Commentary: Ikea comes to Denver, so I’m going shopping

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Author: Lon Matejczyk

Story Type: Commentary

The Denver Business Journal reports that Ikea, the store with the bright blue and yellow façade, has been talking to Lone Tree officials, and also is looking at other areas in metro Denver, including the Park Meadows Town Center.Every time I am in Chicago or Milwaukee, my wife makes me take a pilgrimage to the Ikea in Schaumburg. And every time I go, the place is packed. My wife gets Ikea catalogues and uses them for decorating ideas. Now, I am not a shopper. I would rather be golfing, sailing or even working, but I kinda enjoy the trips to Ikea. It is quite an experience. Did you know that all of Ikea's furniture must be designed to be shipped in flat packages? It's a pretty ingenious way to save money on shipping expenses, but the down side is having to put the furniture together. When all else fails, read the directions I guess. We have quite a bit of funky furniture from Ikea as well as some cool kids' stuff â€" and the prices are affordable. This is no Drexel Heritage but you could say it is Drexel Heritage for the younger crowd. I bet that in the cities that have Ikeas, the 20-somethings' apartments are completely filled with Ikea products.As I mentioned, I don't like shopping, but if I have to, Ikea is my pick.The DBJ reports Ikea won't be building its 310,000-square-foot store for several years. My wife says hurry up. When will we know the war on terror is over?Recently the Air Force Association, The National Defense Industrial Association, The Armed Forces Communications and Electronics Association and the Greater Colorado Springs Chamber of Commerce's Military Affairs Council hosted a luncheon at which Adm. Timothy Keating spoke. Keating is commander of NORAD/NORTHCOM. I enjoy listening to our military leadership and have gotten quite a few opportunities to do so during the past couple of weeks, including Gen. Richard Webber's farewell (he is moving to Space Command from the 21st Space Wing) and the Enlisted Clubs holiday party at Peterson Air Force Base, where Col. Jay Santee looked great in a hula skirt.So, where I am going here? Keating, who by the way has a great sense of humor and knows how to work a crowd, spoke about the global war on terror and how it is a different type of war.The admiral asked rhetorically, "when will we know the war is over?" His answer, and I think a very good one, was "when the level of trust for everyone is restored. When we don't have to think twice about someone wearing an extra heavy coat in a public place."The admiral explained that there is a "system of systems in place" and "we shouldn't worry as much as some would want you to about our borders." OK, a little (more) editorializing here. The mass media has to glum on to something and this month it must be on our porous borders. Mass media has an unwritten rule, if it bleeds it leads. Sensationalism sells newspapers or eyeballs. It doesn't matter if the subject is newsworthy.I think the admiral is correct. NORTHCOM has the comprehensive collaboration going on and I feel a bit safer after hearing Keating. NORTHCOM has plenty of people going over a ton of information. I think the communication is happening so that things like 9/11 won't happen again. The detail that was missed and allowed 9/11 to happen now has more eyeballs looking at the data and better communication systems around it to bring that little piece of data up to the forefront so it can be acted on. Another way we might know the global war on terror is over … I don't have to take my shoes off at airport security.

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