breakfast | Bob Schwartz

Every task matters

So much depends upon pouring the orange juice.

My second set of tasks each morning are household ones. Preparing breakfast for us.

The main breakfast item varies day to day, but there is a set of fixed daily preliminaries. Coffee is made, the table is set, juice is poured, berries are dished.

Each task, in the grand scheme of things, does not appear to have a major impact. But each of them is done with care, even if once in while the juice spills when poured. Only human.

There is something ultimate about each task. William Carlos Williams wrote, “so much depends Upon/a red wheel barrow”. So much depends upon pouring the orange juice.

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William ‘Bill’ Post, inventor of Pop Tarts, dies aged 96

In a stack of news at The Guardian site, among more serious stories, there is this:

William ‘Bill’ Post, inventor of Pop Tarts, dies aged 96

While I often think that news media pay too much attention to fluffy and inconsequential pop culture stories, I had to stop for this one.

I knew immediately why The Guardian had posted this. It is about the origin story of Pop-Tarts. Pop-Tarts.

I haven’t eaten Pop-Tarts for years, though I’m occasionally tempted. But there was a long-ago time when breakfast most days was a Pop-Tart and Carnation Instant Breakfast (rebranded in 2022 as Breakfast Essentials). I didn’t read labels then and didn’t care. It was too delicious to care. This was before I drank coffee, so the morning sugar rush no doubt fueled my success at school.

See a timeline of the history of Pop-Tarts here. (Fun fact: Pop-Tarts was first available only in Cleveland. Cleveland Rocks!)

Thank you, Bill Post.

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March 29, 2020

Putting religion in its ordinary place: more or less for breakfast

If you put religion in its ordinary place, two things happen.

For those who are followers and believers, and have promoted religion to some exalted position, it is a demotion.

For those who are not followers and believers, and may aggressively reject and oppose religion, realizing that it is nothing more than ordinary, it may be a revelation.

If religion is ordinary, no more than, say, the meal you eat when you wake from sleep—breakfast—it is worthwhile but, depending on what different people make of it, nothing special. Some will try to make something elaborately fancy out of it, convincing themselves and demanding of others that it be a big deal. Others will grab something, anything, just enough to get by. Either way, it is just that thing that fills the fast of sleep. Nothing more.

Consider this if you are one who believes religion—particularly your religion—must involve a very particular, strict and nutritious form. And consider this if you are weary of other people telling you exactly what breakfast you’re supposed to be eating. It’s just breakfast. It’s just religion.

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February 18, 2020

Making breakfast for one: one’s not half two

It is one of those days unusually when I am making breakfast just for myself. e.e. cummings came to mind.

one’s not half two. It’s two are halves of one:

by e.e. cummings

one’s not half two. It’s two are halves of one:
which halves reintegrating,shall occur
no death and any quantity;but than
all numerable mosts the actual more

minds ignorant of stern miraculous
this every truth-beware of heartless them
(given the scalpel,they dissect a kiss;
or,sold the reason,they undream a dream)

one is the song which fiends and angels sing:
all murdering lies by mortals told make two.
Let liars wilt,repaying life they’re loaned;
we(by a gift called dying born)must grow

deep in dark least ourselves remembering
love only rides his year.
All lose,whole find

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