Book Review: Medium Raw

Medium Raw: A Bloody Valentine to the World of Food and the People Who Cook by Anthony Bourdain

My rating: 3 of 5 stars


I read Kitchen Confidential years ago so I was excited when Medium Raw reached the top of my reading pile. I thought it was too self-serving (the inside baseball stuff didn't make for a hearty appetizer) and it was undercooked in parts.

Overall, Medium Raw was simply not well done enough for me.



View all my reviews

Ten Business Truisms

This is a condensed list originally written by BNET’s Steve Tobak. I like it, and thought I’d share it.

1. People won’t perform for those they don’t respect.
2. If you’re not passionate about what you’re doing, you won’t be successful at it.
3. When you have problems with others, look inside yourself for answers.
4. The workplace is about business, not you.
5. Conflict is healthy; anger is not. Get some help for that.
6. No matter how smart you are, wisdom only comes from experience.
7. Whine and complain all you want; nobody gives a crap.
8. You can BS others but you really can’t BS yourself.
9. The boss isn’t always right, but she’s still the boss.
10. The customer isn’t always right, but she’s still the customer

Rethinking Loyalty

Work hard, contribute often and you’ll be rewarded. That’s what I was told when I entered the workforce in the mid ‘80s. It was a time when people held jobs for decades and worked their way up the ranks.

Back then, I worked for a large corporation and while there was a great deal of cutthroat behavior, there was an unspoken rule that said if you did what you were told to do but also took moderate risks to innovate, you’d be rewarded. My boss at the time instilled this in all of us freshman employees with frequent reminders and examples of what you had to do to get ahead.

We took those lessons as gospel until the day the office doors shut one by one. HR professionals and managers entered two-by-two and left as displaced workers cried, screamed and packed up their belongings. It was the first mass layoff I ever experienced. They didn’t dress it up with terms like downsizing then; you were laid off, canned, fired and no longer part of the corporate community where you toiled for days, years, on weekends, holidays and after hours. The simple truth is you were no longer relevant.

I was one of the lucky ones who not only stayed, but thrived. I continued working hard, achieving promotions and recognition for my contributions. Years later, I was passed over for a promotion and was told that I was too young and needed a few more years experience before achieving the next level. My boss at the time sabotaged me, but I chalked it up to her deficiency, never blaming the company. My sense of loyalty remained strong because I hadn’t yet realized that at the end of the day, we work for individuals, not corporations, no matter how big the organization.

As my career progressed, I continued to work hard and give it my all whether it was something small like helping a colleague or a monumental event like launching a new product. I brought that strong work ethic and loyalty to every company I ever worked for, but I never stopped to think about the company’s loyalty to me.

When I left the corporate world for agency life, I was no longer just a cog in a wheel but an integral component to success. The agencies I worked for treated me well as an employee and human, and made me feel they invested as much in me as I did as them. Then the dotcom era happened and things changed. Everyone really did become replaceable. One-half of the agency I worked for spun off and changed their focus and the other half did the same. I stayed with both as a consultant, but as economic conditions worsened, it became apparent I needed to do grow my business.

I did that by being loyal to my clients, working hard and making each one a priority. While it was gnawing at the back of my mind, it wasn’t until recently that I realized I am not a priority to any of my clients. No matter how good I am, I’m just a consultant, and in their eyes, easily replaceable.

Working hard is something that’s just in me; I cannot change that. But I have changed my outlook on loyalty, particularly as it encompasses the client-consultant relationship. That first boss once told me it’s important to like what you do, but equally important to never love your job because your job won’t love you back.

Loyalty in personal relationships is an admirable attribute but at work, it’s a wasted sentiment in today’s what have you done for me lately culture. While working hard is engrained in my nature, I’ve got a new perspective and will never make a client a priority when I’m only an option.

Five Courses Every School Should Offer

Budget cutbacks face nearly every educational organization. While traditional subjects such as reading, writing and arithmetic are still mainstays of the American education system, other classes such as physical education, home economics, and art have been reduced or eliminated. With smaller staffs and increased attendance, important and necessary classes are being omitted, requiring people to struggle with basic life skills – some going their whole life without mastering capabilities that contribute to a more peaceful existence and self-sufficiency.

Recognizing this, and not wanting my own children to face this disadvantage, I’m toying with the idea of opening an educational institution with the following courses:

1.    Cabinet Shutting – you can do it too! Instead of grabbing a snack and walking away from the open cabinet, imagine being able to instinctively shut the door. This class will teach the simple swoop method and clues such as not being able to see the messy contents and the sound of a closing cabinet. No prerequisite required!

2.    Changing the Toilet Paper Roll – it’s Totally Tubular! This class will teach the basics of popping off the spindle, discarding the cardboard roll and reassembling the dispensing unit. Through this practical hands-on workshop, attendees will confidently be able to change the toilet paper roll if they’ve used the last sheet.

3.    Putting the Seat Down – students that have successfully changed the toilet paper roll are ready for advanced bathroom behaviors such as lowering the seat. Whether the method is a small flick of the ring finger or the foot technique, graduates can boast this skill to female partners. Believe me, it’s not overrated!

4.    Identifying a Closet – Wow, those Doors Shut Too! Although doorknobs and chairs can hold clothing, specially-designed devices known as hangers keep clothes off the floors and furniture and make it easy to identify clean from dirty clothes. Cabinet shutting is a prerequisite.

5.    Letting Go – Hoarder Helpers Rescue. Understanding the compelling draw to keep half eaten candy bars, torn magazines, shirts with perma-stains and other collectibles, this course will demonstrate purging techniques and help students learn that putting back an empty box of Chips Ahoy cookies never does anyone any good.

Feel free to leave suggested curriculum in the comments!

Smug Satisfaction

Smug Satisfaction

I don’t remember my grandmother ever saying you get more bees with honey than vinegar, but it’s a life lesson I learned early on. I think that’s the main reason I’m not a fighter unless it’s with a customer service representative (I see you Cablevision).

That’s not to say I am a doormat; there are some things that are just not worth fighting about. On any given day, I come up against that at work. It’s funny being a consultant. There are times when your worth is valued, because the client knows you have experience across multiple domains or a specialized skill set but there are other times when you are “just a consultant.” One of my friends experienced that on Valentine’s Day when the fulltime employees were gifted with large-size Hershey Bars and the onsite consultants were overlooked.

So, respecting those boundaries, I often limit how far I go in pushing back on ideas or policies and am willing to let things smooth themselves over before making a fuss. Recently, I submitted a series of ideas and nearly all were rejected on initial review. Submit them anyway, I’d said. This time I pushed back because I felt they were wrong but would have let it go if they disagreed. Every member of the team participated and the client reviewed them as a single pack.

Don’t you know, the ones they liked best were the ones I submitted?

At my college graduation, someone said to me one day you will have an idea. You will go into someone’s office and share it. They will tell you it’s stupid. It’s up to you to go back to your office and decide if they’re right.

You don’t have to fight; but you have to believe in yourself. The validation felt good, especially because every time the client slips from “valued partner” to “just a consultant,” there’s a little smug satisfaction that comes with demonstrating your worth.

Drowning in the Kool-Aid

Social media will save your soul and your business! Unless you live under a rock, I’m sure you’ve been witness to the heightened enthusiasm of communication professionals as they declare the second coming of communication, affectionately known as Web 2.0.

Even though my business model includes a large social media component, I’ve had it “up to here” with all the social media zealots. Don’t get me wrong – I love Facebook for keeping up with friends, using Twitter to see what kinds of trending topics people are talking about or to connect with business associates. But, there’s a lack of equilibrium between the so-called experts and people who want to use social media to promote their business.

If the rest of your processes are broken or your product is lackluster, social media isn’t going to help until you get the foundation of your house in order. If a consultant is telling you that social media is what will fill your pipeline or accelerate sales, they’re only right if they’re including social media as part of a larger marketing strategy.

Because social media is fairly new and continuing to evolve, note that the experts aren’t always right, and it’s your responsibility as a marketer to challenge them and ensure you’re proceeding with best-practices and not drowning in the Kool-Aid being served by social media consultants.

What are some best-practices you should follow?

*Blogging is fantastic for demonstrating thought leadership or adding a human voice to your company. Strike a balance! It’s great to provide readers with informative and actionable information, but showing your culture’s personality can also strengthen connections or inspire people to want to know you better. Don’t be afraid to mix professionalism and personality!

*Know your strategy. Social media experts would have you believe that every tweet needs to generate conversation. Not true! Sometimes it *is* about broadcasting. Sharing a link to other’s works or pointing followers to a press release isn’t a bad thing and not every post requires a litany of responses. Keep in mind the social networks are great for generating SEO. Do you want to be found, do you want to interact or are you hoping to achieve both? Understand your goals and then develop a strategy to support it.

*Be flexible! Yes, you can use tools like HootSuite to schedule tweets, but there will be instances you need to respond in real time. Be present! Monitor what is being said about you and identify opportunities to connect with customers and extend your message.

*Break restraints. Yes, short, pithy blogs are more likely to be read all the way through, but if you’ve got depth of subject matter expertise and a good story to tell, let the post dictate its length. Anyone who says “posts should not be longer than 300 words” is likely short-changing readers and your product message.

*Embrace the birds of a feather business philosophy. Want to go places? Align with people who can take you there. That means put some time into connecting with other thought leaders and influencers who are either on the same path or understand where you’re going and can help you achieve your goals.

A Hole in One

A Hole in One

I realize it’s not 1976 and an earring or two on a boy is no longer shocking. Many teenagers, if you can see under their hooded sweatshirt and downcast eyes, have something pierced or tattooed.  However, it’s not just teenagers getting pierced today. Since parents cannot say no to their children, there are more than a few sixth grade boys with a glint of gold and a sparkle of bling in their ear. Though I’m over the shock, and while I’m cool with people doing whatever they want to themselves, I don’t want my 11-year-old son popping a hole in his ear or any other body part for that matter.

I won’t deny the feeling of amazement when his friends started coming around with studs in their ears and conversations of piercing eyebrows, lips, tongues and other body parts wafted up to the windows as they shot hoops down below. This is my baby. I cried when they cut his umbilical cord and I feel tears welling up as I think of a piercing gun shooting a hole into his ear lobe.

Not long ago, on a Friday night, we’d gone to the mall. He and a friend wandered off ahead while I finished shopping. I was studying the teenagers, and as I was thinking how scary they looked, I heard “Hi mom” coming from under a black hood. It was my own pre-teenager, now tall and grown and dressed like one of them.

But it’s not being the mother of a mall rat or absorbing the eye-catching stares that go with piercing and body art that stop me from wanting him to refrain from getting an earring, but picturing how that look will age 20 years down the road. And when I think of that, it’s not good.

I’m old enough now that I look at forty or fifty year-old men and think they’re good-looking, but there’s no way I ever look at one with an earring and think that looks right, unless he was a pirate. So, as a parent, I try to dissuade my son using the delay method. Maybe when he’s 16 I’ll go along with it, but right now, I’m telling him to wait. Will he listen? I don’t know. But it wouldn’t surprise me if he came wafting in the door with a fresh stud pierced in his ear.

What do you think? Is piercing thuggish, stupid or just another form of individual expression?

Down on Jesus Lane

Last night’s episode had the goodness that makes housewives fun – lot of sex, wine, shopping, and gossip. The show kicked off with Peggy, Gretchen and Alexis spending an afternoon sucking down cocktails and trying on hooker boots and ballerina flats. The girls showed us how shopping is done and Gretchen proved she doesn’t need Slade money to treat herself to some fancy footwear.

Wood wedges weren’t adorning anyone’s feet, but if they were, Vicki could have practiced her Spanish. No scratchy the woody is the next Yo Quiero Taco Bell. Vicki bosses around the contractor, the Mexican workers and Donn, and no one understands. No scratchy the new woody! And Vicki doesn’t care that Donn does not like change. Change is coming, and it’s coming in the form of divorce. I’d say poor Donn, but it’s time for him to fill someone else’s love tank.

While Vicki was practicing her Spanglish, Alexis and the girls refueled with more wine and gossiped about mean girls Tamra and Vicki. Alexis nibbled at her food while Gretchen and Peggy talked about Slade’s sexual talents. The other girls talked about how they handled their horniness with the kids around, and Alexis couldn’t stand hearing how Peggy did it in the closet. She said she was in the closet way more than Peggy ever could be and even tied Jim up with her scarves. Who knew all that was going down on Jesus Lane!

Not to be outdone, Tamra and Vicki had a meeting of the strapless shirts to try and repair their friendship. Tamra confessed she is planning her first boyfriend-girlfriend trip with 25-year-old boy-toy Eddie but then suggests a girl’s trip to Cabo. Vicki doesn’t exactly jump at the chance, but gives a half-ass woo-hoo for Mexico.

With everyone nourished, Alexis packs 15 bags for her three day family vacation and prepared to send Jim off with the luggage and nanny while she and the three kids headed to San Diego to meet him. Unlike most families who might say “drive safe” or “see you soon” Jim granted everyone with an individual message telling them to be blessed and protected in Jesus’ name. Alexis thanks Jesus for sending them a Christian nanny and reminds us again it’s her place to listen to her husband. Of course, his auto dial didn’t get the same message.

While Alexis, Jim, their kids, nanny and set of matching luggage head out for vacation, Peggy pees in a cup for her naturopath mother-in-law to uncover any hidden ails declaring “Fish oil for everyone!” Mother-in-law Melinda shares her anti-aging secret – rubbing apples from Switzerland on her face- noting that Peggy’s urine indicate that she is rusting from the inside out.

As Peggy pursues good health, Alexis arrives in San Diego, poses for photos with her luggage and sets off on unpacking while the rest of the family has fun. After all, it’s her job to serve. While she practices deep breathing, she asks gd for patience. Then she prays for her breakfast and Jim prays while Alexis gets up to get him juice, and bacon, and eggs and whatever else he needs while serving as head of the household.

Part of the vacation also involves jewelry shopping as Jim needs not one but two new watches. Alexis, noting that she’s the best accessory for him, whines that she’s not scoring some new bling while Tamra scores a little somethin’-somethin’ with Eddie hot pants noting that he’s very humpable ( we should all agree that he is indeed “humpable”).

All in all, it was a mellow episode that didn’t have enough drama. Where was the drink throwing? The name calling? The screaming matches? Oh, well, there’s always next Sunday

Adult Shop

As a working mom and a previously self-confessed procrastinator, once I settle in and do something, I like to take a streamlined approach. I never mind doing the mundane chores that need to get done – folding laundry, emptying the dishwasher, re-lacing a child’s sneaker – because I know attitude has the greatest impact on quality of life. However, there are times when I lose sight of my own belief.

Saturday afternoon found me in my local supermarket – a full eight hours later than my normal visit. Not only has the store decided to undergo a major redesign of their plan-o-gram, my visit coincided with a visit from the SCAT bus – the senior citizen association transportation vehicle. Me and fifty super seniors – 80-years or older – were trying to navigate a chaotic store where the peanut butter was where the paper towels should be and the candy and coffee was nowhere in sight.

I tried to have patience as the numerous motorized carts chugged along making it impossible to cruise quickly down an aisle that wasn’t on my list. Because I organize the weekly shop on my BlackBerry according to the store design and delete items as they’re added to my cart, my system was rendered useless. Even a store clerk commented that everyone was frustrated. But a large part of the problem was the super seniors.

At 80-years-old, it doesn’t seem to matter if you stop in the middle of the aisle for no reason other than to argue with your aide or companion. There’s no regard for pulling the cart to the side or grabbing and going in an orderly fashion. Heaven forbid you ask them to slide over. “What’s your hurry?” one of them barked. That surprised me, too. After all, the early-bird special was only valid for another three hours. Their slow movement slowed me down and my normally 20-minute shop was approaching the hour mark.

I realize I’m inching towards the start of my senior years, but much like the local pool had adult swim where only those whole knew not to splash or summersault were welcome, the market – especially during challenging times that involve closed freezer cases and displaced canned goods – should consider augmenting store hours for adult shop to keep the pace moving for the busy moms, working women and inpatient men.

Before you get up in arms about unfairness to seniors, I’m also thinking ahead. Sooner than I like, I’ll be tucking an AARP card into my wallet. When I’m old, gray-haired and shuffling my feet, it’d be nice to know that some fiery-redhead isn’t barreling at me with her cart wishing I’d hurry along.

Out With It, On With It

I like to talk about my work, home life, projects I’m working on and all the things that keep me busy during the day. Even though I stay home nearly every day, I work on my writing (health care reform this week) and also teach fitness classes. So, I spend a minimum of an hour exercising each day even if that means getting up an extra hour to fit it in. “You get so much done!” is something I hear often, but the truth is, I’m a procrastinator.

This week, I painted the trim around my house, sorted the socks that have been unmatched for months, Googled recipes that I likely will never cook and tweaked some step choreography. I met all my editorial deadlines – that’s something I always do – but if I would just get on with it, and do what I needed to do, I’d be able to use my free time more efficiently.

I read blogs like unclutterer to find new ideas of organizing my life. I search for ideas on how to stay motivated, including avoiding things like checking my email every seven seconds or reading Facebook for updates. I am schedule-driven in a sense – I know what must get done on a given day, but I always have a hard time getting started.

Everyone puts things off – I’ve been meaning to start a diet, organize a garage sale, write a novel and do more with my free time than laying on the couch or folding laundry. With work, if I didn't hem and haw over every word, I could finish projects and have more time off. I'm confessing and professing today - I'm a procrastinator but vowing to make small improvements. Hopefully now that I’m out with it, I can get on with it.

What do you do to get motivated? Or, what are some of the rabbit trails you go down? Today, being Sunday, I’m making a pot of soup and committing to stepping away from the computer for a few hours - even if it's just to take a nap.

Dry Run

Call it neurotic, call it prepared, but I am a fan of the dry run - testing what needs to be done before the real deal. I've worked as a professional writer and blogger for more than a decade but I've never blogged for the sake of blogging.

As a work-at-home writer, I rarely leave my "cave", and yet, I interact with people all over the world through my computer.  I make people laugh, though I'm usually more situationally funny than ha ha funny, and so my inner circle has encouraged me to blog.

Maybe I'll review the housewives (I'm addicted!) or complain about my clients (changing all names to protect the not so innocent) or share some awesome recipes that no one in my family will eat, but I know are good.

This may not be the most interesting blog post, but it's just a dry run. Bear with my through the neophyte stage and I promise there'll be good stuff to come.