Lady Gaga & Cyndi Lauper new Voices for MAC Viva Glam Lipstick to Support HIV Initiative

Pop divas Lady Gaga and Cyndi Lauper are the faces of From Our Lips, which is M·A·C Cosmetics’ Viva Glam campaign honoring women living with HIV/AIDS and those working to prevent new infections. All proceeds from sales of Viva Glam Cyndi (a light coral red lipstick) and Viva Glam Gaga (a light blue-pink lipstick) will benefit the M·A·C AIDS Fund. To date, the fund has raised more than $150 million to combat the spread of HIV/AIDS and improve the lives of HIV-positive people worldwide.

“I’ve been familiar with the campaign and have been wearing M·A·C since I was 10 years old,” Gaga said in a statement. “To be joining the likes of iconic former Viva Glam spokespeople is an honor. My new Viva Glam lipstick color is amazing. It’s very me—a bluish pink, great for everyday, a little bit ’80s. I hope that women buy this lipstick, and honor themselves and honor the cause.”
In conjunction with the launch of From Our Lips, the M·A·C AIDS Fund released data from nationwide surveys on women and HIV. According to the M·A·C survey results, nearly three in five American women (55 percent) say they’ve never been tested for HIV, and 78 percent say they’ve had sexual intercourse without a condom. In addition, the average woman was last tested for HIV three years ago, compared to two years for the average man.

Princess Zulu: Sentenced to Death

Twelve years ago when Dr Tembo gave me the news that I was HIV positive, he gave me only six months to live. While Time magazine’s Man of the Year—Dr. David Ho—had created a cocktail of drugs that could suppress HIV, it would be years before treatment made its way to the poor hospital in Luanshya, Zambia where I lived.

Even five years later, only eight thousand people in Africa had access to these drugs—but millions had died. At the time, few people knew or admitted what had claimed their lives. We called the disease “Slim” or “Kalawe Noko,” which means ‘go and say goodbye to your mother.’ It had no respect of person—it took the young and the strong, leaving behind the weak and the frail.

Proudly today, I have witnessed a great increase in the number of people accessing treatment. Given the “perfect storm” of conditions that allowed AIDS to march across Africa, the fact that the tide is now turning is both remarkable and inspirational. Millions of deaths have been averted. Children can now sleep at night with their parents watching over them.

But I caution to add—our task is far from over. In 2008, for every two people who started taking antiretroviral drugs, another five become newly infected. Access to treatment is a long way from being universal.

We need to maintain the pressure on our elected leaders, our places of worship and our broader communities to march forward.

Twelve years ago, I was given six months to live. I am still fighting, and God willing, I will continue to do so. I will continue to fight until all who require treatment, regardless of where we were born and how we contracted the virus, have access not only to HIV/AIDS treatment, but to all health services. That to me is universal access—and that is a basic human right.

-Princess Kasune Zulu

Ignorance is No Excuse for lack of Cross-Cultural Mission Training

Haitian Judge Bernard Saint Vil made his recommendation a day after questioning the detained Americans, most from an Idaho Baptist group, were charged last week with child kidnapping and criminal association after being arrested Jan. 29 while trying to take 33 children, ages 2 to 12, across the border to an orphanage they were trying to set up in the Dominican Republic.
Group leader Laura Silsby of Meridian, Idaho, explained that the children were obtained either from orphanages or from distant relatives. She said only children who were found not to have living parents or relatives who could care for them might be put up for adoption. However, at least 20 of the children are from a single village and have living parents. Some of the parents explained that they willingly turned over their children to the missionaries on the promise the Americans would educate them and let relatives visit.
This incident would have been less likely to occur had this group been properly trained prior to stepping their foot onto a plane and flying to Haiti. Church missions groups have hearts of gold and good intentions, but cross-cultural training is needed prior to engaging in humanitarian relief in other countries. Upon arrival, the group needed to have been once again briefed on acceptable practice. This group is in jail because left to their own devices Americans will always sidestep what they view as 'red tape' or 'hassle'. In many countries avoiding proper parctice is against the law--apparently in Haiti it an offense serious enough for jail time.

John Mayer's Playboy Interview...A Lesson in Getting Too Comfortable

John, John, John! What were you thinking, John? Did you forget the first rule of dealing with reporters? The rule that states that anything you say can and will be held against you in a publication? Did you forget you held a 'trump' card that's called 'off the record'?
John, I like you, John. So I'm gonna try to explain this as gently as possible using this example: Just because you stand in a garage doesn't make you a car; and just because you love Jazz and the Blues doen't give you license to use the N-word in an interview to be published in an international publication. Again I ask, what were you thinkn?
Because I like your music so much I find it hard to absorb some of the info you gave during the interview--namely describing the sexual prowess of your ex-lovers. At the time it may have seemed like a great idea discussing them as though they were simply sex toys and as though they were not daughters and sisters and nieces and cousins. Did you forget about how their families may have felt about this info leaking out? Did you consider how this could embarrass your own family?
John, John, John--You definitely need to go back to media training and next time you feel like u want to be cozy and familiar with a journalist--make sure it's one that you have alerted that some comments are "off the record". And for goodness sake, stay alert and don't get too comfortable. haven't you heard that "loose lips sink ships?"

Is Sarah Palin an "Effen" Retard?

Sarah Palin's address at the Tea Party convention in Nashville vividly demonstrates why this woman is unlikely to ever become president of the United States: she's too forgetful-she writes notes to herself in the palm of her hand. When we did this in school it was considered a form of cheating. Is Sarah Palin an effen retard? The woman is paid $100K per speech and she writes her notes in her hand? Give me a break! She is getting publicity and attention that should be saved for someone who has something significant to say or a real author, and not an attention seeking former beauty queen with a ghostwritten book and too much time on her hands.

Happy Birthday, Robert Towsend...

In my ever-changing, hectic life as the next Pulitzer Prize winning news journalist from Chicago now residing in Georgia, I sometimes get so bogged down that I forget stuff I really want to remember. For example--birthdays. If I get up early enough and I'm not having hot flashes or some other kinda 'senior moment', I can remember when people I love are born.
Yesterday, February 8th was Robert Townsend's 53rd birthday!
Robert is one of the funniest comedians, one of the most dynamic actors, one of the most talented directors and writers and just an all around great guy. Please take a moment to check out his website. He's got clips on his newest project--The History of Black Comedy: Why We Laugh.
http://www.roberttownsend.com/home.html Also, did I happen to mention that he is from Chicago's West Side although he resides in L.A. (I ain't mad atcha, I hate snow, too) lol.
Hey Robert, I hope your birthday was just like you are--da bomb!

President Obama Addresses the Power of Prayer

"While prayer can stiffen our spines to surmount an obstacle...prayer can also do something else. It can touch our hearts with humility. It can fill us with a spirit of brotherhood. It can remind us that each of us are children of an awesome and living GOD."
-- President Barack H. Obama
Thursday, February 4, 2010
National Prayer Breakfast in Washington D.C.