If the people selling plasma made 4.7bil, just imagine how much profit the companies running these businesses are making?
I donated plasma once. Its a real bitch and takes like almost 2 hours. The local place gave a free lunch at a run-down shithole of a restaurant with terrible food, and a $30 gift card to Amazon.
You feel like hammered horseshit after for a long while.
We have any interest in a 2026 Winter Olympics mega thread type deal? I haven't even figured out where to watch the damn things yet, but it might be fun to talk about it in one spot. They've already had several different viral outbreaks amongst the teams, so that's been exciting!
"...our society is only pro-disability until you scratch the surface...[making] it inevitable that many people with disability become cornered and tired and silenced. From then on, it's a matter of applying common sense; people who are cornered and tired and silenced are often riddled with self doubt or self hatred. It takes ...
I'm honestly disheartened with many leftists that do not mask. I have had otherwise great people just completely fail the covid protection litmus test, and it's harrowing. I'm tired of being socially ostracized for masking and treated like I have the plague by the greater capitalist hellscape, to see other comrades not even take ...
Solidarity sister. The struggle to get people, much less fellow leftists, should not be this difficult. Yet, here we are. I long for a community but its nowhere to be found here, or online it seems. Nothing left to do but soldier on.
I hate the holidays normally, but the thought of doing ANOTHER YEAR of this has gotten me really down in the dumps. I have no one to talk to about this and no one left in my life. Things really suck a big fat cock at the moment. On the plus side, I get to look forward to my $7000 deductible spinning up anew on 1/1/26. ...
I know its forever to mask. I could mask in my sleep at this point. Its doing it alone in a society that treats me like a leper that's got me down. That and doing it all alone.
That article is an absolute hatchet job. I read he even lied about talking to Taylor Lorenz, which is ridiculous because she'll talk to anyone about covid.
Thought I'd throw the thread up to see how everyone else was doing. Holidays have to be stressful for those of you with families that aren't masking or taking precautions.
Sucks, but what are you going to do I guess? idk how to feel about it. He laid it out on me this morning in a very matter of fact sort of way, like he doesn't care. And I'm housing insecure too, when he dies idk if I get this house, and if I do, if I can pay the taxes on it and keep the lights and heat on. ...
Hoping your dad is ok. If I can impart a little advice - get his will and end of life documents sorted out NOW. Have a serious talk with him if he wants to be hooked up to tubes or just wants to go at home. If you've never dealt with long term sickness or hospitals/hospice/home's, I can assure you, its far more awful to see and live in person than you can possibly imagine.
Mail and VPN are not only a good package, they're also a good financial deal if you get in during Black Friday. You can snag the whole suite of shit you aren't even going to use for the price of a Mullvad and Tuta subscription. THAT is really where Proton shines.
"Authenticator -> Aegis or Ente Auth"
Should be Bitwarden with the $10 yearly to be honest. Much better to streamline the whole operation.
I have Proton Unlimited and I've never even heard of 'Meet'. Where the fuck did that even come from?
I've been meaning to try Wallet as I need to get into crypto to buy chinese peptides and research chemicals. Why doesn't anyone talk about that around here?
Trust me, privacy is my hobby horse. Unless you're actively committing crimes, or trying to evade the government, then that's not much of an OPSEC concern. Proton doesn't hand over logs willingly.
The cost savings for me really sealed the deal. I get mail, vpn, SimpleLogin, and all the other junk for around 60 a year on the black friday deal. I don't know what I'm going to do when my renewal comes up next December though. You can't access the new user price on renewals, sadly.
Again I'm not disagreeing with you. Just pointing out that saying its flatly bad in all circumstances is not particularly helpful to a wide swath of the audience here.
First, no one is safe from Nintendo. Those bastards are insane.
Second, Proton moved Lumo out of Switzerland already and I believe they are going to start phasing the other services to German or Norway, I forget which one. Not that its necessarily "better" but its something.
Third, they just passed another no-log audit, so they're not just forking the info over to everyone that asks. As far as I understand it, the orders that are complied with are mostly about CSAM.
It's 3 now instead of 1? That's progress I guess, at least now maybe most people won't have to jump through cray cray hoops to get a script from their doctor. It's wild that this fascist piece of shit is sometimes better than Biden was (low bar to clear, I know)
Class 3 is on par with Tylenol w/codeine. You still need a prescription for the drug, so the classification doesn't mean much in terms of our day-to-day.
Key point that no one has mentioned:
He added that the order "is not the legalization − does it legalize marijuana in any way, shape or form, and no way sanctions its use as a recreational drug."
also
tactical_trans_karen hit the nail on the head - this means nothing when it comes to production, sales, or quality. This is going to lead to more dumb weed bullshit getting stuffed into drinks.
New episode drops in a few hours (9PM EST) for the western hemisphere. It drops tomorrow (2AM GMT) for everyone else. Share your thoughts on the show, theories, and grievances. ...
Am I the only one that was disappointed in the whole romantic/sex scene?
spoiler
Not being horny-brained, but I wanted to see how the collective reacted to pleasure/stimulation. Did everyone in the auditorium just start getting their freak on? Was there an accident when someone else got overwhelmed at the intense sensation? The whole thing just went by in a snap then it was over.
Carol confirmed neurodivergent. The giant antenna is going to be a central plot point. What happened to the Las Vegas creep?
Right, I obviously saw that part, but feeling the "sensation" from a massage is a LONG way off from an orgasm. The pain part is what I was trying to connect, but in the other direction obviously. Even if the whole world can't "feel" it, you'd think it would at least give everyone a smile, you know?
Well I have to imagine they still feel sensations like cold and hot. They obviously feel discomfort as everyone going to sleep was taking their shoes off.
I saw some folks on here glazing this show, which I thought was odd given that it's a cop show, but I love Timothy Olyphant panting so I thought to give it a try and I get it now. It's a great modern day western and the fact that it opens with him bending the law to go after literal Nazis is certainly points in its favor.
The most expensive plan on my state's marketplace. Honestly, I'm going to have to start selling myself, or my body parts, to be able to afford this shit. ...
Premium - what you pay monthly, no matter what. The cost of entry.
Deductible - is the amount you have to spend before the insurance "kicks in". For Instance, on this plan, there is $0 deductible, which is VERY rare. In this instance, you'd start paying the co-pays right away. Normally, the deductible is a large amount of money. On those plans, you pay the full negotiated cost of the service, which could be in the hundreds or thousands.
Out of pocket max - this is the total amount you have to pay before the insurance covers everything, co-pays included.
Been having near constant anxiety over the cost of healthcare that I even made a post about it. I've come to the dawning realization that I either have to:
a) sell an organ
b) find a sugar momma (or daddy, despite not playing for that team)
c) start hookin'
I can't exactly walk out of the house and find a part time job that will accommodate me and my long covid that will provide sufficient benefits in this god forsaken state. So its either pay another 20-25k a year or join the world's oldest profession. Or I could become destitute.
Had a profound, and very depressing experience last night. I was cleaning out my Walgreens drug closet where I keep all my prescriptions and supplements, and happened to stumble on some old buprenorphine transdermal patches. I didn't even realize they were in there as I must have taken them out of the box they came in. The patches expired in 2024 (got them after one of my many surgeries long ago), so I was going to throw them out, but I figured fuck it, why not get some use out of them if I can. My arm is still in quite a bit of pain post surgery, and it was killing me, so it seemed like the opportune time. They are 10mg so I cut it in half and stuck it on my shoulder.
Hour or two pass and I just get done watching the new Pluribus (very good and thought provoking) and then I start thinking of the stars. Carol and Zosia were at a telescope, looking at the stars, and it made me think of the time the love of my life and I went out to see them one night. Except, I can't actually "see" that memory because long covid broke my brain, so while I know I did that thing and I did it with her, I can't see her. I can't see her looking up at the stars. I can't see the stars, or the telescope, or the night sky. I can't see her smile. I can't hear her laugh. There's just nothing there but the event. Then I started to cry. Like cry cry. Ugly cry. For a good 5 minutes or so. Just feeling the absolute sadness of the fact that I may never be able to remember her, or frankly anyone or anything in my life, properly. It filled me with the most profound sadness. I never cry, not in a "I'm a macho man and crying is for pussies" kind of way, more that I'm just not really able to give into my emotions like that on a normal basis because I have to be the one holding it down all the time. Then, it was just over. Just like that. I wasn't really high, I didn't feel stoned or unable to control my emotions. In that moment it just hit me like an absolute ton of bricks.
I really don't know what it ultimately means or how to process it, but since I don't have a therapist worth a damn at the moment, I wanted to at least engage with the experience a little.
Thanks GB. I'm used to the suffering to be honest. But the "trip", as it were, combined with the experience, just sent me floating off into space. I'd love to find a therapist but my efforts to talk to multiples of them about any of this has just been met with this general response:
So do I but its not likely as none of the good therapists take insurance here and I can't afford $250-500 an hour for one. Finding a partner would be wonderful but covid has made that next to impossible. So, its just me and the man in my eyebrow, surfing the choppy waters of life in this dystopian hellhole.
I just found out about a covid forum called Still Coviding & Beyond. Does anyone have an invite? I feel like I'm signing up for a private torrent tracker! ...
Update on this - found covidmeetups.com. Despite being one of the appallingly few hetersexual males that is covid conscious, there are exactly 8 people (hetero or otherwise) on the site that have been on within the last month in a 200 mile radius. In fact, I checked other states and there were fewer than 8 in those radius' as well. Not great folks!
Never heard back from that Still coviding and beyond forum.
Been referred to Facebook multiple times.
No secret discords as of yet, but apparently that is very popular.
Twitter is fun, and a horrendous time suck, but has been completely useless other than for shit posting.
Middle-class Americans are selling their plasma to make ends meet. Last year, people in the U.S. made an estimated $4.7 billion selling their plasma... ( www.nbcnews.com )
Donation centers are popping up in middle-class neighborhoods, including suburban strip malls and college towns. ...
"How do you take any leftists seriously?" from r/ZeroCovid ( old.reddit.com )
Thought this might spur some decent discussion. Lots of libs in the comments but a few good points made.
U.S. Dealers In Full Panic Mode After Canada Green-Lights Chinese Cars ( www.thedrive.com )
Black Rose Anarchist Federation - Novo General Megathread for the 6th-12th of February 2026
A History of Black Rose/Rosa Negra ...
VIRGIL MENTIONED THIS IS NOT A DRILL
For context she's currently getting dragged on twitter for being weirdly racist about asian food wut ...
Hard drive prices have surged by an average of 46% since September — iconic 24TB Seagate BarraCuda now $500 as AI claims another victim ( www.tomshardware.com )
Disabled Community Megathread from January 12, 2026 to January 25, 2026
"...our society is only pro-disability until you scratch the surface...[making] it inevitable that many people with disability become cornered and tired and silenced. From then on, it's a matter of applying common sense; people who are cornered and tired and silenced are often riddled with self doubt or self hatred. It takes ...
Leftists that do not mask
I'm honestly disheartened with many leftists that do not mask. I have had otherwise great people just completely fail the covid protection litmus test, and it's harrowing. I'm tired of being socially ostracized for masking and treated like I have the plague by the greater capitalist hellscape, to see other comrades not even take ...
I spent 15 years in various retail positions and I am never. going. back. ( hexbear.net )
The service industry is cruel and unusual torture, especially for the neurodiverse
Covid-Conscious Chat (Holiday 2025 edition)
I hate the holidays normally, but the thought of doing ANOTHER YEAR of this has gotten me really down in the dumps. I have no one to talk to about this and no one left in my life. Things really suck a big fat cock at the moment. On the plus side, I get to look forward to my $7000 deductible spinning up anew on 1/1/26. ...
So my dad has a spot on his lungs and the doctors are looking into it.
Sucks, but what are you going to do I guess? idk how to feel about it. He laid it out on me this morning in a very matter of fact sort of way, like he doesn't care. And I'm housing insecure too, when he dies idk if I get this house, and if I do, if I can pay the taxes on it and keep the lights and heat on. ...
Proton's Suite of Products has become too big for my taste
As much as I like using Proton Mail and VPN, their current offerings have grown exponentially in size. ...
What is your favorite TV show of the year?
Mine is Silo.
Is Bitwarden (or alternatives)
A good idea to use for a bumbling fool like me ? I assume it generally would increase my security level ?
So I was fucking around the whole day and missed the news, Trump lowered the schedule on weed?
It's 3 now instead of 1? That's progress I guess, at least now maybe most people won't have to jump through cray cray hoops to get a script from their doctor. It's wild that this fascist piece of shit is sometimes better than Biden was (low bar to clear, I know)
Pluribus S01E08 - "Charm Offensive" + Show Discussion Thread
New episode drops in a few hours (9PM EST) for the western hemisphere. It drops tomorrow (2AM GMT) for everyone else. Share your thoughts on the show, theories, and grievances. ...
Justified
I saw some folks on here glazing this show, which I thought was odd given that it's a cop show, but I love Timothy Olyphant panting so I thought to give it a try and I get it now. It's a great modern day western and the fact that it opens with him bending the law to go after literal Nazis is certainly points in its favor.
"you have health insurance? Cool, that'll be $3000."
amerikkka
Forget the Joker, I am going to become Ted Kaczynski.
The most expensive plan on my state's marketplace. Honestly, I'm going to have to start selling myself, or my body parts, to be able to afford this shit. ...
Disabled Community Megathread from December 15th to December 28th
Ableism is both necessary for and dependent on white supremacy, imperialism and colonialism, capitalism, queermisia and transmisia, and misogyny. ...
We all still alive in here?
Its getting pretty hairy out there with the new mutant flu + covid + norovirus. Stay safe comrades.
Covid discussion spaces
I just found out about a covid forum called Still Coviding & Beyond. Does anyone have an invite? I feel like I'm signing up for a private torrent tracker! ...