The shock of discovering that my dog is a Republican

Sonny, with a friend. Dogs: you think you know them — but do you really? In recent weeks, this question has taken on a great deal of importance at my house, which is ruled, to one degree or another, by Sonny, our beloved seven-year-old Miniature Schnauzer, who has recently come…

A Boulder scientist fights the short pour

It all started about a year ago, when Boulder scientist Chris Holloway got into a discussion with the brewmaster at his favorite Boulder pub. The brewer insisted that a 22-ounce “bomber” bottle was nearly equal to two 16-ounce pints of nectar from the tap. He knew this because whenever he…

From the week of November 20, 2008

“Con School,” Alan Prendergast, November 6 Prose and Cons Thank you for the story from the ever-brilliant Alan Prendergast concerning the Cheyenne Mountain Re-Entry Center. My husband was sent to the facility last fall against his wishes. Upon entry, he was given a Bible and told that he must sign documents…

The Westword.com blog shortcut, November 19 edition

The Fray are waiting for you. The hits just keep on comin’. Today in Backbeat Online: • The Fray is previewing new songs live at Snow Daze in Vail. • Talking golf and rock in a Q&A with Dead Confederate’s Hardy Morris. • Apollo Sunshine’s Sam Cohen gets the Backbeat…

Breaking News: Joe Principe’s standoff with the cops ends badly

Three views of Joe Principe. The call came into my voicemail Monday morning, November 17. “I’m calling to give you the exclusive rights to a standoff with the government,” the voice said. “I’m not going to leave my house. They’re jamming me up again… after all this nonsense that I’ve…

Take a trip to Megalopolis tonight at the Denver Film Festival

An image from Megalopolis. Megalopolis, which screens tonight at 6:45 p.m. at the Starz FilmCenter as part of the Denver Film Festival, is, nominally, a documentary. But it’s a documentary without a specific point to make — a documentary that revels in the details while leaving the big picture or…

Zinna v. Congrove: It ain’t over until it’s over

Jim Congrove. Jefferson County Commissioner Jim Congrove had such an eventful first term in office — a grand jury probe into his financial dealings, a Colorado Bureau of Investigation inquiry into the county’s use of a private investigator who happens to be a bosom pal of Big Jim, a slew…

TV host Aaron Harber on why he should be Colorado’s next Secretary of State

Aaron Harber. At present, twenty people have submitted applications for Colorado’s Secretary of State job, including several big-name politicos: Andrew Romanoff, the term-limited speaker of Colorado’s House of Representatives; Ken Gordon, the majority leader for the state senate; Rosemary Rodriguez, the chairwoman of the Election Assistance Commission, Representative Bernie Buescher,…

Could Wayne Allard actually be a good CSU chancellor?

Wayne Allard. As soon as word surfaced that Wayne Allard was interested in the open post of Colorado State University chancellor, the folks at the left-leaning ProgressNow organization hit the apeshit button, arguing that Allard would be as bad a CSU administrator as he’s been a U.S. senator. But this…

ESPN envies coverage of Utah-BYU game on The Mtn.

The Mtn. vice president and general manager Kim Carver. Last night, on KEPN/1600 AM, ESPN Radio’s Denver affiliate, syndicated host Jon Stashower discussed one of the big college-football matchups of the weekend: Saturday’s faceoff between the Utah Utes and the Brigham Young University Cougars. But in addition to focusing on…

Regas Christou’s City Hall looks a little too stately

Regas Christou puts a dome on it. If he can get past the liquor license board on December 3, nightclub magnate Regas Christou is hoping City Hall , his new outdoor venue at 1144 Broadway, will serve a more elite, upper-crust crowd than the grind-happy scenesters who frequent his other…

The Westword.com blog shortcut, November 18 edition

On the Rocks. Reading is blog-a-rific. Today in Backbeat Online: • Five things to do at Red Rocks besides see a concert. • A free Low Budget Soul download. • Pee Pee will back Nellie McKay this Saturday before hibernating for the winter. Today in Cafe Society: • This beer…

KnowYourCourts busts a rogue shrink

Sean Harrington would like to ask at least one psychiatrist some very pointed questions. KnowYourCourts, a website known for challenging the actions of various Colorado lawyers, judges and credentialed “experts” associated with the divorce industry in the state, continues to demonstrate that some of those experts aren’t all they claim…

If David Isberg can beat cancer, why not the prison bureaucracy?

Medical treatment for prisoners and halfway-house residents can be tough to swallow. Health care inside prison walls can be downright criminal, a situation we’ve chronicled in some detail in our Crime and Punishment Archive. But the care can actually be worse for parolees, since the Colorado Department of Corrections expects…