Well, today is my third day completely off the coffee, and I am pretty miserable, but not from caffeine withdrawal. Here's my promised explanation for why I'm off the coffee. I recently got a referral to an Ear, Nose, and Throat doctor to investigate a pain in my throat, thinking I had developed a Rock Band related singing injury like throat polyps. Instead I was diagnosed with Laryngo-Pharyngeal Reflux Disease (LPRD), where stomach acids get past the upper sphincter and into the throat, irritating and even damaging vocal chords and possibly even the lungs. Unlike the similar, more common GERD, which causes heartburn, most people with LPRD don't have significant symptoms, and it is referred to as one of those "silent" diseases (so the occasional bouts of heartburn I suffer are likely not due to this). Abstaining from caffeinated beverages is part of the recommended treatment, as is staying away from fat, spicy foods, soft drinks, alcohol, and about anything that is enjoyable, so we'll have to see about all that going forward, but for now I'm being good. I am also on a prescription medication for this called Protonix, which is the reason for the misery that I mentioned earlier, as I am suffering intense backaches, one of the rare side-effects of the drug. I will talk to the doctor today to find out how long these might persist, and whether I need to switch meds as a result. The good news is that the pain in my throat has gone away surprisingly quickly, suggesting that however troublesome the treatment is, the Doctor's diagnosis seems to have been spot on.

Acid Links:	Thanks Ant and Mike Martinez.
Play:	Mushroom Madness.
Links:	10 Best Things We'll Say to Our Grandkids. Colorado woman survives 5 days in the mountains after crashing car. Thanks Neatorama.
Story:	Long Lost Brothers Find Each Other at Work. Thanks brother19.
Science:	Tiny technologies could produce big energy solutions.
Images:	BioShock, Circa 1882. APOD: 2009 September 22 - Aurora Over Yellowknife. Tetris Tiles.
Media:	Left 4 Dead - Luggage Check. Super Mario Bros controlled with theremin. He Puts It in the Wrong Place Video. Extremely NSFW. Thanks nin via Digg.