Monday Morning quarterback
Monday Morning quarterback
August 20th - I got assaulted on the subway
I sold my first communist magazine this weekend. More on that in a future edition.
On another totally unrelated note, I’m currently sipping on a $18 pina colada in South Brooklyn.
I wanted to ask if it was a mistake but also didn't want to feel poor, so here I am, writing about it.
TikTok: Where is the American Dream?
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Aunty Annabelle goes on a rant about the American Dream, or the lack thereof.
I see a lot of young people upset with the current affairs of society, but rarely do I see older generations bring the same energy and anger.
Shoutout to this Southern Aunty.
Essay: The Market Made A Meal Out Of The Pac-12
The PAC 12 collapsed a few weeks ago. A hundred-year-old conference gone like that.
A story of mismanagement, media monopolies, and inept University Presidents.
Media: Mark Fisher: Capitalist Realism and Business Ontology
Mark’s main point is that our culture has been swallowed up by capital and business. What happens to us is largely a story of what happens in business and this video does a great job of articulating that idea and how we got here.
It offers an explanation of our mental health crisis, what neoliberal capitalism is and how it disrupts society, and why the Barbie movie isn’t the revolutionary force many people say it is.
Quote
Novelists sit cloistered in their rooms, intently fiddiling with words, batting aroiund one possibility after another. They may scratch their heads an entire day to improve the quality of a single line by a tiny bit.
No one applauds, or says, ‘Well done’ or pats them on the back. Sitting there alone, they look over what they’ve accomplished and quietly nod to themselves.
It may be later, when the novel comes out, not a single reader will notice the improvement they made that day. That is what novel writing is really all about. It is time-consuming and tediuous work.
Haruki Murakami
Experience: Assaulted on the subway
I had my first, “Well, Fox News may be right,” experience in New York yesterday.
I was on my way to a meeting in Times Square as I chatted with a college buddy on the phone.
I paid my fare at the Atlantic-Barclays Center train stop in Brooklyn and walked down to the Q train.
Once I made it to the platform I noticed a woman pacing back and forth with an uneasy stride. I told my roommate I had to hang up because this woman was freaking me out. (Rule #1 on the subway, be prepared for the unexpected).
After I hung up I watched her go back and forth on the platform, checking herself out on the flat screens, and just being a flat-out weirdo.
Other people noticed, too, and we all kept an eye on her. As we babysat her, something bizarre happened.
A guy walked past me and yelled something about making a lunch. He, too, walked with an uneasy gait but carried more anger and purpose.
He then said something oddly on point, “If you’re going to jump on the tracks, do it now.”
I thought he was talking to the woman.
But, he just got here. Was he that perceptive? Was he considering jumping on the tracks himself? Was he out of his mind?
The newcomer continued giving his spiel, "The train is coming! If you're going to do it, now's the time. Do it now!"
I stayed where I was but kept an eye on him. The subway pulled up and a few people standing next to him ran over to the subway car in front of me and hopped in.
I said something that would turn out to be a major mistake. “That guy is off the shits.”
Only a few moments later, the man encouraging suicide skipped into our subway car.
He targeted me right away, “You’re a fucking snitch.”
Here. we. go.
I kept my eyes to the right of him while he stood in an athletic stance staring into my soul, “Laugh all you want you snitch. Go run and tell the police, snitch. The cops aren’t going to save you now.”
There was clearly something wrong with this man.
I didn't know what to do with my eyes.
Do I keep them up and to the side of this guy? Should I put them down? No that's soft. Should I stare at my phone? Sure, I'll do that.
But no matter where my eyes went, this guy wouldn't go away.
“Snitch. White boy. I'll beat your ass”
He threw down his lunch box and yelled, “If anyone wants to fight me, let’s fucking go. Let’s fucking fight right now. Now is the time to challenge me”
There were a few laughs in the subway car.
Then he got within inches of my face, and said, “If you want to fight snitch! Let’s do it!"
To be honest, I was a little scared. Who knows what he was capable of?
I just stayed calm and kept an eye on him while he continued his mentally unwell tirade against snitches, humanity, and the everyday life of New Yorkers on the Q train.
Finally, the train stopped.
I had no intention of switching subway cars. I lied. It was in the back of my head but someone needed to keep an eye on this guy and I didn't want him to determine the subway I rode.
I stood tall.
Then I saw a group of fellow riders get out and hop into the car next to us. Since I was at the door I had a clear view of the next car and the people walking into it.
I was like, alright, it’s now or never. So I hopped on over and rode safely onto the Time Square stop.
The experience shook me up a little bit. Sure, it changed my perception of every subway ride I take from now on, but also because I submitted to the guy by burying my head in my phone and changing trains.
There’s no worse feeling than submitting to a bully. Letting someone else determine your freedom.
Sure, the intensity and threats were jarring, yet it was my own fear that I regretted more than anything.
If we want to create a society we all want to live in, you need to stand up to bully’s.
You can’t let them scare you. You can’t watch them make other people feel uncomfortable. You can’t watch them assault children and women.
Would I've rather avoided the situation, entirely? Sure.
But you can’t run away from problems forever. Sometimes you must take action.
[p.s. the fox news opening was a joke. f them and those losers at CNN]
BONUS
