and a new day dawns

[thegayhare]

well well well life has certainly become more interesting

My car failed inspection. So what you might say?  so... thats the deal braker.  we arn't putting anymore money into my hunk of junk.  So with out a car I can't go to work.  But thats all part of the plan,  with out the job I'll finaly be broke enough to qualify for medical assistance.  I can get my lungs looked at (the cough hasn't left) I can get my ankle looked at, I can get on a therapy program for my weight,  and I can finaly return to treatment for depression...

I know it's for the best but losing my income (though my mom is sure my doctor will have me go on dissability) and my mobility is hard to take

[llearch n'n'daCorna]

look to obtain a bicycle, to get mobility back (at a slightly cheaper rate :-) ?

Perhaps take advantage of the lack of ability to work, and see if you can work on your job prospects somehow? See if you can do some night courses or something?

There's always a bright side. Even if it's just the b*stards coming back with a torch to give you more work. Or the headlights of an oncoming train... :-)

[thegayhare]

a bike won't help in the short run, since I'm an hours drive away from anything, but once the move goes threw it should be much better.

and I am working on bettering my education.  I'm going threw the process to get a tribel  education waiver from the mic macs. 

*hugs*

though I doubt it'll be a well spring of cash once I get my cook book finished it should bring in a little bit

[Zedd]

Just take care now

[Brunhidden]

when money is short its truly sad how many things slip by that you should really take care of before they get even more expensive.

minor car troubles which can be fixed for money you dont have can lead to life threatening problems which leave you with a pile of fiberglass and rubber with the resale value of ABC gum. this immediately presents the issue of needing to buy a new car for a whole lot more then the original minor repair would have cost, and being unable to travel at all for a while. this is why theft of cars is 'grand theft' because your not only stealing something thats worth a shitload you are also stealing someones ability to provide for themselves and live in a country where walking from work to the grocery store could be five hours in the rain.

i had my own problem with that, it appears that any vehicle i touch begins to urinate either gas, oil, or antifreeze/coolant when you park. i never have the money to fix this, but now i have to sell my blood twice a week for the next three years to pay for a 2001 model dodge and the peace of mind knowing im not going to blow up when i take my duaghter to grandmas house.

same thing with the doctor, little things like that cough could run you a two or three hundred dollar doctor bill and about half as much for meds for a few months, but if it goes unchecked you could develop something nasty, debilitating, or fatal. sadly misdiagnosis can almost be worse, your being billed for treatment for the wrong thing which will drain your pockets, screw you up even worse, and whatever it is that IS wrong with you goes unchecked.

again i have my own examples to listen too- my grandfather spent the last fourteen years of his life battling cancer and speaking with a hole in his larynx because back then swampfolk didnt believe in going to the doctor untill you passed out, most of my uncles have had fast acting deaths which had roughly a two or three year period before hand where a regular doctors visit could have prevented it all, and i have a freaky blue spot on my forearm....last time i saw a doctor (two years ago) he said he had no clue what it was but i shouldnt worry unless it got bigger or got a lump. guess what? theres a lump, and i have no insureance, cash, or other bodily fluids i can sell at the moment to pay for a doctors visit.

being poor sucks.

in fact, is sucks the *beep* off a dead mans *beep* with *beep* *beep* taco *beep* *beep* the *beep* goat *beep* *beep* *beep* and the liberal use of fire.

The big thieves hang the little ones.

[llearch n'n'daCorna]

Just out of interest... how much blood are you selling?

I was under the impression that, while you could lose a pint or so with few ill effects, you need a couple months to recover - hence why donating blood is limited to no more frequently than every 3 months.

[Kenji]

The real money's in donating plasma. Hurts like hell, but you get hundreds of dollars per go, so it can't be all bad.

[thegayhare]

The real money's in donating plasma. Hurts like hell, but you get hundreds of dollars per go, so it can't be all bad.

I was actualy tempted by a radio ad about that very subject...  I came up with a plan I figured me and my sis could make a tradition of it twice a month we could head up to portland I'd treate her to a meal and we'dsee a movie or hit the maine mall.  I was on the verge of seaking driving directions when I remembered something.
I'm  not allowed too... so thats out of the question

[superluser]

I'm  not allowed too... so thats out of the question

Are you sure that's not just whole blood with the Red Cross?

[thegayhare]

no cause it's part of the fda's regulations for donating

it also applies to sperm donations or anything else

hell I bet I can't even be an organ donar

[Kenji]

Oh, right... the propoganda crap...
Hmm. I still say you should do a bake sale.

[Valynth]

no cause it's part of the fda's regulations for donating

it also applies to sperm donations or anything else

hell I bet I can't even be an organ donar

exactly what regulations are you talking about?  Have you been exposed to some form of disease?

There are perfectly good reasons for most of the screening, you've always heard about people who get STD's and other fluid-transfered deseases just because a blood place doesn't turn down certain applicants who haven't have tests done.   And I'll never accept blood from places that give money, know why?  Same problem, only now the people have an incentive to LIE about their history of exposure.

Blood can be both salvation and damnation.

"Well, Jimmy that blood saved your life, but now you only have a few weeks to live because the blood you got had STD's"
"wha...but I'm only ten years old!"
"Sucks to be you kid, but we needed blood bad so we looked the other way."

[thegayhare]

no I haveen't been exposed to any desise or Std I'm compleatly clean

I can't give blood or anything else because I'm gay and I've had sex once in my life

no matter what tests they preform I can't do a damn thng because ofthe blanket ban

[llearch n'n'daCorna]

it's nice how that works, isn't it. :-/

Straight males can sleep around with 50 people. Yet they're still fine, even if each of those fifty is just as promiscuous, and half of them sleep with gay males. Yet the gay males are prohibited, even if they're clean.

Isn't it nice how things are so even handed and fair? :-/


... mind if I borrow that knife, chef? I have a few fillets I'd like to make. Out of politicians....

[Tapewolf]

... mind if I borrow that knife, chef? I have a few fillets I'd like to make. Out of politicians....

Oh, I thought you were going to sell their blood.

[llearch n'n'daCorna]

About the only thing it'd be useful for is blood and bone.

and even then I wouldn't bet on it not killing the trees.

[Brunhidden]

they dont let you donate because your homosexual? thats odd, the center i go to just puts you on an 'at rist' list and tests your blood, then puts you on a waiting period to confirm the tests before you donate. maybe it has to do with the state or the neighborhood possibly even the center you donate at or something.

for anyone intrested go to the website for 'biolife plasma centers' and they should show you a map of close locations. they can bleed you twice a week, and asside from being stabbed the only bad parts are that durring the process they filter the red cells out so sometimes it hurts or can bruise when they pump them back in, and the sailene they squirt into you at the end is reaaaaly cold. as far as pay you get a set ammount for donateing once (20 dolalrs, or more depending on location ive heard some do as much as 40) and an extra ten dollars if its twice in one week, most centers even pay you an extra five bucks a visit if you come durring certan times to encourage people to arrive when they actually have the staff to handle you- so that means you can get at least 60 bucks a week, or more if your in a higher demand area. be sure to eat a decent meal before being stabbed, and drink a whooole lotta water, they like to keep everyone juicy and moist.

why do they pay you? first its used for transfusions, obviously, but they usually get way more then they need for that. a good deal of it isnt needed for infusions so they use it to make vaccenes. however the big money is that whatever they dont use for that get used to make cosmedics, but dont tell anyone you heard it from me.

yeah, next time you put on makeup or see someone else wearing it, think of me bleeding into a bottle.

Dreams come true. Without that possibility, nature would not incite us to have them.

[Valynth]

I believe your problem, TGH, is more local than anything else.  Frankly I think a majority of the centers act more along the lines of Brunhidden's.

Also, my opinion on pay-for-fluids places still hasn't changed.

[Damaris]

Selling blood was one of the few routes we never went when super poor, although for no really good reason.

[llearch n'n'daCorna]

I'll sell someone else's blood, fairly happily.... :-)+)

[Vidar]

Straight males can sleep around with 50 people. Yet they're still fine, even if each of those fifty is just as promiscuous, and half of them sleep with gay males. Yet the gay males are prohibited, even if they're clean.

That's retarded, smallminded, and discriminating.

... mind if I borrow that knife, chef? I have a few fillets I'd like to make. Out of politicians....

Oh, I thought you were going to sell their blood.

I have a better idea: sell their organs on the black market. Just don't sell their brains or their heart: those parts have had so little exercise, that they have shriveled up into small black clumps of flesh.

[llearch n'n'daCorna]

Straight males can sleep around with 50 people. Yet they're still fine, even if each of those fifty is just as promiscuous, and half of them sleep with gay males. Yet the gay males are prohibited, even if they're clean.

That's retarded, smallminded, and discriminating.

I believe, Vidar, that that was my point. :-)

[Vidar]

Straight males can sleep around with 50 people. Yet they're still fine, even if each of those fifty is just as promiscuous, and half of them sleep with gay males. Yet the gay males are prohibited, even if they're clean.

That's retarded, smallminded, and discriminating.

I believe, Vidar, that that was my point. :-)

I was just agreeing with you. 

[llearch n'n'daCorna]

I believe, Vidar, that that was my point. :-)

I was just agreeing with you. 

You were? Oh, my mistake. It wasn't exactly as clear as it might have been. Oh, well. Back to the old grind... :-)

[thegayhare]

I believe your problem, TGH, is more local than anything else.  Frankly I think a majority of the centers act more along the lines of Brunhidden's.

I'm sorry to say this but your wrong this is not a local thing this is a national thing

From Biolifes own website

BioLife Plasma Services is licensed and regulated by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and must comply with strict FDA regulations for donor safety and product quality.

from the FDA's guidlines on Blood and Plasma donations

any man who has had sex with another man since 1977 can not donate blood or plasma.

So I could have had all the sex I wanted two years before I was born  but because 3 years back I enjoyed a wonderfull night with some one I loved I can NEVER donate blood or plasma, (though truthfuly that wasn't the actual disqualifing act but we don't need to go into that) or who knows what else... the FDA has been expanding the ban lately as I mentioned earlier.  This is something thats been eating at me for ages,  not just because I can't sell blood thats a recent thing but becaus eI can't do jack,  When there is a need for doners do to an emergancy or what have you I can't help...  I can't do a damn thing I don't have money to dobnate and while I might have time now how could I get someplace to volenteer,  about all I had was blood and because I'm a freak well thats just to bad.

Do you know the guidlines for letting sex workers donate blood is looser then for gay men

I E-mailed Biolife asking for clarification that hasn't come threw yet

sorry this isn't the place for this I know it's just a sore spot with me

sorry to be a bother...

Hmmm I wonder if this would interfear with my donation scheme in my get thin quick plan

[RJ]

*hugs* Damn, I wish life wasn't so screwed up like this. It's not fair...

[ITOS]

Stupid rules sucks. Everyone (except those who can change them) knows they are stupid but you still have to follow them.

Bad luck sucks too, so I hope things get better for you.

[Damaris]

I do think the whole thing is stupid, especially since they are required to do so much testing on the blood.

I can *kind of* understand why the ban was first put in place- AIDS was just starting to come around, we didn't really understand it, and many people (not just homosexuals) were more promiscious.  It is more likely for a homosexual male to contract HIV from a partner though sex than a heterosexual, but a lot has changed since the ban was enacted.

Ryan White and the groups he worked with did quite a bit for testing standards and HIV/AIDS awareness, and a lot more people have much safer sex (although the Republicans would obviously try to change that, given their humping the abstinence only teachings, but that's not the point.)

While it *might* have been defendable at one point in the history of blood donation, blanket banning such a large group of people is just silly, especially since they have to do tests on it anyway to clear it.  That's just my long winded way of saying that it's all just really stupid.

[superluser]

many people (not just homosexuals) were more promiscious.  It is more likely for a homosexual male to contract HIV from a partner though sex than a heterosexual, but a lot has changed since the ban was enacted.

Well, it's more likely to transmit STDs through anal sex, but I'm pretty sure that the sex and orientation of the participants is irrelevant.

And I think you're right about the promiscuity.

But I think I'd rather ask TGH if he has a timeline for his book.

[llearch n'n'daCorna]

There -is- another side - I enquired of someone when I donated once.

The tests that they do take time. Often, more time than they have between the donation and the usage of the blood. Also, the blood gets put into a pool (something about needing 4 or 8 units to fill the separator machine to split out the plasma, etc - each unit of blood makes up about 5 or 6 different segments, each of which gets used separately. eg, plasma, white cells, red cells, nutrients, etc etc...)

So, if they get a unit that tests bad, they usually have to throw away three or four units of blood, and clean out the separator machine again.


Let's not forget the other side effect of HIV being such a sneaky sod - it can take -years- for it to show up in the bloodstream. Certainly it can take upwards of 3 months for the tests to come back positive, or even come back negative and the -next- set of tests come back positive, on a new sample...

Given that, I can see how they'd be cautious. Which doesn't make it any better for poor TGH. :-/