The "Idle Janie" Journal - Days 56 through 60

Photo credit: David Bryan, Las Vegas, NV January 2022

The “Idle Janie” Journal - Day 56

“Can We Put ‘Current’ Back Into ‘Currency’?” 

Continuing a bit from yesterday’s discussion, about the failure of our government to take up the extension of the federal pandemic unemployment insurance:

Those $600 a week additional benefits ran out a MONTH ago. How many folks were summarily served eviction notices as that moratorium also expired yesterday? I wonder if, out of my ridiculously low readership, possibly 2 of those folks are now out on the streets and can no longer access this journal? I’m like Mel Gibson’s character in “Conspiracy Theory,” over here, folks, with like 5 souls subscribing to my “newsletter” LOL. Make that 3 now. 

ANYWAY. Here’s what I wanted to say today. And, admittedly, I know next to nothing about economic guidelines, theories, principles, practice, or history. I don’t even really understand how the stock market works. I’ve seen “Trading Places” literally a hundred times, and that big final scene set in the NYSE makes absolutely NO sense to me whatsoever. I think I’ve even had more financially knowledgable friends try to explain it to me, only to be met with a glassy-eyed “Ummm… uhhhh…. Whaaaaaat??” look emanating from my face as they speak. Honestly, I’ve never even fully grasped the whole concept of MONEY. At all. It just doesn’t make sense to me. (I actually have been meaning to write about this subject, and hope to tackle it soon!) But, again — with my admission to having little to no knowledge about economics, there is one thing that gives me pause about this pandemic. 

If the economy is suffering, then wouldn’t you be able to jumpstart it by infusing it with a ton of cash? And what better way to achieve this desired goal than to have, say, 25 million people spending $600 a week on everything imaginable? Rent, groceries, toiletries, credit card minimum payments, cat food, haircuts, hell, even ice cream?? Since it seems that EVERY. SINGLE. BUSINESS. has been impacted by this virus, all we need to ameliorate the situation would be an influx of capital, right?? 

I can hear the knee-jerk reaction criticisms already: about freeloaders, welfare queens, government bailouts, people just looking for a handout, lazy people not wanting to go back to work, hoarders, and so on. But, listen. And THIS I DO KNOW and understand. THIS IS OUR MONEY. It is NOT the government’s. We — ALL OF US — have paid into this “big pot of money” with our tax dollars. Regardless of how that money is allocated annually, there is A LOT OF IT. Does our government really just want to let it sit there while the economy falls apart? While hundreds of thousands of mom and pop shops file for bankruptcy? 

Do the math! For just ONE WEEK, a stimulus payment of $600, spent by 25 million people, is FIFTEEN BILLION DOLLARS GOING DIRECTLY INTO THE ECONOMY. Without even doing a google search, I’d wager this amount is greater than the GDP for a hundred different counties! And this is JUST for one week! 

Again, maybe I’m just ignorant about how the economy works — feel free to enlighten me if I’m way off base! But, it seems to me that the economy can only survive if we have CURRENCY. Isn’t that what that word means?? As opposed to STAGNANCY, which is what is happening with the government just sitting on this money refusing to come to some compromise about how to heal not only individual lives, but our collective national economic health as well. (Of course there are also all the billionaires keeping their hordes of cash in their closets, keeping it out of the “current,” but that’s another issue altogether.) 

Sure, it might mean we spend money on fewer big shiny new planes with which to go bomb brown people in foreign lands, but aren’t we sort of on a pause with all of that nonsense anyway? Yes, maybe it means we have a temporary hiring freeze for the armed forces — don’t we have the largest active military in the world anyway? Notice that I’m not even calling for a moratorium on subsidized steak and wine dinners for senators, or fewer first class flights for congress. Hell, I’m not even suggesting that we curtail the president’s private frequent golf outings — which supposedly have cost taxpayers an unfathomable $140,421,472 since day 1. No, I’m not even suggesting these trips end! I would NEVER dream of suggesting that ANY of our pampered politicians lose even one penny of what they currently either make or spend in reimbursable expenses, with taxpayers footing the bill. It’s just that, with defense spending usually annually accounting for almost 60% of the total budget, perhaps there is just a *little* bit of wiggle room with which to free up some cash for this crisis? Anyway, do we really need to worry about attacks from other countries, when we are so successfully destroying ourselves from within???? Those other countries can just sit back, relax, pass the popcorn, and save money themselves as they watch us crumble to the ground, without them having to spend a dime on it. That’s cheaper than a movie!! 

But back to those lawmakers — those who make $174K annually — who object to the poverty stricken population having a little extra income with which to pay rent and buy groceries. It’s like they’re afraid that somehow these folks are going to all of a sudden be jostling to join their rich people’s party? That if we give Peter the Plumber or Betty the Baker a modest additional $600 a week, that those folks will then be poised for a place setting at the tycoon table? SERIOUSLY? 

Call me crazy, but I’ve said my piece. Rent is due — yet again — in a week, and the dollars in my account are dwindling. And no, the landlord, and the credit card conglomerates, and the power company, and the internet servers, and the student loan organizations, and everyone else who has their hands in the pockets of poor people are NOT simply saying, “It’s okay, you can start paying us again once this pandemic is over.” That rich people’s banquet table is tiny, and the rest of us are starting to suffer, and some literally to starve. So — WHO is doing something, anything, about these pending crises??????

It’s kinda starting to feel like a pretty big house of cards. Anyone know any card tricks that might help?

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Thanks for reading. If you like what you read, and want to support my fledgeling career as a writer and musician, you can drop a few bucks in the virtual tip jar. It all adds up!

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Photo credit: David Bryan, New Orleans, LA December 2018

The “Idle Janie” Journal - Day 57

“The Right Trajectory” 

I got into a spat last night on facebook with an apparent right winger type. I decided to let him “get the last word in” because, as many of us have unfortunately learned lately, there is literally nothing you can say to these people to promote any semblance of dialogue. The fabric of our culture is coming undone, as disparate ideologies continue to grow farther apart. But I wanted to share this exchange with my audience here — an exchange that centers around yet another shooting of an unarmed black man by white police officers. 

The original post simply read: “Biden army sacks Kenosha”

Then a few others commented about obvious things like the fact that Biden is currently not president, and therefore doesn’t have an army; and one person commented, “Damn those people, they hate being killed,” obviously speaking in defense of the defenseless. 

What I responded to, in a fit of late night rage, was an article that someone posted with a Breitbart headline, “Man shot by police in Kenosha was wanted for sexual assault.” I couldn’t help myself — as I’m growing seriously sick and tired of people pushing any narrative necessary to discredit and defame all of these black people who are being systematically murdered by police on an almost weekly basis. The cycle is stupid and predictable: black man shot by police, protests erupt in anger, then we start hearing about how terrible that black person really was. 

My response to that article was short, and, I feel, JUST: “Yea, Breitbart is a paragon of objective journalism. Anyway, so this merits 7 bullets in the back? Judge, jury and would be executioner. No legal basis WHATSOEVER. Just stop. So sick of the spin from the right.” 

Woke up this morning to his rebuttal: “David Bryan he wouldn’t have gotten what he deserved from the legal system. Don’t worry when the cops are gone we will come for all you diddlers too. I hear you stick together.” 

Just so I’m clear, am I understanding this person’s response to my post correctly? 

1. It is legally justifiable for cops to murder defenseless black people without due process, without a fair trial, without witnesses testifying, and without the chance to defend themselves — because we are sure they will get away scot free. So, it’s basically okay for cops to murder them in cold blood, putting themselves above the entire legal system upon which our democracy is built.

2. I, myself, am a child molester because I am speaking out against black people being summarily executed in broad daylight.

3. This person, and his ilk, will soon actively seek me out to kill me — as well as anyone else who protests police murders. 

Does that sound about right? I’m honestly aghast at this line of thinking. And, frankly, it scares the hell out of me. I’m not worried for my personal safety. But I am beginning to worry about an ostensible impending culture war that separates into two camps: on the one hand, uneducated and really angry white people who seem to hate black people, have the ability to rationalize their way around any issue so that it agrees with their distorted worldview, and own a LOT of guns — and on the other hand, peaceful, thoughtful people with strong morals who think it is wrong to kill black people just because they are black, and who just so happen to most likely be against violence and gun ownership. 

This is a potential bloodbath on the horizon, the wake of which will be an incomprehensible bodycount of bleeding-heart defenseless liberals dying in the streets, being lorded over by a bunch of reactionary revolutionary wannabe doomsday prepping heavily armed militiamen with a serious axe to grind against democrats, immigrants, black people, intellectuals, women, and LGBTQ+ folks, planting their confederate flags in their corpses, and violently exclaiming that they finally and fully OWNED THE LIBTARDS. 

Oh, and i wouldn't be surprised if these folks are publicly praising the murder of two protesters last night at the hands of a deranged anti-BLM vigilante who it just so happens was front row for a Trump rally earlier this year. A 17-year old who was literally handed a bottle of water and told "we're glad you're here" by police officers last night, before here went on his shooting rampage. 

THIS is the trajectory we’re on, folks. At this point, I see this as unfortunately unavoidable. We never really dealt with that old race issue, and we’ve run out of time — as the pot is now about to boil over. Malcom X was right. The chickens are coming home to roost. 

Regardless of which side you find yourself on, I guess you apparently need to keep your kids away from me now?????  🙄

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Thanks for reading. If you like what you read, and want to support my fledgeling career as a writer and musician, you can drop a few bucks in the virtual tip jar. It all adds up!

Venmo: @David-Bryan10026

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Photo credit: David Bryan, Lisbon, Portugal November 2018

The “Idle Janie” Journal - Day 58

“Surprise!” 

I commented towards the end of my post yesterday about how right wing types were most likely going to publicly praise the murder of two protestors in Kenosha. So, I wasn’t really surprised to wake up and already see people rushing forward to this kid’s defense. People are literally grasping at straws to find any and every excuse to exonerate and even applaud this young man. 

I despise having to use those monikers above: “kid” and “young man.” I mean JESUS, he can’t even buy a pack of cigarettes. He can’t vote in the election this November. It looks like he’s old enough to join the army. If he has such a proclivity for firearms, maybe he should have done that last year. 

What he shouldn’t have done is travel across state lines as a minor with a semiautomatic rifle as a self-appointed vigilante police officer and take it upon himself to shoot protestors who were exercising their constitutionally protected first amendment rights. But, I guess, all in all, I’m not really surprised that any of this took place. And, again, not surprised to see so many “regular folks” rush to defend his actions. And I guess I’m not surprised that there were already several attempts at crowdsourcing, to raise money for his legal defense. One post I saw on Facebook said, “Let’s get this kid the best damn lawyer there is!” One of these pages apparently raised over $50,000 before it was deactivated by the website for violating community standards. Again, not surprised, and wouldn’t be surprised if it had ultimately raised hundreds of thousands of dollars.

What I WAS surprised at was seeing a nationally recognized newscaster (Tucker Carlson) on a major television network (FOX News) defending his actions, saying that “he had to maintain order when no one else would.” 

What I WAS surprised at was to hear about a nationally recognized political commentator (Ann Coulter) tweeting, “I want him as my president.” 

What I WAS surprised at was seeing the Kenosha Chief of Police blaming the two murdered protestors for their own deaths, saying they bear the responsibility for being out after curfew. 

Will I wake up tomorrow, and say I’m surprised at hearing someone from the Trump administration also lending their tacit approval for this 17-year old vigilante deciding to take the law into his own hands? Will I wake up tomorrow and hear of a new vigilante doing the same thing at some other protest tonight? I’m reaching the point where I feel that nothing is going to surprise me anymore.

And THAT surprises me.

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Thanks for reading. If you like what you read, and want to support my fledgeling career as a writer and musician, you can drop a few bucks in the virtual tip jar. It all adds up!

Venmo: @David-Bryan10026

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Photo credit: David Bryan, Vers-Pont-du-Gard, France October 2017

The “Idle Janie” Journal - Day 59

“Your Job Sucks” 

By now, we’ve all heard of ultra conservative Christian figurehead Jerry Falwell, Jr., and his familial extramarital arrangement, in which he and his god fearing wife had a longtime threesome with their pool boy. Such a fine, upstanding leader of the Christian community. I’m not morally opposed to so-called “open relationships,” but I AM morally opposed to religious hypocrisy. 

As a result of this scandal — which will surely in this contentious national climate only embolden his followers, who will most likely find some way to rationalize and excuse this “sinful” behavior — he has resigned as head of the staunchly conservative Liberty University. 

Oh, and he’s getting paid 10.5 MILLION DOLLARS for stepping down. 

“ExCUUUUUUSE me????” 

Yep, that’s right. The head of a major Christian college is kicked out over a sex scandal and is paid more money than most Americans could ever even dream of making in their entire lives.

Is it just me, or is there something incredibly WRONG with this picture?? 

But NO, this post isn’t about religious hypocrisy! It’s not about the fact that, if this man were running for office, evangelicals would probably mobilize all the more and turn out in droves to elect this man. NO, this post is about MONEY. 

Another headline I stumbled across recently: “The University of North Carolina at Wilmington has reached a half-million-dollar settlement with a professor who announced his retirement amid backlash over his comments on social media, which included calling the state's governor "Massa Cooper.” So, another person in a cushy ivory tower position commits an act that is thought morally reprehensible, and is paid handsomely to leave. 

And we’ve all read the sickening stories over many years in the sports world, both professional and collegiate. Team hires new coach. New coach expected to turn the program around and win championships. Coach fails to deliver expected results. Coach is fired from position. Coach is paid a ridiculous sum of money to leave. 

Who the hell is negotiating these contracts? And why would ANY organization include such protections for their employees? How did it become the common practice that organizations will pay people who don’t perform as expected? I’m all for unions and worker protections, but in these instances, folks are being fired for basically NOT DOING THEIR JOB. And then paid untold tons of cash for not doing that job. 

So it’s just a few more headlines to add to the heavy encyclopedia of entitlement. There is a big club called MONEY and you and I are NOT in that club. And will never be invited. 

In the midst of a pandemic, with tens of millions of Americans now out of work, we have seen many of these headlines as well: 

"Macy’s grants $9 million in bonuses to top execs after cutting 3,900 jobs”

“How billionaires got $637 billion richer during the coronavirus pandemic”

“The pandemic is helping the rich get even richer.”

“Billionaires have made an absolute killing during the pandemic.” 

I’m so tired of the facade of the “American Dream,” where if you work hard, you, too, can have a comfortable life. You can get ahead. It’s all bogus. It’s just part of the rich boys’ club, literally historically built on the backs of forced, unpaid laborers, with inheritances then handed down through the generations to keep the money in the family coffers. For the rest of us, it’s the constant “carrot before the horse.” Just keep striving for the best, you’ll eventually get a seat at the tycoon table! Yes, trickle down will EVENTUALLY work! We’re ALMOST there, so just suck it up a little longer! 

Can we just be honest and open about it, and at least let everyone who doesn’t already come from money know that, in fact, they’ll never get more than the crumbs of capitalism?

In other words, don’t piss down our backs and tell us that it’s raining.

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Thanks for reading. If you like what you read, and want to support my fledgeling career as a writer and musician, you can drop a few bucks in the virtual tip jar. It all adds up!

Venmo: @David-Bryan10026

Paypal: paypal.me/davidbryanandfriends

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Happy Gotcha Day, Sir Kensington Rider!!!!

The “Idle Janie” Journal - Day 60

“GOTCHA!” 

Yesterday, our household (or, small apartmenthold as we city slickers like to call it) celebrated the 2 year anniversary of our adoption of Rider. As terrible a platform as it sometimes is, one of the features I really do appreciate about facebook is the daily “memory” that it sends you. I don’t understand the algorithms, so will never understand why a particular memory is featured on a given day. 

However, they do seem to be good about previous pet adoption days. So, we were reminded yesterday — with old photos included — that we brought him home on that joyous day 2 years ago. 

Everyone in America celebrates birthdays, and some people even have recurring remembrances for those who have moved on to the next realm, ostensibly celebrating a deathday. For me, it was just a few years ago that I was first made aware of a new celebration: “Gotcha Day,” which seems to be a celebration of the day that one adopts a brand new furry friend. 

I don’t know who came up with the phrase, but it’s absolutely brilliant! Because it gives us a chance to look back on years of smiles and laughs that our pets elicit from us. And who couldn't use a good smile or laugh, especially these days? Animal companions are literally a gift from god — whatever that is. They bring so much joy, entertainment, exercise, cuddling opportunities, cozy naps, choice photo opps, and even excuses to stop procrastinating and finally clean the apartment after an accident LOL. They are there for us when we are in our darkest hours, showering us with unconditional love as they let us know “I’m here for you!!” 

Maybe the problem with the political divisiveness in this country is that there aren’t enough people adopting animals. I know for sure that I’d take a cuddle with Rider or Althea over an online argument any day of the week. And I think that animals literally lower our blood pressure levels. Maybe our country’s homegrown white supremacist domestic terrorists wouldn’t be so quick to cross state lines and murder people if they were raised with actual animals instead of clay pigeons to shoot at. The animal shelters always seem to be full of fuzzy felines and dedicated dogs that almost look through your eyes and into your soul as you pass their cages, pleading with you to “Pick me please and take me to my forever home!” 

This year, if your kid asks you for a toy gun for Christmas, why not instead get them a puppy? Instead of an Xbox war game, why not a kitten? The shelters will thank you, your kid will probably be happier and healthier in the long run — and that little ball of fluffy goodness will feel like they’ve just hit the jackpot. Won’t it feel good to be the bestower of such riches? But YOU and your family, my friend, are the true recipient of the big prize. 

If someone offered me a mansion and a sack of cash for my cats, I’d say “Piss off!” I’ll take my pussycat poverty over your ephemeral economics any day of the week. 

So, show me your furry friends! Pics in the comments, please!

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Thanks for reading. If you like what you read, and want to support my fledgeling career as a writer and musician, you can drop a few bucks in the virtual tip jar. It all adds up!

Venmo: @David-Bryan10026

Paypal: paypal.me/davidbryanandfriends