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Would it be out of place to contact your local Health Department? It's a summer Sunday morning and a neighbour's buzzing lawnmower has just dragged you out of a pleasant dream. Across the street a public school custodian starts up his mower at full throttle every Wednesday at 8:00 am sharp all summer for his one and a half hour job. That noise level is 107 decibels and could be more for an ageing machine. We partially solved the problem by closing the windows which is better than an altercation. They say anything over 80 decibels for more than eight hours is considered dangerous. The purpose of hearing is to enable us to be safe and to sustain a sense of well-being but cities are getting more congested with vehicles. Traffic noise is known to create heart conditions and strokes due to raised blood pressure. Also common are physical problems, hearing loss and psychological effects including sleep depravation. Some people sleep with ear plugs because of the noise and construction. With that in mind I can see libraries becoming safe havens since they are rated at only 30 decibels. A recent Danish study describes the risk of stroke in baby boomers which increases 14% for every 10 decibel increase in volume. Children and elderly are most affected because of hindrances to communication and learning. Social inequalities are degrading the situation because the most deprived are living in areas of major transports roads, junctions, railway stations, and flight paths. With these serious concerns would it be out of place to contact your local Health Department about hazardous noise situations? We make our world. |
Dreamstime
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over 400 songs and many literary works Ever wonder who wrote all those old songs to which you find yourself whistling or humming when you're busy doing something? Perhaps one of those tunes might be, “Let Me Call you Sweetheart”. After it was published in 1910 this piece sold millions of sheet music copies. Now even after a hundred years, residents I meet with join in singing when I play this endearing ballad. Do you know of any current song that lasts in popularity any more than a year? The author Beth Slater Whitson had a difficult life because she didn't get the credit she deserved during her lifetime in spite of the fact that her 400 hundred or so songs and many literary and poetical works were published world wide. Typical of many talented artists she lacked the business skills to get a proper reward for her creative labours. Luckily she had a younger sister, Alice, who took the reigns. But her family suffered years of unnecessary poverty before they were able to find supporting collaborators. Born in 1879 in Hickman County, Goodrich, Tennessee, Beth Slater struggled with other settlers. They not only survived the harsh winters but they were able to strike up new paths for future creative women. Women would eventually enjoy equal opportunity and in this respect Beth Slater Whitson and her family were true pioneers. Check out her beautiful website. Thank you for your comments. I am always pleased to respond to your emails. |
the Whitson family circa 1890s
Contact us 407-4901 Buckley Avenue
"Some changes look negative on the surface but you will soon realize that space is being created in your life for something new to emerge." |
Music & Reminiscence |
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