Tired of all the noise...wake me when its over with

The news is exhausting. So was church, which is hardly surprising, it's a liberal progressive social justice inspired institution. ( Read more... )

The news makes me violently angry, exhausted, and feeling incredibly impotent. So angry, I found I couldn't get past the headlines to read the articles in New Yorker and New York Magazine feeds. Or even post them here. I can't reiterate it. I don't want to think about it. My blood pressure rises and I just feel really tired.

I watched the Kendrick Lamar super bowl half time video finally - I didn't watch the Super Bowl, and had mostly forgotten about it? But someone posted about it on social media and I got curious. I can see why my mother didn't like it - she's 82 years of age, and not a fan of rap aka hip-hop music, and couldn't hear or understand any of it. To her? It was mostly just noise and people moving about in costume. Also she doesn't necessarily think metaphorically like I do - so a lot of it went over her head. And she tuned out.

I also watched the analysis of the performance, and looked up the lyrics. And then saw an article from New York Magazine or the New Yorker, not sure which, detailing the conflict between Canadian Rapper Drake and American Rapper Kendrick Lamar. Most of which appears to be nationalistic in context, and not really about being Black or Black culture, so much as a Black Canadian resenting an Black American for ripping off his music and telling him he didn't represent or know Black Culture. The article gave me a headache and was also exhausting. I stopped reading halfway through.

I tried to watch the Therapist's analysis on youtube, but it gave me a headache and depressed me further.

I knew what Kendrick was doing, my niece is or was a huge Kendrick Lamar fan and introduced me to him way back in 2020. I downloaded his music, listened to it, and realized that I'm not really a fan of hip-hop, but can appreciate it? It's not easy to listen to and not for everyone. It's angry music, with a lot of angry virulent energy emanating from it. Listening to it - can feel at times like being punched in the face with sound.
( my thoughts on the whole thing for what its worth )

Lamar's performance at the Super Bowl was basically a big and very loud "Up Yours" at the various folks/organizations he was understandably and justifiably pissed off at - including the current Republican President and his Administration. It also was about Race Relations as they currently stand in the US. Not to mention our current political situation. He was furious at Drake for suing him over the song. (In case you don't know who Drake is? Drake is apparently a Black Canadian who was upset with a Lamar, a Black American for co-opting his lyrics and telling him that he knows nothing about Black culture, because he happens to be Canadian. Lamar was basically telling Drake where to go, with interest. That's the fight between Drake and Lamar according to the New Yorker. Oh - there's a fight going on right now between the US and Canada. Yes, Canada. I know. We are actually fighting with Canada. It's kind of like, I don't know, me fighting with my brother? Canada is understandably and justifiably pissed off with the US, and the US isn't helping. What's ironic about this is that the US owes Canada about 380 billion dollars in change. They are one of our (the US) creditors. And you wonder why the Onion and SNL gave up on political satire?)

I don't know about anyone else, but I feel like I live in an age in which everyone is constantly yelling at each other and nobody is actually taking the time to really listen? Empathy occurs when we listen, but its blocked when we're busy judging and condemning, and as a result all we get is the cacophony of sound, and meaning is lost along with it. I'm finding myself lost in the cacophony of sound at times, until, I just switch the whole thing off.

Its as if people are so angry and so tired of not being seen or heard, they feel this need to punch you in the face with it - verbally speaking. Yell at full volume. Thinking, oh then I'll be heard? Over the noise cancelling earphones, and ipod inserts, and everything else. But no, it's just adding to the cacophony of noise.

The Revolution Will NOT be Televised

The Revolution will Not be Televised is a song by a jazz musician that later became a 1960s rallying cry. I have it on my Apple Music account.

Here it is The Revolution Will Not Be Televised by Gil Scott Heron (I think I have the version by Fifth Dimension.)

And Gil Heron explains what he meant HERE.

But I think it mainly means - that people are protesting and standing up, you just may not see it in the media or the news or on the television set. And what he states is people change their minds, and realize it bit by bit. And via social media sources such as Dreamwidth - we can share what is happening on the ground.

"We all need good news, and good news is especially soothing when so much of the news creates concern. It is worth noting that much of the good news comes from folks responding to the bad news and pushing back, of fighting for democracy, and to preserve our civil rights. Turning a blind eye to what is going down in our country, contributes to more bad news. [I'm not - I'm just not reading all of it and blocking out a lot of the news sources. But I definitely know what is happening.] If we want more good news, we must pay attention to what is happening, so we and others can make some good news come out of it."

Here's the "good news" from the ground in the US - shared by a friend on FB:

100 Good News Items

1.The 9th Circuit Court of Appeals will NOT allow the Trump admin to end birthright citizenship for certain children of immigrants.

2.The Manitoba First Nation welcomes a herd of bison back for the first time in over a century.

3.The U.S. District Court of DC issues a temporary restraining order halting the current administration’s attempt to put 2,200 USAID workers on leave.

4. A Vaccine For Pancreatic Cancer Continues To Show Promise
In a small trial, nearly half of pancreatic cancer patients who received an mRNA vaccine had no signs of relapse after three years.

5. Senators held the Senate floor overnight in protest of the president’s inappropriate nominee to lead the White House budget office and others.

6. Following public backlash, Anthem Blue Cross Blue Shield backs down on a plan to cap insurance coverage of anesthesia during lengthy procedures.

[Side note? Over one million dollars has been raised for the legal defense of the individual who killed the CEO of United Healthcare because of medical insurance costs.]

7. Quaker groups file suit over the revocation of a policy that restricts ICE from arresting people in houses of worship. [Got to love the Quakers.]

8. GLAAD sets up Alert Desk, a tool that allows Americans to report anti-LGBTQ+ violence, hate, and extremism.

Go HERE

9. Thousands of New Yorkers rallied in support of transgender, nonbinary, Two-Spirit, and gender nonconforming youth, and to protest the denial of gender-affirming care by healthcare organizations. [They protested NYU Langone and other Hospitals removal of gender-affirming care practices.]

10. Roller derby leagues across the U.S. emphasize their inclusion of athletes of all genders.
( the rest below the cut )

Whew..that went on forever.

The revolution will NOT be televised. It will happen in the streets, at workplaces, in yards, at barbecues, in churches, on social media sites, chat rooms, in retail establishments, at parties, at family gatherings, in voting booths, in marches, during walks, and hikes. It happens when people slowly and gradually change their minds and work to love and care for each other, and stop the hate however and wherever they can.