Cracking the coke

Living vicariously through Jonny Quest on Saturday mornings was an absolute thrill. So when you learned you could get a Jonny decoder ring for your own adventures, it was epic. Free with the purchase of those sweet action shoes 😎 

If you still have a decoder ring, it could score you a lot of money, and not just on the collector market. A reward of $1 million is on offer from Indian officials to anyone who can decode this ancient script.

With the ring, you’ll be reading that script like Johnny Nash ;)

(Love nostalgia? Play today’s trivia below for a chance to win a $25 Tim Hortons eGift Card!)

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration approved Vertex Pharmaceuticals’ Journavx, a new type of drug designed to assist with post-surgery pain without the risk of addiction carried by opioids like Vicodin and Oxycontin.

The painkiller falls somewhere between those types of drugs and Tylenol in terms of its effectiveness at managing pain. It’s not as strong as opioids, but in some ways that’s a good thing.

The opioid epidemic was first caused by overprescribing pharmaceutical drugs, but it’s mostly driven by illegal fentanyl today. Prescriptions for drugs this intense have fallen considerably over the last decade after the danger of their use even once was made clear.

Journavx is designed to block proteins in the brain that trigger pain signals, rather than opioids, which bind to brain receptors and essentially take them over.

“It’s not a slam dunk on effectiveness,” said Michael Schuh of the Mayo Clinic, a pharmacist and pain medicine expert. “But it is a slam dunk in that it’s a very different pathway and mechanism of action, so I think that shows a lot promise.”

The Grammys main show was presented last night, featuring the top award ceremonies for the best in today’s music. Before that on Saturday, though, the Purple One and The Clash were rightfully immortalized with lifetime achievement awards.

According to the Recording Academy, the lifetime achievement is recognized in those "who, during their lifetimes, have made creative contributions of outstanding artistic significance to the field of recording."

It was an emotional night at the Special Merit Award ceremony, and several artists spoke on their experiences with Prince and with The Clash, including Prince’s longtime peer Jimmy Jam of The Time.

"He had the best work ethic of anybody I ever met," Jam said. "What that lesson taught me was that he saw me as better than I saw myself. I want to enlighten other people to their greatness."

Punxsutawny Phil saw his shadow yesterday, but did you get a chance to watch Groundhog Day?

If you’re jonesing for a taste of Bill Murray, look no further! We’re throwing it back to some of his most iconic roles with today’s trivia! Complete the game and earn a shot at a $25 Tim Hortons eGift Card ;)

Winner will be notified tomorrow. Keep your eyes on your inbox!*

Have a great day ahead Staker!

Today’s issue written by Michael Cowan, Joey Cowan, and Maureen Norman.


*SEE FULL STAKE TRIVIA CONTEST RULES HERE.