What’s on your mind?

[Gutwrench]

Oh, my former wife had miserable allergies in August. She’d take Claritin then switched to a prescription Allegra (??) and Flonase. After many years the severity lessened significantly.
[doublepost=1556502042][/doublepost]

I realized that post may come off as rude. I meant that exposure to being on a farm means your immune system got used to it.

Not at all! No worries mate.

Every boy is special in their mother's eye.

Mom used to emphasize “special”. Sometimes using air-quotes. Lol

Some become BART officers.

Now I’m offended!

 

[Clix Pix]

I'm right with you on the allergy thing -- today for some reason I have had a miserable time sneezing, blowing, sneezing, sneezing and more sneezing.....even after dosing myself with Zyrtec. Worst bout of an allergic response I've had all season, so far, and it's been a pretty bad one for us allergy folks. Finally only tonight after a second round of Zyrtec after dinner did my symptoms finally ease up. Something Out There must've just come into bloom or is pollinating heavily. It was windy all day and I did have the windows open to enjoy the fresh spring air.... Well, I enjoyed it but my sinuses sure didn't!

 

[Apple fanboy]

I’ve been lucky with allergies. Apart from a particular toothpaste chemical I have to avoid because it aggravates my mouth ulcers, I’m all good.

 

[0388631]

I’ve been lucky with allergies. Apart from a particular toothpaste chemical I have to avoid because it aggravates my mouth ulcers, I’m all good.

SLS. Your mouth would react the same even with a very gentle soap.

 

[Scepticalscribe]

I realise that I am allergic to some additives in food, occasionally to pollen, but am extremely allergic to nicotine (my sinuses seize up if someone so much lights up a cigarette across the room).

However, my most pronounced allergy is to cannabis; I have spent parties where people were smoking the stuff, self-exiled in the kitchen, blowing my nose non-stop into kitchen tissue (ordinary tissue being insufficient for my needs) for around five hours .

Now, I avoid places where I am likely to encounter them, and my house does not play host to them either.

 

[LizKat]

No one gets to smoke anything in my house and that's that. Possible exception is me, if I'm daydreaming while standing over a skillet waiting for the oil to warm a little so I can add the onions...

Brashly moving right along: (file under TIL - today I learned...)

Earlier this morning I ran into the word "occhiolistic" for the first time in my life, in, of all places and sub-places, a Paris Review blog piece about what scientists who recently photographed the black hole like to read.

https://www.theparisreview.org/blog...who-photographed-the-black-hole-like-to-read/

And before breakfast, too. From vaguely remembered basic Italian, I figured that "occhiolistic" must have something to do with "the eye": occhio. Then in trying to find an English language explanation of "occhiolism", I ran into another place and sub-place I had never heard of. The Dictionary of Obscure Sorrows.

==========

from: https://www.dictionaryofobscuresorrows.com/post/95735249861/occhiolism#_=_

The Dictionary of Obscure Sorrows

occhiolism

n. the awareness of the smallness of your perspective, by which you couldn’t possibly draw any meaningful conclusions at all, about the world or the past or the complexities of culture, because although your life is an epic and unrepeatable anecdote, it still only has a sample size of one, and may end up being the control for a much wilder experiment happening in the next room.​

==========

Aha, I thought. A scientist interviewed in The Paris Review is just having us all on. Or else he's warning us about what happens when one gets sucked into a black hole. Or possibly advising against taking anything culturally meaningful from a photographic representation of a black hole.

Perhaps I need to give up reading before breakfast, not sure how much TIL fare I can take at such hours. Anyway so far I have not managed to read much more of the blog piece about what black hole photographers like to read. Pity they put this erudite dude's contribution so high up in the piece: I was preparing to absorb some more sci-fi suggestions. Now instead I feel like I may have dropped in on a scientist's sly semi-fiction.

 

[Gutwrench]

I realise that I am allergic to some additives in food, occasionally to pollen, but am extremely allergic to nicotine (my sinuses seize up if someone so much lights up a cigarette across the room).

However, my most pronounced allergy is to cannabis; I have spent parties where people were smoking the stuff, self-exiled in the kitchen, blowing my nose non-stop into kitchen tissue (ordinary tissue being insufficient for my needs) for around five hours .

Now, I avoid places where I am likely to encounter them, and my house does not play host to them either.

I’m allergic to middle aged women in Minneapolis - St Paul elevators. By the time I reach my floor I smell like Macy’s raised to the Nordstrom power!

 

[Scepticalscribe]

I’m allergic to middle aged women in Minneapolis - St Paul elevators. By the time I reach my floor I smell like Macy’s raised to the Nordstrom power!

A few decades ago, when he was still part of the labour force, my father used to remark scathingly on male colleagues who would, in his words, "drown themselves in Old Spice" (the aroma rather overpowering in lifts/elevators) instead of realising that a more subtle eau de cologne (and considerably less of it) might work a lot better.

 

[decafjava]

A few decades ago, when he was still part of the labour force, my father used to remark scathingly on male colleagues who would, in his words, "drown themselves in Old Spice" (the aroma rather overpowering in lifts/elevators) instead of realising that a more subtle eau de cologne (and considerably less of it) might work a lot better.

Ewww, reminds me of the weekend just walking back to my flat, was on the sidewalk near my building and passed a very elegantly dressed elderly gentleman walking with two ladies - I gathering from the conversation they were visiting as he was talking about what they should see in Geneva and Switzerland - I crossed behind them (I had just locked my bike in the basement) and swear to god was nearly floored by the fellow's cologne! I have never smelt such a quantity of cologne in a long time. Thankfully I am not allergic.

I must say my allergies have changed in the last few years. I used to have a severe reaction - mainly sneezing, stuffed nose and sinus and itchy eyes in March - April during birch pollen season. This greatly diminished my appreciation of longer days and warmer weather. Now however, this has changed. I actually get a stronger reaction to hazelnut tree pollen in late January and February and this is manifested with strong asthma and coughing mostly. Eyes as well. Oddly while I get a scratchy throat at this period if I eat anything with nuts I am not bothered the rest of the year - hence I ban them in late winter.

On the other hand my symptoms to birch and other pollen at this time has been greatly attenuated, almost no sneezing and I can breathe and enjoy the better weather in the daytime. I do tend to get occasional asthma and also some sinus blockage issues at night (so sprays and antihistamines are still needed), but the hell of 10-20 years ago is a memory.

 

[Gutwrench]

A few decades ago, when he was still part of the labour force, my father used to remark scathingly on male colleagues who would, in his words, "drown themselves in Old Spice" (the aroma rather overpowering in lifts/elevators) instead of realising that a more subtle eau de cologne (and considerably less of it) might work a lot better.

In my high school it was Brut. Yuck!

 

[decafjava]

In my high school it was Brut. Yuck!

View attachment 834367

*Inserts vomit smiley* Honestly I like nice colognes and perfumes but greatly prefer subtlety.

 

[LizKat]

On strong perfumes and colognes... and clothes dryer anti-static sheets that have fragrances in them, or anything that supposedly emits "pleasing fragrances" -- i.e. incense, scented candles, stuff you plug into electrical outlets... yuck. I do like flowers but admire the heavily fragrant ones like peonies only out in the gardens.

On sneezy allergies: As the eldest in a large family I have wondered sometimes why all my siblings have "hay fever" i.e. assorted pollen allergies, and some are also allergic to cats, whereas I never had those problems. I'm curious about whether a first pregnancy tends to confer on the fetus more immunity to common allergens for some reason, but not curious enough to wade through scientific literature on it. Maybe just luck of the draw or I was extremely adventurous, touching and ingesting samples of everything I could reach... developed immunity the hard way... but survived the experiences and don't remember any of it?!

 

[Scepticalscribe]

On strong perfumes and colognes... and clothes dryer anti-static sheets that have fragrances in them, or anything that supposedly emits "pleasing fragrances" -- i.e. incense, scented candles, stuff you plug into electrical outlets... yuck. I do like flowers but admire the heavily fragrant ones like peonies only out in the gardens.

On sneezy allergies: As the eldest in a large family I have wondered sometimes why all my siblings have "hay fever" i.e. assorted pollen allergies, and some are also allergic to cats, whereas I never had those problems. I'm curious about whether a first pregnancy tends to confer on the fetus more immunity to common allergens for some reason, but not curious enough to wade through scientific literature on it. Maybe just luck of the draw or I was extremely adventurous, touching and ingesting samples of everything I could reach... developed immunity the hard way... but survived the experiences and don't remember any of it?!

There could well be something in your theory of the eldest suffering somewhat less by way of allergies.

In any case, I have noticed that the pronounced sensitivities (and proto allergies) that I suffered from when younger have - for the most part - eased considerably in recent decades.

Of course, I am a lot better hydrated, too - for the past twenty years, I drink at least two litres of water a day, which helps with sinus issues, and my brother found that the symptoms of his allergies were alleviated considerably when he increased his liquid (i.e. water) intake.

 

[decafjava]

On strong perfumes and colognes... and clothes dryer anti-static sheets that have fragrances in them, or anything that supposedly emits "pleasing fragrances" -- i.e. incense, scented candles, stuff you plug into electrical outlets... yuck. I do like flowers but admire the heavily fragrant ones like peonies only out in the gardens.

On sneezy allergies: As the eldest in a large family I have wondered sometimes why all my siblings have "hay fever" i.e. assorted pollen allergies, and some are also allergic to cats, whereas I never had those problems. I'm curious about whether a first pregnancy tends to confer on the fetus more immunity to common allergens for some reason, but not curious enough to wade through scientific literature on it. Maybe just luck of the draw or I was extremely adventurous, touching and ingesting samples of everything I could reach... developed immunity the hard way... but survived the experiences and don't remember any of it?!

Could be, I have read that we are keeping our kids too clean (and all of us9 and it's good to let them get dirty. Keep them away from screens and let them roll in the mud and grass.

I am also glad no animal allergies, we had two cats and a dog - Persian/Himalayan mix, a stray and a German shepherd.

 

[Gutwrench]

Anyone use Irish Spring or Caress soap? I can spot them a mile away.

 

[yaxomoxay]

My favorite:

 

[Clix Pix]

I definitely have sensitivities to strong odors and in addition also have rather sensitive skin, so I use All (the brand) Free and Clear laundry "pods" and I do not use any dryer sheets -- those things make me itch and I intensely dislike the smell. I don't like the odor some laundry detergents leave on my clothing, hence the Free and Clear, which has no perfumes in it at all. I also am somewhat allergic to animal dander but that didn't prevent me from having two cats for a long time! Once they were gone, though, I did notice the difference.....

 

[Gutwrench]

My favorite:

Decades ago I used Gray Flannel. Now I use Snuggle or Suavitel.

 

[yaxomoxay]

Decades ago I used Gray Flannel. Now I use Snuggle.

View attachment 834380

Rookie.

 

[Apple fanboy]

In my high school it was Brut. Yuck!

View attachment 834367

Dad?

 

[chown33]

Today's milestone: This thread reaches 100 pages.

Drinks are on the house.

 

[Doctor Q]

Today's milestone: This thread reaches 100 pages.

We've probably covered everything it's possible to think about by now.

 

[chown33]

We've probably covered everything it's possible to think about by now.

I think not.

 

[Scepticalscribe]

I definitely have sensitivities to strong odors and in addition also have rather sensitive skin, so I use All (the brand) Free and Clear laundry "pods" and I do not use any dryer sheets -- those things make me itch and I intensely dislike the smell. I don't like the odor some laundry detergents leave on my clothing, hence the Free and Clear, which has no perfumes in it at all. I also am somewhat allergic to animal dander but that didn't prevent me from having two cats for a long time! Once they were gone, though, I did notice the difference.....

For the very reasons you describe, I use an environmental and natural products (by Ecover) for laundry that I purchase in health stores.

My soaps and moisturisers are purchased from the lady who makes them - entirely from natural products which she sources, or picks, or grows, herself, - and I realise that I intensely dislike strong - especially synthetic - scents.

 

[LizKat]

We've probably covered everything it's possible to think about by now.

Do I imagine a faint tone of hope there?

I think not.

Maybe everything it's possible to think about without getting all scientific, literary, mathematical, technical, gloomy, optimistic or the verboten "[too] political, religious or social issues minded".

That leaves obvious alternatives like food, grief and baseball or football in season as long as one does not celebrate or castigate the wrong team, same as in a bar.

Kidding aside, the cool thing about the What's On Your Mind thread is that it's almost impossible to end up off topic. Just have to stay away from politicizing the thread too much and practically anything else goes, even if it might as well have landed in some other community thread or even another forum.

Anyway kudos to @Gutwrench for having launched a thread "with legs"... [wincing to imagine the comeback on that one] and to @chown33 for keeping score. Happy 100th page!