Keeping The Faith In Hollywood!

Keeping The Faith In Hollywood!

Thursday, December 31, 2009

Christians Represent at Rose Parade 2010!

The Lutheran Hour had a wonderful entry in this year's Pasadena Rose Parade. It's called The Ten Commandments - Jesus Fulfilled! Check it out on the on my video posts or at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P7tLNEppO7w.

New Year's Eve 2009!

It's alredy 2010 in Taiwan, China and Australia all celebrating with fireworks.
What a year!

I'll be spending my New Year's Eve in church in Long Beach where we will partake in the Lord's Supper at the stroke of midnight.

God is great and Happy 2010!

The Campaign of Israel: The Faith of Abraham

We gave our sacrifice an the alter on December 13th but as pastor Israel says "this is just the beginning" as we have to come back on the altar and give our testimony of our breakthrough.

Rose Parade Float Decorating with CAL Poly!

I helped to decorate a Rose Parade Float in Pasadena on Tuesday 12/29/09 for the theme "A Cut Above". It is the CAL Poly University float called "Jungle Cuts" with zoo/jungle animals on it getting their hair "did".

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7eB5voykF0o

MY CONTRIBUTION:
I helped glue black onions seed and white rice to the zebra's striped neck, sorted crushed orange marigold centers for the giraffes as well as glued white carnation petals to the N in UNIVERSITY. I submitted a similar idea for a float design contest for LaCanad Flintridge's float but "I didn't make the cut"(lol). Please look for this float in the parade as I am very proud of my work (lol).

I made a $2 donation to have a postcard ride on the float for the enirety of the parade. This momento of the float will be mailed to my niece and nephew 'cause they love that type of event.

OTHER ROSE PARADE FLOATS:
While I was decorating for CALPoly I saw the Tuskegee Airman float upclose. It has the pictures of the famed airmen done in flowers and planes with working propellors. It is very nice but a must see is the only Christian themed float from the Lutheran Church. Unfortunately, I won't be going to the parade or float viewing this year so this will have to do for me. I also won't be attending any Rose Bowl games as the tickets cost $500- $2,000.

Friday, December 25, 2009

Merry Christmas!

A friend just sent me the following e-mail and it reflects my sentiments exactly:


GIFTS I'D LEAVE YOU ...
The gifts I'd leave beneath your tree,
Aren't those that you can touch or see,

Not wrapped in Christmas tissue gay
But gifts to bless you every day.

The gift of friendship warm and true,
is one that I would leave for you

Good health and happiness and cheer
To keep you smiling through the year

The gift of peace that comes from God,
With prayer to guide each path you trod

And when your heart has lost it's song
The gift of hope to cheer you on.

These are the gifts I'd leave for you
To bring you joy your whole life through.

HAVE A MERRY CHRISTMAS AND A GOD BLESSED 2010


Remember...

Jesus is the reason for the season!

Tuesday, December 22, 2009

R.I.P. Brittany Murphy

I loved Brittany Murphy in movies like Clueless and 8 Mile. She was definitely talented but I always felt that she would be with us for only a short while. Something about her was so pure, so fragile. Her eyes baby innocent and trusting… her voice and mannerisms bubbly like a child’s. I became convinced more so when I found out that she voiced the character, Luanne, the eternal optimist from The King of the Hill. I have a feeling that Brittany was a lot like Luanne in real life and I don’t think I’ll be able to watch the show’s reruns without crying now.

Of late, Brittany had been looking too thin, too wired and unwell so there will be a lot of tabloid-like speculations about the cause of death. Irregardless of the cause of her death, Brittany really needed someone to protect her from all the mess the industry threw at her when she was living. I remember some of the criticisms leveled at her over the years. Too chubby v.s. too thin, cute v.s. leading woman pretty, complex brunette v.s. care-free blonde, single and hopeful v.s engaged or married. Those who knew Brittany say that her mother tried to protect her as much as she could, her husband not so much.

Well, she’s free of the mess now. May God rest her soul.

R.I.P Oral Roberts

Along with Billy Graham, Oral Roberts was the first TV evangelist I remember watching as a child. I recently saw him speaking words of wisdom from the Bible and praying over prayer requests on Benny Hinn's show on TBN. Oral Roberts had a great love for God's people and he will be sorely missed.

May he have a blessed home-going.

Thursday, November 26, 2009

Thanksgivings Day and The Campaign of Israel

I am so thankful this Thanksgiving! Though I was not able to travel home to see my relatives this Thanksgiving, God has certainly blessed me and provided for me mightily. I could not have asked for a better year! Below is a break down of how I spent my wonderful day:

First, it was a wonderful 83 degrees here in LA!
Second, I went to church at 10:00 am where they blessed loaves of bread for our Thanksgiving Day meal.
Third, I went Christmas shopping because all the stores were open. This was unlike the 2 previous Thanksgivings that I spent in LA and I can only attribute this to the state of the economy.

My Thanksgiving Meal:
After church, I raced home and baked both a carrot and a spice cake and I made an "ugly" pumpkin "poop" pie (see the pic "how pumpkin pie is made" e-mailed to me by one of my sister-in-laws). My turkey dinner was a quick TV dinner but I did my own, stuffing, mash, gravy, yams, corn and salad also known as "the fixings".

The Decor:
I had scented spice candles from last year and I got some orange fall flowers for a centerpiece. I incorporated a beautiful cross into a bow made of green shiny ribbon then I put out the blessed bread, a bowl of fruit including pomegranates, the cranberry sauce, cranberry drink, mash potatoes and some cheese as hor'dourves. I decorated the side board and placed all the deserts there and the whipped cream. Everything looked so good on display that I couldn't eat because I wanted it to stay exactly right(lol).

Giving Thanks:
I put out a little note card that said "Thank You, God" and one that said "Reserved". Then I dimmed the lights, lit the candle, played the songs "Come, Holy Spirit Come" and I gave thanks to the Almighty for all that He has blessed me with throughout!

The Music:
Remember these Thanksgiving songs?
www.youtube.com/watch?v=x3dXCL34aEA&feature=related

The Guests:
Even though I have spent 3 Thanksgivings here I have never felt alone thanks to...

My Church:
Thankfully, Living Faith Church is a strong Bible believing church. The bishops and pastors of the church make very strong prayers on our behalf and they know us all by name. They encourage us to have strong faith and to put our faith in action. They are truly a blessing. I am close to many members of my church and they have been a blessing to me this entire year, also. I go to church 2-3 times a week so I see them very often. Two of them are battling chronic back pain and transitioning careers so I am in good company. They pray and believe God for me constantly and I pray and believe God for them. Some of them invited me to their homes but I wanted a quiet day at home today, so I declined.

My Neighbors:
After I prayed over my Thanksgiving's Day meal, my neighbors and their kids showed up. They needed a turkey baster and they promised me a plate of food when it was all done. They came by on Friday as promised with the turkey and all the fixings including a slice of pecan pie! Two other neighbors are coming by with plates of left overs for me, too. My neighbors are a blessing all year round, also. During the summer time, some bring me fresh BBQ from the grill or bake me brownies. In Fall, others invite me to their apartments for dinner or we just hang around pool side and talk. Some take me out for special occasions, window shopping or for dinner and a movie. Others have even driven me to appointments a couple of times and saved me the cab fare. One even came to my rescue through the smoke when the apartment next door was on fire. Some of my neighbors are med students, residents or retired doctors so I get to talk a little shop and keep up on medical trends. Best of all, I get to hang out with all the neighbors' kids and talk pediatrics.

I thank God again for my church friends, my neighbors, my friends and mostly my family!

Hope your Thanksgivings Day was blessed!

******************************

By Franklin Graham
In times like these, when nations are desperate for someone they can trust, Christians know we can always find strength and hope in the Word of the Lord. He tells us through the Apostle Paul,

"Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, in everything give thanks; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you." (1 Thessalonians 5:16-18, NKJV)

Side Note:
The Campaign of Israel:
We at Living Faith Church are in the first week of our Campaign of Israel where we are seeking to have the Faith of Abraham and learn to sacrifice what is precious to us symbolically as Abraham did. I am fasting and praying and attending church 3 days a week I am also considering what financial sacrifice would be right to give. The pastors will take our sacrifices and prayer requests to mount Moriah in Israel just as Abraham did. The pastors are praying for us and I got the following 2 books that are helping me prepare scriptually and spiritually:

"The Faith of Abraham" and "Change Your Life Through Your Sacrifice" are both by Bishop Edir Macedo and can be purchased at www.livingfaith.org

Tuesday, November 24, 2009

AFI: DAY 7 & 8 and the American Film Market (AFM)

Day 7-- Skipped it!

AFI Fest Wraps UP!

Friday Day 8
The last day of the AFI Film Fest was held in Santa Monica along with the American Film Market(AFM). I headed down there primarily to scout the AFM hotels but then I caught another stop gap animation movie called The Attic, which was very quaint.

AFI Film Festival and AFM:
I'm in some pain from attending all the events but I'm having fun! I have 2-3 more days to go so I'm trying to do as my doctor recommends and not over do things. On Friday I did my usual Friday morning at church then I headed out again, this time to Santa Monica for AFM (the American Film Market) where nearly 800 million in deals for all the upcoming movies are made. It was okay attending the AFM but most of the people there where loud white men making "important" deals on cell phones. They were so full of themselves-- it was worst than being in a room full of male surgeons(lol).

On Saturday I attended AFM's Pitch Me! conference and heard pitches of movie idea and scripts by wanna be writers and producers. The room was packed with about 300 people, mostly established independent writers, producers and directors from all parts of the world with about 60% from the U.S. It was set up just like one of our medical conferences or board review programs so I felt right at home). You know what I mean right? Rows of parallel white cloth covered tables with evenly spaced sterling pitchers of water and clear drinking glasses, hotel pens and small writing pads also endorsed with the hotel's name.

The movie pitches were done by students ages 20's - 40's in the AFI(American Film Institute) programs and many were scared or unsure in their presentation obviously having not done much public speaking or presenting before. All I could think or when I listened to them was how amateurish the presentations were and that how anyone from med school would have blown the panel away. In fact, thanks to my surgery rotation, I can still present in my sleep(lol).

Each pitch was followed by a critique and feedback session done by a panel of established producers and film buyers. The panelist encouraged the presenters to pretend that they were in a friendly one and one in a studio executives office and that they were simply story tellers telling stories. I heard some of the worst and most ungodly movie ideas which had won writing contests and had some level of scholarship or funding attached! Two had gay themes but no plot and two movies seemed racist to blacks. Another, written by a former divinity student, told a blasphemous and crazy story of the devil being really truth and light (the audience really scoffed at that one). Some stories were okay but the writers had not fleshed out the concepts enough in the presentations and others were just plain rip offs of other movies that were done way better.

I was very disappointed not just as a Christian but as a writer and movie lover! The movie ideas were so-o-o bad that it was embarrassing to listen to them pitch it. Writers must write interesting stories with good structure and plots no matter who the story is about, no matter the century... nor whether zombie, gay, black, teen, gender, age or whether you are an alien from outer-space. Imagine, these students pay $40,000 a year in tuition for a 2 year program. That's 3x more than I paid for my medical education... way more than I paid for my entire education and they still can't tell a good story. Thankfully, most of the audience agreed and laughed(not in a good way), cringed, gasped or groaned for at at least 75% of the pitches. Only the scripts that had a compelling or sympathetic hero/heroine in a good v.s. evil plot or a fulfilling spiritual journey got good applauded. We all liked the one of the Native American teen on a poor reservation which was pitched by the almost tearful Native American filmmaker who wrote it.

At the end, a film buyer/financier stood up and asked to speak to only one group, the group who pitched a redemption story about a clone on a journey to find the original version of himself (so it was sci-fi with a "feel good" message). Finally, there were 3 slots for pitches from the audience and we placed our names or business cards in a bowl which they randomly pulled from. I was too ready to pitch one of my movies but I didn't get picked. Later, I had a chance to do a 2 minute video pitch for a contest sponsored by AFM and the People's Choice Awards but they wanted me to sign a 4 page release giving them rights to my likeness and recorded pitch and to use it as they like indefinitely. I declined and complained to them about the legal ramifications for anyone signing such a broadly stated release.

One good thing about attending AFM was that I finally made it to the Santa Monica pier with its carnival rides, Ferris wheels and Cirque de Soliel was playing in large tents on the beach. I saw the Pacific for the second time too, the first was from a distance when I was on an Amtrak train when I went to San Diego for Comic Con last year. This time I crossed the boardwalk to the sand, waded in and boy was it cold! Still it was nice so I was praising God and whooping real loud which attracted a few kids who were also experiencing the ocean for the first time. Kids are so-o-o special. They joined in and we splashed around up to our knees then we ran screaming from the cold waves as more waves rolled in and chased us. All the parents laughed and smiled at how we were carrying on and they took video and pictures of their kids good time. I made real sure I wasn't in any of the videos or pictures this time though. I've learned my lesson(lol)!

Just a minute to give God all the praise...
God is amazing!!! First, the Film festival made all tickets free this year in a year I could not otherwise afford to attend. Then I stood in the back of long lines for the tickets and still got front row seats to nearly all the premieres. The rush line for the movie Precious was too long b/c word had gotten out that Oprah and the "who's who" of black stars would be there. I had gotten there late and I know that the wait in line would have been too much for my back and I still may not have gotten in. Thankfully, a newly made "rush-line friend" who writes for a magazine gave me an "up" to near the front of the line and no one beat me down though I had just walked up(lol).

Then I was considering staying home the next night because I couldn't stand in line another night and it was getting colder but the festival organizers e-mailed me that tickets were available on-line. I quickly sent an RSVP and snapped up 4 then I hooked up my line buddy and the photographer. We walked right into the premiere right next to the red carpet as the arrivals came with all the flashing cameras bulbs and cheers from the crowd. We didn't have to stand or wait in line and we walked through the front door not the side entrance. We had a front row seat for Robert DeNiro and all the other stars.

I've seen more red carpet movie premieres, cocktails poolside, and celeb filled after parties in this week than my whole 2 years in L.A. and since I am not shy, I have talked with everybody. I've spoken one on one with many famous talents (directors, producers, writers, actors, writers) here this week! I also have met many "below the line people" (assistants, camera operators, sound mixers and indies). I am learning a lot about the ins and outs of this industry and I am enjoying watching every movie I can for free(lol). Thanks to God, my access here has been amazing! God can open any door and my cup is truly running over! It's like a miracle! Believe God!!!!!

Monday, November 23, 2009

AFI: DAY 6

Day 6: Wednesday 11/4/09

I was real sore in the morning so I got to AFI's DigiFest at 2pm and missed most of the presentations. Afterwards, there was a poolside showing of documentary shorts at the Roosevelt Hotel so I headed there. This was my first time pool side at this historic hotel and it was heavenly. I pretended that I was a "50's starlet as I lounged on a chaise lounge but this ended quickly as the temp dropped and I had to huddle around the heat lamps instead. I headed back inside and grabbed a soda and some h'ordouvres and made small talk with some filmmakers from across the globe I did a quick pit stop then I headed to the rush ticket line. I had a choice of Bad Lieutenant: Port of Call New Orleans but I stood waiting for tickets for the tribute to Viggo Mortensen followed by the premiere of Viggo's new movie, The Road. God is amazing! I was rewarded with a ticket after only a 30 minutes wait in line and, again, I had the best seat in the house.

The lights went down and they showed film clips of all Mortensen's movie roles from his early career (opposite in Witness, opposite Michael Douglas and Gweneth Paltrow in Disclosure)to most recently Appaloosa. Eastern Promises clips got "ohs and ahs" from the female audience and Lord of the Rings got thunderous applause from everyone. Then Viggo entered and everyone stood and applauded him. He sat in an armchair on stage right in front of me like we were friends having a one on one conversation and then he discussed his career and the respective films.

Mortensen was very relaxed and soft spoken but he spoke very passionately about acting as a craft and the business of making movies. He spoke about how the industry has changed over the years and how he has changed with it. He also spoke about the other things that he loves like his family, painting art and horses. He talked about the film, The Road being a hard film to make emotionally and he thanked his co-stars especially the child actor who played his son. He smiled a lot and made many self-deprecating jokes even joking that he hoped a tribute doesn't signal that he is old and that his career is over. The interview ended and Viggo waved and left the stage to more applause.

Movie Review: The Road

The Road is a good v.s. evil post-apocalyptic tale of a man and his young son, both slowly starving, in a bleak but not too distant future. The two journey through blighted landscape looking for food and fleeing sadistic bands of cannibals. This movie is not for the squeamish but it is more a psychological thriller than a traditional horror. The horror is evoked with images of suicide and the desperate levels people may go to for self-preservation.

As the father character fights to protect his son, he holds on desperately to the concept of being good but his humanity seems to be ebbing away. Charlize Theron as the wife and mother, is seen mostly in flashbacks and each of her scenes are more cold and desperate than the last. Robert Duvall put in a touching performance in his turn as the old man but who can you trust in this movie? "The boy" as he is called (the boy's name is never said during the movie), played by Codi, is the moral compass and conscience of the movie frequently asking "Are we still the good guys?" and chastising the father for his heart wrenching decisions.

The cinematic views of the blighted land, felled trees and gray skies are impressive and the CG was seamless. The cast did a wonderful job, however, the story was paced too slowly and it was just too sad and disturbing. The boy being called "the boy" really pushes home to the viewer their terrible nightmarish reality. Did the parents not want to name him so that they would not miss him as much if/when he died? Is it for his protection?

I think this movie is based on a book and I hope there was more hope in the book especially hope in God. The father says a few words about God once and they give thanks to an unknown provider for some food they found but it wasn't to God as provider. There is also a scene in an abandoned church with a stained glass widow and a cross.The scene touching but still not hopeful enough for me as they didn't really pray or talk to God.

Still, the ending was satisfying but I almost wish I could have gotten more of Guy Pearce in the film.

SPOILER ALERT!
Cons:
I was concerned that the images of suicide (at one point the father teaches the boy how to commit suicide if they are caught by showing him how to mouth a gun and pull the trigger and numerous people are seen hanging by nooses) as well as images of bloody gun and cutlass violence (a man's brain blown out in front of the boy), slaughter of humans and cannibalism were too much of a strong themes for the young actor, Codi. I had to pray a bit before going to bed and I still didn't sleep too well that night myself. I also thought about my med school days in Anatomy cadaver lab and how I went off meat for a few weeks.

My view:

I actually liked the performances but it was very disturbing. On the fence

Post-Prem:

I was in the row behind where Ms. Theron was exiting and she stopped to hug some of her friends. She looked very pretty but she was not as tall as I thought she would be. I took the time to watch her interactions with her friends then a large crowd gathered quickly around her. A guy I met in line from Germany nearly fell hopping over the seats to her. Charlize refused to sign any autographs but I can understand her point as the crowd was mobbing at this point. One guy wouldn't back off and the security guy shoved him and he kind of fell then he gut up and raced after her but she had already exited. I prayed that he wasn't a crazy stalker and I gave him some room then I exited.

The temperature outside was cold and a few of us huddled together while waiting to cross the street. As it turned out, John H. ( the film's director) and his wife? and I crossed the street together. Not being shy, I discussed the film with him and he seemed receptive. I missed a chance to get a green wrist band for admission for the after party though. It was held at the Roosevelt Hotel's lobby and all the stars attended. They curtained off the foyer and put 2 of the largest bouncers ever at the entrance. I was able to peek through the curtains a bit but I didn't see anyone of interest. I left a few minutes later as it was late and I was in some serious hurt.

AFI Fest: DAY 5

Day 5: Tuesday 11/3/09

The theater was packed but, again, I scored the best seats in the house to the Robert DeNiro starrer, Everybody's Fine. Luckily, I didn't have to stand in line as the tickets were e-mailed to me. The all-star cast including Mr. DeNiro were introduced to thunderous applause and they walked feet from me unto the small stage. Mr. DeNiro took the podoium and said a few words and received a standing ovation.


Movie review: Everybody's Fine:

DeNiro plays a distant "old school" father who is recently widowed and embarks on a journey to reconnect with his adult kids across the country during the holidays. The movie also stars Kate Beckinsale, Drew Barrymore and Sam Rockwell as his grown children.

I thought this movie was warm, touching and well paced and just right for the Thanksgiving/Christmas season. I also think that DeNiro did a good job of holding himself back and giving his character nice depths of emotion without being stereotypical or over stated.

I admit that tears welled up just a bit for me on this one and I thought of my one dad who passed over 20 years ago. I especially like that the movie has a lot of flashbacks of DeNiro and his kids as children and so it uses child actors who resembles the adult actors remarkably well. These child actors play their roles very well and helps move the story along with temper tantrums and startling revelations about their adult selves.

Cons:
I wanted to see him interact more with his adult kids though as I felt his time with them was too skimpy. I was also concerned about the adult subject matter spoken by the young children.

My view/IMHO:

See it!

Post Prem:

After the premiere, I saw Drew Barrymore walk by then Kate Beckinsale brushed past me as she left the theater with her daughters. Both women looked nice but Drew won best dressed with her fuschia dress and well coiffed hair. There was an after party for this movie but, again, I didn't score a passs for it. As a consolation, I did run into Jesse Metcalfe from Desperate Housewives on my way to the Entertainment Weekly Lounge at the Roosevelt Hotel(see pic). I'm sorry that my Aussie friends missed a photo oppurtunity with Metcalfe but they had flown back to Australia on Monday. Funny, I just met them but I am missing them at AFI. They were real upbeat and we had good discussions about God, Christianity and movie stars in Hollywood.

AFI Film Fest: DAY 4

Mon 11/2/09

Day 4 of the AFI Film Festival and I have free tickets and the choice of seeing:

1) a special screening of an Alfred Hitchcock film, North By Northwest with a Q&A with Eva Marie Saint

or

2) a Talk Show with Kenny Ortega choreographer (Foot Loose, Dirty Dancing) and director of Michael Jackson's concert This is It.

or

3) The Imaginarium of Dr. Parnassus starring Christopher Plummer, Heath Ledger, Johnny Depp, Jude Law and Colin Farrel.

I was eager to hear Mr. Ortega speak in light of the deaths of MJ and Patrick Swayze and the proposed remake of Foot Loose but the chance of seeing stars like Johnny Depp and Christopher Plummer (one of my favs) won out and I went for The Imaginarium of Dr. Parnassus. However, if Hitchcock was alive and at the Q&A my choice would have been a no brainer.

Movie Review: The Imaginarium of Dr. Parnassus movie

The movie starts out with a weird ancient eastern cult of mystics and a story that was a bit hard to follow. One of the mystics, Dr. Parnassus(Plummer) makes stupid wages with an umbrella carrying, 3 piece black suit and black bola wearing devil. The movie is set thousands of years in the past then we jump to present day London where Dr. Parnassus' has an old style carnival mystic side show set up on a flat bed attached to an ancient looking horse drawn carriage. There we get introduced to the world behind the mirror, a dream world that looks like it was inspired by Dr. Suess on psychedelics. The movie was directed by Terry Guilliam of Mighty Python fame, who is also an artist. The dream world is a CG lovers dream and I found that it was particularly well done.

This movie will always be known as Heath Ledger's last role and he was wonderful in it. His performance as Tony, an amnesic smooth talking stranger with a shady past is both engaging and totally believable. He was truly gifted and obviously engrossed himself in his roles. SPOILER ALERT: Caution to all, his character's entrance in the movie(hanging from a hangman's noose) may be a bit harsh for some considering his death.

As Heath's death occurred before the film was completed Johnny Depp, Jude Law and Colin Farrel take turns reprising Heath's role as Tony. It was fun to see how each actor brought their "individual" personalities to the role. Johnny was impish, comedic and flirtatious. Jude was flawlessly handsome, vain and self-centered. Colin was head strong, brooding and conceited with a violent streak. The replacements work as Johnny, Jude and Colin appear as Tony only in the dream world. I thought that Heath's face should have been re-imposed over Colin's at the end to keep the continuity of the film but I think that may have been too much emotionally to see on screen.

Unfortunately, the great performances by Heath and Johnny could not save this film. It's too slow, too long and too weird. There was a chance to save it if they had the story more on the conventional Christian view of good v.s. evil but I think they tried to be too different and it fell flat. Also, a young Christopher Plummer look alike should have been used for the flashback scenes playing scenes with a 2 year old instead of 70 something year old Plummer with hair dyed dark. They also should have shown us more of Anton's back story and the love story with the doctor's daughter pre-Tony's appearance. Verne Troyer role could also have been expanded as he did very well and I wanted to learn more about his character.

As a Christian, I was very turned off by the depictions of foreign gods and pagan or sacrilegious story lines and I even considered leaving at one point. Also, the use of black face when Troyer pretended to be an orphaned black child and kohl used to simulate the slanted ?Asian eyes of the white mystics is definitely racist and should be stopped.

My view:
Skip it!


Neither Johhny, Jude nor Colin were at the premiere because as the directors said, "they all have real jobs and are busy working on films". I did get to see Christopher Plummer real close as he entered from a side curtain when the remaining cast was introduced. He is a stately looking older gentle man with lovely posture and he bowed politely as he received a standing "o". There will be a tribute for Mr. Plummer on Thursday after The Last Station, a movie in which he plays Leo Tolstoy.

Post-Prem:
I don't know if there was an after party for the movie but it was bitterly cold and I hurried home to rest up for the next day.

AFI Film Fest: Day 2 & 3

AFI Fest Day 2: Saturday 10/31/09
I skipped AFI Film Fest on Day 2 because I was still recouping and I really didn't want to be in Hollywood on Halloween night.


Day 3 Precious Movie premiere

Honestly, I only went to this movie premiere because I got free tickets to the red carpet premiere in Hollywood and every black star imaginable (Will Smith, Sidney Poitier, Oprah Winfrey, Mariah Carey, Tyler Perry, MoNique...) was in attendance. After seeing the movie, I felt that Monique's portrayal of Mary (as depraved as she is) is in deed Oscar worthy and a wide detour from her usual comedic roles. I got a chance to hug Mo'Nique and I tell her so and I admit that that was exciting.

That said, I will not read "Push", the book that the movie was based on, and I probably never will. This may sound harsh but it is just not my type of read and the subject matter way too jarring. You see, I worked with abused children and teens for over 20 years and I know many tragic stories first hand so I prefer books and movies that help me forget.


Precious Movie Review:
To me, the movie is more of a composite of the lives of many abused teens not the life of one abused girl. The movie hopes to impress on us that hope can prevail over a "ton" of trauma, abuse and low self esteem and I think it did on some levels. I hope that the viewers see that it doesn't matter Precious' race or skin complexion, her economics, her poundage or her urban setting because the real issue here is sexual abuse and how one overcomes it.

Pros:
I felt that this movie was as hopeful as one can be with the difficult subject matter. It also has some of the years best acting perfor-mances. Gabriel Sidibe, as Precious, in her acting role and the afore mentioned MoNique are sure to be nominated and MoNique may indeed win.

I also found the use of flashbacks and dream sequences to help diffuse the heaviness of scenes just simply inspired. Were they used in the book?

SPOILER ALERT!
Despite all the dark trauma there were also a few strong Christian images portrayed in the movie. I especially liked this small scene:

Precious and her baby have escaped a murderous attempt by her crazy mother. She runs into the cold and down the street as it begins snowing. She looks around for a kind face or shelter but people just walk by her on the busy New York streets. Was I the only one who felt that for a minute they reminded me of Mary and baby Jesus, out in the cold with child in hand and "with no room in the inn" ?

Precious spies a small church and stops hopefully. She presses her face up against the window and peers inside like a little kid. She sees 4-5 people in a choir practicing a Christmas hymm on the altar in the empty church. The choir members look a bit ragged with missing teeth, stooped over, thin. From their meager clothing you can tell that they are poor (maybe they are also suffering from illnesses, old age or are recovering addicts etc.) but they are singing and praising the Lord from the heart.

Precious goes into a fantasy sequence and she imagines the choir on a big performance stage with lights. They are singing and clapping their hands joyously in new shiny blue statin choir robes and they are standing straight and upright with faces all perfectly made up, hair done and teeth fixed. The camera pulls back and a near neon bright cross glows over head. Precious smiles at the sight and takes a big inhale of hope and encouragement and continues on her way.

Cons:
ENOUGH ALREADY!
It seems to me that a lot of the movie was "over kill" and it depicted social workers, teachers and medical professionals, who were charged to teach, monitor or care for Precious, very negatively. For those who don't know, we all are required by law to make a report or call the police even at the suspicion of any abuse or neglect, yet Precious tells of her abuse repeatedly and no cops ever appear.

I spent the last 15 minutes of the movie cowering behind my hands and thinking "what possible hell can be next for this child"? I was already waiting for the other shoe to drop but I still feel that the last bombshell about the father could have been omitted and the story worked just as well. I also think that the two child actors(?), an infant and a toddler with Down's Syndrome, were exposed to harsh words and violent images.

White or light is right?
Precious fantasied about being white and having a light-skinned boyfriend as a way to shield herself or to escape from her abuse but it also reflects poor racial self esteem. Because her case was so extreme her fantasies are extreme. As this fact may be lost on most non-blacks, I felt at times the film did air "our dirty laundry" in the worst way. If you are black and sensitive to this subject then it may be best that you view this movie in a theater with a predominantly black audience. I say this as a size 18 black woman after viewing Precious in a racially mixed crowd at the famed Mann's Chinese Theater. We were surrounded by some of the most accomplished black actors and millionaires yet I was sitting in front of a white man who hummed the theme from Shaft when any black man came on screen. He also made frequent negative comments and laughed way too hard at inappropriate times during the movie.

Appearently there has also been some controversy over the complexion of and the casting choice of Paula Patton for Ms. Rain. I didn't know that the character was depicted as dark with natural hair (dread locks) so the substitution of someone so different could have been bad for the film but PP did such a good job of showing her care and concern for Precious that it didn't matter in the end for me. Precious and PP's connection really rang true to me on screen and that should be all that matters. There have been rumors of the director, Lee Daniels's preference for light skinned actresses but I think that Mr. Daniels casted all the actors based on good screen tests and ability and not their complexions as none of family's complexions matched up on screen (ala The Cosby Show) nor should it matter.

However, in the real world, race and complexion prejudices do exist and it is time people get over them! Also, the "white people to the rescue" attitude, as depicted in film and TV, needs to stop now! I am especially thinking this as I see the trailers for Invictus. With Morgan Freeman as Nelson Mandela who needs Matt Damon and rugby?!

After the premiere, I was fortunate to meet many of the stars as they were leaving the theater including Will Smith, Mariah Carey and Nick Cannon, Mario Lopez, NBA's Avery Johnson and more. I wrangeled photo ops for my Australian friends, Alisa and Rachel and a local photo journalist named Kat. We didn't get an invite to the after party but I heard that a SAG insider said that it was great and that Oprah attended.
You can see some of the pics at Kat's website but I can't vouch for the content. www.kattalestv.blogspot.com

Addendum: Oprah calls it quits!
I have been over Oprah and her TV show for years now so I wasn't bummed by the news. I just pray that she is blessed and that she gives God the praise.

Wednesday, November 11, 2009

B**** and the Plague of Primetime Profanity

I have been complaining about the rampant use of profanity since the start of the new 2009 Fall TV season. The "b" word is the one I hear most frequently now and, sadly, it is often being said on air by women to other women, by husbands to their wives or by children. For example:

Parks and Recreation (NBC)aired Thurs 11/5/09
B**** said at 8:15 pm husband about wife

NCIS LA (CBS) Sat 11/7/09
B**** said husband about wife

Law and Order (NBC) Sat 11/7/09
B**** said at 9:45 pm by mugger about female victim

Biggest Loser (NBC) 11/10/09
B**** said by trainer to contestants

The Adventures of Old Christine
B**** said at 8:25 pm by woman about another woman

The Amazing Race (CBS) Sunday

B**** said at 8:17 pm by one gay brother to another

30 Rock (NBC)

(pre-teen?)Tracey Jr. says B**** at 9:40 pm

Reality TV or scripted, b**** is the new "in" word. What I want to know is exactly when did we loose our moral compass? If this offends you like it does me, then contact the FCC (Federal Communication Commission) at www.fcc.gov They will investigate your claim and can fine the networks if they deem it necessary.

Better yet, just turn the channel. I have been turning the channel away from the networks and cable and I have been enjoying great family shows and movies on Ion and This. I have also been enjoying do-it-yourself programs on HGTV and the Food Network as well as great praise and worship on the Worship Network, DayStar and TBN.

Saturday, October 31, 2009

Quiet On The Set!

Southland Location Shoot
About 3 weeks ago I heard the bad news that NBC had canceled "Southland" one of last season's more compelling dramas and a favorite of critics. It starred .... from "The OC" and Regina King (Jerry Macguire, Enemy of the State, How Stella Got Her Goove Back)as LAPD's finest and it was one of the few shows I liked last year. Then last week I saw a notice of filming flyer posted in my neighborhood and guess what? It was for "Southland". I decided that I would hang around the set and see if I get lucky like I did for the Monk filming a few months earlier (see details). I showed up at 5 pm and was able to see a lot of production stuff including a new cube-shaped light that looked like an hot air balloon" and was hoisted into the air on tethered lines.

I was also able to see a few scenes as they were being shot which is always a thrill for me. I sat down at a table near a taco truck and talked with some of the people sitting there as we watched the filming. I was just about to call it a day when one of the production people asked us to be extras for the last scene they were shooting. I was stoked! I had been an extra in crowd scenes before but this time I would be in a group of 3 standing right behind the actors. I'll be honest, I did think "it's time for my close up, Mr. Demille" for just a bit and I tried to give the camera my best angle. However, as they did take after take, after take of that same one last scene for over an hour, I was over any lust for screen time I may have initially had. In fact, We all were actually tired of just sitting there trying to not look at the camera or spoil the shot. I realize that I love movies and I like being on set but I definitely want to be busy when I'm on set as otherwise it is very boring.

After the final take, the production crew hugged and said their good-byes to each other and some made plans to go out commiserate together over the final day of shooting. I told the crew how much I liked the show and I tried to encourage them to have faith that the show would be picked up by another network but they weren't too hopeful. Apparently 6 shows were ordered, 5 were already in the can and the final one was shot that evening. The crew gave away a few scripts and call sheets as mementos and then they started packing up all the lights and equipment.

As I was ready to leave, a black low-rider oldsmoble with glowing green headlights, blacked out windows, tommy guns mounted to the hood and riddled bullet holes drives sinisterly by. I did a double-take then I looked around nervously. "I hope it's not an L.A. style drive-by", I thought frantically. I calmed myself and figured that the car must be for the Southland shoot. Then an identical black car but with an array of interior gadgets passes by me and I gawk in surprise again. They could not be for the "Southland" shoot! Turns out the cars were for The Green Hornet movie starring Seth Rogen and filming about 7 blocks up the street. I was not too thrilled with the idea of a movie about this 60's TV show nor of Seth Rogen as it's lead but now I may have to check it out. Plus, they might discover a new Bruce Lee.

Udate:
Another industry site is reporting that TNT has just picked up Southland but I don't know if they are ordering any new shows so the crew may not be back. I will keep you posted on if or when the episode will air.

Monk Location Shoot

AFI Fest 2009: DAY 1

Day 1: Fiday 10/30/09

The Fantastic Mr. Fox
God is great! I had a little medical set back this past week so I had to rest up a bit and I thought that I would miss AFI's Festival opening today. Thankfully, I felt better after a strong prayer from the pastor at church and the jacuzzi on Friday so I decided to brave it and go to the AFI Festival opening event, the red carpet movie premiere of The Fantastic Mr. Fox at the Mann's Chinese Theater in Hollywood. Unfortunately, I didn't have a ticket so I had to stand in the rush line for tickets but, thanks to Audi, the events are all free this year so it was worth the wait. I also met some real nice people in line and we became fast friends over the hour or so wait. Luckily, the line wasn't too long and we all got in and got the best seats in the front row. I waited a bit then relocated to my favorite seat which put me next to some of some Fox studio execs. who talked the whole time about an upcoming movie from Fox Studios starring Julie Roberts. Then the movie's writer-director, Wes Anderson introduced some of the voice cast including Bill Murray, who took the stage to roaring applause and whistles.

Movie Review: The Fantastic Mr. Fox

Though the movie used the old fashioned technique of stop-gap animation(my fav) and no CG it had great fresh dialog and a wonderful story line that both kids and adults could enjoy. I loved the movie and the entire audience and I laughed the entire time. I loved how the humans and animals spoke with different accents and I loved how the way the word "cuss" was used to substitute for every potentially offensive cuss word.

My view IMHO:
See this! See this! See this!

Post Prem:
Afterwards, I got to meet and talk with quite a few stars and industry insiders, including Bud Connor (Harold and Maude)and movie critic, Leonard Maltin. I missed taking a picture with Matthew Gray Gubler who plays Dr. Reid on Criminal Minds. He was carrying a stylish black and chrome cane (which I thought was a "pimp cane") and which matched his suit. My new found friends and I playfully chastised him for the cane but later, as he walked away, we saw that he had a definite limp and his right knee could not support much weight. It turns out that he had surgery for a dislocated knee cap before the start of the Fall TV season.

AFI Fest's opening event was a wonderful industry event but unfortunately, George Clooney did not make it to the premiere and many of the female fans were disappointed. Meryl Streep didn't make it either but I think both have a full slate of films in some level of production so their absences are understandable.

I waved going to the Roosevelt Hotel Entertainment Weekly Lounge and missed a possible meeting with the rapper, Snoop Dog(lol) and instead I hurried home after this event because the streets were filling up with 10 times the usual "holly-weirds" in freakish costumes, partying and already out of control although it was only October 30th. Not to be outdone, the Twilight/New Moon fans are camping out overnight in lines for autographs a week in advance. However, they are looking normal and sane in comparison to the wild revellers streaming by.

Saturday, October 10, 2009

Movie Reviews 2009

Here are my film reviews for movies from SPRING, SUMMER 2009.
These reviews are long over due and many of the films are long gone or just about to head out of the theaters but here goes:

SPRING 2009
The Watchmen

X-Men Origin Wolverine

The Proposal

SUMMER 2009
Up

Paper Heart

500 Days of Summer

I loved the non-linear story telling and the song and dance sequences. I loved loved Joseph Gordon Levitt as the lead (yes, the little kid from 3rd Rock is all grown up). His take on the confirmed male romantic in rose colored glasses is so convincing it's both funny and sad and even the guys in the audience were groaning in sympathy. His best male buds were on point and no help as usual in figuring out the complexities of a woman's brain. I can't wait to fix him up with a real nice girl(lol).


Surrogates

I absolutely love sci-fi movies but after seeing the trailers for this one, I had a nagging feeling that I'd seen this movie before but done better. Maybe somewhere along the lines of I Robot (James Cromwell back again here as the inventor/doctor) meets The Matrix (characters live virtual reality lives plugged into "stim" or "neuro-interface" chairs and a resistance group lead by Ving Rhames as the prophet v.s. Laurence Fishburne's Morpheus). Is it just me? Needless to say I skipped this one, and by the box office tally so far, others did too.

Zombie Land



Fall 2008 Reviews
The Day the Earth Stood Still
The first hour: Spectacular! The science behind the sci-fi and the cgi was great!
I think all the actors did their jobs well especially Reeves, who often gets a bad rap.

Midpoint: Fair. I wanted more Gort v.s. the military action. I also wanted to spank Jacob/Jaden.

Problem:
Ending: Weak with poor resolution. At 103 minutes, this movie needed another 10-20 minutes to it to affect a good resolution. Personally, I think they edited a lot out to appease the die hard fans of the original who seemed against the environmental slant. Example: The professor's scenes and argument's seem short and incomplete. I expect to see those deleted scenes when they release the DVD in 4 or so months

Overall, I gave it a 7.5 out of 10 but good fun for the Christmas weekend.
For Sci-fi fans: This movie is a must see if only to compare it to the original.

Sunday, October 4, 2009

Come Holy Spirit, Come!

We had a lovely night at church last Friday as we sought the Holy Spirit through soul searching and joyous praise then we soaked in His holy presence. There was great praise and worship, beautiful singing and emotional walls crumbled leaving us thoroughly open to the Lord.

I built up to the night by praying and doing an "Esther fast" with the church that we had agreed to do on Wednesdays, Fridays and Sunday of this week. I also played gospel music like Martha Munizi's "Holy Spirit, We Need You" and Benny Hinn's "Holy Spirit, Thou Art Welcome", both of which helped cleanse my spirit and prepare me for the presence of the Holy Spirit. I thought of it like "spiritual" house cleaning before an esteemed guest visits.

Again, this night was intense! I have no doubt that He was present and it was and is so amazing. Imagine... such beauty, praise and faithfulness in a town such as this. God is great!

The Lord is My Shepherd!

Today at church we are focused on the promises of the Bible, specifically the 23rd Psalm, which is my favorite Bible verse. Everyone knows this psalm and some, like my self, can recite it from memory. But what do we really understand about the hopeful and secured message it reveals? At church we were charged to study the words of the psalm and search our hearts all week long. We then were asked to re-write the psalm and submit it with a list of "what was lacking" in our lives.

The pastor explained the importance of the Lord and "the Good Shepherd" and emphasized how every line of the psalm shows how God promises to provide for us.
At home, I read the psalm again and again and meditated on the words. Then I looked for musical inspiration by playing Jeff Majors rendition of this psalm sang by Don Jones(most memorably at the late Coretta Scott King's funeral) as I quietly meditation of the words again. As usual, this particular rendition of Psalm 23 leaves me undone, tearful and on my knees before God.

In doing this exercise of study and reflection of Psalm 23, I found new and great personal interpretations of my own that have helped cement my faith. Here are a few good interpretations and personal reflections I found from other Christian sites online.


www.jesusplusnothing.com/studies/online/psalm23.htm

Thursday, October 1, 2009

Fall TV Season 2009

The Fall TV season has just started and it has a slue of new medical dramas(yippie for me) as well as old regulars like Grey's and Private Practice, some teen angst and vampire soaps, a slight bump in situation comedies, the requisite Law and Order series and the usual slate of reality shows with screaming diva housewives from where ever. Here are the reviews of what I watched and my "In My Humble Opinion"(IMHO) viewing score with *** for new/debut shows.

Comedies:
***Community(NBC):
With stars like McHale from Talk Soup, a legend like Chevy Chase and Ken Jeong, M.D. (I loved him in Knocked Up)this might be a hit. I liked the first episode but need to see 2 more to be convinced.

IMHO Score: Tune in(warm)

Parks and Recreation(NBC):
This was a mid-season filler last year that showed some promise but now I'm really not liking it. It's not original enough and it's way too similar to The Office . I thought that they would spend the summer re-tooling it and punch it up a bit as the comedy writing seemed dry but I guess not. They are totally wasting Amy Poelers talent with this one.

IMHO: Tune Out

SNL Prime time(NBC):
SNL 2 days a week might be to much as they had been low on inspiration for a few seasons. The recent elections were a goldmine, though, and new political and celeb scandals are brewing so this might be able to do it for them in the ratings.

IMHO:Tune in (tepid)

Medical Dramas or Who will be ER's heir apparent?
Grey's Anatomy(ABC):
Intentionally missed Grey's season opener except for a quick glimpse of the elevator scene with Bailey and McDreamy. I guess George dies and Izzie lives? I really don't want to know as I think this show jumped the shark in season 4. I do have some spec Tv scripts of this show to showcase my writing abilities so I do hope the writers for the show recover from there "lack of originality" slump.

IMHO Score: Tuned out 2 seasons ago

**Mercy:
A new medical drama about a nurse back from serving on the front lines of the Iraq War. I was trying to watch this just because of Delroy Lindo but I had to bail after the first 10-15 minutes. Mercy as a nurse is too pushy and openly rude to the doctors and she has way too much say and authority over her patients' management.

IMHO Score: Tune out!

***Three Rivers(CBS):
This another new medical drama that I am again watching just because one of my favorite actors is in it. This time it's Emmy winner, Alfree Woodard. I lasted about 10 minutes before I had to bail. The lead characters are weak and washed out with no reason to invest in their journey and wast an hour of your life. All except, Ms. Woodard of course; she knocks her scenes out of the park.

***Trauma(NBC):
New medical drama #3 that I am again watching to support a fav actor of mine. This time it's Derek who starred in Antone Fisher with Denzel Washington. I spent the night at the Lions To Lambs after-party with Derek's mom and brother so now he feels more like family... like the little brother I never had. The show is very high octane probably trying to appeal to the male demographics and oppose the "night-time soap/chick flick" appeal of Grey's and Private Practice.

I was intrigued by the premise of this show and I watched about 10 minutes of the season opener. I don't think any of the characters I saw were interesting or compelling enough for me to tune in. I also don't know how long audiences will buy all the medical scenes being done in the pre-hospital phase though it is exciting to watch car crashes and explosions. I hope they do include some trauma doctor characters to balance this out and I also hope that they follow them a bit off shift so that we see a bit of their private lives.

IMHO: Tune in (warm)


Reality Shows:
The Amazing Race(NBC):
What a wonderful season opening! In this 2 hour episode 16 teams of contestants jet around the world to exotic locations following clues and getting out of "sticky" situations using their mental know-how, their physical muscle and relational compatibility. Of the 16 couples, 13 are actual couples either married or dating and a good number professed their Christian faith openly. I immediately started praying that the show wouldn't deteriorate to what happened on "I'm A Celebrity Get Me Out Of Here!" this past summer. 2 of the remaining couples are relative teams made up of a father and son duo and two brothers, respectively. The final pair are professional poker playing girlfriends who's "Vegas" ethics are showing through.

Grade: Tune In!(hot)

Survivor:
I can't watch this show-- Tune out!

Biggest Loser
I've been watching this show religiously for the past 3 seasons and still think it's a good show but I'm concerned about the medical stressors placed on these contestants and the frequency of near death events that occur within the first 48 hours on campus. Also, has anyone noticed the large amount of swearing that occurs on this show? Jilian is notorious for it but now Bob is no slouch and the contestants aren't far behind. They do bleep most of the profanity but recently the b**** word has been getting lots of airtime. It could be that their doing it for ratings but it's having an opposite effect for me as I am about ready to tune them out. I know it's hard to motivate people especially those over 400 pounds but come on.

IMHO: Tune in (hot, as burning tons of pounds of fat produces massive heat-lol)

Top Chef:
The chef's don't seem as inspired this year and they are pushing the gay agenda a bit again this year. The episode on cooking for the military was especially nice as it aired right before 9/11.

IMHO: Tune in (warmed up by stenos-lol)

Project Runway:
It's season debut and subsequent episodes were back to form, which is important after a turbulent year of lawsuits, change to a new network and delay of filming the show. In fact, in a fist for the show, they already know who won before the first episode aired and the undisclosed winner showed their garments at Bryant Park in New York City for Fashion Week. Week to week this remains a must see show for me and now they added a spin off...

Models of The Runway:

IMHO: Both are "Tune in- HOT!"

America's Next Top Model:
Tuned them out 2 seasons ago along with "Ugly Betty" due to the flagrant use of the b**** word on the show. I think Hollywood writers feel that if gay characters say the b**** word then it is not profane because that's how they refer to themselves. My response? I think, just like with the n word, this excuse is crazy. I reported both shows to the FCC for breaking profanity rules in broadcasting but no feedback
on it as yet.

IMHO: Tune out!

Dancing Reality Shows:Dancing With the Star: None of the contestants look interseting this year. Same for So You Think You Can Dance?
IMHO: Skip both

Night-time Talk Shows:
The Tonight Show:
I loved Conan years ago but now not so much as the earlier slot and sensitivities seem to be killing his game. I had thought that he was doing too many stunts on the show even before his bad spill so hopefully this will put an end to them. Also, he sucks as an interviewer and seems to fidget and has weird jerky movements during certain parts of the show. He also does weird voice parodies at inappropriate moments that aren't quite funny. Wait, I think he always did that and I used to like it but it doesn't seem funny now.

Tune in (tepid)

Jay Leno at 10 pm:
His first show was great but I've only tuned in half-heartily since. He gets better guests than Conan and is a better interviewer by far.

Tune in (warm-conditional on the guests appearing)

Late Night with David Latterman:
I've watched David Letterman for nearly 30 years but I've "Tuned out" after he said what he said about Palin's under aged daughter. It wasn't what he said exactly it was more the apology or lack of one. I and countless others signed an online protest and indecency complaint about this event and it was submitted to the FCC for it's opinion on the matter.

IMHO: I am so "Tuned OUT!"

Jimmy Fallon:
Jimmy Fallon's stuttering, quirky movements, incessant laughing and poor joke delivery during the monologue is very irritating but he is actually a fair-good interviewer. I really love the Roots band, though, as well as his "Housewives of Late Night" and his "Saved By The Bell" skit.

Day Time Talk Shows:
Tyra:
Tuned Out 2 seasons ago due to numerous infractions and needing to wash my mind after viewing.

Wendy Williams
Make it stop!

Oprah:
Tuned out 2 seasons ago. The list of "why"s is to long to go into just suffice to say I'm done.

Rachel Ray:
She talks real fast but she has a perky and likeable interviewing style. Plus, she cooks great food on the show... what's there not to like? I actually like her shows on the Food Network better.

Update#1:
I did sneak a peak at excerpts of Oprah's interview with Whitney Houston. Ms.Houston is one of my favorite singers of all time and she is a capable actress, too. I've been praying for Ms. Houston for years and I am so glad that she is out of her destructive behaviour and relationships. Whitney spoke very much about how God and her faith (and her mother's) brought her through and she inspired me to continue to believe God for the impossibles. I got her CD as a gift and I will play it often as I continue to pray for her as she fights day-to-day for sobriety. Some say her voice isn't the same but to me it now has a grittiness and deep hard-fought soulfulness that moves it beyond pop or rock, past soul to R&B and maybe more appropriately, Gospel music. Whitney, work on that Gospel CD next, girl!

Update#2:
I wrote my comments on David Lettermen before the current news broke about his admitted claims of consensual sex with his assistants and the subsequent extortion plot. I will leave it at that.

Update#3: 10/14/09
Mercy gets worse and worse. I know doctors may not be pleased by how they are depicted here but nurses must be absolutely livid.
Trauma doesn't deliver.
I caught half an episode of ATM Cycle 13 with petite models and it was terrible! It's like they've just plain out run out of ideas and I am doubtful if any of these girls can make it as a working model. Luckily, there was no swearing but still the obligatory man in drag. Still a "skip it!"
Community is growing on me.

Reminder:
Please keep these shows on their toes by reporting indecent or profane language or images to the FCC, especially shows shown from 8PM-10 PM, which is family viewing time. If enough of us do this it can turn around some of the programming choices by the networks. If not, then use your free choice option and... TUNE THEM OUT!

Contact the FCC at:
http://www.fcc.org

Variety article on new FCC crack down
http://www.variety.com/article/VR1118002920.html?categoryid=10&cs=1&nid=2248








me

Wednesday, September 30, 2009

This Is Jeopardy!

I finally got to a taping of Jeopardy at Sony Studios after watching the show on TV for 26 years! Sony Studios is on the former MGM(Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer)lot(you know, the studio with the roaring lion) where The Wizard of Oz, one of my favorite movies from childhood, was filmed. The Jeopardy show guide walked us over what used to be the "yellow brick road to Emerald City" on our way to the Jeopardy's show studio and I sang songs from the movie the entire way.

The studio audience was made up of all races and ages from 10 to 70 plus and we were all stoked. It was actually 3 shows that they taped with us over 4 hours and I loved every minute of it. I had the best seat in the house; high enough to get an over view of everything and in the center aisle in clear sight of Alex's podium, the categories board and the judges table. The set was beautiful with sliding plexi-glass entry doors for the host and large hi-def TVs. We were all pumped by the staff to applause during the show but no hyping was needed when Mr. Trebek strolled unto the set. Mr. Trebek looked and sounded great and even did a little soft shoe to show that he was light on his feet. Many of the older women were crushing on him and he was very sweet and polite to them.

I had a sudden thrill when the category board lit up with all the answers and a similar wave of excitement rolled over the audience and contestants also. I enjoyed each category posted but tanked in the sports category. I had to hold my lips so that I wouldn't blurt out the answers when they did a Bible category called "Ecclesiastes". Studying God's word really pays off, guys! A few years ago, the Bible questions on Jeopardy! were the hardest for me to answer but now they are among the easiest.

The questions got increasingly harder throughout "double jeopardy" but I found that the "final jeopardy" questions were easy. It could have been my lucky day because all the questions seem related to something I either knew or had experienced personally. The current champ was on a winning streak and I was rooting him on but I was giving big love to all the challengers also. The champ looked confident as did some of the contestants but some of the others looked a bit scared. Alex and the staff did their best to keep everyone at their best. They talked frequently to the guesses, patting them gently to reassure them.

Mr. Trebek joked and talked with us throughout the taping breaks and he has a beautiful sense of humor. He mentioned his native Canada quiet a bit but in joking and self-ribbing tones and he answered any questions that we had for him. He also joked about Will Ferrell's impersonation of him and the spoofs of the show done on Saturday Night Live(SNL).

I asked him about the "how to"s of becoming a writer on the show but he pretty much dashed my hopes as they are up to their staff max of 8 writers right now and no one plans on leaving. He did mention that researcher slots were available as they usually fill the empty writers positions from the researcher ranks. He also made a quip that I might end up taking over his job as host before running back to tape the closing segment.

He teased an older lady from Puerto Rico about her "Charro-like" accent after she told him how handsome he was. He flirted back and rolled his "r"s as he spoke with a Spanish accent for a bit. We also talked lot about cars, traffic tickets and bad drivers including Alex's pet peeve, those who text as they drive. I didn't get to ask Mr. Trebek if he liked his turn as a race car driver at Toyota's Pro/Celeb Grand Prix in Long Beach this past April. The race was won, aptly enough, by Speed star, Keanu Reeves and all winnings went to the various stars' favorite charities. Instead, Alex talked about the tragic vehicular deaths and the Toyota car mat recalls that had just made headline news this week.

Johnny Gilbert, the show's announcer, gave us the "behind the scenes" scoop on how the show is run and the writers and judges chimed in often with jokes or commentary. They also raffled off free Jeopardy and ESPN sports trivia games but I didn't win any myself. I did get to talk to some of the contestants and I saw the various aspects of being on the show. Having your make-up applied, doing promo spots, the thrill of competition, the triumph of victory and thousand of dollars in cash winnings or the agony of defeat from a slow buzzer finger or slow neuro-synapses. I can't give you anymore clues than that but the shows will be airing 11/16-11/18/09.

The only downside was the long maze-like trek to the studio and bathrooms, as well as the narrow stairs to get to the studio seats. A studio guide gave me a ride back to the studio on one of their transport golf carts after I had managed to get lost on the lot during a bathroom breaks. As a result, I was the last person back in my seat before taping began and I found out that they had placed a studio APB out on me(lol). Many of the audience had limited mobility and the older audience members were also getting directions confused so I didn't feel too bad. However, I do feel that more could have been done to make the studios more safe and accessible to audiences including clearer signs for bathroom and rest areas on the lot.

Still, it was a landmark day for me to have accomplished something I've wanted to since I was a teen. Now if I can only get up the courage to take the Jeopardy contestant test...


Links:
Behind the scenes at Jeopardy!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4XBr_Onmwl4

SNL parody of Jeopardy!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MNMSYoM5RNE

Alex Trebek at Toyota's Pro/Celeb Grand Prix 2009
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3dCVDp7CcNs

Wash Me Clean, Lord!

I heard two men talking the other day, one a native angeleno and the another was a guy who had just moved here from another state. The angeleno asked the new guy, "How do you like L.A?" The newbie answered, "it's okay but it's a bit dirty". The angeleno quipped jokingly, "Do you mean the city or the people?" The new guy paused thoughtfully for a moment then he answered quite seriously, "both?". The angeleno nodded quietly and the men continued on to converse about other things.

I was a few feet from the men and not intentionally ease dropping on their conversation but the newbie's observations about the city and its people hit me like a ton of bricks. In fact, I was motionless for a few minutes as it sunk in. The newbie had hit the nail right on the head... L.A. is D-I-R-T-Y! Every time I had been traveling around L.A., I had been seeing things that I have never seen or heard before anywhere else... terrible, slimy, dirty things... and I had been extremely bothered by them. And it just wasn't the soiled looking seats on the buses, or the woeful looking homeless population or even the incredible stench of urine in some places I've visited because you have that in other cities as well. It's the people, they're D-I-R-T-Y too! In the 2 years since I've been here, I have met my share of low-minded and base people and I have felt that their dirty mentality was somehow contagious. So much so that I always felt like I needed to scrub my mind clean as well as my body as a form of decontamination after an encounter or outing. It's easy to take a hot shower and scrub your skin raw to erase physical contact with dirty things but how does one clean ones mind and spirit from hateful words and perverted images?

I had been praying about this very thing for the past month since my baptism then last Sunday, my church has us read Psalm 51 as our Bible scripture for the week.

Psalm 51:

2 Wash me thoroughly from mine iniquity, and cleanse me from my sin...
7 Purge me with hyssop, and I shall be clean: wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow...
10 Create in me a clean heart: O God; and renew a right spirit within me.
11 Cast me not away from thy presence: and take not thy holy spirit from me.



For those like myself who didn't know, hyssop is a shrub-like bush used by Old Testament Jews for purification and it is noted to have a strong detergent-like quality. The pastors will be washing our hands with hyssop this week to help strengthen our determination to live clean and spirit-filled lives and after a full day of L.A.'s grime and filth, I really need it.

Tuesday, September 29, 2009

The Skinny On Hollywood!

In the 1950's, "the skinny" was a phrase used to imply the inside scoop or story but here in Hollywood it takes on a whole other meaning. Sure America and most developed countries like the UK are experiencing an obesity epidemic but in L.A. weight obsession is taken to the extreme. I have attended countless red carpet events where "barely there" waif-like starlets wear "barely there outfits" and pose for the cameras. Most look too thin and too fragile and down right unhealthy while others look unreal(read like bubble-head dolls or mannequins). Worst, the resulting photo is then air-brushed and photo-shopped to make them look even thinner and more unreal. I know that the camera adds 10-15 pounds on a person and that these photos can make or break a budding actresses career but this practice of manipulating photos and the pressures to keep these unrealistic weights and images are damaging the psyche of all women.

The flip side to this is the reality show genre which seems to exploit average fat joes and josephines as they struggle to lose extreme amounts of weight in mere months. I admit that I do watch The Biggest Loser but I absolutely could not stomach "Dance Your A** Off or most of the Celebrity Fit Club. I think I am especially sensitive to the topic as I have a medical background and have battled weight myself. Still, the questions needs asking-- how far has this obsession with being thin gone especially among celebrities and actresses?

Here are some of my first hand accounts:

At the 2006 Toronto Film Festival:
Jessica Lange looked brittle thin and Kathy Bates looked plus-sized/fat but Kathy actually looked the more healthy looking of the two. I was afraid to even touch Ms. Lange for fear she would break. Ms. Bates also looked the more youthful of the two and she was very outgoing and friendly. Sandra Bullock looked petite (size 2-4) and quite healthy looking and glowing. She is by far the most outgoing and engaging on the red carpet.

At the 2007 Emmy's:,
Ellen Pompeo and E's Giuliana Rancic looked quite scarily thin and brittle.
While Eva Longoria (a size 0-2?) and Padma Lakshmi the former model turned host/chef of Top Chef(maybe a size 4-6)looked naturally slim and glowing. They both gave lots of love to the bleacher fans and allowed many photo ops.
Kimora Lee former model turned TV reality star looked fab if at above her modeling size (probably a size 10-12 now). She did a credible job as co-host as she commented on the fashion on display.
Ugly Betty's America Ferrerer(size 6-8) and Grey's Anatomy Sara Ramirez looked curvy and voluptuous. Chandra Wilson also from Grey's is busty, plus-size/fat but looked very nice in her gown. Funny, these three(3)fuller of fatter women got the most applause and cheers from the bleacher fans and had more requests for interviews on the red carpet. They were also nominees in best actress categories so this may be a reason but I know the fans just raved about their physical looks as well as their acting abilities.

John Hancock movie set September 2007:
I missed seeing Charlize Theron but everyone who saw her said that she was tall and thin but not too skinny. I saw her body/stunt double who looked naturally slim but I will reserve any comments about Ms. Theron until I see her myself. Everyone said that Charlize was very nice on set though and not a primma donna.

Random Star Sightings 2008-09:
Julia Roberts looked slim but healthy.
Katie Holmes could add about 8-10 pounds

Iron Man Premiere June 2008:
Gwyneth Paltrow looking slender but healthy in a lovely outfit.

Comic Con 2008 Fox Studio's Panel- Max Payne Panel:
Mila Kunis looked glowing, bubbly and happy! She's a petite height and about size 0-2and she obviously loves to talk.

And it's not just white women struggling with this folks, minorities are struggling too!

Street Kings Premiere April 2008:

Martha Higareda looked like she lost weight for her first Hollywood red carpet to the point that her purple satin dress was ill-fitted and falling off her. Many Hispanic men confided to me that they felt that she was now too thin for their liking.

Naomie Harris from Pirates of The Caribbean fame is a wonderful actress but she looked sickly and bobble-head thin. She seemed to have actually acted her butt of in this movie (literally)! I watched her from another table across from her, as she talked with a group of black actresses of varying weights and shades. I so wanted to say "hello" and tell her how I liked he acting but I couldn't because I was afraid I would do an intervention and hand feed her the h'ordourves that she was just pushing around her plate.

Watchmen Premiere June 2009:
Malik Ackerman looks height and weight appropriate (size 6) in an ivory lace gown while Vanessa Hugdens looked like an Olsen twin. IMHO, Carla Giarg looks better when she is at a higher weight but she looked glamorous in a bright green gown.

Actresses struggle with weight during and post pregnancy!

X-Men Origins: Wolverine Premiere:
I got a glimpse of Halle Berry entering and she looked very tiny in her post-baby body. I didn't know who she was for the longest time because she is so diminutive (under 5 feet tall).

However, Minnie Driver rocked with he rotund third trimester bell and breasts at the Street Kings Premiere.

And actresses struggle with weight intensifies as they age in the business.

The Proposal Premiere June 2009:Sandra Bullock (40s), Betty White(70's) and Malik Ackerman(30s)all looking good. Mary Steinburger(60s) looking a little thin and frail.


And men are struggling too!

Many of the male stars that I've met in Hollywood are shorter than they appear on screen but who would have thought that they would be thinner?

These guys look exactly as you see them on screen:
Terry Crews (he's a buff guy!)
The Rock (the original buff guy!)
Chris Evans (what a nice young man)
Edris Elba(a polite guy)
Ludacris
Vince Vaughn (tall guy)
Ben Stiller
Mark Wahlberg
The Game(rapper/actor)


These are the male stars that are thinner than expected but still look healthy:
-Ryan Reynolds (Mr. 6 pack)
-Hugh Jackman(post Wolverine bulk)
-Robert Downey Jr.(an amazing comeback story)
-Keanu Reeves(seems like a naturally lanky guy)
-Tom Cruise (a very small man all around)
-Billy Crudup
-Cat Stevens

These guys were a little heavier looking than expected:
-Gerard Butler (post 300 bulk but still not bad)

Surprises:
-Jack Black was actually smaller all around than expected
-Seth Rogen has lost a ton of weight and needs to stop now

Thin and unhealthy looking male stars:
Carson Daly
I missed him at the Writers picket line at NBC studios in 2007 but everyone else there said that he looked real bad and used the word "manorexic". Note: Daly had also crossed the picket line so that may have tainted their opinions.

Don't get me wrong, the above commentary is not to be mean or critical to anyone. Nor am I advocating any ideal weight or weight loss program for anyone specifically but I do know that everyone has an ideal weight and fitness level for themselves based on a lot of variables including genetics and even profession. I believe also that God has an ideal weight for us and that we should seek His advice when we are considering adjusting our weight. I did this very thing and I am nearly 90 pounds the better for it! Interested in what the Bible says about weight and health? Just google "what would Jesus eat?" and see.

Monday, September 14, 2009

R.I.P Patrick Swayze

Another Hollywood great has died, another star has fallen.

Sadly, I have just heard the report that Patrick Swayze has succumbed to his battle with pancreatic cancer, he was only 57. I have loved, loved, loved Patrick since I first saw him in the role of Johnny Castle in Dirty Dancing to Jeniffer Grey's character Baby. The love intensified after the movie Ghost and reached its zenith with Point Break, Road House and To Wong Foo, Thanks For Everything! Julie Newmar. What I like about Patrick was that he could do sensitive romantic roles, strong dramas, elegant skilled dance moves but he could flip it and portray very physical and intense characters.

Action-lovers like myself loved Patrick's take on the character Bodhi in the action-filled Point Break, where he mixed it up with Johnny Utah, an FBI character played by Keanu Reeves whom Patrick had been paired with previously along with Rob Lowe in the ice hockey movie Youngblood. In Road House, Patrick was the tough guy and he kicked butt and took names. Point Break showcased Patrick's surfing, sky-diving, gymnastic and piloting skills. Road House showcase Patrick's martial arts and fighting skills. Youngblood showcased Patrick's knowledge of skating, ice hockey and fighting. Patrick also knew gymnastics and rode and raised horses at his ranch outside of Los Angeles. All this proves that he was fierce and fearless on screen and in life.

Those wonderful dance moves in Dirty Dancing were not coincidences either as Patrick was a classically trained dancer and both his wife and mother were dancers and choreographers also. In fact, he played the role of Danny Zucko in Grease on Broadway. He also could sing and write music and he co-wrote and sang the song "She's Like The Wind" from the Dirty Dancing movie and soundtrack. Sadly, Patrick had some tragic losses in life and battled the disease of alcoholism including a stint in rehab.

My family and I had been praying intensely for Patrick since we heard the news of his cancer diagnosis last Fall. My mother, my sisters and I had marvelled at his resilience and faith that he could beat the cancer and we joined him in agreement that he would do so. I pushed away my medical knowledge about the mortality associated with his disease and I believed God for his healing.

He looked great at the Stand Up 2 Cancer event last September and starred in TV's The Beast on A&E and he looked great on each. I really was hopeful for his recovery then those pictures surfaced showing him looking very gaunt. I was so angry that the paparazzi and trash magazines were not giving him his privacy and the decency to be ill or even die with dignity. Patrick was fearless and rallied back against their intrusions as he gave a defiant and moving interview to Babara Walters earlier this year. Now, as sad as it is to know that he has lost his courageous battle, I know that he is not suffering and that he is with God. I till can't control my tears though and I think how much his family will miss him.

To movie fans like myself, Patrick was one of a kind and he will be missed. I will try to make it down this week to his star on Hollywood Blvd. and lay some flowers on it. Hopefully, they may have some type of tribute event for him here as so many people loved his work and were touched by his story. I'm thinking that Patrick Swayze movie marathons or even 'Dirty Dancing" dance-athons held across the country with all proceeds benefiting cancer research would be a fitting tribute. Or do what I plan to do, donate to any of the organizations that aid in cancer research and do it in memory of Patrick.

Again, I will miss Patrick Swayze and my prayers go out to Lisa Niemi, his wife of 34years. Theirs was a true love affair... a pairing of soul mates the like of which Hollywood has never seen.

http://www.popeater.com/2009/09/15/patrick-swayze-lisa-niemi-marriage/?icid=main|main|dl1|link3|http%3A%2F%2Fwww.popeater.com%2F2009%2F09%2F15%2Fpatrick-swayze-lisa-niemi-marriage%2F

May he rest in peace and may God give Lisa the strength to go on.


Update:
Patrick Swayze's book "The Time Of My Life" is out now and it chronicles more of his battle with alcoholism and depression and how it nearly wrecked his marriage. It also gives us insight into his last year of life after the devastating diagnosis of pancreatic cancer in 2008. It helps bring home the point clearly that excessive alcohol use/abuse is a risk factor for pancreatic cancer.

The book is available at www.amazon.com

Other links:


Patrick Swayze at Stand Up 2 Cancer event
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XCN4uQqp5sY

A fans Patrick Swayze tribute video
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0Gbz-Lau5tc&feature=related

Don't forget to take the poll and tell me which is your favorite Patrick Swayze movie.

In The News: Outbursts Caught on Tape

I recently heard the fall about concerning Serena Williams actions at this years U.S. Open semi-finals match against Kim Cljisters and the resulting fines, losses and criticism that she received. Intrigued,I watched the video of the disputed match online and I was surprised at people's response at Serena's conduct. I have watched enough melt downs by tennis players over the years that make Serena's pale in comparison. Oldies like McEnroe, Nastase, even Jimmy Connors have had serious bad conduct, tossed objects, used the f-word (and worst), really threatened or insulted court officials and they received less punishment. More recent players like Agassi (my favorite), Hewitt and even Federer have had their moments too. It seems that women tennis players are being held to a different standards when it comes to outbursts on court as the men can really go at it.

I also think that people are holding Serena's stature and God-given physicality(5'9", more muscular, black woman) against her. Is she more imposing than say a 5'4" slimmer white player so that her conduct should be more constrained (fear of a big, black woman tennis player)? I am 5'10" and I have a similar built to Serena so I am very sensitive to this issue. I think the line judge may have felt really threatened which is unfair to Serena. And if so then those 6'6" muscular male tennis playing giants should be fined more heavily too as they might be more of a possible physical threat when they argue a line call with officials.

The saddest part is I have seen bad officiating and bad calls levied against Serena time after time and she has handled herself very humbly. In fact, she was definitely cheated in some matches, most notably those against Jeniffer Capriatti and Justine Hardin. I've seen fans like the French boo her and stadiums full of fans who root against her just because of who she is. When she and her sister took some time off for fashion designing and Hollywood events they were criticized for not putting all their energy and commitment into the sport. Serena has received many personal attacks against the physical and aggressive (their words not mine) style of her game and then she is called a whiner when she tries to dialog about it. All this can take a large emotional toll on a player and Serena has to work harder to stay more focus against these distractions.

Serena's an elite athlete and things do happen in the heat of the battle that ordinarily would not occur. I'm not excusing her behavior especially as a Christian woman but I am surprised that she hasn't lost it with them earlier. However, Serena has to have "equanimity under duress" as head surgeon and professor, Dr. LaSalle Lefall, used to say. Also, Serena needs to increase her faith life with lots and lots of prayer and reflection before and during her matches. Having a swear jar at the U.S. Open wouldn't hurt either and they could raise millions of dollars for charity(lol). rAlso, reading the Book of Psalm where David was pursued by Saul would also be good in building Christian character under duress.

Still, the U.S. Tennis Association(USTA) officials really need to do their best to make their decisions fair and consistent for all players or the Williams sisters should consider boycotting their events due to unequal punishment or treatment. Any boycott would be unfortunate to tennis and the fans, as the Williams' bring great energy and excitement to the game. In fact, I rarely if ever watch a women's tennis final if one of the Williams' are not in it.

My sister and I were lucky enough to attend the finals match at the U.S. Open in 2002 when Serena played her sister Venus for the tile. Serena won that meeting but it was a very engaging match. Later, we saw Venus as she was leaving the stadium and she walked right by us. She is easily 6'1" and she seems a no nonsense type of person. Unfortunately, we didn't get to see Serena up close that night as she had left right after the news conference.

My memory of the night is vivid because that was the debut of Serena's black cat suit shorts and the guy in the seat next to me had actually brought a pair of binoculars with him. He keep leaning in on my side and stressing my back just to get a close up view of Serena's derriere. Needless to say that I was very upset at this guy and my sister had to exchange seats with me. The guys date was very upset also as she tried to pretend that his ogling of another women.


Other Outbursts in the news:
Republican Wilson of:
His outburst (shouting"you lie!") at President Obama during Obama's speech to Congress on Health Care reform. As a doctor myself, I really don't agree with the President on health care reform but I respect the office of the presidency and would never have disrupted a speech of any president. Still, Democrats booed President Bush during his speech on Social Security reform so they can not say anything about conduct.

Kanye West v.s. Taylor Swift at the VMA:
This was just plain rude if not a bit crazy. Kanye seemed very contrite when interviewed on the debut of the Jay Leno show but he is obviously still in pain from his mother's passing. In my professional opinion, Kanye may also have anger issues and I think that he needs to get a jump on this and get help now! I have also placed him back on my Hollywood "pray for" list.


Again, I am not making excuses for any of the people discussed above. As for myself, I try to conduct myself as a representative of Christ so at all times people may see God's love in my words and actions. I've slipped once or twice with a few folks and fed the swear jar a few dollars in my day but overall I think I have done well. However, it's easy to feel like you are conducting yourself well when you're here in Hollywood. Here the f-word is like a hello and back stabbing your opponents is as common as a hug. Still, only God can say for sure how close any of us comes to the mark. Here's what the Bible recommends:

2 Peter 1:5-8 (New International Version)

5For this very reason, make every effort to add to your faith goodness; and to goodness, knowledge;
6and to knowledge, self-control; and to self-control, perseverance; and to perseverance, godliness;
7and to godliness, brotherly kindness; and to brotherly kindness, love.
8For if you possess these qualities in increasing measure, they will keep you from being ineffective and unproductive in your knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ.


It is clear that Serena, Congressman Wilson and Kanye all acted badly so I'm not going to posts links to videos of any of their bad behavior as its contrary to what the Bible says.

Sunday, September 13, 2009

It's My Birthday!

I love celebrating my birthday and I've had some real nice celebrations in the past. This year I will keep it simple and celebrate in church followed by a fun movie. I don't follow astrology but here's a list of some famous Hollywood stars who are Virgos like myself.

Aug 24 Steve Guttenberg (in every 80's movie ex. Police Academy)
Aug 25 Billy Ray Cyrus, Claudia Schiffer, Sean Connery
(007)
Aug 26 Macaulay Culkin (child actor from Home Alone fame)
Aug 27 Tueseday Weld (child actor from TV's Adam's Family)
Aug 28 Jason Priestley (90210) LeAnn Rimes, Shania Twain
Aug 29 Robin Leach
(Lifestyles of The Rich and Famous)
Aug 30 Cameron Diaz (actress Something About Mary, Charlie's Angels, former model)
Sep 01 Gloria Estefan (one of my favorite singers), Lily Tomlin (comedienne extraordinaire)
Sep 02 Keanu Reeves (Street Kings, Matrix Trilogy, Speed, Point Break, River's Edge)
Sep 03 Charlie Sheen (TV's Two and a half Men)
Sep 04 Ione Skye (popular teen actress in the 80's, River's Edge)
Sep 05 Raquel Welch (70's bombshell)
Sep 06 Rosie Perez (White Men Can't Jump)
Sep 08 Jonathan Taylor Thomas (one of the kids from TV's Home Improvement)
Sep 09 Adam Sandler, Hugh Grant (rom-com regular)
Sep 10 Amy Irving (Raiders of the Lost Ark), Charles Kuralt is deceased now but he was a childhood favorite. He was the best at interviewing simpler folks as he traveled across America on TV's Sunday Morning)
Sep 11 Virginia Madsen (actress)
Sep 12 Rachel Ward
Sep 13 Fiona Apple
***(a singer lucky enough to share my birth date)
Sep 14 Sam Neill (Jurassic Park, Event Horizon)
Sep 15 Tommy Lee Jones (one of my favs-No Country For Old Men, MIB, The Fugitive, Cold Miner's Daughter)
Sep 16 David Copperfield (Vegas illusionist)
Sep 18 Jada Pinkett Smith (TV's Hawthorne and A Different World, Matrix Trilogy)
Sep 19 Jeremy Irons (another fav-Appaloosa, Die Hard: With A Vengeance, M. Butterfly, Dead Ringers, The Lion King(voice acting)
Sep 20 Sophia Loren (Italian beauty and 70's leading lady)
Sep 21 Bill Murray, Luke Wilson, Ricki Lake, Stephen King (Carrie, Christine, Cujo)
Sep 22 Eric Stoltz (Cher's son in Mask), Scott Baio (Chauchie from Happy Days)

I don't know how accurate this list is but I found it funny that some of my most and least favorite stars are on it. Still, I was moved to pray for them and I really hope that everyone has/had a great birthday.

Birthday Prayer

Numbers Chap 6 verse 24-26

The LORD bless you and keep you:

The LORD make his face to shine upon you, and be gracious to you:

The LORD lift up his countenance upon you, and give you peace.

Birthday blessings to all!

Saturday, September 12, 2009

The Day of Decision, The Americana and Hollywood TV Stars

Tomorrow is the Day of Decision event at my church and at hundreds of other churches in 33 different countries across the globe. On this day we are to use our God-given gift of free will and decide to have faith in God to help us solve one major problem in our lives. We were given a faith pact envelope to publically submit our problem to God and declare our faith in Him to see it resolved. Then, we will learn how to release God's power over a series of 7 consecutive Sundays, with tomorrow being the big kick off day. It will not be a regular church service, instead it will be strong prayer and support from God's written word, the Holy Bible.

In preparation for this event, I have been searching my heart very carefully for the one thing I will put my faith and believe God to resolve. I also increased my efforts to encouraged others to attend the event. I encouraged my friends and neighbors to attend, especially the ones who had major decisions coming up and were very worried about the result. I also increased my efforts among strangers or new acquaintances. I had handed out pamphets and flyers for previous church events on buses, in the park and in various stores and had had a good response. Many people talked to me about their increasing faith, their search for a church home or their wavering faith.

However last week they showed a video at church of how Christians would share their faith with strangers on the street for $100 quicker than just for the glory of our Lord. Some had expressed embarassment at approaching strangers on the street irreguardless of the money. I did not have trepidations about approaching strangers about the Lord before but now I realized that I was "preaching to the choir" and that's why I was confident. Most of the people I had approached were minorities, elderly or retired and most were from cultures which were boldly Christian.

To rectify this I decided to go to a place where I would find young, hip, busy people... so I went to The Americana. The Americana is a large mall in Glendale, a surburb of Los Angeles that is known for its trendy shops and the occassional star sighting. I decided thatI would do my Christian duty and talk to people there about God, difficult decisions and their faith. I would hand out the pamphlet and invite them to church for the Day of Decision. My friends from church bolstered my courage as they dropped me there.

I handed out pamphlets to lots of people. From the Asian teen who said he had just made a decision to go back to school at Harvard to the two young adult who talked with me for 15 minutes about how great God is, to the group of girls filling out applications for jobs at the mall. The highlight of the day was when I saw two guys in t-shirts casually walking to a store. Something was real familiar about the guy with the tattoos but I couldn't place it. I asked if they had any major decisions coming up that they may need God's help with. The first guy blew me off but the tattooed guy stopped for a second, just long enough for us to make eye contact.

Tattoed guy had the most gentliest of eyes and he couldn't say no even when his friend was waiting a bit impatiently. The guy looked like he was reflecting on some inner issues so I handed him a pamphlet which he reluctantly took. I said, "It's just a pamphlet... no committment". The guy smiled a little off centered smile, nodded politely and looked down at the pamphlet in his hands and shrugged. There was a brief moment where he looked really torn about something and I thought, "I know this guy... what's his name". He then he rolled the pamphlet into a cylinder in his hands and I thought he might toss it. Instead, he gripped it in his palms firmly and told me, "thanks". I told him, "God bless you" and we both turned away. They went up the escalator exactly as I realized who tatooed guy was. He was Steve O form the TV show, Jackass.

I never liked the little that I had seen of the show Jackass and could not stand Steve on it. However, I had taken to his boyish charm on Dances With The Stars this pass season, especially when I had learned about his struggles with drug addiction and a severe back injury. I had been praying for and rooting for him when he had been on the show and I had genuienly been concerned for him. Now, I had met him and had a chance to share the gospel with him, if only for a moment. I can tell that Steve has a very sensitive soul and I pray that he is victorious over his afflictions.