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In
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Newsletter Staff Editor
Board of Directors Ronald
Moore
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Pulitzer Prize winner Mike Luckovich to speak at January meeting By Jason A. Cecil AEN is pleased to announce that January's speaker is Mike Luckovich of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution who received the top honor of his profession when he won the 1995 Pulitzer Prize for editorial cartooning. The prize committee praised his work for its creativity and effectiveness. The Pulitzer is only one in a long line of awards for the cartoonist. Luckovich was a runner-up for the award in 1987. In 1989, he won the Overseas Press Club's award for the "Best Cartoons on Foreign Affairs for 1989," and in 1991, he was awarded the National Headliners award for editorial cartoonists. After freelancing and selling life insurance to make ends meet following his graduation from the University of Washington in 1982, Luckovich landed his first cartooning job at the Greenville News in South Carolina. Luckovich was then hired by The Times-Picayune in New Orleans, where he stayed for four years before moving to Atlanta. Luckovich's nationally syndicated cartoons appear in more than 350 daily publications, including The Washington Post, Detroit News, Seattle Times, Los Angeles Times, Chicago Tribune, Nashville Tennessean and Houston Chronicle, and are reprinted regularly in Time, Newsweek and The New York Times. Luckovich and his wife, Margo, have three children. His hobbies include exercising and collecting unique ties. Mark the date on your calendar: TUESDAY, January 15, 2002 Sheraton Colony Square Program begins at 7 p.m. View his work at ajc.com.
On Thursday, November 15, 2001, Roby Chavez spoke to AEN as its featured speaker. Mr. Chavez is an openly gay reporter for WSB-TV here in Atlanta, although his last airdate will be January 16, 2001 since WSB has declined to renew the last year of his contract. It was one of two shocking revelations during his speech, the other being an admission that he has been HIV positive since August 2000. When AEN extended its invitation to speak, Mr. Chavez decided that would be the time he would reveal his HIV status publicly for the first time. The decision by WSB to terminate his contract came later, and it was an unhappy coincidence that both pieces of news arrived simultaneously. The audience listened with rapt attention as Mr. Chavez shared his personal story, many being moved to tears by the end. Several AEN members commented afterward on the electric atmosphere as Mr. Chavez spoke, of the intimacy of sharing very personal details of a stranger's life but still feeling like the room was full of good friends. Mr. Chavez said he hoped that being open about his HIV status will somehow help others, though he is not certain what form that will take. He believes education needs to be taken up a notch. Due to improved medication, having the virus that causes AIDS is no longer seen as a death sentence, but a manageable disease. What we have not heard, however, is what exactly it takes to manage the disease. As for his career after his WSB contract expires, Mr. Chavez said he "has no clue." He said he has had some offers from national networks, but does not have any concrete plans. "I've not abandoned my career," Chavez said. "I'm not looking to give it up, because I've worked very hard and it's something I've always wanted to do." 
On Thursday, February 21, 2002, AEN is proud to have as its speaker, the Director of the White House Office of National AIDS Policy, Scott Evertz. In April 2001, President Bush appointed Mr.Evertz to serve as the Director of the White House Office of National AIDS Policy. Mr. Evertz, who also is a member of the White House Domestic Policy Council, leads an expanded AIDS office that is responsible for both domestic and international HIV/AIDS issues. The Office of National AIDS Policy also serves as the Executive Secretariat for the President's Cabinet Task Force on HIV/AIDS, which is co-chaired by Secretary of State Colin Powell and Secretary of Health and Human Services Tommy Thompson. Before his service in the White House, Mr. Evertz had been a public policy advocate in the State of Wisconsin for people with HIV/AIDS since 1992. He worked closely with then-Governor Thompson, to create one of the best service delivery systems in the nation for people with HIV/AIDS. In his professional career, he has worked for a number of AIDS service organizations that provide housing, rehabilitation and hospice care. Immediately prior to joining the Bush Administration, he was providing counsel to an ecumenical, faith-based organization in Milwaukee that operates a housing program for people with HIV/AIDS. Mr. Evertz also served for several years as legislative director of the Log Cabin Republicans of Wisconsin before being elected State President in 1998. He was instrumental in the passage of a Wisconsin State law in 1997 ensuring hospital visitation rights for gay and lesbian partners. He also worked closely with then Governor Tommy Thompson on a successful effort to insert language on national AIDS policy into the 2000 Republican Party platform. His talk with AEN promises to be an enlightening look into the machinations of public policy making at the highest levels, especially in times of national crisis resulting from the terrorist attacks of September 11. WE NEED YOUR HELP! AEN needs your help in planning celebrations for our 10th anniversary this May. We also need help in planning a follow-up event to our successful Building Bridges diversity workshop. If you are interested in helping with these projects, please call the office at 404-724-9008 or send an e-mail to office@aen.org. 
Happiness comes from the inside out by
Ann McAllister, Ph.D. This is the time of year when we are wished happiness every time we turn around. Happiness is something we all want and seek. Most everyone knows how happiness feels and whether or not she/he is happy. Far fewer people know where happiness, that has any staying power, comes from. I thought the New Year's season a good time to share some of the latest findings on what makes people truly happy. Wealth doesn't make people any more or less happy. Once people move above poverty and have plenty to eat, decent shelter, medical care, etc., wealth has little to do with happiness. In fact, in the United States, billionaires are only a little happier that folks with average incomes. Lottery winners' happiness goes up considerably for a few months after the win, but then returns to previous levels over the long haul. Happiness doesn't come from outside of us. That is really good news! We have a great deal of control over whether we are happy or not. Let's look at what happy people do. Happy people are active. They pursue goals that have meaning for them and participate in activities that give them pleasure. Happy people have dreams and take risks. The dreams can be very modest or very bold, but happy people have a sense of moving toward something meaningful to them. Happy people know how to forgo short-term desires for larger, more important goals. Happy people know how to make and keep promises to themselves. They don't let themselves down too often. Happy people know how to keep their expectations realistic. For instance, if I want to become a world-class skier, I can possibly do that. But the world class I need to aim for is made up of middle-aged folks who took up skiing in middle age. If I can only be happy if I win an Olympic medal, then I am doomed to unhappiness. Happy people have meaningful relationships with other people and, often, have large social networks. For those of us who are fortunate enough not to live in grinding poverty, or face daily violence, or live with a chemical imbalance of the brain, happiness is a set of skills that can be learned. Maybe learning or improving on one of those skills would make a great New Year's resolution. Both
Sides Then and Now: From Tora Bora to Your 401k Happy New Year! The strange, sad year of 2001 is behind us, and it's time to face the next chapter of the New Millennium. To paraphrase songwriter Joni Mitchell, something's lost and something's gained in living every day--and never was this truer than last year. World events certainly whacked all of us. While our sense of security may have been compromised, many of us renewed our focus on the basics, like our relationships, our health, appreciation of nature, charitable causes, the patriotic exercising of credit cards… On the lighter side, think of how our Asian geography skills have improved: who'd heard of Jalalabad, Kandahar or Tora Bora before September 11? On the sobering side, we were also sadly enlightened about the plight of many Afghan women and children. Hopefully, this has increased worldwide focus on the roles played by employment, education and health in the political fate of countries, struggling or otherwise. And who could forget the excitement on the economic front last year? The bad: already wobbling toward recession, the economy appeared to completely derail following September 11. The good: interest rate cuts, tax relief and the degree of attention everyone's now paying to his or her 401k! Yes, Virginia, you can lose money making a living. We are doubtless wondering where to go from here. Well, here's more good news. Like a large dysfunctional family experiencing a fit of efficiency, the U.S. Congress last year managed to pass some taxpayer-friendly legislation. Quibbling continues over additional "economic relief" measures, but changes already enacted are impressive. Here's a summary of some of the more noteworthy changes regarding retirement plan funding:
The energy sector taught us another lesson last year. That is, it's never too late to review your investment and retirement portfolios to ensure that you're well diversified. In sum, who knows what a year will bring? Who thought there'd be bad Tom Cruise movies? Let's all pledge to control what we can! See a financial and tax advisor and make sure you're making the most of your resources. Here's to 2002 and the wisdom gained by living. Fran Levine is located at the Atlanta Financial Center, 3333 Peachtree Rd. NE, Atlanta, GA 30326. She may be reached at 404-266-6602 or by email at frances.h.Levine@rssmb.com.Source: (Data) The Economic Growth and Tax Relief Act of 2001, Joint Committee on Taxation, U.S. House of Representatives. Salomon Smith Barney does not give legal or tax advice. Please consult with your legal and/or tax professional for such guidance. |
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Roby
Chavez stuns, then moves audience
February
Speaker: Scott Evertz