Posts tagged drinking
Boulder University of Colorado student dies of possible alcohol overdose
0September 6, 2011
CU-BOULDER CONFIRMS OFF-CAMPUS DEATH OF 21-YEAR-OLD STUDENT MICHAEL A. HOFFMAN
The University of Colorado Boulder today confirmed the recent death of CU-Boulder student Michael Hoffman, 21, on Aug. 30.
Hoffman was found unconscious at an off-campus apartment building on the Hill in Boulder in the early morning hours of Friday, Aug. 26.
Hoffman and a friend were drinking and socializing on the Hill in the early hours of Aug. 26, but later became separated. He was found unconscious on a doorstep of an apartment building by a resident of the building who called 911. Paramedics responded, Hoffman was taken to the hospital and he never regained consciousness.
Hoffman was an open-option Arts and Sciences major from New Jersey.
CU-Boulder Chancellor Philip P. DiStefano said of Hoffman’s passing, “We are saddened to hear of the passing of one of our students, Michael Hoffman, and we extend our thoughts and prayers to Michael’s family and friends.
“The loss of any of our students is a blow to our community and a harsh limit placed on the future of our world. I believe this is a challenge to us to continue our efforts in alcohol and drug education, as well as a strong incentive to strengthen our partnerships with the city of Boulder and other stakeholders to reduce the often tragic role that alcohol and drug abuse play in our state and community.”
Alcohol is a dangerous drug which can produce overdose and death.
Counseling resources are available to Michael Hoffman’s friends and classmates, or to others in the community affected by his passing, through CU’s Office of Victim Assistance at http://cuvictimassistance.com/ or 303-492-8855, or the office of Counseling and Psychological Services at https://counseling.colorado.edu/ or 303-492-6766. Faculty and staff can also visit the Faculty and Staff Assistance Program at 303-492-3345.
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“The Change-Up” Gross, Coarse, and Crass
0August 27, 2011
“Gross, Coarse, and Crass”
“Hotshots” looks at a movie!
The Change-Up begs the question, “Are you getting as tired of watching these lame body-switch movies as I am of reviewing them?”
Another question that goes begging about this movie is “Did the filmmakers believe they could get bigger audiences to come to this Hollywood cliche of a story by throwing in lots of obscenities and excessive nudity?”
And, finally, “How does Jason Bateman feel about being in one of the funniest movies of the year and one of the worst movies of the year in a matter of only one month?”
Yes, Bateman plays Dave Lockwood, a happily married father of three who is a successful lawyer and close to being made a partner in his firm.
Meanwhile, Dave’s best friend is Mitch Planko, played by Ryan Reynolds, who is a single actor and womanizer, but because the story takes place in Atlanta, you can’t imagine that he is all that successful an actor, can you?
Dave and Mitch have been best buddies since the third grade, and one night they go drinking together, and at the end of the evening they are talking about how they envy each other’s life while they are both urinating in a fountain in a park, and they both say simultaneously, “I wish I had your life.”
There is a statue of a woman overlooking the fountain, the lights go out around the city, the statue’s expression changes to one of a smile, and, of course, you know what happens.
Yes, when they wake up the next morning in their respective beds, even though they look the same to the audience, Dave is now in Mitch’s body and Mitch is now in Dave’s. And then comedy is supposed to ensue, but it doesn’t.
They get together, rush back to the fountain where they hope to undo the switch, but the fountain is gone, having been removed and is going to be restored and placed in a different location.
If they fill out the proper paperwork, the city might be able to tell them in three days to three weeks where the fountain is going to be.
The boys tell Dave’s wife, Jamie, about the switch. She is played by Leslie Mann, and of course she doesn’t believe them.
The Change-Up is gross, coarse, and crass, and I recommend you avoid it.
I’m Dan Culberson and this is “Hotshots.”
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Ooops Boulder Water tastes like shit city says
0July 15, 2011
by Boulder Channel 1
in News
Residents may notice a change in taste of water due to source change
City of Boulder water customers in Gunbarrel, Heatherwood, Hoover Hills, and areas north of Arapahoe Avenue and east of Foothills Parkway may notice a slight change in water taste today, Thursday, July 14, when the Utilities Division changes the water source for the Boulder Reservoir Water Treatment Plant. Service changes are a normal part of water treatment and distribution operations. No service interruptions are expected while the water source change occurs.
The possible taste change is due to differences in source water chemistry between the sources of water used at the Boulder Reservoir Plant.
For more information about drinking water quality and Boulder’s water sources, please call the city of Boulder’s Utility Division at303-441-3266.
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“Midnight in Paris” Convoluted Way to Make Simple Point
0June 15, 2011
“Convoluted Way to Make Simple Point”
“Hotshots” looks at a movie!
Midnight in Paris is Woody Allen’s latest film, it was the opening film at the 2011 Cannes Film Festival, and it has been called one of Allen’s best movies in years.
You be the judge.
It takes place in the present, and so you might be surprised to know that some of the characters in it are Cole Porter, Zelda and F. Scott Fitzgerald, Ernest Hemingway, Josephine Baker, Gertrude Stein, Pablo Picasso, Salvador Dali, T.S. Eliot, and a number of other well-known and not-so-well-known artists from the past.
How can this be, you ask?
Well, therein lies the story, which may or may not be a pun.
Owen Wilson stars as Gil Pender, Rachel McAdams plays his fiancee, Inez, and they are freeloading along with her father and mother on a business trip to Paris that her father is taking.
Even though Gil is a successful Hollywood screenwriter, he becomes enamored with Paris, and he tells Inez, “I can see myself living here.”
Gil happens to be working on a novel, and he considers himself to be a Hollywood hack who never gave literature a shot. He also says that he would have liked to have lived in Paris in the 1920s.
Well, one night after a serious wine tasting, Gil takes a walk through the streets of Paris while the others in the party all go dancing.
Gill is drunk, gets lost while trying to find the hotel, and just as a clock strikes midnight, a 1920s-era taxicab drives by full of party revelers.
They stop, and they invite Gil to join them and go to a party.
At the party, Gil is amazed to see Cole Porter playing the piano and singing, and he meets Zelda and F. Scott Fitzgerald.
Later, they take their movable party to a cafe, and there is Ernest Hemingway sitting and drinking. Gil tells Hemingway about his novel, and Hemingway offers to show it to Gertrude Stein for her opinion.
Gil leaves to get his manuscript at the hotel, but when he immediately turns around to arrange where they will meet, the cafe is gone.
The next night Gil tries to show Inez what had happened, but she gets bored and leaves before midnight.
But it happens again.
Midnight in Paris is a convoluted way to get a simple point across.
I’m Dan Culberson and this is “Hotshots.”
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19th annual water festival teaches students how to protect and conserve water
0May 4, 2011
More than 1,000 4th and 5th grade students from 44 classrooms in 17 Boulder area schools will take part in the 19th annual “Operation: Water Festival” from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Wednesday, May 11, at the University Memorial Center (UMC) on the campus of the University of Colorado at Boulder, 1669 Euclid Ave.
The water festival engages students in hands-on activities that teach them where drinking water comes from and how to protect and conserve this valuable natural resource. Students attend a series of classes where they also learn about the history, geography and science of water, explore the Boulder Creek watershed and its geology, and investigate the animals and plants that rely on water for survival.
This year marks the sixth year of the Operation Water Festival pre-festival program where teachers and students complete pre-festival activities on fundamental water awareness, conservation, pollution prevention and flooding. The packet includes a complete teacher’s packet featuring teacher’s guides, student worksheets and trivia questions for each water topic. “Water Agents” receive a certificate upon completion of the activities.
A key benefit of the Operation Water Festival materials is the take-home water agent book. This book features homework assignments that encourage students to work with family members to complete the assignments. As a result, parents and siblings alike also learn about water protection and conservation.
Festival sponsors include the Keep it Clean Partnership, the City of Boulder, Northern Water, the UMC, the CU-Boulder Community Relations Office and the Federal Bureau of Reclamation.
For more information, contact Curry Rosato, City of Boulder watershed outreach coordinator, at 303-829-9316.
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Columnist Rob Smoke on Boulder City Council CU murder riots
0March 23, 2011
by Boulder Channel 1
in News
When a parent checks a baby’s diaper and the results are ‘positive’ — in other words, indicative of
a needed change — the slang term to describe that circumstance is known as “pooh finger”.
I believe the city has pooh finger when it comes to violence on the Hill.
I want to point out one or two things that may apply,
in particular to incidences of “riot-like behavior” or the homicide recently occurring on the Hill.
I think there is a violent mindset among a small subset of college-age male adults in this community.
That said, the incidences of murder or aggravated assault are low statistically. I ask that council verify this information
with the Boulder and CU police departments, which I think both do an outstanding job of lessening occurrence.
With regard to the incidence of a lethal assault; these incidents are very rare, and I think it’s important
for council to have an accurate picture, so statistics are not insignificant. While the low rate of incidence does not lessen
the sadness of last week’s incident, the entire community wants policy based on facts rather than
an emotional response to high-profile news stories.
With regard to the “riot-like” behavior, city policy creates a lot of unanswered questions.
I would argue that “riots” occurring either before or after concerts at venues like the Fox or Boulder Theater are
much rarer than “riot-like” or “riotous” behavior associated with large parties where alcohol is consumed.
In spite of that information, either the planning board or city council or city staff have been involved in
STOPPING the development of at least two supervised concert venues on the Hill within the past six or seven years.
One proposal was for a redevelopment of Tulagi’s as a music/restaurant venue; the other was for the redevelopment
of the Flatirons theater as a concert/movie/event venue.
I had the opportunity to discuss both of the above proposals with the owners of the properties when they were
in process, and it was clear from what I was told that there was very strong political impetus opposing these projects
from influential members of the community. I’m not now pointing my finger at Ken Wilson;
but the projects failed to go forward, at least in part, because Hill residents who were not students, thought these projects
would bring unwanted consequences.
In my estimation, and based on factual information I’m certain is available to council members, the influence
of supervised venues for entertainment is a good one when talking about these issues of violent behavior.
In point of fact, CU officials have acknowledged that Hill parties — not held at supervised venues — are much more
of an aggravating circumstance than any event taking place at the Fox, or Macky or the Field House or even one of the bars.
A “solution”– such as additional taxing of Hill businesses– that has very little to do with
the source or sources of the actual problem, is not a significant solution. If anything, city policy has moved us in the other direction,
where college-age adults looking for fun are more reliant than ever on the drinking party circuit.
City council will respond as it will to current issues of violence on the Hill;
however, a critical evaluation would show that the city has not been particularly responsive when given simple
positive options. Parties are a big part of college life, and not the basis for
further weakening of Hill businesses with the added burden of a “self-imposed” tax recommended by the City.
Rather than point fingers, the first step for the City would be a “pooh finger” check on itself.
Rob Smoke
720-982-2439
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Sunday Editorial: What happened on the Hill the night Todd Walker was killed : a possible defense
8March 20, 2011
by Boulder Channel 1
in News
EDITORIAL: BY JANN SCOTT PUBLISHER
It’s on everybodys mind but no one wants to talk about it in writing. The Daily Camera wrote a pretty harsh inditement of the CU students behavior on the hill Friday night when Todd Walker was murdered. The Chancellor of the University of Colorado released a document laying out proper protocol when being robber: DON’T FIGHT BACK.
There are some big questions that may never be answered. Or maybe they will when the murder trial begins. Surely part of the defense will be that:
Elizabeth Roach was drunk, aggressive and itching for a fight. Todd Walker posed a huge football player threat. There was fighting in the streets. People were throwing bottles and rocks. Kevin McGregor was just trying to get away. And as he did he stumbled into Walker and Roach who didn’t like the way this working class skin head looked. They curse at him pushed him shoved him hit him. McGregor thought Walker was going to kill him so he reached into his back pants crack, pulled out a pistol and fired a warning shot. But Walker and Roach kept at him. Walker had him by the throat, So Mcgregor shot again and killed Walker. Roach let go of McGregor and McGregor ran. The riot crowd who were watching McGregor get beaten dispersed. Then McGregor came back as witness’s told Boulder Channel 1 news. But the crowd was hostile McGregor so he left not sure what to do? He really didn’t was to shoot at all. It was self defense!
You don’t think this will be the defense??? Hell it might even be true.
And what was the environment on the hill when Todd Walker was killed?? The conservative Daily Camera called it a Riot with 500 students chanting FUCK THE POLICE. Cops were getting pelted. Where were Roach and Walker in all of this?
Were they fighting. Was roach drunk and out of control. When McGregor tried to Rob them, did she not see the gun? Did she attack him? Did she keep on fighting even after McGregor fired a warning shot.? Was Walker trying to Keep Roach under control , away from McGregor so he wouldn’t shoot them. Maybe he wasn’t trying to protect her as much as to get her to cut it the fuck out. Did she get Todd Walker killed. In the end perhaps we will find this out at the trial. If there is a trial. Or was McGregor a crazed lone gunman caught up in the juice of a college drunken riot ? Was this his chance to finally use that gun he always carried. I suspect a combination of both.
Are the riots and murder connected. Did the drinking crazed student riots create the energy for this terrible murder to happen.? Is it not the college culture of drinking , disrespect and violence that led to this.? Is this not just the escalation of violence in general in our community. And now this!! A hand gun Murder!. We are all to blame for this is my take. I’d like to really know what happened up there.
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“Barney’s Version” One Man’s Marriages
0March 17, 2011
“One Man’s Marriages”
BARNEY’S VERSION tells the story of Barney Panofsky and covers 36 years in the life of this hard-drinking, cigar-smoking, hockey-loving Canadian TV producer and especially of his three marriages.
Barney is played by Paul Giamatti, and we can assume from the film’s title that what we see are Barney’s version of everything, in particular one event that resulted in the death of his best friend, who played a major part in the ending of Barney’s second marriage, which got off to a very bad start on the day of the wedding.
The film begins in the present, and we see Barney make a phone call at 3:30 a.m. supposedly to talk to Miriam, who was his third wife.
However, when a man answers the phone, he tells Barney that he isn’t going to wake up Miriam in the middle of the night just to talk to Barney.
So, Barney says, “Just ask her what she wants me to do with all these nude photos I have of her.”
Now, we never see those photos, and given what we will eventually learn about Barney, they might not even exist, but either that statement or possibly just the late-night phone call itself might have caused something serious to have happened to the man who answered the telephone.
Then we learn that a retired police detective has just published a book that claims that Barney got away with murder over an incident that happened in Barney’s past.
The movie then has its first of many flashbacks, and we are back in 1974 in Rome, Italy, where we see Barney living it up with all his friends.
Barney is the only one with a real job, and when the woman he is dating gets pregnant, Barney decides to do the decent thing and marry her.
However, Clara reveals information about herself that all comes up as a surprise to Barney, and when the baby is born, Barney learns that he isn’t even the father.
Then we switch to 1975 and Montreal, where Barney is working for his uncle, who introduces Barney to a nice Jewish girl from a wealthy family, who becomes Barney’s second wife.
We also meet Barney’s father, played by Dustin Hoffman, who is a retired policeman.
BARNEY’S VERSION is 36 years of one man’s very interesting marriages.
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Parents pantyhose in twist over MTVs SKIN yawn.
0January 21, 2011
by Boulder Channel 1
in Music
Not that anybody is really going to do anything about MTVs new SKIN which portrays teenagers in their natural habitat. BUT here are some pics and a trailer from the new series. Interesting in 1964 Harold Goldberg(now a Rabbi) a teen from West High in Denver put the country all a stir when he wrote a cover story for the high school news paper portraying his friends, smoking , drinking and having sex. In the 1940′s Elmstowns Youth shocked America because it showed girls wanted sex 5x more than boys. And now we have this! Skin. yawn.
from ABC News Radio (LOS ANGELES) — MTV got under the skin of the Parents Television Council with the debut of its new series Skins, about high school teens dealing with issues such as sex and drugs.The PTC is asking the chairmen of the U.S. Senate and House Judiciary Committees, as well as the Department of Justice, to investigate the show for child pornography and exploitation. The organization says, “In addition to the sexual content on the show i
nvolving cast members as young as 15, PTC counted 42 depictions and references to drugs and alcohol in the premiere
episode,” which aired Monday. The controversy has already turned off Taco Bell, which has pulled its ads from the show. A rep for the fast-food chain tells The Hollywood Reporter, “Upon further review, we’ve decided that the show is not a fit for our brand and have moved our advertising to other MTV programming.” The New York Times reported that network executives met Tuesday to discuss whether the show could violate pornography laws. Skins is based on a British TV series of the same name.
FROM lang lang
TCA Press Tour: MTV lets out its teen angst with ‘Skins’
August 6, 2010 | 5:24 pm
“Shedding our skin is sort of second nature for us.”
That’s how Tony DiSanto, MTV’s president of programming, opened the network’s session at the TCA press tour.
So it seems only natural that the network would become the home to the remake of the U.K.’s hit teen drama “Skins.” Though reality series have long been the network’s “bread and butter” — “The Hills,” “Jersey Shore” — as of late, they’re putting more eggs in the scripted basket.
“Millennials are all about authenticity,” said David Janollari, head of the network’s scripted development. “We’re pursuing a more authentic vérité style with our reality shows and with our scripted programs.”
The risqué teen soap gives an unvarnished look at teen lives in a way that “Gossip Girl” and “90210” can’t even dare to mimic. It helps that much of the writing on “Skins,” the British version of which airs stateside on BBC America, is done by young people, said the series’ co-creator Bryan Elsley. And, he added, casting young actors to bring life to those teen stories is also central to its success; five of the central cast members in the MTV series are under 18 — the targeted demographic of the original series.
So have they watched?
“I had seen a couple of episode prior to being cast on the show,” said James Newman, who will play Tony Snyder. “Once I was cast, I stopped watching it … to bring something new to the show and the character that I’m playing.”
The show will start production in Toronto, which will translate to “eastern seaboard American city,” in the upcoming weeks. Elsley will be writing and executive producing the adapted version.
But a carbon copy this is not … well, not exactly, Elsley assures.
“There will be a resonance from the U.K. show, but I think you’ll find some original episodes and writing,” he said. “I think the first episode has some similarities but that won’t be the case all the way through.”
ShowTrackers, are you fans of the original version? Do you think it’s a good addition to the MTV lineup? Will you tune in?
–Yvonne Villarreal
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Boulder’s Budget proposal drive off cliff leaves city unsafe
0August 1, 2010
Are They kidding!
Once again, any caring citizen of this burb called the City of Boulder, will agree that the “system” of budget cut recommendations is preposterous! Why, none of the budget cuts are even the least bit creative. They’re the same every time: “cut library, police and fire department budgets!” How do they come up with these recommendations? Are people tethered in a cave with no “pot” for a week and demanded to say the ridiculous? Perhaps these people should meditate before submitting such recommendations and use a mantra like “first, cut the city’s municipal administrative salaries? first, cut the city’s municipal administrative…”
There are some city leaders, I’m sure, who are not worried about their department cuts and are so use to the process they kick back, save their energies and prepare for the real fight in a month or two. Are athletic fields more important than cultural events at the Library? Cutting a crime investigation unit? SWAT? Next time there’s a major crime who will they call? “Ghostbusters!” (Dan Akroyd is now doing voice over for Yogi the Bear and Bill Murray is busy with family matters)
Are the budget recommendations more important than training firefighters as EMT’s? Can you imagine a fire truck arriving at a scene and firefighters saying “Sorry, we can’t help you! No EMT’s in our department. You’ll have to wait for the ambulance! Boulder cut our budget again! Hang on, you’ll make it!” (this is over the top, we know!)
Relying on the very capable Boulder County Sheriff’s Office is okay but the County will have to increase that budget to accommodate the extra pressure and workload. Talk about budget sessions with the County!
WAIT! Internet News flash! Boulder PD is taking on the responsibilities of “animal control!” from the Boulder County Humane Society. Oookay! The “society” wasn’t available after 5 anyway and the PD had to send officers after that time….like four who appeared at my door at Midnight when I called at 5:05pm one year! Where does this item appear on the budget proposal?
For such an “intelligent” community, why can’t committees devise a reasonable budget proposal right up front instead of going through the song and dance! In unison sing: M I C K E Y M O U S E !
This budget matter is too absurd for me to dignify with any more of my time, talent and words! I’m off to the pool where thoughts of this budget issue could cause me to start drinking. OMMMM! “The first cut is the kindest….cut the municipal administrative salaries…
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City of Boulder News Briefs
0July 7, 2010
City water customers may experience rusty water Monday, July 12
City of Boulder water customers around the University of Colorado’s main campus may notice discolored or “rusty” water on Monday, July 12, when the Utilities Division and the University of Colorado conduct a hydrant flow test on campus.
There are no known health hazards associated with rusty water. However, due to the unpleasant taste, it is recommended that water users wait until the water has cleared before drinking it.
Running several cold water taps at full force for a short period may help flush the rusty water out more quickly. A general recommendation is to flush for 20 minutes, then if the water is not clear, wait for an hour before flushing for 20 minutes again. To conserve this water, you may collect it and use it on plants or landscaping. It is also recommended to avoid doing laundry during the rusty water event, as the rust can stain clothing, and to avoid using hot water to prevent sediment from entering a hot water heater.
For more information, residents can contact the city’s Public Works Department at 303-441-3200.
Municipal court closed for part of Friday, July 9
The Boulder Municipal Court will be closed from 8:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. on Friday, July 9, for a staff meeting.
