Lab rats

I write this to you today because I don't know how long I have left. Two of my colleagues have already been stricken with fever, one bed ridden. As for the rest I am not sure of what has become of them. Today at approximately 1000 me and my colleagues were subjected to the injection of an experimental vaccine of unknown origin. The vaccine was said to have contained antigens of Salmonella typhi, Vibrio cholerae, and Shigella dysenteriae species.

Though many of my colleagues verbally expressed their objections, it was to of no avail. It was if we had no right to object, as if we were no more than lab rats for a mad man's goals. It was if our very grade and entire future in medicine depended on our unwilling compliance.

One after another we were forced to endure a 1ml subcutaneous injection of this experimental vaccine into our upper arm which upon minutes resulted in a variety of adverse effects. Tenderness and swelling at the site of injection as well as numbness of the shoulder and a slight raise in body temperature was reported with in minutes after being injected. I am afraid that as time progress we will only succumb to more severe adverse effects that are due to this experimental vaccination.

As my limbs weaken and the light begins to fade from my eyes I only pray that someone reads of my misfortune to know the truth of what became of my colleagues and I.

I can't believe I actually let myself get injected with that shit. In no way in hell did that bottle look hygienic or reassuring. This was insane. In the States this would = big law suit.

Blogger education

Salmonella typhi
Infection of Salmonella typhi is the causative agent of typhoid fever which can include symptoms of fever, chills, bradycardia, weakness, diarrhea, myalgia, and in severe cases hemorrhage, and delusions. It is responsible for approximately 600,000 deaths worldwide annually.

Vibrio cholerae
Vibrio cholerae is the cause of cholerae which results in perfuse diarrhea. Over 2,000 people worldwide die annually from cholerae. Outbreaks of cholerae have result in 7 pandemics through out history.

Shigella dysenteriae
Shigella dysenteriae is one of the causative agents that can result in shigellosis which symptoms include cramps, diarrhea, fever, vomiting, blood, pus, or mucus in stools or tenesmus. Shigellosis is reported to responsible for 600,000 deaths worldwide annually, claiming mostly children.

Textmates

Last Monday night...
Text: "H!"

Text: "H! Guv evening pho..."

Text: "Hello pho.."

Monday morning...
Text: "Gud morning pho...."
My reply: "Good morning. So who is this?"

Text: "i'm liza.. Sorry f i disturb u..anu pla name m?"
My reply: "Liza who? Do I know you from some where? I'm assuming you know who I am since you have my number."

Text: "La, pho bngay lang skin..XENcya na poh u pla anu name m?"

Text: "Bkt d kna reply!h! im fr..Binan laguna. U?"

Text: "N0pe t0 tel u h0nesty i d0nt really n0w u p0h..i just guess it...s0 f u d0nt mind can we be friends? Bag0 lng kc sim q n im l0oking 4 a new frend..i h0pe mgte2xtbk kpa..tnx"

It's not unusual here to receive a text message to your cell phone from someone you don't even know saying "good morning" or "good evening". People do it out here all the time in the hopes that someone will respond back wanting to be their "textmate", not even knowing if the number they just dialed is active or not.

I for one don't really care for a textmate, especially if it is someone I don't know. So when I got that first text message last night I simply ignored it, figuring if I don't respond the person will just stop. But then I got two more text that night and one again the following morning. I found it a little surprising that all the text messages so far had been in English as well. I figured who ever this person was must know me some how. So I decided to finally text back to see who it was. And then she started to play that game as if she didn't know me at all. My surgery grades maybe low but my IQ isn't that low, missy. There were way too many clues indicating this was no random number text.

First of all, she texted me 4 times before I gave her a response. If you are dialing a random number you're not going to waste 4 text messages over a 12 hour period to see if someone texts you back. Also her first 5 text were all in English until I mentioned what a coincidence it is. Then all of a sudden she texts me in Tagalog? Yeah, nice way of trying to play that off now. And what a coincidence it is that she lives in Binan, the same town that I do. Later on she would call me "sir" however, I didn't even tell her I was a man or give her my name. Ok, there is a possibility this can all be coincidental but I don't think so. With that kind of luck she should play the lottery or have her own psychic hotline.

You know if she just told me how she knew me or who she really was I would have probably entertained her messages. I don't mind really mind listening to people. In fact I think it might be a problem of mine. No matter who it is I'll stop to listen to them, old ladies I've just met who want to tell me their problems, bums off the street wanting to tell me how they got there, or Mitch wanting to tell me the same story over in 3 different ways. I figure they just need to talk and have someone listen so if I'm not doing anything, I don't mind giving them a bit of my time.

But if you are going to text me trying to pretend you don't know me when you clearly do it makes you sound like a stalker or a psycho... Or both. I've dealt with enough crazies in my life already. I don't need any more. And how the hell are you going to ask me to be your friend when the first thing you did was lie to me? Yeah, that's how I like all my friends to be. This is like the third time this has happened to me so far. The sad thing is I think I'm really easy to approach so I don't know why people feel like they have to try and run this game on me.

Ladies if you want to talk to me just feel free to walk up to me when you see me and say hello. I'm really easy, more like a tramp.

Rain, rain go away...

Last night I had a dream about being back in the States. The weather was nice and sunny and though the setting wasn't exactly anywhere special I had a feeling like everything just looked beautiful. I guess I'm kind of missing being back home.

Or maybe I'm just missing getting out and enjoying the sun. Usually if I'm not in class I find myself sitting in my fortress of solitude. Since I keep the ac running 24/7 and my windows are all frosted I don't get even see the outside of my little concrete cell. Once in a while I do get out to go to the mall but trust me the scenery along the way isn't all that nice. Also even if I do go outside the weather has been kind of gloomy these past months. It's been cloudy and raining but still hot and humid. Maybe I shouldn't complain because if the sun was out then it would be a lot hotter out here. Then again maybe I could finally take a warm shower. Since the only way I can get any warm water here is due to the sun heating up the pipes and the water tank sitting upon my dormitory's roof. It's been a long time since I hadn't had a cold shower and I don't think I'm getting any more used to it as the time passes along despite what everyone says. And unfortunately as the days go by I think I'm getting less and less accustomed to sitting in this fortress of solitude as well.

The self-diagnosed schizoid

Last week after realizing that I will probably fail pharmacology and while studying for psychiatry I came across this web site called, Internet Mental Health. While reading thru their list of mental disorders and their accompanying signs I found one description that seem to fit me pretty well.

From the page of Internet Mental Health:

0.1 Schizoid Personality Disorder
Personality disorder characterized by at least 3 of the following:

(a) few, if any, activities, provide pleasure;
(b) emotional coldness, detachment or flattened affectivity;
(c) limited capacity to express either warm, tender feelings or anger towards others;
(d) apparent indifference to either praise or criticism;
(e) little interest in having sexual experiences with another person (taking into account age);
(f) almost invariable preference for solitary activities;
(g) excessive preoccupation with fantasy and introspection;
(h) lack of close friends or confiding relationships (or having only one) and of desire for such relationships;
(i) marked insensitivity to prevailing social norms and conventions.

Excludes:
* Asperger's syndrome
* delusional disorder
* schizoid disorder of childhood
* schizophrenia
* schizotypal disorder

All you need is at least 3 to be diagnosed as a schizoid? I don't think there is at least three from the list that don't apply. No need to discuss which one's those are but damn the majority does seem to apply. Maybe that's why they assigned a psychiatrist to be my guidance councilor. And I thought it was because of my little speech on Filipino personality. Judging from my family history I think I'm screwed.

Who's throwing the party?

Next month the university I'm attending will hold its annual "Med Night", an event that I don't plan on attending this year but one that the student body officers (SBO) are insisting that I pay for anyway. You know in the States there is a saying that you get what you pay for. And since I'm not getting anything that night I don't get why I have to pay for anything. If I throw a party at my dorm but you don't come I wouldn't expect you to pay for anything.

The Man: "Hey, Ray I'm having a party tomorrow night."
Ray: "I'm sorry man I can't come."
The Man: "That's ok but I want you to get me a case of beer for the night."
Ray: "Ok, I'll pick it up on my way back. You got the money?"
The Man: "Um, no you're the one paying for it."

Would that shit make sense to you? It doesn't to me. Every time I ask them why I have to pay they never give me a reason other than "you just have to". And when I ask them then what would I be paying for they start off with "well, dinner is 250..." Now, just hold $%^& up since I'm not going to the event I'm probably not going to be eating dinner there either. So why would I pay for a dinner I'm not eating? (Refer back to my little dialog.) That doesn't make any sense. It's not like the dinner is buffet style either, people just get one plate, so I'm assuming they will be paying per plate. Just tell the caterer not to make an extra plate that I'm not going to eat anyway and don't pay for it. It's as simple as that. Do people get a monthly bill from McDonald's once a month for not ordering a Big Mac? Well, I know it doesn't happen in the US.

Another thing I don't get is that since this coming Med Night the school will also be celebrating a 25th year reunion for its first medical college alumni, why is it that the students are the ones getting stuck with the bill for the university's event? I don't think any of the students even know these people but their dinner, the decorations, and the entertainment will all be paid for by the students, even the ones that aren't going. (Refer back to my little dialog to put this in some perspective.) Wtf?

Well, I guess it's a cultural thing because it seems that the rest of the students have no qualms about it all, especially the SBO. Maybe they are getting some kick back. I don't know. Anyway, the only thing that they are complaining about is that since the students are paying for the party they should have a say in where they are going to hold it. Finally there is one comment that makes a little sense to me. However, they don't get a say at all.

The university has decided that the night must be held on campus. So let me see, it will be the university staff who run the lights and provide the equipment for the event. Oh and that catering service for their lovely dinner that night is also run by the university. Hmm... So not only do the students pay for the university's event but they also have to pay the university for throwing it. Wow.

Now let's put this in a way so that some you might be able to better understand what is going on here.

The Man: "By the way Ray I'm gonna need $50 from you, that's just to cover part of the hosting fee."
Ray: "Isn't the party going to be at your house? And aren't you the one who decided to throw the party?"
The Man: "Yeah, it is but you know it is my house and you people will be there."
Ray: "But it's your party."
The Man: "Um, yeah. But anyway I'm also going to need an additional $50 to cover the DJ fee."
Ray: "Who's the DJ?"
The Man: "Oh, I am."
Ray: ? "We are going to pay you to DJ at your party?"
The Man: "Yeah, isn't it sweet? It's like I'm the one throwing the party but you are all the ones paying me to throw it. The best idea I had so far."
Ray: "I guess so, but like I said I'm not going."
The Man: "That's ok you're still gonna pay me anyway. That's the beauty of it."

Now, who in their right mind would agree to that shit? If you would I would like to meet you because I'm planning on throwing a party next Friday night.