Entertainers took time from giving each other awards to give each other awards at the Grammys on Sunday. I’m surprised they could spare the time from Trump bashing, but they did manage to honor themselves yet again.

It’s nice for celebrities to get some attention.

I do watch the Grammys; they are my annual reminder that I am really out of touch with the latest music. And by listening to it, I reconfirm that I’m not missing much.

To sum up and save you from having to watch this year’s dreadful show: Adele is great, Bruno Mars is solid, most country singers are good, and Lady Gaga is smart.

The rest?  Pretty awful.

The Grammys were once again the same self-congratulatory, maudlin fest they have always been. Jay Z has become the moral leader of this Grammy group. A man who shot his brother for stealing his jewelry and was a crack dealer is somehow the conscience of entertainers. He can use the “N-word” throughout his songs, then call Trump an immoral racist and claim the moral high ground.

In the entertainment business, that's called good people skills.

Mostly out of fear and the never-ending quest to be liked, entertainers feel compelled to echo the mindless “inclusiveness” mantra of the left. They intimate at every turn that we need more government to ensure equal outcomes for all, but ironically, they enforce the stratification of "stars" by status. They are all for equality as long as there remains in place a clear caste system of A-list through C-list celebs. Equality is fine; just do not expect Madonna attend the same party as Trisha Yearwood.

It is funny how lefties always view others as greedy but never themselves. They film their movies in Canada or Georgia, where they receive the most tax credits. They ask for — and get — tax loopholes from Democrat politicians. They then ostentatiously display their wealth, living in big homes and flying their private jets to rallies to condemn others’ carbon footprints. Their hypocrisy knows no limits. 

Most entertainers remain joined at the hip to Democrats. Madonna and Angelina Jolie remain tight with the Obamas, and will even vacation together.

There’s a form of McCarthyism in today’s entertainment business. As Trump’s inauguration reconfirmed, outed conservatives are few. I think we are down to Stephen Baldwin, Kelsey Grammer, and the remaining Gatlin Brother. There is actually a “Friends of Abe” movement of right-of-center stars in L.A. With 1,500 members who fearfully meet in secret (AA-style), it’s a refuge for conservative entertainers willing to listen to reasoned opposing views.

For an industry reliant on free speech, most Hollywood "elites" are not only intolerant; they also seek to personally destroy anyone whose opinions do not toe the leftist line. Most leaders of these vigilante groups of bullies — including all late-show comics, SNL, Rob Reiner, George Clooney, Ben Affleck, Rosie O’Donnell, etc. — are either constantly angry or asleep.

Celebs rarely part with Dems and flash their libertarian inclinations. Drew Carey has been a strong libertarian, and Tom Selleck and Brad Pitt have stood up for the Second Amendment. Snoop Dogg, too. Snoop boldly came out and backed libertarian Ron Paul for president a while back. Snoop agrees with Ron Paul on a broad range of positions, from the legalization of pot to making marijuana legal. He also likes Paul's immigration policy that, if a bale of pot from Mexico washes up on U.S. shores, it is immediately granted asylum.

It may not be raining libertarianism in the entertainment business, but we can thank Snoop Dogg for a drizzle.

I try not to get my political opinions from musicians as I try not to get my music from politicians. Don’t let the drummer from The Chainsmokers inform your politics or principles.

The morality of the music business was summed up by an old college buddy: There’s a “Highway to Hell,” but only a "Stairway to Heaven," which speaks to the anticipated traffic levels.

Ron Hart, a libertarian op-ed humorist and award-winning author, is a frequent guest on CNN. Contact him at Ron@RonaldHart.com or @RonaldHart on Twitter.

This article originally appeared on Crestview News Bulletin: Trump-era McCarthyism infects entertainment industry

Editor's Note: This continues our Celebrate Community series on nonprofit organizations that improve residents' quality of life.

CRESTVIEW—When a victim of sexual assault or domestic violence needs a community to turn to, Shelter House is ready with resources and support.

Shelter House’s Crestview location provides outreach counseling for male and female victims of domestic violence and recently added a full-time sexual violence advocate to its staff.

“Our advocates meet survivors in the office, attend court hearings with them and go out to North Okaloosa Medical Center to respond to sexual assault calls,” public relations coordinator Laura Lucy said.

These services are nothing new to the team at Shelter House. The nonprofit organization was created after a 1985 assessment by the League of Women Voters found a need for the services in Okaloosa and Walton counties.

“The advocate’s role is not to tell victims what to do but to inform them of their rights and assist them with exploring options available to them,” Lucy said.

Aside from advocates in its branches, Shelter House operates a 24-hour helpline for a range of information. Certified and trained employees can relay information, offer counseling and assist in safety planning for victims.

Services are also offered to secondary survivors, a term used for a victim’s personal support group.

“Advocates offer emotional support throughout [medical] exams and the interview process and can provide tangible resources such as clothing when the survivor leaves the hospital,” Lucy said.

In extreme cases, Shelter House operates a confidential safe house that victims can live in for a period to transition into a better situation.

The facility is staffed 24-7 by advocates and provides food and hygiene products. The shelter can accommodate up to 24 residents at a time.

Shelter House also comes to the aid of victims with pets, offering a safe home for furry friends during the transitional phase. This portion of the shelter opened in 2013, after indications that some women stayed in abusive situations due to pet ownership. Shelter House purportedly is the only domestic violence shelter in the region that offers pet services.

Advocates at the Crestview branch can be reached 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday at 683-0845. Call 863-4777 for 24-7 domestic violence assistance or 226-2027 for 24-7 sexual assault help.

The facility, location confidential, is always open to volunteers or donations. Contact the Shelter House program office at 243-1201 to learn more about these opportunities.

This article originally appeared on Crestview News Bulletin: Protection from abuse

U.S. Air Force Airman Cameron D. Turner graduated from basic military training at Joint Base San Antonio-Lackland, San Antonio, Texas.

The airman completed eight weeks’ training in military discipline and studies, Air Force core values, physical fitness, and basic warfare principles and skills.

Airmen who complete basic training also earn four credits toward an associate in applied science degree through the Community College of the Air Force.

Turner is the son of Chasity N. Turner of Mobile, Alabama, Jessie P. McWhorther of Baker, and Tomassa L. Anderson of Navarre.

He is a 2016 graduate of Fort Walton Beach High School.

This article originally appeared on Crestview News Bulletin: Baker resident's son completes Air Force basic training

For a toe-tappin’ good time, come to the Crestview Public Library.

The Pelican Pickers will perform 6:30 p.m. Feb. 21 at the library. They play old-timey Appalachian and gospel music with a variety of instruments including the Appalachian mountain lap dulcimer, banjo, mandolin, guitar, Irish penny whistle, fiddle, harmonica, Native American flute, recorder and silver flute.

Most of the songs come from the 1800s or earlier, and some from the early 1900s.

The concert will end around 7:15 p.m. This Family Library Time event is designed for people ages 4 and up. Registration is not required.

Call 682-4432 with any questions.

Heather Nitzel is the Crestview Public Library's youth services librarian.

UPCOMING

This article originally appeared on Crestview News Bulletin: Pelican Pickers schedule concert

Have a cute photo of your kids out and about? They could be our next The Bulletin Kid! Email a photo with your child's name, age, hometown and a description of the action to news@crestviewbulletin.com.

This article originally appeared on Crestview News Bulletin: The Bulletin Kids

CRESTVIEW — Okaloosa County Courthouse records of marriages and divorces from Feb. 6-13 include:

MARRIAGE LICENSES

•Yazdel Fonseca and Joel Dodd, both of Crestview.

•Sofronio None and Alita Rosa, both of Baker.

•Thang Nguyen and Loan Nguyen, both of Crestview.

•Kevin Adams and Brittany Kirkland, both of Laurel Hill.

DIVORCES

•Megan Corder of Cantonment and Tyler Corder, Crestview.

•Phillip Gander, Crestview, and Sara Gander, Fort Walton Beach.

•Mindy Raven Taylor and John Sabor III, both of Crestview.

•Tracy Smith and Douglas Smith, both of Crestview.

•Ashley Arevalo and Eduardo Arevalo, both of Crestview.

•Ashleigh Norris of Crestview and Brandon Norris of Pensacola.

This article originally appeared on Crestview News Bulletin: North Okaloosa marriages and divorces

Have a cute photo of your kids out and about? They could be our next The Bulletin Kid! Email the photo with your child's name, age, hometown and a description of the action to news@crestviewbulletin.com.

This article originally appeared on Crestview News Bulletin: The Bulletin Kids

CRESTVIEW — The U.S. Department of Agriculture's Natural Resources Conservation Service has scheduled a Feb. 23 workshop on wild turkey management. (See details in the box at right.)

Florida has two out of the five subspecies of wild turkey found in North America: Florida, or Osceola, turkey found predominantly in South Florida and the Eastern wild turkey found here in the panhandle.

Their habitats change with available plants in their region of the state, but here are general facts about Panhandle turkeys:

FOOD PREFERENCES: Their diet is more than 80 percent plant foods; 10 to 20 percent primarily comprises insects. Insects make up the majority of the diet of young poults, while adults will eat anything from acorns and berries to insects, salamanders, snails and small reptiles. Fruits of wild grape, dogwood and wild cherry are favorites. Turkeys also eat numerous seeds, including those of native grasses, sedges, trees and ferns.

WATER. A source of open water is necessary to support a wild turkey population. Creek and river bottoms act like highways for turkeys to move around. The birds drink from spring seeps, streams, ponds, lakes and livestock watering facilities. It's critical to have water as well as foraging, nesting, brood rearing and roosting cover available near each other to support populations.

NESTING COVER. Turkey hens nest in areas that provide cover for themselves and their eggs. Hens nest on the ground in the rough of the pine forest, under a brush pile, in thickets or under downed trees’ branches, and in fallow fields. Their preferred nesting cover is less than 4 feet high and within a half-mile of brood-rearing cover.

ROOSTING COVER. Wild turkeys roost overnight in trees, preferably over or near water to avoid predators. With increased hunting pressure, turkeys may retreat to roosts in remote, dense areas. Hens will roost on the ground after they lay eggs. Hens remain with poults on the ground until about two weeks of age, when the poults begin to roost in trees. Though many different trees may be used for roosting, in Florida pine trees are the preferred roost tree for adult gobblers.

BROOD-REARING COVER. Wild turkeys like open areas of grass and forbs with a thin overstore of trees. A forest opening of one-half acre to three acres is ample for brood rearing. Preferred brood habitat is 1 to 3 feet of tall grass or weeds where newly hatched poults can move about, have access to insects for food as well as dense cover for roosting and to escape predators.

WHAT: Wild Turkey Management Workshop

WHEN: 8 a.m. Feb. 23

WHERE: Ludlam Road in Laurel Hill.

NOTES: Featured topics are turkey biology and management; timber management; prescribing burns; roosting habitat; nesting and brood-rearing habitat; food plot management; tools and equipment for management; and cost-share programs.

Call the U.S. Department of Agriculture Natural Resources Conservation Service office, 682-3714, extension 3, or the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission office at 767-3634 by Feb. 15 to register.

Visit the NRCS office at 938 Ferdon Blvd. N., Crestview, for more information.

This article originally appeared on Crestview News Bulletin: Workshop set on wild turkey basics

If you're just starting out in your career, you need to be prepared to face some financial challenges along the way — but here's one that's not unpleasant: choosing what to do with some extra disposable income. When this happens, what should you do with the money? Your decisions could make a real difference in your ability to achieve your important financial goals.

Under what circumstances might you receive some "found" money? You could get a year-end bonus from your employer, or a sizable tax refund, or even an inheritance. However the money comes to you, don't let it slip through your fingers. Instead, consider these two moves: investing the money or using it to pay off debts.

Which of these choices should you pick? There's no one right answer, as everyone's situation is different. But here are a few general considerations:

•Distinguish between "good" and "bad" debt. Not all types of debt are created equal. Your mortgage, for example, is probably a "good" form of debt. You're using the loan for a valid purpose — i.e., living in your house — and you likely get a hefty tax deduction for the interest you pay. On the other hand, nondeductible consumer debt that carries a high interest rate might be considered "bad" debt – and this is the debt you might want to reduce or eliminate when you receive some extra money. By doing so, you can free up money to save and invest for retirement or other goals.

•Compare making extra mortgage payments vs. investing. Many of us get some psychological benefits by making extra house payments. Yet, when you do have some extra money, putting it toward your house may not be the best move. For one thing, as mentioned above, your mortgage can be considered a "good" type of debt, so you may not need to rush to pay it off. And from an investment standpoint, your home is somewhat "illiquid" – it's not always easy to get money out of it. If you put your extra money into traditional investments, such as stocks and bonds, you may increase your growth potential, and you may gain an income stream through interest payments and dividends.

•Consider the tax advantages of investing. Apart from your mortgage, your other debts likely won't provide you with any tax benefits. But you can get tax advantages by putting money into certain types of investment vehicles, such as a traditional or Roth IRA. When you invest in a traditional IRA, your contributions may be deductible, depending on your income, and your money grows on a tax-deferred basis. (Keep in mind that taxes will be due upon withdrawals, and any withdrawals you make before you reach 59½ may be subject to a 10 percent IRS penalty.) Roth IRA contributions are not deductible, but your earnings are distributed tax-free, provided you don't take withdrawals until you reach 59½ and you've had your account at least five years.

Clearly, you've got some things to ponder when choosing whether to use "extra" money to pay off debts or invest. Of course, it's not always an "either-or" situation; you may be able to tackle some debts and still invest for the future. In any case, use this money wisely — you weren't necessarily counting on it, but you can make it count for you.

This article was written by Edward Jones on behalf of your Edward Jones financial adviser.

This article originally appeared on Crestview News Bulletin: What's smarter: paying off debts or investing?

Despite public and private land managers’ efforts, feral hog populations continue to rise in many areas in Florida.

Feral hogs damage crop fields, lawns, wetlands and forests. They can negatively affect native species of plants and animals. Their rooting leads to erosion and decreased water quality.

There are several options for controlling feral hogs. Choosing the right option depends on the situation.

Options include:

•Hunting with dogs

•Hunting with guns

•Using box traps

•Using corral traps

Let's talk about these options.

Hunting with dogs is not very effective for removing enough hogs to control populations. Dog hunting can move sounders — groups of wild hogs — from areas where damage is occurring for a period. This can be helpful when crops need to be protected from hog damage until they can be harvested.

Shooting hogs also is not effective for removing large numbers of hogs. Situations where it is successful include protecting crop fields and taking hogs that will not go into a trap. Shooting success depends on the education level of the hogs and sophistication of the shooting equipment available. Hogs learn quickly to avoid danger. They learn by watching other hogs who get shot or trapped. Hunting pressure can disrupt hog patterns and make them harder to trap or hunt.

Box traps can be effective at trapping young hogs that are not trap smart. A study conducted by a graduate student, Brian Williams, at Auburn University looked at the efficacy of different trap styles. Young hogs entered box traps and corral traps at similar rates. The study also found that adult females were 120 percent more likely to enter corral traps compared to box traps and adult males were more reluctant to enter either trap style but were more likely to enter the corral traps.

Corral traps are shown to be most effective for eliminating complete sounders. By eliminating a sounder at once, populations can be reduced. Corral traps are also more economical. In the Auburn study, the trapping cost per pig for box traps was $671.31 and for corral traps was $121.28.

Corral traps are best for capturing whole sounders. Box traps can be effective for capturing young hogs. When trap-smart adult females or males are in an area, shooting or hunting with dogs are options. Just remember that hunting pressure often moves the hog problem onto another property.

To eliminate hogs from a given area, we must employ several of these strategies. For example, we may be able to trap a sounder in a given area but still have a group of boars that will not go into a trap. In this case, we may set up to shoot them after trapping the rest of the hogs in a corral trap. By using these two techniques, we can drastically reduce the number of hogs in an area.

For more information about feral hogs, go to http://articles.extension.org/feral_hogs.

Jennifer Bearden is an agent at the University of Florida's Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences Extension office in Crestview.

This article originally appeared on Crestview News Bulletin: 4 ways to control feral hogs