Category: listen up!

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do you know your status?

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Your HIV status, that is. Earlier this week, I wrote about how James and I decided to get tested at this past weekend’s Atlanta Pride festival, because it had been far too long since we had tested. Even though we have always tested negative in the past, we thought it was time that we get tested again; just to verify that things were still okay (and they are, we are both negative). We are in a strictly monogamous relationship, however, it still crosses my mind every day that I should KNOW my status, rather than accepting that it is still negative, since that is how I have tested in the past. For one, it is because I work in HIV prevention, but two, it is because I love James, and want us to be healthy and happy in our relationship together. Even though we are monogamous, it is always best to be 100%, rather than 99.9% sure, and he agrees.

I am writing about this today, because today is National HIV Testing day, and I thought it was necessary to challenge each and every one of my readers to go out, get an HIV test, and find out your status, both for you and for your partner(s) sake. You owe it to yourself, and to those that you have sex with, to find out your HIV status, and maintain an active knowledge of that status for both your health, and theirs.

Now, I bet you are thinking, “but duane, I didn’t get tested a pride… where can I go get tested?”. Well, I have great news; there is this great website that let’s you put in your zip code, which generates a list of HIV testing sites that are nearby. It is just that simple: type in your zip code, find where you want to go, and go get tested.

I have said it before, but I will say it again, only you can protect yourself from HIV infection.

But, wait, what if you test negative? Obviously, that is great news for you!! But that doesn’t mean that you can just forget about HIV; you MUST continue using protection, and continue to play it safe. It will literally save your life. CDC estimates that more than 40,000 people in the US alone are infected with HIV. This is just an estimate, because not all of these people are tested each year. If you don’t know your status, chances are, your partner doesn’t know theirs either; don’t let complacency cause you to risk your life.

I hope that everyone out there that sees this post will take the initiative to go out, get tested, and urge others to do the same. The best strategy for combating HIV is prevention. And remember, it isn’t just about knowing your status, it’s what you do with that knowledge; urge others to get tested, protect yourself, and maintain an active knowledge of your status… it could save your, and your partner’s, life.

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pride, biology, orientation, and all things that make us gay

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Since this weekend is the 37th annual Atlanta Gay Pride festival, I thought I would reflect a little on pride, and what better way to do that, that with an article a flickr pal of mine sent to me about the biology of homosexuality? The article talks about current studies that are being conducted, many of which are looking at various biological trends in humans that indicate a biological representation of homosexuality. It builds on the studies from the past that looked at things like the differences in the hypothalamus (which was seen to be noticably different in homosexual men), and also looks at other interesting things potentially linked to your propensity to be gay, like being the youngest boy in your family, the length of your fingers, the direction of the whorl in your hair, and many other biological traits. What it goes on to show, is that the representation of these traits are sometimes significantly different for gay men, and even lesbian women, and as such, may prove to be biological markers that can be used to truly say that homosexuality is biologically determined.

While there is a lot covered in the article, and there are a lot of different points made, I thought it was interesting that first of all, we need to prove that homosexuality is somehow biological. I see how this proof would end the discussion that homosexuality was a choice, but it does open up a whole new can of worms, which is best summed up with this statement from the article:

If sexual orientation is biological, and we are learning to identify how it happens inside the uterus, doesn’t it suggest a future in which gay people can be prevented?

It appears that there is also some research looking at the possibility of genetic markers that “cause” homosexuality, and while they aren’t confirmed, it does sound both intriguing, and scary at the same time. I for one can’t imagine what would happen if it turns out that homosexuality is inherently genetic, and they do, then, start searching for a cure. (Additionally, I should note that the conclusion that lesbians are somehow “less homosexual” or even “more fluid” with their sexuality, because they haven’t identified as many markers in women is NOT something I endorse or agree with. Jumping to conclusions without research to back it up is dangerous and stupid.)

The whole notion of “curing homosexuality” is a scary thing, because I for one, don’t think that homosexuality is a disease, and as such, it certainly doesn’t need a “cure”. I am extremely proud of who I am, and being gay is a large part of that. I think that if I were meant to be born straight, I would have been. Plain and simple. I know that everyone doesn’t share my sentiment, especially those that hate themselves because they were born gay, but think about this: being gay, if it is truly biological, is essentially the same as if you were born black, red-haired, blue-eyed, female, or any other non-harmful biologically identifiable trait. The point is, that if it was meant to be, it would be. That is the way nature works.

But what about diseases, and genetically defective biological traits that can be identified and cured? Does this mean that I think that we should just let those diseases that can be prevented with genetic suppression go unchecked? No, I think that is a different argument, mainly because being gay has absolutely no provable detriment to a person’s life; other than, of course, the environmental and external influences that affect us. And we all know that just because you are gay doesn’t mean that you will be subjected to these influences, and just because you are straight, doesn’t mean you will be immune to them.

While being gay may be a “harder” life because of all that we face; discrimination, degradation, violence, hatred, etc, it is a life that we have lived, and because of what we go through, it shapes us into who we are. We are made up of both our biological selves that were given to us at birth, and we grow and are shaped by our experiences, and become who we are by combination of the two.

Now, I know for a fact that my experiences didn’t make me gay, but, they did happen to me because I am gay, and they helped me become who I am today. I am a proud, out, gay man, and I know what I know because of the journey I have been on to this point in my life. It is the journey, and what I have made from it, that I celebrate this weekend, and it is my hope that this important aspect of each gay person’s life is not lost if and when biological determinants are truly, and irrefutably identified.

Unfortunately, I am realistic about the world we live in, and I fear that the hateful, bigoted, religious extremists will force the issue of screening for these biological traits, in an effort to make gay people inferior. Even more, I fear that they will go further, and try to eliminate gay people from being born.

I hope that just because we identify that being gay isn’t because “you took dance instead of playing basketball”, and that it is because “you were born biologically homosexual”; people will NOT seek to eliminate the biological traits that make us special, unique, and wonderful.

Being gay is being different.
Being gay is being who we were born to be.
Being gay is who I am.
Being gay is who many others are as well.
Being gay is normal.

We are no less human, nor any less worthy of our lives as gay people, than anyone who is black, female, blonde haired, or left-handed is worthy of their life as who they were born. I hope that we can continue to live in a diverse world that begins to see these studies as a means of acceptance, and not as a means of elimination.

Given the tone this article has the potential to set, I for one, want to focus on the pride that I have for who I am, the community that I identify myself with, and what it means to sit here, typing this post as a proud gay man. It has been a long journey, but I know that I have a long way to go; and I couldn’t be happier that I get to take the journey myself. This weekend, I will celebrate this with my fellow gays in Atlanta, and it will be a beautiful thing. After the weekend, I will tell you all about it. Come out and see us if you can!

Happy Pride, y’all.

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it’s all about promotion, baby!

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Two HUGE promotions today folks… are you ready?

First of all, I want to promote the intensely amazing news that Sara Bareilles‘ single, Love Song, is the free download of the week on iTunes!!! This is great news, because it will definitely give people an opportunity to discover her amazing talent for free!! I hope that this will garner the sort of attention that it has for many people whose singles were featured there in the past.

Click on this banner to take you to iTunes, where you can download the single Love Song for free!! (but hurry… it’s THIS WEEK ONLY!) I know you will love it (!!):

Additionally, there is a special pre-order deal going on right now; if you order her upcoming debut CD, Little Voice, over at the Sony music store, you can get a free hand-numbered lithograph of either the lyrics for the amazing song Gravity, or for the aforementioned single, Love Song! I went ahead and ordered mine, and I can’t wait for it to get here!! The CD comes out on July 3rd, so pay attention to this amazing artist, because she is going to be huge if there is any justice in this world!

The second promotion I want to blog about today, is the grand opening of the new tattoo shop, Ink and Dagger Tattoo, owned by my amazing tattoo artist, Russ Abbott. Russ did the amazing half-sleeve that I have, as well as some other work, and I can definitely say that he will be the one that I go to, in order to get any future work for me! He’s amazing! He’s actually doing a piece for me tomorrow, which you will just have to wait and see when it is complete. I will be dropping by the shop to check it out tonight, and I am so excited for him, that he has his own shop now! If you are in need of an amazing tattoo, look no further than Ink and Dagger Tattoo in Decatur, GA, because both artists at the shop (Russ and Malia) are top of the line, and will give you a work of art that you can cherish for the rest of your life.

Whew! Now that is a lot to be excited about!! Hope everyone is having a great Tuesday, and make sure you check out these people I am promoting… you will love them! I certainly do!

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family values, or neoconservative propaganda?

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Yesterday morning, before work, I got a call from a solicitor. When I answered the phone, the lady on the other end asked for the woman of the house. I informed her there was no woman of the house, and that the man of the house was speaking. She then went into her scripted speech about her cause; the Dove Foundation. She asked me questions about whether I was concerned about the “lack” of “family” oriented movies that are being produced by Hollywood. I told her no. Shocked, because she said “oh”, she continues to throw “facts” at me about how many more R rated movies are produced, and how there aren’t enough “family” oriented films being produced at the same rates. She then asked if I was concerned that this gap was so disparate, and asked why I thought it was. I then told her that movies are made to make profits; Hollywood makes movies that will sell, and it is less about family entertainment, and more about profit margins. Again, I got an “oh”. All in all, I listened to her spiel, I was polite, and our call ended with the traditional no three times rule (which is really annoying by the way).

As I got to thinking about the call, and after investigating the foundation, I felt the need to post about it, because I had some thoughts I wanted to express. First of all, I thought it was odd that she would initially ask for the woman of the household. Perhaps this foundation believes that it is the mother, not the father, who has the job of protecting and representing the “family” values that the Dove Foundation so solidly wants? Or maybe she just wanted to talk to a woman, either way, it was something to think about.

After investigating the website, and their justifications for backing one film, and not backing another, I found it to be pretty inconsistent with regards to violence and representations of “family”. Take for instance, they approved Spiderman 3 (which is no doubt, a violent film), but did not approve Pirates of the Caribbean, citing that Pirates was too violent. Now, I don’t see a need for an organization to approve or disapprove a film because of the level of clearly fictionalized violence, because if you are a parent, you should be intelligent enough to know that each of these films holds the potential to be violent, and as such, may be inappropriate for children; especially considering that each of these films are rated PG-13. If you lack this sort of filtering mechanism, well, I don’t really know what to say other than, wow, you are pretty willfully ignorant, so it probably doesn’t matter to you what your kids watch, does it?

But the violence inconsistency wasn’t what got my goat; it was the disapproval for movies that represented anything that wasn’t the judeo-christian “norm” of family (again, with inconsistency). I looked up three films that I thoroughly enjoy and own, all of which are rated PG-13: Best in Show, Rent, and De-Lovely. I picked these films, because I had a hunch that a film that portrayed gays in a positive light would not be approved by the “family”-centered foundation. I was correct. Each film was shot down, and here are some of the descriptions that were used as to why they were not approved:

Best in Show:

Content Description: Sex: picture of gay man in strange outfit, baring his bare bottom; two men kiss briefly; two women, outing their attraction for each other, kiss passionately; one woman has been sexually promiscuous in her past; the discourse coming form the gay couple is peppered with references to homosexuality – three other sexually based dialogues.

Rent:

RENT As you can tell from the above synopsis, this is NOT a family-friendly film. Like it or not, it is a peek into the underground world of drugs and homosexuality among a group of friends on the streets of New York at the “End of the Millennium.” Don’t let the singing fool you, this is serious stuff. Be prepared to see same-sex kissing, crude and suggestive dancing, cross-dressing, prostitution, drug addiction and withdrawal, and the effects of AIDS. The homosexual lifestyle is portrayed as acceptable and supported by family and friends.

and finally, De-Lovely:

De-Lovely has much to offer both musically and dramatically. And in a day when Christians are faced with pressures to consider homosexuality an acceptable lifestyle, De-Lovely may be worth seeing and discussing simply because it approaches the topic without being terribly graphic. It includes males dancing and kissing as well as implied sexual encounters. The film promotes the claim that homosexuals, like heterosexuals, are simply searching for love in their own way. Unfortunately, appropriate moral commentary is absent from this film, making it impossibel (this was taken from the site, as is) for awarding it the Dove Seal. The film adds crude and profane language.

What I see as something that IS consistent, is a disdain for anything that portrays homosexuals in a positive manner, or anything that shows the acceptance of homosexuality as a part of someones life. That disgusts me, especially because they rest on the laurels of promoting “family” values. This says to me, as a gay man, that I do not represent family values because I am gay and proud of who I am. This says that my friends, who are a lesbian couple with three children, are not a family, because they represent a positive example of a homosexual couple successfully raising children. That is religious propaganda, and should be called out for what it is. If you want to say that you promote family values, then promote happiness, safety, love, compassion, togetherness, and other positive values that would be fitting for any family to strive for. If you want to prevent children from being exposed to these “crude” representations of actual life, that I totally understand, as I would never take my child to see any of these films. BUT, that doesn’t mean that these films don’t contain elements of normalcy, decency, and representations of family, love, happiness, and life. To deny that, and to say that you don’t approve, represents ignorance, and more importantly, participation in a neoconservative propaganda campaign against homosexuality, and frankly, sexuality all together. That is a scary thing, especially considering the rate at which young people are being affected by AIDS these days; ignorance will make it worse.

Finally, I also found it interesting how much praise was given to the story of a father and son, which begins with a pretty jarring representation of mass murder, where the mother and all but the one son are brutally killed (even though it is implied and not explicitly shown). What movie to I speak of? Why, Finding Nemo of course!! What I find disturbing about their strong approval of this film, is that I personally know that there are several children that are traumatized by the beginning scene that I speak of, so much so, that if they would have been taken to see this Dove approved film in the theater, the parents would have been forced to take them outside because of the trauma and crying that would ensue. Forgetting that intensely jarring detail that happens at the beginning of the film seems pretty negligent of this organization, in my opinion.

Perhaps this organization would be better served by trying to make more films that it deems positive, and spend less time trying to denigrate other films that represent alternative facets of society. By doing what they are doing, they are proving that not only are their “values” inconsistent in several cases, but they are taking a positive effort to provide “family safe” entertainment, and hiding it under a religious, neoconservative, hate-filled propaganda campaign. So I say, don’t turn your positive into a negative; if you really want “family safe” entertainment, exercise a level of intelligence when taking your kids to the movies. Unlike what they are saying, there isn’t a lack of “family” movies at all, and damning all the ones that they don’t approve of is distracting from their cause (if that really is their cause).

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vulture funds? WTF!

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I have been reading about the battle to end “vulture funds” today. Vulture funds are funds that shatter the possibility of debt relief, where an investor will buy a defaulted loan from a poor nation, and take them to court, forcing them to pay the loan in full plus interest (even though they couldn’t pay the loan to begin with). What happens at that point, is that these countries that owe the debts, siphon funds off of the aid the government provides to them, and the debt cycle and need for aid only grows. See, it is a catch 22, the money is loaned to them, and they spend it (unfortunately, with a lot of political and governmental corruption involved in that spending), and when they can’t pay it back, the defaulted loan is sold very cheaply to someone who goes to court, and demands that they pay back the full loan with interest (!!!). The problem lies in the fact that these countries are forced to take money that we give them for things like AIDS relief, and use that money to pay off the debt collector (i.e., the vulture), who gets rich in the process, making way more than he invested in the defaulted loan. But why accept the loan, right? Well, these countries are given these loans as a fake promise that they can use this money to step into the 21st century. It is like those low interest, high risk home loans, that allow people to buy houses they can’t afford; they end up defaulting, and losing more than they had before the loan, yet, they are convinced in the beginning that they will be able to get by and improve their lives. It is a vicious cycle.

There is a serious issue here, because this practice, especially with relation to foreign countries and federal funds, is illegal. Currently, there is a call for debt cancellation in these cases, but there are still a few people over here (in the US) getting big bucks from this swindling game. They know these people can’t pay back the debt, yet they force them to with whatever they can come up with; which ends up being the aid we provide in the name of AIDS relief and other federal aid programs.

Even though these people go around buying these loans, and use courts to force these countries to pay back these loans, President Bush can sign a statement locking all federal aid funds into place. This would work to prevent the siphoning of those funds to corrupt government schemes and wealthy debt collectors; but that hasn’t happened yet. I hope that he will, and protect funds like the great AIDS relief that I spoke about a little while back. I can’t believe that people are able to do things like this in the first place, and that the system doesn’t do something to protect those that really need protecting. Until the governments of other nations stop the corruption, and the wealthy vultures stop collecting defaulted debts with interest (debts that the people were never going to be able to pay in the first place), the aid is not going to those that need it, and as such, we aren’t helping the situation at all. That is really depressing, because we really can help, we just have to have a multi-tiered approach, addressing these issues in the process. This is great reporting from Greg Palast, as usual, which is how I found out about all of this. It really makes you wonder what is going on with these uber-wealthy people that literally have no problem taking money from those that simply do not have it, just for the sake of getting richer. When is enough money really enough?

I know that this is going to stir up a few bee’s nests, but I just think that there is a point when you have to say that someone is rich enough, and let that be that. There should be limits on how you can swindle money, and the consequences of your actions should be held accountable. Do I think that people don’t deserve the right to be rich? Of course not! If you are rich, good for you! But, if you gained your wealth by literally taking it out of the hands of the disenfranchised poor, especially in a way that is illegal, or at a bare minimum ethically questionable, should you be allowed to just keep raking it in? I certainly don’t think so. I know that the world isn’t fair, but the least we can do is try to make it more likely to swing in a fair direction. If not, we aren’t really doing anything but making rich people richer, and that certainly is NOT the goal of world wide aid, is it? Perhaps it is just a personal thing, but I don’t think I could sleep at night knowing that I am forcing a foreign government to cough up money that it doesn’t have, just because I could afford to buy their defaulted loan. The government of that country may not suffer (because of corruption, remember), but the people certainly do, and that is something that I couldn’t have on my conscience.

I agree that we should definitely cancel the debts of these poor countries that have suffered from corruption, colonization, and disenfranchisement. Punish those that seek to gain profit from their misfortune, by siphoning funds off of federal aid that we provide them. Or, at a bare minimum, we must prevent them from siphoning off those funds, and make sure that the money goes for what it is supposed to go for. The least we can do, if we aren’t going to stop corruption, is be accountable for the money we are handing out, right?

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presumably something for everyone!

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Happy Monday kids!!! So, things are a bit all over the place in my brain today, so I thought I would just jot it all down, and put it out there; since I am sure that there is a little something for everyone. Perhaps it will cure your boredom, or at least give you something to think about! Here we go… ready?

  • I have been listening to Muse, Zwan, and a lot of ROCK lately. I am enjoying the hell out of it too; it totally reminds me of my alternative/rock days where Weezer and Smashing Pumpkins were all I listened to. For some reason, people find it odd that I love hard rock, but alas, there it is. To continue that thought, I cannot wait until July 24th; Guitar Hero Encore: Rocking The 80s comes out. I will be at Best Buy that day getting my copy. Want to come over and play? Hopefully, that can calm my intense hunger for Guitar Hero III; which I should probably be saving up for, since I have to get everything for the Wii.
  • This is fantastic news. I am really happy when justice is truly served. This guy didn’t deserve to go to jail for a consensual sex act; no one does. I am happy to see that he is finally free; although, the prosecutors are seeking an appeal. Ugh, leave the kid alone, he has already done 2 years in jail for no reason.
  • This is like my nightmare. I love roller coasters, and have always thoroughly enjoyed them, but this type of thing just scares me. I know it is highly unlikely, but still, I can’t imagine being stuck at the top of Acrophobia at Six Flags over Georgia for that long. I would pass out, piss myself, and probably have an aneurysm while they were trying to save us. That is probably why I don’t ride that one anymore; it is too much for me to handle, and I heard that it actually did get stuck at the top once, and they had to manually lower it. Fuck that. I feel bad for those people, because they are probably ruined on roller coasters now.
  • Here’s the only thing you will hear from me about the whole Paris Hilton thing: Paris, none of us think for a second that you are just “acting” dumb. You are dumb. And rich. And that is the only reason why anyone even pays you any attention. Just do your time for the crime you committed, and move on. I am certainly sick and tired of hearing about you and your grossly over-privileged ass.
  • Apparently, there are drugs in the water in Albania. I mean, that is the only way I can truly understand why these people think that Bush is such a symbol of democracy. Those in Rome had a better idea of exactly who he is; and it is sad that there are still herds of people that are blinded by how awful this man and his presidency truly have been and continue to be. Also, how can people really trust someone who doesn’t bother remembering his position on things? This is someone that we are trusting to keep us safe, and he can’t even remember his position on global affairs and foreign policies. Yikes. I am awe that people still think he is doing a great job; this is just another example of how out of it he really is.
  • This is just creepy, but it is immensely informative. I watched the video for my car, and I was pleased to see that it crashes “well”. One of the biggest selling features for my car was the air bags and the safety features. Any of you that live and drive in Georgia know that you have to be protected from these assholes that love to fly down the road, talking on their cell phones, and not paying attention to anything. It still blows my mind that people don’t take driving more seriously; you are gambling with your life people!
  • There is a whole mess of hotness out there these days; and I am not talking about the weather. I was at the gym the other day, and I noticed John Cena on someone’s TV, and I was reminded at how “DAYUM(!!!!)” he is. While I think the whole wrestling thing is silly, and that movie ‘The Marine’ was pretty bad, he is so fucking hot, that it is almost worth sitting through that crap to see him. What a hunk. *drool* Also, I am totally loving me some Seth Rogen. I have thought he was cute since I saw him in 40 Year Old Virgin, and now that he is all over the place because of his new movie, I am drooling over him heavy. I have to get to the theater and see Knocked Up! Man, I could seriously stare at men all day; I am definitely a visual person. Good thing there are so many hotties to look at!!! Side note: Don’t worry, Jake, you are still my number one, honey!
  • Finally, let’s end on an amazingly HIGH note: Sara Bareilles‘ album, Little Voice, is coming out July 3rd!!!!!!!!!! I am so fucking excited, because as I have said numerous times, I absolutely adore Sara, and have been following her for years. I love her music, and I am so looking forward to her getting more exposure, and hopefully the recognition she deserves. If you haven’t already, go and download her EP in iTunes. You won’t be sorry; she is one of the best singers out there, and you must do yourself a favor and check her out!!! Congrats Sara!!! I will probably blog more about this as we near the release date; as I said, I am super excited about this!

Whew! Did you get all of that!?!?! Have a great afternoon!

happenings, listen up!, near and dear, politics, public health, show the love

see, I told you I would give praise where it was due…

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Today, I am going to write a post PRAISING George W. Bush. That’s right, you heard me correctly. I am going to praise him for something wonderful he has done. Something that is so close to my heart, and my life’s cause, that I can’t let it go by without acknowledgement. Does this mean that I think that this nullifies all of his other fuck ups? No, but it does mean that I can definitely see good where it truly shines; and today, that is in Bush’s recent requests from Congress.

Yesterday, Bush requested that Congress authorize $30 billion dollars to combat AIDS, and to provide medications for those afflicted with the disease. This money would go towards stopping AIDS worldwide, and providing medications for those that cannot afford it, in areas that are too poor to afford outrageous pharmaceutical mark ups. This is in addition to the $15 billion that he asked for back in 2003, and shows a clear and concentrated effort to truly help those afflicted with AIDS worldwide. This is amazing coming from the president, especially when you consider, that Reagan never even said the world AIDS during his presidency. Truly a monumental achievement to have our president focused on such an amazingly humanitarian effort.

I am honestly speechless that this amazingly large support for ending AIDS worldwide comes from a president that still touts abstinence only as the only method we can use in teaching our children how to prevent HIV infection in the states. At least somewhere in him, he realizes that the need for more than that is real, and as such, he is actually working with world leaders to make this a global effort.

There are critics to his plan, that focus on the fact that this is not enough money to truly make the type of dent that is necessary to take control of the epidemic. While I do agree that it is not enough, and while I see where they are coming from, I think that Bush has the right idea; it is important for every nation that can throw money at this thing to throw money at it. It can’t be something that the US does alone; if we want to stop it worldwide, we have got to use the rest of the world to do it with us. I for one, am excited to see what comes out of the upcoming global summit, with regards to what other top nations are going to offer as well. I will also have my attention focused on what Bush says about climate change, but we won’t get into that today, because I want to focus on the positive.

Bush, you have done a great thing. Even if one of your main motivators is giving the US good face, since we have been responsible for the killing of hundreds of thousands of Iraqis, it is STILL a good thing. I do, however, find it extremely odd that Christians, and Christian conservatives are so willing to embrace these efforts to help those that need it most in developing nations, when they continue to turn their backs on the people right at their doorsteps. I also find it weird that the focus on ridding the world of AIDS seems to be solely focused on the developing world, when it is still a real problem here in the US. I know that you can’t always have your cake and eat it too, and I certainly don’t want to look a gift horse in the mouth, so these are things that I will just silently ponder; because while they are still important points, I don’t want to shit on the good that is being done with this initiative.

Again, THANK YOU Mr. Bush for showing that you have a compassionate bone in your body. Perhaps, this effort for the US to provide more generosity (even if it is only for the sake of saving face) will spill over into other issues, and we can continue to do more good in the world; perhaps so much, that we can stop doing the bad things, and focus solely on the good things. This is the direction we need to be going in as a nation, and I for one, am glad to see that not only are we capable of doing it, but there is at least some momentum that is going in that direction; even if it is only a little bit. If we want to have a great nation, we have to have it in a great world, and the only way we are going to make that happen, is through leadership, support, and compassion. The only way to make ourselves truly great, is to help those that we can, and do what is right.

(source; for the image too)

is it just me?, listen up!, mixed media, public health, venting, well?, wtf?!

look out! disease!! and I don’t want to admit it but…

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First of all, I want to respond to this picture that greeted me on the cover page of cnn.com this afternoon:

Now, this thing just screams, “run for the hills! Lock yourself in a fallout shelter! Tuberculosis is a’coming, and he is gonna kill your baby!”. Now, I am all for public health and awareness, but this much press to this case of TB is a little bit blown out of proportion. I say this, because even though it is a drug resistant strain of TB, this is what the CDC has to say about TB in the US:

…with increased funding and attention to the TB problem, we have had a steady decline in the number of persons with TB since 1992. But TB is still a problem; more than 14,000 cases were reported in 2003 in the United States.(source)

Now, that means that out of the millions and millions of people that live in the US, chances of getting TB are still pretty low. In fact, even all this press is stressing that those that were closest to the person on the flight were the ones that were most likely exposed; even though that doesn’t mean they were necessarily infected.

My point is, this form of scare tactic public health tends to do more harm than good. I bet those people are freaking out, and in turn freaking their families and friends out. Not only that, they have no way of truly preventing the fact that they have actually been exposed. What they should do, rather than splashing these terrifying images and headlines all over the news, is contact those that have been infected, test them, and move on.

I say this, because even CDC doesn’t use these scare tactics; that is all from the lovely media. More from the CDC website on TB:

In the United States, 49 cases of XDR TB have been reported between 1993 and 2006. (source)

This potentially makes this guy #50. Not too many people at risk here, so why the scare? Oh yeah, because he was on a plane. But wait, this is what CDC says about air travel and this specific strain of drug-resistant TB:

Air travel itself carries a relatively low risk of infection with TB of any kind.(source)

Well damn, there is pretty low risk, even to those people that were exposed to it. Again, why the media circus? Because, fear is what the media uses to manipulate us. It makes us feel less safe, and as such, gives them something to stir up. I just hate when it uses public health to do it; especially in cases like this that really don’t deserve the amount of attention this is getting. Sigh… I guess that is just part of living in this country; scared to death of everything, just because the media makes it seem that it is a direct threat to me, and may kill me. I mean, shit, TB is bad enough, but one they can’t cure!? I’ll never fly again! Well, that’s not true, but that is the kind of feeling they are going for. Shame on you “liberal” media, for twisting this story into something more grandiose than it really is.

Also… here’s the thing that I don’t want to admit: James and I have been shopping at Walmart recently. I feel so ashamed. I feel like I have given in to that deep down red neck side of me that still lives down in there somewhere. I mean, there’s nothing more ghetto-red neck fabulous than Walmart. But they have great prices! Damn, it is so hard to forget about how they rape their employees by preventing them from having company sponsored health care, so I won’t go often. Yeah… that will work. But I saved money! The humanity of it all. Damn you Walmart and your seductive prices!! Seriously though, I feel bad about it, but I guess not bad enough to never go back. I will just have to stay away from that side of the highway. That will make it a little better, I suppose.

Hope everyone’s hump day is humptastic! Thanks again for the support on the letter from yesterday, it was much appreciated.

all about me, blog on blog, cream of the crop, happenings, hmm interesting, listen up!, near and dear, venting, well?

an important note from the editor

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I have been giving a lot of thought as to what has been going on here for the past couple of days, as well as what has transpired over the past few weeks, and I have to say, I am getting quite fed up with feeling like I have to constantly defend myself with everything that I say. Point being, that I have made some decisions regarding this blog, as well as decisions regarding what I am willing to put up with in the future. I have made these decisions, because before a couple of months ago, I actually enjoyed blogging, and now it has become a complete and utter nuisance, because I know, that no matter what I say, there will be someone who feels like it is their right to come around here and fuck it all up.

Now, I know that I can ignore those people, and go about my business as usual, but honestly, I don’t think that I should have to. I am the one that pays for the hosting service and the domain name duanemoody.com. I am the one that uploaded wordpress, and tweaked the style to be how I like it. I am the one that wrote all of the content, including the “non-blog” stuff. So, as far as I can tell, this is my space on the internet. This is my home. And, I am sick and tired of letting people come over to my home and shit on the floor. I am not going to continue yelling at these people for shitting on the floor; I am going to kick them the fuck out of my house, and clean up the shit and move on.

If you don’t like what I have to say, fine. Everyone is entitled to an opinion. The opinion represented here is mine. It is what I think. It is based on facts that I have discovered, my worldview, and my knowledge. I am fine with people disagreeing with me, and again, I welcome arguments and debate. But, what I will no longer tolerate, is fucking assholes who think that they have the right to just come in my home and do whatever they want, which over the past few weeks, has focused on belittling me, striving to get a rise out of me, and only seeking to piss me off for the sake of fulfilling their own sick pleasure. If you want to debate about something that I have said, debate it. Don’t go round and round talking shit about me and everything that I believe. If you do, you might as well stay outside, and walk to someone else’s house, because you are no longer welcome here. Additionally, along the same vein, it would be in your best interest to focus on debating what I am talking about if you want a response from me, because continually using broad issues and things that aren’t related to what I am talking about as a retort will fall on deaf ears. I will simply point out that you are not talking about the issue, and will move on. If the debate does steer in that direction, fine, but don’t expect me to just listen to constant generalizations and all or nothing arguments. It has gotten old.

I feel I must address this, because I know there are several all or nothing arguers out there, so here it is: While I don’t believe in censorship, I do believe in limits. Since this website is MINE, and only mine, then I don’t have to put up with bullshit anymore. And quite frankly, I can’t believe that I did for so long. Any challenges as to why I have made these decisions, and the subsequent steps mentioned above, will be met with the utmost contempt. If you find any action that I take to prevent something I enjoy doing in my own home from becoming fodder for someone else to attack, belittle, or demean, then you are completely missing the point of this statement, and my actions. I will not silence the voice of anyone that disagrees with me, but I reserve the right to completely eliminate the presence of someone that uses hateful, demeaning, continually negative, and downright inflammatory comments to try and “prove me wrong” or to simply provoke a response from me. If you could actually prove me wrong, I wouldn’t need to retort, because I would be convinced by the facts. Please keep this in mind when commenting in the future. And just to note, I have only deleted 2 comments EVER from this blog, and both were deleted last week. I don’t foresee many more comments being deleted, so long as everyone can abide by my simple principle of treating me with respect, and not being an asshole while you are in my online home.

If you want to continue to be invited into my home, come to play. Come to have a great time. Come to laugh. Come to debate. Come to share your opinions. But don’t come in, shit on my floor, and not expect me to kick your ass to the curb. Because if you are expecting me to look the other way, and yell at your over and over as I have done in the past, you might as well stay away. This is pretty much the only warning I feel to be necessary at this point, so know that this policy is in effect from here on out.

This is the only way that I can see to prevent me from quitting blogging all together, but I honestly wouldn’t want want to give up something I enjoy, just because a few people are assholes to me. I have also noticed that it is those few that tend to drive away other readers and commenters, and that is something that I have taken into consideration in this mandate. I am not going to stand for that anymore, either. I do hope that everyone has a great afternoon, and I hope to see you soon; but please remember the new policy is actively in effect. I appreciate your time and attention on this matter.

hmm interesting, is it just me?, listen up!, venting, well?, wtf?!

wait a second… but I thought?

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Yesterday, our amazingly astute, president said that bin Laden was trying to set up terrorist camps and attack sites in Iraq, and as such, is the main reason why the war on “terror” in Iraq is so essential. But Mr. President… didn’t you say this about bin Laden just a few years ago(?):

Deep in my heart I know the man is on the run, if he’s alive at all. Who knows if he’s hiding in some cave or not; we haven’t heard from him in a long time. And the idea of focusing on one person is — really indicates to me people don’t understand the scope of the mission.

Terror is bigger than one person. And he’s just — he’s a person who’s now been marginalized. His network, his host government has been destroyed. He’s the ultimate parasite who found weakness, exploited it, and met his match. He is — as I mentioned in my speech, I do mention the fact that this is a fellow who is willing to commit youngsters to their death and he, himself, tries to hide — if, in fact, he’s hiding at all.

So I don’t know where he is. You know, I just don’t spend that much time on him, Kelly, to be honest with you. I’m more worried about making sure that our soldiers are well-supplied; that the strategy is clear; that the coalition is strong; that when we find enemy bunched up like we did in Shahikot Mountains, that the military has all the support it needs to go in and do the job, which they did. (source)

So let me get this straight: the very man that we shouldn’t be focusing on, because he is, after all, just one man (per your words), is THE reason why the war in Iraq is so essential? Humnia humina huh? That sounds like, the complete and total opposite of what you have been telling us for years! It sounds like he has been the real threat all along, yet, you have told us time and again that we shouldn’t be focused on him, because even you don’t spend that much time on him.

I think someone has a case of “I don’t know what the fuck is going on” syndrome, with an unhealthy case of “I am sure that they won’t remember that I said the exact opposite a few years ago” addiction. Point is, if bin Laden is such a threat, why aren’t we going after him? He isn’t in Iraq, is he? And if he is, why aren’t we killing the shit out of him? Perhaps if we would have been focused on him all along, we might not even need to be in Iraq today. If the intelligence was there in 2001, and we knew that he was a threat, why didn’t we go after him? Now, you are saying, in 2007, that bin Laden is the problem, based on info you found in 2005. (!!??!?!) That confuses me, because it sounds to me, like he has always been the problem, yet for almost 5 years now, you have told us he isn’t worth our resources. (Again… ?!?!??!!!??)

If you believe that this president is capable of doing anything more advanced that opening a bag of potato chips, then please stay clear of me, I am terrified of people that will blindly back a person that clearly lacks a basic level of intelligence. It is blaringly clear that this administration is grasping at steadily disappearing straws, trying to come up with reason after reason to justify the needless war on “terror”. Continually using fear tactics, and talking ad nauseam about “the killers” that want to “attack us here”, only to say that you don’t spend any time on the very one that was responsible for ACTUALLY attacking us here, is not only irresponsible, it is sadistic and sociopathic; not to mention bordering on insane.

I am sick and tired of the bullshit. Kill bin Laden. Don’t kill bin Laden. Either way, he isn’t in Iraq, and continuing a war on the people of Iraq is genocide. There is so much blood on our hands, we will never be able to wash it clean, and I for one, want us to at least stop adding fuel to the fire. That will require a president that is able to comprehend basic intelligence, which, unfortunately, we don’t have. January 2009 cannot come soon enough.

Anyone else want to move to another country? Because I am about ready to jump this sinking ship.