Dear Internet,
yeah, well I did get "dear Internet" from Conan O'Briens' last show on the day before I started this 365 day blog project. He asked, 'do you think anyone actually ever starts a blog with "dear Internet"...... I wanted to be first. I'll admit. Its the new dear diary..... a little girly...but what the hey.
My friend Larry who owns a restaurant told me that a lot of eateries in Boulder are on the brink of closing. We were having an advertising meeting this morning. My company Channel One Networks handles his TV, online, social marketing and advertising. The way I see it is Boulder has too many restaurants to be supported by a city in recession. About 10% will have to close. That is 30 more restaurants. The ones that will survive will be the restaurants with a loyal clientele with upper income. Restaurants that cater to construction workers are going to close because they are all out of work. So 2010 will be another 'ruff' year in that over built sector.
Karen a Boulder realtor also tells me she sees 2010 as another bad year for people who are upside down in their homes. Boulder has more this year than last. People with million dollar homes and mortgages have lost 10% to 30% equity and they are really in trouble. If you lost your high paying job, you most likely will be completely wiped out this year. The million dollar homes are not moving at any price.
Steve and I had the "modest meal" special tonight at Johnson's Corner. Real turkey, scalloped potatoes, salad, stuffing, real cranberry sauce for $6.00. Tonight the conversation went right to the economy. Steve's house is paid for and he lives on a modest income with no debt. This probably looks pretty good to those of you struggling to pay a mortgage. Two years ago he bought a house for half price in a short sale from a Denver bank who had to make the deal or fold themselves.
This afternoon I had a meeting with a documentary film client. We produced 5 films, published a book, built a website and 70 social media sites in 2009. We basically built and manage a media company for him. His focus is that which captured a segment of the American landscape this past year: The tea party. And they are all worried about everything conspiratorial.
My company is doing very well in this economy. We offer high impact advertising with guaranteed results, 24 hour service at a low price........my problem is we have so much business, I have to be careful not to take too much and I don't. We turn business down. But we are very good at what we do and we are in demand. This is all by design mind you. Internet companies come and go in Boulder at a rapid rate. I've been in business since 1987 and have seen it all. But we are intent on remaining rock solid, yet at the forefront of every new media innovation.....some we invent. Sounds like a pitch, huh.? It is. Say it loud and say it proud.
Rob Smoke sent in two articles on the miss doings of local government and the polluted water from Boulder reservoir. They are well written and posted in yesterdays comments. I've known Rob for over 20 years. Originally I met him around the rooms of Boulder. Then I read him when he was a writer for the Daily Camera, and finally ran into him at city council meetings where I would go to speak on public access TV. We've been fast friends ever since. He is an excellent writer and often has a clear take on complicated political issues though we disagree on some things. But he has been a staunch supporter of mine when I have been in the thick of the fight with Boulder City council, their contractors and the university over censorship of me and everyone else by all of them. It was a nasty fight from 2005 to just last year when the school district accepted our video blog 22Boom which includes the work of 8 local TV producers....... I'll tell you about that in the near future Do look at yesterdays blog comments for Robs latest.
Seth has been calling me for support every day. Fortunately, he's not drinking too much and taking his meds. He remains on the front pages of the local papers over the cities censorship of his comments. He met with the local chapter of the ACLU last night. They are going to officially protest Seth's treatment by the council. One of their lawyer members is Brett Parnes who was the chair of the Public Access channel in Boulder. Brett is a solid good guy who moved here from Michigan 12 years a go. He too was treated unfairly by local government over first amendment rights issues. This will be his and the ACLUs chance to rub the cities face in it once again. Brett once wrote a long missive about the poor treatment by the city of me and Seth. They fired him and his board when Brett refused to keep us off channel 54. The council also shut down the channel. So now in one scratch of the microphone the city council finds themselves embroiled in their 6th straight year of fights with the same free speech crowd. Our news department will be reporting on this on Boulder Channel One. But as a Daily Camera reporter told me last night "this story isn't going away anytime soon". Glee. No it isn't.
from the city where owning a million dollar home ain't what it used to be
Jann Scott
Boulder Colorado
337 days left in project
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