What I Heard This Week! 03-12-2020
CAUTION: In addition to current world events & petty, useless information I find interesting, this column may also contain tacky statements, opinions, and crudely disguised language. Proceed at your own risk.
If you have been to the store lately, you know that some cleaning goods are in short supply. Last week, I shopped for Lysol/Clorox wipes, soap and hand sanitizer for the office, but could only find liquid soap, which was fine because twenty seconds of handwashing with actual ‘soap and water is what’s recommended to get your hands clean. But, if you don’t have soap and water available, then you can use hand sanitizer. Evidently there have been some crazy recipes circulating online that claim you can make a homemade hand sanitizer out of Tito’s vodka and aloe vera. Yes, on Gunsmoke, Kitty and Marshall Dillon might have used some cheap, rot-gut whiskey to disinfect the hole where he pulled out the gunslinger’s bullet, but in 2020, Tito’s Handmade Vodka will not kill the germs you’re looking to get rid of because it’s only 40% alcohol and that does not meet the current recommendation of the CDC. So, wash your hands, keep them away from your face, and save your perfectly good vodka because we may need it later. If you ever must use vodka, the suggestion is to use 180 proof to have any benefits.
A recipe for legitimate DIY hand sanitizer follows. When you use it, be sure to completely coat your hands (dripping wet) and then let them air dry which is the CDC-approved method for effective hand disinfecting. RECIPE: In a glass bowl or measuring cup, mix one-third cup aloe vera gel with two-thirds cup 99% isopropyl alcohol until blended. Then add a few drops of essential oils to make it smell better. This will be runnier than the hand sanitizers that you buy because of the quantity of alcohol it takes.
Brooklyn federal judge, Jack Weinstein, recently announced his retirement at the age of 98. When asked what his future plans might be, he said “I would like to get my masters-degree in history.” Nice.
Amazon’s chief executive, Jeff Bezos, is pledging $10 billion to help fight climate change and will launch the Bezos Earth Fund. He wrote, “Climate change is the biggest threat to our planet. I want to work alongside others both to amplify known ways and to explore new ways of fighting the devastating impact of climate change.” That amounts to about 7.5 percent of his current wealth…well, that may have been his total wealth last week before the stock market…hmmm 😊
The longest-running musical in world history, The Fantasticks, has a few more shows (through March 15th) at Stages Theatre in Houston. My son was there working, so AE and I got tickets. Great show. 713-527-0220. Then we buzzed over to Katz’s Deli for Matzo Ball soup, Reuben and Scottish Smoked Salmon sandwiches, Central Market for coffee, then to UH to load up and let spring break begin. Great day!
I bought a galvanized fire ring from Tractor Supply and I’m using it for my newest raised garden. I’ll let you know if it works. It was $44 and I had a 15% off coupon so I thought I would try it. The wood gardens rot, the plastic ones break at the connections because of heat and weather, so I’m doing galvanized from now on. Weed eating can’t hurt it. Two weeks later I went back and bought another one. So far, it’s working. Winter gardening is so much more fun than summertime.
My New Year’s resolution was to quit all my bad habits. But then it occurred to me – no one likes a quitter.
The Community Foundation of Brazoria County is having their annual dinner for Philanthropists of the Year and will honor Mona Chavarria, Rod Hall and Lucilla Henderson for their participation and philanthropy. March 17th at 6:30pm and sponsored by BASF, Brazosport College, Freeport LNG and TDECU. In keeping with their philosophy of encouraging philanthropy, admission is free. If you can’t make it, then please be your own philanthropist and donate to a cause.
Thanks to modern technology and a little detective work, a nearly 400-year-old painting that had long been attributed to an unknown artist in Rembrandt’s workshop has now been found to be the real thing…a work of the Dutch master himself.
Harvey Weinstein, now known as inmate No. 3102000153, received 23 years in prison. He hired a prison consultant last month. What the heck does that do for you? Well, it seems that pretty bad things happen in prison to guys accused of sex crimes, especially ones with money. Weinstein hired Craig Rothfeld, a former Wall Street exec found guilty of securities fraud and spent time in prison. He cleverly turned his experience into a consulting business advising future inmates and their families about many issues that arise when you are locked up with a bunch of dangerous guys that don’t like you, but love your money. Bill Cosby has used his fame and time to mentor inmates (didn’t he drug women?) and to get in better shape. He entered prison at 220 pounds and is now a healthier 189 pounds, but Cosby was widely known, popular and funny. Weinstein was not well- liked and will need to learn not to argue, not to gamble and what to expect in the first 30 days. If you can’t do the time, don’t do the crime.
“Some people never go crazy, what truly horrible lives they must live.” Charles Bukowski
Last year, an Oregon woman was arrested after she poured cognac into the mouth of a Taco Bell employee while she was in the drive thru. Huh? If you close your eyes and play that scene over in your mind, it just doesn’t work unless the employee ‘wanted’ Hennessy Cognac poured in his mouth, thereby sticking his head through the window and opening his mouth. I read a different article to see if I could get some clarification and it said that the employee told the sheriff’s deputy that most of the alcohol spilled on him, so he didn’t actually consume the Cognac. This all happened while a sheriff’s office sergeant was watching. Hmmm. I’m so happy that my thoughts don’t appear in bubbles over my head.
Hyundai Motors America and Kia America are instructing vehicle owners to park their vehicles outdoors (not in a home or business garage) until a recall repair can be performed. The companies will be notifying owners of certain Hyundai Elantra’s, Entourages and Santa Fe’s and some models of Kia Sedona’s and Sorrento’s by mail in April of a rare but dangerous defect discovered in 10 Hyundai Elantra’s that caught fire while parked and turned off. Many owners are wondering why it took the car companies so long to issue a recall.
Austin announced a state of disaster, then canceled SXSW. While they were insured, it appears that there’s a possibility that the policy may not apply to disease outbreak or local state of disasters. Interesting. Rice University, UCLA, Harvard, Ohio State, Purdue, Princeton and so many other colleges have canceled in-person classes and are now preparing to teach virtual classes. Italy began a country-wide lockdown. The city of Rochelle, NY closed their doors for 14 days and National Guard troops will deliver food and disinfect common areas. Wall Street – worst day since the financial crash of 2008. Note: We are beginning to see the domino effect of the virus. WHO has officially confirmed COVID-19 as pandemic. We can do this! Houston has opened a call center to answer all your COVID-19 questions. 832-393-4220. UTMB Health has launched a new web site of information www.utmb.edu/COVID-19.
The three hardest things to say are: 1. I was wrong. 2. I need help. 3. Worcestershire Sauce.
I had a dream that my hairdresser (that I’ve loved for 25-plus years) gave me a new haircut and it looked just like Alfalfa from The Little Rascals – you know, parted in the middle, slicked down with a clump sticking straight up in the air around the crown. A couple of days later, I had to cancel my appointment telling him (jokingly) it was because I hadn’t forgiven him for the haircut that he gave me in my dreams…my rescheduled appointment is this Friday, the 13th. I’ll let you know. 😊 If you want us to email you a copy of the paper each Thursday morning, just call the office. Lisa
