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IMDb page link

The Jackie Robinson Experiment 

Jackie Robinson made one of the most difficult transitions imaginable at an extremely young age, obviously mature beyond his years....

one particularly masterful scene is a photo shoot that was set up to help save face for the Philadelphia phillies organization and there coach after a disgustingly, excessive ignorant list of despicable taunts he yelled to Jackie throughout his first three at bats of the game. Jackie picks up a bat and lets the cameramen take their photo opp with each man holding part of the bat "so they don't have to touch skin" says Jackie. ZING and he deserved so so so much worse.

One of the more inspirational points in the movie without giving too much away is the scene where the 2nd basemen "PeeWee" walks up and puts his arm around Jackie, something so insignificant now but which had an overwhelming feeling of relief after seeing it. Such a touching moment.

Overall the movie was great, def something worth showing your high school sports team before the season starts or night before a big game, def some motivational stuff in there, 

I give it an 8.5/10

14k Yellow Gold Necklace Review

Amazon product link

2Two Stars

ByJoshuaDavidon June 19, 2015

incredibly light, short. nd small. I should have realized just how short it was going to be beforehand but I haven't purchased a necklace in a while. I def suggest getting something at least 22-24 mm if your an adult man. Also, if you can afford it i'd go with at least 3.5-4mm width. And if you can't afford it i'd wait and save up as opposed to just getting what you can, 2.6mm is very very slight and feels cheap being so light.

Amazon.com item link- Children's Gold Chain

The BEST, MOST INCREDIBLE, AMAZING FEELING IN THE ENTIRE WORLD IS THE TIME I GET TO SPEND WITH MY 4 YEAR OLD NEPHEW

My nephew is an incredible little guy, ever since the day I first saw him I knew how special he was going to be! At the time we found out my younger sister was pregnant it was a shock to all of us. I remember thinking, how can she believe in raising another person when her relationship with her boyfriend was so relatively new. But, they got married at a beautiful venue in front of many friends and family who no matter what supported their decisions. I remember thinking that she wasn't ready to be a mother, she still was my little sister and I had a hard time seeing her as an adult. But she more then proved me wrong and worked as many hours as she could while still making raising my nephew Carson Michael the most important thing. 

Both the young parents put his needs above those of their own and its not hard to see just how much love they share for that special little boy. I can't believe he's going to be 5 in just a few more short months. The years go by so so fast. If anyone out there is listening, please, trust me, no matter what struggle a child may bring, it's the most rewarding and amazing  feeling in the world to hear "i love you uncle josh" while i'm getting a great big hug before he goes back home from his afternoon of fun at his grammie's.

At one point I just couldn't picture what my little sister would be like as a mother.....now, i don't have a doubt in my mind that she has grown into a very responsible, hard working mother of 1, who would do anything in the world to make sure my nephew is a safe, bright happy little man. There isn't a day that goes by that I don't look at his big smile in the picture by my bed, he's my reason for progress, he's my reason my life has changed for the better. I'm going to get to watch this incredible little boy grow up, and i'm so thankful and lucky to have him in my life....


I hope all of you reading this have someone in your life that brings you as much joy as I get from him...

Vikings- Season 1 Episode 1 "Rites of Passage"

WOW. LET ME SAY THAT ONE MORE TIME, WOW. I want to use the word "graphic" to describe what the opening scene were like but i'm afraid i'm going to have to come up with more terms very shortly unless I just want to repeat myself a lot. Im going to say something like part "Saving private Ryan, part "God of War" but with Axes and Spears.

Mixed in between the heartfelt moments between father/son and mother/daughter there is more bloodshed in the blink of an eye. While in such a situation it was more then deserved, it's still a shock to the system if your unaware of the direction the show seems to be heading. Probably best to send the little ones to bed before cracking that beer and lounging on the couch. And on second thought, if you want to keep the Mrs in a "amenable/giving mood maybe it's best if this is one watched on a day off or a weekend alone.

Without giving too much away, the plot has presented a very interesting beginning and I am absolutely going to move on to the next episode.

Ragnar Lothbrok and his small family are the main characters in the opening episode. He has a wife, brother, son and daughter presumably. To the best of my knowledge so far each year the village leader decides which men go sailing in which direction and for what purpose. Let's just say Ragnar and his men, are having other ideas for where the best bounty can be found....

ESPN

The ESPN empire has exponentially grown over the past say 20-25 years that I have been watching it. My first memory of any sports is growing up the first thing my father and I would do after waking up was to grab cereal, bowl, milk and sit at the kitchen table with a small tv and watch highlights from the day/night before games. From what I remember it was a majority of Baseball, Football and Basketball. The big difference I get watching today is firstly they have several networks such as ESPN deportes for the Hispanic audience, and now they cover everything from the X-games to the golf network. Obviously Tiger Woods is a big reason golf grew in popularity and revenue. Although he has basically dropped off a cliff in his play he still draws a crowd, thankfully for golf fans, Jordan Spieth and Rory McIIroy have stepped up and look to continue to develop a rivalry.

Now with publications like ESPN the Magazine and ESPN.com they are looking to continue their growth. I have a problem with this expansion though. Sometimes growth is great and sometimes it spreads you so thin that you don't fully grasp the consequences. For me personally, I can't stand that ESPN.com now has a large number of material and even entire sections in the college category that are only available to view if you are a ESPN The Magazine subscriber. ABSOLUTELY TERRIBLE.

I happen to be a subscriber because I still enjoy reading a magazine, having the feel of it in my hands. But a large majority of the population, especially in today's seemingly bad economy, shouldn't be forced to shell out another $10 to get the full story on the website. It doesn't matter that it's less the $1 an issue. It's the point of it.

 I try to write factual and interesting pieces based on my opinions of articles. Coming from where i'm sitting I just don't think it's right to make portions of a website and conglomerate that make a huge number of profits, off limits to hard working sports fans, spending time supporting your business by reading articles on pages FILLED WITH ADS YOUR BEING PAID TO SHOW.

what do you guys think? should espn eliminate the "pay to play" per se??????

Comcast/ Infinity customer service technician

With a window of 1pm to 3pm by the time it reaches 2:55 you've gotta be thinking theirs no way this guy is coming....typical. Well I gave it another few minutes and waited upstairs and sure enough comcasts technician knocks on the door at 2:57. Good enough for me. He was polite, did his work quickly and fixed the minor problem and even helped me with an additional problem not exactly related to his work and he helped me out without a second guess.

I really appreciate how he explained what the problem was and how he fixed it, and even gave us instructions for a variety of questions afterwards. I wish he told me his name so I could give him a shout out, but whoever you were, YOU DID AN AMAZING JOB AND WE REALLY APPRECIATE ALL YOUR HELP MR 413 TECHNICIAN WORKING IN WESTERN MASS.

Indeed.com

Ok, let's start out by saying I had never expected to use any "online" job search site/tools when I was looking for work. I live in a small Massachusetts community that on some days seems to have more cows and corn then people. Our local paper has a classifieds at the end of the local section and since I was 16 that's where I went to find a job when I wasn't working for myself... Problem is, over the years the number of jobs has decreased at an incredible rate. While there are always the fast food restaurants, gas stations, and dollar stores in the next town over that pay minimum wage, which sadly is not even close to a living wage. Even if you manage to get full time hours the benefits are poor at best and the pay can't sustain housing and a car...so pick one or the other and try to not get fired the next time a bus is running late. Overall, I just think it's a sad situation but when your faced with a situation like that all you can do is keep going out there and applying. Someone is going to hire you eventually, its just going to take a little more work then before.

I don't know how many jobs i've applied for exactly, but in the last month i'd say its around 12-15. That includes many minimum wage which is $9 an hour, barely living wage and still below the poverty level technically at $12 an hour and one median upper living wage which was $18 an hour. Now these terms are mine and mine only, this is just my opinion of what it takes to survive with limited material possessions on those earning possibilities. 

It's gotten to the point that the majority of jobs don't even bother to let you know they went in another direction and hired someone else let alone take the time to set up an interview. My problem with that is I always make sure to follow up promptly and most time repeatedly just looking to know if the position has been filled but my messages go unanswered and i'm left to realize, ok, well I need to keep looking because obviously they are not interested in what I have to offer. It's not an ego thing or even a really big deal, I just was raised to always be courteous and I don't feel like these local businesses are doing a very good job. I know they may be swamped with applications but if an applicant takes the time to call and check on your hiring situation it doesn't take that long to simply call and let them know you chose someone else for the position. Quick and easy.  

Now, on to indeed.com website. I finally gave in and used the resources indeed provides and decided on my own to do a little extra work on my resume and make sure I was including everything that's expected in a cover letter and within a week I had 2 interviews with businesses that are providing a living wage AND benefits!!! I just wanted to let ppl out there know that, indeed works and at the very least, upload your resume and give it a shot, YOU DESERVE IT!!!

KEEP WORKING HARD, GOOD THINGS COME TO THOSE THAT STAY POSITIVE. 

Gabapentin Capsules

Gabapentin is typically used to treat nerve damage and is a non-narcotic pain medication which means it's used as the first step a lot of the time with injuries such as neck or back which are the most common. It's the cheapest medication available as well so insurance companies usually want prescribers to try the cheaper alternatives before taking the next step with other meds. Other possibilities are things like Lyrica but it's a much more expensive pill so you have to really explain your situation and hope they take you seriously and hope your insurance company is in a generous mood....

Personally for me Gabapentin doesn't have any effect.

Greenfield Dental Associates

I've never actually been to the dentist yet and i'm already impressed! I just broke my tooth and I was able call Dr. Goldstein at his home and schedule an emergency appointment. I called 4 other places and 3 were not open on Friday and the last one was open a half day.... Thank you DR GOLDSTEIN, your now my new #1 dentist!!!

Nomorerack.com

My new Google Android tablet

So, I get a tablet that's on sale for $60 from $200 for my girlfriend for christmas on NOMORERACK.com and I received it before the delivery date I expected which was def a plus. They had a large variety of colors to choose from with this 7" tablet so I chose purple....which she loved. Perfectly happy with the purchase...HOWEVER I also bought this.....

NOMORERACK.com RIPOFF!!!!

It's described as a kids learning tablet and I got a used something with cardboard pictures taped to a black piece of plastic with random numbers and symbols....ITS AWFUL. I'm so pissed I won't even be giving it to my nephew anymore. You have to be careful with discount stores like this, especially online because many have return policies that are quite frankly illegal....I'm going to be sending this bad boy back where it came from and keep the damn $16....they advertise this bullshit as being worth $79 and on sale for $16....I wouldn;t spend $5 on this piece of junk. 

Hopefully I save a few people a few bucks with the warning!!!

UPS-Warehouse Help-Seasonal Position

The hiring process is simple, you fill out the forms online, you don't need a resume which was a big plus for me since I can't find mine and it's a pain in the ass to remember places you worked, pay, dates you left, etc.
After you enter the zip code where you live you can search for jobs based on proximity to that location, when I chose within 20 miles there were 4 options and I filled out application for all 4. I was set up with an appointment to interview at the end of the application to one specific job... "warehouse help" Although the job wasn't full time and it wasn't even guaranteed past Christmas I was excited to get back to working outside the house.

The interview was for the next morning and the hiring is done by Joe in human resources, after completing the necessary forms and doing a quick query check on my criminal history to make sure you don't have any felonies, I was offered the job....I started that night 6 hours later.

Couple of negatives about the job would be the fact that it was only seasonal so I only worked for 3-4 weeks and UPS is unionized so your obligated to pay $25 per week in union dues until you hit $400 for the year.....So, when I worked 20 hours at $8.50 I got barley over $100 in the end... couldn't even pay my cell phone bill with that.

On the positive side I would have to say it was really a good job and hopefully I get called back the next opportunity available. The workers all were good about helping and explaining the operation and what the job entails, that's really a HUGE help when I first started because I already have an generalized anxiety disorder. It's hard to even leave the house sometimes so I was relieved the co-workers were as helpful as they were.

On our last night the managers got everyone pizza and soda which was nice as well. Overall I do hope to get rehired and i'm keeping my fingers crossed.

Polaroid MP3 Player and Camera

More of an MP3 player then a camera in my opinion. Due to a pause built in to auto-focus things like taking pictures of kids because difficult because your always missing the smile by a second or two or that cute moment passes by and click you get a nice back of his head shot.

The MP3 player has a decently loud speaker but obviously is better when headphones are attached. The one I got is a nice blue color and about the size of the Galaxy S3 or a little bit wider with the same length.

TrueTwit.com Website Review

TrueTwit.com website link
When I originally signed up for my free true-twit.com account to stop spam or something, I think, I really didn't have any idea what it was even for, or why I needed it since I had about 3 followers, I thought who in the hell would even want to bother with some random useless account that is so inactive?

Alright when I was proof-reading my article before posting it was pretty obvious that nearly all of the below paragraph isn't about TrueTwit.com but more of a condemnation on some of the people thought to be in the upper echelon of our society when in reality their own behavior dictates they be shunned, ostracized, and maybe even imprisoned for attempted indoctrination of our youth. In conclusion, when looking for the actual "TRUETWIT REVIEW" SIMPLY DISREGARD THE BELOW PARAGRAPH IN IT'S ENTIRETY.

Guess what? I don't know what type of requests, or adds, or whatever "celebrities"(yeah, i'm using quotations because I only say that word to describe them because for some reason the mainstream media seems to have been tricked into believing that doing stupid things, acting irresponsible, procreating, and living are qualifications for this new form of D list "stars"....Oh, wait, sorry I forgot the most important one....MONEY. ENOUGH MONEY THAT COULD FEED the homeless shelters across the United States for the next decade. But, not just having that money, having it because of personally accomplishing NOTHING but inheriting everything, Including an attitude big enough to rival Kim Kevorkian's ass. AND. Spend that money that was un-earned personally on only the essentials....things like bottle service, maids, butlers, drivers, security, hair dressers, a chef, personal trainer, accountant, lawyer(on retainer because your so ignorant that your going to break a lot laws during your unaccomplished, insignificant lifetime) and every other unnecessary, useless, exaggeration that can draw attention to their media hungry asses. 

OK, back to actual facts and commenting after using that thing that's in our head, i'll make this more clear just in-case we have one of those sister's, you know the ones without it, taking time out of their "BUSY" lives to read something, sorry, have someone else read them something from just one of the peasants....THE PEASANTS THAT DO HAVE A BRAIN.

Damnit. See, I did it AGAIN. Those whores are sucking, fucking, bitching, leeching, moaning, groaning, their way to the top of the next evil foreign regime's hit squad...and for that, I now reluctantly admit, we must lift the trade embargo with Cuba and Fidel Castro while simultaneously dropping that entire family of silicone, hair spray, and facials(both kinds) onto Alcatraz and move on from that shameful part of US history.

I'm serious this time, now they are literally banished. TrueTwit provides a service that HELPS but certainly does not eradicate the problem of bots, spammers, and other kinds of internet backwash.

Pioneer Valley Spine and Sport Medicines

Pioneer Spine and Sports Physicians website link

Wow, let me say once again....WOW. I had previously dealt with one of their other locations back in 2007 after a very bad car accident. I presented with a herniated disk and pinched nerve between T-6-7 7-8. I had gotten an MRI back when I first started physical therapy at Cooley Dickenson Hospital in Northampton, MA. I met with Dr. Sarah Narayan this afternoon and once I gave her the consent so that she would be able to gain access to my previous history, she was gone no more then 3-4 minutes and then we did a quick physical and reflex tests.

For one of the very first times in my life I really felt like someone in the healthcare field cared about what they were doing in regards to how I felt, what i'm going through and what plan we have going forward to fix the problem...... DR. SARAH NARAYAN is a breath of fresh air that the medical field desperately needs going forward in my opinion. She worked quickly without rushing anything, asked all of the basic questions I figured she would ask and a few others I had not thought of which was comforting to know that she knew a lot more about these types of problems and has seen exactly what works and what doesn't. 

Because of my past drug history I made the decision prior to even making the appointment that I was going to take any pain medications that have an opiate content off the table and out of discussions. Although I never abused my previous subscriptions to percocet and I am in considerable pain I just don't even want to take one step down that road ever again.....could I have never even mentioned the suboxine program I am in and went home with 60 perk(5mg) yep, i'm pretty damn sure I would have had unlimited refills since something like back pain can be managed with medication and PT but its not something that typically goes away forever, there is no guarantee that the non-opiate prescription will do anything more the hid the back pain I have while raising my bodies tolerance to a dangerous drug. 

During my addiction I went from the point that a single 5 mg pill made me sick to my stomach and planned on never using them again. I even scheduled an appointment with my DR. a few weeks down the road thinking i'd need to get something else, anything else really, I couldn't function feeling that way..... other then that very first 5 mg perk I have NEVER felt sick while taking opiates again, my tolerance grew from 2 per day for a total of 10 mg of percocet daily, to 2 in the am right when I wake up so I can get out of my bed, 2 after lunch and 2 right before I went to sleep. As the months pass my tolerance builds up and i'm running out of my 10 day supply quicker and quicker. I was supposed to get 60 every 10 days or as needed.... I don't think I called on day 11 even once. 

With that system I was able to still go to work and function, but there was an invisible hold on me the minute I took that damn pill for the second time. It felt AMAZING. and I almost lost everything in my life that mattered to me because of where opiate addiction took me. It's not something most can get through alone. Its a simple fact. Without the help of someone outside of your clique your never going to be successful until you realize that what your doing isn't just hurting yourself, friends, family etc. It's KILLING THEM TO SEE YOU GO THROUGH THE WITHDRAWAL.

After looking at my X-Rays and discussing both my history and my present condition we decided on trying Prednisone(a type of steroid commonly used in situations like this) on a 2 week taper which eases itself out of your system if they are taken correctly and Gabapentin which is used in place of those opiate based/narcotic meds is much much less likely to be abused. While if my memory serves me I don't think Gabapentin worked for me last time but I couldn't really tell because I was always taking so many percocet that I had no way of knowing if the gabapentin was helpful.

For now I have weekly visits scheduled for physical therapy and a check up with the good DR after a few weeks(when the prednisone cycle is done with). For the first time in over 10 years I made the right choices and for that, the fact that i'm free this January instead of in jail like I was last year, means more then I can put into words. Remember there is always someone out there worse off then you, take the time and effort that you put into finding and buying the best drugs every single day and put that towards your family and friends and I can guarantee you'll feel 10 times better then by that stupid hit.

Papa Gino;s Review- Northampton, Massachusetts

I'm sorry to say this was by far the WORST Papa Gino's I have EVER been to in my entire life! I live probably about 20 minutes so I only go maybe once a year but yesterday was just so absoultely disgusting I couldn't help but writing. 


I used to love eating there back years ago and it was also very popular in northampton at this location. but now I know why I was the only customer inside and the 3 workers spent so much time laughing...they knew what I was getting myself into. My stomach still hurts this am  from that crap, it was barely edible. I used the order online option which was very convenient and I'd definitely recommend all places that serve this type of food make it available. The website is pretty slow which is annoying when your in a hurry but a few different thing can contribute to that on your end as well such as your internet connection.  


As for the food, women and small children should close your eyes here. Ok, they closed? Damnit, I SAW YOU PEAKING KID. YES, YOU! close them! Ok, breadsticks have got to be the easiest item to make on any pizza shops menu right? Well, try feeding that crap they call "Cheesy Bread" to Seagulls and they'd prob fly back overhead just to shit on you! We unfortuneatly bought a large which was overpriced to begin with at $6.49 but add in the fact it was colder then room temperature, rubbery from the thawing and "re-heating" sorry I mean "Cooking" process I'd imagine, and even having a look that was so unappealing that I literally closed my eyes when I took a bite.....I wish the story ended there....but NOPE, IT DOES NOT! Decided to get the large since the small was almost the same price and that way we figured we could have leftovers for lunch this afternoon.

Papa Gino's Link in Google Maps
Papa Gino's Menu Link for Northampton Location

Sox should be willing to ponny up the $20 mill without giving it a second thought

                                   ESPN.COM Article link

Once upon a time the Boston Red Sox were able to sign a player thought to be at the very top of the game of baseball no matter what country he pitched in....but then he pitched in the AL East. It wasn't pretty. The majority of his games were downright boring. Dice K Matsuzaka was a phenom of sorts in Japan and the Red Sox payed a pretty penny most thought at the time for a young stud to be at the top end of their rotation.  

baseball reference article link on DICE K

In his 6 years in Boston he posted an ERA under 3 only once, the 2008 season he went 18-3. His career era in Boston was over 4.5 in 6 years that became more and more painful to watch for fans.

Hopefully this time around the Sox outbid the competition again but get a better result by plucking the best starting pitcher in the Japanese League in his prime. The $20 million buy out that his Japanese team will receive if he signs in MLB is $30 million less the what the Red Sox paid for Matsuzaka before they negotiated his contract. Mashahiro Tanaka is dominant....much more so then DICE K. He has 53 complete games along with 18 shutouts.  This past season he went a steady 24-0 with just over 1 ERA. 

The Sox NEED to do something to strengthen up their starting pitching at the front end. While right now it may look as if they have more then enough pitching, by the end of the year it always seems like you can never have enough. Since it's an international signing and the only detriment to them would be in their wallets I see no reason that Tanaka isn't pitching in the AL East right behind Jon Lester and a healthy Clay Buckholtz. Getting a #3 pitcher who can go deep into ballgames and take pressure off the bullpen which is looking to already be a strength would be a move that could pay off for years to come. 

The Sox could sign Tanaka and possibly trade one of their heralded prospects to replace their hole in center-field if Jackie Bradley isn't deemed ready yet. While the competition in Japan obviously isn't what it is here in MLB but domination is domination and he has shown a steady progression throughout his 7 years overseas and is now in his prime. Having possibly 4 starting pitchers in their prime in their rotation along with young power arms mixed with proven veterans in the bullpen could be a recipe for success for a long dynasty type run in Boston.

Northampton District Courthouse, Massachusetts Legal System

Northampton District Court Directions from Google Maps


The courthouse is located at the intersection of 2 of the most well known streets in the town of Northampton, Main st and King st. Technically the building has an address on Gothic st which is always under construction for one reason or another so be prepared to take a little walk if you have court in the morning. Always leave yourself enough time to park at one of the meters on main st, which means bringing some change so you don't get a RIDICULOUSLY HIGH PRICED TICKET.

Proceed to walk over to what looks like the back of the courthouse and go through the metal detectors and then proceed upstairs to whichever court has summoned you. When first arriving always make sure to check in at the probation office which will notify the court of your presence and where you will be filling out paperwork to determine if your eligible for a "free" attorney or must hire one yourself based on your income. The attorney is NEVER actually free though as there is a min $150 fee which can be worked off through community service if the judge allows. Typically your working at a rate of $10 per hour so you'd potentially owe 15 hours of community service somewhere in the near vicinity. 

Clean-Slate Recovery Program

Cleanslate has been every bit of the life saver for me that I say it is.....Without the combination of counseling at the main office weekly combined with counseling from an outside 3rd party and the medication Suboxin I would be still using heroine daily to this day. The comparisons can be drawn between a methadone program and a suboxin program however in my humble opinion there really is no comparison.... The clean-slate program has kept me clean and sober from any and all opiates since my first day of induction back 8 months ago. The Cleanslate program has two options of treatment, Suboxone/Buprenorphin-Naloxon) or Vivitrol.

The most basic difference between Suboxone and Vivitrol is the length of time between visits to the office and amount of time between doses..... Suboxone comes in both pill and film form and is taken on a daily basis by allowing it to dissolve under your tongue while it is absorbed. It is def not the best tasting thing i've ever had but it's detractors are ABSOLUTELY out weighed by its positives. It's taken as closely to the same time daily as possible to work yourself into a routine as to not ever forget it. You will feel uncomfortable as far as the beginning of withdrawal symptoms if you forget your dose in the am and are unable to take it until say 6 pm after work when you typically take it at 6 am.

http://www.cleanslatecenters.com/locations Just click the link and look for a cleanslate center in your area...it saved my life and if I can help just one person make the decision to eliminate opiates from their life and get clean, this was more then worth it.

Suboxone when taken correctly eliminates the often painful withdrawal symptoms from opiate dependence. In addition it has a "blocker" aspect that will not allow the receptors in your brain to "get high" by not allowing the opiate to attach itself. This can be dangerous for users who don't understand that no matter how much heroine they take for instance, THEY CAN NOT GET HIGH IF THEY ARE ON A NORMAL SUBOXONE PROGRAM AND ARE ADHERING TO THE DIRECTIONS OF YOUR CLINICIANS. Some ppl have overdosed or even died as a result of not understanding this process and continuing to either smoke, sniff or inject more heroine or pills when they don't get high after their first attempt. 

Vivatrol on the other hand is injected by a trained professional once a month and gives the patient less responsibility as far as making sure of taking their meds on time, daily, and keeping that routine. Vivitrol does have the same endgame possibilities though allowing patients to accidentally overdose if they attempt to get high without realizing the blocker will not allow it.

Ambien/Zolpidem

I've had sleep problems for most of my life for one reason or another....some of them self inflicted and others just a victim of circumstances. When I first head the word Ambien one image, one huge headline and one celebrity came to mind. TIGER WOODS. 

Link to article in which Tiger's use is explained

Unfortunately my sleep problems are with both falling asleep and staying asleep. It really makes mornings difficult as far as getting myself outta bed and functioning. I've now gotten into the habit of having a nice strong coffee first thing just to kinda clear my head and go over my itinerary of the day.  A standard dose is usually 10mg before bed but many doctors will start you off on a 5 mg pill to see if that is strong enough to ease the sleeplessness.

A drug such as Ambien should not be taken daily, ideally its only taken for a period of a week or two and then discontinued when whatever reasons you had for being unable to sleep have passed. It is prescribed monthly on a limited basis as long as it is not being abused or even used correctly nightly....at most it should be taken every other day to delay the body from becoming dependent. Once dependent if not taken as scheduled you will experience withdrawal symptoms. Symptoms range from trouble sleeping, shaking, racing thoughts, sweating, headaches, vomiting and even stiffness throughout the body causing pain.

Personally I take a 10 mg dose as needed. I make sure to never use Ambien more then 3 times per week and have managed to typically only use it 1 or 2 times weekly as to avoid a physical or mental dependence.  I have tried over the counter sleep aids such as the ones sold at 7-11 or CVS and those never really worked for me. Even over the counter meds can be addicting and habit forming though so be careful when taking any type of med for an extended period of time. 

Vistaril/Hydroxyzine Pamoate Capsules For Generalized Anxiety

Vistaril or Hydroxyzine Pamoate as the generic version is called is a anti-histamine which has been shown to help patients experiencing anxiety symptoms in certain circumstances. A typical dose would be a 50mg capsule which is green on one end and white on the other. Typically it's acceptable to take up to 4 doses per day depending on the patients drug and medical history along with symptoms. For someone with a more active metabolism such as myself I take 2 50mg capsules right when I wake up, 2 after lunch, 2 after dinner and 2 more before bed.

Vistaril listing on RXLIST.com

In my experience the Hydroxyzine has def helped dampen the anxiety I have to try and deal with constructively on a daily basis. It is by no means a cure-all per se and without taking my other medications in addition to the Vistaril it is not as effective. When taking a drug like Vistaril it is important to gauge the effects honestly and openly with your doctor because it can have an effect on your ability to do certain motor functions such as drive safely. While I haven't noticed a "drowsiness" effect myself, it is on the warning label.

Always be sure to tell your counselor, therapist, psychiatrist, pharmacist, doctor, and anyone else prescribing medication all meds you are taking even the over the counter ones. It is extremely important to be honest and up front with medications because of possible adverse side effects when certain ones are combined...