(See related story and commentary here)
Sean Hyman:
"Facebook is a sucker’s stock.
Why do I say that?
The media hyped it. And the only folks who seem to be itching to snatch it up are the inexperienced stock investors.
All my friends who aren’t stock investors are the ones who were looking to potentially buy it. All of my other friends who have a ton of years in the financial industry all shunned it. It’s simply overpriced....."
(Read more? Click title)
"Truth goes through three stages. First it is ridiculed. Then it is violently opposed. Finally, it is accepted as self-evident."
Showing posts with label Lorenzo Semple. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Lorenzo Semple. Show all posts
May 19, 2012
SandBoxBlogs: Aspen Daily News "Eyes without a Facebook page "
Lo Semple's "21-year-old spiritual advisor" is spot on.
Facebook is not your friend.
The best internet advice that 'SandBox Nanny' has ever been given (this would be advice she herself sought) was from a tech at Google.
Do you know how hard it is to get through to a real live person at Google who will talk on the phone with you? Trust me, it's near an Act of God.
After a lengthy chat over particulars, here's the advice she was given. In the form of a story of what anybody who works at his 'techie level' of a juggernaut like Google does to protect themselves personally online:
(paraphrased and not verbatim) '....anybody has access to you. Everything about you. The best thing you can do is seize before anybody else does, as much personal, family, business or whatever data you can and lay claim to the keywords.....such as name...before my wife and I even had a child we logged in to every search engine we could and created accts. through free mailboxes on the narrowed down list of names for our future children. And then seized the social profile abilities on each one....that way, we are in control and protecting the innocent from being hijacked by ill-meaning intent.....early on in my career it was terrifying to see the power of the net just in technology alone....many of us pulled the same controls over our own names and personal life data from our family and business interests.....called our parents and siblings and distant relatives and friends and taught them how to do the same....'.
Facebook is not your friend.
While I personally believe that a philosophy like it sounds Lo Semple has, that it's best to 'ignore' what's being done on the web to the "news" is not only a cop-out, it's cowardly if what's being classified as a "bitch-fight" even has one shred of ability to harm a community or others.
I also believe from experience that the web is unfortunately, forever. A perpetual, tireless and never sleeping giant that permeates everywhere in all human lives. I also firmly (obviously) believe in the power of one vote. One voice being raised on whatever the subject matter is eventually making a positive difference in the world.
I wonder what Lo Semple will do with his spare time when he is not outdoors, penning a column or contemplating his navel when and if that "21-year-old spiritual advisor" turns out to be right?
He might be best served to protect all he cares for by following that wise techie guy at Google and his advise.
Lorenzo Semple:
"...My 21-year-old spiritual adviser who has a FB account warned me never to get a Facebook page, ever, under any circumstances. So why do I find myself entertaining the thought of getting a Facebook page, and even worse, buying Facebook stock? It just goes to show that I am desperately clinging to what little sanity I have left......
.......I’m no stranger to the underbelly of the Internet. I used to post on a local news message board using an anonymous name. My user profile stated that I was an athletic blonde 23-year-old locally born Aspen High graduate female skier-chick who liked cooking, cross-country skiing naked, going to bullfights on acid, and kittens. I used to flirt with posters who I thought were male, and then turn sour on them when they showed any interest whatsoever.
It got way too depressing, though, wading through the quagmire of negative posts about local news stories. It was a failed sociological experiment. Ultimately I called the head of the publication and begged them to take the site down. The thing had turned into a viper pit.
When they put it back up with a Facebook-only sign up, I was relieved on a couple of levels. First of all, because there was no way in hell that any of the previous nameless dialogue could be somehow construed as civil or productive, and I was on the lunatic fringe of it all as a willing, albeit fake, anonymous participant. It made me sad that there was an arena in our community for people to spew bile.
Secondly, I had to thank them for saving me from myself. My experience with Internet message boards is that they are a waste of time, and they always end up in a huge bitch fight. I imagine there is a similar pattern on Facebook to some extent. Whenever you read a hateful negative post by someone on the Internet, it’s the equivalent of getting sprayed by a skunk — you carry the stink around with you, and you’re liable to spray someone else in turn.
Can someone explain to me what I’m missing out on by not being on Facebook? I embarrassingly admit I feel a little bit isolated by not having a Facebook account, yet remain recklessly pessimistic about the whole thing. If video killed the radio star, then isn’t it only a matter of time before something new comes along and squashes Facebook like a bug?...." (Read more? Click title)
"Unapologetic pursuit and tracking of patterns within the news others make since 2010."
Facebook is not your friend.
The best internet advice that 'SandBox Nanny' has ever been given (this would be advice she herself sought) was from a tech at Google.
Do you know how hard it is to get through to a real live person at Google who will talk on the phone with you? Trust me, it's near an Act of God.
After a lengthy chat over particulars, here's the advice she was given. In the form of a story of what anybody who works at his 'techie level' of a juggernaut like Google does to protect themselves personally online:
(paraphrased and not verbatim) '....anybody has access to you. Everything about you. The best thing you can do is seize before anybody else does, as much personal, family, business or whatever data you can and lay claim to the keywords.....such as name...before my wife and I even had a child we logged in to every search engine we could and created accts. through free mailboxes on the narrowed down list of names for our future children. And then seized the social profile abilities on each one....that way, we are in control and protecting the innocent from being hijacked by ill-meaning intent.....early on in my career it was terrifying to see the power of the net just in technology alone....many of us pulled the same controls over our own names and personal life data from our family and business interests.....called our parents and siblings and distant relatives and friends and taught them how to do the same....'.
Facebook is not your friend.
While I personally believe that a philosophy like it sounds Lo Semple has, that it's best to 'ignore' what's being done on the web to the "news" is not only a cop-out, it's cowardly if what's being classified as a "bitch-fight" even has one shred of ability to harm a community or others.
I also believe from experience that the web is unfortunately, forever. A perpetual, tireless and never sleeping giant that permeates everywhere in all human lives. I also firmly (obviously) believe in the power of one vote. One voice being raised on whatever the subject matter is eventually making a positive difference in the world.
I wonder what Lo Semple will do with his spare time when he is not outdoors, penning a column or contemplating his navel when and if that "21-year-old spiritual advisor" turns out to be right?
He might be best served to protect all he cares for by following that wise techie guy at Google and his advise.
Lorenzo Semple:
"...My 21-year-old spiritual adviser who has a FB account warned me never to get a Facebook page, ever, under any circumstances. So why do I find myself entertaining the thought of getting a Facebook page, and even worse, buying Facebook stock? It just goes to show that I am desperately clinging to what little sanity I have left......
.......I’m no stranger to the underbelly of the Internet. I used to post on a local news message board using an anonymous name. My user profile stated that I was an athletic blonde 23-year-old locally born Aspen High graduate female skier-chick who liked cooking, cross-country skiing naked, going to bullfights on acid, and kittens. I used to flirt with posters who I thought were male, and then turn sour on them when they showed any interest whatsoever.
It got way too depressing, though, wading through the quagmire of negative posts about local news stories. It was a failed sociological experiment. Ultimately I called the head of the publication and begged them to take the site down. The thing had turned into a viper pit.
When they put it back up with a Facebook-only sign up, I was relieved on a couple of levels. First of all, because there was no way in hell that any of the previous nameless dialogue could be somehow construed as civil or productive, and I was on the lunatic fringe of it all as a willing, albeit fake, anonymous participant. It made me sad that there was an arena in our community for people to spew bile.
Secondly, I had to thank them for saving me from myself. My experience with Internet message boards is that they are a waste of time, and they always end up in a huge bitch fight. I imagine there is a similar pattern on Facebook to some extent. Whenever you read a hateful negative post by someone on the Internet, it’s the equivalent of getting sprayed by a skunk — you carry the stink around with you, and you’re liable to spray someone else in turn.
Can someone explain to me what I’m missing out on by not being on Facebook? I embarrassingly admit I feel a little bit isolated by not having a Facebook account, yet remain recklessly pessimistic about the whole thing. If video killed the radio star, then isn’t it only a matter of time before something new comes along and squashes Facebook like a bug?...." (Read more? Click title)
"Unapologetic pursuit and tracking of patterns within the news others make since 2010."
April 21, 2012
SandBoxBlogs: Aspen Daily News "Cash cow"
Lorenzo Semple:
"Our town heritage is deeply rooted in blowing things up, particularly from the mining days of yore. The sound of explosions has an oddly soothing effect on me — among other things it reminds me that it’s a powder day. The sound of a loud explosion also reminds me of my troubled youth, blowing up just about anything imaginable.
Boys are fascinated with explosives. It’s an almost primordial instinct to blow things up. My oldest sister had this incredibly annoying collection of plastic horses that were among her most prized possessions. I was always tempted to blow them up. If I found one now I still might. If you’re a guy and you don’t like to blow things up, check your pulse.
Growing up here, the wild West End was a testing ground for our various explosives: M-80s, Molotov cocktails, bottle rockets, match-head bombs, spice jars filled with black powder with a sparkler rammed into them, and French quarter-sticks of dynamite. It’s a miracle I still have all my fingers. Some local kids made a deadly pipe bomb that almost killed an innocent bystander — a half-mile away.
I’ve been real tempted to skin up to Conundrum (not so) Hot Springs and take a look at the cow situation up there — it’s what all the locals are talking about lately. Even the national media has gotten a hold of this story.
As far as we can tell from news reports, there are several dead cows stuck inside the old cabin up at Conundrum. The quandary is what to do with them. It wouldn’t surprise me one bit if someone trapped them in the cabin intentionally with the sole intent and purpose of blowing them up.
Some want to dig a hole and bury the cows, with dignity. I heard there’s someone on the local force that digs a mean hole, maybe they could help? An environmentalist recommended sprinkling pheromones on them and letting the pine beetles devour the carcasses. Someone suggested a predator drone strike, raining hellfire missiles onto the already grotesque cabin scene.
Another freak suggested hiring a few Colombian coke dealers — as in the movie “Scarface” — and sending them up there with chainsaws to get the job done. No can do, I say. Way too macabre, and it clearly violates the stringent USFS Wilderness Area rules — Section 7, Article 12: No Colombian coke dealers with chainsaws allowed in the backcountry..." (Read more? Click title)
"Unapologetically pursuing and tracking patterns within the news others make since 2010."
"Our town heritage is deeply rooted in blowing things up, particularly from the mining days of yore. The sound of explosions has an oddly soothing effect on me — among other things it reminds me that it’s a powder day. The sound of a loud explosion also reminds me of my troubled youth, blowing up just about anything imaginable.
Boys are fascinated with explosives. It’s an almost primordial instinct to blow things up. My oldest sister had this incredibly annoying collection of plastic horses that were among her most prized possessions. I was always tempted to blow them up. If I found one now I still might. If you’re a guy and you don’t like to blow things up, check your pulse.
Growing up here, the wild West End was a testing ground for our various explosives: M-80s, Molotov cocktails, bottle rockets, match-head bombs, spice jars filled with black powder with a sparkler rammed into them, and French quarter-sticks of dynamite. It’s a miracle I still have all my fingers. Some local kids made a deadly pipe bomb that almost killed an innocent bystander — a half-mile away.
I’ve been real tempted to skin up to Conundrum (not so) Hot Springs and take a look at the cow situation up there — it’s what all the locals are talking about lately. Even the national media has gotten a hold of this story.
As far as we can tell from news reports, there are several dead cows stuck inside the old cabin up at Conundrum. The quandary is what to do with them. It wouldn’t surprise me one bit if someone trapped them in the cabin intentionally with the sole intent and purpose of blowing them up.
Some want to dig a hole and bury the cows, with dignity. I heard there’s someone on the local force that digs a mean hole, maybe they could help? An environmentalist recommended sprinkling pheromones on them and letting the pine beetles devour the carcasses. Someone suggested a predator drone strike, raining hellfire missiles onto the already grotesque cabin scene.
Another freak suggested hiring a few Colombian coke dealers — as in the movie “Scarface” — and sending them up there with chainsaws to get the job done. No can do, I say. Way too macabre, and it clearly violates the stringent USFS Wilderness Area rules — Section 7, Article 12: No Colombian coke dealers with chainsaws allowed in the backcountry..." (Read more? Click title)
"Unapologetically pursuing and tracking patterns within the news others make since 2010."
March 10, 2012
SandBoxBlogs: Aspen Daily News "The four cast calls for pain"
Lorenzo Semple:
"Last weekend the Aspen Skiing Co. successfully held the second Power of Four ski mountaineering race. My partner, Roger Marolt, and I completed it in just less than nine hours. It was nothing short of brutal. If you’re at all interested in doing the race next year, which I would highly recommend, go buy the super light gear now and get used to it. Without it you’re dead. Oh yeah, and bring your wallet.
The race itself is actually more like the power of three. There are basically three different geological features: Snowmass/Burnt Mountain/Buttermilk, Aspen Highlands and Ajax. We budgeted three hours for each leg and finished roughly just under that.
The pack started extremely fast for a 22-mile race with 10,000 feet of climbing. Within one minute of the start, there were a total of five people behind me. In retrospect, if I had started any faster I probably wouldn’t have finished. I was struggling just to keep up with my partner all day.
The fun parts of the course are the leg from the top of Burnt Mountain to the top of West Buttermilk, and the mysterious Congo trail. By the time we got there, approximately 100 people on lightweight mountaineering skis had passed over the terrain and it was absolutely butchered. There were huge deformed moguls and skinny trench ruts leading to narrow high-speed double tracks into thick wooded sections. When you entered the timber, there were pine needles all over the ground telling a harrowing tale of racers passing dangerously close...." (Read more? Click title)
"Unapologetically pursuing and tracking patterns within the news others make since 2010."
"Last weekend the Aspen Skiing Co. successfully held the second Power of Four ski mountaineering race. My partner, Roger Marolt, and I completed it in just less than nine hours. It was nothing short of brutal. If you’re at all interested in doing the race next year, which I would highly recommend, go buy the super light gear now and get used to it. Without it you’re dead. Oh yeah, and bring your wallet.
The race itself is actually more like the power of three. There are basically three different geological features: Snowmass/Burnt Mountain/Buttermilk, Aspen Highlands and Ajax. We budgeted three hours for each leg and finished roughly just under that.
The pack started extremely fast for a 22-mile race with 10,000 feet of climbing. Within one minute of the start, there were a total of five people behind me. In retrospect, if I had started any faster I probably wouldn’t have finished. I was struggling just to keep up with my partner all day.
The fun parts of the course are the leg from the top of Burnt Mountain to the top of West Buttermilk, and the mysterious Congo trail. By the time we got there, approximately 100 people on lightweight mountaineering skis had passed over the terrain and it was absolutely butchered. There were huge deformed moguls and skinny trench ruts leading to narrow high-speed double tracks into thick wooded sections. When you entered the timber, there were pine needles all over the ground telling a harrowing tale of racers passing dangerously close...." (Read more? Click title)
"Unapologetically pursuing and tracking patterns within the news others make since 2010."
March 5, 2012
SandBoxBlogs: Aspen Daily News "Power of Four Ski Mountaineering Race"
And the moment the world has been waiting for has finally arrived.
How did Lo Semple and Ro Marolt finish in the Power of Four race this past weekend? Exactly, how.
Aspen Daily News:
37 27 Mens 12 Lo Semple 8:46:34 8:46:36
37 27 Mens 12 Ro Marolt 8:46:36 8:46:36
"Unapologetically pursuing and tracking patterns within the news others make since 2010."
How did Lo Semple and Ro Marolt finish in the Power of Four race this past weekend? Exactly, how.
Aspen Daily News:
37 27 Mens 12 Lo Semple 8:46:34 8:46:36
37 27 Mens 12 Ro Marolt 8:46:36 8:46:36
"Unapologetically pursuing and tracking patterns within the news others make since 2010."
March 2, 2012
SandBoxBlogs: Aspen Times "Aspen Power of Four race returns to test athletes' endurance"
Jon Maletz:
"ASPEN — Pain coursed through Chris Klug's legs, stinging his quads like electric shocks as he trudged toward the summit of Highland Bowl.
“After every step, I kept thinking, ‘How am I going to do another?'” he said. “When I clipped into my snowboard and dropped into Full Curl, my legs seized up on every turn. If I crashed, I would've tomahawked all the way to the bottom — I had these visions of cartwheeling through the snow. The cramps were so bad that I could barely hit the brakes; it's a little disconcerting when you're flying down a 45-degree slope and you can't stop.”
Klug managed to descend without incident and then, somewhat surprisingly, caught a second wind for the final stretches of last season's inaugural Power of Four Ski Mountaineering Race.
After 9 hours, 49 minutes, 3 seconds — and a trek that covered 25 miles across four ski areas and about 11,000 unforgiving feet of vertical gain — the former Olympian and partner Jon Gibans, an emergency-room doctor at the Snowmass Clinic, crossed the finish line at the base of Aspen Mountain's Lift 1A in 24th place.
“I was pretty psyched to arrive at the bottom. It was a bit unceremonious — I think my wife, my mom and a friend were the only ones out there,” Klug jokingly recalled. “We started (early in the morning) at Snowmass Village, and it was damn near dark by the time we finished. What a long, long day.
“It was a little more hard-core than I realized. For me, it was one of the harder races I've ever done — harder than the Elk Mountains Grand Traverse and the Leadville Trail 100. … I'm starting to wonder myself why I'm doing it again....”
(Read more? Can't wait to see how Roger Marolt fares? Click title and stay tuned)
"Unapologetically pursuing and tracking patterns within the news others make since 2010."
"ASPEN — Pain coursed through Chris Klug's legs, stinging his quads like electric shocks as he trudged toward the summit of Highland Bowl.
“After every step, I kept thinking, ‘How am I going to do another?'” he said. “When I clipped into my snowboard and dropped into Full Curl, my legs seized up on every turn. If I crashed, I would've tomahawked all the way to the bottom — I had these visions of cartwheeling through the snow. The cramps were so bad that I could barely hit the brakes; it's a little disconcerting when you're flying down a 45-degree slope and you can't stop.”
Klug managed to descend without incident and then, somewhat surprisingly, caught a second wind for the final stretches of last season's inaugural Power of Four Ski Mountaineering Race.
After 9 hours, 49 minutes, 3 seconds — and a trek that covered 25 miles across four ski areas and about 11,000 unforgiving feet of vertical gain — the former Olympian and partner Jon Gibans, an emergency-room doctor at the Snowmass Clinic, crossed the finish line at the base of Aspen Mountain's Lift 1A in 24th place.
“I was pretty psyched to arrive at the bottom. It was a bit unceremonious — I think my wife, my mom and a friend were the only ones out there,” Klug jokingly recalled. “We started (early in the morning) at Snowmass Village, and it was damn near dark by the time we finished. What a long, long day.
“It was a little more hard-core than I realized. For me, it was one of the harder races I've ever done — harder than the Elk Mountains Grand Traverse and the Leadville Trail 100. … I'm starting to wonder myself why I'm doing it again....”
(Read more? Can't wait to see how Roger Marolt fares? Click title and stay tuned)
"Unapologetically pursuing and tracking patterns within the news others make since 2010."
February 8, 2012
SandBox Comments: Aspen Daily News "The RoLo incident"
Beth Brandon:
"This column was originally addressed to Gisele Bundchen, wife of New England Patriots quarterback Tom Brady, who wrote an email to her friends asking for support for her husband prior to the Super Bowl.
Dear Gisele,
I’m sorry about your husband’s recent loss. What a shame. I know that there were so many fans out there rooting for him and sending positive energy to him so that he and his team would feel “confident, healthy and strong,” but sadly they lost to Eli and the gang, again.
I must admit, I didn’t focus too hard on sending dear Tommy lots of good vibes. He’s a lucky guy already. I didn’t figure he’d need my help. Sorry about that.
I’m writing to ask for a little advice. Aside from praying for positivity how would you recommend handling a rivalry between two fiercely competitive teams?
I guess I should give you a little background. I live in Aspen. Type A might as well be short for type Aspen, because we have a long history of competitors here.
We compete at just about everything. Even Super Bowl Sunday is big. Some competitive fans sold out bars and restaurants by Saturday. There were even dueling parties of Super Bowl decadence. Who served the best hot wing is still up for debate. It’s just kind of how we operate.
We aren’t incredibly picky about our competition, just so long as we keep that edge and are doing better than the next guy or gal. Though, I would say that the vast majority of Aspen’s competition stems from sport and individual performance.
Living here gets you in shape physically, but just when you think you had a great pace hiking up Highland Bowl, or any number of other favorite trails, someone passes you, on their fourth lap.
Type-A locals count their days in the bowl, their laps on the gondy and their best time up Spar Gulch. Shaving minutes off exercise is something mere mortals don’t pay attention to. However, there’s actually a time chart in the gondola for those type-A demigods to track their daily progress.
I’m sure you can relate to competitive behavior, and Tommy is probably still replaying that last missed catch in the end zone, or the lack of defense that was supposed to work to his advantage. What a bummer.
I still enjoyed watching the game though, as I am a football fan through and through. Sunday fun-days are going to feel a lot different now. Football withdrawal in Aspen is short. Now we only have skiing, longer days and a hearty après season to sink our teeth into.
We Aspenites are in the midst of a little competition ourselves. We’re a historic town with mining days and quiet years. Recently we’ve come across a time that shall be known to most as the great RoLo incident of 2012......"(Be sure to click title to read on....)
"Unapologetically pursuing and tracking patterns within the news others make since 2010."
"This column was originally addressed to Gisele Bundchen, wife of New England Patriots quarterback Tom Brady, who wrote an email to her friends asking for support for her husband prior to the Super Bowl.
Dear Gisele,
I’m sorry about your husband’s recent loss. What a shame. I know that there were so many fans out there rooting for him and sending positive energy to him so that he and his team would feel “confident, healthy and strong,” but sadly they lost to Eli and the gang, again.
I must admit, I didn’t focus too hard on sending dear Tommy lots of good vibes. He’s a lucky guy already. I didn’t figure he’d need my help. Sorry about that.
I’m writing to ask for a little advice. Aside from praying for positivity how would you recommend handling a rivalry between two fiercely competitive teams?
I guess I should give you a little background. I live in Aspen. Type A might as well be short for type Aspen, because we have a long history of competitors here.
We compete at just about everything. Even Super Bowl Sunday is big. Some competitive fans sold out bars and restaurants by Saturday. There were even dueling parties of Super Bowl decadence. Who served the best hot wing is still up for debate. It’s just kind of how we operate.
We aren’t incredibly picky about our competition, just so long as we keep that edge and are doing better than the next guy or gal. Though, I would say that the vast majority of Aspen’s competition stems from sport and individual performance.
Living here gets you in shape physically, but just when you think you had a great pace hiking up Highland Bowl, or any number of other favorite trails, someone passes you, on their fourth lap.
Type-A locals count their days in the bowl, their laps on the gondy and their best time up Spar Gulch. Shaving minutes off exercise is something mere mortals don’t pay attention to. However, there’s actually a time chart in the gondola for those type-A demigods to track their daily progress.
I’m sure you can relate to competitive behavior, and Tommy is probably still replaying that last missed catch in the end zone, or the lack of defense that was supposed to work to his advantage. What a bummer.
I still enjoyed watching the game though, as I am a football fan through and through. Sunday fun-days are going to feel a lot different now. Football withdrawal in Aspen is short. Now we only have skiing, longer days and a hearty après season to sink our teeth into.
We Aspenites are in the midst of a little competition ourselves. We’re a historic town with mining days and quiet years. Recently we’ve come across a time that shall be known to most as the great RoLo incident of 2012......"(Be sure to click title to read on....)
"Unapologetically pursuing and tracking patterns within the news others make since 2010."
January 28, 2012
Sandbox Comments: Aspen Daily News/Lorenzo Semple "X Games: Still crazy after all these years"
Lorenzo Semple:
"...My idea of extreme athleticism at the time was putting on a pair of tights and Oakley blades, strapping snowshoes on my feet and running up, then back down Buttermilk as fast as I could on my lunch hour. I religiously skied moguls all day on Aspen Mountain with Atomic race skis, wearing Ancona stretch pants and a Spyder jacket. I thought big air was hitting a catwalk and doing a twister/spread combo, or a mule kick. If you were lucky enough to see a guy up on Ajax doing a heli it was like seeing a bald eagle in the wilderness; a rare treat. My, how things have changed.
We had just lost the men’s World Cup downhill to Vail, and in their infancy the Winter X Games seemed a risky, unknown replacement. There was a lot of hand-wringing going on about Aspen’s precious image at the time. Snowboarding was forbidden on Ajax. When it was announced the X Games would be held here, there was a lot of talk about how it had nothing to do with skiing, and how no one would buy a lift ticket. It might be bad for our town’s image, some said. And it proved to be, but in a good way.
Who would have thought that a decade later a snowboarder would be one of the highest-paid athletes, and you could walk into a store and buy pot. The former DMV office in Holland Hills is now a weed shop. Can you imagine if the legendary old driving test officer was still here to see that happen? He’d probably go on a three-state killing spree...."
(Read the rest? Sure you want to? Ok, then. Click title. Comment to discuss)
"...My idea of extreme athleticism at the time was putting on a pair of tights and Oakley blades, strapping snowshoes on my feet and running up, then back down Buttermilk as fast as I could on my lunch hour. I religiously skied moguls all day on Aspen Mountain with Atomic race skis, wearing Ancona stretch pants and a Spyder jacket. I thought big air was hitting a catwalk and doing a twister/spread combo, or a mule kick. If you were lucky enough to see a guy up on Ajax doing a heli it was like seeing a bald eagle in the wilderness; a rare treat. My, how things have changed.
We had just lost the men’s World Cup downhill to Vail, and in their infancy the Winter X Games seemed a risky, unknown replacement. There was a lot of hand-wringing going on about Aspen’s precious image at the time. Snowboarding was forbidden on Ajax. When it was announced the X Games would be held here, there was a lot of talk about how it had nothing to do with skiing, and how no one would buy a lift ticket. It might be bad for our town’s image, some said. And it proved to be, but in a good way.
Who would have thought that a decade later a snowboarder would be one of the highest-paid athletes, and you could walk into a store and buy pot. The former DMV office in Holland Hills is now a weed shop. Can you imagine if the legendary old driving test officer was still here to see that happen? He’d probably go on a three-state killing spree...."
(Read the rest? Sure you want to? Ok, then. Click title. Comment to discuss)
December 24, 2011
SandBox Comments: Aspen Daily News "De plane, de plane!"
"It’s Christmas Eve in Aspen. The town is like a magical snow globe filled with miniature hundred dollar bills as snowflakes, and everybody is giddy with anticipation of what Santa may or may not be bringing them. The goose is fat, the trees are trimmed, the stockings are hung and the slopes are groomed to perfection. The streets are choked with Range Rovers and private jets are swarming like mosquitoes, but their occupants are a bit nervous about flaunting their riches in Aspen this year. Fret not. We’re ultra tolerant here in Aspen — wealth doesn’t impress or even faze (most of) us; some actually find it boring. If you’re worried about sticking out like a sore thumb and really want to look like a local, I have a solution for you: Don’t shave, and put duct tape on your gloves and ski outfit..."
(Lorenzo Semple)
(Read more? Click title. Comment to discuss)
(Lorenzo Semple)
(Read more? Click title. Comment to discuss)
December 10, 2011
SandBox Comments: Aspen Daily News "Aspen needs a black dog of its own"
“A man is not a good man to me because he will feed me if I should be starving, or warm me if I should be freezing, or pull me out of a ditch if I should ever fall into one. I can find you a Newfoundland dog that will do as much.” — Henry David Thoreau Walden"
(From Lorenzo Semple's column, Aspen Daily News)
(Read more? Click title. Comment to discuss)
(From Lorenzo Semple's column, Aspen Daily News)
(Read more? Click title. Comment to discuss)
November 26, 2011
SandBox Comments: Aspen Daily News/Lorenzo Semple "Fast women in Aspen"
"What’s more beautiful than fast women on skis? It’s a rhetorical question really. One man will choose a scantily clad swimsuit model over a bundled up bunny. Another will gladly peel away the layers after a satisfying day on the slopes to reveal the beauty underneath. There’s just something inexplicably sexy and graceful about a woman on skis, especially one who can dominate the mountain. They are almost more than mortal man deserves, and can handle.
There’s a carnival like atmosphere in town right now with the Women’s World Cup races. As you drive down Main Street and see the flags from all around the world, it’s hard not to get excited about this weekend. The schedule looks action packed, complete with fireworks and live music. Late this summer there was an unexpected weekday fireworks display that pleasantly caught a lot of people off guard. I was walking downtown right as it started and passed some happily baffled tourists. They asked me what the occasion was to which I casually replied in passing — it’s Aspen, there’s fireworks every night...."
(Lorenzo Semple)
(Learn more? Click title. Comment to discuss)
There’s a carnival like atmosphere in town right now with the Women’s World Cup races. As you drive down Main Street and see the flags from all around the world, it’s hard not to get excited about this weekend. The schedule looks action packed, complete with fireworks and live music. Late this summer there was an unexpected weekday fireworks display that pleasantly caught a lot of people off guard. I was walking downtown right as it started and passed some happily baffled tourists. They asked me what the occasion was to which I casually replied in passing — it’s Aspen, there’s fireworks every night...."
(Lorenzo Semple)
(Learn more? Click title. Comment to discuss)
October 8, 2011
SandBox Comments: Aspen Daily News "How’s that soap taste, son?"
As far as we're concerned, the fav columnist toss is between Danforth, Sturm, Nitze, Advice Goddess and Lorenzo Semple.
For this week, Semple wins. (Read the whole thing..)
"Growing up in a small town like Aspen is cool because you know all the cops. Sure, we ran from them (still do), and got in trouble all the time, but I can’t recall ever being compelled to swear at a cop. Not to mention there’s way more creative ways to get under a policeman’s skin — verbally that is. See me in my office — Highlands Bowl — for a detailed list. All of them will work against your favor, guaranteed.
Swear words, phrases and such are fabric of our language and pop culture, but they also are like spices in the food we eat — too much can leave a bad taste in your mouth. Not to mention cussing shows a lack of intellect. That’s probably why I curse so much. It’s because you just can’t come up with another word. It makes you sound stupid. Regardless, it’s all protected free speech. The line of legalese becomes more blurry when these words are used with the intent of causing a violent reaction.
But when done right, a four-letter word can sound romantic, renegade, jubilant, contrarian and altogether appropriate. The comedian George Carlin was famous for his “Seven Dirtiest Words” skit. It’s a real knee-slapper. For some reason I’m particularly impressed when elderly people swear; toddlers and women too. Swearing in songs can pack a punch also, when done right. There’s a song by the Sex Pistols called “Bodies” that’s a good example of this. I always respected the stubborn artists who wouldn’t alter the lyrics of their songs for more exposure on the radio.
The “F bomb” is one of the most versatile words in the English language. It can be used as a noun, a verb, an adjective, an adverb, an exclamation and a question. “Scarface” taught me that back in high school. I remember seeing the “F bomb” scratched on a bathroom stall in the Yellow Brick lower elementary school. It stood perfectly on its own, probably because the kid who put it there was actually incapable of writing anything else.
Thanks to our Constitution, these words are protected. Freedom of speech and thought are the foundation blocks of America. Try telling that to my grandmother. She was more interested in cleansing bad words from my mouth at an early age. I was in first grade at the time when I decided to push the envelope a little bit and try out a word in front of her. The word is totally innocuous — so much so that I can write it here now, even in a highly conservative publication such as this. The word in question: Kaka. It means poop, doo-doo, dookie, number two. I said that word in front of her while playing with plastic army men in the courtyard behind her apartment. It was a huge mistake.
She grabbed me by the arm and yanked me into the air, dragged me right into the kitchen and washed my mouth out with Ivory soap.."
(Lorenzo Semple)
(Learn more? Click title or comment to start discussion)
For this week, Semple wins. (Read the whole thing..)
"Growing up in a small town like Aspen is cool because you know all the cops. Sure, we ran from them (still do), and got in trouble all the time, but I can’t recall ever being compelled to swear at a cop. Not to mention there’s way more creative ways to get under a policeman’s skin — verbally that is. See me in my office — Highlands Bowl — for a detailed list. All of them will work against your favor, guaranteed.
Swear words, phrases and such are fabric of our language and pop culture, but they also are like spices in the food we eat — too much can leave a bad taste in your mouth. Not to mention cussing shows a lack of intellect. That’s probably why I curse so much. It’s because you just can’t come up with another word. It makes you sound stupid. Regardless, it’s all protected free speech. The line of legalese becomes more blurry when these words are used with the intent of causing a violent reaction.
But when done right, a four-letter word can sound romantic, renegade, jubilant, contrarian and altogether appropriate. The comedian George Carlin was famous for his “Seven Dirtiest Words” skit. It’s a real knee-slapper. For some reason I’m particularly impressed when elderly people swear; toddlers and women too. Swearing in songs can pack a punch also, when done right. There’s a song by the Sex Pistols called “Bodies” that’s a good example of this. I always respected the stubborn artists who wouldn’t alter the lyrics of their songs for more exposure on the radio.
The “F bomb” is one of the most versatile words in the English language. It can be used as a noun, a verb, an adjective, an adverb, an exclamation and a question. “Scarface” taught me that back in high school. I remember seeing the “F bomb” scratched on a bathroom stall in the Yellow Brick lower elementary school. It stood perfectly on its own, probably because the kid who put it there was actually incapable of writing anything else.
Thanks to our Constitution, these words are protected. Freedom of speech and thought are the foundation blocks of America. Try telling that to my grandmother. She was more interested in cleansing bad words from my mouth at an early age. I was in first grade at the time when I decided to push the envelope a little bit and try out a word in front of her. The word is totally innocuous — so much so that I can write it here now, even in a highly conservative publication such as this. The word in question: Kaka. It means poop, doo-doo, dookie, number two. I said that word in front of her while playing with plastic army men in the courtyard behind her apartment. It was a huge mistake.
She grabbed me by the arm and yanked me into the air, dragged me right into the kitchen and washed my mouth out with Ivory soap.."
(Lorenzo Semple)
(Learn more? Click title or comment to start discussion)
October 1, 2011
SandBox Comments: Aspen Daily News/Lorenzo Semple "Follow the yellow brick road"
"Colorado means colorful, and that it is. The colors are peaking right now, and all this week. They say that the Aspen tree grove is the largest living organism in the world. If you drink a heady brew of quantum bio-physics you could imagine that we are all connected and part of that organism.
This time of year things start to slow. The temperatures drop, and the grasses lay fallow, trees, plants and shrubs start to go dormant. Hanging flower baskets start to look haggard. Flies that were once near impossible to swat are now like sitting ducks. It seems like our bio-rhythms and metabolisms start to slow as well. Your inner caveman calls out to gather supplies for winter — like new skis — and your body tells you to start storing fat.
The shrub oaks and berry bushes here are so vibrant, and such an important part of our local ecosystem. I saw a squirrel with so many acorns in its mouth it looked like the great Dizzy Gillespie. That’s what locals start to do this time of year — stock up for winter, get your squirrel on...."
(Lorenzo Semple)
(Be sure to read all of Semple's terrific column, Click title)
This time of year things start to slow. The temperatures drop, and the grasses lay fallow, trees, plants and shrubs start to go dormant. Hanging flower baskets start to look haggard. Flies that were once near impossible to swat are now like sitting ducks. It seems like our bio-rhythms and metabolisms start to slow as well. Your inner caveman calls out to gather supplies for winter — like new skis — and your body tells you to start storing fat.
The shrub oaks and berry bushes here are so vibrant, and such an important part of our local ecosystem. I saw a squirrel with so many acorns in its mouth it looked like the great Dizzy Gillespie. That’s what locals start to do this time of year — stock up for winter, get your squirrel on...."
(Lorenzo Semple)
(Be sure to read all of Semple's terrific column, Click title)
September 17, 2011
SandBox Comments: Aspen Daily News "Saturday night ski pass fever"
My goodness, says, SandBox Nanny.
'kids' are all up early and her cup of tea is now cold.
Usually most of the day's posting is done by now. Yet today, she's barely made it through reading the PI and The Aspen Daily...
(sigh...rolls eyes...)
"..Can you imagine if our illegal workforce were all die-hard skiers? That would be an awesome spectacle, and a quandary of sorts. Think of the massive festive crowd at the gondola on a powder day filled with people selling burritos, listening to Mexican radio. The town would come to a complete stop. It’s already bad enough getting a fresh line after 10:30 a.m. It seems like the mountains get chewed up more quickly now on a powder day. And not to mention one beginner snowboarder can do the same damage as four expert skiers to a field of freshies...
...Do whatever it takes to get a ski pass. Make a deal with the devil. I have his number if you need it..."
(Lorenzo Semple)
(Learn more? Click title or comment to start discussion)
"Truth goes through three stages. First it is ridiculed. Then violently opposed. Finally, it is accepted as self-evident."
'kids' are all up early and her cup of tea is now cold.
Usually most of the day's posting is done by now. Yet today, she's barely made it through reading the PI and The Aspen Daily...
(sigh...rolls eyes...)
"..Can you imagine if our illegal workforce were all die-hard skiers? That would be an awesome spectacle, and a quandary of sorts. Think of the massive festive crowd at the gondola on a powder day filled with people selling burritos, listening to Mexican radio. The town would come to a complete stop. It’s already bad enough getting a fresh line after 10:30 a.m. It seems like the mountains get chewed up more quickly now on a powder day. And not to mention one beginner snowboarder can do the same damage as four expert skiers to a field of freshies...
...Do whatever it takes to get a ski pass. Make a deal with the devil. I have his number if you need it..."
(Lorenzo Semple)
(Learn more? Click title or comment to start discussion)
"Truth goes through three stages. First it is ridiculed. Then violently opposed. Finally, it is accepted as self-evident."
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