Michael Jr. at The Comedy & Magic Club

I took some portraits of Michael Jr. on Thursday at The Comedy & Magic Club



Jay Leno plays at this club on Sundays. Not anyone can just get in here, and I just walked right in the front door and no one stopped me.
This club is where all the great comedians started, like Jerry Sinfield.



More to come...

Protest for Nick Colombo is Victorious. Insurance will Pay!

Protest Interview


The protest at Pacificare was successful even before the rally started. Pacificare called my cousin the night before and said they would pay for all medical costs for any future treatments, including the large bill for the next cyberknife treatment in Kansas. My cousin Ricky still held the rally yesterday because there was going to be press there. And there was! Ricky said about forty people still showed up and every news station in the Southern California area was there to report what the Vice President, Tyler Mason, had to say.

With all of the press, emails, phone calls, and letters asking Pacificare to pay for the next sugery, the California Nursing Association stepped in the fight against the insurance company and told them that Nick needs this procedure ASAP. The CSN said a patient should not have to hold fundraisers and bake sales to pay for surgeries. CSN Article

Thank You to all that have helped make this possible. This has been a long struggle for my family, and when the insurance company suddenly says the surgery is not needed, it puts a lot of stress and pain on everyone. After four years, this cancer has drawn a lot of people to help out wherever needed.

If there is a will, there is a way, and we have a lot of willing people that are paving the way to recovery.

O.C. Register Article

With funerals, work, family, Easter, and blah blah blah last week...it took me a week to edit these images...
So I went for a photo-flower-picking-walk a week ago with Erica. It felt good to shoot again. After trying to use my left brain for 60 hours a week at work, anything creative relaxes my mind.




Erica sees something...


It's way in there...


...and I still don't know what it is...









Trying to pick the flowers gently


And at the end of the day, we have more flowers than we can carry...AND WE HAVE TO HIKE DOWN THE HILL!

Nick Colombo Cancer Protest Press Reports

I did a google search and found this Press Report for the protest tomorrow.

PacifiCare was recently fined $3.5 million by the state of California
for systematic mishandling of at least 133,000 claims like Nick's. The
company is facing up to $1.3 billion in addition penalties, for illegally
denying care, and a Department of Managed Health Care investigation found
that the corporation wrongly denied claims in 30 percent of its HMO cases
in 2006-7. In 2005, PacifiCare was taken over by the nation's largest
health insurer, UnitedHealth, which is expected to grow its profits 13
percent in 2007-8, according to recent reports.

Nick is not being singled out for his cancer, Pacificare is not giving out the service they say that they provide so they can keep more money at the cost of human's health.

Protest for Nick Colombo

Nick's older brother, Ricky, is putting together a protest in front of the Pacificare insurance company this coming tuesday.
Bring your flowers and old easter eggs.

Exert from Nick's care page:

Hi everyone,
This is Nick’s older brother, Ricky, and I want to ask all of you for a huge favor. First and for most, I would like to thank you for all of your support and prayers for my brother. As most of you know, our insurance company, PacifiCare, denied Nick to go to Kansas City. I think it is our duty to stand up for Nick and tell PacifiCare that what they are doing is wrong. I am putting together a demonstration in front of the PacifiCare building in Cypress. I am asking any of you that can get off of school or work next Tuesday (March 25th) at 10:00 to come out and help. We are getting the media to step in and put pressure on. If we can at least get 300 people there I know they will have to say something about it.
I know that my brother isn’t the only one suffering because of America’s poor healthcare system. If you guys know anyone else that is suffering because of this, have him or her come out too. We need to let, not only PacifiCare but, America know that what they are doing is wrong and we need change. Thank all of you so much.

If you have any suggestions about what we can do then send it to me, my email is namaste913@gmail.com be creative.
Ricky Colombo

Hope

CBS Interview

Dave Lopez with CBS news did a follow up report on the status of the Pacificare's decision to pay for my cousin Nick's cancer treatment.

Here is an exert from Nick's Care Page.

Nick and I went to the doctor on Monday. After talking with the doctor we have decided to move forward and get to Kansas without the insurance company, that doesn't mean we are not going to continue to fight but we can't wait for them. Dr. Marcio felt that we need to go now as long as Nick continues to get stronger. He went ahead and ordered a blood transfusion for Tuesday. Our plan is to go to Kansas and meet with the team of doctors in Kansas get a recommendation and then submit it back to Managed Health Care hoping and praying that they will reopen the case.
Some of you had questions about the Donation Fund for Nick. You can go to any Wells Fargo Branch and make a deposit to his account or if you are out of town you can do a Wire Transfer from your bank to Wells Fargo Bank. Their ABA # 121000248 and Acct. # 8046324722.
Also, we will be interviewed tomorrow again by KCAL 9. It will be aired sometime after 2:00.
Please continue to pray for Nick's pain. It has been bad tonight and I have tried everything that I could think of. We know that God has a plan and he is pulling everything together.
The one thing that helps Nick get to sleep is if I sit in his room. So I need to run.
Love you all.

Hang in there kid.

I went to a funeral today.

You don't know what you got, until it's gone.
-French Proverb.

I believe funerals are made not only for closure, but for friends and family to get together and spend some quality time with everyone. Sometimes we forget about family and friends that are "too busy working" and it is unfortunate that we do not get to spend time with loved ones as much as we should.

There was actually two funerals this week for me, but I was "too busy working" to attend both. I missed out on seeing a lot of my family that I probably haven't seen in over a year.

Erica always says everything happens for a reason. The lesson I learned this week was never under estimate the importance of your family because one day, they won't be there.

The other thing I learned was that when I die, I want to have a New Orleans funeral march. And if I have to plan your funeral, that's what you are going to get.

Happy Saint Patricks Day.

Drink your Guiness and eat some potatoes! Other than that, this day really makes no sense, but it is the largest celebrated nationality holiday of the year all over the world. And of all ironies, I have never met a person with an ounce of Irish blood to have any excuse to drink on a special holiday.

The leprechans dye Lake Michigan green every year.



AND FYI:
Don't wear a kilt today. It is an IRISH holiday, not Scottish. So eat corned beef, not haggis.

Nick Colombo fights cancer, the man, and now the insurance company.

CBS cancer interview.

My cousin Nick has been fighting cancer for about four years now. It has been a long and painful struggle. He is 17 and is one strong fighter. It is not easy to watch a close family member be in constant pain at any time in their life, much less years of fighting cancer. Everytime Nick goes through a treatment, the cancer grows back. Now the doctors recomend that the next treatment is in Kansas, and the insurance company is not cooperating with approving the treatment. So my Aunt emailed one of our clients, Dave Lopez with CBS News, and asked to do a report. He called back and wanted to do a report the NEXT DAY!

So when I say to enjoy your health and family, I am talking from personal experience.
Here is Nick's care page. I am not sure if you have to register & sign in to see it.
Here is a post from the care page:

What an exciting day today at the Colombo's. Last night around 12:30 a.m I was answering some e-mails,and it came to my mind that I should contact the news to let them know what we are going through. By mid-morning I received a call and e-mail from Channel 9 news. The were eager to do the interview and they were already in town. I raced home to get Nick up and read. Nick did a great job. We have received calls from the station and the city regarding contributions. We have opened a Wells Fargo Account, Nick Colombo Donation fund. If you would like to make a donation you can go on line or make a deposit at any branch office. Nick's account number is 8046324722.
All afternoon tears kept coming to our eyes. We are taken our position and standing firm and seeing how God will deliver us. (2 Chronicles 20:17) We are standing back and watching him orchestrate every detail.
Continue to pray for Nick. He is having pain in his back area. We are anticipating great things.
Love you all.

Old Plane

Life is short

This is a friendly reminder to all those out there in blog land that LIFE IS SHORT. Enjoy your health, family, friends, food (I like to eat), and traveling. If there is negative people or energy around you, cut it off. There is no reason to dwell on negative things.

Do not look down to the bad, but look up to the good.

Time

"If you spend 80% of your time working towards what makes you happy, chances are you will make a living at doing something you enjoy."

Adam Christing. Comedian. Entrepreneur.