Got Plasma?

I know I shouldn’t be scared, but there's still something that makes me squeamish knowing that there are bits being pumped back into my body… Yep, that's what happens when you donate plasma -- you get your red blood cells back!  

And that's how some horrible people in China ended giving a whole bunch of people HIV/AIDS when they paid to take people's plasma (see Wikipedia's "Plasma Economy" and Elizabeth Pisani's The Wisdom of Whores).   

So the rational side of me knows Canadian Blood Services is much more careful about blood contamination and this wouldn't happen to donors here, but the irrational side is stuck on "ew".  

But it turns out I'm not considered an ideal candidate anyway (AB+s, they want you!).  My whole blood donation is more useful to them... and works for me... except when I don't qualify.  

I'll just have to wait for when we get back from the UK (plus another month) and I'll be eligible (at least to be screened).  Dang that iron!

Lessons in Humour

What I'm learning from Paul (because sometimes I can be too literal):

1. Punny stuff

Me: (Something involving a pun that I don't remember any more... but I'm sure it was good.)

Paul: You're supposed to say, "No pun intended".

Me: But I did intend it.

"No pun intended," is actually to be used when you do intend the pun. But then what do you do when  you really don't? 


2. "Did you see what I did there?"

Me: Yes. 

Apparently, the phrase is rhetorical.  To be used when a joke is so obviously unclever or bad, that the speaker might get a couple of laughs from this statement, because obviously you got it, but you're not laughing... so maybe you didn't get it.  Um... at least that's what I think it means. 

3. Spoonerisms

Examples from wikipedia:

•  "Three cheers for our queer old dean!" (dear old queen, referring to Queen Victoria)
• "A well-boiled icicle" (well-oiled bicycle)

And here I thought these were just a type of Freudian Slip. 

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
On a related note, a funny I didn't have to overthink:

...But it might be because I'm getting a little cynical.