Aspen Post

Wharf Rat Revealed

In comment #17, Wharf Rate weighs in during a white-hot thread about blogging, Aspen Post, and the state of "Con Games." "I have also revealed enough about myself for you to know where I am coming from," he blogs, "if you have paid attention. For instance, I have repeatedly blogged that I am a resident of Glenwood Springs and have no agenda that supportive Pitkin County, the City of Aspen, or any of its elective officials. I don't know what else to say to make my point--you just seem to have an uncanny ability to miss it. You think I am just criticizing you, the radio show and the blog haphazardly and for no particular reason. If that's what you really think that's just sad."

A Day To Celebrate Forever

Post blogger reckless G reminds us of the relevance of the day in 1920 when women finally got the vote. "On Aug. 26, 1920," she blogs, "the 19th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution, guaranteeing women the right to vote, was declared in effect. My husband and I had an argument just this morning concerning whether activism really works to effect change and whether it really even matters. As an activist myself, I’m personally invested in the belief that it does work and it does matter. My husband is of the opposite opinion. In these all too frequent arguments (usually spurred by the publication of one of my letters to the editor) I often cite the women’s suffrage movement along with the civil rights movement as examples of how grassroots activism leads to changes in social attitudes and government policy."

Mess With The Con Man At Your Own Risk

As happens from time to time, Post blogger Michael Conniff feels the need to give Wharf Rat a good spanking. "The truly funny thing about your ongoing bitch-bitch-bitch criticism," he blogs in comment #6, "is that your own continual and continuous participation in Aspen Post validates the idea, the concept, and the execution. If it's so bad, Rat, then why are you here....AGAIN?... The reason you are here AGAIN just might just be that you and others have a voice here--uncensored, unedited, though rarely unremarked upon. You are somehow invested--for reasons known only to you--in knocking the very medium that has given you a voice equal to all others."

Analogy Imperfect

In comment #1, Post blogger Marilyn Marks poses a provocative analogy: "[A] single man starts building his new home, designed as one room cabin, just for him. Quarter way through the construction, he marries a woman with three kids. And he discovers that his planners made a huge cost estimating error, and the single room home is going to cost many times more than anticipated. The new wife suggests that they pool their assets and redesign the home to accommodate their family and their budget. The man’s ego about his dream cabin stands in the way of logic and acceptance of the changed conditions. So he goes about completing the project the way he envisioned it, albeit a many times the cost he expected, and insisting that somehow his new family of five could manage in the one room house."

CON GAMES RADIO: Sam Wyly

Sam Wyly, the billionaire entrepreneur who owns Explore Booksellers in Aspen, comes to "Con Games with Michael Conniff" to talk about his new book, "1,000 Dollars and an Idea."

Beer Pong

Post staff is all for responsible drinking, so a Beer Pong at Bellyup Aspen before, during, and after the Colts v. Bills game raises our eyebrows. What is Beer Pong? is a drinking game in which players throw a table tennis ball across a table with the intent of landing the ball in one of several cups of beer on the other end. The game typically consists of two two-player teams, one on each side of a table, and a number of cups set up on each side. There are no official rules, so rules may vary widely, though usually there are six or ten plastic cups arranged in a triangle on each side. The number of players on a team can vary as well, from one to three or more.

News Hole: Eluding Stalin's Henchmen

Sandor Varallyay: "[W]e saw [Stalin's Secret Service] coming, and my friends in the camp hid me in the attic, and I stayed there until I had a clearer chance to escape through the border... I crossed the border during the night, after midnight. I remember it was the eighth of December, 1956. I was caught by the Austrian border guards when I crossed. They already had a couple of Hungarians in custody. Thankfully these guards were kind to us and didn't turn us in. They took us to their village to their jail. I was soaking wet and covered with mud, and the jail was so warm. One of the border guards gave me his own supper, which I will never forget."

It's Obama-Biden!

"I hope candidate Obama picks Senator Joe Biden for Vice President" Post blogger Mitch Mulhall writes. "The very idea of it makes me giddy over the rich entertainment possibilities... the talking heads in both major and minor media outlets are quick to toss Biden into VP mix as an obvious remedy to Obama’s dismal foreign policy experience. Whenever I hear pundits of any stripe go in deep for Biden, I grin from ear-to-ear and knock on wood, knowing this could easily lead to gaffes that get more mileage than Dick Cheney hitting Harry Whittington in the face with bird shot."
Breaking: Obama selects Biden

Seeing Red In Redstone

"Of course both Mitch & Jeffrey are right on," writes Post blogger dankinney in comment #4. "If I lived in Redstone however, I would insist upon the county providing some sort of service. It 's just flat out unfair for Redstone to pay anything for absolutely no service at all! Even if it were just 3 or 4 runs per day. The county has a moral obligation to connect the geographically separated parts of the county to the rest of itself. For us in Woody Creek, we get a few runs in the morning once per hour then several in the evening again but only during the 'season.' We get absolutely zilch during the day & the 'off season.'"

You've Got To Have 'Heart'

Theatre Aspen puts an exclamation on the final performance of the season with "Crimes of the Heart."

Saturday Is AREDAY

Come to the Cooper Street Mall from noon to 5 PM for Aspen Renewable Energy Day.

Amanda Boxtel Makes It Work

Post blogger Amanda Boxtel, a pioneer patient, has some help from new friends in Basalt. "Is a pain in the ass worse than a pain in the neck?" she blogs. "That seemed to be the question of the minute, hour, day and week as Dr. Jung dug her elbow deeper into my nervy-hypersensitive bum for the umpteenth time while Dr. Choe pressed hard on two points at the back of my neck. Tears flooded my eyes and trickled down into the pillow as I lay face down on the floor. Last week my tears were a steady flow like a dripping faucet. Despite his remarkably youthful appearance Dr Choe celebrated his 79th birthday on Sunday, August 17th. He is agile and strong, and is well respected around the world. On the morning of our first day of treatment, Dr. Choe was confirming dates to work on Nelson Mandela within the next month in South Africa. I felt very privileged to have a doctor of his caliber work on me in my little condo on the river in Basalt."

Of Aspen Bondage

Post blogger Michael Conniff believes Aspen pols and City staff have learned next to nothing from the affordable housing fiasco. "The major finding from the Town Hall," he blogs, "was the overwhelming consensus that the City is crazy to act as its own developer, and is likely to screw things up again if it doesn’t find someone who knows what they’re doing. The intrinsic, festering problems in affordable housing have nothing to do with issuing a bond, and everything to do with politicians and bureaucrats so set in their ways they can’t change in the face of the obvious. They think the workers of the world are in chains, that the only way to set them free is to keep them in bondage."

Sovreign Wealth Funds And The Price Of Oil

Blogger Raymond Learsey--an Aspen resident and an international expert on oil--writes about how oil got to cost so damn much. "The rise of sovereign-wealth funds and the trillions of dollars accumulated by Asian exporters and petroleum producers is prompting growing anxieties around the world," he blogs, "with increasing concerns that the funds will be used as financial weapons. The issue and the nature of sovereign-wealth funds dominated the recent meeting of the Group of Seven finance ministers. Their concerns were highlighted by the issued statement calling on the International Monetary Fund and the World Bank to examine the structure of the funds, their transparency and accountability. According to the Wall Street Journal the funds have $2 to $3 trillion dollars at their disposal and that could reach $10 trillion within the decade."

RFTA's Identity Crisis

Post blogger Jeffrey Evans of the Common Sense Alliance digs still deeper into the local transportation with the second part of his dissection of RFTA policy. "RFTA is about to propose a major service expansion," he blogs, "so this is an ideal time to gain some insight into the standard statistical tools used to measure transit performance, consider which numbers really matter or apply, and propose some new data points for weighing where we are and where we might want to go from here. For example, if the population of the RFTA service area was a single city, it would have ranked as the 479th largest in the United States in the 2000 US Census. In 2006, area transit service ranked as the 119th largest bus based system in the United States...."

Affordable Housing Bond Lives On (And On)

Don't get conned. LIke it or not, Post blogger Michael Conniff says the City's plans to use debt to pay for affordable housing is alive and well. "I have to look at it this way," he blogs, "if the stealth bond and RETT extension pass in November, then City Council (most of them) and City staff have pulled off a bait-and-switch of epic proportions. The key for them is to extend the RETT even as they set up the precedent of voters sinking the City into debt to pay for affordable housing past and present. The game is still the same: if the bond passes in November, the pols and officials who brought us Burlingate win AGAIN."

CON GAMES RADIO: Carbon Wars, Charlie Firestone

With the fighting in Georgia, the Con Man makes the intellectual journey from the Cold War to what he calls the Carbon Wars beginning with Gulf War I. Also: A visit from Charlie Firestone, head of the Aspen Institute's Communications and Society program.

RFTA Needs Some Gas

In comment #2, Post blogger Jeffrey Evans of the Common Sense Alliance explains what happened to service in Redstone and Woody Creek.

Star Eagle Back In The Saddle

Post blogger Star Eagle returns to cyberspace in comment #4: "A case of Beano, a case of Shiner Bock and unlimited 3-D glasses to see the multi-dimensions of the world. Yeah, Star is back in the saddle, but I still walk a fair amount of the time just because its easier on the pony and, its best to keep my sorry ass in some kind of shape if I need a second wind sometime. Like if Bush/Cheney were to take me up on my personal tag team challenge. Ahhh, but that is another story. Did I mention, 9/11 was a inside job!"

Mitch's Victory Garden

Next summer I'm probably going to turn the backyard into a vegetable garden," writes Post blogger Mitch Mulhall in comment #2, "not because of some irrational devotion to some Eat Local movement, but because I love home grown tomatoes and Eruca sativa, and the kids don't play on the swing set anymore. Besides, my seven-year-olds still fall for the "Pull my finger" gag because I'm quick to scold the dog."

CON GAMES: T. Boone's Doggle

Post blogger Michael Conniff takes issue with the newfound environmental religion of T. Boone Pickens. "No doubt T. Boone Pickens is an honorable man—so are they all, all honorable men—and I’m more than delighted to welcome the likes of T. Boone, Rush Limbaugh, Sean Hannity, Glenn Beck, et al., as they suddenly trumpet the advertorial wonders of hybridization they once decried like hyenas," he blogs. " But I left the Paepcke Auditorium here in Aspen wondering if the oil man had not come to the Aspen Institute with a very different agenda in mind. T. Boone Pickens, you see, may be doing the right and noble thing by the environment, but he ain’t not doing it for nothing."

Step, Step, Turn

Aspen Community Theatre is offering a free dance workshop on August 23rd from 10 am to 3 pm hosted by Marisa Post, the director and choreographer for Aspen Community Theatre’s fall musical, "Chicago."

Taxation Without Representation

In Discussing Mass Transit Part I The Common Sense Alliance writes, "People whose lives don’t fit a bus schedule have no moral obligation to be subsidizing the transportation costs of people whose lives do happen to fit a bus schedule – but it certainly turns out that way." Having read this, Post blogger dankinney cries Taxation Without Representation, "If you live in Redstone or Woody Creek (as I do) & in other areas, an 'equal' portion of our taxes go to subsidize RFTA, right? BUT we do not have equal access. So when the town of Snowmass Village comes up with funds for free bus travel between Aspen & Snowmass Village, shouldn't some of those funds be, in turn, used to subsidize our use?" Good question.

Redstone, Woody Creek Screwed By RFTA

Common Sense Alliance blogger Jeffrey Evans sparks a discussion in comment #1 by dankinney about inequities in the system. "If you live in Redstone or Woody Creek (as I do) & in other areas," dankinney blogs, "an 'equal' portion of our taxes go to subsidize RFTA, right? BUT we do not have equal access. So when the town of Snowmass Village comes up with funds for free bus travel between Aspen & Snowmass Village, shouldn't some of those funds be, in turn, used to subsidize our use?"

Preventing The Summer Slide

Post blogger Cari Shurman says there are ways to prevent the digression one often experiences while away from school each summer. "Each fall teachers spend a lot of time reviewing what was taught last spring," writes Shurman. "It can take as much as six weeks or more. This is because of the 'summer slide'. We all need a break from our 'regular work'. Sports and recreational activities are wonderful. But our minds don’t have to become dormant over the summer. Ron Fairchild, the executive director of the Center for Summer Learning at Johns Hopkins University, suggests there are many ways to try to reduce the recovery time."

CON GAMES: Citizen McCain And The Carbon War

"Under normal circumstances," writes Post blogger Michael Conniff, "the candidate’s insistence on a straight-talking all-of-the-above energy policy would have gone down better than a ginseng smoothie. At one point McCain misquoted Chairman Mao in the midst of the 2008 Beijing Olympic Summer Games: “Let a thousand flowers bloom.” (He actually said that.) But his blooming buffet approach is loaded up with petroleum tone-poems, cantos to clean coal, and a Gregorian chant in homage to drilling anything and everything in sight. That might have worked before Vladimir Putin ate two big bites of Georgia: the course of human events changed abruptly if not prenuptially for the candidate who wraps the flag about his body like one of those spanky Speedo Lazrs in Beijing."

I Need An Idea That Will Make Me Rich Dammit

Sometimes Post blogger Keith Hemstreet gets depressed about the excessive wealth in Aspen. Not only is Keith excluded from the wealthy elite, he doesn't even have a clue as to how he would go about becoming rich. "Aspen is unique in that everyone is exceedingly wealthy," writes Hemstreet, "or is about to become so. For example, the guy who makes balloon animals on the weekends is about to become the richest man in New Zealand. It’s true. He told me so himself. First, he needs to save up enough money to buy a plane ticket to Auckland, but that’s a minor detail. Once he gets himself there, he’s going to present a plan to the government that will not only make him a billionaire many times over."

All Taxes Are Not Created Equal

"If you live in Woody Creek (as I do) & in other areas," writes dankinney in comment #1, "an 'equal' portion of our taxes go to subsidize RFTA. BUT we do not have equal access."

Will Kesler Questions McCain's Constitution

On the occasion of John McCain's visit to Aspen, Post blogger Will Kesler questions his commitment to the Constitution when it comes to federal income taxes.

Eat Local Loco?

"Let me get this straight," Post blogger reckless G writes in comment #1, "you’re blaming the Eat Local movement for the corporate appropriation of their slogans? How was the movement supposed to avoid this inevitability? Copyright their slogans? Come up with complex paragraphical explanations that don’t fit so easily on bumper stickers or restaurant ads?"

Easy Pickens

The famed oil man T. Boone Pickens, born again as the pied piper of alternative energy, comes to the Aspen Institute preaching to the choir about the future of our energy policy. T. Boone Pickens, founder and chairman of BP Capital Management, is principally responsible for the formulation of the energy futures investment strategy of the BP Capital Commodity Fund and the BP Capital Equity Fund. With more than $4 billion under management, BP Capital manages one of the nation’s most successful energy-oriented investment funds. Pickens frequently utilizes his wealth of experience in the oil and gas industry in the evaluation of potential equity investments and energy sector themes. He has not been shy in predicting oil and gas prices and — more often than not — has been uncannily accurate.

The Enemy Is Us

"Those who oppose the City fathers and mothers with such rage," writes Post blogger Michael Conniff in comment #4, "had best beware they don't become the same thing they despise the most in our pols--belligerent and rude."

Aspen's Straight Shot A Matter Of Common Sense

The Common Sense Alliance and Jeffrey Evans--active lobbyists for a coherent Aspen transportation policy and the "straight shot" into Aspen--begins a series of blogs that deconstruct transporation policy. "With apologies to Abraham Lincoln," he blogs, "some of the people can ride the bus all of the time, all of the people could ride the bus some of the time, but not all of the people will ride the bus all of the time. And it’s not a matter of how much room is on the bus; mass transit of any kind is limited to a particular kind of service. There must be a match between the type of trip a traveler is making, and the trip that transit can provide."

'Eat Local' Not Easy To Swallow

New Post blogger Professor James E. McWilliams, author of the acclaimed "American Pests," takes on the "locavores" who belief that local has to be good when it comes to food. "Eat local!" he blogs. "Has a nice ring, doesn’t it? Indeed, for millions of environmentally concerned eaters the allure of this mantra has been irresistible. Due largely to the impassioned literary efforts of an exclusive cadre of savvy food writers, buying locally grown food—and all that it entails—has quickly evolved into nothing less than an expression of earnest environmental virtue. And why not? Cut the food miles, support local farmers, raise an angry fist to globalization, preserve open space, mingle with neighbors while admiring baby squash, scratch that itch for fresh microgreens . . . how could the committed environmentalist gainsay such pure culinary empowerment? Well, there’s actually a veritable compost heap of reasons to question the benefits of eating local (and perhaps I’ll take up that matter in a future entry), but for now what’s really concerning me is not so much the fact that millions of locavores are swallowing their own rhetoric whole, but that corporate marketers are capitalizing on this unmitigated enthusiasm to promote products that counter the movement’s founding ethos."

Where Have You Gone, Bobby Garwood?

In comment #4, new Post blogger Trainman reopens the case of Vietnam MIA PFC Bobby Garwood.

Frosty Coast-To-Coast

Post blogger Frosty Wooldridge makes the big time on the national "Coast To Coast" radio show talking about immigration, his favorite subject: Wooldridge discusses the ramifications of the United States adding 100 million people in the next 30 years. This blockbuster interview shows the United States on a collision path with immigration and overpopulation. Wooldridge emphatically states: 'Overpopulation will become THE single greatest/gravest issue facing America and the world in the 21st century. We either solve it gracefully ourselves or nature will solve it brutally for us.'”

Much Ado About Shakespeare In The Park

The stellar street-theatre troupe, The Hudson Reed Ensemble, brings Shakespeare's "Much Ado About Nothing" to Aspen.

Aspen's Culture of Intimidation

Post blogger Mike McGarry knows about the culture of intimidation in Aspen. "Anyone who claims that but for 'retribution' he would show up to own and express his truth (as he understands it) is lying," he blogs. "He is hiding behind 'reasons' to excuse his weenie-ing out. What really is happening is he just doesn't have the character to withstand disapproval. He is, in short, an approval suck, and his 'reason' for not owning his truth is all made-up, gutless jive. And, oh ,yes, he will wisper over the back fence to the neighbor....But he will never, ever expose himself to any real or imagined disapproval--nope!"

No Lust For Con Man

"With most relationships," Post blogger reckless G says of "Con Games," "after awhile a comfortable familiarity takes the place of frequent hot sex and if you're lucky, friendship replaces lust."

Nothin' A Truckload of 'Necks Can't Fix

In comment #1, Post blogger Marilyn Marks writes, "Aspen is a dichotomy, representing ultimate freedom to those of us who are retired, but with a concerning element of fear-based constraints for those who work here, or are otherwise beholden to the city government.This concern has been addressed by people I’ve heard from on the recent matter of challenging the city on Burlingame [affordable housing development] and taping public meetings [of the Aspen City Council]. Scores of people report that they want to stand beside me, but they fear retribution—retribution delivered by withholding permissions or privileges or business that the city controls."

The Bond Drops In Aspen

"Side-by-side on the front page of the local paper Friday morning were two stories that said everything that’s wrong about Aspen—and, more to the point, everything that’s right," writes Post blogger Michael Conniff. "The first story spoke of the open house on affordable housing I moderated for “The Jerry Bovino Show” at the Paepcke auditorium Thursday night (and seen on GrassRoots TV); the second of Aspen City Manager Steve Barwick’s decision not to support placing a $50 million bond on the ballot come November 2008 to pay for affordable housing. In my opinion, the news contained in both stories was nothing less than a monumental ellipsis in the history of Aspen. a “Return of the Jedi” moment for the plain old people who form the heart and soul of the town...."

Friendly Dictators

Friendly Dictators play Tuesday at Bellyup. No cover. Doors open at 8:00.

How Long Is A Piece of String?

Yes, the Rat is back. "I said I agree with his [The Con Man's] opinions a reasonable amount of the time, not 'most of the time,'" writes long-time Post blogger Wharf Rat in comment #7. "I probably conveyed that idea poorly. What I meant to say in response to I-Con's contention that I disagree with 'everything he does' is that I actually agree with some of his viewpoints. Some of them. What I object to is...well, you all know what I object to."

Benatar Rocks Bellyup

Reserved seating is available. Doors open at 8:00 pm, show starts at 9:00.

Sopprano Jane Eaglen

As the Aspen Music Festival winds down, consider an evening with Soprano Jane Eaglen. She sings Messiaen, Strauss, Brahms, Debussy Sunday.

American Jesus

Post blogger Keith Hemstreet provides Onion-esque satire latest blog titled, "Majority of Nation's Youth Believe Jesus was American." Hemstreet writes, "A recent study conducted by New Millennium Research, Inc., reported that 53 percent of U.S. high school students believe that Jesus Christ was an American. 'Quite honestly I was shocked,' said John Waterhouse, Chief of the Juvenile Research Division. 'Most multiple choice questions include what we call a give me,' Waterhouse explained, referring to the answer that is very obviously incorrect. 'American was the give me.'”

Aspen: City Of Fear

Post blogger Michael Conniff moderated a Town Hall forum on affordable housing and came away "shocked" at the level of intimidation front and center in Aspen. "By the time the topic of intimidation came onto the table, about 50 people were still in the room—the people who really really cared," he blogs. "I think it was Jerry Bovino who asked whether those in the audience felt they could speak out in Aspen without fear of intimidation or retribution. Close to half the hands shot up into the air, including many of those up front and right on the aisle—another signal of their intense interest in the town."

Paul Menter's Worries About The Wheeler Endowment

If former Aspen City Finance Director Paul Menter is worried about the fate of the Wheeler Opera House, maybe you should be worried too. "The real issue is that before the city makes any commitment to building a second theatre...." he writes within comment #4, "The endowment fund...is supposed to provide perpetual funding for the Wheeler Opera House when its RETT tax expires at the end of 2018 — now a mere 10 years away. Current operating and maintenance cost estimates to support the one existing Wheeler theatre place the endowment principal target at a minimum of $70 million. Its current balance is just south of $24 million. Is it possible to get to $70 million?"

Wharf Rat Will Never Be Conned

Wharf Rat returns doing what he does best--criticizing Michael Conniff--with a spoof appropriately called "Comm Games." "Voice of David von Beethoven: 'the opinions expressed on Comm Games are in no way, shape or form attributable to NRC Broadcasting," he blogs, "although those of Rush Limbaugh, Sean Hannity, Jim Rome and Dr. Laura presumably are. If you find yourself dumbfounded by the things the Comm Man says, give him a call! ...ba dum buh dum...Hello again everybody and welcome back to Comm Games--I'm Michael Conniff...ba dum buh dum...the Editor of Aspen Post and your host right here in the triangle of gold--120,000 people within the sound of my voice at a pitch heard primarily by Pat from Aspen and Jimmy Ibbotson."

F.A.I.R: In The Red For Affordable Housing, City Owes Wheeler Fund Millions

In this first effort underwritten by the nonprofit Factual Aspen Investigative Reporting (F.A.I.R.), Post Time News investigates how the City of Aspen is trying to fund affordable housing. "After spending more money than the City had in the bank to bank land for its 32-year-old affordable housing program," Post Time News reports, "the City of Aspen was compelled to borrow $8 million from the Wheeler Opera House fund to help finance more than $35 million in land purchases. The City may be forced to borrow millions more from the City-owned Wheeler to pay off the outstanding balance, according to Aspen Finance Director Don Taylor."

Burlingate: The Cover-Up Continues

New Post blogger Elizabeth Milias believes in the maxim "go hard or go home"--especially when it comes to Burlingame.

Swiss Army Strife

"When my purse was x-rayed and the offending implement was found," writes Post blogger reckless G in comment #3, "I had to make a special trip back to my car or risk losing my precious tool."

Assistant City Manager In Charge Of Burlingame Resigns

Details are sketchy and cause and effect are still unknown. Nonetheless, City of Aspen Assistant City Manager Bentley Henderson has resigned to take the job heading the Public Works department in his hometown of Basalt. "Even so," writes Post blogger Michael Conniff, "it's impossible not to see his departure through the lens of Burlingate--to see everything happening at City Hall in the context of a City with no systems in place to control spending. Even The Aspen Times, which published a whitewash story last week based on a press release describing two city studies--a press realease the City subsequently corrected--managed to finally admit not everything was hunky-dory at Galena and Hopkins."

Chef Dava's Basket Of Plenty

Chef Dava Parr, chef to the stars, is ensconsed in Paonia with a singular mission bring the freshest and bestest food to the Roaring Fork Valley. "My kitchen is legal," she blogs, "so that little bit of info makes The Farmhouse a perfect day trip or overnighter for you looking for Gourmet, Organic Local Cuisine, a pretty drive and a peaceful afternoon or night away. Eggs are in short supply, so you can try ordering them but it is not a guarantee that the chicken will accommodate. It's getting a little hot over here for them too! We have beautiful Sunflowers of all shapes and sizes coming on in both the and the Farmhouse Bouquet, and Ashley will have her Sunny bouquet on offer for a few weeks."

The Full Condi

Post Editor Michael Conniff attended an afternoon of Words and Music with none other than the U.S. Secretary of State, Condoleeza Rice--and explains why he could not bring himself to stand during several ovations lavished on Ms. Rice. "I stayed on my fat whining butt—Seat 827, Row N, Section 800, for the record—for the Vulcan the Secret Service calls 'Falcon' because I have come to absolutely hate the way everyone loves Condi... Charming: I’m sure she’s kind to animals and fond of little children, too, for a person who has blood on her hands..."

Which Civil Liberty Is Next?

In comment #2, Post blogger Kit O'Carra chimes in on the "knife control" debate by pointing out the kinds of civil liberties we have lost. "Rest assured," Kit writes, "that TSA is doing their part to end this madness. On a recent check-in procedure I was being scanned through all of the detectors, unknowingly carrying a one-inch promotional Swiss knife that had been hidden in the crevices for years of the purse I had chosen to take on the trip with me... I was let off with a warning and shamed for trying to appear as a solid citizen in good standing with our nation."

U.S Pipe With Citrus

Get your funk on with U.S. Pipe and Citrus (formerly of P-Funk). BellyUp doors open at 8:00 pm Sunday.

Mongol

This Academy Award nominee for Best Foreign Language Film aired at Paepcke Auditorium. Set in Central Asia and boasting dazzling cinematography, this beautifully mounted epic is directed by one of Russia's foremost talents, Sergei Bodrov.

Chef Dava Opens B&B In Paonia

Chef Dava Parr, famous for her delivery of fresh stuff to the valley, jumps into the B&B business with a new place in Paonia.

McMurtry Rocks Bellyup

Buzzin' Cousin James McMurtry plays at Bellyup this Saturday night at 9:00 pm.

Dissecting Knife Violence

In Stop The Madness-Lock Up The Knives, Post blogger Mitch Mulhall takes a look at some fresh examples of knife violence and proposes seven sure-fire measures to wipe out knife violence for good. "Death by stabbing is all too common," Mulhall writes. "If only it were it possible to limit knife ownership, we could curb this unnecessary form of violence. Although I would personally like to see as many civilian-owned knives eliminated from mainstream society as possible, I realize that this is not a politically realistic goal... my own, seven-point plan for knife control, if adopted, can help put an end to knife violence once and for all."

CON GAMES RADIO: Dog Stories, Broadway Babes, A Bug's Life

The Con Man covers the waterfront with visits from the photographer behind "Dogs I've Nosed," the Broadway Babes starring in Theatre Aspen's black comedy "Crimes of the Heart," and Jim McWilliams, the Texas State University history professor who wrote "American Pests" covering the ground from colonial times to DDT.

Diversity, Thy Name Is Mud

Post blogger Frosty Woolridge never misses a chance to hammer home the point that immigration is changing the United States as we know it. "Anyone may look across the world landscape over the last 1,000 years to witness that racial conflict injects itself into every aspect of human life."

'Crimes of the Heart' Chimes @ Theatre Aspen

Post blogger Michael Conniff spent a night under the tent in Rio Grande Park and finally found out dysfunction can be damn funny. "Maybe you've seen the movie with Diane Keaton, Jessica Lange, and Sissy Spacek," he blogs, "but the stage version at Theatre Aspen surpasses those performances in my opinion. The actors almost seem to bust out of their seams with talent: toward the end of the evening the three McGrath sisters also show you that they can all sing beautifully--to go with their mastery of comedy, drama, and that place in between where most of life goes down. You hear their beautiful voices after all the comedy and carnage that has transpired, and you know from that point on there's nothing these actresses can't do."

Accepting A PICC-Line Like A Man

Post favorite DrBill recently shared some personal information about the medical challenges he faces. Post staff is pleased to read he is facing these challenges with the courage and humility necessary to come out on top. "Okay, I am a creature of habit and routine does work for me and it is a good thing because that is what it takes to line up with the schedule here. Rigorous, almost grueling, but doable. I look at this with passion as my full-time job with a potential huge payoff of a full life again." We at Post Time Media speak for all of us when we say, "Godspeed, Dr. Bill."

The Secret Of Tai Chi For Kids

In comment #9, Post blogger Cari Shurman tells how she pioneered Tai Chi to to train teachers to help kids calm down and concentrate better. "I have ben a teacher for over 30 years. When I decided to offer Tai Chi in the schools I wanted to train teachers so that they can use the movements in the classroom before tests to calm the kids down and get oxygen flowing to their brains to concentrate better. I also wanted them to be able to use it to help ADD and ADHD kids, to give focus to a discussion on bullying, to calm kids down who are feeling hyper. So I decided I needed to simplify Tai Chi so a teacher could learn it quickly and use it easily in the classroom."

Burlingate Whitewash Won't Wash

News that two independent inquiries into how the City of Aspen handled Burlingate led to the City issuing a press release exonerating itself--and then having to retract it the very next day. Post blogger Michael Conniff reports: "Paul Backes of McMahan and Associates said the phrase in the first sentence of the press release, that both firms 'found no evidence of intentional misrepresentation of facts related to the project,' was inaccurate because 'that was not within the scope of our engagement.' As for the statement in the second sentence, that 'Burlingame Phase I was delivered on budget with expenses accounted for properly,' Jason Smith of Alvarez disagreed, saying: 'We didn't look at the budget. We looked at expenses.'"

Burlingame Never Had A Budget, So How Can It Be Verified?

"This may not sound like a big deal to most readers," writes Post blogger Marilyn Marks in comment #1. "However, what we are talking about here is a major, and serious misinformation campaign, yet again. The audacity of the city to say that the auditors 'verified' that Burlingame I was 'on budget' is astonishing. First, there WAS NO budget, as verified in the press confernce on Monday. Secondly, neither auditor was given anything remotely like a budget to review. For the city to try to "clear itiself" by fabricating opinions and findings from auditors is just astounding. "

Condi's Coming

Secretary of State Condi Rice knows how to play the game--and the piano during her upcoming visit to her alma mater, the Aspen Music Festival.

Say Hey! Music Fest And Ballet!

One of the highlights of the summer: the Aspen Santa Fe Ballet makes a return visit under the tent with the Aspen Music Fest. "The Aspen Music Festival and School and Aspen Santa Fe Ballet are collaborating again this year, presenting another very special night of dance and music, Wednesday, August 6 in the Benedict Music Tent, this time accompanied by a full, live orchestra. The program will feature 1st Flash, choreographed by Finland’s Jorma Elo and danced to Finnish composer Jean Sibelius’ achingly beautiful Violin Concerto in D Minor, and Wolfgang by noted choreographer David Parsons, a witty and exuberant dance that highlights the playful music of Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart."

CON GAMES RADIO: Dark Knight, Tarantino's Violence, Obama-McCain

The Con Man talks about his meeting with "The Dark Knight" at the multiplex, and his flap with Uma Thurman's father, Professor Robert Thurman of Columbia, about the violence in Quentin Tarantino's movies. Also: handicapping McCain-Obama.

CON GAMES: Violence On The QT With Quentin Tarantino

Read the blog featured on the front page of the Entertainment section of The Huffington Post. "It turns out Robert Thurman, the author of 'Why The Dalai Lama Matters' is not only a professor of Indo-Tibetan matters at Columbia University," writes Post blogger Michael Conniff, "but also the very first Tibetan monk to come from America.... In the bargain he fathered Uma, the actress most associated with Tarantino’s voluminous “Kill Bill” movies, both Volumes I and II. Irony, anyone? A former Tibetan monk whose glamorous daughter chop-chops more bone and gristle in 'Kill Bill' than a veg-o-matic set to 'dismember.'"

If You Needed Reason To Worship

The Aspen Chapel Choir and Orchestra will perform J.S. Bach's Nun Danket Alle Gott during worship services Sunday morning.

What's In A Drum Circle

In comment #3, Post blogger Kit O'Carra defines a drum circle using Wikipedia and the 1991 Senate testimony of grateful dead drummer Mickey Hart. "A drum circle is any group of people playing (usually) hand-drums and percussion in a circle... Typically, people gather to drum in drum "circles" with others from the surrounding community. The drum circle offers equality because there is no head or tail... and a new voice, a collective voice, emerges from the group as they drum together. "

Hookless Polework

Are you longing for exercise but haven't found the right activity? Strippersculpt begins today.

Aspen Post Writer Interviews Dalai Lama

This weekend, the Aspen Institute welcomed the Dalai Lama as its keynote speaker for a symposium on Tibetan culture, art, science, and spiritualism. Keith Hemstreet caught up with His Holiness for a brief interview at the J-Bar. What transpired was far from typical, and purely imaginative. Keith: [to Lama] Bloody Mary? Nice choice, my man. [to bartender] I’ll have one, too. Grey Goose, and double it up. Lama: How are you, my son? Keith: I’m okay. A little hung over, but okay. Lama: It is a pleasure to meet you. Keith: Yeah, dido. I know you don’t have a lot of time, so let’s get down to brass tacks. I’ve got a lot of crazy shit going on in my life. I need some sort of balance or clarity or something. A way to keep the demons at bay, so to speak. So, my question to you is, how would one go about attaining buddhahood?

Hunter Creek Trail Repair

Ever wonder who maintains the area's hiking trails that we all enjoy? Often times, it's volunteers. Join the Roaring Fork Outdoor Volunteers today repair portions of the Hunter Creek Trail.

Welcoming All Bloggers

In comment #1, Post blogger Kit O'Carra welcomes newcomer, Cari Shurman. "It's great to see new bloggers with their ideas and experiences. I have a special interest in your blog and ways to enhance the health of others."

CON GAMES RADIO: Paige Price Of Theatre Aspen, The Schochet Effect

Paige Price of Theatre Aspen visits the Con Man to tell about the premier of "Crimes of the Heart" under the tent in Rio Grande Part, and to say what she learned in her first year as artistic director. Then Barry Schochet weighs in on what he sees as the sanguine effects of the Iraq war.

Hunter Was No Traitor

"It’s sort of a herd mentality," the late Dr. Hunter S. Thompson Jr. says of the press, "a lemming-like mentality. If you don’t go with the flow you’re anti-American and therefore a suspect. And we’ve seen this before, these patriotic frenzies. It’s very convenient having an undeclared war that you can call a war and impose military tribunals and wartime security and we have these generals telling us that this war’s going to go on for a long, long time.... To be against them is to be patriotic, then hell, call me a traitor."

Tai Chi For Kids

New Post blogger Cari Shurman's passion for children and Tai Chi comes through in her Aspen Post debut.

Zele Table: Altitude With Josh Landis

Zele Community Table is the place where you can find out about some of the most intelresting people in Aspen--like Josh Landis of the Altitude Body Performance Center. "Self-actualization means—you could equate it to having the discipline to go deep into any practice," he says. "You can get to deeper levels of understanding of things.... You learn about your center and your breath and how to maximize your movement. From a mental standpoint—the ability to have extreme focus to stick through things when they’re difficult.... I would like to make it more of a blend of East-West than it is. The Eastern part of things requires an openness of minds to get to the deep levels of understanding."

Citizenship For The 21st Century

Nobody loves America quite like Frosty Woolridge. "Today," he blogs, "after 20 years with the last three presidents, Americans watch their most precious value erode into meaninglessness. Does U.S. citizenship mean anything to this president, our Congress, our governors and our mayors of major cities. After 9/11 decimated our national security blanket, our borders needed closing. Our immigration laws and visas needed immediate tightening as most of the bombers hailed from Saudi Arabia. All of them lied on their applications without fear of inspection. Yet, current policy allows endless immigration by Saudi nationals as well as many others from the Middle East. Has anything changed? Not!"

CON GAMES RADIO: Obama's Journey, Project Compassion

The Con Man begins with a dissertation and dissection of Barack Obama's sojourn to the Middle East, then comes back in hour two with an interview with Stanford neurosurgeon Dr. Jim Doty, a Dalai Lama believer making the connection between the mind...and compassion and altruism.

Correcting The Correction Of The Correction

Post blogger Marilyn Marks has a full-time job trying to get the right information out of the City of Aspen--and the local newspapers. "Yes," she blogs in comment #1, "after my considerable nagging of the city staff, the Aspen Daily News did print a story on Saturday attempting to correct the City ad which purportedly attempted to correct a city-fabricated rumor. Problem was that they STILL got it wrong. The City understated the cost by $1.3 million in their correction story. I went back to nagging, and on Sunday, if you read the fine print, the Daily News corrected the correction of the correction."

We Blog Therefore We Am

What's the point of blogging? Post Blogger Mitch Mulhall asked. First reckless G had the answer and now another blogger comes to the fore. “E’hem, Mitch," wrote Post blogger Irish Kit O'Carra in comment #6. "Shall I quote you from your response to me on April 30th when I questioned why anyone would care about my blogs from the Oregon Coast? You wrote: [Aren't you setting your expectations, e'hem, lower than you should?] We, as bloggers, give a crap about what we write ourselves. The least we can do is give a crap about what others are writing when we aren't. Otherwise, where would AP be?"

Waterboarding, Waterboarding, Everywhere

"Where did Christopher Hitchens receive his fake torture?" writes Post blogger Hugh McCormack in comment #7.

CON GAMES RADIO: Obama 'Messiah,' Fat Like Me

It's The Obama, Stupid

"The economy is the main issue in the election," writes Post blogger reckless G, "and would fare better in the first year of a McCain presidency, even though Obama would best manage the economy and holds the lead in the presidential race. Are these economists schizophrenic? How accurate are economic projections anyway? Where do economists get the statistics to base their projections on?... If indeed 'it’s the economy, stupid,' then Obama is danger of becoming the first black candidate to fail in a bid for the presidency. Still an achievement, but not quite what Obama supporters are hoping for. Especially those who have promised a steak dinner to some of us who believe McCain will be our next president."

You're All Wet, Hughie

"Ok, Hugh," writes Post blogger Mitch Mulhall in comment #11, "Hitchens goes all George Plimpton on the subject of waterboarding and you're willing to dismiss it...."

CON GAMES RADIO: 'Why The Dalai Lama Matters,

An eclectic mix from the Con Man: Robert Thurman, author of "Why The Dali Lama Matters," the father of actress Uma Thurman; then a rant on City officials blaming him for a rumor; and finally a visit from Aspen Olympian snowboarder Chris Klug, with news of his foundation to promote organ donation.

What Do You Want For Nothing?

Post blogger Mitch Mulhall considers feedback and thinks Thursday night's offering at Belly Up a fine antidote.

Con Man Sacks Burlingate Coverage

Is The Con Man the cause of the Burlingate rumor mill? Not a chance."Now I'm really really mad," he blogs. "The City of Aspen has identified yours truly as the source of the half-a-billion dollar Burlingame 'rumor.' In a story by the always power-friendly Carolyn Sackariasan of The Aspen Times, she spells my name right on the front page in a lead story and gets everything else wrong. Nor did she bother to even try to contact me to set the record straight. Never would she let the facts get in the way of a good story if that story advances the Burlingate coverup. I debunked the 'rumor' in detail on my 'Con Games' radio show and on Aspen Post this week: I never said Burlingate was a $500 million debacle...."

Dalai Lama Renaissance

Aires Sunday at Paepcke Auditorium. Watch as the Dalai Lama meets with luminaries and thinkers to discuss the world's problems.

POST TIME TELEVISION: Letters From Hunter Thompson

Aspen's man of letters, the late Dr. Hunter S. Thomspon Jr., submitted to an interview on "Charlie Rose" about his 20,000 letters, of all things.

CON GAMES RADIO: Interview With Hunter Thompson Author

The Con Man welcomes William McKeen, who has just completed his second book on Dr. Hunter S. Thompson, "Outlaw Journalist: The Life and Times of Hunter S. Thompson."

Aspen Poet's Society Showcases Area's Talent

Poetry Night at Zele Cafe has been popular with locals since its inception in the fall of 2006. Not only do the readings often draw a packed house, but they also expose the talents of many budding poets residing in the valley. Based on the events success, two local woman decided to give the community a forum specifically designed for poets looking to share their work with a greater audience. "Aspen Poets' Society was born of the desire to provide an electronic site for poets to share their original works with lovers of the written word – fellow poets and non-poets alike," writes the groups founders, Lisa Max Zimet and Kim Nuzzo. "A place where one can go any time of day or night, seven days a week, 24 hours a day. A place that knows no geographic boundaries." Click here for your morning dose of prose.

Theatre Aspen Heading For Home

Post blogger Michael Conniff had a seat on the aisle Thursday night for the stage directorial debut of Jay Sandrich. "[T]he Sandrich touch in Rounding Third is sure and nuanced, never sacrificing the cheap laugh for the telling moment."

A Conversation With God

Post blogger Keith Hemstreet had a recent encounter with the Almighty. "I stepped into church, knelt down, and began to pray," writes Hemstreet. "You can imagine my surprise when I heard someone respond. The one-act play below is a transcription of the conversation that followed. I must inform the reader, my memory is infallibly photographic. Therefore, the dialogue’s authenticity is guaranteed. Not a single word has been changed." Keith: God… God: Yes. Keith: (startled) Uh, who said that? God: Me. Keith: (looking around, puzzled) Me who? God: Who do you think? Keith: Gilbert Gottfried? God: No. Me God, you imbecile. Keith: Oh, I’m sorry. Your voice is just…different than I had imagined. God: What sort of voice had you imagined? Keith: I don’t know. Maybe something a little more “James Earl Jones-y.”

River Yoga

The Aspen Club & Spa ramps up a whole 'nother way of doing yoga, thanks to instructors River Morgan and Mary Kate Hauenstein. "Starting last week, Morgan and Hauenstein began conducting donation-based yoga classes held at the Aspen Club that are open to the public, and not just members. This system allows the yoga students to pay as little or as much as they want, therefore removing the financial pressure of attending the classes."

Your Brother Is A What?

ASPEN SummerFILMS presents the Italian film "My Brother Is an Only Child," tomorrow at Paepcke Auditorium.

Too Much Heavy Lifting

In an obvious attempt to re-heat the leftovers of the journalism v. blogging debate, Post blogger Mitch Mulhall writes, “journalists presume a mantle of authority based on an intellectual decorum they think most people would rather not bother with… Case in point, the Killian documents, submitted on 60 Minutes Wednesday (September 4, 2004) by then-host Dan Rather to impugn President Bush’s National Service Record. Blogger Charles Foster Johnson took a look at the documents and realized that the typographical qualities... could not have been accomplished by any typewriter contemporaneous with Bush’s military service... Consider insead Mr. Rather’s relevance today.”

Master Of The Off-Chance

Easily the best Zeppelin song ever... Let In the Evening rock your world at Belly Up tomorrow night, doors open at 8:00 pm.

Rove Says Obama 'Brilliant' Like Me

The Con Man takes a look at Karl Rove's brilliant dissection of the Obama campaign and gleans the meaning: briliant is as Rove does. "Presidential architect Karl Rove’s mainly miss-the-mark missives in the Wall Street Journal are a thing of beauty," he blogs, "but none have quite reached the level of co-opted op-ed pulchritude as his latest exercise in self-aggrandizement, modestly headlined “Barack’s Brilliant Ground Game.”Karl Rove, far too executive-privileged to show up for Congressional testimony, nonetheless has all the time in the free world to tell his free market pals that Democratic Presidential nominee-to-be Barack Obama in 'brilliant' because his is following Rove’s obviously brilliant strategems from 2000 and 2004, when he took a booze-free Texas back-slapper with a hitch in his delivery and nursed him to first place in our quadrennial Presidential beauty contest."

Burlingate Won't Add Up

New Post blogger Marilyn Marks--the conscience of City Hall--arrives at Aspen Post ready to make sure the truth gets heard, starting with false advertising coming from Aspen City Hall. "After puzzling over the City’s ad in Friday’s Aspen Times, I am now recommending that the City engage Andrew as an arithmetic consultant. The ad (possibly) poses a “'Question #1: Burlingame is a half billion dollar mistake.'” The question mark seems to be missing, causing me to wonder whether this is a question, or a confession to a far greater mistake than we have imagined. Or is it another 'language error?' The response to this baffling question seems to be stated as “'Fact: We’ve built 84 units, installed all utilities to the site, and are constructing 7 single family homes, all for $58.5 million.'”

Green Light For Aspen Club

To the surprise of many, the heretofore recalcitrant Aspen City Council gave conceptual approval to The Aspen Club & Spa's modernization plan.

CON GAMES RADIO: Burlingate Ad Scam, Obama's War, Satire Quagmire

The Con Man is apoplectic that the Aspen City Council is misquoting him in its misinformation campaign in support of the Burlingate bond fiasco. Then: Obama's new war platform, political correctness, and the infamous Barack-Michelle New Yorker cover.

City's Burlingate Ad Scam

"Now I'm really mad," writes Post blogger Michael Conniff. "First the Aspen City Council, knowingly or not, published a brochure wih gargantuan errors that helped convince unsuspecting voters to vote for the Burlingate affordable housing project. Then Mayor Mick Ireland and Aspen City Council--for reasons no Kremlinologist could ever fathom--fought tooth and nail to squelch any investigation, most recently the suggestion of an independent prosecutor. Now it gets personal. In a newspaper advertising campaign paid for with taxpayer dollars, the City is misquoting something I said so as to present further misinformation about Burlingate, so as to pass the infamous $75 million bond in November. Without the bond to paper over their mistakes, Burlingate Phases II and III could fade into memory. No wonder they continue to mislead the public."

City Staff Gets It Wrong, Wrong, Wrong (Again)

"It is too bizarre for words," writes Post blogger Marilyn Marks in comment #1. "Not only do they misquote you as saying that Burlingame was a 'half billion dollar MISTAKE,' but they claim in the rresponse marked 'fact' that they are building 7 single family homes in their total cost of $58.5 million. It is just plain untrue. The single family lot owners are building their own homes at their own expense, which is NOT included in the city’s $58.5 million. After several rounds of emails, the city finally confirmed that my information was correct, and that, contrary to their ad, the single family homes were not included in the cost. I asked if they would correct their statement, and they refused, saying that they saw no need to correct it."

Neo Ain't Me-O

"I am a conservative," new Post blogger THX 1138 in comment #10. "Does this mean I am a neoconservative? I consider myself very open minded and seeking the truth in everything."

CON GAMES RADIO: 'Dali Llama Renaissance,' The Schochet Effect

The Con Man's open lines open up for sweet crude and Burlingate, then welcomes the man behind the Aspen Film presentation "Dali Llama Renaissance." Batting cleanup: Barry Schochet in the The Schochet Effect on Fannie Mae, Freddie Mac, and all things political.

Torture With A Hitch

Post blogger Mitch Mulhall says Christopher Hitchens underwent waterboarding and comes away to say that it's outright drowning, with no help in sight.

Chris Klug Honors Nancy Dick

Nobody does it better than the Chris Klug Foundation, with the Aspen snowboarding Olympic medalist's focus on donors who make a difference.

Cut The Crap And Comment

Who says nobody cares what Post blogger Mitch Mulhall thinks? "First of all I give a crap," writes Post bloggger reckless G in comment #3. "Why do you think I’m always pressing you to express your thoughts? Second, the entire concept of blogging is to express what you think, NOT to link to what other people think. You know what I think? I think you’re just too lazy to formulate your thoughts in written form here on Aspen Post…OR too scared. Conversations consist of thoughts. Without thoughts, no conversation. I don’t give a crap what Hitchens thinks. I’d rather have a conversation with you than him any day.... But to find out what you think is like pulling teeth."

CON GAMES RADIO: Theatre Aspen 'Rounding Third,' Mind-Body, Aspen Youth Experience

The Con Man welcomes legendary sitcom director Jay Sandrich to talk about his stage directorial debut at Theatre Aspen, and also talks with Kevin Stapleton, one of the leads. In the second hour, he re-plays an interview about the strange powers of the mind with Sandra Blakeslee of The New York Times, then chats with some Aspen Youth Experience graduates and executive director David Wiedinmyer.

Bovino Says Investigate The Suckers

Post blogger Jerry Bovino gets behind Jim Perry's idea for an independent investigation to find out what the hell happened at Burlingate.

Future Of The Aspen Club

"We are all the future of The Aspen Club & Spa and we are all the future of Aspen," writes Kim Moore. "That’s because as we look beyond tourism, real estate and construction, we look toward a future of sustainability and healthy living — an opportunity to combine local vitality with economic survival. Let’s take a trip down memory lane to get a sense of this Aspen institution known as The Aspen Club & Spa..... [In the future] Aspen Club employees live and breathe the Aspen idea while living on-site in desirable affordable housing. With the opportunity to grow professionally, they choose to stay in town rather than move downvalley or to a big city."

A Multicultural Mess

Post blogger Frosty Wooldridge hates illegal immigration with a passion that knows the bounds of no prose. "Multiculturalism proves a deadly mix of racism, social incongruity, irreconcilable ethnic groups and the fabricated presumption that everybody loves everybody else," write Wooldrige. "One glance into any cafeteria in the United States for a look at self-segregation illustrates the failure of ‘multiculturalism’. A single glance at the racial violence accelerating in our inner cities demonstrates our expanding quandary."

Wharf Rat Smells A Rat

Who else but MIA Post blogger Wharf Rat would diagnose Michael Conniff's comments on columnist Thomas Friedman as an exercise in self-analysis. "I-Con," he blogs. "That is a cleverly-disguised self-analysis.... Have you noticed that Friedman also refers to everyone and anyone as an 'expert' and everything he is involved with is the 'best'? His readers are the 'best audience in all of journalism,' for instance. I think he also disseminates his meta-analysis on the 'best local blog in the country....' Where does he find all these wonderful friends who are also renowned leaders in their respective fields? If he's not introducing the world to a preeminent immigration 'expert,' he's mining the the human strata for cancer 'babes'!!"

New Diagnosis For DrBill

Known to Aspen Post readers for his love of film, Post blogger DrBill has to come to grips with a terrible disease that has changed his life.

CON GAMES: Code Friedman

"Thomas Friedman, the Pulitzer Prize-winning columnist of The New York Times, was officially christened as king of the world over the weekend in Aspen—and why the hell not?" writes the Con Man. "He wore the mantle lightly at the Aspen Ideas Festival, in part because he married into the gazillionaire Buxbaum family, who have so far given tens of millions of dollars to the town, with the latest dollop a $25 million downpayment for a spanky campus at the Aspen Music Festival and School. But Friedman’s wallop at the podium has all but nothing to do with Bucksbaum bucks, and everything to do with his prescient ability to package the zeitgeist with the tidiness of a juice box—the kind that comes with its own self-piercing straw."

Scott Bayens Says 'Transparency Now!'

New Post blogger Scott Bayens weighs in on the vagueries of the Aspen City Council. "My question is simple," he blogs. "At what point did these public figures decide they were no longer accountable to their constituents? Questions should be asked, politicians should be held to account, sunshine should be shed on every dealing, every comment, every decision, especially now in the wake of one of the biggest financial missteps in the area’s history.... That fact alone is reason for not only a full scale, independent investigation but perhaps as some have suggested, a moratorium on more public housing projects until we figure out what happened, how to correct it and how to move forward in the future."

When You Drug The Kids

Post blogger Jim Vail reaches back into his past--caring for his mother--when it comes to using prescription drugs on children. "Just today," he writes, "I heard somewhere on one of the news channels that doctors are advocating that kids as young as 7 start taking cholesterol-reducing meds and that parents should start getting their kid's cholesterol levels checked by the age of 2! I took care of my disabled mom during the last 10 years of her life. Her main problems were arthritis and heart disease. While doing my duty as a caretaker, I did a lot of research on how to help her. I found the "Life Extension Foundation" to be my most valuable resource on different nutritional remedies and the latest research on various illnesses and/or longevity. I/we were using things like shark cartilage, melatonin and glucosamine long before the general public even knew such things existed."

CON GAMES RADIO: Aspen Deaf Camp, Alternative Energy Policy, Iraqis Tell U.S. To Take A Hike

The Con Man welcomes Judith Cross of Aspen Deaf Camp and Rob Leventhal of the Double-Diamond Band to Con Games, then launches into a discussion of alternative energy policy and the Iraqi government's request that the United States leave the country.

O'Carra Considers Cord Cuttin'

In comment #3, Kit O'Carra says, "The only thing I miss about the [Roaring Fork] valley is the live music." Apparently Kit still has a MySpace page associated to her time in Woody Creek. Of this page, and of her relationship with Aspen Post, she writes, "I'm sure one of these days in the near future I will make the final cut of the umbilical cord, not only to the Woody Creek page but to the valley and Aspen Post as well." This member of Aspen Post staff, for one, contends once you've lived here, you can never get this valley out of your blood.

The Measure Of A Man

In comment #7, Post blogger Reckless G writes of the true measure of humanity and asserts that those principles apply to nations, "I think conservatives whining over giving Guantanamo detainees legal rights is also absurd. Civil rights are inalienable, pertain to all humans, not just American citizens, and regardless of the person's origin of birth, if they are being detained by the U.S., then our legal system should uphold their rights. The measure of a man is not in how people treat him, but in how he treats others. This pertains to nations as well...in my opinion."

Keep On Gettin' Stoned

Tired of the same-old same-old? Put on your party hat with Steve Earle and Allison Moorer. Show at 10:00 pm at Belly Up.

Seeds Of Beauty

Actress Tyne Daly and writers Alex Kuczynski and Dana Thomas spoke to a crowd at the Aspen Ideas Festival on Friday about women and beauty... The panel discussed beauty and perfection in the acting and modeling industries and how impossibly high standards of appearance have seeped into all areas of life, including work and politics.

CON GAMES RADIO: Rock 'N' Roll In Basalt, Thomas Friedman, Cancer Babes

The Con Man shows his range with Lynn Goldsmith, one of the great rock 'n' roll photographers of all time, then segues to whether Thomas Friedman deserves sainthood--and a visit from the Cancer Babes of the Pathfinders group for survivors.

Illuminated Balls & Other Horrors of the Fourth

“My family and I were seated on our deck,” writes Post blogger Keith Hemstreet, “watching the fireworks, when our neighbor emerged from his apartment wearing only his underwear. He leaned against the railing, his ass now propped in our face, and began to “ooh” and “awe” as the fireworks lit the sky. These were not stylish underpants he was wearing, nor where they boxers, which I could have tolerated. He wore standard issue tighty whitey’s. I gave my wife a look that said, “Is this guy for real?” and tried to keep my daughters focused on the firework display. Needless to say, this special moment with my family was ruined.”

Come Original

“Know what I like about your blogs Irish Kit?” asks piepowder444 in comment #1, “You aren't stuck in spinning wheel hashing out the same words in a different order about the same old thing over and over.”

As We Seek, So Shall We Find

Get your groove on tonight when the harmonica crazed Blues Traveler takes the Belly Up stage.

Aspen Council Has No Shame

Post blogger Michael Conniff can't believe what he just saw when it comes to the money-is-no-object Aspen City Council. "You can't make this up," he blogs. "The spendthrift Aspen City Council...has raised the hilarity to a new level by trying to come up with another $23.5 million... 'The additional expenses will take the 2008 budget from $104.7 million to $128.2 million in expenditure appropriations.' When the Aspen budget exceeded $100 million for the first time a few years ago it was big news, but now a more than 20 percent increase in mid-year is considered 'routine?'"

Don't Con Reckless G

Post blogger reckless G, AKA Sue Gray, is not a happy camper. "Several times in the past few weeks, Michael Conniff has publicly accused me of being a conspiracy theorist on his show Con Games," she blogs. "I cringe every time I hear that, mainly because I have spent the last several years trying to distance myself from the conspiracy theories of 9/11, in order to preserve what shred of credibility I have left in this community. The accusation stems from my call-in statement regarding the Iraq war. My assertion is that the Bush administration, or more accurately the Neocon cabal involved in among other things, the Project for a New American Century... I contend that their intention all along was to get their foot in the door, and make certain that things went so horribly wrong that we’d have an excuse to stay indefinitely. There is a trail of evidence five miles long on this one."

Conspiracy Is As Conspiracy Does

Post blogger Edward Troy, the liberal gladiator, weighs in on the care and feeding of conspiracies. "The Bush Administration was already in very deep trouble before 9-11," he blogs, "the collapse of the capital markets and loss of respect amongst those identified as political pundits. If we can ignore the WTC bombing, how do we ignore Khobar Towers, the Embassy bombings, the USS Cole, the Millenial plot? Did the ministry of information evaporate this history? Now I admit there was a deliberate ignoring of Richard Clarke's information via email at least officially. Neverthe less, this does not allow ignorance of and from the public history."

Books Go To Hell

Post blogger Michael Conniff not only ponders the plight of the lowly book--but posits a future as yet unseen when ink and paper is replaced by an entirely new and dynamic form. How does he know? He ain't telling. "When I saw the book 'Print Is Dead: Books In Our Digital Age,' my great fear was that Jeff Gomez had found out the great secret I have been carrying around for fifteen years in hopes that nobody would find me out," writes Conniff. "Fortunately for me, Gomez—an Internet marketing executive for a book company—made his way through his fascinating dissertation with many compelling observations of his own, though without coming close to my conclusion about the future."

One Man's Meat (And Potatoes) For Star Eagle

"To the real meat and potatoes of your post," Star Eagle blogs to reckless G in #5. "Of course you are right on the MONEY again. And this brings me to a analogy I find very relevant today. That the damn kids that fueled the revolution of the 60's and early 70's have morphed into the establishment they battled in the day. We are fortunate that todays kids are under less duress from most vectors, save economics. That, and the fact that the fossils both outnumber them and fearfully have mastered their control, of course, at the expense of the freedom they themselves enjoyed in their fading youth. But back to the real point. We are controlled (paralyzed) by our economics. Perhaps, I believe, even more so than the establishment of old was. This is the foundation laid in place (by who?), and on which we have built our economic fortune and future. Nothing to see here, just keep moving along please."