September 26, 2023 - Eggs, Imposter, Nose, Moth

This week, I laugh at the smell of eggs before the sun rises, but feel unworthy about it.

Nuggets of Information: Break Out of Your Shell

Last week’s Boo’s N.E.W.S. featured an article about Bacon. This week, as part of the International Treatise on Fair and Equitable Breakfast Food Treatment, Eggs get equal coverage.  

While the health benefits of bacon are indisputable, for years we’ve been told to avoid eggs, as they cause high cholesterol. But is that advice worth heeding? Maybe not.

Eggs are a nutritional powerhouse, containing Vitamin A, Folate, Vitamin B5, Riboflavin, Vitamin B12, Phosphorous, Selenium, Vitamin D, Calcium, Vitamin E and Zinc. Eggs also contain Choline, which is used to build cell membranes and helps produce signaling molecules in the brain. (True story: Every time I say the word “Choline” Lisa starts singing the Dolly Parton hit “Jolene”, but swaps in “Choline” as the flaming locks of auburn haired-antagonist.)

The average egg is about 78 calories, with 6 grams of protein and 5 grams of fat, all wrapped in a convenient egg-shaped shell. It is one of the super-ist of the super foods.

But what of the cholesterol? It is true that eggs are high in cholesterol, with an average egg containing around 186mg of cholesterol. But we need to dive a little deeper into the cholesterol pool to get the full story. First, consuming cholesterol doesn’t necessarily mean that your blood cholesterol level increases by that amount. Our liver produces way more cholesterol every day, and even regulates the amount of cholesterol it produces to compliment the cholesterol you consume. There are two types of cholesterol – HDL and LDL. HDL is “good” cholesterol – people with higher levels of HDL have lower risks of heart disease, stroke and other health issues. Eating eggs leads to elevated levels of HDL. And recent research shows that eating eggs adjusts the pattern of LDL, the “bad” cholesterol, from small dense particles to larger particles, which is also linked to reduced heart disease. I am not a medical professional and encourage you to do your own research. But my opinion is that the benefits of eggs far outweigh the potential risks. 

The second excuse people have for not eating eggs is the fear that their hard-boiled eggs will have a greenish/grayish tint to the yolk. No one wants their deviled eggs to be the laughingstock of the church picnic. Or as the bastions of moral uprightness the Duggar family calls them, “Yellow Pocket Angel Eggs.” Pair those with “Freedom Fries” and you have a very woke breakfast. The reason hard-boiled eggs develop green tinted yolks is from overcooking. Specifically, as the whites cook, they release hydrogen sulfide gas which interacts with the ferrous ions in the yolk, forming ferrous sulfide – a greenish-gray compound. They are safe to eat, but just don’t look appetizing. To prevent this condition, boil your eggs 12 minutes (or a tad longer if they are big eggs) and then immediately drop into an ice bath to stop the cooking process.  

Now that you have perfect hard-boiled eggs, you need a fun and spooky way to share them with your Halloween party guests. Enter Spider Web Deviled Eggs. Take your hard-boiled eggs, crack the shell with the back of a spoon, soak in dark food coloring, then peel. They come out looking very spider-webby.  

A recent trend in the Fried Egg Community involves incorporating a complementing ingredient during the frying process. Feta Cheese and Chili Crisp are two popular add-ins. The technique involved spreading out a ring of Feta or chili crisp into your pan, then cracking the egg in the middle. As it cooks, the edges blend with the other ingredient. Dee-lish! 

Lisa likes her eggs basted. For that, you fry an egg, and add 1-2 tablespoons of water to the pan, then cover. This steams the top of the yolk, which is more subtle and delicate than what you get with an over-easy egg.  

As a boy, my parents would snicker when I would order “Eggs Any Style” from the menu. But hey – I like eggs, and if you’ve seen the way I dress, then you know style has never been important to me. But seriously yolks, I like all ways of prepared eggs, and one of my favorites is the Waffle House omelet. They crack eggs into a metal cup, then use a motorized blender stick, like a little immersion blender, to whip the eggs into a frothy goodness. The resulting omelet is a treat – a light, airy, fluffy pillow of eggs. I’ve had omelets in Paris, at Tavern on the Green in New York and at Brennan’s in New Orleans, but I prefer Waffle House’s humble offering.

One time our family went to W.H. for breakfast, and when my omelet was delivered, it was … not right. It was flat and ordinary looking and puny. I felt confused and troubled and puny. My wife and daughters sensed my weakened state and pounced. Them: “Did you not get your ‘special pillowy omelet’?” Me: “No!?!” Them: “Are you going to say something?” Me: “Yes?!?” I did – as I was truly concerned that the Waffle House Corporation had changed the preparation method. The server saw my teary eyes and heard my quivering voice and quickly shared that their omelet-frother had broken, and the cook was making them all by hand. Phew!  

Do you have a special egg recipe? Share it in the comments! 

Enrichment: Who Is the Imposter? 

I’m guessing when you think about me, you probably think “That Adam – successful newsletter publishing magnate, member of the Fried Egg Community, has the confidence and looks of Harvey Specter combined with the mental acuity and memory of Mike Ross – he has it all together.” While this is all very, very true, there are times when I feel like a fraud. Or more accurately, an imposter.  

At the company I work for, we are going through our annual performance reviews. As a lead-in, they had drop-in classes to tell people how to do their self-evaluations. Part of this training addressed imposter syndrome, where your own perception of your level of proficiency is much lower than how others would rate you.

According to Wikipedia, “the term impostor phenomenon was introduced in an article published in 1978, titled ‘The Impostor Phenomenon in High Achieving Women: Dynamics and Therapeutic Intervention’ by Pauline R. Clance and Suzanne A. Imes. Clance and Imes defined impostor phenomenon as ‘an internal experience of intellectual phoniness’ and initially focused their research on women in higher education and professional industries.” 

Estimates are that 70% of people will experience imposter syndrome in their lives. It is very common in students attending college for the first time and in people who land a new job or get a promotion.  

Dr. Valerie Young, an expert on impostor syndrome and co-founder of the Impostor Syndrome Institute, explains the five different types of imposter syndrome: 

• The Perfectionist: Unless you are 100% perfect, you could have done better, and you are an imposter. 

• The Expert: Unless you know all there is to know about a subject, or have mastered every step in a process, then you are an imposter. 

• The Natural Genius: If you don’t have innate knowledge or skill, and it takes time to learn that knowledge or skill, then you are an imposter. 

• The Soloist: If you have to ask for help, and can’t do it on your own, you are an imposter. 

• The Superperson: If you don’t outwork everyone else, or reach the pinnacle in your field, then you are an imposter. 

In her TedTalk “Thinking your way out of imposter syndrome” Dr. Young discusses how to manage those feelings.  

When I first came up with the idea for Boo’s N.E.W.S. I was excited about the potential for a new creative outlet, but really saw it as an extension of my journaling. Something personal I do, for my own benefit. I shared my first issue with family, and only a couple of friends. I felt a few pangs of self-doubt, thinking “Why would anyone want to read what I write?” I’m nobody.  

When I decided to lose weight, get in shape and basically overhaul my entire attitude towards health, I did it for some pretty basic reasons: better quality of life, living long enough to play with my future grandchildren, less discomfort and more self-confidence. What I hadn’t expected was how people would react to my journey. Overwhelmingly, people have been positive, supportive and encouraging. But it is always a little weird for me when people tell me I look great or ask me how I feel now. Don’t get me wrong - I appreciate it. Very much so. But at times I don’t really believe it is real – even though I know how I used to be and how I am now. They see me differently, but my own self-image is slow to refresh, and I default to the old me for a bit, which makes me feel awkward. I don’t dwell on it - usually I just focus on who I am now, and I shake off the feeling. But it still pops up occasionally.

If you ever feel this way, know that you are in good company. Adele, Cher, Barbara Streisand, Katy Perry, Ozzy Ozbourne, Rihanna and Luciano Pavarotti have all publicly shared their stories of almost debilitating stage fright and feelings of being a fraud.  

As I work on my own feelings of being an imposter, I would like to ask for your help. Keep those compliments coming, shower me with gifts if you must, and like/post/forward this newsletter to as many people as possible, leaving me no choice but to accept my role as a venerated newsletter impresario. We are in this together! 

Workshop: Sticking My Nose into Your Business 

Take a deep breath in.... Let it out. Did you breathe in through your nose or mouth? Odds are – nose. Most of us do. Is there a real difference though? Does it matter?  

Turns out it does matter – quite a bit. We are biologically designed to breathe through our noses. As air goes in through the nose, the following happens: 

• The air is filtered – any particulates and toxins are filtered and sent down your throat and into your stomach rather than directly into your lungs from mouth breathing.  

• The air is temperature-controlled – the nasal passages will warm (or cool) the air before it gets to your lungs.  

• The air is humidified – the nasal passages humidify the air before it gets to your lungs. If you wake up with a dry mouth or a sore throat, it could be due to mouth-breathing.  

• Smell – one of the five most useful senses! Important to pick up on toxins, smoke, pumpkin spice or any other potential threats. 

• Mating – breathing through your nose triggers your ability to pick up on pheromones, perspiration and other scents that alert you to a potential mate. Which is exactly why I wore Hai Karate aftershave as a teen.  

• You get 20% more oxygen through your nose-breathing than mouth-breathing. 

When you breathe through your mouth, the air bypasses your amazing nasal HVAC system and just goes right into your lungs, unfiltered, untreated.

In this video clip, science journalist and author James Nestor further explains the benefits of nose breathing. After watching it, I kind of want to tape my mouth shut when I go to bed. **Let me pause here for a minute and pre-reply to the comments I’m expecting from my family: “No – I will NOT tape my mouth shut when I’m awake. You tape YOUR mouth shut!” Ok - thanks - all better. Let’s proceed.**

I’ve started trying to be more aware of how I breathe. I am mostly a nose breather, but when I go for walks, at times I catch myself mouth breathing. I’m working on it though. Helps that my walking route takes me by Waffle House – I always deep nose-breathe what they are cooking - bacon and omelets!

Selected Content: Laughing Through the Darkness 

My morning routine starts at 6:00am. Alarm goes off, I reach over to the pair of socks on my bedside table, and once those are on my feet, I can’t not go for a walk. Shirt, shorts, shoes, cap and AirPods – and I’m out the door and into the dark, pre-dawn morning.  

During my walks, I listen to the same podcast – Conan O’Brien Needs a Friend. I’ve been a big Conan fan for a long time – even in those first few awkward years after he took over as host of Late Night from David Letterman. Conan is very intelligent (he was the editor of the Harvard Lampoon) and is one of the most quick-witted entertainers I’ve experienced. He wrote for Saturday Night Live and The Simpsons – two of my all-time favorite shows, and over the course of 28 years, hosted three late night talk shows. The drama around his getting, then losing the hosting role of The Tonight Show was very much in the public eye, but the psychological impact he suffered left him in a dark place. He worked through his issues, and now advocates for therapy & counseling regularly on his podcast.  

During his talk shows, he would interview guests for around 8 minutes – not enough time to get to really know any of them. After he ended his show on TBS, he decided to start the podcast, which affords him an hour to talk at more depth with his guests. He is joined by his long-time assistant Sona Movsesian and podcast producer Matt Gourley. Their dynamic is great – the banter between them is hilarious. This podcast led to two companion podcasts – Conan O’Brien Needs a Fan, where he interviews fans of the podcast from around the world, and Summer S’mores with Conan and the Chill Chums, where he, Sona and Matt sit around a Solo Stove, drink and talk about whatever is on their minds.  

I start the podcast when I walk out the front door, and usually by the time I get to the sidewalk I’m already laughing. For 50 minutes I am frequently laughing out loud, which combined with walking is a really great way to start the day.  

His podcast launched in November 2018, but I didn’t start listening until March 2022. I started with the first episode and just this week have caught up to the current episodes. (I only listen to it when walking.) Last week, I listened to a recent episode featuring Steve Martin and Martin Short. The episode was great, with lots of funny stories. Lisa and I saw Martin and Short at the Fox Theatre a few years ago – they are a delight.  

Steve Martin has been on my comedy Mount Rushmore since I was a boy listening to his Let’s Get Small and A Wild & Crazy Guy albums in the ‘70’s. He is the first guest I would invite to the famous people dinner party. Stand-up comic, actor, banjo player, playwright, magician – he's won 5 Grammys, an Emmy, an honorary Academy Award and has been nominated for two Tony Awards. For a great example of his genius, I beg you to watch his acceptance of the Mark Twain Prize for American Humor. 

Right next to Steve Martin on my comedy Mount Rushmore is Norm MacDonald. And like Conan, he was a writer for SNL. He made the leap to host “Weekend Update” until he was fired for refusing to stop making jokes about OJ Simpson, who was friends with NBC bigwig Don Ohlmeyer. Norm’s appearances on Letterman and O’Brien’s late-night shows were legendary. Please watch the Moth Joke from Conan. Perfection. After that, watch his contribution to the roast of Bob Saget. It is brilliant – he chose not to follow the typical crude insults that most roasters deliver. The first minute or two there is almost no laughter from the audience – it seems as if he is bombing. But he knew exactly what he was doing, stuck with it, and gradually everyone there caught on.  

Lisa and I were lucky to see Norm perform in 2014, with our friends Tom & Julie. We even got to meet him after the show and take pictures with him. Norm passed away in 2021, after a very private battle with leukemia. Only his family, agent and producing partner knew about his illness. When news of his death broke, I immediately reached out to Tom, and even two years later we still share clips of his routines with each other.

Norm recorded a comedy special Norm MacDonald: Nothing Special during the pandemic – from his living room. He shot it in one take. He knew he didn’t have much time left and wasn’t sure if he would get to be on stage again. It is funny, but also very bittersweet. Knowing now that he was dying, that he didn’t want anyone to know, and that he wanted to share his humor while he still could adds depth and solemnity to the whole experience. At the end of the special, a group of his friends (Letterman, O’Brien, Dave Chappelle, Molly Shannon, Adam Sandler, and David Spade) comment on it, and on their affection for Norm.

I feel pretty thankful that every day I get to enjoy the humor of Conan, and Steve Martin and Norm, and the generation of comics they influenced. So if you hear the sound of cackling coming from a nearby park before the sun peeks above the horizon, don’t worry. It’s probably just some nose-breathing, egg-eating imposter laughing through the darkness.