unicorn

The dentist was a she. I do drink a fair amount of coffee (3-4 cups a day), so I do get tartar, but that's a separate issue. The American Dental Association recommends flossing once a day, and that's what I do: https://www.ada.org/resources/ada-library/oral-health-topics/floss "...The ADA recommends brushing twice a day and cleaning between teeth with floss (or another interdental cleaner) once a day...". Had she asked "How often do you floss?" and I answered "Once a day" and she responded with "Then in your case, I recommend flossing twice a day," then I would have considered that advice (although I might look up the evidence for that, since it's not on any official guideline). Last week, I met with a Belgian cousin, who's also one of these "Once I've made my mind up, don't bother me with facts" people. I told her that my husband and I would be taking the Eurostar to Paris in a few days. She quickly and emphatically corrected me: "You can't take the Eurostar to Paris. Only to London. You must be on the Thalys." I just let it go by, and didn't bother informing her that the Eurostar and Thalys had merged, and Thalys no longer exists. Fortunately, I have only one other hard-headed cousin. Both of them are anti-vaxxers. We didn't meet the other hard-headed cousin, who nearly died from COVID-19. They were ready to pull the plug on her respirator, and her daughter asked that they wait until she could return to Belgium from Switzerland. As it turned out, the anti-vaxxer cousin pulled through while waiting for her daughter to return. If you think the near-death experience would change her mind regarding vaccines, you'd be wrong. Hard facts are of little importance to these hard-headed people, even when the facts are staring them in the face. We met 5 other cousins during this trip, and the rest were fine. My husband could barely tolerate the hard-headed one. We also found out that I had one aunt, whom I didn't know too well, who was also anti-vaxxer. She died in 2021 of the illness. (The hard-headed one we met also did end up in the hospital with the illness, but not near-death) The long and the short of it, is that I try to avoid people who disregard facts when forming "opinions," and feel that any opinion is valid as long as someone else agrees. Extremely closed-minded people are toxic.

I remember from many years ago taking the train from between Rødby (Denmark) and Puttgarden (Germany) on an overnight ferry train. I looks as though that line has been replaced with bridge links since 2019. I guess train ferries are becoming a thing of the past. I wonder if they'll every build that Strait of Messina Bridge.

Railway stations in Europe are among the most common cruising sites for Europeans.

I just looked up that Paul Chambers on Google Images: He reminds me of Littleface from those Dick Tracy comics...

That's an oxymoron. If you're granted bail, you're not in custody. My understanding is that he didn't insult the King, but rather criticized military funding/propriety.

Well, at least those who succumb won't pass on the stupid genes...

We are traveling in Europe, and using VPN set for Los Angeles. Yet sometimes some websites we use recognize that we're in Europe, and have left us a note blocking us, including the Los Angeles Times and WOW Presents (which hosts RuPaul's Drag Race). Even when we're signed up in the same city, I notice that some days those website let us have access, and sometimes they don't. Do some websites have the ability to "see through" VPN, and is there a way to get around that?

As far as I can tell, replacing testosterone to above-normal levels has not been studied in terms of cardiovascular risk. However, it is known that replacing testosterone levels to normal levels does NOT increase the risk of a heart attack (or stroke). https://www.acc.org/Latest-in-Cardiology/Journal-Scans/2023/06/20/14/42/cardiovascular-safety-of-testosterone "...Testosterone therapy in middle-aged and older men with hypogonadism and low testosterone levels was not associated with increased overall cardiovascular risk, when compared to placebo....".

I talk about Putin throwing people out of windows because he does. Sorry, I'm not an angry baboon. 😁 Your repeating yourself just makes you look stupid and desperate.

Do you think you were somehow more clever when saying this the 2nd time? 🙄

I just don't understand the joke. Maybe I'm too slow, and you can explain it to me.

That's rich, coming from the Tsar of Topic Diverters, who derails a discussion on HIV funding into Burma, Libya, and probably the fauna of Antarctica, too. Also the King of Hypocrites, apparently. The whole point is that while @PeterRS bring up facts, you bring up lies, as you often (usually?) do. A lie does not become a "possible fact" just because you pronounce it as an "opinion." If you want to say "Putin is a great guy," well, that's certainly an opinion. But if you say "The earth is flat," that's simply a factually false statement. It's not a valid "difference of opinion." It's not a valid discussion when you bring up lies.

Yes. Of course, the US's con-man-in-chief is a great example of that. He's lived his whole life conning people into doing his bidding, saying what he thinks they want to hear, then leaving them out in the cold. The same could be said of probably every religion. Just tell people what they want to hear, and watch them convert and shell out money. The most blatant examples in modern times include Joseph Smith, a professional con-man and thief who, it was known, provided fake "translations" of gibberish to found the Mormon Church. And don't get me started on Scientology. We now know most of the stories of the Bible can't be true, but look at all of those who believe--because they want to believe regardless of what the facts are.

It's pretty incredible what he expects people on this website to believe. Probably the only way to explain it is that he comes from a country in which anyone who writes something truthful which contradicts Putin's narrative will find himself thrown out a high window. If you even express it verbally, you'll find yourself in deep trouble. So his countrymen are used to just accept anything they read in print, and not bother to check things out for themselves. For some reason, he seems to believe people reading this forum will behave just like his fellow countrymen do--brainlessly.

Well, I had a 2 PM appointment, clearly after lunch, when I'd not be expected to have flossed immediately before coming in, and could be expected to have some food between my teeth. I would be concerned that she has a mindset like a Trumpster: someone who, once his mind is set, simply believes what he wants to believe, and doesn't keep his mind open to other possibilities, disregarding any evidence which doesn't fit in with his pre-conceived idea. Although this is probably more dangerous for a physician than for a dentist, I still don't like the attitude.

I should add that the further data the FDA requested, but didn't receive, were from the Phase III trials. Phase I trials simply establish basic safety (i.e the treatment isn't simply highly dangerous). Phase II trials confirm the efficacy of the treatment. Phase III trials are there both to confirm efficacy, but, more importantly, to establish overall safety (rarer side-effects). As it turned out, it was discovered that the first Dengue vaccine only helped those who'd previously had Dengue, but often made matters worse for someone who's never had dengue previously. This could be the problem for Qdenga. The inability (or unwillingness?) of Takeda to provide the Phase III data is a bit troubling. In the meantime, I'd prefer to simply liberally apply DEET, although of course it doesn't smell great.

At my last dental visit, my dentist straight out told me (falsely) that I wasn't flossing my teeth (which I do). I then informed her that I do, indeed, floss my teeth every day, to which she had the gall to say "No, you don't!". I wouldn't have minded if she had started by saying "Are you sure you're flossing your teeth every day?", but to make that statement, and then tell me I was lying to her, I couldn't accept. I definitely have my faults, but being a liar isn't one of them. My next dental check-up will be with someone else. This was rather nervy behavior in my view. Have any of you had similar experiences?

There are no real scientific studies (randomized clinical trials) which show efficacy of IV vitamins to improve fatigue and/or hangovers. The fact that someone "swore they felt better" after such a treatment isn't evidence of anything. Qdenga is probably safe and effective, but there have been some concerns, which should hopefully be resolved fairly soon. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dengue_vaccine#cite_note-14 "...Qdenga received approval for use in the European Union in 2022 for people aged 4 and above,[45][46][47] and is also approved in the United Kingdom, Brazil, Argentina, Indonesia, and Thailand. Takeda voluntarily withdrew their application for the vaccination's approval in the United States in July 2023 after the FDA sought further data from the firm, which the company stated could not be provided during the current review cycle...".

@Moses lying, on this site?? Why I'm absolutely shocked! 🤣

Someone recently told me that it's popular at children's parties for children to dress as Selena, striking pinatas of her murderer, Yolanda Salidvar:

😉

From my understanding from religious historians, the appeal of Christianity is how easy it is to get to heaven, per New Testament lore. In ancient Rome and Egypt, only the rich and powerful could be assured a pleasant afterlife. Christianity made heaven open to the masses (in fact, being poor is preferred). That made Christianity a big hit. Then the empires fell... 🙄

I'm surprised Bangkok suffered so much damage so far from the epicenter. Are the building inspectors corrupt, and open to bribes to certify buildings which don't meet building standards?

If I had to pick a religion, Zoroastrianism makes the most sense. It suffers from poor marketing, hence its lack of popularity. I read a book from a religious historical researcher, and he believed the Jesus story was concocted by the apostles. The Romans apparently kept good records of who was being crucified, and there are no records of "Jesus" until many years after his death. The most stupid religion, IMHO, is LDS, but boy do they have aggressive marketing, fundraising, and extortion to promote that religion. Eeek. In ancient history, civilizations which took on Christianity collapsed soon after conversion (Roman, Egyptian, British India)--so maybe polytheism is the way. Whenever we see on the news of tornadoes sweeping through the Bible Belt, I tell my husband "There goes Lord Shiva vacuuming the Bible Belt again!".

Sometimes corporals break the rules, then they must be punished... 😁