Blog

How to Shuffle Cards

Shuffling cards is the ultimate card player’s bling. In fact, in cards, it’s the equivalent of walking out to a tee box with a great bag of clubs, or stepping up to a podium wearing a great suit; because right then, right at that moment before you take a swing or utter a single word, there is a possibility that you might actually know what you’re doing.

Right then, the crowd assumes that you do.

Then you shank the ball in the woods and it’s all over. But before then, while you’re still sizing the ball up, while you’re still clearing your throat in front of an auditorium, they just don’t know.

[amazon asin=B002JAZ9GY&template=iframe image][amazon asin=B005RBVE84&template=iframe image][amazon asin=B000G8Q15E&template=iframe image][amazon asin=B001GPUSIW&template=iframe image]

That’s what shuffling is. It’s the right to be at the party. It’s the dues you pay to play cards.

There are actually a few types of shuffles, which include:

The Overhand Shuffle – This is the simple split deck and place back in, shuffle. Nothing fancy and gets the job done.

The Weave Shuffle – This is the same as the overhand, only you remove and place in from the top of the deck as apposed to the side.

The Hindu Shuffle – This is where you separate the deck, place, long way, end to end, bend the cards and let them weave into one deck.

And the shuffle shuttle – This is the fancy shuffle, the one you see in all the movies, and with blackjack dealers and anyone trying to show off.

This is THE shuffle.

So for here, we’ll focus on the shuffle shuttle.

Now, shuffling cards is one of those skills that needs a solid visual reference, so here it is. After searching the internet, one of the clearest shuffle shuttle videos is found on the expert village website. This explains it well. It takes its time and you can watch it over and over again.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uh8iMZY4Nb4

Good luck.

July 28, 2016
Book REVIEW: Born To Run by Christopher McDougall

I spend an enormous amount of time in the car — and I mean an enormous amount. As proof of this, I purchased a new car in February and when I was coming back from my second 5,000 mile oil change from my local garage, the odometer now toping 16,000, I received an e-mail from the dealer telling me that according to the calendar, I may be getting close to my 2,500 mile checkup and should soon bring the car in. And although I have a cell phone and blue tooth and all the toys to stay productive, there is still down time in the car. So I listen to books-on-tape — lots and lots of them.

I love books-on-tape and I get them from the library three at a time — this is not only so I’m not caught short without one, but although I can watch a bad movie, I cannot read a bad book and a certain percentage of them don’t make the cut.

With a traditional book I can somewhat control this failure rate by what editors call ‘the first page test’. I can tell within the first page of the book — often within the first paragraph — if a book is written well — it doesn’t matter what the subject matter is, if it’s not written well, what’s the point? But with a book-on-tape you have only the back jacket marketing blurb and can’t experience the writing until you press the CD into the slot.

So I always take three hopefuls out at a time.

Last week I had several meetings in Buffalo, NY and from my home in Delaware that meant that I would have at least 14 hours of windshield time on my hands. So I went to the library and got my three books-on-tape.

The first two were excessively painful and were quickly abandoned but the third, was a keeper.

The book was entitled, Born To Run – A Hidden Tribe, Superathletes, and the Greatest Race the World Has Never Seen.

[amazon asin=0307279189&template=iframe image][amazon asin=B0098IGRZC&template=iframe image][amazon asin=B006TXCMF8&template=iframe image][amazon asin=B008FPTW3S&template=iframe image]

Now a good book is a good book. Whether it’s about cooking or boxing or The Civil War or taxidermy — well, maybe taxidermy might be a stretch — and this is a good book.

Born to Run starts out with this fitness writer trying to determine why he can only run a few miles without experiencing pain, but ultra-runners can travel fifty, even a hundred miles with no pain at all. The book bounces around and is part essay, part term paper and part narrative, but by the time you get to the halfway point — to this secret race in The Copper Canyon in Mexico — it is a serious page turner.

Born To Run focuses on the Tarahumara Indians of Mexico, who run hundreds of miles in homemade sandals without rest or injury. It describes the ultra-running sport, the cast of characters and the science behind it, but ends in a secret race where America’s top ultra-runners travel to the Copper Canyons for a 50 mile desert foot race — over the world’s least hospitable terrain — against the tribe.

The books main point is that human beings are literally born to run — and he delves into the research to support this. He covers the jogging movement and takes a few swings at Nike — but comes back to one great question.

When we were kids we were always told to slow down. Stop running. Then as adults we state that we hate running.

How did that happen?

Born to Run shows what can happen when running recovers that childlike joy again and is more game than chore.

A sign of a great book is when it’s over, when you’ve turned the last page or listened to the last CD, you go through a period of separation — after all, the people you have just spent countless hours with and have learned to care about are now gone. Poof.

And when this happened here, I went rushing online to research the real life characters of the book: Jenn and the Bonehead, Barefoot Ted and Micah True, just so I could extend the experience a little longer. Just to say goodbye.

And although I rolled my eyes at the lengthy evolution ‘science’ descriptions – which were a little high-handed — I really did enjoy this book. And when I had finished it, many of the things I thought were impossible in my life, I began to rethink.

Born to Run shows just what us humans can do if there are no limits.

If you need a lift, encouragement, or inspiration — and what man doesn’t — read this book.

July 28, 2016
How to choose a watch

Before the 1920’s many men swore that they would sooner wear a dress, than to be seen wearing —. A watch. Or, more specifically, a wrist watch.

Now the standard watch — or what was known as the pocket watch — was an acceptable male accouterment for hundreds of years. In fact, up through the 19th century most men owned a pocket watch and it was very common for a father’s watch to be handed down to his son and keep moving down the family — hey, I have my great-grandfather’s pocket watch.

But a wrist watch was considered a lady’s watch. It was a decorative piece of jewelry that women wore on their wrists and was actually called a wristlet. It wasn’t until World War I when soldiers strapped their pocket watches to their wrists to synchronize attacks that the wrist watch began to slowly move into male vogue.

Today, even with clocks on our phones, laptops and i-pods, a watch is still a standard male adornment. And choosing the right watch for you can be a difficult decision. In fact, many men simply choose to purchase a disposable watch; a watch under $30.00 and simply replace it when it dies, rather that choose a watch they can wear for years.

[amazon asin=B000AR7S3A&template=iframe image][amazon asin=B00068TJ76&template=iframe image][amazon asin=B000820YBU&template=iframe image][amazon asin=B0012IR0U2&template=iframe image]

HOW TO CHOOSE A WATCH.

Round crystal.

With the popular watches you see rectangular, square and other funky crystal shapes. But the reality is a crystal has a chance to break or leak at the corners. No corners and your chance of allowing water in or a seal to crack are reduced. The classic round face is the way to go.

Budget

The diamond industry set the standard that a man should spend two months salary on the engagement ring he chooses. This is nuts. And it is only based on what the jewelry folks want you to spend. But the watch industry has a standard that is a little more realistic. Their’s state that a man should spend on a watch ten times what he spends on lunch for a week. So, if you brown bag it, then a $300 watch is about right. If you run through a drive thru every lunch then a $500 watch is about right. If you eat at a Fridays or Olive Garden, then a $700 watch and if you eat at a place with table cloths and a wine list a $1,000 watch is for you.

TIP. Do your research and find the watch you like and then look for a used watch in that type. Look on e-bay, craigslist, pawn shops or in thrift stores.

Style

Your watch signifies who you are. Your watch will convey your style, your mindset and your image. Your watch doesn’t have to cost more than your car, but it does need to be a quality watch. Remember, a watch is an investment. It tells people where you are and where you intend to go. Buying a cheap watch says that you are cheap. Buying an expensive watch says that you are irresponsible. It’s finding the right watch that is the key.

Remember: choose quality and take your time.

July 28, 2016
How to plan a family reunion
When it comes to how men view family gatherings — specifically, how men view extended family gatherings — there are three common stages that we pass through.

First, we have the carefree days of youth; stage one. This stage runs from birth to sometime in our teenaged years. This is when we are excited to be part of this distinctive, kinetic family group and we look forward to each and every time all the aunts and cousins gather. These are the times when the best possible place to be, is right next to Uncle Don when he tells the boomerang story, or be at bat just before Amy; because she has a wicked cleanup swing. This is the time period when all your grandfather’s jokes are hysterical and all your aunts are beautiful. And the absolute saddest part of the day, the only bleak aspect, is when the cars begin to pull out of the driveway. And when all the cousins are gone.

Then we move to stage two. These are the dark days and run from our teenaged years to sometime in our late twenties to early thirties. These are the thin skinned, chip on our shoulder, lots to prove and little show for it, angry days. When we grit our teeth every time Uncle Mike asks us how long we’re going to keep this job. This is when Vick and the other cousins smirk when we talk about our multi-level marketing plans — right before they ask how long it’s been since Jennifer dumped us. And even though she didn’t dump us, it was mutual, we watch the clock and cannot wait for everyone to leave — so we can catch our dad alone and discretely ask if he can help with part of this month’s rent.

Then comes the third and final stage. The best stage. The last stage. Stage three. This occurs from your late thirties on until you die. This is when we show up for family gatherings in that twelve year old car — and are actually proud of it because it runs and is paid for. This is when your uncle challenges you to an arm wrestling match and you let him win. This is the time when you want to listen to the stories so much more than you want to tell any. These are the days when humility and pride both exist together and where you bounce your child on your leg and give a secret look to your cousins as your nephew describes how he’s going to make an absolute killing in real estate. These are the days you’ll enjoy the most and these are the times when you will work the hardest to keep the extended family together.

Which means continuing, or beginning, those family reunions.

HOW TO PLAN A FAMILY REUNION

It’s a good idea to plan a reunion four to six months out — this gets the event on everyone’s calendar and locks everything in. It also gives you half a year to organize everything and work it.

6 Months Before
- Choose a date — check with folks that are traveling the longest distance and make sure it fits their schedules as they are making the biggest sacrifice.
- Choose a length of time — is this over a Saturday afternoon or an entire weekend?
- Choose a general location.
- If over 50 people, create a reunion committee — determine person in charge of finance, food, entertainment, clean up, lodging, etc.
4 Months Before
- Lock in your location — if it’s a park or outdoor event, reserve the pavilion or fields if needed. If it’s inside, give the deposit needed or reserve the spot, etc.
- Plan the menu — create the food assigning dishes and other food items to each family. Arranging for extra cooking and/or grilling facilities. Or finding a caterer.
- Create a schedule — determine activities and entertainment, is there going to be a family softball game or contests. When do you want to schedule this?
- Build in family history portion — start doing some research on the family tree or a huge white board/chalkboard is great for everyone to build a family tree together.
- Photography and/or video — with everyone carrying cameras on their phones, hiring a photographer or videographer may not be necessary, but what will be is to find a place to store all those images and video. Create a reunion Facebook page or website where everyone can dump all the pictures taken — you can use this in the organization end as well to post updates and schedule.
- Marketing — are you going to create postcards for the event or design t-shirts? Now is the time to plan those.
3 Months Before
- Finance — if large, determine cost per person.
- Send out invitations — include times, locations, schedule, maps and costs or side dishes that need to be brought.
- Committee sign ups — depending on the size there will be needs in each area. This is the time to get people to sign up for; set up teams, cooking committees, entertainment teams, etc.
- Reserve items — do you need to rent a tent, chairs, portable grill? This is the time to reserve all of that stuff.
2 Months Before
- Create a stocking location — you’ll need a place to begin to store things.
- Make nonperishable purchases — order the cups, table cloths, condiments, craft items, decorations, etc.
- Send out e-mail or social network posts to keep the momentum going and stay on everyone’s thoughts
- Arrange/place deposits on large food items — will you need 200 pounds of burgers? Now is the time to arrange this and to shop around for the best price.
1 Month Before
- Confirm, confirm, confirm — with family on food items, with reservations and with lodging.
2 Weeks Before
- Contact restaurants with a final guest count if necessary.
- Contact volunteers with specific tasks to confirm times, locations, and the final guest count.
- Review your final to-do list.
- Buy last-minute decorations and supplies.
- Create signs and banners.
2 Days Before
- Review reunion minutiae with committees.
- Pick up any rental equipment — chairs, tables, grills, etc.
- Prepare final payments and tips
The Day Before
- Set up and decorate.
- Sleep.
July 27, 2016
The power of the bagged lunch

In the early 1800’s, almost 70% of all American families lived on farms. Most of these were subsistence farms — a few cows, pigs, chickens on some land where corn, wheat and potatoes were planted — and these farms were the family’s main source of food and clothing. So, the farmer would rise early and feed his livestock, repair fences, outbuildings, fix machinery, gather eggs and in the middle of the day, when he would need some food and a short break, he would walk back to his house to visit with his wife and children and eat a small meal. And for hundreds of years the term lunch would simply mean that; to take a break from your work and go home to eat.

As the effect of The Industrial Revolution spread, factories and mills needed more and more workers. Now the small farmer had the opportunity to not only care for his land but to travel to town for day work in order to bring additional income into the household. And because it would not be practical for the farmer to return home for lunch — and because he would need to leave early in the morning and not return until late that night — he would have to take food with him.

So the farmer would put hard-boiled eggs, biscuits, vegetables and meat into a container —often a small basket with a handles — and head out in the morning. He would often meet up with other men who were carrying similar baskets as well as those with meals wrapped in handkerchiefs or placed in metal tins. In fact, workers in more extreme environments — such as coal mines and steel mills — needed something to transport their lunch in that would protect it, so they often used small covered milk pails.

By the 1850’s manufacturers saw this growing consumer need and began to mass produce fitted metal buckets and boxes specifically designed to carry lunches in. They were called lunch pails even though the trend was leaning more towards the box style. They sold well and the need increased.

[amazon asin=B0040MH642&template=iframe image][amazon asin=B000246GSE&template=iframe image][amazon asin=B00HJ8DFGC&template=iframe image][amazon asin=B006HFC3K2&template=iframe image]

In 1904 The Thermos, was introduced as an option to the commercial lunch pail and now a worker could have a cold lunch with a hot drink. And when schools began to regionalize — and the one room school migrating to the larger multi grade school — children were now unable to come home for lunch and also needed to take food with them. And many children who wanted to mimic their fathers, sought out metal pails or buckets to take their lunches in.

In 1935, the first children’s lunch box with a licensed character was produced and the image of Mickey Mouse was lithographed over an oval tin with a handle. And in 1950 the first TV character made the cut, with Hopalong Cassidy being the choice, which was a lunchbox that cost two dollars and sold half a million units in the first year alone.

For decades the metal lunchbox was the symbol of the workforce and the character lunchbox was the symbol of childhood — with millions of men carrying their lunches to work and millions of school children carrying theirs in boxes decorated with their favorite TV shows, bands and sports figures.

But when a child moved from Elementary School to High School the lunch box was often abandoned. In that socially sensitive environment, the need to quickly distance ourselves from childish things became powerful and the brown paper bag became a safer containment choice — as well as the ability to now purchase a hot lunch from a school cafeteria.

Today, the average American purchases his lunch rather than brings it. He spends an average of ten dollars on each trip and the majority of those meals are bought at fast food restaurants. We eat in our car. We eat on the run. And we eat whatever is quickly made and cheaply provided and whether it’s the memories of soggy bologna sandwiches or the still need to distance ourselves from childish things, few of us bring a lunch to work — or if we do it’s a quickly prepared sandwich that we eat at our desk.

But the bagged lunch as an entity, as a creative endeavor, is an amazing thing. It is healthier, far less expensive (we spend almost $1,000 a year on fast food lunches ) and give us this versatile control over our day. It’s a very neat thing.

So the first step is to get yourself a lunch box — and I mean one that fits your needs as well as your lifestyle. A brown paper bag is only temporary but choosing a container to bring your lunch in shows a commitment to seeing it through.

So here are some quick options for lunch ideas.

1. Leftovers. This is an easy and simple. Simply take some of that lasagna from last night or some of that leftover casserole and bring it to work in a Tupperware container. Provided you have access to a microwave, this works well.

2. Soup. There is nothing like a cup of hot soup with a biscuit or some bread in the middle of the day. And the great thing here is you can be working in the middle of the woods and still bring hot soup in a thermos. The only requirement here is, make a pot of homemade soup — very easy to make, tastes better, healthier and much less expensive than canned soup — http://543skills.com/skill-194-how-to-make-homemade-soup/

3. Wraps. Only because sandwiches are so overplayed — and because most store bought bread is pretty tasteless — wraps are a good alternative. You can make a wrap with cold cuts, or a with beans and cheese for a tortilla. They are smaller, can be made quicker and are easier to eat on the run.

And the last option is this amazingly simple thing called a Mason Jar Salad. This is so incredibly simplistic that it’s absolutely brilliant.

So, what you do is take a Mason Jar and in the bottom you put in your wet ingredients; your salad dressing. Then you add in the solid vegetables — anything that won’t get soggy if they touch the dressing — tomatoes, cucumbers, red onion, celery, peppers, etc. Then you add your softer items; your pasta, mushrooms, avocado. On top of that you put your protein; your chicken, turkey, beans and then the lettuce and on top goes your cheese and any nuts.

So what you have is this self-contained salad that is separated, fresh and can remain that way for days. In fact many people make these up a week at a time and use them days later. It remains in the jar until you need it then you pour it into a bowl where all the ingredients mix. Genius.

So get creative, get a lunch box and get to work.

http://www.epicurious.com/articlesguides/blogs/editor/2014/07/mason-jar-salad-inspiration.html

July 27, 2016
The New Year’s resolution hack
It’s a pretty well known fact in the health club and fitness Industry that the best time of year — their season — is January. No doubt about it. This is when health clubs, gyms, personal trainers; diet supplement companies and home gym equipment manufacturers, all see the bulk of their business for the entire year. It’s their market. It’s New Year’s resolution time.

And these same health club and fitness professionals will also tell you that the busiest time of that month is the second week of January; when they will see the largest single week of the year. And after that — things begin to taper down. Each week. Until the second week of February when the season is officially over.

Now at the end of that four week period, 80% of the people who have bought their Super Stepper 9,000 or joined a gym, have stopped. Over the next two months — until the second week of April — an additional 12% will stop as well. Leaving 8%. Which is the average percentage rate of people who reach their New Year’s resolutions.

8%.

Now as far as health clubs and gyms go, they love this trend — they will never tell you this, but their accountants will. Because what is a better customer than one who pays for an entire year and then doesn’t use up valuable is resources or equipment. And — here is the best part — those same people will be back again next January convinced that this year things are going to be different. And they’ll sign up again.

Now fitness is only one of the goals we set at the beginning of the year — financial is another big area, career, artistic goals of music or of finally sitting down and writing that book, there are many.

So why do New Year’s resolutions fail? Well, there are many reasons. Here are a few …
1. Because they are fueled by motivation only — motivation is short lived and usually lasts only about a month by itself.
2. Because we set unrealistic goals.
3. Because we need the goal to fix something in our life; to make it all better.
4. Because we don’t have a plan, we just have an end result.
5. Because we are now in panic time. It’s not important that it took us 3 years to put on that extra 60 pounds, it must be off by summer!
Yup. All of these are true. But there are two other reasons — the two real reasons — why most New Year’s resolutions fail. And if you address these two other areas, your odds go up substantially. In fact, you will double your chance of success if you only focus on these two areas.

Ready? Here they are.

The real two real reasons why 92% of all New Year’s resolutions fails — are this.
1. Because we get something out of where we are now. If we are overeating, overspending, drinking too much, out of work or have our finances way overextended, we get something out of that. Either a pleasure or an escape and until we identify what that is — really spend time with it — then it will continue to run silently in the background; quietly and under the surface, and will derail any minor motivation fueled trend we are running on the top.
Because if we never turn the program off. Identify it and replace it with something else. Then that beacon — that we ourselves put into motion — is enough to make us one of the 80%. If we don’t turn it off an replace it, motivation alone will not break through it. We are wishing to go north but we are steering south.

And the second reason is this …
1. Because we think we need to fight. That there is something inside of us that wants us to fail and we need to fight, it, Defeat it. Instead of realizing that it is a program that we put there, to protect and help us — http://543skills.com/skill-529-the-truth-about-self-discipline/
So here is the single thing you can do — the very best action — to drastically increase your chance of reaching your New Year’s resolution.

Ready?

Here it is.

The best way to achieve your New Year’s resolution is —-.

Don’t set one.

At least not right away. Instead, spend this month — four solid weeks — in getting to know yourself and getting to know how you got to where you are now.

Oh and cop-out answers don’t count here. Answers like, I took my eye off the ball or I wasn’t motivated enough to change — are bull. You get something out of overeating or avoiding those work projects. You told yourself to keep you safe or keep you protected. You get something from it otherwise you wouldn’t be doing it.

What do you get?

So, spend a solid month in getting to know what that is. Now, I now, but the gym, the office, the life you are going to organize, it will be there waiting for you. Consider this month basic training, getting you ready for it.

And here are the two best ways to do that. Here are two ways to get into that programming and see what that code really is.
1. Write. Just start writing, every day, in a journal of everything you think and feel. Start to write about why you want to change and how you got to where you are. Keep digging and digging for a solid month.
And …
1. Go into the silence. Now this one will take a little getting used to but it is amazing the results. What it is is take an hour — yeah, it seems like a long time but it’s worth it — where you are completely unplugged. Step into a a quiet room, your parked car, the woods, whatever. Turn your phone off and just sit — motionless, don’t move — for one hour.
The first twenty minutes of this will be hell. Then calm will come over you. And then — things will begin to click. Doors will open and you will begin to think pure thoughts. Pure code. You will see clearly.

Do this — do all of this. And when your four weeks are up, then set your goals. And you’ll not only be one of the 8% but you’ll get there easier and you’ll get more joy out of it because you’ll be in sync with what you really want.
July 26, 2016
9 older products that are better than their newer versions.

As the great Billy Joel said, the good old days weren’t always good and tomorrow’s not as bad as it seems.

In 1955, 38,000 people in the country had polio — now there are less than 300 cases in the entire world. In 1960, 30% of Americans lived under the poverty line and that number is now below 10%. And in 1950, almost half of all American homes didn’t have a telephone. Today there are roughly six internet connected devices per household.

So yes, we’ve come a long way. But still, there are some areas, some products and services, that have suffered from the modern march of advancement. Which means that there are a certain number of areas where the older versions are much better than the new ones.

9. FANS

The vintage fans of the 1940’s and 50’s were amazing. They had metal blades, huge motors, moved air around like a jet engines and lasted forever. Modern versions are basically disposable with tiny motors, plastic cages and thin plastic blades.

8. SILLY PUTTY

The old Silly Putty was this amazing stuff that bounced, floated, stretched and held any image that you put it to. It fit back in its egg shaped container and unless it got covered in gunk from the floor, could be used for months. The newer version is less pliable, doesn’t bounce and worse yet, does not pick up any image that you press against it. And is this strange purple color now.

7. FISHING REELS

In the 1980’s many spinning reel manufacturers went through a process to remove cost from their products. Metal housing and gears were replaced with plastic ones and mechanisms were simplified and redesigned. The result of this was a reel of far less quality. In fact, in 1994 I gave my brother-in-law my old Mitchell 300 reel when I got my new Mitchell. He still uses my old one and I’ve been through four replacement reels since.

6. CROCK POTS

About five years ago, the great crockpot cartel got together and decided — for whatever reason — to increase the low cooking temperature on new crockpots. I have no idea why, but the result is a crockpot that cooks higher. So now slow cookers, cook faster. And if you’re not careful it is so much easier to overcook meat in a new crockpot than it was in an old one.



5. LINCOLN LOGS

Lincoln logs are great. They were these logs that were etched out at the end so you could build cabins, forts and outbuildings. And of course because they were logs they were made of wood. New ones are not. They are made of — plastic. How can you have a plastic log cabin?

4. UMBRELLAS

And umbrella was once a well-crafted, solid, piece of adornment. It had a thick wooden handle, solid metal bracings and heavy canvas to protect you from the rain — in fact umbrellas were coveted by thieves because there was always a market for them. Modern equivalents are made to be replaceable and disposable and in fact you can buy umbrellas from The Dollar Tree.



3. PAPER ROLL CAPS

Cap guns came out in the 1950’s and were these guns that shot paper caps that exploded and smoked like real guns. The caps hid large dimples filled with black powder that created this exciting bang. Modern equivalents are completely flat and contain very little powder and make a soft pop — about as load as bubble wrap popping.

2. CRACKER JACK PRIZES

The prizes in Cracker Jacks used to be amazing — small pinball games, cars, charms, plastic guns, everything. In fact, that was part of the charm of Cracker Jack was getting to that prize. The prizes of today are not even worth mentioning — usually a piece of paper — and is the equivalent of getting socks for Christmas.



1. AIR TRAVEL

Even before 911 air travel had lost its glamour. Gone are the days of warm towels, full meals and a cheery attendant that is only a button push away. Air travel is now no frills, sit down, shut up and keep quiet.

July 25, 2016
The future

“Okay — how did — ?”

And then Debbie pointed.

After twenty-two years of marriage, I always look when Debbie points. Always. This has served as a solid rule-of-thumb when anyone points but when Debbie does it she is often pointing to something I did, or didn’t do. Or something that the kids did or didn’t do or worse yet, something that they did that I suggested that they do — which as soon as she points out to me I realize was a pretty dumb idea. Why do they listen to me? But sometimes, Debbie just points at something that she wants me to see.

I didn’t know which one this was. So Debbie pointed and I looked.

The broken fireplace screen was where my eye went to first. But since I had developed a process where the fireplace still worked — if you separated the first screen, got the fire going, then leaned the glass into the frame, it could still be used — so this project had been given a lower priority on the household punch list. Anytime a device or a system still operates by simply adding another step or two, it is automatically reduced to C status.

“Yeah, I —“.

“How did —? How did this happen?”

So it wasn’t the fireplace screen. My attention moved over to the television.

The TV offer that was playing was advertising a new mattress where no payment was due until — and then the fireworks and the spinning graphic occurred — until 2015. But since our mattress was fairly new — it had only been three years since the insurance replaced everything when I burned our house down — I’d guessed it wasn’t the mattress she was pointing at.

“What?”

“2015?” she asked. “How did —-? 2015?”

Well, yeah. It was the end of October, 2014 which meant that 2015 was only a few —-. But she did have a —. She did have a very good point.

If Debbie and I were married in 1992 and since we are both now are in our thirties — aren’t we still in our thirties? — and the kids are still small — wait, are they still small? — and I still have a 30 inch waistline then the date could only be somewhere in the —.

“2015?”

“Yeah.”

“Hey, how did that happen?”

“I don’t —. I don’t know.”

A chill ran through the living room. I would have built a fire but the screen was broken.

How is this possible that it will soon be 2015?

2014 is one thing. Yeah, it’s a big number. Much bigger than 1985 or 1993, but 2015 is —. 2015 is the date when Marty McFly goes ahead in time in Back to the Future II; October 21, 2015. 2015 is futuristic.

A place where we can talk to people and see their faces on phones and watches and iPods and laptops just like George Jetson did — a cartoon character from the future.

So in a few months we will be in — the future.

So welcome everyone. We are almost there. The future. A place where Loverboy and REM are played in elevators and we can see Satellite Street photos of Zambia right on our phones. The future. Where The Shining is seen as quaint and we laugh at the special effects of the first Star Wars.

The future.

So what does this mean? What happens in the future?

Well, we know one thing. In the movies it’s the guy from the past that is always the hero in the future. It’s the one who comes from the 1980’s or 70’s or before in a time travelling Delorean, or steps into a time portal. It’s the one who can break the rules and see things differently. The character who thinks and acts by his own rules. Bravely. Creatively — which is so different from those people of the future and that’s the reason he wins.

So we are in the future. Yes, this is true.

But we are all from the past. Where the hero comes from. And we can only win if we keep what we have from the past and use it. If we stand out. If we remember.

July 25, 2016
How to Get Rid of a Skin Tag

You know those protruding little bits of skin that form from time to time on your body, especially on places where your skin rubs together? Yeah, those are called skin tags — and they suck.

Unpleasant to look at — and ranging from slightly irritating, to flat out painful — these little buggers are technically known as acrochorda and they have no redeeming qualities whatsoever.

Millions of Americans develop skin tags every year and they are especially prevalent in middle aged and overweight individuals. And while they don’t post any real health threat, they are aesthetically unpleasant and can be difficult to get rid of without the aid of a doctor.

Notice I said — can be difficult to get rid of.

Because while finicky skin tags are annoying — they can be easily removed with some finesse and common sense. Now, you should always see a doctor when you find a skin growth that you are worried about — if benign skin tags have become routine for you, then you are probably an expert on one of them that look different from the others — but otherwise there are some relatively simple options to remove them on your own.

WHAT NOT TO DO

Rule number one: don’t force the skin tag off. Everyone knows someone who has cut the tags off with scissors, nail clippers, duct tape, or some other device. And we call these type of people — idiots, (by the way, I was one of them).

If you try to yank a skin tag off, the first two things to happen will be a lot of blood, followed by a lot of pain. And then you have to deal with all the fact that you are now highly susceptible to infections — eyelids are the worse. Furthermore, cutting a tag off, can creates a totally unnecessary hassle, as many of the most effective ways at removing these are pretty painless.

HOW TO REMOVE A SKIN TAG

The String Method

The string method is the most popular method of removing skin tags. Tools you will need are a thin piece of string — dental floss works well — that is long enough to wrap around the tag completely and snugly. You take the string and tie it around the skin tag in the morning and leave it on all day. The next day, remove the string and tie a new one on. Repeat this for about a week.

By cutting off blood flow to the tag, it will begin to atrophy and eventually will either fall off, or become so free of sensation that you can pull it off easily. The timing on this could take a little longer than a week sometimes, so don’t rush it. If you’re patient, this is an extremely effective and harmless way to remove the tags.

Now the down side to this is, that not all skin tags are created equal, and the string method won’t work on every single one of them. Some tags are too small or in such an inconvenient location that it’s difficult to get a string tied around them. Plus, if a tag is located somewhere that frequently comes into contact with skin, clothing, or experiences a lot of movement during the day, the string may fall off.

But even with those risks, the string method is very effective.

The Cotton Ball Method

Like every other part of your body, skin tags are prone to react when exposed to certain irritants. A number of liquid solutions have properties that cause skin tags to either shrink, fall off, or deflate. And while some of these solutions can take a while — some, up to a month — to completely remove the tag, they do work.

Apple cider vinegar is a popular choice for this method. While it won’t make you spell like Bleu de Chanel, it contains high levels of acid in it that kills skin, making it a perfect tool for removing skin tags. All you need to do is douse a cotton ball with a couple teaspoons of the stuff and apply the damp area to your skin tag.

Many dermatologists disagree over the amount of time you should expose your skin to apple cider vinegar. Some suggest applying it only for a couple of minutes each day, while others recommend bandaging the cotton ball to the exposed area and letting it sit overnight. And results very as well — the bandage method has been known to work in a few days, while just leaving it open may take a few weeks. Either way, be sure to wash the exposed area after removing the cotton ball—you don’t want the odor or sensation to linger.

A range of other solutions have antibacterial or antifungal properties that make them effective skin tag-slayers. Both lemon and lime juice are high in potent citric acid that decimates skin cells, while tea tree oil — an increasingly popular skin care remedy — has also received high-praise.

Try out these solutions (or even combining them) and see which ones work for you. And while everyone’s skin is different and your mileage may vary, chances are that some variation of the cotton ball method will work for you.

AND — unless you want a bunch of red swollen bumps to accompany your skin tags, you should make sure that you aren’t allergic to any solution you apply to your skin.

The “Freeze it Off” Method

Ever heard of cryotherapy? No, I’m not talking about freezing your body until a cure for skin tags has been discovered—I’m talking about freezing growths on your skin and killing the tissue beneath them, forcing them off your body.

Dermatologists commonly use cryotherapy to remove skin tags, sometimes using a freezing agent so potent that they can remove the tag in a matter of minutes. Fortunately, many cryotherapy tools can be purchased cheaply online or over the counter at your local pharmacy, meaning that you don’t have to see a doctor if you want to try this at home.

Most freezing treatments suggest applying the agent (usually some form of liquid nitrogen) for just a few seconds per day until the layer of skin under the tag is dead, eventually causing it to fall off in about two to three weeks.

You need to be extremely careful with freezing, because if you get this stuff in your eyes or you accidentally swallow some of it — it does happen — that could be bad. Read the safety instructions that come with the freezing agent you buy; if your skin tags are located somewhere that puts you at risk for bodily harm, don’t try this method.

The “Wait it Out” Method

If the skin tag is loosely connected to your body, there’s a good chance that it will fall off naturally or with minimal effort. Many skin tags meet their end in the shower after washing them out with soap, and others became so irritated because of their location—armpits or eyelids —that they just wear off.

If your tags are located somewhere you scratch a lot, the tag has a high risk of becoming accidentally rubbed or torn: eventually loosening the tag to the point where it comes off on its own. If you can stand the pain — and the blood — that accompanies this, it is a somewhat effortless way to remove it.

Obviously, this is not the fastest approach to removing tags, so if you’re looking for a quick fix, this isn’t the option for you. Just know that if you’re patient enough, you may not even have to go through the trouble of experimenting with DIY dermatology at all.

July 25, 2016
How to say grace over a meal

There are many words in the English language that have changed meaning over time. For example, the word artificial originally meant artistic or crafty. The word decimate meant to reduce by one tenth and in the original Latin the word nice, meant ignorant or unaware.

Just since the 19th century the words for dinner and supper have changed, when dinner referred to the large meal of the day — often in the early afternoon — and supper meant the smaller meal later at night — often after 7:00 pm. Now, both dinner and supper are interchangeable and refer to the evening meal.

In the modern world, many other words have changed meanings. Spam, a processed and canned meat, now refers to the mountains of junk e-mails we receive daily. A cursor was the word for a running messenger and now means the movable indicator on a computer screen. The the word friend once applied only to those people we have a close personal bond and connection with, but now refers to anyone on our Facebook or Twitter page.

But in my opinion, one of the most interesting word changes involves the word offensive or the phrase to offend. These words have long been in existence — for hundreds of years — but only in the last decade the meaning become altered and is now even confusing.

During the Vietnam War, American television announcers warned viewers when upcoming footage from the war, would be offensive; when it would contain graphic images of war and violence. And we knew what the word offensive meant then — even without seeing it, we knew.

At that same time, domestically, we were a country divided by race and hate and fear. A man with dark skin now had the right to fight and die as a soldier along with his white counterparts — a first in US History — but he could not attend the same church or use the same public restroom.

To say these events were offensive would be a great understated truth.

Then, in 1968, Brown vs. The Board Education, would allow black and white students to actually sit in the same classroom together. And there was more violence. And more fear.

Slowly — over the decades — the race walls began to crumble. Slower yet, the hate and fear began to fade.

Then came the events of September 11, 2001; a world altering event where a radical group of Muslim extremists plotted attacks that took thousands of American lives.

And everything changed.

Religion now became the new race. We were frightened and angry and confused and were told that a world split by religion could only be mended by understanding and tolerance. And fueled by a desire for healing, we embraced this word; tolerance. And there were more words that were added to our lexicon. And the more words mixed in, the more vague and confusing it all became.

Instead of kindness we were asked to be objective. Instead of understanding we were encouraged to be respectful. Instead of being neighborly we were told to be civil. And above all things, the ultimate focus was to never say or do anything that might be ever be perceived as — offensive.

And because we never truly understood the new meaning of this word — offensive — we did not understand what it truly was to offend. So, we simply took the easier path and avoided any and all areas that even might offend. And that meant anything religious or spiritual.

And the new segregation began.

Which bring us to this. To the ultimate irony and the ultimate truth.

I believe in God. I believe in a God that created me and watches over me and who is with me on earth will be with me in Heaven. There is no need for me to apologize for this because there is nothing offensive about it.

As men, we need to work less on being tolerant and more on being generous.

We need to be less objective and be more helpful.

And we need to be less unbiased and be more forgiving.

And above all things, we need to be grateful. Grateful to our God. Grateful to our family, our neighbors and grateful to all that is on loan to us for the short time we live in this world.

And during that Thanksgiving or Christmas or Easter or that visit to someone else’s home, if we are extended the honor to say grace over the meal, we should embrace it.

If you’ve never publicly said grace over a meal, the rules are simple.

We are thanking God for the meal. We are thanking Him for the chance to be at that table with family and friends. We are grateful to live in a place where food is plentiful and we can live and work without fear or danger. We will work hard to show love and kindness to all we come in contact with.

And we are grateful.

July 24, 2016
Tool secrets: Loctite and JB Weld
I have this great workbench in our basement that I built myself — I didn’t like the prebuilt workbenches so for thirty dollars worth of two-by-fours and some planks I built one myself — and on this workbench as well as on the pegboard behind it hang some very cool tools. There are coping saws, drills, laser levels, a miter-box— well, the miter-box sits on a shelf below but I just like saying ‘miter box’ — and a bunch of other cool stuff.

Now, most of these tools I’ve used, some not so often and a few not at all but they each look amazing hanging there. In fact, sometimes I go down in the basement and just visit my tools — admiring them like a painting.

Now, it’s not that I’m afraid of these tools or that I just wanted to collect them. The truth is that 90% of the time I do something around the house I don’t need much in the way of tools. I don’t do major construction; I like to putz around the house, tinker with some things, make repairs and small upgrades when needed. So the majority of work I do could be completed with only five items.

In fact, if I had to keep only five objects from my workbench and only use only them, I’d be pretty safe by keeping …
- A roll of duct tape
- A can of WD-40
- A cheap, multi-head screwdriver
- A pair of needle nose pliers
- And Loctite or J-B Weld
Boom.

That would get me — as well as the majority of people — through most of the quick fixes and minor repairs that need to be done around the home.

Because there are many tools that can do many things. it’s like brand names. 80% of the time brand names are not that important — you get the same result from brand B as you would from Brand A — but in that 20% of the time when they are important — they really are. Which brings us to an important brand name difference as far as super glue.

First, make sure it’s Loctite. Because if you think that by Loctite I’m referring to generic super glue, you would be incorrect. Next to GPS and luggage with wheels, Loctite — the real super glue — is one of the greatest inventions in the last hundred years. It can be used for everything from ceiling a cut, to repairing coffee mugs, to being mixed with baking soda and used like calk.

Remember that while Loctite might have invented Super Glue, not all super Glue is Loctite. This may seem like a minor point but it’s not. In fact, the next time you are standing at Wal-Mart looking at the super glue, the crazy glue and super bondo and you don’t see the Loctite symbol, walk away.

Loctite was developed in the 1950’s as a thread locking adhesive. The formula worked so well that they developed other products and Loctite was the industrial staple for decades before branching out to commercial products. Simply put, when you buy Loctite you know it is going to work. Any glue can add the word Super, or Crazy to it and still be just glue. Loctite is a liquid weld and other brands may or may not work, so why take the chance?

By the way, this is simply my opinion and is not because I am receiving anything from Loctite — or from J-B Weld — or am being paid any referral fees. Nope. It’s simply that when I find something that works I want to pass it on and Loctite works.

There is one thing I don’t like about Loctite and that is there gel line of adhesives — I guess they were trying to find a way to work on horizontal surfaces where the thinner stuff would run — and I don’t like them as much and try to stay away from it. So I buy the standard Loctite.

With that said, there are those occasion when Loctite just doesn’t have the fire power you need. And that’s where J-B Weld comes in.

This stuff is amazing and is used on everything from repairing fuel tanks to patching bathtubs to welding pipes.

J-B Weld can be found in any hardware store or Auto Parts Store. It costs about five bucks and pays for itself with the first use — I used this recently to repair a fireplace screen that was in five pieces and ready for the dumpster. That one pack saved me over $200.00 and you use such a small amount of it that a single pack will last you for years.

J-B Weld is a cold weld process in which you take a dab from each container and mix them together to get the reaction started. The contents from one tube is black the other is white and you mix together until you get a solid grey color — there is the odd fishy smell when you first mix it but it doesn’t last long. Once mixed, you apply and wait.

The downside to J-B Weld is it takes several hours to harden — in some thick applications I’ve gone back ten hours later and it still was slightly tacky. The good news is that when it does harden, it’s there forever. You can even sand and drill though it if needed — like I said they repair gas tanks with this stuff.

So spend the seven bucks and get a two dollar bottle of Loctite and a five dollar pack of-J-B Weld and you’ll be all set.

And then you can use the money you saved to buy gas to drive to my place and come look at my tools.
July 24, 2016
How to Change the Oil in Your Car

1971 was a very busy year. Charles Manson was convicted for his part of the Tate-LaBianca murders. Paul McCartney formed a new band called Wings. A man calling himself DB Cooper hijacked a Boeing 727 and then parachuted from the plane with $200,000 in ransom cash. And at Madison Square Garden, Joe Frazier defeated the great Mohammad Ali.

It was also the year of Edwin Washburn.

Now Edwin Washburn was man who, when he retired from the military, finally had the long awaited back surgery he had been putting off. And as Edwin was recuperating he wondered how he would get down under his vehicles to change the oil now that his mobility was limited.

As he was in a tire store, Washburn noticed that there was an outside pit where mechanics could work on campers and RVs. Why couldn’t you do this inside, with cars, and by doing it, drastically reduce the service time? And from this, the very first Jiffy Lube fast oil change shop was created.

Now these shops would have remained simply a few unique stores in Utah if it wasn’t for another character named Jim Hindman.

Jim Hindman was a successful businessman and was also the football coach at Western Maryland College. And during a conversation on tenacity and a hard work ethic, one of his players spoke up.

“That’s great coach, but you already made your million. I’d like to see you make another one.”

So he did. Hindman purchased the first Jiffy Lube from Washburn and began spinning out franchises.

Today there are over 2,000 Jiffy Lube locations, and an additional 800 Valvoline Instant Oil change centers, making the instant oil change shop a solid part of our car maintenance landscape.

[amazon asin=B00BXLUI5M&template=iframe image][amazon asin=B000GHK2IM&template=iframe image][amazon asin=B000JFHMVQ&template=iframe image][amazon asin=B0000AXRH5&template=iframe image]

Now this is both a good and a bad thing. It’s good because the instant oil change sites probably extended the life of many cars for drivers who would never change their own oil and who didn’t have the funds or time for the oil change at the dealer. It also made oil changes affordable — if you can avoid the constant up-sell that occurs. But the down side is that now the concept of changing your own oil is right up there with grinding your own meat or making your own clothes since today there are generations of drivers who have never owned a car during a time when you couldn’t pull in during lunch for a fifteen-minute oil change.

But changing the oil in your car will not only save you money, but it is a simple maintenance task that you can master easily.

HOW TO CHANGE THE OIL IN YOUR CAR.

Now here is the first rule. Get yourself a good set of car ramps — those metal ramps you see at Walmart — and never, ever use the car jack.

I mean it. Don’t use the car jack.

That jack that came with your car was meant to lift the vehicle high enough to change your tire during an emergency. It was never designed to lift it up for maintenance. The higher the car goes, the more unstable it is and the easier it is to get hurt — especially if you’re yanking on a stubborn oil filter on an already unstable three-thousand pound vehicle. Also, if you place the car jack in the wrong place you could do some serious damage to your car.

You can get a decent set of ramps for forty bucks that will last you a lifetime so don’t use the car jack for anything other than roadside emergencies.

With that out of the way, let’s cover the 9 steps:

1. Go to an auto parts or department store and get the oil and oil filter for your car — there should be guides there to tell you or it will also be in the car’s owner’s manual. You will also need: a pan to catch the old oil, a socket set, an oil filter wrench — all inexpensive and easily found.

2. Open the hood and remove the oil cap. This will allow the oil from the crankcase to drain easier.

3. Drive the car on the ramps and apply the emergency brake.

4. Drain the oil. Under the car you will see a flat metal pan with a square plug — the perfect size for the end of a socket wrench to fit in. Place the drip pan directly under the plug and remove it, closer to the engine than the transmission. It should have a bolt or plug toward the bottom. This is the oil plug you’ll need to remove to let the oil drain. When the oil has drained completely — and this could take a few minutes — replace the plug.

5. Remove the oil filter. The filter is easy to find and the oil filter wrench will fit right over it. Unscrew it and remove, making sure you take off the rubber gasket of the filter as well.

6. Replace the filter. Dip the tip of your finger in the new oil and run it along the gasket of the new filter — this will help in creating a tighter seal. Screw on the new filter.

7. Add in the new oil.

8. Replace the oil cap.

9. Check. Start the engine and make sure the oil pressure light goes and your oil pressure gauge moves.

And that’s it.

Easy. And a home oil change should cost you around twenty bucks or less for the oil and filter. When oil and filters go on sale — and they always do — purchase them and keep them in your garage until the next oil change.

July 23, 2016