The Plumber's Ledger
Volume 9, Issue 6 January 2021
THIS ISSUE Front Cover Photograph
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A Proper Rewind of 2020
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Two-Zero-Two-One: A Compendium
Daphne Lisak
Sophia Gorbounov
Deisha Paliwal
Back Cover Illustration Erica De Petrillo
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From the Archives: A Forgotten Past
Charlotte Volk
Published by THE ENGINEERING UNDERGRADUATE SOCIETY a student society of McGill University. The content of this publication is the sole responsibility of THE ENGINEERING UNDERGRADUATE SOCIETY and does not necessarily represent the views of McGill University. For questions, comments, and complaints, as well as more information on the policies of The Plumber's Ledger, please use the contact information below. Use this contact information also if you have an interest in contributing to the The Plumber's Ledger on a one-time or regular basis.
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Contact Us Email: ledger@mcgilleus.ca Facebook: The Plumber's Ledger Instagram: plumbersledger Visit our website at ledger.mcgilleus.ca View this issue and previous ones in glorious technicolor at issuu.com/theplumbersledger
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Andrew Salem
New Year Reflections Ledger Staff
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The Pandemic Cooking School
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The Queen's Gambit is a Must Watch and Here's Why
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Abhimukth Chaudhuri & Sharon Kattar
Ann Trinh
2020: The Good, The Bad and the Downright Absurd Shafaq Nami
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A Eulogy for the Peanuts of Thai Express Nikko Ong
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The Plumber's Ledger ledger@mcgilleus.ca Volume 9, Issue 6 January 2021 ISSN 2291-3319(Print) ISSN 2291-3397(Online).
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Ledger Puzzle: Sudoku
January 2021
Ledger 2020 Trivia
LETTER From the Editors-in-Chief The Team Editors-In-Chief Shafaq Nami Marie Mansour
Editor(s)
Ze Yuan Andrew Salem Charlotte Volk Celia Hameury
Staff Writer(s)
Ann Trinh Nikko Ong Sharon Katttar Andrew Salem Charlotte Volk Abhimukth Chaudhuri
Contributor(s)
Sophia Gorbounov Deisha Paliwal
Illustrator(s)
Erica de Petrillo
Layout/ Design Ann Trinh
Photographer(s) Daphne Lisak
Publications Director Imane Chafi
Dear Readers, Happy New Year from all of us at the Plumber’'s Ledger! We hope that you had a wonderful, restful, and safe winter break and that the fall semester went as expected. After the turmoil of 2020, we’are all sure to be welcoming the fresh, clean slate of January. Now is often the time to make (and not follow) New Year resolutions, but if there is one thing we have learned from 2020 it is that nothing is guaranteed. While this may sound a bit daunting and indeed 2021 has not so far magically returned things to normal as we hoped, the same goes for good things, and we at the Ledger hope this year is full of good surprises and blessings for everyone. We are extremely thankful for our team of writers, editors, illustrators, photographers and designers who made last semester such a success. We hope to keep the energy going in 2021, with a brand new layout designed by Ann Trinh. The Ledger is back and ready to go with a variety of fun pieces, informative articles, and so much more! If you're a conspiracy theorist, Charlotte has written the perfect piece for you. Are you getting bored of the same cuisine over and over? Check out Abhi and Sharon's recipes to spice up (pun intended) your 2021! Nikko is also back with another piece on food, this time, his take on peanuts. Alongside a few articles to wrap up 2020 and the new year, a review of the must-watch Queen's Gambit, and, of course, our playlist, this issue is packed with something to tickle everyone's fancy. This semester will be packed with exciting new events, special editions, and re-vamping of the Ledger website - stay tuned because the Ledger is coming in hot for the new year! Welcome back to another semester at McGill. Make sure to work hard, play hard, and take care of your mental health!
VP Events
Stay safe and happy reading!
Paul Hinta
Marie and Shafaq
VP Publications Yash Khapre
VP Communications Yassaman Bassiri
P.S. If you or anyone you know is interested in website design, please send us an email! Monetary compensation is promised!
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A PROPER REWIND OF 2020 By Sophia Gorbounov
Source: montreal.ctvnews.ca As the seemingly never-ending year of 2020 draws to a close, most are looking to the future, hoping 2021 brings more good news than bad. However, we often forget that pearls of goodness were sprinkled throughout these turmoil-ridden 366 days. So, without further ado, here is a comprehensive list of 10 things to thank 2020 for. 1. Getting some much-needed alone time When the COVID-19 pandemic swept through the world and countries called for lockdowns, everyone was finally able to take a moment away from their social lives and breathe. Nothing like spending the days alone with your thoughts to remind you that you 3
dropped all your hobbies by the historical movements take off, age of 13. Staring at a wall has nev- with people risking their lives to er been more interesting! march and protest together for the rights of Black people around 2. Spending time with family the world. Celebrities, living in a Many of us came home for pos- perpetual state of FOMO, consibly the longest we've been there tributed their share of course. I for since moving out. Often we rem- one felt the problems of the world inisce about our childhoods, and dissipate upon hearing multi-milcrave those carefree days. Moving lionaires sing John Lennon's back in with your parents brought "Imagine." Why donate when you just that. Suddenly, we were back can simply tweet the BLM hashtag to the good old days of "where are and go back to your vast carelessyou going", "what are you wear- ness? ing", "why is your hair like that", and "clean your room". Ah, the 4. Developing new hobbies tranquilities of childhood. Baking bread, arts and crafts, and intense abdominal workouts were 3. Celebrities coming together in just some of the trends seen this the name of "activism" summer. To better oneself became This year saw one of the biggest the goal during the first wave of January 2021
time zone differences. Depending on which of my professors you ask, I was either in Montreal, California, Russia, or Australia.
the pandemic. The sudden shutdown of the world created an immeasurable void in my heart, but surely these new flower strings on my ceiling will fill it. No? Maybe if I bake another loaf of bread? Unveil my new six-pack to my friends? Anything?! 5. Learning to use a brand new technology Of course, this list would be incomplete without mentioning Zoom. Personally, I was getting bored of seeing my friends in person, it just became too easy. I was thrilled to learn that my get togethers were now limited to 40 minute increments. I was especially fond of getting booted from meetings and social gatherings alike for no discernable reason. Thank you Zoom, for I will now be adding you to my list of LinkedIn skills and my list of words to never utter again once the pandemic is over. 6. Popularising fun new phrases "Can you see me?" "You're muted." "I can't share my screen, it won't allow me." These became everyone's favourite phrases of the year. If I had graduated from high school this summer, you can bet your
9. Having a new get-out-of-anything card Picture this: It's the summer, and your friends are planning a small get together at 11. It is 10:47, you have yet to get out of bed, and frankly you still need another 4 hours of sleep. Easy solution! "I'm not sure I feel comfortable going, Source: studyblr sorry you guys but the pandemic is freaking me out." Now, enjoy your bottom dollar my yearbook quote extra hours of sleep and moping would be, "You have to scroll up in about the house. the chat, I sent the link at the beginning of the meeting." 10. Taking a good hard look at our mental wellbeing 7. Building up close connections Past issues with mental health can with professors pale in comparison to the crushWith the online semester, commu- ing inability to function many of nication with professors increased us developed this semester. This tenfold. Emailing about confusing year forced many of us to really deadlines, even more confusing consider our mental wellbeing, "altered" assignments, asking for and then watch it completely fall extensions, and simply sending apart. I was aware of my crippling the word "help" finally allowed my depression worsening every day, professors to know me by name. but those four assignments due at Perhaps "my most confused stu- 11:59pm sure weren't. Thank you dent" is not the title I wanted, but to employers and professors alike it definitely put my name on the for always reminding us to put our map. mental health first, then proceeding to dump 90 more things in the 8. Finding new ways to avoid class "to do over the weekend" pile. ♌ Mandatory tutorial at 8:30 in the morning? No problem! Simply let your professors know that you hope they're doing well, but unfortunately, you are in BC, and will be unable Source: news.uchicago.edu to attend due to The Plumber's Ledger
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TWO-ZERO-TWO-ONE: A COMPENDIUM By Deisha Paliwal an observational narrator. Whether you’re new to Ishiguro's work or well versed in his prose, be sure to look out for a copy. Space Exploration NASA's rover, Perseverance, along with other spacecrafts from China and the U.A.E. will land on Mars this year after their launch in 2020. After a 300-million mile journey, they too are brimming with 2020's exhaustion (and exhaust).
Source: @bicreativelab on Instagram 2020: the year during which, somehow, everything and nothing happened. If you find yourself not wanting to look back on what this year brought, cast your gaze ahead instead. Here is your compendium of what to look for, look forward to, and look out for in 2021 (in no particular order). Economic Recovery I exhausted the question “In this economy?” in 2020, inserting it whether it was appropriate for the conversation or had no place in it at all. The economic impact of the pandemic varies across countries and among populations. Similarly, the global economic recovery 5
that will follow vaccine distribution will be non-uniform. Look for governmental strategies addressing unemployment, food security, and support of small businesses. The term “fiscal policy” isn’t reserved for the glossary of your ECON 208 textbook. Klara and the Sun by Kazuo Ishiguro Recipient of the Booker prize and Nobel prize for literature, Kazuo Ishiguro is an esteemed author of contemporary fiction. Ishiguro’s novel, Klara and the Sun, is set for publication in March. The book explores questions of promises and love through the eyes of January 2021
Climate Change Action 2021 comes with a list of opportunities that we are not at liberty to decline. Advancing a global agenda on climate change that the pandemic thwarted is perhaps at the top. Although restrictions drove a historic
drop in carbon emissions, global warming is still projected to exceed the 1.5˚C threshold identified in the Paris Agreement. The UN climate summit (COP26) scheduled for November and the platform of a new presidential administration bring hope for progress. Music Although sold-out stadiums seem inconceivable for now, and morning car rides are infrequent for most, music has not grown any less important. 2021 will see more elaborate virtual gigs and the comeback of vinyl. For pop culture connoisseurs: Drake, Sia, and Lana Del Rey will be coming out with new music this year. The movie adaptation of Lin-Manuel Miranda's musical “In the Heights” is also scheduled for release in June. Black Lives Matter: Keeping up the Momentum The murder of George Floyd on May 25 at the hands of Minneap-
Perserverance rover via NASA olis police catalyzed a civil rights movement against systemic racism and police brutality. While the Black community continues the fight that they have started long ago , people and corporations who proclaimed allyship in June cannot cast it aside as the news cycle cycles. Systems of oppression are persistent; to dismantle them, we must keep up the momentum into next year and always. Support Black-owned businesses; denounce racism from other people and institutions; interrogate it in yourself; follow up on the petitions you signed in June; sign more; pressure political representatives to pursue change; be anti-racist; engage with the activism of organizations you donated to; donate to more; advocate for diversity; demand justice for Breonna Taylor, and don’t stop there. It’s 2021 and Black lives will always matter. The document linked below contains a compilation of materials to engage with activism and the Black Lives Matter movement in MonThe Plumber's Ledger
treal. https://docs.google.com/document/d/1k-GQfl2DOkY468FdJ9gQ7OnMzcrZ20xeQp1M2eXkU7M/ e d i t ? f b c l i d = I w A R 0 Xo Q E z y W A OZ5louuCN7MIkfl83l7j7LMEBKe3_ WT2OETorEKf1JdRo920
And that's a wrap. The past twelve months have been a hard four years. wallow in them briefly; take solace in knowing they are over and look ahead to what the next twelve will bring. Happy New Year! .♦
References https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/ books/653825/klara-and-the-sun-by-kazuoishiguro/ https://www.forbes.com/sites/ jonathanocallaghan/2021/12/29/ space-in-2021the-missions-launchesand-events-you-can-look-forward-to-in-thenext-12-months/?sh=7734a0b7775e https://www.newscientist.com/article/ mg24833141-900-2021-preview-a-crucialyear-for-action-on-climate-change/ https://etcanada.com/photos/725517/ the-biggest-new-music-releases-expected-iin-2021/#image-725525 http://www.mcgilltribune.com/opinion/ black-lives-matter-at-mcgill-too/
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FROM THE ARCHIVES: A FORGOTTEN PAST By Charlotte Volk
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The truth behind this reveals a dark and unbelievable past
The Allan Memorial Institute, part of the McGill University Health Centre, houses a portrait of a man with no name. Visitors or patients at "the Allan" may glance at the portrait, wondering why it is the only nameless one among the portraits of all the past directors. The truth behind this reveals a dark and unbelievable past, one that spans decades and has ripped through generations.
Source: montrealinpictures.com foundation in Cameron's previous psychiatric research on the treatment of schizophrenia, which included brutal techniques such as the administration of hard drugs and severe sensory deprivation to erase memories and reprogram his patients' minds. The CIA was especially interested in this research during the Cold War because of one of its potential applications – mind control.
As the new CBC podcast Brainwashed relates, one of these patients was a pregnant woman named Esther Schrier. Esther, suffering from what was most Between 1957 and 1960, Dr. Don- likely postpartum depression or ald Ewan Cameron, who was the anxiety after a previous infant first director of the Allan Memo- loss, arrived at the Allan Memorial rial Institute, and remained so for Institute hoping that the famous over 20 years, received over USD Cameron, who was the head of $60,000 from the CIA to fund the Canadian Psychiatric Associhis experiments. The project, ation, American Psychiatric Assocodenamed MK-ULTRA, had its ciation, and the World Psychiatric 7 January 2021
Association at different points in his lengthy career, would be able to help her. Instead, until she was more than 8 months pregnant, she underwent a series of brainwashing experiments that would become the foundation of modern torture. She was put into medically induced comas for up to 30 days at a time, given huge quantities of drugs such as amphetamines, LSD, and barbiturates, and forced to undergo electroshock therapy up to twice a day. The aim of these treatments was something Cameron called "depatterning", which aimed to reduce unsuspecting psychiatric patients to an unthinking, child-like state, unable to speak or take care of themselves. The patients were then "reprogrammed" through something called psychic driving: forcing patients to listen to recorded messages up to 20 hours a day through headphones or other devices they couldn't remove, in the hopes of brainwashing them. Cameron took advantage of the lost patients who showed up at the Allan looking for help and pressured them into continuing his "treatments" until they were too weak to know what was happening anymore. MK-ULTRA was abandoned in 1964, but the techniques Cameron pioneered became the inspiration for state-sponsored and military torture for decades. The CIA's training manuals for interrogation and torture made direct reference to the "experiments at McGill
University" in their description of potential interrogation methods including pain, narcosis, and sensory deprivation. The "enhanced interrogation techniques" used in Guantanamo Bay after the 9/11 attacks also drew from these techniques, as did the torture techniques of Honduran military forces trained by the CIA.
was actually providing even more funding for these experiments than the CIA. The government has offered compensation to 77 former patients, who received $100,000 each, but did not accept liability or apologize. Lloyd Schrier, Esther's child, whom she was pregnant with at the time of her treatments, received nothing. McGill University has also never acAlthough Esther Schrier eventual- knowledged their part in the horly recovered, many other patients rific experiments and have simply did not, spending the rest of their removed Cameron's name from lives haunted by the torture they the portrait hanging in the Allan. underwent. To date, the Canadian government has not accepted re- Although there are much strictsponsibility or apologized for the er regulations and procedures for horrors that went on at the Allan, conducting experimental research even though it was later revealed today, we must never forget the that the Canadian government atrocities conceived and executed
by one of our own. The engineers, scientists, and doctors being educated at McGill must not let the passage of time erase our dreadful past, lest we hang another nameless portrait on our walls. ♦ References Faris, Nick. “’Electronic lobotomy’: Montreal doctor ruined hundreds of lives with CIA-funded ‘depatterning’ treatment, victims say.” 31 January 2019. National Post. 30 December 2020. Richardson, Lindsay. “”Their lives were ruined”: Families of MK Ultra survivors planning class-action suit.” 20 May 2018. CTV News. 30 December 2020. Shephard, Michelle, Lisa Ellenwood and Chris Oke. “Brainwashed: The echoes of MK-ULTRA.” 21 October 2020. CBC News. 27 December 2020. Velasquez-Buritica, Juan. “MK-ULTRAViolence.” 6 September 2012. The McGill Daily. 27 December 2020.
LEDGER PLAYLIST: 2020 VIBES Happy New Year, everyone! The playlists of the month are officially back and will hopefully put you in the mood for our final semester before the summer. If you’re feeling nostalgic for 2020 (honestly, who would, but just in case), the 2020 hits throwback playlist is perfect for you! If you’re looking for some feel-good music to play while studying, definitely check out the Feelin’ Good playlist by Spotify - definitely the perfect pick me up! And just in case one of your New Year’s resolutions is to try new things, check out the Classic Soft Rock playlist - you might surprise yourself!
The Plumber's Ledger
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LEDGER PUZZLE: SUDOKU By Andrew Salem
How to Solve: Fill in the blanks so that each row, each column, and each of the nine 3x3 grids contain one instance of each of the numbers 1 through 9.
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January 2021
NEW YEAR REFLECTIONS By Ledger Staff Andrew Salem The friends we made a long the way are the only good things that came out of 2020. 2021: Nothing really I stopped being "proud" of the 21st century since 2012. Abhimukth Chaudhuri Something good that came out of 2020 is that I got my best friend and roommate back! He took a break from university and went back home for a year all of sudden in 2019 due to his mental health conditions. Now he is back and much better than before! We both went on multiple cooking sprees and also got each other through the horrendous virtual university in Fall 2020. Something I am looking forward to in 2021 is watching Formula 1, especially because of all the changes that took places between the teams and drivers. Ann Trinh Eating my sister's cinnamon buns in 2020... they were delicious. Sophia Gorbounov Looking forward to spending a whole summer in Montreal in 2021 :) Celia New Years Resolution: Write more :) Charlotte Volk One good thing that came out of 2020 is that I rediscovered my love for crochet! I love to create things by hand, and it's become my relaxation at the end of the day. In 2021, I'm looking forward to finally getting to give my friends hugs again.
The Ledger Staff were asked about what they thought were some good things that came out of 2020, their new year resolutions and what they are looking forward to in 2021. Here are their answers... Tahsin Abedi 2020 was all about personal growth and gratitude for me. In 2021, I'm hoping for a healthier world. Deisha Paliwal Something good that came out of 2020: I got good at wandering aimlessly. What I'm looking forward to in 2021: Walking with a sense of urgency and steadfast purpose to a destination. New Years Resolution: Write more Nikko Ong In 2021, I want to make friends that I have nothing in common with. 2020 has shown us the grossest cracks in the fabric of our society, and much of that comes down to the self partitioning of people from others who are not like them. To become friends with someone with which I have very little in common is not only an attempt at love and an expression of grace, but also a foundation to be part of the glue that holds us together. Imane Chafi 2020 has been a difficult time for a lot of us, and with online school it was hard to keep the community going, so I am very proud to see that the Ledger is still working hard towards creating engaging content for students and making sure that promoting writing in engineering is stronger than ever! Here's to another year of great articles and more exciting events :)!
The Plumber's Ledger
Jiaze Ben 2021 resolutions: Eat healthier Stay active Improve core competency by learning new skills Sharon Kattar I spent less money, I made my peace with my mom moving to town, I got a TA position, and I got to try different recipes. DaphnĂŠ Lisak Something good out of 2020: people taking the time to slow down Something I am looking forward in 2021:people realizing that this crisis isn't over and that they still have work to do. everyone's in this together Shafaq Nami The good things about 2020 were that I got to spend more time with my family, made a lot of awesome new friends, got into writing and publications again! In 2021, I hope to gain new experiences that push me out of comfort zone. Ze Yuan Fu I'm looking forward to campus life when classes are in-person again.
Marie Mansour I think 2020 was a great year for self development and growth. I was able to focus on myself, start some new hobbies, and learn to have fun by myself! 10
THE PANDEMIC COOKING SCHOOL By Abhimukth Chaudhuri and Sharon Kattar It's 2021 and if your new year's resolution is "I'm going to cook more and eat out less," we are going to help you. This is a great resolution because it has so many layers to it. Firstly, by eating out less you are going to save so much money. Like a lot. Secondly, you are going to develop a very easy skill that is infinitely useful, will make you score with anyone you are trying to impress, and will help you survive in life (I'm talking about cooking). Whether you are vegan, vegetarian, pescatarian, and omnivore, or lactose intolerant, there are a multitude of recipes out there that you will love for their simplicity and taste. Before we dive into our top four recipes, here are some guidelines for your first time in the kitchen: 1. Recipes are literally just instructions on how to use your kitchen. Read them through before you start cooking and then again while you are cooking. 2. Find a recipe before you go out shopping! Find your grocery flyer, see what kind of protein is on sale (ex. chicken breasts, ground beef, chickpeas…), look for a recipe using that ingredient, then go buy the rest of the stuff you need. 3. Meal prep. Yes, cooking is great and fun and we all love it. But to have to do it every day for every meal? I don't think so. By making AT LEAST THREE portions of a recipe you found (I find that four portions is the sweet spot – includ11
ing the one for right after you make https://vegetariangastronomy. it), you are guaranteeing food in com/easy-thai-pra-ram-tofu-peayour fridge for at least three meals. nut-sauce/ Lunch or dinner, here you come! Back to honey garlic – this recipe There are so many more tips I can is easy, delicious, and you can add give, like "you don't have to follow any vegetables you are in the mood the recipe down to a T," "I use Pin- for. I find that broccoli is always a terest," and "food blogs have argu- good add, but sometimes I don't ably the best recipes," but for now, feel like cutting the carrots. I make let's dive in. Calrose white rice on the side (bring the water (1.5 cups) to a boil, Recipe 1: Honey Garlic Chicken add salt, add rice (1 cup), and stir Stir Fry until boiling, then cover, lower the heat to 2/low, and cook for 16-18 minutes) and serve the dish with the stir fry on top. De-lish-ouse. Recipe: https://www.dinneratthezoo.com/ honey-garlic-chicken-stir-fry/
Recipe 2: Vegan Mediterranean Source: dinneratthezoo.com Meal Prep Bowls First things first, anything with "stir fry" in the title is my bread and butter. To me, stir fry just means "protein and vegetables in a kind of sticky sauce served over rice." When gyms were open and I was a lifting machine (ha ha) (it hurts so bad), this is the number one dish I used to make. BONUS: it is very easy to replace chicken in any stir fry with tofu! I have never cooked with tempeh, but that might work too. In the case of replacing chicken with tofu, sauté or bake the tofu until it is at a likeable consistency, then add it to the recipe the same way you would chicken. My favorite recipe for tofu stir fry? Thai Pra Ram Tofu (Peanut Butter Sauce): January 2021
Source: hummusapien.com Yummy! When you cook for yourself, you might find yourself getting tired of meat faster than usual. In my case, it was chicken breasts that turned their annoying head on me first. For the life of me I could not bring myself to eat another bite of chicken. Later when I told my mom this story, she admitted that she would only cook with
non-hormone chicken breasts back when I lived with her. These go on sale once every 3-4 months I find, and when they do, I pounce on them. Otherwise, I take breaks between eating meat (including chicken breasts) and cooking vegan recipes! Thankfully the Internet is a wide and wonderful place, full of vegan enthusiasts willing to share their recipes. As I mentioned earlier, you can make a recipe vegan (or at least vegetarian) by simply choosing tofu as protein alternative. However, there are those weeks that I really and truly need a break, and that's is when bowls come into play.
cook? Don't worry about it! Just let quickly and easily! the oven handle all the hard work for you!
The dish calls for very little preparation time; about 10 minutes to season the chicken with salt and pepper, and to make the sauce! One of the best things about this recipe is that you don't need to make a separate grocery list to make it! All the ingredients that you require to prepare the sauce – olive oil, mustard (regular or grainy Dijon), honey, garlic and red pepper flakes – are items you will find in a regular kitchen and also use for other recipes on a day-to-day basis. This means you can cook this as many Tofu bowls are good as well, but times as you want and whenever the simplicity with a chickpea you want! bowl is unparalleled. I use canned chickpeas, but you can go the whole nine yards and start from dry chickpeas. This recipe calls for a lot of different vegetables, but you could make this recipe with just sweet potatoes, spinach/kale (or both), and chickpeas and that would be enough! I suggest you try Source: jocooks.com this recipe as-is and make adjustments on your own. The lemon Moreover, you are not limited to tahini sauce is definitely the main just chicken thighs! Due to its vercharacter in this story, so don't satility, you can substitute chicken miss out. For those of you who thighs for any other cuts of chickdon't know, tahini is sesame paste. en. The only thing to keep in mind It is super delicious and super is that different cuts of chickfatty. Once again, you have your en such as breasts, drumsticks main food elements in this recipe: or wings have different cooking chickpeas = protein, sweet pota- times in the oven. That's the only toes = carbohydrates, and tahini = thing that changes! Everything else remains the same! fats. Recipe: https://www.hummusapien.com/vegan-mediterranean-meal-prep-bowls/
Recipe: https://www.jocooks.com/recipes/ oven-baked-chicken-thighs/
Recipe 4: Quick and Easy Pasta Recipe 3: Oven Baked Chicken Salad This is one of my favorite dishes to Thighs Want to eat something fancy for prepare when I am feeling creative dinner, but you are too lazy to and I want to make something The Plumber's Ledger
Source: inspiredtaste.net Yes, there is a recipe that you can follow exactly and it will taste great. But what I really love about this recipe is that you can substitute in whatever ingredients you want and it will taste just as amazing! Want to add in a can of corn niblets or variety of beans to get some color and sweet crunchiness? Why are you holding back? Add it in there! Or you love tuna and want to mix it in with the salad? Umm… why haven't you opened the can yet? Honestly, you can add whatever you want and truly make it your own pasta salad! At the end of the day, you are just limited to your own creativity with this recipe! Recipe: https://www.inspiredtaste. net/38019/easy-pasta-salad-recipe/
Some parting words: don't shy away from any recipe! Try your hand and the worst thing that can happen is you won't make it again. And remember, your food needs to have at least three elements: protein, carbs, and fat. By taking the decision to cook more and eat out less, you are responsible for fueling your body with the necessary things it needs. Happy cooking! (Fires are not uncommon and grease fires should be covered to be put out). ♦
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THE QUEEN’S GAMBIT
IS A MUST WATCH AND HERE’S WHY By Ann Trinh I am definitely not the first person to try my hand at convincing you to watch Scott Frank and Allan Scott's The Queen's Gambit. This nicely packaged 7-episode Netflix miniseries, released on October 23rd of 2020, is the tale of a chess prodigy climbing the ranks in the world of 64-squares while battling her inner demons. From pawn to queen, Walter Tevis’s Elizabeth Harmon (though she prefers Beth) is a character of his 1983 novel that drew the attention of Emmy nominated Godless director, Scott Frank. His interest in this brilliant yet incredibly self-destructive champion realised a series that grips both chess enthusiasts and novices alike. One of the highest hurdles to overcome in the show's production was how to make chess cinematic. The show delivers glamorous shots of hotels and tournament locations. The locations of Beth's matches were not limited to the United States but included Mexico City, Moscow and Paris - but of these were actually filmed in Berlin. The camera takes a tour of each location (under the work of production designer Uli Hanisch) to give a wonderlike atmosphere that Beth undoubtedly feels when she first enters the stage.
soro initially wanted to avoid. But with each shot and cut to the next match there was a sense of rhythm, which was then interrupted to give the time to process what has happened by virtue of an important conversation or match. The creators paid special attention to the action taking place on the checkered boards. Chess experts, such as grandmaster Garry Kasparov and chess author and coach Bruce Pandolfini, were consulted for the series and they made sure that the matches seen on screen were accurate (to those enthusiasts that could spot a mistake a mile away) and to carried their own personality as a reflection of Beth's journey.
Not only did the positions of the pieces have a dose of tender loving Scott Frank describes the series care, but the movements and reacas "one big montage" consisting tions of the players were trained of consecutive chess matches, to imitate professionals. "It's how which he and editor Michelle Te- quickly they respond in certain sitJanuary 2021 13
Source: Netflix uations, and the right hesitations at points, how you write your moves down on a score sheet, how you hit a clock, and how you look at your opponent after certain moves, all these little intangibles," says Pandolfini. Such reactions were an integral part in storytelling. With the close up shots of the characters' reactions during play, viewers could tell just from their expressions what was happening on the board - who was winning, who was in a difficult position, who had some misplaced confidence and who felt utter defeat - even without knowing anything about the game. What's more, the emphasis placed on the characters' reactions dives viewers deep into the minds of the characters, to truly feel the gravity of what they felt. While the series is grounded in the world of chess, our attention lies on the Kentucky-raised orphan, Beth Harmon. Following an accident, Beth is left without
her mother and is sent to a girls orphanage where she is introduced to these funny little green pills: tranquilizers, meant to even the girls' "disposition". It is in the orphanage's dusty old basement where Beth learns from the orphanage's custodian Mr. Shaibel the game of 64-squares. The story progresses as Beth begins a life with her rather turbulent adoptive parents and in her teenage years she begins making a name for herself at tournaments. But this story is not just about how this chess prodigy came to be a chess champion, it is also about addiction and "the pain and cost of being so gifted" as director Schott Frank said.
It is interesting to point out that in Tevis's novel the pills actually made her mind foggier and Beth is fully aware of its negative effects but the bliss she gets from the pills were enough to get her hooked. At the ripe age of 9, she grew addicted to the calming effect of the pills and we got the first glimpse of Beth's self destructive behaviour. "Addiction is one's own worst enemy," said Frank. We see just that as we follow Beth's journey, she says hello to alcohol in her teens and an unlikely villain, winning. Yes, she is addicted to winning. As prepared, Beth turns to booze and the pills when life shows her feelings of loss and after following her story to this point viewers cannot Remember those funny little help but empathize. green pills? It is under the influence of these bad boys that she "The true cost of genius, for me, is sees visions of a chess board on the the single most important theme ceiling and plays through games. of the book," said Frank. We find
Beth alone and placed at an orphanage, from there she grows with feelings of instability. On the chess board she is in control but the lingering feelings of inferiority weights her down as she seeks for her place in a very distinct field. Unsure of where she stands in the chess world, she is even more isolated from the rest. She has a very specific talent that not every person understands and it can be speculated that she questioned whether or not she was a genius or simply crazy - the pills did not help though. It is interesting to note that Tevis's novel was published in the later years of the Cold War and sets his story during that era. In the Netflix series adaptation, the characters did not explicitly project their ideological views but as chess players their styles of play differed
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and correlated to their respective country views. It is interesting in the last few episodes how Beth interacts with her Russian competitors. In one match, she begins with a cold demeanor but as the game progresses she shows sports-
sional chess players, Anya developed her own style - one just for Beth, with its own flair.
In a world that lacks female playWe follow what our heroine ex- ers, Beth does not excel because periences through her lens. Upon of the simple reason that she is a entering tournaments Beth skills woman unlike other women. She embraces her femininity once she learns about the world of fashion. "Beth has a thing for flair," as Anya puts it. Contradicting the visual stereotypes one might imagine for a chess genius, there is an evolution in her style as she continues to grow and discover more of herself.
Source: Netflix manship and has a rather wholesome but brief exchange with a young Russian player. Beth also learns along the way that the Russian players work as a team during adjournments, which can be paralleled with a communist ideal, while she (an American) plays on her own staring at the ceiling.
are questioned in her early tournament days but she later disproves her critics' misconceptions by dominating the game. Arguably it is her lack of experience and knowledge of professional chess from the offset that is under scrutiny which in the 1960s was affected by one's gender. Women were simply not considered to Not all of us are chess geniuses but be capable of playing the game, The Queen's Gambit is crafted in leading to less (if any) opportunisuch a way that we can understand ties to excel. Beth does not let this Beth's internal struggles. Familiar phase her, and so viewers do not feelings of instability, longing for either. She is a woman practicing belonging, and control over one- in a male-dominated field but her self transcend from our laptops, gender is not the main focus of her tablets and tv screens as we im- story, as it is not something that merse ourselves into the obscure particularly concerns her. Similar world of chess. To top it off, Beth to women entering the male-domis a unique character brought to inated field of engineering, it is life by Anya Taylor Joy. The actors not about one's gender that dewere all trained on how to handle termines his or her qualifications. the pieces to best mimic profes- Gender is not the star for what January 2021
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makes a great engineer, it is in one's works as a professional.
What can be said is that Beth excels at the game because she has the talent for it. It is through her experiences and the people she meets along the way where people watching this series at home can view in awe at how this complex character came to be the queen we see in the finale. ♌
References https://www.nytimes.com/1983/03/01/ books/books-of-the-times-261335.html https://www.nytimes.com/2020/10/21/arts/ television/queens-gambit-review-netlix.html https://www.nytimes.com/2020/11/10/arts/television/queens-gambit-women-chess.html?action=click&module=RelatedLinks&pgtype=Article https://www.nytimes.com/2020/10/16/arts/television/queens-gambit-chess-netflix.html?action=click&module=RelatedLinks&pgtype=Article https://www.nytimes.com/2020/11/03/arts/ television/chess-queens-gambit.html?action=click&module=RelatedLinks&pgtype=Article https://www.newyorker.com/culture/on-television/the-queens-gambit-is-the-most-satisfyingshow-on-television h t t p s : / / w w w. v u l t u r e . c o m / a r t i c l e / the-queens-gambit-cinematography-steven-meizler.html https://www.vulture.com/article/queens-gambit-chess-matches-making-of-accuracy.html https://time.com/5901699/queens-gambit-review-netflix/ https://w w w.forb es.com/sites/danafeldman/2020/10/22/the-netf lix-series-thequeens-gambit-explores-the-true-cost-of-genius/?sh=31e8e7c5ebee
2020: THE GOOD,THE BAD AND THE DOWNRIGHT ABSURD By Shafaq Nami
Source: Mashable.com Now that we are finally done with 2020, isn’t it easier to mark the whole year as a collective fever dream, forget all the stuff that happened, and move on? Here is a list of possible reasons why you should look back at least once: 1. So you don't keep falling for the ‘this happened in 2020 memes’ 2. To have a laugh about all the totally absurd things that happened this year that you probably forgot. Our memories of 2020 have been largely dominated by the worry and trauma
that the coronavirus and oth- January: er disasters that occurred has caused. Here is our chance to • Just a couple days into 2020, look back at all the good and World War 3 was trending on the bad that happened this year Twitter. 2021 already seems 3. The old adage by the spanish better in comparison. philosopher George Santayana • Australia was on fire, the fires that has been countlessly paraburnt through more land than phrased, 'Those who cannot any other blazes in the past 25 remember the past are conyears and did severe damage to demned to repeat it" Australian wildlife. Extreme rain doused the fires but ended While this list is far from comup causing a flood. plete, I have tried to cover as many • The pope slapped a woman's major events as I can. hand on New Year's Eve and apologized for it. The Plumber's Ledger
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• The 2020 stock market crash also known as the coronavirus crash began. • Coronavirus was officially named COVID-19 • Antarctica hit record high temperatures. • Locust swarms in east Africa reached South Sudan, threatening a food crisis. • Iran and Italy emerged as coronavirus hotspots. March:
Source: @racheladawson on instagram • Megan Markle and Prince Harry announced they were leaving the royal family. • A Ukrainian flight crashed in Tehran, Iran, killing all 176 passengers on board, including some faculty and students from McGill University. • Trump's impeachment trial began. • The first coronavirus death occurred. First known COVID cases outside Asia were also detected. Wuhan went into lockdown and the virus was labelled an international concern by WHO. • Locust swarms covered Africa, and other natural disasters occurred in several countries. • New bone-eating life form was discovered in footage of alligator bones captured by a camera on a diving robot. • In a strange publicity stunt, 17
Planters announced that Mr. Peanut, the mascot for the nut brand, had died. • Kobe and Gigi Bryant died in a helicopter crash. • Brexit finally happened on 31st January. February: • Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi infamously tore up a copy of Trump's speech during the president's State of the Union. • A submarine carrying 5 tons of drugs was seized off the coast of Panama. • "Parasite" won the Academy Award for best picture. • Harvey Weinstein was sentenced to 23 years in prison. • Awkwafina made history as the first Asian to win in the lead actress category at the Golden Globes. January 2021
• Italy becomes the first country to implement a nationwide lockdown, with the rest of the world soon following suit. People began regularly tracking COVID-19 worldwide numbers as Italy and Spain recorded a high number of daily deaths. • Summer Olympics postponed to 2021 as well as other big sports and entertainment events. • People started stockpiling toilet paper leading to a shortage. • Introverts discovered their daily lifestyle is called quarantine. • Everyone became obsessed with Tiger King and it was the first major cultural sensation of 2020. • Jared Leto and Big Brother contestants found out about the pandemic weeks after everyone else did. • Animals began appearing in now empty cities including a footage of monkeys swarming and taking over a city in Thailand • Crude oil prices dipped to negative • Moscow, Russia reported the
hottest winter in 140 years and virtually no snow, with several places around the world experiencing climate change effects. April: • Officials in Wuhan, China, lift the city-wide lockdown after 76 days. • Rumors swirled that Kim Jong Un died and the internet became a fan of his sister. It was later found that he was still alive amid many theories including one about him having a body double. • Theories that 5G technology causes coronavirus theory spread with many people in developed countries attempting to destroy 5G towers by setting fires. • Quibi a streaming service launched but did not gain popularity despite everyone being at home. It shut down only six months and $1.75 billion dollars later. • Armed protesters mad about haircuts and masks stormed Michigan's state capitol • The Pentagon released UFO videos, and no one cared, with the news not being as widely reported as one would have thought. • Nadia, a tiger at the Bronx Zoo, tested positive for COVID-19, becoming the first known case of humanto-cat transmission. • Trump suggested injecting disinfectant as a defense against the coronavirus • A man allegedly dressed as a police officer in Nova Scotia killed 16 people, making it one of the deadliest mass
shootings in Canadian history. In • George Floyd's murder sparked response in May, Canadian PM the resurgence of the Black Lives Justin Trudeau announced a ban Matter movement sparking sevon 1,500 types of assault-style eral months of protests calling weapons. for an end to systemic racism and • A 2km wide asteroid flew past discrimination. Earth, with fears that it would • A Bolivian orchestra was trapped collide. in a castle by wolves. • Elon Musk and Grimes named May: their kid X Æ A-12. Elon Musk was quite problematic this year • A horrific attack took place in a including insisting COVID-19 is Kabul maternity hospital, killfake and being mad at people for ing newborn babies, nurses, and using pronouns young mothers. • A bunch of monkeys attacked • ”Murder hornets" were spotted a lab technician and stole some in the US, with a nest found in COVID positive blood samples Washington in October. Then, in Uttar Pradesh. they seemingly just disappeared • Former NASA and Apple engifrom social media. However a neer Mark Rober built a genius quick Google search suggests obstacle course to deter his backotherwise, with several news yard squirrels from stealing his channels reporting on them frebirdseed. quently with the last article dated • Bob Dylan released a 17-minute this week. song about the JFK assassination.
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July:
Source: @racheladawson on instagram • Tabloid headlines declared that NASA researchers working in Antarctica had detected "evidence" of a parallel universe. The news was based on puzzling cosmic rays that had been discovered by the Antarctic Impulsive Transient Antenna (ANITA) and a subsequent research paper that argued such discoveries were proof that "our universe could be the mirror image of an antimatter universe extending backwards in time before the Big Bang. June: • Trump teargassed peaceful protesters, journalists, priests, and bystanders for a photo op with a bible in front of a church to divert attention from the Black Lives Matter Movement. 19
• There was a threat of war between India and China erupting as tensions escalated. • US Astronauts were launched to the International Space Station (ISS) on the first private rocket. • President Putin called a state of emergency in Norilsk after 20,000 tons of fuel spilled into a river. • CNN reported the crisis that continued to ravage Yemen. Along with its civil war, Yemen is currently facing three pandemics. Aside from the coronavirus, the country is also facing a mosquito virus (Chikungunya virus) and a cholera outbreak. With famine threatening the country, Yemen still faces an increasingly dangerous humanitarian crisis. • The United Nations (UN) found eight mass graves in Libya. January 2021
• Twitter accounts belonging to Joe Biden, Bill Gates, Elon Musk, Kanye West and other prominent personalities were hacked as part of a bitcoin scam. • Kanye West not only ran for president, but was endorsed by Chance the Rapper and Elon Musk. • A conspiracy theory spread on Instagram about Wayfair trafficking children through cabinets. • Everything is cake” began trending with videos of objects being cut to reveal that it was a cake. • A new Ebola outbreak was detected in the Congo. • A star 2.5 million times brighter than the sun mysteriously disappeared. • Lockdown restrictions began to ease in many countries with social distancing rules still in place as people became used to the ‘new normal’. August: • A port explosion in Beirut left more than 178 people dead, over 6,500 injured, and 300,000 people homeless • Deadly wildfires caused by a gender reveal party burned more than 4 million acres in California. A fire tornado also ripped through California. • The movie ‘Tenet’ was released to cinema and largely ignored, but once it became available for streaming in December it quickly became ‘the best film of 2020’ ac-
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cording to critics. Black Panther actor Chadwick Boseman died after secretly battling colon cancer for 4 years Lori Loughlin went to prison for the 2019 college admissions bribery scandal. A waterfall went backwards in Australia. As a wind gust reached 70km/h, several waterfalls in the Royal National Park near Sydney started to be blown backwards creating a reverse waterfall NASA issued a warning for an asteroid that was supposedly heading directly for Earth. The New Scientist reported that traveling through a wormhole without dying may actually be possible. This is sure to be a relief for anyone who was planning to do that.
September: • Discovery of phosphine on Venus led researchers to conclude the existence of at least some form of life on the planet. • Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg passed away at the age of 86. • The Rock pulled the gates off to his house, explaining in an Instagram post that he needed to get to work but the electric gates won't open due to a power outage. • An Australian airline offered people a 'flight to nowhere' and it sold out in just 10 minutes. • The first covid-19 vaccine was developed. • "Among Us," an online game developed by studio InnerSloth, became one of the biggest games of 2020 two years
after its 2018 release once total landscaping parking lot Twitch streamers started playinstead of the Four Seasons ing it. hotel. • Tensions rose between Arme- • Rumors of Putin's resignation nia and Azerbaijan. spread on social media. • After a monolith in Utah October: caught media attention, several monoliths started appearing • Scientists found evidence of around the world and then bepossible microbial life on Mars gan to disappear just as mysteand the presence of water on riously. the Moon. • Home Depot sold a gigantic December: skeleton that measured 12 feet tall, and quickly transformed • The first coronavirus vaccine from a Halloween decoration began to roll out, and became to the internet's latest obsesan internet trend with debates sion. about its safety. • The star of the 2020 Vice Pres- • SpaceX's Starship SN8 exidential debate between was a ploded while trying to land. fly that landed on top of Mike • A new strain of coronavirus Pence’s head. For a night, The was detected in the UK and Fly was Twitter's main charSouth Africa. Europe shut its acter, with countless memes borders to the UK. popping up on other platforms as well. While 2020 was truly horrible for • Second lockdowns began in a lot of people, there were a few many countries. silver linings too such as getting • President Trump tested posi- more time to spend discovering tive for the coronavirus. new passions, with loved ones or November:
a break from busy daily life. Hopefully 2021 is a better and relatively uneventful year for all of us! ♦
• Ethiopian government forces began fighting a powerful regional government in the country's northern Tigray region, displacing thousands. • The US election dragged on for days as the world watched in anticipation. • Trump's presidency ended in a Four Seasons Source: https://www.contactcenterpipeline. The Plumber's Ledger
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A EULOGY FOR THE PEANUTS OF THAI EXPRESS By Nikko Ong Thai Express is a chain like no other, unparalleled in generosity, uncontested in rapidity, and unremarkable in menu design. My first and favorite one was the small location that nestled behind the Le James bookstore at the intersection of Sherbrooke and University. They served me my heaping plate of Pad Thai with chicken on a piece of styrofoam so flimsy it cracked underneath the weight of tangy, soy-sauce dripping flat rice noodles laced with bean sprouts and fried tofu and green onions. A little soggy, a little oily, a little sweet, and a lot delicious, Pad Thai was the best thing they served. cooks or better ingredients, but the one thing that made Thai Express That restaurant and its flagship special for me was the condiment dish disappeared one day when I bar at the end of the guide rails. wasn't looking, and I've mourned it ever since. Since then, I've been Forming a straight line from the comforted in the loving arms of cashier to the plexiglass-shielded the Eaton Center Thai Express prep station to the wok burners, the and the Thai Express under the guide rails lead you to gold: the peaScotiaBank theater, which both nuts of Thai Express. They sit in a provide offerings of considerable square aluminum hotel pan alongquality. With them, I've experi- side gummy bottles of Sriracha and enced managerial changes and cut-up limes that have seen better brand-level shifts to compostable days. plates, paper straws, and smaller portions, but I'll never forget that Sometimes there would be little first location. plastic containers to put the conOther joints in Montreal have amazing Pad Thai, perhaps some even better than Thai Express. They might have more skilled 21
Source: thaiexpressfranchise.com do with a plastic fork. The condiment bar was a little slice of paradise where you could transform your plate from a delicious, albeit homogenous, pile of food to a sparkling and professionally-plated paragon of haute cuisine. The mixture of red chili, palm sugar, fish sauce, and tamarind paste blend into a darker sauce, which needs visual pops of life to epitomize what a Pad Thai could, and should, be.
For me, that entails a drizzle of bright red Sriracha atop artfully diments in, and sometimes there placed limes that accentuate the wouldn't. There might be serving mounded curves of the rice nootongs for customers to grab their dles. It means a generous scattering aging lime quarters and crushed of bleached peanuts to bring out the peanuts, but oftentimes you'd make beautiful hazel tones of the underJanuary 2021
lay. And it means, above all, the purpose. They are the sparklers on freedom and creativity that are in- the birthday cake and they are the herent to cooking. 50 dollar bills that relatives slip to you in a secret handshake. They What Thai Express lacked in re- are the constellations in the night finement, it made up for with ef- sky, and they represent the beauficiency and affordability. What tiful heterogeneity of life. As opit lacked in polish, it compensat- tional as they might seem, condied with convenience. Though it ment bar peanuts are the key to the lagged behind in individuality, it triumph of Thai Express. brought it home with the condiment bar. When the global pandemic of COVID-19 rolled around, these The Pad Thai of Thai Express is condiments barely registered in not a spectacular and life-chang- my mind. Of greater concern were ing food, but with the help of public health policies and prevencrushed peanuts, it becomes an tative measures, not the sad limes outlet for artistic expression and and week-old peanuts at my favorculinary elevation. ite fast food stall. It wasn't until several months later that I realized Peanuts add crunch, flavor, and fat the treasure we had lost. to any plate, and condiments, as a whole, serve the same essential With Thai Express only offering
take-out and growing concerns over the spread of the virus on exposed public surfaces, the condiment bar was scrapped. It must have been a monumental time as the last pan of crushed peanuts was emptied. Now, my beloved Pad Thai from Thai Express is just another Pad Thai. No more limes, no more Sriracha, no more peanuts. Just like the unexpected loss of the Le James Thai Express, I mourn for the peanuts that once brought crunch and life to my food. I bid you a fond adieu, peanuts, and wait expectantly for your return alongside the council of the condiment bar. Until we meet again, Nikko ♌
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LEDGER 2020 QUIZ Check whether you spent way too much time on the internet this year with our quiz Question 1 In January, a scene from the movie "Marriage Story in which Adam Driver and Scarlett Johansson fight about their failing maarriage became the go-to template fror disagreement online. How did the following sentence end in the movie; "Everyday I wake up.." A. and I hope you are dead B. [crying] C. and you are still there D. and its still the elections
Question 2 In February, a video of US Presidential candidate Bernie Sanders gave birth to a meme template in which people amended his statesment, "I am once again asking for...". What was Sanders asking in the original clip? A. You to vote out Trump B. Your financial support C. Biilionares to pay more taxes D. Your support
Question 3 In April, images to show 'nature is healing' in the absence od people went viral on social media as a heartwarming upside of lockdown. Unfortunately nearly all of them 23
were fake news. Which one wasn't? A. Swans and dolphins returned to the venetian canals B. Elephants broke into a village in Yunan province to gorge on corn C. Mountain goats ran riot through a Welsh town D. A family of boars roamed the quiet streets of Bergamo
Question 4 In May, Elon Musk and Grimes claimed to have named their baby X Æ A-12 for the couple's favorite unknown variable, the elven spelling of Ai (meaning love and/ or artificial intelligence") and their favorite aricraft. How for the Ai of god, is it pronounced? A. "X, A, I" B. "X-Ash-Archangel" C. "Ki-Ai-L", like "Kyle" D. No one knows. Not even the parents
Question 5 In July, a video of hyper-realistic cakes went viral with the caption, "These are all cakes". For weeks afterwards, nothing you saw on the internet could be trusted to definitely not be cake. But who was especially enraged by the "Is it a cake?" meme? January 2021
A. Anti-obesity campaigners who calculated the cake's average calories B. An artisan cronut-maker who said they had lost business as a result C. An online community of people who really hate fondant D. The writer of a viral opinion piece who blamed the meme for his trust issues
Question 6 In September, a video of a man blissfully longboarding along a highway, set to Fleetwood Mac's Dreams, went viral on TikTok. What beverage was he chugging as he went? A. La Croix B. Cranberry Juice C. Fiji Water D. Budweiser
Answers 1. A 2. B 3. C 4. D 5. C 6. B Source: the guardian.com
What does your favorite 2020 meme say about you? Mi Pan
You have completely dissociated from reality! But you are having a great time regardless!
Everything is cake
You're having an existential crisis! You don't know who you are or what you are or what's going on anymore or whether any of it has any meaning anyway. Although, really, does anyone?
Bernie Sanders
My Plans/ 2020
You are doing your best! Like many of the plans we had for 2020, you have been disappointed. You have been thwarted. But you aren't going to give up. You are going to persevere despite the odds, and continue to find humour in bleak conditions.
you are once again trying to do what's best for everyone despite no one listening to you and people not caring for their own best interests! You’re tired but you keep trying because, like Bernie, you believe humanity is worth saving
Gossip Girl
You're delirious! Your brain is buttery smooth and, mentally, you've reached that exquisite state when you've been awake for too long and The Plumber's Ledger everything is funny in a hysterical kind of way.
Imposter Mike Pence's Fly You are the fly on Mike
Pence's head! You enjoy attention and taking centre stage, especially if it comes by way of stealing the spotlight from someone else.
The Plumber's Ledger
You are generally distrusting and a conspiracy theorist but lockdown and quarantine restrictions has got you especially on edge. At a time when news was fake. Time was a loose concept. Nothing felt certain anymore and no one knew who or what to trust. 24
