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10 free things to do this weekend
When the kids were little — probably around age 7 and 9 — we had this Saturday tradition. I’d get them up, get them fed and dressed, and we would head out for the day; just the three of us. No girls allowed. Now, we could do anything we wanted to on those days. Anything. But there was only one rule. We couldn’t spend any money.

Now part of the reason for this was because we were a young family and were trying to be frugal — hey, just an afternoon of bowling or movies with kids will cost fifty dollars or more — but there was actually more to it. When you pay for something — especially when you pay for entertainment — it loses charm quickly. It’s less special, less personal, since it’s easily accessible and available to anyone who will pay for it. But if you have to find the things to do, to locate and get to them; there is a reward at the end.

So those Saturdays had to be free.

And today, if you asked the kids about those times — ten years later — they will tell you, in exciting detail, of all the goofy things we did. Of the battlefields we went to, of the time we took a bus tour of a landfill — which was actually pretty fun. They’ll tell you of open air concerts, of the wars we had in the woods, the street fairs and the concerts of Irish dancers. We went to museums and zoos. We toured churches and synagogues and we caught buckets and buckets of fish.

All fun. All free.

10 FREE THINGS TO DO THIS WEEKEND

10. Movie festival.

This may seem corny, but home movie festivals are a lot of fun — and can be as large or as an intimate as you want them to be. Break out all the DVD’s in the house and pick the top ten or so and that’s your film selection for the day — an entire guilt free Saturday of doing nothing but watching movies. If you want to open it up to family and friends, a quick post on your favorite social network showing the schedule, and you’re good to go. Or you can pull down the curtains, turn the phones off and just escape for the entire day.

9. Community Calendar.

Community calendars are amazing and much of what the kids and I used to do, came from these sources of information. On any Saturday, there are always little festivals, tours, classes and concerts. Always. And these folks are so glad to see you and to tell you about what they do.

8. Community sports

Professional and college sporting events are pretty pricey and even High School level sports will cost you a few bucks. But there are always community sports that are open to the public. Softball leagues, Little League Baseball and Pop Warner Football, are a lot of fun to watch. But what’s really interesting is to find the less mainstream sports — I just found out that in our area, there are Cricket Leagues. I’ve never been but we’ll be going this year.

7. Create a potluck open house

With a few phone calls, texts or posts, you can invite the world in for the day. Ask everyone to bring a dish to pass and break out the board games, the horseshoes, the video controllers or just sit in the backyard and catch up. People can come and go, arrive and leave, all day long.
1. 6. Learn how to juggle
Okay, hear me out on this one. On Monday morning, when your co-workers ask, “So, what did you do this weekend?” You can answer, “Oh, not much”. Or you can say, “Me? Oh I learned to juggle.” With a few tennis balls, some online videos and a couple of hours of practice, you can learn the basics of juggling — in a single day. And believe it or not, you will use this for the rest of your life.

5. Frisbee golf

Most of the Frisbee golf courses I’ve ever seen are open to the public and are inside parks. A cooler full of sandwiches, a few Frisbees and some friends, and you have another cool story to tell on Monday morning.

4. Pick up game.

With the exception of basketball, you rarely see pickup games of baseball and flag football anymore because organized sports are more the norm. But with a few phone calls you can organize a pickup softball game on Saturday. Bring a cooler and sandwiches and your all set — and if it’s a park where you can bring a charcoal grill, even better.

3. Have a yard sale.

I said you couldn’t spend any money, I didn’t say you couldn’t make any. Yard sales are actually pretty fun to host and can be quite lucrative; depending on the goods you have to sell. And it also allows you to clean out your attic or garage.

2. Habitat for Humanity

There are many organizations that don’t want your money as much as they need your time. Habitat for Humanity is a great example. On any given Saturday they have ongoing projects where they could use your help and the great thing is they don’t care if you’re a carpenter or don’t know which end of the hammer to hold. There’s something for everyone to do — and it’s a great way to learn basic construction skills.

1. A trip to nowhere

Probably the most fun I’ve had with my kids is when we would get in the car and head out with absolutely no destination or plan. Because when you do this, you’re not just focused on the destination — because you don’t have one — you’re enjoying the entire trip.
February 15, 2015
The core

I just reviewed some standard sourcing material that Guidance Counselors use for career assessment — you know, the stuff that helps students determine what majors to take in college and then what career path to pursue. There was a lot of information to go through, so I first took a few aptitude tests and then familiarized myself with learning platforms. Then I ran through personality assessments, aptitude enhancing exercises and tracking material to map my career path through online grids. I did all of that.

And? What did all of this determine that I should be doing for a living?

Well, it looks like I should be in —- Alternate Dispute Resolution.

Yup. That’s the career for me.

Now, I’m not really sure what Alternate Dispute Resolution is, but it doesn’t really matter because I love the field that I’m in and I love the job that I have — which has absolutely nothing to do with Alternate Dispute Resolution.

So what does this mean? Does it mean that the tests aren’t accurate? Does it mean that real life will lead you to where you should go?

Well sort of. But first, let me distract you with some statistics.

Recently, Monster.com did a survey which interviewed over 8,000 people in seven different countries and asked them detailed questions about their education and their careers. This is what they found.

15% of the US workers interviewed said that that they hated their jobs — this was the highest rate among the seven countries surveyed.

Who had the lowest rate of people who hated their jobs? India, with only 5%.

The highest pay per capita of all the countries surveyed? — yup, U.S. But — now this is interesting — the US had both the lowest allotted vacation time given to employees as well as the lowest vacation time actually taken. 60% of all US workers roll unused vacation time over each year, where in the Netherlands it’s only 7% and— now this is also interesting — only 8% of the employees in the Netherlands stated that they hated their jobs.

Hmmm.

Okay, question two. What percentage of college graduates end up working in their career fields?

Answer: Roughly half. About 50% of those people with college degrees end up working in their field — and 35% of those people said that they have never worked in that field. Ever.

Okay, one more. 38% of the people polled said that the need for professionals in their chosen field drastically changed by the time they graduated. So, they entered school to be a teacher because the market was good, and four years later there is an overabundance of teachers and they couldn’t find a job in their field.

Okay, so what does all of this mean? Well, one thing it means is that we have a culture that works hard, is afraid to unplug and who never really ends up in the field that they spend thousands of dollars being educated in — and then spending the next twenty years paying off. It means that following the money never works. It also means that the long term career plans — don’t really work.

So —. That’s it.

What? What do you mean —-? That’s it?

Yeah. That’s the whole point. That as simplistic as it sounds, the answer to this — and most large questions in life — is that plans are important but with the bigger aspects of life, plans are simply a direction to start moving in. There are too many variables that will determine the end result. They don’t really matter.

Only this does.

The core.

If your heart is strong. If you give more than you take. If you put the needs of those around you in front of your own and if you respect the person who looks back in the mirror — then you will go where you need to be. You will head where you need to head. You will land where the world needs you to be. Every time.

But if your core is out of balance; is self focused, bitter, jealous or simply driven by the prize itself. Then where you end up is just a location.

Always.

You can do all the math, take all the tests and use all the tools and it wont matter. If you contribute, if you think, if you create, if you love and if you believe. Then you’ll get where God wants you to be.

Work on the core and pick a direction. The rest will take care of itself.

February 12, 2015
The world’s greatest venison roast recipe — ever!

The first thing I need to mention is, I don’t hunt.

Not at all. And that’s not because I’m against hunting, I’m not. I don’t view hunting as being wrong, cruel, barbaric, in fact as long as the meat is being used I think it’s a self-sufficient and admirable thing to do.

In fact, I grew up in a little town in the Catskill Mountains called Walton, NY. and although it might be different now, in those days if Dad didn’t get a deer, it was going to be a long winter. There were many families back then that depended on wild game to supplement their food stocks and The State Police had a long list of families that would take deer killed in car accidents so the meat didn’t go to waste.

I have no problem with hunting. Never did. I just don’t hunt.

But all of us — myself included — know plenty of people that do hunt. Plenty of them. And hunters are very generous people that enjoy sharing some meat with friends and family that will use it.

Which means, that if you’re like me and don’t deer hunt, that doesn’t mean that we don’t need to be familiar with how to cook venison. Especially a venison roast. And the reason to focus on the roast is that besides being a great piece of meat, it’s not as sexy and sought after as say, the tenderloin; which everyone prizes and covets. So, many folks will have extra venison roasts in their freezer and are more than happy to share with all us non-hunters out there that enjoy it and know how to prepare it.

In fact, if you have family or friends that have never had venison and are a little apprehensive to try it — this is the recipe for you. Which is actually how I came to get it.

My mother-in-law grew up being one of those people unfamiliar with venison but her mother-in-law would cook it occasionally for Sunday dinner. This young, recently married woman did not want to insult her husband’s mother, so she tried it. And she was hooked. The meat was tender, moist and tasted, well — nothing like what she expected deer to taste like.

And that is this recipe here. The actual venison roast recipe from my wife’s grandmother, Elsie Wilkins, circa 1950 and the greatest venison roast recipe you will ever find and the only one you will ever need.

It’s so simple, fun to make and has an amazing flavor.

THE WORLD’S GREATEST VENISON ROAST RECIPE — EVER.

Ingredients:

A 4-6 pound venison roast

Flour

1 tablespoon cooking oil

1 large onion

One half garlic clove

4 teaspoons oregano

1 pinch celery seed

4 tablespoons wine vinegar — not cider vinegar

Salt and pepper to taste

Accent ™ to taste.

Directions:

Peel half of a small clove of garlic

Cut small slits in the roast and place long pieces of garlic into the roast — this will add moisture while the roast is cooking.

Place the oil in the bottom of a French Oven (French oven is an enamel covered version of a Dutch oven and retains heat a little better than its Dutch cousin), and bring up to a medium heat on the stovetop.

Brown roast in oil for 10 to 15 minutes, or until a nice brown sear are on all the edges.

Slice one large onion and set aside.

Remove roast. Place onion and vinegar in French oven.

Place spices liberally over the roast (Accent ™, celery seed, salt and pepper, oregano).

Place roast on top of the onions and cook at 325 F for 3 to 4 hours.

Check half way through to see if additional moisture is needed.

Eat and enjoy.

February 6, 2015
Fan mail

We don’t get a lot of e-mail at 543 Magazine — not really — but what’s interesting is that what little email we do receive — in fact almost every piece of it — comes from writers, editors, SEO and internet types. Some want to write for us but all are very happy to tell us everything that we’re doing wrong.

And apparently there’s a lot.

Now what’s fascinating about all of this is, that if you do the math, there are actually more people out there that want to write for this site, than are actually reading this site. And I don’t know exactly what that means.

So removing the many, many e-mails from editors and writers who ask us to stop butchering the English language — okay, we stuck a few of those in — but mostly stuck with our favorites …

Dear 543skills,

So am I better at writing than you? You tell me. Here’s a link to my blog. My life is very interesting so I have a few ideas.

I have experience as a writer so I don’t work for peanuts. We can do a flat rate or word count rate but I need a viable monthly income if I’m doing this full time (we’re talking $2,000+). If you want me to write 600 words you’ll be paying me at least $30-40 an article. I also insist on being credited for my work or at least getting to use samples, having a profile on the site or a link to my personal website & blog.

(Wow, let me grab my wallet before the rate goes up).

Hello,

I just visited your website. While there, I began reading the “to whom it may concern” letter. I found numerous upon numerous grammatical errors in the writing. I’m not sure if this piece is indicative of the writing style throughout the site but as its a letter from the editor, it raises concerns.

(Didn’t he just use the wrong form of its, in telling me how horrible my grammar is?)

Dear 543skills,

Please find attached my article on Gene Doping. I would like to submit this as my first piece. I noticed you don’t have anything on Gene Doping and you should.

(How could I be so stupid as to forget to do an article on Gene Doping? I am such an idiot).

Hey,

In lieu of my resume, here is my email address. We don’t need to wast time with writing when I can save all my good idreas for yer site. How do you get paid for this?

(I’d tell him, but I don’t want to wast his time).

Dear 543skills,

Would you please review my work and get back to me I need work.

(But there was no work attached. Did he mean for me to review it —- telepathically?)

Hello,

I’m a writing specialist and have read a number of your articles, and (shudder) your writing sucks. The articles are poorly edited and …

(Wow. I made someone shudder with my words).

Hey Fellas,

My name is XXXX. I have been a writer for almost 8 years now and I am currently doing freelance work. I do articles, academic papers, web contents, blogs, and creative writing. I always get a high satisfaction ratings from my clients. You will see two bad reviews if you Google me. Ignore them. I can deliver quality output on time with …

(No problem. Consider it ignored).

Greetings,

I have experience in blogging and content writing. I would like to know when and how I get paid. And how much then I’ll let you know if I will write for you.

(Sure. Makes sense).

Prepare to have your mind permantaly blown. HERE. IS. MY. WRITING.

(I refuse to read it. What if he’s right?)

THIS ONE IS ACTUALLY THREE SEPARATE EMAILS ….

EMAIL #1: I’m an experienced freelance writer and I would very much like to join your magazine. I’ve visited your site, browsed through the stories and believe I could make a very good contribution. I would love to be able to

EMAIL #2: Sorry, Im trying to do this on my phone and messed up. Let’s try this again. I’m an experienced freelance writer and I would very much like to join your magazine. I’ve visited your site, browsed through the stories and believe I could make a very good contribution. I would love to be able to write on a variety of topics.

EMAIL #3: Sorry, me again. Can you just call me?

(That’s the entire email).

EMAIL: I’m interested in learning more about your magazine. Can you direct me to a website so I can check out your credentials? Do you have an issue submitting to a background check?

(Nope. And I have a polygraph in the car we can use).

Hey site, How’s it going? I sent along my piece yesterday, but I realized that I didn’t attach any contact info. I’m XXXXX and I can be reached via e-mail at XXXXX@yahoo.com or by phone at XXXXX. If you do call, please leave a detailed VM as I get many calls from publishers and can’t keep them straight. And I will get back to you ASAP.

EMAIL: Hello, name is XXXX. I’m the guy that Jesus Half Animal Villa uses for his content on his website. That should be all the references you need.

(Oh. Well then —. Who?)

So keep those cards and letters coming.

Thanks,

Everett

February 4, 2015
The smart way to spend your tax return money
Around early October — this is when the stores are full of pumpkin carving kits and bite sized packs of Snickers bars — you will see the first sign of the retail Christmas season. In some stores this will be just a peak; a few feet on an aisle where you can buy garland and lights, whereas other retailers will dedicate one side of the Halloween aisle with wrapping paper and bows; just waiting for the first of November when they can evict Halloween and get the inflatable reindeer on the shelf.

Then Halloween which means that Christmas has officially begun — and yeah, there’s Thanksgiving in between and you’ll see displays for Stove Stop Stuffing and premade pie crusts, but Christmas is the real rock star of retail.

Now, if you’re paying attention, this is also when you’ll see the very beginning of the retail tax season. In between the commercials for the hottest door buster bargains, you’ll see the first tax commercials. Small and spread out. Just a few and usually from H&R Block who have significantly bumped up their marketing efforts over the last few years. And these ads will be about how much money you’re not going to get back by using other tax preparers.

These are the teaser adds. Little reminders dropped in amongst the Christmas cheer to get you to start thinking about your taxes.

Then comes Christmas. Then New Years which means that the retail tax season has officially begun. Now the ads will pick up. H&R Block will tell you that you will lose a fortune to the Government if you don’t set up an appointment with them today. Turbo Tax will tell you that it’s so easy to do your taxes at home with their software, any child could do it.

These efforts will increase through TV ads, the internet, those inflatable air dancers you see in parking lots along with guys dressed in Uncle Sam costumes waving large arrows that tell you to hurry up and pull into this shopping center right this second and get your taxes done.

Now what’s interesting is, that at this point in the season the marketing is to get your tax preparations business. After that it begins to switch.

When March comes so does the shift. Now you’ll see new ads migrate from those who want to file your taxes, to those who want to help you spend your tax return. This is when you’ll see car lots offer to do your taxes for you and use the tax money on a new car. You’ll see furniture outlets do the same thing and charitable organizations will ask you to donate a portion of that return. And throughout the month this will get bigger and bigger until the middle of April when the bubble will pop.

Now, the dangerous aspect of these ads — as well as how the retail tax market works — is that all of these efforts are based on one interesting premise. That you look at your tax return money as — found money. As extra money. As money that fell from the sky and now you are looking for a way to get it all and then spend it fast.

Which is perfect. And the retail world is more than happy to help you do that — spend it on a new car, the latest iPhone, furniture, a trip because — well, by gosh, you deserve it.

But here is the boring truth about your tax return.

Ready?

Here it is.

Your tax return is not found money.

What?!

No. It is not.

You didn’t win the lottery. You didn’t find that money on the street and you weren’t given it by a rich uncle. This money, this tax return, is your money that you earned as salary and it was held — in effect, taken from you — until you could document why you should have some of it back.

It’s not separate from your income in any way. It is your income.

Which means that it still falls under the rules of your income.

WHAT TO DO WITH YOUR TAX RETURN

Since this tax return is your income in a lump sum form, the rules you’ve established for your income will apply to your return. And the first rule of your income is …
1. Pay yourself first. No, you shouldn’t blow the tax return, but sticking it all in an account is just as bad because it will soon widdle away and be gone. Like your income, there needs to be a purpose and plan to your money. So, like you do with your paycheck, pay yourself first. This is your income and you would have taken a percentage of it from your salary if these taxes weren’t held. So, if your weekly spending money is 10% of your check, then take 10% of the return and pay it to yourself. And no, this doesn’t mean blow it, it means that this portion of it is your money. It would have been yours if taxes weren’t taken out so it’s yours once they were given back.
2. Start, or add to, your emergency fund. What happens if you get in an accident and need to cover your deductible? What if you lose your job or get hurt? The general rule of thumb regarding an emergency fund is that it should be six to eight months of your salary. Now your tax return may not be that much and that’s fine, all you want to do is add a portion of the return to the fund to build it up. Create an interest bearing savings account that is only used for emergencies and then add to it each paycheck.
3. Pay off or pay down, high interest debt. If you are carrying high interest debt, your emergency fund will be eaten up pretty quickly. Create a plan to eliminate this debt. Again, if your return can’t pay it all off, pay it down and create a plan to not acquire any additional debt and pay it off.
4. Buy what you need. Do you need new tires or is your water heater on its last legs? This is the time to get what you need; those things you’ve been putting off. Pay cash and get that new car battery or replace the broken washing machine.
Stick to these basic rules and treat the return for what it is. Part of your income given back to you in one lump sum.
January 31, 2015
To Whom it May Concern

My name is Leo Blathe and I would like this letter to act as a personal recommendation for Brandon Delucca for the position of Senior Vice President at Cheltech Industries.

I have had the pleasure of knowing Brandon for over three years now and during that time I have found him to be a creative and goal oriented individual to which any company would by impacted by hiring.

I first came to know Brandon when he was a young college student and went door to door looking for odd jobs in our neighborhood. And yes, I have to admit that I was very impressed by his tenacity but I didn’t feel that we needed any help at that time. It was actually my wife, Jocelyn, who immediately saw the potential in this young man and he soon began doing odd jobs for us; helping around the house, mowing the lawn as well as running errands. Later on, as my position changed and I needed to spend more time on the road, Brandon became invaluable to us by not only taking on more responsibility at the house but was even thoughtful enough to stay overnight while I was away. Jocelyn often commented on how comforting it was to have Brandon there while I was gone and I felt better knowing that he was.

As time moved on, Brandon became a bigger and bigger part of our family. But it was about a year later that I got to know Brandon extremely well during the many court appearances that I would see him at during our somewhat complicated divorce trial. At that time, Brandon was not only dependable enough to make sure that Jocelyn made it to each and every court appearance — she didn’t miss even one — but he was also thoughtful enough to drive her in my 1967 Camaro that I had restored so that I could see it. And I have to admit, seeing that car made the long walk back to the hotel all that more pleasant.

As a side note, Brandon is a very talented singer; he plays the guitar and has some extremely impressive dramatic talents. And — oh my gosh — this boy is funny. If you could have seen him during the trial; convincing the judge and court officials that I ran a large methamphetamine lab in our garage —holy cow, I thought I was in a comedy club. In fact, this act was so impressive that the court folks didn’t know that Brandon was joking! Isn’t that amazing? And it was this very enactment that was responsible for me being able to now see my children any time I want to — as long as that is no more than twice a month and providing that a Child Protective Service’s agent is available.

Brandon is an intelligent, capable and dedicated young man. He is quick on his feet and adept at handling any situation. One example of this was when my security clearance at work was being questioned due to the media coverage of our divorce. It was Brandon who played another one of his practical jokes and convinced the National Security Agency that besides being an obvious flight risk, that I had also bragged to him about my years of embezzling and should probably remain under house arrest until this could be fully investigated. And let me tell you, besides it being a pretty funny joke, I sure did appreciate all that down time right about then. I mean, after all the stress of the divorce, my arrest, the heart attack and Brandon’s accident when the Camaro was totaled — don’t worry, he’s fine — it was sure nice to sit in that hotel room and decompress for hours on end. And what a treat; the calming sounds of the freight trains, wow. But it was one nostalgic trip down memory lane getting to watch all three television channels on the hotel rooms black and white television, with vintage rabbit-ears antenna — just like I did as a kid. Ahh, good times. Good times.

So please feel free to contact me with any questions regarding the employment of Brandon Delucca for my old position at Cheltech Technologies. Although I no longer have a cell phone and am not allowed near a computer until I can explain how all those photographs got on my laptop, you can always contact me through my court appointed attorney; Martin Pincolwski. And please do. I don’t receive much mail any more and I would very much enjoy corresponding with anyone about Brandon. Or if you’d like, we could discuss sports. Or current events. Or anything you’d like. Anything at all.

Please write me.

Sincerely,

Leo Blathe

January 27, 2015
How to iron clothes
There is nothing that screams, yes, yes, my mother did used to do my laundry — then when a man shows up wearing wrinkled clothes.

There is nothing that screams — yes, yes, an iron is way too heavy, complicated, frightening and/or dangerous for me to operate — then when a man shows up wearing wrinkled clothes.

And there is nothing that screams, yes, yes, I have officially given up on what I look like and how others see me — as when a man shows up wearing wrinkled clothes.

Nothing.

Ironing your own clothes is right above making your own meals and right below driving your own car. It’s a basic modern day survival skill.

So learn it. Do it. Live it. .

THE GOLDEN RULE OF LAUNDRY:

Now we are discussing ironing not laundry but there is one important rule of laundry that will guide your ironing success. And it’s this.

Don’t use the dryer.

With the exception of socks, underwear and blue jeans never, ever, dry your clothes in a dryer. Hang everything out to dry — not necessarily outside but in your closet, on a clothes line in your laundry room or wherever you can find some space. Especially dress shirts and t-shirts. A dryer will not only shrink these shirts in as little as one drying but it will seriously shorten their life.

So don’t do it.

HOW TO IRON CLOTHES:

Tools you will need:

One iron — you can use a steam iron but the method below does not use the steam option. Standard irons usually range from 1200 watts to 1800 watts with some higher end models go up from there. But all this really has to do with is how fast it heats up now how hot it really gets. A standard iron will run you about thirty bucks and should last for years.

One standard size ironing board — those dorm sized travel boards are just plain silly and don’t work. Don’t use them. You’ll need something sturdy and has a top that you’re comfortable ironing on.

One spray bottle.

One pile of clothes to iron.

Ironing Shirts:
1. Spray your shirt down with water from the spray bottle — if you are ironing your shirt straight from the washer you can skip this step and it actually is an advantage of ironing right from the washer.
2. Plug in the iron and set the temperature gauge to the type of cloth you are ironing. If you’re not sure, check the label on the shirt.
3. Place the damp shirt on the ironing board. Hold the shirt by the collar right side of the shirt facing you and spread the collar out on the ironing board — you’ll be ironing under the collar first. Iron and turn the collar over and repeat.
4. Place the damp shirt on the ironing board so the back of the shirt is flat. Iron.
At any time if the shirt begins to dry out, spray the cloth down again.
1. Flatten the sleeves against the board and iron the sleeves. Flatten one cuff on the ironing board and iron it, then take that sleeve by the seam and lay the whole sleeve flat on the ironing board. If you can see the crease on the top of the sleeve from previous ironing, try to match it again so that you have a single crease line on the sleeve. Repeat with the other sleeve.
2. Iron the front of the shirt. With the collar to your left, place the left side of the shirt on your ironing board. Iron around the collar and then down, smoothing with your had if needed. Keep rotating, smoothing, and ironing until you come to the right front of the shirt. Iron the top section first then the rest of it.
Ironing pants:

This is pretty easy and only has two real steps …
1. Hook pants over the tip of the board so the upper thigh part of the pant is flat. Iron that part. Repeat on the other end.
2. Find the crease of the pant and fold along the crease. Iron the front crease and the back. Repeat on the other leg.
January 24, 2015
REVIEW: Book: Hughes. By Richard Hack.

There are certain names in American history that we have a vague knowledge of. Howard Hughes is one of those names. We know that Howard Hughes was the wealthiest man in the country. We know he was a test pilot, a record holding aviator and we know he was a famous recluse in his later years. And after that — the details become foggy.

In his book Hughes: The Private Diaries, Memos and Letters; The Definitive Biography of the First American Billionaire, author Richard Hack has been able to juggle a few difficult objectives. He has supplied a never ending minutia of detail about the man — from specifics of Hughes’ father in the late 1800’s through day to day accounts of the man himself. But do it in such a way where even the smallest facet is both fascinating and lures the reader deeper down the path.

Howard Hughes was born in 1905. When his overprotective mother died in 1922 and his workaholic father two years later, Hughes became heir to the Hughes Tool Company fortune — then valued at half a million dollars — at nineteen years of age. At that time his goals were to be the world’s greatest golfer, the world’s greatest pilot and the world’s greatest movie-maker.

At nineteen, Hughes decides that a serious, young businessman needs a wife so he chooses Ella Rice, a pretty, socially prominent young lady in Houston. Though already in love with someone else, Ella was persuaded by her mother that Howard was a better catch. Soon Hughes was so involved in his golf and movie making endeavors — as well as other women — that he had little time or interest left for Ella or any of his extended family.

In Hollywood, Hughes produces and directs several films including; Two Arabian Nights that wins an Oscar as well as the infamous Hell’s Angels — considered the best special effects film of the decade. Hughes goes on to make many other profitable films and in 1948 he buys RKO Studios which establishes him as a major film maker.

Hughes romantic conquests included Lana Turner, Ginger Rogers, Ava Gardner, Ida Lupino, Olivia de Havilland, Katherine Hepburn, Terry Moore, Yvonne DeCarlo, Kathryn Grayson, Bette Davis, Rita Hayworth, Linda Darnell, Billie Dove, and so many more. In fact it wasn’t uncommon for Hughes to actually be engaged to two even three women at once.

In 1938, prompted by the success of Charles Lindbergh, Hughes set a new record for an around-the-world flight. This won the man a congressional medal, the Harmon Trophy and the Collier Trophy for Aviation. He was also honored with a ticker-tape parade down Broadway in New York City. Hughes — now convinced that air travel had a future — acquired TWA Airlines.

But it’s when Hughes develops a case of syphilis, that his already high fear of germs begins to percolate.

One of the most fascinating aspects of the book is that in his last twenty years of life; when he was a complete recluse; naked in blacked-out rooms devoting days at a time to screening B-movies, dictating long memos to his staff — important memos such as a 22 page procedure on how to open a can of fruit for him — and going through a dozen boxes of Kleenex a day — that his empire actually grew the most. In fact, Hughes orchestrated the purchase of dozens of Las Vegas properties all while being naked on a recliner and never seeing another human being. In fact, his long term aid, Robert Maheu, who had daily — sometimes hourly — contact with the man and managed all of his interests, never even met Howard Hughes in person.

In the last few decades of life, Howard Hughes liberally injected codeine, his hair and fingernails grew to grotesque lengths, he kept urine in mason jars and his body was covered with bed sores since he would spend entire days at a time in a recliner in the dark.

By the end of the book you will know Howard Hughes well. You may not like him — because there isn’t a lot to like about the man — but you will know him. And you’ll be thankful to Richard Hack for the introduction.

January 20, 2015
The 10 most amazing abandoned places of the U.S.

They’ve always amazed and intimated us; those great empty houses, abandoned factories and forbidden structures that lie just beyond the fence. The ruins of a previous time. There are so many to choose from but here are our top 10.

10. Glenwood Power Station, Yonkers, NY

On the banks of the mighty Hudson River, the closed Glenwood power plant closed in the 1960’s and is an abandoned industrial monster in one of the larges cites in the world. .

9. Fort Caroll, Baltimore, MD

You can see it as you drive across the Francis Scott Key Bridge, A weeded island on the water, that was once a defense against possible attack during the Civil War. The irony is that so many generations of birds have made the fort their home that it is now protected from development by US environmental law.

8. Mispillion Lighthouse, Mispillion, Delaware

Built in 1831 it served until 1929, when it was deactivated and replaced by a steel tower at nearby Cape Henlopen. The lighthouse had fallen into an extreme state of disrepair, and was considered by Lighthouse Digest magazine to be America’s Most Endangered Lighthouse.

7. Francisco Morazán shipwreck, South Manitou island, Michigan

Wanting to make one last trip before winter, the Francisco Morazan left Chicago on November 27, 1960 bound for Holland. Blinding rain and snow forced the shop aground at of South Manitou Island. The crew abandoned ship and was taken by the ice-breaker Mackinaw to Traverse City. The owners of the ship could never be found and nothing was done about removing the ship.

6. Michigan Central Station, Detroit, Michigan

Built in 1913, it was the tallest rail station in the world. By the late 1970s, it was falling under disrepair and the last train left the station in 1987. Restoration projects and plans have gone as far as the negotiation process, but none has come to fruition.

5. Hushpuckena, Mississippi,

Hushpuckena is a small community of abandoned buildings that lies behind Highway 61 north of Shelby, Mississippi. that includes stores and a small hospital. Old clothing an still be found in the stores as well as piles of medical records from in the small hospital.

4. Chippewa Lake Park – Medina, Ohio

Chippewa Lake Park was an amusement park that operated from 1878 through 1978. It was closed due to lack of attendance. The rides and structures were left largely untouched and unmaintained for almost 40 years.

3. Brookfield Air Force base, Brookfield, Ohio

Brookfield Air Force Station was opened in 1952 as a Ground-Control Intercept and warning station. The squadron’s focus was to guide interceptor aircraft toward unidentified intruders picked up on the unit’s radar scopes. It was closed in 1983 due to budget cuts.

2. Roseville Prison – Roseville, Ohio

The prison at Roseville is just across the county line Muskingum Ohio. Good behavior inmates were sent there to work in the ovens and make bricks. The prison was closed in 1977.

1. Palace Theatre. Gary Indiana.

The Palace Theater was built in 1924 and featured live stage shows, vaudeville acts and motion pictures. But when the US Steel plant went into decline, so did the town. The theatre closed in 1972 and has been abandoned ever since.

January 17, 2015
Steve Vaught; The fat man walking

It was not only the feel good story of the year but it was the greatest underdog comeback — ever. We loved it. And we couldn’t get enough of it.

This is what happened.

In 2005, Steve Vaught; an obese man of 400 pounds, a married, ex-marine with young children — saw that his world was spiraling out of control. He wanted to gain his health and his life back. So, with the support of his family, he decided to do something drastic. He would walk — yes, walk — across the country from his home in Seaside, California, to New York City, on a spiritual and mental journey. He would walk 3,000 miles. And when he got to New York City he would be the man, the father and the husband, that he had always wanted to be.

So, Steve said goodbye to his family — his wife April, his infant son Nicholas and his two year old daughter Clara — and began walking, very slowly, heading east. Always east. His wife created a website for him — fatmanwalking.com — to track his movements and to add in journal entries that Steve would dictate to her from the road.

It didn’t take long for the word to spread of Steve’s walk and people began logging into the website — a few people at first and then a few more until millions were on the site. Then people would wait for him along his route to have their pictures taken and encourage him. Then the media became interested. Then manufacturers contacted him; hiking, camping, walking shoe companies; all donating equipment for Steve to use.

And — when Steve was not even half way through his walk — Harper Collins offered him a lucrative book deal with a $150,000 advance and assigned a ghostwriter to do all the actual writing; the publisher quickly got a $70,000 check out along with a book contract. Oh — and this was besides the documentary film crew that began filming him and offered him a distribution deal. And I’m not even including the worldwide media coverage that came everywhere from CNN to Oprah to the BBC.

Steve Vaught had become America’s darling. In fact, Katy Couric used those very words the next morning after Steve entered New York City on May 9^th of 2006, this completing his trip and appeared at the Today Show studios to talk about his journey.

Now that was in May of 2006. And by September of 2006 — three months after completing his famous 3,000 mile trek — Steve Vaught was divorced, broke, unemployed and living in a Super 8 Motel (an actual step up from sleeping in his car where he had been until it was sold to avoid repossession), declaring bankruptcy and fending off lawsuits and creditors.

Harper Collins wanted their advance back, stating they cannot work with him. The documentary company has shelved the project with no plans of ever completing it and a plan for a fat man walking series of runs and speaking engagements were cancelled.

What?

How —? How — did that all happen?

The idea of a fat man, walking across the country, taming his demons, is a great story. An amazing story. And it’s easy to become attracted to it and want to learn more, which is why the interest grew so quickly. But here are the facts.

Vaught abandoned his struggling young family to take this walk. Yeah I know, abandoned is a tough word since it was possible that he could have walked away with $150,000 dollars in his pocket afterwards to better support them — something he did not know or expect when he left. But still, it was a gamble and it demonstrated where his priorities were when he would leave a family who was already in serious financial trouble and needed him as a provider and a father. This character flaw would show itself in other ways.

Vaught went walking but still did not deal with his addiction to food — of all the photos from the website and the video, he eats all the wrong foods and a whole lot of them. A whole lot. For a man on a journey to fight his addictions, it looks like he didn’t fight at all but simply took them on the road.

Steve Vaught has no problem accepting charity. In fact, Steve was glad to receive donations from people on the road as well as donations through his website. Not a problem at all. If you are walking across the country, it’s almost expected that you’ll need some help along the way. But he quickly began to expect these gifts and feel entitled to them and it appears that this practice has not stopped. On one of his most recent Twitter posts, almost ten years after his famous walk, Steve is asking complete strangers to donate money so he can open up an auto repair facility. Before that he was asking for donation so he could pay his rent. These are not the qualities we like to see in our heroes.

There is some question if Steve actually did walk the entire way from California to New York. In fact, on one occasion, he walked 114 miles around Albuquerque in a single day. That’s a very long way to walk for a man who moved at a snail’s pace and averaged anywhere from zero to fourth miles a day. So that was also the highest single day he had ever walked — by triple. But Steve states that he did walk that distance and he did not take a single ride.

Steve Vaught did not lose much weight. In fact, he lost very little weight. Accounts vary since there was not an official weigh in and weigh out. Steve stated he lost 100 pounds and then other times said 60 pounds. But if you look at the before and after photos, there’s not a big difference. In fact, hardly any. And for such a journey we wanted to share in were expecting a spiritual and physical transformation.

Vaught talks about his journey but if you read the journals and his blog, he doesn’t seemed to have changed much as a person over that trip. We don’t read of any epiphanies or adjustment in his outlook. He doesn’t talk of being blessed or lucky. He doesn’t become humbled. He just walked.

Walking across the country should take about six months. It took Steve Vaught over one full year because he flew back to California more than once — and on one occasion he stayed there for several months working with a personal trainer.

And …

Steve Vaught is not a very nice person. He just isn’t. He is self-focused, a little egotistical and he believes that he is entitled to a whole lot more than he has and is waiting to be given it.

Which goes to prove — what?

Well, it goes to prove that opportunity is easy. It’s out there all around us. Everywhere. Big opportunity. But our character will determine if we can capture that opportunity and keep it. Or if it will just burn away.

Carl Bagley, one of the directors on the now defunct documentary project about Steve Vaught, was quoted as saying, “It’s an amazing thing about America: We can make anybody a hero. Whether they deserve it or not.”

January 14, 2015
Depression in men
A radical statistical shift is when a significant number of people within a group suddenly change in action — it’s the unexpected, quick right turn of statistics. It’s when, without communicating and completely independent of the group, individuals act in a common but unpredicted manner that isn’t orchestrated or even acknowledged and the group shifts. So, instead of deciding between a Ford or Chevy, for example, millions sell their cars and start riding bicycles; or a neighborhood that is prime and expanding, suddenly sees a mass exodus of people selling and moving to live off the grid. It’s the place on the graph when the spike moves sideways.

It’s the didn’t see that coming, moment.

One of these radical statistic shifts have occurred with men over the last ten years that wasn’t expected and is more than a little shocking.

For the first time in American history, the largest group of people most likely to commit suicide are — middle aged men.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, middle-aged men — those between the ages of 45 to 64 — have the highest rate of suicide; a rate that has been rising since 1999.

Which means that for the first time ever, the once vulnerable teenager — insecure, sullen, angry and fearful — is half as likely to kill themselves as their own fathers are.

Why is this?

Well, one major driver seems to be that men emotionally suffer alone — especially when it comes to sensitive areas such as stress, relationships and financial issues; common categories involved in suicide among men. Men ignore it and suck it up. We plow through crisis rather than dealing with the causes. We fight instead of discuss and — and here is the big one — we don’t know how to, or even want to, cope with the possibility that we may be — depressed. We see depression as something that’s for the weak and an area to simply ignore and work through. Men can view depression as being ungrateful — as a slap in the face to our family, friends and work — since what do we have to be depressed about? As well as see it as a state that only occurs to frail people, ungrateful people. Not to us.

Now, does being depressed mean that we are likely to commit suicide?

Absolutely not. It’s the smallest percentage of depressed men that go on to commit suicide. The very smallest. But — here’s the important part — all men that commit suicide are depressed.

So what does that mean?

Well, it means that as tough as it sounds, we men need to acknowledge and face the fact that we are very likely to get depressed, return to it and possibly may be depressed right now.

SINGS OF DEPRESSION IN MEN
- Unexpected anger and anxiety
- Loss of interest in once pleasurable activities — work, family, friend
- Change in libido.
- Not being able to sleep or wanting to sleep all the time.
- Feeling very tired
- Difficulty in concentrating or remember details
- Overeating, or not wanting to eat at all
- Escapist or risky behavior; driving recklessly, compulsive gambling, abuse of drugs or alcohol, or an emersion in pornography.
- Aches or pains, headaches, cramps, or digestive problems
Yup. So according to the math, there is a 73% chance that you have been, will be or currently are, depressed. And the first step — that absolute silver bullet — is to acknowledge it. To recognize it.

Being depressed as a man does not make you weak. It doesn’t make you vulnerable. It doesn’t mean you’re broken and it doesn’t even mean that it’s a permanent state.

It makes you human.

And being human males, there are certain ways — methods that are effective for us — to work through the depression.

Here are a few.
1. Exercise. Exercise is the absolutely best self-treatment for depression. Physical activity releases endorphins in the brain and elevates mood — even a 20 minute walk each day can have amazing results in how clear you think and how you deal with stress.
2. Unplug. In our stressful lives, it’s important to build in time to turn off the cell phone and computer and give yourself permission to leave the cyber web for a while. Go for a walk, a bike ride or go read a book — without being able to be contacted by text, email or voice. Step out and go black for a while. Or a weekend. Disconnect.
3. Identify sources of stress. This is a big one in men because we see this as a weakness but by classifying what we see as stressful, we can create ways to act differently. To build in methods to counter it. If we know the Tuesday meeting is stressful, we can schedule our workout right before it, or if that confrontation with the neighbor is going to get heated we can go watch a comedy before and just laugh for an hour.
4. Accept help when it’s offered. Whether it’s having someone else read through your presentation or getting a neighbor to help you stack wood, asking for help is difficult for men. But it does not mean your weak and it does not mean you’ve failed if you need help to accomplish something. It shows wisdom in asking for and accepting help.
5. Say no. This is huge with men. Not only do we want to do everything, we want to do it all well and we want there to be no limit. But we also need to find what works for us. Over committing is the fastest way to tap into your energy reserves and sabotage other areas of your life. It’s not weak, uncaring or wrong — to say, no. It’s healthy and wise.
6. Talk. Find someone — a member of your family, a friend, co-worker, professional, it doesn’t matter — and begin to unload. Talk about what’s going on; what’s your feeling and frustrated with. It’s very common that when you begin to actually put into words how you feel, the bubble weakens. But here is the trick. For many of us that finally unload on thoughts and feelings that we’ve kept bottled up we often feel angry afterwards. Agree that when we talk we are not going to regret the talking.
January 10, 2015
Couch surfing
The process of personal travel — whether it’s a European tour or a weekend getaway — is all pretty much the same. The location doesn’t matter. The time of year doesn’t matter and neither does the budget — you could have a thousand dollars a day to blow or you could need to stretch a few bucks for the entire week.

Whether New York or Paris; whether it’s a cruise to the Bahamas or a camping trip in the Adirondacks; the process, the plan, the results, will always follow a specific path. The core will remain constant which means the results will be similar.

Here is an example.

Let’s say you’re taking a trip to a place that you’ve never been. You arrange transportation. You pay for a place to stay — a hotel room, a houseboat, campsite, it doesn’t matter. You research things to do and see while we you are there. You arrive and you head out to do and see as many of those things as possible in the allotted time you have.

Now, when the trip is over, this is what will have occurred.
1. The place you stayed during this trip will most likely be your biggest expense, transportation often being a close second, which means that you are paying someone to allow you to sleep
2. Since you’ve never been to this location before, you are relying on guides, websites and reviews to guide you to locations and activities that are in the business to get you to their service or their location.
So this means that, in theory, three different groups can go to, let’s say New York City, at different times of the year, from different locations and stay and different places. And they could all come home with the similar photographs in front of the same areas of the city and — and here’s the big part — probably not have any experience that involves other human beings besides the ones that they went on the trip with,— or developed new relationships with anyone other than those they traveled with — in spite of the fact that they are in a city of nine million people.

Oh sure, they’ll have a great story about the waiter and that couple they spoke to on the bus, but pretty much all their photographs, all the video, all the Facebook posts will be of the group they went with; seeing the places someone else wanted them to pay along with the standard tourist attractions.

Okay, so here is option two.

You decide to go to a place that you’ve never been to. You make contact with a person, family or couple that have the same values as you, the same interests, who live in the place you want to visit and who love having house guests. You visit their home — as their guest, at no charge — and they show you the area from the perspective of someone who lives there. Sure they take you to the touristy areas but also to the local haunts that you would never find on your own. They introduce you to their family, to friends, to coworkers and you have a trip that not only involves a new place but a new group of people that you didn’t start out with. Which means this set of photographs, these pieces of video and these Facebook posts will be completely different than the first group.

Oh yeah I forgot — and since you’ve taken lodging out of the budget this trip could cost half of a traditional one.

And then let’s flip that. What if you found a person, family, couple who had the same values as you who wanted to visit your area from a different country, different city, or different coast. Think about how unlike the average week it would be at your home if you had someone from France, Belgium, Africa, the Netherlands or even just another part of the country, staying in your guest room or crashing on your couch? And what’s interesting about that is that most people have only a few weeks of vacation but by having people stay with you, you in effect have a vacation with each batch of visitors.

And yeah, I know, it’s not for everybody. And yes, you’re right, there is some safety and background steps that are built into the process and absolutely you need to take precautions, but this option, this manner of travel — changes everything.

This is called Couch Surfing — or hospitality exchange or it has many names with many different databases to choose from. And it makes travel an adventure — and a low cost one — rather than a destination. (Oh, and even though it’s called hospitality exchange there is no requirement to host in order to be hosted or visa versa. You can just travel or you can just host or a mix).

Which brings us to Kenny Flannery. Kenny is a young man who in 2007 decided to walk away from his New York City office job and see the world and for seven years he has been hitchhiking, bumming rides and sleeping on strangers couches all over the country and parts of the world. Now Kenny is the extreme example of this but it does illustrate that the guy without a job probably has been to most of many of the places on your bucket list.

Why?

Because money has nothing to do with travel. Absolutely nothing. And by tapping into this worldwide collection of people who just want to meet you — it changes everything.

Couch surfing website —- http://about.couchsurfing.com/about/

Kenny Flannery’s site — http://www.hobolifestyle.com
January 7, 2015