Warning Labels

I hear so many people say, "Tear off the warning labels," so only the smart people will survive, or that "People are so stupid they need these warning labels."  Labels say coffee is hot, use product only as directed, do not ingest, etc.

My take is only the smart people read warning labels, but do not need the obvious ones.  Stupid people don't read anything, and then make fun of people who do read or do anything "brainy."  Those obvious labels are there for legal reasons, not because people don't know the coffee is hot.  People are not stupid, they’re clever.  They will sue and win money from the corporations, all over technicalities such as something not being labeled.  The corporations are simply trying to protect themselves legally from paying future settlements in civil suits.  For instance, most non-edible products will tell you to call Poison Control if the item is accidentally ingested by you or your child.  Poison Control relieves you, saying that your child who drank a bit of laundry detergent will be okay, but corporations will tell you to call Poison Control anyway so you can not sue them.  The ball is no longer in their court.

Reading the warning labels is good.  Not all information is the dumb obvious kind.  Knowing exactly when and when not to use over-the-counter medicine for is useful, especially if it's a product you haven't tried before.  Most people don’t have medical knowledge about liver or kidney damage or which products not to combine.

Removing the warning labels would not change anything for the "stupid" people, if they didn't read the labels to begin with.  They would just misuse the product on their own with or without directions.  The companies would then have total liability for not providing the information.  Injured consumers would not have to get clever and just mention anything was missing.  Because all the relevant information is marked, consumers have to try harder to look for holes and information gaps in order to make legal claims.  The clever consumer has to "play dumb" to win the court case, get the money, and then the company throws on the dumb warning label, thus deceiving the populace into thinking people are getting dumber.

Everyone knows the coffee is hot, but a smarter label would specify how hot.  What temperature?  There is a difference been 98 degrees (body temperature), and 212 degrees (boiling).

Originally a Facebook Note posted: June 28, 2013
Updated: March 1, 2020

 

Extroverts in Exile – How to Cope in Quarantine

           Being alone for prolonged periods of time can be torture for extroverts.  Isolation for weeks or months would be unfathomable.  It’s like being a child sent to your room despite doing nothing wrong.  For introverts, it’s a solitary paradise, and they are enjoying their holy hamster ball of hermitage.  Over the past few weeks, I’ve been reaching out to friends old and new, coworkers, classmates, and family regarding their wellbeing during this pandemic.  Along the way, I’ve heard grievances of missing friends and loved ones.  To quell the stir-craziness, I am sharing the coping skills I have discussed.

-Call friends and family.  While a significant portion of people claim to have telephone allergies, it is nice to hear another person’s voice.  Reserve this to your innermost social circle.  Even extroverts don’t want to call acquaintances from ten years ago.

-Text!  Reach out to your friends, family, coworkers, acquaintances, etc.  Ask how they are doing, if they are alright, and how they are coping with the pandemic.  It’s nice to reconnect with people.

-Social Media.  Go on your Facebook and message your friends, family, coworkers, old classmates, neighbors, acquaintances, and ask how they are doing.  Unless you are reserved and have a short friends list, you probably have friends you haven’t communicated with in years.  LinkedIn is also a nice place to chat with coworkers, bosses, etc.  Despite the obvious downsides of this pandemic, it is a conversation starter.  It’s okay to check if others are okay too.

-Skype, FaceTime, Zoom.  Seeing people and hearing their voices is the most effective way to cope with loneliness, according to my friends.  Both sight and hearing are satisfied in those moments.  In a virtual world, it’s the closest thing to hanging out.

-Hugging Alternatives.  If you’re the type of person who needs physical affection and likes hugs, try to create a substitute.  Hug a pillow or a large stuffed animal.  You can think of your loved ones who are away while you hug.  If you have a dog or cat who likes affection and attention, you can hold them and pet them too, as long as you are careful with them.

-Watch Vloggers on YouTube.  This was my idea, and a friend liked it.  Go to YouTube, and watch video-bloggers talk on a variety of topics.  With the person facing you and talking to an audience, it is possible to feel a connection with the vlogger.  While the person on screen is speaking, you may react and produce insightful feedback to the topic discussed.  Feel free to leave your input in the comments.

-Listen to a Podcast.  It’s a non-visual of the vlogger example, but you can listen to someone talk about your favorite topics – maybe while you’re doing a boring chore like dusting.

-Read a book.  It is a non-extroverted activity, but it will benefit you.  You can build up concentration, pass time, and take in knowledge.  If you are reading fiction, you can connect to the characters.  Non-fiction is great for expanding your breadth of knowledge, and will give you something to talk about with your friends when you reunite.  You’ll be an even better conversationalist!

-Do something creative.  Draw, write poetry, write stories, sing, dance, play an instrument if you have one, make videos, or journal the thoughts you want to get off your chest.  Every time you create something new, you have something new to talk about to your friends when you meet again.

-Learn a language, if possible.  If you have Rosetta Stone, Pimsleur, Berlitz, or the Mumble app, try learning a language.  Then you can impress your friends later.  One of my colleagues suggested learning a specific word in every language.  Maybe you and a friend can learn the same language and practice it together over Skype.

So at least you now have some non-social ways to stay productive while waiting for your post-pandemic party.  You will probably make some self-discoveries about new interests and hobbies along the way.  While you may feel stuck, at least you’re safe!  If you are not infected, keep in mind that being in a clean home means you are safe from the virus.  My mom is a retired nurse, and she once told me that being bored in the hospital is a good thing.  It’s better than dying.  If you’re not in a hospital and you’re physically healthy, it’s two more blessings to count.

Header Picture: Caroline Friehs

Corona Cardio and Exercising in Exodus

During quarantine, it’s easy to eat out of boredom or anxiety.  It’s important to keep physically active, but it’s harder to exercise indoors and all the gyms are closed for everyone’s safety.  Some people live in houses and are fortunate to have backyards.  Some people live in apartments, and are limited to their floorplans and walls.

Here are some ideas to keep fit.  Before going further, here are some safety tips and a disclaimer.

Basic Safety Guidelines:
-Always stretch before workouts.
-Please stay hydrated.
-If you are tired or out of breath, take breaks. 

DISCLAIMER:  I am NOT a fitness professional, just a lay person who wants to help during the pandemic.  Don’t try anything that may cause you injury.  This short guide is written for adults and intended to help give ideas for simple workouts.  Use this guide at your own discretion.  Exercise common sense!

Now with that out of the way, let’s continue.

After your stretching, here are fun, physical activities to break up the boredom and burn some calories.  Most of these exercises are easy!  You probably thought of some examples already, but maybe you will find something you didn’t think of yet.

Television and YouTube
The television and internet can be excellent resources for fitness materials.  Look through your old videos and DVDs.  Also, check out Netflix, YouTube, Hulu, etc for exercise videos.  Here are some topics you can look up.

-Aerobics
-Yoga
-Pilates
-Dancing lessons – Jazz dance, Hip Hop, Zumba, Salsa, Belly Dancing, Hula Dancing.

More Dance

-Dance to upbeat music.  Turn on your stereo, and dance!  Good genres for a good workout include Rock, Pop, Metal, Industrial, Techno, and Electronica.

-Do the Macarena or the Electric Slide.  Just look up the songs online.

Strength Training Basics

-Pushups
-Crunches
-Do pushups and crunches during commercials.  See how many you can do.
-Lift weights (Be careful!  Wear shoes.)
-Lift your baby.  Carry the baby around your home.  (Common sense:  Always be careful with babies.)

Getting Creative

-Lift a dictionary or another heavy book.  Put books in tote bags and do curls.
-Lift the laundry bag, do curls.
(Always be careful of your back when lifting.)

-If you have a treadmill, exercise bike, or other cardio equipment – exercise while watching movies!  This activity works best if you are watching an action movie, horror film, or anything suspenseful that motivates you to run.  You can increase your speed when the T-1000 shows up, bolt when Pennywise the Clown appears, or run from Jason Vorhees as he chases the protagonists.

-Toss a pillow across the room with a friend.  It’s better than tossing a football, so you’re less likely to break stuff in the room.

-Draw a hopscotch grid in the carpet and play.  (Perfect for the kids too!)

Fun with the Kids – Children keep their parents active without trying.  They can also join in physical activities instead of vegging out in front of the TV or phone.  Just as a precaution, make sure you and your children exercise safely.  Children are less agile, and are prone to falling.  Keep a first aid kit handy.  Most of these examples don’t involve much running.  If you’re outside, avoid games with balls, because the ball may go outside your property and become compromised.

-Play Simon Says.
-Play Hide and Seek.  Every incorrect guess, the adult has to lift a weight or do a pushup.

-Jump rope outside if you have a yard or porch.  There are plenty of rhymes.  My most memorable childhood rhyme was:  “Cinderella dressed in yellow, went upstairs to kiss her fellow.  By mistake, she kissed a snake.  How many kisses will she make?  1,2,3….”

-Play Duck Duck Goose, if you have a backyard and enough family members.
-Play Musical Chairs.  Play some other game involving music-stopping.

-Play “Red Light-Green Light” in the backyard.  Stand a short distance from your kids. 
Facing them = Red Light, Back turned = Green Light.  Announce the traffic light colors when you change positions.  The children run toward you on the green and have to stop when you face them, saying, “Red Light!”  Whoever reaches you first gets to be the traffic controller for the next round.

-Play “What Time is it, Mr. Fox?”  It’s almost the same as Red Light-Green Light, except the children ask the question.  You answer with “(Number between 1-12) o’clock,” and the kids take between 1-12 steps forward based on the “o’clock” you chose.  (Ex.  “It’s 3 o’clock,” then they take three steps forward.)  When they get close enough, you yell, “Midnight!” and chase after your kids.  (Note:  Mr. Fox can be Mrs. Fox, Ms. Fox, or Mx. Fox too.)

-Have an Easter Egg hunt.  Easter is coming, but since everyone is cooped up, why not have egg hunts more than once?

Tidy Up!

-Clean house.  Vacuuming can be a workout.  (I know it’s boring, but necessary)
-Scrub the kitchen floor.  Wipe in circular motions to work your arm muscles while being careful of your back.
-Make a game for your children in picking up their toys.  Play the “Clean Up” song.  I didn’t like Barney when I was a preteen, but that song deserves an Emmy.

Quarantine and resisting couch potatohood can be hard, especially with limited space to workout.  With a little bit of creativity, calories can be vanquished.  If prison inmates can figure out how to exercise in their extremely restrictive environment, so can anyone self-isolating during this pandemic.

Domestic Violence - A Silent Epidemic During the Pandemic

"Objectification and Violence against Women" is an article from my other blog, Caroline’s Chronicles of Crime, which is still relevant to this day.  In connection to current events, the dangers facing victims of domestic violence are heightened due to the quarantine orders.  After the excerpt from CCC, I give my views on cohabiting intimate partner violence during this precarious time.  There are also helpful tips and links at the end.

Featured in my article is the following video, “Killing US Softly 4: Advertising’s Image of Women,” presented by Jean Kilbourne.  The original link was from Upworthy, which is now littered with ads, but this YouTube link is better for viewing.

  

Watch the video here.

The article begins with…..

In the above link, Jean Kilbourne gives an inspiring presentation about how women are portrayed in the media.  She covers three major points.  1.  Women’s pictures are altered to achieve an unachievable ideal.  2.  Women are objectified, sometimes literally.  3.  The media shatters that object, appreciating only parts of the woman’s body.

1.  Women’s pictures are altered.

Before pictures are printed in magazines, professionals edit out all the natural imperfections, such as wrinkles and double chins.  They create unnatural perfections, such as increased bust size, and distorted waistlines courtesy of the Photoshop diet.  The result is a beautiful caricature, a completely abstract image of the original model.  The women in the magazines resemble some of my dolls, but is Barbie really to blame?  Look at the Victorian and Edwardian eras in terms of fashion.  The hourglass figure predated Barbie.

Read the rest of the article here.

*    *    *

Regarding Domestic Abusers:
They are the lowest of the low during this trying time.  They darken our nation’s darkest hours.  Anyone who creates hell within the home is on the level of child abusers and sexual predators.  They have no moral backbone.  All their victim wants is peace.  If it is advanced calculus for you to leave someone in peace, then you are plain stupid.  Needing to isolate someone from telling people what you did is a silent admission that you have something to hide.

If you are one of those aggressors, please try the following.
 

1.  Stay in separate rooms.  Then you won’t feel inclined to fight or argue.
2.  Think – what am I trying to achieve in this conflict?  Dominance?  Winning an argument?  Closure?
3.  Think of the consequences.  The more you hurt this person, the more they have to tell others.  Stop while you can.

Regarding Victims and Survivors of Domestic Violence:
You are the real hero in the story.  You are probably braver than you think.  People are on your side!  Your abuser’s circle of friends who side against you – is just a bubble that they live in.  Outside that bubble, people can see objectively.  Even if your situation is a shade of gray, people will not be biased to the darker shades of gray that your abuser represents.

Here are some tips to help empower you during this time:   

1.  Texting is safer than calling.  Text “LOVEIS” to 22522.  Your abuser may overhear you calling a women’s shelter, and conflict could ensue.  In some areas, texting 911 is available. (See the links below.)
            1a.  If calling is okay, here is the National Domestic Violence Hotline: 1-800-799-SAFE (7233).  If you are hearing impaired, then call 1-800-787-3224 (TTY).
 

2.  Find a safe place to call or text.  The bathroom is a good place.  Run the shower water, if necessary.  Keep your phone on silent so your abuser doesn’t hear your typing.
 

3.  If you need to call 911:
            3a.  Throw the phone and let the 911 dispatcher hear the altercation.  You can also gently put the phone down on a chair, table, counter, bed, etc.
            3b.  Order a pizza.  It has been done, and it’s been featured in a Super Bowl commercial.  During this pandemic, ordering takeout is so common your abuser might not notice anything unusual.  When the dispatcher asks, is this an emergency, firmly answer, “Yes!”  If the dispatcher asks, “Is there someone dangerous in the room and you can’t talk?” answer, “Yes!” firmly!

Here are some helpful links:

National Domestic Violence Hotline website:  https://www.thehotline.org/help/

Love is Respect – a project of the National Domestic Violence website:  https://www.loveisrespect.org/

Listing of places that allow 911 texting:  http://transition.fcc.gov/cgb/text-to-911-deployments.pdf

DomesticShelters.org:  https://www.domesticshelters.org/

Article from Domestic Shelters website:  https://www.domesticshelters.org/articles/escaping-violence/survivors-can-now-text-for-help

List of Top Rated Women’s Shelters in the United States:  https://www.domesticshelters.org/data-center/state-reports-and-rankings/best-domestic-violence-programs

A Woman’s Place:  https://awomansplace.org/
(They operate within Bucks County, PA, but they have extra resources and phone numbers if you are outside Bucks.)