Tag: Male

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I’d really like to thank my prescription insurance provider …

I wrote this a few days ago. I’ve been waiting to post it for a couple of reasons.

I wanted to make sure that I still felt as strongly about it as I did when I wrote this peice.

I wanted to end this on a good note

Pills

My insurance provider has decided that they know better than my Physician.

In order to save .02 per pill, for an overall savings of 1.80 per prescription, my insurance provider ExpressScripts changed my prescription. You know… I’d have paid the 1.80 extra just so I didn’t have the hassle. Unfortunately, I wasn’t given that choice.

They assure me that the drug they’ve substituted is the SAME as the drug that I’ve been using successfully and with no problems for 3 years!

If it’s the same then why is the molecular structure different? Why is the chemical formula different?

I went on the new drug this morning. Less than 12 hours after the switch I’m feeling like shit.

My diastolic Blood pressure has climbed 10 points in the past 6 hours and I’m not doing anything.

I have a couple of questions to ask.

Why can my insurance provider execute “Step Therapy” without actually seeing me? STEP means we’re going to fuck you in the name of savings.

The FDA claims that if we purchase drugs from Canada, or Mexico we’re placing ourselves in danger.

At least buying from Canada and Mexico I’m actually GETTING THE DRUG that my Doctor prescribed!

Yet the FDA has no problem with prescription drugs being substituted without a Doctor exam, and in some cases without actually contacting the physician that wrote the prescription in the first place.

Why would you take a patient off a medication that was working just fine, with no side effects, and essentially experiment with them? I thought we outlawed that kind of experimentation after Joseph Mengele’s experimentation in the death camps came to light.

Sterile latex surgical gloves

Essentially, this phamaceutical insurance company has decided that it’s OK to have me start taking a drug which may … OR MAY NOT work.

They’ve done this in a situation where I am likely to be at work, or at home and the effect or lack of effect may be subtle enough that I won’t notice. By the time I figure out that I have a problem…   I could conceivably be on a gurney in the back of an ambulance.

Then it occurred to me, if I’m hospitalized it would not be their problem…

It’s MINE and can easily be covered up as a “Natural” event, NOT A DIRECT EFFECT OF ExpressScripts swapping my medication with ZERO SUPPORT.

As of today, almost 2 weeks after the switch I’m adapting. The initial 96 hours was very rough. I’ve been having good days and bad days however I’m returning to my normal self.  I spoke with the Doc yesterday, he wasn’t too concerned. He mentioned that new research had expanded the definition of “Normal” and that I was well within the range.

He also reminded me that I needed to come in to see him and that he had a rubber glove waiting with my name on it. DAMN!

You know… his fingers don’t look that big, should a prostate exam take 30 minutes and why does he dim the lights?

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Will be gone all day today

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Figured that I better get a blog entry prepped.

I’m going to visit a friend. I SOOO need to get away if only for a few hours.

I’m dealing with a bit of cabin fever. With the price of gas as high as it is, I’ve not been going too many places. I’ve certainly not been spending any gas that I didn’t need to.

On the one hand, I’ve been saving money. On the other hand… I’m going stir crazy in isolation.

The subtle signs are that when I actually do go somewhere I’m grinning the whole way there and back. It doesn’ matter if I’ve got the top of the car up or down, It’s freedom! It’s a new view and I’m stimulated by it. Another sign is that I’ve bought some music that would make great driving / traveling music.

The Chromatics is the latest acquisition. Yeah… gotta drive playing their music.

I’ve packed my camera, and a few other items in case I see something that’s photo-worthy.

Changed a bunch of Lightbulbs yesterday to the new LED lights. In the process I busted an insert in the fixture. I’m taking that along with me in case I see a Home Depot or Lowes and feel like stopping.

The problem is cabin fever is that to a point you’re productive and take care of little projects. But beyond that point you slip down the slope to depression and you just don’t give a damn about much of anything. The shit will STILL be there tomorrow and if it’s gets moved today, tomorrow, or next week it really doesn’t matter.

The problem is that feeling like that feeds further depression and then it starts coloring all kinds of things in your life. Within a short time the cycle is feeding on itself and growing worse.

Today is going to be a mental health day. New view, good conversation, & probably a good drink or two. I think it will be good to talk with my friend I’ve gotten the impression that he’s in a similar headspace. If true then we may be able to help each other out and give each other direction as only interaction with someone you know well can.

 

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GET A FUCKING CLUE AMERICA!

This society is increasingly becoming what can only be characterized as nothing less than a Theocracy.

Our politicians are pandering to this small group of venomous, treasonous, despicable people, at the exclusion of more mainstream centrist positions.

Venomous due to the vitriol spewing from their mouths in a never ending stream.

Treasonous because they seek to create exceptions in the constitution and bill of rights that exclude specific groups.

Despicable because they seek to hide the true nature of freedom from many today, and all of our children and grand children tomorrow.

And while many of you sit thinking “I’m not a Woman, Single, or Gay, this doesn’t matter to me”

SingleBoot2 hiRez

This Theocracy isn’t just about oppressing one group of people. This group is about oppressing everyone with differing beliefs.

Take a very good hard look at the recent spate of proposed reproductive controls. Women were in the NOT TOO distant past considered chattel. If just a few of these reproductive controls gain ground due to religious fervor, then we could easily be on the slippery slope to “the good ‘ol days again“

What happens when for religious reasons your company refuses to allow your insurance company to pay for birth control?Your wife ends up pregnant at least once every 18 months.

How about refusing to rent to you because you’re not a member of their church in good standing? “Oh, you’re going to have to rent from the Lutheran down the road a piece”

Removing anti-discrimination protection only works if every single member of a community is treated equally AND enjoys equal protection under existing law.

We know that isn’t the norm. Differing ethnicities, genders, cultures and sexual orientations fought to put anti-discrimination law on the books BECAUSE they didn’t enjoy equal protection.

A womans right to choose. A womans right to vote. African Americans right to marry. A single womans right to rent or own property. A gay persons right to live un-molested. All these rights came about because someone fought to codify them in law. Technically these rights existed already but abuse and narrowing definitions of the Class that enjoyed these freedoms forced legal precedents that resulted in law that specifically and unequivocally said for example; “A Woman may VOTE.”

Right now a brutal, cruel Theocracy is trying to undermine the freedoms that we all are entitled to.

Kansas and Arizona are two states where this Theocracy is winning

Few people ever think about how discriminatory laws might be used to affect them until they find themselves out of a job because their boss saw a picture of their 3rd boyfriend or girlfriend in a month on Facebook.

How about being fired because your girlfriend tweets “God, he was such a gentle lover, despite his large size, I sooo want to sleep with him again.“

Guess what? You’ve both sinned in the eyes of the High Minded religious wonders.

You’ve committed Adultery! The Taliban in Afghanistan will stone a woman for that. That’s after all, the Old Testament punishment right? “The wages of sin is death“

The point I’m belaboring is this:

When you allow “Moral” judgements from Religion to dictate the law of the land. You’ve destroyed everything that the founding fathers sought to create.

It wasn’t freedom of religion… It was freedom FROM Religion if that is your choice.

Thanks to Michael in Norfolk for the priceless image of the boot with Uncle Sam.

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BPA, Triclosan and Limp Dicks

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Ok not to sound like one of those Environmental Nutjobs that sets SUVs on fire.

There’s an article in the Los Angeles Times this morning that caught my attention. It turns out that the FDA has decided not to ban BPA.

BPA (bisphenol A) is a compound that permeates our environment. In particular it’s used in food packaging. This material is most often used in plastic bottles and often as a component of liners in cans, particularly soda cans. It’s literally everywhere and it’s some bad stuff.

Moobs

Numerous studies have shown links to a number of maladies in mice. These maladies include developmental issues, and precancerous changes in the prostate and breasts. The developmental issues are interesting because in another study BPA levels were tracked in pregnant women. Their children also had BPA in their systems and exhibited hyperactivity, lower emotional control, depression, and anxiety. Given the ever increasing numbers of autistic and ADHD children in this country it’s perhaps not a smoking gun but certainly worth looking at.

This stuff once ingested metabolizes into a compound that looks to the body like the hormone estrogen.

Relaxedpenis

BPA has been used for about 40 years. Estrogen is necessary for the good health of both males and females. However too much estrogen especially in men can cause some unpleasant side effects. Think Prostate problems, man boobs, low libido, impotency, weight gain, heart problems, and low testosterone.

Now think about the corresponding increase over the past 40 years of these problems in industrialized nations.

This is a somewhat unfair comparison because of access to birth control, but ask yourself why do the poorest countries in the world have in some cases triple the birth rates of industrialized nations?

At the same time, here in the industrialized nations of the world we have created whole industries around fertility and the treatment of Erectile Dysfunction?

Triclosan is a commonly used antibacterial agent. It’s used in toothpaste, and antibacterial soaps. It’s probably even in your carpets or underlayment as a fungal preventative. This material became common in the ’70s and now permeates our environment. Under common conditions in wastewater processing it breaks down into dioxins. It’s found in fish, and dolphins. The Canadians and the Swedes either have or are banning the use of Triclosan in consumer products. At least one study states that triclosan reduced the amount of serum testosterone in rats and reduced thyroid hormones too.

Obviously I’m not a scientist. I don’t have access to a lab or all the data. But I wonder about stuff like this.

Why if there is any question at all doesn’t the FDA simply ban these materials? They say further study is needed. Why not remove the materials and THEN do further study?

For gods sake we have to take our shoes off to get on a fucking plane because ONE IDIOT tried to light explosives in his shoe. We have to go through body scanners because ONE MORON tried to use his underwear as a bomb (I simply fly commando so there is no question when the TSA scans me). We can’t take more than an ounce of liquid on a plane because of the FEAR that the material could be a bomb.

If the shoe bomber and the underwear bomber had succeeded and blown up the planes they were on, They would have killed or injured maybe 1000 people altogether. That would have been tragic.

Yet we have enough circumstantial evidence to suggest that BPA & Triclosan are poisoning millions of men everyday and our government refuses to take action.

Thaxdad

Why? Because it would be too expensive for the makers of bottles, and cans to remove BPA from their product lines. It would be costly for consumer product divisions to remove Triclosan from their products.

And all the while, our testosterone levels fall, infertility rises, and we lament the health crisis caused by obesity.

Tell me again that industry doesn’t control our government…

There is another solution

Men, go through your homes. Toss everything that contains either of these two compounds. Do it for yourself and do it for your sons.

If we stop buying containers and household products that contain this stuff then they’ll stop putting it in everything. Don’t let your kids handle or touch receipts. Believe it or not BPA is in cash register receipts, there might also be traces of arsenic and cyanide in those receipts too so keep that stuff out of the reach of your kids.

Most of all, make sure that this stuff isn’t in your baby’s bottles.

After all you want to be a grand daddy don’t you?

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I am sick to death of the hate

Why the fuck is it so difficult for the average Joe to wrap their paramecium brain around the concept that Gay people are strong?

Lets think about this shall we?

Gay people, once they realize they are in fact Gay have to overcome fear, persecution, and outright hatred, just so they can live their lives honestly and honorably.

If they are married when they realize they’re gay. They face legal and financial ruin.

In some states they may be forbidden from seeing their children.

In other states they face discrimination in business and housing that is sanctioned by the state. See the recent rulings in Kansas.

Gay people become “HALF CITIZENS” simply by admitting they are gay and yet still have to pay the FULL measure of TAXES.

Gay people still have to face the ridicule that is sanctioned, and in some cases demanded by the rules of the society.

It’s OK to publicly joke about gay people.

Apology after apology notwithstanding, public figures still get away with joking about gay people. Public figures do this in ways that would never be countenanced by the society if the joke was about Black, Latin or any other group of people.

Would Carson Daly have even THOUGHT about saying something like “The Jet Blue Pilot is lucky the passengers of that plane weren’t Black, if they were he’d have been robbed and killed instead of just subdued.” NOPE! Why?

Because it is unacceptable! Well folks it’s just as unacceptable to say gay people are cowards.

Even after dealing with the shit listed above… You still have to find a comfortable place within the gay community.

The Gay community is a place where youth is worshipped and in many cases age is isolating. This community actively seeks to homogenize it’s members.

I’ve met gay men that won’t admit in public things like;

They like sports

They can fix a car

They don’t identify with pride parades.

They’re Republicans (There are Personals ads that commonly say no republicans)

They own or like shooting guns

They like hunting

They’re religious

It takes more than a bit of courage to be gay, admit you’re gay, and build a decent life in spite of the obstacles set before you.

So before you make a stupid comment about gay people being cowards. Stop for just a moment and consider, could you take the heat every fucking day of your life?