Time watches from the shadow
And coughs when you would kiss…
It was late, late in the evening,
The lovers they were gone;
The clocks had ceased their chiming
And the deep river ran on.
W.H. Auden
While there is still time, anyone join me for this Monday?
Monday, March 03, 2008 07:30 PMJim Wallis, will be promoting Great Awakening, TheAppears on/at: TATTERED COVER BOOK STORE1628 16th St. Denver, CO 80202
IDEA Cafe this afternoon at 2 p.m.
Friday, February 29, 2008
Thursday, February 28, 2008
Yesterday morning I heard Mike Rosen, semi-conservative Denver talk radio host, announce that my hero William F. Buckley had died. Buckley's obituary is in today’s New York Times.
The day before I’d joined the Coalition for a Conservative Majority as a Democrat. Could it be that’s what killed Buckley? Wish I could pick up the phone and call him, as was possible just day before yesterday. First person I remember regreting not making the effort to meet before death was John Steinbeck; the anniversary of his birthday was yesterday.
Steinbeck's Travels with Charley was one of the first what I considered serious books I ever read, I can still remember reading it by the pool at the Disneyland Hotel on a trip with my family. Somewhere Steinbeck said, "A book is like a man — clever and dull, brave and cowardly, beautiful and ugly. For every flowering thought there will be a page like a wet and mangy mongrel, and for every looping flight a tap on the wing and a reminder that wax cannot hold the feathers firm too near the sun." This was certainly true of WFB. We will miss you, Bill.
Today is the birthday of the great essayist Michel de Montaigne born in Périgueux, France (1533). His father was a wealthy landowner and a devout Catholic, with innovative ideas about child rearing. He sent the infant Michel off to live with peasant parents, so that he would learn to love the lower classes. Then, when Michel was a toddler, his father required everyone in the household to speak Latin rather than French, so that Latin would be his first language.
Michel went off to college and became a lawyer. His father died when Michel was 38 years old, and so he retired to the family estate and took over managing the property. More than anything, he loved to write letters, but after a few years in retirement, his best friend died and he suddenly had no one to write to. So he started writing letters to an imaginary reader, and those letters became an entirely new literary genre: the essay. From The Writer’s Almanac
Join us?
I’m in the process of forming the Alpha Group Franklin Circle, eventually it will be comprised of leaders of leaders. Eventually. There is more information about Franklin Circles on my website, click on the upper left of this page to go there. If you’d like an invitation to attend an information session about the Alpha Group, please let me know via email or see me at one of the free meetings I’ll be facilitating this week:
Tonight (Thursday, Feb 28) Socrates Café, 7 p.m., Trinity Church at 19th & Broadway here in Denver. Free & open to all who enjoy good discussion. More info and RSVP at http://socratescafe.meetup.com/82
Tomorrow (Friday, Feb 29) IDEA Café, 2 p.m., Panera Bread at 13th & Grant here in Denver. Free and open to all who are starting a new project, career, campaign, or new business, we just ask that you bring your brain for the brainstorming. RSVP at http://ideacafe.meetup.com/1
Next week, additional sessions of the above meetings, plus Friday (Mar 7), the Denver Grassroots Rally, 4 p.m. Panera Bread, 13th & Grant here in Denver. State and County political leaders are being invited to discuss the recent Denver Post editorial suggesting that Denver should become a presidential primary state (see my post about this below). We will also decide if the meeting should become weekly, and if it should be moved to Civic Center Park and the name changed to Denver’s Speaker’s Corner. Those who RSVP will be invited to speak first, after the invited political leaders. More information at http://cocacop.meetup.com/2
"If you organize chaos, you organize as much as you can to show that it's chaos. It's the way I do it. To pretend it's not chaotic is a lie." Irwin Shaw
The day before I’d joined the Coalition for a Conservative Majority as a Democrat. Could it be that’s what killed Buckley? Wish I could pick up the phone and call him, as was possible just day before yesterday. First person I remember regreting not making the effort to meet before death was John Steinbeck; the anniversary of his birthday was yesterday.
Steinbeck's Travels with Charley was one of the first what I considered serious books I ever read, I can still remember reading it by the pool at the Disneyland Hotel on a trip with my family. Somewhere Steinbeck said, "A book is like a man — clever and dull, brave and cowardly, beautiful and ugly. For every flowering thought there will be a page like a wet and mangy mongrel, and for every looping flight a tap on the wing and a reminder that wax cannot hold the feathers firm too near the sun." This was certainly true of WFB. We will miss you, Bill.
Today is the birthday of the great essayist Michel de Montaigne born in Périgueux, France (1533). His father was a wealthy landowner and a devout Catholic, with innovative ideas about child rearing. He sent the infant Michel off to live with peasant parents, so that he would learn to love the lower classes. Then, when Michel was a toddler, his father required everyone in the household to speak Latin rather than French, so that Latin would be his first language.
Michel went off to college and became a lawyer. His father died when Michel was 38 years old, and so he retired to the family estate and took over managing the property. More than anything, he loved to write letters, but after a few years in retirement, his best friend died and he suddenly had no one to write to. So he started writing letters to an imaginary reader, and those letters became an entirely new literary genre: the essay. From The Writer’s Almanac
Join us?
I’m in the process of forming the Alpha Group Franklin Circle, eventually it will be comprised of leaders of leaders. Eventually. There is more information about Franklin Circles on my website, click on the upper left of this page to go there. If you’d like an invitation to attend an information session about the Alpha Group, please let me know via email or see me at one of the free meetings I’ll be facilitating this week:
Tonight (Thursday, Feb 28) Socrates Café, 7 p.m., Trinity Church at 19th & Broadway here in Denver. Free & open to all who enjoy good discussion. More info and RSVP at http://socratescafe.meetup.com/82
Tomorrow (Friday, Feb 29) IDEA Café, 2 p.m., Panera Bread at 13th & Grant here in Denver. Free and open to all who are starting a new project, career, campaign, or new business, we just ask that you bring your brain for the brainstorming. RSVP at http://ideacafe.meetup.com/1
Next week, additional sessions of the above meetings, plus Friday (Mar 7), the Denver Grassroots Rally, 4 p.m. Panera Bread, 13th & Grant here in Denver. State and County political leaders are being invited to discuss the recent Denver Post editorial suggesting that Denver should become a presidential primary state (see my post about this below). We will also decide if the meeting should become weekly, and if it should be moved to Civic Center Park and the name changed to Denver’s Speaker’s Corner. Those who RSVP will be invited to speak first, after the invited political leaders. More information at http://cocacop.meetup.com/2
"If you organize chaos, you organize as much as you can to show that it's chaos. It's the way I do it. To pretend it's not chaotic is a lie." Irwin Shaw
Monday, February 25, 2008
This morning the Denver Post called for the creation of a Colorado presidential primary, which would kill our neighborhood caucuses.
I posted this response online:
The caucus-killers are coming!
In 2002 powerful forces tried to kill the Colorado Caucus with Amendment 29.
Here they come again!
The caucus-system is the last, best hope for the voice of the average person. The caucus system gives common people a strong voice in our system of representative government, and local government is better because of it as new leaders are developed. Every two years we get a chance for a state-wide civics lesson.
Don't let the major media spend your tax money to create a system that requires massive advertising dollars! The caucus is grassroots, so candidates spend their money developing local community support, good for the neighborhoods, bad for big media.
If you are concerned, join us for the next Denver Grassroots Rally the first Friday in March. More info and optional RSVP at http://cocacop.meetup.com/2
(RSVP "NO" if you can't make this meeting, and you'll be sent an invitation to future meetings-- this spring we expect to move outdoors and become a Speakers Corner, similar to what London has had in one of their parks for years.)
I posted this response online:
The caucus-killers are coming!
In 2002 powerful forces tried to kill the Colorado Caucus with Amendment 29.
Here they come again!
The caucus-system is the last, best hope for the voice of the average person. The caucus system gives common people a strong voice in our system of representative government, and local government is better because of it as new leaders are developed. Every two years we get a chance for a state-wide civics lesson.
Don't let the major media spend your tax money to create a system that requires massive advertising dollars! The caucus is grassroots, so candidates spend their money developing local community support, good for the neighborhoods, bad for big media.
If you are concerned, join us for the next Denver Grassroots Rally the first Friday in March. More info and optional RSVP at http://cocacop.meetup.com/2
(RSVP "NO" if you can't make this meeting, and you'll be sent an invitation to future meetings-- this spring we expect to move outdoors and become a Speakers Corner, similar to what London has had in one of their parks for years.)
Sunday, February 10, 2008
Paul Campos’s article critical of the Colorado Caucus was in The New Republic this morning. http://www.tnr.com/talkback.html?id=390f626d-01d1-4026-bf11-1d21ca4a46f0
I posted this in response:
Campos is either a naive fool or a liar when it comes to the Colorado Caucus. Would a sports editor cover a football game this way, sending someone who doesn't understand the game, or who is a liar, someone posing as unknowledgeable but who hates football?
By way of full disclosure, how did Campos vote on Amendment 29 in 2002 which would have killed the caucus? Does he have a relationship with Rutt Bridges or the Bell Institute which has declared open war on the system?
Our papers here in Colorado are being flooded with positive comments about what happened last Tuesday. Use Google News, search for "Colorado Caucus", and read them yourselves.
Campos comes from the home of Ward Churchill, the University of Colorado. Anyone here in Colorado will see the extreme bias in this article of his. It does great harm, and Campos should be criticized for it.
Fred Brown points out that the national media ignored our Colorado Caucus this year.
http://www.denverpost.com/opinion/ci_8201000
Why little national attention? Because of our own local media’s bias against the caucus-assembly system. Here’s my reponse to Brown's column:
Our local media virtually ignored the Colorado Caucus, why should the national media cover it if we don't care?
Financial pressure is clearly ruining the ability of our two daily newspapers to give Denver citizens the information they need to be good citizens. They now see themselves as being in the entertainment business rather than in the news and information business. I urge the Colorado Press Association to criticize the Denver Post and the Rocky Mountain News at their upcoming convention.
I posted this in response:
Campos is either a naive fool or a liar when it comes to the Colorado Caucus. Would a sports editor cover a football game this way, sending someone who doesn't understand the game, or who is a liar, someone posing as unknowledgeable but who hates football?
By way of full disclosure, how did Campos vote on Amendment 29 in 2002 which would have killed the caucus? Does he have a relationship with Rutt Bridges or the Bell Institute which has declared open war on the system?
Our papers here in Colorado are being flooded with positive comments about what happened last Tuesday. Use Google News, search for "Colorado Caucus", and read them yourselves.
Campos comes from the home of Ward Churchill, the University of Colorado. Anyone here in Colorado will see the extreme bias in this article of his. It does great harm, and Campos should be criticized for it.
Fred Brown points out that the national media ignored our Colorado Caucus this year.
http://www.denverpost.com/opinion/ci_8201000
Why little national attention? Because of our own local media’s bias against the caucus-assembly system. Here’s my reponse to Brown's column:
Our local media virtually ignored the Colorado Caucus, why should the national media cover it if we don't care?
Financial pressure is clearly ruining the ability of our two daily newspapers to give Denver citizens the information they need to be good citizens. They now see themselves as being in the entertainment business rather than in the news and information business. I urge the Colorado Press Association to criticize the Denver Post and the Rocky Mountain News at their upcoming convention.
Wednesday, February 06, 2008
A few critical voices have complained about some of the negative aspects of last night's Colorado Caucus, our ritual every other year since 1912 when the Teddy Roosevelt progressive reforms brought us our current system. Some even call for the elimination of our caucus-assembly system and a return to our pre-1912 ways.
Thomas Jefferson would have preferred that we not have political parties. But he quickly realized that Alexander Hamilton would win every election unless an opposition party was formed. So the two party system that has served us so well for these 200+ years was born. (Unaffiliated voters and 3rd parties have a valid useful place in our system, but it is the two major parties that almost always produce winning campaigns.)
Some say there is no difference between the two parties. This is a sign of health; they are both competing for the majority of voters. Just as supply and demand create an equilibrium price, when the system is healthy Democrats and Republicans create elected government officials who best represent the true will of the people.
The Colorado Caucus is the full flowering of this representative system, but the flowers have wilted in recent decades because of the declining levels of participation and misguided (or devious) party leaders who have tried to bring the system that has been entrusted to their care to an end.
Powerful forces would like to kill the grassroots in Colorado, and return to the powerful elites to their pre-1912 back rooms.
Our caucus-assembly system for nominating to the primary ballot is not perfect. It takes more time, some just aren’t able to attend for various reasons, etc. But these shortcomings are more than compensated for by the fact that it gives the common person a strong voice in our government, something the direct primary just does not do.
People who got involved for the first time last night can now use the leverage of the party system to come back in future years and use the leverage of their party to get on the primary ballot with a fair chance of becoming their party’s nominee in the general election. Doing this without the caucus system is much more expensive, out of the reach of most people.
So the question is this: Is strengthening the voice of the common person worth it? I say yes it is. And 60% of the people in Colorado agreed in 2002 when the question was on the ballot and everyone got a chance to voice their opinion. Let’s not be misled now by the whining voices of a few slackers and the manipulation of the elite.
Wake up Colorado! Celebrate the victory of last night’s massive turnout. Let this day mark a new dawning, the rebirth of the true grassroots in Colorado.
Thomas Jefferson would have preferred that we not have political parties. But he quickly realized that Alexander Hamilton would win every election unless an opposition party was formed. So the two party system that has served us so well for these 200+ years was born. (Unaffiliated voters and 3rd parties have a valid useful place in our system, but it is the two major parties that almost always produce winning campaigns.)
Some say there is no difference between the two parties. This is a sign of health; they are both competing for the majority of voters. Just as supply and demand create an equilibrium price, when the system is healthy Democrats and Republicans create elected government officials who best represent the true will of the people.
The Colorado Caucus is the full flowering of this representative system, but the flowers have wilted in recent decades because of the declining levels of participation and misguided (or devious) party leaders who have tried to bring the system that has been entrusted to their care to an end.
Powerful forces would like to kill the grassroots in Colorado, and return to the powerful elites to their pre-1912 back rooms.
Our caucus-assembly system for nominating to the primary ballot is not perfect. It takes more time, some just aren’t able to attend for various reasons, etc. But these shortcomings are more than compensated for by the fact that it gives the common person a strong voice in our government, something the direct primary just does not do.
People who got involved for the first time last night can now use the leverage of the party system to come back in future years and use the leverage of their party to get on the primary ballot with a fair chance of becoming their party’s nominee in the general election. Doing this without the caucus system is much more expensive, out of the reach of most people.
So the question is this: Is strengthening the voice of the common person worth it? I say yes it is. And 60% of the people in Colorado agreed in 2002 when the question was on the ballot and everyone got a chance to voice their opinion. Let’s not be misled now by the whining voices of a few slackers and the manipulation of the elite.
Wake up Colorado! Celebrate the victory of last night’s massive turnout. Let this day mark a new dawning, the rebirth of the true grassroots in Colorado.
Tuesday, February 05, 2008
The new Inc. Magazine has an article that praises our Denver Mayor John Hickenlooper for his business back ground. This is the comment that I just posted:
Denver`s teflon-Mayor J.Hic had some great marketing advice that has given him high approval ratings and a unopposed reelection. But I don`t know any knowledgable person here in Denver outside his immediate circle of true believers who thinks he is doing a good job. http://www.denverpost.com/search/ci_5552132
I expect dissatisfaction with the poor job being done to grow between now and the Democratic National Convention here in Denver next August.
Denver`s teflon-Mayor J.Hic had some great marketing advice that has given him high approval ratings and a unopposed reelection. But I don`t know any knowledgable person here in Denver outside his immediate circle of true believers who thinks he is doing a good job. http://www.denverpost.com/search/ci_5552132
I expect dissatisfaction with the poor job being done to grow between now and the Democratic National Convention here in Denver next August.
Monday, February 04, 2008
Here I am on Ch 9 TV Sunday about the Colorado Caucus:
http://www.9news.com/video/player.aspx?aid=47845&sid=85710&bw=hi&cat=139
http://www.9news.com/video/player.aspx?aid=47845&sid=85710&bw=hi&cat=139
Sunday, February 03, 2008
1. Determine that the State has you registered as a Republican or a
Democrat. Go to:
http://www.sos.state.co.us/Voter/voterHome.do
Note on the information your precinct number (the last three digits are your
local precinct).
2. Find you caucus location:
Democrats : Go to: http://coloradodems.org/content/view/616 and page down
to find your county; and locate your precinct/caucus location
Republicans: Go to http://www.cologop.org/pages/precinctinfo.cfm and type in
your precinct number; and locate the precinct/caucus location by county.
Democrat. Go to:
http://www.sos.state.co.us/Voter/voterHome.do
Note on the information your precinct number (the last three digits are your
local precinct).
2. Find you caucus location:
Democrats : Go to: http://coloradodems.org/content/view/616 and page down
to find your county; and locate your precinct/caucus location
Republicans: Go to http://www.cologop.org/pages/precinctinfo.cfm and type in
your precinct number; and locate the precinct/caucus location by county.
Good articles about the Colorado Caucus are suddenly flooding us in Colorado newspapers, from the Greeley Tribune to the Canon City Daily Record. The Colorado GOP website has added info about it, and the Colorado Dems website has done a great job. Google Colorado Caucus and the name of your city or favorite Presidential candidate for lots more. There’s no shortage of good information, no excuse to not attend this Tuesday (Feb 5). If you care about Colorado, just show up!
Tuesday vote for neighborhood leaders who will take advantage of this surge in participation to strengthen your neighborhood and our wonderful Colorado Caucus system for nominating good candidates to the primary ballot.
See my NEWCOMERS GUIDE TO THE COLORADO CAUCUS below for more information.
Tuesday vote for neighborhood leaders who will take advantage of this surge in participation to strengthen your neighborhood and our wonderful Colorado Caucus system for nominating good candidates to the primary ballot.
See my NEWCOMERS GUIDE TO THE COLORADO CAUCUS below for more information.
Friday, February 01, 2008
Good article on the Colorado Caucus in the Colorado Daily:
http://www.coloradodaily.com/articles/2008/01/31/news/c_u_and_boulder/news2.txt
http://www.coloradodaily.com/articles/2008/01/31/news/c_u_and_boulder/news2.txt
My media release of my NEWCOMERS GUIDE TO THE COLORADO CAUCUS (see below) has resulted in interviews: Tomorrow (Saturday, Feb 2) 7:20 a.m. on KOA Radio, Sunday (Feb 3) on TV News9. This afternoon, Denver Grassroots Rally, http://cocacop.meetup.com/2. We'll decide whether or not to make it a weekly meeting.
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