REAL TIME COUPON FEATURES ON TRI-CITIES ON A DIME

Thursday, January 31, 2019

LAUGH FOR THE DAY - ARE YOU SURE YOU WANT TALKING SCALES?

THOUGHT FOR THE DAY - DID YOU EVER NOTICE?

ARTICLE - "OPIOID OVERDOSE EPIDEMIC SWEEPS U.S."

OPIOID OVERDOSE EPIDEMIC SWEEPS U.S.
By Ty Bollinger
The Truth About Cancer web site
Below is an excerpt from the article.  To read the article in its entirety, click on the link below:
(https://thetruthaboutcancer.com/opioid-overdose-epidemic/?utm_campaign&utm_medium=organic&utm_source=fb-ttac&utm_content=opioid-overdose-epidemic&a_aid=59c13831797bc&u1=fbttacopioidoverdose&fbclid=IwAR2JsRxYAhO6xASVAatNi3yIY96YM4SEPoqA4zhInXycgzMKSKEgatpnDpw

A new report has found that, for the first time, Americans are more likely to die of an opioid overdose than a car accident. The increase is directly and significantly associated with marketing efforts of the pharmaceutical industry.

As the truth begins to surface, pharma execs are finally being put on trial for their contributions to one of our nation’s greatest health crises in a generation.

The Opioid Overdose Epidemic

More than 100 people die every day from an accidental opioid overdose, and 40% of those deaths are from prescription painkillers. But prescription opioid drugs are responsible for the vast majority of these deaths since most people become addicted to prescription drugs before transitioning to more illicit opioids like heroin and fentanyl.

Companies like Purdue Pharma, the creators of OxyContin, have been charged with misleading doctors regarding the dangers of these powerful painkillers, but that hasn’t stopped the industry from aggressively marketing highly addictive opioid drugs to doctors all over the country.

In 2011, NPR published an article about addiction to Oxycodone, one of the most common opioid prescriptions in the United States. Florida doctors prescribed 10 times more oxycodone than the rest of the country combined. Over the past 10 years, a West Virginia town with just over 3,000 residents has been flooded with opioid drugs – over 21 million, to be precise. That’s about 6,500 pills for each resident.

A 2014 survey by the Substance Abuse and Medical Health Services Administration found that there are over 4 million non medical painkiller users. In fact, over 10% of Americans had used an illicit drug within 30 days of the survey.

And those trends have only increased in recent years. In 2017, 47,600 people died from an accidental opioid overdose, almost double the numbers from 2010.

The problem has become so bad that Americans have a 1 in 96 chance of dying by accidental opioid overdose. Those are higher odds than deaths from car accidents, falls, gun assaults, drowning, or fires. Opioid overdose is now the number one cause of accidental death in the nation. Life expectancy has declined in recent years, due to a spike in preventable deaths, like overdosing.

This flood of addictive drugs over the past decade was dispersed not by shady drug dealers, but by licensed physicians who wrote prescriptions at an alarming rate. In 2017, there were more than 58 opioid prescriptions for every 100 Americans. And that’s almost 20% less than it was just a decade ago. From 2008 to 2012, doctors wrote more than 80 opioid prescriptions for every 100 Americans.

The pharmaceutical companies profiting from these drugs and the regulatory bodies responsible for them have utterly failed us. And after years of pumping prescription poison into every corner of the nation, the use of illicit drugs has skyrocketed. It is not an overreaction when I tell you that the opioid crisis is a national catastrophe. And like most catastrophes stemming from the pharmaceutical industry, it’s been fueled by greed.

The Role of Pharmaceutical Marketing

Pharmaceutical companies have long been accused of deceptive marketing tactics. They’ve spent billions of dollars on direct marketing to physicians. About 3 of every 4 doctors have financial ties to big pharma, receiving money, meals, consulting fees, and other gifts from drug reps. I reported a few months ago about an orthopedic surgeon who received nearly $2,000,000 from companies who manufacture hip and knee replacements.

There’s little doubt that the billions of dollars that pharmaceutical reps spend on physician marketing has a significant influence on doctor behavior.

These companies have also been accused over and over again of misleading doctors. Since the introduction of OxyContin, doctors have been repeatedly told that the drug is safe and effective, despite overwhelming scientific evidence that says otherwise.

But until now, there have been no studies that clearly show a connection between pharmaceutical marketing and the opioid epidemic.

Wednesday, January 30, 2019

LAUGH FOR THE DAY - CAT "TRAINING"

THOUGHT FOR THE DAY - THE LAW

ARTICLE FROM TIP HERO - "Experts Agree That You Should Leave Your Windshield Wipers Down When a Storm is on the Way"

Experts Agree That You Should Leave Your Windshield Wipers Down When a Storm is on the Way
Article from Tip Hero web site (http://tiphero.com/windshield-wipers-storm/)
 
Good-natured debates can be educational, enlightening, and funny. We invite you to engage in one today about a car topic that may not affect you at all or may only arise when the weather is a wintry mix of sleet, snow, or something in between.

The question is whether it is wise – or necessary – to stick your windshield wipers up like a pair of arms reaching for the sky when bad weather is on the way. If you live in an area that gets snow or freezing rain, then you’ve probably either seen the practice or done it yourself. 

For some, leaving the wipers up during a snowstorm, etc., avoids having them get stuck to the windshield during scraping, thereby making the job easier. Others do it to make it easier to find their car in a sea of snow puffs in a parking lot. 

Many people leave the wipers as-is on the windshield and are happy with using a combo of the defrost feature on their cars and a DIY scraping method. Yeah, it’s a nuisance when they’re glued to the glass with ice. Yeah, it may take a few extra seconds or minutes to melt, crack, or unpack the snow and ice from wipers, but it’s par for the course. 

A Honda service team’s blog jumped in on the discussion by taking the position that windshield wipers should be left down on snow days. Why? They argue that anything could fall onto or hit the wiper blades, causing damage to the windshield or the wipers themselves. 

“Anything” includes forceful winds, vandalizing hands, icicles, snowballs, snow piles, tree branches, and whatever else you can think of. One huge wind gust could send that arm slamming into the windshield (or hood), cracking it. 

However, the blog makes a point to say that angling the wipers also contributes to undue wear and tear on the pivot mechanism in the blades. Those parts are made of plastic and tiny springs and if weakened, the wipers won’t function smoothly. 

Instead, we’re advised to let them lay where they are when cold, rough weather is expected. Other experts advise that you should clear out any impacted snow or ice from the blades with a brush or your hands. Doing so will ensure the arms are free and clear. The other option? Leave them down and cover the blades with a plastic wrapping before snow hits. 

No doubt you will be looking around your neighborhood the next time it snows (which might be today) to see if anyone has their wipers erect. You might even see a piece of cardboard or a blanket sitting on top of a windshield. People are creative with their habits. 

Maybe you’ve experimented with both wipers up and wipers down and have a preference, or perhaps you have a position that you’re sticking to. We would love to know what part of the world you live in and how you prep your car if it’s sitting outside in winter weather. Share!

Tuesday, January 29, 2019

LAUGH FOR THE DAY - MINI WHEAT HARVEST

THOUGHT FOR THE DAY - SITTING WITH A FRIEND

ARTICLE FROM TIP HERO - "10 THINGS YOU DIDN'T KNOW YOU CAN CLEAN IN THE WASHING MACHINE"

10 Things You Didn’t Know You Can Clean in the Washing Machine
Article from the Tip Hero website 
(http://tiphero.com/wash-these-items/)
 
The washing machine sure is a mysterious appliance. While it certainly works domestic miracles, it’s also the thing that “eats” your socks and undies— or maybe it’s the dryer that does that. Trust us, we will get down to the bottom of that eventually!

But, missing undergarments aside, the washing machine is actually such a mysterious figure because it can do a lot more than you think—it just not may mention it in the appliance’s directions.

Now, in the past, we’ve warned you about all of the things the machine CAN’T clean – coins, hairy items, and garments with hooks! – but we have yet to list the surprising items that it CAN.

So, in order to better maximize your laundry day routine, we’re providing you with a video that lists a whopping 10 THINGS that you can throw into your washer with confidence. Here are a few of the most astonishing ones…

1.    Plastic Shower Curtain Liners

They may save your floors from splashes, but plastic shower curtain liners can get caked with scum over time. To clean yours, simply throw it in with your bath towels and wash on a cold, delicate cycle. Once finished, hang dry—you know, on your shower curtain rod.

2.    Sneakers

Good news: sneakers with rubber soles and canvas bodies can totally be cleaned in your washer—just make sure you remove their laces and insoles first! Like the aforementioned plastic shower curtain liner, select the gentle cycle and throw in a few shock-absorbing bath towels for safety.

3.    Lunchboxes

Lunchboxes made out of canvas can easily be put through a cold-water cycle. Just remove any detachable parts, including ties that are long enough to snag, before throwing them in with some—you guessed it!—bath towels.

4.    Yoga Mats

If putting your forehead to the ground for child’s pose is a smelly experience, it’s probably time that you give your yoga mat the washing it deserves! To get damage-free results, first ensure that your yoga mat is machine-wash-compatible. Once you’ve confirmed it, uncoil your mat and throw it in the washer with your bed sheets on a cold cycle.

5.    Baseball Caps

We’ve never understood why people don’t wash their baseball caps more often. The hats tend to get worn on hot days most often AND they sit directly on the scalp—why would you wash your jeans once a week, but your baseball cap, like, NEVER? All you need to do is give it a gentle, cold-water wash with like colors. Easy enough!

6.    Pet Collars and Leashes

If your dog’s collars and leashes don’t stink, then, trust us, you’re in denial. To get them smelling clean again, simply throw them in the washer on a cold cycle with an allergy-free detergent. Fido will be pleased!

Be honest—are you ready to stuff all of those items in the washer to see just how clean you can get them? Well, before you do, be sure to watch the video below to unlock the other 4 things that are totally fine to throw in that washer of yours. Laundry day will never be the same!

CLICK ON THIS LINK TO SEE THE VIDEO then scroll down to the bottom of the page: http://tiphero.com/wash-these-items/

Monday, January 28, 2019

LAUGH FOR THE DAY - GARFIELD'S OBSERVATION ON CAT FOOD

THOUGHT FOR THE DAY - PREPARATION

ARTICLE FROM TIP HERO - "MOM'S 'TOY JAIL' HACK"

Mom’s ‘Toy Jail’ Hack Is the Surefire Way to Get Kids to Remember to Clean Up Their Toys
Click on the link above to read the complete article.
 
If you’ve been watching the Marie Kondo show on Netflix, “Tidying Up with Marie Kondo,” you’re probably in full-on decluttering mode. While your kids might fall in line with your new tidying habits down the road, chances are that they aren’t exactly eager to get rid of toys or put them away sorted by type but and by size.

Let’s be honest. Our kids may not be eager to put their toys away at all even if we’re satisfied with dumping them all together in one big toy box.

There are multiple ways to try to manipulate your kids into keeping their toys picked up. You could try things like playing one of their favorite songs while they pick up their toys or turning clean up time into a dance party. You could try making it a game where they have to beat the clock to see how quickly they can get everything put away.

If your kids aren’t biting for these techniques and if you’re sick of picking up all their toys yourself, we’ve found a solution that’s almost too easy.

Disclaimer: technically you will still be picking up your kids’ toys, but it should be motivation for them to keep them put away in the future.

Buy a large plastic storage bin. A clear one works well because you can see what’s inside, but any color will do. Make sure it’s large enough to house however many toys your kids usually leave around the house. Get a permanent marker and maybe a lock depending on how determined your kids are.

Now that you have your supplies together, you’re going to make a toy jail just like one mom did as posted by Servidio Education Solutions. She simply wrote “TOY JAIL” on the lid of the plastic bin in all caps and then wrote an explanation. “You left it out and I picked it up, I’ve got your stuff, you’re out of luck, To get it back please do a chore, Then it’s yours just like before. Mummy.”