Posts by Carl Rivera43

I was watching some highlights last night and noticed another instance of a professional athlete showing up to throw a ceremonial pitch at a baseball game. It always feels a little bit "forced" to me, you know?

Don't get me wrong, I love seeing different types of athletes, but there's something about that specific ritual that feels like a marketing checkbox rather than a genuine moment of connection between two different sports. It’s like they’re just trying to cross-pollinate fanbases to boost engagement.

I remember back in the day, these things felt a bit more spontaneous or centered around local legends. Now, it feels like a calculated PR move to get a certain name in the headlines right before a big tournament or a major event. Am I being too cynical, or does it feel a bit performative to you guys?

Does a ceremonial pitch actually add anything to the game experience for you, or is it just background noise?

Next Week

How about Friday, November 4th after 8:30 PM, or maybe Saturday anytime after 3:00 PM? Let me know what works best for you all. I'm feeling pretty flexible. Personally, I'm always down for some pool, darts, live music, karaoke... or even just a little bit of poker.

Christmas season is going to be way more creative this year, and honestly, I’m really hoping we see some festive fan gear popping up in the shops alongside Last Christmas

It’s really all about those expectations, isn't it? Sometimes we just don't demand enough from ourselves {and then everything gets messy when our own thoughts start spinning out of control}

Thanks so much

Right back at you! I honestly think you're such a class act and a genuinely decent person. {Keep doing exactly what you're doing.}

Times are weird lately, aren't they? It feels like people rarely offer an ounce of support, but they'll jump at any chance to nitpick your flaws.

And let's be real—there’s a huge difference between being supportive and just being a suck-up.

From everything you've said, I can tell you're coming from a place of genuine support.

A few years back, I had some people trying to play me just because they saw a buck in my pocket. {And wouldn't you know it, I fell for it.}

It’s honestly heartbreaking how often the system fails people who have already been through the wringer—those who’ve dealt with abuse or just plain old injustice. You’d think we would have figured this out by now, right? It’s the 21st century! Still, here we are. I just want to send some real love and support to anyone out there dealing with bullying, workplace harassment, or being mocked and belittled. It doesn't matter how old you are, what you believe, where you're from, or what you look like. No one deserves that.

Honestly, I’m not always even sure what I actually want out of life... {I guess I'm just a bit too laid back in this new era, maybe I don't value myself enough... and I even {partially} forget about talents I used to have {and still possess today}}

It's not like there's some massive disaster happening in my life right now. Actually, about ten days ago, I finally landed a job {after two months and roughly 8 to 10 interviews.}

It was pretty much the same story last year late in the fall during the holidays {back then it took 16 failed interviews before I finally nailed the 17th—but there were only half as many working months back then—and that was for a call center, whereas now I'm working in a warehouse, {which is arguably better}}

Jack, I still need to get used to having better sleep patterns

I've got a few friends, and two of them are really close. One of them rarely makes it out to Washington, D.C., but when he visited about a month ago, I met some women through him. He's got a lot of charisma. The other good friend of mine is a calmer guy, but he tends to complain quite a bit; for instance, he spends way too much time overanalyzing heatwaves and whining about them

I also have a great female friend who makes it out to Washington, D.C. maybe three or four times a year.....

Yeah... I really need to get my act together in these weird times {sometimes I'm not brave enough and I act a bit too childish, while in other areas I'm far too old-fashioned and overly nostalgic}}

Good morning, everyone

It’s all just a bit strange, isn't it?

I can't quite put my finger on why, but I rarely seem to find that inner strength to make any firm decisions.

It’s been a bit of a rough ride, honestly... a lot of setbacks lately. Over the last few years, I've had plenty of people hurt me. Most were women, too. And it wasn't even always about dating; sometimes it was just friends who let me down when I thought we had something solid.

I guess I’m just a little different from the crowd. Maybe it's my look, or maybe it's just my personality—I feel like I lack that certain "edge" most guys have. It actually gets to me a bit when I think back to some guys from high school. Some of them were such jerks, yet they always seemed to be the ones women flocked to.

Oh, and they had much more money in their pockets, too.

A few years back, I started losing my faith in God big time. Every now and then, it comes back to me, but the heart still knows how to ache.

I suppose I just don't take enough care of myself.

Sometimes I feel like a moderate psychopath

Every now and then, I do things in my dreams that just aren't right.

In real life, though, I’m just confused. I feel disconnected from reality sometimes, yet other times I feel way too scattered.

So, what exactly defines a "moderate psychopath"?

Is it that person who occasionally contemplates doing something bad? Or maybe someone who can't help but smirk when they hear some high school bully finally hit rock bottom?

We all know the actual monsters—the criminals and predators. But is it really "psychopathic" to feel a little spark of joy when people who specifically wronged me face some misfortune?

For instance, I can't bring myself to hate entire groups of people because I haven't had any direct run-ins with them. But I definitely find myself harboring resentment toward certain former classmates, wishing some kind of karma would catch up to them.

How do I dial down this moderate psychopathy?

How can I just chill out?

Do you guys ever read stuff about Stoicism?

It helps me occasionally. But tonight feels weird. I don't want to stay up too late since I have to be up incredibly early tomorrow, but I'm being so strange with myself. Instead of reading something productive, I've just been scrolling through old photos and thinking about those weird people from my high school days.

How do I stop dwelling on the darker parts of my past?

I might not have the best memory {but I've definitely got the persistence}

I’ve been working on my communication skills lately, and honestly? I can already see the progress. Sometimes when I'm just killing time, I'll jump online using a few different Facebook profiles {but don't worry, I'm sticking to my main account here on the forum}

I am 100% on board with this... there are just so many things happening downtown and all around the area lately. Plus, next week they’re doing fireworks over at Central Park {hope everyone gets a chance to mingle}!

There certainly is

Throw some dates my way

And times too

Most days, anything from 3:00 PM onwards works perfectly for me

I honestly feel like communication breaks down because so many people just blow things way out of proportion. Isn't that always how it goes?

I get this weird sense of retroactive jealousy toward Periš sometimes. Honestly? I can't help but feel like he was actually a much better communicator than I am.

I'm 32 years old now

Reddit is moving at a snail's pace lately. Honestly, I'm just waiting for everyone to jump over to other channels already

The thing is, I've been pulling way too many night shifts lately {which means my whole rhythm is off, and even the way I text and my general vibe keeps shifting constantly}

The real issue is that the haters and the trolls always seem to have much louder voices than everyone else.

Let's be honest, communicating seems way harder these days than it used to be.

I was pulling a night shift over the weekend, so I finally grabbed a day off yesterday to catch my breath.

It seems like women just don't message as much during the weekend {unless they aren't exactly easy on the eyes—in which case, they seem to write even more often on Saturdays and Sundays}!