FDA Approves the New, Most Powerful Hydrocodone -- $Zohydro$

Even though a panel of experts assembled by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) voted 11-2 against recommending approval of the painkiller Zohydro ER in December of 2012, the FDA went against the advice of their own monitors and approved the highly controversial drug Zohydro ER.
  
Zohydro contains the opioid hydrocodone.  Hydrocodone is the most frequently prescribed opiate, with more than 139 million prescriptions for hydrocodone-containing products in 2010.

Zohydro is the first pure hydrocodone drug sold in America -- a stronger form of hydrocodone because unlike some hydrocodone products such as Vicodin, it does not contain acetaminophen. In fact, Zohydro contains up to 10 times the amount of hydrocodone as Vicodin.

The United States is fighting a prescription drug health epidemic. Already, there are 23.5 million people in the United States who use hydrocodone for nonmedical purposes, according to the data from National Survey on Drug Use and Health in 2009. The numbers will  most certainly rise when a pure form of hydrocodone is legally available. The release of this new painkiller assures Zohydro will be abused by people addicted to other opioids, including oxycodone.

One doctor agrees. Dr. Lewis Nelson, a professor in the department of emergency medicine in the division of medical toxicology at NYU School of Medicine, in New York City said,"This product was specifically turned down by the FDA Advisory Committee due to the risks of misuse, abuse, overdose and death, particularly given the limited data supporting the benefits of this medication for chronic pain."

Nelson said, "Other similar products already exist that come in safer formulations. The new [risk-limiting] requirements will have an undefined impact on the safety of this very dangerous medication. This is not necessarily an improvement in existing therapy and will likely result in increased use and increased cost to patients with chronic pain."

 ("FDA Approves New Hydrocodone Painkiller Zohydro ER."  

www.drugs.com. October 25, 2013) 

Follow the Blood and Money Trails

You ask, "Why would a responsible American governmental body do this?"

Well, in their "wisdom," FDA officials said they approved the powerful painkiller by imposing certain restrictions. The FDA claimed Zogenix, the San Diego based drug manufacturer that manufactures the product, had met narrow targets for safety and efficacy.

Zohydro ER is classed as a "Schedule II" medication subject to the same type of control for OxyContin, methadone, fentanyl, Adderall and Ritalin. These drugs are major substances of abuse, and facts prove they are continuing to addict people in overwhelming numbers.

Despite Zohydro's potential for abuse, the FDA approved it. Under the new approval, the drug maker will have to conduct ongoing studies of Zohydro ER to assess the known serious risks of misuse, abuse, increased sensitivity to pain, addiction, overdose and death associated with long-term use beyond 12 weeks. These studies will also be required for other extended-release/long-acting (ER/LA) painkillers, the FDA said.

(Staff report. "FDA Panel Votes Against Recommending Zohydro for Approval.".

drugfree.org. December 10, 2012)

The FDA is is an agency of the United States Department of Health and Human Services full of deceit and turmoil. The love of money -- BIG MONEY -- has permanent residence in its headquarters.

It’s not unheard of for the FDA to ignore a recommendation of an advisory committee. In July, 2012, the FDA approved a plan to address prescription drug abuse by unveiling a risk evaluation and mitigation strategy (REMS) that calls for the voluntary education of doctors in opioid prescribing. An expert panel had recommended that pain education be mandatory. The FDA ignored the advice. Pain education is not mandatory for prescribers of deadly opioids. 

And, guess what? BIG MONEY and exclusive rights were at stake with approving Zohydro. Shares of Zogenix lost over half their value the week after the FDA panel voted against approval of Zohydro. However, Zogenix Inc. rose the most ever on increased investor expectations of U.S. regulatory approval. Zogenix climbed 40 percent to $1.69 in February, 2013, after jumping 55 percent for the largest intraday increase since the company first sold shares to the public in November 2010.

Zogenix, whose $38 million in 2011 revenue came from its migraine medicine Sumavel, has been counting on Zohydro to increase sales.

Zohydro uses Alkermes Plc (ALKS:US)’s drug delivery technology to provide extended release of the painkiller. Zogenix and Alkermes, based in Dublin, agreed November 2, 2012, that Alkermes would be the exclusive manufacturer and supplier to Zogenix of Zohydro.

(Anna Edney. "Zogenix Climbs on Optimism Zohydro Pill Will Win Approval."  

Bloomberg News. February 27, 2013)

 

Yet, citizens should demand the FDA clear their eyes of dollar signs when the health of millions is at stake.

 

A recent CBS News report stated:

“Oxycodone is now the most-abused medicine in the U.S., with hydrocodone second, according to the Drug Enforcement Administration. The latest drug studies come as more pharmaceutical companies are getting into the $10 billion-a-year legal market for powerful yet highly addictive opioid narcotics.”

Americans love the white medicine. "It's like the wild West," said Peter Jackson, co-founder of Advocates for the Reform of Prescription Opioids. "The whole supply-side system is set up to perpetuate this massive unloading of opioid narcotics on the American public."

"You've got a person on your product for life, and a doctor's got a patient who's never going to miss an appointment, because if they did and they didn't get their prescription, they would feel very sick," said Andrew Kolodny, president of Physicians for Responsible Opioid Prescribing. "It's a terrific business model, and that's what these companies want to get in on."

The U.S. consumes 99 percent of the world's hydrocodone and 83 percent of its oxycodone, according to a 2008 study by the International Narcotics Control Board, CBS News added.

(Dave Masko. "Super Painkiller Zohydro Feared to be 2012's New Addiction."

med huliq.com. December 27, 2011)

Federal agencies that ignore recommendations from within; Big Pharma executives that have financial priorities; drug lobbyists that whisper into the ears of greedy politicians -- all of this presently exists in a nation that has sold its soul to pain relief, no matter the cost of human lives. 

 

The system is out of control causing a Brave New World of dependents who demand to be pain free. The FDA, Big Pharma, politicians "on the take," rogue doctors and pharmacists, and illegal drug dealers are more than happy to oblige. Welcome to Prescription Nation.

 

Due to Zohydro painkillers, I believe suffering will increase. Zohydro comes with its own painful realities.

 

Zohydro is here, and despite efforts to control it, I predict the following:

 

*  Hospitals will lose incredible amounts of money treating Zohydro overdose patients. 

 

* Abusers will rob pharmacies while injuring and killing their staffs to get the new prescription medication. 

 

* Thousands (millions?) of legitimate pain patients will become addicted to the powerful prescription painkiller Zohydro, in addition to the thousands (millions?) more who will abuse them illegally.

 

* Drug rehabilitation centers, already overcrowded, will be unable to treat increasing  numbers of individuals who become addicted to Zohydro painkillers.

 

* FDA officials will gain more and more confidence that "money talks" and become the "gods" that gladly grasp blood money and open the gates ever wider to the killing fields of prescription drug abuse.

* The societal gap between the perceived "throw-away's" of society and the "good people" will increase as more addiction ravages the poor and needy.

 

 

Kissing Death Masks and Loving Other False Faces

 Death mask of L'Inconnue de la Seine

Halloween is the season of the false face of amusement -- the mask. A false face may be defined as an object normally worn on the face for disguise, performance, or entertainment. Masks have been used since antiquity for both ceremonial purposes. Some ceremonial or decorative masks were not designed to be worn.

Possibly the most bizarre mask that was designed not to be worm is a death mask, a wax or plaster cast made of a person's face following death. 

Death masks have served as mementos of the dead, or even as useful molds for the creation of portraits. In some cultures, death masks are clay artifacts placed on the face of the deceased before burial rites. The best known of these are the masks used by ancient Egyptians as part of the mummification process, such as Tutankhamun's mask.

In the seventeenth century in some European countries, it was common for death masks to be used as part of the effigy of the deceased, displayed at state funerals.

During the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries they were also used to permanently record the features of corpses for purposes of identification. The facial features of unidentified bodies were sometimes preserved by creating death masks so that relatives of the deceased could recognize them if they were seeking a missing person.This function was later replaced by photography.

Death masks were increasingly used by scientists from the late eighteenth century onwards to record variations in human physiognomy.  Anthropologists used such masks to study physiognomic features in famous persons and notorious criminals. Masks were also used to collect data on racial differences.

 Death mask of Abraham Lincoln

The most intriguing death mask in history, known as L'Inconnue de la Seine ("the unknown woman of the Seine"), recorded the face of an unidentified young woman who, according to one man's story, had been found drowned at the wharf of Quai du Louvre in the Seine River at Paris, France around the late 1880s.

The body was taken to the Paris Morgue, a famous institution during its time, that attracted thousands of visitors every day until it closed in 1907. Here "the allegedly serious business of identifying anonymous corpses [turned] into a spectacle […] – in the French double sense of theater and grand display." The administrators regarded the morgue as a Paris attraction.

(Vanessa R. Schwartz. Spectacular Realities. Early Mass Culture in Fin-de-Siècle Paris. 1999)

Here is description of the morgue from fiction:

"The morgue is a sight within reach of everybody, and one to which passers-by, rich and poor alike, treat themselves. The door stands open, and all are free to enter. There are admirers of the scene who go out of their way so as not to miss one of these performances of death. If the slabs have nothing on them, visitors leave the building disappointed, feeling as if they had been cheated, and murmuring between their teeth; but when they are fairly well occupied, people crowd in front of them and treat themselves to cheap emotions; they express horror, they joke, they applaud or whistle, as at the theatre, and withdraw satisfied, declaring the Morgue a success on that particular day."

From Thérèse Raquin by Emile Zola

Whether the unknown young woman was publicly exhibited at the morgue is not known. What is known is that the body showed no signs of violence. According to legend, she was a young country girl who committed suicide by throwing herself into the Seine in Paris perhaps because of unrequited love. It is said her true identity was never discovered.

A male pathologist at the Paris Morgue was reportedly so taken by her beauty that he and another molder worked for hours to make a plaster cast of her face. She was considered so beautiful that the worker said, "Her beauty was breathtaking, and showed few signs of distress at the time of passing. So bewitching that I knew beauty as such must be preserved." Some said the doctor was driven mad by love for her and later threw himself into the Seine to finally meet her in its watery embrace.

The moulder who took the cast of the face was believed to be based at the Lorenzi family model-making firm. Claire Forestier, a member of the Lorenzi family, believed that the model was not dead when the cast was taken. She worked in the family modelling workshop, and said that a dead body from a river would not have such clear features. Forestier estimated the age of the model at no more than 16, given the firmness of the skin.

Other skeptics of the time said the story was pure myth. They believed L'Inconnue de la Seine was made from the living face of a German mask maker's teenage daughter, and the father grew rich selling copies of the mask.

The key to the growing appeal of the death mask was not merely the beauty of the model, but the pleasant smile captured by the cast-maker that seemed so at odds with the reputed tragic circumstances of her death.

Philosopher and French Nobel Prize winning author Albert Camus and others compared her enigmatic smile to that of the Mona Lisa, inviting numerous speculations as to what clues the eerily happy expression in her face could offer about her life, her death, and her place in society. 

 

In the following years, copies of the mask became a fashionable fixture in Parisian Bohemian society. L'Inconnue de la Seine soon decorated the walls of many artists' homes after 1900. The figure spread far and wide: In the United States, the mask also became known as "La Belle Italienne."

The popularity of the figure also became of interest to the history of artistic media, relating to its widespread reproduction. The original cast had been photographed, and new casts were created back from the film negatives. These new casts displayed details that are usually lost in bodies taken from the water, but the apparent preservation of these details in the visage of the cast seemed to only reinforce its authenticity.


The visage of L'Inconnue de la Seine became the inspiration for numerous literary works. From novelists who took the story to dramatic (and perhaps melodramatic) heights, to well-respected writers such as Rainer Maria Rilke and Vladimir Nabokov who made mention of l’Inconnue in their work, the popularity of the image and the story had an immense effect on French and German culture in the 1920s and ’30s.

Critic A. Alvarez wrote in his book on suicide, The Savage God: "I am told that a whole generation of German girls modeled their looks on her." According to Hans Hesse of the University of Sussex, Alvarez reports, "the Inconnue became the erotic ideal of the period, as Bardot was for the 1950s. He thinks that German actresses like Elisabeth Bergner modeled themselves on her. She was finally displaced as a paradigm by Greta Garbo."

(Al Alvarez. The Savage God. A Study of Suicide. 1971) 

A Fact: L'Inconnue de la Seine Is  
"The Most 'Kissed' Face of All Time"


So what does a death mask have to do with science? In the 1950s, pioneering medical researchers Peter Safar and James Elam got together to devise a method for teaching people cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR). They agreed that a training dummy was the best option, and they collaborated with the Norwegian toymaker Asmund Laerdal to develop the model.

Asmund Laerdal knew the story of the death mask of the unknown young woman whose body had been fished out of the Seine River at Quai du Louvre. He chose to make the face of the CPR dummy female, recognizing that men might be reluctant to kiss a male image, and he decided that the perfect visage for the new doll would be the face of L’Inconnue de la Seine. So, in 1958, her face was used as a model for the first CPR doll, dubbed Resusci Anne (Rescue Annie). 

Thus, the cold lips of the death mask of L’Inconnue de la Seine were reborn to offer a "kiss" of life, survival for anyone in extreme peril. This is one beautiful face that conquered untimely death and remains ready to instruct future generations. What a strange tale of an unidentified Sleeping Beauty.

 

25 Dollar Deals on Amazon: Yes, One Buck or Less

 

Everyone knows a dollar won't buy you anything these days. If you want to purchase something, you better take a five or a ten. That's the state of the economy and the way it is in the good old U.S.A.
 

Still, with a bargain in my mind and a dollar in my hand, I searched Amazon, my favorite Internet shopping site, and compiled a list of items you can purchase online for $1.00 or less. I decided to post this blog entry to see if anyone cared to spend a little hard-earned cash and possibly acquire a decent buy.
 

Let me set some parameters for my Dollar Deals.
 

First of all, I do not guarantee the quality of these items. Each item has a description; however, I will leave it up to you, the reader, to judge the descriptions and the purchasers' comments about the buys. I take no responsibility for guaranteed satisfaction if you order the merchandise. Whatever the price, you may wish to search for similar items that express more durability and better construction.
 

Also, I understand that some items are meant to be "add on's" because the shipping of such stock may cost three times or more the cost of each individual unit. So, to qualify for free shipping, you may wish to purchase your deal with other stock in an Amazon order.
 

Last, I researched the prices and quantity of available items during October 27- October 29, 2013. I hope the bargains are still available, yet everything is subject to change. I have included the interactive Amazon address for each entry. I hope you enjoy the read and the searches. May you, indeed, "get your money's worth" and "milk the dollar bill."

 

 DOLLAR DEALS

 

 1. Vidal Sassoon Wide Tooth Comb

List Price:	$2.59
	$0.99

Details:
 

Wide Tooth Comb has wide teeth for easy detangling and smoothing both wet and dry hair! 

Easy grip, and the sturdy plastic teeth can stand up to the rigors of detangling 

Best for medium and long hair 

Color: tan brown 

Package includes 1 tan colored plastic comb

http://www.amazon.com/Vidal-Sassoon-Wide-Tooth-Comb/dp/B001KYQCYS/ref=sr_1_8?ie=UTF8&qid=1382985768&sr=8-8&keywords=comb

2. Angel Sales PosturePro Lumbar Support

List Price:	$19.99
Price:	$0.60 ($0.04 / oz)
:	$19.39 (97%)  Details: Perfect for use at home, work, and in the car Ergonomic lumbar support system Attaches to seat with elastic strap Adjusts up or down for the perfect fit Mesh fabric allows air to flow through

http://www.amazon.com/Angel-Sales-PosturePro-Lumbar-Support/dp/B000AP0HY4/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1382982881&sr=8-2&keywords=on+sale 

 

3. Tree of Rock Buttons by Gdogs Cosmic Rock Poster

List Price:	$14.00
Price:	$0.99
You Save:	$13.01 (93%)

Size: (19x13) Unframed

(19x13) Double-side Lamination

(19x13) Poster Hanger EZ-Hang Frame

(19x13) Unframed

Details:

• Decorate your walls with this brand new poster
• Ships quickly and safely in a sturdy protective tube
• Measures 13.00 by 19.00 inches
• High quality full color poster with white border

 http://www.amazon.com/13x19-Buttons-Gdogs-Cosmic-Poster/dp/B00CRMXUFG/ref=sr_1_58?ie=UTF8&qid=1382981920&sr=8-58&keywords=rock+music+history+posters

 

4.  HDE Solar Powered Emergency Backup 3x Bright LED Flashlight Keychain Green Energy

List Price:	$12.99
Price:	$1.00
You Save:	$11.99 (92%)

Details:

• Flashlight Keychain powered by solar energy: no batteries to replace!
• 3 bright LED bulbs
• Dimensions: L - 2in/5cm, W - 1.25in/3.17cm, H - .39in/1cm
• Package Contents: 1 x solar keychain flashlight
• HDE® is a registered trademark and is the only authorized seller of HDE branded products

http://www.amazon.com/HDE-Powered-Emergency-Flashlight-Keychain/dp/B00994YNSI/ref=sr_1_9?ie=UTF8&qid=1382976018&sr=8-9&keywords=solar+keychain

5. 4pc Pocket Credit Card-Size Magnifier 2X - Flexible Vinyl

Price: $0.80

Details:

• Handy magnification tool that fits in your wallet or purse!
• Stiff vinyl is durable, scratch-resistant, virtually unbreakable; excellent quality
• Fresnel lens magnifies 200% original size without bulk of regular lens
• Includes protective pouch
• Perfect for menus, phone numbers, maps, prescription labels
• Four 3" x 2" cards so you'll always have one handy

http://www.amazon.com/4pc-Pocket-Credit-Card-Size-Magnifier/dp/B005LA56XA/ref=sr_1_44?ie=UTF8&qid=1382923177&sr=8-44&keywords=magnifying+credit+card 

6. I SUPPORT THE CAUSE Large 2.25" Pinback Button ~ Breast Cancer Awareness Support Price: $0.99

Details:

• *NEW High Quality Magnet
• *Magnet measures 2.25" in diameter

http://www.amazon.com/SUPPORT-Pinback-Button-Awareness-Support/dp/B005R3A6WM/ref=sr_1_116?ie=UTF8&qid=1382973599&sr=8-116&keywords=breast+cancer+magnet

7. Grabber Hunting Supplies Products Hand Warmers

Price:

$0.99

Details:

• Perfect for hunters, fisherman, campers or anyone who works or plays in cold
• Portable heat source operates at an average temperature of 135 degrees seven hours or more
• Easily fits in gloves and pockets
• Packaged two

The original Grabber Hand Warmers is perfect for hunters, fisherman, campers or anyone who works or plays in cold. Just open the outer package and remove the warmer. Within minutes you have a portable heat source that operates at an average temperature of 135 degrees for seven hours or more. Easily fits in gloves and pockets. Packaged Two.

http://www.amazon.com/Grabber-Hunting-Supplies-Products-Warmers/dp/B003FA12UY/ref=sr_1_172?ie=UTF8&qid=1382922426&sr=8-172&keywords=foot+warmer

8. Classic Wood Carpenter's Folding Ruler - 40" - SAE & Metric Markings

Price: $0.97

Details: 

Classic measuring tool with 40"/100cm solid surface

Folds down to 6" for easy storage & carrying

One side marked in inches to 40" by 1/16" increments

Other side to 100cm by 1mm

Durable 1/8"-thick x 5/8" wood with steel hinges; yellow with black markings

http://www.amazon.com/Classic-Wood-Carpenters-Folding-Ruler/dp/B007JNZGP0/ref=sr_1_10?ie=UTF8&qid=1382920935&sr=8-10&keywords=wooden+folding+ruler

9. HDE® Stylus Pen for Capacitive Touch Screen Kindle Fire and iPad (Silver)

List Price:	$5.99
Price:	$0.95
You Save:	$5.04 (84%)

Details:

• Smooth, pen-like grip, touch and writing experience on your tablet device
• Lightweight and fits in your pocket
• Compatible with all capacitive touch screen devices
• Package Contents: 1 x stylus pen
• HDE® is a registered trademark and is the only authorized seller of HDE branded products

http://www.amazon.com/Stylus-Capacitive-Screen-Kindle-Silver/dp/B00C2T9R6U/ref=sr_1_162?ie=UTF8&qid=1382921358&sr=8-162&keywords=cheap+pen

10. SE FL340 Finger Led Light, 4-Pack 

List Price:	$5.24
Price:	$0.80
You Save:	$4.44 (85%)

 Details:

• 4 pc set in White, Blue, Green and Red
• Super Bright, Long Life Hook and Loop Straps to fit Fingers, Pens, pencils, Tools, etc.
• Uses 3 AG10 batteries (included).
• PLEASE NOTE THAT THE LED LIGHTS ARE WHITE ONLY.
• Made In China

http://www.amazon.com/SE-FL340-Finger-Light-4-Pack/dp/B000UPHEIQ/ref=sr_1_7?ie=UTF8&qid=1382921528&sr=8-7&keywords=finger+flashligh

11. Goldilocks and the Three Bears (Beginner's Activity Book Series)

 Price:  $0.90

Details:

• Age Range: 6 - 12 years
• Grade Level: Preschool - 6
• Series: Beginner's Activity Book Series
• Paperback: 32 pages
• Publisher: Dover Publications (January 22, 1998)
• Language: English

 This is a coloring/storybook for kids under 5 yrs old. There are several different varieties in this Dover Activity series of coloring books. This one happens to be the famous "Goldilocks and The Three Bears."

Each page features a large black-and-white illustration followed by anywhere from one sentence to a short paragraph explaining the story. The words are big and simple to understand for young readers.

At just a buck (Amazon's price), the cover feels solid and not flimsy. Also each page is of adequate quality and won't tear easily from heavy drawing. I also recommend checking out some of Dover's other illustrative coloring books which have more detailed drawings.

http://www.amazon.com/Goldilocks-Three-Bears-Beginners-Activity/dp/0486400247/ref=sr_1_3?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1382889901&sr=1-3&keywords=%241.00+items

12.  Tide Travel Sink Packets, 3-Count

Price:   $0.90

Details:

• Just enough Tide liquid detergent to wash a few items in the sink when traveling
• Now take Tide with Acti-Lift with you
• $1.00 off coupon enclosed, redeemable for any size Tide Detergent

http://www.amazon.com/Tide-Travel-Sink-Packets-3-Count/dp/B000GCS004/ref=sr_1_29?s=hpc&ie=UTF8&qid=1382890409&sr=1-29&keywords=%241.00+items

13.  The Essential Guide to the Best FREE Books on Kindle. The Best Free Books for Kindle, updated daily [Kindle Edition]

Price:  $0.99 Month

Details:

• Kindle Blogs are auto-delivered wirelessly to your Kindle and updated throughout the day so you can stay current.
• It's risk free - this Kindle Blog subscription starts with a 14-day free trial. You can cancel at any time during the free trial period. If you enjoy your subscription, do nothing and it will automatically continue at the regular price.

This blog gives Kindle readers the chance to discover the best free books. We review at many as three new books every day. You can download the book directly from each post. Try our new blog with a free 14 day trial, and never miss another new or interesting free ebook again. 

http://www.amazon.com/Best-Books-Kindle-updated-daily/dp/B005NAEPIK/ref=sr_1_10?ie=UTF8&qid=1382891800&sr=8-10&keywords=kindle+blog+downloads

14. Big Guy Duct Tape Reusable Fabric Sticky Tie

Price:  $0.99

Details:

• It's Actually Fabric!
• Stickyties will no tear, can be wiped clean and are safe on any surface.
• Good for at least 10 uses
• Approx: 11 1/4" Long
• Works best on clothing or surfaces that are free of loose fibers.

 http://www.amazon.com/Duct-Tape-Reusable-Fabric-Sticky/dp/B008NS0JI4/ref=sr_1_230?ie=UTF8&qid=1382892149&sr=8-230&keywords=duct+tape

 15. Pasta Spoon Server , or Egg Lifter Tool with draining hole

Price:  $0.79

Details:

• nylon head with stainless steel grip
• for spooning pasta and spaghetti etc
• dishwasher safe
• tried and tested
• traditional design

 http://www.amazon.com/pasta-spoon-server-lifter-DRAINING/dp/B003CLBMII/ref=sr_1_35?s=home-garden&ie=UTF8&qid=1382892339&sr=1-35&keywords=kitchen+spaghetti+spoon

16. Rain Zone Plastic Rain Ponchos, 2-ct

Price:  $0.99

Details:

• Keep these on hand just in case!
• Lightweight and Disposable
• Great for Travel and Outdoor Activities
• One size fits most

Never get caught unprepared in a downpour again! Disposable rain ponchos are perfect for travel, outdoor activities and sporting events, roadside emergencies. Plus, one size fits most.

http://www.amazon.com/Rain-Zone-Plastic-Ponchos-2-ct/dp/B004G7ZM0Q/ref=sr_1_9?ie=UTF8&qid=1382893647&sr=8-9&keywords=disposable+poncho

 17 (a.) Waterproof Matches, Box of 50, Emergency Zone Brand

Price:

$0.99

 Details:

• Box of 50 waterproof matches, light even when soaked in water.
• Great for emergency use.
• Require striking on the box.
• Perfect for camping, hiking, survival kit.

  http://www.amazon.com/Waterproof-Matches-Emergency-Zone-Brand/dp/B004MEXEQW/ref=sr_1_85?ie=UTF8&qid=1382893940&sr=8-85&keywords=waterproof+matches

And, as a special part of the #17 listing, spend just a little more for greater protection in case of emergency. Add this slightly higher-priced item to your survival kit. For when the matches run out.

17. (b.) BestDealUSA New Black Steel Flint Magnesium Stone Fire Starter Safe and Durable Survival Kit

Price:

$1.99

 

 Details:

• Brand new and high quality
• Flint stone containing magnesium powder
• Safe, convenient carrying and durable. Can be used more than 1000 times
• Start fire easily and quickly with just some spark
• Can be used in most weather or low temperature

http://www.amazon.com/BestDealUSA-Magnesium-Starter-Durable-Survival/dp/B006VPIY6U/ref=pd_sim_hi_3

18. Beer Styles Around the World Poster

List Price:	$20.00
Price:	$0.51
You Save:	$19.49 (97%)

with bit of history

Details:

• Decorate your walls with this brand new poster
• Easy to frame and makes a great gift too
• Ships quickly and safely in a sturdy protective tube
• Measures 24.00 by 36.00 inches (60.96 by 91.44 cms)

http://www.amazon.com/24x36-Styles-Around-World-Poster/dp/B00BL5TP6S/ref=sr_1_14?s=home-garden&ie=UTF8&qid=1382896294&sr=1-14&keywords=%241.00+drinking+glass

19. Mother Earth's Soaps Unscented Baby Soap with Goat's Milk, Avocado Oil, and Cocoa Butter

Price:

$1.00 ($0.50 / oz)

 Details:

This natural, homemade soap is fragrance-free, gentle and safe for babies, toddlers, and family.

Hypoallergenic -Specially formulated with ingredients won't cause allergies in newborns and toddlers

Made with skin nourishing ingredients including

extra virgin olive oil, avocado oil, cocoa butter, and goat's milk.

No harmful chemicals. Free of Sodium Lauryl Sulfate and related synthetic detergents. 

No artificial dyes, fragrances, or preservatives. Gluten-free.

This soap, while not vegan since it contains goat's milk, does not contain any other animal products and is not tested on animals. 

This soap is safe to use on babies, toddlers, and children.

http://www.amazon.com/Mother-Earths-Soaps-Unscented-Avocado/dp/B00G3KOAZW/ref=sr_1_118?ie=UTF8&qid=1382898522&sr=8-118&keywords=fragrance+samples

20. Whoopee Cushion

Price: $0.85

 Details:

Whoopee Cushions are funny! They make us laugh and bring out the immaturity in all of us. Who can resist the look of horror on the victim's face? Break the ice at your next team meeting. Set-up a co-worker by placing a Whoopee cushion on their chair... be sure to distract them as they sit down so they don't see the trick. After everyone has a good laugh, you'll be on your way to having a very upbeat and positive meeting.

http://www.amazon.com/Rhode-Island-Novelty-Whoopee-Cushion/dp/B00BPMNOVO/ref=sr_1_16?ie=UTF8&qid=1382899265&sr=8-16&keywords=woopie+cushion

21. SODIAL(R) Scalp Head Massager (Colors May Vary)

Price: $0.75

Details:

Relax stressed muscles

Provides deep relaxation and helps reduce stress

Relieve aches and pains

This Scalp Massager relieves tension as it softly massages acupressure points 

Stimulates sensitive nerves in your scalp.

Great for home, office or travel, this device is a great way to unwind after a long day.

http://www.amazon.com/SODIAL-Scalp-Head-Massager-Colors/dp/B008YRK7EU/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1382901811&sr=8-3&keywords=head+massager

  
22. Hinterland Trading Money Plant 20 Seeds Silver Dollar Plant-honesty-annual

Price: $0.99 

Details:

The flowers of Lunaria bloom in the late spring and early summer

Plants can grow up to 3 feet tall and have large coarsely toothed leaves

Proper name: Lunaria annual

Plants will grow in almost any soil that is well-drained

20+ Money Plant Seeds

How could you possibly go wrong here? Spend a buck and grow Money Plants that produce silver dollars. Everyone needs a Money Tree.

http://www.amazon.com/Hinterland-Trading-Silver-Dollar-Plant-honesty-annual/dp/B005UIVOFC/ref=sr_1_4?ie=UTF8&qid=1382902173&sr=8-4&keywords=money+tree+seeds 

23. Wholesale New Choice 8 Digits Solar Power Thin Mini Small Card Style Calculator by ANLO

Price: $0.99

Details: 

CalculatorSpecifications:
Solar power
8 digits
With Memory plus, memory minus, memory recall, memory clear and percent plus-minus function
As large as name card
Light weight, small extension, easy to carry
Color: black
Dimension: 86*55*3mm
Net Weight: 13g
Unit Packing Gross Weight: 30g

http://www.amazon.com/Wholesale-Choice-Digits-Solar-Calculator/dp/B00DQRZOXM/ref=sr_1_154?ie=UTF8&qid=1383067548&sr=8-154&keywords=calculator 

 

24. St. Patrick's Day Good Luck Clover Wrist Bands (Pair)

Price: $0.91

 Details:

• Brand new Fantastic quality Saint Patrick's Day Green & White Wrist Bands
• Great accessory for any Adult Saint Patrick's Day Green & White costume
• This posting includes: 1 White and 1 Green Shamrock Wrist Bands

http://www.amazon.com/Century-Novelty-163-759-Shamrock-Wristband/dp/B001TJYG60/ref=sr_1_277?ie=UTF8&qid=1383061908&sr=8-277&keywords=wristband

25. A song of your choice from Amazon

Price: $0.99 
Some as low as $0.69

I saved the best and most diverse for last. Download a song and enjoy it forever.

Amazon offers more than 20 million songs and over 1 million albums from your favorite artists. Songs at Amazon MP3 start at just $0.99

You can shop from your iPhone, iPad, iPod touch, Android phone or tablet, or Kindle Fire, and MP3 songs and albums you purchase from Amazon – even those you purchased in the past – will be automatically saved to Cloud Player, which means you'll have a secure backup copy of the music you buy at Amazon, free of charge.

http://www.amazon.com/MP3-Music-Download/b/ref=topnav_storetab_dmusic?ie=UTF8&node=163856011

 

Undone Buttons: When We Ran

We Ran  

Lyric by John Hiatt

Could have been the kiss of my life
Could have been the death of me
Could have been that I was just too scared
To wait around and see

You could have been a guardian angel
I could have been the wicked one
Besides the buttons on our shirts, girl,
What else did we leave undone?
When we ran
Was it just the time slippin' through our hands?
Right through our hands

Maybe I was tryin' to tell ya
I'd never known a love so strong
Maybe in the shadows of the night
We just couldn't tell right from wrong
Maybe it's a real-life story
Livin' with the sad regrets
Maybe it was just a sweet dream baby
Somethin' that I can't forget
When we ran
Was it just the time slippin' through our hands?

You only had to say the word
I would have turned around and heard
But as it is we can't turn back
The mind's just a trash can, baby
And the memories, rolling dice
We had something one time, girl,
But we thought about it twice
When we ran
When we ran ...


The most haunting questions in our minds remain because "we ran" from past opportunities. With our own foible intuition, we distanced ourselves from certain situations and encounters. Then, at a conceived "safe distance" from the questionable opportunity, we tried to convince ourselves that these things were not to be. Even if we say God or fate "meant" whatever "became," we can never deny our own "running away."

Try as we might, we cannot evict the emotions of our own desertion from our memory. Perhaps that is because uncertainty never dies.

Important puzzles of our past remain unsolved in our brains -- moments, opportunities, could have's, maybe's -- the indelible memories of brief encounters left undone. Premature evasions litter our memories as refuse. They serve no purpose, so we should let them die and repress them, yet when "we ran" from uncertain outcomes, we assured their permanent addresses in the avenues of our lingering wonders and regrets. 

Even the briefest past encounter from which we ran can greatly disturb our minds. One hello, one kiss, one smile, one touch, one remark, or one action that we feel we left too rashly may be burned into our memories because we lacked the will to pursue it. And, even though our trusted conscience and reliable logic convinced us "running away" was the best possible choice, we continue to wonder what might have been if we had stayed the course.

Consideration and patience are admirable traits, but they are certainly not foolproof. Wonderful opportunities can elude us when our modus operandi is to flee in trepidation at the first sign of uncertainty. Then, we may become terrified of living in the moment because of all the possible unpleasant consequences. And yet we know taking calculated risks increase our chances of being happy. 

It is important to understand that when "we ran" from circumstance, we initiated the division. That caused the pain that remains in our memories. "We" did "it" to our ourselves, no matter the result of the lost opportunity. As much as we would love to blame our desertions on others, we know we have only ourselves to blame. Whether "a run" resulted in positive or negative consequences will remain unknown and haunt us because we neglected to fulfill our obligation to complete the task.

You see, rationality and running are usually at odds. We are often told by the wise that "running away" from problems and decisions is unacceptable behavior. In fact, most believe purposely avoiding outcomes shows cowardice. Yet, we all use flight to avoid unforeseen circumstances. In short, we all "run."

As the great artist John Hiatt writes, perhaps these flights of the past were just times that "slipped through our hands." And, God and Willie Nelson know well that "time slips away" from all of us. But, that's another lyric and another blog entry.

One thing I do know is that I would have done less "running" from opportunities that showed the slightest promise. I should have tried to optimize my gamble instead of avoiding variety and looking for the one "real thing" in life. Hell, I'm not sure now exactly what is real. And, besides, now I know it is impossible to read the cards until you play out the promising hand.

John Hiatt

Linda Ronstadt singing John Hiatt's "We Ran"

Click here: http://youtu.be/-HQbJHMPrxA

Ignorant Parents Who Own Guns Are Responsible For School Shootings

Violence is endemic in America. No place is safe from brutes intent on hurting innocent people. Who can deny these terrifying realities? We like to believe schools are safe havens for our precious children, yet we know that even schools are not immune from attacks by gun-toting student psychopaths.

In institutions where bullying and fighting are commonplace, conditions are ripe for hot heads to take the "next step" and bring a weapon to class. As a nation, we must do more to stop children from bringing guns to American schoolhouses.

An NBC news report revealed in a survey that from January 2, 2013 to February 5, 2013, at least 48 incidents occurred in U.S. schools in which guns were discovered on students, in their bags or in their lockers.

That was a staggering 48 incidents in just 23 class days since some districts resumed school January 2 — not including January 21, the Martin Luther King Jr. holiday. (The survey excluded incidents in which pupils were caught with toy guns; all of the weapons were handguns, rifles, BB guns or air rifles.) And those are just the cases that were made public: Juveniles' police records are generally protected, so an untold number of other such incidents are likely to have occurred.

(M. Alex Johnson. "Pistol-packing Pupils Becoming an 

Everyday Occurrence." NBC News, February 5, 2013)

What Can Be Done?

There are over 280 million guns in civilian hands. And, of course, we like to think that all of the extremities that clutch these weapons belong to responsible adults who are well educated in gun safety. Of course, this is not so. Given the stupidity and violent tendencies of so many incautious adults, guns are openly available to smaller hands. Many of these easily attainable parents' firearms are used in school shootings.

The Children's Defense Fund reports that one-third of all households with children younger than 18 have a gun and more than 40% of gun-owning households with children store their guns unlocked. The statistics show that 22% of children with gun-owning parents have handled guns in their homes without their parents' knowledge, and more than half of the youth who committed suicide with a gun obtained the gun from their home, usually a parent's gun.

We must face the truth. 

Children in great numbers

 are allowed free access 

to firearms by their parents. 

Period.

A thirst for violence and revenge mixed with young, raging hormones make an unsecured gun an easy, attractive option as a weapon for a student who wants to "even the score" in our schools. A firearm has become the deadly tool of choice for the many violent young people.

According to the Children’s Defense Fund’s (CDF) “Protect Children, Not Guns 2010” compilation of reliable national and state data on gun violence in America, one in five high school students reports carrying a weapon (not denoted how many "weapons" were firearms); one-third of those students brought the weapon to school. One in 18 high school students reported staying home from school because they felt unsafe at school or going to and from school.

 (Toni Wellen. "Gun Violence and Children." Santa Barbara 

Coalition Against Gun Violence. January 21, 2011)

What can be done to keep guns out of schools? Parents and legal guardians must be held directly accountable and must be prosecuted as those responsible for allowing their children access to weapons.

When authorities discover unsecured firearms in homes occupied by children, the law must take no pity upon the owner of these weapons. The adult's right to gun ownership should be revoked, and they should face serious criminal charges. Strict proactive measures must be enforced as a step toward deterrence. An uneducated adult gun owner living with children has no excuse in the eyes of the law.

Adult gun owners must be tried for all direct links that allow their children to access a gun and bring it to American campuses or to any public place. When his or her child maims and murders others, that parental gun owner must be held accountable for the offense. These guilty adults are accomplices to the heinous crimes, and they deserve to be considered criminals with no excuse for their misbehavior. And, remember, the law considers the age of majority when minors cease to legally be considered children and assume control over their persons, actions, and decisions as 18 years of age.

If found guilty of negligence as it relates to gun possession or gun violence by their children, parents must be convicted and sentenced to stiff penalties. As harsh as it seems, stupid, uncaring adults, often absent from the scene of possession and the scene of the crime, must be held fully accountable. A parental gun owner is solely responsible for his or her firearm, especially when held in the hands of their child -- a child intent on squeezing the trigger at will.