Satya

http://www.irregularwebcomic.net/2362.html

Today's theme: Steve and Terry

"As you know, the nation is in a state of abject crisis. A recent study by the Board of Irresponsible People found that Americans were worried about, in descending order: the economy, health care, terrorism, mermaids, climate change, centaurs, catwomen, Iraq, North Korea, spider-men, man-cows, werewolves, Bigfoot, sasquatches and humanzees. A disturbing trend is emerging... but Senator Sam Brownback has stepped up to the plate and presented the Human-Animal Hybrid Prohibition Act of 2009. He has twenty Senate co-sponsors because apparently jackasses are still legal."
- Keith Olbermann revels in what he outright calls "the dream story" later in the segment

http://www.irregularwebcomic.net/2361.html

Today's theme: Shakespeare

http://www.irregularwebcomic.net/2360.html

Today's theme: Nigerian Finance Minister

Things seem to have returned to normal right around noon, except for a tendency to break back into a cold flop sweat at the slightest provocation. Apart from the weird cold sweat, though, I no longer feel ill apart from the pre-existing weirdnesses (numb fingers, numb foot, weird shooting tingles partially damped by the Neurontin). I guess I'll take that as a win, though I'm going to have to seriously examine whether I particularly regard going through that kind of thing every weekend as a fair tradeoff for such a nebulous benefit.

In aftermath matters, I have a tiny red spot on my leg where the needle went in. It's not painful or growing, and doesn't appear to be a surface reaction - just the tiny bit of inflammation you might expect from a place where the skin had a hole poked in it. (Oddly, putting the needle in didn't feel like anything at all; not until I took it out did it sting a bit.)

One thing is now reasonably certain: of the interferons, I seem to be able to tolerate the most hardcore of them acceptably. (On the downside, that could be an indication that my body doesn't particularly give a crap about them, which would mean their already-hard-to-define benefit may be reduced. As with so many things about these therapies, there is no effective way to answer that question.) That means if I do decide it's Not Worth It, I'll be switching straight to Copaxone and not bothering with either of the "lighter" interferons first (much as some part of me wants to do the little science experiment you have to do before taking your Betaseron at least once :).

Pentagon considers a non-smoking, non-chawing military.

While a terrific idea for all sorts of well-established health and hygiene reasons, this will never fly; it'll just lead to an erosion of discipline as people at all levels of the military structure ignore the regulation and get away with it because their bosses are doing the same. And even if it did somehow work for the actual people involved, it would topple the grey-market economy of everywhere our soldiers are stationed. Without cigarettes to use as currency, they won't be able to score anything from the indigenous peoples.

All the above hours were spent in bed feeling rather cold. Not the sort of chill that includes shivering or, really, any sort of debility at all, but certainly the kind that has one piling on blankets and then bursting into a flop sweat because there are too many. I still feel cold now, in fact, and am contemplating a return to bed, despite the fact that (if you count the time I lay there reading) I went to bed, oh, 12-1/2 hours ago.

Weirdly, that didn't start until after lights-out. Probably a coincidence, but still.

http://www.irregularwebcomic.net/2359.html

Today's theme: Fantasy

Not particularly worse, but very sleepy. Going to bed, because, what the hell, why not.

Feeling a bit spacey and achey, but to be honest I've felt worse than this just left to my own devices. Oh, and a tad bit of a headache, but it occurs to me that I skipped lunch for fear of Grand Central Nausea (which I haven't had). I just cut my front lawn without killing myself, anyway. Five hours to go until it hits its peak, or so I'm told.

Also, I forgot to mention earlier: The traveling nurse was really nice. And she had a little device that simulates a patch of thigh or arm eerily, apart from lacking hairs and being a color not found in nature. I don't know what it was made of, but it felt, took needles, and sealed up after them just like skin. Creepy.

nothing to report. no site reaction, no biochemical freakout yet. the suspense is the hardest part at the moment.

Injectable Science starts now! Or, well, it started half an hour or so ago. The shot wasn't a big deal. I'm told the Flu-Like Symptoms should begin in 3-4 hours. Looking forward to that, boy howdy. More as it develops.

http://www.irregularwebcomic.net/2358.html

Today's theme: Mythbusters

Circumstances on a trip to Bangor today dictated that I ride in the back of the car on the way home to keep the dog company. As a consolation prize (because, while the back of the car is fairly comfy - it's a Cadillac, after all - the seat belts don't work for me back there, making a return trip from Bangor back there a bit more of a gamble than I generally care to take) I got to pick out a movie to watch, because, being a Cadillac, the car is all ostentatious and stuff and has a DVD player in the back.

I now have a mighty case of eyestrain (for the screen, it is quite small) and a sore neck (for the screen, it is at quite an awkward angle) and ears (for the included headsets, they are not very comfortable), but on the other hand, I have watched the first two episodes of the HBO miniseries based on David McCullough's John Adams, and that was worth the tiny, poorly placed screen and the pinchy headphones and, indeed, the manifest risk to life and limb. I was already a Paul Giamatti fan, but if I hadn't been I would be now. It's difficult to believe this is the same man who chewed an entire motion picture's worth of scenery as the bad guy in Shoot 'Em Up.

For the first time since 1995, the Pamplona Bulls are on the scoreboard! Wooooo! Go Bulls!

http://www.irregularwebcomic.net/2357.html

Today's theme: Space

http://www.irregularwebcomic.net/2356.html

Today's theme: Steve and Terry

http://www.irregularwebcomic.net/2355.html

Today's theme: Cliffhangers

http://www.irregularwebcomic.net/2354.html

Today's theme: Scientific Revolution

http://www.irregularwebcomic.net/2353.html

Today's theme: Fantasy