BHUTAN-KING-CORONATION, originally uploaded by Leonardo G. Ponce.

As some of you know from reading this blog, I recently returned from a long trip that included a trek in Bhutan. It truly is a magical country filled with… well… quite simply… happiness.

Here’s the killer part. They absolutely ADORE their King. Really, this is a country where everyone loves their leader. He looks out for them and they love him for it. The trust, the respect, and the good blessings are going both ways.

If some of you out there are thinking to yourself… well yeah of course but he’s a king dictator sort. Well the King voluntarily implemented a democratic process that can rule the country. So take that. How funny considering I think some of our leaders act more like dictators than an empowered King does.

Really.. YES REALLY. But we now have a new enthusiasm. It is time for us to look at what is accomplished in the next administration. As well listen closely to the words our leaders I thought it would be interesting to share the Coronation address that was delivered by the new King of Bhutan, Jigme Khesar Namgyei Wangchuck at his ceremony in Thimpu on November 6th, 2008.

“It is with immense joy that we are gathered together on this most auspicious day. In these last 100 years the dreams and aspirations of our forefathers and the vision of our Kings have been fulfilled beyond all expectations. The wise and selfless leadership of our kings, the sacrifice and hard work of generations of Bhutanese and the special bond between the People and King have given us this unique and special nation - a jewel of the earth. [Read more →]

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I really enjoy a great TV show.  It’s amazing the cult like factor that a really great and creative show can have for us as a society.  I remember just after college I lived in a great old old apartment.  This was a turn of the century old 4 unit antique building with hardwood floors, french doors, a shoebox kitchen, and one killer walkout to the roof above the deck.  It was surrounded by a streets full of the same style, turn of the century, small brick apartment buildings along with my favorite dark and cozy Irish pub, a few eclectic restaurants, some old school pub restaurants, and of course a ton of people just starting out and loved our little neighborhood.  Entry level accountants, beginner phone reps, waiters, chefs, first year residents, and grad students alike seemed to all flock together on one night or another for a favorite show.  Many brought beer, some might have made or picked up food, and no one was late.

Back then, and I’ll be dating myself, the biggest night was the X-files.  Never knowing what would happen next we watched, we harrased each other, we all screamed “no way” or “gross” or “that looks like the person you kissed in the bar last night”.  But we loved it.  There was a great book about Urban Tribes and how the culture of the U.S. is changing such that our family network becomes our friends or certain “tribes” we create around activites, hobbies, and interests.  No doubt our behavior proved the books point.  We lived simply and laughed alot, somehow no matter what craziness we were getting into, what new job, new relationship, new crisis, or new funk we were in it could always be counted on that we would get together on that certain night and swap stories and be entertained together.  When I packed my bags to move to Colorado one of the girls in our crew even went and picked up an X-Files copy mug and Fox Mulder ID badge.  I have no idea where she found this stuff, but the mug would change it’s message on the side when you filled it with hot water to say “Trust No One”.  The funny thing was these folks werent’ geeks, well maybe just me.  But it was a bond.

Of course today that happens a little less often.  Or at least there are more opportunities for people not to have a ritual around a show.  First, you can tivo/DVR it and there is no need to be at a certain place at a certain time.  Why rush to meet up with the group at 8 PM when you can record it and watch it whenever you want… alone.  Or maybe you can buy it on Itunes and just follow it on your ipod on the train, at the gym while riding the bike, or flying out on that vacation.  Life sure is convenient, but I still fell some nostalgia for our 21st century version of theatre and sharing it with friends.  Give me old school any day.

So now the question for this poll is about what are the shows that have hooked Denver.  Is it Heroes with the superpowerer characters dealing with an upcoming fight with multiple villians?  Is it 30 Rock or the Office with a focus on making us laugh?  Is it any number of the CSI style style shows that have the whodunit style of detective suspense?  Or is it some drama geared around relationships, love and all that gooey stuff?

I don’t know.  But here is your chance to share what shows you will be, or are, watching this fall.  You can pick as many as you want or watch and comment away. I really did try to get as many of the shows coming out this fall as I could but may have missed some. What am I saying, of course I missed some… there are a boatload. These are shows that involve sketch, screen, and other creative writers who want to keep you entertained with stories, characters and/or satire. Sorry, folks, now straight up news reporting. I was even going to exclude reality shows but that would miss out on a HUGE cult following. I have been amazed at how many folks love their reality TV shows. If I missed your favorite, let me know.

To learn more about this fall’s lineup, the station it’s on, or the premier date check out the following Links:

For Dramas http://tvdramas.about.com/od/tvshowsaz/a/fallpremiere07.htm. 

For Animated: http://animatedtv.about.com/od/showsaz/a/fallpremiere.htm

For Comedies: http://tvcomedies.about.com/od/tvcomediesbytitle/a/premiere_dates.htm

I don’t know all these shows so it will be interesting to see the results.

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Okay, I love to travel. I really love to travel.

But this trip has me as excited about the trip as it has me worried about missing my pup. I’ll be gone for many many days in a trip to Bali for some Scuba Wedding Celebration for an old College Housemate, then off to Bangkok to connect for a trek across Bhutan, then back to Bangkok and a final return to visit Ubud Bali before returning to the grand old U. S. of A. Fortunately a good friend is going to house sit and keep my four footed friend company. It’s me who will be a mess.

But on to the good part, the trip itself. I don’t think I’ll be posting much of anything during the trek but I did get a “Find Me Spot” GPS to share the trip with family and friends. The link to track the trip for those who are curious is here. I’ll be able to post more later. But then who knows, perhaps I’ll get a photo or two uploaded. The trip starts September 17th. Of course even the Find Me Spot folks don’t know how much coverage I’ll have in the areas I’ll be going to. Only one way to find out. The practice blips are from a hike on Shrine Pass and then dog walks in Commons Park.

Explore the world I say, and who knows how long Bhutan will stay the way it is.

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East West Urban Management, the property management company for the Riverfront Park neighborhood attended last week’s meeting discussing the upcoming Tent University activities during the DNC. Here is an update they just released and a special thanks to them for [Read more →]

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Please free to contact me at mike@theurbanbrain.com

This blog has been a great experiment for me and it has been enjoyable to watch it grow and read the feedback from others.

If you have inquiries about writing for print, interactive, screen or other creative projects please feel free to drop me a line. I am always looking for interesting projects and great people to work with.

Enjoy your day!

Mike

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The Police at Red Rocks

Last night I had the opportunity to take a walk down memory lane. It was back to a time when I cruised around my small Ohio town in a 1974 forest green Beetle that had been outfitted with a high tech Sony Cassette system that fed tunes to the monster woofers in the back (supported on a home built plywood panel) and small Boston Acoustics cut and placed into the side boards. The stereo probably cost as much as the car which I had bought in Baltimore while living one of many summers eating Chesapeake Blue Crabs smother in Old Bay, Phillips Harborplace Oysters, and sliced fresh tomatoes with a touch of salt and pepper. But I needed great tunes in that car for it’s 8 hour drive back to Ohio. And one of the mixed tapes that surely be playing on that road trip would have included classic Elvis Costello and the Police, along with a myriad of other artists of that time. [Read more →]

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This has become one a more pressing question lately. You see, we totally forgot to make any dinner reservations for the few nights of the DNC. I called yesterday to try and get a reservation at the Capital Grill for any of the three main nights during the convention. My logic was simple. I am excited to see and experience the energy of the Democratic National Convention. Since I won’t be attending, at least not that I have worked out yet, I thought maybe a nice dinner during the frenzy would give me a nice viewpoint. And if I figured one place would be knee deep in the lobbyists, political powerhouses, and media superstars I thought the Capital Grill on Larimer would be it. I’ll just have to wait until Monday to find out if I can get us in because a designated person is managing reservations for these few days and they haven’t gotten back to me yet.

Now I doubt my late request will be met, but since I have more than a few nights in their computer history I am hoping that a few reservations might remain for the locals. If it’s not available I will simply try other spots such as the no reservation taking Potager that we love any night of the week.

What I found interesting about my Dinner dilemma was the conversation it created while out to dinner with friends (at Potager of course) last week. After sharing my foolishness in not thinking about reservations during this coveted week earlier I found a very clear split of emotion among my dining companions. What was most interesting was that the opinions were totally opposite. Half of the group would prefer to do what I was attempting, to be out and about in the heart of the energy of the event for Dinner plans. The other half was going to hit the grocery store well in advance and spend each night cooking, safe and secure within the shelter of their loft or bungalow. There was no middle ground. The folks who were going out were doing it big or not at all.

Interesting… So what are you doing for dinner?

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I am having trouble avoiding interruption.

I first began not simply noticing this, but focusing on this over the past week. I realized that I was spending far too much of my day checking email or performing some other technology tool task. While out walking my dog, I am checking email. When I first wake up I check email. While writing or working I am checking email. I find it is more than a bit distracting. [Read more →]

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The above “Walk Score” is for the address of 1610 Little Raven Street, Denver Colorado 80202, the home of Zengo Restaurant and the heart of the plaza in Riverfront. The score (at least today when writing the post) is 83 or “Very Walkable”. How cool is this tool!!! 8-)

Walk Score calculates, on a scale to 100, how pedestrian friendly (walkable) your address is. If you are looking [Read more →]

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Today Oil prices jumped over $10 a barrel, although I really don’t know how big that is but according to the New York Times it is the BIGGEST JUMP EVER. Just Frakking Great.

How did I know something was up, I noticed the stock market was taking a nose dive. So now everyone’s savings, 401K, [Read more →]

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