Prince Harry, Rocker With A Cause

Wild About Prince Harry

"And we'll never be royals (royals). It don't run in our blood"  - Lorde "Royals"

Honestly I have never really been a follower of the Royal Family, it has never been my thing. That being stated the major exception to that rule was of course Princess Diana. She was the only princess that really crossed over and made a huge impact on the world around her.

Kudos to Prince Harry for keeping his mother's legacy of philanthropy and giving alive. Last night the Prince belted out a tune with the band Coldplay in the backyard of Kensington Palace who was headlining a benefit for his Sentebale Charity which he aided in establishing in 2006. 

The proceeds went to the people of Lesotho in South Africa battling HIV and AIDS.
"Sentebale, meaning forget me not in Sesotho, has helped tens of thousands of children in just over a decade." The Prince stated.

He continued: "What we know is that HIV is a virus that thrives off silence and feeds on stigma. We must follow the example of the young people of Lesotho, and meet one of the great challenges of our generation with optimism, energy, and openness. That's what tonight is all about. When people come together for a purpose we can achieve extraordinary things."

Somewhere Diana is one proud Mama. 
Harry on Twitter:
https://twitter.com/Prince___Harry

Dudley Saunders - "Zero Out"

Dudley Saunders
Photo: Dean Carpenter

Dudley is back with his fourth video from IN THESE BOXES, Zero Out, here is a message from the artist::

Here is the fourth lyric video from IN THESE BOXES.  This is actually the beginning of the piece.  So, in a more perfect world, it would have been the first video I uploaded, not the fourth.  But life is messy. Art is messier. 

​Here's the text that opens the performance:
"When I was 19, I moved from Kentucky to New York’s East Village.  And I began to see something on the street I didn’t understand.

I’d see boxes, full of the contents of someone’s entire life, stuffed in the garbage cans of tenement apartment buildings.  Boxes full of things, like a twenty year collection of playbills, black leather harnesses and unframed paintings, posters, clothes still on their hangers, handwritten letters and spiral notebooks and bills and the odd objects that could only be someone's mementos.  All of it, stuffed into the garbage.  I saw this over and over again.

                                                                       Zero Out

Then years passed.  And in the summer of 1991, my two ex-lovers died within three months of each.  And this was bad, of course, but it was something else that had my attention. 

I realized that all the people who had witnessed our lives together were also dead.  These were the Plague Years, and my life had just become extinct.

And I finally understood about those boxes in the garbage: people had died of AIDS, their families had abandoned them, and their friends were all dead.  The objects I still owned were the only evidence that we had existed.  I alone knew the stories inside them.  And I wanted to reach back through time, into that garbage, into those boxes, and save the objects and find a way to tease out their missing stories.  To keep them from disappearing."

Get more Dudley at: 
https://www.facebook.com/DudleySaundersMusic
https://twitter.com/dudleysaunders
http://www.reverbnation.com/dudleysaunders

Dudley Saunders - The Man In The Game

Dudley Saunders - The Man In The Game

Here is  the second lyric video from Dudley Saunder's IN THESE BOXES. The Man In The Game. Here is the text that precedes it. 

Generations pass and it’s the 1990s.  I am living in New York at the height of the AIDS crisis, and this teenage boy is living in a trailer in eastern Kentucky. He lives with his grandmother, who has diabetes and sleeps a lot, and there are no men at home.  But there is a man in the video game, and he talks to him, and invites him into manhood, of a kind.

Check out the video and song by this talented guy after the jump!

Get "In The Game" with Dudley at: 
http://www.reverbnation.com/dudleysaunders
https://twitter.com/dudleysaunders
https://www.facebook.com/DudleySaundersMusic

Miley Cyrus, Wants To Talk About Sex...

Before you think this is Miley acting all wild and crazy again to get our attention, well you are sort of correct in that assumption, but not completely...

One of my favorite artists is getting her sex talk on because she's the new face of MAC Cosmetics' iconic Viva Glam campaign. Sales from a hot pink lipstick and lip gloss created by Cyrus benefit the MAC AIDS Fund.

"I think the way sex has been made to be seen as bad or guilty, I think it's just opening up that conversation that's saying if you're doing it, protect yourself. And I think young people need to be talking," She states.

Miley visited the Los Angeles LGBT Center's Youth Center to meet homeless youth and to educate herself more on HIV prevention. 

She shared that when you walk in, there is a bowl of condoms right there. You didn't have to ask.

Ms. Cyrus is proud to be part of the Viva Glam campaign because it isn't about profit, it's about giving back

"You don't see me kind of doing this stuff very often," She notes.. "I'm not the person to go out and say, 'Buy my lipstick,' or 'Buy my this, or, 'Buy my that.' This was something I obviously didn't mind saying...and kind of shamelessly plugging because it's going towards such an amazing thing. Every penny of it! It's not halfway going to help and halfway paying someone's salary. It's a hundred percent!"

Miley, I think you're awesome! 

Viva Miley! at: https://www.macaidsfund.org/

Do It Clean With Jack Mackenroth

Jack Mackenroth Does It Clean

"I've got a handful of this, What do I do with it
I've got a barrel of this, What do I do with it 
I do it clean" - "Do It Clean" Echo & The Bunnymen

Project Runway star and HIV activist, Jack Mackenroth is her to help you clean up your act!

His latest campaign in the fight against HIV stigma is "The HIV Shower Selfie Challenge" with hashtag #weareALLclean bit.ly/CUREAIDS and it’s going viral and has already been translated into 7 different languages and counting.

It's a sexy, selfie crusade of sorts. You contribute an image of yourself in the shower or bath—and hopefully donating to an amazing cause.

So grab your bar of soap and let's be clean and show that we are all equal regardless of our HIV status!!

MS: You've had HIV for a long time; at what age did you contract it?

JM: I was diagnosed when I was twenty-one, but my sero-conversion happened when I was nineteen or twenty. I've had it my whole adult life.

MS: Does the length of time you've had it inform the way you present yourself as an activist to people? It's not flippant in any way, but you have a sense of humor, also your videos are very friendly and accessible.

JM: Yeah, I've been through enough of shaming and discrimination, all of that BS. Negativity doesn't really work and certainly doesn’t make people feel good. Critics have gotten on my case saying: You're trying to glamorize HIV, or that I’m not taking it seriously enough. Well you know what? I know my truth and fear-based education does not work. What do you tell these kids today? I'm like, listen, you don't want it, above all protect yourself, but try not to live in shame and denial if you do become HIV positive. For EVERYONE the priority is to get educated and get tested because now we have PrEP, which is a great tool against HIV. There is also PEP (like the morning after pill for HIV if you think you have been exposed in the last 48 hours. There's tons of promising information out there, but if were not talking about HIV and the stigma, fear and discrimination are going to keep people from not doing what they need to do to keep themselves and the community healthy. 

There are a lot of HIV positive people who reach out to me that are freaking out and I always tell them "You're probably going to be fine, just go to the doctor and get on a treatment that works for you." If you catch HIV early and you take your medication like you are supposed to, statistically you prognosis is excellent. The other good news is we now know that if you do take your meds and your viral load is undetectable, or you are virally suppressed, that you are also not contagious.  

                                                           "You've Got This"

MS: Early detection and taking your medication is important. If you do both everything will be fine.

JM: Well I credit my long-term survival to luck and intuition and taking early action. I come from a medical family. My dad was a doctor and my mom was a nurse and we always had a pill for every malady. When I was first diagnosed there was only AZT, which was fairly toxic for many people, but I liked the feeling and empowerment of taking something that might work. Back then a lot of people were waiting and not taking the meds available because they thought they were poison - the doctors recommended that you wait until your T-cells fell below 250 and then you would go on the meds. They now know in retrospect that was a bad idea. When your immune system is that depleted it’s very difficult to rebound. Where as if you catch it quickly and go on effective medication you can expect to live a normal life span.

MS: What your doing is great; it really is designed to make people feel comfortable.

JM: Thanks I appreciate that. I think the HIV community gets enough negative messaging from others. We here things like "Shame on you. You should know better. How can you get HIV at your age? Use a condom!” and I think, "Fuck you!" We haven't done anything you probably haven’t done. I’d like to shake the hand of someone who has used a condom EVERY SINGLE TIME they had ANY kind of sexual contact. Keep your stones to yourself. 

MS: There seems to be less of a stigma than there used to be.

JM: I disagree. In some communities/areas I think that may be true, But HIV stigma is alive and well. Often it depends on where you live and whom you are around. It’s very easy to live with HIV in secrecy now. Only visibility changes public opinion. I could never keep it in. It felt like I was in the closet all over again. That's just not me I'm horrible at keeping a personal secret anyway. So I went big and told everyone on national TV when I did it on Project Runway. (laughs) Now I don’t ever have to have that awkward conversation ever again. 

#weareALLclean

MS: So talk about your current project The HIV Shower Selfie Challenge.

JM: I literally just launched Monday - that's why I said OMG I need a break and called you. I'm working with this gay social media app called MOOVZ and they're very big in Asia and Latin America. It's sort of like Twitter meets Facebook though I'm not very good at it yet. It’s fairly new in the US but growing quickly. Their corporate offices are six hours ahead of me, and the other promoter involved is a model actor and singer, Chris Salvatore. He lives in Los Angeles so he is three hours ahead of me, so putting this all together is challenging. A bit of a cluster fuck. Please don’t print that!  (laughs). 

MS: Yeah I know about those cluster fuck type things. (laughs)

JM: So I had this idea, I thought: why isn't there an ALS ice bucket challenge for HIV? There should be. I've worked in non-profits and HIV activism for a long time and have done different fundraisers; it's really hard to raise money for HIV/AIDS now because nobody sees the urgency anymore. People are not getting sick like they used to and unfortunately that is what really motivated people in the 80s and 90s. I decided to figure out an HIV challenge that was media savvy and celebrities would be like: Another excuse for KK to show her ass, and would possibly have the legs to catch on. I posted my photo at noon on Monday and it's blown up already, my twitter feed is exploding! Queerty, Instinct Magazine, The Huffington Post, BuzzFeed, FrontiersLA, Towleroad, PinkNewsUK, TheBody.com have all covered it. That's in the first 48 hours so I am hoping that's a good sign. 

MS: Taking a shower selfie and using it to fund a cure for HIV is a fun idea! I saw some negative comments already on Queerty about using sex to raise money. Fuck that, there is nothing wrong with it, it sells and it works.

JM: Queerty is notorious for their negative commenters. I don't listen to the negativity unless it is really a constructive suggestion. I just keep trying to out good work. I always wonder what the haters are doing to help their community. Very little I suspect. Unless you are a sex addict and it becomes a problem in your life, having sex is healthy. We all know sex sells. Why not leverage it for a good cause?

MS: Where is the money going that you raise from the HIV Shower Selfie Challenge?

JM: Right now the beneficiary is Housing Works—a New York based agency that combats HIV/AIDS and homelessness but has global influence. I approached—and am still working on getting some larger, global organizations involved, which I think would help the campaign a lot.

So far the fundraising call to action has not really taken off. There are now over 2000 #weareALLclean  shower selfies online but less than one percent of those people have actually donated money. And I want to reiterate that 100% of the proceeds go to charity. A commenter on Queerty implied that some of the money was going to line my pockets. That’s insulting and ludicrous. The money goes directly to non-profits. I don’t see a penny. That’s not what this is about. If I wanted to get rich I wouldn’t be working in HIV activism. It’s not a lucrative field. 

Regardless if you are male or female, young or old, straight or LGBTQ—please join Jack and thousands of others from around the world and be one of the first to take the HIV Shower Selfie Challenge. And if you don't want to soap up in the shower you can always just donate to show support. I did!


Find out how to participate or donate at the link below:

bit.ly/CUREAIDS

Find out more about Jack at: http://www.jackmackenroth.com/

Shop Till You Drop! "Dallas Buyers Club"

Last night I saw one of the best films ever "Dallas Buyers Club!"  In case you are not familiar with this amazing movie that stars Matthew McConaughey , Jared Leto & Jennifer Garner here's what it's about:

Matthew McConaughey stars in DALLAS BUYERS CLUB as real-life Texas cowboy Ron Woodroof, whose free-wheeling life was overturned in 1985 when he was diagnosed as HIV-positive and given 30 days to live. These were the early days of the AIDS epidemic, and the U.S. was divided over how to combat the virus. Ron, now shunned and ostracized by many of his old friends, and bereft of government-approved effective medicines, decided to take matters in his own hands, tracking down alternative treatments from all over the world by means both legal and illegal. Bypassing the establishment, the entrepreneurial Woodroof joined forces with an unlikely band of renegades and outcasts - who he once would have shunned - and established a hugely successful "buyers' club." Their shared struggle for dignity and acceptance is a uniquely American story of the transformative power of resilience. 

Garner, McConaughey & Leto Sitting In A Tree

The transformative power of resilience, dignity and acceptance are very powerful things and because they are, so is this film.

For me this is one the best I have seen this year. It was such a testament to what we all can do as human beings in adverse circumstances and the power of loving your fellow man.

The direction, cinematography and performances were all top notch.

My prediction is Matthew McConaughey and Jared Leto who recently won Golden Globes for their roles, will be making speeches at the Academy Awards.

Matthew McConaughey is great, however my in my opinion Jared Leto's performance was brilliant and riveting and I can't wait for him to grab the ultimate gold.

Kudos to Ms. Jennifer Garner as well.

Sprint don't run to catch this one!

"Dallas Buyers Club" : https://www.facebook.com/DallasBuyersClub

Ho Ho Ho, Joe Castro's Scary Christmas

Joe's Christmas 2013 Creation

Tis' the season to be scary... it's to be jolly I know, but I wanted to add a little twist to this Holiday season and  ask someone who you wouldn't traditionally associate with this time of giving what he wanted for Christmas.

For horror fan and filmmaker Joe Castro Halloween is all year round. He writes, directs and does visual effects on all of his horror projects. Yes Joe loves horror and so do I!

Hot off the heels of the big success of his last horror opus the award winning festival favorite "The Summer of Massacre" Joe is doing post on "Terror Toons 3" the sequel to his popular "Terror Toons" series of horror films about homicidal cartoons.

Recently he made a return to short film making with "Attack of the Killer Bees," so what does the King of Gore want for Christmas this year?

3 machetes slaying? 8 corpses rotting? 12 Boogeymen Boogieing? Let's find out, if you dare...

Oh The Weather Outside is Frightful

5) a studio funded film I get to direct

4) death to all employees and ppl who produce shows for the SyFy network

3 ) world peace

2) a cure for HIV/ AIDS

1) my very own twin

My very own twin, well I guess you could not count on number one being traditional considering, but this completely was a fun break from usual Holiday traditions, Thanks Joe!

Find out more about the "King of Gore" on IMDB: http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0145581/?ref_=fn_nm_nm_1

Follow him on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/joe.castro?fref=ts