ROSS AND I ARE HAVING A MEETUP! Want to come hang out with me and Ross for a few hours at a cool wine cafe? The Wine Yogi will be on hand too if you want to try something new, and they have a full bar as well. Get the details and a free ticket to this limited space event by clicking here!
HOW ARE MINIMUM WAGE INCREASES AFFECTING LOCAL RESTAURANTS? We talked about this earlier this week but I wanted to bring on someone with inside knowledge so today at Sonia Riggs, the CEO of the Colorado Restaurant Association joins me to talk about the impact of minimum wage increases on the industry. If you like eating out you need to listen up!
A TANGIBLE WAY TO HELP VETERANS GET BACK ON THEIR FEET We recently spoke to Andrew Canales of Houses for Warriors about their program to provide housing for struggling veterans and many of you asked how you could help. Well next weekend is your chance! They are having a big fundraiser this weekend that will also collect items to both stock the news homes for veterans and provide support to help them succeed. Look below for details, it's Saturday from 11:30 to 5 at 105 West Brewing Company in Castle Rock. If you've got a recent cell phone sitting around this is a great way to donate it to great cause!
Here is a list of what they need:
★Transportation Needs: - Uber/Lyft gift cards - RTD Day/Month Passes - King Soopers/Safeway gift cards
★Home Goods: - Paper towels - Toilet paper - Swiffer dry pads/Swiffer wet refills - Cleaning supplies for kitchen/bathroom - Kitchen trash bags - Laundry detergent/dryer sheets - Dishwasher detergent - Pens/pencils/printer paper - Paper plates/napkins/plastic silverware ★Food/Snacks: - Cereal/oatmeal - Shelf-stable juice or drinks - Pasta and pasta sauce - Beef sticks/jerky - Protein bars - Peanut butter - Popcorn - Salsa/chips - Crackers - Nut snack packs - Evaporated/condensed milk
★Other Food: (Onsite Cooler Available) - Frozen fruit/vegetables - Salami and lunchmeat - Frozen hamburgers/chicken - Ready-made meals or meals for an air fryer - Breakfast sandwiches/burritos - Sliced cheese - Bacon - Coffee creamer
★Personal Needs: - New men's socks/underwear - Deodorant - Shampoo/Conditioner - Soap - Washable Queen comforters
★Electronics (No more than 5 years old***): -Flat Screen Tv's -Working Computers/Laptops -Printers -Tablets -Smart Phones
I hope to see you there! Andrew joins me at 1pm to talk about it.
COLORADO PUBLIC SCHOOL ENROLLMENT IS DOWN And this is partly because we have a younger, child free demographic and simply have fewer little kids going to school, and partly because of an increase in home schooling. Read more here, but as funding flows bases on student enrollment this has to be concerning for big school districts and probably why Denver is so happy to have migrant children flowing in.
WHEN CORPORATIZATION RUINS EVERYTHING This is an interesting article that asks if the corporatization of skiing has ruined it. I'd love to know the thoughts of the skiers in my audience as I have no frame of reference on this but I will say many things I love have been ruined by the Big Corporation attitude. This article makes a very compelling case.
WHY CAN'T THIS FAMILY SUE THE BIDEN ADMIN? An illegal immigrant who was waiting for a jail bed to come open so he could serve his sentence for a previous drunk driving conviction after being deported FOUR TIMES killed a woman and her son in a drunk driving crash. Nothing can bring them back, but why can't the family sue the Biden Admin for failing to keep this guy OUT of the country he'd been expelled from FOUR TIMES?? I'm asking a real question.
ONE CD-4 CANDIDATES ARREST POPS UP TO HAUNT HIM Rep. Mike Lynch says he's embarrassed by his DUI arrest in September of 2022 now that it's come up as he runs for the 4th Congressional District seat being vacated by Ken Buck. He also says he has followed through with all of this court ordered stuff and takes ownership of the arrest. Does this matter to voters? In a crowded primary this could be a big deal. A prior arrest record has not hurt Lauren Boebert as of yet.
WHY ARE CANCER CASES ON THE RISE? This should concern everyone and I have my theories about why cancer is on the rise in the US. First off, our Standard American Diet full of ultra-processed food combined with an obesity epidemic seems to me a good starting point. But in this story they talk about disparities in who is getting cancer and I think this is important. Read this:
Racial disparities additionally present barriers to progress. From 2016 to 2020, cancer incidence was highest among Black men, with a rate of 533.9 per 100,000 population that was 79% higher than the rate for Asian American men, who had the lowest rate among groups studied.The report found the high incidence among Black men was largely driven by “their extraordinary burden of prostate cancer, with rates 68% higher than White men, two times higher than (American Indian and Alaska Native) and Hispanic men, and three times higher than (Asian American and Pacific Islander) men.”
The story then goes on to say:
Racial disparities in cancer occurrence and outcomes are largely the result of structural racism, resulting in longstanding inequalities in wealth that lead to differences in exposure to risk factors and access to high-quality cancer prevention, early detection, and treatment,
You can reasonably make the case that outcomes could be based on access to treatment, but occurrence? We already know that Black people have certain diseases that white people do not (sickle cell for one) so why not approach this as perhaps a genetic predisposition that needs to be addressed as such? Calling it racism could prevent real research that could benefit Black men. Also concerning in this story is the number of younger people who are getting cancer. That is not good news.
ABOUT THOSE "INNOCENT CIVILIANS" IN GAZA Now that hostages have been released and are now talking in Israel we learn that "innocent" Gazan civilians were involved every step of the way in the attacks and subsequent keeping of the hostages. From providing intel for the planning to housing hostages after the fact, the civilians were just as much a part of the massacre as the Hamas savages that launched it. Read this to understand how NOT innocent these civilians are.
CNN HIRES A "TYRANT" TO RUN THE NEWSROOM And I'm wondering if this hire isn't designed to thin the herd of overly sensitive types who foment trouble when the network tries to be more balanced. Read here about the new Executive Editor of the newsroom, whose been called an "ahole" but members of that same room. I'm still rooting for CNN to make a return to its glory days of more balanced coverage of the news.
DOES IT MATTER THAT MIKE JOHNSON SAYS BIDEN IS GOD'S WILL? You'd certainly think that Speaker Mike Johnson was in the process of building some sort of Theocracy by the breathless tone of the reporting on the Speaker saying in a speech that the Biden presidency was God's Will. He was asked about it yesterday. He responded thusly.
Who cares? Honestly who cares?
PUTIN IS NOT PUTTING DOWN RIOTS IN RUSSIA As 10,000 protesters showed up to voice their displeasure with the war makers. He had his police put the mob down violently, of course.
ARE PAKISTAN AND IRAN AT WAR? It sure looks that way-ish as they are firing back and forth along the border and withdrawing ambassadors and clearing out embassies. The issue is militia attacks by Iranian militias and Pakistan responding forcefully with bombing runs into Iran. It's exposing strange bedfellows as Pakistani arch enemy India has a long term agreement with Iran, though they came out and seemed to stay neutral while condemning terrorism of any kinds.
THE CDC KNEW ABOUT THE HEART ISSUES FROM THE VACCINE And hid it. They went so far as to prepare a press release but never sent it. The CDC destroyed their own credibility to sell vaccines. Period.
RETIREES SHOULD AVOID THESE HIGH COST STATES AND COLORADO MAKES THE LIST As I look forward to retirement (someday) Chuck and I are actively trying to decide where we will want to live. It likely won't be Colorado. Though Colorado is #13 on this list of expensive place to retire, I am guessing it will move even higher as the policies being passed now by Herr Polis and his Democrat colleagues in the Legislature are going to continue to make Colorado a more and more expensive place to live.
A SONG ABOUT THE BELOVED JUNK DRAWER We all have one. I have two if I'm honest.
LONGTIME SPORTS COLUMNIST JUMPS TO THE DENVER GAZETTE You can read Mark Kiszla's columns in the Denver Gazette from now on. Find out more here.
FOOTBALL FANS ENDED UP IN THE HOSPITAL After the frozen KC Chiefs game. We don't know exactly how many fans were treated for hypothermia but it was more than ten. Read it here.
BELICHICK HAD GOOD THINGS TO SAY DALLAS So I guess we wait and see if Jerry Jones fires the current coach to bring in Belichick. Read more here.
THE PEACOCK NFL EXPERIMENT WAS A FAILURE At least according to the ratings of the other weekend games. It still got 23 million viewers but I'm guessing the NFL won't put a playoff game on a network that requires a subscription again any time soon.
MORE ON THE COLD WEATHER WOES FOR EV DRIVERS I didn't get anyone here locally saying they had any issues other than slightly decreased range, but the stories from Chicago and other deep freeze places keep rolling in. Whether it's not being able to open your door, like this guy:
Or having cars not take a charge even when they get to a charger, there are issues that need to be resolved for ev owners. Watch this.
THERE IS A RICHARD SIMMONS MOVIE COMING OUT And he's not happy about it. Pauly Shore is playing him and I sure hope he captures Richard Simmons whimsy and fun and doesn't come off like he's mocking him.
HOW OPEN RELATIONSHIPS ARE RUINING DATING APPS I think dating apps are on the decline for stories like this one. A woman looking for long term love keeps getting approached by people in "open" relationships. So what already sucked has actually gotten worse. You should be able to toggle something to prevent people looking for a third or fourth from being able to contact you.
A GUY IS SUING OLD DATES FOR SLAMMING HIM ONLINE And by suing the women for $75 million he absolutely confirms that he is not someone you want to date. Read it here.
ANOTHER HGTV SHOW IS COMING TO COLORADO This one in Breckenridge and I'm guessing it's completely done filming as the show premieres this weekend. I'll be watching "Battle on the Mountain" because I watch all their show.
THE DOJ ADMITS HUNTER BIDEN'S LAPTOP IS REAL Read this
HOW LONG UNTIL THE SUN SETS AFTER 6PM? We're greedy, aren't we as the sun JUST made it to setting after 5pm. The answer is not until March 9th.
HOW OFTEN DO YOU NEED TO WASH YOUR CAR IN THE WINTER? Because of the de icing chemicals used on the road during the winter, it is recommended you wash your car after every storm and at least once a month. You're welcome.
BEWARE OF BILLS BANNING AI LIKENESSES As Reason.com points out that the bills being considered to prevent deep fake videos and the like would also potentially ban political cartoons and impressions. That's kind of a big deal. Read it here.
ABOUT A FLY LANDING ON YOUR FOOD This is gross, just warning you. Watch below or click here.
ACCURATE DESCRIPTION OF A TODDLER Watch below or click here.
WHAT IT'S LIKE TO HAVE A MILLENNIAL MANAGER Watch below or click here.
LIFESTYLE CHANGES THAT MADE PEOPLE HAPPIER Some of these are really good, some are just common sense but whatever. Read them here.
ANOTHER A HERO'S THANK YOU! These are wonderful. Just wonderful.