(no subject)

[camwyn]

I have said it before. I will say it again. If I only get one question to ask the Almighty Creator and get a full and honest answer to? It's going to be this:

What the hell were You thinking when You decided to drain the human nose down the back of the throat, huh? What made you think 'oh, I know, I'll set it up so that if the least little thing goes wrong with their ventilation system, the body's natural defenses will all spill out the back and make them cough to the point of throwing up, whether they need to evacuate their stomachs or not'? Was there some kind of reason behind it? Because I'm having trouble seeing one. You didn't do it to the dolphins- why did you do it to us?

Someone else can ask the philosophical questions and find out why evil exists or whatever. All I want for God to explain to me is WTF is up with the design of the northern end of the human respiratory system.

(Translation: I'm feeling better and I'm back at work but the post-nasal drip and sinus foo is causing the Coughing of Coughy Doom at random intervals, and I left my Buckley's at home.)

Comments

[innerbrat]

Another piece of contovertable proof of unintelligent design.

[camwyn]

no freaking kidding.

(If I get two questions, the next one on the list is 'The female reproductive system, particularly the menstrual cycle. Explanation. NOW.'- but I want the nose and throat thing fully justified first. The freaking dolphins can communicate JUST FINE with each other their setup, and they can produce something similar to human speech with their blowholes...)

[innerbrat]

Plumbing in general, I think.

Incidentally, I think it's probably because the dolphins have water to transmit their soundwaves, and we have to make do with air.

[camwyn]

Lucky bitches.

[almightyhat.livejournal.com]

Somehow, I imagine the answer to #2 being 'C'mon, lady, whaddya want? Ferrets can bleed to death when they're in heat. Mammals are hard.'

[camwyn]

That would be why it's not my first priority to get explained.

[almightyhat.livejournal.com]

We're generally inefficiently plumbed. I think it might have something to do with that whole 'walking upright' deal-- the only critters I've heard of who have really unfortunate sinus problems that weren't bred funny by humans (ie, smush-faced cats) are rats... and they can't burp or vomit.

[camwyn]

I knew rats couldn't vomit, but I didn't know they had sinus issues. Pity. I rather like them as scavengers go.

[almightyhat.livejournal.com]

*has three* Upper respiratory issues, technically, but yeah, sinus and lungs. They're prone to bouts of mycoplasmosis, especially if they're kept around irritants like aromatic wood shavings, dust, cat litter, or smoke. Lots of pet rats die from it-- I had one girl who did, poor baby. I doubt many wild rats live long enough to die from it.

And they're not exactly scavengers, rats. They're opportunistic omnivores, just like us. Some even like to hunt. (I pity the spider who gets within Ninja's reach-- she watches like a hawk if a bug passes too near the cage-- and if I had a spare fishtank, I'd buy crickets for her to chase.)

... Maybe I should stop now before I get started on how awesome rats are.

[genarti]

Horses can't vomit either. Which has never made tons of evolutionary sense to me; I don't know if there are any benefits to it, but it means that colic can very easily be fatal to them, where a human would just puke and be miserable for a while and then have done with it.

[not-croaker.livejournal.com]

It actually does. That system evolved while we were still mostly quadrupedal - and at that posture, everything drains out through the nose and drips free, instead of down the throat.

Try resting on all fours for a while and see if you feel any better.

[ouatic-7.livejournal.com]

If I wasn't an atheist, I would regard the female human reproductive system as solid proof that God is male.

[scs-11.livejournal.com]

You, my dear, have never struggled with the interactions between an aging prostate, the urinary system, and sexual function. I know exactly how pregnant women feel about urination, but the damned baby never arrives.

[ouatic-7.livejournal.com]

So what you're saying is God is some amoeboid blob pottering about in its lab adding a bit here or a bit there just to see what will happen?

I can buy that.

[scs-11.livejournal.com]

Pretty much. Whatever He optimised His design for, it wasn't us.

[parke-matru.livejournal.com]

I think the female reproductive system is supposed to be punishment for the whole 'original sin' thing.

Which is completely stupid, because if she hadn't posessed the knowledge of good and evil prior to eating the apple, how the frack should Eve have known not to eat it?

[mephron]

My #2 is "...okay, the entire bile system."

#3 is "THE APPENDIX? WHAT THE HELL?"

[spiderine.livejournal.com]

Allow me to add:

#4: "Knees and hips? Hello, you told us to walk upright, can you get the joints in working order, please?"

[eric-williamson.livejournal.com]

If you're going on about walking upright you need to add the whole freakin' spinal column.

[spiderine.livejournal.com]

That's number 5! :D

[malhablada.livejournal.com]

Erm, unsolicited advice ahoy...

Have you ever used a neti pot (http://sinucleanse.com/)? My aunt turned me on to them because I have terrible sinus problems, and even though I was skeptical, I gave it a try.

The first few times are awkward, but I've been using mine for three months now, and I haven't had a single cold, sinus infection, allergy problem, or sneeze that wasn't related to obvious acute environment issues, like refilling the pepper shaker.

It really works. You can buy them at any Walgreens for about 15 dollars. The link has a little video you can watch. I'd recommend the fullsize neti, rather than The Squeeze. I'd be lost without mine now. My whole head feels about two pounds lighter.

[camwyn]

I have one in the bathroom, actually. I tried using it last night, but the bottom nostril was so backed up that the water started feeling like it was trying to go into all the wrong places and I had to put it down before the urge to claw my face open got overwhelming.

Doctor's recommendation, as it happens. Dr. Horvitz knows his stuff.

[chn-breathmint.livejournal.com]

http://www.arrse.co.uk/wiki/ARRSEPedia_Intro

Here's a fun diversion for you, since you're a Dog Soldiers fan. British military humor from the squaddies' keyboards.

Especially entertaining are the bits about rations.

- Mel

[camwyn]

Oh, sweet. Thanks!