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march 2021
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PENPALOOZA
Even in today’s world of gadgets, gizmos, and digital everything, getting an old-fashioned letter delivered via snail mail is quite exciting. This might be even more true today than a few decades ago precisely because of its novelty. Can you remember the last time you received a hand-written letter? How about the last time you wrote one? For Rachel Syme, it was very recently! And her letters are going to and coming from absolute strangers through her pen pal letter exchange project, PENPALOOZA. Two events coincided that led Syme, a reporter for The New Yorker, to start PENPALOOZA. The first was her purchasing an old electric typewriter, which gave her the desire to type up letters. The second was the pandemic that halted travel and kept many people in their homes feeling isolated. By the summer of last year, the two forces collided, and PENPALOOZA was born. “In early summer, I asked if anyone would like to start writing snail mail to strangers; people seemed into it, so I set up this exchange,” Syme said in a tweet. Users who sign up for the free exchange are assigned one person to write to, and they’ll also be assigned as the recipient for another letter writer. “So [you get] two pen pals for one sign-up (more bang for your zero bucks),” Syme explains. Having to stay at home more during the pandemic has made us all hungry for connection. While so many of us have been turning to Zoom or video calls to connect with friends and loved ones, Syme’s letter-writing campaign adds something new to the mix. It gives participants a chance to reflect and express themselves by putting pen to paper — quite a different experience than typing on a computer or smartphone. And it also gives recipients something to look forward to. It’s that hope that captured Syme and the more than 7,000 fellow letter writers who’ve joined in the campaign.
“There’s a delay, a period where the letter is an object of hope, in transit between the present and the future,” Syme said.
Letters also provide a sense of human connection, even when exchanged between strangers. PENPALOOZA has linked up snail mail lovers from across the U.S. and over 30 countries around the world. Seeing someone’s handwriting, the paper they chose to write on, and the stamp they used to send the mail all contribute to a letter’s personalization, something that emails and text messages simply lack. Many letter writers also decorate with washi tape, stamps, and hand-drawn illustrations. While it’s not a requirement, some also like to include small trinkets or gifts with their letters.
Anna Sublet has been participating in PENPALOOZA for several months, and her enthusiasm for the project is contagious!
“When my first piece of mail arrived, the excitement I felt was beyond reason,” she told The Guardian in an interview about the project. “The pure thrill of a package, holding pieces of a person — a bookmark, a sticker, and words — was quite simply intoxicating. Across a two-month period, this connection had taken shape and taken flight across the globe.” Syme and her PENPALOOZA project remind us of an important lesson we’ve all learned in the past year: Sometimes, it’s the simple things in life that have the biggest impact. A fresh-baked loaf of bread, a walk outside on a sunny day, or a letter in the mailbox can raise our spirits even in difficult times. Even in the best of times, we could all use more of these simple pleasures in our lives.
–Eric Holguin
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When Life Gives You Lemons ...
Lemons don’t just add a tart flavor to your favorite desserts or cool you down in a refreshing drink on a hot summer day. In addition
wooden cutting board, then slice a lemon in half. Using
half the lemon (flesh-side down) like a sponge, scrub
the board really well. Wipe and remove the leftover lemon juice and rinse the board before using it again. Not only will the board appear cleaner, but it also won’t smell as bad, and
to bold flavors, lemons also have powerful cleaning properties. Their acidity and oils cut through grease and can sanitize many of your household items.
the bacteria will be gone. You can also use this method to polish dining ware, spruce up copper, and even remove stuck-on food from plates. Now, here’s the real secret: Once you master kitchen cleaning a la lemon, you can use these same principles to clean other parts of your house. For example, salt and lemon can be used to scrub grimy sinks and faucets, while a few squeezes of lemon juice in a cup of water makes an excellent cleaning solution for mirrors and windows. You can even make your own reusable cleaning spray by fermenting lemon peels — and the peels of other citrus fruits — in white vinegar for two weeks. Remove the peels after two weeks and spritz the mixture over surfaces you need to clean!
The best place to clean with a lemon is in the kitchen. For the microwave, simply juice a whole lemon into a bowl of water, then plop the used peels into the bowl. Microwave the mixture for a few minutes, let the bowl cool before removing it, then wipe away the grease in the microwave. You can also use this method for your oven. For odor-blocking properties, you can use a lemon as an air freshener. Leave half of a lemon in your refrigerator to trap and block potential smells and toss old lemon rinds down the garbage disposal. Run the disposal to clean the blades and freshen up the sink.
As for your kitchen tools, don’t toss them out without trying this lemon trick first. Start by sprinkling salt on a
“My brother-in-law was injured in a rollover wreck that resulted in severe injuries. He reached out to Herrman & Herrman for assistance. Steven Stratso with Herrman & Herrman was very professional, responsive, and attentive to our case. This agency worked diligently, carefully, and produced results. I would recommend Herrman & Herrman to anyone, not only in Kingsville and the surrounding community. If you want and need results call Herrman & Herrman. Trust me. You won’t regret it!” –Ode M. “I highly recommend this law firm. Jeff and Norm were amazing to work with on my husband’s case while he was away working in Afghanistan. They were both honest and attentive during this unprecedented time. Jeff took time out personally to speak with me not just about my case but my family as well. I never felt like I was actually speaking to an attorney, which speaks volumes when attorneys are involved. Norm also added a warm touch, sending my family masks and checking in on us from time to time just to touch base on how my husband was doing. Our case was resolved, and we are better for it thanks to Jeff and Norm.” – Tiffany S.
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Road Rage Is Never an Excuse 5 Ways to Prevent Road Rage
Keep your hands to yourself. Even if you feel agitated, do not provoke other drivers on the road. They may
Road rage happens to a lot of us, whether we like to admit it or not. Unfortunately, road rage can make us more aggressive drivers, which could also lead to taking risks and causing or being involved in an auto accident. If you want to cut down on your road rage so you can be a safer and calmer driver, here are a few tips: Take deep breaths. Sometimes, it’s unavoidable to feel a bit of road rage. However, you do not have to let it overcome you and cause problems for you and others. If you feel the negativity creeping in, take deep, meditative breaths to allow yourself to calm down. Avoid other aggressive drivers. If you see someone else driving aggressively, taking risks, or speeding, you should avoid them. Their aggressive energy can be contagious and cause problems. Let them pass. Your pride isn’t worth an accident. Only use your horn when it’s truly needed. It’s tempting to honk at someone out of irritation if they cut you off or run a stop sign, but that can only make matters worse. Make sure you only use your horn in dangerous conditions, like alerting someone to a threat on the road.
have cut you off, but you
should still only use hand signals as needed, like
when another driver allows you to merge into their lane. Flipping the bird is never necessary, on or off the road.
Give yourself enough time. One of the top reasons people get road rage is because they are running late and are upset when they get caught up in traffic. You can prevent this type of rushing road rage by leaving your house with plenty of time to get to your destination. You will speed less and have a calmer demeanor on the road.
Asparagus and Smoked Mozzarella Pizzettes
INGREDIENTS
DIRECTIONS
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1 lb prepared whole-wheat pizza dough, divided into 6 equal portions 12 oz asparagus spears, trimmed and cut into 1-inch pieces 1 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
1. Preheat oven to 500 F and ensure there are two racks in your oven. 2. Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper, stretch each piece of dough into a 7-by- 3-inch oval and arrange evenly on the pan. 3. On a second baking sheet, toss asparagus with oil and 1/4 tsp salt. 4. Place dough on top rack and asparagus on bottom and bake for 3 minutes. 5. Remove both trays from the oven, sprinkle cheese over the dough, then top with asparagus and scallions. 6. Return pizzettes to oven and bake until the crusts' edges are golden, about 8–10 minutes. 7. Remove from the oven and sprinkle with walnuts, mint, and orange zest before serving.
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1/4 tsp salt
1 cup shredded smoked mozzarella cheese 1/3 cup scallions, thinly sliced 2 tbsp walnuts, toasted and chopped 1 sprig of fresh mint leaves, torn
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Zest of 1 orange
Inspired by EatingWell.com
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Inside This ISSUE
Snail Mail Project Fosters Connection Page 1
The Best Cleaning Tool Can Be Found in Your Kitchen Page 2
Don’t Let This Driving Habit Get the Better of You
Asparagus & Smoked Mozzarella Pizzettes Page 3
Why Did It Take 51 Years to Decode the Zodiac Killer's Message? Page 4
Why Did It Take 51 Years to Decode the Zodiac Killer's Message? How 3 Codebreakers Cracked a Serial Killer’s Cypher
In November 1969, a serial murderer known as the Zodiac Killer sent a mysterious message to the San Francisco Chronicle. The missive was written in a 340-character code, and no one at the newspaper could solve it. Neither could the local police or the FBI’s Cryptanalysis and Racketeering Records Unit. For 51 years, the cypher sat unsolved in the unit’s records, just like the five California murders credited to its maker. Then, on Dec. 5, 2020, one of the “holy grails of cryptology” finally gave up its secrets. It wasn’t the FBI that cracked it, but a team of amateur codebreakers from around the world: American software developer David Oranchak, Australian mathematician Sam Blake, and Belgian warehouse operator/ computer programmer Jarl Van Eyck.
According to The New York Times, Oranchak spent 14 years of his life trying to break the code, but it wasn’t until his efforts connected him with the other two codebreakers in 2020 that it cracked. Blake set the dominoes in motion when he reached out to Oranchak with a fresh theory about the code. Then they connected with Van Eyck, who wrote a computer program to test their ideas. In total, the team ran more than 650,000 possible solutions through the program before landing on one that revealed snippets of phrases that made sense. Even with all that effort, Blake attributes their success to luck. “Not only were we lucky enough to find the needle in the haystack,” he said, “but we were lucky enough to pick the right haystack in order to start searching for the needle,” he told The Times.
For mystery buffs, watching the trio find that needle was one of the brightest spots in 2020. The code didn’t reveal the name of the killer, but the steps toward unlocking his taunts (including the line “I hope you are having lots of fun in trying to catch me”) were still fascinating. If you want to learn more about the code-breaking process, check out Oranchak’s five-part “Let’s Crack the Zodiac” video series on YouTube. Still want more? The Zodiac Killer’s identity remains unknown, but the FX docuseries “The Most Dangerous Animal of All” offers one fascinating theory. Watch it today on Hulu.
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