(June 26th, 2003 -- 4:51 PM PST)
Haven't been writing much lately. Let's see... I got my palm pilot back so I installed quicken and I'm now working on my budget and I'm now in a statistics class. But the real reason I haven't been writing much is that my aunt died last week and I feel stupid writing about crap like ants, comics or toxic cankersore medicine while my whole family is grieving. I still am unsure about my own feelings about the whole thing; sometimes I'm overcome with pity and sorrow, other times I feel guilty because I'm not affected enough. But most of the time, the whole situation makes me feel tired.
-- pauloc
(June 17th, 2003 -- 9:48 PM PST)
More on Clobetasol. This stuff is no good. Here are a few of the freakish side effects:
cracking/fissuring of skin
numbness of fingers patches
shrinking of the skin
purple stretch marks (I'm not joking)
has caused Cushing's syndrome
Hmm.. lot's of horrible side effects. But what exactly is Cushing's syndrome. I've never heard of it. It certainly can't be as freakish as friggin' purple stretch marks! Or can it? A little more research led me to this nugget:
Cushing's syndrome is a disorder characterized by a moon-shaped face, emotional disturbances, high blood pressure, weight gain, and, in women, abnormal growth of facial and body hair and changes in blood sugar.
Moon-shaped face! What does that even mean?! I can't make this stuff up. But here's the link in case you thought I did (Temovate is the brand name for clobetasol.)
-- pauloc
(June 16th, 2003 -- 12:29 PM PST)
My aunt gave me some cankersore medicine called clobetasol. It works really well; it helps alliviate pain and seems to reduce healing time. I love the stuff. But out of curiousity I looked up some medical information about clobetasol online. I was not encouraged.
Clobetasol is used to treat the itching, redness, dryness, crusting, scaling, inflammation, and discomfort of various skin and scalp conditions.
What? Scalp conditions? Did my aunt accidentially give me the wrong medicine, and I've been putting scalp medicine in my mouth? Used scalp medicine? I read on...
Clobetasol can be absorbed into your body if used in large amounts and can cause harmful effects.
Uh...I put the stuff in my mouth, of course I absorb some of it. Not looking good.
Clobetasol is for external use only. Do not let clobetasol get into your eyes, nose, or mouth, and do not swallow it.
Hmm...it sure is hard to apply without putting it in my mouth. Maybe she really did give me the wrong med, and I feel better just because of the placebo effect. What the hell are the harmful effects? Not looking good at all...
-- pauloc
(June 16th, 2003 -- 8:56 AM PST)
I took a scanner from my parents. Europe pictures should be up relatively soon. Although the wisdom teeth extraction and root canal went well and there's not much pain at all from those, the cankersores resulting from those surgeries are killing me. I'm gonna have to eat milkshakes for every meal.
-- pauloc
(June 11th, 2003 -- 7:27 PM PST)
Tomorrow is a big day for me. I'm getting two 
wisdom teeth removed and a root canal. And that's just the beginning of all the stuff that needs to be done. Thoughts of Vicodin are the only things that cheer me up, although not as much as the real thing will...
-- pauloc
(June 11th, 2003 -- 6:39 PM PST)
Another gallery of Sedona pictures is up. Click here or use the link on the left side to view it...
-- pauloc
(June 11th, 2003 -- 9:49 AM PST)
Here's a first. This week actually has two Fads of the Week. But they are related somewhat. In case you miss the link there, check out this great atlas. It's interactive so you can zoom in for more detail, and the maps are clean looking. Good stuff...
-- pauloc
(June 10th, 2003 -- 8:43 AM PST)
There's a new picture of a stained slice of rat brain in my work page. It's not as gross as it sounds, cause at this magnification, you can't recognize what it really is anyway.
-- pauloc
(June 9th, 2003 -- 6:52 PM PST)
I have some new ideas for a few new pages. One will be a restaurant review page and the other is an interactive comic book type page that shows what I do at work. The mainpage for the interactive comic will show me doing work, and you can click on the various pannels to get a more in depth, illustrated description of the tasks I'm working on. If it's surprising to you that my plans for the food review page are more complex than the interactive comic book page, then you don't know me very well at all...
-- pauloc
(June 7th, 2003 -- 9:16 PM PST)
I went to the library today and borrowed Idiot's Guide to Geography, Idiot's Guide to 20th Century History, and two David Sedaris books. Idiot's or Dummy's Books are the only types of books I read that embarrass me when people see me with them, but if I get through them, I'll be a little less ignorant.
-- pauloc
(June 5th, 2003 -- 9:50 PM PST)
Here are some pictures of Las Vegas. You can click on the link of the left or here. Sorry for the lack of updating. I've been reading The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier & Clay and playing lots of MTG, but just haven't really felt like writing. I'm on a history fad right now also, although my fad of the week page doesn't reflect this. As soon as I pick up a decent world history book, you'll be the first to know.
-- pauloc
