Chiseled Bits: Black Friday Cringe
Random Thoughts From An Occasionally Randomized Mind
It's Friday… it's black… how about some random, cringe-worthy thoughts. Before we move forward, however, a quick programming note.
Tonight is the night I would normally post the bi-weekly news-drop Three Dot Tablet [TDT], but we are going through a few minor schedule changes; you’ll still be getting everything I promised, just at different times.
Due to circumstances (I’m still learning here), I am switching back to doing the SAWX as a weekend forecast, except I will be including Fridays into the mix as well. Since those will have to be posted - at the latest - by early Friday morning, dropping a TDT on the same day in the evening is… well, it would be annoying for many people. As such, you will start receiving the TDT on Sundays, effective this week.
Now that we got that out of the way? How about some bits o’ stuff and things…
Touchy Football
WHILE I CARE ABOUT the NFL - due it its social-engineering drive - to the sum of zero these days, I thought this was a primo example of just how far it has hilariously fallen.
Uber-popular quarterback Patrick Mahomes was fined by the NFL $14,000 for making a ‘violent gesture’ during an on-field celebration in a recent game. And what ‘gesture’ would cause the league to demand that its most-bankable player cough up that much coin, you may ask? He made the phantom-motion of firing a rifle.
Basically, they fined him… for finger-guns. $14K… for flippin’ finger-guns!
In case you missed the memo, the NFL that many of us grew up with has become a soft, timid… tenderized version of itself. If I had not already shut it off because of its rampant wokeness, I would be doing so right now…
The Fakeness of Faux
PRO-TIP: WHEN creating (or reposting) a fake document, review said-forgery to eliminate any blue, grammar-checking squiggly-lines before sharing. To fail in this endeavor may provoke involuntary spasms of painful cringe in unsuspecting friends and strangers.
Or, you know, use a modicum of decency - or discernment - and stop posting fake garbage. That would be good, too…
Is This What Was Won?
IN THAT VEIN, X owner and (like it or no, ‘influential’) entrepreneur Elon Musk has become fond of posting, “You are the media now,” on his platform. This has been in response to the rise of what is being referred to as ‘Citizen journalism,’ along with the utter collapse of Legacy Media.
While the latter certainly deserves its downfall (you cannot gaslight ‘The People’ for literally decades without there being negative blowback eventually)? Having bore witness to the variety of propagandists, grifters, and flat-out liars from ‘The Right’ who are promoted on X AS ‘Citizen journalists’… I’m not noticing a vast improvement in the quality of information being peddled.
From where I sit, we still very much need our discernment and critical thinking skills when consuming news media. In other words? THINK before you post or repost, and continue to question everything - even the items with which you agree.
Especially those items…
When Accolades Should Be Kept To Yourself
PRO-TIP DOS: MENTIONING you are a ‘New York Times Best-Selling Author’ in your bio (as a flex) is rather like bragging about winning a bowling tournament; good for you, kind of cringe, nobody cares.
It may have meant something twenty… thirty… okay, maybe a hundred years ago, but now? Yeah, not so much…
The Propaganda War
SUBSTACK PONTIFICATOR (AND personal favorite) made an interesting point earlier today, about the aforementioned Elon Musk…
‘Cringe’ indeed, brother.
And accurate in overall assessment. Indeed, the ‘free-speech’ aspect of X is largely ‘selective,’ in that those who are granted ‘reach’ tend to be the most protected. They also (unfortunately) tend to be those who fall into the categories discussed above: “Propagandists, grifters, and flat-out liars.”
Many of those whom engage in the hyper-mythologizing of Musk do so out of self-preservation; they need to keep Musk happy, because they profit from it. Those who do not, however, yet still ride the Elon Train? They undoubtedly do so out of simple ignorance, of just how censored the platform really is.
Still… I am FORCED to acknowledge a basic truth: Without Elon’s purchase of X, November 5th does not transpire as it did. With the stranglehold the Globalists had on every aspect of the established information pipelines (both news AND social), the only propaganda which was freely available was coming from one side. Thanks to Musk, propaganda from BOTH sides was getting attention, and the election results mirrored that quasi-balance.
In a propaganda war, on a remotely-leveled field? The Right is always going to prevail… because the Left just can’t ‘meme.’ Period.
That noted? Propaganda is still propaganda, grift is still grift, lies are still lies… no matter which side is bloviating. Hence the need for continued discernment, both on X and even here on Substack… as many of the more-nefarious characters on X have started migrating here as well…
Score!
IN MY ARTICLE about the joy I am getting from using and growing a Plug-And-Play kitchen, many commented on the need to have a slow-cooker.
I listened, and agreed. Crock-Pot, welcome home!
Here’s the best part: I received it from the friends with whom I enjoyed Turkey Day celebrations… and it was a FREE gift! Best price, trusted source - how could I lose?
As such, I have yet another reason for gratitude on Thanksgiving - so thanks, good friends who also fed me yesterday. You’re pretty awesome…
Everything Is Raaaay-cist!
LET’S CLOSE OUT this Black Friday cringe-fest with a trip down memory lane.
In 2009 the ever-cringeworthy Joy Behar - on her equally-cringeworthy gab-show, The View - said what is possibly the stupidest thing ever uttered on television. It was the day after Thanksgiving, and in a segment discussing it Behar made THIS observation…
Isn’t it a little racist to call it Black Friday?
And yes, she was serious.
Not only is the rank, unmitigated ignorance glaring, it also reminds us that this “Everything is racist!” mindset has been being drilled into us by Globalist forces (media, academia, advertising, etc.) for many, many years now. It is only over the past year or so that the masses have started waking up to how thoroughly we have been indoctrinated, and they - we - are finally pushing back against the grotesquely-false narratives.
2024 has indeed been a magical year for clarity and awareness, and - despite much of the insanity - I am grateful for it…
THAT’S it for today. Now that ‘the holidays’ have officially kicked off, let me wish you and yours a wonderful season ahead…
Thank you for your continued support, and - if not already a subscriber - join me as we build a unique Substack subculture of information, entertainment, and enlightenment.
Notes…
-- Unless otherwise credited, all images were generated by the author, using Grok 2 [on X] or Substack’s AI Image Tool, with digital alterations when needed.
I’ve been wondering when someone would consider Black Friday racist ? I should have known it would be someone from the View…and I missed it (way back when). Oh gee, what a shame ! Too bad she wouldn’t understand where the term comes from…but that wouldn’t make a difference anyway, would it ?
Isn’t it a little—I dunno—clueless to call her Joy? On any day of the year? 😂
Love your bits my friend. I’m reminded to polish that ole Quiddich trophy for my bio 🙄