Prager Group meeting in January 2009!

Just a reminder that we have a Dennis Prager Group meeting on January 11, 2009, at 2 p.m., at the Panera's at Golden Gate Plaza, in Mayfield Heights.

Don't forget that we also need your news items for the January 2009 issue of "Clarity." We especially want to read how Dennis Prager influenced your life this past year. (Dianne had an unexpected break-through this past year and will be sharing that in the upcoming issue of "Clarity." )

Please send your contributions as soon as possible, be they words or pictures, or words and pictures, it doesn't matter. Dennis sets the example for growth through sharing his life with us and we can perhaps touch someone else's life through our own.

Maybe it wasn't Dennis who made you yell at the radio or TV. Maybe it was a spouse, a relative, another talk show host?

Did you save a story from the internet or the newspaper and file it under "Keep"?

Let us hear from you.

Happy and safe New Year, Everyone!

Pictures from Solon Chabad!!

Renee's husband, Donn Nottage, has come through again with fantastic pictures from the Happiness lecture that Dennis gave at the Solon Chabad.

(I was sitting right near Donn and thought, "How in the world is he going to get good pictures from this distance?" As you can see, I had nothing to worry about!)

I'm only putting up a few of them here, but they are the important ones: With Prager Group people standing with Dennis.

If you would like the entire set, please let me know and I'll contact Donn before sending them to you. Rabbi Greenberg already received his set and so did Dennis.

Thanks, again, Donn!

PS - In the picture below is Kobe Japan's very own Dennis Prager Group member, James Domingo.

Upcoming Prager Group NEO header for our newsletter

Every newspaper or newsletter needs a banner. We now have one. Now all we need is some news and a good NAME for our newsletter.

I was thinking the Newsletter could have

1) West-side / East-side sections
2) Suggested topics for the Monthly Meetings
3) Subjects that we would like Dennis to cover
4) Field trip ideas
5) Birthdays - with or without the year
6) Pragerisms - an ever-expanding list of Dennis' best quips, from either his books, lectures or the shows
7) "If I were Alan Estrin, I would... " section
8) If I had only minutes to pack, what would I take?
9) Our bucket list (things to do before we die)
10) A good cartoon
11) New members intro

12) Pictures

This is just a start, of course, as I KNOW you guys have other and probably better ideas.

Looking forward to your contributions, and they don't have to be continual, they can be seasonal, intermittent, or just once in a while (which might be the same as 'intermittent," but I'm not sure).

I think, too, that with as busy as people are, we can try for a once-a-month publication but once-every-other-month would work, too.

If you offered to help with the newsletter, please email me.

Thanks,
Dianne

Terrorism's Global Impact I - RJC event Dec. 14

The Republican Jewish Coalition of Cleveland invites you to attend our December Current Events Discussion Group

Terrorism's Global Impact, Part I

Michael (a former intelligence officer) and Beverly Goldstein attended the World Counter-Terrorism Summit in Herzlia, Israel last September and will debut their power point presentation on Afghanistan.

A discussion and Q&A will follow.

Sunday, December 14th - 9:45 - 11:15 am

The Four Seasons Party Room
26400 George Zeiger Drive
Beachwood, Ohio

There will be no charge to attend this program.

To RSVP, please contact Barbara Amper by phone:(216) 831-2083 or email: bamper@earthlink.net . Just mention your Dennis Prager group affiliation.

Sincerely,
Republican Jewish Coalition Cleveland Chapter

A little late but here are Donn's pictures from the Townhall Meeting in October 2008

Donn Nottage (Renee's husband) gave me a disk with these great photos on it but I'm just now getting to put them up on a web site for you all to see. I'll get one of his videos up as well.

By the way, the pictures appear in reverse order, the first ones are the last ones Donn took; it was just the way I uploaded them. You can start at the bottom of the web page if you like. (Sorry.)

It's not all the pictures but a representative selection of Donn's awesome pics.
Thanks, Donn!

In case you weren't there, Hugh Hewitt arrived late because he was doing his show live from LaCentre, but to his right is Michael Medved, then Dennis, then Joe Lieberman arrived near the end. Donn's early pictures show some of the Pragerites sitting in the front row.


Dianne

The "Pragerhead" experience

I think it was Janice last night who compared us to 'Deadheads,' those die-hard fans who are willing to travel anywhere the band the 'Grateful Dead' is performing.

That's us, Pragerheads, Dennisheads ... We braved the cold, the snow, the slush, the long trek from the Cleveland Clinic or Church parking lots to hear Dennis speak on one of his favorite subjects (and ours), Happiness. Thankfully, members of the Solon Chabad, invited us to share the experience.

When Dennis took up the microphone last night he wanted to know right away who in the audience had never heard him on the radio. Quite a few people raised their hands, and Dennis wondered aloud, "What are you doing here then?"

I was mystically jealous of those people who had never heard Dennis on the radio. These were first-timers, 'virgins,' as it were. They were about to experience those "Wow!" moments the way I did when I first heard Dennis Prager on the radio, when I first heard "I prefer clarity over agreement," or even "Write that down, Alan!" - that kind of wisdom which only comes from long-dead grand-parents or even, say, Will Rogers or Homer Simpson.

I knew what was coming and I silently begged these people to pay very close attention because they were about to have their worlds changed forever.

But then, like any good experience, I found myself enjoying re-living those same moments, just the way I would if I were listening to a favorite song, or watching for the billionth time one of my favorite movies.

I didn't care if I knew I was going to hear something I had heard before, I was actually listening for it, waiting for it, and, of course, hoping that everyone else would revel in it, too. And, yes, I think they did.

Last night's Happiness lecture reminded of the time, a number years ago, when we had tickets to hear Victor Borge. We were polite, an appreciative audience, (in Asheville, NC, the stage set outdoors on the terrace of the Biltmore estate, overlooking the Smokey Mountains). But we didn't really come alive until Borge started doing his old routines, the ones that first made us laugh all those years ago. We fairly screamed when the elderly Borge fell off his piano bench while his beautiful opera singer belted out some aria or another. It was the 'old' stuff that drew us there in the first place. The kids in the audience even got the jokes. I don't think you can get enough of a good thing.

There was another process going on in my mind when I should have been listening to Dennis. I love watching couples, not necessarily married couples, it just has to be two people who know each other well. I like to observe their body language when they are sharing the same experience. They are subtly sharing it with each other through whispers, side glances, and the hardly-noticed leanings into one another, as if to say, "Did you hear that?" They don't usually turn fully frontally and face their companion because that might be too much of a distraction or intrusive. Most of these communications, of course, are designed to go unnoticed by anyone else.

I can see why this sharing of the "Dennis Prager experience" is analogous to the Deadhead one, and why we are then drawn to communing with each other every month at our Dennis Prager Group meetings.

But I think my most memorable and perhaps profound "Wow!" moment last night came when Dennis spoke of the minister who surprised his congregation one Sunday when he told them, "God isn't enough." From our human beginning God knew that He wasn't going to be enough for us, that we were going to need other people. It just so happened that Adam needed a wife (don't they all!) but more importantly God knew that Adam needed someone other than God Himself. Who would have thought! Even Will Rogers would have appreciated that revelation!

Pragerheads come from very diverse experiences, some religious, some secular and some combination of secu-religious ones, but Dennis reminded us last night where happiness needs to come from and that we owe it to other people to at least act happy even if we're not feeling it at the moment.

Dennis also spent a good bit of time on how the Chronically Unhappy and 'Moody' people can have an adverse effect on children, too. I felt empathy for the young father in the audience, the one who was looking for advice on how to keep a three-year-old from becoming a chronic complainer. (I'm not sure if the young father ever heard someone say, "If you don't stop that crying I'm going to give you something to REALLY cry about!" The line worked on me as a child so I used it on my kids.) Dennis did his best to offer advice but in the end he fell back on the one staple and really ancient tenet: You'll figure it out.

Like most important experiences I will regurgitate pieces of the evening over time and it will be as though I am just tasting these morsels for the first time.

I also feel a little like a pearl diver who already knew what was inside that crusty old shell but then was surprised to find there were two pearls this time. One pearl looked a lot like all the other pearls and then there was this new one, one I hadn't ever imagined before.

I look forward to hearing from you about the other pearls you found last night. Send me your emails or log on here yourself and we can all re-live the night.

Dennis Prager Group NEO badge

For those attending tonight's Happiness lecture at Solon Chabad, please look for me and pick up your new laminated DENNIS PRAGER GROUP NEO ID badge.

I'll have more with me at future meetings, too. Or if you know you won't be able to attend a meeting, please let me know I can mail you one.

Thanks,
Dianne

Mustard Seed has it!

Enough votes are in to determine a winner in the "Where do we meet before the Happiness Lecture on the 16th" campaign, and the Winner is The Mustard Seed Cafe!





See you all at 5'ish on Sunday, November 16th.


Happiness all around!!!

Please vote!

You're probably tired of this voting thing, but this one's really important. We're voting on which place we want to meet before the Dennis Prager "Happiness" lecture this coming weekend, on the 16th of November.

The poll is on the right, and you just have to pick which place you'd like to meet. They are all on Kruse Road, and we know (from Prager people) that the The Rusty Bucket and The Mustard Seed are near each other.

Where ever we meet, we have Dennis' lecture to look forward to. And to those of you who are going to Solon Chabad for dinner, we'll look for you there.

I "heart" Veterans!

You gave us your best, your heart and soul, and now we take this one day a year to give you the honor you deserve.



You probably don't hear it often enough, but millions of Americans really appreciate your service.

Thanks!

The honeymoon begins

To those who wrote me in the almost-and-then-post election of Barack Obama as President of the United States, thank you for sharing your thoughts. My thoughts, my feelings, are normally like bright and cheerful cherry Jello, but today are more like molten lava, searing and painful to the touch.

I admire those of you who are stable enough to live somewhere in the middle of Jello and molten lava. You will do the right thing by getting behind the new president and support him and I will look to you for my dose of the healing balm of logic and reason that you will bring to the Dennis Prager discussion group.

My husband, clear and steady thinker that he always is (even when he's totally wrong) was not trying to console me this morning as much as he was trying to keep me from going "Rambo" and spew anti-the-new-president invectives. He knows me well enough by now to know that I cannot hold on to anger very long, just like I can't wear too-tight jeans for any length of time; they have to come off so I can relax and breathe again.

Dennis Prager will have to come to my rescue with his plethora of feel-good platitudes, and his far-sightedness, anything to remind me that the "sun will come up tomorrow."

Come to think of it, the sun did come up today and I was here to witness it, and God-willing, everyone you know and care about was here, too.

Don't let that last Jello-ey statement fool you, though. I have merely resigned from the McCain/Palin presidential campaign to sign on as a Watch Dog for anti-conservative, anti-American, anti-capitalism, and pro-Left activities. As Obama said in his acceptance speech last night that "anything in America is possible," I have to try and believe that We the People can prevail in the long run and pass on the America that our ancestors wanted for us.

If you catch me looking backward it is only because I never want to forget the reprehensible disservice that was done to an honorable and courageous president, George W. Bush.

Happy people make the world a better place...

See you all at the next meeting at 2 p.m. Sunday, November 9, at the Panera Bread store in Brooklyn.

Michael Reagan: "You Can't Be Half-Socialist"

October 30, 2008

"The other day I went to a Hollywood luncheon crammed with producers, directors, writers and other film industry notables.

One of them, Larry Gelbart of "MASH" fame, spoke telling the group that since capitalism has failed, why don't we try socialism?

Try socialism? Take a sip of it and see how it tastes? It doesn't work that way.

There's an old saying that you can't be half-socialist any more than you can be half-pregnant; get knocked up with a socialist fetus and you'll have to deliver a full-born Marxist. There's nothing in between. Try it, you'll like it, and if you don't, as the lads in the Gestapo used to tell people, they had ways to make them like it.

Larry Gelbart gorged himself at the capitalist table and came away with untold millions, now safely banked, and continues to collect even more millions from never-ending reruns of the "MASH" sitcom. Having made his bundle from our capitalist free-enterprise system, he seems to be telling us now that the rest of us should get in the socialist bread-line and eat crumbs while he feasts on caviar.

One of the realities of this age is that the great mass of the American people haven't traveled abroad to see how the rest of the world lives, a lot of it under dreary socialist regimes with stalled economies and no real chance for advancement for the ordinary citizen.

Moreover, our shoddy educational curriculum that has left most younger Americans so deficient in the study of history that vast numbers of them think George Washington was a Civil War general, or a lumberman who chopped down cherry trees. They have no real understanding of the economic system that allowed us to become the wealthiest and most powerful nation since the Roman Empire ruled most of the known world 2000 years ago.

Given that mournful reality, the moment the economic Rolls Royce engine that drove this nation to the top of the hill stalls, instead of installing new spark plugs to get it going again they go looking for an alternative mode of transportation.

In the present case, Obama and the Democrats are directing them to Larry Gelbart's used-economic system lot where he shows them a jalopy with a fancy paint job on the outside and a one-cylinder motor inside that goes chug-chug.

Listening to the advice of a man who made his name and his money on a show about America's military at war -- yet told the same audience that our armed forces are nothing but "mercenaries" -- doesn't seem the smartest thing to do.

We are now a few days away from an election in which one of the presidential candidates is trying to sell that jalopy on Larry Gelbart's lot and convince us that it is really a luxury limo that will get hundreds of miles to the gallon and carry us off to the promised land, where the rich will be impoverished and the middle class enriched and everybody will be deliriously happy.

Call Barack Obama's program socialism, however and he'll swear on a stack of Qurans it isn't. He calls it change. He says it's fairness, not Marxism.

Oh?

How does he explain the proven fact that he has been wallowing in a sty surrounded by fervent socialists and sharing in their swill for most of his life?

According to Fox's Bill Sammon, his Messiahship recalled that when he attended Occidental College in Los Angeles: "To avoid being mistaken for a sellout, I chose my friends carefully," he wrote in "Dreams From My Father," his memoir. "The more politically active black students. The foreign students. The Chicanos. The Marxist professors and structural feminists."

And that was his milieu for all his years in Chicago.

To anyone familiar with socialism, Obama's programs fit comfortably within the pages of Karl Marx's playbook, the root of which is the redistribution of the wealth, the key to the entire Obamian vault. What's mine is yours, and he's the middle man.

It's socialism lite and it can only evolve into socialism heavy. Remember, you can't be half-socialist, and Barack Obama knows it.

---

Mike Reagan, the elder son of the late President Ronald Reagan, is heard on more than 200 talk radio stations nationally as part of the Radio America Network. Look for Mike's newest book, "Twice Adopted" and other info at www.Reagan.com. E-mail comments to Reagan@caglecartoons.com."

[Thanks, Marj, for this contribution.]

View from a VIP table - from Mary O

Hi, Dianne,

Please feel free to pass this along to all the Prager people that might be interested.

I had the privilege of attending the VIP dinner before the Townhall program. My husband Mike (who I just about dragged there- he's a Democrat!) and I were a few minutes late so we just sat at the first table we saw that had 2 empty chairs. The event started with the WHK General Manager thanking us for coming. He then introduced a Deacon from St. Augustine's Church in Tremont who gave the invocation and blessing of our meal.

Michael Medved thanked us all profusely for our dedication and sacrifice of giving up our evening to watch The BARACK OBAMA INFOMERCIAL that was being broadcast that night. Everyone, of course, laughed at that one!!

The food was excellent but the company was even better. The 8 others at our table were much like our own Prager group,(perhaps some of them were Pragerites?), because it was a mixed group of younger, older, male and female from different walks of life. All very nice and all very passionate about our upcoming election. I'd say there were probably about 50 people in the room including many from WHK/Salem Broadcasting and I kept looking around for "our man Dennis" but I couldn't see him at first.

I was just finishing my coffee when Michael Medved came up to our table to say hello. We spoke briefly about "getting the message out" about the importance of the choices in this election. We all told him what a great job they were all doing.

At this point I'm getting a crick -in -my -neck from turning around to look for Dennis. Finally ---there he was!! I grabbed by husband's leg and said "OH MY GOD HE'S HERE!"

After dessert the WHK station manager (who's name I can't remember) thanked everyone again for coming and said that everyone was welcome to come up and have their picture taken with Michael and DENNIS.

Now, I have to tell you all that I am in awe of Michael Medved's intellect and recall of history. I admire so much the way he takes on so many disagreeable people that call into his show with such a command of historical facts and pertinent information, and I just marvel at the way his show is both educational and very entertaining.

But let me be honest here, --to me there's just something about Dennis! Sometime at one of our meetings I'll have to explain where "my head was at" when I first started listening to talk radio and just happened to stumble upon The Dennis Prager Show.

Anywho.... As I was standing in line to meet the guys, I was thinking to myself "Self, what could you possibly say to Dennis Prager to thank him for all the clarity, humor, passion, integrity and moral guidance that he gives you every time you listen to him? Is there any way you could ever convey what a different way you have of looking at the world since you started listening to this man, reading his books, buying his CD's. Maybe you could invite him over for a meal, or ...???"

OH! it's my turn to meet them. So I walk up and shake Michael Medved's hand and tell him that I'm a big fan and then I turn to Dennis and politely shake his hand and then I blurt out "would you mind if I gave you a hug??? My husband is over there and he says it's OK." Dennis laughs and says "are you sure he says it's OK? Where is your husband? I point to Mike who is looking at me like "you are nuts" but is waving and laughing and says "It's OK, Dennis." So he gives me a big bear hug and then I stand between him and Michael Medved and have my picture taken. I tell them that I am sending this picture out as my Christmas card to all my Liberal-Democrat family and friends. They both thought that was so funny!! (I'm not sure if they were laughing at me or with me, but I don't care.)

It was a great experience and an awesome night. It was definitely the most hopeful I've felt about this impending election in months. There was such a positive energy in the air. We then went into the main room for the Townhall event and Mike is muttering something about, "I hope nobody finds out about me being at this (Republican) rally." But lo and behold there are 2 other Firefighters in the room that come up to us and slap Mike on the back.

By the time the evening was over I could tell everyone there was feeling more positive about the outcome of this most important vote. I could tell Mike was getting caught up in the excitement of the evening and was happy to see him standing and applauding with everyone else when Joe Lieberman walked up to the stage.

When we went next door to Hoolihan's for a drink to wait for the parking lot to empty out, I asked him what he thought of the events of the evening. He said "you know I have to admit, these guys are very clear on their message and I admire the way they present the facts with such passion. I've been very torn about which way to go on this election, but I have to tell you, after tonight I'm definitely voting for McCain/Palin."

Good Night!!!

Mary O

Dennis was vintage "Dennis" last night

DP-NEO - Townhall Meeting, LaCentre, Westlake Ohio


Seeing and hearing Dennis Prager (along with Joe Lieberman, Michael Medved and Hugh Hewitt) was a real treat. I'm hoping that one of our members who attended the VIP dinner beforehand will share the experience with the rest of us.

I could close my eyes while Dennis was talking last night and it was the same Dennis we hear on the radio, same vitality, humor, passion - it was all there. It was a truly unique opportunity for which I will always be grateful.

Speaking of passion, I felt that kindred spirit of Americans really united in a desperate cause, further inspired and buoyed by an intelligent and articulate and thoughtful panel.

Personally, I couldn't help feeling proud to be surrounded by other conservatives (and I'm sure there might have a few liberal-conservatives in the mix, too) who made the commitment to travel - one even from Michigan! - to share the experience. It's these shared and uplifting experiences that gird us, fortify us, for the day-to-day grind and the battles that we face now at this election time, and in the future.

Dennis Prager does that well: He makes us feel we are not alone in our concerns about everything from politics to relationships; nothing that concerns a human being is off the table, out of bounds or too risky to bring up. Alan Estrin was there but I never did get to speak to him and thank him for all he does to keep Dennis on the straight and narrow.

Hugh and Michael specifically reminded the crowd that it was also important to support candidates Jim Trakas and Josh Mandel. Hugh spent time earlier in the day with Josh and, like many of you who know him, Hugh was really impressed with this young man. Jim Trakas, of course, is running against Dennis Kucinich.

Senator Joe Lieberman was the primary point man last night to deliver the message about the threat of Islamic radical jihadists. Each of the speakers, if I recall correctly, reiterated the global threat that this evil movement poses to Jews and Christians everywhere in the world.

Boiling down the evening to a few short paragraphs doesn't do it justice, but it's the best I can do. Again, any of you who can share with the e-group what you experienced during the VIP dinner we would welcome it. We're due to get photos in from group members and will post them on the blog site.

*******************

Earlier in the day (from 2 p.m. to 6 p.m.) I was there at LaCentre had the opportunity to watch Michael Medved get ready to do his show live from the lobby. To say that there were technical problems getting Michael on the air would be the grossest understatement in broadcast history. If Michael couldn't hear Jeremy in Seattle, he was on a cell phone with dwindling battery trying to find out if he was even on the air.

Taking phone calls from listeners was impossible until the last hour of the program. Each time there was a cut to commercial, there was frantic running, cables and switches pulled and twisted to try and make everything work like a radio studio should work. (Even remote broadcasts are so standard nowadays that it's a fantastic mystery what could have kept going wrong, time-and-time again.)

Michael started his remote out the lobby at the WHK radio set-up and when that wasn't working, he was then moved to a spot at the rear, inside the huge conference room hall, and finally ended up in a little space that looked like small coat room that could double as a bar.

Michael's laptop and microphone and all his newspaper items and printouts were indelicately but carefully strewn on the countertop. Each of Michael's moves - from one location to another - had to take place within the span of time that commercials were running, not a very big window, three minutes at most.

I was first in the lobby, then in the hall, sitting as quietly as I could, trying to be unobtrusive, actually wishing I had the cloak of invisibility and yet, like people fascinated by car accidents and train wrecks, I was frozen in my chair. I tried to make myself useful by sending "good vibrations" to the technical guys and if Michael needed anything fetched I could do that, too. I wanted to hear Michael's show and my chair was only the place that would allow me that.

Fortunately, I had my cell phone solitaire game to help me stay still and as "small" as possible.

Michael was getting more apoplectic with each electronic failure, his frustration palpable. At at least one point he threw his hands up in the air, "... never in the twelve years of doing radio...."

You get the picture. I was amazed that in spite of the chaos Michael was a professional on the air.

I heard him keep apologizing to listeners for the technical difficulties but later, in the "coatroom" studio he talked to callers (or argued with them) all the while more cables were being run, people were passing him by, waving and smiling, Townhall guests were beginning to arrive; it was a dizzying circus and Michael kept talking. That was cool.

There was some discussion about having Hugh Hewitt go the WHK Independence studio and do his show from there, but at the last minute, when it appeared that Michael was going to be able to finally take phone calls from listeners, Hugh was brought to LaCentre and set up out in the lobby.

Hugh was very gracious but said he was little nervous, not because he was doing a remote but he still had the big evening townhall event coming up later on. Just like Michael, Hugh was talking on the air while people were passing by looking for the meeting room, chatting with our friends, stopping to wave at him. How these guys focus amid all this chaos is a mystery to me.

Since his show comes on live a 6 p.m. I asked Hugh about missing the VIP dinner; he implied that Dennis Prager wouldn't even pack him a doggie bag, that this was typical Prager. (Of course the respect that each of these three men have for each other is obvious and only guys seem to be good at poking fun at one another; I think it's how they show how much they care.)

It was very important to all these guys that they do the job they volunteered to do, to show their support for John McCain and let us all know that there could be no coasting, that we had to make every attempt to contact and convince people that America is standing at a precipice, poised for the kind of change that will make it harder for all Americans to succeed and in some cases to just get by.

Near the end of the Q&A a woman named Andrea reminded us that these guys on stage couldn't do it alone, that we all had to get out and make phone calls from the Victory Centers, the headquarter offices all around us, we had to walk the neighborhoods, talk to our friends and acquaintances, and make them understand

Andrea made one of the best points of the entire evening. November 4 isn't that far off and we have work to do.

Some of us got to shake Dennis' hand after the townhall meeting. I just wanted Dennis (and all of the guys) to know that they weren't just "preaching to the choir," that we would be taking these messages out the field to help convince people to vote for John McCain and Sarah Palin. Dennis responded,

"We know!! That's why we're here!!! That's why we're doing this! "


Think good thoughts, People!

Welcome to our newest members!

Ivan Gomez, Janice Koloda, John Mallen, Lynee Zarzycki,
Mario Gomez, Maryann Evans, Michelle Cario, Robert Musial, Susanna Woycitzky, Tim & Karen McKeogh

We have meetings once a month, the 2nd Sunday of each month, at 2 p.m., and the meetings are held at the Panera Bread cafes at three different locations (to make it easier for all the members to get to a meeting).

We try to send out a reminder the week before each meeting, but feel free to load the dates into your calendars.

This is your blog, too, so if you would like post anything let me know and I'll send you the log in and password.

Please feel free to introduce yourself via email or the blog, and, of course, we look forward to meeting you in person at the meetings.

As you may already know we have a great opportunity coming up next week:
On October 29, there will be a Townhall Meeting at LaCentre on Detroit Road in Westlake, and our very own Dennis Prager, Michael Medved and Hugh Hewitt will be there, discussing the upcoming election.

If you haven't contacted WHK Radio yet, just go to their web site:
http://www.whkradio.townhall.com.

Again, Welcome to the Dennis Prager Discussion Group NEO (northeast Ohio)!

Best Regards,
Dianne Mueller
NEO Logistics

"My Take," by Marjorie Henderson

The following is from our own Marjorie Henderson:


"I sent this message in response to a dear friend, someone whom I love dearly, who has informed me she has voted for the "other guy" in spite of all the good stuff you all have been emailing to me. I'm passing these thoughts along FYI because they briefly state where I stand.

Marj

Hi, Betty -

I apologize for having become so passionate about my political stance, but I also had to do what my heart and conscience dictated by trying to dissuade you from making the choice you have made. This has nothing to do with what we mean to each other, you know that, but you were forthcoming with me concerning your reasons, and I respect them even though we are so politically polarized. You are New York Times...I am Fox News Channel and Townhall.

I have never been quite so passionate about an election as I have been about this one. Barack Obama shares absolutely none of my values. I am not an egalitarian. I believe we are equal only in God's sight. It seems to me Barack's idea of "equality" would rob us of incentives to achieve the American dream and would have us all "equally poor".

I have had the luxury of having the time to listen carefully to much of his and McCain's political speeches, and my feeling is that while B.O. is a smooth speaker, he has mesmerized the nation with elegant but empty rhetoric. I disagree that he has waged a good campaign. He hasn't had to. The media has done it for him.

John McCain was not my first choice as a candidate...I preferred, in this order, Mitt Romney, then Fred Thompson, then Mike Hukabee. I was dismayed when McCain was nominated, BUT I KNOW who he is. I can't say the same for Obama. My beloved America is in dire straits and needs a leader with experience. No one has been able to define Obama's accomplishments. There is a great deal of mystery about who this man is. There are so many unanswered questions about his personal history. The alliances he evidently sought out when he went to Chicago are all so anti-American as to leave me completely outraged, but the "drive-by media" are so in the tank for him they don't ask the important questions. Should he be elected president his "advisors" will be the likes of Nancy Pelosi and Harry Reid, who have exercised their power by keeping important legislation from being brought to the floor for a vote, and he will go along with them to keep the party intact. The Democrats will control Congress and we will no longer have a two-party system, and could easily devolve into a dictatorship. Heaven forbid! Our freedoms are being seriously eroded.

I also disagree with you about Sarah Palin. She is to me a breath of fresh air. She's plain-spoken and honest. What you see and hear is what you get. She's articulate and passionate in her love for America. The media has been so very unfair to her, and unfortunately they have subjected her to so much ridicule and this is what is heard constantly by a majority of television news viewers. On the other hand, that "doofus" Joe Biden is given a pass every time he makes some ridiculous pronouncement. Michele Obama is another mystery. I can't tell how she really feels about America. She's certainly no Laura Bush!

I have always believed that people get the government they deserve. I pray I won't be put in the position of having to say "I told you so"

Love you,

Marj

[Well said, Marj]

WHK's web site now has the link up to register for the Townhall meeting with Dennis Prager, Michael Medved and Hugh Hewitt on October 29 at 7:30.

The meeting will be at

LACENTRE™ Conference & Banquet Facility
25777 Detroit Road
Westlake, Ohio 44145-2492

There's also a phone number to call if you want to go the VIP dinner beforehand.

If you want to get there early to get a good seat, a few of us will be doing just that. I plan to arrive by 6:30 and will hang out by the front door until they open for seating. You'll recognize me because I'll be wearing my "Country First" sign.

Hope to see you there!
Dianne

Changing meeting place for October 11 meeting

The plan was to have the October 11 meeting at my house. I've decided that that would be unfair to the East siders who can normally count on meeting at the Mayfield Heights (Golden Gate Plaza) Panera Bread cafe.

So, we'll postpone the meeting at Dianne's house until another West side meeting date and have our regularly scheduled Dennis Prager Group meeting at the Golden Gate Plaza Panera.

See you there, at 2 p.m. on October 11th.

Dianne

Since Dennis is talking about smoking...

...and the hysterical over-reactions to it, I thought this recent post from a Bostonian known as "The Snob" was particularly apropos. He provides his interpretation of the Mayor Menino's tyrannical stripping of the "modest and ancient freedoms" related to smoking.

1. Henceforth smoking shall be banned indoors, outdoors, and in all public places in between. This includes outdoor patios, where the wind blows hamburgers off tables, five feet from corners where MBTA buses belch more smoke than an Everett family reunion, lest the delicate health of the cocktail waitress be harmed.

2. Drugstores shall no longer be permitted to sell tobacco, a drug legal in all 50 states and whose commerce even the Taliban saw fit to countenance.

3. Cigarette sales on colleges are banned. However, campus bookstores may continue to stock pipes and tobacco alongside the saddle shoes, raccoon coats, and adhesive-backed suede armpatches.

4. Cigar bars are verboten, starting 5 years from today. That is: banned, outlawed, stripped of all rights, expropriated, and driven off into the wilderness to die in the snow. How thoughtful and generous our Emperor is, to give his poor subjects such advance that they may have time to select an engraving for their tombstone!

5. Two dudes can come here, rent a hotel room, get married by a justice of the peace, and consummate their nuptials upstairs--but no cigarette afterwards!

6. The penalty for selling cigarettes to minors shall be waterboarding. Illegal immigrants caught doing so will be driven straight to Logan and put on the next plane to Chile. Try sneaking across a whole continent to get back in, you, you evildoer, you!

Recommended web site for conservatives

Thanks to Janet we have a new web site/aggregator of all our favorite conservative thinkers:

From Peter Robinson and Rob Long:

"Dear Readers:

Why a new web site? Because we are lazy. It is that simple.

Sitting around with our pal Hugh Hewitt, we were bemoaning the fact that all of our favorite writers were not collected in one place. Hugh said “Rob Neppell of Kithbridge can fix that.” Hugh was right. And Rob did.

The result is RobinsonandLong.com, our public service to lazy people everywhere (though we'd be happy to make a profit from it as well. E-mail info@robinsonandlong.com if you'd like to advertise.)

As you can see, this is a giant aggregator of the very best in interesting, smart, funny center/right writers and intellectuals. We have no doubt missed someone along the way, and we reserve the right to tweak the list, but at the outset we decided that we really would limit the writers we publicize to those we consider "must reads," that is, if we saw the byline, we had to read what followed.

Take a look around the site. There are old warriors, young turks, and all sorts of conservatives, from paleo- to neo-, crunchy to wet, but all deserving our, and we think your, attention. All under one roof.

We'll add features as we go along, but as we enter the season where the blizzard of columns, blogs, analysis, and essays that we want to read becomes an unmanageable maze of websites and hyperlinks, we are pleased to give you a virtual shortcut to the brightest stars in the conservative sky.

Enjoy! And come back often!"

http://robinsonandlong.com/

Thanks, Janet!

C-SPANers take a whack at the Civil Forum at Saddleback...

WWDS? I'll be curious to see what Dennis has to say this coming week about the candidates' Q&A at the civil forum at Saddleback last night. I was probably like many people who watched, and had to see what the Sunday morning pundits had to say about the Obama and McCain performances.

I think I picked the wrong show to watch. I started out watching Fox News Channel but for some odd reason I switched over to C-SPAN. What was I thinking??!!?? Any and all civility that Rick Warren was promoting by asking a question and then letting the candidates answer at will was completely spent last night so that nothing was left for the C-SPAN callers. C-SPAN allows you to rake anyone over the coals as long as you don't use foul language.

The only thing I learned from listening to today's callers was that there are a lot of people walking around out there with tin-foil on their heads so as to keep the extra-terrestrials from taking potshots at their cerebral cortexes and implanting spy-ware and nano-monitoring devices.

Okay, maybe I'm being a little too harsh, a little too critical. Maybe there really are ET's who want to know what we're thinking, and if they can decipher our thoughts, their ET supervisors will replace humanoids in all the important earthly jobs with chimpanzees and Poodles.

I'm going to go out on a limb here and hazard a guess that Earth would be safer in the hands of Coco the Chimp. I don't know any famous Poodles but if any of them are related to the people who called into C-SPAN this morning, the dogs better ready for work.

Dianne

The Saddleback Civil Forum on Presidency

Did you watch it tonight, Saturday, August 16th? Rev. Rick Warren came up with some good questions for each candidate to answer, and each had an hour - separately - to do this.

I hope you all got a chance to see it. It dramatically pointed up the differences between Senators McCain and Obama on a wide range of issues, in a low-stress environment.

It was a well-thought-out technique of interviewing, with each man off-stage while the other answered.

Well done, Pastor Warren! And thank you.

"The Americanization of Benjamin Franklin"

I have to recommend the book, "The Americanization of Benjamin Franklin." Like many people, I thought I knew about Ben Franklin and what contribution he made to the new country of America but I was bowled over by the depth of this biography and just how long it took Franklin to get on board the "independence!" train.

I learned how well-respected he was overseas and disdained here, and why Benjamin Franklin became the standard bearer, the definition, as it were, of what being an American really means. It is Frankin's legend that drew immigrants then, as it does today.

Anyone who doesn't believe that America is unique in all of history should spend time with "The Americanization of Benjamin Franklin."

Whopping good August meeting!

When I say "Whopping..." I don't mean whopping as in large I just mean whopping as in great meeting.

There were only four of us (Angie, Marjorie, Roger and me - no relation to the Michael Moore movie) and yet - and not too surprising - it was the kind of meeting that covered the Prager Group gamut. Who would think that four people could keep up lively and inspirational conversation for two hours?

We owe it all to Dennis!

And we did it without smoking cigars. (I just listened to a podcast where Dennis bravely bared his soul and risked it all by admitting how much he loves to smoke cigars and pipes. It sounded like pipes take a backseat to cigars because I have never heard of a Pipe Bar, only a Cigar Bar. But you can correct me if I'm wrong.) Dennis spoke of the recent trip to a place with a humidor and where he and Allan spent a delightful two hours in conversation, puffing on their cigars. We just drank coffee and pop and snacked on sandwiches and potato chips at Panera's. The conversation put us on equal footing, me thinks.

We missed the rest of you, though. Didn't want you to think you weren't missed.

I have to keep this short because I'm supposed to be doing my homework but I wanted to mention that I found a wonderful treasure-trove of editorials when I loaded up I-Tunes with IBDEditorials.com podcasts. The subjects vary but all are very interesting and especially timely.

I put them on my IPod Shuffle and was in hog-heaven all afternoon at work listening to these 3-4 minute long audio versions of well-written editorial/opinion pieces by Investors Business Daily. There are tons of them in the archives, so many that I have many more to listen to tomorrow.

If you don't have an IPod or MP3 player, you can still listen on the computer, through I-Tunes. The advantage to I-Tunes is that they will probably run one right after another. At least that's what they do on my IPod.

One can also get the written op/eds as well as the audios here: http://www.ibdeditorials.com/Editorial.aspx#edit90days or subscribe to the audio versions through I-Tunes. I just couldn't help but share this with you all.

Oh, yes, another great - and accidental - find at my local library: David McCullough recorded a speech he gave in 1993 when he was receiving an award. The audio CD is entitled "The Course of Human Events" and is one of the best, and most inspiring speeches I've heard in a long while.


The Course of Human Events By David McCullough Read by David McCullough
Simon and Shuster put it together and I recommend everyone who likes David McCullough and history take a listen. I understand that there's a written version of the speech, as well, but listening to Mr. McCullough speak definitely added to the enjoyment. I haven't returned the CD yet because I plan to listen to it again.

Back to my homework. Have a good few weeks, folks, and hope to see you at the next meeting.

Dianne

Prager Group - July meeting

I'm not the recording secretary that Sonny is, but I will do my best to share with you at least a sense of what transpired at our meeting at Panera Bread last Sunday afternoon.

Janet and her husband, Frank, were there along with Kerry, Owen, Angie and her "ball-and-chain" Danny (for a guy who doesn't listen to the radio show he hasn't missed a meeting yet!), and there was Kathy and Cindy. Mike was there long enough to get something to eat but had to answer his page to go help sick people. There was a really unexpected guest, Jim, from Kobe, Japan. And we had David with two of the world's best behaved children, and finally there was Renee, Harvey and me.

It was the first meeting for many people but there was no shyness that might be associated with being a first-timer. I've been to most meetings and I still love to hear everyone - old and new - introduce themselves and share what they feel about Dennis Prager, what we've learned from him and what a steadying influence he is.

We met in the Panera community room and had it all to ourselves. Except that there was a guy in the corner, ostensibly working on his laptop, with ear buds in. Jim kept his head down the whole time, and had said it wouldn't bother him for us to have our meeting. As it turns out - we learned at the end of our meeting - that he has also listened to Dennis.

Of all the subjects that Dennis brings to our attention, in those hours on the radio, we all seemed to gravitate toward the current political campaign. I believe - correct me if I'm wrong - that some of us would have really liked to talk Happiness Hour or Ultimate Issues Hour, but for the most part we just enjoyed being together, in what we believe to be a "safe" environment. There's a level of comfort that we don't always feel elsewhere among our family and friends.

We don't all agree on everything - even the big issues, we're not all religious, we're just a diverse group of individuals who seem to revel in the Clarity of Thought that Dennis Prager adds to the cosmos of ideas and events.

Our concern over the upcoming election and the troublesome idea that a truly liberal candidate could make it into the White House next January has many of us losing sleep. We were all invigorated, though, with some caplets of rhetoric that we can use to promote the Republican candidate, John McCain.

I will be reaching out to all of you in the next few weeks to build our own set of talking points to use when we get an opportunity to promote our candidate. We're not all glib-tongued spokespersons but with a few points in our sack of speeches, we believe we can make a difference in the upcoming election. Of course, I just might take the easy way out and carry a sign, make a bumper sticker or wear a T-shirt that says something like, "McCain - The Only Change I Can Live With." Okay, that's not terribly pithy but I'm open to suggestions!

I'm still feeling the effects of a lively and enlightening Sunday afternoon well-spent with other Dennis Prager fans. I really wish you all could have been there.

Harvey's still looking for a downtown meeting place for us for next month. We'll keep you posted.

And, thanks to Jim, we have a great picture of the entire group from Sunday. I'll post the picture and names on the blog as soon as I can. We lost a dear friend to cancer this week and have out-of-town company coming in on Thursday, so my web work will probably have to wait until Sunday.

As for the birthday present for Dennis, I'll keep you posted on the progress. (You guys were great and I know Dennis will appreciate it.)

Until August then! Hang in there, Everyone.

Dianne

PS - We're going to try and keep our birthday present for Dennis under wraps until August 3rd, so mum's the word!



You don't have to follow the crowd to be going in the right direction.
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Recap of June 8 Prager Group meeting

(DM: My apologies, Prager People, for losing Sonny's recap of last week's meeting; he had to send it to me again for posting.)

The Pragerites once again got together for what may have been the most exciting Eastside meeting to date. 13 ventured to Panera Bread in Mayfield on Sunday, June 8 and partook in the over two hour talk-a-thon.

Those present were: Dianne Mueller, Marjorie Henderson, Jane Curran, Ann Najjar, Connie Fleming, Maryann Tegowski, Angie & Danny Hall, Harvey Finkelstein, Michael Sauka, Rodger Weiner, Ayad Rahim, and yours truly.

Early on in the meeting it was brought to my attention that Danny was wearing a red T-shirt displaying the words: Ice Cold Conservative in white letters. We all thought it pretty neat. Personally, I’ve never seen anything quite like it before.

The question: "Should topics other than politics be discussed at the Pragerite meetings" came up. Everyone agreed that, although politics are extremely important, there are several issues that ought to come to the table when Dennis’ fans get together. This meeting surely demonstrated that.

Of course, the major news was that, officially, it will be Sen. John "Wayne" McCain versus Sen. Barack "Hussein" Obama battling for the Presidency of the United States from now until Election Day in November. Sen. Hillary "I had it and lost it" Clinton completed the equivalent of a "Big Brown Collapse." After all, months ago she was the odds on favorite to win the Democratic nomination (like Big Brown was prematurely anointed to win the Triple Crown in horse racing). Her failure to do so will go down in history as one of the biggest political upsets in American lore.

So it’s McCain against Obama and Dianne made the very witty and honest statement that: "Obama’s not the kind of change I want!" If one really looks closely at what Obama plans to do, they’d find that the "changes" he keeps talking about are not going to be good ones for America. The changes he wants implemented will not cost taxpayers "loose change," but billions of dollars instead. Free healthcare & college are just some of the things he’s promising to those that vote for him.

Speaking of cost, Harvey brought up the soaring gas prices. He pointed out that one of the reasons for these skyrocketing amounts is that the environmentalists are stopping the oil companies from looking for more oil right here in the US. As a matter of fact, only a few weeks ago an oil company representative told Congresswoman Maxine Waters that the prices will continue to rise if they can’t get permission to drill elsewhere. Waters stumbled and mumbled before flat-out answering back that they (Congress) would simply take over the oil companies (can you say communist?).

Ted Kennedy’s name popped up. He’s not a friend of the Right by anyone’s standards. But perhaps his recent cancer diagnosis is God’s way of warning him to make amends for much of the evil he’s been involved with (Mary Jo Kopechne in 1969). The senator is also an avid Democrat and vile enemy of the unborn baby in the womb. He’s pro-abortion (pro-death) to no end, much to the regret of 50 to 100 million precious little kids who’ve been exterminated in the name of "Women’s Rights."

Keeping on politics, Rodger chimed in and pointed out that the Republican Party has, over the years, acted like wimps who just don’t stand up to the "Left" like they should. The Republican Party has failed its supporters by not acting like the "conservatives" they were voted in to be. They’re wimps like Rodger said and that’s why the Party’s in such a mess. Message to the Republican Party: be totally pro-life, totally pro-marriage (one man for one woman), and stand up for God at all costs. These are values that the Democratic Party abhors. These values, among other things, should be the major differences between the two Party’s. To date, it’s not perfectly clear that they are.

Tammy Bruce, Monica Crowley, and Jed Babbin, conservatives who filled in for national radio talk show host Laura Ingraham last week, were mentioned. Rodger stated that Crowley has a lot more insight than Laura does. In fact, as of Tuesday (11th), Ingraham still isn’t back on the air and rumor has it that she’s involved in a contract dispute.

By the way, it was pointed out that Dr. Laura Schlessinger, another syndicated radio talk show host, was knocked off the TV airways in March of 2001 by the radical and very powerful homosexual movement. Dr. Laura, for some unknown reason, was even removed from the Cleveland radio airwaves shortly after 911.

Rodger asked a very interesting question. He wanted to know where we all stood concerning the "Right" or "Conservative" position? So, one by one, each of us proclaimed whether we were just right/left of center, religiously/secularly right or far right. There was a pretty good variety of answers, but everyone was a right winger in some way, which is basically what brings us all together in the first place.

Concerning religion, Maryann said that she’s not completely sold on the idea of "organized religion." There’s no doubt about it. Organized religion, at times, has led to serious problems for some societies. Prager once pointed out that without organized religions such as Christianity and Judaism, the moral values of those religions would die out, which would lead to societal chaos. So, simply put, organized religion is good if the religion being organized is good.

Dianne made the statement that she believes in Heaven. Harvey then asked if she believed in Hell too? She does. In the New Testament Jesus talked twice as much about Hell as He did about Heaven, which is something a lot of people aren’t aware of. Yeah, Hell’s real. You can bet your eternity on it.

Michael said that a particular Catholic theologian promotes the theory of human evolution, as does the Church itself. But the Genesis creation account clearly states that everything was created by God in 6-24 days and, although it cannot be proven scientifically to be an actual fact of history, neither can apes to man evolution be proven to ever have occurred. Long ago the Catholic Church chose to side with the evolutionists because, in the Church’s view, the evolutionists somehow proved evolution was a scientific fact. However, billions of people, including thousands of scientists around the world, reject evolutionary theories based on the current scientific evidence.

Dianne pointed out that the young people of today don’t know what Marxism is. Prager often throws out the statement that: "Your average college student couldn’t recognize a picture of Joseph Stalin." Young folks really don’t know what Marxism, Communism, or evil are. They owe this lack of knowledge to our wonderful public school system that spends more time informing the students about the make-believe horrors of global warming. Is it any wonder the home schooling population is growing every day?

The issue of Health Care came up. Rodger reminded us that, in Canada, a seriously ill public official chose to come to America for treatment instead of simply using her country's socialized health care program. Canada’s health care system is basically what Barack Obama wants to implement here in the states if, God forbid, he wins in November. It was mentioned that the Democrats are constantly telling the public that "millions of Americans don’t have health coverage." Of course, Dennis Prager always points out this lie. Uninsured people are, in the vast majority of cases, not turned away from hospitals. Rodger even told us of an uninsured friend of his that’s being treated at nearby Metro Health Hospital.

Dianne informed us that the doctors in Canada are paid only nine months out of the year. If they work beyond that they get no money. And Michael said that, in France, 1/2 of the health care is socialized while the other half is private. This is something that most people don’t know. See, these meetings are educational. So come on down and learn, learn, learn.

One of the newer Pragerites was Marjorie Henderson. Being in her early 80s, she was clearly the elder states lady of our group. Think about it. She was in high school during WWII. Marjorie certainly saw a different America than what the rest of us have witnessed. She stated: "The America today is not the country I knew 50 years ago." Boy, she hit the nail on the head with that one.

Finally, Dianne gave us a web page (rufusputnam.com) that displays her grandmother’s (Florence B. Taylor) interesting columns that appeared in The Saltsburg Press back in the 30s, 40s & 50s. The site is dedicated to her ancestors, one of which was General Rufus Putnam who served in the American Revolutionary War. Do yourself a favor and take a look at this most interesting site.

The next meeting of the Pragerites will be July 13 at Panera Bread, Great Northern Mall, North Olmsted. As you can tell by this report, if you miss it, you’ll miss a lot.

God Bless

Sonino John Paul Scardelletti - A Christian

My new favorite t-shirt

Dan wore this t-shirt to the Prager group meeting on Sunday.





It's kind of subtle .... then you look closer...

Thanks, Dan!

I went to the web site www.thoseshirts.com and just ordered one for myself!

Welcome new members!

Welcome Cindi, Gabrielle, Jane, Lynn and Renee!

We received your member information from Eva and are happy to have you join the group. We're spread out around the northeast Ohio area, east side and west side and south.

You've arrived just in time to come to our June 8 meeting, 2 p.m. to 4 at the Panera's bread cafe, Golden Gate Plaza in Mayfield Heights (just off I-271 Mayfield Road).

We look forward to everyone coming out and sharing their views, their thoughts, and, of course, how Dennis has impacted our lives.

If you have any questions about the group or the dates, or how to get to the meeting places, please let me know.

Please feel free to peruse the blog and get to know us a little better before you come out. And, of course, it's your blog, too, so feel free to start posting.

Hope to see you at our next meeting!

Dianne Mueller
NEO logistics

Reminder about May's meeting date

Just wanted to remind everyone that we have moved the May 11th meeting to May 18th.

We also have six new members (Tom, Peter, Lori, John, Wendy and Marjorie) and we hope to see them at future meetings.

We had an unexpected treat recently, for those of you who follow and listen to the podcasts of the Young America's Foundation, this one was posted recently:

Wednesday Feb 20, 2008
Dennis Prager: The Left’s Distorted View of America
Young Americas Foundation
Through humor, Dennis Prager, radio host, author and columnist, speaks at Young America’s Foundation’s Rawhide Circle in Santa Barbara, California about the left’s view of America.

It's a great podcast, Dennis live and at his best.

Give a listen at: http://townhall.com/TalkRadio/Show.aspx?RadioShowID=22&ContentGuid=bf210483-9925-4ca5-889c-bc83432466be

You can listen right there through the web site or through ITunes.

And please feel free to post on the Dennis Prager NEO weblog, it's your site, your spot to share Pragerisms, or just how Dennis has impacted your life. http://pragergroupneo.blogspot.com/. If you didn't get the log in and password information just let me know.

See you all at the next meeting, May 18th at 2. If you're new, just look for a bunch of friendly and dynamic conservatives.

Have a great week! And, in case I forget, Happy Mother's Day next Sunday!

Dianne

Prager Group field trip to see Ben Stein's movie "Expelled - No Intelligence Allowed"

On Friday, April 18, eight Pragerites got together to view the wonderfully truthful Ben Stein movie Expelled: No Intelligence Allowed at Regal Cinema in Middleburg Heights, Ohio. The show started at 7:15. In attendance were Harvey & Bonnie Finkelstein, Dan & Angie Hall, John & Dianne Mueller, Ciprian Sas (whom I actually spotted holding a Prager sign as he walked inside the theater) and yours truly.

The place was more than half full on the premier night of Stein’s highly anticipated film. Personally, I don’t get out to Middleburg Heights often, but I must say it’s a great area (of course, any area is great compared to the one I live in). The movie ran about 90 minutes and the crowd, at times, laughed at some of the antics of the scientifically confused evolutionary thinkers Ben Stein interviewed.

When it ended, we went around the corner to Panera Bread, got our coffees, and started the discussion. Bill Bennett fans Angie Silva & Vicky Kudla joined us at Panera, as did Pragerite Mary O’Malley who came in prior to her attending a later viewing at the same theater. For the most part, everyone thought the film really hit home.

The movie pointed out how the hard-core evolutionary thinkers such as Dr. Richard Dawkins of Oxford University are dead-set on presenting cosmological, geological, and biological evolutionary theories as scientific facts, which they certainly are not. Ben Stein interviewed many scientists who were ridiculed and even fired from their jobs for daring to imply that Charles Darwin’s theory of human evolution was questionable. Amazing! No one’s ever seen an ape turn into a man and the evolutionists think we ought not to even question it?

You could see the anger spewing from Dr. Dawkins and others as they talked about how foolish, in their view, the Intelligent Design and Creation movements are. However, in spite of their anger, they never did offer any scientific evidence what so ever that even remotely explained how any forms of evolution could ever have taken place. The reason: there simply isn’t any evidence to be found.

I’ve got a saying: evolution is the dumbest thing that so many people have fallen for. Of course, Dr. Dawkins and his gang of God haters (and make no mistake about it, that’s exactly what they are) aren’t interested in what science says. Not at all. They’re just concerned with keeping their secular religion (evolution) at the forefront of the scientific community.

The most incredibly foolish statement throughout the entire movie was when Dr. Dawkins told Ben Stein that evolution is as much of a scientific fact as anything could possibly be. I’ve heard other evolutionists make this statement as well. But it only takes a moment of critical thinking to understand how untrue Dr. Dawkins’ words really are. Real quick: the earth being round is a "scientific fact." No one in their right mind would disagree with this. However, that an ape turned into a man (which is what Dr. Dawkins believes) is just as much as a scientific fact as the earth being round is absolutely not true.

No one has ever seen an ape turn into a man in the same sense that we can see, right before our very eyes, that the earth is indeed round. This is just common sense, which is something that Dr. Dawkins and most evolutionists are lacking.Ben Stein’s showing of Communism (Stalin) & Nazism (Hitler) and how they suppressed freedom of thought for millions of people is analogous to what the evolutionary thinkers are trying to do to those who believe, based on science, that evolution is really unscientific.

Stein showed how evolutionary thought was the catalyst that led to the extermination of millions of people during WWII. People deemed unfit to live by the God haters of the day. Of course, that’s also happened here over the past 35 years under the guise of child killing (abortion). The Berlin Wall was shown being torn down and Stein’s film is crying out that we tear down the "Evolutionary Wall" that’s keeping public school kids and college students from hearing the scientific facts that support a God created universe. At the discussion it was mentioned that some reviews of the film were bad, but that’s to be expected.

As far as I’m concerned, if the media says it was bad, then it must be good for America. After all, they say our brave soldiers arebad, but we know they’re good. As Pragerites we realize the media is no friend of conservative minded thinkers. So, if you haven’t seen Expelled: No Intelligence Allowed, I urge you to do so.

I may even go back myself for a second dose of this amazingly honest and informative movie; a documentary that should go a long way in educating the public (and Heaven knows they need educating) on how evolution is being taught in our public schools and universities solely because the God haters control those institutions and not because science supports any of the unscientific theories the evolutionists actually promote.

God Bless Sonino John Paul Scardelletti - A Christian

(DM: Great write-up, Sonny, as usual! Thanks.)

Our May meeting...

My apologies, Prager People, for scheduling a meeting on Mother's Day, May 11. It will be post-poned until the following week, May 18, at the same time, 2 p.m.

We will be meeting at the Panera Bread on Brookpark Road, in North Olmsted, in the Great Northern shopping mall parking lot.

Sorry for any inconvenience.

Dianne

PS - We had a great meeting today, and really look forward to the next one! Sonny will be reporting on today's meeting. (Thanks, Sonny!)

The answer...

From Dennis' male/female hour last week:

LF means Love Felt

LE means Love Expressed

Love Felt is not the same as Love Expressed.

Field Trip: The Ben Stein movie "Expelled - No Intelligence Allowed"

Melissa had a great idea for a Dennis Prager Group Field Trip: The Ben Stein movie "Expelled - No Intelligence Allowed" will be playing at the Regal Cinema theatre in Middleburg Heights, opening on Friday, April 8th.Hope you all can make the 7:15 show. This theatre is less than a block from the I 71 exit, at Bagley Road.

After the show we can go for coffee nearby at the Panera Bread, 18324 Bagley Road, Middleburg Heights, OH 44130.

See you on Friday, April 18th, the 7:15 showing.
Dianne

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Ben Stein’s Film Blew Rush Limbaugh Away…
The undisputed king of Talk Radio gave an enthusiastic “thumbs up” to EXPELLED after a screening with Ben Stein at the radio host’s.

RUSH: Ben Stein has a new movie out. He brought it by my house Friday afternoon to screen it for me. It's called Expelled. It is powerful. It is fabulous. And here's the premise of his movie. The premise is that Darwinism has taken root, Continue

Atheists Infiltrate Events for Intelligent Design FilmBy Kevin Mooney and Josiah RyanCNSNews.com Staff WritersApril 02, 2008(CNSNews.com) - Outspoken opponents of the Intelligent Design (ID) movement, including scientists Richard Dawkins and Paul Zachary "PZ" Myers, have managed to infiltrate private screenings for a soon-to-be released movie on the subject, according to a film producer who helped to organize the events. Dawkins - an Oxford University professor, biologist, and author of "The God Delusion" - attempted to gain entry to a private screening of the film, "Expelled: No Intelligence Allowed," on March 20 in Bloomington, Minn., as did Myers, a biology professor at the University of Minnesota.Dawkins was successful; Myers was not.

However, Myers managed to intrude upon a telephone press conference call the next day that included Ben Stein, the film's narrator, and the film's producers. "Expelled" calls attention to the plight of highly credentialed scholars who have been forced out of prestigious academic positions because they proposed Intelligent Design as a possible alternative to Charles Darwin's 150-year-old theories about the origins of life . Instead of entertaining a debate on the merits of competing theories, the scientific establishment has moved to suppress the ID movement in a "systematic and ruthless" way at odds with America's founding principles, the film asserts.

A must watch: The Mustang Gathering and Flag Jump!

A must watch: The Mustang Gathering and Flag Jump!

I forgot...

My apologies to those of you who offered your favorite reading list. I promise I will post them soon.

Prager Group NEO Field Trip!

Melissa had a great idea for a Dennis Prager Group Field Trip:

The Ben Stein movie "Expelled - No Intelligence Allowed" will be playing at the Regal Cinema theatre in Middleburg Heights.

This theatre is less than a block from the I 71 exit, at Bagley Road. After the show we go for coffee nearby at the Panera Bread, 18324 Bagley Road, Middleburg Heights, OH 44130.

It looks like the movie runs from the 18th of April through the 24th. I'm available for a Friday or Saturday or Sunday (April 18, 19, or 20), so if anyone else is interested please let us know!

I was disappointed that I didn't get to see Ben Stein when he was in town recently so this is like having a second chance.

This email also serves as a reminder about this week's 2 PM Dennis Prager Discussion Group meeting at the Panera Bread cafe in the Golden Gate shopping center in Mayfield Heights (Mayfield Road (Rt 322) and I 271. That's April 13!

See you then!

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EXPELLED: No Intelligence Allowed
Opens April 18, 2008
Runtime: 1 hr. 30 min.
PG - thematic material, some disturbing images and brief smoking

Ben Stein follows his journey around the globe where he discovers that scientists, educators and philosophers are being persecuted in a modern day witch hunt because they dare to go against the theory of evolution. These pillars of education are being fired, ridiculed and ostracized for merely challenging Darwin’s theory; proposing that life on this planet could be a part of some intelligent design and not random chance. This thought-provoking film not only forces us to question what we have been taught but challenges us to ask--What else is being kept from us?

Read More Director: Nathan Frankowski Genres: Science & Technology, Culture & Society

"Clash of Civilizations" Bernard Lewis and Dennis Prager

If you know anyone on the east coast that is interested in this subject - "The Clash of Civilizations, The Final Jihad," please spread the word about this event.

Bernard Lewis and Dennis Prager together !!!!

If we were not expecting company next week, I would drive out there to witness this program. If there is any way you can go and hear them, please do!

Dianne

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http://aishphila.com/israelevent2008.htm


"Clash of Civilizations" Bernard Lewis and Dennis Prager

Sponsored by HIllel, Aish, Federation, JCC
Student Rate $5 / pre-paid; $15 at the door (available at box office with student ID)
Regular Rate $18 / pre-paid; $25 at the door.
All seats are General Admission

Performances
Tuesday, March 18, 2008 @ 7:00 PM · order tickets

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Read any good books lately?

One of the many topics that came up at the March 9 "DPG" meeting was books. I'm always interested in what people are reading. Dennis would be appalled that I spend more time watching television than I do reading but I'm flawed, very, very flawed. Still and all, I do love books.

I've even found a way around my laziness and learn what's in a book by watching C-SPAN's book channel on the weekend. I know it's cheating, but I get to hear the author tell me all about their book.

I would love to hear from everyone about what they're reading now, or have read, or are dying to read. A brief synopsis (or not-so-brief if you prefer) would be great. I will read, albeit vicariously, through you - and so will other Prager People.

In the meantime I am nearly finished with Jeane Kirkpatrick's last book, "Making War To Keep Peace," on the post cold-war United Nations, a subject she knew very well. Ms. Kirkpatrick died in December 2006, shortly after she finished the book. Once I'm finished reading I will try to inspire you to read it as well.

Looking forward to hearing from you all!

Dianne

After the "fall" - so to speak.

The March 9 Dennis Prager Group meeting happened, in spite of the Snowfall of 'aught 8.'

Some of us were lucky enough to be married to people who had big and powerful snow blowers, the kind that cut through 17" of fluffy stuff like a hot knife through butter! To the right is my house in North Ridgeville; notice the sharply defined snowbanks?

Then there were others (Sonino John Paul, for example) who may not be able to dig out their cars yet.

We six - we adventurous six - met at Kerry's Westlake meeting room but there should have been seven. Angie, Dan, David, Phil, Melissa and Dianne were there but Kerry was missing. Our dedicated Cincinnati, Ohio, leader, Jim Searcy, looked up her phone number and I called but there was no answer. It's funny how time changes you; in an earlier age I would have been irritated that our hostess wasn't there, but now I just worried that something bad had happened to her.

And, it had. We learned later that Kerry's mother had passed away, quite suddenly, and the burial was in southern Ohio. Kerry tried to let me know that she wouldn't be there but I never saw the email.

But, in the meantime, we six headed off to the local Applebees to have the meeting, and left a note for anyone who showed up. We're still of a mind that it could be some not-so-serious reason, after all, that kept Kerry away... maybe the time change?

Truth be told, these meetings can take place anywhere. It could have been a parking lot if it had been a lot warmer and someone brought food and drink. It's the dynamics, the ripple effect caused by a gathering of Conservatives, that leaves me exhilerated, hopeful, and always more informed than when I arrived.

If only I could roll the video tape for you instead of having to rely on a bank of dusty memory chips. The Elections and the Candidates took center stage, to be sure, but the 'key' light was on Hope, hope that Republicans take the presidency.

We each have differing concerns and levels of concerns over what will happen in the next eight months but we ultimately agreed that there should be a gathering of Dennis Prager Discussion group people on election night, '08. We have time to decide where the meeting will be but mark your calendars now for the 1st Tuesday of November, 2008.

And to Kerry, our sympathies on losing your mother.

We'll see you all next month, on April 13, at Panera's Bread at the Golden Gate Plaza, in Mayfield Heights.

Don't forget to use this blog to let us know how Dennis has been changing your thinking, or just what it's like for you living like a Conservative in a world of Liberals.

My best to you all! Keep the faith! And God Bless America!

Cleveland Area Prager Group Meeting # 3

Date: February 24, 2008
Location: Panera Bread, Mayfield, Heights.
Length of Meeting: 1:45Attendance: 5
Pragerites: Dianne Mueller, Melissa McCutcheon, Connie Fleming, Maryann Tegowski and Sonino Scardelletti.

The coffee and food were good. The place was buzzing. The owner's making a killing. Many topics were discussed and everyone contributed to the conversation. We talked about the Republican/Democrat Presidential candidates. John McCain most likely will be squaring off against Barack Obama. McCain would, no doubt, demolish Obama in a debate.

But Melissa stated that he must put Barack "on the spot," forcing the Senator from Illinois to make his positions clear on issues like Health Care, the War in Iraq, and Same-Sex Marriage. It was stated that if Obama became President, then another attack on our country would happen in the not so distant future.

Dianne mentioned an interview she heard concerning a politician who wrote a book about people having to "whisper" their views on certain issues. According to Maryann and Connie, that's true, but only if you're on the Right. Left-wingers can trumpet their views and never feel the heat.

The housing foreclosure problem came up. Having not bought a house in over 20 years, I was stunned to learn from the group that lending institutions simply threw out many of the strict "borrowing guidelines" I had to meet in the 80s, thus allowing people to buy homes they really weren't able to afford. A most interesting discussion to be sure.

We all learned a little something from one another. And, since this location is near a freeway, the next "east side" get-together will be at Panera Bread, as well.

Date & time will be provided later. The next meeting will be at Kerry's Place in Westlake on March 9, 2:00.

Look for the "Prager Plaque" located on a table. Then take a seat and start talking about current issues.

God Bless
Sonino "Sonny" John Paul Scardelletti - A Christian

John McCain's townhall meeting in Rocky River today

John McCain's "Straight Talk Express" came to the Civic Center in Rocky River this morning and the man himself delivered one of his "straight talks" to a group of supporters and independents alike. I was lucky enough to get a 4th row seat.

As I've told some of you already, I was not originally a McCain supporter but since Mitt Romney dropped out of the race, I am now officially on record as a McCainiac.

I noticed today during both his opening remarks and the question-and-answer period afterward that there's something quite endearing about a guy who's not afraid to tell you things you might not want to hear.

McCain talked about the "transcendent" threat of our time (radical Muslim extremists), keeping the tax cuts, treating our war veterans to a more efficient way to get their health conditions treated, fuel concerns - from having to get our oil from country's unfriendly to the U.S. - to the need for nuclear energy development. (I think I was the only one in the room who clapped when he brought up the advantages of nuclear energy.)

During his opening remarks, and right through the town hall meeting questions and on to the press conference afterward, McCain answered definitively and completely every question he was asked.

And I've never seen someone so relaxed and confident that on two or three occasions McCain actually revisited a question that someone in the audience brought up. Before he moved on to the next questioner he went back to answer it more fully before he went. Granted, he won't have that latitude during a televised debate, with it's time constraints, but today I was impressed with how McCain handled questions that he felt needed fleshing out.

McCain was a man comfortable in his own skin, and exuded the calm of someone who's got not only experience in the U.S. political arena but has an appreciation of our position in the rest of world.

The crowd enjoyed humorous quips that he borrowed (and attributed) to past politicians; any stand-up comic would be jealous of the way McCain "delivered," albeit to a mostly friendly crowd. I could be wrong but I don't think an unfriendly crowd would have seen a different candidate, though.

I was a little worried that John McCain lacked that attractive "oratory" gene, the one that's prominent in the current Democratic front-runner, Senator Barack Obama, but I'm here to tell you that McCain doesn't need it. Obama may need it, but John McCain's appeal for me was really more substantial and he left me feeling more comfortable, uplifted, and yes, even more confident that he's got all the right stuff to give the Dems a run for their money on the road to the White House.

McCain assured the crowd that he'll be back again, and again, and again, because Ohio is critical to anyone winning the U.S. presidency. So you'll all get another chance to hear the Straight Talker before election day in November.

We know that the stakes are too high - maybe the highest in my lifetime - to relax and coast through this 2008 presidential campaign season, letting others take the lead in getting the message out and just hoping that our guy will win.

I'm fine-tuning my voice and, as Melissa said yesterday in our Prager group meeting, just have to keep on speaking. Hopefully I'll get a little more articulate with practice.