My favorite Adam pic

New Movies

I'm getting to see a ton of new movies before they are released through a film club, so check out my reviews before plonking down your $10. See the link on the right.

Front Page!

Click on the picture to zoom. I'll upload a couple more photos of the Walk once I have them.

AIDS Walk results

The preliminary # is in, we raised $125,000! It's less than I hoped, but still on budget. This is a total of the pledges written on pledge sheets and $ is still coming in. It will creep up a bit to probably at least hit 130k. We had twice as many walkers as last year, many of whom signed up at the last minute and didn't raise $. We can draw on those people to raise $ next year and to grow our mailing list.

Tomorrow is the big day

Tomorrow is the AIDS Walk! Last year we raised $130,000. Usually I'm really good about guessing income, so I want it on the record that this year my bet is on $165,000. We've had a huge response to our recruitment efforts (which includes a part time staffer and an intern) and tremenous press (front page on this Sunday's News Supress). It doesn't seem unreasonable that we would do 20% better.

Any other bets? Following is the story:

AIDS Walk a chance to show heart and sole
October 1, 2006

When Crystal Young was diagnosed with HIV 15 years ago, she moved into a hospice. Back in the early 1990s, the virus that causes AIDS was considered a death sentence.

"I was scared," said Ms. Young, 40, of Lompoc. "That's what you did back then."

She is no longer afraid. It takes longer to recover from colds and infections, but other than that, life is normal. She is raising a teenage daughter, working and living the life of a regular adult.

Ms. Young will share her story this weekend as one of hundreds of participants at the 16th annual Heart & Sole AIDS Walk sponsored by the Pacific Pride Foundation, Santa Barbara's largest care and education organization for those with AIDS and HIV.

This weekend's event is the primary fundraiser for Pacific Pride, which, like other programs around the state, has seen its funding from the government slashed each year. Public funding decreased about 5 percent this year, a significant cut in a $2 million total budget.

That has worried health workers, particularly because the number of new HIV cases has risen as the number of people being tested has declined significantly. That trend is true around the country and in Santa Barbara County, where 33 new cases of HIV were diagnosed in 2004, compared to seven in 1999.

At the same time, the number of people who were tested declined to 2,790 in 2004 from 4,060 in 1999, according to the Santa Barbara County Department of Public Health.

The intent of Saturday's walk is to raise both money and awareness, organizers say. This year is especially significant: It is the 25th anniversary of the first documented case of HIV/AIDS in the United States.

"I remember when we first start doing this back in the late 1980s to early 1990s, we were going to funerals almost every week," said David Selberg, executive director of Pacific Pride. "It's amazing how far we've come."

Ms. Young was diagnosed on Jan. 7, 1991. She contracted the disease from a man who was using intravenous drugs.

"I was shocked," she said. "At that time, it seemed like there were no women being diagnosed. I thought it was just for gay men and drug users. It was scary, very scary."

She planned her funeral and moved into Sarah House, a hospice that opened in Santa Barbara specifically for AIDS/HIV patients.

Because of improved medical treatment and better understanding of the disease, Sarah House now has to room to admit people who are dying of other ailments, such as cancer and Lou Gehrig's disease.

The decline in death rates is certainly good news. But at the same time, health officials fear that the public has become complacent.

Decreases in funding have meant cuts in outreach and education. Much of the money Pacific Pride receives through grants, contracts and private donations is earmarked for specific causes, such as HIV testing, case management and primary health care.

The goal of Saturday's walk is to at least match last year's total of $130,000, which largely goes toward paying overhead costs that don't receive public funding. The money will also be used for the organization's food pantry, services for gay and lesbian awareness, and outreach to schools, the mentally ill, the homeless and others.

"We need to fill in those holes," said Jodi Segal, director of development for Pacific Pride and co-organizer of the AIDS Walk. "Without our donors, our budget falls apart."

Pacific Pride's fundraising goal throughout the year is about $300,000, roughly half of which comes from the AIDS Walk.

Mr. Selberg said a particular need is reaching out to youth, who account for many of the new cases. The organization recently assigned two part-time workers to reach out to online chat groups and Internet sites, which have become common venues for soliciting sex.

In Santa Barbara County, about 1,500 people currently live with HIV/AIDS. With offices in Santa Barbara and Santa Maria, Pacific Pride serves about 600 clients in its programs.

Organizers expect about 500 walkers and 200 volunteers to participate in this year's AIDS Walk. The 10-kilometer event starts at Leadbetter Beach, takes walkers along the shoreline and ends back at Leadbetter, wrapping up with a gathering for speeches, food, music and free massages. Also, prizes will be awarded to the biggest fundraisers.

Registration opens at 8 a.m. {this is wrong, it's actually 9am} Saturday, and the walk begins at 10 a.m. For more information, visit www.pacificpridefoundation.org, or call 963-3636.

My view:

Things you have to believe to be a Republican today:

* Saddam was a good guy when Reagan armed him, a bad guy when Bush's daddy made war on him, a good guy when Cheney did business with him and a bad guy when Bush needed a "we can't find Bin Laden" diversion.

* Trade with Cuba is wrong because the country is communist, but trade with China and Vietnam is vital to a spirit of international harmony.

* A woman can't be trusted with decisions about her own body, but multi-national corporations can make decisions affecting all mankind without regulation.

* HMOs and insurance companies have the best interests of the public at heart.

* Global warming and tobacco's link to cancer are junk science, but creationism should be taught in schools.

* A president lying about an extramarital affair is an impeachable offense. A president lying to enlist support for a war in which thousands die is solid defense policy.

* Government should limit itself to the powers named in the Constitution, which include banning gay marriages and censoring the Internet.

* The public has a right to know about Hillary's cattle trades, but George Bush's cocaine conviction is none of our business.

* Being a drug addict is a moral failing and a crime, unless you're a conservative radio host.
Then it's an illness, and you need our prayers for your recovery.

* You support states' rights, which means Attorney General John Ashcroft can tell states what local voter initiatives they have the right to adopt.

* What Bill Clinton did in the 1960s is of vital national interest, but what Bush did in the '80s is irrelevant.


...Ahhh, government at its best.