I've been a dick this year. There's no getting around it. I may be a lot of other things, too, but I have been a grade A wang in many of my interactions this year. You might wonder why I think this is something that is worthy of a fanpost, but the recent banninations of ChuckD and DarkoMilicic have caused me to reevaluate my CH persona. My 2011 self would glibly say, "F*** you. I'll Fanpost what I want to." My hopeful self would not say that.

The truth is, I've had a hard year. I've been working adjunct teaching jobs for five years. Full-time college teaching jobs are hard to come by (in this and in every economy), and I still haven't managed to grab one. On top of that, I got divorced this year. This year has been the worst of my life (and that means it eclipses the year I went to boot camp and my father died). Canis Hoopus has been the only social outlet that has allowed me stress-free interaction (real-life friends put too much pressure on me, but that's a different issue). And that's mostly because I'm not central to the discussion here. I love just snipping at the outside. What you've seen as annoying and lame jokes have been my lifeline. But this needs to change.

So my resolution is manifold. Some of these things have been in place for some time, and others are things I recently decided would benefit me and the world around me. These are the parts of my resolution:

1. Don't correct peoples' grammar or usage. It's teh intarweebs, and it just isn't worth it.

2. Take Aristotle's advice. Read charitably. Don't attack the person. And don't be a dick. Ethos is important.

3. Try to take some things seriously (this will be especially difficult for me). People have strong feelings for their religious or political positions, and unless you want to engage in a long exchange bout those positions, it's not worth bringing up.

4. This is a basketball site. Take the basketball part of that more seriously.

5. Don't be a jackass. Actually, this should have been number one.

But my Timberwolves resolution is this: Remain upbeat, and don't get negative about people who are less upbeat. It's a f***ing game played for my f***ing entertainment. Even if the whole thing fell off a cliff, I'd be just fine.

I hope all of you are having a great and SAFE New Years celebration. Also, be aware that I value all of you, even if I make fun of you. I'm just trying to be funny. I know I'm usually not, but that's the intent.