I know, it’s not fair to call a note “banana cake- rant” and not mention “banana cake” once. Might I remind you, “Life is never fair, and perhaps it is a good thing for most of us that it is not.” — Oscar Wilde. I almost quoted Princess Bride, but Wilde is a better fit. Saturday, August 1, 2026 banana cake- rant Okay. I want to call someone out for being an a-hole. Their writing is impeccable, funny, matter-of-fact. But it’s easy being contrarian when you’re nobody online, hiding behind a mask. It’s the path of least resistance. I hate how disgustingly good the writing is. It pisses me off. Tuesday, August 4, 2026 I’ll give some backstory. I was visiting another blog, whose posts typically have lots of links. The section of this particular post was about blogs they read. Which are always interesting to see, as I wholly believe what a creator consumes- listen/read/watch/even eats influences their work in every way imaginable. So, from the links, I land on this minimal blog. Naturally, I start reading; now I am laughing. “Who is this?” At this point, I have turned into Sherlock Gnomes [sic]. Um, besides email… Nothing! Not a single clue on the entire site as to who/what they might be. Only that they are technical and circle the spaces of the internet exposed to the indieweb, more than likely a reader of HackerNews. This is what I’ve observed: their posts align with what’s trending in those spaces. Through the well-crafted sentences, there are elements of frustration which are refreshing to read. They are written like no one is looking, because there is no one to perceive. A blank canvas of words. Going as far as to share an email exchange. Now, you may know the blog I speak of; if not, and you feel you may have crossed its path, search the site for “banana cake.” I look at this and am washed over with a sense of envy and desire to retreat into an egoic persona I constructed in an effort to relish in freedom. Cancel culture or being ostracized for sharing anything that may rub literally anyone the wrong way can land people jobless, lonely, and simply isolated. OR quite the opposite, who knows‽ It is easy to fall prey to self-censorship, and this is NOT a ticket to go wild. It’s an opportunity to write about things you’ve thought despite their subject matter and present them in a digestible way for others. When your name is at the top of a page, it takes a little longer to hit publish. Those posts with fringe ideas go through countless revisions, every single word under scrutiny. Sometimes I sense people searching for what they are trying to say when it’s clear what they mean. We’ve found words to dance around nuance. Words that let foes hide in plain sight. The valuable lessons come from transitions: ‘Okay, this is what I believe, and even if it may be my truth. I have to consider, is this a truth I want public at all? Does it serve the greater good?’ You are entitled to your beliefs, but not expressing them consciously, if at all, is what allows false ideologies to fester. When someone believes something misinformed with no feedback, they continue to go about life misguided.