Vaughn Ripley's Blog, page 5

How to Boil a Frog

I thought about titling this article, ”A Look at Why Some People Thrive, and Others Do Not.” However, that seemed a bit wordy, unclassy, and simply pompous … Talking about frogs on the other hand is fun, goofy, and downright cool. So … The title is what it is. I’m sure everyone knows how to [...]

all hail the garryowen geezers

i'm sitting in an irish pub. this is where the magic happens... i have made friends here. i have a writing group meeting here every week where i can find support and give support in the creation of the art of writing. the guinness flows freely, and the indian bartender vish makes the very best [...]

Which Cloud is Grandpa?

What happens to us when we die? Why did Grandpa die? Where do we go when we die? Why do we die? When will I die? Die, die, die … These are common questions from our children. They are also common for many of us. This article will not point to answers, instead it is [...]

Vitamins: The Newest Public Health Threat

With the boost in advertisement for vitamins and supplements, you may have jumped on the bandwagon, assuming that these products are safe. Unfortunately, many people are quickly finding out that all vitamins and supplements aren't what they're cracked up to be. The products that you think are safe for your body may actually be doing [...]

Women’s Health on Pregnancy and HIV

Editor's Note: The statistics and information listed here does not reference a specific resource, so I cannot guarantee their validity. That said, this is a very useful and staggering article! Pregnancy and HIV are more common now. Annually, 6400 women become pregnant while infected with HIV. In the past, there were many complications associated with [...]

When Life Throws Decreasing Radius Curves

Sometimes life does throw decreasing radius curves at us. I suppose before I dive into today's lesson, I should first explain this mythical curve to those of you who have no idea what a decreasing radius curve actually is. Most of you can simply guess based on the name alone. But I will take a [...]

Live Until You Die

I am an asshole. The reason I say this is because I spent the entire month of September reading Mary Tyler Mom’s story about her amazing daughter’s battle with cancer. Every day, I read with tear stained eyes, wrapping myself in a bubble of fear as her words made every parents worst nightmare – come [...]

Distraction Tactics

This article might or might not be what you expected when reading the title. Essentially I was thinking about how we humans use diversionary thoughts and practices to avoid facing the tough challenges we tackle in everyday life. Sometimes this strategy is on purpose and sometimes it is subconscious and we have no control over [...]

I Will Always Remember

I will always remember where I was and what I was doing on the morning of September 11, 2001. For my generation it is akin to what our parents said about the Kennedy assassination. We will always remember it. ALWAYS! The funny thing is I remember a country that came together. That loved and cared [...]

City Boy with Cowboy Heart

I am fond of saying, "I'm a city boy with a cowboy's heart." Most folks look at me with a tilted head and wry grin when I make that statement. Usually it's right after someone notices and questions my cowboy boots. You heard that right ... I wear cowboy boots. My goat leather Lucchese (pronounced [...]