What game are you really good at?
I'm reasonably good at racquetball (b-level tournaments), volleyball (competitive city/state tourneys), and rapier (yes, real sword combat!)...but oddly enough, I'm a master at one really useless game: air hockey.
I actually found a tournament when I was at UF, I came in second place, with a grueling hour+ final game where my hands (mainly the blisters on my thumbs) gave out. I actually won money and the whole enchilada. I once saw a poster for an "Air Hockey League" in the Denver airport, and if I though it was at all credible, I might have gone for it.
I still play every now and then, but I can't even come close to that "zen" state I would always hit when I was "in the groove". (nothing like having an air hockey table in walking distance from your dorm to let you practice ::grin::)
I pretty much suck at every other game/sport on the planet. But somehow I got the "air hockey" gene. If anyone's ever traveling through/near Albuquerque, NM drop me a line, I'm always up for a game!
What would you attempt to do if you knew you could never fail?
Submitted by BeckyPink.
- Run for political office; not sure that I would want the presidency, but I probably would want something in the executive branch.
- Apply for the astronaut program
- Start a no-kill animal shelter, with a goal of making the entire US "no-kill"
- Start a construction business building earthship based homes.
- Sue Northrop Grumman and the VA
- Start a counseling organization that provided mandatory counseling training and education for all pre-teens.
- Start a company to fix all interoperability issues between all platforms and militaries (aka perfect ID friend/foe)
- Implement a world-wide spay/neuter program for pets
- Start a eco-investment company to buy land, monetize nature's services (not products) and simultaneously use the land for production of solar energy. A 100x100km square for energy production should be enough tip the economies of scale
- Pick up my PhD in Counseling, Human Factors, ComSci
- Start my own space transportation company, concentrating on LEO to GEO & lunar/asteroid mineral extraction, with a goal towards building self-sufficient colonies and ships
- Create a new medical specialty that becomes the "systems engineer" passionate generalist of the medical profession. I know that internists are supposed to do this, but they're not.
- Work on cures for all immune-related conditions (me/cfs, post-polio, MS, lupus, even cancer)
Just finished reading Cameron Roger's first full length book (US edition), The Music of Razors.
UPDATE: Here's a direct link to Adam Kokesh's Blog. Wow. Absolute suspension of the right to free assembly.
Apparently leaving the service isn't enough for this administration to try to apply the UCMJ to you. You see, there's a dirty little secret -- almost everyone leaving the military is forced into the "Inactive Ready Reserve" -- it's not really optional, and it's usually for around 6 years after discharge. Supposedly this is for **extreme** emergencies, along the lines of China or the Soviet Union invading the US. But this administration is using this loophole as retribution for someone speaking out.
Understand that it is a punishable offense for any military person to speak unfavorably about anyone higher in the chain of command. It's usually covered under Article 88-91 of the UCMJ. Mind you, this isn't little stuff -- in its most extreme form, protesting can be considered treason, which can be punishable by death. This is why you don't see anyone on Active Duty saying anything, and its why several Generals have chosen retirement--so they can get their right to freedom of speech back While no one is talking treason, or even a court martial, the reactivation of a honorably discharged Non-Commissioned-Officer (Iraq vet) for the express purpose of applying the UCMJ is *unprecedented* in modern professional military history -- in "free" nations with professional militaries.
Here's the specific articles that he could be court-martialed for:
888. ART. 88. CONTEMPT TOWARD OFFICIALS
Any commissioned officer who uses contemptuous words against the President, the Vice President, Congress, the Secretary of Defense, the Secretary of a military department, the Secretary of Transportation, or the Governor or legislature of any State, Territory, Commonwealth, or possession in which he is on duty or present shall be punished as a court-martial may direct.
889. ART. 89 DISRESPECT TOWARD SUPERIOR COMMISSIONED OFFICER
Any person subject to this chapter who behaves with disrespect toward his superior commissioned officer shall be punished as a court-martial may direct.
..
891. ART. 91. INSUBORDINATE CONDUCT TOWARD WARRANT OFFICER, NONCOMMISSIONED OFFICER, OR PETTY OFFICER
Any warrant officer or enlisted member who--
(1) strikes or assaults a warrant officer, noncommissioned officer, or petty officer, while that officer is in the execution of his office;
(2) willfully disobeys the lawful order of a warrant officer, noncommissioned officer, or petty officer; or
(3) treats with contempt or is disrespectful in language or deportment toward a warrant officer, noncommissioned officer, or petty officer while that officer is in the execution of his office;
shall be punished as a court-martial may direct.
892. ART. 92. FAILURE TO OBEY ORDER OR REGULATION
Any person subject to this chapter who--
(1) violates or fails to obey any lawful general order or regulation;
(2) having knowledge of any other lawful order issued by any member of the armed forces, which it is his duty to obey, fails to obey the order; or
(3) is derelict in the performance of his duties;
shall be punished as a court-martial may direct.
He is being charged as if he were active duty and not honorably discharged from the military. Once this line begins to blur, anyone that's within the IRR window should be afraid should they choose to exercise their right to free speech. (This is akin to fining a former NBA player for speaking badly about the NBA commissioner -- it really just doesn't make any sense!). This is another method to chip away at that "damn piece of paper" and the rights it provides citizens of the US.
I wouldn't have believed that this would be possible a few years back; this is something straight out of a fascism playbook. (Of course, that was before the AF made the mistake with my own orders..that cascaded into the VA taking my house).
What's your favorite flavor of ice cream?
Well, I'll have to change up the question a little -- I don't really like American style ice cream all that much. First off, its really a frozen custard, second off, it has too much milk --- so the taste is all watered down.
When I lived in Europe I fell in love with gelatto & sorbettos. Rich tastes, smaller portions -- so that you became an ice cream DJ mixmaster of sorts -- if you got a medium or large size gelatto, you usually got scoops of 3+ flavors. It was all about what flavors stood on their own and which ones worked well in combination.
Limone (lemon) was a terrific base; the intense lemon flavor simply exploded on your tongue. I almost always had it in my palette/lineup when I had gelatto. When I was experimenting, I would try to find a sorbetto or fruit-based gelatto that had strong or sour tones. But nothing came close to Limone.
Chocolate/Chocolate hazelnut was usually next...providing the "deep" tones -- it was almost like the "heavy brass" section of the gelatto. The taste was always intense -- much closer to the experience of eating rich Belgian chocolate.
The third spot was usually the surprise, the wildcard, and was where I experimented the most. Most of the time I went for pistache (pistachio), stracciatella (vanilla-ish with chocolate flakes), or a mint flavor (my memory fails me as to the specific flavor names). These flavors provided the finishing touches; the coup de grace on my small symphony of flavor.
Back home in the states, I do my best to try and find good gelatti -- in Albuquerque there was an importer for a while, which brought a huge smile to my face.....and about the only true luxury that I afford my tastebuds. Unfortunately, Scotty's Gelatti went the way of the dodo, but I came across a small coffeehouse in Rio Rancho that serves a couple flavors. It's pretty good and very close to the "real" thing and is close to our current residence. I'm just hoping they survive so that every few weeks I can get my "fix". It'll be good enough. :)
What is the one saying that your parents said to you that you absolutely hate?
Submitted by victoriassecret.
I'll have to cheat and say it's a tie between two:
"Control Your Emotions, Be A Man"
and
"Remember, External Locus of Control....You Control Yourself, No One Else Controls You"
(Reposted from The ME Association website with permission )
he decision by researchers on the American CFS Name Change Advisory Board (meeting in Florida on 12 January 2007) to agree that a new name should be adopted for chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS) is obviously very welcome. At the same time they have expressed support for the use of the term ME, as myalgic encephalopathy (as this is 'diagnostically accurate') rather than myalgic encephalomyelitis.
This decision has once again opened up the debate over what is the most appropriate term to use to describe the clinical, examination and pathological features of this illness.
The reason why so many clinicians and researchers now either refuse, or are extremely reluctant to use the term ME – as myalgic encephalomyelitis – is due to the continuing lack of evidence to demonstrate that the principal pathological feature is a widespread inflammatory change taking place within the brain (ie encephalitis) and the spinal cord (ie myelitis). And while there is undoubtedly some evidence of past or present inflammatory changes within the central nervous system taking place in some people with ME/CFS (mainly in research defined CFS cases) this is not the sort of evidence that would confirm a diagnosis of encephalomyelitis to a neurologist.
Evidence of past or present inflammation within the CNS can have a number of explanations and care needs to be taken to avoid drawing conclusions from existing research material (the results of neuroimaging studies in people with research defined CFS in particular) that cannot be justified on scientific grounds. Adopting this approach is also likely to be counter-productive when it comes to challenging medical opinion on the issue of nomenclature.
Consequently, some doctors, including myself, have proposed that the term encephalopathy should replace encephalomyelitis (as the E in ME) on the grounds that encephalopathy is a far more appropriate description of the neurological symptoms, signs and investigative abnormalities that have been described in the literature.
Encephalopathy is also a term that doctors cannot simply dismiss on the grounds that it is pathologically inaccurate in relation to ME (or research defined cases of CFS).
There does, however, continue to be considerable confusion over what an encephalopathy is with some people claiming, quite wrongly, that it is a psychiatric diagnosis rather than a medical diagnosis.
To provide some clarification, the key features of an encephalopathy (all of which are consistent with ME/research defined CFS) are listed below:
1 A significant and sometimes diffuse disorder of the brain that can involve both changes to structure and function.
2 A neurological disorder than can be caused by infections (viral, bacterial, prion), metabolic or mitochondrial dysfunction, exposure to toxins (eg drugs, chemicals, pesticides), lack of oxygen or blood supply to the brain.
3 A disorder that commonly produces serious disturbances in cognitive function - involving memory, concentration etc.
4 Other neurological symptoms that can be found in an encephalopathy include myoclonus (twitching of muscles or muscle groups), nystagmus (involuntary eye movements), tremor, muscle atrophy and weakness, dysequilibrium (and unsteady gait), paraesthesiae (sensory disturbances) , hypothalamic dysfunction, orthostatic intolerance and postural hypotension.
5 More serious neurological symptoms, as described in section 4.2.1.2 of the Chief Medical Officer's report (eg seizures), can also be found in encephalopathies.
6 Mood disturbances can occur.
7 Abnormalities can be found on neuroimaging, spinal fluid examination and electroencephalogra ms - depending on the cause of the encephalopathy.
Examples of well recognised neurological encephalopathies include:
Bovine spongiform encephalopathy ('mad cow disease')
Coxsackie virus encephalopathy
HIV encephalopathy (and AIDS dementia complex)
Hepatitis C encephalopathy
Liver (cirrhotic) encephalopathy
Lyme disease encephalopathy
Mycoplasma encephalopathy
Sarcoid encephalopathy
Wernicke's (thiamine deficiency) encephalopathy
This is an important debate and I am pleased that it is now taking place in America as well as here in the UK.
Dr Charles Shepherd (UK)
[Posted in a personal capacity]
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