Comments on: Yes, We’re Somewhat Broken http://fanaticalapathy.com/2006/05/23/yes-were-somewhat-broken/ America's favorite blog Wed, 03 Dec 2008 20:24:04 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.0.11 by: Harold http://fanaticalapathy.com/2006/05/23/yes-were-somewhat-broken/#comment-16592 Tue, 30 May 2006 21:42:33 +0000 http://fanaticalapathy.com/2006/05/23/yes-were-somewhat-broken/#comment-16592 Pete, your analysis is pretty close to the mark. Sometime in the past year-and-a-half someone discoverd that comments using the phrase "House of Saud" were getting blocked. (I din't rmember why it ever came up in a comment.) Nobody knew why, but it was pretty bizarre. The first test comment I fired off which included this phrase got blocked! Very, very weird. Pete, your analysis is pretty close to the mark. Sometime in the past year-and-a-half someone discoverd that comments using the phrase “House of Saud” were getting blocked. (I din’t rmember why it ever came up in a comment.) Nobody knew why, but it was pretty bizarre. The first test comment I fired off which included this phrase got blocked! Very, very weird.

]]> by: waterfowler http://fanaticalapathy.com/2006/05/23/yes-were-somewhat-broken/#comment-16558 Mon, 29 May 2006 02:24:07 +0000 http://fanaticalapathy.com/2006/05/23/yes-were-somewhat-broken/#comment-16558 Just checking. I thought Sea Skunk had me spam filtered. If it was the bug I had, I think I finally stepped on it. Keep us informed JR. Just checking. I thought Sea Skunk had me spam filtered. If it was the bug I had, I think I finally stepped on it. Keep us informed JR.

]]> by: waterfowler http://fanaticalapathy.com/2006/05/23/yes-were-somewhat-broken/#comment-16557 Mon, 29 May 2006 02:21:18 +0000 http://fanaticalapathy.com/2006/05/23/yes-were-somewhat-broken/#comment-16557 Is this thing on? Is this thing on?

]]> by: David http://fanaticalapathy.com/2006/05/23/yes-were-somewhat-broken/#comment-16549 Sat, 27 May 2006 23:36:25 +0000 http://fanaticalapathy.com/2006/05/23/yes-were-somewhat-broken/#comment-16549 JR, Thanks for the info. Glad you popped out of the shadows on this one. Pete IVDL, Yes, you can suck the Q-tips. But that is different than whether or not you should suck the Q-tips. JR,

Thanks for the info. Glad you popped out of the shadows on this one.

Pete IVDL,

Yes, you can suck the Q-tips. But that is different than whether or not you should suck the Q-tips.

]]> by: JR http://fanaticalapathy.com/2006/05/23/yes-were-somewhat-broken/#comment-16547 Sat, 27 May 2006 22:32:33 +0000 http://fanaticalapathy.com/2006/05/23/yes-were-somewhat-broken/#comment-16547 'Fowler, FWIW, the haemaglutinen spikes on the influenza virus' coating (the "H" in H5N1) look for specific receptor sites to attach to. One hypothesis I have seen, with some evidence to back it up, is that humans have the appropriate receptor sites generally only in our deep lung tissue. The receptor sites in the upper respiratory tract do not allow H5 attachment. This hypothesis holds that the reason the H5 version does not generally infect humans is because the virus can not get past the non-attachable upper respiratory cells to get to the attachable ones further in. Now if someone did have those same deep lung receptors in his upper tract, he would be highly susceptible to the H5 virus. Since such a condition is genetically determined it stands to reason that if one member of a family had this condition, others might too. I believe this may be the situation with the family in Sumatra where one person may have caught the bug from fowl and then passed it on to his/her genetically extremely similar relatives. The H5N1 virus has not, at this time, yet become contagious for the vast majority of humans. Being influenza, it is mutating constantly. It could mutate toward or away from human infectiousness--the process is entirely random. At some point in the future some version of influenza will cause a pandemic of variable lethality. It's a matter of time. But not just yet. Back to the shadows for me! ‘Fowler,

FWIW, the haemaglutinen spikes on the influenza virus’ coating (the “H” in H5N1) look for specific receptor sites to attach to. One hypothesis I have seen, with some evidence to back it up, is that humans have the appropriate receptor sites generally only in our deep lung tissue. The receptor sites in the upper respiratory tract do not allow H5 attachment.

This hypothesis holds that the reason the H5 version does not generally infect humans is because the virus can not get past the non-attachable upper respiratory cells to get to the attachable ones further in.

Now if someone did have those same deep lung receptors in his upper tract, he would be highly susceptible to the H5 virus. Since such a condition is genetically determined it stands to reason that if one member of a family had this condition, others might too.

I believe this may be the situation with the family in Sumatra where one person may have caught the bug from fowl and then passed it on to his/her genetically extremely similar relatives.

The H5N1 virus has not, at this time, yet become contagious for the vast majority of humans. Being influenza, it is mutating constantly. It could mutate toward or away from human infectiousness–the process is entirely random. At some point in the future some version of influenza will cause a pandemic of variable lethality. It’s a matter of time. But not just yet.

Back to the shadows for me!

]]> by: Pete IVDL http://fanaticalapathy.com/2006/05/23/yes-were-somewhat-broken/#comment-16545 Sat, 27 May 2006 21:08:07 +0000 http://fanaticalapathy.com/2006/05/23/yes-were-somewhat-broken/#comment-16545 Can we suck the Q-tips? Harold, congratulations. House of Saud. Ahhhh. Now, what was your comment regarding the House of Saud about? (Yeah, I know - I tried a comment using that phrase and it got swallowed and I forgot the point by ten minutes later, so how the hell could I remember what the comment was about a year later and when is this sentence ever going to finish? Ah.) Can we suck the Q-tips?

Harold, congratulations. House of Saud. Ahhhh. Now, what was your comment regarding the House of Saud about? (Yeah, I know - I tried a comment using that phrase and it got swallowed and I forgot the point by ten minutes later, so how the hell could I remember what the comment was about a year later and when is this sentence ever going to finish? Ah.)

]]> by: David http://fanaticalapathy.com/2006/05/23/yes-were-somewhat-broken/#comment-16533 Sat, 27 May 2006 03:24:33 +0000 http://fanaticalapathy.com/2006/05/23/yes-were-somewhat-broken/#comment-16533 siobhan, My comment from this morning urging you to get 37, with context, to Si Hersh (sp?) apparently got eaten by a cyberdog. Also ate my question to Matt about the tour dates for the new band. Could be a public service band sent out to raise awareness of what to do if the bird flu goes pandemic (kind of like the viral version of going postal). siobhan,

My comment from this morning urging you to get 37, with context, to Si Hersh (sp?) apparently got eaten by a cyberdog.

Also ate my question to Matt about the tour dates for the new band. Could be a public service band sent out to raise awareness of what to do if the bird flu goes pandemic (kind of like the viral version of going postal).

]]> by: David http://fanaticalapathy.com/2006/05/23/yes-were-somewhat-broken/#comment-16520 Fri, 26 May 2006 15:18:32 +0000 http://fanaticalapathy.com/2006/05/23/yes-were-somewhat-broken/#comment-16520 siobhan, If possible, get that comment (with context) to Si Hersh (sp?). Matt, When does their national tour start, and when will they be in Orlando? siobhan,

If possible, get that comment (with context) to Si Hersh (sp?).

Matt,

When does their national tour start, and when will they be in Orlando?

]]> by: siobhan http://fanaticalapathy.com/2006/05/23/yes-were-somewhat-broken/#comment-16515 Fri, 26 May 2006 14:03:29 +0000 http://fanaticalapathy.com/2006/05/23/yes-were-somewhat-broken/#comment-16515 I guess it could also work as a variant of "drinking the Koolaid" - e.g. "Looks like McCain finally licked the Q-tip". I guess it could also work as a variant of “drinking the Koolaid” - e.g. “Looks like McCain finally licked the Q-tip”.

]]> by: matt http://fanaticalapathy.com/2006/05/23/yes-were-somewhat-broken/#comment-16513 Fri, 26 May 2006 12:28:34 +0000 http://fanaticalapathy.com/2006/05/23/yes-were-somewhat-broken/#comment-16513 I think "Don't lick the Q-tips" works better as a name for a rock band. I think “Don’t lick the Q-tips” works better as a name for a rock band.

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