April 08, 2013
Well. THAT was Unpleasant.
As mentioned in this post, I was supposed to get the stint removed today. I'd been unable to get hold of anyone over the weekend and I was a bit concerned because the written instructions almost sounded like this was a "do it yourself" operation....that somehow that string was there for ME to pull. And that's just c..c...CRAZY.
Well I finally got hold of a nurse and they informed me that my suspicion was correct. I was to pull the stint out myself.
This confirmation let me with emotions that are difficult to express adequately. Fortunately this young lady is helpfully summing them up with great eloquence.
Now I had the option of going to the emergency room or having it done at my appointment for tomorrow, but leaving the device in too long would be risking even further complications and this probably falls under the "optional/unnecessary" heading as far as my insurance goes.
I did not intend to get billed extra for being a wuss so.... I pulled...and pulled....and....ouched and well....pulled some more and...
(no really It's kinda graphic)
...and that is how I spent the evening.
I'm still bleeding a bit, but the stint came out in one piece. A few minutes after I removed the entirely too lengthy apparatus I got a call from the actual surgeon and he discussed the procedure with me and explained under what conditions I should immediately report to the emergency room. He gave my info to a nearby hospital just in case. As midnight approaches none of those conditions have yet been met so barring any infection or other complications I should be alright. I've got his pager# if there is any major problem this evening. I've only taken the Percoset once today (an hour before De-stintification) and the resulting pain is great enough that I'll likely need one around Midnight to sleep. However, that should be just about it for the Percoset. Therefore, I should be able to return to work Wednesday or Thursday ( one cant't drive on Percoset).
It looks like I'm out of the woods for now.
Thanks to everyone who sent their kind wishes. It meant a lot.
UPDATE: Nearly went to the hospital last night due to bleeding and pain, but the former tapered off this morning. I haven't taken a Percoset in about 9 hours so I'm going to grit my teeth and drive to school and dig myself out of the hole I'm in. I'm looking to return to work tomorrow night.
Well I finally got hold of a nurse and they informed me that my suspicion was correct. I was to pull the stint out myself.
This confirmation let me with emotions that are difficult to express adequately. Fortunately this young lady is helpfully summing them up with great eloquence.
Now I had the option of going to the emergency room or having it done at my appointment for tomorrow, but leaving the device in too long would be risking even further complications and this probably falls under the "optional/unnecessary" heading as far as my insurance goes.
I did not intend to get billed extra for being a wuss so.... I pulled...and pulled....and....ouched and well....pulled some more and...
(no really It's kinda graphic)
...and that is how I spent the evening.
I'm still bleeding a bit, but the stint came out in one piece. A few minutes after I removed the entirely too lengthy apparatus I got a call from the actual surgeon and he discussed the procedure with me and explained under what conditions I should immediately report to the emergency room. He gave my info to a nearby hospital just in case. As midnight approaches none of those conditions have yet been met so barring any infection or other complications I should be alright. I've got his pager# if there is any major problem this evening. I've only taken the Percoset once today (an hour before De-stintification) and the resulting pain is great enough that I'll likely need one around Midnight to sleep. However, that should be just about it for the Percoset. Therefore, I should be able to return to work Wednesday or Thursday ( one cant't drive on Percoset).
It looks like I'm out of the woods for now.
Thanks to everyone who sent their kind wishes. It meant a lot.
UPDATE: Nearly went to the hospital last night due to bleeding and pain, but the former tapered off this morning. I haven't taken a Percoset in about 9 hours so I'm going to grit my teeth and drive to school and dig myself out of the hole I'm in. I'm looking to return to work tomorrow night.
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The Iron Lady 1925-2013
Margret Thatcher has passed.
She was born the daughter of a grocer and lived her childhood in a modest apartment over his store. In a nation defined by class, she rose from this to become the longest serving Prime Minister of the United Kingdom in the 20th century and the only woman to hold that office ever.
She had the moral courage to face down Argintina when that nation seized the Falkland Islands in 1982. She did this over the opposition of many of her advisers who thought the task hopeless or not worth the effort. That last bit sums up what the west faced in the late '70s and early 80s, a sense of utter hopelessness and helplessness. Thatcher fought back against that tenaciously. She helped pull not just her nation but a good chunk of the west out of that destructive malaise.
With Pope John Paul and Ronald Regan, she was one of the three western leaders absolutely instrumental in helping to win the Cold War without the apocalyptic hellfire we all dreaded.
Economically, her time in office offered her nation a respite from the slide into perdition it was on. On her watch the UK surpassed France in economic activity and has maintained that lead since. Perhaps even more importantly, she was able to articulate the wisdom of her views on these policies most eloquently.
Thatcher was an advocate for the Common Market, but she developed a deep skepticism of the EU and particularly the Euro. This view was not shared by many in her cabinet and was widely mocked, but events of the last few years seem to have proved her to be frighteningly prescient.
Thank you Lady Thatcher. The world is better for your having lived in it.
more...
She was born the daughter of a grocer and lived her childhood in a modest apartment over his store. In a nation defined by class, she rose from this to become the longest serving Prime Minister of the United Kingdom in the 20th century and the only woman to hold that office ever.
She had the moral courage to face down Argintina when that nation seized the Falkland Islands in 1982. She did this over the opposition of many of her advisers who thought the task hopeless or not worth the effort. That last bit sums up what the west faced in the late '70s and early 80s, a sense of utter hopelessness and helplessness. Thatcher fought back against that tenaciously. She helped pull not just her nation but a good chunk of the west out of that destructive malaise.
With Pope John Paul and Ronald Regan, she was one of the three western leaders absolutely instrumental in helping to win the Cold War without the apocalyptic hellfire we all dreaded.
Economically, her time in office offered her nation a respite from the slide into perdition it was on. On her watch the UK surpassed France in economic activity and has maintained that lead since. Perhaps even more importantly, she was able to articulate the wisdom of her views on these policies most eloquently.
Thatcher was an advocate for the Common Market, but she developed a deep skepticism of the EU and particularly the Euro. This view was not shared by many in her cabinet and was widely mocked, but events of the last few years seem to have proved her to be frighteningly prescient.
Thank you Lady Thatcher. The world is better for your having lived in it.
more...
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April 07, 2013
Asking the Important Questions
I did not realize they were so resilient.
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It Occurs to Me
...that despite the otherwise satisfying ending of the show, we never did get an explanation for this.
So perhaps that is the hook for any Girls und Panzer sequel, the dark truths behind Miho's plushy cabinet.
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April 06, 2013
I'll Just Leave These Here
Because....Percoset.
All by Yajirushi.
All by Yajirushi.
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April 05, 2013
Nothing is EVER Simple (UPDATED)
Well, today I went to get my stones removed. It did not go well.
Below the fold is a rather graphic description of my day.
I suggest you read Gone to Amerikay instead.
more...
Below the fold is a rather graphic description of my day.
I suggest you read Gone to Amerikay instead.
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April 04, 2013
Remember Kids. Saftey is Important!
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A Car that Runs off Aluminum
One of the Brickmuppet's Crack Team of Science Babes ponders the science behind this story over at Phys-Ord.
It seems that an Israeli company called Phenergy has developed a metal/oxygen battery that runs off water.
Sort of...
Actually the aluminum is the anode, the air is the cathode and water acts as the electrolyte needed for the reaction to work. These batteries have huge energy density but the life of the plates is measured in a few thousand miles (about one thousand currently with water fill-ups every 200 miles in the prototype).
Additionally, Phenergy seems to have licked a CO2 issue that was plaguing this type of battery.
In this scheme the aluminum is an energy carrier for whatever power plant making the plates so it's no different from any other battery in that regard. OTOH this looks to be VASTLY cleaner than most batteries.
This seems to be a big improvement in range and convenience over normal electric cars. The fact that changing the plates in the battery is going to need to happen about as often as changing ones oil might seem to be a deal breaker except that aluminum is cheap and recyclable and if the plate costs can be kept down it might be doable. ( In this sense the system is a BIG improvement on previous metal/air batteries that used zinc. ) It might well be something a motorist can do themselves if so inclined.
There are a lot of questions here, but this may well have potential. Of course its affordability and practicality depend on how cheaply the aluminum can be recycled and how easily the plates can be replaced. Therefore, a whole lot depends on how cheap the grid power is.
In any event, it's interesting....
One of the Brickmuppet's Crack Team of Science Babes ponders the science behind this story over at Phys-Ord. It seems that an Israeli company called Phenergy has developed a metal/oxygen battery that runs off water.
Sort of...
Actually the aluminum is the anode, the air is the cathode and water acts as the electrolyte needed for the reaction to work. These batteries have huge energy density but the life of the plates is measured in a few thousand miles (about one thousand currently with water fill-ups every 200 miles in the prototype).
Additionally, Phenergy seems to have licked a CO2 issue that was plaguing this type of battery.
In this scheme the aluminum is an energy carrier for whatever power plant making the plates so it's no different from any other battery in that regard. OTOH this looks to be VASTLY cleaner than most batteries.
This seems to be a big improvement in range and convenience over normal electric cars. The fact that changing the plates in the battery is going to need to happen about as often as changing ones oil might seem to be a deal breaker except that aluminum is cheap and recyclable and if the plate costs can be kept down it might be doable. ( In this sense the system is a BIG improvement on previous metal/air batteries that used zinc. ) It might well be something a motorist can do themselves if so inclined.
There are a lot of questions here, but this may well have potential. Of course its affordability and practicality depend on how cheaply the aluminum can be recycled and how easily the plates can be replaced. Therefore, a whole lot depends on how cheap the grid power is.
In any event, it's interesting....
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April 03, 2013
I honestly didn't see this one coming.
Georgia and Tennessee are going to war. Specifficahlleyh they ah havin' a bawdah dispute.
The only solution is to ressurect the state of Nickajack as a buffer.
The only solution is to ressurect the state of Nickajack as a buffer.
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Pixy Win
And now, another moment of meta.
Mee.nu seems to support animated .PNGs.
I'm not sure how much I'll use this. i can't make them, few browsers support them and they tend to be hideously large.
However if you have Firefox or another compatible browser you can look below the fold and perhaps be offended.
more...
Mee.nu seems to support animated .PNGs.
I'm not sure how much I'll use this. i can't make them, few browsers support them and they tend to be hideously large.
However if you have Firefox or another compatible browser you can look below the fold and perhaps be offended.
more...
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Scale!
There. That helps.
I don't know enough to be sure, but I suspect that concealed withing the overall excellence of Girls und Panzer there might have been just a tiny smidgen of political commentary regards the efficacy of Japanese public works boondoggles.
I don't know enough to be sure, but I suspect that concealed withing the overall excellence of Girls und Panzer there might have been just a tiny smidgen of political commentary regards the efficacy of Japanese public works boondoggles.
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Oops!
Scot Lowther has compiled several videos of professional, credentialed people screwing up their 'splodies.
"Oh God YES! The power lines too!"
( We...don't know her. )
"Oh God YES! The power lines too!"
( We...don't know her. )
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March 31, 2013
New HSOTD Series Announced
This is a spinoff, NOT a sequel and has a different cast. According to the ANN
article Daisuke Sato says that this series is backstory for the new
characters being introduced in the manga.
Curiously Kyo-Ani and not Madhouse is listed as the production company.
Well, winter 2013 is already looking good!
UPDATE: Oh my! The soundtrack is going to be by Shonen Knife, Aural Vampire, Nightwish and Caravan Palace!
Curiously Kyo-Ani and not Madhouse is listed as the production company.
"In another part of Tokyo, a few hours before the events in High School of the Dead a group of girls enjoy their high school graduation party late into the night. But when they decide to call on a friend from another school (which being on the quarter system does not graduate for 3 months) they discover that Tokyo is becoming the epicenter of a worldwide nightmare!"
Well, winter 2013 is already looking good!
UPDATE: Oh my! The soundtrack is going to be by Shonen Knife, Aural Vampire, Nightwish and Caravan Palace!
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An Easter Mishap
I'm indisposed, but I saw this at Ace's and it made me smile. Happy Easter everybody!
I'm indisposed, but I saw this at Ace's and it made me smile. Happy Easter everybody!
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March 30, 2013
They Brought Over Tobikage!
Tobikage was a show from the mid-80s that was sort of a hybrid of the super-robot and 'Mech' genres. It ran 43 episodes and was considered sort of odd as it didn't quite adhere to the tropes of either genre. It's perhaps best known for it's theme song, Love Survivor, which was fairly catchy.
I saw a few episodes some years ago and the only thing I remember is that despite being a low budget filler show, it
looked fairly interesting, had a different feel than a lot of mech shows and
one of the villains was named Dog Tack.
Tobikage was VERY 80s in its aesthetic but it was quite unusual in one respect. A large number of it's production staff including the Director (Masami Anno who also did the storyboard) were women*.
This was, you see, a Studio Pierrot MECH show.
I found this out only recently and the prospect of an 80's Josei giant robot show...well that's just different. This at least has the potential to be interesting. Of course the chances of blundering into the show now are slim.
So Imagine my surprise when I discovered recently that the whole series had been licensed for US release...and in fact had aired on Cartoon Network.
A quick search turned up...
......OH DEAR GOD.
You BASTARD! You linked to that on purpose!
I DON'T think I'll be sitting through that.
There is no sub.
I occasionally forget how bad dubs used to be.
*The only other Mech (actually a super robot) show that that was true for prior to recent years, was Acrobunch...which was about a family of adventuring archaeologists ..and their giant robot.
Tobikage was VERY 80s in its aesthetic but it was quite unusual in one respect. A large number of it's production staff including the Director (Masami Anno who also did the storyboard) were women*.
This was, you see, a Studio Pierrot MECH show.
I found this out only recently and the prospect of an 80's Josei giant robot show...well that's just different. This at least has the potential to be interesting. Of course the chances of blundering into the show now are slim.
So Imagine my surprise when I discovered recently that the whole series had been licensed for US release...and in fact had aired on Cartoon Network.
A quick search turned up...
......OH DEAR GOD.
You BASTARD! You linked to that on purpose!
I DON'T think I'll be sitting through that.
There is no sub.
I occasionally forget how bad dubs used to be.
*The only other Mech (actually a super robot) show that that was true for prior to recent years, was Acrobunch...which was about a family of adventuring archaeologists ..and their giant robot.
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7.62 EM-2
About a year ago, the glorious Gun-Nuts at Forgotten Weapons got hold of an actual, honest to gawd EM-2.
For those unaware, the EM-2 was a British Assault Rifle designed in the late 1940s that took into account all the 'lessons learned' from World War 2. The rifle had design input from Poles who had had the unpleasant experience of tangling with the German 'storm guns'. It was a bullpup, which made it very compact and had something akin to an ACOG sight. The gun was designed around a new 7mm round that was intermediate in power between the very heavy 7.62mm and the varmint sized 5.56mm NATO rounds. In other words exactly what the lessons from current unpleasantness in Asia would seem to indicate is ideal.
In tests, the rifle wiped the floor with US, Belgian, French and Swedish weapons besting even the FN-FAL in reliability and accuracy.
It was adopted by the UK but was withdrawn in part because the US ignored the tests and forced NATO to adopt the .308 Winchester round (as 7.62 NATO)*. The Belgian gun was better suited to the larger round and was also much cheaper to manufacture so the EM-2 never enterd full production and only saw very limited use in Burma and Malaya before it was consigned to the dustbin of history.
What I did not know was that there was actually a small lot of EM-2 rifles made in 7.62 NATO....and here one is, courtesy of the Forgotten Weapons crowd.
That's AWESOME! I want one of those shooty culverts in MY basement.
Also: I want a basement.
For those unaware, the EM-2 was a British Assault Rifle designed in the late 1940s that took into account all the 'lessons learned' from World War 2. The rifle had design input from Poles who had had the unpleasant experience of tangling with the German 'storm guns'. It was a bullpup, which made it very compact and had something akin to an ACOG sight. The gun was designed around a new 7mm round that was intermediate in power between the very heavy 7.62mm and the varmint sized 5.56mm NATO rounds. In other words exactly what the lessons from current unpleasantness in Asia would seem to indicate is ideal.
In tests, the rifle wiped the floor with US, Belgian, French and Swedish weapons besting even the FN-FAL in reliability and accuracy.
It was adopted by the UK but was withdrawn in part because the US ignored the tests and forced NATO to adopt the .308 Winchester round (as 7.62 NATO)*. The Belgian gun was better suited to the larger round and was also much cheaper to manufacture so the EM-2 never enterd full production and only saw very limited use in Burma and Malaya before it was consigned to the dustbin of history.
What I did not know was that there was actually a small lot of EM-2 rifles made in 7.62 NATO....and here one is, courtesy of the Forgotten Weapons crowd.
That's AWESOME! I want one of those shooty culverts in MY basement.
Also: I want a basement.
It should be mentioned in passing that aside from a superficial resemblance in layout this excellent weapon was in no way related to the disastrous SA80/L/85 design which until recently bested other rifles only in ease of dis-assembly...and then only as an unwelcome surprise.
With so much of our kit worn out after a decade of fighting we could do far worse than dusting off this old UK design. In fact, we probably will.
*this is somewhat ironic. In the 1920s and 30s the US Army had determined the best rifle/machine gun round would have ballistics nearly identical to the 7mm British, and in fact officially adopted the .276 Pedersen for the M-1 Garand. However the financial crunch of the Depression meant that the army had to make due with the obsolete .30-06 round, the Garand was re-chambered and the lessons learned were, it seems, lost. With hindsight it seems that the Springfield armory of the 30's and Enfield in the 'late '40s were both completely right.
With so much of our kit worn out after a decade of fighting we could do far worse than dusting off this old UK design. In fact, we probably will.
*this is somewhat ironic. In the 1920s and 30s the US Army had determined the best rifle/machine gun round would have ballistics nearly identical to the 7mm British, and in fact officially adopted the .276 Pedersen for the M-1 Garand. However the financial crunch of the Depression meant that the army had to make due with the obsolete .30-06 round, the Garand was re-chambered and the lessons learned were, it seems, lost. With hindsight it seems that the Springfield armory of the 30's and Enfield in the 'late '40s were both completely right.
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A You-Tube Question
Is anyone else having any issues watching You-Tube videos?
They seem to "stick" at about 25%, 60% and 90% of their length. This has been going on for a few nights on my machine.
Note that this has not been an issue on Crunchyroll. It seems to be You-Tube specific.
They seem to "stick" at about 25%, 60% and 90% of their length. This has been going on for a few nights on my machine.
Note that this has not been an issue on Crunchyroll. It seems to be You-Tube specific.
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March 29, 2013
Prince Rupert's Drop
One of the Brickmuppet's Crack Team of Science Babes has been perusing Scot Lowther's blog and found some science!. It's her favorite kind of science... the 'splody kind!
Also: bonus fire and melting.
One of the Brickmuppet's Crack Team of Science Babes has been perusing Scot Lowther's blog and found some science!. It's her favorite kind of science... the 'splody kind! Also: bonus fire and melting.
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Preview clip for the 5th Yamato 2199 Movie.
This is different from the trailer below. It's the first 9 minutes of the 5th film (which translates to episode 15-18 of the series that airs this spring).
Spoilers abound so beware.
Spoilers abound so beware.
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As they say...ZOMG Sauce
I ran into a couple of intriguing animated .gifs that have defied my attempts to find a source.
Does anyone know what they are from and if said shows are any good?
They're a bit large so they're below the fold.
more...
Does anyone know what they are from and if said shows are any good?
They're a bit large so they're below the fold.
more...
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09:31 PM
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87kb generated in CPU 0.064, elapsed 0.1851 seconds.
85 queries taking 0.1662 seconds, 464 records returned.
Powered by Minx 1.1.6c-pink.
85 queries taking 0.1662 seconds, 464 records returned.
Powered by Minx 1.1.6c-pink.
