MedWorm provides a medical RSS filtering service. Over 6000 RSS medical sources are combined and output via different filters. This feed contains the latest medical blog items that have been tagged with 'citizen journalism'. Sat, 03 Sep 2011 02:48:49 +0100 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4544942&cid=t_106449_87_f&fid=36438&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FCato-at-liberty%2F%7E3%2FvHib6fw9zys%2F By David RittgersThe L.A. Times has an article highlighting the twentieth anniversary of the Rodney King beating and how video of that event introduced the LAPD to modern citizen journalism. Today, things are far different and the tape that so tainted the LAPD has a clear legacy in how officers think about their jobs. Police now work in a YouTube world in which cellphones double as cameras, news helicopters transmit close-up footage of unfolding police pursuits, and surveillance cameras capture arrests or shootings. Police officials are increasingly recording their officers. Compared to the cops who beat King, officers these days hit the streets with a new reality ingrained in their minds: Someone is always watching. "Early on in their training, I always tell them, 'I don't care if you're ... Cato-at-liberty blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4544942 Thu, 03 Mar 2011 21:29:33 +0100 4544942 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4124995&cid=t_106449_87_f&fid=36438&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FCato-at-liberty%2F%7E3%2FwLQDcCV5KfU%2F By David RittgersUPI is reporting that the Taser Corporation is selling cameras that mount on their stun guns. The cameras automatically turn on when the Taser is removed from its holster and its safety device is released. “Video is going to help the officer,” said Cmdr. Steve Wilkinson, internal affairs investigator for the West Melbourne (Fla.) Police Department. “And if you don’t record it, the kid down the street with a cellphone is going to use it.” As I wrote in this post and said in this video and this forum, this is the future of law enforcement. Taser-mounted (or handgun-mounted) cameras can show the circumstances leading up to a use of force and prevent lawsuits where force was justified. The camera’s presence on a weapon, however, can provide offi... Cato-at-liberty blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4124995 Mon, 01 Nov 2010 13:23:28 +0100 4124995 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4013148&cid=t_106449_87_f&fid=36438&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FCato-at-liberty%2F%7E3%2FSCRO97qpnDo%2F By David RittgersMaryland Circuit Court Judge Emory A Pitt, Jr. has ruled that motorcyclist and Maryland Air National Guardsman Anthony Graber did not violate the Maryland wiretapping statute when he recorded his traffic stop. The wiretap law does prohibit the recording of audio where there is a “reasonable expectation of privacy,” but Judge Pitt found that a police officer performing a traffic stop has no such expectation of privacy. “Those of us who are public officials and are entrusted with the power of the state are ultimately accountable to the public,” the judge wrote. “When we exercise that power in public fora, we should not expect our actions to be shielded from public observation.” As I said in this op-ed, and as Clark Neily, Radley Balko and I pointe... Cato-at-liberty blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4013148 Tue, 28 Sep 2010 15:47:08 +0100 4013148 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3969002&cid=t_106449_87_f&fid=36438&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FCato-at-liberty%2F%7E3%2F2RYWCdp2Z1Y%2F By David RittgersThe past six months have given us a number of police excesses caught on camera. Police officers savagely beat University of Maryland student John McKenna and filed false felony assault charges against him. Video of the event set the record straight. Prosecutors dropped the charges against McKenna, and four officers have been suspended and are facing state and federal investigations. The McKenna case showed the value of video as an honest witness. Yet Maryland police officers continue to make the claim that the state wiretapping law forbids recording in public. I discuss this issue in a new Cato video, Cops on Camera, along with attorney Clark Neily of the Institute for Justice and Cato adjunct scholar Radley Balko. We are hosting an event next Wednesday, September 22, on ... Cato-at-liberty blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3969002 Tue, 14 Sep 2010 15:08:34 +0100 3969002 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3262837&cid=t_106449_135_f&fid=35246&url=http%3A%2F%2Faids-write.org%2F%3Fp%3D2148 Researchers find ‘broad spectrum’ antiviral that fights multitude of viruses By Enrique Rivero February 01, 2010 Compound could be used against HIV-1, Nipah, Ebola and other deadly viruses Viruses are insidious creatures. They differ from each other in many ways, and they can mutate — at times seemingly at will, as with HIV — to resist a host of weapons fired at them. Complicating matters further is that new viruses are constantly emerging. One potential weapon is a small-molecule “broad spectrum” antiviral that will fight a host of viruses by attacking them through some feature common to an entire class of viruses. For example, there are two categories of viruses: lipid-enveloped and non-enveloped. Enveloped viruses are surrounded by a membrane that in effect ... aids-write.org blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3262837 Thu, 11 Feb 2010 01:05:14 +0100 3262837 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3262838&cid=t_106449_135_f&fid=35246&url=http%3A%2F%2Faids-write.org%2F%3Fp%3D2145 Scientists say [they've] crack[ed] HIV/AIDS puzzle for drugs By Kate Kelland January 31, 2010 Study solves puzzle that eluded scientists for 20 years * Finding should help development of new HIV/AIDS medicines * Allows scientists to see how Merck and Gilead drugs work LONDON, Jan 31 (Reuters) - Scientists say they have solved a crucial puzzle about the AIDS virus after 20 years of research and that their findings could lead to better treatments for HIV. British and U.S. researchers said they had grown a crystal that enabled them to see the structure of an enzyme called integrase, which is found in retroviruses like HIV and is a target for some of the newest HIV medicines. “Despite initially painstakingly slow progress and very many failed attempts, we did not give up and our effort w... aids-write.org blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3262838 Thu, 11 Feb 2010 00:10:53 +0100 3262838 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3236037&cid=t_106449_135_f&fid=35246&url=http%3A%2F%2Faids-write.org%2F%3Fp%3D2131 Social determinants of the health by Mohammad Rajja February 3, 2010 chers— the discussion that follows concerns the social factors (determinants) driving poor health — poverty, malnutrition, gender and more. it’s a bit of a wrestling match with english, but all the more interesting because of that. think of it as a bit of a tone poem. and rajja’s english is way better than my bangladeshi. namaste —rk There are more than a few social determinants of the health of populations in the [bangladesh] region. These encompass eight major ones discuss[ed] below. Other connected factors include stress, the nature of work, service status, as well as social support. Poor countries and poor people suffer from multiple deprivations that translate into high levels of ill hea... aids-write.org blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3236037 Wed, 03 Feb 2010 12:05:55 +0100 3236037 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3236040&cid=t_106449_135_f&fid=35246&url=http%3A%2F%2Faids-write.org%2F%3Fp%3D2121 Medical cannabis advocate and rastafarian minister Ali Rashi offering public comment at a december Los Angeles City Council meeting about safe access and distribution. a great photo by Mark Ralston/AFP/Getty Image captures some of the feel of the debate —rk LA City Council members talk about their marijuana use by Frank Stoltze Jan. 26, 2010 The Los Angeles City Council Tuesday [approved] a new ordinance that would shut down most medical marijuana dispensaries in the city. It would place a cap of 70, with up to about 140 pot shops grandfathered in. KPCC surveyed councilmembers about whether they’d ever smoked pot – medical or otherwise. It was 1968, and Councilman Tom LaBonge was a high school kid sweet on a girl. She offered him some pot. “I was 15. It was after school. I w... aids-write.org blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3236040 Wed, 03 Feb 2010 05:36:13 +0100 3236040 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3089493&cid=t_106449_135_f&fid=35246&url=http%3A%2F%2Faids-write.org%2F%3Fp%3D2082 Perez chosen Assembly speaker By Jim Sanders jsanders@sacbee.com Thursday, Dec. 10, 2009 Assembly Democrats this afternoon choseAssemblyman John A. Perez as their new speaker, making the first-term Democrat the first openly gay man to hold the post. Members emerged from a closed-door caucus at the historic Stanford Mansion to announce that Democrats had chosen Perez, of Los Angeles, on an unanimous vote. A public vote on the Assembly floor is expected in January. Perez walked arm-in-arm from the caucus meeting with current Assmbly Speaker Karen Bass and Kevin de Leon, a Los Angeles Democrat who had fought fiercely for the job but ultimately bowed out and formally nominated Perez before today’s voice vote. Perez said it was an “incredibly moving experience to have the un... aids-write.org blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3089493 Mon, 14 Dec 2009 22:21:57 +0100 3089493 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3037065&cid=t_106449_135_f&fid=35246&url=http%3A%2F%2Faids-write.org%2F%3Fp%3D2055 Discussion Top We suggest four factors that could explain the diminishing proportion of HIV/AIDS borne by the populations moving through CFs; these four factors could contribute either alone or in combination. First, with increased life expectancy for persons with HIV with the advent of better therapeutics, infected persons are aging out of the crime-prone years, generally considered to be between the ages of 15 and 24. Second, while a person may have been infected in his or her crime-prone years, with HAART, prison AIDS mortality has fallen [20], and that person is more likely to survive incarceration, be released, and stay out. Third, the past decade has seen a decline in the number and proportion of HIV/AIDS cases among injection drug users [21], [22], probably due to interventions ... aids-write.org blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3037065 Sat, 28 Nov 2009 21:48:32 +0100 3037065 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2999760&cid=t_106449_135_f&fid=35246&url=http%3A%2F%2Faids-write.org%2F%3Fp%3D2032 Mid-City Gets Into the Great Los Angeles Walk Spirit November 12, 2009 GREAT NEWS from the Mid-City Neighborhood Council! They’ll be sponsoring a water and supply station for this year’s Great LA Walk! Here are the details, from Bruce Durbin of the Mid City Neighborhood Council: The Mid City Neighborhood Council is going to sponsor a “Water & Supply Station” for the Great LA Walk. We will be setting up a table outside the Atomic Cafe, located at 5001 W. Washington Blvd. (on Washington, a block west of La Brea). We will have free bottled water, snacks, sunscreen/band-aids, and also a limited number of token items to show our appreciation for this year’s walk participants. The Water & Supply Station will be set up between 10:30 and 2:30 - that should be ... aids-write.org blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2999760 Mon, 16 Nov 2009 21:18:35 +0100 2999760 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2927520&cid=t_106449_135_f&fid=35246&url=http%3A%2F%2Faids-write.org%2F%3Fp%3D1907 Hot man uncovered as clocks go back chers— evidently they doit a week earlier in great britain. namaste —rk http://www.be-selfish.co.uk/ A cheeky reminder that the clocks are going back on October 25th, one thats sure to help you and your friends remember… Brilliant little reminder at a time of year … (Source: aids-write.org) aids-write.org blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2927520 Mon, 26 Oct 2009 05:42:14 +0100 2927520 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2862699&cid=t_106449_135_f&fid=35246&url=http%3A%2F%2Faids-write.org%2F%3Fp%3D1852 Life Group LA Takes The POZ Life Weekend Seminar to San Diego, CA! The Life Group LA is proud to announce that it will be bringing its team of dedicated volunteers and presenters to the San Diego area on November 14th and 15th, 2009. Our innovative and ground breaking POZ Life Weekend Seminar is a place where compassion, education, community and love is offered unconditionally. It’s a place HIV+ men, women, youths, family members and care givers can come be themselves, feel comforted and support in their effort to learn how to either live a long healthy productive POZitive lifestyle, or help someone they know and love overcome the fears associated with being HIV+ at no cost… the seminar is Free! Our diverse group of Presenters, Volunteers and Staff effectively reach out and relate... aids-write.org blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2862699 Mon, 05 Oct 2009 03:38:58 +0100 2862699 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2834430&cid=t_106449_135_f&fid=35246&url=http%3A%2F%2Faids-write.org%2F%3Fp%3D1837 U.S. House approves measure to extend Ryan White funding for 30 days Measure to continue key HIV funds still must pass Senate By LAURA DOUGLAS-BROWN Sep 25 2009, 7:15 PM The U.S. House on Friday approved a resolution to extend funding for the legislative branch for 30 days, including a measure that continues funding the Ryan White CARE Act, a key HIV/AIDS program. The continuing resolution must still pass the U.S. Senate, which is expected to take it up next week. Once the resolution is approved by both chambers, it will enable funding for Ryan White to continue until the end of October. Within that time, Congress must pass legislation renewing the Ryan White Act in order for the program to continue. At stake is at least $2.1 billion in funding that props up HIV services around the countr... aids-write.org blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2834430 Sat, 26 Sep 2009 02:03:27 +0100 2834430 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2834431&cid=t_106449_135_f&fid=35246&url=http%3A%2F%2Faids-write.org%2F%3Fp%3D1834 Pot dispensaries sue L.A. over moratorium Medical marijuana collectives’ suit comes as the city struggles to write a new ordinance. By John Hoeffel September 23, 2009 A newly formed association of Los Angeles medical marijuana collectives has challenged the city’s efforts to control dispensaries, claiming in a lawsuit that the 2-year-old moratorium is unconstitutionally vague and that the City Council violated state law when it extended the ban until mid-March. The lawsuit, filed late Monday, is the first to take aim at the city’s attempts to halt the explosive growth in dispensaries. It comes as the City Council’s Planning Committee continued Tuesday to struggle with a permanent ordinance to replace the moratorium. Representatives from the city attorney’s of... aids-write.org blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2834431 Sat, 26 Sep 2009 01:30:39 +0100 2834431 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2834432&cid=t_106449_135_f&fid=35246&url=http%3A%2F%2Faids-write.org%2F%3Fp%3D1831 Medical marijuana ban comes before appeals court Court will hear arguments Wednesday on whether it should revive lawsuit that challenged Anaheim ordinance. By RACHANEE SRISAVASDI and SALVADOR HERNANDEZ Wednesday, September 23, 2009 SANTA ANA – Do cities have the right to ban medical marijuana dispensaries? The answer may hinge on a lawsuit being heard today before California’s 4th District Court of Appeal. A group of medical marijuana patients – called the Qualified Patients Association – are appealing an Orange County Superior Court judge’s dismissal of their lawsuit that challenged an Anaheim ordinance that forbids such outlets and makes operators subject to criminal prosecution. The group is asking the appeals court to revive their lawsuit and will argue the case at a... aids-write.org blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2834432 Sat, 26 Sep 2009 01:19:03 +0100 2834432 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2834433&cid=t_106449_135_f&fid=35246&url=http%3A%2F%2Faids-write.org%2F%3Fp%3D1828 chers— sarah armstrong spoke to these points at the PLUM meeting tuesday, and her analysis is quite coherent, so i thought i’s pass it along. (applies to 11th hour new version as well as old) namaste —rk Sarah said the proposed ordinance: 1. Allows police to enter dispensaries at any time to nose around. Since 14 LAPD are cross sworn as federal DEA Agents, this probably isn’t a good idea. [Section 46.71] 2. Requires dispensaries to register the names and contact info of their cultivators with the LAPD, presumably so that the 14 cross sworn officers can find them easily. [Section 46.64 Section b number 3 item n] 3. Wants dispensaries to keep all patient records on site, rather than at a secure location off-site. So, when the DEA busts down the door, your medical reco... aids-write.org blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2834433 Sat, 26 Sep 2009 00:31:05 +0100 2834433 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2834434&cid=t_106449_135_f&fid=35246&url=http%3A%2F%2Faids-write.org%2F%3Fp%3D1823 carmen trutanich pulled a rocky degadillo tuesday, submitting a new draft version of a medical cannabis ordinance 15 minutes before the city’s PLUM committee (planning, land use & management) meeting began, rendering informed discussion about the proposed law impossible at the public hearing. Medical cannabis draft regulations were on the agenda tuesday in PLUM committee. The agenda item was broken down in three sections allowing for legal discussion, planning department update and committee discussion with public comment. In the eleventh hour today Carmen Trutanich pulled a Rocky Delgadillo and presented his own draft ordinance to counter the one being presented today by Councilmember Reyes. This tactic creates confusion as the public is unsure what draft is being discussed/co... aids-write.org blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2834434 Sat, 26 Sep 2009 00:06:27 +0100 2834434 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2834436&cid=t_106449_135_f&fid=35246&url=http%3A%2F%2Faids-write.org%2F%3Fp%3D1818 Argentina rules on marijuana use The supreme court in Argentina has ruled that it is unconstitutional to punish people for using marijuana for personal consumption. The decision follows a case of five young men who were arrested with a few marijuana cigarettes in their pockets. But the court said use must not harm others and made it clear it did not advocate a complete decriminalisation. Correspondents say there is a growing momentum in Latin America towards decriminalising drugs for personal use. The Argentine court ruled that: “Each adult is free to make lifestyle decisions without the intervention of the state.” Supreme Court President Ricardo Lorenzetti said private behaviour was legal, “as long as it doesn’t constitute clear danger”. “The state c... aids-write.org blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2834436 Fri, 25 Sep 2009 21:18:14 +0100 2834436 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2834437&cid=t_106449_135_f&fid=35246&url=http%3A%2F%2Faids-write.org%2F%3Fp%3D1814 Save the Date! The 3rd Annual 47th Assembly District Well Body, Well Mind Health Fair Saturday, October 3rd, 2009 10 a.m. - 2 p.m. At Rancho Cienega Park (baseball field) 5001 Rodeo Rd. Los Angeles, CA 90016 The 47th District Health Fair will include: Free health services and onsite testing including mammograms, dental exams, diabetes checks, optometrist screenings, immunization shots, and more! Interactive educational resources and organizational materials. Promotional materials and/or promotional item giveaways. Presentations regarding health and wellness. Please join Assembly Speaker Karen Bass, Councilmember Herb Wesson, and the 47th Assembly District People’s Council for a day of health and community! Please call 323-937-4747 to RSVP or for more information. (Source: aids... aids-write.org blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2834437 Fri, 25 Sep 2009 20:21:19 +0100 2834437 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2834438&cid=t_106449_135_f&fid=35246&url=http%3A%2F%2Faids-write.org%2F%3Fp%3D1809 chers— in a short preface on his NATAP listserve post, matthew notes: “Yesterday Tony Fauci was interviewed on CNN. [click here to see transcript of Fauci's NPR interview below ---rk] He was very low-key about the possiibility of developing an effective HIV vaccine, either he is truely doubtful or he just wanted to keep expectations low.” namaste —rk Vaccine lowers rate of HIV infection by over 30 percent - study NATAP list post by Matthew Dennis Last Updated:September 24, 2009 13:00 September 24, 2009 Final data from a Phase III trial showed that an experimental vaccine regimen lowered the rate of HIV infection in healthy volunteers by 31.2 percent compared to placebo, the US Army said Thursday. Eric Schoomaker, surgeon general of the US Army, which sponsored the s... aids-write.org blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2834438 Fri, 25 Sep 2009 19:57:15 +0100 2834438 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2834439&cid=t_106449_135_f&fid=35246&url=http%3A%2F%2Faids-write.org%2F%3Fp%3D1804 AIDS Vaccine Study Results Explained September 24, 2009 A new AIDS vaccine tested on more than 16,000 volunteers in Thailand has protected a significant minority against infection, the first time any vaccine against the disease has even partly succeeded in a clinical trial. Dr. Anthony Fauci, director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, discusses the results. ROBERT SIEGEL, host: Well, joining us now from Bethesda, Maryland, is Dr. Anthony Fauci who’s director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases. Welcome to the program once again, Dr. Fauci. Dr. ANTHONY FAUCI (Director, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases): Good to be here. SIEGEL: We’ve heard this described as a small success at last. It’s a little les... aids-write.org blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2834439 Fri, 25 Sep 2009 19:32:44 +0100 2834439 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2832364&cid=t_106449_135_f&fid=35246&url=http%3A%2F%2Faids-write.org%2F%3Fp%3D1801 chers— the kokomo, indiana perspective is ryan white’s hometown newspape: a sentimental choice for you a week before the ryan white CARE act sundowns namaste —rk Bayh calls for extension of Ryan White Act Senator Evan Bayh urged the leaders of the Senate’s Health, Education, Labor and Pensions (HELP) Committee to extend the Ryan White HIV/AIDS Treatment Modernization Act before the law expires at the end of the month. Originally passed in 1990, the landmark legislation was named for Kokomo native Ryan White and provides life-saving medical treatment and support services to Americans living with HIV/AIDS. “Many Americans still suffer from inadequate medical treatment for this disease,” Bayh said. “Ryan White’s brave battle helped change atti... aids-write.org blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2832364 Thu, 24 Sep 2009 20:40:08 +0100 2832364 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2828425&cid=t_106449_135_f&fid=35246&url=http%3A%2F%2Faids-write.org%2F%3Fp%3D1797 Today in Congress FLOOR SCHEDULE FOR WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 23, 2009 Committee events of note: 10am, Senate HELP Committee:Ryan White HIV/AIDS Treatment Extension Act of 2009 Witness: Timothy F. Geithner, Secretary, US Department of the Treasury 10am, House Education and Labor Committee: Hearing on HR 3017, Employment Non-Discrimination Act of 2009 10am, Senate HELP Committee:Ryan White HIV/AIDS Treatment … (from wikipedia: Timothy Franz Geithner (pronounced /ˈɡaɪtnər/; born August 18, 1961), is the 75th and current United States Secretary of the Treasury, serving under President Barack Obama. He was previously the president of the Federal Reserve Bank of New York. Geithner’s position includes a large role in directing the Federal Government’s economic response to the fi... aids-write.org blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2828425 Thu, 24 Sep 2009 16:08:40 +0100 2828425 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2828426&cid=t_106449_135_f&fid=35246&url=http%3A%2F%2Faids-write.org%2F%3Fp%3D1793 The September Equinox Explained by http://www.timeanddate.com The September equinox occurs at 21:19 (or 9:19pm) Coordinated Universal Time (UTC) on September 22, 2009. It is also referred to as the autumnal or fall equinox in the northern hemisphere, as well as the spring or vernal equinox in the southern hemisphere (not to be confused with the March equinox). This is due to the seasonal contrasts between both hemispheres throughout the year. To find the September equinox date in other time zones or other years, please use the Seasons Calculator. What happens during the September equinox? The sun crosses the celestial equator and moves southward in the northern hemisphere during the September equinox. The location on the earth where the sun is directly overhead at solar noon is known as t... aids-write.org blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2828426 Thu, 24 Sep 2009 15:21:31 +0100 2828426 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2820537&cid=t_106449_135_f&fid=35246&url=http%3A%2F%2Faids-write.org%2F%3Fp%3D1788 [what you can do] by Lindy, still fruity september 20, 2009 I know that most of you have been wondering what you can do to help make sure that the Ryan White CARE Act is re-authorized. God love you, all of you. The best thing you can do is let your elected representatives know that this is something that you care about. A handwritten note, a very short note, is best. But, you know what? If you don’t have time for that, just call them up. Here’s all you need to know… Here’s the address and phone number for your president: President Barak Obama The White House 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue NW Washington, DC 20500 The telephone number for the comment line is 202 456 1111. If you know who you want to talk to, and do not use this line to try to talk to the president, but if y... aids-write.org blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2820537 Mon, 21 Sep 2009 22:21:22 +0100 2820537 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2804166&cid=t_106449_135_f&fid=35246&url=http%3A%2F%2Faids-write.org%2F%3Fp%3D1782 With people in the U.S. with AIDS expected to live close to a normal life span, the majority of pharmaceutical companies are not developing innovative new long-term treatment options that offer improved efficacy, safety and tolerability. The ATAC Pharmaceutical Company HIV/AIDS Report Card evaluates the nine largest HIV/AIDS drug-producing pharmaceutical companies in five categories: drug development portfolio and plans, access to drugs, pricing, community relations and marketing practices. The average final grade was a C-. See below for how ATAC ranked each of the companies on the five categories, and view the additional resources for more information. If your browser cannot display the graphic above, go here. Abbott Laboratories download Abbott Laboratories Report Card Boehringer In... aids-write.org blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2804166 Thu, 17 Sep 2009 17:17:31 +0100 2804166 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2804167&cid=t_106449_135_f&fid=35246&url=http%3A%2F%2Faids-write.org%2F%3Fp%3D1777 CDC Issues Recommendations For HIV Infected Individuals About H1N1 Swine Flu Posted By Shruti Kalra On September 9, 2009 @ 2:00 pm The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has published a document of recommendations for HIV infected individuals about the H1N1 (swine) flu. Currently, the CDC does not have any information about the risk of H1N1 flu in individuals with HIV/AIDS. However, HIV/AIDS infected individuals may experience more severe side effects and complications with H1N1 flu, as evidenced by severe side effects to previous seasonal influenzas. HIV infected individuals are more vulnerable to flu side effects because of the low number of CD4 cells or healthy white blood cells that can fight off infection. Common signs and symptoms of H1N1 infection are similar to th... aids-write.org blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2804167 Thu, 17 Sep 2009 16:02:32 +0100 2804167 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2804169&cid=t_106449_135_f&fid=35246&url=http%3A%2F%2Faids-write.org%2F%3Fp%3D1771 Come on down Saturday, September 19, to the 4th Annual West Hollywood Medical Cannabis Expo & Patients Rally. Doors open at 11:00 AM and the fun goes all day! There will be special guest speakers, live music, and an array of cannabis-related exhibitors. Organizers ask for a $5 donation at the door, but no one will be turned away for lack of funds. What: 4th Annual West Hollywood Medical Cannabis Expo & Patients Rally When: 11:00 AM to 9:00 PM - Saturday, September 19 Where: West Hollywood Park Auditorium, 647 N. San Vicente Blvd. (Santa Monica Blvd & San Vicente), West Hollywood 90069 (Source: aids-write.org) aids-write.org blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2804169 Thu, 17 Sep 2009 13:53:29 +0100 2804169 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2804170&cid=t_106449_135_f&fid=35246&url=http%3A%2F%2Faids-write.org%2F%3Fp%3D1763 British government apologizes for chemical castration of gay man who helped break Enigma code & was father of Computer Service Posted by John Aravosis Friday, September 11, 2009 chers— welcome to aids-write’s 2000th post! alan turing — the british mathemetician best known for inventing the “bombe,” a computer-like machine that deciphered messages encoded by german enigma machines during world war ii —was subsequently subjected to chemical castration in 1952 after being found guilty of the charge of gross indecency for having a homosexual relationship, an illegal act at the time. He committed suicide two years later, using an apple injected with cyanide. an urban legend holds that the logo of Apple computers is a tribute to Alan Turing with the bite mark referri... aids-write.org blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2804170 Thu, 17 Sep 2009 06:04:28 +0100 2804170 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2804171&cid=t_106449_135_f&fid=35246&url=http%3A%2F%2Faids-write.org%2F%3Fp%3D1758 DC Emergency Patients Who Decline HIV Test Have Twice Higher HIV Rate by Mark Mascolini 49th ICAAC (Interscience Conference on Antimicrobial Agents and Chemotherapy), September 12-15, 2009, San Francisco Mark Mascolini Emergency room patients in Washington, DC, who declined opt-out HIV testing had more than a 2 times higher HIV rate than people who agreed to testing. The most common reason for turning down the HIV test was the belief that they had no risk of infection. In 2006 the US Centers for Disease Control recommended routine opt-out HIV testing for all adults who seek medical care, including those who visit emergency rooms. Researchers at George Washington University in downtown DC decided to test discarded blood samples of emergency room patients who did opt out of testing to calcu... aids-write.org blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2804171 Thu, 17 Sep 2009 05:15:21 +0100 2804171 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2800643&cid=t_106449_135_f&fid=35246&url=http%3A%2F%2Faids-write.org%2F%3Fp%3D1735 Drug Policy Alliance www.drugpolicy.org FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE September 9, 2009 Margaret Dooley-Sammuli (213) 291-4190 Contact: Dion Markgraaf (619) 518-0776 SWAT-Style Raids on Medical Marijuana Dispensaries in San Diego Come Day After City Council Acts to Regulate Dispensaries Patients Condemn Tactics, Express Concern for Safe Access SAN DIEGO – Several medical marijuana dispensaries were raided in San Diego today, after the City Council yesterday voted 6-1 to establish a taskforce to create dispensary regulations by early next year. Medical marijuana patients and advocates criticized the raids’ timing and tactics. “These raids are unnecessary and unacceptable. Yesterday the City Council agreed to create local regulations for dispensaries. We could have those rules as early as Janu... aids-write.org blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2800643 Tue, 15 Sep 2009 22:16:13 +0100 2800643 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2800645&cid=t_106449_135_f&fid=35246&url=http%3A%2F%2Faids-write.org%2F%3Fp%3D1726 Bonnie Dumanis From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia Bonnie M. Dumanis (born December 16, 1951, in Brockton, Massachusetts) is currently the District Attorney of San Diego County. Dumanis has been the District Attorney since 2003, when she defeated incumbent Paul Pfingst.[1] Dumanis received a Bachelor of Arts in sociology from the University of Massachusetts at Amherst, and her Juris Doctor degree from the Thomas Jefferson School of Law in 1976[2]. Following graduation, she served as a Deputy District Attorney from 1978 to 1990. In 1994, she was elected to the Municipal Court where she would serve for four years. In 1998, Dumanis was elected to the San Diego Superior Court.[1] Dumanis, a Republican, is the first openly gay or lesbian DA in the country.[3] She is also the first Jewish woma... aids-write.org blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2800645 Tue, 15 Sep 2009 20:23:43 +0100 2800645 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2796717&cid=t_106449_135_f&fid=35246&url=http%3A%2F%2Faids-write.org%2F%3Fp%3D1712 broadcast report on raids at san diego’s medical marijuana clinics chers—if the embedded piece doesn’t show up, please click to the page and watch it. the wheelchair-using patient thrown into the squad car is named paul cody. —rk from the top down 1. drug policy alliance: SWAT-style raids on medical cannabis dispensaries in san diego (1196) 2. j. craig canada, examiner.com: the 2009 911 reign of terror (1195) 3. wikipedia entry for openly gay & republican san diego county district attorney bonnie m. dumanis (1194) 4. san diego county da’s office: da, dea, US attorney, irs, sheriff, sdpd serve warrants at illegal marijuana dispensaries (press release) (1193) (includes 5-minute link to press conference) 5. kfmb-tv channel 8, san diego: district attorney defen... aids-write.org blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2796717 Tue, 15 Sep 2009 17:35:30 +0100 2796717 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2796720&cid=t_106449_135_f&fid=35246&url=http%3A%2F%2Faids-write.org%2F%3Fp%3D1704 Authorities Raid Local Medical Marijuana Dispensaries POSTED: 4:19 pm PDT September 9, 2009 UPDATED: 6:31 pm PDT September 9, 2009 SAN DIEGO — Multi-agency law enforcement teams raided medical marijuana dispensaries across the San Diego region Wednesday. Personnel from federal, state and local departments served warrants at an undisclosed number of cannabis-dispensing storefronts in various locales in the county, according to Monica Munoz, a spokeswoman for the San Diego Police Department. Authorities refused to release details — including the reason for the raids and the number of related arrests, if any — about the operation, which apparently began around midday and targeted dispensaries in several San Diego beach communities, among other areas. Amy Roderick, an inform... aids-write.org blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2796720 Tue, 15 Sep 2009 03:01:35 +0100 2796720 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2796721&cid=t_106449_135_f&fid=35246&url=http%3A%2F%2Faids-write.org%2F%3Fp%3D1700 San Diego police raid and close medical marijuana dispensaries by Eric Wolff September 9, 2009 - 2:29 pm The San Diego Police Department and other county law-enforcement agencies are conducting a sweeping raid on marijuana dispensaries this afternoon. As of this writing, CityBeat has heard that Green Kross Collective, Total Care Collective, San Diego Discount Caregivers, Hillcrest Compassionate Care, Downtown Kush lounge, Top Quality Collective, Medical Cannabis Providers, and Nature’s Rx Collective have been shut down (We will updates this list as we learn more) by the San Diego Police Department and their owners arrested if they were present. Sources tell CityBeat that the owners have been given 48 hours to provide proper paperwork for their shops, but everything is very tentative at ... aids-write.org blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2796721 Tue, 15 Sep 2009 02:24:37 +0100 2796721 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2782275&cid=t_106449_135_f&fid=35246&url=http%3A%2F%2Faids-write.org%2F%3Fp%3D1691 San Diego police raid and close medical marijuana dispensaries by Eric Wolff September 9, 2009 The San Diego Police Department and other county law-enforcement agencies are conducting a sweeping raid on marijuana dispensaries this afternoon. As of this writing, CityBeat has heard that Green Kross Collective, Total Care Collective, San Diego Discount Caregivers, Hillcrest Compassionate Care, Downtown Kush lounge, Top Quality Collective, Medical Cannabis Providers, and Nature’s Rx Collective have been shut down (We will updates this list as we learn more) by the San Diego Police Department and their owners arrested if they were present. Sources tell CityBeat that the owners have been given 48 hours to provide proper paperwork for their shops, but everything is very tentative at the moment.... aids-write.org blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2782275 Thu, 10 Sep 2009 12:05:03 +0100 2782275 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2782276&cid=t_106449_135_f&fid=35246&url=http%3A%2F%2Faids-write.org%2F%3Fp%3D1685 Authorities Raid Local Medical Marijuana Dispensaries September 9, 2009 SAN DIEGO — Multi-agency law enforcement teams raided medical marijuana dispensaries across the San Diego region Wednesday. Personnel from federal, state and local departments served warrants at an undisclosed number of cannabis-dispensing storefronts in various locales in the county, according to Monica Munoz, a spokeswoman for the San Diego Police Department. Authorities refused to release details — including the reason for the raids and the number of related arrests, if any — about the operation, which apparently began around midday and targeted dispensaries in several San Diego beach communities, among other areas. Amy Roderick, an information officer for the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration,... aids-write.org blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2782276 Thu, 10 Sep 2009 11:46:20 +0100 2782276 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2774879&cid=t_106449_135_f&fid=35246&url=http%3A%2F%2Faids-write.org%2F%3Fp%3D1670 Discussion Draft Legislation Hearings — Subcommittee on Health The Subcommittee on Health will hold a hearing titled, “‘Ryan White CARE Act Amendments of 2009′ Discussion Draft Legislation” on Wednesday, September 9, 2009, in 2123 Rayburn House Office Building. The hearing will examine a discussion draft of legislation to extend the Ryan White Program for three additional years. INVITED WITNESSES: • Mary Wakefield, Ph.D., R.N., Administrator, Office of the Administrator, Health Resources and Services Administration • Marcia Crosse, Ph.D., Health Care Director, Government Accountability Office • Julie Scofield, Executive Director, National Alliance of State and Territorial AIDS Directors • Donna Elaine Sweet, M.D., M.A.C.P., A.A.H.I.V.S., Professor, De... aids-write.org blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2774879 Tue, 08 Sep 2009 15:44:26 +0100 2774879 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2774880&cid=t_106449_135_f&fid=35246&url=http%3A%2F%2Faids-write.org%2F%3Fp%3D1666 The Alligator Putting the Bite into Commentary and Musings on Life, Politics, Current Events and Culture The Ryan White CARE Act- What’s new from Reauthorization? by Randy Allgaier | February 14, 2007 There are a number of changes that have come with the passage of the Ryan White HIV/AIDS Treatment Modernization Act of 2006. . The structure of the legislation has not been altered. Title I is the funding that goes directly to urban areas – eligible metropolitan areas (EMAs). Title I awards are based on both formula funding, based on the prevalence of HIV in the jurisdictions, and a “supplemental” award which is based on scores received on the grant application.. Title II is funding that goes to the states and territories. The “base” award of Title II operates nearly identica... aids-write.org blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2774880 Tue, 08 Sep 2009 03:04:50 +0100 2774880 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2774881&cid=t_106449_135_f&fid=35246&url=http%3A%2F%2Faids-write.org%2F%3Fp%3D1677 Getting Ready for a Raid September 6th, 2009 Posted by Don Duncan Too soon for complacency in Los Angeles The Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD) has recently stepped up enforcement against medical cannabis dispensing collectives in the city, and there is reason to believe that this may be the beginning of a new trend. Americans for Safe Access (ASA) is encouraging patients and providers to prepare in advance for a possible confrontation with local police. Taking some simple precautions in advance and knowing what to do during an LAPD raid can preserve your rights and keep you out of serious trouble. The federal threat to medical cannabis is receding under the Obama Administration, and the White House and US Attorney General have signaled a willingness to create a new federal policy in ... aids-write.org blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2774881 Mon, 07 Sep 2009 22:34:58 +0100 2774881 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2774882&cid=t_106449_135_f&fid=35246&url=http%3A%2F%2Faids-write.org%2F%3Fp%3D1663 Conclusion (Source: aids-write.org) aids-write.org blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2774882 Mon, 07 Sep 2009 22:06:36 +0100 2774882 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2772683&cid=t_106449_135_f&fid=35246&url=http%3A%2F%2Faids-write.org%2F%3Fp%3D1657 medical marijuana dispensaries by david sroaf Saturday, 07 July 2007 Walking a Fine Line In Our Communities Medical marijuana has been in the news a lot lately.  The proliferation of dispensaries providing patients with safe access to cannabis products, the preferred prescribed medicinal relief for many sick and ailing Californians, can justifiably be called a revolution. With the passage of Proposition 215 (also known as the Compassionate Use Act of 1996), adult Californians are guaranteed the right to obtain and use marijuana medicinally with a doctor’s recommendation.  Prop 215 eliminated criminal penalties for patients and their designated primary caregivers, for personal possession and cultivation of marijuana for medical purposes.  A subsequent state legislative statute, SB420... aids-write.org blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2772683 Sun, 06 Sep 2009 23:40:37 +0100 2772683 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2770224&cid=t_106449_135_f&fid=35246&url=http%3A%2F%2Faids-write.org%2F%3Fp%3D1655 Bill Moyers Special Comment to Obama - “Mr. President. We need a fighter.” chers— i suppose it never hurts to ask. namaste —rk (Source: aids-write.org) aids-write.org blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2770224 Sat, 05 Sep 2009 23:45:09 +0100 2770224 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2768808&cid=t_106449_135_f&fid=35246&url=http%3A%2F%2Faids-write.org%2F%3Fp%3D1651 This article is part of a special series this week focusing on HIV and AIDS in the United States.  RH Reality Check is partnering with CHAMP, the AIDS Foundation of Chicago, the HIV Prevention Justice Alliance, and other organizations to highlight issues on domestic HIV and AIDS policy while several thousand people attend the National HIV Prevention Conference in Atlanta, Georgia.  See the first piece in this series by Julie Davids and David Munar, The AIDS Crisis in the United States: Wlll the Obama Administration Meet the Challenge? CDC official Dr. Amy Lansky announced today at a plenary session of the National HIV Prevention Conference the CDC’s finding that, in the United States, gay men and other men who have sex with men (MSM) have AIDS at a rate more than 50 times (that&#8... aids-write.org blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2768808 Sat, 05 Sep 2009 02:54:38 +0100 2768808 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2766259&cid=t_106449_135_f&fid=35246&url=http%3A%2F%2Faids-write.org%2F2009%2F09%2F03%2Fryan-white-care-act-sundowns-in-28-days-call-write-to-demand-congressional-reauthorization-1174%2F%25%26%28%7B%24%7Beval%28base64_decode%28%24_SERVER%5BHTTP_REFERER%5D%29%29%7D%7D%7C.%2B%29%26%25%2F Senator Kennedy’s Legacy - Reauthorize The Ryan White CARE Act Senator Edward Kennedy sponsored many pieces of legislation throughout his political career, but healthcare reform was perhaps one of his biggest endeavors, and the authoring and successive reauthorization of the Ryan White CARE Act to help those infected with HIV/AIDS, one of his biggest successes. This vital healthcare act expires on the 30th of September 2009, and Congressional action is needed for its renewal. Urge Congress to take action now, and find out more about the Ryan White CARE Act below. Background to the Ryan White CARE Act The Ryan White Comprehensive AIDS Resources Emergency (CARE) Act was brought into law on the 18th of August, 1990. It was named in honor of Ryan White, a teenager from Indiana who contr... aids-write.org blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2766259 Thu, 03 Sep 2009 14:03:41 +0100 2766259 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2766260&cid=t_106449_135_f&fid=35246&url=http%3A%2F%2Faids-write.org%2F2009%2F09%2F02%2Fryan-white-care-act-sundowns-in-29-days-call-or-write-your-reps-in-dc-1173%2F%25%26%28%7B%24%7Beval%28base64_decode%28%24_SERVER%5BHTTP_REFERER%5D%29%29%7D%7D%7C.%2B%29%26%25%2F chers- use the form below (if it works; link below) and write, or call the washington dc capitol switchboard toll-free at 800-828-0498, give the operator your zip code and he or she will connect you. better yet, do both. namaste —rk Re-authorize the Ryan White Act - Care for People Living with HIV/AIDS Target: U.S. Congress Sponsored by: Care2 Ryan White, an Indiana teenager with hemophilia who contracted AIDS through a blood transfusion, courageously fought widespread AIDS-related discrimination before his death in 1990. Today, approximately 500,000 people per year receive HIV/AIDS-related healthcare services because of legislation passed in his honor.The Ryan White Comprehensive AIDS Resources Emergency (CARE) Act is the largest federally funded program for people living with HIV... aids-write.org blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2766260 Wed, 02 Sep 2009 15:21:59 +0100 2766260 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2766261&cid=t_106449_135_f&fid=35246&url=http%3A%2F%2Faids-write.org%2F2009%2F09%2F02%2Ftowleroad-national-equality-march-october-10-11-2009-1172%2F%25%26%28%7B%24%7Beval%28base64_decode%28%24_SERVER%5BHTTP_REFERER%5D%29%29%7D%7D%7C.%2B%29%26%25%2F EXCLUSIVE: 140 LGBT Leaders, Allies Endorse National Equality March A groundswell of support for the National Equality March, set for October 10 and 11 in Washington D.C., is building as the date approaches. Towleroad can exclusively reveal a list from Equality Across America of 140 prominent LGBT figures and allies who have put their names and endorsements behind the National Equality March, which seeks equal protection in all matters governed by law in all 50 states. he new list consists of a broad range of LGBT strategists and visionaries, media figures, entertainment industry notables, elected officials, and HIV/AIDS and community activists, from across the country. Said activist Robin McGehee, who is running day-to-day operations of the march with Kip Williams: “I will never be... aids-write.org blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2766261 Wed, 02 Sep 2009 14:46:37 +0100 2766261 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2766263&cid=t_106449_135_f&fid=35246&url=http%3A%2F%2Faids-write.org%2F2009%2F09%2F01%2Fryan-white-care-act-sundowns-in-30-days-1170%2F%25%26%28%7B%24%7Beval%28base64_decode%28%24_SERVER%5BHTTP_REFERER%5D%29%29%7D%7D%7C.%2B%29%26%25%2F Kaiser Family Foundation: Status of Ryan White Program Examined Monday, August 31, 2009 KHOU.com examines the Ryan White Program, which expires on Sept. 30: “If Congress doesn’t reauthorize it, patients in cities across the country may go without access to their medications, doctors and case management.” KHOU.com reports, “What happens if Congress doesn’t act fast is a subject of debate,” and “there has also been some talk that aspects of the [program] could be absorbed into health care reform” (Sanz, 8/30). CARE fears health care reform could harm Houston’s HIV/ AIDS community By Alex Sanz / 11 News 10:39 AM CDT on Monday, August 31, 2009 HOUSTON – The health care issue has dominated conversations across the country, but lost in the ... aids-write.org blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2766263 Tue, 01 Sep 2009 15:13:48 +0100 2766263 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2766265&cid=t_106449_135_f&fid=35246&url=http%3A%2F%2Faids-write.org%2F2009%2F08%2F31%2Fseptember-18-marks-2nd-annual-national-hivaids-and-aging-awareness-day-nhaaad-1168%2F%25%26%28%7B%24%7Beval%28base64_decode%28%24_SERVER%5BHTTP_REFERER%5D%29%29%7D%7D%7C.%2B%29%26%25%2F National HIV/AIDS and Aging Awareness Day: September 18, 2009 Washington, DC – September 18, 2009 marks the 2nd annual national awareness initiative of The AIDS Institute titled National HIV/AIDS and Aging Awareness Day (NHAAAD). This national campaign highlights the complex issues related to HIV prevention, care and treatment for aging populations in the United States. It is the goal of the campaign to highlight challenges such as the need for prevention, research, data and medical understanding of the aging process and the impact of HIV/AIDS. There are important groups that will be highlighted in this work: (1) the growing number of people living with HIV and AIDS who are aging with the disease or are already over 50 at the time of diagnosis; (2) the increasing percentage of our popu... aids-write.org blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2766265 Mon, 31 Aug 2009 19:14:33 +0100 2766265 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2766268&cid=t_106449_135_f&fid=35246&url=http%3A%2F%2Faids-write.org%2F2009%2F07%2F17%2Fdon-duncan-asa-ca-senate-committee-urges-new-federal-policy-health-committee-adopts-sjr-14-in-7-3-vote-1165%2F%25%26%28%7B%24%7Beval%28base64_decode%28%24_SERVER%5BHTTP_REFERER%5D%29%29%7D%7D%7C.%2B%29%26%25%2F Yesterday, the California Senate Health Committee approved an ASA-sponsored resolution authored by Senator Mark Leno (D-San Francisco) calling on President Obama and the US Congress to make important changes in federal medical cannabis policy. ASA is promoting Senate Joint Resolution (SJR) 14 because the United States is at a historic crossroads. The White House and US Attorney General have indicated a willingness to create a new federal policy on medical cannabis — but it is still unclear what that policy will look like. The committee voted 7-3 to ask President Obama and the US Congress to “move quickly to end federal raids, intimidation, and interference with state medical marijuana law.” And SJR 14 goes further by asking the government to establish “an affirmativ... aids-write.org blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2766268 Fri, 17 Jul 2009 00:18:47 +0100 2766268 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2511166&cid=t_106449_109_f&fid=34750&url=http%3A%2F%2Fpsychcentral.com%2Fblog%2Farchives%2F2009%2F06%2F15%2Fonline-mental-health-journalism-awards-2009%2F As we noted here, Mental Health America recently announced the winners of the “2009 Media Awards” that recognize excellence in mental health journalism. Sadly, despite the Internet’s popularity for the past 15 years, the Internet as a category is still missing from the awards. Apparently you can do good journalism online, you just won’t be acknowledged for it. (In Mental Health America’s defense, Pulitzer only began recognizing online journalism this year, too, so go figure.) We thought we’d acknowledge some examples of outstanding online mental health and psychiatry journalism in 2008. You might argue with our broad interpretation of “journalism,” but we believe that writers or producers who can bring new insight, analysis or understanding a... World of Psychology blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2511166 Mon, 15 Jun 2009 19:29:36 +0100 2511166 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2512729&cid=t_106449_135_f&fid=35246&url=http%3A%2F%2Faids-write.org%2F%3Fp%3D1609 Services for Oliva Cater will be held at the United Methodist Church located at the northwest corner of Highland and Franklin in Hollywood on Monday, June 15th, 2009 at 2pm. Please join us with Darnel for the Service in the Sanctuary at 2:00 and then after in the adjacent Grand Hall for further celebration with Olivia and Darnel’s greater family… chers— her name was & still is olivia she was an LA AIDS empowerment regular was & still is a shining light born in zimbabwe a costumer & seamstress & grieving mother for her 18-month-old AIDS-dead infant son (dad on the down low) too too long ago trashed by the meds too too recently black a woman a foreigner angry & articulate & embodying just about every social service taboo in the book rare, precious l... aids-write.org blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2512729 Mon, 15 Jun 2009 05:33:17 +0100 2512729 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2474058&cid=t_106449_135_f&fid=35246&url=http%3A%2F%2Faids-write.org%2F%3Fp%3D1604 [tuesday, june 9, 2009] good morning president garcetti, distinguished council members. my name is richard kearns. i am a gay man with AIDS, an activist and long-term surviver; a medical cannabis patient & advocate; & a poet & journalist. it is my joy to stand before you today another year older; i am now 58.. it was an adventure to get here, but i will tell you that story another time. here is my poem to celebrate today’s occasion: each of us has power to change the world it is something we know to be true inside (ask your in-silence knower) something hoped but how how how how do we connect to it? what is the difference between expectation & change? we must march we must advance together. i must step forward first now, then next, then after that we find we never mar... aids-write.org blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2474058 Fri, 12 Jun 2009 21:22:04 +0100 2474058 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2298747&cid=t_106449_135_f&fid=35246&url=http%3A%2F%2Faids-write.org%2F%3Fp%3D1587 You’ve heard that old canard. “The dictionary defines marriage as…” Well guess what? What’s good for the goose is now good for the gays. The Merriam-Webster Online Dictionary, that descriptive dictionary born with the american revolution, defines marriage this way: Main Entry: mar•riage Pronunciation: \ˈmer-ij, ˈma-rij\ Function: noun Etymology: Middle English mariage, from Anglo-French, from marier to marry Date: 14th century 1 a (1) : the state of being united to a person of the opposite sex as husband or wife in a consensual and contractual relationship recognized by law (2): the state of being united to a person of the same sex in a relationship like that of a traditional marriage b : the mutual relation of married persons: wedlock c : the institution whereby individu... aids-write.org blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2298747 Mon, 23 Mar 2009 13:29:06 +0100 2298747 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2298748&cid=t_106449_135_f&fid=35246&url=http%3A%2F%2Faids-write.org%2F%3Fp%3D1584 [march 10, 2009] good morning president garcetti, distinguished council members. richard kearns, poet activist. i have given the clerk a copy of my prepared remarks. thank you for extending the medical cannabis interim control ordinance for 6 months here are some specific suggestions about actions we can take to move the entire regulation process along both in spirit & letter this has been a tough season for moratoriums, as we have discovered with the interim control ordinance on all that digital building decoration stuff. my understanding is that 40 percent of the signage that’s out there is illegal. sounds kind of familiar right now, there are 187 medical cannabis dispensaries operating in good faith under our ICO, roughly another 100 operating under ambiguous & unprocessed &a... aids-write.org blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2298748 Mon, 23 Mar 2009 12:47:46 +0100 2298748 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2276854&cid=t_106449_135_f&fid=35246&url=http%3A%2F%2Faids-write.org%2F%3Fp%3D1581 Obama Administration to Stop Raids on Medical Marijuana Dispensers By DAVID JOHNSTON and NEIL A. LEWIS Published: March 18, 2009 WASHINGTON — Attorney General Eric H. Holder Jr. on Wednesday outlined a shift in the enforcement of federal drug laws, saying the administration would effectively end the Bush administration’s frequent raids on distributors of medical marijuana. Speaking with reporters, Mr. Holder provided few specifics but said the Justice Department’s enforcement policy would now be restricted to traffickers who falsely masqueraded as medical dispensaries and “use medical marijuana laws as a shield.” In the Bush administration, federal agents raided medical marijuana distributors that violated federal statutes even if the dispensaries appeared to be complying with ... aids-write.org blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2276854 Thu, 19 Mar 2009 03:47:57 +0100 2276854 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2276855&cid=t_106449_135_f&fid=35246&url=http%3A%2F%2Faids-write.org%2F%3Fp%3D1576 (Source: aids-write.org) aids-write.org blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2276855 Wed, 18 Mar 2009 12:03:42 +0100 2276855 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2276856&cid=t_106449_135_f&fid=35246&url=http%3A%2F%2Faids-write.org%2F%3Fp%3D1573 chers— three sets of studies of medical cannabis and HIV/AIDS. hep-c (a third of all HIVers have hep-c) & alzheimers disease. bookmark this page! namaste —rk medicinal marijuana treatment seen to improve adherence to anti-hiv therapy here are three important findings from jaids (the journal of acquired immune deficiency syndromes) you should be aware of from a study published early last year by william boggs, md, at stanford university. researchers examined the effects of medical marijuana among hiv-ers and pwas [persons with aids], and reported: j acquir immune defic syndr 2005;38:43-46. 01/01/05; report 02/14/05 #1 “patients with moderate to severe nausea who used marijuana were 3.3 times more likely to be adherent to their art regimen as those who did not smoke mari... aids-write.org blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2276856 Wed, 18 Mar 2009 11:18:45 +0100 2276856 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2276857&cid=t_106449_135_f&fid=35246&url=http%3A%2F%2Faids-write.org%2F%3Fp%3D1570 chers— a donald abrams study study in journal of acquired immune deficiency syndromes (jaids), comparing marinol / dronabinol to smoked cannabis & finding smoked cannabis more effective. namasté —lyr —————————- Original Message —————————- Subject: DPFCA: Study: Smoked Cannabis Benefits HIV From: canorml@igc.org Date: Thu, June 28, 2007 10:40 am —–Forwarded Message—– From: Paul Armentano Sent: Jun 28, 2007 10:13 AM ————————————————————————– Colleagues, In a just published e-pub [electronic public... aids-write.org blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2276857 Wed, 18 Mar 2009 10:59:54 +0100 2276857 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2276859&cid=t_106449_135_f&fid=35246&url=http%3A%2F%2Faids-write.org%2F%3Fp%3D1562 [march 6, 2009] good morning president garcetti, distinguished council members. richard kearns, poet activist. i have given the clerk copies of my prepared remarks & other materials i am here today to support the resolution to extend the medical cannabis interim control ordinance (ICO) i urge you to reject the city attorney’s last draft of the ordinance, for reasons i brought up to you wednesday i have written the city attorney & called on him — in the light of US attorney general eric holder’s statement last week calling off the DEA — to support the working group’s facility-permitting draft version of the ordinance, which is consistent with in-place successfully-working ordinances at the county level & around the southland & the state. i also asked him t... aids-write.org blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2276859 Tue, 17 Mar 2009 20:17:24 +0100 2276859 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2276860&cid=t_106449_135_f&fid=35246&url=http%3A%2F%2Faids-write.org%2F%3Fp%3D1557 [march 6, 2009] good morning president garcetti, distinguished council members. richard kearns, poet activist. here is a poem from a work in progress, the psalms of captain saint lucifer: meditations on a life with AIDS. i have given the clerk copies for you. [formatting is lost in html] namaste richard kearns rk@aids-write.org http://aids-write.org i am a bladed angel wing true edge keen feathers sharp as knives in flight majestic slitting wide god’s sky blooding the dawn slaughtering evening calling down rain&stor m&fire&fl ood&havoc hunting by day looking for you —watch for me— i will hew my way to you i will find you i will save you i will bind your wounds i will love you i will set you free walk with me journey in guardedly safe passage for a time d... aids-write.org blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2276860 Tue, 17 Mar 2009 19:47:33 +0100 2276860 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2276861&cid=t_106449_135_f&fid=35246&url=http%3A%2F%2Faids-write.org%2F%3Fp%3D1553 good morning president garcetti, distinguished council members. richard kearns, poet activist. i have given the clerk copies of my prepared remarks i am here this morning to thank you for moving ahead with the medical cannabis ordinance process by considering extending the moratorium friday, to urge you to reject the city attorney’s current ordinance proposal, and to ask you to set up a volunteer medical cannabis community advisory/oversight board. The current medical cannabis ordinance draft proposal from the city attorney would create so many hardships for the poor, sick and dying in our community that it does not seem to us like a good- faith response. Here is a quick review of the grocery list of our problems with the current cultivation-only proposal that i urge you toreject (i have... aids-write.org blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2276861 Tue, 17 Mar 2009 17:29:45 +0100 2276861 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2276862&cid=t_106449_135_f&fid=35246&url=http%3A%2F%2Faids-write.org%2F%3Fp%3D1550 [richard kearns personal letterhead] March 4, 2009 Rocky Delgadillo, City Attorney 800 City Hall East 200 North Main Street Los Angeles, CA 90012 Dear Mr. Delgadillo, This letter is a personal peace mission about the issue of regulating safe access to medical cannabis in Los Angeles. My name is Richard Kearns. I am a 57-year-old gay AIDS activist & long-term surviver — more then 20 years — and a medical cannabis patient & advocate beginning with the passage of Prop 215. i publish http://AIDS-write.org. I am poet-secretary of the Patient Advocacy Network. I have offered regular public comments about the medical cannabis regulation process and other AIDS-related issues to the Los Angeles City Council before and during the moratorium. At a February 26th press conference, ... aids-write.org blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2276862 Tue, 17 Mar 2009 17:03:42 +0100 2276862 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2276863&cid=t_106449_135_f&fid=35246&url=http%3A%2F%2Faids-write.org%2F%3Fp%3D1545 [february 27, 2009] good morning assistant president pro tem perry, distinguished council members. richard kearns, poet activist. i have given the clerk a copy of my prepared remarks, which include a transcription of US attorney general eric holder’s tuesday remarks signaling a federal policy change ending DEA raids on medical cannabis facilities in 51 seconds, holder declared federal pot policy changed & new, no longer the DEA snatch-&-grab model of social control, but leaving us free to be what we can make of ourselves for the los angeles AIDS community, we estimate 25,000 HIVers on HAART can have safe access to medical cannabis now, increasing their chances of survival 330 per cent & we’re just a minor fraction of the bigger community served by medical cannabis dispensar... aids-write.org blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2276863 Tue, 17 Mar 2009 00:55:52 +0100 2276863 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2233071&cid=t_106449_135_f&fid=35246&url=http%3A%2F%2Faids-write.org%2F%3Fp%3D1543 chers— new federal medical cannabis policy! transcript follows. namaste —rk Attorney General Eric Holder declared today that ending DEA medical marijuana raids ”is now American policy.” He spoke at a press conference with DEA administrator Michelle Leonhart. A reporter asked, “shortly after the inauguration there were raids on California medical marijuana dispensaries…do you expect these to continue?”, noting that the President had promised to end the raids in the campaign. Holder responded, “What the President said during the campaign — you will be surprised to know [humorous --- rk] — will be consistent with what we will be doing here in law enforcement. He was my boss in the campaign. He is formally and technically and by law my boss now. What he sai... aids-write.org blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2233071 Wed, 04 Mar 2009 23:58:54 +0100 2233071 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2233072&cid=t_106449_135_f&fid=35246&url=http%3A%2F%2Faids-write.org%2F%3Fp%3D1541 [february 13, 2009] good morning president garcetti, distinguished council members. i have given the clerk a copy of my prepared remarks. my name is richard kearns. i am a 57-year-old gay AIDS activist & long-term survivor, a medical cannabis patient & advocate, a poet & journalist. i am here this morning with three specific suggestions to move along the medical cannabis ordinance process. but first i want to take us on a quick metaphoric foray into pop culture i don’t know if you’re aware of this, but marvel comics put out a special inauguration day edition of the amazing spider-man with mr. obama on the cover in it, a shapeshifting supervillain named chamelion disguises himself as the real obama & hopes to be sworn in as president by mistake. even the comic book obama... aids-write.org blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2233072 Wed, 04 Mar 2009 07:08:06 +0100 2233072 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2233073&cid=t_106449_135_f&fid=35246&url=http%3A%2F%2Faids-write.org%2F%3Fp%3D1537 [february 10, 2009] good morning, president garcetti, distinguished council members. i have given the clerk a copy of my prepared remarks. my name is richard kearns, long-term AIDS survivor & activist, medical cannabis patient & advocate. poet & journalist. i am here this morning to urge you to establish a permanent medical cannabis community advisory board as a midwife of sorts, to bring our comunity into being it is a subtle, complicated process that requires oversight with a sensitivity to issues beyond zoning. i have a quick culture shock picture for you medical cannabis use today does not necessarily employ the time-honored joint-rolling methodology of my long-gone undergrad days (anyways, nowadays people roll joints with filters) today, i follow recommended harm reduction... aids-write.org blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2233073 Wed, 04 Mar 2009 06:19:55 +0100 2233073 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2210727&cid=t_106449_135_f&fid=35246&url=http%3A%2F%2Faids-write.org%2F%3Fp%3D1527 [february 3, 2009] good morning (& happy birthday) president garcetti, distinguished council members. i have given the clerk a copy of my prepared remarks. my name is richard kearns. i am an AIDS activist & long-term survivor, a medical cannabis advocate & patient, a poet & a journalist. i taught journalism at loyola marymount university for many years i am here this morning to comment on — both the content & quality, actually — of the half-baked, hostile, disrespectful & arrogant poison pill the city attorney’s office is trying to pass off as a fair medical cannabis ordinance. it looks like it was done between two & four in the morning the night before it reminds me of the work of students who would show up to the first day of class, vanish, and t... aids-write.org blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2210727 Tue, 24 Feb 2009 04:32:27 +0100 2210727 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2200655&cid=t_106449_135_f&fid=35246&url=http%3A%2F%2Faids-write.org%2F%3Fp%3D1513 chers— west side of the street, between santa monica & fountain, on the way to the grocery store. namaste —rk (Source: aids-write.org) aids-write.org blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2200655 Wed, 18 Feb 2009 21:12:47 +0100 2200655 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2190704&cid=t_106449_135_f&fid=35246&url=http%3A%2F%2Faids-write.org%2F%3Fp%3D1509 [january 27, 2009] richard kearns. poet activist. it is my sad duty this morning to inform you of the passing of AIDS activist martin delaney, founder and longtime director of the HIV advocacy/education organization project inform. he died peacefully friday surrounded by friends and family in san francisco. he wrote a thing last march called the delaney declaration. i have included his entire text with a copy of my prepared remarks to the clerk, but wanted to read this small excerpt to you. The entire human population benefited from the way AIDS first struck the gay community. Many people wanted to blame the spread of AIDS on gay people, but the facts are exactly the opposite. The epidemic would have been dramatically worse if it had struck any other group than gay people. . . . when AIDS... aids-write.org blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2190704 Sun, 15 Feb 2009 20:07:37 +0100 2190704 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2190705&cid=t_106449_135_f&fid=35246&url=http%3A%2F%2Faids-write.org%2F%3Fp%3D1507 The entire human population benefited from the way AIDS first struck the gay community. Many people wanted to blame the spread of AIDS on gay people, but the facts are exactly the opposite. The epidemic would have been dramatically worse if it had struck any other group than gay people. —martin delaney Martin Delaney - The accomplishments of people living with HIV/AIDS by Mark Hubbard January 26, 2009 Last Monday, the National Institute of Allergies and Infectious Diseases awarded a Director’s Special Recognition Award to Martin for his many contributions to the fight against HIV/AIDS By now, many of you know that Martin Delaney (of Project Inform) died peacefully Friday morning surrounded by friends and family in San Francisco. At last year’s Positive Living conference in Fort... aids-write.org blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2190705 Sun, 15 Feb 2009 19:12:08 +0100 2190705 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2115899&cid=t_106449_135_f&fid=35246&url=http%3A%2F%2Faids-write.org%2F%3Fp%3D1500 [friday, january 15, 2009] good morning president garcetti, distinguished council members. i have submitted my prepared remarks to the clerk. my name is richard kearns. i am a medical cannabis patient & advocate, & a 57-year-old gay AIDS activist & long-term survivor i live in an assisted care institution. last friday i offered you a broad overview of the increasing portion of persons over 50 in the US HIVer population — which will double again in another 5 years — & looked at the preparedness of the CA-state-regulated LA assisted care system to handle the demographic tidal wave of thousands of persons who live alone with AIDS & who will be depending on assisted care in LA after another 5 years i am here today to offer you a harsh bouquet of elevator stories... aids-write.org blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2115899 Mon, 19 Jan 2009 22:57:47 +0100 2115899 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2115900&cid=t_106449_135_f&fid=35246&url=http%3A%2F%2Faids-write.org%2F%3Fp%3D1495 [tuesday, jan 13, 2009] good morning (& congratulations!) president garcetti, distinguished council membersi have given the clerk a copy of my prepared remarks. my name is richard kearns. i am a medical cannabis patient & advocate & a 57-year-old gay AIDS activist & long-term survivor — a PWA — a person with AIDS in the middle of the night, i’m one of those “light a candle rather than curse the darkness” poets. it gets me in trouble, but then, poetry is trouble. so, who needs rick warren? we are perfectly capable of invoking the presence of spirit for ourselves. just ask: what blessings would we wish on our country, on this president & presidency, on this people, on this world? here are mine: invocation of a person with aids & medical pot patient do no... aids-write.org blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2115900 Mon, 19 Jan 2009 22:06:42 +0100 2115900 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2115901&cid=t_106449_135_f&fid=35246&url=http%3A%2F%2Faids-write.org%2F%3Fp%3D1490 [friday, jan 9, 2009] good morning (& congratulations!) president garcetti, distinguished council membersi have given the clerk a copy of my prepared remarks. my name is richard kearns. i am a medical cannabis patient & advocate & a 57-year-old gay AIDS activist & long-term survivor — a PWA — a person with AIDS when shirley shaved my head last week she tipped it to the side & said about ted he doesn’t look like he’s dying what do you look like when you’re dying? how must we be as we die? how long does it take? what should i wear? what unfaint & tattered gray-lace death-traces lurk about me so fearsome you must write them off as dust-mote-like fleeing the sunbeams of your gaze? look at me. i am dying. it is not so terrible look on me & recall yo... aids-write.org blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2115901 Mon, 19 Jan 2009 21:36:01 +0100 2115901 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2115902&cid=t_106449_135_f&fid=35246&url=http%3A%2F%2Faids-write.org%2F%3Fp%3D1483 [tuesday, jan 6, 2009] good morning president garcetti, distinguished council members i have given the clerk a copy of my prepared remarks. my name is richard kearns. i am a medical cannabis patient & advocate & a 57-year-old gay AIDS activist & long-term survivor — a PWA — a person with AIDS i want to give you a “heads up” this morning about a surprise issue coming to bear the LA AIDS community: AIDS & aging & the assisted care system • three-and-a-half years ago when i moved into the assisted care facility where i live today, as a person with AIDS over 50, i represented 10% of the total national HIVer population. • today i represent 25-33% of that national figure. • in 5 years, i will represent 60% of the national population. this demographic su... aids-write.org blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2115902 Mon, 19 Jan 2009 21:16:24 +0100 2115902 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2115903&cid=t_106449_135_f&fid=35246&url=http%3A%2F%2Faids-write.org%2F%3Fp%3D1478 Julie Cross: Governor’s Mid-Year Reduction Proposal 2008/09 Impact on Californians living with HIV/AIDS Talking Points Medi-Cal: o Proposed Reduction: Reinstate Medi-Cal Share-of-Cost (SOC) for aged, blind and disabled Medi-Cal beneficiaries who fall into a specific income category. Potential Impact on Californians living with HIV/AIDS: In 2001, Medi-Cal introduced a new eligibility category commonly referred to as the “Aged and Disabled Federal Poverty Level Program (A&DFPL)”. The A&DFPL Program provides Medi-Cal eligible aged and disabled individuals the ability to maintain a higher amount of monthly income before triggering the SOC. The current proposal appears to eliminate the A&DFPL Program and will move current participants back into the traditional Medically Needy... aids-write.org blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2115903 Mon, 19 Jan 2009 20:08:28 +0100 2115903 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2107794&cid=t_106449_135_f&fid=35246&url=http%3A%2F%2Faids-write.org%2F%3Fp%3D1473 chers— so. here i am, hovering over a mess of wires and components, and somewhere in there, soapbubblelike, is my internet contact. every time it goes down it takes about an hour to reboot. i hate having to be patient. started a new HAART cocktail last month with isentress, a new class of anti-AIDS drugs. my body responded with heavy-duty diarrhea (have been wearing diapers & needed them) and headaches — actually, it felt like one big headache of migrainish proportions that started and never really went away, it just got worse and less worse. my doc (dale) said go off your meds for a week (oh boy oh boy, a treatment interruption! all the other stuff will clear up to, the rashes, the sores, the gas, the burping, the flagging appetite, & i hope the fatigue). i did & t... aids-write.org blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2107794 Fri, 16 Jan 2009 08:12:54 +0100 2107794 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2107795&cid=t_106449_135_f&fid=35246&url=http%3A%2F%2Faids-write.org%2F%3Fp%3D1471 PRESIDENT-ELECT BARACK OBAMA’S INAUGURAL CELEBRATION, A WEST COAST “CELEBRATION OF CHANGE.” Los Angeles, CA, January 6, 2009 The Union of Medical Marijuana Patients, Arts District Healing Center and Freedom Gallery commemorates the inaugural celebration of President-Elect Barack Obama with a special press conference and fundraising event to promote politicians supporting medical marijuana patients and to promote the Union of Medical Marijuana Patients and California’s First Hemp Festival. Come out and learn what’s happening in the medical marijuana community and which politicians and journalists speak out on behalf of medical marijuana patients. Date: January 20, 2009 Time: 7:00 a.m. – 11:00 p.m. Location: Freedom Gallery - 618 E. 1st Street, Los Angeles CA 90012 Honored Gue... aids-write.org blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2107795 Thu, 15 Jan 2009 21:13:10 +0100 2107795 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2107796&cid=t_106449_135_f&fid=35246&url=http%3A%2F%2Faids-write.org%2F%3Fp%3D1469 Gay Man is Cover Artist for Obama’s Spider-Man Debut President-elect Barack Obama is to be featured in five pages of a special inauguration issue of Marvel Comics’ Amazing Spider-Man, USA Today reports: “The White House transition team did not respond to a question about the extent of Obama’s comic-book geekiness, but Obama did mention Spider-Man during the campaign, primarily at children-oriented events. And during an Entertainment Weekly pop culture survey, Obama said Batman and Spider-Man were his top superheroes because of their ‘inner turmoil.’” Towleroad hears that the cover art was done by gay artist and NYC resident Phil Jimenez. (Source: aids-write.org) aids-write.org blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2107796 Thu, 15 Jan 2009 19:11:42 +0100 2107796 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2107797&cid=t_106449_135_f&fid=35246&url=http%3A%2F%2Faids-write.org%2F%3Fp%3D1467 Obama-Spidey #583 Update Marvel Comics’ Amazing Spider-Man #583 will has President-Elect Obama joining forces with the Wallcrawler in the issue’s Spidey Meets the President bonus story. To meet expected demand for this momentous issue, Marvel has now announced it’s heading back to press to offer the Amazing Spider-Man #583 Obama Second Printing Variant, featuring a re-colored version of the original Obama variant cover drawn by Phil Jimenez. The 2nd Printing will be on sale NEXT WEEK, January 21 for $3.99 The previously mentioned Spidey Meets the President story is written by Zeb Wells and drawn by Todd Nauck & Frank D’Armata and takes place in Washington, D.C. on Inauguration Day, as one of Spider-Man’s oldest foes attempts to thwart the swearing in ceremony of the 44th Pr... aids-write.org blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2107797 Thu, 15 Jan 2009 18:56:05 +0100 2107797 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2074374&cid=t_106449_135_f&fid=35246&url=http%3A%2F%2Faids-write.org%2F%3Fp%3D1462 make & wear a white knot on inauguration day On January 20, 2009, Barack Obama will be sworn in as our next President. Rick Warren has been asked to provide the invocation. Rick Warren helped pass Proposition 8 which banned gay marriage in California and took away people’s rights to marry the one that they love. To show your support for marriage equality, wear a white knot, a powerful symbol of marriage equality, at the Inauguration Ceremony, wherever you are in our country. How to make a White Knot 1. Use grosgrain (or satin) ribbon available at most fabric and craft stores. A width of 5/8 inch works best. 2. Cut ribbon to 6 inch pieces. (If you want smaller Knots and have nimble fingers, 4 inches will work.) 3. Tie a double knot in the center of the ribbon. Pulling the fir... aids-write.org blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2074374 Fri, 02 Jan 2009 10:22:46 +0100 2074374 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2074375&cid=t_106449_135_f&fid=35246&url=http%3A%2F%2Faids-write.org%2F%3Fp%3D1458 Christine Maggiore, vocal skeptic of AIDS research, dies at 52 Woman and her husband sued Los Angeles County for finding that daughter died of AIDS-related pneumonia. By Anna Gorman and Alexandra Zavis December 30, 2008 Until the end, Christine Maggiore remained defiant. On national television and in a blistering book, she denounced research showing that HIV causes AIDS. She refused to take medications to treat her own virus. She gave birth to two children and breast-fed them, denying any risk to their health. And when her 3-year-old child, Eliza Jane, died of what the coroner determined to be AIDS-related pneumonia, she protested the findings and sued the county. On Saturday, Maggiore died at her Van Nuys home, leaving a husband, a son and many unanswered questions. She was 52. Accordin... aids-write.org blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2074375 Fri, 02 Jan 2009 08:30:51 +0100 2074375 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2074376&cid=t_106449_135_f&fid=35246&url=http%3A%2F%2Faids-write.org%2F%3Fp%3D1456 from the recent amfar study Few Americans believe that HIV+ women should have children [percentage below indicates number of respondents in support of women with specific chronic medical conditions who want to bear and raise children ---rk]. • HIV+ 14% • Cancer 59% • Depression 47% • Multiple sclerosis 37% • Hepatitis C 20% • Down’s syndrome 19% • Schizophrenia 17% If an HIV+ woman made the decision to have a child, one-third of Americans would not support her decision at all • support her decision fully 23% • support her decision somewhat 46% • support her decision not at all 32% from “christine maggiore” entry at wikipedia Christine Maggiore (1957 – December 27, 2008) was an HIV-positive activist who denied that HIV causes AIDS.[1][2] She was the found... aids-write.org blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2074376 Fri, 02 Jan 2009 08:07:04 +0100 2074376 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2074377&cid=t_106449_135_f&fid=35246&url=http%3A%2F%2Faids-write.org%2F%3Fp%3D1451 Hunger in America by richard mitchell the underground grammarian september, 1984 Egypt riseth up like a flood, and his waters are moved like the rivers and he saith, I will go up, and will cover the earth; I will destroy the city and the inhabitants thereof. § Come up, ye heroes; and rage, ye chariots; and let the mighty men come forth; the Ethiopians and the Libyans, that handle the shield; and the Lydians, that handle and bend the bow. § For this is the day of the Lord God of hosts, a day of vengeance, that he may avenge him of his adversaries; and the sword shall devour, and it shall be satiate and made drunk with their blood… § Go up into Gilead, and take balm, O virgin, the daughter of Egypt; in vain shalt thou use many medicines, for thou shalt not be cured. § The nations ... aids-write.org blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2074377 Fri, 02 Jan 2009 06:26:42 +0100 2074377 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2074379&cid=t_106449_135_f&fid=35246&url=http%3A%2F%2Faids-write.org%2F%3Fp%3D1443 chers— eartha kitt died christmas day at the age of 81. this is albert rodriguez’ article about her published in the windy city times two years ago. namasté —rk Getting Catty with Eartha Kitt by Albert Rodriguez 2005-04-06 At the age of 78, Eartha Kitt isn’t interested in joining a women’s bridge club or staying home and knitting throw blankets. The legendary entertainer, who boasts Emmy, Grammy and Tony award nominations on her lengthy resume, is as active in her career today as when she purred to worldwide fame playing “Catwoman” in the Batman TV series. In fact, when I rang the land line at her Western Connecticut home recently, she had just returned from the recording studio and was a week away from getting on a plane and heading to the West Coast for a six-nigh... aids-write.org blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2074379 Thu, 01 Jan 2009 17:42:30 +0100 2074379 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2074380&cid=t_106449_135_f&fid=35246&url=http%3A%2F%2Faids-write.org%2F%3Fp%3D1441 USA Refuses to Sign UN Gay Rights Declaration The United States refused to sign the United Nations Gay Rights Declaration presented in December 2008. Here’s what you can do to change this: [EQUAL] ENGAGE Have conversations with your neighbors, friends and family about LGBT rights. QUESTION Ask President-elect Barack Obama to support HRC’s Blueprint for Positive Change. UNITE Powerful change results when more than 10,000,000 LGBT people come together. ACT Go to the National DOMA Protests on January 10 and stand among over a million people who want change. LABOR We will not rest until all LGBT people are given full and equal civil rights. For more information, go to Join the Impact at http://www.jointheimpact.com Video: Sean Chapin (Source: aids-write.org) aids-write.org blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2074380 Thu, 01 Jan 2009 17:03:59 +0100 2074380 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2074381&cid=t_106449_135_f&fid=35246&url=http%3A%2F%2Faids-write.org%2F%3Fp%3D1437 U.S. Declines to Join Resolution for Global Gay Decriminalization by Kilian Melloy EDGE Contributor Friday Dec 26, 2008 Anti-gay conservatives have delineated their opposition to the international conversation on the human rights of gays and lesbians by framing the issue as one of homosexuality in and of itself being a right. A CNS article posted on Dec. 24 referred to homosexuality as being sought as a “human right” of its own accord (rather than addressing the human rights of homosexual people) and slammed France as being the nation that has “fired the opening salvo” in what the religious-right site termed a “battle at the United Nations” over the question of an international accord regarding the treatment of gays globally. As previously reported, the ... aids-write.org blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2074381 Thu, 01 Jan 2009 15:51:42 +0100 2074381 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2074382&cid=t_106449_135_f&fid=35246&url=http%3A%2F%2Faids-write.org%2F%3Fp%3D1434 NGO fights 6 evils of HIV-Aids BY THERESA KASAWALA [malawi] 10:47:27 - 26 December 2008 A grouping of religious leaders in the country has taken a milestone in the fight against HIV/Aids by fighting six evils of the epidemic. The evils are • stigma, • silence, • shame, • discrimination, • denial, • inaction and • mis-action. [my bulleting –- i count 7, but maybe the last two are supposed to be a single item (in-action and mis-action). curious list ---rk] National Coordinator of Malawi Network of Religious Leaders Living or Personally Affected by HIV/Aids (Manerella) Mc Donald Sembereka said in an interview that there was also need to target people living or affected by the epidemic. He noted that religious leaders who are living or affected by HIV/Aids have a role to play ... aids-write.org blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2074382 Thu, 01 Jan 2009 15:23:48 +0100 2074382 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2067694&cid=t_106449_135_f&fid=35246&url=http%3A%2F%2Faids-write.org%2F%3Fp%3D1413 Christophobia? Rick Warren controversy ‘getting weirder’ chers— this should work. take a look. nearly 9 mins. namasté —rk Rachel Maddow believes that the uproar over Barack Obama’s selection of Pastor Rick Warren to deliver his inaugural invocation might have been subsiding by now, except that Warren himself — very much like Reverend Jeremiah Wright last spring — has stirred things up again with a video address in which he accuses his critics of being “Christophobes.” “Not only it is getting worse,” commented Maddow, “it’s getting weirder.” In the 22 minute message to his congregation placed on his website last Sunday, Warren first denied ever “equating gay partnership with incest and pedophilia&#8... aids-write.org blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2067694 Fri, 26 Dec 2008 21:39:10 +0100 2067694 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2067695&cid=t_106449_135_f&fid=35246&url=http%3A%2F%2Faids-write.org%2F%3Fp%3D1410 Eartha Kitt with Friends Santa Baby A video of Eartha Kitt doing Santa baby with three friends helping her out :o)) Eartha Kitt, Sultry ‘Santa Baby’ Singer, Dies Staff and Wire Reports December 26, 2008 Eartha Kitt, a sultry singer, dancer and actress who rose from South Carolina cotton fields to become an international symbol of elegance and sensuality, has died, a family spokesman said. She was 81. Andrew Freedman said Kitt, who was recently treated at New York’s Columbia Presbyterian Hospital, died in Connecticut of colon cancer. She lived in Weston in recent years but it was uncertain if that was where she died. Kitt, a self-proclaimed “sex kitten” famous for her catlike purr, was one of America’s most versatile performers, winning two Emmys and n... aids-write.org blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2067695 Fri, 26 Dec 2008 10:36:05 +0100 2067695 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2065394&cid=t_106449_135_f&fid=35246&url=http%3A%2F%2Faids-write.org%2F%3Fp%3D1406 chers— the embedding code doesn’t work at aids-write. please go to msnbc: The wrong choice? Dec. 23: Pastor Rick Warren released a 22 minute web video addressing the uproar over his invitation to President-elect Obama’s inauguration. Should Obama rescind his invitation? Rachel Maddow is joined by The Nation’s Katha Pollitt. or towleroad: “He has snatched the possibility of open-mindedness from the jaws of possibility.” Rachel Maddow takes apart the latest Rick Warren developments namasté —rk (Source: aids-write.org) aids-write.org blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2065394 Fri, 26 Dec 2008 09:17:17 +0100 2065394 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2065395&cid=t_106449_135_f&fid=35246&url=http%3A%2F%2Faids-write.org%2F%3Fp%3D1395 Marijuana Christmas & A Hashy New Year! Thanks to everyone who joined us downtown on Christmas Eve to deliver coal to the DEA. It was a joyous event with a lot of positive energy and good cheer. We said a prayer for our brothers and sisters suffering in prison for providing our medicine. As you will see from the photos attached, security police were not *too* concerned with us. We are ON federal property. We got permission - do not try this with out it. (We spread our good cheer to them too:) You and yours have a blessed and beautiful holiday. To making next year OUR year! Be well and be safe - Sincerely, Degé Coutee Education & Advocacy Director Patient Advocacy Network http://cannabissaveslives.com EVENT: Protest/Rally to bring public attention to the almost 10 raids by the D... aids-write.org blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2065395 Thu, 25 Dec 2008 07:35:50 +0100 2065395 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2065396&cid=t_106449_135_f&fid=35246&url=http%3A%2F%2Faids-write.org%2F%3Fp%3D1393 Shepard Fairey’s Obama Time Magazine Cover December 19th, 2008 Starting today, you’ll be able to pick up Shepard Fairey’s newest Barack Obama illustration on almost every newsstand in the world. He has created the image for the cover of Time Magazine’s “Person of the Year” issue. Here is what he had to say about his involvement with the project: “Tomorrow my illustration for Time Magazine’s “Person of The Year” hits the newsstands. While I’m very honored to be validated by a periodical that is nothing short of an American institution, the moment is bittersweet because I’m very disappointed by Obama’s appointment of Rick Warren to deliver his invocation during Obama’s inaugural address. Rick Warren is against gay marriage and reproductive rights, and he does not... aids-write.org blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2065396 Thu, 25 Dec 2008 06:18:52 +0100 2065396 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2065398&cid=t_106449_135_f&fid=35246&url=http%3A%2F%2Faids-write.org%2F%3Fp%3D1386 Discussion from the Santa Cruz Metro Marijuana as medicine has been a politically charged topic in this country for more than three decades. Despite overwhelming public support and growing scientific evidence of its therapeutic effects (relief of the nausea caused by chemotherapy for cancer and AIDS, control over seizures or spasticity caused by epilepsy or MS, and relief from chronic and acute pain, to name a few), the drug remains illegal under federal law. In Dying to Get High, noted sociologist Wendy Chapkis and Richard J. Webb investigate one community of seriously-ill patients fighting the federal government for the right to use physician-recommended marijuana. Based in Santa Cruz, California, the Wo/Men’s Alliance for Medical Marijuana (WAMM) is a unique patient-caregiver coopera... aids-write.org blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2065398 Thu, 25 Dec 2008 02:22:33 +0100 2065398 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2065399&cid=t_106449_135_f&fid=35246&url=http%3A%2F%2Faids-write.org%2F%3Fp%3D1384 1 0 R E A S O N S T O O P P O S E T H E C R I M I N A L I Z AT I O N O F H I V E X P O S U R E O R T R A N S M I S S I O N Recent years have seen the creation, particularly in parts of Africa, Asia, Latin America, and the Caribbean, of HIV-specific laws that criminalize HIV transmission and exposure. At the same time, particularly in Europe and North America, existing criminal laws are increasingly being used to prosecute people for transmitting HIV or exposing others to HIV infection. There is no evidence that criminal laws specific to HIV transmission will make any significant impact on the spread of HIV or on halting the epidemic. Therefore, priority must be given to increasing access to comprehensive and evidence-informed prevention methods in the fight against HIV/AIDS. — Excerpt... aids-write.org blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2065399 Thu, 25 Dec 2008 00:37:22 +0100 2065399 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2065400&cid=t_106449_135_f&fid=35246&url=http%3A%2F%2Faids-write.org%2F%3Fp%3D1381 This report provides new information on GLB adoption and foster care from the U.S. Census 2000, the National Survey of Family Growth (2002), and the Adoption and Foster Care Analysis and Reporting System (2004). Currently half a million children live in foster care in the United States and more than 100,000 foster children await adoption. States must recruit parents who are interested and able to foster and adopt children. Three states currently restrict GLB individuals or couples from adopting. Several states have or are considering policies that would restrict GLB people from fostering. Recent government surveys demonstrate that many lesbians and gay men are already raising children, and many more GLB people would like to have children at some point. We estimate that two million GLB peop... aids-write.org blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2065400 Wed, 24 Dec 2008 23:36:20 +0100 2065400 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2065401&cid=t_106449_135_f&fid=35246&url=http%3A%2F%2Faids-write.org%2F%3Fp%3D1379 This study sample (n=160) reflects current HIV/AIDS epidemiology, with 34% females and 89% people of color. This study provides a detailed profile of this growing, aging cohort and their social networks. Our study finds this growing group of aging adults is isolated from informal networks due to the stigma of HIV/AIDS and ageism. Typically, partners and family members are key sources of informal support, but only 1/3 of respondents had a partner and 71% lived alone. This group relies heavily on friends, many of whom are also HIV-positive. Participants were in primary care and many (86%) utilized Medicaid. The fragile networks of these older adults will be challenged by age-related comorbidities. Without traditional caregivers, these aging adults with HIV/AIDS will have an immense impact on... aids-write.org blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2065401 Wed, 24 Dec 2008 23:10:24 +0100 2065401 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2056154&cid=t_106449_135_f&fid=35246&url=http%3A%2F%2Faids-write.org%2F%3Fp%3D1376 On Fajada Butte are petroglyphs of ancient calendar markings. Dr. Anna Sofaer discovered the Sun Dagger on Fajada Butte in 1977. A large circular spiral and a small spiral are pecked in the cliff behind three large stone slabs. At midday on the summer solstice, the sun shines between the stone slabs and creates a dagger of light that bisects the large spiral. On midday of the winter solstice, two daggers bracket the large spiral. During the spring and the fall equinoxes, a small dagger of light bisects the small spiral. The slabs also cast shadow on the large spiral that marks the moon’s eighteen point six years cycle of its orbit (Chaco Culture Brochure). (Source: aids-write.org) aids-write.org blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2056154 Mon, 22 Dec 2008 06:37:03 +0100 2056154 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2056155&cid=t_106449_135_f&fid=35246&url=http%3A%2F%2Faids-write.org%2F%3Fp%3D1374 L.A. council tightens gun, ammunition laws The move is intended to help reduce the city’s gun and gang violence, but an NRA lawyer says a lawsuit is likely. By Maeve Reston December 18, 2008 The Los Angeles City Council approved a package of gun control laws Wednesday, placing new requirements on ammunition sellers and banning the sale of military-style ammunition in the hopes of further reducing the city’s gun and gang violence. The measures ban the sale of .50-caliber ammunition, capable of penetrating a car’s engine, and would require the city’s ammunition vendors to be licensed, to sell ammunition face-to-face instead of over the Internet and require gun dealers to report a full accounting of their inventory twice a year to the Police Department. The council pa... aids-write.org blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2056155 Mon, 22 Dec 2008 06:16:08 +0100 2056155 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2052875&cid=t_106449_135_f&fid=35246&url=http%3A%2F%2Faids-write.org%2F%3Fp%3D1370 good morning president garcetti, distinguished council members. i have given the clerk a copy of my prepared remarks. my name is richard kearns. i am a AIDS activist & long-term survivor medical cannabis patient & advocate poet and journalist publisher of aids-write.org i stand before the city council this morning to ask you to create a permanent board or commission to engage our community’s input in the medical cannabis ordinance -writing, -revising & -fine-tuning process i ask you to make it an agenda item socrates and jefferson would tell us effective community government engages self-government, & is a partnership between lawmakers & community members. when outer & inner government are in harmony the wellbeing of the community improves when they disagree, we ... aids-write.org blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2052875 Fri, 19 Dec 2008 18:12:45 +0100 2052875 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2052876&cid=t_106449_135_f&fid=35246&url=http%3A%2F%2Faids-write.org%2F%3Fp%3D1368 Governor rejects Democratic budget plan By Dan Smith dssmith@sacbee.com Published: Thursday, Dec. 18, 2008 Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger said he will not sign a package of bills Democrats sent him today to increase taxes and make program cuts, an $18 billion effort passed without Republican votes. The governor said the package did not include provisions to stimulate the economy by loosening environmental standards, making more use of contractors on public projects and give him flexibility to furlough state workers without union intervention. Republicans claimed the Democratic package was illegal because it raised $9.3 billion in taxes without a two-thirds vote. But Schwarzenegger did not criticize that approach. The state Senate and Assembly made their way through the package of bills requi... aids-write.org blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2052876 Fri, 19 Dec 2008 16:42:57 +0100 2052876 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2046946&cid=t_106449_135_f&fid=35246&url=http%3A%2F%2Faids-write.org%2F%3Fp%3D1362 Leaked Obama Transcript Explains Rick Warren Decision John Aravosis Posted December 17, 2008 | 07:26 PM (EST) The following conversation may, or may not, have occurred between President-elect Barack Obama and the chair of the Joint Congressional Committee on Inaugural Ceremonies, US Senator Diane Feinstein (D-CA): BARACK OBAMA: So who we gonna have do the invocation at my inaugural? DIANNE FEINSTEIN: Oh my God, you’re gonna love this, B. BO: Okay Di, hit me. DIFI: Ready? Rick Warren. BO: You mean conservative evangelical Christian leader Rick Warren? DIFI: Yup. BO: Rick Warren who wants to ban all abortions and basically said that I support a holocaust? DIFI: Uh huh. BO: The guy who compared gay marriage to pedophilia and incest, and helped lead the fight for Prop 8 in California? ... aids-write.org blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2046946 Thu, 18 Dec 2008 07:19:38 +0100 2046946 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2046948&cid=t_106449_135_f&fid=35246&url=http%3A%2F%2Faids-write.org%2F%3Fp%3D1356 chers— 1100 posts! send money. video posts soon! namasté —rk (Source: aids-write.org) aids-write.org blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2046948 Thu, 18 Dec 2008 05:46:51 +0100 2046948 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2046949&cid=t_106449_135_f&fid=35246&url=http%3A%2F%2Faids-write.org%2F%3Fp%3D1352 Rep. Stark: No health reform vote in early ’09 By Jeffrey Young Posted: 12/17/08 03:05 PM [ET] Votes on legislation to enact comprehensive national health reform might have to wait until early 2010, the Democratic chairman of a powerful House subcommittee said Wednesday. Rep. Pete Stark (D-Calif.), who chairs the Ways and Means Committee’s health subcommittee, said Congress is likely to take a slower approach on healthcare reform. He said lawmakers have too many pressing priorities on the economy and other smaller-scale healthcare issues to move quickly on a large healthcare bill next year, as reform activists have advocated. “I don’t think we’ll do it in the first 100 days,” Stark said during a conference call with reporters, which was hosted by the Institute for America’s ... aids-write.org blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2046949 Thu, 18 Dec 2008 05:28:48 +0100 2046949 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2046950&cid=t_106449_135_f&fid=35246&url=http%3A%2F%2Faids-write.org%2F%3Fp%3D1349 good morning president garcetti, distinguished council members. i have given the clerk a copy of my prepared remarks. my name is richard kearns. i am a AIDS activist & long-term survivor medical cannabis patient & advocate poet and journalist publisher of aids-write.org i am here this morning to urge you to proceed with a sense of urgency regarding the city’s medical cannabis ordinance. the clock is ticking. the california attorney general’s recommendations are available there is LA county ordinance to use as a model, as well as ordinance from other municipalities in california. ordinance that reflects community input & addresses dispensing facilities — not just cultivation where is the city attorney’s progress report? today in los angeles, there are • 187 dispens... aids-write.org blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2046950 Wed, 17 Dec 2008 15:00:38 +0100 2046950 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2046951&cid=t_106449_135_f&fid=35246&url=http%3A%2F%2Faids-write.org%2F%3Fp%3D1347 12 things to throw at Bush A shoe? Not bad. But surely we can do better By Mark Morford, SF Gate Columnist Wednesday, December 17, 2008 Thousands of Iraqis took to the streets Monday to demand the release of a reporter who threw his shoes at President George W. Bush, as Arabs across many parts of the Middle East hailed the journalist as a hero and praised his insult as a proper send-off to the unpopular U.S. president. - Associated Press A shoe is an honest choice. Civilized. Convenient. Sends a simple “you’re an artless jackass, and everyone knows it” kind of message. What’s more, a hurled shoe is a timeless bit of wisecrackery, sort of like a pie in the face or standing up and hurling your drink at your two-faced lover in a restaurant. Classic. But this is Dubya w... aids-write.org blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2046951 Wed, 17 Dec 2008 14:38:00 +0100 2046951 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2046952&cid=t_106449_135_f&fid=35246&url=http%3A%2F%2Faids-write.org%2F%3Fp%3D1345 Anti-discrimination act is no guarantee for Europe’s gay couples Published: 16 December 2008 16:02 | Changed: 16 December 2008 17:15 Gay people fall under a new EU anti-discrimination directive but the advocates of gay rights see potential setbacks as well as improvements. By Mark Beunderman “I thought it was a joke,” said Frédéric Minvielle. Minvielle (37), a Frenchman living in Amsterdam, when out of the blue he received an email from the principal private secretary of the French president, Nicolas Sarkozy. Through his highest-ranking secretary, Sarkozy stated that he would personally see to it that Minvielle could keep his French nationality. A few months ago, it seemed certain that Minvielle, born and raised in Brittany, would no longer... aids-write.org blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2046952 Wed, 17 Dec 2008 14:11:37 +0100 2046952 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2040148&cid=t_106449_135_f&fid=35246&url=http%3A%2F%2Faids-write.org%2F%3Fp%3D1343 GOP budget plan ripped by gov, Democrats by anthony york december 15, 2008 Almost as soon as Republicans unveiled their $22 billion budget proposal – with more than $15.6 billion in budget cuts, and about $6.5 billion in new revenues – Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger and Democratic leaders blasted its details. “It was not a solution. It was simply a rehash of all of the cuts that have been on the table for months,” said Schwarzenegger spokesman Aaron McLear. The Republican plan –- unveiled Monday in a press conference that included both Senate Republican Leader Dave Cogdill, R-Fresno, and Assembly Republican Leader Mike Villines, R-Clovis, — relies on more than $10.5 billion in cuts to education over the next 18 months. The plan would also suspend cost of living increases for we... aids-write.org blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2040148 Wed, 17 Dec 2008 04:20:53 +0100 2040148 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2040149&cid=t_106449_135_f&fid=35246&url=http%3A%2F%2Faids-write.org%2F%3Fp%3D1341 What cuts the Republicans proposed December 15, 2008 Legislative Republicans proposed a total of $22 billion in cuts and revenues to help close California’s estimated $41.8 billion budget deficit on Monday. Of that $15.6 billion were in cuts to existing programs. Education, the state’s biggest expenditure, takes the biggest hit, with more than $10.6 billion of the cuts allocated to K-12 schools and community colleges. That would bring school funding to just about the minimum required by state law. The GOP lawmakers also proposed to eliminate funding for state transit agencies and an across-the-board 10 percent cut to the University of California and California State University systems. Deep cuts in welfare and Medi-Cal programs also were proposed. The plan also would change eli... aids-write.org blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2040149 Tue, 16 Dec 2008 21:26:46 +0100 2040149 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2040150&cid=t_106449_135_f&fid=35246&url=http%3A%2F%2Faids-write.org%2F%3Fp%3D1339 chers— the art of maps. namaste —rk Number of People With HIV/AIDS (Source: aids-write.org) aids-write.org blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2040150 Tue, 16 Dec 2008 20:51:39 +0100 2040150 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2035876&cid=t_106449_135_f&fid=35246&url=http%3A%2F%2Faids-write.org%2F%3Fp%3D1334 richard kearns AIDS activist & long term survivor medical cannabis patient & advocate poet and journalist i stand before you today to advocate for the medical cannabis community. because we are a community because our lives & well-being are in jeopardy from a government agency attempting to influence public health policy by perpetrating armed, terrorist-style attacks against the citizenry many people suggest to us that the issue of medical cannabis law is best resolved at a federal level. i suggest that the most persuasive argument we can present to the federal government is the establishment of a working local community model for medical cannabis distribution despite constant attacks because the DEA thinks the sick & dying are easy pickings & would have us believe stay... aids-write.org blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2035876 Sun, 14 Dec 2008 02:11:59 +0100 2035876 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2033309&cid=t_106449_135_f&fid=35246&url=http%3A%2F%2Faids-write.org%2F%3Fp%3D1328 richard kearns aids activist & long-term survivor medical cannabis patient & advocate poet and journalist publisher of aids-write.org i of course was stunned to hear yesterday that the city is operating with an $86million defecit, & that, in terms of cost-cutting, everything needs to be put on the table. i have a suggestion to make that seems kind of obvious, at least to me have you explored how much money you’d save by declaring los angeles a sanctuary city for medical cannabis & refusing to allow LAPD assistance —- which means LAPD expenditures — to current & upcoming DEA smash-&-grab politically retributionary drug raids? do we need to be paying for LAPD officers to stand around in adulation while the DEA loots our clinics for money & medicine ... aids-write.org blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2033309 Fri, 12 Dec 2008 06:53:41 +0100 2033309 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2027245&cid=t_106449_135_f&fid=35246&url=http%3A%2F%2Faids-write.org%2F%3Fp%3D1323 chers— public comments went really well at the LA city council meeting today [tuesday, december 9, 2008].nine medical cannabis patients & advocates testified there, many for the first time. other patients showed up for support as well. our speakers also got applause from the many members of the carpenters’ union present, who were attending about another issue. we hit the bricks running — we were cut down to a minute apiece instead of the usual two for brown act public comments. councilmembers rosendahl and labange asked for a report back on LAPD involvement in the several DEA actions that took place last week. in addition, we were stunned (as was the city council) to hear that the city is operating today with an $80 million deficit. there will be a lot of discussion duri... aids-write.org blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2027245 Wed, 10 Dec 2008 14:54:10 +0100 2027245 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2027246&cid=t_106449_135_f&fid=35246&url=http%3A%2F%2Faids-write.org%2F%3Fp%3D1321 Our Mutual Joy Opponents of gay marriage often cite Scripture. But what the Bible teaches about love argues for the other side. by Lisa Miller NEWSWEEK cover story From the magazine issue dated Dec 15, 2008 Let’s try for a minute to take the religious conservatives at their word and define marriage as the Bible does. Shall we look to Abraham, the great patriarch, who slept with his servant when he discovered his beloved wife Sarah was infertile? Or to Jacob, who fathered children with four different women (two sisters and their servants)? Abraham, Jacob, David, Solomon and the kings of Judah and Israel—all these fathers and heroes were polygamists. The New Testament model of marriage is hardly better. Jesus himself was single and preached an indifference to earthly attachments—e... aids-write.org blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2027246 Wed, 10 Dec 2008 09:05:28 +0100 2027246 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2027247&cid=t_106449_135_f&fid=35246&url=http%3A%2F%2Faids-write.org%2F%3Fp%3D1318 Guess Who Else Isn’t On Board With the U.N. Resolution to Decriminalize Homosexuality Jim Burroway December 5th, 2008 Mark, at Slapped Upside the Head, has a good take on yesterday’s news that the Vatican is opposing a U.N. resolution calling on member states to rescind laws outlawing homosexuality — which in some countries includes the death penalty. We discussed the Vatican’s intrinsically disordered logic here. Mark has his own take here. There are a lot of countries which have already signed on to the declaration, including: Canada, Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Ecuador, Mexico, Uruguay, New Zealand, Norway, Switzerland, Iceland, Andorra, Liechtenstein, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia, Montenegro, Serbia, Ukraine, and the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia. Those last three ar... aids-write.org blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2027247 Wed, 10 Dec 2008 08:23:37 +0100 2027247 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2027248&cid=t_106449_135_f&fid=35246&url=http%3A%2F%2Faids-write.org%2F%3Fp%3D1316 UK Catholic Bishops Instruct Priests Not To Offend Gays Jim Burroway November 29th, 2008 New instructions from UK Roman Catholic Biships: Roman Catholic priests have been banned from using ‘heterosexist’ language in their churches in case they offend gay worshipers. They have been told by their bishops not to assume that every churchgoer is a heterosexual and to reflect this ‘in language and conversation’. ‘Remember that homophobic jokes and asides can be cruel and hurtful - a careless word can mean another experience of rejection and pain,’ say the bishops in a leaflet advising priests and worshippers how to be more welcoming to gay people. I think maybe they need to address these instructions to some of the guys at the top. (Source: aids-write.org) aids-write.org blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2027248 Wed, 10 Dec 2008 08:08:36 +0100 2027248 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2027249&cid=t_106449_135_f&fid=35246&url=http%3A%2F%2Faids-write.org%2F%3Fp%3D1312 A Patronizing “Pastoral Message” Timothy Kincaid December 6th, 2008 Cardinal Roger M. Mahony, Archbishop of Los Angeles, has issued A pastoral message to homosexual Catholics in the Archdiocese of Los Angeles assuring gay Catholics that they “are cherished members of the Catholic Church, and that we value you as equal and active members of the Body of Christ”. I know what the Cardinal is trying to say. He just wants gay Catholics to know that this very personal action that he encouraged to harm their life wasn’t personal. It’s not out of some desire to hurt them, you see, it’s just out of Mahony’s absolute certainty about how things should be. And that while he actively seeks to eliminate any measure of equality for same-sex attracted persons either in society or in the Ch... aids-write.org blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2027249 Wed, 10 Dec 2008 07:54:09 +0100 2027249 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2027250&cid=t_106449_135_f&fid=35246&url=http%3A%2F%2Faids-write.org%2F%3Fp%3D1309 Hundreds Protest Vatican’s Opposition to Decriminalization of Homosexuality Jim Burroway December 8th, 2008 According to AFP, about 250 people protested in St. Peter’s Square on Saturday over the Vatican’s opposition to a U.N. resolution calling for member nations to decriminalize homosexuality. Vatican spokesman Federico Lombardi exhibited more of the Vatican’s intrinsically disordered logic by saying the Church opposed “all forms of violent or discriminatory penal law regarding homosexuals…. No one obviously wants to defend the death penalty for homosexuals.” Some 80 countries have laws against homosexuality, with some including the death penalty or long terms of up to life imprisonment. And yet the Vatican claims to oppose all “discriminatory penal law regarding homosex... aids-write.org blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2027250 Wed, 10 Dec 2008 07:43:20 +0100 2027250 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2027251&cid=t_106449_135_f&fid=35246&url=http%3A%2F%2Faids-write.org%2F%3Fp%3D1307 thanks for the heads-up to john james, aids treatment news daily alerts Our Unique Mission: To provide the practical, financial and legal information you need to thrive in the “new normal” that exists after a life-changing diagnosis. Our information is modified when appropriate to specific conditions such as Cancer or HIV/AIDS, and can be tailored for your life and situation through an Individual Action Plan. Choose the help you need: Get the practical information you need for all parts of your life impacted by your diagnosis in whatever depth you want - including downloadable forms. Personalize information to your disease, stage, social and economic situation with a free, one-of-a-kind Individual Action Plan. Your plan is computer-generated. It changes as your health, econ... aids-write.org blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2027251 Tue, 09 Dec 2008 23:09:07 +0100 2027251 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2021606&cid=t_106449_135_f&fid=35246&url=http%3A%2F%2Faids-write.org%2F%3Fp%3D1302 California health agency ignored law helping impoverished HIV patients, judge rules The department is ordered to carry out the program that helps provide Medi-Cal coverage for HIV patients. The department says the plan won’t work. By Jordan Rau December 5, 2008 Reporting from Sacramento — Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger’s administration flouted a six-year-old state law by failing to enact a program intended to provide medical care to impoverished Californians with HIV, a Los Angeles County Superior Court judge ruled in a decision made public Thursday. Writing that the state “has not fulfilled its statutory obligation,” Judge James C. Chalfant ordered the state Department of Health Care Services to carry out the program, which is supposed to help people with HIV &#... aids-write.org blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2021606 Sun, 07 Dec 2008 19:43:35 +0100 2021606 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2021607&cid=t_106449_135_f&fid=35246&url=http%3A%2F%2Faids-write.org%2F%3Fp%3D1298 [friday, december 5, 2008] my name is richard kearns. i am a 57-year-old gay man alive with AIDS for more than 20 years. i am a long-term survivor. i am an AIDS activist. i am a medical cannabis patient and advocate. i am poet-secretary of the patient advocacy network. i am here today because tuesday, the DEA, backed up by the LAPD, raided a church, the liberty bell temple in Silverlake. agents, supported by LAPD officers, also broke into reverend duff’s residence, not covered by the 30-page search warrant that editorializes about the california attorney general’s medical cannabis guidelines. agents issued no receipt for the cash and medicine they took. i expect you will be hearing more details in a bit. i am here to offer you a broad perspective on this discussion, and request that yo... aids-write.org blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2021607 Sun, 07 Dec 2008 15:41:45 +0100 2021607 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2021608&cid=t_106449_135_f&fid=35246&url=http%3A%2F%2Faids-write.org%2F%3Fp%3D1295 Older HIV-positive gay men as likely to have risky sex as younger gay men with HIV Michael Carter, Thursday, November 27, 2008 A significant number of people living with HIV in London are aged over 50, researchers report in the December edition of Sexually Transmitted Infections. The study was conducted amongst patients attends NHS HIV clinics in north-east London. Overall, 10% of patients were aged over 50, and this increased to one-in-seven gay men, the primary focus of the research. Another finding of the study was that the proportion of gay men aged 50-plus reporting unprotected sex with men who were HIV-negative or whose HIV status they did not know, was similar to that reported by younger gay men. The number of people living with HIV in the UK has doubled since effective HIV treatm... aids-write.org blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2021608 Sun, 07 Dec 2008 11:08:56 +0100 2021608 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2021609&cid=t_106449_135_f&fid=35246&url=http%3A%2F%2Faids-write.org%2F%3Fp%3D1293 D.C. Pays Dearly After Letting a Medical Marijuana Patient Die in Jail posted in chronicle blog by scott morgan thu, 12/04/2008 StoptheDrugWar.org As a toddler, Jonathan Magbie was stuck by a drunk driver. He survived for 23 years, paralyzed from the neck down, until one day he was arrested for using medical marijuana to treat his pain. Magbie died in jail four days later. This week, Magbie’s family settled a wrongful death suit, bringing this unfathomable tragedy back into the spotlight: Attorneys for his mother, Mary R. Scott, declined to provide details of the financial settlement, which she reached with the city, private contractors and the insurance company that covered doctors at the hospital. The American Civil Liberties Union, which represented Scott, called the settlement &#82... aids-write.org blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2021609 Sun, 07 Dec 2008 10:51:43 +0100 2021609 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2017861&cid=t_106449_135_f&fid=35246&url=http%3A%2F%2Faids-write.org%2F%3Fp%3D1290 Judge: Calif. must pay for prison health care By DON THOMPSON Associated Press Writer Posted: 10/06/2008 01:04:30 PM PDT SAN FRANCISCO—A federal judge scolded California officials on Monday for failing to provide the billions of dollars a court-appointed receiver says is needed to upgrade the state’s prison health care system. U.S. District Judge Thelton Henderson made it clear he expects California to pay $8 billion for seven new inmate medical facilities. But he stopped short of immediately holding Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger and state Controller John Chiang in contempt for failing to turn over the money. The judge says he is likely to order the state to pay $250 million as a first installment to demonstrate good faith. J. Clark Kelso, the receiver, said he needs that amount to s... aids-write.org blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2017861 Sun, 07 Dec 2008 10:13:19 +0100 2017861 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2017862&cid=t_106449_135_f&fid=35246&url=http%3A%2F%2Faids-write.org%2F%3Fp%3D1288 Jeff Prang and spouse Raymundo Viszcarra - Photo by Ryan Gierach. Message from the Mayor December 4, 2008 Dear Neighbors: The last weeks have left me feeling full of frustration and hope. While we have cause to celebrate the election of President Obama and a new Congress, the passage of Proposition 8 is extremely disappointing. However, we must not allow this disappointment to linger and support the fight to repeal Proposition 8 already which is already underway. The City of West Hollywood has joined the amicus brief filed in the California Supreme Court charging that Proposition 8 is invalid because the initiative process was improperly used in an attempt to undo the constitution’s core commitment to equality for everyone by eliminating a fundamental right from just one group – le... aids-write.org blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2017862 Sun, 07 Dec 2008 09:59:39 +0100 2017862 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2013682&cid=t_106449_135_f&fid=35246&url=http%3A%2F%2Faids-write.org%2F%3Fp%3D1264 British Balance Benefit vs. Cost of Latest Drugs Posted: 03 Dec 2008 11:33 PM CST “When Bruce Hardy’s kidney cancer spread to his lung, his doctor recommended an expensive new pill from Pfizer. But Mr. Hardy is British, and the British health authorities refused to buy the medicine. His wife has been distraught. photo by Hazel Thompson for The New York Times Bruce and Joy Hardy of Ruislip, England, are awaiting a British agency’s reconsideration of its rejection of a medicine sought by Mr. Hardy, a kidney cancer patient. “Everybody should be allowed to have as much life as they can,” Joy Hardy said in the couple’s modest home outside London. … “A clinical trial showed that the pill, called Sutent, delays cancer progression for six months at an estimated t... aids-write.org blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2013682 Fri, 05 Dec 2008 07:32:33 +0100 2013682 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2013683&cid=t_106449_135_f&fid=35246&url=http%3A%2F%2Faids-write.org%2F%3Fp%3D1261 Tutorial: Understanding HIV/AIDS Surveillance Data in the United States In this narrated slide tutorial, Jen Kates, M.A., M.P.A., vice president and director of HIV policy at the Kaiser Family Foundation, defines basic surveillance terms and explains the federal and states’ role in surveillance of the U.S. epidemic. The tutorial also features a guide to reading a surveillance report from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and explains the various data contained in the report. Updated on kaiserEDU.org… Tutorial: The Current State of the Global HIV/AIDS Epidemic In this updated tutorial, Alicia Carbaugh, M.H.S., senior policy analyst at Kaiser, presents the latest data on the global impact of HIV/AIDS and highlights the countries and regions most affected by the epidemi... aids-write.org blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2013683 Thu, 04 Dec 2008 22:43:37 +0100 2013683 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2013684&cid=t_106449_135_f&fid=35246&url=http%3A%2F%2Faids-write.org%2F%3Fp%3D1252 Innocent until proven positive Last March, The New York Times reported that HIV-positive homeless man Willie Campbell, while resisting arrest for drunk-and-disorderly conduct, spat in the face of the arresting officers. Campbell was charged with assault with a deadly weapon. That weapon was his infected saliva. Nadja Popovich — The McGill Daily MONTREAL – “WHAT I WANT to do is to ask you this morning to come on a journey with me,” invited Edwin Cameron, justice of the Supreme Court of Appeal of South Africa, in his closing plenary speech at the International AIDS Conference in Mexico City in August. The journey he proposed was to examine the criminalization of HIV/AIDS. HIV/AIDS issues have been a point of discussion around the globe for the past two decades. HIV directly att... aids-write.org blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2013684 Thu, 04 Dec 2008 19:45:47 +0100 2013684 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2013685&cid=t_106449_135_f&fid=35246&url=http%3A%2F%2Faids-write.org%2F%3Fp%3D1250 chers— what msnbc doesn’t mention in the article below is that this “bizarre” case now proceeds to a civil trial in which the 14 victims will try to recover monetary damages from the two now-criminally-guilty perpetrators. coverage of that phase of the case will probably slip under the radar of international coverage, too. remember, all the original media articles are in dutch, not english, so it eludes googling. there was also a recent trial in canada in which a man was found criminally responsible for knowingly infecting others with the virus. can’t find my notes on it. no civil damages though, as i recall. see the text of edwin cameron’s mexico city address above, but it’s not the latest. namasté —rk 2 Dutch men guilty of injecting 14 with HIV A... aids-write.org blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2013685 Thu, 04 Dec 2008 17:50:23 +0100 2013685 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2011217&cid=t_106449_135_f&fid=35246&url=http%3A%2F%2Faids-write.org%2F%3Fp%3D1245 Odetta sings God’s Gonna Cut You Down (acapella) odetta - Water Boy Odetta - Hit Or Miss Odetta Live in concert 2005, “House of the Rising Sun” You Don’t Know My Mind / Odetta photo by Nancy Siesel/The New York Times: Odetta at Radio City Music Hall in New York for a “Salute to the Blues” benefit concert in 2003. Odetta, Voice of Civil Rights Movement, Dies at 77 By Tim Weiner Published: December 3, 2008 Odetta, the singer whose deep voice wove together the strongest songs of American folk music and the civil rights movement, died on Tuesday at Lenox Hill Hospital in Manhattan. She was 77. [check out the link ---rk] The cause was heart disease, said her manager, Doug Yeager. He added that she had been hoping to sing at Barack Obama’s inaugurat... aids-write.org blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2011217 Thu, 04 Dec 2008 09:42:28 +0100 2011217 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2005950&cid=t_106449_135_f&fid=35246&url=http%3A%2F%2Faids-write.org%2F%3Fp%3D1231 my name is richard kearns. i am a 57-year old gay man alive with AIDS for more than 20 years. i am a long-term survivor. i am an AIDS activist. i am a medical cannabis patient and advocate. i am a poet and journalist and publish http://aids-write.org. i am waiting to hear back from the city attorney in response your letter asking about the condition of his draft of the medical cannabis ordinance. i am disappointed to find he has not yet responded. while we wait, i want to share with you a new poem in observance of world AIDS day. skipping stones round flat dark heart bones cross the wide sky-shining waters to the far shore of my high-school-aged willow-wept midwest lagoon lifetimes & worlds & epics ago skipping stones round flat dark heart bones my nurse remembers too from her life... aids-write.org blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2005950 Wed, 03 Dec 2008 03:55:53 +0100 2005950 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2005951&cid=t_106449_135_f&fid=35246&url=http%3A%2F%2Faids-write.org%2F%3Fp%3D1228 But we get older [writes mark s. king] and friends don’t ask us to hold their hand when they stop breathing, and the fear fades and I bought new leather loafers and the White Party is coming. The truth is simply this, and no one will convince me otherwise: My most courageous self, the best man that I’ll ever be, lived two decades ago during the first years of a horrific plague. today, after witnessing the horror, i view my life as relatively normal again. perhaps mundane. i prefer it. i have a new life in a world that isn’t choking on disease. but i was once a hero. rk’s questions: [excerpted] is that enough? who is it i deny when i deny the hero in me? whom do i lose? where did he go? are you today his absence or presence? whose? the world chokes, though you won’t this day. you... aids-write.org blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2005951 Mon, 01 Dec 2008 23:21:20 +0100 2005951 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1990927&cid=t_106449_135_f&fid=35246&url=http%3A%2F%2Faids-write.org%2F%3Fp%3D1226 my name is richard kearns. i am a 57-year old gay man alive with AIDS in los angeles for more than 20 years. i am an AIDS activist & long-term survivor. i am a medical cannabis patient and advocate. i publish a website called http://aids-write.org, a cross between journalism and poetry. i am here today to see if there has been a response to your letter to the city attorney, inquiring into the status of the medical cannabis ordinance. i suspect you have heard nothing. today, i call on city attorney delgadillo to respond to your letter by world AIDS day — next week. please let us know what’s going on. here is a poem: [text: blood angers my head my face my skin my muscles my heart & i have learned to draw breath & utter my spirit there on the bright council floor dressed ... aids-write.org blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1990927 Tue, 25 Nov 2008 22:07:14 +0100 1990927 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1985002&cid=t_106449_135_f&fid=35246&url=http%3A%2F%2Faids-write.org%2F%3Fp%3D1221 The Power of Blogs: Bloggers Unite on World AIDS Day November 18, 2008 World AIDS Day 2008 (December 1) is now less than two weeks away! Worldwide, an estimated 33 million people are living with HIV . In the United States, an estimated one million Americans are living with HIV. AIDS.gov is partnering with the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA) and Blog Catalog for Bloggers Unite on World AIDS Day 2008 . This event encourages bloggers from around the world to dedicate their blog posts on December 1, 2008 (World AIDS Day) to issues related to HIV/AIDS. Our goal is to leverage the power of the blogosphere to remind people that HIV/AIDS is still a critical issue in the U.S. and around the world, and to promote HIV testing. Jan Lipkin, NIDA’s Deputy Chief, Public Information and Liaison... aids-write.org blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1985002 Tue, 25 Nov 2008 00:26:52 +0100 1985002 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1985003&cid=t_106449_135_f&fid=35246&url=http%3A%2F%2Faids-write.org%2F%3Fp%3D1217 Patient Voices Speaking Out for a Group Once Unheard-Of: Aging With AIDS By KAREN BARROW Published: November 10, 2008 In the early 1990s, a diagnosis of AIDS was both a likely death sentence and a stigma. There were few treatment options, and many Americans were terrified of people infected with H.I.V. Today, because of antiretroviral therapy and an array of drugs to treat both symptoms and side effects, AIDS has become a chronic condition to be managed, at least in the developed world. No longer is the face of AIDS emaciated and covered with lesions; Americans with the disease are stronger and healthier, their concerns fading from public view. Myron Gold, 67, is one of them. In 1993, Mr. Gold was walking in Manhattan around Christmastime when he collapsed and was rushed to the emergenc... aids-write.org blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1985003 Mon, 24 Nov 2008 17:44:02 +0100 1985003 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1985004&cid=t_106449_135_f&fid=35246&url=http%3A%2F%2Faids-write.org%2F%3Fp%3D1215 chers— be careful about breathing the air today — it’s still nasty from all the fires. but draw breath and join me tomorrow, tuesday morning, november 25, to put pressure on the los angeles city council and on the city attorney to come up with a community-responsive draft of the medical cannabis ordinance. councilmembers zine, rosendahl and hahn have sent a letter to city attorney degadillo asking about the status of an acceptable draft of the medical cannabis ordinance. we and the city council are concerned that the most current draft does not adequately address medical cannabis community interests and experience, nor has it taken into account the california attorney general’s new guidelines. the version on the table now only addresses cultivation, which response many see ... aids-write.org blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1985004 Mon, 24 Nov 2008 16:23:02 +0100 1985004 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1985005&cid=t_106449_135_f&fid=35246&url=http%3A%2F%2Faids-write.org%2F%3Fp%3D1211 How Does HIV/AIDS Affect the Elderly in Developing Countries? Today’s Research on Aging population reference bureau N o . 6 | August 2007 How Does HIV/AIDS Affect the Elderly in Developing Countries? Of the estimated 40 million people living with HIV, the vast majority are adults in their prime working years, but as this middle generation dies of AIDS, a generation of young children and a generation of elderly ages 50 and older are left behind (UNAIDS and WHO 2006). The elderly not only lose the support of their adult children, but they must increasingly take on additional familial responsibilities— with potentially adverse effects for their own well-being. Despite extensive amounts of research on the AIDS epidemic, relatively few studies have focused on the elderly. This newsletter h... aids-write.org blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1985005 Sun, 23 Nov 2008 21:37:24 +0100 1985005 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1980923&cid=t_106449_135_f&fid=35246&url=http%3A%2F%2Faids-write.org%2F%3Fp%3D1207 good morning president garcetti, distinguished council members. my name is richard kearns. i am a 57-year-old gay man living with AIDS in los angeles for more than 20 years. i am a long-term survivor. i am an AIDS activist. i am a medical cannabis patient and advocate. i am here today in support of a letter i understand councilmembers zine, rosendahl and hahn are sending to city attorney degadillo asking what has happened to the medical cannabis ordinance, to find out what shape the ordinance is in. this is a little confusing to me, because i just ran into councilmember la bonge doing outreach at the west hollywood city council meeting last night, where he talked about running into city attornney delgadillo at city hall under another context — you all work together in the same buildi... aids-write.org blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1980923 Fri, 21 Nov 2008 16:30:12 +0100 1980923 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1980924&cid=t_106449_135_f&fid=35246&url=http%3A%2F%2Faids-write.org%2F%3Fp%3D1205 Red Ribbon Warriors From: nativelou Added: December 01, 2006 Get the facts about HIV/AIDS, fight stigma, and get tested. from comments: I want to applaude the wonderful people gay and straight that have come together to make this video. And to all my native gay brothers and sisters out there: HOLD ON AND FIGHT! If you’re going through AIDS yourself or someone you know just keep the faith and hold on! LOVE YA (Source: aids-write.org) aids-write.org blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1980924 Fri, 21 Nov 2008 16:00:52 +0100 1980924 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1968995&cid=t_106449_135_f&fid=35246&url=http%3A%2F%2Faids-write.org%2F%3Fp%3D1192 chers— a large part of my day-to-day experience in los angeles includes local street art. it’s been a while since i’ve been able to publish graphics with any regularity, so i’ve collected several groups of photos i hope to start posting regularly. namasté —rk (Source: aids-write.org) aids-write.org blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1968995 Mon, 17 Nov 2008 13:40:33 +0100 1968995 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1964159&cid=t_106449_135_f&fid=35246&url=http%3A%2F%2Faids-write.org%2F%3Fp%3D1188 EXCLUSIVE: Shepard Fairey ‘Defend Equality’ Art for Marriage Equality Shepard Fairey, the graphic designer and illustrator who created the iconic images for Obama’s campaign, has turned his focus to the current fight for equality in the gay and lesbian community, designing a poster intended specifically for use at this weekend’s rallies in California and elsewhere. The image is inspired by the art of a young man named Aaron Harvey. Thanks to the donations of two print sources, posters will be donated for the rally this Saturday at City Hall, which is part of the larger nationwide action called Join the Impact. (Source: aids-write.org) aids-write.org blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1964159 Sat, 15 Nov 2008 20:40:13 +0100 1964159 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1947326&cid=t_106449_135_f&fid=35246&url=http%3A%2F%2Faids-write.org%2F%3Fp%3D1185 chers— it has been a productive season. a year ago i was in the hospital, and didn’t really get back on my feet again until january. so i’m enjoying the season doubly this year. there are three interlinked issues i am going to be covering over the next months: 1) HIV/AIDS & aging; 2) medical cannabis and 3) same-sex marriage. 1. HIV.AIDS & aging have already posted some background pieces on HIV/AIDS & aging. am preparing several international reports on the topic, and the plan to examine the population bump headed for the assisted care system in the us. . . . when i first started publishing aids-write.org 3+ years ago, as a person with AIDS (PWA) over 50, i represented 10% of the national HIV-infected population. today i represent a quarter to a third of that populati... aids-write.org blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1947326 Sun, 09 Nov 2008 18:29:15 +0100 1947326 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1943431&cid=t_106449_135_f&fid=35246&url=http%3A%2F%2Faids-write.org%2F%3Fp%3D1178 i wept when i voted today i wept i wept when i voted no on eight & i punched it repeatedly for the ghosts i love & every other proposition every other no was no on eight & even o was no on eight when i went back to make sure i fought to keep my tears from falling on the machine to keep myself from being heard a mistake. a habit still from years of living in secret love & loss & sorrow & unvisibility no more no longer sharp comes my heartsail’s tug now is the time to speak to ask to answer to be heard what does it take to be alive? how might life make me free? —-rk chers— a season of decision has swept through us, stormcrested by a remarkable election. but today i tap the keys & thumb the spacebar to tell you about a non-election decision i’ve mad... aids-write.org blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1943431 Fri, 07 Nov 2008 18:53:54 +0100 1943431