I never watched all of “Bill and Ted’s Excellent Adventure.” But for you high school graduates, they got it right. Since I’ll never get asked, here’s what I’d say in a speech to grads. I graduated from Monroe High School in 1979 with absolutely no clue what life was gonna throw at me. Case in […]
I loathe the imprecise use of words. My head literally explodes at the mere thought of it. I’m exaggerating, of course, to make a point. But no less so than what appears to me to be the growing number of people who use literally when they mean figuratively. I admit I’m a grammar curmudgeon whose […]
“Experience should teach us to be most on our guard to protect liberty when the government’s purposes are beneficial. Men born to freedom are naturally alert to repel invasion of their liberty by evil-minded rulers. The greater dangers to liberty lurk in insidious encroachment by men of zeal, well-meaning but without understanding.” — Supreme Court […]
I’ve had a lot of blessings to count over my 24-year tenure as editor of the Business Times. Chief among them, of course, the ongoing opportunity to talk to so many remarkable entrepreneurs and tell their success stories. But here are two more blessings to add to my lengthy list. I haven’t been an interviewee […]
“Life moves pretty fast. If you don’t stop and look around once in a while, you could miss it.” — Ferris Bueller, 1986. “And the folks putting the pedal to the metal hope you don’t even take a peek.” — Craig Hall, 2023. To put it plainly, you’d be missing a lot. And a lot […]
If the COVID insanity taught us anything, it’s that people will do whatever government tells them. Especially when it’s done using government force. The sad result is government now knows it can get away with so much more — much of it without “force” per se. But never worry, that kind of force will be […]
I’ve written it before and certainly will do so again. One of the best parts of my job is talking to entrepreneurs. Now multiply that perk by five in talking with the entrepreneurs who oversee the Grand Valley companies selected as the latest finalists in the Colorado Companies to Watch awards program. The program recognizes […]
As chief of staff to then President-elect Barack Obama, Rahm Emanuel infamously declared, “You never want a serious crisis to go to waste. And what I mean by that, it’s an opportunity to do things that you think you could not do before.” While cynical, it’s an unfortunate rule in politics. Something terrible occurs and […]
History shows that 25 percent of businesses that close because of a disaster never reopen. Following the COVID-19 pandemic, tens of thousands of small businesses nationwide never recovered and simply closed their doors forever. Many of us have seen the devastation wildfires, floods and tornadoes wreak on a business community and the years of recovery […]
“It’s income tax time again, Americans: Time to gather up those receipts, get out those tax forms, sharpen up that pencil and stab yourself in the aorta.” — humorist Dave Barry. An income tax is defined as a tax levied by a government directly on personal income. Passed by Congress on July 2, 1909 and […]