Shipwrecked & Comatose

Today is the Fourth of July, otherwise known as Independence Day.  It is a day we celebrate America's freedom, or so I'm told. One phrase I see often on this day, and other patriotic holidays, is this one: Freedom isn't free I never gave much thought to that phrase, but I'm starting to think about it now.  What does it mean?  Is it really true? Sadly, it is true.  Freedom isn't free.  It is being held captive by regressives.  People who call themselves conservatives have hijacked freedom and put it in chains.  They are hoarding it and slowly perverting it for their own ends.  They want freedom to be only what they want it to be. What freedoms are imprisoned by the Right? Freedom of Speech - It's okay to say, " Fuck your feelings ," and be politically incorrect if they are the ones saying it.  If you dare speak out and criticize them or their Dear Leader, the White House Orangutan, you will be called mean and uncivil.  Your...

So you voted for Trump and you still want to defend your choice? Somehow you still want to defend the indefensible.  You made your choice, but you think you are innocent of the consequences of your actions. "Stop calling me a racist.  I'm not a racist because I voted for Trump." Sorry.  You can come up with as many excuses as you want, but if you support and defend a racist, you're not off the hook. You say you're not a racist because you think the KKK is bad, or because you refuse to use the N-word.  You would never support the reinstatement of Jim Crow laws.  You couldn't possibly be a racist.  You love minorities. You have minority friends. This is what most white people don't understand (or want to understand) about racism.  Just because you're not burning crosses or segregating bathrooms doesn't mean you don't practice elements of racism in your daily life.  Racism isn't black or white.  It's a continuum.  There are many ty...

Who lit the fires of hate and incivility? It began with Donald Trump’s campaign. - Dan Rather Wendy Williams.  Kathy Griffin.  Samantha Bee.  Robert De Niro.  It's open season for angry celebrities who want to shout rude names at the current administration and everyone connected with it. Somehow that is making the supporters of this administration angry.  There are plenty of angry Republicans out there complaining about the rude, mean, liberals who are so disrespectful of that buffoon in the White House (I refuse to call him the president).  How dare anyone talk like that?  How has this country become so uncivil? For all of you Trump supporters who are clutching your pearls and stewing in your shorts, I have one thing to say to you. Ever since the early days of his campaign, Trump has been disrespectful and mean-spirited. Every American he has ever disparaged or made fun of is one of his constituents - the very people he is supposed to be se...

A well regulated Militia, being necessary to the security of a free State, the right of the people to keep and bear Arms, shall not be infringed. - US Constitution, Amendment II These days when I hear certain groups of Americans talk about "freedom" and "liberty", they only seem to be talking about freedom to own guns  Lots of guns. Unlimited access to guns.  If I ask, "What does freedom mean to you?" the answer would be "More guns." So what exactly does a gun do?  What is its function?  What is its purpose?  If you strip away the flag waving, and the rhetoric, and the extreme nationalism, and just consider the essence of a gun as a tool, the answer would be simple.  A gun's purpose is to kill. Don't tell me that humbug about "Guns don't kill people."  Yes, they do kill people (and animals).  The purpose of a gun is to kill something or someone quickly and easily. So if you believe that guns are freedom, are you will...

I'd be lying if I said I didn't miss Facebook.  I haven't heard from some of my friends for two months. I left Facebook and now it's out of sight, out of mind.  I find myself hovering over Kevin when he has Facebook up on his iPad, desperate to know if anything is interesting is going on.  I have that worry that if I try to contact friends some other way I'll be bothering them and making them go out of their way.  Besides, without my being on Facebook, we have nothing to talk about. Knowing I still want to know what's happening on FB is a sign of my addiction.  I'm like an alcoholic trying to just get a little drop. As badly as I want to be back in the fray, I know it's not good for me. Then again, this whole data scandal makes me glad I am staying away.  Do I really want to be the victim of having my personal data sold? Who am I kidding?  Facebook has been monitoring my use, collecting my data, and selling it long before I left.  All of thi...

I have more photos here .  I know that title is a cliche.  I just like the way it sounds. Is there any place more beautiful and magical than Hawaii?  There is a reason so many tourists will flock to a remote island in the middle of the Pacific.  Now that I have left, I am already making my plans to return.  Returning isn't easy.  The trip is long and the stay is expensive. I suppose Hawaii's cost and distance is part of what makes it so special.  If it were accessible, if you could easily travel there often and cheaply, it would be just another tropical island.  Hawaii is like anything rare and precious.  We value it more because we can't easily have it.  Then again, some people end up moving there and are just as happy to be there full time and not just as a special vacation.  That's not something I could easily do.  I couldn't just pack up my stuff and move thousands of miles away from my friends and family and life her...

I think the best picture Oscar going to The Shape of Water was the Academy's (still don't know what that is) apology to GenXers for not choosing ET for Best Picture when they were kids. Why do some people have such an aversion to wearing socks?  I understand there are some drawbacks to wearing cheap socks.  It's uncomfortable when they fall down inside your shoes.  I know people who are too lazy to replace old socks and walk around with giant holes in their socks  That isn't terribly comfortable either.  Assuming the socks are good quality and well-fitting, what is so wrong with them?  They can be cute with fun colors and patterns.  They can be warm and soft and comforting on a cold day.  They can help prevent frostbite on a cold winter day.  They help prevent shoe bites and super-stinky feet.  I guess some people just have sensory issues. People don't like socks the way I don't like baggy pants or corduroys. When did Avery become ...