Marquette Star Markus Howard Opens Up About Mental Health

Markus Howard photo courtesy Marquette University

Especially among men, even more so among high level athletes, being open about mental health struggles can be seen as a weakness. In a new ESPN video, Markus Howard of the Marquette Golden Eagles men's basketball team talks about going to a weekly therapy session.

Moving on to college can be a hard thing for anyone, then add on the stress of competing at a high college level basketball program and it's not difficult to see how many athletes can struggle with all the demands. Some of the issues that these students, and we have to remember they are still young and students, struggle with and become headlines, may be avoided if more would take the approach that Howard is taking.

He and his coach, Steve Wojciechowski, talk about how they see therapy as an important part of maintaining the level, to have an outlet without the stigma of weakness.

No one should be afraid to ask for help, you aren't stronger if you go it alone and end up failing. A strong man is one who knows when to ask for help. I applaud Howard for being open about the positive steps he is taking to remain strong.

Breweries Unite For Camp Fire Aid

In the beer world, especially among 'craft beer' enthusiasts, Sierra Nevada brewery is iconic, mostly for its IPAs, so it shouldn't be a surprise that their peers would jump a the chance to support them, but what happened this week is shocking - in the best way possible.

Sierra Nevada, which makes its home in Chico, CA where the Camp Fire has just finally been put out, but not after devastating the area. SN had already been supporting its neighbors with a relief fund but then they upped the ante: they created a new IPA style beer that they would donate all proceeds, then they invited their brewing friends to join in. And the results are astounding. As of Tuesday 11/27 over 1,000 breweries had agreed to brew the same beer and sell in the same manner - with all proceeds going to the relief of Camp Fire victims.

Milwaukee Film Festival 2018 GMM Picks

It's that time of year again - the Milwaukee Film Festival. In fact its the 10th anniversary of this great asset to our city and community. Events and films go on from Oct 18 to Nov 1

While there are lots of great options to see, I am for the first time listing those that fall in line with the GMM philosophy: ones that are inspirational for men in our community. Caveat: I haven't necessarily seen these, I am just going by descriptions and other reviews. But if you are up for being inspired to be a Greater Milwaukee Man, check some of these out:

Spanferkel for Wounded Warriors @ Big Head Brewing

A shot of the pig on the spit at Big Head Brewery

Need something to do today? Saturday, October 13th head over to the Big Head Brewing 4th annual Spanferkel which also benefits the Wounded Warrior Project.

What's a Spanferkel? Basically, it's a German pig roast and it will be roasting away and ready to serve at about 12:30 pm.

Scentsory Kicks Off 10%Tuesday Giving With Gentleman's Ride

An example of what the rides and riders of the DGR
look like, classic personal style matched with their bikes.

It's uncommon for men to think too much about personal hygiene products. We go to the store, grab one of the major brands for things like anitperspirant, shaving, etc., but, just like with our general health, rarely do we think about what is in them that may impact our own health & well-being let alone others' or the environment. This is changing with more diversity of product types nearing a percentage of what is available to women - facial cleansers, skin care, and so on - and indeed there are some brands even at big box stores that embrace more natural care like Burt's Bees, Everyman Jack, and Schmidt's among others. With beards and styled facial hair being more popular, men are also embracing care of . One local shop, Scentsory Bath & Body Boutique in Cedarburg, is addressing the growing demand for personal hygiene products for men with handmade, natural products.

Scentsory is taking things a step further and adding in a charitable aspect to their business, kicking off a new program called Ten%Tuesday with donations to the Milwaukee Distinguished Gentleman's Ride during September 2018.