doc determined it's an ENT infection

[tielan]

I have antibiotics (strong ones) and instructions to call him back on Saturday - don't make an appointment; he'll be watching the cricket!

Went to the evening service, sang my heart out. A few songs were in arrangements I didn't like, or in that awful register where nobody can sing up and nobody can sing down, but it was otherwise good.

On threads, someone had made a post about how they are a complete atheist, but get them in a good carol service and they will happily sing "oh holy night" like the veriest Christian. And I pointed out that who doesn't love a good belting of "FAAAAAAAALL ON YOUR KNEEEEES"? Also: that singing in groups is one of the closest things to a religious experience that many of us have - the communal feeling and the common song which everyone knows, and just something about the music and everyone together is rousing.

That's why they have national anthems, right?

I was sitting next to a couple of friends - a wife and hubs combo - and we had a few giggles about some of the arrangements, including the verse in Once In Royal David's City where someone decided to sermonize on how good children should behave.

--

Speaking of threads, I have gone viral!

me: 98.6? Ridiculous. Your blood would be literally boiling at that temperature.

Personally I never run above 36.3.

chronicallyhumoured:Because I'm nosy: how many of you NEVER or seldom get fevers when extraordinarily sick and regularly run below 98.6?

Yes, I know that I have misused 'literally'. I know that blood (being mostly water) boils at 100C. I know that they were presuming Fahrenheit.

HOWEVER. Earlier that day, an Aussie account had said, "Hey my fellow Aussies, between Christmas and New Year, we should behave like Americans do when they don't realise there are people from other countries on here."

Let's just say, I have caught all the fish! ALL OF THEM.

HOO BOY. SO MANY FISH.

My post has 1.5K likes, and 250 responses. Some of them got the joke. Some of them...did not. Some of them are picking at my use of the word 'literally'. Some of them are picking at the incorrectness of boiling at 98.6 degrees, even in Celsius. (Some are pointing out that it depends on your altitude!) Some are making jokes about Kelvins.

There are a few amusing things coming out of it, the terms 'Forgottenheit' and 'Fahrenhaters'.

At least one person commented that it was a solid joke, I pointed out it would have to be at least -273 to be solid (0 Kelvins)...

Of course, there are the people calling me an idiot for getting it wrong. Which, they're free to do so. I admit, I hesitated long and hard before making the 'boiling' joke, but figured I could chance it. I forgot that the internet is for pedants.

And there are the people kindly (or not-so-kindly) explaining that the original was in Fahrenheit and I'm talking about Celsius...

Ah well, you can't reach 'em all.

But damn. Datsa lotta fish I caught.

I really do like the term 'Fahrenhaters' though. He got a point for that.

--

Anyway, I have set up alarms to remind me to take my antibiotics. Hopefully they will none of them go off at awkward times (such as in the quiet moments in movies, or in the middle of sermons).

Tomorrow, the beach! And then the cousins!

Comments

[kat_lair]

Heh, yeah, the 'my experience is the default' often becomes incomprehensible when it's from another person's perspective. I've never gotten hang of Fahrenheits myself.

[tielan]

I can roughly guess Fahrenheit by dint of having known Americans for twenty five years, but I know that I lose it in the detail.

It was rather fun watching people Get The Joke and then keep playing on it...

[rmc28]

Farenhaters! I love it :-)

Have fun with your viral post, and have a good time at the beach and with the cousins.

[tielan]

It was very clever! And I will freely admit to being a Fahrenhater. ;)

[mara]

I approve of non-Americans trolling us Americans when we forget that we're not the only people in the universe :D

[tielan]

It may not be nice, but damn it's fun watching their brains screech to a halt...

[minoanmiss]

Keep on feeling better!

[tielan]

Thank you! It's a slow process, but we are getting there!

[conuly]

Has anybody pointed out that even in Fahrenheit body temperature is not actually 98.6? (For two reasons, first, because that's an overly precise conversion from Celsius, but also because apparently the humans averaged together back in the day were much more likely to be running small fevers than humans today are, so the temperature was always a bit higher than it should have been.)

[tielan]

Hm, nobody has pointed out about the fevers. But someone has pointed out that Mr Fahrenheit himself wanted 96 to be the standard body temperature - something about round numbers between that and...freezing point? Maybe? I was kind of intrigued but also kind of busy so I skimmed the details.

[kore]

//CACKLES

[tielan]

Sometimes baiting your fellow Americans is, uh, terribly amusing.

Small minds, petty souls, etc. etc. etc...

(Big grins)

[beatrice_otter]

I thought it was funny!

[tielan]

I think it was funny, too! :D