Tuesday, December 30, 2008

Auld Lang Syne? Bah!

I have a confession to make. I really hate New Years celebrations. Really, really hate them. I've never been a big fan of the thought of New Years to begin with. This whole "out with the old, in with the new"...phooey! I'm also a little leery of the whole thought of resolutions. I usually start thinking about my goals for the next year around this time, and I suppose some people consider those resolutions...but I guess I've always thought of New Years resolutions as these "big changes" we all intend to make for the new year. Like, I'm going to lose that 50 pounds I put on at Christmas or I'm going to have that nosejob so I can go out in public and feel normal again. *sigh* I guess it's always good to start new. But as for this New Years celebration, I'll be buried under the covers in bed!

Monday, December 15, 2008

Burr, burr, burr!

I don't know about you...but I'm freezing!

Winter certainly arrived in rare form this weekend, didn't it? A 50 degree drop in one day...because, hey, why not? This is Iowa, right? Yeesh!


Ah well, welcome to winter!

Monday, December 1, 2008

World AIDS Day


Today marks the 20th Anniversary of World AIDS Day. Started in 1988, its purpose is to increase awareness, highlight the importance, and show unity around the common cause of this disease.

The numbers are staggering and frightening when speaking in terms of this disease. According to the World Health Organization, roughly 33 million people are living with HIV worldwide. That is more than the total populations of New York City, Los Angeles, and Chicago combined. Two-thirds of those people reside in sub-Sahara Africa. And within some of those countries nearly one in five adults are infected with HIV. In Eastern Europe and Central Asia, the number of people living with HIV increased 150% between 2001 and 2007.

Once thought of as a predominately homosexual disease, today the vast majority of HIV infections are transmitted via heterosexual sex. Nearly half of all adults living with HIV are female. In America alone, heterosexual sex accounts for one third of new diagnoses.

Stigma and prejudice are key components in the spread of this disease. In many communities, people with HIV and AIDS are shunned and abused. Because of the social stigmas attached to this disease, many people don't seek treatment for fear of being ostracised. Political and cultural attitudes also play a significant role in the spread of HIV and AIDS. Oftentimes, accurate and reliable information is stifled, while inaccurate information is allowed to flow freely. There are often fears of promoting adequate sex education information to youth.

This disease knows no bounds. Millions upon millions are affected around the world every day by this disease. Millions upon millions more will die from it. There has been speculation that entire generations could be wiped out in Africa because of AIDS. It is frightening to think that we would allow a disease to do just that.

I hope you will make it a point today to educate yourself on HIV and AIDS. That you will consider your own health and well-being, as well as that of others. And that you will take a moment to recognize the millions already lost from this disease.