The Mostashed Hairiers - Movember Team

Allow me to introduce you to this year's Movember team, the Mostashed Hairiers!

I don't have photos yet for everyone. As I get them I will post an update. Meanwhile I will give a placeholder pic of a smiley in the barber's chair.

First, some old stalwarts from last year's MoCann Terriers.

Greg Landry. Note: this is not the smiley placeholder. This really is Greg!

Taylor Landry

Mike Peyvandi

Then we have a couple of friends of the above. Now that's impressive, when somebody who I haven't even met joins my team I know it's nothing to do with me and everything about the cause: funding research into prostate cancer so that we can beat this sucker.

Mike Norman

Justin Manuel

Then, in addition to Mike Peyvandi, I have a number of colleagues who have rallied to the cause:

Bob Arpin

Wayne Hudson

Raj Bamaniya

Kevin Timmins

Greg Forbes

I am thrilled to have a good brother from our Marriage Encounter support group, Peter Righton.

And finally, Mo Sista Ingrid, my wife.  You can agree with her or you can be wrong.

Mostashed Hairiers: Movember Q & A's

Here are some answers to what should be FAQs that people should be asking...

How do I join the Mostashed Hairiers?

Follow these simple steps:
1. Send me your mugshot ASAP - with or without a moustache (hereinafter called a "mo".)
2. Register today with my Movember team, The Mostashed Hairiers.
3. Read the email that the Movember organisers send you. You may want to make your own blog.
4. Look with delight at the entry I make about you on my blog.
5. If you have a significant other in your life, tell him or her about the blog. Give your permission and encouragement to have them tell their friends.
6. Shave clean on the evening of October 31 and send me a picture to prove it. All your friends and colleagues will see you and laugh. Think what joy you will be bringing, especially when I put your picture on the blog. You can also have your own Movember blog to bring added joy to the world.
7. For the entire month of November (sorry, Movember) you shave your beard, but not your mo, taking a picture every four or five days to post on the team blog so that the world can admire/guffaw/whatever and, most importantly, your supporters/detractors will make sponsorship donations directly to the Prostate Cancer Research Foundation of Canada. No need for you to handle any cash or donations if you do not want to.
8. Your wife/girlfriend/partner/whoever has a very important role to play in helping find sponsors for you from among their own friends and acquaintances. They do this, not by asking for money (unless they particularly want to,) but just by telling their friends by email and FaceBook what you are doing and sending the link to the team or your personal blog. Wives and girlfriends can also register as a Mo Sista.

Canadian Men! Your country needs your mo!

How do I sponsor the Mostashed Hairiers?

Click here: Sponsor the Mostashed Hairiers.

You can also click on the sponsorship button in the panel on the left.

How much have the Mostashed Hairiers been sponsored?

The official Movember blog of the Mostashed Hairier's gallant and intrepid captain, Mo Bro Terry, will give you the (almost) latest status on donations to the team. Actually they seem to be a few hours behind, so if you make a donation give it a while for them to process it before expecting to see it on the blog.

Where are the Mostashed Hairiers in the Canadian rankings?

Hopefully we are in the Top 100. If not, please make a donation to get us there.

Why would I join the Mostashed Hairiers?

...because you are too lazy to run a marathon. Hats off to all the people who run for breast cancer!

Other reasons would include:

...because you want to raise money for prostate cancer research

...because you always wanted to grow a mo but felt sheepish; this gives you a reason.

Why do men not join the Mostashed Hairiers?

Just a few men have told me they will not be joining. In order of frequency, reasons have been:

1. Vanity.

"I don't look good with a mustache"

"I don't have much of a moustache to grow"

"I don't do mo's. It makes me look rediculous"

"I can't bring myself to shave the mustache I already have. I would look rediculous"

2. Wife

"My wife would divorce me"

"My wife couldn't handle a mustache on me"

3. Kids

"My kids have never seen me without a mustache. Do I really have to shave it off?"

"My kids say it makes me look like a paedophile" (I must admit there's no arguing with this one )

Have I missed out any?

Autumn or Winter

Today we had snow - and not just a little flurry - real snow which continued on and off the whole day around our neck of the woods.  

This has happened just nine days after a glorious Thanksgiving weekend which inspired me to get out my camera and drive around our neighbourhood to catch some of the local fall colours which I have uploaded to an album, 2008 October Fall-Winter.

Before coming to Canada I was of the impression that autumn was the "proper" word for this season and that fall was just a "lazy American" word.  I will own up to being led to this conclusion by snobbish prejudice. I was wrong and I have spent the last few years trying to be a bit more open to the possibility that I might even be wrong on some other points; I'm just trying to discover what they are :-)

Here's what I found in the Online Etymology Dictionary:

Fall

Noun sense of "autumn" (now only in U.S.) is 1664, short for fall of the leaf (1545).

Autumn

c.1374, from O.Fr. autumpne, from L. autumnus, a word probably of Etruscan origin. Harvest was the Eng. name for the season until autumn began to displace it 16c.

Here are a few photos I have selected from the album.  All pictures in the album were taken less than 5 minutes drive from our house.

Snow falling front of our house today

Congratulations, Master Miriam

Today Geoff, Ingrid and I attended Miriam's graduation to Master in Social Work at York University. Well done Miriam.  It was a long hard slog through some pretty tough times but you came through. It's not impossible that I might be more proud than you are.

Afterwards Stephen and Heather joined us for curry buffet.

You can see the album of 15 pics at Miriam's Graduation Album.

Happy Thanksgiving - 2008

To all our Canadian readers, Happy Thanksgiving. (This was a card we received from friends of ours - Brenda and Claude.)

As I said in the blog before last (September 28, 2008 Canada votes,) my family and I have much to be grateful for since coming to Canada, and much for which we are indebted to Canada and Canadians: subsidized education (elementary, high, college and university), hip replacement surgery, post-surgery unemployment benefits, the cancer treatment and other healthcare benefits we have received - to name just some of our blessings.

This Monday is Thanksgiving in Canada - a month earlier than in the U.S.A. Our family has taken to this Canadian tradition like ducks to water - or should I say Canada Geese? All at Kwa-McCann take this opportunity to thank God for all the blessings of the past year. 

Every year up until now Ingrid has been the hostess for the family Thanksgiving Dinner, but this year Geoff and Miriam have invited us all to have Thanksgiving at their place.  I can tell you, Ingrid can't wait. :-)

I found this really cool website that talks about the peculiarly Canadian Thanksgiving: "Proud Canadian Kids."

Our parish bulletin printed the following "Prayer composed by a Native American."

O Divine Gift-giver,

I stand beneath the endless waterfall

of your abundant gifts to me.

I thank you especially for all the blessings of life,

the most precious of all your gifts to me.

I thank you, ever generous One,

for clothing to wear,

for food and drink to nourish my body,

that you have bestowed upon me.

I thank you for the many joys of my life,

for family and friends,

for work that gives to me a sense of purpose

and invests my life with meaning.

I thank you as well

for the sufferings and trial of my life,

which are also gifts

and which, together with my mistakes,

are among my most important teachers.

Grant that I may never greet a new day

without the awareness of some gift for which to give you thanks.

And may constant thanksgiving

be my song of perpetual praise to you.

Father, a needy one stands before you,

I that sing am that one.

Native American Omaha Indian

Movember Time Again

Next month, the month of November, will be Movember and the anniversary of the first time I shaved my beard and moustache since December 1967.  Never mind my kids, not even my wife, Ingrid, had ever seen me without a beard except in photographs. Well, all that has changed and I spent the summer clean shaven - for the most part.

Following is the text of a letter that I have sent to family and a number of friends and colleagues in the hope that some of them will join with me again this Movember to raise funds for prostate cancer research in Canada.  I have also recommended to colleagues in the U.S. and Australia to form teams there.

Last November two of my sons, some male friends and colleagues, and I - with great support from wives, daughters, girlfriends and other enthusiastic and (usually) sympathetic ladies - raised $5,865 (yes, five thousand eight hundred and sixty-five dollars Canadian) in donations for the Prostate Cancer Research Foundation of Canada . We did this as a moustache-growing team called the MoCann Terriers participating in an international/global fund-raising initiative known as "Movember".

As a man living with prostate cancer (very small, very slow growing, not (yet) life-threatening, under medical supervision) I must own up to having a certain vested interest in funds going towards this cause.

This November I've decided to get hairy and again grow a moustache for Movember - a movement that is changing the face of men's health nationally and globally. With thousands of other men and women I'm committed to tackling men's health issues and being proactive in the fight against prostate cancer. However, I know that on my own I cannot be nearly as effective as doing this together with a great team such as last year's Mocann Terriers and all the supporters who rallied round.

Here is the link promoting Movember 2008.

You can also follow this link to read up about what Movember is.

I invite each one of you to join my team this year, the "Mostashed Hairiers."

What happens if you join the Mostashed Hairiers ? 

You shave clean on the evening of October 31 and take a picture to prove it. You could get supporters to sponsor you just for doing that if you already have a moustache. For the entire month of November you shave your beard, but not your moustache, taking a picture every four or five days to post on the team blog so that the world can admire/guffaw/whatever and, most importantly, your supporters will make sponsorship donations to the Prostate Cancer Research Foundation of Canada. Your wife/girlfriend/partner/whoever has a very important role to play in helping find sponsors for you from among their own friends and acquaintances.

To join my team, the "Mostashed Hairiers", click [HERE] 

or paste this into your browser: 

http://ca.movember.com/register/register-team.php?join=1&action=invited&search_captain_id=1349971&search_captain_email=terrycmccann@gmail.com

Once registered you'll be sent all the information you need to get donations and get growing as part of my Movember team, the Mostashed Hairiers.

You will need these details to complete your online registration:

Captain's Registration Number: 1349971

Captain's Email Address: terrycmccann@gmail.com

I fully understand and appreciate that not everyone will feel free to join as a mo-growing Mo Bro. There are three other important ways you can help:

1. Sponsor the team, or particular team members, with a financial contribution.

2. Spread the word. Make colleagues, family members or friends aware of Movember and the Mostashed Hairiers via the web links. You don't need to ask them to donate. Hopefully they will enthuse over what they see in their browsers and be motivated to donate to this very worthy cause.

3. Most importantly, educate yourself about prostate cancer - the number one cancer threat to Canadian men. If you are over 40 you are at risk; speak to your doctor about having a baseline PSA if you have not already had one. Prostate cancer is 95% curable if detected and treated early.

Your Movember Mo Bro - Terry