Feldman's Faves: March 7, 2022

GOOD MORNING EVERYONE

It is hard to believe that we are coming up on two years since the World Health Organization formally declared a pandemic caused by a novel coronavirus. March 11, 2020 is a day I will never forget. On the way home from work I decided to stop by Loblaw’s to pick up a few things in case we needed to “shelter in place” for a few days. When I got there I walked into total chaos, as I was joined by thousands of my closest friends, all of whom has the exact same idea. I realized that when I saw a man loading his cart with dozens of boxes of President’s Choice Frozen Sheppard’s Pie that life was going to be different – this was before the Great Toilet Paper Hoard of 2020 began. Obviously, I had no way of knowing how different our lives would become. With over six million deaths worldwide, the millions and millions of people that have caught the virus, the strain these last two years have put on people’s health, both physically and mentally and the disruption and dislocation for so many, I am finally starting feel hopeful that the worst really is behind us on this front. Let’s hope that as the world opens up this time it is for good. Obviously, as this disaster starts to fade it is impossible not to think about the disaster unfolding in Ukraine. So much has been said about this tragedy already and so much more will be said, so all I will say today is that I have noticed on social media that one way people are helping the people of Ukraine is through Aibnb, which I think it pure genius. If you looking for a way to help, and are so inclined, you can “book” a room, apartment, house, etc. in any Ukrainian city this week so that you can put money directly in the pockets of the people on the ground so they can continue to make a living. There’s many ways to help, I just thought this was a great idea but everyone has to do whatever works for them.

No theme today, just a book and a PODCAST I enjoyed.

Hamnet By Maggie O'Farrell - This book is just different. It tells the story of William Shakespeare before he was famous – or at least it gives a version of what the author, Maggie O’Farrell believes could have been a plausible story of his early life as there is very little actual information on the subject. The interesting part of the book is that Shakespeare is never mentioned by name. Instead the book describes his parents, his wife Agnes (pronounced Anne) Hathaway (an older woman whose siblings he would tutor) and his children, including his son Hamnet, which I think, it’s fair to say, is the inspiration for Hamlet (yes Sherlock Holmes would be proud of this deduction)…. One of the known tragedies of Shakespeare’s life is that his son died of the plague. Aside from describing the mundane home life of his family with glimpses of things to come for young Billy (stories of him being missed by his family back in Stratford while he is working in “the theatre” in London) is the vivid description of how the plague traveled from a port town in Egypt to Stratford on Avon and how it led to young Hamnet’s death (a flea on a monkey in a market, jumped on to a sailor in port, that then infected people on the ship, that then infected people at the loading dock, yada, yada, yada, then infected his sister, then Hamnet himself and then Hamnet died….quite a story. This part alone makes the book worth reading along with the creativity and gap filling that O’Farrell provides to give the reader an understanding of how this once “unknown nobody” become THE William Shakespeare. Here is a good summary from Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/43890641-hamnet

Conan O’Brien Needs A Friend - Zach Galifianakis Returns – I now shift to the very silly. If you have never watched “Between Two Ferns”, then you are missing out. One of the greatest comedic bits I have seen is when Zach invited President Obama to his show. What followed was comedy magic. You know that I love Conan and I really love Zac, whose unique dead pan style of humour hits my funny bone very hard. This interview is comedic gold. Here’s an excerpt from the PODCAST itself: “Comedian Zach Galifianakis feels…sincere about being Conan O’Brien’s friend. Zach sits down with Conan once again to discuss comedy bits to do in a restaurant, cultivating a certain kind of rudeness, and little-known historical facts. Later, Matt Gourley seeks Conan’s guidance on raising a red-headed child.”:https://podcasts.apple.com/ca/podcast/conan-obrien-needs-a-friend/id1438054347?i=1000547381136

Thank you for your ongoing engagement and participation.

And remember to stay safe, stay healthy and to docket daily.

Jon