Friday Donuts

Friends, Word selection influences how we process information. Consider these two sentences: To date, over 30,000 Palestinians have died in Gaza according to the Hamas-run Palestinian health ministry, in response to the Hamas attack that killed 1,200 people in Israel, many of them children, and took 250 men, women and children hostage. Following the Hamas incursion, which according to Israeli authorities killed 1,200 people and took 250 hostages, Israeli soldiers have killed over 30,000 Palestinians in Gaza, many of them women and children. Both stories are factually correct, laying out the same sad facts, statistics and sequence of events, but the language used in each leaves us with a different feeling. We may not notice it, but the carefully curated images and narratives presented to us every day on all manner of subjects help demonize —or normalize— actions and behaviors. What you believe often comes down to how things are framed for you and where your biases lie —biases built up o

Friends, I seldom write about donuts on my Friday donut blog which feels a tad ironic, or at least I think that’s the right word, I’d have to consult with  Alanis Morrisette  to be sure. This week I thought I’d shift gears and remedy that situation.  Donuts are not shaped like nuts —that job falls to the donut hole. Ironically, a variety of objects are named after the humble pastry’s shape. The list includes: Ridiculously small spare tires.  Inflatable hemorrhoid relief cushions.  Tire tracks made by bored teens.  So, one might theoretically bite into a donut while doing donuts seated on a donut in a truck with a donut spare. I hear dumb people are also called donuts in some parts of Southern England… I was considering working them in, but the sheer number of donuts in the ensuing sentence might raise your glucose levels — plus I don’t think any of my readers are in Southern England. So instead I’ll settle for a donut and a cup of joe, and hope I’ve met my quarterly quota of donut refe

Friends, There’s a perfect storm brewing and I’m not talking about the massive amount of snow falling over the Denver area. I’m referring to the mixing of two highly reactive ingredients. On one hand Kate, princess of Wales, absent from the public limelight following her mysterious surgery allegedly posted a clumsily edited photo. On the other “swifties”, whose penchant for following mysterious clues left behind by Ms. Swift has been in need of a new challenge due to a break in Taylor’s schedule. The poor handling of royal communications followed by the ensuing wild speculation by the hoards of bored gen Zers has been fun to watch. Is she horribly disfigured? Is she leaving William? Is she dead? While the truth is probably more mundane (she’s convalescing), conspiracy theories are so much more fun. And, since all one really needs is a fig leaf of plausibility to create one, I’d like to fabricate my own: I believe Catherine had a compliance chip implanted against her will. The chip’s pu

Friends, Is it just me or does Dulles feel taken out of a Star Wars scene? Not so much the people, although you do run into some colorful characters. More so the architecture. Despite being our empire’s capital airport, the vibe is outer rim, not Courascant. The high curved roof. The needlessly excessive metal anchor points. The iconic mobile lounges getting you from terminal to concourse. And of course a name that sounds made-up: ‘So you’re going to Texas?’ ‘Actually, Virginia… it’s Dulles, not Dallas…’ It’s the kind of place that should have an Mos Eisley cantina-themed Voodoo donuts instead of a plain old Dunkin’. Then again, maybe that’s how they keep the “dull” in “Dulles.” Happy Friday!

Friends, The last hours of my first trip to PR (Puerto Rico) are as good a time as any to ponder some insights travel booklets may not give you. In all candor, I haven't read any, so, it's possible you may find some overlap. In any event, here are a few: Folks here use kilometers to measure distance, but speed limits are denominated in miles per hour. How long it takes to get anywhere is anyone's guess and requires some serious math. Then again, drivers are so patient, it always takes longer than you think. Old San Juan’s defensive walls still surround much of the city, serving their original purpose of preventing tourists from reaching the beach. Of course the iconic garitas (sentry boxes) along the wall make for great photo opportunities. Pirates, schmirates. Once you finally make it to the ocean front, before getting into the crisp, clear water, make sure you find yourself a nice posita (shallow beach sheltered from the open sea by rock formations) and have plenty of 10