2sides2ron

World AIDS Day, 2011: Year 26 of Infection

2011-12-01T11:05:00.005-05:00

I awoke with one eye closed and buried in my pillow, but the other, wide open, stared into the bright sunlight that was streaming in through the closed blinds of my bedroom window. The sunlight shone brightly across the head and between the erect ears of my curled up schnauzer buddy, Goose. He feigned sleep and did not move, but his ears betrayed his attention to detail and his vigil for my awakening. I did not wish to move because it would cause him to stir. There I continued to lie for a few minutes, coming to my senses from the sleep and dreams that had had me clouded up a moment or two before.

“What day is this? Thurs…oh…World AIDS Day.”

I had let myself forget while asleep, but the day’s significance came back to me in a rush.

“Oh dear. Most days of the year, I can handle taking my pills and shooting up my insulin and eating and sleeping and buying groceries and carrying on with my life. When World AIDS Day rolls around, though, it can hit me without warning, like it just did yet again. The thing is, no one wants to hear about it. There is no one with whom I can confide my true feelings of loss and fear and deep, deep, dark forbidden sadness for the friends I have lost to death and for those whom I have lost to life and the sense of that betrayal."

I rolled over in my bed to keep from disturbing Goose and tried to bury my thoughts in sleep again. On my other side, the sunlight wasn’t nearly so bright, but there was Greta, Goose’s “wife” and the mother of his children. She was curled up against me, seeking warmth like some kind of black, heat-seeking schnauzer-missile with bad breath and few remaining teeth. Thoughts continued to run through my head, uncontrolled, like children left to run through a household where the adults, consumed by their grief, are focused on tending to the details of a wake.

“It is no longer so bad to have to swallow 31 pills a day. I no longer worry about trying to hide any of them when eating out. If someone wonders why I am taking a side-dish of capsules and tablets, it is their issue, not mine. I also have learned to test my blood sugar five times a day and inject insulin six times a day to try to get my metabolism back under control from the very pills that have saved my life. I have even learned to sleep when tired, to nurse my pain when it is bad and to get to the doctor when I need to do so. On most days, I can take all of that shit. What I can’t seem to face, though, is these yearly World AIDS Days where everyone seems to look at the disease like a holiday--one where it is time to wear a reminder of the disease and to spend a few minutes thinking about those poor, poor people in Africa who are suffering."

"Don’t they remember what we lived through in the 1980s? Don’t they remember that this disease is real and still here and doing quite well, thank-you-very-much? It is hiding behind the stigma and shame in their own homes, schools, churches and gay bars, here, in America. I am sure they will find my thoughts to be a form of heresy for not being grateful that they have put aside a whole day to think about my dead friends and me. I know that they think themselves noble. They sit on committees and dress up in their silk shirts and tuxedos so that they can have a chance to throw a gala to assuage their guilt for not seeing us the rest of the year. The will say things like ‘You can’t get AIDS from a hug!”, yet when it comes time to share intimacy with someone who is HIV positive, they flee into the anonymity of their rejection and their projected shame and fear. I can't take that. I can't tolerate the artifice of my culture. But the worst, the absolute worst, is the knowledge that but for me and the other few real friends whose lives were truly touched, my departed friends are slowly being forgotten. Hell, I am even having trouble remembering all of their names at any given moment. When I am gone, who will remember that I was even here? Who will remember the impact that Kenny, and Donald and Chuck and Ralph and François and what’s his name had on my fucking life and how important their death was to me.”

“For fuck’s sake, who decided that public health should be a function of greed and profit? We need a cure for this disease and we need that cure to be motivated by ethics and not the stockholder’s meeting. I am the 99%, but I am also in the minority. I am the 34 million worldwide who are infected with HIV. I line the pockets of those whose portfolios contain pharmaceutical stocks. My HIV meds alone cost in excess of $3700 per MONTH and we have people who are dying because they cannot get access to that kind of money or who lack insurance coverage. Life is worth so much less than profit and this is the 21st Century! You wonder why I state with passion that capitalism isn’t working for many of us? World AIDS Day has become the last refuge for my anger and sadness, damn it all!"

I awoke with it, like a fever that had set in overnight. As I lay in my bed, my eyes leaked and my ears filled with salty tears and my sobs became uncontrollable until Greta solemnly arose and gave me one of her patented “sweet Greta hugs”, where she literally wraps her front legs around my neck and drives her head into mine with great passion. Her hugs feel like they are filled with more compassion than the whole of humanity can muster for itself, all wrapped up in one little 25 pound dog.

I soaked up her love, knowing that it is likely the most I can expect from this day when my disease sets me apart more than any other day of the year. It is the one day a year that I allow myself to be really pissed off and to express my sadness. It is when I allow myself to feel the absence…the hole that is left behind…that intangible part of us that others bring to each of us, that which moves us to laughter, to joy, to tears and to grief. It is when I focus on how much of that I am missing from each of my departed friends. This is the day when my sadness maxes out and my anger overflows.

I have awakened far earlier than I had hoped I would today. I had hoped to hide in my dreams for a few hours more before these tears would awaken me and wash the sleep from my eyes. I have alarmed my dogs. I felt that I may as well get up and get going, so I slowly crawled from the covers of my bed and ambled into my bathroom to wash my face. I splashed water into my eyes and tried to clear my nose. When I lifted my head, I saw into the mirror that was before me, my red eyes looking back.

“There is little in the way of self-indulgence quite like crying into a mirror, but I think I will let it be my gift to myself this morning.”

I cried for a full minute, looking at myself in the mirror, before abruptly pulling myself up short.

"This is conduct unbecoming of a soldier in this war. Time to move on for another year at least. Time to bury my dead again. Time to start this new World AIDS Day and face it with a smile so that people aren’t frightened by what could happen to them. Time to dress and put on my red ribbon. Time to wear it with pride. Time to live again."

In memory of:

Ralph, North Carolina
Francois, Paris, France
Daniel, Paris, France
Jorge, Cuba and Washington, DC
Thierry, Paris, France
Chuck, Alberta, Canada
Dip, Washington, DC
Charlie, North Carolina
Thomas, North Carolina
Kenny, North Carolina
Gene, Alberta, Canada
Johnny, Tennessee
Jamie, North Carolina
Hunter, Georgia
Jim, Chicago, IL and NC
Joel, California

In honor of:

All the friends who continue to live with HIV around the world.

Nuit Blanche

2010-12-01T04:57:00.004-05:00

"Sail ho, heave ho, come on let go, your time on earth is over.
You have done well. Its time to rest. I’m talking to your soul.
Did you ever think it’d be like this?
Do you ever think we’ll meet again?
How will I ever know it’s you?
Maybe will it be the love that I’ll feel…
when I look into a stranger’s eyes?
when I look into a…stranger’s…eyes…
oh….you’re sailing away
I keep my vigil on this chair
Is this my lover here?
Is this my brother here?
Is this my baby?
Is this me lying here?" from "The Vigil (the sea)" by Jane Siberry

I have been challenged for years to try to express what it has meant to me to have outlived so many wonderful souls close to me who died of AIDS when I, too, am infected with HIV. I have tried to express my feelings in poetry. I have visited classes of young people and explained that if they look to their friends in the chairs that surround them and imagine them gone that they might get a hint of an idea of what it was like. I have attempted to write it out in prose, baring my soul and exposing my vulnerability as a pariah in a blog that few people read. Tonight, I lay in my bed, wakeful, thinking of how it is once again World AIDS Day and how I have neither learned how to convey the significance of these losses nor have I learned to move on from them.

I spent the earlier part of the evening holding onto a beautiful man in post-coital embrace. He and I are relative strangers in reality, but we had quickly developed a connection that is difficult to explain without delving into themes of power, control and release of the weight of the world. As we lay in each others' arms, he said to me that "it is about time that [I] started to live again." I was amazed how quickly he had zeroed in on my core issue. As he left my home for his, and as his scent still wafted through my beard, I went to bed to seek sleep. I knew that I had to get to sleep quickly because I was to join a dear friend in the morning at a World AIDS Day seminar at a local university.

Sleep did not come. I felt compelled to play the disc "When I Was A Boy" by Jane Siberry and as the music played, I wept. At various points in the playing of the disc, I thought of my friends and how they have been reduced to fragments of memories that come back to me like wisps of smoke. Ralph was there to remind me that "love is all there is." Donald pulled me close and wrapped us both in his blanket as we shared his bed in Washington, DC. Serge called me from Brussels to tell me that Daniel had left us and that he would have wanted me to know. François smiled at me in the apartment in the 14th Arrondissement of Paris as I gave him the North Carolina Olympic Festival t-shirt off my back. Thierry told me how he refused to take ddI but that his cat loved to eat the pills from a dish on his coffee table. Dip and Julia and Amy sang so soulfully at Mr. Henry's in Adams Morgan and entertained me in my silent desperation on New Year's Eve as I wondered if it would be my last. Charlie, one of the most beautiful men I have ever seen, hypothetically joked about dropping the soap in a communal shower and hurriedly volunteering to pick it up for the beautiful men under the flow of water. Thomas was the sweetest man I may have ever met and his gentle nature made me long to know his soul. Randy was so quiet that I never did know him well. Chuck just wanted to get on with dying so that he and Gene could be reunited in Heaven. Jim's unkempt beard curled around his oxygen tubes and we once laughed about how you could hear the pumping of his air speed up when he watched porn. Kenny, oh Kenny...my dear friend--he would give you the air from his lungs but grew angry when his death drew near and he pulled away from me into seclusion. Jamie was bitter, bless his heart. Jorge fled Cuba as a Marielito and must have thought this new home offered him a life of promise as his initial happiness turned to dread of being seen in public with Kaposi's Sarcoma lesions on his face. Joel lived next to a loaded lemon tree in a one-bedroom duplex high above the Pacific Ocean in Southern California, where he could sit on his couch and watch the sun dip below the horizon. Johnny was the first person I knew to have a cyber memorial where his online friends logged in and shared stories of his life after he had moved on.

It is painful to reduce these wonderful people to a single thought, but they each crossed my mind as I listened to Jane Siberry's masterful poetry and as I felt the melding of her work with my own emotions. Outside, a powerful storm lashed my home with rain and hail, as if my internal emotional storm had been transformed into an exterior threat à la "Forbidden Planet." Just as the rain ebbed and poured, my weeping waned temporarily only to return in huge sobs with tears that ran laterally down my face into my ears. I waited for the sound of a tornado, fearing that my extreme angst would destroy me and all that I know.

It finally occurred to me that there is no way to convey these losses to anyone. I can try to explain them and have done my best to do so. Some of you will understand portions. Some of you will remember some of these people. None of you will remember them all nor will anyone else remember all of what I remember about them. It reminded me that I could play Jane Siberry's work to a roomful of people and no two of us would get the same emotional tug from the experience that any one of us would. I could just as well ask you to understand the nature of my relationship with the man whose body I held tonight in an effort to forget the transience of our existence in this life. Unless you are one of us, it is unlikely that you will get it and some of you will hold us in judgment for what we took from life just to make it from one day to the next.

Outside the winds continue to whip the trees around and my chimes are like chapel bells, pealing for the rising sun. My nightlong sorrow even amazes me. I hope none of you ever have to feel this kind of pain, but as I have said before, it is in the telling of the story that the healing begins.

"the never idle pressing
silent confessing
the endless versions of the lonely heart
when we love like we love
and we want like we want
and then we cry like a child
never like this
never like this
never like this" from "Sweet Incarnadine" by Jane Siberry.

Categories: World+AIDS+Day reminder HIV/AIDS

World AIDS Day Remembrance, 2010

2010-11-29T13:03:00.004-05:00

I am writing a couple of days early this year to remind you of International AIDS Awareness Day, also known as World AIDS Day, on Wednesday, December 1. As many of you know, writing a World AIDS Day note is a tradition that I started back in the 1980s. I have typically written a note on December 1 and mailed it out that day. This year, I want to give you a day or two to make plans for something special on December 1 to commemorate the event. At the very least, please find and wear a red ribbon.

This December 12th will mark the 25th anniversary of my having discovered my own HIV status. For the first few years, I lived with this disease expecting it to take a sudden and fatal turn for the worst. Around 1995, research into the Protease Inhibitor class of drugs resulted in the release of several alternative medications that significantly reduced mortality from AIDS. Although we aren’t dying as rapidly nor in as many numbers as before, we are still succumbing to the severe side effects of our ongoing, long-term daily chemotherapy which is commonly and insultingly called a "cocktail." The longer we survive HIV, the more we see AIDS-related cancers begin to surface. We also are seeing increased incidence of heart disease, diabetes, stroke and other cardiovascular disorders because of the metabolic changes that the drugs cause.

HIV/AIDS is no picnic for those of us who are fortunate enough to have access to medication and the cost is staggering. At this point in my life, I am taking in excess of 30 pills a day, six to treat my HIV and the rest to treat the side-effects of my HIV meds. Still, I am fortunate that I have access to HIV meds and I am even more fortunate that I have insurance that covers the cost of my medication. If I had to pay for my HIV meds alone, I would be paying out over $3K/month just for those 180 pills that keep me alive.

Sadly, millions of us around the globe are infected with HIV and the vast majority of us have no access to medication whatsoever. People in developing countries often face tremendous challenges in finding adequate nutrition, clean water and clinics, so the dream of affordable and easy access to anti-retroviral therapies is a dim hope. In a world where we need clean water more desperately than we need treatment for HIV, where malaria and hunger kill people more frequently than does AIDS, providing anti-retroviral therapy can be very low on the list of priorities for survival. It should be a priority of the human race to find a cheap, effective treatment for all people of the world. Better yet, we must make an effort to find a cure. It is unconscionable that so much money is going to treatment that it countermands any incentive for industry to find a cure. We must find a new paradigm for how our culture values its people.

At the same time that we are seeing improvement in the physical health of many westerners with HIV/AIDS, we are learning of ongoing discrimination and stigma against people living with the disease throughout the world. We must not allow the Earth to spin in reverse. We have to remove the stigma from this infection. AIDS is a disease. It is caused by the HIV virus. We have to confront those who continue to believe that AIDS is a punishment sent from God for some kind of deviant behavior. Many try to shame others into a form of behavior that they think will protect them from HIV. In reality, there is no place for shame in the discussion of HIV/AIDS, especially when it only drives people and their behaviors underground where the risks of infection are only increased.

Please take a moment on December 1 and think about what it would be like if you were to have been infected. What would you expect, want or need from your family, friends, loved-ones, church and government. Do you think you would get it? Can you change anything to see that you would? THINK! PROTEST! SPEAK OUT! VOTE!

One obvious thing for you to do is to make a tax-deductible contribution to any charity that provides AIDS relief. If you choose to make a donation in your community, please also consider the gift of time and action. A compassionate visitor with a home cooked meal is one of the world’s greatest gifts. Often, a hug can do more for the health of an individual than you might imagine. Hugs are free and they are safe.

In closing, let me remember, as always, my friends who were less fortunate than I. Not a day goes by that I do not miss them. If you wish, please feel free to add your own remembrances in the comments of this post.

In memory of:

Ralph, NC, USA
François, Paris, France
Daniel, Paris, France
Jorge, Havana,Cuba and Washington, DC, USA
Thierry, Paris, France
Chuck, Alberta, Canada
Dip, Washington, DC, USA
Charlie, NC, USA
Thomas, NC, USA
Kenny, NC, USA
Gene, Alberta, Canada
Johnny, TN, USA
Jamie, NC, USA
Hunter, Georgia, USA
Jim,IL and NC, USA
Joel, CA, USA
Randy, NC, USA

In honor of:

All who live with HIV/AIDS around the world.

Categories: World+AIDS+Day reminder HIV/AIDS

Davidson College's Annual Red and Black Ball

2010-11-19T11:58:00.003-05:00

Please click on image to enlarge it

Please join me in supporting Davidson College's Red and Black Ball to benefit the Regional AIDS Interfaith Netword (RAIN) and the Mwandi Christian Mission Hospital. The Ball will be held on Saturday, December 4, 2010, at 8pm in the Lilly Family Gallery at Davidson College, Davidson, North Carolina.

Please email Nitya Rao for more details.

Donations may be mailed to:

Anna Gryska
Box 6141
Davidson, NC 28035

Categories: HIV AIDS HIV/AIDS Davidson+College Red+and+Black+Ball Regional+AIDS+Interfaith+Network Mwandi+Christian++MissionHospital charity World+AIDS+Day

Fullsteam Brewery Hosts Thomas Kieffer and a Network of Friends

2010-10-23T10:10:00.008-05:00

It was with great pleasure that I attended the concert by Thomas Kieffer last night at Fullsteam Brewery on Rigsbee Avenue in Durham. Thomas performed songs from his album "Beautiful Hands." To quote from his publicity flyers, "His latest CD release. "Beautiful Hands" (2009), was recorded by David Husser (who has engineered releases for artists such as Indochine, Rodolphe Burger and Speed Caravan). Here, Kieffer shows the true variety of his artistry and talent as he creates and loops rhythms and riffs using a guitar, harmonica and vocals. His melodies are masterful and captivating. On stage his performance is even more mesmerizing as he passionately delivers a unique rock/folk-electro experience."

Click on any image to enlarge it.

My friend, Brian Svedberg of Seattle, alerted me to Thomas' show since he and Thomas have been corresponding for several years now. Brian and I met through the now-defunct 1 Giant Leap fan board, which at one time fostered a very vibrant and caring community of people with varied backgrounds and interests. It has been my pleasure to meet many of my friends from that site. Brian and I have known each other for over eight years now via 1 Giant Leap. When he came to North Carolina earlier this year as part of the road crew for Joseph Arthur's show, we were able to meet and I got to know Brian and Kathi, his partner. I really enjoyed the Joseph Arthur show and especially was intrigued by the use of looping technology that Arthur uses in his show to create the illusion of a full band when he is the only person performing. It was the use of the looping technology that caused Brian to recommend Kieffer's music to me. He said that if I enjoyed Joseph Arthur's show, that I would likewise enjoy the show by Thomas Kieffer. Brian was right!

Before the concert, I was joined by my friend Betsy and her coworker Haas (I am not sure about the spelling of his name. Please forgive me!). We met for dinner at one of my favorite eateries, Shanghai Chinese Restaurant, where the wonderful hospitality of hostess Lilly and co-host Ray is always a heartwarming experience. As Betsy was the common denominator of this trio of soon-to-be friends, she began to explain to Haas and me how our paths crossed to bring us together last night.

The common element in this story is that each of us, including Thomas Kieffer, has lived in France for some part of their lives. Betsy and I grew up together in Sampson County, NC, and were in high school together in 1976. At that time, the US Bicentennial was a huge event and the French government sent two warships on a tour of the east coast of the US to celebrate our country's birth. When the ships stopped in Wilmington, NC, our high school French class took a field trip to meet them at the port. To make a long story short, Betsy met her future husband, Bernard, that day and I translated for the two of them on their first date. We returned him to his ship that evening and several months later when his tour of duty had ended, Bernard returned to visit Betsy again. At Christmas of that year, Betsy visited Bernard in Paris and came home with a diamond engagement ring. They married a few months later in Harrells, NC, and have been together ever since.

Haas explained that he had moved to France from Iran during the tumultuous years in the 1980s and that he arrived in the country not speaking a word of French. My story was that I first went to France on a week-long tour in 1974. I returned alone in 1976 as a naive seventeen-year old and I stayed for a month with a family in Menton on the Italian border. Later, as a recipient of the James M. Johnston Scholarship at UNC, I learned that I could spend my Junior Year abroad in Montpellier, so I signed up and spent the 1979-80 school year there. In the process, I made many lifelong friends and am so very grateful for those experiences.

So, when I heard that Thomas Kieffer was coming to perform in Durham, I invited all of my friends to join us for the concert. As it turned out, Betsy and Haas were the only two who showed up...initially at least. Sadly, Haas had to leave not long after our arrival, so Betsy and I ordered some of the fantastic beer brewed onsite at the brewery. My favorite was a sweet potato beer and if you make it down to Fullsteam brewery, I recommend you give it a try.

As Betsy and I sat enjoying the music and beer, I noticed that my friend Ed walked into the room. He came over and joined us and we started to talk. Ed grew up in Bahama, NC, but, as the world is often quite small, had found his way to friendship with a Christian rock performer back in the 1970s. They met at Appalachian State University when the band Ivanhoe (named for Ivanhoe, NC, a small town within 10 miles of where Betsy and I grew up) came there to perform and the lead guitarist was nearly electrocuted due to a poorly grounded electric guitar! Betsy and I were both familiar with the band Ivanhoe from our teen years and Betsy knew their family. It was fun watching my friends get to know each other a bit and to be reminded of the complexity of paths and crossings (and sometimes, crossed wires) that lead us to become part of one anothers' lives.

I plan to return for the final show of Kieffer's tour at Jessee's Coffee Bar in Carrboro on Thursday night, October 28 starting at 8 pm. I hope that you will come out to enjoy the music as well. There is no cover charge, so you can't lose. Come out to give Thomas Kieffer a good send off so that he will return to North Carolina to share his talents with us again.

Categories: Thomas+Kieffer Joseph+Arthur Fullsteam+Brewery France Jessee's+Coffee+Bar Durham Carrboro

I Voted This Week...You Should Too

2010-10-22T11:25:00.002-05:00

Here you can see the Durham County Board of Elections office, one of three sites in Durham County, NC, where early voting is taking place through October 29. For information about early voting in your area, please check the information here.

It is critically important for all of us to get out and vote this election cycle. The Republican Party is enegized and has managed to get its base out to the polls early this year. The Democrats are not nearly as excited and have the most to lose this year. If we want to see two more years of political stalemate, the Democrats can sit home and let the Republicans take over control.

Do we really want to see that happen? The Republicans are promising to repeal the advances made in Health Care Reform that were finally approved by Congress and signed into law by President Obama. I have even heard that in case the Republicans gain control of the House of Representatives again, instead of doing the business of the people, they would pursue impeaching President Obama! What are they thinking? Do we really want to go back to such an extreme approach to our government?

Please go out and vote and vote early. Urge your friends to go vote as well. We need your support now more than ever!

Categories: Early+voting North+Carolina Chatham+County Durham+County Orange+County Wake+County election+2010

Democratic Party in NC Needs Volunteers

2010-10-14T09:55:00.003-05:00

Early voting begins today in North Carolina. The Democratic Party needs your help to get our voters out to the polls. We need people who can call folks to remind them to go vote. We need people who can drive voters to the polls. We just simply need you.

If you would like to volunteer, please call the Durham County Field Organizer, Adam Limehouse, at 919-636-9307, or the Orange County Field Director, Diane Robertson at 919-607-9604. Even if you are not in Durham or Orange County, you can call these field organizers to find out about volunteer opportunities in other areas of the state.

Categories: Early+voting North+Carolina Durham+County Orange+County volunteer election+2010 Democratic+Party

A Courageous Man Speaks Out on Bullying

2010-10-13T21:39:00.002-05:00

This is the most moving video I have seen in quite some time. I learned today that there is controversy over this campaign to tell our LGBT youth that "it will get better", but I wonder how anyone could level that criticism after viewing this video. Please watch it in its entirety.

Thank you for your love, Mr. Burns.

Categories: bullying it+gets+better Joel+Burns LGBT

ENC PAC Announces the 2010 Election Endorsements

2010-10-13T15:17:00.002-05:00

The following text was taken directly from an email I received from my friends at Equality North Carolina, the political action committee that promotes LGBT causes in North Carolina. They have released their endorsements for the election in November and just in time for early voting. Please take a few moments to have a look and consider your choices and options for voting. Once you have made up your mind, PLEASE GO VOTE.

One-stop early voting starts tomorrow, Thursday, October 14 and Equality NC PAC is proud to share our endorsements for the 2010 General Election with you. In the current political climate, every vote is going to make a difference.
Anti-equality forces could take over the state legislature in this election, so doing everything we can to support pro-equality candidates is absolutely critical. Please help make sure that we can keep building on the positive momentum we've created together.

Here's what you can do:

1. Vote. Early voting runs from October 14-30 (Find site in your county here.) Election Day is Tuesday, November 2. You can also check your voter registration and polling place online. If you aren't already registered at your current address, you may register and vote at the same time during early voting, but not on election day.
2. Share Our Endorsements. Forward this email to friends and family and ask them to vote for pro-equality candidates.
3. Volunteer For A Campaign. Contact their campaigns and volunteer your time to help turn out the vote in their districts. In a year like this, the ground game is going to make a huge difference.
4. Make A Donation to Equality NC PAC. Your support now will help us direct much needed funds to targeted races where we can make the most difference. Click here to contribute.

Equality NC PAC 2010 Endorsements

North Carolina Senate Races

Senate District 1 Marc Basnight* (D)
Senate District 2 Barbara Garrity-Blake (D)
Senate District 3 Clark Jenkins* (D)
Senate District 7 Doug Berger* (D)
Senate District 9 Jim Leutze (D)
Senate District 14 Dan Blue* (D)
Senate District 15 Charles Malone (D)
Senate District 16 Josh Stein* (D)
Senate District 18 Bob Atwater* (D)
Senate District 19 Margaret Highsmith Dickson* (D)
Senate District 20 Floyd McKissick* (D)
Senate District 21 Eric Mansfield (D)
Senate District 23 Ellie Kinnaird* (D)
Senate District 32 Linda Garrou* (D)
Senate District 37 Dan Clodfelter* (D)
Senate District 38 Charlie Dannelly* (D)
Senate District 40 Malcolm Graham* (D)
Senate District 49 Martin Nesbitt* (D)

North Carolina House Races

House District 7 Angela Bryant* (D)
House District 18 Susi Hamilton (D)
House District 29 Larry Hall* (D)
House District 30 Paul Luebke* (D)
House District31 Mickey Michaux* (D)
House District 34 Grier Martin* (D)
House District 35 Jennifer Weiss* (D)
House District 36 Robin Anderson (D)
House District 37 Debra McHenry (D)
House District 38 Deborah Ross* (D)
House District 39 Darren Jackson* (D)
House District 41 Chris Heagarty* (D)
House District 42 Marvin Lucas* (D)
House District 44 Diane Parfitt* (D)
House District 45 Rick Glazier* (D)
House District 54 Joe Hackney* (D)
House District 56 Verla Insko* (D)
House District 57 Mary Price "Pricey" Harrison* (D)
House District 58 Alma Adams* (D)
House District 59 Maggie Jeffus* (D)
House District 60 Marcus Brandon (D)
House District 63 Alice Bordsen* (D)
House District 71 Larry Womble* (D)
House District 85 Beth Ostgaard (D)
House District 96 Gary Lafone (D)
House District 99 Rodney Moore (D)
House District 100 Tricia Cotham* (D)
House District 102 Becky Carney* (D)
House District 103 Ann Newman (D)
House District 104 Frank Deaton (D)
House District 106 Martha Alexander* (D)
House District 107 Kelly Alexander* (D)
House District 114 Susan Fisher* (D)
House District 115 Patsy Keever* (D)

Statewide Judicial Races (Nonpartisan)

Supreme Court Justice Robert C. (Bob) Hunter
Court of Appeals Judge Sanford Steelman*
Court of Appeals Judge Jane Gray
Court of Appeals Judge Rick Elmore*
Court of Appeals Judge Martha Geer*
Court of Appeals Judge

Special Instructions: Instant Runoff Voting for this seat only
a. Choose up to 3 candidates for this seat in order of your preference: 1st, 2nd, 3rd.
b. Select a different candidate for each choice.
c. Your 2nd and 3rd choices will not count against your 1st choice; they will only be considered in a runoff if your 1st choice is not in the runoff. First Choice: Cressie Thigpen*
Second Choice: Stan Hammer
Third Choice: Pamela M. Vesper
* indicates incumbent
(D) indicates Democrat.

Mecklenburg Local Races

For information on local races in Mecklenburg County, we encourage you to visit our friends at MeckPAC.

About Our Endorsements

As a registered state PAC, Equality NC PAC does not endorse in federal races such as U.S. Senate and U.S. Congress.

Equality NC PAC is committed to a non-partisan endorsement process. While there were Republicans who participated in our endorsement process, none met our complete criteria for endorsement.

Paid for by Equality NC PAC.
Not authorized by any candidate or candidate’s committee.

Categories: Early+voting North+Carolina Equality+NC+PAC+Endorsements ENC+endorsements LGBT election+2010

Early Voting Begins in North Carolina on Thursday, 14 October 2010

2010-10-11T21:05:00.008-05:00

One-stop early voting will begin in North Carolina on Thursday, 14 October 2010 and will run non-stop, including Saturdays and Sundays (participation varies from county to county) through Saturday, 30 October 2010. The locations of early voting sites and their hours of operation will differ from county to county, so you will need access to that information to be able to get to the appropriate polling places. I will provide the details for Chatham, Durham, Orange and Wake counties in this post. For the comprehensive detailed list of early voting sites throughout North Carolina, please visit the website of the North Carolina State Board of Elections and click on the link there to download the list of sites and times for early voting by county. Alternatively, you can find the phone number for the Board of Elections Office in your individual county and call them for this information.

For Chatham County, there are three sites for early voting with times listed:

Chatham County Board of Elections
Office 984 Thompson Street, Suite D,
Pittsboro, NC 27312

Thursday, October 14 and Friday, October 15 8 am - 7 pm
Monday, October 18 - Friday, October 22 8 am - 7 pm
Monday, October 25 - Friday, October 29 8 am - 7 pm

Saturdays, October 16, 23 and 30 10 am - 3 pm

Chatham Downs Shopping Center
Intersection of US 15-501 and Lystra Road)
190 Chatham Downs Drive, Suite 302
Chapel Hill, NC 27517

Thursday, October 14 and Friday, October 15 10 am - 7 pm
Monday, October 18 - Friday, October 22 10 am - 7 pm
Monday, October 25 - Friday, October 29 10 am - 7 pm

Saturdays, October 16, 23, and 30 10 am - 3 pm

Earl B. Fitts Community Center
111 South Third Avenue
Siler City, NC 27344

Thursday, October 14 and Friday, October 15 10 am - 7 pm
Monday, October 18 - Friday, October 22 10 am - 7 pm
Monday, October 25 - Friday, October 29 10 am - 7 pm

Saturdays, October 16, 23, and 30 10 am - 3 pm

For Durham County, there are three sites for early voting with times listed:

Durham County Board of Elections
706 W. Corporation St.
Durham, NC 27702

Thursday October 14-Friday October 15 9 am - 5 pm
Monday October 18 - Saturday October 23 9 am - 5 pm
Sunday October 24 12 pm - 3 pm
Monday, October 25 - Friday, October 29 9 am - 7 pm
Saturday, October 30 9 am - 1 pm

South Regional Library
4505 S. Alston Avenue
Durham, NC 27713

Monday October 25 - Friday October 29 11 am - 7 pm
Saturday October 30 9 am - 1 pm

North Regional Library
221 Milton Road
Durham, NC 27712

Monday October 25 - Friday October 29 11 am - 7 pm
Saturday October 30 9 am - 1 pm

For Orange County there are three sites for early voting with times listed:

Orange County Board of Elections
Office 208 South Cameron Street
Hillsborough, NC 27278

Thursday, October 14 and Friday, October 15 9 am - 5 pm
Monday, October 18 - Friday, October 22 9 am - 5 pm
Monday, October 25 - Friday, October 29 9 am - 5 pm

Saturdays, October 23, and October 30 9 am - 1 pm

Morehead Planetarium
250 East Franklin Street
Chapel Hill, NC 27514

Monday, October 18 - Friday, October 22 9 am - 5 pm
Monday, October 25 - Friday, October 29 9 am - 5 pm

Saturday, October 23 9 am - 1 pm
(No Early voting on Saturday, Oct. 30 due to UNC-CH Home football game)

Seymour Senior Center
2551 Homestead Road
Chapel Hill, NC 27516

Monday, October 18 - Friday, October 22 1 pm - 7 pm
Monday, October 25 - Friday, October 29 1 pm - 7 pm

Saturdays, October 23 and October 30 1 pm - 7 pm

For Wake County there are nine sites for early voting with times listed:

Wake County Board of Elections Office
Ground Floor Conference Room
(across from the Wake County Board of Elections Office)
337 South Salisbury Street
Raleigh, NC 27601

Thursday, October 14 and Friday, October 15 8:30 am - 5 pm
Monday, October 18 - Friday, October 22 8:30 am - 5 pm
Saturday, October 23 11 am - 5 pm
Sunday, October 24 1 pm - 5 pm
Monday, October 25 - Friday, October 29 8:30 am - 5 pm
Saturday, October 30 10 am - 1 pm

Apex Community Center
Pinnacle and Zenith Rooms
53 Hunter Street
Apex, NC 27502

Friday, October 22 11 am - 7 pm
Saturday, October 23 11 am - 5 pm
Sunday, October 24 1 pm - 5 pm
Monday, October 25 - Friday, October 29 11 am - 7 pm
Saturday, October 30 10 am - 1 pm

Falcon Park Hut
Main Room
105 Falcon Drive
Fuquay-Varina, NC 27526

Friday, October 22 11 am - 7 pm
Saturday, October 23 11 am - 5 pm
Sunday, October 24 1 pm - 5 pm
Monday, October 25 - Friday, October 29 11 am - 7 pm
Saturday, October 30 10 am - 1 pm

Chavis Community Center
505 Martin Luther King, Jr. Blvd.
Raleigh, NC 27601

Friday, October 22 11 am - 7 pm
Saturday, October 23 11 am - 5 pm
Sunday, October 24 1 pm - 5 pm
Monday, October 25 - Friday, October 29 11 am - 7 pm
Saturday, October 30 10 am - 1 pm

Herbert C. Young Community Center
Meeting Room B101
Wilkinson Avenue
Cary, NC 27513

Friday, October 22 11 am - 7 pm
Saturday, October 23 11 am - 5 pm
Sunday, October 24 1 pm - 5 pm
Monday, October 25 - Friday, October 29 11 am - 7 pm
Saturday, October 30 10 am - 1 pm

Knightdale Recreation Center
Large Multipurpose Room
101 Lawson Ridge Road
Knightdale, NC 27545

Friday, October 22 11 am - 7 pm
Saturday, October 23 11 am - 5 pm
Sunday, October 24 1 pm - 5 pm
Monday, October 25 - Friday, October 29 11 am - 7 pm
Saturday, October 30 10 am - 1 pm

Optimist Community CenterGymnasium
5900 Whittier Drive
Raleigh, NC 27609

Friday, October 22 11 am - 7 pm
Saturday, October 23 11 am - 5 pm
Sunday, October 24 1 pm - 5 pm
Monday, October 25 - Friday, October 29 11 am - 7 pm
Saturday, October 30 10 am - 1 pm

Pearl Street Building
Main Rooms
110 Pearl Street
Garner, NC 27529

Friday, October 22 11 am - 7 pm
Saturday, October 23 11 am - 5 pm
Sunday, October 24 1 pm - 5 pm
Monday, October 25 - Friday, October 29 11 am - 7 pm
Saturday, October 30 10 am - 1 pm

Wake Forest Community House
Main Hall
133 West Owen Avenue
Wake Forest, NC 27587

Friday, October 22 11 am - 7 pm
Saturday, October 23 11 am - 5 pm
Sunday, October 24 1 pm - 5 pm
Monday, October 25 - Friday, October 29 11 am - 7 pm
Saturday, October 30 10 am - 1 pm

Categories: Early+voting North+Carolina Chatham+County Durham+County Orange+County Wake+County election+2010

Voting Resources for North Carolina Elections 2010

2010-10-11T20:22:00.007-05:00

I will be joining the team of volunteers at the Democratic Coordinated Campaign Headquarters of Durham starting on Wednesday of this week to make phone calls to potential voters in Durham County. Since I am doing my part, I thought I would share the information that you might need to do what you can to ensure that this election brings the results you want and not the results that the pundits and media seem to want us to have. This information will be useful to you no matter where you live in North Carolina.

First, there are a couple of useful websites where you can find most of the information that you will need to volunteer or to get out and vote. The most important resource is probably that of the North Carolina State Board of Elections. If you explore this site, you will find , among other information, how to register to vote or how to check your voter registration status. This site also provides useful information about voter qualifications and deadlines. I encourage you to have a look around to learn what you need to know to be a good citizen of North Carolina.

I strongly encourage you to find the precinct where you can vote by using this site's precinct finder. That will also allow you to find a sample ballot for your particular races. When the precinct finder has identified your address, click on the "Continue" button and you will navigate to a page where your precinct number is identified. Immediately above that information, you can click on a button to see a sample ballot for your voting location. The ballots seem more complicated to me than they have been in previous years, so it may be worth your while to have a look before you show up at your polling place.

The second website that I recommend is that of the Democratic Party of North Carolina. Here, you can find a list of the candidates who are running as Democrats for offices in North Carolina. There is much useful information at this site, but the pages that helped me most were those that list the Democratic candidates for US Congress, the North Carolina State Senate, the North Carolina State House of Representatives and last, but not least by any stretch of the imagination, the various Judicial races in North Carolina.

Please take a bit of time to familiarize yourself with the races and with the candidates that hope for your vote in the coming weeks.

Categories: Elaine+Marshall David+Price Democratic+Party election+2010

Blue Oktoberfest! Coordinated Campaign for Elaine Marshall and David Price

2010-10-07T10:39:00.004-05:00

Blue Oktoberfest!

Please join the Moving NC Forward Campaign of the Coordinated Democratic Party of North Carolina to keep the NC General Assembly blue and to support

Elaine Marshall for US Senate

and

David Price for the US House of Representatives

We’re going door to door to ask Democratic first-time and intermittent voters to commit to vote in 2010. It is a person-to-person and voter-to-voter interactive event! It’s easy. It’s fun. It’s powerful. We’ll give you everything you need and send you out with an experienced partner.

Join Congressman Price, then come back to celebrate our grass roots power at Durham’s own Fullsteam Brewery where we will be thanking volunteers with a 20-oz Worker's Compensation beer and live music, all for only $3 and a completed walk-list.

When?

Saturday October 9th, 2010 starting at 1:45pm

Where?

Fullsteam Brewery
726 Rigsbee Avenue
Durham, NC 27701

If you have questions, please call us at 919-381-5456 or you may use this link to email us.

Sign up here or just show up!

Come help keep North Carolina Moving Forward!

Those were the details presented on a poster sent to me by the Democratic Party of North Carolina. Unfortunately, blogger choked on the Adobe Acrobat format and I wasn't able to reformat the image into anything that blogger could manage. Please ignore the loss of format and focus with me on the important parts. I edited the content to make it more readable as text and less so as a poster.

We need your help to elect Elaine Marshall as US Senator to replace the incumbent Republican Richard Burr. We also need your help to re-elect Congressman David Price. Please join the Democratic Party this coming Saturday to canvass door to door and person to person on behalf of the good candidates of North Carolina!

Categories: Elaine+Marshall David+Price Democratic+Party election+2010

The Politics of Bullying--Less that a Month to Election Day

2010-10-06T11:10:00.003-05:00

Everyone is talking about bullying in our country right now. We have heard the story of Tyler Clementi and how his personal dignity was destroyed by the senseless and shameless bullying by two of his fellow students at Rutgers University. Tyler committed suicide after learning that his roommate and girlfriend had secretly streamed video of him online while he had a date with a same-sex partner. This unconscionable act by his roommate and his partner is being prosecuted as an invasion of privacy but it can not bring Tyler back to us. We need stronger laws to protect people from any kind of bullying. Perhaps if we make the laws strong enough, people will think twice before doing something stupid that leads to the end of another promising life.

I think we can say without debate that this issue would not have happened had Tyler been engaged in a heterosexual relationship. He was most certainly a target for bullying because he was gay. This is a terrible indictment of our culture that values one group of people over another. It would be no better, however, had the bullying been for any other reason and Tyler had killed himself nonetheless. We have to stop our culture of insensitivity and violence toward one another. It is time that each of us does all that s/he can do to put an end to bullying of any kind in any part of our society. Amazingly, part of the issue is the perception that many of our religious organizations implicitly condone violence against members of some minority groups. This perception creates a climate of bullying that has to stop.

In June of 2009, the State of North Carolina voted to pass State Bill 526, the School Violence Prevention Act, making bullying in the schools illegal. It was signed into law later that month by Governor Beverly E. Perdue. We owe this victory for the protection of our school children to the Democratic Party of North Carolina and to Senator Julia Boseman of New Hanover County, in particular. Additionally, we have to give credit to the endless efforts for advocacy by Equality NC, a political action group that supports equality for the LGBT community of North Carolina. I thank my friends at ENC for their efforts and I thank the Democrats who supported this bill exclusively. I especially thank Senator Boseman, the first and only lesbian State Senator so far in the history of North Carolina, who sponsored this bill. She is, to me, an indication of social progress and she represents a "good start" for us all.

Sadly, bullying is a political issue in this country. If you check the record of where the support for this law came from, you will find that the vote came down along party lines. Of a total of 114 votes, 63 Democrats voted to protect the children of North Carolina while not one Republican voted to pass this bill. In fact, 51 of the Republicans in the State House of Representatives voted to oppose this bill.

When the Republican Party sides with bullies, we need to take note of that as a people and keep it in mind when we go into the voting booth. You can find a history of Republican opposition to many aspects of this issue. For years, they have opposed the enumeration of groups of people who suffer from discrimination on a routine basis. In particular, they have rallied around themselves to stop the addition of sexual orientation and gender identity, two groups that most need protection in our society, to the list of groups in non-discrimination laws for hiring. They oppose the Employment Non-discrimination Act (ENDA). They also have opposed the repeal of "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" (DADT) policies in the military.

Please research these issues on your own if you do not believe me. I do not mean to imply that the Republican Party has cornered the market on bigotry, but it certainly has done its part by omission to protect the bigots and to allow discrimination to go unpunished. If there are bigots and homophobes in the Democratic party, please do not vote for them either. I am just saying that you are less likely to find them among Democrats than you will among the Republicans.

We have less than one month left before the 2010 elections take place. Please get out and vote your values, whatever they are. If you are not yet registered to vote, go do it now. If you are registered, please volunteer for a candidate whom you can support to improve the climate of tolerance and understanding in our country.

Categories: bullying NC+School+Violence+Prevention+Act Democratic+Party Senator+Julia+Boseman election ENDA DADT

I Forgive

2010-10-05T10:56:00.004-05:00

There are lessons we all need to learn. Sometimes the agents of those lessons come to us as lovers, as friends, or members of our family or as strangers. How are we to know when someone enters our lives how much we might need to learn from them?

I have always been chided by people for engaging with strangers and I have to admit that there have been times when it has caused me potential harm. I remember one encounter in particular when a homeless man who had pulled a knife on someone just ten minutes earlier asked me for a cigarette. I only had one left. I was smoking it at the time. He seemed to need the smoke more than I did, so I gave him the cigarette from my lips. He took it and wandered off. A security guard then approached me and asked me if the fellow had pulled a knife on me too. The exchange shook me to my core when I realized that had I been less generous, I might have been injured or even killed.

There have been times when I have engaged strangers and have walked away carrying a gift of love and fulfillment that I never expected to find. I am thinking particularly of a young man in Lisbon, Portugal. I met Mario when I was there in 2005. He was living with AIDS on the streets of that beautiful but very hot city. I spent 3 days in Lisbon and I made it my goal to feed this young man a healthy meal as often as I could. I bought him a t-shirt to replace the heavy wool sweater that he was wearing in the 110º F temperatures of that Portuguese August. He gave me the gift of knowing how lucky I am to have a home, medication, food, appropriate clothing and health care. He and I could have been interchangeable, but people are not fungible...each of us has his or her own set of gifts and liabilities. To quote the lyrics of one of my favorite 1 Giant Leap songs, we are "wounded in all the right places."

I recently watched a documentary about the life of Siddhārtha Gautama, the Supreme Buddha. From this film, I learned of the lessons that brought the Buddha to his enlightenment and his realization of the Middle Way. At one point in the film, a poet and scholar spoke of approaching life as if everyone we meet is the Buddha. For those of you who follow Christianity, it would be the same as expecting every stranger you encounter to be the Christ. We could apply the same concept to every one of our Earthly religions and question if every stranger we encounter is the avatar that we seek to emulate. Are you the Buddha? Are you Christ reborn? Are you Mohammed who has returned to deliver a message of love and peace? How might we know?

The lady who spoke about this dilemma ended her dialog by repeating a single powerful question: "Buddha?" "Are you the Buddha?" "Buddha?" "Buddha?"

I fail. I have failed to see people in my life as potential teachers for me. I have allowed my ego to be a wall that blocks the lessons that I have needed to learn. It is part of human nature. One of my points of enlightenment is the recognition that I have to forgive myself first for that failure. I can not forgive anyone else until I forgive myself.

I try again. It is hard to let the ego go. It is a powerful enemy of spiritual growth. Nonetheless, I see that I must move beyond my own pride and hurt feelings to forgive those who have hurt me. I may fail again. I am not sure. For those who acknowledge the wounds that they have given me, I forgive their actions because I know that they are doing the best that they can do with their particular blessings and failures.

If I fear that someone hasn't understood the nature of their affront to me, am I wrong to continue to keep them at bay? I think this may be another powerful lesson. We might be able to forgive some people and not others. I would like to exhibit completely unconditional love for everyone, but some wounds, when not acknowledged and not allowed to heal can bleed one dry over time. Should we forgive and allow someone back into our lives if they continue to stick their finger into our wound and open it back up? I think not. I think we must forgive ourselves for failing, but we must keep those people out of our lives until they can acknowledge their own enlightenment of how they have wounded others. For each of us, this is a very personal debate and we need to be at peace with our own ghosts.

Today, I am at peace with the people who matter most in my life. I know that tomorrow can be different if new wounds are inflicted, but today feels like a healing. In particular, I forgive myself and I forgive my most recent lover.

Buddha? Are you the Buddha?

Categories: 1+Giant+Leap What+About+Me Wounded+In+All+The+Right+Places kd+lang enlightenment forgiveness Lisbon

Crawling Out of a Hole

2010-10-03T10:38:00.006-05:00

I can not yet make any promises, nor can I necessarily offer any explanations. I simply apologize for the cessation of my writing and hope that I can find it in myself to begin again. Perhaps this post will be a start. Perhaps not. I owe this one new post to my friend José Ferreira who linked to this blog from his new site in French. He also has published an English version.

For those of you who wondered, yes, I am still alive. I passed the twenty-fifth anniversary of my first and only HIV test on the 25th of August, 2010. I find it hard to imagine that I am still here after 25 years and sometimes wonder if my own interactions in this physical world are not just illusions to keep a ghost amused or worked up. Nonetheless, I am writing these words and seeing them show up on my screen, so something real must be occurring. I write, therefore I am? Would that mean that when I didn't write, I was not? I haven't even taken the time to read my blog again to find out where I was when I stopped writing.

There are some factors that have played into my silence of the past few years. First, my mom fell ill a few years ago causing me and my siblings to rally around her. She ultimately passed away from a stroke in 2008, but the passing of her body did not end the activities of her world. We had to resolve the issues of the estate after her passing and it had its own emotional toll on us all. She provided nicely for all of us, from her children to her grandchildren, but I can bet you that not one of us wouldn't trade in all that we own to have her back in health again.

In 2008, I became heavily involved in the election, supporting candidate Obama for President and any Democrat who ran against any Republican in this country. It was thrilling to me, a man who lived in a segregated North Carolina as a child, to see us go Blue and elect Barack Hussein Obama as President. However, I am disappointed in America. I have seen this country continue to live with and foment a more divisive ideological split. While sitting at home watching the Democrats shoot themselves in the foot over and over and the Republicans seem only to be able to start a sentence with the word "no", I have fallen into further dismay with the two party system in the US. I do not see an alternative that is viable within my lifetime and I feel very jaded politically. Despite this, I will continue to support the Democrats as they are the lesser of two evils, in my humble opinion.

I have lived through health care nightmares and am thrilled that this administration has been able to get health care reform through a Congress that seemed determined to defeat it. However, I am saddened by the slow pace of reforms that would benefit the LGBT community and the number of social manifestations of the hatred toward gay and lesbian citizens of this country. How many teen suicides will it take before those who spout hatred toward their "other" will realize that their hatred will come home to their own? When will they realize that they are killing their own children and grandchildren? Is that a family value worth holding?

It is election time again and I find myself reluctantly dragging my bony little ass out to volunteer for Democratic candidates yet again. I have to do it. They are the most accepting option within the system that exists and I have to work toward the goal of a tolerant America that values all of her citizens and all peoples of the world. I urge each of you to vote. Not only that, I urge each of you to find at least three other people whom you know and make sure that they get out to vote. The media seems to be telling us that the Republicans are going to take back the House of Representatives and possibly the Senate. If we want two more years of stalemate in our government, then we just have to sit home on our asses and let it happen. If we want to see progress, we have to make it happen. WE have to make it happen, not the people who are running for office. They can't do a thing until we select them. Get out and support your candidates--we have only about 30 days before our lives will be affected again.

Health...oh my. In the past few years, I have lived through a bout of mild pancreatitis that caused me to lose 25 pounds in a two and a half week period. It was brought on by a change in my HIV medications and a nearly simultaneous shot of cortisone to my shoulder to ease pain that I had been experiencing. The combination of the drugs for HIV apparently had started a slow simmering bout of inflammation in my pancreas that was exploded by the addition of corticosteroids. When everything had settled out, I was thinner and weaker and had a healthy fear of ever taking corticosteroids again.

The cortisone shot not only triggered the pancreatitis, but it caused me to experience "roid rage" as it is called. I had a couple of unfortunate exchanges with individuals that can only be characterized as having taken place when I was "not in my right mind." I do not like it that it happened, but it did. If you are reading this and you were one of the people with whom I clashed, I apologize to you publicly now. I still stand by my view that any platform for self-expression is something that I will protect and if we disagree about an issue, then you have the right to find your own platform to express your views. I cannot allow anyone to force their agenda into my self-expression. Find your own and I will do my best to support you as long as we agree in principle.

Having given up on steroids as an option for my treatment, I had to resort to surgery to remedy the problems in my shoulder. I had surgery on my right shoulder in October of 2008 and then worked for months to recover mobility and function. Not long afterward, I started having other problems with my arms and hands. One morning, out of the blue, I awoke to find that my left shoulder was causing extreme pain. The muscles were cramped from my neck to my shoulder and down my back. After weeks of additional physical therapy, it was determined that I had cervical stenosis and required neck surgery. I went in for neck surgery in January of this year and have been recuperating from it ever since.

While sitting in the pre-operative area of the hospital in January, a doctor appeared and announced to me that there was an irregularity in my electrocardiogram. There was talk of delaying my surgery, but ultimately, it was determined that if they provided extra diligence, we could proceed. I went through the surgery without any problems, but had to schedule a cardio-stress test for a few months out. I dreaded the thought of having to hop onto a treadmill and walk, then run until my heart gave out. The time finally arrived and I had the test, apparently passing with some colors, flying or not.

This past Friday, I got outside and planted three azaleas. It didn't seem like much effort, but for me, I guess it was. Later, I joined a friend for a movie and then came home. When I climbed the stairs to check my email, I noticed my heart rate increasing and becoming unstable. There would be 3 beats and a skip, then 5 and a skip and then 2 and a skip and then 6 and a skip. All the while, my pulse rate was climbing higher and higher. My first thought was that I was having a panic attack, so I tried for quite some time to breathe the problem away. It did not get better. I tried again and it still did not get better. Eventually, I became concerned enough that I realized I needed to call the paramedics. All through this event, I was sitting here in a kind of cold calm, thinking that this could be the end I had expected for 25 years. I never did panic and I knew it was not a panic attack after the first few minutes. I was amazed that I faced the potential end of my life with intellectual curiosity and calm and remembered my therapist's words that "most people die in the same way in which they live their lives." I am not always calm and objective, but I was proud of myself that I was when it seemed important to be. I would rather face death in this manner than to go out screaming in fear.

Having been through this kind of event with my mom, I knew that I needed to get some things done before I called in the paramedics. I put my dogs in their cages and gathered up my medications. I then called 911 and reported my problem. Within minutes, the EMT and Fire Department had sent two vehicles to my house, sirens blaring and lights flashing, at 1:30 in the morning. My neighbors must have been thrilled with me. I was waiting outside when the EMTs arrived and I sat down inside the EMT van expecting to be sent to the hospital with a heart attack.

It turned out that I had a very irregular ECG, but nothing of the nature of a medical emergency. My heart rate was around 115-120 beats per minute and it was as irregular as it could be. The EMTs told me that I was most likely dehydrated. They offered to transport me to the hospital (not one of my choice, by the way), or suggested that I could arrange my own transport, or even that I could just drink some water and go to bed and follow up on this issue later. I chose the latter option and have been ok ever since. One nice thing did happen when I was sitting in their van. When I was giving my medical history, I was asked about my age and I reported that I am 51 years old. The med tech did a double take and then said to me that I "didn't look a day over 35!" I thanked her as best I could and wished that my pounding heart felt that young again. I will be following up again with my doc when I go in for my next appointment later this month.

Now, for the most difficult thing I have faced in years. I was in relationship for the past four years with my best friend and partner. I think that the effects of living with me through all of my health issues, and living with his own issues of work and life, he and I grew apart with time. When time came for him to pursue his bliss elsewhere, he did as I would normally encourage anyone to do, only we were not in a place where he could pursue his bliss without leaving me in the dark about what he was doing. I was left to learn the truth after the fact of what had happened and it was such that our relationship had to end. The end result was an abrupt departure of my support group, my lover, my partner and my best friend. It left an immediate void in my life that was painful to experience. I suffered through anger, frustration, a sense of betrayal, loss, grief, loneliness, fear and finally acceptance of my being single again. I started trying to date again and found it demeaning to reveal my age and HIV status to people only to find rejection and a dismissive tone.

It seems to me that the state of HIV in this country has taken a step or two backwards. People are mostly unwilling to engage in relationship with others who have HIV and the majority of those who do have HIV seem to want to practice unsafe sex almost exclusively. It has been very trying to find people with whom to share a meal, much less to find someone with whom I might want to share my life. I have found some very nice people and I am continuing to seek out a new group of friends to help me fill the voids left by my breakup with my partner. Dating is a big challenge at its best. I am finding some fun it it, but I know that I can not replace someone who is irreplaceable and that I have to redefine myself again in order to find someone new who will be good for me and I for them.

So, that is where I am and that is partly why I have been silent for so long. It is questionable whether I will continue to write this blog or if perhaps I might start a new one with a different perspective. It would be useful to me if you, my readers, could offer me some feedback about how you feel about my work. Please do. I am not sure that my opinions matter any more, but I am willing to share them if you will engage me to do so.

At any rate, I wish you all peace and hope that you will follow your bliss.

Categories: HIV AIDS HIV/AIDS anniversary testing José Ferreira

Twenty-three years now...

2008-12-12T17:05:00.002-05:00

It was 23 years ago on a gray Thursday afternoon that the phone rang and I picked it up. That call changed my life forever. It was my Infectious Disease doctor calling to tell me that she was very sorry to break the news to me that I had tested positive for HIV. I remember going into a kind of trance that was only broken when my office mate walked in and asked me what was wrong.

"You look like you have seen a ghost," he said to me.

Ha. My own.

I still see it now and then, but with all of this time, there are days when the specter of my death is vague and distant.

Categories: HIV AIDS HIV/AIDS anniversary testing

Fado: Mariza sings "Gente da minha terra" in a Special Fado Moment

2008-12-08T00:44:00.008-05:00

I just posted a note on a Facebook account to David da Silva Cornell. He shared a video of Fado performer Mariza performing the song "Gente da minha terra" or "People of my Land."

Here is what I wrote to him:

WOW! I wept! Thank you for sharing this here. I will post it on my blog as well. Those without Fado in their lives need to see this performance through to the end.

The lyrics listed below are taken from this page and indicate that this traditional Fado was written by Amalia Rodrigues. I have subsequently edited the English translation to try to better capture the bits of the original poetry that I can pick up.

Ó Gente da Minha Terra
by Amalia Rodrigues

É meu e vosso este fado
Destino que nos amarra
Por mais que seja negado
Às cordas de uma guitarra

Sempre que se ouve o gemido
De uma guitarra a cantar
Fica-se logo perdido
Com vontade de chorar

Ó gente da minha terra
Agora é que eu percebi
Esta tristeza que trago
Foi de vós que a recebi

E pareceria ternura
Se eu me deixasse embalar
Era maior a amargura
Menos triste o meu cantar

Ó gente da minha terra
Agora é que eu percebi
Esta tristeza que trago
Foi de vós que a recebi

People from my Land

This fado is mine and yours
Destiny that keeps us tied
The more we try to deny it
To the strings of a guitar

Each time we hear the groan
Of a singing guitar
We soon are lost
In our willingness to cry

Oh people from my land
Now I have understood
That this sadness that I carry
Came to me from you

It would look like tenderness
If I'd pack up my things
It would be the biggest bitterness
But less sadness for me to sing

Oh people from my land
Now I have understood
That this sadness that I carry
Came to me from you

If you don't know Fado, it is an amazing tradition. I have had to try to pick up as much information as I can from various sources and find myself trying to discern the lyrics in Portuguese that fulfill the requirements of the song structures. I noticed in this song, the form of a guitar is invoked. I am always amazed by the unassuming ladies who sing Fado with such strength in their voices and the pure beauty of the instrumentals. I recommend a number of artists, including Amalia Rodrigues, Misía, Madredeus, Lura, Mariza and Dulce Pontes for their work in the Fado tradition.

Categories: Mariza Fado video Gente+Da+Minha+Tierra Madredeus Misía Amalia Rodrigues Lura Dulce+Pontes

Keith Olbermann of MSNBC on Gay Marriage and Love

2008-11-11T16:16:00.003-05:00

Thanks to my friend Jhonny for sharing this video with me. Once again, Keith Olbermann speaks out in a way that makes me take note. I hope that you will share this editorial with those you know and love.

Categories: civil+rights LGBT marriage civil+unions Proposition+8 editorial Keith+Olbermann MSNBC gay, lesbian bisexual transgender love politics

North Carolina Goes Blue for the First Time Since 1976

2008-11-06T19:32:00.004-05:00

Left: A celebratory dinner North Carolina-style: Hickory Smoked pulled pork bar-be-cue, cole slaw and hushpuppies purchased from Allen and Son BBQ in Chapel Hill, NC, and homemade Carolina Blue-state potato salad, made with blue potatoes. Yum!

For the first time since I have been able to vote, North Carolina has gone Blue, electing a Democratic Presidential candidate. The final tally was very close. In fact, the race was so close that the results were not known until 2 days after the general election. However, the verdict is now officially being reported.

In addition to the Presidential victory, we unseated Republican Senator Elizabeth Dole with a victory for Democratic challenger, Kay Hagan. This victory is particularly sweet to me as this is the first time since I have been able to vote that Jesse Helms or his hand-picked political successor has ever lost an election in North Carolina. When I used to travel for work, I would meet people from all over the world. On telling them that I hailed from North Carolina, their response was almost inevitably "Jesse Helms! Why??" This was particularly true on meeting friends in the gay community.

We have a long tradition of Democratic Governorships and this year is no exception with the election of Bev Purdue. Also, the Democratic Party has been able to maintain a rather good stronghold on other Council of State offices. Not all of the candidates that I supported were successful, but the vast majority of them were.

I am particularly proud of North Carolina, my home state, because as I approach my 50th birthday, I have seen the state grow more and more progressive. As a child, I lived through segregation and integration of the public school system. I can remember going to a medical clinic where there were separate waiting rooms for "Whites" and "Coloreds" Now I can proudly say that my state helped elect our first African-American President. My seventh grade history teacher, Larry Bell, was one of the young African-American men who sat in defiance at the Woolworth's lunch counter in Greensboro in the 1960's to protest segregated eating establishments. He now figures prominently in the North Carolina Legislature having just won reelection for yet another term and has held the office of Majority Whip of the NC State House in the past. I wish him the best and congratulate him on his latest victory.

The votes for many of these latest races were closely contested, but in the end, Blue victory was ours. I guess the truth is that we are more Purple than Blue. Nonetheless, for the first time in my life as a voter in North Carolina, I feel the pleasure of victory and the great pride in knowing that my fellow Tar Heels are becoming more open to change.

God bless the Old North State.

Categories: politics electoral+college President Elect Barack Obama North Carolina ballot vote election blue+state

Early Voting Began Today in North Carolina

2008-10-16T12:50:00.001-05:00

Early voting, also known as One-Stop Voting, began in North Carolina today, 16 October 2008. You can go to any of a number of sites in your home county to vote from today until 1 November 2008. If you have not yet registered to vote, you can also register and vote in a single stop. If you choose to wait for Election Day on 4 November 2008, you will have to go to your regular precinct to vote.

It is really convenient to vote early at the site and time of one's choice for the next 2 weeks or so. I also find it nice to know that my vote has already been counted and that there were no last minute irregularities with my registration that might have prevented or made it more difficult for me to vote. I urge each of you to consider voting during the early voting period.

Categories: politics early voting One-Stop+Voting North Carolina

Calculate your taxes for Obama vs. McCain

2008-10-16T09:03:00.002-05:00

The Obama campaign has launched a tax calculator to help you figure out whose tax plans will most benefit you before you choose your candidate for the Presidency. At this site, you can input an estimate of salary, your number of dependents, the outstanding balance of your mortgage and a few other minor details and then press a button to see the amount of tax savings you will have under the Obama plan and the McCain plan.

I just input my numbers and was amazed to see that I would save ~$1100 with the Obama plan and $0 with the McCain plan. This is consistent with what the candidates have been saying. Under Obama, 95% of America's middle class will see a tax cut. Under McCain's plan, tax cuts will focus on the rich and on businesses.

Have a look for yourself and leave a comment to tell us how you would fare under each plan. It is compelling to see how I would do, but I think it might prove even more interesting if many of us list our results and we can see a trend.

Categories: Obama McCain campaign tax taxes calculator comparison cut politics

Coach Dean Smith Endorses Obama-Biden Ticket

2008-10-14T09:53:00.003-05:00

There is a point in every contest when sitting on the sidelines is not an option. That is why Linnea and I are writing to urge you to join Barack Obama's campaign for President.

There are pivotal moments in history when the right decision by a nation can change its course for the better -- opening up new paths before us and providing future generations with opportunities that we had not thought possible. This coming election provides one of those moments. Linnea and I believe Barack Obama is the right leader at this critical juncture. I have written that when coaching a team, you must be prepared to make changes to meet new challenges and obstacles. We must be prepared to do the same as a nation. Now, it is the United States that needs a change in direction... and a change in leadership.

Join Barack Obama today by volunteering in your corner of North Carolina.

Linnea and I respect all that Senator McCain has done for our country. However, we feel strongly that it is Barack Obama who offers the real leadership our nation needs to tap its potential as a land of opportunity -- even as we face difficult times at home and abroad. Senator Obama is a patriotic American, a committed Christian, a good family man, and a man who shares the bedrock values that most North Carolinians have in common: fairness, hard work, respect for others, and personal responsibility. And he has the vision and judgment to help us push through this period of uncertainty to a time of greater economic stability and greater security from threats abroad.

If you believe America needs to set a new course, then the time to join us is now. If you are already an Obama supporter, please step up to help our campaign. There are only about three weeks left before Election Day, and if we are going to move away from the failed policies of the past, then we need your help now.

So we encourage you to get out there and get involved -- talk to your neighbors and sign up to volunteer today.

Get involved now by clicking here.

And pass the link to this message along to those you think might be interested. This election is too important to stand on the sidelines and watch history pass us by. Here is the link for you to copy and paste into your emails:

http://ronhudson.blogspot.com/2008/10/coach-dean-smith-endorses-obama-biden.html

Thank you,

Coach Dean Smith and Linnea Smith
Chapel Hill, NC

Categories: coach+Dean+Smith UNC Chapel+Hill Tar+Heels politics Barack Obama basketball endorsement

MC Yogi's Rap Video for Obama

2008-10-09T00:48:00.002-05:00

Obama '08 - Vote For Hope from MC Yogi on Vimeo.

Categories: politics Obama video rap MC+Yogi Vimeo Obama+08+Vote+for+Hope youth vote hope change

Judicial Races in North Carolina--Pary Affiliation Not Listed on Ballot

2008-10-06T20:53:00.003-05:00

The party affiliations of candidates running for Judicial offices in North Carolina this year will not be listed on your ballot. I think this is a huge mistake and that it leaves many guessing about whom they wish to support to reflect their personal values. The Judicial races are some of the most important elections in North Carolina as these are the people who will interpret the law, our Constitution and your rights. As a Democrat and a liberal, I felt it important to research the people running in this year's election. Finally, after much digging around online, I found a site that might help others decide how to vote in the upcoming judicial elections for the State of North Carolina. Please remember to make notes and take them with you when you go to vote.

Categories: judges democratic North+Carolina NC judicial races election 2008 politics

Video Must See: Historia De Un Letrero/The Story of a Sign

2008-09-30T10:00:00.003-05:00

My friend Florence has reminded me once again why we are so close in spirit. She shared yet another video with me this morning. This one was so touching that I felt compelled to share it with you.

In this video written, directed and produced by Alonso Alvarez Barreda, please note that the sign reads, in equivalent language, more or less, "Have Compassion, I am Plind" as a misspelling of the word "Blind". Watch for the twist at the end. What did you expect? How did you react to the ending? How can you alter your world in a similar way?

Click here to view the video.

Categories: video Alonso+Alvarez+Barreda Historia+de+un+letrero Story+of+a+Sign

Will Galison and His Orchestra: Campaign for Swing Voters

2008-09-29T14:00:00.003-05:00

Thank you, my friend Florence, for sharing this video with me. I would like now to share it with my readers. Nothing like a little swing to help get the swing-voters out there to help us repair this country.

Categories: swing voters Will+Galison+and+His+Orchestra Takin'+It+Back+with+Barack+Jack politics music video Barack+Obama

Voter Registration Totals in NC as of 29 September 2008

2008-09-29T12:07:00.002-05:00

One of the things I just learned from visiting the State Board of Elections website is that there are 6,006,731 voters registered in the state of North Carolina (see the banner across the top of the page for updated totals). Breakdowns of this total by party are as follows as of 29 September 2008:

Democratic 2,724,021 or 45.3%
Republican 1,955,551 or 32.6%
Libertarian 1,432 or 0.02%
Independent 1,325,727 or 22.1%

It is clear from these numbers that if the Independent voters of North Carolina are leaning toward Democratic candidates as reported in the latest polls, victory for the Democratic Party could be within reach in November. It is even clearer that the focus of the Democratic Campaigns must be to reach out to Independent voters and to ensure that both Democratic and Independent voters actually go out and vote in the following weeks.

I am supporting candidates Senator Barack Obama for President and Kay Hagan for US Senate from North Carolina. I oppose the candidacy of current US Senator Elizabeth Dole because I have written to her campaign office with my concerns about the Bush Administration repeatedly over the past six years. The first response from her didn't show up in my mailbox until this year and I have to say that I was disappointed in her position. True to the points made in ongoing political ads, she fully supported President Bush and his policies, stating that she felt that "President Bush has the best interest of America at heart." Additionally, her appeals based on down-home country values are an insult to all North Carolinians, including those of us who grew up here in the countrysides of the State. Using phrases like "That Dog Won't Hunt" is no way to run a campaign about issues as important as your freedom, your economic well-being and your healthcare.

Please get out and vote for candidates who support your views and opinions, who promote a healthier economy and a more peaceful world. You can begin voting in North Carolina on October 16 at early voting sites. I will be there early myself.

Categories: politics voter registration party affiliation NC Barack+Obama Kay+Hagan Elizabeth+Dole

Voter Registration Deadline(s) in North Carolina

2008-09-29T10:08:00.002-05:00

The voter registration deadline for those who choose to vote on General Election Day, November 4th, is coming up on October 10th for North Carolinians. If you have not yet registered to vote in NC, please do so by then to ensure you have the opportunity to vote on Election Day.

If you want, there is a second option this year for North Carolina's voters. During the Early "One Stop" Voting Period of October 16th through November 1, you can register to vote and then vote in a single visit to the polls. Each county in NC has its own sites and times for Early Voting, so you will need to check your local county's Board of Elections to find out where you can go to vote during the Early Voting Period and when those locations will be operating. The North Carolina State Board of Elections has compiled this list of early voting sites by county for your convenience.

Categories: voter registration deadline NC, One+Stop+Voting Early+Voting

Voter Registration Verification and Much More

2008-09-25T23:24:00.002-05:00

The Obama for President campaign has organized a website where you can check to make sure that you are registered to vote in any state in the US. If you find that you are not registered, you can access further tools to make sure that you are registered before the deadlines pass. Please be sure to register soon so that you can vote in the upcoming election. Click here to visit this powerful new tool for the empowerment of voters in the US.

If you prefer, you can simply check your registration on that website and then register using paper forms by visiting your local Board of Elections. Additionally, many different events and organizations are holding voter registration drives in the days leading up to the deadline for registration.

Early Voting

In North Carolina, you can also register to vote and/or vote early in the "One Stop, No Excuse" voting plans for each county. To learn about the early voting options in your county, visit this page which shows the times and locations of early voting in your home county. To learn more about early voting and why you may want to take advantage of it, go here.

In general, early voting in North Carolina starts on October 16th and runs through November 1st, including Saturday and Sunday voting in many counties. The main requirements are that you are registered to vote and that you vote at a site in the county in which you are registered. If you decide to vote early, there will be a selection of sites from which you can choose to meet your schedule and location. If you prefer to vote traditionally on General Election Day, Tuesday, November 4th, you will need to vote at your assigned precinct's polling place.

Categories: voter registration verification Am+I+Registered+to+Vote US national elections online early+voting One+Stop+Voting North+Carolina sites times locations hours

When in Wilmington in Need of Flowers...

2008-09-25T16:44:00.001-05:00

My friend Lonnie Taylor of Wilmington has gone out on his own with the opening of Fiore Fine Flowers. He prepared the coffin spray for my Mom's burial services and has also provided numerous bouquets on many different holidays for my mom in the past. He is trained in traditional Japanese floral design and I can personally attest for his work. If you are in the Wilmington, NC, area and need flowers, please give Lonnie's shop a call and place an order. I assure you that everyone involved will be pleased with the favor.

Categories: Fiore+Fine+Flowers florist Wilmington NC Lonnie+Taylor Japanese+floral+design Ikebana

Cool video, cool sound! Fleet Foxes: "White Winter Hymnal"

2008-09-25T12:31:00.003-05:00

My partner shared this video with me today and I liked it so much that I thought that I would share it with you. I like the cosmic imagery and the idea it invoked in me that we all have a role to play in making the world continue to turn. Have a listen and a look and let me know what you think.

Categories: Fleet+Foxes music video White+Winter+Hymnal youtube

Voter Intimidation Alive in North Carolina--Stop the lies

2008-09-25T06:49:00.003-05:00

A new rumor is circulating in cyberspace. I had heard about this one from the Democratic Party, but now have received one of the emails personally from a friend who found it plausible. Please be aware that people who are feeling threatened by the recent poll numbers are going to start to increase the scope and volume of tactics to intimidate voters in North Carolina and elsewhere.

Here is the text of the email that is circulating:

PLEASE ADVISE EVERYONE YOU KNOW THAT THEY ABSOLUTELY CAN
NOT GO TO THE POLLS WEARING ANY OBAMA SHIRTS, PINS OR HATS, IT IS AGAINST THE LAW AND WILL BE GROUNDS TO HAVE THE POLLING OFFICIALS TURN YOU AWAY.
THAT IS CONSIDERED CAMPAIGNING AND NO ONE CAN CAMPAIGN WITHIN X AMOUNT OF FEET OF THE POLLS. THEY ARE BANKING ON US BEING EXCITED AND NOT BEING AWARE OF THIS LONG STANDING LAW THAT YOU CAN BET WILL BE ENFORCED THIS YEAR!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

THEY ARE BANKING THAT IF ARE TURNED AWAY YOU WILL NOT GO HOME AND
CHANGE YOUR CLOTHES.. PLEASE JUST DON'T WEAR OBAMA GEAR OF ANY SORTS TO THE POLLS!!

The following response from the Democratic Party was sent to me within minutes of the receipt of this fraudulent email:

Action Alert: Help Kill This Rumor

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Please help us dispell an election rumor that is spreading like wildfire. Let people know: It's okay to wear candidate apparel to the polls!

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Contrary to popular rumor: a voter who is wearing a political cap, T-shirt, or button and does not electioneer within the polling place will be allowed to vote in a normal matter.

People can wear buttons, T-shirts, hats, whatever, with the name or picture of a candidate but they can NOT engage in electioneering inside the polling place (or outside, within 50 feet of it). They need to proceed in an orderly manner to vote and leave without making any effort to bring attention to their campaign handout, clothes, etc. If they point to their shirt or tell others, "Hey, vote for [name on hat]," then they are electioneering and they will be asked to stop immediately, and if they persist, they will be asked to leave.

That's the response from the attorney of the State Board of Elections to a fast-spreading rumor that voters will be barred from the polling place if they wear a T-shirt with the name of a candidate on it. Here is SBOE attorney Don Wright's exact reply to the question. Please feel free to forward this to people you know:

From: Don Wright
Subject: another elections myth???

This is a false rumor that is growing like wildfire. Of course it is false.

The rumor started from statements made on the Steve Harvey Radio Show. I visited their website and looked at the e-mails and this rumor was there.

Our position is and always has been......

A voter may enter a voting place to vote wearing political items as long as they proceed to vote in an orderly and timely manner, and do not attempt to electioneer within the voting place. A voter wearing a T-shirt saying "Vote for X" who shouts "vote for X" or places his T-shirt in the sightline of voters asking support for "X" is obviously electioneering and will be asked to refrain from the conduct at once, and if they continue will be removed.

A voter who is wearing a political cap, T-shirt, or button and does not electioneer within the polling place will be allowed to vote in a normal matter.

Help Us Get the Word Out

Anything that intimidates, discourages or confuses potential voters is bad for democracy -- help us knock down the false rumors and help people feel good about voting. If you feel like you are mistreated when you vote because of what you are wearing, or for some other reason, you can contact the national Election Protection hotline (1-866-OUR-VOTE), Democracy North Carolina at 1-888-OUR-VOTE or call the State Board of Elections (1-866-522-4723). Thank You!

Sincerely,
Your Democracy North Carolina Team

Democracy North Carolina is a statewide nonpartisan organization that uses research, grassroots organizing and coalition building to promote voter participation and fair elections. Please visit us on the web at www.democracy-nc.org for more information on our activities.

While the US Constitution, although severely weakened under the stewardship of the current President and his Party, guarantees us freedom of expression (in print, in speech, in the clothes we choose to wear), it probably is illegal to spread incorrect or false information knowingly to influence voters on election day. Please respond to anyone who sends you the fraudulent email about what you can and can not wear to the polls and tell them that their information is incorrect. Use the "reply to all" function so that everyone on their distribution list gets the corrected information. If the person who sent it to you persists in sending out false information, please report them to election officials.

It is telling that this email focused solely on Obama supporters. Please know that if you support John McCain, you too, can wear any t-shirts, pins or hats to the polls on election day. Just don't cause a ruckus while there, no matter who you support, and your voting rights will be as protected as those of anyone else.

As a fan of the film Napoleon Dynamite, I guess I will refrain from wearing my "Vote for Pedro" t-shirt on election day, as that would, indeed, be seen as electioneering!!

Categories: politics lies voter+intimidation Obama t-shirts pins, hats election email rumor

Health Communication Survey re: Coping with Chronic Illness

2008-09-11T22:55:00.003-05:00

I received the following note from Justin Guild of Purdue University. He is conducting research on health communication with Dr. Jeong-Nam Kim to determine the role of internet sites in managing chronic illnesses. He has requested that I post this note to encourage my readers to take an online survey about how we use the internet to help us as we struggle to cope. I hope that you will participate and that you will provide feedback to him should you have any suggestions after completing the survey.

Ron

My name is Justin Guild and I’m a graduate research assistant currently working with Dr. Jeong-Nam Kim at Purdue University on a health communication study.

Specifically, our research explores how information sharing behavior through online communities (such as blogs) influences coping strategies among people with chronic conditions including cancer, diabetes, AIDS, etc.

I’m contacting you to seek permission to place a link to our online web survey on your blog to invite readers and other visitors to participate. The survey is purely academic in nature and takes no longer than 5-7 minutes to complete.

The web survey can be found by clicking on this link.

In the survey, we use the term “blog” to refer to any online activity where you might read or share information in communities such as personal web logs, internet forums, and discussion boards.

The findings of this study could lead to better management capacities of chronic diseases as well as an increase in funding for research related to online communities.

If you have any questions, or would like additional information, please don’t hesitate to contact me.

Thank you for your time and consideration.

Categories: health communication survey Purdue+University chronic illness HIV AIDS HIV/AIDS

A Perfect Bloom--La Dama de la Noche 2008

2008-09-07T08:55:00.001-05:00

This image of a double-flowering night-blooming cereus flower, La Dama de la Noche, was taken about two weeks ago. It is one of the most beautiful specimens of this plant's blooms that I have seen since my plant matured enough to bloom a few years back. Note the detail of the stamen and pistils inside the flower.

(click on image to enlarge it)

Categories: night+blooming+cereus flowers gardening houseplants photography la+dama+de+la+noche

New York City: See Rich Ferguson in the Fringe Festival

2008-08-05T14:18:00.002-05:00

I received the following press release from my friend and collaborator Rich Ferguson from Los Angeles. Rich contributed his work to the International Carnival of Pozitivities and we both appear in the upcoming release of the new 1 Giant Leap film, "What About Me". If you are in the New York metro area and can attend his show, I would be grateful if you could say hello for me.

Rich Ferguson & Paul Garrison Present:
“Nightlight Jesus”

The New York International Fringe Festival – Fringe
NYC
A production of The Present Company
August 8th – 24th
Tickets: $15. For more information and to purchase tickets, click here.

LA spoken word artist, Rich Ferguson, and musical
mayhemist, Paul Garrison, are proud to present
“Nightlight Jesus” as part of the 11th annual New York
International Fringe Festival – Fringe NYC .

“Nightlight Jesus” is a combination of spoken word and
music. It juxtaposes the personal with the eternal,
the sacred with the profane. It is the place where
sonic syllables and grinding beats rub up against one
another to create a chainsaw music for angels.

Rich Ferguson,
(click here for another of his websites ), has performed at the South by
Southwest Music Festival, at the Knitting Factory in
NYC with Patti Smith and Janet Hamill, at the Redcat
Theater in LA (part of Disney Hall). He’s been
published in the LA Times, and is also a featured
performer in the sequel to 1 Giant Leap--What About
Me--that also features Michael Stipe, Michael Franti,
KD Lang, and others. About Ferguson, Mitch Myers of
Amazon. com once said: “Spouting a peculiar blend of
spoken-word poetry, Ferguson has developed a poetry
style that is both intellectually challenging and
emotionally direct…”

Originally from Vancouver, soundscape artist Paul
Garrison straddles the fence between the improv, art
jazz scene, and the industrial, noise movement. He has
appeared numerous times on Late Night With David
Letterman, and recently toured with Rickie Lee Jones.

Ferguson and Garrison will be performing at the Jazz
Gallery. The address is 290 Hudson Street, New York,
NY 10013. They can be reached on the web at:
info@jazzgallery.org.

Performance dates are as follows: Tues 8/19 @ 7:15
p.m.; Wed. 8/20 @ 10 p.m.; Fri. 8/22 @ 3:45 p.m. & 7
p.m.; Sat. 8/23 @ 5:30 p.m.

Categories: Rich+Ferguson Paul+Garrison 1+Giant+Leap New+York+City spoken+word performance+art International+Fringe+Festival

Love Note or Homophobia? Vote now.

2008-08-03T22:30:00.001-05:00

More than many, I appreciate good art. I also appreciate freedom of expression. I especially appreciate freedom of expression in the form of art, and if that art happens to be somewhat prurient and spontaneous, it gives me the greatest pleasure. You can imagine the joy that came my way today in the form of a love note that was taped to the rear window of my truck.

I had gone to have dim sum for lunch and had parked my truck in the parking lot of the restaurant, an unusual circumstance in itself as the place is usually packed and the parking lot usually has not one available space. I spent about forty-five minutes inside enjoying a glutton's meal of shrimp-, pork- and tofu-based dim sum treasures. I prefer to go to dim sum with a group of friends as most of the dishes contain three servings, perfect for sharing with others when ordering a cross-section of the menu for variety. Today, however, I was alone and to satisfy my dim sum cravings, I needed a minimum of dishes including at least one order of turnip cakes. Today, I gorged on turnip cakes, fried shrimp balls, fried tofu in black bean sauce and roasted pork loin in barbecue sauce. It was too much for one person to eat, yet I finished it off. Walking to the register to pay my bill, it seemed as if my belly would burst. I paid my bill, walked out to my truck, climbed in and drove away.

About a mile down the road, on I-85, I looked into my rear view mirror and noticed something had been stuck to the rear window on the passenger side of my truck. I couldn't quite make out what I was seeing in its mirror image, but I thought that I could make out the image of a penis and testicles swaying in the wind. It was more of a Rorschach reaction that one of actually knowing what I had seen. There was no right answer. When I arrived home, I found this lovely little balloon sculpture double taped to my truck.

Now, I wonder. Was this a love note from someone? Perhaps they saw my rainbow sticker, and my Equality North Carolina and Human Rights Campaign decals. Perhaps they decided to retrieve a red balloon, some tape and a sharpie from their handy stash and to make me a sculpture of genitalia to show their solidarity in the cause. Or, maybe, this was meant to be intimidating and embarrassing to me, showing the world that I not only care about civil rights and equality for all, but I happen to care deeply for cock. And balls. If so, you can probably imagine how mortified I was and still am. By the way, if you know how to make a balloon shaped like testicles, please let me know how that is done.

What do you think? Was this a love note or someone's attempt at a demeaning little joke? Leave a comment and let me know what you think.

Categories: dim+sum homophobia art balloon+sculpture penis testicles solidarity humor

Rains from Tropical Storm Cristobal in Durham, NC

2008-07-19T19:12:00.001-05:00

Rains from Tropical Storm Cristobal weigh down and wash away the flowers of the crape myrtle in my front yard.

Click to enlarge image.

Categories: tropical+storm Cristobal Durham North+Carolina NC crape+myrtle photography gardening rain

Help Reverse the US Government's Discriminatory HIV Travel Ban

2008-06-30T16:52:00.002-05:00

The following text is from a letter at the site of Change.org advocating for the lift of the US travel ban on HIV infected individuals. I hope you will join me in writing to your US Senator to ask them why HIV has been singled out for a travel ban and to urge them to vote to end this disgraceful and discriminatory restriction. If you agree that this ban should be lifted, please visit the site linked above and fill in the required information to send a letter to your US Senator.

The United States is one of only 12 nations in the world to automatically ban HIV-positive visitors from entering the country. Our peers: Iraq, Saudi Arabia, Libya, Sudan, Qatar, Brunei, Oman, Moldova, Russia, Armenia, and South Korea.

HIV is the only medical condition that permanently precludes admission. Not even leprosy and tuberculosis are grounds for exclusion. Only a record of terrorism, tax evasion, money laundering or child smuggling has the same effect.

This law, which is in violation of UN standards, has absolutely no medical rationale or basis in health policy. It is a discriminatory holdover from the AIDS panic two decades ago. Thousands of immigrants to this country live in constant fear of unjust deportation. Forcing them underground, where they cannot get treated openly for fear of discovery, only worsens the health risk and cost to society.

Now we finally have a chance to take this absurd phobia off the books. The Senate version of the President's Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR) reauthorization bill includes language that removes the statutory ban. There is bipartisan support but little political will. Urge your senators to demonstrate some leadership and bring this matter to a vote. Too many people have been denied the American dream for too long.

Categories: US immigration HIV AIDS HIV/AIDS travel+ban discriminiation politics

I'm Not About To...But Decide for Yourself

2008-06-24T10:36:00.002-05:00

A good friend, Paul, sent me the link to this video. It speaks for itself. I won't be voting for a Republican because of their terrible stewardship of this nation on their watch. Have a look at the video and form your own opinions. You can learn more about the filmmakers at I'm voting Republican: You'll Get What You Deserve.

Categories: politics Republican Democrat election 2008

The final edition of the ICP

2008-06-11T08:59:00.002-05:00

Dear Friends of the International Carnival of Pozitivities:

It is with both joy and sadness that I am writing to announce the final edition of the ICP. After you receive this notice, I will delete the mailing list for the ICP from my files and you will no longer receive announcements about the project. I was placed on a new drug regimen about 2 months ago and have experienced a serious side effect to the new meds. I am no longer able to continue to maintain the project as a result.

Please know that it has been a joy to bring you the ICP for the past 2 years and that I wish I could continue the project into the future. However, my focus has to be on my own healing now. For those of you who have contributed or hosted the ICP, my heartfelt gratitude can hardly be expressed. For those who blog about HIV/AIDS and who fight to end the stigma of this disease, I urge you to continue your work. We are all in the fight of our lives.

Many, many thanks to Sokari at Blacklooks for hosting the final edition of the ICP.

Please visit, read and leave your feedback for the host and the contributors in this, the last edition of the ICP.

I wish you all peace and health.

Safe Journeys!

Categories: ICP International+Carnival+of+Pozitivities HIV AIDS HIV/AIDS Mshairi blog carnival blog+carnival

Through Those Eyes

2008-05-28T17:44:00.002-05:00

I owe my visitors an explanation. I lost a huge part of my life this month. I have not been writing anything of my own for some time now and am just reaching a point where I can tell you why.

My mom had a stroke between Thanksgiving Day and the first week of December of last year. Sadly for mom, she lost most use of her arms and legs and the ability to swallow food. She managed to fight for about 6 months, although losing a vast amount of body weight. During the week of 5 May, she “took a turn” and then passed away on 7 May at about 3:30 in the afternoon. Mom was by far the most unconditionally loving person in my life and I will miss her forever.

My mom was born on 18 March 1925, the day of the worst tornado in the history of the US. I no doubt learned this factoid by watching the Weather Channel here in North Carolina while obsessively keeping an eye on hurricane and tornado seasons. The storm on the day of my mom’s birth traveled on the ground across Missouri, Illinois and Indiana for a distance of 750 miles. It was a fitting day for my mom’s birth. Now I know this.

A few years back, I gave my mom a set of glass wind chimes to commemorate her 75th birthday. I told her that story. I should have known better…

We had moved Mom into a home in Wilmington that had just been built on the black loam of the North Carolina coastal plain. We had a nice privacy fence built around her back-yard to hide the “lakefront” (read: nearly empty mudflats of a pond) for which she had had to pay a fee in order to get the house she wanted and to allow our dogs room to run unhindered. We had sod brought in to cover the bare ground. I bought a bunch of shrubbery from garden centers and brought them into the fenced area for planting.

Unlike the rocky, root-strewn red clay of my home in Durham, the soil there in Wilmington is soft and loamy, punctuated occasionally with a buried pine stump. I could dig a hole big enough for a new plant in less than 3 scoops of the shovel. It was not long before her yard was surrounded by eleagnus, Indian hawthorn, zebra grass, irises, palms, roses, lantana, lorapetalum and butterfly bushes. I brought in about 20 clematis vines of various colors to plant along the fence behind these shrubs and trained them on the fence so that they would climb and grow, covering the new wood with flowers and greenery every year.

Not long afterwards, I called home for a routine talk with mom. She answered and I said, “Hey Mom! How are you?” She responded by saying “I am ok. We just had a tornado here.”

“What? A tornado? Are you sure?”

“Yes, I am sure.”

“How near was it to your house? Are you ok?”

“I am ok, but the fence is gone. A cement mixer was picked up a quarter of a mile away and it bounced off the top of my house. The exterior light fixtures are all turned sideways and there is debris everywhere. Mike from next door said he saw that big pine in his yard snap off and spin in midair for a few seconds before it fell across my front yard and blocked my driveway. My fence posts are sticking out of the roofs of the houses across the street.”

“Oh my! I thought you meant there was a tornado in Wilmington, not at your house!”

“Oh no, it was right here. There is a lot of damage. It broke the windchimes you gave me.”

It wasn’t long before the local news reporters were on the scene. Mom quickly became a favorite source for quotes about the storm. Over a period of days, Mom’s photo graced the Wilmington Morning Star and her description of what had happened was published for the readers in the area. I wish now that I had kept a copy of the account, but I did not.

On 7 May 2008, Mom passed peacefully from this world after having fought the effects of the stroke from six months earlier. I sat with my nephew Matt and my mom and we held her hand through the night before she passed away, talking with her, telling her that it was going to be ok and meeting the nurses who had become friends with Mom during her stay at the nursing facility. The hours passed by, with an occasional opening of Mom’s eyes or a brief movement of her fingers in mine. As the new morning dawned, she opened her eyes and looked into the brightening sky. I instinctively knew that it would be the last sunrise she would see, but it didn’t occur to me consciously then. I just knew that the moment was precious.

When my sister arrived the next morning, I went home to sleep for a few hours. Fatigue set in and I slept longer than I anticipated. A call came at 3:15 to tell me to get to Mom’s bedside as soon as possible. I arrived at 4pm to learn that Mom had died about half an hour before. As she took her last breath, she had beamed two joyful smiles, in part, I believe, to let us know that all was well with her soul.

We arranged to have her buried next to my Dad in Clinton. The visitation was scheduled for Friday night and, because it was Mother’s Day weekend, the graveside service was to be held on Sunday afternoon. When Sunday morning arrived, it was stormy with heavy downpours moving in from the west. I sat drinking coffee and watching the weather radar in hopes that the storms would race past us and leave us a dry afternoon for the service. As Roger and I left the house for the drive from Wilmington to Clinton, it was raining fiercely.

Just a few miles outside Wilmington, we found that traffic on I-40 had come to a standstill and we were in danger of being late for the opportunity to see my mom one last time. I had a bag of flowers that I had cut from her yard—clematis vine flowers in pink, purple and white, yellow Japanese irises, Stella d’Oro daylilies, a lavender rose—to place in her coffin with her. I figured she had loved those flowers so much that she would have wanted to have some of them with her when her body was laid to rest. I was particularly proud of the beauty of the clematis vines. With just minutes to spare, we arrived and I ran inside to place the flowers around my mom’s body before the lid was closed and we were off to the cemetery for her funeral.

The skies had cleared and it had grown hot. We sat by the graveside and listened to the words of the service while family and friends gathered around outside the tent. The woman who served as God’s servant read from several texts and invited us to say the Lord’s Prayer together. It was a quiet ceremony, just as my Mom had requested. Afterwards, we chatted for a while and then people started to disperse.

My brother drove me back to Wilmington so that I could get my truck, my dogs and belongings for the drive back to Durham. He dropped me in front of Mom’s house and drove away. I headed for the front door, and rounded the corner of her garage to find a large crow sitting on the gutter near the door of her home. It was leaning low and forward, tilting its head from right to left. I had a haunting sensation that I was where I needed to be at the right time. I looked up at the crow and it looked back at me. I stopped in my tracks and watched the crow. It watched me. Minutes passed. It shifted positions as if better to take me in and then articulated a phrase that sounded like the words “Again Again.”

I was astonished to have heard what sounded like speech coming from this crow, so I looked at it and I said, “Well then, tell me something else.” As those words left my lips, the bird took flight and disappeared from sight.

“Uhm,” I thought. “That was strange.”

I went inside and started preparing for my drive home. I cleaned up the house, gathered my belongings and packed up the truck. Meanwhile, I had fed my three dogs and had taken them outside to make sure they were ready for a 2 and a half hour drive. As they walked, I noticed a storm approaching from the southwest. It looked like a typical summer thunderstorm in Wilmington. It was so unremarkable that I continued preparing for an immediate departure. As I opened the door into the house, I looked down to see a shard of green glass from the wind chimes I had given mom years before. It had been buried in the loamy soil by her house.

When I had everything and everyone in the truck, I decided to stop for a coffee at Port City Java in Porter’s Neck. Since I had the dogs with me, I didn’t want to get out of the truck again and I knew I could use the drive-through window there and be back on the road in minutes. I backed the truck out of the garage, got out and closed the garage door from inside the house, locked the house up, and came back out to my truck. Once the engine was started, I followed Mom’s street up to Courtney Pines Road where I turned right again, followed by a quick left onto Torchwood. This section of the county was under development with many empty lots and even a 20 foot wide section of unpaved street. I soon reached Market Street and made a left for the 3 mile drive to the coffee shop.

I ordered a large iced latte and got on the road, planning to take the new I-140 loop from US 17 to I-40. As my truck aligned with the highway, I looked up to see a looming black cloud in the distance. It was rapidly sucking in another black cloud from its right and there was clearly rotation in a wall cloud beneath the larger storm cloud. I thought that what I was seeing could be a tornado, but I was not certain, never having witnessed one in person. I continued to drive toward the formation because I could see that it was moving rapidly across my path rather than toward me and the skies were clear ahead where I thought I was heading.

As I merged onto I-40, I looked ahead less than 200 yards when I saw a whiteout of rain ahead. There was nothing to do but to pull off the highway with hundreds of other motorists who had done the same. It started to hail and winds were whipping rain and hail off the highway into oncoming traffic.

I pulled over and took a look at my dogs. Greta was shaking from fear from the noise of the quarter size hail that was pelting the truck. Her fear helped me calm my own, as I tried to comfort her until the storm passed us by. It was perhaps a good five minutes before we could continue on our way. Afterwards, the drive home was uneventful, with sun and large white clouds in the sky as we drove across the flat coastal plains into the lower piedmont of central North Carolina.

When I was able, I checked the weather reports from the Wilmington area and found out that a local sherrif’s deputy had spotted a tornado on the ground in the area of Torchwood and Market Street in the Bayshore subdivision at 6:05pm. I had driven past the spot just 5 minutes before.

05/11/2008 0600 PM

Ogden, New Hanover County.

Tornado, reported by law enforcement.

Possible tornado touchdown reported by New Hanover County
911 at Market St and torchwood Dr near Bayshore
subdivision.

05/11/2008 0605 PM

Ogden, New Hanover County.

Funnel cloud, reported by County official.

Deputy reported a funnel cloud to Pender County Sheriffs
Office

05/11/2008 0600 PM

Ogden, New Hanover County.

Tornado, reported by law enforcement.

Possible tornado touchdown reported by New Hanover County
911 at Market St and torchwood Dr near Bayshore
subdivision.

05/11/2008 0600 PM

Ogden, New Hanover County.

Tornado, reported by law enforcement.

Tornado touchdown reported at Market St and torchwood Dr
near Bayshore subdivision. Ogden f.D. Is on-site and
reports some damage. Radar estimated time is 600 PM.

05/11/2008 0605 PM

Ogden, New Hanover County.

Funnel cloud, reported by County official.

Deputy reported a funnel cloud to Pender County Sheriffs
Office

Now, several weeks later, I miss my mom tremendously. I remember her loving smiles and her kindness. It was so difficult to see her languishing in a body that just no longer worked. As such, her death was a tremendous relief to me, but the loss of my Mom, the person who loved me even more because of my alternative sexuality and HIV status, is an ongoing source of sadness.

Now, when I see crows, I pay attention. I imagine them soaring and cavorting in the air, free of earthly constraints. Sometimes, it makes me smile. Sometimes I cry. Sometimes I feel very privileged and forewarned.

Categories: mom tornado stroke death life funeral crows

Godfist Legend: Zero7 Chapter 3 from Guest Writer Willie J. Phillips

2008-05-25T20:25:00.007-05:00

Please welcome back the work of my friend, Willie J. Phillips of Durham, NC. Willie is a talented author, visual artist and rap artist. He is the driving force behind a local hip-hop group, Shadowstar ex-Machina, whose lyrics are thought-provoking and whose music is as professionally stunning as any that I have heard from major labels.

This post is the third in a series of chapters of Willie’s science-fiction martial arts novella, Godfist Legend: Zero7. This work is not HIV related, but it seemed to me that I could promote Willie’s work as a ally of the HIV community and as my friend. This work should offer a bit of a diversion from the usual HIV related posts for our readers. Please let us know what you think. Subsequent chapters will be posted in future months.

All images and the text in these posts are copyrighted by Willie J. Phillips. You can click on any image to enlarge it for viewing. To learn more about Willie or his music, Shadowstar ex Machina, please click here to email Willie directly.

Click here to go to chapter one.

Click here to go to chapter two.

Ron Hudson

Godfist Legend: Zero7 Chapter 3

This is bad.

As soon as we step into the Initial Scan Corridor of the reinsertion chamber, a hail of electrified crossbow charges assault the doorway. I'm at a loss for words, but the technician seems to be regaining composure. As a matter of fact, I sense something refreshing from him. His face is no longer stressed with the pressure of being my captive and a former enemy. Instead, he looks at me with concern and true fear. Not a fear of dying, but a justified fascination with the future of this battle. If we're captured, there's no doubt in my mind that it will be the last thing that we remember, and that I will be reprogrammed. But, if we make it out of here alive, then the possibilities are endless. Besides, I didn't go through the trouble of devising a plan to escape just to foul it up halfway through.
"Listen, Voshua," my companion pierces the noise and chaos with the most helpful information I could have gotten at this time.
"I know the exact way out. you'll have to protect me to get there, but I'd never steer you wrong. I'm through with this place." Apparently, he added that last part as the final reassurance of his loyalty. I answer, not vocally, but telepathically, establishing a permanent link between him, myself, and the 4000th year Fist. Suddenly, time stands almost completely still as my sub-system activates, immediately incorporating the new data--my assistant's essence and vital statistics.

...loading new entry -_o o_- o_o -_o o_-

ally file:001001...filename: Dio Crashe, assassin programming technician o_o

scanning for viruses...none found -_-

scanning for enemy file matches....one found o_-

matching to common factors in new enemy specs....one match found -_o

Golden Triumvirate Assassin's Programming Technician, Dio Crashe, 11/12/82...blood type: ?
...awaiting instructions -_-
...auto-engage program will initiate in one minute and thirty seconds +_+

No! The Fist could instruct the system to eliminate Dio for fear of him being a possible liability. No time to waste, I have to hurry and get out of here. Quickly regaining focus, I send a message to Dio's mind, begging him to hurry and show me the way out. The door is about to buckle under the weight of the hundreds of crossbow bolts embedded in its surface. My fingers vibrate violently and develop burn from the electricity surging through them. Again I feel the swallowing sensation of space and time slowing to a near halt.

ASCETIC THEORY: "...the path to healing begins with truth"...(the truth is the need to live through current situation) =_=
.....scanning for matches to 4000th year Fist technique files...ten found...one optimum -_o

CINNABAR TANTRUM ...loading..................load complete!...^_^

run....>_<

My body glows with an intense red light and instantly my hands are healed. The sensation of electrocution subsides and my mind cools, focusing on the task at hand (and focusing on the fact that I think Dio is manipulating the Fist to suit our needs...and to avoid being destroyed by it). "COME OUT!! THE CORRIDOR IS COVERED ON BOTH SIDES!! THE DOOR IS NOT OBSTRUCTED, BUT I DARE YOU TO TRY AND MAKE IT THROUGH!!!" The voice is vulgar, condescending and VERY familiar. No name necessary. This is most definitely the 'head technician' here at this vile facility. the technicians here also happen to be 'experts' in their individual styles of war. This particular technician leads the elite sniper assassination squad 'HADOU-SATSU'..the 'Killing Wave'. Rarely seen by the outer underground, the Golden Triumvirate uses them when there was nothing left to do but 'have that mark shot down immediately'.

And this is their territory....

Click here to go to chapter one.

Click here to go to chapter two.

Categories: Willie+J+Phillips guest+artist guest+poet guest+writer music visual+art sci-fi ICP International+Carnival+of+Pozitivities

ICP 2.11 is now available

2008-05-06T12:20:00.002-05:00

Dear Friends of the International Carnival of Pozitivities (ICP):

It is a tremendous pleasure to announce the publication of edition 2.11 of the ICP at DropDeadHappy. Mark has done a beautiful job of tying together a number of new blog posts from the world of HIV/AIDS. I encourage you to bookmark this edition and visit it over time so that you can enjoy each of the contributions. Please leave feedback for the contributors and especially for the host for these selfless efforts to help us continue presenting the ICP.

Next Edition: Your Help is Needed

Please visit the ICP homepage to learn more about this project and how you can contribute.

We are now accepting submissions for edition 2.12. There is not yet a host for this edition. If you would like to host or contribute your work, I would be delighted to work with you. Please send me an email if you would be willing to host the June edition or any future edition for that matter.

To be Removed From or Added To the ICP mailing list:

To be removed from the once-monthly ICP mailing list, please click here.

To be added to the once-monthly ICP mailing list, please click here.

If you did not receive notice of the ICP from me via direct email, then I do not have your email address in the mailing list. Please note that I can not remove an email address that does not exist on the mailing list. Your privacy is absolutely critical and no email addresses will be shared, sold or given to any other source. I use blind-copy distribution technology to prevent your identity from being revealed.

Peace to you and yours.

Safe Journeys!

Categories: ICP International+Carnival+of+Pozitivities HIV AIDS HIV/AIDS Mshairi blog carnival blog+carnival

Obama: The Truth About Gas Prices

2008-05-01T05:48:00.002-05:00

I have wondered just how Senators Clinton and McCain propose to lift the $0.18/gallon Federal gas tax this summer without agreement from the rest of Congress and President Bush. Can anyone tell me how that might occur? I am very curious. If they have such power, then why are they not in Congress, right now, getting a bill before President Bush so that we can override his veto before the summer arrives. Or are they actually talking about waiting till summer of 2009 to do something?

I think Senator Obama's response is reasonable and honest whereas the others are saying what is needed to gain momentum before the November 2008 elections.

Categories: politics Senator Obama Clinton McCain Federal+gas+tax suspend veto summer 2008

Welcome Guest Writer Revenger from Peru

2008-04-28T14:21:00.007-05:00

Please welcome my new friend Revenger from Peru. Revenger is an HIV+ Peruvian who blogs in Spanish and has agreed to trust my nascent Spanish translation skills to present his work to our English-reading audience. I hope that you will join me in welcoming his work. You can write to Revenger directly if you have feedback for him and you can visit his Spanish-language site as well, Ser Gay en el Peru. I hope that you will check out his work.

Living with HIV/AIDS in Lima, Peru

Hello!

I am one of many people who live in Peru and who live a calm and simple life, only that I am gay and HIV+. These last details are minor in the part that they play in my life, which little by little I will go on telling, because society here is closed and machista, and anecdotes and experiences are extensive.

I believe that what affected me most obviously was finding out that I was HIV+ in 2001, especially as I have been HIV+ for as long as I have lived as a gay man. The news of being HIV+ came as a result of routine preoperative examinations, although I believe that I sensed it from knowing that my health was somewhat fragile with constant colds and stomach problems. In spite of that, finding out the news was something powerful, even though already I was prepared for it as the doctor requested a repeat blood sample for a confirmatory test, supposedly due to an error in my examination. In fact, it was an excuse by the hospital to repeat the HIV test. Still, it was powerful news and I could not contain my tears. Luckily the hospital that takes care of me has a platform of support for these cases, and there was a doctor and a psychologist whom I could see for support.

I must clarify that my case is something different from the average [Peruvian] citizen, since through my work I have medical insurance that is somewhat better than what the average person can access. The average Peruvian citizen must go to the national hospitals where the treatment is not the same [as what I received] and is even discriminatory on the part of some doctors and nurses who are paid by the World Health Organization (WHO). I know with absolute certainty that my partner, who is also HIV+, must face these issues and must fight against the system.

As an HIV+ person, I do not take my health situation as a death sentence but as a situation with which I must adapt, except that I have to fit my habits around the schedule of pills that I must religiously take because of my partner’s strict oversight. It is not that I cannot care for myself, but in my case, it is my partner who remembers to give me the tablets, it is he who feels responsible for my health and I thank him for that reason. I adapt my work to certain limitations that I myself imposed to be able to strengthen my health. Before my diagnosis, I worked during the day and, at night, I studied or taught courses, but I preferred to stop that and to rest and to have more time with my partner. Despite having the luck of working together, our work is not the same and we do not see each other there as much as at home. We have only been living together for two years, but we have always sailed along to do things together, to take walks, to go to the market, to talk, etc.

The situation that an HIV+ person in Peru lives varies according to his or her economic situation. That is a cruel reality: extremely poor people exist who do not have the money to go to the national hospitals, and when they do, they must wait for hours and hours to receive medical attention. It they are lucky, they may get to see a doctor that day and if not, they must return another day to see if they will have luck to be seen then. Certainly, support programs of the WHO, called TARGA in Peru, give anti-retroviral drugs to patients who are registered as HIV+ but they do not have the capacity to treat all of the patients. Additionally, as with all subsidized programs, an apparatus of bureaucracy has been created where those running the system worry more about making money than with giving quality care to their patients. Not all of the doctors are like this, but there is a well-known laziness in the quality of care that they give in those health centers which supposedly receive international money to give better care to HIV+ patients. I believe that this is typical in an underdeveloped country like ours, where the systems of supervision and control are not efficient, and some corruption exists where those who oversee the bottom line of the funds given by the WHO are on-the-take. For example, the doctor who sees my partner does not touch him. When he has a problem, she listens, observes his symptoms but will not approach him nor touch him. In his mandatory monthly exams, this doctor only asks him how he feels and if he is in pain. If he presents with some condition or problem, the doctor addresses just that issue, an attitude that goes against the protocol established by the WHO for HIV+ patients and these are doctors who receive money to give good care to HIV+ patients. Cruel reality, is it not?

Aside from this reality, it is a fact that Peruvian society impacts itself and discriminates against HIV+ people. I even recall the day when I told my brother about being HIV+ and his first reaction was to say to me “Please be careful around my children”, I must confess that this answer hit me hard. It made me feel that I was a threat to them. It made me fear going near them and that by simply playing with them, I would put them in danger. Luckily his attitude changed with time and above all, thanks to the information that I myself provided my brother and his wife. Worse attitudes can be found in the ignorance of the population. Sadly, there is much fear and lack of conviction, campaigns focus on contagion and precautions to take, but in spite of these programs, ignorant attitudes persist in the average population. Every year in April, the month in which classes begin here, there are cases of children who are not allowed to enter schools for being HIV+ and parents threaten to remove their children from a school if an infected child is accepted. Is this fair to children?

I believe that all the things that I have experienced, the cruel attitudes, the hurtful glances of some people, the astonished expressions of those who find out, I believe that all of these things have made me stronger. It has shown me who really is my friend, with whom I can speak openly, and it gives me sufficient strength to face life with my chin up, to think about all the things that I have left to do. It is a joy to feel alive and loved by somebody special to me. I know that there are many things for which I thank my destiny, that good and bad times will come, but it is not a problem to be prepared.

Hugs,

Revenger

(translation by Ron Hudson)

Desde Lima, Peru: Viviendo con el VIH/SIDA

Hola!
Soy una de las tantas personas que viven en el Peru y que llevan una vida tranquila y sencilla, solo que tengo la particularidad de ser gay y ser seropositivo, estos ultimos son pequeños detalles que forman parte de mi vida, la cual poco a poco ire contando, ya que la sociedad aquí es mas cerrada y machista, asi que anecdotas y vivencias se encuentran a montones.

Creo que lo que mas me afecto obviamente fue el enterarme que era seropositivo en el año 2001, ya que el tener conciencia de ser gay la he tenido toda mi vida. La noticia de ser seropositivo la recibi debido a unos examenes preoperatorios de rutina, creo que lo intuia en vista que mi salud estaba un tanto fragil con resfrios constantes y molestias en el estomago, a pesar de eso enterarse de la noticia fue algo fuerte, aun cuando ya estaba preparado para ello, ya que me pidieron repetir la muestra de sangre para una confirmacion, supuestamente por una equivocacion en un examen, en realidad fue una excusa del hospital para repetir el test vih. Pero igual fue una noticia fuerte y no pude contener las lagrimas, por suerte el hospital que me atiende tiene una plataforma de apoyo para estos casos, y cuando me dieron la noticia estuvo el medico y un psicologo con quien me dejaron despues a fin de poder conversar y dar apoyo.

Debo aclarar que mi caso es algo diferente al ciudadano promedio, ya que por mi trabajo tengo un respaldo medico un tanto mejor que el comun de las personas, el ciudadano comun debe acudir a los hospitales nacionales donde el trato no es el mismo e incluso es discriminatorio por parte de los mismo medicos y enfermeras que el mismo OMS paga aquí, y lo se con absoluta certeza en vista que mi pareja quien tambien es seropositivo se atiende alli y debe lidiar con esas cosas.

El ser seropositivo no lo tome como una condena sino como una situacion con la cual me debo adaptar, solo eso, adapto mis habitos a los horarios de las pastillas que debo tomar religiosamente gracias a la puntual indicacion de mi pareja. No es que yo no pueda hacerlo, pero en mi caso es mi pareja la que siente gusto en darme las pastillas, en sentirse responsable de mi salud y le doy muchas gracias por ello. Adapte mi trabajo a ciertas limitaciones que yo mismo me impuse para poder reforzar mi salud, antes trabaja en el dia y en las noches estudiaba o dictaba unos cursos, pero preferi cartar con eso asi tengo mas tiempo para descansar y tener mas tiempo para pasar con mi pareja, a pesar de tener la suerte de trabajar juntos, no es igual el trato que tenemos en el trabajo al que tenemos en la casa, ya que tenemos mas de 2 años viviendo juntos y siempre planeamos hacer cosas juntos, salir a pasear, ir al mercado, caminar, conversar, etc.

La situacion que vive una persona seropositivo en el Peru varia de acuerdo a su situacion economica, esa es una cruel realidad, existen personas sumamentes pobres las cuales ni tienen dinero para acudir a los hospitales nacionales, y cuando lo hacen deben esperar durante horas y horas para recibir atencion medica si es que ese dia llegaron a coger un turno, sino deben volver otro dia a ver si tienen suerte de conseguir alguno. Definitivamente los programas de apoyo de la OMS, que en nuestro pais se llama TARGA y que entrega retrovirales a los pacientes que esten registrados como pacientes VIH; no dan cabida a todos los pacientes, ademas que como todo programa subsidiado ha creado todo un aparato de burocratas que mas se preocupan de ganar dinero que en dar una atencion de calidad a sus pacientes, no todos los medicos son asi pero fatalmente es algo notorio la desidia en la calidad de atencion que dan en esos centros de salud que supuestamente reciben dinero internacional para dar una mejor atencion y preferente a los pacientes vih. Creo que es tipico que pase algo asi en un pais subdesarrollado como el nuestro, donde los organos de supervision y control no son eficientes, y algunos corruptos asi que como veran no son los mas indicados para poder controlar el uso de los fondos dados por la OMS. Como ejemplo les contare que la doctora que atiende a mi pareja no lo toca, asi como lo escuchan, cuando el tiene alguna molestia lo escucha lo observa pero no se acerca mucho ni lo toca, es mas, se supone que en su consulta obligatoria mensual el medico lo deberia revisar, pero lo unico que hace este es preguntarle como se siente y si le duele algo, es lo unico, solo cuando el paciente presenta alguna molestia recien e medico muestra algo de atencion, actitud que esta en contra del protocolo estalecido por la OMS para los paceintes VIH, y esos son los medicos que reciben altos sueldos para dar una buena atencion a los pacientes vih, cruel realidad no?

Aparte de esta realidad, esta el hecho de que la sociedad peruana aun se impacta y discrimina a las personas seropositivas, aun recuerdo el dia que le conte a mi hermano acerca de ser seropositivo, su primera reaccion fue decirme “Por favor ten cuidado con mis hijos”, debo confesar que me choco semejante respuesta, me hizo sentir como si fuera una amenaza para ellos, me hizo sentir como si desde ese momento en adelante tenia que evitar acercarme a ellos, o que por el simple hecho de jugar con ellos podria ponerlos en peligro. Por suerte esa actitud cambio con el tiempo y sobretodo gracias a la informacion que yo mismo le proporcione a mi hermano y a su esposa, actitudes peores encuentra uno por la ignorancia de la gente, fatalmente hay mucho miedo y falta de convencimiento, se hacen campañas sobre las formas de contagio, las precauciones a tener pero a pesar de ello persisten esas actitudes entre el comun de las personas, siempre cada mes de abril que es la fecha en que comienzan las clases escolares aquí, se presentan casos de niños que no les permiten entrar a los colegios por ser seropositivos, y los padres amenazan con sacar a sus hijos de ese colegio si el niño infectado es aceptado, es eso justo en un niños.

Creo que todas las cosas que a la fecha he pasado, las actitudes inhumanas recibidas, las miradas de lastima de algunas personas, las expresiones de asombro de quien se entera, creo que todo ello solo me ha hecho mas fuerte, ademas de poder mostrarme quien realmente es mi amigo, con quien realmente cuento, y todo ello me hace mas fuerte, me da la fortaleza suficiente para afrontar la vida con la frente en alto, a pensar en todas las cosas que tengo pendiente por hacer. En la alegria de sentirme vivo y amado por alguien especial para mi. Son muchas cosas por las que doy gracias a mi destino, se que vendran tiempos buenos y malos, pero no hay problema estare preparado.

Un abrazo
Revenger

Categories: HIV AIDS HIV/AIDS Peru Revenger guest+writer blogging Living+with+AIDS+in+Peru

What About Me? Hi Res Trailer

2008-04-21T19:11:00.003-05:00

What About Me? Hi Res Trailer
Uploaded by whataboutme

This is the trailer for the new 1 Giant Leap television series that is airing starting this week in the UK, on April 23 at midnight on Channel 4 (UK). I don't know if anything I said made it into the television series, but I am apparently in the theatrical cut of the film and possibly in the DVD versions. Please have a look and let me know what you think. If you are in the UK and can watch, please let me know what role, if any, I play in the series. Even if I didn't make it into this series, watch it! You will be amazed.

Categories: 1+Giant+Leap television+series Channel+4 UK trailer Jamie+Catto Duncan+Bridgeman

Guest Artist Osvaldo Piva of Brazil

2008-04-20T14:46:00.002-05:00

Please welcome back my friend, ally of the HIV community and guest artist, Osvaldo Piva of Brazil. I am particularly fond of Osvaldo's work and find beauty in its simplicity and its unabashed look at the male nude.

This piece is one of a series of 10 artworks in his Fala series, from the Portuguese verb "to speak".

More of Osvaldo's work can be found at his artist's space where additional pieces from this series will eventually appear. When you arrive on the homepage, click over the hole of the subject's chest to enter the site.

I hope that you will join me in welcoming Osvaldo Piva to the list of contributors to the ICP.

Categories: guest+artist Osvaldo+Piva Brazil Brasil ICP International+Carnival+of+Pozitivities blog carnival blog+carnival

Godfist Legend: Zero7 Chapter 2 from Guest Writer Willie J. Phillips

2008-04-20T14:03:00.008-05:00

Please welcome back the work of my friend, Willie J. Phillips of Durham, NC. Willie is a talented author, artist and rap artist. He is the driving force behind a local hip-hop group, Shadowstar ex-Machina, whose lyrics are thought-provoking and whose music is as professionally stunning as any that I have heard from major labels.

This post is the second in a series of chapters of Willie’s science-fiction martial arts novella, Godfist Legend: Zero7. This work is not HIV related, but it seemed to me that I could promote Willie’s work as a ally of the HIV community and as my friend. This work should offer a bit of a diversion from the usual HIV related posts for our readers. Please let us know what you think. Subsequent chapters will be posted in future months.

All images and the text in these posts are copyrighted by Willie J. Phillips. You can click on any image to enlarge it for viewing. To learn more about Willie or his music, Shadowstar ex Machina, please click here to email Willie directly.

Click to view chapter one first.

Ron Hudson

Godfist Legend: Zero7 Chapter 2

Standing behind the technician is lasting longer than i thought. He has no idea of my presence being so close to him as he prepares his tools for naught. The 4000th Year Fist downloaded a 'masking' file some weeks ago during a very short assignment...I don't even remember who I killed, or why. "We are ready, Mister Crashe?" the man mumbles to my assistant whose presence has also been masked. This is too delicious! My mouth is beginning to moisten at the thought of an effortless escape without incident. Why are there no cameras? Because this facility isn't supposed to exist; the last thing you'd want to happen is some muckraking journalist somehow acquiring surveillance tapes of a 'reinsertion' procedure. Sweet irony...sweet, SWEET revenge! He turns his head ever so slightly to notify the hidden technician that he's ready, then turns completely to face his doom...ME!!

"N..n..n..no...!" The potential scream is cut off by my 'dragonfist' wedged between his rows of teeth, muffling his choked voice with a little chi. I look to the table at his tools of betrayal; hooked and split-head needles larger than any needed for sewing, various syringes full of drugs that could erase the whole of your existence, and spiked platelets...? The sight of the gleaming platelets jostles my mind. they're flesh colored...my flesh. Discovery and desire lap at my brain like waves breaking against the shore-line. An emptiness overtakes me, and I feel the solid blankness of something that wasn't originally part of my body....in my back...intertwined with the muscles and spinal column. Its electronic surges have mimicked my body's own natural synapses for so long that they felt normal until now. Now, the foreign implement stood out like a child molester in pre-school, and it INFURIATES ME!! What else have they grafted into me!? Where else has my body been augmented to suit the desires of the Golden Triumvirate!? My fingers spread open in the man's mouth, the chi slowly churning and gaining size and intensity. The heat of it causes steam to pour from the helpless technician's face, but a swift exchange of thought forces the man's voice to snuff out at every attempted scream. The ecstasy of his despair washes over me like summer rain. It's almost pornographic the way it makes me feel. "DO NOT LOSE FOCUS!"

That was not my mental scolding, that was the Fist! But, it's only supposed to support me during my forced assassination missions. Why was it helping me in my disobedience? It was surprise enough to know that the 'acquirement protocol' still functioned, but now the underlying 'metaphysical/psychological support system' is kicking in. Completion, I feel it. I don't need to ask this helpless man anything! My single assistant and I are enough for my travels, so this man can die. One last surge of chi forces my hand to open completely within the technician's tightening jowls and the steam becomes red-tinted. Does he think i care that he's crying? I DO NOT!! Too many times was I under his tools and weapons grade drugs, and damn him if he thinks it's unfair! The ONLY reason this other technician is living is because he was the one who freed me. Honestly, my instincts are still a little haywire and want me to murder my helper in the worst way possible, but I know better. Instead, I'll drink in this sucker's fear, watch his blood saturate the chi forcing its way from his face. Burns appear and skin smokes as the end approaches. "I want you to feel this...the way I killed so many in my stealth missions. Don't cry, bastard. You did this to yourself!"

With that, the head implodes as I force his flailing rag-doll body into the opposite wall. The impact causes the room to shake, as blood covers almost everything on that side of the room. My captive assistant squeaks while covering his mouth as an ear lands in a puddle of blood directly in front of him. "Dear god...what did we create?" he whispers to himself. I don't have enough ego to answer him, I just direct him to the exit. And no, I don't think it'll be that easy. I figured out what the spiked platelets are.

They're racking devices, monitoring and reporting every move...every kill...every twist of muscle...and every single word...

Click here to go to chapter one.

Click here to proceed to chapter three.

Categories: Willie+J+Phillips guest+artist guest+poet guest+writer music visual+art sci-fi ICP International+Carnival+of+Pozitivities

Early Voting In NC with Sites and Times by County

2008-04-20T08:26:00.003-05:00

Early voting began in North Carolina at county-specific voting sites on April 17th and runs through May 3rd for the upcoming primary. For the first time in decades, North Carolina's voices are in play to decide who will be the Democratic nominee for the office of US President. I voted on Friday at the Durham County Board of Elections Office and found the process very simple and quick. I also met Joe Bowser, a candidate for local office here in Durham who was stumping outside the voting center. Consider this an opportunity not only to vote, but also a potential chance to meet some of the candidates and share your ideas with them before they are elected.

If you would like to vote early, you can find the list of early voting sites and times of operation for each of NC's counties at the State Board of Elections website.

If you have not yet registered to vote, you can do so at the one-stop voting sites in that list to register and vote on the same day. Please note, you can not register to vote on Primary Election Day itself, only through the One-Stop Early Voting process before May 3rd. Click here for more details about in-person voter registration at the one-stop early voting sites.

Please remember that the Presidential race is not the only one whose course you can help decide. Local, city and state offices offer a wide variety of choices for various candidacies. It is a good time to educate yourself about the candidates asking for your vote for offices in the Great State of North Carolina. Please vote, but please vote responsibly by knowing the positions of each of the candidates you support.

Categories: NC+early+voting NC+one+stop+voting politics NC+State+Board+of+Elections NC+Democratic+Primary+2008 NC+early+voting+sites_by_county

Night shots of Spring Flowers: The Return of Ron's Bush

2008-04-19T17:56:00.007-05:00

This double-flowering kerria, a member of the rose family, looks like a yellow galaxy in the light of the moon. This is the plant that my late friend Donald dubbed "Ron's Bush". I am very pleased that it has flourished in this new site and that I have a reminder of Donald outside my back door.

Click on any image to enlarge it for viewing.

In this shot, you can see blue wood hyacinths and red azalea blooms with the lacy leaves of a green Japanese maple in the foreground.

This is a closer shot of the wood hyacinths. You can see that I have three color varieties here: blue, white and pink.

These are native miniature irises that I saved from the Little River north of Durham before it was bulldozed for the Little River reservoir.

A larger variety of irises, these blue bearded varieties are striking in daylight, although a tad too dark for night shots of their blooms.

Categories: gardening flowers photography North+Carolina Spring 2008

Equality North Carolina Celebrates New Discrimination Protections for State Employees

2008-04-15T08:11:00.002-05:00

The following is a press release from Equality NC. It is important to note that this victory provides protection for all members of the LGBTQ community, although Trangendered people are still provisionally protected. More work is needed to include permanent protections for all of us. As a gay man, I stand by those who are transgendered and support a permanent plan to protect arguably the most vulnerable members of our community.

Ron

Equality North Carolina announced today a significant victory in its campaign to end legal discrimination in our state. The 2008 edition of the State Personnel Manual, which covers most state employees, now includes a prohibition of discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity or expression.

"This is a big step forward for equal rights and justice in North Carolina," said Ian Palmquist, Executive Director. "Now state employees will be afforded the same protections that so many of our state's private companies offer their employees."

"North Carolinians value fairness and are opposed to the state or any other employer denying the basic right to work free from discrimination."

Equality NC Foundation lobbied the State Personnel Commission and the Governor's office on behalf of the policy. The effort grew out of the group's work to pass legislation addressing this issue in the 2007 legislative session.

When the State Personnel Commission first considered the issue last summer, their proposed language covered only sexual orientation. Equality NC was successful in advocating for the policy to be expanded to ensure that gender identity or expression were covered before final adoption.

Palmquist recognized the contributions of many allies in securing the policy change, including Sen. Charlie Albertson, Rep. Paul Luebke, and Rep. Larry Womble, the primary sponsors of the related legislation; Governor Mike Easley; Thomas Wright, the head of the Office of State Personnel, and his staff; and the members of the State Personnel Commission.

The change is limited in some ways because the additional categories were added by executive branch policy, not by legislative amendment of the statute governing state personnel. Enforcement of the policy is left to each state department, rather than being managed by the Office of State Personnel, which addresses discrimination on race, religion, sex and other categories. In addition, the policy could be easily changed or removed by a future administration.

Equality North Carolina will continue to push the legislature to put the new policy into the statue, ensuring clear and uniform enforcement, and covering additional state workers.

Despite those limitations, Palmquist says the policy provides real protection for lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender state employees who may fear workplace discrimination. The policy will discourage discrimination and provide a way for employees to seek redress when they do experience discrimination.

"As we celebrate this victory, we also continue our work to ensure these protections are securely written into law for state employees and all North Carolina workers," said Palmquist. "Like most North Carolinians, we look forward to a day when all employees will be judged by their qualifications and performance, and not based on irrelevant characteristics like their sexual orientation or gender identity."

You can sign up here for Equality NC Action Network.

Categories: ENC Equality+NC Politics LGBTQ tolerance anti-discrimination NC+State+Government

ICP 2.10 Available at Mshairi

2008-04-07T15:58:00.002-05:00

Dear Friends of the International Carnival of Pozitivities (ICP):

It is a tremendous pleasure to announce the publication of edition 2.10 of the ICP at Mshairi.

Mshairi is our first host from Africa, from Kenya exactly, who
currently lives in London. I encourage you to bookmark this edition and visit it over time so that you can enjoy each of the contributions from the world of HIV/AIDS. I hope that you will also join me in thanking Mshairi for her work this month.

This 22nd consecutive edition of the ICP features personal accounts, video, poetry, humor, a first chapter of a martial-arts fiction novel
and the latest in news from the HIV/AIDS community. I hope that you will spend some time reading and that you will leave comments for the contributors.

Next Edition

Please visit the ICP homepage to learn more about this project and how you can contribute. We are now accepting submissions for edition 2.11 to be hosted at DropDeadHappy. For this next edition, we return to Vancouver, BC, Canada and the generous hosting skills of Mark Kokocki. Please consider contributing your original artwork, poetry, news, personal accounts, short stories, videos or music files for the next edition.

Contribute Your Work

Please join the growing community of contributors and hosts for this important international forum for genuine voices of AIDS. If you are interested in hosting the ICP, please email me and I will make the process for you as painless as possible. We have hosts in line through May, 2008, but if you would like to host in June, 2008, or beyond, please let me know. I hope that you will consider signing up to host a specific edition of the ICP as we are always looking for friends who are willing to host.

To be Removed From or Added To the ICP mailing list:

Click here to be added to the ICP mailing list.

Click here to be removed from the ICP mailing list.

If you did not receive notice of the ICP from me via direct email, then I do not have your email address in the mailing list. Please note that I can not remove an email address that does not exist on the mailing list. Your privacy is absolutely critical and no email addresses will be shared, sold or given to any other source. I use blind-copy distribution technology to prevent your identity from being revealed.

Safe Journeys!

Ron Hudson

Categories: ICP International+Carnival+of+Pozitivities HIV AIDS HIV/AIDS Mshairi blog carnival blog+carnival

Swiftboated Anti-Christ

2008-04-05T13:51:00.004-05:00

I wondered how long it would be before some religious political pundit would scratch out their anger and xenophobia about the Obama campaign. I found the answer in my inbox this week. Yes, now they are saying that Senator Obama is the anti-Christ and implying that it is the godly thing to do to oppose his candidacy for the office of US President.

Here is the original text of the drivel. I have cleaned up the formatting a bit as the original author apparently didn't understand the concept of line-breaks.

Subject: Fw: anti-christ???????

Remember--God is good, and is in time, on time--every time.

According to The Book of Revelation on the anti-christ:

The anti-christ will be a man, in his 40s, of MUSLIM descent, who will deceive the nations with persuasive language, and have a MASSIVE Christ-like appeal....the prophecy says that people will flock to him and he will promise false hope and world peace, and when he is in power, will destroy everything.

Is it OBAMA??

I STRONGLY URGE each one of you to repost this as many times as you can! Each opportunity that you have to send it to a friend or media outlet...do it! If you think I am crazy..I'm sorry but I refuse to take a chance on the 'unknown' candidate.

Especially with all his so called 'Christian' ties, who's church pledges total allegiance to Africa, and also with his strong Muslum (sic)ties, and terrorists.

There are so many things wrong with this email. First off, mentioning God in the opening line is a good touch to make people feel that they are getting something of a holy nature. Yet, there is nothing holy about mean-spirited misrepresentation of another person. In fact, one of God's top ten sins is bearing false witness against another.

By asking "Is it Obama?" without stating it, the writer takes a cowardly turn toward implication without having to risk being sued for slander. However, he or she turns the message right back into a slanderous mode when s/he refers in the last paragraph to Obama's "terrorist" ties. Which ones are those? I don't recall having heard anyone say that Obama is a terrorist or linked to any terrorist organization. Did I miss an episode of Fox News? (Oh, yeah, all of them.)

I wrote the person who sent this to me. I found that his reaction was to become defensive and to not take responsibility for his own actions. His first sentence in his own defense stated "First of all, I didn't write the email. I only forwarded it..." There ya go.

Another recipient of the email wrote back as well and was blasted for replying to all of the people who received the original email. It seems that it is OK to spread lies but if you try to clear them up, you are a bad person for shouting your rebuttal as loudly as the original lies.

If you receive an email from anyone with this kind of tone, please REPLY TO ALL and tell them what you think of the "swiftboating" approach to politics that has too long divided the good people of this country. Everyone has a right to their religious beliefs and to speak their minds. They do not have the right to slander anyone. It is sickening when it happens from campaigns and even more when it is the common man who stoops to this level of fearmongering.

If you live in North Carolina and want to learn more about the Obama campaign or you want to register to vote in the May Primary, please click here to be directed to the official campaign page for Senator Obama. I much prefer this approach to winning votes from the Obama homepage for North Carolina:

Welcome to North Carolina for Obama

It's time to put an end to the say-anything-to-win politics of the past. Together we can face the challenges of the future with a new kind of politics and a new kind of leadership.

Categories: politics swiftboating anti-Christ Senator+Barack+Obama religion racism intolerance

Welcoming Guest Writer Travis from Oregon, USA

2008-04-04T10:25:00.002-05:00

Please welcome guest writer Travis from Oregon, USA, to the growing list of writers, artists, poets and musicians who have contributed to the International Carnival of Pozitivities. This post from 2 years ago comes with a warning for strong language, discussion of drug use and sexual content, but the story is compelling and should be heard. I hope that you will join me in welcoming Travis and his experiences as an HIV+ man.

Writer's Biography
Travis is a 43 year old man who lives in Oregon. He works as a community living specialist for developmentally disabled adults and has been living with HIV for 15 years without knowing it and for the past 3 years on medication. His interests include a lifelong herbalism fixation, making herbal remedies, and growing rare medicinal plants. He has lived in remote mountains for half of his life. Needless to say, he loves the mountains and camping.

Always and Forever

Mar 19, 2006 9:10 pm
Mood: crazy

god- its so hard to find a place to start. The beginning i guess is traditional. he was just a boy when i first saw him...a beautiful, sandy haired, blue-eyed skater boy. it took only the first glance to know, in my soul,that i loved him. watched him for many years with an almost abnormal crush on him. we were friends. when his parents kicked him out, i let him stay with me. his parents were professionals- a doctor and a lawyer, who were so busy achieving they didn't have the time to raise him. so he stayed with me.

when my fortune turned low, i moved from that cabin- a cabin in the woods- to a school bus of all fuckin' things. worst living situation to ever have, never do it boys. that metal skin condensed water like Noah's flood. but we were buds and dealt with it. he had his friends and youthful life, i hit the bar drinking and gettin' stoned and going thru the guys like it was a candy shop. i was considered attractive and never had a lack of lays. he saw all this coming and going, me not really gettin' the picture that he might like ME BACK.

he went with me in that damned bus to another town where i wasted (only guy i say wasted about) my time pursuing a blond actor wanna be. well, he is in an applebee's commercial, i guess he's an actor? while i was frittering my time away with that guy, this young man found a woman who gave him sex. not realizing his emotional needs, he hooked up with this woman and made a baby. she told me in confidence that she didn't really want a father, just a sperm donor.

by different circumstances, we all ended moving back to the town we had previously moved from. he was faithful to her and would not have sex with me while he was with her. he wanted to make a family and love work. that was him- always loyal. i mean the type of loyal that only exists in movies. when his boy was almost 2, and she had refused to let him sleep with her and the baby, and refused sex, and then refused to kiss hold or love him, we went out and got drunk one night and on the way back to their apartment (he was now letting me sleep on his couch) we stopped off in the graveyard and had sex. i gave him a blowjob i will never forget.(to be fair, i remember every bj i gave him).

by this time she was fairly sizzling with the desire to have that baby all to herself with no one. her and i talked, by this time i finally realized i utterly loved him without compare. she so wanted him gone she told me point blank if wanted him and would take him away to by all means do it. so i did,with her blessing. i'm not a complete idiot,after all.

we moved from Oregon to the [San Francisco] Bay Area. i lived in a room in a ritzy part of s.f. and he had a room in mt. view, working at a trader joe's. i made fetishes by the hundreds for a notorious african high priest, under the table profit, more $ than i've ever made before or since. after the s.f. scene didn't work (living with breeders) we got a room by the month in a mt. view crack motel.(good choice, huh?) we spent some time doin' some good dope ourselves. when we realized we were spending $900 for a room with no glass in the windows, we decided we'd be better off livin' in the car. so i continued to make fetishes at campsites, and we tooled around CA for about a year. when we pulled our heads out of our speed addled asses, we took that damn car back to Oregon-Eugene. we gradually got an apt. and he got a job at safeway and i played the good but lazy wife. this went on for a year or two.

we both hated eugene but were making a go of it. me and a friend went down to ashland for the day and on the way back, we ran out of gas about 6 miles out of town. i, being a ditz, hadn't wore any shoes that day. so by the time we walked into town from that my tootsies were toast. i stopped at a convenience store and got a coke, cussed and read a want ad paper. i saw an ad for 1&1/2acres of land out in the sticks, in sagebrush desert land near to where i had originally grown up. cowboy land, hicksville. usa. but it was $70 down, $70 a month.

so my husbund (by that time we knew we were keepers) called this dude in portland, made the arrangements, sight unseen. we got a picture in the mail of our little bit o' sagebrush paradise. we worked thru that winter, accumulated camping supplies, smoked a jay and looked at our picture every day. in spring we loaded our shit up and in one sweep moved to the sticks. we were broke but free. we learned how to make an adobe cabin, going to the nearest jesus store to fill our 55 gal drum in the backseat of a dodge 4 door. god life was hard. but we could see any visitors miles before they got there. no noise. only gods outdoors.

he got me a puppy for company when he was gone, i continued to build and run around naked. no one to see! after a few years we had enough money to have a well drilled thru 300 feet of volcanic rock. we got an old fashioned, little-house-on-the-prairie hand pump. everyone thought we were nuts, but we wanted something we could fix ourselves, seeing that town and repairman and electricity were many miles away. didn't want to rely on some dude for our drinking water. each year became better. he got himself a little ranch dog so mine would have a companion. there we were, 4 dudes livin large in the sticks.

on 3 occasions he looked at me, at sunset, and said 'baby it don't get no better than this' But after 10 years we wanted to see persons again, so we moved, for a season, to the rouge valley, for fun and socialization. rented a little cabin in the woods there, but 10 minutes to town by bike. the mother of the folks we were renting from channels aliens, and the aliens said they should raise the rent, so we told em to fuck off, got a teepee and moved to a rental space at a hotsprings.

he got the job he always wanted, he was a fireman! and man, was he sexy when he came back from a fire in those duds! fuck the smoke smell and charcoal and chainsaw grease, we never waited to clean up for lovin. i got a job working for a group home for developmentally disabled adults. he was so proud of me! and me of him. we were never more in love, he was more attractive each year!

that was november. we celebrated x-mas a week early, got each other toys that only woods boys would like. on the day of new years eve, he got ill and went to the hospital. just before midnight we found out he was sick, he had highly advanced cancer. his dad graciously got us into a house with a view, quickly, so he'd have a house and not a teepee to come back to. it was the prettiest and most expensive house we'd ever lived in. one month later i heard him scream in the shower, i went in, got in the shower w/ my cloths on and held him while his hair washed down the drain..

may 24th he died while his dad and i were mowing the lawn. his dad and i washed him, and i personally wheeled him into the oven. i so hate seeing smoke coming out of that stack, i walk by it every day i go to work. i hate it so fuckin much. so fuckin much. and while we're at it, i SO FUCKING HATE GOD for taking the one real, loyal thing in life away. we never cheated, didn't need to, we had an affair with each other for our lives.

before he died,he was in so much pain that i couldn't hold him, it hurt too much.one night we were watching t.v. in our 2 easy chairs. he reached out his finger, and asked me to reach with mine as well. when our fingertips touched, he said love? and i said 'love' and then he said the thing that i will never forget- 'i love you, no regrets, Always and Forever'.

after he died i thought of walking in front of a truck, or shootin' the hugest bag of dope in creation. but i was a coward and didn't have the guts. and no one else would take care of our two furry sons, our dogs, in the way they need. i've kept on, went to counseling that was ineffective, moved to a house with a big yard for the dogs, and sit here telling you all this cause it's the only thing that is purging my soul.

and then this last week or so i find myself drawn to a beautiful boy that i e-mail on this site. i feel so guilty, i know my husband would want me to love, he told me so before he died. but i still feel guilty. but i'm so fucking lonely to be held. but who in the fuck would go to bed with this kind of baggage?( mourning a husband and being AIDS positive) (and i am proof that it can incubate for MANY years before the symptoms manifest - getting tested regularly is a key to survival) thankfully i'm not so guilty i can't beat off, but i always end up cumming thinking thinkin' of my man. so again- who the fuck would want this baggage? but i feel so good when this cute boy e-mails me, a boy that most likely i'll never get to meet in the flesh anyway. so thanks guys, for letting me rant,it's the only thing thats helped.

Always and Forever.

Categories: ICP Guest+writer Travis HIV/AIDS HIV AIDS cancer International+Carnival+of+Pozitivities

"Sometimes Forget": Guest Poet/Lyricist Willie J. Phillips, aka Shadowstar ex Machina

2008-04-02T11:34:00.006-05:00

Please welcome back guest poet/lyricist/rap artist/fiction writer/artist Willie J. Phillips of Durham, NC and of the rap/hip hop group Shadowstar ex Machina. In a show of support for the ICP, our ally has written this piece on HIV/AIDS and the potential intolerance of people toward the LGBTQ community.

To learn more about Shadowstar ex Machina, please click here to email Willie directly.

Ron

Sometimes Forget

For the love of all things, please don't be offended.
This will most likely look like blame games at the ending.
I live in a nice home that I lease,
Work for monetary increase by grinding in the belly of the beast.
A simple explanation for my troubles is sufficient.
Heterosexual men and women on this mission
called life
have to be tolerant of some homosexual's rights,
playing "victim" in the spotlight.

I deserve better.
You should want the same.
Wait until it's YOUR son calling out your name
from another man's car, holding hands on their way into the bar,
in a fabulous party they call FAME.
Two months later finds out he has AIDS.
So he comes to you in confidence because his partners gaze
gives him goosebumps.
Tell me my friend, what do you say?
Face to face with the fact that your own son is gay.

Call me radical, you can even call it bigotry.
My flat earth thinking has worked throughout history.
Conspiracy theorists try blaming it on research with monkeys.
My truth is from the filth of other countries.
America the beautiful has offered to be vigilant
and still these dirty masses stay ignorant.
Please don't be blind to the obvious, or maybe you should.
Or would you like to keep segregating neighborhoods?

Maybe I'm wrong, and so are people just like me.
Even if you blame a gay person, he or she
will not change for your judgments.
And maybe when we mind our own damn affairs, it's easier to find justice.
Evaluate yourself and put yourself in someone's shoes
then ask yourself if life is here to just
encourage the ruse?
How could you stand proud, claiming to be of Christian use
but when a lesbian couple asks for help, you refuse?

Sometimes it's better to help or be quiet.
It's easy to believe, takes soul power to try it.
Unconditional love, knowledge and refinement
self mastery, good vibes and good timin'.
True justice, inner force, outer vision
brotherhood, righteousness, freedom for your children.
Fight for all you know as right, no remorse, no regrets.
No "sin" is unforgivable, so sometimes forget.

- Copyright April 1, 2008 by Shadowstar ex Machina

Categories: Willie+J+Phillips Shadowstar+ex+Machina guest+poet ICP LGBTQ International+Carnival+of+Pozitivities HIV AIDS HIV/AIDS tolerance intolerance

"Resurrection of Renewal": Welcoming Guest Poet Bill Mann

2008-04-02T11:08:00.002-05:00

Please join me in welcoming first time contributor and poet, Bill Mann. His biography and poem follow.

Ron

Bill Mann was born in North Carolina to a poor family, Later his home was broken up, and he was raised in foster homes to the age of 19. He moved to Virginia and found his way in the world. He worked at various jobs and then found his way to God. He was married for 15 years, and had three lovely children. With his children all grown now, he has 5 grandkids. Bill is owner of Michael Ministries that helps with food and clothing in the local area. Bill also has a prayer ministry over the internet. Bill reaches out to the homeless and listens to men with issues, letting them know their issues are held in confidence with the art of care and understanding of a listening heart. Bill desires to reach out to change the world, one person at a time, one day at a time to make it a better place for all peoples to live in. For all problems in life there is always an answer. Click here to contact Bill directly.

Resurrection of Renewal

Coming of Spring
Revels a new call
Of awakening
A powerful resurrection.
New leaves, buds
And blossoms arrive
From their sleep of death.
Warmth of sunlight
Awakens their slumber,
Bringing change, renewal
Surfacing once again
Showing of vast beauty.
May you also know
Resurrection, change,
A renewal within
Causing a better you
To bud and bloom forth.
May you know peace
In your renewal of life
As the power of change
Bursts within you.

copyrighted by Bill Mann

Categories: guest+poet Bill+Mann poetry ICP International+Carnival+of+Pozitivities

Guest Writer, Artist and Musician's Debut at 2sides2ron: Willie J. Phillips

2008-03-29T12:15:00.008-05:00

The following presentation is a bit of a departure for 2sides2ron and the International Carnival of Pozitivities. Please welcome the work of my friend, Willie J. Phillips of Durham, NC. Willie is a talented author, artist and rap artist. He is the driving force behind a local hip-hop group, Shadowstar, whose lyrics are thought-provoking and whose music is as professionally stunning as any that I have heard from major labels.

This post is the first in a series of chapters of Willie’s science-fiction martial arts novella, Godfist Legend: Zero7. This work is not HIV related, but it seemed to me that I could promote Willie’s work as a ally of the HIV community and as my friend. This work should offer a bit of a diversion from the usual HIV related posts for our readers. Please let us know what you think. Subsequent chapters will be posted in future months.

All images and the text in these posts are copyrighted by Willie J. Phillips. You can click on any image to enlarge it for viewing. To learn more about Willie or his music, Shadowstar ex Machina, please click here to email Willie directly.

Ron Hudson

Godfist Legend: Zero7 Chapter 1

It's cold here. The warm softness of the incubation chamber was not enough to rival the harsh, lifeless chill of the technicians' tools. Testing is always so impersonal, but today's attendant seemed particulary calculating. This is the tenth in a series of what was to be 100 tests. "the 4000th year Fist" project was very secretive, to the extent that I don't even know where I am right now. What's really strange is that I know I'm not supposed to be thinking these things right now. How do I know all this? I don't even feel like myself.

I'm being moved. strangely enough, I'm starting to feel the routine numbness wearing off. It's not supposed to do that until I wake up at home, but how have I been getting there? Who places me back in my bed? Who am I, really? Memories flood into my brain like a sudden blast from the mighty Poseidon. I see my hands sweeping through a man's mouth, severing his head completely. My fists crash into someone's chest cavity multiple times. I feel the reverberance of hundreds, thousands of earth-shattering punches, the pain of my swollen knuckles bloodied from countless assassinations. I can't take it! The tests drive me to the edge of my emotions and further.

My mind...can't take it...too much blood!

They want a dragon? They want the ultimate warrior? I know who I am. VOSHUA DESERE, master mask-maker and sole proprietor of Fisticuff Hotel! A genetically enhanced assassin, stripped of my family...torn to shreds by a dizzying cocktail of murder and love-loss. The Golden Triumvirate will pay!

Color returns to my body as the drugs wear off. The heat of a familiar rush of adrenaline courses through my soul. Too many times this feeling came over me just before a kill, and now it will be used to free me. The technician has no idea; there are no random examinations allowed in the transport halls of NewShanjia Echelon Facility. Now they'll wish there were. We're almost there.

The 'exiting chamber'; a chute for shipping returning subjects disguised as a garbage disposal unit on the outside.

"Is he ready for reinsertion?" another technician asks from his pristine exam table. Looks like there will be plenty of weapons available should the need arise. "This will be his first imprinted 'multiple target' assignment, so we ought to confirm his status before reinsertion."

"Agreed. I'll prepare him," my attendant chimes as he approaches my rolling gurney. Sweet merciful goddess, they're going to let me out themselves. but what if this one notices my changes before unlatching the restraints? I need him now, but how do i connect with him without attracting unnecessary attention.

His hands brush against mine, then his lower abdominal is pressed against the side of the bed. Thank the goddess for highly detailed sterilization rituals and excessive protection from microbes.Insulated operating gloves kept the brief moment of contact from transferring any body heat. His fingers are closing in on the leather harnesses, which means hes going to have to lean down to me. I slow my breathing and heartbeat, no sound, just mounting tension. The suspense seems to cause time to slow down as the fasteners are unlocked one by one.

Two left...bothersome things...one left, almost there.

Before it's completely unlocked my index and middle finger are tightened in protrusion as my remaining fingers close into a supportive fist. Forcefully thrusting my flesh-made knife into the tech's zyphoid was simple, and a swift psychological transfer warned the hapless attendant not to move or scream. He obeys completely and continues freeing me. I assure him that his role in my freedom bought him a one-time-only ticket to life as long as he did not hinder me in any way. One man may seem insignificant to you, but this 'one man' knows more about me than I know myself, so he is utterly NEEDED.

I'm free! My wrists thank the gods by allowing normal blood flow to resume effortlessly. My mind is buzzing with the programmed 'martial science acquirement protocol' and my library of deadly techniques; a small reminder that the 4000th Year Fist was to be my permanent companion. Fine by me. My father wanted me to continue my martial arts studies anyway.

"When I say so," I advise my new partner, "lie on the floor and crawl UNDERNEATH my bed. You don't need to do anything else until I'm finished with the other. Do you understand?" A fearful nod lets me know that I have nothing to worry about concerning his loyalty to me.

Time to win.

Click to proceed to Chapter Two

Categories: Willie+J+Phillips guest+artist guest+poet guest+writer music visual+art sci-fi ICP International+Carnival+of+Pozitivities

AIDSWALK+RIDE 2008, May 3 Raleigh, NC, USA

2008-03-27T10:11:00.002-05:00

I received the following announcement from AIDSWalk+Ride concerning their 2008 event in Raleigh, NC. Please join them in their efforts. Proceeds go to the Alliance of AIDS Services-Carolina and to 10 other AIDS organizations throughout the Triangle Area of NC.

The Alliance of AIDS Services-Carolina is pleased to announce AIDSWALK+RIDE 2008 on Saturday, May 3, 2008. Since 1995, thousands of walkers and riders have helped support programs and services for persons living with HIV/AIDS in our region by participating in AIDSWALK+RIDE. All monies raised support the Alliance and 10 other AIDS organizations throughout the Triangle. Last year, AIDSWALK+RIDE broke all records, raising nearly $200,000 for persons living with HIV/AIDS. We'd like to top that figure in 2008, and we need your help to do it.

AIDSWALK+RIDE provides participants the choice of either riding or walking. The walk will offer a choice of one- and three-mile courses in downtown Raleigh. The bicycle ride will feature 101.5, 60, and 30 mile routes that follow a challenging course across the rolling hills of Wake, Durham, and Orange counties. Both teams and individual riders are welcome. Exciting and creative rest stops along the WALK and RIDE routes offer water, snacks, port-a-johns, and the encouragement of our rabid supporters and volunteers. Walk registration is free. We encourage walkers to raise a minimum of $100. Ride registration is $45. Riders are encouraged to raise a minimum of $150. Event headquarters (and the start of the Ride and Walk) will be at the Halifax Mall in downtown Raleigh. The Halifax Mall is the grassy area between Salisbury and Wilmington Streets in downtown Raleigh, north of the State Legislature and south of the Archdale Building. Registration for walkers and riders is available at AIDSWalk+Ride.org.

Want to volunteer for AIDSWALK+RIDE 2008? We need dozens of volunteers to make sure this event goes off smoothly. Please contact our volunteer coordinator, Camille Koonce, at 919-596-9898 x18 if you or your organization is interested in volunteering.

The Alliance remembers those lost to HIV/AIDS, those living and those we must protect. And the Alliance thanks you for remembering, too.

Categories: AIDSWalk+Ride+Raleigh+NC NC HIV/AIDS HIV AIDS Alliance+of+AIDS+Services-Carolina

We can fund a war nationally, but not evidence gathering for rape cases in NC?

2008-03-26T13:57:00.002-05:00

It has come to my attention that rape victims are potentially being required to foot the bill for at least part if not all of the cost of gathering evidence about their assault in the state of North Carolina. It seems wrong to me that someone who is violated in such an awful and terrible way would have to pay to have evidence gathered that might help put their assailant in jail.

The following information is provided in a petition to the NC State Government to find full funding of rape kits for the victims. You can visit and sign the petition here if you are a legal resident of North Carolina.

Here is the text of the petition:

Should Rape Victims Pay for Forensic Evidence Collection Kits?

• 3,000 survivors OF RAPE are getting rape exams every year
• Average rape exam costs $1,600
• Rape Victim Assistance Program (RVAP) only pays up to $1,000 per survivor and is only a payment of last resort (leftover expenses are billed to survivor).
• Hospitals are billing survivor’s private insurance first, RVAP will then pay remaining balance if it does not exceed $1,000 – if does exceed, survivor is responsible for the remaining balance.

Many North Carolinians are outraged! Take a stand and tell your elected officials that ENOUGH IS ENOUGH! We, the undersigned, ask all elected officials to ensure that rape victims in NC are not billed for evidence collection (rape kits).

Sincerely,

The Undersigned

Categories: rape rape+kits funding petition North+Carolina government

Way to Go, Wildcats!

2008-03-23T16:31:00.004-05:00

I enjoy my rituals about basketball at this time of year. My friends at Davidson were down by double-digits when I smudged the house and put on my Davidson cap. I just watched their victory over Georgetown and send big kudos to all of my friends in Davidson, NC. You have a great team, but even better, you have a team with heart. Go Wildcats!

Categories: Davidson+College basketball NCAA+tournament Wildcats

"Embracing Gayness" from Guest Artist Farid de la Ossa

2008-03-22T11:50:00.002-05:00

Please join me in welcoming back Colombian guest artist Farid de la Ossa.

(The back of the sculpture is to the left, the front is to the right. Click on either image to enlarge it.)

DESCRIPTION OF THE SCULPTURE “EMBRACING GAYNESS”

Even though there has been more understanding and acceptance with regards to sexual orientation in many countries, still in some others thousands of LGBTQ people have been and are discriminated against, attacked and even killed just because of being who they are. Many of all these people have had to leave their homelands and their families and ask for refuge in other countries in which their lives are not in danger because of being LGBTQ.

In honor to all those heroes and heroines that have been faithful to whom they are, I have made this mini sculpture using wood, fabric, cotton, feathers, acrylic painting and glitter. The front part shows a figure in pink covered with glitter. It has wood sticks in the background with the colors of the rainbow which represents being a human in pain and at the same time LGBTQ. The head of the figure is carrying three green cotton balls that support a yellow one which represent the loving divine presence enlightening the lives of all the members of the LGBTQ community in their struggles and challenges. The red feather represents running away in the middle of the suffering in search for being understood and accepted. On the back of this sculpture, the same rainbow sticks are painted with green brushes to represent the hope that LGBTQ people will be treated equally in places and countries in which it is prohibited to express a different sexual orientation. It is my intention with this art piece to contribute to the restoration of the dignity of many gay people all over the world after their having been underestimated because of who they are.

This art piece was made at an art session led by Alberto Rangel at Clinica La Esperanza in San Francisco in the United States. Its dimensions are approximately 12 inches tall and 4 inches of width.

Categories: Farid+de+la+Ossa guest+artist ICP LGBTQ Clinica+la+Esperanza San+Francisco refuge

Research Study on LGBTQ Issues Among South Asian Indians

2008-03-17T15:47:00.003-05:00

I received the following appeal to help locate participants for a study of the LGBTQ Indian community. Please take a moment to read and decide if you can help out the researcher, Sharon Nash.

I'm working on a project on the experience of gay and lesbian Indians and
am looking for people to interview. I am currently enrolled in an
ethnography course on South Asia as part of my graduate work in Liberal
Studies at Duke. I am most interested in talking to gay, lesbian, bisexual or
transgendered Indians or their parents or close friends. In particular I
would like to hear about their experiences being LGBT in India (or in an Indian community in the US), coming out stories, experiences with family and friends, etc. I'm also interested in what effect, if any, homoerotic Hindu mythology and temple carvings had on your experiences as LGBT. I don't anticipate the interviews lasting more than an hour or so. Please email Susan Nash if you are willing to be interviewed.

Please feel free to forward this request to anyone in the Indian community.

Thank you!
Sharon Nash

Categories: LGBTQ ethnology research India Indian Hindu mythology temple+carvings South+Asia

ICP 2.9 is now available at Creampuff Revolution

2008-03-09T09:35:00.004-05:00

It is a tremendous pleasure to announce the publication of edition 2.9 of the ICP at Creampuff Revolution. Creampuff, a.k.a., Roro, who hails from Vancouver, is our first repeat host from Canada. I encourage you to bookmark this edition and visit it over time so that you can enjoy each of the contributions from the world of HIV/AIDS. I hope that you will also join me in thanking Roro for her work this month. We "met" about 2 years ago during the NHL Hockey Championship between Edmonton and the Carolina Hurricanes and have been fast friends since despite some rather competitive invocation of mojo to make our teams win the Stanley Cup. Roro's sense of compassion combined with her sense of humor makes me quite happy to count her among my friends.

This 21st consecutive edition of the ICP features personal accounts, video, a special musical contribution from UK band Slovo, self-help information and the latest in news from the HIV/AIDS community. I hope that you will spend some time reading and that you will leave comments for the contributors. It is through your comments that we can hone our messages and learn how you feel about our work. Please feel free to leave your thoughts with each of the contributors and for our gracious host.

Next Edition

Please visit the ICP homepage to learn more about this project and how you can contribute.

We are now accepting submissions for edition 2.10 to be hosted at Mshairi. This will be Mshairi's first stint as host of the ICP although she has been a frequent contributor in the past. Mshairi's edition will mark the first time that the ICP will have been hosted by an African host. If you like poetry, you should check scroll through her blog. A selection of her poetry also appears at one of my favorite sites, The Other Voices Poetry International Project, an international anthology of poetry from around the world that has been recognized by UNESCO. Mshairi's work appears under the title Footprints.

Contribute Your Work

Please join the growing community of contributors and hosts for this important international forum for genuine voices of AIDS. If you are interested in hosting the ICP, please send me an email to volunteer and I will make the process for you as fun and rewarding as possible. We urgently need new volunteer hosts for the ICP editions after April, 2008. I will work with you to make the process as painless as it can be whether you are a first-time or returning host.

Please Share with Your Friends

Please share this notice with your friends and consider posting announcements of our link on your blogs and websites. Our continuing presence is bolstered by your participation and outreach. Please help spread the word.

To be Removed From or Added To the ICP mailing list:

Please click here to be added to the ICP mailing list.

To be removed from the ICP mailing list, please click here. If you did not receive notice of the ICP from me via direct email, then I do not have your email address in the mailing list. Please note that I can not remove an email address that does not exist on the mailing list. Your privacy is absolutely critical and no email addresses will be shared, sold or given to any other source. I use blind-copy distribution technology to prevent your identity from being revealed.

Peace to you and yours.

Safe Journeys!

Categories: ICP International+Carnival+of+Pozitivities HIV AIDS HIV/AIDS blog carnival blog+carnival Creampuff+Revolution

The Wages of Hatred

2008-03-06T18:13:00.002-05:00

Blessings to Ellen Degeneres for speaking out on the topic of anti-LGBTQ violence. Many in this world would have us believe that it is OK to harass, bully, tease, batter or even murder people who are different from themselves. As Ellen so eloquently states, "We are not second-class citizens." It is time that those who use hate speech understand that the result of their rhetoric can be fatal for the victims and can permanently ruin the lives of the perpetrators and their families. The same goes for ethnic, class-based or religious intolerance. Could we get back to "Live and Let Live"?

Categories: intolerance hate+crimes Ellen+Degeneres murder LGBTQ

Early Spring 2008

2008-02-28T12:20:00.010-05:00

It is actually late winter here in North Carolina, but nature has been fooled into an early spring. Although the outside temperature is 29º F, these beautiful flowers have decided to brighten the landscape a bit.

Click any image to enlarge it for viewing.

The photo above shows a spread of miniature irises. These flowers are captured in individual shots in the next three photos. These delicate flowers grow from bulbs, unlike the native miniature irises that grow from rhizomes in river valleys in North Carolina.

Daffodils always have a special place in my garden and in my heart.

These are crimson quince blooms that have appeared on two different shrubs that I planted about a year ago. I feared the plants were dead due to drought, but they seem to be holding onto life as diligently as I try to do.

This shot of the yellowish-white flowers of the bush honeysuckle unfortunately can not capture the beauty of thier fragrance. My dad called this plant a "First Breath of Spring" due to the wafting of their sweet citrus smell in the late days of winter when the temperature first starts to rise above 50º F.

Categories: flowers gardening photography North+Carolina spring

Being You from Slovo

2008-02-24T11:57:00.008-05:00

I received a copy of Slovo’s new album, Todo Cambia, a couple of weeks ago. One of the songs, Being You, stood out to me and continues to resonate with me as a long-term survivor of HIV/AIDS. Consequently, I wrote to Dave Randall in the UK to ask his permission to share the song with the readers of the International Carnival of Pozitivities. He graciously agreed to allow me to share links to the song with you.

We all have our heroes and our angels. We know, love or care for someone who is a source of strength to help us get through the tough times of living with HIV/AIDS. I consider this song a tribute to those people who have touched my life and given me the strength to carry on. You, yourself, are likely someone's source of inspiration and even if you can't think of anyone you have inspired, know that there is no time like today to start being inspirational. All it takes is reaching out and sharing your soul with others. The more love you give, the more you receive, even when times are rough.

You can find “Being You” in a couple of places. Slovo’s Myspace Page includes a block of selected songs, including Being You, for you to sample. You can also purchase the song for download or add it to your own myspace page from there. If you want to sample some of the band’s other music, you can visit Slovo’s official site. Slovo and the contributors who made this song so beautiful have my heartfelt gratitude.

Being You

Your Superman
Lost the fight
Your guiding star
Slipped from sight
I see you're lost
Bruised and tired
But this world needs
You and all that you inspire

So try to be strong now
Keep struggling on now
And when your heart is true
Whatever else you do
Just keep on being you

Your, your life may
Be the price you pay
But I refuse
To see you lose this way

So try to be strong now
Keep struggling on now
And when your heart is true
Whatever else you do
Just keep on being you

And we'll laugh
And we'll dance
And we'll sing again

And we'll fight
And we'll strike
And we'll win again

And we'll stand on the shoulders of giants
Be who we should be....

Rhianna Kenny - lead vocals
Andrea Britton - backing vocals
Lucy Shaw - double bass
Frank Byng - ride cymbal
Dave Randall - guitars, piano cavaquinho, music and lyrics

Copyright 2007 Brixtown Music

Categories: ICP International+Carnival+of+Pozitivities HIV/AIDS HIV AIDS Slovo Being+You Dave+Randall Rhianna+Kenny Andrea+Britton Lucy+Shaw Frank+Byng

Protected by San Francisco: Guest Artist Farid de la Ossa

2008-02-21T09:03:00.002-05:00

Please welcome back guest artist Farid de la Ossa of Colombia.

Protected by San Francisco

Click on image to enlarge it for viewing.

One year ago I arrived in San Francisco for the first time. Since then, my attention has been called to all the services and all the many people and institutions that are always willing to help LGBTQ people and people with HIV who come from anywhere in the world to this city. In honor of the wonderful attention that San Francisco has given me and many others who have come to the Bay Area, I decided to make this painting.

It depicts figures that represent the city, including the Golden Gate Bridge and the statue of San Francisco that appears at the entrance of Grace Cathedral in San Francisco. San Francisco's symbols are bringing light to a rainbow-dressed person who is lying on the lap of a light pink dressed person, who, for me, are the representatives of the LGBTQ community who in many ways have received the unconditional protection and care from San Francisco. The light pink dressed person represents all those people who act like angels within the city of San Francisco and who, in many unexpected ways, have helped me and have helped the many LGBTQ people who come to the city for refuge.

As a conclusion for the description of this painting I would just like to quote what Tyrell Pough said in his writing “Continuation of the Life” which is part of the book called “The Full Spectrum” edited by David Levithan and Billy Merrell. Pugh said:

I indentify as a gay male who’s open-minded and believes that anything is possible.

I would just add that many people like me have had the chance to really think and do what Pugh says because of the support of the city of San Francisco. The materials used in this painting were color pencils, water paint and acrylics on cardboard paper.

Categories: guest+artist Farid+de+la+Ossa HIV AIDS LGBTQ HIV/AIDS San+Francisco compassion

Why FISA is Wrong for America

2008-02-13T11:18:00.004-05:00

Any society that would give up a little liberty to gain a little security will deserve neither and lose both.
Benjamin Franklin

The US Senate voted yesterday to strip the amendment to the FISA bill that would have held the telecom companies in the US responsible for aiding and abetting the Bush Administration's unconstitutional wiretapping "program". The US House, however, has passed a bill that would not provide retroactive immunity for Verizon, AT&T and others that participated, so now the two versions of the bill will have to be reconciled.

The Bush administration has been very good at fear-mongering. Their rational is that the enemy is potentially everywhere...it could be you or me, for example. The extent of their fear has made it seem reasonable for people to give up their personal liberties for the sake of controlling their fear. By using a warrantless system for wiretapping, they have bypassed the US Constitution and have set a potential precedent that we should all heed and fight to eradicate.

In the US, the Constitution provides for individual liberties. The system was built to ensure that no government could ever exercise unreasonable control over the rights of individuals. However, the Bush administration has used corporate America to twist the intent of the law to their benefit. Since the Constitution was written at a time when the current power and scope of a company or corporation was not imagined, it does not specifically protect companies from search and seizure. The government can therefore seize or request with complicit organizations access to commercial databases and drill down to find information about private citizens. This is an affront to liberty. If someone is sufficiently suspicious to be spied upon, then let our government officials follow the law and get a warrant to gain access to the information that they need.

If we do not stop this use of one hand to slap the other by the government, then you might want to reconsider all of the companies with which you do business. Reward programs that record your shopping history can be used to find out what you purchase. Banking records can be used to determine how you spend your money. Airline mile programs can be used to find out where you fly, drive or stay. It is not protected information, except to the extent that companies who gather data on you are willing to protect your right to privacy. It is hard to imagine a more paranoid administration that the current Bush administration, but what if we end up under the thumb of another tyrant down the road? Demand your privacy and demand that those who take your privacy away be liable for their actions. I support a new Constitutional Amendment to provide a Right to Privacy for all of our citizens.

You can help out now by taking action. CREDO, formerly Working Assets, a progressive telecom company, allows you to take action now to tell your Senators and Representatives how you feel about your loss of privacy and the unraveling of the US Constitution. TrueMajorityAction.org also has set up this page that will allow you to exercise your right to free speech, your right to peaceable free association and your right to speak out against tyranny in our government. I urge all of you to visit both pages and tell your members of Congress how you feel. If they do not vote for liberty and privacy, then you have the right to vote them out in the next election for which they seek your trust.

If this bill is passed with retroactive immunity provided to Verizon and AT&T, I will be going through an annoying process of changing my email and telephone service provider. I hope that I do not have to do so, but I do not want to do business with any company that might have trampled on my privacy for the sake of the paranoia of this President and his legal advisors.

Most of us have nothing that we need to hide. It is the principle of having our personal data used against us that motivates me to write about this threat to our freedom. I hope that you will join me in speaking out.

Categories: politics FISA warrantless+wiretapping spying, US+Congress right+to+privacy

US Senate Allows Immunity for Telecom Companies

2008-02-12T12:15:00.001-05:00

The United States Senate voted today to allow immunity for the telecom companies that provided support for the warrantless wiretapping program that President Bush supports. A role call vote by Senator shows who supported our rights as US citizens and those who sided with these companies for the unconstitutional wiretapping program.

While nearly all of the attention is on the Presidential primaries right now, we need to remember that we also have to win a larger majority in the US Senate in order to move forward from this abysmal time in US History. Both of my Senators from North Carolina, both Republicans, sided with the President on this critical issue. Many Democrats also supported the President on this critical issue. I urge you to check your own Senators' voting records on this issue and consider whether you feel you can support them in future elections. It is your privacy that has been sold out.

Categories: politics wiretapping telecommunications+immunity US+Senate roll-call+vote

ICP 2.8 is available at NotPerfectAtAll

2008-02-09T12:04:00.000-05:00

It is a tremendous pleasure to announce the publication of edition 2.8 of the ICP at NotPerfectAtAll. Dragonette is our first European-based host, working from The Netherlands I encourage you to bookmark this edition and visit it over time so that you can enjoy each of the contributions from the world of HIV/AIDS. I hope that you will also join me in thanking Dragonette for her work this month.

This 20th consecutive edition of the ICP features personal accounts, video, music, self-help information and the latest in news from the HIV/AIDS community. Among these posts, you will find news about HIV/AIDS from around the world, posts from long-term survivors, an Annie Lennox-supported HIV-prevention campaign, news and personal accounts from Africa, Australia, Asia, Europe, and North and South America. I hope that you will spend some time reading and that you will leave comments for the contributors.

Next Edition

Please visit the ICP homepage to learn more about this project and how you can contribute. We are now accepting submissions for edition 2.9 to be hosted at Creampuff Revolution. This will be Roro's second stint as host of the ICP, as she hosted our March edition of last year. Her writing style is beautiful, funny, clever and guaranteed to make your ICP experience a good one. Please consider contributing your original artwork, poetry, news, personal accounts, short stories, videos or music files for Roro to knit together into edition 2.9.

Contribute Your Work Or Volunteer to HOST

Please join the growing community of contributors and hosts for this important international forum for genuine voices of AIDS. If you are interested in hosting the ICP, please click here to volunteer. I promise to make the process for you as painless as possible. We urgently need new volunteer hosts for the ICP editions after March, 2008. If any of you have previously hosted or if you are first-time host, I will work with you to make the process as fun as it can be.

Please Share with Your Friends

To be Added to or Removed from the ICP mailing list:

Please click here to be added to the ICP mailing list. Click here to be removed from the ICP mailing list.

Please note: If you did not receive notice of the ICP from me via direct email, then I do not have your email address in the mailing list. Your privacy is absolutely critical and no email addresses will be shared, sold or given to any other source. I use blind-copy distribution technology to prevent your identity from being revealed.

Peace to you and yours.

Ron Hudson

2sides2ron

Poundcake Love

The International Carnival of Pozitivities (ICP)

Categories: ICP International+Carnival+of+Pozitivities Dragonette NotPerfectAtAll HIV AIDS HIV/AIDS blog carnival blog+carnival

When did choice become a problem?

2008-02-08T09:57:00.001-05:00

The air had hardly cleared from Super Tuesday when former Gov. Mitt Romney decided to suspend his Republican contest for the Presidential nomination. He leaves a front-runner in Senator John McCain and former Governor Mike Huckabee, the darling of the conservative evangelicals. Their contest is not over, only delayed by the need to gain a majority of delegates. Huckabee can perhaps gain more support with time, but it looks like his bid is now to become the running mate of John McCain. I don't know about you, but my awareness that another evangelically-supported potential Vice-President will be just a breath away from assuming power from a 71 year-old type-A President does not speak much of change.

On the Democratic side, it became very clear from Super Tuesday that the race is far from decided. With Senator Obama's victories, he demonstrated that he is a contender, if not the candidate with the most momentum going into the next primaries. As a Democrat and one who seeks change in the US political system, I see these two as a couple of very good choices for the nomination. These two candidates may not agree on all of the details of how to repair the damage done to this country over thirty years of political domination by the Republican party, but their united message is that we must have change and that we will be united by the time of the general election.

It was less than a day after the Super Tuesday results were known that the media pundits started reporting that the close race for the Democratic nomination is "dividing the nation according to race and gender." Since when does having a democratic (small "d") choice of two good candidates become a problem? Divisiveness is such a relative quality to be considered when compared to the past two elections. We could hardly approach the degree of rancor that President Bush has generated over the past seven years.

It is my opinion that we have a great thing happening here. Clinton and Obama have a chance to earn their potential nod from the Democrats. Their are differences in their positions that allow those of us who have not yet had the opportunity to vote for either of them to participate in our mutual destinies. It is a blow to the concept of Super Tuesday and early primaries that no one is yet nominated, but that too, is a good thing. Shouldn't everyone in every state have a stake in who is running for President? If we want to hype up the system with a Super Tuesday and finalize the nominees before March, then, by God, let us have a national primary where everyone gets their chance to participate equally on the same day and with equal influence according to population. Get agreement on a national primary and we won't have to alienate delegates from Florida and Michigan, nor those from states with primaries that are much later than the rest.

The main differences on the issues between Clinton and Obama are few. Clinton supports a Universal Health Care plan, something that I fully support. Obama supports a less comprehensive health care plan. There are other differences that can be brought out with further debate. I welcome learning more about their records and positions on all issues.

So how does having a choice become a problem? I think the pundits have it wrong. I think we have an opportunity here...as long as the Democratic candidates remain civil with one another in the process. I call upon them both to do that. Inspire, speak to the issues and present a unified front about the things that we believe in common and we all win. Beat each other up in public and we all lose. I hope for civility, for change and for a brighter future.

Categories: politics national+primary Super+Tuesday Clinton Obama McCain Huckabee

Slovo's Latest: Todo Cambia

2008-02-07T18:08:00.000-05:00

The latest release from Slovo has finally made it to me and I am obligated by my sense of taste and right to encourage you to find a copy of this CD as soon as you can. The music is a blend of acoustic, electronica and hip-hop with lyrics that are topical and political or personal and touching. Whether speaking out on the subjects of personal encouragement for those burned out or decrying the material emptiness of modern marketing schemes in glossy magazines and videos, or in representing for the forgotten and oppressed peoples of the world, Dave Randall, Bobby Whiskers and Andrea Britton deliver powerful and beautiful messages.

From the song "Magazine Men":

I wanna be free
To love myself
I wanna be free
To know myself
I wanna be free
To be no one else but me

From "Many People":

Yes, I'm scared to be alone
(Rain, Rain, the old man's snoring, the whole world's warring)
And I might just lose my home
Seems you've got me living on my knees
But a change is coming, a change is coming

Change is coming. Todo cambia.

Categories: music Slovo politics marketing change Todo+Cambia

British Telly Skewers Political Idiots

2008-01-22T09:31:00.000-05:00

A tip of the hat to Kenn Chaplin at My Journey With AIDS for posting this video from a British comedy, "Little Britain" (one, I must admit, that I do not recognize yet). It reminded Kenn of the Senator Craig affair. It reminds me of all the political idiots out there who have ever lied to the public about, oh, say, deleted tapes or emails, the scope of the dragnet mandated by "the program" or women they have slept with.

Sure, the relative importance of the lie is significant in each case, but the fact that any politician would lie undermines my ability to ever trust those individuals again. Ever. So, Senator Craig isn't gay and just has a wide-stance. The wiretapping within "the program" was not subject to Congressional review and yes, Bill Clinton never slept with that woman. At least, when Clinton lied...true, we are wont to hear, no one died. He just ruined a blue dress and was nearly impeached for it. Hypocrisy...yes, that counts too.

The American (and Canadian and British and....) public is watching and expecting more from its new crop of candidates. To hope for less would be a laughable tragedy.

Categories: politics lies dishonesty trust humor Little+Britain My+Journey+With+AIDS video

Link TV: There You Go Again: Orwell Comes to America - Deceiving Images

2008-01-19T12:29:00.000-05:00

Last evening, while awaiting the arrival of my partner for dinner, I had the great fortune to have tuned into a panel discussion on Link TV, one of my favorite media outlets. From their mission statement, you learn that:

Link TV broadcasts programs that engage, educate and activate viewers to become involved in the world. These programs provide a unique perspective on international news, current events, and diverse cultures, presenting issues not often covered in the U.S. media. We connect American viewers with people at the heart of breaking events, organizations in the forefront of social change and the cultures of an increasingly global community.

Last night's panel discussion, There You Go Again: Orwell Comes to America - Deceiving Images was held in the New York Public Library and covered the topics of psycholinguistics and manipulation as tools of the political process in the United States.

This panel, "Deceiving Images: The Science of Manipulation" features three experts in the field of communication - George Lakoff, Frank Luntz and Drew Westen - who are joined by moderator Nicholas Lemann, and asks whether the age of propaganda is over or if politicians and pundits are just refining the techniques of manipulation. These panelists from both the left and right reveal their secrets about how politicians manipulate the public.

Please take the time to watch this fascinating discussion that shows why the Democratic Party has lost the agenda war to the Republicans for the past 30 years and see how our minds are manipulated by the careful crafting of political discourse by those seeking our votes.

Have you ever wondered how the word "liberal" has become so reviled? If you have had the good fortune to have lived in North Carolina, you would know that Jesse Helms, our former Senator, was one of the pioneers of associating the word "liberal" with other terms that bring a negative impression along for the ride. You will see how the Republican Party has used the technique to link the "war on terror" to Iraq so expertly that the American public is muddled about the links between terrorism and our invasion of Iraq to topple Saddam Hussein. You can also see a very powerful rebuttal to the phrase "Support Our Troops". This mantra was pinpointed as a particularly egregious example of deceitful manipulation by the Bush Administration to maintain support for the occupation of Iraq by making those who oppose the war appear to oppose our troops. Have you ever thought about the powerful subliminal messages included in words like "homeland security" and "evil-doers"? It is time to move into the realm of meta-language and to examine how words cause emotional responses in the electorate that would make any potential voting machine tampering seem totally benign.

The video is long, but engaging, particularly if you are a student of language, psychotherapy or the art of persuasion/manipulation. The Democratic Party would do well to take this video into the training rooms for all of its candidates. By grasping the language used by the Republicans, the Democratic Party can reconnect to its base and perhaps accomplish something to put this country back on track.

Categories: politics language psycholinguistics persuasion manipulation LINK+TV Republican Democrat propaganda

A Nata Village Blog Update: Thank you!!

2008-01-19T11:45:00.000-05:00

I received the following email today from Melody Jenkins at Nata Village Blog:

Dear Ron,

Hope all is well for you this 2008. As I told you before I gave away a lot of the glasses that were primarily for reading. I want to direct you to the website so you can see the impact you made on our elderly in Nata.

I had about 16 pair of the strongest prescription glasses left and I took them to Manakanagore ward for the elderly to try. It was so amazing. These folks were nearly blind and you gave them an opportunity to see again. I've been doing development work for almost 11 years and I've got to tell you that when I helped one of the women put on her glasses and she looked at me directly in my eyes, she was so stunned and happy that she could see my face. It was a moment I will never forget.

All of them together were so happy and looking at each other and laughing. It was great. They even began to sing. What a day. Thanks for letting me be your vehicle to do your good work.

All the best,

Melody

PS Please send along thanks to the others you know who sent glasses. I wasn't able to log on to that message board as it took to long with my slow server.

It is very heartwarming to me that we were able to bring vision back to these few beautiful elderly ladies in Botswana. It was your efforts as individuals that made a huge difference for those in Nata and surrounding villages who are in need. I feel that I do not deserve any praise for raising an issue and making it known to those of you who actually did something to remedy the problem, but I am very proud to have friends and acquaintances who believe in the power of sharing and love for one another. I, too, send you my thanks in return for those that Melody sent me.

If you have more prescription or reading glasses that you need to discard or recycle, please consider sending them to Nata Village. From reading this blog, I have also learned that eyeglasses are just one of the many needs in Nata Village. If you have medical supplies, good-condition scrubs from your work as a healthcare professional, clean towels, clean bedding, etc., those items that we take for granted could be very helpful to the people of Nata. You can mail your glasses or other supplies to:

Nata Village Clinic
c/o Ms. Melody Jenkins
Box 144
Nata
Botswana
Africa

I hope that you will choose to help someone, whether in your own local community or in the global community. It is your giving of yourself that makes miracles.

Categories: Nata+Village+Blog Nata+Village eyeglasses gratitude giving hope humility Melody+Jenkins

Male and Female Rebirth: Guest Artist Farid de la Ossa

2008-01-16T18:57:00.000-05:00

Please welcome back guest artist Farid de la Ossa of Colombia. His work has been included here for the International Carnival of Pozitivities.

Male Rebirth

Click on the images to enlarge them for viewing.

This painting depicts my hopes for all HIV positive men of the world who are struggling to succeed in life. However, this also could be my hope for all men who must redefine themselves to succeed in life.

With the mandala framework (big circle in the middle), this painting shows a male figure coming out of a yellow flower immersed in a lake covered with pieces of glass. This expresses my sense of the awakening of a male despite all the challenges, struggles and expectations that can come with big issues like HIV. The outside of the big circle shows a desert, my idea of the loneliness that dealing with a virus like HIV may entail. The materials used in this painting were water color paint on cardboard paper.

Female Rebirth

As the complement of “Male Rebirth”, this painting basically depicts my hopes for the many HIV positive women in the world who are struggling in so many ways to succeed in life. Nevertheless, this painting is an acknowledgment for all those women of the world who have to redefine themselves starting with nothing in order to make it in life. With the mandala framework (big circle in the middle), this painting shows a female figure coming out of a rose immersed in a blend of colors that is spreading through a desert with rivers of blue and red colors. These structures show my desire for HIV positive females to succeed in their fight against the many issues that come with having HIV--not to mention the prejudices of considering HIV an infection that only gay people and/or people dealing with drugs can acquire. The materials used in this painting were water color and acrylic paints on cardboard paper.

Categories: Farid+de+la+Ossa guest+artist HIV AIDS HIV/AIDS ICP
International+Carnival+of+Pozitivities

Another Article about Coach Nathan H. Gay, Sr.

2008-01-15T17:57:00.000-05:00

The News and Observer of Raleigh recently ran a new article about my high school basketball coach, the late Nathan H. Gay, Sr. For those of us who knew Coach Gay, this is a very moving story. He managed to quietly touch thousands of lives in his everyday activities and inspired thousands of young kids from Sampson County during his tenure at Union High School and at the Sampson County Schools. While doing all of this, he was able to compile a champion's résumé as a basketball coach.

Bonnie Rochman, Staff Writer for the N & O, and Brooke Cain, my cousin, another Union alum, and researcher at the N & O, did a very good job capturing some of the highlights of his life in Generation of athletes trusted unruffled coach: Lights faded for Nathan Gay one last time in his gym.

I personally feel that there is a screenplay just waiting to be written about this man, one of my many heroes. I hope that someone will take that as a challenge.

I played on his 1976 Union Spartan Basketball team. We finished the season with an 25-3 record after falling to Elm City in the State NC AA semi-finals by a score of 102-101. From the Reflector, the Union High School Year Book:

Coach Gay's talented Spartans broke several school records in their final two games at the state tourney. Against a strong Elm City team in semi-final play, the Spartans came from a deficit of 16 points in the final four minutes 28 seconds of the game, to gain a lead of 101-100. This incredible comeback, however, was not quite strong enough to defeat the determined five from Elm City, but Union scored a record 41 points in the final quarter of the game.

The "Mighty Spartans" brought home the third place trophy after beating [J.P.] Knapp in the consolation game, setting another school record--119 points in a single game.

I actually got to play in that final game of the season for Union. We had shared the same hotel in Winston-Salem with the players from J. P. Knapp High School before we were fated to play one another. Elm City lost the title the following night to Clayton and we pummeled our new friends from Currituck County in the consolation game, winning 119-87 as I recall. As our game and season wound down, I got on the court and was fouled and made one of two freethrows to contribute to the school scoring record set in that game. I didn't know it then, but that weekend would stay with me throughout my life. I just have to close my eyes and think of the game with Elm City and I can see the final 30 seconds of the game replay in my mind.

Contributions can be made to the Nathan H. Gay, Sr. Scholarship Fund, c/o Sampson County Schools, P.O. Box 439, Clinton, NC 28328 if you feel so inclined.

Categories: News+and+Observer Nathan+H+Gay+Sr. hero basketball coach

Edition 2.7 of the International Carnival of Pozitivities Available

2008-01-12T09:18:00.001-05:00

It is with great pride that I announce the first edition of the ICP to have been hosted outside of North America. Matty the Damned at The Spin Cycle has graciously served as our host for this month...from Australia. Bless his heart, Matty has a way with words. I have to include a strong language warning for you to consider, but what is a little language when you are dealing with a terminal illness? I hope that you will read this article and overlook any part that might offend you to see through to the good in the messages that we share to raise awareness about HIV/AIDS.

This 19th consecutive edition of the ICP features personal accounts, video, self-help information and the latest in news from the HIV/AIDS community. I hope that you will spend some time reading and that you will leave comments for the contributors.

Next Edition

Please visit the ICP homepage to learn more about this project. Submissions are accepted until the 2nd of each month. Publication is generally completed before the 10th of each month.

We are now accepting submissions for edition 2.8 to be hosted at NotPerfectAtAll from the Netherlands.

Please consider contributing your original artwork, poetry, news, personal accounts, short stories, videos or music files for the next edition. To contribute, you can visit the ICP homepage and use the submission guidelines or you can email me the URL of any post that you wish to nominate for inclusion.

Please Share with Your Friends

Please share this notice with your friends and consider posting announcements of our link on your blogs and websites. If you have contributed to the ICP, it would be an honor to have you link to the ICP homepage from your site. Our continuing presence is bolstered by your participation and outreach. Please help spread the word.

Contribute Your Work

Please join the growing community of contributors and hosts for this important international forum for genuine voices of AIDS. If you are interested in hosting the ICP, please email me and I will make the process as painless as possible. We have hosts lined up through March, 2008, but we are seeking hosts from April, 2008, and beyond. I hope that you will consider signing up to host a specific edition of the ICP.

To be Removed From or Added To the ICP mailing list:

Please email me with the word REMOVE or SUBSCRIBE in your subject line to have your name removed from or added to, respectively, the ICP mailing list. If you did not receive notice of the ICP from me via direct email, then I do not have your email address in the mailing list. Please note that I can not remove an email address that does not exist on the mailing list. Your privacy is absolutely critical and no email addresses will be shared, sold or given to any other source. I use blind-copy distribution technology to prevent your identity from being revealed.

Peace to you and yours.

Safe Journeys!

Ron Hudson

2sides2ron

Poundcake Love

The International Carnival of Pozitivities (ICP)

Categories: ICP International+Carnival+of+Pozitivities HIV AIDS HIV/AIDS blog carnival blog+carnival The+Spin+Cycle Matty+the+Damned

"Yes, We Can"

2008-01-10T11:48:00.000-05:00

Barack Obama has made me hopeful for a great change in our country and the world. Yes, I know, the pendulum swings widely in the course of a lifetime. In many ways, 2008 seems more like 1968 to me than I would care to believe. In 1968, we had an unpopular war, a Republican administration that was corrupt and widespread violence and unrest in our own country. In 1968, we had hope in the form of Robert F. Kennedy, only to see our hopes shot down by an assassin. Now we see widespread unrest throughout the world, two unpopular wars, assassinations of other world leaders and perhaps the most corrupt administration in US history in Washington, DC. In 1968, we had warnings of pollution and in 2008, we have dire warnings of climate change brought on by our failure to act. Stasis seems to have been the net result of swinging from Presidents Nixon, Ford, Carter, Reagan, Bush, Clinton and the current President Bush. It is time to end an era of Republican domination of the government and make things happen that must happen to improve our world.

Obama's message of hope and empowerment to change the status quo resonates with me so deeply, I suspect, because my past hopes for positive change have been lost over the course of my lifetime. I see other candidates who seem to be part of the machinery that keeps us where we are as a nation. I have hope that we can break out of the divisive mentality that has pervaded this nation for too many years and find candidates for the US Congress to support a newly elected leader and his hopes for the future.

This video from the Pointer Sisters of their song "You Can Can" conveys a message that Obama seemed to initiate in his speech from New Hampshire. I hope that we finally can make this world a bit more humane and sustainable.

Categories: video Barack_Obama politics Pointer_Sisters

France Ranks 1st, US Last in Health Care

2008-01-09T10:54:00.001-05:00

As a follow up on my last post about the disconnect between the Republican candidates for US President and the realities of health care in the United States, this report from ABC News could not be more timely. Perhaps this video from ABC news will give you the details in a more convenient manner.

From the report:

The 19 countries, in order of best to worst, were: France, Japan, Australia, Austria, Canada, Denmark, Finland, Germany, Greece, Ireland, Italy, Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Portugal, Spain, Sweden, the United Kingdom and the United States.

Perhaps this also explains why the Republicans have been reluctant to speak out when their party members routinely bash France as a nation that they like to ridicule. Maybe they are feeling a bit insecure when they find out that France is not only providing socialized, universal health care to all of its citizens, but that their standard of care is superior to that of the US. No wait! Every industrialized nation on this list has better health care than we do, so the hatred of the French must be something more basic...perhaps the need to have an enemy at all times that can be used to manipulate the American electorate.

Once again, the Republican Party is showing its lack of connection with the realities of the American public. Have a look at the transcript from the New Hampshire Republican debate on health care if you want to see for yourself.

Categories: politics health+care Republican+debate France US universal+health+care

Republican Debate: Healthcare

2008-01-06T11:53:00.000-05:00

I watched the Republican Presidential debate from New Hampshire last night in anticipation of the New Hampshire primary on Tuesday. It has left me wondering which country these Republican candidates call home. The issue that most makes me wonder about these Republican candidates is health care.

I heard Massachusetts Governor Mitt Romney refer to the “47 million Americans who choose not to play…” in the game of insurance and health care as it currently exists in America. He went on to imply that those 47 million people are freeloaders who refuse to buy their own insurance just so the rest of us will pay for their health care.

I don’t know about you, but my friends who have no health insurance do not choose to live without a safety net in the richest country in the world. They work at small companies or businesses that can not afford to or qualify not to offer insurance to their employees. Or, they are self-employed and can not afford policies that would benefit them and their productivity as Americans. The rest of them can not qualify to purchase insurance because of pre-existing health issues.

Other members of the Republican panel seemed to agree in unison that the US has the best health care system in the world, with one of the candidates even referencing the belief that “[people from the rest of the world] come here for their health care”. If you want to see the reality of this statement, check out the World Health Organization’s rankings of countries throughout the world by the quality of their health care. From the source report:

The U. S. health system spends a higher portion of its gross domestic product than any other country but ranks 37 out of 191 countries according to its performance, the report finds. The United Kingdom, which spends just six percent of gross domestic product (GDP) on health services, ranks 18th . Several small countries – San Marino, Andorra, Malta and Singapore are rated close behind second- placed Italy.

Even Morocco outranks the United States! Look at infant mortality rates around the world and life expectancy as well. You will find that many countries outrank the United States, yet our Republican leaders arrogantly state that we have the best health care system in the world.

If you are wealthy, you can, indeed, get the best health care in the world in this country. After all, we have the best health care that money can buy. If you can afford to purchase your own insurance or to pay for your own medical bills at any cost, we have the best health care system in the world. Even if you live in countries where universal health care is available and you want to pay for your own care, you still have that option. It is not an option, however, for people living at and somewhat above poverty level to finance their own health care when long-term care, disability and catastrophic illness come into play.

Governor Romney referred to his plan in Massachusetts to offer health care for all of the citizens of the Commonwealth. During the discussion, it was noted that to qualify for assistance, one must make less than 300% of the US Federal poverty level of income. Most Americans are probably not even aware that to qualify for 300% of the Federal Poverty Level of income, an individual must make an income that does not exceed $31K/year. When you factor in rent or mortgage, transportation, food and all the other things that one must have to live viably in this country, this is not a significant amount of income for most. Of course, for the homeless man on the corner, it would be heaven to live on 3 times the Federal Poverty level.

Although everyone on the panel believed that the free market will take care of the US population’s health care needs, no one mentioned the way that the insurance industry works to cut costs systematically by denying claims, by delaying payment on claims and by using preexisting conditions to deny insurance coverage to people with catastrophic health issues. Their plans would pass the cost ($180/month was a figure mentioned in the debate) of each person’s insurance coverage on to the individual citizen. How many people can take on a payment of $180/month easily to provide for their own health care?

Because of the AIDS pandemic and the extreme cost of treatment involved, it has become quite clear to me how this kind of system works for those most in need. The AIDS Drug Assistance Programs (ADAP) that exist on a state-by-state level define each state’s qualifying level of income. North Carolina just recently increased the threshold for qualifying to 250% of Federal poverty level for people living with HIV/AIDS. People in South Carolina have died due to lack of access to medications to fight AIDS. These programs have caps on enrollment and long waiting lists for those seeking assistance. In addition, states can create medication formularies (approved list of drugs) that only provide access to the drugs that they choose to make available. If your virus will not respond to any of the medications on the formulary, it is not certain that you will have access to other drugs that might help. This is not health care worthy of America.

Ron Paul, bless him, was the only one on the panel who stated that if we quit spending more than a trillion dollars on war, we could afford to care for our own. I think that he might actually get it, but the rest seem to live in a privileged world where their friends can fly across the Atlantic, the Pacific or Central America to come here and pay for their own healthcare as if they were taking a vacation.

For now, I am hoping for a change in the status quo. I am hoping that someone will have the courage to speak out for the least wealthy of us in the United States. I hope that someone will show that we need universal health care like that provided to their citizens by all the other industrialized countries. I hope that we will move away from private insurance where the bottom line is profit. I hope that we will move away from greed and the notion that only those who can afford health care should get it.

Most of us are not celebrities who can drop huge sums of money for cosmetic surgeries that make us look like plastic beings. Most of us don't even want that. At the very least, we want an affordable system that provides better health care for us than what we get now. May you never have to watch your parents' entire life savings pour into the insurance and medical establishment because they need long-term care at the end of their lives. May you never be denied care because you can not pay for it. May you never be excluded from coverage because you have a catastrophic illness. May none of us ever be so rich that we lose sight of what it means to live without a safety net.

Categories: universal+health+care Republican+Debate New+Hampshire+primary election

Welcoming Back Guest Writer Mohammad Khairul Alam

2008-01-02T08:21:00.000-05:00

Please welcome back guest writer Mohammad Khairul Alam, a past participant of the International Carnival of Pozitivities, as he contributes yet another post on the situation of HIV/AIDS in Bangladesh. Some minor edits were applied prior to posting here to improve readability.

Trafficking for Sexual Exploitation and HIV/AIDS

Trafficking of young girls, children and women is a matter of great concern all over the world. In South Asia, cross-border trafficking, sourcing, and transit to destination is a big problem. Even more prevalent is the movement of persons within the countries for exploitation in various forms. There are no definite figures about the number of victims. Trafficking for commercial sexual exploitation is the most virulent form in South Asia. Internal displacement due to conflict in some of these countries, poverty and lack of employment opportunities, increase the vulnerabilities to being trafficked.

Bangladesh is a source and transit country for young girls, children and women trafficked for the purposes of commercial sexual exploitation and involuntary servitude. It is also a source country for children - both girls and boys - trafficked for commercial sexual exploitation, bonded labor, and other forms of involuntary servitude. Women and children from Bangladesh are trafficked to India and Pakistan for sexual exploitation. Internally, Bangladeshis are trafficked for commercial sexual exploitation, domestic servitude, and bonded labor. Some Burmese women who are trafficked to India transit through Bangladesh.

The movement of young girls from Nepal and Bangladesh into Indian brothels is common. However, most of the trafficking takes place within India itself. There is further movement of these women and girls to the Middle East as well as other destinations. Similar movement from Pakistan and Sri Lanka has been observed. At times of hardship, this starts out as illegal migration and ends up as trafficking.

AIDS researcher Mr. Anirudha Alam said, “Trafficking & HIV/AIDS is interrelated, especially women and girls are trafficking for use of sexual industry. Most of the trafficked girls face multiple physical and sexual abuses. When a girl or woman newly enters the sex industry, she tries to safe herself heart and soul, but most of the time they couldn’t free her.”

The response to combating the crime of human trafficking by the countries of South Asia has been inadequate. There is limited awareness and although knowledge of and the willingness to speak out against trafficking has increased significantly in the past half decade, it is still only at minimal levels. In addition to the lack of awareness, existing anti-trafficking legislation in most countries is inadequate. The law enforcement response – which is meant to provide an effective deterrent to traffickers – is also weak, irresponsive and not victim-friendly.

Lack of job opportunities makes people vulnerable and more inclined to migrate in the hope of creating a better life for themselves and their families. Also, poverty makes people sell their children to traffickers and makes women become victims of trafficking. There is a trend for more and more women to be left alone to fend for themselves and their children; this is referred to as the feminization of poverty. Their powerlessness is taken advantage of by traffickers who assure them jobs or necessary facilities, although instead they may end up in prostitution.

Though this data is not enough to certify the fact, South Asia is home to one of the largest concentrations of people living with HIV. Female sex workers (FSWs) – as a group – are an important driver of the epidemic. As has been shown in a very recent research involving repatriated FSWs in Nepal, many of the FSWs who have been trafficked are at a significantly higher risk than “average” women of contracting HIV. The Rainbow Nari O Shishu Kallyan Foundation and ‘Society for Humanitarian Assistance & Rights Protection’ (SHARP) jointly conducted a survey that focuses on the attitude, behavior and practice of FSWs in Goalondo Brothel. This study points out that almost 53% of sex workers enter the profession before the age of 20 years, and 30% enter between 20 to 25 years of age, and some of them have been entangled through instigation of the traffickers.

Categories: HIV AIDS Bangladesh HIV/AIDS blog carnival blog+carnival International+Carnival+of+Pozitivities ICP empowerment+of+women

Dulce Pontes Grabs my Heart with Year End Wishes for 2007

2007-12-23T23:14:00.000-05:00

I received a surprise parcel this week. It was wrapped in a white paper-covered bubblewrap and had enough girth to suggest it was not a letter. On the back, four very colorful stamps declared it had been mailed from “La Républica Argentina”.

Hmmm. Perhaps an Argentine acquaintance sent it.

When I brought the package into the house and opened it, I found a CD entitled “Dulce Pontes: O premeiro Canto” from Polydor Netherlands. The CD cover lists two links: one for Dulce Pontes and the other for Universal Music.

Portuguese. Hmm. They speak Spanish in Argentina. And just how do the Dutch fit into this picture?

On hearing the music, I knew it was decidedly Portuguese and….heavenly. At times a bit operatic, sometimes with a touch of Kate Bush, the mixture of music on this CD is well worth examining for your Iberian music collection. A review of the CD appears in the album notes. Miguel Sousa Tavares writes that “many insist on classifying [Dulce Pontes] as the new Amália Rodrigues, Portuguese Fado’s great reference point.” He goes on to state that although Dulce Pontes excels at Fado, this selection allows her to show her diversity as a singer.

There is a soft spot in my heart for a Fado. It feels like a heartstring connecting me to an event from a distant and previous life.

So I find myself here, sorting through a million emotions at the holiday season and this music is calming my soul tonight. I still do not know who sent this beautiful gift. Whoever you were, you have my deepest gratitude.

For the rest of us, may we all have the wish we hold deepest in our hearts and the peace that comes from within. Let us make 2008 the best year of our lives by "being the change" we want to see.

Categories: music Fado Portuguese The+Netherlands Argentina Dulce+Pontes Universal+Music Christmas+wishes

Why Congress is Stymied

2007-12-20T11:28:00.000-05:00

I just watched another one of President Bush's news conferences. It saddens me to hear him speak like a spoiled child who doesn't get his way for everything every time. It angers me that he places the blame for the failures of Congress to pass laws (that he will not veto) on the Democratic leadership in the House and Senate. Yes, I am upset, too, that our Democratic leadership has taken impeachment of the Vice President and President off the table, but I understand their views that we don't need more divisive politics right now. Sadly, removing Bush and Cheney from power seems to be the only option for ending their arrogance.

In reality, Congress is failing not because of the Democratic leadership, but instead, because of the unwavering support of the Republican minority for President Bush and his administration's big business agenda.

Have a look at Gordon Smith's article at Scrutiny Hooligans. It is clear that the Republicans want to have their cake and let us eat it too.

When the President and the Republicans condemn the Democrats for trying to implement the will of the American people and then use the same tactics as the Democrats, but to an extreme, to block that effort, We the People, suffer. It is time for the Republican members of Congress to wake up and think for themselves. If not, the very viability of the Republican party is at stake. The more they ignore the will of the American people, the more likely that they will lose more ground in Congress.

Categories: politics US Congress George+W+Bush Dick+Cheney impeachment filibusters failure

A new site to check out: Where is Liddy?

2007-12-19T12:22:00.000-05:00

I received an intriguing email today from the North Carolina Democrats on Facebook. It poses a question that I have been asking for years:

Where is Liddy?

When Senator Helms announced he would not seek re-election in 2002 and Elizabeth Dole transfered her residency from Kansas back to her hometown in North Carolina, I wondered just who she planned to represent in the US Senate. It seemed really apparent to me that she was groomed to replace Senator Helms and to carry on his business-as-usual, divisive, and unwavering support for a right-wing ultra-conservative agenda.

After her election in 2002 and Helm's retirement in 2003 at the end of his term, I have contacted Senator Dole on numerous issues relating to erosion of our freedoms, special interests and the abysmal record of the Bush Administration. It was only in the past 3 months that her offices ever responded to me in any way. In that response, the Senator indicated that she didn't agree with everything the President has done, but that she believes he is acting in the best interest of this country. Apparently, she is one of the few who believe this.

It is no surprise that I am not the only one asking "Where is Liddy?" I have heard of nothing of significance for the State of North Carolina that she has accomplished. In fact, the only significant role that has come to my attention was her leadership and service on a committee to re-elect a Republican Senate in 2006. I think it is fair to say that she failed in that effort.

I think it is time we strive for some checks and balances in our Senate representation from North Carolina so that every citizen in North Carolina has at least one Senator who will listen and respond to their needs. I will support efforts to help Senator Dole retire at the end of this term. I hope that you will join me in bringing this about.

Categories: Liddy+Dole US+Senate Where+is+LIddy? politics

Guest Artist: Farid de la Ossa's "Awareness Due HIV"

2007-12-17T17:39:00.000-05:00

Please welcome back guest artist Farid de la Ossa who has contributed artwork to the International Carnival of Pozitivities in the past. He has included the following short description to explain the meaning of this artwork:

A piece made with acrylic paint, black ink and glitter on 24x40 inch cardboard paper that has to do with the renaissance that many HIV positive people have experienced after being diagnosed with HIV. In it you can see people from different gender orientations and different ethnic backgrounds coming from darkness and defeating the stigma of HIV. They do this by raising their hands to a light that represents hope despite the challenges they have to go through because of having the HIV virus within themselves. The black dots represent the HIV virus within them, but above all of them, their T-cells are growing as stars because of their desire to keep living.

This art piece was made at an art session led by Alberto Rangel at Clinica La Esperanza in San Francisco and it remains there as a donation.

Click on the image to enlarge it for viewing.

Categories: HIV AIDS HIV/AIDS Farid+de+la+Ossa visual+art guest+artist ICP International+Carnival+of+Pozitivities Clinica+La+Esperanza San+Francisco

Makes me think...of how thankful we all should be

2007-12-15T19:17:00.000-05:00

Many thanks to my friend, Daniel Garcia of Spain for sharing this video with me. It is a reminder to me that I need to show increased tolerance in all aspects of my life. I hope that you will draw your own conclusions.

Categories: film humanity politics religion Donella+Meadows The+Miniature+Earth HIV/AIDS HIV AIDS