Our world has been battling HIV/AIDs for more than 25 years.  There are an estimated 33 million people living with HIV, and approximately 7,400 new people being infected everyday.  And while those in extreme poverty seem to be effected the most severely, the U.S. national HIV incidence (new infections) is much higher than estimated, especially for African Americans and Hispanics.

Here are some troubling HIV facts from the CDC:

• HIV incidence has been increasing steadily among gay and bisexual men since the early 1990s, confirming a trend suggested by other data showing increases in risky behavior.
• In 2006, the rate of new infections among non-Hispanic African Americans was 7 times the rate among whites.
• The rate of new HIV infections among Hispanics in 2006 was 3 times the rate among whites.

cdc.gov

What does this all mean? Bottom line, more people need to:

1. Know the facts! HIV is transmitted in 3 main ways: 1) Having sex (anal, vaginal, or oral) with someone infected with HIV, 2) Sharing needles and syringes with someone infected with HIV, and 3) Being exposed (fetus or infant) to HIV before or during birth or through breast feeding.  You cannot become infected from a toilet seat, drinking fountain, doorknob, dishes, drinking glasses, food, or pets. You also cannot get HIV from mosquitoes.
2. Be safe! Now you know how HIV is transmitted, so be smart and safe – avoid risky behaviors. Abstain from sex (do not have oral, anal, or vaginal sex) until you are in a relationship with only one person, are having sex with only each other, and each of you knows the other’s HIV status. If you have, or plan to have, more than one sex partner, talk about HIV and other STDs with each partner before you have sex and use a latex condom and lubricant every time you have sex. Do not inject illicit drugs (drugs not prescribed by your doctor) and do not have sex when you are taking drugs or drinking alcohol because being high can make you more likely to take risks.
3. Get tested! You should know your HIV status if you have EVER engaged in any of the risky behaviors in the past – even if it was only one time. To find an HIV testing site near you (in the U.S.), send a text message with your ZIP code to “KNOWIT” (566948) or visit: www.HIVtest.org.  Even if you think you have low risk for HIV infection, get tested whenever you have a regular medical check-up.

Here are some other great HIV/AIDS resources:

• AIDS.gov
• Learn the link between HIV and drugs
• HIV/AIDs in the US
• HIV A to Z by the CDC
• ONE and World AIDS Day
• Metro Teen AIDS
• AIDS.gov Podcasts
• Follow AIDS.gov on Twitter

The state of the Global economy has been at the forefront of most of our minds over the last several weeks. Those of us who live in the United States have been watching the nightly news in horror as we see stocks plummet, banks collapse, government fail, and the domino effect roll out across the world. I think it’s important during times like this that we strive to keep things in perspective.

Yes, the United States economy is in crisis and things are bad right now. But did you know that according to the United Nations one person dies of hunger or hunger-related causes every three and a half seconds? And sadly enough it’s children that die most often. Sobering thought isn’t it? There is more than enough food in the world for everyone, so why does this happen? Poverty.com answers this question best:

The problem is that hungry people are trapped in severe poverty. They lack the money to buy enough food to nourish themselves. Being constantly malnourished, they become weaker and often sick. This makes them increasingly less able to work, which then makes them even poorer and hungrier. This downward spiral often continues until death for them and their families.

Today is Blog Action Day 2008 and the issue we are raising awareness about is poverty. Given the current state of the U.S. economy and the financial situations of many people I know and love, I thought I’d blog about some free ways that we can all help.  So, don’t use the fact that your bank account balance is lower than normal stop you from helping out – Get Involved! Here’s how:

1. Join ONE and get involved. One.org is an awesome website that is dedicated to uniting Americans as ONE to put an end to poverty.  They are, “a campaign of over 2.4 million people and growing from all 50 states and over 100 of America’s most well-known and respected non-profit, advocacy and humanitarian organizations.” As ONE they are raising public awareness about the issues of global poverty, hunger, and disease.  You can join the movement at no cost and then perform simple but important actions like writing your congressman or congresswoman, volunteer your time, or rock some very cool ONE gear to help spread the word.
2. Click on “The Hunger Site” to give free food. The Hunger Site is an website that allows you to click on a button every day and give free food. I know it sounds crazy, but it’s true.  You click the button and their website sponsors pay for cups of food.  And if you want to give more, they even have a store you can make purchases from where all proceeds go to charity.  Oh and while you’re there, be sure to click on the tabs at the top of the website.  There are other sister sites just like this one, except they’re dedicated to other very worthy causes like breast cancer and literacy where your clicks will translate to free mammograms or free books. How cool is that?
3. Test and expand your vocabulary while you end hunger. FreeRice.com is a fun website that lets you quiz your vocabulary for a very worthy cause.  For every right answer, the UN World Food Program will donate 20 grains of rice. It’s so much fun and it feels great knowing that just by playing a game you’re helping make a real difference. And if you’re thinking that 20 grains of rice seems like a small amount, just remember that while you’re playing, so are thousands of other people at the same time. It’s everyone together that makes the difference, so why not share the site with your friends and family and amplify your efforts? 

Click Here to Check Out More Blog Action Day 2008 Posts!

Check out the Global Epiphany site design! I finally got a premium Wordpress theme worthy of this site… now if I could just get it together and stop being such a neglectful blogger. I’m working on it – I swear

Nobel laureate and former Vice President Al Gore has launched his new WE Campaign website www.wecansolveit.org. The ultimate goal of this site is to halt global warming and they are taking the first step by educating people about the climate crisis, emphasizing that it is urgent, and reminding us that it is solvable. WE is about coming together to solve a problem that effects us all.

The WE website offers you many ways to take action. You can sign a petition for a global treaty on climate change, you can tell you friends about their latest video, you can urge the press to ask about global warming, and even ask lenders to consider climate impact when funding new coal plants. And they offer some great solutions to the crisis:

• Clean Energy Economy
• Personal Choices
• Adoption of Renewables
• Enhanced Energy Efficiency
• Innovative Leadership

If you haven’t already started seeing the WE media blitz, you won’t have to look too hard. You’ll begin seeing TV spots, print ads, social networks and more buzzing about it. Al Gore is giving this his all. On March 30, 2008, he appeared on CBS’s 60 Minutes to discuss the launch of the We Campaign. You can check out a short clip from the piece below.

[Download the Al Gore on 60 Minutes Video here]

Did you know that heart disease is the #1 cause of death for American women? I didn’t! Cheerios did a survey recently that found while heart disease ranked highest in terms of chief health concerns among women, only 50 percent of women have had their cholesterol level checked in the past year. Women with low incomes are even less likely than others to get their cholesterol checked. So, Cheerios is raising money to provide cholesterol screenings for women in need with their Cheerios Circle of Helping Hearts program.

Specially marked boxes of Cheerios have codes that can be entered at the site. For every person who enters a code on that site, $1 will be donated to WomenHeart to support women’s health education and provide cholesterol screenings for women in need. They’ve pledged to donate up to $300,000! How awesome is that? WomenHeart is the nation’s only patient advocacy organization serving women with heart disease. They report startling statistics such as the following:

• 267,000 women die each year from heart attacks, which kill six times as many women as breast cancer.
• 43% of deaths in American women, or nearly 500,000, are caused by cardiovascular disease (heart disease and stroke) each year.
• 38% of women and 25% of men will die within one year of a first recognized heart attack.

Obviously this is issue that deserves your attention. So, what can YOU do? The easiest thing would be to buy some Cheerios! This cereal is delicious for both breakfast and snacks and now they have a number of different flavor varieties so you’re sure to find one that you enjoy. If, for some reason, you’re just not fond of cereal, you can also donate to WomenHeart directly.

I’m posting today in support of Barack Obama as the next president of the United States. Not only does he inspire me like no other candidate has before, he stands for the things that I believe in – specifically change. He is for the people, he is for a more transparent leadership, he does not support a decrease in the taxation of the wealthy, he understands how the Patriot Act harms our civil liberties, and he will work to keep our country safe while he also works to bring our troops home. He’s a man of integrity and I believe with him in office we can really make a difference. Yes. We. Can.

On March 31st of last year, 2.2 million people and 2100 Sydney businesses turned off their lights for one hour. They called it “Earth Hour.” If the greenhouse reduction achieved in the Sydney CBD during Earth Hour was sustained for a year, it would be equivalent to taking 48,616 cars off the road for a year.

The goal was to inspire people to take action against climate change. And inspire it did! Unique events such as weddings by candlelight were reported and major Sydney icons like the Harbour Bridge and Opera House joined the movement by turning their lights off as well. The world took notice. Inspired by the collective effort of millions during last years event in Sydney, many major global cities are joining Earth Hour in 2008, turning a symbolic event into a global movement.

Earth Hour is March 29, 2008 from 8 – 9 PM

Five Things You Can Do:

1. Join us! Turn out your lights for one hour on 3/29/08 from 8-9pm.
2. Spread the word. Tell your friends, family, community members, & businesses.
3. Host a Earth Hour party by candle light. Invite others over for Earth Hour. You can have food, drinks, board games, a barbecue, all by candlelight!
4. Use the time to discuss other ways to reduce your carbon footprint. Whether it be replacing your light bulbs or car pooling – there’s a lot you can do.
5. Use the time to replace your standard light bulbs with energy-efficient compact fluorescent bulbs.

Click Here For More Information!

It’s been way too long since I’ve posted here at Global Epiphany and I want to offer you my sincere apologies for that. I’ve been engrossed in my life, my kids, my work, and my Internet home business. I changed jobs in January and have been working a crazy schedule with an hour commute, so I’ve had less time in front of computer. But those are just excuses for my neglect… no more! Today, I am renewing my commitment here and I will be sharing my thoughts and insights with you more often. I hope you stick around to share and enjoy yours with me!

I was compelled to make this post right now (and delay my running on the treadmill) so I can talk to you about Oprah’s groundbreaking A New Earth Web event. For those who haven’t heard, Oprah is hosting a 10 week class every Monday night with Eckart Tolle, the author of the book A New Earth. The book is so many things… but in essence, it’s about awakening your consciousness to your life’s purpose. Not your external purpose, but the purpose for which we are all here on earth. The class focuses on and discusses one of it’s 10 chapters each week and therefore provides you with a more in depth understanding of its concepts and teachings. The book may be a somewhat hard read for some, but I have personally found it fascinating. The class is opening my eyes to seeing the concepts of the book in different ways and it’s greatly enhancing my understanding of it. I am really enjoying it, so I wanted you all to know that you’re missing out if you’re not involved. Go grab the book today and read it this week. You can even review the first two classes (this week’s and last) that cover chapters 1 & 2 to catch up, if you want. I want you to know that you can catch up and be ready for next week’s class. Trust me, you’ll be glad you did! Check out the promo video below and join us next week!

Talk to you soon,

Epiphany ~xoxo

[kml_flashembed movie="http://www.youtube.com/v/zE_YFiAkgDU" width="425" height="350" wmode="transparent" /]

When I think of who epitomizes acts of kindness, I think of St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital. Not just because their focus is on helping sick children, but because all patients are accepted for treatment at St. Jude and treated without the family’s ability to pay. This means that when a mother and father are facing what is probably the scariest time of their lives by having a sick child, they don’t have to worry about how they’re going to take care of the cost of treatment. This means they can focus on what’s important – providing their child with the love and care he/she needs to get well.

St. Jude is unique and unlike any other pediatric treatment and research facility anywhere in the world. Discoveries that have been made there have completely changed how the world treats children with cancer and other catastrophic diseases. St. Jude is the only pediatric specialty cancer center that is funded by the National Cancer Institute. They are also the only private cancer center in the United States committed to caring for and supporting children with cancer regardless of the family’s financial situation and health insurance status.

During this holiday season, why not support St. Jude’s acts of kindness with your own? St. Jude offers many ways to support their treatment and research efforts and all donations are tax deductible. If you want to send a monetary donation, you can offer a single donation or a monthly gift. You can also donate gifts to honor the memory of a loved one. And if you haven’t found just the right gift yet for that special person in your life, there’s still time to purchase a gift from St. Jude’s Hope Catalog.