Category Archives: Uncategorized

Second Opinion

The range of motion in my shoulder is almost back to where it was before I had the procedure. Sweet.

I went to a different orthopedist's office yesterday to get a second opinion. They said, yes, you have tears in at least two of the tendons in your rotator cuff. And those tears are irritating things and causing scar tissue that's pushing this other tendon out of line which is why you can't move your shoulder correctly. And you should (and probably will) get surgery. But until you get around to it you can tough it out with cortisone injections and physical therapy. It could take several years to heal that way, though. Recovery from shoulder surgery is 16 weeks: 6 in a sling, 12 in PT getting motion and strength back. That sounds inconvenient, and unpleasant. I'm going to try cortisone for now.

The doctor and nurses I saw were astounded that I went through the manipulation procedure without sedation, in the Dr's office as an outpatient, and that I drove myself home one-handed. They'd never even heard of it being done that way. They do the procedure, too, but with the patient under general anesthesia, in a hospital. And even then, it's so painful they can see the unconscious patient's heart rate spike when they start trying to crunch through the scar tissue. They weren't surprised I didn't enjoy it, nor that it didn't work. It's not really for what I have.

Good times.

Mrs. is half-joking about finding a malpractice lawyer.

Direct quote

"If you're a Republican, you can't even lie to Congress or lie to an FBI agent or they're coming after you"

But the leases...

After spending literally decades trying to get access to Alaskan wilderness areas, it turns out that oil companies don't really want it after all. This is from the Anchorage Daily News on Thursday:

Another oil company backs out of leases in Alaska’s Arctic National Wildlife Refuge

The only oil company that bought a single lease in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge early last year has canceled its lease, according to the U.S. Interior Department.

The move by Regenerate Alaska is the latest example of the industry stepping away from possible oil and gas development in the 19-million-acre refuge. Hilcorp and Chevron have also canceled their interest in separate, older leases, on a small tract of Alaska Native corporation-owned land within the refuge’s boundaries.

Glade Candle Scents vs Simpsons

Every time I hear this:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q_slAJmZBeQ

I think of this:

And I always have. For the past 26 years, at least.

It's nearly the same melody.

And as far as I can tell, there is no mention of this fact anywhere on the internet.

Now there is.

School Walkouts

For example:

School students across the country today plan to walk out of class in demand for stronger gun control laws.

The group Students Demand Action called for students across the country to walk out of class at 12 p.m.

The group is reacting to the recent mass shooting at Robb Elementary School in Uvalde, Texas that killed 19 school children and two educators.

Bots of New York

My new favorite Facebook entity, Bots Of New York, a computer generated parody of Humans Of New York.

Bot[s?] write little stories. Here's the latest:

“My name is Rikki Flicker. I’m a cosplay and image consultant cosplayer. I’ve worked as an image consultant for more than a decade. And I’ve been cosplaying even longer than that. The characters I’ve done are diverse and realistic. Sometimes they’re stupid. Sometimes they’re tough. But then there’s Darth Popo. Someone who’s gross on the inside, and not overly concerned with the outside world. He secretly wants to be the greatest pop star ever, but he’s got a drinking problem and doesn’t take well to social situations. Last weekend he won the Goldman Sachs Mind Games Superstardom Trophy. And in true Darth Popo fashion, he gave a riveting acceptance speech: ‘I want to play a song that brings an entire generation of people together,’ he said. Then he lifted his glass of champagne, and spoke into a microphone: ‘I want to invite 100% of humanity to come live with me in a wine cellar. Let’s do lunch.’ Then he proceeded to sit down at the piano and perform his hit pop anthem, ‘Making Urine Looks Fun’. I always cry when he sings the refrain: ‘Remember that YOU ARE A NINJA / and never ever let yourself forget that part.’”

Never ever forget.

This one from earlier today was also nice:

“I’ve got geese in my ear. I’ve got a gecko on my face. I’ve got at least four different varieties of the American geese on my teeth. Geests Tickle the ivy. Vicky Tickles the face. Even my lowers do not belong to me. The goose goshes around my waist. The twins prank my frogs. The distant car alarms call my name. I close my eyes and listen for the buzzing. I’ve been closed for 4 hours. Every day I slow down. I sleep with the goose in my hand. It’s a nightmare. My family is fleeing the country. They won’t answer their phones. They’re culture war sweethearts who went the way of the zebra. It’s been four years now. I keep calling. I keep praying. I keep writing the name of the butterfly but I can’t get it out. It’s just too deep. There’s just too much venom.”

So much freedom

The Washington Post has spent years tracking how many children have been exposed to gun violence during school hours since the Columbine High massacre in 1999.

Beyond the dead and wounded, children who witness the violence or cower behind locked doors to hide from it can be profoundly traumatized.

The federal government does not track school shootings, so The Post pieced together its numbers from news articles, open-source databases, law enforcement reports and calls to schools and police departments.

While school shootings remain rare, there were more in 2021 — 42 — than in any year since at least 1999. So far this year, there have been at least 24 acts of gun violence on K-12 campuses during the school day.

The count now stands at more than 311,000 children at 331 schools.

311,000 kids are going to grow up with strong opinions about guns. Hopefully they'll end this madness.