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The Secret

09 Jul 2003 by

What’s the secret to…

…A good pumpkin pie
…A good martini
…A good fountain pen
…A good piece of furniture
…A good day
…A good…

24 comments so far (Post a Comment)

09 Jul 2003 | Tomas said...

Money?

09 Jul 2003 | Toby said...

Apparently, an adjective.

09 Jul 2003 | ML said...

Garlic is the secret to everything.

09 Jul 2003 | suppafly said...

actually i think the noun would be most important, without it all you have is an adjective.

09 Jul 2003 | Bob said...

Love and talent.

You have to love what you're doing, but it requires a certain amount of skill as well.

I know a lot of people who love to sing. Most of them aren't very good. Even with training they wouldn't be good. Just don't have the talent.

A good day... well, that 's just a matter of attitude. What did Milton say? the mind can make Heaven of Hell and a Hell of Heaven. Certainly other factors contribute. But there's always more than one way to interpret anything that happens.

09 Jul 2003 | Don Schenck said...

The secret goes beyond mere "hard work" and includes that zone where you block out everything else ... where the entire universe is that pie, furniture, pen, what-have-you. It's a Zen-like thing.

I remember building model cars. The whole world was spinning through the universe, and I was absolutely fixed on painting the bolts on the firewalls of a 1/25 scale car. There was nothing else; at that moment, that was my universe.

That, and doing things that no one will ever see or experience. For example, taking the time to paint the underside of something that will never be seen. You do it because YOU know it's done.

09 Jul 2003 | Toby said...

Yeah, suppafly, but there is a common good to think of.

09 Jul 2003 | fajalar said...

A pool of buttah. Everything is better in a pool of buttah.

09 Jul 2003 | Tibloto said...

The secret to life is italian sausage. No doubt.

09 Jul 2003 | hurley #1 said...

In addition to all the above, time, knowledge, skill, commitment to quality, and the ability to ignore idiots

09 Jul 2003 | RS said...

An eye for what matters and what doesn't.

09 Jul 2003 | Bill Brown said...

Desire or will. If you have the desire to have a good martini, you will seek it out or discover how to make one. Same with the rest of the items.

10 Jul 2003 | hurley #1 said...

Actually the secret is to keep your expectations low. Then everything is good. ;-)

10 Jul 2003 | Don Schenck said...

Soooo ... that is why Hurley keeps ignoring me! A-HA!

10 Jul 2003 | hurley #1 said...

Er no, Don, it's why I try to ignore myself! I'm the biggest idiot I know.

10 Jul 2003 | hurley #1 said...

But you're coming close to second place ;-)

10 Jul 2003 | Eamon said...

The secret to a good fried turkey is orange juice. Lots and lots of orange juice.

12 Jul 2003 | ~bc said...

The secret to all these "good" things is "good." Quality always shines through.

12 Jul 2003 | Benjamin Gundgaard said...

A pure mind :-)

13 Jul 2003 | bah said...

Love, commitment, an open mind, and good friends.

15 Jul 2003 | BThomas said...

A good pumpkin pie

Fresh crust: 2 cups all purpose flour & a pinch of kosher salt, one stick of cold & unsalted butter. Cut in the butter until pea sized, drizzle just enough water until the whole mess forms a ball, roll out, fold into a quarter circle to lift over the pie, unfold and pre-bake until just tan.

A good martini

Freezing cold everything: shaker, martini glass, gin / vodka, vermouth. Stuff your olives with a stinky cheese for extra credit.

A good fountain pen

No dripping: buy an expensive one, you'll use it over and over again.

A good piece of furniture

Accept the fact furniture is disposable, so you don't fret over friends spilling drinks, sleeping on the couch, etc. Don't spend too much.

A good day

Learning how to do one thing better.

A good

Create wonder.

16 Jul 2003 | Bryan said...

Who is judging the goodness, the maker or the partaker? A slice of Pumpkin pie may be deigned good simply by the memory it was part of. I love Carvel ice cream cakes because they remind me of birthdays and occasions while growing up, not because they are inherently tasty. Goodness seems like a experiential thing, although I appreciate Don's comment of the satisfaction of a job well done, or "done good".

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