Today is the 20th anniversary of World Aids Day. Over the last twenty-five years, since the disease was first discovered, science has made some remarkab;e advancements in treating it, and regrettably few towards and outright cure.

From an affliction primarily of gay men and IV drug users, Aids has moved into new demographics; the black and Hispanic communities have been grievously affected, aided in part by the rampant homophobia that leads men to have clandestine sex with other men before going home to their wives and girlfriends.

In New York City today, there are roughly 100,000 citizens infected with HIV, per the NYC Department of Health.

New York City remains the epicenter of the HIV/AIDS epidemic in the U.S. More than 100,000 New Yorkers are living with HIV, but thousands don’t know they’re infected. New York City has the highest AIDS case rate in the country, with more AIDS cases than Los Angeles, San Francisco, Miami, and Washington DC combined. HIV is the 3rd leading cause of death below age 65 in New York City. HIV is also the health problem with the largest racial disparity; 80% of new AIDS diagnoses and deaths are among African Americans and Hispanics. Prevention, testing, and treatment programs are being expanded, but more must be done.

Indeed, more must be done. Aids is not over.

I have always been a fan of Japan. I have been there four times, including on my honeymoon. I even had the pleasure of living for a year in Kyoto working at Kyoto University. It is, in many ways, a wonderful place and I do hope to go back when time and money permit. I even am teaching my son what little Japanese language I still remember.

But there are always strange undercurrents in Japan. Korean and Chinese friends of mine cannot understand why I ever would visit Japan. They have an anger towards Japan that Americans have a hard time understanding. The presence of the yakuza (Japanese mafia) in Japan is omnipresent, once you are aware of it, which seems strange for an otherwise so law abiding nation. When World War II comes up in conversation, many Japanese still think Japan was justified in its imperialism and that America should apologize for the nuclear bombings and for the occupation. It is a constant source of scandal that Japanese leaders frequently downplay and misrepresent Japanese imperialism in Asia. I was amazed at how unresolved WW II seems in Japan and in Asia.

What is a "fair price" to charge for a subway ride?

Before I start to answer that question, let me preface my remarks with this: I am not letting the MTA off the hook for their colossal waste of money on everything from their offices at 2 Broadway, to their interminable "construction projects" on, among other things, the #7 line I ride every day, to any other waste, fraud or incompetence. This is not about fixing that problem; this is about what's a fair fare. Got it? Good. Now...

Historically (for the last 25-30 years, anyway), prices have, up until the introduction of the MetroCard, varied more or less with inflation. Some fare increases have outpaced inflation, while others have fallen short.

Today, an average fare of about $1.75 would be in line with historical levels, after adjusting for inflation. Clearly, the $2.00 top price is too high, and even the "15% bonus" cards cost about $1.79/ride, slightly above historical averages. While that price is not far off from the average, any increase in that price, which the MTA is threatening, would be out of line.

From the Norm Siegel Campaign:

New Yorkers for Norman Siegel will be holding a birthday bash for civil rights attorney Norman Siegel as we rev up the campaign to elect him NYC Public Advocate in 2009. The celebration will take place at Azza Restaurant & Lounge on 137 East 55th Street (between Lexington and Third Ave) from 6:00-8:30 PM on Monday, December 1st.

The program for the evening features guest speakers State Senator Eric Adams, former ACLU Director Ira Glasser, Vanessa Ramos, Deputy Director for Policy at the Committee for Hispanic Children and Families, and Connie Steensma, Chair Emerita of the Orpheus Chamber Orchestra. There will also be a performance by the New York Granny Chicks of the Granny Peace Brigade. The event has already attracted a wide array of hosts and sponsors from all five boroughs, reflecting the diverse, grassroots, citywide campaign that New Yorkers for Norman Siegel is ready to wage.

Chalk one down for Bronz bigot Ruben Diaz: in his bid to keep gay people down and unwed, he seems to have carried the first round: Democrats won't introduce marriage equality legislation for the time being.

But now, party leaders have sent strong signals that they may not take up the issue during the 2009 legislative session. Some of them suggest it may be wise to wait until 2011 before considering it, in hopes that Democrats can pick up more Senate seats and Gov. David A. Paterson, a strong backer of gay rights, would then be safely into a second term.

Of course, all that could change the instant there's a special election for a Senate seat. Stay tuned, because there will be special elections this cycle.

Apparently (and not surprisingly) some of those sales pitches you get about switching your energy provider are actually scams. I want to pass along a warning on the scams and pass along my own view of a legit energy choice.

From Concerned Citizens of Greenwood Heights (a group I was not previously aware of, and thanks to Park Slope Neighbors for pointing them out) comes this info on a scam hitting New Yorkers (PDF):

Been watching the terror attacks in Mumbai and I keep thinking of how Bush has accomplished NOTHING in his time in the White House. Terrorism is still on the rise worldwide. The Mumbai attacks seemed targeted at business intersts, Americans, Brits, and Jews.

Among the dead are a NYC Rabbi and his wife, Rabbi Gavriel Noach Holtzberg and his wife, Rivka. They were killed in the attack on Nariman House. Their infant son was smuggled out to safety.

(Picture of Moshe Holtzberg being rescued, from Chabad Info)

For more coverage of the Mumbai attacks from someone in India, go to this Daily Kos diary. Or check out BBC coverage.

My regular readers will know that I usually give my thoughts on the ambiguous meanings of Thanksgiving, and this year is no different. I think, though, that the election of a black man named "Barack Hussein Obama" to the Presidency gives us a bit of a good feeling this year that the often ambiguous ideals of America, celebrated in holidays like Thanksgiving, are closer to fulfillment than ever before. This year my thoughts on Thanksgiving are not that much different than last year's (unlike my recent Columbus day diary, which had some new info), but my thoughts this year do have a certain sense that America has taken a huge, historic step forward in fulfilling the ideals it was founded on. The election of Obama as President has caused even people like Black Nationalist Muhammed Yungai to reassess his generally angry feelings towards the US:

And now we have a President Obama! The mold has been irrevocably broken! The possibilities of opportunity in American life have been exponentially expanded.

Oh, horrendous - what a disgusting fat pig, right? With the drooping, open mouth that hints of imbecility, no less? Who can this person be?

Stay tuned.

One aspect of the likely nomination of Hillary Clinton to be Secretary of State has been completely overlooked: at a stroke, it removes Barack Obama's only serious, high-powered opposition within the party.

Consider the murmurings during late summer and early fall: that Hillary, if Obama didn't make it, or even if he did, could engage in another run for the top job next time around. That's not going to happen now. By offering her the senior cabinet office, Obama has effectively neutralized his main intra-party rival.

Or consider the question of money. As a Senator, Hillary could raise money to pay off her 2008 campaign debt; as a cabinet officer, she can't.

Then, look at the fate of Secretaries of State going back to Reagan: they get replaced after a single term. Bill Clinton, for example, replaced Warren Christopher with Madeline Albright.

If Hillary takes the job, she's going to wake up one morning in 2013 with no Senate seat, no power base, a big pile of debt, no Secretaryship, in short, nothing at all. Her big issue of healthcare reform, which she could have shaped from the Senate? Somebody else is going to take care of that.

You have to wonder if that's the point.