Syllabus #52

Happy Mother's Day to all the caregivers and nurturers out there, regardless of whether you possess a uterus, functional or otherwise.  And if you're missing your mom this year for whatever reason, this is me putting on a full-on hazmat suit and shooting out some go-go-gadget robot arms to hug you from a CDC-approved distance.  Does that cover all the bases?  I'm trying, dudes.

Most importantly, HMD to my mom.  I'm sorry I can't be there to make you breakfast in bed, now that my culinary skills have advanced beyond burning toast and slathering it with butter, sugar, and an asphyxiating quantity of cinnamon.

I got you this flower for Mother's Day

Here's some stuff for you to read.  It ranges from mildly interesting to low-grade panic inducing.  The choice is yours to make, as long as you're not hurting anyone else.  Have at it.


So it's not just me?  We're all perplexed by how time works?

As if we needed more reasons to dread air travel, this guy's experience is a horrendous harbinger of what awaits us.

Whoever this OG bread lady was, she's the real MVP of COVID-19.  Caring for and using my sourdough starter and its offshoots has given my life meaning.  And carbs.  Mostly carbs, but I'm not complaining.


A very clear and compelling exploration of the difference between 'freedom from' and 'freedom to,' the arenas where they are being misapplied, and the extent to which it's reasonable to apply them in the first place.


 Wow, cool guys, the first global event.  And here, I thought Talk Like a Pirate Day was global, but it turns out it's a deadly virus that's giving us all a shared experience.

It goes without saying that I have a certain affinity for breakfast, but I'm not alone.  I read this article about breakfast in literature while eating a peanut butter and apple sandwich for lunch and it was exquisite.

Listening:

This Sporkful episode about Pork Roll vs. Taylor Ham (it's pork roll, do we need to take this outside?)

This interview with Rick Steves on New York Times' The Daily podcast 

Analog Reading:

Cantoras by Carolina de Robertis - I enjoyed it but didn't love it.  I loved the idea of it, but there was more interiority and less action than I'm craving in my reading right now.

The Water Dancer by Ta-Nehesi Coates.  This book is beautiful and important but I am afraid I'm reading it at the wrong moment in my life right now.  It's heavy, and I don't know if I can handle heavy at this juncture.


That's it and that's all.  Keep your noses clean this week.