http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/4290768.stm
Dutch ‘witch’ attracts tax break
A Dutch actress training to be a witch is eligible for a tax deduction for her course fees, the tax authorities in the Netherlands have decided.
They allowed the 39-year-old woman to claim 2,210 euros (£1,505) for the course that lasts a year and a day.
A tax official told Reuters news agency the woman used the course “to extend her professional knowledge.”
Students learn to cast spells, prepare herbs and potions and use crystal balls as well as other aspects of witchcraft.
The course organiser, Margarita Roland, said she taught apprentices all they needed to know, using magic as a force for good.
“A witch is a wise woman or man who knows about the magic of life in general and the magic of the earth in particular,” Ms Roland was quoted as saying.
28 September 2005
26 September 2005
Update...
Howdy all...
It’s 11pm on Monday night. I still have a good deal of pain in my lower back. I’ve found that I’m only comfortable laying on my right side, even after taking percocet.
I’m calling my doctor tomorrow morning to see about getting in to see him and to see what follow up advice he has to offer. I can only sit/stand for about 30 minutes at a time before my legs go numb and my back starts feeling like I have a knife being jammed in it.
I’m heading off to bed.
Night ya’ll...
It’s 11pm on Monday night. I still have a good deal of pain in my lower back. I’ve found that I’m only comfortable laying on my right side, even after taking percocet.
I’m calling my doctor tomorrow morning to see about getting in to see him and to see what follow up advice he has to offer. I can only sit/stand for about 30 minutes at a time before my legs go numb and my back starts feeling like I have a knife being jammed in it.
I’m heading off to bed.
Night ya’ll...
25 September 2005
What a lousy weekend...
Well, Friday, I went off to /Larry’s to play D&D with /Joe /Owen and Brian.
Joe and I were riding together in my truck and we left here about 3:45 to go get dinner before game. We drove over to Maple Grove and had dinner at Granite City Brewery (mmmm). As I got out of the truck to go in, my back let me know that it was quite stiff and very painful. I assumed that I’d sat in the truck wrong. I slowly made my way in to the restaurant and we had dinner. We headed over to Larry’s and by time we got there about 5, I knew that I needed to have Owen work on my back. Owen’s in massage school., so I thought he’d be able to work on my back for a while and get the knots out of it.
10 minutes later and I felt fine.
About 7:30, I got up to go to the bathroom and my back was rock solid stiff again and my legs were a bit weak. I just figured it was the no padding chair and that my legs were just mildly asleep.
Larry booted us out about 11:30 as he had plans for the next morning at 7am. I couldn’t stand up. I could get up on my legs, but if I tried standing mroe than about 15 degrees from being bent over 90 degrees, it was as if I was trying to cut my body in two. I, being the stubborn one, fully intended to drive home and hobble into bed. By the time, we got out to my truck, I could barely stand on my legs they were that weak and going numb.
Brian, an EMT, was consulted. After a disclaimer that he couldn’t diagnose anything, I was informed that I was going to the ER. Not suggested, told.
So, the D&D party went over to North Memorial. I was seen fairly quickly and then injected with 10mg of morphine, solumedrol (a powerful steriod) and robaxin (muscle relaxant). About 4:30 am Saturday morning, the pain wasn’t gone, I could barely move my toes, couldn’t lift/move either leg...and that was that. I was admitted for an MRI first thing in the morning.
Upstairs I went, drugged up for the entire day on hydromorphone and robaxin. Now it’s been 12 hours since I’ve eaten, and I’ve had two 24 oz Dt Cherry Pepsi’s while gaming. Doctor orders NPO. Nothing by mouth. This sends me into a panic, as it’s an order given if surgery is an option. It was.
They finally got me into the MRI at 4pm Saturday...after a large injection of Atavan. Between being up for 36 hours, the drugs I was given...I passed out. I don’t remember going down for the MRI, coming back up...or anything until 6:30 this morning when I woke up.
MRI Results: Mild degeneration of my L5-S1 disc. Some minor degeneration at L4-L5. Surgery is ruled a non-option and the NPO order is removed.
What likely happened is that something caused the disc at L5-S1 to slip and rub against the nerve roots that descend from there into my legs. If it had been L4-L5, I would have been in much worse shape as that would have involved my bladder and bowel control. The disc seems to have slid back into place, leaving a very very irritated and inflammed set of nerve roots going to my legs.
I’m now at home and on Percocet and Prednisone. I am to follow up with my doctor this week if I have another minor occurance. If it is a major occurance like what happened Friday, I am to call my doctor and he will have me admitted and he and the neurosurgeon will meet me at the ER. The fact that I do have mild/moderate damage to the disc at L5-S1 is why I’ve been having so many problems and my doctor and the neurologist that was consulted believe that it is *not* MS that I have, but rather, the attacks I’ve had were this disc moving and the increased spinal pressure, protiens showing irritation, and other symptoms of MS are residuals of the disc attacks, not MS.
So I guess there is good news there. I don’t likely have MS...I have a degenerating disc that will likely need surgery sooner than later.
One is fixable...the other is just slowable.
If surgery is likely to stop these attacks and return me to a sense of normalcy and a life not dictated by pain and back spasms. I’d be quite likely to explore that option...even if it does mean months of being on my back and in physical therapy. I’d like to have a normal life again, not ruled by pain, where the pain causes me to be a complete and utter jackass without realize it or even knowing why, and I’d like to just be a bit closer to normal and not have to limit so many of my activities because of my back.
So that’s the end of story time...
I’m off to lay down for a while, think about what great friends I have up here, and the meaning of life and religion. (that’s a post for another time).
Joe and I were riding together in my truck and we left here about 3:45 to go get dinner before game. We drove over to Maple Grove and had dinner at Granite City Brewery (mmmm). As I got out of the truck to go in, my back let me know that it was quite stiff and very painful. I assumed that I’d sat in the truck wrong. I slowly made my way in to the restaurant and we had dinner. We headed over to Larry’s and by time we got there about 5, I knew that I needed to have Owen work on my back. Owen’s in massage school., so I thought he’d be able to work on my back for a while and get the knots out of it.
10 minutes later and I felt fine.
About 7:30, I got up to go to the bathroom and my back was rock solid stiff again and my legs were a bit weak. I just figured it was the no padding chair and that my legs were just mildly asleep.
Larry booted us out about 11:30 as he had plans for the next morning at 7am. I couldn’t stand up. I could get up on my legs, but if I tried standing mroe than about 15 degrees from being bent over 90 degrees, it was as if I was trying to cut my body in two. I, being the stubborn one, fully intended to drive home and hobble into bed. By the time, we got out to my truck, I could barely stand on my legs they were that weak and going numb.
Brian, an EMT, was consulted. After a disclaimer that he couldn’t diagnose anything, I was informed that I was going to the ER. Not suggested, told.
So, the D&D party went over to North Memorial. I was seen fairly quickly and then injected with 10mg of morphine, solumedrol (a powerful steriod) and robaxin (muscle relaxant). About 4:30 am Saturday morning, the pain wasn’t gone, I could barely move my toes, couldn’t lift/move either leg...and that was that. I was admitted for an MRI first thing in the morning.
Upstairs I went, drugged up for the entire day on hydromorphone and robaxin. Now it’s been 12 hours since I’ve eaten, and I’ve had two 24 oz Dt Cherry Pepsi’s while gaming. Doctor orders NPO. Nothing by mouth. This sends me into a panic, as it’s an order given if surgery is an option. It was.
They finally got me into the MRI at 4pm Saturday...after a large injection of Atavan. Between being up for 36 hours, the drugs I was given...I passed out. I don’t remember going down for the MRI, coming back up...or anything until 6:30 this morning when I woke up.
MRI Results: Mild degeneration of my L5-S1 disc. Some minor degeneration at L4-L5. Surgery is ruled a non-option and the NPO order is removed.
What likely happened is that something caused the disc at L5-S1 to slip and rub against the nerve roots that descend from there into my legs. If it had been L4-L5, I would have been in much worse shape as that would have involved my bladder and bowel control. The disc seems to have slid back into place, leaving a very very irritated and inflammed set of nerve roots going to my legs.
I’m now at home and on Percocet and Prednisone. I am to follow up with my doctor this week if I have another minor occurance. If it is a major occurance like what happened Friday, I am to call my doctor and he will have me admitted and he and the neurosurgeon will meet me at the ER. The fact that I do have mild/moderate damage to the disc at L5-S1 is why I’ve been having so many problems and my doctor and the neurologist that was consulted believe that it is *not* MS that I have, but rather, the attacks I’ve had were this disc moving and the increased spinal pressure, protiens showing irritation, and other symptoms of MS are residuals of the disc attacks, not MS.
So I guess there is good news there. I don’t likely have MS...I have a degenerating disc that will likely need surgery sooner than later.
One is fixable...the other is just slowable.
If surgery is likely to stop these attacks and return me to a sense of normalcy and a life not dictated by pain and back spasms. I’d be quite likely to explore that option...even if it does mean months of being on my back and in physical therapy. I’d like to have a normal life again, not ruled by pain, where the pain causes me to be a complete and utter jackass without realize it or even knowing why, and I’d like to just be a bit closer to normal and not have to limit so many of my activities because of my back.
So that’s the end of story time...
I’m off to lay down for a while, think about what great friends I have up here, and the meaning of life and religion. (that’s a post for another time).
20 September 2005
Small Business Plan...
I’m revisiting my idea of setting up a metaphysical store. I have the plans, the products I’d want to carry, and what if anything the store would offer as classes in the first year.
I’m pondering if I want to open up shop in St. Cloud (which has two small stores, one is very well known, but moves around frequently, the other is more of a lifestyle shop and focuses more on Eastern Religions.
I am unsure of the Duluth market condition. I would feel more comfortable I think in setting up shop up there. I would free shipping to anywhere. Northeast Minnesota has a lot of openminded/freeminded people and I don’t know of any metaphysical stores up there.
The cost of living is low, there is lots of open retail space, and I’d just need to figure out what my start up costs would be and how much my monthly costs would be with a couple of part-time employees.
St. Cloud seems much more conservative and less likely to support a metaphysical store. Duluth however is more isolated in the northeast corner of the state.
Either way, I’d have to get a small business loan and have a business plan and all my financials figured out before any of that happens.
And such is my pipe dream...
I’m pondering if I want to open up shop in St. Cloud (which has two small stores, one is very well known, but moves around frequently, the other is more of a lifestyle shop and focuses more on Eastern Religions.
I am unsure of the Duluth market condition. I would feel more comfortable I think in setting up shop up there. I would free shipping to anywhere. Northeast Minnesota has a lot of openminded/freeminded people and I don’t know of any metaphysical stores up there.
The cost of living is low, there is lots of open retail space, and I’d just need to figure out what my start up costs would be and how much my monthly costs would be with a couple of part-time employees.
St. Cloud seems much more conservative and less likely to support a metaphysical store. Duluth however is more isolated in the northeast corner of the state.
Either way, I’d have to get a small business loan and have a business plan and all my financials figured out before any of that happens.
And such is my pipe dream...
18 September 2005
Depression, anger, and writing
What a fitting song for me to be writing this entry...
Where has / Jeff been? Odd.
I’m still quite pissed off at the weekend’s events (one in particular) and that anger is still boiling in me.
I’ve sat down here to start working on my novel and amazingly, it’s actually starting to flow. I think the creative juices may actually be dripping...as opposed to having dry mouth.
The more I actually write, the better I feel, so I“m hoping it’s a cathartic kind of night.
I /may/ wind up posting a chunk of my novel behind a cut later. Depends on how confident I feel...
Where has
I’m still quite pissed off at the weekend’s events (one in particular) and that anger is still boiling in me.
I’ve sat down here to start working on my novel and amazingly, it’s actually starting to flow. I think the creative juices may actually be dripping...as opposed to having dry mouth.
The more I actually write, the better I feel, so I“m hoping it’s a cathartic kind of night.
I /may/ wind up posting a chunk of my novel behind a cut later. Depends on how confident I feel...
Friends Only posts from here on...
If you want to see my posts and you aren’t on my friends list (or don’t know if you are), leave a comment here and I’ll add you to my friends list.
16 September 2005
Fantasy Hockey Anyone?
Since no one I know is doing a fantasy hockey league this year...
I’ve set one up on Yahoo.
It’s the a “normal” rotissiere running on Yahoo. If people would rather run an old-fashioned league, I’m up for that as well. I have the spreadsheets and rules from the league I was in a few years ago.
GAME ON!
If you’d like to be in the league, follow the link below and sign up. Also, if you would prefer a non-Yahoo league, let me know ASAP so I can get stuff set up on my end for a league website and prepare for doing stats all season.
Yahoo League URL
The league is set up for an offline draft. That means, we all meet on IM or IRC chat and do a draft in real time. It usually takes a few hours on a Saturday or Sunday afternoon.
JT
I’ve set one up on Yahoo.
It’s the a “normal” rotissiere running on Yahoo. If people would rather run an old-fashioned league, I’m up for that as well. I have the spreadsheets and rules from the league I was in a few years ago.
GAME ON!
If you’d like to be in the league, follow the link below and sign up. Also, if you would prefer a non-Yahoo league, let me know ASAP so I can get stuff set up on my end for a league website and prepare for doing stats all season.
Yahoo League URL
The league is set up for an offline draft. That means, we all meet on IM or IRC chat and do a draft in real time. It usually takes a few hours on a Saturday or Sunday afternoon.
JT
12 September 2005
Holy lightning...
Ya know...I love storms.
Specially ones with tons of thunder...and lots of lightning.
I’m still pissed at the world..but the raw energy of the storm and all the rain (water element!) is helping.
Specially ones with tons of thunder...and lots of lightning.
I’m still pissed at the world..but the raw energy of the storm and all the rain (water element!) is helping.
For better or for worse...
For some reason, the Fates have seen fit to put me back online and I’m dealing with a huge pile of karmic crap it seems.
If you want to follow more of my magickal life, leave a message here to learn more about me and my religious views of the world.
If you want to follow more of my magickal life, leave a message here to learn more about me and my religious views of the world.
07 September 2005
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