November

In early November there are two things that occur that I think should be eliminated. One is a throwback from days gone by. It is the switch from daylight saving time to standard time.

The first Saturday in November ends daylight saving time. Unless you live in Hawaii or Arizona, where DST is not followed, you need to turn your clocks back an hour in November, getting back the hour that you lost last March.

The truth is that switching back and forth is a total waste of time, messes with your internal clock and accomplishes absolutely nothing. According to popular myth, it saves energy. Not so, according to what I have read. Energy costs tend to go down in the summer because we use less lighting and we are not heating our homes. Daylight saving time has no purpose in our industrial, always on, technology-driven society.

There is certainly no good reason to do this today. If people want to take advantage of an extra hour of daylight, maybe they should just get up an hour earlier.

We reset our clocks during the summer to move an hour of daylight from the morning to the evening. Here’s an idea, move the whole world clock forward one hour and leave it alone.

The time to eliminate this dinosaur, this throwback to when we were an agrarian culture, is now.

But the only way we can change this is if Congress takes action. Unfortunately you will get old waiting for this to happen. Congress can’t seem to agree on many things. How can we expect them to handle an issue like eliminating daylight saving time, even though there is almost a universal support for its repeal?

The primary thing that drives me crazy (although some people will say it is just a short putt) is Christmas music in November. Every year it seems we start a little earlier, putting up the lights, the trees and blowup Santas. Before you call me a Grinch, I like Christmas music just as much as the next guy. Give me a good Burl Ives “Holly Jolly Christmas,” a Nat King Cole “chestnuts roasting on an open fire,” or José Feliciano’s “Feliz Navidad,” but Lord help me I don’t need it on
November 1st. I gave my radio a quick scan the other day and found four stations broadcasting “All Christmas, all the time.”

I like the Christmas season; it is one of my favorite holidays. I love the eggnog, the much maligned fruit cake, the Salvation Army red kettles and bell ringers and the decorations. I enjoy the kindness that seems to pervade society at this time and the gathering of friends and family, but for the love of God, can we wait until the Thanksgiving turkey is out of the oven and the dishes are washed before we start celebrating Christmas?

I think that the stores must have paid to have some big, expensive study done that said by playing Christmas music in November, it encourages consumers to spend more money. The study probably said it increases impulse buying and therefore the stores’ bottom line, but sorry, it doesn’t work on me.

It has just the opposite effect on me. In fact, it persuades me to get in and get out as quickly as possible without any looking around. This makes me just want to get what I wanted and leave. It causes me to shop online so I don’t even have to enter a store. I now do more online shopping than in-store shopping. Give me free shipping and we are golden.

If the government can do it, so can I

Holiday .
The song ‘Baby, It’s Cold Outside” ‘ is seen as In the current era, and is being banned by some radio stations. The radio stations have stopped playing that classic song because it has lyrics that suggest rather than proposing an innocent situation of while being snow bound. SMH.
As long as we are eliminating everything that could offend the , I have a few more suggestions.
I think we should ban “ ” by Bing Crosby because this might offend people. We also need to eliminate “ Is in the Winter Night” by Enya” and “The World of Winter” by Bing Crosby for the same reason.
There are many, many songs that reference that should be forbidden because many religions in . They have their own . In fact the very name should not be permitted just because of the part. This word might offend the people, the . The . The and the followers of .
Now I see that there are some “ ” movies that people want to ban. The first of which comes to mind is the classic Rankin/Bass holiday offering “Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer.” They want to ban this because an throws the out of the sleigh even though mentioned that . Then there is that with , the deer who are towards Rudolph, the dentist and the toys from The Island of Toys.
While we are at it let’s look at a few more classics. We have “A Story”. It’s just not in America unless there’s a hungry child in a marathon. And how about washing your mouth out  with ? Oh fudge, that is ! But was the norm back then. I am old enough to have this way myself. Good times.
Then we have the movie “How the Stole ”. I think it is very insensitive to call him a . Clearly he has    . Notice isn’t there even one person in all of Whoville. Then be aware of the fact that they didn’t actually accept the until he gives everyone presents! Looks like to me. And what about making that poor wear a heavy antler and pulling that giant sleigh. Someone call .
The movie “  ” features, , and a father his son. “Frosty the Snow ” has the magician Professor Hinkle attempting to Frosty by him in a greenhouse where Frosty is .
“Home ” is about a who is accidently home during the holidays by when the rest of his family goes to Europe. I think being by your parents is a bit of a problem.
I see that some people are trying to prohibit all related symbols in the schools and have suggested a ban on a list of themed items in the hopes of being inclusive and culturally sensitive to all of the students.
A list of the suggested items would include the singing of   . Even the on the is on the hit list because that’s a related symbol. I think some people are spending more time working on these lists than they are taking time trying to understand diversity.
We now can’t see scenes on governmental land due to “the separation of church and state” activists. Wal-Mart has switched its banners to “Happy Holidays” from “ “. It is Wal-Mart’s and other retailer’s participation in the moneymaking side of that is the real attack on this beloved holiday. One more time, the have co-opted a cultural tradition that most have enjoyed.
Enough is enough! I think I am old enough to decide on my own which movies I watch and which music I listen to. I love watching the old movies and listening to the old songs. I love sharing them with my grandchildren. I will always wish you a no matter who you are or what you believe. is the Holiday I celebrate. If you want to respond or because that’s what you celebrate, I promise not to be offended in fact I may respond in kind with your religious preference. I welcome your heritage as well as my own. Instead of us getting offended by each other, why don’t we just try to get along? This is supposed to be the season of peace on earth and good will towards men no matter what you believe, not the season of hate and discontent.
In closing, I will wish you a , Happy , Happy or a season, whatever works for you, from my home to yours.

Safety during the Holidays or Santa doesn’t deliver to the ER.

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The holiday season is fun for all, but Holiday decor, and celebrations can cause problems. Estimates of reported home fires are taken from the U.S. Fire Administration’s National Fire Incident Reporting System (NFIRS) and The National Fire Protection Association (NFPA).

The survey show that in 2011-2015, decorations, excluding Christmas trees, were the cause of an average of 840 fires that were reported home fires each year. These fires resulted in an average of two deaths, 36 fire injuries and caused $11.4 million in direct property damage per year.

Candles were listed as the heat source in 36% of the fires. The decorations too close to a heat source in two of every five (42%) of the fires.

Even if it’s fake, trees are a fire risk. Fire departments report an average of 210 Christmas tree fires every year. When tree fires do happen, they’re more apt to be serious. Keep your tree at least 36 inches away from all heat sources like fireplaces, radiators, and heat vents. If you get a real tree, don’t forget to keep it well watered. Drier trees ignite more easily. “Your stand should have a water reservoir that can hold one quart of water per inch of the stem’s diameter,” says Rachel Rothman, the Good Housekeeping Institute’s technical and engineering director. Also select a well-made stand so the tree can’t tip over.

Don’t overdo the lights. You may want to cover every inch of your house with lights like you are on The Great Christmas Light Fight but you may have to scale back depending on your outlets. Check the lights’ packaging for the power requirement and never plug in more than what a power strip or outlet says it can handle. Also you never should connect more than three lights strings of lights together.

If you’re using old lights, look at the wiring to ensure there aren’t any signs of fraying or cracking. You should unplug all indoor lights when you leave the house, even the ones on your tree in the bay window.

December is the prime time of year for candle related house fires, says the NFPA. They do set a holiday mood, but lit flames and decorations don’t mix. In a five-year study, the NFPA found that 52% of fires related to decoration-were started by candles. Candles are pretty, but they’re still open flames. Keep lit candles a minimum of 12 inches away from other objects and never leave candles lit in a room that’s unoccupied.

Don’t burn trees or wreaths in your wood stove or fireplace, these burn much faster than logs, creating sparks, which can fly into the room or onto the roof. They can cause a build-up of highly flammable creosote in the chimney. Don’t burn the wrapping paper it might contain metallic materials that can be hazardous to breathe in.

Make sure your fire is out and the embers have cooled before you leave the house or go to bed. Put the ashes in a metal container and put this at least 20 feet away from the house. My daughter had a house fire from putting ashes in her plastic garbage can. Have a certified professional come out once a year minimum to inspect the chimney.

If you drop a Christmas ornament and it shatters, carefully pick up the large pieces and wrap them up in a paper towel or newspaper before throwing them away. You can use a fresh piece of white bread to pick up the little pieces. Sweep the floor and vacuum it thoroughly all over.

A cat could see a piece of shiny tinsel as a toy, but strand can become tangled in his intestines, causing serious damage. As someone that has had to remove a piece of tinsel from a pet’s anus, it isn’t fun for either one of you.

Mistletoe, Holly and poinsettias are poisonous to dogs and cats when eaten. Candy canes (the real ones, not the dog-toy variety), with their curvy shape and wrapper can present a choking hazard, and the sugar-free ones made with xylitol are toxic to dogs.

Don’t forget to take care of the outside of your house. Keep your walkways and driveway clear of snow and ice and be careful when you’re shoveling your property. Approximately 16,500 Americans go to the hospital each year because of injuries that occur while shoveling or removing ice and snow, according to the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission. Wear boots with enough traction and take small, slow steps on ice or snow.

Keep all the kids in mind when picking out gifts. People tend to focus on what’s age-appropriate for one child, but younger children always want to play with the toys that the older kids get. This could be a problem if an older child’s toy comes with a lot of small parts. In 2013, there were an estimated 256,700 injuries caused by toys that were treated in U.S. hospital emergency rooms, according to the CPSC.

If you’re going out of town for a few days, you have to do more than just lock your house up. Tell trusted neighbors that you’re going away and ask them keep an eye on your house. Have the post office stop your mail or have someone pick it up daily. Get yourself a timer that turns your lights on and off at random times during the night if you can.

Norb is an OSHA General Industry Outreach Trainer and has taught safety for several years.

Holiday Snowflakes.

snowy pathway surrounded by bare tree — Photo by freestocks.org on Pexels.com

The song “Baby, It’s Cold Outside” is seen as sexist In the current #MeToo era, and is being banned by some radio stations. The radio stations have stopped playing that classic holiday song because it has lyrics that suggest date rape threats rather than proposing an innocent situation of flirtation while being snow bound. SMH.

As long as we are eliminating everything that could offend people, I have a few more suggestions.

I think we should ban “White Christmas” by Bing Crosby because this might offend non Caucasian people. We also need to eliminate “White Is in the Winter Night” by Enya” and “The White World of Winter” by Bing Crosby for the same reason.

There are many, many songs that reference Jesus that should be forbidden because many religions don’t believe in him as God. They have their own Gods. In fact the very name Christmas should not be permitted just because of the Christ part. This word might offend the Jewish people, the Muslims. The Buddhists. The Hindus and the followers of Confucianism.

Now I see that there some “Holiday” movies that people want to ban. The first of which comes to mind is the classic Rankin/Bass holiday offering “Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer.” They want to ban this because an elf throws the toy bird out of the sleigh even though the bird mentioned that it can’t fly. Then there is that bully with the whip, the deer who are abusive towards Rudolph, the dentist shaming and the unloved toys from The Island of Misfit Toys.

While we are at it let’s look at a few more Christmas classics. We have “A Christmas Story”. It’s just not Christmas in America unless there’s a bullied gun hungry child in a pro-NRA marathon. And how about washing your naughty kid’s mouth out with soap? Oh fudge, that is child abuse! But corporal punishment was the norm back then. I am old enough to have suffered this punishment myself. Good times.

Then we have the movie “How the Grinch Stole Christmas”. I think it is very insensitive to call him a Grinch. Clearly he has Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD). Notice isn’t there even one person of color in all of Whoville. Then be aware of the fact that they didn’t actually accept the green guy until he gives everyone presents! Looks like racism to me. And what about making that poor dog wear a heavy antler and pulling that giant sleigh. Someone call PETA.

The movie “Elf” features, unwed parents, bullies and a father disowning his son. “Frosty the Snow Man” has the evil magician Professor Hinkle attempting to kill Frosty by locking him in a greenhouse where Frosty is melted.

“Home Alone” is about a young boy who is accidentally left home during the Christmas holidays by his parents when the rest of his family goes to Europe. I think being forgotten by your parents is a bit of a problem.

I see that some people are trying to prohibit all Christmas related symbols in the schools and have suggested a ban on a list of Christmas themed items in the hopes of being inclusive and culturally sensitive to all of the students.

A list of the suggested items would include the singing of Christmas carols. Even the Elf on the Shelf is on the hit list because that’s a Christmas related symbol. I think some people are spending more time working on these lists than they are taking time trying to understand diversity.

We now can’t see Nativity scenes on governmental land due to “the separation of church and state” activists. Wal-Mart has switched its banners to “Happy Holidays” from “Merry Christmas”. It is Wal-Mart’s and other retailer’s participation in the moneymaking side of Christmas that is the real attack on this beloved holiday. One more time, the liberals have co-opted a cultural tradition that most Americans have enjoyed.

Enough is enough! I think I am old enough to decide on my own which movies I watch and which music I listen to. I love watching the old Christmas movies and listening to the old Christmas songs. I love sharing them with my grandchildren. I will always wish you a Merry Christmas no matter who you are or what you believe. Christmas is the Holiday I celebrate. If you want to respond Happy Hanukkah or Happy Ramadan because that’s what you celebrate, I promise not to be offended in fact I may respond in kind with your religious preference. I welcome your heritage as well as my own. Instead of us getting offended by each other, why don’t we just try to get along? This is supposed to be the season of peace on earth and good will towards men no matter what you believe, not the season of hate and discontent.

In closing, I will wish you a Merry Christmas, Happy Chanukah, Happy Ramadan or a Joyous Yuletide season, whatever works for you, from my home to yours.