It’s May which means we’re one-third of the way through 2020! I marked the coming of May with the obligatory *NSYNC joke. Whoever decided to make Justin sing “me” as “May” is either kicking themselves because it’s never going away or relishing in the joke they inspired. Anyway, California is making a move towards reopening. Starting Friday, retail establishments such as bookstores, clothing stores, and florists will be able to reopen as long as they have appropriate modifications to ensure social distancing. “Normal” is a long way off but it’s a step. Now is not the time to get complacent. That would be a boon for the virus.
Here are this week’s takes…
A case for veganism? Back in March, I saw this article about changing meat production in response to the Coronavirus pandemic. The argument is that zoonotic viruses often emerge as a result of animal agriculture (fun fact: my master’s thesis was on a zoonotic virus found in pigs) and to stave off future pandemics, we have to take animals out of the food system equation. The author offers up plant-based meats (i.e. Beyond Meat) and meat grown from cells as potential solutions. Vegans would agree except they wouldn’t see cell-cultivated meat as an option because it still involves an animal. It’s an interesting argument for sure and even hardcore meat-eaters are rethinking. Issac Bailey wrote in this CNN opinion piece that he’s willing to live without meat if it means that his brother, who works in a chicken processing plant, would be safe from getting Coronavirus. Setting aside the animal rights part of the argument, it’s a question of whether it’s worth risking the lives of the workers to keep meat production going. Even without Coronavirus, there is a risk of workers contracting a zoonotic virus from the carcasses they are processing. I wonder if protecting humans will figure more prominently into the argument against animal agriculture now. Doing so could make it somewhat more compelling.
Thrown together fancy. I had a leftover potato so I decided to try making a Hasselback Potato for the first time on Friday. It’s basically a fancy baked potato. I thought it would fan out more but I don’t think I cut down far enough. I was worried I would cut all the way through the potato so I was cautious. After cutting, I poured on a little bit of plant butter, salt, and pepper and popped it into a 425 degree oven for 30 minutes. I took it out, poured a little more plant butter and cooked it for another 20 minutes or so. The topping is sautéed soy chorizo, (frozen) peas, and green onion. It’s a nice dish to make without much effort or esoteric ingredients. Also, soy chorizo is not that far off from the pork version in my opinion. I think the spices are what make chorizo what it is anyway which is a point that has been made about meat in general.
No books. I’ve seen a number of people say they’re reading more as a result of quarantine. That hasn’t been the case for me. I haven’t read a new book since I finished the Wormwood Trilogy in March. I tend to get books from the library rather than buying them because I usually only read them once. There are few books that I would read again. Most of the books I did buy or receive as gifts are ones I would be willing to read a second time. Maybe I should give them another read since I won’t be getting any new books anytime soon. Before anyone suggests e-books, I don’t like them. I like the feeling of turning the page of a physical book and I tend to be more immersed in the experience that way. I also tend to read right before bed so using a phone or laptop would not work for that.
Upload. I sleep on Amazon Prime Video for my streaming entertainment but this show caught my attention. The premise of Upload centers on people being able to “upload” themselves into a digital world after death. From there, they can communicate and even physically interact with their living loved ones. A coder named Nathan dies in a self-driving car accident and is uploaded to a mountain resort where he meets Nora, his customer service rep. They bond and eventually fall in love (cliche, I know). The show is billed as a sci-fi comedy though and it is not short on laughs at all! In the world of Upload, food companies have gotten into the tech game (hello, Panera Facebook!). The usual class inequities still exist. The rich get uploaded into resorts with tons of amenities and unlimited data which they use to function. The less privileged either don’t get uploaded at all or they’re uploaded into a sparse basement and get 2 gigs of data a month. If they go over, they’re frozen until the next month. Thinking burns a lot of data. Upload is an interesting show and a quick binge. There are 10 episodes and with the exception of the first episode, they run 22-30 minutes. I would highly recommend it if you’re looking for something funny that you can burn through in less than a day.
10 years a college grad. Thursday will mark 10 years since I walked across the stage and said goodbye to college. The CEO of American Express at that time was our commencement speaker. The next year, they had Colin Powell. I was so jealous! Anyway, I was more than happy to move on. I did very well academically but I never found my footing socially. I left college without the “close” friendships everyone talks about having. My college years were some of my most painful. Graduation was a culmination of all the hard work in the classroom, on co-op, and on clinical. It was also a relief that I had survived the isolation and loneliness I felt throughout. The Class of 2020 may not get to close that chapter in the same grand fashion but I hope they can be proud of their hard work inside and outside the classroom. Congratulations!
Mojito in a juice box. I saw this at Whole Foods one day and I was curious to try it out. It’s strong and minty! Aside from the mint, the drink was a little dull. The lime was somewhat muted. No way they used fresh squeezed lime juice! It would be hard to preserve the flavor of it anyway. It’s an ok drink in a pinch but it doesn’t compare to a freshly made mojito. Buzz Box has other drinks including Long Island Ice Tea, Hurricane, and Margarita. The fruiter drinks might work better in the juice box format. I’m not jumping to find out though.
Randomness. To me, Cinco de Mayo is another St Patrick’s Day. The original reasons for these holidays are all but forgotten and the emphasis is totally on drinks (and maybe food). I didn’t forget about Insecure. It’s getting its own post which should be up by tomorrow. The 100 season 7 trailer is supposed to be coming sometime this week. There will be plenty to talk about with that too!
Until next time! Stay safe and healthy!