Owner: Future Gringo URL:http://www.futuregringo.com Join Date: Tue, 10 Apr 2007 11:38:47 -0500 Rating:0 Site Description: Travel | Politics | Opinion | Denver |
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News of Interest 040907 2007-04-09 19:57:05 Louisiana may ban cock fighting. What the fuck? This is still legal? I think this description from AP writer Doug Simpson is descriptive enough without even seeing any imagery.
The birds are fitted with sharp metal blades or curved spikes on their legs, and tear into each other. Blood soaks the animals’ feathers and their handlers’ clothing. A match can end in minutes or an hour, when one bird is dead or refuses to fight.
Men tidy up the pit between fights, like groundskeepers on a baseball diamond. One dampens the dirt with a watering can, another rakes up feathers. Gamblers settle their bets, and another fight begins. By the end of the night, a trash can in a back room is full of dead roosters—the losers.
“The bottom line is, we have standards in society on how animals should be treated, and this activity violates those standards,” said Wayne Pacelle, head of the Humane Society of the United States. “It’s just not morally sensible to stage Read more:Interest
Undercover at Abercrombie 2007-04-08 22:37:05 I just read this article by UK writer Tom Mitchelson. He was riding the subway, (sorry the Tube), to work, and was approached by an Abercrombie
and Fitch recruiter to work in their new London store. Tom took them up on their offer, and even after telling them he was a writer he worked there briefly and got the inside scoop.
In the states Abercrombie is seen as old hat. The guys that shop there and buy the pre wrinkled over sized expensive clothes are stereotyped and frat boys as date rapists. Given the “All-American Guy” image I found even more hilarity last week walking through Cherry Creek mall. The store had moved locations and unlike the store pictured in this photo, the new location is completely windowless to the mall, save for a few tiny shutter slats. Entering the store you’re required to turn twice, creating a club like atmosphere. And with the rigid jawed “brand reps”, the A&F cologne or Axe spray permeating the air, and the t Read more:Undercover
Java Creek 2007-04-08 21:53:20 With my formerly favorite coffee shop Diedrichs being bought out by a Daz Bog chain, and subsequently ceasing the think turkey sandwiches I loved so much, I started to hunt for a coffee shop that service food too. I walked down to Cherry Creek North yesterday and visited Java Creek. Unlike the 12 or so Starbucks that are within this 16 block shopping district, Java Creek has somehow managed to stave off the astronomical rents of Cherry Creek, and has a unique and original environment. A collection of original mugs, friendly staff, and food too. The best coffee shops are one that also can serve you a quick breakfast or lunch, and Java Creek has a wide selection of coffees, desserts, and hearty food too.
They’re located at 3rd and Columbine.
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Untours 2007-04-06 21:27:24 I read about Untours from a post on Bikeforums.net Hal Taussig founded this company devoted to helping travelers experience new cultures and foreign countries deeper than the average tourists.
Many travelers reel at the thought of dealing with a tour company, rightfully thinking they’ll be shuttled from one location to another on a big bus with hordes of others, never getting a chance to connect or with a new place and spend some quality time there. Reading through some of the “Untourist’s” trip reports you can see the connection and satisfaction that his clients have gained.
The profits from Untours go back into his community providing low-interest loans to help the needy with social programs, jobs, medical expenses, and other daily life logistics. (Untours Foundation).
Hal eschews the trappings of consumer excess and materialism. He commutes and does his daily errands by bike, and lives a modest yet happy life tending to his business, famil
Boutique Apartments in Denver 2007-04-04 22:08:42 I live around a few blocks from “The Lodge” and “The Works”, two electic properties by BoutiqueApartments
. I didn’t realize the variety and creativity of their other Denver
buildings until yesterday, while walking near 18th and Franklin when I stumbled upon “The Aperture”. I was totally drawn into this vintage camera and photo themed apartment building in Denver’s uptown neighborhood. A large scale film camera is mounted out front, and the entire lobby is lined with old cameras. I couldn’t help but pop inside to take a picture, (yes the irony).
Boutique’s properties are in three to five story low rise 1950s style apartments. Most of these ubiquitous buildings have about as much charm as a dental office of the same era. Bland walls, dated carpets, and a formica or green tiled lined small lobby make them completely unremarkable. However Boutique assigns a theme to every building, and although I’ve only seen t
Homophobic and Racist Military Recruiter 2007-04-04 21:34:58 Cory Andrews inquires about serving in the military, and is told to “go back to Africa” Nice to know our country’s recruiters aren’t desperate enough for Iraq volunteers to subdue their racism. Not only is the unnamed recruiter a bigot and homophobe, but a complete moron as well. Who’s dumb enough to bait an internet/media savvy 20something into throwing digs about their race and sexual orientation? At ANY job insulting a potential client in the worse way, (through TRACKABLE e-mail), will certainly get you fired. Oh wait, the recruiter wasn’t fired yet, only placed on leave. Nice.
I certainly hope the recruiters never make it to the front lines, and stick to the strip mall store fronts where they belong. A better video is found on CNN.com
WPvideo 1.10
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Commuting Costs Rise 2007-04-03 17:15:46 Commuting costs continue to multiply - from the Chicago Tribune. Interesting article on small concept cars like the Chevrolet “Trax” pictured below. If people are going to insist on driving in highly congested urban centers I’d much rather see these cute little cars surrying around instead of behemoth SUVS. The site www.vote4chevrolet.com will be up April 4 with more small car pictures.
Nice design, but my bike gets me around just fine, and costs me nothing but my own energy.
Chicago Tribune Article: Photo from Car Magazine
Don’t need a few cups of caffeine this morning. Simply consider the message delivered by the AAA to open the eyes wide. If you commute by car, the AAA says, you spend about $62 for every 100 miles you travel. Just one sobering thought in the AAA’s just-released “Your Driving Costs
” study, which calculates the annual cost to own and operate a car based on its size. The 2007 results reveal that you have to dip into Read more:Commuting
News of Interest 040207 2007-04-03 01:27:34 Pilots sue to raise mandatory retirement age. And I agree. Good for them. 60 years old isn’t decrepit. I’d prefer the wisdom and experience of a healthy sound minded 60 year old over a 24 year old newbie any day. I’m a private pilot myself, and know for a fact with age comes good judgement.
Lufthansa starts non-stop service from Denver to Munich. Yes it’s exciting because Denver isn’t a glittery international city, so news of new international service is good news for commerce, and both business and pleasure travelers. I’m booked on this flight in May for my Munich and Prague trip, and avoiding an east coast connection will save a decent chunk of travel time on a two week trip.
The passenger manifest on Denver’s first nonstop flight to Munich on Saturday was as diverse as the atmosphere was. News on the overhead video monitors came from Somalia, Afghanistan and the U.K., not Denver, Detroit or D.C. Swimming led the sports re Read more:Interest
Solo Traveling 2007-04-02 14:19:27 One for the road: Solo traveling By Vicky Uhland. For the experienced traveler the below tips are blantantly obvious, but still a good way to see things through other peoples eyes regarding traveling alone.
Denver Post Article below:
One day when I was in my mid-20s, I found myself minus a job, without a spouse or children, and the proud possessor of a $5,000 checking account balance. It seemed the perfect time to head to Europe for a month - or six. The only problem: All of my friends were much more responsible than I, and were loath to abandon their commitments and head off on an open-ended backpacking trip halfway across the world.
Barring the solution of getting a whole new set of friends, I was on my own. But that was OK, I reasoned. I could go wherever I wanted, whenever I wanted. So I bought a one-way ticket to London and loudly announced to my family and friends not to expect me back for a year.
The first two weeks I was in London, I was so lonely and scared that I seriousl Read more:Traveling
The Absolutely Worst Places to Live in America 2007-03-31 22:34:40 The Absolutely
Worst Places
to Live in America
by Dave Gilmartin looks hilarious. I want it for my coffee table.
Book Description
The Absolutely Worst Places to Live in America surveyed thousands of Americans to find the fifty dirtiest, smelliest, most miserable cesspools, armpits, and tourist traps that make up this great land of ours. The “winners” of this awful distinction include the likes of:
Atlantic City, New Jersey—Come for the slots. Stay for the gang warfare and fourth-rate prostitutes.
Gary, Indiana—Like a sewer populated by 100,000 people.
Carson City, Nevada—Perfect for folks burned out on the high culture of Reno.
Fairbanks, Alaska—Take the most horrible place you’ve ever been, then subtract the sun.
Jacksonville, Florida—Possibly the foulest-smelling city in the Western hemisphere.
Camden, New Jersey—Once the proud home of America’s first mass murderer, it’s been all downhill since then.
Perfect for your friends unfortunate enough to live in Baltimo
Welcome Daz Bog 2007-03-31 21:22:17 The normal predictability of my weekend routine was thrown into complete chaos this morning when I found my neighborhood coffee shop, (Diedrichs at 1200 Clayton in Denver’s Congress Park), now operating as a Daz Bog location. I have no problem with Daz Bog’s coffee. Daz Bog services my work and has decent enough coffee, but the changes made in just one day at this (or MY) coffee shop have been shocking and have thrown my life completely off kilter.
First: the sandwiches. Diedrichs served a fresh made ham or turkey sandwich filled with fixins, including pickles and cucumbers. They have now vanished. I wasn’t the only one bitching. Many Congress Park regulars were commiserating along side myself about the loss of these well priced delectable delights. If only I had taken a picture of one of these wonderful sandwiches. Now they exist only in my memories.
Second: The Iced Tea. This is now a medium. What the fuck? This barely qualifies as a small. AND, they cha Read more:Welcome
Confessions of a Car Salesman 2007-03-31 19:26:18 This was linked from a story on Consumerist.com (below). From Edmunds.com An insightful and amusing story of writer Chandler Phillips going “undercover” selling new and used cars. A short story ala Nickel and Dimed style.
Confessions of a Car Salesman
Car salesmen and women seem to exist in their own world. What they think is cool is viewed by the public as tacky and obvious. For example, why do they insist on wearing white shirts and silk ties? Or what about gold watches, rings and chains? Who wears that stuff anymore? Don’t they realize they are turning themselves into walking cliches? The only answer I came up with was that, as a salesman, I spent all my time with other salesmen. They were my friends. Believe it or not, I tried to fit in, to belong. So I began to develop an interest in gold ties, white shirts and dress shoes. I even grew a goatee because a lot of the guys had beards. And I put gel on my hair and combed it straight back.
The process begins by ask
The Consumerist 2007-03-30 19:28:57 I’ve been reading this phenomenally informative and entertaining site for the past few weeks. It’s tough to find sites that are practical, save you money, AND are fun to read. Check out this leaked employee manual from the Geek Squad. Christ they can’t even turn off the schtick for a paragraph.
The Consumerist also details the nefarious activies of companies big and small, amd chronicles the fine print of all things consumptive from autos, credit cards, internet, and retail.
They’re updated several times daily, and the quality of it’s content, researchers, and investigations are constantly of the highest quality. Check it out before your next trip into the retail world, or on your next internet break at work.
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I Like You 2007-04-10 21:32:29 I’m currently reading. Well it’s more a “browsing coffee table book”, so I guess I’m paging through “I Like You - Hospitality Under the Influence” by Amy Sedaris.
This came out around the holidays and is a spoof of a Martha Steward entertaining primer. Only Amy Sedaris can combine a real cookbook with quirky party tips, (bring your host butter, not wine. Everyone needs butter). There’s a chapter on entertaining the eldery, written in 18 point font. And it’s a useful cookbook too, with real recipes scattered about.
From the publisher: Are you lacking direction in how to whip up a swanky soiree for lumberjacks? A dinner party for white-collar workers? A festive gathering for the grieving? Don’t despair. Take a cue from entertaining expert Amy Sedaris and host an unforgettable fete that will have your guests raving. No matter the style or size of the gathering–from the straightforward to the bizarre–I LI
Save DU Station 2007-04-13 21:33:29 Transit Oriented Development at it’s worst… At only six months old half of this light rail station at the University Denver might be bulldozed.
It appears ridiculous, but Mile High Development is actually attempting to cram a high rise into this tiny wedge shaped piece of land adjacent to the University of Denver light rail station. This triangular corner, between Buchtel Boulevard and the tracks is no more than a few hundred feet long and much less than that in width.
An enormous building would be an incredible imposition on the train station and neighborhood. It would block all light coming in from the west, turning the station into a dark and gloomy locale, not to mention cold and icy in the winter.
I met with some residents picketing this small field and raising awareness about the project. Keep the bright atmosphere of the University of Denver Station
. On April 30th a vote will be taken by city council on whether or not to allow construction to proceed.
Abandoned Blockbuster 2007-04-13 18:16:35 I saw this on Crunchgear.com attached to an article about file sharing.
I love it. No matter what they do, or how hard they try, Blockbuster
is forever engrained in the consumer mind as a greedy, inept company with ridiculous fees, overages, and surchages. Even now with their new mail delivery combined with the perk of exchanging them in stores, people are saying get lost, and opting for the simple trust red and white logos of Netflix.
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Snowing Again 2007-04-13 00:32:03 Friggen’ April and a foot of snow is forecasted for the city. Well at least I can go skiing for another few weekends. But it’s about time for this to be done.
Here’s a CDOT photo from about 50 miles west of Denver.
Hopefully it won’t cripple us like the December 20 massive snowstorm.
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, Snowing
News of Interest 041207 2007-04-12 20:05:04 Brad Stone of the NYTimes wants bloggers to be nicer, hence gaining their credibility and reputation. I agree with the premise, but bloggers already control who can post anonymous comments, who can’t, and who must register with a site before posting anything. Those basic control features do mcuh of what Brad Stone is writing about.
Mr. O’Reilly and Mr. Wales talk about creating several sets of guidelines for conduct and seals of approval represented by logos. For example, anonymous writing might be acceptable in one set; in another, it would be discouraged. Under a third set of guidelines, bloggers would pledge to get a second source for any gossip or breaking news they write about.
Bloggers could then pick a set of principles and post the corresponding badge on their page, to indicate to readers what kind of behavior and dialogue they will engage in and tolerate. The whole system would be voluntary, relying on the community to police itself.
Colorado senate approves adopti Read more:Interest
Google News Needs a Proofer 2007-04-15 02:36:58 Errors happen when you’re in a rush. But even Drudge report, which gets storys out seconds after they happen rarely if ever has such glaring spelling error. This isn’t a single occurence. It happens repeatedly. I’d expect such spelling errors from a low rate personal blog, (like this one), but not from one of the top news consolidation sites, which thousands have their home page set to.
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He opened his e-mail progam, then clicked new, then… 2007-04-16 22:19:10 I’m reading “Deadman’s Poker” by James Swain. Swain writes a series of books based on the Tony Valentine character, a retired cop from Atlantic City now living in Florida working for casinos as a cheating consultant. They’re fun and easy to read, and you get a fix of casinos, pokers, the mob, and other nefarious dealings without needing to leave your bus seat.
Although Swain is only moderately guilty of this, an amusing yet annoying habit of some writers is to over explain step by step every process of computer operations. Often times an entire paragraph is devoted to: He sat down at his computer and turned on the power. He opened his e-mail program and read three new messages. He hit “respond”, and wrote back to&hellip
;
You’d never read: He opened his car door, sat down, turned the key, etc, etc. Unless those details were truly imperative to the storyline. Editors take note: Basic computer operations n
Titanic Artifacts in Denver 2007-04-16 16:35:38 This looks worth seeing: From June 22nd to January 6th this exhibit will be at the Denver
Museum of Natural History.
If you have a Titanic
fetish, come combine this exhibit with a trip to the Molly Brown House.
Oh and don’t miss Titanic 2, the movie.
This once-in-a-lifetime exhibition, viewed by 18 million people worldwide, tells the story of the lavish vessel—from its construction in a Belfast shipyard, to its acclaim as the world’s greatest (and unsinkable) luxury liner, to its doomed maiden voyage.
The ship’s passengers included titans of commerce and industry, artists and movie stars, senior members of governments, immigrants dreaming of a new life, mothers, fathers, sons, and daughters. Listen to their stories, as told through personal artifacts salvaged from the deep. Reservations for this exhibition are highly recommended.
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Sustainable Travel International 2007-04-18 20:33:46 Green is the theme of April’s Outside Magazine. In addition to all things eco-friendly they feature interviews with Eddie Veder, Arnold Schwarzenegger, and a host of other people and products devoted to a better environment. Some of it’s obvious fluff, but if you examine it in detail there’s some good companies and info.
One local company highlighted is Boulder based SustainableTravelInternational
. STI is a clearinghouse and directory for all earth friendly travel from air travel, eco-resorts, activities, and lodging. Their directory contains hundreds of companies - each with an “eco-certification” noting their sustainability policies and social and cultural impacts.
Searching by company and location will net you a wealth of potential activities from all parts of the world. Worth checking out.
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Jason Reynolds sentenced to life 2007-04-17 21:32:28 As JasonReynolds
accurately whined about during sentencing, this has been a story of interest for the past year. In November 2005, (a year in which he received four reckless driving citations), Jason Reynold’s antagonistic driving caused two deaths on a Denver interstate. Driver Kelvin Norman apparently was not driving at an adequate speed for Reynolds, inciting Reynolds to whip out in front of him and slamm on his brakes. This caused Norman to swerve and careen over into the median, taking another car driven by Greg Boss with him. Both drivers died instantly.
Reynolds argued what he did with his vehicle has no effect on others, and he was not responsible for either death. (Photo of local asshole Jason Reynolds from KUSA).
The only intelligent thing Reynolds said was his accusation of the media “witch hunting” him. He blames the media and public interest for causing his prosecution and sentencing.
Well of course the media followed him, b
Red Dog Sportswear 2007-04-18 16:37:03
I don’t envy companies that market men’s underwear. Every product needs to look sexy, so when you have a good product that you want people to take seriously it must be difficult to distinguish it from other ads that look as if they were lifted from the first 10 minutes of a gay porn. Red Dog Sportswear manages to make their product appealing and sexy, without the Abercrombie overcompensation of oversexed erotic male bonding.
Since it’s earth week it’s worth noting they’re a company aboard the green train as well. Red Dog Sportswear uses organic cotton for a healthier and higher quality product. Their underwear and t-shirts are made from cotton grown without pesticides - all natural for when you’re almost all natural. From their site:
You probably know why organic food is good for you… but organic clothing is a new concept for the majority of us. The clothes we wear are a direct expression of our personalities, beliefs a
First the Roomba, now Falcons. 2007-04-21 21:42:08 From Engadget.com Robotic Falcons
chase away pigeons.
While San Franciscans (and birdwatchers around the globe) enjoy the beauty of the Sutro Forest through a new MMO, British chaps are figuring out a way to rid a city of an apparent “obese pigeon” quandary. In order to shoo away the unsightly animals, a Scottish firm has delivered Robops to sit atop Liverpool rooftops and “flap their wings and squawk loudly to scare the problem pigeons away.” Reportedly, the solution was crafted after officials (and citizens) grew tired of the increasingly nauseating droppings and incessant badgering for food. Proponents of the plan are hoping that the newly disturbed pigeons will find their way to parks and green pastures where their diet will be more balanced, but critics are suggesting that pigeons will “soon realize that these mechanical things are not a threat,” effectively rendering the project useless after a short while.
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, Roomba
The Devil made him do it 2007-04-21 21:27:50 Not surprisingly from Fox News: Religion reporter Lauren Green details to us how Oral Roberts University Dr. Richard Roberts is 100% sure that “The Devil
Made him do it” in the case Cho Seung-Hui gunning down of 33 people last Monday.
“Based on what I’ve seen in the news,” Roberts said in an interview, “there’s no doubt that this act was Satanic in origin.”
It baffles me why the nonsensical ramblings of a theological university are reported as news, even by Fox. This makes as much sense as Jerry Falwell blaming the gays and ACLU for 9/11. At least a logical opposing view is provided by Michael Shermer and Rev. Robert Schuller of the Crystal Cathedral:
Atheists don’t believe in the Devil or demonic possession, but there is some respect for the theological idea of evil. Michael Shermer, editor of the Skeptics Magazine, acknowledges Christianity’s take on Satan has a great deal of weight to it. “Religion figured out long before science the p
CICLE 2007-04-27 22:01:12
As my six regular blog readers know I’m a big advocate of utilitarian cycling, meaning the use of cycling for every purposes such as commuting to work, shopping, and daily errands. With some storage capacity added to any bike you can forget traffic, save gas, and get healthier all during your daily routine.
Here’s a site called C.I.C.L.E. or the more verbally cumbersome title: “Cyclists Inciting Change thru LIVE Exchange“.
C.I.C.L.E. is chock full of useful tips, links, and logistics for practical cycling. If you love racks, panniers, and cruising to the coffee shop with your laptop on a sunny day this site’s for you. It’s also a good networking tool to find local bike shops that focus on utility cycling, in addition to racing/road bikes. With perfect weather almost everywhere it’s a great time to start bike commuting. Check them out!
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