Lots of updates...

It's been a while since I've post, it has been busy!

From an art standpoint I am starting to produce bigger art as seen below:

This last piece is a commission from my daughter and her boyfriend and their new home.

I have since moved my studio back into the house, here it is:

About the house, refinished the front door after removing 80 years worth of paint, am getting a huge about of veggies from the garden:

Getting in better shape, since this time last year I have lost 37 pound, am more active and took on a part time job working with an executive chef to hone my skill in the kitchen, an yeah I can cook!  Working on my first cook book, have my rubs and bbq sauces hitting the market soon.

Picked up this trike so I can tool around town, plus its great exorcise for Crixus.

Gnocchi in an alfredo sauce with summer peppers and garlic toast.

Lamb chops with steamed Brussel sprouts.

Beef street tacos with corn tortillas and a cabbage/carrot slaw on the side, all veggies are from the garden.

Each month I host an event which is by invitation only called Dinner at Karl's.  I create a menu and invite between 30 and 40 people to come over and enjoy some fantastic food.  

On the smoker is bacon wrapped jalapeño stuffed chicken breasts.

July's cook was two 12lb beef brisket, 3 slabs of ribs, potatoes placed under the briskets so as they cooked the juices basted the potatoes.  It was outstanding and I've been told my brisket (using my rub) is the best in Detroit.

I had to cancel Augusts cook because with a recent power outage I had to purchase a generator to run the fridge to save nearly $1000 worth of food.

Septembers cook will be a Moroccan dish called Tagine Chicken and veggies with roasted garlic cuscus, grilled Moroccan style beef kabobs with homemade pita bread and a spicy tahini sauce and finally a cucumber and tomato salad.  I got the tagine pots today.  Learned how to make this dish wile spending time in Morocco with a woman whom I have yet to stop thinking about.  

If you would like to be invited to "Dinner at Karl's" you must friend me on Facebook.  

Having fun and feeling so much better.  Eat healthy, stay active and enjoy life :)

Oh, and I am no longer using twitter, the double standards there are laughable while they let a man, an orange buffoon, insult anyone and everyone, they block you if you have something to say about it!  Twitter no longer has my trust nor support.

Opening day for The Sacred Feminine

Opening day is rapidly approaching for The Sacred Feminine show.  This is the first show my daughter curated and I could not be more proud of her.  The selection of art is fantastic.  I hope to see many of you there. 

And for those interested, I will be there all 4 days of the show and will be opening my studio to the public... stop on by.

Here is an image just after moving in and you will see art there for the above show, it's now much more organized and workable.

A couple current projects...

Above is a blade I am working on for my daughter as a graduation gift.  She is big into the Renaissance festival thing and after earning her Bachelors in Art History I want to make something cool.  My friends at 333 Midland cut the rough shape out of a steel blank.  I will spend the winter finishing it. 

Below is a fiberglass piece I am making for another 3d canvas called "Something wicked this way comes".  Updates to follow.

Setting things straight!

With the case against me now in the restitution hearing phase I really need to comment on a few things.  It has come to my attention that my former employer or employees that still work there are having fun with spreading rumors and untruths about me and my family over the past year so this is to correct the false information that keeps getting back to me!

Regarding my divorce:

My wife and I decided a while ago that we were no longer compatible and that it would be best to divorce and look for the things we were missing in our own marriage.   My divorce had nothing to to with the case or my finical placement at the time.  We were told if we could to hold off until our daughter was 18 or older to make things better for all and that is what happened.  The week after Shelby turned 18 I filed for the divorce and it was completed on April 8th 2011.

Regarding the loss of my home:

The loss of my home was NOT because of the divorce nor was it because of the case regarding my former employer.  My wife and I fought with J.P. Morgan Chase Bank for over 2 years trying to save our home.  If you read this http://karlrdenton.blogspot.com/2011/04/open-letter-to-president-of-united.html you will gain an understanding of how frustrating it was and how dissapointed we both were on losing the house and how little help there was.  Again we fought to save our home!  The house went into a short sale because a couple of greedy realtors  convinced my then wife that it was the best way to go about things, not telling her that we would still be in the house if we had continued to fight.  They came across as caring about our credit rating when in reality it had already been destroyed because the bank would not help us.  The realtor had nothing in mind but reaping the profits from the closing when talking to my wife!  As it stands now the new owners pay as much per-month as I do in renting my current home!  Our house was stolen from us, it was not lost because of the case, the divorce or any other factor!

Regarding my right to a restitution hearing:

During the initial hearing the Prosecutor commented several times that "the defendant had already plead "not-contest" and could not see why I was being allowed to bring up or subpena those whom I worked with including the owner of the company!  Then in the same breath would try and assert that this was tantamount to harassment by me against my former employer.  The fact is I have a right to this restitution hearing because it is part of the law!  I've taken responsibility for many things they claim but I will NOT take responsibility for items used at and for work.  The Prosecutor also made many comments pertaining to my legal counsel such as "the defendant has gone through 3 or 4 lawyers, what do you expect?"  The fact is I have had 2 lawyers, the original one whom in my opinion provided me with no counsel whatsoever and whom I fired when he asked me to pay $5,000 in addition to the $20,000 I had already paid him.  Then I have my current lawyer!  No others!  So the prosecutor would rather infringe on my rights to have this hearing and immediately started making comments such as above!   I subpenaed only those whom I worked with on various projects, those whom I took orders from including the owner because as it is my right to have this hearing it is also my right to call on anyone who can provide insight into this case, good, bad or ugly!  I have no interest in interacting with anyone from my former employer other then ending this nightmare!


I find it interesting that regardless of the restrictions I have had imposed on me in this case that my former employer or at least select people that are still employed by my former employer are free and able to say whatever comes to mind regarding me or my family though I find it just as interesting that the prosecutor does the same thing but in her case she makes the comments in court, just loud enough to be heard by the judge, my former employer and the court room.  Dirty tricks to continuously smear my name in the midst of this case.  I will not stand for it!  Nor will I take responsibility for the things I used in the line of work!


Regarding the IRS audit I am in the middle of regarding the years 2009 and 2010:

I have been down this path with the IRS before!  During the congressional investigation regarding abuse on the part of the IRS.  This is no different!  The moment I got into the office for the initial meeting it was obvious that they were going reclassify my work in art and photography as a hobby.  This meant that I would have to repay thousands of dollars in back taxes and penalties! While in the initial interview I secretly recorded the entire thing for my own protection as resolving the first audit got VERY intense until I sought and received help for the special congressional committee investigating the IRS.  I will fight this audit with as much vigor as the last one!  One interesting note is that while being interviewed I overheard the IRS investigator telling a small businessman the EXACT same thing during his interview.  You can even hear her telling him it on the recording I made.  What the IRS is doing is targeting small home based businesses and denying them the same rights and do course as they give large companies whom write off more in losses per year then all the small home based business combined!

I will NOT stop fighting this!

I really hope this helps set things straight but to recap:

*My divorce was planned and was mutual between my ex-wife and I (I should point out she is upstairs wrapping gifts for our daughter as I write this!)  We get a long we were just not meant for marriage despite being so for 30 years!

*My home was stolen from us!  We fought with the banks hoping the bailout would have helped, it did not, the bailout was designed to shit on home owners and help the banks, simple as that!

*It is my right to have the restitution hearing!  It is my right and obligation to make the most of my life, pay restitution and get this thing behind me, the endless rumors, insulting innuendo being dished out by both my former employer and the prosecutor do nothing but show how flawed our legal system is!

*The IRS has a new directive and that is to "stop" small business by hiding behind obscure laws that are changed by our own government to further the agenda of large companies and the IRS itself, lets remember the government is the largest corporation in the US!  I will NOT stop fighting the findings regarding my own taxes!

My soul gets tired

When the hate for a father,

includes the daughter,

my soul gets tired.

When dreams are pushed down,

because of petty insecurities,

my soul get tired.

When the hate for a father,

the daughter,

the mother,

friends,

self,

my soul gets tired.

When the spark of youthful eyes,

goes blank and weak,

when the ones around are afraid,

to speak...

My soul is tired...