23 December, 2005

Oropharyngeal Candidiasis

"Candidiasis of the mouth and throat, also known as oropharyngeal candidiasis, is a fungal infection that occurs when there is overgrowth of fungus called Candida. Candida is normally found on skin or mucous membranes. However, if the environment inside the mouth or throat becomes imbalanced, Candida can multiply."

   -- www.wrongdiagnosis.com



The tendrils of Candida reach far beyond the mouths and throats of humanity. They reach into the very depths of our collective subconscious. Everything is out of balance. My dream world has been conquered by Candida.

As I lay on the couch the television screams out the DVDA lyrics, "I am chewbacca! I am a wookie!". I drift off to sleep as The South wins civil war reenactments. “I fight the empire! I fix the robots!” echoes in my brain as a little boy broods over not bleeding out his anus. The same boy vomits while kissing his girlfriend. The sound of a peacock getting its neck broken wakes me from this unpleasant slumber.

As the image sharpens I realize it was not the sound of a peacock getting its neck broken. But rather it was the sound of the twenty fifth cute bunny being killed by a heartless young girl. The twenty sixth bunny is spared. The genesis device is destroyed. I am drooling slightly. My eyes are heavy. Groggy, I am unable to fight the pull of Candida. I fall asleep again.

Now I am in an even more disturbing world. Here where notes have colors a gay puppeteer and a dimwitted monkey begin fighting. A pack of rabid children are cheering at the spectacle. They froth at the mouth as the monkey pummels the puppeteer. The puppeteer distracts the monkey and gets away. The scene changes.

Now the monkey is sitting in the hand of a famous attorney. The attorney makes some silly noises. A jurors head explodes. Blood flies everywhere. I am shot by the gingerfication gun. I am sucked into a new and far more sinister world.

In this world a group of young children are standing in the snow. I see two young boys and a young girl. They are standing near a pond. I know the name of the pond but cannot recall it. The children stare expectantly past me. From the reflection in one child's eyes I see there is another child a great distance behind me. He looks afraid and angry. Fire explodes all around the child reflected in their eyes. Everything goes dark.

When the world returns I am facing the same direction as the children. I see gray aliens with oversized oval heads and giant, black, soulless eyes. The aliens are communing with a group of cows. A police officer standing near by begins singing and dancing. The song resembles an old but familiar tune circa 1920. I awaken in a panic. The brown note has been played!

When the brown note is played my body responds. When my body responds I run to the porcelain god. I take my rightful seat upon the throne. I hear the note again. I can no longer resist its seductive voice. I only wish it was not one of the minions of Candida.

12 December, 2005

Hiccup

"A hiccup is an involuntary spasm of the diaphragm; typically this repeats several times a minute until some home remedy is applied. The sudden rush of air into the lungs causes the glottis to close, creating the "hic" noise. It is sometimes written as hiccough, though this spelling is becoming archaic. " (Wikipedia, en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hiccup)

Isn't that a dry and melancholy description? Humorous symptoms deserve better descriptions than that! "Humorous?" you ask. "How is this humorous?" you demand.

I'll tell you how it's humorous. I will provide the words and scenery. You will provide the imagination.

First, imagine your chattiest coworker. You know him. He loves to talk. He talks endlessly. He talks at everyone and about nothing.

Now, imagine this. Imagine you can induce hiccups in people. It's a special gift. You reserve it for special occasions. All you need is to snap your fingers.

Oh dear! He has "paid you a visit". But your work beckons you. Well ok, you pretend it beckons. The hint isn't received. You wait a moment longer. You wait to see if he'll leave. He lingers. You ignore him.

"So then do you know what? Do you know Darth Mull did?" ...
"So? Do you?" ...
"I'm not boring you am I?"...

*SNAP*
*Hic* *Hic*

*SNAP* *SNAP*
*Hic**Hic**Hic**Hic**Hic**Hic**Hic*

He scurries to his office. But, you still have a problem. Your imp isn't fulfilled. You'll need another session with your coworker.

Later that day he is vulnerable. He is standing at the coffee machine. He is about to take a sip of coffee. The coffee is piping hot. The Imp demands satisfaction. The Imp knows coffee is his lifes blood. He cannot live without it. He has twenty-three lectures on coffee. Only one of the lectures is correct. It's about how to get a darker roast. The beans are roasted longer. Truly this genius goes unrewarded. You decide to reward this genius.

You restrain The Imp. You must find the perfect moment. It's very close now. The cup is almost touching his lips. The Imp is no longer restrained!

*SNAP*
*hic* *hic*

Oh dear! Did he really spill the coffee there!?! It looks very painful. The Imp is fulfilled. You snicker quietly to yourself, finally seeing the humor.