"We all want some portion of our lives to "live beyond its midnight," yet selectivity is the only way to keep from amassing garbage. The labor of choosing what to keep and what to throw away is fundamental to creating anything of value. A diarist who fails to choose and instead tries to record everything on the page soon resembles the woman who saves everything in her house; when everything is valuable, nothing in particular is of worth."
Sunday, October 30, 2005
Throwing Things Away
From "Counting on Kindness" by Wendy Lustbader -
Contemplative Prayer
I've been slowly reading the book "Open Mind Open Heart" by Father Thomas Keating over the last few months.
This passage struck me as meaningful this morning -
This passage struck me as meaningful this morning -
"Contemplative prayer fosters a whole different attitude toward one's feelings; it puts them in a different frame of reference. Most extreme feelings come from a sense of insecurity, especially when we feel threatened. But when you are being constantly reaffirmed by the presence of God in deep silence, you not afraid of being contradicted or imposed upon. You might be humble enough to learn something from insults and humiliations without being overwhelmed by feelings of self-depreciation or revenge. Negative feelings toward oneself tend to be prevalent in our culture due to the low self-image people develop in early childhood, possibly because of our highly competitive society. Anyone who does not win feels that he or she is no good in this culture, whereas in the quiet of deep prayer, you are a new person, or rather, you are you."
Grace and Denial
I'm a firm believer in grace.
The idea that certain - things that happen, people I meet, places I go, small and big things in life have a meaning.
My job is to find that meaning and arrange it in a pattern, mosaic or juxtaposition of some sort that helps me to learn and evolve as a human.
You have to be a little careful with the "grace" idea or you can sound a little woo-woo or become a little coo-coo. Not every thing, person, place, has a deep meaning, but sometimes we find meaning in unexpected ways.
The word grace is a little hard to get your arms around. Princeton WordNet provides us with this on grace -
Grace is a beautiful word, with lots of meanings. It's a high compliment to say someone exhibits grace, or is filled with grace, or is graceful and a wonderful name for someone ala Grace Kelly. It's also somehow akin to the thought of Serendipity, finding something unexpected and useful, while looking for something else entirely.
Grace, and it's meaning, is a topic of many discussions by thoughful people. For this discussion I'm using the word grace in the sense "by the grace of God".
______________________________
The opposite of grace may be denial. Refusing to accept that there is meaning in many things (particularly painful or unpleasant things).
One of my defense mechanisms is humor. It works pretty good in many situations in helping to keep me sane. On the other hand I can see times when I've used humor to deny a feeling that if accepted, and examined, might help make me stronger, wiser, more centered, compassionate or more self-aware.
A person I recently met was talking about someone close to her who has Alzeimers. As I listened to her speak I began to think how sad it is to have someone you love slip away, while still being physically present - in this case no longer speaking.
I had a revelation of sorts while listening which brought me to tears. Not only for this woman but for my self.
I was very close to my grandmother. She was a teacher who loved kids. Her occupation was her avocation. She had lost her husband before I was born and lived much of her adult life as a single parent supporting her two daughters. One of her daughters had juvenile onset diabetes which eventually caused her to die a painful difficult death. When I lost my father at age 3 we lived with my grandmother who in some ways had more to do with raising me then my mother. My grandmother had experienced her fair share of suffering and come through it with grace, humor and a strong will.
I loved Gram. Not only was she a great teacher to a lot of students she was a great teacher for me.
She developed Alzheimers in the last years of her life and was in a nursing home. My wife and I went to visit her infrequently because she was in a different state. On one of those infrequent visits Gram said, "Oh Betsy (my wife) so good to see you. And who is that person you have with you?"
I've treated that as a joke. It isn't really. By recognizing that I can hopefully gain some compassion for others.
______________________________
From "Kitchen Table Wisdom" by Rachel Naomi Remen M.D. -
The idea that certain - things that happen, people I meet, places I go, small and big things in life have a meaning.
My job is to find that meaning and arrange it in a pattern, mosaic or juxtaposition of some sort that helps me to learn and evolve as a human.
You have to be a little careful with the "grace" idea or you can sound a little woo-woo or become a little coo-coo. Not every thing, person, place, has a deep meaning, but sometimes we find meaning in unexpected ways.
The word grace is a little hard to get your arms around. Princeton WordNet provides us with this on grace -
* Grace, saving grace, state of grace ((Christian theology) a state of sanctification by God; the state of one who under such divine influence) "the conception of grace developed alongside the conception of sin"; "it was debated whether saving grace could be obtained outside the membership of the church"; "the Virgin lived in a state of grace"
* Grace, gracility (elegance and beauty of movement or expression)
* Seemliness, grace (a sense of propriety and consideration for others)
* Grace, good will, goodwill (a disposition to kindness and compassion) "the victor's grace in treating the vanquished"
* Grace ((Greek mythology) one of three sisters who were the givers of beauty and charm; a favorite subject for sculptors)
* Grace, blessing, thanksgiving (a short prayer of thanks before a meal)
* Grace, grace of God, free grace ((Christian theology) the free and unmerited favor or beneficence of God) "God's grace is manifested in the salvation of sinners"; "there but for the grace of God go I"
* Decorate, adorn, grace, ornament, embellish, beautify (make more attractive by adding ornament, colour, etc.) "Decorate the room for the party"; "beautify yourself for the special day"
* Deck, adorn, decorate, grace, embellish, beautify (be beautiful to look at) "Flowers adorned the tables everywhere"
Grace is a beautiful word, with lots of meanings. It's a high compliment to say someone exhibits grace, or is filled with grace, or is graceful and a wonderful name for someone ala Grace Kelly. It's also somehow akin to the thought of Serendipity, finding something unexpected and useful, while looking for something else entirely.
Grace, and it's meaning, is a topic of many discussions by thoughful people. For this discussion I'm using the word grace in the sense "by the grace of God".
The opposite of grace may be denial. Refusing to accept that there is meaning in many things (particularly painful or unpleasant things).
One of my defense mechanisms is humor. It works pretty good in many situations in helping to keep me sane. On the other hand I can see times when I've used humor to deny a feeling that if accepted, and examined, might help make me stronger, wiser, more centered, compassionate or more self-aware.
A person I recently met was talking about someone close to her who has Alzeimers. As I listened to her speak I began to think how sad it is to have someone you love slip away, while still being physically present - in this case no longer speaking.
I had a revelation of sorts while listening which brought me to tears. Not only for this woman but for my self.
I was very close to my grandmother. She was a teacher who loved kids. Her occupation was her avocation. She had lost her husband before I was born and lived much of her adult life as a single parent supporting her two daughters. One of her daughters had juvenile onset diabetes which eventually caused her to die a painful difficult death. When I lost my father at age 3 we lived with my grandmother who in some ways had more to do with raising me then my mother. My grandmother had experienced her fair share of suffering and come through it with grace, humor and a strong will.
I loved Gram. Not only was she a great teacher to a lot of students she was a great teacher for me.
She developed Alzheimers in the last years of her life and was in a nursing home. My wife and I went to visit her infrequently because she was in a different state. On one of those infrequent visits Gram said, "Oh Betsy (my wife) so good to see you. And who is that person you have with you?"
I've treated that as a joke. It isn't really. By recognizing that I can hopefully gain some compassion for others.
From "Kitchen Table Wisdom" by Rachel Naomi Remen M.D. -
"Life is the ultimate teacher, but it is usually through experience and not scientific research that we discover it's deepest lessons. A certain percentage of those who have survived near-death experiences speak of a common insight which afforded a purpose; to grow in wisdom and to learn to love better. We can do this through losing as well as through winning, by having and by not having, by succeeding or by failing. All we need to do is to show up openhearted for class."
Saturday, October 29, 2005
You Don't Know Me
I had an encounter with someone today that has occurred various times over my life and leaves me with a sense of sadness, a bit of anger and a feeling that I've seen hypocrisy in action. Maybe prejudice or stereotyping are words that help describe this experience.
Here's the deal.
Someone says something to me like, "Oh so you're an engineer."
This might be followed by "that's what I thought" or "assumed" or "guessed". Today it happened before I had said anything, so I guess the person who said it based their assumption on my appearance.
I've seen this happen with people who become enamoured with pyschological profiles like Myers-Briggs or other schemes where people begin to think they could somehow encompass the wonder of a human being by some sort of labeling system.
The unsaid part is what hurts - I have inferred that I know who you are, or what you are, what you care about, or in general what type of person you are because I have given you a label.
You Don't Know Me.
The thing that bothers me most about these encounters is that they have occurred with people in an academic, sometimes social, or other non-work setting where the topic under discussion had something to do with humanity (in general) and nothing to do with occupation or labels. The difficult part for me is that the people making the comment profess to be feeling, caring, open minded, non-judgemental, open to alternate lifestyles, religious beliefs, political viewpoints etc.
The next time you are in a setting where what you are talking about has nothing to do with a person's occupation, it's probably best to withold prejudging and not comment on what "label" you have attached to a person.
If you are in a Math class it's probably okay to say, "Oh from the way you answered that question I assume you are a mathmatician." If you are in a theology class it's probably not appropriate to say, "that sounds like something a mathmatician would say." if you get my drift.
There's an element of "political correctness" at work here. Of course a person wouldn't say in a gathering of open minded caring people, "oh so you're gay, that's what I figured" or "you look like a liberal democrat to me". That same person unfortunately might not think twice about making some inference about who you are because you are a man/woman, young/old, formally educated/self educated, or your avocation/occupation.
You never know who someone might be...and you aren't going to find out if you climb the ladder of inference too quickly.
You don't know me. I might be working as an engineer, or a cook, a teacher, a preacher, a social worker, nurse, policeman, a farmer, truck driver or a student...I might be gay or straight, a Republican or a Democrat..I might be poor or rich or young or old - but those are just words. You have no knowledge of what I've lost, what I've gained, what I've studied, what I care about, what gave me joy and what caused me sadness.
Next time you see me...just say, "Oh so you're a fellow human being."
"That's what I thought."
Thanks
Jack
Here's the deal.
Someone says something to me like, "Oh so you're an engineer."
This might be followed by "that's what I thought" or "assumed" or "guessed". Today it happened before I had said anything, so I guess the person who said it based their assumption on my appearance.
I've seen this happen with people who become enamoured with pyschological profiles like Myers-Briggs or other schemes where people begin to think they could somehow encompass the wonder of a human being by some sort of labeling system.
The unsaid part is what hurts - I have inferred that I know who you are, or what you are, what you care about, or in general what type of person you are because I have given you a label.
You Don't Know Me.
The thing that bothers me most about these encounters is that they have occurred with people in an academic, sometimes social, or other non-work setting where the topic under discussion had something to do with humanity (in general) and nothing to do with occupation or labels. The difficult part for me is that the people making the comment profess to be feeling, caring, open minded, non-judgemental, open to alternate lifestyles, religious beliefs, political viewpoints etc.
The next time you are in a setting where what you are talking about has nothing to do with a person's occupation, it's probably best to withold prejudging and not comment on what "label" you have attached to a person.
If you are in a Math class it's probably okay to say, "Oh from the way you answered that question I assume you are a mathmatician." If you are in a theology class it's probably not appropriate to say, "that sounds like something a mathmatician would say." if you get my drift.
There's an element of "political correctness" at work here. Of course a person wouldn't say in a gathering of open minded caring people, "oh so you're gay, that's what I figured" or "you look like a liberal democrat to me". That same person unfortunately might not think twice about making some inference about who you are because you are a man/woman, young/old, formally educated/self educated, or your avocation/occupation.
You never know who someone might be...and you aren't going to find out if you climb the ladder of inference too quickly.
You don't know me. I might be working as an engineer, or a cook, a teacher, a preacher, a social worker, nurse, policeman, a farmer, truck driver or a student...I might be gay or straight, a Republican or a Democrat..I might be poor or rich or young or old - but those are just words. You have no knowledge of what I've lost, what I've gained, what I've studied, what I care about, what gave me joy and what caused me sadness.
Next time you see me...just say, "Oh so you're a fellow human being."
"That's what I thought."
Thanks
Jack
Luke The Physician - On Humilty
In the Daily Reflection from Creighton University learn why one man's mother told him on the first day of school that he should get to know the school cook and the school secretary rather than the teacher or principal.
__________________________________
Luke 14:1, 7-11
New American Bible
Luke 14:1, 7-11
On a sabbath Jesus went to dine
at the home of one of the leading Pharisees,
and the people there were observing him carefully.
He told a parable to those who had been invited,
noticing how they were choosing the places of honor at the table.
“When you are invited by someone to a wedding banquet,
do not recline at table in the place of honor.
A more distinguished guest than you may have been invited by him,
and the host who invited both of you may approach you and say,
‘Give your place to this man,’
and then you would proceed with embarrassment
to take the lowest place.
Rather, when you are invited,
go and take the lowest place
so that when the host comes to you he may say,
‘My friend, move up to a higher position.’
Then you will enjoy the esteem of your companions at the table.
For everyone who exalts himself will be humbled,
but the one who humbles himself will be exalted.”
New American Bible
Thoughts for Tots
Ten things to think about..maybe a start for a short essay or blog entry -
1. LBJ and Lady Bird's Great Society vs. George and Laura Bush's What?
2. Who's running this country anyway? Letter in this week's "New Yorker" to the American People from Dave (CEO of Chevron) informing us that we are running out of cheap oil and need to do something.
3. The amazing ability to blow things totally out of proportion by using a combination of self-centered limited-perspective thinking and email/web. Recent suggestions by some well known webites that the solution to the Splog issue would be shut down Blogger. Everyday examples from Emailage in workspaces everywhere.
4. What's newsworthy?
Boring stuff - Conservation, banning SUV's in cities, raising the mandatory miles per gallon for new cars, global warming, the take over of government by corporations
or
Exciting stuff - the OJ Trial, Bill Clinton's peccadillos, the girl lost on Aruba, who outed the CIA lady and why.
4.1 Where do you go to find the news? Assuming you have no internet access and depend on T.V. and maybe a newspaper...
5. People over sixty know a lot of stuff. We should use them. Kids should have more chances to interact with oldsters. Everyone should...when can we start building the kibbutz's in the U.S.
6. Breathing - why I like it.
7. The wonder of stories.
8. Why can't we have a talk radio show where real people talk? tell stories? debate? discuss issues we think are important? And a show where someone just talked about good thoughts (non-denominational/ecumenical/non-religious/religious). I'd love one of those 24 hrs/day but particularly at night before bed.
9. Pets - Stress relievers or stressors?
10. Will cuddle parties catch on in Lake Wobegon
Wednesday, October 26, 2005
Harmony Motel: Lodging in 29 Palms / Joshua Tree Park
The Harmony Motel looks like an interesting place to stay in the desert.
I found the link in a usual ciruitous way by looking at 43 Things and then traveling over to the creator's blog The Robot Co-op where Daniel Spils is listed as one of the Robots...and on his page found the mention of the Harmony Motel.
Going down to Twentynine Palms when it's rainy and cloudy up here in the Pacific Northwest sounds pretty good. The pictures look nice and the rates amazingly low 55 for a single, 65 for two and 80 for the The Jack Kerouac Cabin.
Daniel Spils says of the Harmony Motel, "Don't expect much and you'll be pleasantly surprised".
I found the link in a usual ciruitous way by looking at 43 Things and then traveling over to the creator's blog The Robot Co-op where Daniel Spils is listed as one of the Robots...and on his page found the mention of the Harmony Motel.
Going down to Twentynine Palms when it's rainy and cloudy up here in the Pacific Northwest sounds pretty good. The pictures look nice and the rates amazingly low 55 for a single, 65 for two and 80 for the The Jack Kerouac Cabin.
Daniel Spils says of the Harmony Motel, "Don't expect much and you'll be pleasantly surprised".
Cut Fuel Costs
I found this picture of a group of people who've found a solution to the dilemma - "What do I do with my SUV now that gas is so darn expensive?"
Archie McPhee Toys, Gifts & Novelties
Archie McPhee's is a great place to check out, for Halloween stuff or any time of the year for fun things.
Archie McPhee's is located at 2428 NW Market Street in Seattle's Ballard neighborhood.
A set of Cowboy Boot Sideburns or a Red Fez could be the start of a Halloween costume or good for everyday office attire.
These guys always look cute wearing a fez.
For practical everyday use the Internet Urinal looks like a good pick for those long chat room or Webex meetings.
The ceramic Smoking Baby is a good reminder for all of us to keep cigarettes away from tiny tots.
Archie McPhee's is located at 2428 NW Market Street in Seattle's Ballard neighborhood.
A set of Cowboy Boot Sideburns or a Red Fez could be the start of a Halloween costume or good for everyday office attire.
These guys always look cute wearing a fez.
For practical everyday use the Internet Urinal looks like a good pick for those long chat room or Webex meetings.
The ceramic Smoking Baby is a good reminder for all of us to keep cigarettes away from tiny tots.
Tuesday, October 25, 2005
Bringing Out the Absurdity of the News - The Colbert Report
Another good review of the Colbert Report. This one from the New York Times.
The article mentions the hilarious "Truthiness" Word of the Day skit, and says, "On his regular feature "The Word," Mr. Colbert routinely mocks the kind of anti-intellectual populism perfected by Fox News. "Trustiness" was his word of the day, he told viewers with a poker face, sneering at the "wordanistas over at Webster's" who might refute its existence. "I don't trust books," he explained. "They're all fact and no heart."
The article mentions the hilarious "Truthiness" Word of the Day skit, and says, "On his regular feature "The Word," Mr. Colbert routinely mocks the kind of anti-intellectual populism perfected by Fox News. "Trustiness" was his word of the day, he told viewers with a poker face, sneering at the "wordanistas over at Webster's" who might refute its existence. "I don't trust books," he explained. "They're all fact and no heart."
Monday, October 24, 2005
Cockeyed.com
I ran across Cockeyed.com while looking for information on Vegemite. I think I'll run over to QFC and see if they have it. Salty yeast sounds good to me right now.
There's a lot of fun looking stuff at cockeyed....just a couple of examples -
How much cheezy whiz in a can?
Trophy Night, May 26, 2001
There's a lot of fun looking stuff at cockeyed....just a couple of examples -
How much cheezy whiz in a can?
Trophy Night, May 26, 2001
Oscar Wilde
You can read the complete short story "The Remarkable Rocket" by Oscar Wilde at The Literature Page to understand the context of these two quotes:
__________________
__________________
From The Quotations Page - Your Source for Famous Quotes from Oscar Wilde and many others.
"The only thing that sustains one through life is the consciousness of the immense inferiority of everybody else, and this is a feeling that I have always cultivated."__________________
"She was one of those people who think that, if you say the same thing over and over a great many times, it becomes true in the end."
From The Quotations Page - Your Source for Famous Quotes from Oscar Wilde and many others.
Sunday, October 23, 2005
Worst Names For a Beauty Shop
I've been thinking about possible worst names, or signs, for a beauty shop.
I assume this is a competitive field but here's my starting list:
Hed Shed
Snip and Snarl
Wack Job
Van Gogh Look
Bowl Cuts
Hair Butcher
Bad Bobs
U Do It
Smokin Scissor
Hair Assassin
The Hairminator
Mostly Mohawks
The Ziegfeld Follicals
Rusty Scissor
Hairy Carey
Hair Doo
Cut Up and Dye
Comb Over - Here
Dread Locks
Clipto Maniacs
Al's Sip and Snip
Trusses and Tresses
Teeze Me Pleez Me
Clippin and Trippin
Signs...
Offering Walmart's Newest Service - "Haircuts - While You Shop"
"_____ Days Without an Accident on the Job"
"We Specialize in Good Looking Spray On Hair"
"Genuine Flowbees Used Here"
And finally possibly the weirdest real beauty shop name I've ever heard of, and it's a real place...
"The Beaver Look"
_____________________________
I assume this is a competitive field but here's my starting list:
Hed Shed
Snip and Snarl
Wack Job
Van Gogh Look
Bowl Cuts
Hair Butcher
Bad Bobs
U Do It
Smokin Scissor
Hair Assassin
The Hairminator
Mostly Mohawks
The Ziegfeld Follicals
Rusty Scissor
Hairy Carey
Hair Doo
Cut Up and Dye
Comb Over - Here
Dread Locks
Clipto Maniacs
Al's Sip and Snip
Trusses and Tresses
Teeze Me Pleez Me
Clippin and Trippin
Signs...
Offering Walmart's Newest Service - "Haircuts - While You Shop"
"_____ Days Without an Accident on the Job"
"We Specialize in Good Looking Spray On Hair"
"Genuine Flowbees Used Here"
And finally possibly the weirdest real beauty shop name I've ever heard of, and it's a real place...
"The Beaver Look"
Tracy Kidder - "My Detachment"
I just watched Tracy Kidder talk about his book "My Detachment", a memoir of the time he spent in the Vietnam war, on C-Span2. I was impressed by the conversation, his humor and thoughtfulness, as well as the breadth of things he has written about.
The only book of his I'm familiar with is "The Soul of a New Machine" which tells the story of a team of engineers at Data General working on a new mini-computer in the late 1970's. It's a good book. It won the Pulitzer Prize for non-fiction literature and a National Book Award. Ref - New York State Writers Institute - Tracy Kidder
The book "My Detachment" has gotten mixed reviews, as in this clip from Bookmarks
magazine -
It was very interesting to listen to Tracy Kidder talk about his book "My Detachment" at a bookstore in Washington D.C. It made me want to read that book and some of the others he has written as well. He seemed very honest and thoughful when answering questions from the audience. I imagine writing the book was a cathartic experience of sorts. It is one person's point of view. I'm sure it ticks off some Vietnam veteran's who have vastly different experiences to report.
He mentioned writing, getting things out, as a way to live with himself at 3 am. He talked about one recurring dream he had, in which was being called back to serve in the war. He made an interesting comment about being friends with a police officer, who on occasion would be told by lawbreakers that they had gone "bad" because of something that happened in Nam. The problem with that reason, was that some of these people were in diapers at the time Saigon fell. At least Tracy Kidder has a first person account to tell - not everyone's story - his story. Given his writing skill I think it would be worth reading.
My Detachment : A Memoir
Mountains Beyond Mountains: Healing the World: The Quest of Dr. Paul Farmer
Old Friends
Among Schoolchildren
The Soul Of A New Machine
House
The only book of his I'm familiar with is "The Soul of a New Machine" which tells the story of a team of engineers at Data General working on a new mini-computer in the late 1970's. It's a good book. It won the Pulitzer Prize for non-fiction literature and a National Book Award. Ref - New York State Writers Institute - Tracy Kidder
The book "My Detachment" has gotten mixed reviews, as in this clip from Bookmarks
magazine -
"At its best, My Detachment resembles classic wartime satires like Catch-22 and M*A*S*H in its demonstration that the worst battles many soldiers face are against boredom and mindless military bureaucracy...It's an honest account of his military life. Yet it’s also one that some critics considered pointless, as though time had failed to give Kidder the perspective to appreciate his sacrifice in fighting a war he could easily have avoided, as well as his good fortune in avoiding the combat that cost 58,000 American lives."
It was very interesting to listen to Tracy Kidder talk about his book "My Detachment" at a bookstore in Washington D.C. It made me want to read that book and some of the others he has written as well. He seemed very honest and thoughful when answering questions from the audience. I imagine writing the book was a cathartic experience of sorts. It is one person's point of view. I'm sure it ticks off some Vietnam veteran's who have vastly different experiences to report.
He mentioned writing, getting things out, as a way to live with himself at 3 am. He talked about one recurring dream he had, in which was being called back to serve in the war. He made an interesting comment about being friends with a police officer, who on occasion would be told by lawbreakers that they had gone "bad" because of something that happened in Nam. The problem with that reason, was that some of these people were in diapers at the time Saigon fell. At least Tracy Kidder has a first person account to tell - not everyone's story - his story. Given his writing skill I think it would be worth reading.
My Detachment : A Memoir
Mountains Beyond Mountains: Healing the World: The Quest of Dr. Paul Farmer
Old Friends
Among Schoolchildren
The Soul Of A New Machine
House
Saturday, October 22, 2005
Sweet Orange Pear Delight
This is a great simple recipe if you have some oranges that aren't so good (not too sweet, or woody, lots of seeds..etc)
Prepare a simple syrup of sugar and water by placing a 1/2 cup of sugar and 1/2 cup of water in a small sauce pan and bringing to a boil. While the syrup is gently boiling..
Peel your orange and carefully place the orange slices in the simple syrup.
Cut some small pieces of the orange rind and place in the simple syrup.
Quarter a good pear, remove the peel and place the pear slices in the simple syrup.
Let the mixture simmer for awhile. After it's cooked a few minutes you can mush up the pear to give the mixture a thicker consistency...or you could halve the pear and try to keep it intact...for a nice presentation.
Take the orange pieces out of the simple syrup and serve with a little cinnamon sprinkled on top.
The orange will taste great! Nice, simple, clean and good.
Use the rest of the syrup on ice cream, in a tea, on waffles/pancakes or whatever sounds good to you.
Prepare a simple syrup of sugar and water by placing a 1/2 cup of sugar and 1/2 cup of water in a small sauce pan and bringing to a boil. While the syrup is gently boiling..
Peel your orange and carefully place the orange slices in the simple syrup.
Cut some small pieces of the orange rind and place in the simple syrup.
Quarter a good pear, remove the peel and place the pear slices in the simple syrup.
Let the mixture simmer for awhile. After it's cooked a few minutes you can mush up the pear to give the mixture a thicker consistency...or you could halve the pear and try to keep it intact...for a nice presentation.
Take the orange pieces out of the simple syrup and serve with a little cinnamon sprinkled on top.
The orange will taste great! Nice, simple, clean and good.
Use the rest of the syrup on ice cream, in a tea, on waffles/pancakes or whatever sounds good to you.
Listening
I've been thinking how hard it is to listen.
Genuine listening takes concentration, inner quiet, humility, practice - and is therefore generally hard work.
In lieu of truely listening we could listen to respond, practice autobiographical listening, competitive listening, pretend listening or not listening at all i.e. interrupting, non-stop talking - having a monologue rather than a dialogue.
Listening to respond - I have an idea in mind. You go ahead and say what you like and then I'm going to say what I have in mind. Doesn't matter so much if it's related to what you just said.
Autobiographical listening - This is where you tell me something about yourself. Maybe you lost someone you cared for. Rather than listening, I'm thinking while you talk - how does that relate to me? Then when I get a chance to speak I say something like, "I know what you mean I lost my father when I was young...let me tell you about that."
Competitive listening - Related to autobiographical listening or listening to respond. You'll often see this in a group of experts. The goal is to listen and come up with a response that's most "expert" "smarter" or "wiser". Again not so much interested in what the speaker said, and building on it, or just listening..but in maintaining my expert status.
You'll also run into this in conversations where there is a power structure to be maintained. Possibly in a Manager/worker, Doctor/patient, Husband/wife, Teacher/student exchanges. Another name for this kind of listening might be "Mr. know-it-all" or "Ms. know-it-all"
Pretend listening - I look at you, maybe nod every so often, all the time thinking about what I'm going to have for lunch.
Not listening at all - At least this is honest. I either just ignore you or won't let you get a word in edgewise. I guess it's great if I have a speech or sermon, or an endless supply of fascinating stories...otherwise not usually too pleasant for the recipient.
_____________________________
I used to work with a guy who was a terrible listener and oddly enough a manager of people. I was in his office once talking and he turned around to read his email and said, "Go ahead and keep talking I'm listening."
Not...
You've probably seen this chart or something like it -
_____________________________
I've taken classes in listening, read, thought and wrote about listening. In the abstract it's all fine...it's when we get into the real world that it's a bear.
I was in a class once where a woman said being a good listener came naturally to her. She is very lucky. I think that is a rare, almost saintly, characteristic.
For most mortals genuine listening takes concentration, inner quiet, humility and practice.
Concentation - It's hard enough to concentrate on anything let alone a person speaking in a more or less intelligible way, with various sometimes mixed or mixed-up messages, maybe boring, maybe sad, maybe makes me angry. Learning to concentrate or getting to a point of being able to concentrate...very hard. But the next three things can help us to concentrate; inner quiet, humility and practice.
Inner quiet - Monks, bodhisattvas, meditators of all stripes work on finding inner quiet. Calming the mind to the point where we don't latch on to thoughts that constantly flow in our stream of consciousness. Many of these thoughts are fascinating or at least much more appealing that what we want to concentrate on in the moment. This is hard in a quiet space let alone with someone talking and you trying to listen. Most meditation involves some form of conscious breathing. For listening it can be as simple as taking a deep breath between the stimulus (what the person said) and your response. For more advanced practioners perhaps several deep breaths (don't hyperventilate though...becoming unconcious is not generally a sign of good listening ;-)
Humility - Another tough one. Especially when you're as smart as you and me. Seriously though...humility is so difficult. It takes inner strength, confidence in your self, and courage. You might not look so smart if you don't give advice, provide solutions, or illuminate the speaker with your illuminating knowledge of all things...I'm talking to myself as I write those words, since I see myself being a Mr. Know it All / Smartypants quite often.
Practice - This is easier if you can find a group of people who practice listening skills. If you find yourself in the fray of a group of non-listeners, practicing your listening skills takes some advanced skills. It can also be frustrating, since you may feel although a lot of words are flowing, not much is being communicated...on the positive side your presence may make a difference over time.
_____________________________
As we get to be better listeners we can hear (and also share) stories about life, love, loss, birth, rebirth, death, parents, spirituality, religion, sex, good people, bad people, beauty, ugliness, pain, joy, laughter, nature, children...and still keep in mind not every story has to be heavy, deep and real..we can share stories about fishing, parties, bumper stickers, TV shows, football games, food, lawn care, politics, pets...anything - and every so often, in between the lines, catch a glimpse of some thing truely meaningful - a fellow human being.
Listening, being present, is perhaps one of the greatest gifts we can give one another.
May you and I find inner peace so we can begin to hear the stories we all share.
Genuine listening takes concentration, inner quiet, humility, practice - and is therefore generally hard work.
In lieu of truely listening we could listen to respond, practice autobiographical listening, competitive listening, pretend listening or not listening at all i.e. interrupting, non-stop talking - having a monologue rather than a dialogue.
Listening to respond - I have an idea in mind. You go ahead and say what you like and then I'm going to say what I have in mind. Doesn't matter so much if it's related to what you just said.
Autobiographical listening - This is where you tell me something about yourself. Maybe you lost someone you cared for. Rather than listening, I'm thinking while you talk - how does that relate to me? Then when I get a chance to speak I say something like, "I know what you mean I lost my father when I was young...let me tell you about that."
Competitive listening - Related to autobiographical listening or listening to respond. You'll often see this in a group of experts. The goal is to listen and come up with a response that's most "expert" "smarter" or "wiser". Again not so much interested in what the speaker said, and building on it, or just listening..but in maintaining my expert status.
You'll also run into this in conversations where there is a power structure to be maintained. Possibly in a Manager/worker, Doctor/patient, Husband/wife, Teacher/student exchanges. Another name for this kind of listening might be "Mr. know-it-all" or "Ms. know-it-all"
Pretend listening - I look at you, maybe nod every so often, all the time thinking about what I'm going to have for lunch.
Not listening at all - At least this is honest. I either just ignore you or won't let you get a word in edgewise. I guess it's great if I have a speech or sermon, or an endless supply of fascinating stories...otherwise not usually too pleasant for the recipient.
I used to work with a guy who was a terrible listener and oddly enough a manager of people. I was in his office once talking and he turned around to read his email and said, "Go ahead and keep talking I'm listening."
Not...
You've probably seen this chart or something like it -
I've taken classes in listening, read, thought and wrote about listening. In the abstract it's all fine...it's when we get into the real world that it's a bear.
I was in a class once where a woman said being a good listener came naturally to her. She is very lucky. I think that is a rare, almost saintly, characteristic.
For most mortals genuine listening takes concentration, inner quiet, humility and practice.
Concentation - It's hard enough to concentrate on anything let alone a person speaking in a more or less intelligible way, with various sometimes mixed or mixed-up messages, maybe boring, maybe sad, maybe makes me angry. Learning to concentrate or getting to a point of being able to concentrate...very hard. But the next three things can help us to concentrate; inner quiet, humility and practice.
Inner quiet - Monks, bodhisattvas, meditators of all stripes work on finding inner quiet. Calming the mind to the point where we don't latch on to thoughts that constantly flow in our stream of consciousness. Many of these thoughts are fascinating or at least much more appealing that what we want to concentrate on in the moment. This is hard in a quiet space let alone with someone talking and you trying to listen. Most meditation involves some form of conscious breathing. For listening it can be as simple as taking a deep breath between the stimulus (what the person said) and your response. For more advanced practioners perhaps several deep breaths (don't hyperventilate though...becoming unconcious is not generally a sign of good listening ;-)
Humility - Another tough one. Especially when you're as smart as you and me. Seriously though...humility is so difficult. It takes inner strength, confidence in your self, and courage. You might not look so smart if you don't give advice, provide solutions, or illuminate the speaker with your illuminating knowledge of all things...I'm talking to myself as I write those words, since I see myself being a Mr. Know it All / Smartypants quite often.
Practice - This is easier if you can find a group of people who practice listening skills. If you find yourself in the fray of a group of non-listeners, practicing your listening skills takes some advanced skills. It can also be frustrating, since you may feel although a lot of words are flowing, not much is being communicated...on the positive side your presence may make a difference over time.
As we get to be better listeners we can hear (and also share) stories about life, love, loss, birth, rebirth, death, parents, spirituality, religion, sex, good people, bad people, beauty, ugliness, pain, joy, laughter, nature, children...and still keep in mind not every story has to be heavy, deep and real..we can share stories about fishing, parties, bumper stickers, TV shows, football games, food, lawn care, politics, pets...anything - and every so often, in between the lines, catch a glimpse of some thing truely meaningful - a fellow human being.
Listening, being present, is perhaps one of the greatest gifts we can give one another.
May you and I find inner peace so we can begin to hear the stories we all share.
Friday, October 21, 2005
Truthiness
The word of the day on the new Comedy Central show The Colbert Report a couple of days ago was "truthiness".
Stephen Colbert's bit made me laugh until I cried.
You can check out the video clip for "Truthiness" on the webpage (once Comedy Central's web gurus's get it fixed). Right now the "Truthiness" video brings up the "Gravitas" video.
Stephen Colbert's new show is funnier if you are familiar with "Bill O'Reilly's No-Spin Zone" on Fox news network.
Salon has an article on Stephen Colbert's new show where they opine -
Note to Reader: You have to watch an ad with a car spinning around for a second before Salon lets you read the whole article.
On the other hand...
The Kansas City Star asks if this may be too much of a good thing?
The one show I saw had some funny bits. Watched some last night and then gave it up...he seemed tired and the writing was flat.
Hoping for some more funny stuff as the show goes on...
Stephen Colbert's bit made me laugh until I cried.
You can check out the video clip for "Truthiness" on the webpage (once Comedy Central's web gurus's get it fixed). Right now the "Truthiness" video brings up the "Gravitas" video.
Stephen Colbert's new show is funnier if you are familiar with "Bill O'Reilly's No-Spin Zone" on Fox news network.
Salon has an article on Stephen Colbert's new show where they opine -
"In a nice play on O'Reilly's "No-Spin Zone" foolishness, Colbert wants us to know that even though his name is all over the place, the show isn't all about him. "No, this program is dedicated to you, the heroes!" he bellows. "And who are the heroes? The people who watch this show -- average, hardworking Americans. You're not the elites, you're not the country club crowd. I know for a fact that my country club would never let you in. But you get it! And you come from a long line of it-getters!"
Note to Reader: You have to watch an ad with a car spinning around for a second before Salon lets you read the whole article.
On the other hand...
The Kansas City Star asks if this may be too much of a good thing?
The one show I saw had some funny bits. Watched some last night and then gave it up...he seemed tired and the writing was flat.
Hoping for some more funny stuff as the show goes on...
Wednesday, October 19, 2005
:: Death Cab For Cutie ::
I heard the song Soul Meets Body by the group "Death Cab for Cutie" earlier this week on RadioParadise.com.
I like it a lot.
You can listen to part of that song, and others, on their website.
Rachel and Becca went to see them play awhile back and I just assumed from the name that they wouldn't be my cup of tea.
DCFC originally formed in 1997 in Bellingham, Washington...cool.
I like it a lot.
You can listen to part of that song, and others, on their website.
Rachel and Becca went to see them play awhile back and I just assumed from the name that they wouldn't be my cup of tea.
DCFC originally formed in 1997 in Bellingham, Washington...cool.
3 Random Blogs - No Splog
I wanted to test out my suggestion to click the "next blog" button to demonstrate for yourself how much splog there is on Blogger.
My first three clicks came up with -
Katrina's cycling to Sydney expedition diary 2005-2006
davidandlara
crunk and disorderly | | reloaded
Crunk and disorderly | | reloaded doesn't have a "next blog" button so I had to settle for a sample size of 3.
So much for my suggestion that clicking the "next blog" button would land you in page after page of random spam blogs filled with crappy links.
Those three random blogs are cool. Hmmmm.
Maybe, hopefully, the people at Blogger shut the gates on the spambloggers.
Spam blogs have been a hot topic this week, see Blogger Buzz: Spam Barriers and VeriSign Tackles the Scandal of Splog.
I had pretty much quit using the next blog feature a few months back because there was so many spam pages showing up.
From this users knothole, it appears Blogger has made some definite improvements to filter out spam blogs when using the next blog button.
I'm glad to see human created content again and would like to thank the people who came up with the solution with a spoem (a poem about spam) -
My first three clicks came up with -
Katrina's cycling to Sydney expedition diary 2005-2006
davidandlara
crunk and disorderly | | reloaded
Crunk and disorderly | | reloaded doesn't have a "next blog" button so I had to settle for a sample size of 3.
So much for my suggestion that clicking the "next blog" button would land you in page after page of random spam blogs filled with crappy links.
Those three random blogs are cool. Hmmmm.
Maybe, hopefully, the people at Blogger shut the gates on the spambloggers.
Spam blogs have been a hot topic this week, see Blogger Buzz: Spam Barriers and VeriSign Tackles the Scandal of Splog.
I had pretty much quit using the next blog feature a few months back because there was so many spam pages showing up.
From this users knothole, it appears Blogger has made some definite improvements to filter out spam blogs when using the next blog button.
I'm glad to see human created content again and would like to thank the people who came up with the solution with a spoem (a poem about spam) -
Blogger gurus working through the night
Making sure everything works all right
Cleaning up the sphere
We hold so dear
Thanks to you there's no more splog to fear
Don't we know it
Now if you could only do something to help this poet
Cows Jump on Bluetooth Bandwagon
It was only a matter of time.
People, and now cows, who want to know stuff find it at Dave Barry's Blog.
______________________________
The Daily Show
The Colbert Report
People, and now cows, who want to know stuff find it at Dave Barry's Blog.
The Daily Show
The Colbert Report
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