I'm making something of this day off

[clevermanka]

_luaineach posted this article about stomach bacteria having an affect on brain chemistry and behavior. Just one more note of encouragement for me to get my adrenal issues under control, since out-of-whack cortisol levels inhibit healthy gut flora--and vice versa.

I Must Chill. And take my probiotics.

I went out with mckitterick and his buddies last night. I shoulda just kept it to a dinner engagement. I was bored and frustrated for the two hours I stuck it out at their bar. It was loud and I couldn't hear any conversations, there was a super annoying girl who joined the group while we were there, and the drinks were expensive and awful. No more attempts to hang with the guys at Harbour Lights for me. I've tried and tried and tried, and I just hate it there. I always wind up leaving with a bitter taste in my mouth--and not just from that rubbing alcohol they pour behind the bar.

I kinda feel like I wasted a lot of yesterday. I got a lot done--laundry, grocery shopping--but it wasn't very fulfilling. None of that today!

Today I'm going to sew some talisman/tarot card bags for otterdancing to sell at Heartland festival over Memorial Day weekend. I'm also going to give her the short bloomers that didn't sell at Wild Man Vintage. I'm crossing my fingers for making a spot of cash from that to help pay for my Memorial Day weekend at ConQuesT.

Comments

[shrijani.livejournal.com]

Harbor Lights is a shithole. It is an even worse shithole than Louise's, and Louise's is pretty shitty.

But some people, they love it! They can have it.

You know what we should do one Tuesday night? We should go to Star Bar and drink wine, of an early evening. Be home by 9:00pm. Tuesday nights are Wine Nights, where their insanely overpriced glasses of wine are slightly less insanely overpriced (all wines are $5 per five-ounce pour, and $8 per eight-ounce pour). Wanna?

[clevermanka.livejournal.com]

YES.

[femfataleatron.livejournal.com]

I read this study in another place and considered posting it, but then I went to read the original abstract. It turns out that the conclusions of the study are bit more complicated (as usual) than the normal media hype.
On the page itself the links were pretty disappointing. Here is the real link
http://www.gastrojournal.org/article/S0016-5085(10)01006-1/abstract
Here is their conclusion:
Chronic gastrointestinal inflammation induces anxiety-like behavior and alters central nervous system biochemistry, which can be normalized by inflammation-dependent and -independent mechanisms, neither of which requires the integrity of the vagus nerve.

Really? I mean, you know what gastrointestinal inflammation feels like. Wouldn't you say that the generalized discomfort might cause you anxiety like symptoms? Maybe that's the reason for the vagotomy...

I also have this feeling that Ray Kurzweil is a crackpot… that doesn't make him wrong per se, but it does make me question his judgment in regard to things that have to do with the brain and behavior. He and his cronies do not seem to understand these things.

[clevermanka.livejournal.com]

Wouldn't you say that the generalized discomfort might cause you anxiety like symptoms?

I would say yes. Definitely yes. =)

[redheadfae.livejournal.com]

Me three, can I invite myself?

[mikalay.livejournal.com]

{{huggz}}

[http://users.livejournal.com/_luaineach/]

:) I think Ray Kurzweil is a bit of crackpot myself, but I still love him so!

I assume, as a matter of course, that anyone who reads my journal clicks through to the original source links; I post the info -- generally without comment -- in whatever fashion is the most convenient for me because I'm lazy. :P

ETA:

Wouldn't you say that the generalized discomfort might cause you anxiety like symptoms?

I think the point is to further try to pin down the biochemistry of anxiety-like symptoms. Something still only marginally understood. I mean, there is still a huge market for things like SSRIs because people think they actually do something for depression...

[femfataleatron.livejournal.com]

I'm saying that the original source link is missing, not from your post, but from his article. It took me a very grueling 30 seconds to find out the original source! I had to type in the search fields and everything.
I think the study is fine. Sometimes science needs to confirm things that are obvious. Like, that pain is stressful, even in inbred mice with their vagus nerves removed. I just get mildly annoyed when journals publish articles pretending that this is amazing groundbreaking research.