Texas History Minute

Howard Hughes was a man who once commanded the world’s attention, sometimes for all the wrong reasons. His story is one of wealth, power, fame, and the dangers of obsession

Dr. Ken Bridges

Howard Robard Hughes, Jr, was born in Houston on Christmas Eve, 1905. His father, Howard R. Hughes, Sr, was a wealthy inventor and businessman The younger Hughes likewise was fascinated by science and machinery By 1917, he was one of only a handful of licensed ham radio operators in Southeast Texas He later built the first motorcycle in Houston by himself In spite of his privileged upbringing, he faced two heartbreaking tragedies in rapid succession: his mother died in 1922, followed by his father’s death in 1924

After inheriting his father’s fortune and the Hughes Tool Company, he proved very skilled at running the family business and wanted to expand Fascinated by movies, he headed west to become a movie producer In 1927, he began production of Hell’s Angels, an action film taking place in World War I which included recreations of aerial dogfights with dozens of aircraft He learned to fly while he directed the movie, which at $3 8 million ($55 8 million in 2019 dollars) was the most expensive ever made up to that time

In 1932, he founded Hughes Aircraft Hughes himself set a speed record of 352 MPH in 1935 in his H-1 aircraft. He followed this up in 1938 with a record round-theworld flight of 91 hours In 1939, he bought TWA Airlines for $7 million He continued to develop a variety of new airplanes. In World War II, Hughes Aircraft built several different types of planes for the military, many of whom Hughes himself helped design

Though generous to friends and employees and globally famous, he became known for his obsessive attention to the smallest detail While this drive helped him become successful in movies and aviation, it steadily unraveled his personal life For example, he would only drink orange juice he saw freshly squeezed himself or arranged peas by size Relationships with his many girlfriends broke down quickly In 1947, he suffered a mental breakdown, locking himself inside his personal movie theater for four months before coming out

In 1953, he established the Howard Hughes Medical Institute through profits from Hughes Aircraft It ld i l f hi d h and eventually become the largest private research institution in the nation, spending hundreds of millions of dollars each year to research all areas of health care and medical sciences

He spent many years fighting federal regulators over his ownership of TWA and Hughes Aircraft The federal government forced him to sell the airline in 1966 for nearly $550 million (or $4 3 billion in 2019 dollars) He spent the last decade of his life living in a series of hotels, having his aides run his companies by telephone and memo and avoiding any kind of public appearance Wild rumors about his condition circulated When he died in 1976, the once dashing figure was unrecognizable, reduced to 90 pounds with long, wiry hair, unkempt beard, and toenails that were inches long

After his death, many books and movies about him appeared Texas native Tommy Lee Jones portrayed Hughes in a 1977 TV movie called The Amazing Howard Hughes, while Jason Robards starred as Hughes in an off-beat story about one of his alleged wills making a Nevada gas station attendant a multimillionaire in Melvin and Howard (1980) Leonardo DiCaprio starred in the 2004 film, The Aviator, which captured the early life and early mental breakdowns of Hughes

Authors and filmmakers alike tried to unravel the complicated life of a man who had every creature comfort he ever wanted but spent so many years haunted by inner turmoil The ultimate answers to those questions died with Hughes In the end, no matter how much Howard Hughes tried to ignore the world, the world could not ignore him

Dr. Bridges is a Texas native, writer, and history professor. He can be reached at d k b id @ il

y Holland

Overcoming the desire to remain the same

I’m sure you will agree that most of us humans have very peculiar and quirky personalities It’s strange how we are easily influenced and persuaded in certain things, and stubborn as a mule about others

When it comes to admitting we are wrong in our views or that we are heading in the wrong direction, it doesn’t take long for us to reveal our contrary and rebellious attitudes Most people seldom say it out loud, but are content with the way they believe and hope that everyone will leave them alone and mind their own business Which by the way, explains why many individuals are not interested in going to church or reading the Bible However, when it comes to personal transformation, our spiritual relationship with God is not the only topic on the menu

I was reminded the other day about my own defiant nature when I was on the phone with my mother the other day and the conversation turned to food We were talking about how difficult it is to diet and how most of us are addicted to all the delicious things we love Then out of the blue, she said that I should go through our cabinets and refrigerator and throw out everything that tastes good After a moment of silence, I did not know whether to laugh or cry I don’t mind chatting about considerations that could help control bad eating habits and everything was going fine until she hit a nerve with the radical idea of tossing everything out except a can of green beans and a box of plain popcorn I did not vow that I would go to that extreme and we had a good laugh about it, but after our conversation, I continued to ponder about why I felt so threatened and even intimidated by the idea of not being able to have what I want Even though I realize that exercise and strict dieting is a healthy direction, down in my heart I was not very enthusiastic So why am I more excited about a huge buffet than an apple and a piece of toast? This would be wonderful advice if a person was passionate about making a positive lifestyle change The problem is that I am not ready to focus, commit, or dedicate my complete mind, soul, and heart on this In fact, the way I see it is that no one can accomplish any type of transformation until they are convicted and burdened with their desperate need and become absolutely locked in with fierce perseverance and unwavering determination

Food is only one example of the many temptations that attempts to influence and urge us to indulge We know there is nothing wrong with enjoying life and all the blessing that God has provided, but we are referring to desires that are bad for us The concept of our subject has more to do with being mature and in control of our flesh instead of a servant to our cravings and emotions God refers to the human body as a temple or housing that contains our spirit which receives instructions directly from heaven And then our mind and conscience make the decision to follow God or something else This is why it’s critical for the mind to be renewed through the power of God in order for His will to be accomplished in our life Without this willing agreement between our spirit and mind, there is minimal faith or spiritual advancement. From God’s perspective, we are not to be controlled or possessed by anything or anyone but Him Mankind is referred to as vessels of clay, but unfortunately, the clay spends much of its existence resisting the potter’s instructions and commands I remember years ago writing a song called, “Willing to change” and it was a result of my personal research about yielding our will and allowing God to intervene and rearrange our priorities Again, this requires a surrender of our plans and imaginations which is painful, to say the least It’s our free-will which must submit and choose to open the door of our heart in order to invite Christ to sit on the throne of our conscience and rule as the Lord of our life Whether progressing into a better person, having a healthier lifestyle, or growing closer to God, our vision to change must be stronger than our desire to remain the same

Verse of the Week

1 Corinthians 13:-4-7

Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. 5 It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. 6 Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth 7 It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.

Should I invest in real estate or a small business?

Hey Taylor - Would you recommend investing in real estate or a small business?

I’ve got some extra savings I’m looking to invest and trying to decide between the two options.

Justin

Hey Justin - I’m a big fan of both, honestly If you have the capital and know what you’re doing, I encourage you to explore either option Since doing both probably isn’t realistic, we can get into the details a little and hopefully figure out which is best for your situation

First of all, are you planning to invest in someone else’s small business or start your own? Small business investing doesn’t have to entail all the blood, sweat and tears associated with running a company

Of course, when you’re the engine behind the operation, you get to take home a much bigger slice of the pie

Compared to real estate, business investing comes with higher risk and the potential for higher reward

If you provide funding for another entrepreneur as a loan or in exchange for equity, you can reduce the risk by limiting your exposure Still, the return all depends on the business and the circumstances

Real estate certainly comes with risk, but dropping property prices don’t cause land to disappear the way a struggling economy can swallow up small businesses Even if prices fall significantly, they’re pretty much destined to rise again at some point

Another important question to ask yourself: is this investment more about diversifying assets or increasing income? Most new companies take a little longer than expected for earnings to pick up, so you shouldn’t expect a quick turnaround on that investment

Meanwhile, if you buy a rental property and pay in cas turn that capital into eq start seeing monthly re comparatively short am time

You also need to consi much effort you want t investing If you have t and interest, you might enjoy teaming up with a small business owner and calling some of the shots. You could similarly have fun becoming a property owner and renting the place out If you want to let your money do the work, investing in an expanding company with a solid foundation might be more your speed

Both of these options are included in my financial bucket list, which you can read about on GoFarWithKovarcom Active investing is great for your money and your mind, and I think real estate and small businesses make great additions to your financial portfolio I would spend a little time thinking about what interests you more, then make sure you let sound reasoning and logic drive your decision Make informed choices and you should be able to move forward without regrets Good luck, Justin!

Taylor Kovar, CEO of Kovar Capital Read more about Taylor at GoFarWithKovar com

Disclaimer: Information presented is for educational purposes only and is not an offer or solicitation for the sale or purchase of any specific securities, investments, or investment strategies

Investments involve risk and, unless otherwise stated, are not guaranteed Be sure to first consult with a qualified financial adviser and/or tax professional before implementing any strategy discussed herein To submit a question to be answered in this column, please send it via email to Question@GoFarWithKovar com, or via USPS to Taylor Kovar, 415 S 1st St, Suite 300, Lufkin, TX 75901

Living with children

Q: Our son is 13 years old and in the 7th grade Last week he came home from school complaining about how a few of his friends have been bullying him These same boys were at his birthday party just the weekend before and they seemed to get along fine Sometimes they poke fun at him when he is hanging around girls that these other boys have either “dated” or currently like I think he pokes them right back, but they are three or four and he’s just one Besides, we teach him to be kind, thoughtful, compassionate, and inclusive, so getting in a tit-fortat really isn’t what we want him to do I don’t know if we should let it work itself out or mention it to the other boys’ parents My fear is that telling his friends’ parents will cause them to pick on him even more. On the other hand, I want it to stop Any thoughts you can share would be most appreciated

A: Having been a child who was picked on, made fun of and more, and relentlessly so (or so it seemed) from grades five through eight, I consider myself to be an expert in such matters

The first thing I’ll point out is that children do not tend to do a good job of representing facts when they’re recounting events, especially when the events in question have elicited strong emotion Getting picked on qualifies as an emotional event; therefore, I’d bet there’s more going on than is reflected in your son’s report I’m not suggesting that he’s lying; I’m simply saying that emotions tend to interfere with recall

Second, the definition of bullying has been “dumbed down,” and considerably so, since I was a truly bullied kid When I was being run down and abused in various medieval ways, there was no doubt about it: I was being BULLIED Several of my peers took turns chasing me home from school, for example Like Forrest Gump, I learned to run fast, but if the “Bully of the Day” caught up with me, I was then subjected to various tortures, including being pinned to the ground and tickled until I nearly passed out from delirium (By the way, in case the reader has never been tickled while immobilized, it’s funny for about a half-second, after which the experience is akin to being roasted alive )

Name-calling was in a different category altogether That was not regarded, by me or anyone else, as rising to the level of bullying “Sticks and stones could break my bones, but words will never hurt me” was the stock response to being called a name Looking back, it’s apparent to me now that my schoolmates and I were competing with one another for The Best Slur of the Day

Today, name-calling – making a joke of someone’s last name, for example – is considered bullying That’s part-and-parcel of the dumbing-down I referred to earlier. It’s no wonder that today’s kids seem to think that anything that causes them momentary discomfort is an aggression This has had the effect of weakening the emotional resilience of a generation or more of children

The fact is, name-calling is the sort of thing boys do to one another (Girls do it too, but more covertly) It causes some pain, yes, but it’s not life-threatening and left to their own devices, boys will usually work these things out

You undoubtably don’t have the full picture, your son is probably over-dramatizing what actually happened, kids’ relationships at this age are on-again, off-again, and you are absolutely correct that intervention on your part may well make matters worse In that last regard, consider that today's parents tend toward being very defensive where their kids are concerned For all those reasons, I’d definitely stay out of this

Bottom line: Tell your son to figure it out for himself or find new friends He needs to begin learning how to solve his own problems

Family psychologist John Rosemond: johnrosemond com, parentguru com

John Rosemond has worked with families, children, and parents since 1971 in the field of family psychology In 1971, John earned his masters in psychology from Western Illinois University and was elected to the Phi Kappa Phi National Honor Society

United Nations Agenda 21

"Effective execution of Agenda 21 will require a profound reorientation of all human society, unlike anything the world has ever experienced - a major shift in the priorities of both governments and individuals and an unprecedented redeployment of human and financial resources

This shift will demand that a concern for the environmental consequences of every human action be integrated into individual and collective decision-making at every level " - excerpt, UN Agenda 21

Also seek out 2030, Cable Cutter, Eugenics Society, Bilderberg's, IMF, the "Federal" Reserve, the New Green Deal, Wild Zones and a host of others Coming to a town near you soon few blocks away when the helicopter crashed into the top of a building last week They were stuck in traffic and confused about what had happened They immediately told relatives that they were safe

Upon arrival, the first thing the group did was visit the Rockefeller Center and travel to the Top of the Rock and then got a chance to ride the famous New York Subway

"It wasn't as crowded as you would think," said Daniels "We only rode it once."

Daniels said the most memorable part of the trip was the 9/11 Museum and Memorial

"They had the fire trucks, videos of the wreckage, steel, and the actual steps that the people had to walk down," said Daniels

Due to a delay with the elevator, the students were only able to go up to five flights in the Empire State Building They were also able to visit Wall Street, Central Park, Ellis Island and the Statue of Liberty The group even got to take in the Broadway Play Phantom of the Opera

"It was packed They were trying to get as many people as they could in there," said Daniels "I couldn't really understand what they were saying because it was an