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| 12/25 |
| 2010/2/3-18 [Health/Dental] UID:53688 Activity:nil |
2/2 How much does it cost to do a resin-based composite two surf.
tooth filling? I'm quoted for $142. My insurance pays
about 40% so I need to shell out the rest. I'm wondering
if $142/tooth is the standard price? -poor student
\_ A friend of mine just sent me the link. Basically
my quote is a bit high but not overly outrageous:
http://www.healthcarebluebook.com/page_Results.aspx?id=41&dataset=dental
\_ oh, get this. My dentist says he doesn't do amalgam
(mercury), only white-composite. Metlife says they'll
pay 80% for filling but only for amalgam fill. If I
do composite, it's considered cosmetic and therefore
whatever cost extra it is, I'll have to pay extra.
Since my dentist doesn't do amalgam, I can either
wait another 6 months to go to another dentist that
can do the evaluation again + amalgam, or just
pay up the difference. Argh. I hate insurance.
\_ You want to ingest mercury? I don't.
\_ there hasn't been a conclusive study on
trace mercury filling and growth/development.
\_ Biology is not like computer science m8, you can't
rely on "if not 0 then it must be a 1". |
| 12/25 |
| 2009/2/11-16 [Health/Eyes, Health/Dental] UID:52557 Activity:nil |
2/10 If Neo gives you a choice of a blue pill or a red pill, which one
would you take and why?
\_ Which one is which again? Which one would you take?
\_ I'd take both and see if it crashes the system.
\_ Punch Neo, take his bottle of pills and give them to your friends
and see what happens to them.
\_ I'd take the blue pill, but only after forcing the red one into
Schwarzenegger's mouth.
\_ Neo? Morpheus was the one pushing the red & blue pills!
http://www.arrod.co.uk/essays/matrix.php |
| 2009/1/14-22 [Health/Dental, Health] UID:52376 Activity:nil |
1/14 My buddy in Switzerland says there are no drug commercials there
because it is not allowed. Is that really true? German John?
\_ Don't know about Switzerland. In Hong Kong, drug commercials are
okay, but doctors and dentists are not allowed to run commercials
or ads.
\_ you are very young... there was a time persperscription drugs are
not allowed to air TV commercials in USA... the ban was lifted
in the 1990s, coincide with raising in drug cost :)
\_ Yeah you're right I was barely watching cartoons at the
time. Are you serious about allowing drug commercials in
those days? That really sucks. Why did it happen... under
who's watch/administration did this happen? This is
outrageous. Who is to blame, Bush or Clinton?
\_ Republicans = drug commercial Deregulation,
Democrats = weed deregulation,
combined, Weed Commercials Deregulation. |
| 2008/3/31-4/6 [Health/Dental, Health/Men] UID:49623 Activity:nil 97%like:49621 |
3/31 Yay! School takes crutches away from injured girl
http://preview.tinyurl.com/3cwttm [tbo.com]
\_ We have a zero tolerance policy on reason in schools.
\_ And yet home schooling should be illegal!
\_ Yup. It should be illegal for parents to lock up their
precious innocent daughters at home. -- NAMGLA member
precious innocent daughters at home. The girls need to get
out and meet men out there to learn the wonders of life.
-- NAMGLA member
\_ We have uniform instances of idiocy throughout all public
schools. We are Legion. |
| 2008/3/31 [Health/Dental, Health] UID:49621 Activity:nil 97%like:49623 |
3/31 Yay! School takes crutches away from injured girl
http://www2.tbo.com/content/2008/mar/29/me-mother-school-took-girls-crutches
\_ We have a zero tolerance policy on reason in schools.
\_ And yet home schooling should be illegal! |
| 2007/11/23-27 [Health/Dental] UID:48686 Activity:low |
11/22 Why do Japanese people have bad teeth? PS love urabon porn, hate
their teeth.
\_ Socialized dental care that doesn't cover preventative checkups,
orthodonture, or cosmetic dental surgery. Also, until recently,
not as culturally relevant. Last, your urabon girls aren't
getting a health plan... unless you call working for dope a
health plan.
\_ op isn't motd boob guy then...
\_ for a while, black teeth were considered sexy.
\_ Sure... in the fucking Heian period. That's like saying that
it's fashionable among Venetians to duel at dawn. |
| 2007/10/25-29 [Recreation/Dating, Health/Dental] UID:48446 Activity:moderate |
10/25 Is there a pill that'll help ppl stop thinking about sex?
\_ Saltpeter!
\_ Old wives tale that doesn't work.
\_ Heroin!
\_ In his new book, Slash (Guns N Roses) says that he dated
Traci Lords and he never had sex with her because he was too
getting high on heroin. Crazy drug.
busy getting high on heroin. Crazy drug.
\_ And paradoxically enough, he's safer shooting up than having
sex with Traci Lords.
\_ Cyanide!
\_ I know I'm just feeding the troll, but the answer is yes. I know
that at least some of the ADD drugs have a side-effect of killing
the libido.
\_ Google for the word "anaphrodisiac"
\_ Plenty of anti-depressants kill your sex drive (as discussed on
the motd plenty of times)
\_ What for? Brush your teeth, shower, ask someone out. |
| 2007/10/15-17 [Health/Dental] UID:48329 Activity:nil |
10/15 Brit socialized medicine so great that they're pulling out their own
teeth: (cnn.com)
http://csua.org/u/jql
\_ obAustinPowersJoke |
| 2007/9/11-13 [Health/Dental, Health/Sleeping, Health/Women] UID:48000 Activity:low |
9/10 http://www.cato-unbound.org/2007/09/10/robin-hanson/cut-medicine-in-half More 'absurd' claims about medicine and health. -- ilyas \_ One take-away is that we should all be spending more money and time at/in gyms. \_ What a shock: the Cato Institute thinks the government should spend less on social services. I never would have expected that! \_ But, but, the Heritage Foundation agrees! Oh, wait.... \_ The author of the essay is not affiliated with Cato, he's a GMU economist. -- ilyas \_ The GMU economist who came up with the brilliant idea of using idea futures markets to set Middle East policy. \_ You set yourself up for the obvious "even such a patently absurd notion as idea futures will probably do better than what we have now when it comes to the Middle East." We can make another thread about idea futures, this one is about health and medicine. -- ilyas \_ Heh, you set up the obvious "idea futures will probably do better than what we have now." I think his point isn't to change the decision making process in our society overnight, but to encourage exploration of new ways of aggregating information for decision making in limited settings. Are you trying to paint him as a nut? He's not a nut, but he is interested in 'paradigm-shifting' ideas, and more generally in bias, which means he often writes on ideas that seem strange. -- ilyas \_ Yes, I remember when I suggested that Bush was lying about Saddam Hussein having WMD before the start of the war and was dismissed as being "too absurd to be true." Are you talking about things like that? \_ I worked in the health care system and these observations all ring try to me. We spend way too much money on extending the life of people who are half dead anyway and not enough on prevention. -ausman |
| 2007/7/17-19 [Health/Dental, Health/Disease/General] UID:47308 Activity:moderate |
7/17 Americans actually wait *longer* for health care than in
countries with socialized medicine:
http://www.csua.org/u/j5t
\_ While this may be true, don't forget that Americans get
HIGHER quality health care, like Cialis and Viagras. No
other countries enjoy sexual lives like we do.
\_ This blog is a joke, and so is Krugman. Every study I've seen shows
the opposite to this. Bring a few more and I'll start to care.
-emarkp
\_ Both of them are professors in Economics, but they disagree with
your opinions, so they are "a joke." Hers is a study quoted in
Busness Week, no doubt another "joke"
http://www.csua.org/u/j5u
Where are all these studies you have seen? I have not seen them.
\_ This is the blog which was saying that tax cuts tanked the
economy pointing to the post-2001 drop, while ignoring other
events of 2001 (like say certiain terrorist attacks).
http://www.csua.org/u/j3f
The studies I've seen are about how long it takes to go from a
GP to a specialist in socialized systems. Like how long it
takes to get an MRI.
http://csua.org/u/i1p
Note: also an economist. -emarkp
\_ No, the entry you point to does not claim or even infer
that "tax cuts tanked the economy." How did you even
possibly get that from that entry? What it does claim
is that the post-2001 recovery was very weak. The economy
was already in recession before 9/11, you know that right?
The actual economic effect of the WTC attacks was very
slight, but I guess you can try and claim that it retarded
the recovery somehow, though you are the first person I
have ever seen make that claim.
slight, but I guess you can say that it retarded the
recovery somewhat, though most economists disagree:
recovery somewhat:
http://www.fas.org/irp/crs/RL31617.pdf
\_ Waiting times in Canada are shorter for critical
treatment (oncology) and longer for elective treatment
(plastic surgery, hip replacement).
(plastic surgery, hip replacement). Note that your
article does not compare Canadian waiting time to
US waiting times.
http://www.csua.org/u/j5y
\_ I'd be willing to fund preventative care (e.g. checkups) for
everyone, but nothing beyond that basic. That's basically what
dental plans cover. If you implement universal care then you
will see costs spiral even more out of control like they have
in Europe. There was a time two decades ago when European health
care was better than in the US, but that time passed once they
had to deal with immigration from poor countries in the same
way we have.
\_ Waiting times less in Canada than the US:
http://www.csua.org/u/j5v
Recent statistics from the Institution of Healthcare Improvement
document "that people are waiting an average of about 70
days to see a provider."
"In many circumstances, people initially diagnosed with
cancer are waiting over a month, which is intolerable."
And you know that Germany and France spend *less* per capita
than the US, right?
\_ I don't know about Germany and France, but I do know that
I wouldn't seek out care in Spain or Canada and that
health care in the Netherlands (see below) is not exactly
improving over time. By the way, do you know anyone who
had to wait 70 days to see a doctor? I don't, unless it
was some specific doctor they wanted to see.
\_ I know people who have completely been denied medical
care they needed because they didn't have insurance.
I don't know if that counts as more than 70 days or not...
\_ It shouldn't.
\_ I had a chance to talk to this guy last night
since I had dinner with him and his daughter.
He is waiting on average two months for his
appointments. He is impoverished and has to
depend on SF General for all his care. He has
some kind of kidney problems.
\_ We spend twice as much, per capita, as other countries on
health care, so it's our costs that are spiraling out of
control, not theirs. Universal health care just creates the
largest insurance pool possible, do you also want to make
private insurance illegal (except for basic dental services)?
Whether you pay premiums to your for-profit insurance company
or taxes to the government really doesn't make that much
difference except the government doesn't have a profit motive.
\_ One of the main reasons health care in the United States is
so expensive is we spend the bulk of money over the lifetime
of a human on medical care, in the last 6 months of life. Near
The End, American doctors order heroic tests and procedures
to prolong the life of the patient, often cutting short
those expected 6 months. In those glorious socialist paradises
those expected 6 months. In the glorious socialist paradises
of Europe, near The End, the doctor tells the family, and orders
pain killers to keep the patient comfortable. How would
pain killers to keep the patient comfortable. How
would the United States gradually move closer to the European
model? I have absolutely no idea.
\_ Can you back this up with any data? I'm wondering if
your source is legitimate or just word-of-mouth or
speculation.
\- San Francisco has many sidewalks.
\- Do you have some data to back that up?
\_ I have seen it both ways. American doctors told my aunt to
go home and die while Dutch doctors tried heroic measures
that saved her life. I also have seen Dutch doctors give up
on elderly patients and euthanize them. I think it depends
on the age of the patient. (My aunt was in her 40s at the
time.) Dutch medicine then was much better than in the US,
but my aunts living there now say it is no longer the case
and that benefits have been slashed from what they used to be.
I have aunts in France and Holland, a friend who is a doctor in
Greece, and ex-coworkers in Mexico, Japan, Korea, France,
and Spain, and US health care (with the exception of some
experimental treatments the FDA will not approve) is the
best in the world. It is also not free. Imagine that. The
Socialist Paradises in Europe and Japan are facing an upcoming
nightmare that makes the US Social Security problem seem
\- the people who know what they are
talking about all agree Medicare
is a much bigger financial liabiliy/
problem than Soc Sec.
small in comparison. They just cannot provide the services
they used to when faced with larger, less wealthy populaces
of the sort that the US has been absorbing for a long time.
\_ In what way is the US health care system the best in the
world? Do you have any evidence for that, other than your
assertion? The government pays for about half of all
healthcare in the US, btw, so your comment that it is
not "free" is somewhat misleading. In places like Germany
and France, the government pays for about 3/4 of all
health care costs.
\_ I am surprised nobody is discussing the RAND healthcare study, which
found that on average, medical spending has no effect on health (!):
http://www.overcomingbias.com/2007/05/rand_health_ins.html
http://www.rand.org/health/projects/hie
If this study is correct, discussions of comparative health care
quality would have to come with some serious qualifiers.
-- ilyas
\- yes, obviously something complicated like this comes
with qualifiers. for example the US's infant mortality
rate is "higher than it should be" because "the US"
tries to save some high-risk newborns, while in certain
(poorer) countries with allegedly lower IM rates, these
DOA cases get listed in a different column. however, that
doesnt change the large scale incentive issues here, e.g.
insurance companies foot dragging ... just like TIH hasnt
solved the cable problem, "the market" wont magically
"solve" the pathologies in insurance [actually it is not
exactly like cable, which is due to concentration, but this
is a problem of moral haz and adv selection also] and
it's not clear what "solve" means, since there are competing
public policy goals here.
\_ It seems that if spending doesn't result in statistically
significant return, AND there's isn't a lot of noise to
figure out why and correct this (or at least clamor for
bigger studies), then return isn't what
the spending is about. Hanson has some conjectures on
the reasons for our common attitudes about healthcare
spending. -- ilyas |
| 2006/11/9-10 [Health, Health/Dental] UID:45307 Activity:nil |
11/9 FDA announces recall of some store-brand acetaminophen:
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/15636847/wid/11915773
http://www.webmd.com/content/Article/129/117454.htm?printing=true
List of stores that might be affected:
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/15637699 |
| 2006/10/18-23 [Health/Dental, Health/Women] UID:44857 Activity:nil |
10/18 dear motd nutritional expert,
are Vitamins a scam? or do they actually work?
\_ Work for what?
\_ If you have a healthy diet, you get all the vitamins you need. If
not, you need to supplement.
\_ This may be of interest to you, Jane Clarke, UK's leading
nutritionist (according to the Daily Mail) doesn't think
they are useful if you eat properly:
http://tinyurl.com/yyww2s (dailymail.co.uk, 17 Oct 2006) |
| 2006/9/12-15 [Health/Dental, Transportation/Car] UID:44363 Activity:nil |
9/12 When authorities say someone died instantly (like in a car
accident), how fast counts as instantly? I mean I suppose 1 minute
would not be instantly, but what about 5 seconds? I mean how
quickly can someone die? I mean do people really die instantly
from the impact of a car accident? I suppose they do if their
head gets crushed, but otherwise, I gotta think it would at least
take a good fraction of a minute.
\_ http://experts.about.com/q/Biology-664/Dying-Instantly-1.htm
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Instant_death
Yes, the guy who said the Croc Hunter died instantly was a
television producer and in no way a medical expert. |
| 2006/7/27-30 [Health/Dental, Politics/Foreign/MiddleEast/Iraq] UID:43822 Activity:low |
7/27 http://csua.org/u/gjx (Wash Post) "a blue Volkswagen Passat, exploded nearby ... an elderly man running down the street with a 'fountain of blood coming out of his neck,' he said. 'He was screaming: "help me, help me, help me, don't let me die," Taha recounted, pointing out the blood spot on the sidewalk where the man eventually fell. 'We couldn't save him. He died.'" \_ "We couldn't save him. He died" can be said of everyone, in the end. Every man dies. Not every man truly gets hit by an exploding blue Volkswagen and runs around in a fountain of blood. All happens according to the will of God. We can only hope that he accepted Christ sometime before the end. \_ You're trying too hard. Instead of sounding like a jaded or cynical most poster, you just just sound like an idiot that's trying too hard. *sigh* \_ You see that old bloodstain there? Ol' Frank McGee died there back in '06. Yeah, Frank was hollerin' up a storm once he got that dang ol neck wound. Was sprayin' blood all up an down the street. And what does he do but yell at *us* to fix him. As if *we* could stop Frank from dyin', once his neck was sprayin' blood like that. I tell you what though. Blue cars is some bad news. The other thing 'bout blue cars is how the paint fades as it gets older. So when you go for to fix a spot, you can't get the new paint to match the old paint. Just a bad idea all round. But ol' Frank, now he was what they call a Mosslem. I'm not sure he thought of stuff like that. Mosslems have some funny ways o' thinking. You know, ol Frank had two wives. Yep. Now, I'd think, hell, I get enough nagging from Marge and the kids without addin' another woman in the house. Jus' like Marge was harpin' at me fer weeks to scrub out that there blood stain. |
| 2006/3/15-17 [Health/Disease/General, Health/Dental] UID:42253 Activity:low |
3/15 Most people in America - rich, poor, young, old - receive mediocre
medical care.
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20060315/ap_on_he_me/mediocre_health_care
\_ Hmm, I haven't read the article, but this brings to mind a
discussion I had with my grandmother regarding the pros and cons of
universal health care. The outcome was basically that socialized
medicine raises the minimum care level for everyone, but
potentially lowers the maximum care level for those who have the
means and desire to pay for better care. -dans
\_ In other news, fire is hot, water is wet, all babies must eat,
'bad' means 'good' when teenagers or dans say it.
\_ What the fuck are you talking about? -dans
\_ I think the guy was saying he or she was annoyed by
obviousness + wordiness.
\_ Most Americans/motd readers are not familiar with
foreign health care systems. For example, the only
option for healthcare in the UK is the National Health
Service. Thus, if a Briton wants healthcare services
that the NHS is unwilling or unable to provide, he must
seek them outside of the UK. This option is only
viable for the super-wealthy. Granted, I'm neither a
UK citizen nor an expert on foreign health care so my
facts may be off. I fail to see how this is obvious.
-dans
\_ I think the guy thought the obvious part was
socialized medicine == minimum care level for
everyone increases (by definition), and maximum care
level for the rich potentially decreases.
Anyway, you have undergrads to near 40-year-olds on
soda, so you probably got a cranky alumnus annoyed.
\_ *nod* I consider it my solemn duty to annoy
cranky alumni. Of course, I also happen to be
one, which is probably why I bother reading the
motd. :) -dans
\_ socialized * raises the minimum level (often from 0) for everyone
but usually lowers the maximum level available
\_ It is noteworthy that it doesn't have to lower the max level. A
private elite care system layered over the socialized
infrastructure should allow the same max, unless innovation
is harmed by lost profit potentials in some way (drug
development?) or some kind of lower overall efficiency (not
obvious).
\_ Ah, but look at our schools. The affluent being able to
opt-out of having their kids exposed to public education has
reduced the quality of the public system.
\_ Prove it. (also the max is still high, which was my point)
\_ Currently, approx 1/3 of all the money spent on healthcare is
spent on PAPERWORK, so think of the efficiency improvement if
that could be reduced to 5% or lower.
\_ Medicare's administrative costs (includes paperwork) are
approximately 1%. -dans
\_ my googling is showing 3% Medicare, 15-25% HMOs.
-someone else
\_ mea culpa. Even so, 3% < 5%, and still kicks the
shit out of private healthcare systems. -dans
\_ Are you arguing for or against the socialization? I don't
see paperwork necessarily being much better for either.
\_ Although I'm not saying Canada's system is perfect,
it seems pretty clear that it has less paperwork:
http://tinyurl.com/equd5
"On a visit to the 900-bed Toronto General, Dr.
Himmelstein recounts searching for the billing office;
it ended up being a handful of people in the basement,
whose main job was to mail bills to US patients who
had come across the border."
"Back in Boston, Himmelstein visited Massachusetts
General Hospital, which was similar to Toronto
General in size and in the range of services
provided. He was told that Massachusetts General's
billing department employed 352 full-time personnel,
all of them fighting tooth and nail with hundreds of
insurance plans, each with their own rules about how
to document every item used for every patient."
\_ How is that different from what we have today? I can go into
my employer provided (crappy but free) Kaiser system and I
might survive a serious illness, or do POS/PPO which costs
more but I'll live or do cash-only out of pocket for all
services which will cost me less/year for normal services but
wipe me out for a major issue. If I was rich I'd get
fantastic service and survive.
\_ It isn't really, except we still have lots of people
uncovered, so that baseline isn't very good or very
solid. I'm just responding to the previous posters.
\_ The difference is that today the onus is on employers to
provide healthcare, and many part-time/low-wage workers do
not have healthcare as a result. The high cost of
healthcare for uninsured individuals disincentivizes them
from seeking out preventative care, thus increasing the
risk that they will need urgent/emergency care. Emergency
care is more costly, and puts a greater strain on the
entire system, which pushes prices up for *everyone*. -dans |
| 2005/7/18-19 [Health/Dental, Recreation/Food] UID:38692 Activity:nil |
7/18 A chocolate a day will keep the doctor away.
http://csua.org/u/cr0
\_ But will a chocolate a day bring the dentist my way? |
| 2005/6/15-16 [Health/Dental, Health/Eyes] UID:38138 Activity:high |
6/15 So the Schiavo autopsy shows her brain was hopelessly deteriorated
and damaged beyond all hope of any recovery. What you want to bet
this isn't going to change anyone's mind?
http://www.nytimes.com/2005/06/15/national/15cnd-schiavo.html?ex=1276488000&en=f3948639dfbb578b&ei=5088&partner=rssnyt&emc=rss
\_ The below "debate" just goes to show that my last sentence was
entirely correct. --op
\_ What say we all stop feeding dgies' fanaticism right now, and save
us all the pain?
\_ I wrote one post, smartypants (excluding this). -dgies
\_ Oops. Indeed. My bad. It's sooper-anonymous troll
(emarkp? reiffin? jblack?)
\_ Still your bad. Why are you naming people when you *know*
it can't possibly be all 3 and likely isn't any of them?
How about you just get over it or go talk to kchang about
his tracker. You could have easily checked login times to
shorten that list, too. Sheesh, so lazy. So presumptive.
\_ The question wasn't whether her brain was undamaged. It was how she
could respond given the condition of her brain.
\_ midichlorians.
\_ But a lot of the BS right wingers were claiming, such as the
"alleged MD" Dr. Bill Frist and her being able to follow a
balloon is clearly false since according to the autopsy she was
blind, which I assume is because her vision center was not there
anymore.
\_ Seriously. I think frist is a disgrace to harvard medical
school for his completely dumbass and uninformed opinions
in this schiavo situation. I think every neurologist in
the country was disgusted and offended by his comments.
\_ Heh. You should hear what surgeons (Frist is one) say
about neurologists. Actually, you should hear what most
doctors say in private about neurologists.
\_ What do they say? My neighbor is a neurologist,
so I hear what neurologists say about "most
doctors".
\_ Neurology is for people who really aren't
interested in being a doctor, in the sense that
neurologists rarely save lives or make real impact.
Neurologists tend to have cush residencies and
careers. When is the last time one has to be
called in to handle a neurological emergency?
Despite its cushness, neurology tends to be one of
the easiest residency programs to get into, mostly
because of low pay and lack of respect from doctors
in other specialties, and end up attracting the
least talented and/or ambitious med school grads.
That's just what my brother (UCD surgery prof.),
his wife (anesthesiologist), and their colleagues
say (when I asked the question at one Xmas party).
\_ Um, I think it has more to do with the fact that
they have to interact with crazy people. I mean
really batshit violent fucking CRAZY people.
\_ Uh, ok, if you say so, 'cuz the people I
polled didn't. Of course, I only polled,
oh, 10-ish doctors at the party, and you're
not a doctor at all.
\_ heh, there were neurologists there saying
how disrespected neurologists are?
\_ Thinking back (this was a couple of
years ago), I think there were 1
radiologist and 1 cardiologist at the
party. The rest were surgeons and
anesthesiologists.
Frankly your doctor friends sound pretty
arrogant and laughable. "make real impact"
indeed. --not a doctor
\_ Arrogant? I thought I already said they're
mostly surgeons or people who have had 1 or
more years of surgical training as part of
their residency.
\_ sounds like they think only surgeons are
really worthwhile. i dunno, the whole
thing about being worried about prestige
and all that seems distasteful to me.
\_ I think prestige from some ignorant
public is silly. I think respect and
acknowledgement from your peers reflect
underlying reality about the nature of
your job.
\_ Look, everyone knows surgeons
are assholes. My neighbor is
very bright (Stanford) and overall
it seems many neurologists are. He
works with paraplegics and such,
getting called to the hospital
constantly. I don't know how
well neurologists are respected, but
- like I said - surgeons are
assholes and your friends don't
seem to be exceptions. FWIW, some of
the best and smartest doctors I know
who do all kinds of cool things
(outside of medicine) like build
telescopes are pediatricians.
Surgeons are valuable and make a lot
of money, but it gives many of them
egos they don't deserve.
\_ Odd you mention pediatricians.
My brother's ex- is a pediatrics
prof at Stanford, and she's a
generally nice person. She also
confirmed the unflattering
characterization of neurologists.
Her agreement was what led me to
ask the question at the Xmas
party.
\_ For surgeons to pass this judgement
on non-surgeons doesn't fit this
criteria in my opinion.
\_ And how relevant is it for non-
doctors to pass judgement...
\_ I'm not confident enough in any doctor that I'd believe such
an assertion. We really can't know for sure because she was
killed without investigation.
\_ So you put more faith in Frist's (who didn't even examine
her) opinion than in 1) her own doctors and 2) the ME...
Fuck off.
\_ Fuck off yourself. I don't put any stock in Frist's
comments. I've seen the video of her tracking things
with her eyes.
\_ So did Frist. That was a few moments from hours of
tape. What's Hecuba to him...
\_ You know they filmed her for something like 20 hours
and then edited it down to the one or two times
where her random movements made it appear that
she was looking at something, right?
\_ if she can track once every 20 hours,
she has more clue than you twink
|_ even a stopped clock tells the right time
twice a day.
\_ok , a broken clock has more clue than
you twinky boy
\_ Perhaps you should look up 'random',
'coincidence' and 'probabilistic'....
\_ I know that critics *claimed* this. It's obvious
the tape is edited. However I don't know of any
facts that show it was "20 hours" or something
like that.
\_ You haven't even done the least bit of
research into it then. Try Google.
Here's a clue, take two and call me
in the morning:
http://news.tbo.com/news/MGBQ67CTI6E.html
\_ Autopsy showed no evidence of bulemia. Which was Michael's stated
reason for her collapse.
\_ big deal.
\_ Why did she collapse then?
\_ She had a heart attack for some unknown reason 15 years ago.
Her parents remained on very good terms with her husband, and
only after he tries to pull the plug there are allegations that
he had been abusing her. Someone without medical training
guessed the cause of the heart attack wrong. And your point is?
\_ Her blood had no trace of enzymes released during a heart
attack. What is your proof that she had a heart attack?
\_ um, enzymes don't hang around for 15 years.
\_ They took her blood when she was admitted to the
hospital. It showed depressed potassium (leading
people to speculate about bulemia but the autopsy
report today says it was consistent with fluids
she received by IV before the blood was drawn).
There were no cardiac enzymes found in heart
attack victims.
\_ Did they exist 15 years ago?
\_ I meant that a heart attack 15 years
ago might have released some enzymes
at that time, but there's no way they'd
still linger around till now (15 years
later)
\_ God, this is sounding more and more like
the old .9999... == 1 free-for-alls.. |
| 2005/4/29-30 [Health/Dental] UID:37430 Activity:moderate |
4/29 Aircraft mechanic, ship builder, and construction are jobs
American's won't do. Add to the list Dentist.
Man arrested for pretending to be dentist
http://209.157.64.200/focus/f-news/1393979/posts |
| 2005/4/19-21 [Health/Dental] UID:37260 Activity:high |
4/19 Is coke bad for me? I feel I need the 'kick' after lunch. I don't
drink Coke as I mainly drink Sprite. Is one a day bad in the
long run? What do you health conscious sodans do?
\- it's bad for your teeth more than anythign else.
\_ because of the sugar?
\_ The sugar and the acids.
\_ Yes. coke is bad. In addition to sugar and acid mentioned below,
you are ingesting 1) empty calories(no nutritional content),
2) a miniscule amount of aluminum which may be linked to Alzheimers
\_ This was pretty much debunked. The Alzheimer's
brain plaque mass spec which showed aluminum in
Alzheimer's brains was contaminated.
3) a ton of calories which causes weight gain, or sugar substitutes
which have been potentially linked to any number of weird,
fucked up conditions(IOW don't touch saccharin and other
substitutes with a 10 foot pole), and 4) caffeine, which some
ppl say negatively affects the body: it speeds heart rate,
increases blood pressure, etc.
If you need a caffeine kick, drink tea, preferably green tea,
which has antioxidants and has beneficial health effects.
On the other hand, you could try getting some mild exercise
during lunch(15 min. jog, or 30 min. yoga). This likely will
keep your metabolism up, and you won't feel tired in the afternoon.
\_ thanks, will do!
\_ High acid + sugar is bad for teeth. Corn syrup instead of
sugar is bad for your dabetic tendencies and waistline (then
again that's true of all major soft drinks these days.) And
frankly coke tastes like ass, drink tea or coffee instead.
\_ Coke from other countries tastes different and better than
they do here (primarily because they use real sugar).
\_ What about diet coke/pepsi?
\_ You're substituting chemicals that at least occur somewhat
naturally in nature with funky ones that do not. And if
regular coke tastes like malted battery acid, diet coke tastes
like malted battery acid with a funky aftertaste.
\_ But what about my teeth?
\_ What's with the acid? Is coke really acidy compared to other
sodas? I have noticed before that Coke feels weird on my teeth
afterwards unlike any other drink. I am in the habit of always
rinsing my mouth with water after drinking/eating anything.
\_ My old roommated did a project in undergrad that involved
effects of coke on concrete and metal. Coke can eat concrete.
- 3 cokes-a-day
\_ "Acidic food and drinks can cause decay. Listed below are the
pH values of some food and drinks. The lower the pH number; the
more acidic the product. Anything with a pH value lower than 5 may
cause tooth decay. Alkalies have a high pH number and neutralise
the acid effects of sugars."
- mineral water (still) pH 7.6
- milk pH 6.9
- cheddar cheese pH 5.9
- lager pH 4.4
- orange juice pH 3.8
- grapefruit pH 3.3
- pickles pH 3.2
- cola pH 2.5
- red wine pH 2.5
- vinegar pH 2.0
- concentrated HCL solution -1.0 <-- don't drink this
\_ What is the pH of vomit?
\_ That should be around 2, the same as your stomach HCL.
\_ You could try some Cambodian tap water; it's especially interesting
if accidentally consumed (ice cubes, washed fruit). OK it won't
pick you up, but it sure has some amusing side-effects. -John
\_ It's really not as bad as you say, I spent 3 months there and
brushed my teeth using tap water, ate the ice and everything you
not suppose to do minus drink tap water straight. I only once got\
sick and that was from eating iceberg lettuce...which I assume was
washed in tap water or fertilized with crap or some such fun.
-scottyg
brushed my teeth using tap water, ate the ice and everything
you not suppose to do minus drink tap water straight. I only
once got sick and that was from eating iceberg lettuce...which
I assume was washed in tap water or fertilized with crap or
some such fun. -scottyg
\_ Fair enough, but it is pretty bad. Luck of the draw and
your own physiology have a lot to do with it--my girlfriend
can drink Mexican tap water, while I get gastroenteritis from
just looking at it. -John
\_ that's not a nice thing to say about your girlfriend.
\_ Yermom douches with Cambodian tap water. -John |
| 2005/3/30-31 [Health/Disease/General, Health/Dental] UID:36986 Activity:high |
3/30 Fluoridation polluting our precious bodily fluids:
http://www.newsmaxstore.com/newsletters/blaylock/4.cfm
\_ Wow, between fluoride, lots of xrays, and those mercury fillings,
dentists are responsible for massive illness. But at least our teeth
are clean! Actually I am against water fluoridation in principle.
Why introduce that in the environment? People get fluoride from
toothpaste.
\_ Have you ever seen a commie drink water?
\_ Well Mandranke...I realized this during the physical act of
love. |
| 2005/3/29 [Health/Dental] UID:36944 Activity:high |
3/29 Ok, even assuming metal dental fillings aren't doing any low-level
subtle fuckage to me, do they cause other effects? For example,
lately I have the impression that I can "taste" the metal. I know
that's sometimes possible for me even with just putting a steel
fork in my mouth.
I've also heard of them doing odd things related to conductivity.
Even knowing there's no proven effects I might have to replace them
just to never think about it again.
\_ Seek therapy. Seriously.
\_ Are you gay? |
| 2005/3/24-28 [Health/Dental] UID:36863 Activity:low |
3/24 How many of you have mercury dental amalgams in your mouth?
I still see a lot of conflicting information out there. Why is it
it okay to have mercury vapor going into your body?
\_ I do. What evidence is there of mercury vapor going into your body?
The amalgam isn't the same as free mercury.
\_ How should I know what evidence there is for anything? That's
what I'm saying, there's conflicting information. My dentist
gave me a "facts" booklet when I asked about it, which says
"research continues" and "a diversity of opinions exists".
It's a fact that the 50% mercury component is emitted as
vapor. It seems likely that different conditions affect just
how much is emitted, and there are various compositions of
amalgam that might be in your mouth. It's pretty much accepted
that mercury vapor is absorbed in the body. If you spill some
mercury on the ground you do not want to breathe that stuff.
Anyway people seem worried about mercury in fish and I've seen
claims that dental mercury accounts for more than any other
source.
\_ Well, if you think about it, the amount of lead you consume
when brushing your teeth is probably pretty bad too over
a lifetime, or the amount of ultraviolet radiation you
get from sun exposure, or the carcinogens you breath in
from all the emissions from cars, or the abestos that
still exists in many old buildings... Perhaps it's about
time you took a vacation and relaxed.
\_ There was a study that showed correlation betw. birth defects
and number of mercury fillings in the pregnant mother.
\_ I saw this thing on TV about stuff! |
| 2005/3/10 [Health/Dental] UID:36626 Activity:low |
3/10 Poll - How many times per day do you brush your teeth?
0 :
1 (wake-up) : ..
1 (before sleep) : ..
2 (wake-up & before sleep) : ..
3 (after every meal) :
\_ Usually I brush after breakfast. The other reason is the
usually your breath smells really bad in the morning.
\_ Curious, why would you care?
\_ Needs moral support that zero times is an acceptable average.
\_ I want to know what's the point of brushing again in the next
morning if I already brushed it before sleep. My gum hurts when
I brush again in the next morning.
\_ Usually I brush after breakfast. The other reason is the
usually your breath smells really bad in the morning.
\_ Seriously, your gum should not hurt when you brush. You need
to see a dentist. Usually when you have tooth problems it
will bleed or hurt when you brush. You do need to brush again
in the morning because overnight bacteria in your mouth
has a chance to grow again.
\_ Umm... you probably need to brush more gently. Only use
soft-bristle tooth brushes. Use a circular motion, and
brush more often. -jrleek |
| 2005/1/3-4 [Health/Dental] UID:35520 Activity:high 50%like:33673 |
1/2 What is a good way to find out which doctor or dentist is "good"? I
have a list of doctors/dentists from my PPO, but I'd like to find
out which one(s) people have had good experiences with. TIA.
\_ Ask your friends.
\_ As above, but narrow the field some by creating a list of the
five closest to your house and the five closest to your work.
Even the best doctor in the world isn't worth driving 20 miles.
\_ Also narrow the field by eliminating denstist that are part
\_ Also narrow the field by eliminating denstists that are part
of a big chain. I can particularly warn against Aspen Dental,
although I've heard similiar stories from other big chains.
Basically, Aspen Dental will tell you that you have a lot of
cavities you don't have.
\_ first of all realize that most of the dentists will do unnecessary
tasks just to get insurance money.
http://csua.com/Health/Dental
\_ I once had a dentist try to foist a gold crown off on me, and no,
I'm not a pirate or a hiphop artist. The hell do I need gold?
\_ You're not a pirate? Really?
That dentist knew damn well you didn't pay for that copy of
photoshop.
\_ That dentist is a damned liar.
\_ I used 1-800-dentist to find mine and she is awesome. -smurf
\_ I wonder what this means....
\_ It means he gave his dentist an oral exam with his tool and
she was awesome. |
| 2004/11/18 [Transportation/Car, Health/Dental, Industry/Startup] UID:34949 Activity:kinda low |
11/17 I'm about to go from a full time employee to a contractor.
I'm going to miss certain things like stock options, med
insurance, life insurance, ADD (accidental death or disability),
etc etc. Can someone who has done this before give me a more
comprehensive list of these services, and how much they will
cost me if I get them through venders myself? Thanks.
\_ Unless you see the doctor a lot more than I do, it's easy to get
a highish ($1000) deductable PPO plan at less than $100 a month.
Dental/vision is poor value, just pay out of pocket. Disability,
otoh, is very hard to get as an individual. (I) Don't need life.
\_ ~ $300 per month to continue a premium plan (BlueShield) through
COBRA; probably much less for Kaiser, but you get what you pay for.
Dental and optical are another $100 per month. Keep it, though;
once you're off the books, you'll have a fiendish time getting
pre-existing conditions accepted by any new carrier.
\_ you can only cobra for a few months
\_ Up to 18 months depending on your former employer. Ask.
stupid race-baiting troll deleted
\_ You beat me to it. Thanks. |
| 2004/11/9 [Health/Dental, Health/Disease/General] UID:34783 Activity:moderate |
11/9 I got a food particle stuck in my throat, probably a rice particle.
I can't cough it out or get it to go down by eating more stuff or
drink water. It's bothering me. Sodans with medical knowledge, if
it's indeed stuck in my breath path, won't it cause bacteria and
maybe infection if I don't get it out?
\_ Go see a doctor. It might not be what you think it is. It
might be serious. -- ilyas
\_ as long as you can type and post to motd, who cares?
\_ Some semen should dislodge it.
\_ or a spray of urine.
\_ I saw a video once about a doctor who specialized in that
procedure.
\_ When this happens to me, I usually ignore it for half a day or so
and it disappears by itself.
\_ It may not really be there anymore. If something scratched your
throat, the injury may feel like it's there.
\_ True. Also, remember that you're contantly swallowing saliva,
nature's own pre-digestive juice, so any food stuck in your
mouth or throat should disappear in a few days. If it's still
bugging you after a few days or gets worse, visit your doctor.
\_ Might be cancer. go see a doctor.
\- eat a banana --psb
\_ safer to just see a doctor. might be inflammation too.
\_ Thanks for all the replies. It is a food particle because I
was drinking some water after lunch and somehow choked
myself and splashed water all over my keyboard and monitor.
After the smoke cleared (in a figurative sense), I started
to feel there's something on my throat and can't get it out.
I feel like it is not in my swallow path, as I've actually ate
a banana and drank more water, but rather in my breath path,
does it make sense? Or am I just wrong and it IS in my swallow
path and just stuck somewhere?
\_ depends on how far back in your throat. Tracheal obstructions
tend to trigger the coughing reflex. It could also be stuck
near your tonsils. Seeing a doctor is probably the safest bet.
And worth the $15 copay. Check thyroids and tonsils while you're
there.
\_ Don't ask me to help you debug on your machine again! |
| 2004/9/23 [Health/Dental] UID:33718 Activity:nil |
9/23 Didn't someone on motd complain about their dentist?
http://csua.org/u/96g |
| 2004/9/21 [Health/Dental] UID:33673 Activity:moderate 50%like:35520 |
9/21 How can I find out if a dentist is good? I have a long list of
dentists approved by my dental PPO, but I'd like to base my
choice on a good recommendation. Thanks. |
| 2004/8/23 [Health/Dental] UID:33072 Activity:insanely high |
8/23 I've had 4 dentists in 2 years because of having to move and
not liking 2 of the dentists I had. The first dentist (Chinese)
was great because I had him since I was a kid. He did all of my
cavity fillings and cleanings and said I had pretty good teeth.
Then when I moved to the South Bay I switched to another
dentist (Iranian) who said I had HORRIBLE gums and teeth and
needed to do deep cleaning, add Arestin (antibiotic) to prevent
bone loss and to slow down my periodontal disease. He also
highly recommended that I redo my fillings because it is
getting old and he thinks it is dangerous if it falls out.
I decided to switch to another doctor (Iranian) and she said
that my teeth was not so good and highly recommended deep cleaning.
She also pushed hard for "good deals" on electric tooth brush
and teeth whitening guards/sol'ns. That ticked me off so I
switched to another doctor (American born Iranian) and he said
that my teeth was very healthy (gums didn't bleed when he did
cleaning, etc). He didn't even push for services like deep
cleaning and overpriced teeth whiteners. So actually, I'm
confused. Do I have really have good/bad teeth? Or is the
dental industry so fucked up that they have to push for
services you don't really need? What is your experience like?
\_ I get the feeling that dental insurance fraud is getting to
be more and more common. If your teeth were really as bad
as the two said, you would at least have an inkling about it.
You'd be in horrendous pain if you had bone loss. If it feels
like they're selling you a bill of goods, run. There are plenty
of dentists out there who are caring doctors who respect their
industry. Also, keep an eye out for odd procedures on invoices
and claims (I've seen root canals which I thankfully didn't go
through charged to my insurance). [zyin, you overwrote this.]
\_ you only need a root planing after a couple years of
neglect. i would be very suspicious of a dentist
who pushes teeth whiteners
\_ Good dentists have more patients and tend to have their appointments
booked for at least 2 weeks. My dentist have his booked for a
month. So fare he's very good. Unfortunately he's in SF.
\_ Where in SF? I am looking for an SF dentist. What makes
you say he is good?
\_ Me too. Tell us his name please.
\_ search for Michael Hing DDS in Yahoo!Yellow Pages.
Unlike other dentists I had before, he's very
thorough and takes his time get the job done.
\_ Awesome SF dentist: Cynthia Brattesani.
http://www.drcynthiab.com
\_ Is she your dentist?
\_ Yes. She's the best.
\- um, ok. And good dentists like to play golf when the weather
is good.
\_ Mine is usually booked for six months if I want a weekend appt.
Otherwise it's 2-3 months for weekdays. He's in Oakland
Chinatown. But I wonder if there are dentists who just pretent
that they are fully booked so as to make themselves look good.
-- yuen
\_ FWIW, I went to a dentist who said that I had a cavity. My
hygienist said the same thing. I went to another dentist and
she said I do not have a cavity on that tooth. WTF?! I don't
trust any dentist. One of the dentists is obviously lying, but
is it the latter (hoping the problem will get worse and require
more expensive work later) or the former (trying to fill a
tooth that is fine)? Bastards.
\_ Why do you hate unrestrained capitalism??
\_ My dentist shows me the xrays before such a thing. Only had
that once though. Is teeth whitening that bad? I was thinking
of asking about it. My teeth are probably normal colored. But
I wonder about those bright white teeth of people on TV.
\_ The x-rays don't show much. One dentist said it is just
natural pitting. The other said it is a cavity.
\_ My dentist rocks. No, you can't have his name. When I
asked about whitening he said he'd do it if I insisted but
the stuff from the store that takes a few days will do a
better job than he can do in an hour in the office and
there's nothing wrong with the store stuff. He's booked
solid forever. I don't know what I'll do when he retires.
Maybe his kids will take over as he took over from his dad.
If I leave the Bay Area, I'm dentally doomed! |
| 2004/8/17 [Health/Dental, Health/Men, Recreation/Pets] UID:32971 Activity:nil |
8/17 Plastic surgery for pets:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/americas/3923099.stm |
| 2004/7/16 [Health/Dental, Health] UID:32318 Activity:high |
7/16 From time to time I have food particle stuck at the end of my tongue,
where it is is too narrow and too near the throat for finger to reach.
It creates annoying discomfort as well as bad breath but take a long
time to decay. Is there a way to get it out without going to a
doctor?
\_ USE TOOTHBRUSH!
\_ Stop deep-throating for cash.
\_ Pubic hair is not food particle.
\_ gargle something warm to break it up?
\_ At least in people who had an incomplete tosillectomy, there
can be dead ends there that trap certain food.
\_ Wow that sucks. I'd probably see a doctor about that problem.
\_ try puking and see if it comes out. |
| 2004/5/10 [Health/Disease/AIDS, Health/Dental, Health/Disease/General] UID:30127 Activity:high |
5/9 Porn star becomes a doctor. You can do that too.
http://www.nytimes.com/2004/05/10/national/10PORN.html?hp
\_ No URL, no explanation? Is there any reason this should not be
deleted?
\_ is there any reason why it should be deleted? you fucktard.
\_ There's nothing to discuss
\_ It's an interesting story, man. There's more to life than
computers.
\_ The OP posted it without a URL. There *was* nothing to
discuss.
\_ so what.
\_[Content free responses deleted]
\_ Yeah, but do any Internet Rock Stars become doctors? |
| 2004/4/27 [Health/Dental] UID:13413 Activity:nil |
4/27 Which one, dental floss or sonic toothbrush, cleans between the teeth
better if both are used properly? Thanks.
\_ Call your dentist.
\_ i use both. floss is better at this job. sonic toothbrush is
awsome, but not THAT good.
\_ Floss' main purpose is to stimulate gums; secondary purpose is to
clean between teeth. As poster above said, use both.
\_ Why do we want to stimulate the gums?
\_ so they dont rot and turn black and make your teeth fall out.
\_ If I skip flossing for a couple days then I'll bleed a lot when
I floss again. It sucks.
\_ It's all a conspiracy of the flossing Axis. Plenty of other
countries don't use it. You don't really need it. It is like
toilet-paper. Nobody ever died from not using it.
Do you realize how many millions of yards of this they sell each yr?
Same groups produce both. Coincidence? I think not!
\_ Movin' to Montana soon, gonna be a dental floss tycoon...
\_ They do totally different things. sonicare isn't going to get a
piece of chicken or popcorn dislodged from between teeth, but it does
a good job of removing the stuff that turns into plaque. |
| 2004/2/29-3/1 [Health/Dental, Health/Disease/General, Health/Eyes] UID:12456 Activity:nil |
2/29 girl who feels no pain
http://www.kare11.com/news/news-article.asp?NEWS_ID=60120 |
| 2004/1/9-10 [Health/Skin, Health/Dental] UID:11732 Activity:high |
1/9 motd poll--who is the most badass Doctor? Add more as needed.
(non Dr. Who posts deleted.)
Jon Pertwee: .
Tom Baker: .
J: .
Teeth: .
Hook: .
Phil: .
NUNEZ (And fuck you for nuking it.): ...
Doom: .
Octagon: .
Pepper: .
Dean: .
\_ My phone number is DOCTORB. The B is for Bargain!
Nick: .
Dre: .
Jon Pertwee: .
Octagon: .
Tom Baker: .
J: .
Teeth: .
Hook: .
Phil: .
NUNEZ (And fuck you for nuking it.): ...
\_ probably an overwrite
\_ no. this was intended to be a Dr. Who flame war about which
regeneration was the best. -op
\_ In other words, you were trolling for flames from Dr. Who
fans, forgot to specify that you were only interested in
Drs. Who, and then deleted the postings that were relevant
to the question but not to your ambiguous intentions? And
I thought the motd censor was petty....
\_ I figured it was obvious because I capitalized "Doctor"
and because Jon Pertwee and Tom Baker were first on the
list.
\_ Who? (No pun intended.)
Doom: .
Pepper: .
Dean: ..
Kevorkian: .
Octagon: .
\_ "Hello this is the offices of Dr. Octagon.
If you have insurance or medical problems I'm here for you
for any type of intestine surgery rectal rebuilding relocated
saliva glands... and chimpanzee acne! And of course moose bumps.
You can call 1 800PP51 DooDoo. I'm in your corner." |
| 2003/11/8 [Health/Dental, Politics/Foreign/MiddleEast/Iraq] UID:10991 Activity:nil |
11/7 Regarding Lynch, the iraqi doctor who treated her first maintains that
she arrived fully clothed, buttoned, and zipped up. While treating her
injuries, including a broken femur, he noticed no evidence of rape.
\_ Is this the same Iraqi doctor who was complaining how "rude" the
rescue team was during the rescue? Who's to say that one of
the Iraqi guards at the hospital wasn't a "My name is Buck, and
I'm here to f*ck" type guy?
\_ just type fuck. FUCK. sheesh.
\_ Oh? So he did a medical inspection for rape, did he? No. He
did no such thing. Even if this guy isn't lying through his teeth,
if I was the soldier who raped her ass I'd want to avoid any
questions and take the 5 seconds to redo her clothing after. The
last I checked, looking at a broken femur does not reveal evidence
of any sort of rape. Why are you posting this garbage?
\_ If she had a broken femur, you can bet your ass they cut her
out of her uniform post-haste to examine the wound. Any
reasonable examination of her would immediately reveal anal
bleeding, leading in turn to further investigation and at
least suspicion of rape. The Army reports on PFC Lynch and
her "rescue" have been shown to have serious factual errors,
and it does not surprise me that they'd fabricate reports of
her sodomizing rape in order to stir up the red-blooded
American sons and soldiers.
\_ So you know there'd be anal bleeding? You know they took good
care of her? You know they cut away her uniform and did a
proper and full medical inspection? What are these factual
errors in the rescue reports and what is the source of
the alleged corrections? You're just making shit up based on
nothing in particular and presenting it as fact. You don't
and *can't* know any of these things.
\_ Neither can you, but we can make educated guesses.
The only people who know are unfortunately shown
to be often untruthful.
\_ I believe the random medical reports from the US Army
hospital in Germany before I'd believe the Iraqi doctor
who has to worry about his life and his family's.
\_ Random? There is nothing random about it right
from when they decided to treat the whole
incident as a carefully chereographed PR
campaign.
\_ So you think she hasn't been to a private doctor
since then and had it confirmed? Given her other
statements she'd deny the rape if she didn't have
her own proof. So, yes, random.
\_ "[Lynch] also told Sawyer that she believes the U.S. military
overdramatized the story of her rescue in Iraq."
\_ http://www.cnn.com/2003/WORLD/meast/11/07/sprj.irq.jessica.lynch.doctors.ap |
| 2003/5/18-19 [Health/Dental, Health] UID:28473 Activity:nil |
5/17 I've never had a physical. I'm wondering if I should get one at Tang.
Has anyone had it done there? What sort of things did they check,
how much was it and how long did it take?
\_ If you're a guy, you can count on bending over.
demand lube
\_ Everything from joints (upper and lower), eyes, ears, throat and
even bottom of your feet for athlete foot. If you're a guy, check
for testicular lumps will be performed (so yes, pants down, boys)
but don't worry, rubber gloves are used and the doctor (male/female)
looks away from your 'tool'. If you're female, doctor will check for
lumps in your breasts area. If you're under 35 chances are the
whole thing will last about 15 mins with the actual physical takes
about 5-7 mins. The rest will be Q&A to figure out your health
history and to update your medical record. If you're at risk of
high cholesterol due to heredity for example, ask for a blood
exam. If you're sexually active, ask for an HIV test (which can
be incl. with your cholesterol test but you have to ask). Unless
they find anything funny you won't have to pee in a cup or anything.
\_ I hope you don't wait another 18+ yrs for your next exam. It's no
big deal, and it's good to establish a baseline of your health so
that you can monitor changes from year to year. As the good ppl
from Nike say, Just Do It!(tm). Also, check out a dentist if you
haven't done so, yet. |
| 2003/4/30-5/1 [Reference/BayArea, Health/Dental] UID:28268 Activity:very high |
4/30 I know there are some grad students here. How much do you end up
paying per year in Union dues, if you are on a unionized campus?
Has anyone found a way to get out of paying the dues if they don't
want to be in or support the union? How much to the union people
interfere in your everyday work? Any informaion, prefereably
with links is appreciated. We are trying to stop a union on our campus.
-ecchang
\_Just go up to the Union rep and demand your dues back if
they've been garnished. This Union crap is garbage since
grad students in different majors have nothing in common with
one another. Why would an MBA student want to join a union?
\_ There's dental plans and dental plans. My fiance, a UCB
\_ The union at UC Berkeley is responsible for the grad students
finally getting a dental plan. Does that help?
\_ Are dental plans ever actually worth the hassle of finding a
doctor in the system just for a tiny cut in price?
\_ almost all dentists are in Delta.
\_ There's dental plans and dental plans. My fiancee, a UCB
\_ There's dental plans and dental plans. My fiance, a UCB
grad student, can now afford dental work where before
she couldn't. YMMV.
\_ "Tiny cut" is 50% or more?
\_ In general, liberal arts programs/students are poor and want
unions more than those in the engineering disciplines
\_ To some degree that treatment is deliberate. America already
has plenty of history and sociology PhD's. So we tend to
treat the PhD students pretty poorly ... reduces demand
(and there's still too many of them). Engineering and hard
sciences, on the other hand, can find jobs elsewhere so have
to be treated well, AND we need more of them. At most schools
RA/TA salaries for eng/sci are much higher (and eng/sci grad
students usually have a much lower teaching load over their
unions more than those in the engineering disciplines
graduate careers). |
| 2003/4/25 [Health/Dental] UID:28226 Activity:moderate |
4/25 Is it common for dentists to recommend getting unnecessary dental
work? I think I just had a filling done yesterday that I didn't need.
\_ All the time. Did they also tell you that you need to whiten
your teeth? ALL doctors are businessmen that want you to be
sick (or have bad teeth) so that they can make money treating you.
Imagine what would happen if everybody took control of their
health and stop getting sick. Most would go out of business
and only emergency room doctors would be in demand. In summary,
doctors wants you to be fat and chronically sick so they can get
repeat business. It's a survival instinct for them.
\_ Your dentist sucks. Mine rocks. And no I'm not telling you who
he is. It's already too hard to get an appointment.
\_ I've heard a lot of stories of extra services being listed
on invoices. Ain't insurance fraud grand!
\_ Did you know that most doctors are opposed to any and all
health care reform? They milk billions of dollars
out of medicare and medicaid every year. They want the
status quo because the status quo has made them rich.
They don't want any change that put in incentives for people
to be pro-actively healthy. Because healthy people ==
less money for them. IMHO, they're worse than lawyers because
lawyers don't hide behind this bullshit about saving lives
and are pretty straight-forward with you that they're in it
for the money.
\_ Call your State Senator and tell him to support SB26,
the first real health insurance reform bill to come
down the pike. -ausman
\_ How'd you know you didn't need to get a filling done? Last year,
my dentist said I needed to get mine replaced since they were
wearing down (it had been 13 years since they were filled). He
even showed me X-Rays, but the scans were mysterious to me, so I
went for them. Oh well, insurance covered it, and besides, I got
white fillings instead of the normal silver ones this time.
\_ Heh, I switched dentists two years ago because the same
happened to me. And now my current dentist gave me a
filling I didn't even need. I just don't trust any dentists
anymore. If you want to know why I think I didn't need
the filling email me. -chrchan (OP)
\_ One could argue that if the filling is at 75% and 10
years old, it justifies replacing it with a new
hi-tech filling.
\_ Too true. I don't know what's up with these dumb
bastards who think they know better than their
dentists if their 5 year-life fillings are still good
8 years after they should've been replaced. Do their
dentists stand behind them and correct typos in their
code? I suspect not.
\_ personally, my knowledge of dentists scaming
comes from going to a second dentist who
said i had no cavities, after the first said I had
three. my wife was told by the first dentist
she had *seven* cavities, and the second said that
she also had no cavities. beware the big chain
places. It was an Aspen dental that gave the
bad advice.
\_ The problem is that you don't know which
dentist was right. You need a third opinion.
Perhaps the one that said nothing is wrong
is hoping your teeth deteriorate so that you
need crowns instead of fillings. I've been
in this same situation. Get more opinions. --dim
\_ Well, I think it's always good to question and be
at least a tad skeptical. The dentist showing me
the X-Rays and explaining what was happening to
my fillings was good enough for me. -!OP |
| 2003/4/17-18 [Health/Dental, Health] UID:28157 Activity:nil |
4/17 http://sports.espn.go.com/nfldraft/story?id=1539920 Cal/Boller/Tedford on ESPN |
| 2003/2/2-3 [Science/Electric, Health/Dental] UID:27276 Activity:very high |
2/1 How would I record a ringing sound in my head?
\_ ask a doctor?
\_ why do you ask?
\_ Uhm, yeah. This isn't even a troll. Go away.
\_ In case a serious answer was expected: you most likely cannot, since
the ringing sensation will not in general arise from actual acoustic
simulation of your auditory organs, so no matter how deep into your
cochlea you record audio input from, you wouldn't get anything. To
actually record it, you'd have to record the cochlea's signals to
the brain directly, if not actual brain activity at wherever
auditory signals get processed. To the best of my knowledge, not
nearly enough is known about how this processing is done in the
brain for you to have a chance at succeeding given today's brain
imaging technology. -alexf
\_ the above serious answer is correct. i'll add info about my
experience as well. i have tinnitus, decently mild case of it.
i don't have a very good attention span, either, which is good
because the current therapy for tinnitus is "try not to dwell
on it." anyway when seeing an audiologist, i found out that i
can still hear better than the average person. after the tests
were done, i tried to use their equipment to "tune in to" one of
the more prevalent frequiencies that i am percieving, like tuning
a guitar string to another. we were unable to do so, and my
perception was that their equipment could not reach a high
enough pitch. i tried similar experiments at home, using old
modular analog synthesizers, which have a better range that
their equipment. same results.
rining in your ears isn't just tinnitus. it can be screwed
up bones and stuff, or various kinds of insanity. - caliban
\_tinnitus usually is caused by damage to the ear.
\_ If a microphone + tape recorder doesn't work, how about we dissect
your brain? Alternately, use a computer to produce a sound
which is JUST LIKE what you hear, and record *that*.
\_ hook up 2 wires to your nuts
\_ i just use the microphone the CIA implanted in my tooth fillings
\_ hey! that's the microphone i use! |
| 2002/12/17-18 [Health/Dental, Academia/Berkeley/CSUA/Troll] UID:26838 Activity:insanely high |
12/17 Liv Tyler from LoTR and Armageddon fame. Is it just me or does she
look "asian-ish"? I just checked her bio data and both her parents
are white. But she does have that asian-ish look.
\_ just you.
\_ yes, just you. Kristen Kreuk is half Chinese
\_ You've got yellow fever.
\_ How can you think anyone who inherited her father's horse mouth
looks Asian?
\_ I used to be hot for Liv until I read an interview where she
came off like an idiot and I found out she smokes like a chimney.
\_ Yes, I can understand how these things could be a turn off
when you guys go out.
\_ Smoking isn't a turn off unless she wants to do it around
me or wants to kiss. I've never kissed an ashtray but I've
kissed a smoker and can't imagine an ashtray is much worse.
Being stupid is a huge turnon. The best are always the
stupid chicks who don't see they're being used unti long
Being stupid is a huge turn on. The best are always the
stupid chicks who don't see they're being used until long
after I'm bored and gone. The absolute best are the ones
who never figure it out and will let me use them again later
if I change my mind. Smoking: bad. Stupid: good.
\_ just ask her to use some mouth wash before you guys
kiss. seems like an easy solution. say hi to liv
that means she's a better lay than I thought.
for the soda gang next time you guys go out.
\_ Will do, buddy!
\_ Listening to her talk is pretty painful. Watching the LoTR
interviews are great until she opens her mouth. Funny, I guess
that means she's a better actress than I thought.
\_when you complete your "i shall fuck liv tyler" mission, please
let us know. |
| 2002/1/24-25 [Health/Dental] UID:23659 Activity:high |
1/24 Anybody tried those dental whitening trays? What brand do you use?
I'm wondering if they'll do something nasty to my gums. Any bad
experiences with them? Thanks.
\_ I tried the ones you can get for $24.95 at Long's Drugs and
they did nothing. Then I went to the dentist and got a custom
tray for $250, with some industrial stength whitener. It helped
a bit. And you can buy more bleach from EBay for $15.
\_ I went to the dentist five years ago and got a custom tray and some
Colgate whitener for the upper teeth only. That costed about $200.
I finished the whitener in a few months and didn't get any refill
afterwards. Today my upper teeth still look whiter than my lower
ones. One side effect was that once a day or so I felt sharp pain
in my teeth that lasted a couple seconds, even though I wasn't
eating or brushing my teeth. But that went away after I stopped
using it. The other side effect was that my gums hurted felt a
little burnt, but that's probably because I had receeding gums and
I don't think other people will have this problem.
using it. The other side effect was that my gums felt a little
burnt, but that's probably because I had receeding gums and I
don't think other people will have this problem.
\_ my boyfriend got the custom tray from the dentist a couple of
months ago, it cost $300 (both top and bottom teeth). It
worked pretty well. same pain symptoms as described above. the
brand was discus dental. i'm curious if any of the drugstore
stuff actually works, though. -soda gal
trays or whitening strips actually work. -soda gal
\_ I tried them once, but I accidentally left them on for a day
longer than I should have and they became freakishly white.
I went on a date and she turned on a blacklight and they shone
like mothers! -ross
\_ Yes, your teeth will black light if properly cleaned of coke
residue. Sure. Right. Got that. Check. Okey dokey! |
| 2001/11/6-7 [Health/Dental] UID:22952 Activity:very high |
11/6 I have a pair of wisdom teeth that are bothering me. My surgeon
recommended that I get all 4 pulled out because the other pair
is horizontally impacted. But I have a feeling that he's just
saying this to rake in some more money and not looking out
for my own good. Anyone have any real information on this?
\_ Duh, get a second opinion?
\_ If you're getting two wisdom teeth removed, do it for all four.
\_ Get them removed before you look like you grew up in England.
\_ If you're getting two wisdom teeth removed, do it on all four.
It's a painful operation, and you really don't want to go through
it twice. Plus, it's one of a handful of dental operations that
\_ If your non-impacted ones are bothering you now, chances are your
impacted ones will bother you later. If you feel like your surgeon
is ripping you off maybe you're not comfortable with him and
you should go with someone else. Avoid Western Dental or
other wisdom-teeth-extraction-farms, they suck.
many health plans cover.
\_ Don't be lame. He's not a car mechanic. Just get all 4 done.
\_ If the non-impacted ones are bothering you now, there's a good
chance the impacted ones will bother you later. If you feel like
your surgeon is trying to rip you off it doesn't sound like
you're comfortable with him and you should go with someone else.
Avoid Western Dental or other wisdom-teeth-extraction-farms, they
suck.
\_ It will save you the cost of getting anesthesia twice by having
all 4 done now, and the surgeon will get more $$$ now. It's a
win-win situation. You don't want to go thru the pain and hassle
twice. - all-four-done-at-once
\_ Don't call dentists "surgeon"s.
\_ Ok. Clarification: at least in my case, my dentist referred me
to an oral surgeon who did a fantastic job.
\_ Getting all four done at once is economical because you don't have
to repay for the drugs/getting knocked out/paperwork/etc. -4@1ce#2
\_ Doing two at a time (one side at a time) would allow you to eat
with one side of your mouth. Also, sometimes not all 4 teeth
with the other side of your mouth. Also, sometimes not all 4 teeth
have grown out of your gums yet, and it's more painful to
whether you want partial anesthesia or full anesthesia. I
heard that pain-aversed American high school students usually prefer
full anesthesia, which may result in decreased IQ.
get those still inside your gums. Finally, you need to decide
\_ NOT true. I had all four out before they erupted,
and it BARELY hurt. I didn't bother taking anesthetics.
Instead, I played Robotron to distract myself. --PeterM
\_ I think it's a case of everyone's different. I had two
taken out from the left, and it went fine. Three months
later, the other side was taken out (by the same dentist)
and it hurt like a bitch, both before and after, and I
bled for 8 hours.
whether you want partial anesthesia or full anesthesia. My dentist
says that pain-aversed American high school / college students
often prefer full anesthesia, which may result in decreased IQ.
\_ IS THE Decreased IQ a temporary thing?
\_ Full anesthesia has a chance of resulting in permanent
decreased IQ, memory abilities, and a slight chance of
death. I think the chance of death is something like
1/10000, but much less for young healthy people.
\_ If 1 in 10,000 died from a general then no one would
go under for anything less than a life or death
operation. Maybe you meant 1 in 100,000 or 1 in
1,000,000?
\_ You are right. My figure of 1/10000 is for
1970. Today it's closer to 1/250000.
\_ Here's a contrary opinion: don't get the other two removed. While
he probably has your best interests in mind, this is strictly a US
phenomenon ("wisdom teeth are bad mmmkay") -- in Europe doctors are
much less prone to recommend surgery. It is painful and you'll be
not happy for about a week afterwards. A friend of mine chose not
to remove any after he saw that video; they just sprayed him with
some local anesthesiac and after the pain went away, he was fine.
\_ reason why europeans have crooked teeth and socialism.
\_ My anecdote: several teeth were shifting and sore because my wisdom
teeth were doing bad things. I went to an oral surgeon who took
out all 3 (not everyone has 4), using a local. He sent me home with
2 week's worth of pain killers. I took 1 day's worth, slept a lot
the first day and part of the second and ate a Bongo Burger for
dinner the second night. No pain, no misery, no sweat, kids.
\_ until the bongo burger hit your digestive system. -tom
\_ I have a theory that, all other factors being the same,
the more anesthesia you get, the less after-surgery pain
you will feel.
If you want to stay awake, make sure they also give you nitrous.
And get your prescription beforehand and fill it BEFORE surgery.
Afterwards is too late to fill and argue for better pills.
Also, don't let them give you ibuprofen or that tylenol+5mg-codeine
mixed shit. Instead, make sure you get the powerful high-dose
opiates or synthetics. Also, if you only take 2/4 out now, you
can get an extra batch of pills for the 2nd set of teeth.
You will want all four out eventually because they just
trap bacteria and cause infections and bad breath.
And ask if you can videotape the surgery so we can post it in /csua/tmp
If you want to be totally knocked out unconscious, don't
be like my friend who woke up to find his shirt untucked,
his belt-buckle undone and his fly half-way zipped up.
Apparently Mr. dentist and his attractive young asian assistant
were focused on more than just the patient's mouth. I noticed
this about him, but he was too groggy to complain at the time and
to this day, he denies this was the case. |
| 2001/4/25 [Health/Dental] UID:21093 Activity:high |
4/24 I have medical insurance coverage through work. Whenever I go to
the doctor, they ask for my medical insurance card and a $10 copay.
Then a few weeks later I get something in the mail from the
insurance company saying that 80% (or something like that) of my
visit was covered and the other 20% (which is more than the $10
copay) is not covered. At the end of the statement there's usually
something like "Patient Pays: $50" which seems to be saying that
I still owe my doctor $50 (or at least $40, if you count the
copay). But I almost never get a bill from my doctor for that
$50 / $40, so I never end up paying it. This seems to be how it
has happened as long as I can remember, even with different
doctors and different insurance companies. So what happens to
that $50? Why don't the doctors try to collect it? Am I cheating
my doctor by not sending them that money? just curious.
\_ are your visits supposed to be covered 100% after co-pay?
are you sure your doctor is "in plan"? sometimes some
of the bill says "not covered" when it means "not charged,
because we struck a deal with the insurance company".
\_ My doctors always bill me for that amount. Always. It sometimes
takes them a few months, but they will (minus the co-payment).
If they haven't billed you then don't worry about it. --dim
\_ It could be that your doctor is being nice and charging the
insurance company extra to make up for whatever they're not
\_ yawn.
charging you. My dentist does that.
\_ This is also a reflection of the quality of service you
are getting. Good doctors/dentists don't need to do this.
You get what you pay for.
\_ This is not true. How does the dentist working the system
on your behalf make him a bad dentist? Ethics and dental
maintenance skills do not have a 1:1 correlation. The
system is fucked. I don't see anything wrong with
*everyone* working it. You already paid for full service
care through your paychecks. The medical insurance industry
is worth billions but they don't improve medical care. They
only leech off the doctor/patient relationship. Please
explain how paying too much to buy someone in the insurance
industry a new yacht improves my dental/medical health care.
\_ I firmly believe in the concept of "you get what you pay for"
when it comes to goods and services. But I can usualy
differentiate between my choices. A lot of people seem to
either not care or don't have the time to care to
notice the differences and thus always go for the lowest priced
item. |
| 2001/4/12 [Health/Dental] UID:20958 Activity:high |
4/12 When they put Daniel Holliman under for wisdom teeth surgery,
little did he know that his orthopaedic surgeon was in fact Son
Of Ether Mad Scientist "Zarkhoum Ivanovitch". The Mad Doctor
not only extracted Holliman's wisdom teeth, but gave him an
Adamantium(tm) skeleton , extendible claws , and a piercing desire
to make snappy comebacks!
Now, secretly working for Mountain View Data, he works
until he is summoned by a packet coming into his workstation on port
31340 then he chants the sacred mantra
"cd /usr/ports/alt/superheroes/danger_dan && make_install"
turns into DANGER DAN!
Danger Dan leaps tall buildings to find unused. com E250s
to give to poor oakland children! Danger Dan fights the forces of
the Digital Divide!
Next week: tune into the adventures of Danger Dan. Danger Dan
fights the evil Genentech (Building a better you(tm)) as they try
to eradicate the gene for black hairand brown eyes.
Using the power of the Adamantium Skeleton and Javascript, and a
really good dose of caffiene, Danger Dan fights the evil
Laikareddy Crime syndicate and parties with ex dot-commers at a
Sleator-Kinney benefit!
\_ Hi Paolo! Sons of Ether don't do that sort of thing, this is
some runaway Technocratic experiment.
\_ I can't believe that people actually still play that POS
game. *sheesh* Nto just geeks, but stooopid geeks.... |
| 2001/3/14 [Health/Dental] UID:20793 Activity:nil |
3/14 Do you floss? |
| 2000/9/15-18 [Health/Dental, Health/Eyes] UID:19259 Activity:kinda low |
9/15 I need to get myself health insurance, but I don't know anything
about health insurance. What are the advantages/disadvantages/
differences of an HMO or a PPO? Also, what is an advisable
deductable to choose? What is important to watch out for in choosing
a policy? Also, are insurance policies typically like month-to-month
where you can cancel any time, or are they like apartment leases with
contacts that last, say 1 year, that you cannot cancel? Thanks!
\_Get yourself an agent. An agent is in a much better position
to discuss this with you than anyone on Soda. Look in phone book
or email me if you want info for one. Keep in mind that individual
health insurace is very expensive as compared to group. I'd
recommend that you get insurance through group if you can,
but it doesn't sound like you can. -williamc
\_ HMO's are really great until you get sick and need a PPO.
\_ If you're young and healthy, pick the CHEAPEST coverage you can get.
Your company (if you're going through your employer) should have
given you a comparison chart of what each programs would cover.
Rule of thumb: try not to pay over $10-15 for doctors visit (the
so-called 'copayment'); find the cheapest program that allows a
physical exam every other year, allows good drug prescription
coverage and if it comes with dental, something that would get
that teeth cleaned twice a year for free too. If you've always gone
to a specific HMO such as Kaiser, Humana, Alta Bates etc and com-
fortable with them, get HMO. (although they may not be the best).
If you don't have a specific physician (or don't care for one), pick
a PPO, then get a directory from the insurance company and pick a
a doctor in the network. When I was with Mutual of Omaha they let
met pay month-to-month but the coverage is for the whole year.
You may find something better. *shrug* - jthoms
MARK VI will be forthcoming sometime in january. if you don't like the
crashes volunteer to HELP THE PEOPLE SET IT UP. Other than that,
deal with your uptimes of less than a week.
\_ Any chance of leaving MK V up as a playing-around machine? -John
\_ hahahahahaha hhahahahahahah. |
| 2000/7/19-20 [Health/Dental] UID:18721 Activity:low |
7/19 Anybody used onsite dental services? The dental-office-inside-a-big
truck that comes by your work site. How is it? Would you recommend
it?
\_ man dentist
\_ Wouldn't the truck be unstable when the doctor walks around you
carrying a needle or something? |
| 2000/4/25-27 [Health/Dental, Health/Women] UID:18113 Activity:very high |
4/25 Everyone watch 60 mins II tonight at 9 on ch 5 and watch their
report on Ecstasy. See my arch-nemisis emmanual sferios. -sky
\_ Just another media expose with the alarmist perspective
on alternative culture.
\_ Is he aware you're his arch nemesis? That seems unlikely.
\_ He is aware. He forced my gf to resign from her position
because she refused to break up with me. He was crying
and stuff and he also thinks I am out to destroy him.
--sky
\_ You're a psycho. That's the wildest shit I've heard on the
motd in over 3 days.
\_ Heh...most people do think I am psychotic. I prefer
it that way. But it is true. He told her in no
uncertain terms that if she didn't stop seeing me,
she would not be allowed to participate in dancesafe.
First off, he criticizes me for doing crystal, but
he did some before the 60 minutes interview because
it he feels it makes him more talkative and personable.
But he was also hurt because she had always put DS first
in her life and never had much of a life outside of
work until she met me. And he has a crush on her.
Then there are a whole other host of reasons I wont go
in to. -sky
\_ All 3 of you are way too far gone into the drugs.
Only some druggy fucks would behave like any of
you.
\_ It doesn't follow that because emmanuel is sky's arch-nemesis,
sky is emmanuel's arch-nemesis.
\_ What do you think "arch" means? Duh. --i386
\_ chief/principal. What do YOU think it means?
\_ lame-ass drug testing
\_ We know what it means, you don't. For example:
Bill Gates is Scott McNealy's Arch-Enemy, however
Bill Gates' arch-enemy is not SM, but Janet Reno
\_ Wow, you're all idiots. This was a joke.
\_ What's your issue with Sferios? The cop seems like more of a
bastard. -dans
\_ Wants to take away your drugs and put your dumb ass in jail?
\_ Drugs are bad, mmkay, don't do drugs. Do you think this
actually works? All my friends went through drug scare
education, and that didn't stop any of them from
getting into some serious shit. If they were taught
something sane, like abstaining from drugs is best, but, if
you're going to use, use responsibly, they would have been
saved from a world of grief. And if you think this is just
about drugs, it isn't. The biggest substance problems I've
seen are associated with alcohol, and hey, that's legal, so
it must be okay. Please. Drug scare education is insane
because there is no recourse when it fails, and it almost
always does. Locking people up doesn't work. Methods like
harm reduction that teach responsible use are far more
effective. Want living proof, look at sex-ed programs that
teach only abstinence versus programs that encourage
abstinence, but also teach about safer-sex. The bone-headed
communities that teach abstinence-only consistently have
higher rates of teen pregnancy and stds. -dans
\_ Don't put words in my mouth. I simply think you're a
whiney "make my drugs legal" cry baby.
\_ Don't put words in my mouth. I didn't say anything
about legalization. I did say something about drug
scare education being about as intelligent as you
are. I simply think you're brainwashed reactionary.
-dans
\_ Which was a response to me saying your stupid
druggy ass belongs in jail, not in school.
\_ He is willing to jepoardize the collectives that supported him
in his quest to spread harm reduction. Plus he had a big
crush on my girlfriend and made her resign for not breaking
up with me. And he talks a lot of shit behind peoples backs
and lies and twists their words around as he sees fit. -sky
\_ Made her resign? Over you? Don't be ridiculous.
\_ She was the first dancesafe volunteer and one of
only a handful of salaried DS employees. Yes,
she had to resign for not breaking up with me.
He has issues, trust me. -sky
\_ I still question "had to resign". Or else what?
\_ Good answer. So, in your opinion, does that completely
taint DanceSafe, or is it still a worthwhile organization
to work with? -dans
\_ Well, he is the national director...There is no longer
a Bay Area chapter...it was disbanded after my gf left.
If you want to help spread harm reduction nationally,
then it is definately a worthwhile organization to
work with. If you would rather help practice and
spread harm reduction in the bay area, my gf is
organizing a group that will continue to do was the
ds bay area chapter did...distribute harm reduction
literature, answer questions, and do pill testing at
local raves and you might prefer working with her.
I have a big mouth...I really shouldn't talk shit
about him like this. Email me if you want to talk
about it more... -sky
\_ So you're an active supporter of kids doing only
moderate amounts of damage to themselves?
\_ Emanuel rocks. The war on drugs is expensive and completely
ineffective; harm reduction is the only rational answer.
There are a number of other groups involved with it, which 60
minutes choose not to mention (despite interviewing them). -kurtz
\_ I am all for harm reduction. But emanuel is willing to fuck
over the people who supported him (im not talking about me)
in order to achieve those goals. He is also a hypocritical,
delusional, arrogant, closed minded, meglomaniacal bastard.
But yeah, they didnt include their interview with Shulgin,
the national police consultant on dance drugs that supports
dancesafe and pill testing, or the Dutch Nat. drug prosecutor
supporting pill testing. And the dude that possibly took
5 pills and died most likely had DXM. Plus their was no
evidence given on ecstasy causing brain damage...All that
was shown was that overheating causes brain damage. Over-
heating is an effect of too much dancing/notenough water.
Even then, personally I think its not the E that causes
compulsive dancing (whatever that may be) but rather
speed that the E is mixed with. When I am rolling on
good MDMA, I can barely stand up, much less dance.
-sky
\_ You're just fucking whacked.
\_ You don't the half of it -sky
\_ Don't want to, either.
\_ update: emanuel is no longer my arch-nemisis. He asked my gf
back as ba director and blames switching from paxil to another
anti-depresant causing his OCD to flare up. -sky
\_ MDMA has been shown to cause permanent physical changes to
brain matter. (unlike many other drugs out there) Is this
damage? Well, it's not what nature intended, and I would
find it hard to believe that these changes would be for the
better. Simply because the piece didn't cite the evidence
doesn't mean it isn't there.
\_ The evidence is unclear with regards to normal usage
patterns -- the evidence for damage which I've seen used
either large or repeated doses. 60 minutes claimed
there's evidence that suggests permenant (discernable)
differences after a single dose, which contradicts the
studies which i've seen.
In addition, there is significant evidence that using
SRIs (prozac, zoloft, etc) 3-6 hours after dosing
can prevent damage. I've also read one study
\_ Heh, do you use SRIs when you take MDMA? Have
you ever seen people take SRIs after taking
MDMA? What is the optimum time frame vs. dosage
to take to avoid damage? This is all way to
experimental and the consequences too dire for
the average Joe messed up enough to actually
be in the drug scene to be playing with.
\_ I try to take prozac within 6 hours of dropping.
20 milligrams is best for most ppl. It depends
on how much u dropped and how regularly you do
mdma. --sky
\_ I have seen people using SRIs after using
MDMA. I wouldn't (and don't) say that
this makes it *safe* -- but I do believe,
based on the current evidence, that it is
likely to make it safer. Given that the
people I talk with about this are already
using MDMA on a regular basis, I don't
see any harm which can come from suggesting
that they try measures which appear --
based on current scientific evidence --
to be helpful.
The useful timeframe is 3-6 hours after
dosing. In animal studies, this prevents
all toxicity.
So far, there is little evidence of dire
consequences in terms of behavior or other
areas. New studies may change that, though;
I have seen individual case histories
where extremely high doses may have been
related to *serious* problems. I always
tell people not to do high doses.
indicating that only one of the two isomers is the one
responsible for the neurotoxicity -- I don't think
it's easy or cheap to produce just one isomer, but it
might be possible given sufficient economic incentive.
Anyway, these suggest that if MDMA were legal, it
\_ Uh, hello logic? How does this suggest anything
of the sort?
\_ Simple. Chemically it seems that it may be
possible to have the high without
neurotoxicity. If it were legal, I think
there'd be quite an incentive to provide
it in form which wouldn't be neurotoxic.
Right now, there isn't.
might well be possible to make it much less harmful
(beyond the simple measure of making sure it isn't
mixed w/ DXM, etc.).
MDMA may well be harmful even with low and infrequent
doses -- it is certainly possible, and caution is in
order -- but alarmism is no better than blindly
ignoring evidence of danger.
I have some references available, btw -- I believe in
providing information about this, since there are real
dangers which users should be made aware of. I think
that providing false information will make users ignore
the very real dangers. -- kurtz
\_ What false information are you referring to here?
Some studies have shown neurological changes
after a single dose. Perhaps these studies were
flawed, but who knows? The point is that MDMA
\_ Reference, please? I'd like to see the study
which demonstrates long term neurological
changes after a single dose. I can
find you a study which shows no observable
differences whatsoever after a single dose.
\_ OK I'll call your bluff. Can you please
show me that study that shows no observable
differences after a single dose. - tpc
is a neurotoxin and that message is not out there.
People are making irreversible changes to their
brains and they can't know what the consequences
will be. (I believe studies are showing no
recovery in the affected tissue 7 years out
at this point)
\_ What studies are you referring to? That a TV
news magazine airs a soundbyte saying that
"Studies have shown that a single does of
MDMA can cause brain damage" is pretty weak
proof. Show me the study(ies).
\_ A study by George Ricuarte of John Hopkins
found that in lab rats and 2 human subjects
that MDMA can cause long term damage to the
terminals of seratonin-releasing nerves.
Keeping the rats body temps down protected
them from the neurotoxicity. Some ppl think
that in the presence of MDMA, the super oxide
and hydroxy radicals combine with extra
seratonin and when this molecule is neurotoxic
when reabsorbed into the cell. Heat speeds up
this reaction. SRI's are absorbed into the
cells instead of these molecules which is one
explanation why SRIs help prevent nerve
damage. --sky
\_ There was a Navy study that proved
using the Dvorak keyboard users could
see significantly more productivity. - tpc
\_ Hence, the need to see the study. If
you actually read the Dvorak studies,
it's pretty clear that a) they used
flawed methodology, and b) The dude
conducting the study had a vested
interest in it going the way it did.
\_ The message is definitely out there -- the
media always refers ecstacy it as a drug
associated with potentially serious
neurotoxicity. But the way it's being presented
is ineffective -- IMO because it is not a
balanced treatment. (How could it be, given
that it's intended as a scare tactic?)
\_ I don't really care if users ignore the real
dangers. Sometimes dead is better. A state
sponsored cremation and dumping is cheaper for
society than having these wastoids walking around.
\_ there was a man in Germany who was really Austrian
who was trying to do what you were saying.
\_ MDMA is closely related to methamphetamines (chemically
speaking, MDMA can be derived from some methamphetamines,
iirc) -- it causes the release of two of the same
neurotransmitters (dopamine and norepinephrine), so
it will have some of the same effects.
\_ MDMA causes the release of seratonin and
dopamine. The level of dopamine released is
insignificant in comparison to the amount
released by methamphetamine. Meth also causes
an increase in endorphin (adrenalin/
norepinephrine) production, which doesn't occur
with MDMA. Dopamine causes the euphoric feeling
associated with crystal, while endorphin
accounts for the increased level of energy.
--sky
\_ Um, you've got dopamine and endorphins
mixed up (endorphins cause euphoria,
dopamine causes 'energy', ie. it is a
stimulant). I don't know about the
relative amounts, but the papers I've
read suggest they're not insignificant.
Btw -- MDMA does also cause the release of
norepinephrine. But speed doesn't trigger
the release of endorphins -- heroin does.
Some info about amphetamines:
<DEAD>www.pharmcentral.com/stimulants.htm<DEAD>
Some info about norepinephrine & MDMA:
http://www.doitnow.org/pages/360.html
\_ Fuckin' a, man. I just drink beer. It's easier. If somebody tells
me "beer is bad for you", I just say "okay". I don't have to get a
graduate degree in biochemistry to argue with people why beer might
just *possibly* be more or less worse for me if I drink it at a
certain body temperature while using a combination of other drugs.
Like, mellow out, everyone.
\_ "Beer: the cause of, and solution to, all of life's problems."
-- Homer Simpson
Wow. A whole *herd* of emacs users must have been here. |
| 1999/10/4-5 [Health/Dental] UID:16658 Activity:moderate |
10/4 Anyone know a good place in Berkeley, or anywhere close to it, to
get your wisdom teeth yoinked?
\_ Yoink is such a funny word. Haha.
\_ ED! ED! ED is the STANDARD! Wisdom Tooth Yoinker.
\_ Yoink is such a funny word. Haha.
\_ http://im13.curtisfong.org/phorum/list.php3?num=4&
\_ Why don't people ever sign their names when making requests?
Blaine Honda on Hearst is good dentist, should be able to
make good referral. -jor
\_ I had a fantastic and totally pain free yoinking (just going with
the flow here...heh) but since you didn't sign your name, I don't
know where to email his name and # to make sure you got it. |
| 1999/5/10 [Health/Dental] UID:15781 Activity:nil |
5/9 kung fu << tooth gun
The Matrix << eXistenZ
Tom Clancy vs. Tom Stoppard: no contest
^^^^^^^^^^^^ obviously a chick wrote that
\_ or a guy who isn't afraid of having
an opinion?
\_ no comparison between Stoppard and Clancy? they both suck, in
different ways, of course, but there's no denying they're
both horrible
\_ The tooth gun was kinda neat, but eXistenZ is the worst movie
I've ever seen. The insipid plot was definitely no excuse for
the terrible acting. The twists left me on the edge of my seat
only because I was dying to leave the theatre. To rephrase the
movie: DEATH TO EXISTENZ and its director!! -ali
_ your pod is diseased! |
| 1999/3/2-3 [Health/Dental] UID:15516 Activity:high |
3/2 Can anyone recommend a good family practice doctor and/or dentist
in the area? -chrchan
\_ new stuff on top
\_ 1-800-DENTIST
\_ East Bay Family Practice at Summit Hospital.
\_ Just give birth to the baby yourself.
\_ very good experience with Rockridge Dental, although they seem
to do the right thing even if it's not covered by
insurance. DOn't know if they're family. Ask. -appel
\_ I have an awesome dentist but I'm not telling you who because he's
really busy already and I don't want everyone else to know.
\_well, nyeah. |
| 1998/10/1 [Health/Dental, Academia/Berkeley/Classes] UID:14707 Activity:high |
9/28 MCB majors suck, EECS rewls, end of long and pointless motd.
\_ motd forwarded - thanks much!
... maybe you will save some poor souls. -jctwu
\_ So your doctor/dentist is an EECS major, I assume.
\_ I don't have medical problems. Thanks for caring though.
I self-medicate when necessary. |
| 1998/3/2-4 [Health/Dental, Health/Women] UID:13745 Activity:very high |
3/01 This is a serious question, please don't erase it. My mother is about
55, and I would like to get her health insurance and such. I personally
have Aetna Medium PPO, which my company pays at 100%. However, since
my company doesn't pay for my mother (yes, no company would) I would
have to pay out of my personal expense. What is a good health plan for
my mother that is affordable? THANKS!!!
\_ Send the bitch to work.
\_ FHP, BlueShield, Kaiser all have pretty affordable plans. but
at least $300+/month.
\_ funny, I thought the "individual plan" for kaiser topped
out at around $200/month. But you have to be initially
\- getting health insurance for one is going to be pretty expensive
due to adverse selection due to information asymmetry. --psb
\_ This makes absolutely no sense.
\"this doesnt make sense" != "i dont understand you"
\_ That is correct. What PSB said makes perfect
sense and is correct. (However, it is unlikely
to communicate any valuable info to anyone since
the vast majority of people who would/will
understand it already do.)
-PSB fan #1026 (aka crebbs)
\_ Are you saying that insurance for one person is more than if
you have two combined? No shit. You don't have to word it
like a fuckin' lawyer. FUCK YOU PSB. YOU CAN SUCK MY DICK.
\_ Wow. Can Dave suck your dick too?
\_ was not worded like a lawyer....rather an economist
\_'Yer mother' barbs now center around information theory.
Is this bad or good?
physically okay to get in.
\_There are plenty of Asian companies that do in fact treat
parents as dependents in this respect. It's just our morally
bankrupt society that assumes its younger workers will neglect
their aging parents -TEC
\_ There are plenty of Asian companies that do in fact treat female
employees like garbage in all respects. It's just their morally
bankrupt society that assumes its female workers will accept
this form of abuse forever. -anti-TEC
[anti-Asian trash nuked]
\_ There are plenty of Asian companies that do in fact treat
females as total garbage in all respects. It's just their
morally bankrupt society that assumes its females are
worthless subhumans deserving no better treatment.
[go ahead, keep deleting this you hypocrite. I have it on
file and will keep restoring it as long as your pro-asian
bullshit myths are there. If I lie, refute me. Don't be
a pansy coward and just delete it. Find some third world
oppressor state if you want hardcore censorship instead of
debate.]
\_ Watch who you are calling a hypocrite, woman. I am
not the person who was deleting your response. -TEC
Note: although i have never engaged in it, deleting
the MOTD.pub hardly qualifies as *hardcore* censorship
\_ The entire motd was not deleted. Just my comments.
Wiping the whole motd every few days is an act of
kindness to us all. Selectively deleting comments
one disagrees with, whether they are true or not, is
censorship. Hardcore is a subjective term. Although
the scale is small, the repeated selective deletion
is extreme. If this were a newspaper instead of the
motd, most would consider that sort of thought purge
and squelching of public debate to be hardcore. Also,
and squelching of public debate to be hardcore.
\_ And if this were a public monument, instead of the
motd, and your worthy words were carved in granite,
and I removed them by means of powerful acid and
shaped explosive charges, most people would gasp at
my sociopathic vandalism. I'm not disagreeing with
your original comments, I'm just saying that I find
it consistently amazing how people will foam at the
mouth and use strange overreaching analogies when
it comes to an essentially trivial thing like the
motd.
\_ The loss of free expression (especially something
innocuous such as the motd) is a loss to everyone.
Preventing the free flow of ideas through any
medium, no matter how minor, is a breach of all
our rights. Little things count. If you allow
the chipping away at basic freedoms in little
ways, what is to stop the loss at a greater level?
IE: I trust you don't want your newspapers to be
censored, but is it ok to censor a college rag or
\_ There are some people here who want to do that;
they don't think that the Daily Cal should be
entitled to be read unless it agrees with them.
HS newsletter? Where do you draw the line? I
don't feel it's ok to draw such a line and say
some forms of censorship are ok because the target
doesn't reach a great many people.
Also,
I was not assuming that you, TEC, did the deleting.
You should avoid assuming I'm a woman just because I
find the treatment of women in many countries to be
detestable.
\_ oh shut up and go away
\_ I'm stunned into silence by your sharp wit and
over abundant cleverness. You're a Cal student?
\_ oh shut up and go away
- another person
\_ what do you consider "affordable"?
\_ Since your mom is probabaly not a dependant, you should try to
inquire directly to an HMO about signing up. You should also try
to see if your mom belongs to any groups that might offer medical
insurance.
\_ Move to a country that has half a clue about what to charge
for health care. Sure, we have all the latest research and
what not here, but that means absolute shit when you consider
that bureaucracy and greed appears to drive the health care
"industry." |
| 1997/3/24 [Health/Dental] UID:32100 Activity:nil |
3/21 Can anyone recommend a good family practice doctor and/or dentist
in the area? -chrchan
\_ Yeah but you can't have him, he's mine! Mine! Try Tang.
\_ Man, get a life
\_ I'd recommend Dr. Kevorkian, but he's not in the area.
\_ I'd recommend Dr. Moreau.
\_ I'd recommend Dr. Pepper.
\_ I'd recommend Dr. Strangelove.
\_ I'd recommend Dr. Banerjee
\_ I'd recommend Dr. Emil Shouffhousen
\_ I'd recommend Dr. Otto Von Scnitzelgoofkrakengesheitmeyer
\_ I'd recommend Dr. Quinn.
\_ I'd recommend Dr. Doolittle.
\_ I'd recommend Dr. Seuss
\_ I'd recommend Dr. Dre
\_ I'd recommend Dr. Feelgood
\_ I'd recommend Dr. Watson
\_ I'd recommend Dr. J
\_ I'd recommend Dr. Dr., Mr. MD
\_ I'd recommend Dr. Demento
\_ I'd recommend Dr. Detroit
\_ I'd recommend Dr. Who
\_ I'd recommend Dr. Benjamin Franklin (Hawkeye) Pierce
\_ I'd recommend Dr. No
\_ No seriously at Tang, Dr. Ann Weissman M.D. She's way cool.
\_ I'd recommend Dr. Doom
\_ Vote Dr. Doom! You know it makes sense. It's the only choice!
\_ I'd recommend Dr. Benway |
| 1993/5/3 [Health/Dental] UID:31291 Activity:nil |
5/3 A D&D book disappeared from the CSUA office last nite -- a white
hardcover book. If you have it, return it or suffer an excruciatingly
agonizing and painful death, involving blades, YER MOM and a Crest
Complete toothbrush. --mlee |
| 12/25 |