[John B]

Lucky Lucky me. Got a phone call this morning with a recorded message. I have been picked to receive $990 towards my next flight press 1 for more info whoopee ( yeh right ) 

I got the same call yesterday, I whistled Dixie to the clowns.

 

[PhireSideZA]

I am sitting on site at one of our carbon black manufacturing plants (the only one on the continent)

Keep your distance from that stuff, stay upwind.   

Luckily we are in an office block, but it is quite near the plant itself. I had to fix a Spiro lung-testing machine on Thursday and got a free lung test out of it and happy to report they still work pretty well. We also carry particle sensors with us that warns you if there is a certain concentration of pollutants above a specified PPM, which restricts you to certain areas without respiratory gear and protection.

@Surferdude, I don't think that will be us, we used to be Philips Carbons, then the ownership went to Evonik, afterwards to Algorax and then to Orion Engineered Carbons which we currently are. We have plants mostly in Germany, a few in the Americas and in Japan. None in Aus though

Here is a map of all our sites around the world:

[Surferdude]

I am sitting on site at one of our carbon black manufacturing plants (the only one on the continent)

Keep your distance from that stuff, stay upwind.   

Luckily we are in an office block, but it is quite near the plant itself. I had to fix a Spiro lung-testing machine on Thursday and got a free lung test out of it and happy to report they still work pretty well. We also carry particle sensors with us that warns you if there is a certain concentration of pollutants above a specified PPM, which restricts you to certain areas without respiratory gear and protection.

@Surferdude, I don't think that will be us, we used to be Philips Carbons, then the ownership went to Evonik, afterwards to Algorax and then to Orion Engineered Carbons which we currently are. We have plants mostly in Germany, a few in the Americas and in Japan. None in Aus though

Here is a map of all our sites around the world:

Yeah I was thinking of Carst and Walker but they're only suppliers not manufacturers AFAIK.

[meehalych]

- can not fall asleep (seems like the consequences of the night shifts)

[Doggie 1]

Night shifts mess with normality.

[meehalych]

Night shifts mess with normality.

but they are extra paid on other hand.
- a summer is going to its logical end.
+ the vacation in Novemver gets closer though. May spend it in Vietnam again.

[PhireSideZA]

@meehalych, that's why you have this forum to browse at night! The consequential sleeping pattern disturbance does suck though. I had it a few months ago when I had many mornings that I had to drive 600+ km for a job and had to leave my hometown at 3 in the morning. Not fun.

+ my mum got her results back and all looks good. She will need to go onto chronic medication from here on out but at least there isn't anything majorly wrong that a bit of meds cannot fix
+ it's weekend! And today was payday... 

...not that I can spend it because:

- my i30 is being booked into Hyundai to have the water pump replaced, and a few odds and ends fixed as well. No car for me this weekend!
- my girlfriend is thinking of going to visit her father until the end of December in Zimbabwe, and I am feeling very unsure about the whole thing

[bumpkin]

  a very good friend has finally succumbed to the ravages of the big C at 48 years of age
  she is no longer in pain

[PhireSideZA]

a very good friend has finally succumbed to the ravages of the big C at 48 years of age
  she is no longer in pain

My deepest sympathies and condolences

RIP friend of Bumpkin

[FatBoy]

a very good friend has finally succumbed to the ravages of the big C at 48 years of age
  she is no longer in pain

My deepest sympathy for you and your friends families, Brian.  As my mother said to me (her last words to me), "Cancer is a c-word".

[Dazzler]

a very good friend has finally succumbed to the ravages of the big C at 48 years of age
  she is no longer in pain

Way too young  (the big C scares the $hit out of me)  Too much of it around...

@ Wabbit16

Good about your mum.. Good luck with the car and the GF..

[The Gonz]

I agree far too young. She's no longer suffering and the focus is on the pain in her friends and family. All the best, mate.

[Surferdude]

Terrible news, Brian.
An isidious disease which threatens all of us.
My thoughts are with you.

[eye30]

a very good friend has finally succumbed to the ravages of the big C at 48 years of age
  she is no longer in pain

48 is no age today.

RIP.

Hope her family are coping but it will not hit until after the funeral.

[Phil №❶]

Sorry to hear this news. Condolences to all. 

[neptune]

I went thru the BIG C in my mid forties in 2000 and had a relapse in 2003 and 2005 . Clean since,...but it was a very traumatic experience and one that I do not wish to go thru it again. It definitely was not on my bucket list. The one thing I found was that the doctors have a set regime to follow and are not that open to new ideas. I spent hundreds of hours researching this disease and the one thing that kept showing up was that cancer cannot thrive in an alkaline body, So my new diet was that I eradicate all food with acid base...onions, orange juice, vinegar, etc......

[Doggie 1]

Wine? 

[Phil №❶]

I went thru the BIG C in my mid forties in 2000 and had a relapse in 2003 and 2005 . Clean since,...but it was a very traumatic experience and one that I do not wish to go thru it again. It definitely was not on my bucket list. The one thing I found was that the doctors have a set regime to follow and are not that open to new ideas. I spent hundreds of hours researching this disease and the one thing that kept showing up was that cancer cannot thrive in an alkaline body, So my new diet was that I eradicate all food with acid base...onions, orange juice, vinegar, etc......

So, what alkaline foods are you substituting with 

[neptune]

@ Dave... unfortunately ...

@ Phil...... basically it was cleaning up my diet better than what it was......... juice drinks came a favourite...now when I say juice , I mean kale, celery, etc....... nothing with acid in it, no sugars as much as possible...there are always hidden sugars somewhere, nothing made from white, white flour, white rice. Got friendly with my local baker and paid the extra to get a special loaf of dark bred made up. Kept my carbs down and kept the protein high

[The Gonz]

Funny you should say that. Ever since my first month in AFG I've gone high protein low carb and I still get funny looks from people thinking it's unhealthy - go figure.

[neptune]

Funny you should say that. Ever since my first month in AFG I've gone high protein low carb and I still get funny looks from people thinking it's unhealthy - go figure.

you up your carbs if your building muscle or exercise a lot....as carbs is your fuel and don't want to feed off your muscle...

[The Gonz]

Damn straight, and this morning I went out and bought some more Olympic gauge weight plates because I upped my personal best.

[neptune]

Damn straight, and this morning I went out and bought some more Olympic gauge weight plates because I upped my personal best.

congrats...your home gym must look great......

just as a side note.....after my final relapse, it took me almost five years to break my 45 degree leg press pb , which was 430kg at the time...now it up,...up..and away....

[Dazzler]

I went thru the BIG C in my mid forties in 2000 and had a relapse in 2003 and 2005 . Clean since,...but it was a very traumatic experience and one that I do not wish to go thru it again. It definitely was not on my bucket list. The one thing I found was that the doctors have a set regime to follow and are not that open to new ideas. I spent hundreds of hours researching this disease and the one thing that kept showing up was that cancer cannot thrive in an alkaline body, So my new diet was that I eradicate all food with acid base...onions, orange juice, vinegar, etc......

Good on you for beating it 3 times John 

My Plumber appears to have beaten it and says exactly the same thing.. He grows and eats a lot of some special wheat stuff...

[The Gonz]

Damn straight, and this morning I went out and bought some more Olympic gauge weight plates because I upped my personal best.

congrats...your home gym must look great......

Actually, it's quite modest, just a very good quality adjustable angle bench and a couple of Olympic gauge dumbbells and an assortment of weight plates for them. Other than that, I have a couple of hand-me-down old British gauge dumbbells with 15kg on them, now just for Mrs G.

I just can't justify anything more to fit into the garage when I have access to top range gyms wherever I go. The gym on base (my office, some think ) is so impressive it's used by the local AFL football clubs before a significant calendar match by special arrangement. Next year in Melbourne, I'll have the same quality again - free.

just as a side note.....after my final relapse, it took me almost five years to break my 45 degree leg press pb , which was 430kg at the time...now it up,...up..and away....

Nice, no better feeling.

[The Gonz]

John, you really are onto something. Good on you for good research and logic.

[neptune]

Gonz , I see your avatar says you are from SA, but are you working out of Russell at the present moment?

[The Gonz]

Nope, locked into Edinburgh for the rest of this year. Russell is an occasional work visit only. There's a C130 type called Edgar with the same surname, maybe that's who you're picturing. I worked with him at JEWOSU when he was a FLTLT.

[neptune]

John, you really are onto something. Good on you for good research and logic.

One other thing that I came across was that I was 118kg of muscle at 6% body fat(cutting at the time for a comp), and within five weeks and two days , I was down to 78 kgs. That chemo basically destroys you. At that weight , I was so weak , that I could hardly carry myself. Now if I had been a normal weight of 95kgs and dropped 40kgs, I would be so extra weak . While I was in the oncology ward for nine odd months , I saw a lot of people pass. Apart from older people who could not fight , quiet a few who lost a heap of weight , were too weak to fight due to the chemicals. I put my theory to the board of doctors who were looking after me and there reply was that it was interesting theory and something to look at. I have a theory about this and gyms and when first get diagnose


As a side note....all water I drink is filtered and alkaline...

[The Gonz]

John, you really are onto something. Good on you for good research and logic.

One other thing that I came across was that I was 118kg of muscle at 6% body fat(cutting at the time for a comp), and within five weeks and two days , I was down to 78 kgs. That chemo basically destroys you. At that weight , I was so weak , that I could hardly carry myself. Now if I had been a normal weight of 95kgs and dropped 40kgs, I would be so extra weak . While I was in the oncology ward for nine odd months , I saw a lot of people pass. Apart from older people who could not fight , quiet a few who lost a heap of weight , were too weak to fight due to the chemicals. I put my theory to the board of doctors who were looking after me and there reply was that it was interesting theory and something to look at. I have a theory about this and gyms and when first get diagnose

At least some have taken it further than just a theory. The advice now is to carry a bit of extra weight in advancing years to counteract weight loss due to illnesses - makes sense to me!