HOW STUPID IS TOO STUPID?

I had a job once where I would often end up in the lunchroom with a co-worker who would expound at some length on some topic he was particularly exercised about that day. These rants usually quickly cleared the room of less stalwart fellows, but I always hung in there, just to see what little nubs of truth might be buried in the whirling, free-association diatribe-of-the-day. Besides my lunchtime was only 20 minutes long, and I needed to use the microwave anyway, so…

Reading the NY Times today, the day after the “hurricane”, brought to mind one of the more memorable observations of my fellow laborer.  He felt that our present day lifestyle lacked risk and danger.  We had too many laws and policies that protected too many people from the consequences of poor thinking.  This had resulted in a not insignificant portion of the general public alive and kicking, who in an earlier time would have fallen into the haybailer, frozen to death, or removed a necessary body appendage with a chain saw (a head, perhaps?)

As I read over the comments to some of the Times articles on the storm, I was reminded of his theory.  There were people writing into the Times (and the Globe) complaining that we didn’t get the bad storm we had been warned about – or promised. They seemed particularly upset about all the warnings on television. Okay, let me say this, you are not expected to watch television all day long to hear the warnings over and over again. They broadcast the warnings over and over so as to reach more people assuming that people are able to watch at different times. So, after you have been warned, you can pretty much turn the TV off and get on to other things.  It only seemed like a lot of hype because you sat there and watched it all!

One guy commenting in the Times asked, “What am I supposed to do with all the canned tuna I bought?”  This question fairly dripped with antagonism towards Mayor Bloomberg who apparently had advised New Yorkers to buy many cans of tuna to see them through long bouts of power failure.  What kind of person goes to a grocery store and buys some food he doesn’t even like?  Power outage or not.  

In the Globe, I read a comment by a similarly disappointed soul. “What will I do with all the bread and milk I bought?” wailed the suffering storm-deprived man. Again I ask, why did you even buy milk?  With a power failure looming, some drink not requiring refrigeration might have been a better choice. And if you can’t figure out that freezing the bread you can’t immediately use could be a possible solution, then I say get the hay bailer ready, Maud.

People should seize the opportunity to prepare for a power outage by loading up on snacks! Purchases you might not indulge yourself in otherwise.  So, you start with your basics: lots of nuts and seeds (smoked almonds, pistachios, pepitas, salted sunflower seeds) trail mix, raisins, dried fruit. Even fresh fruit. Certain beverages can be bought early on and stored in a cool basement. Be sure you have any necessary mixes at hand. Make plenty of ice ahead, so the first day without refrigeration will be covered. Pretzels, chips, dried veggie sticks.  Bake a lot of cookies ahead of time. Make sure you have plenty of peanut butter and your favorite crackers.  And, of course, other things come in cans beside tuna.  Crabmeat, chickpeas, sardines, mackerel, etc.  And don’t forget the M and M’s.  Small cans of pineapple juice, low sodium V-8, small bottles of apple juice. Good grief, the supermarket is full of great things that don’t require refrigeration or cooking.  What do you do with this stuff if the storm isn’t as bad as you were promised? Have a party and invite your friends over.   And don’t ever buy stuff you don’t like to eat, just because someone else suggests it.

Why buy bottled water?  Just run off some water and store it in a big pot. Then if you don’t use it during the storm you can pour it out or water the plants with it.

For many people, this was a terrible storm, the effects of which will be felt for months and years, and remembered for the rest of their lives.  How can anyone complain about trivia and be expected to be taken seriously, in the face of such suffering? Stop whining, grow up, and be grateful you dodged the pain this time around.