"7 in 7" - Episode 4 - Money Isn't Real George - American Diabetes Association

When I was deciding which charities to choose from a couple of them were no-brainers because they were ones that have personally affected my life in some way. Today's charity is the American Diabetes Association. I don't have diabetes but I might have it someday. But I have a couple of family members that do. My Dad has had it for something like 15 years, being diagnosed when he was in his 40's. And if I remember correctly both of my Grandparents have it so there is some family history. This sort of thing should concern me because diabetes has been shown to be hereditary for it arises in the body because of a genetic defect. I'm no scientist but from what I understand about diabetes is that Wilford Brimley has it. Or at least that's what I learned from watching commercials during The Price is Right. And what do you do if you need home testing equipment? Why contact Liberty Medical of course. They bill Medicare and your insurance; you pay nothing up front. Then they'll deliver it right to your door with no charge for shipping. I learned a lot from the old bastard from Cocoon and Ewoks: The Battle for Endor but apparently I didn't learn more than how to get testing supplies. So what is diabetes? And why should I care?

I'm not going to get all technical because that would involve a lot of research. But here are the basics. It is a group of metabolic diseases that prevents the body from either producing enough insulin or prevents the cells in the body from absorbing it. Insulin is a hormone that regulates carbohydrates and fat in the body and allows the body to use glucose as energy. When someone has diabetes their body cannot break down the glucose properly and it remains in the bloodstream and can lead to complications. You may hear the term "high blood sugar" which is very bad because it can lead to a number of problems such as heart disease, vision deterioration, high blood pressure which can lead to strokes or kidney disease, skin and leg issues which can lead to amputation and a multitude of other things that can arise. Sounds pretty horrible, right? It is pretty horrible but diabetes can easily be controlled if people take the right steps to keeping their blood sugar at normal levels or regulating the amount of insulin in the body.

There are three types of diabetes -  Type 1, Type 2 and Gestational. I'm going to focus on Type 2 because that is the kind that my Dad has. For more information on the others feel free to do research on your own. Type 2 diabetes can be regulated with a combination of a healthy diet, exercise and medication. As long as you keep yourself in relatively good shape and eat right, you should have no problem controlling and living with this disease with few complications. The problem is that 25.8 million Americans - 8.3% of the population - are diagnosed with diabetes and it's only getting worse because of the climbing obesity rate and the poor health habits of this country. The ADA estimates that there could be up to 80 million Americans with what they call Prediabetes, which is higher than normal glucose levels but not enough to be diagnosed as diabetes. Like it sounds, this is the precursor to diabetes and can be offset by healthy eating and regular exercise. But once you already have Type 2 diabetes there is no cure for it, just a way to manage it for the rest of your life. And that is why the American Diabetes Association raises money for diabetes research so they can one day find a cure. But that is only a portion of what they do. They supply people with the knowledge and medication to fight their disease. They also act on the behalf of all affected parties by representing them in our Country and insure that they are being considered. While this is a bunch a political mumbo jumbo to me, I take it that they do things like making sure children have access to healthy food in the school systems and that the people who don't have a voice in Congress can have someone on their side. Seeing as how diabetes is very troubling (cardiovascular disease is the #1 killer in America and can be the result of high blood sugar) it needs to be talked about and  always in the discussion when it comes to the general well-being of the population.

All of that was "book" knowledge about diabetes. Funny how I have to put book in quotations these days because I read it all on the internet. Books are becoming obsolete. Sorry about that little departure. Just an observation. All of that medical lingo is over my head and doesn't make it feel real because it is just a statistic. Well my Dad isn't a statistic. He's a person and his name is Michael. For me this thing is personal because I have seen my Dad become weak, get dizzy or become absent minded because of low blood sugar, which is another issue. People with Type 2 Diabetes have to eat on a regular schedule and drink plenty of water, which can be a problem for those who need to stay active to control their illness. I have watched him take handfulls of medicine which help to regulate his disease. I have ridden alongside him in fundraising activities like the Tour for a Cure bicycle ride. I have seen how it affects his life. I have seen what kind of problems it brings and how he has to constantly test his blood sugar and keep it under control. His disease prevents him from eating foods that we love such as ones high in carbs or high in fat. He has to watch his consumption of sweets and tasty things like potatoes and bread. I love toast and french fries more than anything in the world, and knowing that I would have to limit myself would probably make me cry. I can go without the sweets, but you also have to limit the amounts of meats, poultry and butter. This is starting to depress me. Living with diabetes doesn't sound like a whole lot of fun, which is why the search for a cure becomes something that I heavily believe in. For more information and to make a donation of your own please head over to the website - http://www.diabetes.org/

I don't provide my receipts here to show you how much money I am giving away. Believe me, it's not a whole lot. I wish that I could give more. It's my way of being held accountable and putting my money where my mouth is in a way. You read how passionate that I am about these charities so I'm guessing that you would believe me anyway and I wouldn't have to prove it. But it is just something that I have done over the last few days so there is no reason to stop now. While doing research tonight I started getting scared because this is a very real disease that could personally affect me more than it already has. That's because I am at high risk of diabetes due to my obesity and family history. I don't know what I can do because I have already tried getting into a regular workout routine (see my "7 in 7" entry I Want to Look like Jonah Hill by clicking through the Ill Archives on the right) with zero results. I might have been losing weight or at least getting healthier had I kept on going to the gym but I really don't see the point. Even though I've come on here and talked about positively changing my life by changing my attitude and behaviors, I still have so many self-esteem and self-doubt issues that prevent me from seeing the point of all of this. I keep writing about it and in a way I keep doing it, but I don't believe. So I don't try as hard as I could I guess. I don't like to do this but I need help. If you have read any of this "7 in 7" stuff that I have been writing over the last month and a half and if it in any way has made an impression on you let me know. I need some kind of positive reinforcement that I'm doing the right thing. I guess that's just the way that I am. Most people are like that I suppose. I guess I'm just looking for some kind of purpose in this world and some reason why I should continue working at improving. But if I don't hear from you I understand. After all, this reason has to come from within and until I learn how to self-motivate and burst out with confidence I'll be stuck...stuck...stuck. Just like Nikki Baker.

 - pookon - 

www.pookon.com

email: pookondotcom@gmail.com

http://www.facebook.com/MilwaukeeIceman

"7 in 7" - Episode 4 - Money Isn't Real George - Brewers Community Foundation

Anyone that knows me sees today's charity - The Brewers Community Foundation - as no surprise. That's because they have come to know that the Milwaukee Brewers and Scott "Iceman" Reck have become synonymous with each other. I've been working at Miller Park for SportService for the last 10 years and I love my job. I'm a big Brewers fan and am very appreciative of what they are doing to give back to the community. After all, it is the community that supports the team and has helped to build the ballpark that they play in. The community pays the player's salaries and wears the merchandise. The community is the only reason why the team is still here. Without fan support, the team would have left town years ago. Thankfully they are still here. I wouldn't know what I would do without being able to support my local sports team. As well as being a source of income that I depend on to buy alcohol and take vacations, it is my livelihood for the months of March - October. I was only 13 in 1994 when Major League Baseball went on strike and had better things to do than be sad that there was no professional baseball being played. I was probably at the local park playing baseball myself. But the Brewers Community Foundation goes behind Major League Baseball. They make more of a difference than a bunch of millionaires playing a child's game ever will.

Before you lambaste me for criticizing the players for making all of that money I'll have you know that I was just making a point that helping out others and giving back to the community is more important than baseball. Which is why a lot if not all of the players on the team assist the Brewers Community Foundation in various ways including donating their time, money, personal artifacts and all sorts of other things to help connect the team with the fans. There are plenty of charities in the community who benefit from the BCF because they receive money from them. The BCF has the benefit of having a high profile image and revenue generator in the Milwaukee Brewers. Things like the 50/50 raffle at every Brewers Home game and events like the 5K Sausage Run/Walk are huge generators for money which will go to various charities around Wisconsin like the Hunger Task Force, the YMCA, The Boys and Girls Club, American Heart Association, Susan G. Komen for a Cure (Breast Cancer Research), The Ronald McDonald House and Children's Hospital to name a few. There are countless others so a donation to the Brewers Community Fund is like donating to 100 charities at once. And the beauty of it is that they are all local charities or local branches of National charities. That means they are helping your neighbors. Or the children in the poorest sections of town that need help the most. They are helping people that you go to school or work with. They are helping the future leaders of your city. And they may one day even help you if you fall into a position of need. That is how community works. We all support each other. And thanks to the Brewers players, front office, fans and everyone associated in any way with the team, we are supporting our community.

The community isn't just a place. It defines you. It is a system of interconnected people all helping each other to achieve a common goal. One one struggles someone helps them out. And when someone needs help there has to be a support system in place or else that person will never get out of their situation. And the best part about the Brewers Community Foundation? It's easy to contribute to. The easiest way is through the 50/50 Raffle which is available at every home game. For just $2 a ticket you have the chance of winning half of all the money collected, which can reach into the 10s of thousands thanks to the nearly sold out crowds at every Brewers game. And there will be a winner at every game. I don't know how you spend your money, but $2 seems like a pretty good investment to win a couple thousand. And if you don't win then your money is going to a good cause like building youth softball fields, educating children and keeping them off the streets, supplying scholarships to underprivileged youths and giving them game tickets so they can see a Brewers game. How cool is that? It probably doesn't sound like a big deal, but to someone who has nothing just being able to do something cool like that is an uplifting experience. We all have troubles and hardships, but I promise that if you are reading this then you don't have it as bad as the people who depend on the BCF for survival. Because you have internet and most likely a nice comfortable place to sit down and use it. So rejoice in what you have. And give to people who don't have it. Especially if you have the means to do it.

Milwaukee Brewers baseball has given me a lot. Something to do on a summer's evening, something to look forward to every March, my wardrobe, my lifestyle and all sorts of other things that are too weird to mention. I love the Brewers and it's time that I gave back to them. It's not much but every little bit helps. The best part about it is that my money stays here where my fellow people need it most. Not that I don't care about the rest of the people in the world who are in need of food, shelter, education, etc. but it makes it more real that the person I am helping might someday be a friend, or a neighbor, or someone who is the first on the scene after I get into a car accident. That's the beauty of helping out the local community. I believe they call it karma. If I help those people around me who need it the most they might end up helping me someday. I hope that I am never in need of charitable assistance because that means I would have fallen pretty hard. I'd rather be on the giving side than the receiving side of this kind of gift. I actually hope that I can be better off than I am right now so that I can afford to give more than a couple of bucks. But for right now this is what I can do. I just hope that in some small way it made a difference.


 - pookon - 


www.pookon.com
pookondotcom@gmail.com
http://www.facebook.com/MilwaukeeIceman

"7 in 7" - Episode 4 - Money Isn't Real George - Wisconsin Humane Society

The Wisconsin Humane Society is an organization that is incredibly dear to my heart because a little over 6 years ago I adopted my BFF (best friend forever) and cat Coach Gordon Bombay. Him and I have been through a whole lot and I love him with all of my heart. I was never much into animals growing up even though at two separate times during my childhood we had a dog named Lassie. And then we also had a cat named Gizmo, but I wasn't necessarily close to either of them. But something made me go out and adopt Gordon and in February of 2006 Jenny Reck came along with me and I took him home and our adventure began. We've been through a lot of shit together and he's moved around to no fewer than 6 apartments/homes over the years because I couldn't stay in one place for too long. And during this time, aside from the stomach-induced "I'm hungry" meow, he hasn't really complained about the change of scenery and lack of continuity. Truth be told I have constantly provided him with food, water and toilet as well as a comfy place to nap for 18 hours a day. And he's been the one who has been by my side (or on my chest as I lie sleeping) through it all. I love Coach Gordon Bombay more than anyone in the entire world. No offense Mom.

At the Humane Society they told me that Coach Bombay was from the streets and that someone had brought him in as a stray. They named him Greg, which is a rather unusual name for a cat. There's nothing unusual about naming him after a fictional Pee-Wee Hockey Coach from District 5 and Team USA though, right? I can't imagine him surviving in the cold dark alleys of Milwaukee on his own but apparently he did because he has the battlescars to prove it. He's missing one of his fang teeth and his tail is a little crinkled, but aside from that he is not in too bad of shape. Of course he's a little undersized and refuses to gain weight despite eating and napping all day long and the vet told me that he has a heart murmur, but aside from that he doesn't seem to be in any physical or emotional trouble. All that I know is that he is better off in my care than he is on the streets or locked up in a cage somewhere. That is why it is so important for people to assist the Wisconsin Humane Society through donations and participating in their adoption program because there are countless animals out there in need of a good home. And if we don't help the little guys, then who will?

I'm just one guy who did one small thing, but that doesn't compare to what the Wisconsin Humane Society has been doing for over 130 years. As a private non-profit organization funded entirely through the generosity of the individuals in the community and through the government, they rely on you to help them in their mission. They aim to provide a comprehensive adoption program that matches homeless animals with families, to provide medical care for animals as well as spay and neutering animals to prevent overpopulation, to provide educational programs for people on the care, respect, treatment and over-all well being of their pets and they also teach obedience classes for the animals themselves which allow them to live in a domestic environment. A pet can be a fantastic companion but without the organization to support and provide people with the opportunity to own one they would never know what it feels like to have one. I can't really do any better at describing how important the Wisconsin Humane Society is to our community than they do at their website http://www.wihumane.org/default.aspx, so I encourage you to go there for more information. And if you are thinking about getting a pet I strongly encourage you to do so from the Humane Society because there are plenty of animals of all shapes, sizes and ages that just want a nice home to live in and someone to love them.

I love Coach Gordon Bombay and he is the sweetest pet in the entire world. Every single day he does something cute like this and when he isn't curled up in a ball sleeping somewhere he's sitting on the kitchen table eating some plastic, headbutting my leg or meowing up into the corner trying to ward off some ghostly spirits before he tears around the house in a panic. And at night he cries at my feet while I am on here typing, begging for me to go to bed so that he can lay on top of me. Whenever I sit on the couch he has to sit on my lap or my leg and almost always has to be around me. It's funny the connection that we have and although I do joke about it that he is my best friend forever it is kind of true. I spend more time hanging out with him than I do with any other creature on this planet. What makes it funny is that aside from the occasional meow or the rumbling purr, it's pretty much a one-sided conversation as I am telling him about my day or pouring out my emotions. For the most part he's a pretty good listener, even if he pretends to be asleep during the majority of our conversation. Sometimes he walks away but I figure that is his way of ending the discussion. If only the Humane Society taught him how to use his words then I wouldn't have to play Jay to his Silent Bob and constantly be a foul-mouthed little chucklehead that has to a constant victim to his follies while I try to understand what he is trying to get at. It's always an adventure with Coach Gordon Bombay and he has taught me so much.

I don't know where I would be without Coach Gordon Bombay and I can't imagine living without him. I remember once when I was looking for apartments with a prospective roommate a few years ago and we were forced to limit ourselves because not all rental units accepted cats. This person (who I will not name) suggested the possibility that I get rid of him so that it would have been easier to find a place to live. It's one of those things that I couldn't believe was said and he was obviously not a pet owner. You can't just give away a pet after you have made the commitment and the emotional bond to it. A pet isn't some toy that you play with a few times and then cast aside for the next thing that piques your interest. A pet is a part of your family and not something that you can easily be without. That's one of the reasons why I kiss Gordon goodbye every single morning when I leave for work and give him a big ol' hug before I go out of town every day. I love him so much and I can't stand to be apart from him for too long. The week at Afterglow is so hard because I miss him so much and I wish that I could bring him along. But like I said before, not all places are accepting of cats so I all I can do is make sure that he is well taken care of in my absence. Which is why I leave him under the care of only my most trusted friends. Coach Bombay is too important to me to leave him in the care of someone I don't trust.

And speaking of trust, from my experiences and knowledge gained from research and personal interaction, there's no organization that I trust more than the Wisconsin Humane Society when it comes to taking care of animals. What they do in our community is nothing short of amazing and I encourage you to contribute to their efforts if you love animals or if you have benefited from their work. After all, it is up to us as the dominant species on this planet to help those that are less fortunate than us. Some animals prefer to be left alone in their natural habitats, but domesticated animals like cats and dogs just want to be loved and cared for. Now if you excuse me, I know a certain little Coach that it is dire need of a hug and a snuggle.

http://www.wihumane.org/default.aspx

 - pookon -

www.pookon.com
email: pookondotcom@gmail.com
http://www.facebook.com/MilwaukeeIceman

"7 in 7" - Episode 4 - Money Isn't Real George - Leukaemia & Blood Cancer New Zealand

Who would've thought that Ray Liotta would have been the one to make the most sense. No one ever broke it down to me like that before. This is a scene from the fantastic movie "Blow" which paints a pretty bleak picture about drug dealing and trafficking. It seems like such a good way to make a quick buck and live like a King but in the end (spoiler) George gets caught and lives the rest of his life behind bars. He thinks that money begets power, status and a better life. But then you get consumed by it and always want more until money rules your life. Most of us think that way. That's why people play the lottery and idolize celebrities that seem to have it all with their $20 million dollar paychecks just for showing up on a movie set. They think that money will solve all of their problems. If I just had some more money I could buy a bigger house in a better neighborhood. I could get some better clothes and a better car that would attract the women. I could live a life of luxury and never have to worry about a thing. The truth is that money doesn't solve any problems because money is the problem. Money isn't real George. It doesn't matter. It only seems like it does.

People care too much about money and will stop at nothing to get more of it. I wish I could stand here with a pious and holier than thou attitude and say that I wasn't one of them but the truth is that I too am swayed by the almighty dollar. Do you think that I have 2 jobs because I love to work? Nope. It's because I love to have the freedom that money allows. I love to have a nice TV. I like to have more Brewers jerseys than the 25 men on the roster do. I love to be able to fly to South Carolina to visit my brother. Without money I can't do those things. So money is important if you want things or want to be able to do things that require it. But the point is that money isn't everything. Money can't bring my brother Timmy back from the dead. Money can't buy me a girl that loves me for who I am. Money can't make me a better person if I don't change what is on the inside. Money cannot solve my problems. Money cannot give me what I want. And money is not the solution. It's terrible because money is really the root of all evil in our society. It dictates everything that we are in this Capitalist society and separates the haves from the have nots. The rich keep getting richer while the poor keep getting poorer. But I'm not here to bitch about the economic climate of our country because truth be told I don't know shit about it. Nor do I care. That kind of stuff is not important to me. I only care about things that I have control over. And you may say that I can always get a better job with higher pay and move up in the company and make something of myself . But I will tell you that I don't care about that nonsense. I don't care about money. That's why I'm giving it away.

 The only reason that I work as much as I do is because I have bills to pay. I'm sure a lot of people feel that way because they are in debt. I've got credit card bills, student loans, cell phone bill, gas, groceries, and the list goes on and on and on with no end in sight. I'm not blaming anyone here. I dug myself into a pretty deep hole and I'm probably never going to dig myself out of it. But I'm not going to stress out and wig out over it because it is out of my control. Money isn't real and I get reminded of it every single time that I do something for free. I went over to Jenny Reck's house tonight and we just hung out. We didn't spend any money. One can argue that technically since we were inside of the house that she pays money for we were being charged by the minute for using it. That's all just semantics and I'm not to argue about that. There is plenty of things in this world that doesn't involve money and you can't let it run your life. There's more important things in the world that are worth caring about. And since money isn't real I'm going make sure that I use it for good seeing as how I don't need any of it.

Notice how I've been contradicting myself? How I go crazy talking about money and how it isn't important? About how we can do without it? Sadly that's not the way that the world works. Money talks. It is real. You just have to make it say that right thing. And now this is what you have all been waiting for. I'm giving away my money but I'm not going to climb to the roof of a tall building and throw it over the edge. I'm going to make sure that my money means something and goes somewhere that it can help change the world. I'm going to donate it to charity. For the next 7 days I'm going to donate $15 per day to a charity that is either dear to my heart or for a cause that I believe in. There are people out there who are trying to help others and in the world we live in money can go a long way in helping them out. Day 1 of Episode 4 was an accident. I never meant to donate money to New Zealand's Shave for a Cure, which is their biggest fundraising campaign of the year to help people who are diagnosed with blood cancer or a related condition. People pledge money towards this foundation and promise to shave their heads as an act of solidarity to the people who are undergoing radiation treatment for cancer. You might think that it is weird that I am associating myself with a charitable cause in New Zealand seeing as it is on the other side of the world. How did this happen? Well let me tell you about it.

This is a giant picture of my head. It is on the wall in Jamie Orsbourn's (on the right) flat in New Zealand overlooking their beer pong table. His buddy Evan Jones is on the left. I have never met these guys although I hope someday I will. They saw the Last Cup beer pong documentary and loved it, and have crowned me some sort of beer pong god. I appreciate the love but it's a little weird seeing as how I was never even that good at beer pong. I just happened to be in the right place at the right time and was captured on film for all the world to see. I guess I can see it because I'm a pretty interesting personality but I don't deserve to be honored. I'm just a regular guy. Becoming Facebook friends with these guys as well as others in their league has lead to some pretty fun conversations on the internet and the opportunity to make a difference in this world with this charitable cause. If we are so blessed with the resources to help others it is our responsibility as human beings to look after those who are less fortunate. I don't have blood cancer. I don't know anyone who does. I have known people with some forms of cancer but I did nothing to help them out. I feel guilty about that but that isn't the reason I am donating money. I am donating money because I can afford to do it. $15 may not seem like a lot to me but it means a big deal to someone suffering from a disease that requires medical treatment for which they cannot pay for. I'm lucky that I don't have anything that is really wrong with me. I'm lucky that I don't need constant medical attention. I'm lucky I don't have cancer. But not everyone is as lucky as me. Not everyone can live a worry free life. Not everyone has it this easy.

http://www.shaveforacure.co.nz/view_group_event_profile/1077

So now let's get down to it. These are 8 guys who live at a flat which they have dubbed "The Pelican" and have all vowed to shave their heads and raise money for cancer patients. I'm pledging $15 to their cause and providing you with the opportunity to do the same by clicking the link above. I'm not asking you to help out. All that I can do is provide you with the information and help spread the word. You can do what you want with your money. This is what I am doing with some of mine. I realize that it isn't enough and I could afford to give more. I do feel bad about this but I do have to spread my money around if I am going to donate money to 7 different charities. But if I reach just one person who in turn reaches another and everyone continues to pay it forward then I have done some good will. That's all I can ever really ask for. I'm doing some good here even if it seems insignificant. For all I know my $15 could be the amount of money that pushes them over the top to find a cure. Who knows man. The only thing that I do know is that the Leukaemia & Blood Cancer New Zealand is better off with my money that without it. And I'm going to do them one better. I pledge to side with my friends from across the Pacific and also shave my head when they do as an act of unity. We're all in this together and striving towards the same goal, even if we aren't technically friends and we've never even met each other. But this goes beyond everything that we know. This is not about us. This is about the people who are dying against their will. It's sad to think that they have to suffer through this.  I can't even imagine what they are going through and I hope I never have to.

So that's Day 1's charitable donation. That one came out of nowhere, or shall we say New Zealand. I didn't plan this one but that is the whole point of freeing yourself and opening up to the possibilities in life. When you allow that to happen you just never know what is going to come your way. At the end of the day am I going to miss that $15? Nope. Not really. But that small amount may just give someone another day or even another few minutes with their loved ones. I'd do anything to give people that chance. I can't get any more time with my brother and I pray with all of my heart that someone else out there doesn't have to lose someone close to them. I'm not naive. I know bad things will still happen and that this little amount of money won't do much. But something is better than nothing. I've been doing a whole lot of nothing my entire life. It's about time that I changed that by doing even the smallest of things. I never promised to speak for anyone else, nor would I ever want to. I made this decision and I stand beside it. But I'm just one man. And I'm not even that much of a man despite my physical stature. But I'd like to think that I had a part of it. Even if it is the smallest part imaginable.


 - pookon - 


www.pookon.com
email: pookondotcom@gmail.com
http://www.facebook.com/MilwaukeeIceman