World AIDS Day, observed December 1 each year, is dedicated to raising awareness of the AIDS pandemic caused by the spread of HIV infection.
HIV/AIDS has been a global epidemic for more than 27 years. Most of today’s youth have never known a world without it. The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recently published national HIV incidence (new infections) that showed much higher numbers that previous estimates. The time is now. Together, we can prevent the spread of this pandemic – through awareness, care, prevention, education and research.
The Red Ribbon is the international symbol of support for people living with HIV. Wearing a red ribbon is a great way to raise awareness about HIV as well as to break down stigma and prejudice, so make sure you get yours in time for World AIDS Day!
Last year I had the opportunity to post about Worlds AIDS Day and found a lot of interesting information about how it affects us on a local and international scale. I was amazed to find out how many black people were infected with the disease. It’s not something that’s always discussed in our community and this is why I appreciate the effort of those willing to blog about this important day.
Last month I wrote a post about a virtual town hall meeting for Bill Cosby’s new CD, ‘Bill Cosby Presents the Cosnarati: State of Emergency’. The record has been released and Mr. Cosby is turning his attention to creating a serious discussion around the issues that fuel the Cosnarati record.
The next phase of the “State of Emergency” campaign will be a weekend of LISTENing parties on December 12th and 13th. The Cosby team will be working vigilantly on the organization of thousands of mini-town halls at homes, community centers, churches, and other locations around the country. A full overview on the LISTENing parties here:
This will be done in conjunction with another Ustream town hall featuring Mr. Cosby, who will also be calling in to welcome listeners at many of the town halls. If you would like to set up a LISTENing party, a manual for what’s needed to get started can be found at http://act.billcosby.com/page/-/docs/party-manual.pdf. I’ve been asked to sponsor a meeting, so I’ll let you know what comes of that.
Given the holiday, we are releasing the President’s weekly address today. In this video, President Obama calls to our attention the men and women in uniform who are away from home sacrificing time with family to protect our safety and freedom. He also talks about the progress of health care reform, the Recovery Act, and job creation to ensure that next Thanksgiving will be a brighter day.
I missed last week’s address, so I thought I’d just give you the link.
I’m not sure how many have noticed, but I’ve been away from the blogosphere a couple of weeks. The job has been keeping me pretty busy, but I see it as a good thing because there are a lot of people out there looking for work. For my back to blogging post, I thought I’d touch on a subject that got a lot of attention.
The sagging pants debate is back up and running and it looks like Mayor Pro Tem Dwaine R. Caraway has some help from the school district. The law he was looking to create never became a reality (which is good), so he’s looking to make it an issue of self-respect. My personal feelings on the sagging pants debate can be found here, so there’s no reason to get into all that again. But I will remain true to my stance and belief that people form their initial opinion about you based on your attire. While it may not be right or true, it happens.
In my last post, I received a mixed variety of comments and would like to know what you feel about the sagging pants discussion. Word has it that our young ladies are starting to follow suit and get their sag on also.
Oh, no they didn’t! During the BET Awards, Martin Lawrence and Jamie Foxx put together a movie trailer parody that poked fun at their 90’s TV show characters Sheneneh Jenkins (Martin Lawrence Show) and Wanda Reid (In Living Color). Rumor has it that Screen Gems has approached the two actors to make a movie based on the BET spoof (shown below).
Personally, I liked the characters on their respective TV shows, but I really think that’s as far as it needs to go. As I type this post, I cringe because I think making it will push the careers of both actors back a step. They have done some great things since Wanda & Sheneneh and are beyond this. The characters they played in the past need to remain in the past. They made us laugh and gave us some funny one liners, but Madea is more than enough for today’s movie-goer.
I won’t be spending my $10 to go see it because I can think of better things to do with my money. I’m curious to see how many theaters will show it and wonder how the general public will react once it’s out. Chris Rock’s Good Hair movie caused a discussion and even got him an appearance on Oprah. I wonder is Wanda and Sheneneh will get the same opportunity? Only time will tell.
Don’t forget to turn those clocks back one hour tonight before you go to bed. There’s a lot of debate around daylight savings, so I want to know what you think. Is daylight savings necessary? Do you like getting and losing that extra hour of sleep each year?
Before you vote, here’s some more information regarding daylight savings.
When you do an initial search for Sabrina Matthews, you find a lot of content regarding Sabrina Matthews the lesbian comic (there’s also a ballet choreographer with the same name). But there is another Sabrina Matthews that is not getting a lot of national attention in the news.
According to mahalo.com and other sources, 14-year-old Sabrina Matthews was found in her Queens, New York, home on Sunday, November 9, 2008. Police said the teen’s throat had been slashed and her father reportedly found his daughter’s body when he returned home from work. There was no immediate word on any arrests in the case.
When I first heard this story, I was upset that it didn’t get as much attention as other cases similar to this. As the anniversary of her death approaches, I still haven’t heard much regarding her case and thought I’d continue to shed some light on her story by keeping it in the minds of those who read this blog.
Here are some Fast Facts from the Mahalo website:
Matthews’ body found in her home in Queens, New York, on the afternoon of November 9, 2008
On Monday October 19th, at 7pm EST / 4pm PST, Bill Cosby will be hosting a virtual town hall meeting live via Ustream. The purpose is to promote his new CD “Bill Cosby Presents the Cosnarati: State of Emergency”, which is an album of music with messages reflecting today’s most critical issues affecting young people. The 90-minute event will include a first time ever performance by Cosnarati where they will showcase a few songs from the record. Audience members will be able to tweet @BillCosby before and during the live town hall using http://www.tinyurl.com/ASKCOSBY and connect with him directly at http://twitter.com/BillCosby.
Bill Cosby is not new to saying things black people don’t always want to hear. I wrote a review about his book “Come On People” when it was published and I thought he hit on some pretty important topics. While I may not have agreed with everything he had to say, I do see where he is coming from. Being a comedian in a time when people weren’t always fond of black people, I’m sure Dr. Cosby has experienced some things we can never imagine. He’s opened the doors for a lot of actors and for that alone, his street cred in my opinion is pretty high. I applaud him for his efforts and it’ll be interesting to see how the CD is received.
I will embed the stream on my site or you can go directly to his UsreamTV site where you can chat with others who are watching.
The undisputed “Queen of Hip Hop” has hooked up with Covergirl to find a female artist to open for her show in each city while on tour. Whether you’re a singer, a dancer, a rapper, or anything in between, this could be your chance to open during her tour of your city. All you have to do is create a one-minute video performance showcasing the Queen Latifah persona that fits you best. Along with a video, tell in 250-words or less why you deserve to ignite your Persona.
Latifah is one of the few women in hip hop with staying power and is truly a role model, inspiring female entertainers everywhere. She all-around entertainer and has excelled in her many endeavors, proving she can stand the test of time
The President discusses ongoing efforts to spur job creation. He also explains why health insurance reform is needed not just for long-term economic stability, but in the immediate future, discussing statistics on how costs will continue to skyrocket and hurt small businesses even next year.
World AIDS Day, observed December 1 each year, is dedicated to raising awareness of the AIDS pandemic caused by the spread of HIV infection.
