Good morning and happy, happy Friday, folks. I genuinely thought today might never come. It’s the kind of week where I just realized that I’m actually wearing the same shirt as yesterday (and I’m no Steve Jobs). For the rest of you that actually know how to dress yourselves in the morning, we’ve got a bunch of news and a fun announcement!
Have you ever thought “What should I do/watch/listen to/eat/drink/experience around Denver this weekend?” a) Of course you have and b) now you’ve got a place to get all of that info at once in The Know, the Denver Post’s new entertainment site. Read the introduction to the site to get an idea of what we’re shooting for and meet the editors or — even better — check out the site yourself and see how fast you can find something to do (with or without the family), or somewhere to eat or a new band to watch.
OK, let’s get busy.
The Rundown
+ Today’s Weather: I mean, this heat is a joke, right?
+ Today’s Editorial: “Don’t be hoodwinked by the Raise the Bar campaign”
+ Today’s Very Important Correction/Clarification: Yesterday, I very incorrectly flagged this racist mascot piece as an “editorial” when it is, in fact, a letter to the editor. Editorials are written by our Editorial Board and letters are, obviously, written by the public.
+ The Very Last Opinion Poll Ever: “Why we’re retiring The Denver Post’s opinion polls”
Football as education, eight men at a time
“For many of our players, this is the first time in their life that they’re held accountable for anything at all, and that’s hard when you’re a 17-year-old and you’ve never had to answer to anybody.”
Justice High School coach Nels Thoreson
Our new preps sports writer Kyle Newman takes a deep look at a small school in Lafayette that is the last refuge for students at the highest risk of dropping out of school and the football team that helps bring students back from the brink.
“Hello, this is the IRS.”
You’ve probably gotten one of these calls. Someone with an South Asian accent calls and says you woe a shocking amount of back taxes and proceeds to threaten you with penalties and all manner of scary consequences. There may be fewer of them now, after federal agents arrested 20 people in eight states for their alleged involvement in a $250 million fraud scheme using call centers in India that convinced thousands of people to pay taxes they never owed.
Politics from the pulpit?
A church can lose its tax-exempt status if it promotes individual candidates, but churches, synagogues and mosques around the Colorado are doing what they can to assuage fears and have frank conversations about 2016’s political climate.
Adios, Vine, you were too beautiful for this world
Twitter, the service, is a massive part of the culture of celebrity, journalism and a dedicated group of users. Twitter, the business, is a many-time loser that can’t seem to catch a break. And as such, they’ve had to make cuts (including some Boulder jobs). The biggest so far is the announcement that Vine, its six-second loop service, will “disappear” in coming months.
If you aren’t familiar with Vine, it has the rhythm of a great animated gif, but created in the real world + sound. It was a wholly unique form of expression that users turned into some serious works of art, news and humor (some found, some created). It’s the saddest part about creating things for the internet: It only takes one business decision to lock away a whole brief generation of expression (h/t Dan Schneider for that link).
+ This is the best Vine of all time, followed closely by the viral “Duck Army,” this incredible stop motion, a blissed-out Simpsons remix and this one of my dog stealing a milkshake. RIP, Vine.
By The Numbers
16 years
That’s the sentence handed down to former Rocky Ford police officer James Ashby for the killing of Jack Jacquez while the officer was on duty. Jesse Paul has the gut-wrenching story, including reaction for Jacquez’s family.
Ridiculously good deal: Get the gorgeous Denver Post digital replica edition, support local journalism (and get a year of the digital Washington Post) for $1 per week. There is literally no better deal on the internet.
Quick Hits
+ Somehow a bunch of armed people took over a federal wildlife center on public property and were found not guilty of conspiracy in federal court.
+ Meanwhile, American Indian protesters seeking to block an oil pipeline in North Dakota were cleared out en masse by heavily armed state police.
+ An Aurora woman says that police shot and killed her dog unnecessarily, but police say the 60-pound dog attacked a woman before they took action.
+ Just a few short minutes ago, Japanese high-quality bargain brand Uniqlo opened their first store in Colorado a few blocks away and I’m itching to go buy a new coat.
+ A prosecutor’s decision to clear JonBenet Ramsey’s family from all suspicion in her death might not hold water, according to a Daily Camera and 9News investigation.
+ The Denver City Council voted in a 29 percent budget for their own offices, which must be nice.
+ Life Lesson: Don’t steal from a beloved Bronco, because your boss (and the pawn shop employee you tried to sell something to) are probably Broncos fans and will turn you in so fast your head will spin.
+ Two telecom giants in Colorado could merge sooner than later.
+ I’m very excited for the Denver Film Festival this year, and you should be too.
+ Sorry, storm troopers, Denver Comic Con will no longer allow any kind of toy/replica firearm starting next year.
+ If I say “marijuana” who is the first person you think of? Yes, of course, I’m talking about the Redheaded Stranger himself, Willie Nelson, who sat down with our own Ricardo Baca for a long conversation about his history with pot.
+ This is the Broncos vs. Patriots, Lakers vs. Celtics, and Yankees vs. Red Sox of high school cross country duels.
+ Jason Blevins described this book as a “history-rich sufferfest in the world’s deepest ditch” which is more than enough for me to check it out.
+ The undefeated Denver Nuggets play their first game of the season at home tomorrow and they’re hoping for a slightly better outcome than last year.
+ No matter how the Nuggets play, The Know has you covered on where to eat and drink before and after the game (or during if it’s really bad).
What We’re Reading
+ The Guardian discovered Colorado’s dirty little secret: the squirrel-rescuing swingers lodge in Littleton (that we’ve written about a few times).
+ “Male runners may be shocked to learn how often women must endure on-the-run harassment. Many female runners have come to just expect it — and that should upset us all.”
+ This is a hard, but necessary read from Diana Moskovitz: “Zero Tolerance for Domestic Violence in the NFL Will Only Make It Worse.”
+ If you’ve been paying attention to the Standing Rock Sioux protest against the Dakota Access Pipeline, you might be shocked to hear the real legal case that the tribe has against Dakota Access, including the company’s direct violation of a court-ordered injunction that potentially destroyed a just-discovered archaeological site.
+ As many of you head into the weekend to see a movie (check out our reviews for guidance) come delight in a beautiful ode to “the Worst Movie Theater Ever.”
+ This is a lot of work to make a dog very happy and confused.
Song of the Day
Song: “Oblivion“
Artist: Grimes
Sounds like: A thumping, cloudy dance track to get your Friday grinding, with a great video that includes motocross and Canadian football.
Head over to our Spotify playlist, or, if you don’t have a Spotify account, we made you your own special page where you non-Spotify people can listen to the playlist.
Hat Tips & Corrections
Reader (and economics majojr) Mark Evans pointed out that the article I linked to about monopsony, while being a pretty decent summary of labor power vs. corporate power, is using a pretty fast and loose definition of term. Mark summed it up pretty tidily: “Monopoly = only one company sells something. Monopsony = only one company buys something. Wal-Mart, AT&T et al. as buyers of employment services offered by people are NOT monopsonists. That is, unless they are truly the only employer in town.” If you want to go even deeper, this is a great little essay that includes some good examples of literal monopsonies. Thanks Mark!
Remember, if you see something that doesn’t look right or just have a comment, thought or suggestion, email me at elubbers@denverpost.com or yell at me on Twitter.
