Unrelatedly, I’m sad that my karaoke place is going away. We were given the heads up that last night would be its last night – I felt kind of bad, because we knew before the karaoke lady did.
Ah well. There are other locations out there.
An online friend of an online friend died in the hospital from H1N1
•October 23, 2009 • 10 Comments… that led me to look up a few things to satisfy my curiosity.
The number of total cases of influenza hospitalization is pretty alarming when compared to previous years. A case could be made, based on the wording here, that more people with flu symptoms are going to the hospital instead of struggling through it at home. A third of all H1N1 related deaths are between the ages of 25-49.
Persons with asthma are considered to be on the priority list for H1N1 vaccination. I wasn’t aware there is an oral vaccine, but that’s not suggested for people with asthma as it can cause spasming.
From an article:
H1N1 influenza has turned flu death statistics upside down, the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) confirmed today.
In a normal flu season, 90% of deaths are in elderly people. But since September, 88% of deaths have been in people under age 65 — with almost a quarter of the deaths in young people under age 25.
“It is almost completely reversed. Nearly 90% of our fatalities are occurring in people under 65,” CDC respiratory disease chief Anne Schuchat, MD, said at a news conference. “This illustrates this H1N1 virus is disproportionally affecting the young.”
…
While the majority of severe H1N1 swine flu cases are in people with conditions that put them at risk of flu complications, not all these conditions are severe. Well-treated asthma, for example, is common. And pregnancy isn’t an illnesses at all. Yet the risk is there.“Completely healthy pregnant women are coming down with horrible, horrible illnesses — and, tragically more deaths,” Schuchat said. “And some conditions like asthma which is well controlled. So even if you have diabetes that’s well controlled, if you have asthma that’s well controlled, we want to you think of yourself as a higher risk and recommend that you be vaccinated.”
Locate flu vaccine centers in Michigan
I’ve had a flu vaccine before (I am fortunate in that my work offers seasonal flu shots for free), and while that day I felt a little run down, I was otherwise completely fine. I’ll be taking my seasonal shot on the 27th, and I will be seriously contemplating H1N1, especially now that (as of yesterday) I’ve joined a gym (IE public exposure).
According to the CDC, “people infected with seasonal and 2009 H1N1 flu shed virus and may be able to infect others from 1 day before getting sick to 5 to 7 days after”, so keep that in mind if you think you might be coming down with the flu.
The LJ icon is unrelated, it just makes me happy.
•October 22, 2009 • 3 CommentsDoc check-up results: low LDL cholesterol (good). Low HDL cholesterol (bad). High Triglycerides. Normal glucose.
Everything else normal across the board. Result: I clearly don’t have diabetes (I wasn’t concerned as far as symptoms go, but as a big guy it’s always good to be sure). Also, I don’t get nearly enough exercise. Additionally, as I do some research, a little less carb intake would probably help my HDL.
Overall, I would like to eat better – I make easy choices based on A) what’s most handy and B) what won’t spoil. Seriously, whenever I buy a loaf of bread or a half-gallon of milk I feel committed to that product – and I never finish it. My fridge is looking awfully bachelor right now, with a gallon of water, a jar of sliced pickles, one rice pudding, some cheese, and a buncha condiments. Beh.
Anyway, by coincidence K.T. invited me to come to her gym tonight as a guest, so if they let me in the door I might spend some time on the elliptical. Obviously no weights for a bit, I’d like to put another week behind me before I give my back any sort of challenge.
Holidays and birthdays and such, oh my
•October 21, 2009 • Comments Off on Holidays and birthdays and such, oh myMy mom always asks me to write up a list of things I want for the holidays and such, so I’ve done so. I’m a little reluctant to make it public, as I don’t expect anything from my friends ‘cept maybe a friendly greeting around christmastime, but it might be useful to folks, so there ya go.
I did a bit of research on some of the electronic stuff – for instance, I found a high-quality sound bluetooth headset that is optionally STEREO (important for us hard-of-hearing folk) that’s going for insanely cheap on amazon, and a pretty inexpensive 5.1 system to replace mine that died years ago.
I’ve never had the heart to throw out the actual speakers, haha. I bought that thing the same day Halo 2 was released, and I still remember flipping up my bed so Ben and I could sit in a proper surround-sound environment.
Lucy came to visit me today on her day off. We only had a few hours to spend together, but it was great to have dinner and cuddle up for a bit before she went home. Since our weekends aren’t at all guaranteed, it’s great when we can see each other midweek.
Ugh
•October 21, 2009 • 1 CommentBeing lax on the med schedule plus exerting myself more than usual yesterday at work = sore day today.
In for a follow-up with the doc tomorrow morning.
Did you happen to sign me up for a raffle for the Royal Oak gym?
•October 20, 2009 • 4 CommentsI apparently won a raffle for a free (minus 8 dollar maintenance fee) gym membership.
That said, I am, as you may know (stop laughing Lucy) highly suspicious of weird advertising.
It appears to be on stephenson. Does anyone go to that gym? Does anyone remember entering me into a raffle? I haven’t put my business card into a fishtank or anything for well over a year, so I doubt it is from me, cheesy as my memory may be.
As long as I’m using this post to talk about marketing, let me talk about something good and something bad.
First bad.
IF you own a business, do NOT use these words in your advertising:
Revolutionary, amazing, groundbreaking – if it is any of these things, your critics will tell me. Until then, this is your notice that the words are played-out; when every product is revolutionary, none are.
At no cost to you, almost too good to be true, can’t-lose – Informercial Alert: I don’t believe you. In fact, your proposition is almost certainly a scam somewhere, and if it isn’t, you’re talking like a scam.
“Millions of people use it”, Limited supplies – not only is it unprovable, it’s irrelevant to your value to ME. I’m sorry, just because millions of shmucks have bought, for instance, your p***s-enlarging pills does NOT mean I will suddenly be swinging from the treetops from it.
on the other hand:
With no warning, I just received an awesome package of swag from Nerdcore Rising. Stickers, pins, and a CD of music from the documentary. I’ll take my favorite sticker and probably donate the rest To The Cause. Thanks B-Side Records!
•October 18, 2009 • 2 Comments
I was listening to the radio on the way to get a bite to eat, and a muslim woman who’s part of a muslim-jewish discussion group is answering a question about whether it is tough to always have to be pointing out that following the muslim faith truly means being committed to nonviolence.
She said that it was just the truth, and that she didn’t want to discount the very real pain felt by people who have experienced that violence, and that it is something not assumed in this world, so she must say so.
I thought about how that applies to me. I have been known to rail occasionally against how I have to put in the effort, on a frequent basis, with women, to prove that I’m not some violent douche. I’m a big guy, and I’ve had scores of experiences where women who don’t know me have crossed the street to avoid me (trust me here).
While on the one hand, it feels pretty lame to have to be an apologist for men… it is true that I believe it takes more strength of character to have self-control – in fact, that making rational decisions based on respect and honor is tied into what a man is, for me. And so men who manipulate and abuse women (or anyone) are weak and unmanly in my eyes.
Even moreso … that abuse is very real. And as annoying as it is to have to say “that’s not me” … I don’t want to discount the very real experiences that some women (many women) have had that brought them to that place of distrust in the first place.
It’s not really about me. And ultimately, it’s not that much of a burden. I’d rather have to prove to strangers that I’m not some horrible monster they’ve come to expect than be the person expecting that horrible monster at every turn.
You know what I hate about MS Windows?
•October 16, 2009 • 7 CommentsI hate when you hit “RESTART LATER” and it pops up again every. d***. ten. minutes.
MICROSOFT, WHY DO YOU HATE ME?!