Popeye the Sailor Man helped popularise the idea that large quantities of iron in your diet is a good thing.
While iron is important to make the red blood cells that carry oxygen and serve as catalyst for vital biochemical reactions in your cells, it is NOT of much help for developing biceps bigger than your head.
But the idea of its importance remain, and you can see most processed food are touted to be enriched in minerals (which is what iron is) and vitamins. Have we gone overboard with our enthusiasm for fortified food?
Have a look.
Judging from the video, I'm thinking that maybe a year's worth of breakfast cereal is sufficient to craft a single nail. That amount would kill ya.
Lucky for you, your liver does a fantastic job of getting rid of undesirable stuff in your body (sadly, not the extra 20 lbs obscuring your six pack) and you can do it all without supplements for detox. Yay for physiology evolution!
Iron toxicity is rare; it is usually seen in people who have to undergo high volume blood transfusion because of anaemia. As a deliberate poison of choice, it takes too long to kill the victim, so murderers should stick to something a little bit more fast acting.
However, there have been cases of children who died from iron toxicity courtesy of multivitamin overdose.
Yep, those cute, tasty, colourful, chewy tablets CAN CAUSE DEATH.
After all, children are small and their juvenile livers are incapable of removing excess iron effectively. Makes it easy to build high concentration of iron in their body enough to kill them. Children with their penchant for sweets and crunchy candy often like multivitamins enough to keep badgering you to give them the tablets.
*That* is why those kiddie multivitamin bottles have WARNING LABELS telling you to KEEP THIS BOTTLE OUT OF CHILDREN'S REACH.
You have been warned.
Showing posts with label medicine. Show all posts
Showing posts with label medicine. Show all posts
Monday, April 11, 2016
Monday, February 24, 2014
Oldie is not goldie
It is not uncommon to see sunrise/sunset couples. Yes, the kind where the dude could be mistaken as the dudette's father or even grandfather.
Case in point:
Why don't these sort of partnerships raise brows, unlike:
Is it because partnership has to be about a resource provider hooking up with the best of baby factories? After a certain age, women develop menopause and can happily throw away the birth control pills, intrauterine device, estrogen patches, etc that helps them make sure no unexpected babies pop up (or out)*. For some reason, this leads to a devaluation of women in the eye of society; conveniently forgetting the wisdom that comes with age and the inner sex goddess unleashed by freedom from getting knocked up (also, who discovered the joy of self acceptance, unlike self loathing nymphs in their twenties).
It is okay for older men to hook up with younger women, right? Men remain potent shooters of baby makers till the day they drop dead. Well, guess what?
Just 'cause you can shoot, don't mean you should.
Older fathers are more likely to pass on joyful stuff like sporadic schizophrenia (where you sometimes hear voices and may/may not go manic), osteogenesis imperfecta (where the offspring is so fragile that a strong sneeze could break a bone, kinda like this guy) and autism (it's not all like Rain Man) to their hapless offsprings. This is because the older you are, the greater the likelihood for your testicles to produce error-riddled sperms. Not to mention that fathers transmit 4 times more mutations than mothers.
And no, just because you are over 35 years old, it doesn't mean that your mutant sperm is going to produce X-Men in the next generation. Nature is cool, but it ain't a comic book.
Case in point:
Media troll and vitriolic partner.
Beauty and Daddy.
Why don't these sort of partnerships raise brows, unlike:
They hot together, no?
Both are drool-worthy, regardless of the way you swing.
Is it because partnership has to be about a resource provider hooking up with the best of baby factories? After a certain age, women develop menopause and can happily throw away the birth control pills, intrauterine device, estrogen patches, etc that helps them make sure no unexpected babies pop up (or out)*. For some reason, this leads to a devaluation of women in the eye of society; conveniently forgetting the wisdom that comes with age and the inner sex goddess unleashed by freedom from getting knocked up (also, who discovered the joy of self acceptance, unlike self loathing nymphs in their twenties).
It is okay for older men to hook up with younger women, right? Men remain potent shooters of baby makers till the day they drop dead. Well, guess what?
Just 'cause you can shoot, don't mean you should.
Older fathers are more likely to pass on joyful stuff like sporadic schizophrenia (where you sometimes hear voices and may/may not go manic), osteogenesis imperfecta (where the offspring is so fragile that a strong sneeze could break a bone, kinda like this guy) and autism (it's not all like Rain Man) to their hapless offsprings. This is because the older you are, the greater the likelihood for your testicles to produce error-riddled sperms. Not to mention that fathers transmit 4 times more mutations than mothers.
And no, just because you are over 35 years old, it doesn't mean that your mutant sperm is going to produce X-Men in the next generation. Nature is cool, but it ain't a comic book.
I do have a predilection for this man, er ... Gambit.
Tuesday, January 28, 2014
Hell Hath No Fury
... you know how the chestnut ends. Jealous wives who got violent is a common trope in pop culture.
Lorena Bobbitt made world news when she made her husband's surname into a verb.
But no fear, gentlemen who are unfortunate victims of such assaults, the surgeons in Thailand know what to do in such a situation. These are likely among the sawbones who made Thailand a popular destination for those who wish to switch from basso profundo to mezzo soprano.
You're in good hands.
Lorena Bobbitt made world news when she made her husband's surname into a verb.
But no fear, gentlemen who are unfortunate victims of such assaults, the surgeons in Thailand know what to do in such a situation. These are likely among the sawbones who made Thailand a popular destination for those who wish to switch from basso profundo to mezzo soprano.
You're in good hands.
Monday, June 17, 2013
Your health is in the toilet
I am sure many of you have seen this story before:
When the body was first created, all the parts wanted to be Boss.
The brain said, "I should be Boss because I control all of the body's responses and functions."
The feet said, "We should be Boss since we carry the brain about and get him to where he wants to go."
The hands said, "We should be the Boss because we do all the work and earn all the money."
Finally, the asshole spoke up. "What about me? Why can't I be the boss?"
All the other body parts laughed at the idea of the asshole being the Boss. So, the asshole went on strike, blocked itself up and refused to work.
Within a short time, the eyes became crossed, the hands clenched, the feet twitched, the heart and lungs began to panic, and the brain fevered. Eventually, they all decided that the asshole should be the Boss, so the motion was passed. All the other parts did all the work while the Boss just sat and passed out the shit!
Moral Of The Story: You don't need a brain to be a Boss----any asshole will do.
Stolen from here with edits.
Many people think that bodily functions (and its accompanying sight, sound and scent) are gross and embarrassing. The Japanese took it to another level by inventing a device to disguise the sounds you make in a public loo. Nevertheless, when you have problems with your your plumbing (front or back or both), you know that you will be in for a miserable time.
I had a cousin who was hospitalised (when he was in his late eighties) for problems with urinating. When we came to visit, he grabbed my Dad's shirt and hissed to my Dad, asking Dad to stab him to death; he does not want to live anymore.
I am sure those who have watched The Green Mile remember the tears that flowed down the prison guard's cheek (as played by Tom Hanks) at the fiery burn of peeing with urinary tract infection. Really, not being able to pee is no joke.
What comes in, must come out. So your output could also indicate the state of your health, whether you have an infection or not, or a physiological issue. If you decide to go back today and examine your bodily output to gauge your health, you can refer to the diagram below, courtesy of a pal.
I can't figure out how to make it appear right so please click here for larger version.
May you enjoy a healthy and happy life!
You don't need brains to be a Boss.
When the body was first created, all the parts wanted to be Boss.
The brain said, "I should be Boss because I control all of the body's responses and functions."
The feet said, "We should be Boss since we carry the brain about and get him to where he wants to go."
The hands said, "We should be the Boss because we do all the work and earn all the money."
Finally, the asshole spoke up. "What about me? Why can't I be the boss?"
All the other body parts laughed at the idea of the asshole being the Boss. So, the asshole went on strike, blocked itself up and refused to work.
Within a short time, the eyes became crossed, the hands clenched, the feet twitched, the heart and lungs began to panic, and the brain fevered. Eventually, they all decided that the asshole should be the Boss, so the motion was passed. All the other parts did all the work while the Boss just sat and passed out the shit!
Moral Of The Story: You don't need a brain to be a Boss----any asshole will do.
Stolen from here with edits.
Many people think that bodily functions (and its accompanying sight, sound and scent) are gross and embarrassing. The Japanese took it to another level by inventing a device to disguise the sounds you make in a public loo. Nevertheless, when you have problems with your your plumbing (front or back or both), you know that you will be in for a miserable time.
I had a cousin who was hospitalised (when he was in his late eighties) for problems with urinating. When we came to visit, he grabbed my Dad's shirt and hissed to my Dad, asking Dad to stab him to death; he does not want to live anymore.
I am sure those who have watched The Green Mile remember the tears that flowed down the prison guard's cheek (as played by Tom Hanks) at the fiery burn of peeing with urinary tract infection. Really, not being able to pee is no joke.
What comes in, must come out. So your output could also indicate the state of your health, whether you have an infection or not, or a physiological issue. If you decide to go back today and examine your bodily output to gauge your health, you can refer to the diagram below, courtesy of a pal.
I can't figure out how to make it appear right so please click here for larger version.
May you enjoy a healthy and happy life!
Friday, June 14, 2013
You won't even miss it!
"Today I lost weight. Close to half a kg. Ask me how!"
The last time I posted the above on Facebook I got tonnes of hits within 5 minutes asking me how. It's really very easy.
Just donate blood.
Once upon a time, when people embraced the "humour" theory of human physiology, drawing blood from sick people to make them better was practiced. Nothing like throwing away a bowl of blood from a man suffering from a gunshot wound to make him better, right?
But once we figured out that the red stuff that circulates inside you is kinda vital to your well-being, we tend to want to keep it inside us. After that, some smart guy figured out that those who have lost (from stuff like injury, ulcers, etc) or have not enough blood (anemia) could be saved by giving them the sweet red stuff. The first successful blood transfusion was done in 1818 to save a mother who has lost a lot of blood while giving birth. What's amazing was that this was done before blood typing or cross-matching was even a glimmer of an idea and that the patient did not die of transfusion reaction.
For history of blood transfusion, read here.
Whole blood and blood products (e.g. platelets, clotting factors, plasma) have a plethora of use to keep people alive and healthy. Due to the risks in using and difficulty in managing blood products, doctors do not willynilly prescribe transfusion for sick people. Therefore, for those who require transfusion, it truly is a matter of life and death. However, there are athletes keep stock of their blood and re-transfuse before an important race/match in order to increase their performance. That situation don't count.
I try to make it a point to donate blood every three months or so. It was easier when I worked at the Faculty of Medicine of a teaching hospital, but now that I work farther away, it takes effort. *sigh*
I was alerted by a former colleague-cum-friend who works at the blood bank about the World Blood Donor Day and would I be a darling to come and donate on June 14th? So I moseyed over after lunch with a trio of friends and did the deed.
Lo and behold, to my surprise, there were door gifts!
I know this post isn't as pretty as the ones that Ms. Goh have on her blog, but it was kinda inspired by her.
^___^
Anyway, this is just a PSA to ask you to be lovely and part with some of the lovely red stuff you have running in your veins. You make new ones every day and you won't even miss the amount that is taken. It doesn't hurt (they inject you with a numbing agent first) and it takes only 30 minutes of your time (from registration to drinks and snack). If you live around Klang Valley, you can contact the University of Malaya Medical Centre Blood Bank or consult with the National Blood Centre for their mobile campaigns for those outside of Klang Valley.
Please don't give lame excuses like, "I'm afraid of needles/pains/nurses/whatever" to avoid donating blood if you have an opportunity. There are many reasons why some people are excluded as donors, but seriously, cowardice isn't one of them.
Go out and save three lives! You can be a hero outside of a comic book too!
The last time I posted the above on Facebook I got tonnes of hits within 5 minutes asking me how. It's really very easy.
Just donate blood.
 |
| Stolen from here:http://www.rhireading.com/2012/08/wr-0810-0812-ambitions-donations.html |
Once upon a time, when people embraced the "humour" theory of human physiology, drawing blood from sick people to make them better was practiced. Nothing like throwing away a bowl of blood from a man suffering from a gunshot wound to make him better, right?
But once we figured out that the red stuff that circulates inside you is kinda vital to your well-being, we tend to want to keep it inside us. After that, some smart guy figured out that those who have lost (from stuff like injury, ulcers, etc) or have not enough blood (anemia) could be saved by giving them the sweet red stuff. The first successful blood transfusion was done in 1818 to save a mother who has lost a lot of blood while giving birth. What's amazing was that this was done before blood typing or cross-matching was even a glimmer of an idea and that the patient did not die of transfusion reaction.
For history of blood transfusion, read here.
Whole blood and blood products (e.g. platelets, clotting factors, plasma) have a plethora of use to keep people alive and healthy. Due to the risks in using and difficulty in managing blood products, doctors do not willynilly prescribe transfusion for sick people. Therefore, for those who require transfusion, it truly is a matter of life and death. However, there are athletes keep stock of their blood and re-transfuse before an important race/match in order to increase their performance. That situation don't count.
I try to make it a point to donate blood every three months or so. It was easier when I worked at the Faculty of Medicine of a teaching hospital, but now that I work farther away, it takes effort. *sigh*
I was alerted by a former colleague-cum-friend who works at the blood bank about the World Blood Donor Day and would I be a darling to come and donate on June 14th? So I moseyed over after lunch with a trio of friends and did the deed.
Lo and behold, to my surprise, there were door gifts!
 |
| Goodie bag and contents. |
 |
| Content of small silver box above. |
 |
| Content of the other box. |
I know this post isn't as pretty as the ones that Ms. Goh have on her blog, but it was kinda inspired by her.
^___^
Anyway, this is just a PSA to ask you to be lovely and part with some of the lovely red stuff you have running in your veins. You make new ones every day and you won't even miss the amount that is taken. It doesn't hurt (they inject you with a numbing agent first) and it takes only 30 minutes of your time (from registration to drinks and snack). If you live around Klang Valley, you can contact the University of Malaya Medical Centre Blood Bank or consult with the National Blood Centre for their mobile campaigns for those outside of Klang Valley.
Please don't give lame excuses like, "I'm afraid of needles/pains/nurses/whatever" to avoid donating blood if you have an opportunity. There are many reasons why some people are excluded as donors, but seriously, cowardice isn't one of them.
Go out and save three lives! You can be a hero outside of a comic book too!
Wednesday, January 30, 2013
Slow start to the new year
Holy God!
I just remembered today that January is almost over and my last post here was last year for Christmas. In my defense, I have just started a new job, has a steep learning curve to keep up to (and slipping down the slippery slope every so often) and has been falling asleep before 11 pm on a daily basis.
When is a girl gonna have time to update her blog? Does anyone read me anyway?
But then I recalled that my aim for starting this blog wasn't to impress anyone with my (lack of) mad writing skills. I did it to have a repository of some kind to store items that crossed my way that are:
1. Interesting
2. Funny
3. Made me think
I noticed that my writing has slowed down since I got me a smartphone after mooching phones off of my Dad and Sis for the past unknown years. Yeah, the first time I forked out a tonne (or what felt like it) of money for a toy that's gonna be rendered obsolete in a few months time. But in the mean time, I have been using the Flipboard app to read interesting stuff from the New Yorker, Chicago Tribune, Al-Jazeera, The Atlantic, BBC World, The Atlantic Wire, Forbes Tech News, Futurity.org, Popular Science, NYT Bits and many more.
So now I am inundated with COOL STUFF TO READ. Well, as long as my battery is still alive, that is; my addiction to Word Feud puts a significant dent on my battery. But the drawback to using the smart phone is that the multitude of access to COOL STUFF TO READ has kinda slowed down my writing; I still haven't figured out how to update my blog using the phone. On the other hand, typing is darn slow (*shakes fist at touchscreen keyboard*) and redolent with spelling errors (no, auto correct doesn't always help).
Anyhoo, I am promising myself (hah!) that I shall work harder on writing on this blog (and the others that I have, hehehe) and to post something at least once a week. We'll see how that goes.
Well, inaugural post for the year is of course sharing prurient stories (which are always the best kind) with a scientific bend. The first of which is good news for men who drink green tea and take the little blue pills to keep their soldier upright. A team of Japanese researchers from Kyushu University have found that the healthily arousing cocktail is beneficial to suppress cancer or to promote the effectiveness of chemotherapy on cancer. Of course this exciting experiment has been conducted only on rodents at the moment, but I am sure there won't be a lack for human volunteers.
So far so good, right? Hehehe. Not quite.
Bad news for Internet porn aficionados is next. Apparently, viewing Internet porn has serious effects on your working memory. So if you have been missing appointments, forgetting your significant other's birthday (how could you with Facebook?) and finding it difficult to concentrate on work, take a long, hard look at your Internet porn habits. Granted, the study was only on a small number of men (n=28, all claiming to be straight), but it is highly likely that the same outcome will be seen in females as well as non-heterosexual males AND females.
The Internet has helped democratise pornography. Previously, it can only be obtained furtively from shady stores and if you are from countries that heavily censors the reading and viewing material of its citizens, great pains are involved (aided and abetted by your local friendly DVD pirates). But the cyber revolution has helped everyone with a computer and a modem to access a plethora of erotic materials in various forms and genre. Gone are the days where a flash of flesh is enough to make a sex-obsessed person's (this goes for males and females of all ages, ok? No ageism) day, it seems that vanilla sex is no longer good enough for those who are actually getting some. Porn addiction has been changing expectations of both partners and not for the better. Oh dear. There are more scientific studies out there on this issue and not just a Cosmopolitan survey, but you can Google those up on your own free time.
Perhaps this new year (with the upcoming lunar new year) we should resolve to clean up our Internet habits, should this pertains to us. Ahem.
*whistles and looks innocent*
I just remembered today that January is almost over and my last post here was last year for Christmas. In my defense, I have just started a new job, has a steep learning curve to keep up to (and slipping down the slippery slope every so often) and has been falling asleep before 11 pm on a daily basis.
When is a girl gonna have time to update her blog? Does anyone read me anyway?
But then I recalled that my aim for starting this blog wasn't to impress anyone with my (lack of) mad writing skills. I did it to have a repository of some kind to store items that crossed my way that are:
1. Interesting
2. Funny
3. Made me think
I noticed that my writing has slowed down since I got me a smartphone after mooching phones off of my Dad and Sis for the past unknown years. Yeah, the first time I forked out a tonne (or what felt like it) of money for a toy that's gonna be rendered obsolete in a few months time. But in the mean time, I have been using the Flipboard app to read interesting stuff from the New Yorker, Chicago Tribune, Al-Jazeera, The Atlantic, BBC World, The Atlantic Wire, Forbes Tech News, Futurity.org, Popular Science, NYT Bits and many more.
So now I am inundated with COOL STUFF TO READ. Well, as long as my battery is still alive, that is; my addiction to Word Feud puts a significant dent on my battery. But the drawback to using the smart phone is that the multitude of access to COOL STUFF TO READ has kinda slowed down my writing; I still haven't figured out how to update my blog using the phone. On the other hand, typing is darn slow (*shakes fist at touchscreen keyboard*) and redolent with spelling errors (no, auto correct doesn't always help).
Anyhoo, I am promising myself (hah!) that I shall work harder on writing on this blog (and the others that I have, hehehe) and to post something at least once a week. We'll see how that goes.
Well, inaugural post for the year is of course sharing prurient stories (which are always the best kind) with a scientific bend. The first of which is good news for men who drink green tea and take the little blue pills to keep their soldier upright. A team of Japanese researchers from Kyushu University have found that the healthily arousing cocktail is beneficial to suppress cancer or to promote the effectiveness of chemotherapy on cancer. Of course this exciting experiment has been conducted only on rodents at the moment, but I am sure there won't be a lack for human volunteers.
And other non-Homo sapiens volunteers.
(Stolen from http://morgueradio.blogspot.com/2009/06/lol-cats-and-immortal.html)
(Stolen from http://morgueradio.blogspot.com/2009/06/lol-cats-and-immortal.html)
So far so good, right? Hehehe. Not quite.
Bad news for Internet porn aficionados is next. Apparently, viewing Internet porn has serious effects on your working memory. So if you have been missing appointments, forgetting your significant other's birthday (how could you with Facebook?) and finding it difficult to concentrate on work, take a long, hard look at your Internet porn habits. Granted, the study was only on a small number of men (n=28, all claiming to be straight), but it is highly likely that the same outcome will be seen in females as well as non-heterosexual males AND females.
Spanking the monkey wasn't an experimental parameter in the study.
(Stolen from http://www.inquisitr.com/wp-content/omg-masturbating-lolcat.jpg)
The Internet has helped democratise pornography. Previously, it can only be obtained furtively from shady stores and if you are from countries that heavily censors the reading and viewing material of its citizens, great pains are involved (aided and abetted by your local friendly DVD pirates). But the cyber revolution has helped everyone with a computer and a modem to access a plethora of erotic materials in various forms and genre. Gone are the days where a flash of flesh is enough to make a sex-obsessed person's (this goes for males and females of all ages, ok? No ageism) day, it seems that vanilla sex is no longer good enough for those who are actually getting some. Porn addiction has been changing expectations of both partners and not for the better. Oh dear. There are more scientific studies out there on this issue and not just a Cosmopolitan survey, but you can Google those up on your own free time.
Perhaps this new year (with the upcoming lunar new year) we should resolve to clean up our Internet habits, should this pertains to us. Ahem.
*whistles and looks innocent*
Tuesday, November 6, 2012
Not snake oil science
Oh, Hank ...
You evil, evil man. Why do you rip away my veil of feigned ignorance?
*pouts*
You evil, evil man. Why do you rip away my veil of feigned ignorance?
*pouts*
Thursday, October 18, 2012
Natural gas explosion
I recently wrote a post about surgical fire, an event that could happen often enough that it merits a good few pages on the FDA's website (check 'em out, you don't need to sleep, do ya?). I thought, there goes the once a month (or maybe longer) medical scare I dish out to the lovely people who visits my blog (You love me! You really love me! ♥♥♥!).
But I came across this and just had to share. I mean, colonoscopy (where a tube with a camera attached gets shoved up where the sun don't shine so the doctor can have a good look at the condition of your intestine) has become one of the most widely performed medical procedure, thanks to greater appreciation of how hard it is to survive cancer in your colon if you don't get rid of it. Colonoscopy is also performed when you see blood before flushing your daily load (I ain't talking about the ladies' monthly haemorrhage, aye?), you have problems with your bowel movement (too much, too little, too rare, too often, spurred by the food you love to hate) or you are so anaemic that Edward passed you over for not being nutritious enough.
As much as you enjoy letting a loud one rip in the privacy of your loo, or releasing a silent killer in a crowded elevator, intestinal gas is not something to take lightly when the surgeon is trying to remove a nasty polyp using laser.
Because it could be a blast.
And not in a good way.
But I came across this and just had to share. I mean, colonoscopy (where a tube with a camera attached gets shoved up where the sun don't shine so the doctor can have a good look at the condition of your intestine) has become one of the most widely performed medical procedure, thanks to greater appreciation of how hard it is to survive cancer in your colon if you don't get rid of it. Colonoscopy is also performed when you see blood before flushing your daily load (I ain't talking about the ladies' monthly haemorrhage, aye?), you have problems with your bowel movement (too much, too little, too rare, too often, spurred by the food you love to hate) or you are so anaemic that Edward passed you over for not being nutritious enough.
Edward Cullen: a centenarian who still goes to high school. Cos high school is so *hard*, you know.
As much as you enjoy letting a loud one rip in the privacy of your loo, or releasing a silent killer in a crowded elevator, intestinal gas is not something to take lightly when the surgeon is trying to remove a nasty polyp using laser.
Because it could be a blast.
And not in a good way.
Monday, October 8, 2012
Hearts on fire
You would think that the line above is only something out of a torrid romance novel, right? But what if I tell you that it can happen to you while you are lying helpless and paralysed?
Yup, I'm talking about surgical fire.
What's that you ask me? It's fire that can happen while you are under the knife for something as innocuous as an appendectomy (removal of that little caecum that nobody knows the raison d'etre of which that is inflamed, causing you pain and potentially fatal) or even something as scary as a quadruple bypass. The operation theatre is a ripe fire hazard what with the easy availability of fuel (e.g. surgical drapes, clothes, alcohol-based prep, the patient [yes, that's right. Spontaneous human combustion nightmare much? Hahaha!]), ignition source (you don't need a smoker to light up, just the surgeon happily working with lasers and lights and whatnot) as well as an oxidiser (i.e. oxygen for you to keep breathing while being sedated).
Fire in the surgery may be minor (no one got singed, nothing got damaged) or even catastrophical (someone - usually the patient - has minor to third degree burns). If you want the gory stuff, there's this magical thing called Google. You can look it up!
However, I am not here to be a fear-monger and make you cancel that life-saving surgery you just scheduled. It's just a little educational tip for you to know that there are more risks to medical procedures than overdosing on your painkiller and permanently damaging your kidneys or suffering another heart attack when your insurance company won't cough up for the much needed quadruple bypass.
Surgical fires are preventable. There are training for the medical personnel and information made available to patients. So please ask questions before you go for ANY medical procedures and make sure that your health care providers are able to educate you on the risks
If I gave you another medical phobia, well, too bad.
*insert evil laughter*
Yup, I'm talking about surgical fire.
What's that you ask me? It's fire that can happen while you are under the knife for something as innocuous as an appendectomy (removal of that little caecum that nobody knows the raison d'etre of which that is inflamed, causing you pain and potentially fatal) or even something as scary as a quadruple bypass. The operation theatre is a ripe fire hazard what with the easy availability of fuel (e.g. surgical drapes, clothes, alcohol-based prep, the patient [yes, that's right. Spontaneous human combustion nightmare much? Hahaha!]), ignition source (you don't need a smoker to light up, just the surgeon happily working with lasers and lights and whatnot) as well as an oxidiser (i.e. oxygen for you to keep breathing while being sedated).
Be afraid. Be very afraid.
Fire in the surgery may be minor (no one got singed, nothing got damaged) or even catastrophical (someone - usually the patient - has minor to third degree burns). If you want the gory stuff, there's this magical thing called Google. You can look it up!
However, I am not here to be a fear-monger and make you cancel that life-saving surgery you just scheduled. It's just a little educational tip for you to know that there are more risks to medical procedures than overdosing on your painkiller and permanently damaging your kidneys or suffering another heart attack when your insurance company won't cough up for the much needed quadruple bypass.
Surgical fires are preventable. There are training for the medical personnel and information made available to patients. So please ask questions before you go for ANY medical procedures and make sure that your health care providers are able to educate you on the risks
If I gave you another medical phobia, well, too bad.
*insert evil laughter*
Thursday, September 20, 2012
Assisted enjoyment
Ever wondered why we let our genitals make so much of our decisions for us? Let science show you why.
Men and women don't enjoy themselves the same way sexually. It's basic anatomy and physiology, dummy. As you can see from the scan pictures, touch women in different areas to make her happy, different parts of their brain light up. But men? It's only 1 spot that lights up; not complicated at all.
The brain scan doesn't lie.
For men who are not very perceptive, maybe they need a CT scanner in the bedroom
Stolen from here.
Ladies, show your gentlemen this paper that if they want to keep both of you really healthy, they MUST PAY ATTENTION TO GETTING YOU OFF.
And gentlemen if you want to persuade your significant other for more nookies on a regular basis, show them this paper. Better living through sexual chemistry, it seems.
Wednesday, June 13, 2012
The ties that bind
Pregnancy is a miraculous thing. The human body is designed to expel whatever that is strange or foreign to it; that's the basis of our immune system (yes, our bodies are racist, get over it). But here we have an infestation of an organism (or even more) with half of its genetic material coming from a foreign source, and the woman's body adapts to nourishing and protecting it (except in rare cases).
When the time comes, the foreign organism makes the host's body expel it, with a great deal of labour (ahem) and pain. Et voila! A baby is now born. A helpless, piteously mewling little thing that is completely dependent on the former host (if lucky, and host's partner) for everything from food, water to shelter. And for the most part, the host is supportive and protective.
O_____o
I mean, this organism has made your life difficult for the best part of nine months, takes it's own sweet time to get out with much effort and discomfort on your part, and you welcome it with open arms? Superficially, it doesn't sound logical to grow attached and wanting ferociously to take care of what is, essentially, a parasite on your physiological and material resources.
But you do and that is thanks to the bonding molecule, oxytocin. No, not superglue.
Oxytocin doesn't just make a mother tend to be more nurturing (particularly breastfeeding mum), but it can also be stimulated in others. Visual cues such as a baby's cuteness, is thought to elicit the hypothalamus to produce oxytocin, making us want to coo and cuddle the adorkable little things.
To wit, my current source of oxytocin tsunami.
Escape artist have escaped the swaddling.
Oxytocin has also been implicated in development of trust and relationship-building behaviour. It appears that oxytocin starvation leads to impaired moral conduct. Could we one day modulate antisocial behaviour with judicious application of oxytocin?
Who knows?
But it would be great to find out, don't you think?
When the time comes, the foreign organism makes the host's body expel it, with a great deal of labour (ahem) and pain. Et voila! A baby is now born. A helpless, piteously mewling little thing that is completely dependent on the former host (if lucky, and host's partner) for everything from food, water to shelter. And for the most part, the host is supportive and protective.
O_____o
I mean, this organism has made your life difficult for the best part of nine months, takes it's own sweet time to get out with much effort and discomfort on your part, and you welcome it with open arms? Superficially, it doesn't sound logical to grow attached and wanting ferociously to take care of what is, essentially, a parasite on your physiological and material resources.
But you do and that is thanks to the bonding molecule, oxytocin. No, not superglue.
Oxytocin doesn't just make a mother tend to be more nurturing (particularly breastfeeding mum), but it can also be stimulated in others. Visual cues such as a baby's cuteness, is thought to elicit the hypothalamus to produce oxytocin, making us want to coo and cuddle the adorkable little things.
To wit, my current source of oxytocin tsunami.
Stolen with permission from my cousin.
Escape artist have escaped the swaddling.
Dinner with mummy, post bath.
Tea time with big sister.
Oxytocin has also been implicated in development of trust and relationship-building behaviour. It appears that oxytocin starvation leads to impaired moral conduct. Could we one day modulate antisocial behaviour with judicious application of oxytocin?
Who knows?
But it would be great to find out, don't you think?
Tuesday, May 29, 2012
Scent for trouble
Limburger cheese is now helping to eradicate malaria. But perhaps not the way you would think so.
Let your curiosity guide you to look for answers in unlikely places!
Let your curiosity guide you to look for answers in unlikely places!
Friday, April 20, 2012
You don't have to keep your hands to yourself
This song always makes me smile with its easy honky tonk rhythm, bringing to mind a smoky Western bar with ladies in painted on jeans and big hair and wild make up line dancing to it with men in ten gallon hats. But the deeper message of the song is not that light hearted. Basically it was about a guy who wants a little lovin' without payin', if you catch my drift.
Now, the gents may think that the lady was being a little hard on him, insisting on a wedding ring before engaging in intimacies. But many men don't appreciate that it is always the woman who is left holding the bag, or more likely, the baby. Many denigrate the pro choice team for being "baby killers" but how do you resolve the problem of unwanted pregnancies (whether within a marriage or without)? Women can lose their jobs for getting pregnant. Often they have little to no support to help them either financially, materially or emotionally to have children, even worse for those who have no partner to help shoulder the burden.
I love how this song speaks about the hard choices a woman have to make, often without support because of a mistake or even rape.
For so long the discussion about unwanted pregnancy focuses on women; how they should be more modest, don't tempt men, keep their knees together, and not have sex with men who are not their husbands (like men only have sex with their wives, hah!) and so on and so forth. Because women are the one who will get pregnant, it seems like the onus is only on them to make sure it doesn't happen.
But may I point out, gentlemen, that it takes two to tango?
Why not make it easy on the lady (or ladies, if you fancy yourself a player) in your life and partake on the amazing discovery by Prof. Sujoy K Guha and get yourself RISUG? The procedure doesn't take any longer than your visit to the dentist and you only have to get it once every ten years. Think of how much you can save on condoms! Besides which, condoms do have a failure rate of up to fifteen percent and some men are allergic to latex (you DO NOT WANT rashes on your precious dangly bits or the need to carry EpiPen to ensure the post-coital panting isn't anaphylactic reaction).
So take responsibility for your sexuality, gentlemen and do the right thing! Do it even if your DNA is super amazing and demands propagation! Unless, of course, you wanna be pickin' up the child support cheque. In which case, by all means go forth and multiply.
Note: If you are in the habit of bed hopping, then you need to use condoms (latex or polyurethane) to ensure that the bodily fluids you share ain't gonna carry nasty critters to your partners (or you acquiring said nasty critters). It's kinda awkward having to ring up a bed partner three weeks later to inform her that she may need to pay a visit to the friendly neighbourhood STD physician, you know?
Monday, December 12, 2011
Saturday, December 3, 2011
Hi, my name is Snuze and I am a music addict
Do you have a soundtrack to your life? Does it change with every period?
Mine currently is Pet Shop Boys on a loop *grin*.
I began my love affair with music ever since I started to learn to bop along to Men At Works The Safety Dance when I was six. Music is a major part of my life even though I cannot play a single instrument and am a mediocre singer. If you drive in and around Klang Valley and see a demented woman howling and/or headbanging along to something in her car stereo, there is a possibility that person you were observing was me.
My affection for music crosses genre and language; for me the musical experience is about the harmony of sound and rhythm. Listening to the formerly known as Radio 4 on weekend nights taught me appreciation of opera and classical music (Rimsky-Korsakov anyone?). Klasik Nasional.fm helped me to get in touch with my Nusantara roots: inang, asli, gambus, zapin, ghazal and traditional Javanese music. Keroncong, however, lies together with rap, hip hop and trance music when it comes to my inability to appreciate it.
One of the best birthday presents I ever got was this Sony mp3 player that my sister and brother-in-law got for me a couple of years back. 4 Gb of space makes for a goodly time for auditory bliss. I've changed the original earphones with excellent Phillips earbuds and now I interchange between earbuds, headphones and a speaker (also gifts from sis and B-i-L for last year's day of age celebration). The earbuds are so good that I can listen happily at volume level 1 (maximum is 30) when alone in my room (with no interference from the aircondition or fan).
Because I am a music addict, I am very afraid of losing my hearing due to prolonged use of the earbuds/earphone. The New York Times Magazine had published a lovely (if abbreviated) background to the history of the earphones, its contextual place in the society and a cautionary tale about possible hearing loss due to over-exposure to loud music. The earbuds are particularly dangerous as one tends to crank up the volume to very high levels in public places to block out the external noise. I am often concerned when I sit in the light rail transit and I could hear Lady Gaga from the person seated 3 persons away from me.
If you like to listen to music on the go in loud environments, I would suggest you invest in a good pair of noise-cancelling headphones. However, a really good pair + loud music = you not hearing the mad honking of the driver before you were flattened on the street.
Mine currently is Pet Shop Boys on a loop *grin*.
I began my love affair with music ever since I started to learn to bop along to Men At Works The Safety Dance when I was six. Music is a major part of my life even though I cannot play a single instrument and am a mediocre singer. If you drive in and around Klang Valley and see a demented woman howling and/or headbanging along to something in her car stereo, there is a possibility that person you were observing was me.
I got a feel for the music, 'k?
My affection for music crosses genre and language; for me the musical experience is about the harmony of sound and rhythm. Listening to the formerly known as Radio 4 on weekend nights taught me appreciation of opera and classical music (Rimsky-Korsakov anyone?). Klasik Nasional.fm helped me to get in touch with my Nusantara roots: inang, asli, gambus, zapin, ghazal and traditional Javanese music. Keroncong, however, lies together with rap, hip hop and trance music when it comes to my inability to appreciate it.
One of the best birthday presents I ever got was this Sony mp3 player that my sister and brother-in-law got for me a couple of years back. 4 Gb of space makes for a goodly time for auditory bliss. I've changed the original earphones with excellent Phillips earbuds and now I interchange between earbuds, headphones and a speaker (also gifts from sis and B-i-L for last year's day of age celebration). The earbuds are so good that I can listen happily at volume level 1 (maximum is 30) when alone in my room (with no interference from the aircondition or fan).
Because I am a music addict, I am very afraid of losing my hearing due to prolonged use of the earbuds/earphone. The New York Times Magazine had published a lovely (if abbreviated) background to the history of the earphones, its contextual place in the society and a cautionary tale about possible hearing loss due to over-exposure to loud music. The earbuds are particularly dangerous as one tends to crank up the volume to very high levels in public places to block out the external noise. I am often concerned when I sit in the light rail transit and I could hear Lady Gaga from the person seated 3 persons away from me.
If you like to listen to music on the go in loud environments, I would suggest you invest in a good pair of noise-cancelling headphones. However, a really good pair + loud music = you not hearing the mad honking of the driver before you were flattened on the street.
Wednesday, November 30, 2011
Go forth and multiply!
How big is the biggest family you know? 8 children? 12? 29 kids by way of 4 wives?
How about 150 kids?
No, I am not kidding. A sperm donor in North America has fathered 150 offsprings based on the tracking records by this website. That's right. One man. 150 kids. One donor fathered 70 children and had to keep track of them using a spreadsheet. Genetically speaking, this is unhealthy, not to mention increasing the risk of inadvertent incest from siblings who are unaware that they share the same father. Yeah, yeah, the pro-'cest camp will say that the incest taboo is a social construct, but consanguinuous relationships often produce unhealthy offspring who may suffer from physical and/or mental disabilities.
Sperm donation (intentionally or inadvertently due to cheating) has been around since time immemorial to overcome the problem of the male partner shooting blanks (or is just an annoying git whose genes must NOT reproduce). But never has it hit in such a big way as it does today with fertility clinics and sperm agencies flourishing to fulfill baby-making needs world-wide.
I often wonder what drives a man to donate his sperm. Is it out of altruism to help infertile couples? Is it an ego boost thing to be populating the world with his little babies whom he doesn't have to support? Or is it as simple as because the financial transaction for a few fapping sessions is pretty lucrative? (Apparently you get paid more if you are nice looking and have a college degree, but do recipients really know if the donor looks like Brad Pitt or a troll, particularly for anonymous donation?)
The question of sperm donor motivation has been the focus of several studies. A 1994 study in Scandinavia painted that the majority of the donors are driven by monetary gain. I guess a guy gotta finance his grad school education some way; not everyone could be a singing telegram or strip for Chippendale. Or maybe just an ordinary guy wanting to pay his bills.
Paternity is a word that is both frightening and exciting. If it was something sought by a guy, it is probable the happiest news ever. Unless of course, he's left holding the bag for someone else's seed. Or became an inadvertent daddy like the guy in the video below.
(One of the best romance novels trope, yo.)
Now that we have welcomed the 7th billion person on this planet, should we keep multiplying like bunnies?
*contemplate*
How about 150 kids?
No, I am not kidding. A sperm donor in North America has fathered 150 offsprings based on the tracking records by this website. That's right. One man. 150 kids. One donor fathered 70 children and had to keep track of them using a spreadsheet. Genetically speaking, this is unhealthy, not to mention increasing the risk of inadvertent incest from siblings who are unaware that they share the same father. Yeah, yeah, the pro-'cest camp will say that the incest taboo is a social construct, but consanguinuous relationships often produce unhealthy offspring who may suffer from physical and/or mental disabilities.
Sperm donation (intentionally or inadvertently due to cheating) has been around since time immemorial to overcome the problem of the male partner shooting blanks (or is just an annoying git whose genes must NOT reproduce). But never has it hit in such a big way as it does today with fertility clinics and sperm agencies flourishing to fulfill baby-making needs world-wide.
I often wonder what drives a man to donate his sperm. Is it out of altruism to help infertile couples? Is it an ego boost thing to be populating the world with his little babies whom he doesn't have to support? Or is it as simple as because the financial transaction for a few fapping sessions is pretty lucrative? (Apparently you get paid more if you are nice looking and have a college degree, but do recipients really know if the donor looks like Brad Pitt or a troll, particularly for anonymous donation?)
The question of sperm donor motivation has been the focus of several studies. A 1994 study in Scandinavia painted that the majority of the donors are driven by monetary gain. I guess a guy gotta finance his grad school education some way; not everyone could be a singing telegram or strip for Chippendale. Or maybe just an ordinary guy wanting to pay his bills.
Paternity is a word that is both frightening and exciting. If it was something sought by a guy, it is probable the happiest news ever. Unless of course, he's left holding the bag for someone else's seed. Or became an inadvertent daddy like the guy in the video below.
(One of the best romance novels trope, yo.)
Now that we have welcomed the 7th billion person on this planet, should we keep multiplying like bunnies?
*contemplate*
Thursday, October 27, 2011
Hugh! Hugh! Hugh!
Tonnes of Hugh Laurie and a new-found fear of hospitals coming up once you finish watching this video.
*grin*
*grin*
Saturday, August 6, 2011
Indispensible ...
... is this diagnostic tool to most modern doctors. The CT scan (X-ray computed tomography), or more affectionately referred to as the Cat Scan, became more widely known to the general television watching population, thanks to drama series such as ER, General Hospital and most popularly, House.
I wouldn't be surprised to hear if there are people (hypochondriacs, most likely) who insist on having their aches and pains examined using the Cat Scan in order to rule out major problems. Of course if they know how much it really costs (ask your local friendly hospital services marketing personnel!), they may swallow their indignance and ask if blood tests (some of which may cost nearly as much) are sufficient.
However, in the interest of levity and fun, I invite you to visit the Cat Scan site for more of gems like the following:
I wouldn't be surprised to hear if there are people (hypochondriacs, most likely) who insist on having their aches and pains examined using the Cat Scan in order to rule out major problems. Of course if they know how much it really costs (ask your local friendly hospital services marketing personnel!), they may swallow their indignance and ask if blood tests (some of which may cost nearly as much) are sufficient.
However, in the interest of levity and fun, I invite you to visit the Cat Scan site for more of gems like the following:
People do the darndest things
Gentlemen, when you visit a lady (or gentleman) of the night, kindly ensure that you have sufficient remuneration to compensate them for their time and enthusiasm; lest you end up like this poor soul who had to visit the surgeon for an embarrassing outcome (see page 2, 2nd column at the top).
Christmas candles should NOT be found in ANY bodily cavity, thank you very much.
Christmas candles should NOT be found in ANY bodily cavity, thank you very much.
Tuesday, June 28, 2011
Doc Horror
If this is an animation series, I would watch it religiously. But since it's a computer game ... *shrug*
Also, this is why you should google your surgeon first before going under the knife.
Also, this is why you should google your surgeon first before going under the knife.
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