Science Won't...

 

I've come across a few articles lately, that while aggravating, are accurate.  Science won't end COVID, it  hasn't & won't end HIV.  HIV may be incurable, but we've had the means to test, treat & contain it for decades.   Hasn't meant a damn thing in ending  HIV.  It's lowered the fatality rates, but the virus continues to be spread even now.

The same is true with COVID.   We've had the means  to lessen the spread & impact of this virus for a bit now.  It isn't ending this outbreak.

Yes,  science will impact the spread of these illnesses.  But, not enough.  It takes money, a lot of money.  Even with the funds, it takes the willingness of the population.  The group has to be willing to listen, learn & face the problem in a logical manner.  Little of this was accomplished with HIV.  Even less headway has been made with COVID.  Violent, angry indulged ignorance has been the chosen path for many when facing COVID & those trying to fight it.   These people choose violence, hate,  idiocy & conspiracy theories over the facts.  Again, they have made a virus an ideological matter.  A thing of religion & politics. 

Science can't & won't end HIV or COVID.  There are too many stupid, violent indulgent people in the world.  Do your best to keep yourself safe, no one  else will.  Take care.

Cya...

Fall, It Lied...

 

The weather forecast has been off a lot this season.  Last weekend it said there would rain for 4 days & up  to as many inches.   It was supposed to usher in a cool down.  We got a few small rains, that may have been an inch.  The cooldown didn't happen.  It got into the 90s yesterday & looks to be hotter today.

We were ready for this to be over.  It's not record heat, but it's still hotter than we'd like.  I don't  know  when I'll get to finish the lawn work.  It's too hot now & it might rain early in the week.  This Fall is being difficult.

Cya...

Might Have To...

We may have to go out later.  We need a new litter box,  the old 1 cracked.    I think I may have found a solution online, if not out we go.  I'd hope not, it's going to get hot.

I posted a few days ago about a woman  ranting on Facebook about she intended to infect as many men as possible.  She felt she'd been wronged by men.  Turns out, she isn't HIV+.  She should still be charged for terroristic threatening.  I haven't seen what will happen to her yet.   Thanks for making life HIV even more difficult.

Take care.

Cya...

Rain Lies...

For a of couple of days, the forecast was for high chances for thunderstorms.  They issued a flash flood watch.  What came of it?  Drizzle.   There were no storms.  We have 80% of those same storms today.  I hope some rain shows.   It's currently in the 70s with 95% humidity.  Yesterday was hellish.  We were in the 80's with 80+% humidity.  

The temps are fine, it's the wetness.  This is hideous weather.  I had  issues with humidity before.  But, since the stroke, they're  much worse.  It makes my left leg, halfway up to the knee, feel like I'm walking on a padded club.   It gets  tiring very quickly.    We really need it to rain or dry out.

Take care.

Cya...

Pharm Trust Issues....

Almost every time I've asked about a side-effect I was experiencing from a medication, I've been told, that drug doesn't do that.  Yet when I read forums online, I see many people taking the same drug having the same experiences.  Doctors only have information from pharmaceutical companies.  These companies often downplay or even omit aspects of their medication that might harm sales.  

This article talks about an ongoing lawsuit against Gilead for failure to be upfront about the potential side effects of many of their medications.   These were based off the med Tenofovir, which is the base for many of Gilead's HIV treatments.  It has been proven to be detrimental for some patient's kidneys and bones.  Never trust big pharma to be honest about anything.  They're just about the money.

Cya...

PS - Sometime about a month back, I passed 3,000 posts for this blog.   Good for me.  I'm not the best with commitment on things like this.

On The Rise...

I read articles about how HIV rates are rising or threatening to do so soon.  It's come down to 1 thing, rhetoric.  Some group's BS philosophy supported by their politics, class or religion is leading to the spread of HIV.  Groups promote ignorance, stigma, misinformation & hate towards the very idea of HIV & villainize people who are HIV+.  These groups:

• Cut funding
• Spread hate
• Misinform & misdirect
• Make + people come off as sinners or impure

All of this is done so these groups can maintain control.  They control the rhetoric.  They control the funds.  These are not "good" people.   They are manipulative, hateful, violent & deceitful.  

If HIV does surge again.  It will be due to people like these spreading their hate & lies.  All the while wrapping themselves in their religion/politics like they're some kind of saint.  Don't fall for it.

Cya...

Continuance, Bad Advice & August...

Continuing my discussion over the effect of the PrEP trial in the UK, this article goes into further detail the medical procedures & drugs that will be cut or put on hold so people can screw without  condoms.  Selfish shits.

This article  details how a health worker told a patient to abandon her HIV meds in favor of herbal treatments.   The Swiss court fined the man, but he should've been imprisoned for risking a patient's health.  Sorry, but no amount of lavender is going to treat HIV.

Finally, "Hello August."  I known it's the 4th but we've been busy.  Most of the household bills are caught up.   The trash was taken out & the AC turned on early again.  Thanks August for being so damned hot.  I've seen enough of past the century mark temps.   Do try to cool down a bit.

Cya...

Conflicted...

This article is about a man in Oklahoma whose been arrested for soliciting sex from people without revealing his HIV + status.  According to the Oklahoma State Health Department, he tested + back in 2007.  Since then, he's made almost 700 solicitations for sex on Craig's List.  Even if he only has a 1 in 10 success rate, that's 70 people.

Quotes in the article try to make this man out as a psychopath.  (I just love it when non-psych people diagnose).  It's possible this man is every bad thing that's ever been said about him, but that's irrelevant.   Yes, I said it doesn't matter, it means nothing.

This man trolled for sex on Craig's List.  These people answered those ads.   They had unsafe sex with a stranger.  They say he told them he was HIV -.  So what?  He lied,  they didn't demand a condom & now they could very well be + themselves.  

This man should not of done what he did, given.  However, to place all the blame on him alone is BS.  A lot of people made choices, seemingly most of them bad choices & now there are consequences to those actions.  That's called life.  

I am HIV +, because of my choices.  Unless this man forced them to have sex, they are at least partly to blame for their possible/current HIV status.  This man should be dealt with & prosecuted.  But, playing the blame game won't help anyone.

Cya...

Pure BS...

This article, is among others, is talking about how the Egyptian military has declared they now have a device capable of detecting & curing not just HIV, but also Hep C.   The device, that looks like a handheld stapler with a TV antenna attached to it, is supposed to work on detection & curing via electromagnetic waves.

I really wish this article had been written by The Onion, but it wasn't.  I imagine the Egyptian military is ever so surprised nobody is buying the assortment of crazy they're selling.  There isn't enough perfume in the world to make this dung heap of an idea not smell like BS.

Read the article.  It'd be good for a laugh, if they weren't trying to pass it off as real.  I wonder why this miracle machine doesn't handle TB as well?

Cya...

Pray Away...

For several years we've heard of churches praying away HIV.   This is BS!!!  This article talks about this ongoing religious hokum that's passing for genuine healing.   It's bad enough when these people claim to pray the gay away.  But when they start talking about curing HIV, cancer & the like via their chicanery it's downright cruel, deceiving & should always be criminal.

England has had people die over this crap.   These people get the virus "prayed" away & then are pressured to show their faith by ceasing all meds & treatment.  All will be well if you have faith.  BTW, if you don't have enough faith, you're going to die.  Either way the fake healer is off the hook.  These "healers" & their supporters should be shot.   Snake Oil sales are alive & well in the world.

If you are +, you need medical treatment & meds, not mumbo jumbo.  Even if these "healers" meant well,  if you follow their advice, they'll be fine & you could very well be dead.   It's simple, get tested.  If you're +, seek out treatment. 

Cya...

Repeating Crap Doesn't Make It True

One of the blogs I read posted this article today. The article is about a man that earlier in life aided an elephant, yes an elephant.  Only to think he has met the same elephant across the globe years later.  Due to his mistake, he approaches the large animal & gets killed.  This hoax isn't new, it's been passed around for at least a few decades now.  Snopes.com dismissed this story as a scam some time back, but still it persists in entering people's blogs & emails.

If this had been posted the day before, I would've passed it off as an April's Fool's prank.   I have no idea what the author of this blog intended & I'm not going to talk about him/her.  I want to talk about this need to purposely pass around false information.  I get jokes & humor, but hoaxes are intentional attempts to push forward false information.  Isn't there already enough misinformation out there?

It pisses me off when I hear some tale of heroism or compassion only to find out the whole story was a lie.  Don't try to pass this off as a morality thing either, because these people don't seem to have any other interest in watching a bunch of rubes get suckered.  

There are enough scams & tricks in the world without adding more. These people aren't tricksters, they aren't moralists, they're just juvenile ass-hats.  Do us a favor & don't forward this crap on to anyone.  If something seems to good to be true, then google it or go to Snopes.com & check it out.  You might be surprised to find out your brand new story of compassion is a ruse that's been told since the late 1800's.

Hope everyone is having a good day.