More Tidbits for Women

Several current media items caught my attention because they focused on women’s issues. Or at least issues that are hot buttons for women. Actually, one of them is more of a cold button. But I’ll get to that in a minute.

The report that seemed utter nonsense is that those little plastic discs that are attached to the backs of many pierced earrings on posts are supposed to be removed and thrown away. They’re only there to keep the earrings in place on the little card that displays them. Hogwash! They also keep the back of the earring from slipping off your earlobe, especially if you have chubby protuberances. Plus, if your piercing is on a slight angle, it helps the earring lie flat.

If you’re wondering how that angle would occur, picture a teenager who wants pierced ears and decides to do it herself. Someone told her you just put an ice cube behind the fleshy knob, get a thick sewing needle and go at it. Half way through, the ice cube is melting and her ear is no longer cold but her feet are (idiomatically speaking). So her neighbor’s mom, an RN, gets out a hypodermic needle to finish things off. Appropriating the teen’s own mother’s pique, the RN rushes the job. That’s the story in a nutshell.

Another far more useful tidbit is that cinnamon helps you de-bloat. I’m so excited to learn this that I’m adding the spice to everything I can think of. It’s going on my cereal, in my tea, in yoghurt, on steamed or broiled vegetables. You name it; I’m sprinkling on it. I’ve also laded in a pile of cinnamon sticks that I suck on like tobacco chews. I’m so into this that I sometimes do it two-fisted. Since the news item didn’t specify how long it takes to see results, I’m still in a wait-and-see mode. Stay tuned.

My favorite news item is a study published in Nature Climate Change reporting that office thermostats are set to keep men comfortable, based on a study from the 1960’s. There was no consideration of the different (often less-layered and more leg-baring) wardrobes of women. Nor did they factor in the difference in metabolic rates. Men (in theory with more muscle) can produce heat more easily than women (supposedly with more fat). Hence the temperatures that have females freezing their doorbells off.

While the media focused on how reducing the AC in summer could save companies money, it reminded me of a cutback on heat one winter when there was a severe oil crisis. At the time, I worked at Colgate-Palmolive in Manhattan. Our offices were so cold that some of us had blankets molded into the backs of our chairs and fuzzy slippers under our desks. In January 1980, we received a memo from our office manager with the subject: “Office Climate.” (Yes, I still have a copy.)

It listed eight rules for maintaining one’s “perimeter space,” addressing windows, blinds, airflow and thermostats. There were only three “interior space” rules, which mostly covered how to negotiate with colleagues in nearby window offices if your cubicle temperature was wacko because they weren’t following the perimeter space guidelines.

The memo’s final paragraph ended thusly: “We would again emphasize the need to adjust dress habits to warmer clothing—sweaters, vests, thermal underclothes, heavier socks, etc.—in order to minimize the discomfort.” This sentence begged to be illustrated. Since I was known for my quirky cartoons, I sent colleagues a drawing of appropriate attire for our office environment. Herewith, a stroll down memory lane. Reminder: it was 1980…