Twenty Five Thousand. 1 in 25 District residents. That’s how bad the DC HIV/AIDS Epidemic has become, according to today’s Post. That’s an explosion of known cases over a 2004 report that suggested that there were only 16,000 reported cases in DC between 1981 and 2004, and cited only 9,000 still living with the disease.

Today, the District is launching a six month testing campaign getting people from 14 to 84 tested for HIV and AIDS, with a kickoff event going on right now at Freedom Plaza. Today is National HIV/AIDS Testing Day and you can get tested FREE today at a number of DC area locations. I found 75 places offering free tests today, within a 15 mile radius of downtown DC.

It’s better to know than NOT know. An estimated 25% of people who have AIDS or HIV don’t know they are carrying the disease. HIV and AIDS are also no longer the death sentence they once were, with new “cocktail” treatments, the disease is manageable. Go, get tested, find out for sure. There are 20 minute tests that are 99.8% accurate, not needle-based, and the District has a whole host of services available if you test positive. It’s better to know than NOT know.

Other Resources:

Arlington HIV and AIDS group

Alexandria HIV and AIDS group

Montgomery County HIV and AIDS information (no specific department and finding this was hard)

Prince George’s County Services PDF (PDF format, sorry, their website sucks.)

Fairfax County Testing Only (as their website also sucks.)

The Argentinean Embassy here in D.C. is hosting a Classic Tango and Contemporary Art Cocktail Soiree on Wednesday evening featuring Alejandro Contreras. Also in attendance will be Carina Losano, the very person responsible for showing Shakira just how those hips don’t lie. Ms. Losano will be performing with her tango partner, as well as offering free lessons to those in attendance.
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I don’t know why WaPo isn’t reporting on it yet, but my XM weather & traffic radio says that Dulles is on security lockdown and no planes are leaving due to a security failure. Presumably arriving planes are progressing as normal.

Update (1:59p): Well, WaPo still doesn’t seem to think that a complete airport shutdown is worth reporting on but WTOP has this brief blurb. Too bad a few of those folks on the other side of the metal detectors looking at IDs weren’t on the other side where they could have, I dunno, stopped someone from walking away after setting off the detector?

Here’s hoping it was a pocketknife that tripped the alarm and not a firearm that could be hidden somewhere for a future conspirator to pick up.

Famous only for writing about fucking staffers and administration members, Jessica Cutler has found out just how far you can fall after a brief bout with popularity. Many thanks to Wonkette for pointing out that Cutler is now unable to pay her legal bills after being sued by one of her former beaus:

“The judge issued this order after Cutler failed to respond to her lawyer’s motion to withdraw (for nonpayment of fees). So Jessica, if you’re out there reading this, please get back to the court — ASAP.

Personally, we would give multiple body parts to watch Jessica Cutler represent herself. It would be the greatest pro se performance since Anna Nicole Smith. We suspect Judge Friedman would become very sympathetic to Cutler after having an ex parte conference with her in chambers.”

Nicely said, Wonkette, nicely said.

Edited Later : Cutler has requested we link to her name and to her book. I have linked to her name, but there’s no way I’ll ask people to buy her book. Though, if you feel like supporting Jessica, and depriving us of further blogging material, her site will tell you all about it. –TB

Tree Removal

With all the talk of flooding during this time of biblical rains, I haven’t heard the usual suburban moaning about downed trees taking out power lines.

Is it that this is just rain, and not the high winds that usually create tree limb mayhem? Is it that with walls of water, folks aren’t worried about random branches? Or is it that with basements looking like bathtubs, yards are not the priority (yet)?

Me, I’m just glad this truck is mainly empty. I love me some DC green and get sad when I hear of statley elms toppling over.

The D.C. area’s only IMAX® presentation of Superman Returns is at the National Air and Space Museum Stephen F. Udvar-Hazy Center near Dulles Airport. The movie hits Udvar-Hazy and most other local theaters tomorrow. (Buy tickets)

SUPERMAN RETURNS, directed by Bryan Singer, is the world’s first live-action Hollywood feature to be converted into IMAX® 3D. Using proprietary 2D to 3D conversion technology, select scenes (up to 20 minutes) will be converted into An IMAX 3D Experience®, the most immersive cinematic 3D in the world. On-screen cues will alert moviegoers when to place the 3D glasses on, and when to take them off.

Sound pretty cool, if you are willing to make the trip and pay the $12 parking fee. If you don’t want to hit the road, there is always Uptown.

Major congrats to DC Blogs on their swank new redesign. I really love the new colors, they set off your eyes!

For the uninitiated, DC Blogs is both aggregator and local revue of blogs. Check out some of their highlight pieces, as well as the live feed which has pretty much every blog in DC. Not listed? No worries, there’s are instructions on their FAQ on how to get listed with the service and be live with them everyday. Nice work Patrick et al.!

You wanna rent a car? Want to get a deal? Then rent at Thrifty Rental Cars at the MCI Verizon Center.

Now if you want to know their office hours, good luck. You’ll not find that on a website. If you call, they’ll tell you when they close that day. But be warned. When they say 6pm sharp, they mean it.

Yesterday, trying to return a rental, I called ahead to ask them to wait 5 minutes. No dice. When I arrived, by 6:02pm on their clock, they were gone.

Thrifty, in customer service as well as price.

Before you head home into the highly questionable traffic, what with our glorious weather and all, you might want to check out a few of the traffic tools we’ve blogged about here on DC Metblogs.

Yahoo Maps has traffic advisory data (from “Yahoo to your traffic rescue“)

There’s the DC Traffic Camera Map google map mashup if you want to look for yourself. (from “D.C. Traffic Camera Map“)

There’s a Yahoo Traffic Dashboard Widget for you Mac users to get that Yahoo Maps data mentioned above (from “Local Traffic“)

Finally there’s another google mashup, the Google Map Traffic Advisory (from “Google Hacks – The Path to a good life“)

Be careful out there.

Stewing in political central like we do, there’s never any shortage of shop talk. But have you ever called your Senator’s office? I’d bet even in this town you could ask 100 people and 99 never have.

The reality is that it’s pretty easy and you don’t need to be an expert on the issue you’re calling about. There’s some intern on the other end with a chatty voice and you just say you’re a Virginia (or MD or whatever) resident and you’d like the Senator to oppose/support blah blah blah. They might ask you for clarification if you mention a bill and aren’t specific – in my case I initially said “the communications bill” and the nice lady said “There’s several communications bills – do you have something specific in mind?” and I clarified “Ted Stevens’ communications bill” – but they won’t harass you if you say no, I am just for/against this.

If you’re a Virginia resident – and a bit of a tech nerd or just someone who loves their Tivo – you can try for yourself by calling about the broadcast flag and proposed government technology committee. Senator Allen’s office is reachable at 202-224-4024. Ipaq can give you a brief explanation of why they think it’s a bad idea, as well as a list of other senators on the Judiciary committee if you’re not living in VA. Sorry DC and MD, this one’s just us (for now).