Running out of World

In honor of earth day, our church each year hosts a blessing of family animals. Sitting in the pew this week I had a bit of an epiphany, which now that the idea is three hours old, is fading. While I have the thought in my head I am going to try to get it down...

100 years ago, the world was still vast, and in many places unexplored. If a person wanted to grab fortune, he or she (OK mostly HE) was able to go out to the edge of civilization, risk everything, and be rewarded like a baron. The world was still without limit, and a man could, through wile or brawn exploit the world which was still without limit.

This unlimited use of the worlds resources set the stage for several outcomes which we are realizing in the modern age. The first outcome has been that people are still looking to the edge of civilization for opportunity. With the melting of the Northern Polar ice cap this spring, nations and organizations are considering how to best exploit the formerly ice covered land and waters of the arctic. This is almost the last undeveloped, unexploited waters in the world. People are considering ways to extract minerals with the least amount of harm to the environment. But there is always some harm...

We are currently running through our world supply of fossil fuels, and pumping millions of gallons of oil into the environment, burning the processed result and putting millions of pounds of vapor into the enviroment as the fuel is burned. No matter what side of the arguement you are on about how much fuel is still out there, the oil is finite, and we don't have thousands of years left of it, we have hundreds of years at the very best estimate, and most of us are just hoping that we will get a solution through technology when the time comes and the pumps stop.

I have trouble with how stupid this sounds just writing it. Hoping to God I don't sounds like an alarmist, and knowing I feel like a lemming... (I must admit a love with automobiles.... I LOVE driving down the highway, as fast as possible or permissible, driving is freedom, and my great grandkids may not get to experience the same feeling...)

No matter what the skeptics say about the environment and global warming, we are selfish and will not consider what we are doing to our children. On this reverence for life Sunday, I want to write about my humility and reverence for humanity, my love for this small round jewel we live on. I am in a constant state of awe and thankfullness for the blessings bestowed upon my life. I live healthy, my children live healthy, and we have love all around us. I fear that my children will not have the same freedom which I take so casually for granted.

Why? (you may ask...) Well, the world is no longer an unlimited wilderness to be conquered. Humanity is competing with itself for a finite set of resources which are growing more limited by the day. As supply goes down, standard business principles say that competition and pricing goes up. Business experts have a name for this phenomenon: "death spiral". As prices go up, access to resources gets limited, further raising demand, and then pricing along with increasing scarcity. Bad policy no matter how you view it.

Here is the hard part: selfish interest demands that no matter where you are on the demand or access curve, competition demands that each individual try to secure the best access to the supply of resources. When I look at the activities that we as a nation are currently engaging in, my instinct demands that I see a pattern of trying to secure limited resources for ourselves. As a competitive member of this society, I can understand the need to protect America and Americans, but I also see that our actions are causing some of the outcomes that we experience.

We need to somehow get past the concept of nationalism, and better see the rest of the world populations as brothers. If we continue to hoard our way of life, I feel that we will continue to invite negative reactions to our way of life from those who have much much less. If you are an unemployed muslim male sitting on sand with no resources other than the oil the US is shipping over seas, how will you view Americans? To some others, we must look like incredibly greedy consumers. While I am a patriot and a classic American. I must have some concern for how my actions may indirectly affect my children.

We need to better understand the system which rules our economic world. My wife might have the best solution of all. At our house, we try in small ways to reduce our footprint on the world. Mrs. Sinki currently has about eight different vegetables planted in our small garden. I think it is fitting to sybolically observe earth day by looking at our small vegetable garden as a small symbol of doing the right thing for our children, while keeping in mind that much larger symbols may be needed to truly protect our world and future of our kids.

I wish I had the answers, and further wish I could write a blog post that did not ramble all over the map! Happt earth day, as well as bring your pet to church day!

I can't say (as below) that I have really taken my blog back up if I don't actually write. I'mworking my way through a bunch of things this week. After my class Tuesday I have a lot more confidence in my abilities to teach and hold the attention of the students. Somi is in red hot mode, My class is up and requires some amount of work on my part which I need to get to today so I don't work all weekend. I have a renewed sense of love and commitment to my family after spending time with them during Christmas. I love coming in the door and getting universal hugs all around the room.

Henry is a lovey maniac right now, just throwing himself at me when he sees me. About once an hour I need to protect myself from his burst of love. Willa always waits to the side to see if I want to be cuddled, except when she needs some attention, then she tries to sneak a leg over my leg to slide onto my lap. It is funny, because it does not matter what I am doing, if she decides it is time, suddenly there she is squirming for a spot on dads lap. it really makes me laugh, becuse she seems a little ambarrased to want the attention (such a strong little leader), but she loves to have her time with both mom and dad!

Professor Taylor

I can't say why I have taken back off with this blog, but I thought about writing two days in a row, so here is number two in two days.

Last night I had a a new experience. I got to teach my first class at Davenport University. And I did it with a nasty ear infection! The stats are as follows: MGMT 214 Sports management fundamentals, 15 students, 13 showing up for the first night. A good mix of students, most in some kind of management or sports management major. three female and twelve guys.

I can say to myself that I was really nervous going in. A ton of thanks to Amy for putting up with me as I tried to vent stress. She knows I turn into a jerky ADD filled ball of jumpiness when I am stressed. I left really early with the idea that I get my bearings at the school and absorb some of the atmosphere.

Turns out that I was not alone as there were about five other adjunct professors in the adjunct lounge. It is kind of cool to share a space to hang out and work if needed. The other adjuncts seem pretty nice so far. I was touched that the college left me a set of dry erase markers in my cool mailbox. I feel a part of this college and though I had not paid a lot of attention to Davenport in the past, I already feel a certain loyalty to the staff and instructors just for extending me the invite to come and join them. they must be the coolest college ever, they found me and asked me to come and be a member! No other college has yet recognised my excellence in this way ;)

So, shaking in my boots, I waited for the door to room 325 to open. Davenport has the locks all programmed, so there is no occupying anything prior to 30 minutes before class. I walked in when I found the door openable, and right behind me walked in Mitch, who is the student I thought I would know. Mitch contacted me before class with questions, so I have hopes that he will excel in the class

Most of the first night is already a blur, I got some sports periodicals and brought them in with me. I took role call and then did the housekeeping stuff: yes you can eat in class, go to the bathroom if you want to. Don't text or take calls, blah blah blah. We did the exhaustive syllabus review and talked about the papers which I will figure out as I go, and talked group project. It will be a lot of work, and a bunch of lecturing on my part. I should be reading the book as we speak!

I ended the class with the students looking at and commenting on the Sports Business journal. It was interesting what each of them picked out and commented on. I can't remember any of it as I was on fumes by that time! We got out at about 8:30pm which is about 20 minutes early. Davenport wants us to go the full time. Let's see how I do in week two!

A Walk in the Woods

We have been experiencing some very non-wintery weather in Michigan this year. Last weekend, the tempteratures hoveredaround 50 degrees, and the birds and wildlife can't figure out if they missed winter and it is spring, or if they should get south beacuse winter is coming. Amy suggested a walk outside for the family, since we have decided to try and encourage each other to get fit this year.

When I suggested a walk at Riverside park, Amy told me about how she thinks that Riverside is really boring with its one wide, straight avenue. I disagree a little, but part of walking for me involves people watching, and Riverside provides interesting sights without too much crowding. But, to find a better solution, I thought about it for a minute...

I remembered seeing a sign for the Howard Christiansen nature center up near Rockford awhile back as I traveled through the area for my job. I decided to set out with the family and see if we could find it.

My memory of the roads traveled a couple of months ago was fuzzy, I thought the sign may have been on 13 mile, and it turns out that the sign is on 17 mile, and the nature center is a bit north of that. Luckily I saw a couple of rural walkers and I don't mind stopping for directions. They told me how to get there, and our family had a bit of adventure cruising around to get to the proper streets..

So once we finally found the driveway, we got out of the car to take a walk. Amy and I were pretty stunned to find this huge and well managed nature center and hiking trails in Northern Kent County. I had no idea this preserve was there. There are literally miles of hiking trails, many trimmed with recent wood chips. We didn't see any deer, but I am not surprized as our platoon is not quiet in sneeking through the woods.

We walked for about two hours and explored woods, swamp areas, and small lakes withing the center, Looks like we found a new option besides Blandford for walking in the woods!

It has again been a long time since I posted. It does take a grwat deal of commitment to keep putting your thoughts down on paper. I have changed my method and gone back to journaaling to express my thoughts to myself. My good friend Emma Baranowski showed me a notebook where she intended to write what she was grateful for each day. I thought this such a great idea that I started a book of my own. To sum up about sixty entries since last winter: I am gratefull for my wife and family. Nothing I do in this world would have any meaning without the future my children carry in their hands. Thanks to Paula Ciszewski for reminding me of this today. The future is what we are all working on in one way or another. If this is not true, you don't understand your importance in this world. You have two paths in front of you, make your world a better place, or choose to not work on the future. To me this is the basis of meaning for my choices (OK most of the time, I am human...)

So today I read about an effort in the Senate to hold up unemployment benefits for jobless Americans. I don't usually write to Congress people. Mostly I figure that the email will be read, notated by a junior staffer, and discarded with the flood of stuff they must get daily. One Senator that is blocking the bill is Massachussetts Senator Scott Brown. I decided to write and express my view nonetheless; Here is the letter:


Hi Scott,

While I am not a voter in your district, I ask that you and all of your fellow Republican representatives, please consider the people of Michigan when you are considering unemployment benefits.

Neither my wife nor myself are workers employed in the auto industry. Yet we are seeing the results of this economic downturn in our family. While I have been able to hold on to my position, my wife was involved in a downsizing one year ago. Without these important safety nets (unemployment), our family will contribute in a very real way to the financial crisis seen in America.

My wife and I were both involved in non profits, both of us exchanging monetary security for the opportunity to do good in the world. So when my wife's non-profit had a bad year last year they had to lay off five people. With cuts to the budget we are doing okay.

But when the benefits run out, here is the cascading effect. First, we prioritize, cutting credit bills, phone service and utilities in favor of keeping our house and giving food to our two children. This will contribute further to the slide in the financial industries (albeit, in our own small way). Then the banks will crush the credit rating which we so carefully cultivated for over five years together. Our interest rates all go to over 29% on the small but cumbersome debt we hold. We are not able to dig out for seven years, or we go the route of bancruptcy. Just another America family who is try to make it.

Mulitply this by the millions of Americans who are hanging on by their fingernails. This not about willingness to work or Republican ideals of smaller government. Make no mistake, this is a crisis of enourmous magnitude that will affect America for years to come. I agree that government debt is onerous. But, in this case you are holding good voting Americans hostage with your ideals. a thorny problem, but I for one tend to come down on the side of the American people.
With Hope for the best,
James Taylor

Let's be done with the bickering

I read today about how the Republicans in Washington are stalling committee meetings in retaliation for the Democrats passing health care in a tricky way. I don't know the Roberts rules of order, but to this fairly middle of the road American, it looks like High school antics. I know the stuff we are facing is considerable and deserves the finest minds in the nation working on it, but I don't vote for people who won't work it out. I vote for people who are willing to stand on their ideals and do what is right.

On health care, I don't know what is right, but the situation right now is that ordinary people have a hard time going up against big faceless bureaucracies. So some level of oversight is needed. I believe some of the Replican ideas about smaller, more efficient government, but the system needs to protect those who can not easily negotiate their own outcomes. How this relates to the actual bill of legislation for health care reform, I think most don't know because we don't have the time to read all of it. Most Americans must trust the legislator that we sent to work on it. But is that trust justified with what has been spoken about the health bill and extensive pork that inhabits its pages?

What is advertised about the current Republican outlook, is that it is every man for himself. In the Republican model free markets reign and people are able to suceed or fail spectaculerly according to their own choices. What a great idea for a small growing nation of rugged individualists. But does the model still work for a crowded teaming nation run by large multi-national corporations?

LET ME BE CLEAR, this does not make me a socialist, do not mistake my words... I want to be free enough to determine my own destiny, but things need to be fair. If I work like a dog, there should be a larger reward than for someone who does not put in the time that I do... But if I am a Detroit autoworker who has been told that the company would take care of me for my whole life, while this seems to many to be a silly assumption, I think this "contract" should be honored.

We live in the real world, and every political act has it's consequences. the Republicans have a point in saying that the changes that are made by the health care bill will have unintended consequences. But it does not absolve them or the Democrats from the responsibility of coming together and working it out. Everyone involved has shown a willingness to use "tricks" to make a point or advance a political cause, this will have repurcussions for everyone in the next election. But above all, every elected official was sent to office with a job to do. And I do not feel that the job is to be the obstruction in the river that holds back the waters of change.
It is time to deal with the issues of today. Let's be done with the bickering.

Further new year...

I am sitting here knowing that this is not the year for big new things in my life. But if I won the lotto, here is a randon list of the things I would go out and get just to be ready to work with the occasional band...

5 SM58 wireless mics.
1 Yamaha M7cl digital soundboard
1 Yamaha LS digital board for monitors
4 stacks of high end speakers, or if I won the BIG lotto
16 QSC Wideline line array speakers
4-8 dual 18" subs
lots of amps
1 Allen and HEath 32 or 40 channel 8 buss soundboard
2 Ashley Protea system EQ's
1 System processor (not even sure what the majic one is right now)...

I have most evrything else needed to rock. I'm looking for the right venue to make a mark on this year or next...

Price tag (Hmm LEt's see)

$5,000
$12,000
$8,000
$5,000
$30,000
$14,000
$6,000
$2,500
$2,500
$2,000

.... ANYWHERE FROM ABOUT $5,000 TO ABOUT $90,000
Note to my wife- OK don't faint I am not considering this right now, just dreaming about the fun I could have with a few bucks...

Soundguy dreams are not cheap as you can see above. Cheers to all of my brothers making it work out in the world these days!

** For those few who might happen upon this blog once in awhile. Forgive the nature of the last blog. I was typing fast and loose and being a little more open than I normally would. I don't think I have outed anything personal in my life, but I did open the door to sloppy writing criticism and mopeyness charges.

As of two days later, I am much more caught up with work, and working on my class demands. Money is never easy these days, and even more complicated are the choices of how to live our lives. There is a side of me that wishes I had the big tribute house in Cascade, but my better side is overwhelmed that I have two healthy, complicated, critical thinking children, and a lovely wife who tries to keep me on the right path, that the rest just fades away.

Green goblin of envy begone, my life is great without you coloring the lenses of my eyes!

(Ahh what BS, I still want the nice house, new car and cottage in the summer ;)

A Little fuzzy

My head is a little more full thn it shoud be these days. I am trying to do a really good job at work, as well as be a leader in my organization, while finishing up on my master degree program part time, andtrying to be a good modern enlightened dad to two lovely children who are very demanding right now.
I seriously don't know how people do it. I work my ass off to make ends meet, and much of the timethey don't. I live small in a house that actually should fit within the budget presented to me.My wife and I go out to dinner somehwat more often than we should, but are always careful with the places we go and budget. I see lots of folks either living in houses Ican't imagine, or losing houses to financial disaster. I am clueless an how to get ahead.

When did we diecide to get ahead anyway?My parents were glad to have a house, and for the most part never considered trading up until the kids were in their mid teens.We did not have nintendo, or Wii, or playstations, or DVD's,or ten computers in a house. When did this become necessary. My wife and I can'tpass the computer without checking Fargung Facebook. Something I have noticed: My life and others didnot getmore compelling whenFacebook came out. I think it will slowly go the way of other fads as more folks realize the computer just adds to the noise between you ears. I'm putting down my text books and turning this thing off to go pick up my guitar. That is a place I can find some stress release...

People-centric New Years post

I saw a headline from the Grand Rapids Press last week which has been sitting on my floor. The headline read "Store Return Policies Tightening". While this does not surprise me, it does make me want to think about the implications. Whie I was thinking about how I felt, I also surfed across a Yahoo article about new airline screening technolgies like MIND READING which are being developed t insure "safe travel".

It seems like instead of working together to make a better world, we are more concerned with hoarding our way of life or catching and punishing "bad people". I will admit this, I am no terrorist, but I have probably brought back a kids toy to Meijers which was received at Christmas, but not originally bought at Meijer. These things seems very different, but are closely connected.

How many millions of people go through the Detroit airport per year? But we are really worried that one person might get through with evil intentions. So soon we will all submit to a brain scan or underwear search to weed out anyone who might try and fail to light his underwear on fire. Folks, there are well funded people using your fears to control you. Yes, if we are not careful the terrorists might blow up an airplane. Why are we not trying to bring these people to realize how horrific this is? Why do these people think that lighting their underwear on fire and blowing up a plane is honorable? We don't need better security, we need better understanding.

Now can I connect it back??? Meijer and other retailers will tell you that returns need to be controlled to control theft in stores. The theory is that people steal stuff and return it for cash...
-Probably true as there are many less people working as cashiers to stop theft these days (later I will write about how annoying self checkouts are for me). But in truth a big store with a good prevention process in place only loses 2% per year at most from admin errors, shrinkage, internal theft and all the other categories. I will say that 2% of 35 million is significant, but the stores are set up to be big and automated and this system is how it is... (For history, I was a home improvement store manager in one of my other job lives).

So here it is, the real deal, stores are tightening up returns, because they just don't want to deal with you.... WHAT .. REALLY?
Yes, here it is, the single biggest controllable expense for a store manager is labor. Looser return policies mean that more are people needed to deal with what you bring back. The truth is, if there is a mountain of returns, it takes staff time to inspect them and return them to shelves, or get credit from the manufacturer or ship them back, or write them off and destroy them.

The biggest bummer is that as we dedicate ourselves to cheaper imports, we will see more returns needed, more service for defects, and less ability from stores to take items back. Over Christmas my laptop power supply went bad. I Googled the item number and found an online retailer to replace it. The part showed up with a power cord which did not fit the power supply. For two weeks I have been battling with a service person with little or no Engrish skills to just get the cord switched. Six months ago, I swore to hell online I would never ever visit a Best Buy again after my wifes Canon Camera needed service 17 after purchase, and Best Buy would do nothing for me and treated me like dirt. ( For the record, Canon stepped in and fixed it, Best Buy never satisfied me at all).

We pay for convenience, we pay for cheap imports, we pay for convenient fast travel... Meijers, Best Buy, the Uxcell online retailer, and Al Queda all know this. For every rule there is a way to take advantage. Since 9/11, we have lost our innocence. We did not realize ( and still don't) how good we had it in the 50's, through the 1990's. And there is whole class of people who exist only to get themselves re-elected and give their buddies free turns at the feeding trough. My gut tells me that rather than trying to preserve our hallowed traditions, we should be working to see how we can lead the way toward a better tomorrow, because right now people don't see how they will get the positive future that they desire. We would be better off tripling the peace corp, and laying off airline security. Let's show the world how we can just be good people, not cynical self serving a-holes all the time.

-My rant for New Years

P.S. My vows for a New Year are as follows:
1. Do more good than evil
2. Love more fully and chill out with my family
3. Do at least five concerts, soundguy three for Dave, and produce at least three by year-end.
4. Get further out of debt and closer to being okay with my finances. (they aren't bad, but I can't afford a layoff certainly)...
5. Finish the master degree and devote more time to my family (see #2 above).
6. Did I say more love, and less stress???

-Peace to the world

The Concert
Well I have not written since we did the benefit (imagine that). I want to publicly thank all of my friends and Mrs. Sinki's friends who came out and supported the show. It was a small crowd, but those who ventured out got to see some fantastic sets by local music heroes. Not much more to say, except that indications are that we will be back again next year. I also had some coversations recently with a local promoter, and there is some interest in having this sound guy do some further shows in the area. Keep you posted...

I'm putting together a benefit concert with some of my favorite folks in the local music scene.

The benefit called: "A Very Special Local Christmas" will be held on December 14th (Monday evening). I'm excited as I have not promoted a show in GRand Rapids before. I've worked literally hundreds of others shows, and promoted and produced shows out of town, but I have never done a show A to Z in my home town. I hope the show gods decide to honor my request and bring the folks out. It is a good cause and I think I;'m putting together a great night.

Here is the lineup so far: My old friends Domestic Problems, Local heroettes Nobody's Darling, up and Coing artist Spencer Mulder, and old frineds and music godfathers Oscar Bittinger and Friends. Hopefully maybe two more acts will bless us with thier talents, but just this lineup is fantastic on it's own. I will be ecstatic if only these folks play this gig. I think this can be an annual fundraiser if it goes smoothly. Lot's to do. Maybe I will update, as this thing is causing me some strees to throw together quickly!

Think good thoughts friends, I'm calling in favors for this one...

Get out and Be Heard

I have in the last year attended several of the Grand Rapids Chamber of Commerce legislative breakfasts. I'll admit to a selfish reason for it; many area VP's and CEO's attend these breakfasts to get a couple of minutes of unscripted dialog with State legislators. Since my job is fundraising for a non profit (as many of you know), it behooves me to go where the money is. I've met some great people and gotten to know the process of change in this area by listening to what our leaders are saying in these meetings. It was Nice to run into a couple fellow non profiters from the ARC this morning, as well as Carl Verbeek from Varnum, who I have gotten to know a little this last year.

A warning here for the left, the chamber leans hard right (a gasp from the crowd, I know), and some of these meetings can be filled with vocal Repubs calling for smaller government. But you generally get a sense of what is top of mind for the legislators. Today was interesting, Republican and Democratic alike, they were all united in calling for a solution, but none were gutsy enough to propose anything new.

A quick lesson in Economics as I know it. Any tax will pick winners and losers. When I government spends money it is saying: this is what the majority of people say should be our priority, some are winner by default, and some have life made a little harder after each decision. So if you hear of tax cuts to the state parks, it means things like: not that many natives care about their upkeep (makes sense, many parks are used by out of state visitors, etc), or someone is arguing more loudly about about what they want the money spent on. If you hear of tax cuts to education, there may be political stuff going on that is not explained because everyone knows that educational funding gets air time... If you don't hear of prison reform it might be because the legislators are too frightened to debate it for looking soft on crime...

Let me give you a dirty secret about politics. Most politicians only hear from very passionate people who feel that their "thing" is the only thing who matters. They very rarely hear from the people that they govern. Because the "loud people" (OK call them something like.... well... lobbyists) have money to back their passions up, sometimes these are the only issues that we hear about as well, as the media also tends to pick up the issue "of the day".

That being said, here is what I experienced this morning... Eleven legislators who are thinking of cutting health benefits received for life from only freshman senators after this cycle... Mounting health care costs for state retirees who get free health care for life.... Prison system that is bulging and costs that are through the roof... A constitutional convention which not many legislator support, because it puts the shooting match back in your hands...

From the guests here is my experience... Frustration that things continue to not get done. The usual talk about Michigan pushing business to other states with our tax laws. Government growing while population (tax base) decreases.

My Humble ideas:
1. the People need to talk to their legislators about what you want and need from our state.
Grand Rapids a few years ago did a survey of residents and then made budget cuts based on the survey results. That is when we lost the parks and rec and entertainment divisions of the City. (People did say the city would be worse off for this, but it seems that there are still some great things going on downtown...) This would give everyone some idea of the true priorities.

2. Education need to be a priority. My wife has made me again a believer in this. I am like many in GR who would drop my kids into private schools and let everyone else worry about the rest, but this does not make for a great well rounded safe crime free, drug free city. We need to give everyone a base of learning so that everyone gets a chance to try and succeed. Some will always take the opt out feature and we will always have folks who live at the poverty level, but the chance to succeed goes way up if a kid has a safe school and a great teacher.

3. Our prisons are over populated! Sorry law and order folks, we need to solve the prison budget problem, and that probably means a new way of looking at the issue. I feel much the same way as many do about law breakers, they get what they deserve and should face all the penalties they earn by trying to go around the law. But, when you look at real numbers, Michigan has the highest incarceration rate per capita in the nation! We need to figure out how to make it more worthwhile to be a productive citizen than to be a criminal. The prison budget has grown exponentially in the last ten years, and nobody in the legislature has the guts to address this issue, as everyone has to look tough on crime to get elected.

4. Part time legislature with modified term limits so legislators can do what we need them to do. ('nuff said)

5. A tax structure that treats everyone basically equally, with lower overall taxes to medium sized businesses, without huge givebacks to companies who should not need them if they are competitive. People will always live here, don't kid yourself, we have the natural resources that the entire world envies. We have the majority of the worlds fresh clean water outside our doors, some of the best, most productive farmland in the world, natural gas and oil deposits, along with mining and other natural resources. There is no way Michigan should be back of the pack on the world stage, we should be the model of how people wish they could live their lives.

So how does this happen?
Call your legislator, have a frank talk about what you want him or her to do for the people of Michigan. They call these guys leaders, but they follow the whim of the people like dogs on a chain. What do you want for Michigan?

I have a soup recipe that I have been making a lot around the house, and I thought I would share it as everyone seems to love it

Jim's killer vege potato soup!
2 tbs olive oil
1 clove Garlic
1 Onion
3 good sized Potatoes
4-5 Carrots
3 sticks celery
2 tbs parsley (fine chopped)
2 cans vegetable broth (or Chicken Broth)
1/3 package of Velveeta cheese (optional)
2 chicken breasts (optional)

1. In a large soup pot begin by chopping the onion and garlic (I make it easy and use dried garlic, take 2 tbs of dried chopped garlic with a little water in the microwave to rehydrate). Brown the garlic and onion for a few minutes in 2 tbs of olive oil.
2. add the two cans of stock. (My wife is vegetarian so we use vegetable stock, but chick stock is great too) and start chopping vegetables.
2. Add the vegetables that need the most time first. celery, carrots, and then potatoes. I peel the potatoes, though it is only my preference.
3. Bring the soup to an almost boil and let simmer for at least half an hour. It is basically done cooking when the potatoes get tender.
4. At the end first add the parsley. I don't cook it too much as the parsley finishes the soup somehow. (Someone told me not to cook out the parsley), then add any additions. The soup is great as is, but I love adding a chunk of Velveeta which turns this broth soup into a cheese soup! I also separately par boil a chicken breast and add it to my bowl. But you can add chicken at any point if you want that option.

Additionally, I get a loaf of French bread and cut in half, I add butter and garlic salt, and then mozzarella cheese and throw in to the oven until it is melted. My wife and I also add a Bells Oberon to the meal which makes it perfect.

The recipe above will fill about six bowls of soup. I almost always have to add a little water to make up for cooking loss. Don't be afraid to mix it up and throw other stuff into the mix! A few more vegetables and this thing will feed an army. I doubled the recipe last year and had over 10 people over for brunch!

BACK IN THE DAY I FELT I HAD SOME MAD SKILLS WITH A FILM CAMERA, I HAVEN'T KEPT UP WITH THIS MUSE AS MUCH AS I SHOULD. THESE SHOTS WERE A LITTLE INSPIRATION ON THE 4TH OF JULY, BOTH TAKEN AT ABOUT 10:30PM DURING THE FIREWORKS ON HIGGENS LAKE. THEY CAME OUT PRETTY GOOD!

Jim’s journal 1/24/09

Domestic Problems

It has been awhile since I spoke a lot on the blog. In truth my wife does s great job of chronicling our lives on the Blanco De Sinki blog.

As I grew in knowledge as a sound engineer, it was my privilege to grow with a band that has never gotten the recognition it deserved. Domestic Problems was the party band of the late nineties in the mid-west. If you never caught a show, you missed out on a real phenomenon. They were accused by “serious” musicians of being a little on the fluff side of music. But they stand up well against some pretty stiff competition like Bare Naked Ladies, Dave Matthews, and in my mind (live from Ausitin) , and perhaps even Huey Lewis and the News, or Tom Jones.

Laugh if you want, but Huey Lewis had some of the catchiest and even now recognizable music in the rock catalog (ok maybe pop rock).

Domestic Problems was not originated to explore the dark side of human emotion, but rather to celebrate and uplift the spirit. A Domestic Problems show became a well crafted exercise in entertainment, rising to peaks and then slowing down, all the while leading to the kick ass ending that would send the crowd home drunk and sweaty and singing in the streets

Domestic Problems began their recorded catalog with the modest effort “Scattered Pieces”. It was recorded for approximately the budget that a national act would have for one day. Scattered Pieces went on to be one of the best selling local albums of any artist from the West Michigan area to date. Some day I will ask one of the guys how many were sold, but I remember it was well into the thousands of albums, which was pretty unheard of for a Grand Rapids band.

As the band matured lead singer Andy Holtgreive became a force to be reckoned with as both an entertainer and as a songwriter. His emotion came through in such songs as Untitled and other untitled (har har). But Andy’s secret was that he did not mind playing the court jester on such hits as Bowling and El Matador. By the time fourth studio album “Patiently” was recorded, Domestic Problems had logged as many miles as any working mans band in the nation, and had built up a catalog of hits that should have propelled them to national status.

This is where we talk about the drug binges or drummer dying right? In truth the grind wore out Domestic Problems. Most of the band were getting into their thirties and had the kind of responsibilities for family and bills that gradually make it harder to live life on the road. I had by this time relinquished my duties behind the sound board, and has been through at least two adult “career” jobs.

I wish every day that I could have hung in there and trusted the band to provide my livelihood. But in truth I had always treated my position as one that needed to make some money. There were nights that I made more money than anyone in the band. But the job of engineer also was a back breaking one, and there was not a great deal of fame to be had sitting in the dark making the guys sound good each night. I treated it as a job, and so I headed out to careerville before most of the rest of the guys. But I miss it, I am good at my corporate gig, but I dream of the road and the music, occasionally waking up with the sounds still fading in my ears.

Peace, love, and the occasional toast to you guys. I miss you, and hope that you occasionally miss me too!

Jim’s journal 1/24/09

The iPod

My lovely wife went and got me an iPod Nano (8 gig) for Christmas this year. I spent the better part of a month trying to decide whether to go get the upgrade iPod touch. I decided that for what I do, the Nano works great.

I have missed the boat on the iPod. I saw them come out years ago, and thought that as a sound engineer, I did not need a machine that played an inferior quality medium (MP3 or whatever the iPod does for compression). But I finally saw the possibilities when a friend showed me how he DJ’ed a corporate gig all day with just a quick play list and an iPod. This was a pretty high profile event in Detroit called the Turkey Trot, and he never even touched the machine all day.

Every engineer plays his walk in music through an iPod these days. I laugh with the irony of, MP3 music being played through $500,000 worth of high fidelity sound system, but the ease of use makes it a tool worth having. That and the thought that I no longer carry CD’s in the car, now I have 2,000 of my favorite songs in something smaller than a candy bar. All I can say is that they are pretty impressive, even if the ear buds make them sound like a pretty cheap walkman. I will be investing in a much improved set of ear buds as soon as I audition what is on the market. I like the Skull Candy in-ear buds, but don’t know about the fidelity. I may have to get a couple of ear molds done for some pro-level buds if the business leads me back towards production.

The other benefit of the iPod has been a renewal of my love for music in general. I spent the better part of a week loading a couple of hundred of my over two thousand albums into iTunes. This made me choose the albums that I like the most, as if I loaded all of my albums, I would need a much bigger hard drive to store it all (like a terabyte, I still can’t believe that I could buy a terabyte of storage…).

Going through my stacks made me realize that I have not made music a big part of my life lately, and that I need to move forward with some plans that have troubled my subconscious for some time. More on my plans later but let me say that I think you will see me behind the sound console in 2009 again.

My Assistant was helping me dig out from the recent snow event...