November Is Our Month

I am not talking about politics this time.  November is American Diabetes Month.  We need to make everyone aware a cure is needed for this devastating disease.  I have blogged before about how it has affected me; my arteries, my feet, and now my eyesight.

Today the American Diabetes Association published a blog.  Let me share the link

 http://diabetesstopshere.org/2010/10/29/the-future-is-in-your-hands/.

Let me also borrow some of their blog:

§  “Today, more than 4300 people will be diagnosed with diabetes.

§  More than 200 people will die today from diabetes.

§  1 in 3 Americans (and 1 in 2 minorities) born today will develop diabetes if current trends continue.

§  Diabetes kills more Americans each year than breast cancer and AIDS combined.

The more people we can get to become involved, the louder our collective voices will be.”

Yes we need to have our voices heard, so I am going to try and do my part in getting the word out.  Taking insulin or pills is not the answer to treat diabetes.  We need to find a cure, and bring our fight to the American people and educate them.  They need to know how it will change their lives if someone they know gets diabetes.  They need to know how much it will cost them to fight the battle, and how much we all can save financially if a cure is found.

I hate giving myself three to four injections a day to control my blood sugar.  I have to buy the insulin, and I have to find diabetic friendly foods, many of which are higher priced just because the foods or drinks do not contain sugar.

I constantly go to store and restaurant managers trying to get diabetic needs met.  This is something we all have to do.  Diabetics are a huge silent majority.  We do not have a “sexy” disease, and spokespeople are few and far between.  So we all individually have to make our voices heard.  Who knows maybe we will find a spokesperson to keep our fight for our lives in the forefront.

Please join me in the month of November to get the word out.  If we do this and join the team to stop diabetes,  it can become a habit for us to fight on a regular basis.  Diabetes is a very nasty disease and we need your help in this fight for you and your loved ones lives.

Can You Envision The Change In The Universe?

Only six more days with all of this bad karma, this negativity.  Yes I am talking about the upcoming election.  Now do not get me wrong, I truly believe it is such an important day, and we should all vote the way we believe.  I do not care if you are voting Democrat, Republican, or even for a Martian, please vote on Tuesday, and make it an informed vote.

Do not vote because you think he is cute, or she is hot, learn the issues determine how it will affect you!  Then make the informed vote.  Study propositions; do not leave it up to biased commercials.

Ah yes the commercials.  Nothing but negativity, bad karma coming from all sides of the isle.  Thank God for DVR’S!!!  Especially during this season of doom and gloom, yes I am talking political commercials; I really LOVE zipping right past all of them.  Hey politicians think about that the next time you are spending big bucks for an ad.  When I hear one on the radio, I go to the next station, or better yet start up my mp3 players and listen politics free.

We have to send a message to our elected officials.  Negativity will not be tolerated.  I guess we can do this by, pardon the word, change.  I am very tempted to vote against EVERYONE in office.  Let us start again with new people as our elected officials and see if they can get the job done.  Yes that is right, cross party lines.  I never did understand the concept of voting for just for just one party.  I have yet to find one which a totally agree with.  So why not “vote the bums out.”  Hey I may even see wholesale changes in the way my state is governed.  But is this a dream.  I find it hard to believe I am the only one who feels this way.  Let me know, leave a comment on the blog.

Most importantly, next Tuesday, get out there and VOTE.  If you do not, you cannot complain about the outcome.

I Missed Monday

I am talking about posting this blog. I like to make sure I have a new blog every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday. But this Monday I had an appointment with my eye doctor who once again thought it necessary to inject my eye. I have swelling in both retinas because of my diabetes. So it looks like I will be getting these injections on a pretty regular basis. Yesterday my right eye was injected, in three weeks it will be my left eye, this will continue until we can get the swelling down and it is manageable.

This is another example of how diabetes affects your body after several years. It is a very upsetting and scary situation for me. I have periods where the sight in my left eye is blurry, which makes me think about the possibility of losing my sight. My retina specialist is great. She is optimistic about saving my sight.  She tells me every time she sees me stress will impacts my vision and could cause it to just get worse.   By the way, she was happy to hear I did not let the Yankees loss to the Rangers affect me; hey if the players did not look liked they cared why should I?

So why was there no blog yesterday? I procrastinated. I knew I was going to the eye doctor and my vision would be limited.  Knowing this should have written a blog the night before. Procrastination is another terrible habit of mine. I do not get small things done on time and put off taking making calls to my physicians when my health is acting up. This is not good. I know that, but it continues to happen.  Some could call this insanity.

So here I am coming clean about one of my character defects. I hope this helps me by making me more diligent/focused about getting things done. The more attention I pay to accomplishing what has to be worked on today, the better I get at taking care of myself. The better I take care of me; there will be more baseball games to watch, movies to see, sunsets to enjoy , and more importantly more time to find out about the accomplishment of my grandchildren as they grow. And it gives me more to spend time with the people I love.

So, no more excuses, and I begin today. I will get things done when they come up or write a list so I remember to take care of business later and to make sure I can provide current and timely blogs.  By making this change I am taking better care of me.

I Have Had Enough

It is not just one thing.  So here I go.  I am tired of political ads which do not talk about issues.  When they do candidates run them so infrequently how many of us really see them?

I am tired of political candidates who cannot look us straight in the eye when they talk or say they endorse their ads.  The latest to do this, Barbara Boxer.  When she says she endorses her political ads all we see is her ear.  Look me in the eye and tell me where you stand.

As for sports, I have covered sports for more than 30 years, and athletes have always been a challenge to speak with.  They either believe stories about them or they just feel they are better than those off the field.  Usually I was able to find some sort of level to deal with their huge egos.  Today athletes are just entitled period.  They really believe they are doing their fans a favor to relate to them.  Hey dummies without fans, and the media covering sports, you are nothing.  At least be nice to the fans, and do not ignore kids.  I know Charles Barkley says he does not want to be a role model.  Being polite is not being a role model.

I think ESPN should rethink some of their programming.  I am so tired of Around The Horn.   Bottom line who cares what these TV wanna bees have to say day in and day out.   Woody Page is now a caricature of himself.  His postings on the board behind him are juvenile and just not funny.  Grow up Woody.  You are not a comedian, and your pompous attitude grates on ones nerves.  I have not watched in a while, tuned in yesterday and now Woody does not even bother to comb his hair.  If that is a style as we say in Little Italy, fogetaboutit.

Finally today to that twenty something who told me it is not fair that I drive a Lexus and he cannot afford one.  Hey I work for my money.  He was living at home, with a low paying job.  He told me the government should take more money from me so others could enjoy luxury items.   I think not!!!! 

Come On NFL DoThe Right Thing

I am going to begin this blog with the following Associated Press report:

“NEW YORK -- The NFL has taken down photos that were for sale of illegal hits that earned players large fines.
The league said Wednesday an outside vendor used an automated process to post pictures online for fans to buy, but the system would be changed to ensure photos of illegal hits were not available.
Three defensive players were fined at least $50,000 each Tuesday after a series of violent hits in Sunday's games raised concerns that the NFL's disciplinary policy wasn't doing enough to prevent head injuries. The league now plans to start suspending players for particularly dangerous hits.
One of the fined players, Steelers linebacker James Harrison, criticized the photos' presence in a radio interview Wednesday morning, saying "I guess they want to get their money on the front end and the back end."
The NFL says: "We regret the mistake."”


Hard to argue with Harrison and the apology is not near enough, nor do I accept it.  Does the NFL really want all of the violent hits to stop?   I think not.  I think they are upset when someone is so injured he can no longer play, or in some cases walk.  Is a 50 thousand dollar fine going to stop these hits?  Depends, if someone is making millions how bad will this tax deduction hurt them?  Harrison says he wants to hurt players on every play.  He says hurt does not mean injure.  Hurt means shake them up, make it not a pleasant experience.  I have no problem with that.

But when a player uses his helmet to cause injuries like concussions, I do have a problem.  Helmets were brought into the game of football for protection, not for use as a weapon.  And when a player uses his helmet as a weapon he should be punished, but imposing a fine is not enough.  Suspend the player without pay for let’s say four games the first time. A season the second time.  And if the player is “dumb enough” to do this a third time the NFL and fans should tell him to find a new way to make a living.

Football is not professional wrestling where the participants know the outcome; at least I hope we have not gone there.  And to see NFL players lose their livelihood or even their ability to ever walk again must be stopped and addressed by the league now!!  By posting pictures of these egregious hits in the way the league did is just not acceptable, not if they want to keep me as a fan.

Let’s Get Ready To Walk

Millions of Americans have type one or type two diabetes.  From my experience I can tell you it is a nasty disease!  It attacks so many organs in our bodies, and without strict control the health problems are too numerous to mention.  To name a few though, it can affect arteries, your heart, your eyesight, and your feet. 

I suffer from most of the above.  The problem is it such a silent killer.  Sure one may know when ones sugar is high, you want to drink gallons of water, but getting to that point is often too late, damage is already done.

Diabetics do not produce enough insulin to keep blood sugars in the normal range, 70-120.  The excess sugar attacks different parts of the body.  My problem was when I was diagnosed I figured no problem I will beat this.  I did not learn enough about diabetes until it was much too late.  My latest challenge is the swelling of my retinas caused by high blood sugars; I may not be able to restore all of the sight in my left eye.

So what can I do now?  I am getting treatments, injection in both eyes every three weeks, one eye at a time.  If one person reading this says ouch no way, good if you are diabetic maybe you will check your blood sugar levels more often, especially early in your diagnosis so you will not have retina problems.

Diabetes can be caused by a bad diet, or even too much stress.  Kids born with diabetes however, have not done anything to get this disease.  Their pancreases do not perform and they need insulin from the get go.  Insulin itself can cause problems later in life.  Some type two diabetics can control this nasty disease with diet and exercise.  If you can great!!!  Get your butt off the chair, walk, run. swim, bike.  And pass up that Big Mac or Whopper.

What we need for diabetics is a cure.  What we do now is put a band aid on the problem.  That is not near good enough.  More money, dedication and commitment is needed to find a cure!!  Scientists are getting closer.  There are talks of pancreas transplants, or maybe stem cells from one’s own body.  But they need our help.  

There are walks and rides for diabetes all over the country.  You can help by walking, riding, or donating to diabetes research.  I have taken the easy way out in the past by donating some cash.  This year, despite the fact I cannot walk far because of my artery problem, I want to walk and be part of a team.

There is a Juvenile Diabetes walk in the Los Angeles are on November 7^th. I plan to be a part of it.  Helping to find a cure for diabetes will not only help diabetes, but those who will be diagnosed in the future, and the a possible benefit is to keep all of our heath costs down.

I have covered sports teams for more than 30 years.  Those of you who cheer for a team, hey the Yankees would be a good choice!!!, know how it feels when your team wins a championship.  The look on fans faces which I have seen are in many cases priceless.  It is also a great time for you to pick a team trying to raise money for a cure.  Imagine the feeling when one is found and we win!!!  The trophy for the win… healthy living and sharing special moments with your family and loved ones!

A Miracle For The World To Witness

I did not get much sleep last night.  I could not rest because of what was going on in Chile.  The rescue of 33 miners began and so far so good.  A capsule a little wider than a basketball hoop was designed by NASA and built by the Chilean Navy.  The capsule is bringing up the trapped miners one at a time and each trip takes about an hour.

What heartwarming pictures we are getting from the scene of the rescues.  Families being reunited, sons seeing their dads for the first time in more than two months, and for the first time in ages I was happy to see 24 hour coverage on the tube.

The miners were in an area described as the size of a studio apartment.  They divided themselves into teams, each responsible for an aspect of their survival.  What great teamwork!!!  They also sang the Chilean soccer chant, this time nothing to do with scoring goals, but saving their own lives.

It was great to see the President of Chile right there to welcome the miners from their hell of being trapped so far underground. His emotion was so evident, he was not being a Politian, he was being a leader.  It was also great to see those around the rescued miners joining in the soccer chant with emotion and love in their voices.

The quote so far which stands out is from the second miner rescued.  “I’ve been near God, but I’ve also been near the devil.  God won.”

For those looking for miracles on earth, this is truly one we can all relate to and be part of thanks to technology.  I have no doubt, prayers said for the safety and rescue of the miners played a huge part in the success of this operation.  The world asked, God listened, and responded.

I Am Tired of Both of Them!

That was a response a friend had to a political pollsters question about the Governor’s Race in California.  I liked it.  It was recorded as undecided, I do not like that.  I agree with my friend.  I am so tired of the personal attack ads here in California.  I am sure you are too in your state.

The only question is who will do the best job.  Here in California, Jerry Brown already had his chance, and he admits he was a party animal the first time around.  Why should I think differently now?  He wants to take credit for tax cuts, but was against proposition 13, still he wants to jump on the look at the tax cut band wagon.  Will he raise taxes this time around, he says not without voters’ approval.  What does that really mean?  Sounds like he is on the fence to me.  Why should we trust him?

Then there is Meg Whitman.  She is a smart business woman.  There is no doubt in her ability to run a company, just look at EBay.   Our current governor in California Arnold Schwarzenegger, is a brilliant businessman, but quickly found out how tough it is to try and run a state and deal with the political hacks who have been there for years.

So whom should we trust this time around?  Cannot go on the political ads.  No they do nothing but personally attack their opponent.  They do not really tell me their stance on many things.  And if there are ads which address their positions, they are few and far between, and are run very infrequently.

So voters, it is up to you and me to actually read, research, and decide.  As I mentioned above Jerry Brown has had his shot.  I think he blew it first time around, and has had less than a stellar political career.  So do we go with the political rookie?  She financed almost her entire campaign with very few to pay back.  Like my friend, however I am tired of both of them.  Do not like the attack ads, and it will be a last minute decision on who to choose when election day comes around.

The Doc Was In and Another Shouldn’t Be

Fall is in the air and its MLB playoff time.   Yes, once again,  this is one of my favorite times of the year.  Records are set and broken.    Take Wednesday’s game where Roy “Doc” Halladay of the Philadelphia Phillies pitched a no hitter.  Dream comes true! You bet!   Roy dreamed of being in the playoffs, one dream came true.  Pitching a no hitter, major dream came true; playoffs or not.

So go back 54 years, when Don Larson pitched a perfect game, in the World Series.  Some of us were just kids back them and it is hard to remember.   But these two pro athletes did it on skill and some luck (remember there are 8 other players on the field supporting the pitcher).

Both these pitchers achieved their dreams with hard work.  Back to the present.;  I saw on a news crawl a well know sportscaster Brent Musburger  told Students at University of Montana it is ok for Professional Athletes to use steroids under a doctor’s supervision.   WHAT?!

 How many professional athletes have died from the effects of Steroids?  More than we know and they were at one time or another under a doctor’s supervision.   The flaw with this reasoning is: Athletes are human!   If a little “juice” is good, why not ingest more.  To do that, more than one doctor is needed and I ask, will they share with their doctor’s all of what they are doing…. Probably not!  

Many of these Pro athletes are just out of high school and feel invincible.   And while they are young, they may be close to being invincible.  But let us look at the long term effects and possible consequences.  Steroids are suspected in causing cancer, high cholesterol, mental illness and other maladies.    

If we check with those athletes in say their forties, and fifties, who “played” with the juice, would they support this idea proposed by Brent?   At this point in their lives, are they dealing with other age related illnesses such as high cholesterol, high blood pressure, high and back problems, heart problems and maybe diabetes.  Did the use of steroids during their playing days aggravate these maladies?   I don’t know for sure but probably yes.

I say lets go back to old fashion  way of hard work and skill so we can celebrate a milestone like Roy Halladay’s for what it really is someone who plays by the rules and has a great work ethic.  Play ball!!

No Not Yet!!!!!!!

Here it was October 5^th and I am walking through a mall in the Valley here in California.  Not too many people in the mall, I guess they did not hear the economy is getting better.  So I walked through the anchor stores of this mall, Macy’s and Bloomingdale’s, and what did I see?   CHRISTMAS TREES!!!!!!   Come on give me a break, October 5^th and the workers are decorating Christmas Tree displays.  Something is so wrong.

If the economy is bad and people are not spending money, do the stores believe this will guilt you and me to start spending now and often?  Well it has just the opposite effect on me.  I want to run out of the store and stay away period.

What are they thinking?  I want to enjoy the baseball playoffs, college and NFL football, and let us not forget the little kids dressed up in their Halloween Costumes going trick or treating at the END of October.

I long for the days when one did not see any mention of Christmas until the end of the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade.  The last float was Santa Clause!!!  Yup the same parade from Miracle on 34^th Street.  Still one of my favorite holiday movies, by the way.  The original of course,  none of the remakes came close to the original!!!

But the time for Christmas is after the parade.  Not a minute before.  My question is, how am I going to shield myself from this much too early holiday faux pas?  Only thing I can think of is I’ll see ya Macy’s and Bloomies.  I will not spend a dime until AFTER Thanksgiving.  And the same goes to any other store who breaks my personal embargo on the Christmas season.  And it is the CHRISTMAS season not XMAS.   If you want my hard earned cash learn to spell the word out.

So for now, enjoy football, the World Series, and start getting ready for Halloween.  That is enough on our plate for now.

It Is October!!!

My favorite time of the year!  It has nothing to do with the change in trees, weather, or even Halloween.  It is all about playoff baseball.  My competitive juices come out every October. 

My team is, of course, the defending World Champions, The New York Yankees.  As the season is coming to a close how bout the race in the American League East.  The Yanks and Rays both 95-64, with the Yankees in Boston to take on their arch rival Red Sox, who this year are out of the playoff picture, and the Rays in Kansas City to play the Royals.  We will find out who is going to win the East and who will be the Wild Card team.

This is just great, a race right down to the wire before the playoffs begin.  What a gift for baseball fans with the fall classic just around the corner.  I will be wearing my Yankee gear for as long as my Bronx Bombers are in the playoffs.

I like to think I am a “real” Yankee fan.  Growing up in the Bronx, my dad and I would go and watch the likes of Mickey Mantle, Roger Maris, and one of my favorites, Joe Pepitone, do their thing at the Stadium in the Bronx.  Just two leagues no divisions, no wild cards, no DH.  The best in the American and National Leagues duked it out for the World Series Crown, and more times than not the Yanks were in the series, and more times than not they won.  Great memories for me of my dad, a plasterer who was dead tired after a day and week of the physical labor, but he found the time to take me to the Stadium, during the season and the World Series.  I miss him so much at this time of year.  When I was a sports anchor in New York at WNBC, WCBS and WFAN, my dad got such a kick hearing about the Yankees of today, and he really got excited when I told him about interviewing Mickey Mantle, the Mick signing a baseball card for my son.  Never asked him to do it, he was just interested in another kid growing up playing baseball.

I guess the point I am trying to make is this is my time of year to escape, not think about the dirty political races, the economy and even my health for just a bit.  My chance to sit back and enjoy life with a big smile on my face.

This is something we can all do for ourselves, a self gift which is really worth having.