Tulip City Dispatch

 Going WAY back to the very first post I made on this here blog , I talked about deep cuts, hidden spots, locals-only venues, and other truly weird stuff...It was apparently in my handwritten notebook that I mentioned "eccentric business owner with a squadron of garden gnomes," because I distinctly remember having the realization that there was, in fact, a business owner with a squadron of garden gnomes:  Lemonjello's Coffee. Now, I graduated from Jenison High School in the heat of the 2000s, when emo and indie culture were starting to blossom in a big way - I had friends who have posted things like "I'm so bummed, I just heard my favorite band on the radio :(" and I myself have unironically said "They're a pretty obscure band, you probably haven't heard of them."  And, from Jenison, there's this weird paradox where Holland is SO FAR AWAY, but Grand Rapids is *just right there*.  The faraway, exotic locale of Holland had this legendary...

 I came across this book, written by Veronica Bareman, by way of Instagram.  She and I have quite a few followers in common, so it's natural that her book promo came up on my feed.  I picked up the book and started paging through it, and realized that I've already done a LOT of the things in there, and continue to actively participate in a lot of them!  It seemed like a natural fit for me to take my historical perspective and apply it to some of the stories and recommendations in the book, and I certainly hope I can do so in a manner that'll uplift and support Ms. Bareman's vision and add some new context.  Words and thoughts are my own, and I'm in no way affiliated with her, Reedy Press, or anything...we may have shared a beer at Brew Merchant or something at some point, but I have no idea. With all that being said, I'll add the label "100ThingsToDo" to each blog post about an entry in the book, and if possible, I'll add corresponding pics to the ...

 The assignment was to take an old disposable camera that I'd found in the basement, jimmy-rig a polarized filter out of an old pair of sunglasses, then shoot what I saw in and around Downtown Holland, Michigan. Some key takeaways? It's not necessarily worth using a filter like this when the clouds are making diffuse light anyway (except when it is) Rule Of Thirds is a general guideline, and I hope I didn't create too much imbalance Holland has some really cool architecture!   A view of the sidewalk in Holland Heights, looking westward along E. 8th Street The entryway to the Windmill Way subdivision, at the corner of Paw Paw Drive and E. 8th St. A retaining wall looking west on E 8th St, just a bit down the road from Windmill Way Construction in front of Barber Ford, looking westward at US-31.  Background has the Shell Station and the plaza where Ditto and the Secretary Of State office are Barber Ford looking south along Homestead Drive.  Love that Blue Oval! The sam...

  On Friday, August 4, 2023, Amagansett Press hit the mean streets of Holland, Michigan for purposes related to auditing the First Amendment: Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances. Basically, the dude stands in front of storefronts or on public sidewalks and just...films people.  The people are either entering or exiting businesses, or just walking down the sidewalk.  His goal seems to be to get police to interact with him , then he'll sue the police departments .  Heralded as a folk hero by some , he's pretty financially successful on his Youtube channel , having monetized it to almost $300,000 per year according to this Redditor . A quick Google search for "Amagansett Press" shows a library of news articles about him suing variou...

 As I was driving around West Michigan today, I got thinking about old - the concept of old, the abstract idea of the good ol' days , the stories and experiences of those who came before us, and just how the hell we all got here.  Hemingway said “Every man has two deaths, when he is buried in the ground and the last time someone says his name,” and when I consider my own path here, and the reasons why I made this blog, I want to uphold that idea as best as I can. Part of what draws me to thrift stores and antique stores is wondering about the stories of the items around me...part of why I did the $50 Thrift Store Golf Challenges was to take something I enjoy (golfing) and explore the experience of using old clubs that I'd find.  Let me tell ya, you really gain an appreciation for modern metallurgy and computer design after playing with some of those old stinkers...yet, those are the clubs I learned on back in the day at Rolling Hills Golf Course in Hudsonville; those are...

 Holy smokes, folks.  I got to see an amazing show last night at the Tip Top Deluxe in Grand Rapids, Michigan.  Title says it all - Daniel Mason and Silver Creek Revival played as openers for Rachel Brooke as headliner...well, except for when Daniel joined Rachel for a bluegrass set. Daniel Mason hails from Alabama, where he learned classic country and bluegrass from a very young age.  By 16, he picked up a banjo and started studying the styles of Earl Scruggs, Don Reno, Charlie Cushman, and Leroy Troy.  By 2008, he was touring with Hank Williams, III; an influence which absolutely lives on in his solo touring career.  Daniel opened his set with 3 original songs on guitar, then pivoted to banjo before closing his set on guitar again.  Tattoos, a huge red beard, and a signature tight-curled cowboy hat was all it took for this one man to dominate the stage - his stage presence was second to none!  Odd coincidence going back to Hank III - Hank w...

  Use this information how you see fit.  If you take a Burger King Double Stacker and pull the patties apart, they fit perfectly on top of a Burger King Long Chicken sandwich.  Pictured above, there's a Double Stacker on top of a Mexican Chicken Sandwich. It's a sodium bomb, which left me feeling swollen and sluggish.  For the remainder of the day, I smelled  greasy.  Between the cheese and spice of the Mexican Chicken, and the savory bacon of the Double Stacker, the flavors were...uh...interesting.  I wonder if there would be a way to modify the Chicken Sandwich to make it work better with the Double Stacker sandwich.  The overall experience was something that would've been cool when I was 17 or 18, but...man, eating this at 35 was a poor decision.