Shipwrecked & Comatose

I suppose the mere fact that I am writing this blog post qualifies me as a "Karen".  That's how far this whole Karen meme has gone. When I first saw Karen memes on social media, I assumed I missed out on some pop culture reference.  For example, I didn't know the origin of "Bye Felicia," for a long time, so I assumed "Karen" was a reference to a movie or TV show I never saw.  I have no problem admitting I'm unhip and not always current with what the kids are watching.  I had to research it.  The results were problematic to me. I learned a "Karen" is a selfish, entitled, woman,  who makes unreasonable demands and will always ask to speak to a higher authority if not given what she wants.  The meme often includes snarky requests to "speak to the manager".  Karen is always white, and often blond with a strange or expensive haircut, and usually middle-aged.  Karen thinks she is superior to you, and she is old enough to think she...

Can someone explain this one to me?   Why do citizen of the United States, citizens who call themselves patriots, care so much about statues of Civil War "heroes" and the Confederate flag?  If you love your country, why are you so passionate about the glorification of such a violent act of treason against our beloved nation?  Why do you care so much about a "country" that was only in existence for five years before it was defeated and became part of the United States again?   Before you say, "Because it's history," tell me this: How many Confederate memorials have you encountered in your life?  Up until I was eighteen years old, I never ventured south of Washington DC.  I never saw a Confederate memorial.  I don't even think I saw a Confederate memorial in any of my travels in the south (or if I saw one, I didn't pay much attention to it).  Would you believe I knew all about the Civil War?  I knew about Robert E. Lee and Stonewall J...

Why do some people feel the need to dictate what others can and can't be offended by?  Just because something doesn't bother you doesn't mean it invalidates the way others feel.  Even if that person's view is unsupported by facts or ethics, the correct reaction is to educate, not berate. In the past three months I have done a lot of quarantine baking.  I baked less than many of my peers, but I'm home much more than I used to be, so I'm baking much more often than I was before the lockdown.  So far I made blondies, scones, sticky buns, sweet biscuits, savory biscuits, a pie (sort of), pizza, cupcakes, and a layer cake.     My upcoming plans for baking projects include sesame bars, tiramisu, and coconut cake. You know what I haven't made?  I haven't made banana bread.  I have not baked a single loaf of banana bread. It's not even on my list.  Am I the only COVID-19 Quarantine baker who hasn't made banana bread yet? You know what is t...

Two years ago I wrote a post on this blog titled What If He Goes Down .  It speculated about the dangerous place this country would become if Trump were removed from office, or not reelected, or imprisoned for treason.  His supporters are militant and don't hesitate to tell the rest of us they are armed. I wondered if there is a risk of armed rebellion if Trump had to leave office. He survived the many investigations, and even an impeachment trial, and now the country faces his possible reelection.  Today I'm not certain the country won’t be in more danger if Trump wins the election than he will be if he loses it. I have plenty of things to fear if he is reelected.  I fear his economy will continue to favor his wealthiest supporters and push more Americans at the bottom into poverty wages with no health insurance.  I fear his constant diplomatic missteps.  I fear his mental instability.  I fear he will trash the planet.  I don't want him reele...

Have you heard the one about how much liberals hate the police?  Liberals hate the police.  Depending on whom you speak to, liberals want to abolish the police and give hugs and therapy to all criminals.  Then there are also the liberals who are terrorist thugs who want to destroy law and order with their own arsenal of bombs and guns. This is why being a liberal sometimes gives me an identity crisis. In the din of angry voices we hear liberals trying to speak up.  "I respect law enforcement," they say.  "Police are heroes.  A few bad apples don't spoil the whole bushel.  I have friends who are police officers.  I have close family members who are police officers.  They are good people.  They only want to serve and protect their communities.  They aren't racists." Their social media feeds are filled with photos of police officers helping others and receiving hugs from civilians. Not every liberal feels this way and that scares...