Science!

[kahljorn]

She could scour the insides of her uterus with a belt sander if she feels like it. She's not obligated to anybody because she has a culture of cells inside her which may or may not be of some worth.


:TAKINGPHILOSOPHyCLASSES

[Evil Robot]

Another alternative to abortion would be to press ctrl-alt-del to bring up the task manager then highlight "baby" and click "end task".

[Colonel Flagg]

Since I don't have any direct knowledge of Dixie's medical history beyond what I've read in this forum, I must refrain from directly commenting on her choosing to terminate her pregnancy. [EDIT: plus it being none of my GOD DAMNED business.] This being said, I am an advocate for adoption in cases where the individual involved makes that decision to take the pregnancy to term.

She knows the risks better than I, and has probably considered the consequences better than most anyone else on this board.

We've got to stop acting like we're running for public office. Barring a Supreme Court ruling overturning Roe v. Wade, abortion is legal in this country. Deal with it.

[Tadao]

Another alternative to abortion would be to press ctrl-alt-del to bring up the task manager then highlight "baby" and click "end task".

That is one of the funniest things I have ever read on the internet. :goodjob

[Fathom Zero]

:TAKINGPHILOSOPHyCLASSES
Speaking of shit, (see what I did there?), I've been having awful-smelling poops. I've been eating a lot of yogurt recently, but is that enough to change how your farts smell?

[kahljorn]

it's probably just because your insides smell like your outsides

[Colonel Flagg]

I've been eating a lot of yogurt recently, but is that enough to change how your farts smell?

Shit yeah! :p

Anytime you change your diet, especially eating yogurt which has a lot of "gut bacteria", you can change your digestive chemistry, which can change the composition (and scent) of your bodily functions. It may take awhile for your "odoriferous emanations" to quell, as your digestive system gets used to the new fuel, or they may not until you change back.

[Dimnos]

i'd really rather just get fixed so any ability to procreate is gone, i know i never want children and that's better for everyone. not that you guys know nor care, but i have issues carrying to full term anyhow due to cancer a few years ago and a butcher doctor and an early abortion is alot less painful than a 3-5 month miscarriage. if i could get my tubes tied, i would have several years ago but i have to wait til i'm 35 because of ethics.

Again...

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/IUD

Great alternative to being fixed. You could get one, it lasts about 5 years, then see if they are willing to tie your tubes. If not just get another one for another 5 years and try again. :\

[Dimnos]

Or.....

Possibly NSFW?

http://u3a1ma.blu.livefilestore.com/y1pzehLCaNlD1NErFl_Xn2INh5AIQfar-CDeLI2YdmBaj2PJhGRxHxqug4yrLZgdTXC_LvLiL5HsrjD9PRY JFhfOoOKuT4CEVA1/AvK.jpg

[Dimnos]

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/earth/earthnews/3323070/Killer-dolphins-baffle-marine-experts.html

Watching the films, Aberdeen marina biologist Dr Ben Wilson explains yet another shocking phenomenon - that the dolphins use their incredible ultra sound abilties to home in on the vital organs of their victims that will cause most damage.

:(

[kahljorn]

for some reason whenever I think of dolphins as being intelligent and sensitive i think of that dolphin raping hank hill :(

[Dixie]

went to the er again this morning.
went to a different hospital and they put me on prednisone and rifampin.
i had a severe reaction to the clindamycin where i couldn't breathe or swallow due to chest tightness, vomited constantly and had a nasty rash all over my body.
in addition to my new meds:
i'm taking tumeric powder, raw honey (i've also ordered manuka honey), 1 clove garlic with every meal, liquid acidophilus, kambucha green tea. and i got some lemongrass oil and manuka oils but i'm trying to figure out how to use those in conjunction with the antibiotics and prednisone.

[The Leader]

How much is this costing you?

[The Leader]

Not to add insult to injury or anthing...

[Dixie]

wayyyyyyyy too much, though the natural remedies cost far less than the antibiotics and the hospitals.

[Colonel Flagg]

I find it interesting infuriating that you need a cure for the cure. :(:eek>::\

[Evil Robot]

Just out of curiosity, how many times has the wound "opened" since you first noticed it?

[Dixie]

it's only opened once but it's stayed an open wound after it drained. it looks much better than when it was draining, but it hasn't gotten better or worse in the past few days. it's about the size of a dime at this point, which is much smaller than it was when it decided to ooze (about the size of a quarter then). the skin around it is no longer bright red and inflamed. it's basically a shallow superficial open wound. the colloidal silver gel i had been using stung very badly but hadn't seem to do much more than that. i douse it in hydrogen peroxide before and after every shower and i scrub the wound and surrounding area with hibiclens daily. change the dressings twice a day as well.

[Evil Robot]

Don't let it heal shut until the skin starts peeling like a bad sunburn in a ring. Anywhere that was inflamed is going to peel. When this happens you have only another week to go. Bad news, this is going to happen again within a year. If you haven't done so already, throw out ALL your towels and get new ones, don't shower with the window shut and avoid anything like saunas and don't wash dishes with your bare hands. The idea here is to not let your skin get waterlogged and "pruney" for a while since that's how a colony starts.

BTW Regardless of what the doctor said about the culture he did, its not MRSA. They always say MRSA just to be safe. If it were MRSA it would not be getting better right now.

BBTW I bet he told you its not from the spider bite, hes wrong.

[Dixie]

the skin around it did start peeling and itching terribly (i've been sure not to scratch it).
i'm about to move so i'm getting all new stuff anyways by way of towels and personal items. i hadn't heard about showering with the window open, but i will DEFINITELY take that advice. i'm not one to visit saunas so no problem there either. i figure there will be a recurrence eventually, but next time i'll be better prepared to act on it MUCH sooner. it isn't really pruney, though the ointments do make it look oozy from time to time. i also wash it with sterile saline that the hospital gave me and patch it up with a liberal amount of gauze. for awhile it was drying out and sticking to the gauze and would bleed when i removed it (i would douse it in more hydrogen peroxide then).

i don't know if it's really better, but at the moment it's got a white film on it (i'm guessing from the last application of the peroxide) and dark pink with slight peeling on the outside. they did the culture when i went to the er the second time and expressed a generous amount of pink pus. it started looking much better until halfway through my clindamycin course, i was slightly concerned about a resistance to it. but i went off the clindamycin today when i had to call the ambulance this morning. i was stupid and decided since i paid $77 for it i was gonna finish it, thursday was supposed to be my last day on it and i had previously been on the generic versions of bactrim and keflex which i responded violently to as well. i made it 12 days on the bactrim before a severe reaction set in.

i know it was a spider bite because i felt it, i didn't see it but i sure as hell felt it and there were two tiny weeping puncture marks at the top of the inflamed area. when i was on tour i used my bra as a pocket for money since animal print leggings don't typically have pockets. i'm pretty sure the dirty money on top of the wound (even slathered generously with neosporin) in conjunction with no sleep is what made it so bad.

and regardless of what is thought about me, when i'm in a relationship i am not promiscuous so unless my boyfriend had it on him my best guess at where it came from is the money. showering wasn't an issue either, i bathe/showered regularly, when we couldn't shower we all used antibacterial wipes, baby wipes and wash cloths with hot water in sinks.

i might be a scumbag but i'm not unhygienic if i can help it.
i was told it was mrsa and regardless if it is or not, it's still very scary.
i've put myself on a vegetarian diet with mostly leafy greens and lots of cranberries to see if it will help as well.

[Evil Robot]

Wash cloths? I'm going to guess that you let them air dry between uses which allowed the staph enough time to form a colony. When you soaked them in hot water it opened your pores and allowed the staph a nice place to grow (staph grows quick when warm.)

The wound needs to stay open until there's no more pus AND FOR THE LOVE OF GOD DON'T TOUCH THE PUS. Anything that gets ejected from the wound is contaminated and if you touch it it will spread just like poison ivy.

[Dixie]

well we had new washcloths every night so that wasn't so bad. the first er trip they told me to use warm compresses. i guess i won't be doing that again!
and there isn't anymore pus, it's done draining :D

[Babs]

I would highly recommend buying a couple of good sized towels and cutting them up into squares in the size of roughly 8" x 8" so that way every time you clean the infected area, you can throw away the towel just to be 100 percent sure you're not risking the spread of the highly contagious staph bacteria. I don't know if you were prescribed any form of an antibiotic cream but if so, it goes without saying that should be a top priority into applying it on the infected sight as soon as you have thoroughly cleaned the area. If you're diagnosed with having MRSA it is treatable, mostly being precisely combined with a series of antibiotics. Don't focus your mind so much on it being MRSA unless specifically you're doctor stated so, don't go be getting your shit all twisted up just because some ill informed Judas Priest fan thinks it seems to be MRSA, you want that professional opinion.

[Dixie]

so i woke up this morning with a severe headache, severely itchy skin (even though most of my skin coloring and texture is fairly normal again, except for my face which is healing slowly), and one of my eyes is horribly swollen. it seems i may be allergic to the rifampin as well. i've been on the phone with pharmacists and nurses all morning and my pharmacist told me there's really very few other antibiotics that i could try and they're all terribly expensive. i'm done with taking expensive antibiotics only to find out that i'm allergic to them. i am however trying to schedule an immediate appointment with the new referred wound care specialist to see if there's anything else i can do from a western medicine standpoint even though i'm very skeptical of it now.

i'm going to start dressing the wound with raw honey and gauze today after my AM shower. the manuka honey and manuka oil won't be here until next week but i do have some "ordinary" raw honey in the meantime. i was told the manuka honey is optimal but if i wanted to begin a honey based treatment, the raw honey i have should help. i'm going to make a salve with the honey and lemongrass essential oil to see how well that does.

i've really had enough of constant anaphylactic shock. i had been feeling better since my last er visit, the wound looks much better, but i don't think i can continue this new antibiotic. i kept trying to "tough it out" with the last few because i paid so much money for them (which is dumb i know), but i'm not risking it again.

[Dixie]

oh yeah, and the rifampin makes my pee, sweat, and tears all dark orangey red. my first urination after taking it kind of scared me.

[Dimnos]

Pics or it didnt happen.

[Dixie]

i'm not going into shock for the second time today for your amusement.
though i might be convinced to sell you my leftover rifampin so you can see for yourself.

[Dixie]

annnnd back to the hospital i go

[Tadao]

<3

[Dixie]

that sucked. but this doctor told me to discontinue all medications because my reactions are so violent. they kept me for about 7 hours and gave me lots of benadryl, pepcid, and solumedrol by iv.
he said the wound looks like it's healing well and i shouldn't need anymore antibiotics as long as i'm taking good care of it but i still have to go for a follow up monday.
i have to return to the er if blisters appear.
yay.

[Colonel Flagg]

Well. That is actually a refreshing change - a doctor that looks at the patient, and not just at the "weeping sore". It sounds as if you got a good practitioner who is giving you good pragmatic advice, as well as a program for forward action on your health. Don't look now, but you might actually be getting better :crossfingers

[Dixie]

the wound depth and size has decreased dramatically with 24 hours of the natural remedies and 12 hours of the raw honey dressing. that in itself has made me incredibly optimistic.
the doctor today actually seemed concerned for me and that made me feel better as well.

[Babs]

I just got an ingrown toenail removed along with the most splendid black pus drawn from it. Now it's off to the ENT to have them drill up a passage way for my right nostril then off to the gastrointestinologist to have some intensive surgery on a fistula. I LOVE THIS SITUATION.

CiG, it happens to the best.

[kahljorn]

you guys got me sick over the internet ;/

[Sam]

YOU EVER BEEN TO A KEY PARTY WITH A HERD OF RHINO?

[Perndog]

I bet the wound only got smaller on the outside cause it moved farther inside. Pretty soon you'll have no external marks and a huge hole in your heart. R.I.P.

[Tadao]

she has a heart?

[Fathom Zero]

coke-filled heart

[Dixie]

i'm recovering from everything well and now all the skin on my body is sloughing off revealing a softer, less scarred epidermis. it's almost cathartic watching my skin fall off.

wound is doing awesome, it's pretty much just a dark pink spot that's growing something like skin over it. it might leave a bit of a scar but that's not too bad.

[Tadao]

I'm glad you didn't have to amputate your tittie

[Dixie]

me too, i need that. it itches like a sonnabitch though.

[Colonel Flagg]

I'm sure you could get some help with the itching. Volunteers?

EDIT: I am glad you are feeling better. Seriously. :)

[Guitar Woman]

http://www.pharbestusa.com/Pharbedryl%20%28Diphenhydramine%20HCL%29%2025mg.JP G

Snort these and call me in the morning.

[Tadao]

I wanted to make a lotion joke but I already have like a million billion times. :(

[Colonel Flagg]

I'm not much into biochemistry, but wow. Mother Nature is something, isn't she?

http://www.rdmag.com/News/2010/03/Energy-Biofuels-University-of-York-Once-a-seafarers-scourge-the-gribble-could-be-biofuel-hero/

[Pub Lover]

Nanometre 'fuses' for high-performance batteries (http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/8556656.stm?ls)

:eek

[Colonel Flagg]

And there's two electrons down, 6 to go.

http://www.rdmag.com/News/2010/03/Environment-Atmospheric-Sciences-Nature-Gives-Clues-To-A-Way-To-Break-Down-A-Common-Greenhouse-Gas/

[Colonel Flagg]

Nanometre 'fuses' for high-performance batteries (http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/8556656.stm?ls)

The first report on the formation of compounds of this ilk was a short piece by then future Nobel-laureate Richard Smalley comparing the structure of C60 with common soot.

What goes around comes around.

[Fathom Zero]

COLONEL, WHAT DO YOU THINK OF NANOTUBES? HOW AWESOME ARE THEY REALLY?

[Colonel Flagg]

REALLY?? :eek :)

Actually they're really cool from a pure research perspective, but practically it is not yet possible to generate enough quantity or length to really make an impact. Yet. However, this advance is really intriguing - using the tubes to guide a reaction actually had the effect of speeding up the reaction a factor of 100x.

My interest in them is from a structural perspective. They're one of the highest (if not the highest) tensile strength materials known. If you can make the tubes long enough and numerous enough then you can start to envision cables made from nanotubes that can support structures like space tethers, negating forever the energy requirement for launching materials into low earth orbit. Just swing them up on an orbiting rotating tether.

Some visionaries have already begun to explore this technology, with materials readily available today. It's possible, but at a prohibitive cost.

[RaNkeri]

I think MWNTs are way past cooler than SWNTs

[Colonel Flagg]

I remember that - at least in the initial phase of discovery - the multiwall variety was actually easier to make than a single or double walled nanotube. An article I read showed an SEM photo of 7 nested nanotubes, for example. These would actually be preferable (I believe) for construction since not only do you have the tensile properties, you also have stiffness (from the nested tubes). From a chemical and electronic viewpoint, the single walled variety is more interesting since you can fill them up with metal atoms, forming nanowires.

Developing the ability to control the reaction to get the products you want is the key.

Better living (and researching) through chemistry. :)

[Babs]

Reason I haven't been on here more often is that I got some horrible news from the doctor and need 2 intensive surgeries where 2 concern my intestines and 1 being how horrible my sinus' are. Feel like complete shit but what am I going to do.

[Terra]

I hope they aren't connected to each other!

[Dimnos]

4EUAMe2ixCI

[Evil Robot]

I just smoked some salvia and now I can SEE radio waves. Where is your god now?

[Dimnos]

Hes in your head man! :hypno

[The Leader]

He lives in a lake and his name is Zorgo.

[kahljorn]

last time i did salvia i suddenly felt myself in a car in the midst of a blizzard and some lady was calling out to me and i thought t was my girlfriend so i begrudgingly walked to the othe side of the world and somehow saw her through the blizzard and was like, "WHATD You sAY" ALL YELLINg CAUSE EverythIng WAS LOUD and then she was like, "i didn't say anything"

and then my high went away.

[Supafly345]

ZgLWl1bjH84

[Fathom Zero]

http://gizmodo.com/5498413/quantum-mechanics-observed-by-the-human-eye

cooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooool

[camacazio]

I remember that - at least in the initial phase of discovery - the multiwall variety was actually easier to make than a single or double walled nanotube. An article I read showed an SEM photo of 7 nested nanotubes, for example. These would actually be preferable (I believe) for construction since not only do you have the tensile properties, you also have stiffness (from the nested tubes). From a chemical and electronic viewpoint, the single walled variety is more interesting since you can fill them up with metal atoms, forming nanowires.

Developing the ability to control the reaction to get the products you want is the key.

Better living (and researching) through chemistry. :)
I dunno dude I have it on good authority that chemists are idiots.
EDIT: ok so I guess I really don't know much about nanotubes. Glancing a bit on the web, looks like multi-wall is really just in the far limit of bad fabrication technology. Do they have specific uses that single-walled fail at?

[Colonel Flagg]

I dunno dude I have it on good authority that chemists are idiots.

Aha. Thou consorts with Physicists! For shame! >: :lol

ok so I guess I really don't know much about nanotubes. Glancing a bit on the web, looks like multi-wall is really just in the far limit of bad fabrication technology. Do they have specific uses that single-walled fail at?

I don't know what else I can add that I didn't already. THe concept of nanowires is fairly old, and may have been shown to be impossible from a practical standpoint.

[Supafly345]

At least they aren't as dumb as biologists.

[camacazio]

Ok so I got curious so I asked my friend about nanowires and got this:
12:03 PM Kevin: so i dont really know too much about nanowires, but nanotubes can do anything
12:05 PM we like them because they can be semiconducting or metallic, they have great transport along their length (good for shooting electrons around), one can make transparent conductors by degenerately doping the semiconducting tubes, we're also using them in solar cells with polymers
12:06 PM me: ok just got back from lab
12:07 PM ok so make me transparent aluminum
ugh you don't get star trak references
12:08 PM Kevin: but i guess people also like them because they have tensile strength and dont react away too easily, and people like using them for things like batteries and capacitors and i just read a paper on using them as guides for thermopower waves
chewie was in star trek too, right?
me: thermopower waves! :-o
12:09 PM that's so exciting that i'm gonna get lunch
seriously though that sounds cool what is that
Kevin: yum!
12:10 PM well basically they can have high thermal conductivity, so i think people showed that you could guide a chemical reaction down the length of the nanotube
its like lighting one end and having junk all along the tube that burns off and they think they can store lots of energy this way



Ok so great! Fun!

[Babs]

A man with qualifications said it's malignant. Baby, how do you like that? Your wishes came true.

[Colonel Flagg]

That sucks :( Seriously. Any more details you'd care to share?

[Babs]

What can I say, life is beautiful and the world is terrible. But in all seriousness, I think this is very treatable. I'm really embarrassed talking about because it's in an area that's kind of personal but it's what I get for being scared of going to the doctor.

I have to go in for surgery the 31st for my sinuses (this isn't related to my more serious problem) but I think it has to be pushed back AGAIN due to me being sick right now and I wasn't supposed to take any medications for 2 weeks but I obviously had to this time. Then I have to go get more surgery for my serious problem which isn't going to be good at all. I'll most likely loose a little bit of my intestines with this one.

I'll be three sheets to the wind for the rest of my life (or what's left of it) starting now.

[Pentegarn]

Lost intestines... Oh man, my aunt and my dad both went through that. :(

[Fathom Zero]

http://consumerist.com/2010/03/science-says-high-fructose-corn-syrup-is-pretty-much-the-worst-thing-ever.html

blurg

[Colonel Flagg]

I know, we have an AGW thread, but posting this might be akin to starting a nuclear flame-war. This article (http://www.rdmag.com/News/2010/03/Environment-Carbon-Dioxide-Even-soil-feels-the-heat/) has been presented in an objective manner, and it's thought-provoking.

[Fathom Zero]

I wish the ground were warmer. Then I wouldn't have to wear shoes! :)

[Colonel Flagg]

Just wait a few more short weeks. ;)

[Colonel Flagg]

News (http://www.scientificcomputing.com/news-DS-Open-Source-Game-Controlled-by-Eye-Movements-032610.aspx) from the world of gaming.

What I like about this is that the students made the device from parts costing a grand total of about $50.

[Babs]

Surgery tomorrow :\ WISH ME THE BEST YOU BASTARDS.

[Tadao]

I hope you die and never come back.

[Colonel Flagg]

Good luck, Babs.

[Colonel Flagg]

Got a match?

http://www.cnn.com/2010/TECH/science/04/28/laser.fusion.nif/index.html?hpt=C1

[Dimnos]

I read the first paragraph and got a chubby. Is that wrong?

[Colonel Flagg]

Nope, not in the slightest. :orgasm

[Babs]

So I died from surgery and now haunt the forums of I-mockery.

[Pentegarn]

Was it the anesthesia? That is a common reason for OR deaths

[Colonel Flagg]

He died. But then he got better.

[Babs]

it was.... THE BEES :x

[Pentegarn]

it was.... THE BEES :x

<object width="480" height="385"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/d4MqTCIDKhU&hl=en_US&fs=1&rel=0"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/d4MqTCIDKhU&hl=en_US&fs=1&rel=0" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="480" height="385"></embed></object>

[Fathom Zero]

HoBxPzmOccI

:lol

[Colonel Flagg]

Back to science for the moment, another study suggesting that increasing carbon dioxide has additional ill effects:

http://www.scientificcomputing.com/news-IN-New-Study-says-Oceans-Chemistry-Changing-Rapidly-042310.aspx

[Fathom Zero]

There's a hole in space. Just FYI. (http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/37088640/ns/technology_and_science-space/)

[Dimnos]

http://media.tumblr.com/tumblr_kzrlxtLx3v1qb25dg.jpg

[Colonel Flagg]

There's a hole in space. Just FYI. (http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/37088640/ns/technology_and_science-space/)

Larry Niven said that first.

http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/514W8QHG1ML._SL500_AA300_.jpg

I read that article quickly and did a doubletake when I misread that Astronomer's name as Tom Megadeath. :eek

[Pub Lover]

This hole isn't the same thing as the WMAP Cold Spot (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/CMB_cold_spot)?

[Colonel Flagg]

Nope - NGC 1999 is in Orion, this "hole" is in Eridanus. Also, I believe NGC 1999 (an emission nebula) is in our galaxy, while the hole is a huge structure hundreds of millions of light-years across at the edge of the known universe.

They do appear similar in shape, if not in size.

[Evil Robot]

FLUORIDE
FLUORIDE
FLUORIDE
FLUORIDE
http://www.starhunter.nl/images/artiesten/disco_gina.jpg

[Colonel Flagg]

:chatter

[Pentegarn]

I sense a theme coming from the Evil Robot... can't quite put my finger on what it is though :P

[Colonel Flagg]

It's a ZZTop song - "The Toothpaste Boogie" :posh

[Tadao]

http://hackedirl.files.wordpress.com/2010/04/129157672625380879.jpg

[Pentegarn]

That pic of House and It's Not Lupus made me :lol

Most of the time it's not lupus

Except that one episode where it was

[Dimnos]

Nice. :lol

[Dimnos]

http://media.tumblr.com/tumblr_l2emxsJ9Bh1qb25dg.jpg

[Pentegarn]

And here I thought magnets were just magic all up in this bitch :lol

[Babs]

More surgery :\

[Pub Lover]

Scientists in the US have succeeded in developing the first synthetic living cell.
The researchers constructed a bacterium's "genetic software" and transplanted it into a host cell.
The resulting microbe then looked and behaved like the species "dictated" by the synthetic DNA.
The advance, published in Science, has been hailed as a scientific landmark, but critics say there are dangers posed by synthetic organisms.

..

[Colonel Flagg]

This sounds like the plotline from "The Henderson Monster". :eek

[Fathom Zero]

..

I caught him posting outside of the chat.

WINNER

[Dimnos]

http://media.tumblr.com/tumblr_l20epdB8Nz1qb25dg.jpg

[Colonel Flagg]

I :love coffee/I :love tea
I :love the Java Jive and it loves me.

Respect the bean.

[Tadao]

http://chzsomuchpun.files.wordpress.com/2010/05/129187664612870791.jpg

[Pentegarn]

I :lol 'd

[Colonel Flagg]

Well, climate change (http://www.laboratoryequipment.com/news-Arctic-ice-at-rock-bottom-060710.aspx)is in the news again ...

Of course, the presence of the so-called proxy is not infallible, but if they're looking at a sufficiently long period of time, and the coverage matches currently available historical climate data, then there is a high probability that they're right. In which case, we might be in for some "new" oceanfront property. :(

Personally, I think the stated grand objective of getting ice coverage data spanning the past million years may be pushing reality, but what do I know.

[Fathom Zero]

Cool beans. I live in Oklahoma, so it'll be nice to have to cover less of a distance to get to the beach.

[Colonel Flagg]

Silver lining, my friend! :)

[Dimnos]

http://bmgoau.cwahi.net/spitzer.html

[Fathom Zero]

A panoramic photo of the universe?

[Dimnos]

Zoomable panoramic photo of the galaxy.

[Fathom Zero]

Well, if it was a higher resolution, it would be the universe, yeh?

[Dimnos]

Um... Im going to guess no.

[Fathom Zero]

We're not in the universe?

[The Leader]

Higher resolution would not increase the field of view. It would just increase the quality of the image. It would still be the galaxy.

[Dimnos]

Or an estimated 1/10^1000000 of the universe.

[Fathom Zero]

Thus able to magnify better. And yeah, I was getting at the fact that it was a look at the damn near infinity of space. There's stuff billions of times farther away than that, and I was going to say that other celestial bodies, while resembling little more than grains of sand, could still be visible with a high-enough quality image.

[Colonel Flagg]

We are one step closer (http://www.scientificcomputing.com/news-DA-Bubble-Mystery-Busted-060910.aspx)to answering the ages-old question:

"Which will last longer - the home half of the 7th inning at a Mets game, or the head on a mug of Rheingold Beer?"

[Kitsa]

Am I the only one who noticed that the biologist didn't have any pants?

[Dimnos]

I assumed they were cream. :\

[Kitsa]

http://media.tumblr.com/tumblr_l20epdB8Nz1qb25dg.jpg

if that were a poster for sale, I would totally buy it.

[Dimnos]

http://media.tumblr.com/tumblr_l3t8oaTh1q1qb25dg.jpg

[Dimnos]

http://www.wired.com/images_blogs/wiredscience/2010/06/jaxarendering-660x581.jpg

So IKAROS launched close to the end of last month. Any further word on how the sail is working yet? Colonel? I have a feeling you would know. :)

[Esuohlim]

That reminds me. My dream job is to be an engineer/astrophysist for NASA and when that happens I'll come to this thread often to divulge our secret space plans :x

I hear we're going to start a war with the life forms we'll find beneath the ice on Europa :eek

And why do you think we're really going to Pluto? >:

That's right, for their sodium fluoride antidotes :x

[Colonel Flagg]

IKAROS is as far as I know operating normally. The sail was successfully deployed 2 weeks ago - at least in part (I think they're unfurling it in stages). Other than this, they're on track for arrival at Venus in 6 months, with a price tag of $16M US. Micro-cheap by today's standards.

@ Milhouse - when are you planning on divulging the secret of warp drive?

[Dimnos]

Fixed it.

Milhouse fixed his own shit so this post is no longer needed.

[10,000 Volt Ghost]

That reminds me. My dream job is to be an engineer/astrophysist for NASA and when that happens I'll come to this thread often to divulge our secret space plans :x

I hear we're going to start a war with the life forms we'll find beneath the ice on Europa :eek

And why do you think we're really going to Pluto? >:



I think the life forms under Europa are going to be originally from Pluto. That's also why we declassified Pluto as a planet. We took away their home.

[kahljorn]

how does that sail work? does it actually propel the craft?

IS IT THE SOLAR WINDS? :lol

[The Leader]

Yes. :(

[executioneer]

what the shit

they made an actual working solar sail

i reiterate, WHAT THE SHIT

[Esuohlim]

What I don't understand is how the craft is travelling to Venus if it's being propelled by solar emittance since, uh, you have to go toward the sun to get to Venus.

[executioneer]

you can still go towards the wind in regular sailing if you use special tricks, i don't see why you couldn't do that with solar sailing
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sailing#Beating_or_.22working.22

[kahljorn]

the guy who made the sail played a lot of sid meirs pirates! :(

probably id imagine what happens is maybe they dont actually sail against the thing but they are using inertia but i dont know :(

plus in space you dont necessarily have to travel towards the sun to get to venus you can just travel perpendicular to it

[Dimnos]

That and catch a bunch of photons bouncing off the Earth or Moon. :\

[The Leader]

Solar sails don't have to rely entirely on solar winds. You could just hit it with radiation or a laser or magic lighting bolts to make it go.

[Colonel Flagg]

@Leader - Read "Rocheworld" by Dr. Robert L. Forward. He thought of exactly this mode of space travel, and made it realistic. Laser-powered stardrive. Awesome stuff.

That is, if you like HARD science-fiction. ;)

[Evil Robot]

That sail aint doing nothin a chevy small block couldn't do.

[Colonel Flagg]

Of course, but where do you fill up?

[Esuohlim]

plus in space you dont necessarily have to travel towards the sun to get to venus you can just travel perpendicular to it

If by "perpendicular to the sun" you mean "tangent to Earth's orbit" then that is still crazy talk!

Space is crazy! >:

Fuck this shit I'm going to go work at Denny's

[Pentegarn]

The complexities of outer space have nothing on a grand slam

[Kitsa]

Denny's!

http://www.theonion.com/video/obama-drastically-scales-back-goals-for-america-af,14343/

[Dimnos]

Is Dennys the one with the bacon cheddar fries? Or is that IHOP?

[Dimnos]

Oh and...


http://media.tumblr.com/tumblr_l4fekk2wos1qb25dg.jpg

[Colonel Flagg]

Mmmmmmmm bacon!

[kahljorn]

POWERING A SAILCRAFT WITH A LASER IS CHEATING AND IT GOES COMPLETELY AGAINST THE SPIRIT OF ADVENTURE

[The Leader]

You're just mad because you didn't think of it. >:

[kahljorn]

ACTUALLY I READ IT IN THE WIKIPEDIA ARTICLE SO THERE

[Dimnos]

IN THREE YEARS THE WORLD POPULATION WILL FREEZE!

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/health/healthnews/7857262/Scientists-invent-first-male-contraceptive-pill.html


The scientist behind the male pill discovery has developed a tablet that removes a vital protein in sperm that is required for a woman to conceive.
So while sperm still get through to the uterus they are unable to fertilise an egg.
Using this approach, researchers believe they have a pill that is 100 pc effective at stopping pregnancy

:lol

[Tadao]

I'd rather have a vasectomy than trust some bitch not to fuck with my pills. :O

[Dimnos]

You take one pill and your good for three months.

[Dimnos]

No wang slicing.

[Fathom Zero]

I like the thought of no wang slicing.

[Tadao]

Does it contain Fluoride?

[Colonel Flagg]

Ah, yes. the EVIL ELEMENT!

[Kitsa]

I was at the weirdest hospital today, Mr. Kitsa was having a procedure (tumor removed...benign). Anyway, it was like walking into the Four Seasons (or Ritz-Carlton, or Waldorf=Astoria) of hospitals. Soft ambient lighting, waterfalls, vouchers for free Starbucks from multiple kiosks around the waiting area, personalized pagers and an airport-style patient tracking system, your own personal "contact person" to run interference between you and the medical personnel, and so on. The cafe had gourmet food, not GFS heatlamp stuff, and the ice cream was top-shelf (http://www.graeters.com/).

You didn't go to the pharmacy to pick up your pain meds...a "pharmacy liaison" met you after your surgery, took your insurance card, and met you with the bag on the way out. I have been in a shitload of hospitals...sometimes for almost a year at a time...and I've never seen anything like this. The bathroom doorknobs each had mechanisms that cranked new plastic over the knob between each use, like the toilet seats in some airport bathrooms.

I am very, very afraid to see the bill.

[Pentegarn]

That is the trend of hospitals these days. There's one in Dublin, Ohio (I think) that is a lot like that. The rooms themselves are huge and have guest beds. There were a ton of other features in each room too, like a resort.

[The Leader]

They had a whole resort in each room? :O

[Dimnos]

That is not top shelf ice cream. I would have complained. >:

[Tadao]

SCIENCE FACT

If your hand is bigger than your face or your palm smells of almond, you have cancer.

[The Leader]

REALLY? :O

[Colonel Flagg]

Seems like a pretty good bet.

[Tadao]

Have a friend watch as you put your hand to your face.

[Esuohlim]

OW, DAMNIT

FUCK YOU TADAO :(

[Colonel Flagg]

And get it on video .... so you can send it to your family practitioner.

[Colonel Flagg]

Ohhhh. Is this a joke? :confused

[Tadao]

http://wiki.answers.com/Q/Is_it_true_that_if_your_hand_is_bigger_than_your_f ace_you_have_cancer

gIHwIcX18h0

[Colonel Flagg]

Why am I always the last to know? >:

[Fathom Zero]

http://news.yahoo.com/s/livescience/20100701/sc_livescience/thedownsidetotherecoveryoftheozonehole

I didn't know it was coming back. I always thought everything about the Earth was irreparable, like I was always taught by those hippies

[Colonel Flagg]

If you think this is surprising, consider that plastic, which was always thought to be "permanent" - remember the commercial "10,000 years in a landfill"? - decomposes in less than 50 years in the ocean. This is a problem, unfortunately, since the additives in plastic bottles, which went unregulated for many years in the '60s and '70s, are now being indiscriminately "added" to the ocean, which is causing environmental and biological havoc among oceanic wildlife and habitat.

But the oceans are resilient - I recently saw a TED webcast which showed underwater photos of underwater habitat in Australia and New Zealand which was decimated as recently as 25 years ago, came back to life and vigor under protective stewardship. And in Philly, the Schuylkill river was, when I was growing up, a cesspit of garbage, detritus and very many dead fish. Now, it is actually used for recreation, right in the middle of the city - boating, swimming and fishing.

So I don't find it surprising. Even anthropogenic global climate change can be limited or reduced to the point where nature takes over again. IF it exists, that is - in case you were unaware, there is still some debate on this point. :dunce (We probably talked about this before , when coonholio was still actively posting crap, but I can't be bothered to look it up. :()

[Fathom Zero]

I didn't think the Earth so fragile as to not bounce back from such awful things. And if it wasn't able to spring back, there'd be no point in just stopping it because human population growth would just make it worse in the long run.

I'm interested to see how the ocean will handle all of the crude oil, though.

[Zhukov]

It's coming back? I... I can go outside again?

[Pentegarn]

So I don't find it surprising. Even anthropogenic global climate change can be limited or reduced to the point where nature takes over again. IF it exists, that is - in case you were unaware, there is still some debate on this point. :dunce (We probably talked about this before , when coonholio was still actively posting crap, but I can't be bothered to look it up. :()

I think only coolie thought climate change was a myth :lol

That said, he did touch (inadvertently I do not doubt) on something I do take issue with. Cap and trade tax (or penalties). I feel it sets a dangerous precedent. We know CO2 is considered a gas that effects global warning, so how long before a country is charged a cap and trade penalty for their population because exhaling while breathing emits CO2?

In essence, cap in trade is potentially a 'breathing tax'. I take issue with that. Time was when we worried about CO2 emissions, we planted trees. What happened to those days?

[Colonel Flagg]

That said, [coolsterino] did touch (inadvertently I do not doubt) on something I do take issue with. Cap and trade tax (or penalties).

Ah, but he was the only one bringing it up, tacitly assuming he was the ONLY ONE who was against "cap-and-trade".

Not true.

But he never listened, or stayed around long enough to find out.

That being said, there is still hefty debate going on in the scientific community on anthrpogenic climate change - man's contribution to the global carbon cycle - and that is still a matter of some disagreement. Most of the climatologists believe there is a tipping point above which the balance of carbon will drastically shift, bringing about a drastic change in the average global temperature. That still remains to be seen; the world is a complex place.

I just think we should limit the production of greenhouse gases to lessen the impact hiumans have on the global environment, and to reduce dependence on fossil fuels. I think that makes good economic and environmental sense.

[kahljorn]

but you wannta take away my freedums

Time was when we worried about CO2 emissions, we planted trees. What happened to those days?HIPPY!

Anybody with a BREAIN knows you don't need trees just pots of boiling water

[Grislygus]

why they gotta make it a thing

[Pentegarn]

HIPPY!

No need to get downright insulting :lol

Anybody with a BREAIN knows you don't need trees just pots of boiling water

:confused:

[Colonel Flagg]

Anybody with a BREAIN knows you don't need trees just pots of boiling water

:lol

[Kitsa]

A woman at a party last night told me that if I ever forget my inhaler again, to breathe in over a cup of ice because the oxygen is more concentrated over ice.

[Colonel Flagg]

How much did she have to drink?

[The Leader]

Did she have a lot of ice water? Maybe she was being affected by all of the oxygen. :x

[Kitsa]

I told her I'd have to remember it, and I did.

I'm the dumbass for leaving my rescue inhaler at home during an event where I knew there'd be a lot of smoke. Fortunately the wheezing was minor and stopped on its own.

[Colonel Flagg]

You should have told her that actually oxygen is less dense than nitrogen so in a given "emergency" situation you should stand on your tippy toes instead.

[Kitsa]

also, my pulmonologist says that in 50 years an asthmatic's lungs and a smoker's lungs look the same. He's trying to get me to take steroids and I'm fighting it because of the cancer history.

I have yet to work up the nerve to ask how, exactly, the lungs look the same, seeing as asthma doesn't leave much of a tarry residue or burn any cilia.

[kahljorn]

How come nobody ever talks about what would happen if there were TOO MANY TREES and not enough greenhouse gases?

It's widely known in science that dinosaurs would proliferate again.

[Colonel Flagg]

also, my pulmonologist says that in 50 years an asthmatic's lungs and a smoker's lungs look the same.

Maybe he's only referring to scar tissue? Still, it seems a pretty lame comparison to me.

One of my foster children was prescribed an agressive regimen of albuterol and pulmicort (steroid) due to lung damge suffered in utero. The pediatrician was hoping that by hitting the symptoms hard, early, while he still had a developing respiratory system, the air passages and the interior of his lungs would respond by healing and even by repairing damaged alveoli. It is quite a stretch, seeing as lung tissue does not regenerate, but that's more in adults - infants can be much more resilient.

18 months later on, and there was no longer any sign of wheezing or gasping in any of his checkups. So we're cautiously optimistic that he may have turned the proverbial corner.

His steroid regimen was cumulatively very small in comparison to what a typical adult with asthma would be prescribed, I'd think.

I'm not sure if any of this is relevant to your situation at all, but sometimes it's useful to get another perspective.

[Kitsa]

Suppose so. I'm glad he's better. But I've been on so many steroids for one reason or another (cancer, adrenal issues, etc) I'm surprised I don't have the shakes yet. And personally, I'm not a huge fan of the bloated steroid-y feeling.

I don't have a lot of asthma attacks. The vast majority of them are from allergic reactions, which I can easily head off with atarax or benadryl. My rescue inhaler is for when I need to take it a step further, but that doesn't happen often. I only had one stress-related attack recently, and it took quite an amount of stress to tip me into it.

I just don't want to stuff myself with steroids again; I don't think my particular situation merits it.

[Colonel Flagg]

And with your medical history, and acquired knowledge, you probably know your situation better than most specialists. Hopefully the doc is wise enough to realize this and not push you too hard.

[Tadao]

http://thereifixedit.files.wordpress.com/2010/06/b3b5b3c0-ec22-4b42-93fb-2d597e87a174.jpg

[Colonel Flagg]

This (http://www.scientificcomputing.com/news-DS-New-Hawking-Book-Due-Out-this-Fall-070210.aspx) looks like it could be a page-turner.

[Colonel Flagg]

A couple of items -

There is a new upper limit (http://www.scientificcomputing.com/news-Galactic-Survey-Cuts-Neutrino-Size-in-Half-071310.aspx)to the mass of the neutrino - I find this intriguing because there are significant ramifications in the area of string theory as well as cosmology.

The gist of the article is that the neutrino is pretty damned light. But the indications are that it does have some mass.

Secondly, has anyone had a chance to check this (http://www.worldwidetelescope.org) out? It looks like GoogleEarth, but for the universe. There are also 3D "tours" of the planets and some of the major satellites in the solar system. I can't check it out from here, so I have to wait 'til I get home. :(

[Supafly345]

I saw a thing similar to what you are describing in a TED talk recently, though I couldn't get your link to work so I don't know if it is or not, but here's the presentation http://youtu.be/8agz9FcDcPk

And christ, don't mention string theory ever again. SERIOUSLY FUCKER.

[Colonel Flagg]

And christ, don't mention string theory ever again. SERIOUSLY FUCKER.

:lol

;)

[Sethomas]

A woman at a party last night told me that if I ever forget my inhaler again, to breathe in over a cup of ice because the oxygen is more concentrated over ice.

Well, the final statement is actually true. If you consider the Ideal Gas Law (PV=nRT) and assume constant pressure and volume, a change of temperature will shift the value of "n" higher and thus raise the density of all the constituent gases. So yes, the oxygen would be more concentrated but so would the nitrogen and CO2. Doing the math though, under typical circumstances I think you'd be rather lucky to increase the gas concentration by more than 8%. So is it worth your time in case of an emergency? I dunno, couldn't hurt I guess.

[Fathom Zero]

http://www.sciencedirect.com/science?_ob=ArticleURL&_udi=B6TVN-4YK7J05-3&_user=10&_coverDate=04/12/2010&_rdoc=1&_fmt=high&_orig=search&_sort=d&_docanchor=&view=c&_acct=C000050221&_version=1&_urlVersion=0&_userid=10&md5=b4a1b44fa677c361f6781dc5c07e1aa5

[Colonel Flagg]

Very interesting, FZ.

[Fathom Zero]

IU has access to some good shit, writing that.

[Zhukov]

So at work today I was trying to get the attention of someone while they were talking to someone else. I was doing the whole "cough cough" thing in a rather obvious way, but she was pretending not to notice me and I had to cough louder and also in a slightly more humorous way. Unfortunately my boss walked past me so I had to quickly pretend I was coughing for real, and I started pretending I was having a bit of a coughing fit. This turned into a real coughing fit because I was pretending so well, and I was doubled over and spluttering for a good few minutes.

While I was having the real coughing fit the bit between my testicles and anus got a sharp stab of pain (the muscle (?) inside, not the skin), and it lingered for a minute or two after I managed to control my fake to real coughing.

What the hell is wrong with me on many different levels?

[The Leader]

Everything. :(

[Tadao]

Nut Cancer :(

[MLE]

At least it wasn't a mosquito bite there. I hear they're nasty.

[Colonel Flagg]

You strained your "taint". :Obviousman

You're probably OK, but if it gets worse, or happens when you cough only once or twice, you could have a hernia.

But I'm not a medical doctor, so what the hell do I know.

[Pentegarn]

Gene Simmons agrees with the Colonel, and he is a doctor. Get a doctor to cup yer nuts and turn and cough asap

[Zhukov]

Thanks for the advice everyone; I'm just going to pretend it never happened and die of cancer at a later date.


Everything. :(

I meant apart from that.

[Tadao]

Seriosly though, you could have something twisted and you might loose a nut or even die in extreme cases. If it hurts again, get it examined.

[Dimnos]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Testicular_torsion

[Colonel Flagg]

Damn. That made my balls tickle. :(

[Tadao]

My older brother went to see the dr cause his nut started hurting, the dr put him in surgery right away.

[Kitsa]

I don't know how you guys walk around with those things. :elainebenes

[Dimnos]

Most of the time there not a problem. Sometimes though, you just have to put on a pair of the tighty whities so they are tucked in and out of the way. :\

[Colonel Flagg]

New old subject: Space elevators (http://www.scientificcomputing.com/news-DS-Space-Elevator-Conference-to-Feature-Originators-of-Tensile-Concept-072610.aspx).

The Space Elevator Conference will be held from August 12 to 15, 2010, at the Microsoft Conference Center in Redmond, WA.

A little far for me, but aren't there a few fellow mockers in Washington State who have an interest in this sort of thing? ;)

[executioneer]

man i aint got money for that shit i just got back from comicon :(

[Colonel Flagg]

I found this (http://www.rdmag.com/News/2010/07/Life-Sciences-Biotechnology-Super-sizing-a-cancer-drug-minimizes-side-effects/) interesting. Apparently, to improve cisplatin as a chemotherapy drug, all they needed to do is wrap the platinum in a big-enough load of chicken fat so it causes little to no damage in the kidneys. Who knew?

[Dimnos]

http://media.tumblr.com/tumblr_l6a4se813c1qb25dg.jpg

[Colonel Flagg]

Pound down that Freon, baby. But stay away from teh flouride. :eek

[elx]

perseids is almost here again!!

[10,000 Volt Ghost]

There should be Aurora(Borealis) overnight to wednesday morn. I want to ride a space elevator.

[Colonel Flagg]

Deadly poisons become treatments for deadly diseases. (http://www.scientificcomputing.com/news-IN-Snake-Venom-may-hold-Key-to-Heart-Disease-Cure-080310.aspx) Who knew?

[Tadao]

Probably most chemists. I'm sure you knew. I'm kinda surprised it's taken this long. If snake venom can aim for the heart or muscle cells, I'm sure there is a logical path to aid in regrowth to those areas. Maybe a cure for MS is in there somewhere as well.

NOT THAT THIS ISN'T GREAT NEWS.

[Dimnos]

OMG! THIS DEFIES ALL LOGIC!!! :eek

[Colonel Flagg]

If snake venom can aim for the heart or muscle cells, I'm sure there is a logical path to aid in regrowth to those areas. Maybe a cure for MS is in there somewhere as well.

I just saw a TED video on the underwater life surrounding volcanic vents. The life they found is so exotic, the speaker referred to the environment as an underwater rainforest, and speculated that there will be a host of new drug therapies that will be discovered, just by studying that ecosystem.

And, yes; Yes, I did. ;)

[Tadao]

Well, I don't get my hopes up too much about ecosystems we know little about. :(

[MLE]

So about a month ago, I was on vacation. I started to get one of my usual "Ugh, I have some sort of stomach virus thing. Guess I'll have to wait it out" things. It waxed and waned and eventually got way worse about a week ago. I ended up going to the doctor's office, and they did the usual poke and prod at my stomach. One place was particularly tender, and they sent me for an ultrasound. If I had a scanner I'd show you all the picture. There's something wrong with my gallbladder that's apparently been building up over years and years. My gall bladder is about half-full of sludgey stuff that moves around in it pretty freely, which explains why the symptoms come and go pretty fast.

The most worrying thing about this whole ordeal now is that over the past month, I've lost 18lbs, 10 of which being in the last week. Also, I almost fained last night, and I've never fainted in my life. I'm kinda scared, and I'm wasting time waiting for the doctor to call me back by explaining all of this to you.

and in b4 balsa wood comment from Eric.

[Dimnos]

Is it worms? Do you have worms?

[MLE]

There's something wrong with my gallbladder that's apparently been building up over years and years. My gall bladder is about half-full of sludgey stuff that moves around in it pretty freely, which explains why the symptoms come and go pretty fast.

^^

[Dimnos]

They gotta poo somewhere.

[Tadao]

You can always take a pic of the pic you dork. You probably got all that sludge from making out with slimy boys.

[MLE]

I'll photo-photo it later when I'm not in near-crippling pain.

[Colonel Flagg]

Your gall bladder sounds like a superfund site. :\

Srsly, good luck on getting well. Hope it doesn't involve any invasive surgical procedures.

[MLE]

I will have to be removed, but I've been told it's an outpatient procedure.

[Tadao]

I WAS RIGHT! I'm such a good Dr.!

[Pentegarn]

http://portal.wowway.net/news/read.php?rip_id=%3CD9HFNR1O0%40news.ap.org%3E&ps=968&page=1

Read this. It is horrifying and inspirational.

[Colonel Flagg]

It's a floor wax, AND a dessert topping.

[Pentegarn]

:lol

I haven't seen that sketch in years

[Colonel Flagg]

It is horrifying and inspirational.

Jesus H Christ, that is some story.

[MLE]

I have to wait a week and a half to get two other procedures (an endoscopy and a HIDA scan) done before they can remove this thing. FUCK.

[Colonel Flagg]

Sorry about that, MLE. That sucks hairy monkey balls. But whattya gonna do?

Good luck and all that. :\

[Chojin]

risk factors for gall bladder disease:

http://www.gallbladderattack.com/gallbladderdisease.shtml

stop being so mexican imo

[MLE]

It's not my fault :< It's mainly hereditary in my family.

[Perndog]

What's hereditary in your family, Mexicanism?

[Dimnos]

http://media.tumblr.com/tumblr_l702cabR6X1qb25dg.jpg

[MLE]

Update. It's not gall bladder disease. It's fibromyalgia.

Fuck. Everything.

[Kitsa]

What? But don't you have scans showing the gallbladder stuff?

[Tadao]

Be careful, Dr.s love to diagnose every woman who complains of pain as having fibro.

[Fathom Zero]

It's less fucking work on their part. What bullshit.

[MLE]

It's a preliminary diagnosis, but it's from an actual rheumatologist. There's tons of bloodwork he has to do first to rule out shit like lupus, MS, vitamin D deficiency, etc.

That being said, he did the whole touching certain pressure points, and I ended up in excruciating pain for the rest of the day. I'm pretty sure he's right. He said it's probably fibromyalgia and a vitamin D deficiency along with IBS. He'll call me in a day or two to call me in for bloodwork.

[MLE]

Oh, and yes, I have the scan of my gallbladder, but they said that could just be thickened bile, but not to the point where it's harmful.