Mount Virtus

"Happy to come back to Michigan, but I miss the mountains!"

Ben on Social Media

Home Archives for My Life

By 1 Comment

Do Social Cons and Libertarians Have More in Common Politically?

Lately I feel like I've been doing a lot of refereeing and discussion about the libertarian-social conservative debate. Along those lines, I believe my readers would gain a lot of insights from this American Thinker essay by libertarian Randall Hoven:Social conservatism is taking a beating lately. Not only did it lose in the recent elections, it is being blamed for the Republican losses. If only the religious right would get off the Republican Party's back, the GOP could win like it is supposed to again. I beg to differ. I'm anything but a social conservative. In nine presidential elections, I voted Libertarian in six. I am a hard core "limited government" conservative/libertarian; I want government out of my pocket-book and out of … [Read more...]

By 1 Comment

What I’m Thankful for #17: The Grandest Music and Musical Genius

This is one in a series of daily posts I conceived of writing many weeks ago while the election still raged on, as I looked for something to write about of more lasting value. The weeks leading up to Thanksgiving seemed perfectly appropriate for it. Just in case you wondered, the topics introduced are not necessarily in any particular order. I hope the series is of some small encouragement to you, even as my site traffic takes a dive. I have appreciation for many different kinds of music. Today I express my thanks particularly for the grand elevating pieces of music that lift the human heart upward, hopefully in expression of praise to the Creator: from Handel's Messiah to Beethoven's Ninth Symphony. The chorus at the end of the latter … [Read more...]

By Leave a Comment

Podcast Recapping Big Labor’s Multi-Million Dollar Colorado Ballot Battles

Just in case you want to hear another recap of Colorado's recent ballot battles - specifically, Big Labor's well-heeled campaign to sink Amendments 47, 49, and 54 - I was the guest on an Evergreen Freedom Foundation podcast with Scott Dilley to explain just that very thing to the primarily out-of-state audience: I know, it's not exactly "DeGrow Gone Wild" on the podcast. But what did you expect? Anyway, moving on now.... … [Read more...]

By 1 Comment

What I’m Thankful for #18: My Parents Decided to Keep Me

This is one in a series of daily posts I conceived of writing many weeks ago while the election still raged on, as I looked for something to write about of more lasting value. The weeks leading up to Thanksgiving seemed perfectly appropriate for it. Just in case you wondered, the topics introduced are not necessarily in any particular order. I hope the series is of some small encouragement to you, even as my site traffic takes a dive. Two days to go until Thanksgiving, I would be remiss not to mention one of the things I'm most thankful for: my parents. It's true that you don't fully appreciate them and what they do until you have children of your own. My parents aren't perfect. I'd obviously be lying if I glossed over them as … [Read more...]

By 2 Comments

What I’m Thankful for #19: Baseball and the Legendary Ernie Harwell

This is one in a series of daily posts I conceived of writing many weeks ago while the election still raged on, as I looked for something to write about of more lasting value. The weeks leading up to Thanksgiving seemed perfectly appropriate for it. Just in case you wondered, the topics introduced are not necessarily in any particular order. I hope the series is of some small encouragement to you, even as my site traffic takes a dive. America's pastime. Come November, the crack of the bat and the roar of the crowd seem distant memories. But hope springs eternal in the heart of the baseball fan. For the 19th and penultimate edition of this thankfulness series, I want to express my gratitude for a game - yes, but not just any game. And … [Read more...]

By 2 Comments

What I’m Thankful for #20: Vision

This is the last in a series of daily posts I conceived of writing many weeks ago while the election still raged on, as I looked for something to write about of more lasting value. The weeks leading up to Thanksgiving seemed perfectly appropriate for it, and now Thanksgiving Day is here. Just in case you wondered, the topics introduced have not necessarily been in any particular order. I hope the series has been of some small encouragement to you, even as my site traffic has taken a swan dive. It just occurred to me now that there is a small irony to this 20th and final post in this series. The topic being Vision. 20/20. Get it? Eh? Anyhow... Proverbs 29:18 Where there is no vision, the people are unrestrained.... I think a lot … [Read more...]

By 4 Comments

What I’m Thankful for #10: The Undeniable Beauty of God’s Creation

This is one in a series of daily posts I conceived of writing many weeks ago while the election still raged on, as I looked for something to write about of more lasting value. The weeks leading up to Thanksgiving seemed perfectly appropriate for it. Just in case you wondered, the topics introduced are not necessarily in any particular order. I hope the series is of some small encouragement to you, even as my site traffic takes a dive. Living in Colorado, it may be a bit harder than most to take the natural beauty around us for granted. But it can happen. The plethora of mountain vistas practically in our backyard and the numerous days of rich blue, sunny skies would make it difficult for me ever to leave the Centennial State. I … [Read more...]

By 1 Comment

Okay, Barack Obama and I agree on “Team of Rivals” … So What?

For those who believe I have nothing good to say about our President-elect Barack Obama. He at least has some good taste in contemporary historical literature:It so happens that Obama and New York Sen. Clinton share a reverence for "Team of Rivals," Doris Kearns Goodwin's book about how Lincoln brought foes into his fold. Clinton listed it during the campaign as the last book she had read. Obama, clearly a student of Lincoln, spoke of it several times. Now past could be prologue. Obama is considering Clinton for secretary of state or another senior position, meeting John McCain on Monday to see how his Republican presidential rival might help him in the Senate, and sizing up one-time opponents in both parties for potential … [Read more...]

By 2 Comments

What I’m Thankful for #11: Loyal Friends Over Long Distances

This is one in a series of daily posts I conceived of writing many weeks ago while the election still raged on, as I looked for something to write about of more lasting value. The weeks leading up to Thanksgiving seemed perfectly appropriate for it. Just in case you wondered, the topics introduced are not necessarily in any particular order. I hope the series is of some small encouragement to you, even as my site traffic takes a dive. Don't worry. The purpose of this post is not to attempt to seek a definition of "Friendship" or to categorize the different varieties and permutations of friends I have, as Joseph Epstein sought to do. Instead, I just wanted to briefly and publicly state my gratitude for the friends I have gained … [Read more...]