I just want to mark the fact that as of today we have a new cabinet: http://qifanabki.com/2009/11/09/lebanon-cabinet-lineup/
It only took 5 months *g* Better than the 8 months it took (or so I remember) to get a president!

I'm not going to comment on it because I've stayed away from the news ever since the elections.

...so, I've had bad experiences with all of the GI doctors I've seen locally for acid reflux-- no one seems to want to give me any information or help me with figuring out what i can and can't eat-- I'm having to get all my information from my brother in med school, and it's clearly not helping enough, as I'm in pain every day. And the last doctor I saw literally shuffled me in and out of the office in 5 minutes, despite me having a lot of questions. I'd like to see a GI doctor who will actually give me information, not just put me on a new medicine and hope for the best. Preferably, I'd also like to see someone before, oh, next month, as I'm experiencing daily pain and am concerned about its long-term effects. Does anyone know ANYONE who would fit the bill?

Thanks.

Comic is up here!

Whoa it's been awhile!

Right, so! What happened? I was moving, Chris was doing the comic while I was on the road, and his computer went kerput. He sent it in for repair, they decided it was the 'logic board' (Macs are funny!), replaced it and sent it back. Chris fired it up and it started freaking out again, so he sent it in AGAIN, at which point they said 'oh hey it's the hard drive', fixed it and sent it back. It was at this point that Chris realized the OS on the thing wasn't working with his version of Photoshop at all - so he had to get his hands on the latest version of the program, which took some figuring out because the suite is...I don't remember how many hundreds of dollars but I do know that I shudder to think of the day when I'm going to have to upgrade my version.

That is the longish-short-story! The really short story is this: Computers sometimes are bad. It takes awhile to make them good again.

Thankfully, Chris is all set up, good to go with about six million comic scripts in hand (...okay maybe not quite that many), and we are back in business. So go check out the comic and enjoy, and thank you for your patience during the hiatus - I have to say after doing 400+ comics pretty much all in a row, having a break like that was really weird, and we are both glad to be back!

So, I've always had a hard time getting to sleep. It's not unusual if I take anywhere from 2 to 3 hours to actually go to sleep. Last night was kind of ridiculous, though - I was tired. I knew I was tired and needed to get to sleep. But I spent three hours cleaning, and even after I laid down, I got back up again because the way I'd arranged my posters bugged me. Once I laid down again, it took me two hours before I managed to sleep. It felt like my mind was going at 70 miles per hour, despite my trying to think of really boring things. I really wanted to get up and clean some more, though. And I hate cleaning.

That's a bit of an extreme example, because I'm normally not that bad, but I usually have a hard frickin' time slowing my brain down at night, and I toss and turn like crazy. Even if I'm not thinking about what I need to do the next day (which I try to avoid doing because it keeps me up), I end up thinking about a bunch of stupid stuff that I can't seem to turn off. Even when I do get to sleep, every other day I tend to have at least one nightmare that wakes me up again. :(

I don't know what it is I'm doing. I work out 40 minutes to an hour every day except on Mondays, I drink decaffeinated iced tea and don't drink sodas, I don't eat right before bed, I have a bedtime routine that I go through every night, I turn on a fan because I find the whirring soothing, and I still have problems. Even if I'm dog-tired because I didn't get enough sleep the night before, I still have trouble going to sleep. :(

I don't know what my deal is. This has been going on for years! I kinda thought I'd get over it or something, but I miss out on so much sleep and end up sleeping until noon on the weekends to catch up. I want to avoid medication if at all possible - is there something else I could be doing? I'm really sick of this.

So last Wednesday I felt strange dryness in my throat and as if something was stuck in the back of my mouth when I drank water. I looked in my mouth with a torch and found this err strange looking lump on the arch at the back of my mouth between the dangly thing and the tonsil. It looks like it has a well of pus or something in the middle and there is a white dot on the top. I don't think it's a tonsil stone because it's not really on my tonsil. I can't touch it because I have a really, really, strong gag reflex so I don't know if its hard or soft. I guess it doesn't hurt that much, but it feels odd when swallowing. I'm 22 years old and I don't drink or smoke at all.

( slightly gross picture of the lump in my mouth )

I've booked a doctors appointment for tomorrow, but i'm pretty terrified of them poking it because I don't really wish to vomit all over my doctor. I have general anxiety disorder so trying to keep calm about it is impossible, haha. I should probably stop looking at Dr Google because it's not helping my nerves at all.

Hi everyone,
I am 21 years old and have always had rather clear skin. No acne, hardly any pimples, smooth complexion. All of a sudden, I am noticing all this bumpiness across my nose! They look like many small, reddish, raised bumps (though none of them have heads) and a few of them are farther down, toward my mouth as well, and those look more like the "traditional" pimples with white heads, but still very small.

( badly lit picture of them under this cut )

The picture doesn't show them all- in real life, the skin is more bumpy looking.

Any ideas about what this is and how to take care of it? I would like my clear skin back, please!

Thanks so much!!
--Rachel

I'm puttering around the house. The push to get all the move related stuff done has left me rather apathetic to getting the unpacking done.

Still, the cable is now installed properly (three service trips, because one of the barrel connectors was bad and scrambled the internet connection, but I got free HBO out of it). I'm getting little things done every day, like putting plastic over the windows for the upcoming winter. I painted a window sill today, so I can get the plastic up later this week. I'm still waiting for contractors to call and schedule an estimate for some repair work that needs to be done to the attic soffits. The squirrels around here are aggressive. I've seen one gnawing on my garage roof.

I'm getting back into a regular schedule. I know which bus I need to catch in the morning, and my gym schedule is back on track. I'm not lifting weights at the moment, in part because I can't figure a goal and a method to reach said goal, and in part because I'm still recovering from the move and being sick. I'm mostly over the sick, but I've got nasty tendinitis flares going in both arms. My grip in my right hand is especially compromised right now.

Today is my Dad's birthday. Happy 70th Birthday! But here in MINNESOTA, on November 8, I was doing yard work sans jacket. Raking leave and planting tulips. I have no idea if the tulips are going to come up, and I'm pretty sure I killed some hostas when digging the trench for the bulbs, but I wanted to plant tulips.

Otherwise, nothing else much going on.

Two tickets to the Bodeans on December 19th at the Guthire Theatre.

8pm, Aisle 1, Row P, Seats 101 and 102

$39 each

This is a sold out show! Snap these up as a pair! :) Cash only, can meet anywhere in Minneapolis, or along the way to Elk River. Thanks!

Hello all! 

I am new to the group and wanted to throw this out there to all you ladies who can hopefully help me.  For the past week, I have had a sore place at the top of my butt crack (I know, gross, right?) that hurts like the dickens.  I started out applying Preparation H, but that has not seemed to help.  I cannot see it, but my sweet mother who condescended to look at my 23 year-old behind says it looks akin to carpetburn with what looks like a cut.  I have treated it twice with peroxide.  For the past two days, I have also put Betadine on it as well as Neosporin Triple Antiobiotic Ointment Plus Pain Relief (polymyxin, bacitracin, neomycin, and pramoxine).  It still does not seem to be getting any better.  Has anyone else ever experienced this?  (Oh, pleeease tell me yes!)  If so, what did you use to treat it?  How long does it take to heal?  I'm driving for 7 hours on Friday morning and would hate to have to deal with this then since I've had it so long already.

Many many many thanks in advance!

 

 

I did a little research on high fructose corn syrup last week, if anyone is interested in what the controversy is about, you can read about it here.

On a related note, does anyone have any tips or tricks for getting off the refined sugar train? I have diabetes in my family history but I like sweets and I like to bake :(

Another great day of my winning picks pimped out to racing nOObs and good prices kept crossing the lines just as i predicted. Oh yes things were so not as "easy" as those *cough cough * experts would have liked to think now were they kidz?


bookiebuster1: its a time thing it takes literally four or 5 hours to do that
bookiebuster1: i am so not that dedicated anymore
countrysbelle: lol
bookiebuster1: however as i have shown on big days when i do my home work i can still be lethal
countrysbelle: watching the video sooner
bookiebuster1: shoosh that is private stock yo it better not show up on TMZ! lmao

History is a funny thing but i have always enjoyed the fact how a fast closing race horse can always serve up a big glass of STFU to east coast horse racing homers who decided that horse of the year was ALREADY decided before today.

oh hell to the no it wasnt ;)

When the crowd of 58,825 started screaming, "She thought maybe I should stop and pose again," Smith said. "She started pricking her ears and looking at the crowd, and I got after her a little bit, and she went on. And she still went, believe it or not, well within herself. She was pricking her ears and galloped out. She didn't even take a breath after the race was over. It's just incredible."

I ALWAYS believed sweet baby Z.

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I met someone who felt the same way, but I remember him more for being strong enough to change. From him I learned that people are more than their mistakes.


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Many years ago, an older man that I trusted had inappropriate sexual contact with me. Twelve years of therapy and a suicide attempt later, and I still live with it every day.

A big part of me will forever be defined by the worst thing that ever happened to me.

























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From the Washington Post, as relayed via DailyKOS.

"Because of the limits placed on the exchanges, most of the participants will have some form of premium credit or affordable subsidy. That means most will be ineligible for abortion coverage. The idea that people are going to go out and purchase separate "abortion plans" is both cruel and laughable. If this amendment passes, it will mean that virtually all women with insurance through the exchange who find themselves in the unwanted and unexpected position of needing to terminate a pregnancy will not have coverage for the procedure. Abortion coverage will not be outlawed in this country. It will simply be tiered, reserved for those rich enough to afford insurance themselves or lucky enough to receive from their employers."

The amendment is expected to pass with relative ease. Republicans will join with anti-choice Democrats to push it over the finish line. Once the amendment passes, the bill is cleared for a vote, and all parties expect that vote to succeed. Today looks likely to end with a historic, and important, vote. A vote that is a first step towards helping more than 30 million people secure health-care coverage, and making sure hundreds of millions are better protected from the vagaries of the insurance industry. But Stupak's amendment is a bitter start. It is, however, not the end. Even if it muscles into the House bill, it will also have to pass in the Senate, and then survive conference, before it becomes law.

My note: Even the most ardent, supposed "feminist" politicians have stated they are willing to vote to allow this amendment to stand, as long as they can pass the reform today.

This is PATHETIC. And we have a Democratic majority in both the House and Senate who can't seem to buck up and get a spine, so I dunno folks. What do YOU think is the best way to deal with this grassroots style?