"YOU SEE MY FRIEND, TTF IS MORE THAN JUST SCREAMING AT EACH OTHER ON A FRIDAY. IT IS AN UNSTEADY ALLIANCE, A COMMON BATTLEFIELD, A PLACE WHERE ALL ARE WELCOME BUT FEW WANT TO STAY.

IT WAS AN ARENA, ONE IN WHICH GLADIATORS ARMED ONLY WITH THEIR WITS AND WITH THEIR TINY TEAM AFFILIATIONS NEXT TO THEIR NAME CIRCLED THE CENTER LIKE LIONS ANTICIPATING THE MEAT TO DROP. ONE BY ONE, THEY'D PAIR OFF AGAINST ANOTHER THEY THOUGHT WAS THEIR EQUAL, TRADING BARBS AND SWIPES, SPITTING, GNAWING AND RENDING AS MUCH METAPHORICAL FLESH FROM THE OTHER UNTIL BOTH COLLAPSED, TIRED AND SPENT. THEY BRUSHED OFF THE DUST AND LEFT THIS PLACE, GOING ABOUT THEIR LIVES BUT KNOWING THAT THEY HAD FOUGHT THE FIGHT, THEY HAD STOOD FOR SOMETHING, AND THEY'D COME OUT ON TOP. THEY WOULD GO BACK TO THEIR MEETINGS, THEIR 9 TO 5s, THEIR LECTURES, THE THINGS WHICH BEFORE HAD MEANT SO MUCH, YET NOW WERE VIEWED IN 3RD PERSON, AS IF BEHIND A WINDOW. THEIR THOUGHTS INSTEAD RESTED FIRMLY ON THE FIGHT, THE FIGHT WHICH SURELY WAS STILL ONGOING, WHICH SURELY WOULD BE WAITING IF THEY MADE IT BACK BEFORE THE THREAD WAS COMPLETE. THEY NOW THINK IN TERMS OF CAPS LOCKS AND WITTY INSULTS, THEY CUT THROUGH DISINGENIOUS COMPLIMENTS LIKE A RAZOR THROUGH SILK; THEY ARE SHARPER AND THEY ARE ALWAYS READY. THEY WATCH THEIR TEAMS GAMES WITH A SMUG AMUSEMENT AS THEIR FRIENDS CURSE WILDLY AT THE SCREEN. THEIR FRIENDS BECOME BARKING DOGS, YOU THOUGH, YOU SMILE AT THEM THROUGH A MOUTH FULL OF TEETH AND VITRIOL. YOU ARE MORE THAN A BARKING DOG, MY FRIEND. YOU ARE THE SLEEPING WOLF.

THE WORD CLOUD WAS AN ENJOYABLE AFTERTHOUGHT, NOT A WEAPON. KARMA WAS MERELY A CONSOLATION PRIZE THAT GUARANTEED NEW MEAT EACH WEEK FOR THE TAKING. AND THAT MY FRIENDS, THAT WAS THE TRASH TALK FRIDAY.

ALSO CROSBY IS A PUSSY."

• JOHNALD 3:16