PART TIME HALF ASSED VEGAN NOTES - A Burger After My Own Conflicted Heart

There's meat-eater, there's vegan, then there's fence-straddlers like me.  No worries, Burger-Fi has us covered.  Not only do they have a great veggie burger, and not only do they have a 100% plant based Beyond Burger that bleeds (beet juice) like a real burger, but they have the Conflicted Burger for people like me who just can't seem to quite go 100% vegan.

The Conflicted Burger is a veggie patty and a meat patty.  It's a double burger!  It's so good.  It's big, it's juicy, it's tasty and may just count as a serving of vegetables.  Please take note that the lettuce is actually GREEN, not that colorless garbage that you get at other places.  That's a sign of vitamins.

Burger-Fi Conflicted Burger
Photo: Mackenzie Littledale

Burger-Fi Conflicted Burger with Oreo Shake
Photo: Mackenzie Littledale

No burger is really complete without a milkshake (there's that half in the half-assed vegan coming out again).  Oreo shake (with extra Oreos of course).  Damn right, I ate it ALL.

Friendly Kyle took my order (and totally got it right).  Manager She-She really hooked me up with the extra Oreos!  Thank you She-She! 'Preciate ya.

Kyle and Manager She-She at Burger-Fi Aventura
Photo: Mackenzie Littledale

Now for the fully vegan, get the Beyond Burger, hold the cheese.

For the meat eaters, nothing is better than the CEO burger with Wagyu beef.

For fence-straddlers, take me at my word, go for the Conflicted Burger!

Burger-Fi is all over, but if you want friendly service and to get your order right, go to Aventura.

18139 Biscayne Blvd. / Aventura / 33160
Call in your order for pick up - 305-466-0350

Conflicted burger with Oreo shake $15.94

#Foodies
#BurgerFi
#MackenzieLittledale
#HalfAssedVegan


Make someone else's day magical!
Mackenzie

#Woke - a website for parents who want strong daughters

Just saw something pretty amazing that I wish was available when I was growing up.  I'm not sure my mom would have noticed, but I might have found it on my own.

#Woke.  Are you ready for a confident and courageous daughter or niece?  Do you need help finding resources to give your daughters the inner fortitude they need to forge paths to justice and equality?

It's not really a man's world.  Stop saying that.

Consider this:

A group of the world's best scientists were gathered together on a project to colonize outer space.  When the team presented their suggested list of people best suited for the mission, it was brought to their attention that they hadn't included any women.  The men laughed at the suggestion.  Then they were asked how exactly they planned to colonize without women.  Slowly, the "geniuses" stopped laughing, realizing there is no future generation without women. 

The world's largest collection of books, toys and movies for smart, confident, and courageous girls

https://www.amightygirl.com/blog?p=14364

Make someone else's day magical!
Mackenzie

PESCETARIAN SATURDAY - I can't believe I ate the whole thing OMG

Since the Legal Wrap at Carrot Express is so unbelievably good, I had good reason to believe I'd like the Poke Bowl.  And, I did.  I really, really did.

The Legal Wrap is one of the best selling wraps, but the Poke Bowl is the #1 Best Seller item across all locations.  That's what Veronica told me.  She's a franchisee at the Sunny Isles Beach location, and I was happy to see her again.

Just as she promised me last time, all items can be customized, so I opted for the quinoa, hold the avocado.  First, I don't particularly like avocado.  Second it does a number on my stomach, so I really don't miss the bad green fruit/vegetable anyway.  Take THAT avocado!

In any event, the Poke Bowl is pretty big and it's a work of art.  So many flavors doing a happy dance and so colorful!

Carrot Express - Poke Bowl
Sunny Isles Beach
Photo: Mackenzie Littledale

Ahi Tuna Poke bowl with quinoa, fresh tuna, seaweed salad, edamame, arugula, scallions, avocado, carrots, pickled ginger, cucumber, sesame seeds and crispy onions topped with spicy mayo and eel sauce.

For my beverage, I got the Strawberry Passion juice mix.  Double strawberries, fresh apple juice, banana, honey and ice.  Yummy!  I especially love double anything, and you had to see the beautiful strawberries that went into my juice.  Farmer's best, to be sure.

I finished my treat with a treat: the almond cookies.  They are organic, gluten-free, and flourless.  They really have a bold, authentic almond flavor that only real almonds can give.

Alyssa's Almond Cookies and Strawberry Passion Juice
Carrot Express
Photo: Mackenzie Littledale

Poke Bowl, small Strawberry Passion, and cookies - $28.39

Carrot Express employee cutting fresh fruit
Photo Mackenzie Littledale

Visit their website and see the whole menu at www.thecarrotexpress.com

Stop by!  They're at 170 St and Collins Avenue / Sunny Isles Beach, Fla.

#foodies
#AllNatural
#CarrotExpress
#PescetarianSaturday
#MackenzieLittledale

Make someone else's day magical!
Mackenzie

RANDOM THOUGHT - The brain: Automatic Thought Toaster

I'm reading a short story and I'm getting the sense that one of the main characters is a Gen X or Millennial parent.  Guys who I know don't write texts like this parent.  "Give us a call?"  The punctuation is all wrong; it belies anxiety, and then it hit me:

All this modern psychology about expressing ALL of our feelings is probably not in anyone's best interest except the psychologists.  For anyone to express the full range of their REAL feelings everyday would be to admit we're completely out of our own control, and people who can't control themselves are nuts and need supervision.  They need psychological therapy (see how that works?)

I think it's the very act of expressing EVERY little thought, EVERY passing feeling that demonstrates an inability to make a decision about what thoughts passing by are worth believing, holding on to and accepting as our own.  Was it Will Smith or Chris Rock who said if you never thought about strangling your partner, you don't really know what love is?  See, we don't have to act on every thought or feeling.  Just fantasize for a minute and then get back to the real tasks at hand in real life.

I like to think of the brain as an automatic thought toaster.  Thoughts just pop out.  We are under no obligation to believe every single thought that pops to the top of our minds.  Same with feelings.  Feelings just come and go.  It takes real mastery to control one's own feelings and make the positive productive and constructive feelings ones last no matter what circumstances are going on.  (I struck out "positive" because sometimes happy talk is inappropriate.  That and the word itself has become annoying).

Or I also like to think of my mind as a little bit more orderly.  It's more like a Ferris wheel.  Thoughts take a ride and periodically circle their way to the top, hang out for awhile so I can consider them and then the next comes around.  Any thoughts that are no longer welcome or serving me get kicked off the ride - if they're particularly offensive or counterproductive, I can kick them off mid air.  Being immaterial, I can kick thoughts clear across the continent if I want to.

It's entirely possible that less scrupulous psychologists are actually making people sick and anxious.  I have little to back that up with, but that thought will stay on my Ferris wheel until I uncover some factual basis for it.

(c) unknown
Seen on Facebook

#modernpsychology
#MackenzieLittledale


Make someone else's day magical!
Mackenzie

PART TIME HALF ASSED VEGAN NOTES - What if I get invited to a steakhouse for dinner?

This question plagued me.  For one thing, I do love steak.  My friends have no way of knowing when I'm willing to eat meat, so I decided to do some advance research and headed to Longhorn Steakhouse.  To know beforehand if I could be full on vegan or just half-assed vegan at a steakhouse gave me tremendous peace of mind.

Metalwork inside Longhorn Steakhouse
Hollywood Fla.
Photo: Mackenzie Littledale

I've admitted my unapologetic love of meat, and to be honest, once I stepped inside Longhorn and got a whiff of steak and burger, I felt an awful lot like the shark in Finding Nemo when he smelled blood.  I nearly caved, but in the end, I held strong.

My server was Angelina and she was very helpful with suggestions.

I ordered the White Cheddar Stuffed Mushrooms.  Did you know that cheddar is naturally white?  The yellow sort gets its color from some kind of food dye.  The mushrooms are hand stuffed with garlic herb cheese, topped with parmesan crust and served over melted blend of 4 cheeses.  Not vegan, but Jesus!  Delicious!

White Cheddar Stuffed Mushrooms at Longhorn Steakhouse
Photo: Mackenzie Littledale

Then I ordered the Chicken and Strawberry salad "hold the chicken".  Angelina suggested I get the side salad size.  Great idea.  Dude, the side salad is HUGE!!!  Fresh field greens with strawberries, grapes, mandarin oranges, candied pecans, red onions, feta (oops), and raspberry vinaigrette.  This really appealed to my sweet tooth.

Chicken and Strawberry Side Salad - Hold the Chicken
Longhorn Steakhouse
Photo: Mackenzie Littledale

Together, these choices really filled me up and left me very, very happy.  And, I might add, Longhorn has the best peach iced tea I've ever had.

I spoke with the manager on duty - couldn't be nicer - and he told me that if a steak lover wants to bring his vegan friends, he will PERSONALLY GRILL UP THE VEGETABLES.  Now that's service.  Plus, he mentioned that the upcoming menu will feature gluten-free items too.  All nutrition info can be found on their menu website by clicking on the item you're interested in.

At the end of the day, I wasn't 100% vegan, but at least if my friends want to take me out to a steakhouse, I don't have to stay home alone.

#Foodies
#HalfassedVegan
#MackenzieLittledale
#PlacestoeatHollywoodFL

REMEMBER TO CLICK THE BLUE FOLLOW BUTTON ON THE DESKTOP VERSION

Make someone else's day magical!
Mackenzie

RANDOM THOUGHT - at least one of your ancestors was unfaithful

My cousin has been working on the family tree for a couple months.  She expects to spend decades on it (for accuracy I'm sure).  Her DNA search results yielded over 1000 relatives, and that's only in one database!  Her weekend was devoted to reaching out to these "cousins" to fill in the gaps in the family lineage record.  Why she even cares is beyond my comprehension, but I guess every family should have an historian, which means only one person in any given family is going to be the oddball and care enough to do it.

While a few respondents were excited to exchange information because they acknowledged they know little about their lineage, there have been a few who dispute a blood connection because they don't recognize the family surnames, or maybe they don't like my cousin's photo.  Hard to say.

I have some news for them.  Nobody has a 100% faithful family.  What ancestors wrote on paper for the birthing doctor's record or in the family bible may or may not be true.  Surely someone has seen Montel Williams do a paternity test on television, only to really humiliate somebody.  Just sayin'.  It's the DNA that passes through and sticks, not necessarily the name.

My cousin doesn't mean to shock anybody; she really just wants to find family.

I've heard a man say "Mama's baby.  Daddy's maybe". smh and lol!

RANDOM THOUGHT - Need: The f'ed up 4-letter word

I find it sad that needy people are considered weak and undesirable.  As if "need" is some kind of 4-letter word.  At the core of humanness is a whole set of needs that must be fulfilled in order to call life satisfying.  Our needs were even categorized and put into a hierarchy by Abraham Maslow, which every general psychology student knows.  We're all needy. 

What makes one person needy, if we all have the same needs ranging from basic to transcendant?  I'm not crazy about being around clingy people, but where is the line drawn?  It's not the need itself; they're all the same. The question must be one of degree. If a person loves himself enough to be satisfied, then his need for love from another person isn't going to suck the life out of that other person like a Dementor.  (Yes, I'm a Harry Potter fan.)

Maybe that's the line.  When the [fill in the blank from the hierarchy] required of me doesn't drain me then I'm happy to give more, and by the same token, when I fulfill myself, my need of others is minimal.  No one feels depleted without feeling equally replenished. Remember to replenish people.

So don't just have a wicked awesome day, give someone else a wonderful day, and I think your day will turn out wonderful in kind.

Maslow Hierarchy of Needs

RANDOM THOUGHT - Things I see on the road

Florida's pedestrians seem unconcerned for their lives.  They walk off the sidewalk into oncoming traffic.  They open car doors when they're parked when a car is pulling into the space next to them.  But what I saw on the road yesterday really blew my mind (in a confounding sort of way).

I was behind a couple cars in the far right lane at a red light and the road had three lanes. In the far left lane was an olive colored SUV in front of a red SUV.  We were all on A1A headed north.

The red SUV started honking, so I thought maybe the light was green, but that wasn't it.  The olive SUV in front of him had gone into reverse and was heading into the red SUV.  The red SUV kept honking, but olive SUV kept reversing until he hit the red SUV!  I thought a fight might break out.  That would have been logical, and therefore that's not what happened. 

Instead, the olive SUV driver put it back in drive and drove forward.  I thought the red SUV driver would have given chase, taken a photo of the offending driver's tag and called 9-1-1.  That, too would have made sense, so that didn't happen either.  This is South Florida.  Logic does not prevail.

The red SUV driver put his car in park and got out to check for damage.  I guess he saw none because he caught up to the rest of us.  I thought he would have gone searching for the olive SUV (I mean, it's not a popular SUV color, so he wouldn't have been hard to find, right?).  But no, traffic resumed as normal, leaving me wondering what kind of schmucks I'm sharing the road with.  I thought the nation's problem was meth. 

When in Miami, do as the locals do - Miami Spa Month shameless plug

My cousin is working at Fontainebleau's Lapis Spa and here's her tip for enjoying the spa to the max.

If you can go Monday through Thursday, here's how you can maximize the ultimate indulgence relaxation experience:

The 50 min massage is only $119, but for only $35 more (plus gratuity) you can get ---

• 30 min more PLUS
• refining foot scrub with a dreamy lemongrass scrub AND
• ask for a hot stone add on for your back and shoulders

Spend the rest of your day in their over-the-top pool areas

This is a limited time offer July and August only

CONTACT LAPIS

LapisSpa@fontainebleau.com

Call 305-674-4772

***Request APRIL***

She has 9 years of experience; you'll be in great hands

#Fontainebleau, #LapisSpa, #MiamiSpaMonth, #SpaLovers, #Massage

POETRY - Stray Lines #6

Stray Lines VI

In the stillness of a Japanese garden

Whispering creek flowing

Busyness under every leaf

In the stillness, my spirit growing

6/23/18

Mackenzie Littledale

Japanese Garden at Atlanta Botanical Gardens
Photo: Mackenzie Littledale

PESCETARIAN SATURDAY - Maybe it's the plum wine talking

I'd almost forgotten about my made up Pescetarian Day, but when I remembered, I stopped at Hiro in North Miami Beach for sushi.  Maybe it's the plum wine talking, but I'm in a pretty good mood.  Maybe it's the food.

Wanting to be adventurous (read: YOUNG), I ordered things I've never ordered before, starting with plum wine.  It's very sweet and kinda has a delayed reaction, for which I'm rather grateful.  Thanks HIRO!

Then I asked for sashimi - tuna, sweet shrimp, salmon and white fish.  My favorites were the salmon and white fish, but I didn't order enough pieces to really fill me up for dinner.  The fish was amazingly fresh!

Tuna, salmon, white fish and sweet shrimp sashimi at HIRO
Photo: Mackenzie Littledale

 So I turned to what I know, teriyaki salmon.  Wow!  It was generous and cooked nicely.  It'll feed me again tomorrow.

HIRO's salmon teriyaki with fresh vegetables
Photo: Mackenzie Littledale

They also have Japanese Marble Soda.  Choice of flavors: strawberry, lychee and blueberry.  I had lychee.  It reminded me of a light and refreshing Sprite.  There is a real glass marble in the bottle.

Marble Soda in Lychee at HIRO
Photo: Mackenzie Littledale

I watched the staff prepare one after another big boat of sushi samplers.  It was fun to watch.  They're like artisans.

The manager tells me they have specials every week.  This week's special is lava tuna roll.

$$
Hiro Sushi is at 3007 NE 163rd Street in North Miami Beach

#Foodies
#HIROSushi
#Pescetarian
#MackenzieLittledaleWrites

Remember to click on the blue follow button from the desktop version.

Have a wicked awesome day!
Mackenzie

RANDOM THOUGHT - Husband's Brain vs Wife's Brain

(c) Laughing Colors
Seen on Facebook

Have you seen this?  It's funny, right?  Yeah, I had to lmao.  But how come the husband didn't think about what to do in case of an oncoming train?  Or what if a few trains from different directions all want to travel into one area and then take off in different directions again?

A one-track mind has limitations.  That's all I'm saying.  That and WOMEN RULE!

Have a wicked awesome day!
Mackenzie

#husbandbrainvswifebrain

PART TIME HALF-ASSED VEGAN NOTES - 100% Vegan in Plantation PARLOUR BAKERY

I saw a Tweet about an elderly woman who attributes her fantastic health to being vegan and kind to animals.  Being half-assed, I wanted to make ONE SOLID attempt at eating a 100% vegan meal or snack, and I'm happy to report, I did just that.

Parlour Vegan Bakery in Plantation is 100% vegan and 1000% delicious.  This is not only my opinion.  Parlour's Butterbeer Cupcake was voted one of VegNews 50 best desserts in 2017.

Parlour Vegan Bakery
Photo: Mackenzie Littledale

PETA Vegan Starter Reference Guide
Pick up your copy at Parlour in Plantation or Boca Raton

Take note, my favorite meal is the broccoli and potato empanadas, but they're hard to get unless you arrive at opening.  The empanadas pretty much sell out straight from the oven.  The broccoli and potato empanadas come with a dipping sauce that I love.  I asked about it.  It's vegan, house-made ranch.  OMG!  So yummy, you'll want more than one empanada.  So don't just try one flavor.  The black bean and corn are a favorite too.  Also try the Buffalo Cauliflower with vegan bleu cheese sauce.  It's spicy and flavorful.  They're all tasty.

Parlour's empanadas
That potato and broccoli is MINE
These SELL OUT quickly!!

Maybe what you're looking to substitute is pizza.  They have awesome vegan pizza rolls, but I also enjoy the cheddar scallion rolls.  So many choices!  What's a half-assed vegan to do????

Pizza Rolls and Cheddar Scallion Rolls
Photo: Mackenzie Littledale

Refreshing beverages, too (in such pretty bottles).

Belvoir drinks
Elderflower and Cucumber Mint
Photo: Mackenzie Littledale

The desserts are works of art and I've never seen so many unique flavors of doughnuts and cupcakes!  The strawberry milk cupcakes are a pleasant treat that take me back to being a kid drinking Strawberry Qwik.

Cupcakes and Doughnuts at Parlour
Photo: Mackenzie Littledale

Mini Cupcakes at Parlour
Photo: Mackenzie Littledale

Cake Pops at Parlour
Photo: Mackenzie Littledale

I love the Napoleons, but honestly, you have to share. They are pretty big for one person.  When you try the guava pastelito, post a comment and let me know how good it is.

Guava Pastelito and Napoleon Pastelito
Photo: Mackenzie Littledale

For Oreo lovers, they have a cookies n cream pie in a cup that I really enjoy (maybe a little too much).  And I just saw a new item: Key Lime Pie in a cup.  $7.99 each.  Money well spent.  Vegan means you've spared a life.  Let me know which you prefer, Oreo or Key Lime.

Vegan Pie Cups at Parlour
Photo: Mackenzie Littledale

At the register, they also have snacks to go.

Plant-based snacks at Parlour
Photo: Mackenzie Littledale

Parlour Vegan Bakery

1487 S. University Drive / Plantation 33324 (btwn Peters Road and I-595)

954.533.7104

415 S. Federal Highway / Boca Raton 33432

561.617.7144

Don't just sit there - spare a life when you eat and go to Parlour.

#vegan

#foodies

#ParlourVeganBakery

#PlacesToEatPlantationFL

#PlacesToEatBocaRaton

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Twitter: @MackenzieLitt13

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Have a wicked awesome day!

Mackenzie

LECTURE - Surprising history of The Wizard of Oz at The Frank Art Gallery

Did you know that "Somewhere Over the Rainbow" had been cut from the movie by one of the 4 directors who worked on the film?  No one can imagine the movie without it now!

When the film opened at the Lowe's in New York City in 1939, by close of business that same night, 37,000 people had watched it at that theater.

When the movie transitions from sepia to color, there's a little trick.  We see Judy Garland up close in sepia as she approaches the farmhouse door.  Then we see her stand-in from behind, but something's different.  The camera is now shooting in Technicolor, only the set is painted in sepia and her dress is actually sepia.  The stand-in opens the door and then steps out of the way off camera, hands Toto to Garland, who magically appears in color as she steps outside the farmhouse to see the Land of Oz.

These and so many more surprising details of the Wizard of Oz were revealed tonight at Pembroke Pines's Frank Art Gallery by Andrew Strycharski of FIU's English Department.  It's clear that Strycharski is very passionate about the history of the movie, revealing so many details about the studio, the actor selection, the changes in directors, competition with "Gone With the Wind",  and technical wonders created for the making of the film.  This lecture was well attended by old and young and concluded with applause and a Q&A.

Andrew Strycharski delivering a surprising lecture about The Wizard of Oz at the Frank Gallery
Pembroke Pines, Fla. 7-19-18
Photo: Mackenzie Littledale

Program Coordinator Taryn Mӧller Nicoll has plenty more Wizard of Oz activities and events scheduled through August 18th. 

The Frank Program Coordinator Taryn Nicoll with Andrew Strycharski of FIU
7-19-18
Photo: Mackenzie Littledale

Coming up on the Gallery's agenda

Cartooning & Character Design Workshop with Angel Alvarez
July 21
10:00am - 12:00pm.

Frank Contemporaries
Pop-up Exhibition & Emerging Artists Professionals Meet up

July 26 

6:00pm - 8:00pm

Outdoor screening of The Wizard of Oz at the Gallery lawn
August 4
8:00pm 
Bring a chair and blanket

Careers in the Arts
Lecture by Jacek J. Kolasiński, New Media Artist
August 9
6:30pm - 8:00pm


Sneak Peak at September
Careers in the Arts Lecture
Raquel Farrell-Kirk, Clinical Art Therapist
September 13
6:30pm - 8:00pm

Imagination Meets Urbanism
Mixed Media Paintings
Ages 12+
September 22
10:00am - 12:00pm

Frank Contemporaries
Pop-up Exhibition & Emerging Artists Professionals Meet Up
Joana Fischer, Painting / Ingrid Schindall, Printmaking / Ashley Pezzott, Jazz Vocals / Clare Vickery, Guest Speaker
September 27
6:00pm - 8:00pm

Stay in the loop and check back for details at https://www.thefrankgallery.org/
Or on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/TheFrankPembrokePines/

POETRY - On Miguel Padura's [painting] "July Sunlight"

On Miguel Padura’s July Sunlight

I opened the door late in the day

Still at this late hour, the light was so vibrant and sharp, I could nearly make out the grinding scrape of it across the walls and the floor.  A light so vigorous and determined, I was certain I heard the rattle of the window pane, struggling not to give way.

A pre-adolescent girl simply standing.

In passing observation, it seemed she stood in silence,

Not really glaring, but certainly attenuated in my direction

She asked nothing, not even why I was there uninvited, unannounced

In this presumed silence was housed an encapsulated possibility

Of any sound

All that remained though, was the rush of water from a new faucet in the old bathtub

Claw feet of bronze going nowhere from here

By and by, as my soul slowly began to fully join the presence of the room,

I detected myriad invisible languages each take their turn…

First, her eyes:

There’s no telling what can happen when 100 year-old eyes in a 10 year-old girl notice you’re there uninvited

You may choose not to believe the gnawing whisper in your head that she’s 10 times ahead of you in some way.  Je ne sais pas

Her eyes’ careful study and concentration radiate waves of resolutions that have answered their own questions, though absent any concern for accuracy

(She is after all, only about 10)

Her shadow screeched, carving out a girl-shaped hole through the rays of the sun, mirroring her sharp edges.

It settled itself plaintively across the floor

This young girl, so peculiar in her way and vibrations and mysteriously sophisticated energies,

Caught a shaft of light, otherwise impossible for less worldly girls, for that light-catching was intentional

Even now, when I’m quite sure I’ve heard more than can even make a sound,

The delicate rustling of her white, linen smock coos tenderly like a tiny dove.

Lino bianco.  This song perhaps ministers to her, evening her rage,

Her indignant concern over my intrusion

Or perhaps over her own tired memory

What I listen for, and yet cannot hear,

Is the secret of her memory

Of this, there is nothing more than an unintelligible murmur

Nothing seems to touch this room,

Save for the echo of God, in one of His moods.

What has this child been told of the world?

8/6/02   

Mackenzie Littledale

backstory:
I'd given myself an assignment to visit the art museum and write 5 pieces of poetry on 5 pieces of  art,  each of which had to focus on one of the 5 senses.  I hope to God I've destroyed the other 4 poems.  Rubbish.  Absolute rubbish.  This one got my seal of approval.  I can still see the painting in my mind's eye, though I've been utterly unsuccessful at finding an image of it online.

#MackenzieLittledale
#Poetry
#JulySunlight
#MiguelPadura
#MuseumofArtFortLauderdale

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RANDOM THOUGHT - I didn't think it was so funny

You'd think any employee at a bookstore would know this, but I have bad news, especially if you're fond of the arts - creative, performing, literary, fine, commercial, whatever.

This particular bookstore employee was talking casually with me about some controversy in the news about Freedom of Speech (we were in the bookstore at the time).  I said something about a book being protected by the First Amendment.  The glorious beauty of an epiphany came over her face as she looked around her, as though for the first time.  She said, "That's a book! But it's for speech."

Did she think her idiocy was schooling me?  I laughed when I retold the story, but when I thought more about it, I didn't think it was so funny after all.

This is why I write.  Because sometimes in the moment, my brain is too shocked to formulate spoken words.  When the smoke clears in my cranium, I proceed to write it down, even though the moment has passed.

Let's begin with the First Amendment to the US Constitution.

Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion,

 or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; 

or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; 

or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, 

and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances.

Speech is a loose term for human expression.  Humans can express themselves:

• in words - spoken AND written down - so plays, dramas, lectures, debates, books, magazines, pamphlets and other wordy type things are protected
• in silence - a person can keep her thoughts to herself (especially when she's being arrested)
• through movement - so dance and the performance arts are protected
• through fine arts - so any art collection public, private and commercial is protected

I'm not even going to get into religion, the right to peaceably assemble or to lobby the government.

While I'm on the topic, though, I would like to draw your attention to two things.  The First Amendment is not a government-issued grant of rights to American citizens.  The First Amendment describes some of our unalienable rights as human beings.  Unalienable means a gift from God to humanity that cannot be stripped away, traded, sold, gifted, yielded or forsaken.  This amendment restricts CONGRESS. 1)  It's not a grant of rights from Congress.  

The rights protected from Congressional overreach 2) belong inherently to people, not just citizens.  Read the Amendment slowly (Salah).  

My fear is the younger generations and educated city dwellers don't know the first thing about the Enlightenment theories that gave rise to our nation's governing principles.  John Locke, Francis Bacon and Adam Smith are largely unknown names and this is frightening.  

There used to be a website for writers called helium.com, and I remember seeing a series of posts by teachers talking about the government granting our First Amendment rights.  Um, that's a gross misrepresentation of our system of governance.  (I am making a distinction between governance and politics.  There will be no politics here).

The other reason I know our populace is largely uninformed and misinformed is an episode of Jeopardy!  The clue was "These are the first seven words of the US Declaration of Independence."

NOT ONE genius contestant knew.  One responded, "What is 'We hold these truths to be self-evident'?"

I was like WHAT?????  WRONG.

"When, in the course of human events..."

I double dog dare you to google US Declaration of Independence and read the whole thing.  Those who don't know their history are doomed to repeat it.  Tell me I'm wrong.

#FirstAmendment
#FreedomofSpeech
#MackenzieLittledale

Twitter: @MackenzieLitt13

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Have a wicked awesome day!
Mackenzie

PART TIME HALF-ASSED VEGAN NOTES - but cauliflower NEEDS cheese

I've got this Facebook friend who's really involved in charity events at Anthony's Coal Fired Pizza in Fort Lauderdale.  I don't get around Fort Lauderdale that much, but when I saw an Anthony's in Aventura, I decided to stop in.

It was around 3:45-ish and I was invited to sit anywhere I wanted.  First, it's great to work weird hours.  I have my run of just about any restaurant I want with my schedule.

I ordered a red sangria (wait until you see the pic.  You're gonna be so jealous!)  It's full of fruit, so that's pretty vegan.  Off to a great start, right?  You bet!

Then, the star of the show - a specialty pizza.  Remind me to fill you in on a little secret about Anthony's.  Roasted cauliflower with olive oil and garlic, Romano and mozzarella, topped with bread crumbs.  You see from the description that trying to force this delicacy to be vegan would be foolhardy.  Cauliflower NEEDS cheese.

The manager - I'd share a picture, but he's camera shy, and I'd tell you his name, but he's self-described "low key" - wanted me to mention their loyalty program campaign.  Sign up and be entered for a drawing.  The prize is free wings for a whole year, but I thought that was out of place for a Half-Assed Vegan Notes post.

Red Sangria at Anthony's Coal Fired Pizza Aventura
Can you see all that fruit?
Photo by Mackenzie Littledale

Roasted Cauliflower Pizza at Anthony's
Photo by Mackenzie Littledale

You Could Win Free Wings for a Year
(So inappropriate for a vegan post)
Photo by Mackenzie Littledale

So, right, the secret.  Anthony's lunch menu is until 3:00, but IF YOU ASK FOR IT AT 3:45, THEY'LL STILL GIVE IT TO YOU.  I got that awesome pizza for 10 bucks and change.  Big savings and it'll easily serve 2 people.


Anthony's Coal Fired Pizza
17901 Biscayne Boulevard / Aventura, Fla.

#Half-AssedVegan
#MackenzieLittledale
#AnthonysCoalFiredPizza
#foodies

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Have a beautiful night and a peaceful sleep.
Mackenzie

RANDOM THOUGHT - There Once Was a Man from Nantucket...

This Nantucket guy spends his whole life chasing money and material things, only to reach the end of his life and he has to leave his stockpile of stuff behind.

(c) Laughing Colors / Illustration by Utkal Gaurab
Seen on Facebook

I guess hippie types will say that goes to show that materialism isn't important, because at the end, you can't take it with you.

WRONG TAKEAWAY.

What it goes to show is that #LegacyPlanning is important.  That Nantucket guy is going to die, sure.  He can't take it with him, true.  But, Nantucket jerk-off is going to leave his pile behind for Uncle Sam if he doesn't square away his estate planning and legacy planning. 

When it's your turn off the edge of the cliff, do you want your lifetime buildup of treasure to go to the people you CHOOSE, or to Uncle Sam?

You have this amazing career.  You have this fantastic spouse.  You have the most adorable kids.  I'm telling you, Uncle Sam will take your Nantucket, he'll take your bucket, he'll take your house, he'll take your spouse, he'll take it all and he'll [fill in the blank] it.

My apologies.  I'm not a limerick writer, but you get the idea.

Get your hands on "The Richest Man in Babylon" (Clason).  Reading it will take you a couple hours, but it'll change your life and change the way you see money.  That's all I'll say, because I know talking about money makes people squirm.  I'm sorry if you're uncomfortable with me right now, but I love America and I'm tired of the masses getting screwed because they spend more time studying football stats than they do managing their finances.

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New Places - Olivia Italian Restaurant at Circ Hotel

Saturday is Pescetarian day (in my imagination), and that could only mean salmon for dinner, and I'd been anxious to try Olivia's.  Dinner at Olivia is an experience!  From the moment I walked in, there was a lively energy, smiling faces and beautiful food being whisked from the kitchen to the tables.  The decor is modern but still warm and inviting.  High ceilings with enormous space age copper disks with giant bulb pendants cast a glow that makes everyone look healthy and tanned.  Of course, it's South Florida; everyone could actually be healthy and tan.  The crowd was mixed age groups and the bar was full.

I couldn't wait to be seated.  But I didn't have a reservation so I did have to wait to be seated.  This was about 8:45 on a Saturday night, so I advise calling ahead for reservations, especially on the weekends.

The menu doesn't go on forever, which was an indicator to me that the chef prepares exclusively what he makes best, so my expectations were high.  It was a tough choice between the Shrimp Flatbread and Salmon Rubino,  but in the end I opted for the salmon.

The wine list is generous, with options from Washington State to Italy to France.  I ordered the Tuscan Chianti Classico.  If I knew anything about wine, I'd give you a real connoisseur's review, but all I can say was it was nice, not too sweet, not too sharp.  I broke the only rule I know about wine - red with dark meat, white with fish.  Not to worry.  No one looked down on me.

Salmon Rubino - before the sauce

As for the wild Alaskan Salmon Rubino, the server put down a beautiful, generous serving before me, cooked to absolute perfection.  The sauce is truthfully a "delicate pink lobster bisque" with chopped shrimp that made the salmon even better.  Vegetables were a scalloped potato with a crunchy crumble, which was beyond amazing (the secret is truffle oil), and broccoli.  The broccoli had a lemony kick to it and was still a little crisp, not overcooked.

Salmon Rubino - with the lobster bisque and shrimp sauce

I wasn't ready to leave, and I'm a sucker for dessert, so I finished my meal with tiramisu with Peruvian chocolate.  This was seriously the best tiramisu I've ever had.  Take note of the spoon shape outlined in the cocoa powder sprinkled on the plate.  I thought that was just the cutest touch.

Take your friends if you care about them. And don't wait for Pescetarian Day.  Just go!  There's a semi private room with a generous sized table by the wine racks.

$$$$

Olivia is inside Circ Hotel.  Easiest access is from valet parking on Polk Street, just east of Federal Highway.

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#Foodies

STUFF TO DO - Pembroke Pines July 19 History of Film

Film buffs, especially lovers of The Wizard of Oz, are sure to get a lot out of this lecture coming up on Thursday evening in Pembroke Pines at the new Frank Ortis Gallery.

Click link for details.  Link will take you to the Frank Ortis Gallery website.

History of Film

July 19, 2018
6:30pm

PART TIME HALF-ASSED VEGAN NOTES - It's OK to eat chicken on Fridays

My friend introduced me to Carrot Express in Sunny Isles Beach.  Once I had the Legal Wrap, I haven't wanted to try anything else on the menu.  It's just so good!  The secret ingredients are the cheese and the cilantro lime sauce.

The Legal Wrap

grilled chicken
cilantro brown rice
black beans
chipotle sauce
jack cheese
pico de gallo
whole wheat wrap

The franchisees Nando and Veronica assure me that the wrap is just as good with the ginger soy sauce, but I'm not in my adventurous 20s anymore.  I know what I like and that cilantro lime sauce is the BEST!

Veronica and Nando, Franchisees of Carrot Express 7-14-18
Photo by Mackenzie Littledale

I am, however, eager to try the Poke Bowl on my next visit.  Just look at it!

Poke Bowl
brown rice or quinoa
fresh ahi tuna
seaweed salad
edamame
arugula
scallions
avocado
carrots
pickled ginger
cucumber
sesame seeds
crispy onions
topped with spicy mayo and eel sauce

Veronica tells me that substitutes are perfectly welcome, so you can take a dish with meat and substitute to make it vegetarian or full on vegan. Or, if you're me, you just don't want avocado.  They're totally ok with making the wrap or juice blend the way you like.

Nando assures me that the Legal Wrap is one of the top two best selling wraps, so don't miss out!

When you check out, pick up a container of organic almond cookies at the register.  Talk about an impulse buy.  They are so full of genuine almond flavor, you'll be glad you topped off your healthy meal with a healthy cookie.

Carrot Express is at 170 St and Collins Ave in Sunny Isles Beach, Fla.  Say hello to Nando and Veronica.  They're very enthusiastic about the food and the business!

#foodies

POETRY - Future vs. FORTUNE 500

Future versus FORTUNE 500

I am a fertile field

You could plant a seed of most any variety

In the dark, rich soil of my womb

And I would discomfort myself to give safe harbor

At personal risk and expense

Make a clearing within myself amongst my bones

To grow a bigger future

But the FORTUNE 500 is not interested

I am not an oil field buried at God’s insistence deep beyond the ocean floor

For that, the FORTUNE 500 would plan, plot, strategize

Drill most any distance

Face great risk and expense

In their furtive drilling, they will not notice the water, except that it’s in their way,

Put there for them to outwit

They will not marvel at the life

Not pay even a minute’s homage to the very source of their humble, single-celled beginnings

I am not oil

I am a woman.  Earth.  Soil.

I am a female

With a birthright ability to nurture and domicile the future

Like something of a primordial miracle motel, but yes of course

Something more

Just as my ancestors nurtured and domiciled me, my parents, grandparents

In black rich soil of wombs and we were nourished without having to ask

At great personal risk and expense

Though the risks are diminishing, the expense is increasing

Someone, after all, must get paid for delivering miracles

Regardless of the inflationary greed of strange capitalists, I am willing still to meet my birthright

But the FORTUNE 500 is not interested

Because I am not an oilfield, hidden in desperately hostile places

For this, they will negotiate with notorious liars, shake those hands and stretch their dry, taut lips into well-honed businessmen’s smiles

They will hoist heavy machinery with tender loving skill

To feed insatiable will to power appliances and SUVs the world over

But I am not oil

I am an honest American woman

Abundant Earth.  Fertile soil.

I am a woman, this woman

Watching with great interest, yet no matter how hard I try,

I remain puzzled at the academic sincerity of the FORTUNE 500

To quantify a balance sheet line item for intangible value

Yet a question to appraise the fertility of womb meets with blank stares

A most ironic impotence; surely the board of directors values the business of their balls

Here I am, miracle in waiting

And the FORTUNE 500 need not apply

For when they arrive with their enormous manly machinery

It is not to deliver, but to extract

Nothing they touch is ever left intact

Nothing they take is ever brought back

Groping, fattened hands, sausage-like fingers cannot build that which creates miracles

They will bump and grind into the Earth, deep into the womb,

Deplete the awesome, untether the sacred and release it to the profanity of market forces

To create value for shareholders

And if not, no matter, what they cannot create they can fabricate on the statement of income

A sleight of hand, perfected to the point of becoming rote

I am not oil

I am a woman, this woman

Plentiful Earth.  Earnest soil.

In want of perhaps a farmer, an industrious planter

Who finds comfort with this Earth

Who arrives before daybreak with seeds of tomorrow

Rising to ever make good of his hands, to share the risk and expense

His occupation no more construed as a necessary evil than rocking a baby

At harvest, he will collect and he will also replenish to the womb-soil what was fed to the future in the clearing amongst my bones

Whose craftsman’s hands will till blackened, rain-damp soil and not drill through it

As though Earth is in his way

But is itself the coveted prize of bigger future.

9/19/04

Mackenzie Littledale

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