Absolutely Anything Else

Marilyn Tassy wrote:

Hmmm, Gin and tonic, .....Question, twist of lemon or lime?

Sounds a bit "risky" taking all those meds to prevent a deadly disease.

Shaken not stirred.

The alternative to the meds as preventative measures is in some cases death.

No real proven cure for rabies - and it's a truly horrible death - and malaria can easily be fatal. 

Others mentioned are survivable but miserable to have them in the first place. Lasting injuries with disfigurement etc. Prevention is better than cure.

fluffy2560 wrote:

No real proven cure for rabies

Only if one is systematic of the disease.

Treatment pre-symptoms (i.e. after exposure, but before actual infection) is curable. But there is a narrow window of time to start getting treatment that will be effective.

And there is a pre-exposure vaccine which significantly expands the needed post exposure treatment window, and reduces the treatment regime upon exposure. Because of the work I use to do I have been vaccinated against rabies.

Oh God, now I am getting flash backs of Ol' Yella.
Cried our little eyes out when they had to put him down.
Big deal at age 3 when the whole family went to the drive-in movie in Conn. Walt Disney film and all.
Parents sat in the back seat and we 3 little girls sat on pillows in the front watching the film.
Things turned bad for Yella, we all started balling our eyes out crying.
My dad cursed Walt Disney up and down, had no idea he was taking us girls to a horror film.

Marilyn Tassy wrote:

Oh God, now I am getting flash backs of Ol' Yella.

Which is why Ol' Yella is a coming of age novel and film. That is, the coming of understanding that there are things in the world that are really unfair, and as an adult, versus a child, one must accept those realities and even horrible real life facts, and to learn to properly deal with them.

As a child, I cried for Ol' Yella. As an adult, dealing professionally with wildlife and the many diseases they may have, I would have done exactly as the real adult did, which was to deal honestly with a fundamentally unpleasant, but unchangeable issue.

Personally, I do think far too many people in the western world really have not had to experience such a real and fundamental catharsis today, which is why so, so many seem to make poor decisions based more on emotions and miss-perceptions rather than on real life realities.

klsallee wrote:

.... Because of the work I use to do I have been vaccinated against rabies.

I skipped rabies because I thought it'd never happen - my risks were very low.  How little did I know!

Anyway, the protocol post-symptoms is called the Milwaukee protocol.  Very few people have actually survived - chances of dying when symptomatic are almost 100% even with the Milwaukee protocol.   Naturally I read up on all this like crazy once I was bitten. 

According to the vaccine leaflet ("Verorab"), I had the Zagreb protocol for post-exposure - double dose at T=0, then T+7 days and then T+21 days - 4 shots in total.  The other one was the Red Cross protocol but that was for people with pre-exposure vaccinations. 

I am very careful to keep up on my jabs. Everyone else should too.  I even have one called TBE (Tick Borne Encephalitis) which while unusual, is endemic in Austria and I think also Hungary and outwards Romania too.  Anyone walking in forests etc., should consider this one.  I got it because of my MTB'ing (Mountain Biking) through forested areas.  Getting TBE would be a disaster - death or brain damage.  Not worth the risk but 3 jabs over a period of some weeks.   

I am now considering Japanese Encephalitis as I go to Asia a fair bit.  Bit unusual. I asked about having this vaccine before but the medics didn't seem keen.  Another one is E-coli and Cholera.  Very hard to get in HU.

fluffy2560 wrote:

Anyway, the protocol post-symptoms is called the Milwaukee protocol.  Very few people have actually survived

Yes because once one is symptomatic a cure is rare. But if you wait to be symptomatic that is your own fault for waiting. So, if you are ever bitten either:

1) capture the animal and have it tested for rabies (yes, this test is lethal to the animal)
or
2) immediately start the treatment routean (which is not pleasant if you have not had the vaccine).

fluffy2560 wrote:

TBE (Tick Borne Encephalitis)

Best prevention in a forest is to wear hats, long sleeves, long pants, etc and to do a daily fully body check after you are out of the woods for ticks. I have done recreation and field work for over 20 years in forests with high tick infestations, and only had one tick actually implant itself into my flesh, and that was on the inner pinna of my ear -- which was the one place I forgot to check --  so check also in your ears  .

But if one wants to get the encephalitis vaccine, that is also fine.

It was hard watching that film at age 3 or 4. Grew up fast because of having older sisters, ways of the world .
Hard core reality is not something most people want to deal with.
I am very glad they have a rabies vaccine.
In S. Cal. age 7 we invited my new friend for a slumber party, she was 6 years old.Her parents were from Greece and they became friends with my parents when we first moved to CA.
Good thing her parents were over when the nightmare happened.
My sister age 12, my friend and I were playing in our garage with the door open for some fresh air.
having a great time, my friend had on one of those fancy little dresses with a puffy slip underneath , her Sunday best to visit us.
All was great until the teenage boy next door took the trash out.
He forgot to close the gate to their backyard.
Their insane Pit Bull dog ran out, my friend was afraid and screamed, all he needed to excite him more and go on the attack.
He ran straight to my friend and bit her up high on her little hip and thigh, just hanging there in the air with his mouth on her, blood pouring out all over her fancy dress and her screaming in pain.
My sister grabbed a baseball bat, gave me one just in case the dog came after me too.
She headed out towards the dog, the teen boy got the bat from my sister and started  to beat the living heck out of his dog. He just would not release his bite.
It was a bad thing to witness.
Finally the dog yelped away and the boy took him back in the yard, closed the gate while we ran for help from the adults.
Over 100 stitches later... Good thing that mute had his rabies shots or my friend would of had to suffer more then she did.
She was able to stay the night, she and I insisted on it. My mother stayed up all night long keeping an eye on her laying in the living room, not exactly the party we had planned on having.
Think that was the last time she ever visited our house...
My father had been a US Army medic in WW11 which came in handy at that time.
He looked about ready to faint after the ambulance took off with her.

klsallee wrote:

Yes because once one is symptomatic a cure is rare. But if you wait to be symptomatic that is your own fault for waiting. So, if you are ever bitten either:

1) capture the animal and have it tested for rabies (yes, this test is lethal to the animal)
or
2) immediately start the treatment routine (which is not pleasant if you have not had the vaccine).

Actually there's no point in waiting around for tests on the animal's brain.  By the time the test is done, you could be symptomatic.   it's a 10 day incubation period but could be longer, 3 weeks or even a year (!!). 

Best thing is to go straight to vaccination - <1h if possible.  Before that, soap and water immediately to wash out the wound, stick some betadine on it, cover with a plaster.   Time is of the essence.

Just as an aside, people are completely dumb.  Look what these Thai kids did (notwithstanding the idiocy of the authorities on waste disposal).

Thai Youths Eat Rabid Dogs

klsallee wrote:

...... only had one tick actually implant itself into my flesh, and that was on the inner pinna of my ear -- which was the one place I forgot to check --  so check also in your ears  .

Eww....nasty...

fluffy2560 wrote:

Eww....nasty...

On the "eww.... nasty" scale it ranked a "Meh" with me. Seen worse.

For real nasty, Google "human botfly" (caution, do not eat before viewing).

klsallee wrote:

...
For real nasty, Google "human botfly" (caution, do not eat before viewing).

Oh, yes, nasty.  What a strange lifecycle.

And let's not forget the guinea worm.

Hi there, I am going to set up Reiki sessions and for anyone that wants to have any I am Curious to see who would like to have some sessions. just drop me a message
Regards
  Peter.

Ever hear of "Jungle Rot"?
My dad picked that up thanks to "our buddy" Hitler when he was drafted and sent to SE Asia during WW11.
Guess it wasn't exactly on the program to find a min to change ones socks let alone get out of the mud.
I do remember as children we were not allowed within 2 feet of his feet.
He never went barefoot in the house and always had to wear white pure cotton socks which my mother took great effort to keep far, far away from any of the family laundry.
Huge pots of boiling water and foot baths. Visits several times a year for over night stays at the VA hospital for foot treatments.
Jungle Rot, the gift that keeps on giving!

Marilyn Tassy wrote:

Ever hear of "Jungle Rot"?...

Yes, I know this.

It's what we Limeys call Trench Foot.   

Nasty business.

peterhux wrote:

Hi there, I am going to set up Reiki sessions and for anyone that wants to have any I am Curious to see who would like to have some sessions. just drop me a message
Regards
  Peter.

What is Reiki? Why would I need it? What does it do?

fluffy2560 wrote:

What is Reiki?

Alternative "medicine". Laying of the hands on someone to "heal" them.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Reiki

Reiki was really big in Cal. a few years back.
I never went in for any sessions, not really my way of dealing with stress.
Yoga, a hard workout and some chanting have always been my destressing therapy.
If all else fails, a good stiff drink works too.
I once had a session of saitsu by a Sumo size therapist in Hawaii.
Was a nice idea that my husband had while we were on holiday in Hawaii.
However I felt very odd, I was the only women, the only "white" person in the room, mats on the floor with men doing treatments on other men. Must of been a dozen of us getting treatments at once.
Everyone was speaking Japanese too.
I wore just shorts and a T-shirt, it was very professional but I still had some hang ups about relaxing under those conditions.
Just felt like a more private session would of been better .
I couldn't wait to leave let alone relax.Another $100. down the toilet!
Yesterday on my own with aid from sites on the internet, I started something I should of done many years ago.
I started chanting Buddhist style. There is a temple not far from our flat here in Budapest, I may check it out if my home sessions continue. Felt very nice afterwards yesterday, stress relief.
Slept last night for over 11 hours and didn't even want to drink wine with dinner last night.
Sounds like a plan to practice more. Sad thing is it took me cutting a few people out of my life to realize I needed to get back in balance.
My Hungarian husband was the first "European" attending regularly at a Japanese Buddhist temple on Maui in the mid 70's. I now wish I wasn't so stubborn back then and had gone with him.
He attended for nearly a year before we moved away. He still has his little prayer area set up in our flat but I never see him practicing, think we may start together soon.
Going back to our "Hippie" roots.
If it works, then why not give it a try?
Reiki might be very good for some people, I just have "issues" with people touching me, need allot of trust and to know they actually have contact with the source of healing.

Marilyn Tassy wrote:

Reiki ...Yoga

I have done Yoga on and off for over 25 years. Very healthy for me when I do it. Relieves stress and just makes me feel good.

But Yoga is an internal action between my mind and my body. All under my control which of course makes sense. I can not control others. I can only control my response to issues in my life.

Reiki is more about "others" giving "their" energy to me by touch. From my experience with many people .... thank you very much .... I really do not want "their" energy in my body. Assuming it can actually be transfered, which I of course do not believe at all.

Marilyn Tassy wrote:

However I felt very odd, I was the only women, the only "white" person in the room, mats on the floor with men doing treatments on other men. Must of been a dozen of us getting treatments at once.
Everyone was speaking Japanese too.

Ideas like Reiki are more acceptable in cultures that are "group" minded. Like Japan and Hungary. Cultures like the USA which are more individualistic are more open to "self help" systems like Yoga.

I agree we "westerners" usually like to control things ourselves, not rely on others. Pioneer spirit and all.
It takes way too much trust in another person putting "hands" on you then I am comfortable with.
Yoga, I started doing it in tiny doses at 8 months pregnant, not exactly the best time to take up head or shoulder stands.
Started practicing yoga around 1997 in New Mexico, a real Hippie sort of place. Had many very good instructors over the years.
One lady who I really liked also had a side job of working on the suicide hotline. Once in awhile during class she would get an "emergency" call. Very odd to be in downward dog while hearing her softly talking someone down for the brink.
Interesting for sure.
I still do a yoga practice daily but have sort of toned it down post knee surgery. No more 2 to 3 hour sessions, I do think however my body might need a bit more yoga and I think I may of lost some upper body strength by slacking on my moves.
Could be that or "father time" then again have done yoga with people in their mid 80's who kept up with 20 year olds.
I suppose with many of these practices it does take a bit of "faith" and "trust". Some people put their trust in a church and others in themselves and their practice of eastern religions and very old therapies.
It was a very interesting experience to see my HU husband go from former alter boy/choir boy to Buddhist/ Surfer. Sometimes one must try new things to open themselves up to what can work for them.
It was interesting to me to visit the old wooden churches in Poland in my father's village of birth. I wondered how many people put all of the hopes, dreams trust etc. into a building.
Getting a bit on the "heavy subject" here, how about those Cubs?

Marilyn Tassy wrote:

how about those Cubs?

My heartfelt congratulations go to the Cubs and all the Cub fans for the Cubs win at the World Series. The Cubs have earned this win.

But, also yet another unexpected upset in a year chock full of unexpected upsets.

Crazy times we now live in.

Sorry. I could not keep the discussion light. 

No problem, the light stuff is really not much fun to discuss!
I like to stir- the -pot once in awhile, a real brat!

klsallee wrote:

fluffy2560 wrote:

What is Reiki?

Alternative "medicine". Laying of the hands on someone to "heal" them.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Reiki

Anything "alternative" joined with the word "medicine" is likely to be utter quackery and even dangerous. 

To quote the article below...."......the parents were "devastated" that their good intentions had made him so unwell. "

Parents nearly kill their child

Or even worse, those idiots who think prayers can cure diabetes:

Father kills daughter by prayer cure

There was also that Hungarian family where one of them went bonkers and led the others to believe they could live from sunlight alone.  That's delusional and mental illness.

Yoga I can believe does good as does Tai Chi which I've tried a few times (good for older folks).

Reiki looks like massage dressed up as hocus-pocus.

klsallee wrote:

Marilyn Tassy wrote:

how about those Cubs?

My heartfelt congratulations go to the Cubs and all the Cub fans for the Cubs win at the World Series. The Cubs have earned this win.

But, also yet another unexpected upset in a year chock full of unexpected upsets.

Crazy times we now live in.

Sorry. I could not keep the discussion light. 

Cubs and the World Series? .  What World?  No-one else  really plays that game in the world.  We used to play something similar in school but we called it Rounders.

Now, football, (no, it's not really called Soccer), but football, that's a proper game with a real World Cup.....

fluffy2560 wrote:

Cubs and the World Series? .  What World? .

Oh please.....

It is just a name.

As if the Miss Universe competition includes any other solar systems, or even planets..... 

fluffy2560 wrote:

No-one else  really plays that game in the world.

Oh please....

Baseball is very popular in Japan, for example.

And there is, among others, a Dutch league and an Italian league.

And more about European Baseball.

klsallee wrote:

.....

And more about European Baseball.

Ok sure but this is just minor stuff. 

Not on the scale of  football (several billion people involved).   Inflating its importance with World overstates its significance to everywhere else. 

It's like WWWF - hardly a presence outside of North America.
 
I won't start on cricket - participation by more than a billion (or thereabouts) - national sport in India, Bangladesh etc.

I doubt baseball could surpass more than 500 million involvees.

When I was a kid girls really didn't have teams etc.
Didn't stop my sisters and I from playing against the boys in our "hood".
Nothing like playing a good game of baseball in an empty lot as a child in the 60's.
My husband and his friends used to play "football" soccer in downtown Budapest in the late 50's. So many empty lots in the neighborhood. A house would be gone ( bombs away) and leave a perfect spot for kids to play or worst to climb around the remains of buildings.
Sounds like allot of dangerous fun back then for kids running wild through the ruins.
Husband and his friends used to sneak onto the construction  sites after hours and climb up the bridges around Budapest that were in the middle of being rebuilt. It is a wonder one of them didn't have a serious accident, wild boys in the streets.
When we were kids we had no safety helmets for bike riding, drank water from a garden hose and played down in the wash catching frogs.
I personally never have enjoyed watching sports, rather play then sit and watch.

Hi guys
i see that there has been some chats about Reiki over the weekend. I just want to pick up on some information about Reiki or Usui Reiki.  Reiki stands for life force energy. This energy surrounds us, it runs through our body, it is the energy that makes all living cells live. whether you are a person an animal or plant.
A Reiki therapist or practitioner has gone under training to pick up more of this energy. So much so they are willing to pass this extra energy on to anyone that wants to have it. this could be for stress reasons, Physical problems like musculula or bones, health problems, it can even used to slow down cancer and other life problems.
So the practitioner is like a middle person and is the conductor helping to pass this positive energy to the right areas to help the body heal itself, while taking the negative energy away at the same time.
This energy can be described as Ki energy in japanese, as this is the region of the world where Reiki Started under the influence of its founder Mikao Usui some 200 years ago. He was brought up and studied in a Buddhist temples as well as studying a number of other religions to get a greater understanding of this energy.
In Chinese it is called Chi energy. and as someone pointed out before that those that practice Tai chi as a martial art also use it for stress and relaxation, flexibility also get a greater awareness of Chi energy as each movement is about building the energy levels in the body not only as a fighting art but for health reasons to. 
i can understand that going into a room full of people that are having treatment, in an all male environment could be daunting. But
Today's Therapists / Practitioners have a room with a massage couch and play relaxing music. They will go through introductions with you, plus why you have decided to have some treatment. They will ask you about any problems you may be having. and they will make notes on it. At the end of the treatment the therapist will talk about your experience to make sure that you are ok. Again taking further notes. as we like to list your progress. if you wish to come back for more treatments at a later date.
Reiki is a life force energy and can be directed to any troubled areas of the body whether it is just a case of unblocking Chakras or looking at emotional problems, or you are just feeling low in energy it will help once again it is all about passing on positive energy.
I have helped people around the world. and i have never heard of a negative outcome and i have been a practitioner since 2002. if you need to then research Reiki on google if you want to know more.
all the best,
   love and smiles

Peter

I do believe we must all have open minds, there are many paths to healing and it would be  a shame to close ourselves off because of fears or prejudging.
My mother had a very strong personality, had to be both mom and dad for us. She would not take correction easily.
Tough lady who never asked for help in life.
As she got older and developed cancer, became a widow and other life hardships she took refuge in alcohol.
Not many people would of made it as far as she did without drinking a long time before she picked up the bottle.
Long story, got a frantic phone call in the middle of the night, my step-dad ( also a big drinker, 2 X POW with his own demons) called us at our home and asked us to help him put my mother to sleep. she was having a panic attack and losing her mind.
My husband over the years with his practice of non judgement, Buddhist believes, reading and meditating was the only person my mother trusted and would listen to.
He talked her down from the brink of violence , tucked her into her bed and held her hand and spoke with her for hours, she feel asleep like a baby and never got so over excited again.
I suppose one could say he was able to transfer  some of his peace into her by holding her hand.
One must have trust and believe something will heal them.
Have to keep an open mind.

peterhux wrote:

.....Reiki stands for life force energy. This energy surrounds us, it runs through our body, it is the energy that makes all living cells live. whether you are a person an animal or plant.
A Reiki therapist or practitioner has gone under training to pick up more of this energy. So much so they are willing to pass this extra energy on to anyone that wants to have it. this could be for stress reasons, Physical problems like musculula or bones, health problems, it can even used to slow down cancer and other life problems.
So the practitioner is like a middle person and is the conductor helping to pass this positive energy to the right areas to help the body heal itself, while taking the negative energy away at the same time.
.....

Yeah, like I said, quackology.   

I 100% doubt the claim it can slow down cancer.  That's not going to be the case however much pseudo-science is used to dress it up.   In worse case it could give false hope. and mess up people's decision making.

Look at Steve Jobs - he shortened his life through believing quackologists. Ok wasn't Reiki but it's same kind of nonsense.

Steve Jobs Cancer Treatment Behaviour

I'm not trolling here, but some people are easily influenced and can be misguided.  My MIL is one of those people who has wasted lots of money messing around with this stuff and it's done her no good at all. All it's done is make her poorer.  She's got all sorts of stupid things like plastic pyramids with electrical connections on them, magical stones, candles etc. She thinks she can "heal" by the laying on of hands.  It's a hysterical delusion which she insists on sharing any chance she gets.

I sometimes think perhaps in some cases people have waited for too long to address their health issues and nothing physical can ever heal them, only left is to find inner peace.
Sad, been there with several family members, not easy to watch them put their faith in cures, doctors, juicing foods etc.
Life is hard and we must all try to be kinder to each other.
I have had a hard shell up for a few years now and now I realize I have to let some things go before I am the one that cracks up.
I know exactly what is good for me but hate to let go of old resentments, pain etc. New territory to be at peace, can be scary to not hold onto pain either physical or emotional.
I have cut off ties these past few days with 2 close family members because of their negative vibes and comments, all good, they have found "Jesus" so hope they can sleep better at night.
They actually "found" him years ago so I wonder at times why they are both so rude and nasty still? Think somewhere his message got mixed up with them.
Not to put down anyone's beliefs but people who only see one way for everyone are just not in reality.At least not in any sort of reality I want any part of.

Being balanced and open and free to give is a powerful thing this is no magical cure apart from giving positive love to those that need it. it does not come in a bottle and we all have the power of giving it. if a child falls over and hurts themselves a mother will put her loving arms around them to give them love and support, this is a natural process, of passing love and life force energy.
There is a lot of people in this world who do think negatively.  if everyone was to stand and give love and positive energy with a smile, the world would be a better place.
i do not stand for negativity. if you entertain negativity then eventually it will fill your life and nothing good will come from it. negative + negativity = more negativity. and no balance. We all need Balance and love in our lives.
when our body cells are weak and struggling to survive. We need an extra boost from some where to give us a jump start back onto the road to recovery. what could be better than pure loving life force energy. It is naturally there for us to use, it is not like modern day medication which comes with side effects causing an imbalance somewhere else. and only treats the the effects of the problem. not the route causing it. I have come across people with internal physical problems that really affected their normal daily lives not just the wage packet. Only to find out that through treatment that it was caused by undealt with problems from their childhood or bad upbringing they had buried deep within themselves. all i have done is open the gates for them to release this negativity to start this healing process slowly bringing them off controlling medication. 
The power of positive energy.       
Peter

" . . . immediately start the treatment routine (which is not pleasant if you have not had the vaccine)."

I certainly agree that if you're bit -- especially in a country like India or Thailand where rabies is prevalent -- then don't delay. Start treatment ASAP, no matter how it messes up your travel plans.

But really, there's nothing unpleasant about the shots, any more than any shots are unpleasant. And I've been bit and had both HRIG and Verorab shots. (I mention this only because I think it's important to not scare anyone away from getting treatment if they're bit.)

zif wrote:

...
But really, there's nothing unpleasant about the shots, any more than any shots are unpleasant. And I've been bit and had both HRIG and Verorab shots. (I mention this only because I think it's important to not scare anyone away from getting treatment if they're bit.)

I second that.  It's nothing worse than a flu jab.  It's in the upper arm with a very short needle as its intra-muscular.  Over in seconds.  And of course, one can alternate arms over the vaccination period of several weeks.

Don't be babies now, shots hurt but try getting shots right into your eyeball without the doctor waiting long enough for the pre shot pain meds to kick in.
My husband is having a series of 5 shots into his eyeball ATM for his double vision in one eye due to his thyroid which shouldn't of acted this badly if the HU doctors had actually been doing their jobs when reading his test results 2 years back.
His blood levels were off but instead of checking his thyroid they just assumed he drank so that was why his levels were off.
He doesn't even drink, only on a holiday a very social drinker.
I had a horrid shot in the knee when I was 15 years old. My knee blew up in gym class while playing tennis, mom took me to the doc office and they pulled out the largest needle I have ever seen. Must of taken out a pint of fluid from behind the knee without any pain relief!
Jabbed me 3 times for 3 fill ups of fluid!
Now that hurt.

zif wrote:

" . . . immediately start the treatment routine (which is not pleasant if you have not had the vaccine)."

I certainly agree that if you're bit -- especially in a country like India or Thailand where rabies is prevalent -- then don't delay. Start treatment ASAP, no matter how it messes up your travel plans.

But really, there's nothing unpleasant about the shots, any more than any shots are unpleasant. And I've been bit and had both HRIG and Verorab shots. (I mention this only because I think it's important to not scare anyone away from getting treatment if they're bit.)

What I meant was, not everyone realizes that the recommended post treatment included 5 shots (the vaccine is told to you before you start it will be 4 shots, which is why I said, "if you have not had the vaccine"). The first nearest the bite. So begin bit on the foot will be different than being bit on the hand. One non-vaccinated co-worker of mine was once bitten on the finger. The first shot (RIG - Rabies immune globulin) was "highly" recommended to be injected into her finger as well for best results. She choose to have the animal tested (it was negative), so avoided the treatment. And for someone who dislikes any type of needle or injection that can be a problem.

peterhux wrote:

I do not stand for negativity.

I can only say that I agree with that 200%. Negativity is a poison. Both internally for one's mind body and soul, and externally in the world.

But I have to say, I also stand for the scientific method.  And Reiki, so far, does not make the cut. That is not expressing negativity, only reporting negative experimental results.

Yes, I knew that with that caveat you were referring to HRIG/ERIG, which is given a bit differently than Verorab, but still no big deal.

I think the issue is that many many decades ago, ERIG in particular was used in a form that often caused a painful reaction, but with better purification that's not the problem it was. Nonetheless, the image of the fearful rabies shot remains, even though there's no longer anything fearful about it.

Marilyn Tassy wrote:

try getting shots right into your eyeball

Just the thought of that is unpleasant to me.

Marilyn Tassy wrote:

Don't be babies now, shots hurt but try getting shots right into your eyeball without the doctor waiting long enough for the pre shot pain meds to kick in.

War story:

Budapest, 1996, Gellert Baths.  I took a couple of mates to the baths to try out the steaming waters. Stupidly I believed that it would be of a Western standard and did not take any f;lip-flops/sandals.  Outcome was a nasty foot infection, probably a virus which cause nasty cracking and weird looking skin on my foot and also on my finger.   So, went to a Doc near the tunnel under the castle recommended by my interpreter.  He had a complete set up in his apartment.  Firstly he burnt off the hand infection using liquid nitrogen.  Didn't hurt a bit.  He and I were surprised.   Burning off with liquid nitrogen is a way to encourage new skin growth.

Second phase - burn off the infection with a "nitrogen gun" - a kind of probe with a copper disk on it the same size as the infected area.   No pain killers.  I don't think the air around that place had ever been so blue.  It was absolutely horrible. I swore continuously from there back to my place (at the time) in District II.  I then had more than a couple of large vodkas.  It was the most painful thing I had ever experienced.  I could hardly walk.   Mrs Fluffy was truly shocked by the impolite language.

On my next visit, I said, "that was really painful".  Doc replied, "oh, you need anaesthetic? I will give you some".  Now, WTF, why didn't he give me some when I was grimacing and gritting my teeth the first time.  Presumably  he thought I was practising some sort of  mind control on the first treatment as I said it didn't hurt on my finger.  The soles of ones feet are something else.  Surprisingly sensitive.

fluffy2560 wrote:

klsallee wrote:

.....

And more about European Baseball.

Ok sure but this is just minor stuff. 

Not on the scale of  football (several billion people involved).   Inflating its importance with World overstates its significance to everywhere else.

Meh.

I am not one to place "popularity" or the number of participants as any real measure of worth. After all, slavery at one time was commonly practiced and wildly popular. So today popularity impresses me even less, especially with a sport that may cause brain damage. And let us not even start with "populistic politics".

Personally, I prefer Snooker over Baseball. Baseball on the radio is okay, but I can not watch 20 minutes of baseball on the TV. Yet I can sit spell bound for hours watching a Snooker match ... how weird is that?. I last about 2 minutes trying to watch Football (both the American version and the non-American version).

But even Snooker is not really that popular, yet.... wait for it because here is comes.... it also has a "World Championship", even though it mostly is just a game between mostly UK players with some minor participants from Australia.

fluffy2560 wrote:

Inflating its importance with World overstates its significance to everywhere else.

Oh please.....

No sport is really "important" in the bigger scheme of things. Seriously.

klsallee wrote:

...
Oh please.....

No sport is really "important" in the bigger scheme of things. Seriously.

Hmmmm...ok...to quote deceased Bill Shankly, one of the UK's most famous football managers and former manager of Liverpool

"Some people believe football is a matter of life and death, I am very disappointed with that attitude. I can assure you it is much, much more important than that"

For some people, yes, it's THAT important.   

BTW, I'm not that much of a fan really of football but it's a bit insidious and creeping. it's the World Cup qualifiers now. I just had lunch in a Lebanese restaurant with one of my colleagues watching China play Qatar.   

Some days before that I was in an Forex bureau changing some money and I ended up watching Chelsea play Everton (5-0) with two of the staff while we waited for the manager.

Knowing something about football is a great leveller and icebreaker in many countries - taxi drivers, hotel workers, directors of businesses, even Ambassadors have an interest.  It can be extremely useful to be up on it to a certain degree.  Seems to be a worldwide phenomena - especially Europe, Africa, Middle East etc.