Days 341-347

1461 Days of Ignoring The Trump Administration • Days 341-347Hi, it's Josh.Mindfulness. Optimism. Hope.“1461 Days of Ignoring The Trump Administration” is the series in which I endeavor to remind myself — and you, if you feel like it — to remain mindful, optimistic, and hopeful during these challenging 1461 days. We are living in trying times that are trying to take our time away from living. The goal with this show — beyond entertainment — is to reclaim that time, regain my mind, and focus on what is important.I am not a self-help guru, I'm just trying to help myself.™+++Follow the 1461 Days of Ignoring with Josh Bloom podcast!Pick your preferred podcast app here: https://pod.link/1866233663+++This week on the show...On Day 341, I talk about the difference between ignoring and ignorance. Some of us are paying attention to the behavior of the Trump administration, while most people are only getting dribs and drabs. That may matter much more later, when the consequences start to reach into the everyday life of people who weren’t paying attention, and those people start to get pretty pissed.On Day 342, I remember the saying, “the enemy of my enemy is my friend.” As the rhetoric from the Trump Administration leans toward violence, I feel even more resolved to remain mindful, optimistic, and hopeful. I believe that what is meant to divide us actually pushes us closer together, because most people cannot tolerate seeing others suffer.On Day 343, I remember October 3rd, 2017, the day the leader of the Trump administration trudged to Puerto Rico after Hurricane Maria and tossed paper towels at people whose lives had just been destroyed. At the time it felt like a gross display of callousness, but after everything we have seen since, it almost seems quaint, and also still gross. I reflect on what that moment symbolizes about how he views human suffering. I think it symbolizes that he likes it.On Day 344, I reflect on Bruce Springsteen’s new protest song “Streets of Minneapolis,” which he wrote, recorded, and released in just a few days. Hearing Bruce mention the victims of ICE violence, Alex Pretti and Renee Good, by name brought me to tears. For those despicable members of the Trump administration that Bruce also names, they may still not get what “Born in the U.S.A.” is about, but they will hopefully get bent.On Day 345, I talk about the arrest of journalist Don Lemon while he was covering protests in Minneapolis. My distress over this news only lasts for a moment because this type of behavior follows a familiar pattern of fear, anger, and grievance from the leader of the Trump administration and the people around him who live to lick his off-the-shelf dress shoes clean. When you recognize the pattern, the behavior becomes predictable, and predictable behavior is easier to roll your eyes at. Don’s eyes – not Don Lemon, Don Orange – only roll to look at eclipses. On Day 346, I mention a Federal Election Commission report I heard that shows Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez of New York in the House and Jon Ossoff of Georgia in the Senate as the top fundraisers in Congress for 2025. I anoint these two as representing what I call the “People Who Care About Other People” ticket. This feels right for the moment we are in, and even more so for the moment to come when I hope that Democrats will realize the performative and undefinable “move to the center” is less important than acknowledging, respecting, and listening to the ideas that exist there. On Day 347, I talk about my fascination with observing human behavior. I love to understand why people do what they do and what they might do next. I suggest that the leader of the Trump administration and his followers are not merely liars, but are trapped inside a reality built by their lies. When a person spends a lifetime constructing a false reality, our truth is their fiction. That’s fine if you’re living in an asylum. Not so much when you’re living in the White House. +++Thanks for listening!Follow the 1461 Days of Ignoring with Josh Bloom podcast on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, YouTube, or your preferred podcast app! Watch a compilation of the daily videos that this week’s episode of the show is based on over at YouTube.Follow The Josh Bloom Podcast on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, YouTube, or your preferred podcast app!+++If you enjoy my work and want to support me, please consider a Substack subscription, or you can Buy Me A Coffee!+++Let's connect! Visit me everywhere for everything at superjews.com or iamjoshbloom.com.+++More about Josh:I published my first newsletter before the age of ten, written using my next-door neighbor’s typewriter, copied with carbon paper, and distributed to mailboxes on my bicycle.One of my first stories was the obituary of John Belushi. Strange for a ten year old? Yes!I'm serious about not taking life too seriously.™❤️ 🏳️‍🌈 ✡️ 🧘‍♂️ 🥯 🍔 🍩