Maven on the high seas...

in case you were wondering how i keep myself busy while I'm missing all of my girls..... sigh... oh the foolishness... The embedding specs are off since we shot in wideframe but you get the idea.....

Anonymous Letter to Your Haters

I know we deal in positivity in the Common Room but I HAD to re-post this. From a Facebook friend (who will remain anonymous unless they decide to make the claim):

Attention: Haters
Subject: Your Life

It occurred to me that last night (and most nights) you got dressed, put on make-up, cute clothes and stilettos (you looked really nice, btw) took a mode of transportation and somehow ended up in the same location with me, THEN made a conscious decision to sit on the wall (or stand in the middle of the floor, whatev), drinkless, not dancing and mean mugging me and my girls. I'm saddened that no one offered to buy you any drinks and based on that ugly face you were making indicating that you weren't having a good time, I'll assume you didn't budget properly to buy your own.

I feel so sorry for you since you clearly didn't have anywhere else to go (there was no cover, if you're weren't feeling it, you know you could've left right?) and you didn't have anything else to do except watch me and my peeps enjoy ourselves.

At the culmination of this memo, I'd like you to reevaluate your life. I'll dig the hole.

Don't act like you don't feel this way sometimes!!!!!! CLASSIC!

The Red Pump Project

Today is National Women and Girls HIV/AIDS Awareness Day. I honestly would not have known that if it were not for The Red Pump Project. So head on over to the site for some information and inspiration to get involved.

Here are some stats from the website:

HIV/AIDS & Women Statistics

Statistics used are from the Center for Disease Control's website. Although these stats are only taking the United States into account, globally, HIV/AIDS is no less of a problem, especially for women.

Key Snapshot of the U.S. Epidemic Today

• Number of new HIV infections, 2006: 56,300
• Number of people living with HIV/AIDS: 1.1 million, including more than 468,000 with AIDS
• Number of AIDS deaths since beginning of epidemic: 583,298, including 14,561 in 2007
• Percent of people infected with HIV who don’t know it: 21%
  

HIV/AIDS & Women in the United States
------------------------------------------------
*There are approximately 1.1 million people living with HIV/AIDS in the U.S. & almost 280,000 are women

*In 2006, there were 15,000 new HIV infections and 9,801 AIDS cases diagnosed among women

*There were 3,784 deaths among women with AIDS in 2006

*Among those who are HIV positive, 35% of women were tested for HIV late in their illness (diagnosed with AIDS within one year of testing positive)

*HIV is the 5th leading cause of death in women in the United States, ages 25-44

*High-risk heterosexual contact is the source of 80% of these newly diagnosed infections in women

*According to a CDC study of more than 19,500 patients with HIV in 10 US cities, women were slightly less likely than men to receive prescriptions for the most effective treatments for HIV infection

*Women with AIDS made up an increasing part of the epidemic. In 1992, women accounted for an estimated 14% of adults and adolescents living with AIDS in the 50 states and the District of Columbia. By the end of 2005, this proportion had grown to 23%

*From the beginning of the epidemic through 2005, almost 86,000 women have died of AIDS and AIDS-related complications.

*The largest number of HIV/AIDS diagnoses during recent years was for women aged 15–39

HIV/AIDS & Minority Women
-----------------------------------
HIV/AIDS disproportionately affects minority women in the United States. According to the 2005 census, Black and Latina women represent 24% of all US women combined, but account for 82% of the estimated total of AIDS diagnoses for women in 2005.

HIV is:

*the leading cause of death for black women (including African American women) aged 25–34 years.

*the 3rd leading cause of death for black women aged 35–44 years.

*the 4th leading cause of death for black women aged 45–54 years.

*the 4th leading cause of death for Latina women aged 35–44 years.

*The only diseases causing more deaths of women were cancer and heart disease

*The rate of AIDS diagnosis for black women was approximately 23 times the rate for white women and 4 times the rate for Latina women

*In 2006, teen girls represented 39% of AIDS cases reported among 13–19 year-olds. Black teens represented 69% of cases reported among 13–19 year-olds; Latino teens represented 19%

These statistics were pulled from The Center for Disease Control's website and the Kaiser Family Foundation's Fact Sheets (which cited the CDC). Get more information about the effect of the epidemic from these sites.

BBGs and readers, please feel free to share your thoughts, feelings, and concerns. Also, please share suggestions for ways that we can all be more involved in this cause that hits closer and closer to home everyday.

Just when you think there's no reason to visit Saint Louis ...

Enjoy! Sorry about the McCafe Ads...couldn't delete 'em.

St. Louis Board of Alderman Poised to Approve Obama Boulevard

January 15, 2009 - Delmar Boulevard is expected to be renamed Barack Obama Boulevard. (Max Gersh/P-D)

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St. LOUIS -- Get ready to take a ride on Obama Boulevard.

Days before the presidential inauguration in Washington, St. Louis aldermen are
poised to designate one of the city's busiest streets in honor of the new
commander in chief.

Delmar Boulevard in St. Louis, from downtown to the Loop shopping district,
would be designated in honor of Barack Obama in a plan eligible for final
approval today.

Though some at City Hall initially called the honor premature, the move now
appears to have enough support to pass. Mayor Francis Slay's office has said
that, if it is approved, he will sign the bill into law.

"It's about our accomplishment as a country," said Alderman Kacie Starr
Triplett, an early Obama fan who led the street push. "The country united to
elect Barack Obama. That's worthy of a symbolic designation."

The label would be purely ceremonial. On maps and other official documents, the
street name would remain Delmar. Signs would be placed at six intersections
along the street noting its twin designation as Barack Obama Boulevard. The
portion of the street that extends west into St. Louis County would be
unaffected.

While several aldermen expressed reluctance about honoring Obama before he even
moves into the White House, only one alderman, Stephen Conway from the city's
Shaw neighborhood, vocally opposed the measure.

His gripe?

That, to his knowledge, the nation's first Catholic president, John F. Kennedy,
hasn't been given a similar honor.

"I am not aware of a JFK Boulevard here in the city of St. Louis," said Conway,
who also is Catholic.

Conway was also miffed at the selection of Delmar — a north-south boundary that
at times has represented racial division — to honor Obama.

"The people here in the city of St. Louis voted for change to get rid of that
mind-set that we must have this demarcation," Conway said at last week's board
meeting.

Conway's concerns, however, were swept away by calls not to let the debate over
an honorary street designation — one of the most common types of legislation
heard by aldermen — get consumed by racial politics.

In St. Louis, scores of notables have byways named after them: Cardinals icons
Stan Musial and Jack Buck have streets downtown, while lesser known pastors and
public servants have been recognized in their neighborhoods.

Nationwide, St. Louis would join at least one other city — the South Florida
community of Opa-locka — to name a street for the new president.

On Delmar, the push was greeted warmly by store owners, who welcomed the extra
recognition in tough economic times.

But Dennis Williams, who owns FiFi's, a "punk" clothing store, does have one
concern — that shoppers on "Obama Boulevard" won't get lost looking for his
address, which will officially remain on Delmar near Skinker Boulevard.

"I have no problem with it," Williams said Thursday, "as long as people can
find me."

jwagman@post-dispatch.com | 314-622-3580

From the mouth of the accused....

To fill in some of you casual comment readers, Kis and I have been back and forthing a bit about the Rick Warren issue.

Kis.. he did not call Gays Child molestors. He actually supported Prop 8. What he DOES have and issue with is the Redefinition of marriage.

Click here to watch the video (it wouldn't let me embed!)

Its interesting the Divorced population of the country didn't have more of an issue with Warren praying at the inauguration...apparently they're the dangerous ones...

Do with this as you will.

Happy Thanksgiving... HATERS....

**I apologize in advance for the pixel-ation in some places.
The FlipCam does not have adjustable focus or contrast settings!

Like a steel trap...

Due to my last post and comments, there has been some surprise about the my amazing memory.

All I can say, is that I remember EVERYTHING. Some things precisely, some things vaguely. But one way or another... I remember.

This by the way, makes me the worst person to ever have and "incident" with. It's like I have a pocket stenographer in my brain...please believe it.

Seriously though, I'm kinda like an X-men. LMAO.

I don't know why I have this power...all I know is that God wants me to use it for good and not for evil.

maybe its because writers have to stay attuned to details...

or maybe it's to save the world....

or it could just be for 60 years from now, when we have a reunion, at least ONE of us will still remember the stories from our glorious youth...

Only time will tell. =)