From NOAA:
SOUTHWEST WINDS THIS AFTERNOON WILL BLOW AT 20 TO 30 MPH WITH GUSTS TO 45 MPH. THESE GUSTY WINDS COMBINED WITH TEMPERATURES IN THE MID 70S TO LOWER 80S AND RELATIVE HUMIDITIES FROM 7 TO 15 PERCENT WILL CREATE CONDITIONS FAVORABLE FOR EXTREME FIRE BEHAVIOR THIS AFTERNOON AND INTO THE EARLY EVENING HOURS.

No wonder things feel crackly: 7-15% humidity and almost 80º in the shade. Good thing it’s going to snow tomorrow.

(make that 3º humidity…)

The Democratic National Convention is coming to Denver in a little under a year or so. Are you pumped? Are you excited? Are you ready for the anarchists? They’re coming!

I was at my friendly neighborhood Chipotle earlier this evening and found this article to be both fascinating and a wee bit disturbing. You see, throughout the entire article I couldn’t figure out if these guys were peaceful or not. I got the sense they wanted to be but that if “certain things” happened or didn’t happen the fit throwing would start. There’s some drama (I surmise from the article) about who will join with the protesters wishing to recreate what happened in ‘68 (why on God’s Green Earth would you?!) and those who realize it would be a public relations disaster on a national and even international stage.

Westword is a favored read of mine every week or so and not because I’m spying on those dirty liberal hippies (Denver Police tried that and we all saw how that went) but because it usually presents an interesting perspective opposite of my own and therefore requires me to think.

This article was somewhat different because the writer (Jared Jacang Maher) didn’t take the usual “shine the nice lights” on the subjects that I tend to disagree with in regards to Westword. When I started reading words like “anarchists” and “not stating pacifist policies” my giant waving in the wind red warning (no, I’m not a member of the communist party) flag went atmospheric.

Do these guys really think this is going to end well for anyone? Recreate something that nobody really wants to see again? I know times are tough but I find it hard to imagine that we live in the same world as we did in 1968. Something tells me that time has moved on and we’re living in a different place. Sure, poverty still exists. Yep, war is still a concern. And apparently we still have people who wish this government was gone. I quote

“I’ll work with anybody who wants to make a positive change in this country,” he insists. “Once this government’s gone, then we can sort out how to fix this country. Too many people get sucked into ‘I’m a communist, so I don’t work with socialists who don’t work with anarchists.’”

Maybe it’s because I’m a to the right, but when I hear the sentence, “Once this government’s gone, then we can sort out how to fix this country.“, I get a little nervous. I don’t like anarchists. I think they’re the worst kind of activist because they simply want to destroy and level and refuse authority. I don’t have a very good relationship with socialists because I like what I have. And communists are never on my list of dinner guests. And people who want to get rid of the government? Please.

Now, if he was talking about President Bush, sure I understand. Wait until we as a country elect the next guy and we’ll get on our way.

Maybe my point is this and we can figure the rest out in comments. Our country is the greatest in the world. It works. It’s not like Myanmar where people are getting shot in the head for standing up for their rights. It’s not even close to Venezuela where the cable news stations were shut down because they went against their president. It’s not even close to Iran where women are beaten and prosecuted for not wearing enough covering. It’s not like Zimbabwe where the inflation percent is sky high where nobody can reach it and the dictator refuses to swerve in the never ending game of chicken. We’re far from being in Darfur’s situation where people are trying to get in to help and being refused entry.

This country may have her faults. Nothing is perfect. But the system works. We’re not dead yet. And I refuse to believe that recreating something that has the very distinct chance of being violent and out of control is a good idea.

What do you think?

UPDATED 10/26/2007 FROM THE COMMENTS with my comments.

“I think anarchists are too anarchistic get much done.”

That and the whole violence thing. Also,

“…but if they make some noise during the convention…”

Meaning destruction of property, calling for the demolition of the government yada yada…not really sure I’m too excited to see that display in my city.

Also Joe when you say this,

“Unless of course this is actually on to something…”

Doubt it. Stuff on the internets is hard to trust. Also,

“It’s when they’re prevented from doing these things, when they’re punished for their thoughts rather than their actions, that we’ll find ourselves in one of those countries you mentioned.”

When those things in those countries start happening here, we’ll talk again. Until then you’re just using the “IF” and “IT COULD HAPPEN” speech to try and prove a point that I don’t personally believe your able to win. Take it for a grain of salt obviously as it’s just what rolls around in this ugly mug of a head.

And of course Dicker hits it on the nose (we’re actually agreeing!)

“Dude: Pick an issue”

So true. Hold the course. Rove was/is a genius for his ability in crafting that focus. Also on topic,

“Sadly, that’s a job for Karl Rove and friends not sectarian leftists who seem far more interested in throwing public temper tantrums disguised as direct action than actually changing hearts and minds.”

BINGO BONGO! Now we’re reaching across the gulf and having a conversation. Rove knew and knows how to run the ship and make it a lean mean focused machine. Dems could learn from THE EVIL ROVE!01)!)! and if they did, there could be some good things that come from it. Dicker, I might send you a Christmas card yet…:)

And as for the DNC ‘08 being meaningless, I hope it’s not true. As a former Democrat (still lean that way a few times a week) I believe if the Dems can move away from what both I and Dicker have talked about…there may be hope yet.

…in Boulder and Fort Collins must contain something I’m not getting down here in Denver because there are some people who may need to rethink certain things. There’s two stories below with my comments. I’d love to hear your informed, mature and thought out opinions in the comments.

Before I go any further, I should lay out my cards on the table. I’m a registered Republican of the non-denominational Christian Faith with a conservative streak. There, got that disclaimer out of the way.

In Boulder some non-voting high schoolers apparently are all upset about having to say the pledge of allegiance even though they don’t have to say it. But that’s beside the point.

About 100 other students watched as the group recited their own pledge to both the American flag and the planet.

I suppose I’m someone who becomes concerned when students become activists about things that send red flags flying through the small mind I have. I express reservations because I have come to suspect parents, teachers and others who are older in age having pushed these kids to do these things and say these things to prove some kind of interesting point about church and state. Although I had to chuckle at the pledge to the planet because that’s typical Boulder. My suspects are somewhat confirmed with the quote from the article in question,

He said the school has no choice but to say the pledge because it is required by state law. Most of the students who watched today’s protest were sympathetic, and cheered on their schoolmates. But senior Donovan Ranta, 17, said, “I think everybody is doing it to get attention.”

You’ll also want to take a look at the picture of the logo of the student group (see the link above). The red star sends green and yellow flags in my mind because I’m used to seeing that type of imagery on Communist and Socialist propaganda. Again, I’m not saying these kids should be sent to Gitmo or anything (that’d be jumping the shark before we even caught it) but I’m also cautious about these kind of things.

On 850 KOA earlier this morning there was talk from the school district about how the pronouncement of “God” is not religion specific and can be interpreted to mean a general non specific Deity. Again, the kids making the move has me wondering about outside influences. Apologies to Boulder but y’all have earned this kind of questioning.

My second story is the now blazing firestorm of a controversy where a student newspaper decided they would so something everyone else in the last four or so years has done. Bash Bush. Oh my goodness! They’re breaking the mold! However did they approach such a tired (I’m sorry, but I’m really getting bored with all this “BUSH IS THE DEVIL” junk. It’s tired, it’s lame and it’s not helping anyone) and worn out maneuver?

They referenced the tazer incident (later proved the guy was a complete phony going for attention but the college newspaper staff didn’t seem to care) in a short and unruly commentary that included the use of the four letter word that starts with “F” and ends with “K”. That was the extent of their statement. Nothing for debate, no discussion of why they believe what they think is Bush’s fault in the incident that involved a kid at a John Kerry event or any kind of explanation of the column.

They have a right to free speech and I would defend it until the day I die. However as many have said, Free Speech comes with consequences. If your foray into free speech costs your college newspaper $50,000 in advertising you’re going to be under a microscope. If you decide to take all the learning, the teachings and real world experience you’ve had in the journalistic sphere and then throw it out the window with the baby and the bathwater, you’re going to find yourself with people very upset.

As a journalist at back in the day at Littleton High School , “blogger” and even now a writer here at Denver Metroblog I’ve always found that when writing a column or post about something that careens into opinion that a explanation of why I feel the way I do and how I got there is usually required. If you’re going to be someone to be taken seriously in this world and wish to show people you perspective without seriously pushing a major button, you have to be mature about it.

I don’t believe this guy should be fired. I think the advertisers are acting to protect themselves from the fallout. They don’t want to be associated with a petulant child who can’t seem to express themselves without throwing an infantile fit. And so, they’re pulling away. That is their right. I think our editor person should take a stand. If you believe what you believe, then so be it. Say it and stand by it.

But you have to accept the consequences of your actions. Nothing is free. The one thing more people in this nation, world, planet, whatever need to learn is that for every action there is an equal and opposite reaction. For this blog post, there will be reactions. Some in the Denver community will probably have already stopped reading this column way up there where I talked about my background. Others have gotten this far and are probably steaming. And maybe a few are nodding their heads along with me.

An interesting note is that he’s retained David Lane, he of the Ward Churchill cluster of insanity and other local controversy. Most Denver news stations and radio stations have said that this guy hasn’t been charged with anything and isn’t in trouble with the law. Needless, if this story picks up much more steam and becomes another Mound of Churchill I’m going to do my best to express my opinions and feelings in a manner that is both professional, mature and informed.

It is the one thing J. David McSwane needs to take away from this.

So, what do you think?

I’ve been meaning to blog about Aviano Coffee for some time now, and on yesterday’s visit, the chalkboard “menu” outside was simply begging me to whip out the ol’ camera phone and capture a poorly lit JPG for you all.

As you may have noticed in my bio, I come from the Pacific Northwest. This makes finding a decent cup of coffee anywhere else a chore, to put it lightly. So one of the first things I did upon arriving in Denver was go on a tour… seeking out any and every fine coffee establishment until I found something worth consuming. Naturally, Starbucks and other chains are right out. Peet’s makes an okay cuppajoe, but we’re looking for the best stuff here. After three experiences that almost made me just give up on coffee in Denver, I landed at Aviano.

The first thing to notice, is that these guys pay attention to details. You can see it in the decor. The use Intelligensia beans out of Chicago, which excepting a couple world-renowned roasters in Portland/Seattle, is among the best beans you can find. This was a promising start. The second promising occurence was when I ordered a traditional cappuccino and wasn’t asked “what size?”. If you have to ask, just skip it and pour me some drip coffee, please.

The coffee is pretty good, ultimately… but, as usual, it depends on the barista. There are a couple baristas, including Doug, the owner, that hit the mark every time, with perfect shots and perfect milk. The rest are hit and miss… though I will say the guy in there yesterday (I didn’t catch his name) asked how my capp was, and upon my observation that it was a little bitter on the top (hardly a cardinal sin), he promptly made me a new one and insisted that he would keep trying until he got it right. The second one was excellent.

And, of course, there’s WiFi. It’s recently been encrypted for ‘customers only’, but they haven’t changed the password, so once you got it you got it.

Aviano is on 9th and Lincoln, in the Beauvallon building. Take a moment to enjoy a traditional double cappuccino, and don’t feel bad if you feel the need to muse out loud, “Starbucks, WTF?”.

Can I get DecorAsian on the phone? Their wooden tiger’s gone wandering again. Yeah. He’s hanging out on the southwest corner of Foothills and Baseline. Will someone please come get him before he wanders into traffic?

Oh wait. Is that his trainer there with the big posterboard something?

Ah.

<EmLitella> Nevermind. </EmLitella>

A scene from Three Colors: Red

I’m not a huge fan of the bizarre Denver Film Society. Its choices for annual prize winners often feel like “please come to our town” awards and the films chosen for each year’s Film Festival are moderately good at best. Case in point, the last time I visited the Film Festival was to attend the premiere of Things to Do in Denver When You’re Dead (C+ at best). Hmmm, on second though I saw Woody Allen’s Mighty Aphrodite that year, too, a film that eventually earned Mira Sorvino’s Best Supporting Actress Oscar. I digress.

Anyway, now you can attend some amazingly great films in the month of October when the Denver Film Society brings the work of Krzysztof Kieslowski to the screen.

From October 1 through 24, the DFS screens “A ROAD MAP OF THE SOUL: THE COMPLETE KIESLOWSKI,” most all of Kieslowski’s work, including the immensely famous (and brilliant) Three Colors series (based on the colors of the French Flag: Blue, White, and Red) and his made-for-Polish-TV Decalogue, the astonding series derived from the 10 Commandments.

Schedule of dates after the jump.

Read more

So I had occasion to be sitting outside Union Station on Tuesday evening. My train had arrived quite late, making a spousely pick-up a better option that the bus, so I was waiting out at 17th and Wynkoop, surrounded by luggage, waiting for my husband to arrive, and playing on my laptop to pass the time.

And every few minutes I would have to stop what I was doing, look up, and shake my head to get a taxicab to shut up honking at me. Apparently, simply having luggage is universal speak for “Want taxi plzzzz k lol”.

Look. If I wanted to take a taxi, you’d hardly have to honk to get my attention, would you? I’d bloody well be staring at the street trying to flag one of you down! So shut the honk up!

*Sigh* This rant brought to you by travel-frazzled nerves and sheer annoyance. Share and enjoy.

Let’s Do It Again Sometime!!!

Last night’s Capture The Flag event covering the 16th Street Mall area was a great success. Some 200+ people showed up for it, and an amazing variety of strategies both organized and freelance were in evidence:

• Bicycle scouts went zipping through enemy territory to find on which corner the goods were stashed. (They couldn’t actually steal the flag, not without ditching their bike; rules said you had to get it back to your territory under foot power alone.)
• I understand the green team stole the blue team’s flag in the first game by riding the mall shuttle back and forth and back and forth and then choosing an opportune moment to get out and grab it.
• I saw the blue team try to return the favor in the second game by arriving on the corner of 17th and California by car…
• …by bike taxi…
• …and by bus.
• The usual high-school hijinks were also applied, such as pretending to be going to “jail” in order not to be tagged on one’s way to rescue a “prisoner.” Thththbbbp.
• Those of us, like me, who stand no chance of running down a fleeing enemy team member, mostly put ourselves to work yelling the position of incoming would-be flag stealers and herding them towards the faster runners (and those with wheels).

Most of what I saw with my own eyes from my position of green team defense was a lot of fun and camaraderie and mostly good sportsmanship. Kyle is apparently uploading pictures as we speak over at the BigAndSharp.com Blog. Go check ‘em out!

Afterwards, the green team captain (hi Greg!) and anyone who was within earshot when he announced it headed off to Dixon’s for to replenish our bodies’ necessary stores of water, protein, carbohydrates, and alcohol. I regret that these diners did not include the very nice blue team member whom I tackled on his bike at the very beginning of the first game. To him I say, “Sorry, dude. You were a great sport. I hear you got your brakes fixed during your stay in jail? Come on up to Boulder some time. I owe you a drink.”

You heard me. Capture the Flag. City-wide style. I got the idea from the folks at newmindspace.com who tend to do large art functions like this (the most recent being an all-out pillow fight in New York City’s Union Square). I’ll be posting rules shortly, but for the time being, put this on your calendar: 6pm, May 6th, 2006. ALL ARE INVITED. I’ll be submitting some information to the Rocky and Post, too. Tell your friends and come one, come all. This works best with over 100 people.

Formal invitation after the jump.
Read more