I was just listening to the This American Life archives and came across a story about a man who did research into just how many actually useful, symbiotic parasites our cleanly modern life may have eliminated, and remains convinced that he successfully cured himself of lifelong debilitating allergies

I remember that one. It was fascinating.

In related news, this guys lives near where I grew up. He performed his own fecal transplant after being turned down by the hospital, to try and cure C. deficile. [link]

In more awesomer news from home, someone is putting felt vuvlas on the statues around Halifx. (NSFW for felt vulvas.) [link]

Uh, fecal transplant Xpost!

I finally got in my house.

I left work at quarter to 5.

Guess whose cats threw the security bolt on the front door, requiring someone to borrow a ladder to climb up on the deck and let someone in the back door?

Are you people sure that trepanation is a bad plan? 'Cos it's sounding really attractive right now.

No, I think it's a very good plan. And I want to do it.

and curiosity as to how bad one's allergies would have to be to make hookworms sound like a reasonable trade off.

I would have to think long and carefully right now but I would consider it. That bad.

If it will fix the itchy eyes, I am in.

!

Sarameg your cats are too smart. Or too something.

I know.

And with that, I'm spending this adrenaline in the pool. After blocking the lock from getting flipped again.

My allergies are creating a ton of pressure in my ear. For the past two days, I've felt like I just need to stab the eardrum with something and let all the fluid out. When I was a kid and got ear infections all the time, my doctor showed me a picture of a kid ear and an adult ear, and explained why kids get ear infections, and said that, when I grew up and my ear shape changed to the adult ear shape, I wouldn't have earaches anymore. I feel cheated.

Hil, you should find that doctor and... I dunno, give him a fecal transplant.

sara, I boggle at your cats. I'm glad you made it inside.

I thought the honey thing was recently debunked?

Really? Desensitization is a pretty straightforward concept. What is there to debunk?

[link]

I understand the criticism that the R&R Hall of Fame is Jann Wenner's vanity project, that a lot of inductees are not rock artists, that there are a ton of rock heavyweights who haven't received inductions/nominations. Perfectly cromulent arguments.

This?

"Meanwhile, while Chicago is left out, the Beastie Boys, a “band” comprised of three knuckleheads who started in hip-hop then dabbled in hardcore punk and funk, is in. Entertaining if in small doses, the Beasties have given us such obnoxious paeans to stupidity as “(You Gotta) Fight for Your Right (to Party).” OK, I partied to that song in college in the 80s, too. But are these guys really music Hall of Famers? Not in my book."

You know what asshat? No one wants to read your book, because you just farted it out in a cloud of ignorance.

I'm ranty. REALLY RANTY.

Why is "band" in quotes?

Let me explain, sweetie. The "band" they started as a hardcore punk band and then went into rap and hip hop. Not the other way around. They play things called musical instruments. In their "band." They won something you may have heard of, um, I think they call them Grammys or something? Yeah. A Grammy for their completely fucking instrumental album. DID YOUR BAND WIN A GRAMMY FOR AN INSTRUMENTAL ALBUM? NO? THEN MAYBE YOUR "BAND" SHOULD APPEAR IN QUOTES I DONT KNOW WOULDN'T THAT BE IGNORANT?

Also, Paul's Boutique has sold over 2 million copies and a mainstay of the top one hundred albums in such completely irrelevant music publications as Spin and Rolling Stone, as well as Time magazine.

Four of their albums went to #1 on Billboard.

You may want to argue that rap or hip hop artists shouldn't be inducted in a R&R Hall of Fame. Ok then. That's fine. We can have that argument. I think it's a silly argument, but whatevs.

If you're making your argument by shitting on a really great, incredibly influential band by trying to make it sound like they were talentless one-hit wonders who weren't really a "band" (WHY IS THAT IN QUOTES OMG) then your argument is fucking stupid. It shouldn't be a column in the Daily Beast, it should be a troll comment on Salon.

RANTY RANTY