The Avalanche continued to reassemble their Stanley Cup winning team from 2001 by trading for defenseman Adam Foote. This is an exciting move as they are strengthening their team to prepare for a playoff run. Forsberg, added yesterday, and Foote both are gritty veterans with great playoff experience.
A great, albeit oft-injured, player has returned to his roots as Peter Forsberg has resigned with the Colorado Avalanche.
Forsbeg recently announced that he would not return to the NHL this year so the announcement comes as a surprise. And, a welcome surprise for the Avalanche who have been playing terrible hockey of late and will need a strong finish to ensure they qualify for the playoffs.
With Sakic and Smyth coming back, the Avalanche may soon be a major force, assuming they can stay healthy.
The Supreme Court voted 8-1 today to protect medical device manufacturers against lawsuits over the use of any medical device that has been approved by the FDA. This is a big win in the battle to reduce healthcare costs and to reform health care in general. No medical device (or drug, for that matter) is going to be perfect; the FDA makes decisions on a cost benefit analysis for all of society. Basically, the overall health benefits of a device should be great enough that it outweighs the negatives of the few times there are side-effects or the device does not work. Once the FDA has made this decision, medical devices are allowed into the market. When consumers are allowed to sue medical device manufacturers on an individual basis, this leads to huge judgments against manufacturers and increases the cost for everybody.
For example, Medical device XYZ is approved and helps save 10,000 lives. However, it is used by Joe Blow and doesn't work and causes him an injury of some sort. Joe Blow then sues and the jury of 12 lay-people awards a huge amount of money to Joe Blow without considering the number of lives that this device has saved. This adds a huge layer of new cost into our healthcare system and the lawyers get rich. This new Supreme Court decision eliminates this scenario. It will lower our healthcare costs and place a higher percentage of our healthcare dollars to patient care.
Why is this on the Denver Blog? Some members of Congress have already promised to pass legislation to reverse this decision. This is a ridiculous stance and we all need to contact our Representative and Senators to tell them to defeat any legislation that would reinstate the ability to have these types of lawsuits.
Contact Senators Wayne Allard and Ken Salazar
Contact your Congressperson
The Denver Nuggets will face off against the Phoenix Suns in an NBA preseason game on October 11 in an outdoor stadium. This will be the first outdoor game in 35 years for the NBA.
The game will be at 16,000-seat Indian Wells (Calif.) Tennis Garden will shown live on TNT. I can't wait to hear more details.. will it still be hardcourt (probably) or perhaps will they breakout the playground blacktop with the chain nets.
This seems to be in response to the wild success the NHL has had with its outdoor games the last few seasons. Probably won't be quite as neat as the outdoor hockey, but I am looking forward to it.
North is a swank place in Cherry Creek North. On most nights you will find a crowd of slightly older, wannabe trendsters. It has been a hot spot in the neighborhood for several years.
The special thing about North in Denver on Monday nights is that every bottle of wine is 1/2 price, meaning you can have a nice bottle of wine at a restaurant for only partially inflated prices. Their promotion seems to work because yesterday, a Monday night, the place was pretty packed - at least more than you would expect for a Monday night. The wine list is decent and they have a special "hidden wine list" which has their higher end bottles. At half price, you should be able to find a nice wine on this list.
North has a good menu of dishes from all over Italy. There is a mix of seafoods and meats and pasta dishes with red sauces and some pizzas. Not really traditional southern Italian fare, however.
Started with a fennel sausage and carmelized onion pizza. The crust was incredibly thin and it was perfect to share amongst the table as an appetizer. I then had a ceasar salad. The dressing tasted heavily of anchovies and the croutons were soft and not particularly flavorful. A good ceasar salad, but it could be improved. For my entree I had the chicken parmesan which was inspired. The chicken was crispy on the outside but incredibly tender and covered in buffalo mozzerella. On top was rigatoni pasta in a creamy white sauce that complemented the chicken perfectly. A very fresh red sauce surrounded the chicken. Definitely outstanding.
North is an okay place for a date, but not great. It's better to go and meet a group for dinner. Monday is my vote as the best night of the week to go because it is not as crowded as the other nights and you can't beat the deal on the wine.
Score: 8/10
North - Denver
190 Clayton Lane
Denver, CO 80206
Ph: (720) 941-7700
website: http://www.foxrestaurantconcepts.com/north.html
Make a reservation at North - Denver
Not related to Denver, but here is a news break on somebody I am a big fan of: Adam Carolla just announced that he will be appearing on the next season of ABC's Dancing With the Stars. He will be partnered with Julianne Hough, who has won both seasons she has appeared on. I've watched an episode of Dancing with the Stars here and there but not religiously. However, perhaps I will watch this year to see how Adam does.
The show premiers Monday, March 17.
Mel's Bistro recently moved to a new location at 6th and Downing from Cherry Creek. It's a great neighborhood spot with seating outside for the summer. The atmosphere is nice with white lights strung among artificial foliage on the ceiling. The restaurant is not too loud and it is easy to carry on a conversation.
When you sit, they give you some basic white bread with butter to snack on. The wine list is medium sized but nothing special; however, you should be able to find a nice bottle for $40-$50. There are a few high end wines on the list if you want to splurge.
I shared the filet mignon (on special) with mashed potatoes and a roasted chicken breast with butter taragon and some french fries. I ordered the filet medium but it came to the table very red inside, basically rare. The filet was very tender but the flavor was just okay. The chicken was very good with a crispy and tasty skin and tender and juicy meat.
Our waitress was a little ditzy, but the service was very good, nonetheless. We were not rushed in the least but the staff was still fast and responsive.
Mel's is a good place to take a date in Denver. The food is good and it is an intimate atmosphere.
Score: 7/10
Mel's Bistro
1120 East 6th Avenue
Denver, CO 80218
Phone: 303-777-8222
Website: www.melsbistro.com
Mel's Bistro Reservations
A new exhibit opens today at the Denver Museum of Nature and Science focusing exclusively on gold, with over 1 ton of the precious metal on display in a wide variety of forms.
This is the largest amount of gold that has ever been collected for display in a single exhibit. The largest piece is a 56 lb nugget called the Normandy Nugget which is the second largest on public display in the world.
The exhibit runs through June 8.
Learn more from the Denver Museum of Nature and Science Website:
DMNS: Gold
The Rasmussen Report has issued a new poll in Colorado showing that John McCain is leading Hillary Clinton by 14 points in a hypothetical november head to head matchup. In contrast, Barack Obama outpolls John McCain by 7 points in the state.
All of Colorado should be proud in these results as they clearly show how much disdain of Hillary Clinton exists in the state with a 21 point difference between the potential nominees for the Democrats.
From The Rasmussen Report:
Colorado 2008 Presidential Election: Obama leads McCain, McCain leads Clinton
Colorado Senate committees will today consider a bill that would allow liquor stores to be open on Sundays. Another bill is separately being considered to allow grocery stores to allocate 5% of its floor space to beer and wine sales.
Liquor retailers are supporting the move to open on Sundays in hopes that the bill to allow grocery stores to sell beer and wine will be defeated.
More from the Rocky Mountain News:
Booze Bills Up for Scheduled Vote
Colorado's 2006 constitutional amendment 43, passed by voters in 2006, will undergo a challenge in the courts Wednesday. Amendment 43 defines marriage as between a man and a woman. A lesbian couple were arrested in September when they tried to get a marriage license and, when denied, refused to leave until they were arrested.
Amendment 43 is being challenged based upon Amendment 14 (due process and equal protection) of the U.S. Constitution.
Quite simply, Amendment 43 should be overturned. On it's face, it does seem to deny a group of individuals equal treatment under the law and is clearly unconstitutional.
Colorado should be embarrassed that we have institutionalized discrimination against a group of people for no good reason at all. Our state should endeavor to promote family values as inclusive of all types of families. Preventing gays and lesbians from wedding is simply stubbornness. Just as we look back at racism and segregation from the pre-civil rights era as absurd and offensive, in 20-30 years we will marvel how our society was so against allowing gay marriage. Colorado should reverese the mistake made in 2006 and take a leadership position on the issue now.
More from the Denver Post:
Same-sex marriage ban challenge set
The Guiness Book of World Records has officially confirmed that the largest liquor store in the world is in Colorado. Daveco Liquors in Thornton, which opened in 2006 has 102,000 square feet of space. The Denver Post reported that Daveco has 9,000 types of wine, 2,400 brands of liquor, and 800 different beers.
Interestingly enough, Daveco's owner is the brother of the owner of Davidson's Liquor store in Highland's Ranch, which measures a paltry 50,000 square feet.
Congratulations to Daveco Liquors! Is there any place better for enormous liquor stores than Colorado? Clearly not!
From the Denver Post:
Liquor Store makes biggest splash
Colorado is experiencing a great winter in regards to snow accumulation meaning that there should be ample water supply for the upcoming summer months. Thank goodness we won't have to worry about droughts this year; however, there is a risk of floods if the huge amounts of snow continue.
From the Denver Post:
Colorado Snowpack best sine '97
As we continue with posts about Super Tuesday (and Colorado's caucus), there are many place to get results on the Colorado Caucus and for all primaries nationwide. One of the best is this interactive tool from the Associated Press:
Associated Press 2008 U.S. Primary Election Delegate Tracker
This tool allows you to look at results from every state in the nation including those from the previous weeks. There are color coded maps for each party as well as state by state specific results. Wondering how many delegates are up for grabs? Wondering who has the most so far? Wondering how your horse is doing? This is the place.
Again, today is Super Tuesday and Colorado is participating with its caucus. Wondering where to caucus? We've got you covered:
Once you have your precint number, here is where you can find your caucus location:
Democratic Party Colorado Caucus Location Search
Republican Party Colorado Caucus Location Search
Happy Super Tuesday! Today is the big day for the primary election season where 24 states will be holding primaries for one party or the other (or both).
Colorado holds it's caucus today for both the Democrats and the Republicans. If you plan to caucus, here is a link to the online tool where you can find your precinct:
Colorado Caucus Precinct Search Tool
Former Denver Broncos offensive lineman, Gary Zimmerman, was elected to the NFL Hall of Fame today. Zimmerman had been voted to two NFL all-decade team and is more than deserving. He was also crucial in helping the Broncos win the fanchise's first Super Bowl. The left tackle position is the most important on the field in the NFL after the Quarterback and Zimmerman was one of the best ever.
Congratulations to Gary Zimmerman!
City Park is in dire need of some energy and activity. It's a great park, but doesn't have the cache that it could and is not favored in the way that Washington Park is locally.
Recent efforts were undertaken to bring a huge two and a half day music festival to the park in July with 5 stages, 70 acts, and Tom Petty as a headliner. Unfortunately, the powers that be at the Denver Zoo have blocked the concert over concerns about the effect of the noise on animals. This is despite the fact that the decibel level the animals would experience is less than the approved amount in the Zoo's own rules and regulations. Further, events at the Zoo itself have generated the same decibel levels.
The concert organizers are now planning to hold it in Commerce City at Dick's Sporting Good Park and the surrounding soccer fields. This will be a great event and is an unfortunate missed opportunity for City Park.
Shame on you, Denver Zoo!
The Denver Post has bucked tradition and come out with endorsements in the primary season, backing Mitt Romney and Hillary Clinton.
The newspaper cites Mitt Romney's business experience in producing policies that will get results, especially for the economy and health care as the reason for giving him the nod over John McCain. Hillary Clinton was noted for her long record of public service (8 years as senator is a long record?) which will help her deal with the war and the health care crisis.
I'm simply not sure with the Denver Post's judgment in citing the woman who led a complete failure at (socialized) healthcare reform in 1993 when tasked with the project by then President Bill Clinton as the best to take care of the issue now. I suppose her longevity as a Senator is slightly more than that of her opponent, Barack Obama, but hardly is worth citing.
Mitt Romney does have a track record of getting results, so perhaps they are on target there; however, I am not sure he is a candidate that can unite the country as well as a John Mccain who is more centrist. It is simply undeniable that Mitt Romney is the strong conservative candidate and simply undeniable that our country is polarized from the Clinton and Bush presidencies.
I will look forward to the Denver Post giving some better reasons for their endorsements on Sunday.
