patience_limited's recent activity

  1. Comment on Vitamin D: the basics, Shannon’s story, the evidence in ~health

    patience_limited
    (edited )
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    Additional "I am not a doctor" advice - tell your health providers about every single dietary supplement you take. I supplement Vitamin D under medical advice at the usual over-the-counter 2000 IU...

    Additional "I am not a doctor" advice - tell your health providers about every single dietary supplement you take.

    I supplement Vitamin D under medical advice at the usual over-the-counter 2000 IU dose, with periodic testing, due to medications that cause sun sensitivity. I'm at risk of both Vitamin D deficiency from low sun exposure, and osteoporosis from RA. Spouse followed along and took the same quantity, assuming it was harmless and generally beneficial. He's had a heart valve replacement, and spends much of the warmer months outdoors without sun block.

    When his cardiologist found out he was supplementing Vitamin D, the doctor immediately ordered a calcium level test and put a stop to supplementation. It turns out that even slightly excessive calcium is an active risk for arrhythmias in valve replacement patients, can cause earlier calcification of biological heart valves, and may contribute to atherosclerotic plaque formation. Spouse wound up back on antiarrhythmic drugs for a couple of months until his calcium levels dropped into normal range.

    I'm inclined to agree with the doctor in the article that Vitamin D is a potent enough regulatory hormone that higher doses should be restricted from OTC sales.

    5 votes
  2. Comment on Tell US Congress: Stop the TikTok ban in ~tech

    patience_limited
    Link Parent
    This is my error - TikTok just announced new restrictions applicable to users under age 18. But the service is accessible to users age 13+, with some features restricted until ages 16 and 18.

    This is my error - TikTok just announced new restrictions applicable to users under age 18. But the service is accessible to users age 13+, with some features restricted until ages 16 and 18.

    6 votes
  3. Comment on Has anyone here received any benefit as a consumer from algorithmic ad targeting? in ~tech

    patience_limited
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    Over the years, I've gender-bent Amazon's systems to the point that I can get recommendations for sports bras, industrial data loggers, Chinese black vinegar, Carhartt pants, darning looms, power...

    Over the years, I've gender-bent Amazon's systems to the point that I can get recommendations for sports bras, industrial data loggers, Chinese black vinegar, Carhartt pants, darning looms, power tools, and cat toys all in the same day. I'd rather I wasn't so well tracked, but all of those things are relevant to my interests.

    Kickstarter - fall for one scam, and you'll get a ridiculous number of other scammers in your recommendations. Or maybe that's just the Chinese consumer electronic gadgets market.

    I run a plethora of ad blocking tools everywhere. If I sit down at my spouse's computer, it still shocks me how ad-spammy and awful his browser windows are. He's getting ads that track him right down to the shoe size and shirt collar measurement. [TBH, I want to know how New York Times e-mail newsletters are targeting their inline ads. Bastards have tracked my bra size and health conditions, and that ain't cool.]

    2 votes
  4. Comment on How evangelicals use digital surveillance to target the unconverted in ~tech

    patience_limited
    Link Parent
    Thank you for your gracious response. I can only imagine how difficult it must have been to separate yourself from the faith that embraced you. My spouse went through that process with...

    Thank you for your gracious response. I can only imagine how difficult it must have been to separate yourself from the faith that embraced you. My spouse went through that process with Catholicism. It's just as painful for him to hear blanket denunciations of the Church. Despite some personal harm from it, he's still got relatives and friends who remain believers, including members of the priesthood.

    I can easily acknowledge the dangers of judging people solely by their faith or lack thereof. At base, we're all human, capable of good and evil regardless of creed or ideology. Face to face, I've been the recipient of far more kindness from people of faith than I have of harm.

    Having said that, I'll share that I fear organizations of faith. Just as the Pentecostals you've met would scoff at the grandiose accusations in Beyond Belief, just as the Jewish congregations of my acquaintance would laugh themselves sick at the idea we have any significant influence on world affairs or economies, it's easier to see the religious organizations' hierarchs having their own plans and trying to steer their flocks. I don't begrudge the comfort and community people take from their congregation of worship, but people will do evil in conformity with a group that they'd never countenance as individuals.

    1 vote
  5. Comment on It’s hearty, it’s meaty, it’s mold in ~food

    patience_limited
    Link Parent
    I can't tell you how glad I was to switch off methotrexate for the same reason. Thank you for the primary citation!

    I can't tell you how glad I was to switch off methotrexate for the same reason. Thank you for the primary citation!

    1 vote
  6. Comment on It’s hearty, it’s meaty, it’s mold in ~food

    patience_limited
    (edited )
    Link Parent
    It's always been interesting to me that certain drugs and diseases cause perception of unpleasant foul, sour, bitter, or metallic tastes (dysgeusia), but we don't really have a good enough...

    It's always been interesting to me that certain drugs and diseases cause perception of unpleasant foul, sour, bitter, or metallic tastes (dysgeusia), but we don't really have a good enough understanding of what sensory components cause that sensation. The second study on taste/sensation/flavor of metallic compounds also suggests that there's greater sensitivity to iron and its oxidation states than to other metals of dietary significance. It found evidence we can (somehow!) get distinct retronasal perceptions of the flavors of non-volatile iron compounds. So maybe there isn't a specific receptor for heme taste, but the "palatability" of different iron compounds distinguishes heme from non-heme iron.

  7. Comment on A startling rise in sea-surface temperatures suggests that we may not understand how fast the climate is changing in ~enviro

    patience_limited
    (edited )
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    I simply commented offhandedly about the implicit assumption in this article, and most other popular press coverage, that climate change effects would proceed at the same pace as CO2...

    I simply commented offhandedly about the implicit assumption in this article, and most other popular press coverage, that climate change effects would proceed at the same pace as CO2 concentration. I didn't intend to criticize the climatologists' statements in the original article at all. It's a New Yorker article, not an IPCC announcement. There's no mention of methane, black carbon, or fluorocarbons, as among the additional potential accelerants, but it does make the claim about declining sulfate aerosols as a contributor to current warming.

    1 vote
  8. Comment on A startling rise in sea-surface temperatures suggests that we may not understand how fast the climate is changing in ~enviro

    patience_limited
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    I'm not an academic, and my access to primary sources behind paywalls is limited. I've been following what I could reach of James Hansen's work as a matter of curiosity. He's been warning of...

    I'm not an academic, and my access to primary sources behind paywalls is limited. I've been following what I could reach of James Hansen's work as a matter of curiosity. He's been warning of non-linear impacts [PDF warning] from linear atmospheric CO2 accumulation for over a decade.

  9. Comment on It’s hearty, it’s meaty, it’s mold in ~food

    patience_limited
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    The only paper I've been able to find which specifically addresses heme taste perception is hard paywalled. Even "metallic flavor" isn't as well understood as the other taste sensations.

    The only paper I've been able to find which specifically addresses heme taste perception is hard paywalled. Even "metallic flavor" isn't as well understood as the other taste sensations.

    1 vote
  10. Comment on How evangelicals use digital surveillance to target the unconverted in ~tech

    patience_limited
    Link Parent
    I understand the desire to believe your evangelical denomination wouldn't participate in these activities, and that you don't want to be on the receiving end of a collective condemnation. My...

    I understand the desire to believe your evangelical denomination wouldn't participate in these activities, and that you don't want to be on the receiving end of a collective condemnation.

    My apologies for lacking a nuanced view of each Christian sect's propensity for abusive behavior, but they all looked alike when I was getting my ass kicked. I hope you'll understand my personal trepidations about any religious movement collecting demographic data for purposes of outreach, however benignly intended, to unwilling or vulnerable recipients.

    I have no reason to doubt my dinner acquaintance's story about the Jehovah's Witnesses' repeat visits. She's not the first person who's mentioned their persistence and that the local group "loses" records of refusals.

    As to doorstepping, leaflets stuffed in mailboxes and door handles, and spam campaigns, I've absolutely received them from evangelical denominations, wherever I've lived. I'll acknowledge that was probably broadcast effort, not necessarily individually targeted, and may have been contributed to by converted relatives.

    But returning to the general case instead of the personal, we know that the U.S. Government and data brokers have used data exhaust from prayer apps to track devout Muslims. As a hypothetical, suppose that the "Bless Every Home" app could be used to track proselytizing evangelicals. Would you still think that the original article was unduly alarmist?

    5 votes
  11. Comment on A startling rise in sea-surface temperatures suggests that we may not understand how fast the climate is changing in ~enviro

    patience_limited
    Link Parent
    You may want to read this and this for evidence that optimistic bias and bad faith may be at work. Those were just the quickest examples I could get my hands on. I'll admit there's been...

    You may want to read this and this for evidence that optimistic bias and bad faith may be at work. Those were just the quickest examples I could get my hands on.

    I'll admit there's been information lag in disseminating results of the best predictive models, which have changed over the last 25 years, but there's also the noted hesitancy in broadcasting the likelihood of catastrophic scenarios in the very short term.

  12. Comment on It’s hearty, it’s meaty, it’s mold in ~food

    patience_limited
    Link Parent
    I haven't done the research to find particular evidence, but I suspect there are specific taste receptors for heme-containing proteins. You can boost umami in all kinds of ways that don't require...

    I haven't done the research to find particular evidence, but I suspect there are specific taste receptors for heme-containing proteins. You can boost umami in all kinds of ways that don't require animal products, but it's hard to satisfy cravings for iron.

    Bioavailability of non-heme iron from natural plant materials isn't very good. Avoiding iron and other mineral deficiencies on a vegan or vegetarian regimen requires a highly varied diet and adequate combination with ascorbate (Vitamin C) containing foods.

    1 vote
  13. Comment on Idaho needs doctors: But many don't want to come in ~health

    patience_limited
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    Religion and medical practice are complicated. I've worked with many maternal-fetal medicine specialists, and even some of the most devout among them were vocal about prioritizing the mother's...

    Religion and medical practice are complicated. I've worked with many maternal-fetal medicine specialists, and even some of the most devout among them were vocal about prioritizing the mother's life and health. [I'd never before heard a good Christian curse so much as a Texas doctor forced to fill out a death certificate for a 14-week miscarried fetus.]

    I know there's a small proportion of doctors who are involved in the most batshit of the pro-life "embryos are people" political activity, but I never met a one. And that's a huge problem for states that want to pursue the laws around life beginning at conception - even if every fellow-believer physician or advanced practitioner moved there, they'll never have enough to support the increasing number of people who'll need specialist medical services due to forced birth policies. Pregnant children are incredibly vulnerable to life-threatening complications, not to mention those with serious health conditions, addictions, extreme socioeconomic stressors, advanced maternal age, multiples, and so on.

    13 votes
  14. Comment on A startling rise in sea-surface temperatures suggests that we may not understand how fast the climate is changing in ~enviro

    patience_limited
    Link Parent
    I'm not a geoscientist, just someone who paid attention in chemistry... Even though models show SO2 aerosols may have a significant negative temperature impact, I'm more concerned that methane...

    I'm not a geoscientist, just someone who paid attention in chemistry...

    Even though models show SO2 aerosols may have a significant negative temperature impact, I'm more concerned that methane emissions haven't been properly accounted for. It's not just unrestricted methane off-gassing from oil and natural gas production, but thawing permafrost and oceanic methane clathrate decomposition. The latest IPCC report may have underestimated the risks from rapid Arctic warming.

    10 votes
  15. Comment on A startling rise in sea-surface temperatures suggests that we may not understand how fast the climate is changing in ~enviro

    patience_limited
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    I don't know why there was such a broad assumption that climate change would be a predictable, linear process, other than the systematic attempts to deny or minimize the process altogether. We've...

    I don't know why there was such a broad assumption that climate change would be a predictable, linear process, other than the systematic attempts to deny or minimize the process altogether. We've known about multiple possible tipping points for a long time.

    19 votes
  16. Comment on How evangelicals use digital surveillance to target the unconverted in ~tech

    patience_limited
    (edited )
    Link Parent
    The fear engendered by these apps and databases isn't about acts of worship in shared public spaces. It's about the microtargeting of propaganda and intimidation. I don't think you grasp what it's...
    • Exemplary

    The fear engendered by these apps and databases isn't about acts of worship in shared public spaces. It's about the microtargeting of propaganda and intimidation.

    I don't think you grasp what it's like to be a member of a religious minority undergoing love-bombing from even the nicest members of the various Christian sects. I grew up in the only Jewish family in a very Christian rural town. Not a week went by without a half-dozen no doubt well-intentioned, but overly insistent people showing up to share the Good Word.

    Despite "no soliciting" signs, polite refusals, letters to their pastors, letters to the editor of the local paper, we'd get interrupted at dinner, breakfast, while working in the yard, walking back from the school bus stop... It's bloody creepy to have a car full of adults following you to talk about Jesus after you'd just been called a Christ-killer and pounded on by a pack of the school bullies. In the end, my folks got a very large dog, and kept a shotgun prominently displayed by the front door.

    That worked well enough for keeping away the one church that had persisted in sending its congregants after us. I shudder to think what life would have been like if multiple churches, including those from out of town, could easily find us and decide we were their target. You'd effectively be talking about forced conversion or relocation. [I did, in fact, get stalked by one of the children of these people, who found me on LinkedIn forty years later and remembered that I was a heathen in need of conversion.]

    And I just had a dinner conversation last night with a 70-something retired Army nurse, who is one of the toughest people you'll ever meet. She's also a very nice Christian lady who nevertheless had a problem with Jehovah's Witnesses harassing her. Imagine what it's like to live alone on a remote farm, and have to deal with a gang of strangers who believe they have a religious mission to show up uninvited, bully you by numbers, and steal as much of your time as possible. Well, tough Army nurse has a pack of large dogs (which are a great alarm system, but add to the annoyance when even the friendliest strangers come unannounced), a substantial collection of deer antlers mounted around her porch (all her own hunting), and the proverbial gun by the door. After making multiple polite requests that they remove her homestead from their visitation list, she's taken to letting the dogs out and showing up at the door armed.

    It's more than legitimate to complain about the data harvesting by Google, Apple, et al., but the point is that no one should have access to sensitive PII like age, ethnicity, religion, gender, sexuality, income, etc. without clear, revokable permission. I think we can all agree that doorstepping, phone calls, junk mail, online ads, and spam via this kind of targeting for solicitations of any kind, however noble the purpose, should be illegal.

    23 votes
  17. Comment on Tell US Congress: Stop the TikTok ban in ~tech

    patience_limited
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    Let me mention that TikTok scored a major own-goal by using a new notification feature to organize a call-in campaign against the bill. Congresspeople were shocked and overwhelmed by the number of...

    Let me mention that TikTok scored a major own-goal by using a new notification feature to organize a call-in campaign against the bill. Congresspeople were shocked and overwhelmed by the number of children calling in to protest, despite the app's promise of restriction to age 18+. This just about guaranteed the bill would pass overwhelmingly.

    I'm not really a fan of Matt Taibbi these days, but he has some cogent criticisms here, particularly of the delegation of authority to the executive.

    24 votes
  18. Comment on How do you keep your home smelling nice? in ~life.home_improvement

    patience_limited
    Link Parent
    To add to this, Febreze "Small Spaces" diffusers work beautifully for cat litter box areas. The relatively neutral "Linen and Sky" scent doesn't seem to bother the cats at all. We've actually had...

    To add to this, Febreze "Small Spaces" diffusers work beautifully for cat litter box areas. The relatively neutral "Linen and Sky" scent doesn't seem to bother the cats at all. We've actually had commercial-perfect "I didn't know you had a cat" moments when guests visit.

    1 vote
  19. Comment on Offbeat Fridays – The thread where offbeat headlines become front page news in ~news

    patience_limited
    Link Parent
    Fixed, my apologies. Two browser windows with the same entry open, one sent, one not.

    Fixed, my apologies. Two browser windows with the same entry open, one sent, one not.

    4 votes
  20. Comment on Offbeat Fridays – The thread where offbeat headlines become front page news in ~news