WORLD AIDS DAY AND HAPPY BIRTHDAY REMEMBRANCES

Today is World Aids Day-- the 19Th such occurrence. The masks worn here were done so by students in Agaratella, India yesterday. India bears the horrendous distinction of having the most HIV infections since all of this began-- that number is 5.2 MILLION. Rates of infection continue to grow with four million new infections every single year. Today is the 25Th Anniversary of the first case of AIDS that was identified and ten years since the formation of UNAIDS, the United Nations arm formed to fight the virus. Twenty-five million infections and cases reported in twenty-five years-- incredible. The disease took my amazing cinematographer cousin, James Crabe back in 1990 and my own John has it as well-- but now, thank God, so well under control! A public commemoration was held yesterday at Saint Bartholomew's Church in New York City I am told. UN Secretary General Kofi Annan told the audience that this virus "is the greatest challenge of our generation! We simply need to work as hard as we can to fight this dreaded disease. This morning, my good friend Tony Westbrook sent me a link to a "Light the Candle Bristol Myers web sight. For everyone that "lights the candle" on the web site, Bristol Myers will donate one dollar to AIDS research On a happier note, I would like to wish a Happy Birthday to Bette Midler, the Divine Miss "M" (born in 1945) -- who made her career by starting to sing in bath houses and the great comic Woody Allen who was born on this date in 1935 and a special memory of Mary Martin was born on this date in 1913. Today should also see big advances in retail sales. Bye for now!