HIV Longevity

27Jan/121

I take a Scottish Shower every day. You're probably asking yourself, What the heck is a Scottish Shower? Well ... That is a very good question. Essentially it is the act of finishing a hot shower with a cold water shower. As you might guess the effect is IMMEDIATE and POWERFUL. Even in a tired state, I instantly wake and feel super energized. Many people believe that alternating between hot and cold improves blood circulation and that it can be beneficial with rheumatic disorders.

As a matter of fact, many people believe that cold showers help in most or all of these areas:

Better circulation
Better looking hair
Rejuvenated and Improved skin
Enhanced mental capabilities
Helps resist hay fever, allergies, colds, and coughs
Strengthens the nervous systems
Expels toxins and poisonous waste by contracting the muscles
Strengthens the immune system
Improved mood
Dramatically increases sperm count and mobility
Relieves depression
Boosts testosterone

In addition to all of that, Japanese samurai warriors did a Shinto ritual called misogi harai. They would pour a bucket of cold water onto their heads. Samurais believed that “misogi” would purify them on a spiritual level. I dig Japanese history and I REALLY dig samurai warriors ... So, I initially attempted this years ago to see what all of the spiritual hoopla was about.

Before I enlighten you how I do this, and what you can do to mimic my insane actions, I must put in print ...Yet Another Longwinded Disclaimer... I am afraid that before I talk about this enlightening subject, I must first warn you of the inherent danger associated with it… Cold showers can be dangerous, especially to folks with heart disease, high blood pressure, or a fever. As with most anything in life, you can be seriously injured, crippled or killed. (That sounds a bit tense for a cold shower, but I’m covering my proverbial butt!) The opinions, stories and ideas presented here are my own and do not constitute a recommendation of or endorsement for any particular or general use. You should seek a professional medical evaluation before turning your temperature dial down. If you choose to take cold showers, you do so at your own risk.

Also, women should not take cold showers during the time of menstruation because it is recommended that they only experience gentleness during their menses. (I had to look this one up)

Now that we have that out of the way ... Let me tell you what I do, and you can formulate your own approach.

I hop into a standard temperature shower. As a matter of fact, I probably take it a hair hotter than most folks. I get the soaping, scrubbing, and washing done. As I'm rinsing off the soap residue, I gradually turn the temperature down a little bit. I usually do this to prepare my body for the coming torture (note: it's a good torture). Then ... Without warning, I crank the knob all the way to cold. It takes a second or two for your creaky pipes to respond, so use that time to tighten your sphincter and prepare for the wonderful onslaught that is heading your direction. When the cold hits, sometimes I feel like screaming (depending on the day, and temperature), but I keep that feeling inside. Often, I will find myself making anguished faces and once or twice my eyes have even rolled up into my head. But, don't let that scare you off. In all honesty, the Scottish Shower is pure bliss. After a minute or two of rinsing my whole body, I turn the water off. Immediately I get a towel and hug it like I haven't seen it in years!

If you struggle once the cold hits you, try my mental focus tip ... Think about the mental, physical, and spiritual benefits that are a direct result of what you are putting yourself through!

One more note ... When you are away from home (staying at someone else's house, a hotel, campground, or something else) be careful with the fast twist to cold. You never know when you'll run into someone who has considerably colder water running through their pipes.

Additional Notes and Thoughts
Men: Don't forget that you can use the "shrinkage" excuse immediately after getting out.

Women: Don't giggle at your scrawny man when he first pops out of a cold shower!

Little known fact: Did you know that James Bond takes Scottish Showers? Well ... He does. If that ain't proof enough of the benefits, I dunno what is!!!

Does anyone else out there perform misogi?

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Tagged as: cold, cold shower, depression, energize, happiness, health, Scottish shower, shower, vitality 1 Comment

26Jan/126

Can a Joke be a Form of Bullying?

Posted by Vaughn Ripley

I think about this question from time-to-time and have come to the conclusion that sometimes a joke is a form of bullying. Obviously mental bullying can be harder on a person than physical at times. I mean come on … We all know that some jokes can and do hurt feelings. With that in mind, doesn’t it become a form of bullying? I really put some thought into this one this morning when I received a message from a close friend (I don't wanna name any names, but his initials are Richard LaRusso). Before long, I realized that I had a blog post in the making. I thought about making a professional article to address this one, but then I decided to post our colloquial conversation instead.

So … Here is his message that had me putting on my thinking cap:

Hey bro!

I wanted to ask you about something. Somebody posted a picture on Facebook (you know the crap pics people post) and the joke was:
"Don't have phone sex, you might get hearing AIDS"

The reason I'm talking to you about it is, how do you handle this shit?

I mean, it's offensive to me, but at this point in your life does it not even phase you? Does it drive you over the edge? Do you make it a point to draw attention to crap like this so that everyone can see how ignorant it or the person is?

I'm curious because, if something is said that I disagree with, I either disagree or shut up -- but because I "sorta" know you, it just seems even more offensive.

I reported the post, by the way.

This question was deep. And, fantastic! It spawned the following response from me:

I really dig your honesty in asking me this. It ain't easy approaching someone affected by a hurtful joke and seeing what their take is. For that, my friend, you deserve kudos.

I tell ya, the jokes used to hurt. Honestly, they hurt deep. But, I have had and dealt with this for more than 25 years now (as you know). That said, I'm pretty immune to it. Especially immune to it on a social media site, where I expect it. Where it catches me off-guard (still to this day) is when someone says it to my face. You know, someone not realizing that I'm HIV+ simply says a rude joke without thinking. I usually chuckle, but I'm sure that I've caught other friends who see the half chuckle/half hurt look on my face. A few friends, like you, might even say, "hey fuckwad, that shit ain't funny." And, I appreciate the support. The eerie part is that I often feel guilty in these situations, and that bugs me more than the confounded joke!

The tough part is, it isn't easy to discern ... I mean, if I was black, my friends wouldn't just spit out racial jokes ... You know what I mean? So, I can't really blame them for doing something stupid (which we all do at times).

That said, I think I would be wrong for trolling comments from unsuspecting people. I guess my point is: I would never ask someone what they thought about AIDS or HIV+ people before first letting them know that I was HIV+. I think that would be a bit of a dick move.

Thanks for the intellectual question. I rarely get them these days (everyone seems to kind of dumb it down on social media) ... I can really dig the philosophy of it all.

So, to answer your question, my skin is thick and I can take it, bro.

Have a great day!

As I thought about my buddy's question, and my response, I realized that this warranted a blog post ... Bullying seems to be a front-and-center conversation these days. Yet, I rarely (if ever) hear about a joke being a form of bullying. Please let me know how you feel about this subject in a comment below, or privately via email.

Your's truly,
Vaughn

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Tagged as: aids, bully, bullying, depression, feelings, hiv, hurt, jokes 6 Comments

25Jan/120

How to Create Your Own Blog

Posted by Vaughn Ripley

Several times a week I am asked two questions:

What is a blog?
How can I make my own blog?

So, I thought I would take a break from the deadly serious subject of surviving despite HIV and tackle another tough subject: blogging, and how to do it.

What is a blog?
Let’s start with a definition. The term blog was created by combining the two terms “web” and “log.” Somewhere along the line, someone simplified these into the single word, blog. A blog is a journal of sorts that stores and displays (usually in reverse chronology) a person’s blog posts (articles). Most blogs are articles around a certain subject. For instance, my blog hivlongevity.com was created to discuss how I’ve survived all of these years despite being HIV+. As you can see, not all of my articles are specific to this, but most all of them relate back to the subject in some form or fashion.

You will find that almost all blogs out there have a way for readers and subscribers to comment on a specific post. In this way there is often an open dialog between author and readers. Therein lies the magic of a blog!

Should you create a blog?
Do you have a story to tell? Or, do you have lots of things to say that you think others would dig reading? You first might consider sticking to simple social media avenues like twitter and facebook. But, if you, like me, feel compelled to post long diatribes on a routine basis then maybe a blog is for you. First and foremost, will you be able to keep up with a blog? Many authorities in the blogging world recommend posting a blog article AT LEAST once per week. Most say that you should even do more than that (think two or three per week at a minimum).

If you think you have something to share. And, that you’ll be able to share that weekly (or more often). And, (perhaps most importantly) that others will be interested in what you have to say/share … Then a blog may be just the thing for you.

Before moving forward and creating a blog, I would recommend going out and reading other people’s blogs. Find ones that you like and read them on a regular basis. Note what they do that you like, and what they do that bugs you. This way you will be more prepared to provide a good blog for your future fans.

How is a blog created?
One of the first things you need to decide is if you want to host or be hosted. What that mostly means is how your URL will look. When I created hivlongevity.com I decided to host it myself, which gives me the unique URL and a little bit more control (including deciding not to have ads on my blog). If I had gone the hosted route, my blog URL might have been something like: hivlongevity.wordpress.com

If you can afford to pay for a URL and site, and have the additional time needed to manage and administer your own site, I would recommend hosting it yourself. In addition to not having some providers ads on your blog, you also get the unique name, and to me it feels more like your personal site.

That said, a free hosted blog site can be a good way to get started and learn the ropes. Just remember that if your idea/blog takes off and you decide to host it yourself later that you will not necessarily take your subscribers with you!

Creating a hosted blog is extremely easy. You simply go sign-up at a service like:

If you plan to do the hosting yourself, then I recommend using a provider like http://godaddy.com or someone similar. GoDaddy has a very easy process and you can stand up a server with preinstalled blog software using your very own domain name.

I purposely didn’t go into deep detail here, because there are lots of sites that have already done this. If you are new to domain creation and blog install, I would recommend visiting one or more of the following sites:

Another great resource (as usual) is http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Blog

How to attract readers to your new blog
Once you have the blog in place and have done a post or two, start by bouncing it off your friends with emails and status post on your favorite social media sites. With a little bit of feedback, you should be able to adjust and work up to a mighty masterpiece.

When you feel that your blog is ready for the general population, you can freely advertise it by going to other (similar) blogs and replying to blog articles as comments. You will notice that most blog comments allow you to put your web site URL in there … Insert your blog URL. Before you know it, you will start to have a following and it will grow by word of mouth.

Deeper marketing and publicity ideas are easily found on blogs around the web.

Most of all; make sure that you are having fun with your blog.

Now … Start writing!

Your friend and fellow blogger,
Vaughn

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Tagged as: author, blog, inspiration, Journals, motivation, success, write No Comments

22Jan/121

My Wife is a Sexy Beast

Posted by Vaughn Ripley

I'm not looking for brownie points ... I'm not in Dutch with the wife (see: Raising Arizona) ... I am just a man, who is absolutely, totally, and madly in love with the most perfect human being that I know.

So ... This blog article is dedicated (and long overdue) to the most magical person in my life. My darling soul mate ... My better half ... Kristine Marie.

My Soul Mate

I don't always notice her hair cut ... I ain't that kind of man... Don’t get me wrong, I am a [...]

Tagged as: happiness, Kristine, life, love, soul mate, spouse, wife Continue reading

21Jan/121

Stress (fancy word for life)

Posted by Vaughn Ripley

After all of the posts in the secret article thread, I figured it was time to tackle stress. It’s also a very good time to bring it up, considering our last post was about living longer. One thing we didn’t discuss during that article was managing your stress levels. The main reason for this [...]

Tagged as: depression, happiness, health, inspiration, live longer, longevity, motivation, stress, suicide Continue reading

17Jan/121

What Are You Grateful For?

Posted by Vaughn Ripley

I know that this topic has been covered by most inspirational authors and in hundreds of books and magazine articles. Alas, I have my own take on it, and I wanted to share my belief about one of the strongest subjects I know about [...]

Tagged as: family, grateful, happiness, inspiration, life, motivation, success, thankful Continue reading

16Jan/122

Guest Blog Kickoff

Posted by Vaughn Ripley

Starting in January of 2012, I decided to open my blog to guest authors. I'm really looking forward to posting articles from other talented bloggers and authors. I know that many blog sites do this, and I was excited to get the ball rolling on it.

If you have something to write about, and think it might have a fit on HIVLongevity.com, please free to submit your story using the "Guest Blog" page. You can always find previous guest blogs, and add your own by clicking the "Guest Blog" link at the top of every page on this site. Or, you can simply go to: http://hivlongevity.com/guest-blog.

Before submitting an article for review, make sure you read through our terms and conditions.

Also, please understand that I may not post your article, depending on content and how suited it is for this blog. In the event that I do not choose to post your article, I will email you and explain my reasoning, with feedback and potential ways to resubmit.

As always, I rely on your feedback and support. So, please comment on your opinion of this latest direction, and by all means, SUBMIT AN ARTICLE!

Happy writing,
Vaughn

Tagged as: author, blog, guest, guest blog 2 Comments

16Jan/120

How to Live Longer

Posted by Vaughn Ripley

Don’t laugh; the fountain of youth does exist. Living longer does not only apply to HIV+ folks, this information will work for everyone. Following some simple guidelines and principals can have you on the path to increasing your life expectancy.

Many people from different walks of life told me precisely what I needed to do to prolong my life [...]

Tagged as: health, inspiration, life expectancy, live longer, longevity, motivation, success Continue reading

13Jan/122

Getting Results

Posted by Vaughn Ripley

For better or for worse, ALL of the things we do have results or an outcome. Wouldn’t it be cool to shape your life to provide positive and desired/wanted results?

This post is related to one of my passions [...]

Tagged as: improve, inspiration, Journals, kaizen, meaning, motivation, results, success Continue reading

3Jan/120

Ring in the New Year!

Posted by Vaughn Ripley

Well it's 2012 ... Woo-Whoo!!! I have officially lived with HIV for more than 25 years! And, I have lived with hemophilia for nearly 45 years!

But ... more importantly ... [...]

Tagged as: Fitness, happiness, health, inspiration, kaizen, life, motivation, resolution, success Continue reading

30Dec/110

Family and Friends (support system)

Posted by Vaughn Ripley

Most of us are looking for support systems in our daily lives. And, the funny thing is that our family and friends surround us and we often fail to recognize that they are [...]

Tagged as: aids, choice, family, friends, happiness, hiv, inspiration, life, live longer, longevity, love, motivation, soul mate, spouse, success, wife Continue reading

3Sep/111

Bicycle Ride on a Little Ole Hill

Posted by Vaughn Ripley

I have wanted to do the 54-mile Mount Weather loop ever since I heard it existed. It is dubbed as one of the toughest hill climbs in my area. It’s also one of the most [...]

Tagged as: bicycle, bike, exercise, Fitness, hill, ride, training Continue reading

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