“Shoes make the man; Shoddy Shoes make the man a lonely bachelor”
-Feb, 2005 Car & Driver, Kiwi Shoe Polish ad

By Izzy Jaecks

Ever since Billy Batts told Tommy DeVito to go home and get his shine box, new Planet Zman contributing writer, Izzy Jaecks has had an affinity for making his fellow man look sharp.

While I was growing up, my parents didn’t seem to agree on many things, but something that they both taught me in both words and actions were that if you care about something, you need to take care of it… because there just might not be the money to REPLACE it. For me, this translates into great and grand ways in quality leather care.

I bought my first pair of combat boots (yep, I was one of those kids…) back in 1990, and I quickly discovered that they needed proper care if I wanted them to last at all. I grabbed from the junk drawer the can of Kiwi that was probably older than I was, but it was still better than nothing. Four months later, when I had moved to Milwaukee, I had learned enough to get hired as the shoe shiner at the County Courthouse.

Along with a good haircut and a hot shave from a BARBER, sitting for a shoe shine is like the Man equivalent of a woman going for a pedicure and a spa day. But shoe shiners and bootblacks are not anywhere near as common as they were even twenty years ago. The County Courthouse here doesn’t support one anymore, and the one we have at the airport usually just sits around with nothing to do (if he is even there at all). If you are lucky enough to have a shoe shiner near you, sit for them. If you like what you see, go back again and again!

But if you don’t have a local shoe shiner, you can still take care of your shoes and boots yourself with not too much back breaking work and with supplies you can pick up at the drug store, grocery store…

1. Shoe polish in the right colors.
2. Saddle Soap.
3. Buffing brush with NATURAL BRISTLES not plastic (and one for each color polish)
4. Nail brush or any similar small brush, also with natural bristles
5. Small towels that you won’t be using for anything but your shoes
6. Cotton buffing cloth
7. Leather conditioner

Before I start… I want to dispel some myths: NEVER dry wet leather with a heat source. This will cause more damage than letting the leather dry at room temperature. NEVER use mink oil or other animal-fat based leather conditioners because the fats can go rancid on the leather; my personal favorite boot oil uses bee’s wax and pine tar.

Now, these basic tips will really apply to anything you own that’s leather: boots, shoes, jackets, briefcases… but shoes will need more care and more often just because they get more wear and tear and dirt…

Great leather care ALWAYS starts with immaculately clean leather, because if it isn’t clean, you are just sealing the dirt into the leather with polishes and conditioners.

Clean the leather thoroughly using saddle soap and a little water, applied with the small nail brush. A lot of dirt collects in seams, around the edges of the tongue, and where the upper meets the outsole. Wipe off the soap residue with a damp cloth, and then wipe dry. I always apply polish or conditioners with my hands because your body heat will help “melt” them into the leather, and abrasive hand cleaners (found at auto parts stores) will get it off your hands… but you can use a dauber instead. With polish, “less is more”… too much will just look sloppy, so start off light and only use more if the first coat doesn’t look like it’s covering. Let the polish rest on each shoe for a few minutes before buffing with the buffing brush and then lightly buff with the buffing cloth. Each morning before you put your shoes on, give them a light brushing to bring back the gloss. If this quick buffing is no longer enough to make them look good, then you know it’s time to start over down to cleaning them and reapplying polish.

For garments and softer leather shoes and boots, instead of using polish, use conditioners. Polish will just flake off soft leather anyway.

But whenever you can… sit for a shoe shiner/bootblack. Look for us in airports in larger cities, classic barbershops, government buildings, military bases, and even in some bars. Even better if you find one where you can bring a cigar as well…

-Izzy Jaecks, Master Bootblack

A red head with huge appendages and cigar smoking. The politically correct can kiss my Polack ash…

Contributing writer, Izzy Jaecks takes a look at the meaning of RESPONSIBLE gun ownership…

Back in 1992 in my college years, my hometown was toying with passing a handgun-ownership ban for within the city limits. I don’t remember if current owners would be grand-fathered in or not… it would be hard to enforce a ban on current owners without spending LOTS of taxpayer money to track down gun purchase receipts, some of which could be/would be decades old… The ban did NOT get passed, but some time before the vote, I was approached by an “activist” in the Student Union…

“Hi. I am with the Coalition of the Blahdey Blah Citizens of Pimmeldy Buck, and we are gathering signatures for our petition to ban handgun ownership….”

I cut him off, “no thanks…”

Ah, but he has tactics…

“What if I were to tell you that YOUR signature would directly protect the life of a child from a handgun accident? What if I could guarantee that YOUR signature will save a life?”

I shake my head… “Nope.” Unwashed hippie’s tactic of invoking the Safety of The Children did not work on a cold bastard like me. Oh the humanity.

Truth is, I own guns. A LOT of them… and bows… and swords… If you were to walk into my house you would either look around seeing the collection I have and either think, “Wow, what a fascinating and diverse collection of historically important artifacts and historical reproductions!” Or you would think, “Wow, what a paranoid nut.” Luckily I am not a paranoid nut. If I actually needed this amount of firepower to feel SAFE, I would have bigger problems than your average Joe. Now, if the need actually were to arise that I needed to defend myself and my home with force, I would… and could… because I don’t just OWN guns, I am a Responsible Gun Owner.

Whether you like it or not, guns are designed to kill things. Just because that is what they have been designed for, it does not mean that you have or will kill anyone with it… or that you WANT to kill anyone or anything with it… but it IS what they were invented and designed to do, plain and simple. I have the power to kill someone from a distance… I had to fill out a form for a background check for each gun, and if I lived in a different state, I might have had to wait through a minimum “waiting period” of anywhere from a few days to over a week after my background check cleared. But nowhere was I required to prove that I was strong enough or smart enough to deserve this power.

Kinda shocking, isn’t it? Luckily I am a Responsible Gun Owner.

While I am not required to do ANYTHING of the sort after I pass the background check and hand over the cash to my Local Gun Dealer for my shiny new tool, I take to heart the “A well regulated Militia” portion of the Second Amendment and I STUDY and TRAIN with my weapons. This doesn’t mean that I march up and down the square in the hot sun with my Mauser on my shoulder, but I have and study takedown manuals for all my guns. I practice taking each apart, reassembling each… and I examine each part, making sure everything is clean and sound. I have practice rounds, also called “snap caps”, for each gun as well so I can practice loading and firing while watching TV….

I WILL NOT TAKE A GUN TO THE RANGE OR LOAD LIVE AMMUNITION UNTIL I HAVE TAKEN TIME TO STUDY THE PIECE AND PRACTICE LOADING AND FIRING IT AGAIN AND AGAIN WITH PRACTICE AMMUNITION…

Lather, rinse, repeat.

And guess what? I’ve never had a gun-related accident in my home or at the range. No child has gotten their hands on a loaded weapon in my house and killed their little brother. No one has been shot in the face because I didn’t check the chamber before I started to clean a gun. Why?…

Because I am a Responsible Gun Owner.

THIS is the kind of gun “control” that the government should care about and enforce and encourage… you need to learn how to drive a car before getting behind the wheel by yourself… The government would serve the safety of its people better if it did away with token “waiting periods” and full-out ownership bans and replace them with “gun schools”. You want to own a handgun? Great… pass this safety course first, and you can own all the guns you want. Maybe the government hasn’t gone this route because it’s such a simple solution.

• “Life, Liberty and the Pursuit of Happiness”
• “Land of the Free”
• “No Taxation Without Representation”

Taken from the Cigar Rights official website at www.cigarrights.org

These are the principles on which America was founded. Unfortunately for cigar enthusiasts, the age-old pleasure of enjoying a cigar is under attack. On a daily basis, your freedom to enjoy a cigar is being stripped away by an overzealous, anti-smoking movement. Their tactics are varied; be it through supporting onerous cigar taxes or lobbying government for restrictive smoking bans. The anti-smoking movement will stop at nothing short of the complete prohibition of tobacco.

The Declaration of Independence of the United States ensures that all men and women have the freedom and the right to the pursuit of happiness. Unfortunately, cigar enthusiasts have slowly allowed these rights to be removed. Over the past twenty years, the anti-tobacco movement has broadened their reach and scope and are moving towards abolishing ALL forms of tobacco including cigars. Until recently there has essentially been very little organized opposition to their actions. And why should there have been? Most of us assumed that their attention was directed towards cigarettes.

Unfortunately, we were wrong.

Forty-eight states in America have enacted cigar taxes. Some states have gone as far as taxing cigars at a rate of 80%. Currently, the entire cigar industry is threatened by the Federal Government’s State Children’s Health Insurance Plan (SCHIP) that threatens to increase the Federal cigar tax by as much as 6,000% (no this is not a typo). If it weren’t for President Bush ’s veto of the bill proposed by the House and Senate last fall, you would currently be paying exorbitantly high prices for the cigars you enjoy so much and nearly every cigar shop in America would have been forced out of business. The proposed bill, which will tax cigars to fund SCHIP, is not dead yet. After the upcoming 2008 November election, the House and Senate will again attempt to increase the Federal tax on cigars to expand the State Children’s Health Insurance Plan.

In addition to a tax increase on cigars, regularly introduced anti-smoking legislation has made it close to impossible for cigar enthusiasts to enjoy cigars. In many states, you are not allowed to enjoy a cigar at your local restaurant or bar. Cities around America are now proposing bans which will, if enacted, stop you from enjoying a cigar outside of public buildings. Who would have thought that the day would come when you cannot legally enjoy a cigar walking down the beach or sitting in your local park?

There is a war against cigar enthusiasts everywhere. To combat the very influential anti-smoking movement, we need your help NOW . Join CIGAR RIGHTS OF AMERICA (CRA) and join the fight to protect your rights. Cigar Rights of America has been formed to fight unjustified tax increases and halt smoking bans. For years, cigar enthusiasts have been trampled on by all levels of government. With increasing risk of further local, State and Federal government intervention, now is the time for the cigar community to UNITE and have a powerful voice to protect our rights. If you’d like more information about this organization, go to > www.cigarrights.org

The launch of Tommy Z’s radio career was born last summer when he hosted his own 3-hour Planet Zman pilot broadcast on XM Satellite Radio. Tommy continues on with Radio Planet Zman, a bi-weekly, one-hour show dedicated to the Man’s Man. On this lifestyle show we talk about the Good Life, Cigars. Food, Sports, Women, Man Toys, entertainment, and everything guys love.

The Premise: You’re hanging on the back deck with Tommy – relaxing, throwing the bull, and enjoying the good life. There’s always lively guest interviews, passionate phone callers, and Zman’s irreverent humor to make for an entertaining & unique diversion from the ordinary.
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Planet Zman SHOW #1

CLICK HERE & Listen To > The PLANET ZMAN SHOW #1 • November 17, 2008

Welcome to the debut of Radio Planet Zman! A couple of awesome guests for this first show include the great Lew Rothman, CEO of JR Cigars, as he discusses the state of the union of the Cigar Industry. And NY Times Best Selling author, Mr, Larry Winget, dubbed as the Pitbull of Personal Development. Larry talks about his new PBS national TV special as well as what constitutes being a real Man’s Man.

Tommy Z. discusses what it means to live the “Good Life”, including premium hand rolled cigars & libations, mouth watering steak and steak houses, barbecue, and authentic hardcore tailgating with Louisiana’s own Cajun Chris. Zman introduces the charity that helps our returning soldiers and the families who weren’t so fortunate – with the Intrepid Fallen Heroes Fund. Plus Z takes some great phone calls where guys talk about real life Man Moments – the type you don’t forget.

Running Time: 1 Hour

New contributing Writer Robin Robinson pours us a quick belt of knowledge of God’s golden nectar.

PART ONE – A Most Interesting Bit of History

When you say the word “whisky” in a room of ten people, you get 14 different definitions, not to mention an argument and a fist fight over the missing “e”. Here’s what I learned growing up in Pittsburgh…

• It’s called “Redeye” and you order a shot in a dirty glass after riding in from the dusty range right before you have to shoot someone (from any classic western.)
• Its called CC or VO and you throw one shot of it down your throat while dropping another shot in your Iron City Beer while singing “Can’t Take My Eyes Off of You”. (From the guys at the steel mill on the midnight to 8 shift).
• Its “whisky and bad cocaine” (from Lowell George and Little Feat)
• “Show me the way to the next whiskey bar” (if I have to tell you the answer, stop reading now and crank up your Christopher Cross, sweetie).

Well, they’re all right and all wrong (especially the bad cocaine part). Truth is, whisky -and whiskey – is such an absolutely magical spirit, half full of mystery and half full of legend and mis-information, that it deserves a little time to straighten out the facts. So pick up your pencils kiddies, and write this down, as it will be on the final; and yes, there will be math.

First of all: the Celts and Picts and other (and I’m saying this with love) half-crazed heathens in Britain spoke Gaelic when they talked of the “water of life” as “uisge beatha” (pronounced weeshka-beerrh). Now put that in the mouths of a pack of marauding, illiterate British conscripts, cranked out of their skulls on a flagon of hard-ass grain alcohol and an empty stomach, and you get: “whishka”, and then, “whisky”. In high academic circles, this is known as the etymology of language. Here, its known as drunken soldiers on leave.

You’re STILL the one
Second of all, let’s settle all bar bets: “whisky” is Scotch and Canadian; “whiskey” is Irish and American (I don’t want to hear from the Japanese, Welsh and French, you all came late to the party). Here’s why: up until the mid 19th Century, the predominant whisky in the British Isles was Scottish-style malted pot still whisky in both Ireland and Scotland, made from cereal grains in individual batches, mostly on family run grain farms where they were located. As the quality depended on the water, the grains, the still and the idiot son put in charge of it, a lot of it was not good. In Ireland in 1831, a man named Aenaes Coffey patented the first continuous production still (also known as a “Coffey”, “patent” or “column” still) and is still used to this day for grain whiskies the world over, especially in quantity. The Irish started making some really fine hooch and to distinguish their product over the “inferior” Scottish brew, they added the “e”. Chalk one up for marketing. The Coffey still is responsible for the rise of blended whisky, and later the frugal and resourceful Scots took that and ran with it all the way into the 21st Century.

Run for the hills, here come the revenuers
When it came time to emigrate to the new world, the Scots mostly entered through Canada using Nova Scotia (New Scotland) as a preferred port of entry: starting to see the Canadian Club connection? The Irish mostly entered through New York and Baltimore and in greater numbers (which became much larger during the Irish potato famine). The Scots migrated down the Allegheny and Appalachian mountains (stopping along the way in Western Pennsylvania to cause trouble for a newly minted General Washington during the Whiskey Rebellion) into what is now Appalachia (as in Kentucky and Tennessee). The Irish followed a similar path away from the increasingly crowded East Coast, but later many came up from the South after being conscripted as Union recruits in the Civil War. While the Scots stopped off to make steel with Carnegie in Pittsburgh, the Irish dominated the whisky trade with their improved “Irish whiskey” of the mid-1800s, and packaged along with their tendency to bicker, brawl and feud, they brought an “e” to “whiskey”. With Scottish and Canadian, the plural is “whiskies”; with Irish and American, the plural is “whiskeys”.

The rest is historey.

Robin Robinson is the Brand Ambassador for Compass Box Whisky, a line of hand-crafted, artisanal Scotch whiskies created by John Glaser. Robin first came upon single malt Scotch whiskies in 1984 when he faked his way through hosting a Scotch whisky dinner for a bunch of Park Avenue swells while knowing absolutely nothing about the subject he was talking about. After cleaning off the tar and feathers, he bought his first single malt Scotch and a love affair was born. Since then, Robin has cast a wary eye on anyone calling themselves an “expert”. He edits the whisky blog www.onemalt.com. Compass Box Whisky can be found at www.compassboxwhisky.com and in fine spirits stores near you.

By Larry Winget

I am sick of A-Rod, Barry Bonds, Roger Clemens and the rest of the professional athletes who used illegal performance enhancing drugs and their lame apologies. I know they are so very very sorry ………. NOW! Big deal – I am NOT impressed with their feeble attempts at remorse. Everyone is sorry when they get caught! These guys and many more have tarnished the entire game through their irresponsibility. In fact, the results of every game they played in is now suspect in my opinion. It’s pure-D-crap folks. Bottom line: They broke the law. Prosecute them as illegal drug users.

Drugs are a problem in our society. We all know that. We have tried to stop it at the source. That hasn’t worked so well has it? No. My feeling is that if you want to stop drug abuse, hit people where it hurts the most: in their pocket. When you take money away from people, when you take their jobs away from them, when you deny them their rights and freedoms, then you will get their attention.

My son and I were talking this past week and he told me that he had to have a UA (urinalysis) test the next day. He is a cop in Phoenix and takes the test routinely as a part of his job. He was also in the Army for eight years and had tests there too. We were talking about how in our city, as in most, police and firemen have to pee in a cup, but other city employees don’t. Somehow, that didn’t hit me as fair. I know that a guy who sits at the DMV and passes out driver’s licenses and the lady who does data entry down at City Hall are not the same as cops and firemen. However, it is my tax dollar that pays them and I think what is fair for one, seems fair for another. I think if one city employee’s job depends on them being drug free, then every city employee’s job should depend on being drug free.

So in typical Larry Winget fashion, my mind started to get carried away with this thought. I think that drug testing should be expanded to include anyone who gets a check from the government. It would be a great way to reduce the workforce. I know it would take some tax dollars to do it, but it would get rid of lots of people who are breaking the law. I think the program would pay for itself pretty quickly and then actually end up helping these governments balance their budgets by reducing the workforce. Plus, I believe it would send a strong signal that we as tax-payers are not willing to pay for people’s drug habits. (If your tax dollars pay their salary and their salary goes to drugs, then you are financing their drug habit.) I’m not willing to do that, are you?

Want to know how far I would take this? I warn you, I am willing to take it pretty far!

1. As I have already said, if you work for any city, county, state or federal entity, you are going to have to take a drug test. If you are found to be a user, you get fired. Period. Tax dollars don’t go to pay drug users.

2. Welfare. No one gets to pick up their check without a drug test. If you have drugs in your system, you lose all rights to your welfare check forever. That should knock out about half of the people on welfare. Gee, at that point, they might have to get a job like the rest of us. Unfair? Deal with it. I’m right and you know it.

3. Unemployment benefits. You don’t get any if you can’t pass a drug test.

4. Student loans. A drug test. I am betting momma and daddy would get very much involved in their kids lives if they thought that all student loans, (plus all grants and scholarships) would be denied if the student failed a drug test.

5. IRS refund check. Yep, it takes a drug test. This one will bother some folks I know, but I’ll stick with it. You don’t get your refund if you can’t pass the test. If you fail, your refund check is forfeited to fund anti-drug legislation, drug rehab facilities and to help children born to drug users.

6. Social Security Checks. Don’t kid yourself. Sorry granny, you take a test to get your check too.

7. Driver’s license – passport – citizenship: Pass a drug test.

I know many of you will have a problem with this and I’m fine with that. And I know it is a drastic step. But isn’t it time for drastic steps? I also know it is costly. But what is drug abuse costing all of us? So while my solution is not perfect by any means – it would work. Or it would at least get some people’s attention!

Have fun with this one!

Larry Winget, billed as the World’s Only Irritational Speaker is one of the hottest and most demanded voices in North America. His is latest book, People Are Idiots and I Can Prove It is a NY Times Best Seller and his PBS Special is now airing nationally.

Learn more about Larry and even get some FREE stuff by CLICKING HERE > LarryWinget.com

Yours truly was approached by the good people at The Whisky Guild because, hey… for so many people, cigars are a big part of living the Good Life, and I guess word is out that I am somewhat of an ardent lover of the leaf.

Jeff Karlovitch, publisher and editor in chief of this wonderful lifestyle magazine thought I’d be a great fit for Whisky Life as both our audiences are virtually identical. I agreed wholeheartedly and wrote an article straight from the heart – filled with passion about not only the cigar lifestyle, but the Man’s Man lifestyle in general.

While I love a nice pour of a fine scotch or bourbon to accompany my daily smoke, I’m certainly no expert on whiskies – but after spending a few hours with this enlightening and beautifully laid out publication, I learned more than I could ever imagine. It talks of the different types of whiskey, the regions they come from, and the people who spend their lives passionately toiling to create God’s very own liquid gold. I definitely think that Jeff’s mission statement says it all…

Whiskey Life Magazine is the first whisky magazine to focus on the finest lifestyle, whisky, wine, cigars & other spirits. In the growing need for a publication that spoke to the 25-45 demographic the Whisky Life Magazine was born while utilizing one of the Internet’s most popular consumer whisky sites in the world – Whisky Guild. The Whisky Life Magazine is the brain child of Entrepreneur Jeffrey Karlovitch, with his passion for whisky and life, he felt no one spoke to his demographic in the industry.

While I’m at it how about a little excerpt from my article, I Give You the Good Life, to tantalize your refined taste buds…

“To me, my nightly smoke is celebration for another day well lived. And even if the day was tumultuous and filled with acerbic people who live to tear our world apart – just one simple brown cylinder, stuffed with aged leafy goodness can make it all go away. The best forty-five minutes of your day spent with a fine cigar is to me more effective than any two hundred dollar an hour session with a psychiatric professional. No prescribed pharmaceutical horse-pill could soothe my nerves, quell my mind, and fortify my soul than the binder, filler and wrapper of my premium hand rolled happy stick.”

I invite you to check out the Whisky Guild website & all that they have to offer. You can download a pdf version of the latest issue of Whisky Life magazine (and read my article) and find out how to get your own subscription – as well as becoming a Guild member.

CLICK HERE > Learn About the Whisky Guild & the pdf Download of the New Issue

CLICK HERE > Learn More About Whisky Life Magazine and how to Subscribe

New contributing writer Nathan McIntyre ponders the absence of manliness in the 21st century.

“We are a generation of men raised by women…and the last thing we need, is women.”
— Tyler Durden

I’m one of many men in my family. With only one female child in our line, my sister naturally has always felt a little lonely. There’s me and my two bull-moose younger cousins, my father and his brother, my grandfather and his brothers, and great-grandfather and his. Pater familias, it’s how we do.

Growing up on the farm I had access to guns, tractors, trucks, wild animals, (minor) explosives, you name it. Granny, Ma, and all the other women of the family not only dealt with it, you could tell they enjoyed their surroundings. I grew up knowing that women were blessed, important, and wonderful, but one day I would be the king of my castle.

My wife comes from a maternal family– polar opposite from my own. They quilt, cook, and play communal games. I find it all hysterically boring, and quite honestly she has done a much better job of adapting to my way of life than I to hers. But as we raise a raging bull of a man child I’m noticing something…

Where did all the men go?

I had He-Man, GI Joe (the Amurcan one), Thundercats (hoooooooo), and the Road Runner loaded with truckloads of TNT. My son, at least to this point, only has a bevy of psuedo-dudes dressed in pastel singing about hugs and butterflies. He learns a ton while being exposed to this world, but I wonder sometimes what we as a people are teaching boys about being boys. Should they be proud or guilty? Should we long to be a part of Dad’s rituals, or laugh them off as old and unenlightened? Should they be proud when they score a goal, or just celebrate everyone playing the game (translated– wearing nice clean uniforms).

I swore to myself a long time ago that I’d never let my son feel the urge to crucify his masculinity. From the crap being spewed from academia to churches’ nailing manhood to the cross I promised myself, and him, that if even I died trying he would reach adulthood awake and aware. Awake to the great potential of being a man, and aware of the magnificent responsibility.

I just hope to God he’s not the only one left.

- Nathan M.

Nathan McIntyre is a “recovering minister” and creator of AnAmericanFrontPorch.com. A resident of Nashville, TN, he writes whenever ever time permits, and he dang well feels like it.

Toxic People is a phenomenal book written by Marsha Petrie Sue who is a motivational speaker, author, and best of all (for credibility reasons), an ex-Toxic Person herself. I figured everyone here has worked with an acerbic miserable prick at least once in their lives…or a miserable biotch. And if she’s your boss, well, then life is bloody f-ing hell, every Monday through Friday.

This book gives real “hands-on” practical advice on how to deal with the people at work that suck the life force out of you and everyone else. You know quite well how dangerous and evil these people can be – whether they mean it or not – but the real question is: What the hell are you gonna do about it?

The first words in the preface of the book say: CAUTION: Expect discomfort while reading this book – This is the only life you have so you might as well learn how to manage people who create perplexity, puzzlement, and pandemonium. It sounds overly simple, but the key to managing people is to learn how to manage yourself. Once you learn how – oh yeah, then it’s simple – but removing from your brain the emotional rage, discomfort, loathing and often times hate towards a boss or co-worker – now that’s a task that many would pay dearly to learn. People have lost their minds and their lives in the fight against the Toxic – and it’s time to stop the pain…RIGHT NOW!

I asked Marsha, what about a nine millimeter or biological warfare introduced into the demon spawn’s morning coffee? Let’s face it – there’s nothing we’d like more than to knock this bastard’s teeth down straight down his or her throat. Of course that is an alternative, but 20 years in the slammer sounds like there must be a better way – and there is. You see the part that causes discomfort is realizing that this whole situation is entirely in YOUR hands and only YOU can make it better. God – that sucks doesn’t it…No magic silver bullet to put through the f@#king vampire’s head? Sorry.

Guy’s you know the old saying all too well: It’s not what happens in life – it’s how you deal with it is all that matters – and I’m talking on all fronts: mentally, emotionally, and physically. It’s 100% up to us how we take this on, and fortunately, we do have choices.

“It simply comes down to three choices,” Marsha states. “Take it, Leave it, or Change it. Now taking it means you have a plan of action. Leaving it says you’re going to reject it and walk away. But changing it is the biggest struggle of all – we learn to become more flexible to a negative person or environment by using the proper tools to exist and move forward. This last choice is by far the toughest to conquer, but so empowering because it assures that YOU are in control – and THAT is absolutely worth living for!”

In the early nineties, Marsha was a big corporate executive – a real taskmaster who hit all her goals and numbers but wasn’t very pleasant to be around. “I was actually sent to a sort of charm school to learn how to be nice,” she admits. She was the classic over aggressive, over achiever that made her employee’s lives miserable and when she discovered what she was actually doing – a new Marsha came forth, one that realized she could talk to people and tell them how to deal with those at work who make our lives a living hell.

So why do we choose to just sit back, take it, and remain in our toxic situation with our toxic buddies? “Tommy, I truly believe people do this because they are so friggin lazy! It all stems from change. Change is hard because it means you have to break out of your safe little comfort zone and do things differently. When you hang out in your comfort zone, you get terribly lazy. It’s just so easy. But until things get really, really bad is when they realize change needs to take place. But after a few attempts and things don’t magically work with immediate results, they go right back to where they were. My book is a plan of action and that’s what you need to get through your ordeal.”

Guys, trust Marsha – she’s an expert who’s been there, done that, and can REALLY help! The book is an easy read that breaks down the type of Toxic personalities – the Steamroller, the Backstabber, the Know-It-All, the Needy Weenie, etc. – and teaches you how to deal with them, defuse them, and best of all, eliminate their control over you once and for all. Now you could just duct tape a 20 pound weight to the book and slam it over the persons skull during their morning bagel, but I’d say better use would be to read it and implement the tools and techniques that have helped so many.

Marsha is a daily fan of Planet Zman and her husband is a longtime JR customer and loves a good cigar! It would be great to support her efforts and check out her book! 90% of the readers reviews gave it 5 big stars on Amazon and she is busy as all hell speaking to companies around the country about their environment and what they can do to make their workplace a happy, happy, joy, joy experience. She’s got a great little website too, filled with all kinds of good stuff, including other books and materials she has written all in the name of keeping us from losing our marbles.

Unfortunately, my chair is a tad toxic, but that is again 100% my own doing. Hey, I say READ THIS BOOK because the life you save will most likely be your own.

- ZMAN

Marsha Petrie Sue is a one-of-a-kind professional speaker and author who dares people to take personal responsibility for their choices, success, and life. Her latest book Toxic People: decontaminating difficult people at work without using weapons or duct tape, is a #1 best seller. She is also the author of several other resources including the award winning CEO of YOU: Leading YOURSELF to Success. She has been featured in the New York Times, Newsweek On-Line, Reuters, Investors Business Digest, Legal Management, Well Fargo Business Advisor, The Business Journal and others.

www.decontaminatetoxicpeople.com
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