At seventeen years old, I was already something of a veteran in Salt Lake’s restaurant industry (or so I thought) after three dishwasher positions and bussing at Marie Callender's. The most humiliating time was my single evening working at Hot Rod Hundley’s Restaurant, where after just one hour, I was determined “unqualified” to wash dishes. That hurt. My longest stint had … [Read more...]
James Huntsman Vs. The LDS Church — The Case Against The Latter-Day Saint’s Empire
James Huntsman, son of billionaire philanthropist Jon Huntsman, is suing the LDS Church for $5 million for back tithing. He says the church misled him into believing that all of his tithing would be used for charitable purposes. When he learned that the money was actually spent on financing the bailout of the Church’s life insurance company and the Mormon Mall he resigned his … [Read more...]
Five Unique Utah Trails to Try This Summer
When it comes to hiking, Utah is uniquely qualified to boast about its extraordinary diversity of scenery and terrain, and the best trails are often found along the road less traveled. Here are five hidden Utah adventures worth a visit this summer: Red Mountain Trail Perhaps no trail showcases the unique beauty of Snow Canyon State Park better than Red Mountain Trail. This … [Read more...]
The Top Five Lakes in the High Uinta Mountains to Visit
I have been an avid backpacker and angler of Utah’s Uinta Mountains and its 600-plus fishable lakes for 55 years. As a teenager, I became addicted to fishing the mountain lakes closest to the Mirror Lake Byway with my cousin, who is now considered an expert, as he has visited so many lakes over the decades. Early on though, I decided we needed an approach to scoring lakes … [Read more...]
Why Socialism Will Win in Utah if Utah Leaders Do Nothing
Bernie Sanders has an appealing message to young millennials in their twenties and thirties, he wants to erase all student loan debt, mandate a $15/hour minimum wage, provide free health care and usher in socialism in a major way in the United States. Socialism is predicated on the notion that the "rich don't pay their fair share." and that the wealth of those who have more … [Read more...]
Bill Gates vs. LDS Church
The middle class is shrinking in Utah at an alarming pace because of three fundamental problems: Wages for the past ten years in Utah have remained stagnant. Home prices for starter homes have increased by nearly double. Only tech-sector or six-figure income workers are able to afford starter homes in Salt Lake County Why is this happening? The best clues come … [Read more...]
Utah Cycling: Back in the Saddle Again
I turned 62 in April of this year, and I climbed back on a bike for the first time in more than 10 years. My butt didn’t touch a bike saddle for the entire decade of my 50s, and I make that confession with a great deal of embarrassment and regret. I loved riding my bike as a kid. I don’t remember the bike I first learned to ride on, but the first bike I could call my own … [Read more...]
Utah’s Real Estate Crisis: Growing Gap Between Rich & Poor
Utah has long been an incredible state for incubating small businesses. It's a place where nearly everyone has an idea that they dream up and turn into a prototype or business concept. But how will the current housing crisis impact small business start-ups in Utah? As the average price of homes in Salt Lake County now approaches $500,000, and our homeless population keeps … [Read more...]
Mark Hofmann’s Forgeries in the Rare Coin World Still in Circulation Today
Murder among the Mormons is the new Netflix film Directed by Jared Hess. The documentary film depicts the life of Mark Hofmann. The film does not spend much time on how Hofmann began producing successful forgeries of coins as young as fourteen. Hofmann's early forgery career was almost exclusively in coins and rare Mormon currency and he likely created hundreds of … [Read more...]
Beavers Make a Splash in Utah: Reintroducing Beavers to Restore Watershed in Utah
The resounding “Smack!” of a broad tail on tranquil water is how beavers signal to one another that danger lurks nearby. Beavers confronted their greatest danger in the mid-19th Century, at the time of the early fur trade, when they were hunted and trapped to near-extinction. Highly prized for their water repellency and warmth, beaver skin coats and hats became … [Read more...]