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Tuesday Toast 6.18.13

2013-06-18T19:39:32Z

Writing in its most base form, is solitary. There isn't much one can say to "encourage" another to write. Either you love it or you don't.

Writers, those who have the innate desire to expel their soul onto paper… or in a blog… are a bunch who feel at home sitting around in a cafe not saying a word to anyone and call that a good day. However, it is not a good day. Writers need fodder and fodder comes from experiencing life.

Live a lot. Not a little, a lot. Explore our world. Take photos. And especially, listen to others. Through them, you can glean enough information to craft a story. Listen to the security guard at an art museum discuss why Cy Twombly's modern art is art. Cy Twombly. Winters Passage. 1985.Listen as a child is accosted in a museum about what makes art great art and DO YOU UNDERSTAND WHAT IT IS YOU ARE SEEING (some hipster yelling to a child as said hipster had earplugs buried to their tiny hilts).

Experience the craft. This is where my tangential process has arrived for today's Tuesday Toast. I have already toasted Roy Williams prior to today. However, I would be remiss if I were to not include two influential writers he hooked me onto while I attended various classes at Wizard Academy: Jeff Sexton and Chris Maddock.

Both have taught me immeasurable methods to make my writing stand out. They work… and work well… if I happen to recall them. In my fiction, I recall each technique all the time. Rough drafts have me tossing words out like a small child projectile vomiting. I know most of the sentences will never remain as they first come out. As such, I need to sift threw my yakked verbiage to uncover gems. Susbsequent drafts have me adding techniques. I would go through all these techniques, but to be honest I would be doing you a severe disservice. You cannot learn viraciously through me, or anyone else.

You must experience it. Go here. Wizard Academy. It is in Texas (don't worry - it's Austin). Sift through their classes as if you're blending dry ingredients for the finest cake; your cake. Find classes suiting you. However, make sure you find a couple classes where Jeff and/or Chris are teaching. Be patient. Jeff is super busy and does not teach that often. Chris is a habitual hermit and only teaches when he feels compelled to impart wisdom.

And for the sake of all saints, be careful. Do this and your awesomeness will surely shine.

Tuesday Toast 6.11.13

2013-06-12T00:36:06Z

Nope. Didn't forget. Two-fold reason for it being "late."

First, it is humid as hell, my computer is old and the trackpad keeps sticking. Needs a tune-up; spark plugs cleaned; tire rotation and definitely a battery. Tired old thing.

Second, it has been a trying day. However, putting my personal issues candace porter from shuttergive.com why? Horses are calming.aside for the moment, I have come to the conclusion this Tuesday Toast is not about a person or a people, but an action.

Commitment.

Not merely mine, but all of ours in everything and anything we do. As my friend Roy Williams has repeatedly stated "commitment must come before passion." See, passion fades like a blossomed rose. Commitment needs to be perpetual; continual. Especially for creative people. Once any creative person's wheel of commitment halts, the right side of their brain will dominate. Flights of fancy take treacherous turns. Sylvia Plath. Ernest Hemingway. Vincent Van Gogh. Every rock star who died at age 27.

Commitment in a job you love. Commitment toward accountability for your own actions. Commitment to being a parent. Commitment to be. Period.

Have an amazing week. Do something you wouldn't normally do. Above all, make sure your awesomeness is showing.

Tuesday Toast 6.04.13

2013-06-05T00:06:42Z

Took me a bit more time to put this one together… or to get myself together to write this Tuesday Toast.

Had to go to court today. No biggie. I accept where I have put myself in regards to court. Won't go into details as I can't. Not right now. Suffice to say jail is NOT in my future and neither is wearing orange and picking up garbage on the side of the road.

However, I do think I would look fabulous in orange.

This toast is very simple. It's for everyone who OWNS what they do; what mess they may get themselves into; what they need to do to get out of it. Remember a few years ago when it came out that David Letterman had an affair with a CBS intern on his show (the affair wasn't on the show; she was part of the show). Did he try to hide from it? Nope. He owned it (watch it, it's classic). He fessed up, made a few jokes about his foolishness as well as how everyone should feel sorry for the girl.

There are too many people – way too many people – who, when confronted with something they did; a lie they told; an action objectionable to many others; etc spend more time (of theirs and others) trying to weasel out of it. Blame the system. Blame their parents. I doubt there is a killer whale blaming the tides for his lack of seal bites. photo by RIck Copper. Blame their childhood; work; traffic; cats; sun; moon; IRS; weather. Whatever they can find for an excuse they take it.

It's garbage – all of it. I have made some colossal mistakes. For some time, I was a blamer. There is no blame… unless you are willing to look in the mirror. No matter what someone may do to you, you can always own it, deal with it and get out of it.

Be the good person. Stay above the fray. Don't sink to a crazymaker's level. They want you to sink like a large rock in a deep well. They would love for yout o crawl in the mud with them. Nope. Take what is yours, only what is yours, and fix it. It's difficult, but only if you choose to make it difficult.

Remember, you are in control of situations you have chosen to drop your person into and are the one to get yourself out. Be positive. Be very careful, when you own your decisions, your awesomeness will be showing.

Tuesday Toast 5.28.13

2013-05-29T01:32:13Z

I was in Yellowstone when I posted last Tuesday. The time, she has snuck up on me and blazed by like a wildfire. WTH? Tuesday already?

Man.

This past week there has been a lot going on in my life regarding accountability. Own what you do. I had to and it wasn't easy.

What you may ask? Simple. Being defensive. Even while i was, and deservedly so, patting myself on the back for keeping the lid on my oversize can of whoop-ass, I was still acting defensive about my action of peace.

Why did I do it? Why did I not retaliate on someone who seriously, if anyone ever did, had it coming? Being asked this, I had to retreat to a defensive posture about my own positive action. In reality, I didn't deserve any pat on the back. Most sane people, given the circumstances, would have done the same thing - NO RETALIATION.

Breaking it down without going through unnecessary details, it was an incident in public and was a night supposedly dedicated for someone else. Yes, another person did try to steal it by creating what could have become a seriously bad and embarrassing brawl, but I went all Gandhi on them.

I did nothing.

Who did something, and something extremely positive and mature, was my 16 year-old daughter Cassidy Kate Copper. She, in a forceful tone, defused the situation. Kate Copper (close-up) with her friend MeganIt is for her I dedicate this Tuesday Toast. Not only is she is a good kid, she will (and is rapidly becoming) make a fabulous adult. She's dealt with a ton of psychological shit growing up, but when I saw her calm down an unbelievably idiotic situation, I could not have been more proud of her. She stands up to anyone whom she thinks is doing wrong. But her backbone is not full of judgment. It is pliable, as she is a caring person. She helps out those who need it at school, often staying after to help her friends get through their homework.

Yes her "stand up and be counted" attitude sometimes comes with consequences in the form of detention, but damn it if she doesn't stand up for herself for GOOD reason, who will when I'm not around?

Love you kid. And for all of you out there - be careful, your awesomeness is showing.

Tuesday Toast 5.21.13

2013-05-21T12:54:16Z

This Tuesday Toast is a shout-out to the Rangers. Not the Texas Rangers, the New Yokr Rangers, or worse the apocalyptic Central Park Rangers, but the Yellowstone National Park Rangers.

They keep the peace, calmly fighting the ever-present tug-of-war between man and beast; between those who have common sense and those who don't within the 2.2 MILLION acres of Yellowstone National Park. Here's a tally of what they have to watch over: 1,000 grizzly and black bears; 80 wolves; 500 Bighorn Sheep; appx 100 KittyCats (Mountain Lions, Bobcats, Lynx); 100 Moose; 3,000 Bison; 20,000 Elk and of course, 3.5 MILLION people.photo by Robert Panozzo from Shuttergive.com

One is supposed to stay a minimum of 25 yards away from elk, bison, black bears, coyotes etc and a minimum of 100 yards from grizzly and wolves. I've seen people chase a black bear in the woods; stay within 25 yards of a bison but be 200 yards from their car (if the bison gets irritated you'll never ever ever make it back dude). People have been attacked by bears for being dumb enough to try to get close to a cub and pet it.

That's just the interaction with animals. Most people may not realize of all of the entire world's geothermal activity nearly HALF of it is within Yellowstone. Yet people love to take shortcuts across the park from trail to trail. Occassionally one falls into some unclassified geo-activity… and boils to death. Yep. People, Yellowstone is like a chicken pot pie. There are safe crust areas on the edges like mountains, but the rest of the crust has boiling hot liquid underneath.

Congrats to those flat-brimmed hat, green uniform with orange safety vest wearing men and women. You park rangers are doing a bang-up job keeping the stupid and/or ignorant from hurting themselves and the animals.

Tuesday Toast 05.14.13

2013-05-14T20:15:17Z

I got some Chobani Greek yogurt samples (Chobani Bites) in the mail. More than a single sample, I received 24 little cups of three different flavors courtesy of my friend and fellow blogger, Katie Arnold.

This isn’t about the glories of Chobani, but a quick opinion? Great stuff. All three flavors - Raspberry with Dark Chocolate Chips, Caramel with Pineapple Chunks, Fig with Orange Zest – were top notch. Excellent product and kudos to them.

Katie has had, for her youthful age of 20-something (I won’t tell), quite a full life already. She’s graduated from Berklee College of Music; been in the music business; was an excellent barista at Conscious Cup and now is working her way into sports therapy (physical; not psychological).
What makes her unique is her attitude.Katie Arnold taken from her website

Positive. Make that healthy positive.

She’s made herself into an athlete - a solidly successful runner of everything from 5K to half-marathons. She works as a chiropractic assistant. She’s a vegan… and yet I don’t hold that against her. :)
She blogs.
A lot.
At least three times a week at talkless-saymore.com.
It’s always refreshingly positive and helpful. I urge you to give her a look. Follow her blog. She has suggestions on new music; exercise routines; what to eat… I’ve been following her (blog, not her - not a creeper) for about three months and I am impressed. And and and she has an occasional contest. Hence, the Chobani Bites.
YUM.
Girl can’t help being helpful.
Nice job, keep going Katie Arnold.

As for the rest of you… be careful, your awesomeness is showing.

Tuesday Toast 5.07.13

2013-05-07T15:55:30Z

On a normal week, if there ever is such a thing as a normal week in the world, I would get very positive about someone who is doing good for the world around them… and it would only take around 300 words. This one is a bit more complicated.

Yet, I’ll still aggravate someone. Can’t help it.

This week? I’m going mostly passive. People in this select group have elected to remain a little more passive than active. Either side I have no issues with, but I tend to be more active on this issue – hypocrisy not so delicately wedged within the standing feathers of the Chicago Blackhawk organization.susannah collins as used from Chicagonow

Their chairman, Rocky Wirtz, requested a sports anchor woman Susannah Collins, be taken off their broadcasts. Why? First she slipped up when discussing the team by stating they were having plenty of sex before game. She fixed it immediately on-air, but as it was live, she couldn’t take it back.

But no, that wasn’t his “real” reason. Seems she - which Comcast SportsNet was WELL AWARE OF when they hired her – was part of a series of “sports” videos which stretched the limitations of sexual innuendos and racist comments.

Sportnutz videos were somewhat funny. Not outrageously funny, but funny and not exactly seen - at the time - by a ton of viewers (the most popular one, prior to this brouhaha, was sitting around 40 views currently around 70,000). They were meant to be taken as jokes. However, this is where it gets sticky as cheap bubble gum. Comcast SportsNet is owned by all the Chicago professional sports teams. As such, any “suggestion” by any owner of a team is less a suggestion than it is a demand.

Rocky Wirtz can claim it was not his decision to fire her. But he is hiding like a political hack in the toilet stall of hypocrisy, as if he’s Larry Craig as it is his organization that contains the following three acts of hypocrisy:

IceGirls - dressed skimpily skating around during breaks semi-helping to clear shaved ice. They do far more skating than working for a good hip-swinging reason.

ShootThePuck SlutGirl - during the second period intermission the Blackhawks bring three people out onto center ice to shoot the puck for prizes. One- a semi-celebrity. Two - a kid donning a Blackhawks jersey. Three - the most provocatively dressed sexy woman they can find that night. I have no clue she’s a slut, but the implication of sexual desire is certainly evident.

Bobby Hull as ambassador.
But he’s a Blackhawk legend!! No doubt, on the ice the man had gifts not many players have ever possessed. He’s also a well-known, documented wife-beater and racist. Click here for WSCR host Dan Bernstein’s take peppered with facts.

Dan’s right. It’s not okay to simultaneously pretend you are appalled at Collins’ JOKING behavior and yet objectify women. Atone. Show some alignment for zero tolerance - at minimum, fire Bobby Hull.

As for the Toast? Those of us who have privately and publicly stated “Blackhawk management? Fuck you,” this goes to you.

Tuesday Toast 4.30.13

2013-04-30T15:21:24Z

Yet another in a long line of Tuesday Toasts targeted toward irritating at least 47.67777% of the population because we are going political. What? Write something where everyone won’t get in line in agreement as if some parade? No point in writing anything unless you get someone’s dander flustered.

So we have Minnesota. No, this is not a toast to the state, but Minnesota has never been a state afraid to elect someone different. Jesse Ventura, current crazy conspiracy theorist (good Atlantic article), for governor? Why not. Michele Bachmann (ok, HUGE mistake for which Minnesota constituents will atone in 2014). Ladies and gentleman, this Toast goes out to none other than Minnesota’s part-time satirist and current full-time Senator Al Franken.gunflint trail. pretty northern minnesota shot by me.

You remember Al Franken, right? Most of us in our late 40’s to mid-50’s remember Al Franken as a very funny writer for Saturday Night Live who got in front of the camera for stoic-faced funny monologues as well as his character sketch with Stuart Smalley, the feel-good psychologist (let’s ignore the Smalley film).

Then he got serious - sort of. Serious in nature to caring for our country and attempting to right the ship after our tumultuous Bush years. He’s a fighter, and a damn intelligent one. Beat the holy crap out of Bill O’Reilly (click for video) for fighting against simple book title verbiage when he wrote "Lies and the Lying Liars who Tell Them: A Fair and Balanced Looik at the Right."

He champions the middle class, environment and other just causes to keep our country and our planet from imploding under corporate rule. Sounds heavy? It was meant to be. He fought like hell to win his election and has been fighting ever since. Plus, his emails are pretty damn entertaining.

Al Franken, I wish you were one of our senators in Illinois.

Tuesday Toast 4.23.13

2013-04-23T16:47:46Z

Normally, as normal as I can be, I'll have this Tuesday Toast ready-to-go by the end of Monday. Tuesday morning I'll take another gander, peruse, make changes and hit "publish" sometime in the afternoon.

Today it's off the cuff. Not as if I haven't been thinking about it, but actual writing? Well, here it goes. This Tuesday Toast, a blog designed to make most readers get a positive outlook for their day, week or life is dedicated to the city of Boston.

No brainer, right? It's what I thought… initially. Question swimming across my left and right hemispheres was "If it wasn't Boston, would I have written it? Moreover, what I have been able to write it?"

I like Boston. Only been there twice, but both times I did what I do in nearly every city I visit. I walked it. A lot of it. Went to all its sights, shopped, ate crustacean and Italian everywhere. creative commons license. flickr. Image by Michael KappelBehaved like a tourist. What I felt was a camaraderie. Not me as being a "part" of Boston, but Boston as being a centrifugal force on its own. Helpful people these Bostonians were as I carried a tired 5 year-old boy fireman style four blocks back to the hotel one night after a White Sox-Red Sox game at Fenway.

I grew up in Denver. I would like to think Denver could gather itself up, throw some chaw into collective cheeks and find anyone who dared to wreak havoc on their version of Boston Marathon, the Stock Show. But I'm not convinced. Diversity has changed Denver. It's not bad, but it's kind of like my adopted hometown of Chicago. Neighborhoods are incredibly different and sometimes you can say you lived in Chicago, but if you weren't in "their" backyard, you didn't.

Someone recently wrote a book about living in Chicago, Neil Steinberg. His book, "You were never in Chicago" spoke about the tightness each neighborhood relishes. Again, it's not bad, but different (the book, however? fabulous - click and order). I am not convinced Chicago could pull it off either. Sure, they'd gather forces, but somewhere there'd be an escape route forgotten. Not Boston.

Other places i have lived or been to often (too often to some)? San Francisco? Definite maybe, closer to yes. Los Angeles? No way. Never happening. Austin? Tough call. I'll throw them in the Denver category as it has its own wide expanse to handle.

So Boston, I doff my derby to you. Great job. For all you out there? Smile and be careful… your awesomeness is showing.

Tuesday Toast 4.16.13

2013-04-16T16:52:10Z

I had something for today. Not sure if it was good for I am not bothering to look it up.

Not now. Not today.

Any "Toast" I had pre-designated for assignment was rendered insignificant. First responders of yesterday's tragedy deserve today's toast and much much more. I can't help but admire and salute them. But that is not what came to mind.

Clarity. After reading about the bombing at the Boston Marathon, way too many articles probably, I came to a personal epiphany. This epiphany dealt with narcissism. As one who has had their fair share of narcissistic behavior, I can attest to its dangers. flickr to show Boston beautiful. creative commons license. thank you paul.

It's two-fold. The worst, to me, is the blind narcissist. They cannot see past their own window regarding what tragedy may be unfolding around them. They'll post on Facebook about their day; what they ate; their wonderful life; trip to the Carribean or whatever as others are suffering the shock of such an event as yesterday's bombing. Yes, this behavior happened. I was defriended after calling someone out about their lack of sensitivity. Maybe I shouldn't have, but frankly I don't care. They deserved a bitch slap and I am never afraid to administer one.

Most of us are, or were, in a state of shock. It was an unfathomably senseless act. Even those whose function it is to entertain us on a nightly basis couldn't begin to attempt their job without adding some meaning to their monologue, such as the great Craig Ferguson and Conan O'Brien (Conan is on the same link).

Fold number two in the arena of narcissism is "relating" to a tragedy. There is a natural pull toward getting grip on a tragedy through one's own feelings. We're human, we want to grab onto anything to hold; any part to relate. However, narcissists will relate anecdotally.

"I remember when I had to save someone's life…"

"I remember when I had to apply a tourniquet…"

"I remember when I was witness to a fire…"

and then proceed from there with some tangential story. It is as if the tragedy wasn't quite outstanding on its own without having to tell THEIR story about THEIR life. Those who truly feel; truly absorb any sense of this bombing in Boston are mature enough to relate to it without relating to themselves.

This is no high horse I am riding here. My horse was saddled, but not to judge or lecture as my first feeling was exactly a narcissistic anecdote. This time though, I kept it to myself. Hence, the epiphany.

Make your day fabulous. Please. We all need it.