Like most of America today, I have the inauguration events playing in the background. Being lucky enough to work from home, I don’t have to stream it from the internet. While listening, I was thinking of President-elect Obama ((At this time, he’s not quite president yet.)) and trying to formulate what it is about him that has energized our country in this difficult time. Here are 10 reasons I, personally, love Barack Obama:

1. Whether it be limo or armored car, he still opens the door for his wife himself.
2. He still holds his wife’s hand, and actually looks like he enjoys it.
3. He is articulate beyond words. ((Some of you will get that, some of you wont. ))
4. He gives (most) Americans hope.
5. There hasn’t been a First Family as attractive as this since the Kennedys.
6. His ideas for change actually make sense. The Issues
7. He shows respect, compassion, and understanding for people from all walks of life.
8. He has the potential to be one of the most influential presidents in American history—and I can say I was a part of it. ((Everyone who voted for him is a part of it.))
9. For the first time in a long time, I can say “I’m very proud to be an American.“
10. He is bringing intelligence and dignity back to the White House.

Myth #1: HIV and AIDS are the same thing.

Many people are under the misconception that the terms HIV and AIDS are interchangeable. This can be a deadly mistake—HIV and AIDS are not the same thing. In simplified terms, HIV is the actual infection itself. HIV is not AIDS. AIDS is what happens when the immune system becomes compromised, leading the way to infections that are mainly harmless to the average person. Using a very simple analogy, it’s like a healthy person catching a cold and having it turn into a sinus infection. Except a sinus infection won’t kill you.

If detected early and treated properly, HIV doesn’t escalate to AIDS for years, and in some cases, decades. The best example is, of course, Magic Johnson. He was diagnosed with HIV back in 1991. That’s 17 years ago, and he is still AIDS-free.

Myth #2: You can catch HIV by casual contact.

Again, this is untrue. HIV/AIDS is spread through bodily fluids, and mainly through bodily fluids that are very personal in nature, such as:

• semen;
• vaginal fluid;
• blood;
• other bodily fluids containing blood (for example menses or bloody saliva);
• breast milk.

So unless you consider sex, blood transfusions, or giving birth casual contact, you’re okay talking to someone with HIV and/or AIDS. Hell, you can even shake their hand or give them a hug.

Here’s how you can contract HIV:

• having unprotected sex (of ANY kind) with someone infected;
• sharing needles or syringes with someone infected;
• getting an infected blood transfusion (very rare).

Myth #3: HIV can infect only homosexual men and drug users.

This is the most dangerous of the HIV/AIDS myths out there. HIV/AIDS can infect anyone. HIV does not care if you are white, black, gay, straight, Buddhist or Catholic. If you engage in high-risk sexual practices, are a drug user sharing needles and syringes (or both) HIV may eventually find you.

There are more myths out there, both old and new. (I like the “sex with a virgin will cure HIV. That’s a good one.) Do some research. Be informed.

Learn More

The Center for AIDS Prevention
AIDS, Sex, and Teens
The Body: the Complete HIV/AIDS resource
Ryan White’s Story

Do More

Buy (RED)
ONE
Elizabeth Glaser Pediatric AIDS Foundation
International HIV/AIDS Alliance

Owing to a well-founded fear of being persecuted for reasons of race, religion, nationality, membership of a particular social group, or political opinion, is outside the country of their nationality, and is unable to or, owing to such fear, is unwilling to avail him/herself of the protection of that country.

Intolerance, racism, injustice, persecution—the people of the world have been hurting each other since the dawn of time. While most of us fundamentally believe that no one has the right to take a life (under ordinary circumstances), we have been killing each other throughout history for inane and oftentimes ridiculous reasons. Let’s take a look:

• WWII. Jews fleeing European countries to avoid concentration camps and religious persecution. (Did you know that the Allies lost over 60 million lives defending Democracy and basic human rights during WWII, while the Axis powers only lost 11 million?)
• Darfur. The president is alleged to have “masterminded and implemented a plan to destroy in substantial part the Fur, Masalit and Zaghawa groups, on account of their ethnicity. His motives were largely political. His alibi was a ‘counterinsurgency.’ His intent was genocide.“¹ As a result, millions were forced to flee their homes.
• Bosnia. Thousands of Bosnians were driven from their homes as a result of “ethnic cleansing” in former Yugoslavia.
• Armenian Genocide. The Armenian Genocide—refers to the deliberate and systematic destruction (genocide) of the Armenian population of the Ottoman Empire during and just after World War I.² Hmm. Sound familiar?
• Iraq. Five years into the US military intervention in Iraq, the country is dealing with one of the largest humanitarian and displacement crises in the world.³
• There’s more. Historical and contemporary refugee crises

There is so much going on in the world right now. I will consider this post a success even if all you do after reading it is reflect on what it means to be a refugee and give thanks that you are fortunate enough to live in the United States (warts and all).

Invisible Children

Do Good

• Refugees United—provides refugees with an anonymous forum to reconnect with missing family.
• SOS Children’s Village’s
• Take Action—Tell congress to increase efforts to prevent and reduce statelessness
• Women’s Commission for Refugee Women and Children
• Invisible Children: The bracelet campaign or Invisible Children: Apparel (I wrote about them in September: Killing for Christianity.)

¹BBC. Q&A: Sudan’s Darfur conflict. July 15, 2008.

²Wikipedia. Armenian Genocide.

³Refugees International. Iraq.

While these posts have obviously been in favor of the candidate I prefer, I hope my other message has been clear. Get off your ass and vote, no matter whom you are voting for. My philosophy on voting has always been simple:

If you don’t bother to vote, then don’t bother to complain about the way things are.

I came across this video today at The Mom Buzz. Whether you lean to the left or lean to the right, take 5 minutes out of your day and check this out:

This is the most honest video I’ve seen during the 2008 election season. Did you notice what was missing? No McCain. No Palin. No Obama. Just one simple message.

VOTE!

The good news is that my regular readers who don’t necessarily agree with my views can come back in a few weeks, when I stop (maybe) posting the funny (to me) political stuff I find.

Wordless Wednesday is on a break today, to allow for Blog Action Day. This year’s theme is poverty.

During this time of financial crisis in our country, it is understandable that people are tightening their wallets and worrying about themselves and their own. Times are tough for (almost) everyone. If you are reading this blog, however, I’m guessing that you have eaten a decent meal recently. I’d also be willing to bet there is a beverage sitting precariously close to your keyboard: coffee, soda, water (in my case, all of the above).

Those of you reading this in FLA still have your central air on (though your bill keeps going up), and those of you reading this in Denver have probably just started turning your heat on at night. You’re sitting now at your own computer, with some lights on somewhere, your cellphone charging, your iPod plugged in, and only a quarter tank of gas in your car. Or you’re at work.

Those of you reading this blog (and I know who you are because you are my friends and my family ) are definitely not rich. But you are not poor, either. Things are tough, but there is still money for a decent meal, cold water, energy, a computer, the internet, a cellphone, gas, etc., etc., etc.

On this, Blog Action Day for Poverty, I’m asking you to consider your surroundings. Be thankful for all that you are blessed with. Take the time to appreciate all you have. Many are not so fortunate.

This is what poverty looks like in America:

And this is what poverty looks like in Africa:

But I digress. I wanted to post this amazing diagram of a Sydney trash collection site. Per the article from “Wired” magazine:

“…a facility in Sydney that combines every trash-sorting technology imaginable–wind sifters, optical scanners, magnets, electrical currents. It diverts 75% of the city’s waste stream to recycling, conserving landfill space and cutting down on greenhouse gases.“

Yes, you read that correctly. 75% in Sydney, Australia—the most densely populated city in Australia. We’re talking around 4.2 million people who, according to the Australian Bureau of Statistics, average 1 tonne of solid waster, per person, per year. So, 4.2 million x 1 tonne = 4.2 million tonnes / 75%…I can’t even do that kind of math. Where’s my abacus?

The process is truly amazing:

click to enlarge and read

Pretty awesome. Too bad we can’t do something like that over here.

Vote, dammit!

The election. You just can’t get away from it these days. I’m not one to usually go on about politics–political discussions tend to end up in some form of debate and I’m not usually well-versed enough to argue my position. That’s not to say that I don’t have strong opinions regarding the issues and the candidates. I think “Sarah Palin hates polar bears” cleared up any confusion one might have regarding where I stand.

Another view I hold strongly was best represented by Craig Ferguson in his Sept. 10 monologue on “The Late, Late Show.”

If you don’t vote, you’re a moron!

Here’s the monologue. It’s a little long, but well worth it.

As a newly-naturalized citizen of the United States, he does a great job of expressing his outrage and confusion regarding the voting process (or lack thereof) in America. I’ve never been a huge fan of his, until this show.

After his monologue, he kept on going. Here’s part 2. Again, well worth the watch.

I’m interested to hear what the rest of you think…

Polar Bears–headed for extinction?

Wednesday night I was up late. The TV was on for background noise while I was reading (I like to multitask). That really annoying celebrity show “Extra!” with the stupid “Extra, Extra!” chant came on. Being too lazy to move the dog, grab the remote and change the channel, I had no choice but to watch. One of the lead stories was an interview with Matt Damon, where he made some intriguing (and might I say, ASTUTE) observations about John McCain’s decision to choose Sarah Palin as his running mate:

Of course, Matt Damon aside, just the fact that she’s a Republican and McCain’s running mate means there’s no way in he-l-l that I’ll vote for her. In the interest of fairness, however, here are some of her opinions regarding major political issues, and my opinion on her opinion :

Families & Children:
17-year-old unmarried daughter is 5 months pregnant. (Sep 2008)
Opposes explicit sex-education programs. (Jul 2006)

Civil Rights:
ADA brings expanded freedom to Americans with disabilities. (Jul 2008)
HIV/AIDS among Alaska Natives is public health crisis. (Mar 2008)
Recognize Martin Luther King holiday. (Jan 2008)
Comply with same-sex partner benefits despite disagreement. (Dec 2006)

Education:
Teach creationism alongside evolution in schools. (Aug 2008)
Supports charter schools, home schools, & other alternatives. (Nov 2006)
Let parents opt out of schoolbooks they find offensive. (Jul 2006)
Parents know best, about school spending & school age. (Jul 2006)

Environment:
Opposed protections for salmon from mining contamination. (Aug 2008)
Sue US government to stop listing polar bear as endangered. (Aug 2008)
We must encourage timber, mining, drilling, & fishing. (Jan 2008)
Feds shouldn’t list beluga whales as endangered. (Aug 2007)

Energy & Oil:
Claimed major triumph: $500 million subsidy for gas pipeline. (Aug 2008)
Global warming affects Alaska, but is not man-made. (Aug 2008)
Lift moratorium on offshore drilling. (Jul 2008)

Abortion:
Rejected sympathy for Down’s Syndrome son, as gift from God. (Aug 2008)
Choose life, even if her own daughter were raped. (Nov 2006)
Only exception for abortion is if mother’s life would end. (Jul 2006)

Gun Control:
Supports ending D.C.’s 32-year-old ban on handguns. (Jun 2008)
Lifelong NRA member & champion of right to bear arms. (Feb 2008)
Supports Constitutional right to bear arms. (Nov 2006)

Crime:
Maximum sentence for first-degree murder by police. (Apr 2007)
If legislature passed death penalty law, I would sign it. (Nov 2006)
Death penalty for adults who murder children. (Oct 2006)

Drugs:
Opposes legalizing marijuana, but meth is greater threat. (Aug 2006)
Smoked marijuana when it was legal under Alaska law. (Aug 2006)
Top priorities include gangs & drugs; they harm family life. (Jul 2006)

Budget & the Economy:
Control spending by request if possible; by veto if needed. (Sep 2008)
$7 billion savings plan for education & transportation. (Dec 2007)
Firm believer in free market capitalism. (Nov 2006)

I’m surprised at how evenly my ups and downs are matched. I could employ a rating system of some kind, where my priorities are weighted–this would definitely be more accurate. The issues are listed by my priority, however, some items would be weighted heavier than others.

I still think Matt Damon is right. President Palin. Are you kidding me?

Palin’s views from: On The Issues. Check out this site for all of her views, along with the views of the other 2008 contenders.