The "Idle Janie" Journal - Days 71 through 75
The “Idle Janie” Journal - Day 71
“Smoking Gun”
AND there you have it.
The tapes are starting to be leaked. It’s one thing to say, “Our fact checking sources have confirmed what another anonymous source claimed the president said at some point,” etc. But now we have the president. In his own words. In his own voice.
The “Woodward Tapes” are starting to come out, and if this doesn’t create an about-face for Trump’s MODERATE supporters — at the very least — then there is literally NO HOPE for this country, or for its people, or for democracy overall. If the United States is supposedly the paragon of democracy for the entire world, then THIS is our last chance to prove that it actually WORKS.
There is obviously no hope for the absolute diehard Trump supporters. That kool-aid vat was tapped long ago. We can literally point to recordings of Trump being interviewed, uttering any such incriminating statements, and those folks will say that the videos were doctored, that they aren’t valid.
“So here’s how they do it! Someone has access to every word he has ever spoken, and they cut and paste like mad to the point where the liberal deep state conspiracy has created Hollywood-like recordings featuring Trump saying things he has never said! It’s a brilliant move on their part!!
Trump statements, out of context, caught on tape:
I THINK that BLACK PEOPLE ARE equal in the eyes of the LAW.
Do we want more economic growth or do we want LESS?
AND if we want to remain INFERIOR on the wold stage, let’s do nothing.
THEY are the best team in all of sports!
SHOULD we back this deal or not, I ask?
ALL of the countries of the world can look up to America!
It really can’t BE that difficult a problem to fix, can it?
The president of China and I were HANGING out last week . . .
FROM the start of this great country . . .
Those traitors are guilty of TREASon!
See what those dastardly creative deep state democrats did? They cut and paste everything! So, now we have this supposed audio of him saying “I think black people are lawless and inferior — they should all be hanging from trees.” HE NEVER SAID THAT BECAUSE HE NEVER WOULD. HE COULDN’T HAVE! THIS IS A CONSPIRACY!”
Yep, that’ll be about right — for the far right. It boggles the mind, to be sure. But at least we now know what to expect.
For the rest of you out there, who still have some semblance of sense or sanity — those who still have some rooting in reality: WHAT SAY YOU of these tapes that have just come out? And I guarantee we’re gonna be hearing a lot more of these soon. These reports that are recently coming out — his comments about the virus; his comments about the military; his comments about race relations; even his comments about evangelical christians — if you ignore all of these just because of a video of Joe Biden sniffing people’s hair, then you’re going to help push this democracy over the edge. Yes, Biden is literally the ABSOLUTE WORST alternative imaginable. But if you want to ever have the opportunity to vote again in ANY future election, I suggest you suck it up and get on board. Cause we’re teetering here, folks. Time to make a decision, as to which side of history you want to be on. Time for you to wake up and smell the coffee.
Coffee or Kool Aid. Take your pick.
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The “Idle Janie” Journal - Day 72
“Am I Understanding This Correctly?”
It’s getting more and more difficult to keep up with what’s going on with this administration. I just wanna know if I’m understanding a few things today correctly or not. Can you all help me, please? I’m trying to avoid reposting lies, propaganda or misrepresentation, so please just let me know if I’m missing anything here.
First: Trump, who pulled the United States out of the World Health Organization because he says they downplayed the pandemic, admitted — ON TAPE — himself downplaying the pandemic: “I wanted to play it down. I still want to play it down.” Trump himself also claimed — ON TAPE — that the reason he downplayed the pandemic is, “I don’t want people to be frightened. I don’t want to create panic, as you say. And certainly, I’m not going to drive this country or the world into a frenzy.” This coming from a man who has said that a caravan was coming to rape and murder your wives, that anarchists are coming to burn down the suburbs, and that democrats are coming for your guns.
Second: After these taped recordings were made public, White House press secretary Kayleigh McEnany said — IN A LIVE BRIEFING — that the president “never downplayed the virus.” This coming from the woman who, on her first day in her new job, said “I will never lie to you.” Which was the first of many documented lies that she has since told. I take it that anyone in her position has to lie, in order to keep ahead of all the other lies coming from the administration?
Third: Vice President Mike Pence said today — LIVE ON FOX NEWS — “I actually didn’t sense the president was downplaying anything. We were giving the American people the facts as we knew them, as we learned them every step of the way.” So, that would be every step except all of the steps where he, according to his own words, downplayed this virus? Also, apparently, most of the folks in the administration were unaware that Trump was even having these numerous conversations with Woodward. With yet more incriminating material — ON TAPE — related to, among other things, race relations and a new secret nuclear weapons system which I guess isn’t secret anymore. (Neither of which I’ll get into now.)
Is it just me, or does anyone else get the sense that nobody in this administration is talking to anyone else in the administration? I guess it’s one thing for the public to expect a unified front on something like a viral pandemic — which we obviously didn’t get. But it’s another thing for the voices in the administration to at least be on the same page about what they are all proclaiming publicly.
The first rule of Lie Club is: you don’t talk about Lie Club. The second rule of Lie Club is: well, you should probably make sure that your lies match those of the lies being told by other people with whom you are conspiring to tell lies. What a mess.
Oh, and apparently the administration is now blaming Woodward for not releasing this information sooner. I guess if Woodward had divulged this information earlier, we wouldn’t be approaching 200,000 deaths and over 6.5 million infected.
At least we have someone new to blame.
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The “Idle Janie” Journal - Day 73
“9/11”
My reflections on 9/11, posted a year ago. Wish we could experience again that feeling of national unity -- even if just for a bit.
But I'm not holding my breath.
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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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The “Idle Janie” Journal - Day 74
“What Exactly Are You Fans Of?”
This past week, the NFL kicked off their season with a live socially-distanced audience of about 15,000 football fans in Kansas City.
Right before the start of the game, both the National Anthem and “Lift Every Voice and Sing” — often referred to as the “Black National Anthem” — were played over the PA system. During these two anthems, the Kansas City Chiefs were on the field, while the Houston Texans remained in their locker room. After the anthems, the Texans took the field, and then in a show of solidarity, unity, and protest, all of the players from both teams linked arms at midfield as the announcer said, “Please join us in a moment of silence dedicated to the ongoing fight for equality in our country.”
At this point, a very vocal group of fans started booing the action. Of course, social media then erupted, some in support of the players, others adamantly opposed — including Republican Missouri Sen. Josh Hawley, who called the players “Classless trash” for this action.
So, the main takeaway here is that, in the midst of a tumultuous summer of apparent race riots, as Americans are coming together to protest the continued needless deaths of unarmed black people at the hands of white police officers, that there is literally nothing black people (or their allies) can do that will be considered an appropriate display of protest.
Rioting and Looting? ILLEGAL.
Peacefully protesting and marching? DISCOURAGED.
Kneeling during the national anthem? DISRESPECTFUL.
Ok, we heard you, loud and clear. So we won’t follow that communist Colin Kaepernick’s very silent, very peaceful action as he tries to make a statement that so many are feeling and supporting. Let’s instead just peacefully link arms and ask for a moment of silence. DISGRACEFUL.
Just WHAT can black people do to try to continue to bring to light the systemic racism that exists in this country? For F’s sake, Martin Luther King, Jr. was as peaceful as anyone could possibly be on this issue — and he was murdered. In light of this week’s NFL crowd response, it’s obvious that there is literally NOTHING that will be acceptable for racist white Americans. The same racist white Americans that are paying money to come see these very games.
So, WHY exactly are these people fans of football? Is it that they enjoy watching black bodies violently decimate each other on the field, as a form of public spectacle? Do they just miss the “good old days” (when NONE of them were even alive), when the game was “pure” with only white players, and they’re just willing to tolerate the inclusion of black athletes — since, without them, there would be no game to attend or watch at all? Maybe these folks should stick to NASCAR. Oh, no, wait — even NASCAR has lately taken a stand for racial solidarity.
Truth is, unfortunately for a good portion of this country, there is nothing — NOTHING — that will ever be tolerable or acceptable as far as black people are concerned. Nothing except maybe a return to the plantation, so they can sit their lazy fat white asses on a porch sipping mint juleps and not have to do any manual labor ever again.
And thanks to our current administration constantly fanning the flames of hatred, these folks are starting to POUR out of the woodworks. Their time has come, and they are not going to back down.
It’s amazing how so many people still don’t understand the whole purpose of “Black Lives Matter.” The responses are usually either “All Lives Matter,” or “Blue Lives Matter” (which is an unconscionably ridiculous response, as police officer is a JOB not a race). I have also seen so many memes on social media from “allies” that try to summarize this for people who can’t grasp the concept. YES, white people are often killed by white police officers. But, you know what usually happens in this instance? A MURDER CONVICTION. The entire premise of BLM is that more often than not, when this happens to black people, what usually happens is NOTHING.
BUT, for those who can’t quite grasp BLM, here’s an “American History Quiz” I found online. Maybe this will help:
1. Brought to America in chains at the bottom of ships
A. Black lives B. All lives
2. Enslaved in America for 400 years
A. Black lives B. All lives
3. Were counted as 3/5 human for many years after Emancipation
A. Black lives B. All lives
4. Prevented from attending school with whites in America until 1954
A. Black lives B. All lives
5. Were lynched or killed in America for speaking to white women
A. Black lives B. All lives
This quiz could surely be expanded to fit 100 bullet points. Had another religion forced upon you? Had your children taken away? Had firehoses pointed at you? Had dogs released to violently attack you? Been hung from trees? Been tied to cars and dragged for miles? Been pushed into menial minimum wage service sector jobs at disproportionately higher ratios? Been incarcerated at disproportionately higher ratios? Been given lengthier prison sentences than white people when committing the exact same crime? Been followed around a department store because the color of your skin automatically means you’re more likely to steal? The list goes ON AND ON.
If these racist white people currently coming out of the woodworks could experience what it’s like to live as a minority for probably just ONE DAY, perhaps they would have a little empathy and compassion. Perhaps they would realize the ridiculousness of how the majority white society views them and has treated them throughout history. A history that was forced upon them from day one. Perhaps then, they would also stand in solidarity — OR AT THE VERY LEAST SIMPLY SHUT UP AND TOLERATE A MOMENT OF SILENCE FOR ALL THE BLACK PEOPLE WHO HAVE BEEN KILLED AT THE HANDS OF WHITE POLICE OFFICERS JUST THIS YEAR ALONE.
The good news is, after that “moment of silence” ended, there was a much larger and louder vocalization of appreciation, as many in the crowd cheered. So at least the majority in attendance seemed to be in support of this moment.
We still have a lot of work to do, though.
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The “Idle Janie” Journal - Day 75
“A Meme Is All We Need”
I saw an interesting article posted today about the death of the live music industry in the New York area. As this is an issue that directly concerns me, I started to read the article. Quite informative. A bit depressing.
And incredibly verbose.
After reading for several minutes, I thought to myself, “Why are news articles always so damn long?” I started to lose interest. Just HOW many details do we need? How many people need to be interviewed? And how many quotes from local music club owners are necessary to convey the point? Out of curiosity, I cut and paste the article into a word document, to see the total word count: it was 2,542. With all the other news to keep up with, do we really need this much information about this one subject? And with the scarce amount of free time that most American workers can scrape together, who the hell has the time to read such long reports anyway?
Yet this is — and has always been — the case with most legitimate news reporting. Let’s face it, though: not only has the education level in this country been seriously diluted over decades, but the powers-that-be have also directly attacked our ability to focus and concentrate for long periods of time through a constant barrage of advertisements, lowest-common-denominator reality TV programming, and lots of flashy glitzy lights and other shiny things. Let’s face it: America has been dumbed down, systematically and intentionally. The politicians and pin-striped bosses don’t want a nation of citizens capable of critical thinking — they want good little worker bees, who will show up on time, perform their menial tasks, and not rock the boat.
I personally experience the fallout of this phenomenon daily, evinced by incredibly low readership of these journal entries that I post. Have even had one person comment on the fact that they are too long in general. At least that person reads them LOL.
But with a 24-hour news cycle constantly in full motion, not to mention the recent growing war on the media generally reducing everything to questionable “fake news” status, I guess it isn’t hard to understand just WHY it is so difficult to find yet alone retain any kind of readership for anything longer than a paragraph or two. I mean, let’s face it. For much of our country, a paragraph is too much to bother with anyway. Twitter took the reigns early on in the social media landscape, and created a platform that even limits the number of characters one can use to make a point. And then MEMES literally seemed to become, almost overnight, the preferred means of communicating one’s beliefs or sharing the latest news. And these have become, for many, gospel truth. If they see a meme about the other political party, it must be true, so go ahead and just hit “share” — instead of actually composing a thoughtful paragraph or two about what one thinks.
On a cultural-wide education level, it’s quite sad that this is what our country has devolved into. And it’s frightening to think that the presidential election in less than 2 months — one that will determine the fate of our country for decades to come — will probably ultimately be decided by such infantile fodder. But, to be honest, I’m also jealous. I wish I could find a wider readership, as I feel like there HAS to be an audience out there somewhere for these daily missives. But I guess if I want more of a following, I’ll just have to dumb it down a little.
At least the Kardashians have announced the cancellation of their television series, so maybe there will be a little more space available in the void.
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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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