Monday, December 28, 2009

Sex And More Sex

The DR Presidential Council on HIV/AIDS is launching a training program for 150 former sex workers and 52 transsexuals. The trainees (and trannies) will attend courses in the areas of beauty, bakery, nail design, hair, cooking, hotel room management, interior design and other vocations. The program seeks to provide the workers with alternative job skills.

Also, Diario Libre is reporting that 72% of inmates in the nations jails say they have a sex life behind bars. Prisoners in La Victoria jail have the highest percentage, with 82% of inmates saying they are sexually active. Other jails have between 55% and 67% of inmates reporting to be active. Of those interviewed only 12% said they have sex for cash. 10% said they have multiple partners. 82% of those having sex say they do use condoms.

I find this very interesting indeed. I don't believe the US would ever take such a survey and would certainly not provide condoms for inmates who supposedly are not having sex in jail anyway. Perhaps that is why HIV/AIDS infections is rising is US jails and prisons. I think we should take a lesson from these fine folks in the DR. Admit that it is happening and provide the prisoners with proper precautions. And hey, how about those hombres having good sex just for sex, not for money. Now don't you all try to get into the penal system next time you travel to Santo Domingo. I hear the conditions there are horrible!

Monday, December 21, 2009

...rumors of war

Columbia braces for possible attack!

This saga that has been playing out with Hugo Chavez is quite disturbing. It is not to be taken lightly. A world power, whether real or in his own mind, Chavez is in a position to disrupt progress made by South American and West Indian countries.

Though the US has concerns about the politics of Chavez it has no immediate reason to feel threatened or to want to enter into another war effort at this time. The country is already suffering from effects of two major missions in Afghanistan and Iraq.

I believe Chavez knows this, but is capitalizing on opportunity to catapult himself into legend and lore. This game of "he said-she said" is a dangerous game indeed when the world is at such a sensitive stage while recovering from one of the worst economic crises in history.

Read more here and here.

Tuesday, December 08, 2009

Beyonce!















Do you love the Dominican Republic AND Beyonce? Here is your chance to enjoy them both! As part of her 2010 World Tour, Beyonce will perform at the Olympic Stadium in Santo Domingo on March 20, 2010.

The stadium holds upwards of 40,000 spectators, but only 15, 000 tickets are being put on sale for this exclusive concert. She will be singing songs from her new CD, "I Am...Sasha Fierce."

For ticketing information see http://www.ticketexpress.com.do/

UPDATE 12-22-09: the concert dates for San Juan, Puerto Rico as well as for Santo Domingo have been cancelled from the 2010 World Tour.

Friday, December 04, 2009

Tuesday, December 01, 2009

21st World AIDS Day

Let us all take a moment to celebrate and remember the lives of those we have lost to AIDS. Let us also vow to rally our support to find a cure and assist those affected by HIV/AIDS.





The Secretary General of the caribbean community makes his speech. The message is posted at South Florida Caribbean News.

The Atlantic has an article entitled How AIDS Became A Caribbean Crisis. It tells of how homophobia has intensified the epidemic in Jamaica.

PANCAP, which is the Pancaribbean Partnership against HIV/AIDS tracks progress in educational services and the reduction of new cases.

Every year in the DR 1,200 children are born to mothers with HIV, 11% of those children are born with the virus. Listen Diario reports that 1,300 children are currently living with HIV in the DR. There is progress in the DR with 9 counseling centers and 12 integrated care centers being recently inaugurated.