When ‘I’ Becomes ‘We’By Rafael Solece 1
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25 931 9 23Mocca In This Issue7 Editor’s Note 37Atlanta Exes9 The Lyon’s Den: Interview 43 What do the Lonely Do With Karton T. Clay27 When I Became We Valentines Day by Rafael Solece 49 National HIV/AIDS 2535 Blackbird A Patrik Ian Resources Polk Film 55 Ask Aunt Pearl36 O.T Fagbenle of 63 Websites, Blogs and HBO’S Looking You-tube Channels 65 National Club ListingsWebsite: www.moccamag.com Advertising: [email protected]: [email protected] Ask Aunt Pearl: [email protected]
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Editor’s NoteHappy New Year!The February issue of Mocca Magazine has been dubbed “theLove and Relationship Issue” Within this issue, we will attemptto bring you articles related to different aspects and differentphases of a relationship. Out hope is to provide the assistance thatsome people in current relationships or looking to start one, willfind beneficial in achieving that goal.We have an article by Rafael Solece titled When I became We. Inthat article he discusses some of the ways you have to adjustbecause its not all about you anymore. When you go into arelationship it is about making the relationship work. Aboutbuilding a better “WE”.I think that his a theme that we all can work on whether it’s aromantic relationship, a business relationship or a casual one. Allrelationships need cultivating. And it is your responsibility togive that relationship all of the help that it need to prosper.We also have an interview with Karlton T. Clay, creator of thepopular series “Lyons Den” In that series we meet a family full ofdisfuction as the work to change that dynamic and become betterin their person and family lives.I really hope that you enjoy this issue of Mocca Magazine andalso hope that you will be able to find something within it thatwill help you to build better relationships. Enjoy!Please feel free to send me any comments or suggestions [email protected] Rodney L. Berry 7
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Interview with Karlton T. ClayCreator of Lyons Den web-series In 2012, Karlton T. Clay released the premi- ere episode of his second webseries “The Lyon’s Den” to the world. And here we are in 2014, just a little more than a month away from the release of the premiere of the 5th season of The Lyon’s Den’s. We had the opportunity to talk with the man himself, to gain more insight into the show and his vision. Mocca: So give us an introduction to Karlton T. Clay Karlton Clay: I’m 28 years old. I’m the oldest of 4 with 2 brothers and 2 sisters. I’m a pastor’s child. I’m a cancer survivor. I wasdiagnosed with leukemia at the age of 16. I have been in remission for the last12 years. I grew up in Augusta, Ga. I graduated from Georgia State Universitywith a bachelor’s of Arts in Film and Video.Mocca: How did you get into acting?Karlton Clay: I actually got into act-ing based on being at the right placeat the right time. I had taken my littlesister to an audition with a local com-munity theater group in Augusta. Ialso had my little brother with me.They were around the ages of 4 and5. My little brother was playingaround, so I told him to sit down andbe quiet. The director heard me say this and told me I have a great voice. Hethen asked me to audition for a part in the play. At first I was hesitate aboutdoing it but I decided to go ahead and give it a try. I end up getting that partand that became my first time acting on a professional level. After that point Iwas able to act in more plays and I developed a love for the craft. 9
Interview with Karlton T. ClayCreator of Lyons Den web-series Mocca: How did you transition into production work? Karlton Clay: I’ve always enjoyed writing since I was very young. I attended a fine arts high school and I signed up for a production class as an alternate. Term after , I kept being placed in the production class so I finally decided to really get into it and found that I really enjoyed the writing and directing aspects. So it seems that different situations ended up plotting my course. Mocca: I see from some of the pictures on your website (www.karltontclay.com) that you are pictured at the anchor’s desk. Tell me a little bit about that. Karlton Clay: I’m an entertainment correspondent (www.KarltonSays.com) and my feature “Hollywood Minute” is broadcast every Wednesday at noon on WJBF News (ABC channel 6). During those segments, I spotlight news taking place in and around Hollywood but I also spotlight the local talent and events taking place in and around Augusta. So the pictures that you’re referring to are stills taken during my Hollywood Minute segments. Mocca: Is the Lyon’s Den your first series? Karlton Clay: No, the first series that I created was called “College Daze”. We have a college TV station at Georgia State University and I planned to create a fictional show to add to the content of that station. I felt the general manager of the stations was giving me the runaround about the show so one of my homies told me I should just release the show on the internet. So I took his advice and released it on the internet. My goal at the time was just get my content out so people could see it. I got some very positive responses from people about the show. The premise of the show is about college kids navigating thru school and their personal lives. They deal with studying, coed issues and different temptations they may encounter. The show ran for 5 seasons (about 60 episodes). The first 2 seasons were filmed at Georgia State, and the last 3 seasons were filmed in Augusta when I move back there after graduation. 10
Interview with Karlton T. ClayCreator of Lyons Den web-seriesMocca: What made you decide to create The Lyon’s Den?Karlton Clay: I wanted to do a family drama series, based on things happeningin the modern day family. I was in church one Sunday and was reading thepassage on Daniel in the lion’s den. It struck me as a great title. So I change thespelling of lion to lyon and made that the family’s name. I decided that with thisseries and was going to be open and honest and uncut in the presentation of theseries. Prior to this my work had been very clean (rated G). But with this series,I made the decision to go a little farther and to push the bounderies more.Mocca: Tell me a little bit about the series. Karlton Clay: The storyline centers around the Lyons family and the patriarch of the family has been murdered. While the family is dealing with this tragedy, all of his secret dealings begin to surface. He was very crooked and corrupt in his life. He had multiple affairs while married Season 1 Cast Members to his wife. He bore children from some of these affairs.The children from his marriage and the children from his affairs are nowmeeting and trying to deal with what is being discovered.Mocca: How did you go about casting the series?Karlton Clay: I put out a casting call on the social media sites but I didn’t dothe normal auditions. When people sent in their resumes and headshots, I startedcasting the actors based on the interviews I had with them. Many of the castmembers I had previously worked with from the theater productions anddifferent plays.11
Interview with Karlton T. ClayCreator of Lyons Den web-seriesMocca: What has the reception been like for The Lyons Den?Karlton Clay: The reception has been pretty great. Many have stated that theylike the realness of the show. I’m a cliff-hanger type of writer, so I like to keeppeople wondering what is going to happen next. I’ve had people facebook me ortweet me and ask why did I leave them hanging with the story. I get more ofthose messages when the cliffhanger is in the season finale. (At the end ofseason 4, my character shot Ryan(his half-brother) because my character foundout Ryan was sleeping with his girlfriend. And I left people wondering if thegunshot was fatal. The new season will reveal that.) Last year I was able toattend the LA Webfest. While Idid receive positive feedbackfor the show, I also receivedsome constructive critiques onhow to enhance the show. Iview my show like a continuededucation, where I continue todiscover new ways to produce abetter product. People will seethe evolution of the productionfrom season to season. Season 2 Cast MembersMocca: What has the receptionbeen like for The Lyons Den?Karlton Clay: The reception has been pretty great. Many have stated that theylike the realness of the show. I’m a cliff-hanger type of writer, so I like to keeppeople wondering what is going to happen next. I’ve had people facebook me ortweet me and ask why did I leave them hanging with the story. I get more ofthose messages when the cliffhanger is in the season finale. (At the end ofseason 4, my character shot Ryan(his half-brother) because my character foundout Ryan was sleeping with his girlfriend. And I left people wondering if thegunshot was fatal. The new season will reveal that.) Last year I was able toattend the LA Webfest. While I did receive positive feedback for the show, Ialso received some constructive critiques on how to enhance the show. I viewmy show like a continued education, where I continue to discover new ways toproduce a better product. People will see the evolution of the production fromseason to season. 12
Interview with Karlton T. ClayCreator of Lyons Den web-seriesMocca: I see that you have won some awards for the series?Karlton Clay: The show has been a part of three festivals: The 2013 MediaMakers Film Festival, The 2013 LA Webfest and 2013 ATL Webfest. Wereceived awards for outstanding Writing, Outstanding Producing, OutstandingEnsemble Cast and 2 of the actresses, Victoria Wilson and Reishal Moniquefrom the series received best supporting actress awards.Mocca: Tell me about the cast of characters of The Lyons Den.Karlton Clay: The patriarch of the show is William Lyons(played by NathanRockwell). Nathan was briefly on my first series “College Daze”. Nathan is justa ball of energy and he wasvery excited about playingthe bad guy role of WilliamLyons. As I was writing theseries, I had Nathan in mindfor that part. WilliamLyons is that character thatyou love to hate. He has noredeeming qualities abouthim. He is a very ruthless Season 3 Cast Membersindividual. (think of a blackVictor Newman from The Young and the Restless.) He has 5 children with hiswife and has 4 children with women he has had affairs with.Lucas Lyons (played by JaPrince Briggs) was the husband of Sheree’ Lyons.But he was killed in second season. Lucas was the oldest of the main siblings.He played the peacemaker and the role model for the family trying to keep thefamily together thru this never-ending crisis. He is a go with the flow type ofguy and didn’t really have the backbone to standup to his wife. Lucas has twochildren with his wife and a third child outside of his marriage. There is aconstant struggle between his wife and the mother of his child. Lucas ended updying in a car accident (Inside Scoop: Lucas wasn’t originally supposed to bekilled off. He ended up deciding to move on to other opportunities, so hischaracter was phased out of the series.) The decision to remove him from theshow opened up a stream of new opportunities to broaden the show.13
Interview with Karlton T. ClayCreator of Lyons Den web-seriesSheree Lyons (played by Reishal Monique) is another one of those characters thatyou love to hate. She is the type of wife where you wonder what did Lucas eversee in her to even date her let alone marry her. And based on that way she treatsher husband, you wonder what she ever saw in him. It is found out that Sheree’ ischeating on Lucas with Norm (who happens to be a family member of the Lyonsfamily and also Sheree’ boss). After the death of Lucas, we start to see a differentside of Sheree as she navigates being a single mother. During this process sherealizes that she doesn’t have to be as mean and bossy as she has been in the past.Keysha Lyons (played byShantelle Wheeler) is the sisterof Lucas and she is a militarywife (or so she thinks). She isalso a peacemaker, trying to getalong with everyone. She is notone to wear her emotions onher sleeve. She finds out thather husband is no longer in themilitary because he was Season 4 Cast Membersdishonorably discharged fordrug usage. It is found out that instead of him being overseas, he is in the US in arelationship with another woman, has gotten her pregnant and is still using drugs.She is torn between a new love interest and her missing husband.J.C. Lyons (played by Sam Evans) is the “thug” of the family. He has beenincarcerated a few times. He is not really trying to get along with the familybecause he feels like the blacksheep of the family. Thru the series we find that heis diagnosed with cancer. Once he decides to reveal this to his family, we start tosee a shift in him because he finds out that his family is actually there for him. Ashe is going through this, he finds out that his girlfriend had an affair with hisfather.Ryan Lyons (played by DJ Jackson) is the runaway of the family. He is notintroduced to the series until the 3rd season. We find that he has reemergedbecause he has some gambling debts that he can’t pay. The family bands togetherto help him pay off his debts. We find that he is broken partially by the fact thathe lost his first love in a car accident (where he lost his unborn child as well). 14
Interview with Karlton T. ClayCreator of Lyons Den web-series Raven Lyons (played by Victoria Wilson) is the baby of the siblings. We find that she was left by the father of her unborn child until season 3 when he returns. But he then informs her that he was struggling with his sexuality and he didn’t know how to tell her. When he returns, Raven is newly married and moving on with her life. Season 5 Cast MembersAdditional cast members include:Torrence White as Malcolm Lyons Antrinese Snell as Aisha LyonsKendra Clay as Shayquan Turner Karlton T. Clay as JaySean TurnerStacy Camille as Ashley Murphy Matt Calcutt as Charles SandersAltina Menefee as Tammi Sanders Kwashane Dijiare as Eric PattersonShatareia Stokes as Bobbi Ward Noah Quarles as Noah LyonsJonah Quarles as Jonah Lyons Jaye Starkes as AJ WilkersonSimone Wilson as Alicia Covington Danny Bussey as Vincent CovingtonKenneth K.B. Brown as Xavier MonroeMichael G. Williams as Norman ClayborneCourtney Dionne as Angel Jackson (Seasons 1-3)Shantay Evans as Jasmine Harris (Seasons 1-2)Those are the main characters of the series and they are a great cast to work with. Itis amazing to see their reactions to the scripts because you can see how investedthey are in the series. I couldn’t ask for a better group of actors to work with.15
Interview with Karlton T. ClayCreator of Lyons Den web-series Mocca: You stated that this is the last season of Lyon’s Den. What do you plan to do next? Karlton Clay: I’m planning to write a new series titled “Lovers and Friends”. I really want to get this one writing while the idea is fresh on my brain. I plan to begin a fundraising campaign to finance the series. I do plan to actually audition the actors for this one. I plan on being loyal to those that have worked with me in the past but I also want to add some fresh faces to the mix. I’ve also ventured into modeling so I plan on pursuing that, I’d like to write a fiction novel. I’d also like to get back into the theater work. The last time is worked in that realm was in 2011. Mocca: You have also produced plays. How many have you done? Karlton Clay: I’ve written and produced 7 plays. I opened Victory Productions (my production company) in 2003. The first play I produced was “Speak to my Heart” I actually didn’t write that play. I was actually in a production of that play and always wanted to produce it myself. The first play that I actually wrote and produced was titled “Leukemia and Me”. I’ve written, produced, and directed plays until 2011. Mocca: With creating an ensemble series with such a large cast, what were your struggles in producing it? Karlton Clay: One of the biggest struggles to me was maintaining the productions schedule. I actually hate that task. With such a large cast and everyone maintaining the everyday lives it is very hard to gather everyone together based on their personal schedules and find that we can all come together to film or rehearse. It has proven to be very challenging. But again I have to thank everyone associated with the series. They are so committed to the show and have made the show a priority. They have been more than flexible with their time. One of the other challenging things is funding the show. This series is being funded personally by me. All of the actors and actresses in the show are volunteering their time to the series. 16
Interview with Karlton T. ClayCreator of Lyons Den web-seriesMocca: What is one of the most surprising things that you have encountered inproducing the series?Karlton Clay: I’m mostsurprised by the number ofpeople that watch to series. Ihave people come up to me allthe time that let me know theywatch the show or recognizeme from the show. Even when Iwas in LA for the LA Webfest,people would stop me and myfriend DJ to let us know theyrecognized us or that theyenjoy the show. Another one of the big challenges is paying for the production.Currently all of the equipment used in the production is paid for out of my pocketand that has proven to be very challenging. All of the actors are volunteering theirtime to the show, which I’m truly grateful to them for doing so. But the cost ofproducing the show still continue to add up.Karlton Clay: I would personally like to give a big “THANK YOU” to everyone thathas watched the show. THANK YOU to everyone that has supported me in any ofmy ventures, all 11 years of Victory Productions being in existence. THANK YOU toall of the actors and Actresses that had worked with me. I’m looking forward tobeing able to entertain new viewers and Bring on new talent as well.The Series “The Lyons Den” is available on You-tube at http://www.youtube.com/THELYONSDENSERIESIf anyone wants to contact me to work with me in future productions, you cansend resume and headshots to [email protected] you want to connect with Karlton or The Lyons Den on social media, do so at:www.facebook.com/karlton.clay www.facebook.com/vppresentswww.facebook.com/thelyonsdenseries www.facebook.com/karltonsayswww.twitter.com/KARLTONTCLAY www.twitter.com/TheLyonsDenWeb 17Instagram.com/KARLTONTCLAY
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The Back of the Closet WhbeynR‘I’aBfaeelcSamoelec‘eWE’Since I have gotten engaged lots of people ask me “What are the keys to astrong and healthy relationship?” I always tell them “Relationships are a lotlike baking. You have to have the right ingredients. But just like any goodrecipe, there is always room for error and just like any good baker youshould always be able to adjust accordingly.” If the dessert comes out toodense you add more milk. If it comes out too loose, add more flour. If it ain'tsweet enough, for goodness sake, add more sugar. The same can be said forcultivating a relationship. Certain ingredients are required: communication,comradery, patience, and even a little chaos. Just like in baking, there has to be some room for adjustments. When things aren't flowing in your relationship, you have to know when to add a little bit more of one or two ingredients to get the relationship to flow just right for the both of you. In my book, some ingredients are more important than others. Communication ranks on top of my list. Now, when I say communication, a lot of people assume I mean how we talk to one another. That's not the case. Though I believe verbal communication is a very important element in a relationship, there are several forms of communication that are key. I won't go into them all, butlet’s take for example physical communication. If you and your partner can'trelate to each other intimately then the relationship is not going to last long.Is sex that important? Hell yeah! If you can't please me, then you don't knowme. If you don't know me then it probably means you don't talk to meenough. If you’re not talking to me then you aren't relating to me. If youaren't relating to me then we can't call ourselves in a relationship. Butseriously, how long are you actually going to stay with someone who’s notpleasing you sexually? And if you are with someone who is not pleasing youwhat does that actually say about you and your self-esteem? If you have self-esteem issues, what the hell are you doing in a relationship in the firstplace? But I digress that is totally a whole other article altogether.27
The Back of the Closet WhbeynR‘I’aBfaeelcSamoelec‘eWe’Most people think that opposites attract but I beg to differ, because when yourpartner has no sense of time and is always changing directions mid-stream andyou are the type of person who has to have some semblance of structure, likemyself, that could easily turn the love of your life into The Most Hated Bitch.In relationships, it’s important to know that the person you are with hassomething in common with you. If you are an ambitious person and yourpartner is the type of person that doesn't stop to just smell one rose but everybush in the garden, clearly that is not a partnership made in heaven. People inrelationships should at least walk parallel to one another if not down the samepath. If you aren't trying to go where I am going and I am not trying to gowhere you are going, then clearly we are not going to end up in the same place.People starting new or in a relationship need to have some kind of camaraderiewith the person they are in a relationship with. If you are not friends and if youdon't have anything in common, the relationship is doomed to failure. Ofcourse, that is where patience comes in. Dealing with another person’spersonality is not easy and we have to practice patience, especially when youare in a building a relationship.Now the white picket fence, 2.5 kids, and little poodle; I am sure willeventually drive me crazy. I know, for a fact that there has to be an element ofchaos in my life. And so does GOD, he knows that we would get bored ifeverything in our lives were perfect every day. So when things go wrong, whenlife isn't perfect, when nothing is right; don't stress it. Go with the flow. Whenthings are not perfect it challenges us and with every challenge there is growth.So when you are building the foundation of your relationship and challengesarise, know that those challenges are what will bond the two of you together; ifyou allow it.There is no one way to bake a cake. There are thousands of different cakerecipes, and variations of those recipes. People change them to suit their needsand the same can be said for building a relationship. No two relationships arethe same. Some require more communication than others. Some require moreunderstanding, and some require a whole lot of patience. People always ask me“Isn't love enough?” and my reply is always the same. “Love is just icing onthe cake”. It looks good, it taste good, and it even makes you feel really good.Unfortunately just because you in love or you love someone does not mean thatthe relationship is going to last.Join the conversation Click here or go to www.moccamag.com to leave your comments aboutthis article. 28
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Mocca Magazine CinemaSpotlight Patrik Ian Polk’s “Blackbird”Patrik Ian Polk’s latest project is set to be his biggest project yet. Polk isdirecting the movie adaptation of Larry Duplechan’s “Blackbird” The film will beproduced by Academy Award winner Mo’Nique and will star Mo’Nique(Precious), Isaiah Washington (Grey’s Anatomy), Terrell Tilford (SingleLadies), D. Woods (Danity Kane), Gary L. Gray (Noah’s Arc), Torrey Lamaar,Nikki Jane, and Julian Walker.Directed by Patrik-Ian Polk (“Noah’s Arc”), “Blackbird” is an adaptation of the2006 Larry Duplechan novel about a 17-year-old boy named Randy Rousseauwho comes from a tight-knit Mississippi family, struggling with living in a superreligious community. He begins having strange premonitions and then hisparents split after his little sister mysteriously disappears, and his mom blameshim after discovering his secret.The film will be screened on the closing night of the Pan African Film FestivalFebruary 16, 2014 35
Mocca Magazine TV SpotlightO.T Fagbenle of HBO’s “Looking” Born (January 22, 1981) in London and raised across London, Spain, and Nigeria. As a child, music was his passion and he played the saxophone in bands across Europe, performing at the Edinburgh Festival, Wembley Arena, the Royal Albert Hall, and even toured Spain. When he was 16 years old, O.T. landed his first proper role in a Nigerian adaptation of the William Shakespeare play Macbeth. Originally hired to play the saxophone, O.T. was also given severallines in the play, and he knew at that moment that acting was hiscalling.O.T. Fagbenle can currently be seen starring as sweet andsensitive musician Frank, in the HBO dramedy “Looking”. Theshow follows a group of gay friends living in San Francisco. He wasnamed as one of Backstage Magazine's Top 30 Actors to Watch in2014. He starred opposite Tia and Tamera Mowry in the Lifetimemovie Double Wedding (2010). Some of his additional creditsinclude: Happy Endings (2011), Brothers (2009), My Boys (2006),and Doctor Who (2005). He can be heard as the voice of 'Calico'Jack Rackham in the internationallybestselling video game Assassin's CreedIV: Black Flag. Music is still a passion inFagbenle's life and he loves to collaboratewith artists from time to time. He recentlyworked with Grammy nominated artistTyga, co-writing the single \"Storm\" for hisBlack Thoughts Vol. 2 mixtape.In his down time, Fagbenle loves to gobackpacking, play basketball, andvolunteers at numerous schools, puttingon free drama and music classes for kids. 36
Mocca Magazine TV Spotlight Atlanta ExesChristina Johnson Moyetta ShawTameka Raymond Atlanta has another reality show coming your way very soon. The VH-1 show Hollywood Exes has produced a spin-off for Atlanta titled “Atlanta Exes”. While the original featured Nicole Murphy (ex-wife of Eddie Murphy and current fiancé’ of Michael Strahan), Sheree Fletcher (ex-wife of Will Smith), Jessica Canseco (ex-wife of Jose Canseco), Andrea Kelly (ex-wife of R. Kelly), Mayte Garcia (ex-wife of Prince) and Shamicka Lawrence (ex-wife of Martin Lawrence), the Atlanta version will bring you a fresh crop of exes. The cast will include Tameka Raymond (ex-wife of Usher Raymond), Monyette Shaw (ex-fiance of Neyo), Christina Johnson (ex-wife of Cee-Lo Green), Sheree Buchanan (ex-wife of Ray Buchanan) and Torrei Hart (ex-wife of Kevin Hart). You know these women will have stories to tell and if they live up to Atlanta Reality show history, there will be plenty of drama. They have to compete with The Real Housewives of Atlanta and Love and Hip-Hop: Atlanta. Atlanta Exes is set to premiere sometime this summer. Torrei Sheree Buchanan37
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What do the Lonely Do Valentine’s DayFebruary 14th marks the day when so many people receive flowers, cardsand chocolates from their partner to show their love. While this time of yearis quite special for some, for others it can be a very trying time. There aresome who have recently ended a relationship or other that can’t seem tofind the right person to partner with. For those people, Valentine's Day can be a very sad and de- pressing time. Having to watch as others are show- ered with gifts and tokens of affection. It has even brought some to the point of contemplating suicide. Well, Valentine’s Day is not a day to give up hope. It is also not the day to be envious of the relation- ships being celebrated by others. It’s only one day out of an entire year. Don’t let this one day de- fine your life or your out- look on your experiences. It might be true that you are not currently in a rela- tionship, but you are notalone. You have the love and affection of your family and friends. Thinkabout how many of your friends and family members that are also not in acurrent relationship. When you think about it, you might know more peoplethat are single than people in relationships. In that light, being single mightbe the norm. And when you think about some of those relationships, youshould thank your lucky stars that you don’t have to deal with some of thethings other people you know are dealing with. There are people on thebrink of suicide or murder because of the relationships that they’re in. 43
What do the Lonely Do Valentine’s DayThere are many people who would love to be in a relationship and be receiv-ing those same gifts. But as luck would have it, they’re not in a relationshipat this time. The thing is, you’re always in a relationship with yourself. Socelebrate that relationship and dosomething special for yourself. Youdon’t have to be in a relationship toenjoy the day. Make the day specialby enjoying your favorite meal.Hang out with friends, enjoying aspa day, relax with a good book,take yourself to the movies and somany other things. Now would alsobe a goodtime to keep yourself busyso you don’t have to sit and thinkabout what the day is. Get out andgo for a walk, take yourself to themall. Gather with some of your sin-gle friend and just do something fun and unexpected. Check out your localactivities section of your local paper. There are always plenty of things goingon within the city. Check out a local music artist or a local poetry jam. If you.Since Valentine’s Day is on a Friday, maybe hit up one of your local clubs or bars. You might just meet someone to take your mind off of the fact that you’re not in a relationship. The time will come soon enough for your rela- tionship. Enjoy this time and cele- brated how good you have been to yourself. And what a wonderful mate you will make for that special person that deserves your time and atten- tion. Now is not a time for feeling self -pity. It is a time to appreciate the person you are and that your best days are ahead of you. 44
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National Resources for HIV and AIDS awareness.Herwe is a listing of HIV and AIDS resource informationNational HIV HotlinesHIV/AIDS Info 1-800-448-0440National AIDS Hotline (24 hours a day, daily): (800) 232-4636AIDS Action Hotline 1-800-235-2331 State HIV/AIDS HotlinesBelow is a State by State breakdown of Information resourcesdealing with HIV and AIDSAlabama AIDS Hotline Information available in English, Span-In Alabama: (800) 228-0469 ish and FilipinoAlaska AIDS Hotline TDD for the deaf: 1-888-225-AIDS.In Alaska: (800) 478-2437 Colorado STD/HIV HotlineIf Calling Out of State: (907) 269-8000 Denver only: (303) 692-2777Arizona AIDS Hotline In Colorado (toll free): (877) 478-3448In Arizona: (800) 232-4636 If Calling Out of State: 303) 692-2783If Calling Out of State: (602) 364-3610 Connecticut Health DepartmentArkansas AIDS Hotline National (860) 692-2783In Arkansas: (800) 232-4636 Delaware AIDS HotlineArkansas AIDS Foundation: (501) 376 In Delaware: (800) 422-0429-6299California HIV/AIDS HotlineIf Calling Out of State: (800) 367-AIDSIn San Francisco (415) 863-243749
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