1
It's just Jerome K. Jerome finding that he didn't have "childbirth fever".
Stay strong!
Posted by: Pete Zaitcev at Tue Jun 4 11:04:49 2024 (LZ7Bg)
2
PSA: You need to take probiotics. And not just some yohurt, chow the real ones. As the antibiotics kill the flora in your small intestines, you'll going to have trouble getting your nutrients. This is no joke when on strong antibiotics for sepsis.
Posted by: Pete Zaitcev at Tue Jun 4 22:05:23 2024 (LZ7Bg)
Stream Cancelled.
There will be no Disgaea stream tonight. I had skin cancer surgery and suffered my third flat tire in 30 odd days. I'm beat. There MAY be a Zomboid collaboration stream around 10PM EST / 02:00 UTC but that depends on my pain level.
The surgery went OK but I won't know if they got all of it for about 2 weeks. I was both relieved and concerned that the dermatologist did not waste time with a biopsy and just cut it off.
1
I hope everything goes well for you on your surgery. My step-father ignored a skin cancer for years. It didn't end well, but cancer treatment has advanced by leaps and bounds since then.
Posted by: StargazerA5 at Fri Sep 29 17:50:56 2023 (iCtZd)
2
Say, does anyone have access to Wonderduck's blog? It needs a spam purge and to be locked down.
Posted by: Mauser at Sat Sep 30 00:05:13 2023 (BzEjn)
1
How did your face thing go? My dad has had a lot of little melanomas taken off his face, but no bigger ones.
The one most recent surgeon my dad has used has a new toy, where he and his tiny robot can remove skin or flesh, layer by layer while looking through a microscope, so that he can biopsy as he goes. And when he gets to the layer under the problem, he stops. Which is basically right up there with jet packs...especially since he does it in his office.
But I think not many skin doctors/surgeons have that yet. It is usually just cut off or freeze off, and that works too.
Posted by: Suburbanbanshee at Thu Sep 28 07:54:39 2023 (sF8WE)
Gracious!
All that talk about how COVID is "Just the flu" is somewhat misleading.
I haven't been THAT sick in years.
Not only was I having difficulty breathing, my blood pressure skyrocketed to 177/110, I ended up going to the hospital.
After I was discharged I had great difficulty getting up the stairs, due to general weakness.
However, it's quite likely that I had a mild variant. I say this because I never lost my sense of smell or taste (at least any more that those senses are rendered wonky with any head-cold), I never had the headache so often reported or the GI issues.
But every time I coughed, I felt like my skeleton was trying to escape from my skin.
Because of the nigh insurmountable obstacle my stairs presented, I ended up sleeping on the downstairs couch for a few days.
Four days ago I started to improve markedly and by day-before-yesterday I felt much better.
I'm still a bit weak, but I have no other symptoms.
Today, my state quarantine period ended and I went to work. However, UPS policy is to wear a mask for 5 days after symptoms end and, well, I can't wear a mask any more because of the stroke. I have face shields, and the boss decided that was fine but after about 10 minutes my weakness visibly caught up with me. Since we were over staffed, for a change, the supervisor decided to give me the option home. I took him up on it. I'll report to work normally on Monday.
I'll finally get paid again in two weeks.
"Damnit!"
Glad I've got a cushion and plenty of food stocked up.
For a lot of people, loosing 2 weeks pay and gaining a hospital bill would be a disaster, and that is what a huge swath of our population is facing from this bug right now, assuming they don't have any co-morbidities that cause Winnie-the-Flu to leave them dead or crippled.
This bug looks like it will be with us from now on, like a flu but far worse. We've got to learn to live with it without going bonkers or paranoid. And given the likelihood that this was a result of well intentioned but ill conceived experiments in bio-preparedness, we need to reassess our policies in that area.
Corona-Chan remains smugly confident that we won't.
1
No, it is not nice to get fully symptomed Coof. And you are still recovering from other stuff, so you definitely did get it worse than most folks.
The good news is that your body still managed to keep Coof out of some vital areas, probably because you had been working or in the hospital, around people, thus constantly getting exposed to benign amounts of Coof.
The bad news you already know. Bah.
Talking, reciting, and singing are good breathing exercises.
The silent movie idea is interesting too.
Posted by: Suburbanbanshee at Sun Jun 5 08:39:34 2022 (sF8WE)
2
I forgot to ask - is your Twitch one with superchats, donations, etc.?
I don't know anything about Twitch, really, and I have to figure it out some.
Posted by: Suburbanbanshee at Sun Jun 5 08:42:09 2022 (sF8WE)
3
I have to meet certain traffic and broadcast requirements before I can get monetized.
They are quite modest:
I need 50 followers (I have 4)
Stream for 8 hours ( I have streamed just under 4 hours total in my tests)
Stream on 7 different days (Woot! I've done that.)
Have an average viewership of 3 (My average viewership over 10 short test streams is 1.1 )
I don't expect to make this a living, but it might be an interesting expansion of the "fanboy recidivism" aspect of the blog. It'll also act as speech therapy and a mental exercise.
Posted by: The Brickmuppet at Sun Jun 5 10:26:28 2022 (aw2/F)
1
Don't talk yourself down. You did a freaking huge job there, even for the totally ablebodied. Your house shrubbery must have some kind of druid blessing on it.
Posted by: Suburbanbanshee at Mon May 23 14:45:07 2022 (sF8WE)
1
The food doesn't surprise me. People are starting to become more aware of the Charlie Foxtrot the global food supply is going to be through this year and into next. With the breadbasket for Europe, SW Asia, and Northern Africa currently being fertilized for Liberty Trees and with copious amount of cordite, a massive shortage of normal fertilizer, avian flu in the US, swine Flu in China, and various droughts world wide, there will be global food shortages. Here in the US, we should be OK, not much worse than the shortages of the last two years food-wise, but in other parts of the world there will be widespread famine.
The lead ingots are likely people predicting a massive radioactive rainfall from Russia and looking to build shelters.
Posted by: StargazerA5 at Wed Apr 13 19:59:28 2022 (QJSdE)
2
Actually I THINK the lead ingots are for casting bullets for handloading . It's one or 2 damned 74 pound ingots per address. Just a lot of people getting them today.
Posted by: The Brickmuppet at Wed Apr 13 21:32:16 2022 (5iiQK)
3
Holy cow, how do you even lift a 74 pound parcel? I can only squat 60 after Covid and deadlift maybe 70. That's without waking with the weight!
Posted by: Pete Zaitcev at Thu Apr 14 14:37:04 2022 (LZ7Bg)
4
That animation was on point!
Carb cleaner and starting spray, and new gas for the mower.
Posted by: Mauser at Fri Apr 15 00:10:25 2022 (gVjvf)
5Holy cow, how do you even lift a 74 pound parcel?
Get close to the package. Position feet shoulder width apart. Establish firm footing, bending with the knees, not the back. Pivot rather that twist. As a matter of company policy we aren't responsible for lifting anything over 70 pounds without assistance but as a practical matter, 4 pounds is not worth whining over when there's no one else around. We carry parcels up to 150lb so if I DID get help on one of those I'd be lifting 75 anyway.
Posted by: The Brickmuppet at Fri Apr 15 03:33:16 2022 (5iiQK)
6
When I was young (and fresh off the farm) I could pick up 90 pounds one-handed and lift it up over my head.
Today...just looking at my cat can throw my back out.
Posted by: Frank at Thu Apr 21 01:54:09 2022 (rglbH)
7
Inspired by Brickmuppet, I deadlifted and squatted 90 yesterday.
Posted by: Pete Zaitcev at Thu Apr 21 21:57:33 2022 (LZ7Bg)
Adventures in Delicacies
Delicacies are funny things.
In theory, they are exquisite examples of the culinary art, spoiling the palette with orgasmic bliss delivered by the skill of a 4 star chef.
However...
There are also cultural delicacies.
I think these broadly fall into two categories.
1: A food that is the symbol of hope and survival, that a society ate during the starving time when they could find nothing else, but it is a cultural symbol of that societies perseverance and they are all attuned to have positive emotions associated with it since it is eaten only at memorial festivals.
2: A dirty trick a society plays on outsiders, assuring them that "This is a delicacy....You'll offend us if you don't like it." all the while laughing at the stupid foreigner that they dearly wish they could just beat up.
You know, like natto.
I am not sure which of those categories fried jellyfish fits into.
But I'm pretty sure it is one of them.
The little octopuses were quite good, aside from having jellyfish juice on them.
Jade Villa, is a somewhat austerely apportioned Chinese restaurant in Virginia Beach. It lacks the fancy fixtures that adorn so many high end sit-down Chinese establishments, but it has a huge menu of superb and truly exotic dishes...and cultural delicacies. Out of respect to somebody that is not out of the hospital yet, I refrained, this time, from ordering their exquisite Peking Duck.
They have 2 menus, one a perfectly normal American style Chinese food one finds in any city (albeit very well prepared)...and the big redmenu, which is in Chinese and English, and which I have not tried everything on after several years.
I highly recommend the establishment, even if I cannot provide much heartfelt advocacy for any hypothetical National Jellyfish Association.
1
Let me add that the casual diner should occasionally pay attention to exactly what regional cuisine specialty a Chinese restaurant focuses on. People used to Cantonese and Szechuan dishes will be in for something of a shock if they went in blind to eat at an establishment featuring Shanghai-style dishes.
Posted by: cxt217 at Sun Feb 6 19:07:45 2022 (MuaLM)
2
I've had jellyfish. Tastes like salty silicone sealant. Would not buy again.
Posted by: Pixy Misa at Mon Feb 7 16:39:22 2022 (PiXy!)
3
There's a Chinese restaurant that I used to go to with my girlfriend. They had a very nice jellyfish-and-duck salad that we would get every time we went there for dim sum, but they no longer offer it.
We've had jellyfish elsewhere and it was something to put up with, rather than enjoy.
Posted by: wheels at Mon Feb 7 18:09:30 2022 (IhIjp)
4
Cultural delicacies exist in the states, too. Okra in the south. Lutefisk (shudder) in Minnesota. And if you are ever in Chicago and someone offers you a glass of Malort, it's a cultural delicacy.
What it's all about is there in the name: "Mal" meaning "bad", and "ort" being the sound you make when you jam an entire container of pepper spray in your mouth to remove the aftertaste.
Posted by: Wonderduck at Fri Feb 11 17:48:17 2022 (bHHXR)
5
Fried okra is actually tasty, though! (I... don't think I'd like it not-fried, though.)
Posted by: Avatar_exADV at Fri Feb 11 20:00:18 2022 (v29Tn)
Posted by: Rick C at Wed Jan 26 21:17:58 2022 (Z0GF0)
2
Yay! Few years ago my water heater ruptured itself in the middle of winter, but that's a Sydney mid-winter. This is not a place where it snows, or even reaches freezing temperatures.
Posted by: Pixy Misa at Thu Jan 27 19:54:26 2022 (PiXy!)
1
Phew. Could be worse indeed. As for hospital, I'm with them: hospitals kill. One must avoid it at all costs.
Check what Wonderduck has to say about his stay.
Posted by: Pete Zaitcev at Mon Jan 17 23:28:54 2022 (LZ7Bg)
There was a new story in Australia about a family that just before the pandemic ordered 60 rolls of toilet paper online, but due to a site change accidentally ordered 60 cartons of tp.
They looked at this differently when the supplies dried up.
Posted by: Pixy Misa at Tue Jan 18 16:49:38 2022 (PiXy!)
1
Well, as long as your warehouse is not destroyed by a tornado while you're in it.
Posted by: Pete Zaitcev at Tue Dec 14 10:34:25 2021 (LZ7Bg)
2
There are a few places around here that have transaction limits at the pump, but they're usually $150, but it's Texas, and there's a lot of people with trucks.
Posted by: Rick C at Tue Dec 14 21:31:28 2021 (Z0GF0)
3
It used to be $75 in 2008 or so, when I drove a U-haul to New Mexico. That 24' or 26' truck took two or three swipes. I was really happy to rent a diesel truck when I bought my airplane and transported it from Arizona. A gasoline truck of such size would be absurdly expensive.
Posted by: Pete Zaitcev at Wed Dec 15 01:18:17 2021 (LZ7Bg)
4
Mmmm, looking at the picture and wishing my holiday could be that banal.
Posted by: Mauser at Sat Dec 18 01:24:14 2021 (Ix1l6)
Posted by: StargazerA5 at Mon Nov 1 19:29:33 2021 (FmoZj)
9
Very glad to hear that you are home, even if things are stinky.
I highly recommend baking soda. Maybe even charcoal, or kitty litter with smell absorbing powers.
Posted by: Suburbanbanshee at Mon Nov 1 21:33:35 2021 (sF8WE)
Blogging Via Dial-Up Sucks
On the other hand, finally being able to walk 4 miles without a cane is most gratifying.
I still can't run or jump, but I'm now going to out-patient Physical Therapy and have access to special equipment so I can work on that.
Furthermore, I walked past the school and blundered upon a gun store on the side of the road 2 miles distant and discovered 9mm ammunition for less than 50 cents a round. Walking back carrying the unexpected prize was harder, but it was satisfying.
1
I found that just three deep breaths can drop my blood pressure from 160 to 120.
Posted by: Pete Zaitcev at Sun Sep 19 11:46:28 2021 (LZ7Bg)
2
Yeah, I have problems with carrying around too much tension.
Breathing helps.
Another thing that helps is an exercise involving lying down flat.
Hands clasped behind my head.
Holding my head still, and facing straight up, look as far right as my eyes travel, and hold. Breath a while. Then switch to looking left the same way, hold and breathe.
Then actually turn my head to the right, hold and breath. Then the left, again.
It is possible that this only has good results for me because of something wrong with me.
News is depressing, but I've actually been on net positive. Compared to the first Obama years, which I spent very depressed. May just be my personal situation, and making slightly better choices in my emotions.
I mean, it seems pretty clear that a few of those with power over us are deeply disturbed, and that is never a wonderful situation to feel trapped in. Compared to the Obama years, however, while I still don't see a way out, I do have a lot better understanding of the grounds for hope.
Posted by: PatBuckman at Sun Sep 19 14:54:05 2021 (r9O5h)
3
Argh, I had javascript off, and so a bunch of white space was eaten.
Posted by: PatBuckman at Sun Sep 19 14:55:32 2021 (r9O5h)
4
Are there any more sedentary job prospects within non-driving distance available? Given the health issue(s?), something less strenuous might be preferable.
Posted by: jabrwok at Sun Sep 19 18:37:52 2021 (iyhH7)
5
There are probably some temporary disability plans that can help out in the interim, if you do get fired. If you get going on the paperwork immediately, you may even see some cash in 6 months....
Posted by: Mauser at Sun Sep 19 22:23:35 2021 (Ix1l6)
6
You may try looking into your state's public transportation options, not to ride a bus but because many also have special discounted transportation options for the disabled, including those who can't drive. Usually something like a taxi or a van service that may only charge you a few dollars. A 30-second search turned up this: https://vda.virginia.gov/drivingtransport.htm I'm not sure how quickly you can get access to something like this, but may be worth investigating.
Posted by: StargazerA5 at Mon Sep 20 07:03:42 2021 (olRfA)
7
Hope you can find another possible work place. My son got a job with your 'current?' employer after being overseas for a number of years. They recently told him(verbally) that he needed to go to another work site for some special training. When he went there, his ID badge would not let him in to the different location, but he was able to talk with the people on site and show his badge and got let in. Then said company claimed he was filing false work hours because he didn't show up for the 'mandatory' training. Since his badge wouldn't work there he was not OFFICIALLY present, so he COULDN'T have been there for the training - so they fired him.
I'm sure his being over 40 had nothing to do with the setup.
Meanwhile, he has started working elsewhere.
Posted by: Frank at Tue Sep 21 15:54:06 2021 (rglbH)
Posted by: Pete Zaitcev at Tue Aug 24 20:51:00 2021 (LZ7Bg)
7
Achievement is achievement.
Apparently it's routine in many hospitals and facilities that the physical therapy people are supposed to be alerted to every patient that could use their help, as fast as possible -- but instead, nobody tells them a darn thing.
I found this out because it happened to my dad. And then I talked to various other folks who have had hospital stays requiring PT, and they all said that they practically had to kick and scream to have the PT folks alerted, even if their doctors wanted it and their insurance was paying for it.
It seems to be some kind of weird inter-departmental thing, maybe some kind of rivalry or tendency to forget, or maybe just a really bad message system.
Posted by: Suburbanbanshee at Tue Aug 24 23:39:14 2021 (sF8WE)
8
Anyhow... Dr. Google found my dad a worksheet on what you're supposed to do as a patient after his kind of surgery, as composed by some surgeon at Johns Hopkins.
So you might be able to find some kind of post-stroke PT advice, just so you have a baseline. Even if it takes forever to download.
Posted by: Suburbanbanshee at Tue Aug 24 23:41:43 2021 (sF8WE)
9
Speaking as someone who has rolled a critical fail on that task (with fiancee present to laugh at the painful results), good goin'!
Posted by: Avatar_exADV at Thu Aug 26 19:29:10 2021 (v29Tn)
1
Great to hear that your condition continues to improve. Where do we send the catgirl kiss-o-grams?
-j
Posted by: J Greely at Thu Aug 19 23:57:04 2021 (ZlYZd)
2
Glad to hear that you're doing better, even if it is a hard road. It sucks when your body doesn't work the way you expect. Hang in there and we're all rooting for you.
Posted by: StargazerA5 at Fri Aug 20 12:51:28 2021 (ZiV6b)
3
Keep going, Muppet. I can't wait to read about the first meal with chopsticks. It should be an 'oot.
Seriously though...do good work.
Posted by: Wonderduck at Fri Aug 20 14:48:18 2021 (bHHXR)
Hobby Space News of the commercial space industry A Babe In The Universe Rather Eclectic Cosmology Encyclopedia Astronautica Superb spacecraft resource The Unwanted Blog Scott Lowther blogs about forgotten aerospace projects and sells amazingly informative articles on the same. Also, there are cats. Transterrestrial Musings Commentary on Infinity...and beyond! Colony WorldsSpace colonization news! The Alternate Energy Blog It's a blog about alternate energy (DUH!) Next Big Future Brian Wang: Tracking our progress to the FUTURE. Nuclear Green Charles Barton, who seems to be either a cool curmudgeon, or a rational hippy, talks about energy policy and the terrible environmental consequences of not going nuclear Energy From Thorium Focuses on the merits of thorium cycle nuclear reactors WizBang Current events commentary...with a wiz and a bang The Gates of Vienna Tenaciously studying a very old war The Anchoress insightful blogging, presumably from the catacombs Murdoc Online"Howling Mad Murdoc" has a millblog...golly! EaglespeakMaritime security matters Commander Salamander Fullbore blackshoe blogging! Belmont Club Richard Fernandez blogs on current events BaldilocksUnderstated and interesting blog on current events The Dissident Frogman French bi-lingual current events blog The "Moderate" VoiceI don't think that word means what they think it does....but this lefty blog is a worthy read nonetheless. Meryl Yourish News, Jews and Meryls' Views Classical Values Eric Scheie blogs about the culture war and its incompatibility with our republic. Jerry Pournell: Chaos ManorOne of Science fictions greats blogs on futurism, current events, technology and wisdom A Distant Soil The website of Colleen Dorans' superb fantasy comic, includes a blog focused on the comic industry, creator issues and human rights. John C. Wright The Sci-Fi/ Fantasy writer muses on a wide range of topics. Now Read This! The founder of the UK Comics Creators Guild blogs on comics past and present. The Rambling Rebuilder Charity, relief work, roleplaying games Rats NestThe Art and rantings of Vince Riley Gorilla Daze Allan Harvey, UK based cartoonist and comics historian has a comicophillic blog! Pulpjunkie Tim Driscoll reviews old movies, silents and talkies, classics and clunkers. Suburban Banshee Just like a suburban Leprechaun....but taller, more dangerous and a certified genius. Satharn's Musings Through TimeThe Crazy Catlady of The Barony of Tir Ysgithr アニ・ノート(Ani-Nouto) Thoughtful, curmudgeonly, otakuism that pulls no punches and suffers no fools. Chizumatic Stephen Den Beste analyzes anime...with a microscope, a slide rule and a tricorder. Wonderduck Anime, Formula One Racing, Sad Girls in Snow...Duck Triumphalism Beta Waffle What will likely be the most thoroughly tested waffle evah! Zoopraxiscope Too In this thrilling sequel to Zoopraxiscope, Don, Middle American Man of Mystery, keeps tabs on anime, orchids, and absurdities. Mahou Meido MeganekkoUbu blogs on Anime, computer games and other non-vital interests Twentysided More geekery than you can shake a stick at Shoplifting in the Marketplace of Ideas Sounds like Plaigarism...but isn't Ambient IronyAll Meenuvians Praise the lathe of the maker! Hail Pixy!!
