Time to Testify at the State Capitol

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Today I went to the Colorado State Capitol and testified to the House Education Committee for one bill and against another bill. It was a fascinating experience, and I learned quite a bit.

I have never sat through an entire legislative committee session before, so that was a first. I’ve been interested in doing so in the past, and I’ve watched live-streamed city council meetings before, but this was the first time I put on a suit and tie, and got in my car and drove to the state capitol. Go figure, the first time I ever attend one is also the first time I speak at one!

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Net Neutrality is Dead. What Comes Next?

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The Federal Communications Commission finally released the long-awaited new rules for regulating the internet, following its 3-2 vote in December to repeal net neutrality.

Net neutrality, which has become controversial in recent years, is the term for the concept that internet service providers should provide equal access for all types of content served via their networks. Many consumers see this as an important protection, while some ISPs have been vocal in their opposition to the FCC imposing net neutrality on them.

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Video: Why Use Online Video For Your Business?

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This is a video I created a few years ago with a videographer to showcase the most powerful medium for communication we have in the 21st Century: video. I concepted the whole thing, wrote the script, and, of course, stood in front of the camera, explaining why businesses should use video as a part of their marketing strategy.

Local Historian Brings “Forgotten” WWI History to Life at Longmont Museum

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LONGMONT, Colo. — A small crowd came to the Longmont Museum Thursday to hear a lecture on the human element of World War I that featured humor and antique weapons.

As part of its “Longmont & The Great War” exhibit, the museum hosted a lecture by a local historian on the lesser-known elements of World War I. The presentation, titled “Deadly Laboratories: Weapons and Tactics of the First World War,” sought to challenge stereotypical images of stalemates in trench warfare, and detailed behind-the-scenes innovations that were made in battle tactics and technologies.

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Social Injustice at Ink Coffee in Denver

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DENVER — In November of 2017, ink! Coffee, a locally-owned coffee shop with multiple locations in Denver found themselves in hot water after unveiling a marketing campaign gone wrong. If this story sounds familiar, it may be because we as a society have gotten used to controversy about coffee shops each year right around this time. But if you’re thinking ink! caused themselves a PR disaster due to the forgivable sin of not printing certain words on their paper cups at Christmas, you’d be wrong.

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Three Giants Breaking Up The Healthcare Monopoly

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Earlier this week, the world was shocked by the announcement that Amazon, Berkshire Hathaway, and JP Morgan are going to partner to create a new of healthcare venture. For consumers, this is welcome news, a long time coming.

Much ink has been spilled on the state of healthcare in America, so much that there’s not much worth adding here, other than to state the obvious: health care in America is bloated, overpriced, bureaucratic, and ripe for disruption.

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My Earliest Radio Memory

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Growing up, my exposure to music on the radio was minimal. I wasn’t allowed to play the radio on my own, but a lot of my young memories involve watching my dad clean the garage or change the oil in his car while KFBK NewsRadio 1530AM played in the background.

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Discovering The City that Care Forgot: New Orleans, Louisiana

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About ten years ago, I was working at home one early summer day, sitting at my kitchen table listening to one of those early Internet radio stations (RealPlayer, or RadioVH1 or something like that). I had randomly tuned into a French Jazz channel. As I hummed along while working, the sounds of New Orleans rung in my ears, and I was struck with a rather random thought. “Hmm…” I pondered. “I’ve never been to New Orleans before. That would be a fun place to visit.” I stewed on the thought for a few hours, and later that afternoon, on a whim, I called one of my old roommates to run a crazy idea past him. “Hi Paul, what would you think of taking a vacation to New Orleans with me this summer?” I asked.

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