Friday Donuts

Dear members and constituents, I must admit to having my head in the clouds this week. Start with the beautiful full moon, add the spectacular sunsets and throw in the rocky mountains and you have all the necessary ingredients for a gorgeous view. And then, beyond the mountains, the clouds and the moon, there is space. You think we would have reached the limits of human exploration by now, but no. From ice being found on Mercury to the discovery of a black hole 17 billion times more massive than the sun which makes-up 14% of a galaxy’s mass, I am astounded at the things they keep finding. Back on earth, we have four dozen delicious LaMar’s donuts, courtesy of Tom Langer (donut boy), so swing-by for some rocket fuel. It’s the perfect recipe to get your head  in the right place. Happy Friday!

Dear Members and Constituents, On this Thanksgiving eve (and yes, I do realize it is not Friday), I thought I would share with you the top ten list of things for which I’m grateful. Lack of control . If everything happened the way I would like, there would never be any pleasant surprises. Celebrities . They serve as a reminder of all the ways my life could go astray if only I had everything I want. Clouds . I love the fanciful shapes which set my imagination free and the twilight metamorphosis of color which transforms their daylight monochrome personas into impressionistic paintings. Touch . This underrated sense enhances my experiential tapestry giving me the ability to sense the warmth of a cheek or the smoothness of a caress. The prick of a thorn or the squishiness of play dough. Minor infirmities . It’s so easy to take so much for granted. There is nothing like a twisted ankle to help us appreciate mobility. If it weren’t for headaches, how could I appreciate the lack

Dear Members and Constituents, Merry Christmas! With not one, but two radio stations in Denver now dedicating the entirety of their programming to Holiday hits, it’s no wonder nobody makes Thanksgiving tunes. I get that our conspicuous consumerist society needs theme music to power us through the rigors of exhaustive shopping in this its flagship season. I get that it’s cold and folks want a the comfort of timeless feel-good songs to get through the shorter days. Still, is it just me or have we gone overboard? I mean, if you want to extend the season, why not go into January when the days are shorter and the weather colder (not to mention you give the wise men time to arrive at the manger on Epiphany). Could it be the presents have already been purchased and delivered, so no shopping theme song is needed? Perhaps. Then again, perhaps my critique is altogether misplaced. What was not misplaced is Laura  Fronckiewicz’s enthusiasm on this her debut as donut girl. She delights us this m

Dear Members and Constituents, Picture yourself at a Sushi restaurant. You're informed of a twenty minute wait so you sit down at the lobby. Having scoured the place for something to read you come upon a couple of choices. Not in the mood for Westword, you start reading the latest issue of Latin Life Denver magazine. No big deal, right? Now what if the magazine were called White Life Denver? Whoa! Would you pick it up and read it? Or would you have second thoughts, afraid of what you might find inside (or what others might think if they saw you reading it)? Why is it that White as an ethnic reference calls to mind a hate group whereas it's culturally acceptable to use just about any other ethnic reference with a positive connotation?   When it comes to donuts, they certainly are manifest in a variety of cultural incarnations (as evidenced by this photo of a couple of colleagues enjoying some Zeppole in Seattle this week), fortunately, none of them have negative connota

Dear Members and Constituents, Disney's recent acquisition of Lucasfilms makes me wonder what synergistic new titles might be in our future. With the Star Wars sequel trilogy going into high gear in 2015 and a movie every two years thereafter, the possibilities seem limitless -and that's not counting Indiana Jones. Aside from the obvious Episode Seven: The steamboat Jedi , this morning I thought I'd suggest a few ideas for the new studio overlords. The beauty and the beast. A documentary outlining the relationship between princess Padme and Anakin Skywalker. Jar-Jar's Jawas. A made-for-the-Disney Channel sitcom, featuring George Lucas' most irritating creations. Christopher Robin and the Raiders of the Lost Honeypot. Yoda and Kermit sing the blues. Featuring a mix of beloved songs like It's not easy being green and fresh new hits like the new rap single There is no try (the do or do not song) Indiana Jones and the zombie apocalypse. Indiana Jones. Zo