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I seem to recall that was the drug AZT. Although it was a breakthrough of sorts, didn't it have to be taken in a strict regimen every few hours, often along with some other drugs because like all viruses HIV was mutating? It was a Taiwanese-American, Dr. David Ho, who discovered the first real protease inhibitor treatment in the early 1990s that made life for HIV patients far more bearable. I remember only because he was on the cover of TIME magazine! I am sure @Ruthriestonis far better informed. I still consider the account of the early history of the AIDS crisis by Randy Shilts 'And The Band Played On' the near definitive book that everyone should read. Vastly better than the TV series packed with stars of the same name. Its one major error was in propagating the "Patient Zero" myth. When the doctors in NYC and LA noticed they were dealing with clusters of cases among young gay men, they eventually realised there almost certainly had to be a common link. Their research led them to a Canadian airline steward named Gaetan Dugas. All at one time had had sex with him. His work had taken him to Africa where it was then discovered there had been a major outbreak of AIDS in the 1920s in and around Kinshasa. We now know it had jumped the species barrier from chimpanzees to humans. Dugas was located. After being tested, he was found to be positive and informed about his passing HIV to others. He was asked to stop having sex with other men. Allegedly, he said he would not. Someone had given him the virus and he saw no reason why he should cease his activities since he was not responsible for his being infected. While that part of the tale may be true, by the end of the century it had become obvious that Dugas, who had by then died, was not Patient Zero and had been much maligned by being so named. However, later research suggested HIV had ben present in the USA much earlier. In 1968 a 15 year old teenager named Robert Rayford from Missouri entered hospital suffering from a variety of ailments. Doctors were baffled. On questioning, they suspected that Rayford was gay and had perhaps been either seriously molested or he was a male prostitute. None of the treatments seemed to work. As his condition worsened he soon developed a pneumonia-like illness and his immune system was discovered to be dysfunctional. He died in May 1969. The autopsy found rare purplish lesions on his left thigh, unheard of in black teenagers. The odd thing about the case was that Rayford had never travelled outside his home state and never received a blood transfusion. The only later connection thrown up was that he lived close to TWA's airline hub of St. Louis. Tissue samples were kept for later analysis. It was found that antibodies against all nine detectable HIV proteins were present in the blood samples. This was published in a medical journal in 1988 but only ever once again referred to, at a Conference in 1999 in Australia. Unfortunately the last known samples of Rayford were destroyed during Hurricane Katrina. Dr. Anthony Fauci was one who was both curious and baffled. “It certainly could be true, and may even be likely that it’s true,” Fauci said, “but the absolute nailed-down proof isn’t there.” https://www.washingtonpost.com/history/2019/05/15/mystery-illness-killed-boy-years-later-doctors-learned-what-it-was-aids/

It was 1976 when I met a young man whose radiant smile I could not get out of my head. We soon became fast friends and for 11 years he was the most important person in my life until he was taken in 1987. The cure began to emerge that year but too late for Billy. I did not have another relationship like that for 29 years. This time it was in November of 2016 when another young man, standing at Soi 4 and Silom rd., smiled at me. Although I didn’t know it at the time, he, too, was to change my life and continues to do so to this day. Those of us who lived through and survived AIDS all have our own stories. But the one thing we all have in common is that as we still await a vaccine for that horror. Visitors and volunteers walk on the 21,000-panel AIDS Memorial Quilt on October 10, 1992 in Washington. (CNN)

These first two week, specially this one, I am still heavily supporting my school from distance, and my movements are highly restricted, as at 8pm local restrictions mandate to stay home. I just went for a walk in between zooms and got still more in love with the neighborhood. Yesterday not only was Sunday, but also the last day of a strict weekend quarantine. Most places were close. Today bars and restaurants were open and, as it was still morning, starting to set up their tables outdoors. Definitely, they seem to be tailored to welcome USA and UK visitors, both countries right now banned from entering. Just a sample: I chose that picture not because it is exceptional, but rather the opposite. Most places have bilingual menus and signing. By the way, remember that here it is Fall. I was concerned when I realized I did not bring any viagra pills, considering the activity I am about to start today (Y is coming this early afternoon). So I stopped by a local pharmacy to check whether or not they would sell me sildenafil without a prescription. The regulation here is unclear, and some places will demand a recipe, some will not. I was lucky and hit bingo in my first try. 20 pillas of 50mg, $AR 3600. If I had paid with my CC, the bill would have been U$S 37. As I used cash, I actually paid 23 bucks. My Grindr keeps driving me crazy, Scruff so far has been a disappointment. I am saving the most interesting hits after a quick chat to confirm we are a match, I will probably start meeting them this coming weekend. My favorite one:

You are correct it has little/no practical value. I have lived in Thailand for 9 years and I have never been asked for it before. Your question made me Google it's uses, as you can see in the final paragraph below they are not many: PINK THAI ID CARD SINCE 2016 On 7 February 2016, the amphur and tessaban received a new regulation of 2 pages explaining the process for this new “pink Thai ID card”. We translated that regulation in English for your understanding. Click here to read this Regulation of Pink Thai ID Card for foreigners. How to get this card: First, you need a Thai ID number to get the card. If your name is currently in a yellow (foreigners) or blue tabian ban (permanent residents) we suggest you to go at the amphur and/or Tessaban and bring all original documents and a copy of the following: your passport your work permit (if any) your ta bian ban your marriage certificate (if any) your 2 books for permanent residency (if you are permanent resident) birth certificate of Thai children (if any) It is always better to bring more documents than less as you never know what an amphur can request. For example, I wouldn’t be surprised that a translation of the passport could be requested in some areas, even if the regulation doesn’t specify it. Do note that in July 2016, I was the first foreigner to ask for this card in Nakhon Ratchasima. That means they might not be used to do that. It took 3 days for me to have this card. Bring all documents, make a copy and signed all pages in blue. The regulation also refers to a witness, meaning you must have a witness that bring with her or him his Thai ID Card. The process should be quick meaning on the same day or you will get it few days later. You must submit both thumbs as fingerprints and take a picture without shoes where they make the cards. Migrants workers for Laos, Cambodia, Myanmar have a similar card but it is white. Dress properly for the day that you go to make your card. This card is valid for 10 years according to clause 8 of regulation in 2551. However, if you are over 60, it will be without an expiry date (also on same clause 8). For me in Nakhon Ratchasima, it was free. But according to law, they should ask you 60 baht. What are the benefits? We will see….maybe you will pay Thai prices in national parks? Maybe you won’t have to always carry your passport (But the visa is not written on that card). This is an official ID from Thailand, with your name in Thai and your Thai ID number. It will also fix the spelling of your Thai name. The only reason I got the ID card is that I was asked to show it when I go for the vaccine on the 23rd June. Will I need it? I don't know but I wasn't prepared to take the risk of being turned away.

@readerI was there at the AID Memorial Quilt in 1992. It was beautiful and sad. My first boyfriend was in NYC when I moved there. He was Brazilian: smoking hot. We were together for a few months before he told me he was positive. I didn't know what to do or say and he helped me to protect myself in the future. He said one thing that really stuck out in my mind (other than amazing sex and insane jealousy) and that was that he would not wish this on anyone so he will also be safe and protect me and others. He was a stunner. We were together for 5 years and he did protect me. And, I learned from him. As this Covid19 hits I wear a mask, sanitize, and take all precautions not just to protect myself but others. BTW: I believe that was around 1995. He is still telling others to protect themselves and others.

June 5, 1981 was the first cases that AIDS was reported. Five gay men in LA died and currently over 32 million have died. I have lost friends and family to this. Our community was forever changed. https://www.hiv.gov/hiv-basics/overview/history/hiv-and-aids-timeline

Why does everything have to be about race these days? This has nothing to with race, it is just an entirely different card for different purposes and with different requirements and eligibility criteria. As I see it, the pink card is something for someone with residency and ownership of a house/condo (hence the need for the tabian baan (house registration) whereas the white card has more to do with workers from neighboring countries. Now those workers are indeed treated differently from so-called "expats" and possibly higher-level employees from those same countries (last point is just my guess). Different treatment is entirely justified, because (a) they are ASEAN whereas most "expats" are not, and (b) it's a way of dealing with masses of low level, low income workers where the usual "expat" procedures wouldn't be suitable. Race is simply not a factor.

i commute to FLL a lot and have friends there who come here to DC a lot. i look at places online and notice, like many cities, the condo market has dropped. 2br/2b 1200sq ft condos for $250K around South Beach MIA or Central Beach FLL. (1br as low as $150K) Of course you have to deal with HOA's but a few are reasonable. South Florida prices, even South Beach and FLL are very low compared to DC or CAL. My friends tell me the no state income tax thingy is more than made up for with most people by the huge homeowners and car insurance and the sky-high property tax bills. Still, I'll probably get a place to save on hotels and house some of my flock, even though it otherwise is a poor investment. In spite of tv shows, there's not a lot of money for escorts in S Fla. Mostly tourists in season. Summer in FL is no fun. And it's so spread-out that travel for escorts is a pain. So many relax at home while there and travel for work. Hate to be mean but i don't care at all for Wilton Manors houses or condos. I was shocked when i first went there at how cheap and ugly those little concrete-block houses are. I prefer downtown Los Olas canal locations, or "waterfront" from Sunrise up to Pompano. Places with nice restaurants and a Starbucks every mile at least. Hopefully Matt at Johnsons will keep expanding to other cities and maybe even DC. He was here for a while at Secrets. Johnsons has the formula down-pat.

For the benefit of us not living in Thailand, could you explain what a pink ID card is? Is it a form of permanent residency? Does it allow the card holder to work (i.e. paid employment)? It seems to me that you've lived a while in Thailand and have not needed this card until now -- and even then, as z909 says, it should have had no bearing on your vaccine entitlement -- so whatever this pink confection is, it has as little practical value as a pink tutu.

Hells to the yes. I hope I will see the day when the issue of systemic racism and euro supremacy can be addressed (and fixed) for many latin countries. But given the long continuum that starts with survival, it is not a realistic goal for many countries on the continent. Ojala que podamos arreglar eso bien pronto.

"It is with great joy that Prince Harry and Meghan, The Duke and Duchess of Sussex, welcome their daughter, Lilibet 'Lili' Diana Mountbatten-Windsor, to the world," the statement said. "Lili was born on Friday, June 4 at 11:40 a.m. in the trusted care of the doctors and staff at Santa Barbara Cottage Hospital," it said, adding that the new arrival weighed in at 7 pounds, 11 ounces (3.49 kilos) and that "both mother and child are healthy and well, and settling in at home." "Lili is named after her great-grandmother, Her Majesty The Queen, whose family nickname is Lilibet. Her middle name, Diana, was chosen to honor her beloved late grandmother, The Princess of Wales," the statement added.

Have a fantastic trip. I loved the photos. Esp. the steak. A big thing for me is Argentinian beef (in all sorts).

The myth of White Argentina is one of the most rotund victories of Racism and European Supremacy.

There has always been only two Palermos. Palermo Viejo, and Palermo Chico. As you say, the latter is a wealthy neighborhood with fancy houses where many diplomat reside, and where even many embassies are located. Palermo Viejo was a mix of fancier areas closer to Avdas Figueroa Alcorta and Libertador, and Parque 3 de Febrero (los Bosques de Palermo) and the inside big popular middle class areas. Those areas have been redeveloped in the last decade, realtors marketed and successfully imposed Palermo Hollywood (where I am right now) and Palermo Soho to two of traditional Palermo Viejo neighborhoods.

the markets are overheated in much of the country. But I agree that checking on those other expenses is important. I was just visiting my mom in St. Pete. Over the years she has had issues finding insurance coverage. I think there's a state run program of last resort for people who cannot find any companies willing to cover their property. Of course coastal areas in hurricane zones will be problematic. Just make sure you are going in with your eyes wide open. My brother is retiring to an area between Tampa and Orlando. I'd imagine that the tax thing is a big driver of the state's population growth. I spent 4 years in Florida for university and that was more than enough for me. I can only stand a week or so at a time. :-)

Tom, hope you find a great house and have great time in Florida ... but can’t help wondering why , now that you are retired, you are losing time looking for a home elsewhere that is not Rio. You know a retired Tomcal living full time in Rio would become almost a tourist attraction for boys in all Brazil.

I always thought the first cases were of kaposi's syndrome identified in New York. But I see from the link that the two sets of cases were discovered on the same day. Thank you @TotallyOzfor reminding us all of this pivotal moment in our lives. It is one we should never forget. It brings back so many memories, many of fear because in those early years being informed of a positive test was quite literally the door opening to a long lingering death. And if we had lovers or just casual acquaintances with whom we might have had sex, we were terrified of what might happen to them and then to us. The fear, too, of the possibility that we were infected and were passing death on to others. And yet, looking back I sometimes wonder if those days were quite as frightening for most of us as perhaps they should have been. I did not refrain from sex after i had heard of HIV. I did not even start to use condoms until I had learned a lot more about the disease. But then I was in a part of the world where it took a longer time for reality to dawn. It took the death in 1987 of one whom I had loved passionately to knock me to my senses. Although we had not been together for four years, we eventually became good friends and I had had tea with him just 10 weeks before his death. His new lover informed me of his passing. He had meant so much to me that I flew the round trip of 12,000 miles just to attend his funeral. Although I was 99% certain I could not have been HIV+ as a result of our relationship, I started to think of all the other men I had slept with, many in different countries. I became more afraid. What if I was positive? A little earlier, in October 1984 three friends in Tokyo had birthdays within 4 days of each other. They invited me to the joint party they would be holding. I said I had to decline. I just could not afford the trip. Nearer the time, I thought this is silly. They are good and close friends and I do want to be there. So I bought a ticket. I did not tell them I would be coming. So when they opened the door and saw me bearing gifts (as it were), there were lots of smiles and laughter. I am glad I went. It was a wonderfully happy evening. I ended up with another of their guests who had seemed such a quiet soul but was a tiger in bed. What I could not know then was that I would see none of my three friends again. They all died of AIDS. I admire @Ruthriestonso much for all he did for those young men he cared for before and after death. You, sir, are one of the many saints and one of the many heroes of those times.

I qualified as a Registered Nurse in Aberdeen in Scotland in 1986 but there were no jobs to be had and I was forced to move to London where I went to work in the HIV ward in St Stephen's Hospital in Fulham. We had eighteen beds in small rooms and we had at least nine deaths every day, mostly young gay men. We had to receive and transport patients ourselves as the porters wouldn't transport them, also the bodies had to be prepared by us and taken to the mortuary by the nurses too. Those were the hardest years of my life and I too lost many friends and colleagues.