Rambo is worth taking seriously. Okay, stop. Please, please stop laughing. I’m serious! Well…kind of. I know that in the world of pop culture, Rambo occupies a very distinctive place. A place that’s viewed as anti-intellectual, overly aggressive, and more than a tad racist. Sylvester Stallone’s musclebound murderer has been featured in movies, books, video games, and even a Saturday morning cartoon. Maybe it’s not quite fair to put the ownership of Rambo entirely upon Stallone. The character was first introduced in David Morrell’s 1972 novel First Blood. It’s a lean and mean thriller... Read More

A planned Pokémon theme pop-up bar was supposed to occur in Denver on Sunday, but has been shut down due to licensing issues with Nintendo. The bar was supposed to offer burgers that were decorated to look like Pokémon and drinks inspired by the franchise. Tickets were $45. The event has been rescheduled for November 3rd, however it will change to a generically named “The Monster Brunch” with “a themed burger and trivia brunch.” This has presumably been done to avoid any further conflict with Nintendo, who owns the Pokémon brand. People who have already purchased tickets... Read More

As lung injuries from vaping have exploded across the country in the last month, the CDC has been scrambling to figure out what exactly is causing the injuries when vaping has long been touted as a safer alternative to smoking. It turns out, many of the injuries may be related to solvents used in black market THC cartridges. The findings have linked back to vitamin E acetate and myclobutanil, both found in the bootleg cartridges that the CDC tested, but notably not found in the legal and regulated cartridges from dispensaries. Vitamin E acetate is used to cut cannabis for use in vape pens. Myclobutanil,... Read More

Robert Bell is a visual artist based in Denver. He specializes in abstract paintings and figure drawings. He was born in Japan, raised in Colorado, and received his BFA from CSU. He’s also studied at the Santa Chiara Art Center in Italy and the Rocky Mountain College of Art and Design. His process is an ebb and flow of creativity and improvisation, an exploration of color, lighting, shapes, and textures. Bell draws inspiration from a wide variety of sources including music, his everyday surroundings, and of course, other artists. He has a deep admiration of abstract expressionist Mark Rothco’s... Read More

The frustration is mounting in Bronco Country as Denver is off to its worst start in twenty years. Last Sunday’s 27-16 loss to the Green Bay Packers has the team winless after three games and losers of seven-in-a-row if you go back to last season. Admittedly, the team was not prepared in week one against the Silver and Black. Week two was more of a fluke loss as the Chicago Bears needed a bad call from a referee, a fourth-down conversion, and a 53-yard field goal—all in the last 30 seconds of play—to pull out the victory.  As for Green Bay, Denver has never won at Lambeau Field. So, instead... Read More

A wave of vaping related illnesses has swept across the country, showing more than 500 cases and 11 deaths. In Colorado alone, there have been 8 cases of this illness, and 6 have been hospitalized. There have been several proposals for what to do about the situation, including calls to raise the nicotine age to 18 or sweeping bans on all electronic cigarettes or flavored electronic cigarettes. 10 local governments in Colorado have already raised the age to 21. Colorado topped the nation for teen vaping in a survey of more than three dozen states last year. Of the cases of vaping related illnesses... Read More

Who doesn’t love coffee?! Grabbing a coffee at a cute shop always feels like a nice little treat to me. It’s a bonus if that coffee shop is a nice little place for me to get some work done too, or just meet up with friends. In Capitol Hill, here are some great places to try out and grab a delicious cup of joe.   1. Thump Coffee I love Thump Coffee! It’s a very cute coffee shop with a location on Downing Street in Capitol Hill. The place is a perfect size, not too small, but big enough to ensure you will be able to find a seat. It’s very inviting and has a great atmosphere that is modern... Read More

I tried to write a different column about today’s topic and “the thing didn’t happen.” It was stiff and weird and totally contrived, which is a total contrast with the thing that I want to actually write about. That thing is Mouse Couch, a local improv team that I think is really going places. Mouse Couch (no idea what this name is for, except probably something with the repeated “ou” diphthong?) is made up of three dudes, two of whom are deeply strange and one who seems fairly normal and sells real estate in his spare time. The strange ones have respectively inverse relationships with... Read More

Monday morning was just the start of a week-long climate change protest that is being led by Extinction Rebellion Denver. 5 people were arrested in Monday’s protest, which saw activists blocking the intersection at Broadway and 9th. Extinction Rebellion Denver aims to bring awareness to climate change through non-violent civil disobedience. Protesters began their peaceful march at Speer Boulevard and Bannock, where they stayed for at least one light cycle. Arrests occurred once the protestors had reached Broadway and 9th. “We’re raising awareness to people and to the government about... Read More

We can all agree that Stephen Hawking was a pretty bright guy. He took a look at what humanity had been up to and was quoted as saying, “I don’t think the human race will survive the next thousand years unless we spread into space. There are too many accidents that can befall life on a single planet.” If you’re in a pessimistic frame of mind, Hawking’s quote is easy to get behind. Due to pollution, environmental mismanagement, and climate change, bird populations in North America are plummeting. That’s only a single example of how our arrogance, selfishness, and ignorance damages the... Read More