Friday Donuts

 Friends, In a divided world with a myriad points of view and sensitivities; a world where anything you say can cross a secret line or trip an invisible landmine, how do you keep your words from being taken the wrong way? At the risk of sounding corny, I believe that when your heart is in the right place your words will be well perceived and well received. A well-intended message, like a fresh donut made with good ingredients, may not always be pretty, but it usually hits the spot. So, enjoy a hot cup of Joe and a fresh donut, and try to worry less about what you should say. I know your heart is in the right place (behind and slightly to the left of your sternum—now that was corny). Happy Friday! Now that's corny!

Friends, Despite writing about donuts (sort of) for over 20 years, I don’t believe in sugar coating, after all, honesty is the best policy. Gilding, on the other hand I’m good with. Take the church of the Society of Jesus in Quito, (AKA La Compañía). Built in fits and starts between 1597 and 1765, the volcanic rock baroque facade conceals a spectacular interior. I had the chance to go inside this week and although I had heard about the gold leaf work inside, the descriptions had not done it justice. The details from floor to ceiling transport you to another world, perhaps that’s the point. If you’re ever there, be sure to visit. And while you’re there stop by one of the many panaderías … if you’re lucky they might even have a donut. Happy Friday!

  Friends, Last night, I planned to watch the lunar eclipse. The clouds had other plans. Fortunately, this realization came to me before bedtime, so I only missed the show, not my beauty rest. With 23 years until the next big one, there’s plenty of time to plan. If I’m still around on New Year’s Eve 2048, I might try purchasing some Broadway Donuts from Long Beach, California to watch the cosmic event. Somehow, the real-life Sadie’s Donuts of Dexter fame feels like an appropriate treat to watch a blood moon. For now, I guess I’ll settle for some Dunkin’ and photos of the real thing. Monday's moon... no blood. ​Happy Friday!

Friends, Photons, the embodiment of pure light, travel so fast they don’t experience time. And yet, a group of scientists at the University of Birmingham have produced a visualization of a single photon … a snapshot of the fastest thing in the known universe. If the images flooding the web are to be trusted, it resembles a yellow frosted donut (I favor my description over the paper’s “membrane-like shell of a hollow cylinder”). In hindsight, it just makes sense. Donuts taste like pure sunshine. They brighten your day and bring a smile to your face. They warm your soul and make you feel good all over. So, take a bite (hopefully you haven’t given them up for lent) and let the light fill your being. Happy Friday! A single photon. Photo Credit: Phys.org

Friends, Remember that time I had  AI write the Friday Donut blog ? That was two years ago, a more innocent time when ChatGPT was a novelty. I remember the mix of amazement and fear while experimenting first-hand with the object of all that hype on this very medium. While I have reluctantly embraced GenAI for work, I have not used it as a writing aid for this blog. It feels like cheating – besides, I don’t need to increase my productivity, and I regularly meet my extravagant adjective quota. I have, however, given some thought to the role of AI in society. The way I see it; the bottom line is AI is acceptable as a tool at the service of humanity. So long as AI is attempting to make it faster and more convenient for us. So long as the content it produces is for humans to consume. So long as there is a person at the end of the line, I’m OK with AI. The minute AI starts creating content for AI, that’ll be the time to start worrying. In the meantime, enjoy your donut and be nice to you...

Friends, Do you ever find yourself starting to say a word, realizing it’s the wrong choice and trying to change it while speaking — making it worse? For me, it’s happened more times than I care to admit. A recurring faux pas for me occurs at the part of the mass where the congregation says “when we eat this bread and drink this cup we proclaim your death, o Lord, until you come again”. For some reason my brain wants to say “profess” instead of “proclaim” — which would essentially mean the same thing. Unfortunately, in my clumsy attempts to fix my mistake mid-word, what comes out sounds like “profane” — totally the wrong vibe. Good thing the entire congregation is saying the same thing in unison. If someone heard me they might think the priest was consecrating a donut, instead of the host. Happy Friday!

Friends, The older I get, the more elusive a good night's rest has become. As a naturally light sleeper, it doesn't take much to wake me -- and even though my Apple watch may claim I get eight hours most evenings, I find that claim suspect. Lately, I've been starting to see the small interruptions to my slumber in a whole new light. In a way, I am grateful for them. Let me explain: A table lamp and low volume real crime show past my bedtime are a welcome sign that I don't have to sleep alone. That sore shoulder waking me up at midnight makes me glad I'm in good health. Two spoiled dogs scratching the door to be let out at 2 are a small price to pay for the unconditional affection they give us. That forgotten task my mind inevitably remembers at 3:21 makes me grateful I have a job I enjoy doing. The low battery beeping in the smoke alarm at 4 reminds me I am fortunate enough to have a roof over my head. The door slamming shut before dawn brings a smile to my face, kn...

Friends, All the hubbub about memecoins might $TUMP some and $MELL-ANIA a little funky to others. Personally, it dragged me down a rabbit hole — “research” is way too generous a word — that crash-landed on a site called pump.fun. This site lets anybody with cash to burn buy into a gazillion available offers. You can even start your own memecoin, if you’re so inclined. As I perused the potential portfolio, a few things struck me. It takes zero talent or taste to launch a memecoin. Way too many people have way too much time and money to burn. Donuts are a surprisingly popular meme. As you get your morning started, may I suggest a hot black coffee, a sweet, flaky cronut — and if you’re tempted to “invest” in a meme, come on down to my place, you can save some time and flush your money down my toilet. Happy Friday!

Friends, As we slither into the new lunar year I’ve decided to tune out the new brood of vipers on Capitol Hill and tune into the little things that make me smile. The magical frost turning ordinary branches into fairy tale forests. The spectacular sunsets painting the cloud canvas shades of gold leaf, blood orange and coral pink. My granddaughter’s joie de vivre, generosity and spontaneous laughter that melt my heart every time. And of course that first bite into a raised chocolate frosted donut. Mmm … that’s what I’m talking about! Happy Friday!

  Friends, From the Premier League and F1 clique to the College Football and NASCAR crowd, we all share the human experience. Whether our mustard is yellow or Dijon, we all feel love, enjoy learning and experience loss in our own way. We have highs and lows, ups and downs. We’d like to feel immortal, yet we are limited, and time is our most precious asset. We are all alone and all of us need to live with ourselves. So be kind, don’t take yourself too seriously and don’t forget to laugh. Laugh at misunderstandings and silly mistakes. Laugh with friends and family. Laugh ‘till it hurts. And remember to have a donut –whether it’s Dunkin’ or Krispy Kreme or anywhere in between. I’m doing my part by heading to We Knead Donut and meeting with my good friend and former colleague Marilyn. What’s yours? Happy Friday!

Friends, There’s no easy way to say this, so I’m just gonna blurt it out: I can’t stand Facebook avatars and stickers. There, I said it! Before you get upset, I understand and respect that folks post these cartoon images as a way to share their good wishes and show they care. I also acknowledge that as we get older, we tend to grumble about silly things. Yes, this is a silly thing to be writing about. Yes, I will grumble under my breath if I see you post one. Yes, I would prefer you write something instead of picking a cheesy image. But no, I won't unfriend you if you do. I realize taste is subjective: take the   donut shop in New Hampshire  fighting for their right to keep their mural depicting a mountain range made of donuts. Is it free speech? Is it a zoning violation? One thing I think we all can agree on is that it's beautiful -- as are the donuts they sell. 

Friends, Letting go of the people, places and passions that have shaped our lives is tough. Each is different and any analogy feels like comparing apples and origins – you read right, oranges felt too similar for such an analogy. People are obviously more important, but some places hold a special tug on our heartstrings. There is comfort in the sense of permanence they bring, shielding us from the passage of time. Which makes the void they leave behind unfillable – no matter how many donuts you eat to try to fill it. Still, life goes on and we find a way to move forward. Change is, after all, the only constant. Happy Friday!

Friends, I’m not much for using arbitrary dates to make life changes – you can do that at any time. I am, however, very much into building and burning effigies to close out the year – an Ecuadorian tradition we call Año Viejo. The theme we chose to represent 2024 was Steamboat Willie, the Disney movie whose copyright protection had been extended through the end of 2023 by the 1998 “Mickey Mouse Protection Act”. Now that he’s in the public domain, Mickey has been rebelling and doing things his parent company would not approve (a nose ring, two earrings, smoking, a public domain tattoo and an Iron Maiden logo on his hat – a nod to Paul Di’Anno’s passing in October). Despite losing his head a few times (literally, it kept falling off) we proceeded to read his last will and testament (a playful roast of the party’s attendees), pouring accelerant and lighting a match at the stroke of midnight (after the obligatory countdown, of course). If you’re curious, you can find this year’s Año Vi...