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March 17, 2009

Pope Benedict XVI aka Epidemiologist...NOT!

I don't mean to offend any Catholics out there but Pope Benedict XVI has recently stated (erroneously) that condom distribution in Africa was not the answer to solving the AIDS and HIV problem, rather “... it increases the problem.” He advocates sexual abstinence.

Wow! Where to begin? Statements like these really piss me off and push me to hate organized religion. There are millions of people around the globe without the educational capacity to understand something like the spread of HIV and AIDS. It is reprehensible that the Pope would wield his influence in such a heinously reckless manner.

Here are some facts the Pope has conveniently "forgotten":

• An estimated 33 million people throughout Africa have HIV or AIDS.
• An estimated 2 million people died of AIDS in African countries last year.
• An estimated 2.7 million people contract the disease each year

Entire families are being destroyed everyday throughout Africa. The number of "AIDS orphans" is steadily increasing. History has shown that abstinence has never worked as method to prevent the spread of any STI. This is religious indoctrination, plain and simple. In his attempt to save souls, the Pope is risking lives.

Africa is apparently the fastest-growing region for the Roman Catholic Church. At this rate, the Pope's following will be very small indeed.

*UNAIDS/WHO report

Posted by Jason at 9:36 AM | Comments (0) | TrackBack

March 13, 2009

Working on Stuff that Matters

I really need to create a "Technology" category. Until then, check out this interesting post on ReadWriteWeb. It's a speech by Tim O'Reilly on the opportunities smart and creative individuals have to work on some of the most important challenges that face our world. I'll admit, he's not necessarily saying anything new, but sometimes it is important to be reminded of what we are capable of and why we should do what we do.

So ask yourself, "What matters to you?"

Posted by Jason at 9:25 AM | Comments (0) | TrackBack

March 12, 2009

Inspiring: The Living Library

Another one of those, "I wish I thought of that!" ideas.

The Living Library is a project that allows individuals to "sign-out" other people for 30 minutes in order to get a better understanding of their experiences and view points. The idea originated out of Denmark in response to the xenophobia and violence the project's creators witnessed.

Here's the Globe and Mail article in case you missed it.

Here's a link to the official website.

Posted by Jason at 9:30 AM | Comments (0) | TrackBack