Odessa’s Oddities & Curiosities | Week of 4/1/2024

Dear friends,

I’ve been frantically trying to write this Don Quixote essay so I can feel less guilty when I spend time writing this newsletter. This essay has thoroughly discombobulated me, but I’ve been thinking about Don Quixote and his proto-existentialist decision to pursue radical autonomy through his own narrative. But is freedom worth the cost of community? Through another lens, Don Quixote would kill it in Cognitive Behavioral Therapy because damn does that man know how to reframe his mindset.

In other news, I am a morning person now. (Please don’t hold me to it). But I’ve discovered that I am far more productive between 8-9 am than 11-12 am. So I’ve been blissfully climbing into bed at 11 pm.

I have some announcements before my recommendations. First, sign up for the Jewish Women’s Conference (April 11-13 at Yale). The steering committee (incl. me!) has been working really hard to put together this conference and I’m so excited! You can also attend virtually! The schedule is included here. You don’t need to be Jewish or a woman!

Second, for my Yale Jews, Hillel Student Board Formal is this Saturday (April 6 @ 11:15 pm). But before that, Jews & Psychedelics invites you to yoga at Breathing Room…in a (cough cough) unrelated note, did you read The New York Times article on the benefits of weed for exercise?

Okay, onto the oddities & curiosities…

I want to recommend one of my favorite tools for keeping organized (courtesy of the amazing Eleanor): Google Keep. Google Keep allows you to keep all these virtual sticky notes with To-Do lists. I love it because I can organize all my tasks into different categories.

I listened to a lot of meh podcasts this week, but I did enjoy this Sunday Read on The Daily about this guy who stays at Dog Hotels with his dogs and what our dog mania says about us. It made me miss Rosie.

For music, The New York Times profiled the British band The Last Dinner Party, and I’m obsessed. It feels like ABBA but a bit more R-rated. I’m particularly into their song “Nothing Matters”.

Also on music, Ketty recommended me this delightful, nostalgic and evocative song — highly recommend reading the comments as you’re listening.

I was so enraptured by the bombshell expose of Andrew Huberman (always knew there was something sketchy about his superhuman protocols). But to be honest, the article could have used a good edit.

Also, returning to hallucinogens, a great article on Roman era psychedelics.

On Easter, where I was reminded of the absolute joy of egg-hunting, I was also tickled by this essay exploring the role of the bunny rabbit in the public imagination. I want to add that The Runaway Bunny was particularly pertinent to my childhood, especially that one page with the bunny bird. The Bunny Bird became the star character in the bedtime tales my dad told me every night. Except our bunny bird was more psychedelic with these large rainbow wings and would always swoop in to save the day.

And we’re back to my favorite YouTube sommelier — I’ve learned that Costco Wines & Spirits are actually not too shabby. My favorite parts by far (although Henry vehemently disagrees) are when he starts listing off the scent notes (a tad nonsensical and absurd but almost like poetry).

Speaking of wine, Liana sends a curiosity from the Wine Museum in Bordeaux: “With fizzy wine, the carbonation reacts off the dust particles in the glass”…so don’t rinse your wine glasses!

May Daniel Kahneman’s memory be a blessing ❤️ I was particularly touched by this essay on how he cherished adversarial collaboration.

Yesterday was one of the first real Spring days. All the flowers are blooming with these yellow daffodils lining the sidewalks. Miriam and I had a Sunday picnic in the sun with a tofu scramble and pineapple and coffee, and nothing is really better than that.

With love & curiosity,

Odessa