KB

Have 7mm stone. Its been a week now and i feel no pain and haven't seen or more importantly felt anything come out yet. I'd say in that last week+ i've drank 10+ gallons of water and lemonade combined, slowly tapering off where now i'm drinking 96 oz of water a day, 32 shy of a gallon. The only "pain" i've been feeling is this lower abdominal pain just below my naval. I feels different than your typical ab pain though, like there is a bruise there because when i touch it it hurts like a bruise would. I read that the antibiotic i take causes gastrointestinal upset, could this be the culprit? It's definitely not a disabling kind of pain, just more annoying than anything. I am almost certain it isn't the stone because i am still urinating normally. I figure if it was the stone it would 1) have more pain in my back, not my abs, and 2) block urine flow causing pain in my kidney due to back up of urine.

So 2 days ago I went to the ER due to lower ab pain and slight right side (kidney area) pain. I had a kidney stone once before like 7 years ago so I figured this it what it was..... I was right. They said it was 7mm and that it traveled a good distance already. They didn't do the ultrasound (lithotripsy?) thing to break it up. Seven years ago when I was in the Navy they DID do the lithotripsy procedure on a 6mm stone I had. After that one I went home, took the meds, and drank tons of water. I don't recall having any pain while urinating afterwards so I assume I passed it without pain.

Like I said though this one is slightly bigger, 7mm - so they say. However, since i left the ER I haven't had to take the pain meds due to no pain being felt. I figure if it is a relatively large stone I'd feel some sort of discomfort. I feel nothing. Since that day I have drank 2 jugs of Simply Lemonade a jug of CranGrape Juice and countless 32 oz bottles of water. Needless to say I have been going to the bathroom about every other hour to every hour since the diagnosis. I figure if it got stuck in my ureter I'd probably be in pretty severe pain. I am not. So is it possible with all that I drank that I dissolved it to the point it shrank significantly to almost being gone altogether? I mean I didn't feel pain or notice anything fall into the toilet with my 6mm one 7 years ago granted they did the lithotripsy. As for the cause of me getting it, I have a feeling I only get stones due to dehydration. In the navy I worked out a lot and probably didn't drink enough fluids for the amount I lifted and ran which was like 2 hours a day. I also would drink... HEAVILY on the weekends.... it was the Navy - c'mon. This time around I don't work out nearly as much, maybe 45 min 4-5 days a week, but I drink soda a lot, which I am giving up now and haven't missed it in the last 2 days. So yeah, I'm thinking dehydration is the cause.

So, to sum it up, can one dissolve a stone to near oblivion by drinking a TON of fluids, most notably water, lemonade, and Cranberry/CranGrape juice? Wouldn't a stuck kidney stone in the ureter cause severe pain? I mean isn't that usually the pain people initially feel to cause the trip to the ER in the first place? And finally, I didn't mention this yet, but how long does it take from initial ER visit to pass the stone? The chick who did my CT Scan said it looks like it is a little more than halfway to my fun parts - not her exact words.

Ok, so I am getting my nerd on and watching all 3 LOTR movies. As I am watching I notice some of the CGI is kind of crappy (usually distant shots showing horses and/or people running, or when the hobbits are in the foreground and normal sized actors are in the background right behind them) but they were pretty awesome the 10-14 or so years ago when the movies were made. I digress. So noticing this I wikipedia the films and see they all have a budget of about $94M (accept the first one, which was $93M). Using an inflation calculator, $93 mil in 2001 is about the same as $120-121M in 2013. Don't get me wrong, $120+ million is a huge sum of money, but in today's hollywood that is a relatively low budget for such an epic that is the LOTR. I mean in 2002 when the Pirates franchise started and filming of The Curse of The Black Pearl started, that film had a $140 million budget, only about 2 years after the principle filming of the LOTR), almost a full $50 mil more. The other Pirates movies dwarfed that initial $140M budget (last 2 Pirates movies, I count the most recent Pirates movie as a reboot pretty much, had budgets of $225 and $300 mil respectively). This blows my mind. What do studios blow their money on? LOTR had something like 1500 special effects shots throughout the series, I believe the most any series has ever seen at that point. Yet they made the entire trilogy for less than what the last Pirates movie cost to make (LOTR trilogy = $281M vs. Pirates... At World's End=$300M). Now I know LOTR used a majority of relatively unknown actors as leads, Viggo, Cate, Ian, Lee, and Bean (token bad guy in pretty much every movie since the 90s, haha) being the exception. That being said, actor salaries generally make up only a small portion of the films overall budget. Most actors don't even paid upfront, but make a deal getting them a piece of the movies success. Downey Jr. made a king's ransom off The Avengers. He is Marvel's darling and agreed when he renegotiated his deal after the first Iron Man move in which he "only" was paid $500,000. Due to him getting a 5-7% cut of The Avengers' profits though he made $50+ million on that film alone.... quite the pay increase, haha. But that is how that movie was made for "only" $220 million.

So again, how is it LOTR was made on such a quaint budget. The sets and costumes alone were so frigin elaborate (or numerous in the costume dept.) you'd think $93M would cover just that, haha. Then there are the hundreds of people who worked on the film getting a salary as well.

I'm not talking about your random fill-ins. I'm talking about 2-4 piece bands that have had the same touring members almost since their beginnings. Best example is No Doubt. Gwen Stefani, Tony Kanal, Adrian Young, and Tom Dumont are all considered the members of No Doubt. Yet Stephen Bradley and Gabrial McNair have been touring members since the band's second album back in 95, almost 20 years with the band. They have been sometimes included in promo photo shoots for the band, yet are only "touring members." They are easy to spot, they are the 2 black guys in the picture if you find a photo of No Doubt with 6 people "in the band." Greenday was much the same, having long tenured touring members, but never considering them part of the band. During live performances on late night shows you'd always see some guy far off on the side playing with Greenday, but trying to stay out of as many shots as possible. They just recently formally added a new member in Jason White to the band. He has been touring with them though since 1999 (he was always the guy you'd see off in the corner). I mean the guy has been with the band for 13-14 years, why did they just now consider him part of the band?

First, there seems to be a difference between just after effects and after effects CS6 - at least in price...... by several hundred dollars. What's is AE CS6? What does it all contain that the other doesn't? Why is CS6 so much more expensive than Apple's Final Cut Pro X and Motion 5 combo (together they cost $350 from the app store). FCP seems to be able to do a decent amount of editing and minor special effects. Motion 5 seems to be able to do all the extra special effects one could want, mainly motion tracking. Is AECS6 that much better than this Apple combo?

I've been wanting to use AE CS6 for a while now, but I don't make enough videos that warrants dropping a grand on a video editing program that will get used maybe 3 times a year, tops. I visited Adobe's site though and see they have an option of either buying it for $1000 or you can get a subscription on a month-to-month basis for $30 a month (I assume you pay as you go, as in if you don't want it after that first month you just don't pay the fee again), and a 1 year subscription for $20 a month. My question is, does this subscription variety have the same quality and content as the purchased variety?

I'm on day 17 since I had my last smoke, and good news is my cravings aren't nearly as hair pulling worthy as the were at first, and they are much much rarer now - maybe 1 a day at most. I smoked for 7 years (I'd say on average I was a 2 pack every 3 days smoker) and have tried quitting HUNDREDS of times before but I think this time I have the willpower, this is the longest I have gone smokeless in about 4 years and that time was only for a month. With me approaching my 30s (just turned 27) I am much more concerned with my health (I know, smoking at any age is unhealthy, yada yada yada, tell us smokers something we don't know, hahaha) and now here in Illinois the price for cigarettes is ridiculous, so my motivation is twofold. Anywho, I'm inching the 3 week point but about 2 days ago I have what I thought was either a cold or the flu. I'm not nauseous (yet) and my joints don't ache so that ruled out the flu, so i thought I just had a cold. But I don't remember ever having a cold that gave me headaches, a sore throat, constant phlegm being hacked up, and, not to be to graphic, gassy as hell. I'm hacking up so much phlegm to the point hacking it up is making me nauseous, haha, not the bug itself. I ask if it is because of me quitting smoking because I figured this would happen shortly after I had quit, like maybe 5-7 days afterwards when withdrawals really kick in. However, like I said I am near week 3, when my cravings are few and far between and I feel I have a pretty solid grasp of the new not smoking after everything routine (used to smoke upon waking up, drinking coffee, after meals, driving, typical smoker smoke breaks). If it is from not smoking anymore and my lungs are just now finally scrubbing themselves out, how long can I expect this sore throat and constant hacking to last? Tomorrow will be day 3 of this crap. It isn't discouraging me to start up again by any means (I have no idea how anyone with a sore throat could think about smoking) I just want this crap to get over with.

I can't find Snow Leopard anywhere, not even on the apple website. I need to update to Snow leopard so i can get Lion and then upgrade to mountain lion. Damn apple, updating their OS every 12 months.... f*** technology.

By this I mean how does one jump into reading comics?

I mean isn't it one continuous story that just keeps going from comic to comic? I imagine spider-man, being as old as it is, has to be on issue 1,000 by now or something.

Do i just go pick up a comic and jump right in?

How often are comics released?

How do you know a new one came out?

How much do comics cost nowadays?

Are comics themselves individual stories?

Where does one get comics nowadays?

If I dive right in how do I know about the character? Wikipedia him to get a superhero's backstory? Seems kind of lame, I'd rather read the comic to get the backstory, but I don't have a few grand to buy a first issue. Unless they make reprints or something alone those lines.

I'm 26 and haven't seen a comic in a drugstore since I was about 8 years old. The only comic reading I have done in the past is when I was like 10 and read Archie and Garfield comic books. Sorry for being such a noob about this stuff but you got to start somewhere. Also, which comics/heros would you suggest I start with? I'm thinking I'd like Marvel more just because they seem to have the better characters. I mean DC has Batman and Superman, but other than those two everyone is pretty lame on that side. I think the fact that Superman has every conceivable power but can be killed by a rock also kills his appeal for me a little. But I'm definitely open to the DC world. Any help would be appreciated. If you have a certain superhero I should get into, major or minor superhero, shout it out. also if you want give an issue number I should start with and a place I can get that issue, or any comic for that matter.

OK I've been trying to remember the name of the song and band that sings this song. The music video is the band playing their instruments pretty much but the video is about sex. It starts off with a girl in a convenience store and she eats something and starts making out with the dude in line behind her. Then I think it cuts outside to the gas pumps and a girl pumping gas starts getting this horny craze and starts spraying herself with the gasoline wet t-shirt contest style, then in the background of that scene there are two cars humping each other. The band's faces appear as saliva drops on the girl's tongue when the chorus plays I think. Also, I remember there being a ton of cars in this video with green ground effect lighting. The lead singer of the band wears glasses and I think he plays bass, not sure on the instrument. Please help, this has been bugging me the last 2 days.

So I just got back from visiting my parents for Christmas. I was gone for about a week and decided to leave my Macbook at home. Now that I'm back my internet is mind numbingly slow. What gives? How do i correct this situation?

I hate cooking and for some reason I got a slow cooker for Christmas. I don't plan on making too involved recipes like chicken parmesan or chicken alfredo. I just eat seasoned chicken breasts, veggies (frozen variety) and microwave a potato or have rice for my typical dinner. I was just wondering though with this crock pot if I could eliminate the most hated part of my meal, the cooking. Can i just toss in a few pounds of chicken, with my seasoning on them, and cook it on low while I'm at school or work?

The lead singer has glasses and plays guitar if I remember correctly. The video has the band playing in a parking lot. The song is about sex and has sexual innuendo throughout. Ex. there is a scene with a chick checking out at a small grocery store and a dude is behind her buying groceries. there are loaves of bread laid out to look like a man's junk if you know what I mean. The band during this scene also appears as saliva on the people's tongues if I'm not mistaken. This sounds like a crazy video but that is because it is. Another scene has a couple pumping gas and then a car starts "humping" a tow truck I believe. Then of course there is a flying bed towards the end. I can't fro the life of me remember any words or the name of the friggin band. I just have the video stuck in my head. This was probably a song in the early 2000s, kind of a punk rockish band too, with maybe a little bit of nu-metal as well as many bands around that time were all about the nu-metal scene.

After 2 years of using my bum knee (tore my ACL, meniscus, and dislocated my kneecap my last year in the navy, navy docs didn't improve things by waiting 7 months to have surgery... SOBs) as an excuse as to why I can't workout I've decided I NEED to get back to the 11% body fat and 185 lbs I used to weigh when i was in the navy prior to my injury. I think the best time for me will be working out in the wee morning hours instead of the afternoons like I used to do when i was in the navy. I'm in college now and my schedule changes day to day between classes and volunteer work so mornings are optimal.

Anyways, I was wondering what my meal plan should look like. I plan on waking up at 4:00 AM eat a Banana/apple/pear, a bowl of oatmeal, and wash it down with a glass of OJ. Then at 5 AM I'd do my workout routine which is going to start off slow due to me not working out really at all the last 2 years. I figure 2-3 times a week doing a whole body workout each workout day, working my way up to the 5-6 day workout split weeks I was doing when i was in top shape.

Should I wake up and eat this meal each day even not on workout days to keep my eating schedule on a normal track? Also, would eating the food listed be a good idea right before a workout? I figure eating before the workout would be best so I'm not going on an empty stomach. but is this too much? I don't want to be puking during my workout because I had to much to eat. Also, other than a ridiculously priced protein drink what would you suggest as a good post-morning workout meal? Currently at 220 lbs 17% Body fat. Goal is to be down to the 11% body fat by summer. I don't really care what my weight is but am shooting for the same lean, muscular 180-185 I used to be.

Also for you physical therapists out there. Since the VA and navy doctors suck and refuse to scope my knee, what are some good exercises to get an extremely weak leg back in shape? My bad leg is still about 1.5 inches smaller than my good leg and I want to try to at least even it out a little bit. I have limited range of motion and when i kneel it feels like I'm kneeling in gravel or something bumpy and uncomfortable (I can't sit on my heels when kneeling either). The navy docs say that this is normal and I'll have to deal with it the rest of my life. I say bull-sh** but what else can I do you know.

I should mention I am about to be turning 26 years old come the new year. People always ask for an age when i ask questions on here. I don''t know why that matters but whatever, there it is.

I've been slowly getting into hockey over the last few years and have always known of Gretzky's greatness and his records. I was just thinking though the other day that the leader nowadays in Gs and As in a single season is about 50 +/- 5 Gs and anywhere between 70-80 Assists. Gretzky would easily double these numbers in a single season. Now 100 point seasons are hard to come by. Gretzky would get 100 points by mid season. So I've been trying to find his ATOI for his career. I assume back in the day the game was played differently and he HAD to have been on the ice for at least 30 minutes a game. I'm thinking closer to 40 minutes. Unless he was legitimately that good and scored those points in the more common (nowadays) ATOI of about 20 minutes. I'm in my mid-twenties and never really saw him play so I don't know. I assume he played way longer in games than normal to get those stats. Like in baseball when pitchers in the 60s and 70s were pitching complete games way more frequently nowadays. The game just changed. Or like Cy Young's 511 career wins. Incredible but back in his day he started (and completed) 40- 50 games a year compared to the ~32 pitchers start now. Nearly all of Cy's starts were complete games too meaning he always got the decision or either a W or L. I mean if Verlander this year pitched 40 complete games and had the stamina they apparently did back then I am sure 30 wins would've been easy for Verlander. But back to the hockey question. What's Gretzky's ATOI?

Why don't major satellite providers like DirecTV or DishNetwork offer packages that allow the customer to pick and choose which channels they want? Like offer a 20 channel package where you get to pick the 20 channels. Instead they have these crappy cheaper packages with pre-selected channels that nobody watches, and in order to get ESPN or some other more popular channel you need to upgrade your package. I think offering Personalized packages would be extremely profitable for the company, so why doesn't anyone do it? I'd rather pay $20 a month for only 20 channels that I personally chose and know I'll watch rather than pay $20-30 for 60 channels pre selected for me where I'm only watching maybe 3-5 of those channels. Anyone have an answer to why there is no personalization packages, or if a satellite provider is planning on implementing this "personalized" channel package I am talking about

I am about 5' 10" and have a muscular/stocky build. I have broad shoulders and a neck to match that measures right around 18 inches. My waist is only 33-34 inches. Every dress shirt I try on looks like a poncho. Are there shirts out there already tailored to my muscular frame or am I going to have to buy a tailor-made shirt? If so how much does that cost? Where do I get one? Menswarehouse? I just got out of the navy and the shirts there seemed to fit a lot better so i assume the civilian world makes shirts that would fit me. I've been to JCPenney and Macys and have had no luck. I tried the fitted shirts and they look like I'm wearing a medium sized poncho instead of a large poncho when i try on the classic fit. I've heard about slim fit button down dress shirts but can't find any. Would those be any better than a fitted dress shirt and if so where can I get one? I just started college and am majoring in accounting and need to start working on dressing up my wardrobe which as of right now is only navy uniforms, jeans, and T-shirts with a pair or 2 of khaki paints and a few polos. It's amazing how used to wearing the same thing day in and day out you get in the military. Never realized how few clothes, in general, I have.

I applied for financial aid months ago but didn't get awarded the Pell Grant. I thought this was weird because I'm a veteran and everyone I know who has gotten out of the military has received at least a portion of the Pell Grant. I did receive the MAP tuition grant and the University Tuition grant. I'll be going to U. of Illinois Champaign-Urbana and the financial aid office told me seeing that I'm using the GI Bill which covers all tuition and fees that I'd get refunded my grants. However, the VA rep says I won't. Who should I believe the financial aid office or the VA rep. These are the exact words from the Financial Aid office via e-mail, "Yes, all financial aid that exceeds the University charges will be refunded to you." I talked to the VA rep and he said that the University would keep those grants and the only refundable grant is the Pell Grant. So again I ask, who should I believe? My wallet and sense says I should believe the financial aid office seeing as how they deal with all financial aid on a daily basis whereas the VA rep just works with veterans and the GI Bill almost exclusively (there is also the Illinois Veterans Grant but I'm saving that to get my masters). Also, could I reapply for the Pell Grant? Why wouldn't I have received it? At the time when i filled out the FAFSA I had a job, could that have factored in? I'm currently unemployed does that help my chances?

Alright. I have been calling the d*** 1-800 number for 5 weeks at least twice a week to check the status of my compensation status. I go through the menu and when I enter my file number it says it can't access it at this time and then say please hold for a service representative to help you. Then music plays for about 1-2 seconds and the machine comes back on and says my call cannot be completed at this time. I thought it was bad before when I'd be sitting on hold for a half an hour before I gave up and hang up. At least this is somewhat better now that you don't have to wait 10-15 minutes before you realize they are just blowing you off, now they just tell you by having the machine hang up on you.

Is there any other way of checking the status of a disability claim. I know there is the ebenefits website that is just about as much a disaster as the phone service but in order to check disability claims status you have to have a premium account. And in order to get a premium account you have 50 more hoops to jump through such as going to your regional VA office (mine's a 2.5 hour drive) bring 20 forms of ID, your original DD-214, etc. Why is the VA so shi**y at their job? I only ask because it has been a while since I received a letter saying "don't think we forgot about you. sorry for the delay but we're still processing your claim." or some sort of BS like that. At least then I know they are still working on it. Any advice would be nice. Even if it is just telling me to go to the regional office to get that da** ebenefits account.

School starts in a week and was wondering when to expect my college grants to arrive/show up on my account.

I've already had $625 deposited into my account for books and should be getting my GI Bill on time I'd think. I was wondering since school starts on Aug. 22nd when does the GI Bill pay my expenses (they just went onto my student account)? Is it the week before school starts (this upcoming week for me)? The first day of classes? A week after class starts? Or is it different for every body? Also, does the BAH come at the end of the month (my case, August 31)? Since my book stipend was a direct deposit my BAH should be as well correct? How would I find out if it is/isn't? Or should I say who would I contact to find that out?