Mail Bag

Check out this gem that made it to the UM inbox…

Hey guys.

Just thought I could add a bit of humor to the day.

I’m the property manager for an office building in Las Vegas and ran across this little tidbit (attached picture) in one of my security reports.

Enjoy,

Collin

[attachment]

Anyone want to translate?

16th street mall shuttle

Two thoughts:

1)  It is indeed faster than walking, at least for long (6 blocks+) distances.  This is something I had an internal debate about prior to spending time on it almost every day for the last 6 months or so.  Even with the stopping and starting, it moves along..

2)  What is it with cute girls getting on and then getting off at the next stop?  Are you serious?  Are cuter girls, by their nature, straight up lazy?

Things that make Cash go hmmmm..

Serious Congas

I ran across this blog when it was cited in a craigslist posting.  When I see a site like this, I think to myself, now this is what the blogosphere is about.  This is a very niche topic written by a person who is submersed in the subject matter.  The information follows the heart.  Even if you don’t have an interest in afro-cuban percussion, you should still check the site out to see how long the tail goes in a subject you may have previously been unaware of.

Tony’s Conga Adventures

don’t take things personally

Just because someone says something negative, that COULD in fact apply to you, doesn’t mean that it DOES in fact apply to you.  Temper your reactions accordingly.

Vagrant Wisdom

My body had a large sleep debt to pay after the past few days and it picked last night to collect. I slept through my alarm, missed the 1 hour of work I usually get done and the morning bus I usually catch to the office. After a quick run through the shower and a set of clean clothes, I realized I needed to be out of the door 5 minutes beforehand.

Not wanting to be any later, I slammed my laptop shut, crammed wires into my bag, and ran to the bus stop. I arrived barely in time to catch the bus, flipped open my computer, connected to the net, and crammed in my morning work on the bus, at the train station, and on the light rail into work. After completing my morning tasks a few stops early, I shut everything down and amused myself thinking about the things that can be accomplished despite the circumstances and stress of the morning.

Standing near the train door, waiting for my departure, a tooth challenged day laborer looked up at me.

“How are you doing?”

“I’m alright,” I replied. Thinking to myself, just that thought.

the real boob tube

Fyre Tv is a new set top box that delivers on demand, DVD quality porn to your TV.  Hook it up to your ethernet connection and away you go.  The list of participating studios is HUGE, with the only glaring omission thus far, sadly, being Vivid.  Once this thing starts to take over the adult entertainment world however, I’m sure they’ll be throwing their goods onto the Fyre as well.  

Charges will eventually be based on actual content watched (browsing, fast forwarding and rewinding will never incur fees).  Right now however?  They’re looking for a few good men to participate in the free beta trials.  

Who’s signing up?  This guy.

Cube Lucky

Maybe I’m just a little baked from laying down close to 40 hours in the last 3 days, but I’ve been contemplating how fortunate I am to have a career that is relatively painless, mostly stimulating, and fairly compensated.  Granted the most valuable thing I have is time, but the time I do put in working could be a lot worse and for a lot less.

thoughts on life: i’ll never be a beer mule

Trying to take advantage of liquor’s economy of scale by purchasing larger quantities is one thing; almost breaking one’s back trying to haul 20+ bottles of Bud Light or a 30 can suitcase of PBR the four blocks from the store to my place is another.

 

One Thing I Love: Taco Night

Enough said!

Drum n Bass Podcasts

When podcasts started moving around the internet, I really tried to like them.  Content, however, did not stand up to my tastes.  Fast forward a few years and we’ve got some good movers out there.  Two podcasts that I’ve been thoroughly enjoying are in the drum n bass realm. Read more

urban living

Urban Living is a slick real estate site perfect for finding mid to high end properties in 21 cities.  There are plenty of sites out there like this one, but the interface and design here truly shines.  

the next netflix..

Is your friends.

You heard me.

One of the strangest ways my all too awesome to believe friends have stepped up during this weird time in my life is by providing entertainment. Specifically, Greg and Glenn have opened their DVD libraries to me.

Grabbing just a few random titles from Glenn’s collection (most of what I borrowed from Greg I’d already seen) resulted in watching three great movies I’d either never heard about, never seen, or both:

Stranger Than Fiction - Awesome flick with Will Farrell taking on a somewhat serious role, as a ‘living’ character in a novelist’s new book who becomes aware of his pending death and tries to stop it.

Tommy Boy - No, I’d never seen it. Yes, it was freaking hilarious.

The Matador - How I missed mentions of this incredible flick about an alcoholic hit man (Pierce Brosnan) trying to get one last job done with the help of Greg Kinneer (A super straight family guy he meets in Mexico) is beyond me. Easily the buddy movie of the year; or whatever year it was released.

Bored? Looking to mix things up? Start trading DVDs with your friends. Who knows your tastes better?

60 Days in Baja

Every time I start feeling sorry for myself for being trapped in an office, I just read the blog of my good friend Thomson and I feel even worse.  Thomson is currently taking a summer break from his strong and steady path toward a phd in comp sci to surf and live in Baja for 60 days. Read more

my god does tv suck

Having been out of the TV loop for almost ten years (no cable / satellite / etc) I must admit feeling a certain deranged thrill when I find myself at someone else’s house with remote in hand. Such was the case last night when I ended up staying over at my parent’s house.

My findings?

80 channels and not a damn thing on. I must have flipped through the stations for close to an hour before settling on going back and forth between a censored, chock full of commercials version of Cruel Intentions (don’t hate, it’s a favorite of mine) and some soap opera on Telemundo.

What the hell.

Drunk People Bother Sober People

Hey Welsh scientists, I’m available for any paid studies…

A team of Welsh scientists have spent long nights camped out in a busy nightlife neighborhood of Cardiff from 11pm to 3am with one goal—studying the way Welshmen stagger when they’re shitfaced in order to build an accurate computer model of the phenomenon. They aim to use their data to help city planners design streets that are safer for late night revelers. Now this is some research I can get behind.

Check out the scientific models at gizmodo.

poll: best sub sandwich

Living downtown offers plenty of choices in the sandwich realm. Although I used to swear by Denver’s own ‘Spicy Pickle’, I must admit my first time enjoying a “Big John” from Jimmie Johns the other day may have converted me. All that thinly sliced, delicious roast beef… aaaah.

How about you? Feel free to add your own selection as I know there are plenty of different choices around the country.

n

Wanted: Housebroken Female

I’m really just going to throw this out there to see if I’m not alone.  I have noticed through a string of girlfriends and female associates that many women seem to be challenged in the area of basic domestication.  I’m not expecting women to be homemakers, spending their lives barefoot in the kitchen.  I’m expecting them to take care of themselves without requiring me to play the traditional female role of cook and maid. Read more

urban hijinks: d.i.y. spy camera

As if we don’t have enough ongoing series around here, I’m throwing ‘urban hijinks’ into the mix. In short, a collection of tips and tricks for having fun (sometimes on the borderline of the law) with your downtown living. I’m hoping this series will generate a lot of emails with your own suggestions. UM readers are a mischievous bunch. Thank God.

Enjoying my, er, ‘accidental vacation’ this last week and a half, I’ve found myself pouring through a lot of unmarked DVDs and the like. One set of old digital photos in particular caught my attention for their sheer brilliance.

A former friend of mine used to live at 17th and Champa, in the Boston Lofts building. Anyone familiar with downtown Denver knows what a pimp location this is, especially for people watching. This innovative gent came up with a simple way to take the art of people watching to the next level.

Read more

Never Home

After expanding my boundaries with a series of long distance and long term trips, I realized how easy it is to transplant myself into new surroundings.  The world got a lot smaller, far away friends got a lot closer, and distant cultures got a lot more accessible.  Now, a conference, birthday party, or wedding in a different city seems like an easy destination to make.  So easy that I’m finding myself never at home. Read more

the true cost of commuting

As most of our ever savvy UM readers may have guessed, right now I’ve got an ahem, “unexpectedly open schedule”.  As I spend time working to fill it once again, I’ve been pondering the true value of my time.

Leaving behind a 3 hour daily commute is something I’ve been dying to do for ages.  Leaving behind the paycheck.. well, not so much (er, duh).  

Still, regaining 60 hours (if I’m blessed with a downtown job I can walk to, or even a telecommute situation) of my life every month has its own mental rewards, but what about the financial aspect?

UM favorite Tim Ferriss touches on this subject often (in 4HWW, and elsewhere), but I’ll give just one thought provoking calculation for you.    

Read more

Underground Carrot - Vegan Delivery in Denver

The Underground Carrot is a vegan food delivery service combating the evils of late night weekend dining with vegan food delivered via bicycle.  Operating Friday and Saturday evenings from 7p - 1a, they offer a rotating menu of 4 healthy vegan options for $5.  Placing an order will get a hipster in front of your door within 20 minutes awaiting payment and a tip for their troubles.

While their borders encompass just the downtown Denver area, a friendly request will usually persuade a biker to pedal a few blocks further.  I must warn you though, the two weekends I’ve called between 7p and 8p there hasn’t been anyone answering the phone. However, when it does work, the experience is wonderful.  Even pro-meatatarian Cash enjoyed his falafel sandwich, but probably not as much as I delighted in my barley burger.

Check out the myspace page for Underground Carrot for more information.

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