Dropping the Ball

The ball atop our Erie office is set to drop, towering hundreds of feet about Old Town. There are likely a few zoning officials not too happy with our contraption. We’ve dragged out thousands of party hats emblazoned with our logo and “2009” from the closet. We’re expecting a raucous crowd to line Briggs Street in anticipation of the New Year for an incredible party that only this magazine could pull off. If you haven’t booked a night at a fancy hotel, c’mon down.

Take that Times Square.

It’s too bad the sarcasm font has yet to be invented—I fear my attempt at humor has been lost. Alas, there will be no ball drop sponsored by us. By the time the countdown to 2009 begins, the entire staff of Yellow Scene Magazine will have been scattered to far reaches of the country on a much-needed furlough after a loooong holiday season. Sorry for the ruse; I was simply trying to create hysteria for a brand new list: The Best and Worst of 2008 as told by a media personality with as much clout as Ward Churchill.

That all could change if this year-end compilation takes off. It could become an annual column that launches a book deal and appearances on the late-night television circuit.
Or not, in which case I’ll go back to printing my lengthy New Year’s resolution list in this space a year from now. Read on…

Thumbs Up: Barack Obama. Call us the liberal media. Call us biased. But don’t call President-elect Obama’s road to the Oval Office anything but historic.

Thumps Down: The Colorado Rockies. After a promising run to the World Series a year ago, they fell apart quicker than a Yugo before the spring thaw was finished. To compound matters, perennial All Star Matt Holliday has since been traded away, a sign that it could be a long time before we’re partying on Blake Street once again.

Up: Renewable energy. If you live in Boulder County you can now take out cheap loans to add solar panels and other renewable energy features to your home. We expect more tree-hugging, latte-sipping yuppies to move here in droves.

Down: Bailouts. Seriously, who else wants a no-strings cash infusion from the government? After the banks, auto industry, homebuilders and others cash in, I am left wondering when the magazine industry gets a check. We’d really love to pop the top on our quaint office in ’09.

Up: Gambling receipts. After we overwhelmingly gave three Colorado gambling outposts the ability to increase wagers, add craps and other table games, and expand hours, Las Vegas seems like such a waste of time. Soon enough, thousands of beer-soaked frat boys will be chanting “Blackhawk, baby! Blackhawk!”

Down: The state’s oldest newspaper. The Rocky Mountain News has been put up for sale. With widespread speculation that it could shutter forever, it seems Denver is about to become a one newspaper town. That’s not a good thing, by the way.

Up: Sustainable concept restaurants: Sure, everyone is jumping on the bandwagon with a dozen or so restaurants popping up in the area featuring locally-grown, fresh ingredients. Only in Boulder County, right?

Down: Dubya. If you want to fondly remember the last eight years, check out this. It’s awesome. George Bush will only be in office for a few more weeks. We had to take one last swipe.

Well, folks, that’s it. I hate to cut it short, but space in a magazine is a fickle thing. Hope you weren’t disappointed.