# Obsolete Advice (For things that still exist) **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [September 1, 2024, 6:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/obsolete-advice-for-things-that-still-exist/1006548 "2024-09-01T06:31:19Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![Moriarty](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/moriarty/32/49_2.png) [@Moriarty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Moriarty)\ **Post date:** [September 1, 2024, 5:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/obsolete-advice-for-things-that-still-exist/1006548/41 "2024-09-01T17:17:13Z")
> [@Ulfreida](#): > > Those poor fruits and vegetables, what did they do to deserve that Granted, like most other things, the fitness industry has been inundated with people seeking to get “views” on social media. So being provocative is perhaps the main concern. But there are plenty of fitness influencers who blame sugar for all that is dastardly and wrong. For them, this includes natural sources, like the fructose in fruit. Me? I think fruit is nature’s candy, and the fiber and vitamins make it very worthwhile. As for vegetables? The theory seems to be that they have natural defenses that make them toxic to humans. Personally, I just don’t want to live in a world where veggies aren’t good for me. [https://www.inchem.org/documents/jecfa/jecmono/v30je18.htm](https://www.inchem.org/documents/jecfa/jecmono/v30je18.htm) ---
**Author:** ![Thudlow\_Boink](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thudlow_boink/32/320_2.png) [@Thudlow\_Boink](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Thudlow_Boink)\ **Post date:** [September 1, 2024, 5:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/obsolete-advice-for-things-that-still-exist/1006548/42 "2024-09-01T17:31:03Z")
> [@Czarcasm](#): > > Things checked in a tune-up: As I understand it, the meaning of “tune-up” has changed over the years. Here’s the explanation I found on the AutoZone website: > [@](#): > > The term “tune-up” has drastically changed since the phrase was coined during the dawn of automobiles. For over 50 years, a tune-up meant that the [vehicle’s ignition system](https://www.autozone.com/parts/external-engine/ignition?intcmp=BLG:BDY:20181012:00000000:TUN:BLOG-HOWTO) – breaker points and condenser, were replaced and/or adjusted, a new distributor cap, rotor, and spark plugs were installed, ignition timing was set, and the vehicles carburetor was adjusted and “tuned” (hence the term) for optimal performance. The process was as intricate as tuning a musical instrument – ignition and fueling had to work in perfect tune with each other for optimal performance, thus the term. > > With vehicles of old, this was a regular occurrence. As electronic ignition replaced points-style systems, the need was still there for plugs, cap, rotor, and carb adjustments, but ultimately, even that became extinct once DIS (distributorless) ignition systems and [computer-based fuel injection](https://www.autozone.com/diy/fuel-systems/the-evolution-of-fuel-injection) became the norm. Today, the vehicle’s engine computer and engine components constantly keep these systems running right where they should. > > Today, at its simplest, a tune-up is a bit of a misnomer – simply a carry-over word of old to describe any time a host of basic routine maintenance is performed on your vehicle. Many of the things you mention would be included in a “full service oil change,” but I wouldn’t have used the word “tune-up” for that. ---
**Author:** ![Darren\_Garrison](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/darren_garrison/32/92_2.png) [@Darren\_Garrison](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Darren_Garrison)\ **Post date:** [September 1, 2024, 5:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/obsolete-advice-for-things-that-still-exist/1006548/43 "2024-09-01T17:32:49Z")
> [@Pardel-Lux](#): > > Sounds a lot like the Sumatra earthquake on december 26th 2004. His was the Alaska one. > [@The day the trees touched the ground 3/27/1964](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-day-the-trees-touched-the-ground-3-27-1964/981725): > > Today is the 59th anniversary of the Great Alaskan Earthquake of 1964, which took place on Good Friday of that year. We had just sat down to dinner when we heard a rumble. My mother said “Earthquake!” My stepfather said “Oh, bullshit.” The rumble grew to a roar and some great hand reached down from the heavens, picked our house up, slammed it to the ground, and began shaking it like a terrier with a rat. As my parents for some reason tried to hold the kitchen cabinet doors closed, I bolted for … ---
**Author:** ![Pardel-Lux](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pardel-lux/32/20182_2.png) [@Pardel-Lux](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Pardel-Lux)\ **Post date:** [September 1, 2024, 6:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/obsolete-advice-for-things-that-still-exist/1006548/44 "2024-09-01T18:48:03Z")
Wow, what a story! And another thread I had not read yet. ---
**Author:** ![Railer13](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/railer13/32/9742_2.png) [@Railer13](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Railer13)\ **Post date:** [September 1, 2024, 6:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/obsolete-advice-for-things-that-still-exist/1006548/45 "2024-09-01T18:49:01Z")
> [@Thudlow\_Boink](#): > > Many of the things you mention would be included in a “full service oil change,” but I wouldn’t have used the word “tune-up” for that. Exactly right. In the list that @Czarcasm wrote, all of them are (or can be) included when I get my oil changed, except for spark plug replacement, tire rotation, and brake check. And tire rotation and brake check were NEVER included in the tune-up of yesteryear. Also, I just did some quick Googling, and spark plugs can now last up to 100,000 miles. This was unheard of not that long ago. ---
**Author:** ![DrDeth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b487fb/32.png) [@DrDeth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrDeth)\ **Post date:** [September 1, 2024, 7:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/obsolete-advice-for-things-that-still-exist/1006548/46 "2024-09-01T19:21:25Z")
Urine has little actual use, once you urinate. Do not urinate on a jellyfish sting- it makes things worse. Do not drink urine. Altho you own urine if you are really well hydrated might be okay- “clear & copious” by the time you need to drink it, it will be dark and concentrated of things your body wants to get rid off. In the past urine had some uses- cleaning agent, etc, and even mouthwash, we have better uses. ---
**Author:** ![Chefguy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chefguy/32/138_2.png) [@Chefguy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chefguy)\ **Post date:** [September 1, 2024, 8:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/obsolete-advice-for-things-that-still-exist/1006548/47 "2024-09-01T20:21:30Z")
Sorry for the bit of hijack. Okay, obsolete advice: I’m pretty sure you are NOT supposed to use a lit cigarette to remove ticks. Also, putting knives in the dishwasher will not cause the blades to lose their temper. It may dull them or cause rust, but the steel is just fine, thanks. ---
**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\ **Post date:** [September 1, 2024, 8:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/obsolete-advice-for-things-that-still-exist/1006548/48 "2024-09-01T20:44:12Z")
In general, there’s a lot of old medical advice around that we now know was always a bad idea. Butter on a burn is another one. The best thing you can do for a burn is to cool it off right away to prevent further damage, and then to dress it in a sterile bandage. Butter hinders both of those. ---
**Author:** ![GuanoLad](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guanolad/32/42_2.png) [@GuanoLad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GuanoLad)\ **Post date:** [September 1, 2024, 9:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/obsolete-advice-for-things-that-still-exist/1006548/49 "2024-09-01T21:01:02Z")
“Breakfast is the most important meal of the day”. There was a jokey version where it was “breakfast is one of the three most important meals of the day” and I think that has in fact become true. Breakfast is fine, it is likely still recommended, though plenty of us don’t (which is not that big of a deal), but it’s no more important than any other meal. ---
**Author:** ![Mangetout](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mangetout/32/19_2.png) [@Mangetout](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mangetout)\ **Post date:** [September 1, 2024, 9:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/obsolete-advice-for-things-that-still-exist/1006548/50 "2024-09-01T21:09:29Z")
> [@Moriarty](#): > > This extends to nutrition, too. For example, eggs (or egg yolks) were considered too high in cholesterol: now, they are promoted as a superfood. But people love to demonize fruit and vegetables. I remember carbohydrates being recommended as the core of a healthy diet - literally, ‘people should eat more pasta’. Now carbs are the devil and protein is our saviour, but I feel like It can’t be very long before folks will start scaremongering about how _too much protein_ is a really bad thing. ---
**Author:** ![Beckdawrek](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/beckdawrek/32/3647_2.png) [@Beckdawrek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Beckdawrek)\ **Post date:** [September 1, 2024, 9:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/obsolete-advice-for-things-that-still-exist/1006548/51 "2024-09-01T21:14:43Z")
Oh they already are. Of course a diet heavy on plant based things is best. I have to have a certain amount of protein per day. There’s no way I could eat enough veggies to sustain that. But I always hear about the meat I eat. It’s a tried and true delicate balance I need to maintain. I’m not always successful but I strive everyday. I get no cheat days. No treats for doing well. It’s day in and day out. ---
**Author:** ![Mangetout](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mangetout/32/19_2.png) [@Mangetout](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mangetout)\ **Post date:** [September 1, 2024, 9:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/obsolete-advice-for-things-that-still-exist/1006548/52 "2024-09-01T21:17:24Z")
I also have this nagging suspicion that there will suddenly arise some obvious and serious reason why ‘being in ketosis’ was a terrible thing to seek to achieve. ---
**Author:** ![Mangetout](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mangetout/32/19_2.png) [@Mangetout](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mangetout)\ **Post date:** [September 1, 2024, 9:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/obsolete-advice-for-things-that-still-exist/1006548/53 "2024-09-01T21:25:22Z")
Anyway… one thing that still pops up from time to time is ‘turning things off at the wall’ - in the UK, it’s common for mains wall outlets to be switched - mostly this is a convenience feature, not explicitly for safety (the design of the actual plugs and sockets takes care of that), but the requirement to be able to switch things off at the wall has diminished over time. I have a couple of use cases: My food processor has an LED on it that is absurdly bright, so I like to turn the thing off at the wall when not in use (but leave it plugged in for convenience). If something gets stuck in the toaster, I can turn it off at the wall before I poke anything inside (I guess that is kind of a safety feature after all). Edit: I just thought of another use case - I have a bunch of lights in my studio that are all fed by a gang plug, and so I can switch them all on at once from one switch on the socket. But I don’t always bother to turn off the switch when unplugging something (it isn’t unsafe to do this), and I do encounter people worrying about that, on some sort of safety grounds. Sometimes it almost sounds like they believe the electricity is going to spill out of the empty socket if the switch isn’t turned off. And I do very occasionally hear older people talking about how you should always turn things off at the wall if there is a thunderstorm expected, so that if lightning strikes, the appliances won’t be damaged - honestly, I think the contact separation in the switch is not going to present a huge obstacle to a bolt of lightning that has managed to jump all the way down from the sky. ---
**Author:** ![Beckdawrek](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/beckdawrek/32/3647_2.png) [@Beckdawrek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Beckdawrek)\ **Post date:** [September 1, 2024, 9:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/obsolete-advice-for-things-that-still-exist/1006548/54 "2024-09-01T21:25:35Z")
Oh, I agree. Dangerous game to play. (Ketosis) ---
**Author:** ![Zyada](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/zyada/32/3028_2.png) [@Zyada](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zyada)\ **Post date:** [September 1, 2024, 9:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/obsolete-advice-for-things-that-still-exist/1006548/55 "2024-09-01T21:30:36Z")
> [@Chronos](#): > > Butter on a burn is another one. The best thing you can do for a burn is to cool it off right away to prevent further damage I suspect this dates back to before refrigerators, when you kept the butter in the coolest place you could ---
**Author:** ![Moriarty](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/moriarty/32/49_2.png) [@Moriarty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Moriarty)\ **Post date:** [September 1, 2024, 9:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/obsolete-advice-for-things-that-still-exist/1006548/56 "2024-09-01T21:51:49Z")
> [@Beckdawrek](#): > > But I always hear about the meat I eat. Don’t fret! Red meat is now exceptionally healthy. [![](https://img.youtube.com/vi/EFtMw2ow95M/maxresdefault.jpg "RED MEAT: The Single BEST Food for Healing and Repair") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EFtMw2ow95M) (Now, _seed oils_ are gonna kill you) > **[Are Seed Oils Toxic? The Latest Research Suggests Yes](https://www.zeroacre.com/blog/are-seed-oils-toxic)** > > Seed oils never underwent safety testing for premarket approval. Here, we examine the disturbing toxicity and safety data that have come to light recently. ---
**Author:** ![griffin1977](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/977dab/32.png) [@griffin1977](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/griffin1977)\ **Post date:** [September 1, 2024, 9:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/obsolete-advice-for-things-that-still-exist/1006548/57 "2024-09-01T21:53:24Z")
Never give your credit card number to a website that doesn’t have a clear legitimate physical address and telephone number displayed on it. Possibly obsolete is the wrong word for this one, I think the online experience would be better if this was still the norm, but Amazon et al have convinced us otherwise. ---
**Author:** ![LSLGuy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lslguy/32/5813_2.png) [@LSLGuy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LSLGuy)\ **Post date:** [September 1, 2024, 11:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/obsolete-advice-for-things-that-still-exist/1006548/58 "2024-09-01T23:05:04Z")
All those things go to reputation. The actual advice is “Don’t give your CC to a disreputable website. One indicia (among many) is they have a real address and phone number on the site.” By now, e.g. Amazon’s reputation far exceeds that of some minor plumbing parts e-commerce website despite the owner’s earnest picture, shop address, & phone number prominent on his site. ---
**Author:** ![FluffyBob](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/ecb155/32.png) [@FluffyBob](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FluffyBob)\ **Post date:** [September 1, 2024, 11:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/obsolete-advice-for-things-that-still-exist/1006548/59 "2024-09-01T23:24:51Z")
I would not say it’s any stronger than the wall framing, but it’s designed to carry the load that the wall carries. A non bearing wall just has the top sill plate and the top plates, no header. Its a better place to stand than the middle of a room. ---
**Author:** ![Steven\_Maven](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/steven_maven/32/3272_2.png) [@Steven\_Maven](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Steven_Maven)\ **Post date:** [September 1, 2024, 11:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/obsolete-advice-for-things-that-still-exist/1006548/60 "2024-09-01T23:31:00Z")
> [@Nyvaak](#): > > To his dying day, my father recommended the practice of routinely slowing a car by downshifting, so as to save wear and tear on the brakes. That practice transfers the wear and tear from your brakes to your transmission. IIRC a trans job is more expensive than a brake job. So again, not obsolete but rather always wrong. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/obsolete-advice-for-things-that-still-exist/1006548.md?page=2) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/obsolete-advice-for-things-that-still-exist/1006548.md?page=4)