Around Denver

"So I'm really concerned most of all about timetable. In Israel we are looking at a very tight timetable of at the outside 18 months. And that's when a decision has to be made. And I don't know if Obama is going to act with urgency. Now I think he's learned on the job. He's already much better on Iran than he was eight months ago. He made a statement, I don't know if you remember this, and I guess it was about eight months ago saying that Cuba, Venezuela and Iran are small countries, and the United States negotiated with the Soviet Union, which is a big country. And if we were able to negotiate with the Soviets certainly we can negotiate with these small countries. Which was a very worrying misreading of the differences here and the Soviet Union basically being a rational country and Iran -- we don't know. I won't go so far as to say that Iran is irrational. But we don't know.

And I think he's gotten better. He was in the Middle East, of course, in July, and my understanding from speaking to someone in his circle was that he didn't sleep all week that he was in the Middle East. Didn't sleep. And what they were saying was it wasn't jet lag. That it finally hit home what he has to confront. And apparently he had a very sobering education. Not only in Israel -- what he heard from Arab leaders was apparently no less apocalyptic: that if Iran gets the bomb, then you're going to have a nuclear arms race in the Middle East -- it's already beginning -- a nuclear suitcase floating around to an Iranian proxy, Hezbollah or Hamas, the end of the peace process definitively -- no Arab country will dare defy Iran when it has hegemony in the Middle East. So by every measure a nuclear Iran -- even if they're not crazy enough to launch a nuclear attack against Israel -- it will mean a totally transformed world in ways that I think we haven't even begun considering. So that's what we're looking at."

"Look, I don't know. I really don't know. But I have to believe that when I sit with people whose job it is to know and they say we can set them back five years, say, that's the general figure that you hear. The pessimists say three years; the optimists say 10 years. So let's assume five. I have to go with that. We've been planning this in one form or another since 1993. The guy who actually established Israel's Iranian policy is Yitzhak Rabin. And Rabin in 1993, after the Oslo handshake, gave an interview to Israeli media. And he said, the reason I'm taking a gamble on Arafat is because I want to free us from this obsession that our military strategists have with dealing with the Palestinians, who are not an existential threat to Israel, and I want us to start planning for us to deal with the real long-term existential threat, which is a nuclear Iran. He said this in '93. And everyone was in a state of euphoria about peace with the Palestinians and Rabin was thinking about war with Iran. So if you're asking me, can we do it, Rabin began preparing the Israeli air force in '93. And every Israeli prime minister since Rabin, left, right and center, has adopted the same position. So if we can't do it, after all these years, then I don't know if we have what it takes to survive in the Middle East."

"The moment that the Israeli public came to the conclusion that this is a lunatic regime was about two and a half years ago when Iran sponsored the Holocaust denial conference. If you're facing international sanctions, and you want to prove to the international community that you're reasonable, you wouldn't be organizing a conference of the world's crackpots. And that's what they did. ... I think that Ahmadinejad reasons that the only reason the West supports Israel is because of the Holocaust, and if he can prove that the Holocaust is a Zionist invention, then Israel will lose its support and the destruction of Israel will become a reasonable position in the West."

"Absolutely. There isn't this deep hatred of Israel and the West among Iranians. Even after 30 years of this kind of education. Israel Radio is very popular in Iran. It's wildly popular. And anyone that I've spoken to who's been there says that when you meet people -- and not only among young people in Tehran, but out in rural areas -- there's deep disaffection with the regime. There's 30 percent hidden unemployment today in Iran. So the short answer is yes -- regime change, I think, is inevitable. But here again the question is
timetable. And it's not going to happen on its own in the next 18 months. That's almost certain. And what worries me about an Israeli strike -- which I think as a last resort we're going to have to do -- but what does worry me is what are going to be the repercussions domestically in Iran. And I could see the possibility of a very patriotic and proud people rallying around the regime. Even a detested regime. But it's their country rather than this regime that will have been attacked, and a strike could set back the possibility of regime change. That's a major downside. And along with some other very serious repercussions that we're looking at in Israel: massive Iranian retaliation against Tel Aviv, for example."

"Focusing on the Iranian oil industry. The regime is propping up the Iranian economy primarily through oil revenues. And if you take that away, if you really dig into that, the regime may not be sustainable. And then we could have regime change much sooner. I haven't given up completely on sanctions. I'm close to giving up on the international community. And here I think the challenge for Obama, and this really goes back to what
you were saying about the U.N., I think the challenge for Obama is to sidestep the U.N. and create his equivalent of what we used to call the coalition of the willing. And even in Europe -- Europe is deeply divided about Iran. Merkel is very good, but she has absolutely no support in government or in public opinion. She's basically stymied. France is by far the most assertive on the Iranian threat. And Italy is very good now with Berlusconi. So if you look at Europe, Europe is going to divide on Iran. Eastern Europe for the most part is very good. Poland, Czech Republic. And so we need to rethink the kind of sanctions that
need to be imposed and which countries are likely to adopt those sanctions. If you wait for the U.N., it will never happen.

...There's something so painfully naive about the expectation that some people have that Obama's somehow going to bring -- and people have asked me this, 'Well, Obama will bring the Chinese and the Russians on board because he's more likable.' The Chinese and the Russians will not endanger what they consider their interests because the new American president is likable."

"...So the first issue, then, is this hunger for clean government. And Livni does seem to be clean and decent. What she doesn't have is any security experience. And that's the other big issue of course. And interestingly I think for most Israeli voters the security issue in this election probably won't be Iran. It's going to be much closer to home. It will be Hezbollah and Hamas. Because we could find ourselves literally any day at war again with either of them. We're very close to another war with Hamas. And to go back into Gaza will be really, really sticky. Especially after the cease-fire, because everybody knows that the cease-fire just gave them an opportunity to rearm. And that was just such a stupid move for Israel to do, such a move of weakness. So that's really on people's minds -- who can deal with Gaza and Hezbollah. And you know something of how the Israeli psyche works -- it's one thread at a time and one day at a time. So the people whose job it is to think a little bit more long-term are looking at Iran, most Israelis are looking at Iranian proxies who are sitting right on the border.

So if things are reasonably quiet, then I think Livni will have a chance to promote her good-government agenda. If things are shaky, and as they seem to be heading, I think Netanyahu will win. Netanyahu has one great campaign advantage and that is that before the withdrawal from Gaza in 2005 he was warning that if we pull the army out of Gaza we're going to get Katyushas on the city of Ashkelon, which is about 15 miles away from Gaza. And the Israeli media ridiculed him, and treated him, to some extent, how much of the media here treated Sarah Palin. ... All that Netanyahu has to do is replay some of those headlines and talk shows and then show the footage of the shopping mall in Ashkelon that was devastated by Katyushas. So Netanyahu has strong security credentials. And my gut sense is that he's going to win."

• Intros have begun to a packed house, crammed in on cushions. Just introduced myself to the group. And historical expert is now telling the story of the Lizzie Borden murders and staying at the little ax-whacker's house.
  
• This room is known as the "murder room," he says. Historical expert Kevin Pharris, owner of Denver history tours, is now telling the story. Calls the Oxford the most haunted building in Denver. One of the guests, he notices, is clutching the hand of her date. He tells the group that if anyone needs a hug or chocolate, they've got both!
• Notes that the Oxford used to just be a men's hotel, dating back to 1891, and only had one ladies' room. It went out of business and fell into disrepair. It was fixed up and reopened. Things began happening, he says, after the renovation, not before.
• There's apparently a ghost in the hotel who watches women when they use the bathroom. Gnarly.
  
• However, there's also apparently a girl searching for her canary in the attic. The Oxford, by the way, isn't allowing the attic tours anymore. They don't want the reputation as the haunted hotel, apparently. Yeah, nobody has Google.
• Now they're talking about gruesome Market murder stories on the record in the, well, Rocky Mountain News! "They would have page after page of the most lurid details," Kevin says. Now we have page after page of Campaign 2008. Which is worse?
• Maggie of the paranormal research group is using a puck that throws out random words based off the ambient temperature while Kevin is telling stories of Denver's sensational past of prostitutes getting killed a la Jack the Ripper. And, of course, the sensational details that the Rocky delivered at the time!
  
• The schedule for tonight, by the way, is until midnight. In for the long haul! And yes, part of that will be in the dark.
• More of Denver's salacious history. One in three Denver hookers having an STD, men fooling around, men fooling around and getting robbed and murdered while they were fooling around.
• Back to Room 320, where we sit! There was a double murder in the original bed here. It's the only headboard in the hotel that has a poem carved into it. Kevin can't find proof of it in the papers, but says that doesn't necessary mean anything because Mayor Speer was totally corrupt and could pay to keep things covered up. Wife and a boyfriend caught by hubby. No historical evidence -- we don't know who they are.
  
• Most people checked into this room aren't told about the haunted history, and most of the time nothing happens. But when it does happen, it's always the same. Only men who are staying alone are affected. Kevin takes the group into the bedroom.
  
• It's happened to about 25-30 men. Man will be laying here on the bed, sleeping, waking to a ghost at the foot of the bed, cussing him out, telling him to get out because he was corrupting a wife. Apparently one male guest ran down in his boxers to the front desk. Kevin turns out the lights on the guests. Says another story is single men will also be awakened by bathroom light going on and off quickly. Feels bed depress on one side as guest feels someone lie down next to him.
• Maggie scans the spooky bedroom for baseline temperature readings, which will help in future comparisons:

•  Now Maggie is talking to the group that's assembled in the living room again, getting ready to describe the equipment they use. First is a temperature reading device that sniffs out cold spots. Then a digital camera that allows for instant review of pictures. The gadget for the baseline temperature readings. Maggie notes that electromagnetic fields can often produce symptoms that make people think they're haunted, depending on their sensitivity. They use a K-2 meter to measure readings. Also has a Sony Handy cam with infrared; helps her see in the dark.
  
• The "paranormal puck" is described more in detail. It a laptop that a guy designed that incorporates temperature and EMF readings, etc., with the entire Websters dictionary. That and another paranormal reading device keeps spitting out the words Betty and Veronica. One of the guests just suggests that the ghost really like Archie.
• Maggie is now playing examples of EVP -- electronic voice phenomenon, voices picked up on recording when at other sites in the area. Some of the creepiest ones are from the Stanley Hotel. None of them, though, say "All work and no play makes Jack a dull boy." :)
• Now comes time to try to get EVP readings here in the room. Maggie lets the Halloween ghost watching crew here listen to the recordings, watch the puck, monitor temp, and wander the bedroom with the infrared camera. now the lights are out and Maggie is asking questions of the alleged ghost to see if yes or no questions are answered.
  
• The electronic voice generated thing keeps spitting out the words "remember" and "smell." Remember the smell??
  
• Earlier in the evening, the blog file that I'd started at the office became hopelessly corrupted -- you'll see on the first post that I had to start a new file. Now Maggie's computer has gone into capture mode without anyone touching the screen. She asks said alleged ghost if it's the one who's been messing with his our computers.
  
• The electronic voice generated thing keeps saying sorry. Sorry he offed his wife, or sorry he screwed with my blog??
• Some of the names it's coming up with are Larry, Seth and Maddie. I Google these with denver and oxford hotel just to see if any historical records come up. Nada. Maggie's efforts to coax any ghost to show itself are unsuccessful. One guy volunteers to go lay on the bed. Probably just tired of sitting on the floor in our cramped living room quarters.
• No scream from the bedroom, which is over my shoulder. My laptop screen is the only light, along with Maggie's laptop. She now demonstrates another tool that she doesn't especially trust with its lack of scientific proof, which scans radio frequencies really fast to search for words or sentences. Maggie opines that there's too much room for human error.
• Nothing much yet. Maggie asks the crowd if the tools she using are a "little too much hack." She notes that ghost hunting stuff "is up to your own interpretation and beliefs." She notes how the puck can be open to interpretation when the human mind is searching for patterns and trying to come up with answers.
• The lights are back. Whew. If it wasn't spooky, at least I was tempted to take a nap. Maggie says they'll analyze the video and voice recordings in the next few days and see if there's anything there. I also recorded the night on my digital recorder, just for kicks.
  
• No guaranteed ghosts, the guests are told...
• The guests are getting ready to leave, but Shawn with Denver History Tours is going to stick it out for the whole night. Stay tuned... I'm going to wrap up with Maggie after everyone leaves and get her impressions.
• The girl who was manning the infrared camera said that at one point the screen went hazy without touching the focus.
• Maggie says the evening went well, especially letting people know how paranormal investigations  really go, but she's looking forward to reviewing the evidence. 

• First question: We're all hardened and cynical about politics! Tell us about a promise that you made that you might not keep... huh? Udall starts waxing about the economy. Is this answering the question? I thought he's supposed to talk about how he might jack up. Oh, it's a promise he'll keep. Schaffer is committed to lower tax rates and stronger economic growth. He's looking unusually friendly tonight."
• Here goes our own Lynn Bartels asking about one word to explain debate Schaffer says "explaining" and repeats the word Boulder many times in his answer. Udall says "rude" -- LOL!! The closed captioning on TV says that Udall just said "filly blusstering," Schaffer fires back -- still with that forced smile -- about how he would represent values in U.S. Senate.
• The question is bipartisanship, something you'd regret on the campaign trail, etc. Udall starts talking about veterans, health care, wildlife, fuzzy puppies who wag their tails every time they see him... OK, almost that. Schaffer is smiling broadly while talking about how vicious Udall's campaign has been. I'm waiting for the word "Boulder," or the word "liberal," or hopefully some combination thereof. Bob reminds us of Congress' 9 percent approval rating (good call) and how you gotta replace the folks there.
• Udall rebuts by saying his feelings haven't been hurt by the campaign. Kumbaya.
  
• Raj is up with the negative ad watch -- woohoo! First up is shadowy evil looking oilman Bob Schaffer. Next up is Boulder Liberal Mark Udall. Now is veterans wanting to shoot down Schaffer. Next up is shadowy evil looking Mark Udall.
• Schaffer is asked about Udall voting against body armor and troop funding. Schaffer says it's cuz he voted against defensive bills that included such items. Fair enough. Udall says he served on armed services committee, so take that! Udall is now asked about the Schaffer Big Oil claims when Schaffer did vote for renewable energy. Udall ducks the question about why he won't give Bob credit, and waxes about wonderful renewable energy.
• Schaffer points out the obvious -- Marky Mark didn't answer the question. He's still forcing the smile, but his hands are starting to flail. This is Schaffer more in his element. Going for the jugular. You'd think he would have arrived at this point as soon as Udall called him rude earlier.
• Udall responds to veterans funding ads. Schaffer says it's "baloney," that he has a super-pro-veterans record. Raj did a good job of bringing these two gents out of their shells.
• Schaffer poses question to Udall about not caring about kids with disabilities, why he would direct the dough to education research. Doesn't want to "rob Peter to pay Paul." But what about little crippled Peter??
• Udall asks what Schaffer even did in Congress. Bob is on a tear, rattling off stuff from the CDC to ranchland to missile defense.
• Schaffer asks Udall why the National Endowment for Humanities was more important then clean coal technology. This is an awesome debate -- which is more important to you, humanity or coal?? Udall calls them gotcha votes.
• Udall needles him on going to Kurdistan for oil stuff, a question that we asked Bob about when he came to our edit board. We have his answer in our video player. But he stresses to Udall that China will take over Kurdistan if we don't jump into the economic opportunities.
• Greg from Arvada asks about S&L regulation. Schaffer says regulation wouldn't necessarily save the day and Congress should learn its lesson. Udall said he's the only one who stood up to Fannie and Freddie. It's like "Meet the Press" revisited.
  
• Kathy in Aurora asks about securing the border. And she's right -- nobody's talking about immigration. Udall says physical borders "where they make sense," more Border Patrol, bringing "undocumented workers out of the shadows." Schaffer should be in his element. Brings up Udall's votes on tuition subsidies for illegal immigrants, etc. He looked really happy at that question.
• Marilyn in Straburg wants to know why we should give $$ to other countries when there are poor people here. (Um, because we care about other people who are worse off than we are??) Udall talks about funding community health care, but didn't really answer the question. Schaffer thinks the question was cool. He's not going to be joining in on the next "We Are the World' anytime soon, and nitpicks on funding to Africa.
• Glenda of Denver asks about gay marriage. Schaffer says it's too much to expect the state to sanction it. Udall takes the safe road with civil unions and domestic partnerships.
• Back to the panel and question about success in Iraq. Schaffer sums it up nicely if wordily by saying it's about Iraq maintaining its territorial integrity. Why doesn't he see when he's on to a good point and wrap it up in a nice little soundbite package? Udall calls Iraq a "misadventure" twice and then declares that we have won the war and it's time to get out and hand it back to Iraqis. (Um, we already handed it over. That's when it went from the coalitional authority to the Iraqi government.)
• Lynn asks about Department of Peace moonbattery proposal. Udall said it was "duplicative" and "made some sense at the time." He said he made his point and then it was time to move on. Is Congress just for grandstanding, then? No wonder nothing gets done.
• Lynn asks Bob about school choice being No. 1 issue for GOP. Schaffer says he can't speak on behalf of all Republicans but feels for poor kids who can't go to a better school. He just doesn't feel for poor African kids. :(
• Both are asked about political ideological independence. Schaffer is asked about the Dream Act, college for kids of illegal immigrants. Schaffer open to foreign students,but not tax dollars subsidizing kids of illegals. Udall looks like he's now in his element, and says you can't punish kids for their parents' illicit border crossing.
• Udall is asked on card check, without the panel describing that it's a labor bill for the folks at home. Schaffer happily provides the explanation and goes after Udall's jugular on it. The closed captioning called it "car check." This debate is so unfair to the deaf.
• Lightning round! Zapp! Schaffer advocates "belt-tightening" in Congress and Udall says Congress should be sure that "liquidity is injected into banks." He counters how Schaffer dissed Congress for taking vacation. We're all campaigning, counters Udall. Fair enough, but they were voted into office to get things done, not hit the trail again.
• Schaffer is on a cool tear against socialism. No redistributing of wealth and take from those of ability to give to those in need, he says.
• Schaffer reminds us that he's unemployed and had to buy his own health insurance. Another reporter grumbles about Bob's $200K severance check. I suggest that maybe he donated it to African children, and that's why he's in financial straits. Udall says we all can't eat out that much. The closed captioning is talking about "welsh spending." That's right. Our economy depends on how much the Welsh sink into the U.S.
• What do they drive? Bob drives a Ford-whatever. He doesn't know the model. Oy. Udall, of course, is driving the powdery blue Prius I saw parked in the lot. Remember the "South Park" episode where they called it the Pious? I'm thinking of that know.
• Closing statements. Udall tries to paint himself as super-independent. Schaffer barks that Udall drives a "bus... big luxury motor home." Udall just looks down at his podium. He's entitled to say, "Yeah... you don't even know what you drive!!" Schaffer makes the case that he's new blood and that the current Congress stinks.

"1. RACE, RESISTANCE AND THE COLUMBIAN LEGACY
Join nationally-known activist Glenn Spagnuolo, co-founder of Re-create 68, for a night of education and dialogue about race in America and resistance to the Columbian Legacy!
When: 5 pm Thursday, October 9, 2008
Where: CU Boulder Campus, Hale Hall Room 240
2. Columbus Day Resistance March and Rally
The annual protest of the Columbus Day Holiday and the racism that it embodies will begin with a march from Four Winds that ends at the Capitol Building followed by a rally for a better future. When: March starts at 8 am, Rally at 9 am, Saturday, October 11
Where: Start of March is at Four Winds at 5th and Bannock in Denver, CO
3. People's Council
Following the Columbus Day resistance, people will be gathering to organize a new alliance locally that can act as a national vehicle for radicals. Bring your thoughts and cooperative energy. Please come and represent R68.
When: 1pm, Saturday, October 11
Where: The Great Hall at the Iliff School of Theology just past Evans on University Blvd, Denver.
4. Student Walk-out on Racism
Whether you are a student or not, join the students of Iliff, CU Denver, CU Boulder and DU as the educate the public about Denver's hidden racial past on the 101st Anniversary of the Columbus Holiday. There will be a student walk-out, a short rally, followed by a march to locations with a racial history that will end at Civic Center Park.
When: 12 Noon, Monday, October 13
Where: CU Denver's Auraria Campus, The Plaza Building Lawn"

"Riot police or troops would wear a back pack with three cylinders - one containing compressed air, another filled with plain water and a third containing a supply of very dry, finely ground, polyacrylamide powder. A nozzle, resembling a shower head, would blasts two separate jets, containing the water and the polymer powder, in the general direction of an ugly crowd.

As the two jets mix in the air, after clearing the nozzle, they create a slimy mixture that covers the ground and causes everyone in the area to fall down. Even vehicles should be unable to get a grip on the goo, the patent says. And because the gel is non-toxic, it should cause no permanent harm, besides a few bruised bottoms, that is."