I think most people in our vast reading audience remember
the great television show that aired in the middle of the 1970s titled Welcome
Back Kotter starring Gabe Kaplan as the school teacher who grew up in the
neighborhood and is now in charge of a very ethnic and racially diverse class
called the “Sweathogs.” His dream was his ticket out.
As we have talked about many times Hickenlooper, who would
probably go back for seconds at the Last Supper, finds himself in no man’s land
and after two years of throwing rocks at what senators do for a living,
including disparaging remarks that he is a leader and a doer, (and I don’t know
if that’s the scotch or he actually believes he got things done) now wants to
be dragged kicking and screaming to be the next senator where we all stand a
mile high, Colorado.
But the “Sweathog” theme really does intrigue me. We could
have Andrew Romanoff playing Arnold Horshack. Bill Ritter as Juan Epstein. Jena
Griswold as Rosalie (Hotsy Totsy) and, last but not least, Michael Hancock as
Freddy Boom Boom Washington.
So, putting on my futurist cap, how does this dope out? The
nonexistent Democrat senatorial field will fold like a house of cards and John
Hickenlooper, the man who never wanted to be a senator will become our next
senator. Why you query? Because as we have said many times, many ways, the
state of Colorado’s Republican party will guarantee a Hickenlooper win. We have
a series of huge political issues that inflame conservative and libertarian
minds in Colorado.
• Red flag. I
don’t know what the count is on counties and sheriffs, city councils and
commissioners who have flatly told Jared Polis don’t bring it here because we
won’t enforce it.
• Popular
vote. They threw our constitutional rights out the window this year as well.
• Fracking.
The known economic destruction of northern Colorado.
• And last
but not least, my personal favorite, attorney general Phil, aka Bud Weiser, has
become a friend of the court who will attempt to bring back heroin, meth, and
cocaine injection sites into the state of Colorado after it was tossed out.
These people are like monsters in Steven King novels — they never die.
But look at those issues that I’ve stated. Have you seen
Cory Gardner go into the hinterland and rally people to his cause that he will
take these issues on? Of course not. What is it that Cory Gardner needs to do?
He needs to get his man card back. He needs to go to training camp. He needs a
lot of roadwork. He maybe learns how to dirty box. Maybe some UFC MMA takedowns
that he can use on Hickenlooper. But you and I both know that he has no
intention of doing any of those things. Hickenlooper by his own description is
a bad debater. Throwing his arms up like a wild bird at Cory like he did to
Bernie Sanders just ain’t going to cut it.
But here’s the real indicator about the weak sticks in the
media. My former coworker Dan Caplis made Hickenlooper tap out on his radio
show about a month ago. I mean choke, turn blue in the face and squeal like a
pig and then get to walk away. Isn’t it fascinating The Denver Post,
hard-hitting Channel9 never said a word. Note to Cory Gardner, Dude unless you
start to tune up, you’re beat.
Note to John, I’m not cut out to be a senator, Hickenlooper
[February 2019]. Along with senators don’t build teams. Senators sit and debate
in small groups. I’m a doer and that gives me joy. Hey, John I’ve got your joy
for you right here. Get ready folks. It’s gonna be a rough night.
The latest Cirque du Solei show to come to Denver is Corteo,
written and directed by Daniele Finzi Pasca. Corteo, which has been seen by
eight million people around the world, tells the story of a clown picturing his
own funeral, which takes place at a carnival and is witnessed by angels.
Corteo, which means “cortege” in Italian, is a joyous procession, a festive
parade imagined by a clown.
Bouncing Beds: Like a gaggle of young kids playing in their grandparents’ room, six artists jump on two 600-pound beds that move on rotating platforms.
The show first premiered in 2005 under the big top in
Montreal and has been since updated for arenas in March 2018, keeping the
original story intact. The show features 51 performers, including acrobats,
clowns, musicians and actors.
Cirque du Solei has been entertaining Colorado audiences
since 1997. “We always have a great responsive audience there and we love to
perform in a place where people react well and enjoy our shows and I think it
adds a lot to the show,” said Max Batista, Tour Publicist for Cirque Corteo.
The stage has a unique setup as it will be set up in the
center of the arena and audience members will be on either side with good sight
views. Set Designer Jean Rabasse has divided the Grand Chapiteau and its
rotating stage in two, with each half of the audience facing the other half, so
they see not only the performance, but also have a performer’s eye view of the
audience. There is one turntable built into the stage, which is about 41 feet
long, and the track is almost 120 feet long.
This show also features six musicians and two singers who
are on stage with the performers. Typically, musicians and singers are hidden
from the audience but in Corteo, they are part of the show. “People can see us
all during the show,” said Eve Willems who plays the accordion, guitar, and
mandolin in Corteo.
Corteo: In this Cirque du Soleil a clown imagines his own funeral as a carnival of sorts, blending the ridiculous with the tragic. The show will be performed nine times from August 15 to August 22 at Pepsi Center.
The music accompanies the show and features different styles
of music including Spanish and Irish. Willems, who submitted her video
application to become a part of the show via Facebook, enjoys being part of
Cirque. “At first for me it was to discover all the different talents and I was
amazed to see all these people doing their tricks,” said Willems. “Now that we
have started, I like traveling with all these people and make people dream and
it’s really nice to be part of it.”
The show lasts two hours and 30 minutes (with a 20-minute intermission) and is packed
with death defying feats fans have come to expect from Cirque shows.
With the rising costs of airline tickets and all of the
expenses associated with traveling out of town, families are turning to more
economical trips to get away from the mountain of laundry and the yard work.
But what if you don’t want to spend seven hours in the car to take pictures of
the largest ball of twine in the U.S.? Consider the Gaylord Rockies Resort
& Convention Center which is less than 30 minutes away from central Denver.
Large Atrium: It is hard not to notice the Grand Lodges’ centerpiece the moment you walk in — the 75-foot-tall (eight stories high) atrium window offering spectacular views of the Rocky Mountains.
The Gaylord Rockies Resort & Convention Center is near
Denver International Airport and is a Marriott property that opened in December
2018. The 486,000 square feet of convention space makes it the largest combined
resort and convention center in Colorado. It is the fifth Gaylord property to
open with the others located in Washington D.C, Nashville, Orlando, and Dallas.
Even though this rustic resort focuses on the business
traveler during the week, families are welcome as this hotel boasts 1,501 rooms
including 114 suites. The rooms start at $249 per night which is a bargain
considering you eliminate airfare and car rental expenses.
Sprawling Resort: Gaylord Rockies is situated on 85 acres and never feels crowded.
When you first walk into the resort, you will notice the
Grand Lodges’ centerpiece, a 75-foot-tall (eight stories high) atrium window
offering spectacular views of the Denver skyline framed by the Rocky Mountains.
Consider upgrading to VIP status as the check-in process is
smooth and the “Celebrity Services” staff are able to make reservations at one
of the eight restaurants with priority seating. The on-site restaurants serve
steak and American, Asian and Italian fares.
Lazy River: The 22,000 square foot water park features an outdoor lazy river.
This resort’s main attractions are the indoor and outdoor
pools (which includes an infinity pool), an outdoor lazy river, and three water
slides. This water park is spread out over 22,000 square-feet. The entire
resort is situated on 85 acres of land so it never feels crowded. Guests can
reserve a cabana if they want their own dedicated space. Or, they may snag a
chair by the lazy river and relax.
Inside the Mountain Pass Sports Bar is a 75-foot viewing
screen, the largest in the state. This screen plays cartoons on Saturday
morning during the Character Breakfast. The breakfast features a buffet of
breakfast foods and characters from the book, Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland
walking around to greet guests and pose for photographs. It is definitely worth
it for the little ones.
Sticking with the Wonderland theme, there is an escape room
which is fun for the entire family to experience. The “Hatter” gives clues while
people work as a team to solve the clues and escape the room. It runs $14.99
per guest. The resort also features an arcade, miniature golf, bike rentals,
pickleball, a market and more.
When you check in, be sure to ask about the free root beer
floats that are served daily. The Gaylord Rockies Resort & Convention
Center is located at 6700 North Gaylord Rockies Boulevard. For more information
about the resort or to make a reservation, visit www.gaylordhotels.com.
