Recent health developments

Another casual blogging event.  This one is about farts.  Wait, I’m being serious!

A few months ago, I had COVID for the first time.  I never got it before, because I work remotely, don’t go outside, and I’m also very religious about getting my boosters.  I finally caught it because my husband’s company’s RTO.

As I recall, I took a week off of work.  At the tail end, it was in that liminal state of “am I really sick enough to take off work?”  I could just give work 90%, and then I get to save my vacation day for when I actually feel better, you know?  The symptoms I had at the end were constant burping, and globus sensation.  “Globus sensation” is when you feel like something’s stuck at the back of your throat, I had to look that up.  Also, farting.

The stomach symptoms didn’t entirely go away.  And now, three months later, I’ve decided it’s because I’ve developed lactose intolerance.  I have tested this empirically.  Lactose intolerance can be treated with lactase enzyme, which you can buy over the counter.  Try ice cream with and without lactase, observe the difference.  Okay, so, I don’t get sick from lactose, not usually anyways.  I just get gas.

Could COVID induce lactose intolerance?  Maybe.  Some people on the internet seem to think so, although that’s not worth much.  I’m half Asian, various degrees of lactose intolerance runs in the family.  Some people just suddenly develop lactose intolerance as adults, and the timing may well be a coincidence.

I’m currently working out how much I need to change my diet vs just taking a bunch of lactase all the time.  It’s very nice that lactase is an option.

Colorblind glasses

What if you and I see different colors? Like when I see red, it’s the same as when you see blue and vice versa? A classic Deep Thoughts thought experiment that isn’t actually that deep, because everyone thought of it when they were like 15. If we each saw different colors, there would be no way to know. End of thought experiment.

But here’s a deep thought. The fact that we see different colors is just a true fact about the world, and we have a way of knowing that it’s true. Because when I see red and green, they’re on opposite ends of the color sensory spectrum, while for other people the difference between red and green is much more subtle. We do have ways to compare private experiences! Take that, Wittgenstein!

Anyway, colorblind glasses. This is a product that supposedly helps colorblind people see color. I learned about them from a video by Anne Reardon. Reports on effectiveness seem pretty mixed, with some saying the it makes the colors look more vibrant, some saying it helps them perform better in color tests, and some saying it doesn’t make much difference at all.
[Read more…]

Origami should take a page from music

I’ve been really busy this month, so I’m feeling some casual blogging. Question: why don’t origami books take a page from music books? It’s a pun, because I’m talking about book bindings.

Music books are designed to stay open, because you can’t very well hold the pages open while performing. Origami is likewise an activity that requires the use of hands while also looking at the page. You see what I’m saying? Origami books pose a problem that has already been solved in music.

Music books come in a few different varieties. There are small books that are essentially stapled together. Larger books come with rings or spirals. And of course there’s the classic solution, no bindings at all, just put them in a trapper keeper, or stuff them in a folder, or leave them lying around in loose disorganized stacks. Problem solved?

But blogging has ruined me in a particular way. I can’t just ask inane questions anymore. I have to do my due diligence and actually look up answers to inane questions.

[Read more…]

Link Roundup: November 2025

I’m later than usual with this link roundup.  Not apologizing, just observing.

Last month, on The Asexual Agenda, I published “From definitions to motivations“, which argues the importance of explaining the motivations for why people identify the way they do.

The Ace Community Survey also published its report on the 2024 survey.

Why TERFs don’t like Asexuals either: An Analysis | venatrixlunaris – In case you didn’t know, TERFs are quite consistently anti-ace too, reusing a lot of the same arguments they use against trans people.  This post includes an extensive collection of examples of TERF/GC comments about asexuality.  I do not recommend reading any more examples than you have to to get the point.  If you ever wonder, “What are asexuals fighting for?” one answer is simply trans rights.  Trans solidarity is important.

[Read more…]

Origami: Radiant Star

Radiant Star

Radiant Star, designed by Madhura Gupta

This weekend, I’m at PCOC, the Pacific Coast OrigamiUSA Conference.  The funny thing is, I picked this photo and scheduled the post ahead of time, but when I got to PCOC I found this exact model in the conference booklet!  I swear it was a coincidence.

This model is made from four units, of successively smaller size.  Each star is inserted into the hexagonal pocket of the next.  I like it!