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DEAR HARRIETTE: My friend has been struggling to give up cigarettes for years. I thought that watching her aunt die from lung cancer a few years ago would be a wake-up call, but she hasn’t slowed down at all. I’m nervous for her, but I’m afraid to intervene because she always gets defensive and calls me judgmental when I say something about her habit. How can I make her understand that quitting would be in her best interest? -- Stop Smoking
Read moreASK THE DOCTORS by Eve Glazier, M.D., and Elizabeth Ko, M.D. Dear Doctors: I have been stress eating during the pandemic. That includes plenty of junk food, unfortunately, and I’ve gained 15 pounds. I’m sure it has been bad for my gut microbiome, and I want to do a reset. How do you eat for your gut to be healthier?
Read moreFully functional headlights are an important safety feature on cars and trucks. While halogen bulbs were common in the past, modern vehicles now largely utilize high intensity discharge (HID) bulbs or light-emitting diodes (LEDs). HIDs work similarly to fluorescent bulbs by passing an electric current through an inert gas in a glass cylinder. LEDs are semiconductors that emit light when powered by an electric current. LEDs and HIDs are now used because they are efficient and last longer. These headlights quickly replaced halogen bulbs as the industry standard, but many drivers have lamented that they are increasingly feeling blinded by headlight glare. In March 2020, the Ford Motor Company recalled several F-150s because their headlights were too bright. According to Donut Media, an American automotive content brand, the typical halogen bulb puts out 1,300 lumens of light and the average LED emits 1,600 lumens. But HIDs can emit up to 3,000 lumens. Popu-lar Science magazine also says HID and LED head- lights are a different color temperature than halogens. These newer lights put out whiter and bluer light. Human eyes are very sen- sitive to blue light, so these blue-white bulbs automat- ically seem brighter even when they're not emitting more lumens, according to PowerBulbs reports. Head- lights also are supposed to be positioned correctly at a certain angle to reduce blinding glare. People who replace their own bulbs may not be doing so correctly.
Read moreIt's important that individuals heed evacuation warnings when such recommendations are issued, as studies of past natural disasters illustrate the effectiveness of evacuations. According to a joint report from the United States Department of Health and Human Services and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 52.5 percent of drowning deaths directly related to Hurricane Sandy, the deadliest and most destructive storm of the 2012 Atlantic hurricane season, occurred in the home. Nearly all of the homes where those deaths occurred were within evacuation zones, which means many of them could have been prevented had individuals chosen to evacuate when orders were issued. Studies have found that people ignore evacuation orders for a wide range of reasons, including the cost of evacuating and past experiences during previous storms that gives a false perception that the storm will not be that bad. However, as technology has advanced, public safety officials are now more capable than ever at gauging the characteristics of oncoming storms, including the dangers they pose. That should be enough to compel individuals, even those who have long lived in areas vulnerable to storms like hurricanes, to evacuate when their local officials urge them to do so.
Read moreDEAR ABBY: My fiance, “Peter,” has a number of female friends I’m not comfortable with, primarily because they are women he “had” interest in before we started dating. He says he has told them he’s taken now and they can’t be more than friends, but I don’t think they got the message. He recently told me one of them told him a guy had proposed to her but she’s delaying accepting in case Peter becomes available. This is the second time something like this has happened.
Read moreLast Friday, Jan. 7, 2022, Supreme Court Justice Sonia Sotomayor stated, “I’m not sure I understand the distinction-why the states would have the power but the federal government wouldn’t,” in regard to the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) “emergency temporary standard” (ETS) requiring companies with 100 or more employees to be vaccinated or wear face masks while at work and submit to weekly testing. That type of statement from a sitting justice is very concerning and unacceptable. Either Justice Sotomayor is ignorant on the subject of separation of powers, or she is deliberately attempting to dilute the powers of the states while simultaneously concentrating undelegated powers to the federal government – or both. The Tenth Amendment to
Read more“I bought more broccoli because I knew you were coming,” my mother informed me.
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