My talk, however, was rejected! While I gave the organizers (many of whom are friends of mine) tons of shit about it, I understand that you don’t always get everything you want. That being said, I’m still pretty pissed off. I have a proven track record of presenting both entertaining and informative talks, and I’m a “Top 5 heckler put-downer”, as voted on by Cosmopolitan Magazine*.

So even though I’m annoyed by the rejection, I have a plan in place to present it anyway – in my own unique way. So suck it, Ignite Boulder! Just kidding, you guys are my pals, and you still run the best Ignite I’ve ever been to.

Here is my submission that was shot down:

I talked at Ignite Fort Collins in 2010 about “How Not To Drive Like A Douche In The Mountains”. My talk was well received, and contained loads of pertinent information about how not to drive like a douche in the mountains.

 

However, two years after the presentation was presented, I haven’t seen a noticeable improvement in how people are driving up in the mountains. So here comes volume 2 of “How Not To Drive Like A Douche In The Mountains”!

 

I love to spend time in the mountains, but also loathe the drive up there when there are douches driving all around me. I will be presenting tips for every driver to improve their alpine automotive skills. The goal of driving is to arrive at your destination in one piece.

 

Trust me, I know that you all have been looking for answers to your deepest, darkest mountain driving questions. Here are some questions I’ll attempt to address in my five-minute chat with you:

 

“When is it a good idea to stay in the left lane, impeding a long line of faster cars behind me?”

 

“I sold my spare tire to a dispensary for a quarter of  a strain called ‘Hawaiian Home-Wrecking Cranial Sledgehammer Maui McWowee’. I probably won’t need it in the mountains, right?”

 

“My tires are basically completely bald, but I’ll probably hold out and get tires in the Spring. Otherwise how can I afford to get a ski pass?”

 

“Is it true that Summit County stinks like broke hippies who like listening to Dub Step?” (quick answer: pretty much)

 

“What are some acceptable & friendly gestures to use for our friends driving out to the Rocky Mountains from Nebraska, Oklahoma, Texas, & Massachusetts?”

 

“Does 4-Wheel-Drive mean I can go twice as fast as people with 2-Wheel-Drive?”

 

Seriously, this is pretty much going to be the most informative Ignite Boulder presentation that can ever possibly exist, and you’ll leave with some serious knowledge about how to be a better mountain driver. It’s much harder than it looks (and I’m tired of all of you people trying to crash into me all the time).

* There was never, nor will there ever be a vote like that in Cosmo. I did win Hottest Ignite Presenter, though.

One of my earliest images ever uploaded to flickr.

I’ll never forget the day. In February 2004, my friend Morland told me about this photo sharing site called flickr. I signed up and uploaded a block of photos on February 10th. That was 8 years ago. For some reason I deleted those images and reuploaded them the next day (maybe because of resolution?). Read more about flickr’s birthday on their blog.

Anyhow, my earliest recorded image is #2375. To put that into perspective, there are currently 6.8 billion photos on flickr. The flickr of old is vastly different than what it currently is. When it was smaller, there was a sense of community that emerged.

They had an innovative flash-based chat and photo sharing area called FlickrLive that allowed you to connect with other users (based off a game they were trying to develop called Game NeverEnding – GNE). I have to say that I still have some really good friends out of those early days of flickr. I also learned a ton about how to successfully launch a product  from watching how the flickr team operated.

The instant I logged into FlickrLive I was greeted by a team of Ludicorp employees, including the CEO, Stewart Butterfield. He reached out to me directly and told me he was a big fan of Medeski Martin & Wood too (which meant he had read my profile before chatting me up). George Oates also was available to chat almost all the time, and we could discuss new feature requests, awesome photos, or even barbecuing. In fact, George & I even started a flickr group together called Bar-B-Q. We made aliases, I built a profile that was Abe Froman: The Sausage King of Chicago and she was The George Foreman Grill.

I learned from these early experiences how to develop a sense of community, which is the unifying force behind all social startups these days. They were lessons that I think about all the time even today. And now that flickr is sadly just a repository of photos that I can share online, I’ll never forget the profound impact it had on me and my career. I’ll post an interview I conducted with George Oates a few years ago next week about how they started building community.

Not that I think that DD is really all that great, but it reminds me of being a kid and stopping in for a treat every so often. Interesting that it took them 15 years to come back.

Another brand I remember that left for a while and came back was Southwest Airlines. When they were here in the past, apparently Denver accounted for a huge percentage of their delays. As a brand that prides themselves on the fastest plane turnarounds and most on-time arrivals, Southwest left. They finally came back, and as a consumer it’s great because Southwest is today one of the best airlines out there. Not to mention that they’ve been one of the only profitable airlines for the last 35 years.

Marvel’s The Avengers Super Bowl XLVI Commercial (Extended) – YouTube.

My most recent pro-bono client is Empowerment International, a Colorado-based company that helps Nicaraguan children stay in school and out of places like Old Navy sweatshops. My good friends Kevin & Kelly worked with these kids in Nicaragua for the better part of a year, and I was lucky enough to get to visit them. Nicaragua is a beautiful country, but is also impoverished.

I wanted to help Empowerment International in the ways that I was best suited. I built the marketing materials for Empowerment International’s charitable fundraiser on October 8th (posters, postcards, and website). It’s called Mi Camera, Mi Mundo – it’s a photography show & auction. The 40 photos picked were all shot by Nicaraguan children who Empowerment International are working to educate.

Tickets are $35, and all proceeds from the event go directly to Empowerment International. I’d love it if you took a look at the site, and I’d love it even more if you bought a ticket to support a Colorado non-profit dedicated to helping the global community.

Just a quick update to let you know that I’m a contestant in the Ford F-150 EcoBoost Challenge. The Social Media team at Ford is hooking me up with a free F-150 to drive next week as part of the promotion.

The contest has 3 sections, and luckily for me one of them isn’t a swimsuit portion (and probably luckier for you). The payoff is that if you help me win, DENVER WINS FREE SHELL GAS ON SEPTEMBER 3, in a series of flashmob giveaways.

If you want to check out the website I built that’s devoted to this contest, head over to FreeF150.com to learn more. Here are the quick details and info on how to help Denver win.

• Part 1 of the EcoBoost Challenge: The 2011 F-150 with EcoBoost that Ford is giving me averages 22MPG on the highway. I’m competing against 7 other contestants in 7 other markets to average the highest MPG from Monday August 22 through Friday August 26th. I aim to do mostly highway driving.

• Part 2 of the EcoBoost Challenge: Ford is letting people vote once a day on Facebook for their favorite contestant in the contest. Obviously this is me. So head over to the EcoBoost Challenge Facebook Page and vote for me. EVERY SINGLE DAY.

• Part 3 of the EcoBoost Challenge: Planning and executing a successful social event that benefits a local charity. I’m planning a can drive on Saturday, August 27th outside the Rackhouse Pub in Denver, benefitting Denver’s Metro CareRing. Anyone who brings 5+ cans to donate will receive a voucher for a complimentary draft beverage of their choice at the Rackhouse. Ford is hooking me up with a $500 gift card which I’ll be using to purchase $500 in canned goods for Metro CareRing. Help me fill the bed of this F-150 with canned food for people less fortunate than us!

I’ll be posting more often on the FreeF150.com site, and promoting my efforts on Twitter. I would love to have you be a part of this awesome contest!

Ok, so Hwy 34 doesn’t have the same ring as the distinctly American Route 66, The Pacific Coast Highway (Highway 1), or Germany’s Autobahn (or Dylan’s Highway 66 Revisited, for that matter). But I contend that it’s as beautiful as any of those other roads.

I went to dinner in Grand Lake tonight with my folks, Aunt & Great Aunt (at the tasty Oa Bistro). I was on my way to try to fish before the sun went down. And while I was traveling back towards my home in Tabernash, the sun was setting. So I figured it was time to take photos instead. They turned out nicely, even though I was using my point and shoot (I so wish I had my fucking SLR with me). The image below this looks better blown up (click it to see a bigger version).

Incidentally, I just read that US Highway 34 starts in Granby, CO and goes all the way to Chicago, IL. I had no clue. It has to be better than driving fucking I-76 to I-80 from here to Chicago – although it is (surprisingly) beautiful through Iowa.

I was also basically on Hwy 34 when I shot those photos on Trail Ridge Road last week (see post below).

I spend a lot of time in the Colorado mountains. I should probably explore places I don’t often go more, and I definitely should take my camera more places. I bought a point and shoot for this reason, carrying my DSLR around all the time has proven to be tiresome. But something with a decent optical zoom and lens that fits in my pocket has been making me take more photos.

Last Friday I had to get from Winter Park, CO to Lyons, CO. The fastest way to go is also the most beautiful way: over Trail Ridge Road in Rocky Mountain National Park. I have to say it’s one of the most breathtaking drives in the state.

I won’t be at the UMS today because I’m going to see Bela Fleck & the Original Flecktones and Bruce Hornsby at Chatfield today. But if you’re going, the bands I recommend for Sunday at the UMS are Rob Drabkin, Vices I Admire, John Common, Overcasters, Coles Whalen, Dan Craig Band (super bummed to miss this guy’s set), Busman’s Holiday, Gregory Alan Isakov, Timber Timbre, and The Orbans.

Fox and the Bird, 5pm, Irish Rover

The Fox & The Bird ended up being at the Irish Rover at 5, although I thought it was supposed to be a different band. Sometimes you make mistakes, and those mistakes turn out to be beneficial. The band playing was the Fox & the Bird, a folk band from Dallas. It was no shock to me after hearing their music that Paper Bird were pals of theirs. String band music paired with horns (sometimes) is a nice way to explain their sound. The PA wasn’t exactly working so well, and it was cool that they walked into the crowd at the Rover to play in the middle of us. It was a unique treat at the UMS, I didn’t see anyone else do this at the UMS.

The Photo Atlas, 6pm, Hi-Dive

Another band I liked listening to on my Spotify playlist was The Photo Atlas. Their music in lots of ways reminds me of At The Drive-In. I saw ATDI in Toronto in 2000, and it was just before they broke up. It was a great experience, and good to know there are other bands playing similar music. My favorite banter from the show: “This song is called White Noise, clap along if you know it.”

Pink Hawks, 6:20 Indy Ink

In a few words, Pink Hawks can be explained: Afrobeat, face paint, percussion. They had a song with a chorus of “everyone’s addictied to pain”. I thought they were saying “everyone’s addicted to brains” and that this was a zombie funk band. My friend Rachel told me I was wrong. They were good, but it was SO hot in Indy Ink that I had to check out some other music. Before I left, I saw the hat of the festival: it had a horse throwing golden human shoes at a post in the ground.

Jay J Matott, 6:40 Illiterate Gallery

I wandered next door to the Illiterate Gallery to check out Jay J. Matott & the Arctic. They were on my list anyway, but they were giving out great “fliers” that were really just transparencies with black Buddy Holly glasses & a stylish mustache on them a little earlier. I had to go now. I saw my first cello at UMS. They were a solid 5-piece band.

Old Canes, 7pm, 3 Kings

Old Canes was a solid folk rock/Americana band. I liked the melodica + trumpet melodies a lot. I also “stole” some flash from other people taking photos at this show. It was actually kind of nice to borrow their light, by luckily snapping some photos while they were using a flash 10 feet away.

My Gold Mask, 7:20, Hi-Dive

My Gold Mask was one of the most unique bands I saw at the UMS. They had a drummer lead vocalist. A drummer lead vocalist who is a woman. A drummer lead vocalist who is a woman and also stands up while she drums. Different. Amazing. She has a pretty great voice, too (although there was some insane reverb on the vocals). I liked them a lot.

Patrick Dethlefs, 8pm, Michelangelo’s

Of all the UMS music I listened to on Spotify, I thought 21 year-old Patrick Dethlefs (det-lefs) was the most intriguing. He played a set in a full bar, full of attentive people. He’s got a wonderfully soft and warm voice. In many ways, the warmth of his voice makes his songwriting sound even more honest than it already is. He has a lot of the qualities that I like in Todd Snider’s music. There was a nice mix of originals and covers, the covers included “Dark Hollow” and a really nontraditional version of “Red Rocking Chair”. Patrick also played some nice simple riffs along with the rhythm, nothing too showy but he definitely can play guitar. Something I liked was the unique alternating bass notes on c-shaped barre chords. He told us that he recently released a Daytrotter session, released July 1st. Dethlefs is also playing August 6 at Larimer lounge with celloist Ben Sollee. Great line: “this goes out to all the pretty ladies in the audience. There’s more than one.” #BrowniePoints

If I wanted to start a band, Patrick Dethlefs is the kind of guy I would want to play with.

Snake Rattle Rattle Snake, 9pm Goodwill parking lot

Their music was just “eh”, but I got a nice photo of their set.

Abi Robins, 10pm, Michelangelo’s

Another Singer/Songwriter I enjoyed was Abi Robins. Abi recently relocated to Colorado from Saint Louis. She was a great guitar player who at times played pretty technical riffs and sang at the same time (classy). Her songs were honest and melodic.

Hellogoodbye, 6pm, Goodwill parking lot

Even though it was so hot, it was worth getting to the UMS early to see Hellogoodbye. This band had a ton of energy, with some great musicians. One guy played guitar, mandolin and a ukulele (which has a Descendents bumper sticker on it – hilarious). Happy sounding, lots of jumping around. Plus there were guys wearing shorts on stage (go shorts). There was also liberal use of a tambourine. The guys also had sweet hollow body electric guitars. Hellogoodbye had good crowd interaction, and I loved their short replay of some wasteoid dancing earlier in the day. This was a great way to start off Friday at the UMS.

I was looking forward to a few bands at 7pm, but they turned out to pretty much suck. Instead of writing about them, I’m just going to post this nice photo of the sunset from yesterday.

Gardens & Villa, 10pm, Hi-Dive

After plopping down at Barry’s on Broadway for 90 minutes to watch the Rockies, I mozied down to the Hi-Dive to see Gardens & Villa. It was maybe the first time I’ve seen a flute on stage at a rock show and actually enjoyed it. Some of their tunes were reminiscent of the Talking heads, with a solid, hard driving beat beat. Plus there was 40% mustache participation from band members.

A Great Big Pile of Leaves, 11pm, Skylark

After a mostly subpar evening of music, I was waiting outside the Irish Rover to see another band. But they were taking too long to set up, so I cruised down to the Skylark to see A Great Big Pile of Leaves. They were on my list of bands I’d heard on Spotify leading up to the UMS, and Hellogoodbye gave a glowing recommendation of them during their set earlier in the day.

And I am very happy that I made it to see them. AGBPOL were definitely the best musicians I’ve seen so far at the UMS. They played loudly and with a good amount of distortion, but were very melodic at the same time. These guys from Brooklyn definitely brought their A-Game. One of my favorite parts of their music was the unique strumming rhythms, not something you usually see in an indie band. They were super tight, and have definitely made it into my regular playlist. In listening to their albums on Spotify, though, their live show was better than their albums. Maybe I just need to listen to them a lot louder.

There’s more music happening tonight, excited to see it even if I’m tired. Definitely stoked to see bands including The Photo Atlas, Patrick Dethlefs, Snake Rattle Rattle Snake, Abi Robins, Bear Hands and the Black Heart Procession.