My thinking is paranoid again. Are your communities in constant

[Ilsa]

shortage of blood right now? I get called all the time, begging for blood (had illnesses on and off and couldn't give for awhile.)

We always have shortages in summer and then for a short spell in winter. But in South Texas, winters are mild, and we don't have much flu going around right now to push off donations. I wonder if a large amount of the nation's blood supply is being shipped to Iraq, Kuwait, and Germany and Walter Reed. I wonder how much it is.

What are your thoughts? I must humbly await getting straightened out on this.

[burrowowl]

1. A lot of potential donors can't give

I lived in France for 20 years and so no go.

[Dookus]

2. I'm gay

HIV negative (tested regularly) and I haven't been able to give blood for well over a decade.

It's a silly system.

[Ilsa]

5. My huisband can't give because he

went to London late last summer. I think it's a six month waiting period, but I don't know what difference that makes if CJD takes longer to show up.

[Ilsa]

3. We also have a lot of drives going on at churches,

businesses, etc. They are working seven days a week to collect blood here.

[wellstone_democrat]

4. listening to news in my area

(far west Texas) you would think that we were in a battle zone. Lots of "news stories" on blood need. And, my husband remarked on the fact that the "bloodmobile" is at a major shopping center every day lately. Funny, just yesterday we were wondering about this since blood really doesn't store well for very long (whole blood that is)

You could be right.

[Ilsa]

6. I guess telling the public that the blood is for our troops

is bad for Bushie's war coverage, although it might actually be helpful for increasing donations.

[Lydia Leftcoast]

7. The Minneapolis Red Cross doesn't know yet

that I exist, but once the Iraq War started, the Red Cross in Portland (where I lived till 8/03) was calling me every month to donate.

[trotsky]

9. Check in with Memorial Blood Center.

Don't know which you're closer to, but in St. Paul it's the Red Cross and Minneapolis has the Memorial Blood Center (http://www.memorialbloodcenters.org - 612-871-3300) Since I live in the west metro that's where I give my blood.

[revree]

8. San Diego, CA in terribly short supply...

esp. after our devestating fires in October, with lots of hurt folks needing blood.