Auntie Beth knows the holidays can be polarizing, and it’s not just because of voting habits.
It’s the cranberry sauce.
There will never be peace between the warring factions of jarred vs. whole berry.
For the record, Auntie Beth likes them both.
Grandma Kathy’s is a whole-berry house.
Let’s start there and examine the Thanksgiving staples:
Whole-berry cranberry sauce FTW.Also polarizing: green bean casserole. Auntie Beth is a fan.Not a fan of gravy, though.Mashed potatoes with the secret ingredient: cream cheese. Not great for the waistline, but worth it.Mac and cheese with about 27 different kinds of cheese.Dressing (NOT stuffing as it didn’t go in the turkey).Keep the carb fest going with rolls.Roasted carrots with sage and brown butter.A little salad so folks can pretend to be healthy.THE MAIN EVENTPumpkin pies: Libby’s regular on the left, fresh on the right.
For this Thanksgiving, we also had some different choices:
Brie and fig jam puffsDeviled eggsWhatever these are (delicious)
What are some dishes you can’t live without for Thanksgiving? Tell us all in the comments.
Notice that I did not say “experts on the internet.” There is a difference. Just because you have access to all sorts of information, that does not mean you are an expert on various topics.
Case in point: 45 (incoming 47) spends loads of time on his phone, could Google “tariffs” if he wanted, but does not seem to understand how they work. Fact: Other countries do not actually pay the price.
(And those who think tariffs won’t drive up costs ALSO could have done a quick Google search BEFORE the election when it would have been most helpful, not afterward.)
I read a surprising exchange on the platform formerly known as Twitter. A person actually said that having a degree in a subject doesn’t make you an expert.
Um. What?
I’ll allow that maybe it doesn’t make you THE expert, but it does make you AN expert. You certainly would be better versed in the subject than some rando.
In the runup to the election, I had friends of Facebook friends — people who didn’t know me — trying to tell me about the “woke liberal media,” “fake news” and media ownership.
I wanted to scream, “I worked in media for 30+ years. I literally wrote the book** on media ownership. SHUT UP.”
When did people become so anti-science and anti-knowledge? When did people stop listening to people who have experience and expertise and KNOW WHAT THEY ARE TALKING ABOUT?
Can you imagine someone who has never done your job telling you they know more about it than you do? You would be outraged. And rightfully so.
So why, dearest Internet Expert, do you think it is OK to do this on social media?
Look at this exchange about COVID (which, by the way, is still around and killing people, even though we like to ignore it):
So let’s recap: A person with an advanced degree in virology is being told by these “Internet Experts” that she:
is giving terrible advice.
lives in a fantasy.
is a low IQ individual.
doesn’t know anything.
Her actual job for more than 10 years is studying viruses, but yet she doesn’t know as much as these three fools?
GTFO.
For kicks, here are their profiles:
So they seem fun.
Honestly, where do people get off?
I saw this just today:
I’m all for people having opinions, but come on: We are not equal in all areas. There is and should be a hierarchy of knowledge.
For example, I will listen to my doctor about my health over WebMD. (It’s better that way anyhow: WebMD always says I’m dying tomorrow.)
My point? Stay in your lane. I’m sure you have an expertise. We will trust you in that area. In return, please trust others who are experts in their fields.
Google is a great tool, but it is no match for a true education.
Though I’m not a fan of Biden’s Department of Education (see FAFSA failure), Trump’s was terrible too (hi, Betsy DeVos).
Now he just wants to just get rid of the DoE altogether.
Without the Department of Education, what becomes of special needs programs? Head Start? Pell Grants? FAFSA overall?
Oh, money is going back to the states? Riiiiight. Sure it is. I’ll bite: How? What’s the process? How is it not going to be a disaster like FAFSA was/is?
Why do I care? I work in higher education. I am worried about my job in a way I’ve never had to worry about in any other presidential election.
Also, Vance called professors “the enemy.” So that’s great. 🙄
If I lose my job, I can’t sleep on the street. SCOTUS said so.
Plus, I’m middle aged. The sidewalk would hurt my back.
Ordinarily, if the candidate I voted for didn’t win, I’d be disappointed, but I’d go about the business of living my life. Just regular grousing.
It’s different now.
Among many other ‘bright’ ideas, Trump said he wants to bring back prayer in schools (which is a violation of the separation of church and state, and unconstitutional as of 1962), eliminate birthright citizenship (which is against the 14th Amendment of the Constitution**), and plans to go through with mass deportations of millions of people (with “no price tag” — isn’t that the OPPOSITE of smaller government you said you wanted?).
Y’all did say you care about the economy and immigration, so let’s start with the latter.
I don’t think you know who picks your food. Who works on your roads. Who builds your houses. And it will deter people in the tech, engineering and medical fields as well.
There will be a price tag, alright. And we will all pay it.
Deporting illegal immigrants will collapse our economy. Also, we are talking about HUMAN BEINGS with full lives and families in this country. What are they going “back” to? What about the people who have no ties to their country of “origin?” What’s wrong with you?
I did my own reconnaissance on the price of things, just for an “OMGTHINGSARESOEXPENSIVE!!” baseline. (They aren’t.)
Note that I’m in Oregon, where cost of living is higher for many things. Produce tends to be lower, though. Still, I’ll check back in on these prices once Trump really gets going.
It’s worth noting that this is the lowest gas has been since I moved here.
I meant to take a pic of coffee. That’s something we import the shit out of. And bananas and sugar. I’ll document those on my next grocery run.****
If Trump starts with his insane tariff plans, costs for all those will go up.
I don’t think you understand tariffs. Or economics. Or definitions of economic systems.
Let me help.
Capitalism: Private individuals and companies offer goods and services. They control production and distribution.
Socialism: The community owns goods and services through a centralized government. Individuals can own property.
Communism: Everything is owned by an authoritarian government. No private property.
Marxism: A critique of capitalism that focuses on the exploitation of workers. Marx said the next step is socialism after the workers rebel.
And while we are at it, here are three more:
Fascism: A system of government where a dictator has complete power — squashing criticism and opposition while emphasizing extreme nationalism.
Authoritarianism: A system of government where the power of the state — either one person or a small group not accountable to the people — is more important than individual freedom.
Oligarchy: A form of government in which a few people or a dominant class holds all the power.
Huh. Those three sound a little too familiar.
Anyway. I did what I could before the election to counter the misinformation you all were lapping up like my naked cat drinks water. I tried. And I voted. Even though my ballot has STILL not been counted, according to the online tracker. (Starlink, again?)
All I can say is this:
I hope you get what you voted for.
Beth
Just putting this here for proof. Ignore the apostrophe (“High’s”). The rest is accurate. (I didn’t make this graphic.)
Soak Oregon will put the fear of God in you: “The last few miles [to the trail head] are on a rough road, so we recommend a high-clearance vehicle.”
Don’t pay any attention to that. (Auntie Beth nearly rented a Jeep. She would have been PISSED OFF if she had wasted that money. She was totally fine in her tiny, low-clearance VW.)
Soak Oregon also warns, “This trail is steep.”
Do pay attention to that.
The part that has a makeshift hand rail does not need it, and the part that absolutely does need one does NOT.
Auntie Beth tripped on a tree root and nearly toppled backward onto her man friend, which would surely have sent him to his death (not that she is being dramatic in any way).
A rare quiet moment at the hot springs.
There should have been warnings about other things.
• Facilities. The U.S. Forest Service notes a vault toilet on site. It does not mention that the smell emanating from it is akin to a fleet of porta potties after Lollapalooza.
•The horde of hippies. It was just after lunch on a Tuesday. Auntie Beth had taken the day off. Had all these young people done the same thing? Or was this their job as “influencers” or something? There were so many of them — probably 40 total in pods of five and six — clogging all the pools.
• Dress code. Auntie Beth had been warned that Oregon hot springs are nakie. She was resigned to her derobed destiny. What she found might have been worse: the entire Columbia Sportswear catalog.
• Pot. The Hot Springs Hippies LOVED them some weed. Auntie Beth is no square, but does not understand the allure of smoking when edibles exist. (Don’t people care about their lungs?) Also, secondhand smoke is AWFUL. So skunky.
Auntie Beth took this pic after the first wave of visitors cleared out.
With rising concern (i.e., panic) about the hike back down, a burgeoning pot-induced headache, and general distaste for crowds, Auntie Beth felt the need to cut her visit short.
See that tight-lipped smile? Auntie Beth is not feeling the restorative effects of the hot springs.
No fewer than two wannabe travel guides insisted that Auntie Beth and Man Friend should explore the lower pools.
“No, thank you.”
If this sounds like your idea of a good time, ENJOY!
One of the locals Auntie Beth met at the nearby convenience store did say that the time to go is first thing in the morning as no one is there.
(Right. That’s because it is SO VERY COLD outside.)
I love a guest post, and it has been a WHILE. Today’s comes from Kerstin, who shares a tale of a house divided.
I’ll be back with an original post on Election Tuesday.
Love, Beth
My daughter, a junior communications major, uses social media for work, but Facebook is for old people like her grandparents, parents, aunts and uncles worldwide and probably some former teachers and coaches. Every now and again she will post pictures of what she’s doing away at college. We ask if we may tag her in pictures when we are together.
Despite being six hours away, we remain close — probably chat daily, about anything and everything. It’s the relationship we are choosing to have with each other.
Last year, she introduced us to her boyfriend. We had seen him in her group of friends since freshman year and have enjoyed welcoming him to our home during holidays and spending time together when we visit her.
We were introduced to his parents during a tailgating party at their university. He plays football. Despite differences, we have common ground: the kids.
As I was scrolling through social media one night, I saw a meme she had reposted. I treated it like every other political meme I see: I scrolled right past it — not because I agree or disagree with it, but because I’m a fan of hurricane memes and not much more.
It was late. I kind of thought “oh boy” to myself — almost certain she would be inviting comments from those opposed to her views. That’s totally fine, but whose opinion has ever been changed by a meme on Facebook? (Even if it should have?)
I went to sleep and woke up to a message including a screen shot: a response from her boyfriend’s father regarding the meme. Oh boy!
The meme that was reposted by my daughter:
“we cancel out each others votes!!” “you’re dating a man that doesn’t care if you live or die.”
The response from the father:
“Very extreme, emotional and a false narrative. [My son] would be the first one to put his life on the line to save others. Would you? You now have the right to vote and choose as it should be. It’s a state issue and always has been.”
First things first: the good news.
My daughter’s boyfriend immediately sided with her, and reached out to the dad. I am glad he sides with my daughter, and even more pleased that he didn’t cancel out her vote.
My daughter then responded to the dad rather lengthy and pleasantly unhinged and unfiltered. If he didn’t know where she stood before, he does now. That paired with phone calls from his son should have triggered an apology. Instead he fled into the lie that he thought he was responding to the original poster.
Dude, what a lame lie, how would the original poster know the son? Who knows how old the original poster is? Is that person even a U.S. citizen? Eligible to vote? A simple humble apology would have been a solid choice. But no, the verbal attack was followed up by a lie that he holds onto.
Going forward, I have won the happy couple to host for holidays, vacations and the just because.
But really there are no winners here.
We are going up to the parents’ chili cookoff at the final home game of the season. It’s the weekend after the election.
Note from Beth: That should be fun. I’ll have to check in with Kerstin to see how that went.
Observe and report 