Sunday, October 23, 2005

Buy, Blood, Boogie.

Alternatives to buying Christmas presents has some cool ideas if you are skint / anti-Capitalist / not Christian / just don't want to spend lots of money for that big December thing. I also recommend GreatGifts.org where you will find the alternative gift catalogue if you do want to spend, but not so much on stuff.

Do you want free ice-cream for giving blood? Apparently, Ben & Jerry's will oblige. Giving blood is very important anyway - even if you're not getting any ice cream. I think you do usually get tea and biscuits, if that is your prime motivator.

I take too many different medications at the moment to be allowed to give blood, but I really wish I could. Since my dad has been ill he has had lots and lots of blood transfusions, many of which have made him feel an awful lot better (when his iron levels have been very low). I guess I'd only ever thought about people receiving blood after car crashes or whatever, not on a weekly (or whatever) basis just to maintain a certain degree of health.

The Blood Donations site actually has a fun zone in which, amongst other things, you can read some of Billy Blood Drop's jokes...
Q: What is bright red and dumb?
A: A blood clot!

Q: What does Billy Blood Drop cross the sea in?
A: A blood vessel!

Q: What is Billy's favourite ice cream?
A: Veinilla!

It brings to mind a whole new sense of self-harm humour... a kind of cheesy, embarrassed one!

I am very much loving Audioscrobbler and Last.FM.

Last week's Link of the Week was FOUND Magazine. For this week's, click on the Link of the Week graphic on the right.

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4 comments:

Anonymous said...

Thanks for the Christmas links! Have pinched for my blog today too...

thermalsatsuma said...

I'll recommend the Hawkin catalogue for cheap, fun things to buy as presents. They have a big selection of things for a pound as well as lots of traditional toys and games.

Anonymous said...

Thanks for the christmas links they're cool.

I wish I could give blood but the blood service have all these homophobic conditions on doing it so I can't (i.e. are you a woman who has had sex with a man who has had oral/anal sex with another man). Rar. Wish they'd sort *that* out!

TP said...

I can't give blood either - a ventricles prone to infection thing so need antibiotics to give, but can't give when on antibiotics.

My mum's a blood service 'vampire', and is keen to promote all give blood related things. It is a shame about the convoluted health screening that prevents a lot of willing donors from giving blood, though I think it's the easiest way for them to minimise any blood that may have infections getting through to patients.