#outdoor signs colorado

[andrigyn]

@kateprincessofbluewhales

I’m a big fan of the lace, and I suppose this is more of a cape with a hood than a veil, but I think it looks very whimsical! Love these similar veils:

I like the silhouette of the dress, and the high neck/long sleeves. The bow would probably not work for me either (I have a big head) but it looks so cute and dainty on Lily. I also love the simplicity of her hair, the pearl earring, and the back cutout!

She also has a pretty engagement ring …

All this wedding talk and I realized I haven’t shared my FAVORITE bridal look of all time

[morbidology]

Josh Maddux was said to be a free-spirited and thoughtful teenager with a love for music and a talent for writing. On May 8, 2008, he left his home in Woodland Park, Colorado, for a walk, something he did regularly to clear his mind and enjoy the outdoors. However, on this particular day, Josh never returned.

His family initially thought he might have decided to start a new life elsewhere, as he had often talked about wanting to travel and live independently after graduating from high school. However, as days turned into weeks and weeks into years, hope faded, and the mystery deepened.

Despite numerous searches and investigations, no clues emerged. Woodland Park, a small, tight-knit community, was left grappling with unanswered questions. Where had Josh gone? Was he a runaway, or had something more sinister occurred? The years passed with no resolution, leaving his family in limbo, unable to find closure.

Seven years after Josh’s disappearance, in August 2015, a local builder named Chuck Murphy was demolishing an old cabin he owned, just a mile from the Maddux family home. The cabin had been abandoned for years and was in a state of disrepair. As workers began dismantling the chimney, they made a gruesome discovery—a body, wedged inside the flue.

The remains were later identified as Josh Maddux through dental records. The news sent shockwaves through Woodland Park and reopened the case that had long gone cold. How had Josh ended up in the chimney of a cabin so close to home? And more importantly, why?

The discovery of Josh’s body in the chimney raised more questions than it answered. The initial autopsy revealed no signs of trauma, drug use, or foul play. The coroner suggested that Josh had likely climbed down the chimney and become trapped, eventually dying of hypothermia, dehydration or positional asphyxia. The official cause of death was listed as accidental, but the circumstances remained highly unusual.

One of the most puzzling aspects of the case was how Josh had entered the chimney. The cabin’s chimney was designed with a large, heavy steel rebar grate at the top, intended to keep out animals and debris. This grate was found intact when the body was discovered, leading to speculation that Josh could not have entered from the top. Moreover, the position of his body, with his knees above his head, suggested a difficult and unnatural descent.

Some speculated that Josh had been trying to enter the cabin through the chimney and became stuck, unable to climb back out. However, others found this explanation hard to believe, given Josh’s physical condition and the structure of the chimney. Additionally, there were no signs that he had made any attempt to escape, such as claw marks or damage to the interior of the flue.

A more sinister theory emerged, suggesting that Josh might have been placed in the chimney by someone else. This idea gained traction due to the mysterious nature of his disappearance and the strange circumstances surrounding the discovery of his body. However, without any evidence of foul play, this theory remains speculative.

[wheelie-sick]

Wilderness on Wheels, Colorado

I was in Colorado for medical reasons and on the way back I got to pass a place called wilderness of wheels!! it's an entirely wheelchair accessible campground with a river boardwalk and a mile long boardwalk up the mountain. I went all the way to the top (independently!) which was so straining on my shoulders but so worth it especially for the way down

[ID 1: a wheelchair user in a black rigid chair doing a wheelie on a boardwalk surrounded by trees while holding up a peace sign. he is wearing a black crop top with astrological symbols on it and black leggings. he has a dark brown bob and glasses. he is smiling.

ID 2: the same wheelchair user doing a wheelie with both hands on his wheels in an area with a lot of small plants dotted with Aspen and pine trees

ID 3: a wheelchair user with one arm resting on his push handles and the other holding up a peace sign. he is on a boardwalk high on a mountain.

ID 4: a wheelchair user seen from the back on an overlook. he is resting his head on the railing with his arms crossed.

ID 5: a wheelchair user on a bridge with his arms crossed on the railing. he is surrounded by pine trees

ID 6: a wheelchair user at an overlook resting his arms on a railing. this overlook is higher than the last. his wheelchair has a backpack with a Palestine flag patch.

[VD: a wheelchair user pushes off down a boardwalk on a mountain. he stretches his arms out before putting them back on his push rims to control his direction and speed]

I don't know how to explain how much I love this place. I cried!!!! I have mostly had the wilderness stolen from me and this gave me my wilderness back. this entire place was built for me and people like me. it reminds me that I belong outdoors too. this place is so special y'all

[gentlyrowan]

Source: Colorado Music Hall of Fame

Red Rocks was the scene of a legendary Beatles show in 1964, Bruce Springsteen’s first-ever outdoor concert in 1978, and U2’s career-making 1983 video shoot. Pretty much everyone who’s anyone has graced the stage of the venue, including: John Denver, Johnny Cash, Jimi Hendrix, the Grateful Dead, Bob Dylan, Igor Stravinsky, Liberace, the New York Philharmonic, Bonnie Raitt and Carole King. Each of those performers made their way to the stage through the venue’s secret tunnel, which leads from backstage to the sound booth in the seating area. Many have signed their names on the tunnel’s walls. That’s not to mention the films Red Rocks has shown on a projector screen since 2000 or the Easter sunrise service it’s hosted since 1947.

RED ECHOES

NORA SACRED LAND

HORIZON WIKI: RED ECHOES

RED ECHOES aka STERLING-MALKEET AMPITHEATER (NEAR DEVIL'S GRIEF)

RED ROCKS AMPHITHEATER (NEAR DENVER) COLORADO, USA

Thanks for graciously collaborating, @robo-dino-puppy!

Post 2 of 5 from Red Rocks

See the first post here

[rjzimmerman]

Excerpt from this story from Inside Climate News:

The coalition-building started a dozen years ago: conservationists, ranchers and outdoor recreationists, from hunters and snowmobilers to bikers and hikers. They all had different preferences for public lands in Colorado, but they thought they could work together to preserve more of it from extraction.

If they could hammer out a plan, U.S. Sen. Michael Bennet told them, he’d introduce it as a bill. In September, he and Colorado’s other U.S. senator, John Hickenlooper, did just that. 

The Gunnison Outdoor Resources Protection Act, or GORP is one of the biggest public lands bills to come out of the state in over a decade. As the name hints, outdoor recreation is at the core of the ambitious protections the legislation proposes, a sign of how supporters think adventure sports could be key to winning votes for new public land protections in a “drill, baby, drill” environment. 

If the bill comes up for a vote after Jan. 20, it would need buy-in from a Republican-controlled Congress and President Donald Trump. But people across the political spectrum hunt, fish, hike, bike and camp.

“In Colorado, outdoor recreation is a core part of our culture and critical for local economies,” Bennet said in an email. “The broad support from public lands user groups—including from summer and winter motorized recreation, conservation, mountain bikers, whitewater recreation, ranchers, water users, rock climbers, and hunters and anglers—underscores that importance.”

The GORP Act is aimed at conservation and management practices in over 730,000 acres of public lands in and around Gunnison County, which is south of Aspen. The bill would protect huge parcels of Colorado’s high country from mining and drilling while preserving access for all existing recreation, like boating, mountain biking and off-roading. It would preserve land for planned future trails. 

Community support, including from outdoor lovers, convinced the Biden administration in April to remove more than 220,000 acres in Colorado’s Thompson Divide—near the land the GORP Act would protect—from areas permitted for new mining, mineral and geothermal leases. Two other public-lands bills proposed by Bennet in recent years, the Colorado Outdoor Recreation Act and legislation to establish the Dolores River National Conservation Area, grew out of similar coalitions. 

[justinspoliticalcorner]

Dave Jamieson and Alexander C. Kaufman at HuffPost:

Failed presidential candidate Gov. Ron DeSantis (R) signed a bill late last week barring Florida localities from requiring employers to provide outdoor workers with access to water, rest and shade, outraging workplace safety advocates who say the new law will kill people.

Backed by the agricultural and construction industries, the controversial legislation is what’s known as a “preemption” law: It forbids cities and counties from pursuing their own ordinances on a particular subject, in this case protections from extreme heat. The law effectively nullifies a proposal in Miami-Dade County that would require some employers to maintain a heat safety program and provide employees with water and shade on hot days. The county commission recently withdrew the proposal after the state legislation put its legality in doubt. The preemption bill recently passed the Republican-controlled state House and Senate, along with a similar measure that prevents jurisdictions from requiring employers to pay livable wages on government-funded projects. Unions and other progressive groups said blocking heat regulations would endanger farm and construction workers and anyone else who labors in one of the hottest states in the country. “Someone is going to die as a result of this legislation,” Kim Smith, a telecommunications technician, told HuffPost last month.

[...] Last year, Texas Republicans passed a similar preemption bill that blocked localities from implementing heat protections as well as other ordinances related to housing and labor. The legislation, known as Texas’ “death star bill,” appeared designed to thwart local laws in Austin and Dallas that guaranteed water breaks for workers.

Florida Republicans pushing for the preemption law said they wanted to avoid a “patchwork” of local regulations around the state related to heat safety, arguing the matter was better left to the federal Occupational Safety and Health Administration. But OSHA does not yet have a heat-specific safety rule, and proposals to create a uniform, statewide standard in Florida have gone nowhere over the years because of a lack of Republican support. More than 430 workers have died due to environmental heat exposure since 2011, according to OSHA. But relatively few jurisdictions have laws in place that require employers to provide water, shade and heat safety training. Just three — California, Oregon and Washington — mandate heat breaks for outdoor workers. Minnesota has heat standards for indoor workers, while Colorado does for farmworkers.

Just another terrible anti-workplace safety law signed in by Gov. Ron DeSantis (R-FL).

[raychleadele]

What resources would you suggest for someone who wants to get into plant life?? I live near Dallas and I’ve tried my hand out a few times with plants but I feel so clueless and I’m not even sure what plants would thrive here! Any books? Videos? Podcasts??

I watch a lot of YouTube videos! What to recommend fully depends on what kind of plants you want to get into. Different kinds of plants require different kinds of care.

Succulents and cacti have similar care requirements, including WAY MORE LIGHT THAN YOU THINK. Succulents especially have a reputation for being easy to care for, and they are, but only after you figure out what they want. I spent years killing them before I got comfortable with them, but I love them now! They really really don’t need much water - mine get watered around once a month at most, but often even less - and you will want to get them a grow light. No, a sunny window isn’t enough. One of my favorite YouTubers for succulent care is Succulents and Sunshine.

Other houseplants need water more frequently and can thrive with less light, but even “low light” varieties do need light! A sunny window can be enough for most of them, but if you want plants in other areas of the house, a grow light can still be beneficial. A moisture meter is a cheap tool that can help you check if they need water or not. I usually water mine around once a week. A good YouTuber for houseplant care is Sheffield Made Plants.

If you want to grow things outside, first you want to look up the USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map. Hardiness zones simply are a code to tell you what plants can grow well in your region, and are based on average low temperatures of a region. Pretty much any plant or seed you buy will have a suggested zone range on its tag. Higher numbers have higher average low temperatures and generally a longer growing season. I believe Dallas is in Zone 8, which is a couple zones warmer than mine.

If you want to grow vegetables, which is something I love doing, you can start seeds in a seed tray indoors under a grow light a few weeks before your last frost and then transplant them to your garden once the weather is warm enough and the seedlings are at least a couple inches tall. I did this with tomatoes and peppers this year, and they did great! Some plants do fine being “direct sown” (planting seeds directly in the garden without being started indoors) and I’ve had good success doing this with lettuces and other greens, as well as beans. Regardless of your method, you usually want to plant more seeds than you think you need, because not all of them will sprout. If you don’t want to bother with planting seeds, you can get plant starts at a plant nursery or big box hardware store. I usually do this for things like herbs. Outdoor plants will need to be watered more often than indoor plants because they dry out more quickly. I usually try to water my vegetable garden about every 2-3 days, but they’ll want daily water when they’re very young. One YouTuber I like for vegetable gardening is Gardener Scott, who is in Colorado, but I’m sure there are others who grow in a climate more similar to yours, so look around!

I don’t have much experience growing flowers outdoors, but I imagine the advice for them would be very similar to my advice for vegetable gardening. I don’t have any content creators to recommend for this category unfortunately, but I’m sure they’re out there!

This is just a very quick overview, but hopefully these tips can help you get started! If you want me to dig into a particular kind of plant more deeply, I’d be happy to! And don’t let a plant death discourage you - I have killed so many plants in my many years of caring for them, and even just this year I had multiple things in my vegetable garden simply not grow at all. (Looking at you, chives. Two years in a row now that they haven’t even sprouted! What the hell!) Every failure is a chance to learn, and not a sign that you’re not good at it! When something dies, or simply doesn’t sprout, don’t give up. It happens to all of us. Good luck planting!

[tomorrowusa]

In the final stretch of the campaign, Trump has decided to hold rallies in California, Illinois, New York, and Colorado – all states he can't win. It's like Kamala going to Idaho, Tennessee, and Oklahoma.

So with less than 30 days to go before the 2024 election, why is the Republican presidential nominee spending valuable time in California, Colorado, and New York, of all places?  [ ... ] Other officials and Republican pundits claim the Coachella visit will help Trump woo Latinos. And with the border nearby, expect a healthy dose of immigrant-bashing.  But … Trump could do that in swingy Arizona, where the border is also adjacent and the Latino vote will actually matter in the presidential race. After all, Harris doesn’t need to go to Mar-a-Lago to criticize Trump.  With the high temperature predicted to reach 99 degrees on Saturday, there is a bigger chance that Trump’s makeup will run in the oppressive heat as sweat stains spread across his armpits than of him landing any kind of significant blow on Harris at the planned event. And if he can’t draw a crowd in that heat, in the middle of a desert, then the optics will be particularly bad. 

When Trump held an outdoor rally in Nevada when it was around 100° F/38° C, he launched into a bizarre rant about electric batteries and sharks. So perhaps his Coachella appearance will produce even more evidence of his galloping dementia.

On to Colorado...

Aurora, Colorado, is the city that Republicans claim has been overrun by Venezuelan gangs. Trump repeated the claim during the Sept. 10 presidential debate.  Ironically, this visit is a chance for Trump to see that it’s all a lie. Maybe he’ll follow the lead of a local columnist who visited the town and the apartment building supposedly controlled by vicious gang members, and instead found tenants living in squalor because of slumlords.  Given Trump’s own past as a slum landlord, a tour might even brighten his day. 

And then there's the city where he was recently convicted on 34 felony counts.

And a rally in Manhattan? In the closing weeks of the campaign?  It’s just more evidence that as much as conservatives criticize and cry about New York City and other blue Democratic strongholds, Trump would much rather spend the day surrounded by liberals than in the Alabama region of Pennsylvania talking to his actual supporters. 

It might be fun texting people in the crowd during his Madison Square Garden rant and telling them that they're giving out free Trump watches and Bibles across the street.

This blue state tour by Trump is another sign that he's losing touch with reality. But just because he's nuts doesn't mean he can't win. Your IRL help is needed more than ever.

Volunteer Opportunities, Events, and Petitions Near Me · Mobilize

[moontyger]

For two and a half years, a deadly strain of avian influenza often referred to as H5N1 has been ravaging poultry farms. More than 100 million birds have been killed in the U.S., either by the disease or attempts to halt its spread. Wild birds have also been dying in enormous numbers. In late March scientists confirmed that H5N1 was sickening cows on U.S. dairy farms; nearly 200 herds in 13 states were affected as of August 15. Confirmed cases in people have been much scarcer: only 13 human cases were reported from April to August 9, and they have mostly involved mild illness, particularly characterized by pink eye. It is likely that infections in people have been missed, however.

Now the virus is being found in indoor pet cats. The Colorado Department of Public Health announced on August 9 that six cat infections in the state have been confirmed this year. Two of those detections were in samples collected in May, but at least three were in samples collected in July. What’s particularly worrying about the new announcement is that two of the infected cats were indoor animals. Scientists say this is a sign that the virus is widespread in animals and inching closer to touching the average American’s daily life.

“This identification of H5N1 in indoor-only cats is a big concern,” says Meghan Davis, an epidemiologist at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health. “Increasing our surveillance and trying to understand the scope of this and get better messaging out is something I think we should be doing right now.”

For the new cases, there aren’t many details available, and it’s possible that even the indoor cats did spend time outdoors or that they consumed raw milk or meat from infected animals. But if not, the possibilities are concerning: these cats might have caught the virus from an infected mouse inside the home or perhaps even picked it up from a human with an unknown, asymptomatic infection from contact with other animals. Either of these scenarios suggests that bird flu is even more entrenched than we realized.

In Colorado the disease appears particularly pervasive: more than eight million commercial chickens to date have died because of the outbreak, more than 60 dairy herds have confirmed cases of avian influenza, and 10 human infections have also been confirmed. But epidemiologists say that doesn’t necessarily mean Colorado is more of a hotspot for the virus than other states. “They have really been taking it seriously, and I think they are highlighting to everyone else how much we may be missing,” says Seema Lakdawala, a molecular virologist at Emory University. “It’s not like, oh, everyone’s looking, and we’re only finding it here. It’s like, when you look, you find it.”

That means scientists are concerned about what they’re seeing in Colorado but also in what they’re not seeing across the nation. Bird flu is “probably more widespread than we appreciate, and it’s not just in these areas where there are concentrations of livestock or reports [of positive cases],” says Michelle Barron, an epidemiologist at the University of Colorado Denver and UCHealth University of Colorado Hospital.*

If the first concern is the sheer quantity of avian influenza virus in the environment, the second is the number and variety of animals it is continuing to infect unchecked. Each new infection represents an opportunity for the dairy strain of the avian influenza virus to meet and mingle with whatever other flu viruses are present in the new host. Flu “viruses are notorious for developing mutations or taking genes from other viruses,” Barron says. “At what point is there risk that the virus changes and now makes people severely ill?”

Davis notes that pets are a particularly difficult population for epidemiologists to track because there are no state or federal regulatory agencies tasked with monitoring their health, as there are for humans and livestock, and because veterinary care can be an expense some owners can’t afford.

Pet owners who are concerned about bird flu should be aware of potential routes of exposure for their animals, Davis says. Don’t feed them raw milk or raw foods, whether commercially purchased or prepared at home. (Humans should also take raw milk, eggs and meat off their own menus. Pasteurization has been shown to kill the virus in milk, and cooking food kills most pathogens.) Cats with access to the outdoors are at risk, particularly during unsupervised time when they could be hunting infected animals. Domestic dogs have not yet been reported with avian influenza, but Davis warns that those who might interact with waterbirds may be at a higher risk of exposure to H5N1. Watch for changes in behavior that indicate a pet might be sick, especially a loss of appetite or trouble breathing, and consult your veterinarian if you’re concerned. In addition, people with pet ferrets should be particularly cautious because these animals are highly susceptible to influenza viruses and can develop serious infections.

Experts say the U.S. government and society at large need to start taking avian influenza seriously. “I think we are at an inflection point right now in the outbreak,” Lakdawala says. She wants to see a federal push for coordination among state agencies to increase surveillance and tamp down transmission between animals and into humans—efforts that, to date, have been primarily the responsibility of individual states.

Barron particularly worries that people’s emotional baggage from the COVID pandemic is stopping them from mounting a strong response to avian influenza. “I want people to understand that testing is good, having knowledge is good,” she says. She’s concerned that the trauma and politicization of the pandemic are fresh in people’s mind and that a desire to avoid repeating the experience may prevent people from facing the threat of avian influenza.

[queerbrownvegan]

Desert Ecology Field Trip With Mojave Desert Land Trust

Join us for a day-long field trip to Mojave Desert with Mojave Desert Land Trust!

We’re thrilled to invite you to a day-long field trip celebrating the launch of our episode from the web series Teaching Climate Together—all about the incredible desert ecology of the Mojave! We’ll be partnering with the Mojave Desert Land Trust (MDLT) for an unforgettable experience. We'll be meeting at their headquarters.

🚍 What’s the Plan?

We’ll kick things off with a bus pick-up from Los Angeles Union Station East and take a scenic ride out to the stunning Mojave Desert. On this adventure, you’ll dive deep into desert ecology, guided by experts who are as passionate about conservation as you are.

🌿 What Can You Expect?

Guided Tours: Explore the MDLT’s seed bank and native plant garden, and hit the trails with biologists to discover the endangered wildlife that calls this desert home.

Snacks & Drinks: We’ll keep you fueled with delicious snacks and drinks throughout the day, plus a light lunch. Feel free to bring your own lunch and a reusable water bottle to stay hydrated!

New Friends: This is the perfect opportunity to connect with fellow climate enthusiasts and conservation experts. Make meaningful connections while learning about the urgent need to protect California’s desert ecosystem.

✨ A Sneak Peek at the Agenda:

7:30 AM: Bus Pick-Up at Los Angeles Union Station

8:00 AM: Depart for the Mojave Desert

10:00 AM: Arrive at MDLT / Overview

11:00 AM: Hike Begins

1:00-2:00 PM: Lunch & Mingle

2:00-4:00 PM: Seed Lab Tour, Botanical Garden, and In-Field Tours

4:00-6:00 PM: Head back to LA Union Station

📸 Capture the Moment:

We’ll have photographers and videographers on-site to document our journey! If you prefer not to be photographed, just let them know when you arrive.

❗ Important Notes:

A waiver form must be signed before boarding the bus—no exceptions!

Spots are limited, so grab your ticket now to secure your place on this adventure!

No refunds if you miss the bus and if you purchase a ticket there are no refunds.

Don’t miss out on this incredible opportunity to learn, explore, and connect. Get your ticket today, and let’s make some memories together! 🌍💚

Questions?

Email us at queerbrownvegan@gmail.com or go to www.queerbrownvegan.com

About Our Co-Hosts:

Mojave Desert Land Trust

The Mojave Desert Land Trust has cultivated a multi-faceted conservation strategy that uses land acquisition, restoration, stewardship, plant cultivation, and education to ensure the long-term preservation of the California desert. Our service area spans nearly 26 million acres - the Colorado Desert and the entire California portion of the Mojave Desert. Since our founding in 2006, MDLT has protected approximately 120,000 acres of ecologically significant land and grown over 120,000 native plants for restoration and community use.

Queer Brown Vegan, Isaias Hernandez

Isaias Hernandez is an Environmentalist & Storyteller under the moniker QueerBrownVegan, an independent media platform that deconstructs climate information and makes it accessible to people. He earned his B.S. in Environmental Science from UC Berkeley and has been reaching millions of people yearly with his free, open-access environmental educational content. QBV offers a series of events that explores topics around ecology, art, and outdoor recreational events.

Questions?

Email us at queerbrownvegan@gmail.com or go to www.queerbrownvegan.com

[rabbitcruiser]

Colorado was admitted as the 38th U.S. state on August 1, 1876.

Colorado Day

Colorado Day is celebrated annually on August 1. The holiday commemorates the admittance of Colorado as a state of the Union on August 1, 1876, thanks to an Act of Congress signed by President Ulysses S. Grant. Before the Spanish started settling in Colorado as far back as 1598, Native American tribes had inhabited the area for about 14,000 years. In March 1907, the state legislature officially passed a law designating August 1 as Colorado Day; thus, the holiday started holding on August 1, 1907.

History of Colorado Day

About 14,000 years ago, several Native American tribes, including the Ancestral Puebloans, Apache, Arapaho, Cheyenne, Comanche, Shoshone, and Ute nations, inhabited Colorado. The first European contact was by the Spanish conquistadors, one of whom — Juan de Onate — founded the Spanish province of ‘Santa Fe de Nuevo Mexico’ on July 11, 1598. Eventually, Colorado became a part of this province, and the regular trade between the Spaniards and Native Americans who lived there became known as ‘Comercio Comanchero,’ meaning ‘Comanche Trade.’

In 1803, the United States made a territorial claim to the eastern part of the Rocky Mountains, which the Spanish, who claimed sovereignty over the territory, contested. In 1846, the U.S. went to war with Mexico, winning and claiming the Southern Rocky Mountains for American settlement. However, it wasn’t until a few years later that settlement began in earnest due to the ‘Pikes Peak Gold Rush.’ On June 22, 1850, a man called Lewis Ralston discovered gold in a stream flowing into Clear Creek; he immediately named the stream ‘Ralston’s Creek.’ In 1857, gold seekers began flooding the territory to search for gold — this led to the beginning of the “Pikes Peak Gold Rush.” Three years later, an estimated 100,000 people had come in search of gold, which caused a population boom. However, they settled for silver, hard rock gold, and other minerals when the gold eventually got exhausted.

On February 28, 1861, Colorado became a U.S. territory by an Act of Congress signed by President James Buchanan  — this happened during the infamous secession of the Southern States that led to the American Civil War. On August 1, 1876, President Grant signed a proclamation admitting Colorado to the Union as the 38th State, 28 days after the Centennial Celebration of the United States, earning it the moniker “Centennial State.” ‘Colorado Day’ was first celebrated in 1907.

Colorado Day timeline

1598 Entry of the Spanish

The Spanish conquistadors begin the first European settlement in Colorado.

1850 Ralston Discovers Gold

Lewis Ralston discovers gold in Clear Creek.

1858 Gold Rush Begins

The ‘Pike’s Peak Gold Rush’ begins.

1861 Colorado Becomes a U.S. Territory

Colorado is a U.S. territory after President James Buchanan signs an Act of Congress.

1876 Colorado Becomes a State

Colorado gets admitted as the 38th State of the Union by a signed proclamation of President Ulysses S. Grant.

Colorado Day FAQs

Who’s the current leader of Colorado's government?

The current governor of Colorado is Jared Polis, who has been in office since 2019.

What is the population of Colorado?

Colorado is home to approximately 5.8 million people.

What is Colorado known for?

Colorado is well known for its beautiful landscapes, wildlife, and various outdoor activities the state offers, such as mountain biking, horse riding, and skiing.

Colorado Day Activities

Say “Happy Colorado Day!”

Study the U.S map

Learn more about Colorado

Celebrate by wishing all Coloradans a ‘Happy Colorado Day!’ Send a goodwill message to all Coloradans you know or post a kind message online.

Study the map of the United States and try to locate Colorado. If you don’t have a physical map, tons are available online.

There’s so much rich and fascinating information about the state of Colorado. Conduct some research and even plan a future visit. Begin from our “facts” section and explore further!

5 Random Facts About Colorado

Colorado was ahead on women’s rights

Four states meet in Colorado

Colorado holds a world record

Another world record!

Home to America’s highest suspension bridge

On November 7, 1893, women won the right to vote in Colorado, becoming the first Union state to achieve this.

Colorado borders Arizona, New Mexico, and Utah, making it possible to be in all four states simultaneously!

At 1,002 feet deep, the Mother Spring aquifer is the world’s deepest hot spring.

Spanning several 100 square miles, the Grand Mesa in Colorado is the world’s largest flattop mountain.

At 1,053 feet, the Royal Gorge Bridge is the country’s highest suspension bridge.

Why We Love Colorado Day

Colorado Day commemorates the state’s history

Colorado Day is for celebration

Promotion of tourism

Colorado Day commemorates and reflects on the state’s history. It’s also an opportunity to educate those who know little about Colorado’s origins.

This day also allows Coloradans to celebrate their state — whether native Coloradans or foreign residents. Embracing our roots is vital!

State days promote tourism, which boosts the local economy. Publicizing the beautiful attractions and natural sights in Colorado encourages more people to visit.

Source

[nico-nico-suavecito]

Update on Printing and Binding my Poetry Book, The Weeds Grow Anyway

It was around a year ago that I decided to print and bind my first full-length poetry book, The Weeds Grow Anyway! In honor of that, I'd like to share an update on where things are at, some of the physical and mental challenges that have arisen through the recent months around this project, what is coming next, etc. I especially want to document this, in case any poets or writers find themselves also interested in producing their own books.

In June my partner and I printed the covers, with huge thanks to a residency offered by The Press at Colorado College. The covers are three layers - a yellow layer, printed with risograph at Ladyfingers Letterpress in Colorado Springs, and a green and blue/black layer printed using linocut on the Vandercook press at the college.

Despite the long hours of carving the linoleum and printing all the copies, this turned out to be the easy part!

After that came the time to finalize the manuscript and make some production decisions regarding how I would bind the book. The editing was its own challenge, as it was a time in which I experienced (and admittedly, continue to experience) the usual anxiety many writers feel when the time to share our work with a paying audience is impending. It is a joyful thing, but also, terrifying.

Beyond that, my hot glue binder was not providing a binding I felt great about, and I think I've landed on the plan to stitch the books using a saddle stitch. This does prolong the release date. I initially planned to release the books this fall, but I think that I will instead be aiming for a spring or early summer release date to allow me the time to stitch the books. This might also allow for the possibility of an outdoor release show, which would be my ideal situation, both for covid safety reasons, and because it will match the climate of the book itself, so to speak.

I do want to be careful, knowing that my tendencies toward both procrastination and perfectionism can absolutely create situations where the work expands to fit the time. I think setting a deadline will be good for me.

So here is what is left to do, which I figure I'll share for my own internal organization, but also to share for anyone who also wants to produce their own book!

Schedule the release show, and promote it.

Make a few more book mockups for reviewing and editing the book, and to practice the bookbinding technique.

Finalize the manuscript and formatting. Determine whether I want a foreword or introduction.

Print the text blocks, either using my fancy new-to-me printer, or sending them to a local printing company.

Trim the text blocks to be slightly bigger than the final size.

Bind the text blocks with the inner cover paper.

Press the books using a book press.

Score and fold the outer covers.

Sleeve the books in the outer covers.

Sign the books.

Have the release show.

Ship out any remaining books.

Amidst all this, I'll also reach out to venues and poetry shows in the region to see about featuring and touring the book. I'll also reach out to local book stores about selling the books.

I think the hardest thing about all of this has been the promotion of it. My relationship to social media has been slowly dwindling, and I have not quite figured out how best to share about the book and the process in a way that fits the best practices of frequent, video-based updates that most social media sites reward. So hence why this update is going on Tumblr, and maybe I'll share screenshots to my Instagram story, or something like that.

I digress.

If you want to preorder the book, the link to do so is here!

[newagesispage]

                                                                                    JULY 2024 

THE RIB PAGE 

     Jason Cooper found a stegosaurus in Colorado. The skeleton is up for auction this month at Sotheby’s. ** Kevin Peterson found a new species of Pterosaur in Australia in 2021. It has now been called the most complete speciman of an anhanguerian from the mid-cretaceous and it had a 15 ft. Wingspan. ** A family in North Dakota found a teen Rex. ** In Montana a Lakiceratops was found. The Cretaceous creature was about 22 feet long, 5and a half tons and looked a bit like a rhino. There were 2 curving horns above the eyes and a headshield with blades and spikes. The plant eater was found only a couple of miles from Canada. 

***** 

JB Pritzker seems to have managed the budget in Illinois. For the first time in over 20 years, the state of Illinois is looking good in the finance department. Thank you, Susana Mendoza and the other hard workers that have made the state fifth largest economy in the U.S. ** JB has also unveiled a $41 billion infrastructure bill. Hell, we’ve already got so much done on the roads with the Fed bill, the place will be smooth as silk, 

***** 

Gov. Wes Moore of Maryland, pardoned more than 175,000 marijuana and drug paraphernalia convictions. The order was timed for Juneteenth to address decades of social and economic injustice. These are the kind of elected officials we need.  

***** 

Chad Daybell was sentenced to death. 

***** 

Claudia Sheinbaum is Mexico’s next President. 

***** 

The largest Republican event in Illinois, the annual Lincoln Day Dinner was hosted by Mike Johnson with Darin LaHood. ** Why did Johnson invite Netanyahu to speak to congress on July 24. Why? 

***** 

Billy Ray Cyrus and Firerose are divorcing and blaming each other for abuse. ** Word is that Ben and JLo have split. 

***** 

L.A. and NY seem to be banning cell phones in school. 

***** 

Breaking will debut as a new Olympic sport in Paris. 

***** 

The California state fair is allowing cannabis tents for selling and smoking. 

***** 

Can’t wait for Longlegs with Nicholas Cage and Maika Monroe. Osgood Perkins directs and he also directs Stephen King’s The Monkey. 

***** 

Jennifer Saunders and Joanna Lumley will be back for a 2 hour tribute: Ab Fab inside out. 

***** 

Watch out for Clay Higgins who was sanctioned by the Anne Frank foundation. 

***** 

Jimmy Kimmel is taking the summer off but has left the show with guest hosts. The first week started off with a bang with Martin Short. Kathryn Hahn, RuPaul, Lamorne Morris and Jeff Goldblum will also step in. 

***** 

L.A. Police found 3.4 mil in meth at a traffic stop. 

***** 

North Korea and Russia have signed a defense pact so that all available means will be used to assist each other. 

***** 

History never gets old. 

***** 

Stay awake or be arrested- Justice Sotomayor 

***** 

The Supreme Court seems to be dragging their feet on some things. They did uphold banning domestic abusers from owning guns. Thomas dissented, of course! ** The Court also allowed emergency abortions in Idaho on a temp basis. The court also weighed in on the census and won’t allow the citizenship question. The ruling about federal agencies allows that they should be able to fill in the details aren’t crystal clear which essentially undoes the Chevron decision. The Court also ruled that outdoor sleeping bans don’t violate the 8th amendment. That takes care of 1 problem the unhoused has. They also ruled that the charge of obstructing an official proceeding must include proof that a defendant tried to tamper with or destroy documents. 

***** 

About 2 dozen bottles of preserved cherries and berries have been found in Mt. Vernon. It is surmised that they were left there before the American Revolution. 

***** 

When will this selfie generation look back and realize how silly they look all holding up tiny boxes at concerts instead of jammin’? 

***** 

Washington Week has new digs. Was finally glad to hear on this show that Kamala Harris is a perfectly great VP and should be the pick IF Biden were to actually step aside. Yes! 

***** 

Louisianna has decided that the ten commandments should be in every school room.  The cult propaganda will be paid for by donations. ** Oklahoma is telling teachers to teach bible lessons after 5th grade. These Christian bullies are trying to get everything thru in case their power goes away. They welcome the lawsuits cuz they love this Supreme Court. 

***** 

Randy Travis spoke on Capitol Hill about intellectual property and the internet. 

***** 

Bolivia had a failed coup attempt. 

***** 

 Michael Crichton’s Eruption was finished off by James Petterson. 

***** 

The Hollywood Arby’s that has been running for over 50 years has closed. 

***** 

Georgia Jagger is having a baby with Cambryan Sedlick. She also has a lotion line called May Botanicals. 

***** 

The Panthers won the Stanley Cup. 

***** 

Chris Bell won the Xfinity and cup race on the June 22 weekend!!! 

***** 

Avery Sehorn, 18 was arrested for breaking and entering and larceny. 

***** 

Hunter Biden was found guilty on lying on gun paperwork.  

***** 

The U.S. has about 130 thousand orphaned oil wells that could contaminate local water among other risks. 

***** 

Jordan Peele will put out his next film in October 2026. 

***** 

Trump claims that Joan Rivers voted for him but she died 2 years earlier. ** Poor Debra messing must be in Hell for all the shit she must be getting. It came out that Trump was apparently attracted to her once. ** Scary Clown 45/34 announced he wants tariffs and no income tax. What? About 8 million people fell into poverty during his administration, I don’t think his ideas are sound. 

***** 

Biden and Obama had a LA fundraiser hosted by Goerge Clooney and Julia Roberts. Jimmy Kimmel interviewed the gentlemen. The Father’s Day weekend soiree made about $30 mil, a record for a single Dem event. Paul McCartney’s vegan get together pulled together the Stones, the Beatles, Springsteen, Austin Butler and some DJing by Taylor Swift. 

***** 

I am glad Jasmine Crockett gave us all the entire context of the ugly exchange between she and the green goblin. Lawmakers waited all day for MTG and her co -horts to get back from supporting their felon to even get on with the business of the people. All that and then MTG starts insulting others. Why do so many want to trample the rights of the rest of us? 

***** 

The Tonys were held on June 16. Winners included Daniel Radcliffe, Illinoise, Suffs, Hells Kitchen, Jeremy Strong and Sarah Paulson. The Outsiders won best musical. Angelina Jolie produced and daughter Vivienne was a PA. Hillary Clinton made an appearance as she produced Suffs. My best dressed were Idina Menzel, Erin Darke, Alicia Keyes, Lena Waithe, Paul Tazewell, Daniel Radcliffe, Arianna Debose, Renee Elise Goldsberry, Billy Porter, Elle Fanning, Cynthis Erivo and Kara Young. 

***** 

Would we be here if Trump and Netanyahu hadn’t torn up the Iran nuclear deal? Israel has trouble on all sides with Hamas and Hezbollah and Iran. Netanyahu behaves just like Trump in that he won’t talk to journalists who disagree with him. His cabinet is full of Jewish supremacists and extremists. ** Israeli minister Benny Gantz quit and Netanyahu dissolved the war cabinet. ** The U.S. has sanctioned an Israeli group for damaging aid to Palestine. 

***** 

Alex Jones is liquidating much of his empire to pay Sandy Hook parents. He can and is still spreading his lies. 

***** 

Jiminy Glick interviewed Bill Maher for Real Time. Maher’s book is #1. ** Glick also hosted Kimmel on June 27. 

***** 

We are now being told of the bad qualities of Scotchguard. Now that 3M has spread their poison to thousands of products and 50 years have passed since they found out, they have let us in on the secret. 

***** 

Aric Almirola was suspended for an altercation with Bubba Wallace after a Nascar race. 

***** 

Those who don’t learn from history are doomed to repeat it. Those who prevent history being taught fully intend to repeat it. - Carole Mueller Mcintire 

***** 

The First Presidential debate took place on June 27. Dana Bash and Jake Tapper asked the questions on CNN. With 37 years debate experience, Joe Biden disappointed everyone. Trump was measured, firm and confident. Did he babble lie after lie? Yes. Did Biden make Fox news and the other Trumpers come? Probably. The debate was everything the right could have dreamed of. Did he have a cold? People looking for the senior moment did not wait long. I couldn’t help but think that it was almost the opposite of the famous Nixon/ Kennedy debate. People who watched thought Kennedy won but those who listened found it much more even. This time Trump looked mean and Biden looked weak so it was a wash with watching. But, listening, Biden was a mess. Every hesitation, every fumble, every distant stare was a gift to Fox. Biden is slow but rarely wrong. His words were mixed up but there were no outright lies (much) like his opponent. They both dodged questions because they were too busy with their pissing contest. Golf scores?? WTF? It is bizarre when trump is the one that thinks they shouldn’t act like children. Biden was too over rehearsed and Trump had no cohesive answers ** I did love the way they cut off the mikes. That should be a keeper!!!! There is so much wasted time when they talk over each other. I liked the lack of audience too. That is what rallies are for. ** Why does Trump think that Christians don’t vote? ** Back in the day, Presidents didn’t campaign, they let the work speak for them. If Biden stays then he might want to lean into that. I also get tired of Dems listing off those who should take Biden’s place and they never seem to think of our more than competent VP. Kamala Harris hit it out of the park when she was interviewed after. If Joe stays, I am glad she is there. If he feels he can’t go on, she should be our pick. Is it because she is a woman that we don’t think of her first?  She is ready!!! VP’s are always made fun of but let’s not forget how great those VP’s can be when called upon like Lyndon Johnson, Teddy Roosevelt and FDR. If Joe decided to go, Harris/ Pritzker please!! But.. Hey.. At least we are all talking about Joe and not Scary clown for a change. Joe has our attention. I still believe Joe has great people in place and had a bad moment but I am still confident. I don’t know any 81 year olds personally who have a lot of energy at 8 at night. I think we have forgiven Trump for MANY bad days so Joe can have get a pass on this horrid night. 

***** 

Debate performances can be overcome. At the first sign of adversity the spineless Democrats want to throw under the bus, their own incumbent President. - Allan Lichtman 

***** 

Did the late night guys have a feeling that Joe would blow it and they didn’t want to face it? They all leave on vaca at once? ** It is pretty sad that before the debate, journalists basically thought Trump would be ok if he could just act normal and Biden would be ok if he can stay upright. Both accomplished these small tasks but barely. ** I often joke that Trump must be trying to lose with the things he says but debate night, I wondered if Joe was on our side. Is he trying to lose? 

***** 

 I never watch the View anymore but I checked it out after the debate and I have to say I was alarmed by Sara Haines appearance. She always looked so natural and I could hardly see her for all the makeup. To each his own but I found it quite sad. What happened there?? 

***** 

I notice that on genealogy shows, the middle child is given away more than one might think. 

***** 

Julian Assange pled guilty to conspiring to obtain and disclose classified U.S. National defense documents. The Wikileaks founder was ‘on the run’ for more than a decade. 

***** 

The Surgeon General has declared gun violence a health crisis, loneliness as an epidemic and social media a problem too. 

KKK recruitment letters have been showing up in mailboxes. That sounds about right. 

***** 

Days alert: Arianne Zucker and Shawn Christian have been engaged since 2021 and are now tying the knot!! ** Please more Tina Huang!! I wish her daughter and Abigail were alive on the always there island. Bring back Jen Lilley! I just can’t believe that I get my Days wish that Brady and Teresa are back together (if only for a moment ) but wrong actress. And seeing Teresa and Leo together really made me miss Gwen and Leo’s friendship. Emily O’Brien is a good Gwen. I hate Gwen. Soaps need those characters. That is the fun of a soap! Just let her go back to Gwen.** Oh no Johnny and Chanel don’t leave!! ** So great to see Clyde. Is he getting sexier? ** It was great to see Julie talking to Marie. Glad she is still kicking in the scheme of the show somewhere. ** I realize how much I miss the Kate and Lucas scenes. They are such a great Mother and son story. Heat that up!! 

***** 

Look for the new doc: Liza: A truly terrific absolutely true story. 

***** 

Travis Scott was arrested for disorderly intoxication and trespassing. 

***** 

The return of the Boeing Starliner has been delayed. Why is this company still going? 

***** 

It’s the age of hate. - Charlamagne the God 

***** 

The entitlement is that politicians keep raising their wages and giving corporations tax breaks but won’t give us $15 an hour. - Rev. Dr. William Barber, author of White Poverty 

***** 

Scary Clown 45/34 made a big show of himself at the Capitol. The ass kissers applauded for a scary long time. Trump told his people, “ Milwaukee, where we are having our convention is a horrible city.” He later clarified that that wasn’t what he meant. He claims that he was just concerned about the crime numbers and that he wants to be safe. Homicide is down 41%. Well, now Dems have billboards all over Milwaukee and there are t shirts on line with his hate. ** I love Milwaukee- Joe Biden ** and BTW, despite the insane fear mongering that Fox news spreads, crime is actually down across the country. When they are confronted with facts they claim that it doesn’t ‘feel’ like it. How do they live with themselves?? 

***** 

Al Capone would kill Mike Lindell. - Trump 

***** 

The Republicans blocked a bill to regulate the Supreme Court. I will never understand this need to let authority run roughshod over this country. And this pattern of distrust and secrecy from Nixon to Reagan to Trump and the Bush’s. Power and money is not enough, they must push the rest of us down. What is that about? Why do they want us to be Russia? The whining about the way the court behaved in regards to Trump is priceless. Let them go to court in Russia and see how fair it is. ** Trump wants to lower corporate tax rates even more. He visited a black church over Father’s Day weekend in Detroit. Detroit is 77.8% black.The black pastor tried to get more African Americans to come to the service. There were a couple of local rappers and a former mayor just out of prison. Cameras panned back to show the pews filled with mostly white men in MAGA hats and Trump mug shot tee’s. ** What is this obsession with water pressure? Is this just Florida?  I don’t know anybody that has these same problems. 

***** 

A fan at a Trump gathering apparently told him he had been to over 200 rallies. “Wouldn’t it be incredible if he voted for Biden? It would be suicide before Biden, right?” -Trump ** Trump has been upset about tele prompters lately. 

***** 

I have to hold on to hope that this cycle of hate will lead to a cycle of love and we will elect some smart, fair, loving people. C’mon future.. Spread the love!! Stop the loud and usher in the peace! We need more of those kick ass Gov’s who R getting it done!!!! 

***** 

Corey Booker and Tammy Duckworth have introduced a bill to protect IVF. 

***** 

Hollywood’s walk of fame welcomed Richard Blade. 

***** 

The Bike Riders stars Austin Butler, Tom Hardy and Jodie Comer.  

***** 

The Boston Celtics won the NBA title again. 

***** 

Upside down flags and designing their own hate flags are really becoming a thing. It is like a club for 12 year old boys. 

***** 

C’mon Jan 6 offenders: Pay your restitution. Why do so many folks think they should not have to be accountable? 

***** 

Thank goodness for Paul Saltzman and Deb Gendler and the like. It is great to see the bits of the Beatles story that they saw since the actual Beatles were a little busy. 

***** 

Florida is flooded. 

***** 

What this comedian said will shock you from Bill Maher is #1 on the Best sellers list. 

***** 

The rules are in place, the debate is coming and we need to hold their feet to the fire. **Polls show that over 50% of the country thinks Trump should drop out of the race. There are countries he won’t even be able to visit because he is a convicted felon. 

***** 

It is curious how many Republicans worked on and recommended the immigration plan and as soon as Biden liked it and set things in place, they turn on it. 

***** 

Tyson’s CFO was arrested for intoxication and was suspended. 

***** 

Hannah Einbinder has a comedy special: Everything must go. 

***** 

Mel Brooks got a Peabody which makes him a PEGOT. 

***** 

The Colorado GOP issued a call to burn gay pride flags because, “God hates pride.” 

***** 

Dr. Pepper is now as popular as Pepsi. 

***** 

Dr. Squatch has insured Nick Cannon’s balls for $10 mil. 

***** 

The movie 2000 mules about election fraud was pulled off market after a defamation suit. 

***** 

Rob Schneider was asked to leave a charity event for hospitals of Regina foundation in Canada. People started walking out after he was ranting about vaccines, women’s rights and how white men are persecuted. 

***** 

Julia Louis Dreyfus acceptance speech for her webby was great: Listen to old ladies Motherfucker’s. 

***** 

If it had been anybody but Hunter Biden, the gun people would have been screaming about rights. I thought the NRA wanted everyone to have a gun no matter what. 

***** 

Illinois new slogan should be: Come to Illinois where you can enjoy all your rights! 

***** 

Tokyo Vice was cancelled. 

***** 

Now they seem to be after Brown V. Board of Education. 

***** 

The Daytime Emmy’s came and went on June 8 hosted by Kevin Frazier and Nischelle Turner. General Hospital won most of the big ones. Dick Van Dyke won for guest actor on Days. Hooray for Robert Gossett and Thorsten Kaye. I was really hopeful for Eric Martsolf  but maybe next year. Melody Thomas Scott was awarded for lifetime achievement. My best dressed were Sunny Hostin, Steven Nichols, Linsey Godfrey, Abigail Klein, Lisa Yamada, Courtney Hope, Heather Tom, Paul Telfer, Jackee Harry, Suzanne Rogers, Jennifer Hudson and Danielle Pinnock.  

***** 

A giant bus covered with trump paraphernalia crashed into a sign. ** Rep John Rose’ kid showed us how ridiculous these mentally ill people are. We all want to do that when they start this mind- boggling complaining all the time. 

***** 

BTW, isn’t it time to turn the cameras off Trump? Watching and scrutinizing everything he does is not turning his core off. Out of sight out of mind. Oh, I know it isn’t going to happen but I can dream. ** The top biggest political donors prefer Trump. About 69% of his donations come from these wealthy donors. His tax breaks for the rich expire in 2025. Biden has vowed not to bring them back. He is working on those tax loopholes. 

***** 

Thank you, Don Jr. for never shutting up about Epstein. Curious people looked into your assertions that your Father had no connection there. Flight receipts show Scary Clown flew with Epstein at least 7 times. 

***** 

Alec and Hilaria Baldwin and kids are starting up a reality show, The Baldwins. Timing could be better 

***** 

Some of the things the house ethics committee have been investigating about Matt Goetz have been dropped. They are still looking into the sexual misconduct, illegal drug use, accepting improper gifts to dispense special privileges and favors to individuals and sought to obstruct the investigation of his conduct. 

***** 

Peoria’s Planned Parenthood reopened. The renovation is complete after the 2023 firebombing. Tyler Massengill is serving 10 years and has a $1,450,000 fine. 

***** 

Biden’s new program provides legal status to 500,000 immigrants. 

***** 

Wisconsin has charged Kenneth Chesebro, Mike Roman and Jim Troupis with forgery in a fake elector scheme. 

***** 

There is another elder lady movie , The Fabulous Four. This one has Megan Mullaly, Susan Sarandon, Sheryl Lee Ralph and Bette Midler. 

***** 

Books are an idiot’s natural enemy. - Josh Johnson 

***** 

2 moronic climate activists were arrested for spraying orange paint on Stonehenge. Hey, Just Stop Oil.. Why R U fucking up a historical site? There must be better ways to get your point across. 

***** 

Traitor Tulsi Gabbard is trying hard to get Trump’s attention. She does not fight hard enough for him though.  

***** 

The latest sexual assault news: Kanye West has been sued for sexual harassment. ** Howard University revoked Sean Combs honorary degree. ** Texas megachurch pastor Robert Morris resigned after an accusation from a woman who claims he has abused her since she was 12. 

***** 

Stephen Colbert seems awful proud of his EW cover. 

***** 

There is nothing loving about Dolly Parton’s false gospel. Parton’s version of love, which includes condoning immoral sexual behavior is unaligned with God’s vision for humanity. (Parton has said that you should be who you are.) - Ericka Anderson  I think she must be reading the wrong book. She has since said that she regretted using Dolly as an example for the point. She is still making the point! 

***** 

Jennifer Esposito directed, wrote and starred in Fresh Kills. The film shows us the female side of the mob. 

***** 

The Supreme Court took away the ban on bump stocks for firearms. 

***** 

Corporations are pussies. - Jon Stewart 

***** 

Saw this bumper sticker: Ted Bundy was a republican/ Ed Gein was a democrat 

***** 

The Daily show is right: Let Ticketmaster run the border. They know how to keep people out. 

***** 

Frasier is pulling out all the stops for season 2: Patricia Heaton, Spencer Grammer, Yvette Nicole Brown, Dan Butler and Edward Hibbert are joining in. 

***** 

OK.. The stills they are releasing for the new Waltzing with Brando with Billy Zane do look amazing. Richard Dreyfuss and James Jagger also star. Bad timing on the Dreyfuss front. 

***** 

Elisabeth Rohm directs Devil on Campus about Larry Ray, cult leader.  

***** 

Justin Timberlake was arrested for DWI. 

***** 

The Club Q killer, Anderson Aldrich was sentenced to 55 life sentences. 

***** 

Porn is truly unleashed on X. 

***** 

People were calling for Pat McAfee to be tossed off ESPN for calling Caitlin Clark a white 

 Bitch. 

***** 

Rep. Byron Donalds talked of his support of the Jim Crow era. 

***** 

July 1 will see Steve Bannon back to jail. He seems to love the attention it brings him so it all works out. ** He fought it but the Supreme Court said he has to go. 

***** 

The Kansas Supreme Court decided that voting is not a fundamental right.  

***** 

The co -editor of Variety, Ramin Setoodeh has a new book, Apprentice in Wonderland. Citizens of NY were apparently in stitches when they got word of Trump hosting the Apprentice because they all knew what a horrible business man he was.  

***** 

Biden weak? FDR was in a wheel chair and he got a lot done. Why are we so prejudice about age and handicaps?? 

***** 

Will Trumps gun permit be revoked in NY because he is a convicted felon? The ads showing him as a convicted felon have begun. 

***** 

Martha Alito really hates pride flags and tells us so on tape. Her husband is determined to make this country rich with Christians. Why did we come to America to begin with? These people need to live in the real world and realize there are people with other thoughts than their own. ** Funny how they want to keep women in their place unless it is their women then no rules! 

***** 

Micheal, You were the only husband I ever had and one of my lifelong friends. I will miss you forever my Bam Bam, my friend. Micheal Dale King 1963-2024 

***** 

R.I.P. Marian Robinson, Martin Starger, Bette Nash, Jeff Kreiner, Orlando Cepeda, Bill Cobbs, Alan Scarfe, Tom bower, Betty Anne Rees, William Anders, Enchanting, Jerry West, Tony LoBianco, Seven, Kevin Brophy, Mark James, Angela Bofill, Erich Anderson, Tamayo Perry, Al Schultz, migrants thrown overboard by the Greek coastguard, Tony Mordente, Anouk Aimee, victims of the Ecuador landslides, heat related deaths all over the world including over 1300 in Saudi Arabi ,Willie Mays, Spencer Milligan, Bill Cobbs, Kinky Friedman,  Taylor Willy, Gary Weaver, shooting victims, Donald Sutherland, Martin Mull and Mike King. 

[quxxn0fhxarts]

black coffee and cigarettes - South Park AU (Aged Up - 18+ : Chapter 1 - Conformist on Goth Action

AN: This is my first ever South Park fic. Go easy. I have only been a fan since 2018, so forgive me if I miss some lore. I know Liane Cartman was intersex but then it was a cover-up or something, just ignore it. Enjoy!

IMPORTANT: Everyone has been aged up to 18, links to AO3 and Wattpad at the end of the post. Photo and Fic Cover Made with Mage.Space June 28th, 2008 11:10 PM

Cabin Salmon at Camp Stark, South Park, Colorado

   Michael hated going to Camp, but he had to go every summer. At least Pete was there most summers... but he and his family went to Florida until August. He hated the types of people that went to Camp, conformists, jocks, Christians... He wished his parents didn't force him to go... he wanted to be at The Village Inn with Henrietta and Firkle.

   At least the Camp's Activities were mostly optional. He could mostly avoid outdoor activities by making friendship bracelets or arts and crafts. He was glad they removed those bigger 40-person cabins to a more intimate three-person cabin. The only thing Michael hated more than jocks was a group of them altogether. 

   Per his luck, he was stuck with two Jock, but he considered Kyle Broflovski an okay person... still didn't like him because he was a conformist. Kenny McCormick was a neutral guy; he couldn't get into many cliques since his family was poor. They had been at Camp for a few weeks, and Michael was going crazy.

   Kyle wouldn't let him smoke in the cabin. He would say, 'It messes with my sinuses,' and 'I don't want to have my lungs all shriveled and black from secondhand smoke.' Michael thought the guy needed something to vent or complain about. Kyle was always venting or speaking about something.

   Kenny wasn't as annoying as Kyle. He didnt talk much... the only thing that bothered Michael about Kenny was that he constantly was talking about sex, jerking off in his bed, talking about 'big tittied Asians.' It was exhausting. It was obvious that Kenny fetishized asians, and Michael was half Korean.

   The one that pissed Michael off the most was when Kyle said, 'How do you not have lung cancer by now after smoking since we were 10'. He wasn't so mad at it because he was scared. He started smoking because he wanted to minimize the time he was on this earth... He has always heard it, and he is sick of it. It also pissed Michael off when Kyle would say, 'That's your sign to quit smoking,' when Michael would have coughing fits.

   Though his body and condition irritated Michael, coming to Camp was always hard for him. He would get in trouble if he were caught smoking, not that he didn't want to get in trouble, but his things would be searched, and they would make him throw his cigarette stash away.

   Because of this, he would have to find another way to keep his mouth busy. He had oral fixation, so he had to distract himself by chewing gum or something. If he ran out of things to do to keep his fixation at bay, he would start biting his tongue or nails to the point of hurting himself... and he did this every summer.

   Probably the most taxing was how long he would wear his binder. It was summer, so he couldn't wear baggy jackets to hide his chest. Michael was born intersex. It was only another thing he had to suffer from in this world. Not to mention, his bust was big, so he had massive back pain.

   From a young age, his parents forced him to identify as male, which now he was cool with... it just fucked him up whenever he would have 'female' problems. His mother would gaslight him into thinking he was imagining it, and his father knew nothing about vaginas. He had to learn how to care for himself at that time of the month through blogs online.

   Michael took a good hot shower after Kyle snuck out for the night, Clyde scored some liquor, and there was going to be a rager in the forest. So, Michael felt safe enough to take off his binder and take a nice hot shower. 

He thought that he had plenty of time before he had to put back on his binder. he was going to put on a shirt and hug a pillow to go to sleep... he was drying off, going to his side of the room, finding a jumbo shirt to put on... but then something hit the floor, and he flinched.

   "Holy fuck..." Kyle said wide-eyed, standing in the doorframe with Kenny just behind him.

   "Holy shit..." Kenny yelped as he dropped his bottle of beer, "I... never thought I would witness Double E tits in real life..." Kenny was so moved he almost teared up, "They are amazing..."

   "Fuck!" Michael's squeak of panic brought the boys back to reality, "Don't fucking look, you pervs," Michael yelled.

   Kyle and Kenny had returned to the cabin because they had forgotten their phones. They wanted to see if they had received any service in the forest. After this interaction, they forgot to take their phones and quickly left the cabin. They didn't stay at the rager for long because they were too worried about Michael's wrath... they knew they would get in trouble as soon as they got back. Kenny finally just said they should go back and get it over with.

   When they returned, Michael wasn't in the cabin, but they smelled cigarettes, so they knew he couldn't be far. "Just stay here, okay... I will deal with him,"

   "What, why?" Kenny asked, wanting to see Michael's knockers again.

   "Tits make you go crazy. this is sensitive... just let me deal with it, okay?" Kyle said, and Kenny nodded, headed to the bathroom to rub one out to the memory of those EE cups.

   Kyle left the cabin and followed the smoke, finding Michael close in the forest. He was leaning against a tree. The moon was full, so it was easy to see. He was crying...

   "Just leave me alone, Broflovski," He muttered, but Kyle ignored him, sitting across from him. Kyle saw that Michael had finished the carton and downed another pack.

   "It's um... it's not that big of a deal," Kyle started, and Michael glared at him, "n-not that we saw you naked... I mean, I don't see you any differently. You are brave,"

   "Brave? What the fuck are you going on about, Perv,"

   "I mean... being trans in a small little mountain town like South Park... you're fucking amazing,"

   "I'm not transgender, you fuckwad," Michael pinched the bridge of his nose.

   "Then you... I'm sorry I'm confused," Kyle sighed.

   "This isn't a fucking moment Broflovski..." Michael sniffled, "It's none of your business."

   "No... I mean, you're right. It's none of my business. I just... I feel like you need to talk to someone," Kyle said, and Michael sighed. "I have been walked in on plenty of times. I usually get hella embarrassed and sleep it off... and you are crying," Kyle said, and Michael huffed.

   "You're a jock, I am goth... we are not friends,"

   "Well... I may not be your friend, but you're my friend," Kyle said with a smile... Michael fucking hated it when he smiled. he hated that he was so nice. He didn't like the butterflies he felt when Kyle was so nice to him.

   "Fuck You, douchebag..." Michael pulled his legs into a hug and rested his head on his knees. "I am intersex..."

   "Oh, okay," Kyle shrugged.

   "You said that like it's normal," Michael scoffed.

   "I mean... it isn't normal, but it isn't that rare, but Cartman's mom is intersex," Kyle said.

   "She is?" Michael raised an eyebrow. "Is that why Cartman is such a fucking asshole,"

   "Maybe, he has always been an asshole," Kyle shrugged and blushed, trying not to look at Michael's chest. He knew he did something because he looked like he did normally. Everyone thought he had big pecs or was a little chunky. "Can... can I ask how you hide them?"

   Michael blushed and looked away, "a chest binder... it's like a tank top, but it compresses better."

   "Is that safe?" Kyle asked, and Michael raised an eyebrow, "I mean... if it compresses, then I am sure it might cut off circulation. You have really big boobs," Kyle blushed, "Er, I mean... just is it safe?"

   "Yeah... it's safe," Michael couldn't look Kyle in the eye. "It's irritating at the moment because I wear it so much. I usually get some heat rash at Camp. But normally, I can hide it with a less intense binder and a hoodie,"

   "That is bad, Michael..." Kyle felt bad, "you don't have to wear it when it's just you, Kenny, and me... it's not healthy to have it on all the time,"

   "Yeah, right, with McCormick around? He already tries to get in my pants because I am Asian, and he is a fucking sex freak," Michael dryly laughed but then immediately froze as Kyle grabbed his wrist softly.

   "You don't have to worry about him, okay? He doesn't mean any harm. I will make sure he doesn't perv out on you as long as you feel free to rest without the binder," Kyle said. Michael was happy that it was dark enough to cover his red face.

   "O-okay,"

———- 1:29 AM    Michael thought he had a vivid wet dream at first—the ones where you can feel touch in your dreams—but then he fluttered his eyes open, hearing an uncharacteristic high-pitched panting—aka moaning.

   He looked up at the ceiling, inhaling and exhaling rigidly. He fluttered his eyes and wiped the sweat from his forehead.

   Michael felt someone between his legs. he didn't have to look down to see who it was. He brought a pillow to his face and bit it, holding back a moan as Kenny started rubbing his ring finger and middle finger up and down Michael's pussy.

   Michael fluttered his eyes to look up at the top bunk. he saw Kyle's hand dangling and his slight snore.

   "What the fuck are you doing, Pervert," Michael tried to sound threatening, but he bit his lip, and his entire body was trembling with pleasure. He looked down to see Kenny glance up, giving Michael a little smirk.

   "Finding your clitoris," Kenny said as he had been with Cartman's Mom before, her clitoris was easy to find as it was fused with her cock. Michael wasn't fused. He had a cunt where his testicles should be while the testicles were still inside of him. His clit was just below the base of his cock. "Want me to stop?" He said while pressing Michael's cock to the side and flicking his tongue on the clit, quickly reaching up to cover Michael's mouth as he grunted loud and bucked his hips.

   "Fuck..." Michael bit on Kenny's finger, whimpered, glaring up at Kyle as he failed his job not even two hours after he promised... but fuck did this feel like heaven. "W-what are you doing? Don't stop," Michael panted, unable to keep his lids open or his eyes uncrossed. Kenny buried his face in Michael's crotch before swiping up so every inch of his stubbly facial hair brushed along Michael's hairless velvety soft pussy and skin.

   "I already made you cum in your sleep... bout to do it again," Kenny said, planting kisses on Michael's bare stomach, up to his chest, which still had the shirt taught. "I wanna watch your face this time," Kenny kissed Michaels's neck before inching closer to his face.

   Michael whimpered, turning his head to the side as Kenny sucked on his adam's apple, crossing his legs as Kenny rubbed on his clit harder. You could hear the crickets outside, Michael's muffled moans, and wet sounds as Kenny pleasured Michael.

   "You sound so fucking lewd," Kenny spoke, pressing his lips against Michael's ear, "You were sopping wet before I even touched you," Kenny lightly bit on Michaels's ear, making him moan. "You were touching yourself in your sleep...". 

"Sh-shit," Michael gasped in pleasure.

"Now-now..." Kenny chuckled lowly, covering Michael's mouth, "You don't want to wake Kyle, do you?

   "Fuck... that feels so good," Michael whimpered, hugging his arms around Kenny. Pressing his face in Kenny's neck, he bit on his shoulder, trying not to make noises.

   "Come on... cum for me," Kenny whispered as he ground against Michael's leg. Michael blushed as he could feel Kenny's fat cock hard against his thigh... even with Kenny still having his pajamas on. "Here..." Kenny switched hands to insert a finger in Michael's mouth so he could bite it. "See how good you taste?" he said, Michael's wetness still on his fingers.

   "S-Shit," Michael tensed up as he arched his back, whimpering as Kenny started to press a finger inside of his cunt. "D-Dont-"

   "Holy Shit..." Kenny widened his eyes, "Youre so fucking tight, youre a virgin," He smiled from ear to ear. Michael tried to glare at him, cringing as Kenny continued to finger him but much more gently. Kenny pulled up Michaels's shirt and started to kiss and suck on Michael's nipple. The Goth Boy fluttered his lashes and looked up, flinching as Kyle sat up, looking down with wide eyes.

   "Dude..." That was all Kyle could say. Michael closed his eyes and bit his lip... unable to control his moans as his body tensed up, his touch becoming more desperate as he hugged Kenny, hiding his face on his chest. He instinctively crossed his legs and let out a little scream as he came, squirting as Kenny took his finger out of him to suck them dry. 

   "Fuck... you taste so sweet," Kenny said, leaning down to kiss Michael on the lips. The goth kissed back and bashfully looked up to look at Kyle, who was touching himself... maybe this summer wouldn't be too bad after all.

———- 2:27 AM

North Stark Lake, South Park, Colorado

   Vampir and his crew of vamps had their own 'rager' in the woods, though they just had a lousy beer and clamato juice. He was tipsy since he barely drank because he was a straight edge.

   He was stumbling aimlessly around the woods as he had to take a leak. He lost the path back to where they were hanging out and needed to learn how to return to the cabin. He thought he was headed in the right direction, but he came out in the clearing of the lake and saw the Camp on the other side.

   He sighed and started to return to the Camp, but that's when he heard something. He turned around to see if it was one of his friends. "Bloodrayne?" no one answered, "Vladimir?"

   He was beginning to freak out... but then he saw a large snarling snout coming out of the shadow, followed by glowing red eyes. "Fuck!" Vampir shouted, breaking off in a run, but it was useless... he was tackled to the ground, and the last thing he remembered before blacking out was the tearing of his flesh and a howl.

Please vote, comment, add this story to your library and read list, and share this story with a friend. :)

wattpad

black coffee and cigarettes - South Park AU (Aged Up - 18+ - 1. Conformist on Goth Action - Wattpad

AO3

black coffee and cigarettes - Chapter 1 - quxxnofhxarts - South Park [Archive of Our Own]

[tragedyinblue]

BBU Community Days, #10

@bbu-on-the-side

{Day 10: In-BBU-media} Create a piece of media that could exist within the BBU - everything from twitter post to newspaper feature to ad transcript to WRU press release! Pet lib call for action to desperate owner self-help reddit thread. Go wild!

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I'll preface this with a disclaimer: I've never written any kind of script or screenplay in my life. But, when I saw this prompt my brain catapulted me back to 1993 with "Homeward Bound", the story of a cat and two dogs who think they've been abandoned when their family drops them off at a friend's house to pet-sit while they are away. The animals embark on a wild adventure across the country to find their family.

So, that + BBU led me to this trailer screenplay/transcript bit. Enjoy(? lol)

{Scene opens on a modern cabin-style house tucked into the thick of a grand landscape. Forest/mountains. mountains/forest. Soft, lighthearted track plays as camera zooms in on family piling out of minivan: dad, mom, 10-year-old son, and three collared Pets; all are smiling happily as they unpack the van}

[Narrator:] “The Bensons were set to spend a relaxing week enjoying their vacation deep in the Colorado mountains.”

Dad: “Nothing but blue skies and the great outdoors!” (turns to his son) “What do you think?”

Son: -looks up from his Switch and rolls his eyes- “As long as we’ve got power I’m all set.”

Dad: “Come on, Daniel! You can play that thing anywhere. Hey, Chance?” 

{Camera cuts to the youngest Pet, Daniel’s companion, peeking out from behind the family van.}

Chance: “Yes, Master?”

Dad: “Take Daniel here and play some ball with him, alright? Still got time before dinner.”

{Scenes of the youngest Pet, Chance (platonic), playing ball outside with the son while two other Pets (young female, Sassy, is a domestic; middle-aged male (Shadow) is domestic/caregiver) attend to and entertain the parents. Scene cut to the Bensons leaving the cabin to drive into town for a dinner reservation, leaving the three Pets alone.}

[Narrator:] “Little did they know the danger that lurked on the horizon.

{Scene of Shadow opening the backdoor to investigate a suspicious sound. The three Pets are kidnapped, drugged to unconsicousness, and thrown into a van by nondescript humans in black clothing. Family returns home to find signs of struggle, a Pet Lib calling card, and the Pets’ torn collars discarded on the floor.}

[Son rushes to his father, tears in his eyes:] “Dad, they’re gone!” 

[Father hugs his son:] “Don’t worry, we’ll find them.”

{Scene cut to the three pets waking in a pet liberation facility in a panic, bandages on their necks where their trackers have been surgically removed. They learn they’re in a warehouse in Indianapolis, 1,000 miles away from their owners. The trio escapes.}

Chance: “Maybe we could go to the police? Tell them we’ve been kidnapped?”

Sassy: “They’ll think we were running away! And without our chips they won’t know where to find Masters and Mistress!” 

Shadow: “Well, looks like we’ll have to find them ourselves.” 

[Narrator:] “Now, Chance, Sassy, and Shadow will do whatever it takes to make it back home.”

{Montage of hitchhiking, survival, injuries, running from pet lib soldiers on their tail intermixed with beautiful scenery and majestic, swelling music.}

(Gold-tinted text hovers on the right side of the screen: “A fresh take on a beautiful classic!” - Ebert & Roper)

(Existing text fades and is replaced by another on the left side of the screen: “An emotional depiction of loyal, affectionate Pets.” - The Guardian)

[Narrator:] “Experience the heartwarming and incredible story of three stolen Pets and their journey back to the ones who love them most.” 

{Scene of the moments before the tearful reunion. Camera pans in on the bedraggled, exhausted, relieved Pets racing toward the cabin where the family cheers. The Pets kneel at their owners’ feet, happy tears in all eyes as they celebrate the reunion. Camera pans out over the forest/mountains}

(Golden text fades in on top: “Homeward Bound”)

[chickensarentcheap]

For Esme and Tyler

🥀🍄🌰🌻🌾☘️🌿🍃🌲

🥀 [WILTED ROSE] How good is your OC at meeting deadlines? What motivates them?

She's pretty good about meeting them, BUT she leaves shit until the last minute. Tyler once put a sign on her office door to "leave me alone. I have a week's worth of work to do and I have the time management skills of a carrot."

🍄 [MUSHROOM] How likely is your OC to eat random berries/mushrooms they find?

I don't think she would. I mean, if she was in Colorado she probably would as she always spent time outdoors and would know what is safe and what isn't. She's not as well reversed about that kind of stuff in Australia.

🌰 [CHESTNUT] What food group does your OC mostly eat (e.g., grains, fruits)?

Hmmmm...

I think it's definitely fruits and vegetables

🌻 [SUNFLOWER] Where would your OC get lost in the moment/beauty of the place?

Nothing really beats the sunset at home. Feet in the surf, the colours on top of the water. But I also think she'd really get caught up in seeing the northern lights. She wants to stay in an igloo hotel in Finland.

🌾 [RICE SHEAF] How picky is your OC with food? What will and won’t they eat?

The only two things she will not eat are nutella and vegemite

☘️ [SHAMROCK] How passionate is your OC about things they love/hate?

Extremely! She's very passionate about gardening and books and the bookstore and the outdoors in general. And if she dislikes something, she dislikes it. Forever. Don't try and change her mind. She's stubborn AF.

🌿 [HERB] Is your OC religious? What do they believe in?

No. She is not. She is an atheist. She does not believe an 'higher power' or entity.

🍃 [FALLEN LEAF] What’s the darkest period of time your OC has been through?

If we go with the timeline through the bulk of the series, definitely the period after the whole incident with Nathan and Tyler almost dying. It was a terrifying and worrisome time. While he survived, he could have lost his leg or his ability to walk entirely, he suffered a traumatic brain injury, he was diagnosed with CPTSD and bipolar 2. He had a lot of set backs and complications from the surgeries he had.

🌲 [EVERGREEN] What does your OC’s dream treehouse look like? What tree is it built upon?

Something like this I think: