Banter Bites

A Holiday Weekend To Remember

Make your Memorial Day worthy of remembrance.

BANTER BITE BACKSTORY: There's something about holiday weekends that appeal to almost everyone, but where most people, like Red, look forward to having an extra "weekend" day, we suspect that few people see it the same way that Black does.

Memorial Day weekend is more than just a holiday weekend, it's also the "unofficial" start to summer. For some, that means getting away for the weekend, whether for mini-vacations or visiting friends or family, while for others, it could be a day trip. But even if it's as simple as inviting friends or family to a barbeque or picnic, this year will be special as life's slowly starting to return to some level of normalcy (whatever that is!) for people who have been vaccinated. (Although we still need to be "smart" about it.) Which, in itself, is something to celebrate. Not that Red needed a reason,

I'm not sure yet how what I'm doing this weekend, but I may go to my local AMC movie theater for the first time in over a year, which would make this a very memorable Memorial Day weekend. Or maybe just enjoy at home a great movie that honors those in the military. Or both! But I'm looking forward to being able to leisurely spend time in the kitchen (vs. hectic weekday meal preparation) and might even try some new recipes inspired by Memorial Day.

Well, we all need breaks from the craziness of our weeks and, let's face it, many weekends are often spent catching up from the week, so can be just as exhausting as the week itself. However, it sounds like Red's weekend will (hopefully) be spent doing things she loves. And the same for Black, but maybe not as you might imagine,

I can relate to you looking forward to leisure time in the kitchen, as I am looking forward to an extra day of uninterrupted work time at my computer. In fact, the only things on my calendar this holiday weekend are to put in an appearance at a Saturday evening birthday party in the building and an "appointment" on Memorial Day at 3 p.m. to observe the national moment of remembrance. So, it sounds like we both will be doing what we love best this weekend.

This is one of Red’s favorite Banter Bites in large part because of Black’s “corny” puns, but also because fresh corn is a summer staple – whether cooked on the grill or in the microwave, whether eaten on its own or as a primary ingredient in refreshing summer salads


This may be one of the corniest things you’ll ever read.

BANTER BITE BACKSTORY: It’s just a vegetable, so how can it possibly elicit such a strong reaction from Red, while, for Black, it’s more a source of amusement and even, it turns out, admiration?

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Think you can avoid artificial intelligence? Think again …

BANTER BITE BACKSTORY: Red already fights technology at every turn, preferring to keep her ostrich head in the sand, plus, she finds Artificial Intelligence (AI) scary; whereas Black knows ignoring reality merely postpones the inevitable, so she’s started playing with AI to understand it better …

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A man better known for his death than his life, although Red, the straight-A student and history lover, immediately thinks of the costly and controversial movie of his life. (Well, technically, it was the life of Cleopatra.) Black, of course, focuses on business – leadership lessons, including the power of words, although she surprises Red with some food trivia. But the fact July’s 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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