[CliveG]

No. Just a comment as to my increased perception of the harm being done to me.

Perception being the important word.
There is no evidence of actual harm caused, is there?

I felt stomach cramps and wondered what I had eaten.

What you had eaten was almost certainly "no tramadol".

At this point I am saying it is a perception. I have to test my susceptibility and see how low the radiation can go before I cannot perceive any negative effects. It is a worry that it is so low. Can I live in a city or town without a reflective space suit, and a fully shielded home?

Do you not think that pain is an indication of harm being done to one's body? I do. Even low grade pain.

I was thinking of your kitchen no kitchen as not a double blind.

Let us say that we did the following. I stand on your bare feet with a pair of hobnailed boots and then step back. You say "Every time you step on my feet I have pain which lessens when you step back." Could I say "You can only prove the pain is from the boots if you do a double blind test." Maybe my closeness has a psychological effect on you that translates to a referred pains in your feet. You cannot just make such simple statements of cause and effect if you want scientists and the courts to believe you. Or are there exceptions deemed fairly simple?

[Colin2B]

Let us say that we did the following. I stand on your bare feet with a pair of hobnailed boots and then step back. You say "Every time you step on my feet I have pain which lessens when you step back." Could I say "You can only prove the pain is from the boots if you do a double blind test." Maybe my closeness has a psychological effect on you that translates to a referred pains in your feet. You cannot just make such simple statements of cause and effect if you want scientists and the courts to believe you. Or are there exceptions deemed fairly simple?

Cause and effect with hobnail boots on bare feet is an easy one to prove to a jury because of common experience. A double blind test (of sorts) is easy to set up if you are blindfolded, wear ear defenders and press a button to indicate foot pain, an independent observer records when the boots walk over you, although you might want to add foam rubber feet at random or other materials.

Alan understands expert witness evidence more than I do, but my limited experience tells me that jurors are generally nontechnical, the word ‘radiation’ often conjures up images of harm, they also will have read press reports that there have been concerns raised about proximity of phone handsets to brain/ear. The general public rarely understand scientific evidence and tend to go with fear eg vaccines, they also tend to suspect big companies and governments of trying to hide the truth - which is out there. So if you can get a jury based on a cross-section of population to make a judgment, and you play on fear, common knowledge, etc I think there is a good chance they would find in your favour (whether or not there is scientific evidence).
A panel of judges is more likely to be swayed by the experts and would certainly understand the significance of a double blind test.
If you can devise a serious double blind test, eg in a university lab where levels could be controlled, I would go for it.

[alancalverd]

"Upmarket food": I heard a doctor explaining to an upmarket cruise passenger that the reason he got the same malaria as a backpacker was that the mosquito did not know how much he had paid to be there. My last bout of violent stomach upset was caused by a very expensive oyster.

Short haul flying involves rapid changes of air pressure. The painful effects are exacerbated  by almost any medication or illness. It makes no difference whether the cabin is pressurised (usually to  8000 ft equivalent)  or not (for flights below 10,000 ft it isn't mandatory) because it is the last 8000 ft of descent that really hurts.

Tramadol is a Schedule IV controlled substance, meaning it has some abuse potential

In short, it is psychoactive and addictive.

When she spends time in the house she complains that it feels like there is grit in her eyes. It is a symptom that I have experienced a couple of times before we shielded the house.

That suggests that shielding the house has not improved matters and may even have made them worse. Sounds like a chemical problem.

[CliveG]

"Upmarket food": I heard a doctor explaining to an upmarket cruise passenger that the reason he got the same malaria as a backpacker was that the mosquito did not know how much he had paid to be there. My last bout of violent stomach upset was caused by a very expensive oyster.

Short haul flying involves rapid changes of air pressure. The painful effects are exacerbated  by almost any medication or illness. It makes no difference whether the cabin is pressurised (usually to  8000 ft equivalent)  or not (for flights below 10,000 ft it isn't mandatory) because it is the last 8000 ft of descent that really hurts.

Tramadol is a Schedule IV controlled substance, meaning it has some abuse potential

In short, it is psychoactive and addictive.

When she spends time in the house she complains that it feels like there is grit in her eyes. It is a symptom that I have experienced a couple of times before we shielded the house.

That suggests that shielding the house has not improved matters and may even have made them worse. Sounds like a chemical problem.

Upmarket cruise ship - that is an oxymoron. They are cattle wagons rife with pathogens just waiting. Oysters - some are okay and others are seriously problematic. Because of my sensitive stomach I usually eat quite bland food such as raw oats and milk for breakfast for example. At restaurants I usually have fried food. Never a salad at a restaurant.

Tramadol can be abused and addictive - just as alcohol can. Even caffeine can be a problem for people to stop. The withdrawal for me is quite mild and only a few days. The issue is that if the pain returns after the withdrawal or I cannot function, I go back. Now that I am pretty sure my pain is EMF based I  am not having a problem - as long as I stay out of high radiation areas. I thought that "high" was 3,000 uW/sqm but I now know that 300 affects me if I am in it for 2 hours or more and that 30 is too much for me to sleep in. I now think that 3 is too high for 24 hour "background" radiation.

I have done a lot of short haul and very long haul flights. I have never had medical issues. Except in the last few years with swelling ankles if I do not wear stockings and walk about. Like ground based systems, inflight Wifi is increasing in speed and hence radiation, especially as more passengers use it.

The house shielding is not great but vastly better than none. Tonight I visited my house and had dinner with my wife. Wearing my foil hat the whole time, and my mesh legging over my knee. After two hours I had to leave. I could not take the pain. It is hard to describe how it feels. Kinda like being in a seriously stressful situation which lasts. The emotional tension in one's body builds up and manifests as muscle pain. Shoulders, back, spine and legs. Like an over wound spring. And some of the queasy feeling also. Pain and queasy dissipated rather quickly once I left.

The problem is not only the level of radiation but the time in it. I worry about her but she says what can she do. It is her home and she has things to do. The gritty feeling in my eyes only occurred while I was staying in the house before I installed any shielding. It only happened twice to me, and lasted about a day each time. It felt like a sandy lump on the inside of my eye almost in my nose.

[CliveG]

Let us say that we did the following. I stand on your bare feet with a pair of hobnailed boots and then step back. You say "Every time you step on my feet I have pain which lessens when you step back." Could I say "You can only prove the pain is from the boots if you do a double blind test." Maybe my closeness has a psychological effect on you that translates to a referred pains in your feet. You cannot just make such simple statements of cause and effect if you want scientists and the courts to believe you. Or are there exceptions deemed fairly simple?

Cause and effect with hobnail boots on bare feet is an easy one to prove to a jury because of common experience. A double blind test (of sorts) is easy to set up if you are blindfolded, wear ear defenders and press a button to indicate foot pain, an independent observer records when the boots walk over you, although you might want to add foam rubber feet at random or other materials.

Alan understands expert witness evidence more than I do, but my limited experience tells me that jurors are generally nontechnical, the word ‘radiation’ often conjures up images of harm, they also will have read press reports that there have been concerns raised about proximity of phone handsets to brain/ear. The general public rarely understand scientific evidence and tend to go with fear eg vaccines, they also tend to suspect big companies and governments of trying to hide the truth - which is out there. So if you can get a jury based on a cross-section of population to make a judgment, and you play on fear, common knowledge, etc I think there is a good chance they would find in your favour (whether or not there is scientific evidence).
A panel of judges is more likely to be swayed by the experts and would certainly understand the significance of a double blind test.
If you can devise a serious double blind test, eg in a university lab where levels could be controlled, I would go for it.

All well put. No arguments from me. SA does not have juries. The judges follow the system and toe the line. I have abandoned any hope of justice in the system. I have been before judges who could not care less. There is no consequence for basing a judgement on which party is least likely to appeal. Even if appealed the rot goes all the way to the top. They simply dismiss with one line saying there is no chance of success. That way there is no hearing. Africa has a reputation for systemic corruption and it is well entrenched here in my experience and opinion.

I am aware of the importance of expert witnesses and their qualifications and influence having been involved with a couple of matters requiring them. It seem to me that when a corporate can say the country will have massive job losses the politicians listen and the top administrative judges steer the case to a judge who can be relied upon to get rid of the matter. Even testimony and a demonstration of a miracle from Jesus himself will not affect the outcome.

My gut feeling tells me I cannot win no matter how strong my case is. I checked with my guardian angels who also advised against it. In no uncertain terms. 

I will be trying to do the double blind tests, although getting any professional who wants to keep their job will be difficult. My attorney told me he cannot get an advocate to give an opinion even though I asked that it be strictly "off the record" so no-one would know.

[CliveG]

To Colin2B:

You may have suspected that my hobnailed boot example was a bit tongue-in-cheek. Thanks for your opinion though.

[Bored chemist]

Tramadol is a codeine derivative known for its weakness.

Wrong on both counts (and since you keep banging on about your field of expertise, I'm going to point out that I'm a pharmaceutical chemist).
And, if you don't want to believe me, try WIKI (and loc cit).
"In most cases, tramadol withdrawal will set in 12–20 hours after the last dose, but this can vary.[31] Tramadol withdrawal typically lasts longer than that of other opioids. Seven days or more of acute withdrawal symptoms can occur as opposed to typically 3 or 4 days for other codeine analogues."

From
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tramadol#Dependence_and_withdrawal

Seriously, a dose of the runs from Tramadol withdrawal is about as predictable as getting drunk if you drink a bottle of wine.
No need for speculation about dodgy prawns or upmarket pizza,

[Bored chemist]

Do you not think that pain is an indication of harm being done to one's body?

I think green is an indication of the presence of chlorophyll.
But that does not mean that I think the statue of Liberty is a plant.

Do you understand that pain may be caused by things other than physical harm?
Are you, for example, aware of pepper?

Could I say "You can only prove the pain is from the boots if you do a double blind test."

Yes.
(if there was not adequate evidence based on other things).

But what if, having had a foot amputated, I still suffer from phantom pain in it when I see you stand on my artificial foot?
Do you understand that there is no physical damage to me in that case?

Do you understand how, in that case, a double blind (or, even single blind) test would show the difference?

[alancalverd]

I have done a lot of short haul and very long haul flights. I have never had medical issues

This makes you a real exception. Every aviator recognises recompression pain as being part of the job, and a descent without discomfort is a rarity. It's still the best office chair in the world, though.

The emotional tension in one's body builds up and manifests as muscle pain.

precisely. It can also manifest as blistering in the absence of heat trauma, blindness, and in extreme cases, stigmata.

[CliveG]

Tramadol is a codeine derivative known for its weakness.

Wrong on both counts (and since you keep banging on about your field of expertise, I'm going to point out that I'm a pharmaceutical chemist).
And, if you don't want to believe me, try WIKI (and loc cit).
"In most cases, tramadol withdrawal will set in 12–20 hours after the last dose, but this can vary.[31] Tramadol withdrawal typically lasts longer than that of other opioids. Seven days or more of acute withdrawal symptoms can occur as opposed to typically 3 or 4 days for other codeine analogues."

From
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tramadol#Dependence_and_withdrawal

Seriously, a dose of the runs from Tramadol withdrawal is about as predictable as getting drunk if you drink a bottle of wine.
No need for speculation about dodgy prawns or upmarket pizza,

I have stopped taking Tramadol on about four occasions prior to this last stoppage so I pretty much know the effects of stopping. Mostly shakiness, aches and very tired so I tend to sleep. No diarrhea that I remember. A couple of times I tapered down and a couple of times I did not. The only real difference that I remember was the severity of the withdrawal. I stopped for about a week each time and restarted because of the return of pain and also feeling I could not function mentally - which I needed to do because of legal deadlines. The most I took was 2 at 4 am and 1 at 12 pm. I tried 4 daily a couple of times but felt dizzy and out of it.

A couple of times I stopped because I wished to get it out my system and see how the Tegretol on its own worked. The Tegretol made me feel a bit better but did not relieve the pain. I tried mixing the two and taking them at different times. On one occasion I stopped so I could try THC oil. I took two drops on my tongue and felt strange for 2-3 days so I did not try again. The other occasion I stopped and tried CBD but that also make me feel strange despite only about 3 drops.

 In the week prior to stopping this last time, I was taking one Tramadol (50 mg) in the morning and a half a Tegretol (half of 200 mg) at night. Some articles say that Tegretol may reduce the effect of Tramadol.

The article you reference (which I already had because I research what medicines I am taking) states "Long-term use of high doses of tramadol causes physical dependence and withdrawal syndrome". I do not think that 50 mg a day is a high dose.The max single dosage is 200 mg with  a limit of 400mg daily.

When I first started taking Tramadol the effects were very obvious to track. Nothing for two hours, then reaching peak effectiveness after 4 hours. After 7 hours the effect decreased and after 9 hours the effects had gone.

I will concede that the Tuesday diarrhea may be partly Tramadol related. I concede because it is difficult to separate what is causing what.

Nevertheless I am happy for the comments. It is important to figure out which issues might be medicine and which might be Wifi. I think I can rule out food as a cause. That said, a full stomach is not the same as an empty one for either the medicine or the Wifi.

I am looking at my medical history and see that I had a couple of presciptions of Myprodol for pain as early as 2012. I blamed the histoplasmosis but maybe the fluoroquinolones taken at the beginning of the bat fungus infection played a part. I will visit my doctor and get a summary of my history.

At the moment I feel great mentally. I feel calm and at peace with the world. I do have a little shoulder pain but it is easily bearable. I am going to try exercise once more. I had no problems on holiday with lots of walking and an hour of water aerobics. I am also going to go out of the city for a few days to where there is virtually no signal and see what happens.

[alancalverd]

All opioids screw up the digestive system, often causing painful constipation or localised cramps. The relief can be spectacular.

Patients referred to the London Royal Homeopathic Hospital with long-term multiple medications were often simply put on "no meds" for 24 or 48 hours. Their recovery from multiple symptoms made it a lot easier to diagnose what actually needed treating.

[Bored chemist]

I stopped and tried CBD but that also make me feel strange despite only about 3 drops.

Thanks for the confirmation  that you are susceptible to psychosomatic effects.

[CliveG]

I have done a lot of short haul and very long haul flights. I have never had medical issues

This makes you a real exception. Every aviator recognises recompression pain as being part of the job, and a descent without discomfort is a rarity. It's still the best office chair in the world, though.

(snip)

You may be correct. I never noticed it before. Usually one gets it from sinus pain when the sinuses are blocked. Aerosinusitus or airplane headache. I do not have blocked sinuses. I use salt water or colloidal silver solution on the odd occasion when I get congestion. Clears it right up.

I have a nose that was broken as a teenager and is slightly skew from being pushed in from the right.  Oh well, time for a story to make things interesting.

When I was 15 the local church decided to invite some reformatory boys to the Sunday night get-together for teens. Brotherly love. What a mistake. The older 17/18 year-olds just left and the two 16 year-olds who stayed were nasty. I stood up to them and one night after everyone went home I hung around to confront one of them for stealing from my younger brother. The guy was slightly bigger than me but when he said "Let's go talk in the alley" I knew the fight was on. I expected his mate to be there but I thought I could take on both of them. I was quite athletic and reasonably strong.

Although I was academically smart I was not street-wise. My dad was a regimental sergeant major who fought in WW2 and taught unarmed combat and then became a construction foreman. He was tall and powerfully built and used his fists (or his boots) to sort out problems. He was also a handsome ladies man who was a ballroom dancing champion. But he hated cowardice and we were raised to take death before dishonour.

I got to the alley and there are another five including the bigger ones. I p*ssed myself knowing I was in serious trouble. But I stood my ground and argued. Then I got hit with brass knuckles from the side. I turned to the attacker and again got hit from the right side. Not only did I not go down, I said "I will kill the next guy who hits me." They muttered and decided to leave. I was lucky not to be knifed. The small colonial town of Bulawayo in Southern Rhodesia (Zimbabwe) had a tiny but violent subculture.

My face swelled up like a Halloween pumpkin and turned all colours - red, black, purple, yellow. My cheek bone was broken, as was my nose. I was real sight at school. A week later, the reformatory relocated to another town. I do not know if my dad had anything to do with it, or whether it had been planned, or whether the schools refused to have them, or all of the above, but they were gone.

With time, my nose got hard and sharp on the bridge. Turned out to save me when I was attacked by a violent criminal who was out on parole in Auckland NZ. It was in a university residence and I was 57. The man head-butted me when I grabbed his arms to prevent a punch. I grabbed his throat and throttled him, standing sideways so as to not get kicked between the legs. He tried to gouge out my eyes with his thumbs while spitting like an animal.

I threw him against a sideboard and onto the floor then put him in an head-lock. I had to push his head forward to choke him into unconsciousness. I nearly killed him, but relented and put him in an arm-lock. Two cops arrived and called for backup saying they knew how violent the guy was. What! I am sitting on him and have him completely subdued. The thin skin on the bridge of my nose had split and there was very little blood, but he had a massive swelling on his forehead. Like a egg. His throat was purple. Probably only my third fight but one can learn a lot from TV. And probably some help from God. I had a bit of concussion in the following week.

Thanks for the advice. If there are alternative reasons for my pains I need to consider them and factor them in. It could be that the Wifi played a part. There was a slight queasiness in my stomach during the flight.

[CliveG]

Do you not think that pain is an indication of harm being done to one's body?

(snip)

Do you understand that pain may be caused by things other than physical harm?
Are you, for example, aware of pepper?
(snip)

One guy died from eating a spicy hot fishcake. His throat swelled closed.

However, you are right that some pain can be in the mind. When I was a teenager I learned how to hypnotize people. One could tell a person that if a particular girl touched him lightly he would have extreme burning pain.

Fascinating, the human brain. I had one young girl who went so deep she was capable of doing psychic stuff. Reading minds even at a distance, remote viewing and telling the near future. I stopped because it got too spooky for us all.

[CliveG]

All opioids screw up the digestive system, often causing painful constipation or localised cramps. The relief can be spectacular.

Patients referred to the London Royal Homeopathic Hospital with long-term multiple medications were often simply put on "no meds" for 24 or 48 hours. Their recovery from multiple symptoms made it a lot easier to diagnose what actually needed treating.

I learned the hard way how that can happen. I went to hospital to have hemorrhoids removed. The nurses gave me injections of morphine and I did not know to say "No" until a sister told me why I was not able to pass water or stool. Instead of 1 night I was there 5 nights. Since then I am careful not to get constipated. Raw oats for breakfast and lots of water. So even with opioids I do not have problems.

Before my mom went into frail care I brought her to my home to see if I could give her home care. She was on a bunch of medication. Pain tablets, laxatives, blood pressure tablets, antidepressants and a couple more medications. I weaned her off them all in two weeks. She did not need them. When she went into frail care I told them she should only get a paracetamol if she really complained. The other patients had daily doses of multiple tablets.

So I agree that being off medication is a good thing. When I have pain or nausea now, it seems to be when I am in cell phone radiation of some sort. Staying out of it means no pain or just some that I can tolerate.

[CliveG]

I stopped and tried CBD but that also make me feel strange despite only about 3 drops.

Thanks for the confirmation  that you are susceptible to psychosomatic effects.

Some people are highly sensitive to chemicals. You should know that. How much of an allergen does it take to cause severe problems? I once unknowingly ate a marijuana cookie at a party. I hallucinated for four hours. Most amazing though. More real than reality.

That sensitivity is likely why I am sensitive to EMFs. Although my wife now seems sensitized. Can long term low background tower radiation sensitize most of the population? I think so.

I visited the neurologist yesterday and asked her about Alzheimer's. She said the MRI of my brain showed shrinkage that was normal for my age. It was even and no cause for alarm. I told a friend the doctor said that I had the brain of a politician - nothing was left on the right side of my brain and nothing was right on the left side of my brain. I had to tell him it was a joke I saw that day in the paper.

The doctor did give me an Alzheimer's test. I had difficulty with some parts. Fifteen words starting with the letter "F". I battled. Later in my low emf apartment the words would just not stop coming to mind. She said I should learn another language to improve the interconnections. I cannot replace the dead cells which caused the shrinkage. Yes, getting old is not for sissies. A new and novel life lesson for me. Pity I have to die and take my experience with me.

[alancalverd]

Sympathy with the pot sensitivity. AFAIK my only allergy is to marijuana - serious swelling of lips, tongue and throat, just from secondary inhalation. I could get a job as a police dog - though not for long! Gitanes were a lot safer. I  can recall every note I played in the Sixties, but the other guys can't even remember the name of the band.

A second language is enormously helpful. My aunt and uncle lived in France in their fifties. She had a stroke around 70 when living in the USA and apparently lost all speech and comprehension until he spoke to her in French. A second (learned rather than acquired)  language seems to reside in a different part of the brain. Not sure how language is affected in genuinely bilingual-from-birth people, which would be an interesting study. As would the effect of stroke on speech in left-handers.

[Bored chemist]

I had one young girl who went so deep she was capable of doing psychic stuff. Reading minds even at a distance, remote viewing and telling the near future. I stopped because it got too spooky for us all.

And again, thanks for pointing out how suggestible you are.

[Bored chemist]

You should know that. How much of an allergen does it take to cause severe problems?

Not much.
But, since they don't cause mental issues they are not relevant.
Why did you mention them?

That sensitivity is likely why I am sensitive to EMFs.

No it isn't.

Although my wife now seems sensitized.

Told you so.

Can long term low background tower radiation sensitize most of the population?

Clearly not- because it hasn't.

I think so.

So, you think things even though they are clearly wrong.

What are you doing on a science site?

However, you are right that some pain can be in the mind.

Now all you need to do is accept that's what's happening to you.

[CliveG]

Sympathy with the pot sensitivity. AFAIK my only allergy is to marijuana - serious swelling of lips, tongue and throat, just from secondary inhalation. I could get a job as a police dog - though not for long! Gitanes were a lot safer. I  can recall every note I played in the Sixties, but the other guys can't even remember the name of the band.

A second language is enormously helpful. My aunt and uncle lived in France in their fifties. She had a stroke around 70 when living in the USA and apparently lost all speech and comprehension until he spoke to her in French. A second (learned rather than acquired)  language seems to reside in a different part of the brain. Not sure how language is affected in genuinely bilingual-from-birth people, which would be an interesting study. As would the effect of stroke on speech in left-handers.

When I have a break maybe at Xmas in the bush I may take some of the THC. It worries me though. The highs can be fantastic - but I had two horrific experiences from sharing a joint. Hallucinations again - in and out - from very low amounts. However, with the tincture the dosage is precise so maybe I do a little more each day and note the effects. Will make sure I am in a safe area with pleasant music. Emerson Lake and Palmer - Lucky Man - which put me as a pilot on a intergalactic space craft and woken out of stasis to fight a pirate craft. My life on earth was just a dream to keep me occupied during the long voyage. My nervous system and brain were connected to every part of the ship and I was one with it. Firing the huge cannons was out of this world. The ship was so massive and fast that the turns occupied solar system distances.

We were taught Afrikaans at school (similar to Dutch which I can follow). I tried to learn languages of countries I visited to get by. Swedish in Sweden, Spanish in the Dominican Republic. Living in Brooklyn NY I took Italian classes. But here I will learn Zulu or Xhosa (or the combo everyone seems to use). I already know some Fanagolo (a native command language used on the mines - pidgin - vernacular Zulu with some Xhosa, English and Afrikaans.) Words for Hold, Push, Pull, Water, Meat, Eat, Home, Take and so on. I have been meaning to do that for some time. French and Thai were difficult. German I can follow a lot of.

I have a lot of serendipity in my life. And today I learned (again - and the hard way) what happens to me with bad food. I had just finished with the legal costs attorney and went for lunch at  local dairy farm. Expensive and beautiful surrounds and a great day. So I was lulled and seduced by the pastrami on a bagel. Used to love it in New York City. I worried about it but the other options were not great. I sniffed at the meat and ate a little by itself. Seemed okay. Same with the garnish. I had half before I decided not to have any more. Like clockwork. Pain after 4 hours and the rest of the sequence. My wife said "Don't you remember the exact same thing happened the last time you went there and had the same meal". No, I only vaguely do. But not the same as on holiday at all.