Denver, CO

I’m hoping this image touches on an issue that is something we can all agree on, Democrats, Republicans, what have you.
The success of our future is largely dependant upon the quality of our education systems and education provided today.

As you can see from the above picture, CU Boulder boasts a remarkably beautiful campus. Students from all over the country are attracted to Boulder for its beauty, close proximity to the mountains, liberal arts instruction, nationally recognized Leeds School of Business, and among other things, the CU party life.
My first year of college was expended on the CU campus of Boulder and overall I am very happy with the education and college experience I received there. For what I look for in higher education, CU does a lot of things right and above average. I could tell that all my professors were passionate about education and I feel privileged to have had the opportunity to spend two semesters under their tutelage.
In my free time, CU and Boulder provided enough political excitement, outdoor recreation, and plenty of outlets for volunteer work and community service opportunities.
My intent for college (though this intent of mine is ever changing) is to eventually graduate from CU Boulder though I do not currently attend this school anymore. But everything I experienced my freshmen year leads me to believe that CU will be a respectable school to earn my degree from. Thereafter, maybe a doctorate at Stanford? Who knows…
The one thing I did not like with CU Boulder was, when as a young and enthusiastic freshmen actively seeking to fix everyone else’s problems but my own (we’ve all been there!), I sought to create a group and school paper geared to reducing campus underage and binge drinking. While trying to navigate my way from this office to that department, everyone sending me to talk to someone else, I got the impression that CU isn’t actually all too willing to reduce the drinking habits of their students because that is a major pull and attraction for new students: CU Boulder the party school. Oh well, I suppose, that is business and they’re being good businesspeople if they avoid reducing alcohol consumption to maintain a reputation that brings in new students, but to me it still left a slightly sour or bitter beer taste in my mouth.

This post is more of a rant, and it certainly pertains to every college in the United States, not just the colleges and universities here in Denver.
College girls. Brought to my attention by my good friend Aaron. Readers let me know what you think…
In Aaron’s words,
“Have you ever noticed that college girls walk around dressed up like they’re going to the club, and it’s nice for us to look at and all, sure, but don’t you think a lot of it’s unnecessary for class?”
We discussed this at length, and I’m interested in feedback, especially from college age boys and girls, men and women.
Thanks for reading

Today’s entry is a blog storm, which is not so different from a brain storm. This week I want to focus on colleges and universities in Denver and the surrounding area, being that school is starting up again for college students.
For this particular blog storm, I’m asking readers to help me out by leaving comments or sending emails listing any Denver colleges that I am leaving out. If you see that your college, your teenagers college, the university you work at, etc. is not in the following list, I want to know! Thanks for the input and, as always, thanks for feedback.

Denver colleges include:

Metropolitan State College of Denver
Community College of Denver
Front Range Community College
(I welcome suggestions for tech and trade colleges here as well)

Denver universities include:

Denver University
University of Colorado Denver (and Boulder)
Regis University

Hey readers,

I know I haven’t been making posts too often of late, and I do apologize. I really do miss posting new entry’s every day as much as you miss reading new entry’s every day.
After my vacation time, I returned to a full and busy and hectic schedge for my work in the martial arts.
FusBoxe, the gym I belong to and the gym I work for, is finally moving into it’s very own gym. Since its inception, FusBoxe Martial Arts has been renting space from other gyms but in a little under two years, FusBoxe has become popular enough to require its own gym space.
This past week I have been working very hard to get the new gym remodeled (the space we’re moving into used to be a dance studio - far to flowery for tough guy martial arts), and promoting the new gym to the Broomfield area.
FusBoxe Martial Arts, I’m proud to say, is having its official Grand Opening all day next Saturday August 25th! About time!
And all next week I promise to have time available to post for “College Week” in About-Denverco.com.
Thanks for your patience and loyal readership!

The fall semester of college is about to begin in Denver and around the country. So this week about-denverco.com focuses in on the colleges and universities in Denver and the ‘college’ scene.
To begin ‘College Week’ I’d like to take a small survey or poll if you will to determine how many of the readers are able to claim alumni status to a Denver or Colorado college or university.
If you enjoy reading this blog and are interested in participating in blog post discussions about Denver higher ed, please leave a comment for this entry and tell me and other readers:
What college(s) have you attended?
From where did you receive your degree(s)?
What are your most memorable experiences of your college years?
Anything else you’d like to share?

Good news readers: I’m back from vacation!

My travels included:

six days and five nights in Cancun, Mexico with three close friends

and after returning from Cancun having gained ten pounds and being away from much phsyical exercise and my martial arts training regimen for a week, I was invited to compete in a martial arts event (literally three hours after returning to the United States my phone was ringing asking me to compete) so I spent

two days and one night in Sturgis South Dakota during the famous - or infamous - Sturgis Bike Rally. I stayed at a campsite and competed at the Full Throttle Saloon in front of many biker dudes and ladies and probably 100,000 motorcycles. The roaring never ended and I was hardly able to sleep! But I won my match despite being somewhat out of shape and over weight!

Now that I’m back in Denver and ready to blog, what do I have planned? Well, nothing about motorcycles, I’ve seen and had enough of those to last a life time…

How do you think the about-denverco.com blog could be improved? What topics should the about-denverco.com blog cover on a weekly basis? Yearly? Should there be a greater emphasis on local news, local politics, Denver sports, Denver city life, adventure life, etc? Basically - in a nut shell- what I’m asking is what do readers want?@?!?@?
Please leave feedback in the comments area of this blog. Suggestions, questions, blog topic recommendations, etc. I appreciate it and will address all comments when I’m back from exploring Cancun.

Sorry to disappoint both loyal and new readers, but the About-Denverco.com website will temporarily be out of commission as the author will be exploring what the area of Cancun, Mexico is all about. Can we speculate on a about-Cancun blog? Its a little too early to say one way or the other. I’ll be back with About-Denver in a week, so talk to everyone next Tuesday! Hopefully Denver can somehow survive without me…

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!!