April 21, 2012

FUCK THE KIDS!!!!

Maybe it's partly because I have been out of the blog-o-sphere for so long now, maybe it's because of my long standing feelings about today's youth, or maybe it's part of my current psychological state with my Mom being sick as she is that makes me deem it acceptable to post a blog with the F-word in the title. Heaven knows that for the by and large, I refrain from using bad language. One thing I do know for certain is that since the company I work for has elected to put some financial backing into the Stollery Children's Hospital, I have had NOFX's hit 30 second song "Fuck The Kids" repeating through my mind.

Yes, it's true that the compounding years of NOFX music has probably done a number on my nerves/brain cells/ideas about the world. And it is equally unfortunate that as a young person (yes, I'm still young), I don't have more confidence or generosity directed towards today's youth.

Nevertheless, today that's how I feel.

I cannot say enough good things about the company I am working for. They are a young & rapidly growing company that is doing all the right things. Including becoming involved in the community. So when the e-mail came through asking us to provide a rationale with a charity that we would like to see the company become involved with, I was excited to give them my recommendation.

I am betting that the company had only a small handful of viable options for the charity that they should go with, despite the overwhelming amount of good causes out there. Before my Mom's diagnosis, I would likely have been disinclined to submit a recommendation - or at the very least put in a half-assed paragraph about Ducks Unlimited or WWF or some other "Save the World" nonsense. But this is real life. Cancer happens. Lots. Now. And always. And it's scary.  Sure, kids are cute, and it's tough & rough to watch them suffer. And indeed, without healthy kids, we won't have a sustainable tax-base that will be having to help pay for my retirement home. Even so: fuck the kids. They are retarded, shameless, selfish, illiterate, foul-mouthed, self-absorbed, sex-crazed tech junkies and their parents either can't keep up trying to raise them, or crashed & burned trying. Let's look after us. Now. This is our generation - it's our time.

At the end of the day, the company I work for elected for those cute & cuddily kiddies. I would be curious to see by what margin the votes came in; and also if a presentation behind in support of the various charitable opportunities would have swayed the employee base. But it's done. We're young. So that's fine.



The Stollery  Children's Hospital Annual Report is very accessible. For the layman, it looks like in 2009 and 2010, there had been about $13 Million granted to the hospital out of the $25 Million raised by the foundation. By contrast, it looks like about $27 out of the $68 Million raised in the same time period was granted to for cancer research by the Alberta Cancer Foundation.  I am not concerned as to whether this is good or bad: I am no accountant. All that this shows is that a lot of money is in play.

Part of that $68 Million was raised by the Enbridge Ride to Conquer Cancer that I participated in for the first time last June. Personally, my contribution was just over 3 grand of the $8.6 Million raised by 2900 riders. This ride is the largest fundraiser of its kind for the Alberta Cancer Foundation. It is a large commitment by all parties as well: fundraise $2500 minimum, commit to do the ride to your supporters, understand  on a higher philosophical level of what it means to get involved with a fundraiser that has an affect on an incredible amount of people. Oh and training. That part's work too.

But even after all the money has changed hands: costs of jerseys, tenting, food & drink, fuel to ship people around the province to Calgary for this ride - the Alberta Cancer Foundation will still create a difference in ALL of our lives.  Sooner or later, in some way or form. I believe that, and it would be good if you did too. The cynics and pessimists aren't making it any easier on any of us. Believe. That there can be a cure to help those living with cancer. That the end of it is achievable in our lifetime. That there will be suffering... no more.

Now... my song:

(well, that's 3 songs, but you get the idea)