"He was Joe Mayer, freelance writer. He had it made."
-- Charles Bukowski
A friend of mine needs your help. I'm asking you to help him.
Not because you know him, though you may.
Not because you like him, or his opinions, because you may not.
Not because he's special, though he is. (We all are.)
But because he needs the help.
And everyone who needs help should be helped.
Who is Roy?
I can only tell you some things I know.
He was a writer and editor of Alicubi. The earliest piece of his that I've read was "Ballad of the Reverb Motherf*ckers," which came in four brilliant parts, starting in May, 2002, through September, 2002.
Part One: Drinks at Vazac's
In 1986, I was living in the East Village. Naturally I was in a number of bands.
In one, I played electric guitar behind my friend Rik. Rik was a bit of an eccentric. That should have been no impediment to success, for rock music thrives on eccentrics. But Rik had the same problem that, as time would reveal, a lot of the folks in this story had: He was the wrong kind of eccentric.
A lot of us have had that problem.
Roy wrote a lot of great stuff for Alicubi. He was obviously writing endless superb writing ages before I noticed him.
I didn't really notice him until Friday, March 21, 2003, a time when, although blogging, and political blogging in particular, had already been exploding since September 11th, 2001, and the poliblogging community was already well formed through 2002, newcomers who could write, and and had a good eye, would still be almost immediately noticed by most of us, given that altogether there were fewer than 200 of us, to all intents and purposes, and we all knew at least of each other, and most of us read each others' blogs, or at least read the links we gave each other, no matter what our political views, which in 2002, weren't, for the most part, yet terribly divisive, impossible at that seems from the perspective of years later to those who weren't around.
Roy was that kind of voice at Alicublog, for a brief time, and then truly came into his own at Alicublog, the Blogspot incarnation.
He's been writing great stuff there ever since.
And many other places.
As a freelance writer.
Charles Bukowski can tell you something about that.
It's a struggle. For most. Really.
Roy has done a terrific job covering the rightwing's nuttiest nutbars at the Village Voice for quite some time. Check out his work. Editors: hire this funny, brilliant, talented, hard-working writer.
You won't regret it. He rite gud.
But right now, Roy could use your help.
Roy Edroso, possibly the Single Greatest Blogger in the Universe, has hit a bad streak and, despite the entreaties of his minions, refuses to ask for help…. the big fucking martyr.
So frequent commenter and occasional TBogg blogger JayB has set up a paypal account, the proceeds of which will go towards getting Roy over the hump. So maybe you could see clear to forgoing your erectile dysfunction drugs for a week or two or put off buying that Collectible NASCAR Commemorative Plate for a month and help a brother out.
Think of it as the March of Dimes for Snark. There are big karma points to be had here and after how you acted last Saturday night (yeah, you know what I’m talking about) I’d say you should collect them before the police show up and/or the results from the health department come in the mail. Certified.
Yup.
John Amato at Crooks and Liars explains.
Roy Edroso, the tireless, intrepid detective blogger at Alicublog who dives day after day into the polluted Coney Island waters of conservative punditry ("urinous brine and scraps of old paper, orange rinds and soaked hot dog buns," is how Saul Bellow once described a similar expedition into the shallow depths of bad prose and bad faith), has hit a rough patch.
He lost his Harlem sublet, came up dry on other rental leads, and has moved into a friend's spare room in Inwood. But that's not what makes the patch rough:
I'm sure there's plenty else...charming about Inwood, but I have been too sick to notice. I caught a chill New Year's Eve, spent two days I should have spent packing incapacitated by fever, and my lungs and sinuses are full of epoxy. Also, though I am very grateful to my buddy for lending me his spare room, it has seen little use and no absolutely no cleaning since the 28th Olympiad, and I'm not sure this is facilitating my recovery.A restored, recovered Roy Edroso is vital to journalism and sanity, especially now that the House has been taken over an even crazier group of Republican crazies, a confederation of Atlas Shruggers and
So a PayPal donation site has been samaritanly set up by a fan and frequent commenter at Alicublog named Jay B since Edroso himself, as TBogg explains, "refuses to ask for help...the big fucking martyr."
Who is Roy? He's this guy:
LEARNING TO SAY "THANK YOU" IN ENGLISH. My sister and I are in some ways so different that I think it startles both of us. (Edrosos are so fundamentally contrary that we have long since gone beyond disagreeing on specific issues, and passed into divergent realities.) But in some ways she and I are absolutely alike. These traits fascinate me, because they offer some clues as to our heritage and the way it has shaped us.
For example: Since we were old enough to buy our own Christmas gifts, every December we would get around to asking each other what Christmas gift would be appreciated. Unfailingly we both had the same response: Don't get me nothin'. Then each would ask again, and the other would brush it off again.
So we'd have to guess what gift would please the other. I for one was always nervous about it, and despite assurances never felt like I had guessed right. I think she felt the same way.
One year my sister just declared: We're not doing presents this year. That worked great. In fact Christmases were a lot easier after that, and not just logistically.
If you think it's weird that we were so reluctant to ask each other for something, even with the best excuse modern merchandizing had to offer, then you and I are in agreement. Weirder still, I'm often like that with other people, too: Friends, lovers, employers, store clerks. It's not unfailing; if I want a bourbon and soda, I find a way to express the thought. But it tends to be worse when I really need something. Then for some reason I become a lot less eloquent than I like to think I am.
I'm not sure I have the subtleties right, but I've figured out this much: I have a particularly ornery independent streak. I can't stand to feel beholden to others. Of course we're all of us beholden to others, generically and cosmically; even I know that. But if I feel someone's carrying me, even casually, I feel the need to get off and walk. It's all right. I got it. I don't need help. Don't get me nothin'.
I know exactly how this works. For me, at least -- we're all unique, each with our own psychology, history, and circumstances.
But we're all human, and none of us differs entirely. Even the most psychotic child-molesting mass murderer is still, in fact, a human.
And few people want to ask for help, no matter how desperately they need it.
Many of us, the more desperate we grow, the harder it is to ask for help.
It's just that humiliating.
I just sent ten bucks.
And I'm currently homeless, couch-surfing, staying with a kind friend.
As I've done far too much of my life, during which I've spent far too much time either being homeless and couch-surfing, or being evicted.
I have no idea where I'll be living after August 31st, though a few hopes and clues, and I hope it will be in the Bay Area, where I can con or pay someone to drive my limited amount of stuff, which all fits in one room.
And I CAN AFFORD TO SEND HIM TEN BUCKS, in my opinion.
And I did that yesterday.
So I kinda think YOU may be able to spare it, too. Give till it effing hurts, people.
I'd never ask anyone to help me in any way they would notice the spending.
But for someone else: yeah, I'll guilt-trip you all I have to and can, if that'll help. I have no trouble being an ar**h*le for a friend, since I have no trouble being an ar**h*le in general.
And I know exactly why Roy, or anyone would never want to ask for help.
There are people who become suicidal for long periods before they'll ask for help, and then just barely manage to ask, in hysterical and crazed and desperate fashion, and then loath themselves forever thereafter until they can cope with it eventually, maybe, in the future.
Then there are more mentally healthy people, who simply hate it.
Roy is, I'm sure, mentally healthy; but nobody should EVER need to ask for private charity to put a roof over their heads, find secure shelter that they can depend on for the future, to eat, or to meet any basic need in a country as rich as the United States of America.
Meanwhile, we have endless INVISIBLE homeless (to those who don't want to look, or those genuinely isolated or in rural areas, but there are other forms of extreme poverty, and still homelessness there, too), and hungry people in this country, most of whom are too crushed to ask for help, and don't want the shame and lack of pride that it's difficult for many to avoid feeling.
If You Are Homeless...
If you are homeless, help is available! HUD, along with many other federal agencies, funds programs to help the homeless. These programs are managed by local organizations that provide a range of services, including shelter, food, counseling, and jobs skills programs. So start by contacting a homeless assistance agency in your area.
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Local homeless assistance |
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Housing counseling |
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Information for homeless veterans (HUDVet) |
If You Are a Homeless Assistance Provider
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HUD's Homeless Assistance programs |
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More on HUD's homeless assistance programs |
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Second Chance Homes |
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Interagency Council on Homelessness |
If You Want to Help the Homeless...
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Donate to your local food bank |
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Kids can help the homeless |
Other Resources...
You can spare a few bucks, and for someone else, I'll beg for them without a moment's hesitation.
Help Roy. He needs it.
You never know when someone you really know and love might need help. Tomorrow, there might be an earthquake, and not only will you lose everything around you, but thousands of people will die in front of you; it happens all the time around the world.
Katrina can happen again. Disaster can strike you or your loved ones at any time, and eventually, we all suffer loss, pain, experience fear, and must cope.
Make it easier for someone else. Someone with a face you can know, and whose writing you can read.
It shouldn't take that, but it sometimes does.
Help out the Edrosothon.
Help Roy.
DO IT NOW.
And feel free to do it next week, too, and the week after.
The worst that will happen is that he'll get more then he's comfortable with, and PAY IT FORWARD.
That, or maybe he'll spend it all on hookers and heroin.
But is that for YOU to judge?
Yes, you get to make up your own mind about that. As you do about any and all of this.
But I'm here to tell you exactly why you shouldn't.
Donate to Roy. Do it NOW.
Just click here.
You DO NOT NEED A PAYPAL ACCOUNT.
If you have a VISA, Mastercharge, Discover, or American Express card, debit or credit, they all work, any kind. Or use your PayPal account.
It's all safe and secure. It's a lot safer than than dealing with handing your card to a clerk, or swiping it through a machine that could be trivially rigged to copy and retain your number, by anyone with access to the machine and knowledge. You need not worry that your online transaction puts you at risk.
Or you can do this:
"If you want to send checks instead, you can use C&L's PO BOX and I'll make sure to pay out the amount. Just write 'Roy" in your note section.
C&L
POBOX 66310
Los Angeles, CA 90066"
Whatever works best for you. Help someone out. It'll make you feel good about yourself.
And consider the above links about the homeless. Roy isn't the only one out there. He's just someone with a face:
And whose writing you can read, if you haven't read him already.
And even if you hate his guts, and all he stands for: if you were in need, wouldn't you want to be helped?
Should anyone in this rich country, no matter how despicable, creepy, scary, dysfunctional, mentally ill, be left without shelter, food, or medical care?
I don't think so. Your Mileage May Vary, but I don't agree with you.
You may not be beloved yourself. But if it were your own child, mother, father, sister, brother, loved one, and they had no one to turn to but you: would you let them go without help?
Maybe you would. People do that. People don't understand the inside of anyone else's head, or their history, save in bits and pieces.
Not unless you're an empathetic, telepathic, omniscent, saint.
And there isn't anyone who is all of those, or even, to my knowledge, telepathic or omniscent.
It's not for me or you to judge what led someone to the bad place there in. We don't know. We likely will never know. Regardless, it's not our business.
It's only our business to decide whom we want to help. And I'm asking you to help my friend Roy.
He needs it.
Please help him.
When you're in need, and I can help, I'll ask people to help you, if I can.
Yes, we all have limited resources; even Bill Gates can't help everyone.
But he tries hard.
All of us who can spare anything at all, can try harder.
It makes me feel good to help others. I've had to ask for help far too many times, an infinite number of times. It's horrible.
It can make people suidical before they'll ask, and many won't just be suicidal, they will and do kill themselves, whether quickly, or slowly.
You just don't know.
But I know that no one should be left to feel that way. No one should be that desperate. No one should be forced to ask, let alone beg, and suffer the mental pain and anguish and self-loathing that go with it.
I know.
Help my friend.
And here's something else you can do: if you can afford to carry ten nickels in your pocket: do it. Every time you see a begger in the street: you can spare one nickel.
Or if you want to do dimes, do that. Quarters, do that. Fifty cents, a dollar: whatever you're comfortable with.
But even if it's a nickel, the moral support alone can change someone's day, someone's week, someone's life, perhaps. You have no way of knowing what mental change might occur because it's the straw that helps, not hurts.
The nickel may not mean anything to you. But you might change a life.
Isn't it worth a nickel?
Try it. The worst that will happen is you'll have lost a nickel. And you can feel proud of yourself, and good about yourself, for not being a selfish, unthinking, priviledged schmuck who thinks you know better than people know for themselves how they should live their lives.
I've been lucky enough to have a lot of people help me, far too many times. Mostly all I can do is pay it forward.
And I carry a pocket plastic bag of change. And if I see someone on the street who looks in need, I'll give them at least a nickel, a dime, a quarter. Even I, these days, thanks to other people's help, can do that.
We all can only do what we can, but there's always someone worse off, until they're dead, and then you've lost your chance to help.
And another universe has died.
You may indeed know better. You undoubtedly do, for yourself, and people like you.
But other people aren't you, may not be like you, and haven't had your luck and privileges, which you may take for granted. Things like knowing where you'll be sleeping tomorrow night, or next month, or next year. Not having to live so that $.25 makes a significant difference in what you eat that day. Not having to live by begging.
Think about it. Please. Every time you see a person who asks. Consider not judging, and just helping.
You can also give to the National Coalition for the Homeless. Or help without donating money, by doing any of these things.
And check out the links above. If you can help people in general: please consider it.
No matter how little.
Thanks.
So did I run so long here that no one read it? Did anyone send any money besides me?
Did I get too lectury, self-rightous, or otherwise inappropriate?
Some feedback would be appreciated by the author.
Posted by: Gary Farber | January 09, 2011 at 02:58 AM
Gary,
you may want to use your editing powers to divide this post into a post that gives us links to Roy's writing and a separate post about helping the homeless.
Posted by: liberal japonicus | January 09, 2011 at 05:10 AM
Just so hideously badly written, that I could scarcely find where you said why you thought he needed and deserved our help. Which should, you know, have been the first paragraph... Rather than buried so far down.
People do tend to avoid posts that are that rambling and disconnected.
Posted by: Brett Bellmore | January 09, 2011 at 07:37 AM
Thanks for the input; I appreciate it.
Posted by: Gary Farber | January 09, 2011 at 10:13 AM
Posted by: Gary Farber | January 09, 2011 at 10:19 AM
For the record, I'm very glad I spent a good part of yesterday in personal correspondence with Roy, talking about... stuff.
I'm less glad that I've largely received responses that included "he can go pound sand"; one "please take me off this mailing list" which was the resulting bccing 8 personal friends who didn't know each other, so I bcced to preserve their privacy; one statement of outrage at how evil Roy is; another essentially the same, two more like that, and that's it.
But Roy seems to think I offered him useful personal advice, and demonstrated to me that he thought so by spending a considerable amount of time yesterday telling me so, and discussing stuff, and that's all I really need.
I'm sorry I otherwise wrote an unsatisfactory post. It happens. I've already had enough trouble accidentally almost killing my Blogger template for Amygdala so now I can't get it to show more than 3 posts at a time, until I can fix that, which probably requires a whole new template.
The Wordpress interface here has major contradictions between the WSYWIG editor and HTML, or, at least, I'm not yet competent enough to be smooth at it until such time as I learn CSS and a lot more HTML.
I've been yelling in pain most of the time through yesterday and today.
On Facebook, not long ago:
I've had 3 hours sleep in the past 24, and 4 hours sleep the previous, and not more than 5 hours sleep in weeks.I spend most of my time crawling up and down the two stair cases. I've moved everything into this upstairs room this way.
This is overly personal context, and it's nothing to do with Roy -- exactly, save that -- well, that's none of your business.
And it's unlikely I'll be changing this post.
I apologize for not doing better.
I do keep asking people for guest posts. The requests are standing.
Please do write better posts than I do. That would be good, useful, and help ObWi and myself and perhaps all of us.
Thanks.
Have a nice Sunday.
Posted by: Gary Farber | January 09, 2011 at 10:31 AM
I agree with Brett here.
You say that Roy needs help but you don't say why. I can't tell if he has some horrible disease and no medical insurance, or he just lost his ATM card and needs a little extra cash until the replacement arrives. Now, perhaps it's your position is that just because you say he needs help is a good enough reason for people to give it, but if not, then it's pretty hard for people to form their own opinion on the basis of the material you quoted to Brett.
Posted by: EKR | January 09, 2011 at 10:49 AM
But it's not my business to be specific about the details of someone's woes when I've plainly linked to their own statements, and those of others clearly describing them.
Start here: "But right now, Roy could use your help."
Then read the links. Your questions are answered. Now you know.
Posted by: Gary Farber | January 09, 2011 at 11:12 AM
Perhaps you prefer dead links to active ones.
Therefore: http://tbogg.firedoglake.com/2011/01/05/aint-to-proud-to-beg/
http://alicublog.blogspot.com/2011_01_02_archive.html#7174932391482515397
http://edrosothon.blogspot.com/
http://crooksandliars.com/john-amato/blogger-roy-edroso-can-use-some-help
http://www.vanityfair.com/online/wolcott/2011/01/ailing-comrade-deserves-blogger-army-assistance.html
Also, try reading what I quoted:
Hope this helps you and Brett; have a nice day.
Posted by: Gary Farber | January 09, 2011 at 11:16 AM
Gary :
I didn't comment because I'd already given, having noticed JayB's announcement of the Edrosothon two days ago in the comments at alicublog (and having subsequently encountered it at tbogg, Balloon Juice, digby's Hullabaloo, and at leat two other places). So I skimmed, and moved on.
But I probably should have commented. It sounds like Roy's going to get a fairly substantial chunk of money out of this, and good on him for it; but several other fine bloggers are teetering on the edge of sinking, and could use some valuta. These include
Suzy Madrak of Suburban Guerilla
"DCblogger" of Corrente
Libby Spencer of The Impolitic
Joe Bageant
Arthur Silber of Once Upon A Time
Gary Farber of Amygdala
and it's my impression that $25 given to any of these will, at this juncture, make a big difference.
Posted by: joel hanes | January 09, 2011 at 12:07 PM
Gary, as someone who spends a lot of time writing material (specifications and papers) which really needs to be crystal clear, I'm familiar with how irritating it is to have someone complain about the clarity of a section which you think already is so. I also readily understand the natural response to get defensive. However, since the purpose of writing is communication, I try to just suck it up and rewrite until everyone else agrees. I don't find arguing with people about it, and claiming that what you wrote really was clear, as you are doing here, is that useful, especially in cases where you are trying to get someone to do something.
To recap, Brett wrote:
You responded by quoting your introductory material:
But Brett is right: That material doesn't say anything about what Roy's problem is. It just says he has a problem that you judge to merit help.
I readily concede that you have links which describe his situation and even that way the heck down on the post you have the passage you quote directly above (i.e., "He lost...") and it's my lack of clarity that in my response I wasn't clear that I was only referring to the initial passage which you had quoted to Brett when I said that you didn't say why Roy needed help. Sorry about that.
However, as Brett says, the actual information about why Roy needs help is deeply buried in the post, and in my opinion that doesn't work particularly well rhetorically. It certainly gave me a "too long; didn't read" reaction (even though I actually had bothered to read some of the links before so I had some idea of the context here.)
Just to be clear (not that it really has any relevance to my critique) I already sent Roy some money. However, that doesn't mean that I particularly want to wade through link farm and/or wall of text in order to decide whether I want to do so.
Posted by: EKR | January 09, 2011 at 12:09 PM
Gary, your post extends for eleven screens on my monitor, has over 3000 words, and sixty some links. I very lightly skimmed it, clicked none of the links, and did not contribute any money. If this post was aimed at freeing up the money in my pocketbook, it failed.
I would suggest that you set yourself a length limit and try to live within that -- say 500 - 1000 words. You'll be a better writer for it.
Treat links as footnotes, but not part of your essential argument. I doubt I'm alone in not clicking on the majority of links in posts I read, although I appreciate their presence.
Try to cover only one subject. This post, from what little I read, could have been split into at least 3 different posts.
1. Help Roy
2. Personal approaches to charity. Here's mine. What's yours.
3. Homelessness, or several posts on various aspects.
Hope this helps.
Posted by: 243 | January 09, 2011 at 02:18 PM
Thanks, Joel.
I'd love to do a post on the other folks, but I can only do so much.
Also, I've never heard from any of those fine folks, although I've certainly the greatest of respect for the writing of all of them.
And I do tend to think first of people who have ever made contact with me once, let alone think first of people I regard as friends, whom I've known for many years, simply because I'm human, or maybe just because of worse reasons; I'm not objective about myself, and amn't trying to make excuses, nor even much of an explanation.
I think it would be wonderful to write a post about each and almost every one of the fine bloggers you mention, all of whom are deserving, and I hope everyone checks out your links, and contributes to all they think might be helped.
I have no doubt that's true of all of them.
As to rewriting my post, I think we'd all be better served if I used my time on a new post, when I can.
243:
I agree. However, that wasn't what the cook was able to produce that day, and if the cook had tried to provide three separate dishes, there would have been no food served at allPerhaps that would have been better than a thread most choked on, in which case I apologize again, but I'm still not going to delete the post, nor rewrite it.
If anyone would like to submit a guest post on homelessness, or praising the other fine bloggers, or any other topic, you're again invited to email either myself or the kitty -- I don't suggest you use the "email me" link on the top left to do so -- and I'm, as always, completely serious that I'd welcome that, and there's a highly reasonable probability that your post will be posted as a guest post here, though, naturally, that'll be up to the judgment of whichever blogger here reads the submission, responds, and so on.
All I can tell you is that if you write me, or figure out how to write the kitty successfully, to reach me at the working kitty email address, I'll read anything submitted, and be very happy to post any decent post I think worth being posted.
Others' mileage may vary, but I personally don't feel we have a surfeit of posts on ObWi at present.
Although I have to say that if you submit it in format suitable for Wordpress's software, things will go much more quickly.
This is not some sort of snark. I'm simply stating a fact, because I'm certainly not snappy at using it, and it takes a huge percentage of the "writing" time of posts here struggling with the software. Alone.
There's a lot about blogging not visible in the mere words in posts. And none of it is remotely as simple as typing in a comment box, simply for those technical reasons of knowing the software, if for no other reason.
Those who are familiar with CSS, HTML, and/or the Wordpress editors, are going to be much much much quicker about "writing" a post than I am in any sense related to actually posting so that the post doesn't come out literally unreadable in terms of fonts, spacing, and many other aspects.
Until such time as I've had more experience with Wordpress, and meanwhile they don't update the software.
I do thank everyone for their thoughts and feedback and I sincerely assure everyone that I will try to bear it in mind for future reference.
Really.
And, again, sincere thanks for the criticism/feedback.
Posted by: Gary Farber | January 09, 2011 at 09:34 PM
I have some advice for you, Gary. If you fully understood the power of Google you might have discovered this already. From the comment:
You don't need to thank me. This is just information publicly available on the internet.
Posted by: DaveC | January 09, 2011 at 10:04 PM
I should have put a :) on that. Hope you feel better soon.
Posted by: DaveC | January 09, 2011 at 10:27 PM
"organizms"?
Posted by: Slartibartfast | January 09, 2011 at 10:39 PM
DaveC: I'm going to read that as you caring enough to read up something about gout on my behalf, and I thank you.
Slart, since you may likely not have clicked the link, I'll point out on DaveC's behalf that he's quoting someone's comment, not the actual article, which while short and not precisely authoritive, is reasonably accurate advice, insofar as it goes.
Morever, I'll congratulate DaveC for avoiding something very common, ultra common, in my experience, which is that people will frequently think it's helpful to offer advice to someone about their longterm condition or illness, on the basis of a five or ten minute flip through google, and then imagine they're passing on new or helpful information that will be a revelation to someone who has actually had some interest in their own condition/disease/ailment.
Seriously, that happens enough that I've tended to take to, at times, when mentioning gout in other places, pasting in boilerplate as to how very much I am not soliciting advice or suggestions from anyone other than a qualified professional who specializes in rheumatology.
One gets a little weary of the same advice after the first thousand times, or at least I do, after the first five or so years.
Possibly even sooner.
I'd really like to never hear anyone tell me about cherries again.
Ever.
Or offer me any diet advice as regards gout, no matter that I utterly appreciate the good intentions. Unless, as per previous, it's from someone qualified, and I then usually add my usual caveats about having only if they've kept up with the literature of the past twelve months or so. Or at least the past two years.
There really haven't been particularly significant advances in the field in a number of years. Not, at least, so far as I know, unless they've been in the last three months, where I'd fully agree that I'm not up to speed, and I wouldn't claim to be up to speed, necessarily, on stuff as old as a year ago.
And if a qualified professional is offering me advice, I'll still listen.
Beyond that, I've not found the experience helpful, other than in establishing that someone cares, which is absolutely valuable, although caring along with some thought and brains is even more valuable, and saves everyone time.
Humorous "advice," on the other hand, I welcome.
As for myself, I usually welcome a healthy and enjoyable organizm.
And, in fact, it was in 1980 that I first had occasion to have doctors look into certain problems I was experiencing with urethritis -- this was long years before I found myself with first kidney problems, and then later gout problems -- which are not unrelated, just as gout and arthritis are not unrelated -- and after various tests, including one of the most painful of my life, I received various professional medical advice, and thereafter I was able to earnestly and honestly advise anyone concerned, who met certain criteria of my own, that my doctor had prescribed frequent sexual release for medical reasons, and that I'd welcome cooperation in aiding me with my doctor's prescription.
And I could show the proof to them in writing.
If they could read the doctor's handwriting.
Some things don't change.
I wouldn't expect anyone without a good reason to be interested, but if anyone is, this will do for some reasonably short and accurate information about uric acid, and this about gout.
More than that, I'm sure no one without great personal interest would want to know, and some of it is frankly pretty repulsive, particularly the imagery.
I will say that compared to some friends, I've been very lucky so far; no significant or even noticeable tophi, let alone worse, and at least one friend of mine has had his foot amputated, and unfortunately, when it gets bad enough, that remains, at that point, the only treatment.
Mine is next to nothing compared to theirs and that.
Although it would be nice if mine were confined to only one foot, let alone one area, rather than so interested in spreading out its affections, very slightly atypically.
Being able to have one useable foot would be tremendously more than twice as useful as having neither, I can safely say.
I do take allopurinol daily, the maximum allowance, am now pretty well following most of the dietary restrictions -- though not fanatically, I admit -- on the margins, they're just not significant, and an occasional shrimp or other violation just isn't going to be noticeably making things worse in any way, whereas if were completely strict, one isn't left with a terribly interesting diet unless one is a lot more creative and knowledgeable about cooking than I am at present. Not to mention that, well, not to mention.
But as it happens, I've never had a craving for anchovies, anyway, so that's convenient.
This on the other hand, well, I think if I say nothing but the quote, I've said enough:
But, as I've also said, mine is still quite mild compared to what's possible, and not infrequent, and it's also been trending towards mild improvement over the last two weeks, which is finally long enough that I can at least call it a slight trend. It's not unreasonable to think this may plausibly continue, just as, alas, it's not unreasonable to think other things, as well.And now I stop.
Save to say that with any luck at all, I may finally achieve a California State ID tomorrow, which will be terribly helpful in getting official agencies in California to finally agree that it's possible I qualify as Californian, and therefore not someone told to come back when he can prove it.
Boring part of that posted on Facebook earlier today.
Interesting, and I hope funny, and I hope not too long, part, I still also have hopes of turning into a post, but we'll have to see. Ingredients for, and intent to, post, are not items I've ever lacked.
Posted by: Gary Farber | January 09, 2011 at 11:28 PM
Gary, is your state ID problem related to this?
Posted by: liberal japonicus | January 10, 2011 at 12:43 AM
The typo amused me regardless of who made it. But yes, I was aware that it was in the comments.
That temptation has bitten me from time to time, but I keep reminding myself that no one I know or am even aware of does more research on things that interest them than Gary Farber. I'd also guess that gout is something that affects you to the degree that you had already searched out and read pretty much all freely available materials on that topic.
Posted by: Slartibartfast | January 10, 2011 at 09:30 AM
I'm clear that people at Firedoglake think he needs money, but not clear why. I've been sick and between apartments and relatively flush--just not able to find an apartment while I was sick. Do you have more information that Roy actually needs money? You don't need to tell us what it is, I understand that might be private. But it seems like people jumped to the conclusion that he was hurting for money.
Posted by: Rory Lee | January 10, 2011 at 07:12 PM
LJ, this is the essentials of the DMV, but you'll have to at least be a Friend Of A Friend on Facebook to read it, for now. I don't think anyone would like me to paste it in as a comment, and neither would it be a remotely appropriate post here, and neither do I have time to fix Amygdala's broken template, which hasn't been updated since 2001 in any significant way, which is why I can't use cut-tags, and now it's much much worse.
Anyone who reads me anywhere is welcome to send me a Facebook Friend Request (stupid phrase), and all you have to do is include a few words to let me know where you know of me from, and I'll accept the Friend Request.
This includes anyone who somehow thinks I don't like them, it includes *EVERYONE*, and yet I'm highly discriminating as to whom I'll accept as a Friend on Facebook. Both at once.
Alternatively, I can paste it into email, but I make no promises as to how quickly, or about the formatting. However, since very few people are likely to ask, it likely wouldn't take me too long to get to it.
The answer you were probably looking for is: no, that's not it. :-)
What I will do is paste in this:
And I did post a video, but it won't be very interesting until I can provide context, which: And: But I don't want to give away the rest yet.And, yes: donations and subscriptions to my Amygdala PayPal buttons on the sidebar, from anyone who wouldn't feel the pinch -- only! -- would be very helpful and appreciated.
Although I budgeted about a quarter of my entire savings, such as they were/are, for unanticipated contingencies in this move, there were endlessly more than that, and as a result, my finances are in... less good shape than I'd hoped.
I mention this not to alarm anyone, because although I'm homeless and, for now, couchsurfing in a decent bedroom in a friend's house, cat and house-sitting, with a commitment through August, so I'm not in fear of being on the street again any time... before August, I'm being much saner now, and making this clear helps explain why much of this post that this thread is on came out so long and oddly.
And I've learned that clues and hints don't work at all. Especially when you write at such length that no one even reads them, let alone figures them out.
And I'm sane enough now to at least at this moment be able to not be suicidal before suggesting that I wouldn't turn away help, unlike... unlike.
But I repeat: I absolutely DO NOT WANT any donations or subscriptions from anyone who will notice them. Only if people are well off enough that they won't notice $5/month, or any increment of $5/month, or the other amounts, will I knowingly accept help from, and everything I can do I will do to pay forward, and that's why I write posts like this one.
And otherwise believe in redemption. And trying to do good. And so on.
It's the only way I can live with myself.
Nobody asked, but there you go. I immensely apologize if anyone thinks this is inappropriate, and it probably is, and I'll give strong thought to deleting this comment and reposting it without This Part.
Most emphatically so if anyone agrees that it's inappropriate. I'm hardly in a position to judge.
Rory Lee:
Absolutely. Absolutely not.Some of us don't like asking for help, no matter how badly we need it. Some of us will go homeless and live on the street first.
And have.
And try not to mention it.
Or otherwise go psychotic being so twisted up about it all.
Roy isn't that person. Roy is someone, though, who like some of us, will understate like mad, hoping someone will notice and pick up the clue.
Sometimes someone does.
People are, in my experience, wonderfully kind and generous, just as at other times, many are not.
Roy needs the money. If he gets enough that he doesn't, I am dead sure that he will pass it on to those who need it more, or do other good with it.
We've never met, I don't claim intimacy with him, and, in fact, he mentioned last week having no idea that I'd any sort of "dark side," or problems other than sometimes running a bit long.
The internet is a big place, and we all get to see only a little bit of one another.
Unless we look closely.
And he and I have "known" each other since 2002.
I don't ask people to help other people lightly. Nor did I write the post asking people to help Roy in order to help myself.
Other than that I feel it's necessary to help others when I can.
Even though I can't write posts for all the bloggers who need help, or even write more posts than I can write.
We all only do what we can.
And there's a lot of variability in that.
And always: assumptions. Correct or incorrect.
Sorry for being long again. As I said, I may delete most of this. It's quite likely.
Posted by: Gary Farber | January 10, 2011 at 09:20 PM
LJ, I hadn't seen that LA Times story, and it was invaluable. Thank you very much.
I note:
Which means that incentives for simply mugging you for your ID have/will go way up.And a lot fewer street people will be able to retain them. Those who have managed to get them in the first place.
But, you know: this way there will be ever so much less of that voter fraud that's such a huge problem.
And it's going to be really fun if one simply loses one's ID.
Which really wouldn't make any difference in the life of any poor person.
Unless they have absolutely no need for those evil government services, or to prove they live somewhere, or, say, wish to obtain medical treatment from an evil fascist government.
But making these really expensive cards will save the taxpayers money!
We wouldn't want government to waste anyone's money. People's money is their own, and they know best how to use it.
And this is all a fraud.
Let's not even discuss the concept that there are deserving people who live outside the United States.
Or who live in this country illegally.
That would be a digression.
Posted by: Gary Farber | January 10, 2011 at 09:36 PM
Gary, sorry I missed this post but since you were so mean to me (not) I don't come here as often. I thought you were prolix but in service of a worthy subject.
Roy's commenters have been after him to put up a donation button for quite a while and since he wouldn't, well, when JayB put out the word many people made donations. It's sort of a reflection of pent-up demand rather than his current, albeit no less worthy of donations, travails.
I appreciate your post, especially for posting all the other links.
Thanks
Posted by: Tom M | January 10, 2011 at 10:03 PM
Joel Hanes:
If anyone would like to assemble what they consider to be the essential relevant links, and post them here, that would go a long way towards increasing the possibility I might be able to do a front page post about these fine folk before it became irrelevant.If anyone would like further supply what they consider to be concise and appropriate wording, in their comment, that would go even further.
I'd like to help them, if I can. If anyone would like to help increase the chances I might be able to by posting, you can help me help them by doing this.
Thanks.
This is a serious request. I simply don't have time to add anything further to my plate than asking this, and then seeing what I might or might not be able to do.
Including dates when you think it would no longer be appropriate to write about them would also be helpful, though the relevant links will presumably make that clear.
Again: thanks, if anyone wishes to do any of these things.
And to be honest, I've never heard of Joe Bageant. This isn't an insult; I don't expect any of these people have ever heard of me, either.
But I've googled him quickly, he exists, and that's as much as I've time for at the moment, beyond writing this request.
Posted by: Gary Farber | January 11, 2011 at 10:23 PM
But let me be clear: I'm not promising to make any post, no matter that someone or ones does all or any of the above.
I'm not making any promises I can't keep.
All I can say is that it would increase the odds.
Whether or when I might possibly be able to do that post, I have no idea, and can only say that I'll try to do what I can do if I can do it.
Posted by: Gary Farber | January 11, 2011 at 10:26 PM
16 hours later, I'd still be interested in having that info if anyone wants to help those folks out.
Still not promising.
But my motivation suddenly increased dramatically.
My ability, not so much, so my previous statements remain standing.
But if anyone wants to help these people:
Suzy Madrak of Suburban Guerilla
"DCblogger" of Corrente
Libby Spencer of The Impolitic
Joe Bageant
Arthur Silber of Once Upon A Time
Yes, I'd like to help them with a post, if I can. If.
You can help increase the odds.
Actually helping people, and talking about helping people, I've long observed, are two extremely different things.
Posted by: Gary Farber | January 12, 2011 at 05:59 PM
Done.
I feel better now.
How about you, Joel Hanes?
Posted by: Gary Farber | January 19, 2011 at 05:44 PM
I'll sleep when I'm dead.
Posted by: Gary Farber | January 19, 2011 at 06:37 PM