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The gasket is the green stuff on the mating surface shown above. The car and its engine have about 220,000 miles on them, and from the looks of things down there, I'm guessing that gasket was installed at the factory. And judging by the grunge on the lower side of the engine and everything underneath, that gasket had been leaking for way too long. It was stuck hard. I tried all manner of things to get it loose; the engine block is of course made from aluminum, so scraping with anything made of steel is automatically a bad idea. After a few failed attempts with lesser tools, I did take a stab at it with a wood chisel and a razor blade, but set them aside after seeing a few small gouges in the metal.
Abrasives are likewise a bad idea because any time you use an abrasive, some of the abrasive is lost from the surface, and with this particular spot it wouldn't take much to get some of that abrasive inside the oil passages. Really bad idea there.
I had some plastic razor blades that fit into a scraper handle, but the plastic they were made from was a little on the soft side, and proved to be pretty useless. So I started scrounging around the garage & workshop for something made of harder plastic that could be used for the job, and found it; a plastic two-gang blank cover plate.
I'm not sure what kind of plastic it's made of, but it's plenty hard. The edge that worked best wasn't sharp at all, it was more of a 90 degree angle from the back to the top edge with little to no radius to it. I just held the back against the mating surface and pushed against the gasket material, and it literally popped off in chunks. With the other tools I had been trying to get something sharp between the aluminum and the gasket, but that was futile; with the cover plate I had the rest of it completely gone in a matter of a couple of minutes.
I was so impressed with the job it did that I renamed it and gave it special spot in my toolbox. It may be a while before I'm removing another paper gasket, but it'll be there when I need it!
My surgery date was December 16 (where did that time go?!?), and it went smoothly, but I did end up staying an extra night in the hospital; they like to have patients who have had this surgery pass some gas before being discharged, and my gut was a little slow to wake up I guess. But it finally woke up, and I was out the door.
I got a phone call from the surgeon the evening I was released — December 18 — and he told me the pathology report had good news; all the "margins" were clear, which is to say the edges of the excised tumor were clean and showed no evidence that any cancerous tissue had been left behind. I'm now considered "cancer free"! And that's truly cancer free, after beating the lymphoma in my jaw last summer. Woot!
Of course "cancer free" is a somewhat transient condition, especially for a cancer survivor. Two years ago I would've thought myself to be cancer-free, but in actuality the tumor in my jaw had already begun to make itself known, and who knows how long that thing had been growing on my kidney… Plus there is the outside chance that some of the lymphoma in my jaw survived the chemo and radiation therapy, which is why I've been back a number of times for blood work and the occasional PET or CAT scan. Statistically, the people most likely to get cancer are those who have had cancer before; a recurrence of the same cancer, and often different types of cancer will hit a survivor later in life. If nothing else, last year's experience have made me realize that my days are numbered; I will live forever, but this body is just dust.
I just rewrote that last paragraph; what I wrote months ago (but don't really remember writing it) made me sound like a bit of a pessimist — a the-glass-is-half-empty kind of guy — and I don't think I typically think that way. I guess that's one of the things that cancer does to you, makes you think differently about life; I don't take for granted that I'll live to 90 any more (in my younger days I joked that 30 was dead, and was surprised when I actually hit 30.) An early demise is a very real possibility, from cancer or from any other cause for that matter, but it's wrong to dwell on that. God graciously gives us every day of our lives, no more, no less.
Since surgery though I've visited with the surgeon once — all is well — the oncologist twice. I had a CAT scan in the spring, which was clear, and Dr. Bleeker said my blood work was "stellar"! The most recent visit with the oncologist only involved blood work, and the only anomaly there was a low Vitamin D level — a normal level is between 30 and 200, but mine was 23. Low Vitamin levels are associated with cancer, but whether it's a cause or an effect of cancer isn't clear. Why mine is low at the end of summer is a bit of a puzzle though; I do get outside, but I also tend to stay in the shade. I also take a 1000 unit Vit. D supplement every day. Dr. Bleeker put me on a 50,000 unit megadose once a week for 8 weeks to see if we can boost those numbers a bit. We'll see. My next appointment is in November, long after the last of the megadoses, and long after the last of summer. This time I meet my old nemesis, the PET scan machine. This time with a happy pill, and more importantly, without the Hannibal mask.
Since surgery I've also visited with an oral surgeon about having some bone reconstruction done and having tooth implants installed. I'm still unsure about having that done though. The doctor wasn't sure if the bone in my jaw would be stable enough for grafting and an implant after the cancer and radiation therapy damaged it, so took some time conferring with colleagues and the radiation oncologist about it. I'm also nervous about having anyone dig around in there again; during the biopsy in April of 2013, the nerve in my jaw suffered some damage, which left my lower lip numb and tingly ever since. I dread the possibility that it might get worse. When I last spoke with the ENT doc who did that biopsy he said it probably won't get any better, but I should be happy that it's not worse; some patients end up with the muscles paralyzed as well. I really, really, really don't want that. The whole reconstruction and implant process would likely take about 9 months and cost roughly $7,000. I got approval from our health insurance carrier though, which was a welcome surprise, so that would help considerably, but I'm still hesitant…
It was really good to be able to do "normal" stuff this summer. I am able to go out in the sun and do normal summer things… Last year I had to minimize my exposure to direct sunlight as much as possible; I was surprised at how much I missed doing that, and how much I've enjoyed the feeling of the sun on my skin. And this spring/summer we've done some nice normal things, like go on vacations. Yvonne & I flew to California in April for a long weekend, and in May we drove to North Carolina with the whole family. I got to dip my toes in both the Pacific and Atlantic oceans, which I don't think I've ever done before, let alone in the same year.
With all of this cancer business almost a year behind me, I'm thankful for all that's happened, thankful for all the people that were involved in my cure, and most thankful for the blessing of a great God who watches over us all, and was fully involved in my cure. And it is in Him that I trust the rest of my days, whether they be many or few. Thank you, Lord.
There has been a story in the news the last couple of days about a 29 year old woman with terminal brain cancer who has chosen the path of assisted suicide to end it all before the pain she's been told she will have becomes unbearable. Brittany's story is a heartbreaker, and I can understand her desire to avoid what's likely in store for her, but I still disagree with her choice. I read an open letter to Brittany today that does an excellent job of expressing my thoughts on the subject; I hope she reads it, and I pray with the author of the letter that she will ask "the question that is most important. Who is this Jesus, and what does He have to do with my dying?" After my ordeal with cancer and its treatment, I'm convinced that God teaches us the best things through the hardest circumstances. Walking the valley of the shadow of death will be a lesson that none of us should miss.
Mundane Faithfulness]]>
I checked in at the Sanford Surgical Tower (no idea why it's called a tower; it's not) on October 22 for the biopsy on my kidney tumor, and the procedure went very smoothly. The results came in two days later; the tumor is just a run-of-the-mill renal cell carcinoma, and can be removed surgically. That was a big relief; the thought of another round of chemo and radiation was more than I wanted to think about. I could handle it, with God's help and that of great friends & family and an even greater wife, but if I had my druthers… Nope. I did a happy dance when I got the news!
So with that news in my back pocket, we met with the surgeon, Dr. Ahrend, a few weeks ago to discuss the next step; surgery. The urologist I spoke with first, Dr. Hofer, said that I was a good candidate for robotic laparoscopic surgery instead of "open surgery"; open surgery for a nephrectomy, partial or full, involves an incision that follows the bottom of the ribcage from the chest around to the back, half way around the torso. That was the way they did things in the days before laparoscopy, and what they still do with some patients that don't meet the physical requirements for a laparoscopic procedure. The surgeon needs full access to the kidney, and that just isn't possible without a huge entry point like that. The beauty of laparoscopy, and robotic laparoscopy in particular, is that the surgeon can get that full access to the organ without having to make an incision big enough to see through and to get a pair of big mitts into. Laparoscopy lets the doc manipulate tools inside the patient while watching what's going on by way of a video feed a pair of miniature cameras. Adding the robotic angle to it makes it almost like climbing right inside…
Dr. Ahrend is a pretty young guy (as can be seen in this KELO news bit) but he is also the best guy in the business in Sioux Falls. He's done over 700 robotic procedures since residency, and makes it sound like mine will be somewhat routine. While chatting with him at the end of our appointment, he commented that he likes to tell his mom, "all those video games are finally paying off," and that is a good (but not great) description of how he does the laparoscopic nephrectomy with the assistance of a pair of robotic "hands."
The "robotic" part is a little misleading though; that term has connotations of the process happening somewhat autonomously, and this machine is anything but automatic. It's more of a bionic surgery by remote control. The history of the procedure is pretty cool; I'm told it originated with the military, with the idea that a patient who was wounded on the front line could be operated on without having to be transported far, and the surgeon could work from a safe place far from the front line. So far it hasn't been used in that capacity, but there has been at least one procedure done over a long distance; the surgeon was in New York and the patient in Strasbourg, Germany. The big problem that can keep something like that is latency, the amount of time it takes for a signal to get from the controller to the robotics and the return trip for whatever kind of feedback signal is used. Apparently it was acceptable in this experiment, and in a normal procedure where the surgeon is in the same room as the patient, it's seldom a problem, but that's the sort of thing that would keep a networking guy up all night.
When doing a robotic procedure like this, the surgeon has a stereoscopic view of things through a video feed from a pair of cameras that are inserted into the area being worked on. The console that he works from has a pair of video monitors with a divider down the middle to give the surgeon a 3-dimensional view of what's going on inside; depth perception in the surgical site is crucial.
The tools that are used are remotely manipulated by the surgeon using specialized controllers in the console; much more sophisticated than any joystick or video game controller, because what's being controlled is much more sophisticated than anything in any shoot-em-up/crash-em-up video game. And the stakes are much, much higher than any video game.
Notice the scale of the little scissor tool in the hand of the model, then watch the video below; the surgeon's hand movements are scaled down while his view of the surgical site are magnified so that he has a better view of things and a higher degree of control over the tools he's using.
This YouTube video is pretty fascinating to watch, as it gives a view of exactly what the surgeon sees through his live video feed, and lets you see the dexterity of the robotic tools. It's especially interesting because the case is very similar to my own; a male patient in his 50′s with a 2 centimeter mass on the upper quadrant of the right kidney. The video is not for the faint of stomach, as you see all the blood and gore and cutting and yuck, but it's very informative for the same reasons. You've been warned!
Watching the video doesn't give one a very good idea of how things are arranged for the surgery and where on the body the incisions are made. I'm told they make five incisions for the tools to be inserted, and from the photos & videos I've seen they go in from all directions. It would be interesting to attend a robotic surgery while conscious to see exactly how it's set up and done.
Another pretty cool tool that Dr. Ahrend will be using is Firefly Fluorescence Imaging technology. With Firefly, a dye is injected into the bloodstream during surgery, and when a black light is used to illuminate the surgical site, normal tissue will fluoresce bright green, while cancerous tissue appears dark. Under normal lighting conditions it's difficult to tell the difference between normal and cancerous tissues; the contrast that results with the Firefly dye and black light helps the surgeon know with a higher degree of certainty that all of the cancerous tissue has been removed. They also use ultrasound to help delineate the boundaries of the tumor, but adding Firefly to the surgeon's tool belt helps immensely in making sure they get all of the tumor the first time, and don't remove any more kidney tissue than is absolotely necessary.
Here's another video from the Shawnee Mission Medical Center that demonstrates the use of Firefly, and gives a great demonstration of what happens before the surgeon starts digging around inside, and a good view of some of the equipment used.
That brings us to today, the day before surgery. All in all, I'm pretty relaxed about the whole thing. It's a little weird (scary weird) seeing all of that and knowing it's what they'll be doing to me tomorrow, but I'm ok with it. After all I've learned about the procedure, it's easy to forget how new this whole robotic thing is, but the doctor's confidence in it is pretty contagious. And knowing that I don't have to deal with the aftermath of open surgery is huge!
My biggest comfort in all of this though is knowing how many people are praying for us. It's really a humbling thing being on the receiving end of all that, but the prayers really do make a difference. I am extremely grateful for each and every person lifting us up, and for their concern for us. God is faithful, and I trust that he will see us through this. As for the recovery, I'm really looking forward to some time off; I'm taking two weeks of medical leave from work. It seems like such a long time since I've had any time off from work where I wasn't busy ahead of time getting ready for going somewhere. This time I'll just be at home, resting. For now though the waiting is the hardest part. Nothing like a bit of anxiety over the procedure, mixed with fasting from everything but clear liquids for the 24 hours leading up to it, plus an enema waiting for me tomorrow morning. It's gonna be a Monday like no other.
I'm actually looking forward to getting this surgery done and out of the way. I may be speaking too soon, but I think the surgery and recovery will be a walk in the park compared to chemo and radiation. The thing I'm really looking forward to is hearing the news that I'm cancer-free. That will be worthy of a celebration!
Here are some other links that I found to be of interest when researching this topic. Again, many of them show actual surgical procedures, so click with caution.
Information on kidney cancer
News4 da Vinci partial nephrectomy with Firefly
HD Robotic Partial Nephrectomy using "Firefly" Fluorescence Technology
Firefly Fluorescence Robotic Surgery With da Vinci
Robotic Partial Nephrectomy performed by Vipul Patel, MD
Also, gotta love Google's Dr. Who doodle for today:
More Vlog Brothers' Joke Videos: 31 Jokes for Nerds, 50 More Jokes, 50 Jokes in 4 Minutes and 50 Jokes.
( – -)
((') (')
The song in the video is "Heyr Himna Smiður". It was originally written as a poem by Kolbeinn Tumason in 1208, while on his deathbed (the story of his death is sad and tragic.) The melody that accompanies the text was written by Þorkell Sigurbjörnsson, over 700 years later. With a hat tip to the contributors at Wikipedia, "the original text is presented here with 19th-century Icelandic spelling and a rough, literal translation into English." The translation is a beautiful psalm to the Lord God; it could've been penned by King David himself. But I have no doubt the poem is even more lyrical when spoken in the original language.
|Heyr, himna smiður,
hvers skáldið biður.
Komi mjúk til mín
miskunnin þín.
Því heit eg á þig,
þú hefur skaptan mig.
Eg er þrællinn þinn,
þú ert drottinn minn.
Guð, heit eg á þig,
Gæt þú, mildingur, mín,
|Listen, smith of the heavens,
what the poet asks.
May softly come unto me
thy mercy.
So I call on thee,
for thou hast created me.
I am thy slave,
thou art my Lord.
God, I call on thee
Watch over me, mild one,
* or mild king. This is a pun on the word mildingur.
But, again the words "unusual" and "different" and "interesting" came up during the appointment. Dr. Hofer said my case would make a good trick question in a urologists' exam. The curve ball that made him question the off-the-cuff diagnosis of renal cell carcinoma is the fact that I've already been treated for lymphoma, combined with what he saw in the PET scan; the mass just didn't look like a typical renal cell carcinoma. He's been doing this stuff for 20-plus years, and has seen a fair number of them, so he ought to know what they look like. He also said that lymphoma will occasionally grow on the kidney, and is easily mistaken for something else. But unlike renal cell carcinoma which is usually a contiguous mass and easily removed, lymphoma is more diffuse; surgical removal is less effective because the tumor's boundaries aren't well defined, and it often metastasizes to other organs.
So, given my history and the physical appearance of this particular mass, Dr. Hofer suggested performing a biopsy of the mass before diving in and cutting out a chunk of the kidney. If the biopsy shows that it is indeed renal cell carcinoma, then I'll go back in for the partial nephrectomy. But if it turns out to be lymphoma, I will still have both my kidneys intact, and will go back to Dr. Bleeker and Sanford Oncology for more treatment. I'm not looking forward to that, but…
The biopsy will be done by one of the Sanford Radiology docs; they'll use an ultrasound to guide a probe to the proper spot on my kidney to get a sample of the mass. Much less invasive than laparoscopic surgery, but will still require an overnight stay at the hospital. We don't have a date just yet; should find that out tomorrow.
It's a bit of a disappointment; here I thought I was a surgical procedure away from being done with this stuff, but now we're faced with more questions and more diagnostics to try & get some answers.]]>
1995 BMW 540i M-Sport Hellrot Red/M-Cloth Hurricane Manual Sedan
In late 1995, just prior to switching to the E39 5-series body style for the 1997 model year (there is no such thing as a U.S. 1996 model year 5-series), BMW pumped one last breath of life into the V8 powered, E34-bodied, 540i for the U.S. market: The 1995 540i M Sport.
They did this by using almost all of the parts that went into the European 1995 6-cylinder E34 ///M5, except the engine and transmission. 200 of these 540i Sport models were sold in the U.S. 135 of them had the 6-speed manual transmission and the rest (65) had the automatic. Just 200 of these models were built, the majority of them having the 6-speed manual. This low mileage Hellrot Red M-sport for sale in California is one of those equipped.
Year: 1995
Model: 540i M-Sport
Engine: 4.0 liter V8
Transmission: 6-speed manual
Mileage: 83,650 miles
Price: $19,800
Exterior: Hellrot Red
Interior: M-Hurricane/Alcantara
Out of all 200 M-Sports that were made in 1995, BMW only made 5 of them in Hellrot Red. This is one of 5 in this exterior color, and is exclusive with its options bringing it to a one of a kind 540i M-Sport. Mint condition, Well-Maintained, Stock OE+!
Factory Options Include:
M5 EDC III Nurburgring Adaptive Suspension with control switch for Sport and Comfort Settings
Self-leveling Suspension
M5 Servotronic Steering and M Leather Sports Steering Wheel with Air Bag
Shadowline Trim
Anthracite headliner
M Door Sill Cover
Power and Heated Front Sport Seats
Power Sliding Sunroof
6 Disc CD Changer
Cruise Control
This M Sport has been responsibly owned and properly maintained since new. The condition of this car is superb. 100% stock with no modifications aside from upgrades from the dealer when new listed below! Clean Vehicle History Report with No Accidents. Adult Owner, Non-Smoker. No warning lights and everything functions as it should, even the EDC which is very rare for M-Sport cars these days. Full trunk tool kit is present as well as a full sized E34 M parallel spare. This vehicle was truly pampered. I will include the Carfax as well, email me. VIN matching car. Factory Nikasil motor all original, this car was barely driven and purchased by a collector when it was new, and no bad gas (aka high sulfur gas) was ever used to deteriorate the Nikasil coating.
Upgrades from dealer are as follows:
Highly Desired M Hurricane Cloth / Alcantara Heated Sport Euro M5 Interior to replace the original Black Bison
Authentic BMW E34 M5 Spec Staggered M Parallel Wheels in 18x8j and 18x9j (To replace original turbines)
Racing inspired 4 wheel floating independent disc brakes from the 1995 Euro M5. 345x32mm front floating rotors and 328x20mm rear fixed rotors.
This here is "The Ultimate E34″
For more info on the M-Sport, here are a few links:
For more information:
E: firstname.lastname@example.com
Text or E-mail Preferred
I'm still not out of the woods, but it's definitely a step in the right direction. There is still the mass in my kidney to be dealt with, so I have an appointment with a urologist in a couple of weeks to talk about the options for getting that removed (more on that when I know more.)
As for the lymphoma, since things are clear, I only need to return to the oncologist in three months for a checkup, then go back for another PET scan in six months.
Life is good. God is better.]]>
A couple of days ago I saw a squirrel run out from under that car, and something made me think that he hopped down from the underside of it… I didn't give it much thought it at the time, but this morning, while driving that car to work, I heard a little 'thump' as I was slowing for a stoplight, then saw a green walnut go rolling along the curb into the intersection. Great.
Looks like I need to do some inspecting and see how many more nuts that bushy-tailed tree rat has squirreled away in my car. And how much damage he's caused in the process.]]>
My last post ended with the results of my second PET scan in late June. While the procedure was a little rough, it yielded some good news; we had gained some serious ground on the cancer in my jaw, and we were ready to roll into the next phase of treatment, radiation therapy. Those treatments weren't much more fun than the last PET scan, and even now, seven weeks out from my last treatment, I'm still feeling the lingering side-effects. The positive side of this in between time is that I haven't even seen the inside of a hospital, clinic or infusion center since July 25 (happy dance!) My next appointment is for blood work and a third PET scan on September 18, followed by a visit with my oncologist to go over the results. It's been really good to not be picked on for a while after about 17 weeks of being poked, prodded, gouged, scanned, pumped full of toxins and and being irradiated by a linear accelerator. Recovery from the radiation seems to be much slower, but I'm finally starting to feel closer to normal (whatever that is; I think I forgot.)
To recap what has happened since that last scan…
My first radiation therapy appointment had a bit of an unwelcome surprise; during my first visit with the radiation oncologist, Dr. McGraw, the Tuesday before the second PET scan, we were told that I would be visiting with another doc before my radiation treatments started on July 1, the following Monday. Since my appointment with McGraw had been scheduled before the PET scan he didn't know exactly how much cancer was left in my jaw, and didn't have much of a game plan yet. Knowing there would be another consult before radiation therapy gave me some hope that there would be an opportunity to do something with that mask to make it more comfortable, because in all honesty I was more than a little afraid of being locked down to the table with that the thing again for any length of time. So I showed up for the appointment a bit early, got checked in, and was anxious to hear what the plan was & get rolling.
But when my name came up, we (Yvonne was keeping me company, and wanted to hear what the doc said) were ushered directly into the treatment room where they were ready to strap me in and start shooting. I dug my heels in though & made it pretty clear that I wasn't happy with that plan; within a few minutes got shuffled off to a consultation room & waited… After a while the nurse practitioner came to talk with us, and I'm sad to say I gave her a bit of a hard time. I really didn't want to get locked down with that mask for any length of time, and tried to explain to her the problem I had with it, and that I had hoped to have it adjusted a bit. She didn't seem to get why it was such a big deal, and at one point I just about lost it; I asked her if she had ever tried on a mask like that, and she responded with a, "Why in the world would I do that if I didn't have to?" Well, maybe to get an idea of what you're asking of your patients?!?! You would think that would be a standard part of their training, but nope.
She did her best to downplay the amount of time I'd spend in the mask, and that the techs would bail me out at the first sign of trouble. She also made it clear that making any changes to the mask would be expensive and require adjustments to the treatment plan, and would push my start date back several days. After thinking on it for a while, I decided to give it a go. It was a nice surprise that things went as well as they did that first time. The bit, or mouthguard, didn't bother me nearly as much as the morning of the PET scan, and that made a huge difference. That first treatment took about 15 minutes in the mask; the technicians got things lined up, took several measurements, then they used the linear accelerator to take some X-rays to make sure they were targeting the right spot before moving ahead with the treatment.
The techs were very professional about the whole process, and it struck me that the radiation oncology side of cancer treatment is much different than the chemotherapy side; much more process-oriented. In chemo, everything is centered around the patient and keeping the patient comfortable, but in radiation therapy, comfort seemed to be much less of a priority. There, the patient conforms to the machine and the process more than the process to the patient. I guess that's kinda the way it has to be, since the process is very dependent on hardware; the machinery that's used is very high-dollar, and the technology can only advance just so fast.
I'm convinced that with today's technology it shouldn't be all that difficult to make the process much more comfortable for the patient; with the current equipment the patient has to lie supine on a table on the machine, and have the area to be treated immobilized (the mask!). The head of the machine then moves into a predetermined position over the patient and the linear accelerator is fired for a predetermined length of time. For me, the head moved to three different positions, with two different angles from one of the positions, and was fired for anywhere between 15 and 30 seconds (by my count.) But how hard would it be to have a machine that moved dynamically with the patient? There are remote control helicopters that can hover with no user input; it shouldn't be difficult to so something similar using video sensors on a machine like a linear accelerator. Sure, it would cost a little more, but when it already costs hundreds of thousands of dollars, adding a feature like that would be a pittance. And it would eliminate a huge drawback with the current kit.
The first week of the treatments was pretty uneventful; I felt a little tired after each of the treatments, but not too bad. The treatments happened every day though, and that got a little tiring, especially since they were scheduled for 4:30 in the afternoon, which meant I had to adjust my work schedule and had to get up earlier (gasp!) I soon fell into a routine, which was good. The schedule worked out well though because the tiredness usually was at its worst for a couple hours after the treatment; my workday was done, so it only affected me at home.
In the second week, I looked forward to the weekend because that meant I'd have a break from the treatments; that turned out to be a lost hope — and a slightly miserable weekend — because the radiation therapy is somewhat of a cumulative process where one day's treatments usually don't really hit until about two days later. The mouth sores they warned me about also started to show up about the second week, and that made things a bit tougher. The mouth rinse they prescribed — basically a water, salt & baking soda solution — helped a bit, but it was more a matter of just putting the head down and bearing it. The mouth sores made eating difficult, but the treatments also seemed to affect the flexibility of the tissue in my mouth; opening wide for a bite got to be painful (as did talking and smiling.) So my diet morphed into more soft foods, cut into small bites, or just plain liquid foods.
The most annoying side effect of the treatments though had to be the near total failure of my taste buds. The whole business is hard to describe; I could kinda taste things, and could smell them just fine, but the tongue's ability to sense salty, sweet, sour & bitter seemed to be gone. As a result nothing tasted the way it smelled, nor as I knew it should. The big surprise for me was just how strongly taste is connected to appetite, and how little motivation there was to eat when things just don't taste good. Meals just weren't very satisfying — downright boring in fact — and my favorite snacks just didn't hold any appeal at all. It made me realize that my eating habits were often driven more by the sensory experience rather than by hunger; when things didn't taste good, I ate much less.
When I first started with chemotherapy the doc stressed how important it was that I maintain my weight, and I was able to do that with no problem… But I ended up losing about 20 pounds during this stage of my treatment. Good thing I've got plenty to spare. Probably not a great idea to use radiation therapy as part of a weight loss plan, but it sure was effective. Maybe if some pharmaceutical company could come up with a drug that would temporarily deaden the taste buds… I ought to patent that idea. Emphasis on the "temporarily" though…
I first started to notice things tasting different about halfway through the 18 radiation treatments; salt seemed to be the first to go. Shortly after, sweet fell away. Things did have some taste to them, but they just didn't taste the way I know they should, and just didn't match up with the way they smelled; it was usually a huge disappointment because I wasn't able to enjoy the food I ate. Even chocolate had lost its appeal; it just tasted like grease. The evening after my final radiation treatment, Yvonne, Caleb & I went out for ice cream, and I got a hot fudge sundae, but that was almost depressing. The ice cream had absolutely no flavor to it, and the hot fudge was downright repugnant; I ended up giving it to Caleb.
A while ago I experimented a little by putting a dab of table salt, sugar, and lemon juice on my tongue; nothing at all. With the lemon juice I did catch a whiff of it as fumes filtered up to my sinuses and nostrils, but sensed nothing on my tongue. They told me my taste buds would return to normal, but that it may take a while. Nobody was very specific about how long that "while" would be though, and that was frustrating. I was also warned that the salivary glands become a problem during the therapy, and that was less than pleasant as well. Eating a piece of bread became a chore; even the softest bread is scratchy as it passes through the throat if not properly lubricated by spit; yet another surprise.
Today my taste buds are closer to normal, but not quite where the once were. Food tastes so much better than it did a few weeks ago, and it's a huge relief to know that stage will be gone. The ~20 lbs. I lost won't be missed, and I'm finding that I once again have to watch what I eat more carefully. During chemo, my metabolism was way higher than normal, and it seemed like I ate like a horse. When my taste buds were on the fritz, nothing sounded good, so I still ate everything I wanted, but just didn't want much of anything.
While this in-between time has been somewhat uneventful, and not always pleasant, I have enjoyed it, if only for its lack of adventure. I will have more to report here in about a week, once I get through the next PET scan and have another visit with Dr. Bleeker. I'm hoping & praying for a clean scan of not only my jaw but all the other places as well. Getting a clean scan of the right kidney would take a miracle, but I would gladly accept that, and give God the glory for it. Barring that kind of miracle, He will also give me the ability to make it through surgery too, so it's all good.]]>


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Taylor Swift + Harry Styles Fly to London on Her Private Jet
And we thought the fact that they were holding hands every five minutes meant Harry Styles of One Direction and Taylor Swift were getting serious.
Turns out "Haylor," as we like to call this cute, talented, young and seemingly in love couple, couldn't bear to be apart due to work commitments. So naturally, Hazza hitched a ride on T. Swizzle's private jet from N.Y.C. to jet across the pond for 1D's performance at Jingle Ball in London this weekend.


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Ben Swann: Is Alternative Media Preventing A War With Syria?Submitted by Zak Carter on Sat, 08/31/2013 - 10:27
"We are only two weeks away from the anniversary of 9/11 and how far we have come. The Obama administration has been making the case for using cruise missiles to strike Syria. Unlike 12 years ago when the U.S. entered Afghanistan or in 2003 when the U.S went to Iraq to prevent Saddam's WMD's (which were never found) this time, American's aren't buying it.
Two polls conducted this week make a strong point about how the majority of American's feel about the U.S. carrying out cruise missile strikes against Damascus. The first poll, conducted by Reuters found that only 9% of Americans support any U.S. intervention in Syria.
The second poll, conducted by NBC News finds 79% Americans, including nearly 70% of Democrats and 90% of Republicans say President Obama should be required to receive authority from Congress before taking any action against the Syrian regime for its suspected use of chemical weapons in the ongoing civil war.
It is important to note that the demand for the President receive "authorization" follows the Constitution but is not something President's have done since WWII. This is a significant shift and one that likely reflects an American electorate that no longer believes whatever claims its government makes about the need for military intervention."
Read the rest of the article at - http://benswann.com/is-alternative-media-preventing-a-war-wi...
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Alternative media is kicking
Alternative media is kicking MSM butt.
Its a good day for
Its a good day for alternative media
Its a good day for the peoples voice
As usual I'd want to check into the poll methodology
and I wouldn't mind seeing more of them. But I'd heard about this and kinda been pondering....what changed? And what the heck is going on here anyway?
I see this as the beginning of proxy war with Iran and us playing brinksmanship with Russia and China. Scenarios range from a form of corporate hyper-competition to "cold" or "soft" war. I can't imagine anybody wanting hot war in the mideast as the tendency to go global is way too big. Can you imagine war between any of us three superpowers? That would be a global disaster by definition.
On a popular opinion note, one thing that's always been used to sell war in the region is building the case for an "existential threat" to Israel. Not only have they not done so in this case, the existential threat to Israel might be said to be Syrian support for Iran which supports Hammas. But that's not likely to spring to the minds of yer basic Amurkin citizen.
For another thing, nobody has made a great case for attacking them to begin with and they could hardly have found LESS passison in their arguments. I'm beginning to wonder if Obama thought he could just kinda sneak an invasion in there and nobody would notice. He's deploying troops and hardware on the one hand and on the other making this great show of hemming and hawing and he hasn't made up his mind yet.
OK that's not exactly the full-on sales pitch used by his predecesors. Where's the whole flag waving, stike up the bank, get up there and hoot and holler thing? Are they even trying to sell this? John McCain is in the corner in an increasingly rupled suit banging away on a bass drum. We should get an accordion for him to stomp on because he really is a one-man-band here....except for John Kerry. How's that for ironic? We should get McCain and Kerry puppets and get pics of them together in a bed on the Capitol lawn.
Be brave, be brave, the Myan pilot needs no aeroplane.
obviously Obama is a puppet, and obviously he doesn't make the decisions. I'm wondering what's going on behind the scenes.
I'm thinking Obama doesn't want to go to war, but knows it isn't his call to make.
-As you mentioned there is a lack of passion in their arguments.
-During O speech today he kept re-enforcing that this is "his" decision. He mentioned it multiple times, it seemed over-done, like who exactly are you trying to convince.
-Karen Hudes has made comments that indicate O maybe sympathetic.
Let me put it this way, if romney had been chosen as the director of public relations for the US branch of the NWO instead of O, do you think bombs would be flying???
I don't know, TPTB want to be dropping bombs (IMO), but for some reason they aren't yet. I wonder what's going on behind the scenes
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Thanks to Ron Paul
I have never once read about or heard anyone else even suggest we follow the constitution and get a declaration of war from the congress. 70% of dems and 90% of republicans ...wow this country is waking up and all because of one man. Amazing.
They tried to bury us, they didn't know we were seeds. -mexican proverb
I think he'll be in the
I think he'll be in the history books 100 years from now.
Yes, If
We need to preserve history in digital format, because if you read paper, it never happened.
I hope Michael Nystrom will authorize some books based on the documentation on this site.
I go through my lists of YouTube videos, and "Ron Paul Songs" and it sad to see so many of them have been deleted.
What do you think? http://consequeries.com/
Paper records
Paper records are better IMO. Digital records can be erased, modified or otherwise manipulated. We see it here almost daily. Books and other paper records are bulky and inconvenient but are not subject to "editing" and can be preserved for hundreds of years.
We can have bothThink of it
We can have both
Think of it this way, a paper copy can be the gold standard of a digital copy, with periodic "auditing" to make sure everything "adds up"


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'When Did Liberals Become So Unreasonable?'
By editor
This week in New York Magazine, two writers from different political parties each critiqued their own side. On Thursday, we heard from conservative David Frum, who argues Republicans lost touch with reality. In the same issue, liberal writer Jonathan Chait also uses the word "fantasy" in describing liberals. He tells Steve Inskeep liberals have become unreasonable.


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Because he wants to believe that he can still do the things he used to do when he was younger, consequently, the idea of being an invalid is very disheartening.
Im thinking he maybe in shock about it.

And shouting and screaming about it is just gonna make him burry his head in the sand all the more.

Firstly take him to the docs and get them to explain exactly why he needs the op.

And then you have to show him...that after the op its not game over for him.

Get in touch with some amputation support groups,

Have a look on the net for videos there are runners, football pla<x>yers, climbers,

swimmers, Put it this way with todays technolagy having a missing body part is`nt a big deal anymore.
He needs to understand both those things:

1. You "don't mind driving him to places he has to go," and that

2. You "have a 18 month old special needs child so ... can't be there 24/7".

I, too, depend on My feet to get around. If I became unable to walk, not even able to stand, then My life would be over, from My point of view.

He needs to understand, there are two choices, for him: He can adjust to the new reality, or he can go crazy, and end his life. Taking it out on others---especially on someone whose wife died!---is not the thing to do. I hope your situation gets less bad, and soon!
He just needs some time to accept the fact that he is going to lose a leg. Put yourself in his place for a minute. If a Dr. told you you were going to lose a leg would you rush right over to the hospital and let them chop your leg off? Just be there for him as much as you can and give him all the support he needs during this difficult time.
he's just gonna have to see on his own. so, until, and when/if, he see's just be there for him along the way, nobody likes a nag.
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"TNF" Ratings Down For Titans-Jags Rams' Move To L.A. Unlikely For '15 Is The NHL Winter Classic Lacking Buzz? 49ers Cut McDonald Following Assault Probe Chargers Staying In San Diego Next Year Host Cities Revealed For '15 Gold Cup Comic Book Makes Superhero Merch With QBs Bears' Leadership Under Fire TaxSlayer Bowl Prez Optimistic On Attendance Broncos Create Sports Management Minor At CSU
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PARTY CRASHERS: U.S. District Court Judge Kurt Engelhardt indicated that New Orleans "must scale back its plans for a 'clean zone' where the use of banners, signs and flags would be restricted during Super Bowl week." Engelhardt's "temporary restraining order says the city can only enforce the limits in an area near the Superdome." The AP's Michael Kunzelman notes the city also had "planned to enforce the rules in the French Quarter and surrounding neighborhoods." The ACLU of Louisiana in a lawsuit claimed that "a new city ordinance and a code enforcement guide trample on their free speech rights and limit their activities leading up" to the game. The ACLU claims that New Orleans "adopted the new policies at the behest" of the NFL (AP, 1/25).
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|It was found in a specialty overpriced snobstore. It is extremely thick walled and sweet on the bottom, but if you taste the placental wall it is *searing hot*
It is also HUGE and has extremly few seeds/pod. Does anyone have any idea what it is?
Follow-Up Postings:
- Posted by john__showme__usa 5 (My Page) on Wed, May 17, 06 at 15:42
|I would like to see a close-up of the seeds. Or describe their general shape. (are they flat or somewhat round?)
- Posted by john__showme__usa 5 (My Page) on Wed, May 17, 06 at 15:46
|Any dark colored seeds?
|well camera wont take pics of something so small apparently.
i'll give the pic i have and try to describe them.
they are white and somewhat thin, with a blacker color embryo
- Posted by john__showme__usa 5 (My Page) on Wed, May 17, 06 at 16:23
Was thinking was possibly a C. pubescens. Some varieties need more time than others for the seeds to turn dark brown/black and mature pod color doesn't always mean fully ripe.
Thick walls, sweet outer flesh, and very hot placenta reminded me of some rocoto/manzano etc. Guess not...
- Posted by organic_nut MA Zone 5 495 (My Page) on Wed, May 17, 06 at 18:10
|after the pod turns color it takes another month for the seeds to fully ripen.
these look exactly like c. pubescens has a beautiful purple flower with a tiny white border, and to make recognition even easier the seeds are black.
I suggest you allow the other pepper to sit and ripen the seeds more. although the seeds you now have might germinate but might not last as long in storage. anyway, if the seeds turn black then you have it.
I grew some years ago and they were very slow. this is one that I would consider growing through the winter and putting it outdoors next year for a good crop.
Rocotillo is a different shape. your shape is rocoto other names are caballo, canario, manzana, peron, manzana and suprise Jalapeno in costa rico.
the scovilles are a little lower than habanero but there are other chemicals present that make it seem hotter so be careful.
|i'm almost 100% sure it is not a rocoto/manzano
i have seeds from that and they are larger, even when not fully ripe, they are also much darker.
the apple shape is nonexistant as well, these have a typical habanero shape, and i'd figure them for your normal off the shelf red habs, with one exception, the size on these things is incredible.
- Posted by john__showme__usa 5 (My Page) on Wed, May 17, 06 at 18:44
Not to belabor the point, but not all C. pubescens seeds are large and the fruit are not all apple-shaped.
Good luck with your I-D quest!
- Posted by organic_nut MA Zone 5 495 (My Page) on Wed, May 17, 06 at 19:51
|you may be correct that they are a red hab. there is a dent in the outside part. that would be more like a hab. the rocoto are more smooth all around without the crease.
the ones I had, the seeds were huge and filled the hollow part.
growing out the plant and seeing the flowers would help a lot. also growing out the plant would give more peppers and that would show their shape more.
I dont see the size of these peppers as large at all. the picture they look fairly small to me. I guess the picture the seeds are tiny. so maybe the red hab type is the best guess for now.
growing them out will really help identify them much better. the flowers of the various types are different. and the manner in which they flower. single or multiple help to id this pepper.
but why the black color on the seeds. unless it is caused by rot. do the seeds look moldy and rotting.
were you able to ask at the store what the pepper might be.
|pepper was rung up as "misc hot peppers"
also, the seeds are fresh, the pods extremely sweet, not developing the taste they get when they are old and starting to turn.
what's wierd is the bottom 1/10th has absolutely no heat, and in fact is juicy and tasty as a red bell pepper.
the majority of my experience comes with orange habs and jalapenos, and both of them have at least some heat in the bottom.
as to the size, perhaps the picture doesn't do it justice, but these each weigh at least 3 times as much as a generic orange hab. they are much fatter as well as much larger.
perhaps they are a hybrid though, that is always possible.
- Posted by organic_nut MA Zone 5 495 (My Page) on Thu, May 18, 06 at 8:03
|well I spent some time with Jean Andrew's book THE PEPPER LADY'S POCKET PEPPER PRIMER. the idea of this book is to help people identify peppers in the store. well to do a rough identity. and to know what might be substituted in a recipe.
sndk you are in zone 10. can you say what state. certainly more peppers become available as you go south.
After going through the jean andrews book I think it might be the last picture and item listed in the book. She gives it the name WEST INDIAN HOT. on page 158 in the book. she says she found this pepper in Antigua British West Indies. and they grow easy in texas.
yes looking closer at the picture the flesh is firmer than a Habanero which has a thinner flesh.
I think to get much farther on identifying this one, you will need to grow it out and maybe get some books from the library or buy them.
this might be a cultivated cultivar and not a wild species.
- Posted by john47_johnf Maine z4/5 (My Page) on Thu, May 18, 06 at 8:16
|Because of pod shape variations within a variety, and even on the same plant, it is difficult to identify a pepper simply by pod shape.
|seeds are in a pot, i'll grow em out :)
|Let us know what the flowers look like eventually. That will certainly help narrow it down to at least one of the five main species.
The whole pod looks a lot like a generic red habanero to me, but those black spots in the seeds are throwing me. I've never seen that on a C. chinense, but that does not mean it does not happen. Hopefully it is not some sort of rot like organic_nut suggested or you won't get any germination.
- Posted by john__showme__usa 5 (My Page) on Thu, May 18, 06 at 12:41
|I suggest you go buy some more and send me some. :)
Seriously, I would buy some more. This mystery is solvable with just a little more info. Next time a shot of the calyx and report the smell of the pod. Let one or two pods age for a few weeks to a wrinkled condition.
If your camera won't do macro try propping a magnifying glass between pod and camera and back off to where will focus.
Good luck on seeds germinating. (color me doubtful) I've seen the dark spots in middle of C. chinense all too often.
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CCNA Exam & Valley Review Honest Information for Passing!
- 11Jan 13, '09 by LadyCRNAI have spent the past 3 weeks waiting for my exam results (Certifcation Exam for CRNA's) completely anxiety ridden because I took ALL 170 questions - and certain I failed. I GOOGLEd any and all keywords that would lead me to information that would prove me wrong - that I had not failed & the statistics for "going the distance" and passing . Each time I searched, I would get this site! Much of the information was from 2006 & 2007..... some from 2008.
Well...... the waiting is over and I PASSED!
So, I figured it was my obligation to help others by sharing some real & updated information:typing.
First - the CCNA has changed some aspects of the certification exam. For example; EVERYONE takes a minimum of 100 questions and a maximum of 170 (30 random "pre test" questions still exist - these are questions being tested for future testing) and the way the test are scored/weighted have changed as well. All of this information is in the handbook from the CCNA. So, when you read blogs that say, I only took 90 questions etc... those are old and do not pertain to current testing parameters.
Second - FIVE of my classmates took all 170 questions and we all passsed!!! So, I have to believe that the current statistics that estimate approximately 69% of the people who get all questions pass and the remainder fail....is slightly skewed (just my opinion). Several of my classmates answered quetions in the 140, 130 and 115 range and all passed. So the message here? DON'T LISTEN TO THE GUESSES/BLOGS THAT STATE PEOPLE WHO RECEIVED A CERTAIN NUMBER DIDN'T PASS. ALWAYS BET ON YOURSELF!!!
Third - I took Valley Review in March of 2007 (graduated in December 2008 & took exam on December 24, 2008) and believe that Valley Review is an EXCELLENT course & is a SUPERB way to keep your studying ORGANIZED and complete. VALLEY is NOT meant to give you answers that will be on the exam RATHER the content of questions that you might encounter and how to give the best educated answer!
The course was long BUT the instuctors are EXPERIENCED and know what they are doing. Use VALLEY to do just what is it meant to do... REVIEW the material you should already know. There were many topics that I did not have rock solid in my brain & Valley material helped me to re teach myself several important concepts that were on the exam
I STRONLY SUGGEST PURCHASING THE MATERIAL NOW & USE IT TO STUDY FOR YOUR EXAMS THROUGHOUT ANESTHESIA SCHOOL! It should NOT take the place of other text books RATHER supplement the material (especially those concepts you don't understand). Valley material is clear & concise (no I do not work for Valley or get paid by them - I would have been lost without their material and am very grateful they do what they do)! PS - Morgan & Mikhail is a must for board review! Almost anything in "Key Concepts" and in bold were in some shape or form on the exam!!!!
Good Luck to all of you making your way through school - it's a long haul! I would be happy to answer any questions or offer support just as people have done for me. Hang in there, study hard BUT take breaks along the way, enjoy this time & and remember to alwasy represent our profession positively
- 0Jan 29, '09 by Ivan PalmaDid you also use the practice exams from Prodigy Anesthesia or Core Concepts? If so, how did your actual exam compare with the practice exams from those companies?
- 2Jan 30, '09 by LadyCRNAI did not use the other practice exams that you mentioned.... The only other practice exams I took were from a Barash Review book and Anesthesia: A comprehensive review by Hall & Chantigian (I used these books mostly for board prep exams we took during our last semester of course work.
I am serious when I say, if you go through all of the Valley material; Sweat Book & the Memory Master & understand the concepts AND Morgan & Mikhail (key concepts - all highlighted areas) you will do great!
Valley was & is an excellent way to stay organized and focused. I cannot comment on the other material because I did not use it.
The actual exam was NOT verbatim from any practice books - it was very similar in content. Which reaffirms my point.... there are only so many ways to ask the same question... so if you know the material and understand it, you will do fine. Nothing is asked with straight answers..... you have to understand concepts to put it all together. For example - they don't just ask, "What pulmonary function decreases in the geriatric patient?" and give a direct answer..... the answer would be more complex such as all of the values (volumes) that equal a capacity. That is just an example of why and how to know your concepts.
I hope this helps......
Nagelhout was another book I used for review (although many of the answers were incorrect) it gave a good way to break down catagories and things to focus on. Does that help?
Let me know if you have any other questions.
Good Luck!
- 0Feb 11, '09 by clcm13I just took the exam and went the distance (170 questions). I wasn't one of the lucky ones to pass. This was my second time taking it and its getting very hard to stay positive. I did valley and read baby miller. I was so close. If you have any additional information on how to pass, I would greatly appreciate it. Thanks
- 0May 31, '09 by RNNJI just took my boards on thursday. I got the whole 170 questions. Boy was that long? Both my friends that got 170 questions passed!!! I have no idea how I did. And it wasn't the questions that bothered me, it was the answers. I am still perplexed and don't really know how I did. I say t myself "you did fine, just trust yourself. There were a lot of questions that you knew that you knew". And then another minute I say "there were a lot of questions that I don't know if I answered correctly." So one never knows until that bloody envelope comes!!! But thanks for the encouraging words about the 170 questions and the high likelihood of passing! That made me feel good for another minute. Then I had a friend who got 103 questions and felt he did horrible and did not pass!!!I swore that he had passed but no luck. Again, wait and see I guess.
- 2May 31, '09 by one_crnaQuote from LadyCRNAHow can the statistic be skewed? It is from the CCNA based on the actual data. The truth is that if you are passing free and clear you will get 100 questions (likewise completely failing, you will get 100 questions). Almost everyone in my class got 100 questions and we all passed. A program where nearly everyone gets significantly more than the minimum questions may reflect on the quality of their preparation.Second - FIVE of my classmates took all 170 questions and we all passsed!!! So, I have to believe that the current statistics that estimate approximately 69% of the people who get all questions pass and the remainder fail....is slightly skewed (just my opinion). Several of my classmates answered quetions in the 140, 130 and 115 range and all passed.
It also sounds to me like more programs are having problems with an increase in failures over the past year or so (read: I believe the exam is more difficult in '08/09 than it was previously).
- 0Jun 16, '09 by NurseKittenThank you SO MUCH for this info. I have 18 months left, but I just got Morgan & Mikhail the other day...and LOVE IT! Glad to know it's what I need to be using.
- 2Nov 12, '10 by AnesthesiaSliderA note on Prodigy's "PACES" program:
It is a great idea and a lot of work has been put in to it. But not enough hard work.
It looks good, and you'll like the way it works. Questions are good and rationals are given with references. The tools for analyzing your performance are a great idea. But read on...
After the first couple of tests you'll notice that what started out as a few tolerable typos has become a pattern of mistakes. Questions will be keyed incorrectly (as evidenced by the rational stated in the answer) many times. Solid references are sharing space with secondary sources. One question was referenced to a source from 1997. Another answer's sole reference is a Wikipedia article (no joke). Several times the live score tracker on the side of the screen has said something ridiculous like "7 out of 5 correct."
But to me, these obvious errors aren't as problematic as some of the more subtle errors in the tests. For example, a question asks about changes in the arterial waveform at the dorsalis pedis. The answer is keyed as "increase in systolic pressure," and the reference is given as M&M p. 119. You go to that page and sure enough, that's what it says. But another option in the test was "decrease in diastolic pressure." One would deduce that this answer is wrong since it wasn't a multiple response question. But with a careful reading of the reference you might notice that M&M doesn't say anything about the diastolic pressure. However, Barash states (in the caption to figure 30-17 on p. 877) that although SBP is increased, DBP and MAP are both decreased. So PACES is incorrect, but if you didn't know that it was wrong you could very well move along to the next question thinking "ok, systolic increased, diastolic not decreased, says so in M&M, got it!"
Other issues:
-Drag/drop questions don't function correctly in the Mac version
-800 questions is questionable: several questions come up over and over again with only small changes to the questions/answers. Had the exact word for word question twice in a row in one test. There are 6 exams (always the same) with 100 questions each. I'm not sure where those other 200 questions are.
-If you save an exam, it saves your score. But when you load the saved exam you start from the 1st question, so you answer the same questions more than once. In other words, it totally screws up the scoring system.
So yeah, it is good for getting you to think about different subjects/topics. But the key is so screwed up that it is useless for analyzing your knowledge. Most of you are type A, details-oriented people, so the spelling and grammar will drive you nuts. You cannot trust Prodigy's answers, so if you're unsure you have to look it up yourself. It's absolutely not worth $200.
I should add that I emailed Prodigy about my complaints, and got an email back in about 48 hours saying they would consider my issues and get back to me shortly. That was three months ago.
An updated version (2.9) of the software came out this month. None of my issues had been fixed (except that they updated many references to reflect the most current edition - the 1997 reference and the Wikipedia article are still there). They claim that they updated the content to reflect the 2010 candidate manual, but they haven't removed or changed questions about non-testable drugs, etc.
These guys are making money with this half-baked product, so they have no motivation to fix it. They don't give refunds, so unless you have money to burn I'd look elsewhere. Maybe if their sales go down these guys will make an attempt to fix their reputation by fixing their product.
Like I said, it's a great idea.


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Lego Bricks can solve affordable housing problem
Newly interlocking designs of bricks can solve the massive housing problem for poor. The construction does not need water or skilled masons. You also do not need brick kilns and consequent carbon emissions. This civil engineering approach makes this type of housing construction a darling of affordable housing in the third world. All engineers can draw inspiration from this video and realize how ... »


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Thursday, December 18, 2014
A dark Southern tale of a 12-year-old boy who, against the wishes of his mother, is introduced to the world of cock-fighting by his overbearing father. ~ Baseline StudioSystems
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Paul Solotaroff
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Men's Journal Author Told James Harrison To Make Up With Quarterback Ben Roethlisberger - Posted July 14, 2011
Paul Solotaroff, who wrote the James Harrison profile for Men's Journal, told the Pittsburgh Steelers linebacker he shou... [SportsNewser]


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I found this older lacrosse ball a while back, and it was a truly great find. I was running a camp, and doing a ball hunt, and I thought I'd found just another lost nugget at first. Then I pulled it out from under the bleachers, and I was pleasantly surprised to see that it […]
Tag Archives | #TraditionalThursdays
Traditional Thursday: Talking Tension
It's Thursday, and that means it's time to talk Traditional stringing. This week, I explain how important proper spacing, tension, and break-in processes can be when you've just strung up a traditional stick. Get that pocket looking, throwing, and catching PERFECTLY… it's Traditional Thursday!
Traditional Thursday: Wooden Stick Tricks
I'm back at it with Stick Tricks in the Basement, and while I haven't added many new tricks, I am now pulling them off with a wooden box lacrosse stick. The woodie makes these tricks much harder. Thankfully, the location is still pretty killer. It slightly makes up for my average display of wizardry.
Traditional Thursday: Slipping Knots
If you string a custom pocket with a TON of lockdown knots in it, your pocket won't move much. Pita pockets, Heat pockets, and small diamond traditional pockets typically fall into this category. But wider pockets, like a five diamond traditional, or a Jeremy Thompson Replica pocket, can see knots that experience serious slippage. How […]
Traditional Thursday: Billy's New Drop Top
Over the summer, I used a mesh stick with an Iroquois top string during the ULAX Liberty Cup tournament. It had a quick and snappy release, which I love. I wanted to replicate those same concepts into a traditional stick.
Traditional Thursday: Interlock Tutorial
If you want to learn how to string a traditional pocket, you need to know how to properly string a traditional interlock around a leather. It's a seemingly tricky knot, but once you get it, it's actually quite simple. The above video shows you just how to do it… it's a time tested method!
Traditional Thursday: Tips And Tricks
We have received a TON of questions over the last month or so, so I'm going through them and answering them one by one. If my answer doesn't satisfy you, follow up with me in the comments, and I will try to help you out!
Traditional Thursday: MLL Championship Goals 2001-2003
It's Traditional Thursday! This week we have Championship goals from Major League Lacrosse's first three seasons, and each and every one is scored with a traditional stick! It's a bygone day, where the best of the best all used leather and cross lace to get the job done. Lizards and Bayhawks just going AT IT!
Traditional Thursday: Jeremy Thompson Replica Part 2
Last week's Traditional Thursday saw Connor Wilson's take on Jeremy Thompson's one-twist pita pocket. This week, I bring to you a throwback with my take on Jeremy Thompson's pocket. When I strung this pocket up earlier this summer, I actually had no idea that Jeremy Thompson was using a similar set up. In fact, I […]
LIVE Hangout: East Coast, Throne, Stylin Strings!
Today, at 2PM ET, LaxAllStars will be hosting a LIVE Google Hangout on the subject of stringing, traditional, mesh, and how it can all impact your game! Our knowledgeable guests will include Greg Kenneally (of East Coast Dyes), Joe Williams (of Throne of String), and Justin Skaggs (of Stylin Strings)!
Traditional Thursday: Jeremy Thompson Replica
Connor Wilson noticed that Jeremy Thompson was using an interesting one twist pita/traditional variation earlier this Summer in the MLL, and had to give it a shot and try to figure it out for himself. What do you think of his effort?
Traditional Thursday: Contest Colin And Connor Hangout
Today, Thursday July 25th, at 2pm Eastern Time, Connor will be hosting a Traditional Thursday Google Hangout LIVE with Contest Colin from The Lacrosse Network! To view the traditional talk session, just head on over to the LaxAllStars YouTube page and Subscribe!
Traditional Thursday: The Ultimate Tutorial
After many hours of exporting, and then uploading, and then processing, the 43 minute 43 second multiple string traditional tutorial is up and live. It's in-depth, and there are helpful tips smattered throughout.
Traditional Thursday: Mini Traditional Sticks
Stylin Strings sent over an LAS-themed mini stick, complete with a pita pocket, and I love that mini sticks are getting the traditional love.
Traditional Thursday: Goalie Traditional
This week's Traditional Thursday features a feat none of us at the LAS mothership have ever tried before: A Goalie Traditional.


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Tag Archives | Vaccines
New Mass Vaccine Propaganda – Jane Burgermeister
Mexican Scientists Unveil Vaccine Against Heroin Addiction
An inoculation could make the ravages of drug dependency an ailment of the past. One imagines the tobacco and pharmaceutical industries putting up an epic battle a few years down the road when researchers turn their sights toward developing vaccines to eliminate cigarette and painkiller addiction. Reuters reports:
A group of Mexican scientists is working on a vaccine that could reduce addiction to one of the world's most notorious narcotics: heroin. They have successfully tested the vaccine on mice and are preparing to test it on humans.
The vaccine, which has been patented in the United States, works by making the body resistant to the effects of heroin, so users would no longer get a rush of pleasure when they smoke or inject it.
Jim Marrs Live On The Alex Jones Show
Parents Using Facebook to Trade Viruses In the Mail to Infect Their Children
PHOENIX — Doctors and medical experts are concerned about a new trend taking place on Facebook. Parents are trading live viruses through the mail in order to infect their children. The Facebook group is called "Find a Pox Party in Your Area." According to the group's page, it is geared toward "parents who want their children to obtain natural immunity for the chicken pox." On the page, parents post where they live and ask if anyone with a child who has the chicken pox would be willing to send saliva, infected lollipops or clothing through the mail. Parents also use the page to set up play dates with children who currently have chicken pox. Medical experts say the most troubling part of this is parents are taking pathogens from complete strangers and deliberately infecting their children.
Scientist Working On Cocaine, Nicotine Vaccines
Whatever next – McDonald's vaccine? Douglas Quenqua reports for the New York Times:
… Read the rest
Imagine a vaccine against smoking: People trying to quit would light up a cigarette and feel nothing. Or a vaccine against cocaine, one that would prevent addicts from enjoying the drug's high.
Though neither is imminent, both are on the drawing board, as are vaccines to combat other addictions. While scientists have historically focused their vaccination efforts on diseases like polio, smallpox and diphtheria — with great success — they are now at work on shots that could one day release people from the grip of substance abuse.
"We view this as an alternative or better way for some people," said Dr. Kim D. Janda, a professor at the Scripps Research Institute who has made this his life's work. "Just like with nicotine patches and the gum, all those things are just systems to get people off the drugs."
Medical Industry Claims Vaccines Do Not Cause Autism Or Diabetes
Well they would, wouldn't they? From Medical News Today:
… Read the rest
After analyzing over 1,000 research papers, a report issued by the IOM (Institute of Medicine) found no evidence linking vaccines to autism or type 1 diabetes risk, and very few other health problems caused or clearly linked to vaccines. According to a committee of experts who reviewed the scientific studies, convincing evidence was found of 14 health outcomes associated with vaccines, including fainting, brain inflammation and seizures, however, their occurrences were found to be very rare.
Some less clear data linking certain vaccines to four other effects, including temporary joint pain and allergic reactions were also found. Regarding other suggested adverse effects, the experts said there was inadequate data.
The IOM says that this review will help the HHS administer the VICP (Vaccine Injury Compensation Program), which depends on science-based evidence when deciding on vaccine-related side effects. The HHS (Department of Health and Human Services) asked the IOM for a comprehensive review on eight vaccines covered by VICP.
Universal Flu Vaccine
A universal flu vaccine that protects against all strains may be within reach in the next five years, replacing annual shots developed for specifics flu viruses, the chief of the National Institutes of Health predicts. Francis Collins told USA TODAY's Editorial Board on Tuesday that he is "guardedly optimistic" about development of a long-term shot to replace the one "you'd have to renew every year." About 200,000 people are hospitalized with the flu every year, and an estimated 3,000 to 49,000 die...
Donors Pledge $4.3 Billion For Child Vaccinations In Poor Nations
A case of good humanitarians. Via Reuters:
International donors led by Britain and Bill Gates pledged $4.3 billion on Monday to buy vaccines to protect children in poor countries against potential killers such as diarrheal diseases and pneumonia.
"But every 20 seconds, a child still dies of a vaccine-preventable disease. There's more work to be done."
The funding should allow more than 250 million of the world's poorest children to be vaccinated by 2015, helping to prevent more than four million premature deaths, the Global Alliance for Vaccines and Immunisation (GAVI) said.
"Today is an important moment in our collective commitment to protecting children in developing countries from disease," said Liberian President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf, who attended the pledging conference in London.
[Continues at Reuters]
Measles Outbreak Linked to Anti-Vaccination Movement
The Seattle Times reports upon a recent measles outbreak in Minneapolis traced local Somalis fearful of a purported link between the MMR vaccine and autism. Andrew Wakefield himself has arrived on the scene. His 1998 study linking the MMR to a new syndrome dubbed "autistic enterocolitis" has since been retracted by the Lancet amid allegations of fraud, and his medical license has been revoked.
As CNN reports, Wakefield expected to earn as much as $43 million/year in revenue from "litigation driven testing" for autistic enterocolitis, a test for which he holds a potentially lucrative patent, and received more than $674,000 "from lawyers trying to build a case against vaccine manufacturers."
From the Seattle Times article:
… Read the rest
Health officials struggling to contain a measles outbreak that's hit hard in Minneapolis' large Somali community are running into resistance from parents who fear the vaccine could give their children autism.
Fourteen confirmed measles cases have been reported in Minnesota since February.


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JDR on the road
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Roby AND Latimer?Who the Hell Knew?
Join Date: Sep 2003
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Malik Jackson
Originally Posted by
Tombstone RJ
I'm all for the coaching staff to have imput on potential draft picks, but I don't want Elway to pick players based on the coaches opinions. JDR does not get paid to scout players, he gets paid to coach the players. I want Elway to listen to the people who get paid to scout the players and draft accordingly. I want Elway to listen to his scouts and trust his own eye for talent. Sure, take input from the coaches because you want everyone to be happy about who is drafted, but you don't let the coaches dictate the player personel.
The seperation between Scouts and Coaches used to be like this even 15 years ago in the poor drafting organizations. However, it is a lot more complicated than that now, and mostly for the better.
The Area scouts determine pure talent and give them a base grade as a player, develop as much backround and character information as possible, and then they submit a second grade based on the system DEN runs. Then, a second scout will independently evaluate that player for both graded portions and double check the backround question marks from the first report.
After that, the national scout and college scouting directors review the players grades submitted and add a third round of independent grades to the player. These are the precombine draft grades that all teams have on a player.
After the combine, and during the prodays the position coaches and the Coordinators get a report based on those initial grades and crosscheck the players. So, a Secondary coach would do his positions and then maybe DE's as well. LB's coach would do all LB's and then safeties as well etc. These grades will also have all the medical, character, interviews from Post season games, combine official and unofficial interviews incorporated as well as their on field grades for the first time. Most players now have 4 grades associated at this point. Overall grade, System grade, Football Character, and Personal Character.
The Coaching staff pays particular attention to the system grade and helps provide feedback to the Area scouts on what they are looking for. They really get involved in that aspect and the football character if they know the coaches the player played for in college. It's a small fraternity, and often one coach on staff will know the coach personally and inquire about the character reports as well. The personal relationships help in getting more accurate information on character as no college coach wants to tarnish their "upward mobile" relationships to the NFL in most cases.
The GM and other Front office staff will be in full player review mode as well. They will have taken preliminary notes on players and added them to the grades. They will pay attention to the establishment of their Draft board and the Overall grades more here.
The March Scouting meetings will be a final crosscheck by other area scouts and the establishment of the draft board will be in full swing. They will start differentiating from other teams here and the coaches will have a say on the individual player rankings at this point. This is where it can get dicey between scouts and Coaches, unless there is a strong GM and national scout. Once they set the final board and commit to the draft strategy, it's all up to the GM to make the picks.
It's why DEN moved back last year to get Wolfe and still get value down the line. SEA went ahead and took Bruce Irvin because they were not convinced they could move to a point where they were able to get him later. The overall strategy early changes all too often as players are misevaluated overall, reached for due to need, and missing team intentions on a certain player. I think it is the most fascinating process to watch unfold and analyze later.
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How to learn telekinesis
How I did it:
Lessons & tips: If you've done it once before, it will be LOADS easier to relearn than start from scratch, since you already have an idea of what NOT to do.
I have yet to explore the current Psionic community, so unfortunately my knowledge of up-to-date websites is very much lacking. (It HAS been 8 years, afterall.)
Resources: *PSIPOG.net
(THE authority in the field at the time, and possibly still is, despite being archived 6 or more years ago.)
(Defunct and highly obscure treatises, however the animated tests on their website were interesting. A shame they most likely went down with the website.)


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HEREFORD Services for Nina Mae Hefner, 85, of Hereford will be held at a later date.
Cremation arrangements are under the direction of Gilliland-Watson Funeral Home of Hereford.
She died Sunday, Dec. 2, 2001.
She was born Feb. 24, 1916, near Farmington, N.M. She was a commercial bookkeeper.
Survivors include a son, Stephen Frank of Fort Worth.
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