| Swimming the channels, greased with snake oil
MY TELEVISION has 1914 channels. Not all of them are used: for some reason it jumps from channel 1285 to 1900, but often it's the advertisements that are more interesting than the programs. A visitor from Mars who turned on the television would assume that Americans are bloated, blocked, limp, leaky and twitchy. Americans are apparently suffering from an epidemic of acid reflux disease, clots, growing prostates, erectile dysfunction (or ED, as the advertisements coyly put it) and restless leg syndrome, which I have to admit, I didn't even realise existed until I started watching American television. At the moment, the airwaves are full of ads for men with prostate problems. One shows a man having to leave meetings, baseball games and get up at night to go to the toilet.
My Turn: This drug leaves some bad heartburn
Come on, any drug is going to have side effects. The question is do really need it? Forty million Americans suffer from frequent heartburn, which makes the manufacturer Prilosec $6 billion a year. An estimate of only 1 in 100 who are on Prilosec need to be on it.
So what are the side effects in addition to broken bones? Depletions of calcium, copper, iron, magnesium, phosphorus, zinc, potassium. Depletions of these minerals are involved in everything from heart beat to immune system. The listed side effects of Prilosec from Web MD are: abnormal heart rhythm, high blood pressure, incomplete or infrequent bowel movements, itching, drowsiness, dizzy, rash, head pain, thrush, chest pain, feel like throwing up, throwing up, heartburn, gas, diarrhea, feeling weak, acute infection of the nose, throat or sinus, hepatitis caused by drugs, urinary tract infection, bloody urine, elevation of proteins in the urine, abnormal liver function tests, low amount of sodium in the blood, acquired decrease of all cells in the blood, anemia, decreased blood platelets, decreased type of white blood cell eosinophils, backache, cough and there are others.
Musiq Soulchild Returns With 'LUVANMUSIQ'; 'LUVANMUSIQ' Arrives On ...
Performance" category, acknowledging his take on the classic "Are You Experienced?," found on the "POWER OF SOUL: A TRIBUTE TO JIMI HENDRIX" collection. Other extracurricular efforts include contributing guest vocals to the Roots' "Break You Off" (found on 2002's "PHRENOLOGY") and Carlos Santana's 2002 "SHAMEN." .
It's Valentine's Day, and the Tums(R) Smoothies(TM) Speed Poll Wants to Know Which NASCAR Drivers Make Your Heart Burn
TUMS, the most popular form of fast relief for indigestion and heartburn among NASCAR fans, wanted to find out what -- or who -- is making hearts burn on the NASCAR circuit this Valentine's Day. The TUMS Smoothies Speed Poll, conducted by Harris Interactive®, surveyed male and female NASCAR fans(1) to learn what drivers top the list as making their "hearts burn" -- and which ones give them "indigestion". When it comes to drivers that give them "indigestion", the TUMS Smoothies Speed Poll found that: What fans could agree on is that they sometimes suffer from heartburn or indigestion. Some 76 percent of fans report ever having heartburn or indigestion, with 64 percent of them turning to over-the-counter medications for relief. Where do they turn most frequently for relief? TUMS.
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