When Old Technology is Needed

Prepping for the storm, what came up with many people was the fear that they would be without phones if the storm knocked out their electric power or disabled the city's cell phone towers.  Many people have replaced those "old" phones with new electric plug-in models or use their cell phones instead of having a house number.  No, we too have those electric models.  However, we also kept one of the old Princess phones, which remains plugged into a phone jack.

The benefit of that old phone is that it is not affected by an electrical outage.  Only if your phone lines go down will you not have phone service, and there are many areas of the city, such as ours, where phone lines are now underground precisely so heavy winds and rain can't rip them down.

A bit late to go shopping now for such an "old" phone, but it's something you might think of acquiring after the storm is over.  Electrical outages in the NYC area don't require a major hurricane to occur--I can't remember a summer yet where we have not had areas of the city or the whole city without power for a while.  Besides, think of the joy and fun of introducing your kids to some old technology that can nonetheless save the day when new technology is laid low.  No, they (and you) won't be able to text on those phones or play games on those phones, but you'll be able to be in contact with others or summon help in an emergency--and isn't that really the point of a phone?

Preparing for Sandy

Just when I was wondering if there would be anything to post about, given that the choices were becoming quite limited to old news--yeshiva tuition, the nutty shidduch system etc.--along comes a possible devasting storm that will hit us in the NE from Sunday to Tuesday.  While there are some who are shrugging their shoulders and taking a wait and see attitude, that way could lie disaster.

Now is the time to do some thinking about how you will handle the storm and any complications it could bring.  If you have to evacuate, how will you do so and where might you be able to go?  If you are stuck at home, do you have the necessary storm equipment, such as flashlights for when the power goes out, food to eat that does not require cooking, in case stoves are unavailable, extras of any medications you must take and you may not be able to get to a drugstore, extra blankets in case the heating goes out etc..

Now is also the time to be a good neighbor and think of those on your block or in your area who may be alone during the storm, such as the elderly.  There's safety in numbers is not just words on a page--bringing such a person to stay in your home during the storm could well be a matter of sakonos nefoshos.

Do you have any loose items in your backyard or on your porch or balconey?  Time to get those things to an enclosed shelter so that they don't become airborne missles when the strong wind gusts arrive.

Are your street-side sewer drains covered with leaves and debris?  Do yourself a favor and get out there and remove the leaves.  Heavy rains need somewhere to go, and clogged drains don't help.

There's lots of helpful information about how to prepare for a weather a storm of this type available online, but it's only helpful if you actually access it and use it.

Let's hope that we all get through this storm in safety, but some of that safety is going to depend on what you do now.

A gutten Shabbos to all.

In Hot Water Again

After the news of the last few days, I would very much love to hear about a zillion people taking purveyors of Shabbos hot water urns to a din Torah, or filing suit in secular court.  It is not exactly a secret that the vast majority of the hot water urns sold for Shabbos/Yom Tov use are not under the UL--Underwriters Laboratory.  And yes, I'm not going to be l'chav z'chus and say that the owners of these stores have no idea what the UL is or that there are UL certified urns.  If you sell electronic items you need to be knowledgeable about those items--ignorance is no excuse.

News of three accidents that happened with non-UL urns.  One urn overheated and shorted out the electrical system in the owner's kitchen, leaving them in the dark and with no hot water for Shabbos. Sparks from the shorting out urn also put burn marks into the kitchen counter.  Also cost a small bundle to repair the shorted out system.  Two urns with the bottom spigots that were overturned and had no reliable safety feature to keep the top closed when someone applied pressure to the spigot handle to get hot water into a cup.  In one case an adult got scalding on his body; in the other case a young child got scalded from the head down.

A lot of the stores selling these urns don't carry any UL urns.  Generally, those white urns with the flowers on them are not under the UL.  One brand that is UL certified is made by Innovative Consumer.  It's a brushed stainless steel outside and inside finish.  There are a few stores in Brooklyn which sell this model.  Call first and save yourself a trip to a store that won't have a UL urn.

You could also try querying UL--Underwriters Laboratory--for a more complete list of the urns they certify.

Note: one of those injured by a non-UL urn actually knew that UL urns existed but mentioned that she was waiting for her old urn to wear out and then she would replace it with a UL one.  Please, there is being money conscious and then there is taking an unwarranted risk with your safety.  With Yom Tov coming in a few weeks and all the added hot water use, now is the time to prepare for the new year with safety in mind.

Better Safe Than Sorry

Any number of items will be mentioned if you go to a site that talks about necessary items to be included when you are considering home repair or remodeling. Certainly safety is at the forefront on the lists, items such as smoke and gas detectors, adequate lighting over stairways, updated gas and electricity delivery systems in older homes, etc.. What I'm recommending is an item that is not so frequently mentioned but that should be: a home safe.

Squirreled away in hidey-holes all over our houses are any number of items having importance to us but that need to be kept safely put away when not in use. Good jewelry comes to mind, as does "emergency" cash. So do passports and birth certificates and copies of wills. So do lists of passwords and pin numbers and ID numbers for any number and type of account we might have, online as well as in the physical world. I'm sure you can fill in with other items you view in this way. The longer you live, the more of these hidey-holes that may be present.

Instead of those hidey-holes I'm recommending the purchase of a home safe--not a free-standing one, but one that is securely fastened into a wall or floor. Obviously, the safe should be someplace that is not openly visible but that is accessible to those who are supposed to know where it is. Let's face it--we are all of us collectors, although what we collect and need to keep safe may differ. Between the mattresses just doesn't cut it any longer--it's the first place someone breaking into your home would look. I'm sure you can think of all the other places people use to stash things--and so can thieves.

The cost of these safes is not prohibitive and will allow you to truly be safe, not just feel unjustifiably safe, such as when you use those hidey-holes. If you are considering a home purchase now, make it one that will pay for itself in real peace of mind--better safe than sorry.

Do NOT Try This

I don't generally post emails that are making the rounds, but I'm making an exception with this one because of the possible danger involved. The following email has now been sent to me by three different people. It is quite possible that some of my readers have received it as well. I do wish that people would check things like this out with snopes first. Nevertheless, it is out there and I urge you all to ignore the advice given in it. Check out snopes to find out why. Not only does flour not work as a cure for burns, but tossing flour on a person on fire or on a fire in general will work as an accelerant. Go here to read the full explanation http://www.snopes.com/medical/homecure/flourburns.asp

Subject: Burn Treatment

I personally have never heard of this but did have the opportunity to try it out and it is a miracle. (I always have a small container of flour in my frig)

Lexie
Sounds interesting.
Once I was cooking some corn and stuck my fork in the boiling water to see if the corn was ready. I missed and my hand went into the boiling water....
A friend of mine, who was a Vietnam vet, came into the house, just as I was screaming, and asked me if I had some plain old flour...I pulled out a bag and he stuck my hand in it. He said to keep my hand in the flour for 10 mins. which I did. He said that in Vietnam , this guy was on fire and in their panic, they threw a bag of flour all over him to put the fire out...well, it not only put the fire out, but he never even had a blister!!!!
SOOOO, long story short, I put my hand in the bag of flour for 10 mins pulled it out and had not even a red mark or a blister and absolutely NO PAIN. Now, I keep a bag of flour in the fridge and every time I burn myself, I use the flour and never ONCE have I ever had a red spot, a burn or a blister!
*cold flour feels even better than room temperature flour.
Miracle, if you ask me. Keep a bag of white flour in your fridge and you will be happy you did. I even burnt my tongue and put the flour on it for about 10 mins. and the pain was gone and no burn. Try it! BTW, don't run your burn area under Cold water first, just put it right into the flour for 10 mins and experience a miracle.

In Hot Water Once Again

I have three times before posted about those hot water urns that are used on Shabbos and the fact that the majority of them, particularly the ones sold in the "frum" stores, don't have the UL on them. http://conversationsinklal.blogspot.com/2008/10/hot-water-urn-update.html

http://conversationsinklal.blogspot.com/2008/08/additional-word-about-urns.html
http://conversationsinklal.blogspot.com/2008/08/urns-are-still-among-us.html

I tried being a good samaritan and sent some letters and emails to the various anglo-Jewish publications, asking that they inform people that most of the urns are not UL approved and why they should buy only UL urns. In addition, I wrote to the company that manufactures many of those urns that you see for sale in the frum stores.

So far the response to my correspondence is zero. Not one paper decided this was important enough to even put in a small boxed item in their publication. The manufacturer never replied. I can almost understand why the manufacturer didn't reply--sales are brisk on urns and it seems obvious that people are buying them without the UL, so why bother changing.

Here's what my next step is: it's time for the smaller publications. Does your shul have a newsletter or bulletin or Internet site? Does your area have a news list? Please ask them to put in a small announcement to check that any urns have the UL and to urge people to only buy the UL urns. If you're in one of your local stores that carry the urns, and they don't have any with the UL, tell them you won't be buying from them until they start carrying UL urns, and that you'll be telling your friends not to buy either. Social networking sites are always so full of chatter--why not do your friends a good turn and post something that warns people that they are taking their lives into their hands if they buy the non-UL urns? Wondering whether you should tweet and twitter about your upset stomache or your hemorrhoids? How about a brief warning instead to only buy UL urns. And yes, please, if you are a blogger, regardless of the subject matter of your blog, please post a public service message for the frum olam about the urns.

We've got three-day shabbos/yom tov coming up. Those urns are going to be plugged in and on for three days at a shot. Sure, the non-UL urn you have now has never blown all your circuits, has never shorted out, has never had its thermostat malfunction so that it heats water above a safe temperature. Sure, the outside has never gotten so hot that it could burn you if you touch it. Sure, the circuitry seems perfectly insulated and protected. Aren't you lucky--and how unlucky others have been.

Here's the thing--Jews are forbidden to rely on miracles, and that's what you're doing when you use those non-UL urns. If you enjoy playing Russian roulette, I've got a Colt 45 to lend you. But please, stop playing the game with those urns. Please help to get the word out that urns need a UL.

Let the Flames Burn Safely

Chanukah is soon going to be here. We so look forward to the joy of this holiday. Let's make sure that joy is the only thing we get. Fire safety is a real concern when it comes to Chanukah. Many homes have not one but many menoras burning at one time. This year Chanukah comes out on two Shabbosim, so there will be the Shabbos candles twice in addition to the Chanukah candles. Some people use actual candles; others use oil. Either way, you have a possible tragedy in the making if you don't take proper care with your menoras. Nor is it only the menorahs that can present a fire danger. For this holiday a whole lot of people are going to be frying latkes or frying sufganiot. Hot oil is another Chanukah danger.

Want to know what to do to protect yourself? Go to the following links:

http://www.hatzoloh.ca/Docs/Chanukah_Safety.pdf

http://www.fdnyfoundation.com/2007/10/jewish_observance.php

http://www.torahtots.com/holidays/chanuka/safety.htm

http://www.nyc.gov/html/fdny/html/safety/firesafety.shtml

http://www.ou.org/news/article/in_light_of_chanukah_ou_issues_fire_safety_guidelines

http://www.jewishfireprevention.org/

Thank You Mr. Policeman

There's a common phrase "Where is a police officer when you need one?!" Today the answer was not the usual "never around when you need one."

The Shoprite plaza nearest to our home is busy over most weekends, but more so now that it is getting closer to the winter holidays. Parking spots were not plentiful and waiting was common. Pulling out to go home I turned the corner towards the exit and came to a standstill. Traffic was backed up all over the very large lot. Why? A woman in a van was blocking the main access to the exit. She was obviously and clearly on a handheld cellphone while driving (or not driving more than an inch a minute) and was clearly having an argument with someone. She was waving her free hand (sarcasm intended--one hand on the phone, one waving around, and which one on the steering wheel?) all around the car and was obviously yelling. Horns were honking furiously all over the lot. A few people got out of their cars to walk over to her car and tell her to move it now. Nothing was helping.

And then, blessedly, an off duty police officer got out of his car, went over to the woman's car and flashed his badge. As we watched he wrote out more than one ticket for her. And the sound of applause was heard all over the lot. And once he got her to move he directed traffic for a few moments so the lot could get unsnarled. Thank you New York's Finest!

Now if only I could believe that the woman who caused all this will have learned her lesson and never break the law in this way again. Yeah, right. Still, at least today I saw the law work the way it's supposed to work: If you break the law, you'll pay the price.

A Maneuver that could save your Life

On the recent babysitting posting a comment was made that parents don't know the Heimlich Manouver, so why require babysitters to learn how to do it. Let me answer this one briefly, as a long time member of Hatzoloh. EVERY parent should know how to do the Heimlich Manouver. Yes, and they should know basic CPR as well.

No one gets to pick and choose if or when an emergency will arise where they are present, nor do they get to pick and choose the emergency. By definition an emergency is unexpected. How quickly you react in an emergency can make the literal difference between life and death, between full recovery and lasting damage.

All humans eat, and when they do so they run the risk of choking. Younger children in particular will often eat while running around and talking at the same time, raising their risk of choking. Both adults and children may be in a hurry and try to gobble down food without chewing it properly, leaving larger chunks that are being swallowed. In short, a choking risk is present in everyday scenarios.

There are any number of posters clearly showing what to do for someone who is choking. Get online and type in "Heimlich Maneuver Posters" and a number of sites providing the posters will pop up. Here's my recommendation--every home should have such a poster and in a place where it can easily be gotten to. And don't just put the poster away and forget about it. Have every member of your household study it.

Now about CPR. The best way to learn how to do CPR correctly is to be taught by someone. The compressions have to be deep enough and placed correctly to do some good but not so deep that damage is the only result. I would recommend that every shul, each year, present a CPR workshop for its membership. All high schools should be required to give the course. Hatzoloh might well be willing to provide the personnel to teach the courses. Of all the things we spend money on, this could be among the most worthwhile.

You think you'll never use it? Twice in the last three years a member of the Willowbrook community collapsed out on the street while walking by themselves. In both instances another person came upon them, checked for a pulse, and began giving CPR while shouting for more help. And in both cases the people who collapsed are now fine, alive and well. And in only one of the cases was the person who found the collapsed person a Hatzoloh member. The other person was someone who thought it important to know CPR.

And while I'm talking about preventative measures, how many of you have an emergency phone list by the phone or phones? Such a list should obviously show 911 on it. It should also have the Hatzoloh number, the Poison Control number, your doctor's number (or doctors numbers if there are multiple medical conditions present in your household), and the number of your local hospital.

You know that old saying "better to be safe than sorry"? These are two ways to help with the safe part.

A Public Service Announcement

NY State has a program that more people should be taking advantage of (I believe that some other states offer this program as well). The State offers a 6-hour Defensive Driving Course. Now the course all on its own is a good idea but it brings some added benefits with it. For one thing, upon course completion a certificate is sent to the state DMV and one is mailed to you to send to your insurance company. The certificate is good for three years. It will result in a 10% reduction in your car insurance (or at least the liability, no fault and collision portion of it--check your insurance company) for each of the three years. In addition, if you have points on your licence it will reduce/remove up to 4 of those points.

These courses are offered in a number of physical locations. However, they are also now offered online. This is a blessing for many people. You can now take that course 24/7 from the comfort of your own home--no trying to fit in when a course is given outside into your living schedule. In addition, you don't need to sit through the six hours straight when you take the course online; after you finish one of the modules (there are four of them) you can log out and log back in as your schedule and sitting power allows. Oh yes, there is no final exam in this course, although there are very short quizzes at the end of each of the four study modules, so breathe easy.

If you want to find a state-approved site for the course in your state just google "defensive driving class online." The site I'm using offered a reduced rate of $34.50 for the course. You can check it out at http://www.newyorksafetycouncil.com/

Given today's climate for "short-cutting" everything, please note that the course verifies who is taking the course at various points throughout your taking the course. Before you begin you get a phone number to call and they log a voice recognition on your voice. At some point in each module you have to call the phone number that flashes on the screen and you are asked to give a voice sample again to match with the original sample. (and this is timed--about 75 seconds to respond or you are logged out of the module and course.) There are also a few factual questions that you are asked to answer before the course begins. As you progress these questions are flashed on the screen and you have only a few seconds to answer them. In short, the person registering for the course is the person who actually needs to be taking the course.

Facebook Et Al

I was stuck in the dentist's chair and he had the radio on. I was focusing on the program trying to ignore what was being done to me, and I actually got interested. The person on air was speaking about Facebook. She agreed that there can be some advantages to such a large social connection. But she focused on a problem, one that some police departments have begun discussing.

Unlike blogs, where clear factual details about a person's life may not be present, on Facebook there is a lot of precise, clear identifying material. Birth dates, maiden names, addresses, phone numbers--all these are in evidence on various Facebook pages. In addition, people talk about what they are doing on any given day in minute detail. So what's the problem?

You are going away on vacation for a week. You say so on Facebook, the same Facebook on which your name, your husband's/wife's name, your address or other clear location information is given. Or you plan on spending the day away from home, something you also mention on Facebook. Or you lay out your work schedule. Today's criminals have been mining a lot of personal information from sites like Facebook. And a lot of that information is an "Open Sesame" for people who are looking to break into unoccupied houses. Police around the country already have records of thieves who broke in to homes based on their knowledge of the occupants' whereabouts, information they got from social networking sites.

That radio program gave me some material to chew on. Even before the social networking sites came into existence, there was a lot of personal information that could be gotten from the Internet. The networking sites have added just the kind of information that criminals are on the lookout for. And it's not just breaking and entering that is on the uptick. Identity theft has become a major problem.

I'm not saying don't be on Facebook or the other social networking sites: I am saying be careful. Those are not "secure" sites. You have no way of knowing just who is looking at your personal information and what they will do with it. While we celebrate the "blessings" of the various electronic communication avenues, we also need to think of the possible side effects.