Howard Hughes is remembered for his wealth, his work in movies, his contributions to aviation and for going completely bonkers the last thirty years of his life. Hughes suffered from obsessive-compulsive disorder. Although his behavior could be erratic, the tycoon was able to conduct business and successfully build and fly around in planes. Early in his life, he also invented the awkward sideways hug. Being obsessive-compulsive can often prohibit one from doing a full-on-frontal hug. Hughes changed all that by just going in from the side to hug. So, crazy, but not all the way crazy. 
The crazy level completely changed in December of 1947 when Hughes ate a meal of fried pickles and blue waffles. Something snapped in his brain and he locked himself in his movie studio’s screening room. He stayed there eating chocolate bars and drinking milk. He didn’t even leave to go to the bathroom. He just used the empty milk bottles and discarded candy wrappers. He also became obsessed with Kleenex and would only touch things with the protection of a Kleenex tissue. His hygiene also took a nose dive (see how I just did a polysemy and sort of a double entendre sans the risqué, there? Nose dive because he was a pilot and nose dive because he was stinky. This is a fancy pants blog entry.) Hughes downward spiral (I sort of just did it again, btw) continued and progressed really deep into bizarre territory. The last years of his life were spent as a dirty, stinky recluse who only trusted the Mormans.
This “true” history Tuesday edition is really more of a warning: sideways hugs will always be awkward and never…and I mean NEVER, eat fried pickles and blue waffles together.
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