Your Status

10 things you should know about HIV/AIDS:

1) HIV was given it's name in 1986 after Dr. Robert Gallo and Professor Luc Montagnier of the Pasteur Institute discovered and claimed the same retrovirus in 1983.

2) About 34.2 million people are living with HIV around the world. Almost half of those people don't know their status.

3) As of the end of 2010, one in four people living with a diagnosis of HIV in the United States were women.

4) Women with HIV who take antiretroviral medication during pregnancy can reduce the risk of transmitting HIV to their babies to less than 1%.

5) Despite valiant efforts by the CDC and many other worldwide programs, there were 2.5 million new infections reported in 2011. Prevention is key: http://aids.gov/hiv-aids-basics/prevention/reduce-your-risk/fluids-of-transmission/

6) Heterosexuals accounted for 25 percent of estimated new HIV infections in 2010.

7) 14.8 million people with HIV are eligible for treatment. Only 8 million are receiving treatment. However, HIV treatment access grew by 63% around the world from 2001-2011.

8) Ryan White was diagnosed with AIDS on December 18, 1984. He was one of the first children, and hemophiliacs to come down with AIDS. He died on April 8, 1990, just months before Congress passed the AIDS bill called the Ryan White CARE Act.

9) July 25, 1983 San Francisco General Hospital opened the first AIDS ward, which was fully occupied within days.

10)  http://www.aidsquilt.org/

For more information, take a look at UNAIDS 2011 report: http://www.unaids.org/en/media/unaids/contentassets/documents/epidemiology/2012/gr2012/JC2434_WorldAIDSday_results_en.pdf

Get tested. Know your status.


                         - tsg

Show Stoppers

10 shows you should be watching this summer (while you're waiting for Grey's Anatomy to return):

1) Flea Market Flip

2) Dexter (the end is near...)

3) The Bachelorette

4) Wilfred

5) Resale Royalty

6) 72 Hours (at least give it a try)

7) ANTM: Cycle 20 (!!!)

8) Who's Line Is It Anyway?

9) HGTV Design Star

10) Arrested Development - It's back!

Meanwhile, I'll be watching to many reruns of Desperate Housewives....

                                     with love,
                                              tsg

Readers Digest

10 books you should read (or reread) this summer (because I said so):

1) Tenth of December by George Saunders

2) The Poisonwood Bible by Barbara Kingsolver

3) My Horizontal Life by Chelsea Handler (feel free to read this one again, and again.)

4) Brain on Fire: My Month of Madness by Susannah Cahalan

5) The Corrections by Jonathan Franzen (and Freedom, too!)

6) The Phantom Tollbooth (it means so much more than it did 10 years ago.)

7) The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks by Rebecca Skloot

8) Running with Scissors by Augusten Burroughs

9) The newest Nicholas Sparks book (you know you want to.)

10) Charlotte's Web by E.B. White
because this book is wonderful, and who doesn't love a pig?


                                                 - happy reading,
                                                           tsg

Girls, Girls, Girls

10 things you should know about women (on National Women's Day):

1) Of Forbes 71 "World's Most Powerful People," 6 are women including #2, Mrs. Angela Merkel the chancellor from Germany. (Unfairly excluded from this list: Ellen Degeneres, Michelle Obama & Beyonce (obviously). But they are included on the "World's Most Powerful Women" list: http://www.forbes.com/power-women/list/ )

2) A woman invented the circular saw, the windshield wiper, and most importantly, the chocolate chip cookie.

3) A devistating birth injury called a fistula effects 30-50,000 women worldwide every year because they can't afford basic medical care. (To find out what you can do to help, log on to: http://www.fistulafoundation.org/whatyoucando/)

4) Phylicia Rashad was the first black woman to win a Tony Award for a dramatic lead on broadway, after she was nominated numerous times for her role of Mrs. Huxtable, but never won an Emmy.

4) President Obama has just signed the Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act so we can FINALLY be paid as much as men in the workplace.

5) The closer to the equator, the more likely a woman is to deliver a baby girl.

6) This is Betty White: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BO-qTI111TM
She is now 91 and amazing despite her "stupid feminine ideas."

7) We appreciate our rights to marry, vote, and make decisions about our vaginas.

8) A group of USAF officers made history last week by flying the first ever all female combat mission in Afganistan.

9) Hilary Clinton was the first ever woman to serve in the president's cabinet. And she's a badass. Katheryn Bigelow was the first ever woman to win an Oscar for Best Director. And she's also a badass.

10) We don't all want the same things. We come in all shapes, sizes, and colors. And we run this motha.


                                 - love,
                                       tsg

Lincoln didn't win, but Daniel did.

10 things you should know about the Academy Awards (in case you fell asleep):

1) Amy & Tina should host every award show, every year, including the Oscars. Sorry I'm not sorry, Seth.

2) Seth McFarlane isn't confident in his ability to tell jokes. Stick by that John Wilkes Booth joke, man.

3) Kristen Stewart is the epitome of awkward. This time with crutches.

4) The Oscars > The Grammy's. Jennifer Hudson + Adele = who cares about movies?

5) There was a tie for Best Sound Editing. Two death eaters won.

6) Jennifer Lawrence is human, and fell up the stairs. And won Best Actress.

7) Meryl Streep needs no introduction.

8) Ang Lee would like to thank the Movie God.

9) Anne Hathaway is cold. and Mrs. Obama is in the house (the White House, that is.)

10) Argofuckyourself. Congrats Ben.

                                       - with love,
                                                tsg

Earl of Sandwich

10 sandwiches you should know about (because they're the best I've ever had):

1) Sally's "Potrero Hill" in SF, CA

2) Sunflower Cafe's "Smoked Duck Breast Sandwich" in Sonoma, CA

3) The Mac n Cheese Grilled Cheese from American Grilled Cheese Kitchen in SF, CA

4) North Peak's "Pretzel Crusted Chicken Sandwich" in Traverse City, MI

5) The "Marin Melt" from the cafe at Muir Woods National Forrest in Mill Valley, CA

6) The Harissa Burger from St John's Bar and Eatery in Seattle, WA (I know, it's a burger. but it counts because it is the best burger I've ever had in my life.)

7) A Philly Cheesesteak from the one and only Pat's King of Steaks in Philadelphia, PA

8) The Melt's "Italian Job" located in various places around SF, CA (it's a food truck.)

9) And of course, "The Yardbird" at Slow's BBQ in Detroit, MI

10) But my very favorite is my homemade turkey sandwich with provolone cheese toasted on a Dutch crunch roll. Doesn't get much better (except for the Sunflower's roasted duck. that stuff is crazy good.)

                                   - love,
                                        the sandwich loving tsg

Dear Mr. President

10 things you should know about the POTUS:

1) John Quincy was a skinny dipper.

2) LBJ often held conferences in the bathroom. no shame.

3) Jimmy Carter was a peanut farmer. This never gets old.

4) Bill did not have sexual relations with that woman. (but he did.)

5) George W was a head cheerleader. This explains a lot.

6) Barack is a fan of both Harry Potter and Spiderman. As if we needed another reason to like him.

7) Andrew Jackson killed a man?

8) George Washington did not wear wooden teeth. That's a vicious rumor. So I'm here to put an end to it.

9) Ulysses got a speeding ticket on his pony. Talk about horse power.

10) Four score and seven years ago, Abe Lincoln was awesome. And he could rock a top hat.


                              - love,
                                  tsg (Abe's biggest fan)