01.02.2004

Catching up on some things the PVR saved while we were away, Rae and I were watching the first part of Angels in America, which so far looks like a better translation of the play to a movie than we’d have any hope to expect, and during a scene in which Prior (Justin Kirk), having recently been diagnosed with AIDS, was taking a combination of pills, we couldn’t remember what was available in ‘85, when the film is set. Was he taking combination therapy (the “cocktail”)? AZT? Something just for symptoms? Looking around for a history of AIDS treatments, we found this timeline from AEGiS, detailing the history of AIDS and HIV, which, though a couple years out of date, is utterly chilling. Many of us lived through most of the events in the timeline, but it’s something to scroll down this page and see the diagnoses and deaths doubling and tripling each year throughout the eighties, and see figures such as Elisabeth Glaser and Randy Shilts first appear as advocates, only to join the list of those dead shortly after.

Most damning is the yearly refrain noting Reagan’s lack of mention of the crisis, which is instructive when considering our government’s reaction to current health issues. For anyone skeptical of the FDA’s recent assurances about mad cow and the food supply’s safety, check out Neil Gaiman’s recent post about BSE in England, and this BSE timeline he linked. The government’s first impulse is always to placate, to say there’s no danger — after all, we’re all children and might panic. But, Atkins be damned — maybe a new year’s resolution to eat less beef wouldn’t be such a bad idea?

Just a suggestion.

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