Archive for December, 2008
It’s January 1, 2009, only three more months until April Fools Day. Have you thought up a good joke yet? But we mustn’t get ahead of ourselves. And that isn’t just a figure of speech.
Reportedly just before midnight last night, one second was added to 2008; a “leap second.” This was done by counting down “57, 58, 59, 60, 00,” with “60” representing the leap second. So whether we knew it or not, and chances are we didn’t, everyone on earth experienced a rare 61 second minute.
Due to its inconstant speed and characteristic wobble, the Earth’s rotation is slowing, meaning that in order to keep the sun overhead at noon, atomic time must be aligned with astronomical time which requires the addition of a “leap second” every so often.
Continue Reading December 31st, 2008
News For Wednesday December 31, 2008
A new survey of more than 400 fisherman and other outdoorsmen indicates that more control is needed to preserve habitat on the oil rich Roan Plateau. The area, located northwest of Glenwood springs---contains nearly one trillion cubic feet of natural gas.
Three skiers, one from Denver and two from the UK, received fines of $250 each this week from a Pitkin County judge---after they were caught skiing out of bounds at Aspen Highlands.
Continue Reading December 31st, 2008
Tuesday December 30, 2008
Snow in Glenwood Springs is beginning to pile up---so the city is spending more money with private contractors to dig up the mountains of ice and snow and haul it off to the rodeo lot.
About 30 thousand dollars was budgeted originally for snow removal….that figure has now doubled.
One man from Colorado and two others from the United Kingdom are being charged with out of bounds skiing at Aspen Highlands over the past weekend-----a serious infraction that could have cost them their lives.
Continue Reading December 30th, 2008
The below article was published in an Israeli newspaper:
The neighborhood bully strikes again
By Gideon Levy
Tags: gaza strike, israel news
Israel embarked yesterday on yet another unnecessary, ill-fated war. On July 16, 2006, four days after the start of the Second Lebanon War, I wrote: "Every neighborhood has one, a loud-mouthed bully who shouldn't be provoked into anger... Not that the bully's not right - someone did harm him. But the reaction, what a reaction!"
Two and a half years later, these words repeat themselves, to our horror, with chilling precision. Within the span of a few hours on a Saturday afternoon, the IDF sowed death and destruction on a scale that the Qassam rockets never approached in all their years, and Operation "Cast Lead" is only in its infancy.
Once again, Israel's violent responses, even if there is justification for them, exceed all proportion and cross every red line of humaneness, morality, international law and wisdom.
Continue Reading December 29th, 2008
Some more controversy is arising over the burning of a fire near the Cooper Avenue Mall------City leaders had voted to turn off the gas fired outdoor fire pit but it was reportedly running throughout the Christmas week----and with much use by locals and tourists on these cold days and nights.
Elected Aspen leaders decided it was contradictory to allow the fire to burn---after its stated goal of reducing its carbon footprint----but apparently the demand for the fire pit and the warmth it generates played out over the environment for the crucial commerce week of Christmas.
Religious groups in Grand Junction are criticizing plans for a hooters Restaurant to open on North Avenue---the city’s main road---at a new 60,000 square foot shopping mall. Managers of Hooters, known for hiring well endowed waitresses to attract diners----say the survey they conducted indicates that such an eatery will be welcome in Mesa county……..
The Broncos---humiliated by the Charges on Sunday---and now they are out----losing at Qualcomm 52-21 as San Diego took the AFC west title.
December 29th, 2008
CHAPTER 11
Clowers rose early and flew off toward the sunrise, then began a long spiral pattern around the area, scanning for pursuing Ranchers or any sign of predators. Leading a calf alone into the wilderness was turning in to a full time job. He missed his free and easy lifestyle, soaring over his vast territory and now and then hanging out with his buddies. Maybe he should’ve thought it through a little better.
A few miles west of where he’d left the calf, the raven cleared the top of a hill and looked down into a large flat clearing with a stream running through it. A small band of bison were gathered in the meadow. Some of the shaggy brown cows were rolling in the dirt wallows they’d created to rid themselves of pesky insects. Dust rose up around them as they squirmed in the shallow depressions. The rest of the cows and several bulls were walking slowly with their large heavy heads moving from side to side as they grazed. A few calves chased each other around the grassy meadow, their short red fur shining in the morning sunlight. Wait a minute! Clowers had an idea. He straightened his path and flew back to where Mark waited under the trees.
Continue Reading December 28th, 2008
Here's hoping for a much more prosperous and all-around BETTER year ahead in 2009! We cannot actually ask for a more EVENTFUL year than 2008, just looking at the past few months alone. There are those who might argue that point. Well, each to their own, I guess.
I have had an extremely rough time the past few months trying to find something to write about. From local to national news, politics, etc., everytime I get just a kernel of an idea developing, WHAM!, that whole idea is already obsolete, replaced by something even more extraordinary or off on a completely different story altogether. It would almost seem as if I have found a different variation on the definition of "writer's block". Contrary to my usual assumption of that describing a situation where one cannot seem to come up with ANY suitable subject matter, it always seems as if I have WAY too many things going on in the old noggin' albeit too finite of an existence at the same time. That is partly explainable by recent circumstances.
I was recently involved in a "near death" experience, although I didn't know it at the time. I was helping a guy out in the cleaning of a MacDonald's in Arcata one night. He was getting some stuff done on the roof. There was a ladder going to the roof and I passed up a lot of his "tools of the trade" including a metal spray canister holding perhaps 2 or 3 gallons of liquid; everybody's seen such a thing, right?
Continue Reading December 27th, 2008
Last weekend, Sue Gray wrote, “Bethlehem itself has been walled in by the Israeli ‘security fence’ to the point that it has strangled the once booming tourist industry as well as the local economy.”
The condition associated with the term “walled in” suggests enclosure. I looked for maps of the wall Israel has erected between itself and the West Bank. Bethlehem is just south and a bit west of Jerusalem. It is separated from Jerusalem by the wall. It is not enclosed, or surrounded by the wall.
Continue Reading December 27th, 2008
Last week I heard my buddy Michael Conniff talking about all the traffic on Aspen Post about Colorado Christmas. I called him up and told him how happy I was that people still heard some love in that old song. Michael hadn’t read any of the blogs about this wonderful Steve Goodman song that I had sung lead on. He had never heard the song. He just read the title of the string of blogs, over the air. John Denver had us sing it on one of his Christmas TV Specials. We were set up around the campfire at T-Lazy 7. He ended up recording it.
Continue Reading December 26th, 2008
Aspen Community Theatre is offering a free acting workshop for adults on “How to create an unforgettable character” hosted by actor, director and teacher David Ledingham.
The workshop will use exercises and tools to create a believable three dimensional character enabling you to Be not Act the role you are playing. Whether you are a playing a chorus member or the lead of a show, this workshop is invaluable.
David Ledingham has taught acting and movement technique at universities and professional theatres across the country and is a private acting coach. He also directs theatre & film nationally including for Theatre Aspen & has written several screenplays & a TV pilot. He recently developed & directed the play “The Song That Killed The Snake” with a 16 piece chamber orchestra at the Los Angeles Philharmonic. He holds a BFA in acting from CU Boulder & an MFA in Acting from UCSD (rated one of the top three acting programs in the U.S.)
The workshop will be held on Saturday, January 10 from 1:30 to 6:00 pm at the Black Box located in the Aspen High School at 335 High School Road.
To register call Liz Bokram at 925-6452. Enrollment is limited.
December 25th, 2008
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