Who Sent the Stronger Message at the 2018 Tony Awards? De Niro? Orin Wolf? or the Audience?

Posted on by Julie Stiles Mills

Some might say De Niro sent the strongest message. From the looks of the internet on June 11th, he got more attention than ANYTHING else that happened at the 2018 Tony Awards the night before.

If you searched “Tonys” on Monday morning, google auto suggested “Tonys De Niro” and if you clicked on google images you were deluged with scowls and fists in the air.

Of course, the images immediately flooded my mind with childhood memories of Burgermeister Meisterburger.
(in the words of Dr. Raymond Stantz, “I couldn’t help it. It just popped in there.”)

De Niro’s words were bleeped in many of the videos and redacted in print,
but I was watching live and I knew what he said the moment he said it:

“Me. Me Me Me Me. ME!!”

Never mind who won a Tony.
Never mind the multiple phenomenal performances by the nominees.
Never mind the talent or music of Bruce Springsteen, whose performance De Niro was on stage to introduce.
Not a single award or performance garnered more internet real estate than Robert De Niro on the the morning of June 11, 2018.

You can’t buy that kind of publicity.

But there were two other messages from the Tony Awards that hit home for me.

It’s been a week and I’m still thinking about

the juxtaposition of this…

The Acceptance Speech by Orin Wolf, Producer of The Band’s Visit
(2018 Tony Award Winner for Best Musical):

“Music gives people hope and makes borders disappear. Although the characters are strangers to each other with great political divides, our show offers a message of unity in a world that more and more seems bent on amplifying our differences. In the end, we are far more alike than different and I’m so proud to be part of a community that chooses to support that message.” [emphasis added]

The response of the audience? 6 Seconds of Spattering Applause

and this:

Robet De Niro, (who was on stage to introduce Bruce Springsteen singing a poignant rendition of My Hometown):

“I’m going to say one thing, F— Trump,” with his fists in the air. “It’s no longer ‘Down with Trump.’ It’s f— Trump.”

The response of the audience? 28 Seconds of applause, cheering, whistling and a sustained standing ovation by nearly every audience member from multiple camera angles.

Maybe I’m wrong, but I’m thinkin Orin Wolf didn’t hurriedly scribble his acceptance speech in his seat as a response to De Niro hijacking the microphone. I believe Wolf thoughtfully prepared that speech and intentionally wrote those words to express what he believed to be true.

For the most part, the 2018 Tony Awards were a short and welcome reprieve from the bludgeoning of “a world that more and more seems bent on amplifying our differences.” Hosts Josh Groban and Sara Bareilles were clearly focused on honoring excellence in Broadway theatre:

“…our job throughout the night is…to celebrate all the people in that room, who put in all their effort eight times a week and deserve to be there for all the right reasons. We’re focusing on that positive energy and all the ways that theater can bring people together.” Josh Groban

And it appeared they were succeeding.

Until.

What happened in that span of 28 seconds?
Did the applause and cheering of hundreds of people turn Wolf’s gracious words into a crumbled facade and him into a naive idealist patronized by frauds?
or did he expose their duplicity and momentarily shame them into silence?

Both of those possibilities are awful.

I’m thankful for the 1% rule of internet culture and pray that Monday morning’s tsunami of De Niro praising came from the loudest of the 1% and not the remaining 99%. I pray that the majority was silent because words failed them after witnessing people who seemed so gracious and accepting moments before, instantly pivot on a single word of vulgarity and belie their true thoughts and feelings while smiling. and cheering. and whistling. and applauding. on their feet. in support of a hateful polemic.

De Niro’s message was a selfish expression of hate. And it was loud.
Orin Wolf’s message was a call to unity, encouraging us to bridge “great political divides.”

But the message of that 28 second reveal stripped the audience of their credibility like a wizard behind a curtain.

It leaves me wondering who in the Tony’s audience that night is genuinely “part of a community that chooses to support that message” of unity?

and who is just acting?

Cheesy Sausage Pasta (with an Optional Kick)

Posted on by Julie Stiles Mills

This has become one of my son’s favorite dishes and I’ve taught him how to make it so I thought I’d document the process with photos for when he wants to make it again on his own. I’m thinking he might actually do it because besides the fact it’s one of his favorite meals, it only took him about a half an hour from start to finish, including gathering the ingredients, prepping them and actually cooking. (I apologize for the quality of the photos, I took them with my phone.)

I’ve broken this post up into four sections:
(click a link below to jump to each section)
1. Ingredients
2. My personal twists on the ingredients.
3. Personal notes to my son about the prep.
4. The cooking instructions.

Here are the Ingredients for those who Prefer Precise Measurements:

(this is for a double recipe because when I made a single recipe there were no leftovers and plenty of sadness)
2 tablespoons olive oil
½ chopped medium onion
2 tablespoons minced garlic
2 (13oz) packages of turkey sausage
4 cups chicken broth
2 (14 oz) cans diced tomatoes (undrained)
1 cup milk
2 (8oz) boxes of dry uncooked pasta
1 teaspoon pepper
salt to taste
1-2 cups water
8oz shredded cheese (cheddar, cheddar jack, Mexican mix, or your favorite)
¼-½ tsp of Red Pepper Flakes

Now here’s that list again, with my personal twists in parenthesis:
(If you want to skip right to the cooking directions click HERE)

olive oil (a few circles in the pan)

½ chopped medium onion
(I grab a bag of chopped onions from the freezer because I chop them in bulk and flash freeze them,
as shown in my post “5 minute onions in a flash freeze“)

2 tablespoons minced garlic
(We like us some garlic and we buy minced garlic in a jar,
so we tend to just plop a few heaping spoonfuls in,
regardless of what any recipe calls for. We actually ran out
of garlic the last time so we substituted garlic powder.)

2 (13oz) packages of turkey sausage
(I use precooked. Hillshire or Butterball, whatever is BOGO,
sliced lengthwise and then crosswise to make it go further
and be more evenly distributed throughout the dish.)

4 cups chicken broth
(Chicken broth can get expensive, so most of the time, I substitute
1 chicken bullion cube in one cup of water for one cup of chicken broth.)

2 (14 oz) cans diced tomatoes
(We go for no salt added because the sausage and the broth have plenty.
And we get petite diced, because we’ve discovered that
tomatoes are eaten much more often in this house when they are tiny.)

1 cup milk
(We use skim milk.
and Note to My Son: please use the same measuring cup
for the milk as you used for the chicken broth.)

2 (8oz) boxes of dry pasta
(We like bowtie or penne the best for this recipe
and we stock up on the BOGOs)

1 teaspoon pepper

salt to taste
(we don’t add any extra salt – again, because the chicken broth and sausage add enough.)

1-2 cups water
(I add just enough to cover the pasta because the liquid from the broth, tomatoes and milk isn’t usually enough.)

8oz shredded cheese
(8oz is a bag of shredded cheese and I’ve never used the entire bag.
We’ve used cheddar, cheddar jack, a blended Mexican mix – use your favorite)

Optional Kick – ¼-½ teaspoon of Red Pepper Flakes
(You don’t have to add this at all, but this is probably what makes this dish one of my son’s favorites.
I’ve added an entire teaspoon before, and while my husband and son liked it, the kick was a bit too much for me.

This next section contains Notes to My Son, so feel free to skip it and move on to the directions.

– Do yourself a favor. Gather and prep before you start cooking, it makes things much easier and faster.

– Take the onions out of the freezer so they can begin to thaw out. If we’re out of freezer
onions, use dried minced onions on the rack on the door of the pantry. Or you could actually chop a real onion. (insert Zak and Cody laugh here.)

– Open and crumble 4 bullion cubes in 2 cups of water and let them start melting, you can add the extra two cups of water to the pot later.

– If we’re out of garlic, use garlic powder – and don’t be stingy with it.

– Slice all the sausage. Don’t forget to bend your knuckle so you won’t cut your finger. Love, mom.

– Open the tomatoes before you start cooking. And then let the cat smell the lid when he comes running to prove to him you didn’t actually open a can of tuna.

– Don’t forget to cover the pan (with the correct lid) while it simmers.

Directions:

1. Heat the pan to medium high and swirl it with a few circles of olive oil.
2. Add onions and garlic and saute for about 2 minutes, stirring a few times.
3. Add the sausage and cook for about 3 to 4 minutes, stirring a few times (longer if you use uncooked sausage).
4. Add the 4 cups of chicken broth, 2 cans of tomatoes, 1 cup of milk, 1 teaspoon of pepper and the preferred amount red pepper flakes. Stir to mix everything up.
5. Add both boxes of pasta and stir to mix everything up.

After adding enough water to cover pasta.
Not enough liquid to cover pasta.
6. Add only as much water as needed to cover the pasta.
7. Bring to a boil.
8. Reduce heat, COVER and simmer for about 15 minutes or until pasta is cooked. Stir a few times because the pasta tends to stick to the bottom of the pan.
9. Turn off the heat and take the lid off, letting it sit for a few minutes.
10. Add about half the bag of cheese and stir to mix and melt, then add additional cheese to taste.

Enjoy!

A shout out to BudgetSavvyDiva.com for the original recipe that inspired this adaptation! I thank you and my son thanks you!

duplicity. duplicity everywhere.
whenever words and actions conflict, the actions carry the stronger – truer – message.

Posted on by Julie Stiles Mills
Buzz Lightyear and Woody Duplicity Everywhere

The following excerpt came to me via private message a few weeks before the 2016 presidential election:

“I enjoy a political discussion with someone who actually thinks, explores, and discusses – regardless of where we may agree or not. Although I couldn’t be more against Trump, I’ve invested in listening to him, tried to understand his positions, and tried to understand why his supporters can be so passionate.”

Mind you, this is just an excerpt – from which I gathered that the underlying assumption of this person was that I both supported Trump and that I was passionate about it. As I continued reading the rest of the message, I remembered something I saw in my facebook feed just a few days before I received this message. A quick click to their facebook wall. A few taps of the PgDn button on my keyboard and I found it.

A video meme with the caption: “REPUBLICANS RUSH TO CAST THEIR VOTES FOR DONALD TRUMP” and the looped video shows a big black hole in the middle of a vast field – with people speed walking straight toward it from all directions, their arms straight down by their sides to indicate a hypnotized zombie-like state. All the Trump voters were speed walking straight into a big black pit. You choose the message:
Are they sleepwalking?
Are they mindless and not paying attention?
Are they too blind to see the pit?
Are they just too stupid to avoid falling into it?
Or are they all insane because they are intentionally pit-bound?
(I won’t promote the video on my blog by embedding it. Here’s the link: if you want to add to the 3.1+ million views.)

As I watched the video on this person’s facebook wall loop over and over again and tried to reconcile it with the sentiment expressed in their private message, I suddenly heard Valerie’s voice yelling at Miracle Max:

See, I learned years ago that

whenever words and actions conflict, the actions carry the stronger – truer – message.

let me say that again.

whenever words and actions conflict, the actions carry the stronger – truer – message.

In this particular instance, the action of taking time and effort to post that video – and the mindset and motivation that led to posting that video – sent a stronger message than the seemingly patronizing invitation to be listened to with an attempt to “understand.”

#backtoyouValerie

And that video meme/private message dichotomy was NOT the only duplicity I was inundated with at that time – or since that time. Over the last year, there have been countless – and I sincerely mean COUNTless – posts by friends and family members mocking and deriding those who hold a different opinion than they do – on many issues. But IRL (in-real-life) conversations have been completely devoid of any acknowledgement that they hold strong negative opinions about people or that they expressed those opinions online by attacking “those people” with sarcasm, ridicule and outright contempt.

Not all who posted were 100% duplicitous. Some, (again assuming I was a “passionate Trump supporter”) actually blocked and/or unfriended me online while continuing (albeit awkward, Stepford and insincere) civil interactions with me in real life.

For instance, a family member posted:

“don’t give a f#&% who you are -friend, family, colleague – if you supported this man, unfriend me. Now. You have no place in my life.”

the day before taking the initiative to blatantly unfriend me, assuming I “supported” DT because I had the audacity to express an opinion that was intolerable by commenting that:

“talking about the character of HC and DT was like playing #GlobalThermonuclearWar.”

How that comment branded me a Trump supporter, I still don’t know.

It wasn’t the first time I’ve been shunned by a family member because of an unfounded assumption and I only see this person once a year at most so the biggest impact of this particular online unfriending was the significant reduction of the overused and one-size-fits-all adjective “f#&%ing” in my facebook news feed.

Of course, duplicity was the unacknowledged elephant in the room when the internet-infused courage of this person deflated like a day old birthday balloon during real life interactions: what happens online, stays online.

Except, it doesn’t.

We do not have compartmentalized lives: online and IRL. Everything we post online is an expression of who we are, what we believe, how we think and how we feel. Online attacks aren’t excused or diminished by someone saying they were “just upset when they posted that.”

Our words and actions, regardless of whether they are online or IRL, reveal something of our true beliefs and our character:

“…surely what a man does when he is taken off his guard is the best evidence for what sort of a man he is? Surely what pops out before the man has time to put on a disguise is the truth? If there are rats in a cellar you are most likely to see them if you go in very suddenly. But the suddenness does not create the rats: it only prevents them from hiding. In the same way the suddenness of the provocation does not make me an ill-tempered man: it only shows me what an ill-tempered man I am. The rats are always there in the cellar, but if you go in shouting and noisily they will have taken cover before you switch on the light.” [emphasis added] #IreadthereforeIquote
C. S. Lewis

People talking without speaking. People hearing without listening.
Why would anyone want to engage in conversation with someone who thinks they are stupid?

Posted on by Julie Stiles Mills

January 20th [2017].

I should NOT have gone on facebook.

So. much. hate.

contemptuous mocking. sarcasm. ridicule.

Not just for DT, but for everyone who doesn’t overtly hate him.

My facebook feed was toxic, repelling me away.

Post after meme after video after tweet after comment,
reiterating again and again and again and again and again
how stupid and intolerable anyone is if they don’t hate
DT – AND everyone who “supports” him.

I think I’ve actually been grieving. genuinely, profoundly sad.

not because DT is the president.

The long term impact (positive and/or negative) of these next four years is yet to be evidenced.

not because people think I’m [insert contemptuous label here] because I don’t hate the same people they do.

I’ve been hated and shunned for being different before. It’s no fun, but it’s nothing new.

I’m grieving because I can’t un-know what I’ve learned about so many people I genuinely liked and respected:

That they have the capacity to be so callously and unflinchingly VICIOUS towards people who believe differently than they do. And not just because of differences – the actual differences aren’t even being acknowledged, much less discussed. It’s the relentless derisive personal attacks on the character of people who believe differently.

This is the one that finally drove me away:

fbh8te

Burn in Hell? Seriously? Burn in HELL?

This person is saying this to their own facebook friends. People they know personally – and supposedly like. This is not the only post like this from this particular person, much less the only post like this from a number of other people in my facebook feed. and I only have about 300 friends. If I actually unfriended every person who demanded that “unfriend them right now!!” if I don’t hate DT or anyone who voted for him, that number would be even lower. I imagine my facebook feed is not the only one contaminated with this virulent stream of bigotry.

All this blatant cruelty leaves me with these nagging thoughts:

When someone mocks, ridicules or derisively condemns a group of people,

Do they not realize there’s a strong chance they have a personal relationship with someone they would identify as belonging to that group?

And if they do recognize that some of their friends are “those people,” do they not make the connection that they are mocking and ridiculing and condemning their friend? or family member?

Maybe they themselves didn’t mock anyone. Maybe they just liked or commented or shared a post that does.

Do they not realize that the action of liking, commenting and sharing validates the attack?

That it aligns them with the attacker?

stop-hate-peace-signDo they not realize it’s evidence that their “no H8te” duct tape selfie and the “STOP HATE” peace sign they posted are dishonest and betray their true beliefs?

And that despite the safety pin they wore or posted online, a percentage of their friends know that the only reason they are safe from outright attack from the safety pin bearer is that they’ve remained silent. under the radar. out of line of sight.

Not that silence keeps anyone safe from judgment and ostracization. Because lack of commiseration makes you suspect. The solidarity of those who hate DT is stronger than a red rover line of linebackers who just picked their nose. Nobody wants to risk going near that. Better to stay away. where it’s REALLY safe.

As a result, many of my facebook friends have been missing. Silent. For months.

I completely understand.

Why would anyone want to engage in conversation with someone who thinks they are stupid?
Why would anyone make themselves vulnerable to attack by someone who’s evidenced that they prefer to talk ABOUT them as an enemy than WITH them as a friend?

so. What have I’ve been grieving?

The loss of authentic friendships? or the loss of the illusion of those friendships?

The loss of my naivety? or the discovery that I didn’t know people as well as I thought I did.

Maybe people had misrepresented themselves and I only knew the persona they wanted me to know.

Whatever the reason, the breadth and cruelty – and tenacity – of these expressions of hatred and intolerance have genuinely shocked me.

I’m trying to tell myself that, in the long run, it’s better that I know the truth, not only about what some of my friends are capable of, but also what they think of me.

Right now, it doesn’t feel like it’s better.

All that interpersonal destruction aside, the question that comes back to me again and again is this:

When someone attacks, mocks, ridicules or derisively condemns, why is it that the validation of their opinions and beliefs seem to require and thrive on the ridicule of people who hold to different opinions and beliefs? Are the opinions and beliefs not strong enough to stand on their own merit?

“But there ain’t no point in talking when there’s nobody listening so we just ran away.”

Posted on by Julie Stiles Mills

It was facebook’s “On This Day” feature that prompted me.

Browsing through all my facebook posts on January 16th from 2010 through 2017 got me thinking. What had I posted on my blog on that date over the past few years?

One click on the drop down arrow of the archive list on my blog led me to the image above.

At first glance, it appeared I had only published posts during April, May and September of 2017. When I looked the listing of all my posts in chronological order, I realized I actually only published THREE POSTS in total last year.

But then I noticed this:

133 drafts. Admittedly, not all dated 2017. I didn’t do much writing last year. I scrolled back through the list, looking for the first unpublished post from 2017.

It was entitled “People talking without speaking, People hearing without listening.”

I read the post. I checked at the original creation date.

January 20, 2017.

I knew why I hadn’t clicked publish because I could hear Rod Stewart’s voice in my head:

“But there ain’t no point in talking when there’s nobody listening so we just ran away.”

Tomorrow is January 20th, one year later. I’m thinking this time next year there will be at least two posts listed in my blog archive for January 2018.

Chain Breaker (unmixed cover by Julie Stiles Mills)

Posted on by Julie Stiles Mills

It’s the day after a 12 hour/3 song recording session and I realize I haven’t posted any of the covers I’ve recorded in a while. Here’s one recorded June 30, 2017

“If you’ve got pain, He’s a pain taker. If you feel lost, He’s a way maker.
If you need freedom or saving, He’s a prison-shaking Savior.
If you’ve got chains, He’s a chain breaker”

12 Normal and Not-So-Normal Lighting Decor Ideas.
Unique Lighting Ideas

Posted on by Julie Stiles Mills

I’m not a big decorator. I don’t have a knack for putting together a cohesive design and I can’t tablescape to save my life. Put me on a committee to cater a meal and I know how to feed people, but unless there’s someone else on the committee who is blessed with the gift of decorating, there will be no tablecloths and the utensils will be in the plastic box they came in next to the buffet line.

When it comes to decorating, I know what I like when I see it and I tend to gravitate to the unusual; stuff you don’t see that often. As a result, I tend to have a very eclectic looking home. One thing I’ve discovered is that I like is lighting. I have all of the following lighting options in my house right now except number 8 and it’s on my Amazon Wish List. So, if you are looking for some unique lighting ideas, here’s my list of 12 normal and not-so-normal suggestions to light your home:

Flameless CandleGift IdeaPandaing Large Set of 9 Flameless Candles Battery Operated LED Pillar Real Wax Flickering Electric Candles with Remote Control Cycling 24 Hours Timer – These candles were a great buy – I’m very happy with them! Nine candles with remote and memory timer. Turn them on, set the timer and they run for 2, 4, 6 or 8 hours, then turn themselves off until 24 hours after the time you turned them on. Constant glow or flickering glow, with a dimming option. And the a happy accident/bonus is that the remote for these candles also control the flameless candle set below. That means I can split both sets of candles between the upstairs and downstairs, because I have one remote upstairs and one downstairs.

 

Flameless Candle Gift IdeaFlameless Candles, Led Candles Set of 9(H 4″ 5″ 6″ 7″ 8″ 9″ xD 2.2″) Ivory Real Wax Battery Candles With Remote Timer by (Batteries not included) – Also controlled with a remote, these work exactly like the set above but are smaller in diameter. Great for grouping together. I have three of different heights on one large candle holder meant for a 5 inch width candle. The three flickering multi-level lights are subtle and pretty. If you click the link to see these on amazon, check the listing for exact measurements for the different sets/options before you buy so you won’t be surprised or disappointed by accidentally ordering the wrong size.

 

 

Flameless Votive Candle Gift Idea
Flameless Candles Tea Lights with Remote – Votive LED Tea Light with Timer – Realistic Flickering TeaLights – Fake Candles – Battery Operated Candle 200 Hours – Holiday Decoration 12 Set x 1.8″ – I will never buy flameless votives without a remote again. I don’t use them every day, so I turn them on and off when I need to. Picking each one up individually and manually turning the switch for 12 individual votives gets annoying – and I have three sets of 12 votives. These are great! Solid glow or flickering, a dimming option and a 2,4,6 and 8 hour cycling timer to help save the batteries when I forget to turn them off. And don’t forget extra batteries: LiCB 10 Pack CR2450 Battery 3V Lithium CR 2450

 

Broadway Dressing Room Lights Gift IdeaLinkable Vanity Mirror Lights, BWL Makeup Mirror Light Bulb, Hollywood Style Dressing Bulb Kit with 10 Cosmetic Dressing Bulb, Makeup Vanity Light Kit, Dimmable lighting, Strip Vanity Set for Dressing – Bought these for my daughter’s room to frame the mirror mounted on the wall in front of her vanity. She loves them! Simple on/off or dimming function. Easy to install adhesive stickers that are still holding strong after more than a year.

 

 

Salt Lamp Gift IdeaCrystal Allies Gallery: CA SLS-PILLAR-14cm Natural Himalayan Pillar Salt Lamp on Wood Base with Cord, Light Bulb & Authentic Crystal Allies Info Card – This immediately reminded me of the stones from the movie, The Fifth Element and although I felt like I should buy four, I only had a place to put two. Put them both on a timer because I figured I would forget to turn them on. Maximizes the light bulbs life too.
Here’s a link to the replacement bulbs: 15 Watt Salt Lamp Bulb (Night Light) – 6 pack (6)
and the timer I use: 7-Day Programmable LCD Digital Electrical Timer Switch with 3-prong Outlet

 

Christmas Story Leg Lamp Gift IdeaA Christmas Story 20 inch Leg Lamp Prop Replica by NECA – I actually have this lamp. My daughter gave it to me for Christmas a number of years ago. Some might assume it’s a Christmas decoration, displayed for a month and put away for the rest of the year. Nope. It’s on a bookshelf in my bedroom, year round. Right in front of a window.

 

 

LED TV Backlight, Maylit 2M/6.56ft RGB Neon Accent LED Lights Strips for 40 to 60 in HDTV Neon Light Bias Lighting with Remote, USB LED Strips TV Backlight – Nice, peaceful ambience with easy installation and for very little cost.

 

 

Cinema Light Box,Delicacy A4 Size Cinematic Light Box Light Up LED Letter Box with Total 189 Characters and Colorful Symbols(104 Letters and 85 Symbols) – Fun or functional. Motivational quotes, retail notices, fun messages you can change seasonally or for special occasions.

 

 

SEEOU 20 LED Wine Bottle Lights with Cork, 10 Pack 3.3ft/1m Craft Cork Copper Wire Starry Fairy Lights, Battery Operated String Lights for DIY Events Party Wedding Christmas Halloween (Cool White) – I had previously purchased a bottle light, but the design was different – a single bulb in the bottom of a cork-like case. It worked, but the light was SOOO dim. THIS design looks even better! Note: The original batteries didn’t last long, but the replacement batteries are holding out great!

 

 

Star Wars Death Star Lamp Gift IdeaMeiTuKanKan 3257 the Force Awakens Multi-Colored Table Lamp 3D Death Star Bulbing Light for Star Wars Fans

Bought these Star Wars lamps for my son two years ago and they are still going strong! Color changing, timer feature, remote controls. EXCELLENT! Powered with USB chargers. (we had to buy longer USB cables because he wanted to put them on a high shelf.)

 

Millennium Falcon Lamp Gift IdeaMulti-colored 3D Millennnium Falcon Light Star Wars Wood Mood Lamp Lighting

 

 

 

Uncle Milton Star Wars Deluxe Lightsaber Room Light – 8 Different Blade Handheld Remote – I saved the best for last. This has been in my son’s room for years and is still going strong. Great ambient light! It does time out, which some people hate, but I think that’s why its lasted so long! I’m sure we would forget to turn it off.

 

(Disclosure: The links above are affiliate links, meaning, at no additional cost to you, I will earn a small commission if you click through them to make a purchase.)

step outside your comfort zone.

Posted on by Julie Stiles Mills

Some of you know I serve as a career coach. Just last week I found myself in a Panera Bread working with one of my current students on their resume.
This particular location is extremely thin on power outlets, so while working on battery power, we pretty much stalked every person at every table near a coveted outlet until finally we scored a “Power Table” with about 17% battery power remaining on my laptop.

A few minutes later, I looked up to see a super tall and impressively muscular guy walking around the restaurant, holding his phone and a power cable, clearly looking for a free outlet. I knew he was out of luck. He went to the cashier to ask where the outlets were and then he knew he was out of luck.

I watched him go back to his seat and join a large group of his friends seated at a span of tables.

I could have dismissed him and gotten back to work. It certainly would have been easy. and safe.

and selfish.

But I could feel the Holy Spirit nudging me.

So, as I reached into my purse for my favorite shiny red high speed portable charger, I told my student I would be right back.

The entire restaurant was loud and bustling and nobody was paying any attention to me, so the walk toward him was mindless, fast and easy. But, the moment I stepped up to that particular group of tables, every. single. person. seated there abruptly stopped talking and turned toward the interruption. .

that would be me.

every single face was silently staring. at me.

I admit, I was immediately uncomfortable. When I’d reached for the charger and while I was walking toward the table, I hadn’t considered the possibility that my attempt to help might be viewed as an unwelcome intrusion, but at that moment, from my perspective, 8 people halting their conversation to openly stare at me had “intrusion” written all over it.

and I was suddenly, extremely and self-consciously aware of the fact that I am white.

Did I not mention that every single person staring at me was black?

I held out my phone charger.

“Would you like to borrow this?”

There was a noticeable pause, then a look of disbelief and confusion, followed by a “REALLY?!?!” as his friends looked back and forth from me to him like they were watching a tennis match.

Ball was back in my court.

“Sure.”

I pointed to my table and my student. “I’ll be sitting right over there when you’re done with it.”

I’d like to say that he charged his phone, returned my phone charger and that was that.

In reality, I forgot about him and my charger for about a half hour and when I looked up, he – and all of his friends – were gone.

Me: “Did he leave?”

My student and I scanned the restaurant. He was nowhere to be seen. Suddenly she said, “There he is! Outside.”

We kept working for another 20 minutes or so and then she noticed him get up and walk toward the parking lot, out of our line of sight. I stepped outside and saw him dump his drink cup in a garbage can at the edge of the parking lot, so I said, “Are you leaving?”

He immediately assured me he wasn’t and joined his friends who were now sitting at tables near the garbage can where he dumped his drink cup.

I went back inside, my student and I got engaged in a particularly challenging section of the resume and we both completely forgot about him.

Until he quietly slipped the charger on our the table, thanked me again and left.

Would I have left the building without saying something to me if I were him?
No. It was thoughtless, but not malicious or devious.

Did I think he was trying to steal my $20 rapid phone charger?
No. I thought he forgot it was in his pocket.

Did he think I thought he was trying to steal my phone charger?
I don’t think so. He didn’t seem offended.

Did I regret loaning it to him?
No. I knew when I stepped outside my comfort zone and handed over my phone charger to a complete stranger that it would be easier to keep to myself and let his phone die.

I know that reaching out to help someone is a witness for Christ even when His name isn’t spoken.

I hope and pray that by evidencing “Love God, Love Others” in that simple action, my student watched, processed and was inspired to step out of her own comfort zone and extend a helping hand when it would be easier to be quiet and stay comfortable.

Will I do it again?
Even more so.

But I also think that the next time I go back to that particular Panera, I’ll be bringing a power strip with me to share with my fellow power-needy laptop cohorts.

Lord, please help me to be aware of your presence in every moment of my life and to recognize your promptings. Please bless me with the courage and motivation to be immediately obedient when you nudge me to do or say something. Don’t let me miss an opportunity to bless and be blessed because I’m held back by fear or because I want to cling to my comfort zone. AMEN.

Bill Nye. Regular Guy.

Posted on by Julie Stiles Mills

Confession.

Every time I read or hear something Bill Nye says, I have an instant flashback to this 1990s video of him wearing jogging shorts and a cape, hands on hips, valiantly announcing: “This looks like a job for SPEED WALKER!!!” (You’ll have to click over to youtube to watch. Embedding is disabled.)

And then I find myself thinking of that 80’s Vicks 44 commercial tag line:

“I’m not a real doctor, but I play one on TV”

Bill Nye has a B.S. in mechanical engineering, so when I saw his face onscreen as the virtual tour guide to building a virtual roller coaster at DisneyQuest’s CyberSpace Mountain, I thought, yeah. okay. That makes sense.

But outside of that – he’s a regular guy, with the same ability to research and form opinions as anyone and everyone else.

Why would I give his opinion on global warming preference over someone with a Ph.D. in ecology?

or the historical record:

“From 1910 to 1940, there was an increase in global average temperature of 0.5°C over that 30-year period.

Then there was a 30-year “pause” until 1970.

This was followed by an increase of 0.57°C during the 30-year period from 1970 to 2000.

Since then there has been no increase, perhaps a slight decrease, in average global temperature.
This in itself tends to negate the validity of the computer models, as CO2 emissions have continued to accelerate during this time.

The increase in temperature between 1910-1940 was virtually identical to the increase between 1970-2000.

Yet the IPCC does not attribute the increase from 1910-1940 to “human influence.” [Source]

When I see Bill Nye (or read about him) talking about politics or global warming or gender or abortion or cognitive dissonance or other topics completely outside his field, his opinion doesn’t have credibility with me. Not because he’s “just an entertainer” but because he doesn’t have any more specialized knowledge or experience supporting his opinion than the average person who is interested in the same humanitarian issues.

I don’t understand why he gets interviewed and quoted so often about politics and other issues outside his field. Please tell me it’s not because the kids who grew up watching him on TV look to him as a subject matter expert now that they are adults.

He hasn’t established credibility as a subject matter expert in any of these areas.

Three final thoughts:
1. There are many more credible sources.
2. Do your own research – a celebrity’s opinion should never hold greater weight than your own.


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3. I bet Bill Nye could build a cool Rube Goldberg machine.

homemade zuppa tuscana

Posted on by Julie Stiles Mills

Whenever we go to Olive Garden, FavoriteSon always orders the Zuppa Tuscana soup. So, one cold night, I fixated on the idea of making it myself. I found three recipes, all seemingly good on their own, but I just couldn’t leave well enough alone, so I created my own recipe from the roots of all three and then modified it even further. It turned out GREAT, but again, with the can’t leave well enough alone, I’ve already decided what I’m going to do differently next time. Here’s the three original recipes:

1. http://www.tuscanrecipes.com/recipes/olive-garden-zuppa-toscana.html
2. http://www.copykat.com/2009/03/29/olive-garden-zuppa-toscana-ii/
3. http://restaurantrecipesbook.com/olive-garden-zuppa-toscana-soup-recipe/

Here’s what I did, with notes on the changes:

First of all, I made a double recipe, which I tend to do very often when I cook. I don’t like to work hard for just one meal. I want leftovers.

Ingredients:
Two packages of turkey sausage or kielbasa (I tend to buy Oscar Mayer or Butterball for about $2 a package)
1½ tsp crushed red pepper
1 large diced white onion (which I diced with my Vidalia chop wizard)
1/2 lb. (or so) crumbled bacon (I bought 2 jars of Hormel Real Bacon Bits on sale)
4 cloves minced garlic (I used Spice World Minced Garlic)
1 quart water
2 14.5 oz cans or 32 oz box chicken broth (I used Swanson low sodium)
1 1/2 cups heavy cream
2 lbs. cubed Russet or Idaho potatoes/about 5-6 large potatoes
(again with my Vidalia Chopper – and I didn’t peel the potatoes, I just cleaned them and left the skin on)
2 cups chopped kale (I chopped it small to avoid whining)

Directions:
(I actually did this between step 1 and 2 below)
Cut sausage links open and cook them in the microwave for about 2 minutes or so.
Chop the sausage in the food processor and set aside.

1. Cook onions, garlic, cooked bacon pieces and crushed red pepper in a stock pot on medium heat until onions are transparent. (I added a swirl of olive oil to the pan first.)
2. Add chicken stock and water to the pot and bring to a boil.
3. Add diced potatoes to the pot and simmer until potatoes are cooked through. (about 10-15 min.)
4. Add the cream to the pot and simmer for about 10 minutes.
5. Remove some of the potatoes and liquid from the pot and put them in a blender
6. Add the thickened potato mixture from the blender back into the pot
7. Add the sausage and kale, simmer for a few minutes and serve.
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