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Home Archives for Ben
My 50 Favorite Christmas Songs: 2016 Edition

12/24/2016 By Ben Leave a Comment

My 50 Favorite Christmas Songs: 2016 Edition

Who knew that a three-year stint could earn the power of tradition by missing a turn and crossing state lines? Yet I'm drawn back to updating the list of my 50 favorite Christmas(/Advent) songs, first posted in 2012. The list returned for 2013 and 2014 -- with changes and additions each time. It's back again, with a couple newcomers (including one thanks to my friend Jerry) and a little rearranging of the Top 10. The previous 2014 ranking for each entry follows in parentheses. Last time, I linked every entry to a free online version that best captures the respective song's quality (or just was available and sounded interesting). Most of the same links reappear on this version, though some have changed. If you want to know the reason … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Commemorative, My Life, Random and Miscellaneous

Jeffco, Arvada Conservatives: Prepare to Vote

10/8/2015 By Ben Leave a Comment

Jeffco, Arvada Conservatives: Prepare to Vote

Off-year elections can get easily overlooked. But this year, if you live in Jefferson County and especially Arvada, your involvement as an informed conservative voter is more important than ever. Please check out and share this sample ballot. Thanks to others for creating the ballot, but I share their recommendations wholeheartedly. First, for the Board of Education, it comes down to three simple items to remember to vote for: NO, NO, and NO on the union-backed, fact-challenged recall: If you need more information to understand why, check out Jeffco Students First and Kids Are First Jeffco Kim Johnson, District 3 Tori Merritts, District 4 For the first time in my memory, the local Arvada City Council races feature a full slate of … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Colorado Politics, Education, liberty

Social Media Buzz Cannot Be Safely Disregarded

8/18/2015 By Ben Leave a Comment

Social Media Buzz Cannot Be Safely Disregarded

In today's fast-paced social media world, disengagement is simply not an option. Whether it's an independent author like myself monitoring what people are saying about my eccentric title character, or a large corporation with millions of dollars of profits on the line, there is no excuse to lose track of what's being said about your brand on Facebook, Twitter, or other outlets. In this way, business and marketing are a lot like democratic politics -- a prominent topic on this site. It doesn't matter if the buzz is true or not. Our famous 16th president Abraham Lincoln once said about statesmanship: "A universal feeling, whether well or ill-founded, cannot be safely disregarded." Despite what some satiric Lincoln memes might suggest, Old … [Read more...]

Filed Under: blogging, History, liberty, National Politics Tagged With: Abraham Lincoln, Alterian, buzz, infographic, marketing, reputation, social media, statesmanship, survey

Homeowner, Insulate Thyself

3/5/2015 By Ben Leave a Comment

Homeowner, Insulate Thyself

We've just come through one of Colorado's uncommon extended cold, gray, snowy spells. That beautiful sunshine poked through, then poured out, this morning. Temperatures rose above freezing, and with it my spirits rose. Sustained cold is not my friend. Being able to come inside to warmth -- efficient warmth that doesn't drain the pocketbook -- is not something to be taken for granted. Good insulation is the answer. Not only for the cold times, to save your heating bills. But also when the warm days come, and the rodents, spiders, and box elder bugs look to make themselves unwelcome visitors. But if you're going to do it, do it right. Do your research and get informed. Even if you live in Colorado, like I do, the value of a well … [Read more...]

Filed Under: My Life, property rights, Random and Miscellaneous

Felony DUI Bill a 2015 Colorado Commonsense Success Story?

2/16/2015 By Ben Leave a Comment

Felony DUI Bill a 2015 Colorado Commonsense Success Story?

With a partisan split in the state legislature, Colorado won't see as many laws passed this year. For the most part, I count that as a positive occurrence. An important exception is House Bill 1043, brought forward by second-term Rep. Lori Saine (R-Firestone). HB 1043 would make it substantially easier for district attorneys to prosecute repeat DUI offenders with a felony offense. Earlier this month, the bill unanimously passed through the House Judiciary Committee. It must make a stop in the House Finance Committee before getting its first full floor hearing. As you can see in the graphic below, Colorado has one of the highest rates of DUI arrests per 10,000 residents. Would making the law somewhat tougher help? Fewer fatalities, one … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Colorado Politics, liberty Tagged With: Colorado, DUI, HB 1043, legislature

Independent Foreclosure Reviews May Offer Better Chance Second Time Around

2/3/2015 By Ben Leave a Comment

Independent Foreclosure Reviews May Offer Better Chance Second Time Around

Going through a home foreclosure often can be a painful and difficult experience. I feel blessed to say my family has never had to go through the process, though it did happen to the previous owners of the house where we currently live. Foreclosure must be hard enough if the event happened as a result of one's own poor decision-making, or as a result of unexpected, unfortunate circumstances. But it has to be even worse if someone was harmed and removed from their residence because of errors made by the bank or other lender. Who is held responsible when such an injustice occurs? Congress stepped in to try to solve the problem, particularly for those adversely affected during the height of the economic downturn in 2009 and 2010. Yet … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Fiscal Policy, liberty, property rights Tagged With: foreclosure, homeowner, independent review

Supreme Court Ruling Could Make Colorado a School Choice Destination

1/26/2015 By Ben Leave a Comment

Supreme Court Ruling Could Make Colorado a School Choice Destination

Anticipation is building among school choice supporters for a Colorado court ruling that could create wide and deep ripples in the fabric of American K-12 education. On Dec. 10, 2014, the Colorado Supreme Court heard oral arguments in the case of Taxpayers v. Douglas County Board of Education. The case’s third and decisive round of legal hearings will test whether an unprecedented local school choice program not only will survive, but also could multiply. The ruling could embolden other local Colorado boards of education to offer parents educational options outside the public system, and inspire policymakers hoping to expand choice in other states. …Read the rest of my article at Watchdog Arena…. … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Education, Judiciary, liberty Tagged With: Colorado, Douglas County, school choice, supreme court

Report Finds Denver’s ‘SchoolChoice’ System Improves Enrollment, More Focus Needed on Performance

1/20/2015 By Ben Leave a Comment

Report Finds Denver’s ‘SchoolChoice’ System Improves Enrollment, More Focus Needed on Performance

Denver has made the process of choosing a school easier and more satisfying for many families. But a local advocacy group says the district needs to offer more quality schools for students to access. A new report released by the nonprofit citizens’ education reform group A+ Denver asks whether the Denver Public Schools’ (DPS) three-year-old universal enrollment system is working for families. The system has streamlined the application process to get into one of the district’s traditional neighborhood, magnet, or charter schools, and has matched large numbers with their stated preferences. …Read the rest of my article at Watchdog Arena…. … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Education Tagged With: Center on Reinventing Public Education, Denver, enrollment, school choice

Drive Safely on Winter Roads, and Be Thankful for Help If You’re Injured

1/14/2015 By Ben Leave a Comment

Drive Safely on Winter Roads, and Be Thankful for Help If You’re Injured

The throes of winter are upon us. And even though we live in the beautiful state of Colorado, where regular appearances of the sun and some milder weather patterns spare us some of the worst prolonged weather patterns, we still have our share of days with less-than-ideal road conditions. That's when during my commute to and from Denver, or random errands, I stay vigilant for cars with Texas, California, and Florida license plates. Why? Odds are that the driver is less experienced in handling a vehicle on the snow or ice. Even so, despite your best skill at winter driving and awareness of those around you, sometimes an accident is unavoidable. A couple of years ago during a heavy snowfall on the Interstate, we got bumped into the concrete … [Read more...]

Filed Under: General, My Life

How to Train Your Politician: Conservative Ed Hanks Urges Intentional Voting

1/5/2015 By Ben Leave a Comment

How to Train Your Politician: Conservative Ed Hanks Urges Intentional Voting

On December 20, 2014, I chatted by phone with Ed Hanks about his new book How to Train Your Politician: Intentional Voting as a Path to Tea Party and Constitutional Victory. Hanks, an acquaintance and Jefferson County conservative activist who has been one of Colorado's leading voices for Personhood, graciously shared a Kindle copy of his book for me to read prior our conversation. We talked in the wake of the lame-duck Congress passing the corporatists' dream bill, known as Cromnibus, fueling the fires of populist conservative discontent (including yours truly). A mounting frustration definitely brings a growing interest in the strategy Hanks endorses. Yet what I find most appealing about the book and its author is his historical … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Book Reviews, clean government, Colorado Politics, Cultural Conservatism, Fiscal Policy, liberty, National Politics Tagged With: 14th Amendment, abortion, Abraham Lincoln, activism, administrative, Alexander Hamilton, amendment, Article V, authoritarianism, Ayn Rand, balanced budget, Barry Goldwater, Bill Clinton, Bill Owens, candidate, Colorado, conservative, Constitution, Cory Gardner, Cromnibus, Democrats, Ed Hanks, Education, Elizabeth Warren, Establishment, executive, Forrest McDonald, Free Markets, George Washington, government, Governor, gun rights, Hillary Clinton, human nature, initiative, Ivory Tower, John Boehner, journalism, liberal, libertarian, media, Personhood, philosophy, politics, pro-life, Rand Paul, Republican, rights, RINO, Ronald Reagan, Scott Walker, Secretary of State, social issues, socialism, state legislature, taxes, Tea Party, Ted Cruz, Thomas Jefferson, treasurer, William Safire

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Inside

  • About Ben
  • Archives
  • Colorado Ballot Reviews
    • Colorado Ballot 2008
    • Colorado Ballot 2010
    • Colorado Ballot 2012
    • Colorado Ballot 2014
  • Mary and Jacob: From the Forgotten Dust
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  • Passion and Purpose:
    The Rise & Fall of Al Gansee
  • The Westfield Gardener
  • What I’m Thankful For
  • Writer / Editor For Hire

About Me

Ben DeGrow
Grateful and growing Christian, devoted husband and father of 3, public policy analyst, returned to Michigan by way of Colorado, conservative writer, lifelong learner, Detroit Tigers fan.

Recent Posts

  • AI-Enhanced Cyberbullying: The Dark Side of Teen Innovation
  • My Baker’s Dozen of Top 2023 Reads
  • Common Learning Disabilities in Children
  • Tips to Teach Kids to Set and Achieve Goals
  • The Christmas Music Countdown You’ve Been Looking For: 2022 Edition

Colorado News

  • Colorado Senate News
  • Complete Colorado
  • Independence Institute
  • Loveland Politics
  • The Colorado Observer

National News and Politics

  • Drudge Report
  • Hot Air
  • National Review
  • Politico
  • Real Clear Politics
  • Reason
  • The Washington Times
  • TownHall
  • Wall Street Journal
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  • World Magazine

Blogs Extraordinaire

  • American Thinker
  • David Harsanyi’s Blog
  • E!! The True Conservative Story
  • EIA Intercepts
  • Evangelical Outpost
  • Hugh Hewitt
  • Instapundit
  • LaShawn Barber
  • Lileks
  • Little Green Footballs
  • Michelle Malkin
  • NRO's The Corner
  • Power Line
  • Red State

Completing the Blogroll

  • Alarming News
  • Black Five
  • Blogs of War
  • Eduwonk
  • Flypaper
  • Fraters Libertas
  • Historical Conversations
  • IMAO
  • Jay P. Greene
  • Mike Anderson
  • Mullings
  • Professor Bainbridge
  • Right Thinking
  • Right Wing News
  • Right Wing Nuthouse
  • Shot in the Dark
  • Talking Points Memo
  • Virginia Postrel
  • Volokh Conspiracy

Christian Commentary et al.

  • Kevin Pierpont
  • Sharper Iron

Conservative and GOP Sites

  • Backbone America
  • Cal Thomas
  • Colorado Republican Party
  • Colorado Republican Study Committee
  • Dennis Prager
  • Denver Metro Young Republicans
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  • Heritage Foundation
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  • Mackinac Center for Public Policy
  • Mark Steyn
  • Michael Medved
  • Rush Limbaugh

Colorado Blogs

  • American Kestrel
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  • Rocky Mountain Alliance 1.0 (Archive)
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  • Rossputin
  • Stop the ACLU Blog
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Other Sites

  • Technorati
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Rocky Mountain Alliance 2.0

  • Reclaim the Blue
  • The Business Word
  • The Daily Blogster
  • View from a Height

To Contact Me:
bendegrow-at-gmail.com

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