Magnesium and Mg deficiency. Medical and incendiary content.

Today we look at Magnesium.

     My knowledge of Magnesium was limited to it's use in flares, incendiary devices, and when alloyed with Aluminum in Volkswagen engine blocks.  When soon after my transplant,  my blood labs came back showing a deficiency of Magnesium,  I researched it right away.

Specifically we will look at:

* Where does it come from?
* Uses in Early  Photography
* Thermite, VW Engine blocks burning Video. As you will see below the fold, Mg burns hot!
* Medical- Testing for, Symptoms of low Magnesium levels, Deficiency.
* Replenishment. Dietary sources and supplements.
*A look at how and why this has become a problem in the last 50 years.
(you may be surprised )

Magnesium.

Magnesium owes its name to magnesite dumps found in Magnesia, a region in the ancient Greek region of Thessaly, and is also a mythical city mentioned in Plato's Laws.

So here we go, ready , set , jump!

Two Jokes, some medical content.

Good Morning all,

“The most wasted of all days is one without laughter.” – E. E. Cummings

Today we have two jokes intended to raise the spirits of the growing number of Stem Cell and Bone Marrow transplantees who are following this blog. Here is a jpeg you can save and stick onto your email or use as an avatar.

Humor is reputed to be the best medicine.  

 Below the jump there are links to the Mayo Clinic and WebMD and to  a site that will send you the joke(s) of the day.  

Caution: Jokes may cause nasal coffee spew, you have been warned.

So follow us over the jump, already...

T-Day getaway day 239

Good Morning All,  

        After much deliberation, we decided the mental health benefits outweighed the physical health risks, and launched an expedition to Smithfield VA for the annual Turkey day ritual.  Over several rivers, and through the woods, to grandmother's house we go!  Except Dot, the Greenman family matriarch is no longer with us. It is amazing to me how well her daughters have carried on the tradition, not only in the galley, but in the way they can fuss  at the menfolk, who probably need fussin' at if the truth be known. So today some food, and a short side trip into the world of the NC cotton harvest.

So buckle up for a road trip and lets jump

The Song is Ended, But the Melody Lingers On

   Good Morning all. 

      As promised way back on June 22nd, today we will attempt to plant an earworm by means of this fiendishly designed post which will masquerade as a bit of Ethno-musicological dissertation.

    I know there are probably only a few of you blog followers - you know who you are - will have the time or the inclination to listen to all the cuts, all the way through, but trust me, there are a few in here that are most entertaining.  You have all weekend.

     What follows below the jump is a little study - an e-monograph if you will - of "The Song is Ended" from 1927 through 9 decades. The song is presented on Edison Diamond Disc phonograph, a Player Piano Roll, 45, 78, 331/3 Vinyl, and MP3, the youtube poster's digital format. 

So if you have headphones or ear buds put 'em on and let's jump!

Thanksgiving day nears...

Ahoy All,

         No medical content, just a quick note this morning, as there will be a rather lengthy musical post Wednesday night for your over- the -T-day weekend perusal.  It was promised back in June and may just plant an an ear worm.    New subscribers might want to take a quick look at the post on earworms found here: ear-worms-no-not-that-kind.html

      Turkey Confidential 2013 is this year's permutation of Lynne Rosetto-Casper's annual  Splendid Table  call in show- it used to be called Turkey Triage, and had some hilarious call-in disasters. Most notably,  the  one from the "guys" who were handling  "Cooking the Turkey"  in their new deep-fryer who had a "football accident" and tipped it over in the driveway mid-cooking.  This year she has an all star lineup and some great "Swanksgiving" recipies.  Check it out, and you can stream it on T-Day from her site, splendidtable.org

Soundtrack:
Anyone else find it interesting that what was a pretty strong anti-draft song has made it into the Americana Thanksgiving  Obligatory Radiocast. 

Alice's Restaurant Massacre Illustrated

( with circles and arrows )

       And as our gummint threatens to start talking 'bout maybe passing some kind of Immigration Reform, here are two 'toons  about the European Invasion Thanksgiving that might liven up the conversation should your table be too quiet.

bon appetit,

Chris and Anne

Songs that just stay relevant. Caution, political content- no medical content.

Good Morning All,

The title track of Bob Dylan's third Album, released in 1964, was The Times They Are A'Changing.  That was 49 years, 9 months, 30 days ago.

Have they?
Are they? 
Will they?

plus ça change, plus c'est la même chose 

The more things change, the more they stay the same.

Today's post is dedicated to Toshi Seeger.


  NY Times obit/article here - Toshi Seeger, Wife of Folk-Singing Legend, Dies at 91

So put your ears on and follow us over the jump.

Day 221 Fatigue

 Hi to all,

    Apologies for the lapse in posting.  inexcusable really, so I will share a few medical and non medical reasons. 

     The 10 year old laptop continued to slow down in spite of being wormed, and boosted, flushed and tuned up. It was on its third battery and second keyboard.  I finally had to admit that working on it was beyond my ken.  Unsupported OS, Screen freeze, a half hour just to get online only to have the screen go black.  It was getting tired.  Overworked? Planned obsolescence? Fatigue. 

     A worthy patron set me up with a refurbished MacBook Pro, and this is the first post on the new to me Apple. I started on an Apple back at the dawn of the interwebs, and I wonder why I went over to the dark side. 

     This 62 year old laptop user/abuser  continued to slow down as well. Between the meds, the tapering of the meds, and the seemingly slow progress of my recovery, I was exhibiting some of the same symptoms. Brain Freeze and fatigue, and a feeling of things just not getting better.

 crumb art available at www.deniskitchen.com

 Ease on over the jump here for a look at Fatigue.