Blog Posts + Articles + Happenings
Tag Team of the Century: Hot Beef Injection
One of the best things about Legends of Wrestlemania is that you can create tag teams and then name them. And the name comes up on the screen in the same font that was used on the television shows when I was a kid. If I'd been booking wrestling matches and calling...
Kilt the Sick Days Counter
I had a little tally of "sick days" for this year going on the blog in super small font- so small it seems to have disappeared on me. Oh well, if I knowingly off'd it, then all the better, especially since this year has- thankfully- been good to me healthwise. Last...
Remembering Stephen Gendin
Ten years ago I was getting a few emails from a friend about a special party for a positoid pal who "wasn't doing too well". But I couldn't imagine the Stephen I knew- blue, red, green hair and all- as anything less than vibrant, and at the time, I was wiped out from...
Mad Men Hilarity
Thanks for all the messages on Facebook, email, twitter, cyberverse regarding yesterday's blog post. I've been feeling much better the last couple of weeks and am glad I posted about what's been going on. Since I'm writing about all things personal, I felt compelled...
The Summertime Blues
I won't lie- this summer has been rough. I wrote about dealing with fatigue, the physical kind that can be temporarily alleviated by the occasional nap. But I haven't written about the emotional side of fatigue; namely, depression. It's a word that comes with a lot...
Filmmakers Looking For Young People With HIV
Got a message from my friends at the MTV Staying Alive Foundation about an upcoming film about young people and how they deal with HIV. Filming will begin in 3 weeks, so if you're interested in participating then fill out the Contact Form on my website and I'll...
Microbicides, Men and HIV
This year's International AIDS Conference, which happens every two years, is taking place right now, and Poz is reporting on all of the exciting news coming out of Vienna. One of the bits of news that is generating the most interest is a study of the use of HIV...
I Am Middle-Aged
On Friday I turned 35- my Mom took some joy in telling me that I am officially middle-aged now. She laughed, not in the normal teasing manner that someone does when you pass American society's age of relevance- 23. She chuckled as if to say, "Can you believe this...
Results of Labtest Contest… (Drum Roll)
I'm not flashing a gang symbol for my HIV positive group of surly thugs, The Tainted Bloods, I'm actually showing you my latest t-cell count: yup, 511 t-cells! Woo hoo! While technically it's a lower number than last posted (570-something) four months ago, it's...
Reaction to National HIV/AIDS Strategy
On Tuesday the National HIV/AIDS Strategy was released to much fanfare before the White House's reception dinner for the AIDS community later in the evening- the first of it's kind since the epidemic hit this country well over two decades ago.We've come a long way...
Girls Just Wanna Have Safe Sex
Gwenn sporting her Fashion Against AIDS shirt at coffee the other day. I thought the picture was too damn cute- and poignant- not to post here. Here's to hoping that frank discussions about safer sex are a part of the White House's National AIDS Strategy, which is...
Last Day of Guessing (and Voting!)
At midnight I close the voting on my Labtest Contest. I'm debating whether to sneak in a guess of my own... what I do know is that I'm adding a copy of my latest CD, A Symptom of Life, to the prize mix. Okay, now the pot is sweet enough, so take a stab! Also, while...
Win Lauren Hoffman’s New CD
I have the first item for the eventual winner of the Labtest Contest. While having coffee with yesterday's NPR Song of the Day songstress, Lauren Hoffman, I asked if she'd donate a copy of her new album, Interplanetary Traveler, to the winner.She said yes!So the...
Labtest Contest Time
Last March I held a "Labtest Contest", giving readers of this blog a chance to win something cool simply by guessing how many t-cells I have. Well, tomorrow I get my routine labs done! So pony up with those guesses. For a refresher, here are the rules (subject to...
Back to the Future Day?
I hope everyone had a great day celebrating the 4th of July. I won't lie, I had some beers and a veggie dog (Gwenn and a majority of my friends are vegetarians) and a real dog (I'm still 15% meateater) and then started a week on HIV meds before going to bed. Why HIV...
My Reputation Buried By A Tweet?
I've worked hard to be, if not a respected voice, at least a voice of some reason in the AIDS community. I know, at times, I come across as a bit shameless. But hey, considering the shame so many who live with HIV- in silence- feel, I just consider myself a pendulum...
Sack-Tapping Futbol Fun
Gonna keep this entry light and nimble on the type front. I know "athlete" doesn't come to mind when you think of me, so I won't bore you with the details of my awesome farm league baseball career or my recent tennis injury (okay, I will, it's a slightly sprained...
National ADAP Call-In Day
Thanks to the tireless advocacy of Dab Garner, I am aware of more than the pain of losing fake money playing Texas Hold 'Em on Facebook. Today is National ADAP Call-In Day, so it's important that will all take part and make our voices heard. Read Dab's post from...
National HIV Testing (My Patience) Day
Sunday is National HIV Testing Day. So get tested. Know your status. I know mine. If you don't know yours it means I am a better person than you because I know my status. Assume you're negative? Well, I'm still better than you because I know I'm positive. And, as a...
The Kings of Belmont at Fridays After Five
This Friday The Kings of Belmont are playing at Fridays After Five, Charlottesville's weekly summer groovedown at the Pavilion on the downtown mall. I got the inside info from Catherine, one of my favorite Decker's Daily baristas. So, for lovers of local, homegrown...
New Executive Director at AIDS Services Group
Got a press release (posted below) recently regarding my local AIDS Service Organization- AIDS Services Group- and their new executive director, Peter DeMartino. This is for those who live in the Charlottesville, Virginia area and rely on ASG for their positoid...
Fatigue and HIV
A recent study on fatigue and HIV places a lot of focus on depression and anxiety being causes, thus minimizing the assumed cause and effect of HIV on the body as well as the side effect of HIV medications. For me, fatigue has been a two decade battle. Often, I wave...
N’tnl Mag Looking For Sero-Disco (Poz/Neg) Couple
I got an email from a reporter who is looking for a serodiscordant couple to interview for a national magazine. If you don't know what a serodiscordant couple is, then you probably aren't the right person for this story. Basically, a serodiscordant- or "serodiverse"-...
Follow Me on Twitter, Here’s Why
shawndecker Scary moment w/ fudgesicle- stuck to my upper lip. Luckily @gwennbarringer was close by w/ water. Didn't lose any skin. Follow-up tweet: Pride? That's another story. Positively Yours, Shawn Watch, Friend and Follow me on: YouTube, Facebook and Twitter...
The Harry Potter Alliance
Are you a fan of Harry Potter? Well, you don't have to be to be a fan of the Harry Potter Alliance. And what exactly is that? Think the magic of the J.K. Rowling series, only applied to the real life issues we often hear about but feel powerless to do...
Happy Father’s Day
Love ya dad, you're the coolest.Positively Yours,Shawn
One Condoms Giving Away Free Music
My buddies over at One Condoms are celebrating their big splash in Target by giving away 1,000,000 free songs- I'm honored that Synthetic Division is among the bands whose music they will be sharing. To get your free song, simply do one of the following things via...
BP = Beyond Prevention
So I've been writing a lot about the ban on blood donors with any hint of homosexual behavior over the last thirty years, as well as the reason why passions in the hemophilia community are so high. It's because we know something that is painfully obvious about...
“Comments” Sense on the Blood Ban
Thanks to everyone who rescued the Newsplex crew's Comments Section from the ignoramus known as "Archie"- who is probably just some jackwad trying to be funny. Archie had the post that read: "Good, I don't want any gay blood in me if I go to the hospital!" Even if...
Blood Ban Opponent
I post most of my blogs late at night so you have something to wake up to and enjoy with your morning coffee with. Me? I wake up around noon, and that's when I head out for my iced mocha... but this afternoon? I woke up to an email and voicemail...