Remembrance Day 2010

You are likely fortunate enough to have a holiday on Thursday. Rather than post here any of the many words, phrases, pictures, songs, videos, stories, and reflections to be drawn upon, I will simply encourage you to be active in your Remembrance on the 11th.

If you are able, please take the opportunity to attend a Remembrance Day Ceremony near you. They often last no more than an hour. Here is a partial list of some of the ceremonies in different communities across Canada (including many of the BC ones). I do know for a fact there are more. Every municipality and city in Metro Vancouver has at least one, if not more cenotaphs, and each one will be hosting a ceremony. A simple Google search with your town’s name and “Remembrance Day 2010″ will likely result in information about your local service. I will likely be attending the City of Vancouver’s Victory Square ceremony. If you are interested in joining me, you would be more than welcome – please let me know.

Canada has given over 100,000 of its sons and daughters in armed conflict, including 19 since Remembrance Day 2009, and  over 100 in the past decade. Please attend.

Lest We Forget – N’ Oublions Pas

Truckin’ & Filmin’

It can be a wonderful thing when people go on adventures that involve both personal and professional passions. I am fortunate to have some close friends who pursue their passions with care, creativity, and enthusiasm. One of these, Loren McGinnis, has taken these qualities on his latest adventure. Loren is a premier story teller, and is currently pursuing that passion while documenting Alex Debogorski.

Debogorski is a famed trucker from the History Channel’s series Ice Road Truckers. He is currently traversing the United States promoting his new book, King of the Road, and personifying the expression “larger than life”. Loren is a part of the team documenting Debogorski’s experiences and encounters with American culture on the road. Debogorski appears genuine and gregarious, and he certainly brings a wealth of kindness and positivity from Canada’s North to the highways, truck-stops, towns, and cities of the United States. To follow how Loren is pursing his passion of storytelling, and the encounters of Debogorski you can check out http://alex-debogorski.blogspot.com.

Welcome to Movember

It’s November 1st, which means my face is freshly shaved, and over the next 30 days one of the sleaziest, yet at the same time incredibly awesome forms of facial hair shall take hold – all for a good cause.

Readers of this blog know that the author encourages you to be aware of and support causes fighting all kinds of cancers. However, this month marks an increased awareness of one particular type. After skin cancer, prostate cancer is the most common type of cancer in our country.* It is estimated that one in six males will be diagnosed with prostate cancer in their lifetime.**

Thus, you are encouraged to participate or support Movember. This  awareness event originally began in Australia, and promotes knowledge, screening, and fundraising for prostate cancer. The challenge is to grow a moustache for the entire month, beginning clean shaven on November 1st. It is not a competition, but a campaign. The Movember website has lots of content and info about prostate cancer, and moustache growing (photos, videos, articles) – after all, “every man deserves a little bit of luxury.”

Most people already make careful choices about cancer charities you support, and as you may know, it is the Terry Fox Foundation which I often prioritize. I am not here to sway these sentiments. While important to research, the money is not the primary purpose of growing my moustache this month. The main objective is to increase awareness of a type of cancer that is defeated 95% of the time if caught early. As you may have heard, males, as a generalization, are not the best at pursuing personal health issues with a doctor, especially when this particular region of the anatomy is concerned. When stubbornness is the reason – that’s simply not good enough. If you are male you need to be aware. If you are a wife, girlfriend, partner, mother, sister, daughter, aunt, or friend you can be supportive of this awareness.

If you would like to donate to prostate cancer, it is much appreciated (and by not just my upper lip). You can visit my Movember page to donate: http://ca.movember.com/mospace/472979, or Prostate Canada.  As you are out and about this Movember, be sure to try and spot others sporting the ‘stache, give ‘em props, and don’t be afraid to talk it up – being aware is the biggest step.

*-Canadian Cancer Society Statistics – 2010.
**-Prostate Cancer Canada website: http://www.prostatecancer.ca/Prostate-Cancer.aspx