Monday, January 26, 2009
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!
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.
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.
Sunday, December 21, 2008
Wednesday, October 29, 2008
Thursday, October 09, 2008
I just bought 10 shares of GM stock for $5.00 per share. It is falling like rock and I think GM is not going anywhere.
If GM tanks I just make somebody $50.00 richer. But I have had about 60.00 sitting in my stock account for the last four years, and if GM goes back up to over 60.00 in the next few years. I will have made a good tiny fortune. If I had a couple of hundred bucks to waste on Gambling, I would call this a pretty good bet. Now I can demand as an owner that they make better more efficiant non foreign oil burning cars. look at me I am an economic titan!
If GM tanks I just make somebody $50.00 richer. But I have had about 60.00 sitting in my stock account for the last four years, and if GM goes back up to over 60.00 in the next few years. I will have made a good tiny fortune. If I had a couple of hundred bucks to waste on Gambling, I would call this a pretty good bet. Now I can demand as an owner that they make better more efficiant non foreign oil burning cars. look at me I am an economic titan!
Thursday, September 18, 2008
Washinton Mutual and the developing financial crisis:
I Have not blogged in a bit due to work, school (masters, go me!) and my Family obligations (HI Willa, Amy and Baby xxxxx). But today, after reading about the difficulties that Washington Mutual Bank is having, I wrote to the editors at ABC.com and they published my thoughts as a post after their story. Here is my response in full:
Washington Mutual deserves what it gets.
I am an average consumer that could see that Washington Mutual was being mis-managed. If I could see it then why could banking industry experts not see the position the bank was in? Here are the signs that I saw:
A little over a year ago the marketing wizards in the bank decided that the banks well regarded seasoned conservative name should immediately be changed to "WAMU". This so wretched that today the national media will not even refer to this moniker and still use the older, more formal Washington Mutual name. About two years ago Washington Mutual went on a bank buying spree and bought up banks with an emphasis on credit card marketing. Credit cards are a high fee item in banking, but are terribly risky due to the fact that the credit they represent is not tied to collateral.
So by having a high emphasis on credit cards, the bank was betting on the high fees offsetting the possible losses inherent in the credit card business. After buying up several banks such as Providian bank (lots of credit card accounts), WAMU became one of the leaders in the industry in placing high default rates on their credit card customers. They also stopped giving customer service associates the ability to change credit rates for customers.
So if a customer called up and said, that they were one day late on a payment by making an error, they were told that the rate was determined by computer, and that if they paid their bill they would likely see a decrease in the interest rate after several months. Additionally, the rate would never revert back to the original rate on the card. This resulted in very high fees for the bank and artificially made the bank show a good return for its shareholders.
The problem in both this interest game and in the sub prime mortgage market is that when customers go into a default rate, they are much less likely to be able to pay off the principal. And if the bank will not adjust rates, than their defaults skyrocket as customers start to refuse to pay.
The difference between a Washington Mutual credit card rate of 13.99% and the default of 28% (Yes hard to believe) is: at 13.99% you pay approximately $560.00 interest each year on a $4,000 balance. At 28% a customer must come up with $1,120.00 each year in interest!
The federal government has actually enabled this type of outcome. Years ago, a bank was never allowed to charge more than 21% interest for anything. Several years ago these laws were modified, and now a bank can charge anything it likes as long as the rate is somewhere in the contract that you sign. This sounds good for shareholders. But, what happens to the shareholders when the customers have no confidence and start taking their business elsewhere?
The banks that are still standing are the ones that were being criticized by shareholders for low earnings last year. Perhaps they had managers who truly understood the system and recognized that while the other banks were giving good returns in the short term, they were endangering themselves in the long term. As I said at the top, Washington Mutual deserves whatever it gets. Let’s hope what it gets is not a bailout.
I Have not blogged in a bit due to work, school (masters, go me!) and my Family obligations (HI Willa, Amy and Baby xxxxx). But today, after reading about the difficulties that Washington Mutual Bank is having, I wrote to the editors at ABC.com and they published my thoughts as a post after their story. Here is my response in full:
Washington Mutual deserves what it gets.
I am an average consumer that could see that Washington Mutual was being mis-managed. If I could see it then why could banking industry experts not see the position the bank was in? Here are the signs that I saw:
A little over a year ago the marketing wizards in the bank decided that the banks well regarded seasoned conservative name should immediately be changed to "WAMU". This so wretched that today the national media will not even refer to this moniker and still use the older, more formal Washington Mutual name. About two years ago Washington Mutual went on a bank buying spree and bought up banks with an emphasis on credit card marketing. Credit cards are a high fee item in banking, but are terribly risky due to the fact that the credit they represent is not tied to collateral.
So by having a high emphasis on credit cards, the bank was betting on the high fees offsetting the possible losses inherent in the credit card business. After buying up several banks such as Providian bank (lots of credit card accounts), WAMU became one of the leaders in the industry in placing high default rates on their credit card customers. They also stopped giving customer service associates the ability to change credit rates for customers.
So if a customer called up and said, that they were one day late on a payment by making an error, they were told that the rate was determined by computer, and that if they paid their bill they would likely see a decrease in the interest rate after several months. Additionally, the rate would never revert back to the original rate on the card. This resulted in very high fees for the bank and artificially made the bank show a good return for its shareholders.
The problem in both this interest game and in the sub prime mortgage market is that when customers go into a default rate, they are much less likely to be able to pay off the principal. And if the bank will not adjust rates, than their defaults skyrocket as customers start to refuse to pay.
The difference between a Washington Mutual credit card rate of 13.99% and the default of 28% (Yes hard to believe) is: at 13.99% you pay approximately $560.00 interest each year on a $4,000 balance. At 28% a customer must come up with $1,120.00 each year in interest!
The federal government has actually enabled this type of outcome. Years ago, a bank was never allowed to charge more than 21% interest for anything. Several years ago these laws were modified, and now a bank can charge anything it likes as long as the rate is somewhere in the contract that you sign. This sounds good for shareholders. But, what happens to the shareholders when the customers have no confidence and start taking their business elsewhere?
The banks that are still standing are the ones that were being criticized by shareholders for low earnings last year. Perhaps they had managers who truly understood the system and recognized that while the other banks were giving good returns in the short term, they were endangering themselves in the long term. As I said at the top, Washington Mutual deserves whatever it gets. Let’s hope what it gets is not a bailout.
Thursday, September 04, 2008
Picture day
I have not blogged in a very long time, so I decided to throw up some pictures for anyone that might come accros this dusty wasteland. They may not make sense to the casual reader, but they make me smile...
I have not blogged in a very long time, so I decided to throw up some pictures for anyone that might come accros this dusty wasteland. They may not make sense to the casual reader, but they make me smile...
"The Axis of Evil"
ok, supervillains, lets get our brains together and plot
world domination!
"I'm Drunk and I'm goin outside!"
You laugh, but I fear that our big girl will
someday fit in those boots.
These things keep me up at night!
Thursday, December 13, 2007
Weighing in on politics again
I have been reading some good articles, and I have to say, the Republicans are showing signs that I would not have expected four years ago. Like all of you, I am sick of the polarization of this country. If I can't have a civil conversation with my neighbor simply because we do not share a political affiliation, this country has more problems than anyone wants to admit.
I do like the fact that Mitt Romney made a pretty eloquent speech about how religion should not intrude into a presidential race. I also like the fact that McCain is out there trailing severely in the polls, and still saying what he believes (which in all reality is what probably the majority of Americans believe if you don't react to the rhetoric). As my someone near and dear to me just said, "if someone put a gun to my head and told me to vote republican, I'd choose McCain". Unfortunately, his patriotism and support for the war have crucified him in the polls.
Here is the kicker, McCain is right. Though we got into the war for the wrong reasons, we need to do the whole thing right and remake the country, or we have to slink out with our tails between our legs and let the radicals have their sand pit back. Two shitty choices, and to add to it, if we want a stable middle east, neither choice may be the best. If we "win", we have a mid-east peace that everyone can bitch about because it was engineered by "the great satan", and if we walk away, there might actually be peace, but a peace imposed by dictators and religious extremists. In the second case, how long will it be before we are back in there trying to put down a (at worst case) nuclear armed extremist uprising???
So sorry McCain, you are in the losing seat, even though you seem to be a just and honorable person...
I'm not sure if I can get started on the democrats? The republicans are just waiting to rev up the extremists in America. Either having a female candidate, or a black candidate, gives them all the leverage they need to rev up the redneck misogynistic bigots on the far right. Yup let's return to the days. Before all this equal rights stuff happened, when a white man could be a white man and nobody got to tell him what to do. (I had a different line there, but somehow it would have been found and taken out of context on me when I run for president in 2020.) C'mon people let's move forward. People are people, someone smart should be in charge, and it DOES NOT MATTER if it is a he or she or if they have a great tan. Of course, having said all that I do really wish Edwards had a better shot at this election. (yes I know the only southern white man on the ticket, read the lines above)...
I'm just tired people, stop acting like ignorant children. Let's all agree that the world is difficult and that we should all try and help each other out if needed... Peace
PS, just so you all know, I feel foolish after writing this little rant, but I am a little more at peace. Happy Holidays, I expect to write next week, but as you all know, it could be six months again at any time!
I have been reading some good articles, and I have to say, the Republicans are showing signs that I would not have expected four years ago. Like all of you, I am sick of the polarization of this country. If I can't have a civil conversation with my neighbor simply because we do not share a political affiliation, this country has more problems than anyone wants to admit.
I do like the fact that Mitt Romney made a pretty eloquent speech about how religion should not intrude into a presidential race. I also like the fact that McCain is out there trailing severely in the polls, and still saying what he believes (which in all reality is what probably the majority of Americans believe if you don't react to the rhetoric). As my someone near and dear to me just said, "if someone put a gun to my head and told me to vote republican, I'd choose McCain". Unfortunately, his patriotism and support for the war have crucified him in the polls.
Here is the kicker, McCain is right. Though we got into the war for the wrong reasons, we need to do the whole thing right and remake the country, or we have to slink out with our tails between our legs and let the radicals have their sand pit back. Two shitty choices, and to add to it, if we want a stable middle east, neither choice may be the best. If we "win", we have a mid-east peace that everyone can bitch about because it was engineered by "the great satan", and if we walk away, there might actually be peace, but a peace imposed by dictators and religious extremists. In the second case, how long will it be before we are back in there trying to put down a (at worst case) nuclear armed extremist uprising???
So sorry McCain, you are in the losing seat, even though you seem to be a just and honorable person...
I'm not sure if I can get started on the democrats? The republicans are just waiting to rev up the extremists in America. Either having a female candidate, or a black candidate, gives them all the leverage they need to rev up the redneck misogynistic bigots on the far right. Yup let's return to the days. Before all this equal rights stuff happened, when a white man could be a white man and nobody got to tell him what to do. (I had a different line there, but somehow it would have been found and taken out of context on me when I run for president in 2020.) C'mon people let's move forward. People are people, someone smart should be in charge, and it DOES NOT MATTER if it is a he or she or if they have a great tan. Of course, having said all that I do really wish Edwards had a better shot at this election. (yes I know the only southern white man on the ticket, read the lines above)...
I'm just tired people, stop acting like ignorant children. Let's all agree that the world is difficult and that we should all try and help each other out if needed... Peace
PS, just so you all know, I feel foolish after writing this little rant, but I am a little more at peace. Happy Holidays, I expect to write next week, but as you all know, it could be six months again at any time!
Monday, December 10, 2007
The soundguy is sick (.com)
I have been sick all fall. Not Kidding. I started out with an ear infection in November. Had a course of antibiotics, but never felt the ear pressure completely go away. A Couple of Days later my throat was swelling up and I saw the doctor for an unrelated ailment. he told me that he did not want me to do another course of antibiotics, and he did not see any redness in the ear. I went home and by Friday night my throat hurt like hell. This was Friday a week ago. I went back into the doctor on Monday, he put me on a prescription decongestant, and sent me on my way after taking a chunk of my skin for biopsy (more on that later). The decongestant has been opening my sinus for a week now, but since Thursday, I have had no voice as my throat continues to drain and I get to spit green monsters. Last night as I coughed out a bunch of grossness, IO did not sleep, and also kept my wife up with my hacking. I guess with all the technology, sometimes ya just gotta be sick and let it happen. Hope you all have a illness free holiday season and get to kiss many germ-free relatives!
OK the skin thing, Amy has always hated this little bump on my head above my ear. It gets scratched and bleeds occasionally. I always thought it was a birthmark. After having her repeatedly ask me to get it checked out, and once having a doctor tell me it was nothing, my doctor took a look at it and said, "OK it looks a little weird". He told me it was not a birthmark, but could be either a little pre-melanoma, or a small collection of blood vessels. He decided to do what is called a shave biopsy. Basically he numbed it up and sliced it off my head quickly, painlessly, with little blood. Now I have a little scab, and a collection of small blood vessels in a jar on a shelf in some lab. Glad to be cancer free, and Amy is glad to be able to run her nails across my scalp sans bump. Thanks Doc, I alway seem to be having little odd procedures which he cheerfully does for me without complaint. Here is my shout out for the day. If you can get in to see Dr Durfee at advantage health, he is a great doctor, who goes above and beyond to know a patient, and understand lifestyle, and how it affects health. Go see Dr Durfee if he is still taking new patients...
I have been sick all fall. Not Kidding. I started out with an ear infection in November. Had a course of antibiotics, but never felt the ear pressure completely go away. A Couple of Days later my throat was swelling up and I saw the doctor for an unrelated ailment. he told me that he did not want me to do another course of antibiotics, and he did not see any redness in the ear. I went home and by Friday night my throat hurt like hell. This was Friday a week ago. I went back into the doctor on Monday, he put me on a prescription decongestant, and sent me on my way after taking a chunk of my skin for biopsy (more on that later). The decongestant has been opening my sinus for a week now, but since Thursday, I have had no voice as my throat continues to drain and I get to spit green monsters. Last night as I coughed out a bunch of grossness, IO did not sleep, and also kept my wife up with my hacking. I guess with all the technology, sometimes ya just gotta be sick and let it happen. Hope you all have a illness free holiday season and get to kiss many germ-free relatives!
OK the skin thing, Amy has always hated this little bump on my head above my ear. It gets scratched and bleeds occasionally. I always thought it was a birthmark. After having her repeatedly ask me to get it checked out, and once having a doctor tell me it was nothing, my doctor took a look at it and said, "OK it looks a little weird". He told me it was not a birthmark, but could be either a little pre-melanoma, or a small collection of blood vessels. He decided to do what is called a shave biopsy. Basically he numbed it up and sliced it off my head quickly, painlessly, with little blood. Now I have a little scab, and a collection of small blood vessels in a jar on a shelf in some lab. Glad to be cancer free, and Amy is glad to be able to run her nails across my scalp sans bump. Thanks Doc, I alway seem to be having little odd procedures which he cheerfully does for me without complaint. Here is my shout out for the day. If you can get in to see Dr Durfee at advantage health, he is a great doctor, who goes above and beyond to know a patient, and understand lifestyle, and how it affects health. Go see Dr Durfee if he is still taking new patients...
Thursday, December 06, 2007
OK I take it back...
As is mostly the case, after bad mouthing the music industry, my friendly postal carrier shows up with a package from ripoff music service last night. And in the normal twisting of irony I received a CD which I had ordered on a whim without much thought, AND IT IS GREAT.
Here is my recommendation: Stephen Marley: Mind Control.
Go get it now, you can read the rest of my silly blog later...
On this album, Stephen Marley is channelling the spirit of Bob Marley. I seriously thought that I had missed a Bob Marley track somewhere when the opening track came on my speakers. With the exception of an updated bass sound, the first track, Mind Control, sounds like a lost Bob Marley song. From the stabbing horns, to the Hammond Organ and wah guitars, this song calls out 1973, not 2008. It's mind control, destruction of your soul- lyrics channeled by a son who was 9 years old when his legendary father passed away.
While many of the current crop of reggae musicians draw much from the dancehall and rap traditions, Stephen keeps to a more classic reggae tradition on this album. The songs vary from soul dripping balladry, to fun silly rapping and goofing off that characterised Bob Marley's recording aesthetic. When I listen to this album, I feel like things are a little simpler, and if we all slow down a little, we might all benefit from taking a breath and saying I love ya girl. -Peace.
As is mostly the case, after bad mouthing the music industry, my friendly postal carrier shows up with a package from ripoff music service last night. And in the normal twisting of irony I received a CD which I had ordered on a whim without much thought, AND IT IS GREAT.
Here is my recommendation: Stephen Marley: Mind Control.
Go get it now, you can read the rest of my silly blog later...
On this album, Stephen Marley is channelling the spirit of Bob Marley. I seriously thought that I had missed a Bob Marley track somewhere when the opening track came on my speakers. With the exception of an updated bass sound, the first track, Mind Control, sounds like a lost Bob Marley song. From the stabbing horns, to the Hammond Organ and wah guitars, this song calls out 1973, not 2008. It's mind control, destruction of your soul- lyrics channeled by a son who was 9 years old when his legendary father passed away.
While many of the current crop of reggae musicians draw much from the dancehall and rap traditions, Stephen keeps to a more classic reggae tradition on this album. The songs vary from soul dripping balladry, to fun silly rapping and goofing off that characterised Bob Marley's recording aesthetic. When I listen to this album, I feel like things are a little simpler, and if we all slow down a little, we might all benefit from taking a breath and saying I love ya girl. -Peace.
Wednesday, December 05, 2007
Striking while the iron is hot...
In the above interest I will get away from the big project of history and talk about the daily moments today. I feel like writing today and who knows how long that can last. Interested readers of this space (yes I delude myself), will note that sometimes I write more than others. As my days get filled up, I guess there is less urge to take time and reflect. Is that not the case for us all?
Anyway, even thought the days are extremely full right now, I want to try and document the little things that go through my head, so that perhaps in time, I can go back and tell my daughter and others, why I made the choices I did.
Most of my choices come from a pretty reasonable set of human goodwill choices given to me by my mostly good intending catholic parents. I learned early to not quit, be good, treat each other the way you would want to be treated. I might be idealistic. but this is how I view the world, and try to view others actions in this framework. That being said, people do dumb things, and my overinflated sense of justice comes flaming out and I try to help, even when not entirely prudent. In a flash of insight, I just realized that I would enjoy being a judge, or an official at a game. Though I am not at all an administrator, I don't enjoy bringing rules violations to authorities attention. With all of that now on the screen, woe to you if you cut me off on the highway. For some reason I just want to get in front of you and slam on my brakes, sorry world, many of you drive in an entirely unacceptable way.
Anyhow, except for that diversion into road rage, things are truly quiet this week. I have been home with the loves of my life, and trying to get the usual shopping for the holidays and birthdays done. I don't know where my evenings have been going, but it feels like I get home, eat, and then suddenly I am nodding off next to my wife in bed. The days fly past, and when i come out of my fog, I see my daughter growing up, learnig new words and songs, and I wonder how so much time has past since standing next to my wife and saying "I do". I love me life, and look forward to our family growing again, and getting the kitchen remodeled,, and cleaning up my office at home and garage. As I write this I realize that nothing about work enters into this story... HMMM... Considering that i spend hours obsessing about my work, it sure does not figure loudly into my future vision. Note to self, need to win the lotto this week...
In the above interest I will get away from the big project of history and talk about the daily moments today. I feel like writing today and who knows how long that can last. Interested readers of this space (yes I delude myself), will note that sometimes I write more than others. As my days get filled up, I guess there is less urge to take time and reflect. Is that not the case for us all?
Anyway, even thought the days are extremely full right now, I want to try and document the little things that go through my head, so that perhaps in time, I can go back and tell my daughter and others, why I made the choices I did.
Most of my choices come from a pretty reasonable set of human goodwill choices given to me by my mostly good intending catholic parents. I learned early to not quit, be good, treat each other the way you would want to be treated. I might be idealistic. but this is how I view the world, and try to view others actions in this framework. That being said, people do dumb things, and my overinflated sense of justice comes flaming out and I try to help, even when not entirely prudent. In a flash of insight, I just realized that I would enjoy being a judge, or an official at a game. Though I am not at all an administrator, I don't enjoy bringing rules violations to authorities attention. With all of that now on the screen, woe to you if you cut me off on the highway. For some reason I just want to get in front of you and slam on my brakes, sorry world, many of you drive in an entirely unacceptable way.
Anyhow, except for that diversion into road rage, things are truly quiet this week. I have been home with the loves of my life, and trying to get the usual shopping for the holidays and birthdays done. I don't know where my evenings have been going, but it feels like I get home, eat, and then suddenly I am nodding off next to my wife in bed. The days fly past, and when i come out of my fog, I see my daughter growing up, learnig new words and songs, and I wonder how so much time has past since standing next to my wife and saying "I do". I love me life, and look forward to our family growing again, and getting the kitchen remodeled,, and cleaning up my office at home and garage. As I write this I realize that nothing about work enters into this story... HMMM... Considering that i spend hours obsessing about my work, it sure does not figure loudly into my future vision. Note to self, need to win the lotto this week...
Tuesday, December 04, 2007
A finishing of a story:
I August I started a history, and then events got in the way, and I did not finish. There is new post in between this on and that one, but I thought since I was moved to write today, I had better get it together and finish a coherent thought that I was having in August.
The problem that I have is that I can't remember the motivation which got me going on the story. I know that Amy and I were having a discussion about fulfillment and I was not feeling fulfilled at the time, probable because I had not done anything with music in a very long time. As mentioned in my last post, I did a show with the band Sugarland which was one of the highlights of my career, but right afterwards I put music in a box and wrapped it with a bow and put it on the shelf.
Ok, now I am in the mindset of this history again... As we left off in the prior post, I had sold my gear and gotten away from doing sound for a short while. At the time I was working at Lowe's home improvement as a store manager (having realized that I could not make a full time salary working in the music industry). For fun in the summer I was going down and helping out at Michigan International Speedway. My friend Keith had taken a position there after honing his marketing chops in Grand Rapids. Keith was the guy who hired me for the block parties with the sports team...
As I wandered around at the large speedway, I began helping out wherever needed which included a new concert concept which one of their large sponsors had implemented. The concert was huge expense for the Speedway, and Keith asked me my opinion on it. After we looked over what he paid for production and the band, I made a fateful statement: "I could do a show like this and save you half your money"...
Having seen me doing production on a small scale, Keith thought that I must know what I was doing and promptly turned the show over to me for 2004. I took a chance and booked comedian Cledus T Judd for the big show. Some people at the Speedway thought I was crazy, but the artist had just put out a CD with a song called I love NASCAR, and it hit the charts right before the race. We ended up with a crowd of 25,000 people, and I pulled the whole thing together by myself. It was a crazy success, and amazing fun.
A couple of months after the concert my buddy had an opening in his staff and asked me to come down and live in Jackson. This led me to a couple of years working for the NASCAR and ISC companies. I was in charge of concerts as well as the display area at the Speedway. I also negotiated contracts with national and regional companies as a corporate partnerships exec. This was pretty fun work and allowed me to travel and have a pass into the biggest and best NASCAR events of the year. I traveled to Daytona for the 500, as well as Phoenix and Taladega. Not a bad deal to be able to walk into almost any suite and watch the race with somebody that you knew. Clients tend to be at several races each year, so it was easy to get a free lunch and a place to watch, as well as access to the pits while the race was going on.
The finale and turning point of this history was me booking Sugarland right before they took off in 2005. We got then to play the post race concert, and their Cd went number one that week. The little band that we got a $15,000 quote on had become a headliner, and drew a crowd of 35,000 people that day. As all stories go, change was in the air... My wife and I were planning to get married that fall, and neither of us saw NASCAR or Jackson MI as the place to be for the long term. So I was once again looking for the right place to be...
That fall my wife (Blanco De Sinki) and I were married. The right position did not appear until that spring, but right before the birth of our daughter, I found myself working in the non profit sector, in Grand Rapids MI. My concert days were over for a bit due to my boss not being too pleased at my leaving the Speedway just as thing were getting settled into a routine. (He was just about to see much change as well, but that is not my story.)
As I got into my new role of husband/father/non profit community leader, I found that the lack of a musical outlet was getting to me. Change is never easy, and this was the biggest year of change in my life.
At this time, I have decided that I need to put musical production back in my life. As I find time I will let you into the process that I am going through. I have been studying up, as the last couple of years have brought amazing change to the live production industry. Digital technology has taken over the industry like no one could predict event three years ago. This old school engineer, is learning some new tricks every day. But a good microphone is still a good mic, this technology has not changed, and I still have a few good old microphone up my sleeve!
I August I started a history, and then events got in the way, and I did not finish. There is new post in between this on and that one, but I thought since I was moved to write today, I had better get it together and finish a coherent thought that I was having in August.
The problem that I have is that I can't remember the motivation which got me going on the story. I know that Amy and I were having a discussion about fulfillment and I was not feeling fulfilled at the time, probable because I had not done anything with music in a very long time. As mentioned in my last post, I did a show with the band Sugarland which was one of the highlights of my career, but right afterwards I put music in a box and wrapped it with a bow and put it on the shelf.
Ok, now I am in the mindset of this history again... As we left off in the prior post, I had sold my gear and gotten away from doing sound for a short while. At the time I was working at Lowe's home improvement as a store manager (having realized that I could not make a full time salary working in the music industry). For fun in the summer I was going down and helping out at Michigan International Speedway. My friend Keith had taken a position there after honing his marketing chops in Grand Rapids. Keith was the guy who hired me for the block parties with the sports team...
As I wandered around at the large speedway, I began helping out wherever needed which included a new concert concept which one of their large sponsors had implemented. The concert was huge expense for the Speedway, and Keith asked me my opinion on it. After we looked over what he paid for production and the band, I made a fateful statement: "I could do a show like this and save you half your money"...
Having seen me doing production on a small scale, Keith thought that I must know what I was doing and promptly turned the show over to me for 2004. I took a chance and booked comedian Cledus T Judd for the big show. Some people at the Speedway thought I was crazy, but the artist had just put out a CD with a song called I love NASCAR, and it hit the charts right before the race. We ended up with a crowd of 25,000 people, and I pulled the whole thing together by myself. It was a crazy success, and amazing fun.
A couple of months after the concert my buddy had an opening in his staff and asked me to come down and live in Jackson. This led me to a couple of years working for the NASCAR and ISC companies. I was in charge of concerts as well as the display area at the Speedway. I also negotiated contracts with national and regional companies as a corporate partnerships exec. This was pretty fun work and allowed me to travel and have a pass into the biggest and best NASCAR events of the year. I traveled to Daytona for the 500, as well as Phoenix and Taladega. Not a bad deal to be able to walk into almost any suite and watch the race with somebody that you knew. Clients tend to be at several races each year, so it was easy to get a free lunch and a place to watch, as well as access to the pits while the race was going on.
The finale and turning point of this history was me booking Sugarland right before they took off in 2005. We got then to play the post race concert, and their Cd went number one that week. The little band that we got a $15,000 quote on had become a headliner, and drew a crowd of 35,000 people that day. As all stories go, change was in the air... My wife and I were planning to get married that fall, and neither of us saw NASCAR or Jackson MI as the place to be for the long term. So I was once again looking for the right place to be...
That fall my wife (Blanco De Sinki) and I were married. The right position did not appear until that spring, but right before the birth of our daughter, I found myself working in the non profit sector, in Grand Rapids MI. My concert days were over for a bit due to my boss not being too pleased at my leaving the Speedway just as thing were getting settled into a routine. (He was just about to see much change as well, but that is not my story.)
As I got into my new role of husband/father/non profit community leader, I found that the lack of a musical outlet was getting to me. Change is never easy, and this was the biggest year of change in my life.
At this time, I have decided that I need to put musical production back in my life. As I find time I will let you into the process that I am going through. I have been studying up, as the last couple of years have brought amazing change to the live production industry. Digital technology has taken over the industry like no one could predict event three years ago. This old school engineer, is learning some new tricks every day. But a good microphone is still a good mic, this technology has not changed, and I still have a few good old microphone up my sleeve!
Welcome to my cobwebby and dustcovered blog!
I was driving to work this morning when the urge to listen to something new hit me. I must admit a certain immature fascination with the Free Beer and Hotwings Radio show which happens in Grand Rapids in the mornings on 97.9 WGRD. They were picking on Brian Wilson and during the snippets of music they played I realized that I was ready for my AARP card. The music of The Beach Boys was by far better than any of the actual music that has played on WGRD this year. After they played a snippet of the Sloop John B I decided to change the channel and after hitting the search button I came upon an oldies station which I had never previously settled on in Grand Rapids. After three absolutely well produced sixties pop songs in a row, I have decided to give up trying to be current and just be OLD... Sorry Linkin Park Red Hot Chili peppers, but the Beach Boys stuff just sounds full and awesome. I don't know if it is digital recording or what, but no body is doing complex beautiful and well received popular music today. Some would argue that Jessica Simpson or Avril Lavigne are the Beach Boys of Today. But the Beach Boys were really controversial and out there when they were popular. Everything that I have heard in the last five years is disposible, and does not seem to have the ability to stand the test of time. Even the underground seems dry. Every artist that has been recommended to me lately has not had the ability to hold me ear when I go out and get the CD. A friend of mine recommended Amy Winehouse to me; fun record, but not truly an artistic stretch. I think that is why country music has help peoples interest lately. Artists like Kenny Chesney seem to be able to write a hook, and the music is pleasing to the ear if not completely able to survive the years and become classic. Lest you think I am a complete curmudgeon, I really enjoy the records from Sugarland, I did a show with them a few years ago (see next post), and they are really good song writers. I also liked Kristian Bush, who before Sugarland had a great band (which as I write I can't remember, I may edit this later). The songwriting is good with lots of friendly music to go with it. They could be great if they did not come off as so damn calculated, and kinda manufactured.... So go buy Sugarland if you like fun pop than leans country. And Buy Kenny Chesney if you love Jimmy Buffet and drinking Cruzan and Cokes or if your fridge is full of Corona. It is not even Christmas and I am getting that "need to see a reggae show" mid winter feeling.
As I am finishing this post (and listening to the radio) I gotta wonder what happened to the New Radicals, they had one great song which WGRD plays occassionally. At the time three years ago, I thought that they were heirs to the cool jazzy, well produced, pop kingdom...
I was driving to work this morning when the urge to listen to something new hit me. I must admit a certain immature fascination with the Free Beer and Hotwings Radio show which happens in Grand Rapids in the mornings on 97.9 WGRD. They were picking on Brian Wilson and during the snippets of music they played I realized that I was ready for my AARP card. The music of The Beach Boys was by far better than any of the actual music that has played on WGRD this year. After they played a snippet of the Sloop John B I decided to change the channel and after hitting the search button I came upon an oldies station which I had never previously settled on in Grand Rapids. After three absolutely well produced sixties pop songs in a row, I have decided to give up trying to be current and just be OLD... Sorry Linkin Park Red Hot Chili peppers, but the Beach Boys stuff just sounds full and awesome. I don't know if it is digital recording or what, but no body is doing complex beautiful and well received popular music today. Some would argue that Jessica Simpson or Avril Lavigne are the Beach Boys of Today. But the Beach Boys were really controversial and out there when they were popular. Everything that I have heard in the last five years is disposible, and does not seem to have the ability to stand the test of time. Even the underground seems dry. Every artist that has been recommended to me lately has not had the ability to hold me ear when I go out and get the CD. A friend of mine recommended Amy Winehouse to me; fun record, but not truly an artistic stretch. I think that is why country music has help peoples interest lately. Artists like Kenny Chesney seem to be able to write a hook, and the music is pleasing to the ear if not completely able to survive the years and become classic. Lest you think I am a complete curmudgeon, I really enjoy the records from Sugarland, I did a show with them a few years ago (see next post), and they are really good song writers. I also liked Kristian Bush, who before Sugarland had a great band (which as I write I can't remember, I may edit this later). The songwriting is good with lots of friendly music to go with it. They could be great if they did not come off as so damn calculated, and kinda manufactured.... So go buy Sugarland if you like fun pop than leans country. And Buy Kenny Chesney if you love Jimmy Buffet and drinking Cruzan and Cokes or if your fridge is full of Corona. It is not even Christmas and I am getting that "need to see a reggae show" mid winter feeling.
As I am finishing this post (and listening to the radio) I gotta wonder what happened to the New Radicals, they had one great song which WGRD plays occassionally. At the time three years ago, I thought that they were heirs to the cool jazzy, well produced, pop kingdom...
Wednesday, August 08, 2007
Make a change in your life (and make it for the better).
My wife and I were talking recently about stress and life and fulfillment. As the writer of the soundguy speaks blog, you think I would have stuff to say about concerts and music. Well folks, I can tell you of several days and times when the music died. Twice I have sold of my sound equipment and thought that I would get out of the sound business, whether through financial adversity, or a dearth in business and opportunity in Grand Rapids. In total I have gotten out of the music business four times, and each time I find myself pulled back toward it.
I will relate the whole sordid story at some point, but I will share the highlights in deference to time and space: In 1990 I started off working for a concert company in GR that was quickly growing into a major player in town. After five or six years, I was burned out, and did not feel a lot of growth opportunities. I quit, f--- them, there is no way a sound engineer working locally can make any more than part time wages doing that job. I found myself doing occasional gigs with local bands that I enjoyed personally. This fun stuff led to me slowly purchasing gear to help "with the cause". Within a short period I now owned a pretty substantial list of sound gear. At some point I thought "I might as well put this investment to use" and I got a steady gig providing sound at a local bar. This led to hiring a stable of my own part time help (that never got paid what they were worth either). At some point one sound system became three ( I needed gear to do the jobs with my friends outside the steady bar gig of course). And after three years of steady growth the bar stopped doing live music and went DJ (f--- them, f---ing DJ f---ers) (sorry some DJs make make me say bad words).
So with an excess of gear, a new full time job as well (another story) and no work for my crew, it was time to get away from the gigs again. Of course, as soon as I sold my whole small warehouse full of gear, I got a call from a friend asking if I wanted to bid on a series of outdoor block parties for a new local sports team ( easy to figure that one if you guess ). When I saw the budget of what I could make in a series of 8 short shows, I decided to quickly build a new system and sign on for this. I did the block parties for a couple of years until the season for this sport changed from summer to late winter ( arena football if you had not guessed). Suddenly block parties in January and February seemed unlikely. So I sold the system and retired (I thought).
My cliffhanger for the readers and an insight into what comes next: How did I take on my biggest challenge in concert planning and take on the world of NASCAR at the same time? I will finish the store if I get time... (and get on with my thoughts on fulfillment.)...
My wife and I were talking recently about stress and life and fulfillment. As the writer of the soundguy speaks blog, you think I would have stuff to say about concerts and music. Well folks, I can tell you of several days and times when the music died. Twice I have sold of my sound equipment and thought that I would get out of the sound business, whether through financial adversity, or a dearth in business and opportunity in Grand Rapids. In total I have gotten out of the music business four times, and each time I find myself pulled back toward it.
I will relate the whole sordid story at some point, but I will share the highlights in deference to time and space: In 1990 I started off working for a concert company in GR that was quickly growing into a major player in town. After five or six years, I was burned out, and did not feel a lot of growth opportunities. I quit, f--- them, there is no way a sound engineer working locally can make any more than part time wages doing that job. I found myself doing occasional gigs with local bands that I enjoyed personally. This fun stuff led to me slowly purchasing gear to help "with the cause". Within a short period I now owned a pretty substantial list of sound gear. At some point I thought "I might as well put this investment to use" and I got a steady gig providing sound at a local bar. This led to hiring a stable of my own part time help (that never got paid what they were worth either). At some point one sound system became three ( I needed gear to do the jobs with my friends outside the steady bar gig of course). And after three years of steady growth the bar stopped doing live music and went DJ (f--- them, f---ing DJ f---ers) (sorry some DJs make make me say bad words).
So with an excess of gear, a new full time job as well (another story) and no work for my crew, it was time to get away from the gigs again. Of course, as soon as I sold my whole small warehouse full of gear, I got a call from a friend asking if I wanted to bid on a series of outdoor block parties for a new local sports team ( easy to figure that one if you guess ). When I saw the budget of what I could make in a series of 8 short shows, I decided to quickly build a new system and sign on for this. I did the block parties for a couple of years until the season for this sport changed from summer to late winter ( arena football if you had not guessed). Suddenly block parties in January and February seemed unlikely. So I sold the system and retired (I thought).
My cliffhanger for the readers and an insight into what comes next: How did I take on my biggest challenge in concert planning and take on the world of NASCAR at the same time? I will finish the store if I get time... (and get on with my thoughts on fulfillment.)...
Saturday, July 07, 2007
Silent Morning
I didn't sleep well last night. I lost my steam as my wife was working at the kitchen table on her resume updates. It was only 10:30, but the long, two day, workweek wad taken it's toll.
I awoke at about 1:30am the first time, to the sounds of discomfort coming from my daughters room. There is a certain cry that she makes when she cracks her eyes open in the middle of the night but does not come fully awake. Usually ten seconds of lightly tapping on her back with my palm, will lull her back to dreamland. As I am an old man, this session always ends with me taking a piss, and heading back to bed. I don't even mind these middle of the night moments with my daughter, as I would need to get up for the bathroom visit anyway. Though I will confess the most annoyed thoughts running through my head, when I first hear the cries coming from her room. (Oh, and damn my middle aged prostate and bladder, I used to be able to sleep 14 hours on the weekend, back when life was easier....)
The second incident occurred around 3:15 if my fuzzy head remembers correctly. Willa got up with a cry that indicated full wakefullness. This is usually accompanies by her standing at the side of her bed, and immediate recognition when her parents enter the room- "I'm up, do something with me!" I tried to pat her out again, but this only increased her cries to stress inducing level. I did all of my tricks, sometimes I can kill the cries by thumping her a little harder than the patting I am doing. My theory, is that thumping her quickly on the back interrupts her strong breath that she uses to cry, and makes her breath more carefully, distracting her from crying. This thumping is not strong enough to be painful, but does push some air out of her lungs. It actually sounds a little funny as her cries become a fun rrr,rrr,rrr,rrr,rrr sound that if she were in a good mood, would probably make her laugh.
I was not successful at getting my daughter to sleep, and eventually, when she wound up enough, I had to retreat back to the bedroom in defeat. I now know how discouraged my wife got when she found that Willa would not sleep for her, but wanted to stay awake, but when turned over to me, she would give up and sleep in a few moments. Amy had to get up and save the day. I'm guessing that she breastfed Willa until she fell asleep in the living room, as she did not come to bed for awhile. I feel bad making her get up, as she already handles the 6 am wakeup that Willa has been promoting lately. I try to take the night, and Amy takes the early mornings.
Even though I went back to bed, I could hear Willa's cries, and I did not sleep well. I dreamt a lot, dreams that remind me that I am once again coming to a change in my life. Usually theses somewhat familiar dreams keep to a few themes. Many times I am around a concert, but not working the concert, nor attending as a fan, but being backstage within the production, but not part of it. Also I am around a school or large hotel, wandering the halls, doing activities with a group that I will part from imminently. I also experience variations on jobs and or situations from my earlier life, that I have long moved on from. One of the popular situations is me being back at the Grand Rapids Press, working as I did in college, as a truck driver. Most of these dreams are not based on memory, but dream based on what I experienced before.
normally, I don't remember my dreams, I assume that I have them, but sleep is usually a refuge of darkness, and unless I am disturbed, I remember nothing of the night, waking rested and somewhat ready to take on the day. Last night, I was in a hotel and was attending a conference. I wound up near the end of the conference playing on a team with minor characters from my past, no true friends, but all people who I liked at some point in my life. We were playing floor hockey and the teamwork was fantastic. I was having a hero kind of day, where all of the things i decided to do, worked and scored points for the team. We even took a team picture to remember the great fun we had that afternoon. There is a bunch more that I can't relay here, as upon awakening I lost most of the fragments.
The other dream that I had involved Dave Pratt, my good friend that still owns a sound production company. I went from the hotel or school in my other dream, to a downtown that was not exactly downtown. I was with a group of people including Dave, that I led down hill to a rear door at something between the arena and the convention center. Dave was going to what I think was an Alice Cooper show, and I was trying to show them the backstage entrance. I realized that they were wanting to attend the show, and suddenly after trudging back up a long hill, it was an outdoor show, and the whole group sat on the hill, while I continued to wander through dreamland. I did a couple of more things, which are coming to me in pieces, but my ability to lucidly portray them is diminished from writing about all this.
I awoke at about 9:15 (thanks to the late night Willa issues she is sleeping in) this morning with the words "Safe Harbor" in my mind. I thought "what a strange phrase" yet it is both evocative and filled with meaning for me. I am not sure if this was one last salvo fired from the deep of my sub-conscious, but as I write this I feel like it may have been the deeper me reminding the workaday me to look to home for my comfort and strength. Amy and Willa, you are my safe harbor, the sun is rising, and it is time for the day to start.
I didn't sleep well last night. I lost my steam as my wife was working at the kitchen table on her resume updates. It was only 10:30, but the long, two day, workweek wad taken it's toll.
I awoke at about 1:30am the first time, to the sounds of discomfort coming from my daughters room. There is a certain cry that she makes when she cracks her eyes open in the middle of the night but does not come fully awake. Usually ten seconds of lightly tapping on her back with my palm, will lull her back to dreamland. As I am an old man, this session always ends with me taking a piss, and heading back to bed. I don't even mind these middle of the night moments with my daughter, as I would need to get up for the bathroom visit anyway. Though I will confess the most annoyed thoughts running through my head, when I first hear the cries coming from her room. (Oh, and damn my middle aged prostate and bladder, I used to be able to sleep 14 hours on the weekend, back when life was easier....)
The second incident occurred around 3:15 if my fuzzy head remembers correctly. Willa got up with a cry that indicated full wakefullness. This is usually accompanies by her standing at the side of her bed, and immediate recognition when her parents enter the room- "I'm up, do something with me!" I tried to pat her out again, but this only increased her cries to stress inducing level. I did all of my tricks, sometimes I can kill the cries by thumping her a little harder than the patting I am doing. My theory, is that thumping her quickly on the back interrupts her strong breath that she uses to cry, and makes her breath more carefully, distracting her from crying. This thumping is not strong enough to be painful, but does push some air out of her lungs. It actually sounds a little funny as her cries become a fun rrr,rrr,rrr,rrr,rrr sound that if she were in a good mood, would probably make her laugh.
I was not successful at getting my daughter to sleep, and eventually, when she wound up enough, I had to retreat back to the bedroom in defeat. I now know how discouraged my wife got when she found that Willa would not sleep for her, but wanted to stay awake, but when turned over to me, she would give up and sleep in a few moments. Amy had to get up and save the day. I'm guessing that she breastfed Willa until she fell asleep in the living room, as she did not come to bed for awhile. I feel bad making her get up, as she already handles the 6 am wakeup that Willa has been promoting lately. I try to take the night, and Amy takes the early mornings.
Even though I went back to bed, I could hear Willa's cries, and I did not sleep well. I dreamt a lot, dreams that remind me that I am once again coming to a change in my life. Usually theses somewhat familiar dreams keep to a few themes. Many times I am around a concert, but not working the concert, nor attending as a fan, but being backstage within the production, but not part of it. Also I am around a school or large hotel, wandering the halls, doing activities with a group that I will part from imminently. I also experience variations on jobs and or situations from my earlier life, that I have long moved on from. One of the popular situations is me being back at the Grand Rapids Press, working as I did in college, as a truck driver. Most of these dreams are not based on memory, but dream based on what I experienced before.
normally, I don't remember my dreams, I assume that I have them, but sleep is usually a refuge of darkness, and unless I am disturbed, I remember nothing of the night, waking rested and somewhat ready to take on the day. Last night, I was in a hotel and was attending a conference. I wound up near the end of the conference playing on a team with minor characters from my past, no true friends, but all people who I liked at some point in my life. We were playing floor hockey and the teamwork was fantastic. I was having a hero kind of day, where all of the things i decided to do, worked and scored points for the team. We even took a team picture to remember the great fun we had that afternoon. There is a bunch more that I can't relay here, as upon awakening I lost most of the fragments.
The other dream that I had involved Dave Pratt, my good friend that still owns a sound production company. I went from the hotel or school in my other dream, to a downtown that was not exactly downtown. I was with a group of people including Dave, that I led down hill to a rear door at something between the arena and the convention center. Dave was going to what I think was an Alice Cooper show, and I was trying to show them the backstage entrance. I realized that they were wanting to attend the show, and suddenly after trudging back up a long hill, it was an outdoor show, and the whole group sat on the hill, while I continued to wander through dreamland. I did a couple of more things, which are coming to me in pieces, but my ability to lucidly portray them is diminished from writing about all this.
I awoke at about 9:15 (thanks to the late night Willa issues she is sleeping in) this morning with the words "Safe Harbor" in my mind. I thought "what a strange phrase" yet it is both evocative and filled with meaning for me. I am not sure if this was one last salvo fired from the deep of my sub-conscious, but as I write this I feel like it may have been the deeper me reminding the workaday me to look to home for my comfort and strength. Amy and Willa, you are my safe harbor, the sun is rising, and it is time for the day to start.
Friday, July 06, 2007
A Slippery Slope
I don't understand the commutation of the sentence of Scooter Libby. I don't understand the quiet response to the actions of our president. It is like the people are just saying "well this sucks, but in two years he will be gone". It seems that our country is a group of citizens together living under an agreed upon set of laws. We can wrangle all day about the laws that are in place, but that is one of the strengths of the system, if laws are generally agreed upon as being wrong, then the whole of society can debate the laws and change them. The strength of this system is that no one person can decide to change what affects all of society.
When one person can change the laws to suit their needs, however lofty and high minded the goal, this is still tyranny, or despotism or any of the other terms you hear applied to rulers who make their own laws. Yes, as leader President Bush has some power to commute the sentences of those that are considered wronged by our justice system. Scooter Libby was not wronged, he was convicted by a Grand Jury, and had all of the strength of our legal system to pursue appeals. I would argue that with superior representation he had a higher than average chance at success for his appeal, if in fact he was wrongfully convicted. President Bush, by stepping in and helping his former employee, has declared that he is above the law, and that our legal system does not apply to his administration.
This stance nullifies any attempt by him, now and in the future, to speak about our legal system. or to campaign for those that are "tough on crime". This action has, more than any other, shown that we are living under a tyrannical regime, that we mistakenly elected, and that all citizens should speak out about whether this is the way we want our leaders to act. Perhaps two more years of this administration it too long...
I don't understand the commutation of the sentence of Scooter Libby. I don't understand the quiet response to the actions of our president. It is like the people are just saying "well this sucks, but in two years he will be gone". It seems that our country is a group of citizens together living under an agreed upon set of laws. We can wrangle all day about the laws that are in place, but that is one of the strengths of the system, if laws are generally agreed upon as being wrong, then the whole of society can debate the laws and change them. The strength of this system is that no one person can decide to change what affects all of society.
When one person can change the laws to suit their needs, however lofty and high minded the goal, this is still tyranny, or despotism or any of the other terms you hear applied to rulers who make their own laws. Yes, as leader President Bush has some power to commute the sentences of those that are considered wronged by our justice system. Scooter Libby was not wronged, he was convicted by a Grand Jury, and had all of the strength of our legal system to pursue appeals. I would argue that with superior representation he had a higher than average chance at success for his appeal, if in fact he was wrongfully convicted. President Bush, by stepping in and helping his former employee, has declared that he is above the law, and that our legal system does not apply to his administration.
This stance nullifies any attempt by him, now and in the future, to speak about our legal system. or to campaign for those that are "tough on crime". This action has, more than any other, shown that we are living under a tyrannical regime, that we mistakenly elected, and that all citizens should speak out about whether this is the way we want our leaders to act. Perhaps two more years of this administration it too long...
Wednesday, July 04, 2007
The Riverfront
The other evening my wife and I, with kid in tow, rode our bikes around downtown. It was one of those amazing evenings where it seems to get quiet, and the sunset seems to hang in the air for several hours, until finally fading into purple twilight.
It was a magical evening, where the colors seem more saturated, and it feels like you can pedal all night, because you are on an adventure. No one is worried about bedtimes, or getting up for work. (Although, I admit to a little concern when after running through a puddle I skunk striped my daughter riding in the bike trailer behind me.)
The river front is an odd place in Grand Rapids. The focus of a considerable effort at redevelopment, it is a sparkling (unfinished) gem, that is becoming a highlight to our downtown redevelopment. Part of the odd, is that it is discontinuous. My wife and I started at Riverside park (toward the north end of the city), and we rode the bike trail south only to find that the well-paved trail out of the park ended within one block. Suddenly we were dodging traffic for about half a mile trying to find where the river edge paths began again.
We found that the path next to the river only exists once you get downtown, and once you rejoin the path, you can look north and see clearly where the path peters out into brush, and where the future of the growth will occur. Much of future path may occupy some unused train tracks upon which the Grand Rapids Press used to receive train cars of paper for production of the daily editions.
Once we rejoined the path we made our way to the Sixth Street Park, where we took out sandwiches for dinner, and let our daughter play on the playground equipment. Our daughter is becoming a real daredevil, and I was impressed by how excited she became while riding on the big slide in the park. she absolutely had to go again and again. If Daddy stopped for a moment to take a bite of dinner, she would stand at the bottom of the steps and point up waiting for a boost. Climbing would just slow down the arrival of the slide, so Daddy had to keep lifting her up to the top of the slide.
After our daughter had her fill of the slide, we continued south to the fishladder area. Another odd thing that I noticed, is that while the many were off eating dinner at this time, there is a whole different part of society, that may be trying to catch a dinner that could not be afforded any other way. Each evening there is a gathering of people that fish from the rapids south of the fish ladder. In my youth I remember grizzled older fisherman types with specialized equipment and boxes full of magical lures. In my youth almost all of thees fishermen were white. In contrast to our almost all white downtown partiers and bar-goers, most of the folks at the side of the river, are either African American, or Latino. I wonder why this is?
Is fishing in the modern age experiencing growth in the African American and Latino communities? I don't read the fishing magazines, but it could be that there is a massive ad campaign on in these communities... Is it because, the Latin and African communities experience the worst of the economic woes that seem to grip all of Michigan? Are fish caught, saving money over fish bought? Is it because grizzled old white fishermen are uncomfortable with the community of fishers at the edge to the river these days?
I will admit some trepidation, when I got to the post office and found that I could not maneuver my bike through the path without asking some people to move fishing poles to accommodate our wide bike trailer. I expected some grumbling, but was surprised when several people asked about the trailer, one gentleman being quite surprised at both the small price I paid for it, and that I got the trailer at Wal-Mart. As we pedaled away I heard the man saying that now he and his wife might be able to bring his daughter with them to the river for bike rides.
We also crossed the pedestrian bridge and decide to see the Gerald Ford burial site. We were surprised again to find a brand new fence and gate in front of the burial site, and that with the guards standing near the front doors, we felt like perhaps we were not supposed to be on the grounds at that time of the day. The guard did not say anything, rather just conspicuously being present to keep us from suddenly taking out spray cans and spraying graffiti on the museum... I look so dangerous in my golf shirt ya know!
We saw the union monument that we did not know was placed by the Ford museum this spring. It is a nice monument, and I am glad it is there. I have had some dealings with union folks through my work f late, and they tend to be more philanthropic than many of the large rich givers in Grand Rapids (if taken as a percentage of income). So it was nice to see the workers of America represented in the memorial. I didn't look closely, but I hope that the unions remembered the one near and ear to me: IATSE (the invisible folks in black clothes that make all of the theatre and concert events in Grand Rapids happen).
We saw the south end of the path down by Kinkos, and found that the construction of the new hotel has closed the east side path, forcing us into traffic once again. We made the turn heading north again, where the fisher-folk needed to once again move equipment to let us pass. The ride back was quicker, as the light was fading, and we as parents don't ride in the dark. I hope that everyone caught their limit that evening, and that if they were fishing for need, that their needs are met soon by a better economy in Michigan. I think that this is not our last ride to downtown, though it is easier to stay in the park. Don't let the difficulties to the logistics of the ride stop you from experiencing the best that downtown has to offer. And the Dan Gaydou at the Press: I hope that you will help turn the path of your success into a path for all of Grand Rapids to enjoy. A path all the way to Riverside park is needed, and would be enjoyed by may of our citizens!
The other evening my wife and I, with kid in tow, rode our bikes around downtown. It was one of those amazing evenings where it seems to get quiet, and the sunset seems to hang in the air for several hours, until finally fading into purple twilight.
It was a magical evening, where the colors seem more saturated, and it feels like you can pedal all night, because you are on an adventure. No one is worried about bedtimes, or getting up for work. (Although, I admit to a little concern when after running through a puddle I skunk striped my daughter riding in the bike trailer behind me.)
The river front is an odd place in Grand Rapids. The focus of a considerable effort at redevelopment, it is a sparkling (unfinished) gem, that is becoming a highlight to our downtown redevelopment. Part of the odd, is that it is discontinuous. My wife and I started at Riverside park (toward the north end of the city), and we rode the bike trail south only to find that the well-paved trail out of the park ended within one block. Suddenly we were dodging traffic for about half a mile trying to find where the river edge paths began again.
We found that the path next to the river only exists once you get downtown, and once you rejoin the path, you can look north and see clearly where the path peters out into brush, and where the future of the growth will occur. Much of future path may occupy some unused train tracks upon which the Grand Rapids Press used to receive train cars of paper for production of the daily editions.
Once we rejoined the path we made our way to the Sixth Street Park, where we took out sandwiches for dinner, and let our daughter play on the playground equipment. Our daughter is becoming a real daredevil, and I was impressed by how excited she became while riding on the big slide in the park. she absolutely had to go again and again. If Daddy stopped for a moment to take a bite of dinner, she would stand at the bottom of the steps and point up waiting for a boost. Climbing would just slow down the arrival of the slide, so Daddy had to keep lifting her up to the top of the slide.
After our daughter had her fill of the slide, we continued south to the fishladder area. Another odd thing that I noticed, is that while the many were off eating dinner at this time, there is a whole different part of society, that may be trying to catch a dinner that could not be afforded any other way. Each evening there is a gathering of people that fish from the rapids south of the fish ladder. In my youth I remember grizzled older fisherman types with specialized equipment and boxes full of magical lures. In my youth almost all of thees fishermen were white. In contrast to our almost all white downtown partiers and bar-goers, most of the folks at the side of the river, are either African American, or Latino. I wonder why this is?
Is fishing in the modern age experiencing growth in the African American and Latino communities? I don't read the fishing magazines, but it could be that there is a massive ad campaign on in these communities... Is it because, the Latin and African communities experience the worst of the economic woes that seem to grip all of Michigan? Are fish caught, saving money over fish bought? Is it because grizzled old white fishermen are uncomfortable with the community of fishers at the edge to the river these days?
I will admit some trepidation, when I got to the post office and found that I could not maneuver my bike through the path without asking some people to move fishing poles to accommodate our wide bike trailer. I expected some grumbling, but was surprised when several people asked about the trailer, one gentleman being quite surprised at both the small price I paid for it, and that I got the trailer at Wal-Mart. As we pedaled away I heard the man saying that now he and his wife might be able to bring his daughter with them to the river for bike rides.
We also crossed the pedestrian bridge and decide to see the Gerald Ford burial site. We were surprised again to find a brand new fence and gate in front of the burial site, and that with the guards standing near the front doors, we felt like perhaps we were not supposed to be on the grounds at that time of the day. The guard did not say anything, rather just conspicuously being present to keep us from suddenly taking out spray cans and spraying graffiti on the museum... I look so dangerous in my golf shirt ya know!
We saw the union monument that we did not know was placed by the Ford museum this spring. It is a nice monument, and I am glad it is there. I have had some dealings with union folks through my work f late, and they tend to be more philanthropic than many of the large rich givers in Grand Rapids (if taken as a percentage of income). So it was nice to see the workers of America represented in the memorial. I didn't look closely, but I hope that the unions remembered the one near and ear to me: IATSE (the invisible folks in black clothes that make all of the theatre and concert events in Grand Rapids happen).
We saw the south end of the path down by Kinkos, and found that the construction of the new hotel has closed the east side path, forcing us into traffic once again. We made the turn heading north again, where the fisher-folk needed to once again move equipment to let us pass. The ride back was quicker, as the light was fading, and we as parents don't ride in the dark. I hope that everyone caught their limit that evening, and that if they were fishing for need, that their needs are met soon by a better economy in Michigan. I think that this is not our last ride to downtown, though it is easier to stay in the park. Don't let the difficulties to the logistics of the ride stop you from experiencing the best that downtown has to offer. And the Dan Gaydou at the Press: I hope that you will help turn the path of your success into a path for all of Grand Rapids to enjoy. A path all the way to Riverside park is needed, and would be enjoyed by may of our citizens!
Monday, May 14, 2007
It has been long enough that I could not remember how to get into my blog!
It has been both a short spring and a super long spring. Things pass by and things change. Friends search for new jobs, relatives question why they are doing what they are doing. I am finally beginning to understand what I want to be when I grow up. Now it is just a question of when this will come about.
My wife and I got to know each other again after letting stress and injury get in the way of our relating. HAppy mothers day my dear! Had a great day yesterday, the kind of day where you wonder how you got all of the activity in. We gardened, I worked in the garage, corralled Willa, we rode our bikes, I got a bunch of dishes done, two loads of laundry, read part of the paper, made breakfast for my sweetie, and several other things that are blurring together...
It was an amazing day!
My wife hs really done a good job of documenting the development of our daughter. All I can add, is that she is smart cute and funny. She will be a handfull for the man that decides to marry her in the distant future. She definitely got her mothers intelligence and some of her fathers wacky sense of humour. She also got both of her parents stubborness and well as a quick temper. It is truly gratifying to watch her grow and learn.
Hopefully it won't be a month or more until my next post, but although I started first, I don't feel compelled to write on a daily basis like my lovely wife does. I feel less inclined to write every time zi see her blog, mostly I want to post "ditto" after each of her observations each day...
It has been both a short spring and a super long spring. Things pass by and things change. Friends search for new jobs, relatives question why they are doing what they are doing. I am finally beginning to understand what I want to be when I grow up. Now it is just a question of when this will come about.
My wife and I got to know each other again after letting stress and injury get in the way of our relating. HAppy mothers day my dear! Had a great day yesterday, the kind of day where you wonder how you got all of the activity in. We gardened, I worked in the garage, corralled Willa, we rode our bikes, I got a bunch of dishes done, two loads of laundry, read part of the paper, made breakfast for my sweetie, and several other things that are blurring together...
It was an amazing day!
My wife hs really done a good job of documenting the development of our daughter. All I can add, is that she is smart cute and funny. She will be a handfull for the man that decides to marry her in the distant future. She definitely got her mothers intelligence and some of her fathers wacky sense of humour. She also got both of her parents stubborness and well as a quick temper. It is truly gratifying to watch her grow and learn.
Hopefully it won't be a month or more until my next post, but although I started first, I don't feel compelled to write on a daily basis like my lovely wife does. I feel less inclined to write every time zi see her blog, mostly I want to post "ditto" after each of her observations each day...
Wednesday, April 11, 2007
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