WOMENS REPRODUCTIVE HEALTH CARE ISSUES

It is my humble opinion that in a matter of women's reproductive Health Care, that one penis equals no vote. Women have strived hard for the little bit of quality they have and they do not need a man, any man to tell them what to do. In the case of an abortion, that is a difficult decision that she will have to live with the rest of her life, and it is something between her her family and her God. No religion or religious affiliations has the right to decide what a woman can or cannot do with her body. Making birth control easier and cheaper to obtain would certainly cut down on the number of abortions performed each year. Birth control pills are also used to regulate a woman cycle when her periods are out of control. Also women who use birth control see their doctors on a regular basis making cancer screening as well as screening for STDs possible and cannot improve chances of early detection of health problems, thus saving lives and saving insurance companies money. These rights should not be seen as a republican or democrat decision but the right decision for all women. I'm sorry if this upsets me one but as I said in the beginning this is my humble opinion.

THE OTHER EARTH

Somewhere out there in the vastness we call space, is another solar system exactly like ours with an Earth like planet with the same water and land properties. But the water there is clean, the air that the inhabitants breathe is without pollutants and crops and livestock grow in abundance. True there are natural occurrences like earthquakes, hurricanes and tornadoes and the occasional volcano eruptions, but as soon as it is safe to go back into those areas, peace is restored and rebuilding begins. And it gets done because it is what needs to be done, not for profit. You see, the difference between the two Earths is that they don't know GREED. No one goes to bed hungry, when you are ill you get the attention that you need and the people there are much happier then they are here.

Some would call this Socialism or maybe even Communism, but whatever you call it, it works for them and I dare say that it could work here as well. As a child I remember my mother telling me that greed was the killer. I didn't understand what that meant back then but I do now. And if there was a way that I could erase greed from our planet I certainly would, before greed does kill us.

AUNTIE STELLA GETS A NEW DISHWASHER

Auntie Stella is a cook and hates to clean but had to do what she had to do. No more! I now have a dishwasher. I think his name is John or Juan, really cute, about 6'2" ,20 years old, brown/brown and just full of life. Would love to show all of you a picture of him but I don't want immigration to take him away from me. He loves every meal I fix for him and tears came to his eyes when I gave him a pair of rubber gloves and a bottle of Dawn. Hey, if it gets oil spills off of birds I know my dishes will be clean. I only have one bedroom so we have to share a bed but he doesn't seem to mind at all. And honestly, how many of you out there have a dishwasher who will also scrub your back when you shower together?

Also found a new pair of shoes that I just had to have so I had to cut back and live off of tuna for a couple of weeks, but tuna salad doesn't have to be boring, I see to that. I always use celery seed, red onions, caraway seeds, relish and Miracle Whip. I know, "Caraway seeds"? Yes, rye bread costs more. Also, if you have happened to love raisin bread like I do, and that costs more too, try adding a small handful of raisins to your tuna salad and maybe some walnut pieces. Maybe I can stay on tuna for an extra week and find a nice bag to match the shoes. (Juan loves the shoes too, and they fit both of us, LOL

Auntie Stella.

LOUD ASS COMMERCIALS

Don't you just hate having to watch television with the remote in hand so that you can mute those commercials that are so much louder than the program? The shows can keep you interested but the ads are so loud that you wind up recording them and then zapping thru the commercials. Today I took a step to hopefully fixing that. I wrote to Bio.com and told them the above and added the fact that their advertisers probably wouldn't like knowing that. Let's see if they reply or not.

Also, if you have Bright House for your cable provider, you have probably noticed that their commercials are louder as are the one just before or after their ad? Check it out for yourself and see if I'm right or not. You are paying for this cable and they need your feedback to make the changes that will keep you watching and paying.

Mike

GAY FOR PAY, REALLY???

Okay, if all you had to look at in the gay community was fat, old, farts like me I could understand you paying large sums of money to "STRAIGHT??" men to perform or pose for your enjoyment. But really, isn't that just like voting for republicans to oppress you more? I look around and see tons of hot looking men that I would love to see naked or performing in porn, and they do, in my mind of course. But seriously, what is the fascination? I've searched my perverted mind and you know what, if I like what I see I continue to look, if I don't, I go on to the next DVD or magazine. It doesn't matter to me if he is gay or not, like I really have a shot at him (did I mention that I'm also broke"?). And if I wasn't, it wouldn't matter to me any more than it would to him what religion I was, if I had one, what I did with whom-when or anything else as long as the money held out. We all fantasize about movie stars, some of whom are gay and pretending to be straight and I can understand since it could effect their jobs and fortunes. But if there is a naked picture of them out there, I will try my best to find it, not because size matters (LOL) but just to complete the puzzle by putting the last piece together. I personally I like nudity and have no shame about that fact. It's the way I came into this world and will probably go out the same way, closed coffin for the sake of others. I would love to know what you think.

IS HIV/AIDS THE FORGOTTEN EPIDEMIC?

I subscribe to POZONLINE, a magazine that is published 6 times a year and contains a wealth of knowledge. But the other day they had a poll asking a simple yes or no question, “Is AIDS the forgotten epidemic?” I answered yes and then found out that most of the people who answered said the same.
In the early days of HIV/AIDS it seemed that just testing positive was a death sentence but today we are living longer due to newer and better medications. But unless you have the virus yourself or know someone who does, you don’t know the costs of living longer. I’m not just talking about money but also about the pain that you pay by living longer. That isn’t talked about in the media but it is certainly real enough. Bouts of diarrhea, pain in your extremities, fat deposits in different parts of your body like the back of the neck or stomach. Some of the medications can cause you to have diabetes, peripheral neuropathy, liver and kidney problems and yes, some of them can even cause death. And of course all of them seem to cause dry mouth which leaves you with a constant thirst. You don’t hear a lot about these things and for that reason and the fact that we are living longer, people aren’t taking this virus seriously anymore, and they still need to. Having a longer life is great but if you are in pain and don’t want to get addicted to pain killers or have them just knock you out, what good are the extra years?
Doctors and researchers need to do a better job of coming up with medications that help without hurting further. I believe that the physicians oath is “First do no harm” but if it isn’t, it should be. At 62 years young, I am being force into a scooter because a two block walk just about kills me. I’m grateful for the scooter, don’t get me wrong, but I would much rather walk on my own. And this is what people, especially young people need to know, need to see and need to hear.

WORLD AIDS DAY

December1st each year is WORLD AIDS DAY, a time to remember all of those who have perished because of this disease and to celebrate those living with it today. Around the world the day was marked and remembered as it was here in St. Petersburg, Florida. A good friend and artist who works in metal artistry, Mark Hester, created bronze plates with inscriptions of those of us living with HIV/AIDS in our own handwriting and they were displayed locally at The Flamingo Resort. People were invited to not only read but also run their fingers over the words that were transformed into art as a living memorial. It was a sobering experience for me and others and our minds were reminded of the great quilt that started with one square in remembrance of one who had passed. The names of those who wrote their feelings are not reveled to anyone other they themselves and the artist but I and others witnessed first hand the solitude of those who read and/or felt the words. But the best thing that could come out of this World AIDS Day and others would be for a cure to be found or at least kinder and gentler medications that right now are causing as much pain as the disease it self. Your comments are welcome.