Saturday, December 29, 2007

what does your name mean?


Old King Cole was a merry old soul
And a merry old soul was he;
He called for his pipe, and he called for his bowl
And he called for his fiddlers three.
Every fiddler he had a fiddle,
And a very fine fiddle had he;
Oh there's none so rare, as can compare
With King Cole and his fiddlers three.

Friday, December 28, 2007

awwwwww


Living in this town really makes you want to have a dog.

Wednesday, December 26, 2007

merry christmas everybody


It was a different christmas being away from family, but we made the most of it. Even if we had to steal a plastic tree from a night club to have a place to put all the ornaments mom sent me, we got it done. Good tidings and joy to all. Yo ho ho, keep counting your blessings.

Tuesday, December 25, 2007

Midwinter, the eleventh month.
Wet snow falls unceasingly,
All the mountains have
Become the same color;
On the myriad paths
Human tracks are few.
My past journeys now
All seem like dreams,
The door to my grass hut
Is deeply covered.
All night long I burn small
Chunks of wood and
Silently read poems
By masters of the past.

- Ryokan (1758-1851)

Monday, December 24, 2007

Saturday, December 22, 2007

Friday, December 21, 2007

celestial events

I had a dream last night in which there was some sort of street festival going on in celebration of something celestial. It’s hard to explain exactly, but there seemed to be some guy who everyone knew that he knew something. What exactly, I’m not sure, but then he came walking down the street and I followed him up to his house which was on the top of a very steep hill. Then I woke up and realized that I think there is something celestial about today…

*

The Winter Solstice
by Ann-Marie Imbornoni

Sat., Dec. 22, 2007, 1:08 A.M. EST (06:08 UT), marks the solstice—the beginning of winter in the Northern Hemisphere and summer in the Southern Hemisphere

The precise moment of the 2007 solstice will be Sat., Dec. 22, 1:08 A.M. EST (06:08 UT).

In astronomy, the solstice is either of the two times a year when the Sun is at its greatest distance from the celestial equator, the great circle on the celestial sphere that is on the same plane as the earth's equator. In the Northern Hemisphere, the winter solstice occurs either December 21 or 22, when the sun shines directly over the tropic of Capricorn; the summer solstice occurs either June 21 or 22, when the sun shines directly over the tropic of Cancer. In the Southern Hemisphere, the winter and summer solstices are reversed.

Reason for the Seasons

The reason for the different seasons at opposite times of the year in the two hemispheres is that while the earth rotates about the sun, it also spins on its axis, which is tilted some 23.5 degrees towards the plane of its rotation. Because of this tilt, the Northern Hemisphere receives less direct sunlight (creating winter) while the Southern Hemisphere receives more direct sunlight (creating summer). As the Earth continues its orbit the hemisphere that is angled closest to the sun changes and the seasons are reversed.

Longest Night of the Year

The winter solstice marks the shortest day and the longest night of the year. The sun appears at its lowest point in the sky, and its noontime elevation appears to be the same for several days before and after the solstice. Hence the origin of the word solstice, which comes from Latin solstitium, from sol, “sun” and -stitium, “a stoppage.” Following the winter solstice, the days begin to grow longer and the nights shorter.”


So everybody please enjoy the longest night of the year tonight. Santa is on his way.

Tuesday, December 18, 2007

Monday, December 17, 2007

Snow Valley

Each drifting snowflake
Falls nowhere but here and now
Under the settling flowers of ice
The water is flowing
Bright and clear
The cold stream splashes out
The Buddha’s words
Startling the stone tortoise
From its sleep

- Muso Soseki (1275-1351)

Saturday, December 15, 2007

EOTO at Belly Up

Travis, the drummer from String Cheese Incident played with his new side project, EOTO at my new favorite venue, Belly Up here in Aspen. Travis has been growing towards electronic music for some years now, and with String Cheese no longer touring he’s had the chance to play around with his new musical interests. Any who, the show was great, the venue is amazing. The first time I saw EOTO play was last year in Park City, and if you scan back in the archives you can find my entry from that show too.
After the show he hung around the front of the stage and so did we. Brisa introduced herself, we told him how we loved the show, and then seeing the opportunity I decided I had to take it. So I pulled out my card and told him, “In 2012 I’m planning on throwing a very special music festival on my family farm in Alabama. It’s going to be more than a music festival though, more of a collective experiment in group consciousness, mixing music, artists, good causes and good people, and maybe a few really heady speakers too…”
To which Travis replied, much to my surprise, “Oh yeah, I remember you mentioning that last year in Park City.”
Bam!
He asked what time of the year I was thinking and we kept talking about all sorts of things, String Cheese and otherwise, and it was great. He seemed very interested in 2012, he already remembered it, so one more step has been taken towards the dream folks. God bless the powers of magnetism and good intentions!


Tuesday, December 11, 2007

Popping my "Aspen Highlands" Cherry


12,392'



The Highlands just opened on Saturday, and everyone's been saying that once I hiked the bowl I would understand why this is easily one of the best mountains in the country.
I hiked the Highlands Bowl today with one of our guests. It's about a 35 minute hike along the ridge, and then all the way down, waist deep. Now I understand. Once you do the Bowl there is no turning back.

Monday, December 10, 2007

googling

So I did a random google for Allan Suttle and found this article. See if you can find his quotes...

The Biggest Names in Lighting Get Bigger

Lois I. Hutchinson
April 25, 2000

Industry experts divided over the effect on end-users


Over the past 3 years, the largest U.S. lighting manufacturers have greatly expanded through several rounds of mergers, acquisitions of smaller companies, and distribution agreements. Many industry professionals forecast higher prices, less product innovation, and an abundance of "vanilla" lighting design. Others, however, cite consolidation in related and unrelated industries and predict lower prices and healthy competition. The manufacturers say they can expand their product lines to provide a complete package of equipment, offer one-stop shopping, and establish customer support infrastructure.

David Naugher, an electrical engineer at Texas Tech University in Lubbock, TX, believes that the conglomerates invest heavily in distribution and customer service. "I always seem to find better support, better response to problems, from the bigger companies because they're able to absorb those costs. The smaller companies tend to try to find a way around it, which never seems to solve the problem. They just don't have the backing."

Others argue that small manufacturers provide the best customer service and that smaller customers "get lost" by the conglomerates. "As a smaller customer, a smaller manufacturer will tend to give us really strong customer service, to really go that extra mile. Plus they might be more willing to customize," said Larry Poturalski, a facilities engineer/electrical at the State University of New York, Buffalo. "A bigger manufacturer may just sit on its laurels. You get the rep in, and he sits there and says, 'Well, that's the [Company X] fixture. Take it or leave it.'"

According to Poturalski, "The fixtures that are coming out are becoming very generic-the same across the board. There's no ingenuity.... One company is buying out the other and there's not much money going toward R&D to come out with new fixtures. They're more or less just copying the same types of fixtures." Poturalski said that he is looking for luminaires with added energy-efficiency features, such as occupancy sensors and dimming ballasts.

"Agglomeration begins to rob us, the end-users, of bright, new, and innovative products. Now the only thing that the big companies seem to be concerned about is keeping up with the other big company," said Naugher. "There are specialty manufacturers out there, but when they get sucked up by the big guys they seem to leave the innovative people behind."

Larry Powers, president and CEO of Genlyte Thomas Group, maintains that the consolidated marketplace will increase profitability and therefore spending on R&D. "By being a larger company, more centralized, we're able to provide a broader array of product.... We're able to put more money into market research and into product development, so we're coming out with newer products faster and at lower cost."

Price remains the biggest question as the conglomerates go to market with their newly acquired lines. Many believe that fewer competitors in the marketplace will -drive up prices, but others observe that economies of scale and heated competition among a few players will actually lower prices.

"By putting the two companies together [Genlyte and Thomas] we can now select the best, lowest-cost factories and facilities in order to produce some common-type products....We can now run them two and three shifts versus one shift," argued Powers. "If you look at a typical lighting fixture, particularly in downlighting and in the fluorescent side of the business, as much as 65 to 70% of the cost of the product is in material: ballasts, sockets, steel or aluminum, whatever. Obviously, if you're purchasing larger quantities of these products, you're going to purchase them at better prices and be able to compete."

Lower overhead also contributes to these economies of scale and the anticipated lower prices. "By us becoming a more efficient, a better supplier of lighting fixtures to our customers, it does help us to, in fact, reduce our pricing and/or in some cases it help us to improve our profitability."


The Ballast Model

Wayne Morrow, a consulting electrical engineer with E Cube, Inc. of Boulder, CO, cites consolidation in the lamp, ballast, and occupancy sensor sectors. "There's a tremendous amount of innovation in the lamp business, even though there's only a small number of lamp manufacturers. I don't know why the fixture industry would be any different....

"The ballast market has been 'commoditized' for a long time. The innovations happened in technology and now they're happening in manufacturing. And the things that are going on there are really driving the prices down." Despite the small number of manufacturers, even prices for dimming ballasts have dropped 80%, according to Morrow. "You have to be able to buy in huge quantities and manufacture 24/7 to be efficient and competitive. So the idea that a small company could compete with Motorola or MagneTek or Advance or Energy Savings, forget it.... Standard lighting fixtures are the same. The only way that anybody is going to survive in this industry is to be big enough to support the type of manufacturing methods and buying power that it takes to stay competitive in a maturing market."

In that light, the recent acquisition of Motorola Lighting by Osram Sylvania, one of the "big three" lamp manufacturers, seems an almost necessary step, given the close affiliation of Philips Lighting Company and Advance Transformer, which are both owned by Philips, and the closer relationship between GE Lighting and MagneTek. Osram has long embraced a lamp-ballast system approach to sales and had marketed ballasts in the U.S. "We have always looked for locations to manufacture within the U.S.," said Fritz Schipp, vice president and general manager of Electronic Control Systems for Osram. "More and more we will have new systems coming out that need a ballast dedicated to the lamp." The advantage to Osram is concurrent introduction of both new lamp technology and an appropriate ballast for the U.S. market. In addition, Osram's Electronic Control Systems division is greatly expanded through Motorola's existing market share and R&D.

Morrow maintains that innovative boutique manufacturers will continue to spring up, even in a mature industry. "There's always going to be a place for those folks because there are a lot of products that don't fit into the commodity categories, especially light fixtures that are kind of artistic. There's no way that a large company can be very competitive within those areas that have low volume and lots of designer input."

Some companies with regional marketing, personalized sales and service, and evolving product lines may excel and not be quickly undercut by the larger manufacturers. The highly successful companies that continue to meet customer needs will likely be absorbed and changed as a result, Morrow added, leaving room for the next generation. "You've got to provide something that the other guys aren't."

Morrow hopes to join the next generation himself. He recently founded a small lighting controls manufacturer called StarField Controls.


It Ain't Over Yet

"We're right in the middle of this trend," according to Allan Suttle, president of California Lighting Sales, the Lithonia Lighting rep in Los Angeles. "There's almost a frenetic pace, almost a desperation to get out there and buy the best companies before somebody else does.... I think the reps are really helping to grease that process."

Cooper Lighting, Genlyte Thomas Group, JJI Lighting Group, Lighting Corporation of America, and Lithonia Lighting have all made major acquisitions. "The little manufacturers are the ones that are getting trampled when you've got your Lithonias and your Coopers slugging it out," Suttle said. "I've heard that both of them have multi-billion dollar aspirations, so they are going to grow it both internally and by acquisition....

"Both of them are using their cost advantages to do everything they can to write the orders. So when you've got two corporations that have lots of assets, lots of cash, they are showing the market that they are willing to spend that cash to establish cost leadership. They then use that cost leadership to gain market share."

Suttle described the enormous pressure exerted on management by boards of directors: "They believe in the old Harvard business school approach that you'd better be number one or number two in any market, or get out.... They're very aware of how growth, both sales growth and profit growth, drives the stock price. I think this is, in many cases, a stock market game that they're playing."

Powers agreed. "Up until recent years, our industry was extremely fragmented, lots of small companies. Many of those companies have now been acquired and are part of one of the major lighting companies. There has been a lot of consolidation, and I believe there will continue to be additional consolidation in our industry. It's going to be more and more difficult for the little independent manufacturer to compete head-to-head with the major suppliers of lighting fixtures."

Powers sees all the conglomerates "scurrying" to fill holes in their lines in order to cover desired market segments. But he believes it's the natural evolution of a maturing industry; that competition will be among fewer, larger, healthier companies rather than many small companies. "My opinion is that if profitability for the lighting industry were to improve somewhat, it would be nothing but good for the overall industry. It would allow more money for R&D; it would allow for better companies, better products, better services, more innovation-all the things that lead to industries that have adequate profit margins to do that."

As manufacturers expand their offerings and are able to package more jobs, they will likely develop exclusive partnerships with the larger ESCOs and electrical contractors. "I think those two would be able to benefit each other because they're really looking for large orders. The consolidator or the ESCO can bring the large deals forward, which is what the lighting conglomerates are looking for," said George Owens, president of Energy and Engineering Solutions, based in Columbia, MD. "A contractor, consolidator, or ESCO and its lighting manufacturer partner go hand-in-hand into the marketplace. Distribution is cut out at that point, and I think you're going to see a lot more of that."

Owens added that the lower prices realized by these partnerships will translate into lower bids and expanded market share for these types of companies. "You may not get the best lighting job, but you'll get a good lighting job at a good price. What sometimes gets lost in the 'bigger is better' philosophy is creativity. They're set up to do more bread-and-butter, commodity lighting jobs."

Sunday, December 09, 2007

25"



Guess what? We got 25 more inches of snow in the past 48hrs. Whoo-hoo! The women's Downhill World Cup, which they were worried about having to cancel because there wasn't enough snow, got canceled because there was too much snow! Tricky mother nature. Goes to show you never can tell I guess.
In a pellucid ocean,
Bubbles arise and dissolve again.
Just so, thoughts are no
Different from ultimate reality,
So don’t find fault; remain at ease.
Whatever arises, whatever occurs,
Don’t grasp—release it on the spot.
Appearances, sounds, and objects
Are all one’s own mind;
There’s nothing except mind.

- Buddha

Thursday, December 06, 2007

How Grandma met Jefferson, her Goldfish







She doesn't really notice she won, I'm not sure she knew what she was winning, so she just keeps on throwing. I talked to Jim a few days ago though and am happy to report the Grandma's fish are doing well. So glad.


Tuesday, December 04, 2007

Monday, December 03, 2007

the bonsai is doing well


"Elma" the Chinese Elm seems happy

Sunday, December 02, 2007

Oh, noooow I see.

So it finally dumped, and I mean dumped. 35" in the last 48hrs, and Aspen finally looks like "Aspen". Now I understand why this town is the way it is- snow filled trees. There is something so majestic about waking up to a town under 35" of fresh snow. Beautiful, absolutely beautiful. Come one, come all, the snow is here.








What does the old master do here?
By the side of the rock
He is hunting for a new verse.
Suddenly a cool breeze
Blows from the pine tree;
Silently and quietly it
Purifies spirit and thought.

- Shih t’ao (1641–1717)

Friday, November 30, 2007

butterfly and the tree


Brisa's 26th birthday was November 21st, but with Thanksgiving the next day we were all working through it, so we didn't get to go out and celebrate until Monday, and I didn't get a chance to put this picture up and wish her, again, a very merry and magical 26th year of life. I've been dropping members off in town every night at all the different restaurants, and then I pick them up and talk to them about how their dinner was. I think that migh tbe my favorite part of the job because everyone's always a little drunk after dinner and I have so much fun running the "fun bus" for them. So from talking to all the guests I've gotten a pretty good feel for the restaurant scene. There are so many great restaurants, but I think I found hte best for Brisa's birthday. Matsuhisu. Incredible. Sort of like "Sushi Roku" in Pasadena if any of you have been there, but better. They serve their sake out of real bamboo too as you can see. So, Mom, I can't wait for you to come visit and I know exactly where we should go out for dinner! And I don't think I'll be able to afford it again until then but it is totally worth it.

As many of you know, the two six is a very wonderfully ominous and powerfully majestic number. It is activated by your awareness of it, so if you don't believe me, just make a little effort to notice and see for yourself, then tell me its bullshit. So of course, the 26th year is bound to be a cosmic one, all my best Bebe. Happy Birthday.

Thursday, November 29, 2007

Wednesday, November 28, 2007

Thursday, November 22, 2007

some snow comes


The Maroon Bells, just up the road from the Ritz


Snow Comes to Aspen, Finally!

The view from our hallway...


Our make shift ice scrapper

Monday, November 19, 2007

November 19th.

For 7 years now this day has been a day I felt uneasy about to say the least. This day has been the anniversary of something that I have never quite known how to feel about. Each year as it would come and go I would get a strange feeling about myself. I would look at myself from another year’s perspective and I would do my best to pay my respects to life and lives and the chaotic nature of reality. I would do my best to charge myself up for another big push towards the light of my dreams and resolve to commit even further to the intimately indescribable effort to manifest my pledge to bring love into the world in some big way.
I don’t think any of this is going to change.
I speak of it in the past tense only because this year, this day marks the anniversary of something I love. Something that is full of that light I try so hard to push myself towards. Something that provides the space to create a portal where love and light and all other good things can pour into the physical domain from the invisible. I was almost so caught up in remembering and being disarmed by the 7-year anniversary that I forgot to notice and spend more time focusing on the new one. Quaint as it might be, today is Brisa and my nine month anniversary, which may not seem like much to you, but when you’ve been dreading a day for 7 years because it confuses and strips you of your senses, to have it be resurrected again with a day of love and gratefulness and hope for the future- well, you’ll just have to imagine what it feels like I suppose. And if you can imagine what it looks like to have that resurrection come in through the smiling face of a beautiful Brazilian woman, full of light and love and her own commitment to her own dreams, well, you might feel pretty damn lucky too.
Love you Bebe.

Friday, November 16, 2007

Wednesday, November 14, 2007

daily zen

To practice Zen, you need deep roots.
People with deep roots are rare.
In the past anyone could practice Zen.
But not now.
Zen depends completely on yourself.
It’s much harder, especially now.

- Sheng-hi

Tuesday, November 13, 2007

Sunday, November 11, 2007

reunited and it feels so fine






Brisa and her brother have returned to the states and we drove over to Park City to pick up our skis/snowboards and say hello to all our friends before starting work on Wednesday. One of these pictures was taken right after I threw a bullseye. See if you can tell which one that is...
 

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