"I never drink coffee at lunch. I find it keeps me awake for the afternoon."
-Ronald Reagan
I don't know that my medium cup of McDonalds coffee with two cream and a Splenda would qualify as cafe' con leche but it works for me. Now, I would have to agree with President Reagan that coffee keeps me awake but the afternoon is fine. It is in the evening that it keeps my eyes wide open when I'm trying to go to sleep. As a rule, I generally don't drink coffee after 6:00pm or I'll toss and turn into the wee hours. I hear many say it has no effect on them but not me.
A revelation for me when it comes to coffee was how darn good sweets taste when accompanied by a good cup of coffee. It clicked for me when I once combined a Pop Tart with my morning cup of coffee. Doughnuts you ask, forget about it. Pure heaven! However, there's one pastry on my 'bucket list' to enjoy with a cup of coffee before I die and that would be the famous Sfogliatelle (sh- fee-a- tell), a hand made flaky layered Italian pastry with a sweet ricotta or french cream filling. They are hard to find because they are so labor intensive to make. In all my travels, I've yet to find one. I did once call a Italian bakery in New York to see if they have them and did and they said they would mail me some. I didn't take them up on it since I hope to get up that way.
Saturday, January 8, 2011
Sunday, January 2, 2011
Off With His Head
“Do right. Do your best. Treat others as you want to be treated.”
-Lou Holtz
I can't help but notice all the media hype and gossip over whether Rich Rodriguez will be fired after an all out trouncing by Mississippi State in the 2010 Gator Bowl with a score of 52 to 14. Also, adding insult to injury is the back story on his lack luster past three years as the head coach of Michigan. Whether he's let go or not, one thing I do know is that Rich will grow from this and as I've already said, we grow fastest through pain and suffering. My hope for the coach is that he finds what's truly important in his life and to me, it's not football.
We all have our Gator Bowls in life and if were lucky we're forever changed for the better by the experience. You just need to be able to rest assured you did the best you could and that you did your highest sense of right along the way. When you put your head on your pillow at night, that and that alone will determine if you sleep peacefully.
I'd like to see just one of these high profile coaches 'man up' and do something unbelievable in the face of being fired. Quit football all together and do something entirely different. Or if not leave football, maybe go coach a struggling small college team or even a no name high school team. Make a point to show the world how absurdly insane our country has become with the obsession with winning at all costs and how important other things in our short lives can be.
Good luck Coach we'll check on you later.
-Lou Holtz
I can't help but notice all the media hype and gossip over whether Rich Rodriguez will be fired after an all out trouncing by Mississippi State in the 2010 Gator Bowl with a score of 52 to 14. Also, adding insult to injury is the back story on his lack luster past three years as the head coach of Michigan. Whether he's let go or not, one thing I do know is that Rich will grow from this and as I've already said, we grow fastest through pain and suffering. My hope for the coach is that he finds what's truly important in his life and to me, it's not football.
We all have our Gator Bowls in life and if were lucky we're forever changed for the better by the experience. You just need to be able to rest assured you did the best you could and that you did your highest sense of right along the way. When you put your head on your pillow at night, that and that alone will determine if you sleep peacefully.
I'd like to see just one of these high profile coaches 'man up' and do something unbelievable in the face of being fired. Quit football all together and do something entirely different. Or if not leave football, maybe go coach a struggling small college team or even a no name high school team. Make a point to show the world how absurdly insane our country has become with the obsession with winning at all costs and how important other things in our short lives can be.
Good luck Coach we'll check on you later.
Saturday, January 1, 2011
Happy New Year!
"Be always at war with your vices, at peace with your neighbors, and let each new year find you a better person."
– Benjamin Franklin
Change is difficult, change is slow and change is not always lasting. In this time of resolutions that the new year bring's, I say to lighten up on yourself. Don't over resolve to change too much in the next year and to the contrary, simply take stock of the changes you've been able to successfully make already. For the changes you wish to make I advocate keeping them to yourself. Proclaiming them loudly for the world to hear only creates more undue stress on your success.
If you want to make a change in an aspect of your life here are some approaches to consider.
– Benjamin Franklin
Change is difficult, change is slow and change is not always lasting. In this time of resolutions that the new year bring's, I say to lighten up on yourself. Don't over resolve to change too much in the next year and to the contrary, simply take stock of the changes you've been able to successfully make already. For the changes you wish to make I advocate keeping them to yourself. Proclaiming them loudly for the world to hear only creates more undue stress on your success.
If you want to make a change in an aspect of your life here are some approaches to consider.
- Write them in a journal or a blog so you can revisit your progress or struggles.
- Keep them quiet and make them yours. Share with only trusted friends.
- Find a reason for the change beyond the obvious. 'Want to loose weight?' Avoid dieting, make a life long change in your eating habits for spritiual or ethical reasons. Maybe go vegetarian or choose to avoid processed foods. You don't have to be Muslim to not eat pork or Hindu to not eat meat.
- Find the good in failure. Don't overgeneralize that everything aspect of an attempt failed. Find some part that worked and dwell on the positive as you regroup.
- Seek professional help. Life coaches, dieticians, physical trainers or a trusted buddy are all great.
Thursday, December 30, 2010
Muckety-Muck
"Achievements on the golf course are not what matters, decency and honesty are what matter."
-Tiger Woods
They say we are a celebrity obessed culture. I'd say every culture in human history has been celebrity obessed. Every point and time in history has had their Tiger Woods, or Michael Jordon, or movie star or some celebrity archetype. At a superficial level we want to believe that with all the fame and fortune their lives are free from worry and full of joy.
Very few of us have the recipe for a perfect life and even for the lucky few that do fame and fortune have little or nothing to do with it. The Tiger Woods of ditch digging, grocery bagging, burger flipping or toilet cleaning has just a good of a chance of being happy as any celebrity past or present. OK, but what about the money? The money has to make you happy, right? I would argue not and it's the simple things that matter most.
So what is the answer you ask? I'll share with you what i think, but keep in mind the answers are simple but the doing is the difficult part.
-Tiger Woods
They say we are a celebrity obessed culture. I'd say every culture in human history has been celebrity obessed. Every point and time in history has had their Tiger Woods, or Michael Jordon, or movie star or some celebrity archetype. At a superficial level we want to believe that with all the fame and fortune their lives are free from worry and full of joy.
Very few of us have the recipe for a perfect life and even for the lucky few that do fame and fortune have little or nothing to do with it. The Tiger Woods of ditch digging, grocery bagging, burger flipping or toilet cleaning has just a good of a chance of being happy as any celebrity past or present. OK, but what about the money? The money has to make you happy, right? I would argue not and it's the simple things that matter most.
So what is the answer you ask? I'll share with you what i think, but keep in mind the answers are simple but the doing is the difficult part.
- Money. No matter what you make, save some, give some away and spend the rest.
- Time. Get up early or stay up late but not both. Find time for others but most important make time for yourself.
- Work. Do an honest days work, look people in the eye and smile. Never steal, not even money. Never lie, ever.
- Leisure. Do what you want, when you can and do something productive. Don't worry if you happen to choose doing nothing.
- Attitude. Never fear, find the good in all things, don't talk about others, don't procrastinate.
- Purpose. Find your purpose in life, stay true to it and pursue it with vigor.
Tuesday, December 28, 2010
Home for the Holidays
"Oh, There's No Place Like Home for the Holidays"
-Robert Allen & Al Stillman's 1954 Christmas Classic
Just as so many things stay the same, then so much changes over the years when it comes to celebrating Christmas with your family. We all grow older and the circumstances of our lives change from year to year. Some almost imperceptible others more dramatically and it is hard to appreciate the changes when you're in the present moment. Then there are the traditions that fade away, those that stand the test of time and the new ones that emerge. Those traditions remind us of our bonds with those still present and of those that have moved on as well as those that will carry on. We care about those traditions because they give reason for those we care about to come back to us this one special time of the year. They are also a testament to the fact that we were loved and that the love we give will be able to go on in those we care about. We hope that when we are gone the traditions we formed will allow our loved ones to have more special Christmases to come.
You hear the phrase "I wish it could be Christmas all year long". Well, why shouldn't it should be! Why should we wait to do all the things the Holidays prompt us to do? Send a card, give a gift, spend time together and talk of fond memories. As it stands, we live too fast, think far too much of ourselves and not nearly enough of others all year long. Then we try to cram all the 'reason for the season' into one compressed point of time and space.
So what's the answer you ask? So simple, slow down, take time to reflect, pray and meditate. Live by a set of principles that make space in your day for just that. Then why not live by the Christmas principles? They work that one time of the year. No where does it say you can't celebrate a little holiday every day. Right? Want some help? OK here are some 'to-do's' for you:
-Robert Allen & Al Stillman's 1954 Christmas Classic
Just as so many things stay the same, then so much changes over the years when it comes to celebrating Christmas with your family. We all grow older and the circumstances of our lives change from year to year. Some almost imperceptible others more dramatically and it is hard to appreciate the changes when you're in the present moment. Then there are the traditions that fade away, those that stand the test of time and the new ones that emerge. Those traditions remind us of our bonds with those still present and of those that have moved on as well as those that will carry on. We care about those traditions because they give reason for those we care about to come back to us this one special time of the year. They are also a testament to the fact that we were loved and that the love we give will be able to go on in those we care about. We hope that when we are gone the traditions we formed will allow our loved ones to have more special Christmases to come.
You hear the phrase "I wish it could be Christmas all year long". Well, why shouldn't it should be! Why should we wait to do all the things the Holidays prompt us to do? Send a card, give a gift, spend time together and talk of fond memories. As it stands, we live too fast, think far too much of ourselves and not nearly enough of others all year long. Then we try to cram all the 'reason for the season' into one compressed point of time and space.
So what's the answer you ask? So simple, slow down, take time to reflect, pray and meditate. Live by a set of principles that make space in your day for just that. Then why not live by the Christmas principles? They work that one time of the year. No where does it say you can't celebrate a little holiday every day. Right? Want some help? OK here are some 'to-do's' for you:
- Pick a time of the day every day to pray, meditate or reflect in a positive way on the past, present and future.
- Send a gift at a date of your choosing to a person that won't expect it.
- Send a 'Thinking of You' card to someone during some point of the year. (write specifically why you are thinking of them)
- Find a day to invite in family and friends for a good meal and to share stories. Make it an annual tradition.
Saturday, December 25, 2010
OMG!
"God is dead. God remains dead. And we have killed him. How shall we comfort ourselves, the murderers of all murderers?"
-Friedrich Nietzsche
As Nietzsche said "God is dead" and in a sense we certainly have attempted to kill the true sense of him. But you know, they always say there no such thing as bad publicity. Anytime we're talking about God that's a good thing. The harder we try to kill God, in a philosophical sense, the more he, she, it lives. It seems that all through history we have made the search for God a never ending game of "Where's Waldo" replete with all the requisite death and destruction.
I have the answer and so do you to the question of God but you may just not have realized it yet. Take it from me, I've been through years of searching in churches, in books, places and have asked untold numbers of people if they've seen my God. They all said they have but when I describe him it always turns out to be someone else's God. Many were insistent that they knew my God and had some compelling descriptions. The thing I really didn't appreciate were all the 'wild goose chases' people sent me on. Now I do appreciate them because it helped me realize my God was right here all the time. I no longer search and I don't ascribe to any one religious affiliation nor do I take any one person's word as a singular truth. I spend my time with my God getting to know him/her better in my own way often with the help of others.
I'd recommend the same for you.
-Friedrich Nietzsche
As Nietzsche said "God is dead" and in a sense we certainly have attempted to kill the true sense of him. But you know, they always say there no such thing as bad publicity. Anytime we're talking about God that's a good thing. The harder we try to kill God, in a philosophical sense, the more he, she, it lives. It seems that all through history we have made the search for God a never ending game of "Where's Waldo" replete with all the requisite death and destruction.
I have the answer and so do you to the question of God but you may just not have realized it yet. Take it from me, I've been through years of searching in churches, in books, places and have asked untold numbers of people if they've seen my God. They all said they have but when I describe him it always turns out to be someone else's God. Many were insistent that they knew my God and had some compelling descriptions. The thing I really didn't appreciate were all the 'wild goose chases' people sent me on. Now I do appreciate them because it helped me realize my God was right here all the time. I no longer search and I don't ascribe to any one religious affiliation nor do I take any one person's word as a singular truth. I spend my time with my God getting to know him/her better in my own way often with the help of others.
I'd recommend the same for you.
Friday, December 24, 2010
They Wish You a Merry Christmas
In life, my spirit never rose beyond the limits of our money-changing holes! Now I am doomed to wander without rest or peace, incessant torture and remorse!
-Jacob Marley, A Christmas Carol
Why is it that the Holiday season 'wigs me out'? On the one hand it may be all the stuff we feel compelled to buy to give as gifts and the ensuing insanity of it all. However, please keep in mind I don't blame nor hold any one person accountable for the madness. Actually, people are really not doing anything out of character. It's really just a more visible and unified behavior brought on by and culminating in all that we call Christmas. This Christmas spectacle is certainly not to be confused with anthing to actually do with Christ. Each one of us for the most part behaves and reacts to Christmas much the same way we live and react to our normal daily lives. Some act in accordance with seeking acceptance and love, others just the blind thrill of shopping, and many are simply responding to the pressure of conformity imposed upon us by mass media and the ever present retail juggernauts.
Wouldn't it be nice if we could combine Christmas and Thanksgiving. Christgiving? No gifts, just a family gathering of loved ones and a good meal, conversation and football. Oh sure we'll eat too much and stress over being lumped together with family members we rarely ever see but on this one occassion. But all the consumerism would be curtailed or stopped for that matter. I understand many of you lobby continually to get the Christ out of the picture, so OK, then just keep Thanksgiving since the name works. Then all the Whos in Whoville can still recognize Christ or Buddha or Mohammad or the Festivus Pole for the reason for their particular season. But what about the retailers and their needs you ask? Oh my, they'd go under without the holiday gift giving extravaganza sales boost, right? Maybe some would but others would adjust and we, not to mention the world, would be better off for the less of it. I personally didn't get anything for Christmas I couldn't live without or even need for that matter. Oh sure, I appreciate the thought that went into it but that's all I really need is just someone to think of me. Isn't that a novel thought?
Maybe you agree or maybe you disagree or are somewhere in the middle. The big question is what will you do about it? Do something small and work your way up. Even changing your thoughts can make an impact. Take a moment to stop and think about your actions or the actions of others and what they may mean to someone near or far. But above all don't stop loving yourself and those around you.
What's the most memorable gift you ever got for Christmas? How old were you and do you still have it? I remember a few things. I got a black and white 13" television when I was about 14 years old. I also remembering getting a digital wrist watch at 9 or 10 years old. Both of those things were super cool but I'm sad to say I have neither of them. I used to have a great Aunt Erma that would always give me something she had on hand as a impromptu gift. I believe the politically correct name is 'regifting'. For example, I remember her giving me a jar of Tang instant breakfast drink once. That was certainly memorable to say the least.
Merry Christmas and may your God Bless.
-Jacob Marley, A Christmas Carol
Why is it that the Holiday season 'wigs me out'? On the one hand it may be all the stuff we feel compelled to buy to give as gifts and the ensuing insanity of it all. However, please keep in mind I don't blame nor hold any one person accountable for the madness. Actually, people are really not doing anything out of character. It's really just a more visible and unified behavior brought on by and culminating in all that we call Christmas. This Christmas spectacle is certainly not to be confused with anthing to actually do with Christ. Each one of us for the most part behaves and reacts to Christmas much the same way we live and react to our normal daily lives. Some act in accordance with seeking acceptance and love, others just the blind thrill of shopping, and many are simply responding to the pressure of conformity imposed upon us by mass media and the ever present retail juggernauts.
Wouldn't it be nice if we could combine Christmas and Thanksgiving. Christgiving? No gifts, just a family gathering of loved ones and a good meal, conversation and football. Oh sure we'll eat too much and stress over being lumped together with family members we rarely ever see but on this one occassion. But all the consumerism would be curtailed or stopped for that matter. I understand many of you lobby continually to get the Christ out of the picture, so OK, then just keep Thanksgiving since the name works. Then all the Whos in Whoville can still recognize Christ or Buddha or Mohammad or the Festivus Pole for the reason for their particular season. But what about the retailers and their needs you ask? Oh my, they'd go under without the holiday gift giving extravaganza sales boost, right? Maybe some would but others would adjust and we, not to mention the world, would be better off for the less of it. I personally didn't get anything for Christmas I couldn't live without or even need for that matter. Oh sure, I appreciate the thought that went into it but that's all I really need is just someone to think of me. Isn't that a novel thought?
Maybe you agree or maybe you disagree or are somewhere in the middle. The big question is what will you do about it? Do something small and work your way up. Even changing your thoughts can make an impact. Take a moment to stop and think about your actions or the actions of others and what they may mean to someone near or far. But above all don't stop loving yourself and those around you.
What's the most memorable gift you ever got for Christmas? How old were you and do you still have it? I remember a few things. I got a black and white 13" television when I was about 14 years old. I also remembering getting a digital wrist watch at 9 or 10 years old. Both of those things were super cool but I'm sad to say I have neither of them. I used to have a great Aunt Erma that would always give me something she had on hand as a impromptu gift. I believe the politically correct name is 'regifting'. For example, I remember her giving me a jar of Tang instant breakfast drink once. That was certainly memorable to say the least.
Merry Christmas and may your God Bless.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)