I'm busy

The Colorado Rockies are sponsoring a 5K run/walk to benefit the homeless May 12. Kudos. What a great idea! But why do I have to run/walk? Are the homeless people busy?

R.I.P The Family Vacation

Earlier this month, my family’s vacations plans were officially buried underneath a mounting stack of gas station receipts.
We had planned a family road trip to Minneapolis for a week of shopping and seeing lakes and whatever else people in Minnesota do between ice melting and a swarm of Republicans descending on their community. I assume buy bug spray.
There were more than a few reasons to cancel our plans and instead settle on battling tourists for our own rock in a mountain getaway. Twelve hours in a car with a pregnant woman with a bladder the size of a peanut is a recipe for disaster and a smelly one at that, because I won’t lose time for restroom breaks.
But the knowledge that gas prices would likely be hovering around $4 a gallon by Memorial Day weekend loomed large in our minds. Gas never used to be the deciding factor in a family trip. It used to be finding a hotel or campground, picking out which annoying relatives you were going to visit and the maximum round-trip mileage before your mother officially lost her mind and started shouting to passing motorists, “Kill me, kill me now!” We nearly made it from the garage to the state line with my mom … we were good kids.
For me it was how long I could go before weaving through the Black Hills and the thoughts of that greasy bear claw I had for breakfast would cause me to vomit all over my sister.
It was two hours and my sister hasn’t talked to me in more than a year.
Isn’t it a little bit ironic that, in a country renowned for its freedom and the ability to hopscotch from state to state, we are now held hostage by gas prices? Vacations are only half of it. Most people worry about how they can even get to work or take the kids to soccer practice, let alone crisscross through this beautiful country with a backseat of screaming rug rats.
The only thing I find more ironic is that no one has any control over gas prices. They peak at the height of the summer travel season and they return to a normal (cough, cough) number just in time for us to devote our money to buy Christmas presents. I guess I never question whether the seasons will change, so why would I question this.
But it’s sad. Between cell phones and laptop computers, the family vacation was already becoming an anomaly. We’re too busy to stop working, so we plan a vacation. We never really disconnect from work – still checking the e-mail and answering the office memos.
Now we have other excuses to not take that time away from work and not have that quality time.
Sure, air travel is an option, though they’re not exactly immune from fuel prices either. But gazing out a window looking at clouds from 36,000 feet isn’t the same as staring at the bleakness of the Nebraska farmland and trying to understand why people live there.
I want my kids to at least once hear me threaten, “to turn this car around” and my wife to kiss the dining room floor like a freed hostage and declare, “We will never go on another trip again.” We’re losing those memories.
And in the end, that’s going to cost us a lot more than gas.

To be me

I hear you out there screaming for something new but I'm working on next week's column. Someday, when I have five minutes, I'll let you in on the intricate process that goes into creating these gems. Till then, look for a new blog post tomorrow.

Is it really necessary

Far be it from me to spit on tradition but I've noticed the concept of groundbreakings is becoming really lame ie: Adams County officials dumping some dirt in the courtyard last week to commemorate the Adams County Justice Center expansion. Isn't it just easier to go out to the real dirt and throw a shovel in there – rather than transporting dirt to another location. Adams County is legendary for this. A few years ago when they "broke" ground on the 120th Avenue expansion, they were inside the Riverdale Golf Course clubhouse with a flower planter. C'mon, do it real or don't do it at all!

School shootings can be stopped

An open letter to all editors and news producers across this country:
Last week marked the one-year anniversary of the tragic shootings at the Virginia Tech campus.
Earlier this week, the ninth anniversary of the Columbine High School shooting was commemorated.
Both shootings and all those that have occurred before, between or after, leave us on a quest for answers.
Do we need to stop bullying? Do we need to get our kids off anti-depressant drugs? Do we need to install metal detectors in our schools?
And every time we dig through these shootings, trying to make sense of it, find some reasoning, some inkling that could have helped prevent it.
And, besides the shooter himself, the main culprit in all of shootings is never taken to task.
Every school shooting happening today is a product of the national media attention focused on these tragedies. First, we need the name of the suspect, then we need his picture, then we need his myspace page and if he made any disturbing home movies, alluding to the fact that he planned to do this, we better get those up on the nightly news too.
If there is any resistance to law enforcement agencies releasing these types of materials, we shake our finger in disgust, dust off a Freedom of Information request and demand the information be released.
And the clincher comes when we say, “The public needs to know about this so we can learn from it and prevent it from happening again.”
Balderdash.
The media is trying to make a buck, trying to boost ratings and trying to sell papers. I’ve always resisted that characterization of the media by others because I deeply love this profession but sometimes if the shoe fits …
Instead, we grant instant, immortal celebrity to these sick, sick individuals. Not only will they have their picture on TV for an interminable amount of time, long after the names of victims have faded but, each time a new school shooting occurs, we get to revisit what they did as if this is some ongoing competition.
Shame on us. Shame on all of us.
The only way to stop today’s school shootings will require a revolutionary change in the way we report the news. It means all news agencies, large and small, sitting down and deciding the names of individuals who commit these violent crimes will not be published for any reason nor will their manifestos of hate.
It will be difficult and it will leave the thirst of our need-to-know society unquenched. And the impact will not be immediate. We will need to grit our teeth more than a few times, holding that name of that individual in our hand, just wishing we could put it out there for everybody to see.
Editors and producers will scratch their heads wondering how they fill that empty space or time where they would normally speculate on what drove this individual to such a lowly state. How about spend a few extra minutes talking about the precious young lives taken by such cowards. I promise no one will mind.
The media loves to pat itself on the back when we do something right – just look at the glimmer on our faces when our reporting helped free an innocent man from jail (Does Tim Masters ring a bell?) or get an important law passed or changed.
The media gets a bad rap, sometimes rightfully. Often our need to know can make bad situations worse.
It would be a remarkable feat if we could look back 10 to 20 years from now and say, “Remember all those school shootings? Well, we stopped those.”
If the numbers can be believed, newspapers are on their way out and there are so many television new outlets out there, everyone has tuned out. I say ratings and circulation numbers be damned.
Let’s try saving some lives.

Happy Earth Day

Hey, it's Earth Day and I'm getting into the fad and going "green." That's right, tonight's dinner is three-week-old potato salad left on the counter and a helping of raw eggs.

Look, up in the sky

Hey,
We've checked with both the fire and police departments and we have no idea about the helicopter circling above downtown around 9 a.m. this morning. It wasn't a medical helicopter and didn't look like a news chopper, although it could have been a traffic copter covering the fight for parking spots at the Brighton post office. The leading theory is it had something to do with community development, maybe some photographing. Come clean, city of Brighton, what were you up to? Anyone with info, please pass it along.

I knew it

Short and sweet, kids. I think we all, at point or another, firmly believe our neighbor is spying on us. Then, when you see them on their back porch, dusting off the telescope? Well, then you know! I want your weirdest neighbor stories. Fork them over. Best story wins ... well, nothing, you think we have prizes? Get real. Consider it contributing to the greater good.

This kind of suspicion will not be tolerated

Knowmers, knowmers, knowmers,
I see all and hear all. And apparently someone found my blog yesterday via Google search for photos of Dora and Diego being illegal immigrants. Clearly, I'm outraged by this. My blog is a place for differences to be, not only tolerated, but embraced. We will not become a cesspool of racial hatred. And Dora is here on a Nickelodeon work visa anyway. As for Diego ... Diego is working hard as a animal rescuer to support his family. Anyone who can find fault with that has no business being in this country.

This means trouble

Apparently not a single 2007 Parade of Homes house has sold, according to a story in today's Rocky. I personally apologize, I meant to buy a one, I just didn't get around to it. Also still waiting for a free minute to win Powerball. Of course, we have the Parade of Homes for a reason, so rich snobs can buy ridiculously big houses (no offense to any rich snobs). If this kind of disappointing return keeps happening, it could spell the end of this venerable event. Can you say, "Parade of Apartments?"

Hanging with the kids at the 7-11

If you drive by the Brighton 7-11 around the noon hour on any given weekday, you'll see a long line of high-school age kids waiting to get in. I wasn't sure what this was all about, in fact I stood there in line quite a while before the cashier said I could come in. Don't feel bad, it like waiting in line for tickets to IronMetal DeathJam Megastravanganza 6. Like I'm not already so going! Actually these kids are local high schoolers, cast-offs after Taco Bell decided it didn't want the front entrance of its restaurant looking like a giant game of Red Rover. The kids must wait outside of 7-11 for the chance to enter (two at a time). I can only presume this is so employees can monitor what is being stolen (two at a time). OK, kids, don't egg my house and call me names, why else would they do it? And I don't want parents mad at me either, this is just a simple observation. I will say the kids seem pleasant enough for wasting their lunch break in a line to buy crap they don't need (7-11, you can shut up too because I'm a proud customer). I did have the odd sensation of being a strike breaker when I walked over the seeming picket line to enter the store but there turned out to be no heckling or chants of "You'll never get a stale crueler in this town again." I will offer one piece of advice to the young boy licking the slurpee dispenser to sample the different flavors. I appreciate you yielding to a 28-year-old needing a Slurpee fix while you agonized over your decision but, eww, that's gross.

April 15, 1912

We shall never forget.

These are the days

Gov. Ritter signed into law today a bill permitting Sunday liquor sales. All I can say is let's party! Church will never be the same again.

Don't get it

Double blog Wednesday kids, "to what do I owe the pleasure?" you may be asking. I was driving back to the office when I came upon a vehicle with a license plate frame that said, "Driver reads Braille." First, kudos to said driver, it's a wonderful and useful gift to have, but, what good is advertising it on a license plate frame? Is some blind person going to stumble upon the back of your car and realize they've found the help they need?

A preemptive no

In light of the details emerging about a Brighton High School teacher busted in an Internet sex sting, I can only imagine, in fact I'm sure, there is some snickering among Brighton Collegiate parents and supporters and echoes of "See, it's not just us." STOP, BEFORE YOU EVEN START. You're right, it's not just you, adults preying on children, including teachers, happens everywhere. But this is not a competition, these our kids. Don't be so immature to turn this into a second-gradish "nanny nanny nanny boo boo" type of argument. If those thoughts are out there, I don't have to look far to find out where they originate. I was sickened by the insinuation in a Sunday Denver Post article that School District 27J is simply cracking down on BCHS because they want their building. You're kidding, right. You can't honestly believe that the 27J board looks at repeated sexual offenses (one still alleged) and says, "Maybe this is how we get our hands on that building." Grow up, everybody, please!

Gueff what?

Okay, Knowmers, I'm back. Please stop with the incessant screaming and wailing. You're like a 2-year-old with a bottle of chocolate syrup – can't leave ya alone for a second. It was a whirlwind weekend – two Rockies games, an anniversary celebration capped with Colorado's largest fireworks show ... wait, I mixed up press releases there, and it all ended yesterday with a trip to see The Wiggles perform in concert. Yes, I planned to give The Wiggles – a singing group of four Australian blokes – a hard time but I honestly can't. They put on a good show for the kids, didn't take themselves too seriously and even coaxed a few laughs out of adults like me who weren't sure why we were there.
Do you think I've slacked off the blogging lately? Well, fine you try to do this everyday, Mr. Critic. I actually mean to say this blog is fueled by your comments, input and the perhaps misguided belief that you are actually out there, reading. Yes, my UK fans, that goes for you too. So drop a line, share your thoughts and we'll all do this together.

Another one

A little more obscure but another good headline from CNN.com:
FAA Put Passengers in Danger
And we would have got away with it too, if it hadn't been for you meddling kids!

Hear ye, hear ye, all current and past felons

This headline courtesy of 9News.com
State's crime database crashes, police left in dark
All felons meet downtown, the crime spree begins in five minutes!

Moving on

Not a peep from the Creek, so we move on. Of course, the invitation still stands but we can't wait forever. In more pressing news, we're two days away from Rockies' Opening Day and yes, I'm going. I hate to be braggadocios about such things but I'm very excited. Much of that comes from the pain of sitting at my computer last year and watching the little wheel revolve and revolve as other people gobbled up the World Series Tix. While Friday's game, to be played in respectable weather, can't completely ease the pain of missing the Rockies first and possibly only appearance ever in the World Series (Hi Cubs fan, love you all). But, this will offer some justice!