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 really think you need a hobby that does not involve using an “independent browser.” You’ve gone way down the conspiracy-theory rabbit hole.
In addition to hopping on board the HAARP bandwagon, you are, naturally, an antivaxxer.
You posted this recently. Are you really wanting to go back to 1890s knowledge? They were still using cocaine as an all-purpose pain reliever, for crying out loud!
There doesn’t seem to be a conspiracy theory you don’t embrace.
COVID was a well-planned global conspiracy coordinated via the corrupt George Soros-owned media and search engines. The mRNA-DNA altering injections (i.e., vaccines) were sold for massive profits — killing people with the “Pfizer clot shot” while the unvaxxed were hunted.
Let’s put aside simple facts such as mRNA doesn’t alter DNA, the vaccines were/are free, and no one hunted unvaxxed folks. There are a couple of other issues:
All the countries of the world agreed to do this: Russia, Ukraine, North Korea, U.S., China, etc.? And they all worked together well and kept it a secret? Like I told you, I can’t even get three people to keep a secret about a Christmas present.
Who exactly benefited from this plot? COVID crashed economies. What’s the point of killing so many people with COVID or with the vaccine? Were they enemies of the DEEP STATE? Did they KNOW TOO MUCH? Somehow I doubt it.
Why is anyone hunting unvaxxed people? There’s no need. I mean, I believe in survival of the fittest. You don’t want to get vaccinated? OK. Polio, measles, cholera, etc. will take you out soon enough.
Side note: All “experts” are not in academia. Look at all the scientists, economists, etc., all over the world.
You know, I have a good position at a university. Shouldn’t I be part of this club? I’ve been working in higher education for nearly 30 years. Shouldn’t I have gotten an invitation by now? I’m a little put out. How am I supposed to know how to indoctrinate students without the official guidelines?
Um … didn’t this dude go to Yale?
I’m also surprised you didn’t warn me off my Alexa. You’d be right about surveillance, though: I’m sure that old ‘ho IS listening all the time and making notes.
Fine. I don’t care. What’s she tracking? When I need cat food? Good.
If Bill Gates wants to implant a chip in me and track my movements, he can go right ahead.
It’s not like I’m plotting a global conspiracy.
Back to that.
Let’s say, just for kicks, that you are right — that you and the rest of the 5G nutters have stumbled onto the truth of a cabal and exposed their machinations. (You haven’t, but let’s pretend.)
So what?
What are you going to do about it?
What if the earth IS flat? (It’s not.)
So what?
How does it affect you?
What if the moon landing WAS fake? (It wasn’t.)
So what?
How will your life change?
It won’t.
It genuinely does not make a difference to you or to me or to anyone in our daily lives. We are still going to go to work, hang out with friends, take care of our families, clean our houses, plan vacations, pay bills, go to dinner, etc., every day whether George Soros buys another TV station or not.
So my recommendation is to get off the Internet (dark web, light web, private browser, whatever) and go get some fresh air. Have a few analog days. Or weeks. Or maybe even months.
But MTG isn’t the only halfwit out there tweeting (er .. Xing) nonsense.
Application (louder for people in the back)
Abandoned
Sound waves
Joins applications for fun things like time travel and invisibility cloaks and urinal headrests
Can’t we get rain over deserts?
But wait, here’s more:
Ok, y’all: I’m going to address just one thing to bring the rest of this nonsense into focus:
These storms brewing in the Atlantic at the same time? Not a coincidence.
That’s right. That’s because IT’S HURRICANE SEASON.
Hurricane season runs June 1-Nov. 30 EVERY YEAR.
It’s at its most active in late August and September when water temperatures in the Gulf and in the Atlantic are at their warmest.
(Reality check: When was Hurricane Katrina? Aug. 29, 2005. Who was president? George W. Bush. When was Hurricane Andrew? Aug. 24, 1992. Who was president? George H. W. Bush.)
Facebook reminded me I was worried about the path of Hurricane Matthew at this time eight years ago.
So a little check back around this time every effing year would find a few storms brewing in the Atlantic. These storms have gotten more intense. Why? CLIMATE CHANGE, YOU ABSOLUTE TURNIP.
(Ok. I’m breathing. I’m breathing. In with the good air. Out with the bad.)
Back to the U.S. government controlling hurricanes. Does it? No. Did it? If you count some light cloud seeding back in the 1960s-1980s? Still no (it didn’t work).
Auntie Beth recommends you stop believing complete buffoons and liars and start believing and helping people who want to do things such as:
Reduce carbon emissions
Replace and repair critical infrastructure
Find and fund insurance for homeowners and renters in areas potentially most affected
Build storm-resilient structures
Develop new clean-energy sources and technology
If you can’t do that, at least stop sharing misinformation on Leon’s sinking barge of barf.
Not a damn thing. Folks need to get over it. (Or stop doing stupid stuff to cause the face. 😄)
Here’s a handy decoder:
“Oh you think so, do you? FAFO.”“Let me get this straight.”“Bitch, please.”“I’m laughing at you, not with you.”“Come on, now.”“This MFer.”“Do tell.”“I’m just going to look down at my notes, because my face has nothing nice to say.”“Oh, honey. I actually feel sorry for you.”
Now let’s test your knowledge. What is my face saying to you?
A. This bar is great. B. The decor is unique. C. I found love in a hopeless place. D. I want to murder this man who sat four inches from me despite the fact that there were 10 empty seats at the bar.
If you said D, then winner, winner, chicken dinner!
Whatever you do, don’t be this guy:
It’s misogynistic and akin to “you should smile more.” Frank, how ’bout you train yourself to STFU.
If you need it, here’s a dude saying roughly the same thing:
It’s an extra layer of communication. Useful, I’d say.
I mean, just think about how moms operate. All you needed was THE LOOK from your mom, and you stopped your buffoonery immediately.
In retrospect, I should amend my first line. I do not “suffer” from FAFO Face. I actually celebrate it! I have the ability to communicate effectively without words.
In the age of social media, I know it is hard not to share a chart or a meme that fits in with your world view/personal bias. I know it seems great in the moment, but I really encourage you to check your facts.
As we are in an election year, and people are foaming at the mouth, sharing misinformation is a real problem.
A couple of far-right friends shared a chart I found interesting:
It’s interesting to me because it looks great for your cause if you are a Trump supporter.
BUT THIS CHART IS WRONG. I know it is wrong because I had recently done some research on gas prices.
(That people think the President of the United States controls the price of gas is insane to me.)
Anyway, I was motivated to get the real numbers, and I had some spare time.
I put together a spreadsheet. I hate Excel, so I need everyone to understand that this is a big deal.
In addition to providing the real data for the categories in the chart above, I added some other key info such as the global inflation rate, deficit and GDP. I also added the numbers for the last four years Obama was in office to give context.
I’m presenting it here without comment. These are real numbers, and I can provide sources for this data (non-media sources). Let me know if you want me to send you the spreadsheet with source links.
The bottom line: Educate yourself. Decide what is important to you. Vote accordingly.
Also, don’t share stupid inflammatory shit that is wrong. There is enough misinformation in the world without you adding to it.
Take some time off. Regroup. See your barber (and a stylist). Maybe consider retirement. You’ve worked hard. You’ve given the world some great music. Fans appreciate you. Don’t repay their loyalty by dying on stage in front of them.
I’m a fan of them, in general, but they are not suited for the rental market for two main reasons:
Miles possible on a charge.
Availability of charging stations.
Time to charge.
Ok, so let’s discuss No. 1. I was told at the JFK rental counter that the Chevy Volt that was forced on me** would get 250 miles per charge.
Perhaps that’s true if the owner takes care of the car. But this Volt was a rental. I was told it was fully charged when the rental fellow turned over the keys.
It didn’t look charged to me:
It looks like it has just over half a charge, but what do I know?
So I went on my way to visit my father on Long Island.
That brings us to No. 2. Random charging stations are available here and there, but there are only a few plugs at a time. With more and more people driving electric vehicles, sometimes there is a wait to charge. There’s also the No. 3 issue. I’ll get to that in a moment.
I found a charging station six miles from my father’s house. It was in a parking lot near a fire station. Luckily, he was able to go with me to set the car on charge, then we drove around and had lunch.
What if that hadn’t been an option?
And here’s the biggest problem: Time to charge (No. 3).
We left the car charging for 2.5 hours. And that wasn’t enough to get it fully charged from a 65-mile drive.
2.5 HOURS!
I had to find another charging station on the way back. (Why? To avoid the $60 fee for bringing it back on less than 100 percent charged. Seems like you REALLY like that dollar figure.)
This time, I managed to find a fast-charge place by a mall. There were five charging units, but only three were working. I had to wait to get one.
I plugged in the car, and waited. Tethered like a teenager to TikTok.
The charging unit said one hour to 80 percent charge. The Volt said 34 minutes to full charge.
Can you guess the Volt’s problem?
My guess is battery health.
It’s not like these cars are cheaper or cooler to drive. And you still have to pay for charging, so there’s no major saving over gas.
Home use is a great idea. I borrowed my friend Marlane’s Kia EV over Thanksgiving, and it was fantastic. I set it on charge in the garage overnight once it got low.
But for a rental? No thanks. Bad idea.
If you won’t take my advice, please just make a note in my file that I never want to rent one again.
**I got the manager’s special rate with the best available car. The Volt is what was offered. I asked (read: begged) for a regular car. No, ma’am, unless I wanted to pay $60 extra.
Observe and report 