Call Waiting


April 26, 2025

Weekend Edition:

Hello, Human?

Good morning and welcome to your weekend.

After a week full of missiles in Kyiv, a crypto heist worthy of a Netflix documentary, and the latest twist in the George Santos saga, I think we could all use a break from outrage-driven social media.

That's why we're going back to a simpler era today—when a university help desk was humanity's own Google, answering questions like, “What is watercress?” or “Who is the most famous person in the world?”

I just wanted to remind you that the best connections aren't always high-speed, and sometimes the best answers come from people. Let's dive in, take a deep breath, and grab a coffee.

Enjoy the read,
Fatih Taskiran


In this issue:

Lifestyle

Dialing Back


U.S.

The Imposter Syndrome


Beyond the Core

Best New Restaurants in the World:


Culture

🎪 Weekend Leisure Core

🚨 Be the First to Know:

  • Virginia Giuffre, sex abuse survivor and accuser of Prince Andrew and Jeffrey Epstein, dies.
  • Live Stream: 250,000 people attend Pope Francis' funeral service.

Lifestyle

Dialing Back

You remember when you could ask questions without being bombarded with algorithm-driven responses? Yeah, same here. But somewhere in Auburn, Alabama, there's a landline that's been ​ringing since 1953​, answering every query.

We talk about everything from land prices in Texas to coming back from the dead (legally, of course). So, let's take a break from all that endless scrolling and chill out in a simpler, kinder, and definitely ​quirkier vibe​. Welcome to the weekend!

In Context: You can pay an AI app to call your mother if she feels lonely.

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U.S.

The Imposter Syndrome

From the start, George Santos's political career felt like a Netflix limited series. Fake Wall Street careers, imaginary real estate fortunes, and fictional volleyball championships—everything you'd want in a great show, except Santos decided to take it into real life.

video preview

Former congressman gets over seven years in prison for deceiving donors and stealing identities—including those of his own family. The wildest twist: Santos publicly pleaded to Trump for a presidential pardon after court, proving he's not done with showbiz yet.

🎪 Weekend Leisure Core

Fuel Your Screen

You don't have to be a ​Star Wars​ fan to appreciate ​Andor​. Season two has already started, but I'm still catching up on season one.


Fuel Your MIND

In “​Humanly Possible,​” the 700-year history of humanist thought is made more accessible with Bakewell's signature blend of wit and philosophy.


Fuel Your EAR

This billowing folk song traveled through time with the string band Carolina Chocolate Drops' release of "Genuine Negro Jig" in 2010 and renamed for the seminal Black string band the Snowden Family Band.


Nobody who ever gave his best regretted it.
George Halas

💬 Beyond the Core

I’m on a RolL

Hot List: 2025's Best New Restaurants in the World.


I'm Ceo B*tch

These are the top large US cities to launch a business.


Cherry on

Taking a peek inside Home Depot's $20B secret garden.


Cherry on

It turns out that Japan had "robots" as far back as the 17th century.

📸 Lens to Life

Enjoy these images from the 2025 Corgi Derby!


🗓️ Flashback

1478

Giuliano de' Medici is killed in Florence by Pazzi conspirators.


1920

The US National Academy of Sciences hosted the "Great Debate" between Harlow Shapley and Heber D. Curtis on nebulae, galaxies, and the universe's size.


1945

Marshal Philippe Pétain, leader of France's Vichy collaborationist regime during World War II, is arrested for treason.


1954

"Seven Samurai", a Japanese film directed by Akira Kurosawa, was released.


1956

The first modern container ship, the Ideal X, departs from Port Newark, New Jersey, bound for Houston, Texas.


1986

Chernobyl is the worst nuclear disaster in history, resulting in 31 deaths and widespread radioactive contamination throughout Western Europe.


2005

After 29 years of military dominance, Syria withdraws its last 14,000 troops from Lebanon under international pressure.

Fatih Taskiran

I'm glad we could get together here. Looking forward to seeing you tomorrow!

Before you go...

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