Americans are still getting fatter. Since 1999, adult obesity has increased from around 30% to almost 38% in 2014. Here are some eye-opening statistics about the health of American adults. About half of all adults get the recommended 150 minutes of physical activity per week. Only 3% of Americans meet the definition of a healthy lifestyle: Have a healthy body fat percentage (less than 20% for men and less than 30% for women) Meet exercise recommendations Are non-smokers Score in the top 40% on the Harvard Healthy Eating Index Obesity is not just an issue for your health.  Obesity as a nationwide... Read More

It’s time to celebrate a few local poets. On Friday, April 13th there will be a Book Launch Celebration featuring three Denver University poetry students. Diana Khoi Ngyen will read from Ghost of; Jennifer Elise Foerster will read from Bright Raft in the Afterweather; Alicia Mountain will read from High Ground Coward. Event info: Starts at 7pm at Counterpath (7935 East 14th Avenue, Denver) All poetry collections will be available for purchase!   About Diana: “Born in Los Angeles, Diana Khoi Nguyen is a poet and multimedia artist whose work has appeared widely in literary journals such... Read More

Who Reads Poetry? (You, I Hope) As you know (and if you don’t, play along here), it’s National Poetry Month. Usually when months are themed, there’s a cause that is not getting its due attention. By dedicating a month to a cause, there is a passionate (albeit a bit desperate) attempt at work to concentrated attention, education and awareness. March is Women’s History Month October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month February is African American History Month June is Fireworks Safety Month. December is Toys for Tots Month. Poetry seems odd when coupled alongside these. Though National Poetry... Read More

Top 10 Best Things About Denver #1 The Weather in Denver The first time I visited Denver it rained for 3 days straight and all the mountain views were shrouded in clouds!  Somehow I still fell in love.  After living here for 2 years I don’t think I have ever seen consecutive full days of rain. When news got around that I was leaving New York for Denver, the reactions were heavily riddled with concern for the fierce weather.  But, the 1870’s claim that Denver receives 300 days of sunshine was attractive to me!  When we moved in during the first week of January, I remember thinking what... Read More

The excitement of the Avalanche players was contagious as the crowd erupted and the final horn sounded.  With a 5-2 victory over St. Louis in the last game of the regular season, Colorado secured the eighth and final playoff spot in what has been a remarkable turn-around season.  One could forgive the doubters for being skeptical as the Avalanche were coming off a last place, 48-point season in 2016-2017. But now that our Colorado boys have made the playoffs, is there room on that bandwagon for one more?  Even if I admit that Saturday night’s game was the only one I watched all season? It’s... Read More

I started writing this piece with the idea that I would talk about late-night, post-show eats in Denver. As I wrote, I realized that I was writing specifically about pizza by the slice. As I wrote even more, it became clear that I was really just venting about my sex life. It would seem that I have f***ed my way through every after-hours pizza joint in the Queen City. Here is the short list of pizzerias and what I have to say about them and the men I explored along the way. There’s a lot of hot slices here. The Pie Hole wins straight away for “Best Name.” It’s on South Broadway and is a... Read More

Too many movies take their time when they don’t really need to. For example, I read recently that the upcoming Avengers: Infinity War has a running time of two hours and thirty-six minutes. If you’re a fan of the MCU, that’s probably fine and dandy news. If you’re a casual filmgoer, nearly three hours of superhero shenanigans just might make you want to head for a desolate mountain cave and embrace a life as a hermit. I get it, a story is ultimately as long as it needs to be. Only that’s not always correct. I can think of a few movies I’ve seen over the last couple months that could... Read More

Prepare for Hollyweed as the Colorado International Cannabis & Hemp Film Festival premieres in Denver! Hosted by Infinite Perimeter, the film fest is a 4 day event during 4/20 week. The festival will be showcasing filmmakers who “promote generally positive messages related to cannabis and hemp.” Starting Tuesday, April 17th, and ending with a final celebratory get together on Friday, April 20th (4/20), this event is one of several cannabis and hemp themed film festivals to be premiered in Colorado. I am excited to be one of the judges reviewing the submissions. There have been over 61 so... Read More

One of my favorite ways to spend a lazy afternoon is strolling through the art district on Sante Fe. The streets are lined with small studios and galleries. I love to pop in and see what’s new. Usually you can find a few artists hanging around that are happy to talk about their work. I always make sure I stop by CORE New Art Space. Located at 900 Sante Fe street, it features new artists every few weeks. For over 25 years they’ve been providing space for artists to showcase their talent in a non-commercial setting. Their current exhibits, running through April 15th, include artists Lisa Purdy,... Read More

So, you’ve had a beautiful day of hiking, you’re ready to relax, but it’s still too nice out to go home and sit in your cave – what to do? How about going to one of the many outdoor movies in the Denver area this season! The 88 Drive-In is open now, and for just $8 you can see all three movies. This weekend they are playing Tomb Raider, Annihilation, and Game Night. We don’t have to tell you that it’s one of the last drive-ins in the country, so take the Subaru and a blanket and go! Recommended hike: Rocky Mountain Arsenal National Wildlife Refuge. Next month kicks off Film on the... Read More