Please, Don’t Do It-Call 988

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Please, Don’t Do It – Call 988 for Help

In 2022, nearly 50,000 Americans took their own lives

Call 988-Help Is Out There

By D. S. Mitchell

Scary Statistics
More than 1 in 5 Americans suffer from a diagnosed mental illness and an unknown number of Americans suffer from an undiagnosed mental illness. World wide 80% of the population suffers from a mental illness at some point in their lives; some disorders as benign sounding as nail biting and bed wetting. The most familiar and the most catastrophic in their effects on the lives of sufferers are depression, anxiety, PTSD, schizophrenia, and bipolar disorder. In 2022, 49,449 Americans died by suicide with at least another 1.2 million Americans attempting suicide. Misunderstanding and negative attitudes toward mental illness breed misconceptions and prevent many tortured individuals from seeking help.
Holidays are Dangerous Times
The holidays are a particularly dangerous time for a suicidal person.  If you, or someone you know, are experiencing any of the following symptoms please seek help.
Symptoms of suicidal ideation include:
  • Talking about self harm, wanting to die, or kill oneself
  • Describing life as “hopeless” without purpose, being “trapped”
  • Talking about being a burden to others
  • Increased use of alcohol or drugs
  • Noticeably agitated, anxious or reckless
  • Expressing feelings of unbearable pain
  • Extreme mood swings
  • Displays of rage
  • Plans to “get revenge”
  • Sleeping too little or too much
  • Withdrawing from normal relationships, isolation
  • A suicide plan
Call 988 For Help
Please, if you or someone you know is contemplating suicide, or are showing any of the listed signals, tell someone.  Call for help. There is a new national suicide Hot Line. Call 988 if you are thinking about suicide. Life has so much to offer, explore it. Stick around. Suicide is permanent.

Keeping Your Pet Food Safe

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Keeping Your Pet Food Safe During the Holidays

Lets talk about food safety for our furry friends

 

Keeping Your Pet Food Safe During the Holidays

 

By D.S. Mitchell

The holidays are coming at us fast. Time for fabulous holiday food like mashed potatoes and gravy, casseroles, turkey, cranberry sauce, and loads of pies and cakes and all manner of sugary treats. Yeah! It’s important to remember that some of your favorite holiday treats may be dangerous if your pet ingests any of them. While overeating may be unhealthy for humans it can prove deadly for a pet. Certain table scraps should never be passed on to your pet. As an example poultry bones can damage a pet’s digestive tract. Fatty foods are difficult to digest and may lead to vomiting and diarrhea. Furthermore, many holiday sweets contain chocolate and other ingredients that are poisonous to pets.

The  American Kennel Club, Safe Food List

  • Sweet potatoes and potatoes (without added ingredients like butter, brown sugar or marshmallows)
  • Apples
  • Turkey meat (without bones or skin)
  • Green beans
  • Plain peas
  • Pumpkin and pure pumpkin puree (without spiced or sugary pie mix)

The American Kennel Club, Unsafe Food List

  • Turkey bones, skin and gravy
  • Stuffing
  • Casseroles
  • Mashed potatoes
  • Creamed peas
  • Chocolate, cookies, pies, and sweets
  • Alcoholic beverages
  • Raisins and grapes
  • Onions, scallions, and garlic
  • Ham
  • Yeast dough
  • Fatty foods
  • Foods containing spices

Keep an eye on the garbage

Even aside from the foods on the table, experts recommend careful disposal of the leftovers. An open container or a turkey carcass left out sitting on the table could be deadly for your pet. The American Veterinary Association advises, “Dispose of turkey carcasses, bones, and scraps—and anything used to wrap or tie the meat, such as strings, bags, and packaging—in a covered, tightly secured trash bag placed in a closed trash container outdoors.”

Call the Vet

If you believe your fur-baby has eaten something that could be unsafe you should immediately call your vet, or a veterinary emergency clinic. You also can call the ASPCA Poison Control Center @ 888-426-4435. Happy and safe holiday snacking.

Thanksgiving, A Time Of Gratitude

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Thanksgiving, A Time Of Gratitude

Thanksgiving is a day of thanks and gratitude for all the blessings.

Thanksgiving, A Time Of Gratitude

By D. S. Mitchell

 

As we race through our daily lives it is easy to become angry and aggrieved; frequently blinding us to everyday ‘miracles’; the beauty of a child’s laugh, the comforting chirp of a robin’s song, or the magnificence of a sunrise.

Sometimes, being grateful is difficult, I often fail in the endeavor, but as a reminder to my friends, if you can’t feel that sense of fulfillment that gratitude provides, you will never find ‘happiness’ no matter how far and wide you search.

 

Let’s Talk Turkey About Food Safety

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Let’s Talk Turkey About Food Safety

Turkey and all the fixings can be wonderful or a total disaster. Remember food safety to keep your holidays worry free.

Let’s Talk Turkey About Food Safety

 

By Anna Hessel

 

A Holiday for the Bird(s)

Hello, everyone; let’s talk turkey – it’s that time of year. Nothing says Thanksgiving like gastric disturbance, NOT; no one is thankful for food borne illness. Cuisine safety needs to be front and center on your holiday table. I received some sage advice (pun intended) from a smart and savvy chef to confirm some safe meal pointers just in “thyme” for turkey day.

Food for Thought

Food cannot be left out at room temperature for any longer than two hours – just like Cinderella at the ball, disaster awaits after the deadline you were warned about. It doesn’t matter if Uncle Fred wants to finish watching football, even if the Steelers or Bears are playing – the buffet can’t wait. Edibles must stay out of the danger zone – make sure the holding temperatures are above 140 degrees (the commercial criteria is above 180) for hot food, and below 40 for cold food. If you use Sternos or the like to keep dishes heated, they only last two hours – beyond that you need to use additional fresh canned heat or chafing fuel cans. Ice baths can be strengthened by sprinkling salt on the cubes. When you allow your protein to rest, this helps it to reabsorb juices with the temperature change coming out of the oven. But remember, the turkey resting does not need a long nap (it’s not grandpa), and you must deduct the ten to fifteen minutes from the two-hour time limit food can be left out.

Don’t Cross to the Dark Side

Never cross contaminate feast fare by putting cooked items on the same unwashed surfaces that have come in contact with raw items, be it cutting boards, dishes, or utensils. Rinsing does not cut it – wash thoroughly with dish soap and hot water; I use antibacterial dish soap. Stuffing is my favorite side dish, but we keep it on the side, not cooked in the bird. We stuff the cavity with fruit (lemons, oranges, etc.), which we throw away after cooking; a dinner guest commented that the citrus turkey we made was the best he ever had.

An Ill Wind Blows…

I had a doctor tell me some years ago that she thinks that that the holidays mean family and friends spreading colds, flu, and food poisoning – we can now add COVID to that list. Avoid sickness by frequently washing your hands, especially when cooking. Keep a good hand lotion on your kitchen counter if you’re concerned about dry skin from harsh cleansers. Remember, also, to be cautious of food allergies and sensitivities as you fix your meal. Trace amounts of an allergen can result in potentially deadly reactions to those that are anaphylactic. Please be conscious, as well, of the foods your fur-babies cannot safely consume – if you’re unsure, talk to your veterinarian.

Pumpkin, No Spice

Just like the film “Boss Baby” reminds us that “cookies are for closers”, may I point out that pumpkin spice is for pies and baked goods, not the annoying bevy of PS stuff like coffee, cereals, hair conditioner, pet food, floor wax, and the like, that we are subjected to from September to February each year. Then for months afterward the grocery store clearance aisles are swollen with pumpkin spice items. Time to stop the pumpkin spice takeover of the holiday season, that’s my opinion. Don’t allow your guests to sit for hours without a snack. Serve light appetizers and beverages before the big meal, but peanuts, pork rinds, and corn nuts are not hors d’oeuvres. Let’s spread God’s love, not germs, this holiday season; better to be safe than sorry.

Ask the Expert

 There is always something to be thankful for; we’re thankful for the Buttterball Turkey Talk Line (1-800-BUTTERBALL or text 844-877-3456) – they have certified food experts who can answer your food related questions. I’ve heard the professionals manning the Turkey Talk Line have had some unusual questions over the years – one person asked if they could use a chainsaw to carve the holiday bird; another inquired if they could cook the turkey in a hot tub. So my advice is to ask your questions before you’ve had a few cups of eggnog, spicy spiked cider, or the cooking sherry.

May your Thanksgiving/Friendsgiving be blessed with joy, loved ones, and, of course, style…

 

Editorial: Stomping My Feet

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Editorial:

Stomping My Feet and Screaming Profanities

 

This young lady is mad and is about to kick some ass

Editorial:

Stomping My Feet and Screaming Profanities

By D. S. Mitchell

 

What the Hell?

Fuckin’ Zeus. What the hell is going on in this country? From the minute I wake up in the morning I am besieged by anger and hate from every direction. It comes via my cell phone, Facebook and Tik-Tok, texts and emails, the cable TV pundits, from family, neighbors, and co-workers. It never stops. Truthfully, it has me all ginned up, like most of the country; consumed with  outrage at one group or another. All the vitriol has me in a hammer swinging mood.

Makes no Sense

The mindless call for civil war is however, unsettling. Anyone with a high school education understands that war, civil or otherwise, destroys economies and communities. All you have to do is look to Syria or that distant memory, Mogadishu. People die, all because the political forces in the country were so desperate for total power they chose to support one man rule, no matter how flawed the man.

Orange Blimp Landing

Last night, Monday, November 13th, or maybe it was the 12th, 2023; CNN was showing clips from the latest Trump rally with children (where the the f’ is child protective services?) holding up Trump 2024 signs while the bloated mob boss harangued for a couple hours. The rant was reminiscent of the 1930’s and Nazi Germany, using Hitler’s recycled slurs against Jews and Gypsies to modern day “undesirables”.  “Undesirables” in Trump’s mind is anyone, anywhere, at any time, who opposed him. Watch out Hillary Clinton and Bill Barr. Watch out Jeff Sessions and Mitch McConnell. Watch out Ruby Freeman.

Trump’s Promises Can’t Be Ignored

Trump’s promise to institutionalize judges and prosecutors, imprison migrants, execute generals, eliminate the civil service, and suspend the Constitution; should make the hair on the back of your neck stand up. It does mine. Internment camps for undocumented aliens to start with, later whoever the orange demagogue points his finger at. That band of crack pots and corrupt grifters that filled the White House offices during Trump’s last administration will be gone, replaced by people whose only qualification for employment is that they say ‘yes’ to whatever DJT says, no matter how crazy or illegal.

Outrageous

Every ethical journalist in this country is calling out Trump for his outrageous conduct and disgusting recent rhetoric. Free speech be damned, this demented extremist is firing up his followers to violence. The mango menace is no longer just a bad joke, but rather a clear and present danger to the Republic. This man is an immediate threat to our already disabled democracy. Trump and Mitch McConnell packed the Supreme Court, creating a dangerous situation at the top of the Judicial Branch. With an autocrat at the top of the Executive Branch, Trump would have control of 2/3rds of the government. With the Insurrection Act to back his authority, Trump would assume control of the military. Coup complete.

What Say You?

Do you want control of your own body?

Do you want religious freedom?

Do you want the right to read anything you choose?

Do you want the right to marry who you love?

Do you support ease of voting?

Do you support reasonable gun laws?

If your answer was yes, to any of the above questions, please support Democrats up and down the ballot in 2024 and forward. Just because you’ve voted Republican since Nixon doesn’t mean you need to continue to support a political party that now supports, a national ban on abortion, a white Christian national government,  book banning, voter suppression, and an originalist interpretation of the 2nd amendment. Joe Biden is a transitional president; support him as the leads this country forward. Joe Biden’s view of the future is bright and dynamic. Donald Trump’s view of our future is dark and desperate. I choose bright, not dark. How about you?

Making Bubble Hash, Part 2

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Making Bubble Hash, Part 2

Making Bubble Hash, Part 2

Dave and Bill are back to finish up the lesson on making Bubble Hash. So sit down take a puff and watch the pros teach you how to take flower or leaf and with a whole lot of love and knowledge, turn it into Bubble Hash. Enjoy.

30 More of the Worst Gifts Ever

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30 More of the Worst Gifts Ever

 

Think before you give. Check out what not to give.

30 More Worst Gifts Ever

Editor’s Note: A small screw up in editing led to Anna’s advice being divided into two separate posts. It looks like I should have combined this submission with the one from October 25th, 2023 and called it, “The 65 Lousiest Gifts Ever.”  Anyway, here we go…

By Anna Hessel and the Editor (con’t)

  1. Flushable wipes. (Editor: Sometimes after a hospital stay you leave with a lot of useful items; spare urinals, chucks, gauze, waterless shampoo caps, and flushable wipes. Things that you would rather give away than never use. However, I suggest gifting them to your local animal shelter rather than your Aunt Tilly.)
  2. A 64-ounce bottle of extra strength mouthwash. (Editor: I agree, even the giant size bottle is inappropriate).
  3. A jock strap. (especially bad for your great aunt or grandmother…) (Editor: But what about Grampa?)
  4. Any attire with shoulder pads. (Editor: Good advice, Anna. I didn’t like shoulder pads then, and I’m no fonder of them now).
  5. A homemade pet rock. (Editor: N-o-o-ow, wait a minute, Anna. I belong to my local ‘rock’ club. We paint pictures on rocks and then leave them at different spots around the community for people to find and enjoy. I wouldn’t call any of them pets, but awesome anyway).
  6. A Rubik’s Cube (Editor: I never could figure that gizmo out, so definitely agree, it’s a very bad gift).
  7. A disco ball key chain. (Editor: A bit bizarre, but last year a friend gifted me with a cardinal (the bird) key chain, there’s a button on the bird’s back; push it and the bird tweets. Not suggesting it as a better option, but apparently, key chains are making a comeback as gifts).
  8. A professional house cleaning. (Editor: Anna, I want to tell you, I like a clean house, especially if someone else is swinging the mop. This could be a much appreciated gift; for some of us anyway).
  9. A box of leakproof trash bags. (Editor: Totally disgusting, I don’t think trash bags, leakproof or not, are ever on anyone’s wish list).
  10. A mop and bucket, fresh from the home maintenance aisle at Walmart. (Editor: I agree with Anna on this one. Definitely, in very poor taste).
  11. Disposable razors. (Editor: Yuck).
  12. 101 ways to cook kale cookbook. (Editor: Dearest Anna, Kale offers an abundance of nutrients, including potassium, fiber, folate, and calcium. Kale can reduce the risk of heart disease by helping lower LDL cholesterol, or “bad cholesterol”. Not all gifts need to be warm and fuzzy some can be useful).
  13. Fun with artificial colors cookbook. (Editor: I have nothing to say.)
  14. Anything you created at your first pottery lesson. (Editor: Excellent advice, Anna).
  15. A ‘Bedazzler’ or anything you bedazzled yourself. (Editor: I didn’t think you could still buy such a thing, but I was wrong; available on Amazon. So, take Anna’s advice and keep your bedazzling to yourself).
  16. Anything polyester. (Editor: Polyester freed women from the slavery of the ironing board, but now 50 years later women have tossed out both the iron, the ironing board, and the polyester),
  17. Refrigerator magnets in the shape of vegetables or fruit.
  18. Any experimental art.
  19. Kitty litter (especially if the recipient does not have a cat). (Editor: Uhhh. I definitely support Anna on this one. Instead, take your unused kitty litter or animal food to your local animal shelter and gift it to them this holiday season. Please support your local no kill Animal Shelter).
  20. Expired food. (Editor: Not only offensive, but likely dangerous).
  21. Insect spray (Editor: FYI, former heavyweight champion, Mohammad Ali, was believed to have caused himself severe neurological damage by constantly spraying insect killer around himself).
  22. Bat or rat plush toy or pillow.
  23. Cellulite cream. (Editor: This could be touchy; I personally, wouldn’t risk giving cellulite cream to anyone, ever).

You’ve been waiting for it- here’s the top seven political gifts, NOT to give.

  1. The Donald inaugural commemorative whiskey flask.
  2. The complete ten season box set of “The Apprentice,” (Editor: I saw one episode of that show and that was all I could stand. They actually made 10 seasons of that crap? Amazing.)
  3. Pat Robertson bubble head. (Editor: I think Pat is best left forgotten).
  4. Ron DeSantis bubble head. (Editor: A blip, a blimp, a cowboy boot wearin’ Trump wannabe).
  5. Donald Trump bubble head (oh wait, aren’t they called bobble heads?)
  6. Smelling salts (unless of course one of these bubble heads are on the air…)
  7. A Halloween costume, especially if there is a Trump mask involved.

Please remember that one of the worst possible gifts is the Donald Trump gift set: the set consists of a Trump Chia head And a Trump bubble head, because two of his heads are never better than one.

Friends, Let’s fill our hearts with love and pray for peace in Palestine.