Where for art thou airbag?

(Car meets deer. Deer wins)

I was driving in south-central Colorado earlier this week when I came around a blind curve and ran into a deer. Or it ran into me. No matter. A reminder when driving this time of year or any time of year for that matter, to be prepared for wildlife sharing the road with you at the least opportune of times.

There was no time to react other than brace for impact. The headlight assembly, fender, hood and driver's door all will have to be replaced. I pulled off the road immediately to check on the car and the poor deer. I found it, a young buck 3-4 years old lying on the road still alive but not looking good. I went back to my car to call the sheriff's office to notify them of the animal in distress when it got up and ran away. It looked like, perhaps, it was just stunned momentarily by the impact (As I was!) but was able to safely move on. I hope he's ok. He's a beautiful animal and I hate the fact we ran into each other on the road.

One thing that is nagging on me is that the airbag didn't go off. The damage is pretty significant as was the impact. When I take it to the body shop for repair today I'm going to ask them about that.

Moral of the story is to be alert at all times when driving the highways in states like Colorado where often times the wildlife out-number humans. Too many times in accidents like mine, the results are far worse. It's incredible the kind of damage an animal that weighs far less than your car can do.

I was lucky. Actually make that blessed. (Thank you Lord!) Be careful out there folks.

Brian Olson
Conversation Starters LLC
"We start the conversation about you"

Some "Fresh" air in 2010 Campaign

Let me start out by saying none of the below is in anyway meant to endorse any particular candidate. You're all smart enough to make your own decisions.

We've all seen/heard political attack ads, highly produced with a stern announcer accusing the opposition of, well, pure evil. Sometimes it's the candidate's campaigns themselves, often times various groups with positive sounding names with messages that are anything but.

It's why I'm encouraged by a couple of campaigns where things are decidly opposite of the traditional political wisdom that attack, attack, attack is the way to run a campaign.

In the Colorado 6th Congressional District, Democrat John Flerlage is running against incumbant Republican Mike Coffman. Both are Marines. I've had the opportunity to listen to, and ask questions of both at forums sponsored by the South Metro Denver Chamber of Commerce. In both cases, neither even mentioned the other's name. They simply laid out their agendas and answered often tough but fair questions. They talked about issues important to everyone in the audience and offered their ideas and solutions.

If anyone knows about attacking, it's Marines. But in this case, civility is the rule. I applaud both Coffman and Flerlage for thinking about what's best for me and my family, instead of attacking each other.

Meanwhile, Denver Mayor and Democrat John Hickenlooper is running for Governor. He has one ad which makes fun of attack ads. In the spots he says that everytime he sees or hears one he feels like taking a shower. Which in the ad, he promptly does, over and over again.



Funny and to the point. Good for him.

The political process in our country, to be blunt, stinks. If ever there was a time for civility, a need for the best interests of the American People, it's now. Candidates that spend more time talking about what's best for America, and not throwing mud, just might get elected.

It's worth a try.

Brian Olson
Conversation Starters LLC
"We start the conversation about you"