A day in the life... of 1791 Design Manager Tim DiDonato

March 15, 2013

WRITER

Tim DiDonato is Design Manager of 1791 Supply & Co. He has been with 1791 since its founding and is responsible for the research and design of the products. Tim is married to Glenn’s daughter, Hannah, and the two live with their rescue dog, Hans, and their cat in Dallas, Texas. Below is a glimpse into his typical day.

7:43 AM: I don’t set an alarm. I have always had a mental alarm clock. I literally wake up at the same minute every day. When I first relocated from New York to Dallas, I set an alarm clock for about three weeks, and now I wake up at 7:43 every morning without an alarm.

8:00 AM: Next I put the dog out. He is mix – American foxhound and Italian greyhound. We rescued him in Dallas, and his name is Hans. He came with the name. Someone at a dog park once asked me, “Did you name your dog after Inglorious Bastards?” I was like, “No, I did not name my dog after a Nazi.” After I put him out, I jump in the shower. By the time I get out of the shower, Hannah is up, so I get changed and get ready for the day. Since 1791 is a new brand, I really like to test out the clothes. I am always wearing my 1791 jeans with either a work shirt or a flannel shirt of some sort.

8:30 AM: I usually go out and play with the dog for a good 25-30 minutes. And then either Hannah or I, whoever gets to it first, make our lunches. We usually make PB&J’s and switch up the snack with either bananas or peaches.

9:00AM: We head to work around 9 o’clock. Our commute takes about half an hour. We listen to Sirius XM Patriot to hear Glenn’s show on our way. We used to leave at 8:30, but we realized we would just sit in dead stop traffic. Then we tried leaving at 8, but that was even worse. So when we leave at 9 there is no traffic. The people I need to talk to – shops, and factories, and stuff – aren’t open until 10:30 or 11 anyway, so it is fine for me to get in around 9:30.

9:30 AM: I normally get in and go grab coffee. I can never find the milk or sugar that I want, so I am usually running around trying to figure out why it is always missing. And then I head into my office. I normally write a list of the things I need to get done the night before, which helps me assess how I am going to go about the day. Since we are still such a small business, I really like to focus on the quality control end of things. Sometimes I have to write out purchase orders for trims we will need; or I will get in contact with our denim factories to see how things are going with production; or I am checking with our denim mill to make sure everything is being woven on time.

10:15 AM: I don’t really have a specific time I design. I am always just sketching stuff. Most of the time, when designers are working on a season, they lock themselves in a room until it’s done. But we are not on a fashion time schedule like that, so it is nice to have that freedom. I am always redrawing and re-sketching so that we can present it to Glenn. Glenn will tweak it a bit and ask about the ‘why.’ The ‘why’ is really important to us. We are coming out with a couple new products, so I have been ordering sample fabrics. As soon as they come in, we go to the pattern maker. We are working on some new shirting and women’s denim at the moment. We are really excited about that.

12:00 PM: LJ [Herman, Senior Director, E-Commerce] and I usually meet around noon every day to go over what’s going on. We kind of tackle the day that way. Normally right after I meet with LJ, Hannah and I will have lunch. Normally we eat lunch with her dad every Wednesday in his office. On the other days, Hannah and I just eat in my office.

1:30 PM: I buy a lot of Japanese books and magazines because they are actually really into vintage workwear. I like the whole modern work wear movement, to look and see how a pocket was done in the past; how a button was done; just researching to see if it is something we can translate to now. It is important to have a storyboard to keep you focused and in the right mindset. It also helps all the other people around me because they may have other ideas of what 1791 is. It is hard to explain, because you don’t see a lot of designers doing this yet, but our customer is kind of a historian. The pockets on our work shirt I'm working on are tilted to the side not because we thought it was unique, but because between the 1930s and 1950s track workers were wearing shirts like this. Authenticity is key.

3:00 PM: Around 3 is when Hannah will start asking me what we should have for dinner. And I never know what to say. So I usually reverse the question back and say, “Well what do you want for dinner?” And then it becomes, “Well, I asked first” or “I had to pick yesterday.” She is a really amazing cook, but I am not creative. I will just say mac-n-cheese every night.

5:00 PM: We normally head home around 5 or 5:30, once Glenn is off-air. On the way home we will stop at the grocery store to pick stuff up, or we will go over to Glenn’s for dinner. We eat with Hannah’s family two or three times a week. It is nice to have family time.

6:15 PM: If we go over to Glenn’s, we will eat and then either sit around and talk, or play a game, or read scripture. Hannah and I will put the kids to bed. If it is just Hannah and I, we come home and she starts dinner, while I take the dog out. We have a cat too, so I let the cat play outside for a little bit also. On the nights we are home, we watch TV after dinner. We are always watching HGTV or DIY Network.

10:00 PM: We usually head to bed and keep watching TV. I start negotiating with the dog about whether or not he can sleep on the bed. He always has that look like, “You could sleep on the couch, Tim.” And I am like, “No, there are other places for you, Hans. You have a dog bed.” It’s a problem. I try to lay down around 10:30 or 11. I always pass out first. I could fall asleep anywhere, anytime, no matter what. That is never a problem.

As told to Meg Storm

'Rage against the dying of the light': Charlie Kirk lived that mandate

PHILL MAGAKOE / Contributor | Getty Images

Kirk’s tragic death challenges us to rise above fear and anger, to rebuild bridges where others build walls, and to fight for the America he believed in.

I’ve only felt this weight once before. It was 2001, just as my radio show was about to begin. The World Trade Center fell, and I was called to speak immediately. I spent the day and night by my bedside, praying for words that could meet the moment.

Yesterday, I found myself in the same position. September 11, 2025. The assassination of Charlie Kirk. A friend. A warrior for truth.

Out of this tragedy, the tyrant dies, but the martyr’s influence begins.

Moments like this make words feel inadequate. Yet sometimes, words from another time speak directly to our own. In 1947, Dylan Thomas, watching his father slip toward death, penned lines that now resonate far beyond his own grief:

Do not go gentle into that good night. / Rage, rage against the dying of the light.

Thomas was pleading for his father to resist the impending darkness of death. But those words have become a mandate for all of us: Do not surrender. Do not bow to shadows. Even when the battle feels unwinnable.

Charlie Kirk lived that mandate. He knew the cost of speaking unpopular truths. He knew the fury of those who sought to silence him. And yet he pressed on. In his life, he embodied a defiance rooted not in anger, but in principle.

Picking up his torch

Washington, Jefferson, Adams — our history was started by men who raged against an empire, knowing the gallows might await. Lincoln raged against slavery. Martin Luther King Jr. raged against segregation. Every generation faces a call to resist surrender.

It is our turn. Charlie’s violent death feels like a knockout punch. Yet if his life meant anything, it means this: Silence in the face of darkness is not an option.

He did not go gently. He spoke. He challenged. He stood. And now, the mantle falls to us. To me. To you. To every American.

We cannot drift into the shadows. We cannot sit quietly while freedom fades. This is our moment to rage — not with hatred, not with vengeance, but with courage. Rage against lies, against apathy, against the despair that tells us to do nothing. Because there is always something you can do.

Even small acts — defiance, faith, kindness — are light in the darkness. Reaching out to those who mourn. Speaking truth in a world drowning in deceit. These are the flames that hold back the night. Charlie carried that torch. He laid it down yesterday. It is ours to pick up.

The light may dim, but it always does before dawn. Commit today: I will not sleep as freedom fades. I will not retreat as darkness encroaches. I will not be silent as evil forces claim dominion. I have no king but Christ. And I know whom I serve, as did Charlie.

Two turning points, decades apart

On Wednesday, the world changed again. Two tragedies, separated by decades, bound by the same question: Who are we? Is this worth saving? What kind of people will we choose to be?

Imagine a world where more of us choose to be peacemakers. Not passive, not silent, but builders of bridges where others erect walls. Respect and listening transform even the bitterest of foes. Charlie Kirk embodied this principle.

He did not strike the weak; he challenged the powerful. He reached across divides of politics, culture, and faith. He changed hearts. He sparked healing. And healing is what our nation needs.

At the center of all this is one truth: Every person is a child of God, deserving of dignity. Change will not happen in Washington or on social media. It begins at home, where loneliness and isolation threaten our souls. Family is the antidote. Imperfect, yes — but still the strongest source of stability and meaning.

Mark Wilson / Staff | Getty Images

Forgiveness, fidelity, faithfulness, and honor are not dusty words. They are the foundation of civilization. Strong families produce strong citizens. And today, Charlie’s family mourns. They must become our family too. We must stand as guardians of his legacy, shining examples of the courage he lived by.

A time for courage

I knew Charlie. I know how he would want us to respond: Multiply his courage. Out of this tragedy, the tyrant dies, but the martyr’s influence begins. Out of darkness, great and glorious things will sprout — but we must be worthy of them.

Charlie Kirk lived defiantly. He stood in truth. He changed the world. And now, his torch is in our hands. Rage, not in violence, but in unwavering pursuit of truth and goodness. Rage against the dying of the light.

This article originally appeared on TheBlaze.com.

Glenn Beck resurrects the 9-12 Project to support Charlie Kirk's family

Glenn Beck is once again calling on his loyal listeners and viewers to come together and channel the same unity and purpose that defined the historic 9-12 Project. That movement, born in the wake of national challenges, brought millions together to revive core values of faith, hope, and charity.

Glenn created the original 9-12 Project in early 2009 to bring Americans back to where they were in the wake of the 9/11 attacks. In those moments, we weren't Democrats and Republicans, conservative or liberal, Red States or Blue States, we were united as one, as America. The original 9-12 Project aimed to root America back in the founding principles of this country that united us during those darkest of days.

This new initiative draws directly from that legacy, focusing on supporting the family of Charlie Kirk in these dark days following his tragic murder.

The revival of the 9-12 Project aims to secure the long-term well-being of Charlie Kirk's wife and children. All donations will go straight to meeting their immediate and future needs. If the family deems the funds surplus to their requirements, Charlie's wife has the option to redirect them toward the vital work of Turning Point USA.

This campaign is more than just financial support—it's a profound gesture of appreciation for Kirk's tireless dedication to the cause of liberty. It embodies the unbreakable bond of our community, proving that when we stand united, we can make a real difference.
Glenn Beck invites you to join this effort. Show your solidarity by donating today and honoring Charlie Kirk and his family in this meaningful way.

You can learn more about the 9-12 Project and donate HERE

The critical difference: Rights from the Creator, not the state

Bloomberg / Contributor | Getty Images

When politicians claim that rights flow from the state, they pave the way for tyranny.

Sen. Tim Kaine (D-Va.) recently delivered a lecture that should alarm every American. During a Senate Foreign Relations Committee hearing, he argued that believing rights come from a Creator rather than government is the same belief held by Iran’s theocratic regime.

Kaine claimed that the principles underpinning Iran’s dictatorship — the same regime that persecutes Sunnis, Jews, Christians, and other minorities — are also the principles enshrined in our Declaration of Independence.

In America, rights belong to the individual. In Iran, rights serve the state.

That claim exposes either a profound misunderstanding or a reckless indifference to America’s founding. Rights do not come from government. They never did. They come from the Creator, as the Declaration of Independence proclaims without qualification. Jefferson didn’t hedge. Rights are unalienable — built into every human being.

This foundation stands worlds apart from Iran. Its leaders invoke God but grant rights only through clerical interpretation. Freedom of speech, property, religion, and even life itself depend on obedience to the ruling clerics. Step outside their dictates, and those so-called rights vanish.

This is not a trivial difference. It is the essence of liberty versus tyranny. In America, rights belong to the individual. The government’s role is to secure them, not define them. In Iran, rights serve the state. They empower rulers, not the people.

From Muhammad to Marx

The same confusion applies to Marxist regimes. The Soviet Union’s constitutions promised citizens rights — work, health care, education, freedom of speech — but always with fine print. If you spoke out against the party, those rights evaporated. If you practiced religion openly, you were charged with treason. Property and voting were allowed as long as they were filtered and controlled by the state — and could be revoked at any moment. Rights were conditional, granted through obedience.

Kaine seems to be advocating a similar approach — whether consciously or not. By claiming that natural rights are somehow comparable to sharia law, he ignores the critical distinction between inherent rights and conditional privileges. He dismisses the very principle that made America a beacon of freedom.

Jefferson and the founders understood this clearly. “We are endowed by our Creator with certain unalienable rights,” they wrote. No government, no cleric, no king can revoke them. They exist by virtue of humanity itself. The government exists to protect them, not ration them.

This is not a theological quibble. It is the entire basis of our government. Confuse the source of rights, and tyranny hides behind piety or ideology. The people are disempowered. Clerics, bureaucrats, or politicians become arbiters of what rights citizens may enjoy.

John Greim / Contributor | Getty Images

Gifts from God, not the state

Kaine’s statement reflects either a profound ignorance of this principle or an ideological bias that favors state power over individual liberty. Either way, Americans must recognize the danger. Understanding the origin of rights is not academic — it is the difference between freedom and submission, between the American experiment and theocratic or totalitarian rule.

Rights are not gifts from the state. They are gifts from God, secured by reason, protected by law, and defended by the people. Every American must understand this. Because when rights come from government instead of the Creator, freedom disappears.

This article originally appeared on TheBlaze.com.

POLL: Is Gen Z’s anger over housing driving them toward socialism?

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A recent poll conducted by Justin Haskins, a long-time friend of the show, has uncovered alarming trends among young Americans aged 18-39, revealing a generation grappling with deep frustrations over economic hardships, housing affordability, and a perceived rigged system that favors the wealthy, corporations, and older generations. While nearly half of these likely voters approve of President Trump, seeing him as an anti-establishment figure, over 70% support nationalizing major industries, such as healthcare, energy, and big tech, to promote "equity." Shockingly, 53% want a democratic socialist to win the 2028 presidential election, including a third of Trump voters and conservatives in this age group. Many cite skyrocketing housing costs, unfair taxation on the middle class, and a sense of being "stuck" or in crisis as driving forces, with 62% believing the economy is tilted against them and 55% backing laws to confiscate "excess wealth" like second homes or luxury items to help first-time buyers.

This blend of Trump support and socialist leanings suggests a volatile mix: admiration for disruptors who challenge the status quo, coupled with a desire for radical redistribution to address personal struggles. Yet, it raises profound questions about the roots of this discontent—Is it a failure of education on history's lessons about socialism's failures? Media indoctrination? Or genuine systemic barriers? And what does it portend for the nation’s trajectory—greater division, a shift toward authoritarian policies, or an opportunity for renewal through timeless values like hard work and individual responsibility?

Glenn wants to know what YOU think: Where do Gen Z's socialist sympathies come from? What does it mean for the future of America? Make your voice heard in the poll below:

Do you believe the Gen Z support for socialism comes from perceived economic frustrations like unaffordable housing and a rigged system favoring the wealthy and corporations?

Do you believe the Gen Z support for socialism, including many Trump supporters, is due to a lack of education about the historical failures of socialist systems?

Do you think that these poll results indicate a growing generational divide that could lead to more political instability and authoritarian tendencies in America's future?

Do you think that this poll implies that America's long-term stability relies on older generations teaching Gen Z and younger to prioritize self-reliance, free-market ideals, and personal accountability?

Glenn's Show Prep