Charlie Hunnam would had been the perfect Christian Grey!

I am so disappointed that Charlie Hunnam isn't staring in 50 shades of grey :(

Check Out This Body!

Mmmm So Fine

Charlie Hunnam Will Not Be portraying Christian Grey in the up coming 50 Shades of Grey Movie :(

Charlie Hunnam, the 33-year-old star of "Sons of Anarchy," will not play the role of Christian Grey in the upcoming "Fifty Shades of Grey" film, Universal Pictures said Saturday.

"The filmmakers of 'Fifty Shades of Grey' and Charlie Hunnam have agreed to find another male lead given Hunnam's immersive TV schedule which is not allowing him time to adequately prepare for the role of Christian Grey," Universal said in a statement.

Hunnam was due to play the male lead in the film, set to debut August 1, 2014. He said he agreed to do the film because of "tangible chemistry" with co-star Dakota Johnson.
 He's out as Christian Grey

The film is based on E.L. James' erotic novel about an inexperienced college student named Anastasia Steele, played by Johnson, who gets an education at the hands of billionaire Grey.

The movie is being directed by Sam Taylor-Johnson.

Who do you want to replace Charlie Hunnam as Christian Grey?

Coitus Interruptus

Sheldon: So are you and Leonard still not having coitus?

Penny: Do you have to say coitus? Can't you just say we aren't seeing each other?

Sheldon: No, because that wouldn't be true. You and Leonard still technically see each other all the time.

Penny: Still, I'd prefer if you wouldn't use that word.

Sheldon: "Well, all right. I'll just substitute intercourse."

Penny: "Great."

Sheldon: "...or fornication...but that has judgmental overtones so I'll hold that in reserve."

Penny: "Fine."

Sheldon: "Just to be clear, do I have to stop saying coitus with everyone or just you?"

Penny: "Ummmm...everyone."

Sheldon: "Harsh terms but all right."

Penny: "Naaah! I'm just coitusing with ya!"

(simulated dialog from the Big Bang Theory when I laughed my gluteus maximus off)

50 Shades Of Grey "The Movie"

OMG Ladies look what is in store for us entertainment wise Yummy, Mmmm..... Move Over "Magic Mike" I don't know if you have read the book? But, if not it would be a good thing to read the book before watching the movie since the book is always better. I cannot wait since Charlie Hunnam (AKA Jax Teller) is front and center in a movie that would make a Ho blush ;)

After recent speculation that he may be relinquishing his role as Christian Gray in the Fifty Shades of Grey movie, it appears as though actor Charlie Hunnam will  be sticking around. Amid the controversy surrounding the Sons of Anarchy star, several fans have seemingly had a change of heart after initially disapproving his casting, as he's reportedly being sent some sexy pieces of attire, according to Entertainmentwise.

"We've seen frilly knickers, bras and even stockings left at his door by some fans of the book as they try to get his attention. It has been very odd. I've never seen anything quite like it," stated one of his neighbors.
Fifty Shades of Grey producer Dana Brunetti recently took to Twitter to back up the creative brasses choice of Hunnam by elaborating on the casting process.

"There is a lot that goes into casting that isn't just looks. Talent, availability, their desire to do it, chemistry with another actor, etc. So if your favorite wasn't cast, then it is most likely due to something on that list. Keep that in mind while hating and keep perspective."
Fifty Shades screenwriter Kelly Marcel stated that she'd be adhering to the original content of author James' books with lots of sex and raunchiness. The highly anticipated movie is scheduled to launch in theaters on Thursday, Aug. 1, 2014.

'Breaking Bad' is watching you'

Bryan Cranston has had a slow but steady rise to stardom. Here are some of the stops along the way to "Breaking Bad's" Walter White.

Among Cranston's early roles was Doug Donovan on the ABC soap "Loving." He was on the show from 1983-1985.

Cranston made a good living in the '80s and '90s with commercials, inscluding ads for such brands as Preparation H.

One of Cranston's most-seen commercials was a popular spot with Michael J. Fox for Lay's potato chips.

On "Seinfeld," Cranston plays dentist Tim Whatley, who converted to Judaism in one episode (for, Seinfeld believes, the jokes) and was labeled a "re-gifter" in another.

Cranston has been cast as two real-life astronauts -- Gus Grissom and Buzz Aldrin. Here, he plays Aldrin in the 1998 miniseries "From the Earth to the Moon."

In a 1998 episode of "The X-Files" called "Drive," Cranston plays a bigoted yet sympathetic driver who worried that his head would explode. Vince Gilligan, who wrote the episode, remembered Cranston when it came to casting his show "Breaking Bad."

Cranston plays a War Department colonel in "Saving Private Ryan" (1998).

Cranston's loosey-goosey portrayal of Hal, the father on "Malcolm in the Middle" (here with co-star Jane Kaczmarek), earned him three Emmy nominations.

As "Breaking Bad's" Walter White, a former chemistry teacher turned meth mogul, Cranston (with Aaron Paul, has won three Emmys.

With the success of "Breaking Bad," Cranston's movie career has entered a higher gear. He co-stars with Matthew McConaughey in 2011's "The Lincoln Lawyer."

Cranston is one of many stars -- including Laurence Fishburne -- in the 2011 film "Contagion."

Cranston voices Vitaly the Tiger in 2012's "Madagascar 3: Europe's Most Wanted."

In 2012's "Rock of Ages," Cranston plays a candidate for mayor. Catherine Zeta-Jones co-stars.

Cranston also plays a politician -- but one far more ruthless -- in the 2012 version of "Total Recall."

In 2012's "Drive," Cranston plays a mechanic in hock to some gangsters. Ryan Gosling, left, plays a clever driver.

"Argo" (2012) stars Cranston as a CIA officer, the boss of agent Tony Mendez (Ben Affleck). "Argo" won best picture at the Oscars.

-- Now that it's almost over, let's remember how the whole thing started.

"Breaking Bad" is the story of a high school chemistry teacher who found out he had lung cancer. Not that there's ever a good time for this news, but for this guy, the timing couldn't have been worse: A pregnant wife, a handicapped son and financial circumstances so dire (did I mention he was a public high school teacher?) that his wife and children will be impoverished when he dies. So he did exactly what you or I would do under the circumstances: Get into the burgeoning market for crystal methamphetamine.

Among the many things you wonder: What kind of country, especially one as supposedly civilized and technologically advanced as this, would put any of its citizens in such a predicament?

Gene Seymour

Gene Seymour

And there are duly elected representatives still willing to put this country's government into a coma until they force repeal of the relatively meager measures enacted into law to widen its citizens' access to health care.

Granted this teacher's situation is that of an imaginary character, a sad little man who becomes enlarged by the kind of situational barbarism that can rationalize anything. But long before Obamacare became a buzzword, every American could recognize this fellow's desperate cornering as something that could happen to her or him.

Ah, but imagine a more libertarian sensibility making this case. While dealing crystal meth is a very bad thing, the fact that this poor sap could use his resources as a chemist to secure enough money for treatment only proves that you don't need any government-subsidized medical care. And if the casualties of this shake-and-bake encompass dead law enforcement officers, garroted convicts, innocent passengers and crews on two commercial jets along with thousands of hapless addicts on two continents, well, these are what we call the breaks. And anyway, there are many ways for an American to exert initiative, to figure his own way out of such dilemmas that don't involve violent death and self-destruction. At least, not necessarily.

Which, as everyone who's paid close attention of "Breaking Bad" will tell you, sounds exactly like something Walter White would say.

No matter where you stand on health care -- or on anything else -- "Breaking Bad" has been able to make the ground beneath your feet softer and shakier than you think. Not since "The Sopranos" (to my mind, its one true peer in this golden age for cable television series) has there been a TV drama that watches us as intensely -- and almost as balefully -- as we watch it.

 It's the era of the TV anti-hero

Remember how we were pulled every which way on how to feel about the psychologically wounded Tony Soprano's struggle to reconcile being both a dedicated family man and ruthless criminal entrepreneur in the thick of the turn-of-the-century economic boom?

So are we now torn between pity and scorn for the morally crippled Walter White's fumbling and now crumbling attempts to keep everybody close to him alive, well and happy in the midst of his sordid machinations? Is his dismal negotiation of narrowing options a hint of what the "New Normal" has in store for us?

Maybe, maybe not. Such a question would never occur to us if we were watching a television crime show 50, 40, even 30 years ago when "Hill Street Blues" assumed credit for introducing black comedy and moral ambiguity to police melodrama. "Breaking Bad" has never overtly claimed to explain the way we live now. The finest works of art and literature never have to. They only connect.

When we watch Bryan Cranston (whom I've been proclaiming our greatest living actor since roughly the second of this show's five seasons) inhabit the rotting soul of Walter White as he keeps trying to explain away everything, we are both riveted and appalled by his cluelessness, his monstrousness and his plausibility.

Whether it's passively watching a junkie choking to death on her own vomit, engineering a nursing home's explosion to eliminate a threat to his survival or manipulating his partner Jesse (Aaron Paul, who will someday revive the heroic private detective genre by himself) away from suspecting him of attempted child murder, Walt is able to explain away all of it, to convince himself, if no one else (the viewers least of all), that he's doing it all to make the best out of a bad situation.

Call this impulse what you want, making excuses or, better still, total denial. Denial is Walt's true addiction. More than the "crystal blue persuasion" Walt's been cooking or the ricin he threatens to use, denial is the toxic, satanic brew permeating "Breaking Bad's" narrative. Deniers are worse than explainers when they facilitate or validate gruesome activities.

And yet, there have been times in the five-season run of Breaking Bad when a small part of us rooted for Walt to make the best of things somehow, even in his own twisted fashion, as though we couldn't quite believe or accept that anyone in his situation would submit to an alter ego as forbidding and deadly as Heisenberg the Meth King.

From a safe distance, we judge him as we would any sociopath. But that's too easy given what a complicated mess he is. And it's the seeming normality of Walter White that makes us interrogate ourselves more than he interrogates himself.

The honest, overpowering question: How much of this jerk's disease is carried in us? How much are we willing to pass by or let go just to make the best of our generally imperfect lives? I like to think I wouldn't go anywhere near Walt's dark side -- and I'm sure most of "Breaking Bad's" audience feels the same way. But just as Tony Soprano became our perverse surrogate in lunging for the goodies of the boom years, Walter White is the dreaded specter of the bust era, making one terrible choice after another as the legacy of dead bodies and dread excuses slowly close in on him for what promises to be a shattering revelation.

No wonder we can't wait to see how it all comes out.

R.I.P. James Ganolfini "His Career & Bio

QUICK FACTS

• NAME: James Gandolfini                 
  
• OCCUPATION: Film Actor, Theater Actor, Television Actor, Filmmaker
• BIRTH DATE: September 18, 1961
• DEATH DATE: June 19, 2013
• EDUCATION: Rutgers University                                                                                         
• PLACE OF BIRTH: Westwood, New Jersey
• PLACE OF DEATH: Rome, Italy
• FULL NAME: James Joseph Gandolfini Jr.
• AKA: James Joseph Gandolfini
• AKA: James Gandolfini

BEST KNOWN FOR

James Gandolfini was an American actor best known for his role as a mobster on the hit 1999 HBO television series The Sopranos.

James Gandolfini was an American actor born on September 18, 1961, in Westwood, New Jersey. He discovered acting in the late 1980s and made his Broadway debut in 1992. Gandolfini's breakthrough came in the role of a mobster on the hit 1999 HBO television series The Sopranos. During the show’s six-year run, the actor won numerous accolades, including a Golden Globe, a Screen Actors Guild Award and an Emmy. Gandolfini died in Italy after suffering a heart attack on June 19, 2013, at age 51.

Acting Debut

Gandolfini grew up in New Jersey and graduated from Rutgers University. He discovered the stage after spending years as a Manhattan bouncer and nightclub manager. When a friend took him to an acting class in the late 1980s, he was left so unsettled and challenged by a focusing exercise that involved threading a needle that he knew he had to return.

Shortly thereafter, James Gandolfini immersed himself in the New York theater world. His Broadway debut came with the 1992 revival of A Streetcar Named Desire with Jessica Lange and Alec Baldwin. His New York stage credits also include On the Waterfront, One Day Wonder with the Actor's Studio and Tarantulas Dancing at the Samuel Beckett Theatre,

Breakthrough Role

Gandolfini's breakthrough screen role came with his portrayal of Virgil, the philosophizing hit man, in Tony Scott's True Romance with Christian Slater and Patricia Arquette. He went on to play a diverse range of roles in more than 25 motion pictures over his decades-long career, including John Cusack's brother in Money for Nothing, Geena Davis's plumber boyfriend in Angie and a loyal Navy lieutenant in Crimson Tide. He also played a pivotal role in Steve Zaillian's A Civil Action alongside John Travolta and Robert Duvall

'The Sopranos'

Gandolfini's gift for shedding light on the vulnerable side of seemingly ruthless characters led to his starring role on the acclaimed HBO drama series The Sopranos. In 1999, Gandolfini won both a Golden Globe and a Screen Actors Guild Award for his portrayal of Tony Soprano, a gangster having a midlife crisis. He also won the Emmy Award for outstanding lead actor in a drama series three times—in 2000, 2001 and 2003. Also in 2003, it was announced that The Sopranos would end after its sixth season.

Later Roles

In 2004, Gandolfini appeared in the DreamWorks' comedy Surviving Christmas (2004) with Ben Affleck and the political drama All the King's Men (2006) with Sean Penn. He also continued to work with HBO after The Sopranos ended in 2007, after signing a development deal with the cable channel and its film distribution company, Picturehouse, in August 2006.

Gandolfini began appearing on the big screen again in 2009. He starred in the action dramas The Taking of Pelham 1 2 3 and In the Loop, and became a voice in the live-action remake of the children's book Where the Wild Things Are (2009).

In 2012, Gandolfini appeared in the crime-thriller Killing Them Softly with Brad Pitt, and played a C.I.A. director in the acclaimed film Zero Dark Thirty alongside Jessica Chastain. He also served as executive producer of the HBO miniseries Hemingway & Gellhorn (2012), which explored literary legend Ernest Hemingway's relationship with journalist Martha Gellhorn, who became Hemingway's third wife. The actor took a comedic turn the following year, playing Doug Munny in The Incredible Burt Wonderstone 

(2013) alongside Steve Carell, Jim Carrey and Steve Buscemi.

Personal Life and Death

Gandolfini and his wife, Marcella, married in March 1999 and divorced in December 2002. The couple had one child together, a son named Michael. In January 2004, Gandolfini proposed to his girlfriend, Lora Somoza, but the engagement was later called off.


On June 19, 2013, at the age of 51, Gandolfini died after suffering a heart attack in Rome, Italy, where he had traveled to attend the Taormina Film Festival.

Paradise Lost & The West Memphis 3

Paradise Lost: The Child Murders at Robin Hood Hills and it's subsequent followups, Paradise Lost 2: Revelations, and Paradise Lost 3: Purgatory are arguably some of the most rousing documentaries in cinematic history. The riveting trilogy chronicles the wrongful conviction of Jason Baldwin, Damien Echols, and Jessie Misskelley, Jr, known as the "West Memphis Three," who were charged with the murder of three eight year old boys in West Memphis, Arkansas.

The 1993 case would most likely have faded from the public's conciseness had it not been for Joe Berlinger and co-director Bruce Sinofsky. Their initial Paradise Lost film, released in 1996, caught to attention of various high profile figures like Johnny Depp, Eddie Vedder, and members of Metallica--many of whom rallied for the men's release.

Yet they would not walk free until 2011, after taking an Alford plea deal, which allowed them to maintain their innocence but plead guilty. By the time of their release, the three had spent a total of 18 years behind bars.Their story was recently explored in the documentary West of Memphis inspired the upcoming feature Devil's Knot. In a new interview, Berlinger reflects one his lengthy battle for the men's freedom and how he views the case today.

On May 5, 1993, Christopher Byers, Michael Moore and Steven Branch went missing from their homes in West Memphis, Arkansas. The next day, their bodies were found in the woods near their homes with evidence showing that they had been brutally beaten and savagely murdered. In the case of Christopher Byers, the evidence revealed that he had been castrated and his penis had been skinned before he was killed. News of the boys deaths and the manner in which they happened soon reached the inhabitants of the small community. The rumor then spread that the nature of Christopher Byers death in particular hinted that the deaths may have been related to a Satanic ritual.

Weeks after the murders, a local woman by the name of Vicki Hutcheson brought her eight-year-old son Aaron to see the police. Aaron claimed to have witnessed the kidnapping of his three friends. Vicki Hutcheson volunteered to help the investigation by becoming "involved" with both Jessie and Damien. Hutcheson was a neighbor of Jessie's and coaxed him into setting up a "meeting" with Damien so Hutcheson and Damien could get to know each other.

 Vicki Hutcheson would later admit to the police that she had attended an Esbat with both men. Years after the trials, Hutcheson would admit that she had lied about attending the Esbat. Over the months that led up to the arrests and trials, her son Aaron would also change his account of what happened numerous times, each time the story becoming more outrageous and unbelievable. 

Eventually, the police brought in Jessie Misskelley for questioning in relation to the murders. Misskelley was 17 and considered mildly retarded. Despite this, a simple questioning turned into a heated interrogation by West Memphis Police which resulted in a confession from Misskelley that was almost immediately recanted. Based on this confession and the story told to police by Aaron Hutcheson, Misskelley, Echols and Baldwin were all arrested and charged with three counts of Capital Murder. Each of the three men encountered issues during the course of their trials, including the inability to have the trial moved away from Arkansas area, lack of the prosecution's required assistance in the delivery of all intended evidence to the defense, and what is perceived by the author to be a biased judge. Author Mara Leveritt makes numerous comparisons to the trials of the three men to that of the Salem Witch Trials, stating that the men were convicted based on the "Satanic Craze" the community was surrounded by after the murders.

 Actual evidence used by the prosecution during the trials included pictures of Metallica t-shirts worn by Jason Baldwin and books checked out by Damien Echols at his public library. Prosecution cases contained little more than circumstantial evidence. Eventually, all three men were convicted of the murders, with Jason Baldwin and Jessie Misskelley receiving life sentences without parole and Damien Echols receiving the death penalty.

Central characters

Damien Echols – Portrayed in the media as the "Ringleader" of the group. Central figure throughout the case, with a lot of attention focused on the prosecution's attempt to vilify him to the point of conviction.

Jason Baldwin – Damien's "best friend". Considered by many "guilty by association" for his friendship with Echols. Prosecutors used Jason's Metallica t-shirts as evidence that he was involved in "satanic activity" and "the trappings of the occult".

Jessie Misskelley – Friend of both Damien and Jason. Is considered mildly retarded and at the time of his arrest, he had the education level of a fourth grader despite being seventeen years old. His confession was the basis for the arrests and convictions of Echols and Baldwin, despite the many critical inconsistencies of it.

John Mark Byers – Stepfather to Christopher Byers. Was and still is the most outspoken family member of any of the victims. His numerous run-ins with the law including a violent outburst against his former wife, and the mysterious death of Christopher's mother. Questions were raised as to his involvement in the murders after he gave a knife to HBO productions that contained Christopher's blood type in the fold. Byers denied ever using the knife to HBO and police; this statement was recanted by Byers only after the police informed him that they found blood on the knife that matched Christopher's. To this day, the West Memphis Police have yet to investigate Byers any further.

Gary Gitchell – Chief Inspector for West Memphis Police. When asked during a press conference as to how confident he felt about the case against the Echols, Baldwin and Misskelley, based on a scale from "1 to 10," he stated: "An Eleven".

Judge David Burnett – Judge presiding over the trials. Portrayed as stubborn and biased toward the prosecution in the book.

Ron Lax – Private Investigator who lends his services to Damien Echols and goes on to uncover many concerning details surrounding the arrests and trials.

Christopher Byers – Murder Victim

Michael Moore – Murder Victim

Steven Branch – Murder Victim

The initial Paradise Lost film opens with images of the victims bodies. Why were graphic images essential to the film? 

We debated endlessly about whether that was fair to the families. About whether it was the right film-making decision. How much is too much. It was debated right up until picture lock. Just how much was too much and is it too much. At the end of the day we felt it was very important to bring people immediately into that world of shock and horror. So that you can take people on the same journey that actually we went through, which I think the community went through and unfortunately didn't come out the other side of the journey, and specifically what I mean is, to me what was most fascinating about spending eighteen plus years making these films.

http://www.boston.com/ae/movies/2013/03/14/west-memphis-documentary-about-boys-murders-finds-new-ground-mine/02NHCuRr2t7FEFEvZTAHaK/story.html

I pray that the real killer will be prosecuted for this crime and I am thankful that innocent men are free, although I do not believe that these men that served almost 2 decades behind bars should had to sign a Alfred Plea.  

The Voice 4

The New Team 

Judith Hill & Sarah Simmons have left the building of  Voice 4, folks!  And now there are 6 contenders for The Voice 4 crown. There's Amber Carrington ( Team Adam Levine) , Michelle Chamuel ( Team Usher ), Shasha Allen (Team Shakira), Swon Brothers, Holly Tucker and Danielle Bradbury ( Team Blake Shelton ).  I seriously felt a little tiny bit sad that Judith Hill did not make it because I felt she had a very good voice though. I think, the crowds favorite would be country girl, Danielle Bradbury. I would be quite surprised if she didn't make it to the finals. I guess, that's the beauty of a singing competition - lots of twist and turns.

All are quite good, actually. I do enjoy the performances of these aspiring talents and you just marvel at some of these talents.

They really can sing and sing well indeed. In a challenging career like this, all these budding talents needed is a break like this and they would be on their way to rewarding recording deals. My prediction for Voice 4 would be Danielle Bradbury to win it with dark horses from

I do like Shasha Allen because she is one classy act too while The Swon Brothers are just as competitive. The Swon Brothers with their cowboy swagger and country music should bring in a number of votes but their harmony and performances are not too bad,actually.  So, let's see what happens , shall we? 

This to be alllll about me!!!!!

 am watching some movies lately about relationships etc and though I know these are all works for fiction and they range from wildly entertaining to mildly annoying I actually think that I have learned something from these movies. 

"I Love You Man" staring Jason Segel and Paul Rudd. This is a story about a guy who doesn't have any good close guy friends and as he gets engaged he realizes that he doesn't have a 'best man'. He finds Jason Segel and shenanigans occur. But here's the thing - the message is not about being best friends, it's more about being open and honest and communicating and living in the NOW. 

"He's Just Not That Into You". We know what this is about, and the premise is to be more 'eyes open' when it comes to meeting people and stop thinking people are going to change and in all cases run away from the people that are not treating you well or are not what you think jives with what you want. 

These are themes I'm trying to really to live right now. I'm trying to get my brain and body in shape. I think if one happens the other will follow. Living with intent is not just a mental/emotional thing, it's going to encompass much much more than that. 

I'm slowly letting go of the past year. I'm slowly being able to peel that away and not let it fester and risk it turning ME into a dented can of green beans! It's true that I don't trust men right now, but that won't always be the case. Right now I just need this to be alllll about me. 

Is spending time with myself being selfish? Clearly not when I so desperately need to re-connect with myself and set a higher standard for relationships.

So Long Harry

In the past few years I have read all the books.

In the past 8 years I have watched all the movies.

All the movies.

Even the very last one on the very day it was released.

I don't even know what to say about how much I love these characters and their stories. I think that most people who have read them will know what I mean. They are... wonderful, alive, passionate, courageous and... truly magical.

Harry, Ron, Hermione and crew - you were not part of my childhood like you were for so many but you are part of my imagination forever. Thank you.

Thank you. I will miss you and I will visit with you again soon I 'm sure.

(I thought of writing this blog after finding the picture above)

Movie Review (Darius Goes West )

So why review a movie on a pediatrician’s blog?

A couple of months ago I received an email from a blog reader who was a participant in a movie project that ultimately produced a unique documentary titled Darius Goes West.

Their ultimate quest: raise awareness and money for Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy research.

For those unfamiliar with Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy (DMD), it is a heartbreaking disease that cripples otherwise healthy children by deteriorating their muscles, eventually leading to loss in ambulation, paralysis and death. The average life expectancy for a child afflicted with DMD varies from the early teen years to the mid-30s.

As a pediatric fellow, I witnessed, up close and personal, several brave patients who battled doggedly against the recessive X-linked killer. Inevitably and unfortunately, the genetic defect always prevailed.

However, there is light at the end of the tunnel; promising new therapies including stem cell replacement, DNA repair techniques, new uses for old medications and completely new medications set an auspicious foundation for the future.

For Daruis Weems, the future may not be soon enough. But rather than succumbing to Muscular Dystrophy, Darius has tackled the disease head-on, creating a documentary film to assist in the fight. The documentary begins in the summer of 2005, with then 15-year-old Darius setting off on a road trip across the United States with the ultimate goal of reaching Los Angeles in the hopes of having his wheelchair souped up on MTV's show "Pimp My Ride".

Eleven of his friends (one of whom emailed me about the cause) join him on this crusade, and what ensues is a remarkable story about courage, friendship and love of life, regardless of the cards life deals you. And while the storyline revolves around the quest to "pimp" Darius' ride, the real story that is ultimately revealed is that life is only as precious and fulfilling as you are willing to make it. And Darius lives life large.

It was neither the best movie nor even the best documentary that I've watched, but I thoroughly enjoyed the film and its authenticity. And for certain, it is the best money I have ever spent in purchasing a movie (10 DVDs to be exact... I wanted to share). I cried, I laughed, and I especially enjoyed the rap numbers Darius performs throughout the documentary. The boy has skillz (I doubt I'll ever use that word in another blog again), and so too does the documentary, winner of over 25 separate film awards.

Ultimately, it is an excellent way to spend an evening. And even if you do not thoroughly enjoy the film, you can walk away knowing your money went to a good cause. One day in the not-so-distant future, Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy will meet its match. Until that day comes, Darius and his team will help lead the charge in his pimped-out wheelchair.

More information (and how to purchase the DVD) can be found at http://www.dariusgoeswest.org/, but to simplify things I have inserted a snippet from the website.

The Million DVD fundraiser has begun! The goal of the DGW Foundation is to sell one million copies of Darius's Award winning film, in roughly one year. The "year" began Sept. 1st '08 and will end on Darius's birthday, Sept. 27th 09.

The best way you can help with our "One million DVD in one year" campaign is to purchase a DVD or a set of DARIUS GOES WEST DVDs. By set we mean multiple DVDs for a group of friends or family...for your entire church, synagogue, or Sunday school class...for everyone who works in your company...or for an entire classroom (or school) of students in middle or high school. Your generosity, at any level, will not only help spread awareness for Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy, but it will also help fund promising research intended to treat or cure this fatal disease.

Because we are a non-profit Foundation, any time you buy a DVD, or a set of DVDs, a portion of the purchase is a tax-deductible donation. The fair market value of each DARIUS GOES WEST DVD is $3. When you make a purchase (of $250 or more), we will send you an official thank-you letter that you can use for tax filing purposes.

American Winter (A MUST READ)

As I came in from Easter Brunch I cut on the TV and an HBO Documentary was just starting, so I sat down to watch, and I found myself feeling these peoples pain. This documentary put a different twist to the dynamics of needy and gave new faces to the cause of the homeless. These are people who speak of the American Dream and for years were living just that. They were not wealthy, but some were blue collar workers and some white collar workers, but with one thing in common they were the middle class.     

The faces you are about to see are the faces you would expect to see on pubic assistance, food stamps etc. Each of these people worked hard to provide for there families and are very prideful people. They themselves spoke of how they thought only the needy should qualify for assistance and thought too many people misused the system as all of us has said this same thing before. But, yet when these people were laid off of jobs some making over 100,000 a year or more they found they were 3 to 5 pay checks from living on the street. Some had severance and along with unemployment stayed afloat for a while, but then there unemployment benefits ran out they still could not find work. 

Overview: As the economy slowly recovers from the worst financial crisis since the Great Depression, an increasing number of families are caught in a daily struggle to meet basic needs. At the same time, the social safety net intended to help those in crisis has been weakened by budget cuts, creating a perfect storm of greater need and fewer resources for the vulnerable. Viewed through the stories of eight families, AMERICAN WINTER reveals the devastating fallout of the mortgage meltdown, unemployment, the health care crisis and a shrinking social safety net. Included in the film are interviews with local economic experts, policy analysts, religious leaders and social workers.

Some were told that were over qualified for the positions they were seeking. John the 50 year old was actually informed that he was too old for the position since some of his co-worker had landed jobs with a company, but they were younger than John. John has a Down Syndrome son Geral that he has to care for and is doing everything to keep his farm do that Geral will not have to move into a new environment with different surroundings that would be hard for Geral to adapt to. Diedre a RN could not get the nurses aid job she applied for because they said she was over qualified.  Then there is Shanon & Chelsea and Chelsea is 12 years old with stomach ulcers worried about money and how her mother will pay her medical bills since her mom worked, but had no insurance and made too much money to qualify for medicaid. Most of these people have been laid off from big corporations and went to work at 3 minimum wage jobs just trying to make ends meet. 

It is so sad when you see people just trying to get a leg up and every time they get up there is something else to bring them back down. I had talked of "Corporate America" the other day when I was speaking of my moms job in banking working in mergers and acquisitions. My mom actually worked on bank mergers and was very good at it. When my mom started she had a CPA but in today's world one would have to have a MBA, because it is a whole new ball game and the players are different. My mom never had to witness buyouts "Thank God" 

     

The Families

TJ &Tara -After TJ gets laid off from his job, he and his wife Tara struggle to provide for their three children on her minimum wage income.  Forced to choose between paying their mortgage or electricity bill, the family recalls what it is like to have no lights and no heat in the middle of winter.  

John & Geral – 50-year-old John is now facing a third year of unemployment and despairs that he’ll soon lose his ranch, Growing discouraged with his fruitless job hunt, John must also cope with feelings of shame when he is forced to apply for food stamps in order to feed himself and his 10-year-old son Geral, who has Downs Syndrome.

Brandon & Pam – With Brandon frustrated by a series of close calls on the job front, Pam is forced to go with her two young sons to a women’s shelter to get assistance with basic provisions. Unable to pay rent, the family moves into Pam’s mother’s two-bedroom apartment. 

Diedre & Jalean– Though college-educated RN, Diedre was laid off from her job along with 1500 other employees during the Recession, and has turned to donating plasma and selling scrap metal to make ends meet for her family of five. 

Ben & Paula – After working at the credit branch of a car company, Ben was laid off and quickly fell behind on the mortgage to the distress of his wife and kids. As the family copes with the trauma of losing their home to foreclosure, they also find themselves struggling to pay for basics.

Shanon & Chelsea– A single mother, Shanon got into debt because her 12-year-old daughter suffers from a stomach condition requiring hospitalization, causing her to miss 3 months of work.  Hit with expensive medical bills that her insurance company will not cover, Shanon is now struggling to pay the rent.

Mike & Heather – Mike, Heather and their three children are left without water, electricity or heat, and have turned to a generous neighbor to run an extension cord from his garage. Completely demoralized, Mike finds he can’t even afford gas to go and look for a job.

Jeannette and Gunner – When Jeannette’s husband died recently, she and her 11-year-old son Gunner were left to fend for themselves. Unable to keep their home, they slept in a garage and in their car before ending up in a shelter. 

Expectations: I’m not quite sure how to take this one. My expectations are pretty high for like everyone else, I know stories from my own community of the hardships people have endured over the past few years. Can this documentary show me something different that I haven’t already heard? But, why should I doubt that it shouldn't be able to offer something different. First, it comes to me via HBO and their top-notch documentaries rarely totally disappoint. Plus, my first person perspective is from a small rural community and not even from a mid-sized city let alone a major city like Portland Oregon. I suspect I am going to see how really bad it is out there.

We're at a crossroads as a country. We are either going to decide that we need a strong middle class and a viable safety net, or we are going to continue the trend towards rising poverty, shrinking wages, cutting budgets and services, a disappearing middle class, and the democratization of all those who find themselves in need of social services.  GET INVOLVED and help American Winter impact communities across the country and at all levels of government.  Together we can galvanize a movement for positive change!