Cannabis and Sustainability 2: The Many Faces of Industrial Hemp

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Cannabis and Sustainability 2: The Many Faces of Industrial Hemp

(Photo: a field of wild hemp)

For the second part of this series about cannabis and sustainability, I think it is important to take a look at the value of hemp in the realm of industrial materials. Everyone has perhaps seen a ball of hemp rope made into a macramé necklace, but more and more frequently we are seeing hemp clothing, paper products, and even shelled hemp seeds at health food stores. The health benefits of cannabis and hemp have been known for thousands of years, despite a long period of misconception and cultural suppression. But even more than the health nut stuff, the textile value of the cannabis plant has been widely acknowledged across cultures spanning centuries. Cannabis is re-emerging as a super crop not just because people are looking to get high, but because of it’s multifaceted industrial value. One look at your average Nordstorm can confirm my hypothesis: Rainbow sandals make a hemp sandal now, and even Patagonia is selling hemp shirts!

So let’s clear something up. Hemp is one thing and medical grade marijuana is most certainly another. They share important similarities, but let’s define what sets them apart legally for those more business minded. Hemp is defined …read more

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Faces of Boulder-Pic of the Day!

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Faces of Boulder-Pic of the Day!

Lucien Renjilian-Burgy has been illuminating Boulder with his bright smile since 2005.

“Biking, climbing, dancing…I do a lot,” says Lucien.

While running his own somatic psychotherapy and bodywork practice, Shifting States, Lucien also manages to make time for his passion of dance as a member of the Boulder Contact Lab.

“It’s a type of improv partner dancing where there is always one point of contact between the two dancers,” Lucien explains.

Lucien has lived in Boston, Madrid, and San Francisco. He has also lived off the grid in Hawaii for a year. “We just don’t need that much,” Lucien says, reflecting back on that year.

When you can see two touching fingertips as dancing, like Lucien, that is when you have truly learned the value of simplicity.

…read more

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Whatthehellasana, or How I Learned to Love Yoga

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Whatthehellasana, or How I Learned to Love Yoga

I’m going to let you in on a little secret…when I first started yoga back in 2000, I hated it. I mean, I really despised it. What the f*#k is a Sun Salutation, and why the f*#k do I have to do so many of them? And why does that guy next to me sound like Darth Vader having an asthma attack? Why are they chanting—do they even know what they’re saying? Are we singing now? Yep, we’re singing—why are we singing?

Each time I tried a class or VHS (yep, dating myself here), I finished the practice feeling dissatisfied, and even angry. I’m not sure why I stuck with it. My stubbornness is legendary (ask my mother), but if I hate something, I’m not generally inclined to keep at it.

But I did. There was something about yoga that spoke to me, although I couldn’t identify what was speaking to me at the time. But eventually, something changed. I learned to love the atom bomb—yoga, that is. I found teachers that resonated, and styles that felt right to my body. I learned to let go and honor my body and where it’s at that day. And later, I found myself …read more

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Faces of Boulder. Pic of the Day!

This is a blog post from Ari Pregen's Blog

Faces of Boulder. Pic of the Day!

“It’s fun out here!” Michael Stedman, born and raised in Longmont, Colorado, has been working for Fast Eddie’s Hot Dogs since last spring. Fast Eddie’s has been in business for 25 years, becoming one of the hottest spots on the Pearl Street Mall, especially at night.

“It’s free entertainment,” says Stedman, “there’s nothing like the bar crowd at night. Once they see this cart, I’m their best friend.”

Michael Stedman is not only passionate about Fast Eddie’s; he is passionate about life. He has spent 3 months in the forests of the Ozarks under a handmade shelter helping teach sustainability to families. He has sold his car and everything but what could fit in his backpack and hopped on his bike to travel around Europe and the US. He has befriended and lived with those in the villages of Germany and has had careers in acting, singing and photography.

But times can be rough behind the cart.

“I lost a week and a half of work,” said Stedman, when talking about how the latest winter weather closed down the cart. The Boulder weather dictates the stability of Fast Eddie’s cart, but Stedman has good news. There will be a storefront going in on The …read more

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The Great Flood of 1894.

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The Great Flood of 1894.

After the flood that took place in the fall of 2013, most Boulder residents are sadly acquainted with the destructive power of rain and the Boulder Creek–normally a source of pleasure and entertainment. Many believe we had suffered from a 100 year flood when over nine inches of rain fell in the Boulder County area that September. Misleadingly, a “100 year flood” is not an event that takes place once every 100 years, but one that has only a 1% chance of occurring each year.

But this was not the first time Boulder had experienced a disaster of this scope. Between May 31st and June 2nd, 1894, Boulder had over 96 hours of warm spring rain. This combined with quickly melting snow caused the first recorded 100 year flood, one that decimated the better part of the downtown area.

Canyon Street, then known ironically as Water Street

As in 2013, signs of the the 1894 flood first appeared in Boulder Canyon, which was severely rerouted by it. Many claimed that the Canyon was never the same after that, and that the flood had destroyed much of its natural beauty. In Boulder proper, bridges, railroad tracks, and even a few houses were swept away …read more

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Strength, Love, Success and Attraction

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Strength, Love, Success and Attraction

I am constantly spending my time reading and re-reading books that have resonated with me. It is always fascinating how your current circumstances will open your eyes to new messages. It seems as though you will always find the right message at the right time – if you are open to receiving it. I came across these 2 quotes in a book titled, “Creative Mind and Success” by Ernest Holmes. This is a phenomenal book full of incredible advice. The first quote is as follows:

“The world seeks strength; be strong. The world loves love; embody it; see the good in all people; let go of all else. People will feel your love and will be drawn into it. Love is the greatest power in the Universe; it is at the base of all else; it is the cause of all that is. Feel your love to be like a great light lighting the pathway of the world; it will come back to you bringing so many friends that there will riot be time enough to enjoy them all. Become a real friend and you will have many friends.”

Looking at some of my actions over the past month I have recognized …read more

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Much Ado About A Patio: Sanitas Brewing Co.

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Much Ado About A Patio: Sanitas Brewing Co.

I am a sucker for springtime in Colorado. Aside from the random and inevitable snow that will blanket the Flatirons every once in awhile, springtime in Boulder is simply majestic. People will emerge from their Netflix and delivery pizza hibernation, flip on a pair of Ray-Bans, don a stylized tank top, and will then explore the great eateries (and drinkeries!) that this city has to offer. The Pearl Street Mall, in all its glory, becomes once again a destination for Coloradans from all over, eager to take in the joviality of buskers, ice cream, and sunshine. Now, head a few minutes east of the Mall on Pearl, and you’ll find yourself in a location that certainly has no foot traffic: the Sanitas Brewing Company.

Nestled in a warehouse on Pearl Parkway (the Street becomes the Parkway just east of 30th), Sanitas Brewing Company has been providing wobbly pops for the people of Boulder since September of 2013. In that time, the brewery has seen quite a bit of success, having implemented a rather large expansion effort starting just last May. The brewery, which takes its name from the nearby mountain (which I like to …read more

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It Follows Offers Intriguing But Uneven Horror

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It Follows Offers Intriguing But Uneven Horror

A girl sprints out of the front door of her nondescript suburban house. The sun is setting. The girl is scantily clad and out of her mind with panic. She dashes into the middle of the street, stops, not sure what do do next. The girl’s father comes outside and asks her if everything is okay. Clearly it’s not, and the girl runs back into her house. She emerges again holding car keys. She hops in the car and tears out of there at high speed. We next see her on a moonlit deserted beach, babbling into a cellphone, telling her parents that she loves them. Finally, the sun has come up. The girl is on the beach, dead.

As movies go, It Follows has a hell of an opening. It grabs our attention with filmmaking that’s, while low-key, very self-assured. There’s a simple and effective hook, along with some solid performances. Unfortunately, there’s some dodgy FX, set pieces that go nowhere, and a tone that feels restrained when it should be bursting at the seams.

After the opening, we meet Jay (Maika Monroe) a suburban girl just on the cusp of adulthood. She’s got a date with Hugh (Jake Weary), a …read more

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My Vision, My Makeup: Tips for Gals in Glasses

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My Vision, My Makeup: Tips for Gals in Glasses

So it only took 3 weeks, but we’ve finally arrived at the post I started out writing: make-up tips for the beautifully bespectacled.

I tend to reserve my glasses for my lazy days. You know the ones. The days that invite a uniform of yoga pants and hoodies. Or not! That’s the beauty of lazy days, the ambivalence, the ease, the lack of caring how you’ve presented yourself to the world. Liberation.

But not everyone feels similarly. Some people wear their spectacles and eschew contacts on the daily. And indeed some days I need to wear my glasses in situations where I want to be presentable. Like when I burn my corneas with acid moments before needing to leave the house, for example. So, for those that want to fancy up their four-eyes, this is for you.

Tip #1:

Not so much this.

Glasses aren’t a mask. Your eyes are still visible and, beyond this, are highlighted by the simple fact that you’ve framed them. Since your eyes are already on display, you don’t need to draw more attention with a zany eyeshadow color. Stick with nudes or subtle hues.

Tip #2:

I’ve used this in the past and have …read more

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Creating Spring Break – And That’s A Wrap!

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Creating Spring Break – And That’s A Wrap!

Us Buffaloes seem to be creative in establishing a spring break plan; or lack thereof. It seems that many of us have moved away from the pre-determined vacations, and instead, built our own maps. The exciting thing about building a “map”, is that plans can be limitless. You can begin in Boulder and head to Lake Tahoe, California, but on the way, stop in Moab to climb the Arch…and maybe in Vegas on the drive home. Why would we need all-inclusive when we have our own imaginations? These Buffs have ventured outside of the so-called “typical” spring break locations and followed their own maps:

Buffs hanging out in Telluride! Photo credit: Ellen Jo

Sarah Winter, a senior at CU, in Cambodia. Photo credit: Sarah Winter

A group of Buffs in Isla Mujeres. Photo credit: Christian Dean

Buffs hiking in Moab. Photo credit: Ellen Jo

Grayson Tamberi, a Junior accounting major at …read more

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Outdoor Activity Idea: Kite Flying!

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Outdoor Activity Idea: Kite Flying!

It’s officially spring! Even if it snowed yesterday (and will likely snow a few more times before summer), it is spring and the weather in Boulder has been mostly beautiful. We’ve also had some pretty great weather for kite flying.

With the breezy spring air and access to many wide-open open spaces, Boulder is a great place to fly a kite. Non-motorized or passive recreation is allowed at most open spaces in the area.

I flew kites this past weekend at the Greenbelt Plateau area. While this City of Boulder trailhead is a fee area, there is a second access point to the trail further East on Hwy 128. You can park there and avoid the fee if your car is not registered inside of Boulder County.

View from the access point parking

Flowers are up too at Greenbelt Plateau!

Salt and Pepper, (Lomatium Orientale) flowers are already up! Along with lots of Easter daisies (not pictured)

…read more

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Boom Into Business With Boomtown

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Boom Into Business With Boomtown

In recent years Boulder has become one of the top start-up cities in the nation, cultivating and opening new businesses left and right. That being said, developing a new business is still hard work and the beginning stages are critical to a start-ups launch. In the midst of this start-up incubator is Boomtown, the start-up for all start-ups. Launched in 2014 by former Crispin Porter + Bogusky principal Alex Bogusky as well as Toby Krout, Jose Vieitez and Stephen Groth among others, Boomtown is a start-up accelerator that helps new businesses get off the ground.

Boomtown offers a 12-week program that mentors companies and their teams in the developing stages of business, providing them with the most essential tools to succeed in their fields. Resources provided through the program include: branding and logo design, marketing, usability testing, top mentors in the business world, thousands of dollars in perks and benefits, office space in downtown Boulder and a demo/portfolio day at the conclusion of the program for top angels and VCs. In addition to those resources, $20k is funded for the company, partially for business growth but partly so that teams can focus solely on business development and not …read more

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Beepocalypse: How You Can Meet the Bees’ Needs

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Beepocalypse: How You Can Meet the Bees’ Needs

About 10 years ago, bees all over the US started dying off in droves and no one could figure out why. The blight kept spreading and the mystery deepened, getting lots of media attention and an apocalyptic-sounding name: Colony Collapse Disorder. Farmers, understandably, panicked. Without bees to pollinate their crops, production would be decimated—from blueberries to oranges to carrots, almost everything in the produce aisle would disappear. Now, symptoms of Colony Collapse Disorder aren’t as common as they used to be but bees are still dying off at an alarming rate.

Beekeepers and researchers are working around the clock to find out why and farms are finding ways to cope. Incredibly, robotic pollination drones already exist, and Monsanto recently began using them. While this is technically a solution to the problem, to me it seems myopic. The widespread death of pollinators isn’t an isolated issue, it’s symptomatic of a larger one—rather than working around the problem, we should be listening to the alarm bell and looking at ecosystems on a larger scale to find out what’s wrong. We should also be paying attention to other kinds of bees besides the charismatic honeybee, which has been getting the …read more

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LA Coffee Nostalgia

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LA Coffee Nostalgia

I celebrated the start of Spring with family and friends in Los Angeles, where I grew up. The sunny overcrowded metropolis that I often can’t stand but do ultimately love has an amazing coffee scene. Whenever I’m back in the sprawling suburban city, I’m eager to check out new coffee shops and revisit old favorites. From homegrown standards like Lamill and Groundwork to recent imports like San Francisco’s Blue Bottle and Santa Cruz’s Verve, LA continues to impress locals and visitors alike with its abundance of specialty coffee.

My thoughts on Los Angeles are layered and I like recalling various memories, as well as making new impressions. In the years leading up to my inevitable departure from LA, back when I refused to admit I had wanderlust, my favorite coffee spot to meet friends at was the Intelligentsia on Abbot Kinney in the once shady and now trendy but still pretty cool beach neighborhood of Venice. Now I prefer driving to Downtown’s industrial but quickly developing Art District, usually by myself, in order to savor the city’s only official Stumptown café and roastery. While dealing with freeway traffic to indulge in freshly roasted and brewed Stumptown coffee …read more

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Inspiring Fitness at Inspired Athletic Movement

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Inspiring Fitness at Inspired Athletic Movement

In a health-conscious city packed with elite athletes, a regular visit to the gym can quickly turn into an intimidating event as you suffer through a grueling Spin class next to an Olympic triathlete who’s barely glistening after her ‘rest day’ workout. For some, this can be inspiring, but for others, this can be the final straw in ending their workouts for good. But before you throw in the figurative sweat towel, maybe it’s time to try one more place—a quiet facility that’s clean and open—a gym where you’ll be encouraged to work your way to the best shape of your life, but without the intimidation. How about a gym that caps group classes at 12 members to ensure no one gets lost and everyone gets the attention they deserve? And even better, some of the best trainers around can be found there, too. Sound too good to be true? Well, you haven’t discovered Inspired Athletic Movement (IAM) then.

IAM began as a collaboration between Erica Sigel and Nicole Irlbeck in August of 2013. Recovering from an acute illness, Erica started out as a client of Nicole’s in 2009. After losing 100 pounds, Erica decided to share her experience with …read more

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