Finkel's Fast Five - Issue #14

May 4th, 2018

This is the coolest 43-second video you will watch this week:
A class of high school students joined forces to buy their favorite teacher his dream pair of Jordans and his real, raw reaction will make you smile whether you're a sneaker head or not. Turn the volume up and enjoy.

A must-listen for anyone interested in great writing:
Nick Thompson is the Editor-in-Chief of Wired, one of my all-time favorite magazines. He was an editor at the New Yorker before that, so needless to say, the man knows his way around words. This podcast covers a lot, but from about the 40 minute mark on, it's a clinic in what makes a good editor, the challenges of publishing today and how to craft a strong story and much more.

There's a new favorite breakfast in my household:
Who needs Eggo waffles when you can have...POWER WAFFLES. Yes, Eggos may be fine for the average family, but when you're trying to raise 2nd generation meatheads, you need to step your game up. I found these Power Waffles by Kodiak Cakes at the grocery store and the kids love them. Plus: 12 grams of protein and 100% whole grains. So yeah, my waffles can kick your waffles' butt.

Tomorrow is one of the best holidays of the year: Finkel de Mayo:
What is Finkel de Mayo? Oh, nothing, just the one day of the year that the world (me) sets aside to celebrate all of the phenomenal Finkels (there's so many). Might I interest you in an interview I did with New York Times bestselling author Michael Finkel? Or how about my wonderful conversation with Magic: The Gathering legend, AKA, "The Other Jon Finkel on the Internet", Jon Finkel, called: A Tale of Two Finkels. Happy Finkel de Mayo, ladies and gentlemen.

A tremendously written sentence I admire:
"As the train yanked its long tail out of the thundering tunnel, the kneeling reflection dissolved and he felt a splurge of freedom at the view of the moon-hazed Western hills bulked against night broken by sprays of summer lightning..." - Bernard Malamud, The Natural

Side Note: I recently started co-hosting a podcast called Props, where we do a fun, deep dive on classic sports movies and then uncover the memorabilia available from them. Our episode on The Natural has been somewhat controversial among movie purists, many of whom (politely and not politely) suggested I should read the book. I am. And wow. There is an entirely other level to this story. And the writing, well...doesn't get much better.

Have a great weekend and hopefully you'll find a view that inspires your own splurge of freedom.

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- Jon