From:
http://xkcd.com/627/
FDA Advisers Urge Smaller Doses of Acetaminophen
June 30, 2009I just wanted to share this because I thought it was important to know/remember. I took this from the following web link:
http://health.usnews.com/articles/health/healthday/2009/06/30/fda-advisers-urge-smaller-doses-of-acetaminophen.html
The concern is that the drug can cause liver damage, even death, if used improperly
Posted June 30, 2009
By Steve Reinberg
HealthDay Reporter
TUESDAY, June 30 (HealthDay News) — U.S. health advisers recommended Tuesday to lower the maximum dose of over-the-counter acetaminophen — the key ingredient in Tylenol, Excedrin and many other pain-killing medications.
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The advisers’ vote followed the release of a U.S. Food and Drug Administration report last month. It found that severe liver damage and even death can result from a lack of consumer awareness that acetaminophen — which is easier on the stomach than painkillers such as aspirin and ibuprofen — can cause such injury.
Also, many people may take more than the recommended dose of acetaminophen-based, over-the-counter pain relievers in the mistaken belief that taking more will be more effective against pain without posing health risks. And consumers may not know that acetaminophen is present in many over-the-counter products, including remedies for colds, headaches and fevers, making it possible to exceed the recommended acetaminophen dose, the report said.
The FDA advisory panel voted 21-16 Tuesday to lower the maximum daily dose of nonprescription acetaminophen, which is currently 4 grams – equal to eight pills of a drug such as Extra Strength Tylenol. The panel was not asked to recommend another maximum daily dose.
The panel also voted 24-13 to limit the maximum single dose of acetaminophen to 650 milligrams. The current single dose of Extra Strength Tylenol, for instance, is 1,000 milligrams.
The panel also voted 26-11 to make the 1,000-milligram dose of acetaminophen available only by prescription.
The advisers voted against other safety restrictions for other over-the-counter drugs such as NyQuil or Theraflu, which contain acetaminophen and other ingredients that treat cough and runny nose. Patients often mix the cold medications with pure acetaminophen drugs, like Tylenol, leaving them vulnerable to dangerously high levels of acetaminophen.
The FDA is not obligated to follow the recommendations of its advisory panels, but it typically does so.
Despite more than five years of FDA-sponsored consumer education campaigns, “recent studies indicate that unintentional and intentional overdoses leading to severe hepatotoxicity [liver damage] continue to occur,” last month’s report said.
Dr. John H. Klippel, chief executive officer of the Arthritis Foundation, said Tuesday’s votes were very important to “people with arthritis because acetaminophen is a very commonly used medication to control pain.”
“Lowering the maximum dose, providing that kind of guidance to patients, if it increases safety, would be something the arthritis community would support,” he said. “Every person who takes this drug sees it as valuable, but they want clear guidance so they won’t be harmed by the drug.”
Dr. Lewis W. Teperman, director of transplant surgery and vice chairman of surgery at New York University, said he supported the panel’s decision to recommend lowering doses of acetaminophen.
“It’s not that the doses can get you in trouble, but the very young and the very old can get into trouble easily,” he said. Also if you are sick there is the danger of taking cold remedies that contain acetaminophen plus taking pure acetaminophen drugs as well, he noted.
But Klipper said the vote to make the 1,000-milligram dose of acetaminophen available only by prescription would overburden the health-care system. “Given the massive number of people who rely on this drug for pain control, making the maximum dose requiring a prescription, I think is going to place undo burden on the health-care system,” he said.
On the other hand, Teperman supported the 1,000-milligram recommendation.
“The 1,000 milligram pill should never be at the patient’s discretion. It should only be prescribed by a physician,” Teperman said. “If you took an entire bottle of Tylenol Extra Strength, three days later you would be in a coma and needing a liver transplant.”
Klippel said he’d like to see more education for consumers, alerting them to the potential dangers of acetaminophen. “Give consumers the benefit of the doubt,” he said. “Consumers want to do the right thing, and if dosage in acetaminophen is important the consumer will follow.”
More information
For more on acetaminophen, visit the U.S. National Library of Medicine.
New Subject
June 25, 2009I just realized it has been several months since I’ve updated my blog and there are people actually looking at it. I tend to slack off a bit on these things as everyone does when they get busy.
I desire to write something significant but at the moment I don’t have anything on my mind. I am at work now anyway but have a moment while this server loads 2008 Small Business Server so I thought I’d at least let the world know I was alive.
Other news this weekend is suppose to be nice, well Sunday anyway, it’s suppose to cool down a bit.
From Accuweather.com
Murray Forcast (Click any of it to go to their page):
Friday, Jun 26
High: 94 °F RealFeel®: 105 °F
Times of clouds and sun, very hot and humid with a shower or thunderstorm around
Friday Night, Jun 26
Low: 71 °F RealFeel®: 76 °F
Partly cloudy, warm and humid
Saturday, Jun 27
High: 96 °F RealFeel®: 110 °F
Partly sunny, very hot and humid
Saturday Night, Jun 27
Low: 73 °F RealFeel®: 77 °F
Partly cloudy and humid; watch for a strong late-night thunderstorm
Sunday, Jun 28
High: 89 °F RealFeel®: 95 °F
Sunshine and some clouds with a shower or thunderstorm possible
Sunday Night, Jun 28
Low: 62 °F RealFeel®: 62 °F
Partly cloudy
Have a great weekend!
Bring back America…
February 16, 2009So major things are happening in our world and a couple of those items caught me by surprise today. I know there has been a lot of talk about firearms here lately and what the new Administration is likely to do with our rights. These two items, although not at the federal level, are pretty big statements in the recent ‘right to bear arms’ fight. I thought it was important to share such significant statements as these events unfold.
Please view the links I am going to attach as none of this is my material, I’m just delivering the message that needs to get out.
Here is an example of America going entirely the wrong direction:
Gun Control in Illinois, Going the wrong direction
I think this would be a mistake to just look at as gun control, there is a certain stench of assisting large insurance companies in this as well. We already are practically required to have insurance on everything in existence, now guns too? What about the people that cannot afford these policies, that use guns to hunt and for protection? Is it not a right for persons with low income to be able to protect themselves? I mean how many bad directions can this go? This is complete nonsense.
Now this is huge, there is some very strong language coming out of New Hampshire about possibly succeeding from the Union over gun control!!!! What is happening to our country? Also listen to the small snippet of our country being owned by foreign banks, that’s already starting to unfold. This country needs to turn around, and do it quick.
See this link:
Guns and the Constitution: A legislator finally ‘gets it’
Please comment and share this, this is way to important to sit on.
Thanks for reading.
Car Shopping on the Offensive: 8 Aggressive Buying Tactics
January 25, 2009I think this is good information that anyone should take to the car lot. I get tired of just wanting to look at a few vehicles or possibly even buy and getting heavy pressure by sales persons. I saw this article at http://autos.yahoo.com/articles/autos_content_landing_pages/845/car-shopping-on-the-offensive-8-aggressive-buying-tactics and wanted to share. The article is from Car and Driver magazine. As always comments and thoughts are welcome…
Car Shopping on the Offensive: 8 Aggressive Buying Tactics
Beat the hard sell and turn the tables on the dealer.
216 votes
By Tony Quiroga
Our reviews, road tests, and Buying Guide will help you choose a single vehicle from the 430 or so on sale today, but how do you negotiate the often contentious dealer experience? It can be an intimidating and unpleasant process, and while most dealers are honest, salespeople are in the business to close deals quickly and get you to pay top dollar. Most engage in tried-and-true psychological tactics designed to get them the best possible deal. So how do you make sure you’re doing the same for yourself? We’ve debunked the eight most common hard-sell tactics. More important, we tell you how to turn around each of them and use them to your advantage. Should you find yourself getting pressured, these replies will regain control of the situation.
What the Dealer Says:
“You have to make the deal today.”
What You Should Say:
“Sorry, this offer expires tonight.”
In this scenario the dealer quotes a price, but to apply pressure to the buyer the deal is only good for that day. This gives the buyer little chance to research the price or find a competing offer from another dealership. Fortunately, the buyer can regain control by coming up with his or her own price and adding, “My offer is only good for tonight.” A dealer desperate to make a sale will have little recourse, and should they not agree to the price the buyer is free to walk away. Just be sure to do your research before you go to the dealer so your offer is actually low enough.
What the Dealer Says:
“I have to check with my manager.”
What You Should Say:
“I have to check with my spouse.”
A salesperson often will tell you that he has to confer with a sales manager to see if the price he comes up with is agreeable. Thus, the manager becomes the bad guy and the salesperson comes off as being in the buyer’s corner. Don’t be fooled and don’t be afraid to use the same tactic. If you need time to think about it and you don’t want to come off as the bad guy, tell the salesperson you have to confer with your spouse. It helps to paint the spouse as the disagreeable sort. Don’t have a spouse? Try accountant, therapist, astrologist, cult leader, food taster, or any other authority figure whose opinion you supposedly value. Have the other person play the role of the bad guy who’s holding up the deal. It’s not uncommon for salespeople to belittle a customer for letting the “little lady” or “chauvinist husband” tell them what to do, so be prepared to set your ego aside and admit you’re only one member of the team making the decision.
What the Dealer Says:
“I have to put food on my table.”
What You Should Say:
“I have to keep food on my table.”
To play on the buyer’s compassion, the salesperson might tell you that he has to put food on his table. Apparently, the deal is so in favor of the buyer that the salesperson will starve if the deal gets any better. Remember, you’re the one unloading the cash, not the salesperson. Tell them, “I have to keep food on my table.”
What the Dealer Says:
“We’re already losing money on this deal.”
What You Should Say:
“I’m already losing a hell of a lot of money on this deal.”
To convince the buyer of the excellent deal that is being made, the salesperson might tell the buyer that the dealer is losing money on the deal. This is another tactic designed to appeal to one’s sympathy. Consider that the buyer is the one who is losing, or at least giving up, thousands of dollars. Be sure to remind the salesperson that you are the one losing the money.
What the Dealer Says:
“I’ve got another offer, this is in high demand.”
What You Should Say:
“I could go down the street and get the same car.”
Car salespeople will always try to convince the buyer that the car they are considering is in such high demand that they’d better move quickly or risk losing the car. “Other interested buyers” and “production shortages” are ruses designed to make the buyer believe that buying immediately is necessary. Mass-produced cars are, as the name implies, built in huge numbers. Even if what the dealer tells you is true, another just like the one you want will be built and available soon. And there are almost always other dealers that will have the same car or something close.
What the Dealer Says:
“This is the only one like it, take it or leave it.”
What You Should Say:
“I am the only person who would ever buy this ridiculously unusual car.”
Hard-core car enthusiasts often find themselves considering cars that ordinary buyers don’t even know exist. Consequently, the automaker doesn’t make a lot of these cars because the market for them is so thin. But they are out there. Somewhere a Cadillac dealer has a CTS with a six-speed manual transmission and it’s more than likely that the salesperson is telling the buyer, “This is the only one like it, take it or leave it.” The seller should respond in kind with, “I am the only person who would ever buy this ridiculously unusual car.”
What the Dealer Does:
Last-minute price increase or hidden fees
What You Should Do:
Last-minute offer decrease
If the dealer knows that you’re seriously interested and a price has been agreed upon, occasionally the dealer will surprise the buyer with a last-minute price increase or previously undisclosed fees and, of course, a plausible-sounding excuse for the increase. Don’t give in to this tactic. Try countering with a last-minute offer decrease.
What the Dealer Says:
“I’m throwing in all this for free.”
What You Should Say:
“I don’t even want all this stuff.”
A salesperson will often attempt to justify an inflated price by including valueless items like pinstriping, undercoating, fabric or paint protectant, or pre-sale inspections. Sometimes even optional equipment may be part of the deal and appear to be free. If you don’t want the extra options, just let the dealer know. Tell the dealer, “These non-factory items, if anything, make this car worth less to me.”
‘Proof’ David slew Goliath found as Israeli archaeologists unearth ‘oldest ever Hebrew text’
November 1, 2008Just wanted to share this article, pretty fascinating.
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/worldnews/article-1081850/Proof-David-slew-Goliath-Israeli-archaeologists-unearth-oldest-Hebrew-text.html
‘Proof’ David slew Goliath found as Israeli archaeologists unearth ‘oldest ever Hebrew text’
By Matthew Kalman
Last updated at 7:40 AM on 31st October 2008
Astounding new evidence has been unearthed in Israel that could confirm the biblical story of King David.
Until now, almost nothing has been found that would prove the biblical account of a shepherd boy from the 10th century BC who slew the giant Goliath and went on to become the King of Israel who founded Jerusalem.
But today Hebrew University archaeology professor Yosef Garfinkel announced the discovery of a tiny, but potentially invaluable, piece of pottery at the site of the ruins of an ancient fortified city south-west of Jerusalem dated to the time of King David.
Yossi Garfinkel displays the ceramic shard bearing a Hebrew inscription that may be evidence supporting the biblical story of David and Goliath
Garfinkel said that it carried the earliest-known Hebrew inscription, some 850 years earlier than the Dead Sea Scrolls.
Scholars are still trying to decipher the full text of the inscription, but Garfinkel said they are excited at the prospect of a link to David because they have already translated the words for “king,” “judge,” and “slave” , which he said suggested it was some sort of official note from the time of his reign.
Until now, scholars have been unable to say whether King David was indeed the heroic, psalm-composing monarch depicted in the Bible or the local and unimportant leader of a small tribe.
The archaeological site called Elah Fortress, or Khirbet Qeiyafa, seen in an undated aerial photograph, where the shard was found
Only one biblical-era inscription with the words “House of David” has ever been discovered, leading some scholars to question whether King David existed at all.
The pottery fragment was inscribed with five rows of text in black ink divided by black lines written in an early Hebrew-Canaanite script.
Archaeologists also found lamps, pottery jars and other items. Carbon-14 tests carried out at Oxford University dated them to the 10th century BC, the era according to the Old Testament of King David and his son Solomon, who built the Temple in Jerusalem.
The ruins of the Elah Valley fortress was discovered in 2003 near the modern Israeli city of Beit Shemesh in the Judean Hills, south-west of Jerusalem. The huge complex is spread over nearly six acres and surrounded by a 700-metre long city wall built with stones weighing up to eight tons each.
Bible come true? David with the head of Goliath by William Daniels
Yossi Garfinkel is seen at the excavation site
Detailed excavations began only earlier this year.
The fortress would have controlled the ancient trading route from Jerusalem to the coast and overlooks the plain where David engaged in his legendary mortal combat with Goliath, giant champion of the rival Philistines.
Goliath’s home town of Gath was unearthed just a few miles away to the south.
“The chronology and geography of Elah Fortress create a unique meeting point between the history, historiography and origins of the early Davidic Kingdom,” said Garfinkel.
“This is the oldest Judean city uncovered to date, and its very construction has unprecedented implications on our understanding of this era.”
Garfinkel said the sophistication and size of the city suggested it was part of a strong, centrally-planned kingdom.
It has been a busy week for archaeologists searching for King David and his family. In Jerusalem, a researcher said she had found an ancient water drain mentioned in the Bible as the route used by David’s forces to capture the city from the Jebusites.
In Jordan, scholars said they had uncovered an ancient copper excavation site that tests showed could be the legendary King Solomon’s Mines.
LintEater
October 1, 2008As I venture into home ownership with my beautiful wife Megan, I’m starting to learn a thing or two about being responsible for EVERYTHING!
We have a great place, in my opinion, however as all things human made and maintained, there are a few items that need attention. The first of those items that turned critical was the drier vent. I had some struggles here due to the nature of how a drier vent is installed and works. Frankly the idea of being under a house with about three feet of space or so, knowing there are likely spiders and other critters lurking around, well it creeps me out a bit.
So here is the story of the drier vent…
When we purchased the house the home inspector discovered that the drier vent was disconnected under the house. Blowing humid air and lint under a person’s house isn’t the best idea for a couple reasons. Cotton and most materials
that clothes are made out of are flammable, when put into a fine dust or ‘aerated’ form such as lint, it becomes very flammable. The high moisture content of drier exhaust also creates an environment for mold and other nastiness. The point is that a drier needs to be able to freely vent to the outside.
Part of the condition of purchasing the house was that the home owner would have the vent issue corrected. The vent was reconnected as agreed on, however I finally discovered the origional reason it likely blew apart, it was clogged to the point practically no air could escape. It is easy to imagine why having a stopped vent is a problem, driers need airflow to work properly. Worse case of course is the machine over heating and potentially catching fire. I was not about to risk something of this magnitude.
I had been working over in my head for several days on how this issue would be resolved when I had a thought, ‘I wonder if there is a device like plumbers use to drill roots out of drain lines’. As it turns out that device does exist. The LintEater is a stoke of genius. I purchased one from Lowe’s today and in likely forty-five minutes or so I had all of the trash our of our drier vent! (this is likely a bit more exciting to me than anyone else, but it was a relief)
The webpage: http://www.linteater.com/
There are some additional items needed to use this animal. I used an electric leaf blower, my cordless drill, and some basic hand tools (pliers, screwdriver, duct tape)
LintEater
Free Spam filter!
September 28, 2008Just thought I would post up a link to what looks to be a neat host based spam filter, best part is it’s free!
This does require that a client application such as Outlook or Thunderbird is used, but at any rate it looks neat. I epically enjoy the stats gathering, graphing, and the determination to eliminate spam!
I have not used this product as I protect myself from spam via other means, if I were using a ‘non-protected’ service I might use this. At any rate it’s a great looking solution.
