Here are 5 things you should know.
1. If you know someone is going to argue with you and you want to avoid it, just sit near them.
In order to avoid arguing with someone or having them yell at you for whatever reason, just sit next to them when having a discussion. For instance, if you’re at work and you have a meeting and you know there’s that one person that will start yelling or disapprove everything you say, sit next to them in the table. Or if you want to avoid getting yelled at from your parents. The thing is that it’s difficult for people to yell at someone when they are next to them. They feel awkward and they aren’t comfortable to exaggerate. Whereas if you stand across from them in some distance, it is easier for them to throw a fight.
2. In the US more people died from the flu in 2018 than from opiates during the worst year of the “opiate epidemic” (2017). Go get your flu shot.
In 2018, the US had 80,000 deaths as a result of flu complications during the worst year of the opiate epidemic (2017 so far) deaths from opiate overdose were just over 70,000. Additionally, on top of deaths, there were hundreds of thousands of hospital visits, millions in economic losses as a result of the flu. Furthermore, this was even the worst flu recorded in history (50 million deaths from the 1918 flu worldwide). So go out and get your vaccine, it’s not too late and it could save you or prevent you from spreading it to children and elderly (most at risk).
Also, if you are struggling with opiates please seek help it’s not too late, here is a link that can assist you. https://www.samhsa.gov/find-help/national-helpline
Lastly for those interested in learning more about vaccination here is a link to the podcast “this week in virology” on which a panel of R1 researchers address and debunk many of the common anti-vax myths. It’s a tad long but VERY informative, and interesting. Plus it would be hard to find a better source of info on the topic that’s easily accessible
Twiv496 “Vaccines work, whether or not you believe in them” ->http://www.microbe.tv/twiv/twiv-496/
CDC link for opiate deaths->https://www.cdc.gov/drugoverdose/data/statedeaths.html
3. Buying a real Christmas tree is almost always environmentally better than buying a fake one.
There are a lot of reasons for this. The biggest misconception people have is that buying a real tree contributes to deforestation. This is wrong. Christmas trees are grown on farms just like any other crop, not harvested from an existing forest. And most Christmas trees take up to a decade to grow, so for anyone tree you buy there are about 9 others growing in rotation (or more), which means Christmas tree farms provide a net benefit to air quality and wildlife.
And if you want to increase your environmentalism, even more, this holiday season, consider buying from a local farm. The shorter the tree has to travel, the better. And after the holidays, google some fun and creative ways that you can recycle or repurpose your tree with organizations around your town. You’d be surprised at what a Christmas tree can be used for!
A couple of sources for the curious:
https://www.nytimes.com/2018/11/26/business/energy-environment/fake-christmas-tree-vs-real-tree.html
https://climatekids.nasa.gov/christmas-tree/
4. “MAP” is a common acronym pedophiles use to identify themselves online.
“MAP” stands for “minor-attracted person” and is a commonly used way for pedophiles to identify themselves as such online while trying to avoid the stigma of the term “pedophile.” It’s frequently used by pedophiles who are trying to invade contemporary society and make pedophilia socially acceptable. They also frequently try to portray MAPs as an LGBTQ group or another oppressed group in an effort to garner influence and acceptance. We as civil society must combat this attempt at a movement for the safety of children everywhere.
5. Terms of Service; Didn’t Read.
Image credit: tosdr.orgTerms of Service; Didn’t Read (TOS; DR) is an internet browser add-on that goes through the Terms of Service (TOS) of a website whenever you enter one. You are presented with a rating from A to F (A being the highest and E the lowest), depending on how safe or sketchy the TOS is. It highlights primary parts of the TOS in dot points and gives each point either a thumbs up or a thumbs down, again, depending on how safe or sketchy that part is. TOS; DR is a very useful add-on if you wish to know how reliable a site is without having to go through the Terms of Service. TOS; DR is available for Firefox, Chrome, and Opera.
