Author: Darlene Mitchell

You Might Just Be A Woman Of A Certain Age

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You Might Just Be A Woman Of A Certain Age

If you can remember clip on ear rings and phone booths, you just may be a woman of a certain age.

You Might Just Be a Woman of a Certain Age

By Anna Hessel

 

If you have ever worn clip earrings, or even know what clip earrings are…you might be a woman of a certain age.

If your hairdo (or your boyfriend’s) was a party in the back and business in the front…

If you have ever done anything in a phone booth…

If you know what a phone booth is or what it has to do with Superman…

If you used Tickle deodorant…

If you have ever worn shoulder pads when not playing powder puff football…

If you have a landline, had a landline, or even know what a landline is…

If you had a Princess or Trimline phone…

If you ever used a phone book…

If you ever used a clothing iron or frozen orange juice cans to fix your hair…

If you ever drank Tab, or know what Tab is…

If you ever served a Swanson Pot Pie for dinner…

If you refer to Lean Cuisine or the like as a TV dinner…

If you ever wore sequin mesh boots from Desperately Seeking Susan…

If you saw Desperately Seeking Susan on opening weekend…

If you ever had a Bianca Blast or used a Maybelline Kissing Potion before a date…

If you even know what a Bianca Blast is…

If you got peanut butter in somebody’s chocolate, or vice versa…

if you remember Madge the manicurist…

If you know what a manicurist is…

If you ever had a glass or half-moon manicure…

If you used baby oil with iodine to get a tan…

If you ever smoked an Eve…

(please note, I am NOT advocating the iodine, baby oil, or the Eves!)

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Summer Heat Related Illnesses

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Summer Heat Related Illnesses

Heat is dangerous to human health. Here are a few tips to stay safe in high temperatures

Summer Heat Related Illnesses

How to Prevent and Treat

According to researchers, 65% of heat related deaths in the United States occur in July and August. The summer of 2023 is one of the hottest on record. Please read these tips and stay safe in the summer heat.

By D. S. Mitchell

Doing What Comes Naturally

Sweating is the principle means of cooling the human body. But temperatures as extreme as we are seeing in the summer of 2023 can quickly overwhelm our natural cooling system. Chronic health conditions, age, and medications, can impair the bodies effort to cool down naturally. For many experiencing  extreme heat a spectrum of problems can become progressively more serious and potentially life-threatening.

Sun Burn To Sun Poisoning

Bright sunshine can lead to sun poisoning, which is a severe sunburn that makes the individual feel sick and generally unwell. Excessive sweating under tight clothing can lead to heat rash, dehydration (the loss of fluid and electrolytes) can cause muscle cramps. Dehydration plus a rising body temperature can lead to heat exhaustion. Heat exhaustion is characterized by fatigue, dizziness, nausea, headache, chills, and sometimes a racing heart. Ignoring these symptoms can be  extremely dangerous. There is always the danger of heat stroke which can lead to brain damage and even death.

PREVENTION

Protect Your Skin

Sunburns are both painful and they create havoc with the body’s ability to sweat. The body’s failure to sweat increases the risk of heat exhaustion and/or heat stroke. Apply sunscreen SPF 30 before going outside. Be sure to reapply the sunscreen at least every two hours. To prevent itchy, splotchy heat rash wear loose fitting clothes made from cotton or moisture wicking fabrics.

Sip Frequently

The fluid requirements vary from one individual to the next, by climate, and by activity. The CDC&P recommend when physically active in hot conditions individuals should drink one cup of water every 15 to 20 minutes. Out in the heat for more than an hour, it is suggested that you switch to a sports drink, because its sodium helps replenish electrolytes.

Start Slow

The human body gradually builds exercise heat tolerance, which helps your body handle exercise in the hot, humid weather. This does not mean you should overdo. Be smart; stay hydrated and seek shade when you need to rest.

TREATMENT

Cool Off

If you suspect a person may be suffering from heat exhaustion, immediately get them into an air conditioned or shady location. Quickly cover as much of the skin surface as possible with ice or cold wet towels. If the person is able to co-operate help them get into an ice bath or a cold shower. Call 911 immediately if  the person is confused or vomiting. These could be signs of heat stroke.

Twitching Muscles

Cramping and twitching muscles can signal that a full-blown heat cramp is imminent.  Gentle stretching and massaging along with sips of a sports drink to restore needed electrolytes will reverse the cramping.

Meds Can Help

Over the counter Ibuprofen can help relieve the pain from heat rash, muscle cramps, and sunburn, as well as reduce inflammation and help lower the body temperature.

What Would You Do With An Extra Hour A Day?

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What If You Were Given An Extra Hour Per Day?

5 Time Management Skills To Help You Be More Productive in less time

What Would You Do With An Extra Hour A Day?

Seriously, if you had an extra hour each day, how would you use that time?

5 Time Management Skills To Do Just That

By D. S. Mitchell

A friend and I were having lunch when she looked at me, and asked, “What would you do if you were given an extra hour a day? My first thought was, sleep; but I realized she was looking for a well-thought out response, not my first flippant thought.

“Wow. That’s deep,” I said.

“365 hours a year,” she emphasized, “That’s like another 15 days plus, a year; a two week vacation.”

I started adding fast in my head, “Over ten years, that’s like 150 extra days. Could that be possible? That’s like five months. Over 20 years that’s an extra ten plus months. Damn near a year,” I volunteered.

“Compounding is an amazing thing,” she giggled, “It’s the cumulative effect of just one hour, multiplied day after day, month after month, year after year.”

“Unfortunately, I’m afraid, I’d end up wasting most of it,” I forecast.

“I doubt it, I think you would find lots of worthwhile projects.”

I looked at my friend and laughed before saying, “Since there is no magic extra hour per day, I guess I won’t be challenged.”

“The reason I brought up the imaginary extra hour a day was that very reason, all my wasted hours.”

“You’re so organized. I can’t imagine you wasting a lot of time,” I objected.

“You are my friend, so your expectations are suspect,” she laughed.

“Okay. Your point?”

“I’ve been taking a time management course on line. What I’ve learned already is changing my life, making me more productive, with seemingly less effort. Giving me that extra hour every day.”

“Really?”

“Yes, absolutely.”

“Tell me,” I asked, curious, “so I don’t have to take the class,” I joked.

“Okay, I can do that. I’ve learned that no matter what you do, time management is really important. Here’s the basic 5 time management tips I’ve learned.”

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How To Stay In Style In This Economy (#2)

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How To Stay In Style In This Economy (#2)

Editor’s Note: Anna Hessel with a little help from hubby, Wes, will be offering up for the next seven weeks, 10 tips a week on How to Stay In Style In This Economy. Watch for it every Tuesday. 

How to Stay in Style in this Economy…

By Anna Hessel with Wes Hessel

Inflation is being beaten back but basic costs are still high, and service providers are charging more, but there is hope out there. Saving money has always been a challenge but in this current economic climate saving money can be get a bit tricky,  but there are certainly ways to shave your budget without losing out on things you need and want, here are today’s suggestions:

  1. Jewelry and clothing rental sites can be great but read the fine print before you give your credit or debit card number. Monthly or additional fees can add up to make it un-cost effective.
  2. Look for electronic or other recycling events that offer gift card or coupon incentives, or retailers who offer discounts for trade-ins.
  3. For those who pay for your garbage collection, make choices which will keep that bill down. Check with your waste pickup agency or provider for tips on how to save, especially for “amnesty” days, where more or any items are taken for disposal, or special collection days such as for leaves in the fall or live Christmas trees after the holiday, thus avoiding extra fees. If you have bulky items to trash and an amnesty day is not available or far away, see if your refuse service allows one or two extra items for pickup without additional charge, and if you have multiple items, then you can put them out over more than one collection date to save.
  4. Check the curbs on trash nights, and especially on amnesty days, for usable items you may want – one person’s trash is another one’s treasure. Just make sure your municipality or area does not restrict this.
  5. Use outdated yogurt, or past their prime fruit or vegetables like avocados as face masks or skin treatments.
  6. Used coffee grinds are great for cellulite body treatment – if you don’t use your own, Whole Foods had been giving them away for free to anyone that asks.
  7. Used book and music stores can buy your used books, magazines, CDs, video games, or other related electronics, and items purchased there are likely cheaper than retail.
  8. Shop at garage sales – save money while meeting your neighbors or host a garage sale to make some extra funds. A bit of gas spent traveling to upscale area sales if you don’t live in one is worth the trip to find special bargains on designer duds, toys, or housewares.
  9. When using health and beauty items like liquid soaps, shampoos, conditioners, or lotions, turn them upside down (if the container isn’t already designed that way) to get as much as possible out of what you buy. If such an item won’t stand on its head on its own, prop it up against a wall or the like, or place it in inverted in a cheap plastic cup or other container large enough to hold it.
  10. Squeeze more out, literally – for items in tubes, such as toothpaste or creams, use a comb, the side of your hand, or one of those squeezing gadgets to press through the last dregs…

Protective Actions To Take With A Shooter

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Protective Actions To Take With A Shooter There are more guns than people in the United States. It has become hazardous to go to the store or the movies, we must do something to stop the carnage.

Tips From Homeland Security:

Protective Actions To Take With A Shooter

The FBI has not set a minimum number of casualties to qualify an event as a mass shooting, but U.S. statute (the Investigative Assistance for Violent Crimes Act of 2012) defines a “mass killing” as “3 or more killings in a single incident.” 

By D. S. Mitchell

 

A Lovely Dinner

I think it was 2001. My husband and I were having dinner on the sidewalk service area of a popular restaurant & bar at the corner of SE Milwaukie Ave and Powell Blvd in Portland, Oregon. It was about  10:30 pm. We were having fun, lingering over a glass of wine and laughing and chatting with other diners.

Running In All Directions

Several loud “cracks” caused me to look around curious, but certainly not frightened. Several more “cracks” echoed in the night. By that time, I realized the sound was coming from the AM/PM gas station across the street. People in the gas station parking lot were screaming and running in various directions. It was only then, I saw flashes of light coming from the driver’s window of a small red  sports car, stopped on Powell Blvd.

In The Leg

More shots rang out and a man thirty feet to the left of me, in the restaurant pavilion area fell to the ground screaming. He had fallen to the sidewalk clutching a leg wound. The time between the first shot and my realizing I was in an active shooter situation was probably an entire minute. Realization time. If the bullet had been 30 feet to the right either my husband or I could have been shot; probably in the head since we were sitting and the injured man had been standing.

Little Red Sportscar

The shooter revved the engine, popped the clutch, and sped away. I’m an RN and I have a duty to give aid,  so I raced across the street to help. The Portland Police were on site at the same time as I got there. Several ambulances arrived, sirens screaming. Two young men were wounded, one with a bullet in the upper arm and the other fellow with a bullet in the shoulder.  In addition to the three wounded two others lay dead. All the dead and wounded at the AM/PM were young- most likely high school age.

“There He Is!”

While the cops were asking questions, I saw the perpetrator’s red sports car slow down and slowly drive past the crime scene, again. They say criminal frequently return to the scene of the crime, but this guy was unbelievably stupid. I raised my arm and pointed toward the car and screamed, “There he is, there’s the shooter!” The wounded young man sitting on the asphalt, that I had been helping, chorused, ‘There’s the son of a bitch! There’s the shooter!!!”

The Morning Oregonian

The cops were on it and I read in the morning Oregonian, two 16 year old Cleveland high school students, members of a notorious local gang, were arrested on suspicion of murder and were being held in jail as adults. I tossed the paper on the breakfast table. What a waste. Two funerals and potentially two life sentences for the perpetrators.

Unready, Unprepared

All situations are different. I think one of the reasons it took so long for me and other diners to realize there was a shooting in progress was because we were across the street from the center of the events, with lots of traffic and noise between us. It wasn’t until a fellow diner was shot by a ricocheting bullet that any of us realized there was even a shooting. Another factor, I believe, may have something to do with the fact that in 2001 mass shooters were not quite as common as today. Whatever the reasons, we were stupidly unprepared for this deadly situation.

****

The Department of Homeland Security offers Americans several suggestions that might save your life if you are caught in an Active Shooter Situation.

Run

If you can get out of the situation, do it. Run toward the first escape route you can find. Leave your belongings and just get away. Once safe, dial 911 and give the police all the information you can.

Play Dead (this is NOT on the DHS list)

I have added this suggestion. I have heard several survivors of mass shootings tell of rubbing blood from victims on themselves and hiding in plain site among the dead as the shooter moves away to find new victims.

Hide

If you can’t escape; take cover, find a place to conceal yourself. You want to be out of sight, with some offered protection, between you and the shooter, such as a locked door. If you can blockade the door with furniture-do it. Be smart, turn off your cellphone as an unexpected call could alert the shooter to your location.

Fight

Take action against the shooter only as a last resort. Throw items and improvise weapons in an effort to disrupt and incapacitate the shooter.

When Law Enforcement Arrives

When the cops arrive, immediately put down any weapons or items you have in your hands. Keep your hands visible and raise your arms. Follow instructions. Refrain from making quick movements toward the officers.

 

10 Things To Help Protect The Earth

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10 Things You Can Do To Help Protect The Earth

The Oregon coast is a magical place but the damages of climate change are changing this place
10 Simple Things You Can Do To Help Protect The Earth

Editor’s Note: World Wildlife Fund recently published “10 Simple Things We Can Do To Help Protect The Earth.” WWF works to protect endangered species  and conserve their habitats. Time is running out for many beloved animal species. Please donate what you can to this fine organization. worldwildlife.org 

By D. S. Mitchell

1.) BYOB: In 2022, Americans went through an astonishing and astounding 50 billion plastic water bottles. Please, fill up a reusable water bottle at home and take it with you. IF YOU DON’T LIKE THE TASTE OF TAP WATER, BUY A FILTER. Remember that most of the bottled water you buy is just filtered tap water with a label.

2.) Paper Not Plastic: Take your bags with you to the grocery store. Taking your bags to the store when you go shopping can cut down on the 350 bags the average American uses each year. Reducing the number of bags will hopefully reduce the needless deaths  of marine life caused by plastic bags that end up in streams, rivers, and oceans.

3.) Safe Waste: Many items indiscriminately thrown in the trash contain contaminates that poison soil and water for thousands of years. Most communities have special procedures for disposing of items like used oil, batteries, ink cartridges, and paint cans. The new superefficient lightbulbs contain mercury, so they  require proper disposal. Many items can be recycled where they were purchased. Be sure to check with your merchant.

4.) Take A Walk: A 100 years ago nearly 99.9% of Americans got by without cars. They lived close to their work, they took the train, or the bus, and they walked. Using fuel efficient cars is a good thing, but we can save even more fuel by driving less, and walking more.

5.) Switch It Off: In much of America we can no longer see the stars, mostly due to all the electric lights. The lights are so bright they often confuse animals, such as hatchling turtles who are trying to make the ocean before before becoming breakfast for shore birds. It is fine to keep the lights on in the room you are in, but keep the rest of the house dark. Many find the dark to be calming.

6.) Layer Up: In the winter, instead of turning up the thermostat, add a sweater or a sweatshirt. A second layer of clothing will keep you warmer and also help conserve resources and reduce climate change.

7.) Plant A Tree: Planting a tree is good for the soil, good for the air we breathe, and helps in the fight against climate change.

8) Shut It Down: Catalogues are great if you buy the products advertised.  On the other hand, catalogues are a pain in the butt if you don’t buy the products. If you do not order from the company call them and tell them to unsubscribe you. That little gesture will probably save a tree.

9.) Second Time Around: Recycling isn’t just about separating cans and bottles. It can also mean rethinking an item’s use. That old bike might look great with a fresh coat of paint and a basket full of flowers sitting on your front porch. Or, that little bedside table might make a great  addition to your entry area, a place to drop your keys and the mail. Rethink, before you throw an item away.

10.) Support Activism: Please donate to organizations like Sierra Club, Greenpeace, and World Wildlife Fund that are carrying on valuable field work to save our planet and all that inhabit her.

On The Subject Of Race by Oprah Winfrey

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On The Subject Of Race

"Senseless injustices continue with names and different circumstances, but all are Emmett Till." Oprah Winfrey

On the Subject of Race

By Oprah Winfrey

Editor’s Note: The following was published in O Magazine in May of 2017 when O Magazine was still a print magazine.  Oprah wrote these words in her ‘What I Know For Sure’ column. I thought her comments were important to repeat, now six years later.

We Bleed the Same

On the subject of race here’s what I know for sure: We the people of planet Earth have made it far more complicated than it needs to be. Whether you’re type A, B, AB, O, positive or negative, you bleed the way I do, and your pain feels the same as mine. This is the ultimate lesson I’ve absorbed, person by person, from the thousands of interviews I’ve done over the years. Members of every race have heartache. Circumstances may differ, but sorrows are the same.

More Alike, Than Unalike

Joy and triumph are felt by people of every creed and belief. And though it’s true what Maya Angelou always said-“We are more alike, my friends, than we are unalike.”- it’s also true that our unlikeness makes us whole. A whole family. A whole community. A whole nation. A whole world. It’s your differences that make you you. 

“It’s So Simple”

I sometimes feel a wave of sadness for us spiritually deprived, unconscious creatures who just don’t seem to get it. Years ago on my show, a grieving mother recounted her dying son’s last words and final breath, “Oh, Mom,” he said. “It’s so simple.” Those words made a lasting impression on me.

A Similar Journey

It is so simple to see that we’re all on the same journey, carving our paths with every choice and experience. With every action and reaction. Quite simply, to live well, we need to love well.

Harm To The Collective Soul

The audacity it takes to judge another because they don’t look or sound or act like you goes against the current of humanity. Every time we discriminate against a woman in a headscarf, the whole of us suffers. Every time we treat a brown skinned man with a Hispanic name as though he’s the “other,” we do harm to our collective human soul.

An Accuser’s Lies

Emmett Till’s accuser has finally admitted-after six decades-that the young boy’s racist murder, a murder that tore the soul of our whole country, was wrong. Shouldn’t have happened. And though she can no longer remember exactly what occurred, she says it didn’t take place the way she testified.

The List Of Names Is Long

The senseless injustices will continue. Trayvon Martin, Laquan McDonald. Twelve-year-old Tamir Rice. Srinivas Kuchibhotla, the Indian engineer fatally shot in a Kansas bar in February (2017). The nine good people killed at Emanuel AME Church in Charleston, South Carolina. All different names and different circumstances, but all Emmett Till. When will it end?

When we decide to end it.

Mushroom Information

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Mushroom Information

Information on Mushrooms Facts and Folly

Mushroom information was the topic of discussion between David Shadrick and Bill Cook when they met up at the Calamity Politics studio today. Mushrooms and more mushrooms was the consensus of our guys.  Between these two men we are talking 50 years of eating enjoyment. You can also watch the video casts on the Calamity Politics YouTube channel or the David Shadrick YouTube channel.