Seems like a new “top ten” list of some sort comes out every week with Colorado Springs on it.  I’m not sure that the lists actually mean anything, but it does give some attention to the great city we live in!

Here’s some of the lists Colorado Springs made in 2009:

• America’s Fastest-Recovering Cities from Forbes (number 14)
• Best Cities to Raise an Outdoor Kid from Backpacker Magazine (number 7)
• Top 10 Best Places to Start Over from Business Week (number 8 )
• Best Places for Business and Careers from Forbes (number 10)
• Mid-sized Metros With The Best Quality of Life from Bizjournals (number 9)
• America’s Best Cheap Cities from Forbes (number 42)

The lists we didn’t make (and that’s a good thing):

• Top 10 Cities with the Most Overpriced Properties
• Top 10 Cities with the Worst Foreclosure Rates
• America’s Most Expensive Zip Codes
• America’s Ten Most Miserable Cities

Wonder what we’ll “win” in 2010?

[carrie]

(UPDATED 11-29-09 at 8:15 PM)

Effective this Tuesday Dec. 1, 2009 new laws go into effect for Colorado drivers regarding the use of your cell phone while driving. Here are the basic changes.

1. No Texting or any other data entry (i.e. email)
2. No Using a Phone AT ALL if you’re under 18

In either case, this is a secondary offense which means that as long as you don’t violate any primary enforcement laws (i.e. speeding, rolling through a stop sign, failing to use turn signal, etc.) you can’t be pulled over only for violating the cell phone law. That being said, if you plan on rolling up next to the cop while you text away, you sure better be confident of your cars condition (that burned out brake light, yeah), and your driving skills (forgot to turn into the nearest lane, oops) because he’ll be looking be looking for a reason delay your travels and then you will be the lucky recipient of 2 tickets for the price of one. (Well, not really, it’s actually 2 tickets for the price of 2, but that doesn’t have the same ring to it.)

If you’re into reading this kind of stuff, you can see the full bill below.  Now two questions come to mind that I’d like answers for… a) What about using the maps on my phone while driving, and b) What about when the vehicle is at a stoplight – that is when I catch up on my RSS feeds.  If anyone has answers to those questions let me know!

Colorado Cell Phone Driving Law –

Drive safe, and please don’t turn me in for reading my email and RSS feeds at stoplights!

[jeremy]

While it believed the Mayflower Pilgrims began celebrating Thanksgiving ca. 1621 shortly after arriving in the new world, what follows represents the oldest extant thanksgiving proclamation:

The Holy God having by a long and Continual Series of his Afflictive dispensations in and by the present Warr with the Heathen Natives of this land, written and brought to pass bitter things against his own Covenant people in this wilderness, yet so that we evidently discern that in the midst of his judgements he hath remembered mercy, having remembered his Footstool in the day of his sore displeasure against us for our sins, with many singular Intimations of his Fatherly Compassion, and regard; reserving many of our Towns from Desolation Threatened, and attempted by the Enemy, and giving us especially of late with many of our Confederates many signal Advantages against them, without such Disadvantage to ourselves as formerly we have been sensible of, if it be the Lord’s mercy that we are not consumed, It certainly bespeaks our positive Thankfulness, when our Enemies are in any measure disappointed or destroyed; and fearing the Lord should take notice under so many Intimations of his returning mercy, we should be found an Insensible people, as not standing before Him with Thanksgiving, as well as lading him with our Complaints in the time of pressing Afflictions:

The Council has thought meet to appoint and set apart the 29th day of this instant June [1676], as a day of Solemn Thanksgiving and praise to God for such his Goodness and Favour, many Particulars of which mercy might be Instanced, but we doubt not those who are sensible of God’s Afflictions, have been as diligent to espy him returning to us; and that the Lord may behold us as a People offering Praise and thereby glorifying Him; the Council doth commend it to the Respective Ministers, Elders and people of this Jurisdiction; Solemnly and seriously to keep the same Beseeching that being perswaded by the mercies of God we may all, even this whole people offer up our bodies and soulds as a living and acceptable Service unto God by Jesus Christ.

And this from those whose condition at the time would no doubt draw our pity today.  Their perspective is timeless.  More importantly, the object of their thanks is correct and appropriate.  Let us thank God for all he has blessed us with.  Particularly, as we now look forward to the next holiday of celebration, may we remember, most of all, to thank God for the gift of His Son.  The words of the apostle Paul are still appropriate today, “Thanks be to God for His indescribable gift!”  II Cor 9:15