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Home Archives for Random and Miscellaneous

7/31/2009 By Ben 1 Comment

Join Steamboat Institute for Big Event with Grover Norquist, Michael Reagan

You haven't heard of the Steamboat Institute? Well, neither had I, until recently. But it's an organization co-founded by my Leadership Program of the Rockies classmate Jennifer Schubert-Akin, and it's dedicated to five principles: Limited Government Lower Taxes Free Markets Strong National Defense Individual Rights and Responsibilities The group is getting off to a strong start by hosting a conference on August 28 and 29 at the Steamboat Grand Hotel in beautiful Steamboat Springs, Colorado, featuring some big name champions of the free market, limited government, pro-liberty movement, including: Grover Norquist Congressman Mike Pence, Indiana Michael Reagan Former president John Adams ??? Hey, I think seeing a … [Read more...]

Filed Under: blogging, General, liberty, PPC, Random and Miscellaneous

7/30/2009 By Ben 1 Comment

How Many U.S. Senate Candidates Can Fit in a Phone Booth? … A What?

If things keep up, we soon may be unable to fit all of Colorado's Republican candidates for U.S. Senate in a phone booth. (How long before the phone booth loses broad cultural recognition? Where does Clark Kent go to change his identity? But I digress....) Already in the race are Ryan Frazier, Ken Buck, and Cleve Tidwell. I received an email announcement today that Crested Butte attorney Luke Korkowski is officially on board. Senate Watch at Rocky Mountain Right reports that Tom Wiens is about to enter the race. And I'm hearing rumors that former Congressman Bob Beauprez soon may throw his hat into the ring. If it all develops, we may start needing some sort of official guide to keep track of who's who and what's what. Regardless, the … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Colorado Politics, General, PPC, Random and Miscellaneous

7/27/2009 By Ben Leave a Comment

More Beautiful All the Time

(H/T Vodkapundit) The Daily Mail reports on a study that says women are getting more attractive. Ain't nothing wrong with that! But then it contains this gem:Researchers demonstrated that beautiful people are 36 per cent more likely to have a daughter than a son as their first born child. That's the lovely Mrs. Virtus I'm talking about. … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Cultural Conservatism, General, My Life, PPC, Random and Miscellaneous

7/17/2009 By Ben Leave a Comment

Video: Health Administration Bureau Wants to Ration “The Best” for You

The YouTube hits bashing the serious problems with Obama Care just keep on coming. First, there was the Independence Institute video of the problem with health care mandates for the young, with the scene of Justin's bike getting hit by the bus. Then there was Steven Crowder's hilarious 20-minute undercover documentary of the tremendous deficiencies in the Canadian health care system. Now there's the introduction of the "Health Administration Bureau" with its effectively stylized -- read "funny because it's true" -- introductory video (below the fold): … [Read more...]

Filed Under: General, Health Care, liberty, National Politics, PPC, Random and Miscellaneous

6/29/2009 By Ben 1 Comment

Mark Steyn: Burst Bubbles of Big Government and Political Soap Operas

With his usual eloquence and wit, the venerable Mark Steyn on National Review Online makes a terrific point about the connection between centralized state spending & power and bizarre behavior by politicians:The real bubble is a consequence of big government. The more the citizenry expect from the state, the more our political class will depend on ever more swollen Gulf Emir–sized retinues of staffers hovering at the elbow to steer you from one corner of the fishbowl to another 24/7. “Why are politicians so weird?” a reader asked me after the Sanford press conference. But the majority of people willing to live like this will, almost by definition, be deeply weird. So big government more or less guarantees rule by creeps and misfits. … [Read more...]

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

6/25/2009 By Ben Leave a Comment

“There are more things in heaven and earth…”: Brooke Greenberg’s Story

I like to visit Fox News from time to time, because the site tends to feature some unusual stories that may or may not go unnoticed. But this one I read today really struck me as something almost too bizarre and incomprehensible for your run-of-the-mill supermarket tabloid:Brooke Greenberg continues to baffle her family and doctors. At 16-years-old, Brooke weighs 16 pounds and stands 2 feet, 6 inches tall, MyFOXChicago reported. She can’t speak, but she can express frustration and happiness. In other words, Brooke’s body and mind are that of a toddler. According to the story, the Maryland girl has her original baby teeth and the bones of a 10-year-old. All three of her sisters are normal. Doctors are "baffled" but hypothesize … [Read more...]

Filed Under: General, Random and Miscellaneous

6/24/2009 By Ben 2 Comments

Guvs Mark Sanford and Bill Ritter: Comparing International Travel Plans

Update, 1:00 PM: Not surprisingly, as Politico reports, there is more to the story: With news of the affair and bizarre cover-up, down goes Sanford. Very sad. Republican South Carolina Governor Mark Sanford did what? For eccentricity's sake, I almost want to hear someone uncover more to the story than the governor of a state dashing off to South America on a whim without telling anyone. Or maybe we're just left to wonder why his staff told the media he really was hiking along the Appalachian trail (and may have "flat out lied" about the Argentina story). To think, just last week I was musing about a possible presidential candidate to support for 2012, and Mark Sanford by default rose to the top of the unofficial and utterly … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Colorado Politics, General, National Politics, PPC, Random and Miscellaneous Tagged With: 2012, Appalachian Trail, Argentina, behavior, Bill Ritter, budget, Campaign Spot, candidate, Colorado, commander-in-chief, crucial, debates, default, Democrat, eccentricity, first class, flat out lied, Governor, hiking, inconsequential, international, jaunts, list, Mark Sanford, media, potential, presidential, public, Republican, South America, South Carolina, staff, state, strange, taxpayers, threshold, top, travels, unofficial, utterly, week-long, weird, whim, wonder

6/19/2009 By Ben 1 Comment

Friday Irony: Colorado Wolverine

As a Michigan-born expatriate, I'm fascinated by today's news in the Denver Post that a wolverine has been sighted in the wild here in Colorado for the first time in 90 years:Bob Inman, director of the Wildlife Conservation Society's Yellowstone Wolverine Program, said the animal, tagged M56 and fitted with a radio collar in December, went on the move in April. He traveled from Grand Teton National Park, crossing busy Interstate 80 in southern Wyoming, to reach timberline in the mountains of northern Colorado. That leaves approximately the same number of wolverines in Colorado as in the so-called "Wolverine State". One was spotted in Michigan about five years ago, the first in well over a century. That's why -- even though I tend … [Read more...]

Filed Under: General, My Life, Random and Miscellaneous

6/11/2009 By Ben 1 Comment

A Critical Mass Awake to the Destructive Effects of Obama’s “Stimulus”?

Remember all the pomp and circumstance of four months ago when President Barack Obama flew out here to Denver to sign the "stimulus" bill? The legislation that had to be rushed through? The legislation that was supposed to prevent "irreversible decline" in our economy? While anyone with decent sense knew the "stimulus" was long-term poison, I can't say I anticipated how badly it would flounder even in the short-term. The Competitive Enterprise Institute's Hans Bader put together a well-documented Open Market blog post noting that public opinion clearly favors canceling the $787 billion spending spree. How many of them have watched this unforgettable video? A few days ago, Mr. Bob posted up the now well-circulated graphic showing … [Read more...]

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

6/2/2009 By Ben 2 Comments

Mystery Tidwell Volunter Steps Over the Line, Hopefully Astroturfing Stops

I am relieved to learn that U.S. Senate candidate Cleve Tidwell was not posting bizarre online comments himself. As Mr. Tidwell joins us for tonight's Blog Talk Radio show, I hope to hear what the campaign learned from this episode. I also hope today's revelation marks the end of the online astroturfing. Inquiring minds will be left to wonder who the campaign volunteer was who had access to Mr. Tidwell's private email address and "might have stepped over the line". … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Colorado Politics, General, liberty, National Politics, PPC, Random and Miscellaneous Tagged With: astroturfing, bizarre, Blog Talk Radio, campaign, candidate, Cleve Tidwell, comments, episode, online, relieved, revelation, show, U.S. Senate

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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

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