Denver, CO

What do Denver sport fans think will be most important for our beloved Denver Broncos? What should the focus be for this summer camp and two-a-day practices? Do they have what it takes to make a run for the Super Bowl this year? Here’s your chance, readers, to be a couch coach and tell Denver what the Broncos need most!

1) Jay Cutler and solidifying the QB position

2) Travis Henry and others, establishing the strong Denver running game

3) the Defensive Line, figuring the starters out and making the pass rush work

4) Is it time for a new coach?

5) Is it just time for a new strategy?

6) Dare I say, new uniforms again? Would that help?

(* Author’s note: Mind you readers, I’m not too informed in pigskin matters, in fact I haven’t watched a game in two years and when I did, the Buffalo Bills were my team. Therefore, if there is an important area of improvement or suggestion that I have left out of this blog, please feel free to leave your own additional comments *)

Who does Denver want to see as the next U.S. president? Here are potential candidates to choose from. Please vote by leaving a comment so readers can get an idea of who Denver wants to see in office!

Democratic Candidates

Joe Biden
Hillary Rodham Clinton
Chris Dodd
John Edwards
Mike Gravel
Dennis Kucinich
Barack Obama
Bill Richardson

Republican Candidates

Sam Brownback
Newt Gingrich
Rudy Giuliani
Chuck Hagel
Mike Huckabee
Duncan Hunter
John McCain
George Pataki
Ron Paul
Mitt Romney
Tom Tancredo
Tommy Thompson
Fred Thompson

Other Candidates: Please list your suggestions of people who maybe should run, or those who are running that I do not have listed.

Leave your poll answers as a comment for this blog entry.

“Holding an intention to be in service shapes our overall attitude towards life in many ways. For example, it brings a greater sensitivity and awareness of others, a commitment to harmlessness, a willingness to put others’ needs before our own, and a desire to be in harmony with all.” -Jacob Needleman

My choosing to post this quote today was inspired by an About-Denver reader, Laura, comment on my blog post ‘Modern Heroes.’ I feel this quote is also an appropriate precursor to the following reception that Denver is lucky enough to host on August 8th. I will be at the reception to cover the event much as a journalist would, so look for the story to drop on www.about-denverco.com on August 9th.

“A delegation of 25 Iraqi high school students is visiting Colorado for 2 weeks through the Baghdad-Denver Region Partnership, a program of Sister Cities International sponsored locally by the Denver Regional Council of Governments. The Baghdad-Denver Region Partnership is an educational, cultural, and professional exchange program of Sister Cities International. The purpose of the partnership is to foster relations between people and groups in the Denver Region and people and groups in the Province of Baghdad. Everyone who shares the partnership’s goals of respectfully furthering cultural and professional exchange is invited to participate. The Partnership is not political; and participants hold widely varying views on the war and the situation in Iraq. What we have in common is the desire for intercultural exchange and understanding.”

Weather forecast for this weekend: sunny and nice, a great Colorado weekend

Fun and adventure forecast for this author: This weekend’s adventure will take place in historic Georgetown, Colorado. Fun for the whole family!
Activities include and can range from touring old mining towns, hiking, off-roading, mountain biking, fishing, etc.
Take advantages of this weekend, people. Though we do love our city and love to live in Denver, we also love the great outdoors that Denver is lucky enough to be situated so close to!

This last Thursday, July 19th, several Denverites made an impression on the people of Denver, or at least this author.
These everyday modern heroes were advocating for the end of genocide in Darfur. The plan at first glance, makes sense, though I do not know if is entirely sound. Here’s the short of the long:
The Sudanese government sends oil to a Chinese company, PetroChina, in exchange for guns, ammunition, and money. Companies like Fidelity and other institutions invest US dollars into PetroChina. What the Divest for Darfur campaign is focusing on is asking these US companies to divest their investments in PetroChina to keep money and guns from going into Sudan. Other US companies, like Coca Cola, are in Sudan but they are providing important life and society building tools, like schools, etc. The Divest for Darfur campaign is not interested in taking money that benefits Darfur away, only the money that promotes violence. This campaign strategy is attributed to the success of ending Apartheid.
Here’s where I experience some confusion and doubt, and I would love readers input on this.
If US companies pull out their money, sell their investments, doesn’t that mean that another company in another country will buy the investment and put their money back in? Be that as it may, I for one would still feel better if US money wasn’t supporting the terrible genocide of Darfur.
Excuse me; I’ve sidetracked from the intent of this blog: to honor the small group of people who gathered in Denver, some wearing ugly, bright yellow shirts saying, “I’m not invested in Genocide, are you?”, to participate in education of the public on this issue, and hopefully encourage Fidelity to divest. Now, whether this tactic or strategy will have any significant effect or not, we are forced to stop and recognize their efforts and honor these everyday Modern Heroes who took time from their Thursday morning and afternoon simply because the genocide in Darfur is, to these people and many others, to terrible to sit idly by and wait for it to end. In some way, these people have to do something, anything, because they care so strongly about ending this genocide and preventing future occurences. And that is admirable.
If this blog moved you in any way, here are two sites you will want to check out!

Save Darfur and Divest for Darfur campaign info click here

Colorado Coalition for Genocide Awareness and Action click here

I believe that everyday and everywhere we look we have the opportunity to see modern day heroes and modern day chivalry being performed. Some days more than others, some less; it largely depends on what you focus on.
Some motivational speakers will tell you to “ignore the weeds in your garden” and only focus on the good plants of your garden. This is a better approach then just complaining and wondering, “why did these weeds happen to me?!?” But in the words of Anthony Robbins, “just pull the weeds out and keep gardening.”
What I’m trying to say is there will always be evil and wrong in our world, just as there will always be good and right. Unfortunately, we can’t pull the evil and wrong out of the world as easily as if they were weeds in the above analogy, but if you find yourself constantly focusing on the negative side of things, stop and ask yourself why?
Why not focus on the good, the positive, the lovely? The negative side is worth acknowledging and being aware of, but focus largely on the good in life and everything we have that brings us happiness, joy, security, and more.
I’ve begun a new, hopefully weekly, blog category for About-Denverco.com. In these Modern Heroes, I’ll highlight ordinary people just like you and I, who focus on the good in life to accomplish extraordinary things, to fight for justice, to work for peace, etc.
Any suggestions for who might fit into this category is more than welcome. I have a strong interest and passion in people who strive to do what is right, good, moral, and help others, so I will be happy to interview people to be posted on my blog. Only requirement: they live in Denver, since this is a Denver blog!!

‘”We were sitting there getting ready to cast our poles out in the water and then something really big jumped out of the water and tried to get on the dock but it was too big and fell right back into the water,” John Peck told CBS4.’

This is how a much publicized story began in Loveland, CO. Cages have recently been set up on the banks of Jayhawker Ponds where at least three witnesses, two of them children, are claiming to have seen a five to seven foot reptile in the waters.
Officials believe the creature to be a caiman or alligator that was most likely a pet whose owner chose to release the animal from captivity…into a public lake.
Maybe the witnesses are just crying wolf, er, alligator.
We’ll likely know soon enough; if the cages do not work for catching the creature, then plan B will be enacted. This means using an electric shock to stun everything in the water and cause the fish, etc., to float to the surface. If you’re like me, you’re attention might turn to another ’shocking’ story of recent headline worthiness in the newspaper. This other story is a sad one, a man who was confronted by officers and then shot with a Taser (a presumably safe weapon of control) only to later be pronounced dead.
That concludes this blog reporter’s account of strange and frightening.
Next week and in the future of this blog, I want to focus in on some good news in Colorado. On beautiful people doing beautiful things; and by this I mean all of us in our everyday life. You all know someone out there who is a beautiful person not just in physical terms, but because they enjoy going down to the homeless shelter, or are passionate about recycling, or they pick up trash on their walks… beautiful people doing beautiful things.

quote taken from http://cbs4denver.com/topstories/local_story_195171553.html reported by Mike Hooker

Unless you’ve been living under a rock (highly unlikely since your reading an obscure Denver blog) then you know there was a strange and frightening incident at the State Capitol building just after 2pm on Monday July 16th. Here’s a line from the Rocky Mountain News in an article describing the incident in the following day’s paper:

“Snyder fell dead onto the marbled floor, blood pouring from his wound, just a few steps inside the Capitol’s north doors.” -Kevin Vaughan, David Montero and Sara Burnett, Rocky Mountain News
July 17, 2007 for the full article click here

To me, this description is a little bit harsh and just a little too graphic. Yes, a man wearing a tux entered the Capitol building and police officers were forced to shoot him. This is true and factual reporting, but do we need it in detail? This, to me, reflects poorly on the interest of us as a nation and what the media keys on to catch our attention and attract readership. Because the media outlets are just providing the news in a way that the public finds desirable and essentially, demands. Does this make sense? Our country is attracted to violence, mayhem, murder, etc. That is, after all, why they say ‘bad news sells.’

To top it all off, this article went out to readers throughout Colorado with an actual photo of the dead body, lying prone in the State Capitol. I suppose I could have included the photo on this blog entry for added effect, but I believe that photos are intended to be used in journalism to enhance the reader’s understanding of the article and improve their experience with the article. I do not feel a photo of the dead guy this article is about serves to achieve either end.
We have so much beauty in Colorado and so many great citizens who are doing so many beautiful things; it is a sad thing that front page news tends to be the murders, violence, rape, etc, the evils and ugly side of mankind and society.

Following my recomendation for a movie, and since movies can be seen anywhere in the country, I decided to make a recommendation that is more specific to Denver. The theater. More specifically, Wicked. Now, this production isn’t just happening in Denver, but according to the website, it is only going to be in Denver through November. So hurry up and attend! I have heard great reviews from all of my friends and family. So for my next date, I’ll impress her with how ‘cultured’ I am and take her to the Theater!

click here for Wicked

A movie I highly recommend Denverites and all Americans to go see or rent at some point is Michael Moore’s film, Sicko. Yes, it is a bias film. That’s what makes it film worthy in the first place. Moore wouldn’t have the popularity he currently enjoys if he made this film a balance between the pro’s and con’s of healthcare. So keep this in mind when watching the film. Regardless of bias, Sicko is an important film for all concerned citizens to watch. In response to this film, I’d like to open the comments on this blog entry for the readers to share their own experience, good or bad, with healthcare. I always encourage people to do their own research when politics, news, religion, etc., are concerned, so lets use this as a forum for research! Don’t be shy!

One thing this film did accomplish was make me want to move to Europe! In Europe they have:
+ five weeks vacation every year
+ thirty-five hour work weeks
+ an extra week vacation for your honeymoon, in addition to the allotted five weeks
+ and, of course, free healthcare for all citizens

To leave you with a cliffhanger, I especially enjoyed how Michael Moore paid back his long-time nemesis and arch-enemy for this person’s continued effort to destroy Mr. Moore… You’ll have to watch it to understand what I’m talking about…

click here for movie times and locations for Sicko

Meet my three dogs (I’ll try to post some pictures in a later blog!)
I have a male 5yr old Chocolate lab named Ozzy
a 8yr old female Chocolate lab named Belle
and a 5yr old male Golden retriever named Yari (I am just babysitting him until August)

On our walk today around a Denver-area pond, I witnessed a funny and blog-worthy dog moment…
Now, Denver has leash laws, but my dogs aren’t the best at following these particular rules. So my male dog Ozzy, and his endless abundance of energy runs in, and out, and all around the pond on our walk. He has never, ever in his five years stopped to roll around in the grass, which is a favorite pastime of Yari, the golden retriever I’m watching for a friend. Well today, either Ozzy picked up Yari’s habit or the temptation was too great, but Ozzy stopped to roll around. I thought it odd that he stop his usual activities on the walk to run suddenly to a particular area near the water… But the scent of the area and the urge was too much for my male, and to my disgust I found him rolling directly on a large, dead fish washed ashore! He chose that one, very specific spot to roll around for the first time ever. It was like he had to roll on a dead fish, that he hadn’t really lived a dog life until he had done so…Bizarre creatures…
So we get home and, I admit, I talk to my pets. I says to Ozzy I says, “I know what you’re going to try to do, you’re going to go lay down on my nice new Tempurpedic bed with the sheets I just washed and make it smell like fish, aren’t ya?”
To alleviate my fears of my dog doing so, I take him out back and proceed to give him a bath. The entire time I’m spraying the hose or rubbing in shampoo, my Ozzy is giving me those puppy dog eyes as if to say, ‘what’d I do to deserve this? It was just one fish…”
I feel like telling him that, “no, Ozzy, it doesn’t matter where you found the fish, what kind of fish it was, or even how many there were. Every time you roll on a dead fish, you’re getting a bath.” But that’s the problem of being a dog owner; he’d never understand me and there so cute, you always forgive them anyway!

Hopefully this blog will generate some great pet stories from readers. C’mon readers, lets hear your favorite pet stories!

Weather forecast for this weekend: sunny and nice, a great Colorado weekend

Fun and adventure forecast for this author: Wake up at 5am Sunday morning and attempt to summit Longs Peak by early afternoon.

Here’s a picture of the peak I’ll be hiking, foot by foot, all 14,255 feet. I hope this motivates some of my readers to get out this weekend and really enjoy the natural beauty and adventure of this state. It’s tremendous really, and I personally, think it better and more exciting than a weekend of video games or television…

Every summer I have the good fortune of being able to attend children’s birthday parties due to my work as a martial arts instructor. I enjoy being invited out to celebrate my student’s birthdays and for me, this also means free food! Have you ever noticed at children’s birthday parties that, for all the children there, the most important thing of the day is the child, the fact that the child’s birthday is today, and also that everyone should be playing during such a happy event?
And sure, we have all outgrown this stage and why not: there are responsibilities like work, bills, family, church, voting, etc. Someone has to pay for the party right? But when was the last time we allowed ourselves to be swept up in the simple importance of playing like these children do at birthday parties?!?
I’m reminded of a party I attended not too long ago. A good friend of mine, Chris, had provided Bouncy Houses and other bouncy things for the five year old crowd to enjoy, which the five year olds did particularly well. Many of the five year olds took to trying to convince me, in all my twenty years of glory, to jump in the Bouncy House with them. They simply could not understand why I, or the other adults, refused to partake in the inflatable fun. We just had too much other things on our mind, I suppose, like what will everyone else here think if I actually take off my shoes and take five minutes to have fun in a child’s plaything with my five year old friends? Long story short, I did eventually, and from combined efforts of the children, enter the bouncy house for approximately five minutes. But I’ll tell you, the experience of taking five minutes out of my practiced adult exterior to jump in the bouncy house as a function of my younger, childlike interior that we all have, is something that will last a life time. When was the last time we allowed ourselves to be swept up in the simple importance of playing like these children do at birthday parties?!? For me, it was the last birthday party I went to, and I plan to enter the next Bouncy House I find at the next birthday party as well. Hope you enjoyed this…
for Denver bouncy house info click here If you or anyone else you know wants some fun filled party rentals, then this is the place to call!

“Everything that is really great and inspiring is created by the individual who can labor in freedom.”
Albert Einstein

“You can protect your liberties in this world only by protecting the other man’s freedom. You can be free only if I am free.”
Clarence Darrow

“Free at last; free at last; thank God Almighty we are free at last.”
Martin Luther King, Jr.

Happy fourth of July Denver, Colorado, and the United States!
I hope everyone takes some time today and this evening to not only enjoy the fireworks and community celebrations, but to think about what being part of the greatest and free-est country in the world means to them as a free individual with unlimited opportunities. Think about it!