One Geek

Onegeek.net’s domain name expired this morning and I had forgotten to renew it. All fixed now, only took about an hour for it to come through again. God bless DNS.

Back home again after a busy time in Junee.

I have been so busy and had only net access on my phone.. It’s hardwork here. I better get back to it.. Will post at length upon my return to Sydney which should be on Wednesday.

Well after getting my OHS and Railway Safety certificates/cards I am off to Junnee in South West NSW for work.

I heard yesterday about a district in Nagaland where 19 out of 19 women tested for Sexually Transmitted Infections tested positive. This is seriously disturbing in itself but introduce HIV into this environment and you end up with serious problems. Having an STI actually increases your risk of contracting HIV as it lowers your natural defences.

From this and other reports I have heard and read, Nagaland on the verge of a HIV epidemic to rival Africa.

This is an emergency. Every day we fail to act more people will get infected. There is no cure for HIV, only treatment, prevention is what we really need.

Prevention of STI’s and STD’s requires people to move out of their comfort zones. To accept that people have both pre and extra-marital sex and not judge them for it. To accept that people do drugs, and not judge them for it. To help people understand their risks. To provide the means to enable people to minimise their risks, be it condoms or needle exchange, or protection from forced sex. To work to empower women to be able to make their own choices regarding their reproductive and sexual health. To challenge issues of gender inequality and sex. To encourage people to get tested for STI’s.

None of this is easy, it is all highly cultural specific. There are no shortcuts. It is vital work and hard work. Most of the work is in the field and in country.

What can I/we do?

I do not really know at the moment.

Challenge assumptions.

Support the MDG’s

Support efforts to bring gender equality.

Keep the safe sex and safe needle message alive. I am scared about the new trends in Australia towards unsafe sex.

Be aware.

How fun is Hannah. She really knows the language of joy. The simple act of jumping on the trampoline can bring so much joy. It amazes me.

I’ve got to go buy some steel capped boots for work today.
On Monday I have to go and do an OH&S for building sites training day.
On Tuesday I have to go and do a railway safety course.
On Thursday I get to go to stockinbingle.

For those who like me don’t know where it is the map below should help.

Today is International Women’s Day.

I would like a day like this to be about celebrating the great things that women do everywhere. However it is not really like that, it is a day of social action. It is about action to promote gender equality.

There is a real need for gender equality, particularly in developing nations.

Out of this inequality much violence comes. This violence can takes many forms physical, sexual, verbal, emotional and economic. Some of the sexual violence is infecting women with HIV/AIDS The statistics on violence against women are so depressing.

I read today that only 50% of women in India and are consulted about decision relating to their own health care.

Female infanticide is still very much alive.

I have heard that TB is the number one killer in India of women of child bearing age. TB is treatable this is really not acceptable.

I hope to explore some of these issues more fully on my blog over the next few weeks and months.

Right now I am tired and it is time to go and watch a DVD. Life is all about priorities.

So Sam and I brought a Ninetendo Wii the other day. It is lots of fun and a very distracting toy. I am looking forward to Sam taking it away so I can get back to important things like DVD watching and blogging.

Which brings me to my second piece of consumption. Today I purchased a new LG 58cm LCD TV. It is very nice and fits in my room much better then my older smaller TV.

What good am I if I say foolish things
And I laugh in the face of what sorrow brings
And I just turn my back while you silently die,
What good am I?

From Bob Dylan’s What Good Am I?