Susan's Scribblings the Blog

Author Archives: kayewer

• HFCS: Another Look

  Posted at 1:58 am by kayewer, on March 14, 2010

  Awhile ago I wrote about the study linking high fructose corn syrup (HFCS) to obesity.  The information in the study–apparently regarded enough to be publicized on the public airwaves–has now been toned down because it may have been slightly overblown, according to the latest news sources, particulary evening newscasts.

  In 1980, the United States started using HFCS instead of sugar because it comes from corn, a highly subsidized farm food in this country.  That makes it cheaper because sugar, on the other hand, is imported under tight restrictions, making it cost more.

  The graphic presented on the newscast indicated that HFCS contains a slightly higher percentage of fructose than sugar, thus the “high” designation.   HFCS is used in various foods to make them taste better, including ketchup and salad dressings.

  No matter what type of sugar you eat in your foods, however, it all ends up being processed in the liver.  Too much sugar of any type is not good for anybody’s health, and as Americans we consume more than anybody else.

  Some sign-toters (mostly mothers) have managed to ban sugary sodas from public schools, and in some cities like Philadelphia, there has been talk of a per-ounce tax on such drinks to discourage their over-consumption.

  Will I avoid products with HFCS?  Yes, but now in the same way in which I avoid sugar altogether.  Anything in moderation is fine, but by cutting some of the unneeded sugar from the diet, I hope to avoid health problems in the future.

  Share this:

  • Facebook

  Like Loading...
  Posted in Uncategorized | 0 Comments

• Spring Break on a Budget

  Posted at 3:57 am by kayewer, on March 7, 2010

  I admit to being a low-income student, and I know that being an adult in college will have its unusual situations, but when the students around me started talking about their plans for spring break, I was stunned.  They go to the Caribbean; they go west to California; they go to Mexico.

  I thought it was a bad economy, and that any time spent in an airport–with the body scans and shoe checks–was akin to waiting in a proctologist’s office for a high colonic appointment.  Every vacation for me has been a staycation for years, because it doesn’t seem like a good time to travel at all.  Who wants to stay in a hotel that has free bedbugs with every bed?  Who wants to play tourist when every place you visit has people who don’t like Americans in general and will only smile at you when you flash money destined for their hands?

  Besides, I don’t have a figure for a swimsuit.  If the resorts only want 98 pound visitors, three-fourths of Americans are obese according to the statistics, so we might as well stay home.

  Spring break for me will be a week in which I won’t take only a half hour lunch  half the week to make up for the 90 minutes I need on my school night to leave early and get from work to college.  I’ll spend the school night working on the next week’s assignment, and I’ll have time to re-read the assigned reading.  It’ll be a recharging session, but not fun in the sun.

  Unless I work in the back yard and it isn’t cloudy.

  Share this:

  • Facebook

  Like Loading...
  Posted in Uncategorized | 0 Comments

• Snow: The Great White Mess

  Posted at 1:10 am by kayewer, on February 28, 2010

  Winter can be depressing, but you know things are bad when you rejoice at seeing the edges of your lawn–which isn’t even green–appear under melting snow.  We’ve been under feet of the stuff for weeks, and are prepared to continue topping old snowfall totals for at least another week or more.  Work and school have been affected, businesses are hurting for customers, and hospitals are overwhelmed with cold-related deaths,  injuries and newborns coming to term and deciding for some odd reason that a blizzard is the ideal time to make their debuts.

  Oh, and there is cabin fever, too.  Those video games kids would normally spend 23 hours a day playing suddenly become boring when they have to be the only source of amusement while cooped up at home.  The video store is not easy to get to, and cable on demand hasn’t seen a new decent movie in months, and the regular programming is either in reruns or focused on the Olympics (where, by the way, they were begging for snow due to unusually mild weather).  Go figure.

  The local networks have also decided to postpone regular programming during storm activity to spend 12 hours or more telling everybody about the snow. I don’t understand the logic behind this.  Psychologically it’s more draining than watching the world out your front door vanish under impermeable white stuff.   They interview people braving the cold to find an open quick mart.  They show the radar maps every few minutes until those frontal systems start to look like an advancing enemy horde come to pillage our homes.    The commentators start to get punchy and lose track of their scripts, but they struggle on with no apparent goal in mind.  I’d prefer the escape found in Ellen DeGeneres or Dr. Phil to a full day of what I can see for myself outside my window.

  I notice that the news segments are always about the same subjects when it snows:  people buy out the shovels and ice melter at the local home stores, and supermarkets sell out of milk and bread.  It’s not as if people don’t buy out bread on regular weekdays (this is especially inconvenient when the delivery truck hasn’t arrived on schedule), but I’d like to know what people do with their shovels from the last storm, or even last season.  I know people like to buy the next year’s model car, but has it become necessary to buy a new shovel each year, too?  If you’re breaking shovels, you’re either working too hard or those shovels were made in a very cheap shop.

  Another thing about snow:  everybody dresses to stay warm, not to look like a Dr. Zhivago postcard.  The hat may not match the overcoat, and the boots may sound like the footfalls of a battalion, but we all have the same idea in mind, and we’re all just shoveling through it all and waiting to see it melt away when spring finally decides to show up.  Sometime in June, if we’re lucky.

  Share this:

  • Facebook

  Like Loading...
  Posted in Uncategorized | 0 Comments

• The Webcam Isn’t the Issue

  Posted at 3:28 am by kayewer, on February 21, 2010

  A Pennsylvania school district is in trouble because a laptop on loan to a student had its webcam activated after school hours.  The school claims it uses the camera technology to track missing computers, but a student was called on the carpet for what the webcam recorded during its activation,  family is pursuing an invasion of privacy legal action against the school.

  This is a road not yet travelled, so it will be interesting to find out what happens.  On one hand, the laptop was school property and on loan; on the other hand, how many pieces of school-issued equipment can possibly be used to tattle on its owner?  On another hand (consider me an octopus), students today can rework a piece of computer equipment in a matter of minutes, so a school district should be able to track anything that could be damaged outside its borders.  Would any parent want a student well versed in techno misbehavior, rigging a machine to transmit porn or other illegal materials to its next owner?

  Also, I don’t understand why students can’t use their own computers at home, unless all the hype I’m hearing about everybody owning computers is a lie.

  I feel a bit nervous about having a camera attached to any device that can access worldwide networks.  It may seem paranoid, but I would never have a computer in any area in which I might even be seen by a web camera adjusting my shirt sleeve.  With the dangers of “sexting” and other illicit behaviors going on in this world, I think schools should have some controls on hand to protect the students and their taxpaying parents, even if it does include a laptop device that tracks the whereabouts of the machine.  Activating a camera, however, might not have been a wise idea.  Instead, there should have been a GPS based locator.

  On the other hand, if I were a parent unable to be sure of what my child was up to, having that webcam access could save a life.

  Share this:

  • Facebook

  Like Loading...
  Posted in Uncategorized | 0 Comments

• Snowed In

  Posted at 2:37 am by kayewer, on February 14, 2010

  It has been a snow season for the books.  We were buried under so much of the white stuff in four out of six days, it will take forever to see the lawn again.  Fortunately all the neighbors pitched in to dig everybody out, but the problem of snow storage still exists.

  The lawns are piled up with snow; the sidewalks are surrounded on all sides by snow.  The city of Philadelphia, like many others, decided not to haul truckloads of snow to the waterways for dumping.  The environmental effects of putting snow inundated with lawn chemicals and other contaminants into the river make it an unwise choice.

  So what do we do with what could be called the weather equivalent of the houseguest who won’t leave?

  I wonder why we can’t melt and treat the water, then put it in the waterways?  Wouldn’t that create jobs and provide insurance against drought in the summer?  Can’t we send treated water to places like Haiti and Darfur?  Can’t it be used in manufacturing?

  Maybe we should all hold statewide ice hotel contests and make buildings and sculptures out of snow in our arena parking lots or local fields.

  How about one big nationwide snowball fight?

  There has to be a way to get rid of this stuff.  My driveway apron is so narrow, parking on the street should be temporarily banned, but it isn’t going to happen.  Sometimes driving around the cars parked on the street is like playing a real life video game; the only problem would be if you miss a turn.

  Snow is a necessary part of nature, but our society has yet to figure out how to live with it.  At least rain water runs off, but this frozen stuff hangs out for ever.  Also, we’re in for more of it, and it’s only February.

  I don’t want to see what happens if and when all this accumulation starts melting.

  Share this:

  • Facebook

  Like Loading...
  Posted in Uncategorized | 0 Comments

• I Slice (But Not in the Kitchen)

  Posted at 12:05 am by kayewer, on February 6, 2010

  I’m not a product tester, but sometimes I like to pass on some ideas if they work.  I picked up a new product the other day called the iSlice(R).  It’s a small ceramic cutting tool the size of an enlarged guitar pick, with a clear blue finger grip design and a silver tone cutter.  The cutting part is a tiny nub the size of a crumb, and I wondered if it could work as well as the terroristic razor blade cutter I was hoping to replace.  For about $5.00 it seemed like a reasonable investment.

  The ironic thing about buying this product is that you have to get inside the package it’s in first (yes, you need a package opener to get out the package opener).  Once I had tortured a pair of scissors on one edge of the flat packaging, I put the iSlice(R) to the test by trying it on the other side of the hard plastic shell.

  It works beautifully.  Simply hold the long edge parallel to your cutting surface and give a little swipe.  The edge is cut cleanly, with no rough spots to injure your hands.  In fact, the little nub does not seem to scratch your skin (I would recommend a little lotion on winter rough hands before you try any skin test, or you may get a dry skin white line).  It also holds a magnet, so it will cling to your fridge (or in my case, inside my cosmetic bag to my tweezers).

  I’m definitely into safety first, so anything like this product is welcome.  Now if we can just find one that can replace knives in the kitchen.

  Share this:

  • Facebook

  Like Loading...
  Posted in Uncategorized | 0 Comments | Tagged iSlice, safe package open

• Alex Tests My Mental Attic

  Posted at 6:31 am by kayewer, on January 27, 2010

  I’m fresh from taking the Jeopardy quiz online.  Each year the popular game show offers a computerized, timed challenge designed to find potential new contestants.  The adults are usually summoned to take the challenge around this time of year by the confident voice of host Alex Trebek on the air during the televised shows.  He exudes a lot of confidence and know-how, and the notion of being good enough to share one’s own knowledge on nationwide television for cash and prizes is very tempting when he puts such a nice spin on it.  This is my third attempt.  Maybe the third time is the charm.

  The first year I took the challenge was nerve-racking.  The questions speed by in 15-second intervals, and I was so nervous my brain felt as if all my years of education had been siphoned away.  Last year I had a total brain drain on the name of a popular Broadway musical featuring two rival gangs, lots of dancing, and a girl named Maria.  I was singing the song in my head trying to get the name of that show in 15 seconds, but I could only manage one third of it and typed in “Story” at the last moment (the “West Side” part came to me afterward, of course).

  The quiz is designed to provide questions in many different categories, so I didn’t feel bad about blowing off the sport questions (especially stats and names) or passing on anything having to do with naming parts of countries in which the names have changed more than once in the past ten years.  This year’s challenge felt good, and I typed in some answers right away.  Only once did the timer run out on me, so I didn’t waste any precious seconds struggling for an answer.  I guessed, too.  It never hurts to try.

  The questions for the contestant search quizzes are always harder than those on the show, or at least it seems that way.  Maybe if I can get on the show I’ll be able to do well enough to let the men answer those sports questions.

  Share this:

  • Facebook

  Like Loading...
  Posted in Uncategorized | 0 Comments | Tagged game show, jeopardy

• Invoking Logic and Ramblings

  Posted at 2:45 am by kayewer, on January 24, 2010

  The President recently announced that aid to Haiti, in the aftermath of the earthquake, could be written off 2009 taxes though it’s being contributed in 2010.  If the government can afford to offer a tax credit, why can’t it just lower the taxes to start with so people can afford to contribute more money out of their take-home pay?

  I don’t have any issues about contributing to good causes, and I give to a few myself.  However, being poor I can’t afford to give to every organization that sends me junk mail (most of it around the holidays) begging to save everybody and everything.  I don’t understand why the need for contributions is greater during the holidays.  People don’t go into some type of hypersleep from January until December, then magically awaken and immediately start thinking about their hunger or the lack of warm shelter or clothing.  The evils of the world go on every single day and, unfortunately, money goes into causes to fight those evils everyday, but we don’t seem to make much headway.

  We–Americans and the world in general–tend to need a well-placed smack upside the head to get us to act on issues, or we need a carrot like an incentive.  Free merchandise is often used as an incentive, such as free t-shirts or tote bags.  I usually go into the market and forget to take my bags in with me, probably because it doesn’t make sense to take something into a store when your intention is mostly to walk out with something instead.

  I have a tote bag from the Nature Conservancy:  it’s a popular picture of a bizarre looking bird.  The person who assembled the bag made a mistake and gave a mobius strip style twist to one handle before it was sewn to the body.  That bag has served me well for years now, the bird makes me laugh, and I don’t mind the defect because, in essence, we are all defective in our own way, and it’s all okay in the long run.

  Share this:

  • Facebook

  Like Loading...
  Posted in Uncategorized | 0 Comments

• The Roof Overhead

  Posted at 2:49 am by kayewer, on January 17, 2010

  I don’t understand the whole housing thing.  Builders today seem to erect nothing but the most expensive dwellings–at least in this country–and who can really afford them?

  Who really needs a house with ceilings twice one’s height, which sap all the heat in winter (because heat rises) and collect dust bunnies where the average dry mop can’t reach?  How much floor space does a person need between the side of the bed and the closet?  Unless you’re a public figure, such as an actor or television personality, do you need that closet to be the size of a garage?  And how many average citizens plop a bag from the local drive-through onto that must-have kitchen preparation island instead of actually preparing a meal on it?

  In addition to those over-padded palaces called single family homes these days, the alternatives are limited.  There are people who make, in a week, only a third of the amount needed for the average apartment’s monthly rent, yet housing in this land seems to cater only to the upper echelon.  In states like New Jersey, the cost of living is forcing residents to relocate elsewhere.  In California houses stand empty while families with women and children live in tents.  In the poorest cities, the lower income families get some aid, but for the rest of us in the middle of the curve, keeping a roof over our heads is a nightmare.  Mortgage problems were just the start of the crisis, and the price gouging is not solving the issue of where to put people who just can’t afford what is currently on the market.

  Where are the houses for the increasing population of single persons over 25 and under 55?  I see a lot of housing projects going up for seniors, and those 18-24 get their share because they often room together and split the cost, but there is a growing niche being left out of the basic right to shelter.  I’m one of them, and I have met quite a few people in the same situation.  We want to downsize if we’re couples, or just live in a few comfortable rooms if we’re alone.  The post-war tract homes were perfect for so many families, and could be just the right size for the new generation, but new construction is obviously not geared to the middle class.

  The United States gives readily to the world when disaster displaces people from their homes, but sapping huge sums of money from our own citizens for expensive housing nobody really needs is hedonistic, wasteful and a disgrace when so many of our own people need a place to live.  There should be housing at a level affordable to any working citizen based on take-home income.  If one has a job here, they should have an inalienable right to a place to live here.  It shouldn’t be too much to ask for a safe, efficient dwelling with running water and electricity.  Once the housing power brokers understand that, the problem may begin to turn around.  Meanwhile, the roofs over our heads are leaking pennies every second, and the people standing out in the cold can’t catch them to put them to good use.

  Share this:

  • Facebook

  Like Loading...
  Posted in Uncategorized | 0 Comments | Tagged housing, mortgage crisis

• There Are Nice People Out There

  Posted at 2:26 am by kayewer, on January 10, 2010

  We’ve had plenty of news lately about people wanting to blow things up and kill us just because we are this or aren’t that, but I actually came across some nice people in the past week and decided to share the good news.

  I’ve been having an issue with my commuter pass lately.  If you have one of those electronic gizmos that enables you to use turnpikes or bridges with a special “no-toll” gate or discount rate, you know what I mean.  Every time I go on vacation I have to contact the customer service department to have a hold put on my account, to be resumed when I start using the pass again.  Last time I went on vacation, though, something went wrong:  the note that entitled me to the special plan didn’t re-activate, so every time I went through the toll plaza I got the wrong charges.  Of course I didn’t realize it until my statement came in and I found that my bill was way more than usual.  Of course I called, and they said they would look into it, but four weeks later my next statement still had the same overcharge activity.  I called for the third time and got transferred to the nicest supervisor, who took one look at my account and said, “Gee, we shouldn’t be charging you while this is under investigation, so I’m going to reactivate your discount right now:  can we call you back with the results, or would you like to call us back when it’s convenient for you?”  Now that’s customer service.

  This afternoon I made a quick stop at the local market, which was filled to capacity with vehicles in the parking lot.  A total stranger saw me pushing a cart toward the entrance (actually it had been left in the parking lot and was making it hard for cars to fit into the spaces, so I was taking it back up to the cart return).  She said, “It’s really not bad in there, the checkout is moving fast.”  Imagine somebody volunteering that information casually for no real reason except that she felt it would be good for somebody going into the store to know they wouldn’t be held up too long.

  I’ll bet none of those extreme terrorists who want us dead would even do something half as nice to their own people.  That’s another thing that makes us good people.

  Share this:

  • Facebook

  Like Loading...
  Posted in Uncategorized | 0 Comments

• Feedback

  	Eden on A Good Rabbit Hole
  	Eden on Free Secretary
  	Eden on Getting the Message
  	Eden on The Unasked Questions
  	Eden on And Her Shoes Were #9