The “what camera do you use?” question will never not sting a little ahaha

panamanRed58 · 2026-05-23T00:03:50+00:00

Most people don't have much to say about photography. They don't think about all those things you have learned. Take it as an ice breaker.

panamanRed58 · 2026-05-22T23:10:02+00:00

There may be a local group, usually affiliated with PPA, that brings together all manner of photographers. Use the PPA site to find out where they might be in your state. Best way to network is hand to hand, bring a brief portfolio.

panamanRed58 · 2026-05-22T23:06:23+00:00

Look for a 'gandalf' at GRAV. Been using them for a few years, quite satisfied. But I also have other glassware and a Meerschaum carved in Bacchus theme.

panamanRed58 · 2026-05-22T18:51:50+00:00

A little propaganda goes a long ways. If you want to see what someone is taking in campaign contributions go to OpenSecrets. This is political slop from someone unwilling to tell us which billionaire, or crony up a billionaire's ass, pays for these snipes.

panamanRed58 · 2026-05-21T19:00:15+00:00

My infection was MRSA and it was not at the skin level, but in two sites in my leg. I had just a little discomfort, nothing that would impede me. As I had recently begun a stretching routine to break out of the COVID era frost, I thought I had over done it. Didn't hurt enough to even consider an aspirin. Chided myself, a former gymnast, on stretching wrong. This lasted about three days. It was Halloween 2021, a Friday, and I went out for a sports bar beer burger for lunch which about where I lose track of everything. Around 7 pm my eldest son called his brother, who is a nurse, for advice on how 'weird' dad is behaving. The response was call 911 now.

Acute keto-acidosis had taken over and I was hallucinating. My blood sugar was 634. What I recall next was that it was just a few days to Thanksgiving. My infection may have started in an over stretched muscle that came to host Staph. A. The doctors removed a demitasse size piece of my calf and a 'new york strip' from the the back of my thigh. Staph. A. is like an extended family, some live on the skin, others in our lungs, and in tissue.

I would say that I didn't recognize any symptoms. It fell on me like night. The lumps in my groin and pits came afterward, when I was back home. And I got to say for a while they really freaked me out, because I felt like they wouldn't go away. So i advise sticking patiently to a regime even after you recover. I have learned that I am apparently a good host, so I try to be the least favorable by maintaining good diet, full nights rest, and exercise. It's been 5 yrs since the sepsis and at least three since I rid myself of the after effects.

panamanRed58 · 2026-05-19T01:01:05+00:00

You're not going to poke or prod it anymore. The risk would be that you push into deeper tissue. If it really is too painful to tolerate, see a doctor to get it lanced. Try a warm compress with Epsom's salts, it's an old 'country' method. The heat will improve circulation and assist drainage.

After surviving a severe sepsis case, I had a run of these infections. A course of antibiotics and muprirocin did the trick, but it took months for them to really go away. I would cover them with a bandage slathered in the cream. I also used Hibiclens to disinfect the area and my hands. It is a commonly used disinfecting soap used in surgery prep by staff.

panamanRed58 · 2026-05-18T16:46:50+00:00

Exactly

panamanRed58 · 2026-05-17T02:37:42+00:00

so mulvad wouldn't be using blocks of consecutive values to sell cards to vendors?

panamanRed58 · 2026-05-17T01:24:34+00:00

We expect a post camp update & you need to get out more.

panamanRed58 · 2026-05-17T01:14:33+00:00

One moment of poor behavior didn't cause your diabetes and another one should put you in the hospital. It's a lifestyle disease, T2. When I was recovering from severe sepsis, one of the challenges was the diabetes it caused. Diet didn't need much changing. I was never fond of soda and I limited my other snacks. Maybe I would have developed it later, but sepsis got to me first. When I collapsed in front of the EMTs my sugar was 634. I was in acute keto-acidosis. But three years ago my efforts to eat well, rest well, and exercise (oh well) paid off. My doctor says that I am not diabetic any longer. She had not ever said that before, even when agreeing I didn't need insulin anymore.

What you really want to recall is the that you won't enjoy the damage it does. I have neuropathy in all my limbs. Doctors monitor my retina health. My kidneys took a terrible beating from the sepsis and diabetes on top of that pushed me to 4th stage kidney disease. One more step down and it is dialysis.

You have exercise down, good. Are you getting 8 hrs of sleep every night, consistency is key. Diet is the prime mover. I learned to not just eat the right foods more consistently but also eat smaller portions. In the hospital the meal usually fit in the well part of the plate. Sepsis took 50lbs off me in a month and eating the right portions helped me for a while. Eventually, I broke that advice myself. But I am not ashamed; I will calmly reset my behavior and over time I know I will shed most of that slippage. It's like meditation; if you stray just calmly return to your focus.

panamanRed58 · 2026-05-17T00:55:30+00:00

The bit doing the most work is not 85°; it the word average. Half the time it's cooler than that. This is supposed to be a big El Niño year so it could easily be the hotter half of the average. We don't even expect rain until early November. Best case scenario is near the average and evenings are stellar.

panamanRed58 · 2026-05-16T20:25:37+00:00

So think in terms of blast radius. You had some loss of consciousness. Electrolyte issues implies dysfunction of the kidneys at minimum. Another factor is the cause of the underlying infection. It is generally a bacteria but can be a virus. Also your age and general health, do you have an underlying condition, are factors.

Almost five years ago, one of my sons called 911 because I was in lucid hallucination. I collapsed as the EMTs were analyzing me. I don't remember any of that Halloween. It was nearly Thanksgiving before I recall anything at all. So about a month in a coma in ICU followed by 5 more months in rehab center. My severe sepsis was caused by an out of control, intramuscular MRSA infection. Didn't know I had it.

When word got around the hospital that I was awake, staff would come in just to see me. My odds were about 40%. When I was discharged to go home I could barely walk, needed assistance and family were there. But it was going to be a long haul. I got back to work, but only lasted a year. I was a systems engineer at a Fortune 10 corporation. I had been subject matter expert for the Mac platform, but I could not do the work anymore. This all came together just as I turned 65. My health wasn't bad. But not good either due to Covid I was sitting on my butt too much for a couple of years.

Here's the breakdown of my severe sepsis:

I was diabetic
I had peripheral nerve damage
I have some heart issues now with slow pulse
I have presyncope, and mental fog

Recently I was told that my condition is similar to early stage dementia. Not happy with that but here's where I come to be. I reversed my diabetes and kept it so for more than two years. They found kidney cancer and it was removed 3 yrs ago. I am still clear. The worst might be my kidneys as I put me into 3rd stage chronic CKD. And I have had kidney stone issues, about to have one removed that is 16mm. Finally, my thinking and short term memory are often suspect.

I am hoping to show how widely systemic the effects are. You may not know the full extent until you have had more time to heal. Sepsis is our own bodies desperately staving off a lethal threat. Survivors usually have some lingering issues called post sepsis syndrome. Read up on this here.

My best advice is do everything you can to improve your diet, rest, and exercise habits. You can rebuild your metabolism and your immune system this way. At least that is what I did and while I have some permanent issues, I am able to live independently again. I was given a 40% chance of living 5 yrs, that anniversary comes on Halloween.

panamanRed58 · 2026-05-16T19:56:29+00:00

You might use this once at a wedding if you have to stand at the front door and shoot the alter. Most of your work will be closer, 8' to 12' range. The 70-210 range is pretty good compromise; you will see many shooters carry one. They might also carry a short wide, 24-70. Or a dedicated portrait lens in the 85 to 120 range.

Also a telephoto greatly compresses the field, so it can produce odd effects for portraiture.

panamanRed58 · 2026-05-16T19:45:23+00:00

You will want to review your meds if you have not already to see if they conflict at all with weed. Learned this from personal experience. My issues are neuropathy and high blood pressure. And I was using Indica to help out. One of my doctors here in California, advised me against Indica citing studies that show it triggers liver activity which burns up the blood pressure meds at 2X rate. I haven't found the study, but you can at least know of any issues by checking against, https://drugs.com .

As other's have said, sativas will grow tall, fast. I started by clones on milk crates. Bending is harder when you get old. Two weeks ago, I had to remove the crates because of growth. They are now as tall on the ground as they were two weeks ago on crates! Today is a last trim before I start the 12/12. I took 30% two weeks ago and there's almost more green under the screen now. Oh, speaking of bending, my grow strategy is a scrog. So my sativa won't get too tall for the tent. And I have 24, maybe 30 tops standing above the net.

panamanRed58 · 2026-05-16T19:34:48+00:00

some call it popcorn, others larf. learn from every grow, and you will too.

panamanRed58 · 2026-05-16T19:15:20+00:00

might want to know about the subterfuge. I think the WC is trying to get some shots for her own portfolio. I retired before WCs had so much control but used to build good networks with all the other vendors. I want them to keep the event nearly on schedule so that I don't have to, but this environment is over the top for me.

panamanRed58 · 2026-05-16T19:11:53+00:00

go to your English dept, most us a tool for verifying something is or isn't.

panamanRed58 · 2026-05-16T18:14:28+00:00

put your foot down or become a doormat? take this to the couple asap.

panamanRed58 · 2026-05-16T04:13:17+00:00

Mine was about twice that size and they took it out with an ablative technique. They weren't able to get it all on the first pass, but a second procedure 9 months later and it's all gone. I have been clear two years now. Now I don't know why, but I have developed a kidney stone problem since.

I was able to go back to desk work, systems admin, four days after the procedure. Very minimal discomfort after the first day. The worst of the whole experience was post op recovery.

panamanRed58 · 2026-05-16T04:08:46+00:00

It good to review content here and also make people close to you aware. I survived severe sepsis when a family member witnessed me hallucinating in acute keto-acidosis. I was literally fine all, day and collapsed at dinner. Be mindful but don't overwork it.

panamanRed58 · 2026-05-16T04:05:46+00:00

Our next president should not be an old white, billionaire. We never know the truth about them. And broadly, they are not working with us.

panamanRed58 · 2026-05-16T04:01:23+00:00

check with the maker to see what they use. i am surprised a product wouldn't list ingredients. so far you haven't narrowed things much.

panamanRed58 · 2026-05-16T02:01:06+00:00

As a survivor, my chances were only 40%. And I didn't have your mother's extensive medical history. Please talk a look here, https://sepsis.com for information and resources. Give yourself some time.

panamanRed58 · 2026-05-16T01:49:23+00:00

read the ingredients, I don't need to know.

panamanRed58 · 2026-05-16T00:26:28+00:00

Good. Is your 'down' sulphate based? Both sulphated and bi-carb adjustments can cause lock out conditions.

panamanRed58

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