Culture War...

 

tRump's maga has declared a culture war on anything they see as DEI.  They will use it justify harming anyone or anything.  Unfortunately that included the war on HIV.   These cuts aren't just to PEPFAR & other overseas projects.  They include domestic programs for awareness, testing, treatment & prevention.   

maga's actions could very well lead to a reality where HIV is as dangerous as it was decades ago.   These people's actions aren't out of some profound need to protect themselves from some imaginary boogeyman.  These directives are meant cause harm, mayhem, degradation & even death.  maga is vile.

My hope is that every single person who supported this movement gets this illness & has no means of dealing with it.  Let them & theirs know the horrors of what unmitigated HIV can be.  They deserve it.

That's all for now.  Take care.

Cya...

Maybe It's Time...

 

I try not to get too political on this blog.  I do express my opinions of the orange asshat & his cult of maga idiots.  But maybe I should take a bit to make a point.

Assistance for HIV meds & providers is being gutted in the US.  Ryan White programs are being impacted.  I'm not a big trans supporter, but what's happening in Kansas is disgusting.  If that state can do what they want, then it might spread to others & for other groups.  Some states are wanting the right not to recognize same sex marriages.

If any of this affects you or someone you know, thank the damn republicans.  If someone in your life voted for these people, then they voted against you.  It's that simple.  This is a midterm election year, make sure you vote.  They're trying to make it harder to vote.  All that means is that they're afraid of losing.  

This isn't just about Gays, trans or people of color.  It's about anyone who isn't a 1%er or above, conservative, straight, white man.  I doubt anyone meeting those criteria is reading my blog, so this is aimed at you.  Just vote.

Cya...

Breath Held...

 

People are waiting to see what the shift to the right means for the fight against HIV & the non-hetero situation.  It isn't just in the US.  Many countries are digging their heels into conservative hatred, while others are testing the waters.  The world was never a nice place & the ugliness was just waiting for a chance to poke it's head back up.  

There are few "good" people in the world.  Most of those that would consider themselves good aren't.  They're just naive idealist that have never been pushed or tested.  Fortunately, there aren't that many really horrible people out there either.  Most people are self concerned & apathetic to the point of letting the world burn.  They either won't care or won't accept any responsibility for the matter.  Choosing nothing is still a choice.

For now, matters concerning HIV & Gays, is a wait & see game.  Then the fight will come again.  The battles may come & go, but the war will never end.

Take care.

Cya...

Probably Not...

 

It's been decades since the 1st case of HIV/AIDS.  So, when's there going to be an end to this, a cure, a vaccine?   IMO, most likely that day will never come. 

There are too many malignant people out there that don't believe in handling HIV because it isn't about them.  Or they like having something they can ridicule or shame people about.  They will never deal with HIV until they test +.

There's too much profit in HIV.  Drug companies make billions off the meds.   They'd lose that if there was ever a cure.  Another form of profit is social.  The kind conservatives like.  The people who think that any one who contracts the virus was a bad person who deserved it.  Unless of course it was them or someone in their circle.  Then it was an attack by some abomination. 

Between horrible people, greedy corps & conservatives the possibility of a cure is fairly low.  That doesn't even take into account those who are + & won't/can't take care themselves.   I think HIV is just here.  If it is cured, it'll probably be after I'm gone.

Just my thoughts on the matter.  Take care.

Cya...

Still Messing...

 

There isn't much in the articles this morning other than republicans screwing with funds.  They're having a tantrum over anything they don't want, including funding previously established HIV programs mostly started by republicans.  Even Trump pushed his on special way of ending of HIV.  Now these politicians are threatening these efforts to get what they want.  Conservatives are nothing more than stupid, violent brats.  

I guess we'll see how this plays out.  Too bad they can't all just die of being conservative.

Cya...

Republican Hate...

 

Republicans in their drive to fight abortion have taken aim at PEPFAR.  This piece goes into some the details.  PEPFAR is a program started by President George W. Bush.  Yes, this program to fight HIV was started by a republican.  They weren't great then, but now the party is nothing but bastards, buffoons  & monsters.  They are willing to let HIV spread & people die to further their fight against abortion.  That doesn't sound very pro-life.  There's no such thing as pro-life at this time, there's only pro-birth & suffering.

This doesn't aim at the fight against HIV in the US, but it's only a matter of time before they try.  Conservatives are evil & will do anything to get their way.  

Cya...

Nonprofits...

 

Conservatives have made it very clear they hate most nonprofit organizations that provide assistance for anything.  That goes double for anything that involves people who happen to be of color, poor, Gay, etc...   If it's an organization providing aid to these groups on matters of housing, food or medical republicans tend to despise them.  

Why?  They want 2 things, money & control.   They say nonprofits cut into corporate gains.  They also are concerned these organizations might be giving assistance to "those people."  Republicans want to ensure corporations get their money as well as control who gets what aid.  Being anti nonprofit is part of their hate agenda & a means of furthering WASPy agenda.

They scream it's to save the children, to protect their kind of people & to ensure financial viability.  What it's really about is simple hate & control.  Conservative groups hate anything that doesn't walk, talk, look & think like them.  

Expect to see more nonprofits lose funds & have to close.  It will get more difficult to find aid or any kind.  There be hoops, hurdles & cattle chutes to get any kind of assistance if republicans get their way.  Most people will go through all this only to be told, "We're sorry but you didn't meet our criteria for assistance."  Then they'll laugh as they walk off form those in need.

Is there anything more vile than a American conservative?

Cya...

Mid May...

 

It's the middle of the month & so far this it's been fairly gloomy.  It's May, where's the sunlight?  It doesn't have to get hot, but some light would be great.  

There isn't much going on here or in the way of articles.  Every once in a while I see piece about someone finally figuring out that conservatives are anti-gay.  They actually hate just about anything not WASP & male.  They'll use people of color, women & gays.  But, those people are totally disposable once the job is done, like paper towels.  Conservatives use these people to handle messes & look supportive.  So yes, Virginia, conservatives really do hate you.

That's all for, take care.

Cya...

Less...

 

For the last several years, somethings, mainly actions by conservative asshats, have caused turmoil in the medical world.  That's especially true with matter dealing in anyway with sex; reproduction, HIV, general testing. These horrible people have continuously attacked these areas & weakened them a great deal.  With that, most articles have focused on these things & not actual medicine.  This current texas judge bastard's decision could wind up being devastating in ways people may never have seen coming.  I hope  he & his dies soon.  That's the nicest thing I can say about them.

So for now, there are lot less useful articles.  There's nothing I can do about that.  I'll catch them when I can. 

Cya...

Texas Judge F'ed Us...

 

Conservative judges have been picking away at ACA since its inception.  In the last few years they've gone after reproductive matters or things that impact the Gay community & trans.  Now an asshat texan judge declared it against the law to require free screening or free meds.  This doesn't just concern HIV, it also hits cancer & other ailments.  

These bastards want people to be in poverty, misery & utter hopelessness.  They're trying to make more babies living in poverty who can't get out because everything is too expensive.  There won't be good educations for these children, the republican asshats have gutted that as well.  These people will be so low, the conservatives hope they'll be happy with whatever scraps they're given.  

The republicans want an impoverished, poor, ignorant theocracy where religion is a mouthpiece about how important guns are & that the poor deserve what they get.  These people are monsters. 

Cya...

PS - Had out 1st mowing yesterday, that was rough on us.

The Why Of Tennessee...

 

To start, the state of Tennessee is as conservative & backwards AF.  According to this article the decision to cut federal HIV monies caught those who were HIV+ or those needing testing, but they weren't the direct target.  Not that the "fine" people of that state minded that them gays got what they deserved.

This piece states the actual targets were Vanderbilt University's transgender health program & Planned Parenthood.   That would've been a loss of just under a quarter million.  The easiest way to do that was to reject the entire allotment.  That makes the rejected monies come to over 8 million.  Those just needing help with HIV matters are going to face a much harder time now.  

HIV isn't a gay disease.  Yet even if it was, that has nothing directly to do with being trans or needing Planned Parenthood.  This is just some hideous group of politicians means to attack people they despise.  Face it, Republicans are a hate group.  They don't care who they hurt in the long run.

Cya...

Just More Stupid...

 

Since the mid 2010's, there's been news & I've blogged about how economic upheaval, homelessness & IV drug use has caused upticks & outbreaks of HIV in states like Indiana, Ohio, Kentucky & West Virginia.  The biggest problem here is that these states are mostly very conservative. 

They have fought nearly every program to aid with the baseline issues leading to these matters.  But any attempts to assist in jobs, medicaid, housing & especially drug matters have hit brick walls.  This article talks about West Virginia's latest decision to block a clean needle program, even though it was suggested by the CDC.

This is just another example of the stupidity conservatives employ when dealing with people. Somewhere between ⅔ - ¾ of new HIV transmissions in the area for the last few years has been through IV drug usage.  Meaning these transmissions were due to dirty/used needles.  Even with the most basic logic, the people of West Virginia can't get behind a needle programs.  

Just more stupid.

Cya...

Sucky Start...

 

May is off to a sucky start.  We got half a month's rain in a day of storms.  It's a dismal morning.  The next 2 days are supposed to be  stormy.  Add to that, there's all the stuff floating around about the supreme court & abortion.  Every anti-abortion person should gotten rid of & I don't care how.  They don't care about babies.  They just love suffering.

I don't have anything else this morning.  I found some articles, but they were all rehash or about other areas of the world.  The lack of unrelated HIV articles is annoying.

Take care.

Cya...

Florida...

 

I had an uncle who lived in Orlando.  When I was younger, I loved going there.  Florida was so different than Oklahoma.  It  had beaches, places to see wildlife we didn't have & of course Disney World.  I loved that  place  as a kid.   I don't know if I was too young to see the real Florida or if the state  did a hateful pivot when I got older.  Now they're like an angrier, more billegerant Oklahoma turned up to 11.  

They have Oklahoma's worst traits amplified; bad weather, humidity,  hateful republicans, angry religious people, backwards policies, etc...  The beaches have  gone to seed due  to  pollution & climate change.  The theme parks are too expensive.  I'm over my fascination with their wildlife.  It may be the worst state to be HIV+.  It's among the worse for COVID.  It's probably all going to be underwater  in 20 years.

Radically, conservative christians & republicans have slaughtered the dream of Florida.  Then replaced it with a nightmare reality.  Every radical republican & religious nut should be forced to march them & never leave.  It's no surprise hateful politicians, TV slobs & rappers love the place.

Sometimes I wish Disney was wrong & it wasn't a small world.  I'd really like more space between those people & myself.  Take care.

Cya...

Goodbye June...

 

It's goodbye to June & I'm thankful for that.  June hasn't  been an awful month, but it hasn't been good  either.  It'd be nice if the last half of the year was better.  I have little nice to say, so Goodbye June, try harder next year.

I found another article over needle exchanges.  Even though they've been proven to help combat the spread of HIV & are supported by the CDC, many states are trying to end them.  Vicious conservatives are being idiots over health matters, no surprise there.

That's all for, take care.

Cya...

Backwards...

  

Indiana is about to take a giant step backwards.  In 2015, Scott County became the epicenter of a massive HIV outbreak due to IV drug use.  In conservative  fashion, then governor Pence opted to shame, ridicule & accuse, but little else.  Eventually, the county started a syringe exchange campaign.  It not only helped get  their HIV cases  under  control, but became  a role model for other  such programs.

In 2021,  the same conservative mentality wants to all but curtail the program.  Even though the baseline issues haven't changed. It this happens, it is not only likely, but anticipated, another surge  in HIV cases will follow.

This isn't just stupid, it shows how horrible these people are.  May every conservative opposing programs like these be treated with the same kindness & mercy.  Republicans want to save  fetuses, but  murder everyone else or least watch then suffer.  This group is nothing but a collection of monsters who delight in the misery of others.

Cya...

Still...

 

There are still lots of weather related issues going on in my area & south of us.  However, it is getting warmer.  Most the snow has melted off.  We hit 51 yesterday.  Today won't as warm & it could rain.  But, there are only a few nights left with temps forecasted to be below freezing.  So, dripping faucet season may be over soon.  YAY!  Last night we were warm enough to turn off the stoves. My breathing needed the break. 

We can't control the weather.  But most of the serious fallout of this situation was due to horrible management of the infrastructure & systems by greedy conservatives.  Their politics cost a lives, trauma & billions in damage.  

There are still no articles to speak of, so this is it for now.  Take care.

Cya...

5 Years Later...

This article is about Austin, Indiana's emergence from an opioid induced, HIV  outbreak.  I've posted about several rural towns that have faced this & most due to drug usage.  Most of that brought on by a horrible economy.    

In this town of just over 4,000,  235 tested HIV+.   Think about it.  That's the 200+ they know about, roughly 6% of the population.  The last stat I saw for the US was just over 0.3%, a huge difference.  

It's a good article, give it a read.   It details struggles of the townspeople & governmental failure.  Also, an ongoing resistance to doing what's necessary to prevent this from repeating.  Most of that resistance comes from conservatives, both political & religious.  We need to do better.

Cya...

Right Stigma...

Some would like to believe, ignorance is the cause of the stigma held by those on the right, against people with HIV.  It may be the case for some.  But, for many it isn't ignorance.  It's hate.   

When people hate something, the chances of you getting them to leave that hate behind is slim.   Some do eventually leave their hate behind, but only after major overhauls in their own life.    You can't get people to stop hating.  Their anger against HIV & the stupid things about + people are driven by rage not ignorance.  You can't educate people to be sane.

Don't waste your time trying to change haters.  It won't work & might get you hurt.  Put your efforts to those who are actually open to listening to what you have to say.  Those other people just want a target.

Take care.

Cya...

OK, Back To Yuck...

For years some in the fight against HIV had, what I considered, unrealistic dreams.   They thought they could stop transmissions by 2020.   They thought they could get medications & medical services to everyone.   They really had their pie in the sky.    

They had a plan, it was bold.  What they didn't have was capital.  They thought people like USA would fork it over.   The US did quite a bit for a while, so did a host of other countries.   But that was all dependant on politics.  As those shifted to a more radically, conservative nature, those funds began to dry up.   Now, the US is cutting nearly everything it can concerning the fight against  HIV.

We could be at the beginning of a resurgence of HIV.   All due to bad economic choices, hateful conservatism, blame & bias.   The fight against HIV is returning to it's classist, stigmatized roots.  So much for those plans for 2020.  We'll  be lucky not to see numbers soar as the funds dwindle.

Cya..

PS - Whatever good sleep weather we had went back to whence it came last night.  Last night was rough & this morning is gloomy.  Yuck.