Author: Kevin Berardinelli

three great flavors

I admit that I am seriously addicted to spices and condiments. It’s not that most food is bland to me, but I love the inclusion of and mixture of many flavors. Spices and sauces and condiments, to me, are the window to infinitesimal permutations of flavors that will never leave the palate bored.

That being said, I want to hit on three great raw spices/herbs. What makes a great spice? A great spice can either be very versatile, or so infrequent in use that when that time comes around to use it, you find yourself in a daze. A great spice is one that you can long for by just thinking of it. A great spice is one that you can associate with events, pictures, places, or feelings.
#1) Basil – The “king of herbs”. Literally, the word basil comes from the Greek “basileus” which means “king”. Although there are several varieties of basil (lemon, thai, etc) I tend to stick with sweet basil in my cooking. The scent is strong yet it does not overpower a dish (unless you want it to). Love me some pesto. Love me a caprese salad. Reminds me of walking through my grandfather’s front door to the kitchen where he always has a big italian feast ready. Great color and shape, and goes well with many dishes. And because bay leaves make me very mad, I’m glad I can eat a whole leaf of basil and be happy.

#2) Cumin – It’s biblical so it has that going for it (Isaiah 28:25). Such a distinct smell. Love it on chicken, love it in chili, love it with hot sauce, great in/on burgers, and unique in salads. Good sprinkled on grilled corn on the cob too. Reminds me of summer cookouts making our own fajitas on the back deck. A good spice to take out of the depths of your cupboard and place near the stove. You’ll find more opportunities to try it out in soups, salads, sandwiches, and other dishes. I’ve probably opened it up just to take a whiff more than any other spice.
#3) Saffron – Although not very well known and very expensive to buy, saffron is purely awesome. It takes a football field of flowers (50,000 – 75,000 flowers) to produce one pound of saffron. One pound of saffron costs at least $1000 (compare to $10-20 for dried basil). It reminds me of New Year’s Day where my grandfather makes huge pans of spanish rice (paella) for the family. I remember when my father bought a few ounces for my grandfather for Christmas and had the tin of saffron sitting in his trunk. Within 30 minutes, we could smell that great aroma in the car in the dead cold of winter. Pretty powerful stuff. Flavor is unreal in any rice dish and great with some seafood dishes as well.

Note: I know there are lots of cilantro haters out there but for me it gets a close honorable mention. Let this be my official declaration of awesomeness to cilantro, for its unique and lovely flavor.

These days, easy access to food should be considered a privilege. For that reason, it’s certainly a privilege to have easy access to a variety of foods with a wide variety of spice and herb options to boom up a nice dish. Thanks, Earth, for making nice flavors and letting me love them when I want and as much as I want.

early childhood math education

“Evidence shows that early success in math is linked to later success in both math and reading. Given the increasing importance of science and technology in everyday life and for gaining entry into many careers, it’s crucial that we give all children a strong foundation in math and that we start many years before they enter formal schooling.”

With the recent publication by the National Research Council on early childhood mathematics, I thought I’d post a little summary with some thoughts of my own. I have always had interest in education policy, curriculum development, and ways to close the educational gap in the United States and around the world.
I believe even the smallest steps can lead to vast improvements, and the general idea is awareness then action, fueled by collaboration. Make the problems fully known and understandable, and then provide mechanisms through which those problems can be addressed at the individual, family, community, local/town, state, regional, national, and international levels.

I have particular interest in mathematics, science, and technology education and hope to stay involved in this realm for my entire life. Since it is quite high on today’s national policy agenda, hopefully action will be expedited to show progress domestically. Then in fixing our national education system, we can serve as a good example to developing nations in how to structure early education and community programs to maximize intellectual growth.

Click here for a Science Daily article about the report.

Here’s an excerpt from the report description:

“Early childhood mathematics is vitally important for young children’s present and future educational success. Research has demonstrated that virtually all young children have the capability to learn and become competent in mathematics. Furthermore, young children enjoy their early informal experiences with mathematics. Unfortunately, many children’s potential in mathematics is not fully realized, especially those children who are economically disadvantaged. This is due, in part, to a lack of opportunities to learn mathematics in early childhood settings or through everyday experiences in the home and in their communities. Improvements in early childhood mathematics education can provide young children with the foundation for school success.”

Some more highlights:

  • Math education must start at the earliest possible age. A coordinated national early childhood mathematics initiative should be put in place to improve mathematics teaching and learning, particularly for ages 3 to 6.
  • We must engrain mathematics and statistics as an environment and a behavioral necessity at an early age. Analytical processing, spatial thinking, and problem solving skills should become part of every day life at a very young age. The report says mathematics experiences in early childhood settings should concentrate on: A) numbers (whole numbers, operations, relations), and B) geometry, spatial relations and measurement. “How should I cut the cake so that everyone gets a piece?”
  • Mathematical process goals should be integrated in other content areas. Math should not be a stand-alone subject but should be a part of the curriculum for history, english, art, music, and other subjects/classes.
  • We must improve the technical and scientific literacy of the general public. This should be done by promoting “number comfort” from early education through adolescence and making math and science education a family, real life, and every day thing.
  • There need to be revised professional development initiatives for educators reflecting science/technical/mathematical curriculum needs.
  • Early childhood education partnerships should be formed between family and community programs to work together in promoting children’s mathematics.
These highlights offer just a glimpse of what is in the comprehensive report, which includes full-scale curriculum, professional development, and implementation recommendations.

In my own point of view, I think there needs to be some sort of accreditation program for mathematics and statistics education, covering preschool, elementary school, middle school, and high school (truly, high school is a different story, but certainly some aspects by which the Pre-8 schools might be evaluated are applicable to grades 9-12 as well). A stepwise and gradated approach to evaluation of statistical/mathematical initiatives should help schools work from their current status to a desired and achievable one.

I am aware of accreditation programs that do currently exist at the state and regional levels (although it seems as though most are for a school as a whole and not individual subject areas). On the contrary, I am unaware of the steps these types of evaluation programs take to ensure that systematic inequalities don’t impact evaluation results. Subject-level evaluation programs should not reward schools but rather provide valuable feedback and awareness for all types of early education programs. It should provide a framework for schools to understand their relative status, in conjunction with possible areas for improvement, on a local, national and international level.
I believe evaluation of mathematical/statistical initiatives should take place at these core levels:
  • Administration/Management – Quantitative methods should be made operational in the management and evaluation of educators within the school system. It not only promotes understanding of such methods, but is also an engine for measurable results, positive reinforcement, professional development, and recognition. In some sense, schools are run like a business that should employ quantitative methods to ensure profitable return, an optimized allocation of resources, and quality control. Employ the DIS cycle and school administration will certainly find it easier to know what works, and what does not.
  • Culture/Community – As stated in the NRC report, partnerships must be formed between the student, school, family, and local community. Evaluation should occur on how well a school takes steps to forge and maintain these relationships. How much do children hear about math in school as opposed to out of school?
  • Curriculum – The most obvious one involves evaluation of the process by which a school teaches math and statistics. Does the school sustain its process equally over time? Do educators use a wide array of techniques to teach mathematical concepts?
In the end, something needs to be done and the NRC report is the right first step towards awareness. With the use of some simple quantitative methods and collective brainpower, we can take action to decrease inefficiencies and close the national and international education gaps in mathematics and science, and in turn, many other subjects… Use data to evaluate, support, and improve!

better sleep

Sleep does wonders. It’s the rejuvenator everyone requires. But it shouldn’t be a burdensome requirement. It should be a good, positive experience that charges you with the convertible potential energy for tomorrow.
Now this is not going to be rocket science but in the process of trying to improve my own sleep, I figured I’d post on my approach to do exactly that. I’m giving it a three-prong structure:

Chemically
Fruit – I enjoy McIntosh apples (PLU #4019, not #4152), soft Bartlett pears, peaches, clementines, or any type of berries. Save the bananas for the morning.
A Good Drink – Milk, VitaminWater, big glass of regular water, orange juice, apple juice, or cranberry juice. Refreshing, nutritious, and calming.
Daily Vitamin(s) – Not to take before bed, but taken each morning it maintains chemical balance and the healthy diet needed for good rest.
NO Drugs – No sleep aids ever. No smoking ever either. People shouldn’t drink alcohol before bed either, but a glass or two or three of wine during/after dinner every once in a while is good for sure.

Physically
Exercise – The best way to be tired is to get tired. Nothing like a good early evening workout followed by a good shower. Good health is directly proportional to good sleep. Just leave some post-shower cool-down time to get your heart rate back to normal.
Stretching – Probably one of the most important things to do before bed. Even if it’s just hamstrings and quads, relaxed muscles correspond to relaxed sleep.
Deep Breaths – Sit and take 5 deep breaths. It’s soothing and creates a relaxed rhythm.
Pillows / Blanket – Build a good nest! Get the right blankets there.
Environment – Turn on a fan, open a window, close the blinds, etc. Getting a good temperature, lighting, and sound (or lack thereof) are especially important for sustained rest.
Psychologically
Write – Write off all your worries for another day. Sometimes actually writing things down you need to take care of – at work and at home – helps rid your mind of those thoughts and temporarily relieves stress and burdens.
Read – A routine of ten pages a night does the job. It will make you look forward to reading and falling asleep at the end of that session, and also will break you cleanly away from the rest of the day.
Observe – Go look at the sky. It is different every night and can be a good way to clear your mind of any earthly pains.
Convert – Turn daydreaming into night dreaming. Think of a good memory, dream vacation, or happy feeling. Or make some original thoughts and ideas and take them to bed with you. New thoughts can be very enlightening and comforting before bed.
Hopefully a combination of even a few of these things (e.g. fruit + stretch + good temp + reading) is all you need. The good thing if you don’t like the routine, there are plenty of combinations to make from the above lists.
Image 1: From GraphJam
Image 2: From JeromeProphet

the DIS cycle

Every organization has something to learn. Every organization has data. There is always something to learn from data. Therefore, every organization has something to learn from its data.
A painful problem? Organizations that DO NOT learn from their data.
A more painful problem? Organizations that DO learn from their data but DO NOT build those insights into strategy.
A most painful problem? Organizations that DO learn from their data and DO build those insights into strategy but DO NOT feed the strategy back into the data structuring, collection, and integration processes.
The idea here is that the collection and creation of data has become central to most managerial, informational, and strategic practices in today’s world. Organizations must understand how each data element is to be used in order to optimize the information and insights gained along the way. Organizations must also know what to do with the insights once those insights have been made. Building them into strategy is critical – as long as they are built into the right strategies. In particular, it is imperative for that information to feed back into the original source of the information: the data structure itself. How can new data be created (and old data be refined) to provide new insights and analyses moving forward?
The process needs to be cyclical. Organizations must turn historically linear processes into innovative cyclical ones. Cyclical processes are self-fueling and renewable, whereas linear processes are expensive and always run out of gas. It is that self-sustaining nature of cycles that enables perpetual growth for individuals, teams, departments, companies, and industries.
So how can strategy feed back into the data structure and collection systems?
  • Create new data.
  • Refresh old data.
  • Determine the value of each data element based on where, how, when, and why it is used.
  • Compare internal data to external data sources and data standards.
  • Ride the DIS Cycle backwards to see how data can supplement new, desired insights.
  • Question your data. Love your data. Hate your data. Ask why it works. Ask why it doesn’t.
  • Build quality control and oversight processes to ensure data is used properly.
  • Insert data into your everyday workflow. Build a dependency on your data.
  • Quantify elements of your marketing, product development, customer support, and managerial strategies.
If you create the cyclical process correctly, the data will provide valuable insight that will serve as a self-sustaining support mechanism for your organizational growth and success strategy.

pop’s baked ziti

Below are the instructions from my dad on how to make a huge pan of baked ziti. I’ve made baked ziti for the past few years for St. Calzone’s Day and it has been pretty tasty. But like many dishes my father has taught me to make, it’s one of those that gets infinitely close to tasting like his, but never gets there. He’ll say the same thing about his father’s (my Nono’s) dishes too.
As a note, this picture has three of my all-time favorite things: Baked ziti, beef cutlets, and sausage and pork. Apparently my Nono made some spider potatoes too which nobody can beat.

“I bought at Walmart what was called something like a huge disposable “Hefty brand professional catering pan”. It was $2.98. If you can’t find that, then from having checked the sizes and volumes of the pans that were available at Walmart, a large, deep turkey roasting pan is almost the same size (3/4 – 7/8 the size of the catering pan). I used 3.5 lbs of ziti, but I suggest you use 3 lbs. and it would be just right. I didn’t use Barilla and the Anna brand I used was fine, but Barilla just holds up better in the long run and suggest using Barilla. To mix in with the cooked pasta you will need the equivalent of 5 jars of sauce, then have another 1/2 jar reserved to spread on the top of all it before baking to make it look good (plus some grated cheese sprinkled on top), and then the remaining half jar plus a sixth jar to have heated and in a pan or bowl on the side for optional use when served.

I used Francesco Rinaldi Original jar sauce (was .99 a jar at Price Rite), but their Marinara is great too. You just need to add more grated cheese (mixed in after it’s all in the big tray pan) if using the Marina because original has grated cheese in it already and Marinara doesn’t. FR brand is great because they don’t use high fructose corn syrup in it. More on the sauce in a bit.

I also used 4 lbs. total of whole milk ricotta and almost 2 lbs. of shredded mozarella (used about 1 2/3 lbs. out of a 2 lb. bag). I didn’t put any mozzarella on top after it was all mixed in the pan because that always goes to waste by sticking to the foil after baking.

In preparation, the day before I baked 4 lbs. of hot italian sausage and used 3 lbs. low fat ground beef to make and bake meatballs. I sliced up the sausages lengthwise and then across. I used a potato masher to crush up/break up all the meatballs after they cooled and after removing the grease from the pan..

I then ate 2 sausages and 2 meatballs for a late lunch on Saturday while they were still hot. Mmm…they were sooo good! Highly recommended.

After the sausage and meatballs are all set, here’s my sequence of events including the very important special sauce process. This time I bought a package in the produce area of already peeled garlic cloves – there were approx. 30 but 20 or 40 would be just fine (a jar of already crushed or minced garlic would also be fine). While a fairly generous amount olive oil was heating in a VERY large pot, I used the mini processor to grind up all the garlic (not necessary if your using jar garlic) and then sauteed in the oil at a med temp making sure not to burn, just soften. Then I added all the cut up sausage and meatballs and sauteed it with the garlic till it was all heated through and sauteed a bit. Then I added the 5 jars of sauce, mixed and stirred a lot and let that heat on low on one of the smaller burners while I got another LARGE pot to cook the pasta ready with hot water from the faucet so that it would boil faster. I salted the water.

Once the sauce and meat was all heated through together, I put a small amount in the bottom of the tray pan and when the pasta was ready and drained I dumped the pasta in the tray pan from the colander (took 3 times to drain it all because my colander isn’t very big). Then I added a bit of olive oil to the pasta and mixed. Then I added all the ricotta, mozzarella and a little grated cheese (grated cheese amount depending on if original or marinara sauce used or how your judgement depending on the sauce you make/use). After all the cheeses and pasta are roughly mixed together, I added all of the sauce/meat mixture and mixed all together well. Once mixed, I spread the 1/2 jar of sauce on the top, sprinkled some grated cheese on top, covered with foil and then baked in pre-heated oven at 325 for approx 1 hour 15 min. Took it out when I was ready to leave for Nono’s house so I’d say it’s OK for it to sit for at least an hour – 1 1/2 hours before serving and it was still very warm.

With these approx. amounts of ingredients it fed close to 20 people on Sunday as the main meal (although I had an additional 1/2 lb. of cooked pasta but if you have a turkey pan instead of the catering pan, then the reduced amount of pasta should make it all just about fit. It’ll be close. If it’s not all fitting, take some of it out at the point you realize it and refrigerate for your use another day). After the feeding frenzy, along with Uncle Mark’s cutlets (were awesome), additional sausage and pork that Nono made and some spider potatoes (the extra meat items were not really necessary because there was a lot in the baked macaroni), there was still somewhere between 1/2 and 1/3 of the pan left over and that was without even having appetizers first). Everyone took some home and I too had enough that I took home for lunch on Monday and dinner Monday night and tonight!”

perfect chances

your eyes arouse and your heart evokes
the feeling of something dear,
the reason i know is solely because
this feeling i also fear.
as the sun at dusk and breeze tonight
mean nothing for tomorrow,
the love you may flood in my hollow heart
could likely lead to sorrow.
do i take the leap and trust the love
will it prove its worth today?
or do i turn around and say no more
just to keep the odds at bay?
but chances come for so many few
the likes of those that cant see,
chances of sorrow, for promise of love
are perfect chances for me.

stomach rumblin, mind a tumblin

I love the feeling of going to the grocery store with not a clue what to get: Stomach rumblin’, mind a tumblin’. Fortunately, most grocery stores are designed in the same way, and I have to give Lord Henry von Supermarket the kudos for smart design.
Most grocery stores will have the produce section first. For someone with no idea what to make for dinner, I think this is ideal. It gives off the nice colors and smells and aura of freshness that get the mind thinking of some good combinations: potatoes and corn, tomato and basil, squash and pepper, onion and garlic, are some traditional ones. But then I usually take that all in and move right to the butcher. Meat is the simplest way to begin designing a dish. I like to think of flavors and meats, marinades and spices. If I’m not in a hurry, I’ll take a gander around the hot food and international food sections to gather up some more flavorful ideas as well. Then back to the butcher.
Last night I wanted something simple, flavorful, and mixable. I’m the type to take a little bit of everything on my plate onto each bite and kick it up with some sauce/condiment/spice before devouring. Here’s what came out:
Center cut boneless pork loin (cut about 3/4 inch thick)
Yellow squash
Sweet potato (California yams)
1. Make a spice rub for the pork. I used cajun blackening spice, fresh ground coarse black pepper, salt, rosemary, thyme, savory spice mix, and a bit more garlic powder. They say not to over-spice your meat? I disagree with that one. The only rules in cooking is to eat or share all that you make and to make sure the kitchen is clean before and after cooking.
2. Rub the spice into the pork, on both sides and edges too.
3. Chunk up the raw yams and boil. You’ll lose some sugars by boiling but you can always add it back in! When potatoes are cooked, drain the hot water, add a big chunk of butter, some brown sugar, and mix. Keep the skin in there, it’s the best part.
4. Chop the squash and cook in a frying pan in butter on med to med-high heat. You’ll get some good brown edges which have the best flavor.
5. Cook the pork. There should be some leftover butter in the pan after removing the squash, but if not, add some butter or a little bit of olive oil and heat it up. Toss the pork in and cook a few minutes on med-high heat. Flip and cook until middle is barely pink / white.
6. Frank’s Red Hot sauce is perfect for this and/or throw some applesauce on your plate too.
I served with a random on-sale cabernet sauvignon called Pepperwood Grove (2006, California). Don’t listen to wine rules, just get what you want. If you don’t want wine, 2% milk hits the spot.
Main advice here is you don’t always have to pre-plan. Try the walk-in approach and let your senses guide you to dinner preparation. Then you won’t be a rumblin’ no more.

gaining strength from weakness

One of my favorite exercises is to take a quote, phrase, idiom, or saying and digest it in every way possible. It’s an exercise that builds upon existing cognition to create new ideas and thoughts. The internal lines of thought leave the individual with a new network of philosophical pathways from which some amazing self-realizations can be gleaned. From a quote comes a new concept, from that concept comes a good memory, from that memory a connection is made, and from that connection an appreciation is built. That’s the breadcrumb trail of thought.

“Our strength grows out of our weakness.” – Emerson

Although not complex in structure, vocabulary, or tone, I enjoy this quote because its simplicity allows diverse interpretation. Emerson connects two antonyms as if they were a pair, complements to each other, one needing the other. And so it goes…

Immediate questions: What are my weaknesses? When did I realize they were weaknesses? Am I weak compared to others or compared to my own understanding of standards? How does one define standards in relation to characteristics? Have my standards changed with my changing abilities or with my realization of new weaknesses? What is my most recent weakness? What is my biggest weakness? Are all weaknesses able to be improved upon? Are there universal weaknesses or only individual ones? What is the most common weakness?
Let’s integrate: If I can somehow build upon the set of all my weaknesses from the time I was born until yesterday (or up to a second ago for purposes of true continuity), with what would I be left at this exact moment? Emerson says it’s strength, and I wholeheartedly agree, simply because I know we all have the capacity to learn. Our greatest trait is our capacity to learn. Learning gives us reason to try again. Learning gives us reason to move on. Learning gives us reason to find possibility. Learning gives us hope for tomorrow. Learning trumps failure.

Here’s a scenario: Consider a set of X functions, abilities, processes, and tactics with which we are all equally born. On day 1, they all exist as unrealized weaknesses. With each experience had and the capacity to learn, an individual has two possibilities: turn an unrealized weakness to a realized strength, or realize weakness and create a new realized strength. Over time, the original set of X expands as new strengths are added and the overall dynamic changes as weaknesses grow into strengths. The result is that from day 1, the number of realized strengths will always equal or exceed the number of realized weaknesses. In other words, as a result of their complementary nature, the proportion of strength to weakness almost always increases.

Wow – what a great realization that is! Rather than despise that which we cannot achieve, instead we must harness our weaknesses, grow to accept them and adapt to them, and find ways to learn from them. With that alone we’ll grow stronger every day.

Image 1: Chet Phillips – “Thought Process”

bogeys and birdies

Sports are great because they are all so unique. The rules, methods, people, challenges, results, rewards, feelings, and takeaways are all different depending on what you’re playing, who you’re playing with, and the level at which you are playing it.

Although I don’t play it nearly as much as I wish I could, I find golf to be one of the most intriguing and rewarding experiences. Here’s why:

The Pace – Slow and relaxing, there’s plenty of time to think about each shot and take in the surroundings.
The Science – Angles, calculations, rolls, spins, trajectories, and slopes all make it a mind game as much as it is a physical one.

The Atmosphere – With the aura around the clubhouse, concentration on each individual shot, and the interaction with nature, it’s always refreshing and relaxing.
The Landscape – The surroundings are always different with so many possibilities with weather, time, and season. Even on some cheaper public courses, the hills, trees, and sand always make an invigorating, lively piece of art and nature.
The Anticipation – Every shot might be the best shot. I sometimes freeze myself up before hitting a 8 or 9 iron because I begin to think I’m lined up so perfectly that I’m going to sink it. Then I’m already thinking about my reaction if I sink it. Then I can’t shoot at all and need to re-think my shot all over again. It’s a fun cycle of anticipation and anxiety.
The Goosebumps – Phil jumping after sinking his putt on 18 at the 2004 Masters. Tiger’s chip-in on 16 at the 2005 Masters. Goosebumps every time.

The Party – You can’t beat golfing with good friends… having good conversation, a good opportunity to meet new people, a good opportunity to build relationships, and a good opportunity to enjoy some beers, dogs, seeds, and cigars.
The Luck – I’m convinced that it’s not a purely mechanical game. There are some things you cannot calculate, such as the wind 75 yards away and 100 feet up or the surface moisture or dead spot 10 yards from the green. Therefore the rest of the game is filled in by luck – good bounces, rolls, gusts, and magical forces.
The Rules – It’s a game of honor, patience, and etiquette, and therefore helps guide life lessons. Noonan! 

The Unattainable – One always can improve. There is always more to learn, and every game is different. It never gets old and tomorrow is a new day. No one has ever hit an ace or eagle on every hole and that should make you strive to keep playing and improving. Most people have never hit an ace, and that alone gets me out there with excitement each time.

I’ll end with the best advice on golf I’ve received, from my cousin Kenny… Go through the same routine before and during every shot. Same steps, thoughts, swings, pauses, breaths, and time. With consistency comes improvement (and more manageable mistakes).
The Zen philosopher Basho once wrote, “A flute with no holes is not a flute. A donut with no hole is a danish.”
Photo 1: My whacked out swing at Rock Creek Golf Course, great photography from Benny T.
Photo 2: East Potomac (Blue) Golf Course on 5/30/2009, with my favorite tree in the world in world in front (Japanese Red Maple) and a nice Weeping Willow in the back left.

balancers

So I was walking home from work the other day and experienced a good thought-triggering event. A car pulled out of its parallel parking spot and darted into traffic, essentially cutting off a car cruising at normal speed. I could write a novel about horn honking alone, but it was pretty apparent that the disruptor of traffic flow deserved the horn of death – and he/she certainly got it.

But this got me thinking along the lines of my previous post on complements and natural balance. Does the car horn restore balance or disrupt it? I think you can make the argument either way. In one regard, the act of darting into traffic disrupts the normal flow of traffic. But what purpose does the blaring horn serve other than to show you are angry?

I think it’s about the effect is has on the horn recipient. They may have spent the past few days filled with road rage and impatient driving, maneuvering recklessly into traffic more and more each day. It’s not until a good horn of death rings in your ears that you realize you may be putting others at risk and endangering yourself. At some level, I think the horn restores some driving normalcy to recipients of the horn. A periodic wake-up call to drive safely, perhaps.
Well although the horn example may be a stretch to some, there are many other balancers and neutralizers that restore some sort of equilibrium in this world. They align with the concept of complements and allow our world to continue developing at a manageable, within-an-arms-reach pace.
Politics – In a multi-party system, the scale never tips beyond a controllable level, and therefore we are guaranteed checks-and-balances on policy, law, and governing bodies over time. (1)

Sports – Rules, organiation, and oversight allow for equilibrium to be maintained over the years. No one team or division or conference truly dominates any sport (besides the Yankees). (2)

Weather – If it was always sunny, we wouldn’t appreciate the good weather. If it was always rainy, we wouldn’t appreciate a refreshing shower.
Anyways, just some thoughts that correlate to complements around us. As with the sun and the rain, the balancers let us gain insight from disruption.
(1) Source of data: Infoplease
(2) Source of data: Wikipedia