tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15907727.post7295565170445347335..comments2023-11-10T04:17:00.492-05:00Comments on View From The Porch: Pump up the bass!Tamhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07285540310465422476noreply@blogger.comBlogger34125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15907727.post-54421597429757933822013-02-16T08:52:57.777-05:002013-02-16T08:52:57.777-05:00But that's not very funny.But that's not very funny.Tamhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07285540310465422476noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15907727.post-13012023435253062242013-02-16T08:51:38.172-05:002013-02-16T08:51:38.172-05:00I'm clearly missing the sarcasm here; because ...I'm clearly missing the sarcasm here; because it seems to me that this isn't that wacky a study. Not necessarily the Most useful, but... Given that pharmaceuticals aren't stopped by any municipal waste water treatment systems, let alone a septic tank; knowing the level at which the chemicals start to have an appreciable impact on the down-stream ecosystem, even if it is off the chart of expected amounts isn't bad science. If the study comes back with the conclusion that the amount is entirely off the chart, then the chemicals in question may be a lower priority or have none at all. Useful for designing filters and testing protocols.<br /><br />Now, what one does with the study and why and under what bias the study was funded...that may be another kettle of fish entirely.<br /><br />Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15907727.post-55046008755161800932013-02-16T01:00:13.955-05:002013-02-16T01:00:13.955-05:00Thing is, you never know if a "silly" ex... Thing is, you never know if a "silly" experiment ends up being of use down the line. Take the many episodes of "Connections" or Bryson's "A Brief History of Everything"--full of examples where a weird obsession with X turns out to have an important influence on Y. <br /><br /> <br /><br /> Andrew Weitzmannoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15907727.post-47252150465185111622013-02-15T20:27:19.150-05:002013-02-15T20:27:19.150-05:00Obviously they are trying to develop an addictive ...Obviously they are trying to develop an addictive strain of lutefisk to unleash on those of us who live in warmer climates. This will produce the necessary capital so that they can displace us in these climes.<br /><br />The weather here has been chilly the last couple of days, the lows have been in the mid-40s...The Great and Powerful Ozhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01379953300283048280noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15907727.post-87791516424315849632013-02-15T19:18:29.585-05:002013-02-15T19:18:29.585-05:00"We were somewhere around Stockholm on the ed..."We were somewhere around Stockholm on the edge of the stream when the drugs began to take hold..."<br /><br />-From "Fear and Loathing in Swedish Rivers" by Hunter S. SalmonJoe in PNGnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15907727.post-60421315152068666712013-02-15T17:14:30.440-05:002013-02-15T17:14:30.440-05:00Yeah, I hear you. I expect that most people have n...Yeah, I hear you. I expect that most people have no idea how effluent is treated. <br />And if i had a dollar for each time I moved into a new place and had to snake a drain, and found the clog consisted of a mix of hair and used french safes, I'd have- well, I'd have several dolars. oghttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07551049745184408924noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15907727.post-51246010228922209452013-02-15T16:30:27.288-05:002013-02-15T16:30:27.288-05:00og,
Sorry, didn't catch the sarcasm there. I a...og,<br />Sorry, didn't catch the sarcasm there. I am just so used to most people not knowing that treatment plants don't remove everything from the water, only certain things. It doesnt help when like you mention one gov't agency has been telling people for years to flush old drugs and another has more recently been saying not to.<br /><br />Of course, working as a designer in the industry, I have a very long list of things I wish people would not put down the drain just to make my job easier. ;)<br /><br />CoreyAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15907727.post-45412232136631118512013-02-15T15:55:14.847-05:002013-02-15T15:55:14.847-05:00Corey: I am aware of the process, and was of cours...Corey: I am aware of the process, and was of course being sarcastic. A company I used to work for half a lifetime ago sold filtration systems and deflocculating agents to wastewater treatment plants, so I've seen them in use. I think the very best thing to do, unless the police are actually breaking down the door at the time, is to NOT FLUSH YOUR DAMNED DRUGS DOWN THE TOILET. Now, the fun part of this is that the FDA specifically reccomends flushing some drugs, which is just BRILLIANT. <br /><br />On the other hand, I'm really popular with trick-or-treaters. (That was sarcasm again)<br /><br />Walmart and Walgreens around here do take back old or out of date drugs, I don't know if that's the same everywhere. oghttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07551049745184408924noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15907727.post-51384378341998137452013-02-15T15:54:02.198-05:002013-02-15T15:54:02.198-05:00Well, at least MY taxpayer dollars wasn't wast...Well, at least MY taxpayer dollars wasn't wasted on such silly studies. I mean, could you imagine if, say , oh I don't know, that some of a $7 million Grant was used to "Prove" that the Tea Party was actually a Front for BIG TOBACCO?<br /><br />Oh wait...Bubblehead Les.https://www.blogger.com/profile/00730873284089958084noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15907727.post-81263923022932367662013-02-15T14:44:50.652-05:002013-02-15T14:44:50.652-05:00@ og and any one else who is curious,
Current was...@ og and any one else who is curious,<br /><br />Current wastewater treatment technology can produce a very clean effluent with regards to biological nutrients (phosphorus compounds, ammonia, nitrates, etc.) as well as pathogens. However, most pharmaceuticals that get flushed will pass through a treatment plant unaffected and continue on to the receiving waters. There have already been studies showing flushed pharmaceuticals, particularly hormones such as birth control pills, having damaging effects on fish and amphibians downstream.<br /> <br />I work in the water treatment industry and there is currently a lot of money being spent on R&D in the industry to come up with ways to better remove pharmaceuticals from wastewater. The systems used by the drug companies are small, very expensive, and do not scale up for municipal use. While there are no current effluent standards for pharmaceutical waste in municipal wastewater, the EPA is studying the problem with the intent to set standards in the future, hence the industry research in order to be ready when the new regs get put in place.<br /> <br />In short, it is a real problem and there is plenty of private money being spent on finding a solution to it. That said, this particular research project sounds nutty.<br /> <br />CoreyAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15907727.post-38699148960405854872013-02-15T14:15:31.593-05:002013-02-15T14:15:31.593-05:00And who put the Loot in Lutefisk?And who put the Loot in Lutefisk?NotClauswitzhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13460199597231661863noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15907727.post-25731136382260016232013-02-15T14:14:36.983-05:002013-02-15T14:14:36.983-05:00If it works well for fish, they need to feed it to...If it works well for fish, they need to feed it to the Algae so that they can have a fighting (back) chance.<br />But the Swedish scientist just went home and made a sandwich for his Wife who works at the Volvo factory and has the real job.NotClauswitzhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13460199597231661863noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15907727.post-40456861414773355142013-02-15T13:58:31.245-05:002013-02-15T13:58:31.245-05:00Reaver Fish!Reaver Fish!Kristophrhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08370888276707569365noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15907727.post-73079317108939865332013-02-15T12:53:45.334-05:002013-02-15T12:53:45.334-05:00Yeh they do these "studies" for DEA &...Yeh they do these "studies" for DEA & DHS grant $$ every year or two. They all say/find the same thing. Duggs BAD- Jackboots GOOD. Now Genuflect to the god-king and shutup citizen.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15907727.post-45051075152573708212013-02-15T12:20:14.667-05:002013-02-15T12:20:14.667-05:00The swedes flush their toilets into rivers and str...The swedes flush their toilets into rivers and streams? Have they not heard of sewage treatment? Seepage beds? Septic tanks? <br /><br />I suppose this explains a lot. oghttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07551049745184408924noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15907727.post-67808729058427256102013-02-15T12:05:56.682-05:002013-02-15T12:05:56.682-05:00Any mention of on-medication, off-medication, back...Any mention of on-medication, off-medication, back on-medication adolescent perch going on a murder spree?<br /><br />I'm wondering if the scientists locked themselves in a room with the Xanax, had themselves a party, and started writing stuff down while all ganked up.rickn8orhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16911803300343351338noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15907727.post-66107481540353449342013-02-15T11:56:36.636-05:002013-02-15T11:56:36.636-05:00She was probably upset that you had even considere...She was probably upset that you had even considered hurting that poor little rat. What did that rat ever do to you?<br /><br />At least that's what my freshman English instructor probably would have done :)Fuzzy Curmudgeonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03802539927743643041noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15907727.post-36113104639301244252013-02-15T10:52:54.028-05:002013-02-15T10:52:54.028-05:00Long time ago, I saw a news story where scientists...Long time ago, I saw a news story where scientists were saying diet pop was bad for you. I dug deeper (this was in the early 80s when you had to, y'know, <i>LOOK STUFF UP</i>), and discovered that the scientists conducting the study fed lab rats the equivalent of several horse-sized doses of diet pop and - quelle surprise - they got sick.<br /><br />I wrote this up for a paper in school, concluding that it was the same thing as holding a lab rat underwater for 10 minutes and saying that water's bad for you.<br /><br />English teacher, not being a science teacher, disagreed with the thesis and I didn't get the grade I thought my work merited.<br /><br />gviglobal village idiothttp://www.alpharubicon.comnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15907727.post-28803141283009531012013-02-15T10:48:12.663-05:002013-02-15T10:48:12.663-05:00" Swedish fish... Maybe that's why they a..." Swedish fish... Maybe that's why they are so yummy."<br /><br />I laughed so hard I had to explain to the CSU* that I wasn't completely insane.<br /><br /><br />*Command Spousal Unit.Robert Fowlerhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03475193874676131196noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15907727.post-76940167679307122402013-02-15T10:43:34.124-05:002013-02-15T10:43:34.124-05:00Scott J,
That would be interesting to look into. ...Scott J,<br /><br />That would be interesting to look into. Since the anti's are running around trying to ban things that (they say) are common to all these mass shooting incidents, maybe they would like to look into banning anti-depressants also (assuming you are right). Oh... and pants. I'm pretty sure that all these guys were wearing pants. Shoes maybe?<br /><br />sStuart the Vikingnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15907727.post-28589285373122566272013-02-15T10:41:54.991-05:002013-02-15T10:41:54.991-05:00Come on now...the Swedes just don't have cool ...Come on now...the Swedes just don't have cool things to spend sweet, sweet, grant dollars on. Like a space program, or the western interior of the United States and its seemingly endless paleontological treasures. I honestly just feel bad for them. <br /><br />But this does bring up a point, I keep having to make to my colleagues. You can no longer expect to have research funded, because it is "interesting". Lots of things are interesting, but unless you can provide a tangible benefit to science <b>and</b> education it's not worth funding. Bonus points if you hit the NSF trifecta of science, education, and technology. Triple-double secret bonus points if you can make it applicable to cancer research. <br /><br />-RobRevolverRobnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15907727.post-90841093326917456982013-02-15T09:45:25.364-05:002013-02-15T09:45:25.364-05:00Apologies for bringing a dark thought to such a hu...Apologies for bringing a dark thought to such a humorous post but I think all these drugs need to be studied for their role in spawning mass shooters.<br /><br />I honestly think they're like "The Pax" from "Firefly" in that they have the opposite of intended effect on should 1% of their usage population turning them into something like Reavers.Scott Jnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15907727.post-20156559416923788902013-02-15T09:40:02.269-05:002013-02-15T09:40:02.269-05:00I think Jim in Galveston won. All I have to add is...I think Jim in Galveston won. All I have to add is: SAVE THE ZOOPLANKTON!!JohninMd.(HELP!?)noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15907727.post-16301125524819682772013-02-15T09:29:26.268-05:002013-02-15T09:29:26.268-05:00Sounds like the Mythbusters school of experiments....Sounds like the Mythbusters school of experiments. Didn't get the results you were looking for? Use more!<br />Except, they haven't blown them up yet.Jenniferhttp://injennifershead.comnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15907727.post-74490555618754314392013-02-15T09:05:33.082-05:002013-02-15T09:05:33.082-05:00Hard to believe this is a Swedish study without wh...Hard to believe this is a Swedish study without what chapters on the effect the drugs had on the fishes sex life.<br /><br />Maybe that's in the follow up study.<br /><br />GerryAnonymousnoreply@blogger.com