Today I learned...

[Junior]

Wow. Better late than never, I guess is how things go. You know how them Mummies and Daddies always tell kids not to rub their eyes and stuff?

It's not that bad, but it's got its roots. Supposedly the eyes aren't very permeable to antibodies and all that other immune system thingies. That's why you won't need anti-rejection drugs after a cornea transplant. On the downside, infections are nasty.

/things I learned today.

Good to hear your eyes are still in good health Junior.

From your experiences, what's the plus of wearing contacts? I wear glasses only for long-range stuff like lectures, so I never considered contacts, so I'm curious.

XD My worst habit is rubbing my eyes. It's annoying and smudges my make-up. =/

Hmmm cornea transplant...just thinking that makes go all 'Ooooooooh' at our technology. *is a nerd* But yes, infections are crazy nasty. And you can get them just randomly. (and apparently, you WILL get them if you share contact lenses)

And thanks. ^^ Well...let's see...firstly, there's the fact that your vision is 100%. I read somewhere that glasses don't give you the correct, realistic vision. That things appear...smaller? Or something. (it's been a long time since I wore glasses...)

Secondly, the look on people's faces when they hear you wear contacts. YOU? WEAR GLASSES? WOW NO WAI!!!!1111

The downside of contacts, is you gotta change them according to what type they are( monthly, daily, etc) And it's expensive.
Also, they're very very delicate. My cousin bought her grey contacts, and on the day she bought them, she was handling them(and she has LONG nails) and it just broke in half. It's like...250 a lens. A LENS. ONE LENS. That's 250 GONE! I shed tears for that wasted money!! D:

Also, it causes Dry Eyes. Which seriously, is a pain. Constant irritation in your eyes even when you're not wearing your contacts. (I'm getting this fixed tomorrow...finally) and you'll end up using artificial tears for awhile. (depends on you)

Then there's...the whole...natural elements. Wind is terrible. If it blows stuff into your lens, your lens will continue to irritate your eye until removed. =/ So going into the wilderness is a major pain. (unless you're prepared)
Uncleansed water, when exposed to your lens, will be absorbed and then the lens is PAINFUL. PAIN. PAIN. Same applies to dirt, except for absorbed...it'll just cause irritation continously. AND...no going underwater with lenses. They absorb water...so...in fact, it's recommend you don't swim with them but whatever. I do.

On a side note, when I first began using contacts, I could never insert them quickly or properly, so I'd put them in, and never ever take them out. I slept with them, etc. Which was a very bad thing. =/ And I'd over-use them and not change them when I'm supposed to. At some point, one contact broke and I had proper vision in only one eye. LEARN FROM MY STUPIDITY. (Looking back on it now...such a dunce)

Lens can be great. =) And since you only need them sometimes, I'd recommend them if you want. All the horrible things normally happen to people who wear them constantly.

But recently...I've been missing glasses...just for the weekend maybe...or Jr time...=/

I think Junior would look freakin' adorable in glasses.

People are too careless with contact lens care. Basically you're putting your vision at risk by not cleaning them and wearing them properly.

Tch, oh thanks Ani. <3

And yes, I was too careless and now it's biting me in the ass. Contacts Lenses are serious business.
Vision at risk...heh, in fact, if not treated, Dry Eyes can lead to loss of vision*apparently*. (however, Dry Eyes can even be caught by non-lens wearers)


/end of long long post. man, it's good to be back.

[Xrlderek]

Secondly, the look on people's faces when they hear you wear contacts. YOU? WEAR GLASSES? WOW NO WAI!!!!1111

Haha, I get that too.

My friend used to brag about how he never needed to buy new lenses. "I've been wearing them for half a year now". I don't doubt that it was true. Then he got an infection and had to use glasses for over two months I think.
They are indeed really expensive.. I use them all the time(month lenses), and only take them out once a week or so. A couple of weeks ago I had forgotten to do it for about a month though, and he showed me that my eyes were at "stage 1" of 4-5 stages of irritation or something. I used to have -1,5( I think), but within the last couple of months it has gotten worse.. now it is -2,5 on one eye and -2 on the other.. I sure hope it doesn't get even worse.

Anyway, on topic.
Today I learned that you will get spammed with speedhacker comments constantly if you beat someone in darkfall that considers himself skilled. Then I hid behind a tree and he claimed I had teleported away..... I don't even lag bad, I feel for the ones who do.

[Buffalobiian]

Nowadays, to add to our plethora of "staying young" products such as anti-wrinkle creams and botox is a thing called vaginal rejuvenation - touching up the tone and appearance of an aging pussy.

Hardcore.

[XanBcoo]

Today I learned that you can filter your Google Image Search results by color. So let's say you wanted a picture of a sunset with a particular color scheme, you search "sunset" and then filter by pink or teal or whatever. It's pretty neat, especially if you're searching for an image that's "just so".

Although obviously it comes with its own set of moral implications, so use it responsibly.

[Buffalobiian]

Lol. Not 100% effective I see

[XanBcoo]

Searching for contradicting colors (search white and filter by black) gives you a combination of the two.

I'm sure I'm not using this to its full comedic effect.

[Xelbair]

I learned some new kanji along with revision of time(asa, hiru, etc)

[Abdula]

Its not really like me to share anything about myself with anyone but since I mentioned the situation with my mother before I think I'm obligated to mention this in case any of you actually cared. Besides it might actually help me clear my head. Awhile back I mentioned that my mom had an aneurysm. She has been going to various doctors every week since then, she has something like 2-3 appointments per week. Anyway she recently did some ct scans and had yet another MRI done, this time with contrast time which as it turns out she is severely allergic to.

Today she was supposed to go in for her results and after spending the last few days arguing about whether she wants me to come with her or not or whether she would even go today instead of waiting till her appointment next week, because they never find anything anyway. She decided that she would indeed go today and managed to convince me that I didn't need to come with her (that is the last time that happens).

Her appointment was about noon today and I was just sitting around waiting to hear from her. I noticed it was getting late much later than she usually returns home and I opted out of calling her like I usually would because she hates when people check up on her. Anyway about 5:30 she calls me and says she is on her way home and every thing went well so I go about my usual business and figure I'll ask her the details when she gets home. So she comes home and she tries to act like everything is fine but I can immediately tell something is different and I ask her how it went and she shrugs it off and says she is tired and she'll talk to me about it later. I understand no biggie, so I asked her if she ate anything and offered her some food, water, etc being my usual self.

Naturally she says she can take of herself and goes about getting her self some food so I just watch her and smile like I usually do. Right in the middle of eating she freaking says to me she has a brain tumor. Seriously she is chewing food and telling me about her day as if nothing happened and then she just says I have a brain tumor. So yeah today I learned my mom has a brain tumor, one that apparently has been there for years and is probably responsible for the most unexplainable of the unexplainable symptoms she has had for the last ten years or so and for some reason until now has been missed.

So yeah it looks like 2009 is going to be another one of those years. Already it resembles 2008. A year in which my girlfriend nearly died and was hospitalized for quite some time and then unable to get out of bed for a great deal more time after that. My dad actually got sick enough to go to a doctor, which is a first ever because that man never gets sick, my grandfather nearly died, my mom's best friend who happens to be my sister's god mother was diagnosed with breast cancer and my dad's best friend discovered a large possibly cancerous mass growing in his intestines. So uh yeah.

[Kraco]

You really live up to your fame as the favorite godchild of Woe.

Let's hope your mom gets better. Grandparents dying is given; I haven't had any left for years, two I never even had a chance to meet as they perished before I was born, but it would be better if nobody lost his/her own parents that early.

[Buffalobiian]

What Kraco said. Make sure you take care of your own health as well as those around you Ab.

[Nadouku]

Just hold onto that thing called "hope" and never let it go!

[XanBcoo]

So yeah today I learned my mom has a brain tumor, one that apparently has been there for years and is probably responsible for the most unexplainable of the unexplainable symptoms she has had for the last ten years or so and for some reason until now has been missed.

That's got to be terrible. Do you know yet if the tumor is benign or malignant?

At least you guys know about it now so that you can possibly treat it or get rid of it. Who knows what might have happened.

[Abdula]

Thanks for the kind words guys. Getting any information other of my mom is kinda difficult because she honestly can't remember what she was told yesterday which is understandable. As far as I can tell the tumor seems to still be benign and is growing very slowly and the neurosurgeon she spoke to yesterday doesn't think they will have to consider surgery for the next 10-20 years. At the moment that is all I know, I'll find out more when she goes to her regular neurology appointment next week.

[Buffalobiian]

Today I learned that there's now a NEW food pyramid:


Click for full size

Heck, it's like being told the Earth's really round. :S

[XanBcoo]

I totally disagree with that pyramid.

Not getting enough protein at all from that kind of diet. I'm not even being "RAWR GET SWOLE MOAR PROTEIN". You should have protein at every meal, just like vegetables.

[Xelbair]

I still don't care for new one.
Old one was made to increase sales of certain products according to this image - i think that new one is made for the same purpose.

[Kraco]

They do seem to have removed protein surprisingly much from that new one. Well, it's not like a normal human would need huge amounts of protein at all meals unless you are still a growing kid, a bodybuilder, or regenerating a new arm to replace a lost one, but it's still a bit surprising, though it does correlate with the reduction of meat and dairy products, since those are major protein sources.

And no, Xelbair, they don't create these to try to affect the sales of specific products, though I can guarantee they would be very happy if the general sales of vegetables actually did rise...

[David75]

When you take a look at the pyramid, you understand it's influenced by studies made on the mediteranean meals.

The first one would be only slightly influenced by the Okinawaïn meals.

Thing is, all of this is almost bullshit.

No one know for sure how a population will react to a change in the ways of eating, in the long term.
It's not because we study what the eldest of today eat, and try to apply that to younger generations, we'll reduce health problems.

There are too many variables to take into account, those of the past: those elders were probably gifted in their genes, they evaded most of the threats of their time etc...
And there are variables in the future:
What is the impact of pesticides, pollution etc?

The problem with those pyramids is that they create a profile and if there's a major flaw in that profile, you're screwed!
Also, even a very small error becomes a huge threat in 20-40 or 60 years.

What should we do then?
Well be more open with what we eat and try many things.
Lots of variety
We have also on a personal level to try to understand what is good for us and what isn't.
For example I can't have lots of olive oil I do not digest well... I can't have milk based products, peppers etc, things other people will eat with no problems at all.

The other aspect is pleasure.
I don't care if my way of eating is to kill me in the end, if it's a quick and painless death that is.
But since I eat 3 times a day, I want it to be an enjoyable experience. So I try to educate my tastes by trying lots of things, colors etc.
Opening a box, press a button and eat isn't my way of doing things.
Sauces, salt, etc?
When you learn using less of them, at first it's strange, then you start to be more demanding in the quality of the products you buy, even if it means less... and you start enjoying their real taste.
Also, there are countless combinations of herbs and products that do not even need "artificial" elements to be added to be good.

It's a long process, but a nice one. Also it helps if the one sharing your life is good at cooking

[XanBcoo]

"Good food" isn't necessarily bad for you anyway: http://www.gourmetnutrition.com/

I'm thinking about buying this book. It's a collaboration effort between Dr. John Berardi (a famous nutritionist and bodybuilder) and some gourmet chef. I read enough about nutrition, so I trust their opinion over a pyramid's any day.

I am happy that the new pyramid got rid of the 6-11 servings of carbohydrates a day though. Oh yeahhh, lots of pasta and rice for dinner. So healthy.

[Buffalobiian]

I've been cutting down on my rice intake too. It's sort of weird though, working against the traditional (and historically poorer) Asian diet where rice is the staple food. Everything else is an extra. Not weird for me personally, but for the more traditionally minded. Like I'm "cheating" by eating less rice in proportion to my capacity so I can eat more meats&veges instead. We're not poor, but the more economical the better of course.

Eating less rice/noodles/pasta while keeping the same level of vege/meat intake usually results in my snacking at 11pm though...