Flax Gel Conditioning Treatment (It's Too Much, Y'all)

 After months of thinking about it, I finally tried doing a flax gel conditioning treatment for my hair. Never again, my friends, never, ever again...

First of all, I waited for a day when I was feeling a bit more energetic than usual.  And I feel like I should have used that energy on something else - like cleaning out my storage space or learning to build a hydro plant.

Making the gel

Of course, before I could do anything else, I had to make the treatment gel. It's not a complicated recipe but it takes time. Here it is:

Ingredients:

1/4 cup flaxseeds

1/2 cup water

2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

2 tablespoons coconut oil

Instructions:

In a small saucepan, combine the flaxseeds and water. Bring the mixture to a boil, then reduce the heat to low and let it simmer for about 10-15 minutes. Stir occasionally.

As the mixture simmers, it will thicken and become gel-like. Once it reaches a gel-like consistency, remove the saucepan from heat.

Place a fine mesh strainer or cheesecloth over a bowl or container. Pour the mixture into the strainer, allowing the gel to separate from the flaxseeds. Use the back of a spoon or spatula to press out as much gel as possible. Discard the flaxseeds or save them for other uses.

Let the flaxseed gel cool down to room temperature.

Once the gel has cooled, add the extra virgin olive oil and coconut oil. Stir well to combine all the ingredients.

Apply the mixture generously to clean, damp hair, focusing on the lengths and ends. Massage it into your hair and scalp, ensuring thorough coverage.

Cover your hair with a shower cap or plastic wrap and leave the deep conditioner on for at least 30 minutes. For a more intense treatment, you can leave it on for a few hours or overnight.

Rinse out the deep conditioner with lukewarm water, followed by your regular shampoo and conditioner or a co-wash routine.

This DIY deep conditioner combines the moisturizing properties of flaxseed gel with the nourishing benefits of extra virgin olive oil and coconut oil. It helps to hydrate, soften, and add shine to your hair. Remember to adjust the ingredient quantities based on your hair length and thickness.

And, where did I get the recipe? ChatGPT. Seriously.

Anyway. Some of my morning energy had begun to drain away by the late afternoon when it was time to heat the seeds. I decided to soak them instead. So I did, but the next day, I read somewhere that boiling the seeds is better than soaking the. I guess boiling them extracts more of the nutrients and also creates more of a gelatinous texture. 

I ended up also boiling the seeds that I had soaked overnight. I used the same seeds and water and the thin gel that soaking had produced. The result was a much thicker gel but I kind of wish I'd left well enough alone. If I had not had some latex gloves, I would not have been able to work with the booger-y substance. And I will never work with it again, I can promise you that!

Once I actually had a mixture done, I used an immersion blender to really blend it all together. I put it all in a plastic squeeze bottle. 

Applying the treatment

Once the oils are mixed in with the gel, it's a bit less nasty feeling. But just a bit. I separated my hair and applied the gel to small sections at a time. Once I'd smoothed the liquid from root to tip, I secured the hair in twists. Light and drippy twists. I did this to my entire head and put on 2 plastic caps.

My goal had been to leave the treatment in overnight. That was not feasible. The liquid really stays super wet and I had to tuck cotton around the edges of the cap to keep it from dripping everywhere. I was sure that sleeping with a thick towel under my head wouldn't protect my bed linens. I settled for leaving it in for around 4 hours while I cleaned up, made dinner, and ate.

Instead of shampooing the mixture out, I used a co-wash.

The results

As much as I hated the process, I have to admit that the results were awesome. My hair looked and felt better - as if I'd gone to the salon for a deep conditioner.

While it was still damp, I used my usual oil and cream and a sealant. I used shea on my scalp.

When my hair was completely dried from everything, it did have a bit more shine and it still felt good. The next couple of days after the treatment, my natural curls remained soft and lovely. Four days in, I could revive the initial results by spritzing with a fine water mist and fluffing the curls with my fingers. I washed my hair again after that. And, no, I didn't use the gel but I plan to the next wash day. I will leave it in for about an hour. Maybe.

So was it worth it?

Yes, it was worth it - this one time. I don't think that I will ever make more because the initial flax gel texture is just too gross for words... Or maybe I will be like those women who, after the pain of labor, have more children. I don't know. I'm pretty sure I will be able to find a flaxseed conditioner online. (Please, God, let it be so!)

Thankfully I have quite a bit of leftover product in the bottle. It's supposed to keep (tightly sealed and in the fridge) for 12 to 14 days. Once there's any change in smell, texture (as if it could be worse), or color, into the trash it goes.

If you can stomach working with the gel, I highly recommend at least trying the treatment. If you have a weak stomach and a vivid imagination, like me, try finding a ready-made version.

Peace

--Free

The Saga of Finding A Dresser

Can someone tell me what ever happened to the idea of actual dresser drawers? I'm talking dressers made of some kind of non-toothpick-strength wood and with real drawers to hold real and adult-sized clothing. 

For the past 4 or 5 months, I have been trying to find a bedroom dresser. I'm not looking for anything fancy or special. I just want a basic dresser - made for adults - to hold my clothing - not for my TV, not for my "media" and not just for socks and gloves and other things that kindergartners keep in their cubbies.

$109 and made in China

Finding a halfway decent dresser drawer is becoming headache-inducing.

The first sites I checked were, of course, Amazon and Walmart. Then I moved on to Wayfair and Overstock. My first search query was basic and done with a China-blocking app on: "bedroom dresser $200 or less" and the results indicated that I was going to have a bit of a problem.

Most of the results that came back were items made for the nursery or an entryway. Almost all of them had fabric drawers because, apparently, that's a thing now and not just for dorm rooms or travel-trailer storage. I'm not kidding. Sometimes, the product page won't even call these things dressers and label them as "organizers" - which is legit if I'm looking for something to keep my financial papers in... When I added dimensions to be taller than doorknob height, things only got a tad better. 

$119 (on sale for $101)

I literally sat down for at least a quarter of an hour, just trying to figure out the perfect search terms. "Wooden, bedroom drawers, no fabric, adult, $200 or less" is what I came up with. The results were worse than for the basic search. "Wood" these days can be used to describe anything from particle board, engineered, laminate, bamboo, and alloy. What? Do the online sites not understand the term "wood"?

One time, I did find a decent-looking item. It was on Amazon. The price was very decent (originally $295 but on sale for $175) and with over 8000 customer ratings. The problem is that the ratings were wonky - 57% 5-star ratings and 11%  1-star ratings. If that wasn't bad enough, some of the reviews were of the "get what you pay for" type. Of course, you usually do get what you pay for but, in reviews, that phrase is not promising especially when some of the photos showed broken parts and cosmetic damage. Oh, and, most of the first reviews I read indicated that people bought the dresser for a child's room or the nursery. ~sigh~

So, okay. Maybe I was shooting for too low of a price. I upped the maximum price limit to $250.  I know that's not a lot but I'm not furnishing a stately home. I'm only looking for something to store some clothing. If it's not ugly and won't fall over if I lean against it, that would be great. 

After searching for at least 2 weeks, I grew sick of seeing even more "cube" or fabric "drawers". I don't think it should be legal to use the term "fabric" for any type of dresser drawer. "Fabric" should be for under drawers, if you know what I mean.  At least the word "cube" lets me immediately know to skip the item. And the photos... So sneaky! I'd see something that, in the product photos, looked like wood only for customer photos to show webbing or plastic painted to give the appearance of wood.

Then, one day, the heavens opened, golden light shone down and angels sang. My brother (who often buys pallets of goods for resale) got a couple of boxes of furniture in a load. And, boy, I was so happy when 2 of the boxes contained dressers! And of course, because my entire family is wonderful like this, my brother gave me one of the boxes. Yes!

My brother had just had surgery to remove a GIST so he had to have someone else bring the heavy box to me and I would have to do the assembly. I was ready for it and had a neighbor as a helper.  I unpacked everything and she went and tossed the box and all the styrofoam and plastic out in time to catch the garbage truck. (This was a big box and took up a lot of room that I do not have.)

So now I had a free dresser (and not the cheap kind either) and an assembly helper. This is when you'd think I was home free, right? I was not.

In our excitement, my neighbor and I started doing the assembly before we realized we were missing something. Quite a few somethings... Somethings as in most of the pieces needed. That's when we looked at the instructions and saw that the dresser was a 1-of-2 box situation. We think that the box we threw out was Box 1. 

I will skip over the rest to say that my brother then had someone bring me the other box. His friend had to go look for it in the garage. That box turned out to be Box 2 but... it was Box 2 of an entirely different dresser.  The first dresser was a beautiful white-washed ash-blonde chest model made in Thailand. The second was a dove gray double dresser made in Brazil. I loved the chest model but the double dresser wasn't shabby either.

I gotta find the other box!

Now I had not only stressed myself out, but I also had created (or found) a problem for my brother. He was going to have to contact his pallet supplier to straighten things out because the missing boxes were not on his pallet. Somewhere, someone else was missing boxes. (I know. I'm still confused!)

Today, I still do not have a dresser. However, I do have parts to one fully unboxed dresser and another partially unboxed dresser stacked at the foot of my bed. Everything that would normally go in and on top of a dresser is in stacks around the rest of the room. It's a nightmare trying to maneuver around.

I don't even know if I still want a dresser. I'm thinking of making random stacks of stuff a design trend...

If you were to visit me right now, you would see a decently cute (but crowded) kitchen, a beautiful budget living room, and a nicely organized bathroom. At that point, you would think that I had done an amazing job creating a pleasant living space on the tightest budget in the world. But you might wonder what was behind the mysterious closed door - which is 1 of only 2 interior doors. No one but myself is allowed to open that door. Behind that door is the bedroom that I am hiding. 

Anyway, once I regain my strength and the will to care, I will deal with the dresser/bedroom situation. My brother is still recuperating from surgery and dealing with moving his daughter out of his and into her own house. I can't be mad that it will take him a while to figure out how to get me my free dresser.

Pray for me. And stage a protest against dressers with cubes and fabric drawers.

Peace

--Free

**CROSSPOST** Isn’t a Horrible Thing Is Always a Horrible Thing?

(I recently posted this on my other blog.) 

I watched this video and was mad. 

This woman had a child and let it die. She buried it somewhere.

At first, I felt compassion for this woman (and still feel some). Then I finished watching the video and learned that she'd done the same thing before. And I got real mad. But then... I really thought about all the comments of outrage (including my own) and wondered about something. What is the difference between what this woman did and the women who go to clinics and do the same thing every day?

A baby discarded is a baby discarded. Why does it make such a difference in where and how it's done? Here is the video.

Go and read the comments. Hear the anger and disgust. Now go look up stories of people advocating for medical abortions.

This woman was not raped or taken advantage of in any way. She had a man in her life who obviously loved her and was willing to marry her. She was not a confused teenager. She had options. She just did not want to deal with the consequences of having sex.

What is different about her and most of the women who walk into clinics every day and do the same thing she did: get rid of an unwanted child?

I'm waiting for the hatred that will be coming my way because of voicing this opinion in the YouTube comments. Oh boy. 

Peace

--Free

*REVIEW** Sunfood MSM Lotion

 My psoriasis, which was doing better all winter - as it generally does - decided to flare up a while back. Another patient I chatted with at the infusion clinic told me about using MSM-based products topically. She says that she uses her gel-based product mostly for pain relief but noticed that it is very hydrating and healing to the small patches of eczema she has.

I had no idea what MSM actually is though I have seen supplements advertised online so I tried looking up topical versions. Most results were for brands only hawking their own products so I took this from a GPT response: 

MSM lotion refers to a topical skincare product that contains methylsulfonylmethane (MSM) as one of its key ingredients. MSM is a naturally occurring compound that contains sulfur, which is important for the formation of collagen, connective tissues, and healthy skin.

MSM lotions are often used for various skin conditions and skincare purposes. Some of the potential benefits associated with MSM lotion include:

Moisturization: MSM lotion can help hydrate the skin, keeping it soft and supple.

Soothing properties: It may have soothing effects on irritated or inflamed skin, making it suitable for conditions such as eczema, psoriasis, or acne.

Anti-aging effects: MSM is believed to promote collagen production, which can help improve the elasticity and firmness of the skin, reducing the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles.

Scar reduction: Some people use MSM lotion to minimize the appearance of scars, including surgical scars or those resulting from injuries.

Joint support: While MSM lotions are primarily used for skincare, MSM is also known for its potential joint-supporting properties. Although the lotion is not directly absorbed into the joints, some people believe that MSM applied topically can indirectly benefit joint health by reducing inflammation in the surrounding tissues.

MSM lotions are available in various formulations and concentrations, so it's important to follow the instructions provided by the manufacturer. As with any skincare product, it's advisable to perform a patch test before using it on a larger area of the body, especially if you have sensitive skin or known allergies. If you have specific skin concerns or medical conditions, it's recommended to consult with a dermatologist or healthcare professional for personalized advice.

(Note that I highlighted some of the more pertinent bits and added the link to Wikipedia.)

Deciding to give a lotion a try, the problem I had was finding something affordable that seemed to be of a "clean" formula. Depending on the patch test, I could be out some money. After looking at several brands and types (I didn't want a gel or anything with scent or a lot of added ingredients.), I found this one from Sunfood. 

8 ounces is lasting
longer than expected

Immediately after doing a patch test on the back of one hand, I thought I really might have wasted fourteen bucks - which would buy a lot of flour or a couple of packs of chicken... 

My skin wasn't irritated or anything but the lotion absorbed and dried so quickly that I was puzzled. I expected the temporary dampness that I get with some good moisturizers. Still, I wanted to see if I could use the lotion on my face and the upper part of my body (bosom and shoulders) so I applied some and then went about my business.

To be honest, after about half an hour (when I thought about it again), I realized that even though my hands were completely dry - dry enough that I hadn't been smudging paperwork and didn't actually feel the lotion at all - they were hydrated. My hands were not moist but they were not ashing up when I scratched them with my fingernails. They were dry but hydrated - this is the best description.

Notice the top 2 ingredients

This is going to sound weird but this lotion provides a kind of "dry moisture". After using it, my skin is not moist but well-hydrated. This is almost like the Embryolisse face cream, which has the same dry moisture effect. But the MSM lotion effects last longer.  

For the week that I've been using the lotion, I have been able to whittle down my skincare routine from 5 items (sunscreen, serum, toner, hyaluronic acid, and face cream) to 3 (sunscreen, this lotion, and toner). If I want to be real, I could actually do without the toner. It and the hyaluronic acid were to help my face hold onto the moisture of the face cream...

The big test for me was how well this would work overnight. Normally, as a night routine, I use one of my face creams topped with a light touch of German-made Nivea cream. As much as I love my Nivea, the MSM lotion did fine all by itself - at least during this summer weather. I can't wait to see how it does during the super-dry winter months.

These are all positives

What I really like most about this lotion is how good it makes my skin feel. In just the short time I've been using it, my face has held onto the hydration during the entire day. That one rough elbow I have? It's so much smoother. The small patches of psoriasis near my ankles? The worst patch began looking better after about Day 3 and both patches felt better immediately. (I'd show you Before and After photos of my ankles if I wasn't so embarrassed by the Before pics.)

I have said this before and might do so again, but this lotion is a game-changer for me. I was subscribed to the Embryolisse but I'm going to replace that with a Subscribe and Save on this MSM lotion. I do love, love, love the Embryolisse but it does nothing for my psoriasis and it's not quite as hydrating as this lotion. My only complaint about the MSM lotion is that I can only find the 8-ounce size bottles for this brand.

There are several brands and forms of MSM moisturizers. I don't know anything about taking a supplement internally. I take enough meds so I will stick with this topical lotion! 

As always, I am not giving healthcare advice or suggesting this for anyone else's use. I am simply relating my personal experience with a product I really do like. Also, I was not compensated in any way. The lotion was bought and paid for by me.

Peace

--Free

Fixing My Great Big Flour Mistake

 Thanks to a messed up store order, the other day I ended up with 2 ten-pound bags of all-purpose flour. Instead of the bread flour that I actually requested. I was already having a bad week because an Amazon seller had sent me expired yeast. Amazon refunded me for the yeast but I was still stuck with 2 big bags of the wrong kind of flour.

Luckily, I learned (for the first time, I think) that you can turn all-purpose flour into really good bread flour. Of course, you need to get hold of some gluten to do that.

I ordered this with my monthly Amazon Shopper Panel gift card:

 It's Just-Vital Wheat Gluten Flour

It has a faint yellow tinge

Not only did this save a waste of flour, but the dough came out so good that I might keep using this bag to add some to bread flour.

My usual dough is pretty good, if I say so myself and it saves me so much money. A bag of bread flour costs about $5.50 for a ten-pound bag. I can make a lot of dough with 10 pounds of flour, a bit of EVOO, salt, yeast, sugar, and water. The best part about making my own dough is freezing large batches in sealed 200g bags. I can thaw 1 bag for a meal or 2 bags to make a loaf (or 2) of bread. I can make a pizza, garlic knots, or a bread loaf with garlic and butter or cheese baked in. I can make seasoned flatbread for dipping in oil sauce or aioli. 

The bread dough I made with the added wheat gluten flour... that was a whole other level of good. The bread made with that dough was just like the bread my mama used to make. 

Seriously, the difference in texture, and flavor (and a shortened kneading time) is so good that I plan to always add a bit of wheat gluten to my flour. I wish I had some of the "regular" dough to show but there's a reason I was making a new batch. I ate it all! 

So, if you ever wondered what to do when you need bread flour and only have all-purpose, now you know. There are other ways to turn flour into bread flour but this one just blew me away.

By the way, I can almost never talk about bread without thinking of the very funny late comedian John Pinette's take on gluten;

The whole thing is funny but the gluten bit is at the

19:59 mark

Enjoy and pass the tip along.

Peace

--Free

**REVIEW** IT Dusters AirTec Ultra Electric Air Duster

 Why did I not get this sooner? It's the AirTec Ultra Electric Air Duster from IT Dusters.

As a single woman, I try to have the basic useful things around for cleaning and doing very minor repairs. I have a brother nearby who has the big boy gadgets but I keep some tools for him to use here at my place. Adding this duster is the best thing I've done for a while.

For the almost 7 years I've lived where I currently do - with this extreme humidity of the warm summers - I always keep 2 tower fans around. I run the one in the bedroom non-stop (as I do with the bedroom and living room ceiling fans). I only turn the ceiling fans off when I am away for more than a day. Fans accumulate a lot of dust.

The tower fans are the main reason I got the electric duster. This one:

This is the duster without the 
attachments

It came nicely boxed &
makes a great gift

Canned air is pricey and pretty much useless for cleaning tower fans. And, as I said, I really should have gotten this sooner. Here are the advantages of having an electric duster (and I can only speak about this brand and model):

• The one-time price ($45, on sale from $60) is cheaper in the long run than repurchasing compressed air cans I have used in the past (here are some of the current prices of what I've used) and the cheapest brand that I currently see.
• This is way more powerful than the canned air that I've used. That may be because I can use prolonged blasts of air (and without the vapor "spit"). I always worry about that vapor hitting certain parts of my electronics.
• While this is vacuum-cleaner loud, it's fine to use during regular waking hours. 
• It comes with 6 attachments. Because the air blast is powerful, I like being able to vary the direction and concentration of the flow. I use the wide flat attachment for the fan on the back of my computer.

  

  the brushes

• It's useful for way more than I realized. So far, I have used it to clean the tower fans, the hard-to-reach floorboard space that runs underneath the kitchen cabinets, along the windowsills, under and around the baseboard heating vents, and I dried out a damp bottle that was too narrow and deep for a cloth to reach. I even cleaned the inside of a bowl-shaped lampshade because I hate using water and a rag to do that. Next, I'm going to do the ceiling fans and the tops of the closet and door frames and blow the dust and debris from the bathroom storage closet, not to mention the tops of the kitchen cabinets. I won't have to remove everything to clean those places!
• At almost 9 feet long (when I measured with a tape),  the cord is not quite the 3 meters shown on the product page.  It's long enough, in my opinion, and, so far, I have not had to use an extension. I might need to when I get to the ceiling fans and door tops.
• **While the less expensive Model 3 has a single (full power) mode, this Model 6 has a second mode with less power for more delicate jobs. I do find this useful but I probably could have lived with the Model 3, to be honest.
• Even after using it for prolonged blasts (I'd say up to 30- to 60-second blasts for up to as much as 5 minutes), the motor doesn't get too warm. When it does get warm, it only takes a few seconds to cool back down.

The attachments

I only first noticed electric dusters while pricing some canned air. I thought they were for people who have garages and work with serious tools. Once I realized they are meant to replace canned air, I looked at several. I chose this particular one because of the reviews. The only downside is that it is made in China and I have been trying harder to support American-made products.

The forty-five dollar price almost put me off. The Model 3 is $30. However, the $45 model was on sale down from $60. As I mentioned, I could live without the 2 power modes but I really do like having them. For quite a while, I was using this very basic item (and still do for quick cleanup) but it's not the same.

As for how loud the duster is, here's a short video.

(Very short but I was trying to film and run the duster. I have a one-task kind of brain, folks!)

Right after I first ordered this, I wondered if I'd be sending it back out of buyer's remorse. Once I tried it, I was hooked. This is not something I will use every day (at least, once I finish cleaning everything the first time!) but it's a good item to have. 

The bag holds everything
& fits back into the box

Again, I cannot say whether or not this is better than (or not as good as) other similar dusters. I am happy with it because of the price and the power. 

Peace

-- Free

** Re the difference in models. IT Dusters Support sent this in response to my question:

"The Type 6 offers a few additional benefits over the Type 3 including: 

- 2 Speed Setting

- Larger 480w motor

- Carry Bag

- 3pcs ESD Brush Kit

- ESD-protected housing

If you are intending to use this often or for work, I would recommend the Type 6."

DISCLAIMER: I am not being compensated in any way for this blog review. I bought and paid full price for the item. I am not affiliated with the brand.

Let's Normalize Common Sense

 People. We need to start a grassroots campaign for making common sense common. As the tech-smart folks say, let's make that trend!

I've come up with a basic platform. Feel free to add to it, but here goes:

• Let's start acting our ages. Tweens, enjoy being too young to be adults. Stop worrying about developing your online persona and start worrying about developing a solid personality.  Enjoy not having to worry about sex and drama and trends. Enjoy being able to giggle, be silly and be kids.
• Spend more actual face time with each other. Families and friends: pick up the phone and call each other. I like to get my news personalized and direct to me - not with every person on your social media "friend" or "family" list. Sometimes, I just like to hear your voice, tell you a secret, and share a laugh. Sometimes I want to really actually connect just one on one.
• Let's start writing letters again. On paper. I miss being able to retrieve letters from that one friend or "special someone". I miss having that stash of old love letters or birthday cards. I miss the very personal touch and knowing that someone took the time to sit down and write me a letter I could keep and hold after they are gone.
• Let's bring back 2-parent families. I'm not saying that single parenting is bad, I'm saying that, when possible and healthy, 2 parents are generally better. Even if those parents are separated or never were in a relationship, both mom and dad can be involved. And, let's include the grand and the aunties and uncles. Let's include trustworthy friends. Raising children is a big job for 2 people, let alone for one person. (I come from a "broken" home but I had both parents involved in my life and I had extended family to teach and help raise me.)
• Let's bring back family and/or friend dinners. Doesn't anyone else miss that one day when a special group gets together at one home or in a backyard or park? That day when it's just "us" having a meal and watching the kids run around together. Maybe you will have a night when it's just family and another when it's just friends? Maybe you can have a couple's night or a single friends' night?
• Let's bring back respect. Respect for those older and wiser than yourself. Respect for each other as human beings. 
• Speaking of respect, let's bring back self-respect. Respect yourselves enough to not objectify your own bodies. Respect yourself enough that others will also respect you. Respect yourself enough to be respectful toward others. 
• And even more on respect: let's get back to respecting public places. Respect enough not to curse and talk loud and foolishly. Respect enough not to litter and destroy places that others would like to enjoy. Respect enough to be civil in public even to those you don't agree with or like. 
• Let's bring back graciousness. Be polite and courteous. Be helpful when you can. Look out for the other person who might need looking out for. Let's forget the "girl code" and "bro code" and have the same care and concern for each other no matter your gender.
• Let's stop stereotyping and generalizing each other. Not all men or women or kids or blacks or white, etc are ~fill-in-the-blank~. Even when something is generally true, it's not universally true. People are all individual people. Not all people of a certain gender, generation, or race are the same as the worst person of that gender, generation, or race that you ever met.
• Let's bring back useful education - and not just for children. Let's bring back teaching how to do basic math and understand basic science and geography. Let's make it normal to pursue education outside the classrooms - for all ages. In this day and age, most of us have a wealth of resources to learn or re-learn basic classroom and/or life skills. Just because most of us have access to devices that multitask as maps, calculators, and phonebooks, let's not lose the ability to function without them. 
• Let's bring back holding politicians and other public figures accountable for good character.  Let's bring back scorn for blatant lying and moral failures. Let's stop labeling rudeness as being "brave" and "blunt". Let's stop making it admirable to be horrible. 
• Let's bring back civility in politics and public debate. Let's not normalize (any further) being nasty to each other in public forums.
• Let's bring back respect for the actual truth. Let's normalize having "alternative truth/facts" and everyone having an individual truth. There is such a thing as true and false. Everything else - your truth, my truth, etc. - is an opinion, theory, or individual belief.

Am I just being naive? Maybe. My parents used the saying about not being able to unring a bell. I get that. However, can we please muffle the echo before it destroys everything that is halfway decent about society?

Minus the racism and religious bias, I know why each generation longs for "the old days". Every generation has horrible social scars and embarrassing events. However, in spite of all the "progress" it seems that with each passing year, we are getting worse in more areas than we improve. 

(By the way, I am going to start with myself for everything on this list. For example, if I ever lost access to my phone, I wouldn't be able to provide a phone number for a kidnapper to call in a ransom demand. Not that I would have a ransom fund because I can almost no longer do simple math in my head when dealing with my budget. I was never good at math but I once was proud of my grammar and spelling prowess. Today, I rely on Grammarly and my phone's auto-correct. That's just sad.)

Peace

--Free

P.S.: I know that some parts of this post might be offensive to some. I hope that's not the case. I'm not trying to hurt or offend anyone. I am just doing some wishful thinking.