I’m giving blood this morning, and I encourage anyone interested to do so, too. As usual, in the summer there’s a critical shortage of blood, so give early and often. This is an open thread.
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Come for the politics, stay for the snark.
He seems like a smart guy, but JFC, what a dick!
There are times when telling just part of the truth is effectively a lie.
Balloon Juice, where there is always someone who will say you’re doing it wrong.
If senate republicans had any shame, they’d die of it.
“When somebody takes the time to draw up a playbook, they’re gonna use it.”
Petty moves from a petty man.
We will not go back.
Bark louder, little dog.
Mediocre white men think RFK Jr’s pathetic midlife crisis is inspirational. The bar is set so low for them, it’s subterranean.
Take hopelessness and turn it into resilience.
We still have time to mess this up!
We will not go quietly into the night; we will not vanish without a fight.
Do not shrug your shoulders and accept the normalization of untruths.
Bad people in a position to do bad things will do bad things because they are bad people. End of story.
We’ve had enough carrots to last a lifetime. break out the sticks.
Following reporting rules is only for the little people, apparently.
You can’t attract Republican voters. You can only out organize them.
Every decision we make has lots of baggage with it, known or unknown.
I am pretty sure these ‘journalists’ were not always such a bootlicking sycophants.
Quote tweet friends, screenshot enemies.
Human rights are not a matter of opinion!
Those who are easily outraged are easily manipulated.
fuckem (in honor of the late great efgoldman)
Hot air and ill-informed banter
shortstop
I’m on permanent deferral because I lived in the UK, but I will make homemade cookies, none of that packaged nonsense, for all y’all who give.
gbear
I tried a couple months ago but the red cross still won’t take gay blood.
DZ
On a jungle hike in Colombia in 1965, I contracted malaria so I’m not permitted to give blood.
evap
I lived in Spain for a year, 2002-3, and they won’t take blood from anyone who has lived in Europe for more than 6 months in the past 20 years or so. I guess they are worried about Mad Cow disease?
However, I recently discovered that I can donate bone marrow and I signed up for the bone marrow donor registry. The daughter of a high school buddy has leukemia and is currently undergoing a bone marrow transplant, I signed up after hearing about her ordeal.
Disgruntled Lurker
Won’t take my blood either.
Apparently Hepatitis C has quite the reputation.
Dave
Until this country learns to live within its means when it comes to the national blood supply, we will keep getting these kinds of demands. Only by NOT giving blood, will our national blood supply improve.
beltane
I used to give blood regularly, but then I learned they really have no use for AB- blood like mine so I don’t bother any more. I saw a Red Cross sign out yesterday saying they have an especially critical need for O- donors, so if that’s you please give.
bemused
Dave,
I would laugh if I didn’t think that there are people who would believe this. I think I’m overdosing on the stupid.
Chris
O- is the universal donor, it’t the blood given to people in emergencies before doctors know exactly his or her blood type. It’s always in demand.
Boudica
B- here. Gave 3 weeks ago. My brother is O- and they are constantly calling him to donate.
Dave
bemused – Yeah…but sometimes all you can do is laugh. Or drink. Maybe both.
jon
I have A+ blood, which makes me a nerd. B- all through college. I blame higher education for grade inflation.
Also, I give at the office. The local Red Cross has a nice bus, I get to take an hour away from the inmates at the prison, and I get cookies and orange juice. Once in a while I get a little light-headed and take the rest of the day off, but I guess that’s what sick leave is for.
Tonybrown74
I can’t. I have sex [more than] once with a man since 1977.
Mark B
Unfortunately, I can’t donate. Stupid antibodies. I was exposed to tuberculosis sometime in my youth, and although I’ve never shown any indication of actually having the disease, a positive skin test disqualifies me.
Ordovician Bighorn Dolomite (formerly rarely seen poster Fe E)
@Beltane
You might want to double check that, I’d think that with AB-you’d be able to donate at least plasma or platelets. But I must confess that all I know about it comes from what they tell me when I donate blood–so I could well be wrong!
PS After more than year between donations I just donated last Thursday.
KCinDC
So now Jane thinks even Adam Green and the PCCC have been taken in by Obama’s evil plan because they’re embracing Elizabeth Warren as a Senate candidate?
Ron
@KCinDC: I think Jane jumped the shark a long time ago already, but this one puts her over if she wasn’t already.
drkrick
O- but deferred until next April because of the same kind of overcaution that affects others here. If you’re eligible, there is NO easier way to do as much good as by donating no matter what your type. Hope you enjoyed the cookies, although I’m partial to the Fig Newtons myself.
catclub
Well, when I was a whippersnapper I could give every eight weeks on the dot. Now, who knows – not enough lead in my pencil or some such ironmongery. Maybe 12 weeks, maybe 16 weeks, whatever. I keep going back.
Consarn it you kids. Get offa my lawn.
Kit
O+… I’d give, but I donated last week and thus am still ineligible for another 7 weeks. I view donating blood as a civil service, a responsibility for living in a modern world where we have modern medicine, however unaffordable it may be. Plus I like having the good karma of having donated a lot before I ever have needed any.
electricgrendel
I would love to give blood, but my faggoty-fag-fag-fag-a-lot blood is apparently too gay to save people’s lives. Good on you breeders for pumping out the whole lot of red stuff, though.
alwhite
I’m in the 5 gallon club. Its easy and you have no idea how really important it is. There is always a need for blood.
I have to put donating on hold until I get this other thing cleared up. Should have a diagnosis on Thursday according to the Dr.
I stayed up all night cramming for my blood test, but it was worth it. I got an A+ !
Origuy
Thanks for reminding me. I’ve been eligible for about a week, but one thing or another has kept me from going in.
catclub
alwhite @ 22 I am in the four gallon club … with two different blood centers. I also stayed up studying …A+!
Corey
I’d just like to point out that the Red Cross is an extremely anti-union organization and is trying to break the unions that represent their blood services workers all over the country. There is currently a ten-union national coalition of unions working to fight back and try to win fair contracts.
Corey
I’d just like to point out that the Red Cross is an extremely anti-union organization and is trying to break the unions that represent their blood services workers all over the country. There is currently a ten-union national coalition of unions working to fight back and try to win fair contracts. They also sell the blood that they collect from you as a donation.
Comrade Colette Collaboratrice
After a lifetime of feeling guilty because I’m too chicken, I finally managed to donate blood last month. I have a severe fear of needles but the promise of an SF Giants Brian Wilson t-shirt (which I gave to my son) got me over the hump. I have to admit it wiped me out for the rest of the day and I went to bed early. The combination of trippy lightheadedness and smug virtue made it worth it, though. (So that’s what it’s like to be Michele Bachmann!)
@evap:
It is indeed concern about nv Creutzfeld-Jacob, but you might want to check into your local blood bank’s requirements more carefully. Ours says an aggregate of 5 years in Europe since 1980, or 3 months in the UK 1980-96, or 6 months as military/dependent in Europe 1980-96, will disqualify you. I spent a few years (<5) in France in the late 90s but the blood bank staff said that was OK.
And if you can't give blood, give money. They need that too.
danimal
Do they want blood from heart attack survivors taking 325 mg aspirin daily?
alwhite
Danimal, I don’t think they see that as a problem but you probably should get your doc’s OK before you go just to make sure. They are mostly worried about the blood-borne stuff like HIV, CJ and HepC.
We are lucky here as we have a blood bank separate from the dRed Cross. In addition to keeping track of your donations & providing equal back should you ever need it they allow you to ‘donate’ your savings to individuals.
My dad & all his brothers fought in WWII and I never heard them say a kind word about the Red Cross. Its sad to hear that they are anti-union too.
Regan
Did a double red blood cell donation in June, so I’m good until September. It was one of these posts a few months back that got me to start donating again, after a shamefully long hiatus.
Cris (without an H)
The Red Cross has been adding more and more restrictions, which just adds to the need for those of us who are eligible.
@jon: A++++++++++++
Paul in KY
I’m an O-, but I tested positive for ‘non-serum’ hepatitis (only hepatitis that isn’t bad) 20 or so years ago & they can’t use it.
Would get a half day off for donating, so I haz a sad on that count.
Joseph Nobles
Game of Thrones casting news: Stannis and Melisandre.
http://insidetv.ew.com/2011/07/19/stannis-melisandre/
Plus links to Margaery and Brienne if you haven’t seen them yet.
henry
Donate blood. But also avoid the Red Cross if at all possible.
Remember that post 9/11 they collected huge quantities of blood knowing they would have to throw it away unused as it aged. To them, it was all about growing their donor database.
Remember that they collected huge amounts of money for 9/11 victims/families and then tried to divert it to expanding their blood facilities. A decent cause, if only they didn’t commit fraud to get the money.
Skippy the Wondermule
I tried to give blood years ago only to be turned away because in college my friends and I used to get high and blow each other, and that makes my blood unworthy.
We live in an insane police state.
MaskedBandit
Can’t. While I can honestly answer the man/man sexual contact negatively (as given by the legalistic definition sheet), the local blood agencies don’t believe that you could be in a long-term gay relationship without lying on that question. That’s why my boyfriend got fired last year the week before Thanksgiving.
While the purpose is good, the rule makers are dicks.