“Taking One for the Team,” Initiation into the Secret Brotherhood of Dads

The picture of the shoes above is evidence of an experience I had a few weeks ago. It was one of those experiences that brings you to the limit of sanity. Sometimes, I am surprised at how short the path can be from here (the normal, sane and rational world) to that crazy place where, it seems only parents can go. I’m learning how to be a good dad. I actually think I’m getting better at it, as time goes on. For example, I haven’t taken my kids on any more random four-wheeler trips where I almost kill them on accident. That’s got to be a sign of improvement. But, some days I am strikingly aware of just how much further along the road of “being a good dad” I have yet to travel. Our youngest son Erick is just thirteen months old. But, even at his young age he and I have been having a sort of father and son duel for the last several months. How is it possible, for a rational adult to be in a duel with a on-year old you might ask, well, in the place... [Read more]

My Support for Congressman Chris Cannon

A few years ago I was surprised when out of the blue, Utah Congressman (R) Chris Cannon came walking into our office. He had come across a copy of the original “FreeCapitalist” newsletter and was curious about “who would be publishing” such information. From that day on Congressman Cannon expressed a sincere interest in all we were doing with the Project and has been a repeated guest on my radio program. I consider his knowledge and understanding of the fundamental principles of related to our battle for liberty - to be sound and deep. While I do not agree with many of his specific votes, I am grateful he represents Utah. I would always support someone who I agreed with in principle, but who I occasionally disagreed with over policy than to vote for someone who made policy promises I liked but whose principles I could not discern or could not agree with. I consider Chris a friend and patriot. I hope Utahan’s vote wisely tomorrow. I’ve written... [Read more]

Entrepreneur Conference at BYU-Idaho

I had a great end to my week. I was privileged to be invited to speak at BYU Idaho’s annual Entrepreneur’s Conference. I was one of several entrepreneurs that had the opportunity to judge a few competitions, participate in a panel discussion, speak to a few business classes and to present a break-out type workshop for BYU Idaho students. Let me just say a few things about the experience that caught me a bit off guard. First, the students and faculty hosting the event were amazing. Not only were they kind and informative but they put on an event that was top notch. I have been to several similar style events all across the country and this event was of the highest caliber. The content of the presentations, the attention to organization, the different events - all great. Second, the students who attended the event were also quite exceptional. I speak to thousands of people at a time on the seminar circuit - and there are often participants who stand out as exceptionally... [Read more]

Top 25 Influences on the FreeCapitalist

It’s not uncommon for someone to approach me and ask my opinion of some leading figure in history. I enjoy conversations about historical figures, particularly those whose lives were dedicated to the cause of liberty. So many people today claim to be for the cause but so few actually live for it. I have often thought to myself that I felt more at home studying the lives of those who have gone before me than in the company of those who make it a common practice to only talk of freedom doing very little for it. The following list is my “Top 25″ list of the most prominent individuals influencing my learning and development related to the cause of liberty. I have only included those individuals who are no longer living and while it was my privilege to be personal friends with only two on the list, I feel like I know each of them individually. There are, of course, many disagreements in philosophy among those on the list, however their ideas and attitudes towards government,... [Read more]