Sofia Vergara’s Heart is Bigger Than Her…Well, Everything Else



One big drawback to being as friggin’ drop dead ridiculously gorgeous and sexy as Sofia Vergara–It’s pretty impossible for people to see (or bother looking for) your spiritual assets when your physical ones are so distracting.

If you’ve watched the Emmy-award winning ABC show “Modern Family,” you already know. Sofia’s character Gloria is a scene-stealer whose thick Columbian accent seems almost too thick to be true–along with some other thick things that Sofia was actually born with. (She wanted a breast reduction, but her mom talked her out of it, saying, “God is going to punish you if you cut them.”)

Before she was discovered on a beach in Columbia and fast-tracked to modeling gigs and a Pepsi ad, Sofia was a catholic school girl (no, really) who more than anything wanted to be a dentist. Please. Can you imagine how popular her dental practice would have been? She abandoned her dentistry dreams to take her first television hosting job–but only after consulting with the nuns in her hometown school who told her to go for it.

Beauty has not shielded Vergara from life’s tragedies. In 1998 her brother Rafael was murdered by kidnappers in Bogota, Columbia and two years after his death Sofia was diagnosed with thyroid cancer, which she was able to beat with radiation and surgery. About her cancer battle she said,

“When you go through something like this, it’s hard, but you learn a lot from it. Your priorities change. You don’t sweat the small stuff. “

The experience led her to create Peace and Hope for the Children of Colombia, a charitable organization that has served thousands of needy children in her home country.

“Through the charity I sponsor, we’re building a cancer center in my hometown of Barranquilla. I visited the cancer ward of a hospital in Colombia, and parents were just sitting on the floor while their kids were being treated.”

Sofia also launched a clothing line called Vergara by Sofia,  a socially-conscious brand generating over 1,500 jobs in her native country.

This fall Vergara joined Gloria Estefan, Placido Domingo, Enrique Iglesias and other Latin stars to  record the  song and video “La Gota de la Vida” to raise money for bone marrow donation awareness.

That’s right. In addition to everything else she’s abundantly blessed with…her singing voice is pretty too.


Mike Vick and I Have Something in Common

First things first, let me confess that as it relates to discussing Michael Vick’s crimes against animals I cannot be considered unbiased. I have an 8-year-old pit bull who has been with our family since he was two months old and the thought of Baloo, or any other dog, being tossed in a fighting ring to win or die trying is beyond disgusting–it is just plain evil.

Having said that, let me also confess that I am an avid fisher-woman. There are few activities that bring me more peace of mind, excitement or satisfaction than sitting on a boat from sunup to sundown casting my bait and fighting those fish who are desperately trying not to end up on my plate. The bumpersticker “I’d rather be fishing” was created with me in mind.

There are some members of PETA who will call that just plain evil.

Now, if you think I’m equating dog fighting with fishing, I’m not. I don’t think they’re the same–not even close. Dog fighting is about violence, ego and money. Fishing is about… Um, well, hmm… many people do fish for food.

:-/

No, for real. The creator obviously intended for fish to be eaten by other animals. Am I not one of many predators who kill fish for food? (And, I bet grizzly bear claws  cause the fish a whole lot more suffering than my little hook.) Besides, I never catch more fish than I will feed to my family, and I do not catch and release. Once I’ve caught enough fish to eat (or to give away to friends or family who will eat it) I quit fishing. Just between us, when I’m impaling a worm or bait fish on my hook I apologize to it, and once I’ve landed a fish and got it into the boat, someone else has to kill it for me because I can’t bring myself to do it. (I have no problem, however, rolling it in some cornmeal and frying it up afterwards).

All of that “justifying” my violence against fish is the result of a little voice in my head that doesn’t want to feel bad about making the fish suffer–it’s called “empathy.”

EMPATHY : “Understanding, being aware of, being sensitive to, and vicariously experiencing the feelings, thoughts, and experience of another.”

Most humans have empathy for other humans, and many have it for animals, but empathy is an easy thing to lose when you are desensitized to violence from a very young age. I can remember being taken fishing when I was a small child and refusing to participate because to me it looked like they were torturing defenseless creatures. Over the years, the more I witnessed the adults around me doing it, and the more I saw the benefits of catching fish, the more desensitized I became–until I eventually grew to love the sport myself.

I will never understand how a person could get pleasure from electrocuting an animal or how they could throw their family dog into the fighting ring and laugh as their pet suffers (which Vick reportedly did), but I can understand how over years of being exposed to that kind of violence, your empathy voice might get silenced until you just don’t hear it anymore. It appears that after years of exposure to violence against dogs being perpetrated by people Mike loved and admired,  he not only shut the voice off, he developed an appetite for the violence himself.

Michael Vick is now an ex-convict who served time for torturing dogs, and he is using his experience to prevent other young people from going down that same violent road.

God sent me to the bottom. And I’m a firm believer in karma, and I think it happened because of what I did and what I allowed to happen to those animals, so I was stripped of everything, stripped me down to the bone of everything and, you know, I think I took for granted the position that I was in in my life, all the blessings that I had, and that wasn’t my purpose in life to be doing what I was doing and it was wrong,” -Michael Vick

There are thousands of little boys out there right now who have been taught that dog fighting is a sport. They have never had a high profile “role model” tell them otherwise. Now they do.

Unless you’ve been hiding from television and Internet news for the last 24 hours, you have probably heard that President Obama recently called the Philadelphia Eagles owner Jeffrey Lurie, and praised him for giving Michael Vick a chance to revive the career he lost when he was thrown in jail for operating a dog-fighting ring. Obama said the Eagles giving Michael Vick a second chance was important for society.

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dvlC8bloJE8]

I agree.

Obama’s  message gives hope to ex-convicts who want to work and become productive members of society, and it also uplifts a high profile spokesperson against cruelty to animals to whom kids will pay attention.

I believe thousands fewer dogs will suffer as a result of what Michael Vick is now doing. How could that be bad?

By the way, I really would appreciate
any arguments you all have
for or against fishing.
After writing this piece,
I think I’m on the fence.

Teena Marie’s Last Words Were Wishes

It is beyond tragic that Teena Marie, who at age 54 had so much more living to do, died in her sleep on Christmas night–the very same night her only child, Alia Rose, turned 19.

Alia and Teena, Summer 2010

Teena’s last words via Twitter just a few hours before she died were Christmas wishes for you and your family, a thank you to Jesus Christ for being born, a happy birthday message to her daughter, a tribute to singer Sarah Vaughan, and one wish for herself:

Your last wish on earth has been lovingly granted by your family friends and fans all over the world–You will never die, Ms. Teena. Your music, your legendary love of life and your open heart and soul will live forever.

“I’ve been called Casper, Shorty, Lil’ Bit
And some they call me Vanilla Child

But you know that don’t mean my world to me
’cause baby, names can’t cramp my style…

…That’s what I’m talking, baby
Square , Square Biz” -Teena Marie

Tyler Perry’s Extreme Makeover…Burned Home Edition

So, I realize Tyler Perry is an entertainment mega-mogul who owns his own friggin’ film studio, but it is still pretty difficult to think of him and not get a visual of the makeover he undergoes to portray grandma Madea–an extreme makeover that led to him becoming the extremely rich man he now is.

Two days before Christmas Mr. Perry used a bit of that money he’s earned to help a real-life grandmother rebuild the home she’s lived in for forty years after it burned to the ground. 88-year-old Rosa Lee Ransby and the seven great-grandchildren she is raising by herself escaped injury but were left homeless by the tragedy.

The local fire chief asked the Coweta, GA community for donations to assist the family, and within hours Tyler, who lives in nearby Atlanta, came to the rescue in a major way.

Not only is Mr. Perry paying for Ms. Ransby’s home to be reconstructed, he has rented a home nearby for her and her family to live in until their new home is finished, which will be sometime next year. Tyler will fill the home with new furniture as well.

It is a time like this that must make being a several hundred millionaire feel pretty amazing.

Click the link below to view a video of the 88-year-old woman, her great-grandchildren and the local fire chief who said the gesture made his Christmas. “I’ve been doing this a long time – seen a lot of bad things come and go – but this is special.”

http://www.wsbtv.com/video/26267362/index.html

An intimate Christmas gift from L. Boogie

When rap legend Rakim was asked by MTV News who he most wanted to see on stage at Rock The Bells in San Bernardino this summer, he had a quick answer.

“Lauryn Hill, man….I’m amped. Lauryn, welcome back. We need you.”

It was the first time in over a decade most of those in attendance had seen the hip-hop legend perform on stage, and they weren’t disappointed. Along with some new rhymes, she gifted the crowd with classics from The Score and Miseducation. During a reggae breakdown of “Fugee La” she was joined on stage by Mary J. Blige, Beyoncé and Alicia Keys, and her set ended with her telling her fans repeatedly, “I miss you. I miss you.”

Fans on the East Coast who miss her too will get an opportunity to experience Lauryn Hill up close and personal at  these intimate venues over the next few weeks.  Can you imagine being at the Blue Note for a Lauryn Hill concert? (Definitely on my Christmas wish list).

December 27 New York, NY HighLine Ballroom
December 28 Brooklyn, NY Music Hall of Williamsburg
January 1 New York, NY Bowery Ballroom
January 3 – 5 New York, NY Blue Note
January 8 Charlotte, NC Amos’ SouthEnd
January 9 Asheville, NC The Orange Peel
January 12 Charleston, SC Music Farm
January 14 Atlanta, GA Center Stage
January 16 St. Louis, MO The Pageant
January 18 Minneapolis, MN First Avenue
January 20 Chicago, IL House of Blues
January 22 Toronto, ON Sound Academy
January 23 Montreal, QC Metropolis
January 29 Atlantic City, NJ House of Blues
February 4 Montclair, NJ Wellmont Theatre
March 19 Miami Gardens, FL Jazz in the Gardens

Will you be alive next Christmas Eve?

None of us really knows the answer to that question because in this life a tragedy or a miracle can happen in an instant. For most the answer is yes, but for many, this Christmas will be the last spent here on earth with family and friends.

I don’t mean to be morbid in this season meant for jolliness, but I’m hoping the question serves as a reminder of the amazing gift you have already received this year if you are alive and healthy. If you are fortunate enough to have been up and about combing the city for meaningful gifts for your loved ones, why not take a moment to consider offering a gift that will cost you zero dollars and is worth more than any gift you will ever spend your money on.

Below is a YouTube video recorded by a young man whose life was saved by Andrew, a marrow donor he didn’t know. His friends and family participated in this amazing “thank you” to Andrew. So creative and really touching. My favorites are at 2:10, 3:27, 3:35, 3:45, 4:16, 4:35, and 5:27.  Which ones touch you the most?

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qIa563ltg5U]

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r1GMa9BhEpQ]

“It’s absolutely critical that people of every ethnic group and heritage join the registry because you are most likely to find a match within your own ancestry. Over six thousand people search the registry every single day looking for a marrow match.”

Visit www.bethematch.org to join the registry today.

3 good reasons to join the registry:

  • Do it as a thank you for the health you’ve been blessed with
  • Do it as a gesture of love for your fellow humans who are in need of something you have a plentiful supply of
  • Do it in the name of someone you love who would give anything to be healthy enough to save someone else’s life

Rainn, Rainn, Goes Away…

Forgive me for the drippy headline pun, but it has rained so much in Southern California this week, some of us damn near needed a rowboat to get our holiday shopping done.

Rainn Wilson, I forgive you for abandoning us to the floods, but I gotta ask you why a rich and famous mega TV star like yourself didn’t go straight to the Bahamas or BoraBora or some other peaceful, sun-drenched destination. No, you get a break from filming The Office and you pack your bags and head for Haifa, Israel? Isn’t that, like, one of the stormiest (politically,  that is) places on Earth?

Well, since you and I aren’t BFFs like you and, say, Andy Grammer or Devon Gundry, and you’re not going to be receiving or answering any tweets or emails on “the internets” until next year, I’m not really going to get a response to my question, am I? So, I think I’m just going to eat a Soul Pancake and write about what I’m guessing you’re up to for nine days over there in the Holy Land.

In recent weeks, Rainn has been on every major media outlet in the country talking about his non-Office related project “Soul Pancake,” an interactive website and bestselling book that attempt to, in Rainn’s own words, “de-lame-ify talking about God and religion.”

Religion is a subject close to Rainn’s heart and he is very open about his belief in the Baha’i Faith, a world religion whose prophet-founder Baha’u’llah professed in 1863 that he was the return of the same Divine Spirit embodied by every other major religion’s founder including Buddha, Moses, Christ and Muhammad.

“The Prophets of God should be regarded as physicians whose task is to foster the well-being of the world and its peoples, that, through the spirit of oneness, they may heal the sickness of a divided humanity…”

“That all nations should become one in faith and all men as brothers; that the bonds of affection and unity between the sons of men should be strengthened; that diversity of religion should cease, and differences of race be annulled — what harm is there in this? …Yet so it shall be; these fruitless strifes, these ruinous wars shall pass away, and the `Most Great Peace’ shall come…” -Baha’u’llah

The Holy Land for Bahai’s is on Mt. Carmel in Haifa, Israel near where Baha’u’llah is buried. Baha’is are obligated to visit the Shrine of Baha’u’llah at least once in their lifetime if, according to the teachings, “one can afford it and is able to do so, and if no obstacle stands in one’s way”.

The nine-day pilgrimage also includes visits to the seat of the Baha’i administrative body, the Universal House of Justice. Baha’i Pilgrims (who travel to Haifa from every country on the planet and are a striking example of unity in diversity) also visit the Shrine of the Bàb, as well as other sites precious to the faith’s adherents.

The Baha'i Shrine of the Bàb on Mt. Carmel

Ever the comedian, Rainn’s first tweet from the Holy Land was a commentary on the hotel accommodations over there:

Rainn, as you travel to that historically blessed, yet volatile region, be safe, sleep tight and don’t let the bed…oh, uh, never mind. I hope your trip’s amazing. We’d love to hear all about it when you’re back home.

http://news.bahai.org/story/548 <more from Rainn about the Baha’i Faith

Could Beating Up on Chris Brown Hurt Our Daughters?

Yesterday Chris Brown tweeted a picture of the diploma he received after completing a 52-week domestic violence class.

A popular website on Newsweek’s list of “Most Influential Bloggers” posted,

How embarrassing it must be for his mother to have a son who had to be ordered by a judge to complete a domestic violence class…Once an abuser, always an abuser! chris brown still has unresolved, deep-seated mental issues with women (including his own mother). I feel sorry for any female who runs into brown on a bad day. If she thinks a dime store certificate means he has changed his ways, she will find out how wrong she is on that day.”

Though few are as harsh, this isn’t the only person publicly bashing Brown. Browse the comments section of any online story about Chris’s diploma tweet and you’ll get your fill of words like “disgusting,” “creep,” “loser,” “monster,” “coward” and “not forgiven.”

I don’t get it. I mean, I understand the venom one would rightly have towards any man beating up a woman, and I believe the initial outrage and subsequent vilifying of Chris Brown by the media were more than justified. But, we’re talking about a 19-year-old kid who was ordered by a judge to get help with his problem–and he did exactly what he was told. Regarding his progress while on probation, Judge Schnegg said to him in court,

“Out of thousands of probationers, no one has done a better or more consistent job than you have, and I really want to commend you for taking responsibility and for actually working diligently to complete all the things the court has required of you.”

As the mother of four daughters, I am definitely not one to minimize the seriousness of violence against women, but the unwillingness of folks to believe Chris has the potential to learn and change is troubling. I can’t help but worry that the message Chris-bashers are inadvertently sending to young abusers is don’t bother trying to get help managing your anger because if you are violent now, you always will be. That is a dangerous message that can only lead to more women being victimized.

According to a San Jose State University study, there are many factors that contribute to an abuser never reoffending, and one of them is “those who completed the program were significantly less likely to indulge in further domestic violence.” The fact that Chris Brown did complete a domestic violence education program actually is something to celebrate. Whether or not it was appropriate for him to proudly share his accomplishment via the Internet is open to debate. In his own defense, Chris tweeted the following:

Sceptics who don’t believe a violent abuser can be rehabilitated should familiarize themselves with the story of Kevin Powell, whose Huffington Post article on the subject is a must-read:

“…through the years, I have been brutally honest, in my writings and speeches and workshops, in admitting that the sort of abusive male they are describing, the type of man they are fleeing, the kind of man they’ve been getting those restraining orders against–was once me. Between the years 1987 and 1991 I was a very different kind of person, a very different kind of male. During that time frame I assaulted and or threatened four different young women. I was one of those typical American males: hyper-masculine, overly competitive, and drenched in the belief system that I could talk to women any way I felt, treat women any way I felt, with no repercussions whatsoever.

As I sought therapy during and especially after that period, I came to realize that I and other males in this country treated women and girls in this dehumanizing way because somewhere along our journey we were told we could. It may have been in our households; it may have been on our block or in our neighborhoods; it may have been the numerous times these actions were reinforced for us in our favorite music, our favorite television programs, or our favorite films.”  -Kevin Powell

I have always felt like there was one angle in the Chris Brown story that was never really included–that is the degree to which Chris’s own mother abused him. No, wait… Wasn’t it his stepfather who was the violent one? Wasn’t it his mother who was the victim of that violence? Yes, Chris’s mother was a victim of violence. However, by not removing her son from that violent relationship, she repeatedly victimized him, and by staying with and loving a man who hit her, she taught her son that hitters are lovable. No misogynistic hip-hop video or dehumanizing film can send a more powerful message than that.

Chris Brown is not a victimized child anymore, he is a man now who has victimized a woman, and regardless of where he learned the violence he perpetrated against Rihanna, he is responsible for eradicating it from his character and putting a stop to the cycle he was born into.

I applaud the work he’s done so far. I hope he never uses violence or coercion as a means of solving a dispute again. I pray other young people will learn the many valuable lessons his story can teach.

If Chris wins, we all win. Root for him.


Julian Assange: Devil or Daredevil?

I really don’t know what to think of this Julian Assange WikiLeaks debacle. With the exception of those who have already judged and convicted the man, people seem to be afraid to write or say what they think for fear of having their words sifted through the NSA’s supersifter translator anti-anarchist thingy. So, unless you’re counting filmmaker Michael Moore who apparently doesn’t give a damn what the NSA thinks of him, cautious folks are just sort of talking and whispering about the story in headlines and soundbites.

“…what if the public in 2003 had been able to read “secret” memos from Dick Cheney as he pressured the CIA to give him the “facts” he wanted in order to build his false case for war? If a WikiLeaks had revealed at that time that there were, in fact, no weapons of mass destruction, do you think that the war would have been launched…?” -Michael Moore

I wouldn’t really categorize myself as a conspiracy theorist, but I do believe that just as governments “have ways of making you talk,” they also have ways of making you shut the f*#% up. I’m trying to use my intellect and intuition to arrive at some sort of personal opinion about Assange’s motives, and his recent alleged criminal behavior, but I’m finding that it is difficult to uncover much unbiased information in this age of pseudo-journalistic news coverage.

I did search the Internet and found some interesting back story that I wasn’t aware of. Although it’s been well-reported that Assange was convicted of computer hacking when he was a teenager, not much else about his character is widely known.  I was able to find a CNN affiliate’s exclusive December 2nd interview with Julian’s father Brett Assange, where it was revealed that Julian was always “the kind of kid that wouldn’t take no for an answer. ” I suppose those who believe the rape allegations will take that and run with it, but from all that his dad says about him, it seems Julian could easily be the target of a smear campaign.

“He always stood up for the underdog…He was always very angry about people ganging up on other people. He had a really good sense of equality and equity.”

Julian’s mother also sees her son as a champion of right and wrong. She told the Melbourne Herald Sun that she saw in him from a tender age a sensitive boy who was good with animals and had an innate will to do “what he perceived as just.” In another interview with the U.K. Mail she said:

‘My son is a good person who is doing good for others. He wants people to know the truth. People have a right to know what is going on, especially if a war is being fought in their name. The people who have committed atrocities should be the ones called to account, not my son….He’s a hero to some people, a villain to others. Which one do you think I believe?”

Of course those are his parents, so if I’m looking for unbiased information, I’ll have to keep looking. Where do I find someone unrelated to him to serve as a character reference?  I’m not finding quotes on the Internet from regular folks attesting to his integrity (perhaps due to the aforementioned sifter thingy), but Amnesty International did recognize him for “excellence in human rights journalism,” and he has supporters around the world who post bail money when needed, and demonstrate with signs that read “COURAGE is COURAGEOUS” and “DON’T SHOOT THE MESSENGER.”

Conversely, finding quotes from individuals who clearly don’t care for the man hasn’t been difficult. We know there are two women in Sweden who have accused him of sexual assault, serious charges which will he will have to answer to in a court of law. Assange says he is innocent and the women are a part of well-orchestrated smear campaign–a covert attempt by the powers that be to silence his website. Along with these serious charges against him, Assange has made himself a pretty impressive list of enemies–and this is but a tiny excerpt of what is a very long list:

WikiLeaks “has violated the Espionage Act.” -Sen. Joe Lieberman

“super-secretive, thin-skinned, [and] megalomaniacal.” –The New Yorker‘s George Packer

“an anti-American operative with blood on his hands” whom we should pursue “with the same urgency we pursue al Qaeda and Taliban leaders.” -Sarah Palin

“He’s a psychopath, a sociopath … He’s a terrorist.” -Republican Mary Matalin

“A dead man can’t leak stuff … there’s only one way to do it: illegally shoot the son of a bitch.” –Democrat Bob Beckel

That last quote makes me think of David Kelly, the U.K. biochemist and U.N. weapons inspector whose off-the-record comments (he said the government exaggerated about WMD in Iraq) led to his death. Though officially dubbed a suicide, Britain’s Michael Powers, a physician, barrister, and former coronor has joined a group of physicians and others who don’t believe the evidence  supports the suicide finding. Lord Hutton decided that evidence related to the death, including the post-mortem report and photographs of the body, should remain classified for 70 years.

Whoa… Okay. I’m not making this up. My computer just crashed to the dreaded BLUE SCREEN fatal exception error.  This was on my screen when I rebooted:

Allrightee then. I’m sure that was just a coincidence. Okay NSA, I am not trying to get on your list please.

Aaaaaaanyway,

I think it is completely possible that Julian Assange committed the crimes he is accused of, and if he did, I don’t see how that should have a bearing on whether WikiLeaks is deemed to be journalism, civil disobedience or out-and-out terrorism. Let the world’s courts open up that discussion–not the tabloids.

I also think it is completely possible he had consensual sex with those women, and someone has either enticed or coerced them to lie about it.  Either way, the debate will continue to rage about whether Assange is a terrorist or a whistle blower and if WikiLeaks’ brand of  “transparency” hurts more than it helps.

“Our goal is to have a just civilization. That is sort of a personal motivating goal. And the message is transparency…we believe that it is an excellent message. Gaining justice with transparency. It is a good way of doing that, it is also a good way of not making too many mistakes. We have a trans-political ideology, it is not right it is not left it is about understanding…any political ideology that comes out of misunderstanding will itself be a misunderstanding. So, we say, to some degree all political ideologies are currently bankrupt. Because they do not have the raw ingredient they need to address the world. The raw ingredient to understand what is actually happening.” -Julian Assange

All of that sounds really good to me because I agree with his assertion that the existing political ideologies are bankrupt.  The truth is, regardless of the continents we live on, the names we use to call on the Creator, or the political ideologies we profess, none of us want our cities to be incinerated. I do feel like governments might be less likely to commit crimes against humanity if they know they are being observed, but I  don’t feel I have a full understanding of what kind of havoc such transparency can wreak either.

Is Julian Assange a dangerous devil, or a courageous daredevil? My intuition leans me toward the latter, but I’d like more solid information to help me decide.

Sleepovers to Resume at Neverland Ranch…

When a dozen cars filled with police investigators pulled up at the gates of Michael Jackson’s  Neverland Ranch seven years ago, it’s as if they brought along some kind of Dr. Evil-inspired device that could suck every last bit of magic out of a place. Though Michael remained there throughout his trial, once he was acquitted of all charges he and his children left their Neverland home and never went back.

My daughters and I spent two amazing days at the ranch just four weeks prior to that raid, and I can tell you first hand there isn’t another place on earth quite like it–as it used to be, that is.  We rode the amusement park rides, played in Michael’s incredible game room and enjoyed an awesome concert put on by the organization “Oneness” in honor of artist Romero Britto. We slept in a guest room above the movie theater where Michael had designed glass-fronted rooms with hospital beds where terminally ill children could experience the magic of being at the movies (while they were hooked up to the tubes and machines needed to keep them alive). The movie Seabiscuit was playing the night we were there.

Our two days at Neverland were filled with way too much magic to describe here, but I can confirm reports that there were ice cream carts everywhere,  and yes, an endless supply of candy and popcorn free for the taking. One of the highlights of the visit for me was sitting in an open field with Michael’s orangutan Brandy who developed a little crush on me and wanted to share a can of Coca Cola. (No it wasn’t Pepsi, and I had to pretend to drink from it or risk hurting her feelings.)

Today, TMZ is reporting that Colony Capital, who now owns the property, wants to turn Neverland into a music institute — similar to The Juilliard  School in NYC where teens of diverse backgrounds will live and learn all aspects of music, including writing and performing. Wow. Of all the rumored possibilities we’ve heard for Michael’s once-beloved retreat, I can’t help but believe he might most approve of this one. What better way to honor the greatest entertainer who has ever lived, than to turn his once magic kingdom into a place where young people can go to develop their musical gifts.

The world will certainly benefit if Michael’s “Giving Tree” inspires more of the incredible music he says it inspired in him.

“God gave us talent to give; to help people, and to give back.” -MJ

You can read TMZ’s exclusive story here.


@HolyWords, where art thou?

[slideshow]

For almost two years a mysterious tweeter with the username @HolyWords (aka “Soul Food”) has been blessing the timelines of its 20,000 followers with 140 characters of daily inspiration…and now suddenly they’re not.

I know what you’re thinking. So what, there’s like a go-zillion tweeters cluttering up the twitosphere with quotes meant to inspire us to  become higher life forms. And, you’re right. Puh-leeze, just enter the word “quotes” in the Twitter search box and you’ll get a username list too long to scroll to the bottom of.  These well-meaning tweeters really do have some good stuff to share too, but you also get to wade through a sea of  mind-blowing spiritual epiphanies such as “Nothing tastes as good as skinny feels,”  “A parent is only as good as their dumbest kid,” or “Don’t drink the pee-pee” (Thank you IamDiddy for blessing my timeline with the word “pee-pee” like 17,455 times this year.)

The beauty of @HolyWords was its unique, succinct, minimalist way of sharing some pretty deep life advice, and asking the world and its religions to get along at the same time. Not by bombarding  us with fifty messages a day, but with just one–one thought of the day from a variety of holy books. A thought which, if pondered and acted upon, really would make us and the world just a bit better than we were the day before.

@HolyWords last tweeted on November 2nd and we haven’t heard a peep out of ’em since.

So, I’m thinking maybe researching the world’s religions and posting a short but meaningful spiritual snippet every day just got to be a little overwhelming. Maybe the holy tweeter started feeling like nobody really cared if they silenced themselves forever. Maybe they are in the hospital or in jail. Maybe they’re an unemployed 99er and can’t pay the DSL bill. Maybe they joined a monastery and have taken a vow of silence. Or, maybe @HolyWords is simply in need of a little appreciation and inspiration, and they’ll get right back to sharing.

Believing it’s the latter, I would like to share some reasons why @HolyWords should tweet again:

1. @HolyWords has landed on the following lists:

  • Top 20 Most Inspirational People on Twitter (Listorious.com)
    (Also on that list are Tony Robbins, Deepak Choprah, Michael Beckworth and Ekhart Tolle)
  • Twitter’s Top 40 Most Influential (WeFollow.com)
  • Twitter’s Top 3 Scripture (WeFollow.com)
  • Top 1% of all retweeted tweeters (of Twitters 200 million users)

2. @HolyWords  has been added to more than 500 individual Twitter member’s own lists. These are lists with names like:

  • rare-tweet-garden
  • in-need-of-inspiration
  • got-my-attention
  • GlobeIsRound
  • uInspireMe
  • SoulSoother
  • WordsWorthRetweeting
  • SpiritFuel

What I’m trying to get across to you, @HolyWords, is that you have some pretty impressive stats for an account that has a mere  20,000 followers.

And, if that’s not inspiring enough for you, how about the fact that there are celebrity tweeters with millions of followers who not only read your daily tweets, but have favorited them and retweeted them to their own followers.

I’m sure there are more celebs following you then are listed here, but I was able to confirm these:

  • @TheEllenShow
  • @JessicaSimpson
  • @RainnWilson
  • @4EverBrandy
  • @MsLaurenLondon
  • @TiaMowry
  • @QuietStorm32 (Chicago Bulls’ CJ Watson)
  • @MissMya
  • @ThisIsNivea
  • @PaulWallBaby
  • @DonteStallworth

The bottom line is we want you back.

So, I am asking all @HolyWord lovers to send an @ message from your Twitter account requesting more tweets.

I’m going to post this one on my timeline tonight:

@HolyWords >>
We love you, Soul Food…
…and we’re hungry 🙂


Eva Longoria’s “Desperate” Daughter Faces Deportation to Mexico

If you’re an avid Desperate Housewives watcher, you know that Eva Longoria’s character,  Gabrielle Solis, is currently tangled in a heart-wrenching storyline involving a past hospital baby switch.  Gabby’s daughter Juanita is not biologically hers, but is the “anchor baby” of an undocumented Mexican couple who are now on the run with Gabby’s biological daughter (whom they raised from birth).   We have yet to see where this plot is headed, but according to US law, Juanita could be taken to Mexico if her bio parents are deported.

In real life Longoria has been very vocal about immigration issues, and it appears that the writers are helping her use the show to bring attention to the serious plight undocumented children face. The actress has also recently donned the executive producer hat for the upcoming documentary “Harvest,” a film exposing the exploitation of migrant children who pick produce on American farms at sub-poverty wages.

“We won’t take a shirt made in China by a child, but  yet in our own country 25% of the food we eat is harvested by a child…Over 500,000 kids are working in the fields and 80 to 90 percent are American children.  We have these mixed-nationality families…How does immigration reform address those kinds of families?” -Eva

This morning Longoria joined a group of Latino leaders in addressing a letter to the leadership of the US Senate urging them to pass the Development, Relief and Education for Alien Minors Act (DREAM Act). If passed, the legislation would provide a path to citizenship for children who were brought illegally to the United States by their parents.

December 16, 2010

Dear Senators Reid and McConnell:

As Latino leaders in government, business, entertainment, and sports, we urge members of Congress to support the “Development, Relief, and Education of Alien Minors (DREAM) Act.” This modest and sensible piece of legislation would allow young people who were brought to the United States by their parents at a very young age to pursue higher education or serve in the military.

These students are success stories in their communities, serving as student body presidents, star athletes, and performers, graduating often with honors from schools in their hometowns. Our country benefits immensely from the talent and drive to succeed that they demonstrate. They want the chance to go on to college or serve in the military to continue giving back to the only country they have ever called home.

We know from a recently released study that the students covered under the “DREAM Act” will contribute at least one trillion dollars to the American economy over the course of their lifetimes. Moreover, according to the Congressional Budget Office, enacting the “DREAM Act” would reduce the deficit by $1.4 billion dollars over ten years. The intangible benefits of investing in these students’ futures, however, are immeasurable.

America cannot afford to lose another generation of young people who stand to contribute to its economic and social prosperity. The beneficiaries of the “DREAM Act” are our future teachers, nurses, and engineers. The U.S. has invested in the education of many of these individuals since kindergarten, and it is only fitting that we enable them to serve and contribute, allowing our nation to reap the benefits. The Latino community is counting on Congress to come together and show its support for the future of these young people and the nation.

Sincerely,

Luis Castillo
Linda Chavez
The Honorable Henry G. Cisneros
Maria Contreras-Sweet
Emilio Estefan
America Ferrera
The Honorable Carlos Gutierrez
Eva Longoria
Monica Lozano
Janet Murguía
Ozomatli
The Honorable Federico F. Peña
The Honorable Bill Richardson
Lionel Sosa
Solomon D. Trujillo
The Honorable Antonio Villaraigosa

The Sexiest Teacher Alive: Don’t Let the Clark Kent Steez Fool You

I mean no disrespect to Geoffrey Canada’s wife, but her husband is my idea of what a real man looks like.

Okay, okay, before I get myself in too much trouble, let me clarify that in using the term “sexy” to describe this married  father of six, I am respectfully referring to the non-erotic definition: “arousing intense excitement.”

Just so you know, I’m not the only person in the world admitting to being intensely excited by the man. Geoffrey has aroused the ardor of a diverse body of media personalities including David Letterman,  Ed Bradley, Stephen Colbert, Anderson Cooper, Oprah Winfrey and Glenn Beck.  When Oprah first laid eyes on him she flung her arms wide for a hug and gushed, “I just want to kiss you.” (I’m feeling you, O.)

The President of the United States called Canada “a pioneer…saving a generation of children.”  First lady Michelle Obama referred lovingly to him as “one of my heroes,” and an award-winning documentary about him entitled “Waiting for Superman” (yes, that is a reference to Geoffrey) was released this fall to critical acclaim.

If you’re not up on what this man does for a living, I’m going to have to let you Google that, because as ambitious and awe-inspiring as it is, I am on a more personal mission here.  Here’s the short version of why he’s garnered so much attention:

Geoffrey Canada’s Harlem Children’s Zone is transforming a 97-block area into a community of stakeholders whose primary focus is educating the program’s 8,000+ (mostly poor) children to such high levels that 100% of them will graduate from college. (Yes, you read that right.)

What Mr. Canada does is undoubtedly worthy of great respect and praise, but why he does it should also be the subject of a documentary as far as I’m concerned.  What motivates a man with a Master’s Degree from Harvard to invest it in Harlem? We can easily observe that  he shows incredible passion and tenacity in pursuing quality education for all, but what exists deep down in the man that leads him to devote his life to saving other people’s children?

Geoffrey says the calling to serve his community rang in his ears at a very young age–on one of the saddest days of his life.

“…my mother told me Superman did not exist.”

He cried.

“I read comic books and just loved them because even in the depths of the ghetto you thought, ‘He’s coming, I just don’t know when, because he always shows up and he saves all the good people’.”

Geoffrey’s mother thought he was crying for the same reason a child mourns upon learning that Santa Claus is not real, but even at such a young age, he knew his loss of Superman had devastating  implications.

“I was crying because there was no one coming with enough power to save us.”

Some fifty years later, while most of us stand around arguing about whether it is poor leadership, ill-prepared teachers, uninvolved parents, disinterested students, or a multitude of other excuses for why millions of children are being academically shortchanged, this man chooses to focus instead on high expectations and successful solutions.

The urgency he feels about educating children is reflected in this excerpt from a poem entitled “Don’t Blame Me,” written by Canada in 2007.

If there is a God or a person supreme,
A final reckoning, for the kind and the mean,
And judgment is rendered on who passed the buck,
Who blamed the victim or proudly stood up,
You’ll say to the world, “While I couldn’t save all,
I did not let these children fall.
By the thousands I helped all I could see.
No excuses, I took full responsibility.
No matter if they were black or white,
Were cursed, ignored, were wrong or right,
Were shunned, pre-judged, were short or tall,
I did my best to save them all.”
And I will bear witness for eternity
That you can state proudly,
“Don’t blame me.”

I love this super man.

Prince William will be able to say the word “Mummy” again soon

“Being a princess isn’t all it’s cracked up to be.” -Diana, Princess of Wales


If you’re like me, that whole Disney-style princess thing is one huge turnoff. I mean really, what self-respecting mother is going to teach her daughter that the ultimate happily-ever-after comes from catching the eye of a handsome prince and getting lucky enough to sit next to his throne for the rest of her life?

Uh, no.  I don’t think so.

I’m way more excited about Tinkerbell and her little fairy BFFs who are adorably flawed (Tink has a bit of an anger management problem), are able to acknowledge the awesomeness of their individual gifts, and proudly use those gifts to make the world better for everyone.

It makes perfect sense to me that Diana Princess of Wales was, and remains, so incredibly adored worldwide.  Diana was never content to simply be Prince Charles’ wife, but instead chose to behave more like a fairy princess, refusing to pretend she was flawless, and flying around the world using her powers to relieve human suffering–while encouraging us all to be more loving.

Nothing brings me more happiness than trying to help the most vulnerable people in society. It is a goal and an essential part of my life.” -Diana

When she died the world lost a true philanthropist, and her two young sons lost a loving mother and role-model who was teaching them by example how to use their royal positions to serve others.

I will fight for my children on any level so they can reach their potential as human beings and in their public duties.” -Diana

Just 12 and 15 when they lost her, Diana’s influence on the boys did not fade as they matured.  Both princes are now known for their humble and friendly approach to the public, and both have upheld their mother’s legacy of philanthropy by contributing time and money to HIV/AIDS treatment and prevention, wildlife preservation, environmental protection, the inner-city disadvantaged, the homeless, and African poverty relief.  Harry is co-founder of Sentebale, a joint effort with Prince Seeiso of Lesotho to help meet the needs of children orphaned by AIDS .  Diana’s sons have honored their mother by serving those she would if she were here–underscoring their strong belief that the dead continue on in another life and guide those they left behind.

I’m aware that people I have loved and have died are in the spirit world looking after me.” – Princess Diana

Though she died over 13 years ago, Diana’s legacy as devoted mother of these two grandsons of Windsor (who are second and third in line for the  throne) has recently become the topic of much conversation, as her eldest William just announced his engagement to his longtime girlfriend Kate Middleton.  William proposed to Kate a few weeks ago while in Kenya, offering her the sapphire and diamond engagement ring his father Prince Charles had given his mother.

She’s not going to be around to share in any of the fun and the excitement…so this is my way of keeping her sort of close to it all.” -Prince William

The wedding will take place in late April, not long after Mothering Sunday (the UK version of  Mother’s day), a day that is extremely painful for William.  Last year he celebrated the holiday by announcing his patronage of the Child Bereavement Charity, an organization co-founded by his mother a few years before she died.  After several private meetings with bereaved families, he spent time with a group of children who lost parents or siblings.  He spoke candidly with the youngsters, referring to Mother’s Day as an occasion of sadness and emptiness, and describing a loss like theirs as “one of the most difficult experiences anyone can endure.”

Never being able to say the word ‘Mummy’ again in your life sounds like a small thing. However for many, including me, it is now really just a word – hollow and evoking only memories.” -William

Those who cherish the memory of Princess Diana will be watching with excitement and hope as William and Kate begin their lives together as man and wife, and though I’ve never considered myself a “royal watcher,” I must admit I’m eager to see a few years into the future when the couple become parents, something William says they certainly plan to do. That is when Mother’s Day will be transformed from an excruciating occasion into a bittersweet celebration. When the day is spent honoring the mother of  his children and reminiscing about the amazing grandmother they didn’t get to meet, I suspect Mothering Sunday will take on a new and much more joyful spirit for the prince.

God willing, Prince William will be able to say the word “Mummy” again soon, and when he hears it from the mouths of his little ones, he may find it holds a magical quality that, like Tinkerbell’s pixie dust, will lift him high above his pain.

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NK3ODM5S0Lg]

Nicole Richie Designs a New Life

I don’t know about you, but I’m a sucker for any story that at it’s heart is about transformation. I think that’s why I love HGTV so much–you know–the creativity and elbow grease and coordinating fabrics of it all.

Watching those funky old fixer-uppers being transformed into stunning new homes just gets me giddy. It’s like a metaphor of sorts for how hopeful we can all be about the caterpillar-to-butterfly potential we humans possess.

So, it’s no wonder Nicole Richie’s very public journey from awkward/wayward teenager to mommy/mogul/author/wife is my kind of true-life fairy tale.

In a town like Hollywood, where so many of the young up-and-coming are sidelined by alcohol and drugs, it was no real shock to anyone when Lionel Richie’s adopted daughter Nicole began her early slide into getwastedness (along with her then best friend Paris Hilton). At age 22 Nicole was arrested for DUI and charged with possession of heroin. By the time she was 25, she had racked up another DUI charge and was sentenced to jail time. She lost so much weight we all diagnosed her with an eating disorder (which she says was never true), and then, to make matters worse she (gasp) went and got herself knocked up by a rock star. Well, damn. Go ahead and throw in the towel on that little privileged chick, right? Not so fast…

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9yINgnfkP24&fs=1&hl=en_US&rel=0]

Don’t tell Sarah and Bristol Palin I said so, but the best thing that ever happened to Nicole Ritchie was unprotected sex with Good Charlotte  front man Joel Madden. Not that I’m advocating that for the average spoiled, out of control, rich reality television personality. Heavens NO. But I do think that becoming pregnant and being in a loving relationship with a man like Joel turned out to be a perfect storm that blew Nicole out of the fast lane and onto a path towards real maturity.

Nicole sat down with Robin Roberts in September to talk about her new, extremely busy life as the mother of two children, owner of four successful businesses, and author of two novels.

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CB7zuwuhpVY]

On Saturday, December 11th, Nicole and Joel stood before Reverend Run at her father’s Beverly Hills estate and became husband and wife.

Congratulations to you and your family, Nicole. Your metamorphosis is nothing short of awesome, and I hope you never stop reaching for the sky.

Little known facts about Nicole:

  • She was born Nicole Camille Escovedo
  • She was blessed with two super-talented godfathers: Michael Jackson and Quincy Jones.
  • Her clothing lines are named “House of Harlow” and “Winter Kate” after her daughter Harlow Winter Kate Madden.
  • In February 2010 her Richie-Madden Children’s Foundation funded the development of a playground in Los Angeles to encourage children to get outside and play
  • She plays cello, piano, and violin.
  • She stands to inherit 200+ million from her father’s estate.

Give Oprah a Friggin’ Break

Me on Oprah’s show, 1994

Let’s suppose for a moment that we all agree on the following premise: The purpose of life is to

  1. Love and be of service to others
  2. Develop one’s own emotional, intellectual, creative and spiritual potential to its fullest
  3. Positively influence the emotional, intellectual, creative and spiritual growth of others
  4. Leave the world a bit better than it was when you arrived

(You’ve probably noticed the list doesn’t include anything that refers to allegiance to a specific religious figure. That one is between you and your Creator, so we’ll leave it closed to outside scrutiny.) I don’t know where you are on your list, but, um… Well, let’s just say I hope I have at least another 50 years or so left to work on mine, ’cause I’ll likely need every second of that time to accomplish even 1% of what Oprah Winfrey (who was born to a single teen mother and raised in a house with no electricity and no running water) has in her 50+ years. (But hey, maybe I can get a little extra credit for having raised a houseful of kids with little assistance from my ex-husband.) When you are at the helm of an empire as gargantuan as Oprah’s, it is a given that you will have sacrificed much in your personal life along the way. After watching her recent interview with Barbara Walters, I have gained a profound respect for Oprah’s dedication to perfecting her craft, and her unbelievable work ethic–but I find myself wishing that she and Stedman had produced some children. With the kind of career ambitions Oprah held from a young age, I can completely understand why she didn’t feel like motherhood was her path, but it just seems impossible to me that she and Stedman wouldn’t have raised some beautiful kids that would have added value to the world. I know, I know, what happens or doesn’t happen in the woman’s womb is none of my business, but as with all public figures, it’s always tempting (and easy when you’re not in their shoes) to speculate on what they should or should not do with whatever they’ve got. Despite the fact that Oprah is tested on a daily basis with the kind of wealth and power that would turn many of us into self-aggrandizing heathens with little concern for the lives of others, I would venture to say the number of souls she’s purposely helped (so far) in her lifetime far outweighs any she’s purposely hurt, and despite the fact that her “brand” generates billions in corporate profits, the legacy she’ll leave when she’s gone will certainly be one of inspiration, transformation and personal growth. And, according to Oprah, she’ hasn’t even really gotten started yet. When asked by Barbara if she felt like she’s accomplished the greatness she was born to, Oprah replied,

“I feel that I’m still in process…as great as the past 25 years have been–just astounding, I mean really the word ‘AWEsome’ does apply–I think it was just the beginning.”

I was a guest on Oprah’s show many years ago, which impacted my writing life and my career in countless ways I won’t go into here, but I’m not one of those Oprah worshipers who believe she walks on water (if that were possible, believe me her producers would have already made a show about it). No. Oprah’s no saint. The woman is certainly flawed, as all of us humans are, but it amazes me how many vicious haters she has in the world. I mean, really. Give the woman a friggin’ break already. Frankly, I’m not sure what kind of person I’d be if I was worth 2.3 billion. (Not that I wouldn’t like to find out.) If you didn’t get a chance to watch the Barbara Walters’ interview, I have posted it below. (Thank you to CelinishAnime for uploading the 5-part interview to YouTube for our viewing pleasure.)
[embedplusvideo height=”402″ width=”500″ standard=”http://www.youtube.com/v/A_MsmbERGmg?fs=1″ vars=”ytid=A_MsmbERGmg&width=500&height=402&start=&stop=&rs=w&hd=0&autoplay=0&react=1&chapters=&notes=” id=”ep5638″ /] [embedplusvideo height=”402″ width=”500″ standard=”http://www.youtube.com/v/geIWGJ12vQ4?fs=1″ vars=”ytid=geIWGJ12vQ4&width=500&height=402&start=&stop=&rs=w&hd=0&autoplay=0&react=1&chapters=&notes=” id=”ep7975″ /] [embedplusvideo height=”402″ width=”500″ standard=”http://www.youtube.com/v/axSN0cyu8Dg?fs=1″ vars=”ytid=axSN0cyu8Dg&width=500&height=402&start=&stop=&rs=w&hd=0&autoplay=0&react=1&chapters=&notes=” id=”ep8195″ /] [embedplusvideo height=”402″ width=”500″ standard=”http://www.youtube.com/v/WMgZ5fFae1s?fs=1″ vars=”ytid=WMgZ5fFae1s&width=500&height=402&start=&stop=&rs=w&hd=0&autoplay=0&react=1&chapters=&notes=” id=”ep4038″ /] [embedplusvideo height=”402″ width=”500″ standard=”http://www.youtube.com/v/7Un1LKbpCAg?fs=1″ vars=”ytid=7Un1LKbpCAg&width=500&height=402&start=&stop=&rs=w&hd=0&autoplay=0&react=1&chapters=&notes=” id=”ep3630″ /]

Be the change you want to read…

I hate to admit this, but I read Internet gossip blogs just about every day. I have a folder on my Google Chrome toolbar with eleven gossip sites I visit regularly. A few of them I would loosely describe as “journalistic,” that is, although they are made up of “celebrity news,” (mostly none of our business) they’re pretty careful not to print unsubstantiated rumors. However, several of the very popular gossip blogs are really just irresponsible rags that revel in dragging celebrities through the mud–those blogs will print any story (or non-story) they think might land them on Twitter’s trending topics list.

To justify my daily wade through the filth, I tell myself I’m visiting these sites to investigate whether any of my friends, family, acquaintances or favorites in the entertainment industry are being gutted or glorified that day (who died and made me the blog police, right?) But, the reality is I’m just like every other gossip blog reader who is looking for the latest tidbit of juicy scandal that might be, but probably isn’t, true. Of course, I give myself credit for knowing I can’t believe most of what I’ve read (which I’m sure to announce right before I share it with a friend).  :/

Though I can’t say I’ve stopped visiting them altogether, lately I’ve discovered that I’m reading fewer and fewer of the more scandalous stories on these blogs, and am instead scrolling through the headlines to find something positive to read. On the rare occasion that I do come across a positive or uplifting story, I really appreciate it–it’s like I’ve discovered a rose among the thorns feces.

I don’t think I’m particularly “holier” than anyone else, so I’m not trying to put myself above it all. I’m just wondering if there are other readers out there who would appreciate not having to scroll past “NBA baller’s new wife joins his baby mama to beat up his jumpoff” to find something a tad more inspiring.

If you’re out there, this blog’s for you.