Denver, CO

image from http://www.rwm.org/rwm/tf_col.html

If you’re a loyal reader or here for the first time but have read through my previous blog posts, you’ll know that I took the about-denverco.com website to a community meeting about education. This post shall be a reflection on the meeting and my overall feel of the successes of the meeting and where it didn’t work.
First, let me begin by saying this was an incredible experience. If you have not taken the time to participate in your state’s government before, then please do so. You will not forget it. Helping to make decisions, engage in discussions about ideas, these are all things that invigorate me and I think probably do the same for most anybody. For this reason, and because many people are concerned with education in Colorado and the U.S.A., there was a sizeable group of local politicians, educators, parents, grandparents, councilmen and councilwomen, and students at this community meeting.
Issues discussed: How do we improve Colorado education?
It was clear that everyone in attendance agreed that Colorado public schools need improvement. And everyone agreed a good start for this was to do away with CSAP. Another key focus of the meeting was to expand the ways in which we teach, what we teach, and how that information is presented to kids. Basically an overwhelming consensus that our education is too standardized.
Where I felt this meeting was lacking was that we focused much on what the system needed to remove or change, but not in the least on how to change it and what the education system in the future would look like it. The meeting was able to establish what was not working in education and what should work better, but no strategies on how to implement it.

These conversations are taking place around the state of Colorado, in an effort to garnish as much community ideas, support, and involvement about the future of Colorado education. This affects all of us, either because we have kids in Colorado’s education systems, or we care about our state, our nation, and will continue to live here, hopefully as leaders of the free world.
For more info please visit www.conversation2007.org

Rockies are living large this life and have earned a Wild Card playoff berth; things are good for Colorado in this the month of Rocktober. And my sincerest wishes go out to the Rockies and taking this state through some exciting post-season games!
But stepping away from the sports scene (at the risk of offending loyal fans) for a brief moment, I want to inform readers about a unique speaker in Denver, something other than the Rockies that has sadly, been kept relatively obscure compared to the big baseball news.
Al Gore in Denver. Tonight. For some readers this is good, exciting news. For others, it’s a ‘who cares?’ blog post. And for still others, there are more interesting things than politicians, like watching paint dry.
But its not everyday that a former vice president and presidential candidate makes an appearance in your home city. And for this writer, this event is enough to get me out of my pajamas and, putting my thinking cap on, head out to hear what Al Gore has to say.
Tonight’s presentation will be especially useful and interesting if you have been following Al Gore’s spearheaded movement of protecting our environment and doing our part to prevent climate change.
More about tonight with Al Gore:

the Aaron Harber Show airs at 8pm on channel 12 KBDI-TV with the former vice president’s appearance

there was a chance presented in the Rocky Mountain News to win tickets to this event (see, you should all be reading the newspapers!). But that opportunity is over. Tickets may still be available at http://www.harbertv.com., otherwise set your TiVo and plan on recording Al Gore in Denver. Then switch back to baseball!!

stay tuned: the next blog post will be a summary of last week’s community meeting on education

other news in politics: State Senator sues God

Important community meeting tomorrow, read on:

When: Wednesday, Sept. 26th

Time: 7:00 p.m. to 8:30 pm

Where: Westminster City Hall
4800 W 92nd Ave
Westminster, CO 80031

Who will be in attendance: The important figures and leader of our community who have put together this meeting and who will be present: State Representative Debbie Benefield, State Representative Cherylin Peniston, and Westminster Mayor Nancy McNally. And, of course, yours truly: the About-Denverco blog author!

General info: This community meeting is for gathering information as to what Coloradans value and expect from our state education system. Elected officials, the Governor’s P-20 Education Coordinating Council and other stakeholders can use the input in deciding how to move forward with education reform. Come and let your voice be heard! College students, current and future ones, especially should be paying attention to education in Colorado since we have to pay for it…

Try not to miss these types of meetings. We all have other duties of the home and work life, but not participating in our government means we run the risk of one day waking up and wondering where all the things we believed in and once took for granted have disappeared too…

The expectations of our children have changed. No longer are children expected to help out on the farm, to do an entire day’s worth of chores. In many ways, this is a good thing and a sign that life is easier. But what does that leave for the children to do? Not much, and many are turning to the TV set or the gameboy, or the Xbox, the playstation…
Consider how much you spent in the last few months to feed your child’s technology appetite. Did this include a new IPod? How about a new picture/video cell phone? If you bought a new Nintendo Wii, that means your child is getting some form of exercise while gaming, right?
In today’s United States consumer society, the typical American Family is spending between two and seven hours a day in front of the boob tube. Two to seven hours! There exists now plenty of psychological research that shows the ill effect of television, but with the role TV plays in the family—occupying the children and keeping them busy, providing humor and down time, source of movies, and even some educational programs—how do we move away from the TV? And what about the kids without the means to acquire and meet this technology diet plan?
At FusBoxe Martial Arts, we suggest a straight forward martial art workout three to four days a week. With each workout, we provide take home drills and exercises, and the occasional leadership homework project for the children to do. Most everyone will agree that martial arts are exciting to watch on TV and on the big screen movie theatre. But few realize the benefits of training the ancient arts in today’s society.
The benefits are two-fold: martial arts are both beneficial to the body and physical state, as well as to the mind and mental state of each person that chooses this lifestyle.

more about Martial Arts for kids featured in this about Denver blog can be found here and for adults here

this just in from the Assosciated Press:

“LINCOLN, Neb. - The defendant in a state senator’s lawsuit is accused of causing untold death and horror and threatening to cause more still. He can be sued in Douglas County, the legislator claims, because He’s everywhere.

State Sen. Ernie Chambers sued God last week. Angered by another lawsuit he considers frivolous, Chambers says he’s trying to make the point that anybody can file a lawsuit against anybody.

Chambers says in his lawsuit that God has made terrorist threats against the senator and his constituents, inspired fear and caused “widespread death, destruction and terrorization of millions upon millions of the Earth’s inhabitants.”
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The Omaha senator, who skips morning prayers during the legislative session and often criticizes Christians, also says God has caused “fearsome floods … horrendous hurricanes, terrifying tornadoes.”

He’s seeking a permanent injunction against the Almighty.

Suit in protest

Chambers said the lawsuit was triggered by a federal suit filed against a judge who recently barred words such as “rape” and “victim” from a sexual assault trial.

The accuser in the criminal case, Tory Bowen, sued Lancaster District Judge Jeffre Cheuvront, claiming that he violated her free speech rights.

Chambers said Bowen’s lawsuit is inappropriate because the Nebraska Supreme Court has already considered the case and federal courts follow the decisions of state supreme courts on state matters.

“This lawsuit having been filed and being of such questionable merit creates a circumstance where my lawsuit is appropriately filed,” Chambers said. “People might call it frivolous but if they read it they’ll see there are very serious issues I have raised.”

U.S. District Judge Richard Kopf, in an order last week, expressed doubts about whether Bowen’s lawsuit “has any legal basis whatsoever” and said sanctions may be imposed against Bowen and her attorneys if they fail to show cause for the lawsuit.

The Associated Press usually does not identify accusers in sex-assault cases, but Bowen has allowed her name to be used publicly because of the issue over the judge’s language restrictions.

Cheuvront declared a mistrial in the sexual assault trial in July, saying pretrial publicity made it impossible to gather enough impartial jurors.”

gathered from msnbc

Is it just me or does this particular Senator look strikingly similar to Morgan Freeman who stepped in for and played the part of God in the movie Bruce Almighty. Coincidence?

Blogger Note: Obviously, there is and will be a lot of controversy surrounding this particular lawsuit. Religious, political, anti-religious, anti-political, law, etc. Can a man take God to court? Should he be wasting the courts and his own time? What’s the point? What should the religious right do in response? What do readers take away from this?
My thinking is that if he is sincere with the desire to tighten up our law system and put a stop to frivilous law suits, then by all means. This is a great case in point of how screwy our system of law really is, the same system that allows a judge to sue his dry cleaners for $67 million over a lost pair of pants (the pants were later found but the judge was insistent upon demanding redemption, turning down a $12,000 settlement and extending the case until it was finally thrown out. Stupid judge.)

Need I say more?

picture from www.chicagogigs.com website

A more accurate title for this posting might be philosophy of the week - this quote coming from John Locke. I’m interested to know how readers interpret, and what readers take away from, this quote. Liberals, Conservatives, Moderates, Deeply Religious, anti-organized religion, etc. We all have valid points of view though we may not agree. So please leave a comment with your feedback, you can even leave it anonymously!

“To avoid this state of war is one great reason of men’s putting themselves into society and quitting the state of nature. For where there is an authority, a power on earth, from which relief can be had by appeal, there the continuance of the sate of war is excluded, and the controversy is decided by that power.” -John Locke

Here’s an author I personally enjoy and who has the incredible ability to change the way I think every time I read his books or articles.
Malcolm Gladwell is a staff writer for the New Yorker Magazine and is a best-selling author of two books, The Tipping Point and Blink. I’ve read both, they were thoroughly enjoyed, very insightful, and taught me a lot of useful information.
This particular article, click here, features a story about homelessness and car emissions in our own city of Denver. Even if you already have a firmly established view on homelessness, this article is worth reading through.

The Martial Arts gym I work and compete for is now offering Yoga classes as a separate program and part of our curriculum. Now, I consider myself a generally healthy, strong, and generally good-looking guy (just kidding!).

But I’ll be the first to admit that I couldn’t physically handle my first Yoga class! It’s a different type of training and exercise from everything I’m used to! Yoga requires patience, coordination, balance, etc. And by the end, I was dripping in sweat! My experience with Yoga taught by the energetic and encouraging Jennifer Moran at FusBoxe Martial Arts was certainly a positive one.

This Sunday run or walk to support AIDS research in the 20th annual AIDS walk. Opening ceremonies are at 9am, so you have enough time to show up before any Sunday football begins, or stop by after the big game. Walking or running is great exercise, and its for a great cause.

AIDS Walk Colorado

Date: Sunday, Sept. 9

Location: Cheesman Park map to Cheesman Park

Contact: 303-861-WALK

If you were to ask me where I will be in Denver this Sunday, I would say, “at the Denver Museum of Nature and Science of course!” So here’s your chance to meet the author of www.about-denverco.com (real exciting, I know and at the very least, enjoy some free learning and fun at the museum.

Free Day at the Denver Museum of Nature & Science Sunday, Sept. 9

Location: Denver Museum of Nature & Science, 2001 Colorado Blvd.

Time: 9 a.m. - 5 p.m. Sunday

Free admission for Colorado residents.

A close acquaintance of mine turned me on to this event which I believe happens the first Friday in Denver almost every month (??)
Basically, how you describe the Art Walk is all the name: you have the opportunity to Walk and see Art. The important part: its free! Here’s the info:

Art Walk

Date: Friday, Sept. 7 at the Santa Fe Art District, 5th to 10th Ave. on Santa Fe Dr.

Time: 6 p.m. - 9 p.m.

Free admission to art galleries along Santa Fe Dr.!

Denver Sunrise

More and more this month you should start noticing the shortening of our Denver days, and thus the lengthening of our Denver evenings and nights. Based on the information I’ve seen, in just this month of September alone, the sunrise (at 5:31 am this morning) will begin to stall and by month’s end won’t take place till estimated 5:56pm. Tonight the sunset is expected to begin at 6:30pm and will finish out this month with an early sunset beginning at 5:43pm.

But don’t let this gloomy news get you down! September brings with it all sorts of fun activities and events, fall sports, the colors of autumn, cool air nights, etc. In fact, this week there will be several postings on about-denverco.com about different events happening this month.

Denver Sunset

A Taste of Colorado

Enjoy food, beverages, music, kids activities, arts and crafts, attractions, events, and more this weekend at the Taste of Colorado.

Free Admission
Civic Center Park in Downtown Denver

Friday August 31st through Monday September 3rd

10:30 am to 10pm Saturday and Sunday
10:30am to 8pm on Monday

Fall is upon us, which means a shift in activity from the great outdoors to warm, snow-free indoors. If you’re looking for a fun activity for you and the whole family, you and a few friends, or anyone else, try some karate and martial arts lessons. The website I’m proud to recommend is:

Kids Karate Colorado .com