Octopus Overlords

Blackhawk wrote: ↑Tue Sep 18, 2018 12:01 pm My house has an attic. The entrance is a push-up roof hatch in my hallway. In the 15+ years I've been here, we've never been up there. There was some discussion of it last night, so today I decided to see if the hatch was blocked. I grabbed a stick and gave the hatch a light push. It opened easily, less than an inch, for less than a second. In that time, a 3/4" brown recluse clambered out and dropped at my feet.

Fuck the attic.

Holy shit.

I would never sleep again.

Now everything is a brown recluse. Old nail hole in the wall, seen out of the corner of my eye? Spider. Ant on my leg? Spider. Knock at the door? Spider.

And I'm not particularly bothered by spiders. Until now.

Are you 100% sure it was a Brown Recluse?

I'm no expert, but I hear there are some common house spiders that are easily mistaken for them.

If it's the real deal, I'd get an exterminator in pronto.

4. Is it really big?

Brown recluses are not huge spiders. If its body length (not including legs) is more than 0.5 inches or about 1.25 cm, it’s definitely not a brown recluse.

We've got big honking orb weavers taking up residence in our backyard and making ridiculous webs. They're very cool, except when they put support strands right in the path of my head.

Holman wrote: ↑Tue Sep 18, 2018 4:19 pm Are you 100% sure it was a Brown Recluse?

I'm no expert, but I hear there are some common house spiders that are easily mistaken for them.

If it's the real deal, I'd get an exterminator in pronto.

4. Is it really big?

Brown recluses are not huge spiders. If its body length (not including legs) is more than 0.5 inches or about 1.25 cm, it’s definitely not a brown recluse.

It is. They're not uncommon around here, and I know what to look for. Leg color, no web, fiddle on the back, it fit within the size range (the 3/4" included the legs, so probably a little under half an inch.) As to exterminators... this house is ~130 years old with an attic full of raccoons and bats and a crawlspace full of who-knows-what, neither of which have likely been entered in decades. It's full of holes to the outside (again, raccoons) and the landlady is very unlikely to repair the entire attic area, as a significant portion of the roof would have to be replaced. They're there because it is the perfect place for them, and that's unlikely to change.

at 91 degrees we did not tie the record high of 92 set in 1955 today. Fuck this shit. Where's my polar vortex and unseasonably cool summer while everyone else suffers? If we go straight from the 90s to a week of rainy 50 degree weather and then right on to snow, then... then... I'm going to be even more impudently annoyed....

ImLawBoy wrote: ↑Tue Sep 18, 2018 4:21 pm We've got big honking orb weavers taking up residence in our backyard and making ridiculous webs. They're very cool, except when they put support strands right in the path of my head.

We used to get them all the time on the porch during the summer. Loved sitting out there with a beer watching them with.

The year? None. And likely related, I got my first ever neighborhood mosquito bite this summer.

Blackhawk wrote: ↑Tue Sep 18, 2018 4:34 pm They're there because it is the perfect place for them, and that's unlikely to change.

I bet fire would change that.

I don't want to buy your stuff badly enough to click on any more *#&^#@ street signs.

Blackhawk wrote: ↑Tue Sep 18, 2018 7:28 pm I don't want to buy your stuff badly enough to click on any more *#&^#@ street signs.

For some reason that one never works for me either.

Wife still plans to get me a Chia Bob Ross for Christmas. But looking on their site look what all I saw....

New in 2018

Deadpool
Fingerlings
Predator
Chia Groot
Chia Bob Ross
Chia Emoji – Tears of Joy
Chia Emoji – Create Your Own
Chia Emoji – Poopy

Coming Soon

Golden Girls
ET
Gremlin
Potted Groot
Rick & Morty
Stranger Things

OMG Coming soon Rick & Morty and Stranger Things. And Hepcat gets The Golden Girls Chias. He will love those. He can soak his Golden Girl Chias.

Freyland wrote: ↑Mon Sep 17, 2018 1:29 pm You know the advantage of a teaching clinic? They like to teach (generally).
You're in a position to spell out the various concerns and the guy the Resident has to report to might be more inclined to take a hand in your case (read: see things my way )

The Nurse Practitioner ran through a quick set of questions, read what the Optometrist had said, and agreed to some blood work to rule out systemic problems without batting an eye or insisting we start over. Now I'm just waiting on the lab to tell me if they've found anything. Never saw the doctor, and I'm sure I'll be charged his hourly rate.

This morning my eye looks almost normal, and there's no pain in movement - but I still get that black dot when I look into the extreme upper-left corner. Maybe the combo of Keflex and Ibuprofen is working? I've only got antibiotics through tomorrow. We'll see if it gets worse again after I'm off them. The Optometrist also wants to stop Ibuprofen at the same time... which will be nice.

That black dot you keep seeing out of the corner of your eye....IS A BROWN RECLUSE!!

Who says this thread is random? It’s ALL connected, my brothers.

GreenGoo wrote:Buttermilk.

You can never know enough about it.

False.

Buttermilk facts quota, met!

Carpet_pissr wrote: ↑Wed Sep 19, 2018 7:39 am

GreenGoo wrote:Buttermilk.

You can never know enough about it.

False.

Buttermilk facts quota, met!

But we haven't even talked about home-grown buttermilk bacterial cultures yet.

Max Peck wrote: ↑Wed Sep 19, 2018 9:03 am

Carpet_pissr wrote: ↑Wed Sep 19, 2018 7:39 am

GreenGoo wrote:Buttermilk.

You can never know enough about it.

False.

Buttermilk facts quota, met!

But we haven't even talked about home-grown buttermilk bacterial cultures yet.

I wonder what would happen if you introduced kefir grains into buttermilk? You may have a super-organism on your hands! The whole world would sour!

It would be miraculous.

Paingod wrote: ↑Wed Sep 19, 2018 7:15 am

Freyland wrote: ↑Mon Sep 17, 2018 1:29 pm You know the advantage of a teaching clinic? They like to teach (generally).
You're in a position to spell out the various concerns and the guy the Resident has to report to might be more inclined to take a hand in your case (read: see things my way )

The Nurse Practitioner ran through a quick set of questions, read what the Optometrist had said, and agreed to some blood work to rule out systemic problems without batting an eye or insisting we start over. Now I'm just waiting on the lab to tell me if they've found anything. Never saw the doctor, and I'm sure I'll be charged his hourly rate.

This morning my eye looks almost normal, and there's no pain in movement - but I still get that black dot when I look into the extreme upper-left corner. Maybe the combo of Keflex and Ibuprofen is working? I've only got antibiotics through tomorrow. We'll see if it gets worse again after I'm off them. The Optometrist also wants to stop Ibuprofen at the same time... which will be nice.

Pleased as punch that you are still seeing improvement. I'll be pestering you for further follow up by Monday at the latest.

I don't think you will get charged the rate for a "Doctor's Visit", as I'm pretty sure from what I have read in my own system that visits from PA's and NP's that don't involve the doc have a lesser charge. And by don't involve, I mean no hands on participation and documentation. Now, if you are talking office co-pay's, then those typically are the same regardless of who you see, outside of a "nurse visit".

I was thinking. Since, prior to just now, you have not been with a PCP for this, who have you been seeing and how did you get hooked in with them? You mentioned "Optometrist" above, but that's a dude/dudette who just figures out glasses basically. Perhaps an Ophthalmologist? Curious, if you know.

Freyland wrote: ↑Wed Sep 19, 2018 9:34 amI was thinking. Since, prior to just now, you have not been with a PCP for this, who have you been seeing and how did you get hooked in with them? You mentioned "Optometrist" above, but that's a dude/dudette who just figures out glasses basically. Perhaps an Ophthalmologist? Curious, if you know.

I got hooked in with an Optometrist because I work for a group of them. They do a little more than just check eyes and prescribe glasses - but not much. Foreign bodies, sometimes. Lots of post-surgical checkups. Retinal scanning for issues. They refer out anything else. I could show you a picture of the back of my retina from Monday.

For the last 8 years(?), I've had insurance but haven't had any real good reason to see a doctor for anything. I've been bitten by a cat, which got infected, and was cured by visiting a walk-in clinic to get antibiotics. I had a bout of digestive upset that left me hurting in a bad way, down there, and after days of it I went to a clinic - only to be told it was very likely viral and I just had to wait. A day later I was fine (if not very sore). So for a decade, I've been pushing money into health insurance and really not doing anything with it.

For the 15 years prior to that, I was uninsured and anytime I had an issue, I went to a specialist in the subject and skipped the hoopla. I paid out of pocket, cash. I had ear issues in my early 20's and saw an ENT a couple times. For a very long time I was bleeding when I did a #2 a few times a month, and after years I plucked up the courage to go to a proctologist who told me I had a fissure. No big deal (that hasn't been a problem in years).

I've was hospitalized once when I was 5, for a severe case of Strep. Apparently I didn't tell anyone I was in pain until I couldn't move my head. Since then, I've never been admitted. I've never broken a bone, but did badly sprain my ankle jumping down over a flight of stairs at school once - my foot caught the last one. I hobbled the few miles home and was taken to a doctor the next day, where I was told I was lucky I didn't give myself a permanent limp. I've had a few occasions to get stitches, but never needed a PCP for that - just the ER.

That's the extent of my medical history. I've never had a reason to get a PCP. I don't feel unhealthy and have always believed I was still young enough that regular oil changes and tune-ups weren't going to do me much good.

Having scooted past 40 now, I probably need to get poked and prodded more as a regular thing.

One of our 4 cats plays fetch, including bringing us the ball when we're doing other things to get us started. I.e. not only will she fetch a ball thrown for her, she initiates the game.

Have you considered a fox (h/t DubiousQuality).

GreenGoo wrote: ↑Wed Sep 19, 2018 11:30 am One of our 4 cats plays fetch, including bringing us the ball when we're doing other things to get us started. I.e. not only will she fetch a ball thrown for her, she initiates the game.

One of our old cats used to do this. Oddly, it was the only time he would have any interaction with us at all. He spent 90% of his time sleeping underneath our bed, and really only came out to eat, poop, and play fetch. Very, very occasionally he would let us pet him, but that typically ended up with him hissing and biting us in short order.

He's the only pet I've ever had that I wasn't sad when he passed. He lived to around 13, and one night started making awful wheezing noises (from under the bed, of course). Mrs. Skinypupy took him to the vet to find out that he was basically having lung failure and we would need to put him down. She asked if I wanted to find a babysitter for the kids so I could come say goodbye, and I said, "Nah, I'm good".

Pyperkub wrote: ↑Wed Sep 19, 2018 3:54 pm Let this be a lesson to you folks: never challenge David Lee Roth to a cocaine duel—you will lose.

It's amazing that anyone survived the late 70s.

Man it took me a while to find that thumbs up ...wish it was part of the first page of emotes lol.

Anyways thumbs up to us and the board. We are a random silly group of annoying asses but we are a sorta kinda family. We can argue a point in one thread and back each other up in another. So heres to us we them me you ....OO.

Thanks Firefox for resetting all my settings to whatever the hell you want. I had every page set to my liking and now I get to do it all over again, not to mention removing my toolbar.

It better not pull that crap on me. I almost switched to Chrome once, and I'll almost do it again.

Kraken wrote: ↑Wed Sep 19, 2018 10:41 pm It better not pull that crap on me. I almost switched to Chrome once, and I'll almost do it again.

Now's not the time you'd be tempted. Chrome apparently got a big 10th anniversary overhaul and the new UI is a good bit offputting at first impression.

wonderpug wrote: ↑Wed Sep 19, 2018 10:59 pm

Kraken wrote: ↑Wed Sep 19, 2018 10:41 pm It better not pull that crap on me. I almost switched to Chrome once, and I'll almost do it again.

Now's not the time you'd be tempted. Chrome apparently got a big 10th anniversary overhaul and the new UI is a good bit offputting at first impression.

Hah. Just after I had finally bent it to my will. I only went back to Firefox because I was uncomfortable with Google learning even more about me than it already knows.

wonderpug wrote: ↑Wed Sep 19, 2018 10:59 pm

Kraken wrote: ↑Wed Sep 19, 2018 10:41 pm It better not pull that crap on me. I almost switched to Chrome once, and I'll almost do it again.

Now's not the time you'd be tempted. Chrome apparently got a big 10th anniversary overhaul and the new UI is a good bit offputting at first impression.

It's like they were afraid I'd cut myself on the edges and took them all away, replacing it with bubble wrap.

Paingod wrote: ↑Thu Sep 20, 2018 6:55 am It's like they were afraid I'd cut myself on the edges and took them all away, replacing it with bubble wrap.

I generally like material design, but I don't like the new Chrome look. Posted on QT3:

You can go back to the old look in chrome://flags, search for layout.

Freyland wrote: ↑Wed Sep 19, 2018 9:34 amI'll be pestering you for further follow up by Monday at the latest.

No new concrete info, but I'll edit this if I get anything new before the end of the workday.

I have an appointment with an Ophthalmologist tomorrow at 2:00, referred by the PCP/Nurse Practitioner. One of the labs is in but I don't know the actual results yet. The person calling to make the appointment tomorrow simply saw a note saying my ESR was elevated - but didn't know how much or even what the acronym meant.

The Googles tell me that this is probably Erythrocyte Sedimentation Rate, and an elevated result doesn't help anything except to say something is wrong and that I'll need more blood work. Could be an infection. Could be arthritis. Could be cancer. Could be a thyroid issue. Could be lupus. Could be a half dozen other things.

Of course, now that I've got 1 antibiotic left in this course, the swelling and pain in my eye is almost imperceptible and/or could be gone completely. Like, I have to really look close to see a difference and it's my face I'm staring at. Thing is, that black dot is still there. Faint, but there. The original doc here (the Optometrist) wants me to lay off the ibuprofen when the antibiotics end so we can see if anything comes back.

So there I am. Looking normal, feeling normal - now going to see the right doctor for the issue.

IGN sucks monkey dick.

one of Shirley Temple's daughters (Lori Black, aka "Lorax") was an early bassist for Melvins. apparently she had a raging heroin habit back in the day

Lets say I wanted to watch a WW2 dogfighting movie that leans to the realer side of the planes. Not something like Pearl Harbor but more Blue Max except in WW2. What would that movie be?

Paingod wrote: ↑Thu Sep 20, 2018 2:48 pm

Freyland wrote: ↑Wed Sep 19, 2018 9:34 amI'll be pestering you for further follow up by Monday at the latest.

No new concrete info, but I'll edit this if I get anything new before the end of the workday.

I have an appointment with an Ophthalmologist tomorrow at 2:00, referred by the PCP/Nurse Practitioner. One of the labs is in but I don't know the actual results yet. The person calling to make the appointment tomorrow simply saw a note saying my ESR was elevated - but didn't know how much or even what the acronym meant.

The Googles tell me that this is probably Erythrocyte Sedimentation Rate, and an elevated result doesn't help anything except to say something is wrong and that I'll need more blood work. Could be an infection. Could be arthritis. Could be cancer. Could be a thyroid issue. Could be lupus. Could be a half dozen other things.

Of course, now that I've got 1 antibiotic left in this course, the swelling and pain in my eye is almost imperceptible and/or could be gone completely. Like, I have to really look close to see a difference and it's my face I'm staring at. Thing is, that black dot is still there. Faint, but there. The original doc here (the Optometrist) wants me to lay off the ibuprofen when the antibiotics end so we can see if anything comes back.

So there I am. Looking normal, feeling normal - now going to see the right doctor for the issue.

Sorry I'm slow to respond to this. You are correct on your assessment of the ESR, although given your whole story infection seems like the most likely cause of the elevated esr. It is difficult for a doc to know if the ESR is still elevated because of an ongoing infection or just hasn't come down completely from a recent infection. Likewise, since this is your first and only result, you can't make a trend.

I'm still very much on the idea that you need a longer course of treatment, and probably should be via an IV. I would also like to see the ESR trend downwards. In any case, as I have said before, if things start going off the rails within a few days of stopping the antibiotics, then you really need more aggressive management.

Daehawk wrote:Lets say I wanted to watch a WW2 dogfighting movie that leans to the realer side of the planes. Not something like Pearl Harbor but more Blue Max except in WW2. What would that movie be?

https://www.houstonpress.com/news/the- ... ou-6748806

Isgrimnur wrote: ↑Sat Sep 22, 2018 1:12 pm

Daehawk wrote:Lets say I wanted to watch a WW2 dogfighting movie that leans to the realer side of the planes. Not something like Pearl Harbor but more Blue Max except in WW2. What would that movie be?

https://www.houstonpress.com/news/the- ... ou-6748806

That has 12 o'clock High as number one. Watched it not that long ago. Took us a bit to get into it then it clicked. Was ok. At least they could make good endings back then. Nothing worse than to watch a movie then the ending suck...like almost all movies these days.

Rewatched Memphis Belle the other day. One of the best movies. But its a bomber crew movie. Of course after watching it I had to spend the entire rest of the day watching videos of the real one being restored and museumed

Im leaning towards Battle of Britain.

I keep seeing articles in Google and MSN news that look interesting. But I have to be careful. If they say "Sponsored" then they're going to be 20+ pages long with one sentence per page about the article.
They've increased the number of these things quite a bit here lately.

In Battle of Britain they didn't use CGI of course so they used, for the German side, the whole Spanish air force who was still using modified WW2 German planes.

I still love watching Rat Patrol and watching them take on German Patton tanks.