The "Idle Janie" Journal - Days 76 through 80
The “Idle Janie” Journal - Day 76
“Downballot”
In one of the most interesting headlines I’ve seen in a while, a self-proclaimed transexual satanist anarchist libertarian recently won a primary election for the position of sheriff in a small New Hampshire county. She claims that she ran to prove a point, which is “that people walk into a voting booth not having any clue about the person they are voting for.”
She’s right.
How many of us are guilty of this action? I surely am. I’ve tried to be more informed as of late, but there have been times when I’ve chosen names based simply on party affiliation, race, gender, or name. I’m personally tired of the same kinds of old, rich, white men running this country, and have been willing to elect some fresh faces without doing any real research, just hoping for some kind of positive change.
If you’re guilty of this too, you’re not alone. And it’s honestly not your fault. The problem is — as I hinted at yesterday — that most common hardworking Americans simply don’t have time to research all the candidates, to spend time diving into the minutiae of their platforms and practices. As a nation, we’re just too damn overworked, too damn tired, and too damn willing to be complacent. Some folks only vote for president every 4 years. Should they be chastised for this? Probably not, if they don’t have the time or energy to research for the midterms, or for smaller, local elections.
I’ll admit, this is the kind of thinking that brought us our current president — and with it arguably the most dangerous administration in our nation’s history. And given the strange election results in that small New Hampshire county last week, this method of voting can be quite dangerous. But, as they say, “Fool me once, shame on you. Fool me twice, shame on me.”
All that being said, this is the ONE political season in which I would strongly recommend everyone to vote BLUE all the way down the ballot. The current administration is full of not only lawless, lying, and corrupt con artists and their sycophants, but also a staggering number of politicians who have simply chosen to ignore what is going on, due solely to party affiliation. But they knew. THEY ALL KNEW, FROM THE VERY BEGINNING. And they have mostly lined up 100% behind this administration since 2016. Therefore, they are all complicit, and need to be held accountable. Seriously. Watch the video below and ask yourself if any of these people actually have any integrity left.
Hint: THEY DON'T.
(Author's note: the link mentioned above is no longer available, but it was a YouTube video of numerous republicans forcefully speaking out against Trump before he was elected, even in 2016. You can google "youtube video of republicans speaking poorly of trump years ago" for a wide variety of such videos.)
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The “Idle Janie” Journal - Day 77
“Too Much Red Tape”
I called Navient today to see about deferring my monthly student loan payments, as I’m currently making less money. However, at the suggestion of my much more financially savvy father, I asked about paying JUST the monthly interest, so that it won’t continue to accrue during this time. The full payment isn’t manageable right now, but the interest is.
After a twenty or so minute conversation, I was finally directed to a separate federal website that handles income based repayment options, or something like that. Of course there’s a login required, and of course it would have to be yet another new username and password. However, he also gave me a phone number to call, to help me navigate the site. Not sure why this system is setup such that they can’t help me directly at Navient, since they hold my loan, but sure, whatever.
I called the phone number, only to be confused by an automated menu that never gave me the option to speak to someone, but instead gave me more optional phone numbers to call, or gave instructions about contacting my original loan holder (which I already did) and/or to contact the school where the loan was taken out. Frustrated, I hung up and called Navient again. I explained the situation to them, and we ended up doing exactly what I wanted to do in the first place through Navient. Go figure.
Why does everything related to “adulting” have to be SO. DAMN. DIFFICULT. It’s almost as if society is setup to confuse and trick the consumer on purpose at every turn. HA! You made a mistake! You’re gonna PAYYYYY for that!!
We’ve all been through it. The DMV. Social Security. Health insurance. School registrars. Amazon customer service. Verizon. The Apple Store. Basically anything and everything that has a recorded phone message that tries to steer you through prompts. And for damn sure be careful not to cough or sneeze, or even clear your throat, cause you’ll have to start over. And don’t over annunciate. These robots aren’t meant to deal with clear diction. They seem to work better with mumbling.
I’m actually old enough to remember the days when you called a phone number and could talk to a live person right off the bat. What a novel concept. Mullets, vinyl albums, and parachute pants all made a comeback — maybe a real live person answering the phone will too? Let’s hope so. Anyway, this whole process ended up taking way too long, and resulted in one employee of a company saying he didn’t understand why the other employee sent me to the other site in the first place. Doesn’t inspire much confidence in the system, does it?
But it also doesn’t surprise me, because the “system” has simply grown to behemoth proportions, to the point where nobody is really at the helm of anything anymore. Sure, there is some rich white dude sitting at the top making a lot of money just because millions of people use his company. But with that many customers, you need lots of employees. And bureaucracy is what it is, and those employees don’t necessarily know what they’re doing in the first place.
The whole thing is basically one big house of cards. And as the population grows, it just gets bigger and bigger. And it’s about to come crashing down.
I say let it fall. Probably a good time for a reset, anyway.
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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 78
“National Embarrassment”
There must be some really shady back room behind the curtain kind of stuff going on in America. And it has been this way for close to four years. Whatever it is that is taking place back there must be pretty damn hardcore. So many people are up in arms about conspiracies of all sorts these days, but I gotta tell ya — whatever is in the public narrative is just the tip of the iceberg. You know it’s got to be true, even if you support Donald Trump. Cause let’s face it: there is something seriously wrong with his mental faculties.
Since 2016, those of us “on the left” have laughed and guffawed and rolled our eyes every time this man opens his mouth. I’m not quite sure what those “on the right” are going through, but they must be experiencing at least a modicum of embarrassment or discomfort. How could they not? Even for someone with an IQ of a fifth grader — say, someone like our president himself — there is no way you can hear what this man says on a regular basis without realizing how ridiculous it is. From nuking hurricanes, to ingesting Clorox to defeat the coronavirus, to windmills causing cancer, to raking the leaves in the forest — it has been a constant barrage of idiocy that makes George W. Bush sound like a Rhodes Scholar.
Are the conservative folks out there simply not getting the proper news reports? We have ALL of the ridiculous things, on tape. And on Twitter. HE said them. VERBATIM. There is no spin here, no way to cover it up. His latest, which surely even his supporters must have heard by now:
“But with regard to the forest: when trees fall down, after a short period of time — about 18 months — they become very dry. They become, really, like a matchstick. And they get up — you know, there’s no more water pouring through, and they become very, very — well, they just explode. They can explode.”
This kind of kindergarten gibberish gobbledygook has been happening for four years, and seems to be increasing in frequency as of late. I definitely swing “liberal,” so am definitely not a fan of the likes of McConnell, Cruz, Graham, etc. But what I want to know is how and why these people have lined up behind and defended this president at every single turn? I think it’s blatantly obvious to any person with an ounce of common sense that the 25th Amendment should have been invoked a LONG time ago. Donald Trump, simply put, is NOT WELL. And since ultra-conservative Mike Pence would be first in line to succeed the removed president, it would seem like Christmas come early for Republicans in general, and the far right in particular. Really, this would be ALL of the holidays rolled into one. And Pence actually has legitimate political experience. If I were of the conservative ilk, it seems like this would be the best imaginable thing to ever happen in American politics.
But no, they have let this troubled man stay in office. They have let him embarrass himself, his followers, his party — THEIR party — and worst of all, the entire nation. As a well-seasoned traveler, I now cringe at the idea of globetrotting and having to answer questions about our country. So, again, I ask: WHY? Just WHAT is going on behind the scenes to allow for such a shit show for so long??
I think if and when we ever find out, we are going to be completely horrified.
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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 79
“Nazi America”
Lately, there are more and more people comparing our current political trajectory to that of Nazi Germany. Not really sure how the conservative camp feels about this — they have remained questionably silent. However, I have seen several Jewish people — astoundingly — taking offense at this comparison.
It should come as no surprise to anyone who has studied history that the holocaust — still actually DENIED by many as a hoax (there sure are a lot of hoaxes these days) — didn’t happen overnight. It’s not like Hitler rose to power and immediately started shipping Jews off to concentration camps. There WERE no concentration camps when the Third Reich first came to power. That is why Hitler’s program to rid Europe of an entire race of people was called “The Final Solution.” It was the culmination of racist politics, not the platform on which the party rose to power.
So for a couple of years now, scholars have pointed to various aspects of our current administration’s policies in making such comparisons. From extremist language, to creating an “other,” to proposed mass deportations and special IDs, this administration almost seems to be following a playbook. If you’ve studied history, it is kind of frightening to watch — IF you’re one of those who truly understand the slow, step by step approach. For those who eschew such comparisons simply because we aren’t actively sending scores of minorities to concentration camps, I wonder at WHAT point they would wake up and think, “Hmmmm - this is starting to get a LITTLE scary.” Maybe some will never see it, simply because the economy is working in their favor. Maybe some will turn a blind eye because it doesn’t directly affect their secure gated community — you know, those communities that Trump himself is saying will be safe from low-income housing if they reelect him? And obviously some are even in favor of fascist policies, even if they aren’t actively aware of such policies being fascist.
But the time for burying our head in the sand is over, folks. In fact, a line needs to be drawn — and sides chosen. Never mind the fact that during recent protests in several cities across the US, peaceful protestors have been grabbed up and thrown in unmarked vehicles and whisked away to undisclosed locations with no due process. Never mind the fact that we already have ostensible concentration camps scattered across the border — that a nation founded by immigrants is illegally incarcerating immigrants. Never mind that CHILDREN ARE STILL BEING DETAINED IN CAGES.
We now have a whistleblower complaint alleging that immigrant women in these detention centers are being given compulsory hysterectomies. I guess these allegations have yet to be proven. However, with this administration, nothing is surprising anymore. But IF they are true, then we are one step closer to the ovens, folks. It’s not that much a stretch of the imagination. BECAUSE IT HAS HAPPENED BEFORE. And they don’t need to be literal ovens. There are many ways to systematically kill people.
When one cheats on an essay test or term paper in school, one doesn’t copy the information verbatim. You change vocabulary, rearrange syntax, and throw in occasional intentional mistakes just to “keep it real.” All you have to do is fool the teacher, and you’ll get your “A.”
Is Donald Trump literally Adolph Hitler? Absolutely not. But here is a short list of other recent world leaders who also weren’t literally Adolph Hitler:
Mao Zedong (60 million killed)
Joseph Stalin (40 million killed)
Hideki Tojo (5 million killed)
Ismail Enver Pasha (2 million killed)
Pol Pot (1.7 million killed)
Kim Il Sung (1.6 million killed)
Mengistu Haile Mariam (1.5 million killed)
Yakubu Gowon (1 million killed)
Jean Kambanda (800,000 killed)
Saddam Hussein (600,000 killed)
Josip Broz Tito (570,000 killed)
Sukarno (500,000 killed)
Mullah Omar (400,000 killed)
Idi Amin (400,000 killed)
Yahya Khan (300,000 killed)
Benito Mussolini (250,000 killed)
Ho Chi Minh (200,000 killed)
Notice I said “short list” above. This is just the tip of the iceberg, my friends. And this is only since 1900. And it has happened all over the world. And it could happen here. And some believe IT IS happening here. NOW. So, if you’re a power hungry xenophobic racist sexist narcissistic megalomaniac like Donald Trump (with, of course, an entire administration of likeminded people supporting you) how exactly do you rise to power, and then stay in power?
Pick a playbook, change the vocabulary, rearrange the syntax, and throw in an occasional intentional mistake.
Or, as I like to call it, Genocidal Laundry: wash, rinse, repeat.
So, where the hell is the international intervention, to prevent this from happening YET AGAIN?? After World War II, a unified world proclaimed, “Never Again.” But I guess power hungry hatred and contempt of “the other” can’t be summed up solely in ideologies, and can’t be confined to one country alone at any given point.
I guess it’ll just be a game of “Fascist-Whack-a-Mole” for the rest of human history. God help us.
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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 80
“All Dressed Up With Nowhere To Go”
If I had told myself a year ago that next year I would have written an essay or blog post every single day for 80 days straight, myself would have responded, “Dude, you’re crazy!” But here we are, and thanks to losing my job, that once imaginary scenario has come to fruition. I’ve taken a few days off here and there — because we all need a day off sometimes — but for the most part, my output has been thoroughly consistent, somewhat diverse, quasi-scholarly, and hopefully entertaining or informative for anyone who is following.
To be sure, my audience SEEMS small. I honestly have no idea how many people are reading these posts, as not everyone comments or gives it a “like” or an emoji. But that doesn’t deter me. Sure, I would have hoped after 80 DAYS that I would have built up some kind of following. But social media is saturated with creative folks all vying for the same market, so I’m also not surprised.
As I said previously, it sure would be nice to find some kind of established outlet to “pick up my column,” — because even if it wasn’t mine, I would think it a shame for someone to invest so much time, talent, energy, and education on a daily basis, to reach only a handful of readers.
I’m definitely in the market to attain a financial plateau where I can support myself solely as a freelancer. So, I guess now I’m wondering if I should say to myself “job well done” and try my hand at something new instead of writing? I have entertained the idea of doing something similar to these writings, but as a video blog or podcast or something like that. Maybe tone of voice and facial expression would be the answer.
So, I dunno. I guess all that being said: who the hell is reading this anyway? I usually get a handful of likes, emojis, and comments — and have even had a handful of shares and virtual tips, which has been immensely encouraging. But maybe the numbers speak for themselves, and maybe it’s time to invest my energy in something new. I know some folks are turned off by the political nature of some of my posts; and others think they are too long to hold a reader’s attention. But I’m not in the business of brevity, and think there are too many memes out there already. I write what comes to mind, and don’t put any limitations or specifications on these entries. Perhaps I would for the right amount of money. 😉
As I’ve definitely said a few times, if you have ANY ideas for how to reach a wider audience, that would be helpful. I KNOW there is an audience out there for the content I create. I just have no idea how to find them. But, that’s been the case with my music for years as well — as I’ve done some WHOLLY original presentations of the music of the Grateful Dead, stuff that NOBODY ELSE has done, with little to no fanfare. I’m not arrogant or so conceited as to think that I am an artist that will be “discovered” after I’m gone from this world. But, maybe that’s my lot in life, for all of my artistic output to sit on the back of a shelf barely recognizable, only to be lauded later on. Or maybe it’ll just sit on the shelf with the works of millions of others struggling to have a voice in a culture where everybody is screaming into the void at the same time. If that’s the case, then that really is unfortunate. I know tons of talented folks in the same boat, all clamoring for recognition — or at least just the opportunity to practice their craft and be able to eke out an existence doing so, instead of punching a time clock and sitting behind a desk answering to someone else for the rest of their miserable lives. All while the mainstream machine continues to favor, financially back, advertise, and publish those same actors, musicians, writers, artists, dancers, poets, and photographers who are ALREADY famous; who are ALREADY financially secure; who are ALREADY established.
It’s all about money anyway, right? Those film and record companies want to amass millions more on top of their billions, so they only go with “the big name.” Who the hell will go see a movie with an unrecognizable cast? Who will buy the album of that person that nobody has heard before? Who cares about a manuscript submission from some random guy?
What is lost, though, might be that Oscar-winning performance of a lifetime that we’ll never get to experience because that person was simply unknown. What is lost is that new “voice of an angel” that shall never sing us to sleep, because the shareholders haven’t heard of her. What is lost are those renderings of landscapes as good as any museum piece, which will never adorn any walls. What is lost are those poetic turns of phrase that shall never see the light of day, which might change the course of history through their beauty. What is lost are those literary narrative dreamscapes that could capture the imagination of millions, but will just sit in a folder on some computer desktop until that machine finally malfunctions.
So much creativity out there. So much beauty which could make the world a better place. So much innovation. And all of it will die with each and every one of them. Of us.
But yeah, let’s make sure Tom Hanks, Miley Cyrus, Takashi Murakami, Maggie Nelson, and Dan Brown all get pushed to the front of the line — cause they each need a fourth vacation home, a sixth car, and another zero tacked on to the end of their savings accounts.
But, like I said since day one, this has all been for me anyway. It is therapeutic, keeps my brain active, and actually puts to use all those years — and all those dollars — spent in the academy.
If you are following this journal with any regularity, drop a comment or a like below. Let me know my time and talent isn’t going to waste. Based on the response, maybe I’ll turn my attention elsewhere and try something new. Or maybe I’ll write for another 80 days. Who the hell knows.
The good news is that Janie finally has a treadmill for her brain. So at least there’s that.
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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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