Banter Bites

The World's Being Destroyed By Empty Words

Years of words but no actions got us here. And "urging," "encouraging," and "inviting" are just more words …

BANTER BITE BACKSTORY: Even though Red sometimes tends to be an ostrich and ignores reality, not when it comes to climate change; and although we may see things differently, we both know that simply ignoring it will only make things worse.

Red, being first and foremost a mom, looks at global warming and weather events that are more catastrophic with each passing year, and other environmental issues such as the importance of recycling and the impact humans are having on endangered species, from the perspective of what kind of world does she want to leave her, and other people's, children, grandchildren, and hopefully generations beyond that.


Having lived around the world, she's always been disheartened to see the careless impact we're having but only recently learned that paradises on Earth could potentially cease to exist,

I know I'm the warm and fuzzy one, but now I find myself seesawing between feeling despondent about the world our children will inherit and angry at what could have been prevented.

Black, forever pragmatic, said that the decades of doubt and actionless words are now being seen for what it is … lots of politics and doubletalk, with emotional speeches by older "statesmen" (key words being "older" and "men"). Now, we can choose to look back and point blame, or focus on what has to be done. The "establishment" will continue to function as it always has … unless it's forced to change. And science alone will not accomplish that. Here's where we need to not only listen to, but actively support, the young activists who are unwilling to accept the status quo. Or empty promises.

When Red questioned her as to whether there was any real possibility to pivot away from the seemingly inevitable point of no return, she was expecting a litany of research, including analytical data and statistics. Instead, she received perhaps the most unexpected, but memorable, reply she could ever imagine,

At first, I thought it was industry propaganda, but then realized it was not about pointing blame but looking for solutions. The article stated livestock produces more of the "bad gas" than the energy industry, so climate change conversations – and actions – need to involve the livestock and agricultural industries. And, I guess they should include the drug industry since they mentioned Gas-X for cows.

Well, there's no shortage of unresolved issues coming out of the recent UN Climate Change Conference, and if the solutions were easy, they'd have been implemented, or, at least, identified, by now. So maybe we need to start thinking outside the box. Regardless, we've got no excuse for doing nothing … because isn't that what got us in trouble in the first place?

Today’s turbulent times for Jews may overshadow the celebration of the Jewish New Year, one of the holiest of the Jewish holidays. Yet, ironically, we feel it should strengthen its significance, as the holiday is a time for reflection on the past and hope for the future.

If you think today’s politics are ugly … let’s talk about a man who named himself “dictator for life” of the Roman empire, and is then assassinated by a group of senators, including his best friend. (However, there’s a “pretty” part – Cleopatra was his mistress.) Food trivia and leadership lessons aside, the fact July is named after him is the perfect excuse to rerun one of Red’s favorite Banter Bites

Quick! If someone says "Julius Caesar," what comes to mind?

BANTER BITE BACKSTORY: Almost everyone has heard of Julius Caesar, but how many of us really know much about him, or at least that's what Red starts to wonder when she receives the usual flippant, but still accurate, reply from her sister, after feeling very proud that she knew that July was named after the famous Roman.

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We don’t know about you, but we hate bathing suit shopping. So, we can’t imagine what it must be like if you’re looking for a gender-fluid one. And why would anyone get their panties in a knot (as Black would say) if Target sells them? Or Pride-themed merchandise? But clearly, people did. Which makes us ask … why should Target have such a difficult time supporting their LGBTQ+ (there are variations of this acronym) customers? And, more importantly, why can’t we let people celebrate who they are without facing a backlash of prejudice and violence?!

Rainbows are beautiful and suggest something magical. But during Pride Month, they also become a symbol of love, support, and understanding for the LGBTQ community.

BANTER BITE BACKSTORY: Until yesterday, when Black explained it to her, Red, like many people, didn't realize that Pride Month evolved from a tragic event, the Stonewall Uprising, into both a tribute and a memorial before it became a worldwide celebration of the LGBTQ community.

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