Where the Greatest Still Play

We start this month’s “When Swing Was King” schedule of 11 senior care facilities tomorrow and, as always, we will be sharing a fresh collection of 12 original songs from the big band era, over 200 inspiring photographs from those same years, a program narration that takes an interesting look back at the featured musicians, and the opportunity for sharing with one another wonderful memories and fellowship.

We will also be handing out to our audiences this month copies of our 4-page quarterly newsletter, complete with a big band quiz and plenty of other trivia, nifty quotations, and a personal note from Claire and me. If you would like to check out that newsletter, you can do so in the collection we’ve uploaded on the Vital Signs Ministries website right here.

All in all, March would be a fantastic time for you to drop in on one of our shows. We love to have visitors and our audiences do too. The schedule and locations can be found (also at the Vital Signs Ministries website) right here.

And, by the way, here is the songlist for this month’s terrific program:

1) Glenn Miller Orchestra (with the vocals of Ray Eberle) — “When You Wish Upon a Star”

2) Nat King Cole (backed by a swinging Billy May studio band) — “Let’s Face the Music and Dance”

3) Harry James Orchestra — “Crazy Rhythm”

4) Artie Shaw Orchestra (with vocals by Helen Forrest) — “I Have Eyes”

5) The Andrews Sisters (backed by the Eddie Haywood band) — “The House of Blue Lights”

6) Glen Gray & the Casa Loma Orchestra — “Blue Room”

7) Andy Williams — “Days of Wine and Roses”

8) Tommy Dorsey Orchestra — “I’m Getting Sentimental Over You”

9) Dennis Day (backed by Frank De Vol Orchestra) — “Where or When”

10) Gene Krupa Orchestra (with vocals by Carolyn Grey) — “They Didn’t Believe Me”

11) Benny Goodman Sextet — “Rose Room”

12) Frank Sinatra (backed by the Count Basie Orchestra) — “Fly Me to the Moon”

Great, great stuff! So, why don’t you make plans to come along for the happening? Again, the schedule is right here.

Monday Morning Reality Check

Here's a selection of some of the best “dispatches from the front” of the culture wars.

* “Cast Into the Outer Darkness: An Open Letter to Facebook — A Christian human rights activist and Stream contributor loses her account. Facebook rejects her appeal and walls off further communication.” (Faith McDonnell, The Stream)

* “On Christian Millennials Who Believe Evangelism is Wrong” (Chelsea Vicari, Juicy Ecumenism)

* “Kamala Harris Is Wrong. Keep the World’s Oldest Profession Illegal” (Scott Yenor, Daily Signal)

* “In Defense of Women’s Sports” (Rich Lowry, National Review)

* “Drunk Driving is a Violent Crime” (Helen Witty, President of Mothers Against Drunk Driving)

* “Boycott Girl Scout Cookies, They Partner With Groups That Promote Abortion” (Jane Chastain, LifeNews.com)

* “The Folly of Solar Energy” (John Hinderaker, Power Line)

* “Recycling Is a Waste” (Kyle Smith, National Review)

Weekend Catch Up

* “The Greatest Constitutional Crisis Since the Civil War” (Conrad Black, American Greatness)

* “Takeaways from the House Democrats’ Cohen Hearing” (Andrew C. McCarthy, National Review)

* “California’s Rendezvous With Reality” (Victor Davis Hanson, American Greatness)

* “The Destruction of Venice Beach Epitomizes California’s Idiocracy” (Edward Ring, American Greatness)

* “Florida’s economy is booming while blue states like New York are mired in debt. Why is that?” (Cal Thomas, Fox News)

* “Bill Maher mocks Middle Americans as less ‘affluent and educated,’ saying ‘they want to be us.’” (Paulina Dedaj, Fox News)

* “Lying with science: a guide to myth debunking” (Matt Ridley, Spectator USA)

* “Why Social Justice Is Killing Synagogues and Churches” (Joel Kotkin, Tablet)

Outrage Alert!

Causes for outrage? You'd better believe it. However, let that anger be righteous and channeled into proper responses like intercession, advocacy of holy solutions (including letters and calls to the relevant people), spreading the word to others, and encouraging individuals who are working for God's truth in these critical culture wars.

* “Cecile Richards: Force Christian Doctors and Nurses to Perform Abortions” (Steven Ertelt, LifeNews.com)

* “The U.S. Sends Millions to Countries That Persecute Their Own Citizens — for Being Christian” (Kerby Anderson, EPM Blog)

* “Christian adoption agency sues New York after state tries to shut it down” (Caleb Parke, Fox News)

* “Girl Scouts Join Planned Parenthood at Huge Pro-Abortion Conference” (Sydney Volanski, LifeNews.com)

* “CBS’ Lara Logan Just Exposed Leftist Media Bias. Again. So Why Do So Many Media Members Ignore The Criticism?” (Ben Shapiro, Daily Wire)

* “Crash that killed woman was driver's 6th DUI in 9 years, police say” (Amy Lieu, Fox News)

* “The Jussie Smollett Haox and the Media’s Tribal War on America” (Daniel Greenfield, FrontPage Mag)

* “Chicago Police Chief: Smollett Staged Hate Crime because He Was ‘Dissatisfied with His Salary’” (Jack Crowe, National Review)

The Wild Knights & That Printer of Udell's

“Many of Reagan’s accomplishments, as well as his outlook on life, can be traced back to that dog-eared copy of That Printer of Udell’s.” (John Fund, Senior Editor of the American Spectator and popular National Review columnist)

On Saturday, March 23rd at 10:00 AM, Denny & Claire Hartford will be hosting the latest discussion of the Wild Knight Book Club. This time around it’s a Saturday brunch with bagels, scones, fruit, coffee and tea.

And the book? Harold Bell Wright’s classic novel, That Printer of Udell’s.

Would you like to read (and discuss with friends) the book that made such a profound difference on Ronald Reagan? Of course! So why not plan on joining us Saturday morning, March 23 at 10. RSVPs are required but very easy to do. Call, email, or send us a private message via Facebook.

“I found a role model in that traveling printer whom Harold Bell Wright had brought to life. He set me on a course I’ve tried to follow even unto this day. I shall always be grateful.” (Ronald Reagan, in a letter to Harold B. Wright’s daughter-in-law in 1984.)

For Your Weekend Reflections

* “After Ralph Northam, The ‘Bodily Autonomy’ Argument For Abortion Is Shot” (Lauren Enriquez, The Federalist)

* “Planned Parenthood Launches New Sex Ed Videos Targeting 4 to 9-Year-Old Kids” (Micaiah Bilger, LifeNews.com)

* “Can the Democrats ever get over their anti-Israel bias?” (By Michael Goodwin, New York Post)

* “Why the left are so scared of Turning Point” (Douglas Murray, Spectator USA)

* “Political Journalists Are Trying To Gaslight America: When conventional media bias won't do the trick” (David Harsanyi, The Federalist)

* “Huh? Despite Being Shot, Dems Blocked Steve Scalise From Testifying on Gun Violence” (Katie Pavlich Katie Pavlich, Town Hall)

* “California must pay pro-life group’s legal fees following crisis pregnancy ruling” (Staff writers, LifeSite News)

* “Catholic pastor who gave pulpit to same-sex couple ‘sorry for’ those offended” (Dorothy Cummings, LifeSite News)

* “Debate judge disqualifies high school students for citing ‘racist’ Jordan Peterson and Ben Shapiro” (Martin M. Barillas, LifeSite News)

* “San Francisco’s Liberal Policies Have Made It a Slum” (John Stossel, Daily Signal)

Green with Envy: The Best Articles on the Democrats' "Green New Deal"

* “The 10 Most Insane Requirements Of The Green New Deal: The Green New Deal isn't just un-American, it's also completely bonkers.” (David Harsanyi, Federalist)

* “Green New Deal Backers Embrace Their Fantasies” (Jonah Goldberg, National Review via Town Hall)

* “‘New Green Deal’ = New Green Hoax” (Tammy Bruce, Washington Post via Fox News)

* “The Same Old Deal” (The Editors at National Review)

* “Green New Deal Would Barely Change Earth’s Temperature. Here Are the Facts.” (Nicolas Loris, Daily Signal)

* “The Green Raw Deal” (Erick Erickson, Town Hall)

The State of the Union...and of the Culture Wars

* “Trump's Comments About Abortion at the State of the Union Were Historic” (Michael Brown, Town Hall)

* “Life Is Under Attack” (Vice-President Mike Pence, National Review)

* “Media Misses: Bias Exposed Over Abortion Extremism” (Jarrett Stepman, Daily Signal)

* “A Defining Moment in Obama's Legacy” (Terry Jeffrey, Town Hall)

* “When Democrats Accidentally Told The Truth, America Hated It, & The Media Tried To Pretend It Never Happened.” (Kevin McCullough, Town Hall)

* “Democrats have made a sharp left turn – Here's what's behind it” (William J. Bennett, Fox News)

* “The Pope's Stubborn Silence on the Persecution of Christians” (Giulio Meotti, Gatestone Institute)

* “Ignoring Biology Doesn’t Make It Less Real” (Walter E. Williams, Daily Signal)

* “This Is What Anti-Christian Bigotry Looks Like” (David French, National Review)

The Monthly Letter: The March, the Walk, and More

“I’m actually writing this February LifeSharer letter even before January is finished.That’s unusual. But I’m doing so because I wanted to review for you (while they are still fresh in my memory) some of Claire’s and my experiences at the March for Life in Washington D.C. and the Nebraska Walk for Life in Lincoln. And I’ll also include a few photos from the Washington March. So, let’s get right to it.”

Reflections on the March for Life

Dear friends of Vital Signs Ministries, February 2019

Reading for the Weekend

From the alternative media (as opposed to the fake news created by the
authoritarian left), here are a few of the best and most important articles from recent days.

* “The Left’s Use of Intimidation to Silence Christians” (Katrina Trinko, Daily Signal)

* “Planned Parenthood’s Annual Report Is Out. Here’s What You Need to Know” (Melanie Israel, Daily Signal)

* “The Infanticide Craze” (Ramesh Ponnuru, National Review)

* “Letter to a young pro-lifer: Young activists are our new cultural heroes, but I feel a little fear for you” (Kristen Grant, Mercator)

* “Black Lives Only Matter If They Are Taken by Whites” (Armstrong Williams, Daily Signal)

* “The Demonizing of White Men” (Walter E. Williams, Daily Signal)

* “WHY ‘GREEN’ ENERGY IS FUTILE, IN ONE LESSON” (JOHN HINDERAKER, Power Line)

* “Who will look after the elderly in Germany?: The care worker industry is in trouble.” (Marcus Roberts, Mercator)

And finally, here's a hear-warming, inspirational review of the latest outreach of Operation Christmas Child by Samaritan's Purse.

What's Happening...And Why?

Here's a few important dispatches from the culture wars.

* “Today’s Left Now Openly Aims To Make Christians Second-Class Citizens” (Nathanael Blake, Federalist)

* “Newt Gingrich: Democrats and Never Trumpers will put Trump back in the White House in 2020” (Newt Gingrich, Fox News)

* “Why Are We Trying to Gain the (Moral) Approval of the Left?” (Michael Brown, The Stream)

* “‘Don’t Be Evil’ Axis: Google Blacklisting Conservative Search Results” (Jeremy Carl, Federalist)

* “A Federal Appeals Court Just Took a Big Swing at Planned Parenthood” (Kevin Daley, Daily Signal)

* “Abortion: the original sin of the UN human rights project” (Stefano Gennarini, Mercator)

* “Wheaton College Under Scrutiny Over Race, Abortion, and ‘Offensive Rhetoric’ Talks” (Chelsea Vicari, Juicy Ecumenism)

* “Urbana 18 Speaker Dismisses God’s Holiness in Sermon to Students on ‘Holy, Holy, Holy’” (Joshua Arnold, Juicy Ecumenism)

New York's Brazen Celebration of Death

Ellie Bufkin over at Bright writes about a symbol of freedom turned into a “celebration of Death” —

“On Tuesday, New York Governor Andrew Cuomo directed that One World Trade Center light its high-reaching spire in pink as a celebration of the passing of the Reproductive Health Act which made the ability to kill unborn children simpler and more accessible in New York than ever before.

Since its erection, the One World Trade Center has served as a symbol of freedom and a monument to the lives lost on 9/11. It often lights up in different colors to celebrate holidays, to recognize victims of abuse, and to remind us of nearly 3,000 people killed by terrorism. On Friday it was used as a sickening tool to promote the demented ideology of those that believe unborn babies do not have the right to their own life.”

And, on the same sad matter, here’s Marlo Safi at National Review —

“It’s not only perverse to ‘celebrate’ this inhumane legislation on the site where thousands of innocent lives were lost, including the lives of the eleven unborn children who were killed that day and whose names are engraved in the memorial. It’s a testament to the culture of death and the insidious attempts of those who flaunt abortion as anything other than the forsaking of human dignity to deceive us into believing that some humans are just not enough. It’s evidence that the most pressing social-justice issue of not only our time but possibly the next generation’s will be the mass slaughter of unborn infants and the exploitation of poor and minority women, who deserve a feminism that is nonviolent and just.”

Fake News Has a Purpose: Reviewing the Covington Students Story

* “A Fast Forward Look at the 2019 March for Life” (Students for Life)

* “Rush Limbaugh: NRO Pushed Covington Hoax to Win ‘Approval of the Mainstream Media’” (Robert Kraychik, Breitbart)

* “Call-Out Conservatives Join the Left’s Lynch Mob” (Julie Kelly, American Greatness)

* “President Trump: Covington Catholic Students ‘Treated Unfairly,’ ‘Smeared by Media’” (Kyle Morris, Breitbart)

* “Lawyer for Covington Catholic HS Families Threatens Lawsuits Against Media Unless They Retract False Stories” (Debra Heine Jane, PJ Media)

* “Sue the B*****ds: Updated” (John Hinderaker, Power Line)

* “What the right should learn from Covington Catholic flap” (Jack Cashill, American Thinker)

* “Covington Catholic diocese sticks to its calumny against its kids” (Monica Showalter, American Thinker)

Keeping Posted (Part Three)

* “Planned Parenthood Admits Its Focus Is Abortion” (Tony Perkins, Daily Signal)

* “The Racist Speech a Christian College Doesn’t Want the Public to Hear” (Ryan Bomberger, Town Hall)

* “The Frustrating Flip-Flopping of Politicians Over the Border Wall” (Cal Thomas, Daily Signal)

* “Vatican (Briefly) Commemorates Cuba's Stalinist Revolution” (Humberto Fontova, Town Hall)

* “Opposing Honors for Angela Davis Isn’t Racist” (Jonathan S. Tobin, National Review)

* “The Problem Isn’t the Poor. It’s Young Men on Welfare Who Could Be Working” (Star Parker, Daily Signal)

* “Is The Bike-Lane Fever Breaking?” (Jeff Jacoby, Town Hall)

* “As Religious Separation Increases, Religious Bigotry Will Abound” (David French, National Review)

Keeping Posted (Part Two)

* “As employees speak out, Planned Parenthood’s mask begins to crack” (Carole Novielli, Live Action)

* “Millennial Socialism 101” (Rich Lowry, National Review)

* “Millennial Christians Are Often Wrong about Patriotism” (Ben Palka, Providence)

* “Imagine Nations Were Selfless — It’s No Paradise” (Brad Littlejohn, Providence)

* “The Trump ‘Resistance’: Right-Wing Racists Bad, Left-Wing Racists Not So Much” (Larry Elder, Town Hall)

* “Heathens hold religious services rooted in Norse paganism aboard aircraft carrier” (J.D. Simkins, Navy Times)

* “You Can’t Make This Up: A Speech Code that Investigates Students for Discussing the Freedom of Speech” (Ilya Shapiro & Patrick Moran, Cato Institute)

* “Anniversary of a Fake News Classic by The New York Times” (Humberto Fontova, Town Hall)

Keeping Posted (Part One)

Well, the government may be (kinda') shut down but that doesn't mean that culture, politics, and the world of current affairs are not still dizzily spinning around. So here’s a rundown of some of the most important  articles you may have missed.

* “Faith’s Top 10 International Religious Liberty Stories of 2018” (Faith McDonnell, Juicy Ecumenism)

* “60 Million Christians Gear Up for Big Tech Censorship Battle After Facebook Franklin Graham Block” (Tyler O’Neil, PJ Media)

* “Abortion: It’s for the Children!” (John Stonestreet, BreakPoint)

* “The Most Successful Coverup” (Jed Babbin, American Spectator)

* “An Epidemic of Erasures, Redactions, Omissions, and Perjuries” (Victor Davis Hanson, American Greatness)

* “Planned Parenthood is 41 Times More Likely to Abort a Baby Than Provide Prenatal Care” (Paul Stark, LifeNews.com)

* “There’s A National Emergency On The Border, But It’s Not What You Think” (John Daniel Davidson, Federalist)

* “Man Awakens After 12 Years in a ‘Vegetative State,’ Says ‘I Was Aware of Everything’” (Sarah Zagorski, LifeNews.com)

Just One of the Reasons We Support the Tim Tebow Foundation

7 Stories for the 7th Day of Christmas

* “Abortion Activist Claims Infant Baptisms Violate a Baby’s Human Rights” (Micaiah Bilger, LifeNews.com)

* “Colorado Is Still Trying to Destroy Jack Phillips” (David Harsanyi, Daily Signal)

* “Women’s March, Sponsors Silent on Anti-Semitism Allegations” (Alexandra DeSanctis, National Review)

* “Follow the (Climate Change) Money” (Stephen Moore, Town Hall)

* “Mueller Investigation Stirring Up More Trouble Than It’s Finding” (Victor Davis Hanson, Daily Signal)

* “Fallout Continues from Azusa Pacific Sexuality Compromise” (Joshua Arnold, Juicy Ecumenism)

* “Institutional Exemptions and the Sacrifice of Principle” (Rick Plasterer, Juicy Ecumenism)

Your 3rd Day of Christmas Compilation

Okay, while you've been making merry, here's a few articles from the culture wars that you may have missed.

* “President Trump’s Decision to Defund International Planned Parenthood Cost It $100 Million” (Micaiah Bilger, LifeNews.com)

* “Planned Parenthood facing claims of bias and discrimination against mothers and women planning parenthood” (AUL)

* “Christians ‘Standing in the Way’ of China's Xi Jinping's Totalitarian Rule” (George Thomas, CBN News)

* “William Barr Knows What the Pro-Choice People Are Really Up To. That’s Why They’re Panicking” (Rob Schwarzwalder, The Stream)

* “What the Oppression of Women Actually Looks Like” (Marlo Safi, National Review)

* “California Burning: How the Greens Turned the Golden State Brown” (Edward Ring, American Greatness)

* “Is Kavanaugh Keeping a Promise to Pro-Choice Susan Collins?” (John Zmirak, The Stream)

* “Why Economic Freedom Is a Proven Antidote to the Scourge of Human Trafficking” (Anthony B. Kim, Daily Signal)

Your Pre-Christmas Compilation

Okay, while you've been out Christmas caroling through the countryside, here's a few key articles about what's been happening in the culture wars that you may have missed.

* “IRD’s Top 10 Evangelical News Stories of 2018” (Chelsea Vicari, Juicy Ecumenism)

* “No Surprise Boy Scouts Headed for the Ash Heap” (Cal Thomas, Daily Signal)

* “Former Planned Parenthood Abortion Clinic Manager: ‘It’s a Demonic Organization’” (Micaiah Bilger, LifeNews.com)

* “Will We Abandon Syria's Christians?” ( Lt. Gen. (Ret.) William G. Boykin & Travis Weber, FRC’s Washington Update)

* “Don’t Expect New, Unbiased Social Media Anytime Soon” (Saurabh Sharma, National Review)

* “Democrats Vs. Ordinary Catholic Guys” (Rod Dreher, American Conservative)

* “The U.N. Gives Palestinian Terrorists a Free Pass” (David May, National Review)

* “Masterpiece Cakeshop Baker Jack Phillips Now Facing Lawsuit for Refusing to Make ‘Gender Transition’ Cake” (Brianna Heldt, Town Hall)

* “Texas City Featured in Al Gore’s ‘Inconvenient Sequel’ Lost Millions in Its Green Energy Gamble” (Michael Bastasch, Daily Signal)