Friday Donuts

Dear Members and Constituents, What a crazy week it’s been... and personally, I’m glad it’s over. The whirlwind of banal media coverage surrounding every detail of the royal wedding (who cares if Prince Andrew won’t have a wedding band because it reminds him of the common donut?). The whirlwind of children pillaging and plundering their parents’ offices (you mean there aren’t donuts in your office every day?). The whirlwind of, well, wind setting an unofficial record for tornado touch-downs this month (are those donuts raining from the sky?)... In a roundabout way these events seem to twist together into a nice circular form. And much like the circular pastries sitting at my desk, they will soon be a distant memory. Don't let this event also pass you by, make history, grab your donut -here today courtesy of Monisha Merchant (donut girl). Happy Friday!

[Posted by Ed Stocker in JP's absence] Dear Members and Constituents, JP, along with many of our co-workers, is out today supporting Junior Achievement (JA) at DuPont Elementary. I (and if you are reading this Friday morning probably you too) was unable to participate this year. JA uses one particularly fitting example on their website of how they explain business concepts to Elementary students. While explaining different production methods, students might learn about unit vs. assembly line production methods by producing donuts. If I’m in that class my first thought is FIELD TRIP. I wonder if JP will gravitate to this example in his class? For those of us unable to participate in JA day there’s no need for a field trip, Donut Boy, Marc Solome has delivered four dozen wonderful donuts to us this morning courtesy of Krispy Kreme (whose automated assembly line is on display in most stores for field trip viewing). JP isn’t in but the donuts are so come on down (to JP’s)

Dear Members and Constituents Visiting with my nearly ninety one year old grandmother, I’ve come to gain a better appreciation for memory. How we sometimes take it for granted and how even that can be taken away from us. I will admit it can be fun providing dramatically different reactions to the same anecdote, or having the opportunity for “do-overs” when answering the exact same question. And even though it’s sad to repeatedly tell my grandma how many children I have, their names and ages; you do what you can to enjoy the times together. Recently I’ve noticed an interesting pattern. On any given day, she may repeat an anecdote from her early life several times, however, from one day to the next the anecdote she repeats seems to change (and the previous day’s anecdote is often not mentioned). I think this insight reveals something deeper about our brains. I have come to believe our brains use “themes” as a means to prepare for conversation. Folks with better memories catch themselves

Dear Members and Constituents, Among the threats to a free and open Internet we have oppressive governments, the digital divide, toll-extorting monopoly providers and shovel-wielding 75 year old women. For those of you not following the news or who don’t happen to live in Armenia or Georgia, it appears one such lady was allegedly trying to salvage copper when her shovel severed the fiber optic cable supplying these countries with Internet access, creating an hour-long outage. Given older generations resistance to change one can't help but wonder whether this was truly an accident. Copper may be a valuable metal, but an AARP member mining along public rights of way? I might believe gold or gardening, but copper? Personally I will never look at a senior equipped with a shovel the same way again. Fortunately donuts don’t require utensils so the probability of collateral damage when consuming one is minimal. This morning Melissa Nibbelink delights us with four dozen LaMar’s treats. S

Dear Members and Constituents, Wandering the Grand Canyon trails this week I noticed trees in unlikely places. The more unlikely the place the more regal the tree. This made me wonder whether these trees have a sense for their aesthetic value or an appreciation for their awesome surroundings. It also made me aware this distinction comes at a price. Poor soil, water scarcity and higher exposure to inclement weather come to mind. Yet these trees seem to thrive despite the adversity; or, dare I say, on account of it. Does this principle apply to people as well? Perhaps my mishaps on this trip were helping me build character. The speeding ticket in Moab, the chronically deflating air mattress at the camp site and the deer we hit on the way back were all there to help me become a regal tree. Perhaps… What I do know for sure is donuts have arrived, courtesy of John Schoder (donut boy). So don’t be a stick in the mud and come grab one. Happy Friday!