Nick

As a pharmacist I often get asked how long does this and that stay in you system (usually controlled substances) and I explain half lives of different substances and how the test is almost always looking for the metabolites of the drug. When I started at this pharmacy, I was tested but was not observed. There was no sink, and the toilet water had blue dye in it. )(

However, a friend told me that they observed him urinating into the cup. I was under the impression they usually only do that in legal matters such as you are on probation, in jail, parole. In addition, they can run a tox screen with blood, saliva, and hair (however hair doesn't show recent usage, and hair can show positive for years not to mention it's very expensive.

As a pharmacist I often get asked how long does this and that stay in you system (usually controlled substances) and I explain half lives of different substances and how the test is almost always looking for the metabolites of the drug. When I started at this pharmacy, I was tested but was not observed. There was no sink, and the toilet water had blue dye in it.

However, a friend told me that they observed him urinating into the cup. I was under the impression they usually only do that in legal matters such as you are on probation, in jail, parole. In addition, they can run a tox screen with blood, saliva, and hair (however hair doesn't show recent usage, and hair can show positive for years not to mention it's very expensive.

Please see picture I added below.

I have a little OCD when it comes to well, almost anything. I do a lot of photography and I need an AC / DC power coverter to run my hard drive that backs up my RAW images (155MG animage). The DC fuse adapter the company provided bugs me as it doesn’t roll up easily and gets snagged on my other equipment. Do you see if problem if I removed their junction fuse and install a inline fuse which uses the tube with the fuse inside and two springs? I of course will solder and heat shrink the new connections, I will also use the same width wire and rated fuse.

I would appreciate any help

http://img853.imageshack.us/img853/8896/yahoouqest...

Random thought(s) and opinions of the day.

I frequently doubt the efficacy of using drugs to stop drug and alcohol abuse. For example: Alcoholics = Benzodiazepines such as Xanax, Valium, Klonopin. This class of drug works on the neurotransmitter GABA, the same as alcohol. Narcotic abuse (Opiates) = Synthetic Opiates such as Methadone and Suboxone. This class of drugs works identical to heroin and Oxycodone by binding to your brains opioid receptor sites and as a side effect produces euphoria and comfort. Meth abusers = Amphetamine based salts like Adderall, Dexerdrene, Ritalin, and Vyvanse. Like meth, these drug works on producing increased amounts of dopamine which is the reward pathway neurotransmitter.

I guess in a nutshell we are trading one addiction for the other, and hoping the other has less negative impact, but the user still isn’t treated. In fact in Methadone clinics they start you at a low dose and work you up, not down. Why is that?

In my opinion, methadone clinics are not about stopping addiction and saving lives as much as it is about saving money. When addicts get the drug free, they don’t have to rob, steal, and share needles all things that cost John Q Taxpayer but is that really the right thing to do?

One more random thought/fact: The justice system and DEA are so concerned about drug abuse on the rise yet we don’t make liquor illegal. Alcohol accounts for more deaths, and expense burdens then every other illegal drug combined…

I thought I would get some peoples feedback and opinions on sexual orientation, it being a choice or being born with it.

I believe it is not a choice.

I don’t understand how people can believe it’s a conscious choice. I mean, did they make an active decision to be heterosexual at one point in their life? Furthermore, would they enjoy their life having intercourse when they didn’t have sexual feelings for a man? What purpose would a man or women attempt to solve or address by being gay? If it was an active choice, why would they choose to be gay with all the discrimination and lack of fair rights compared to a heterosexual relationship?

I’m 27, and always knew I was gay from a young age even in elementary school. What’s interesting is I knew kids in elementary school that didn’t align to the typical boy (playing sports, playing with other same sex males. Instead these kids were shy, soft-spoken and often hung out with the girls. Later on in graduating high school these men ended up coming out. Reflecting on this, one could say that these kids were born with it. How would a child who knows nothing about sexuality act differently at such a young age.

I didn’t intend for this to have so many questions, but I wanted to state my opinion and it seemed easiest to ask them in debatable questions.

On a closing note/question. What will come of all the civil right issues should scientist discover that it’s a mental issue, and people are indeed born with the desire of the same sex. Would people still use religion to deny them their equal rights when they have no control over it?

FDA Approved @ Home HIV Test.

The FDA cleared the first rapid @ home HIV test. Which I think is great news, however I also see some concern. I think this may lead people to riskier sexual behavior for 2 reasons. 1: This test is ELISA based, meaning it works off antibodies which have a window period of 90 days to be considered accurate. Meaning, it may produce a false negatives (person has the virus but shows negative) if test is taken to early. I also think people may use it as a pass for unprotected sex not considering other viruses such as hepatitis can just as easily kill you. My other thought is mental support, I would imagine most people would be very scared and wondering what to do if the results were positive.

Your thoughts?

As a vivid photographer, hiker, and random hobby enthusiast I use a lot of battery powered devices. I have different battery types (alkaline, Li-ion, lithium) depending on the application. I know what batteries work well with what device, but I don’t know why exactly.

I know that there are several components of DC current and storing its power. I’m having a tough time trying to get my brain around the workings of it. Please read all the examples and then reply as a whole, as it would help understand the functions and differences.

For example:

Camera Flash: When I attach my flash to my camera I always use Ni-MH (nickel–metal hydride). Ni-MH batteries have a much quicker recycle time/charge time between flashes. Alkaline takes twice the time to cycle and can only take half the photos compared to Ni-MH before they are dead.

Why?

Flashlight: When hiking and camping I use high end flashlights that use LEDs to illuminate. Alkaline batteries are brighter than Ni-MH and have a longer run time. I understand this is due to their higher voltage than NiMH.

Why does alkaline in this circumstance last longer than alkaline.

Here are the battery facts (although I may not fully understand them)

-Ni-MH have around 60% the mAh compared to Alkaline.

-New alkaline batteries sit at 1.5 volts new, while NiMH sit at 1.25 volts. Alkaline battery voltage drops as they are used. NiMH stay at 1.25 volts until they are “empty”, there is no battery fade.

-Ni-MH has an internal resistance 4X lower than alkaline.

-Ni-MH lose their power much faster than alkaline. NiMH lose around 1% of power per day, while Alkaline lose 1% every 30.

It appears high-power device draining equipment favors NiMH even though they are 60% of the MaH rating. Why does a device like this favor NiMH when alkaline has higher voltage, MaH, and less battery fade?

So we know that amperage kills, not voltage. I mean stun guns can exceed a million volts. So then why on warning signs do they always say "Danger High Voltage"?