FINAL PUSH: Let's Make the Amy Gore & Her Valentines Record a Reality!

In lieu of this week's NW4NW, I wanted to take the opportunity to ask all of you out there to help in this final day of Amy Gore & Her Valentines' Kickstarter campaign to raise $4,500 to release their debut LP.  The clock runs out at midnight tonight, and they're just under $1,400 shy of the goal.

We can help make this a reality if everyone is willing to pitch in!  895 of you follow @TWIWGTS on Twitter; 244 of you "like" the TWIWGTS Facebook page.  By my math, if everyone pitched in $1.25 per Twitter follow and $1.25 per Facebook like, we'd make this album happen! Why, that's couch change!

Of course, if you're willing and able to donate more, the band is offering some pretty nifty incentive gifts, which you can read all about on their Kickstarter page.  I'm willing to throw this out there as well:  if the goal of $4,500.00 is hit, anyone who donates any amount to this campaign, even if only a dollar, will earn the right to either
     
          a.) write a review of the album, which I will post right here on the blog*;
          b.) write a guest blog post as part of an upcoming series called "My Favorite Band" (more to come about that in a few days)*; or
          c.) choose a band to featured in an upcoming NW4NW post

So come on, folks!  Let's make this happen!




 * Any submitted material subject to editing or refusal for offensive or inappropriate content, at my sole discretion.

Help Give Amy Gore A Kickstart

Amy Gore & Her Valentines made the cut for my Best Records of 2011 post with their debut single, the excellent "Drivin' Around."  At the time, I wrote:

It's a solid chunk of whaddaya-wanna-do-tonight-I-dunno-whadda-you-wanna-do guitar rock, with a simple but insidiously catchy chorus and sound that holds great promise for a full album's worth of goodies from the band. Soon Amy?  Please?

Well, "soon" is now - or, at least, it could be, if we all pitch in and help.  Amy and her band have been working on shaping a full album, but doing so entirely on their own dime.  Amy put the word out on Facebook last week that the band is turning to fans to ask for support through the Kickstarter website:




Kickstarter has a great concept.  If you have a creative project of some kind, be it an art installation, a film, music, whatever, and you need funding, you set up a page on Kickstarter describing what you're doing and how much total funding you are seeking, with a deadline to reach that goal.  If you are willing to support creative endeavors, you can browse the various projects or seek out specific ones and pledge any amount from $1.00 on up.  If the project pulls in enough pledges to meet or exceed the funding goal, the artist gets the pledged amounts; however, if the deadline arrives and the funding goal has not been reached, the pledges are not collected and the artist gets nothing.

Often, those seeking funding will offer rewards to those who are willing to pledge, based on the amount of contribution.  Amy & Her Valentines, for example, offer everything from a "virtual high five" for a $1.00 pledge to a signed copy of the finished CD, early download access to the songs, and a hand-made button for a pledge of $50.00, to a private party performance by the band for a $10,000.00 pledge.

To make the new album a reality, they are seeking $4500.00 by May 10, 2012.  At the moment, the tote board sits at $835.00 with 26 days to go.

I think it's a great opportunity to help a very talented group of independent artists get their music out there, and I'm sure any amount you can offer will be greatly appreciated by the band.  Take a listen to "Drivin' Around" below, and if you like what you hear, please consider helping out.  You can follow the link to Amy's Kickstarter page here, or use the widget below the clip.

A Friend In Need

Cindy Coble and I were classmates back in high school.  She was someone others always enjoyed being around: very bright, very sarcastic, very funny, very bold and often the center of attention, which was right where she loved to be.

Fast forward 25 years: Cindy joined Facebook and quickly reconnected with everyone.  Once again, she finds herself the center of attention among her friends, but now she needs everyone's help.  Cindy suffers from Myasthenia Gravis, a chronic autoimmune neuromuscular disorder characterized by fluctuating weakness of the voluntary muscle groups, and  which can affect muscles that control eye movements, eyelids, chewing, swallowing, coughing and facial expression, as well as the arms and legs and sometimes the muscles that control breathing. The prevalence of MG in the US is estimated to be about 1 in 5,000 people, and at present there is no cure.

In her own words, Cindy describes how she became an MG sufferer:

In 2007, I was hit by a car while riding my bike, and had to have a double cervical spine fusion. I developed a super bad infection in my spinal cord, that landed me in the ICU for a coupla weeks. I never got better. My neuro thinks a virus or pathogen entered my system, tripped my immune system, and i ended up with Myasthenia Gravis. I used to be very active, totally type "A", and was very athletic. Now, taking a shower or grocery shopping wears me out. This disease is progressive, and there is no cure. Some folks enjoy remission, but generally it comes back. A cure in my lifetime may not happen, but I'd like to think we could make progress for future sufferers.

To her great credit, Cindy doesn't spend a lot of time bemoaning her fate.  That wouldn't be Cindy.  Sure, she has her times of frustration with MG, and more than once she has gone out of her way to thank everyone on FB for understanding as she...

...whine[s] and bitch[es] about slowly losing my abilities to walk, talk, work, hold a fork, crack an egg, bathe my dog, go sledding with my kids, tie shoes, think, swallow, breathe, shave my legs, volunteer, sing, dance, etc. I know I'm a total bitch and breakdowns are always ugly to witness, and I appreciate your jibs, jokes, and posts. Please consider giving blood this season, so many of us require a shitload, it's the best present, and you may mail it directly to me. I promise to share. 

Despite those frustrations, Cindy's personality still comes through in her words.  She is strong in spirit even as MG causes physical weaknesses.  Cindy doesn't live with MG; MG lives with Cindy!

This year, the Myasthenia Gravis Foundation of America's fundraising efforts take the form of MG Walks.  There are several physical walks scheduled in the Florida area, but for those not local to Florida, there is the Virtual Walk.  This is the walk that Cindy is involved with. Her goal is to raise $2000 toward research for a cure for MG, and she is already over a quarter of the way there!

Here is where you can help out.  Every little bit counts, and if you are able to donate even $5 or $10 towards Cindy's walk, you'd be helping immensely.  There is a link below to donate towards Cindy's goal, and Cindy's page can be found here - please go, read, learn, and if you can, help her reach her $2000 goal.  Or, as she has said, "Even if you're not inclined to donate, take a second to read a little. I thank thee!"

It would mean a great deal to me to know that my readers helped out, and I know it would mean the world to Cindy.  Thank you in advance for your generosity.

Get Well, Jim!

We never really think about it much, but it truly is frightening how fragile we are, and how suddenly everything - our own world and the world of everyone around us - can change.

I have not talked much on this blog about what I do for a living. I've been in direct marketing, working with the same company, Visions Marketing Services, for nearly 14 years.  For the better part of that time, our focus had been in the home equity and debt consolidation fields, bringing solutions to people in need in the form of our clients' products: refinances, home equity loans, etc.  When the economy went south a couple years ago, we went from being as profitable as we'd been in 30 years to having to lay off 90% of our staff across two divisions, and in fact shutting down one of those divisions - the one I had been running for nearly five years.  I was kept on board and have spent the past two years helping to rebuild the company and  carve out a new path for us.  We are now in the Long Term Care industry, and the vehicle with which we are again reaching out to help people is The Long Term Care Association.

Through the Association, we seek to educate people about the things Long Term Care can do to you, and what Long Term Care Insurance can do for you.  We are a hub for Agents who sell Long Term Care Insurance to find the best resources for transactionally modeled leads, prospect qualification, scheduling appointments with potential customers, and creating proposal. On the consumer side, we offer a way to connect those who wish to learn more about Long Term Care Insurance and find out if it is the right choice with local Agents who are knowledgeable and capable.

Over the past two years, I went from knowing nothing about Long Term Care to learning quite a bit.  There are some startling statistics, but none give as much pause to consider "what if" than this: over 40% of people currently receiving Long Term Care in this country are under the age of 65.

Think about that for a moment.  Most people think of Long Term Care as something they won't need to worry about until they are older, probably well into retirement.  But for 4 out 10, it is something they are dealing with while still in what wold be termed their "working years."
 
This statistic was made all too real for me this morning. Got up and had my usual coffee and cereal, and fired up the computer, preparing for another workday (I work from home most of the time).  My first stops are usually Facebook and Twitter, just to see what has been posted overnight.  It was on Facebook that I learned of an accident that had befallen one of my high school classmates.

Jim Sebest and I did not run in the same circles back then; in fact, Jim was at times among those who delighted in tormenting me.  But at his core Jim always was a good guy, funny and likeable. Apparently, according to the CaringBridge.org website that has been set up for him, Jim and his family were on vacation at Bethany Beach last week, and Jim was enjoying the surf.  He dove into a wave, and the best they can tell is that he hit his head on the sand. He suffered a fractured vertebrae in his neck, and is presently paralyzed from the neck down.  The good news is that, after undergoing 8 hours of surgery on Friday, his doctors saw no signs of severing or lacerations of the spinal cord, but there is severe swelling and no telling how long that will last.

I had just seen Jim for the first time in 25 years at our Class Reunion in July.  I didn't get to talk with him much - as I said, we didn't run with the same crowds - but despite showing the same signs of being 40+ that we all shared, he seemed to have barely changed.  He was laughing and joking with friends, and had taken part in the Reunion Golf Outing that morning.  Less than a month later, he's in a hospital bed, unable to move or speak and needing a ventilator tube to breathe.

With a little luck, and the thoughts, prayers, love and support of his family and friends, Jim will recover.   Having no indication of severe spinal cord damage means his chances are excellent to regain full mobility.  Think for a moment of those who have had similar accidents, but whose luck was worse.  Think of those who will never recover, those who will spend the rest of their lives unable to move, speak, or breathe on their own. Think of how their lives are changed - how your life would be changed if it happened to you.  Jim was a classmate of mine, so we're roughly the same age, yet I never think of myself as someone who may need Long Term Care in the near future.  At least, I never really thought about until today.

Jim, all my best thoughts and prayers go out to you and your family, and I wish for you a speedy recovery.  I want to read about you leaping up out of that bed very soon.

Time to Give Ashley a Helping Hand!

We're four days into the voting on Facebook for the Intel Vote for a Cause contest, and Ashley Kumlien's MSRuntheUS Inc. has been putting up a very nice showing so far. My great thanks to all of you who have been casting your votes daily to help her cause, which I first introduced here about two weeks ago.

For the first three says, MSRutheUS held the lead. Today, Ashley's cause has fallen to second place. She needs your continued votes - and she needs your help in spreading the word!

With over half a million folks afflicted with Multiple Sclerosis in this country, the chances are you may know of someone who is fighting the disease. Here is a chance for you to help out without it costing you a thing but a brief moment of your time.

Continue to go to Intel's Vote for a Cause page each day to cast your vote for MSRuntheUS Inc. You may vote once each day, and every vote counts! Then, if you would, simply ask one other person on your Facebook friends list to do the same. Just that like that, you have instantly doubled your vote! Ask them to ask one person as well, and before long we'll have Ashley back on top! Let's give Ashley a helping hand, and help find a cure for MS.

Again, my great thanks to all of you who for your support on this worthy cause.

Let's Help MSRuntheUS Win the Intel Vote for a Cause Contest on Facebook!

Last week, I shared with you the story of Ashley Kumlien and her efforts to to raise awareness and donations for Multiple Sclerosis research by running across the country, from San Francisco to New York City, over a six-month period beginning next March. Ashley is currently working to find sponsors for this run, and has been nominated in Intel's Vote for Cause Contest, being run on Facebook. The winning cause will receive $50,000 in co-branded advertising, which would go a long way in helping.

If you are currently on Facebook, I again urge you to help out. It costs you nothing but a moment of your time each day next week to cast a vote for MSRuntheUS, Inc. Become a fan of MSRuntheUS here, and check out the videos Ashley has posted and will be posting explaining how to help.

Voting begins this Saturday, August 29, and continues through Friday, September 4. Each person may vote once each day, but you must be a fan of Intel Vote for a Cause and add their voting application to do so. You can become a fan here.

And please, spread the word to your friends on Facebook. Let's help Ashley win this contest, and then cheer her on as she runs the US for MS next spring!

Run Ashley, Run!

Multiple Sclerosis is a terrifying thing. MS is a disease in which a person's immune system begins to attack his or her own central nervous system, resulting in any or all of a wide spectrum of neurological issues ranging from physical debilitation to loss of vision to loss of speech to loss of cognitive function. At its worst, MS leaves its sufferers virtually trapped within their own bodies.

Not a great deal is really known about the causes of MS, and at present there is no known cure. Continued research has helped the medical community become better at treating patients with MS, but current treatments still only manage symptoms. More work needs to be done to pin down the causes and finally find a cure, but this work requires funding.

I care about MS because, once upon a time, I was tested for it myself as my doctor tried to help me find the cause for inexplicable numbnesses, discomfort, and pain I was experiencing, and still do on occasion experience. We've never been able to determine exactly why I have the symptoms I do (although we feel certain stresses, combined with depression and OCD, both of which I have been diagnosed with, are the most likely culprits), but I was fortunate in that my test for Multiple Sclerosis came back negative.

Many others are not so fortunate. According to the National MS Society, almost half a million people in this country live with MS, with nearly 200 new cases being diagnosed weekly. Worldwide, there are estimated to be almost 2.5 million cases. In June, I posted here about Exene Cervenka's announcement that she had been diagnosed with MS. I know the fear I experienced waiting for my test results; I cannot imagine how someone feels upon receiving the news that their test had a positive result.

Recently, a high school classmate posted a link on her Facebook page to the website of an non-profit organization, MSRuntheUS Inc. MSRuntheUS is, in reality, one person. Ashley Kumlien decided she wanted to do something to raise both awareness and, hopefully, donations, for MS. Her mother, Jill, has been battling MS for the past 26 years, and is Ashley's inspiration.

Ashley is a avid runner, with a specific love for long-distance running. She has taken it upon herself to run quite a long distance indeed: 3,200 miles! Starting in San Francisco, CA, Ashley intends to spend about 6 months running an average of 20 to 30 miles a day, 6 days a week, until she has crossed the country and arrived in New York City. She hopes her efforts will help raise funds through both sponsorships and donations - funds that can be used in MS research.



Toward that end, she created MSRuntheUS Inc., set up her website, and set up a Facebook page so that people can follow her progress. She also hopes folks will help her non-profit win Intel's Vote for a Cause campaign on Facebook, where the winning non-profit will receive $50,000 in co-branded advertisement. If you are on Facebook, you can help her garner enough votes to take the prize. It's best to let Ashley herself explain that process, so please become a fan of her page and watch the videos she has there explaining how you can help. (If you are not on Facebook, please go to Ashley's website to learn about other ways you can support her cause.)

When I learned of Ashley's efforts, thoughts of my own brush with MS and the folks I have known personally who struggle with the disease compelled me to want to help spread the word. I hope you will all consider helping out in any way you can, whether through monetary donation, helping Ashley gain the votes she needs to win the Vote for a Cause contest, or by spreading the word to as many people as you can. No help you offer is too little.