by Luke Schmaltz | Mar 19, 2021 | Glendale City News
“We cannot change anything until we accept it. Condemnation does not liberate, it oppresses.” – Carl Jung
by Luke Schmaltz
At the onset of 2020, most folks were not familiar with the term social distancing. For all the average citizen knew, it could have meant that your network of friends and associates was so big that it covered vast distances. But, as everyone knows all too well, that’s not what it meant. The result was a pandemic-distressed public that had to quickly train itself to curtail a deep-seated set of automatic social behaviors.
Social Distancing: A little over a year ago, few people knew what this meant. Now, it’s an all too familiar phrase.
Several hallmarks of normal social behavior were pinpointed as instances of human interaction that accelerated the spread of Covid-19. And so, in the spirit of self-preservation, an outgoing society deeply invested in handshakes, hugs and hellos became a sequestered, suspicious, lonely, paranoid populace — resentful of itself for being deprived of itself.
Social distancing restrictions are expected to lift in tandem with the vaccine rollout. There is a pervading hesitancy among many, however, to become relaxed too soon — floating the possibility that another surge in cases could take hold and then the whole mess starts over again. Yet, in the backs of the minds of many, are those blurry, joyous, pre-pandemic memories of exuberant greetings, boisterous gatherings and loving embraces. Lest they be lost to the righteousness of newly-converted germaphobia, a refresher course of America’s beloved social customs is in order.
Handshakes
Handshake: There is some speculation that the Coronavirus may spell the end of handshakes.
This universal gesture of goodwill has been in use for millennia and is evidenced in the archaeological record as far back as 500 BC. The handshake exists as a greeting, in one form or another in most cultures the world over and symbolizes alliance and trust between parties. Historians theorize that it was originally designed to show that neither person was carrying weapons in their right hand, with the shaking motion designed to dislodge any knives or other implements hidden up the sleeve. Today, elaborate variations on the palm-to-palm clasp have been invented as specialized greetings between members of an exclusive group or a codice of a secret affiliation. Regardless, this ice-breaker of a social mannerism is an essential conversation starter in the worlds of business and in leisure alike.
Pro tip: Do not deliberately crush the hand of the person you are greeting, as it eradicates the entire purpose of the gesture. Also, grabbing the offered hand and yanking the person toward you as a show of dominance can guarantee they will not be shaking your hand again anytime soon.
Fist Bumps And High Fives
High Five: The high five is another greeting that may have contracted a permanent case of Coronavirus-itis.
While the former could be a toned-down version of the latter, both are internationally renowned gestures of affinity which originated in America. The fist bump first became popular in the 1970s and is thought to be dually appropriated from an incognito version of the Black Panther power symbol and the catalyzing magic ring touch of the Wonder Twins in the popular Super Friends cartoon. Also, the fist bump is the most benign of the hand-based greetings — used exclusively by the germ-conscious such as TV game show host Howie Mandell. Meanwhile, the high-five can be traced back to professional baseball players in the 1950s. As a celebration of success while the world was watching, it was a much-needed salute for triumph during intense moments when a handshake simply would not suffice.
Pro tip: First bumps are just that, a friendly tap so no matter how excited you are to see someone, do not punch their knuckles. To avoid embarrassing misses on high-five attempts, be sure to focus on your target — the center of your acquaintance’s palm. Otherwise, a spirited swat could turn into a flailing flap.
Hugs
Free Hugs: It is a proven scientific fact that hugs are good for you and free — most of the time.
Hugs in private between family members, especially mother and child, have been around since the dawn of mankind. Yet, the hug did not become a staple of Western public life until American celebrities and leaders co-opted it from their Latin and European counterparts in the mid-to-late 20th Century. The hug was popularized by entertainers like Sammy Davis Jr. and politicians like Jimmy Carter. Until recently, it was ubiquitous in relaxed, informal social situations and was an unspoken essential between family and friends. The expression, “You look like you could use a hug” is a result of this, because it has been found that the human embrace can provide comfort and reassurance in powerful ways where words and facial expressions fall short. In an article recently published by Time.com, researchers at Carnegie Mellon University’s Laboratory for the Study of Stress, Immunity and Disease reported, “ … [hugs] were associated with an uptick in positive mood markers and a reduction in negative ones; the opposite was true of relationship conflict. And on days when both occurred, people tended to report fewer negative feelings and more positive ones than on days when they experienced conflict but no hugs.”
Pro tip: Don’t be a long hugger unless the occasion is one of intense emotion. A momentary embrace will suffice. Also, the side hug where just one shoulder is offered rather than a full embrace is like shaking hands with just your thumb and forefinger. Go all in or don’t go at all.
Verbal Greetings
Screaming: Screaming at one another is a time-honored Western birthright.
Over the last year, folks going about their business in public have been trying to decipher mask-muffled language and the internal moods of their counterparts by just the emotions shown in the eyes. Yet, since talking and yelling (among other mouth-related functions) are the very mechanism through which the disease has been shown to spread, this behavior is under considerable scrutiny. In America, however, the freedoms of self-expression guaranteed by our first Amendment rights are practically ingrained in every citizen’s DNA. It’s only a matter of time before dudes are yelling across lanes of heavy traffic to get the attention of their buddy across the street and tipsy women are shrieking like banshees upon recognizing an old friend in a crowded bar. Spoken language is essential to the human condition and using it at high volumes is a distinct characteristic of Western culture.
Pro tip: For the last year, you’ve been observing the practice of not spitting into the face of the listener when you speak. Try to keep that.
by Luke Schmaltz | Mar 19, 2021 | Main Articles
“This is the power of gathering: it inspires us, delightfully, to be more hopeful, more joyful, more thoughtful … more alive.” – Alice Waters
by Luke Schmaltz
It is with hopeful trepidation that most Denverites look to the summer months. Yet, while the vaccine rollout is having a diminishing effect on the pandemic, it may still be too soon to dig the picnic basket out of the attic. Regardless, Denver offers a dizzying array of festivals, fairs and outdoor events every year. Sadly, as most residents know all too well, most of them had to be skipped in 2020. With any luck, circumstances just might improve to where the simple joy of gathering with friends to enjoy the warm weather, great food and diverse entertainment the Mile High City’s legendary events have to offer.
“Pandemic fatigue” is one of the softer terms folks are using to call what most honest people are describing with more vivid language such as extreme shut-in fever, Covid-19 craziness, or isolation delirium. While reaching herd immunity through vaccination is a process that disrupts nature in a good way, social distancing is fairly unnatural for most, and could be blamed for the all-too ubiquitous modality of depression and malaise among the populace.
Taste Of Colorado
Taste: Taste of Colorado draws hordes of hungry visitors to downtown Denver every year.
Originally dubbed the Festival of Mountain and Plain, this gathering was established in 1895, and revived in 1983 by the Downtown Denver Partnership. Every year, restaurateurs, foodies, chefs, sauciers, pastry cooks and gustatory retail vendors of every stripe gather to market their businesses, showcase their talents and sell their treasures. The event happens every Labor Day weekend and is tentatively scheduled for September 4, 5 and 6, 2021. Britt Diehl, Senior Manager of Public Policy & Special Projects at DPP, explains, “… unfortunately we don’t have anything to report at this moment — we are looking at options based on public health guidelines/outlooks.”
CHUN People’s Fair
Every summer, the Capitol Hill United Neighborhoods Association (CHUN) throws a party in Denver’s Civic Center Park that offers something for anyone and everyone. This celebration of music, creativity and diversity welcomes artists, performers and spectators from every background imaginable in a two-day event that features music on over half a dozen stages. Typically held over the first weekend of June, the Fair was canceled in 2019 amid rumors of declining revenues and in 2020 for obvious reasons. Whether it is set for a resurgence in 2021 remains to be seen.
Cherry Creek Arts Festival
Arts Festival: The Cherry Creek Arts Festival hosts artists of every sort from around the world.
This event is perhaps the most approachable of all the offerings in an otherwise upscale, exclusive district. 2021 marks the 30th anniversary of this celebration of “Artivity” otherwise known as “Art for Everyone.” The event features “visual and performing arts and educational and immersive art experiences” and attracts upwards of 350,000 visitors along with 260 local and regional artists and hosts. The date for 2021 is yet to be set in stone, but if it takes place, it will most likely do so over the Fourth of July weekend — Friday, Saturday and Sunday, July 2, 3 and 4.
First Fridays
Denver art lovers have a total of six art walks to choose from on the first Friday of every month. These varied and diverse offerings take place across an array of vastly different districts and offer the city’s finest in galleries, museums and studios. These art walks take place in the River North Arts District, the Art District of Santa Fe, Golden Triangle Museum District, Tennyson Street Cultural District, South Pearl Street and 40 West Arts District and Block 7 Galleries. The latter is the most family-friendly of the lot, featuring a variety of dining options, a movie theater and a wintertime ice rink. Visitors to the previous five gatherings can expect to encounter a diverse offering of food trucks, restaurants, bars and breweries. Face masks are currently required by most establishments.
Cinco de Mayo
Cinco de Mayo: Cinco de Mayo is a beloved cultural tradition that will be celebrated regardless of an event being scheduled for downtown Denver.
This festival commemorating the victory of the outnumbered Mexican Army over French forces during the 1862 Franco-Mexican War takes place on or around the 5th of May. This year, that date falls on a Wednesday, so the tentative Civic Center Park celebration will take place on the weekend prior — depending on what event planners decide in what will most likely be an 11th-hour verdict. The two-day event attracts over 400,000 visitors and is particularly well known for offering an incredible array of Colorado Mexican cuisine and hosting events such as the Green Chili Bowl Cook-Off, a taco eating contest, a lowrider car show, and the infamous Chihuahua races.
The Colorado Dragon Boat Festival
Dragon Boat: The Colorado Dragon Boat Festival lights up Sloan’s Lake Park and has a definite date set for September 2021.
This unique gathering describes its mission as “the premier organization celebrating and promoting the culture, contributions and accomplishments of Colorado’s Asian-American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) communities.” Thankfully, this year’s event has a set date for September 25 and 26, in Denver’s Sloan’s Lake Park. Historically, the festival has taken place in July, but for 2021 event planners are no doubt hedging their bets on the theory that the pandemic curve will most likely flatten by fall rather than summer. Visitors can expect an otherworldly immersion in arts, entertainment, cuisine and of course — dragon boat races.
Large gatherings which are sanctioned and approved by the powers that be will return eventually, here’s to hoping it is sooner than later.
by Luke Schmaltz | Mar 19, 2021 | Main Articles
“Humans are startlingly bad at detecting fraud Even when we’re on the lookout for signs of deception, studies show, our accuracy is hardly better than chance.” – Maria Konnikova
by Luke Schmaltz
Over the last year, the pandemic has proven that there is no level of trickery that is too low for some people.
Humanity’s ever-industrious scammer contingent will seemingly stop at nothing to achieve its prime objective — to separate you from your money. The current populace of frightened, poorly informed, emotionally vulnerable people has created a lush marketplace for fraud. Folks who desperately want to stop isolating, masking and disinfecting their lives away and get back to living them instead are falling victim to COVID-19 vaccine scams.
These ploys are disguised as websites, emails, phone calls, text messages and — yes — personal visits to your home. The perpetrators make an offer, convince victims to provide personal information or money and then they disappear. Here are some of the scams currently underway and how to spot them.
Free Vaccines: The vaccines from Johnson & Johnson, Moderna and other companies should be free, no exceptions. Image: Johnson & JohnsonFree Vaccines: The vaccines from Johnson & Johnson, Moderna and other companies should be free, no exceptions. Image: Johnson & Johnson
All Vaccines Should Be Free
Moderna, Johnson & Johnson, Pfizer and their emerging vaccine-making counterparts are being compensated by the U.S. Government. There should be no cost to you other than a small administration fee, if any. If someone approaches you via phone call, text message, email, or in-person visit with an offer to “sell” you a dose or a vial of vaccine, report them to the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) at ReportFraud.ftc.gov. Sinovac is a China-based company which has tested a successful vaccine, yet this is not approved for distribution in the United States. Regardless, several social media campaigns were running ads claiming to be making this vaccine available for American consumers — for a price.
Scammers Have Bad Grammar
Anyone with a computer, an internet connection and a few basic skills can make websites and send emails. Since most of the vaccine scams are purported by criminals who are overseas, their lack of skill with the English language will be apparent in the text of the email or website landing page. In the case of an email, look for basic mistakes in punctuation, pluralization, spelling and euphemistic language. Also, no signature on an email is a red flag as is any email that appears to be from a government agency, pharmaceutical company, or a vaccine distributor. Websites offering vaccines will be using a specific set of keywords in their titles to attract traffic. Be on the lookout for terms such as “private vaccine, testing update, COVID validator, cure COVID, testing update, Corona vaccine and COVID -19.”
Phishy Phone Calls
Phone Scams: Phone calls from scammers are the main way scammers separate people from their money.
Stateside scammers or those with a believable command over American English may call you out of the blue. They will claim to be working in some sort of an official capacity, either for a pharmaceutical company, a healthcare provider, the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) or some branch of the U.S. Government. The next giveaway is that they will ask you to “verify” your identity by providing them with some sort of personal information whether it is your Medicaid policy number, your birth date or your SSN. Some of them may go so far as to tell you they are going to show up and personally administer the vaccine for you. Remember this: whether on the phone or via email, verifiers are liars.
Bad Business
BBB: The Denver Better Business Bureau is keeping tabs on local and international scammers via their Scam Tracker Tool.
Meanwhile, the Denver chapter of the Better Business Bureau is keeping tabs on these scammers. Content and PR Specialist Keylen Villagrana offers insight into an array of both international and locally-run
scams. “Fake unemployment claims, stimulus check scams, puppy scams ([they] are rising as more people are working from home) and employment scams for work-from-home positions. [There is] even an elaborate romance scam operating overseas where victims are turned into ‘money mules’ in order for scammers to retrieve fake unemployment claim money. They use victims for their U.S. based bank account and ask them to wire money to a bank account [that is] very likely overseas. (Wire transfers can’t be traced),” she says. Of all the current ruses, one is unanimously more popular than the others. Villagrana explains, “Consumers are contacted after they have received the COVID-19 vaccine (although many are contacted that haven’t even received the vaccine), to take a survey and in exchange for a ‘gift.’ All they have to do is pay for shipping and handling ranging from $2.99-$19.99 depending on
the gift they choose. Most never receive anything and some have reported unauthorized charges.” Folks are in luck, however, as this agency keeps a running tally on all past and current scams via their “Scam Tracker” tool available here: www. bbb.org/scamtracker.
Trash Can Treasure
Ads such as the one mentioned above claiming to be selling vaccines should be disregarded. The messaging features such as Facebook Messenger are also avenues scammers will take to try and get your attention through personal messages containing “incredible” deals on Covid-19 vaccines. The main rule of thumb here: if it sounds too good to be true, it’s a scam.
Legitimate Source: Immunize Colorado is one of the legitimate sources of “real” vaccinations.
Some Lines Can’t Be Skipped
Yet another scenario involves scammers who claim to be able to do the legwork for you and “track down” your vaccination. Others offer a similar service by promising that they can use their contacts in the medical industry to help you “skip the line” and get a vaccination sooner than the current tiered rollout system allows. These are scams that will require the service fee be paid in advance and once the money is sent, that’s all she wrote.
Thankfully, legitimate sources are standing by to provide citizens with answers about the specific tiers of the vaccine rollout and where the efforts are on the projected timeline. You can find out more by going to Colorado Vaccine Equity www.colorado vaccineequity.org, Immunize Colorado www. immunizecolorado.org and the Colorado Department of Health and Environment covid19.colorado.gov.
by Luke Schmaltz | Feb 19, 2021 | General Featured
“It’s not vaccines that save lives, it’s vaccinations.”
— Stephanie Wasserman, Executive Director, Immunize Colorado
by Luke Schmaltz
The strategy for combating the spread of Covid-19 and thus, reducing the subsequent fallout of loss and tragedy is fairly simple: inoculate the population. While this equation reads well on paper, implementing it across the Mile High region has a distinct set of challenges.
From a practical standpoint, it would seem that the biggest obstructions to vaccine distribution would be the tiered system of rollout phases (eligibility based on vulnerability) and the availability of enough doses for each demographic. While this is certainly the case, vaccine task force officials — including government appointed teams and private sector organizations — are facing formidable yet invisible hurdles anchored in misinformation and inter-generational mistrust of the medical system at large.
A Clearly Laid-Out Plan
The Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment has a systematic vaccination rollout plan.
The Office of Colorado Governor Jared Polis, in conjunction with the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment (CDPHE), have established a series of phases to be implemented in a systematic, step-by-step fashion.
Phase One begins with high-risk individuals and healthcare workers (1A), people age 70+, moderate risk healthcare workers and first responders (1B.1), citizens aged 65-69, pre-K-12 educators, cold care workers and continuity of state government officials (1B.2), people aged 16-64 with two or more comorbidities and frontline workers (1B.3).
Phase Two includes Coloradans 60-64, people with high-risk conditions and continuity of operation workers in state and local government.
Phase Three, at last, includes anyone and everyone in the general population ages 16-59.
Governor Polis has gone so far as to speculate, as stated in a recent article by The Denver Post, that he expects folks to be returning to their beloved restaurants, nightclubs and bars by May, in a gradual transition of systematically loosening restrictions and returning everyday personal freedoms.
At the time of this writing, rollout of phase 1B.2 is underway and just about everyone involved in education including teachers, substitutes, bus drivers, cafeteria workers, janitors, and other support staff will be able to access the vaccine as will select members of the executive and judicial branches of government. These folks do not present an accessibility concern for vaccinators, but the other demographic this phase accommodates, folks age 65-69, is where things are set to get tricky.
The Front Lines Of Trying Times
Immunize Colorado is a nonprofit organization working in cooperation with CDPHE to get vaccines into arms across all Denver communities.
Stephanie Wasserman is the Executive Director of Immunize Colorado and has been out in the field and on the front lines since before the Covid-19 vaccine arrived. On a daily basis, she combats the social side effects of the pandemic. “My organization became gravely concerned because of the disproportionate impact Covid-19 has had on communities of color both in Colorado and nationally,” she begins. “We are not doing too bad in terms of getting shots into arms, but we are not meeting our equity goals. Also,” she continues, “there is significant hesitancy that exists in some communities due to the historic mistrust of the medical system.” Wasserman also cites “predatory behavior” as another driver of vaccine hesitancy, stating, “We have a very active anti-vaccine movement here in Colorado and they have recently targeted communities of color with disinformation.”
Clearly, this phenomenon reveals age-old fears that are easily agitated by misinformation. These negative (mostly online) messages tend to magnify the historical underservice of communities of color by the medical establishment and redirect that mistrust towards the vaccine rollout. Wasserman and her colleagues are undaunted and are fighting back via the recent launch of the Colorado Vaccine Equity Task Force (https://www.coloradovaccineequithe vaccines and y.org/). This site and its Spanish-translated partner site (https://www. equidadvacunacolorado.org/) are combatting the online misinformation with facts about the disproportionate impact COVID-19 has had while broadcasting endorsements from trusted, professional voices from communities of color as ambassadors for the vaccine. “The group comprises 35 members hailing from all walks of life,” Wasserman explains, “and all with one common trait — they identify as a person of color from an underserved community.” These include faith leaders, retirees, doctors, nurses, educators and one man who volunteered for one of the early Moderna clinical trials.
The Colorado Vaccine Equity Task Force is determined to vaccinate citizens in underserved communities.
In essence, the Task Force is mounting what is turning out to be a grassroots reeducation campaign to assuage fears, to combat misinformation and to ultimately get people from underserved communities vaccinated in order to stop the disease. “It has been super successful so far,” says Wasserman, “We’ve done policy and communication work, advocacy, outreach and engagement. It is really about getting into communities as much as possible, starting constructive conversations and allowing trusted community members to speak to their neighbors about the merits of the vaccine. “For example,” she begins, “We have two retired nurses on the Task Force who are very active and well known in their parish in the Montbello neighborhood. They held a pop-up clinic at their church and because it was hosted by them, hundreds of people signed up to be vaccinated and all supplies were gone in two hours.”
A Factually-Informed Outlook
Colorado State Representative Yadira Caraveo is also a Pediatrician with a medically-informed understanding of vaccines.
State Representative Yadira Caraveo, in addition to her role as an elected official, is also a pediatrician and a member of the aforementioned Colorado Vaccine Equity Task Force. Her primary roles are those of a coordinator and an administrator in the effort to achieve distribution equity of the vaccine. Regarding the timeline for getting the prescribed 70+% of the population vaccinated, Caraveo is hesitant to make an exact prediction. “I think the timeline has been changing as the realities on the federal level trickle down to the state level in addition to the lack of planning from the previous administration,” she explains. “Still, I think it is realistic and hopeful that we could get everyone who wants a vaccination taken care of by late summer, early fall.”
Optimism aside, Caraveo’s role in the Task Force has given her an informed perspective about vaccine hesitancy. “I think a lot of the uncertainty about this particular vaccine comes from the perceived speed with which it came out,” she begins. “People are out there saying ‘well, it can’t possibly be safe — it has only been 10 months since the pandemic started.’ But the important thing to remember is that science is ongoing and is built on decades of research and development. The research for these vaccines was built upon the research that was done for the MERS and SARS vaccines as well as mRNA that has been studied since the 1950s. It is a fact that scientists are continually working on things that they anticipate may be needed at some point — which is why this came out so quickly.”
Caraveo continues with a vaccine advocacy home-run hit, “As doctors, we’ve been talking for decades about how people don’t understand the need for vaccines because they haven’t seen a lot of the illnesses we vaccinate against now. Most people alive today have never seen someone with polio or tetanus because of the vaccines. This is the first instance in a century where we have developed a vaccine for something that people can see every single day — people who are getting sick and dying of COVID-19. The effects of the vaccine, or any vaccine for that matter are very minimal compared to what the illness does. The chances of anything happening [negatively] with the vaccine are one in a million as opposed to the chances of something bad happening should you get COVID-19.”
Caraveo ends with one last stark, unarguable, scientific gem of truth, “This is a perfect example of why vaccine hesitancy has grown over the last century and why it shouldn’t have grown. Now we can see, in real time, the effect of a vaccine versus the effect of an illness.”
by Luke Schmaltz | Feb 19, 2021 | Glendale City News
by Luke Schmaltz
The broadcasting topography across the Mile High City is as varied and diverse as the populace of the city itself. Listeners interested in local happenings, extreme opinions, artistic outlooks, nerd-tastic observations and business savvy can tune in and sink their teeth into just about any narrative that resonates with their worldview.
If you were to amass the vast amount of topical content originating from the greater Denver area into one giant mountain of sound, slice it in half and observe it like a geological map, you would see the musings of artists, sports fans, lowbrow freaks, highbrow sophisticates, political pundits, and many more swirling about one another like independent swarms of busy bees. Podcasting is alive and thriving in Denver and if you’re not tuning in, you’re missing out.
Brotherly Love
Brothers Joseph and Jonathan Garcia debate the superiority of Marvel and DC Comics, respectively.
Jonathan and Joseph Garcia love comic books. As twin brothers, their natural proclivity to tangle manifested in spirited debates about which brand of heroes and villains was best. Thus, was the genesis of Dynamic Duel — a podcast determined to either settle or perpetuate an ages-old Marvel vs DC debate. “Since we were young children, we’ve had an interest in the colorful, fictional worlds of Marvel and DC,” Joe explains, “and would regularly discuss which was better even as we grew up. We decided to record those conversations in 2016, leading up to the Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice release, when we figured the Marvel and DC rivalry would further permeate the public’s perception.”
The Garcia brothers orchestrate each episode with precision and well-researched insight. Unlike some podcasts that are sent over the wire warts and all, Marvelous Joe and Johnny DC — their “super” podcaster names — edit for consistent pacing and flow in order to maximize listener experience. Content themes oscillate between comic book movie reviews and character match-ups such as Green Lantern vs Iceman, Plastic Man vs Mr. Fantastic and Batgirl vs Hawkeye. Whether you’re a fellow comic book nerd or a newbie, this podcast is a wealth of insight into the two most popular publishers of modern mythology.
While the past year has been a major bummer for some, this is not the case with the Garcias. Joe explains, “A common gripe from our friends and family over the past year [is] that they’ve been bored and experiencing cabin fever. That’s not been the case with us. In addition to never missing an episode drop date, we spent a lot of time this past year honing our craft and were lucky enough to win three Colorado Podcast Awards in 2020.”
From The Ground Up
Chuck Bonniwell and Julie Hayden are interested in revealing the truth about important issues.
Chuck Bonniwell and Julie Hayden are perhaps the hardest working team in Denver podcasting, producing three shows every week on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays at 3 p.m. MST. Like many of their contemporaries, they began in a basement with very little technical know-how but with one distinctive difference: they had a pre-existing listenership. After their show on KNUS was canceled, they were compelled to switch to the podcast format in order to stay in touch with their hard-won audience.
The show takes definitive stances on hot-button issues, and in a hypersensitive environment, they are feeling the effects — both positive and otherwise. When asked about the show’s stance on state-sponsored censorship, Hayden explains, “I would not describe our show as a ‘stance against the idea of government control.’ Rather, I would say we have a populist, grassroots take on things, whether it be Denver, Colorado, or national issues. And we are definitely being censored by YouTube, Twitter and Facebook. We have lost roughly a third of our Twitter followers since the election. YouTube deleted one of our shows over election content and Facebook regularly “throttles” the number of people who see our posts. We have created new accounts on Gab .com and Rumble.com.”
Undaunted, the duo forges forth in relentless pursuit of the examination, exploration, and dissection of the issues they are passionate about. They roll with the unfolding of current events, reacting in “real time” as much as possible. “We focus on current events, especially Denver and Colorado issues,” Hayden says. “We book guests a few days ahead of time but there is so much going on these days we do not plan more than a week ahead.”
When asked about the show’s format and content curation strategy, Hayden explains, “We want to provide an informative and entertaining show focusing on current events where everyone feels heard and welcome. We have leftist/Democrat guests and callers [and] we have more populist callers and guests who hold a wide variety of opinions that we often disagree with. We describe it as everyone sitting around the ‘kitchen table’ talking about the day’s events. Our hope is not to change anyone’s mind but to get people thinking and talking and hopefully [being] glad that they spent an hour with us.”
The Chuck and Julie Show shoots from the hip — so to speak — as each episode streams live across numerous channels. “Our show is somewhat unique in that we do video and audio. The show is live streamed on YouTube, Facebook, all of the major podcast apps like iTunes, iHeart, Google, etc. We also post the show on Podbean and Rumble… so there is no editing and anytime we have a scramble, (which happens all the time) [and] everyone sees and hears that.” Listeners who love this sort of authenticity can also anticipate high profile guests from time to time such as Fox’s Judge Jeanine Pirro, national columnists and authors like David Horowitz, John O’Connor, Jennifer Kerns, Rep. Ken Buck, and Democratic strategist Ted Trimpa.”
The Business Wizard
Dave Tabor of the PROCO360 Podcast is a business expert who has found his second calling. Photo credit: Chris Clark
Dave Tabor does his homework. As a former business owner, company executive, holder of an MBA from CU, and senior executive for the Colorado Chamber of Commerce, he approaches each episode of the ProCo360 podcast like a high-level business presentation. He explains, “My approach is this: explore what makes me deeply curious about a leader and her/his company and dig into that. It takes research and preparation, and it takes some deep thought. I don’t quit my prep work until I feel excited for the interview. The most gratifying moment is when a guest pauses and says, ‘hmmm, that’s a great question.’”
After selling his company — Tabor Interactive — to a NASDAQ company, the former CEO was restless, and discovered that he missed the entrepreneurial world. Luckily, his business expertise was in high demand, and he was invited to be an intermittent guest host on a morning talk radio show. This developed into a steady hosting gig at a weekly morning show. Tabor felt his audience was better suited for evenings and he switched to the podcast format.
Thus far, he has delivered invaluable insight into the world of commerce through interviews with more than 100 Colorado business leaders including John Hayes (Ball), Jake Jabs (American Furniture Warehouse), Andre Durand (Ping Identity), Antoinette Gawin (Terumo BCT), Nancy Fitzgerald (iLending Direct), Tory Bruno (United Launch Alliance), Adam Contos (RE/MAX), and Troy Guard (TAG Restaurant Group).
To The Letter
The Narrators co-host Ron Doyle and actor/ teacher Adrian Holguin at The Narrators, August 2020 at EXDO Events Center.
Producer Ron Doyle is no stranger to the show running world, with over 10 years of experience under his belt across numerous formats. His current endeavor, The Narrators, is a hybrid balance of live production and curated podcast content. The live shows are taped every third Wednesday, and the stories that are shared by guests of those events are edited into podcast content. “During normal times,” Doyle explains, “the show happens at Buntport Theater. Right now, we’re doing virtual shows and will likely shift to outdoor shows at EXDO Events Center when the weather warms up.”
The Narrators strives to explore a breadth of themes, brought to the storytelling stage through the expertise of Denverites from all walks of life. After 10 years of shows, they have explored just about every topic imaginable. Doyle elaborates, “We invite comedians, actors, musicians, artists, and other interesting folks from around Denver to share true stories, and occasionally folks reach out to us when they have a story that matches the theme. We don’t screen or edit our storytellers, so we’re just as surprised as the audience by the stories they share.”
Adapting to restrictions Covid-19 placed on The Narrators live shows has been a challenge, but Doyle remains upbeat, “Our podcast actually took a hiatus for part of the year, because we were busy shifting the live show to virtual and outdoor venues (we just relaunched at the beginning of 2021), but we still had folks tell us how much they appreciated our back catalog of 200+ episodes. It’s soothing to hear the live audiences in those recordings, clapping and laughing. After a year of social distancing, it feels nice to hear how the world worked before the pandemic — and hopefully makes folks feel optimistic about the future.”
Making A Ruckus
The MF Podcast examines society’s underbelly through the lenses of musicians and artists.
True to their DIY musical roots, Aaron Howell and MF Ruckus bandmate Tony Lee started the MF Podcast in a spare bedroom on secondhand gear with a healthy sense of humor. “We’ve always enjoyed talking and cracking wise, so it seemed like something we could pull off pretty easily,” Howell explains. The longtime friends navigated the steep technical learning curve and steadily progressed from putting together episodes with whatever gear was at hand to working with a remote producer to moving operations into the Burn TV studios where Howell worked as a voice actor for Nug Nation. As the show grew, it was soon apparent that a local producer was in order and Denver music maven Gordon Leadfoot of the band Granny Tweed came aboard. Soon after, Lee, a Chicago native, was called back home which left Howell to lean on Leadfoot and MF Ruckus bass virtuoso Logan for support.
The podcast content is an expansion on the fascinating, wide-ranging and tragically fleeting conversations that take place in and around the world of live music — usually backstage or somewhere on the venue floor between acts. The format aims to magnify the dynamic of interesting people from all walks of life who meet, explain their unique insights, and laugh about shared experiences. “I’m sort of a hobbyist when it comes to heterodoxy, so I really like talking about the big issues happening in the world.” Howell explains “I like to talk philosophy, politics, life experiences, explore and learn. Mostly, we tell stories, crack jokes and let our guests lead the way. I sincerely believe we’ve never had a bad episode. The conversations are always good, wherever they may roam.”
Viewers who tune in to a live episode will be treated to the raw content as it unfolds between hosts and guests. Leadfoot, who has become an influential host/voice of the show in addition to producing, cleans up the audio, adds music and bumper for the audio feeds. Howell beams about the wide array of guests he has had the pleasure of interviewing over the show’s 121 episodes. Among these are Blaine Cartwright of Nashville Pussy, Ben Hutcherson of Khemmis, Apartheid activist-turned aeronautical engineer Eric Stranger, musician and record label head Reed Wolf, and comic book writer/professor/Ted Talker R. Alan Brooks, to name a few.
Those Who Can
The Grawlix continually prove that just about anything is possible with enough laughter at hand.
The trilateral axis of thinking people’s comedy known as The Grawlix is on a mission to save the world. Comedians Adam Cayton-Holland, Andrew Overdahl, and Ben Roy have been in each other’s orbit for the better part of 16 years. As individuals they have been forging their own standup careers which converge from time to time as The Grawlix — a name borrowed from the term used for typographical symbols used in place of obscenities. The group is best known for their outstanding television show Those Who Can’t which is available for streaming on HBO Max.
“We wanted to start a podcast,” Cayton-Holland begins, “because when our TV show ended after three seasons, we all kind of regrouped and thought, ‘Well we really like working with one another. Let’s do another project together.’” Cayton-Holland continues, “Unlike the pressure cooker of television, a podcast seemed like just a really easy, DIY format where there are no gatekeepers or anything, you just start one and off you go! We liked the freedom of that. We kicked around a few ideas for the format and then Ben (Roy) had the idea of doing a show where we try to improve ourselves and that just was the perfect spark. We reached out to our friend Ron Doyle (of The Narrators) who’s a wizard at this kind of stuff and he agreed to produce the podcast and off we went!”
The show’s format, while set with the clear directive of exploring self-care and personal improvement, allows an underlying comedic current to carry the momentum. Topics such as meditation and yoga are counterbalanced by slapstic spatula-slapping for overuse of the word “like” and self-inflicted, torturous binge-watching assignments of The Fast and the Furious movie series.
This healthy balance of self-care and silliness seemed to almost intuitively anticipate 2020 and the challenges it would bring. “The pandemic hit and the world as we knew it changed and everything was really frightening and anxiety-inducing and here we had this great format that we were already doing where we try to take care of ourselves, to try to counter the poison that we see in the world.” Cayton-Holland says. “The podcast is funny, first and foremost, but we always wanted the podcast to be positive and uplifting as well. So, really, it’s been something that I’ve come to look forward to over the lockdown. I get to check in with my friends every week and laugh a lot, and then put into practice a new way of looking at the world for a week. It’s been really good for my spirit, and our listeners tell us it has for theirs too.”
