Pheaturing Niall Horan

 

Hey, kids, welcome to the Phile for a Monday. How are you? I’ve got to hand it to the social platform for Gen Z’ers known popularly as TikTok (which I am on... @Jaypea68). We can poke fun and pull the “older” card on the new generations all we want, but if you have an account on there or have seen other TikTok videos on other social media sites, then you know that after combing through all the lame dances, you can find a ton of useful learning lessons! From cooking to life hacks, TikTok has become increasingly informative, and you can’t deny its usefulness, especially in this TikTok about the coronavirus. Thirty-year-old Russell Donnelly (okay, so not specifically Gen Z, but you know what I mean!) is a TikTok creator from New Jersey who tested positive for COVID-19. Which, isn’t really a surprise since pandemic cases around the globe have been rising once again. But anyway, Donnelly (@rustardlikemustard) seized the opportunity to create a funny, light-hearted video about the very real symptoms of testing positive. So he filmed himself doing a little COVID-19 taste test. One of the COVID-19 symptoms is losing your sense of taste and smell. You could still feel just fine, but test COVID positive if you have a loss of taste from your taste buds. And what better way to figure that out than to try the most extreme tasting foods that you probably would never eat by itself? Because that’s exactly what Donnelly did. In the viral video, the New Jersey man explained, “I am currently COVID positive and I can’t taste anything,” and further saying that his fans wanted him to try “nasty stuff.” He didn’t necessarily have gross things to eat, but decided to go for foods that were “strong or pungent.” So what all did he consume? The series of videos show the viral sensation bravely consuming, a chunk of raw onion, a shot of lemon juice and garlic paste, Gerber baby food, a whole lemon, anchovies with capers, mustard, apple cider vinegar, wasabi Oreos, and other weird combinations of foods. His reaction? Nothing. Struck by reality, the comments popped off in the trending videos, telling the TikTok star to continue the COVID taste test trend by trying extreme foods like cat food and ghost peppers. The NYPost said the New Jersey TikTok creator “would’ve killed it on 'Fear Factor,'” and I couldn’t agree more in taking advantage of losing your taste or smell. Besides, this is also another pretty decent process for a rapid test instead of the typical gag-worthy way. But if you can’t taste or smell anything, you should definitely go to the doctor immediately. 

Former president Donald Trump‘s wealth (or lack thereof) has always been up for debate. Though Forbes has long listed Trump as a billionaire, a bombshell investigation by The New York Times into Trump’s tax returns last year revealed years of sustained losses and tax avoidance. Now, a new analysis by Bloomberg has found that Trump’s net worth has declined by an additional $700 million since becoming president in 2016. Donald Trump’s net worth, which had been listed as $3 billion, has shrunk down to $2.3 billion over the last five years. Like most real estate and hospitality companies, the Trump Organization faced major losses over the past year with the on-set of the coronavirus pandemic. Additionally, Trump owes more than $256 million in commercial real estate debt, according to Bloomberg. Trump likely struggle to pay these debts off since his loyal lender Deutsche Bank abandoned him following the violent riot at the U.S. Capitol. The new Bloomberg report also reports that the surviving Trump properties, even golf courses which are normally a “bright spot” for the company, are in “sad” shape, having dropped in value roughly 42 percent since 2015. Donald Trump’s sons Eric Trump and Donald Trump Jr. have taken over heading the Trump Organization since their father became president. Eric defended the company to People Magazine, saying, “Bloomberg’s valuation is a joke. We have the best assets in the world, have extremely low debt relative to our holdings and have [an] incredible strong cash flow.” Bloomberg reports that Donald Trump’s few modest gains are thanks to the Mar-a-Lago Club in Palm Beach, Florida and the Trump Winery in Charlottesville, Virginia. Rather than return to Manhattan, Trump has taken up residence in Florida at Mar-a-Lago since leaving the White House in January. Additionally, thanks to Trump’s newly political... and toxic... brand, he can no longer rely on book sales or the TV entertainment industry which once provided such a steady stream of revenue. That was to be expected. But the recent, devastating financial disclosure in Bloomberg is still a revelation to those following the story of Trump’s unraveling image. 

Five White House staffers have been fired because of their past use of drugs, including marijuana, press secretary Jen Psaki said on Friday. Marijuana has become a delicate issue for President Joe Biden’s administration because 15 states and Washington, D.C., allow for recreational usage, despite a federal prohibition. The administration has tried not to automatically penalize potential staffers for legal behavior in their communities by developing a more flexible policy, Psaki said in a statement to the Associated Press. “In an effort to ensure that more people have an opportunity to serve the public, we worked in coordination with the security service to ensure that more people have the opportunity to serve than would not have in the past with the same level of recent drug use,” Psaki said. “While we will not get into individual cases, there were additional factors at play in many instances for the small number of individuals who were terminated.” Hundreds of aides in the 2-month-old Biden administration have cleared the suitability review by career staffers handling security issues. The White House has said there can be multiple factors for dismissals, including hard drug use. The marijuana policy has become less stringent under the Biden administration, allowing for up to 15 past uses in a year among White House staffers. The broader federal government has also become somewhat more lenient, with the Office of Personnel Management releasing a memo that says a person should not be deemed unfit merely because of past marijuana usage. The seriousness of the use and the nature of the position will also be factors in judging new hires. Security and suitability reviews have been an issue for past administrations. At least 25 clearance denials were overturned by President Donald Trump’s administration, where people faced possible disqualification because of foreign influence, conflicts of interest, concerning personal conduct, financial problems, drug use and criminal conduct. 

I never thought I would start hearing the worst stories from the latest stimulus check rollout. A Kentucky mother, who said she used her stimulus check to buy fentanyl, now faces charges of murder, importing fentanyl, and trafficking of a controlled substance, after her two-year-old son died from consuming some. Thirty-three-year-old Lauren Ashley Baker from Ludlow, Kentucky, admitted that she is highly addicted to the synthetic opioid which she bought in Cincinnati using her stimulus check. She then brought it back to Ludlow, where she told police that she shared it with two other people. She then explained she “took a shot” of fentanyl before falling asleep on a Thursday night. But when she dosed off, her two-year-old son then consumed some of her drugs. Baker woke to find her purse empty and her son not breathing. The boy’s father, unidentified, called the police when he got home, and when they arrived, the boy was in respiratory arrest. He was then rushed Cincinnati Children’s Hospital, where he was pronounced dead. The fentanyl was found scattered on the bed of Baker’s home, as well as a can of Narcan, a drug designed to block the effects of opioids. She is now being held in Kenton County Jail without bond, according to the police report. It’s still unclear which stimulus check she used, but she did specifically say she used the coronavirus relief funds to buy the fentanyl. If found guilty, she could face up to 50 years in prison. I understand that addiction is hard, but consequences are very real. And this mother’s fentanyl problem is not excusable in the event of her own son’s death. To even have it near him is already horrible, but people have to be responsible for their actions. It’s heartbreaking to see someone lose a life so young.

It's no secret that Baron Zemo and the Flag-Smashers will be the main villains in "The Falcon and The Winter Soldier." However, the first episode of the Marvel Cinematic Universe series also teased the arrival of another comic book baddie. But who is Power Broker and why is his possible arrival in the MCU such a huge thing? The premiere episode of "The Falcon and The Winter Soldier" featured some interesting credits to introduce the cast. One of the cut-outs in the sequence stated that "Power Broker is watching" and it could confirm that the Marvel comic book villain keeping an eye on everyone. In the comics, Curtiss Jackson is a criminal who has gone up against the likes of Captain America and Falcon. He is also the founder of the Power Broker Corporation that manufactures drugs that give the users superhuman strength. Jackson's specialty would make sense considering that "The Falcon and The Winter Soldier" already introduced a mysterious superpowered individual who happens to be a member of the Flag-Smashers. The terrorist named Dovich has the same abilities as a Super Soldier and it's possible that his powers come from a drug made by Power Broker. Although Power Broker has not yet been confirmed to appear in the series, his arrival is expected because of his connection to two characters who have already been introduced in the premiere. In the comics, Jackson goes up against U.S. Agent aka John Walker, who has been introduced as the new Captain America in New World Order. However, some believe that the two will end up working together in the series in an effort to give John the superpowers he needs to be the new Cap. Although Power Broker is not connected to Joaquin Torres, he is involved with the villain who did something terrible to the character. Jackson hired Dr. Karl Malus, who experimented on Joaquin and turned him into a human/bird hybrid in the comics. If Jackson is in "The Falcon and The Winter Soldier" and is creating drugs for super strength, there is a possibility that Malus will show up as well.

Instead of doing this blog thing I should be listening to this album...

Ummmm... maybe not. Do you know what makes me laugh? When people reenact their childhood pics. Like this one...

Hahahaha. Cute! So, have you seen the video of Joe Biden tripping up the steps on Air Force One? Well, they solved that problem so it wouldn't happen again.

Hahahahaha. So, today's guest is Niall Horan who used to be in One Direction. Did you know I was also in One Direction? No? I will show you.

Told you. Hahahahahaha. Niall is hanging off me... we are the best of bros. Haha. Anyone with a car knows the deep and torturous, never-ending struggle of trying to find a safe parking spot, especially in a city... Parking is one of the most irritating challenges of owning a car, but if your rented residence comes with a parking spot, it can be a game-changer. Parking in the street and waking up when the sunrises to move it for cleaning, being late to everything because you didn't account for the thirty minutes of circling it'll take to find a perilous parallel parking spot, or paying more than your rent for a garage that's a hike away can be a pain. Even if you don't own a car or even have a driver's license, if a parking spot is built into your rent, then it's your spot. So, when a frustrated apartment tenant decided to consult the courtroom of moral philosophy otherwise known as the Phile about their neighbor stealing their apartment's assigned parking spot, I was ready to deem a verdict. 

"Am I wrong for not letting people park in my parking spot? Background: I don't drive. I've never held a license beyond a learner's, passed a driving test, or owned a car. When I moved into my apartment I was assigned a parking spot (everyone automatically gets one whether they want it or not) and was told that the power to the spot connects directly to my apartment via a switch in my kitchen. Power isn't included in the rent so I pay for it separately. Yesterday I noticed that someone was parked in my spot but I was in a hurry to leave the house and couldn't deal with it. By noon today, the car was still there so I went down to put a note under the wiper asking them to park somewhere else. While I was doing this, the owner came out of the building next door and started yelling at me for touching his car. I asked him to park somewhere else. He called me an asshole and said that he should be able to park there because I'm not using the spot anyway and his household needed two spots. I held firm and he eventually moved his car. I have three reasons for not wanting strangers to park in my spot: When I have visitors they park there. On street parking is super tight and there is a bus lane directly in front of my building. At the last place I rented, I let it slide when someone parked in my spot and it caused a lot of headache later on. The spot-stealer was involved in a hit and run and I got several nasty notes shoved under my door demanding that I pay for the damage. I had to get the landlord involved to sort it out. I pay for the power to that spot and I'm not paying for someone else to plug their car in during the winter. Am I wrong for not just letting it go and allowing the guy to park in my unused spot?" No, you are not wrong. It's your spot. You are paying for it. You decide what to do with it. Just start having any cars there towed. Loop in your landlord and have him advise the other tenant to stop. If the guy wants to pay you to rent the spot, plus a portion of the electric if he uses it... that's your call too. You are not at all wrong to protect the parking spot you pay for, and if other tenants want access to it, they will all need to work out a deal. Good luck, everyone! If you have a problem you'd like my advice on then email me at thepeverettphile@gmail.com. Now from the home office in Port Jefferson, New York, here is...

Top Phive Things Said About March Madness

5. Filled out March Madness brackets for the first time ever. Going with teams that sound like cheese. Go Gonzaga men's college basketball team!

4. I won't be watching any March Madness at work today. Wink wink. 

3. Used to be my dream being sequestered in my home watching March Madness all day. NOT MY DREAM ANYMORE.

2. Every year people tell me their picks for March Madness and every year they lose. 

And the number one thing said about March Madness is...

1. Not sure if everyone likes basketball or gambling. 

If you spot the Mindphuck let me know. Okay, let's take a live look at Port Jeff, shall we?

Looks like a beautiful day there today. Fifty degrees as well. Okay, here's a story from...

Yikes, it looks like four women ordered more than those delicious Popeye’s chicken sandwiches. A wild video is now going viral on social media showing the violent robbery as it unfolded in the drive-thru window at a Popeye’s restaurant in Lantana. According to the Palm Beach County Sheriff’s Office, the whole argument began when one of the passengers started arguing with the cashier prompting her to spit at and assault the employee. The 29-second video clip shows her furiously attacking the Popeye’s worker while standing outside of a silver Nissan Sentra. A second woman then gets out of the driver’s seat and is followed by two other women who join in on the fight as one of them reaches inside to steal the cash. Through a statement, authorities stated, “One of the female suspects reached into the window and grabbed money from the register.” The four unidentified women then got back inside their Sentra, with the Florida license plates GVZP04, and drove off. Police stated that no arrests have been made in the incident but the investigation is still ongoing. Putting my two cents in here, this is so tacky and embarrassing to see. First off, why would anyone spit on a cashier, that’s just plain disrespectful. We’re in the middle of a pandemic. If I was the cashier I would immediately press charge to all four women, because this is ridiculous. It’s one thing that one woman is fighting, but for all four of them to get involved is insane. Also, if you’re going to rob someone make sure your license plates aren’t showing, think smarter. Of course, I’m not condoning this, but come on this is dumb. Just get your chicken sandwich and run along. Stay wild,  Florida.

Vampires only suck your blood for Vitamin D because they can’t go out in the sun themselves.

The 148th book to be pheatured in the Phile's Book Club is...

Marie Kondo will be the guest on the Phile in a few weeks. 

Today's guest is an Irish singer and songwriter. He rose to prominence as a member of the boy band One Direction, formed in 2010 on the British singing competition "The X Factor." His latest solo album "Heartbreak Weather," was released in March 2020 and debuted at number four in the U.S. and number one in the U.K., Ireland, and Mexico. Please welcome to the Phile... Niall Horan. 

Me: Hey, Niall, welcome to the Phile. How are you, man? 

Niall: I'm very well. I have looked at your blog and like it a lot. You're very funny. 

Me: Really? Thanks, man. I appreciate that. I don't think I'm THAT funny. So, when your debut solo album "Flicker" came out a few years ago what was that like? 

Niall: At that time I was very early to playing shows on my own for the first time, going around the world doing everything on my own. Interviews, TV, radio, getting up on stage. Everything was new to me. 

Me: So, since then what has changed? 

Niall: A LOT has changed and it feels more at home now. 

Me: Why do you think that is? 

Niall: It just feels more comfortable. Like any new thing it's going to be awkward for a little bit. It's hard to get a grip with that all the pressures on me and everything interview I do I have to answer every question and all of that stuff. When I get into that then I'm ready to go. 

Me: What was something surprising about it? Something you didn't expect? 

Niall: I liked to be the front man, that's a good crack. 

Me: What was it like when you first performed solo? 

Niall: I was nervous. 

Me: And now? 

Niall: Things have changed. It's definite more comfort on the stage. Running a show for 90 minutes is not the easiest thing to do but I think I got my arm around it a little bit more these days. 

Me: Okay, so I have to show a pic of the band you were once in case readers don't know... a real pic, not a fake one with me in it.

Niall: Boo. I hate looking at those pictures of when I was about 15. 

Me: But you guys had an amazing career. 

Niall: Yeah, I said somethings and some amazing things have come true. 

Me: How many years ago did the band break up? 

Niall: Five or six I think. 

Me: Does it feel like it even happened? 

Niall: Oh, yeah. I wouldn't be here talking to you if we didn't do it. That feels decades ago. To be fair it really is about ten years, that's crazy because I'm only 27. It shows you how young I was when I started. It definitely happened, it was an absque whirlwind. One way I was completely different of what I was like. 

Me: I REALLY love your song "Nice To Meet Ya." So, what is that song about? 

Niall: It kinda came out of nowhere. It was one of those ones where nothing was happening and we were in the studio just sitting around. We wrote a lot of songs that week and we just kinda came in because we had a session. Then I just started playing that riff over and over then everyone's ears perked up and Tobias Jesso Jr. played that dancey piano straight away. That's the same piano actually on the recording the one he did at the time. Then we just went for it, kinda like we did I did "Slow Hands" where we found the tempo, we find a bit something about it that I know I don't have to overthink the lyric, I don't have to dig really deep. I picked up a mic and was like, "Nice to see ya!" There was a large of screaming and shouting so when I get asked about the lyric now I don't know what to say because I just opened my mouth and things happened. 

Me: That's the old school way, like what beat poets like Jack Kerouac did. Do you like coming up with lyrics that way? 

Niall: I don't know. Then I have to start thinking what am I going to start to write about because to be fair I've written lot of songs up to that point. At that point I'd probably written about 50 songs. 

Me: Did you ever see the movie Snatch? It's one of my favorite movies? The song sound like it could be on the soundtrack for that movie. 

Niall: I love it. That's exactly what I said. Actually the first thing I said it could be on "Fifa," it sounds like one of the songs on the menu when we're choosing the team. Then I felt like it could be in a Guy Ritchie/Tarantino film. That's why I shot the video the way I did. 

Me: It's a far cry from the music you were making back then in One Direction. Does it feel like a risk making this kinda music? 

Niall: Of course. And I like the risk. 

Me: What makes it a risk? 

Niall: Because it's nothing like anything else that I'm up against. Sometimes I go out on my own way, but not in a rebellious like "I hate pop music" because I don't, I love pop music. But I do appreciate people tat try something different, that's why Billie Eilish is so successful right now because she sounds nothing like anything else. She sounds like Billie Eilish, and that is it. I'm not saying I'm like Billie Eilish, but I do appreciate what she does. She goes out of her way to be different and I really like that. When I'm sitting to start a record I have an idea what I want to try out, and what kinda sounds I want to go into. I look at radio charts and Amazon and Apple and all the different vendors. 

Me: My dad always did that, listening to what's happening. Do you always do that? 

Niall: Yeah, I'll have a look and then I say I'm gonna try to do something completely different. But is still in my flavour, in that rocky thing, thr song "Slow Hands" made me think like that. 

Me: Did that song give you confidence? 

Niall: A hundred percent. 

Me: I do like that song I have to admit. Were you surprised that song was successful? 

Niall: Yeah, a song like that shouldn't have been successful in that period. It had no right to, because in the charts it was heavily dominated by R&B and hip hop. So when something comes along like "Slow Hands" I guess when I out it out I was scared, it was a risk. But it stood out and that's why people attached on to it and hopefully it'll be the same here. 

Me: Is it hard to leave a popular boy band and to take a couple of risks coming out with different music? 

Niall: Definitely not with the first album. I knew how that was gonna sound. I've known that since I was about 10. When I was 13 I was in the pub playing gigs there, it was just me an an acoustic guitar. I knew then how that was going to be. 

Me: What kinda music were you playing? 

Niall: Bits of Dylan and bits of of McCartney, I was playing to like 50-year-old men in the pub. I had to be out by 8 o'clock because I got out out because I was too young. But I was playing stuff like the usual stuff. 

Me: So, you knew what you were gonna do once you left One Direction? 

Niall: I had a fair idea of what that was gonna sound like. Second album I knew I was gonna step up in terms of tempo. That is all I knew at the time, I was going to try loads of different things but I knew I was gonna need more tempo. Because I toured for so long I learned by just looking at the crowd every night what comes next. I look at the crowd and see the faces of people, I know when they cry, I know when they jump up and down, I know when they wanna rip the roof off. I'm the one that sets the set list, so I know where the moments are. Then when I walk into the studio after the success of it I'm like I'm gonna ramp this up. I walk in with my chest out and go for it. 

Me: You really care about your audience, don't you? 

Niall: Yeah, they're the one that has to listen to it. I was always like I'm so rootsy, let's play with live kits and let's be really rootsy. But then my producer Julian Bunetta said to me, "People want to dance. People want to be in bars and clubs and concerts and want to get up and dance with a beer in their hand. They obviously want to have their moments and cry their eyeshot at gigs, and that's what great about having a set list that you could do that. But in the end of the day people want to dance." And it's so true, that really got me fired up and every time I went into the studio it felt like something good was going to happen. 

Me: Do you prefer to write ballads or uptempo songs? 

Niall: I find ballads a lot easier to write. Just sort of let it go, open my mouth, see what I let out. 

Me: If you could go back in time and speak to the Niall Horan who just started in One Direction what would you tell him about the road he's about to embark on? 

Niall: It's nuts, it's gonna be crazy. You have no idea what's ahead of you, son. It's so hard to even stick a finger on it because somethings feel like yesterday and some things feel like it was two years ago, or 20 years ago because it was about 10 years ago. Just get ready because some of it is what you think it is and most of it's not. When I was a kid I had no idea what it looks like. When I went to a gig I wondered how they entered the stage, blah blah blah. It's not as glamorous as it looks. Whoever said the music business is glamourous it happens four times a year when we step on a red carpet. Behind that red carpet is just a piece of wood holding up a sheet that has a sponsor on it and a fruit tray. Get ready to eat a lot of hummus and carrot sticks and feee bottle of water. Just get ready because what's ahead of you you have no idea. and you're just gonna have to take it step by step and when I sit here now all these years later I feel like I did an all right job handling it and hopefully I can handle it at this level for a very long time, Jas. 

Me: I hope so. Niall, thanks so much for being on the Phile. 

Niall: Thank you, Jason.

That about does it for this entry of the Phile. Thanks to Niall for a cool interview. The Phile will be back tomorrow with movie producer Deborah Snyder. Spread the word, not the turd. Don't let snakes and alligators bite you. Bye, love you, bye. Kiss your brain.

Give me some rope, tie me to dream, give me the hope to run out of steam, somebody said it could be here. We could be roped up, tied up, dead in a year. I can't count the reasons I should stay. One by one they all just fade away...