Boy, I had to wiki Nephrite. Good thing I did--I found out there's something called "chicken bone jade."
He was my great great grandfather. They said ol' chicken bone could rip a fowl in half and play it spoon man style until everyone within earshot was up and dancing. Sadly, one day the chicken he chose was a rabid wolverine with PMS and a steroid addiction and... well... it's said that you can still hear the ghost of that legendary varmint clack clacking away in the whiskey breeze hills at night on the yellow ribs of ol' chicken bone Jade.
Yeah, in the immortal words of Milk and Cheese: "Beat up hippies! They don't fight back . . . the Fools!!"
Been there, did that, don't want to do it again.
Ok, I've got a rant.
When exactly did peanuts become the most deadly poison known to man?
My son's school has recently become a nut free zonem due to potential allergies. The big impact on his life is that he has a PB&J every day for lunch and now we have to find something new for him to eat. Not a big deal, but I want to know when peanuts became so deadly.
Seriously, did the early generations of people allergic to peanuts die off at a young age due to exposure? For the life of me, I can't remember one single kid every dying when I was younger due to these allergies. You would think that I would've been exposed to someone somewhere at some point in my life that was sufficiently allergic to peanuts that their life was threatened by mere proximity to the substance.
Peanut related deaths have been skyrocketing among grade schoolers and the faculty in the last decade; almost exactly as Spirograph saw a decline.
I should know, I used to be on the Peanut Emergency Response Team (PERT), a subdivision of Hazmat, up here on the East Coast. I saw some horrible things, man. The kind of things that would keep you up at night, just wondering at the sheer madness of what we call "reality". Entire classrooms choked with tummy-ached, swollen children. We had to bust the door down with an axe just to get to the poor little troopers.
Triage is always the first concern in these kinds of situations and the most heartbreaking part of my old job. One must treat the worst cases first, letting those with minor symptoms suffer. I can't recall just how many times I was called a "doodyhead" by the children I had to turn my back on. It still hurts. All this time, you would think I had developed a thick skin to that kind of verbal abuse, but it hurts.
Every time.
Psych casualties were the biggest killer in our ranks. Sometimes, we would be in a grade school, responding to a call: some PB&J sandwich found in a cubby, in a nondescript Pokemon lunchpail. I didn't even want to imagine what was in the thermos. Anyways, Sanchez is handling it with his gloves: we had evacuated the kids and sent them to the eye wash station. Then, Sanchez, he gets this grin on his face. Like a kid on Christmas. He opened the lunchpail, right there in front of me. I hurried to get my gasmask on, screaming at him the whole time.
"It's not worth your life, Sanchez! It's not worth mine!"
But he wouldn't listen.
It took him three bites before the peanut shock hit him. He lay on the floor, PB&J (white bread, no crusts) still in his hands. His face was puffy, his breathing shallow. I'm ashamed of how I handled it. I ran out of the classroom, leaving the door wide open. Major no-no in this situation: I got a time-out for that. I got sick in the little boys' room, that spasming face still etched indelibly in my mind. It took two hall monitors and a third PERT member to get me out of there.
After that incident, I just wasn't any good to the company anymore. Couldn't sleep, barely ate. Everything tasted like peanuts to me then, I would have phantom symptoms, even after a Flintstones push-pop or something. The Captain finally just told me to retire from active duty. I was a strain on the force. It was tough finding another job, but I did. The only thing I'm good for anymore.
Biting the heads off chickens at the Coney Island freak show.
Allergies to peanuts can be so powerful and strike so fast that if an allergic person eats a peanut it could mean almost instant death by anaphylactic shock. Cases of peanut allergies have doubled over the past 10 years. Reduced crop seed variety only ever increases allergies and much of the world's food is coming from the same seed supply.
I think they're also carcinogenic.
Mr. Peanut is the devil.
Don't worry, there will be no jokes involving the word a-salted.
Maybe it's like how quite a few east asians react very strongly to alcohol. They have a gene which makes them sensitive to it.
Peanuts are native to South America (thank you wikipedia) and caucasians and africans, two of the biggest groups in the US, aren't. Maybe the incidences have also grown because not many people ate them in the past but now every second thing you eat "contains traces of peanuts" because of the machinery they use to process food.
Just a few thoughts. I'm no peanut-related-death expert by any stretch of the imagination.
Bella Sara Charter Superscriber
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Allergies to peanuts can be so powerful and strike so fast that if an allergic person eats a peanut it could mean almost instant death by anaphylactic shock. Cases of peanut allergies have doubled over the past 10 years. Reduced crop seed variety only ever increases allergies and much of the world's food is coming from the same seed supply.
THANK YOU! That's at least part of an answer as to why this wasn't a problem when I was a kid. It's been driving me crazy that this peanut thing has become such a big deal.
THANK YOU! That's at least part of an answer as to why this wasn't a problem when I was a kid. It's been driving me crazy that this peanut thing has become such a big deal.Allergies to peanuts can be so powerful and strike so fast that if an allergic person eats a peanut it could mean almost instant death by anaphylactic shock. Cases of peanut allergies have doubled over the past 10 years. Reduced crop seed variety only ever increases allergies and much of the world's food is coming from the same seed supply.
Don't really get it, are the peanuts in Europe from another strain/seed line? I have never heard of someone dying from a peanut allergy.....
Sometimes I think this rise in allergy's is just nature's way to kill us off to a more manageable level......
Sometimes I think this rise in allergy's is just nature's way to kill us off to a more manageable level......
I smell an adventure path coming on....
A mad druid has started mutating the seeds that the people of the land use and now many are allergic to basic foodstuffs. Only you, a brave band of noble adventurers can find the druid's lair and recover the secret of how to undo the curse. Can you find the cure before people starve?
But I see the mad druid's point: 6 billion is way too much.
So I am going the CN route, clearly I am chosen, no allergies thus I am free of the curse and part of the druids masterplan.
Don't really get it, are the peanuts in Europe from another strain/seed line? I have never heard of someone dying from a peanut allergy.....
Sometimes I think this rise in allergy's is just nature's way to kill us off to a more manageable level......
Darkjoy, I don't think it's nature keeping our population in line. The only thing that could do that would be a visting meteor the size of Zanzibar. I sent an invitation but there has been no reply. Space rocks that big can be so rude.
If you say you'd like to grow corn, you have a few seed varieties to choose from and beyond that you can't legally call your crop corn. Global seed crops have become a monopoly and, aside from hurting farmers by limiting variety, it is most definitely hurting us because having a few different types of corn is what keeps us from developing a sensitivity or allergy to a single strain. Any one thing you eat too much can carry this risk.
There is far too much information on this subject for me to be able to condense it into a few noble paragraphs before I'm out for the day but I'd just ask that any of you with interest in this rattling subject search it out. Some information is going to be presented academically, and some of it is going to be echoed with great fear on conspiracy sites, but the foreboding truth of it all is a matter of record that needs no hyperbole to be deeply unsettling.
Monsanto is a player in all of this. Percy Shmeiser vs. Monsanto is worth checking out, but doesn't fully describe what's been happening around the world.
One one level, this new problem with peanuts is that they're not still the same peanuts we ate as children. Some are GMO and variety itself has been denied us with those that aren't.
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Bella Sara Charter Superscriber
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Peanut related deaths have been skyrocketing among grade schoolers and the faculty in the last decade; almost exactly as Spirograph saw a decline.
That touched me, man. Really touched me. *sob* Thanks for sharing. You're an American hero James.
(that was awsome. I couldn't see that post last night for some reason, and I was wondering what you'd written. Well played.)
Director of Narrative
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.....who lets their mangy mutt leave 'teddy bear legs' outside our gate......
Holy s$+!!! "teddy bear legs" funniest thing I've heard in a while!
There's this lady down a few suites in our building that lets her dog crap out in the parking lot and doesn't pick it up. At least that is easy to see, but it still ain't right.
I am allergic to peanuts.
It's pretty bad too. When I was younger I could never eat a peanut (licking included) without barfing and swelling up like that violet girl from Willie Wonka, it was bad. My parents eventually took me to the doctor and discovered that on a scale of 0-6000, I was a 5800. It sucked. If I ate any more than an entire peanut I was risking a very ghastly and excruciating death.
Well, this lead to an extra cautious attitude toward whatever I ate. Brownies, muffins, donuts, asian food, babies, everything was now a suspect. I once ate a california roll that had touched some peanut oil and I ran outside and threw up all over the side walk in downtown Santa Barbara.
I blame my parents.
yeah, that is pretty bad; especially for a kid; my cousin is allergic to peanuts and chocolate.
me, am allergic to melons; seems every fruit dish or side dish of fruit at a restraunt is made with flippin melons; some days you just cant swing a dead cat without hitting cantelop or a honeydew and sheesh what BBQ party doesn't have somebody trying to get me to have some of this cold delicious watermelon of death. Food for some; poison to me. Having any allergy just totally sucks, but food allergies are the worst in my book. One or two big metephorical punches in the nose to whomever let this crap happen to our genetic makeup.
lol; somebody is foolin wit de posts. me thinks we er infected with leperachans so is gonna turn me close inside out n wear em in defense.
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Durned smurfin' boards! My avatar has been changed to that of Handy smurf on another thread! Wouldn't be so bad as I always wanted to get at some sweet little Smurfette lovin', but they went and made Heathy's avatar into Smurfette which is just gross!!! Smurfin' smurfs and their smurfy ilk should be smurfed until the fields run blue with smurf blood!!!
FH
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Bella Sara Charter Superscriber
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Hmmmmm
Wonderin whatta happans when you tipe incoherently or quoteth someother person in da smurfish.
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It took him thwee bites befowe de peanut shock hit him. He way on de floow, PB&J (white bwead, no cwusts) stiwl in his hands. His face was puffy, his bweathing shawlow. I'm ashamed of how I handwed it, oooooh that wascally wabbit! I wan out of de classwoom, weaving de doow wide open, uh hahahahaha. Majow no-no in dis situation: I got a time-out fow dat. I got sick in de wittle boys' woom, dat spasming face stiwl etched indewibly in my mind. It took two hawl monitows and a thiwd PEWT membew to get me out of thewe.
He he he he he!
Okay, this is kind of dating related, but it is a general irritation. I understand that everyone is very busy, myself included. Things can be pretty hectic trying to finish school, trying to make a living and trying to find some balance between obligations and time for oneself. But if someone takes the time to write me a letter, call me on the phone, send an email, a text message, a telegram, a smoke signal, a carrier pidgeon or a telepathic call from the intelligent dolphins that was meant for Aquaman, I feel responsible for getting back to them. It rarely bothers me to take the two minutes to respond to any kind of inquiry from someone else.
But every time I try to talk to someone or try to do something I just get the implied, silent middle finger of apathy. I don't expect to receive a four page letter to every message I leave, but I can't even get a simple response. All I can say to that kind of treatment is, "Smalls, you're killing me."
Okay, this is kind of dating related, but it is a general irritation. I understand that everyone is very busy, myself included. Things can be pretty hectic trying to finish school, trying to make a living and trying to find some balance between obligations and time for oneself. But if someone takes the time to write me a letter, call me on the phone, send an email, a text message, a telegram, a smoke signal, a carrier pidgeon or a telepathic call from the intelligent dolphins that was meant for Aquaman, I feel responsible for getting back to them. It rarely bothers me to take the two minutes to respond to any kind of inquiry from someone else.
But every time I try to talk to someone or try to do something I just get the implied, silent middle finger of apathy. I don't expect to receive a four page letter to every message I leave, but I can't even get a simple response. All I can say to that kind of treatment is, "Smalls, you're killing me."
I hear you there, only it's not dating, but still in family. I leave messages for my brother all the time, things that a simple "yes" or "no" in a variety of formats (e-mai, IM, phone call, etc.) would sufficiently handle. But NOOOO, can't be bothered to take the 30 seconds it would take to reply unless I happen to be in direct conversation with him at the moment, which is rare.
Wow everyone seems pretty content. No rants for 11 days...
Come on. Something annoying must have happened to someone.
People have been moving their rants off site since the rant thread slipped so far down the list.
You'll find rants popping up here and there in other threads....
Day 12
The rant threads are multiplying. At first, we tried to keep their numbers down with off-topic snarkyness and tangential "I've been playing since first edition and this is why you're an idiot!" exclamations. But they just kept coming. They're overtaking our requests for downloads and advice on our possible Conan/LotR/Fafhrd and the Grey Mouser/Pokemon crossover campaigns. Swarming our positions. The uninfected have barricaded themselves in the chatroom, but it's only a matter of time. Supplies dwindling. Morale low.Day 27
The rants are breaking through. Many of us are infected. I often find myself inexplicably shouting typeface symbols. "$#@@#**!!!", I literally screamed. I can't even describe what it sounded like. Not a swear, actual symbols. Saern was the first to crack, claiming these errant threads as his prodigal children. Before we could stop him, he raced out of our makeshift shelter and embraced the coming horde, proclaiming himself as their true creator. Mothman won the bet, since he had forseen this. I owe him five American dollars, though the jokes on him since the Euro is more valuable by far. Or kangaroos or whatever it is he uses for currency over there. I wish Aberzombie would stop staring at my cranial ridge and drooling. You could at least wait until I'm dead, ghoul. I guess the "hideous, gap-toothed hillbilly" avatar ceased to fool him. Or maybe he just decided I would be an easier target.
Day 28
#($*$&%&^@&&^#&@**!!!
Heh, I think I tempted fate...
I just got out of a meeting with my bosses and was told that I've lost my public service contract to a girl from Sydney who did better in the interview than me last year. The interview that was supposed to be a formality which I was told would guarantee my contract for three years.
Apparently (and they said this to me) I didn't pretend that I had never met the panel, and instead acted like they knew me and my work history (which I thought was a reasonable assumption seeing as THEY DID). Also they said that when they asked me why I thought I was suited to the job, "I've been doing it for four years and have never made any significant mistakes" was the wrong answer.
I can't believe how out of touch with the whole corporate mindset I am. If I'd known that I was meant to painstakingly go through all of my skills as if they knew nothing about me I would have done so. But I didn't know that so I didn't, I just answered honestly and reasonably. They said they regretted it, but they have to go by interview perfomrmance and I am now a temp. Same hours as before, same job in fact, just no holiday pay or sick leave. The Sydney girl gets my contract.
Oh and they said "we really like you here, and you always do an excellent job, it's just that sometimes you don't seem to be really plugged in." What does that even mean? Do they think I work for fun? I thought the deal was I do the job, they pay me. Since when did it become part of the deal that I have to pretend to be ecstatic about the whole thing? What's with all the double-think?
I wanna go be a builder like on Office Space! ARGH!
Oh and they said "we really like you here, and you always do an excellent job, it's just that sometimes you don't seem to be really plugged in." What does that even mean? Do they think I work for fun? I thought the deal was I do the job, they pay me. Since when did it become part of the deal that I have to pretend to be ecstatic about the whole thing? What's with all the double-think?
I wanna go be a builder like on Office Space! ARGH!
I've found that corporate employers like employees with no personalities who are also terrified of their bosses. I've recently also come to the conclusion about being a builder from Office Space. I'm checking out the Department of Labor site to see if I can get into an apprenticeship program.
Argh; I hate violence.
I love rain but I HATE THIS DRIZZLY CRUD! If it's going to rain, I want lightning & thunder. Is that too much to ask for? This drizzle just makes for a gloomy day.
*yep, it's a mild rant, but it's mine.*
James, that was great! :D
I've got a rant. I don't want this semester to end. I love my Humanities and Literature and even Grammar class (Economics can go suck it). We've read the Iliad, Hamlet (twice, one time in two different classes!), Gilgamesh, poems of John Donne, discussed philosophy in open debates, explored the arts and history and how they are interconnected, and I've gotten to be friends with my Literature and Grammar teacher (one man teaches both). I had him for Poetry last semester, and it was excellent.
And now it's almost over. Thursday is my last day of classes, afterwards I've got two weeks of sporadic finals (none of which worry me). No more classes with Professor Wynn. No more discussions in Humanities. I'm sad.
I haven't had such a good time in a classroom since... ever.
That's not really a rant, that's just depressing.
How's this?
My precious Rant Thread is hemoraging! People are putting rants in other threads, and I'm losing posts! My count is slipping! Dammit, how hard is it to use the search function or just scroll down the page?!. Don't you guys know I draw divine power from your complaints and gripes? What are you trying to do, vote me off the pantheon or something?
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Bella Sara Charter Superscriber
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I've got a rant. I don't want this semester to end. I love my Humanities and Literature and even Grammar class (Economics can go suck it).
You shut your filthy mouth! Economics is life.*
Sebastian
(B.A. in Economics)
*Unless we're talking about macro economics, which is a bunch of b&+*@+~~.
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RPG Superstar 2013 Top 32
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I hate it when people do not even understand the absolutely basic fundamentals of insurance. We get policyholders calling into the office all the time asking REALLY stupid questions. They aren't usually coverage questions, because those are seldom stupid questions (even I forget what things are and are not covered by our various 9600 policy types), but the world at large does not seem to understand what a deductible is or what it means. This is a forgivable offense only if you meet one of the following criteria: You are very young and this is your first insurance question ever OR you are very old and forget your own NAME from time to time.
A deductible is the amount of money that we will DEDUCT from the total amount of the damages incurred during a claim. This means that if you have a $500 deductible, any damages under $500 are YOUR responsibility to pay, not ours.
I had a policyholder call today with the following:
"My son was at a party and got pushed into a pool with his $350 i-Pod in his pocket. It ruined the thing. Is there any coverage for that?"
"No, your deductible on this policy is $1000."
"Right, I know that, but the i-Pod was less than $1000."
"...yes. It was. That's why there is no coverage. More specifically, the damage is well below your deductible."
"So... what does that mean?"
(now gritting teeth)"You pay the first $1000 of any damage you incur. That's what the deductible means. Therefore, since the damage is less than $1000, the insurance is not liable to pay out anything. The responsibility for the loss is solely yours."
"Oh..."
(silence)
"So there's no coverage?"
I wanted to scream. Seriously. Read a pamphlet, people. To those of you reading this who did not previously know what a deductible is, now you do. I have inadvertantly saved some customer service rep somewhere a great deal of frustration.
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I hate it when people do not even understand the absolutely basic fundamentals of insurance. We get policyholders calling into the office all the time asking REALLY stupid questions. They aren't usually coverage questions, because those are seldom stupid questions (even I forget what things are and are not covered by our various 9600 policy types), but the world at large does not seem to understand what a deductible is or what it means. This is a forgivable offense only if you meet one of the following criteria: You are very young and this is your first insurance question ever OR you are very old and forget your own NAME from time to time.
A deductible is the amount of money that we will DEDUCT from the total amount of the damages incurred during a claim. This means that if you have a $500 deductible, any damages under $500 are YOUR responsibility to pay, not ours.
I had a policyholder call today with the following:
"My son was at a party and got pushed into a pool with his $350 i-Pod in his pocket. It ruined the thing. Is there any coverage for that?"
"No, your deductible on this policy is $1000."
"Right, I know that, but the i-Pod was less than $1000."
"...yes. It was. That's why there is no coverage. More specifically, the damage is well below your deductible."
"So... what does that mean?"
(now gritting teeth)"You pay the first $1000 of any damage you incur. That's what the deductible means. Therefore, since the damage is less than $1000, the insurance is not liable to pay out anything. The responsibility for the loss is solely yours."
"Oh..."
(silence)
"So there's no coverage?"I wanted to scream. Seriously. Read a pamphlet, people. To those of you reading this who did not previously know what a deductible is, now you do. I have inadvertantly saved some customer service rep somewhere a great deal of frustration.
So there is no coverage?
FH ;P
I need an archmage with greater teleport, stat. Just place all my stuff in a circle, and teleport it, damnit. I hate packing - I like unpacking.
Or a small battalion of kobolds. That would work too.
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Bella Sara Charter Superscriber
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So there is no coverage?FH ;P
No, it's covered. It's under the deductable. That's what deductable means: maximum amount covered by insurance. Duh.
I am kidding. Just in case anyone wonders otherwise. My comments to Saern though, are deadly serious. Any who dare speak ill of the dismal science will suffer my wrath.