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Home Archives for Random and Miscellaneous

12/23/2009 By Ben Leave a Comment

Is Our Side Silly Enough to Make “Mark Udall Sits Silently…” Headlines?

Two days 'till Christmas -- which apparently means it's time to practice our jolly laughter. Huffington Post's Sam Stein looks like he is auditioning to fill the local void left by the departure of Colorado Media Matters. What a doozy (H/T Complete Colorado):Appearing at a recent coffee-shop event with Colorado voters, Norton sat silently while a female attendee declared twice that President Barack Obama is a Muslim and while a male attendee insisted that the president -- who he deemed "an idiot" -- wanted to let babies die on the side of the road "with the garbage." "Well as you can tell there is a lot of passion around what is happening in our own country," Norton responded to the crowd, rather than correcting either individual. "And … [Read more...]

Filed Under: clean government, Colorado Politics, General, National Politics, PPC, Random and Miscellaneous

12/16/2009 By Ben 1 Comment

Happy 239th Birthday, Beethoven

Yes, me and Schroeder both... In honor of the great Ludwig von Beethoven's 239th birthday, why not pop in a CD or MP3 and take in one of his symphonies: maybe the overlooked 1st, the mighty 3rd, the classic 5th, the serene 6th, the passionate 7th ... or if you have a lot of time on your hands, the transcendent 9th? Blasts from the past: - Happy Birthday, Ludwig (2004) ... in case you want to know why Beethoven is such a big deal - 2nd Annual Beethoven's Birthday Blog (2005) ... including the famous Lucy / Schroeder exchange - Happy Chanukah / Beethoven's Birthday (2006) ... with a few interesting ideas for musical blends … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Commemorative, General, History, Random and Miscellaneous

12/14/2009 By Ben Leave a Comment

19-Year-Old Student Daniel Lippman Proofreads Beltway Reporters

And I thought I was anal. (H/T Betsy's Page) Now if someone could help with the AP's whole ideologically-driven, selectively sloppy investigation problem. … [Read more...]

Filed Under: clean government, General, Journalism, media bias, My Life, PPC, Random and Miscellaneous

12/10/2009 By Ben Leave a Comment

Of Capitalism and Safe Meat: Happy Meal Vouchers for Poor Students?

Ever the libertarian wit, Denver Post columnist David Harsanyi highlights some "lessons in capitalism" based on a new USA Today investigation that finds safer meat at your local fast-food restaurant than in the government's National School Lunch Program for poorer students. "Doesn’t the USDA care about the children?" Harsanyi asks with more than a hint of sarcasm. Seeing his thoughts in writing made me think: Perhaps we should be giving poorer students vouchers to buy Happy Meals for school lunches? I don't know about the value of such an idea as a practical policy prescription. However, the mere fact I'm bringing it up might make some heads spin in the USDA office on the floor below the Independence Institute where I work. Let's … [Read more...]

Filed Under: clean government, General, liberty, My Life, PPC, Random and Miscellaneous

12/3/2009 By Ben Leave a Comment

Denver School Board Sees Therapist … Hold the Jokes, Please

Education News Colorado editor Alan Gottlieb offers up a laugh about the new Denver Public Schools board calling in a therapist to help everyone get along. In case you haven't heard, it was all brought on by some low-class politics at Monday's board meeting (H/T Ed Is Watching):As board member Michelle Moss walked up to take her seat for what was to be her last meeting in eight years representing southwest Denver, her newly elected replacement Andrea Merida told her that she would be sitting on the dais instead. Merida, rather than waiting to take the oath of office with two other new members after the meeting, had instead been sworn in hours earlier so she could cast a vote on the controversial reforms. A shocked Moss reacted with … [Read more...]

Filed Under: clean government, Colorado Politics, Education, General, PPC, Random and Miscellaneous

11/29/2009 By Ben Leave a Comment

Fun Weekend Video: Climategate Deniers Get the JibJab Treatment

Climategate deniers, unready to admit that the emperor has come undressed before their eyes, are aptly parodied in a YouTube video that's worth the 3 minutes of sheer amusement: … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Climate Hysteria, General, liberty, National Politics, PPC, Random and Miscellaneous

11/25/2009 By Ben Leave a Comment

New Al Gansee: Lighthearted Reading to While Away Thanksgiving Break

No politics today, nothing that juicy or intriguing to break the fast on the eve of Thanksgiving. If you're bored over the holiday and looking for some amusing reading -- especially if you're looking to stage a new play or produce a new movie -- then check out the two-act script I completed earlier this year titled Al Gansee: The Shot Heard 'Round Cambria. The synopsis will give you the flavor:In the early 1960s, a tiny Midwestern farm community has been transformed into a Marxist workers' paradise upon the return of a charismatic native son and his Russian KGB companion. Now leading a Socialist Union that bears his name, Chief Comrade Al Gansee confronts the desire for territorial expansion and transmission of his ideals. Gansee, his … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Cultural Conservatism, General, liberty, My Life, property rights, Random and Miscellaneous

11/24/2009 By Ben 3 Comments

A Grassroots Escape Clause in the New Colorado GOP Prosperity Platform?

So some Colorado GOP leaders have crafted a Prosperity Platform and rallied behind Scott McInnis as the gubernatorial candidate. Meanwhile, some in the grassroots remain thoroughly unconvinced and stand behind hard-working longshot Dan Maes. The issue is not the rhetoric or the substance of the 20 governing principles that has earned skepticism or even ire. It's some of the cast of characters involved that many understandably still have a hard time trusting. I'm not all the way there yet myself. What might help make the Prosperity Platform more palatable is an escape clause -- and by that I mean not for McInnis, but for us. So the issue is an agreement to fulfill the 20 principles. What happens if he is elected and then reneges, … [Read more...]

Filed Under: clean government, Colorado Politics, Cultural Conservatism, Fiscal Policy, General, liberty, PPC, Random and Miscellaneous

11/19/2009 By Ben Leave a Comment

Someone Doesn’t Like Senator Mark Udall’s Autoreply Form Letters

This was forwarded to me a little while ago. Someone named Kathy from Evergreen apparently (and doubtless with good reason) is not happy with the responsiveness of Congress to her concerns about Obama Care and a rapidly growing and spending federal government. She took a mechanical form letter from Colorado Democrat U.S. Senator Mark Udall's office and interjected her own thoughts in italics. I gathered a screenshot and pasted it below (click "fullscreen" and use the "Zoom" for greater reading ease): … [Read more...]

Filed Under: clean government, Colorado Politics, Fiscal Policy, General, Health Care, liberty, National Politics, PPC, Random and Miscellaneous

11/19/2009 By Ben Leave a Comment

Listen to Colorado Loses’ Podcast Update: AFSCME’s Mass Mail Screwup

Last Saturday I reported that thousands of Colorado state employees who never signed up to join a union were barraged with membership cards from the American Federation of State County and Municipal Employees (AFSCME) -- one of the union partners in the "Colorado WINS" coalition brought to life by Governor Bill Ritter's 2007 executive order. Well, apparently, AFSCME somehow reversed their membership and non-membership lists, and in the process annoyed a lot of state workers and wasted tons of paper. As to where they found the home addresses, the State of Colorado says it didn't hand them out. And I guess AFSCME isn't telling. Click the play button below (or follow this link) to hear a 10-minute podcast as state employee and "The … [Read more...]

Filed Under: clean government, Colorado Politics, Fiscal Policy, General, Labor, PPC, Random and Miscellaneous

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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

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Completing the Blogroll

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Rocky Mountain Alliance 2.0

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To Contact Me:
bendegrow-at-gmail.com

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