tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-41113353268449847452024-02-06T18:22:48.949-08:00marty mazurik dot comA poem, an elucidation and an occasional sumptuous dishMartyMazurikhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00155870534668559492noreply@blogger.comBlogger34125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4111335326844984745.post-45351779784884273232023-08-19T21:30:00.004-07:002023-08-19T21:38:34.287-07:00Escaping Life in a Bubble<p> I've existed in a bubble that I wholly created. It wasn't transient, like soap bubbles blow out of a bubble ring from a bottle. This bubble was made of thicker material similar to an exercise ball.<br />Tough enough that inside of it feels like being trapped in a swimming pool, underwater, with a cover on the pool holding you under. Gasping for breath, but sucking in water you're unable to claw through and save yourself. That kind of material surrounds me.</p><p>Is it the intellectual naivety, the propoganda ... the wisdom of things I can Google faster than you?</p><p>We are trapped by information. Surrounded by it. Worse, it can interrupt us. Yes, our computer like minds, meant to multi-task like an operating system are now set so that almost anything we sign up for, join, shop at or date can cause an interrupt of whatever thread of execution we're on ... and gain our immediate attention via our cell phones. The information runs us.</p><p>Translate this into relationships and humans are doomed. The stereotypical gender roles have been redefined and mashed into many re-interpretations of self. Woman in masculine frame, Man in feminine frame and these are just our tendencies and likes, when it comes to our actual love partners well, I can't really put a number on the permuations nor understand LBGTQRSTUVWXYZ ... we'll run out of alphabet trying to un-bubble the confusion over the sexes. It's literally turned into war.</p><p>Joe Jackson famously sang, in "Real Men" lyrics '... if there's war between the sexes then there'll be no people left'. I don't know, I see families, I see the young ones popping out, the husbands with their beards and wives and kids ... and it seems procreation is alive. I think it's the bubble that ensues, that thick layer of information, that familiarity ... the knowing of all of your significant other's glitches, faults, gnits, nags, dirty laundry and some secrets that kills it. It takes these people that start out with good intention and eventually over the course of a relationship just brings it to its knees.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHEm75GnPkv81MskQg0Q8x3ApKchBgqHNg89xRxAhMSMTjpgFRP4A3vq4rhDIubWVvNbR0SZr2ScQnsXBczXrRiPc1TW27WzSRvfImb61qX9xn95ZOI9ds5eqquKFljBLr8LFdQR7pZ6FrRJBAK-K5QRenWHIxaUyDHF6CODTdZ2mqWpJZoTivUbdZ/s612/bubble-boy.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="612" data-original-width="612" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHEm75GnPkv81MskQg0Q8x3ApKchBgqHNg89xRxAhMSMTjpgFRP4A3vq4rhDIubWVvNbR0SZr2ScQnsXBczXrRiPc1TW27WzSRvfImb61qX9xn95ZOI9ds5eqquKFljBLr8LFdQR7pZ6FrRJBAK-K5QRenWHIxaUyDHF6CODTdZ2mqWpJZoTivUbdZ/s320/bubble-boy.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><p></p><p>There you pray, begging for a different relationship paradigm. You have fights about it, make up, try new things and still ... the lifeblood has been sucked dry. And you go on. And you age. And the world spins some more revolutions. The world with us sucked to the edge of it by gravity, the biggest spinning bubble, our lives a microcosm of a spinning bubble.</p><p>Inside of here we feel safe, but we're insulated from everything. So much insulation, we feel nothing.</p><p>Facts are meaningless, lies pointless and the information, the news, events and things occuring are transient. Blips. Doesn't matter if its the biggest event of your life, a SuperBowl, a school shooting they are blips. Nothing stays. Photos, digital, gone. Music, services, gone when you stop paying.<br /><br /></p><p>You work, for exceedingly high priced and expensive shit (house, car, groceries) and get no reward or pleasure, you just bail and bail and bail the debt like water in a sinking boat. Toys don't matter, Amazon shit doesn't matter, candy, roses, fine meals ... all meaningless. Your time to fund this inglorious lifestyle is wasted. Indentured servant to the banks and government you are a wage slave.</p><p>Escaping this bubble? You get a knife, cut out an escape hatch and let air in so you can breathe, first.<br />Next you have to go against every norm that keeps you in a rut of information overload and debt, and live like a recluse. Freeballing and spitballing in the now, the present, every day. I mean, don't avoid other people entirely, they are fun to learn from just don't allow the toxicity of some of the people seep in and start manufacturing another layer of bubble material.</p><p>People's opinions and coercive nature tend to sway our thoughts too easily, as does the news, any Internet article, any YouTube video ... they are all throwing information at a wall to see what sticks.<br />And it's gumming up your head. The key is to take Life with a grain of salt (I know very cliche) but it is true, you needn't worry that you are needing any of this information.</p><p>Live your life, approach people with care and listen to your intuition. Wake yourself up and out of the bubble.</p>MartyMazurikhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00155870534668559492noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4111335326844984745.post-31140947319313768462023-07-31T20:12:00.002-07:002023-07-31T20:12:16.015-07:00Support ticket<p> I've been in the IT industry nearly 40 years, seems surreal that I saw the first IBM PC's in the early 80's. It makes me feel like father time of computing.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhRPj8fJbFzL8AgKFcDHF215orq90mEdm5aUE2ezodR5s3qewF5h22-gMUxY-BqZKx4cBW6HMdHR7N4Whihfk91Akj2uD7_9geI4hUsyCVE17W2U3R35LwCyk3xVm0bBE7w4V1BcaLXpNk42nQKY6aTjFKn9MzYfw-ITjkNXTaDPint6-hQzE-5TY41" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="853" data-original-width="1280" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhRPj8fJbFzL8AgKFcDHF215orq90mEdm5aUE2ezodR5s3qewF5h22-gMUxY-BqZKx4cBW6HMdHR7N4Whihfk91Akj2uD7_9geI4hUsyCVE17W2U3R35LwCyk3xVm0bBE7w4V1BcaLXpNk42nQKY6aTjFKn9MzYfw-ITjkNXTaDPint6-hQzE-5TY41" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div>There was something very satisfying about the click of the OEM IBM keyboards, they hit different.<p></p><p>I put in a support ticket to Microsoft for apparently Lenovo 'bricked' my system when they put a new motherboard in, and BitLocker was enabled on the hard drive.</p><p>I was able to 'nuke-and-pave' (an affectiionate term, meaning 'blow it all away and re-install the Operatoing System), just as well, I downgraded to Windows 10 (instead of 11) because much of the software and drivers I need were avails on Windows 10 (or easier to come by).</p><p>So in 25 years of Microsoft Support, pretty much 10 priority support calls, I've used a handful (maybe 3 or 4) out of 250. And of those, I probably beat the answer ... myself, by grinding it out.</p><p>That's the awy it is in tech, when you're driven and good.</p>MartyMazurikhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00155870534668559492noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4111335326844984745.post-51301132734095768622023-03-30T07:11:00.008-07:002023-04-08T07:56:08.007-07:00Positive drift<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHAZL0Par072c4aQWpAU0WI11Sbzb6G8hPPP5IYofoy0mwSZA42RnrQZng3o7Thby3q-ju7CFSXKKZgOP3KkRitM0ozXbPoSVI_fYSmdzbBgPCDNYvi2fZKxpeITGtPVzAgej1P52P0m-yRXk3Qi9hHWVACpjEpd6t8PplzKFuP0QOaBdED3Wppw/s726/driftofsand.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="488" data-original-width="726" height="340" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHAZL0Par072c4aQWpAU0WI11Sbzb6G8hPPP5IYofoy0mwSZA42RnrQZng3o7Thby3q-ju7CFSXKKZgOP3KkRitM0ozXbPoSVI_fYSmdzbBgPCDNYvi2fZKxpeITGtPVzAgej1P52P0m-yRXk3Qi9hHWVACpjEpd6t8PplzKFuP0QOaBdED3Wppw/w506-h340/driftofsand.jpeg" width="506" /></a></div><br /> <p></p><p>I've always been fascinated with the concept of time, and how it plays into my life's journey.</p><p>We constrain it into a 24 hour cycle, based on the sun. We move it up and hour, then back an hour.<br />We pack it into the years, by days- 365 of them. We are consumed with managing it.</p><p>I sang karaoke with a girl, a Stone's song "Time, is on my side" in my twenties,<br />it was (on my side). I didn't care about time or place, or anything (well, except her. I dug her.)</p><p>Also, wrote a poem "Time is a theif" . What did that mean? What is <i>time</i> stealing?</p><p>I think it robs you of: the here and now, the present. It is this moment that time cannot touch, so it wants you to think about time ago, or into the future. Time is flummoxed at the idea of the infinite present moment. It can't mark it, it can't time-box it, it is the exact moment, right now, that if you try and define it with time ... you can't. A second before now is the past, a second from now is the future.<br />Dammit, the present confounds and irritates time, really makes it mad that it can't control the present moment.</p><p>Time isn't on anyone's side, it just isn't. Just as a robber doesn't care, <br />time doesn't care. It has to do what it has to do, tick-tick-tick.</p><p>As we drift through life it is important to stay positive. We age, we experience the winds of change, constantly. Any one of those changes can throw us off course, if we let it.</p><p>The energy of the universe plays out on our canvas and paints with its rhythmic harmonic tones, a tapestry of beauty and splendor. The universe doesn't care about time, it has seemingly been around for an infinite time. Our life and karmic energies, a blip. Energy is energy. It can't be created or destroyed (Julius Robert Mayer, 1842, First Law of Thermodynamics)</p><p>The universe then channels her energy vibes to us all the time. They come in unexcpected patterns and ripples but we are beating to the pace of another taskmaster, the clock, to time's second hand. </p><p>It's a ludicrous human orchestra sound. Crash-cymbal-beat-horn-honk The universe gives a clean note, we miss it, or keep tapping like a metronome to time; to the seconds. Often we can't get the balance or rhythm right, the harmonic dis-resonance is in our bodies, we feel off.</p><p>Paying attention to our soul, drinking in the energies around us is the only antidote to time. The ONLY antitode to time. The only way around marking a life with time is to <i>enjoy this moment. </i><br />When we are syncopated, I think some might call this a flow state, or zone. Time becomes irrelevent.</p><p>As change happens in your life, drift along with it. Flow. You'll be a lot happier with the ride.<br /><br />Live your life like a successive, infinitely strung together, beautiful, present moments. <br />Like all of your moments are grains of sand, blown across a dune, or the water molecules holding themselves together flowing down the stream.</p><p>Drift positively.</p><p><br /></p>MartyMazurikhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00155870534668559492noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4111335326844984745.post-20265476085086054242023-03-07T08:53:00.018-08:002023-03-08T14:38:51.480-08:00Love is a verb<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjuOuPrt2u4j9fp6relB4lVdu82hFOSMMbNMf4UkVCzCPVp4sI0vevKnRFIm9J_-RLxy7lBYuCIzaaPb7j10CKSk2gjZNx7A91YmK_DHMI5mrub7rVO6NlW6Ogn1GL6HUKK1uaiAGHwYTcItopc3rxZC59jMGiXJfM_DwDtG1Ypfw1BAmD0BkEafA/s2500/Love-Heart-Handing-Over.webp" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1696" data-original-width="2500" height="217" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjuOuPrt2u4j9fp6relB4lVdu82hFOSMMbNMf4UkVCzCPVp4sI0vevKnRFIm9J_-RLxy7lBYuCIzaaPb7j10CKSk2gjZNx7A91YmK_DHMI5mrub7rVO6NlW6Ogn1GL6HUKK1uaiAGHwYTcItopc3rxZC59jMGiXJfM_DwDtG1Ypfw1BAmD0BkEafA/s320/Love-Heart-Handing-Over.webp" width="320" /></a></div><br />Sanskrit has 96 words for "love", from Sneha a maternal love, to Kama - erotic or amorous love, Rati - enjoy or delight in something or someone, to Priya or "darling", often reserved for love a little girls in India and Nepal.<p></p><p>In the English language we have one word: Love. Love with its several definitions. Websters Dictionary primarily defines it as a noun. A noun? A person, place or thing. Hmmmm.</p><p>See <a href="https://www.dictionary.com/browse/love">Webster's def. of Love</a> </p><p>As a noun Love then is defined as: <i>tender affection</i>, or <i>warm, personal attachment</i> or <i>sexual passion or desire</i>. That could mean anything from "yummy soup" to "I want to rip your clothes off". Confusing, at best. So much is left up to the listener to figure out the nuance of your spoken words "I love you".</p><p>Such is the English language.</p><p>But, I challenge something different- something that can clear the air about Love. I think love isn't primarily a <i>noun</i>. It isn't the Webster's limited verb scope usage, either. I don't think the verb used to conjugate an object and a predicate (as in "Her fans <i>love her</i>") is enough for this powerful word. I think the definition, is off. I think it's verb meaning is deeper than that. Love pun intended.</p><p>Love is a verb, but only through its use as an <i>action</i>. </p><p>The little things, the big things ... the daily things that we as a human species do for our fellow humans. The efforts we give, the encouragements, the tone and the purpose of those tones (soft and pleasant, or forceful and directed) ... to help others. I'm often asked why something tastes so good, to wit I proffer "It was cooked with love".</p><p>The way in which we do communicate, act, show up, support, encourage, titillate, humor, cook for, watch over, do laundry for, clean, wipe and burp are .... all Love!</p><p>The absense of love is the absence of doing for other humans. Babies who aren't held are shown to be in trauma by many studies. Trauma ! If we negate "not doing" it becomes doing, which is an action, is therefore a verb. It's simple equation reduction that brings me to this final answer: Love = a verb, but moreso, Love = an act of doing. </p><p>An axiom I have held as true: the opposite of love isn't hate. No, it isn't. Hate has its place in the yin-yang of the universe as dark form of love. Some will gravitate to it, to their own hurt. Hate is like a fallen angel type of feeling, that shouldn't land on you. It is best to process through and let go. You have to care about someone to really hate them. But why be dark? Forgive, forget. Get back to Love.</p><p>No, the "not doing", or the opposite of love is indifference. It is both milquetoast and debilitating, this thing called indifference. It's the opposite of connection. When we feel another person's indifference it sends a chill through our heart, it's palpable in reverse. Why?<br />Because we want to be acted upon, feel that connection ... we want to be loved.</p><p>Taking that apart in- and difference, means not making a difference; So we musn't be indifferent.<br />As a verb, Love must be shown through action - so make a difference in someone else's life today! <br /><br />Do something for someone and you will be defining your verb, your action, your Love.</p>MartyMazurikhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00155870534668559492noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4111335326844984745.post-38571564411537590852022-08-15T11:24:00.005-07:002022-08-15T11:35:00.051-07:00An Actress's final Act<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfaDAZAjYRnuAIRyonnQwfY_KS6DVHRGKNtDpTQv-38vNRB-1JLIcZqzu_VXiuyNsnm2ZNr5E9zoQ2TIyZfRNIFC5noa6xF0nVeCPbMox2m4CkecBSSOmhnWJdYcveTpSw6xFE5o64Dde2ajD6b7Ub87wUWwMRqlHIABjVh9xAcZBR9aXE-ZF3QA/s703/anne-heche.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="703" data-original-width="630" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfaDAZAjYRnuAIRyonnQwfY_KS6DVHRGKNtDpTQv-38vNRB-1JLIcZqzu_VXiuyNsnm2ZNr5E9zoQ2TIyZfRNIFC5noa6xF0nVeCPbMox2m4CkecBSSOmhnWJdYcveTpSw6xFE5o64Dde2ajD6b7Ub87wUWwMRqlHIABjVh9xAcZBR9aXE-ZF3QA/s320/anne-heche.jpg" width="287" /></a></div><br /><p><br /></p><p>Imagine our life as an etch-a-sketch,<br />how simple it would be to erase<br />and start over<br />just shake that shit off our mental screen</p><p>What a splendor it would be for the tormented<br />Anne Heche to shake away those images<br />of the perversions of her father on her</p><p>How him contracting AIDS spoke to his inner demons<br />how her curiosity and love (yes love)<br />of him, may have pushed her into Ellen's arms for a while</p><p>How her brother found a tree,<br />to wrap his car around,<br />perhaps the shame too great to bear.<br /></p><p>How her crazy, couldn't stop with drugs,<br />or alcohol, or sex ... or work (she had over 40 films to her credit)<br />nor would her book "Call me Crazy" spell relief.</p><p>Blame the fentynal laced coke,<br />blame the paparazzi,<br />blame the father, swine<br />Mostly the father, that fucker.</p><p>A life so smothered with shame, guilt, hate, confusion<br />she raced her Mini-Cooper full speed to nowhere,<br />into a house,<br />unable to shake the etch-a-sketch board clean</p><p>Did she think, smoldering in her car<br />'Oh, great I survived' this as a dreamscape<br />Only to have the fire department, put out the structure fire<br />as she smoldered and time ticked on ...<br />did she hope this is it, or just another bad dream<br /><br />As they took her cloaked, covered and charred body<br />to the Ambulance<br />she sat up, like a zombie apocolypse <br />showing "life" , one last time as if to say "I'm free!"</p><p>almost.</p><p>The tortured life of a kamikaze pilot. R.I.P. Anne Heche</p>MartyMazurikhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00155870534668559492noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4111335326844984745.post-80923786311792442512022-07-07T07:07:00.016-07:002022-07-07T07:26:16.508-07:00Life and death<p>I read a quote from Anthony Bourdain, that had me wanting to try a new drink.</p><p>I thought about my fondness of teaching and helping others that sprang out of a T.A. job I had in college.</p><p>I thought, 'what is life about?'</p><p>It dawned on me, life is a reflection; of that which we imbue on each other.</p><p>Nothing more.</p><p>If we can learn anything before we leave this planet it should be this:<br />We were made to relate. To share, to lift up.</p><p><br />love. It is the force behind each and every imbuement.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNzuK79QfjhYZs1jyx8TWRHYzY_NvQAdAC87einLG9_MF1SygsL1mOWJ5073NcI1dUuudrH87qjXNuI1e7f3snsKE_hvOMTiZB6r704NQErcwJL2rztbc3U37V6Tfdzhy8IscUfc2QQRc5nTUghihyOaD1Sf-f4ezdi0lwMzXUJl3XwqmJUUKiig/s636/Negroni.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="636" data-original-width="529" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNzuK79QfjhYZs1jyx8TWRHYzY_NvQAdAC87einLG9_MF1SygsL1mOWJ5073NcI1dUuudrH87qjXNuI1e7f3snsKE_hvOMTiZB6r704NQErcwJL2rztbc3U37V6Tfdzhy8IscUfc2QQRc5nTUghihyOaD1Sf-f4ezdi0lwMzXUJl3XwqmJUUKiig/s320/Negroni.jpg" width="266" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Negroni</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Lato; font-size: 18px;">"But I think the Negroni is the perfect cocktail because it is three liquors that I don’t particularly like. I don’t like Campari, and I don’t like sweet vermouth and I don’t particularly love gin. But you put them together with that little bit of orange rind in a perfect setting… It’s just: It sets you up for dinner, in a way it makes you hungry, sands the edges off the afternoon. In an after dinner, it’s settling. It is both aperitif and digestive. It’s a rare drink that can do that." ~ Anthony Bourdain</span></div><br /><p><br /></p>MartyMazurikhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00155870534668559492noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4111335326844984745.post-71265285231701404172021-06-01T09:05:00.000-07:002021-06-01T09:05:01.355-07:00Bottom<p>Deafening Silence blares yet the mind can't conjure anything.</p><p>For the first time in a long time, vacant. </p><p>If ignorance is bliss, I'm approaching ecstatic.</p><p>Mentally aware, that I'm checked out.</p><p>I feel myself hurt. Physically. It's bad. Awful. Neglected. Wretch of a man.</p><p>Repeatedly incurring that sinking feeling</p><p>so this is the downward slide</p><p>to bottom.</p><p><br /></p>MartyMazurikhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00155870534668559492noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4111335326844984745.post-88577477472078505862020-07-12T21:41:00.002-07:002020-07-12T22:05:22.983-07:00Asleep<div class="MsoNormal">
A ball, like twine, of tightly wrapped<br />
and jangled nerves<br />
<br />
losing the work of our toil and virtue,<br />
seething with anger and ambivalence<o:p></o:p><br />
<br />
Life a boondoggle,</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
an unsolvable Rubik<o:p></o:p><br />
A jigsaw puzzle with a missing piece<br />
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Time warps our mind<br />
and stress misshapes our bodies<br />
<br />
Reduced to simplicity<br />
now so much harder to stomach<br />
<br />
Dreams escape <br />
like a pressure release<br />
... hiss<br />
<br />
Things wind tighter, and tighter<br />
pressure keeps us awake,<br />
and simultaneously puts us asleep<br />
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Information overwhelms<br />
yet underwhelms.<br />Turning it off, brings more noise.<br />
<br />
Like a wrestler 'sleeper hold' just above the eye sockets,<br />
1..2..3</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Out,<br />
like so much warm milk<br />
<o:p></o:p><br />
<br /></div>
MartyMazurikhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00155870534668559492noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4111335326844984745.post-51896660277687563222016-12-08T19:34:00.001-08:002016-12-08T19:45:36.469-08:00Black bean-Quinoa Kale Corn Burgers recipeYou Eating Healthy's recipe for bean burgers went through many modifications, the main difficulty is getting them to hold together. The black beans, the corn, the kale ... all makes for a disjointed bunch of ingredients. But we have a "binding" formula.<br />
<br />
I glued a mason jar lid, with super glue to the mason jar ring (white side is out and the thing is a bit concave then), then I put on a protective cover (a plastic Glad sandwich bag) and scoop about 1/2 cup of mixture and press the amount with the lid. Makes a nicely shaped burger, and I do it on a 4" x 4" square of parchment paper, then flip it carefully onto the parchment lined cookie sheet. Make sure to press and hold, and you have enough that it is squeezing a bit out on the sides to form a nice patty.<br />
<br />
It also helps to refrigerate the mixture, prior to pattying it up for an hour. You can halve the batch to make about 10 burgers, or make a full batch ... they freeze well after baking.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<br />
Black Bean & Quinoa Burgers<br />
Makes 20 burgers<br />
<br />
Ingredients<br />
4 cup black beans<br />
4 cup quinoa (cooked)<br />
3 cup yellow onion, finely diced<br />
6 cup kale, stemmed and ripped (or cut) into 1" shreds<br />
3 cup frozen corn, thawed (don't cook it, leave it at room temp)<br />
1 cup ground flax seed, if you buy whole flax, put it into a Vitamix to 'grind' it<br />
4 tbsp chic pea (garbanzo) flour, or I use Bob's Red Mill Fava/Garbanzo flour<br />
1/4 c water<br />
3 tbsp Olive Oil<br />
<br />
1 1/2 tbsp smoked paprika<br />
1 1/2 tbsp ancho chili powder<br />
2 tsp sea salt<br />
2 tsp black pepper<br />
1 tsp cumin<br />
<br />
Prep<br />
Cook black beans (unless using canned black beans)<br />
Cook quino 2-to-1 1.5 cup quinoa to 3 cup water should make almost 4 cups cooked<br />
<br />
Cooking<br />
Saute onion in olive oil until softened and brown (aprox 5-6 min)<br />
Saute kale in olive oil (or even toast in a dry pan) until nicely fragrant and slightly brown edges<br />
<br />
Binding Formula<br />
In food-processor, combine 1 cup black beans, 1/4 c. water, flax and chic pea flour, blend until smooth, but don't overblend (not creamy, grainy is ok)<br />
<br />
In a large bowl, add the remaining black beans, binding formula and mash with a potato masher until combined. Add the onions, kale, corn and stir with wooden spoon.<br />
Refrigerate for 1 hour.<br />
<br />
Preheat oven to 400-deg<br />
<br />
Divide mixture into 4 oz. portions (about 1/2 cup, or a bit less) and using your mason jar lid contraption, patty up the burgers.<br />
<br />
Bake at 400-deg for 18-20 minutes. When handling, you want to take care, they will fall apart, so spatula carefully. One technique, too, is to cut individual 4" squares of parchment for the patties, make them on the 4" squares, and leave them on the 4" squares until ready to grill or pan fry.<br />
<br />
I've never tried grilling them, but it may work. I alway pan fry them (after baking) like I was making a burger, over med-high heat with a bit of olive oil in the pan for 3-4 minutes per side (until lightly browned).<br />
<br />
To Serve:<br />
<br />
I toast a good bun.<br />
Put simple avacado-lime guacomole (you can make it anyway you like) on the top of bun,<br />
On the bottom of the bun, I like mustard ... but on the cart we used chipotle mayo.<br />
Layer red leaf lettuce, red onion and a thick slice of tomato.<br />
And open wide !<br />
<br />
We serve with wedge fries, but you can have any sides you like.<br />
<br />
Nutritionally these burgers, with bun check out at about 700 calories, the same as a Quarter Pounder with cheese. The difference is it had 30 grams fewer fat grams (44 or something for the Quarter Pounder) and with the beasn, flax and kale ... a TON of fiber.<br />
<br />
These are very filling burgers! Enjoy.<br />
<br />MartyMazurikhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00155870534668559492noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4111335326844984745.post-85499064107229945732016-09-27T09:49:00.007-07:002023-03-08T08:58:48.406-08:00Authentic selfAuthenticity is what we seek in our life, our relationships, and inside our true self.<br />
The opposite of which conjures up, fake, fraud, deceit, forgery, blasphemy, improper, counterfeit and the list goes on.<br />
<br />
The problem (and the solution) to dealing with authenticity is that it is nowhere, and everywhere. Let's look at some examples:<br />
<br />
You go to the grocery store, you check out and hand your $100 bill to the cashier who either stands awkwardly holding your bill up to get a better look, "Does it have the strip in it?" Is it a fake? Or they simply rub this marker against it and get a 'brown line' confirmation of its authenticity.<br />
<br />
Another example, a girl goes into a bar with a fake id. Bartender looks at it, looks at the girl, makes a split-second decision on whether to accept the id, accept the girl into the establishment, or call it out as fake. His authenticity vs. hers.<br />
<br />
If only we had that brown marker, to rub on our foreheads, or on others foreheads once in a while.<br />
Seems life could be a lot simpler, if people would open up to being authentic and we ourselves would follow our internal calling and cues to authenticity.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQuPfulELV_FtesmYqOvZso_VyF_KQall3kjnhmpPMQ3-CeQ78n2EZvS1q2xWCARGdTc3RWuIx7tv8x2j6hPe2T8AXZgGAqBLvIXX23HvD9Op1-Yex3IEeUJR6Fmju6iJmB7jfzCPBQA/s1600/authentic-self-soul-made-visible2.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQuPfulELV_FtesmYqOvZso_VyF_KQall3kjnhmpPMQ3-CeQ78n2EZvS1q2xWCARGdTc3RWuIx7tv8x2j6hPe2T8AXZgGAqBLvIXX23HvD9Op1-Yex3IEeUJR6Fmju6iJmB7jfzCPBQA/s320/authentic-self-soul-made-visible2.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
This world is full of less than authentic drivel and posturing, masks and subterfuge. There is the rare few, true, authentic people that we marvel at and the rest, bouncing around with masks and missives,<br />
fears and anxieties, good days and not so good days, always trying to figure out what is wrong always putting on the 'happy face', always making sure the true self stays submerged.<br />
<br />
Back to the brown marker on the forehead.<br />
<br />
For years, I struggled with being the best husband, best entrepreneur, best partier, best son and completely lived a web of fake, fraud, deceit, blasphemy, forgery, improperly carrying myself and my body around the planet to make more, be more, show more, fake more and be more than anyone could deny. But it was a farce, a lie, an assault on my own intelligence.<br />
<br />
Once put to the test, my forehead showed no brown lines. My authenticity was lost, somewhere between establishing myself ... and establishing myself 'grandly' (because grandiose is too ostentatious). <br />
<br />
You see in trying to be something I wasn't, I became something I'm not.<br />
<br />
In putting back the pieces of who I am, and who I belong to and who I walk with down this path called life ... it comes back to me, my lord, and my spouse. These people I walk with and am authentic with and myself with and there are no airs about it. It just is. Usually.<br />
<br />
Until I would make it more than it is. Until I would veer from my authentic self, into the best brother, son, brother-in-law, uncle area of existence where there was no validation, no acceptance and no reason to be there. It was a forgery, a misfire, a goof, an attempt to please.<br />
<br />
Your authentic self does not really need to please others.<br />
<br />
There are only a few people who witness the 'emporer having no clothes' moments with me. The true person.<br />
<br />
The authentic self needs to have proper discourse with others, not made up excuses. <br />
When necessary, speaking the truth in love is required. Others will recoil, spit, and curse your name. So be it. It is none of your business what others think of you.<br />
<br />
But to be in communion with others, to enjoy their company and to spend time with them, to be exchanging love vibes that is the essence of authentic self.<br />
<br />
Your authentic self doesn't need to desire or avoid things, unnecessarily nor with attachment. <br />
<br />
In Buddhism it is said the strong non-attachment is as non-authentic, as the strong attachment to desires (outcomes). <br />
<br />
You can want for things, and let it go. You can wish things were different, and don't wax nostalgic about how they could've been.<br />
<br />
To live within one's authentic self, is to just be. Content with the way things are, and not attached to the outcomes, many of which are out of your control.<br />
<br />
If you desire, and need the outcome so badly, are so attached ... check yourself, use the brown marker on your forehead. It's likely not going to show a line, you've lost your way and need to regroup.<br />
<br />
Your authenticity, your integrity, your words, your deeds and your spirit are all wrapped up in one concept: love.<br />
<br />
Love is the essence of your true nature, your authentic self knows it manifests itself in many ways, both in action and inaction. The key is to be loving, and not desirous of things, places, events to the point of attachment.<br />
<br />
It's been said in making a deal, the person who can walk away from the deal is the powerful negotiator, and usually will get the deal to lean their way. They will win! <br />
<br />
Make a deal with yourself, to be less attached to outcomes. Walk away.<br />
and into happiness and more loving in your everyday life; to show up as your authentic self.<br />
<br />MartyMazurikhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00155870534668559492noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4111335326844984745.post-46439741999046563232016-09-22T12:55:00.004-07:002016-09-22T13:32:51.759-07:00Good Enough"It's not enough" is the message railed against<br />
self-love and self-worth, self-esteem.<br />
<br />
You're not enough. Do more, get more,<br />
spend more, fuck more, drink more, save more,<br />
go to church more, lose more, eat less, drink less,<br />
spend less, less eggs, butter, cheese and meat<br />
<br />
Sleep more, exercise more, work less, work more<br />
<br />
More, less. It's enough! Enough!<br />
<br />
In the quiet than ensues, when you shut off the tapes in your head,<br />
whisper 'You are enough.', and again.<br />
<br />
Shut it down. Wad it up. Throw it out.<br />
These messages are 'noise'.<br />
<br />
Don't listen. Stay above the noise. Squelch it out,<br />
and start listening to yourself.<br />
<br />
Then go and deliver value to the world, from<br />
your heart. In whatever little or big way it manifests<br />
itself. Do something good.<br />
<br />
In the spate of all this illusion of wealth, success,<br />
fame, happiness and fun ... go,<br />
and be .. good.<br />
<br />
And in that moment of goodness and oneness with your true nature,<br />
<br />
... breathe, smile and exhale<br />
<br />
It's good enough. You're good enough. It's enough.<br />
(Enough!)<br />
<br />
Be kind to yourself. Love yourself, in little ways, daily.<br />
<br />
<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgN0AkApNUqqAcqSuYgUizjvI36_BHXRRlvC1jAQ3veu0tV7yDKI9uCP-FMtYjaACWzsknra6dOxFo1RgsCGR3y4nfn9cPTY4dccD8NISMLD8s7oDGakmJoP2GxUQMocvzk7wN_sAgflA/s1600/yourself.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="160" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgN0AkApNUqqAcqSuYgUizjvI36_BHXRRlvC1jAQ3veu0tV7yDKI9uCP-FMtYjaACWzsknra6dOxFo1RgsCGR3y4nfn9cPTY4dccD8NISMLD8s7oDGakmJoP2GxUQMocvzk7wN_sAgflA/s320/yourself.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<br />MartyMazurikhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00155870534668559492noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4111335326844984745.post-39751073836435864312016-05-17T08:44:00.003-07:002023-03-07T10:13:29.180-08:00Ann @ 50It's hard to describe the feeling of being
married, loving a person<br />
while simultaneously being annoyed
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<br />
It's like an itch you can't scratch<br />
<br />
In the best moments, the light shines clearly on her beauty<br />
so enthralling,<br />
her words like dew
dripping from leaves<br />
<br />
Other times, her sound like the grating of fingernails on a chalkboard,<br />
every idea coming forth, like babble from the mouths of babes<br />
<br />
Keeping my brain in check,
my throughts and heart pure
is the real battle<br />
of love
yes,<br />
I said battle<br />
<br />
Love doesn't come in puppy love doggie bags,<br />
or honeymoon period butterflies,<br />
not in romance<br />
flowers, gestures or dinners<br />
<br />
no,
love is a constant battle<br />
a tactical reminder of your own inadequacies,<br />
and misconceptions,<br />
bad strategies
and
your own insecurities<br />
<br />
A constant reminder, of humility.<br />
<br />
My wife, turning 50 years today.<br />
She has spent 25 years,<br />
reminding me<br />
<br />
on what love is ...<br />
<br />
its daily awakenings<br />
<br />
to
more challenges,<br />
more dilemas,<br />
more wonderment<br />
more courage<br />
<br />
more off-beat shit<br />
<br />
and more effort needed<br />
<br />
I once (out of laziness) said she didn't in fact make me want to be a better man,<br />
what a lazy thought, cop out and lie<br />
<br />
The ego plays strange tricks on one's mind,<br />
<br />
when in fact the holy spirit wakes me (almost) every day<br />
to the fact:<br />
<br />
I am the luckiest guy in the world to have her as my wife<br />
and life partner,<br />
<br />
and to be able<br />
to give love<br />
to her<br />
<br />
Happy Birthday Ann!MartyMazurikhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00155870534668559492noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4111335326844984745.post-60764458072194195612016-05-04T11:34:00.004-07:002023-03-07T12:03:07.820-08:00SpaceboyMarty. Hey Space-boy! I missed you...
<iframe width="420" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/eYS0f4g9k7E" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe><br></br>
<a annotation-fragment="560636" class="state-accepted referent referent--yellow" classification="accepted" data-id="560636" href="http://genius.com/Smashing-pumpkins-spaceboy-lyrics#note-560636" image="false" ng-click="open()" pending-editorial-actions="false" prevent-default-click="" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; background-color: #dddddd; border: 0px; box-shadow: rgb(221, 221, 221) 0.1em 0px 0px, rgb(221, 221, 221) -0.1em 0px 0px; box-sizing: border-box; color: black; display: inline; font-family: Whitney, sans-serif; font-size: 18px; line-height: 30.6px; margin: 0px; padding: 0.1em 0px; position: relative; text-decoration: none; transition: background-color 0.1s, box-shadow 0.1s;">Feel it<br style="box-sizing: border-box;" />Break your bones</a><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: "whitney" , sans-serif; font-size: 18px; line-height: 30.6px;">Mr. Jones</span><br />
<a annotation-fragment="560686" class="state-accepted referent referent--yellow" classification="accepted" data-id="560686" href="http://genius.com/Smashing-pumpkins-spaceboy-lyrics#note-560686" image="false" ng-click="open()" pending-editorial-actions="true" prevent-default-click="" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; background-color: #dddddd; border: 0px; box-shadow: rgb(221, 221, 221) 0.1em 0px 0px, rgb(221, 221, 221) -0.1em 0px 0px; box-sizing: border-box; color: black; display: inline; font-family: Whitney, sans-serif; font-size: 18px; line-height: 30.6px; margin: 0px; padding: 0.1em 0px; position: relative; text-decoration: none; transition: background-color 0.1s, box-shadow 0.1s;">Taste me<br style="box-sizing: border-box;" />As I bleed<br style="box-sizing: border-box;" />Taste my need</a><br />
<a annotation-fragment="560637" class="state-accepted referent referent--yellow" classification="accepted" data-id="560637" href="http://genius.com/Smashing-pumpkins-spaceboy-lyrics#note-560637" image="false" ng-click="open()" pending-editorial-actions="false" prevent-default-click="" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; background-color: #dddddd; border: 0px; box-shadow: rgb(221, 221, 221) 0.1em 0px 0px, rgb(221, 221, 221) -0.1em 0px 0px; box-sizing: border-box; color: black; display: inline; font-family: Whitney, sans-serif; font-size: 18px; line-height: 30.6px; margin: 0px; padding: 0.1em 0px; position: relative; text-decoration: none; transition: background-color 0.1s, box-shadow 0.1s;">And spaceboy I've missed you<br style="box-sizing: border-box;" />Spinning round my head</a><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: "whitney" , sans-serif; font-size: 18px; line-height: 30.6px;">And any way you choose me</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: "whitney" , sans-serif; font-size: 18px; line-height: 30.6px;">You'll break instead</span><br />
<a annotation-fragment="560639" class="state-accepted referent referent--yellow" classification="accepted" data-id="560639" href="http://genius.com/Smashing-pumpkins-spaceboy-lyrics#note-560639" image="false" ng-click="open()" pending-editorial-actions="false" prevent-default-click="" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; background-color: #dddddd; border: 0px; box-shadow: rgb(221, 221, 221) 0.1em 0px 0px, rgb(221, 221, 221) -0.1em 0px 0px; box-sizing: border-box; color: black; display: inline; font-family: Whitney, sans-serif; font-size: 18px; line-height: 30.6px; margin: 0px; padding: 0.1em 0px; position: relative; text-decoration: none; transition: background-color 0.1s, box-shadow 0.1s;">Watch me</a><br />
<a annotation-fragment="560776" class="state-accepted referent referent--yellow" classification="accepted" data-id="560776" href="http://genius.com/Smashing-pumpkins-spaceboy-lyrics#note-560776" image="false" ng-click="open()" pending-editorial-actions="false" prevent-default-click="" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; background-color: #dddddd; border: 0px; box-shadow: rgb(221, 221, 221) 0.1em 0px 0px, rgb(221, 221, 221) -0.1em 0px 0px; box-sizing: border-box; color: black; display: inline; font-family: Whitney, sans-serif; font-size: 18px; line-height: 30.6px; margin: 0px; padding: 0.1em 0px; position: relative; text-decoration: none; transition: background-color 0.1s, box-shadow 0.1s;">Death defy</a><br />
<a annotation-fragment="560690" class="state-accepted referent referent--yellow" classification="accepted" data-id="560690" href="http://genius.com/Smashing-pumpkins-spaceboy-lyrics#note-560690" image="false" ng-click="open()" pending-editorial-actions="false" prevent-default-click="" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; background-color: #dddddd; border: 0px; box-shadow: rgb(221, 221, 221) 0.1em 0px 0px, rgb(221, 221, 221) -0.1em 0px 0px; box-sizing: border-box; color: black; display: inline; font-family: Whitney, sans-serif; font-size: 18px; line-height: 30.6px; margin: 0px; padding: 0.1em 0px; position: relative; text-decoration: none; transition: background-color 0.1s, box-shadow 0.1s;">Defile my life</a><br />
<a annotation-fragment="560655" class="state-accepted referent referent--yellow" classification="accepted" data-id="560655" href="http://genius.com/Smashing-pumpkins-spaceboy-lyrics#note-560655" image="false" ng-click="open()" pending-editorial-actions="false" prevent-default-click="" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; background-color: #dddddd; border: 0px; box-shadow: rgb(221, 221, 221) 0.1em 0px 0px, rgb(221, 221, 221) -0.1em 0px 0px; box-sizing: border-box; color: black; display: inline; font-family: Whitney, sans-serif; font-size: 18px; line-height: 30.6px; margin: 0px; padding: 0.1em 0px; position: relative; text-decoration: none; transition: background-color 0.1s, box-shadow 0.1s;">I don't need</a><br />
<a annotation-fragment="560738" class="state-accepted referent referent--yellow" classification="accepted" data-id="560738" href="http://genius.com/Smashing-pumpkins-spaceboy-lyrics#note-560738" image="false" ng-click="open()" pending-editorial-actions="false" prevent-default-click="" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; background-color: #dddddd; border: 0px; box-shadow: rgb(221, 221, 221) 0.1em 0px 0px, rgb(221, 221, 221) -0.1em 0px 0px; box-sizing: border-box; color: black; display: inline; font-family: Whitney, sans-serif; font-size: 18px; line-height: 30.6px; margin: 0px; padding: 0.1em 0px; position: relative; text-decoration: none; transition: background-color 0.1s, box-shadow 0.1s;">I don't care</a><br />
<a annotation-fragment="560779" class="state-accepted referent referent--yellow" classification="accepted" data-id="560779" href="http://genius.com/Smashing-pumpkins-spaceboy-lyrics#note-560779" image="false" ng-click="open()" pending-editorial-actions="false" prevent-default-click="" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; background-color: #dddddd; border: 0px; box-shadow: rgb(221, 221, 221) 0.1em 0px 0px, rgb(221, 221, 221) -0.1em 0px 0px; box-sizing: border-box; color: black; display: inline; font-family: Whitney, sans-serif; font-size: 18px; line-height: 30.6px; margin: 0px; padding: 0.1em 0px; position: relative; text-decoration: none; transition: background-color 0.1s, box-shadow 0.1s;">Please</a><br />
<a annotation-fragment="560748" class="state-accepted referent referent--yellow" classification="accepted" data-id="560748" href="http://genius.com/Smashing-pumpkins-spaceboy-lyrics#note-560748" image="false" ng-click="open()" pending-editorial-actions="false" prevent-default-click="" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; background-color: #dddddd; border: 0px; box-shadow: rgb(221, 221, 221) 0.1em 0px 0px, rgb(221, 221, 221) -0.1em 0px 0px; box-sizing: border-box; color: black; display: inline; font-family: Whitney, sans-serif; font-size: 18px; line-height: 30.6px; margin: 0px; padding: 0.1em 0px; position: relative; text-decoration: none; transition: background-color 0.1s, box-shadow 0.1s;">I want to go home</a><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: "whitney" , sans-serif; font-size: 18px; line-height: 30.6px;">I want to go home</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: "whitney" , sans-serif; font-size: 18px; line-height: 30.6px;">I want to go home</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: "whitney" , sans-serif; font-size: 18px; line-height: 30.6px;">I want to go home</span><br />
<a annotation-fragment="560649" class="state-accepted referent referent--yellow" classification="accepted" data-id="560649" href="http://genius.com/Smashing-pumpkins-spaceboy-lyrics#note-560649" image="false" ng-click="open()" pending-editorial-actions="true" prevent-default-click="" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; background-color: #dddddd; border: 0px; box-shadow: rgb(221, 221, 221) 0.1em 0px 0px, rgb(221, 221, 221) -0.1em 0px 0px; box-sizing: border-box; color: black; display: inline; font-family: Whitney, sans-serif; font-size: 18px; line-height: 30.6px; margin: 0px; padding: 0.1em 0px; position: relative; text-decoration: none; transition: background-color 0.1s, box-shadow 0.1s;">Cause when a lover aches<br style="box-sizing: border-box;" />That's when a lover breaks</a><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: "whitney" , sans-serif; font-size: 18px; line-height: 30.6px;">I want to go home</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: "whitney" , sans-serif; font-size: 18px; line-height: 30.6px;">I want to go home</span><br />
<a annotation-fragment="560733" class="state-accepted referent referent--yellow" classification="accepted" data-id="560733" href="http://genius.com/Smashing-pumpkins-spaceboy-lyrics#note-560733" image="false" ng-click="open()" pending-editorial-actions="false" prevent-default-click="" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; background-color: #dddddd; border: 0px; box-shadow: rgb(221, 221, 221) 0.1em 0px 0px, rgb(221, 221, 221) -0.1em 0px 0px; box-sizing: border-box; color: black; display: inline; font-family: Whitney, sans-serif; font-size: 18px; line-height: 30.6px; margin: 0px; padding: 0.1em 0px; position: relative; text-decoration: none; transition: background-color 0.1s, box-shadow 0.1s;">And spaceboy they'll kill me<br style="box-sizing: border-box;" />Before I'm dead and gone</a><br />
<a annotation-fragment="560720" class="state-accepted referent referent--yellow" classification="accepted" data-id="560720" href="http://genius.com/Smashing-pumpkins-spaceboy-lyrics#note-560720" image="false" ng-click="open()" pending-editorial-actions="false" prevent-default-click="" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; background-color: #dddddd; border: 0px; box-shadow: rgb(221, 221, 221) 0.1em 0px 0px, rgb(221, 221, 221) -0.1em 0px 0px; box-sizing: border-box; color: black; display: inline; font-family: Whitney, sans-serif; font-size: 18px; line-height: 30.6px; margin: 0px; padding: 0.1em 0px; position: relative; text-decoration: none; transition: background-color 0.1s, box-shadow 0.1s;">And any way you choose me<br style="box-sizing: border-box;" />It won't be wrong</a><br />
<a annotation-fragment="560728" class="state-accepted referent referent--yellow" classification="accepted" data-id="560728" href="http://genius.com/Smashing-pumpkins-spaceboy-lyrics#note-560728" image="false" ng-click="open()" pending-editorial-actions="false" prevent-default-click="" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; background-color: #dddddd; border: 0px; box-shadow: rgb(221, 221, 221) 0.1em 0px 0px, rgb(221, 221, 221) -0.1em 0px 0px; box-sizing: border-box; color: black; display: inline; font-family: Whitney, sans-serif; font-size: 18px; line-height: 30.6px; margin: 0px; padding: 0.1em 0px; position: relative; text-decoration: none; transition: background-color 0.1s, box-shadow 0.1s;">And anyway you choose me<br style="box-sizing: border-box;" />We won't belong</a><br />
<a annotation-fragment="560654" class="state-accepted referent referent--yellow" classification="accepted" data-id="560654" href="http://genius.com/Smashing-pumpkins-spaceboy-lyrics#note-560654" image="false" ng-click="open()" pending-editorial-actions="true" prevent-default-click="" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; background-color: #dddddd; border: 0px; box-shadow: rgb(221, 221, 221) 0.1em 0px 0px, rgb(221, 221, 221) -0.1em 0px 0px; box-sizing: border-box; color: black; display: inline; font-family: Whitney, sans-serif; font-size: 18px; line-height: 30.6px; margin: 0px; padding: 0.1em 0px; position: relative; text-decoration: none; transition: background-color 0.1s, box-shadow 0.1s;">We won't belong</a><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: "whitney" , sans-serif; font-size: 18px; line-height: 30.6px;">We won't belong</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: "whitney" , sans-serif; font-size: 18px; line-height: 30.6px;">We won't belong</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: "whitney" , sans-serif; font-size: 18px; line-height: 30.6px;">We won't belong</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: "whitney" , sans-serif; font-size: 18px; line-height: 30.6px;">We won't belong</span>MartyMazurikhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00155870534668559492noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4111335326844984745.post-1325934447343169822016-03-29T06:28:00.002-07:002016-03-29T06:30:27.576-07:00UnsettledI set about to build a life,<br />
once contrived<br />
but lived unfulfilled<br />
<br />
Apart from me the visions spewed<br />
great yarns and lore<br />
<br />
Inside the melt, decay<br />
and rust did take its toll<br />
daily<br />
<br />
Until the clock struck 9<br />
and midnight loomed<br />
<br />
For it slipped by so quickly<br />
ignored<br />
for the most part<br />
<br />
the life, you wished and had<br />
like sand through your fingers<br />
<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-Jdt-NUIknswdH_ZsUXyWbE3q_XsjJZvrpBy6Sou7u-boD88w1WtYGi5Ma7K7nFZ5Y6z2XzzLXDPR0JQgpjO5J8BFTKsfgwBdlH3uSPtLN0t4D9YJxL1AxHG-dD3QlRkylL0ne1wFsQ/s1600/sand.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-Jdt-NUIknswdH_ZsUXyWbE3q_XsjJZvrpBy6Sou7u-boD88w1WtYGi5Ma7K7nFZ5Y6z2XzzLXDPR0JQgpjO5J8BFTKsfgwBdlH3uSPtLN0t4D9YJxL1AxHG-dD3QlRkylL0ne1wFsQ/s320/sand.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />MartyMazurikhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00155870534668559492noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4111335326844984745.post-80956389513470066432016-02-02T21:16:00.002-08:002016-02-02T21:16:47.212-08:002016 a year of changeEntering into 2016, many things have changed in my life.<br />
<br />
The most interesting change is how after 1 year and a half the ache I have for my oldest son, who is growing into a fine man, off in Arizona at college.<br />
<br />
It marks time indelibly ... to have your children grow up, and out. As Ray turns 15 on Friday, and goes to take his driving test you really realize, that from the vaginal delivery through growing up, and out ... "that train has left the station" and it won't be returning<br />
<br />
I had turned to the food industry to discover my inner self drive and demons aren't nearly as fierce as the capitalistic drive of others clawing like crabs in a crab pot over top of each other to grab with both hands for the stash. Sickening, in a depraved industry full of good people, I had to retreat and rethink just what is this drive about? What glory is there in fooling the masses into helping eat healthy food themselves, when I myself am the one who needs the outcome of a nutritious regimen.<br />
<br />
Exercised my way through 31 days of January, to rest on Feb 1st and 2nd. Didn't really feel the "high" from it, but the body let me know in several ways and areas that it was sorely out of shape, and in need of rest. It is true that good habits can be learned in 21 days, I felt a need to go out and do something, so to the garage for some rowing and elliptical machine.<br />
<br />
2016 will bring changes, I'm figuring out my place in the world ... it was a long time to get to the place where you know, and you stop worrying about dashing your own dreams, because you already are living them.<br />
<br />
Dream bigger? We'll see ... being happy where I am: priceless.<br />
<br />MartyMazurikhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00155870534668559492noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4111335326844984745.post-2864110923252030102015-12-24T08:52:00.004-08:002015-12-24T08:52:35.584-08:00Struggles<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
My wife, Ann, and I often cite how often others consider us to be on easy street, well off and have it good because we run a business, or have real estate or our kids are smart.</div>
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<br /></div>
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It just isn't so. Its a struggle to have anything in this world, really, and it is perplexing enough for me to want to mosh around the topic a bit in this blog.</div>
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<br /></div>
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Why is it so? Why is it that life serves lemons? Why am I constantly finding myself 'making lemonade', or picking up the pieces, or downhearted and seeking God's assistance to mend my broken dreams, my broken heart or my physical maladies?</div>
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Is it, as the below Internet post from some unknown author suggests, simply a matter of resisting temptations? I think not. A life full of resisting temptations is a life not lived, I would guesstimate. Jake Johannsen a very funy comedian, in his skit describing men, says "Just look at a 2 year old boy, running around" ... " ... and you get an idea of what its like in our head, as men. 'Don't do that', 'Don't touch that', 'That doesn't belong to you' ... we're suppressing that shit all the time".</div>
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Clearly, we're not. We don't suppress all of our drives, compulsions, interests and deviant behaviors because, well, we're human. Prone to sin, prone to failure. Perhaps, there is some truth to supressing temptations to relieve struggle, but in a way ... some of these outlets actually help with the struggle, if for but a brief respite, they still may actually make the struggle a bit less unpleasant.<br />Disclaimer: everything in moderation, of course.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbTGeANUfkaIbAz7OpOnBA0e8w-z98-ggf0gJ6_b2GXznxAnp7_LALXmVXf_TjYqJdlW6HmbpkmU0PPj93vZJ3V9k9WUyUG21-36HJndspfNVQwsYfon4fwBZ-I0vjcZCI5Ho2fkmfLw/s1600/GodOnYourSide.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbTGeANUfkaIbAz7OpOnBA0e8w-z98-ggf0gJ6_b2GXznxAnp7_LALXmVXf_TjYqJdlW6HmbpkmU0PPj93vZJ3V9k9WUyUG21-36HJndspfNVQwsYfon4fwBZ-I0vjcZCI5Ho2fkmfLw/s320/GodOnYourSide.jpg" width="222" /></a></div>
<br />
So if I am to break down the next idea, be bigger than the bad guy, well this one has some real merit. I recently ran up against a bad guy (gal), and it was seriously debilitating to my conscience and conscious awareness and my soul, completely unearthed my idea of how capitalism, money, greed and getting ahead can clash and destroy sensibilities and make ugly, a beautiful thing. I was the direct recipient of the collateral damage fallout, and sure lost a lot of cash, but in the process learned a lot about people, myself and how being bigger than the bad guy is about ... well you, and the struggle. Apparently, the struggle for the most part, and with regards to character, is between my own ears. Luckily this isn't the constant norm, nor will I paint this attribute of 'bad guy (gal)' onto every human I interact with, but I've met a few now ... relatively late in life at 45 and now 52 years old, and it was shocking to me that direct assaults (or what I considered to be) on my own life and dreams and existence, could take place with such brazen uncaring. Mother Theresa said it best, from the Children Center wall in Calcutta:<br />
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<span style="color: maroon; font-family: OldEnglish; font-size: large;">P</span><span style="color: blue; font-size: medium;"><b>eople are often unreasonable, irrational, and self-centered. </b></span><b><span style="color: blue; font-size: medium;">Forgive them anyway.</span></b></div>
<div align="left" style="background-color: white; color: #009900;">
<b><span style="color: blue; font-size: medium;"> </span></b><span style="color: maroon; font-family: OldEnglish; font-size: large;">I</span><b><span style="color: blue; font-size: medium;">f you are kind, people may accuse you of selfish, ulterior motives. Be kind anyway.</span></b></div>
<div align="left" style="background-color: white; color: #009900;">
<span style="color: blue; font-size: medium;"><b> <span style="font-family: OldEnglish;"> </span></b> </span><span style="color: maroon; font-family: OldEnglish; font-size: large;">I</span><b><span style="color: blue; font-size: medium;">f you are successful, you will win some unfaithful friends and some genuine enemies. </span></b> <span style="color: blue; font-size: medium;"><b>Succeed anyway.</b></span></div>
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<span style="color: blue; font-size: medium;"><b> <span style="font-family: OldEnglish;"> </span></b></span><span style="color: maroon; font-family: OldEnglish; font-size: large;">I</span><b><span style="color: blue; font-size: medium;">f you are honest and sincere people may deceive you. Be honest and sincere anyway.</span></b></div>
<div align="left" style="background-color: white; color: #009900;">
<b><span style="color: blue; font-size: medium;"> </span></b><span style="color: maroon; font-family: OldEnglish; font-size: large;">W</span><b><span style="color: blue; font-size: medium;">hat you spend years creating, others could destroy overnight. Create anyway.</span></b></div>
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<span style="color: blue; font-size: medium;"><b> <span style="font-family: OldEnglish;"> </span></b> </span><span style="color: maroon; font-family: OldEnglish; font-size: large;">I</span><b><span style="color: blue; font-size: medium;">f you find serenity and happiness, some may be jealous. Be happy anyway.</span></b></div>
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<span style="color: blue; font-size: medium;"><b> </b> <span style="font-family: OldEnglish;"> </span></span><span style="color: maroon; font-family: OldEnglish; font-size: large;">T</span><b><span style="color: blue; font-size: medium;">he good you do today, will often be forgotten. Do good anyway.</span></b></div>
<div align="left" style="background-color: white; color: #009900;">
<span style="color: maroon; font-family: Old English Text MT; font-size: large;"><b> </b> </span><span style="color: maroon; font-family: OldEnglish; font-size: large;">G</span><b><span style="color: blue; font-size: medium;">ive the best you have, and it will never be enough. Give your best anyway.</span></b></div>
<b style="color: #009900;"><span style="color: maroon; font-family: Old English Text MT; font-size: large;"> </span><span style="color: maroon; font-family: OldEnglish; font-size: large;"> </span></b><span style="color: maroon; font-family: OldEnglish; font-size: large;">I</span><b style="color: #009900;"><span style="color: blue; font-size: medium;">n the final analysis, it is between you and God. It was never between you and them anyway.</span></b> <br />
<br />
It is hard to imagine Mother Theresa using "anyway" so definitively ... in essence prompting you to enter into the struggle headlong, without reservation. But then that brings me to the final concept, at the end of her message: "In the final analysis, it is between you and God. It was never between you and them anyway"<br />
<br />
So how big does God factor into this struggle? Completely! He has given us through the Bible the word on the deception even of Adam's wife, not to cast all women as evil manipulators, but that the Garden, the effortless and beauty of nakedness, and wonderful life free of all guilt and sin is there, except for the forbidden fruit (remember: be stronger than your temptations, above?)<br />
<br />
The struggle of life on Earth was clandestine, and it was written, that this life shall be now effortless garden of wonder, but we will toil and struggle, and we will not always win, and we may never win (Bills fans chime in here) that we will play anyway.<br />
<br />
I find my character builds with each struggle, my mind sometimes not understanding, my heart in shambles but my God forever strong and there for me, showing me that despair isn't required, won't solve anything, nor will falling back into temptations. God shows that we are not powerless, when we believe, we have not only all of the power to get through the struggles, but a promise of a Garden ever after, when this world passes away and our brief existence and all the spoils of earth, that none of us will leave much to remember behind except the family and generations we pass down, and how we raise them, will be forgotten. Life will go on without us, the struggles no longer ours to care about or deal with.<br />
<br />
That will be nice.<br />
<br />
<br />MartyMazurikhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00155870534668559492noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4111335326844984745.post-66657445886767979572015-07-28T10:02:00.001-07:002015-07-28T10:09:16.191-07:00Hedge your bets<div class="MsoNormal">
Just google’d “hedge one’s bets” and found 1. Avoid committing
oneself when faced with a difficult choice.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1qz2jeu5uE-UlMp4TppACEtZI3aR6zGsi1s0ICaDvzxHwK1VENdJnRvwlYkkV-q98dmyn2DyQAAcELoHSxfQUsN_iw1LguIGesy7Zeo5Tnpru4XaBP9AYUeST64JdWTJthOQx-ltoag/s1600/hedge.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="196" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1qz2jeu5uE-UlMp4TppACEtZI3aR6zGsi1s0ICaDvzxHwK1VENdJnRvwlYkkV-q98dmyn2DyQAAcELoHSxfQUsN_iw1LguIGesy7Zeo5Tnpru4XaBP9AYUeST64JdWTJthOQx-ltoag/s320/hedge.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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Now this may seem like the coward’s way out of tough
decisions, but I’m here to tell you it’s the only way to be assured you’re
going to survive the leveraging game.
You have a built in barometer of your own tolerance for risk. All of us do.<o:p></o:p></div>
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When you are facing tough decisions, and these when not life
and death (and even sometimes when they are life and death) are in some way
boiling back to money, fear and the fear is of losing the money. I like to think of the abundance mentality,
myself, and ascribe to the pie is big enough theory that everyone can have a
slice, but alas, the world doesn’t operate that way.<o:p></o:p></div>
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Prudence, then mandates that you face facts. If one out every four households in the
great state of Oregon are on food stamps, then you get the idea that abundance
thinking leaves a quarter of the pie completely decimated by poverty, and I
would estimate that clearly half of the pie is also missing some filling.<o:p></o:p></div>
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So in the top ¼ of the pie there is some good opportunity
and for the 1% of the pie eating public, there is too much pie.<o:p></o:p></div>
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I’m wanting you to at least be in the top quarter, so “hedging”
is one way to get there.<o:p></o:p></div>
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Examples of hedges I’ve made in the past that have paid off,
are while committed to starting a computer training business, I also spent
weekends and some nights finding real estate investments to purchase (after we
had secured, and purchase our first house in Portland, Oregon). The median price of a home at the time was
$99,000 (1992) and today it’s around $246,000 today (2015) now granted that is
23 years later, but the increase is a whopping 148% increase, and the house we
actually bought increased to around $499,000 after purchasing for $126,000 ( a 300%
increase ! ).<o:p></o:p></div>
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So beyond my house, which I leveraged several times (to take
out 2<sup>nd</sup> mortgages to buy more investments), my wife and I, invested
first in a duplex, then later a fixer, then a 10-plex and we kept going.<o:p></o:p></div>
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The business lease was up, after 5 years, and someone close
to my landlord mentioned that “Bill, knows you aren’t going anywhere” ,
translated: he was ready to up the rent and give me the shaft, so I took that
and the 60 days before my lease was over, to find a building for sale up the
street. It was bigger than I wanted, but
it was a deal at $500,000 and I could leverage an SBA finance loan with only
10% down because I was going to occupy the building !<o:p></o:p></div>
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The building sold for $765,000 3 years later. But the “Hedge” in taking the risk, on buying
more building than I could use, the relocating my business and “paying myself
rent” in a closed economy of my own doing ( I was the landlord, tenant and
janitor!) payed off handsomely.<o:p></o:p></div>
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If we looked at the $50,000 down on the building, and we
leveraged the business to pay the rent, and we looked at the $250,000 profit
after 3 years we can see that there was a 400% return on the $50,000 in just 3
years!<o:p></o:p></div>
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Hedging your bets means making sure you are when faced with
a difficult decision you also act in ways that are COMPLETELY IN YOUR BEST
INTEREST. That is the hedge. If you are paying someone else a LARGE SUM OF
MONEY, you need to figure out a way to hedge that bet.<o:p></o:p></div>
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You are right to bet on yourself. Paying big bucks for education, for
additional career training these are all GREAT HEDGES. Why?
Because you stand to earn 1 million, 2 million or more in your lifetime …
of course the ROI of getting more knowledge is worth the investment. I always condone expenditures, even loans for
these two things:<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpFirst" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;">
<br />
<ol>
<li>Appreciable assets (things that are going to go
up in value)</li>
<li>Your education</li>
</ol>
<!--[if !supportLists]--><o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpLast" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;">
<o:p></o:p></div>
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Loans for anything else are what I would call “REVERSE
HEDGES”. That is to say if you are
getting loans for a car, for furniture, for vacations you are doing the
opposite of avoiding the commitment on a difficult decision about spending
money … you are thowing caution to the wind, and just going for it.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Well, you will have to pay for that reverse hedge at some
point, later in time.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
In fact it will cause pain, later. So I won’t say “Enjoy it now”, I will say
DON”T DO IT.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Pay cash for your cars, your trips, your furniture … or buy
used, buy discount and don’t ever put any of these items on credit. If you can’t afford it, then the decision is
made for you. Suzie Orman should ring in
your ears “Denied! Girlfriend (or Boyfriend)”
you can’t afford it right now.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Get it when you can, and you are hedging your bets correctly
… towards a time when things will not be such a difficult choice.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Often our ego will play into it, or impulse (which is our
ego’s way of saying “we’re going to miss this deal”). As you get on in years, you will realize
there is “no such thing as a free lunch”, and “deals, or markdowns are reducing
already high margin/profit prices to a more realistic range, but they are
always going to be deals” … and buying used (cars, even furniture-gently used)
can be a real bargain and a great hedge when a decision to replace something in
your life comes around.<o:p></o:p></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
MartyMazurikhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00155870534668559492noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4111335326844984745.post-64266042447601531642015-06-22T09:59:00.002-07:002015-06-22T10:10:09.671-07:00No Judgment, No Pain<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgcNfF_GHrBErlDFUSkOh1LhMVHT_-voqU1x_VFBgz3ZfdVaDPcRN78mSdsYn5yHvBY0ZMaH6oonG6J3nH_nIAOrQF23Rp61-6Xxj5TCRCXHWPPQMOkLwTYw47xpYt0hJmcKgOD8GnCSA/s1600/gavel.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="174" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgcNfF_GHrBErlDFUSkOh1LhMVHT_-voqU1x_VFBgz3ZfdVaDPcRN78mSdsYn5yHvBY0ZMaH6oonG6J3nH_nIAOrQF23Rp61-6Xxj5TCRCXHWPPQMOkLwTYw47xpYt0hJmcKgOD8GnCSA/s320/gavel.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
Riding around on my bike this morning,<br />
I realize the mind needs exercise<br />
<br />
I mean, not just the body, and blood flow that accompanies the workout<br />
but the mind<br />
<br />
And not just doing exercise, which helps,<br />
but exorcise<br />
<br />
Exorcism, driving away of evil thoughts<br />
<br />
So I started with a gentle chant, while peddling<br />
to myself<br />
"No Judgement, No Pain"<br />
<br />
How much judgement keeps replaying over-and-over<br />
about transgressions, either those we did or those that were done to us<br />
<br />
And the judgment, the vicious, brutal, non-forgiveness<br />
of ourselves, and others that accompanies this judgment<br />
<br />
Last night I watched "The Judge" with Robert Downey Jr. and Robert Duvall,<br />
really a pretty good flick,<br />
and it occurred to me that the manslaughter charge, the blackout<br />
the indictment and conviction of Robert Duvall's character is really the<br />
manslaughter indictment, and conviction that awaits us<br />
<br />
We all do the crime, all the time, in our minds<br />
<br />
At times we castigate and reprimand, and do unspeakable things to kill the evil "we perceive",<br />
in "the world", or ourselves or others.<br />
<br />
We want to kill evil through judgement, "once and for all".<br />
Then we can get on with our pain free existence.<br />
Yet it persists, in our minds and we face it daily, or hourly or more frequently.<br />
<br />
We can't kill it.<br />
Legally we're bound, we're bound by laws of nature and age, and physical anatomy from killing ourselves or others, with pills or booze or any other devices, gadgets or weapons.<br />
I take that back, we probably can succeed in killing something or someone, or<br />
we can die little deaths, each time we let ourselves go there.<br />
<br />
But is there a better way?<br />
<br />
What if we tried to <u>refuse to pass judgement</u>, or judge and "live and let live". <br />
What if we forgot to remember? Refused to spin up or lather up our anger?<br />
What if, for a day, a week or the rest of your life you adopted a different mantra<br />
to deal <u>with the sadness</u>, <u>that underlies the pain</u>, <u>that underlies the anger,<br />that begats the judgement, which feeds the whole cycle top-to-bottom.</u><br />
<br />
The answer seemed so simple on my bike ride: no judgement, no pain.<br />
<br />
I'm going to adopt this simple mantra when I have these things pop up (because they do, hourly if not more frequently) and see if a new way of thinking can exorcise the demons in me.<br />
The problems that are out there will always be out there,<br />
the ones you can fix, or do something about are inside of your brain.<br />
<br />
No judgement, no pain.MartyMazurikhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00155870534668559492noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4111335326844984745.post-91113566972509905172015-02-20T12:18:00.004-08:002015-04-27T13:47:28.533-07:00The space betweenI read something profound once that<br />
<br />
life is lived<br />
in the gaps<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDnzkDH994F4OxNT-7SZ6jT0_Aa1ytTgTV3IYTvdUutvgNrGoPMF-pCym9SmxjpZMq8qrfdrtUY0QkD-znivsbhuyti7GnW8Ab37xd00e0GEFVLfgZWc0YLTIq-uBaGAJOCZIo4F-KpQ/s1600/merci.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDnzkDH994F4OxNT-7SZ6jT0_Aa1ytTgTV3IYTvdUutvgNrGoPMF-pCym9SmxjpZMq8qrfdrtUY0QkD-znivsbhuyti7GnW8Ab37xd00e0GEFVLfgZWc0YLTIq-uBaGAJOCZIo4F-KpQ/s1600/merci.jpg" /></a></div>
<br />
intriguing, the idea of space, and nothing<br />
<br />
and in those minutes,<br />
when there's actually room,<br />
to be<br />
<br />
gratitude.MartyMazurikhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00155870534668559492noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4111335326844984745.post-82534613744950680842014-12-09T10:44:00.001-08:002014-12-09T14:46:03.873-08:002014 MartyMuzik<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg38iaXd39rAjBqQ9iY4IrS7JoCD0J3Ubv6vinfNRFhLgfrLOtVG6I9SmvMa-FpBPdsr612JXJIUZWIJLSJwIgT78OPrhyphenhyphenRNf-UofTObyDJBwl6XfgU8UvPBZenLSZCEDC7l9ustnd8mg/s1600/swirls.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg38iaXd39rAjBqQ9iY4IrS7JoCD0J3Ubv6vinfNRFhLgfrLOtVG6I9SmvMa-FpBPdsr612JXJIUZWIJLSJwIgT78OPrhyphenhyphenRNf-UofTObyDJBwl6XfgU8UvPBZenLSZCEDC7l9ustnd8mg/s1600/swirls.jpg" height="365" width="400" /></a></div>
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">twenty<b>fourteen</b></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><b><br /></b></span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Packed crowd of songs, and some of the more mainstream: Kongos, Vampire Weekend, etc ... well got booted ! Too much hard core, soft listening and techno jammed into one format - ah well, welcome back to MartyMuzik !</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">skipping over to song 3, "Algiers", is Cincinnati's own Afghan Whigs, I'm reminded of why vinyl and cd's are so fun man, its ... the cover art</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJ7Vu6zAXct56AJprNB0q2UAE-v7E8epQNE94tYHh3LMmg7zq08MQrCccv4MX70VVnJ02WD0gaatfOkYoiLtKX3kzQYlhWMKBCw5-dCQH3R2CgioIZgUzOp8yfU1akiUn2iLl0iuErJQ/s1600/Whigs-cover-noband2400.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJ7Vu6zAXct56AJprNB0q2UAE-v7E8epQNE94tYHh3LMmg7zq08MQrCccv4MX70VVnJ02WD0gaatfOkYoiLtKX3kzQYlhWMKBCw5-dCQH3R2CgioIZgUzOp8yfU1akiUn2iLl0iuErJQ/s1600/Whigs-cover-noband2400.jpg" height="400" width="400" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">i mean if these old fucks can still have us cringe by thinking about this cover for 'do the beast' you'll like the music intrigue even more</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">The alt rock contemporary Wolf Alice will rock you out hard, with some hints of pixies meets sleater kinney ... and perhaps cherry blossom finish. female vocals just hit the spot</span><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEyIyh1XaSANsyn8EW2uD8AnDylinRSJkYKrQcshX3HzEdPPwlXl_6TdiZ1l4jKcE1vvcv2kmTwPJjSa9q2b3kFpLwdWmaAL6A6ydRhUo62DtxbExArYIYNwkn_y7D9X7TLMLZxw58qA/s1600/Wolf-Alice.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEyIyh1XaSANsyn8EW2uD8AnDylinRSJkYKrQcshX3HzEdPPwlXl_6TdiZ1l4jKcE1vvcv2kmTwPJjSa9q2b3kFpLwdWmaAL6A6ydRhUo62DtxbExArYIYNwkn_y7D9X7TLMLZxw58qA/s1600/Wolf-Alice.jpg" height="425" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Wolf Alice (N. London)</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<br /></div>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br />the backdrop to newly outed lead, from Against Me!, Laura Jane Grace (who began life as Thomas James Gabrial) reminds us that when switch hitting, it is important to change all three of your names to avoid any confusion. That being said, you're in for being sucked in like a straight man in Castro, with Transgender Dysphoria Blues (i'll save you looking it up, dysphoria is a 'general state of malaise, or uneasiness") ... understandable</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSO3PA0IOG1rb7pnKM7W6fwR6Mvu8lzufBuY54FaIbUR0AGBZsYTb2KA3U6x0R5ydtPTAnyH9dBk9CueS3wMl6irOSZNIjZJIROHpg8lxEPnXrd0-W9vflrb0QlP_isKnn33Fl3OUfeQ/s1600/laurajanegrace.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSO3PA0IOG1rb7pnKM7W6fwR6Mvu8lzufBuY54FaIbUR0AGBZsYTb2KA3U6x0R5ydtPTAnyH9dBk9CueS3wMl6irOSZNIjZJIROHpg8lxEPnXrd0-W9vflrb0QlP_isKnn33Fl3OUfeQ/s1600/laurajanegrace.jpg" height="424" width="640" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">The brother and sister duo Taking you on a Big Jet Plane is from Australia, </span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiE4P_LdZd5oOCwfNwB-OkLPshlyPhtXctmKapQ2vYbg_T9LpgI3qx8BauXXIjPitst87aP9U9fmbwrMFoVA2YQ5XuPDNrxox5UPPrp83lqiu6t-2OwFh-Tnz217-n-rcZa6MBO1QInIg/s1600/angusAndJuliaStone.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiE4P_LdZd5oOCwfNwB-OkLPshlyPhtXctmKapQ2vYbg_T9LpgI3qx8BauXXIjPitst87aP9U9fmbwrMFoVA2YQ5XuPDNrxox5UPPrp83lqiu6t-2OwFh-Tnz217-n-rcZa6MBO1QInIg/s1600/angusAndJuliaStone.jpg" height="640" width="480" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Angus & Julia Stone</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Song 10, Intro ~ is a fitting point to not-flip over your CD, he-he, thinking about the vinyl days. Nope, you wouldn't get 20 songs on a single one.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Anyway, don't flip over your CD, you are simply entering the 'techno', more synthesized sound for a few songs ... its ok, it will soothe you and be reminiscent of many eras of music past, really its ok to feel the synth</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I'd tell you more about Zhu, if they didn't choose to remain completely anonymous, and be judged only by their music. Bold move, hope the royalties find their way to you :-)</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Rochester, NY's Joywave is represented on two tracks (#1 Dangerous, as a collaborator, and #13 Tongues</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">If you are still not hip to Jack White (former, White Stripes) and have just returned from Mars, you need to see him on Lazzaretto in this video</span><br />
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<iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.youtube.com/embed/qI-95cTMeLM?feature=player_embedded' frameborder='0'></iframe></div>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">if not for the guitar picking, or the slight resemblence to Johnny Depp, then for the very cool paisley suit.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">And finishing with Ha Ha Tonka, what the hell kind of name is that ?!?... from West Plains, Missouri, these guys are like Dylan meets the Meat Puppets or something ... so smooth, its like butter</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjbi2b_cbkDuYXAOUvUVnqThS2KmmbeR0hsWiw2yhoYOyz4JxzaonrWGGGQcID0al1kGSLtKuOdbmKqYsAMNY7zM5UMGgoQSd9grGaVvI9Ld7E2Kqcc7dxAEwryZ18UWvPmWGzerPHpA/s1600/ha-ha-tonka.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjbi2b_cbkDuYXAOUvUVnqThS2KmmbeR0hsWiw2yhoYOyz4JxzaonrWGGGQcID0al1kGSLtKuOdbmKqYsAMNY7zM5UMGgoQSd9grGaVvI9Ld7E2Kqcc7dxAEwryZ18UWvPmWGzerPHpA/s1600/ha-ha-tonka.jpg" height="426" width="640" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Just love the lyrics, because we all can't keep learning the same lessons over again. Fuckin' Missouri, right !?</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Can I get an 'Amen'?</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">peace,</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">m.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>MartyMazurikhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00155870534668559492noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4111335326844984745.post-3285545209576673852014-11-11T18:52:00.001-08:002023-03-07T10:07:39.832-08:00Celery superfoodGrowing up my mom would put cream cheese on celery, later I heard about peanut butter on celery ... and both of these so-called snacks, not only put a wad of bad fats in my mouth, but they damn near gag me to eat them.<br />
But I crave celery.<br />
So I searched the web to find out what this vegetable has, that I need ... and I did (find out):<br />
<br />
<ol>
<li>Celery combats inflammation. I battle inflammation all the time, from food, from alcohol, from working out ... it seems I'm pin-cushion material, maybe pop a naproxen and get it to chill ... but who wants to take drugs if a food can help out.</li>
<li>Celery is like crunchy water. There is a high water content to celery, so it fills you up, but also hydrates you.</li>
<li>Celery has many essential salts</li>
<li>Celery is rich in flavonoids (yes anti-cancer stuff, skip the glass of wine!)</li>
<li>Celery has lots of vitamin K, helps your bones</li>
</ol>
The list goes on, check out these two sites. for more info:<br />
<a href="http://www.care2.com/greenliving/11-super-health-benefits-in-just-1-celery-stalk.html">http://www.care2.com/greenliving/11-super-health-benefits-in-just-1-celery-stalk.html</a><br />
and<br />
<a href="http://www.nutrition-and-you.com/celery.html">http://www.nutrition-and-you.com/celery.html</a><br />
<br />
So I set out to create some great celery salad, modified a recipe I found online and voila ! So happy to eat this salad I nearly wept, it was all-at-once, crunchy, salty, nutty, spicy, sour and felt very much a cross between Vietnamese and Thai, really, so here goes:<br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<b>Thai Celery Salad</b></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRziGYythrrAqaZ6ESEZjsLgXK4seDg3JrfOnPVIWxV2c58p4_BAniHjda53N7VSEBiGUa0t6QogynXeE4RNdxa2htLREwohAeETjQm1wR-Mhhga4OhYLzlWkIbrhADqS8UlIHbqgfWQ/s1600/ThaiCelerySaladCropped.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="287" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRziGYythrrAqaZ6ESEZjsLgXK4seDg3JrfOnPVIWxV2c58p4_BAniHjda53N7VSEBiGUa0t6QogynXeE4RNdxa2htLREwohAeETjQm1wR-Mhhga4OhYLzlWkIbrhADqS8UlIHbqgfWQ/s320/ThaiCelerySaladCropped.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<b>Ingredients</b><br />
5 Stalks Celery, sliced on the bias (angle your knife sharply when cutting, while spinning the celery)<br />
3 Green Onions, sliced thinly<br />
3 tbs Red onion, sliced thinly, then chopped<br />
1/2 Serrano Chile, sliced thingly<br />
1/4 Cup Cilantro, chopped (stems and leaves)<br />
3 tbs peanuts, halved<br />
1 tbs sesame seeds<br />
Salt and Pepper<br />
<i>Sauce</i><br />
2 tbs fresh lime juice<br />
1 tsp sesame oil<br />
2 tsp fish sauce<br />
<br />
<br />
<b>Directions</b><br />
Whisk together sauce ingredients with a fork. Make sure the serrano is sliced very thin, and even then cut those in half so the heat is dispersed a bit.<br />
<br />
Pour the sauce over the salad, and toss, then plate.<br />
<br />
Note: I sprinkle the sesame seeds and peanuts on each individual plate, just a little goes a long way with the peanuts. Remember, this dish is all about the celery !<br />
<br />
Enjoy!MartyMazurikhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00155870534668559492noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4111335326844984745.post-21779234713966124252014-10-28T18:27:00.002-07:002023-03-07T10:08:05.343-08:00Vegan Asian Salad<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYk63kq3WGmCj-WEuD1jDSgOwhCopOUrqF-sCuHgKB6kKE_gL84jbyF-0ULfW0FnruZlTfaJgo8l7VLA0O2F_Xkoi4cvSMxMMxu1F7bjfc-inVIhY0gEkZH_WYDv8QFgK81x_p4z16eQ/s1600/VeganAsianSalad.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYk63kq3WGmCj-WEuD1jDSgOwhCopOUrqF-sCuHgKB6kKE_gL84jbyF-0ULfW0FnruZlTfaJgo8l7VLA0O2F_Xkoi4cvSMxMMxu1F7bjfc-inVIhY0gEkZH_WYDv8QFgK81x_p4z16eQ/s1600/VeganAsianSalad.JPG" height="266" width="320" /></a></div>
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Asian Salad packs a crunch ! Yum!</div>
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I always likes the Wonton Chicken Salad at SoupPlantation/Sweet Tomatoes. Perhaps it was the thought that "protein" could happen, if I could get some of that sweet, tasty chicken meat. Maybe it was the cheap side of me thinking, wow, I can get meat at this salad emporium, cool!</div>
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Well those days are behind me, having joined the vegan revolution of health and well-being, and I'm still hankering for that sweet/sour crunch, nutty goodness. I found a vegan recipe online, modified it a bit, and made it my own.</div>
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<br /></div>
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I don't even miss the deep fried wontons!</div>
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<br /></div>
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<b>Vegan Asian Salad</b></div>
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Servings: 6</div>
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<br /></div>
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1/2 Head Chinese cabbage, sliced thin</div>
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1/2 head romaine lettuce, chopped</div>
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1 cup red cabbage, sliced thin</div>
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1/2 whole red pepper, sliced</div>
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1 cup english cucumber, sliced</div>
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1 1/4 cups carrot, shredded</div>
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2 whole green onions, sliced</div>
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1/2 cup snap peas, halved</div>
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2 tablespoons cilantro, chopped</div>
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2 tablespoons slivered almonds, roasted</div>
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2 tablespoons sesame seeds, roasted</div>
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1/3 cup rice wine vinegar</div>
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3 tablespoons natural peanut butter</div>
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1 tablespoon maple syrup</div>
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2 teaspoons sesame oil</div>
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1 tablespoon grated ginger root</div>
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1 teaspoon siracha</div>
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1 pinch sea salt</div>
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Mix ingredients for dressing: vinegar, peanut putter, maple syrup, sesame oil, ginger root, siracha and salt until fairly</div>
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smooth, set aside for flavors to meld.</div>
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Combine sesame seeds and almonds in small pan, heat until some become slightly browned. Set aside.</div>
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Mix all vegetables in big salad bowl, toss.</div>
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I put the salad in a bowl (individual) and gently spoon dressing on in appropriate amounts (noone likes over sauced chinese salad, so don't dump it all in), I mix the individual portion,</div>
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then top with Sesame and Almond slivers, give one more stir to incorporate.</div>
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Drizzle a bit more dressing on top, in spatter pattern.</div>
MartyMazurikhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00155870534668559492noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4111335326844984745.post-59341115593652951432014-10-09T19:04:00.000-07:002014-10-09T22:15:30.597-07:00Buckwheat fritter w/ Mushroom Gravy<h2>
Buckwheat - a work in progress</h2>
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I got the wild idea that a gluten-free flour needs to come under my mastery. Dammit.</div>
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The one that popped into my head; grey, dense, really a non-riser was ~</div>
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Buckwheat!</div>
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I've tried many times to make a morning buckwheat pancake. They always taste the same:<br />
yuck, ancient grainy-sawdusty-cant-put-enough-syrup-on-this-to-choke-it-down-yuk.<br />
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I like a challenge.<br />
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Buckwheat</div>
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So I'm thinking, break that density up with vegetables that have some carmilized brown on them, and put it in the batter, then cover it with mushroom gravy.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhArTh0-OebjajQBycToj18kxdDwfVQBwlvrqqgxwV8qztjL14vR1dCdQ3ywahrQdm3HxpGgVVinqzc__A-HMCuMwc7bG3-NjIFgKSMRD3MtGsGbNCXrqs3YtJXdnfqUotm2Dqe84Nb5g/s1600/BuckwheatFritterFinalPresentation.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" target="_blank"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhArTh0-OebjajQBycToj18kxdDwfVQBwlvrqqgxwV8qztjL14vR1dCdQ3ywahrQdm3HxpGgVVinqzc__A-HMCuMwc7bG3-NjIFgKSMRD3MtGsGbNCXrqs3YtJXdnfqUotm2Dqe84Nb5g/s1600/BuckwheatFritterFinalPresentation.jpg" height="259" width="320" /></a></div>
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So basically for the mushroom gravy, you can find Mushroom Broth (near the Chicken and Vegetable broth), mince 1/4 cup of onion, slice up 1/2 cup Cremini mushrooms, add a dash of wine, salt+pepper, I put some almond milk (like a tablespoon, for color), reduce and at the end thickened it with a teaspoon or two of cornstarch and a little water.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5P1Vd5ocdhQKtwQsXFZRcALAaOAN9c_MlJfTmFW5A0YIVDxQwcr7WZdzyxHDrUJlOeZc14DWtDXXcTz53e4kLKD2W0CxPaUXqdboVoU2EoLxOCNsdvqp3sJS8yZax2DuCsA5hlN0KTg/s1600/MushroomGravy.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" target="_blank"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5P1Vd5ocdhQKtwQsXFZRcALAaOAN9c_MlJfTmFW5A0YIVDxQwcr7WZdzyxHDrUJlOeZc14DWtDXXcTz53e4kLKD2W0CxPaUXqdboVoU2EoLxOCNsdvqp3sJS8yZax2DuCsA5hlN0KTg/s1600/MushroomGravy.jpg" height="275" width="320" /></a></div>
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While that's simmering, slice 1/2 a zuchini, thinly. Cut the bottom off an ear of corn and microwave in-the-husk, for 3 1/2 minutes. Squeeze from the tassle end, and out pops your ear (or use canned corn, drained). I added some yellow pepper, and a few Crimini mushrooms too.</div>
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Saute those sliced vegetables. Mix the buckwheat with flour and almond milk until the right consistency add some sweetener (agave, or sugar), 1 tbls of cornstarch and 1 tbls of baking power (dammit, didn't have the baking powder this time. They were F-L-A-T, and got no rise out of me either)</div>
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Center the batter in a hot pan (sprayed with some cooking spray), cook and keep watch; you want to add the vegetable before the pancake sets up completely, but the bottom side is cooked.</div>
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Press the veggies into the batter a bit, then you can put a lid on (for about 15-30 secs), before flipping. Remove lid, and flip.<br />
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Let cook a few minutes more, cover if you like. Then flip onto a plate (veggie side up!).</div>
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Spoon mushroom gravy over and server.<br />
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So how was it? eh. The flavor of the other stuff was great, the veggies, the corn with a bit of caramelization, the mushroom gravy fantastic.<br />
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The buckwheat needs help. Maybe it was the non-stick pan, ick. Nothing better than the iron skillet for this. Maybe its the lightness on oil, of which I'm trying to be very light-to-non-existent. Likely it was the lack of a rising agent (baking powder or yeast). Probably a combination of all of the above.<br />
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Conceptually this can work, I don't know if the "pancake" is the right format, and I will think about other ways to present the batter part (and crisp it up a bit, thru likely some time in the oven), I just don't want loaves or muffins or some-such thing.<br />
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I'm thinking thin the heck out if, get it to crepe up, and roll it. May play with that, buckwheat crepes a bit.<br />
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Anyway, that's it for the Buckwheat Pancake Fritter ... to be continued. Humphhhh., buckwheat wins again.</div>
MartyMazurikhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00155870534668559492noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4111335326844984745.post-73147663952941454292014-09-07T15:03:00.002-07:002014-09-07T15:20:28.904-07:00Let's go Buffalo (Wings)<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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I can't remember exactly how many $.10 cent wings I would down, at the Inn Between in my college town of Geneseo, NY on Tues. (or was it Thurs.), I do know that if I got 'hot' or 'suicidal', the pitchers of beer were hardly enough to douse the flames of eternal buffalo wing love ... I would down them until it hurt, something like $2.00 worth (20) comes to mind.</div>
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Many years later (lets call it shy of 30, wow slash ouch) I'm reticent to discuss the effect that amount of deep fried chicken skin and fat, has on my digestive system. Not because I wouldn't like to, or because I pull punches when talking about the more unsavory aspects of my gastrointestinal tract ... its because I'm going meat-free lately and looking for better options.</div>
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Enter Frank's Hot Sauce ...<br />
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I could put this on a piece of tree branch, and chew on. Seriously, wear gloves lest you find yourself gnawing on your own finger, thinking "hmm, this doesn't taste too bad, with some Frank's".</div>
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Here's a recipe I found online, for Buffalo Cauliflower "Wings" that came out really good!</div>
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Are you ready for some football? Find some celery, and bleu cheese and a friend that likes spice ... and enjoy!</div>
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<b>Buffalo Cauliflower Wings</b></div>
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<b>Ingredients</b></div>
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Cauliflower - 1 large head, pieces fairly large (1+ inches)</div>
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Milk - 1 cup</div>
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Flour - 1/2 cup</div>
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Panko Bread Crumbs - 1/4 cup</div>
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Garlic powder - 1 tbs</div>
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Black pepper - 1 teasp.</div>
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Franks Hot sauce and 1 tbs melted butter in a bowl (to toss)</div>
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<b>Instructions</b></div>
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Preheat oven to 425 deg</div>
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Cut Cauliflower into large flowerets (1-2")</div>
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Combine milk, flour, bread crumbs, garlic powder and pepper in bowl</div>
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(note: add milk slowly, and stop when the batter seems about pancake batter consistency, you don't want it too thin. If less than a cup, then that's ok.)</div>
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Dredge Cauliflower pieces in batter and place them on a foil-lined cookie sheet (important, it'll stick)</div>
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Bake for 18 min. turning once.</div>
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Meanwhile, combine butter and Frank's in a large bowl (I melt the butter in microwave)</div>
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Coat cauliflower in sauce, and bake 2-3 more minutes to set the sauce (I like it wet, so don't dry them out by baking too long, after tossing in the sauce)</div>
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Serve with Blue Cheese dressing (Marie's) and Celery sticks.</div>
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I like them wet and glistening with Frank's and Butter, Yum!</div>
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MartyMazurikhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00155870534668559492noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4111335326844984745.post-21409666162447148022014-09-05T10:10:00.002-07:002014-09-05T10:13:30.211-07:00Take care of yourself<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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... because no well else will."</div>
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end-quote, who says this? Who does this? Everyone. Noone.</div>
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What does it mean, though? To take care of yourself.</div>
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Let's state with <u>what it isn't</u>:</div>
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<ol>
<li>Its not: Putting others first<br />Ouch! That hits the 'givers' right in the loin chops. This is a weird paradox, to be sure. Leads to <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Martyr_complex">Martyr Syndrome.</a></li>
<li>Its not: Partying until you puke<br />Ouch! Food, drink slovenly, stupor. Minimialist, easing your digestion and keeping the chemical balances from food and drink, so your brain and body feel ok.</li>
<li>Its not: Doing nothing<br />Ouch! Relaxing, lazy-boy, lounging, sleeping more. It's about restoring vitality to your soul, through movement.</li>
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So I guess I've inter strewn some positive reinforcement in saying what taking care of yourself is not, from my perspective. <br /><br />
Negative mirrors reflect truths. Changes, revealed ... easier.</div>
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MartyMazurikhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00155870534668559492noreply@blogger.com0