Ready two Go...

Ready two Go
by Jason K. Walsh

Though it seems the topic is not discussed as much in recent years, AIDS and the HIV virus still remain as one of most the lethal infections plaguing Americans across the country. According to estimates from the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) from five years ago, there are more than a million people in the U.S. living with HIV and AIDS, and of those staggering numbers, they believe at least one fourth of them are undiagnosed and unaware of their condition. In a more recent study in 2006, they released incidence estimates, which project new infections since the original census, and believe an additional 54,000 citizens suffer from the virus, of which nearly 14,000 are between the ages of 13-29.

Coming into 2009, without a true gauge of those actually affected, those numbers could bring the final totals to nearly one-and-half-million people, with no cure in sight and no forward-thinking policies from the state and federal government to bring an end to this epidemic, as well as no productive means of preventative education.

This lack of momentum towards awareness is one of the reasons why people like Brad Hanson and Marky Ramone came together to start the "Ready two Go" line of safe sex kits. Hanson started Mad BJ, Inc., the company that would later release the kits, after the seeds were planted during a dinner.

"Jim Botsford (Mad BJ's President of Marketing and Strategic Development) and I were dining with friends in St. Paul, Minnesota," Hanson said, "when the conversation turned toward a lighthearted conversation about sex in the spur of the moment. 'Wouldn't it be great to have an emergency sex kit for those times you want to be wildly spontaneous?' Though a lighthearted conversation, I took the idea seriously as I had already lost friends to AIDS and knew firsthand the consequences of not being safe in the spur of the moment."

Hanson and Botsford spent a couple weeks developing their idea before starting the company and moving forward with their plans to not only create safe kits that were "fun" and creative, but providing a "real" solution for consumers as well as vital information about HIV/AIDS and STDs (Sexually Transmitted Diseases). Thus, the "Ready two Go" kit was born.

"Our products are designed to be discreet to thereby reduce the stigmas that surround purchasing sex products and stylish thereby removing barriers of using a condom," he said. "Through our discreet and stylish safer sex kits, we aim to provide the means to be safe every time."

They envisioned a line endorsed by artists and musicians; individuals of which they felt the younger less informed target audience would relate. Through their public relations firm, they realized they had a connection with Marky Ramone.

"Ironically, Marky was in the market to spread the word about the importance of safer sex," Hanson said. "We all knew that this had to be done in a creative, yet fashionable way. After all, he is Marky Ramone. With several renditions, we finally settled on two kits that would allow both Marky and 'Ready two Go' to engage our key demographic in the importance of practicing safe sex while being discreet."

The former drummer from the Ramones was immediately drawn to the project and felt his participation could help bring more fans to making cautious decisions.

"They contacted me and asked me if I would do it," Ramone said. "You know, I've been involved with a lot of charities and a lot of things over the years and I thought it was a good thing to do from my state of mind because it is helping people. Over the last, I would say, five or six years, politicians haven't been talking about AIDS or research or things like that. They might have given money to it but they put it on the back burner and because of that a lot of people are squeamish to talk about it. But, it is a subject that needs to be addressed and I was approached to lend my name to it and my logo so that's what I decided to do. I knew two people who died of AIDS and it's just as bad as any other disease so to be preferential to any one disease doesn't make sense because it is a killer."

The "Ready two Go" safer sex kits come in small tins with a sliding lid adorned with an individual graphic. Inside are two latex condoms, a tube of lubricant, and a small brochure containing information about STDs, instructions for using the condoms, as well as useful hotline numbers pertaining to diseases and contraception. Marky Ramones' signature tin has the Ramones logo on the tin's lid with the inscription "Too Tuff To Break" as well as a personal message inside that reads "Wrap me good like you know you should!"

"It's a takeoff on one of the albums the Ramones did, 'Too Tough To Die' so it's called 'Too Tough To Break' It's just a clever statement. It's just something that might attract attention and from there you can read and get serious over it, you know what I mean? You got to have some kind of punchline, y'know."

Ramone believes that the product is not meant to endorse promiscuousness, but sound judgment as well as providing relevant information about the diseases out there that can be contracted by having unprotected sex. More importantly, he knows this message can translate to all walks of life.

"And it's not just AIDS," he said. "It's other venereal diseases that unfortunately are out there and the thing is it's not only young people. It's older people in nursing homes too that are getting these diseases because they're having sex and not wearing condoms. Yeah and y'know, whatever I can do to promote safe sex to help then that's the number one priority if it helps save lives."

As part of the "Ready two Go" platform to help raise social wisdom and help out the community, they are donating 10% of the net proceeds to a New York City based organization called CitiWide Harm Reduction. The agency is dedicated to help the poor and disenfranchised members in the city.

In their mission statement, they state they "offer a wide variety of outreach, services, and care, to homeless and low-income drug users living with and at risk for HIV/AIDS" and their programs have been developed to "promote bio-psycho-social wellness in a respectful and nonjudgmental manner and, ultimately, to provide participants the opportunity to develop, establish, and reach positive outcomes for themselves." Growing up in Brooklyn, Ramone appreciates the fact that part of the money raised from the product line will go to helping those who are struggling in the streets.

"In poor neighborhoods and things like that, people can't most of the time afford contraception so they'll have sex no matter what and then all of a sudden you'll have AIDS through obviously sharing needles, drug addiction, so y'know, it all goes hand in hand. I mean you can get AIDS from needles and things like that so it's not just sexual contact."

Aside from Ramone, there are several artists who have lent their unique work to the product line. One of them is Patric Carter, a former Navy SEAL who graduated from SEAL training with former Minnesota governor and professional wrestler, Jesse Ventura. After retiring from military service, Carter's wife had encouraged him to pursue his passion for photography. Sadly, she passed eight years ago, but Carter continued to follow his path towards artistic creativity.

"She was and still is an enduring inspiration to me," he said. "As I developed, I began a fascination with light, and especially shadows, which reveal a whole other world."

Using the stills he captures through the camera's eye, he creates colorful circular pieces through digital manipulation. His extraordinary designs, which he refers to as "image alchemy," are born through experimentation.

"All imagery is based in photography," he said. "I shoot everything from sunsets to flowers, and then I play with them in Photoshop, having no definitive idea of what they will be until I get the good vibes from a piece. I look at it as color therapy, which makes me feel good. I feel my art has therapeutic vibrational healing values for me."

Carter was recruited by the company when they became aware of his unusual style of art. He didn't hesitate to climb onboard.

"A 'Ready two Go' investor saw my art and asked if she could send some imagery to Brad and Jim," he said. "As I have three grandchildren, I want them to have the tools needed to be safe, so that their dreams can come true. Life is too precious to take unnecessary risks. Not only is sex fun, but along with it comes responsibility, not only for yourself but your partner and the other people in your life. As an artist, I hope that I can make these safe sex kit tins attractive and convenient while passing along the message that real men use condoms because we care, and that responsible women insist that their partner is 'Ready two Go.'"

Carter and the "Ready two Go" folks collectively decided to use the image "Vera" from his collection for his signature design, which he says not only reflects his unique style but might "catch the eye" of interested customers. He says his own eye for things out of the ordinary comes from his experience in the military and the age-old soldier credo of "attention to detail" helps him as an artist.

"Being a Navy SEAL you are a trained observer," he said. "Things out of the ordinary could be very detrimental to a mission's success if not noticed. Our skills of immediate analysis, evaluation, and communication of situations are imperative for survival and success. These skills naturally transferred to my photography in ways that I am still discovering."

Now the mission for Americans is to discover how to successfully survive in a day and age when one night's pleasure can be lethal. "Ready two Go" is all about survival, awareness, and education, by providing a sensible means of avoiding dire consequences from lack of preparation. Ramone places the blame on those that Americans look to for guidance.

"Politicians should be doing that but I think in this climate, they're not doing it like they used to," he said. "Maybe because the God-church, Christian right-wing thing, they don't want to promote that in schools or churches and I know those are the places to teach. You know, what does it take? The whole idea of the church and this other thing is to save lives, et cetera. In schools, kids are very open to learning things and I would think that would be one of their top priorities."