I've Wondered This Myself...

 

Winston Churchill - the Redux

 I have appreciated Winston's words for a long time. Time for another look -- if we have to have politicians, may they be strong, practical and plain-speaking!

"You have enemies? Good. That means you've stood up for something, sometime in your life."

More than 500 quotes here from the Great One. He was quite prolific -- and very aware of the power words could produce. 


Here are other Winston quotes that resonate:

"Success is never final. Failure is never fatal. It is courage that counts."

"If you are going through hell, keep going."

"We make a living by what we get, but we make a life by what we give."


and one of my very favorites:

"Writing is an adventure. To begin with, it is a toy and an amusement. Then it becomes a mistress, then it becomes a master, then it becomes a tyrant. The last phase is that just as you are about to be reconciled to your servitude, you kill the monster and fling him to the public." 


I look at that one, every time I start working on a new book. 

And to finish -- one of the stories he told. He was sleeping in the Lincoln Bedroom:

'During one of his stays at the residence in the 1940s, Churchill had just finished a bath and was walking into the main bedroom, completely nude, when he saw the president standing by the fireplace. “Good evening Mr. President. You seem to have me at a disadvantage,” Churchill is said to have quipped. [Lincoln smiled -- and disappeared.] 

'Though he handled it well, the Prime Minister requested different rooms on subsequent visits.'

Truer Words Were Never Said

 

...and we humans do it soooo well.

The Letters

     Lately I've been working on a very interesting line of study:  

     Signatures. Autographs. Letters. And such.

     Famous (and infamous) celebrity signatures go for WAY more than you would think. Many times these are clipped from letters, or scribbled on cards. They're interesting. And salable.

     But the real value, if you can find them, is on letters and notes -- especially those that reference places, people and events in these people's lives. A peek into their writing feels a bit strange, yet exciting...like a conversation you're accidentally overhearing. 

     I research paper ephemera on Ebay -- in part to keep appraising skills current. But I also am intrigued by what's showing up on the market from people, past and present.

Like Charles Dickens. 

     I've rattled on about Charley before; you know that if you've been reading this blog for a while. His work was the main subject of my Master's paper at the University of Michigan, and I've continued to read his books -- and books about him -- since then. 

     Dickens signatures average $700-900 on Ebay lately, with letters (bland ones) triple or quadruple that. I really could not see paying good money for just an autograph... or even worse, an envelope in his writing, but no signature. 

     Then this came onto Ebay: a 1906 Dickens novel. With two letters from Dickens pasted inside!

Letter #1 is the gem: a note from Dickens introducing his "old friend" Henry Wadsworth Longfellow (who WAS an old friend), written to a then-famous artist. And it's on his office letterhead. Whoa. Notice the lavishly-underlined signature, and the blue ink -- both "tells" of Dickens during this period. (Yes, I studied to learn that)

Letter #2 is more your usual 'responding to a request' letter -- but it's written on Gad's Hill letterhead. Dickens' long-wished-for home, purchased in the last decade of his life. Scribbled quickly, also in blue ink. Typical of the stuff offered online -- nice, though.

    The Ebay seller was asking far more than I could afford. Then they sent a special offer -- still too much. Using the "Best Offer" principle, I made an offer for less than half of what they were asking. (ALWAYS offer less than they're asking, if they're open to the possibility of a Best Offer.)

    They accepted it!

    The letters are real. The ink and paper are consistent with the period. Longfellow WAS visiting Dickens in England at the time Letter #1 was dated. And Dickens WAS living at Gad's Hill during the period Letter #2 was written. Also, his writing and signature are consistent with other examples that have been authenticated. 

     I opened the package, trembling a little, and gently touched the pages. I could actually sell Letter #1 for much more than I spent for the entire lot. But Dickens ephemera has only been going up in value -- I will hang on these for a while, probably framing them. What an opportunity to study writing and signatures up-front and personal! 

    Soon after, I bumbled across a letter written by Augustus Egg, one of Dickens' buddies. It was at an already-low price, but I submitted a Best Offer, anyways. 

     The seller accepted that, too! 

         Egg had moved into The Elms not long before. I am a fan of this Victorian artist, including The Travelling Companions, one of his better-known paintings. He was very much in vogue in past years, though his work is selling a bit slower nowadays. (Good -- maybe I can get one cheaper!)

Dickens' and Egg's letters join a few notes I'd already collected, including Georgina Hogarth (Charley's sister-in-law) and Kate Perugini, his oldest daughter. I also have, I confess, an extensive collection of Dickens novels and commentaries -- all purchased at rock-bottom prices. I had to -- we didn't have enough $$ to spend more. Ironically, being retired has produced more income for us than we'd seen in decades. So it's given me more dollars for research and collecting than I ever used to have. But the Hollander instinct is still strong. I barter, dicker and trade a lot. 

You can buy books from Dickens' personal library, with his bookplate inside. This one's going for more than $500 on Ebay. Or, if you're curious, read the story behind his "lost portrait."  Found at a garage sale!

                                    ==============

    To make my study of signatures and autographs even more helpful, I've been reading the memoirs of Charles Hamilton, a well-known dealer in memorabilia. His books Great Forgers and Famous Fakes, and Scribblers and Scoundrels, are virtual classes in identifying famous signatures -- including up-close examples of fakes, as well as the real stuff. 

Case in point: Abraham Lincoln signatures are extremely popular -- and just as often faked. One way to tell these -- Lincoln rarely signed his full name; usually it was just 'A. Lincoln.' But here's the kicker: his 'A.' was higher or lower than the 'L' in 'Lincoln!' A quick look at Ebay offerings was startling -- you would not believe the straight-line signatures out there! 

    Another trick of the forgers: get an authentic deed, paper, pass, etc. of that time -- then just forge a quick note or signature. Study of those examples usually tanks when you research where that person was at that time period -- and what they were doing. (The ink, signature characteristics and style fail, too.)

     Hamilton had an extensive collection of fakes, which he paid for at lesser rates. (Sometimes, he says, the forgers' signatures have been more expensive than some of the people they copied.) He uses these for comparison, and keeping his eye sharp. This is one of the reasons I collect specific pieces of china (like an 1840s Gaudy Welsh cup and saucer), books and quilts. How can I understand what a c.1800 quilt is like, if I can't smell, feel and look at an example up-close? 

    Starting my own collection of signatures and letters, even if it's miniscule, feels wonderful.

Eccles Cake and Miss Read - Redux

 Someone is still trying to piggyback onto very old posts. To keep them at bay, I've been putting dozens of old posts back into 'draft' form. Some are worth repeating -- like this one!

If you're drinking coffee, you're apt to live longer. 

The National Institute of Health and AARP's recent study of 400,000 is the largest ever...and surprised the pants off researchers, who expected to show that coffee was the Ever-Growing Kiss of Death. Earlier studies had suggested that coffee raised LDL levels ('bad' cholesterol), as well as blood pressure short-term...and those combined do pose a risk of heart disease.
     "Even in the new study," according to the Associated Press article by Marilynn Marchione, "it seemed coffee drinkers were more likely to die at any given time. But they also tended to smoke, drink more alcohol, eat more red meat and exercise less than people who don't drink coffee. Once that was taken into account, a clear pattern emerged: Each cup of coffee per day [caffeine or no caffeine] nudged up the chances of living longer."
     They just don't know why. (See the report here.)

While trying to face the day, first cup of coffee in hand, I enjoy a dip now and then in Miss Read's books. Miss Read, in case you're unfamiliar with her, has a whole English countryside of several towns, and vivid characters, waiting to meet you. They're "cosies," snippets and tidbits of these people's activities all year round -- and a refreshing change from your own. Her Christmas stories are unparalleled, too. (The nearest I can get, American-wise, is Jan Karon's work.)
   Anyhow, Miss Read's people love to add baked goods to their tea and coffee, including something called 'eccles cakes.' Wikipedia defines them as  "a small, round cake filled with currants and made from flaky pastry with butter, which is sometimes topped with demerara sugar." They seem to be something like a date-filled or fruitcake cookie. (The Mama makes a sugar cookie filled with ground raisins that seem to be like these. Looks more like a pancake in the photos, but you eat them out of hand.) Some sources say they're similar to the Banbury cakes of the nursery rhyme...but that doesn't help us Yanks much.
   Here's what the Salford City Council, home of the Eccles cake, says about it:

In 1793 James Birch’s shop on the corner of Vicarage Road in Eccles began selling small, flat, raisin-filled cakes. They sold, quite literally, like hot cakes!
Earlier, in 1769, Mrs Elizabeth Raffald, the housekeeper and owner of a confectioner’s shop in Arley Hall, Cheshire, wrote an influential cookery book, "The Experienced English Housekeeper, which became a bestseller. The book contained a recipe for "sweet patties" with ingredients identifiably similar to the Eccles cakes of today. Could this have been the recipe seized upon by a cookery-mad servant girl who took a copy of the book with her when she went to live in ... Eccles?
Whatever the murky origins of the cakes, James Birch was certainly the first person credited with selling them on a commercial basis...
     Whether James Birch made a name for his cakes in the 1780s, in 1796, or indeed some time later, is now impossible to say. It is equally impossible to construct a link between James Birch and Elizabeth Raffald (who died four years before the opening of Birch’s shop).
More recently the question of origin of Eccles Cakes has been raised in Parliament. A question was tabled regarding the future of cakes made outside Eccles to the same ingredients. Could non Eccles-made cakes still be referred to (and sold) as Eccles cakes?

 How many cakes, cookies or cupcakes do we know that are worthy of being debated in Congress?? Back to the story:

Throughout history, families making Eccles and (the similar) Banbury cakes have all kept their recipes as closely guarded secrets. One of the most famous expressions in Eccles is "The secret dies with me!".
The authors of cookery books would therefore have had to invent their own recipes based on the taste of the cakes they purchased at different shops. 17th Century recipes for Banbury cakes do exist but show that they differ from 19th Century ones. A major difference was the use of yeast which was necessary before the introduction of raising agents.
Although no 18th Century and only a few 19th Century cookery books give recipes specifically for Eccles cakes, it may well be that early ones differ from those known today.
Mrs Raffald’s original recipe for "sweet patties" of 1769 was a mixture of the meat of a boiled calf’s foot (gelatine), plus apples, oranges, nutmeg, egg yolk, currants and French brandy enveloped in a good puff pastry which could be either fried or baked. The use of the word "meat" [or "mincemeat"] in the early recipes serves as a reminder that meat was originally an ingredient in mincemeat.
The fact that Eccles cakes were being exported by 1818 also suggests very good keeping qualities, so they may well have included spirits such as brandy and rum. No wonder the Puritans wanted to ban them.

Well, gee. I'd better go dig that calf's foot out of the freezer, and resurrect the French brandy -- or maybe I'll just use the modern recipe below. Surprise your family with this venerable goodie, or have one yourself, preferably while reading something by Miss Read. (I'd recommend Village School or Christmas Tales, for starters, or the first one I ever read -- Mrs. Pringle.)

ECCLES CAKES (courtesy of the Salford City Council)

• 1lb 2oz/ 500g puff pastry
• 1oz/ 25g butter, melted
• Pinch freshly ground nutmeg
• 2 oz/55g candied peel
• 4 oz/ 110g sugar
• 8 oz/ 225g currants

Preparation:

Pre-heat oven to 425°/220°C/Gas 7

• In a medium saucepan, combine the sugar and butter and cook over a medium heat until melted.
• Off the heat, add currants, candied peel and nutmeg.
• On a lightly-floured surface, roll the pastry thinly and cut into rounds of about ¼ inch/0.5cm thickness and 4 inch/10cm diameter.
• Place a small spoonful of filling onto center of each pastry circle.
• Dampen the edges of the pastry with a little cold water and draw the edges together over the fruit and pinch to seal.
• Turn over the patty over, then press gently with a rolling pin to flatten the cakes. Snip a V in the top with scissors. Place on a greased baking tray.
• Brush with water and sprinkle with a little extra sugar.
• Bake in the preheated oven for 15 minutes or until lightly browned round the edges.
• Place on a wire rack and allow to cool.Try not to eat them all at once!

Miss Read, aka Dora Saint, died back on April 2012 -- 10 days short of her 99th birthday. She may not have had the notoriety of a Robert Ludlum or Clive Cussler...but her books were never out of print. Reading them, I felt as if I were talking to an old and trusted friend. Take a look at her obituary for more. Her bibliography is here.More on her life, and the area she lived in here.
   Rest in peace, Miss Read. We will miss you.

Ripple Effect

 One Of The Largest Roman Mosaic Floors Was Discovered During The Construction Of A Hotel In Antakya, Turkey. The Warping Effect Was Caused By The Earth Shifting Over Time And Earthquakes, Giving It The Impression Of A Giant Rippled Blanket

For more odd and intriguing images, look here. 

Monday Stuff On the Way to Other Stuff: Surviving

 It was a VERY long seven days last week. I started with two days in the Denver/Castle Rock area, appraising...then spending some time with friends before they left on a European trip. (Lucky stiffs) Then supper on the way home with another set of friends in the Springs. We just don't get to see these people very often -- talking with them is like a breath of cool air wending its way across the valley. We love them dearly.

    Add to that a pastor luncheon I catered on Saturday (which needed a lot of prep work earlier in the week), plus the usual round of Stuff -- and it's been zany. The Brick and I both took naps most days...just to get through. 

    So -- apologies for missing a Monday Stuff post. But it couldn't be helped. Plenty of work to do this week, as well, but at least we can (mostly) stay home.

A final shoutout of Happy Father's Day to the Brick -- who's been a wonderful dad to our kids -- and our dear Pa, who's been gone for nearly 15 years. I miss him more than words can say.

See you soon, Dad -- love you.

Meanwhile:

Moraine Park Campground at Rocky Mountain National Park will NOT be open this summer.    FYI -- this is really going to cut back on camping at the park.

A frugal grocery shopping strategy that works -- from Retireby40.

Six cars that are still a great purchase secondhand -- advice from an experienced mechanic.

An Assyrian military camp mentioned in the Bible -- traces have just been found.

Here are some other dads, showing off their skills -- and driving their wives crazy.

Nice to know that craziness -- and babies -- survive through the generations.

A fascinating discovery uncovered at Mount Vernon -- jars and jars of preserved fruit, including cherries! (No, they're probably not edible -- but perhaps now we could grow George Washington's specific cherry trees.)

The girl at Messy, Thrilling Life (one of my favorite bloggers, now usually quiet) may be buying Freeman House back! Did she or didn't she?? I've been trying to find out.

A rare white bison calf, photographed in Yellowstone. This is supposed to harbinger good news.

Will masks finally be banned in New York? They've been used so much by thieves and anti-semetic protestors to mask their identities...

An early Diego Rivera painting surfaces, done when the artist was 18.

UPS drivers and their animal greeters...a very funny, charming photo-essay. (Don't tell Ruby -- she HATES UPS drivers.)

Palestinian deaths are "necessary sacrifices." This is an Israeli general talking, right? No, it's the Hamas leader, Yahya Sinwar. I feel a little sick. Does he feel the same way, now that a Hamas official's family members have been killed in an attack?

Some very funny commercials:

Have a good week.

Too Bizzzzy, I Guess...

 

More weirdness, thanks to Bored Panda, here. 

Yeah, Me Too...

 

P.S. Monday Stuff is late...but it's coming. Look for it tomorrow (Thursday).

Happy Father's Day to the Brick!

 To the man who loves his kids -- and his little redhaired doggie -- as much as this guy. 

Happy Father's Day, Sweetheart!  

All of us love you back == very much.

Woof!

 

Ruby for President.

or at least VP.

Home Free

I love this band, especially the bass singer. His voice is much like the Brick's. Most of their work is a cappella...which is not easy.

Here are three selections, for your Friday listening:

 Seven Bridges Road

Sea Shanty medley

and my own favorite, Man of Constant Sorrow

Silence is Golden

 

 See?  Even two years later, nothing much has changed..

Childhood Money Memories - the Redux

 Thought you might enjoy this classic post from many years back, edited and updated a bit. (I'm still having to send most of my old posts back to 'draft' status...someone is still trying to piggyback their posts onto mine.)

While the hambone is simmering in navy bean soup (it's the Michigan coming out in me), I ran across some bloggers talking about growing up -- and how they felt about money.

What are some of your childhood memories of money?

A few for me:

*Watching my brother pick up yet another dime or nickel from the ground...I rarely seemed to find any. (Daughter #2 has this talent, as well.) Worrying that I was going to lose the grimy pennies or nickel clutched in the fuzz at the bottom of my pocket. Admiring the shiny plastic coin purse or wallet I got for my birthday, and feeling pride at the dollar bills stashed inside.

*Halloween candy -- with Brother helping eat up my share. (He kept his under his bed, until it was hard and crunchy.) Christmas candy went the same route. (We rarely got any $$ for birthdays, though we had presents and a special cake.)

*A metal bank -- with a hand that reached under the door and snatched your coin, before yanking it back. (I always preferred coins to dollar bills -- the bigger, the better.) Large glass gumball machines that demanded a nickel -- or a quarter for a jawbreaker. Glass cases at the Ben Franklin five-and-dime, full of candy. (If I was feeling wealthy, I'd get 10 cents' worth of heart-shaped redhots.) The chocolate-covered peanuts the Mama invariably brought back from a shopping trip. (I preferred red licorice -- it lasted longer and didn't melt in your pocket.)

*A trip to the library on Saturday mornings -- then a stop at the ice cream store across the street. Should I try to work my way through the 24-or-so flavors...or stick with bubble gum, my favorite? (I usually caved to the latter.) Then it was on to the store for the week's groceries. We invariably had hamburgers and french fries for supper that night.

*Selling corn and raspberries (from our garden) out by the road to passing motorists, with a few homemade potholders of my own on the table, as well.

*Picking fruit -- especially blueberries and strawberries. We couldn't afford the little plastic boxes at the supermarket, but standing in the sun, popping a warm berry in your mouth, was a pleasure not to be bought at the store. My grandma in a feedsack apron, scarf wrapped around her head, looking like the pictures of European peasants I saw in books. (Europe was an incredible far-off place to this Michigan farmgirl. I had no idea I'd visit there in my college years.) Buckets of berries, poured carefully into quart boxes. Then home to make jam, with the sweetness permeating the kitchen air -- and 'foam' scraped off to eat on a cracker. Jars lined up on the table, with a hazy skim of wax protecting the fruit.

*Starting work at the hardware store, age 15. I worked there 5 days a week -- no Sunday or Thursday -- all through high school, and some college breaks and summers. I was so excited: instead of the 75 cents I was paid for babysitting, I would get a munificent $1.50 an hour!
(Daughters yawned at this...they got $5-6 hourly babysitting one kid.)

*Having a bowl of clam chowder one snowy day during lunch break from the hardware store -- and tipping the waitress $5. (Left a thank you note, too. She WAS great, even to a snot-nosed high schooler like me.) Watching the farmers come into Cnossen's for coffee and a doughnut, then across the street to pick up a part at the hardware store. Running across the street at breaktime to the bakery for a large, warm oatmeal cookie. (A huge splurge I didn't dare to attempt much -- cost perhaps 50 cents!)

*Buying The Mama an angel candle that cost TEN WHOLE DOLLARS for Christmas. I cannot even now tell you how much that sum represented back then. Must have been about 8th grade. (She never burned it -- I brought it home from her estate.)

     Saving for other presents took a very long time. Invariably they were homemade.

*Spending a day shopping 'downtown' (the la-dee-dah spot in Grand Rapids) with The Mama, cousins and our aunt. We'd head straight to Wurzburg's, have a chef salad at their lunchroom, then analyze the dresses before going down to the bargains in the basement. (To this day, I still associate chef salads and Wurzburg's -- long out of business -- with careless, prodigal luxury.) After a few more stops to check clothes styles, we'd go to the fabric store and pick out a pattern and fabric as close to the store models as we could get. My mom sewed beautifully -- she often did tailoring for other people, including suits and wedding gowns. Excepting cousins' hand-me-downs, I don't think I had a storebought dress until I was a junior in high school.

*Saving half my money for college. No matter what, even though this was a far-off dream back in the late 60s and 70s. Ten percent for tithing, the rest was mine for whatever was needed. (I tried very hard not to ask my folks for cash -- that's what jobs were for, although I did get 50 cents a week in allowance through middle school. Again, it's difficult to express HOW MUCH that 50 cents represented.) Dollar by dollar, that money built up my savings account -- and was enough to pay a good chunk of my first year in college.

*Working, working, working. Taking any job I could find at Grand Rapids Baptist College. That ended up including housecleaning, secretarial work for a CPA, selling at a pick-your-own apple orchard, waitressing, tutoring, typing papers for other students, teaching...and working the Sunday morning shift washing dishes in the "Pit," the college cafeteria. I would come back to the dorm exhausted, smelling of grease and eggs. (It was good training for a short stint at Wal-Mart years later, doing much the same thing...but adding making cotton candy and popcorn.)

*Grad school at the University of Michigan. Living on canned spaghetti, invites to the local commune from a fellow English Lit buddy, or the $1.35 fried rice special at a local Chinese restaurant in Ann Arbor. (Where, incidentally, I met a tall North Carolina boy, fresh out of the Navy, one day!) My home was the attic of a gracious, ivy-over-brick 'mansion.' I lived there, and got breakfast in return for keeping the house clean and looking after their 12-year-old daughter. (Lunch too, if I came home and walked the dog.) He was the chairman of the Classics department, she was a lawyer -- and the oldest daughter of the British novelist Evelyn Waugh. I read many British novels that year, and developed an appreciation for Victorian art -- especially Augustus Egg -- and Italian Nativity sets.

"The Traveling Companion," one of Egg's paintings

*Our first (student) apartment as a married couple -- $115 a month. Even that amount was hard to come up with, and I was working full-time! We ate a lot of ramen (especially a brand called Sapporo Ichiban, which was 25 lavish cents), chicken noodle soup and peanut butter sandwiches back then. I threw a surprise birthday party for the Brick our first year -- invited 11 or 12 people. I didn't think of our place being small until then. It was so crowded that no one literally had room to sit down. (My brother-in-law spent the evening lying underneath the dining room table.)

Writing these down, I suddenly realized -- a lot of my money-related childhood memories also have something to do with food! Weird...

This would have been incredibly luxurious, back when I was a kid.

Pondering One's Significance

 

"Why isn't my picture up there?"

Monday Stuff on the Way to Other Stuff: Flooding, Hail -- and Other Colorado Weirdness

      Colorado has been having more than its share of strange weather: flooding, hail, windstorms, etc. But other than some very strong winds and grumbling thunderstorms that produced a spit of rain...we haven't gotten any of it. The Denver area, on the other hand, including our old stomping grounds in Castle Rock, has been nailed. Here's the weird part: one neighborhood can be inundated, and the next one is just fine. Case in point: our good friends in Castle Rock said they had a "downpour," but their basement, which so often floods, stayed dry. ("We do live on a hill," Friend pointed out.) But their neighbor, who'd ordered a truckload of mulch, had it all flow down into the main street. (Which didn't need it, quite frankly.) So, if you can hang in there for the five or thirty-odd minutes when all hell is breaking loose, you'll be fine. Otherwise, good luck. 

     Welcome to Colorado.

     This has been a very time-intensive weekend for us...way more than we planned. All four kids were here for a night, which was wonderful, but meant rushing around to get meals ready and beds available. The Brick had to lead music Sunday for Worship Team, so I stayed back to make breakfast and see everyone off. 

     But one set of kids came in via tow truck -- their Jeep threw a belt. That meant a trip to Alamosa for repair parts before they could head home. (Their dog is staying with us while they take care of business.) Meanwhile, Ruby had a sudden health crisis, which meant rushing her to the animal hospital this morning. Fortunately, she is doing better, and the vet was encouraging. But it also means we have to keep an eye on her basically 24/7, feed her antibiotics, and keep her from licking her damaged belly. 

     And of course, I have work to do -- that needs to get done. A lot of it. 

     The fun never ends around here. 

Meanwhile:

China's famous waterfall is still going --thanks to a convenient pipe!

Did Nancy Pelosi admit, ON JAN. 6, that the National Guard wasn't more prepared, because of her? Take a look and see what you think.

Are we trying too hard sometimes to make everybody happy with our actions?  'Are you doing everything wrong -- or just feeling that way?' wonders The Frugal Girl. 

The journalist who broke the Hunter Biden laptop story speaks out.

Cooking tips from movies and tv shows. 

Ranch dressing -- a few different ways.  (From The Kitchn)

A blue room is found in Pompeii. (This color usually designates something important.)

A World Cup skier and his girlfriend fall 2300 ft to their deaths...sad.

A 'fake' Degas is purchased online for $1000 -- turns out, it's real! (And valued at approx. $13 million.)

The Colorado Bureau of Investigations scientist who deleted and took shortcuts in her DNA analysis "'cause it was easy." Now more than 650 of her cases are under question. 

The great white who ate a dolphin -- before an orca killed him and ate his liver. No, I am not making this up.

Buy a Detroit house -- and get a free speakeasy in the basement!

An interesting interview with Kevin Costner -- how he got ahead by accepting roles everyone else turned down. 

"Earning less passive income has changed my life for the better," says the Financial Samurai.

Battlefield heroes against the Taliban.

One of the two reporters who wrote the Wall Street Journal article on Biden's cognitive fitness holds forth -- the point was, she says, to show whether the President is the same in front of -- and behind -- "closed doors." (She says yes.)

Unusual discoveries in secluded places.    

How a 'financially literate' doctor got scammed out of $750,000.

Five reasons why the Covid epidemic probably started at the Wuhan lab...  from a Harvard researcher.

Now we know -- even though the Wuhan lab was funded with taxpayers' money, it didn't count because the virus was not yet known to affect humans. Anthony Fauci says so. (Oh, by the way, he's backing up from insisting on kids masking and the 6-ft distance business, as well. 'I may have approved this - I don't remember. Even if some studies said it didn't help, others may disagree.')   More here, if you can stomach it.

Now for something extra soothing: you'll need it.

Have a good week.

Ummm...

       Invading Aliens:  "EARTHLINGS, WE HAVE KILLED YOUR LEADERS, DESTROYED YOUR ECONOMY, AND ARE HERE TO TAKE OVER YOUR GOVERNMENT."

       Humans:  "Oh, thank God."

       Aliens:  "WAIT -- WHAT??"

How to Get What You Want

     What do you need right now?

     A new car, a working refrigerator...or a vacation?


     Perhaps it's about the people you live and work with. Are you arguing with a neighbor right now...trying to get your teenager to help out more with the chores...begging a favor of a good friend...or asking for time off from your job?

     That's where negotiation comes in -- the art of getting what you want. And in the most successful deals, your fellow negotiator also comes out of the process with something they want.

     "The modern American dream is having what you want, right now," says, Roger Dawson, author of You Can Get Anything You Want (But You Have to Do More Than Ask). "Learning how to negotiate is very difficult...and they suffer for their inexperience every time they buy a house, or a car, or even a suit at the clothing store down the block."
     Mr. Dawson is British, by the way, and not too big on Americans' skills at anything. But that's his job -- to teach the gentle art of negotiation. And he's had decades of experience at it, especially with impatient Statesiders.

WHERE TO BEGIN

     Recognize that getting what you want is going to take both patience and time. First,
    Find out what the other side wants.

Dawson calls this clarifying the objectives. What does the other person want to get out of this -- a raise in allowance, taking over a special project, a full hotel?

     Next, gather information. Why do they want it?
Is the seller just clearing out extra stuff -- or desperately gathering money because the rent is overdue? Obviously, he'll be more interested in making a quick sale for the latter -- but he also may need more than the minimum amount you're willing to spend. Knowing for sure helps you tailor your approach.

     Finally, the process concludes with an agreement, "where compromises are made and a mutually satisfactory conclusion is reached." Rushing to that decision, though, usually means that one (or both) parties feel they got the worst of the deal.
     If you're running a business, you definitely don't want customers feeling that way....because they won't come back. (And they certainly won't tell their friends nice things about your company, either.) If you feel like the cheated one, you likely won't be very happy, either.

MAKING THE BEST OF IT

    You can get the best deal -- if you're open to working for it. Patiently, carefully...and above all, ethically. First, deal with any shyness and fear you have about all this. You can't speak effectively if you're fighting your own worst instincts about all this. Be willing to ask for what you want.
     Then it's time to get going: "Always be reluctant," Dawson says. "Remember, you are not being forced to buy or sell...you want the other negotiator to know that."  One of the worst mistakes he made, while purchasing the house of his dreams, was the tour his wife and daughter made of the property without him alone. Once the buyer caught their enthusiasm, his price didn't budge. (Dawson estimates he paid about $30,000 more because of that tour. Ouch.)

OTHER HELPFUL TIPS

*Have a mental price range, including the absolute minimum and maximum, before you start negotiating.  Do not reveal this range to the other person.

*Talk about other subjects first. Or don't talk at all. The Brick is very good at this. My father, a master at getting the absolute best price, would take the farmer's approach: he'd talk about the weather. Or crops. Or he'd kick the dirt around with his toe. And he'd wait. Because:

*The person who makes the first offer 'loses.'  This is very, very important. What if you make an initial offer that you think is ridiculously low (or high)...and they accept? You'll be kicking yourself for not starting at a better place, before discussions really begin.
     If the other person sets the price, instead, they've given you an idea of the margin they want to work in. It may be far lower than you'd hoped. Even if it isn't, now it's time for you to:

*Practice 'flinching:' acting surprised at the first offer made, "no matter how good it looks." If you want to sound like the Nice Guy, blame it on your family or staff instead: "Gee, I'm not sure my wife/husband/partner would go along with that price." Then stall a bit. You might have to discuss this with your board (i.e., you) first. Or the family. It may be a little while before you can respond.  (It's the same tactic a car salesman uses when he says, "Well, I'll have to talk to my manager about that." Dawson calls it the Higher Authority. Whether the 'boss' actually exists is irrelevant.)

*Be nice when you counter-offer. In other words: be agreeable, and you'll be agreed with more often. No one ever got exactly what they wanted by being obnoxious. (Though plenty of people have tried.) It won't hurt you to be different.

*Throw in a 'nibble' at the last moment.  Have you almost settled on a price? Add something extra -- an item or service that won't cost much: a free oil change for the car you just bought, or asking your son to trim the hedges, as well as mow the lawn. Make it easy for your fellow negotiator to throw it in. They'll feel generous doing it, and you'll get extra value. 
     Case in point: our daughter loves a certain semiprecious stone, larimar. While on vacation in St. Maarten, we found a table at the local merchant's fair that featured only this rare blue crystal. The jewelry was beautiful, and raw slabs of stone (Daughter's favorite) were available, too. But the vendor announced up-front that prices were not negotiable. I 'agreed' with her, until we'd picked through the slabs, and chose a necklace we wanted, as well. After all, her prices were reasonable. But just on a whim, I said at the very end, "Will you throw in an extra piece?" She looked hard at me -- then laughed. "Sure," she said, "but pick out the smallest slab." (I didn't. She was okay with that, too.)


     "Whatever the person you're negotiating with says to you as he begins his proposal, don't argue with it," Dawson says. "Agree with him instead...[otherwise] the other negotiator feels honor bound to prove his point." Use what Dawson calls the "Feel/Felt/Found" principle:
      *'I understand how you feel.' (Even if you don't agree.)
      *'Other people have felt this way.'
      *'I think, however, I've found a solution that will work.'

"Not only will the effort pay off many times over," Dawson urges, "but the person is much more likely to return to your negotiating table again and again."


      And that, in business and personal terms, is exactly what you want.

He Was Right.

 

Retiring to Panama

      You're looking for somewhere warm to retire -- but you don't have much money. Instead of Florida or Mexico, consider another spot, instead -- Panama.

     We thought about this as we spent two weeks driving around this lovely country some years ago, staying at hotels, B&Bs, and even a beachside resort. What we discovered surprised us: both good and bad.
     Panama, officially known as The Republic of Panama ("Pa-na-MAH"), is the southernmost country in Central America. Back in the 19th century, it was better known as a swampland of yellow fever, until William Gorgas, with the help of Carlos Finlay and Walter Reed, discovered its cause: mosquitoes. Their treatment helped workers survive the construction of the Panama Canal, from 1904-1914. This architectural wonder returned to Panamanian control in 1999, after the U.S. controlled it for many decades.
    The Canal really is wonderful, especially when the ships pass through on a rainy day, wreathed over by fog and blowing their horns a little mournfully. And if you view it from the visitor center at the Miraflores Locks, you'll be able to not only see the current locks, which are huge -- but the newest set of locks under construction -- which are gigantic. (Take the top floor observation deck, and plan on a meal stop at the restaurant, if you want a more relaxed view.)
     The worst part about visiting the Canal -- and the rest of Panama, incidentally -- is that inevitably you must travel through Panama City. This jam-packed metropolis is big, dirty and lively. Slums mix with skyscrapers, flashy signs and the worst drivers on the face of the earth. With care and a whole lot of nail-biting, you'll survive...but it won't be fun.
     Maybe you should take the bus, instead. Either that or a rental car, and only a few days of steady travel will take you the length of the country. (Watch out for the street cops in Divisa -- they can and will try to stop you and claim you were making a U-turn, if you were turning left. That means big ticket penalties in this quirky country!)

 Once you're away from the noise and hustle of Panama City, you'll find a whole lot of rural farmland, with plenty of cattle. Take note of the posts in the fences along these ranches -- they've often grown into trees!
     That's how fertile this country is. Sure, it's tropical, but it has a minimum of humidity, compared to other Latin American countries; and a reasonable amount of rain. (The mountain chain that forms the backbone of Panama, especially the coffee area of Boquete, enjoys more of this liquid sunshine, along with cooler temperatures.)
     Stay in the valley, and you can drive the length of Panama, along with occasional busses and regular semis. (Make sure you, like everyone else on the road, swerve occasionally to dodge the potholes, which could swallow up small animals. Thanks to no train system, Panama relies on 18-wheelers and other trucks to keep things moving.) 
     Just an hour's drive uphill, and you're in the mountains. Turn the other direction off the main Pan-American Highway, and within an hour, you'll be sitting on the beach and watching the fishermen. That's how varied the climates are.
     The people are friendly (well, except for the police in Divisa),  and the seafood is downright wonderful. Stick with the fresh fish and shrimp, especially if it's grilled...you can't go wrong. But don't expect a 'tortilla' when it's offered: you'll get a coarse-ground cornmeal cake that resembles polenta or grits. We were told English was spoken throughout the country, but that wasn't true. We relied a lot on our misshapen Spanish, plus pointing and smiling.
     Should you retire to Panama? Not if you enjoy the fast life, or want your world to be 'American.' (One possible exception would be living in Boquete, which has many ex-pats.) 
     But there are many positives to be considered, if you enjoy a slowed-down, rural life. Land prices are low, and it's possible to grow many of your own vegetables and fruits. Practically everyone has a cellphone, and it's surprisingly easy to get internet access. The coffee is wonderful, too...
     Panama prides itself on being one of the most price-friendly countries for American retirees. The country's Special Tourism Zones offer exemptions from income and real estate taxes, and retirees can take advantage of everything from discounts on restaurants to lenient rules on leaving and entering the country. 
    Several websites can give you a better idea of what it's like to live in Panama, including this one. Beware, though: many want to sell you jazzed-up real estate for big bucks. You're better off consulting a Panamanian realtor who speaks English, and has worked with Americans before. (There are many.) And definitely plan to spend at least a week or two in the country before you make any big decisions. You might just find yourself falling in love with this peaceful, relaxing place. 
Stop by here for more.

 Panama Canal and surrounds, courtesy of Wikipedia

Five Lessons Learned from PENNY APPLES

 One of the most interesting men lives on my bookshelf!

William Cullen is an Irishman, first and foremost, then businessman, car aficionado, reality tv star, hotelkeeper and writer, not necessarily in that order. Bill's 2002 memoir of growing up in Dublin, It's a Long Way from Penny Apples, gained bestseller status in Europe, though it's lesser-known in the U.S.. Cullen grew up working at his mother's and grandmother's stands. He only went to school through age 13, then began working at an auto dealership. Eventually, he became manager. After years of working with other dealers in the region, he purchased Renault from the Waterford Crystal group -- for only 1 euro. But that price also came with a crippling 18-million euro debt. (The euro, by the way, is about an American dollar -- more or less.)
     After some difficult years, his Renault business, now known as the Glencullen Group, improved, and Cullen began expanding into other areas. He was heavily involved in raising money for various charitable causes, but never forgot his humble roots.

A sequel, Golden Apples: Six Simple Steps to Success (for which he won a Guinness World's Record for signing 1849 copies in 10 1/2 hours), gives some of Cullen's favorite maxims, including:
     Sleep less.    (He argues for 4-5 hours a night.)
     Eat healthy.   (The Cullens' diet of mostly vegetables and fruit, augmented by a little fish, rarely other meat, was poverty-based, but kept the family well, Bill says.)
     Exercise every day.  (Walking, strength training, etc.)
     Maintain a positive --and professional --attitude.  ('If your customer doesn't have a smile, give him one of yours,' Bill's grandmother was fond of saying.)

1.  Being poor is nothing to be ashamed of. Cullen's father, Billy (or "The Da") spent years in the military, and was one of the street wardens during WWII. Billy was strong, had a reputation for honesty and was a 'Pioneer,' or teetotaller. However, he had difficulty finding steady work that paid well, forcing Bill's mother, Mary Darcy ("The Ma"), and her mother, Molly, to help out by selling fruits, vegetables and occasional fish on street markets.

2.  Being slovenly, lazy and drunk is. Both Billy's and Mary's families drank; some were alcoholics. The Cullens lived in slum tenements for years, with smelly hallways and molding walls. It took at least a decade before they were able to move to better housing, and longer than that before Mary and Billy could afford their own house. Nonetheless, Mary scrubbed and cleaned regularly, and the family washed every day. (Contrast this with the alcoholic squalor Frank McCourt talks about in his Liverpool memoir, Angela's Ashes.)

3.  Families do best when they work together. Bill (known as 'Liam' when younger) was the fifth of fourteen children. Not only did he help his mother and grandmother sell fruit at their stands, but he acted as a messenger to buy and restock inventory, as well as expand into other areas. He also started several new businesses to make a pound or two, including buying clearance dolls and revamping them to look like Dorothy from the Wizard of Oz, or Marilyn Monroe. (They sold like crazy.)
     While Molly was working, her daughters cooked supper and watched the younger children -- or helped out at the stands, as well. Billy would also help out when needed. And everyone took an active part during the Christmas season, when Molly and Mary added more stands to sell gifts and Christmas decorations to customers near the bus stations.

4.  Diversify and innovate. Take rugby matches. While Liam enjoyed and played rugby himself, local matches were far too important a moneymaking opportunity to waste attending. Instead, Liam bought and sold tickets (when he could get them); programs; paper flowers in team colors (with photos of the major players pasted on top, courtesy of yesterday's newspapers -- yes, he sold those, too); apples and other fruit. He found a wall that overlooked the stadium, bought a ladder and sold places on top until the attendant confiscated it. (He figured the cost of the ladder into the 'admissions' he charged -- or how much he had to pay the attendant to look the other way.)
      Cullen also sold empty wooden fruit boxes to bystanders for a look at the game -- when they got excited during key moments and broke the box, he sold them another box -- then salvaged the broken bits and marketed them later as kindling. Each of his sales didn't amount to much. But together, they brought in serious money.

5.  Nothing stays the same. Cullen was said to have made millions when Renault took over his interest in the Glencullen Group in 2007. He also hosted four seasons of the European version of The Apprentice. He had other awards and honors given to him, including Irish Motor Industry Person of the Year (2000). He was also awarded a doctorate.
     Much of that has changed.
     The Apprentice was cancelled in 2012. (Reportedly, it cost too much to produce.) That same year, And his darling, his motor-trade business, went into receivership. (Cullen, of course, lost control of his Renault connections when his interest was purchased by Renault.)
      Bits and pieces of his auto-trade business were auctioned off to try to recover some of the debts incurred. Cullen blames his auto dealerships' woes on Ireland's poor economy.  (It says a lot that Cullen was one of the biggest creditors. Needless to say, he and the others didn't recover much.) And the hotel he unveiled with such fanfare is losing money - big-time. In fact, he's being sued left and right for unpaid loans, and had to auction off the contents of his home to stay afloat. (His health's not good, either.)
     Cullen is still heavily involved with philanthropic efforts. He's also reportedly sinking his money (plenty is still left) into Irish athletics and politics. It will be interesting to see where this multi-faceted man ends up next. But his lessons still stay true.