Denver, CO

In no way am I advocating that you vote for any candidate to elected office on the sole basis of reading my recommendations in this blog… That being said:

Here are some local and national candidates that I support for the upcoming election. I am supporting these candidates because I believe they will best serve to protect my interests as a taxpayer, and the general interests of Denver and all of Colorado.

No matter who you vote for, please exercise democracy and show up to vote. Or, mail in your absentee and early voting ballots.

George Lilly For Congress

George Lilly is primarily concerned with our economy and will advocate for a return to smart and sound business practices. Less taxes. More freedoms. Liberty. If you said yes to any of the above, then this is your man.

Visit his website by clicking here

Mark these in your calendar, write them down on the back of your hand, put a sticky note reminder on your forehead, whatever you do, don’t forget:

Primary Election: August 12, 2008
General Election: November 4, 2008

Last day to register to vote in the general election:
Monday, October 6th, 2008

Early Voting Dates
Primary: August 4 through August 8
General: October 20 through October 25, and October 27 through October 31

Inflation. Rising prices. A country that imports and doesn’t produce enough to export and offset the imports. The three trillion dollar war. Baby boomers are retiring in mass, or hoping to retire soon. Social Security. Medicare. Landmark foreclosure numbers. Economic slowdown. Rising oil costs. $4 per gallon at the pump…

These are buzz words that I’m sure you have heard quite enough of lately. But it is important that we do not simply ignore these words that make us cringe and that one 9 letter word that has taken on the same aspects of four letter foul-language words: “recession,” not to be uttered in polite conversation.

Indeed, times will be getting rough and this will be happening very fast and soon. We will all feel the pinch and be forced to consume less. Not necessarily a bad thing. But one group that I am concerned about:

The senior citizens. These are the people who have been paying into social security with the belief that it would be there when they retire and they would need little else to live comfortably and not have to work. This belief is no longer so. I have noticed it to be commonplace to see senior citizens pushing carts at the grocery store, waiting on me at restaurants, cutting my hair, etc., and I can’t help but wonder: was this what they were planning to do when they reached this age? Is this what they had in mind for retirement?

Don’t be fooled by newspaper articles talking up positive effects from the current economic stimulus package. Yes, there are positive effects, but the reporting of these effects is often misleading. Here’s what I mean,
Last week I read an article online that specifically said the stimulus package was not working and our country was still in a recession. The very next day I read another article that said the stimulus package was indeed working and had increased spending. The example given for increased spending was Wal-Mart, who had increased sales by 1% that month. Hooray.
This is an oversimplification. Wal-Mart is poised to increase sales with or without the economic stimulus package because Wal-Mart is a discount store and, with prices rising as fast as they are and with it, people’s nerves, Wal-Mart will be gaining more and more business as consumers feel the pinch and switch to cheaper alternatives.
What the article neglects to mention was the other stores who aren’t as well positioned as Wal-Mart to profit and do well during economic downturns; businesses such as the Gap who experienced a sharp 14% drop in sales.
So if you ask me, yes, Wal-Mart will see increased sales, revenue, and business; but look to a decline in companies that do not readily provide basic needs and who aren’t basement bottom pricers. These are the companies who will be hurting for the months to come and who aren’t likely to benefit at all from any economic stimulus package.

Here are a few farmers markets near you:

Cherry Creek Fresh Market
“Top Farmers Market in Denver”
Cherry Creek North Drive and S University Blvd. On University between 1st Ave and Alameda Ave
Saturdays May 3rd through October 25th 8am-1pm
Wednesdays June 4th through September 24th 9am-1pm

Old South Pearl Farmers Market
on 1500 Block of Old S. Pearl between Florida Ave., and Iowa Ave
Sundays June 8th through October 26th 9am-1pm

Why buy from farmers markets?

+ Fresh produce
+ Support local Colorado farmers
+ Do a small part in protecting the environment, since foods grown locally and sold locally don’t require mass transportation which burns fossil fuels and adds pollution

OK.. I would not have considered writing a blog about a haircut before today, but let me tell you.. this was one incredible haircut.

I frequent Supercuts when its time for my trims but I’ve decided to start supporting local, small businesses whenever I have a chance to avoid chain businesses. That’s for personal reasons is all.

So I went into a barber shop on Tennyson and about 40th St in Denver. If I remember correctly, the address was 4024 Tennyson.

This barber shop definitely had the old, classic barber shop feel to it, but was most astounding was the service. Supercuts brings me in, trims the hair, towels me, and then I’m pushed out of the chair and rushed up to the pay counter. It was different at this barber shop.

Service included a unique mix of new and old hair cut technology. There was a very fancy machine that distributed heated shaving cream. And my barber used the electronic razor as they do in Supercuts. But when he went to clean up my neckline, he pulled out the old-fashioned knife-looking razor (I’m reminded of that new Johnny Depp movie: Sweeney Todd). And once the shave was finished I recieved an aftershave treatment and, get this: a neck, shoulder, and arm massage aided by some electronic massage device.

I was so blown away by what a haircut could be compared to what I spent at Supercuts. Price?
Supercuts: about $15
this barber: $14

I left a six dollar tip.

Here’s a fun and practical chain email. Please forward to others:

Gas Facts, Very interesting . . .

I don’t know what you guys are paying for gasoline…. but here
in California we are also paying higher, up to $4.50 per gallon. But
my line of work is in petroleum for about 31 years now, so here are
some tricks to get more of your money’s worth for every gallon.

Here at the Kinder Morgan Pipeline where I work in San Jose, CA we
deliver about 4 million gallons in a 24-hour period thru the pipeline.
One day is diesel the next day is jet fuel, and gasoline, regular and
premium grades. We have 34-storage tanks here with a total capacity
of 16,800,000 gallons.

Only buy or fill up your car or truck in the early morning when the
ground temperature is still cold. Remember that all service stations
have their storage tanks buried below ground. The colder the ground
the more dense the gasoline, when it gets warmer gasoline expands, so
buying in the afternoon or in the evening….your gallon is not
exactly a gallon. In the petroleum business, the specific gravity and
the temperature of the gasoline, diesel and jet fuel, ethanol and
other petroleum products plays an important role.

A 1-degree rise in temperature is a big deal for this business. But
the service stations do not have temperature compensation at the
pumps.

When you’re filling up do not squeeze the trigger of the nozzle to a
fast mode. If you look you will see that the trigger has three (3)
stages: low, middle, and high. In slow mode you should be pumping on
low speed, thereby minimizing the vapors that are created while you
are pumping. All hoses at the pump have a vapor return. If you are
pumping on the fast rate, some other liquid that goes to your tank
becomes vapor. Those vapors are being sucked up and back into the
underground storage tank so you’re getting less worth for your money.

One of the most important tips is to fill up when your gas tank is
HALF FULL or HALF EMPTY. The reason for this is, the more gas you have
in your tank the less air occupying its empty space. Gasoline
evaporates faster than you can imagine. Gasoline storage tanks have an
internal floating roof. This roof serves as zero clearance between the
gas and the atmosphere, so it minimizes the evaporation. Unlike
service stations, here where I work, every truck that we load is
temperature compensated so that every gallon is actually the exact
amount.

Another reminder, if there is a gasoline truck pumping into the
storage tanks when you stop to buy gas, DO NOT fill up–most likely
the gasoline is being stirred up as the gas is being delivered, and
you might pick up some of the dirt that normally settles on the
bottom. Hope this will help you get the most value for your money.

DO SHARE THESE TIPS WITH OTHERS!

WHERE TO BUY USA GAS, THIS IS VERY IMPORTANT TO KNOW, READ ON.

Gas rationing in the 80’s worked even though we grumbled about it. It
might even be good for us! The Saudis are boycotting American goods.
We should return the favor. An interesting thought is to boycott
their GAS.

Every time you fill up the car, you can avoid putting more money into
the coffers of Saudi Arabia. Just buy from gas companies that don’t
import their oil from the Saudis.

Nothing is more frustrating than the feeling that every time I fill-up
the tank, I am sending my money to people who are trying to kill me,
my family, and my friends.

I thought it might be interesting for you to know which oil companies
are the best to buy gas from and which major companies import Middle
Eastern oil.

These companies import Middle Eastern oil:

Shell……………………….. 205,742,000 barrels

Chevron/Texaco………. 144,332,000 barrels

Exxon /Mobil……………. 130,082,000 barrels

Marathon/Speedway… 117,740,000 barrels

Amoco……………………….62,231,000 barrels

Citgo gas is from South America, from a Dictator who hates Americans.
If you do the math at $30/barrel, these imports amount to over $18
BILLION! (oil is now $90 - $100 a barrel)

Here are some large companies that do not import Middle Eastern oil:

Sunoco……………..0 barrels

Conoco……………..0 barrels

Sinclair………………0 barrels

BP/Phillips…………0 barrels

Hess…………………0 barrels

ARCO………………0 barrels

If you go to Sunoco.com, you will get a list of the station locations near you.

All of this information is available from the Department of Energy and
each is required to state where they get their oil and how much they
are importing.

But to have an impact, we need to reach literally millions of gas
buyers. It’s really simple to do.

Now, don’t wimp out at this point…. keep reading and I’ll explain
how simple it is to reach millions of people!!

I’m sending this note to about thirty people. If each of you send it
to at least ten more (30 x 10 = 300) … and those 300 send it to at
least ten more (300 x 10 = 3,000) and so on, by the time the message
reaches the sixth generation of people, we will have reached over
THREE MILLION consumers!!!!!!! If those three million get excited
and pass this on to ten friends each, then 30 million people will
have been contacted!

If it goes one level further, you guessed it…..THREE HUNDRED MILLION PEOPLE!!!

Again, all you have to do is send this to 10 people. How long would
all that take?

Today’s tips for getting better MPG out of the $3.59/gallon gas we buy comes from:
Sean Brodrick posting on 4-23-08 for Money and Markets newsletter

1) Slow down. Typically, a car going over 60 miles an hour is likely to decrease its fuel economy. The rule of thumb is for every mile per hour faster than 55 mph, fuel economy drops by about 1%; the drop-off increases at a greater rate after 65 mph. According to fueleconomy.gov, “you can assume that each 5 mph you drive over 60 mph is like paying an additional $0.20 per gallon for gas.”

2) When you’re finished at the gas pump, turn the handle 180 degrees so that it’s upside down. This will force out up to 1/2 cup of gas into your tank. Put your gas cap back on right away and tighten it firmly — gas evaporates quickly.

3) Use cruise control on the highway. That cuts down the engine speed and allows your car to maintain a steady momentum without exerting too much effort.

4) Remove excess weight from your car. By that, I don’t mean leave your mother-in-law at the rest stop. I mean dump all the junk you may be carrying around in your trunk. Every extra 100 pounds your car carries decreases fuel efficiency by about 2%.

5) Perform needed maintenance on your car. A well-tuned engine, clean air filter and fully-inflated tires will do wonders for your gas mileage. According to fueleconomy.gov, under-inflated tires can lower gas mileage by 0.4% for every 1 psi drop in pressure of all four tires. On the other hand, fully inflating your tires can improve your gas mileage by about 3.3%. Replacing a clogged air filter improves your mileage by about 10%, and tuning your car (when it needs it) improves gas mileage by about 4%. Add it up and that’s 17% improvement. If your car gets 25 miles to the gallon and you drive 12,000 miles a year, you’ll save 81.6 gallons — about $326 at $4 per gallon gas.
And if you get 15 miles to the gallon, the same tips could save you $544.

6) Telecommute as much as possible. This isn’t possible for everyone, but the cheapest gas is the gas you don’t use; plus time you don’t spend driving is time you can spend working. If you need another argument to convince your boss, here’s one: It’s patriotic. A portion of every dollar we send our “good friends” in Saudi Arabia goes to support al Qaeda.

more tips will be posted this week! And, if you have some of your own tips, then leave a comment and help your fellow Coloradoans save money on gas.

Is this what the war for American Independence was fought for?

Walking through Downtown Denver today I noted the remarkable, newly constructed Hyatt Hotel. This building is truly a testament to architecture of its time. Regardless, I was ominously disturbed to see:

the United States flag, flying side by side with the Colorado State flag, flying side by side with the….Hyatt flag?!?

I think that this is a clear sign that we need to be concerned about the role of corporations in this country…

This weekend in Denver saw thousands of people gathering together at the Civic Center Park to celebrate Cinco De Mayo. If you didn’t get to experience and enjoy the festival in person, here’s an overview from my six hours spent in the sun and fun on Saturday May 3rd:

The Cinco De Mayo had a taste of everything: from regular carnival food like hot dogs, to Greek cuisine on Gyros, Chinese food, Mexican food, and plenty of desserts. Hardly a mouth was dry either; there was plenty of beer and margarita stands all around. I just had water because I do not drink for personal reasons

Food is pretty important to me so it figures I’d type that up first. But what else? Activities:

Fun for the whole family was highlighted by bouncey houses, train rides, and a petting zoo for the kids and the more adventurous and carefree adults.
The sound of music could be heard from every corner, and depending on where you were standing you’d be listening to one of a number of radio stations present (including 92.5 the Wolf and a new radio station for hip-hop 107.1) or one of the two stages playing live music from various bands and artists. The most entertaining was a young kid - he couldn’t have been more than 9 years old - playing on an entire drum set! This kid could drum!

Information tables: Sponsors and vendors had tents set up throughout the park, displaying their goods and services. Some of the tents were full of culturally related items but much more, to my disappointment, were booths just selling stuff and contributing to the commercialization of this country and overall U.S. culture, to the point where commercialization has even started to take over our holidays.

Dancing: You could watch dancing or join in and dance. There were traditional Mexican and Aztec dancers (and drummers) and both shows drew out some large camera-happy crowds. I really enjoyed watching the beautiful, and mesmerizing, movements of this traditional art form, and found the tourist trigger happy cameramen and camerawomen quite amusing. We love to take pictures, don’t we?

Speaking of pictures: if I can figure out how to work this scanner, I’ll upload the one picture I have from my day at the Cinco De Mayo festivities. So if you see me in a sombrero and holding a guitar with a stuffed animal donkey on my knee, you’ll know where I was. And if you see the attractive girl sitting next to me with a pink sombrero, then you’ll know who my girlfriend is- Ashley.
And if you ask me I’ll tell you the picture was her idea and she forced me to go through with it!! (but call me on that and I’ll be forced to admit that the picture was a result of my own idea and several minutes of careful persuasion to get Ashley to agree)

Here’s my stab at taking my blog mainstream; the following is a piece I submitted to be part of a larger article in an economy magazine and website. I sent this in as a response to a query asking for job opportunities during a potential recession. Please read on and I appreciate all feedback and critiques:

I am by no means a professional job market analyst but I am a student of the economy and business.
And from what I’ve read and my own observations, it seems that one of the best opportunities students will have to hold down jobs in the impending recession will be in the hospitality industry. The reasons for this are economic as much as they are monetary. Our dollar is in a nosedive which means that Americans receive less when they exchange for foreign currency and foreigners receive more when they exchange for our dollar. The result of this is that Americans will now be, and are, taking vacations within the states this year.
Experts within the travel industry anticipates that the trend will be towards taking shorter and more frequent trips: like a weekend trip to one of the U.S. beaches, a weekend trip to Mt. Rushmore etc. Along those lines, we can expect to see more tourism and vacations from foreigners coming from out of the country. These foreigners will be receiving big bucks for their currency so may be taking extra long vacations and will certainly be spending more money. If you ask me, and I think the experts agree, the hotel, resorts, spa, and other vacation related industries, may well be pretty recession proof this time around. At least they will be fairly well guarded and thus will provide great full and part time job opportunities for college students. Hospitality is more secure than travel itself: we don’t really know how people will prefer to travel by car or by plane due to gas prices increasing. But we can expect they will be traveling and a good assumption would be that many trips will be made within traveler’s own state of residency just so they can cut back on the travel costs. In Colorado, for example, there will likely be an increase in Denverites traveling to the mountains to cool off or somewhere like Pueblo Reservoir to warm up and water ski, etc.

Eye on the Economy:
I’ll be focusing some of my blogs, now and in the future, on a Denver based perspective of the current state of the economy: locally, nationally, and globally, as well as how this might affect the people of Colorado. Stay tuned, and as always, thank you.

This picture is actually from a rather unique day at the Capitol- commemorating legislation signed by Gov. Ritter that imposes a $1,000 to $100,000 fine, up to one year imprisonment, and 20 hunting license assessment points for illegal hunting, taking, or possessing a bald eagle.

That is a real, live eagle. And seeing this majestic bird, only twenty feet away from me, was simply beautiful. My hat is off to Rep. Solano and the other legislators who worked hard to protect our national bird!

For more information about this bill, please click here

Next Week’s Feature Blog:

I will have the opportunity to have my good friend, Chris, guest blog on the about-Denver site describing his experience with the caucus process back in February. I will be blogging about my experience as well. So what readers will have is the first hand account of two first time caucus-goers, both aged 21 years young, one from the Democrat side, one from the Republican side. Hope you’ll enjoy!!

Looking forward to the Democratic National Convention

I know the convention is still about five full months away, but I wanted to see how much buzz is already going around the host city. What do people in Denver anticipate the DNC will be like? How do you imagine the Denver scene will be shaped? What sort of things are you looking forward to?

I want to open this blog discussion up to any topics concerning Denver hosting the DNC. Anything. The building of new hotels downtown. Influx of money in Denver as 30+ thousand people arrive. Delegates bringing their families and making the convention in Denver into a family vacation. What has been on your mind concerning the DNC? Anything? Maybe you think we won’t experience much change to daily life in Denver… But what about the traffic?

Use this blog post to add any comments, thoughts, concerns, political jokes, what have you, and lets see what kind of and how much buzz is already being generated about the 2008 Democratic National Convention.

There’s a new show in town; rather, a new exhibit, and it may be one of the most valuable exhibits in town.

Now featured at the Denver Museum of Nature and Science its:

GOLD

when: 9am - 5pm

ending: June 8th, 2008

The cost of admission depends on whether you are a member of the museum, how many kids you bring and their ages, if you’re a student etc.
About-DenverCo was there this past Sunday and paid the $10 student rate to attend Gold and to watch a show at the Planetarium: Black Holes.

By itself, gold is a marvel to look at and can make a modest man salivate. The gold on display truly is impressive. And yet, I observed most every museum-goer also looking into and reading the tidbits about the gold pieces, watching the short videos about gold, reading the longer, drawn out histories presented on wall-display posters, asking questions and engaging in discussions with one another. So you don’t have to take my word for it, this exhibit is clearly about more than looking at that shiny yellow metal. I would venture to say that the truly incredible part about this exhibit was that gold, despite its splendor and beauty, truly has a fascinating history that prompted those in attendance to really want to know more.

So gold-rush over to the museum and ’save’ me a spot in line! While this gold can be mined up until June 8th, I did have to compete with other prospectors last Sunday, it was a busy day at the museum and full of people interested in the new exhibit.