The Saturday Morning Post: Select the Best Medium for Your Creative Endeavours

A month or so ago, Neil, aka Yorkshire Pudding, posted an original poem, and the following day a commentary on few people reading poetry.  His postings stirred my creative thought process, and here is my commentary, "the key to art being understood and enjoyed, is sometimes the medium that it is delivered through." 

Most of the poetry that we experience is song lyrics, in recorded form. How it is delivered, the tone, the metre, the volume, the mood of the artist, changes the meaning dramatically.  When I read poetry, I struggle to find the author's voice in my head.  A poem about love, heard in my brain as a poem about anger simply does not convey the right message. 

Why don't people read poetry? Because they struggle to get the intended voice. If you want poetry to be experienced, use your voice. Record it, post it. Doing this has never been easier.  Most of us are appalled at the sound of our voice,  but others are not. Your voice conveys expression in ways that the written word struggles to do. 

Selecting the best medium, can make the difference between conveying meaning, and falling flat, or even more tragic, being unheard, unseen, unexperienced.  

Funky Friday: The Code of Conformity for Non-Conformists

 Way back in the late 80's early 90's I took a cultural anthropology class.  The Professor was slightly crazy, and like a few Rollins professors a trust fund baby, who never had to earn a living, and taught classes to have something to do besides shop and drink.  She split her year between a condo just off Park Avenue in Winter Park, Florida, and a flat overlooking Central Park in New York. If a student needed to take a make-up exam at the end of the semester, she would provide a prepaid Fedex mailer - she left for New York the last day of exams. 

We read about social norms, and social class. It was really a fascinating class - and I continue to read on the topics. The sign of an effective education is starting a lifelong quest to know more about what we have studied. 

Men having pierced ears had emerged in the 70's as the non-conformists behaviour. Even then there was the code of conformity for non-conformists. One ear was pierced on straight men, the other ear on gay men, both ears was considered weird. I don't remember which ear was for which group. 

In the 1970s mens underwear in the United States introduced new styles and colors.  White "Jockey" shorts were deemed old fashioned, and the non-conformists wore colors and even bikini cuts. A non-conformist would not wear white. Moving into the mid-90's it was the boxer rebellion.  Lose baggy boxer shorts had been the domain of stodgy old men and Ivy League Frat Boys.  Suddenly non-conformists were dropping anything tight, and wearing bright colorful and baggy boxers.  Only a conformist would wear navy blue briefs. All of the cool guys were wearing boxers. Again the code of conformity for non-conformists.  Then along came the boxer brief, tight fitting with a longer leg. The new non-conformists style, that is currently the conformists style, most often in black. I wonder what the non-conformists are wearing these days? 

Styles change, what is non-conformist, becomes mainstream and conformist, then a new non-conformist style emerges. 

The Thursday Ramble: Milestones of Life

 

After a wonderful dinner at a northern Italian restaurant on Michigan Avenue in Chicago we stopped to see the "Bean" on the way back to the hotel. We came across this young woman having photos taken for her quinceañera. AI tells me: 

"Quinceañera is a traditional Latin American celebration marking a young woman's 15th birthday. It signifies her transition from childhood to young womanhood and combines deep religious gratitude with family and social festivities."

A major milestone in her life. This gets me to thinking about the major milestones in my life. 

I really didn't care if I had a drivers license or not, but my father insisted that I do so the year I turned 16.  I had missed the regular drivers education class at High School. The instructor took me on as an independent study, I finished the 12 week curriculum in about three weeks, he signed me off on the driving part after about half of the recorded hours, I passed the written and road test on the first try. And dad handed me keys to the pickup trucks in the driveway and a key to the gas pump on the farm, and said take care of yourself. 

I turned 18 about the same time I started my last year of high school. That meant two things, I could buy alcohol and I could vote.  My sister took me out for a drink, I bought a bottle of scotch on the way home. I remember voting in the national election that fall, standing in line, using the old fashioned mechanical machines (the only time I ever voted on those.) The candidate I voted for lost, but I had done my part. 

My graduation from High School was overshadowed my sisters wedding a few days later.  It was a milestone for me, and for my parents, the last of their children was finished with school. 

It was 16 years later when I graduated from college. I did a four year degree on the ten year plan, working full time and taking classes part time. It was a big milestone for me. I was the first one in the family to finish a college degree. (None of my grandparents finished high school, my father passed the GED after I graduated from high school.) 

Law school came faster, starting just three years after I finished at Rollins. The start and finishing my law degree were major milestones. Then there was taking and passing the bar exam. I did that once, on the first try, and I never want to do that again. 

Ten years later I took the bold plunge to take a job in DC. This put us in two homes, in two states.  The job worked out, we have stayed here. 

In 2015, while I was recovering from major surgery, the Supreme Court ruled that if we married all states and the federal government would recognize the marriage. Plans were made and we married that fall, a major milestone. 

Driving into Idaho in 2023 to complete my quest to visit all 50 states.  That one really made me smile. 

The next one would be in January of 2024. I went to lunch with my staff and my boss, they went back to the office, and I walked to the subway and went home to start retirement. 

My World of Wonders: August 12, 2026

The CTA Blue Line has some new rail cars. 

Should I do more paintings in this style? 

 Who have I talked with this week? Kevin, Amy, Joe, Joan, Pratibha, Ana, Susan, Rebecca, Gail, Rachel, Jose, my sweet bear, Tom, Dian, Grace, Warren. 

What have I been up to this week? I came down with a cold just after the last WW-Wednesday, so I had a couple of quiet days, but there was an art show installation last Friday, and the show opener on Saturday afternoon. I did a grocery store run last Wednesday - we had been out of town for a few days and it was time to refresh. 

Where have I been this week? The Community center, the grocery store and Trader Joe's. The pool, the treadmill. Aldi, the Library. 

What have I been up to in the kitchen?  Roast beef, Pizza, simmered sausage sauce and pasta. 

How am I feeling? I am getting over a head cold and cough that we brought home from Chicago. 

What is on the easel? A painting of a giant cock (chicken.) 

What have I learned this week? The difference between a genetic test and a bio marker test.

 

Travel Tuesday: Indianapolis Motor Speeday

The Museum at the Speedway - It has finished a massive update

The Pagoda

Jim Rathmann was the Chevrolet dealer to the stars, he leased cars to astronauts for $1 a month, most of them selected Corvettes. 

Drivers Start your engines

 

Monday Moods: A Quite Life

Is it a quiet life, or a dull life? Maybe both. And that is fine. While in Chicago I talked with several people who are still doing the work that I used to do. To say they are stressed is an understatement. And looking back, the cause of the stress changed from time to time, with the perceived threats being stronger at some times, but there was always pressure to find funding, and deliver results. I feel for them, and I am so glad I am no longer a part of that. 

I can start a painting whenever I want, and work on it when I feel like it. When it is finished it does not matter if it is good or not, as one comment put it this past week, "it is a good thing I am not reliant on this to make a living." Oh so true, if anyone wants to buy my paintings I will gladly part with them, but I have never had a buyer. And I really don't care. I do them for the pleasure of doing them. 

I travel, because I like to and I can. But travel is no longer tied to making a living.  I have done over a 100 trips as a paid speaker or trainer, this brings with it a special stress. Like the time I arrived in Alabama for dinner with the state attorney general, and my bag missed the connection in Atlanta.  It was August in the south, I had dressed to be cool and comfortable in shorts and a t-shirt for the flight, and that is what I wore to a nice formal dinner that someone was paying me to be at.  Today I fly in for my pleasure. Even the volunteer association duties are not tied to earning a living.  It changes the dynamic. 

Life is much quieter, maybe even a little dull at times, and that is a good thing. Try it. 

Sunday Five: Edible Origins

1: Where do "baby carrots" come from? 

2: When was the last time you cut up a whole chicken? 

3: Have you ever cleaned a fish? 

4: When was the last time you baked a cake and did you use a mix? 

5: Butter or Margarine and why? 

My Answers: 

1: Where do "baby carrots" come from? You see the oddly shaped carrots in the bunches above? Stores didn't want them, so a machine was developed to carve round carrot sticks out of them and that is what is bagged and sold as "baby carrots." Those are not babies, they will not grow into adult carrots, they are rejects reshaped and sold at a premium price. 

2: When was the last time you cut up a whole chicken? About a month ago. I am surprised at the number of people who have never done this.  

3: Have you ever cleaned a fish? It has been a very long time, but yes, and I had to get to them before my Aunt's cat. He was faster at catching and cleaning than I was. 

4: When was the last time you baked a cake and did you use a mix? It has been three or four months, and no mix was involved.  

5: Butter or Margarine and why? Butter. I took a university lab science class in human nutrition. The professor explained it this way, "we know what is in butter and what the body does with it, we have no clear idea what mystical chemicals are in margarine and really don't know what happens to them in the body long term. Stick with the devil we know, over the one we don't. 

Please share your answers in the comments. 

The Saturday Morning Post: Getting Unstuck

I was stuck, I needed a painting for "Explosion of Color" and I kept drawing a blank. I had started a couple of times, and the color just was not there. How to get unstuck? 

I was soaking in the Jacuzzi, talking with Rachel Bright a neighbor who is a professional artist. I mentioned to her that I was blocked. She said go home, start fresh, open your favorite paint color, thin it if you need to and pour it onto the canvas, just play with it, then pour a second color, and another, and another. Freestyle. The critical step in getting unstuck, is to start. You don't need a plan. You don't need to know where you are going.  Act like you are 5 years old turned lose with paint for the first time. 

The show opens today, The piece is titled "Bright Idea." 

I added some glitter and sequins. 

Foodie Friday: Martinis

Back in 2020, we met John Grey from Going Gently for dinner near where he lives in Wales. I ordered a dry gin martini, and the waiter came back a few minutes later with a troubled look on his face and asked, "how do you make that?" John had a good laugh, he had lived and worked in New York and knew what I was asking for, a rarity in small town Wales. 

To make a dry Gin Martini start with good Gin, add a splash of white vermouth, shake with ice, and strain into a frozen glass, the proper garnish is an olive. It really is that simple. Be very sparing with the vermouth, the flavor should be the herbals in the gin. 

Some people make Martinis with Vodka. I am in the camp that thinks a dry martini needs to be made with gin. A flavored martini is best made with vodka, as the flavor comes from the added flavor, not the clear liqueur. 

I recently made a coffee cordial to be used to make Espresso martinis. It is fairly easy to make. Start with ground coffee, you need about half a pound of good dark roast and about 700 ML of vodka. Buy a vodka you would drink. Combine the coffee and the vodka in a tightly sealed container, shake, and let sit. Shake it a couple of times a day, for a couple of days.  In essence you are making a vodka based cold brew coffee. Strain it, I used a fine mesh strainer for the first pass, then re-strained through a coffee filter (if you don't do this the final produce will be gritty.) Combine  1 1/2 cups of sugar, with 1/2 cup of water and a squirt of corn syrup in a small sauce pan, heat over medium heat until the sugar is dissolved and it is mostly clear. You don't want to boil this, probably 165-170 degrees F. Let this cool. 

Combine the strained coffee with the sugar syrip, and bottle. 

To make a coffee or expresso martini, 

1 part coffee cordial, two parts vodka over ice, shake, strain into a frozen glass. Enjoy! 

Thursday Ramble: Reducing Travel Stress

The airline matters.  The big names, Delta, American, United in the USA, the country named international carriers, often have the best service, the best equipment.  

Don't go bottom fishing for airline tickets.  Cheap seats are often cheap for a reason, they are less comfortable and include nothing. 

Your favorite airline, should be the one that has the largest number of flights in and out of your primary airport. Poo happens, and when it does that airline will have the most capacity to get you out or get you home. 

You probably don't want to book basic economy. You want to be able to select a seat and check a bag without paying extra. Seats matter, no one looks forward to sitting in the middle seat, unless you are wedged between two hot lovers. I prefer a window seat on the right side, or an aisle seat on the left. 

Check a bag - ALWAYS. Unless you are going out and coming back the same day, check a bag. I have free checked bags on my two most used airlines as a credit card perk. Yes I pay a fee for those credit cards, but if I fly one flight a year with free checked bags, it more than saves me the fee. And I get earlier boarding. Carry on bags are always a hassle, on every flight you worry about overhead space, you have addition stress at security - is your toothpaste tube too large? When you check a bag you don't have those worries. 

Get to the airport early. Two to three hours before flight time. This gives you plenty of time to check in, check that bag, and clear security. Once you are through security, release the stress. 

In the USA, sign up for TSA Pre-Check, if you travel internationally sign up for Global Entry - it includes Pre-Check and gets you the express lane at customs and immigration. The security screening is simpler. It is less stressful. 

Learn to enjoy airports. Airports are a great place to walk, to people watch, and read. Don't stress over a couple of hours in an airport, have breakfast or lunch and relax. 

If you can afford it, book business class, or first class.  I don't do this often, but if it is $50 or $100 more each way, I will. On international flights I have paid $250 extra, and it was so nice. The seats are bigger, the food is better, the service is better, you board earlier, there is more overhead bin space. It is less stressful. 

In major airports, avoid any connection that is less than an hour long. It often takes 15 minutes to get off the plane, 15 minutes to sprint through the airport, and the boarding closes 15 minutes before departure time, all of sudden a 45 minute connection time becomes a missed or nearly missed flight. At a minimum you want 5 minutes to stop and pee. I just suffered through a 45 minute connection in Atlanta, fortunately the connecting flight was delayed 10 minutes and was still boarding when we arrived.  

My World of Wonders: August 5, 2026

 

Where have I been this week? Chicago, getting there via New York, and getting home via Atlanta. The things we will do for our second favorite airline. 

Who have I talked to this week? My Sweet Bear, Erica, Emily Loraine, Alan, Tom, Ken, Robert, Bob, Jack, Kell, Bob, Cathy, Eric, Al, and bunches of other old lawyers. 

What have I been up to in the Kitchen? Nothing, we have been traveling. 

Who deserves a slap this week? The speaker in a room with 150 people in it, that put up a massively crowded PowerPoint slide and said, "here you can see the nine different elements of this strategy."  No we couldn't unless we were sitting in the first row. This is what happens when I stop teaching "death by PowerPoint. Three out of five slaps. 

Who deserves a big THANK YOU this week? Jack, Al, and Lorraine for helping to mentor me into a new committee assignment. 

What have I enjoyed this week? My friends from the Senior Lawyers Division and the amazing city of Chicago.  

Travel Tuesday: Around Ft Wayne Indiana

Reconstruction of the Fort 

History Museum 

Amish farmers a few miles out of town

 

Arnie is 18 or 19 years old, a grumpy old man. 

Dog Treats 

Saturday Farmers Market in downtown Ft Wayne