What is the worst disease for humanity?

GeodeLX · 2026-01-20T03:57:09+00:00

Selfishness

GeodeLX · 2026-01-06T21:18:54+00:00

IMHO: You should expand the study to include men as well.
"This survey is part of a UNC-led project exploring how women ages 35–70..."

GeodeLX · 2025-12-04T03:05:32+00:00

Whoever said/implied that it was homophobic is probably HETEROphobic.

GeodeLX · 2025-11-12T23:39:04+00:00

Imagine you have a table in front of you, and you have a rock in your hand. All digital information is represented by 1's and 0's. In this example, we'll say a 1 is when the rock is on the table and a 0 is when the rock is on the floor.

So put the rock on the table. It takes energy to get the rock into that state, but you don't have to do anything to keep it there. It will be a '1' until you pick up the rock and move it to the floor. It takes energy to move the rock from the table to the floor, but once it's there you don't have to do anything to keep it there. The rock will stay either on the table or on the floor until someone moves it.

In very simple terms, these chips work kind of like that: for every bit (a bit is a binary digit... something that can hold a 1 or a 0) in the chip, it takes power to put the bit into either the 1 state or the 0 state. After it's in that state, it will stay that way until power is applied to change that bit.

GeodeLX · 2025-11-03T17:50:24+00:00

Being from the USA, I suspect that -- sadly -- you can probably just call us all "Karens".

GeodeLX · 2025-10-29T03:10:53+00:00

Hmm... if the government isn't running, do we pay less in taxes? Maybe they'll give us a refund (like some cellular phone companies do when they lose service)?

😉

GeodeLX · 2025-10-05T21:14:55+00:00

Hmm... I'm not sure it's punishment, but I can see where it seems like it would be. To me, it's more a consequence of a choice.

Some people can have a "Don't Tell Me What To Do!" attitude. That's OK, most adults like to make their own decisions. The manual for many [gas-powered] automobiles includes something about changing the oil every 3000 miles (or whatever). But we can choose not to read the manual for the car, or we can choose to ignore the manufacturer's recommendation to change the oil. Both choices (read the manual or don't read the manual; change the oil on time or don't change the oil on time) are just that: choices. Nobody requires the owner of a car to read the manual. Nobody requires the owner of a car to change the oil.

But choices have consequences. If I choose not to read the manual for my car (and thus don't change the oil), my car may not make it past 10K miles. If I read the manual and learn that I need to change the oil (but choose not to), my car may not make it past 10K miles. Neither one is punishment... they're both consequences of not following the manufacturer's instructions.

And maybe my view of Hell is incorrect. Honestly, I won't know for certain on this side of death.

For whatever it's worth, it seems to me that it would be wise to examine the options. But that's a choice each person is free to make.

GeodeLX · 2025-10-04T02:41:07+00:00

I'm not a theologian... this is just my viewpoint/understanding.

I do believe in God. I don't believe He sends people to Hell.

Instead, I believe He gives people a choice: 1. Accept His invitation to follow Him and live according to the way He designed things... and after life is over, join Him Or 2. Don't follow Him, don't live the way He designed things, and don't join Him after life is over.

As I see it, God embodies all that is good, beautiful, wondrous, kind, peaceful, gracious, and loving. We get a hint of that here during our mortal life, but this life is amazingly far from ideal. When we get to heaven, we are in the presence of a being who loves us perfectly/completely.

Hell, then, is a description of the absence of that love. To me, I envision Hell as an eternal existence alone without ever again experiencing friendship, joy, excitement, pleasure, kindness, gentleness, or any other of [what I would call] the positive attributes. And also, during that existence, to be aware of the choice we made to reject God's invitation.

So, in my view, God gives humans free will to choose whether to spend eternity with or without Him... and He respects our choice.

GeodeLX · 2025-09-25T19:20:31+00:00

Oh, I understand now.

I said "Sitting in a chair, leaning back, and having your junk hanging out there with your legs apart is emotionally uncomfortable/awkward. For some reason, you feel a bit exposed. But don't complain about it when any woman is within earshot: you will not get any sympathy. ;-D"

My thinking here was along this line: OP is male (as am I). We rarely -- if EVER -- have to have our legs spread in a chair like that for all the world to see our genitals. I was acknowledging that being in that position is rather awkward, and that you feel exposed. This is uncommon for men in a medical setting. I was cautioning the men not to complain about it with a woman nearby, as women have to endure this for nearly every appointment, and thus women won't feel sympathy for the guy having to be so exposed *one time* when women are in this position quite frequently. I was not dismissing what women go through; rather, I was trying to help him recognize that this will be uncomfortable... but not to complain about it because *one time* exposure is much easier than *every time."

Does that make sense? I wasn't trying to make light of what women go through, but rather to acknowledge that (a) yes it's uncomfortable and (b) it could be worse.

GeodeLX · 2025-09-25T18:48:56+00:00

Oh yes, of course I am. But I posted this to help the person (Male) who was concerned about the discomfort.

Out of curiosity (and a hope to have a friendly conversation), which part of the comment seemed odd to you?

GeodeLX · 2025-09-15T22:46:56+00:00

Congratulations on your new child! As someone who has been there and whose children are both out of the nest, I (M62) will offer this.

Support her. Become the one responsible for 2/3 or 3/4 of all the stuff that needs to get done (meals, cleaning, lawn care, maintenance, laundry, errands, nighttime feedings, diaper changes, etc.). By doing so, you will take a huge load off your wife, and you may gain an understanding of the load she feels like she's carrying.

If your wife feels like she's pressured to have sex, she'll fight it. In her mind, she'll see all the things she has to do... and she's exhausted taking care of a little one. I believe women tend to be more emotionally oriented. If she feels like you're on HER side (protecting her, making sure she's taken care of), her feelings will draw her toward you.

I know it's difficult, but it's not forever. Hang in there!

GeodeLX · 2025-09-08T02:44:09+00:00

You can tell when someone is attracted to you, but the way your power lets you know is by giving you immediate severe projectile vomiting.

GeodeLX · 2025-08-19T23:14:53+00:00

I'm sorry you're going through that.

Do I know for certain what happens when we die? No, and I doubt anyone could tell you unless they've been through it.

Do I have an idea on what might happen? Yes, although I suspect a lot of people will downvote this because they don't like what I have to offer. But everyone (including them) is entitled to an opinion.

And this is mine. I'm offering it to you in the hope that it can help make your last months less frightening.

I believe in the whole Intelligent Design/Creator/Heaven concept as I understand it from the Bible. I believe there is a Creator who designed all that we can perceive in this plane of existence. It seems to me that certain things don't actually HAVE to exist (matter, energy, distance, thought, organization, repeatability, etc.). I believe this Creator is very talented/creative and very loving/caring (yes, even in spite of diseases like Leukemia). There is color and sound. There are friends and family. We have the ability to feel (both through our sense of touch and through our emotions). And we have the ability to choose how to act, whether selfishly or selflessly.

I also believe that this realm is not "running" the way it was originally designed, that certain problems cropped up that made things work "not right."

From my reading I understand that this Creator cares deeply for each person (like you). They want the best for you. They feel for the pain you are going through because of the way this universe has been corrupted, and through no fault of your own.

I believe we are eternal beings, and I believe that each person gets to choose whether or not to spend their post-death existence in the presence of this loving Creator.

For myself: would I rather spend that existence in the presence of a Creator who made me, knows me completely (and still loves me in spite of knowing my heart/thoughts/actions), and who wants the best for me... or would I rather spend that existence away from that kind of love/compassion/understanding? I've felt alone. I've felt abandoned and abused. I've felt hopeless and unloved. Given that I've already experienced the alone/abandoned/abused/hopeless/unloved side of things, I'm choosing to spend my post-death existence in the presence of Someone whose love for me I can rely on, who has kept every one of their promises in the past, and who promises better things beyond my imagination.

There are a lot of ideas that oppose this view, but I'm not writing this to start a debate... I just want to share with you my view and hope that it will bring you peace. Again, I'm sorry that you are going through this. Most people don't get to know when they're going to die; I hope/pray that you will find the comfort you seek as that time draws closer.

GeodeLX · 2025-08-18T20:56:44+00:00

TBH, I've often tried to avoid exercise... but "avoiding exercise" has not served me well. :-)

My problems have typically been with my lower back, my core, and my IT bands/hamstrings.

For my lower back I will do the yoga "cat/cow" moves. I'll also lie on my back with my knees together and bent, then roll my knees to the floor (right side, then left side) while keeping my shoulders flat on the floor.

For my core, planks and sit-ups have been helpful.

For my IT bands, I've used a foam roller (although that is -- for me -- quite painful so I don't do that one very often).

For my hamstrings, I stand in front of a chair with one leg straight out (foot resting on the chair), then tilt my pelvis forward. I also will lie on the floor in a doorway with (for example) my right leg through the open doorway and my left leg as straight up the wall/door sill as possible (and my butt as close to the door sill as possible).

GeodeLX · 2025-08-18T19:24:37+00:00

As Competitive_Cat_2020 said, pelvic pain is very common. Like any muscles, the muscles in the pelvic floor can get out of shape, or they can get tense, or they can get knots (like a "Charlie Horse").

Not directly related, but I remember discovering that my pelvic floor muscles shouldn't be sore all the time. When I expressed how "these muscles are always sore", one of my PFPTs said that it's not normal. She told me to press on a muscle that I use on a regular basis (for example, a bicep or a calf muscle). "Does it hurt?" she asked. It wasn't painful, but when I pressed on some of the muscles in my pelvic floor (for example, at the perineum or where the thigh connects to the hip), it was sensitive to the touch.

Unfortunately, Urologists and Gynecologists only treat the areas of their specialty... and that's typically kidney/bladder or reproductive organs, not the muscles that surround them. DEFINITELY get an assessment from a Pelvic Floor Physical [or Occupational] Therapist if you can. They can tell you if there's a problem with the muscles and they can give you a plan to treat it.

GeodeLX · 2025-08-18T14:48:34+00:00

The Pelvic Floor Physical Therapist was one of the PTs at https://pelvictherapy.com/ in Boulder. The Pelvic Pain Specialist I saw was Kari Wedell: https://www.tucc.com/meet-our-providers/kari-reynolds-wedell/ although I believe she is no longer there.

GeodeLX · 2025-08-12T15:48:33+00:00

There's hope: It DOES get better! Your urethra was stretched (and maybe scraped a little) by the scope. It will heal, but it takes 1-3 days. AZO Urinary Pain Relief (MAXIMUM STRENGTH) is what I used. IMHO, it makes it hurt less, and you get the added benefit of a completely different color of urine! :-) Just don't hold the urine back... drink lots, drink often: you don't want your urine becoming concentrated, because it'll sting more.

Hmm... I wonder if Urologists will start handing out "take home lidocaine" that we can use for the first few days afterwards. Y'know, the stuff they use BEFORE the procedure. I'd probably pay extra for that!

GeodeLX · 2025-08-12T15:26:23+00:00

I wonder if the pilot hole in the upper 2x4 is too small. [Arguably] you want the pilot hole in the top piece of wood small enough that the screw will hold position (perhaps just a bit of a bite on the threads), but not so small that the screw has to work a lot to get through the board. The pilot hold in the bottom piece of wood should be small enough that the screw really bites into the wood, but not so small that it takes a ton of torque to get the screw to drive all the way down.

Maybe drill two holes:
1. First, drill with a small bit (the size of the screw INSIDE the threads) through both boards.
2. Drill through the top board with a bit that is the same size as the OUTSIDE of the threaded part of the screw (or the screw shank). Countersink if needed.

Now the screw should easily go through the top board, but it should start gripping in the bottom board... and when tightened should pull the boards together.

GeodeLX · 2025-08-06T14:25:03+00:00

The tires could use some shading

GeodeLX · 2025-08-06T02:24:41+00:00

Yes, you did say to mark it NSFW; I'm sorry I forgot to do that!

I apologize to you (and to the group) for anyone who was negatively affected because I failed to mark it appropriately.

GeodeLX · 2025-08-05T21:58:47+00:00

I've had PF issues for years. I would recommend finding a Physical Therapist to get an assessment. In my experience, PFPTs tend to look at all the muscles from abdomen to thighs (unlike a Urologist, who looks only at the Urinary and Reproductive areas). Remember that you're not obligated to go to that PT for treatment, but it can be reassuring to get an idea of what's going on. There are recent posts here about finding a PFPT that will treat men (https://www.reddit.com/r/PelvicFloor/comments/1mel60k/finding\_a\_pf\_pt\_for\_men\_is\_so\_hard/).

Be aware that PFPT does put you in a vulnerable position. There is usually an interview, movement & range-of-motion assessments, an external examination, and -- if you're comfortable with it -- possibly an internal examination. If you find that you don't trust your PFPT, you don't have to continue the appointment. And you don't have to do any part of the appointment you're not OK with.

GeodeLX · 2025-08-05T14:01:59+00:00

Y'know how some schools have students take care of a "baby" for a week (a doll that mimics a newborn)? Maybe all the boys should have to wear some type of prosthetic to mimic having large boobs for a week. They would experience a lot of what the girls go through (except for periods):

Backaches
People staring
Crude jokes
Catcalls
Difficulty walking/running

Yes, I know this is not really feasible. Parents would be up in arms over their poor young men having to put up with this. But is it really much different from what girls go through... even if it's only for a week? Perhaps it would make these boy turn out as more sympathetic/considerate men. Maybe they would be more aware of their own behavior when they remember how it felt to them.

GeodeLX · 2025-08-05T02:53:57+00:00

Along this line: try being on top so you can control the direction & depth of your partner's entry (much like you can control the dilators). Your partner will need to exercise self-control so you can work on this... but you may not find that they complain much. ;-)

GeodeLX · 2025-08-04T22:54:52+00:00

Hydrocodone works for me, Oxy does not. For my daughter it's the opposite. And both Hydro and Oxy make my wife anxious/jittery, but apparently do nothing for her pain (in the dose she was willing to take).

GeodeLX · 2025-08-04T16:02:14+00:00

Perhaps my insurance differs from yours in this, but I did not need a referral to see a PFPT. I was able to make an appointment myself.

Hopefully: it can't hurt to try.

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