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July 2018
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STORIES FROM THE OTHER SIDE THE 4TH OF JULY AND THE USSR
Independence Day is a time for celebrating our rights to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness as set forth in our nation’s Constitution. Having come from a military family and having served in the United States Navy, I am keenly aware of the costs of these liberties. But perhaps my most unique perspective comes from my time spent in the Soviet Union, where I witnessed firsthand what life looks like outside of a democracy. Serving in the Navy during the Cold War, I gained a passing familiarity with the Russian language. Part of my job was to listen in to Soviet radio intercepts to keep track of their warships and submarines. Two years later, I got a call asking if I would be interested in signing on with a military subcontractor attached to the U.S. Embassy in Moscow. Fascinated by the opportunity, I packed my bags and shipped off to Russia in 1989, two years before the Soviet Union’s collapse. Landing in Moscow, I learned life under Soviet rule was worse than I had imagined. Driving through those bleak, snow-covered streets, I saw endless lines of hungry citizens trying to get into stores with empty shelves. As I spent more time in that desolate city, I learned that standing in lines was the closest thing Moscow citizens had to a pastime. It was not uncommon to get in line without knowing what you were queuing up for; all you knew was that if there was something worth waiting for, you’d better reserve your place before you missed out. Now, when I said I had a passing familiarity with Russian, it was highly specialized. I basically only knew USSR military parlance. Thankfully, I had a knack for the accent and picked it up quickly. In fact, one of the Russian food suppliers I dealt with used to bet strangers they couldn’t guess where I was from. Hearing my accent, they always guessed Kiev and were blown away when they learned I was an American. As my ability to communicate got better, I went out in public more, walking my dog through the parks and plazas of the capital city. While the Russian officials (and KGB agents) I interacted with always regarded me with suspicion, the citizens themselves were always curious to know what life was really like in America. I tried my best to describe the nation of plenty I had come from: a land of opportunity where you could build a life for yourself and find dozens of types of bread in a single aisle of a supermarket. Most of them probably thought I was just spouting
propaganda. Honestly, I wouldn’t believe me either had I grown up in such horrible conditions. Your local Walmart would sound like a veritable heaven on earth to a citizen of the Soviet Union. Part of my duties at the embassy involved getting food for everyone to eat, and we had an arrangement on the gray market with one of the local bakers. Every week or so, I drove a truck around to the back alley of the bakery, gave our contact several hundred rubles (pocket change in USD), and watched while he emptied the contents of his store into my vehicle. One day, the gathering crowd out front witnessed this exchange happening and were understandably enraged. Not only was the baker giving away all of the bread they lined up for, but he was unloading it into an American truck. I hopped into the driver’s seat and drove as fast as I could back to the safety of the embassy. The ensuing protests got so large that they later made headlines back in the United States. This riot was a symptom of a larger problem. At this late stage in the Cold War, the cracks inherent in the Communist system were readily apparent. In 1991, the USSR collapsed, and I was suddenly — and happily — out of a job. As I enjoy the Fourth of July with my family, I keep those experiences in that Soviet dictatorship close at heart. Being able to buy your favorite brand of hot dog bun may seem like a little thing, but in some parts of the world, it’s an unimaginable blessing.
It was a privilege to serve my country. To our readers in the armed forces, homeland security, and NASA, thank you for your service.
–Bra nnon Lloyd
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COOKIE DOUGH:
Is It Really Bad for You? We all do it. You make a batch of chocolate chip cookies and spoon yourself a sample of the dough.
both the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) have confirmed the dangers present in flour. Both organizations have investigated illnesses across the country that have been traced to raw flour. What makes flour problematic? The flour you buy in the supermarket is minimally treated from the moment the grain is harvested to the moment you add it to your favorite cookie recipe. Bacteria in the wheat field can travel all the way to your home. The FDA recommends you avoid eating raw dough or batter and use proper kitchen hygiene — wash your hands, utensils, and work surfaces before and after contact with raw flour. Wait until the cookies are fully baked and cooled before enjoying their amazingness. If you or your kids really love cookie dough — never fear! There are many recipes available online for flourless (as well as eggless) cookie dough. These recipes are great for anyone with food allergies and anyone who loves to indulge in raw cookie dough but doesn’t want the risk. Check them out!
Then the kids clamor for a taste. By the time the first batch of cookies comes out of the oven, everyone’s had their fill.
But is eating raw cookie dough, or even cake batter, a bad idea?
We’ve all heard about the dangers of eating raw cookie dough, but how many of us actually know someone who has gotten sick after eating it? Years ago, conventional wisdom suggested that the raw eggs in cookie dough harbored bacteria that would make you sick. Everyone seemed to worry about anything that had to do with raw eggs. As it turns out, raw eggs are surprisingly safe. If the eggs are properly handled and stored, chances are they won’t make you sick, even if consumed raw. The danger of salmonella poisoning is negligible. The danger, instead, comes from raw flour. Dry flour, as it sits in your kitchen cabinet, can harbor harmful bacteria, including E. coli . Research by
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“The help I received from the College Money Guys is undeniably one of the main factors toward my acceptance to the colleges I wanted to go to and toward the scholarship-winning essays that I was able to write. These are some of the best minds with firsthand experience regarding the admissions process, and I cannot thank them enough for working with me.”
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EARLIER IS BETTER THE NO. 1 RULE IN COLLEGE PLANNING
If your student starts their junior year this fall, it’s time to do some planning. Sure, college may seem like it’s a ways off yet, but most of your best opportunities to save money on college start this summer. We’ve compiled a list of the top three things you need to know when planning to pay for your student’s education. They all have one thing in common: If you wait for the summer of your student’s senior year, it may be too late.
which school they choose to attend. The sooner you know this number, the sooner you can start saving to meet this minimum threshold.
Waiting until your student’s senior year gives you little to no time to prepare for this financial burden. It’s important to remember that many schools end up asking for more than the base level expected contribution. When this is the case, hard choices might have to be made.
Know Where to Save
Narrow the Field
Where you save money for college matters. Assets accumulated in the “wrong” places can hurt your financial aid evaluation. Gifting, transferring, or repositioning these assets you intend to put toward your child’s education takes time and careful planning. If your child is in their senior year, it may already be too late.
While we encourage the students we work with to apply to a robust list of schools, we also urge them to build this list from intentional choices. Do some research on the schools your student is interested in, paying close attention to the percentage of need-based aid the institution typically awards, not just the sticker price. By narrowing the field, you’re cutting expenses on travel (to visit prospective schools) and application fees. Most importantly, you’re saving your student valuable time by ensuring they stay focused on putting forth their best applications to schools they can afford to attend.
Plan Around Your Expected Contribution
The Federal Government calculates your expected family contribution after you complete the FAFSA. This is the minimum amount of money Uncle Sam expects you to contribute to your student’s education, regardless of
BALSAMIC GLAZED PORK CHOPS
HAVE A LAUGH
Inspired by paleoleap.com
INGREDIENTS • 4 boneless pork chops • 1/4 cup balsamic vinegar • 3 tablespoons raw honey • 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes • 1 teaspoon fresh thyme • Salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste
INSTRUCTIONS
1. Heat oven to 400 F. 2. Generously season pork chops with salt and pepper. 3. In a saucepan, combine balsamic vinegar, honey, garlic, red pepper flakes, and thyme. 4. Bring to a boil, reduce heat, and simmer gently for 5–6 minutes. 5. On high heat in an oven-safe saute pan or skillet, sear the pork chops for 1–2 minutes on each side. 6. Brush chops with half of glaze and transfer to oven. 7. Roast 6–8 minutes. 8. Remove from oven and brush with another coat of glaze. Let cool 5–10 minutes and serve.
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INSIDE
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FromMoscow, With Bread Should You Stop Eating Raw Cookie Dough Right Now? Testimonials The No. 1 Rule in College Planning Balsamic Glazed Pork Chops Songs of the Summer in History
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BONUS MONEY-SAVING CONTENT INSIDE!
SONGS OF THE SUMMER DOMINANT JAMS OF THE WARMER MONTHS
Music is always changing, but one thing’s for certain: There will always be a “song of the summer” when the heat starts rolling in. To be crowned the true song of the season, a track must be everywhere, stuck in everyone’s heads — whether they like it or not — and have a certain je ne sais quoi that makes it part and parcel of the warmer months. Here are two summer slammers (and three contemporary options) that typify this vital trend.
vocals backed by enormous horn samples and undeniable hypeman Jay-Z, it’s arguably the apex of contemporary pop. NME even goes so far as to call it “the best song of the millennium.”
Today’s Contenders
1963: The Beach Boys, ‘I Get Around’
This year’s contenders seem to be slow out of the gate, making it difficult to declare the victor just yet, but there are some promising options. First, we have Drake’s “Nice for What,” which is riding high on the Billboard charts but isn’t quite as sing-along friendly as others. Though his “One Dance” dominated the summer of 2016. Other options include rap dynamo Cardi B’s spicy “I Like It” — the perfect song to play at a summer cookout — or the boilerplate EDM uplift “The Middle” by Zedd, Maren Morris, and Grey — the perfect song to play over the loud speakers at Target.
There’s a good reason that when Brian Wilson was asked whether there were any great summer songs that he didn’t write, he answered “No, not really.” Though there are certainly better jams from the Beach Boys’ tangled, complicated career, “I Get Around,” “Fun Fun Fun,” and their other hits from the early ’60s virtually wrote the blueprint for future songs of the summer. They’re sunny, annoyingly catchy, and filled with youthful exuberance.
Thank you for your referrals!
2003: Beyoncé, ‘Crazy in Love’
Even before she led Destiny’s Child to international success and branched out on her own to become the de facto world queen of pop, it seemed Beyoncé was destined to change the musical landscape. Though she’d secured numerous smash hits before, “Crazy in Love” was, to many, the calling shot that signaled her eventual ascent to the throne. With her thrilling, powerful
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