What are your summer traditions? Everyone camps, BBQs, goes to baseball games, and more. There are all types of activities that are synonymous with summer. For me, summer means concerts at the Botanic Gardens. For the last eight years, I’ve been going to at least three concerts every summer at the Botanic Gardens. Every year, I renew my membership at the Gardens and eagerly await the release of the new summer schedule and the wait to find out the date I can stand in line to buy my tickets.

For me, music, summer nights, wine, and lounging on a blanket under the stars - this is heaven. Regardless of the fact that most of the artists I go to see at the Botanic Gardens are not ones that I even own the music for - this means nothing. Going to a concert at the Denver Botanic Gardens is just as much about the venue as it is about the actual musician or band you are going to see.

I’ve seen Emmylou Harris (who I love and own many of her CDs even though I’m not much of a country fan), John Hiatt, Los Lobos, Indigo Girls, Cowboy Junkies, Linda Ronstadt, and so many more at the Gardens. And all have been great shows. Plus, the Botanic Gardens is probably the last concert venue where you can bring in all of your own food and drink. There are no rules or restrictions so you don’t spend an arm and a leg on eating and drinking.

And tonight was my last concert of this summer, so in a way, for me it signals the beginning of the end of the summer of 2008. Tonight I saw Bruce Hornsby and as always, it was a night where everything was spectacular, because summer nights at a Botanic Gardens concert are always the best.

So, what are your summer traditions?

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Hey, all. Just thought I’d give a shout since it’s been a while since I posted here.

I’m going to be covering the DNC for The Metropolitan, and a lot of the protests surrounding it. I’ve got a feeling the DPD won’t be putting up with anything, if this CBS4 report is any indication. Hopefully cooler heads will prevail, but I’ve got a respirator rated for CS gas in case (can’t take photos with tear gas in my lungs, right?).

And Rage is coming to town! All things aside, that should be a good show. So what are you all doing to get ready for the traffic nightmare that will be the convention?

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This weekend I had the opportunity to experience a little Persian culture and tour the Baha’i Faith Metro Denver Center at 225 E. Bayaud Street. The center graciously hosted a tea event, serving Persian tea. Teaching us that when drinking Persian tea, it is first brewed very strongly and then hot water is added to dilute it a bit. And that when you drink the tea, if you want it sweetened, you place a sugar cube between your teeth and hold it there as you drink the tea. You can also flavor the tea. I tried the rose water flavoring, which was definitely different from anything I’d ever tried. I enjoyed all the various options.

Additionally, cookies that included rose water and other treats and sample of Persian food was provided. And after partaking of the tea and food, we took a quick tour of the center, which is open to the public and to people who need to rent space. After all, the Baha’i faith is all about unity, about welcoming and recognizing all faiths - interfaith unity. So all are welcome. And isn’t that a refreshing concept in a time where many headlines feature stories of religious conflicts and their consequences.

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I have arrived in Denver. I have been blogging about the process of moving here, and now the day has finally come. I pulled into Denver after 14 hours on the road yesterday and looked to see the mountains. It was too cloudy and dark, so it didn’t happen. I didn’t actually believe this “myth” about mountains here until I saw them this morning, finally. After driving through the flatlands of Ohio, Indiana, Iowa, Nebraska and Eastern CO, I was convinced that the old wisdom was right, and that the world is indeed flat.

I started the move into the house today- no beds yet, no washer and dryer yet, no food until I ventured into Lakewood and found a King Sooper and a Whole Foods. I took a walk through a local park and the neighborhood association was having a picnic. Are bagpipers standard at picnics here, or was this an oddity?

So now I start looking for work a little more aggressively, as well as do all the little things that need to happen: get internet at the house, get a library card, find beds, learn how to navigate the lightrail and the bus system. I’m excited!

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(oops meant to post this earlier, sorry)

If you haven’t already, and feel like being present for history in the making, you can sign up to get the announcement when tickets become available, to see Senator Obama accept the presidential nomination for the Democrats.

I know the DNC is gonna royally hose up downtown life, but I’m damn excited that it’ll be right here in my own backyard!

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The spring storms are still rolling through town.  Friend o’ mine Russ Dale and fellow Denver-ite caught the rain, wind, thunder and sound of fire engines rolling.  Woot!

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Feeling the crunch of higher gas and food prices and all the many things taking a chunk out of your pocketbook? Have a pet and all the costs that go with your furry friend?

Then here’s some good news for a change.

Denver Animal Care and Control is providing low cost vaccinations this Saturday, Aug. 9th, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at Cheesman Park. The cost is $30 for microchips, $30 for a one-year vaccination/license.

Don’t have a pet but have decided its time to get one? The you can still make the trip to Cheesman Park. Denver Municipal Animal Shelter volunteers will be also be there with some great pets available for adoption.

For more information, visit www.denvergov.org/animalcontrol

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OMG! (apologies for using that, but I felt it was justified) We can haz monsoon rain!?

Denver got drenched today.  Starting in the early evening hours the heavens opened up and the water fell from the sky.  And not just a “Hi and bye” kind of rain.  This was a good soaking that must have felt good to the parched soil.  I know I was just smiling all night as the rain came tumbling down (yes, I’m only happy when it rains) because it felt like it should have back in the months past.  For some reason our spring has been tame and without the usual thunderboomers and pouring rain that makes for fun afternoons on the porch.

It’s a great thing for Denver.  9news reports we may be in for more thunderstorms tomorrow.  I know there was some flash flooding and funnel clouds going on so the usual, “Y’all be safe ya hear?” is best adhered to.

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Yes, folks, that’s right, people do gather outside the Central Library long before the doors open. I’ve seen small groups of people gathered at the still-locked doors on weekdays, but admittedly the largest group seemed to be on the Sunday that I arrived thinking it opened at noon when it actually doesn’t open until 1:00. The crowd was mixed. I would have to guess that some people were merely waiting to enter a public and, most importantly, air-conditioned space. But there were also parents with kids, obvious tourists, people with books in hand, and the nice elderly woman who was just happy to see that so many people are still interested in reading. And, of course, I was there to return a book and stock up on a few more.

And besides going to the Denver Central Library for the books and air conditioning, it’s just a great building.

As for advice, I would just offer up one tidbit, and that is if you are going to the Central Library for specific books or topics and you have internet access at home, look it up before you go (denverlibrary.org). The terminals there can get kind of busy and you find yourself walking around trying to find an open one.

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My wife and I had a friend out to visit a few weekends ago. We like to take our guests someplace interesting (Casa Bonita, been there done that), so we hit up the butterfly pavilion.

I have to admit, I was impressed, and a bit grossed out. It’s not just nice pretty butterflies, it’s creepy crawlies, with 100’s or thousands of legs.

They’ve got three types of cockroach, and for once I’m glad the US is the loser in the “mine’s bigger” category.

The stick bugs were certainly cool, and the millipedes rawked.

And then we entered butterfly land… Woah!

Thousands (i’m guessing) of butterflies just flapping this way and that, it was quite impressive (I know I used that adjective already), they were everywhere.

If you’re looking for something to do on a lazy weekend, hop over, it’s worth the 8 bucks.

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Finding out about the DNC’s plans for providing a central location for bloggers and citizen journalists to access the convention activities was pretty exciting. (Although there is also a sneaky, little voice of negativity in the back of my mind and it keeps making snide comments that this has an element of “controlling” the coverage.)

Reading that the Big Tent will also include events for the public, including speakers, panels, workshops, and so on really added to my excitement.

Trying to find a list of these events on the DNC web site merely created a major sense of frustration.

Despite my frustration (and that inner voice), I’m still pretty psyched about this. The 2008 convention is not the first to allow some sort of access for bloggers, but this move to create an actual space dedicated to a wider range of journalists in the form of the Big Tent seems pretty significant; it is just one more step toward legitimizing citizen journalists and recognizing their contribution to information flow.

I, however, am not one of these bloggers or citizen journalists who will gain official access, which leaves me in the realm of “the public,” so if anyone knows where to find a list of the public events at the Big Tent that are supposed to occur at the Digg Stage - please share.

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So apparently I’m not the only one noticing that Burger King has joined the anti-photography crusade. Another blogger, Jenn Shuey, was taken aback by the sticker and decided to investigate…

I knocked on the window until I got the guy to come back, then I asked for an explanation. He claims it’s because cameras distract the employees causing it to take longer to complete their jobs.

Bullshit.

I concur. I’m rather more fond of some of the other guesses this blogger has come up with, especially the one concerning Dateline’s Dirty Dining segment, in which “Burger King was rated the dirtiest chain after hidden cameras visited the chain among many others.”

(Remember the U.S. Armed Forces’ initial response to the Abu Grhaib torture scandel? Not to punish those responsible, but to ban cameras? Because torturing wasn’t the real crime, to them; witnessing torture was.)

It gets worse. The children’s party angle? Five-year-olds wearing cardboard Burger King crowns and thier parents unable, because of this stupid rule, to take pictures for the family scrapbook? Shuey brought this up:

When I asked the guy about it he said “if you want to have a party contact our manager. We may be able to arrange for a professional photographer.”

Yyyyeah. You just might. And you just might get a nice kickback from that pro photographer, mightn’t you, since your policy guarantees them a lot of business?

One of the people commenting on my previous piece scolded me for bringing it up at all:

Seriously, who cares? As a business they have a right to deny service. Plus, this isn’t a new thing. Grocery stores and Malls have had this rule for YEARS, way before 9/11. They basically don’t want someone coming in and stealing marketing ideas. Fast food chains pay a lot of money to a lot of people to figure out the best method for laying out their stores, product placement, etc, etc. I can see a lot of reasons why they would ask people not to take pictures in side their store.

If you don’t like it, don’t go *shrug*

You know what? Apathy and cynicism aren’t good substitutes for wisdom. (Besides, if your stance is “Who cares?” then why do you bother leaving blog comments about it? Why don’t you just leave the conversation to those who do care? Do you think your “who cares” stance makes you superior, and you want to show off how superior you are? Do you have a vested interest in attempting to sneer others into silence?)

Obviously some people think it makes them more enlightened, more mature, to roll over and say “I for one welcome our new anti-camera overlords.” Do enjoy that smug little warm fuzzy, folks. But me, I’m not only going to avoid any store or market vendor with a “no photo” policy, I’m in favor of telling others about it so they can make informed decisions.

Jenn Shuey did me one better. She took her complaint up the chain of command:

After my little rant Friday about Burger King I decided to do something about it. I called their customer relations department for answers. The customer service rep I spoke with was very nice, and her reaction to the stickers saying no cameras was one of shock. She honestly didn’t know what I was talking about and thought it was absurd. She immediately put me on hold and started trying to contact someone who could give her an answer as to why there is this no camera policy now.

Apparently, this customer service rep thought it was the stupidest policy she’d ever heard of. She couldn’t get immediate answers, but took down Shuey’s complaint–along with the list of other bloggers’ reports Shuey had collected (including mine).

Two days later, Shuey discovered her local BK had removed the sticker.

The manager just happened to be running the window, so I asked him about it. I made mention that I’d seen the sign a few days ago, and he said “yeah, we took it down because we’re having too many complaints. We had 2 birthday parties canceled because the parent’s couldn’t take photos of the party.”

(I don’t know whether the Gunbarrell location has followed suit, as I haven’t been up there since. Would anyone up in the area like to report?)

I think it’s important to challenge these “no photo” rules wherever we find them. Increasingly, amateur photography is becoming our primary method of holding accountable corporations, police forces, and other organizations, including local and federal government bodies. To treat photographers like criminals is to seriously disempower us laypeople. (Do watch the Dateline segment - Shuey has the video embedded at her first blog post on the matter.) So It’s important to not only refuse to patronize businesses that don’t want their business practices caught on tape, but also to let them know why you are no longer giving them your money. Ask them what they’re ashamed of, that they don’t want any witnesses.

And spread the word! The only way that this free market/democracy ideal works is when consumers/citizens can make informed decisions about who to patronize, who to support, and who to vote for. If a business has a policy that you think is unethical, tell your friends about it–tell them about the policy and why you think it’s unethical. Give them the power to make a conscious decision about what policies they will support.

In closing: “Who cares?” makes a shitty rallying cry. “Change for the better!” has a much nicer ring to it. Just ask Jenn Shuey.

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If Metblogs is a city, hub.metblogs is the playground. We kept hearing from people that one of their favorite parts of Metblogs was meeting and interacting with readers and writers from other parts of the world, as well as getting requests for more ways that readers could be involved besides just posting comments. We thought about this for a while and decided that with a network like this, a giant community area where folks from all over the world could hang out, post photos and videos, talk with each other, form groups, play games, send messages, and do about a million other things was probably a pretty fun idea. The Hub is that.

If you have any tech ideas or suggestions join this group and speak up. See you on hub.metblogs!

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Up until last night, I had thought I’ve tried just about every major type of ethnic food, but when my brother asked me when I’d last had Korean I couldn’t even recall a first time. And so I found myself making the trek to Aurora for Korean BBQ at Korean BBQ -SAE Jong Kwan, 2680 S. Havana Street. Once we got there, it was obvious this was going to be a new experience.

My first hint was the small round burner sizzling in the middle of all the tables. My second hint was the menu with the many dishes I’d never heard of such as galbi (marinated beef short ribs) and bulgogi (very thinly sliced beef loin). I let my brother order since he knew what he was doing and simply waited to see what would arrive at the table. The first thing we got was a selection of about 8 different side dishes - kimchi. Most were fairly recognizable when it came to the main ingredients and all were good. One word of advice - if you have to know exactly what you are putting in your mouth, this might not be a good dining option for you.

After eating our fill of the various kimchi offerings, the waitress arrived with a plate of raw meat, leaving it and a small plate of sliced raw garlic and green chilis. It was then our task to cook the meat, give the garlic a little time on the grill, and then use the lettuce leaves to create bite sized pieces of lettuce, meat, garlic, and bean paste. The important part here seems to be trading off cook duties so that one person isn’t busy turning meat while everyone else gets to eat and eat and eat. To top the meal off, you then receive a small glass of some sort of sweetened rice water.

And depending on how important you find it to dine in the culturally correct way, here is a small word of advice. I guess you aren’t supposed to take the large lettuce leaves and make one big lettuce sandwich. You’re supposed to tear off bite-sized pieces of the lettuce and use it to make bite-sized sandwiches. Of course, I did it the wrong way and didn’t find out until I did some research on the web afterwards. Considering the fact that we seemed to be the only non-Koreans in the whole restaurant, I’m sure someone noticed our ignorance.

If you’re up for a new dining experience and consider yourself an adventurous eater, I’d say that a little Korean BBQ should be a part of your future dining plans. Plus, if anyone has already tried Korean BBQ in Denver and has a favorite restaurant, I’d love to get its name and location.

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My wife and I and some friends hit up Red Rocks the other day for Breakfast Club.

What a freaking great show! The Denver Film society knows how to do it! Films on the Rocks, is a great, great idea!!!

They were close to selling out the entire place. For Breakfast club!!!

If you get the chance, hit up one of the remaining flicks being shown. No matter the movie it’s a great time.

We even got some drunken trailer trash female brawlers a few rows behind to cap off the show, can’t beat that :)

The night was hosted by Chuck Roy, a great local commedian, we also had a really good 80’s cover band! Chadzilla and the Asteroids, if I recall correctly. Great stuff!

I missed Labrynth when it was at the Rocks, that wouda been a sweet show!

At any rate, check it out.

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