How would you like a tall, elegant, black-glazed ceramic mug with an outsized curvy handle for only two bucks? Pretty darn good deal, eh? How about if I told you the mug had “CPW Dentistry,” along with the business’s phone number imprinted in white? Would that be a deal-breaker—or up the ante for you?

Whether you’re a fan of the ironic, the kitschy, the camp, the scarce—or just can’t resist a bargain—you will want to get your fine self to a Housing Works Thrift Shop, where I just spotted the above. And if you’re within the sound of my voice, or at least within the geographic parameters of this newspaper, be assured there is an HW near you: from the Upper West Side (Broadway and 96th) to Chelsea (143 W. 17th St.), with pit stops between. If you dare to cross our southern border, be advised you needn’t pack a sandwich in case you get lost: The HW bookstore café at 126 Crosby St. has snacks and suds.

Has it really been two decades since the original HW shop opened on West 17th? Indeed it has, and while there are now various outposts, know that shopping at whichever locale you choose helps the same worthy cause: ending the often twinned crises of HIV and homelessness.

Speaking of homelessness, many of us lucky enough to have roofs over our head have entered the nesting stage of winter: post-holidays, we’re tired and broke and weather-whipped. Ah, here’s the fix: a steaming mug of cocoa in, say, that “CPW Dentistry” mug we were smart enough to snag!
What could be more cheering than serendipitously scoring when sorting through often one-of-a-kind wares being sold for a song? Not that it need be said—though here I go saying it, anyway—in any venue with many singular pieces and high turnover, please take examples cited here as simply, though accurately, representative of the kinds of finds you can expect; you may well discover even better stuff.

That said, there’s often a good selection of small, novel kitchenware, and if you’re looking for a new mug, or want to add to an existing collection of quirky cups, consider such additional examples as the one reading “Howe Caverns” with a colorful, if hard to figure out, depiction of the natural attraction ($2); and “YOGA BADASS” followed by “deal with it” (um, should a yoga devotee be this truculent?). The latter cup, perhaps to make up for its bad attitude, had a $1 sticker.
Perhaps most predictably, what you should find at these thrifts are lots of blue jeans at OMG prices. I spotted men’s classic five-pocket Gap Boot Fit jeans tagged at $10, the same price I recall seeing on denims at HW maybe 10 years ago. A dusky blue-and-black-checked Calvin Klein Jeans casual men’s shirt in irresistibly soft cotton was going for $15.

There often seems to be a plethora of black separates for women (well, this is New York); in black skirts alone, I spotted velvets, faux suedes and real leathers. Loved a humble black corduroy—label missing, but who cares—tailored skirt for $15. Paired with a fitted blazer, such as the Grace Elements paisley brocade tagged at $25: knockout.

“Oooh, a Slinky!” a grown-up near me suddenly exclaimed, as she reached over for the “famous walking spring toy,” selling for $2. “I haven’t seen one of these in a long time,” she wistfully added, as she played with the toy that, as its box declares, “moves without motors!”

See—serendipity: What’d I tell you?

It’s impossible to fully summarize Tom Duane’s political career, which has spanned over 23 years, but we’ve identified some of the most notable moments along the way.

1989- After working as a Wall Street broker, among other professions, Tom Duane starts to volunteer for his local community board and eventually starts working for City Comptroller Elizabeth Holtzman. Duane runs against incumbent candidate Carol Greitzer for City Council but is defeated; Greitzer secures the Democratic line.

1991- Duane runs again for the City Council. On Aug. 7, Duane announces he is HIV positive. He goes on to beat Liz Abzug and Victor Del Mastro, becoming the nation’s first openly HIV-positive person elected to office. He and Antonio Pagan become the first two openly gay New York City council members.

1993- Local Law 44, co-sponsored by Duane, becomes law. The legislation prohibits landlords from discriminating against tenants and applicants receiving Section 8 aid or other government-funded housing assistance.

Photo Courtesy of Tom Duane's office.

1994- Duane challenges Rep. Jerrold Nadler in the Democratic congressional primary, but Nadler wins re-election.

1997- The City Council unanimously passes the Chelsea 197-A plan, a community-initiated land use plan, which Duane had worked on for over a decade.

1998- Duane wins election to the New York state senate, becoming its first openly gay and HIV-positive member.

1999- Duane and City Council Member Christine Quinn, his former chief of staff, get arrested after leading a gay contingent trying to join the St. Patrick’s Day parade. They were demonstrating against an Irish-American group that banned a gay Irish contingent from participating in the parade.

2001- Duane first proposes the Marriage Equality Act in the New York state Senate. Sen. David A. Paterson co-sponsors it. Eighteen Democrats sign on as co-sponsors in 2007. It was voted down that same year.

2002- Duane helps lead the successful passage of the Sexual Orientation Non-Discrimination Act, known as SONDA.

2006- Duane helps lead the successful passage of Timothy’s Law, which includes the addition of mental health parity by insurance companies for all patients.

Duane at an Anti-Graffiti Rally in August 2009. Photo Courtesy of Tom Duane's office.

2009- Duane once again introduces the Marriage Equality Act to the Senate after it passes the Assembly, but the bill is defeated 38 to 24 that same year.

2011- After a decade of fighting for same sex marriage, the Marriage Equality Act was signed into law June 24, taking effect a month  later. “What this bill will do is say that we are family in a way that no other word can. And that word is marriage,” Duane reportedly said at the time.

2012- On June 4, Duane announces his retirement from the state senate. His last day in office will be Dec. 31.

I also predict that the city will continue to cut funding for homeless people who are HIV positive. Our organization will continue to advocate on their behalf.

By Fred Cicetti

Q. I’m a 65-year-old man who is dating a 58-year-old woman. Recently, my grandson, who is rather outspoken, asked me if I was protecting myself against AIDS. At the time, I thought the question was ridiculous, but now I’m wondering.

A. A growing number of older people have HIV/AIDS. About 19 percent of all people with HIV/AIDS in this country now are over age 50. New AIDS cases have risen faster in the over-50 population than in people under 40.

According to a British study, people over 50 with HIV are more likely to be diagnosed with late-stage disease than younger adults. They are also more than twice as likely as younger people to die within a year of their HIV test.

“We have a group of people who don’t get tested because they don’t think they are at risk,” said Dr. Valerie Delpech, of the U.K. Health Protection Agency Center for Infections in London, who worked on the study.

Since the early ’80s, HIV in people over 50 accounted for about 10 percent of all cases. However, the method of transmission has changed. Blood transfusion was once the major transmission mode. Now, heterosexual contact and IV drug use are the main causes of HIV infection in seniors.

Heterosexual transmission in men over 50 is up 94 percent, and 107 percent in women since 1991.

But there may even be many more cases, because doctors do not always test older people for HIV/AIDS during routine exams, and older people often mistake signs of HIV/AIDS for the aches of normal aging so they don’t get medical attention.

The number of HIV/AIDS cases among older people is growing every year because older Americans know less about HIV/AIDS than younger people, healthcare professionals often do not talk with older people about prevention and older people are less likely than younger people to talk about their sex lives or drug use with their doctors.

HIV (human immunodeficiency virus) is a virus that damages the immune system. This makes you vulnerable to diseases, infections and cancers. When that happens, you have AIDS (acquired immunodeficiency syndrome), which is the last stage of HIV infection.

HIV symptoms include headache, cough, diarrhea, swollen glands, lack of energy, loss of appetite and weight loss, fevers and sweats, repeated yeast infections, skin rashes, pelvic and abdominal cramps, sores and short-term memory loss.

Your health care provider can test your blood for HIV/AIDS. You can also test your blood at home with the “Home Access Express HIV-1 Test System” that you can buy at your drug store.

Anyone can get HIV and AIDS. HIV usually comes from having unprotected sex or sharing needles with an infected person, or through contact with HIV-infected blood.

You cannot get HIV from: casual contact (such as shaking hands with someone who has HIV/AIDS); using a public telephone, drinking fountain, restroom, swimming pool or hot tub; sharing a drink; being coughed or sneezed on by a person with HIV/AIDS; giving blood; or a mosquito bite.

You may be at risk if you do not use condoms, you do not know your partner’s drug and sexual history, you have had a blood transfusion or operation in a developing country, you had a blood transfusion in the United States between 1978 and 1985.

There is no cure for HIV/AIDS. But if you become infected, there are drugs that help keep the HIV virus in check and slow the spread of HIV in the body. Doctors are now using a combination of drugs to treat HIV/AIDS. Although it is not a cure, the drugs are greatly reducing the number of deaths from AIDS in this country.
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If you have a question, please write to fred@healthygeezer.com.