Based on the emails he receives, Butch’s commentaries are read by people across the U.S., Europe, and even as far as Shanghai, China. He aims to share ideas and opinions that encourage readers to see things from a slightly different perspective.
Highlights from his observations
On relationships
“In many cases, the best ‘present’ a man can give to a woman is just to ‘be present.’ And ‘being present’ doesn’t mean being there physically—it means being emotionally present.”
On the history of marriage
“In the 14th and 15th centuries, people married in June because they took their yearly bath in May; however, they were starting to smell just a tad, so brides carried a bouquet of flowers to hide the body odor.”
On customer service
“When it comes to customer satisfaction, there are two maxims: First, the customer defines quality, and second, quality, service, price—the customer wants at least two.”
On what schools don’t teach our kids—but should
- Positive attitude
- Belief in one’s individual importance
- Making wise choices
- Positive habit building
- Creative thinking
- Persistence
On geopolitics
“The World Court does not have a clear mission, it is not underpinned by any particular body of law (as the U.S. Criminal Justice System is), and three fourths of the nations endorsing the court do not subscribe to trial by jury—so just how prudent would it be for the U.S. to become a member?”
Visit the archives at www.vaildaily.com to see more commentaries.
Columnist | Writer | Author
Butch’s writing career began with a screenplay, later adapted into a cheeky “singles” book: From the First Date to the Bedroom: The Single Man’s Official Guide to Success With Women.
Background
- Born and raised in Chicago, IL
- Graduated from the University of Dayton and the University of Michigan School of Advanced Business Methods
- Commissioned officer in the United States Marine Corps
- Carrier-qualified Naval Aviator, including a tour in Vietnam with over 400 combat missions
- Twice recipient of the “Outstanding Young Men of America” award
- Area President of a regional office of an international insurance brokerage firm
- Chaired numerous professional boards; actively fundraised for The American Heart Association, The Children’s Hospital Foundation, and appeared on local Denver TV for Muscular Dystrophy fundraising
- Insurance consultant to businesses in Chicago, Denver, and the Bay Area
- Winner of the 2019 Colorado Press Association Award for ‘Best Serious Column Writing’
Recent Commentaries
“…if you can keep it”
Once of the greatest smoke & mirrors acts of 21st century politics was the creation of the National Commission on Fiscal Responsibility and Reform, commonly known as the Simpson-Bowles Commission. President Barack Obama created the commission in 2010 with the...
Forewarned is Forearmed
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Betrayal!
In 1964, John Stormer, a right-wing political hack, wrote a controversial book titled None Dare Call It Treason. The book became a bestseller and is considered a defining work of American anti-communist literature from that era and a cultural artifact of its time. ...
Memorial Day
Today marks the unofficial kickoff of the summer season. Warmer weather, the opening of pools around the country, the beginning of summer travel and a day that’s marked by outdoor activities and of course the summer-themed retail events. But there’s a far more...
Situational Morality
Judd Garrett recently penned an incisive discrimination piece that really resonated with me, and I wanted to share my takeaway. Most of us are products of our time and assume the prevailing morality. But times change and morality becomes more fluid in certain...
Who or what is the REAL threat to democracy?
In classic democrat political theater, during President Donald Trump’s first term the issue of the 25th Amendment was raised repeatedly by the left to cast doubts about Donald Trump and his fitness to be president. But when Joe Biden entered the Oval Office, a man...
Who Brings the North Wind?
The North Wind and the Sun were arguing about which of them was stronger. As they debated, a traveler came along wearing a cloak. They agreed that whoever could make the traveler remove his cloak would be considered stronger. The North Wind went first. He blew...
Partisanship or Common Sense?
A long-time friend who I respect a great deal recently commented that he thought my commentary had become more partisan in recent months - and perhaps it has. And if that’s the case, it’s not because my political views have become more strident, but rather because my...
Virtue Signaling
Psychologically speaking, people naturally want to be seen as being ‘good,’ and expressing public support for noble causes accomplishes that. And while satisfying the basic human need for approval it also signals membership in the ‘good guy’ tribe. And just as some...
Derby Day
I think most readers know I began writing commentary when I lived in Vail and wrote for the Vail Daily. That ended when the newspaper, like the rest of the Vail Valley started going hard left politically and a new editor began changing my words or deleting entire...