world aids day: CNN Student News Learning Activity: World AIDS Day

Students will learn about the history of the AIDS pandemic and the status of AIDS in the United States. Students will create ways to inform various demographic groups in the U.S. about the risk of HIV/AIDS.

Procedure

Inform students that December 1 is World AIDS Day. Since this day was first marked in 1988, people and organizations around the globe have worked to bring attention to the AIDS pandemic. The United Nations notes that in 2007, more than 33 million people worldwide were living with HIV or AIDS, and of this number, 2 million were children under the age of 15. According to the U.S. government, more than 1 million Americans are currently living with HIV/AIDS.

Next, refer student groups to the online resources provided to learn more about AIDS, the history of the AIDS pandemic and the status of this disease in the United States. Provide the following questions to guide the groups' research:

1. What is HIV? How is it different from "full-blown" AIDS? How is HIV spread? How does it affect the human body?
2. What are some ways in which individuals can protect themselves from contracting HIV?
3. What groups of people are at the greatest risk for contracting HIV in the U.S.? How have the demographics of those at risk for contracting HIV changed over the past two decades?

Then, assign each student group one of the following U.S. demographic groups that are at risk for contracting HIV: teens, Hispanics, African-Americans, women, health care professionals, drug users and homosexuals. Challenge student groups to act as CDC AIDS awareness committees for your state, and to devise strategies for informing their assigned demographic groups about the risk of contracting HIV/AIDS. Direct each group to identify and research some of the problems that are associated with the prevention and treatment of HIV in its demographic. Then, ask each group to brainstorm a list of practical strategies aimed at stopping the AIDS epidemic in its assigned demographic group. Using the information gathered, instruct each group to create informational materials that it thinks would best target and inform its assigned demographic.

As groups present their HIV/AIDS information, ask them to discuss their choice of format, language used and information emphasized in their materials. Ask students to compare the similarities and differences in the student-created materials. Ask: Which materials do you think are best suited for each of the groups?

Correlated Standards

Health

Standard 1: Knows the availability and effective use of health services, products, and information

Level III (Grade 6-8)

Benchmark 2. Knows how to locate and use community health information, products, and services that provide valid health information

Standard 8: Knows essential concepts about the prevention and control of disease

Level III (Grade 6-8)

Benchmark 1. Understands how lifestyle, pathogens, family history, and other risk factors are related to the cause or prevention of disease and other health problems

Content Knowledge: A Compendium of Standards and Benchmarks for K-12 Education (Copyright 2000 McREL) is published online by Mid-continent Research for Education and Learning (McREL) (http://www.mcrel.org/standards-benchmarks/), 2550 S. Parker Road, Suite 500, Aurora, CO 80014; Telephone: 303/337-0990.


Source: edition.cnn.com

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Short selling reforms are a long time coming

IT doesn't smack of good planning to make laws retrospectively, particularly in relation to the knotty subject of short selling.

But a push by most of the major stakeholders looks set to help construct what should be a clear and transparent short-selling regime in Australia.

You may remember that the relevant minister, Senator Nick Sherry, had been planning to introduce a bill to parliament tightening up on definitions of short selling when the whole process was fast-tracked in September by ASIC chairman Tony D'Aloisio.

He used his powers to close a loophole in the regulations and left it to parliament to draft the law later. That capped off a crackdown that started on Friday, September 19, with a ban on "naked" short selling, and by the end of that weekend had become a ban on all forms of short selling.

Mr D'Aloisio admitted last week that events at that time in September had moved so fast, with the US and British jurisdictions looking set to impose bans that left Australia vulnerable, that the full ban became the best option.

The definitional ambiguity that required a tweak in the law was that some covered short sellers -- traders who had borrowed stock to cover their short positions -- had been maintaining that such an arrangement wasn't a short sale at all, and so hadn't been reporting it to their brokers as required.

Markets have suffered horribly since September but we're nevertheless back to a ban aimed solely at short selling financial stocks, which will stay in place until mid-January.

A lively panel discussion late last week at the Australian Investor Relations Association annual conference saw some arm-wrestling about exactly how stock lending and short selling should be reported, but it turned out that even the stock-lending industry, which has been held up as a recalcitrant, has been working with the Government to get a workable law together.

Stewart Cowan, who runs JPMorgan's custodial operations in Australia, said that ASLA, the Australian Stock Lending Association, had been talking with regulators and the Reserve Bank to devise a way of reporting in a meaningful way not only short-sold stock but also lent stock.

At the moment there is no information available to normal mortals in Australia on how much of any stock has been lent by custodians to short sellers. A British consultancy called Spitalfields Advisers and its subsidiary Data Explorers are reportedly the "Fort Knox" of stock lending information, shared with institutional clients prepared to pay for it. But in Australia we're not so lucky, having only a new short-selling reporting service instigated by ASIC and published by the ASX on its website that identifies only the short positions entered during the day of the report.

Everyone involved knows that that needs to turn into a more meaningful overall number, but it hasn't yet happened because there are some data-collection glitches to overcome before that's achievable.

Corporate governance activist Dean Paatsch, who was also on the panel, said the current system was "meaningless".

"The challenge is to make sure there's no time lag between the securities-lending data and the short-selling data appearing in front of investors," he said.

A bigger scale problem surfaced on Friday when asset allocation specialist Watson Wyatt, which works closely with the Future Fund, put out a global warning against stock lending.

Tim Unger, head of strategy at Watson Wyatt Australia, said a situation had now emerged where the downside risks to lenders might be "unacceptable". The big problem is not dropping prices, as you would expect: it's the risk of lenders not getting their stock back, as with library books but on a much bigger scale.

"It is imperative that institutional finds review their lending arrangements to ensure they fully understand the risk involved," said Mr Unger.

The firm identified counterparty risk, collateral and indemnification as the three key areas to watch, a bogyman warning aimed clearly at the institutional fund managers who pay for Watson Wyatt's services.

Speaking to The Australian, Mr Unger explained that "in almost every short-selling situation, collateral is put up by the borrower, either in the form of cash or stock". He said it was important to look closely at the stock being deposited.

Lenders were on the back foot even before Friday's warning.

"There are lots of other reasons to borrow," said Mr Cowan, fighting the unpopular corner.

"Dividend reinvestment plans, hedging options, convertible bond arbitrage and settlement all require stock borrowing," he said.

"The information can also be distorted as a result of on-lending of securities to other borrowers."

Mr Cowan said lenders want to establish "settlement efficiency and market transparency".

Clearly it's a complex issue but the fact that the stock lenders are inside the Government's tent on the law change is a major plus.

What about the short sellers?

Kim Ivey, chairman of the hedge fund body Alternative Investment Association of Australia, AIMA, made it clear that there's less friction out there than appears.

"The reporting framework is the traction point," he said, "but everyone agrees on the principles of the policy."

He said members of AIMA wanted to see short positions reported "no less frequently than every two weeks, the same as everywhere else in the world".

Mr Ivey warned that daily reporting of short positions encouraged "piggyback", or imitative trading, "and it leaves short sellers exposed to pressure from any large investor or groups of investors that wants to force them out".

He took a swipe at the current reporting system, saying that "interim measures designed to only capture daily trade data will give no transparency into the size of the short interest in a listed company, or the rate of change in the short interest.

"Reporting small daily trade data will significantly distort the actual shorting activity in a company's stock, as it fails to disclose position size and its implied impact on the stock's price behaviour," Mr Ivey said.

Clearly we're not quite there. Assuming Murphy's Law operates as usual, there's a good chance our new improved short-selling and disclosure laws will emerge blinking into the daylight just in time for the whole practice to be put out of fashion by the refusal of institutions to lend the necessary stock.

It was ever thus.


Source: theaustralian.news.com.au

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AIMA, as a knowledge organisation

Rekha Sethi,who has recently taken over as Director General, All India Management Association(AIMA), talks to Surbhi Bhatia about her future
plans for the association.

What is your vision for AIMA?

Whenever people refer to premier management institutions, AIMA is not there in terms of profile. I want to take AIMA to that level and want it to be positioned as a knowledge organisation. In order to achieve premier position, we have constituted a taskforce that will create a vision for AIMA. We operate in a number of areas like conducting the MAT exam in the country, offering distance-learning programme, and so on. We are also looking at promoting global links.

Can you elaborate on the global links?

We are tying up with international institutions such as Yale University and INSEAD business school to conduct advance management programmes. We are also looking at the possibility of people from India going to INSEAD for a certificate course. We plan to hold an all-India B- school conference in the coming year to discuss issues related to management education. With Yale University, we are exploring the possibility of conducting a programme for CEOs. Selected CEOs from India will be going to Yale for a certificate course.

Attracting good faculty is the biggest challenge for any institute that wants to provide quality education. What steps have been taken in this regard?

Most institutes are facing a faculty crunch. AIMA runs its own faculty development programme. But in order to impart complete training with the latest technology, we are planning to have a separate campus that will focus on training of teachers and executives.

Are you thinking of introducing changes in the MAT exam?

There are over 400 B-schools that consider the MAT score. In terms of quality of questions asked, MAT is at par with other management exams. We will look at widening the format of MAT so that those who want to go overseas can take it.

What about improving the quality of research ?

There is a change of perception towards research. Many are acknowledging its value. In the coming years, the number of people pursuing a PhD will increase. Our own experience has shown this. AIMA conducts RMAT for PhD students and the number of applications has gone up. AIMA has its own research community and we will be looking at increasing funding for research.


Source: timesofindia.indiatimes.com

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Bad idea jeans

Sports blotter: "You’re looking at some years, son" edition

THE NOT-SO-GREAT HEIST: Charleston Southern University football teammates Tyrone Lattimore, Zachery Hillery, Ronald Jay Baldner, and Samual Baptiste teamed up to rob a couple — and scored $7.50 a piece for their efforts.

Bad idea, Ch. 1
Man, there must have been something in the air last week. A rash of arrests across the sports world, with most of them involving college football players. And not little piddly-widdly, penny-ante, wuss-bunny arrests, either, but serious, man-size, you’re-looking-at-some-years-son felony arrests.

The worst (and stupidest) of these might have taken place in South Carolina, where four men associated with the Charleston Southern University football team were arrested and charged with armed robbery and kidnapping. It is really difficult to describe, with accurate pathos, exactly how tragic and tragically idiotic this crime was.

Topics > Sports • Football • Professional Football • more >>

Here goes: Tyrone Lattimore (the CSU starting running back), Zachery Hillery, Ronald Jay Baldner, and Samual Baptiste are all staring down the barrel of two major felonies, but get this — all they got was 30 bucks!

Apparently two of these men, armed and in masks, approached a young couple in the parking lot. The men told the male victim to get behind the wheel of the car and drive. They drove to an apartment complex, took the $30 or so both victims had, then ran away.

This ingenious crime somehow involved four men, though, which means they got to split the $30 four ways, with each man having almost enough to eat a Steak and Shake dinner. Sounds worth 10 years in prison to me.

A sad commentary on the declining level of criminal sophistication among collegiate athletes. Hell, just a few years ago in the Palmetto State, football players at the University of South Carolina were smart enough to steal whole laptops without a gun. Sixty points apiece for the goofballs.

Bad idea, Ch. 2
A former Ohio state-wrestling champion and current Miami of Ohio football player gets drunk. He’s walking around his dorm feeling frisky. He opens some chick’s door, walks into her room, lies on top of her, puts a pillow over her face. She screams. He is surprised that she is not rolling with the situation, gets up, and flees. She runs after him. He gets popped and then it’s discovered that he walked into someone else’s room the same night.

The arrest of Zachary Marshall would be Cecil “The Diesel” Collins all over again, except the Diesel was sober when he walked into women’s bedrooms. The Diesel’s thing was also watching couples sleep together, not women all by themselves. Either way, this is not a good way to further your athletic career.

Surprisingly, the court was lenient with Marshall, giving him 60 days in jail, four months of house arrest, supervision, community service, and treatment. The judge called it a binge-drinking episode and did not classify it as a sex crime. I’m giving the asshole 51 points.

Bad idea, Ch. 3
Then there was high-school-football star Dakota Woods in Smyrna, Tennessee. Someone looked at his MySpace page and noticed a photo of a 7-year-old holding two handguns. That person called the cops, who came to the Woods house and discovered not only the handguns but three pill containers with nails and gunpowder inside, a miniature bat with screws sticking out of it, and two daggers.

Woods was arrested for reckless endangerment, contributing to the delinquency of a minor, and felony possession of an explosive device. Not sure who the minors were at the house, probably little brothers. This is a kid who needs some new hobbies. Forty-eight points for the weapon/endangerment charges.

Bad idea, Ch. 4
If you’re going to steal someone’s credit card and use it, you should . . . actually, there aren’t too many ways to do that without getting caught. But you certainly shouldn’t do what University of North Texas wideout Forrest Rucker did: admit your crime to the female college student you took it from via multiple text messages, then later admit to police you bought $397.34 worth of fast food, vending-machine purchases, and other crap at the local Golden Triangle Mall.

Two felony counts of credit-card/debit-card abuse, each count carrying a max of two years in jail. Goodbye, Forrest — don’t forget your 32 points.

Bad idea, Ch. 5
Former Jet and current New York Giant Kareem McKenzie got caught cutting through a gas-station parking lot. Cops pulled him over and he blew higher than .08 on the box. If you are drunk, weigh 327 pounds, and play professional football, do not cut through a gas-station parking lot: 25 points for Kareem.


2008 LEADER BOARD
LAWRENCE PHILLIPS (CALIFORNIA DEPARTMENT OF CORRECTIONS AND REHABILITATION) | awe-inspiring maelstrom of self-destructive behavior, stretching across a whole adult life | mathematically inexpressible number
THUNDER COLLINS (EX-NEBRASKA) | murder and mayhem | 100
AMBIORIX BURGOS (METS) | running people over, punching women, share in 2008 Mets bullpen collapse | 99
TONY ZENDEJAS (EX-RAMS) | drugging a woman, then raping her when she was unconscious | 95
CEDRIC EVERSON AND ABE SATTERFIELD (EX-IOWA) | rape of an incapacitated person | 90
JIM LEYRITZ (EX-YANKEES) | DUI manslaughter | 90
BRADY SMITH (EX-BC) | being a drunken slob of a would-be rapist | 89
BRANDAN WRIGHT (EX-BETHUNE-COOKMAN) | running dude over with an Isuzu for owing him $200 | 89
RYDELL WOODS (EX-AKRON) | shooting at cops; getting caught with five guns and ski masks | 88
BRANDON MARSHALL (BRONCOS) | the old repeatedly-hitting-women thing | 80 JEROME MATHIS (TEXANS) | choking pregnant babymama | 75
JEREMY DEMETRIUS HARDEN (COASTAL CAROLINA) | dangling some poor young woman over a balcony | 74
ADAM JONES (COWBOYS) | being a menace to peaceful strip-club patrons everywhere; fighting his own babysitter in a bathroom, giving Roger Goodell a brain cyst | 73
VINCENT ASKEW (EX-MEMPHIS) | sex with minor, adding to "Team Tragedy" mess | 70
JACQUES RICKERSON (FLORIDA) | punching, choking, suffocating female person | 70
FABIAN WASHINGTON (RAIDERS) | red marks on girlfriend's neck | 70
AHMAD BROOKS (BENGALS) | punching chick in front of her kids, the asshole | 60
NICK COSTA (MARYLAND) | thinking it was a good idea to punch a cop in the face | 60
CARL ELLER (EX-VIKINGS) | assault, terrorist threats, being a generally dangerous old geezer, driving a motorcycle with busted plates | 60
JAMES HARRISON (STEELERS) | punching girlfriend to facilitate a baptism | 60
TYRONE LATTIMORE ET AL (CHARLESTON SOUTHERN UNIVERSITY) | committing a kidnapping/armed robbery for $30 | 60
JEREMY ELDER (EX-ALABAMA) | late-night stickup | 55
TRAVIS HENRY (EX-BRONCOS) | coke dealing and possibly worse | 55
CEDRIC WILSON (STEELERS) | punching girlfriend, but not in order to facilitate a baptism | 55
MARK INGRAM (EX-GIANTS) | trying to avoid that whole federal sentencing thing | 51
ZACHARY MARSHALL (MIAMI OF OHIO) | getting drunk and lying on top of unsuspecting woman | 51
NIKOLA DRAGOVIC (UCLA) | pushing "co-habitant" to floor | 50
TEBUCKY JONES (EX-PATRIOTS) | groping chick in casino, punching her boyfriend, biting on too many play-action fakes | 50
MAURICE SIMMONS (USC) | being the wheelman for a Compton armed mugging | 50
MIKE TYSON (BOXER) | murder for hire, possibly? | 50
SHAWNE WILLIAMS (PACERS) | harboring an accused first-degree murderer | 50
JOHN STEPHENS (EX-PATRIOTS) | sex-assault fugitive | 48
DAKOTA WOODS (SMYRNA HS) | giving kids explosive devices | 48
DAVID CORNACCHIA (FLA. EVERBLADES) | mid-flight assault, head-butting bystanders, exposing wine-shrunken wiener | 46
KEITH MCCANTS (EX-ALABAMA) | getting Tasered after hurling pliers and crack pipe at cops | 43
BRANDON PETTIGREW (OKLAHOMA STATE) | elbowing Stillwater's finest | 42
DAMEON MARK-KEITH SMITH (MARSHALL) | two counts of credit-card theft, having too many names | 42
RIAR GEER (COLORADO) | randomly assaulting two students, being an asshole | 40
JOSH JARBOE (OKLAHOMA) | bringing totally unnecessary .380 handgun to track meet | 40
LYNN KATOA (COLORADO) | campus assault | 40
KEITH MCLEOD (EX-PACERS) | being the latest Pacer alum to discharge a firearm in public | 40
JAJUAN SPELLMAN (LOUISVILLE) | being so high that he forgot to take a joint out of his mouth when cops pulled him over | 40
DENNIS RODMAN (EX-BULLS, PISTONS, LAKERS) | it's just sad; no joke necessary | 38
JORGE REYES AND JOHN WALLACE (OREGON) | being dumbasses and shooting .22 rounds into a neighbor's house | 37
MAURICE PEARSON (OHIO UNIVERSITY) | shooting two sorority girls with Airsoft gun | 36
JEFF BURRIS (EX-COLTS) | driving backwards and the wrong way while drunk | 35
CHRIS HENRY (EX-BENGALS) | getting arrested way too many times | 35
LEIGH STEINBERG (AGENT) | provided model for saccharine Tom Cruise movie, public intoxication | 35
LORRENZO WADE (SAN DIEGO STATE) | boosting TV from chick's house | 35
GEORGIA BULLDOGS (the whole school) | generally being drunken, violent retards | 34
MARCUS VICK (EX–DOLPHINS, VATECH) | DUI, disrespecting a bicycle cop, being generally an obnoxious waste of talent | 34
FORREST RUCKER (NORTH TEXAS) | credit-card theft, admitting it via text message | 32
GERALD SMITH (EX–PENN STATE) | being the "G" that sold coke to a narc | 32
MIKE BROWN (VIRGINIA) | boosting stereo equipment from parked car and, like an idiot, trying to sell it on Ebay under his own name | 31
STEFON JACKSON (UTEP) | hindering prosecution; attracting fugitives | 31
SCOTT SPIEZIO (CARDINALS) | flipping a car in the OC, staggering away from the scene, going mental at some random citizen | 31
CHANNING CROWDER (DOLPHINS) | leaving the scene, making good early impression on Bill Parcells | 30
ANTHONY DILORETO (CAL POLY) | not realizing that seven-footers shouldn't rob banks | 30
JORDON DIZON (LIONS) | lying about a DUI before the draft | 30
DANIEL GRAHAM (BRONCOS) | ambiguous domestic-violence beef; hit a bedpost | 30
JASON HORTON (MISSOURI) | beating up "kitchen help" | 30
KENTON KEITH (COLTS) | refusing to leave a parking lot because he's a Colt and doesn't need to listen to anyone | 30
TYRONE NESBY (EX-CLIPPERS) | ginormous child-support debt | 30
DAN ROONEY (STEELERS) | hypocritical defense of girlfriend-punching players, but only the good ones | 30
RICHARD TODD BURGER (EX-JETS) | leg-breaking for Internet gambling site | 28
BRITTON COLQUITT (TENNESSEE) | DUI, hitting a car, hitting tree stump, then walking away from the scene | 28
ONTERRIO SMITH (EX-VIKINGS) | last stop on the Lawrence Phillips Express | 28
RYAN O'BYRNE (CANADIENS) | stealing a chick's purse | 27
SANTONIO HOLMES (STEELERS) | blunts-in-SUV | 25
TY LAWSON (UNC HOOPS) | pulling a pre-draft DUI | 25
KAREEM MCKENZIE (GIANTS) | DUI | 25
LAWYER MILLOY (FALCONS) | garden variety DUI | 25
CALVIN SCHMIDTKE | blowing a promising career before it started | 25
LOFA TATUPU (SEAHAWKS) | your basic DUI | 25
JASMINE PAYNE AND ASHLIE BILLINGSLEA (SOUTH CAROLINA) | weed, theft, more theft | 24
DONALD STRICKLAND (NINERS) | being belligerent and drunk, getting caught by cops on foot, playing for the Colts at one time | 24
DREW LAVENDER (XAVIER) | provoking cops into a body search while carrying weed | 23
CHRIS HERREN (EX-CELTICS) | shooting the horse | 22
XAVIER HICKS (WASHINGTON STATE) | putting rubbing alcohol in roommate's contact-lens case| 22
MALIK ALVIN (BINGHAMTON) | knocking over old lady during while stealing 36-pack of donkey-sized condoms | 21
DEMARCUS GRANGER (OKLAHOMA) | stealing winter coat — in Arizona; refusing to appear | 21
CHARLES PUGH (WVU) | creative use of other peoples' credit cards | 21
JAMAR HORNSBY (FLORIDA) | buying gas with dead girl's credit card | 21
JASON SHIRLEY (BENGALS) | transparently disingenuous failure-to-appear | 20
RANDY NEWSOM (AKRON AEROS) | sold shares in his future earnings in dicey scheme that Ponzi would have admired | 18
GERALD JONES AND AHMAD PAIGE (TENNESSEE) | Cheech and Chong/Up in Smoke impersonation, while in car | 12
SHAUN WHITE (X-TREME SPORTS) | spraying fire extinguisher, acting like the little douchebag he is | 11
KOBY CLEMENS (SALEM AVALANCHE) | parking-lot fracas, being Roger's son | 10
HIDEKI IRABU (YANKEES) | drowning the same in drink and bartender abuse | 10
MATT JONES (JAGUARS) | bumping rails in Fayetteville | 10
MIKHAIL MARINOVICH (SYRACUSE) | breaking into a school equipment room; adding another arrest to the family ledger | 10
BART OATES (EX-GIANTS) AND KEN DANEYKO (EX-DEVILS) | getting themselves tossed in debtor's prison | 10
JASON SMITH (KENTUCKY MAVERICKS) | buying minor league team as cover for check scam | 10
JENNA PLUMLEY (OKLAHOMA) | stealing makeup from a Wal-Mart, which more than anything else is just really sad | 6
KENNY KELLY (U. OF MIAMI) | supernaturally large quantity of weed | 5
CURTIS PULLEY (KENTUCKY) | weed, speeding, leaving UK without a QB | 5
GERALD SENSABAUGH (JAGUARS) | popping wheelies | 5
AHMAD BRADSHAW (GIANTS) | ex-PlayStation thief gets violated | 3
JOHN DALY (GOLFER) | they found his drunk ass outside a Hooters | 3
ED JOHNSON (COLTS) | weed, blowing it | 3
WAKANOHO (SUMO) | possession of microscopically small amount of weed | 2
DERRICK JONES (OREGON) | operating a less-than-one-ounce "drug house" | 1
KEVIN FAULK (PATRIOTS) | contributing to the cancer-like misery of Patriots fans | 0.5
BRYAN GRIER (MAINE) | weighing 344 pounds and power-carjacking in New Hampshire | INCOMPLETE (pending psych review)
JIMMY CLAUSEN (NOTRE DAME) | quelle horreur, drinking in college | -87


Source: thephoenix.com

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Journeys to the Center of Our Worth

The Old Heads' Chronicles, Volume V

PHILADELPHIA -- Regardless of what happened throughout and up to the general election, 2008 will go down in history as The Year We Made Contact with the conscience of this entire ball o’ dirt we call the Earth.

But, as is the pedigree of my country ‘tis of thee, the blatant reminders, desires, troubles and woes, status and quos of little minds and soulless vessels emanating vexing visions of America and their citizens whose skin color remains anathema to those Real Americans…

It is of thee I sing…

It is the day after Thanksgiving, and Philadelphia Eagles quarterback Donovan McNabb has weathered another storm. But this one was created by those closest to him professionally, and the joke about being benched after the convincing 48 - 20 win over the Phoenix Cardinals should sit in his craw as he files it in the memory banks.

The vindictive subtlety of this left – handed compliment was encapsulated succinctly by ex – football player and ESPN analyst Marcellus Wiley, who in the First Take show said (paraphrasing), “Donovan McNabb took out his drivers’ license, saw his picture and remembered who he was.”

As in the player who used his arms and legs to succeed on the field; the same arms and legs that led the Eagles to four consecutive conference finals and a Super Bowl appearance, wrapped around a 78 – 44 – 1 lifetime record.

But the fact he did this with little or no help during his career didn’t matter to the parasite who sought to diminish everything McNabb had done, in spite of his own coach and front office hanging his Black ass out to dry.

The nattering of this garrulous guttersnipe who spoke against McNabb wasn’t offering anything akin to a “devil’s advocate” argument as much as he was opining a spiteful account of how McNabb wasn’t a great quarterback.

Now it’s clear he was only doing what the E-SPINNERS do; but take in account these underhanded, undulating urchins are the same ones who come on themselves when a Matt Cassel runs for 60 yards; but piss out anger in their attempts to devalue Michael Vick running for over 1000 yards in a season (mostly because no one in Atlanta would or could catch the fucking ball).

In perspective, McNabb got a concentrated dose of what every Black male gets a taste of every day. Just when you think the day is going right, the return to the racial reality of America fast - forwards at the speed of thought…

Overland Park, Kansas: A young man went to "Journey's" – a shoe store in a local mall. Keith Slater, 22, bought a pair of shoes and then saw an identical pair at a different store for less. As such, he bought the identical shoes from the cheaper store and took back the original more pricey pair to Journey's.

Later on that night, as he was reviewing the receipt, he noticed that the reason for the return was "Dumb Nigger". When he took the receipt back to the store, they didn't even apologize but did admit that said "reason" was in the system.

Apparently, local newscasters attempted to gather more information. Slater’s parents wanted to know more, but as of this writing, nothing further has been forthcoming from Journey’s.

Well, I figure if Journey’s needs some help locating the source of the trouble to enable their public relations people to respond, we at BASN are willing to lend a helping hand:

The copy of the receipt has a code (TRANS) for transaction #3189; two employee codes (EMPL) that could perhaps identify said employee of #355 and #555; a store code of either #1166 or #1186 (probably for the Oak Park Mall in Overland Park); and the customer (CUST) code of DUMB NIGGER.

Hopefully, this will offer some useful information in Journey’s ability to spin this bullshit into a suitable sound bite, complete with outrage and contrition!

I will admit, up to this point, I have never heard of a Journey’s shoe store; but wherever these stores happen to be, I sincerely hope Black Friday didn’t tempt you to spend your green money in any of their stores.

Never mind the lack of an apology; lack of cash sales will humble their bottom line more expeditiously than false words and pained smiles.

Point blank – boycott their ass. Don’t shop at “Journey’s” – journey elsewhere.

New York City: New York Knickerbockers guard Stephon Marbury continues to ride the pine in his $22 million stare down with Knick management.

While fans are roasting Marbury because he won’t, can’t or refuses to play (pick based on what side you’re on) the real issue nobody wants to bring up is the fact the Anucha Brown Sanders lawsuit revealed in court accounts how a young White girl working in the office had consensual sex with Marbury.

Ultimately, she received a little embarrassment – and a big promotion; while Marbury, who head coach Mike D’Antoni admitted was one of his better players, got a big salary – and a little demotion.

But the huge effort to push this agenda from simmer to boil would not be done if this were a white player we were talking about. Which takes this thought stream to

Jacksonville, Florida: and a White player we have been talking about – Jaguars’ wide receiver Matt “White Lines” Jones. Our little melanin – deprived friend has essentially thumbed his nose at the “justice” system within the National Football League and Sheriff Roger Goodell.

Appealing a supposed three game suspension for being allegedly being caught with cocaine, Jones plays on while key players on other teams (specifically the New Orleans Saints and Minnesota Vikings) will likely receive four game suspensions at critical times for use of a weight – loss diuretic on the League’s list of banned substances.

That Jones, who, if allegations are correct, knowingly used an illegal substance and did no jail time and received no fine or level of punishment may say more about the underachieving of the Jaguars than anything done on the field.

Let’s not fool ourselves here; you’ve got Black men on a roster -- some of them, born and raised in the South and acutely aware of the nuances and favors afforded athletes – if all is positive.

But when one among them struts around in the locker room cloaked in his robe of invincibility, arrogantly proclaiming without word spoken how he is untouchable and above the law when those Black men that are his teammates know if any of them were in a similar situation, their Black asses would be subject to untold scrutiny and character assassination, you cannot expect a sense of compatible team chemistry to translate onto the playing field.

No matter how you shake this out, it is difficult for me to believe Jones can look his teammates in the eye and give the impression everything is all right; because they know this man by his actions devalues every one of his Black teammates and coaches.

And they are again reminded you can’t have any bad days, or slip – ups or get caught with a credit card full of cocaine ready to be lined and dined upon (sniff, sniff).

San Diego, California: When you do your job well enough that it augments others success, that’s teamwork. When you do your job well in spite of incompetence among those in higher positions of authority, it’s commendable.

But when the incompetence above purges the competence below, that’s deplorable. Such an instance occurred with the firing of defensive coordinator Ted Cottrell by the San Diego Chargers.

Last season under Cottrell, the Chargers led the league in interceptions, passing defense and takeaways – for the first time in their 48-year history. But the injury to linebacker Shawne Merriman and the incompetence of head coach Norv Turner – one of the most overrated “talents” in the League -- have flipped the script for Cottrell, who in over 20 years as a position coach and coordinator, has coached several of the League’s highly ranked defenses.

The underachieving Chargers, who in spite of their current 4-7 record, have been snake bitten by blown calls and poor coaching decisions; but the downward spiral in San Diego began a couple seasons ago with owner Alex Spanos, general manager A.J. Smith and former head coach Marty Schottenheimer.

The personality clashes among the three of them prompted firing Schottenheimer, who had coached the Chargers to a 13 -3 regular season record.

Accepting Turner as head coach may have made Spanos and Smith feel good, but not Cottrell, who was sacrificed as scapegoat for San Diego’s present failure.

Always touted as a “potential” head coach but never given the opportunity, Cottrell’s skin color and now his age have worked against him. While the NFL has progressed in hiring Black head coaches, men like Cottrell, Jimmy Raye, and other older very qualified Black men continue to be passed over or cut out altogether of the greatest reward for their talent.

As these journeys for sanity and semblance of self manifest themselves in the games people play, let us keep in mind even those who see the glass as half full have enough sense to not drink out of said glass when someone has spit in it.

Oh, and by the way -- don’t shop at Journey’s.

NOTE: For more on Journey's, Link to Video News Story: http://www.kmbc. com/video/ 17768384/ index.html




Source: blackathlete.net

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Punch Drunk Hangover 12.01.08: A December to Remember

Read ahead for Bren Oliver's thoughts on Faber vs. Pulver II, Sokoudjou and Gurgel getting axed by the UFC, World Victory Road signing Antonio Silva, UFC 91 buyrates, and the plethora of MMA action slated for December. Those things and more, plus this week's "Monday Morning Moment of Zen" featuring a triple-dose of some good ol' fashioned Arianny Celeste, are all just a click away!


Good morning, afternoon, evening, or whatever in-between time your eyes have found their way to the Punch Drunk Hangover! As is the case most Mondays, I'm here with another one-stop shop for catching up on Mixed Martial Arts news, hoping as always to help you escape from the doldroms of an average Monday like a good grab to the nether regions, waking you up and making your day that much more exciting! Have no fear...the technique is Bas Rutten approved!!!


The turkey has been digested, the Detroit Lions are winless, terrorists are still spineless jackasses, and, leaving another memorable Thanksgiving break in the rear-view mirror, December 208 has officially arrived. Hard to believe it was barely over a year ago that Sammy Vasquez died from a blood clot in his brain hours after competing at a MMA event. The passing was labeled as being the first in recorded history resulting from a regulated Mixed Martial Arts bout. A year later it seems the loss hasn't had any significant effect on the sport, and, no disrespect to Vasquez 's memory or those who loved him, I don't think that's a bad thing. His death was unfortunate but nothing MMA should have been penalized for by the government, media, or mainstream public. There is no hiding from the basic understanding men and women who compete in Mixed Martial Arts are risking their longterm health, even death, in doing so. The same is true for professional skydivers, football players, boxers, wrestlers, stuntmen, crab-fishermen, firefighters, law enforcement, and any other line of work involving the daily possibility of bodily harm. But, it is their choice to live life that way, as it was Vasquez's choice to be a professional Mixed Martial Artist, and their decisions should be honored as long as no foul-play is involved. I am under no illusion that as MMA grows in popularity so does the risk of another fighter passing away from injuries sustained in a regulated bout. However, if/when it occurs, I hope people take the same time to objectively look at the circumstances surrounding the death, as it appears they did a year removed from the case of Vasquez, and hold off on passing judgement on the sport as a whole due to an isolated tragic result. Now, if someone gets beheaded Mortal-Kombat-style, it could be another story entirely...

I apologize for the lame joke made in a feeble attempt to change subject matter, but I also want to focus on another, less-morose topic meant to brighten the day, curl your lips in an upwards manner, and get you thinking about the next thirty-one days! As I stated in the opening of this week's PDH, Thanksgiving is history and hopefully you're now hungry enough to "gobble" up some MMA-goodness. This is a great month for fans of the sport - even you Zuffie Zombies who are oblivious to anything outside the realm of the Octagon - and I wanted to take a few minutes to preview upcoming events in December that caught my eye.

WEC 37 (12/3):

This might surprise some fans, but there's actually a live WEC event this Wednesday (December 3rd) coming to you live on Versus. I've been surprised at the lacking promotion for the card but it's possible advertising for the show got lost in the shuffle of UFC 91 and Thanksgiving, plus there aren't an overwhelming number of names in the lineup that carry mainstream appeal. However, just because you don't recognize the fighters slated to compete doesn't mean you shouldn't check out the event, as I have a feeling it's going to be technically sound and very entertaining. WEC Bantamweight Champion Miguel Torres, who is always a site to see, defends his title against undefeated Manny Tapia. Torres is one of the best pound-for-pound fighters out there and he's always worth watching. Overall the card features a number of lighter Mixed Martial Artists worth keeping an eye on, including Wagney Fabiano, Urijah Faber's prodigy Joseph Benavidez, veteran Bart Palaszewski, and what promises to be an exciting clash between Brian Bowles and Will Ribeiro which will likely determine the next contender to the WEC Bantamweight strap.


Maximum Fighting Championship 19 (12/5):

MFC is a Canadian promotion that I've caught a few times on HDNet and enjoyed at least as much as any smaller MMA show. They've brought up some solid talent over the years, including Jason MacDonald, and also do a nice job including recognizable MMA veterans on their cards. MFC 19 is no different in that regard, as Xtreme Couture's John Alessio will be fighting hard-hitting Brit Paul Daley, while the night will also feature a Light Heavyweight title-bout and the debut of MMA vet Derrick Noble at 155-pounds.


K-1 World Grand Prix (12/6):

Admittedly, I'm not overly familar with kickboxing, but even the most novice of fans is aware that K-1 is where the cream of the crop competes. For the first time ever, HDNet is broadcasting K-1's World Grand Prix next weekend and in High-Definition no less! I suspect the fight between Peter Aerts and Badr Hadi to be an absolute war between two of the best kickboxers in the sport. Jerome LeBanner is also on the card, plus two undercard "reserve" bouts involving the Korean giant, Hong Man Choi, matching up against K-1 legend Ray Sefo, and the always-violent Melvin Manhoef taking out his aggression on some poor chap who isn't able to use jiujitsu against the powerful Dutchman. I can say with certainty that the K-1 World Grand Prix 2008 will officially be the first kickboxing event I watch from start to finish.


UFC Fight for the Troops (12/10):

While some fans might feel the undercard leaves something to be desired, it can't be said that the UFC isn't still offering a helluva good show for free when they have two other events planned in the same month (one of which is only a few days later). The main event between Josh Koscheck and Yoshiyuki Yoshida should be excellent, as you might expect to be the case most of the time when two "Top 10" fighters lock horns inside a ring. Their bout should be heavy on grappling based on Koscheck's wrestling background and Yoshida's success in judo. I think both men have very comparable submission-grappling skills, so I can see the fight going all three rounds, but if Koscheck is able to keep things standing I like his chances in terms of finishing Yoshida. However, it will be interesting to see if "Kos" is experiencing any lingering effects from his recent loss to Thiago Alves, because Yoshida is absolutely skilled enough to take advantage of any holes he sees.

I think Koscheck's teammate at American Kickboxing Academy, Mike Swick, will have a much easier path to success given his opponent's standing among Welterweights. It's not that Jonathan Goulet isn't a decent fighter, because he's certainly a fighter who possesses a great deal of experience and a well-rounded set of abilities, but he's simply not at Swick's skill-level and it should be quite evident come time for the two to fight on the 10th. I'm much more excited about the Lightweight affair between Frank Edgar and Matt Wiman, who I think is an underrated 155-pounder, because I think their styles match up well and I see it as being a far more competitive bout than Swick vs. Goulet.

Also, rewinding back a bit to criticism of the undercard, I actually don't think the lineup is too horrible given the event's nature. WEC Light Heavyweight Champion Steve Cantwell, who will no doubt have some naysayers in the troop-heavy crowd based on his destruction of US Marine Brian Stann to obtain the title, makes his Octagon debut, UFC veterans Justin McCully and Eddie Sanchez mix it up, as do Brodie Farber and Luigi Fioarvanti, and a number of Ultimate Fighter alums are also in action (Tim Credeur, Ben Saunders, and Corey Hill). All in all, I think fans are looking at a very decent group of competitors who are all throwing down for an extremely worthwhile cause.


Ultimate Fighter 8 Finale (12/13):

Followers of TUF 8 have to wait for two more episodes of the series to unfold before knowing the coheadlining fights at the Season 8 Finale, but the pair of bouts announced thus far both have a lot of promise and feature Mixed Martial Artists plenty of UFC fans will recognize (Kevin Burns vs. Anthony Johnson, Wilson Gouveia vs. Jason MacDonald). That being said, I'm a bit surprised the UFC hasn't announced any of the undercard yet since it's clear a number of the cast members from TUF 8 aren't going to be involved in the season's divisional finals. Is it really too early to let fans know about match-ups involving Tom Lawlor, John Polakowski, Dave Kaplan, Kyle Kingsbury, or one of the other memorable personalities from the current season?

Also, for what it's worth..and that ain't much...my prediction on the other four "televised card" players are Maghales/Bader and Nover/Browning. If that's the case, I see Bader and Nover winning their respective weightclasses' TUF Championships based on overall ability instead of reliance on one particular area of fighting (jiujitsu for Vinny and stand-up for Junie).


Mixed Fighting Alliance (12/13):

I'm sure most of you are wondering what could possibly be interesting about a promotion you've likely never heard of or seen before. December 13th, 2008 marks former WWE superstar Bobby Lashley's Mixed Martial Arts debut. He is scheduled to face Joshua Franklin at the above-listed MFA eevnt. I'm interested to see how seriously Lashley has been taking his training and whether or not he has legitimate potential as a professional fighter. To be honest, because my expectations are so low, it won't be very difficult for Lashley to exceed them. In addition, the Mixed Fighting Alliance also features a Heavyweight fight between former UFC title-holder/current Vegas-buffet champion Ricco Rodriguez and one-time UFC Heavyweight contender Jeff Monson. Those two bouts alone are worth the price of admission if you live in the Miami area. I'll definitely be checking the broadcast out if HDNet happens to air the event or, if nothing else, looking for a recap of the show as soon as it concludes to see how things went down.


UFC 92 (12/27):

UFC's year-end event certainly doesn't need my endorsement to catch the public's attention, as I think I'd be as likely to find a MMA fan who wasn't interested in UFC 92 as I would be to procure video tape of Lee Murray cold-cocking Tito Ortiz in a London alley. "The Ultimate" has three match-ups worthy of headlining status - Forrest Griffin vs. Rashad Evans (LHW Championship), Frank Mir vs. "Minotauro" Nogueira (Heavyweight Championship), and Quinton "Rampage" Jackson vs. Wanderlei Silva (which will likely determine who will face the winner of Griffin/Evans). While "Rampage" and Silva are both fighters I would consider among my personal favorites, I'm actually not a big fan of the UFC's decision to have the former PRIDE stars fight each other for a third time in their careers. For the one person reading this column who doesn't already know this, Wanderlei Silva knocked Jackson both times they previously entered the ring against each other and did so in ways that made Quinton's fans cringe. With the UFC's Light Heavyweight division being so deep, and starring so many fighters who neither man have ever faced, I don't see the reasoning behind Dana White and Joe Silva trying to re-live the glory days of PRIDE. I'm also a little concerned with Jackson's mental state, especially in the wake of a potential third loss to "The Axe Murderer".

However, as wary as I am of Jackson vs. Silva, I'm quite giddy over the two championship fights at UFC 92! Yes, those are in fact my nipples poking through my T-Shirt, and yes...I've just given you too much personal information. I wasn't particularly interested in Nogueira vs. Mir when the Heavyweights were signed to compete, but must admit I'm far more interested in seeing the title-bout now that I've had a chance to learn more about the two while watching the Ultimate Fighter. In regards to selling the December 27th showdown between the two I would say TUF 8 has definitely done its job and is a success on that front. Mir appears to be cocky and condescending in nature, almost like the bully in an 80s movie about high school, while Nogueira's smile is contagious and his personality is likeable in general, as is the notion he's invested himself so wholly in seeing his students succeed. I find the season to be similar to TUF 3 where Tito Ortiz's stock grew immensely while Ken Shamrock came off as more of a tool than ever before.

Forrest Griffin's first defense of his Light Heavyweight championship should be fun to watch and Evans makes for a great opponent because he makes it difficult to pick a clear winner going into the fight. It's impossible to doubt Griffin after wins over "Rampage" Jackson and "Shogun" Rua, but it's equally difficult to say he'll win for sure after "Sugar" Shad rendered Chuck Liddell into a puddle on the canvas - plus Evans has the ever-dreaded pre-fight nipple-twist at his disposal!

Even beyond the triple-threat of main events, the undercard of UFC 92 looks good and should highlight some solid talent like CB Dolloway, Yushin Okami, Ryo Chonan, and Matt Hamill. I'm also looking forward to the Heavyweight clash between Cheick Kongo and a debuting Mustapha Al Turk. Al Turk has won seven of his last eight fights and should add nice depth to a division sorely needing help depending on how well he performs against future-contender Kongo.


K-1 Dynamite 2008 (12/31):

Arriving at the last semi-significant MMA event of 2008, we come to New Year's Eve and FEG's traditional end-of-year extravaganza. In standard fashion a number of the actual bouts on the card have yet to be announced, though the pair of fights already being advertised are quite excellent. Joachim Hansen vs. JZ Calvancante matches up two "Top 10" Lightweights who aren't afraid to strike but are as equally comfortable on the ground. Sakuraba vs. Tamura also has the makings of on a epic encounter. While both men have passed their primes, they're each icons in Japan with personal history and who the MMA community have been wanting to see in the ring together for a number of years. I'm also interested in seeing the two kickboxing bouts K-1 has set up featuring a couple of men fans are used to seeing in five-ounce gloves (DREAM Middleweight Grand Prix Champion Gegard Mousasi and T-Blood general Tatsuya Kawajiri). Throw in Mirko Filipovic vs. Sergei Kharitonov, which has been rumored as a possibility, along with Bas Rutten on commentary, Lenne Hardt announcing entrances as only she can, and the techno-circus production FEG is known for, and you've got yourself a great send off to 2008...

...well, more like a "Welcome to 2009" since there's a good chance most people will record the event and watch it at a more suitable hour on January 1st.


There's my three cents on all the great shows fans can look forward to over the waning hours of 2008 - now time to give my spin on a handful of other subjects gracing the headlines this past week. I'd love to hear your thoughts on things, so feel free to shoot me an email or leave a comment at the bottom of the page.


The following medley of items were reported between November 24th, 2008 and November 30th, 2008:


MMAWeekly.com is reporting that former WEC Featherweight Champion Urijah Faber will rematch Jens Pulver at WEC 38 on January 25. The two fought last June and Faber ended up winning via unanimous-decision after five hard fought rounds. Both fighters are coming off of TKO losses at WEC 36. Faber dropped his title to Mike Brown while Pulver lost to Leonard Garcia.


I'm going out on a limb here to say this will be Jens Pulver's last fight in the WEC, perhaps in Mixed Martial Arts. I can see no reason for "Little Evil" to fight Urijah Faber other than cashing in on the lone marketable fight left on his horizon. Had Pulver beaten Leonard Garcia I would feel differently, but the fact is that Jens has lost four of his last five fights, he's pushing 35, and his skills appear to be regressing rather than improving. The result of the bout against Faber means little in the WEC Featherweight title-picture. A win for Pulver would be a nice feather in his cap, and certainly make for a "John Elway" moment if he decided to call it a career, but it definitely wouldn't push Jens into a championship match against Mike Brown based on his recent career failings. On the flipside, Urijah doesn't need to beat Pulver to claim top contendership based on his previous success in the cage and another win over the former UFC Lightweight Champion would do little for him in terms of improving his stock. If Faber doesn't receive an immediate rematch against Brown, as appears to be the case given news he'll fight at WEC 38, then the only logical opponent for him is Leonard Garcia based on the Hispanic fighter's knockout of Pulver at WEC 36 and his current standing amongst WEC 145-pounders. Urijah has absolutely nothing to gain by fighting the Miletich product a second time.

I'm not saying the rematch will disappoint fans in terms of entertainment value, as I expect another exciting battle between Faber and Pulver. However, just because it gets your blood pumping doesn't mean the bout makes sense from the standpoint of what's best for the WEC's Featherweight division.


According to Sherdog.com, the UFC will be heading to Germany for the first time for UFC 99 on June 13 at the Lanxess Arena in Cologne. The UFC is interested in a Randy Couture vs. Chuck Liddell 4 main event for the card. However, Couture has mentioned that he is personally interested in a possible fight with UFC Light Heavyweight Champion Forrest Griffin.


Before dissecting this news piece, I think we should all reflect on the hallowed words of UFC President Dana White - "Ich bin ein motherfu*king Berliner!" It's great news that interest in the UFC, and Mixed Martial Arts in general, in Germany has become substantial enough to sustain a PPV event. I'm not surprised by the UFC's continued global expansion and it's smart of them to explore other avenues of income with the American economy being what it is. As far as the possibility of Randy Couture facing Chuck Liddell for a fourth time, I'd rather strap a pair of lederhosen on and swim across the Rhine while being pelted with wienerschnitzel. I see nothing positive coming from "Part IV" and in a way I think it dishonors their epic trilogy from a few years back. Based on the circumstances, I actually suspect George Lucas may have taken a job in Zuffa headquarters as an advisor to the braintrust.

To further elaborate on my issues with the bout, I think I've been consistent in expressing my feeling that top fights should be involved in match-ups that have more at stake than a win/loss. Randy Couture and Chuck Liddell, while not necessarily top contenders to any promotional championship, are still among the upper-tier of competitors in Mixed Martial Arts from both skill and marketability perspectives. They need to be scheduled to fight other athletes who are not only as talented but also make for fresh, exciting opponents. It's that sort of booking keeping fans' interest and also works toward building up new superstars. What do we have to gain from the fourth incarnation of Couture vs. Liddell? The magic isn't there anymore, as it was when both were at the pinnacle of the UFC, and a win for either would do little to improve his standing amongst his peers.

Couture and Liddell have limited fights left in them. Why use that time up rehashing something tired and unnecessary? Why not instead have "The Natural" fight the loser of Nogueira/Mir or a Light Heavyweight he's never faced before like Quinton Jackson, Thiago Silva, Lyoto Machida, Dan Henderson, Rich Franklin, "Shogun" Rua, or Wanderlei Silva? Forrest Griffin would only be an option if he loses to Rashad Evans, as Couture shouldn't leapfrog any deserving 205-pound fighters without proving himself again in the division, but even that storyline has more appeal to me than the UFC forcing a once-great pairing on fans simply because they can. Likewise, I would rather see Chuck Liddell in the Octagon against a LHW he's yet to throw down with, like the aforementioned Rua, Franklin, Henderson, and Machida, than step into the eight-sided ring a fourth time against Randy Couture. And, of course, there's always Anderson Silva to consider for either Couture or Liddell. There are simply too many available options to book an event as big as UFC 99 so lazily. Chuck and Randy deserve better. The fans in Germany deserve better - we all do.


411mania.com has learned that the UFC has released Lightweight fighter Jorge Gurgel. However, Gurgel's free agency didn't last long. Within minutes of being released by the UFC, Gurgel signed a multi-fight deal with the Strikeforce organization. Gurgel is coming off a tough unanimous decision loss against Aaron Riley at UFC 91 which won "Fight of the Night" honors.


The UFC lost nothing by letting Gurgel go, though I'm sure Rich Franklin would disagree with me on that point given his friendship with his long time training partner. Gurgel's talent cannot be denied. However, his problem in the ring tends to be a mental one, as he fails to utilize the things he's best at and instead ends up losing a number of fights he could have walked away victorious from. Strikeforce is as a good of a landing pad as any Mixed Martial Artist could hope for after being let go by the UFC. Their Lightweight Division is very competitive, featuring athletes like Duane Ludwig, Josh Thomson, Gilbert Melendez, Mitsuhiro Ishida, and Yves Edwards, and Strikeforce has proven itself to be a MMA promotion with staying power and the promise of potential to keep growing. WEC would have also been a nice spot for Gurgel, as he could have likely earned a title-shot within a few fights given their 155-pound scene, but he may have gotten a better offer from Scott Coker's group in San Jose or simply wanted to part ways with Zuffa. Either way, look for him to compete within the next few months, as I'm sure the Brazilian by way of Cincinatti is eager to prove himself to fans and get his feet wet in Strikeforce.


FiveOuncesOfPain.com is reporting that the UFC has released Light Heavyweight Rameau Thierry Sokoudjou from his UFC contract following his loss to Luiz "Banha" Cane at UFC 89. Sokoudjou exploded onto the MMA scene in 2007 with huge upset wins over Antonio Rogerio Nogueira and Ricardo Arona in PRIDE. However, he went just 1-2 in the UFC with a win over Kazuhiro Nakamura at UFC 84 and losses to Cane and Lyoto Machida.


I assume this move was financially motivated since 1-2 is not typically a ticket out of the UFC unless the losses come at the hands of second-rate competitors (which does not apply to Cane or Machida). Sokoudjou came into the UFC with a deal paying him $40,000 to show plus an additional forty-thousand dollars per win. At the time of his signing, Sokoudjou was coming off two huge knockout wins in PRIDE (Nogueira/Arona) and was viewed as likely being the next 205-pound superstar in MMA based on a number of things - those dual in-ring accomplishments, his background in judo, his association with Team Quest, and other various physical factors like age and appearance. However, he failed to live up to the potential so many, including the UFC, saw in him, and I think that's ultimately what led to the organization feeling he was no longer worth the money he was being paid. Sokoudjou didn't lose his job with the UFC because he lost to Cane/Machida, but rather because of the way he dropped both fights. He was tentative to engage, outclassed at every turn, and appeared to have questionable conditioning in both bouts. If there's one thing Dana White doesn't tolerate, other than cross-promoting and allowing fighters to maintain control of their likenesses, it's Mixed Martial Artists who don't go 100% in the Octagon and at least attempt to put on an exciting show. Whether due to nerves or being thrown to the wolves too early in his career, the Judoka was never able to perform up to what the perception of his abilities were, and now he's a free agent because of it.

In the meantime, at least on the American side, I can see him signing with either Strikeforce or Affliction, as both promotions can use his reputation to build nice fights within their organizations. In fact, I think Renato "Babalu" Sobral taking on Sokoudjou would make for a very appealing match-up. I could also see Sokoudjou signing in Japan since he already has history with DREAM's parent group (FEG) and World Victory Road always seems open to snatching up available talent. No matter where he goes, Sokoudjou should be fine, and I think being able to further-develop his skills outside of the UFC will actually be a positive where his career longevity is concerned. I honestly don't believe UFC 89 is the last time fans will see Rameau in the Octagon. He just needs time to grow as a fighter before swimming in the UFC's 205-pound sharkpool.


World Victory Road has confirmed that former EliteXC Heavyweight Champion Antonio Silva will fight Yoshihiro Nakao at the company's next Sengoku show scheduled for January 4 in Saitama, Japan. Silva last competed in July and defeated Justin Eilers for the EliteXC Heavyweight Title. He then tested positive for Boldenone and was suspended by the CSAC for one year. Japanese-based organizations don't typically recognize U.S. suspensions, but Silva could face repercussions in the United States if he does compete in Japan while suspended. His opponent, Nakao, is 7-1 as a pro and defeated Jim York via second-round KO. Nakao may be best known as the guy who kissed Heath Herring during a pre-fight staredown back in 2005.


World Victory Road and Antonio Silva - truly, a match made in heaven. I've never been afraid to voice my lack of respect for the way WVR handles business. A prime example of the Japanese company's subscription to the way of "Bullshitto" is posterboy Takanori Gomi being spoon-fed opponents, then still receiving a shot at the WVR Lightweight Championship after dropping a bout to a relative nobody. The notion they would sign an athlete suspended for steroid use is an embarassment to the growth of MMA in the mainstream and a slap in the face of fans who want to seen clean competition. Granted, the lack of testing in Japan and abuse of performance enhancing drugs by Mixed Martial Artists who compete there is no secret, but at least fans have always been able to hold out hope that perhaps things were getting better as MMA continued to become more globally recognized. Fans built a mental blockade around Japanese MMA to obscure what many felt in their hearts to be true - that steroids were still openly acceptable there - and Antonio Silva's signing by World Victory Road just washed it away like a wave ripping through the walls of a sandcastle. There can be no doubt that, at least where WVR is concerned, performance enhancing drugs are as welcome as dramatic, overproduced entrances.

I also hope this means Antonio Silva is done fighting in the United States for a lengthy period of time of no less than two years. Athletic Commissions tend to frown on athletes competing while suspended for drug use and I guarantee most will remember it when "Bigfoot" tries to sign with Strikeforce, the UFC, or any other promotion based primarily in the USA. I would have a lot more compassion and respect for Silva if he owned up to his punishment like a man instead of using a loophole to continue fighting elsewhere. Instead, he's blasting a proverbial stream of urine on American Mixed Martial Arts and the growth of the sport in general, so I'm inclined to drop trow and fire back. It's a shame too, because Antonio has a lot of potential based on his size, strength, and technique, but he'll never maximize it as long as his enormous head is screwed on so wrong.


MMAWeekly.com is reporting that the PPV buyrates for UFC 91 "Couture vs. Lesnar" will reach over 800,000 orders and the show stands to take in a minimum of $35,960,000 in revenue. The final tally will not be available for months but the number is expected to be even higher, yet it is doubtful the company will reach the 1.2 million goal predicted by UFC President Dana White. UFC 91 is one of the most profitable events in the history of the UFC.


As if his win over Randy Couture wasn't evidence enough, is there any lingering doubt the UFC was extremely wise to sign Brock Lesnar to such a large deal? He has clearly provided more of a return on their investment, both in the cage and outside of it, than could have ever been hoped for (especially after losing his first fight in the Octagon). I think most people expected UFC 91 to score in the 800,000-1,000,000 buy range, so the figure doesn't shock me, but it's still impressive to see the sort of revenue the event actually generated. Thirty-six million dollars is obviously nothing to dismiss. It's a clear indicator of Lesnar's ability to create mainstream interest along with MMA fans continued love of Randy Couture. It also shows the general public can be sold on a main event based on hype, storyline, and starpower; that people are not necessarily as focused on fighters' reputations as they are on seeing an entertaining fight between identifiable characters. For example, fans of professional wrestling would argue that Hulk Hogan is horrible in the ring while praising an indie-circuit performer as the best ever, yet one point could not be disputed - Hulk Hogan is the most popular professional wrestler of all time. Mike Tyson was a draw in boxing long after his skills had left him because of his unique personality and demeanor in the ring. And, as is proving to be the case in Mixed Martial Arts, an individual who has as little professional experience as Brock Lesnar is still arguably the biggest draw in the UFC while someone like Lyoto Machida could walk down the street and never get noticed by passers-by.


According to FiveOuncesOfPain.com, the much-anticipated rematch between Alistair Overeem and Mirko "Cro Cop" Filipovic will not go down at K-1 Dynamite's!! New Year's Eve show as originally planned. FEG Executive Sadaharu Tanigawa recently announced during a press conference that the fight won't happen on New Year's Eve but is still expected to go down at some point in 2009. However, Cro Cop is still expected to fight on the card. His opponent may end up being PRIDE veteran Sergei Kharitonov.


It would have been nice of FEG to provide a full explanation as to why the bout was cancelled. Overeem clearly had something to do with the decision, as Filipovic is still expected to fight on the card while there's no mention of the Dutch "Demolition Man". Is he injured? Is there a contractual hold-up? We'll never know until Overeem speaks on the matter or Tanigawa offers more details. However, confusion aside, no tears have been shed on my part resulting from news of the rematch being off. When the two first locked up earlier this year I felt Alistair did enough to prove he was the better Mixed Martial Artist and would have won decisively had he avoided launching Mirko's testicles into orbit. Filipovic is a shell of the head-kicking dynamo he once was in PRIDE, something I largely credit to injuries he's sustained and what I suspect is some damage to his emotional state after struggling in the UFC. Perhaps the most necessary discipline when it comes to success in the ring is not one related to a background in wrestling, jiujitsu, or kickboxing, but instead mental discipline. If Filipovic has started doubting his abilities then he's essentially already lost before walking up the stairs and into the squared-circle.


The following soundbyte was delivered over the past week...


Nate Marquardt talks to Sherdog about two possible future opponents - Michael Bisping and Demian Maia...

"Both of them are good fighters. Bisping can go and go, and Maia is good on the ground. But neither one of them has fought anyone who is as good as me or at the same level of fighter that I am. It would be a huge jump in class for them to fight me, and I think I could finish either one of them off in round one or two."


It appears as though Marquardt, who occasionally sports a Hobbit-esque haircut, may have been dipping into the Longbottom Leaf prior to sitting down with Sherdog. Maia may not have competed against anyone in MMA with Marquardt's resume, but the Brazilian has only fought in nine professional bouts while Nate can boast four times as many in-ring appearances. Beyond that, to label Maia as merely "good on the ground" is akin to saying Gina Carano is a "mildly attractive female Mixed Martial Artist". Demian's BJJ is as good as it gets and I'm positive he could twist Marquardt into a pretzel if a fight between the two ever hit the mat. As far as Michael Bisping, he took current #1 Light Heavyweight Contender Rashad Evans to a split decision. Is Marquardt implying his teammate at Jackson Submission Fighting in New Mexico, who happens to be coming off a brutal knockout of Chuck Liddell, isn't as "good" as him? The implication is certainly there in quotation this commentary is based on.

Also, please don't get it twisted. I would absolutely rank Nate Marquardt above Bisping or Maia if you asked me to compile a list of the "Top 10" Middleweights in MMA. He has done far more than either of them and competed against, even beaten, a number of top fighters. However, to say neither "The Count" or Maia wouldn't last five minutes against him is asinine. They have both proven themselves to be extremely competent fighters and implying anything different is ignorant. I personally think Marquardt's words may have been deriven from jealousy over Bisping's popularity and rumors of Demian possibly being selected as a coach for the ninth season of the Ultimate Fighter. Lending weight to that assertion is the fact Nate brought up TUF in the same interview I took this quote from and pitched himself as far as why he would make a good coach.



Source: 411mania.com

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Snap Judgments from Week 13

Plaxico Burress has only pulled down 35 catches for 454 yards this season -- just months after signing a lucrative extension.

GREEN BAY, Wis. -- Musings, observations and the occasional insight as the snow starts to really fly at a Lambeau Field left morose by the Packers' late-game fold job against Steve Smith and the playoff-bound Carolina Panthers ...

• Call it the tipping point, or the reaching of critical mass, but the feeling you get is that the Giants are nearing the "enough is enough" stage with Plaxico Burress. The self-inflicted gunshot wound that Burress suffered Friday night is only the latest example of New York's No. 1 receiver doing himself and -- by extension -- the organization harm. Burress has simply become more trouble than he's worth for a team that has almost everyone else pulling in the same productive direction.

And here's a newsflash: The Giants don't even need him. Not desperately, at least. Not enough to warrant all the rest that now goes with being the Keeper of the Plax. Not with Domenik Hixon emerging as a receiving threat. Not with young talents like (the other) Steve Smith, Sinorice Moss and Mario Manningham waiting in the wings. Not with the ageless Amani Toomer still capable of getting it done. Not with quarterback Eli Manning playing at the top of his game and spreading the ball around like a true socialist.

The Giants gave Burress the rich, five-year, $35 million contract extension he craved in Week 1, and what have they gotten to show for it so far? Nothing but headaches, and more headaches. Not to mention fines, benchings, suspensions and now a shooting. New York has been patient with its talented but self-absorbed receiver. But at some point, Plax Being Plax stops being an excuse and becomes the definition of the problem itself.

Remember, Giants, you jelled perfectly and came together as a team to win a Super Bowl last year once another problematic pass-catcher -- Jeremy Shockey -- was out of the picture. Let that be the lesson that carries the day in 2008, too. New York should tell Burress: "Don't go away mad, just go away.''

• Ugly as it was -- and it was hideous from an offensive standpoint -- that was a huge 10-6 win at Cleveland for the Colts (8-4), who won their fifth straight and maintained their hold on the AFC's top wild-card spot, ahead of Baltimore, also 8-4.

The Colts had to win with defense, and they did, getting the game's only touchdown on a 37-yard fumble recovery for a touchdown by defensive end Robert Mathis. Indy produced just 215 yards of offense, and Peyton Manning had a dismal day with two interceptions and a fumble lost. But no matter, the Colts' defense limited the Browns to just 193 yards and a pair of first-half Phil Dawson field goals.

The chorus is getting louder by the week: Indy, having survived its early season brush with mediocrity, is a very dangerous team as the regular season's final month arrives.

• Just wondering, Michael Turner or LaDainian Tomlinson? After that Falcons' butt-kicking of the Chargers on Sunday, whom would San Diego choose as its No. 1 running back today?

• I can't see Norv Turner surviving this monumental crash and burn in San Diego. And after the Chargers finally had some playoff success last season, I know general manager A.J. Smith wanted to believe a corner had been turned.

Not so.

• I think Brett Favre's reputation as a great bad-weather quarterback needs an update.

• Everything I said last week about the Jets having that Super Bowl-bound mojo building these days, forget it. What's that phrase that became so popular on Wall Street in recent years? Oh, yeah, it was irrational exuberance on my part. On Sunday in New Jersey, it was the Broncos, not the Jets, who looked like the team that's going places.

• If Matt Cassel were stock, he'd be down 25 percent after that stinker against the Steelers. If he was in-line last week for a supposed $9 million per season in free agency next year, where does he project now, $6.75 million?

• I'm not sure the Steelers were able to exorcise all their Patriots demons with that 33-10 lambasting of New England in rainy, cold Foxboro; but the win must've been a feel-good release for an organization that has had a few dreams dashed by the Belichick-men.

But where was Anthony Smith to guarantee a victory when Pittsburgh could have afforded it?

• The AFC West is led by a 7-5 team in Denver, with San Diego second at 4-8, Oakland third at 3-9 and Kansas City last at 2-10. The NFC West is led by a 7-5 team in Arizona, with San Francisco second at 4-8, Seattle third at 2-10 and St. Louis last at 2-10.

That's a combined 31-65 (.323), and it's almost a crime that two of these teams are going to the playoffs -- when better ones such as Atlanta, Dallas, New England, Miami and Washington could be in danger of missing the party.

• Good night, Bills. See you in 2009. That'll do it for Dick Jauron's club this season. What a tease they were, starting 4-0 and 5-1, only to lose five out of their next six. Maybe they just weren't that good to begin with.

Looking back, the Bills opened the season with wins over Seattle, Jacksonville, Oakland and St. Louis -- four teams that were destined to be pretty awful this year. There's just no way to accurately gauge a team's schedule in the preseason, because all of our perceptions are based on last year, yet the games are played in the here and now.

• If nothing else, at least San Francisco winning at Buffalo ends that season-long story about how teams in the Pacific time zone can't win in the Eastern time zone. Not that it ever had a thing to do with the travel element of the whole issue. It had everything to do with the fact that the eight teams in the AFC West and NFC West are mostly lousy.

• Speaking of which .... Sorry, but the Arizona Cardinals are first-place frauds. They're going to win the weak NFC West, go 9-7 or so, and make the playoffs for the first time in 10 years. But that's more of a reflection on the sorry state of their division than anything else. And watching the Cardinals get blown out by the reeling Eagles Thursday night only confirmed my season-long suspicions about Ken Whisenhunt's team.

Other than that Week 6 overtime win at home against Dallas, who have the Cardinals beaten that makes you take them seriously? They own four wins inside the NFC West, plus a Week 2 win at home against Miami, before the Dolphins got things rolling, and a home win against Buffalo -- a Bills team that soon proved flawed. That's it.

Arizona (7-5) has lost to nearly every quality team it has faced: at Washington, at the Jets, at Carolina, home against the Giants, and most recently, at the up-and-down Eagles. That has the makings of a one-and-done playoff run, you think? Decent tests that still remain include home against Minnesota in Week 15 and at New England in Week 16.

And then there was the way the Cardinals lost to the Eagles. We know Arizona can move the ball, but its defense gave up 437 yards to an Eagles offense that just looked inept at Cincinnati and at Baltimore the previous two weeks. Philly amassed 32 first downs against the Cardinals, held the ball for almost 40 minutes and was a crisp 10 of 15 on third-down conversions.

And the Kurt Warner-led Arizona offense was sloppy too, committing four turnovers, going without a rushing first down, and totaling just 260 yards. Who's that going to beat in the NFC playoffs, if they can ever manage to clinch and get in? Answer: No one.

• After Washington started the season 6-2 and 3-1 in front of its home crowd, the air has really come out of its balloon. The Redskins (7-5) have dropped three of four games, with the losses all coming at FedEx Field, against Pittsburgh, Dallas and the Giants.

Yes, those are three pretty good teams, so no shame there. But you've got to find a way to win at least one of them if you've got real playoff dreams, don't you? By my math, the Redskins get to 9-7 and to the cusp of the playoffs (wins at Cincinnati and San Francisco in December, losses at Baltimore and home against Philly), but if they want to beat Dallas out for an NFC wild-card berth, they'd better find a way to win that Week 16 home game against the Eagles.

• Break up the Ravens, winners of six of their past seven games under rookie head coach John Harbaugh. I thought the Ravens would do well to win six games this season, and here they are at 8-4 after 13 weeks and in position to claim the AFC's sixth and final playoff seed. If nothing else, Baltimore will be playing meaningful games throughout December, and the Ravens fans couldn't ask for anything more than that after last year's 5-11 train wreck.

• It's official, by the way: I've got a case of full-fledged Joe Flacco Fever. It some ways I've had it since last February's NFL Scouting Combine. Just interviewing him at the league's annual meat market, I could tell the kid had something special.

Between Flacco and Atlanta quarterback Matt Ryan, it's going to be a heck of a final month in the NFL's offensive rookie of the year race.

• That muffled sound you hear coming from the direction of Cincinnati is apparently emanating from the Bengals players' parking lot. They've all got their engines running already, in hopes of making a quick getaway after this debacle of a season finally ends.

That's not entirely fair to the Bengals defense, which has played hard and surprisingly well for most of the season. But Cincy's offense? In Sunday's 34-3 loss to the Ravens, the Bengals mustered six first downs and punted a franchise-record 11 times. Cincinnati had 155 yards of offense and just 21:02 of possession time.

• Don't look now, but that Tampa Bay at Carolina Monday-nighter next week is a doozy. It's the 9-3 Bucs at the 9-3 Panthers in early December, with first place in the NFC South belonging to the winner with just three games remaining. If Tampa Bay wins, the Bucs have what amounts to a two-game lead, given a season sweep of the Panthers.

• I'm ready now. Ready to finally give up on the 6-6 Saints and admit that my NFC preseason pick for the Super Bowl is going to miss that game for the 42nd consecutive year (New Orleans debuted one season after the first Super Bowl).

The Saints could still go 10-6 and maybe find a way to squeak into the NFC playoff field, but with at least nine teams having a better record after Week 13, it's likely just a pipe dream. New Orleans just lost too many close games this season, failing to make a play on defense when the game was there for the winning. Bottom line: The Saints weren't good enough.

• Here's one piece of unsolicited advice for Bucs head coach Jon Gruden, who has the NFL's best team that nobody knows about: Whatever happens in December, don't take your foot off the gas pedal like you did last December, wrecking your playoff-bound team's sense of momentum in the process.

Here's the reality, Bucs fans: Tampa Bay is 9-3, with a great shot to lock down the NFC's No. 2 seed and a first-round bye. If the Bucs were to win a home game in the playoffs, they'd have a decent chance to become the first team to ever play a Super Bowl on its own field.

Imagine that.

• This still looks wrong on the Week 14 schedule: Miami at Buffalo, in Toronto. How do you hype this game? Ricky Williams' return to Canadian football?

• Did you hang with the Titans-Lions long enough to catch that Vince Young sighting in Detroit on Thursday? I almost forgot he was still on the roster in Tennessee.

• I'm wondering if the Cowboys would still make the trade for Roy E. Williams if they had it to do over? Doubtful. In case you're not paying attention, Williams has caught just 11 passes for 161 yards and one touchdown in his six games with Dallas, a paltry average of less than two catches and 27 yards per game.

For that the Cowboys are giving up their first- and third-round picks in 2009, plus paying Williams a guaranteed $20 million as part of his five-year, $45 million contract extension? Maybe the Lions did win one in 2008, after all.

• Here's a statistic that might have gotten lost in the 47-10 basting that the Lions took at the hands of the Titans: Detroit was a perfect 0-of-11 on third downs. That's actually hard to do in the NFL, to not fall backwards into at least one third-down conversion, at least during garbage time of a game (of which there was plenty in this game).

With the Lions in December playing host to New Orleans and playoff-driving Minnesota, and traveling to Indianapolis and Green Bay, I'm more convinced than ever that we're going to see 0-16 history this season. It'll be quite the exclamation point on the Matt Millen era in Detroit.

• Average score of the (yawn) three Thanksgiving Day games this year: Winners 43, Losers 13, with the final margins being 37 points, 25 points and 28 points. The three winning teams -- the Titans, Cowboys and Eagles -- scored in all 12 quarters, rolling up a combined 83-23 first-half advantage en route to their blowout wins.

I'm a traditionalist, but even I have started to come around to the idea that the woeful Lions might have played their way out of their annual Thanksgiving Day home game. Long gone are the days when Detroit was known for pulling big upsets against heavily favored opponents on Turkey Day. The Titans-Lions on Thursday had all the intensity of a Week 4 preseason game.

• That's why you bury Donovan McNabb at your own risk (a lesson I've learned more than once in recent years). Because he can put up a four-touchdown, 48-point night in a hurry. Just when you're ready to declare him part of the problem, rather than part of the answer in Philadelphia, he makes pundits (and fans) everywhere eat their words.

• Last week, the NFL had its first 800-point weekend ever, finishing with 837 points, or 52.3 per game. And Week 13 started like it was going to be another record-breaker, with the three Thanksgiving Day games producing 168 points, or 56 per game.

But things slowed down dramatically from there. On Sunday, we had San Francisco beating Buffalo 10-3, Indy nipping Cleveland 10-6, Miami 16-12 over St. Louis and the Giants handling Washington 23-7.


Source: sportsillustrated.cnn.com

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SAN FRANCISCO BAY AREA MARKS WORLD AIDS DAY DECEMBER 1

Leadership is the theme for World AIDS Day 2008, promoted with the campaigning slogan, “Stop AIDS. Keep the Promise.”

Leadership encourages leaders at all levels to stop AIDS. Building on the 2006 theme of accountability, leadership highlights the discrepancy between the commitments that have been made to halt the spread of AIDS, and actions taken to follow them through. Leadership empowers everyone – individuals, organisations, governments – to lead in the response to AIDS.

In 2007, people around the world were encouraged to take the lead to stop AIDS. Campaigns took the shape of marches, leadership discussions, public awareness events and pledges from leaders. These events all helped to put leadership in the spotlight.

People have offered their leadership – now it is time to deliver. Promises must be kept, and people must feel empowered to act.

Why is 2008 important?

2008 marks the 20th anniversary of World AIDS Day. Since 1988, the face and response to AIDS has greatly changed. While many of these changes are positive, this anniversary offers us an opportunity to highlight how much more still needs to be done.

Bay Area Observances

SAN FRANCISCO 7:00 AM — The San Francisco AIDS Foundation will mark World Aids Day with a campaign at 10 Bay Area locations, including United Nations Plaza, Castro Street Muni Station, MacArthur Boulevard in Oakland and the Downtown Berkeley BART Station.

SAN FRANCISCO NOON — Fifteenth Annual Observance of World Aids Day at the National AIDS Memorial with a keynote address by two members of the Louisville, KY, Sterling family. Three of the five Stirling family members are HIV-positive. Golden Gate Park, Bowling Green and Middle Drive East.

SAN FRANCISCO NOON — The San Francisco General Hospital and Trauma Center will mark World AIDS Day by commemorating the 25th Anniversary of its AIDS/HIV Division and acknowledging contributions ofthe Positive Health Program’s Primary Care, clinical research and educational training to the San Francisco Community. Front Lawn, General Hospital, 1001 Potrero Avenue.

OAKLAND NOON –The National Coalition of 100 Black Women, Oakland/Bay Area Chapter will hold a news conference and free HIV testing to observe the Fifth Anniversary of ‘Sistahs Getting Realy About AIDS/HIV’ Billboard Campaign. HIV testing will begin at 10:00 a.m.

REDWOOD CITY 2:00 PM — The San Mateo County STD/HIV Program will mark the 20th Annual Observance of World Aids Day with an informal opening ceremony for a photography exhibit that includes autobiographical stories of San Mateo residents who are living with or are affected by HIV/AIDS. Lower Level, Community Gallery, 400 County Center.

Leaders in most countries from around the world now acknowledge the threat of AIDS, and many have committed to do something about it. As of 2007, nearly all countries have national policies on HIV. However, despite these policies, most have not been fully implemented and many lack funding allocations.

While treatment for HIV and AIDS has improved and become more widespread since 1988, many still do not have access to it – in 2007 only 31% of those in low- to middle-income countries who need treatment received it.

Despite HIV awareness now reaching nearly all areas of the globe, infection rates are still happening 2.7 times faster than the increase in number of people receiving treatment.

While the number of countries protecting people living with HIV continue to increase, one third of countries still lack legal protections and stigma and discrimination continues to be a major threat to universal access.

More broadly, real action on HIV and AIDS and human rights remains lacking. Legal barriers to HIV services still exist for groups such as women, adolescents, sex workers, people who use drugs, and men having sex with men, and programmatic responses promoting HIV-related human rights have yet to be prioritised.

World AIDS Day began in 1988 when health ministers from around the world met and agreed on the concept of the day as an opportunity for all of us to come together to demonstrate the importance of AIDS and show solidarity for the cause. In 2008, this underlining principle of solidarity and awareness remains the same.

We have only two years to go for “the goal of universal access to comprehensive prevention programmes, treatment, care and support by 2010”[1].”

To achieve this goal, leadership and action is needed now. Governments must deliver on the promises they have made. Communities must encourage leadership of its members. Individuals must feel empowered to access treatment, to know their rights and take action against stigma and discrimination, and to know and use methods of prevention against receiving and transmitting HIV.

Now, more than ever is the time to lead – empower – deliver.

See Related: DID I JUST CONTRACT HIV - VIDEO OF THE DAY DECEMBER 1

See Related: HEALTH CARE



Source: sanfranciscosentinel.com

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