Getting the Merry Fucking Christmas Beaten into me

[Lucifer_Carroll]

According to my wife, who is employed there, McDonald's and Wendy's are the only 2 fast food franchises to use Grade A beef. Now THAT may be propaganda, but she's my wife and I believe her.

And In-and-Out is the only to use American beef and to enforce strict cleanliness regulations and prepare meals fresh.

Unfortunately, it's a SoCal phenomenon.

EDITED TO ADD: Of course, usually the response I do when I'm feeling like a burger is to find the friend with the Barbeque, buy a bunch of drinks, and have a get together with some Grade A American dead cow. Good friends, good fun, and good food.

 

[rikaaim]

I just want to say, on the matter of the cancer bit, that I once, and perhaps still do, wanted to be a virologist. I wanted to cure AIDS. Specifcally, HIV. Now, I don't know how the game works. I'm still in school, undecided at the moment (I may go into teaching English), but if I did continue in that field. NO ONE is going to stop me from completing my task. I can't bear to see people suffer, and my cure for a virus can then be used as a blueprint to help cure multitudes of other viruses. It has never been done. I may be the one to do it. Who knows. I only do what God's will is. Sorry to throw that out there, but I have to.

 

[Lucifer_Carroll]

I just want to say, on the matter of the cancer bit, that I once, and perhaps still do, wanted to be a virologist. I wanted to cure AIDS. Specifcally, HIV. Now, I don't know how the game works. I'm still in school, undecided at the moment (I may go into teaching English), but if I did continue in that field. NO ONE is going to stop me from completing my task. I can't bear to see people suffer, and my cure for a virus can then be used as a blueprint to help cure multitudes of other viruses. It has never been done. I may be the one to do it. Who knows. I only do what God's will is. Sorry to throw that out there, but I have to.

Virology is a beautiful field (did I just say what I think I said? Oh well). It probably would have been a close second behind the bacteriology and microbiology that I'm using in mitochondrial research.

Viruses are tricky buggers and I wonder at the likelihood of us truly finding a cure for them as they are essentially protein packs of DNA, but hopefully a stronger and more efficient immune system will be able to tangentally reduce them as well.

Your budding megalomania aside (hey, we mad scientists usually develop that after the sinister laugh (which I strive to perfect)), I wish you good luck in an utterly fascinating and intriguing field (slightly less scary way of putting it).

 

[rikaaim]

Virology is a beautiful field (did I just say what I think I said? Oh well). It probably would have been a close second behind the bacteriology and microbiology that I'm using in mitochondrial research.

Viruses are tricky buggers and I wonder at the likelihood of us truly finding a cure for them as they are essentially protein packs of DNA, but hopefully a stronger and more efficient immune system will be able to tangentally reduce them as well.

Your budding megalomania aside (hey, we mad scientists usually develop that after the sinister laugh (which I strive to perfect)), I wish you good luck in an utterly fascinating and intriguing field (slightly less scary way of putting it).

Yeah I know the risks. Makes teaching English in high school with gun toting kids seem tame. Sometimes. I think I could do it, if I want to. I can do anything I want to, I won't relent until I do what I set out to do, but I just don't know if that's what I want to do. I want to write, but Lit seems to be fufilling that need.

 

[Guest]

Yes indeed. Same reason those bastard candle manufacturers prevented the development of the lightbulb, and the carriage-makers' consortium put the automobile pioneers out of business.

Sorry, can't buy that one remotely. Even setting the human angle aside - and I find it very hard to believe that *everyone* involved in the process could be so totally morally bankrupt, especially as some would certainly have relatives suffering from cancer - whoever wins that race will win quantities of money that will make government grants look rather silly. Tempting though it is to blame such problems on a vast corporate conspiracy, it seems more likely that it's just damned hard to find a solution to the problem of your own cells going haywire and attacking you.

Oh yes. Other than exercising regularly, minimizing your intake of red meat, and eating a diet rich in fruits and vegetables, all of which have been proven to substantially reduce cancer risk. And for free. Unless, of course, it's propaganda on the part of the agricultural multinationals.

Shanglan

Well, ouch.

Undertaking a healthier lifestyle makes wonderful sense for everyone and of course it lessens the odds. (And it sounds really good on paper.) But it doesn't mean dick when cancer attacks anyway.

If it brings comfort to my mom to feel that way, it makes no difference to me. She's looking for a direction for her anger (she hates the doctors, mine is more focused upwards - LOL).

But I did spend some agonizing time within the hallowed walls of research hospitals last year. It can change your perspective a bit. (At least it changed mine.)

 

[BlackShanglan]

Well, ouch.

Undertaking a healthier lifestyle makes wonderful sense for everyone and of course it lessens the odds. (And it sounds really good on paper.) But it doesn't mean dick when cancer attacks anyway.

Agreed. Very little makes sense once a malignant tumor makes its presence known, alas.

If it brings comfort to my mom to feel that way, it makes no difference to me. She's looking for a direction for her anger (she hates the doctors, mine is more focused upwards - LOL).

Certainly I don't blame her for her anger, and I'm sorry if I was ungentle. I just felt that her anger was not well directed. Of course one doesn't expect perfect, calm rationality from someone in a wretched position, but I worry when conspiracy theories might detract people from more vital issues like lifestyle changes that are of substantial benefit.

But I did spend some agonizing time within the hallowed walls of research hospitals last year. It can change your perspective a bit. (At least it changed mine.)

Agreed as well. I didn't wish to imply that such people are angelic beings without the same base desires as the rest of us. And indeed, we have ample evidence that large corporations do frequently attempt to screw the common man ruthlessly. I think my position is part optimism that someone would talk on something as big as this, part pragmatism with the view that money would be on the side of revealing a cure, and part skepticism that a cure is really all that possible. I think I tend to agree with Luc in thinking that a simple solution may very well not be there. It's hard to kill something that looks and acts a lot like you yourself.

But one more, I do sincerely apologize if my words were hurtful. That was not my intention.

Shanglan

 

[Guest]

But one more, I do sincerely apologize if my words were hurtful. That was not my intention.

Shanglan

I know it wasn't, and this is really my fault. I'm kicking myself for even posting on this thread in the first place. I'm just too close to the issue to be rational.

 

[BlackShanglan]

I know it wasn't, and this is really my fault. I'm kicking myself for even posting on this thread in the first place. I'm just too close to the issue to be rational.

*nuzzle*

I am sorry to hear of its close personal connection to you. I wish all strength and aid to you and to your mother. As for the thread - don't kick yourself. When we're upset, we need our friends to understand. I am sorry that I did not at first, but I hope that you will believe me when I say that I now do.

Shanglan

 

[Belegon]

By Friday hopefully I'll regain the goodly "Joy to the World" and all that fucking jazz mindset, but right now I'm blasting Judas Priest at 11 to keep myself from either creating a new doorway in the wall with my fists or curling up into a fetal position in the corner.

I think it is about time I bought you a fucking drink, oh satanic one. just so we can toast the fact that there are still some good people out there...

 

[BlackShanglan]

Re: Re: Getting the Merry Fucking Christmas Beaten into me

I think it is about time I bought you a fucking drink, oh satanic one. just so we can toast the fact that there are still some good people out there...

Agreed. Drinks on me for anyone who's put up with me the past year.

Double drinks for you, Belegon. I figure if I pour a few extra down you, I may yet be able to stuff you into Carson's Christmas stocking

Shanglan

 

[Belegon]

Re: Re: Re: Getting the Merry Fucking Christmas Beaten into me

Agreed. Drinks on me for anyone who's put up with me the past year.

Double drinks for you, Belegon. I figure if I pour a few extra down you, I may yet be able to stuff you into Carson's Christmas stocking

Shanglan

damn, I haven't laughed that hard in a while...thank you.

 

[Kassiana]

My mom's been a vegetarian for 25 years and exercises regularly. She weighs less than I do. She got breast cancer a few years ago.

In her case, however, she believes it may have been environmental factors. When our government was doing radiation experiments on us and not telling us, back in the late '50's and '60's, her family moved to one of the counties with the highest radiation fallouts. Her sister also got thyroid cancer. Could just be coincidence or bad luck, I suppose, but it makes a lot of (scary) sense to me.

 

[Huckleman2000]

... When our government was doing radiation experiments on us and not telling us, back in the late '50's and '60's, her family moved to one of the counties with the highest radiation fallouts. Her sister also got thyroid cancer. Could just be coincidence or bad luck, I suppose, but it makes a lot of (scary) sense to me.

Ugh. My oldest sister had bad acne problems when she was a teenager in the late 60s, and the dermatologist (or whatever) gave her regular radiation treatments. When I was 9-10, my family lived in Nigeria, and our houseboy would regularly spritz DDT all about the house to kill the various disease-carrying bugs.

I suspect that, if you're over 40 (maybe 45...), you've had some nasty contacts with carcinogens of one sort or another. Cigarettes included. Under 40, hopefully the damage amounts to an older relative with a recipe for "Crimson Cake".

Regarding the drug/disease industry, don't get me started! Promising "natural" treatments get no research funding, because you can't patent a plant. Thus, no return on the research investment.

And Luc - and anyone else - try to be charitable to your family relations, as difficult as it is. I realize, sometimes it's just impossible; but "family" is a word for describing those people that we feel mutual obligation with, despite knowing our (and their) worst secrets and behavior. It's irrational, unwarranted, and leaves scars; but it's the one social grouping that has proved strongest throughout history.

When I think of holiday family visits, I try to remember the movie "A Lion in Winter". Realize, visiting the family over the holidays has ever been the source of drama, cruelty, rebirth, pathos, and probate. Not necessarily in that order .