A call for compassion… or courtesy at least

A man died today. That’s right, a man. More well-known than most, but a man nonetheless. Not perfect, but then who among us is? A human being deserving of compassion, dignity and courtesy no matter your views on his politics.

As an American and member of the human race, I have been saddened by some of the responses to Senator Edward Kennedy’s death. I’ve heard people comment that he isn’t in heaven or read that he is surely burning in hell. Or people are glad he’s gone and now God can deal with him. All of these statements are purely speculation, and beyond our knowledge. But on top of that they are unnecessary, cruel and downright rude.

Whether you agreed with his politics or not, he was a human being. He was someone’s husband, father, uncle, friend, and colleague. People around the world are mourning his loss for many different reasons. Their grief is valid and worthy of respect.

I am not going to list his accomplishments and failings, many news outlets have done a fairly decent job of covering all aspects of his life. All I ask is that anyone give a moment of thought to how they would want their parent, sibling, or child spoken of upon their death.

And they keep coming up with new things...

For me, it all started with myspace. It seems so long ago, though it was probably only four or five years. But then, in the technology world, I guess that's ancient. Then I finally decided to join Facebook because it sounded more professional and networking oriented. That's how they get you hooked. And myspace sees me once every four or five months now.

Now over a year later, I have 150 friends that I'm randomly keeping track of how their lives are going. That's the great part. Where I used to want to write letters, post cards or something to keep in touch (a big production!), I can now browse their current status, see new pictures and quickly shoot off a message once in a while. That's pretty neat.

Then comes the scary part. Someone sends you an invitation to play a game... Sometimes they sound interesting, so you think, why not? It can't hurt, right? Think again. One game turns into two, turns into three. Not to mention the quizzes that start popping up. Personality quizzes, '80s music quizzes, quizzes to see where in the world you should live.

After joining a mafia family, building a farm and a theme park, adopting a virtual pet, getting kidnapped and kidnapping others in return, I think it's time to stop. Well, maybe just a few... You know keep one. But see then the justifications start again. Just one game, one more hour and before you know it, it's midnight and you have to be up at 5:30 the next morning.

Oh, and don't forget twitter. Just 140 little characters. Not much right? Oh, except you want to make sure that you you sound interesting and intelligent so someone will read your little tweets. Granted, they have figured out how to link twitter to facebook (time-saver!). One status update and two places are covered. And connect twitter to your blog (better traffic!). But then you have to take the time to figure out how to make all the connections.

Who knows what the next part will be? Maybe it's already out there and I just haven't heard about it yet. Everyone seems to be talking about twitter still, so maybe I'm not that far behind the curve. So here's to my first multi-tasking blog. One blog, one tweet update, one status update.

Donating Blood

The calls began about a week and a half ago. Shortly, after July 26th. I know this because that is the day I was eligible to donate blood again. Having Type O- (the universal donor) blood makes me in high demand as a donor. I try to make the appointment every eight weeks, as often as they let me. Sometimes my iron is not high enough and I can't donate. Today that wasn't a problem.

After a quick "health screening" which includes blood pressure, heart rate, and iron, it was off to wait for the next chair... bed... whatever it's called. The process was long today because they wound up with a lot of donations. Not a bad problem to have. Unfortunately, it meant that my "appointment" time meant nothing. I had a 10:30 time slot and didn't start the actual "extraction" process until almost 11:30.

The plebotomist who took care of me was very friendly, though she said she wasn't 100% because she skipped breakfast. I, of course, had to lecture her about the importance of eating breakfast. I guess I am like my mom in that respect. I also learned that the plebotomists are not allowed to dress up as vampires on halloween. Personally, I don't see why not. The corollary should be humorous not scary.

When donating blood, I've discovered as long as I relax and don't look when they stick the needle in me, I have no problem with the entire process. Today, the sting was a little more than usual, but quickly faded. All in all, the donation time is fairly short, maybe ten minutes and done. After the plebotomist wrapped up my arm (purple band, of course), I scooted over to the kitchen area to grab a cookie and headed out the door.

If you've never donated before and are eligible, I highly recommend giving it a shot. Pun intended. Blood centers are typically running short of supply for hospitals. Maintaining these stores are important for surgeries and urgent care situations.