Mount Virtus

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Mount Virtus?

Every day is seeking to rise to the challenge, 'neath the shadow of the mighty Rockies.

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Sometimes the choices are daunting or confusing, sometimes they're as clear as a Mile High view.

Writer / Editor For Hire

If I had five more writers just like him, I think my job would be the easiest in journalism....

4/1/2008 By Ben Leave a Comment

Big Labor Unleashes More Big Guns to Aim at Right-to-Work Initiative

The Denver Post reports today that Big Labor has escalated its political battle with the business community by introducing new proposals for Colorado's fall ballot:The five ballot initiatives filed by the United Food and Commercial Workers Union Local 7 include measures that would: • Deny tax breaks and incentives to companies that relocate jobs outside Colorado. • Require businesses to pay more in property taxes. • Allow injured workers to sue employers outside the workers' compensation system. Along with ballot proposals backed by other unions, Monday's filings further set the stage for a fiery showdown between business and labor in November. Big Labor has pulled out the big guns to try to shoot down one … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Colorado Politics, General, Labor Tagged With: Big Labor, Gov. Bill Ritter, right-to-work, United Food and Commercial Workers

3/31/2008 By Ben 1 Comment

Obama Gutters Altoona

Saturday was a bad day at the bowling alley in Altoona, Pa., for Barack Obama, who rolled an improbably bad 37:"My economic plan is better than my bowling," Obama told fellow bowlers Saturday. "It has to be," a man called out. Obama let everyone know he hadn't bowled since Jimmy Carter was president -- and finished with a score of 37.... Somewhere in all that, I think Obama or the reporter got the facts mixed up. I think his economic plan is reminiscent of Jimmy Carter. I'm not even sure where the bowling fits in exactly. But as one who spent two years of my life in central Pennsylvania - I even attended a minor league Altoona Curve baseball game once - I can tell you that such abject failure at the lanes is not liable to win … [Read more...]

Filed Under: General, National Politics, Random and Miscellaneous, Sports and Leisure Tagged With: Altoona, Barack Obama, bowling, Byron York, Democratic presidential primary, Real Debate Wisconsin

3/31/2008 By Ben Leave a Comment

Hillary and Health Care: Sweet Irony

Have I been too easy on Hillary? Not much has seemed worthy of any sort of fresh attention here, but there is something about the combination of Clintons, Leftist ideas, and irony that's hard to ignore. According to a detailed report at Politico, paying campaign staffers' health insurance premiums is not really a priority for Senator Hillary Clinton: nearly $292,000 in unpaid bills, while her opponent Republican Senator John McCain is all paid up. She must think her prescription for government-provided single payer health care has already kicked in. Thankfully it has not, and hopefully it will not. Meanwhile, Scott Ott at Scrappleface takes the irony to another humorous level:Ending weeks of speculation, Sen. Hillary Clinton today … [Read more...]

Filed Under: General, Health Care, National Politics Tagged With: Democratic presidential primary, Hillary Clinton, Prozac, Scrappleface, universal health care, unpaid debt

3/31/2008 By Ben Leave a Comment

Local GOP Blogger Declares Candidacy for State Legislature

One of my longest, most consistent friends in the blogging world has decided to throw his hat in the ring. Republican Joshua Sharf has declared his candidacy for House District 6. Since the district is a heavily Democrat enclave, the campaign is much less about personal ambition than principle. Having exposed frontrunning Republican candidate Rima Barakat Sinclair for her anti-Israel Islamist agenda and other suspect credentials, Joshua has decided to petition on the primary ballot to ensure she does not carry the Republican Party banner in the fall. Apparently, a Republican candidate for Congress learned about Ms. Sinclair's history and decided to reject her $500 contribution to his heated primary campaign. That's a strong message, … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Colorado Politics, General Tagged With: House District 6, Joshua Sharf, Republican Party, Rima Barakat Sinclair, View from a Height

3/31/2008 By Ben Leave a Comment

Opening Day

The waiting is over. Weather permitting, baseball season arrives in its full glory today for both of my favorite teams. The revamped Detroit Tigers break spring training camp with high expectations and a potent lineup, but questions about the pitching staff exacerbated by untimely injuries. Rain may delay their afternoon showdown at Comerica Park with the lowly Kansas City Royals. As for the local Colorado Rockies, 2007 National League champions, the season gets underway in St. Louis. Possible rain showers also are in the forecast there. Having waited this long, though, what would be another day? Too long. Let's play ball! … [Read more...]

Filed Under: General, My Life, Sports and Leisure Tagged With: Colorado Rockies, Comerica Park, Detroit Tigers, Kansas City Royals, Opening Day, St. Louis Cardinals

3/30/2008 By Ben Leave a Comment

Samsphere: A Really Great Show

I'm back home from Samsphere in Chicago. Hats off to the Sam Adams Alliance for putting on a great weekend conference. It was an enjoyable and profitable experience - new friends, new contacts, new ideas, new energy. The Right side of the blogosphere got a tremendous shot in the arm, and I hope to do what I can to see that Colorado enjoys some of the benefit. Speaking of Samsphere, it's coming to Denver on Saturday, April 19. Whether you're a new, experienced, or prospective blogger, you won't want to miss this. Save the date. Details to come later. Finally, for my regular readers, I invite you to go check out the list of Samsphere bloggers. They represent a geographically and intellectually diverse, not to mention exceptional, … [Read more...]

Filed Under: General, My Life Tagged With: blogging, Samsphere

3/30/2008 By Ben Leave a Comment

One Reason NOT to Miss Michigan: Recall Dillon AND his Union Thugs

Updated from Arvada - Gateway Pundit also picked up on this story ... Linking to him was the right thing to do, since we were sitting next to each other when we blogged the story separately Blogging from Chicago... The longer I'm away from my native Michigan home, the less I miss it. It's been mired in the economic doldrums for a long time, and the public employee union-Democrat political machine is as corrupt as ever. In a weak and self-interested attempt to save the state government bureaucracy from the effects of economic downturn, the Michigan legislature and governor last fall approved a $1.4 billion tax increase. Angry and frustrated, the citizens of the Michigan Taxpayers Alliance are organizing a recall of state Speaker of … [Read more...]

Filed Under: General, Labor Tagged With: Andy Dillon, Michigan, Michigan Taxpayers Alliance, recall, union thugs

3/29/2008 By Ben Leave a Comment

Better than Earth Hour

Blogging from Chicago... The silly publicity stunt known as "Earth Hour" is coming to a close here in the Windy City, while it's about to start back home in Denver. Instead of participating in this self-absorbed deception, I'm joining Tim Blair in celebrating "The Hour of Power" (H/T Slapstick Politics). Not only are all the lights on here, and the computer running (of course), but so is the television (March Madness) and the room heater. It's also a good time to recharge the cell phone. One of my new friends here, Jeff from Louisiana Conservative, also has some advice for liberals who are serious about tonight's event. … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Climate Hysteria, Cultural Conservatism, General Tagged With: Earth Hour, Hour of Power, Louisiana Conservative, Slapstick Politics, Tim Blair

3/29/2008 By Ben 2 Comments

On Blogging and Transparency

Blogging from Chicago ... In continuing his quest to unravel the mystery of bloggers, liberal Rocky Mountain News columnist Jason Salzman writes:Most bloggers, like most people who write on paper, aren't journalists. So their work shouldn't be held to the same journalistic standards that Denver's daily newspapers should meet - standards such as basic fairness, accountability, independence and others, as articulated, for example, by the Society of Professional Journalists. But whether bloggers think they are practicing journalism or not, their blogs should inform people about the information they're getting. Who's behind the blog? What's the purpose? Does the blogger have a political bias? Is the blogger trying to practice … [Read more...]

Filed Under: General, My Life, Random and Miscellaneous Tagged With: blogging, Jason Salzman, Rocky Mountain News, Transparency

3/28/2008 By Ben Leave a Comment

McCain’s Appearance in Denver

The most thorough reporting on Republican Presidential candidate John McCain's stop in Denver yesterday can be found at Slapstick Politics. In one key passage El Presidente writes:So when the Democrats and the left target Senate candidate Bob Schaffer for comments he made about Sen. McCain last year that appear critical, ask them how they will handle their party's own squabbles, name-calling, and vitriol. If Schaffer can't offer his opinion and then change/modify/alter it, then it will be tough (even for Democrats) to see either Obama or Clinton offering their support for each other, once the nomination is decided. And the attacks we've seen between those two this primary season make any tension between Schaffer and McCain pale in … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Colorado Politics, General, National Politics Tagged With: Bob Schaffer, Colorado, John McCain, Republican Party, Slapstick Politics

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Inside

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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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Other Sites

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Rocky Mountain Alliance 2.0

  • Reclaim the Blue
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To Contact Me:
bendegrow-at-gmail.com

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