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"Dickson, You are so lazy you would marry a pregnant woman!" - H.S. Math Teacher

Russell Peter ROCKS and more ramblings...

  • After using my new RAZR phone for about a week or so, I have mixed feelings about it. I like the features and the design of the phone but I have also had my fair share of problems. For one thing, the battery meter has been very inconsistent and inaccurate. It can tell me that it is fully charged but I've realized that at that point its just barely half charged. It's like a ricecooker - it will tell you the rice is cooked but unless you want to drink porridge, you better let it steam for 15 more minutes. Secondly and more importantly, the bluetooth sucks. If you ever talk to me while I'm using my headset, you'll understand why.
  • My exams were over since April 24th but my course project didn't wrap up until monday this week. That's the last mark I'm waiting for and will probably be the worst mark of the three courses I'm taking. I've gotten some marks back for that class and already it doesn't look good:
        Attendance: 9.6/16 Class Average: 14.40
  • I saw Russell Peters last night at the Jubilee Auditorium and he's absolutely amazing! Not all of his jokes are prepared either. Half the time, he would ask questions to the people sitting in the front and make up the jokes along the way. Most of the guest comedians were also pretty good though Yoshi's (Japanese comedian with a heavy accent) act could have gone a little better. He was telling us about his other job as a porn editor and how having porn videos in his suit case along with his book of jokes including one about the child porn videos Michael Jackson watches led the authorities at the Edmonton International Airport to deport him the following day. The delivery wasn't done properly and you just don't know what to believe when one tells you his other job is a porn editor! Luckily, Russell retold the joke (turns out the story is true) and had the audience in tears within minutes! I can't wait until his DVD comes out in September! Good bye Yoshi!
  • Just picked up some new development machines for the office and if I can find another video card, I can have three LCD displays!
  • Andrew and I are starting a weekly soccer get together. It's going to be every Thursday 6 pm at the McNally High School soccer field. Come join us!
  • We are few weeks away from product launch! I'm getting very excited!
  • I need to practice drinking - I'm the groomsmen for Danny's wedding and I need to hold my alcohol without turning red! Anybody want to come practice? haha


Published 03-05-2006 03:09 by dicksonw
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beans said:

I think that turning red when drinking is something you can't change, it's a genetic trait (mostly Asians) in which we lack the enzyme aldehyde dehydrogenase-2. But, I've heard if you take an antacids like Pepsid AC or Zantac. OR, if you're allergic to alcohol, take antihistamines to prevent getting a rash.
May 3, 2006 9:02 PM
 

Megan said:

Maybe you shouldn't use the headset. loser.

i'll practice drinking with ya as long as you promise to leave your headset at home.
May 4, 2006 1:09 AM
 

andymaniac said:

Hey, beans...there's a saying if your face doesn't turn red...that means the alcohol's no good ...you are not digesting it properly..is that true?

This would help me stop nagging around here when I drink and don't turn red...or maybe, I'm not really Asian! ;)
May 4, 2006 7:12 AM
 

beans said:

Not every Asian has the enzyme deficiency, so maybe that's why you don't turn red, andymaniac.

Your body converts alcohol to acetylaldehyde which is then turned to acetate (I think! I haven't taken organic chem in so long.) People that turn red when they drink are missing the enzyme which turns acetylaldehyde to acetate. Acetylaldehyde is actually a carcinogen (around 75% of people with oral-esophogeal cancer has a form of ALDH-2 deficiency), and the accumulation of acetylacetate irritates your blood vessels and cause them to dilate and inflame, aka turn your skin red. It's also a neurotoxin and inhibit the conversion of dopamine to norepinephrine, so you feel light headed, nauseous and have an increased heart rate.

Here are some genetics for the geeks:
There are 2 alleles for the gene ALDH-2, ALDH-2*1 and ALDH-2*2. The ALDH-2*1 form is the mutant one and is defective. Most Caucasians and Africans are homozygous for ALDH-2*1 so they don't turn red and can hold their alcohol. About 30%-50% of Asians are heterozygous so they are ALDH-2*1/ALDH-2*2. The unfortunate ones are the homozygous ALDH-2*2 people; they have an extreme reaction to alcohol. These are the people that get rashes and have like no tolerance to alcohol.

I've been reading up on the effects of taking antacids for preventing the "Asian flush" and it doesn't look good. It decreases your tolerance to alcohol, so while you don't turn red, it takes less drinks to make you drunk. So there's a trade-off there. Also, there are reports that fructose can accelerate the breakdown of alcohol, so if you eat honey or fruits before (or while) you drink, it may prevent redness.

Anyways, turning red is probably nature's way of telling you that you shouldn't drink since you have an increased risk of getting cancer since your body can't metabolize the acetylaldehyde fast enough.

Honestly though, we're all gonna die of something so might as well be alcohol-induced cancer. A solution is pre-drinking (which actually works without taking any drugs). You prime your body with a couple of light drinks, not enough that you'll turn red, before you go out to social drink. You get your half-ass ALDH-2 up and ready, so that when you actually start to drink, they're stoked and ready to go.

I had a hypothesis. Since fructose accelerates the breakdown of alcohol, I thought drinking sweet fruity drinks would prevent the redness. Nope. It just disguises the alcohol and makes you drink more b/c you don't feel as though you're drinking. It's tricky!

Anyways, since most people don't plan on drinking so pre-drinking is kinda improbable. My solution to prevent "Asian flush" is just now to pace myself. Before, I'd turn red after 1/2 a pint of beer, now I can drink 3/4 without turning red. It's gotten such that I can drink a rum (80% alcohol!!!) and coke and not turn red. OK fine, it was only ONE drink for the entire night. Baby steps, ya know!
May 5, 2006 1:22 AM
 

beans said:

I should proof-read better before I submit a comment. "The ALDH-2*1 form is the mutant one and is defective" is wrong. I meant ALDH-2*2 is the mutant form. The rest of the paragraph is correct though. Sorry for the confusion!
May 5, 2006 1:26 AM
 

Dickson Wong said:

"increased risk of getting cancer" - now i'm going to feel guilty everytime i drink!

Oh, and no confusion at all on the genetics section...haha
May 5, 2006 1:31 AM
 

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