'I AM HIP HOP'
New Black Power:
"Outside Blackness: The Artistry of Josephine Baker, James Baldwin and Alice Walker" scheduled for 3pm, Saturday July 11th at America, I AM inside the Atlanta Civic Center. Doors will open at 1:30 pm. to allow attendees to walk through the African-American traveling exhibit: America, I AM, which celebrates 500 years of Black achievement. 
MIT Fellowship and Relocation
8 years ago
Monday, December 28, 2009
Monday, December 21, 2009
2010 House of Blahnik Ball
Greetings,
On May 22, 2010 , the House of Blahnik (HOB) will commemorate its longevity and achievements by hosting a 10th Anniversary Ball entitled, Revolutionize 10 (R-10). This event is the culmination of 10 years of ground breaking humanitarian efforts, artistic innovation and the transformation of captivating vogue and runway productions. HOB has re-created, re-defined and re-shaped the house/ball culture, through phenomenal moments that continue to leave a mark upon ball event patrons. R10 solidifies that the HOB has just begun.
From the early beginnings, May 2000 brought together the talents of Jay, Preston and Michael Ebony with that of Hector and Jasmine Infiniti to form what has now become synonymous with the greatness and creativity that house/ballroom culture has to offer.
HOB has re-shaped the meaning of performance, bridging the gap of LGBT communities of color in a manner that has brought forth the astounding artistic talents of individuals that are acknowledged throughout the community, on and off the runway.
Through the incarnations of artistry, HOB has continuously imbued the beauty reminiscent of the early Harlem Renaissance and the budding house/ballroom culture of New York City 's 1920 movement.
HOB has reinvigorated the desire for advancing education, which had seemingly depreciated among this group, through the development of the only scholarship that target members of the house/ball community. This commitment to education, which is completely reliant on donations, has supported members of the house/ball community and has led to three LGBT people of color acquiring undergraduate degrees.
The HOB has been cited as an inspiration among numerous performers in the contemporary music and performing arts industry, health and human services providers and community leaders for enhancing the trajectory of the LGBT community.
Your commitment, through sponsorship of the R-10 event, will assist in fostering the tradition of ballroom culture, expand opportunities for educational advancement made by the HOB and continue to REVOLUTIONIZE the LGBT community.
In Gratitude,
Stephaun Blahnik
NY Overseer & Vice-Chairman- National Board of Directors
The House of Blahnik
Friday, December 18, 2009
Tuesday, December 15, 2009
Monday, December 14, 2009
Sunday, November 22, 2009
Rochester City News: Hope Takes Action: A Road to Victory for Rochester
MEDICINE: An armada to fight AIDS in Rochester
The rate of new HIV infections among African Americans and Latinos in Monroe County is increasing at a pace that is disproportionately higher than the rate for whites. Health experts have known about the trend for several years; the data mirrors a national trend.
The Center for Disease Control found that in 2007, African Americans accounted for 45 percent of new HIV infections nationally, even though they represent only 12 percent of the population. Hispanics and Latinos, though only 15 percent of the population, accounted for 17 percent of new HIV infections.
But reaching people of color with prevention and testing information is a persistent challenge. And encouraging them to participate in HIV vaccine trials is even more difficult.
In 2007, New York spent $48 million on prevention programs, and another $6.5 million for expanded HIV testing in African-American communities. But indications are that the infection rate is still rising.
A coalition, more like an armada, of nearly two-dozen Rochester health and social-service agencies, as well as faith organizations, is trying to refocus public attention on how HIV/AIDS continues to ravage the city's minority communities.
The group will hold "Hope Takes Action: A Road to Victory for Rochester" on Saturday, November 21, to kick-start the initiative. The event - a combination of music, food, education, and advocacy - is at the Auditorium Theater from 4 to 8 p.m., and is free and open to the public.
More people in the African-American community are being tested for HIV, says Stephaun Clipper, prevention and programs manager with the MOCHA Center. But overcoming fear and trust issues, considering the devastating impact of the Tuskegee Experiment, he says, is a major hurdle for health-care professionals working with African Americans.
Racism also contributes to the problem, Clipper says. Environmental factors and socio-economic differences, he says, can lead to ambivalence.
"If I'm a person that feels I do not have the same access as the larger culture, I may not be as receptive," he says.
For Adelik Rivera, a caseworker at McCree McCuller Wellness Center, the obstacle is language. Speaking basic Spanish isn't enough.
"People come from many different countries where the regional dialects are almost like different languages," she says.
And, she says, information is often presented in medical terms many Latinos don't understand.
"The community is actually very open to talking about sex and sexual orientation," she says. "But we have to speak in plain and simple words."
Poverty is the other obstacle for the Latino community, Rivera says.
"They're not as concerned about their health as we would like them to be," she says. "They are more concerned with putting a roof over their heads and food on the table. Health problems of any kind, even HIV, are just not their highest priority."
Reaching undocumented workers, Rivera says, is extremely difficult.
"Right now, it is such a delicate subject," she says. "They might come in for testing, but they may not give you accurate information."
Getting more people of color to participate in the University of Rochester's HIV vaccine trials - especially in the local HVTN 505 study, is the coalition's other goal. The HVTN 505 study is a follow-up to the previous study for high-risk groups that ended in 2007.
The UR's HIV Vaccine Trials Unit has gone so far as to re-brand itself as the "Rochester Victory Alliance," in part to avoid inhibiting people from volunteering. A common misconception is that the vaccine will transmit the disease.
It is critically important for people from the high-risk minority communities to participate in the trials, says Dr. Michael Keefer, associate director of the UR's HIV vaccine trials. The trials, he says, have raised new questions about transmission, the number of vaccines needed, and dosages. It's the type of work that can't be gleaned using animal models.
"We need their help to map a way forward," he says.
Help Save SOVO!!!
Laura Douglas-Brown and the team over at SOVO are working tirelessly to revive a media outlet for the LGBTQI community in Metro Atlanta. Please consider supporting this effort. As you may or may not know, Windows Media, the parent company to the Washington Blade, Southern Voice and a few other LGBTQI media outlets has decided to shut its doors (without any notice to its subsidiaries).
Please check out www.sovo.com for more information and ways you can support this effort to bring back a media outlet for our community to Metro Atlanta.
Please check out www.sovo.com for more information and ways you can support this effort to bring back a media outlet for our community to Metro Atlanta.
Saturday, November 21, 2009
The Cost and Causalities of Science: HIV/AIDS in Black America
UNITED STATES: "The Cost and Causalities of Silence: HIV/AIDS in Black America"
New York Beacon (10.08.09):: Tony Wafford
"There is a terrible and terrifying creature stalking the black community night and day. This terrible and terrifying creature is called HIV/AIDS, and it has come to our community and is consuming our life energy and undermining our future. It is now the number-one killer of our people between the ages of 22-45.
"To save and protect the lives of our children and people as a whole, there are several things we must do.
"First, we must embrace the victims for who they are - above all, members of our community and families, our friends and fellow human beings, deserving the respect we are all due as bearers of dignity and divinity.
"Second, we must practice an ethics of care and responsibility for the ill and vulnerable among us.
"Third, we must urge our leaders, organizations, and especially our religious institutions to take up this issue in a serious and sustained manner.
"Fourth, we must each of us help to build a national conversation about this most deadly disease. This will include an honest discussion of the varied sexual practices people engage in secretly and openly.
"Fifth, we must urge testing as a key strategy for detection and prevention of its spreading. Testing is especially important for men in jail and prison who have engaged in high-risk activity and who will be reintegrating back into their families and community.
"Sixth, also, we must organize to struggle for more resources to deal with this horrible crisis.
"Seventh and finally, we must realize and act on the knowledge that we are our own resources and rescuers. Indeed, it is our efforts which are decisive in any struggle we wage. 'For a people that cannot save itself is lost forever.'
"This is a fundamental point in the struggle against HIV/AIDS. We must repair our own selves, raise ourselves from the ruins of disease and oppression, hold ourselves and others responsible, and together build the community and world we all want and deserve to live in."
The author is the National Action Network project director for the Act Against AIDS Leadership Initiative.
New York Beacon (10.08.09):: Tony Wafford
"There is a terrible and terrifying creature stalking the black community night and day. This terrible and terrifying creature is called HIV/AIDS, and it has come to our community and is consuming our life energy and undermining our future. It is now the number-one killer of our people between the ages of 22-45.
"To save and protect the lives of our children and people as a whole, there are several things we must do.
"First, we must embrace the victims for who they are - above all, members of our community and families, our friends and fellow human beings, deserving the respect we are all due as bearers of dignity and divinity.
"Second, we must practice an ethics of care and responsibility for the ill and vulnerable among us.
"Third, we must urge our leaders, organizations, and especially our religious institutions to take up this issue in a serious and sustained manner.
"Fourth, we must each of us help to build a national conversation about this most deadly disease. This will include an honest discussion of the varied sexual practices people engage in secretly and openly.
"Fifth, we must urge testing as a key strategy for detection and prevention of its spreading. Testing is especially important for men in jail and prison who have engaged in high-risk activity and who will be reintegrating back into their families and community.
"Sixth, also, we must organize to struggle for more resources to deal with this horrible crisis.
"Seventh and finally, we must realize and act on the knowledge that we are our own resources and rescuers. Indeed, it is our efforts which are decisive in any struggle we wage. 'For a people that cannot save itself is lost forever.'
"This is a fundamental point in the struggle against HIV/AIDS. We must repair our own selves, raise ourselves from the ruins of disease and oppression, hold ourselves and others responsible, and together build the community and world we all want and deserve to live in."
The author is the National Action Network project director for the Act Against AIDS Leadership Initiative.
Thursday, November 19, 2009
Wednesday, November 18, 2009
Wednesday, November 11, 2009
Monday, November 2, 2009
An Interview: Stephaun gets personal with RoCkii!
Greetings;
Here is a link to an interview of me conducted recently. I hope you enjoy and visit this blog also! Click here.
Here is a link to an interview of me conducted recently. I hope you enjoy and visit this blog also! Click here.
Thursday, October 22, 2009
NBJC Applauds Obama Administration Inclusion of LGBT in HUD Programs
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Wednesday, October 21, 2009
Tuesday, October 13, 2009
ACTION ALERT: The Return of Abstinence-Only Education!
Thursday, October 8, 2009
We Are Family
October 6, 2009
We Are Family
Humanity
www.dailyom.com
We Are Family
Humanity
www.dailyom.com
When it comes to our families, we sometimes see only our differences. We see the way our parents cling to ideas we don't believe, or act in ways we try not to act. We see how practical one of our siblings is and wonder how we can be from the same gene pool. Similarly, within the human family we see how different we are from each other, in ways ranging from gender and race to geographical location and religious beliefs. It is almost as if we think we are a different species sometimes. But the truth is, in our personal families as well as the human family, we really are the same.
A single mother of four living in Africa looks up at the same stars and moon that shine down on an elderly Frenchman in Paris. A Tibetan monk living in India, a newborn infant in China, and a young couple saying their marriage vows in Indiana all breathe the same air, by the same process. We have all been hurt and we have all cried. Each one of us knows how it feels to love someone dearly. No matter what our political views are, we all love to laugh. Regardless of how much or how little money we have, our hearts pump blood through our bodies in the same way. With all this in common, it is clear we are each individual members of the same family. We are human.
Acknowledging how close we all are, instead of clinging to what separates us, enables us to feel less alone in the world. Every person we meet, see, hear, or read about, is a member of our family. We are truly not alone. We also begin to see that we are perfectly capable of understanding and relating to people who, on the surface, may seem very different from us. This awareness prevents us from disconnecting from people on the other side of the tracks, and the other side of the world. We begin to understand that we must treat all people for what they are—family.
Tuesday, October 6, 2009
New African American Barbies Too African American???
Here is a story I read about the new Barbie dolls made by toy manufacturer Mattel. Some people have said that these more "culturally sensitive" versions are long overdue, while others are stating that they are prejudice anecdote or the punchline to a racist joke. What do you think?? http://hellobeautiful.com/your-world/barbie-finally-goes-ethnic/
Thursday, September 24, 2009
A World First: Vaccine Helps Prevent HIV Infection
FYI.......... ************************************************************** A world first: Vaccine helps prevent HIV infection By MARILYNN MARCHIONE and MICHAEL CASEY, Associated Press Writers Marilynn Marchione And Michael Casey, Associated Press Writers - Thu Sep 24, 3:27 am ET BANGKOK - For the first time, an experimental vaccine has prevented infection with the AIDS virus, a watershed event in the deadly epidemic and a surprising result. Recent failures led many scientists to think such a vaccine might never be possible. The vaccine cut the risk of becoming infected with HIV by more than 31 percent in the world's largest AIDS vaccine trial of more than 16,000 volunteers in Thailand, researchers announced Thursday in Bangkok. Even though the benefit is modest, "it's the first evidence that we could have a safe and effective preventive vaccine," Col. Jerome Kim said in a telephone interview. He helped lead the study for the U.S. Army, which sponsored it with the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases. The institute's director, Dr. Anthony Fauci, warned that this is "not the end of the road," but said he was surprised and very pleased by the outcome. "It gives me cautious optimism about the possibility of improving this result" and developing a more effective AIDS vaccine, Fauci said in a telephone interview. "This is something that we can do." Even a marginally helpful vaccine could have a big impact. Every day, 7,500 people worldwide are newly infected with HIV; 2 million died of AIDS in 2007, the U.N. agency UNAIDS estimates. "Today marks an historic milestone," said Mitchell Warren, executive director of the AIDS Vaccine Advocacy Coalition, an international group that has worked toward developing a vaccine. "It will take time and resources to fully analyze and understand the data, but there is little doubt that this finding will energize and redirect the AIDS vaccine field," he said in a statement. The Thailand Ministry of Public Health conducted the study, which used strains of HIV common in Thailand. Whether such a vaccine would work against other strains in the U.S., Africa or elsewhere in the world is unknown, scientists stressed. "This is a scientific breakthrough," Thai Health Minister Witthaya Kaewparadai told a news conference in Bangkok. "For the first time ever there is evidence that HIV vaccine has preventative efficacy." The study actually tested a two-vaccine combo in a "prime-boost" approach, where the first one primes the immune system to attack HIV and the second one strengthens the response. They are ALVAC, from Sanofi Pasteur, the vaccine division of French drugmaker Sanofi-Aventis; and AIDSVAX, originally developed by VaxGen Inc. and now held by Global Solutions for Infectious Diseases, a nonprofit founded by some former VaxGen employees. ALVAC uses canarypox, a bird virus altered so it can't cause human disease, to ferry synthetic versions of three HIV genes into the body. AIDSVAX contains a genetically engineered version of a protein on HIV's surface. The vaccines are not made from whole virus - dead or alive - and cannot cause HIV. Neither vaccine in the study prevented HIV infection when tested individually in earlier trials, and dozens of scientists had called the new one futile when it began in 2003. "I really didn't have high hopes at all that we would see a positive result," Fauci confessed. The results proved the skeptics wrong. "The combination is stronger than each of the individual members," said the Army's Kim, a physician who manages the Army's HIV vaccine program. The study tested the combo in HIV-negative Thai men and women ages 18 to 30 at average risk of becoming infected. Half received four "priming" doses of ALVAC and two "boost" doses of AIDSVAX over six months. The others received dummy shots. No one knew who got what until the study ended. All were given condoms, counseling and treatment for any sexually transmitted infections, and were tested every six months for HIV. Any who became infected were given free treatment with antiviral medicines. Participants were followed for three years after vaccination ended. Results: New infections occurred in 51 of the 8,197 given vaccine and in 74 of the 8,198 who received dummy shots. That worked out to a 31 percent lower risk of infection for the vaccine group. The vaccine had no effect on levels of HIV in the blood of those who did become infected. That had been another goal of the study - seeing whether the vaccine could limit damage to the immune system and help keep infected people from developing full-blown AIDS. That result is "one of the most important and intriguing findings of this trial," Fauci said. It suggests that the signs scientists have been using to gauge whether a vaccine was actually giving protection may not be valid. "It is conceivable that we haven't even identified yet" what really shows immunity, which is both "important and humbling" after decades of vaccine research, Fauci said. Details of the $105 million study will be given at a vaccine conference in Paris in October. This is the third big vaccine trial since 1983, when HIV was identified as the cause of AIDS. In 2007, Merck & Co. stopped a study of its experimental vaccine after seeing it did not prevent HIV infection. Later analysis suggested the vaccine might even raise the risk of infection in certain men. The vaccine itself did not cause infection. In 2003, AIDSVAX flunked two large trials - the first late-stage tests of any AIDS vaccine at the time. It is unclear whether vaccine makers will seek to license the two-vaccine combo in Thailand. Before the trial began, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration said other studies would be needed before the vaccine could be considered for U.S. licensing. Also unclear is whether Thai volunteers who received dummy shots will now be offered the vaccine. Researchers had said they would do so if the vaccine showed clear benefit - defined as reducing the risk of infection by at least 50 percent. Those issues, plus how to proceed with future studies, will be discussed among the governments, study sponsors and companies involved in the trial, Kim said. Scientists want to know how long will protection last, whether booster shots will be needed, and whether the vaccine helps prevent infection in gay men and injection drug users, since it was tested mostly in heterosexuals in the Thai trial. The study was done in Thailand because U.S. Army scientists did pivotal research in that country when the AIDS epidemic emerged there, isolating virus strains and providing genetic information on them to vaccine makers. The Thai government also strongly supported the idea of doing the study. ___ Associated Press Medical Writer Marilynn Marchione reported from Minneapolis.
Wednesday, September 23, 2009
The Eradication of HIV/AIDS in Monroe County (New York)
Greetings,
Tonight I was a live guest on the Gay Agenda Blog Talk Radio Show discussing my new article "Eradicating HIV in Monroe County ". The premise of my article talks about how racism, power/privilege and homophobia play integral parts in the way that HIV sustains itself, especially in people of color communities (which are hardest hit by virtually every medical disease currently known). If you are interested in calling in the show please use the following information:
If you want to listen to the archived show via internet, click here.
The link to the promo is here - http://www.gayagenda.com/2009/09/ga-speaks-out-on-hivaid-on-btr-tonight/
The link to my article is here:
Friday, September 11, 2009
BET: Of Black Power, White children, and Maintaining the Status Quo
Of Black power, White children, and maintaining the status quo
Pamela D. Reed | Posted September 11, 2009 12:13 AM
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It has been quite a week. It began with the conservative hysteria surrounding President Obama's education speech to the children of America, and it will end with the extreme right wing 9/12 Tea Party March on Washington this weekend, billed as a gathering of "freedom loving patriots."
And just when you thought things couldn't get any more outrageous, U.S. Representative Joe Wilson of South Carolina called the President of the United States a liar during his highly anticipated health care address to a Joint Session of Congress. Wilson has since called his outburst "spontaneous" and regrettable.
President Obama has graciously accepted Wilson 's apology, saying that "everyone makes mistakes" and we should not assume the "the worst in other peoples' motives." That's the expected presidential position, but In view of all that has transpired since the election of President Obama, I think we are in need of what John McCain would call straight talk.
Let me start with news of a just-released book that goes a long way toward explaining the force I see at work here: racism, plain and simple--notwithstanding all the talk of Obama's "post-racial," "colorblind" America . I have never bought into either notion, but NutureShock: New Thinking About Children, by Po Bronson and Ashley Merryman goes a long way toward dispelling both notions--and I think--explaining the persistence of white supremacy.
The book presents research findings indicating that children recognize differences in skin color by the time they are six months old. More importantly, the researchers found that, were White parents to even slightly adjust the way they introduce the concept of race to their children--by the age of three-- real long-term change is possible, "one future citizen at a time."
No sooner than Newsweek had excerpted the book, a blog thread on Stormfront.org, the website that celebrates "White pride, worldwide," declared that the magazine has launched a "war on White children."
Specifically, the book highlights the 2007 dissertation findings of Danish researcher Birgitte Vittrup, who recruited, from the database of volunteers for scholarly research at the Children's Research Lab at the University of Texas , Austin , 100 Caucasian families with children 5-7 years old. Vittrup found that even the most liberal White parents--unlike 75 per cent of "nonwhite" parents--were unwilling to openly discuss race with their children, some even going so far as to withdraw from the study when it reached this critical phase. Among the six families who completed the one week-phase of talking to their young children openly about race, there was "dramatic" improvement in their racial attitudes.
Another UT researcher, Rebecca Bigler, conducted a two-week study in which children read short biographies of famous African Americans, like Jackie Robinson. She divided them into two groups, one a test group and the other a control group. In addition to the bio information, one group was given a 5-sentence description of the racial discrimination that Robinson endured at the hands of Major League Baseball--and from White people in general. When the children were surveyed to test their racial attitudes, those who had read about prejudice toward Blacks, exhibited a more favorable attitude. "It knocked down their glorified view of white people," said Bigler.
Perhaps the most fascinating study cited was one in which a mixed group of 33 children in a rural Ohio school, two-thirds White, were exposed to a Black version of 'Twas the Night B'fore Christmas by Melodye Rosales. When the children saw the Black Santa depicted in the book, their reactions varied. "A couple of the white children rejected this idea out of hand: a black Santa couldn't be real." Most of the Black children were exultant, while some of the White children were stunned and "puzzled." "'He's black' gasped a white little girl. A white boy exclaimed, 'I thought he was white!'"
A little Black boy was perhaps the most difficult to convince of Santa's Blackness, until he determined that the Black Santa's boots were "like the white Santa's boots." He had to actually have the man raise his pants leg so that he could see his black boots--and his black skin, after which he was thrilled.
Of all the profundities revealed in the book excerpt, I find this one most telling because of what it tells us about how children, very early on, learn to associate power, virtue, and control with Whiteness. That is, left unchecked by parents, society teaches White children a sense of superiority and, conversely, it instills a feeling of inferiority in the minds of young Black children.
Could this be what all the fuss was about from the many White conservatives who screamed bloody murder at the mere thought of the first Black President of the United States (POTUS) delivering a speech, any speech, in their children's schools? Could it be that many Whites are fully aware of the socializing effect of exposure to power and control--and race? That they know the power of imagery? Thus they make certain that there is no shortage of symbols of White power--and beauty: White Jesus, Snow White, White Santa, White House, White Barbie, and White President of the United States .
And therein, I submit, lies the root of America 's centuries-old "problem of the color-line," which Du Bois (1903) lamented in his now classic treatise The Souls of Black Folk. Vittrup and Bigler's research suggests--to this writer-- that the core problem is this: The vast majority of Whites, perhaps some even subconsciously, do not want racism--and its attendant White privilege--to end, bottom line.
In view of their findings, then, it should not be surprising that some found President Obama's decision to deliver a speech to America 's school children--encouraging hard work, educational achievement, and critical thinking--so objectionable. Or that Joe Wilson showed such utter disrespect for President Obama during his health care speech? Or that the media continues to doggedly push this ridiculous notion that "both sides" are out of control?
Basically, I think these "freedom loving patriots" find problematic the idea of their children--and really all children--being exposed to a powerful Black man who commands respect. I'm not sure which possibility they find most frightening, White children accepting Black power-- that is, shared control --or a generation of Black children empowered by it.
Tuesday, September 8, 2009
Saturday, September 5, 2009
Scientists Locate Antibodies that Can Stop Advance of AIDS
Los Angeles Times (09.04.09): Thomas H. Maugh II
In a new study, researchers reported that two antibodies to HIV could
prove to be keys to a vaccine to stop the progress of the infection to
AIDS. The Scripps Research Institute-based team found the antibodies,
called PG9 and PG16, in people who remained asymptomatic after
infection.
"This is opening up a whole new area of science," said Dr. Seth F.
Berkley, president and CEO of the International AIDS Vaccine
Initiative, which financed and coordinated the study.
To find the antibodies, scientists analyzed blood samples from more
than 1,800 HIV-positive people from Thailand, Australia and Africa who
had not developed severe disease for at least three years after
infection. Researchers at San Francisco-based Monogram Biosciences
tested the blood samples to determine which contained antibodies most
resistant to HIV infection. These samples were further analyzed by a
team from Theraclone Sciences, which isolated the antibodies
responsible for the resistance.
Researchers found the antibodies PG9 and PG16 in one African patient
were broadly neutralizing - inhibiting the activity of the 162
separate HIV strains that researchers tested. The antibodies bind to
regions of two HIV surface proteins, gp120 and gp41, that HIV uses to
invade cells, according to lead author Dennis Burton of Scripps in La
Jolla, Calif., and colleagues. These regions of the virus have never
before been targeted by HIV/AIDS vaccine candidates.
The antibodies could potentially be used as a treatment for people
developing severe symptoms from HIV infection. A vaccine based on the
discovery, using either synthetic or natural molecules, remains the
ultimate goal.
The full report, "Broad and Potent Neutralizing Antibodies from an
African Donor Reveal a New HIV-1 Vaccine Target," was published online
ahead of the print edition of Science (2009;doi:10. 1126/science.
1178746).
Friday, September 4, 2009
The Eradication of HIV
I am currently writing a piece entitled "The Eradication of HIV" to be published in various media outlets. As soon as I finish, I will post it here. Just to give you a preview, the piece touches upon assumptions about HIV and about how it can be prevented.
Coming soon!!!
Coming soon!!!
Monday, August 31, 2009
I Wish You Enough!!
FYI....I wish all of you...enough! (I know its not new...but nothing like a refresher of a good word!!)
I WISH YOU ENOUGH
Recently I overheard a mother and daughter in their last moments together at the airport. They had announced the departure. Standing near the security gate, they hugged and the mother said "I love you and I wish you enough." The daughter replied, "Mom, our life together has been more than enough. Your love is all I ever needed. I wish you enough, too, Mom." They kissed and the daughter left. The mother walked over to the window where I was seated. Standing there I could see she wanted and needed to cry.
I tried not to intrude on her privacy but she welcomed me in by asking "Did you ever say good-bye to someone knowing it would be forever?". "Yes, I have, "I replied. "Forgive me for asking but why is this a forever good-bye?". "I am old and she lives so far away. I have challenges ahead and the reality is - the next trip back will be for my funeral" she said.
"When you were saying good-bye, I heard you say 'I wish you enough'. May I ask what that means?". She began to smile. "That's a wish that has been handed down from other generations. My parents used to say it to everyone". She paused a moment and looked up as if trying to remember it in detail and she smiled even more. "When we said 'I wish you enough' we were wanting the other person to have a life filled with just enough good things to sustain them". Then turning toward me she shared the following as if she were reciting it from memory --
I wish you enough sun to keep your attitude bright.
I wish you enough rain to appreciate the sun more.
I wish you enough happiness to keep your spirit alive.
I wish you enough pain so that the smallest joys in life appear
much bigger.
I wish you enough gain to satisfy your wanting.
I wish you enough loss to appreciate all that you possess.
I wish you enough hellos to get you through the final good-bye.
She then began to cry and walked away.
They say it takes a minute to find a special person, an hour to appreciate them, a day to love them, but then an entire life to forget them. Send this to the people you will never forget and remember to send it back to the person who sent it to you.
If you don't send it to anyone it may mean that you are in such a hurry that you have forgotten your friends.
TAKE TIME TO LIVE..
To all my friends and loved ones, I WISH YOU ENOUGH!!!
I WISH YOU ENOUGH
Recently I overheard a mother and daughter in their last moments together at the airport. They had announced the departure. Standing near the security gate, they hugged and the mother said "I love you and I wish you enough." The daughter replied, "Mom, our life together has been more than enough. Your love is all I ever needed. I wish you enough, too, Mom." They kissed and the daughter left. The mother walked over to the window where I was seated. Standing there I could see she wanted and needed to cry.
I tried not to intrude on her privacy but she welcomed me in by asking "Did you ever say good-bye to someone knowing it would be forever?". "Yes, I have, "I replied. "Forgive me for asking but why is this a forever good-bye?". "I am old and she lives so far away. I have challenges ahead and the reality is - the next trip back will be for my funeral" she said.
"When you were saying good-bye, I heard you say 'I wish you enough'. May I ask what that means?". She began to smile. "That's a wish that has been handed down from other generations. My parents used to say it to everyone". She paused a moment and looked up as if trying to remember it in detail and she smiled even more. "When we said 'I wish you enough' we were wanting the other person to have a life filled with just enough good things to sustain them". Then turning toward me she shared the following as if she were reciting it from memory --
I wish you enough sun to keep your attitude bright.
I wish you enough rain to appreciate the sun more.
I wish you enough happiness to keep your spirit alive.
I wish you enough pain so that the smallest joys in life appear
much bigger.
I wish you enough gain to satisfy your wanting.
I wish you enough loss to appreciate all that you possess.
I wish you enough hellos to get you through the final good-bye.
She then began to cry and walked away.
They say it takes a minute to find a special person, an hour to appreciate them, a day to love them, but then an entire life to forget them. Send this to the people you will never forget and remember to send it back to the person who sent it to you.
If you don't send it to anyone it may mean that you are in such a hurry that you have forgotten your friends.
TAKE TIME TO LIVE..
To all my friends and loved ones, I WISH YOU ENOUGH!!!
Saturday, August 29, 2009
My Messaage of the Week
Lies and truth are very different. Lies disguised as truth can't stand up to rational unbiased investigation. Truth will always be truth.....
Saturday, August 15, 2009
Tuesday, August 4, 2009
New HIV Strain Leapt to Humans from Gorillas: Study
Agence France Presse (08.02.09)
French researchers have identified a human case of a new HIV subtype
that is closely related to gorilla simian immunodeficiency virus
(SIVgor). Until now, HIV strains in humans have been linked to similar
viruses in chimpanzees.
In 2004, soon after moving to Paris, a Cameroon-born woman was tested
for HIV. While HIV-1 diagnostic tests detected infection, the subtype
could not be determined. Her virus was genetically decoded and
computer-analyzed for comparison with other known HIV and SIV types.
The woman's infection was a "significant" match for SIVgor.
The new subtype shows no evidence of recombination with other HIV-1
lines, and it is distinct from the three previously known HIV-1 groups
M, N, and O, said the authors of the report. As such, the researchers
proposed designating the newly detected virus HIV-1 group P.
"The most likely explanation for its emergence is gorilla-to-human
transmission of SIVgor," wrote the report's lead author, Jean-
Christophe Plantier of the national HIV referencing laboratory at the
Rouen Hospital Center, and colleagues.
"For the time being, it's the closest source," said Marie Leoz, a co-
author also affiliated with the laboratory. "What is still quite
difficult, though, is to date when the first transmission of the virus
took place, because there are still very few gorilla strains that are
available."
SIV could have been transmitted to humans through a bite or through
blood exposure while butchering the animals for food, scientists
hypothesize. The prevalence of HIV-1 group P among humans is not
known, but it is probably rare, said Leoz. The infected woman has no
AIDS symptoms, is receiving treatment, and has a stable viral load and
CD4 count, she added.
The full report, "A New Human Immunodeficiency Virus Derived from
Gorillas," was published ahead of print in Nature Medicine (2009;doi:
10.1038/nm.2016).
French researchers have identified a human case of a new HIV subtype
that is closely related to gorilla simian immunodeficiency virus
(SIVgor). Until now, HIV strains in humans have been linked to similar
viruses in chimpanzees.
In 2004, soon after moving to Paris, a Cameroon-born woman was tested
for HIV. While HIV-1 diagnostic tests detected infection, the subtype
could not be determined. Her virus was genetically decoded and
computer-analyzed for comparison with other known HIV and SIV types.
The woman's infection was a "significant" match for SIVgor.
The new subtype shows no evidence of recombination with other HIV-1
lines, and it is distinct from the three previously known HIV-1 groups
M, N, and O, said the authors of the report. As such, the researchers
proposed designating the newly detected virus HIV-1 group P.
"The most likely explanation for its emergence is gorilla-to-human
transmission of SIVgor," wrote the report's lead author, Jean-
Christophe Plantier of the national HIV referencing laboratory at the
Rouen Hospital Center, and colleagues.
"For the time being, it's the closest source," said Marie Leoz, a co-
author also affiliated with the laboratory. "What is still quite
difficult, though, is to date when the first transmission of the virus
took place, because there are still very few gorilla strains that are
available."
SIV could have been transmitted to humans through a bite or through
blood exposure while butchering the animals for food, scientists
hypothesize. The prevalence of HIV-1 group P among humans is not
known, but it is probably rare, said Leoz. The infected woman has no
AIDS symptoms, is receiving treatment, and has a stable viral load and
CD4 count, she added.
The full report, "A New Human Immunodeficiency Virus Derived from
Gorillas," was published ahead of print in Nature Medicine (2009;doi:
10.1038/nm.2016).
Sunday, July 26, 2009
Working with a Larger Energy
Working with a Larger Energy
Going with the Flow
www.dailyom.com
Going with the Flow
www.dailyom.com
The expression going with the flow is a metaphor that applies to navigating a river. When we go with the flow, we follow the current of the river rather than push against it. People who go with the flow may be interpreted as lazy or passive, but to truly go with the flow requires awareness, presence, and the ability to blend one's own energy with the prevailing energy. Going with the flow doesn't mean we toss our oars into the water and kick back in the boat, hoping for the best. Going with the flow means we let go of our individual agenda and notice the play of energy all around us. We tap into that energy and flow with it, which gets us going where we need to go a whole lot faster than resistance will.
Going with the flow doesn't mean that we don't know where we're going; it means that we are open to multiple ways of getting there. We are also open to changing our destination, clinging more to the essence of our goal than to the particulars. We acknowledge that letting go and modifying our plans is part of the process. Going with the flow means that we are aware of an energy that is larger than our small selves and we are open to working with it, not against it.
Many of us are afraid of going with the flow because we don't trust that we will get where we want to go if we do. This causes us to cling to plans that aren't working, stick to routes that are obstructed, and obsess over relationships that aren't fulfilling. When you find yourself stuck in these kinds of patterns, do yourself a favor and open to the flow of what is rather than resisting it. Trust that the big river of your life has a plan for you and let it carry you onward. Throw overboard those things that are weighing you down. Be open to revising your maps. Take a deep breath and move into the current.
Transforming a Perception
Transforming a Misperception
Lack
www.dailyom.com
We all know what it feels like to want something we don't have. It may be a pair of expensive jeans, a romantic partner, or rent money; it may be a certain attitude, a car, or a savings account. This is part of life, and in the best-case scenario, we experience a constant flow of money and material possessions, companions and experiences, in and out of our lives. However, many of us linger in a state of wanting and not having, a state of lack that never seems to subside. We consistently perceive ourselves as not having what we need or not having what we want. This is an energetically draining state to be in. It is also self-perpetuating because how we feel about ourselves determines what we are able to create for ourselves.
How we feel profoundly influences how we perceive our reality. When we feel we are lacking, we look around and see what is not there. On the other hand, if we feel abundant, we can look at the very same situation and see a completely different picture, one full of blessings and advantages. The more we see the blessings, the more abundant we feel, and the more blessings we attract. Similarly, if we see lack, we tend to create and attract that energy.
If you find yourself habitually residing in a feeling of lack, it may be due to a core belief formed in your childhood or even in a past life. It may be because you are out of touch with your inner divinity, which is the source of your abundance. In any case, know that your perception of lack is a misperception that can be corrected with awareness and effort. It can be as simple as taking 10 or 15 minutes each day to quiet your mind and imagine yourself in a state of unlimited abundance, handling the financial demands and others in your life with total ease, drawing from an endless supply of resources. Know that it is your birthright to be fully supported in the fulfillment of your needs and desires.
Sunday, July 12, 2009
Thursday, July 2, 2009
NBJC: Obama’s Reality on Civil Rights, Gay Rights
National Black Justice Coalition
1638 R Street NW, Suite 300
Washington, DC 20009
www.NBJC.org
Obama’s Reality on Civil Rights, Gay Rights
Essay by Jason W. Bartlett
Deputy Director, NBJC
President Obama made powerful, significant statements at the June 29th LGBT Stonewall reception, but I fear that the most telling words have been lost by the mass media. Obama’s words relate to the intersection of sexuality and race, and they foretell the difficulty in moving the agenda forward—a mission the National Black Justice Coalition (NBJC) was founded upon and been advocating ever since our inception five years ago.
Many gay and lesbian people wonder how it can be that a Black President has not moved more quickly on LGBT rights. They ask out loud how it can be that President Obama does not see gay rights as the next frontier in our nation’s civil rights struggle. What many of my white gay brothers and sisters need to realize is that Obama absolutely understands the intellectual argument that equates advancing gay rights to America’s civil rights struggles. He said as much in his speech. But he is a President whose constituency—and I do not mean white, Middle America, but his constituency of Black Americans—does not stand with him or follow his argument on civil rights encompassing LGBT rights.
Obama’s enlightened perspective on the gay rights struggle is seen in his admonishment to himself: “It’s not for me to tell you to be patient anymore than it was for others to counsel African Americans who were petitioning for equal rights a half century ago.”
This understanding of the LGBT disinclination towards patience—just as Black civil rights heroes could wait for justice no longer—was neither welcomed nor accepted by many in the Black community. The initial reaction to this argument was demonstrated by the popular radio personality Tom Joyner, who immediately took offense to the comparison the morning after Obama’s speech. During the debate on marriage equality on the Connecticut House floor, I personally heard murmurs and invective from an African American colleague who bemoaned the mention of civil rights heroes and struggles as the case was made for marriage equality. Some people take offense personally that white gays and lesbians would take inspiration from civil rights icons, as many have a feeling of ownership and personal attachment to the civil rights struggle and its philosophy.
Are these feeling legitimate? Or do they point to a wider incidence of homophobia in our Black community? President Obama noted in his remarks that that we need to open the hearts and minds of those that don’t fully embrace their “gay brothers and sisters.” He goes on to say that he has “…spoken about these issues not only in front of you, but in front of unlikely audiences—in front of African American church members…”
This statement is telling and provocative. It demonstrates that President Obama is clearly aware that a disproportionate number of African Americans are not ready to embrace gay rights. Who is willing to bridge this divide to make the demographic shifts necessary for politicians, the media and the country to move progressively on LGBT rights?
NBJC believes that President Obama is ready to do the hard lifting and we are prepared to assist him in this effort. We are also willing to challenge the homophobia that exists in our community. For example, we will be working with the NAACP at their centennial convention and encouraging their members to recognize that one of their own, Bayard Rustin—a leader and organizer of the 1963 March on Washington—was a gay Black man. This is something the NAACP has yet to do.
In addition, we call on our white gay brothers and sisters—just as President Obama did—to recognize that they have work of their own to do in communicating with communities of color. All too often, Black LGBT people extend our hand to work with our white colleagues, as we did in California on Proposition Eight, and all too often our white brothers and sisters stay frozen in a black/white construct that is still too separate and unwelcoming.
Many don’t recognize that this is the next battle. We believe President Obama will move the agenda forward, and NBJC will be just as diligent as other LGBT leaders in prompting our President towards action. We also look to Michelle Obama. She was at the reception as well, and many of us noted her presence and facial expressions that told it all; Michelle may be our fiercest ally.
It is the responsibility of all of us—Obama, Black leaders and White LGBT leaders working together—to persuade the President’s closest and most loyal constituency, communities of color, towards real progress.
1638 R Street NW, Suite 300
Washington, DC 20009
www.NBJC.org
Obama’s Reality on Civil Rights, Gay Rights
Essay by Jason W. Bartlett
Deputy Director, NBJC
President Obama made powerful, significant statements at the June 29th LGBT Stonewall reception, but I fear that the most telling words have been lost by the mass media. Obama’s words relate to the intersection of sexuality and race, and they foretell the difficulty in moving the agenda forward—a mission the National Black Justice Coalition (NBJC) was founded upon and been advocating ever since our inception five years ago.
Many gay and lesbian people wonder how it can be that a Black President has not moved more quickly on LGBT rights. They ask out loud how it can be that President Obama does not see gay rights as the next frontier in our nation’s civil rights struggle. What many of my white gay brothers and sisters need to realize is that Obama absolutely understands the intellectual argument that equates advancing gay rights to America’s civil rights struggles. He said as much in his speech. But he is a President whose constituency—and I do not mean white, Middle America, but his constituency of Black Americans—does not stand with him or follow his argument on civil rights encompassing LGBT rights.
Obama’s enlightened perspective on the gay rights struggle is seen in his admonishment to himself: “It’s not for me to tell you to be patient anymore than it was for others to counsel African Americans who were petitioning for equal rights a half century ago.”
This understanding of the LGBT disinclination towards patience—just as Black civil rights heroes could wait for justice no longer—was neither welcomed nor accepted by many in the Black community. The initial reaction to this argument was demonstrated by the popular radio personality Tom Joyner, who immediately took offense to the comparison the morning after Obama’s speech. During the debate on marriage equality on the Connecticut House floor, I personally heard murmurs and invective from an African American colleague who bemoaned the mention of civil rights heroes and struggles as the case was made for marriage equality. Some people take offense personally that white gays and lesbians would take inspiration from civil rights icons, as many have a feeling of ownership and personal attachment to the civil rights struggle and its philosophy.
Are these feeling legitimate? Or do they point to a wider incidence of homophobia in our Black community? President Obama noted in his remarks that that we need to open the hearts and minds of those that don’t fully embrace their “gay brothers and sisters.” He goes on to say that he has “…spoken about these issues not only in front of you, but in front of unlikely audiences—in front of African American church members…”
This statement is telling and provocative. It demonstrates that President Obama is clearly aware that a disproportionate number of African Americans are not ready to embrace gay rights. Who is willing to bridge this divide to make the demographic shifts necessary for politicians, the media and the country to move progressively on LGBT rights?
NBJC believes that President Obama is ready to do the hard lifting and we are prepared to assist him in this effort. We are also willing to challenge the homophobia that exists in our community. For example, we will be working with the NAACP at their centennial convention and encouraging their members to recognize that one of their own, Bayard Rustin—a leader and organizer of the 1963 March on Washington—was a gay Black man. This is something the NAACP has yet to do.
In addition, we call on our white gay brothers and sisters—just as President Obama did—to recognize that they have work of their own to do in communicating with communities of color. All too often, Black LGBT people extend our hand to work with our white colleagues, as we did in California on Proposition Eight, and all too often our white brothers and sisters stay frozen in a black/white construct that is still too separate and unwelcoming.
Many don’t recognize that this is the next battle. We believe President Obama will move the agenda forward, and NBJC will be just as diligent as other LGBT leaders in prompting our President towards action. We also look to Michelle Obama. She was at the reception as well, and many of us noted her presence and facial expressions that told it all; Michelle may be our fiercest ally.
It is the responsibility of all of us—Obama, Black leaders and White LGBT leaders working together—to persuade the President’s closest and most loyal constituency, communities of color, towards real progress.
VIBE Media Group Closes Its Doors???
So, I just recently read a few news articles about VIBE Magazine, a product of VIBE Media Group is stopping circulation due to VIBE Media Group shutting down.
As you know, the economy has hit the marketing and advertising fields heavy. As you flip through the pages of VIBE; pharmaceutical, automobile, high fashion and urban designer, and other companies usually line the pages marketing their various products.
So many black culture oriented publications have come and gone in the last decade and it leaves me wondering will others come and replace (only to meet the same fate) or impact of the economy on the music industry going to cause a "freeze" on black media publications?
What do you think?
As you know, the economy has hit the marketing and advertising fields heavy. As you flip through the pages of VIBE; pharmaceutical, automobile, high fashion and urban designer, and other companies usually line the pages marketing their various products.
So many black culture oriented publications have come and gone in the last decade and it leaves me wondering will others come and replace (only to meet the same fate) or impact of the economy on the music industry going to cause a "freeze" on black media publications?
What do you think?
Monday, June 29, 2009
Sunday, June 28, 2009
Thursday, June 25, 2009
US: Game for HIV-Positive Youth Developed
UNITED STATES: "Game for HIV-Positive Youth Developed"
Science Daily (06.23.09)
Researchers have reported positive results from pilot testing of a Web-based sexual risk reduction intervention that targets prevention messages toward HIV-positive youths. The game, "+CLICK," was designed as an adjunct to traditional clinic-based, self-management education for the youths.
"We wanted to create +CLICK so that we could help educate youth on the importance of making proper, healthy decisions to protect their relationships and themselves as well as help to reduce transmission of [HIV]," said Christine Markham, PhD, lead investigator and an assistant professor of behavioral sciences at the University of Texas School of Public Health.
The study participants were 32 young people; mean age was 17.8; 62.5 percent were females; 68.8 percent were black; 28.1 percent were Hispanic; 56.2 percent acquired HIV perinatally; 43.8 percent were infected through behavior; and 68.8 percent were sexually experienced.
The game's design replicates a shopping mall. +CLICK presents information on abstinence, condoms, and contraception, and it includes video of HIV experts and HIV-positive peers. Four behaviors are targeted in particular: abstaining from sex; self-disclosure of HIV status to a potential partner; correct and consistent condom use; and use of an effective contraceptive in addition to condoms. Participants accessed the game during regularly scheduled clinic visits.
"Participants were very receptive and enthusiastic about playing the game," said Amy Leonard, MPH, research coordinator at Baylor School of Medicine and a study co-author. "They also liked that they were able to ask the clinicians questions about what they learned on the lessons." The youths rated the game highly for ease of use (84.4 percent); use of understandable words (87.5 percent); and trustworthiness (93.8 percent).
+CLICK is in the final stages of development and is tentatively scheduled to be made available to the public in about six months. The team is also working to create a similar game to encourage HIV-positive youths to adhere to their medication regimens.
The study, "+CLICK: Harnessing Web-Based Training to Reduce Secondary Transmission Among HIV-Positive Youth," was published in AIDS Care (2009;21(5):622-631).
Science Daily (06.23.09)
Researchers have reported positive results from pilot testing of a Web-based sexual risk reduction intervention that targets prevention messages toward HIV-positive youths. The game, "+CLICK," was designed as an adjunct to traditional clinic-based, self-management education for the youths.
"We wanted to create +CLICK so that we could help educate youth on the importance of making proper, healthy decisions to protect their relationships and themselves as well as help to reduce transmission of [HIV]," said Christine Markham, PhD, lead investigator and an assistant professor of behavioral sciences at the University of Texas School of Public Health.
The study participants were 32 young people; mean age was 17.8; 62.5 percent were females; 68.8 percent were black; 28.1 percent were Hispanic; 56.2 percent acquired HIV perinatally; 43.8 percent were infected through behavior; and 68.8 percent were sexually experienced.
The game's design replicates a shopping mall. +CLICK presents information on abstinence, condoms, and contraception, and it includes video of HIV experts and HIV-positive peers. Four behaviors are targeted in particular: abstaining from sex; self-disclosure of HIV status to a potential partner; correct and consistent condom use; and use of an effective contraceptive in addition to condoms. Participants accessed the game during regularly scheduled clinic visits.
"Participants were very receptive and enthusiastic about playing the game," said Amy Leonard, MPH, research coordinator at Baylor School of Medicine and a study co-author. "They also liked that they were able to ask the clinicians questions about what they learned on the lessons." The youths rated the game highly for ease of use (84.4 percent); use of understandable words (87.5 percent); and trustworthiness (93.8 percent).
+CLICK is in the final stages of development and is tentatively scheduled to be made available to the public in about six months. The team is also working to create a similar game to encourage HIV-positive youths to adhere to their medication regimens.
The study, "+CLICK: Harnessing Web-Based Training to Reduce Secondary Transmission Among HIV-Positive Youth," was published in AIDS Care (2009;21(5):622-631).
Wednesday, June 24, 2009
Tuesday, June 23, 2009
PRIDE TV: Will Senate's apology for slavery doom reparations movement?
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