There was a time many years ago when, more than anything, I wanted a job that would give me “most evenings and weekends off.” That, I told myself, would be my perfect job! At the time, I was reaping the rewards of some ill-informed choices I had made early in my life. I was working…
My Childhood – Freedom! When I was a kid, back in what felt like the Mesozoic era, summer was always an excellent time to relax and be a kid. I could get up in the morning, hop on my bike, ride to the local playground, and spend the entire day there. The mornings would start…
Sadly, our friend Leah Delancey Chang passed suddenly from a very aggressive cancer. Her husband and sister held a bittersweet memorial a couple of weeks ago that brought together over 100 people who knew and loved Leah. I was asked to share a few words. For those who couldn’t be there, I thought I would…
Perhaps a little indulgent, but I made a list of 50 things about myself, Jim Stalker. I have eaten cookie dough for breakfast. I proposed to my wife in Stanley Park, Vancouver, BC, overlooking the Lion’s Gate Bridge. I got down on my knee (it was romantic). As a child, I performed as a ventriloquist….
My wife had fallen asleep in the hotel room. Our 8-year-old, who we allow to watch TV on trips like this, was transfixed by an infomercial. “Daddy, you have GOT to see this,” our son said, shaking me out of what was nearly sleep, “and we have got to order this, now, and we have…
Steely Dan is in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. They are a bit odd and people either love ‘em or hate ‘em. Their body of work combines the most harmonically complex “pop” music in rock and roll with the most subversive (and often hilarious) lyrics ever. They have also benefited from some truly…