When we were in New York city, at least one member of our crew needed a clean, free, bathroom, while walking around the city. I wish I had known about Diaroogle. Searching for Starbucks shops is not the only option! I was frantically searching using a slow cell phone browser and a search engine, when I could have gone straight here for quick relief!
Those people, like me, who are socially liberal and fiscally conservative in our political leanings will find this action by John McCain’s campaign a bit disconcerting. I can’t blame John McCain for wanting to take all the conservative votes, but denying ballot access is the wrong way to go about it. Take a note from Obama whose supporters I see every day in Atlanta walking around trying to get people to register to vote. Where’s the grass-roots effort? And people blame liberals for manipulating the country with the court system! Ha!
If you’re a conservative, these days, this is America, Land of the somewhat free, home of the afraid. What is McCain so scared of? He has hundreds of millions of dollars to support his campaign.
Lastly, one way to look at it from the big picture: If the two party system were representing the people properly, we wouldn’t even be having this argument.
I just gave my 48th donation to the red cross today. I’ll be back in two weeks for the 49th. While donating, I watched Under Suspicion with Gene Hackman and Morgan Freeman, a decent flick.
The point of this and future updates on my platelet donations is certainly not to gloat over it, but I am, admittedly, trying to advertise. Join me in my platelet challenge.
If you catalog your friends, relatives, co-workers, or look on the news for your favorite celebrities, media members, and politicians, chances are, you know someone who needs platelets. Platelets are a component of blood that control bleeding. Cancer and leukemia patients who are undergoing chemotherapy or bone marrow transplants need platelets. Hemophilia patients and victims of other blood diseases need platelets.
It takes several units of whole blood to make platelets. Giving platelets via apheresis can save valuable whole blood for victims of accidents, disasters, and other general blood recipients who need it, such as people undergoing surgery. Almost every type of surgery needs whole blood, and we need to make sure the availability of whole blood is high.
One platelet donation can be used for more than one patient. I gave a double platelet unit today which could possibly be used for several patients.
When I go to give platelets, I think of one thing. Nothing I can possibly do sitting on my rear end and watching a movie could benefit anyone more than giving platelets. I’m possibly saving the red cross several units of whole blood to use for emergencies. I’m possibly helping out multiple patients.
You can give platelets as often as every three days. Many people go once a week. I like once every two weeks because it’s a nice medium, and it’s a healthy frequency for almost all eligible donors. You can only give whole blood once every (approximately) 9 weeks.
The drawback - Giving a double unit like I just did takes time. I was in the chair for about two hours. However, a single unit only takes an hour - only about twice the time it takes to give blood. The process has become faster with newer one-arm technology. When I first started giving platelets back in 2003, it was done with two needles, one in each arm. Now, it only takes one needle stick. The best part for me is, my fluids and other blood components are returned to me and I feel pretty close to normal after giving platelets. By contrast, giving whole blood leaves me woozy. My wife, Molly, on the other hand, has no problem giving blood. She gives whole blood at least once a year, and sometimes several times a year.
All you healthy people out there who like to sit on your duff and watch movies, consider doing it with a needle in you. For more information, visit the Red Cross, or your local hospital. Many hospitals have their own blood banks. Some people prefer giving blood and platelets on site at the same location their blood will actually be used. I go to the red cross because it’s convenient, but also because my platelets can be used anywhere. Most hospitals purchase a significant percentage of the blood products they use from the Red Cross, and Red Cross blood and platelets are used in natural disasters all over the country.
Every month, I read a literary magazine called The Sun. I read it because of the quality of the independent creative writing. They do an interview in each issue, normally featuring some fairly extreme or thought provoking religious leader, activist, or artist. This month, it’s an interview of a business owner. The Sun is usually left-leaning on politics, but provides wonderful perspective. Here is a great example.
“Table for Six Billion” is an interview with Judy Wicks, a restaurant owner in Philadelphia.
While I do not agree with some of the finer political points and do not agree with Ms. Wicks’ implied broad-sweeping criticisms of big corporations, I do agree with her focus on local economies. If more business owners thought about ways to make communities self-sufficient, our communities would need far less federal government funding. The commendable part of this article is the evidence that one community member’s activism can create jobs, create educational opportunities, and can convince others to do positive things — locally.
If you’re a libertarian, you can’t help but like this article. If you’re a liberal, you can’t help but love it from a few standpoints. If you’re a conservative, you can’t help but admire the implications of the difference the private sector can make when profit is focused not only on personal gain and sustaining a business but sustaining a local economy. Look at the difference private business can make in global philanthropy. This article convinces me that there are other components besides sheer supply and demand; there are other activities that can create jobs and educate and inspire our communities.
I don’t have the same disdain for large American business as Ms. Wicks does, but I do have a similar disdain for US foreign policy. Additionally, like Wicks, I beleive that businesses and local citizens hold the keys to economic, social, and geopolitical problems. What can you do?
By the way, if you love creative writing, subscribe to The Sun. It’s non-profit and ad-free.
Adding to the list from a month ago, we dined at Aurora Ristorante in Brooklyn for Sunday Brunch. After a weekend of celebrating a wedding shower for my brother-in-law and wife-to-be, we just hadn’t had enough food. (As if another trip to Union Square Cafe on Saturday wasn’t enough!).
For my own memory’s sake - here’s their tasty brunch menu.
I mentioned last week that I scheduled to give platelets for an acquaintance and local business leader in his fight with Cancer. I mentioned that it might just get me back on track with giving platelets on a regular basis.
Well, that has happened. I am now scheduled for four appointments starting soon, every two weeks. I’ll continue to add appointments, giving platelets every two weeks.
JOIN ME in saving lives.
Here’s the Johnscott.net challenge: 50 platelet donations by the end of 2010. (53 for me to bring my total to 100 by the end of 2010.
FINAL GOAL: 300 total donations by December 17, 2020, my 45th birthday
I have milestones defined along the way to keep me on track.
If anyone else wishes to join me in doing more than 250 donations over the next 12 1/2 years, Call 1800-GIVE-LIFE and press option 2 for platelets. If you want to actually give alongside me, contact me and I’ll tell you where and when I am donating.
Thanks to a recent commenter, I correct a mistake in this peice.
Steve Cohen is the incumbent Democrat and the election described in this article is the Democratic primary for Tennessee congressional district 9 (Memphis). I figured it was a bit early for the general congressional election. Those tend to occur at the same time as the presidential election in November, don’t they. Thanks, Marilyn Dillihay. Marilyn Dillihay is the Legislative and Communications Director for Congressman Steve Cohen. I’m honored by submission of this correction by Mr. Cohen’s office.
(now the article)
I watched a video on CNN today describing election tactics by a candidate for the US house of Representatives in Tennessee. Nikki Tinker, the African American, female, Democratic Party challenger ran an ad featuring the KKK against the Republican Democratic Incumbent, stating that he somehow supports the organization through his voting record. The facts surrounding Steve Cohen, the Republican incumbent Democrat, are true. Cohen voted not to remove the remains of a confederate general from a public memorial. He was the only one who voted against it. The general whose remains were called into question was an early member of the KKK in Tennessee. Cohen states that his reason for the vote against the removal of the remains is based on individual rights, not race. He didn’t condone the removal of the remains without the family’s approval. This isn’t just lip service. Mr. Cohen backs his position up as one of the foremost in congress on the Republican Democratic side of the House of Representatives on civil rights. In addition to his historical voting record, he recently introduced a bill which further apologizes for slavery.
The results of the election were overwhelmingly positive. Tinker, the Democratic challenger in the primary (in a predominantly African American congressional district) went down in flames, losing by 80/20 margin, and being handily beaten in every demographic category.
In a nation where African American Democratic presidential nominee Barack Obama is the only one mentioning race, I hope and pray for similar results. I firmly beleive the exit polls will either declare that Barack Obama is the winner, in which case nobody can complain, or it will be clear that the American public voted against Barack based on issues and not based on race.
Not to berate the great state of Tennesseee, but come on folks, If Tennesseeans are unsuccessful in dividing the electorate on the race issue, it proves that the entire country is not only capable of the same, but acting like it, too. Those who aren’t optimistic should check out the exit polls in the southern states from the Democratic primary. For the most part, we have one America, and I’m very proud of it.
Tonight I’m making cheese.
By that I do not mean that I’m coming up with all manner of corny things to say to Molly when she gets home. Although I might do that anyway, I’m talking about cheese — that creamy or chewy stuff you put on a sandwich or eat with fruit.
As I’m waiting on my milk to get to 175 degrees, I am reminded of one of my fondest memories of cheese.
My grandfather on my mom’s side was an optician — a guild optician, the kind you don’t find many of anymore. He and several other guild opticians started a group called the Southeastern Society of Dispensing Opticians. This group sponsored a convention in Atlanta, which I had the privilege of attending every year from age 0 to approximately age 21 or 22.
The milk reached 175 degrees. I’ve added the buttermilk and lemon, now I’m waiting a while before I pour the contents of my stock pot through cheesecloth and a colander.
The best event at the convention for the Southeastern Society of Dispensing opticians was the “Wine and Cheese Party”. Prior to exhibits opening on Saturday, but after everyone got to the convention and set up, there was this party featuring wine and cheese. It probably wasn’t great wine, and the cheese probably featured cubes of cheddar, jalepeno infested monterey jack, and maybe some muenster here and there. It wasn’t the wine or the cheese that made it so good. Everyone was so glad to be away. People laughed, raved about their children and their lives. It was the first time I heard the word cheese associated with the word party. When I was very young I ran around the convention hall creating havoc with my cousins. Later, I found out why my mom didn’t care quite as much as usual that I was running around.
Cheese is definitely a party sometimes. Tonight I’m making 4x the recommended recipe of farmer’s cheese. I’m using a gallon of milk, a quart of buttermilk, and several teaspoons of lemon. We will see how this goes. I have never made cheese.
Two other guys in my fraternity and I decided one day we’d be the “royalty” of cheese. By cheese we were probably making metaphors to our over-romanticism, but nevertheless, we were royalty for a little bit. Mike was King Cheddar. Chris was Prince Havarti. I was known as Duke Provolone. I’m not making provolone, but hey - I am the Duke of cheese, people. This is going to be good.