1. Something you may not have realized…
A lot goes into the naming of medications. Drug companies pay outside professionals up to half a million dollars to come up with powerful, memorable, and catchy names for their drugs. Have you noticed how common it is to see the letters X, Y, and Z in the names of drugs? That’s because these letters make drugs sound more scientific, high-tech, and important. Think about it… Zyrtec, Prozac, Celebrex, Vioxx, etc. Some jam as many of these letters into the name as possible… like the drug Xyzal. Click here to read a pretty good, short article about the naming of drugs. Just know that when it comes to medications, as with all marketing, A LOT goes into influencing you to buy what they are selling.
2. Something I am paying attention to…
The U.S. House of Representatives passed the Sunshine Protection Act last week, which would eliminate the time change in the spring and fall, making daylight savings time permanent. Daylight savings time would give us more evening daylight time, but many argue that standard time would be best for human health, as our bodies naturally follow the patterns of the sun, making earlier sunrise healthier. If the Senate passes this bill, it will likely mean the time change will be eliminated. I never cared for the time change, and I feel like they’ve been talking about doing away with it for decades, so I would like to see it ended. I do like longer daylit evenings, but the science does support that standard time is more ideal for our overall health. Simply put, permanent daylight savings time would mean longer daylit evenings, and permanent standard time would mean that daylight begins earlier. No date has been set yet for the Senate to vote on this issue. I’m interested to see how this goes. As I said, I am for eliminating the time change, and I do believe permanent daylight savings time would be convenient for having the extra hour of daylight in the evenings for sporting events, shopping, getting things done after work, etc. But permanent standard time would be better for our natural circadian cycles, moods, and overall health. Let’s see what happens.
3. Some quotes I read this week that caught my attention…
“How wonderful it is that nobody need wait a single moment before starting to improve the world.” – Anne Frank
“No rain… no rainbow.” – A Hawaiian Proverb
“It’s often the small steps, not the giant leaps, that bring about the most lasting change.” – Queen Elizabeth II
“It’s never too late to be who you might have been.” – George Elliot
“Be kind whenever possible. It is always possible.” – Dalai Lama
