The political conventions are over and I think we can all agree the DNC was more successful than the RNC. Sure, we had fewer police/ protester confrontations and more respectful crowds than the RNC. But more importantly, we had way better celebrities than the Minnesotans had.

And though I’m not as political as I probably should be, I did watch the DNC coverage religiously and tuned into the RNC coverage for as long as my stomach could handle. I have to say, this upcoming election has mobilized me in a way no other election ever has before.

Barack Obama truly seems to be for the people, evidenced by the fact that, post-law school, he took lower paying jobs to revitalize the inner cities of Chicago when he could have gone the way of the rich, powerful and corporate. He’s obviously an eloquent speaker. The crowd he draws with his international appearances proves that he is well-respected the world over and would vastly improve the USA’s social standing within the international community. Clearly, he’s intelligent and would surround himself with an intelligent, capable cabinet. And I’m all for giving a smart guy a crack at the White House again. That’d be a fun shift, I think.

I mean, I hear the arguments about his having “too little experience to lead,” but let’s be honest, here; Sarah Palin? Come on. John McCain is, what, a hundred and twelve years old? Give or take? Obviously, there is a very real possibility that his antique ticker is gonna give out and Sarah will take over.

Sarah freakin’ Palin!!! With all her profound experience as… what? Governor ?

Of Alaska.

Alaska, you guys!!!

How is that better at all?! It’s not.

You know those people who are so incredibly gorgeous that even on your best hair day, in a moment of your most profound self-esteem, if you found yourself seated next to one of them you’d feel like one of those nasty mutants from The Hills Have Eyes? Only less interesting?

Those people who are so freakishly beautiful that when you see them on the street you immediately assume they’re in the wrong place? Like, they took one, little wrong turn and somehow ended up on a different planet?

The girl in this picture -- Juannean -- she’s one of those people.

On my very first day at Mercy Housing, Juannean gave me a cute, little smile and said, “Hi,” in a cute, little voice and then sashayed her way down the halls of Mercy Housing’s National Office in a cute, little silver dress with a confidence I, personally, reserve only for solo games of Yahtzee.

I said to my trainer, “Aww. Poor little super-model must not have learned to read. She’s obviously in the wrong building.”

My trainer looked at for a full three, painful, silent seconds before she finally spoke.

The other day I was driving up 14th Ave and saw a young man out for a jog, sans shirt. Based on his physique, I would say this young buck is an aspiring Abercrombie model. So yummy. So, so yummy. I couldn’t keep my lecherous eyes off him.

That was unfortunate because, as I said, the other day I was driving up 14th Ave.

Because of my pervy rubber-necking, I nearly rear-ended the car in front of me when the driver stopped for one of those stop lights that are hung, not at an intersection, but in the middle of the street for no reason at all. My “significant other” calls them “squirrel crosswalks.”

My near death experience on 14th left me to ponder two things:
1… Why are those, particular, stoplights even there? Stupid.
And 2… Why is it all right for men to run around in public, shirtless, but not women?

Summer heat demands that summer fashion accommodate high temperatures. Men can wear nothing more than a pair of little jogging shorts, whereas women’s breasts must be covered at all times. That’s stupid and unjust. As near as I can tell, this law is simply a way to legalize sexism. It’s an example of discrimination being written into our law books for absolutely no good or valid reason, whatsoever.

Why can a man, regardless of physical appearance, run around shirtless, while a woman, regardless of physical appearance, cannot?

One might simply say, “Well, women have boobs.”

There is an old and powerful saying that goes: “Judy, Liza, Barbara, Bette… These are names I shan’t forget.”

These names belong to the crème de la crème de la gay icons of musicality. There are others… Cher, of course. Madonna goes without saying. Tina Turner, Rosemary Clooney, Bernadette Peters. Some, including my collegiate self, thought New York superstar, Linda Eder, was poised to be “Barbara” for the new generation. We realize, now, that was a bit extreme a comparison to make, but Ms. Eder certainly deserves an honorable, “Sssing, Bitch! We love you!”

Cuz we do.

Not ever having been pregnant and, likely, never having to worry about getting pregnant, I have to admit, the whole thing sort of weirds me out. My sister gave birth to the two cutest kids in the whole world. For real, though. Cutest kids in the whole, entire world. Hands down. You’d crap your pants if you saw how cute they are. They’re that cute. Before they joined us on the outside, however, I couldn’t help but to think about Sigourney Weaver’s unlucky space crew in Alien every time I looked at my poor, doomed, little sister.

Yes, of course, every child is a miracle. Yes, the science of fetal development is fascinating. And, yes, it totally blows my mind that two bodily fluids can combine inside a person and then, BAM! nine months later there is a real, live human being who never before existed, with a brain and a heart and a nervous system and a personality spitting up all over the place.

Blows. My. Mind.

Teen fashion correspondent Sarah Bolliger brings us the teen view of the latest summer fashion trends.

I’m just back from a vacation in California, where a bizarre visit to Hollywood inspired this blog. I was in a world where fashion seemed completely influenced by the celebrities you might stumble into; everywhere I went, I saw a reference to a star. So when I returned home, I made it my mission to ask teens who they’d love to dress like, and then give them a look that mimics those in the Hollywood limelight.

Katie, sixteen, chose Demi Lovato (pictured above) as her celebrity idol: "Her clothes in Disney’s latest original movie, Camp Rock, were amazing and a lot like me!" Demi chooses fun, colorful, creative pieces, and pairs them with knee-length suede boots or a long, chunky necklace. The styles of both Demi and Katie are all about personality and expressing who they really are!

Matt, sixteen, had no problem choosing his celebrity fashion icon: Serj Tankian (pictured left), the lead singer of System of a Down. “His style is mysterious, yet very unique,” he explains. “I like to add my own twist by wearing Urban Pipeline pants. They add volume and are not jean fabric, which is unbearable to wear!”

Look after the jump for how to recreate these looks.

I am from a small, li'l town in eastern Iowa. We have a grocery store, a maximum security prison and a Wal-Mart. My family is still there and I miss them, terribly. I admit that I am often homesick for the slower pace and ease of mind Small Town America can offer. But I just felt like I had to go. So I did.

When I moved to Denver, I may as well have been moving to Manhattan. Denver seemed huge and intimidating and exciting and I felt like a resident of the biggest city in the world. It was magic.

Five-ish years later, I still feel like that sometimes. I avoid the suburbs like the plague, I almost never venture into the mountains and, whenever possible, I brag to my little sister that I’m never more than ten minutes away from wherever it is I might need to be. Poor dear – she has to drive at least thirty minutes just to see a first-run film. Imagine.

Teen fashion correspondent Sarah Bolliger brings us the teen view of the latest summer fashion trends.

Fashion trends seem to change almost every day. Trying to keep up with these trends can be difficult, especially when you are on a budget. We all wish we could wear and own those high-end labels that the celebrities wear, like Marc Jacobs, Chanel, and Betsey Johnson. Most teens don't have the money to own these labels so we try to find alternatives to still fit in.

Kaitlyn (left) has a fun and colorful style. Her favorite places to shop are American Eagle and Forever 21. I asked her what brands she shop for and what brands she wants, whether she can afford them or not. "I love Coach, Dooney & Bourke, and Prada," she said. When I asked her to name one accessory that she cannot live without, Kaitlyn said, "A purse, for sure!"

If you love Coach, Dooney & Bourke, and Prada like Kaitlyn, look after the jump for examples of designer bags as well as some alternatives so you don't break your budget!

Slide Show

It was all food, fashion, fun and wild animals at last Thursday's Do At The Zoo. The Silk & Spice themed gala brought out Denver's finest for the evening. More than 40 restaurants were serving up treats, including a taste of molecular gastronomy offered by O's Steak & Seafood's chef Ian Kleinman.

Visitors toured the animal exhibits and were even given a close-up look at a few of the zoo's regular inhabitants. With the abundance of good food and entertainment, nobody let the brief deluge ruin their plans -- they simply went for a carousel ride instead. And after the rain, we were left with beautiful, cool weather and a perfect sunset.

The event raised money for the zoo's planned 10-acre-large Asian Tropics exhibit that will be devoted to highly-endangered Asian species. For more information on the zoo's plans, visit www.denverzoo.org.

-- Aubrey Shoe

Click on photo to see slide show

Omigawd! It’s Gay Pride Eve and I haven’t even started my holiday shopping! Lucky for me, just a few blocks down from the office is a little boutique… nay… little Mecca for Denver’s “alternative lifestyles.” Studio Lites Wig Boutique has been a Broadway staple for twenty-five years running and shows no sign of bowing out any time soon. Thank God.

Owner, Rick Smith (who, by the way, has a head of hair found only on the scalps of the most dashing of daytime male soap stars. I’d hate him if he weren’t so damn nice) met me at the door with a smile and an open invitation to peruse his chest of rainbow treasures. His clothing collection caters to everyone from Burlesque/Boy-lesque dancers and Uber-fierce drag queens to club goers and the average costume party attendee.

Their sister boutique in the Vegas just won an award for “Best Clubwear in Las Vegas” from the Las Vegas Weekly. Not too shabby an honor to have bestowed upon you, especially considering Studio Lites of Vegas has only been open a couple years.

Club couture aside, the crowning glory of Studio Lites in both locations is, and always has been, their wig selection. From cute li'l brunette bobs and Godiva blondes, to every colored beehive, afro or glamazon updo you could dare to dream up… if the boyz on Broadway don’t have it, you won’t find it. And with prices ranging from $30.00 to $300.00, truly there is something for everyone.