say that the coffeeshops only thrive because of the ability to speak quick and directly with one another, without waiting for a turn to speak, or the mail carrier to arrive.

Dammit...

what about Tea Lounges...

Why does it always have to be COFFEE shops.

Perhaps if the streets offered more diversity in the hot drinks area, it might plant a seed that would grow in to a forrest of tea leaves!

Not to mention Hops, and ginger and the list goes on and on!

My appoligies Mr. Collins i clearly missed the point, well my above post can be quoted when and if the topic of bringing coffee shop issues into the streets ever arises. Anyway after listening to your speech and the responses i feel i agree, the coffee shops have lead to a decline in the streets these past few months. These street corners that we know and love are fast being a lost art, my grandfather recounts in his logs being moved by epic shakespearean-esque speeches made by members of this thing of ours. One that stands out in his logs is one made by a long time family friend Snip, whos granddad was the Snip of Chicago fame who took on the titans of NY and DT and even though he lost he still won the respect of both sides. Maybe we will have to think of incentives to get these street corners packed again.

Durzo thinks to himself silently for a moment

Yes i shall have to think on the issue more but for now i bid you all good day