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6/16/2009 By Ben Leave a Comment

Looking for a Good Summer Fantasy Read? Try The Way of Shadows

Are you looking for a good summertime fiction read? A fresh story in the fantasy/action genre that is simultaneously fast-paced and in-depth? Then I urge you to buy a copy of The Way of Shadows, the first in the Night Angel trilogy by Brent Weeks. I love to read, but the fantasy/action genre -- nor fiction in general -- is typically not my cup of tea. Then again seldom do I know the author personally, as in this case. Brent and I went to Hillsdale College together, are fellow Sinfonians. Having that sort of a personal connection with the author made it easy to pick up the book. But once I did, the crisp and colorful storytelling, the unpredictable plot, and the compelling characters were what kept the pages and chapters quickly … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Book Reviews, My Life, Sports and Leisure Tagged With: 2008, action, addressed, audience, author, best seller, Brent Weeks, career, chapters, characters, colorful, compelling, copy, courage, crisp, cup of tea, dark, disappointed, enjoyable, ensues, excellent, fantasy, fiction, frankly, fresh, geared, genre, graphic, gratuitous, gritty, Hillsdale College, hope, interest, Job, language, late, list, mature, New York Times, Night Angel, notice, onset, overindulged, pages, personal connection, personally, piqued, plot, promising, read, redemption, second, seldom, sexual themes, Sinfonians, start, story, storytelling, success, summertime, The Way of Shadows, themes, third, thrives, today, trilogy, unpredictable, utterly, very well done, violence, volumes, wortwhile

5/14/2009 By Ben Leave a Comment

Good Judgment, Leadership Lacking: More Reasons to Doubt Bill Ritter

First state treasurer Cary Kennedy, now our Governor Bill Ritter. Two of Colorado's highest-level Democrat leaders showing a lack of good judgment. I had nearly forgotten about Ritter's other apparent campaign-related improprieties until I read Jessica Fender's piece in yesterday's Denver Post:"Not Waiting" was the subject line of a campaign-fundraising e-mail Gov. Bill Ritter sent last month to a handful of lobbyists as well as his supporters. But in this instance, waiting wouldn't have been a bad thing. … [Read more...]

Filed Under: clean government, Colorado Politics, General Tagged With: Add new tag, believes, Bill Ritter, campaign finance law, campaign-related, Cary Kennedy, chief executive, Colorado, contemplating, contributions, copy, death penalty, Democrat, Denver Post, District Attorney, email, emergte, Face the State, familiarity, forgotten, former, fundraising, good judgment, GOP, Governor, hard time, high, high-level, hopes, improprieties, inability articulate, interest, invitation, issue, Jeff Crank, Jessica Fender, lack, lack of discipline, lawmakers, leaders, legislative session, liability, lobbyists, momentum, opinion, opponent, piece, rules, Scott Gessler, Secretary of State, specialist, state treasurer, statewide candidates, strong, supporters, topic

1/4/2009 By Ben 2 Comments

How Much Does It Cost to Pay the IRS a Nickel Owed for Federal Taxes?

Did you hear the one about the Internal Revenue Service, a trial lawyer, and loose pocket change? A true - and telling - story in today's Detroit Free Press:In mid-November, [Detroit criminal defense attorney James] Howarth received notice that his FICA account, even after an adjustment, was out of whack. He owed the IRS a nickel. And the IRS was serious. It advised him to act promptly "to avoid additional penalty and/or interest." Howarth started calculating how much that nickel was going to cost him. As he figures it, there is the 5 cents plus the cost of a check -- payment must be made by check or money order. Then there is his CPA's fee, an envelope, his secretary's time, his own time and a 42-cent stamp. "The costs are … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Fiscal Policy, General, Health Care, property rights Tagged With: adjustment, bureaucracy, CPA, Detroit Free Press, envelope, federal government, FICA, interest, Internal Revenue Service, James Howarth, letter, nickel, penalty, pocket change, refund, sanity, secretary, stamp, story, trial lawyer

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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.

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