Karuna HIV: HIV Centre on Second Life!

Karuna Centre on Second Life




Karuna HIV: Stories from Second Life

Came across a novel idea, called Karuna, to celebrate the lives of those dealing with HIV/AIDS and making information, support, and creative services available to them in the Second Life community.

Karuna means to ease suffering and bring about happiness and well-being in the world.

Karuna is a Second Life SIM to help people deal with the consequences of HIV/AIDS.

Second Life, as you know is a free 3D virtual world imagined and created by its Residents. Although, Second Life interface and display are similar to most popular massively multiplayer online role playing games (or MMORPGs), it is massively popular among net-savvy patients.

Though these stories are from avatars, they are equally as “real”.

Karuna was conceived not just as an information and education resource, but as a place where creativity and community could grow and thrive as well. As a result, the island was designed to be inviting, restful, and imaginative.


There are six main areas on Karuna, each with its own charm and secrets to be discovered and explored:

1. The Garden of Experience
2. Resource Centre
3. Community Centre
4. Island of Hope
5. Memorial Centre
6. Auditorium and Event Space


The Garden Of Experience

In the Garden of Experience stories of all kinds are collected and shared. You can take free writing courses, attend weekly storytelling and music events, meditate to the relaxing sounds of chakra sound bowls, embark on story and poetry quests, play drums, and plant flowers in honor of loved ones.

The Resource Centre

The Resource Centre provides information and educational. The centre is staffed by a consumer health librarian and offers a wide range of factual data and links to real life resources about HIV/AIDS.

Memorial Centre

At the Memorial Centre you can feature photos of those you have lost to AIDS, the mountain quickly morphed into a symbol of hope, featuring cascading falls, a stunning observation deck, and a secret cave where you can float and listen to singing crystals.


What are Healing Quests at Karuna?

“Healing Quests” are part of the ongoing efforts at Karuna to celebrate the lives of those dealing with HIV and AIDS. Participants in the quests embark on a journey of self-discovery designed to help them tell stories.

Why should people go to Karuna?

There is a small but growing number of people dealing with HIV/AIDS who have come to Second Life to explore and find sources of community and support. Karuna provides such a resource to those dealing with HIV/AIDS.

So without much ado, go on to Karuna at Second Life to see it for yourself!

There you might find a small group of avatars is sitting on stumps around a crackling campfire. Like most avatars, they are each exceptionally attractive. Buff bodies, voluptuous curves, and intricate tattoos abound. Clothing is decidedly stylish, and the only hairs out of place are calculated fashion statements.

What makes these avatars unique, however, is that they part of a small but growing number of people dealing with HIV/AIDS who have come to Second Life to explore and find sources of community and support.

Many HIV Patients turn to the Net for the latest, updated information on HIV and for these net-savvy patients AIDS.gov also writes about Karuna.

AIDS facts!

AIDS

View more presentations from Abhishek Shah.

Some AIDS facts:


1. The ABC of Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome A = Abstinence B = Be Faithful C = Condoms

2. DID YOU KNOW?

3. every 9½ minutes, someone in the United States is infected with the virus.

4. There are more than 1 million people in the United States are living with HIV.

5. Of those 1 million people living with HIV, 1 of 5 don't know they are infected. (People who have HIV but don't know it can unknowingly pass the virus to their partners.)

6. Despite new therapies people with HIV still develop AIDS.

7. More than 14,000 people with AIDS still die each year in the United States.

8. SOME BACIS FACTS

9. HOW IS HIV TRANSMITTED?

10. By having sex, with a person who has HIV infection.

11. By sharing needles, syringes, or other injection equipment with a person who injects drugs and has HIV.

12. From women with HIV to their babies, before or during birth or through breastfeeding after birth.

13. From getting a blood transfusion from a person with HIV.

14. HOW IS HIV NOT TRANSMITTED?

15. shaking hands or hugging a person with HIV/AIDS.

16. using a public telephone.

17. drinking fountain.

18. using restroom.

19. swimming in the pool.

20. sharing a drink.

21. coughed or sneezed.

22. mosquito bite.

23. 3 critical ways of reducing your risk of getting HIV and live longer.

24. 1 Don't have sex at all.

25. 2 Only have sex if you are in a mutually monogamous relationship and you have both tested negative for HIV.

26. Use a condom every time you 3 have any kind of sex. Yes, any kind.

27. BE PART OF THE SOLUTION. HOW? READ ON.

28. We should know whether or not we are infected with HIV.

29. We should If we are know infected, we whether or should seek not we are medical infected care. with HIV.

30. We should If we are We should know infected, we protect whether or should seek ourselves not we are medical and others infected care. from HIV. with HIV.

31. We should If we are We should We should know infected, we protect educate whether or should seek ourselves ourselves not we are medical and others and others infected care. from HIV. about HIV. with HIV.

32. THIS WAY YOU CAN CONTRIBUTE AS AN INDIVIDUAL

33. We should mobilize to overcome the challenges and barriers to HIV prevention;

34. We should fight ignorance and complacency related to HIV;

35. We should increase the awareness about the severity of epidemic and the continued impact that HIV is having on our communities;

36. We should increase the awareness about the severity of epidemic and the continued impact that HIV is having on our communities;

37. We should work to prevent stigma and discrimination—and to increase support for people living with HIV.

38. There’s a lot to do

39. There’s a lot to do THINK ABOUT IT.

40. We must recognize the epidemic here, in this country, for the crisis that it still is;

41. We must recognize the epidemic here, in this country, for the crisis that it still is; We must implement the programs that scientific evidence tells us are most effective;

42. We must recognize the epidemic here, in this country, for the crisis that it still is; We must implement the programs that scientific evidence tells us are most effective; We must ensure that those who need effective prevention interventions have access to them;

43. We must recognize the epidemic here, in this country, for the crisis that it still is; We must implement the programs that scientific evidence tells us are most effective; We must ensure that those who need effective prevention interventions have access to them; We must come together to intensify efforts and the stop this epidemic.

44. It’s possible . . . . . . . . . . . .

45. Together, we have the power to change the course of the HIV epidemic.

46. We will see the Sunshine. Together.

Michael Jackson Dies! ? Drug Overdose?

The King of POP, Michael Jackson dies of a massive heart attack! The LA times reports in detail!

Now when such a high profile artist dies of a heart attack, many people will think that he has taken a drug over-dose.

I am sure that he may have overdosed on prescription drugs or snorting cocaine, but that will be known shortly after the post-mortem that is being held.


MJ has had a very troubled life from his childhood, I am sure you all are aware of that and that he is very likely to be on presciption drugs for lots of percieved disorders and stress!

Nevertheless, i am a big fan of MJ and will miss his songs and dance numbers!

May God Rest his Soul in Peace!

iStraw - Prevents Delhi Belly! Water Purification Straw!

iStraw

The first time, I looked at iStraw, I thought you can’t be serious, how can a product so small clean upto 500 litres of water. That is what the manufacturers claim, 500 litres of sterile water from a straw. But the ease and the portability of the iStraw is such that, you will love the convenience of it. All you have to do is “Suck”!

Lets face it, who would want to spend their entire holiday on the loo, by not drinking filtered water. That is not even including the hassle to see a Doctor and to pay for antibiotics for dysentery. Imagine a long wait in A & E with stomach cramps and frequent urgent trips to the loo!

If you don't know what Delhi Belly is, it is just another name for Traveller's Diarrhoea!

iStraw water purifier is suitable for Personal use to help protect you, your family and friends against water borne bacteria and protozoa that are present in the drinking water and ice of many countries.

A bargain, I would say at £19.99.

So what are the Technical facts about iStraw

iSTRAW is a lightweight portable instant microbiological water purification drinking straw fitted with a special membrane, developed and tested in Australia, which uses Micro-filtration technology to clean your water rather than expensive and bad tasting water cleaning tablets.

Use iStraw and help the environment!

•
Using the iSTRAW reduces your plastic bottle waste, lessening landfill, saving the environment and decreasing your Carbon footprint by upto 600Kg C02 and for this reason it is a GREEN endorsed prdouct.

Britons still consume 3 billion litres of bottled water a year, and there lies the ecological rub, which starts with packaging. Most bottled water is siphoned into PET bottles.
• 13bn plastic bottles sold in the UK last year, just 3bn were recycled.
• 27m Tonnes of plastic used to bottle water worldwide each year.
• 9,000 Tonnes of CO2 produced each year taking Volvic the 1,000km from south east France to Britain. Evian travels 930km from Lake Geneva, producing 14,000 tonnes of CO2. British supplier Highland Spring produces 5,500 tonnes of CO2 per year.


What precautions you should be taking when using iStraw?


1. The iStraw must not be used to purify cloudy or slightly salty (brackish/turbid) water.
2. The iStraw must not be used to purify hot water - that is to say water having a temperature over 32°C or 90°F
3. The iStraw must not be frozen otherwise damage to it's special filter membrane will occur.

For optimum results, submerge the inflow opening of the iStraw in the receptacle holding water to a depth no greater than the high water mark shown in diagram. Once submerged, simply sip through the mouthpiece as one normally sips through a standard straw.

Replace the mouthpiece cover once the iStraw is used.

Do not use the iStraw in conjunction with a pump to filter water.

Update: In case you are going to India, I recommend you stay at Inn at Delhi B&B, book Delhi Tours via New India Travel. If you prefer to stay in a Delhi Hotel, try New Delhi Accommodation dot com.

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Read my reviews of Inn at Delhi, Delhi Airport Hotels, India Travel - Tips for safe travel, and Tips for traveling to India, before you plan your trip. These will save you a pretty penny.
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Related Posts:

* Stethoscope: Doctors prefer Littmann Stethoscopes

* Doctors Emergency Bag Chic or Boring!

* Tips for traveling to India

* Inn at Delhi Review

* Delhi Airport Hotels Review

* India Travel - Tips for safe travel

Nice Short Story!

The following short story was sent by New Delhi Airport Hotel.

--------------------------------------------------------------------
An elderly man in Mumbai calls his son in New York and says,

'I hate to ruin your day son,

but I have to tell you that your mother and I are getting a divorce;

35 years of marriage... and that much misery is enough!'

'Dad, what are you talking about?' the son screams.

'We can't stand the sight of each other any longer,' the old man says.

'We're sick of each other, and I'm sick of talking about this,

so you call your sister in Hong Kong and tell her!'

Frantic, the son calls his sister, who explodes on the phone.

'Like heck they're getting divorced,' she shouts, 'I'll take care of this.'

She calls Mumbai immediately, and screams at the old man,

'You are not getting divorced. Don't do a single thing until I get there.

I'm calling my brother back, and we'll both be there tomorrow.



Until then, don't do a thing, DO YOU HEAR.....??'

and she hangs up..



The old man hangs up his phone and turns to his wife.

'Okay', he says,

'It's all set. They're both coming for Diwali and paying their own airfare!!'




MORAL:
No man / woman is busy in this world all 365 days.
The sky is not going to fall down

if you take few days LEAVE and meet yOur dear ones.
OFFICE WORK IS NOT EVERYTHING IN LIFE and



MONEY MAKING IS NOT EVERYTHING IN LIFE.