Pizza

August 16, 2014

DSCN1238blas·phe·my (blasphǝmē) the act or offense of speaking sacrilegiously about … sacred things

So it is with pizza for me and some of my good friends. A sacred thing! Alas, definitions differ … and so it is with apologies to S.C. and others that I share pizza aka The Four Tastes. A New York-style crust, courtesy of Kenji Lopez-Alt. A light shredded mozzarella base. Over-priced dried cherries from Whole Foods. Dry, salt cured black olives. Red and golden pickled peppadews. Carrots. Capers. Red onion. Radicchio. And a light dusting of Asiago cheese.

No, it’s not pizza like anyone who hails from New York knows pizza. But it’s really, really good! Vegetarian, too, and it can be vegan without the

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Same Sex Marriage

August 16, 2014

~ In for a dime, in for a dollar! Here’s Mark Rubin Writes on same sex marriage.

In Windsor v. United States, the U.S. Supreme Court held unconstitutional that portion of the Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA)—Section 3—which defined marriage as a union between a man and a woman. Windsor forced the federal government to accept marriages entered into lawfully in any state or foreign country. Windsor did not, however, address state same sex marriage laws.

Since Windsor, and relying on its due process/equal protection rationale, trial and appellate courts have found state same-sex marriage bans unconstitutional, with one exception. Many cases are pending. Utah and Virginia, so far, are seeking relief in the Supreme Court.

The Court

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Pizza … and Nothing Else … Almost!

August 14, 2014

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Nothing to say today! Here, though, is the pizza I made and ate on Sunday. (Leftovers still in the freezer.) NY-style dough, mushrooms and green onions, along with a very light mozzarella base and a dusting of aged gouda. As tasty as any I’ve made.

And as for almost:  Here I am at the spelling bee for the Educational Enrichment Foundation. Have I yet mentioned my third place finish?

Spelling Bee

Finally, my sister Pam Gleichman makes a part of her living in the social media world. She sent me a link which suggested that success in the blog-o-sphere may involve “less is more.” This writer says three posts a week is best. So, readers, having given you a

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Getting a Chance to Say Thanks!

August 13, 2014

“Thanks” may just be my favorite word. “Please” is a good word too, but “thanks” conveys gratitude, a state of being which makes me feel good! That’s it, plain and simple. I’m pretty selfish, truth be told, and if I can feel good I’ll find a way to “Rinse. Lather. Repeat.” as often as possible.

“Thanks” became a part of my vocabulary, actively, in the early part of the last decade, when I went “high octane” in the nonprofit world. I was “fetched up proper” by my parents, so I knew about please and thank you, and I used them appropriately. No problems, but “meh” when it came to conveying gratitude. More like “going through the motions plus,” most of

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The Wednesday Curator – 8/13/14

August 12, 2014

Tough week! Robin McLaurin Williams died on Monday morning, August 11, and Betty Joan Perske aka Lauren Bacall died on Tuesday morning, August 12. I’ve never seen or heard anyone funnier than Robin Williams, and Lauren Bacall was hot, hot, hot in her day! If you haven’t seen To Have and Have Not, watch it now! (If you have seen it, watch it again!!!)

Lots and lots of pieces about Robin Williams. Here’s the one I have liked best; it’s a collection of tweets from Norm MacDonald.

In passing, I simply cannot ignore the distasteful comments from Rush Limbaugh about Robin Williams. I won’t link to his foul rant about unhappy liberals, but I can’t quite get away from

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Succession Planning

August 11, 2014

Do you own a business? Work in a family business? Does a succession plan exist? Has it been committed to writing?

You’ve probably heard about the generational transfer that we’re in the midst of. The link, which is from YouthBridge Community Foundation, estimates the total transfer at $41,000,000,000,000. No, not $41 billion, but $41 trillion! And that’s in 1998 dollars, which are now worth $1.42. Lots and lots of money, and while the article addresses the accuracy of the $41 trillion estimate, we’re talking about lots and lots of money in any event.

Estate planning matters, and for a small number among us, estate taxes matter too. My subject today is more limited, however. I am focused on succession planning

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Where’s the Suit?

August 10, 2014

When my friend C.M. gets a burr up his backside, he calls me up and tells me he wants to “law” someone. Back home, he says, folks law one another! Who knew?

C.M. comes up with possible suits from time to time. I talk him down from them, pretty patiently. (Haven’t filed one yet!) That’s what good attorneys do, sometimes there’s even a free lunch in it, and the company is always terrific!

Now, if C.M. ever persuaded me to law someone on his behalf, the time between “we’re lawing” and when he expects me to file the suit will be measured in nanoseconds. We know what we’re doing, we’ve talked it to death, just do it!

I mention C.M.

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Bagels

August 9, 2014

I’ve been a bread baker and pizza maker for almost 40 years. Bialys and I became acquainted—in the “I make them” sense—about five years ago. And bagels? Never, really, until this weekend. (”Never” means we’re not including two or three efforts, which basically amounted to forming bagel shapes out of some bread dough, boiling and baking.)

When my daughter and I were in New York, we tried several bagels. I liked, best the Montreal-style bagel from Black Seed. Not too big, not too puffy, with a strong crust and a chewy interior.

So, I tried a Montreal-style recipe today. Not good, so I won’t share the recipe. Lots of sugar, all-purpose flour, and a short rise. They have a

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The Bee

August 9, 2014

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The event?  The 3rd Annual Stand Up For Education Celebrity Spelling Bee.

The cause? The Educational Enrichment Foundation, which provides support for Tucson Unified School District students in need.

Need? Yes, like shoes, eyeglasses, and other basic necessities that keep too many among us away from literacy, education, and o-p-p-o-r-t-u-n-i-t-y.

The celebrities? Contestants included first and second year champions State Sen. Steve Farley and Hilary Van Alsburg (Humane Society of Southern Arizona). Others on stage and spelling were People Magazine’s 2013 National Teacher of the Year Art Almquist, Supervisor Ray Carroll, Lucy Howell from mygirlpower.org, Congressional candidate Martha McSally, Jason Ott from Citibank, former school superintendent John Pedicone, Dancing in the Streets director Joey Rodgers, Club Congress

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