Weather, God and Will

Ø  Nature and random acts – weather the storm  

(note: a bit more on the serious side for this post, no humor in this one)

Have you seen the random patterns of flattened wheat or oats in a farmer’s field after a strong thunder storm, or just high winds or the occurrence of micro-bursts? Across the expanse of acres and acres there are these sections of sporadic spaces where pockets are flattened, laid to waste as they are too low to be extracted when the regular harvest time comes. Those areas are lost to nature’s power and nuance. Nuance because it doesn’t take the whole field, but just pockets leaving a standing boarder of other grain stalks still standing less than a half inch away, side by side, even touching one another in lighter breezes and often even together side by side weathering the severe storms, but in this case, in this instance, for whatever reason(s) separated, some live others lie flat, damaged, wilted to perish. Living things thriving one moment and lost in an instant a moment later.

Natural disasters in common language, even business contracts, that have adverse effects to property and person are called “acts of God”. And when human life is lost its “Gods will” as well as when people survive, that’s “Gods will” too. You often hear survivors speak about their prayers being answered and how God saved them. Sadly, you also hear those who lost family and friends say their departed loved ones “are in Gods care”. The loss of life and property, the devastation and ruin, the upheaval of lives of so many – “Gods will”?

I believe in God. I believe in the power of prayer. I believe this planet of many living things; animal, plant and people are all intertwined in a natural, physical and spiritual world. I can see the hand of God everywhere, everyday, in everything. But I don’t hold the belief that it is God’s predestined plan for one stalk of wheat standing next to the other to be selected to survive and the stalk next to it to be laid to waste, nor do I believe God’s will or plan is directly at hand when a mother survives and her child dies as they are side by side in a catastrophic event like a tornado. I don’t believe neighboring families are selected by God, one to live and the other die. And I don’t believe one families prayers were answered and the others, not. Or that one prayed more, lived better lives, prayed harder, practiced the right religion, and the other was not or did not. I believe some will find comfort in prayers after such tragic loss, and I know others, will not find solace or comfort from their loss.

The true “acts of God” and true instances “of Gods will” are in those companionate acts of others who extend themselves to assist and help all touched by such devastating events; giving, caring, consoling, understanding, participating in ones joy and the others grief – that is Gods plan, that is the true spirit of human nature, the pain and the pleasure of heart and soul in loving ones neighbor, whether next door, in your town or the next, your state, your country, this world, to all living things regardless of Religion, race or color, to coexist and weather the storms as best we can.

"You talking to me?"

Ø  A personal conversation – with yourself

I’m not a regular “self-talker” but I do it at certain times, like checking myself when packing especially when in a hurry, or sometimes when I’m driving, like “slower down there buddy” or like “whoa, shit, that was the right turn you just missed” usually followed by “circle-back-around-dummy”.  Also, I find myself talking to myself but kinda at my PC, “where the hell did I put that”, “why did you do that, that was dumb”, “really”, “better clear that desktop buddy”, stuff like that. I don’t really do self-talk motivation though, like “you can do this”, “looks good”, “that was easy”.

I just so happened to spend the last few weeks in an office cubicle setting where there was a whole lotta self-talk going on, mixed with inter-team talk, partner/peer talk, “stand-up” meeting talk, policy talk, business talk, team meeting talk, personal talk, sport talk, weather talk, politic talk, entertainment talk, expert talk, help-me talk, music talk (mostly U2 talk cause they put on a concert that had been postponed), relationship talk, youtube talk, facebook talk, cell phone talk, even I M talk (IM or txting someone else and talking about it to someone else close by), and food talk.

The irony of all this is, I am here to help ensure clear and complete communication between Representatives of my Company and the Vendor partner participants I am sitting among, because we have been having “communication issues” – go figure.  So I have email up, receiving and replying. IM sessions open and active with minimum one person but in the thick of it anywhere between seven and twelve, the occasional text to my cell phone, and a few conference calls and a few miscellaneous phone calls, and team conference room meetings. Most of these various communications are also followed by a “confirming” email. In addition we have systems and tools in use that provide information/direction/communication on specific tasks. – Is it any wonder there are miscommunications?

Back to self-talk though. There’s a fine line between self-talk when you listen to yourself and there’s some form of acknowledgement, and when you’re yakking away and oblivious to it – haven’t got a clue what you’re saying or that you are even doing it. (And I’m not talking about the crazy-walking-around the streets-tripping-talking out loud-looney people (I truly believe, that they believe, there is a second participant in that verbal exchange)). Add to that, the phone headset, and you just can’t tell who the hell is talking to you, to someone on the phone, to themselves, the cubicle neighbor – it’s maddening. So madding, I now find myself saying loud “she’s not talking to me”, “is she talking to me”, “are you talking to me” and when they speak I can’t tell if it’s a reply to me or someone else. It’s a true communication cluster.

So my advice – keep your self-talk conversation a silent one inside your head, and if you do speak to yourself out loud, be sure to listen -- if you don't you're pushing on that "looney" door to the psyche ward.

FYI - I was really focused on this and didn’t speak a single word or utterance of this post to anyone, not even myself.

Public Transportation and Weirdos

Ø  Public Transportation and the weirdo population that make me feel part of the human race -

“Weirdo” , Who or what vision comes to your mind? Is it the kinda dumpy, rag-a-muffin, crazy-eyed, talking to no-one in particular, twitchy, disheveled person at the subway, bus stop, train station, bus station or airport (ok, you don’t usually see these folks at the airport, too expensive to travel that way and besides they limit the number of bags you can lug around and make you show them all your “stuff”, damn near strip search you these days). My air travel attire makes me look a bit disheveled and far from any GQ cover. A couple weeks ago I flew and wore “flip-flops”, loose baggy cargo pants, no belt (cause they make you take it and your shoes off at the x-ray scanner, so my pants are sagging, Hanes showing like the cool kids in the “hood” (ie: mean streets, or suburban mall)  wear them, a loose long sleeve t-shirt (cause you don’t want something too binding when you fly, long sleeve cause it can be a wee bit nippy on the plane, and to cover the tat’s so that you are less likely to get that second “profiler” glance from TSA – first glance already came because of the loose saggy cargo pants), no watch, nothing in my pockets, a Patagonia vest with zip pockets (a “man purse” of sorts – I keep my wallet, cell phone, IPod, Chapstick in those pockets), and a shoulder backpack with laptop, paperback, notebook, other minor crap I might need, “stuff” I need at the ready. I suppose I could (and have) make a better attempt at some fashion sense, but in a way as I look around this IS a fashion more and more the norm.

What is your “Weirdo” vision – dumpy homeless looking crazy eye, or, weirdo grandma type with odd red/orange hair color (minor gray root peak-age), Tammy Faye make-up, “bling” jewelry and Channel or Gucci bags (real? or knock-off purchased from the street corner off a spread out blanket, or from a Hefty black trash bag in a Manhattan alley – because they are more “real” there ) , in a cleavage revealing, two sizes to small, white Aeropostle tank top (maybe one she purchased when shopping with her granddaughter), a BIG wide red polka-dot belt across her middle (to help hold back her paunch, but not working cause it slid below like Santa’s Belt and just “lifts and plumps”, Jeggings (lord help me -LMFAO), and of course four inch red open toe pumps (toe nail color – neon magenta maybe --- I shudder with delight).

You get the picture, right, and I could go on and on, everywhere you look you can find them. Point here is, I find comfort, humility, humor, and humanity it every Weirdo I see. Beneath all our external trappings (and even putting aside our internal bias, prejudice, character, “morals” – whatever those may or may not be, religion, etc) we are The Human Race, Weirdos all.

So keep it real people and embrace your weirdness, and others weirdness with humility – save your judgment, cause at the very end of your race, you won’t be the judge, just another dead weirdo!

Peace – out ! And remember, don't hate -- appreciate !

Beer, Pubs and the Perfect Pour

Beer, Pubs and the perfect pour –

Guinness Stout at approximately 60 degrees Fahrenheit (16 c) – ok, ok, figure a major debate could break out on this point alone as to what temperature it is meant to be served. You’ll hear dozens of arguments, “facts”, about this single point even that some places have two taps; one very cold, the second one more “room temp”, so actually the debate you can see could rage on from there. What is “very cold”, what is “room temp” (I can tell you a Guinness or any beer room temp, if the room is perhaps really a screened porch on a summer day in Phoenix at 104 degrees Fahrenheit, would quite simply, suck!)  Some of course refer to room temp being around 70 degrees Fahrenheit give or take, others make reference to room temp meaning that at the origins of Guinness brewing and serving in 1759 from the casks, were stored in cellars and served without any chilling of any sort, so the temperature it was in that particular room or from the cellars was what you got, and of course a cellar in damp, cool Ireland is arguably colder than my example of Arizona, but exactly what temperature on what day, who could really know. I think you get my point, and besides, this blog isn’t even about Guinness or what temp it is best severed at --- ok, back to the story.

Guinness Stout from the keg at approximately 60 degrees Fahrenheit (16 c), pulled from a tap in stages, meaning the glass (pint glass mind you) is held at an approximate 50 degree angle and filled to about 3/4s of the way full then allowed to settle a bit, then filling the glass to the top, straight in, to leave a 3/8” initial head and allowed to cascade in those wonderful ripples of brown to settle into a creamy and inviting ½” head just peaking at the glass rim (a crafty cloverleaf design scrolled in from the rubber nib tap by an exceptional bartender if you are in the right place), is only part of the “perfect pour”.

Granted other beers (“beer” as a generic meaning in this case for any Ale, Stout, Porter, Pilsner, etc, etc) could be your favorite and beer of choice and the other factors that will be relayed here would apply to the meaning of the “perfect pour”, but do consider the look and performance of a glass of Guinness as it settles, nothing like that cascading flow in the glass – your IPA doesn’t do that, your Brown Ale doesn’t do that, your sissy Miller Lite doesn’t do that. I’d probably give you the nod if you want to make a case for a well constructed Black and Tan (and I don’t mean from the bottle that way) I mean created in the glass by the barkeep from Guinness (of course) and Bass or Harp Ale. Here too could be another debate or blog, on what the appropriate brews are for a Black and Tan, or any of the other combos – A “Pennsylvania Tan” by the way is Yuengling Lager on the bottom and Guinness on top, and “America’s Oldest Brewery”, Yuengling,  bottles their version of Black & Tan that is their blend of Dark Brewed Porter and Lager and claims on the bottle label “original”.

Moving on : having covered the beer of choice (Guinness) and the action of the pouring (two phase, with care and attention), you come to the other factor of the Pub and within it; the staff, in particular the bartender, and the overall ambiance of the place. Let’s start then with the Pub.

I am sure there is some actual definition for “Pub” , and differentiation of Pub, Bar, Restaurant, Ale House, Tavern, Brew Pub, Micro-Brewery, Public House, Saloon, and so on, the matter really isn’t in any of those names or their definition, or what the proprietor cares to call it (that has more to do with demographics, marketing, sign-making, whatever), the point is I’m going to use the term “Pub” in this because that seems to me a good general term for the kind of place I have found and would expect to get the “Perfect Pour”. Thee Pub, needs to have character, ambiance, a personality. It needs to be a place you feel comfortable, welcome, almost at home with (but even better, because most of us are very unlikely to really and truly establish the “Perfect Pour” in our own home, even with the perfect bar in our home. Now, maybe, at your buddies or neighbors, but not very often in your own house – you’ll see why in a minute or so). It has to be inviting, no, beckoning . . . you have to feel it draw you in. It has to have a comfortable bar stool and It has to have a bar counter you can lean on at just the right height and with enough space not to feel confined – you will know it, feel it, be “that” place.

Exactly what it looks like, how it’s furnished and decorated, how big or little, how bright or dark, what the clientele is and how it can change with days of the week and time of the day -- is each to your own, only you can know and feel what all that is meant to be. Different for all of us. And often shared and mutual for several of us and that’s what provides the communal space that makes it very personal and individual at the same time, a personal oasis and yet societal and bonding (it’s also what keeps it open and making money).

You are in that place, are you there in your head with me, you find your happy place?

Enter the bartender or bartenders if the place is really good (and if it has all those other attributes it will attract, and the owner will know how to sort the gems from the stones, for the great bartender). This is critical, The Great Bartender is crucial to the moment and to the Perfect Pour. They can make it or break it. This doesn’t mean that an OK-good bartender isn’t alright to have in a great Pub, and that you’ll never go back in the place if the bartender isn’t capable of being part of the Perfect Pour, but because you have to have #1) The Beer, #2) The Draft Technique, #3) The Pub and #4) The Great Bartender, for there to be a “Perfect Pour”, that’s the way it is and it’s in the moment, so no place should fire an OK-good barkeep, in fact you really have to have them to help differentiate and help spotlight the exceptional, The Great Bartender – follow me? This is why the “at home” perfect pout is really rare, ‘cause you, or your spouse, partner, buddy, kid, whoever has to be that in-house bartender, and quite frankly, well you get what I mean.

The Great Bartender IS responsible for the draft technique and the perfect pour execution, they’re responsible for much of the feel and making one at home and comfortable (and the best of the best can make you feel that way even if they’ve never seen you before – it does become even better when they do come to recognize you, know what you want without asking, and call you by name – the Cheers “Norm” experience). Great Bartenders know how to, not only manage the back of the bar as a Pro and still have attentiveness to every customer, but they are multi-dexterous, fluid in motion, time management experts, humorists, therapists, politicians, performers, chemists of mixology, storytellers, sportscasters, weather and news providers, poets, philosophers, arbitrators, mediators, matchmakers, friends, service experts, care givers, magicians, confidants, sinners and saints. And their gift, if you are open to receiving it, is The “Perfect Pour”, so much more than beer in a glass. --- Cheers! Look for the moment. Savor it. Respect it. And tip well, always!

P.S.

I am quite lucky as I have found two places nearby that can provide the Perfect Pour –

Pub Dunegal, Thanks Kyle

Quips Pub, Thanks Riley

And a third, in waiting, McCleary’s Public House

Last a shout out to my buddy Joe in Arvada, CO – in Joe’s basement bar I have had many a “Perfect Pour” and wait in euphoric anticipation for the next one!

Food for thought

Food for thought -

When you travel, even within your own region, state, county, town or neighborhood, or where ever, and you eat at a “local” restaurant (local meaning, owned and managed by someone “of” the area, not a chain restaurant – though these may have a telling clue) check out the condiments on the table or that are available per request, as it tells a deeper story of the proprietor, the customers, and the tastes of the area and location you are in, possibly even some history.  Of course the type of place you choose to eat also guides the condiment selection and choices available,  that goes almost without saying and the menu itself will most likely bear local influences as it should, as well as influences of the owner or head chef or cook – taste and technique, “beliefs” about food, flavor and preparations.

Granted, we are an ever growing and expanding nation and world, with many multi-cultural influences getting melded together all the time and many restaurants are looking to serve a diverse palette even if they are an Italian, Chinese, French, American, Mexican, Sushi, Steak, Taco, whatever place, they very-well may have some cross-over stuff to make “everyone” (mostly little kids and the less adventuress adults who end up there in-tow against their will) happy, or at least able to order something to eat and not stick out like a dweeb (and you all know the type, they’ll still bitch and moan about it the whole time and afterwards trying make you feel bad about forcing them to go and eat at “that” place.  -- OPINION here: screw 'em, enjoy the food – the flavor, the smell, the textures and tastes, the view of the presentation, if the sound of the food or presentation is important, like Fajitas sizzling, hopefully for that brief moment they’ll shut up and you can “hear” the food, then block out their ranting dribble. Then consider NOT eating with them ever again, or at least not there, but DO go back without them and enjoy it. – )

Got a bit off track there, sorry, so you know if you go to a high-end place aside from salt and pepper there will be no condiments on the table, and depending on how well you know the place or how you’d like your service to continue, asking for any condiment is a bad idea. In fact if you’re at one of these places, I’d say the food out of the kitchen had better be spot-on perfect needing no salt or pepper or anything else, or you’re paying too much for it. This is not the kinda place I’m talking about (or trying to get to talking about – hang in there, we’ll move it along).

Condiments – the staples like salt, pepper, and sweeteners aren’t what I am talking about, nor is Soy Sauce at Asian food places, or Steak sauces at a Steak house, or Ketchup at a burger and fry place, although some of those may actually be a superficial peek in the box by Brand that is available. For instance, Kikkoman soy sauce is the leading brand on the West Coast (maybe across the whole country) but East Coast you see a lot of Lee Kum Kee brand soy sauce. Better yet, Heinz Ketchup in PA and the regional vs Hunts “Ketchup “(east of the Mississippi) “Catsup” (west of the Mississippi) and believe it or not Hunts “Tomato Cornchops” (only in Iowa) gets me closer to what I want to say about the story condiments tell. By the way, as the story goes, Hunts finally dropped the name "Tomato Cornchops" from their ketchup line when their mascot and product promoter, “Cornchoppy”, overindulged on cider at the Iowa State Fair and goosed the governor's wife during an apple pie judging, bringing disastrous press. (I have no idea if that is remotely true, but if not it’s a hell of a story).

I’ve digressed pretty seriously I think, to get to my point more directly, all of this came to me this morning as I ate a small breakfast at one of my local restaurants. It sits on a state road, a “pike”, here in Lancaster County PA, in a town that per 2000 census boasts 2,978 inhabitants, but that is for the “township” not the town per se. I had my usual, which is their #2 breakfast special of two eggs (locally raised by PA farmers), homefries (real sliced potatoes, also local, fried in a skillet moist and soft with just a slight crust – not hashbrowns out of a plastic bag) and two pieces of whole wheat toast (I can’t state firmly that the bread is locally baked, but I would expect so, because there are a boatload of local providers) sliced diagonally. Note here; another nuance of certain restaurants, regions and proprietors/cooks is whether they slice the toast, and if they slice it, whether it is a top to bottom slice or diagonal corner to corner (maybe another blog sometime) and what kind of toast you can get; wheat, whole wheat, white, sourdough, rye, other (yet another blog to come because a lot of people here order Rye toast, and many order it “dry”).

OK, so here we go, on the table are Salt (iodized) and Pepper (fine grind) in shakers that “are not stingy” (as my mother-in-law would say), a white ceramic container with sugar, Sweet-n-low and Equal, and a four compartment Jelly Caddy. The waitress wil ask if you need “creamers”, if you need ketchup, or hot sauce, and a yes answer to any of these gets you – small individual half-n-half cream from a local dairy cooled, Heinz Ketchup and Tabasco. The jelly is our real focus here. First not everywhere has an actual Jelly Caddy, they’ll have a small basket, or dish or combination metal holder that also has the salt and pepper. Here, they have a stand-alone four compartment caddy. They are serious about their jelly. Now what kinds of jelly do you provide? I’ve been to some places where it’s a combination of various kinds and lots of times all mixed together (I hate that). Most of the time in most places you will find Grape, I guess it’s the #1 favorite, then it can be one of these three; mixed fruit, cherry or strawberry, and many times those are the four staples. Occasionally in a four compartment caddy you’ll have grape (like almost always), two of the others (cherry usually doesn’t make the cut in this group) and the forth is Orange Marmalade. I’m not quite certain this has more predominance out east where the British roots still have a certain grip, but I don’t think Orange Marmalade is in the Jelly Caddy (if they have one) in Gallup New Mexico (if someone there reads this and knows different, please enlighten me). In this little local place of mine they have Grape, Strawberry, Orange Marmalade and . . . . .

Apple Butter! Yep, Apple Butter, always, taking up one slot of its own in the Caddy, next to the Orange Marmalade in its own slot, stacked neatly all the same in its spot no intermixed jellies, then Strawberry and Grape. I know that there are other places in the world that have Apple Butter, but I do believe that Lancaster Counties “Pennsylvania Dutch” heritage has a knack for producing Apple Butter (and other butters for that matter; Pumpkin Butter is terrific) and that Orange Marmalade hangs on to those English, British, roots from the 1700s. Patriots and Loyalists, taking their stance in those revolutionary years, debating, plotting, planning, providing for their families and both eating biscuits and bread with Apple Butter or Orange Marmalade (with the Kings tax sealed jars), and Strawberry jelly. Their condiment history began and continues here to this day. --- Food for thought !