Friday Donuts

Friends, On this first day of Christmas, partridges and pear trees won't do. No siree Bob! What featherbrain thought gifting a bird menagerie between now and Epiphany was a good idea? The care and feeding alone would be cost-prohibitive. I will instead harbor good thoughts and feelings for the future. I wish happiness to you and yours. That you will spend these waning days of 2025 in peace, accompanied by loved ones. I hope we will have an occasion to share time together in the coming year. That we might have many enjoyable conversations accompanied by a donut or two. I want the best for you in 2026. That the new year will deliver on its full promise, fulfill its potential and overflow with its blessings. And instead of twelve drummers drumming you get a dozen delicious donuts—and a wish for a glorious new year. Happy Friday!

Friends, If time moves asymptotically slower as gravity grows asymptotically stronger, then singularities must not yet exist. Why? Well, since time would essentially stop when gravity reaches its maximum, then there can never be enough time to finish said singularity. Yes, you get your donut-shaped accretion disk where matter is crushed like deep fried dough against your mollars, but the singularity itself will always be a work in progress. Having said that, I’ll leave it here and walk away very slowly. Happy Friday! A different kind of black hole

Friends, Routine can lull us into viewing life as predictable, even boring. There’s comfort in thinking things will always be the same. The changes that happen every instant are often too small to register and yet even the most mundane day is different than every day that came before it. Of course, change can also happen abruptly. This week I met my second grandchild, gave my condolences to an uncle David for his wife’s passing and made my way to Ecuador. Big, noticeable changes remind us nothing is ever the same. Looking out the airplane window as I contemplated these thoughts, I managed to catch a spectacular glimpse of mount Cotopaxi’s crater. Which leads me to the corollary: the small changes deserve attention too. Had I not been mindful at that moment, I would have missed my ten second window of opportunity to grab my phone, wrestle with the focus to get the very scratched airplane window out of the way and take the snap. So don’t put off for tomorrow what you can do today. Who kn...

Friends, Leftovers and decorations. These traditional post-Thanksgiving activities can lead me to question life choices. They also elicit the big questions. Questions like: Can that synthetic wreath, looking like a ringwraith, survive another season? Is it the tryptophan, my gluttonous eating or just old age sneaking up and making me drowsy? Are the outdoor decorations worth the frostbite? When is it OK to throw away the cranberry sauce? How did I end-up with so many donut-themed ornaments? Whether you’re asking yourself these or other important questions, I hope this season of hope brings you and your loved ones joy. Happy Friday!