I JUST HOPE THEY'RE DOWN TO EARTH 🙏

Happy National Cuban Sandwich Day! There is something about a well-made cubano — the crunchy toasted bread, the sharp mustard, the gooey cheese, the tender pulled protein (I prefer jackfruit over pork), the briny pickles — that just makes my tastebuds sing. 

One of the many sources of angst from the pandemic was not knowing if our favorite restaurants and food trucks would make it, and this was also true of one of my favorite purveyors of fine snacks, Chef Evanice of the Senoreata pop-up, who makes the best cubanos I've ever had the pleasure to consume. I am happy to report that Senoreata is still going strong, and those sammies are as delicious as ever!

Today is also National Sponge Cake Day! What a wonderful way to cap off a meal. Based on my (very cursory) research, sponge cake was first created in the mid-16th century by an Italian chef for a Spanish lord. Now the co-hosts and judges of The Great British Baking Show won't shut up about it, making sponge cake about as aggressively European as a dessert can get.

Don't even try to deny it, Paul.

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Before we delve into this week's community Q&A, let's celebrate some notable August 23rd birthdays! 

Happy birthday to actor, dancer, singer, and choreographer Gene Kelly, born this day in 1912! Mr. Kelly starred in some of the most well-regarded and popular musicals of the 1940s and 1950s, including Anchors Aweigh, Singin' in the Rain, and Brigadoon. For my money, though, his best acting performance was as D'Artagnan in MGM's 1948 adaptation of The Three Musketeers. 

Happy birthday to actress and comedian Shelley Long, born this day in 1949! Ms Long achieved widespread fame thanks to her role as Diane Chambers on the sitcom Cheers in the early 1980s, but she also had a successful film career, most notably (in my house, at least) opposite Tom Hanks in the 1986 comedic masterpiece The Money Pit. 

Today is also the birthday of NBA legend Kobe Bryant, who was born this day in 1978. Mr. Bryant was a 5x NBA champion, 2x NBA Finals MVP, and 18x NBA All-Star. He tragically died in a helicopter accident at the age of 41.

Finally, happy birthday to singer, songwriter, and musician Julian Casablancas, born this day in 1978! Mr. Casablancas is the lead singer and primary songwriter of The Strokes.

OK! Assuming I don't die before then, I'll be back in your inbox on Wednesday morning with links to fun distractions! Before that, though, scroll down and learn all about fellow Boredwalk fan Naki B.! As usual, if you'd like to be featured in an upcoming email, reply to this and let me know! Until next time...

Peace, love, and sponge cake,

Matt

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Naki looking erudite AF in her Oxford Comma Appreciation Society tee!

1. What's your day job and what's your dream job?

In real life, I manage a 911 emergency dispatch center. My dream job is to be podcast famous and just podcast for a living.

2. What's your biggest pet peeve?

Only one? People who are disrespectful to those who work in the service industry. Be better.

(Ed. note: I've often thought that US citizens should have one year of compulsory customer service work, similar to what Israel does with military service. I think we'd have a much more congenial and polite society as a result.)

3. What's a book you think the Boredwalk community should read?

The Book of Longings by Sue Monk Kidd if you want something that is just so damn good. Hench by Natalie Zina Walschots if you want a unique spin on superheroes/villains and to have a lot of fun reading it.

4. What experience do you most want to cross off your bucket list?

A trip to Greece.

5. If you could have any super power what would it be and why?

I would pick immortality — but at an age I choose so I'm not decrepit. (Have you SEEN Nicolas Flamel in the Fantastic Beasts film? None for me, thanks.)

(I mean, have you also seen **gesticulates wildly** reality? No way am I doing this forever.)

6. You can curse your nemesis with a minor annoyance for eternity; what do you choose?

I would curse them with always hitting red lights, coupled with the traffic cams that capture your plate if you run them. Take that!

(Getting them coming AND going — nice!)

7. If you drink: what's your go-to drink? If you don't drink: what's your go-to dessert or snack?

A good bourbon, neat.

8. Clear up a misconception (about your job, where you are from, some other topic you know a lot about).

Hufflepuffs are the best of us (I say this as a Slytherin). For real — do a deep dive into their values. They were founded on the premise of inclusion and not aptitude. We don't deserve them.

9. Where can the rest of the Boredwalk community find you?

On instagram: @filteredthrufiction and @brolanddeschain