Celebrity Advice and Opinions

     We are living in a time when many people seem to be taking their cultural, political, lifestyle and health care advice from the rich and famous. 

     Of course celebrities have the right to voice their opinions no matter how far out or goofy they may be. For example, Nikki Minaj once advised us that a friend of her cousin got the COVID-19 vaccine and his testicles swelled up and he became impotent. 

     The stand up comic, mixed martial arts fanatic and psychedelic adventurer Joe Rogan was laid low after after testing positive for COVID-19 and he described his use of Ivermectin to treat it. 

     The drug won the Nobel Prize in 2015 for its use treating the world’s poorest populations for parasitic diseases like river blindness and elephantiasis. It is also used in veterinary medicine to get rid of worms in livestock. The Food and Drug Administration says it's useless to treat COVID. But then Rogan claims the pharmaceutical companies "are in cahoots to try and make anybody who takes this stuff look crazy. But what’s crazy is look how better I got! I got better pretty quick.” Who are you going to believe? 

     By the way, people should NEVER use medications intended for animals because they can be very different from those approved for humans and can be dangerous even to the point of death.

     Politicians get into the act, too. Remember when President Trump advocated Hydroxychloroquine. His enthusiasm for the drug lead to some people blaming him for prompting the stockpiling of the drug and thereby limiting access to it for lupus patients and it was, according to some people, his fault that in an attempt to ward off the coronavirus, an Arizona couple in their 60s ingested chloroquine phosphate which killed the man and landed his wife in critical care. Few considered it was the couple's fault for taking advice on self-medicating from a celebrity, President or not.

     Back in the day Trump had endorsements from Mike Ditka, Lil Wayne and Roseanne Barr. Then there was Joe Biden who had a cruise ship full of celebrities on his side in 2020, including Beyonce, Taylor Swift and Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson.

     There are plenty of examples of celebrities advertising stuff on television, but the latest scam involved professional (American) football players the Green Bay Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers and the Los Angeles Rams wideout Odell Beckham Jr. who were handling out financial advice. 

     They were endorsing Bitcoins, the no. 1 cryptocurrency, and announced their plans to take portions of their salaries in the cryptocurrency during a time when Bitcoins hit an all-time high. Not long after Bitcoins took a nasty dive.

     Cryptocurrencies have been moving in tandem with stocks, which have been falling as investors have been selling risk assets like technology stocks. i.e. Bitcoin investing is like any other investing...you take your risks. However, it seems wiser to take advice from a professional financial advisor and not professional football players who are getting paid to hawk a product or service. 

     Being rich and famous does not make a person smart or worthy of spewing advice on medicine and politics and everything in between and much of it can prove to be downright harmful. In many cases these people are fear mongers who promote anything to make a dollar. They have no idea if it works, or if what they are saying has any truth to it. On the other hand, some really do believe that they know more than the rest of us and we should listen to them no matter how ridiculous their advice may be. 

     How smart are the celebrities? The following quotes reveal a lot and Madonna said it best when she said, "Listen, everyone is entitled to my opinion." 

 

Shaquille O’Neal 

Reporter: “Did you visit the Parthenon during your trip to Greece?” 

 O’Neal: “I can’t really remember the names of the clubs we went to.” 

 

Kanye West

"I actually don't like thinking. I think people think I like to think a lot. And I don't. I do not like to think at all." 

 

Britney Spears 

"I’ve never really wanted to go to Japan. Simply because I don’t like eating fish. And I know that’s very popular out there in Africa."

 

Paris Hilton 

"No, no, I didn’t go to England, I went to London." 

 

Jaden Smith 

“If everybody in the world dropped out of school, we would have a much more intelligent society.” 

 

Christina Aguilera 

"So, where’s the Cannes Film Festival being held this year?" 

 

Brooke Shields

"Smoking kills. If you're killed, you've lost an important part of your life." 

 

Mitt Romney (politician) 

"I believe in an America where millions of Americans believe in an America that's the America millions of Americans believe in. That's the America I love." 

 

Dan Quayle (politician) 

"It's time for the human race to enter the solar system!"

Enjoy a little washboard music...

Intrusive City Government

     The city in which I live requires permits for just about everything. Some are understandable...you don't want shoddy, dangerous electrical work being done. And, a good argument could probably be made for permits for demolition, home foundation repair, waterproofing, siding, fences, plumbing, swimming pools and signs.

     Permits for garage sales seem a bit intrusive though. No person shall conduct a public sale or garage sale before 9:00 a.m. of any day or after Sunset of any day, the law says. You also cannot sell anything that was brought into the residence or onto the property for the sole purpose of selling it if you regularly sell those items for a profit. e.g. if you own a bicycle shop you can't sell a bicycle at a garage sale.

     By the way, in my city you are required to have a bicycle license. They cost $3.00. "No person who resides within this City shall ride a bicycle on any street or upon any public path set aside for the exclusive use of bicycles unless such bicycle has been licensed and a license sticker is attached thereto as provided herein."

     Additional rules state that the license is good for the life of the bicycle or for the time that you own it. And, you must have the serial number of the bicycle and your social security number to get a license. Upon the sale or other transfer of a licensed bicycle the new owner has to make an application to the City Auditor. That will cost another $3.00. If an original license sticker has been lost and not attached to the bicycle you have to get a duplicate issued. Of course there is a fee, but it's only $1.00. 

     Oddly, there is no mention of any penalty for owning an unlicensed bicycle. This is hard to understand because with the scourge of unlicensed bicycle in this city ticketing riders would be a gold mine, but the local politicians don't seem to have realized that yet. 

     Also, today everyone was reminded that dog owners have to get their licenses by the end of the month. In the State of Ohio, every dog must have its license renewed every year and the deadline for the renewal is January 31. A one-year license costs $20. 

     Ohio law permits Animal Control Officers to impound dogs that are not wearing a license, even from the dog owner's yard. The maximum penalty for a violation is a $150 fine. That's intrusive. 

     Still, in one sense dog licensing laws make sense. A handful of cities in Ohio ban certain dog breeds like pit bulls, dobermans, rottweilers, akitas, huskies and German shepherds, but dangerous dogs are generally defined by behavior, not breed. 

     Ohio law defines a “dangerous dog” as a dog that, without provocation, has caused injury to any person or killed another dog.

     A dangerous dog license costs $50.00. You also have show proof that the dog does not have rabies, that it is neutered or spayed or a statement from a licensed veterinarian that doing so is medically contraindicated, prove that you have posted and will continue to post clearly visible signs warning both minors and adults of the presence of a dangerous dog on the property. Finally, you have to show evidence that the dog has been permanently identified by means of a microchip and the dog’s microchip number. 

     Some lawyers actually advertise that they will take on dog bite cases. While all dogs are capable of attacking people, it is a statistical fact that some breeds are more likely to attack people than others. 

     The Center of Disease Control and Prevention reported that over 4.6 million Americans are bitten each year and according to insurance companies the average dog bite claim is around $30,000. Ohio has made a list of dogs that are the most dangerous and vicious breeds. Of course, the list does not mean that all dogs of that breed will bite, but if you happen to meet up with one that is on the list you should be careful. 

      If you have been attacked by a dog you should be aware that most lawsuits must be brought within two years from the date of the attack. And, you should seek out an attorney experienced in handling dog bite cases.

The Amazing Bloodhound

     Known for their massive layers of wrinkles, deep-set brown eyes, and hanging jowls, bloodhounds look more like sleepy old men than life-saving heroes, but don’t let this ancient breed fool you, they are definitely not the lazy hound dogs they are often portrayed to be. 

     They can be gentle, affectionate family dogs, but you probably wouldn't really want one for a pet. Due to their stubbornness and independent qualities, a bloodhound can be an overwhelming challenge. They generally live for 10–12 years with minimal health problems although they are notorious for drooling, howling and snoring! 

     Although they are calm and gentle by nature, bloodhounds are also tough, stubborn, cunning and independent. They have been known to sniff out for treats chew furniture and escape from any yard that is not extremely secure if they catch an interesting scent and decide to follow it. Also, bloodhounds are very sensitive creatures and do not respond well to stern training. A puppy will cost you between $400 and $1,200 with the average being around $750.

     Bloodhounds shed a lot. They're messy eaters and at 80-100-plus pounds they eat and defecate a lot. Being friendly critters, they also like to sit on their owner's laps. They are also born sniffers...they sniff everything. They are smart, too. Some learn to open doors and some like to hide things.

     They were originally bred for hunting large game such as deer and wild boar and are thought to be descendants of Belgian hounds kept at the Abbey of Saint-Hubert in the Ardennes region and, as a breed, may be nearly 1,000 years old.

     They have skills no other dog has that makes them extremely valuable when it comes to nose work. For nearly 200 years, bloodhounds have helped law enforcement track missing persons and criminals. Even though today's police forces have a lot of high tech equipment available many believe bloodhounds are still the best option for tracking. 

     Bloodhounds have a very, very good sense of smell. Researchers estimate that their sense of smell is at least 1,000 times stronger than a human's. Experts say they have as many as 300 million scent receptors, which enables them to follow scent trails up to 300 hours (12-13 days) old and they have been known to follow a scent trail for more than 130 miles. By comparison, German shepherds are pretty sniffers, but they only have approximately 230 million scent receptors. We humans only have about 5 million receptors, or about 2 percent of what a bloodhound has.

     When a bloodhound sniffs the scent such as a piece of clothing, air passes through its nasal cavity and the scent creates an “odor image" in the dog's brain...a sort of smell photograph. 

     The odor image is created from smells humans can't detect, things like sweat, breath and skin which when combines enables the bloodhound to pick out the exact scent trail it's looking , or rather, sniffing for. Once the bloodhound finds a scent trail matching the odor image, it can follow that specific smell despite all the other odors in the environment. 

     The nose isn't the only part of bloodhound's anatomy that makes it a good tracker. Their wrinkly skin helps trap scents and their long, droopy ears also act as sweepers, dragging the ground and sweeping scents toward their nose. They also have very muscular necks that allow them to keep their nose to the ground for hours at a time without getting cramps. 

     A bloodhound’s sense of smell is so reliable, it is even admissible in court. Their “testimony” is considered admissible in many American courts which allow the results of a bloodhounds nose work to be entered into evidence:

 

 “Evidence of the trailing of human beings by Bloodhounds is admissible as a circumstance to corroborate other testimony offered by the state. The Bloodhound in question must be shown to have been trained to follow human beings by their tracks and to have been tested as to its accuracy in trailing upon one or more occasions.” 

 

     The term bloodhound refers to the fact that early breeders went to great lengths to record their ancestry and preserve the purity of their bloodline. “Blooded Hound” would be a more apt name.

Engine Splash Shields

     For the past few months my leased Ford Escape has made a rattling sound when accelerating from a stop. I could not figure out what is was and because the car is leased and there is less than a year left and its performance has not been compromised I decided not to worry about it. 

     Today I discovered the cause. While waiting for the tech to change the oil I noticed that he was removing some kind of thin metal plate from underneath the engine. 

     Upon inquiry I found out it is an engine splash shield. These things cost less that $60 each and are held in place by 7mm screws that fasten into plastic holders. That explains why an oil change takes so long...about an hour and a half. 

     The tech explained that this particular shop does not have an air wrench with a 7mm bit, so he had to use a hand wrench. Sure enough...when I Googled engine splash shields I found out that it takes about one hour to remove and replace one. That extra hour explains why the price of oil changes has increased considerably.

     It's also a good thing that they don't have an air wrench with a 7mm bit! People have reported that techs often over tighten the screws and strip the plastic screw holders. The result is that often the shields then fall part way off and can drag on the road or fall off. 

Ford Escape splash shield

     The purpose of these splash guards is to minimize the projecting of water and rocks by your vehicle up into the engine compartment. Are they REALLY necessary? One site says, yes, an engine splash shield is necessary and can save you hundreds of dollars in repairs. When you drive without one, you're putting the most important parts of your vehicle at risk—road debris such as rocks, leaves, and twigs can get inside the engine compartment and cause damage. Others (in the majority it seems) say no, they aren't really necessary. After all, they didn't put them on cars until just recently. 

     The point is, it was a loose (probably from the previous oil change) splash shield that was causing the rattling noise. Now it appears to have been put back on correctly and the noisy rattling has stopped.