Tuesday, November 29, 2005

Otto motive

Today, a most unlikely endorsement for an auto shop. Not unlikely for the shop, just for how the endorsement came about.
The shop is Tilden over on 11th and Speer in Denver. I went in for an oil change around 9 a.m. The car didn't get done til noon. And I'm still endorsing them.
See, what happened was they told the new guy to change the oil, but he ended up taking out the transmission filter instead of the oil filter and draining the tranny fluid, not the oil. The shop manager broke the news to me that I would have to wait for a new transmission filter to arrive, but since it was their mistake, I would basically get a new transmission filter and fluid replaced free. Fair enough. Only I was sitting in the shop for such a blasted long time, the manager decided to give me the oil change free as well. More time passed. When I glanced at the clock and saw the little hand pass 11 and the big hand pass 6, the manager apologized yet again and said he was embarrased. I said, "No problem, I've enjoyed spending my morning with you," (kind of in the same tone that I told the drummer of DeNunzio, "No problem, I'm sure it was hard seeing the warning light...in bright red letters" after he drove my car around town with the emergency brake still on). And what do you know, the Tilden manager threw in two more free oil changes. So three hours for an oil change, but I'm ending up with three free oil changes plus a free transmission fluid/filter change, and Tilden has itself a repeat customer.
So if you want an auto shop that actually cares about doing right by its customers, go to Tilden on 11th and Speer and make sure Marc is the manager taking care of you.

Sunday, November 27, 2005

Sunset at Huangshan












photo by cnote

Coverville

I'd been looking everywhere to hear a clip of Snow Patrol doing Beyonce's "Crazy in Love." And wouldn't you know it, someone right here in Colorado came to the rescue. Coverville's archives also will help you find The Millions covering Christina Aguilera's "Beautiful" (they have Clem Snide's version and Elvis Costello too) and Local H doing Britney Spears' "Toxic." But what I really recommend is checking out Paul Anka doing his big band version of Oasis' "Wonderwall." Now if only they'd put up The Rugburns doing TLC's "Waterfalls" and Hobbs NM doing Tegan & Sara's "You Wouldn't Like Me."

Bling

Delicatessen has a coupon for 15 percent off items in stock at Gnat Designs in Cherry Creek in Denver, all except the diamonds. If you're doing holiday shopping for jewelry and could make good use of this, e-mail us at deli_magazine@yahoo.com and we'll give you the coupon.

Wednesday, November 23, 2005

Ski deals

Colorado travelers, here's a great opportunity to earn yourself a lift ticket while you fly. There's lots of restrictions, so here it goes. If you're a frequent flier who buys a ticket at United.com between Oct. 28 and Feb. 7 for travel between Jan. 3 through Feb. 10, you can get a FREE lift ticket to Vail, Beaver Creek, Breck or Keystone. Considering Vail tix can top $70, that's not bad. You have to use the lift ticket by Feb. 15 though. We're mentioning this to you, Colorado, because you need to pass through Denver. Domestic flights only. Details

(Denver-based Frontier has some deals too for Copper and Winter Park that can get you discounts on tix or at least some extra frequent flier miles.)

Sunday, November 20, 2005

Ang Lee in Denver

A sold out Ellie Caulkins Opera House (that's 2,200+ seats) watched the premiere of Ang Lee's "Brokeback Mountain" last night in Denver at the Starz Denver International Film Festival, with filmgoers giving Lee a standing ovation when he was introduced before the screening and again afterward.
Mayor John Hickenlooper presented the 51-year-old Lee with a lifetime achievement award, prompting Lee to comment that he's only made nine films so far and he hopes there are more. Then he said actually each of his films is like a life of its own, so he's had nine lives.
Cast and crew watched the film three days earlier in Calgary. In Denver, Annie Proulx, whose short story inspired the film, and writers Larry McMurtry ("The Last Picture Show") and Diana Ossana, who adapted it for the screen, were with Lee for the premiere.
Lee said he couldn't think of anything farther from his own experience than the story of the two gay ranch hands in Wyoming in "Brokeback Mountain." He had Proulx's short story in his head four years ago, before he took on "Hulk." He calls it "a great American love story" and that the material he chooses to do is usually something that wrenches his gut, that touches him in the bottom of his heart.
When told that some in the audience cried during the movie, he expressed surprise because it was a masculine love story. "I thought it was very restrained. I was hoping people would be very quiet and hang their heads walking out!" He said he did cry though when he read Proulx's story.
The film covers 20 years. Lee chose to use young actors and have them age through makeup and costumes. He says the actors were all good. "It's scary how good they are, and they're that young."
Lee, born in Taiwan, says he has forever been an outsider _ a Taiwanese in China, an Asian in America as he studied at University of Illinois and NYU _ so he relates to characters seen as outsiders.
He started his career writing three films, then started working on adaptations. "Sense and Sensibility" was his first work for hire. Usually he is involved in preproduction. He says a lot of his work scares him and thrills him. For S&S, he barely spoke any English. "I was 30 years behind everyone. That is not an ideal position to be directing. So that was very frightening."
For "The Ice Storm," he said he had to recreate an era that most people wanted to forget. So he said that was scary. But he says it allowed him to create more of an artistic film.
When he accepted his award, he said he hopes to forever be a film student. He says film is the way he understands humanity. He says he appreciates independent film, which is where he comes from, and where he is now after "Hulk." He says he's happy after "Brokeback Mountain" to see that this is also where his "claws" are.
(He also got laughs when he thanked the crowd for applauding when he got the award --"you are so nice," -- and when he thanked the mayor -- "You are very nice" -- and loud applause when he said to the mayor "I hope a nice man like you can run for governor")

Thanksgiving week

This is a holiday week for many of you, but KEXP isn't slacking off. They're taking care of you with live in-studio appearances by:
Tom Vek, 11/22, 4 pm MST
Caribou, 11/25, 1 pm MST
The Clientele, 11/26, 4 pm MST

Thursday, November 17, 2005

You be the judge

Terrell Owens. ahaha.
Should the Eagles cut him and let him keep playing elsewhere? Or should they be allowed to keep his sorry be-hind off the field the rest of the season? Reason would seem to dictate that the guy should at least be allowed to get a chance to play with another team. But the Eagles did go to the trouble of signing him, and once a guy of TO's caliber is on your team, it's nice to not only have him contribute to your scoring but also get the side benefit of keeping his talents away from everybody else in the league. So what do you think? Comments please.

Monday, November 14, 2005

Nano nano

Want to win an iPod nano? If you're allowed to listen to online radio from work all day long, here's your chance.

Ang Lee

Director Ang Lee, known for "Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon" and "Eat Drink Man Woman" among others, is scheduled to be in Denver this Saturday night for the screening of his new film "Brokeback Mountain" (Jake Gyllenhaal and Heath Ledger star) at the Starz Denver International Film Festival. He'll get an award, he'll take questions, and you get to see the movie. At the brand new Ellie Caulkins Opera House downtown.

We realize this event conflicts with the oh so retro Rocky Mountain Rollergirls bout, but look at it this way. If you don't get tix for either event soon, you won't be able to go to either one.

Tuesday, November 08, 2005

New little radio

Have you checked out the Little Radio web site lately? If you go, you'll see a logo by Shepard Fairey has taken the place of the happy cartoons and animation. More exciting stuff on the way, but we'll let you tune in to LR to figure out all the new stuff for yourself.

p.s. Terrell Owens is a fool

Saturday, November 05, 2005

Hola

Are you hep to the world? Try this.

Thursday, November 03, 2005

House and HOme

Need a house? Need a wife? Well then. Check out www.housewithbride.com, where this jewelry artist is offering her home (and her-priceless-self thrown in!) for $600,000 to the right guy. Do you know what that means? Including divorce fees, you can get this house in Washington Park for under $1 million!

  • We'd say someone's gunning for her own reality show on VH1 or something, but that's just cynical