The Web...

 

I've talked about the access telemedicine gives many to medical services.   But there's more & much of it today is accessible online.   Thanks to advances in technology, much of the information you could need regarding HIV is online.  Through various government sites, HIV related sites & local aid pages.  

My roomie has been diving into the world of webinars or web conferencing.  Health professionals, medical providers & educators are using these as well.  This article is about 3 upcoming webinars about HIV prevention for medical providers.  These are from Dr. Stephen Rawlings via the Maine State Department of Health & Human Services.

Webinars are providing information to people in a new, more accessible format.  Not every professional teaches at a university or many don't have access to professional seminars.   Just google HIV & webinars, the results are notable.

That's it for now, take care.

Cya...

Phone Hold...

 

It's benefit renewal time & I did the application last night online.  The I got a text, apparently I've been selected for a phone interview.  I called & the wait time is at least 20+ minutes.  So, I'm listening to annoying muzak.   I guess most on-hold music is fairly annoying when you're just trying to get something done.

I'll do this & get cleaned up.  We have to run my roomie back for a follow up appointment.  There will be a few of these.   This won't be the easiest process.

That's all for now, take care.

Cya...

Lancet...

 

Not a lot of articles out this morning & we have to go shopping soon so this will be short.  There are a few good websites out there for HIV, like HIV.gov.  There's also The Lancet HIV.  The Lancet HIV is part of the larger journal, The Lancet, which is more for general med, but there are other specialities besides HIV.  I've covered most the material currently there, but if you need info, they're good places to start.

That's it for now, take care.

Cya...

Really & Busy...

OK, a couple of givens.  If you say or reveal something about yourself, you can never unsay it or take it back.  Whatever it was, is now known.  2nd, businesses of all types, especially those online, gather & sale the information of those people who traffic their sites.  Both are givens.  Anyone should understand this.

So, why is it people get so surprised & outraged when something they reveled about themselves online turns up somewhere else?    They should've known this would happen.  I post about my illness. People who read this blog close enough can figure a lot about my life.  I knew that going in.  I accepted that.  If I couldn't have, I shouldn't have started the blog in the 1st place. 

To all you people out there that told Grindr, or whatever other site, your HIV status, what did you expect?    Of course they used that data.  Of course they sold it.   Information is ore, data mining is nothing new.   HIV status is a rarer tidbit, so it was probably worth quite a bit.  You might be upset  Grindr sold personal info, but it was in their user's agreement.  That bunch fine print you were supposed to read before using the site.  This isn't on Grindr, it's on you.  That's why you're so pissed off.  Own it & move on with your life.

Have to get going.  I need a shower & we have bills to pay.  I need to get back soon, my meds are on their way.  I don't want to have to reschedule the delivery.

Cya...

Zenni...

OK, time for a little product placement.   My glasses just got in today.  I ordered them from Zenni Optical.   I had ordered a back-up pair from them in the past.  That pair cost me under $20 US.  I recently had an eye exam & my prescription had shifted.  It wasn't drastic, but it was enough to need new glasses.  Besides my old pair has been on death's door for over a year.

The exam cost me just under $60.  I went home knowing I really couldn't afford a pair from the place I usually get them. So, I opted to return to Zenni.  I really wanted 3 pairs.  I wanted a photochromatic pair, a tinted pair for driving & a plain back-up pair.  I didn't think I'd be able to get all 3 pairs.  I was wrong.  

Including shipping, the entire for 3 sets of glasses was just at $58.  My back up pair was just under $10.  The tinted pair was under $15.  The daily wear, photochromatic pair was about $29 with shipping being at $5.  

I won't tell you these glasses are the same quality as my old pair, but I've had worse.  Those came from  a cheap, chain glasses shop in a strip mall.  Watch TV & you'll see adds for those type places.  They also play fast & loose with pricing.  What you see, is not what you get.  

So far, so good.  It's dreary, so I can't tell how well the photochromatics are going to work yet. All in all, I'm happy with them.  If they break, I'll know what not to order next time & have a back-up pair for the duration.  Not to mention, another single pair would be under $30.  I'll probably be able to afford that.  To this point, I'd recommend Zenni.

Cya...

Undesired Change...

My roomie is dealing with a change in her routine.  An online service she frequents has announced it will be closing it's virtual doors.  This was something she used often & meant a lot to her.  To the best of our knowledge there isn't anything else out there like it.  Understandably, she's upset.

When you're a person living via restricted means for whatever reason, having order in your life is very important.  It lets you feel like there's some rhyme & reason in your life.  Once that order is threatened, you begin to feel like a leaf in a tornado.  

We're both on disability & not at the peak of health.   Our options & access is greatly limited.  When we do find something that suits our needs, it's a huge boon.  When something takes 1 of them away it's a very bad thing for us that easily ripples through our lives.  Sure, we'll get through it, but for a time it's very depressing.  

When you're ill, you have to make the best of things & anything that doesn't go along with that is a detriment.    Being on disability is both a blessing & an issue.  It allows for enough to stay afloat, but just barely.  Any change that happens in our lives winds up impacting every other part.  

Soon, this service will be gone & she'll be left without a suitable replacement.  This wasn't a change she expected, nor requested.  It was situation created by things beyond her control. When things like this happen in our lives, it's very important to accept what this meant to us & how it will impact us.  Recognition & acknowledgement are greatly important in our lives.  Even if it is to an online service.  

Cya...

Judges

We all have people in our lives who judge us & most of them probably are not in a position that we actually have to tolerate it.  Other than parents when we're younger, employers & some governmental types we really don't have to give a damn what anyone else thinks of us or our actions.  Yet, we constantly listen to them nag, judge & criticize.

The video above uses the example of gaming & having an active online life.  Yes, I said life.  I may not agree with how much some people spend invested in online activities, but it really isn't any of my business & no one is forcing me to participate.  There are people out that there who will try to shame you for gaming.  They've even developed terms for it, gamer shame or closeted gamer.  There are those that rail against Facebook & call it a stupid waste of time or outright evil.

These people gripe about anything to do with any type of gaming or online activity. Why, when these people are usually the same ones that treat football like it was sacrosanct? They go after those people who like video games & pursue more advance personal technologies.  Why?  Who knows.  The better question is why does any gamer or techie even care what these people think?

You need to realize that these people are going to gripe & judge no matter what you do.  If you quit gaming or hide your online activity you're just giving into them & allowing them to control your life.  Yes, of course there are those individuals out there who take things to far, but those people are in every walk of life.  If your significant other rags on your gaming or facebook page, then you really need to find a new significant other.  

What, you think dumping someone for bitching about your gaming is harsh.  No, no it isn't. These people will not stop with your gaming.  They will continue until they have completely rewritten your life they way they want it to be.  Then they'll probably have the nerve to dump you & say that you aren't the same person they fell for when you met.

Even if they don't continue & try to utterly recast you, they have still tried to remove something from your life that you enjoyed.  They attacked your "you time".  These people can only get away with this if you let them, so stop letting them.  Let them know that is this part of your life & it isn't going to change & if they can't handle the door is over there, use it.

We all have enough crap in our lives without someone trying to take away our past times, hobbies & de-stressers.   Even if they don't appear to be so, the people who judge & go after other people's fun time are usually miserable, selfish, & fake people.  They have no grounds to judge you.  They have no right to judge you.  If what you're doing isn't a danger to you or others, then to hell with them.  

A lot of people will try to make you feel that you shouldn't play games if you over ten years old.  They tell you to grow up already.  Where does it say that adults can't have fun?  Where does it say adults can't play games?  If there is a place out that says anything even remotely like that, then it's full of crap.  Hold onto your games, your facebooks pages or whatever else helps you get through the day.  

Happy Gaming

Happy Blogging

Happy Facebooking

Happy whatever else might just make you smile & let go of a little stress