Today the person who created the video below
found me on YouTube. There are only a few
videos so far...and I think they're all great.
Check them out for yourself.
His channel is
http://www.youtube.com/user/naturalistnotebook
Showing posts with label world of perspective. Show all posts
Showing posts with label world of perspective. Show all posts
Tuesday, August 11, 2009
Perspective: LawnGuyLand (Long Island)
See that piece of land that looks like a tail?
It is at the bottom on New York State, and to
the east of Manhattan and Brooklyn. That is
LawnGuyLand - "Long Island."
My family moved there from Queens, a part of the
"City," when I was in 3rd Grade.
Geographically Queens and Brooklyn are a part of
Long Island, but you'll never hear them say that.
Brooklyn, Queens, Staten Island, and the Bronx
are all considered "boroughs" of the City.
NYC and its boroughs are in many ways miles apart
from Long Island in terms of style and personality.
You may know nothing of Long Island (the "Island"),
except perhaps for The Hamptons, the playground
of celebrities.
As with every place in the world, I am fairly
certain there are things that make sense to the
locals, and few others.
Yesterday I got an email with several things
about those from Long Island. Many of which I
can relate to. For the fun of it, I thought I
would share. If you are interested in what's
here and need translation, just let me know.
And, for the record, I was a "South Shore Girl."
Here you go:
You live in the shadow of the greatest city in the world,
but you almost never go there.
You don't go to Manhattan,
you go to "The City."
When you're away from Long Island, you love it
and when you're there, you don't.
You think if you're not from Long Island or NYC,
you're not really from New York.
You know the exact point at which Queens
turns into Nassau simply on intuition.
You never realize you have an accent
til you leave.
Everything north of the Bronx is "upstate."
New Jersey sucks.
At some point in your life
you've gone clamming.
Either your parents or your
grandparents lived in the city.
You'd pay $11.50 for a movie.
You don't live in Long Island
you live ON Long Island
Your distant future might
involve the state of Florida
You can correctly pronounce places like
Ronkonkoma, Hauppauge, Wantagh, Mineola,
Islandia, Massapequa
You know the location of 6 malls
and a dozen McDonalds and 36 7-11's.
You never, ever want to
"change at Jamaica..."
You've tried to find the
Amityville Horror house.
No, you don't want mustard
on that burger!!
You can't understand why a
diner would ever close.
You've had a seagull
crap on your car.
You have or someone you know
has fallen asleep on the LIRR
and ended up in one of these
three places; Babylon, Port
Washington or Hicksville.
You know White Castle is terrible for you
and the food sucks but you periodically
"Get the Crave".
You want the Yankees to stay in the Bronx,
but would probably go to more games if
they moved to Manhattan.
You think that somehow, the Jets and
Giants still play in New York.
You've missed that "Drunk Train",
the 2:42 out of Penn and had the dreaded
wait until 5:30.
You or someone you know has owned an animal
that came from North Shore Animal League.
Quick! Who's your county Executive?
Don't know do you?!
You've never taken an MTA bus.
The Long Island Expressway isn't really
as bad as everybody thinks.
You know which parts of the godfather
were filmed on Long Island.
You think Islip MacArthur airport is cute,
and you enjoy watching it grow up.
Billy Joel said it best,
"either you date a rich girl from
The North Shore, or a cool girl
from the South Shore."
You don't really see the big deal
about the Hamptons, unless you got
smashed at the Bordy Barn.
When people ask "where are you from?"
You answer Long Guy Land and
automatically assume everyone in the
world knows that answer means New York.
You've always liked Billy Joel and
you own several of his "records."
The Belt Parkway sucks! You've been
stuck in a traffic jam for more
than 2 hours (without moving).
Your parents took you to All American,
Nathan's or Carvel (on the way home
from the beach).
Regular gas - $3.29 and you
still pay it!!!
You hate paying tolls.
You don't have to go far to
see your family.
You remember Grumman.
You know the color of the water
at Jones Beach is not BLUE!
You were upset when all the
Roy Rogers turned into Wendy's
and Arby's closed for good.
You can spout off all the LIRR
stops between Penn Station and
Huntington.
Paying $35 for a haircut
doesn't sound so crazy.
You think the people from Brooklyn are
"DA wunz dat tawk wit a accent."
You went sledding in the sumps.
You knew of Massapequa before The Amy
Fisher-Joey Buttafuoco nightmare.
You think going to Queens is a hike.
The first time you heard the term
"Long Island Iced Tea" you were
somewhere else and you laughed.
When you live somewhere else and are
astounded to see that people actually
stop at yellow lights.
When you just sort of presume that
wherever you live, you'll be able
to find good delis, good pizza,
and good bagels.*
You can name at least three bands
that came from Long Island.
When you walk in the city and you
see two men holding hands...
it becomes normal to you.
No word ends in an ER, just an AH.
You actually get these jokes
and pass them on to other
friends from Long Island.
-------
*I sooooo miss New York's delis,
pizza, bagels, AND Chinese Food.
PS If you know who should be
credited with this list, please
let me know. I was unable to
find attribution.
Monday, August 10, 2009
Perspective Art: Sedona Arizona (Tlaquepaque)
ONLY USE WITH PERMISSION.)
This picture was taken in Sedona, Arizona
at a shopping center called Tlaquepaque.
As you can see, it was quite beautiful.
Sunday, August 9, 2009
Perspective: Applesauce and French Toast
When I was growing up, my family always
had French Toast with applesauce and
cinnamon and sugar.
If you are anything like most anyone I
have ever told that to, you're probably
like, "really?!" or maybe even "yuck!"
Funny thing is that was my reaction as
a child to putting syrup on French Toast.
I couldn't imagine it, and yet no one I
knew outside of my family had ever heard
of such a thing.
(It was my understanding that it is a
German way to make it).
Now I have even had French Toast with
strawberries on it, and used a different
type of bread, and even baked it. I have
learned, too, that refrigerating the bread
and egg over night can help to puff the
bread up.
Mmmm. I'd be making some now, if it
wasn't for the fact that I just had some
for breakfast.
It occurs to me that the way we interact
with food and recipes is a lot like life.
Different recipes have different ingredients,
and different amounts of ingredients, and
prepared different ways.
How many times can life be handled in
different ways, some more preferable than
others, some better for others.
Interestingly, though, we don't often judge
other's recipes as much as we judge their
choices. And, often we are more accepting
of ingredient choices in a recipe than we
are with the ingredients that make up others'
lives.
We have our favorites, but there are other
options. If I never was willing to have
anything different than what I grew up with,
it certainly would have limited what I have
had to eat, and the fact is, that I never
choose traditional French Toast if all I
can have on it is syrup. For me, syrup is
for pancakes. However, I never stop anyone
else from making that choice.
In the same way, I can limit my options in
life. I can choose to refrain from certain
things and people. At the same time, I may
not always agree with the choices others make,
and it many not be for me, but I choose to
respect what others choose for themselves.
Having said that, one of my favorite recipes
for French Toast that I haven't made is years
is very sweet, and almost like a dessert
rather than a meal.
It melts in your mouth.
Decadent French Toast
Mix and cook until bubbly:
5T butter
1C brown sugar
2T corn syrup (*see note below)
Pour into 13x9 baking dish.
Arrange 2" thick slices of French
Bread over mixture.
Beat together:
1 1/2C skim milk
5 eggs
1t vanilla
Pour over bread.
Cover and refrigerate over night.
When ready to bake, bake at
350 for 45 minutes, then invert
and bake additional 5-10 minutes.
Serve with Cool Whip and
strawberries.
*I am not a big fan of High
Fructose Corn Syrup. My
understanding is that the kind
of corn syrup you buy is different
than the manufactured version in
our foods. If, however, you'd
like alternative options, please
see High Fructose Corn Syrup
Substitutions.
had French Toast with applesauce and
cinnamon and sugar.
If you are anything like most anyone I
have ever told that to, you're probably
like, "really?!" or maybe even "yuck!"
Funny thing is that was my reaction as
a child to putting syrup on French Toast.
I couldn't imagine it, and yet no one I
knew outside of my family had ever heard
of such a thing.
(It was my understanding that it is a
German way to make it).
Now I have even had French Toast with
strawberries on it, and used a different
type of bread, and even baked it. I have
learned, too, that refrigerating the bread
and egg over night can help to puff the
bread up.
Mmmm. I'd be making some now, if it
wasn't for the fact that I just had some
for breakfast.
It occurs to me that the way we interact
with food and recipes is a lot like life.
Different recipes have different ingredients,
and different amounts of ingredients, and
prepared different ways.
How many times can life be handled in
different ways, some more preferable than
others, some better for others.
Interestingly, though, we don't often judge
other's recipes as much as we judge their
choices. And, often we are more accepting
of ingredient choices in a recipe than we
are with the ingredients that make up others'
lives.
We have our favorites, but there are other
options. If I never was willing to have
anything different than what I grew up with,
it certainly would have limited what I have
had to eat, and the fact is, that I never
choose traditional French Toast if all I
can have on it is syrup. For me, syrup is
for pancakes. However, I never stop anyone
else from making that choice.
In the same way, I can limit my options in
life. I can choose to refrain from certain
things and people. At the same time, I may
not always agree with the choices others make,
and it many not be for me, but I choose to
respect what others choose for themselves.
Having said that, one of my favorite recipes
for French Toast that I haven't made is years
is very sweet, and almost like a dessert
rather than a meal.
It melts in your mouth.
Decadent French Toast
Mix and cook until bubbly:
5T butter
1C brown sugar
2T corn syrup (*see note below)
Pour into 13x9 baking dish.
Arrange 2" thick slices of French
Bread over mixture.
Beat together:
1 1/2C skim milk
5 eggs
1t vanilla
Pour over bread.
Cover and refrigerate over night.
When ready to bake, bake at
350 for 45 minutes, then invert
and bake additional 5-10 minutes.
Serve with Cool Whip and
strawberries.
*I am not a big fan of High
Fructose Corn Syrup. My
understanding is that the kind
of corn syrup you buy is different
than the manufactured version in
our foods. If, however, you'd
like alternative options, please
see High Fructose Corn Syrup
Substitutions.
Saturday, August 8, 2009
Perspective: Laid off: Bummer or Opportunity
When I got laid off of my last "real" job (defined as one
with benefits and paid time off), it was devastating.
I knew for a while I was doing things that I didn't want
to be doing, but it was all I knew to do.
I was determined not to go back into what I had always
done, but didn't know how to change things.
Someone asked me what I wanted to do, and I said, "I
want to get paid to talk to people." I was told that wasn't
specific enough.
The fact was, I didn't know then what it could mean. I
hadn't yet become a hypnotist or a coach, and didn't even
know what coaching was, but I knew I loved to talk to
people.
I struggled for a few years to make a transition. It was
frustrating. It was difficult. It was humiliating. Demoralizing.
It was also a gift.
I was given an opportunity to uncover what I had resisted
from the "comfort" (which really wasn't all that comfortable)
of a job for so long.
I can now understand where others might be in relation
to their own personal treks through losing their jobs.
I personally feel that when we don't do what we "should"
be doing, sooner or later we'll get a kick in the butt.
Unfortunately, for many they're not ready for it. If they
were ready, they would have made the move on their own
before someone else - or something else - did for them.
Others, I see, are seeing things in a similar way now that
so many more are going through "it" together. Today I
saw this trailer http://lemonademovie.com/ and it
is what inspired me to write this entry.
Are YOU doing what you know you SHOULD be doing?
Check it out:
PS Re my headline: In my case it turned out to be
bummer AND opportunity...at least in the midst of
the uncertain transition time. Now, I definitely see
it as "opportunity."
with benefits and paid time off), it was devastating.
I knew for a while I was doing things that I didn't want
to be doing, but it was all I knew to do.
I was determined not to go back into what I had always
done, but didn't know how to change things.
Someone asked me what I wanted to do, and I said, "I
want to get paid to talk to people." I was told that wasn't
specific enough.
The fact was, I didn't know then what it could mean. I
hadn't yet become a hypnotist or a coach, and didn't even
know what coaching was, but I knew I loved to talk to
people.
I struggled for a few years to make a transition. It was
frustrating. It was difficult. It was humiliating. Demoralizing.
It was also a gift.
I was given an opportunity to uncover what I had resisted
from the "comfort" (which really wasn't all that comfortable)
of a job for so long.
I can now understand where others might be in relation
to their own personal treks through losing their jobs.
I personally feel that when we don't do what we "should"
be doing, sooner or later we'll get a kick in the butt.
Unfortunately, for many they're not ready for it. If they
were ready, they would have made the move on their own
before someone else - or something else - did for them.
Others, I see, are seeing things in a similar way now that
so many more are going through "it" together. Today I
saw this trailer http://lemonademovie.com/ and it
is what inspired me to write this entry.
Are YOU doing what you know you SHOULD be doing?
Check it out:
PS Re my headline: In my case it turned out to be
bummer AND opportunity...at least in the midst of
the uncertain transition time. Now, I definitely see
it as "opportunity."
Perspective: Wayne Dyer, Dan Caro and No Excuses
Late last night I was watching TV.
If you know me, you know I rarely ever watch
TV. However, last night I tuned into PBS, and
found Wayne Dyer.
I love how I always seem to find gems when
I sit down to watch, and late last night was
no exception.
Wayne has a new PBS special, his 8th in the
last 10 years. I don't know if you've ever
had the opportunity to watch him, but
as far as I am concerned he is grace and
practical wisdom in action.
He apparently has a new book, Excuses
Begone!: How to Change Lifelong, Self-
Defeating Thinking Habits, and the show
was based on the content.
If you have a chance, check him and his books
out, and see if they speak to you.
In the meantime, here are a couple of videos.
The first is an excerpt from the PBS show. The
second is a solo from Dan Caro, who was on
the special. He is a man who has had
extraordinary circumstances, and has found
his way to do what he loves. It definitely falls
into the realm of inspirational. To learn more
about him, and his story, visit DanCaro.com
If you know me, you know I rarely ever watch
TV. However, last night I tuned into PBS, and
found Wayne Dyer.
I love how I always seem to find gems when
I sit down to watch, and late last night was
no exception.
Wayne has a new PBS special, his 8th in the
last 10 years. I don't know if you've ever
had the opportunity to watch him, but
as far as I am concerned he is grace and
practical wisdom in action.
He apparently has a new book, Excuses
Begone!: How to Change Lifelong, Self-
Defeating Thinking Habits, and the show
was based on the content.
If you have a chance, check him and his books
out, and see if they speak to you.
In the meantime, here are a couple of videos.
The first is an excerpt from the PBS show. The
second is a solo from Dan Caro, who was on
the special. He is a man who has had
extraordinary circumstances, and has found
his way to do what he loves. It definitely falls
into the realm of inspirational. To learn more
about him, and his story, visit DanCaro.com
Friday, August 7, 2009
Thursday, August 6, 2009
Perspective: Make choices at any age - Grandma Lee
On America's Got Talent, there is a contest who
is 75 years old. Her name is Grandma Lee.
She had a dream to perform, and decided
to take the opportunity to be on the show.
She wanted to show people that you can
live your dream at any age.
This video cracks me up, and there are just as
many laughs after she performs as there are
while she does.
What a wild grandma!
is 75 years old. Her name is Grandma Lee.
She had a dream to perform, and decided
to take the opportunity to be on the show.
She wanted to show people that you can
live your dream at any age.
This video cracks me up, and there are just as
many laughs after she performs as there are
while she does.
What a wild grandma!
Perspective: Sometimes what you don't know can't stop you
Have you ever done something to afterward
say, "If I knew what I knew now, I may not
have done it"?
That has been my experience working with
Dan Pavlik (writer and director of Nominated).
I went up to Fremont to do a radio podcast
of his premiere party, and recorded lots of
hours of interviews, knowing that I would
have to go back later and edit them.
What I didn't realize was how much work it
was going to be, and the obstacles and
difficulties I was going to face.
I may still have done it, had I known, but
I do wonder if it could have even for a moment
have me consider stopping from doing it.
A few days ago I met with Dan and Brian Degan
Scott in Hollywood. This time with a Flip
camera in hand. Once again, I jumped into
something I had never done, but figured I
would figure it out.
Hours later, it's 90 minutes condensed into
10. Once again, there were frustrations and
issues...and once again, I wonder, if I had
known what it would entail, might I have
reconsidered.
It seems like sometimes being unaware can be
a good thing. Or perhaps it is more being
aware of the goal, and the thing that matters
that is the important thing.
By focusing on what I want to create, I
created it, even in spite of the difficulties
and frustrations.
I offer the video to you so you can learn
more about the film and these guys, and since
it was filmed in Hollywood, you'll get to see
some of the area, too.
PS To see more about the film, and why
Brian is going to NYC, visit the Nominated Blog
say, "If I knew what I knew now, I may not
have done it"?
That has been my experience working with
Dan Pavlik (writer and director of Nominated).
I went up to Fremont to do a radio podcast
of his premiere party, and recorded lots of
hours of interviews, knowing that I would
have to go back later and edit them.
What I didn't realize was how much work it
was going to be, and the obstacles and
difficulties I was going to face.
I may still have done it, had I known, but
I do wonder if it could have even for a moment
have me consider stopping from doing it.
A few days ago I met with Dan and Brian Degan
Scott in Hollywood. This time with a Flip
camera in hand. Once again, I jumped into
something I had never done, but figured I
would figure it out.
Hours later, it's 90 minutes condensed into
10. Once again, there were frustrations and
issues...and once again, I wonder, if I had
known what it would entail, might I have
reconsidered.
It seems like sometimes being unaware can be
a good thing. Or perhaps it is more being
aware of the goal, and the thing that matters
that is the important thing.
By focusing on what I want to create, I
created it, even in spite of the difficulties
and frustrations.
I offer the video to you so you can learn
more about the film and these guys, and since
it was filmed in Hollywood, you'll get to see
some of the area, too.
PS To see more about the film, and why
Brian is going to NYC, visit the Nominated Blog
Wednesday, August 5, 2009
Perspective: Life as a Recipe? And...A Recipe for Pumpkin Bread
Today I made some delicious Pumpkin Bread.
Recipe and picture to follow.
As I was making it, I was looking at a handwritten
recipe which didn't include flour. As that seemed
odd, I went to check the recipe elsewhere to see
that there should have been flour included.
It had me consider how when you know how to
do something, you know when something doesn't
look "right." If it was my first time baking ever,
I may have thought nothing of it, and then
wondered why it came out as it did, as it would
have had no real similarity to any bread I know.
On the other hand, I think sometimes when we
have a "recipe" for life, and follow it exactly, we
can miss out on some wonderful discoveries that
come from experiments and so-called mistakes,
and the joys of discovering something new.
Sometimes it might be best to go a prescribed
way, but we won't always know the possibilities
until we've made a choice to divert ourselves
from the spelled out path.
I would suspect the key is awareness. Being
aware of the possibilities puts us in a position
of being able to choose what we would like to
have/have happen.
Interesting how my mind works, isn't it?
Maybe I should call myself the philosophical
baker.
Without further ado, here you go! :-)
Pumpkin Quick Bread
Makes 1 loaf
Bake 350/50 minutes
7/8c canned pumpkin (w/o spice)
2 eggs
1/2c. olive oil
1/3c. water
1c. white sugar
1/2c. brown sugar
1-3/4 cups all-purpose flour
1t. baking soda
3/4t. sea salt
1/2t. cinnamon
1/2t. nutmeg
1/4t. cloves (ground)
1/8t. ginger
Mix together wet ingredients with sugars. Then stir in, just til mixed, the dry ingredients. Pour into a prepared pan, sprinkle with cinnamon and sugar mix. Bread is fully baked when inserted toothpick comes out clean. Enjoy.
PS Need to do some cooking conversions? I have never
tried it, but this site might be helpful.
Recipe and picture to follow.
As I was making it, I was looking at a handwritten
recipe which didn't include flour. As that seemed
odd, I went to check the recipe elsewhere to see
that there should have been flour included.
It had me consider how when you know how to
do something, you know when something doesn't
look "right." If it was my first time baking ever,
I may have thought nothing of it, and then
wondered why it came out as it did, as it would
have had no real similarity to any bread I know.
On the other hand, I think sometimes when we
have a "recipe" for life, and follow it exactly, we
can miss out on some wonderful discoveries that
come from experiments and so-called mistakes,
and the joys of discovering something new.
Sometimes it might be best to go a prescribed
way, but we won't always know the possibilities
until we've made a choice to divert ourselves
from the spelled out path.
I would suspect the key is awareness. Being
aware of the possibilities puts us in a position
of being able to choose what we would like to
have/have happen.
Interesting how my mind works, isn't it?
Maybe I should call myself the philosophical
baker.
Without further ado, here you go! :-)
Pumpkin Quick Bread
Makes 1 loaf
Bake 350/50 minutes
7/8c canned pumpkin (w/o spice)
2 eggs
1/2c. olive oil
1/3c. water
1c. white sugar
1/2c. brown sugar
1-3/4 cups all-purpose flour
1t. baking soda
3/4t. sea salt
1/2t. cinnamon
1/2t. nutmeg
1/4t. cloves (ground)
1/8t. ginger
Mix together wet ingredients with sugars. Then stir in, just til mixed, the dry ingredients. Pour into a prepared pan, sprinkle with cinnamon and sugar mix. Bread is fully baked when inserted toothpick comes out clean. Enjoy.
PS Need to do some cooking conversions? I have never
tried it, but this site might be helpful.
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