Medical mystery

Four weeks ago, I started to feel a strange sensitivity on the left half of my body, roughly from my abdomen to my shoulder, extending from my naval to the center of my back. I woke up one morning, and it felt like I had a sunburn. I only felt the pain whenever something touched me, but little things like rolling over in bed or the friction of clothing as I walked were startlingly painful. I did my best not to move for two weeks, missing out on Folsom Street East and Gay Pride Weekend.

I saw a neurologist, to ascertain if I were neurotic, but his test of my reflexes was normal. He speculated the cause was a viral inflammation around my upper spine, near the neck, and that it would probably clear up on its own.

It took a few weeks, but it does at last appear to be improving. First it migrated partially to the right, which was worrisome. My right shoulder blade is still hurting, but everywhere else is far less sensitive than before. Test results from my physical last week indicate nothing out of order, which I guess is a relief. I'm astonished that I continue to have such healthy checkups yet feel so crappy most of the time. I'm a pitta vata and wear out easily.

I was to have an MRI, if my insurance company ever approves it, but I think I'll skip it. I had one four years ago after hitting my head in a fall. It was interesting but still unpleasant. I don't like a medical mystery, but the neurologist said the MRI could only confirm his suspicion, not establish a cause.

Music purchases to dwindle in 2008

I have decided not to buy anymore DRM-restricted music from iTunes, after several restricted tracks I purchased recently became available without DRM. One of them, a single from Santogold I purchased in May, showed up in my iTunes Plus "upgrade" page in June. I can think of only one reason for this music, which was released in April of this year, not to have been available as iTunes Plus in the first place: to exploit the 30% upgrade fee. That pisses me off, Santogold, and I won't be buying the rest of your album. This ripoff only cost me 30 cents, but a ripoff is a ripoff.

Ditto for El Perro del Mar's two albums, the latest of which came out in the spring with DRM, but by June was also miraculously free of it. I think I'll give her albums to anyone who asks. The new one is kind of boring, but free is free. I think her label can afford it, now that I've paid them $6 extra.

This upgrade policy has been worrying me for a while. When the major record labels finally allow their songs to sell DRM-free on iTunes, I'll have to pay hundreds of dollars to rid my library of DRM. Since Apple won't let you pick which ones to upgrade, nor simply remove the DRM from existing files, it makes no sense to me to keep buying tracks with DRM. I'm such an Apple fanboy that the DRM doesn't really keep me from doing anything I want to do with the music, but a ripoff is a ripoff.

And I won't go to Amazon or Rhapsody to buy music, either. If the record labels don't want to sell where I want to buy, then they lose the sale.

I disabled Flash in Safari

And I'm happier for it, because the browser never crashes now. Sorry, Gawker Media. Your advertisers drove me to this decision.

Oh, and the last thing I want on my iPhone is Flash.

Sent by iPhone