by Mark Smiley | Dec 22, 2014 | Feature Story Bottom Left
Confessions Of A Serial Dater
Sheik Of Cherry Creek Greg Hollenback
Well it’s that time of year, New Year resolutions are in full swing. People everywhere, single or otherwise will vow to eliminate, add, refine, start or quit something in their lives in hopes of being a better person moving forward. Okay, now think back to the resolution you made last year. What’s that? You don’t even remember what your resolution was, do you? If any of what I just wrote resonated with you, fear not, I am going to give you a new approach this year that will not only help your overall quality of life but it will also improve your viability as a single dater.
Now open your mind and wrap it around what I’m about to tell you. Think about your relationships with people in your family, think about the people you associate with, think about your job, and think about your daily surroundings, i.e., where and how you live. I bring up these external variables in your life for a reason. More often than not when people are looking to make changes in their lives the first place they start is with themselves rather than looking at their surroundings. Don’t get me wrong, trying to improve yourself by eating better, exercising, or kicking a bad habit is never a bad thing but let’s face it, you and I both know you should constantly be working to better your mind and body. It shouldn’t take a New Year to motivate you to be a better you — try this instead.
This year I want you to take a look around you and I want you to make tough decisions regarding who and what should belong in your life. I want you to keep the following list in mind when you are thinking of potential “resolutions” that will improve your life.
Your Family: This year I resolve to improve my family. People always say that their family is the most important aspect in their lives yet their relationships are in shambles. Think about it… how are you supposed to have a healthy, productive, intimate relationship with a significant other if you can’t even get along with the people you are closest with. I want you to look at individual relationships with the people that are closest to you and figure out if those relationships are productive in your life.
I’m not telling you to do whatever it takes to have a relationship with someone in your family at all cost. In fact quite the contrary, what I am asking you to do is figure out what is wrong with any one relationship and then make a choice on whether that tie to them is fulfilling the requirements needed to be productive and healthy in your life. If you decide knowing that person (mom, dad, sister, brother, whoever) is not adding to your life eliminate them, I don’t care if they are family or not. It is very important to your overall mental and physical health to have the close relationships right.
Your Friends: This year I resolve to eliminate the friends in my life who add nothing to my world. Everyone knows their friends and the effect they have on you. Most friends serve a specific purpose. You have your party friends who you raise hell and get hammered with, they linger in your life from the time when you had nothing better to do than party every night. You have your childhood friends who are held close to your vest no matter what, mostly for reasons of nostalgia. You have your loser friends who every time you hear from them there is a problem. You know these friends, they are high drama, their life is usually in shambles and every time you’re around them there is a crisis and their drama is off the charts.
Of course there are many other types of friends in your life and even some that add to you. That’s the point, just like your relationships with your family you need to address your friends and figure out who is enhancing your life in a positive way and get rid of all others. The people you choose to have around you are a huge variable when it comes to your progress in your life and opportunities they can bestow upon you. If you hang with losers there is a good chance you are one.
Your Surroundings: This year I resolve to tighten up my surroundings. No matter what is happening in my life I always feel better when where I live is in order. Having chaos in your home translates into all aspects of your life. Get your household in order and do the things necessary to ensure you’re comfortable in your downtime. Let’s face it, there are very few things in life that you have complete control over but the environment that you choose to create around you is all you. You are in charge of how you live and how you choose to live there within. Keep things tidy and fresh around your home and you just might find it easier to deal with the rest of this upside down world.
I was told by someone once that whoever you spend New Year’s Eve with will be in your life the rest of the year and I’ve found this to be accurate. With that said, maybe this year you can resolve to simply be around quality people who add to your life. Get rid of the energy leeches in your life and raise your standards and watch your dating viability increase. If you want to find someone great to be with this year start by doing these few things and remember water finds its own level and people do too.
The Modern Dater date club is filling up and the first group of dating excursions hosted by me is going to start happening this month. If you have any interest in how you can be a part of this exclusive dating club just drop me a line at themoderndat er@gmail.com.
Happy New Year!
Your Pal, Sheik
by Mark Smiley | Dec 22, 2014 | Feature Story Middle Left
by Brian Zabroski
I joined an interesting conversation over the holidays. Grandpa App was at his favorite watering hole talking about his new iPhone. The others in the conversation had upgraded their phones to smartphones recently. There were the pictures of grandkids, jokes about typing errors and dropped calls. They generally were enjoying their new found technology, with one exception — they didn’t have a clue what they’re doing! The group is in their 60s. They are smart and personable.
I only added one topic to the conversation. When they didn’t understand how to perform a task at their jobs, what did they do? They asked for help. Listen, Toddler App (now four) can move through a mobile device with ease. I don’t expect Grandpa App, who has never owned a computer or anything technical short of a television remote, to “get it.”
I suggested they all meet at the Apple Store with a cup of Dunkins and participate in a free training. Learn and use. Candidly, I really enjoy having a better communication tool with my Dad than anything else he has used in the past. We talk, text and see each other nearly every day. I just don’t want he nor his watering hole buddies to get discouraged with the technology and stop using it.
If you’re new to technology, take a class. Most of these classes are free. Check out: https://www.apple.com/retail/learn/ or Best Buy for Android users: http://goo.gl/ LsOZsL.
This conversation really raised an eyebrow. How many times do we purchase technology with the mindset of using all of the features, but only use a few? A Gartner Study stated 42 percent of features in software (i.e. CRM) are not deployed. Think about that for a moment. You pay 100 percent of the price, but only use 58 percent of the product you buy. There are a few tools that measure the usage and adoption of technology and software: GoodData, Birst, iDashboards and QlikView. They are not free, but will give you an idea of how to improve your technology adoption rates.
The same is true for your house. Are you using all of your television and cable provider’s features? Your phone’s features? I get it. We will not be at 100 percent of utilization, but there are so many neat things we’re missing. Use this time of year to reinvest in your existing investments:
- Download your TV and other technology manuals
- Review your remote control features
- Freshen up on your cable provider’s offerings
- Renegotiate your provider’s contracts
- Clean your technology
- Donate what you’re not using
From cookies to crunches, it’s that time of year that we decide, “This is the year I’m going to be in shape instead of a shape!” For all of ambitious folks, here are a few ideas: Runtastic Six Pack Abs, what a pipe dream, but check it out | Johnson & Johnson Official 7 Minute Workout, isn’t this the same thing that the Harlan Williams character promoted in There’s Something About Mary? | JEFIT, lots of workout ideas | Argus, activity tracker | Fitocracy, an exercise routine, which can be posted to social media. Not sure why anyone would ever want to post to Facebook, “Completed 3 pullups,” but then again it’ll be better than most of the junk posts I see on Facebook.
A few thoughts about technology for 2015:
- Mobile apps are becoming the norm for nearly any business. Consumers want to consume info via an application. If your business is not planning to build an app then you have a concern. Your competitors are building apps. The means to build an app are easier today than ever. Check out biznessapps.com, which charges a nominal monthly fee to build and manage an app.
- Push notifications and push marketing via mobile devices will become more commonplace. This is the very reason you’ll want your business to build an app. This provides another touch point to connect with your customers and potential customers.
- Mobile site creation for your business will become an important strategy. Are you positioned to handle mobile traffic? Is your website optimized for mobility? Between the ages of 18 to 29, 45 percent of those within this category use their mobile device for Internet searches. Your business website needs to be optimized to handle this traffic.
Being able to handle mobile traffic to your business, as well as to create traffic via mobile technology is yesterday’s news. Redesigning your website should begin with mobility in mind. Consumers expect to consume information via their handheld device. This is your challenge for 2015. Ready for it? We, the consumer, are!
Happy New Year!
Do you have a favorite app you’d like to share? Contact Brian at brian@brianzabro ski.com, on Twitter @BrianZab or LinkedIn at www.linkedin.com/in/brianzab.
Brian, a Corporate Account Executive with NetSuite, has spent nearly 20 years in the telecommunications and software industry. Businesses use NetSuite software to run and manage all of their business applications. It’s web-based, so businesses can access their information from anywhere; It’s flexible, which allows the software to be customized for their business; and, it is built on a single platform, which businesses appreciate since they can often eliminate multiple software solutions. Trending companies, such as Box, GoPro, FitBit and Dropbox use this software to run their business. Reach out to Brian to learn how your business can benefit with this software.
by Mark Smiley | Dec 22, 2014 | Valley Gadfly
Giddy-up: The New Year is here! Like a command — as to a horse — it’s time to go ahead and get-ahead, only much faster. For the most part those rodeo cowboys and gals and their National Western followers ride into town to horse around. However, you should ride the range the way our frontier ancestors did, tall in the saddle.
Like those cowboys of yesteryear you shouldn’t just head your steed out but also up! Be warned you’ll have to rabbit hop around prickly plants and scrubby hillsides.
Here are our rockin’ to and fro choices for shopping, dining and entertainment to stay straight in the stirrups and start the New Year right by making a solid hoofprint:
3 Enjoy giddy-up glamour in our cowtown for a day as Texas Longhorns are herded from Union Station down 17th St. Jan. 9. It’s the stock show parade of horses and marching bands. Information: 303-297-1166.
3 If you’re dreaming of water and summer, attend the 30th Denver Boat Show at the Convention Center, Jan. 9-11. Information: 303-859-1284.
3 Attention cowboys: It’s not just horses that need shoeing, so do you! The best cowboy and work boots in the Valley are at Dardano’s on S. Colorado Blvd. Plus they know good hoof care. Information: 303-692-9355.
3 Rope the best cowboy art in town during the Denver Roundup Exhibition at Saks Galleries in Cherry Creek, Jan. 10-25. Information: 303-333-4144.
3 Enjoy the action of rodeos, livestock and horse shows by attending the National Western’s 16-day run, Jan. 10-25. Information: 303-297-1166.
3 Hungry? Don’t feed on the lowly Jimson weed! Get back in the saddle and ride to Shells & Sauce for top Italian grub. Information: 303-377-2091.
3 Warm up to the New Year during the Denver Winter Brew Fest fundraiser at Mile High Station, Jan. 23-24, 6 p.m. Information: 720-946-7721.
3 Get your kicks in to knock out cancer at the CU Hospital gala at the Hyatt Regency Convention Center, Jan. 24. Information: 720-848-7722.
3 It’s the time of year you start itching to see the first blooms of spring. Escape the cold and be transported to a floral wonderland during Denver Botanic Gardens’ Orchid Showcase, Jan. 9-Feb. 23. See hundreds of orchid blooms spread among the fragrant collection in the Orangery & Marnie Pavilion, 9 a.m.-5 p.m. It will quench your thirst for bursts of spring and chase away the winter blues. Information: 720-865-3680.
For Valley residents our cowtown history is a local asset that keeps getting better with age. For out-of-town visitors here for this month’s Stock Show this old cowboy town is now something else all together. Skyscrapers are replacing pastoral structures that epitomized the old West. Does it make you wish Denver could go back in time?
Instead, modern cowpokes are experiencing the dramatic clash of yesteryear’s cattle country ideals with the financial sway of today’s big city municipal forces.
With the National Western in town you’ll be seeing stuff ‘bout boots ’n’ spurs. But being a cowboy isn’t about wearing fancy hats or riding a horse on weekends. Still, if you’re feeling down, saddle up. Just don’t go where the path may lead. Go instead where there is no path and leave a trail. Whoopi-ty-aye-yay and Happy New Year!
The Valley Gadfly can be reached at newspaper@glendalecherrycreek.com.
by Mark Smiley | Dec 22, 2014 | Blasting with Boyles
I could almost hear Brenda Lee’s voice belting out “I’m Sorry” when Governor John Hickenlooper addressed a group of Native Americans on the steps of the State Capitol in November.
On behalf of everyone reading this and those of you who are not, John Hickenlooper apologized for you to native people for the massacre that occurred on November 29, 1864, in a place on the eastern plains that’s now known as Sand Creek.
He told the representatives of the Cheyenne people and Arapaho people that not only was he sorry, but he was in fact very, very, very sorry. For good measure he also apologized to a Navajo guy according to The Denver Post and about 20 other American Indian students as well as some kid who inadvertently happened to be walking down toward the City and County Building. Hickenlooper, helpfully, added that this is a healing process for everyone. OK fine.
I think it’s only fair that I make a list of people I want to apologize to and things I want apologies for.
Let’s begin with my apologies to the citizens of Hiroshima and Nagasaki. As they in turn apologize to the citizens of Nanking who then apologize to the people in Tibet who are also apologized to by any of your sub-continent Indians who are apologized to by any member of the British royal family or who are apologized to by our gallant allies the Pakistanis who then must apologize to the Bangladeshis who are then apologized to by the Persians (what you call your modern day Iranian) who then apologize to the Shah of Iran who should apologize to his father who he helped overthrow because the old man was getting into bed with the Nazis. Of course the Nazis should apologize to everybody.
On the other hand the CIA should apologize to the people of Iran for overthrowing a clean election and reinstalling the Shah. And while we’re at it the British should apologize to the following people; the Irish, the Scottish, the French, the Welsh, the Cornish, any number of people who came to this country and had to kick their ass out.
And lest we forget the Hong Kong Chinese, the entire Mandarin class of mainland China (for introducing them to that fun loving drug opium), any number of tea merchants who they also had terminated and while we’re at it I believe the Japanese owe a universal apology to the citizens of Nanking and the entire peninsula of Korea and North Koreans to South Koreans. Which leads us to any number of Manchurians who have been had by Russians, Japanese, Mongols and Mandarin Han Chinese.
How about those French apologizing to Huguenots, any numbers of people who lived in Italy and hey, how about that Napoleon. Shot the nose off the sphinx, a couple of apologies to the Egyptian people.
The Italians should apologize to the Ethiopians and what about Hannibal? Somebody owes him big time.
And while we’re at it how ’bout those Romanovs? Yeah, they sure got theirs. Who apologizes to the Romanovs? Do you expect Putin to apologize to Nicholas and Alexandra? And the family. Can you see where this is headed?
This column could grow greater than the size of this entire newspaper. However, in the politically correct environment that Hickenlooper apologizes in, the only people who need to apologize are Anglo men. Everybody else is a victim. But when you really think about Hutus and Tutsis, when you think about Cortez and the Aztecs, when you think about Pizarro and the Incas or anyone historically who dared fight Zulus in sub-Saharan Africa, shazam, their fish was fried.
Now I realize there’s a lot of really great historians who read this. Those of you get the point of the column. Those of you who are offended by the column do a little bit of reading and I apologize to you.
I’m still waiting for an apology from Bob Beauprez for running such a horrible campaign.
So please send an email to newspaper@glendalecherrycreek.com telling me who you would like an apology from, and I will print them.
by Mark Smiley | Nov 26, 2014 | Featured Stories & Advertisers
