DO AWAY WITH DST DOLDRUMS

How did things go for you last week? For me, it was like one of those long, lost weekends that went on for days. Woke up Sunday morning in a fog. Had breakfast when I wasn’t hungry. By lunch time, I could barely stay awake. Tried to nap, but couldn’t. The rest of the day was a blur. Finally woke up for the evening news, but lay awake until midnight. By Wednesday I couldn’t remember what day it was. Changing the clocks twice a year is national madness. Please, please make daylight savings time permanent, or abolish it altogether. Do away with Daylight Savings Time doldrums.

According to the John Hopkins School of Health:

MAKING THE SHIFT CAN INCREASE YOUR HEALTH RISKS.

“The scientific evidence points to acute increases in adverse health consequences from changing the clocks, including in heart attack and stroke,” says sleep expert Adam Spira, PhD, MA, a professor in Mental Health.

The change is also associated with a heightened risk of mood disturbances and hospital admissions, as well as elevated production of inflammatory markers in response to stress. The potential for car crashes also spikes just after the spring forward, Spira says; a 2020 study found that the switch raises the risk of fatal traffic accidents by 6%.”

Some people like DST and others don’t. 55% of people would like to see it done away with. As a retiree, I can sleep as late as I like. Right now, I’m getting out of bed an hour later than usual. But actually, I’m not. When I arise at 9:30 o’clock, my body thinks its really 8:30 and feels like it’s doing what it always does. However, my husband thinks we should adjust by gradually getting up earlier, so that we’re in sync with the rest of the world. I guess he has a point.

There are lots of reasons not to change the clocks in the spring and fall. But as far as I’m concerned, an increase in fatal traffic accidents is a compelling indication that it’s just plain wrong. If you’ve ever lost a loved one to such a tragedy, I’m sure you would agree.

Who decides what’s best for everyone in the United States? I think that they (whoever they are) should take a vote and let the majority decide. Do away with Daylight Savings Time doldrums. Make it permanent or abolish it altogether. No more long, lost weekends.

March 17, 2023

PERFUME AN APHRODISIAC OR DEAL BREAKER?

Most everyone loves the smell of perfume. Children remember the fragrance that their mother wore. The scent of a woman or man often drives a lover mad with desire. Romantic people fill their homes with scented candles. What to do if fragrances make you sneeze or break out in a rash? Shall you suffer in silence, pretend you have a cold, or simply avoid persons with scented cosmetics and colognes, or places with smelly cleaning products and air fresheners? Is perfume an aphrodisiac or deal breaker?

Adding to the confusion is the fact that you may only be allergic to certain fragrances. You may love a whiff of Chanel #5, but find the smell of vanilla bean candles nauseating. Air fresheners and laundry detergents may give you a headache, while you find the scent of a fresh rose intoxicating.

Certain professions prohibit the use of cologne. Doctors and nurses are supposed to be fragrance free. But they aren’t , always. It’s tough to find a shampoo, hair spray or deodarant that has no distinctive odor.

When I was young, we were taught that too much perfume was offensive. A dab of cologne behind each earlobe was about as far as you should go without giving the wrong impression. Only hussies reeked of perfume. Before the 1970’s, perfumes were usually imported from Europe. But in 1973, Revlon launched the popular scent “Charlie,” and American perfumes took off.

In the early twentieth century, most men avoided scented aftershaves. However, World War II changed the way they viewed scented grooming products. Servicemen were taught to use products that kept them smelling fresh and clean. By the early 1950s male fragrances such as Aqua-Velva and , Old Spice, had become popular.

The fragrance business is now a multi billion dollar industry. It’s almost impossible to find a fragrance free cleaning product. What would happen to our economy if one could no longer purchase scented household cleaning solutions? Vinegar and baking soda are effective and inexpensive household cleaners, but they lack the lure of of lemon and lavender. Petroleum jelly may be an acceptable moisturizer , but Loreal and Revlon would go out of business if women only used Nivea Cream, as advocated by actress Jamie Lee Curtis.

Did you know that 30% of your fellow Americans are fragrance sensitive? Which means you’re offending more people than you realize if you reek of perfume at the gym or grocery store. And if you’re looking for a new relationship, you might want to avoid cologne on your first date. Probably should go scent-free on a job interview. Perfume may be an aphrodisiac, but it could also be a deal breaker.

March 13, 2023March 12, 2023

SHOULD WE STASH CASH IN COFFEE CANS?

Back in the 1930s, my husband had a great uncle who owned a farm in Nebraska. He was ill tempered and slovenly. His wife and children finally moved to town. When he died at the age of 89, his daughters were left with the task of selling the farm and cleaning out his property. One of them remembered her father burying a coffee can out back. After poking around the yard, they found numerous coffee cans stuffed with cash–which enabled them to live more comfortable lives than they had anticipated. The recent failure of the Silicon Valley Bank in California gives me a new respect for Uncle George’s peculiar savings habits. Should we stash cash in coffee cans?

In my hometown, there was a grocery store on every corner. Mostly owned by immigrants from Middle Eastern countries. Our local grocer was crafty and secretive. During World War II, he sold black market meat and coffee to those who could afford it. Years later, I worked for an oilman, who managed to convince this same person to invest in the drilling of oil wells. Apparently the grocer didn’t write a check; his money reportedly came out of “greasy coffee cans.”

People still distrust banks, but not the way they did after the Great Depression.. Things got things straightened out in 1933, and people began opening bank accounts. If you were running any kind of business, you really had no choice if you wanted to purchase inventory and pay bills. The average middle class person mostly lived from paycheck to paycheck, so there wasn’t much to lose if their bank would happen to fail.

But the Covid stimulus money enabled many who kept their jobs to accumulate a sizable amount of cash. They weren’t inclined to keep it hidden away in drawers and coffee cans. The banks are insured, right? There’s nothing to lose. That’s what most of us believed. Many didn’t realize that if you were lucky enough to have more than $250,000 in one bank, that extra money was not insured.

Now, we have business people who were too short sighted to spread their money around. Most weren’t old enough to remember when banks failed and people lost everything. I don’t know what will happen now. Will savers panic and cause a run on banks everywhere? Hopefully not. Meanwhile, you have to wonder. Should we stash our cash in coffee cans?

March 8, 2023March 8, 2023

GROCERY DELIVERY CHANGES GAME FOR SENIORS

Shopping wasn’t much fun if you grew up during the WWII years of 1939 to 1945. Coffee and meat were rationed, as well as sugar and most other good food. Besides the rationing, money was scarce. After the war finally ended, I became a teenager, earning my own money at last. That was the start of my love for shopping, which continues to this day. When the Covid pandemic hit , I masked up, wore gloves, and persisted with my trips to the grocery store. But one freezing day last February, my arthritis flared. My heart wanted to shop, but my shoulders and knees rebelled. With trepidation , I ordered groceries online to be delivered. To my surprise, it was easy as cake. Grocery delivery changes the game for seniors.

A lot of people love to shop. In fact, over 80% of people prefer shopping in physical grocery stores. It’s fun to wander the aisles looking for unexpected treats and new products. Sometimes, you stop and visit with neighbors. Maybe glance at the tabloid headlines while in the checkout lane. And if you’ve been shopping the same place for awhile, you enjoy talking to your favorite cashier.

Delivered groceries seemed to me an extravagance reserved for spoiled, wealthy people, too lazy to shop, too snooty to mingle with the common folk. In the old days, stores that delivered groceries catered to “the carriage trade”–that wealthy upper crust who belonged to the country club and employed household servants.

And yet, when I looked at my receipt that first day, I found that I had saved enough money to pay for the delivery cost and tip for the driver. Because I was logged into my own account at that store, they automatically gave me all of their weekly discounts and coupon savings. Better yet, I saved on gas used while driving back and forth to the parking lot.

For an octogenarian who has always shopped in-store, this process took me way out of my comfort zone. But if you want to age in place, and stay in your own home, this may be one of the best decisions you will ever make. Grocery Delivery changes the game for seniors.

March 3, 2023March 4, 2023

KING OF MEAN EVICTS SON HARRY

In America, a landlord cannot evict a tenant before his lease is up without just cause. Non payment of rent, or destruction of property might convince a judge to kick a tenant out. I’m not sure what the landlord-tenant statutes are in the UK, but it seems King Charles is above the law. He went ahead and evicted his son from Frogmore Cottage in England because he didn’t like his memoir. I’ve been to court in cases like this, and I can assure you no judge would allow me to evict a tenant because he said something about me that I didn’t like. But the King of Mean evicts son Harry without the blink of an eye.

I can see where Charles was upset with Harry’s memoir, “Spare.” It pretty much explained how a 12 year old boy might be depressed when his mother is killed and he is forced to march in her funeral procession. Things got worse for Harry from then on, but he was just supposed to grin and bear it when his emotional well being was ignored, and his older brother was given all the glory.

It all makes sense now. Charles cheated on Harry’s mom, Diana, and ruined her life. Now he’s cheating his son out of a property that was leased to him by his grandmother, Queen Elizabeth. All of which means he doesn’t care if he ruins his son’s life, and has no interest in seeing his beautiful grandchildren, Archie and Lilibet, ever again. At the very least, I would think he’d compensate his son for the 2.4 million dollars he spent on renovating the property before he was forced to leave England six months later.

One might argue that Harry and Meghan left of their own volition. But if you look back, they were encouraged to leave when they asked to go part time in their jobs. We’re told that the handlers of the monarchy said, “you’re either in or out. No in between.” Which didn’t give them a whole lot of choice. For the sake of their own mental health, they had to find a different path, but they got no sympathy from Charles and William.

The Britons have been mad at Harry lately because of all the things he said about his dad, brother, and stepmother. But did they really want to see him treated in such a cruel way? When the King of Mean evicts son Harry, it may come back to bite him. His royal subjects might see him as cold hearted, callous, and indifferent to the needs of anyone with mental health issues.

February 27, 2023February 27, 2023

HOW MANY LIES CAN YOU TELL?

Most of us think of ourselves as honest people. Which means we would not steal from our employer or cheat on our income tax. However, the true definition of honesty is someone who never tells a lie. Since numerous studies have shown that the average person lies four times a day, it would appear that none of us are truly honest. Actually, we expect politicians to lie. Washington Post fact checkers determined that Biden made a total of 78 false or misleading statements during his first 100 days in office. Using the same methodology, they found that his immediate predecessor, Donald Trump, made 511 false or misleading statements during his first 100 days. The question is, how many lies can you tell?

Psychologists have identified four main colors of lies: White, Gray, Red, Black. Some go on to include Blue and Green lies. I would add Orange

White lies are thought to be harmless, and meant to please someone or spare their feelings. As an example You would tell someone you like their new dress, even though it’s unflattering. _White lies are seen as a necessary part of everyday social interactions.

Gray lies are the untruths we tell to keep ourselves out of trouble. As in, “officer I was only speeding because I think I’m having a heart attack.” Kids lie to their parents about drugs, sex and alcohol. Sometimes it works, and other times it doesn’t, depending on the skill of the liar.

Black Lies are deceptive–an effort to gain personal benefit. People cheat on their partners. Lawyers may raid their client’s trust funds. Most of us can spot a bold faced lie , but not if the person is very clever. .

Red lies are about revenge and spite. They’re meant to deliberately harm someone, and they often do. Especially in the workplace.

Blue lies are made in defense of a group or organization. Church members may cover up the failings of a popular minister.

Green lies are told by those who don’t even realize they’re lying. They’re just telling a good story. They’re full of blarney, as the Irish would say. They’re so entertaining that no one cares if they’re truthful.

Orange lies are what I call bragging lies. They indicate the liar is insecure and wants to bolster his own self confidence. The flip side of this is humblebragging, defined as bragging masked by a complaint or humility, intended to show what a fine person they really are.

But sometimes, we’ve put up with all the lying we can stand, especially if it’s the black kind. I think Republican Congressman George Santos has probably reached the tipping point with his numerous, blatant lies about his background before he got elected. But then again, you never know. His constituents may not really care, as long as he votes the way House Speaker Kevin McCarthy wants him to.

Eventually, we get fed up with frequent liars. Do they really think we’re dumb enough to fall for their fabrications? How many lies can you tell before no one believes a word you say?

February 22, 2023February 22, 2023

DANGER LURKS IN TRAIN TOWNS

WHAT WOULD WE DO WITHOUT TRAINS? Life as we know it would come to a standstill. For one thing, they transport toxic chemicals too dangerous to be carried by trucks. This latest train derailment in Ohio caused a massive spill of vinyl chloride that is threatening the health of the entire town of East Palestine. Why should I care? Because I have lived in a train town for a major part of my life. Danger lurks in train towns.

Not being a chemist, I’ve never paid much attention to vinyl chloride. But apparently it’s a compound needed to make polyvinyl chloride, a hard plastic resin used to produce tons of important products: pipes, wire and cable coating, packaging material. It’s also used for life saving devices such as medical tubing and blood bags. It is in footwear and kids toy. Also, paints, rubber products, and some cosmetics. Polyvinyl chloride has been in use since 1926.

As the saying goes, somebody has to do it. Transport vinyl chloride, that is. It’s typically shipped in liquid form, but can turn into poisonous gas under certain conditions, like in Ohio. Apparently, there are safety features available that trigger automatic braking on trains carrying hazardous materials, before they derail. But somewhere along the way, those safety features were deregulated under the Trump administration. I guess they cost too much money or something. Anyway, the Biden administration under Transportation Secretary Buttigieg didn’t do anything to re instate the regulations, so I guess we can blame just about anybody for what happened in Ohio.

DANGER LURKS IN TRAIN TOWNS when trains derail and spread toxic fumes from hazardous material spills

Why should I be concerned when I live across from a beautiful, green, well maintained city park that covers 177 acres? Because there is a railroad track going straight through the park. I can look out my window and–through the bare trees in winter– see railroad cars gliding across the hills. A lot of classy homes have recently been built along the train tracks down the road. And a whole new subdivision of high end condos continues to grow less than a mile away..

There are 40 railroad crossings in this small college town, with a dwindling population of 57,699 people. We have beautiful parks, 5 colleges and universities, a new convention center and a casino in the works. Why don’t people want to stay here? Are the railroads the elephant in the room? Is there a subconscious reaction to the sight of trains running through our city at all hours of the day and night? We may never really know. All we can do is hope we don’t have a train derailment like the one that just occurred in Ohio.

Danger lurks in train towns.

LIVING WELL AFTER 80

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