Last night we watched  Seven Pounds.
 

I thought it was a great story, but could have been told better, but still,  gave it a  4 out of 5!

If you HAVE NOT seen it, it helps to know the story. In a nutshell....


Tim Thomas (Will Smith) caused a car crash; seven people died: six strangers and his fiancée, Sarah Jenson (Robinne Lee).

Tim decides on redemption. He sets out to save the lives of seven good people. A year after the crash, and having quit his job as an aeronautical engineer, Tim donates a lung lobe to his brother, Ben (Michael Ealy), an IRS employee.

Six months later he donates part of his liver to a child services worker named Holly (Judyann Elder). After that, he begins searching for more candidates to receive donations. He finds George (Bill Smitrovich), a junior hockey coach, and donates a kidney to him, and then donates bone marrow to a young boy named Nicholas (Quintin Kelley).

Two weeks before he dies, he contacts Holly and asks if she knows anyone who deserves help. She suggests Connie Tepos (Elpidia Carrillo), who lives with an abusive boyfriend.

Tim moves out of his millionaire dollar ocean front house and into a local motel, taking with him his pet box jellyfish. One night, after being beaten, Connie contacts Tim and he gives her the keys and deed to his beach house. She takes her two children and moves in to their new home.

Having stolen his brother's IRS credentials, he checks out candidates for his two final donations. The first is Ezra Turner (Woody Harrelson), a blind meat salesman who plays the piano. Tim calls Ezra Turner and harasses him at work to check if he is quick to anger. Ezra remains calm and Tim decides he is worthy.

He then contacts Emily Posa (Rosario Dawson), a self-employed greeting card printer who has a heart condition and a rare blood type. He spends time with her and  he begins to fall in love with her and decides that as her condition has worsened he needs to make his donation.

His brother tracks him down to Emily's house. Ben then demands that Tim return his IRS ID to him. Tim leaves and returns to the motel. He fills the bathtub with ice water to preserve his vital organs, climbs in, and then commits suicide by pulling his box jellyfish into the water with him. His friend Dan (Barry Pepper) acts as executor to ensure that his organs are donated to Emily and Ezra. Ezra Turner receives his corneas and Emily receives his heart. 

WOW!  That's  GIVING!



Seven Pounds YouTube Movie Trailer


So what can we do to make a difference???

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GOSH....

I FEEL SO GUILTY!

We started this site nearly 3 years ago.  With the hopes we would share personal insight and ways for people to really make a difference in their lives. Live  a life  WORTH  MEANING! School does NOT teach us what we really need to know in life!

After I turned 30, I asked myself, "Is my life headed in the right direction? How do you change it if you are not? Why would you want a life by design? What if you thought you were, but are not happy with where your life has taken you? Do you go through the motions of life? With no meaning? or experience?"

SO I SAID! "Join me on a journey! A journey of discovering the secret to living a Life By Design! Inspirational and motivational. Let's create change. Change in ourselves - change in others!"

WE  now  try to do our best  to juggle  15 sites!  And there is just no way to give each site the time and dedication that is needed.  But we try! So bear with us! Because this site,  LIFE  BY DESIGN  really  started it all. And it is something we are very passionate about.  And  I am not sure why....or  how....or  when....but we know this site will  EXPLODE one day! We enjoy a few thousand readers each month, there is just not enough time in the day to post to it frequently.

That said,  we are accepting posts from freelance writers. If you have a blog that is similar in  mission - send us a post, and we'll make you a guest author!  E-Mail me!

This site is too important to us and I think as a collaborative effort - WE CAN MAKE A DIFFERENCE!


Let me know if you would like to contribute!



Derrick   Sorles
Michael  Snell


Life  By   Design


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I found this site this week called  GREAT DAY, by Ralph Marston, Jr.
And he provides daily motivational and inspirational thoughts!

We have added their feed in the left sidebar, and it will update daily.

Ralph has been doing this for a number of years and now has over
3500 motivators! Stop by his site and check it out!

        

A dear friend me called today. He knew a couple very well. (We did not know them very well, just by name and sight, just casually...) They were having problems, most of them financial for about 3 years now. The younger guy had mood swings and depression issues. So his doctor prescribed anti-depressents. Which, after a while, he quit taking them. They made him feel  drunk and hazy and were making him gain weight - so he just quit.

And this past weekend, while at his mothers house, he went into the garage and grabbed a container of anti-freeze. No one know's exactly when he drank the liquid, but several hours later it had ravished his body and  while in the hospital, he had to be taken off life support. And was pronounced dead.

Why did this happen? Was there no one he could talk to? I read a great article about PAIN and COPING RESOURCES...

METANOI says,

“Suicide is not chosen...
it happens when pain exceeds
                                   resources for coping with pain.”

That’s all it’s about. You are not a bad person, or crazy, or weak, or flawed, because you feel suicidal. It doesn’t even mean that you really want to die - it only means that you have more pain than you can cope with right now. If I start piling weights on your shoulders, you will eventually collapse if I add enough weights... no matter how much you want to remain standing. Willpower has nothing to do with it. Of course you would cheer yourself up, if you could.

Don’t accept it if someone tells you, “that’s not enough to be suicidal about.” There are many kinds of pain that may lead to suicide. Whether or not the pain is bearable may differ from person to person. What might be bearable to someone else, may not be bearable to you. The point at which the pain becomes unbearable depends on what kinds of coping resources you have. Individuals vary greatly in their capacity to withstand pain.

When pain exceeds pain-coping resources, suicidal feelings are the result. Suicide is neither wrong nor right; it is not a defect of character; it is morally neutral. It is simply an imbalance of pain versus coping resources.

You can survive suicidal feelings if you do either of two things: (1) find a way to reduce your pain, or (2) find a way to increase your coping resources. Both are possible.

Now I want to tell you five things to think about. Find these out, on their site!

Since you have made it this far, you deserve a reward. I think you should reward yourself by giving yourself a gift. The gift you will give yourself is a coping resource. Remember, back up near the top of the page, I said that the idea is to make sure you have more coping resources than you have pain. So let’s give you another coping resource, or two, or ten...! until they outnumber your sources of pain.

Now, while this page may have given you some small relief, the best coping resource we can give you is another human being to talk with. If you find someone who wants to listen, and tell them how you are feeling and how you got to this point, you will have increased your coping resources by one. Hopefully the first person you choose won’t be the last. There are a lot of people out there who really want to hear from you. It’s time to start looking around for one of them.

Now: I’d like you to call someone.

And while you’re at it, you can still stay with me for a bit. Check out these sources of online help.

Additional things to read at this site:

• How serious is our condition? ...“he only took 15 pills, he wasn’t really serious...” if others are making you feel like you’re just trying to get attention... read this.

• Why is it so hard for us to recover from being suicidal? ...while most suicidal people recover and go on, others struggle with suicidal thoughts and feelings for months or even years. Suicide and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).

• Other online sources of help:

• The Samaritans - trained volunteers are available 24 hours a day to listen and provide emotional support. You can call a volunteer on the phone, or e-mail them. Confidential and non-judgmental. Short of writing to a psychotherapist, the best source of online help.

• Talk to a therapist online - Read this page to find out how.

• Depression support group online: Walkers in Darkness - Please note: this is a very big group, but amidst all the chatter (and occasional bickering), it is possible to find someone who will hear you and offer support.

• Psych Central has a good listing of online resources for suicide and other mental health needs.

• Still feel bad? These jokes might relieve the pressure for a minute or two.

• If you want help finding a human being to talk with in person, who can help you live through this, try reading this article about how to Choose a Competent Counselor.

THERE  ARE OPTIONS!
Suicide and attempted suicide are often linked to a build up, or combination of difficult events. There might also be a 'last straw' event that encourages someone to attempt suicide. Not everyone who feels suicidal actually attempts to kill himself or herself. But if they do it can be a desperate call for help.


It is so awful to take one's life. It's a selfish act that hurts everyone around you - when there were surley options. Talk to someone. You can almost always get help, in any town, anywhere.

I heard a line in a movie tonight....when you are with someone, really, BE WITH THEM. Treat your time with them, like this could be the last time you ever see them again. Make sure they know they are loved by you.

Some things to think about...before it's too late.

Please.  Listen. and Love.  It may just save someone's life.

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DO NOT JUDGE A BOOK
       BY IT'S COVER!

She's a frumpy 48 year old lady, who has never been kissed, never had a date, was bullied in school for a disability, her Mom just died, she is unemployed, lives alone with her cat, Pebbles and donates her time volunteering for her church. But can she sing?

The unlikely Britain’s Got Talent sensation Susan Boyle has become such an internet hit that Hollywood star Demi Moore has been Twittering about her.

 

The actress’s husband Ashton Kutcher spotted the talented unemployed Boyle, posting a link to a video of her much-discussed Saturday night singing performance on his Twitter page.

Boyle won over a cynical audience in the first episode of the new Britain’s Got Talent series on the weekend and her performance quickly became a YouTube hit.

The 48-year-old was initially greeted with scornful looks after confessing she had never been kissed and struggling for words when she appeared on stage. But her rendition of I Dreamed A Dream from the musical Les Miserables, brought the crowd to their feet.

Unless someone had an early clue and this was all a setup, what the viewers, audience and judges all got was that genuinely electrifying moment: something no one expected that was better than anyone could have dreamed. It was a "Rocky" moment!

Show judge and music mogul Simon Cowell is now reportedly organising a record deal for her, while bookmakers say she is the favourite to win the BBC talent show.

Boyle's sudden trajectory mirrors that of previous Britain's Got Talent winner Paul Potts. The plain Welsh mobile phone salesman wowed audiences with his classical singing and is due to release his second album this year.


WATCH  SUSAN BOYLE ON YouTUBE

How fabulous is that?  Never stop designing your life! And don't judge!

And by the way, she'll be on CNN "American Morning" Friday (17th) to chat about it. In the celebrity biz, she's a curve ball and a welcome one — even if she disappears as quickly as she arrived.

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Why is it, they don't teach diversity, acceptance, love, and life lessons in school? Do I really use that Algebra and Calculus I learned? NO. Why don't they teach kids manners, self-esteem and the importance of saving money? I learned more about life from ages 18-36, than I did in school.  Why is that? Does the system need to be fixed?  Are parents failing at home?

An 11-year-old Massachusetts boy, Carl Joseph Walker-Hoover, hung himself  this week after enduring bullying at school, including daily taunts of being gay, despite his mother’s weekly pleas to the school to address the problem. This is at least the fourth suicide of a middle-school aged child linked to bullying this year.

Carl, a junior at New Leadership Charter School in Springfield who did not identify as gay, would have turned 12 on April 17, the same day hundreds of thousands of students will participate in the 13th annual National Day of Silence by taking some form of a vow of silence to bring attention to anti-LGBT (lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender) bullying and harassment at school. The other three known cases of suicide among middle-school students  took place in Chatham, Evanston and Chicago, Ill., in the month of February.

"Our hearts go out to Carl’s mother, Sirdeaner L. Walker, and other members of Carl's family, as well as to the community suffering from this loss," GLSEN Executive Director Eliza Byard said. "As we mourn yet another tragedy involving bullying at school, we must heed Ms. Walker’s urgent call for real, systemic, effective responses to the endemic problem of bullying and harassment. Especially in this time of societal crisis, adults in schools must be alert to the heightened pressure children face, and take action to create safe learning environments for the students in their care. In order to do that effectively, as this case so tragically illustrates, schools must deal head-on with anti-gay language and behavior."

Two of the top three reasons students said their peers were most often bullied at school were actual or perceived sexual orientation and gender expression, according to From Teasing to Torment: School Climate in America, a 2005 report by GLSEN and Harris Interactive. The top reason was physical appearance.

"As was the case with Carl, you do not have to identify as gay to be attacked with anti-LGBT language," Byard said. "From their earliest years on the school playground, students learn to use anti-LGBT language as the ultimate weapon to degrade their peers. In many cases, schools and teachers either ignore the behavior or don’t know how to intervene."

GLSEN recommends four simple approaches schools can take to begin addressing bullying now.

About GLSEN
GLSEN, the Gay, Lesbian and Straight Education Network, is the leading national education organization focused on ensuring safe schools for all students. Established nationally in 1995, GLSEN envisions a world in which every child learns to respect and accept all people, regardless of sexual orientation or gender identity/expression. GLSEN seeks to develop school climates where difference is valued for the positive contribution it makes to creating a more vibrant and diverse community. For information on GLSEN's research, educational resources, public policy advocacy, student organizing programs and educator training initiatives, see them online.   GLSEN.

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Did you ever wonder what it must be like to be blind?
To not be able to see the beauty in all that is around us?

I see so many people walking in the streets with their head down to the ground.
Going thru life with blinders on, not really appreciating everything that is in front of us!

I came across  a  blind blogger and artist the other day!
RaAnn Clegg runs  Wicket Stitch.

She  says, "I have been legally blind for 13 years.
 Every year my vision declines more and more. Many people ask me how I deal with
 the loss of something so precious, but few understand the wonderful world around
 them when they use their hearing and sense of touch and smell. I will not try to tell
you that being blind is wonderful. It is hard, I just learned to accept the positive side
of things, try to accept my new limitations and do the best I can."

There are many resources available to learn more about Vision Loss,
the Blind and Visually Impaired, Braille and Guide Dogs/Service Animals.

In the United States, the three most prominent organizations are the National
Federation for the Blind, the American Council for the Blind and the
 American Foundation for the Blind. Each state also has their own Blind Center
or State Resources for the Blind and Visually Impaired.


Life is what you make of it.
Your success or failure is not based upon what has happened to you,
but upon what you make happen. - R.Clegg


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So many of us get caught up in the day-to-day of living.

Working, family commitments, paying bills...

do you ever stop and just ponder LIFE? 

Why are we here?

Is my soul evolving and learning?

Many people live life like a RAT RACE!
And never really grow spiritually.

I found a site this week, based in India called  BEYOND MEDITATION. It says, "Human existence can be termed as the most important event for each human being born on the earth. This opportunity is an unique event for each human being to evolve and transcend the physical plank to be in true & ever blissful state.

Human beings evolve gradually as per individual circumstances and environment. Each being also wants to evolve expediently with the physical materialistic world as part of living and still squeezing out the best of both worlds."

The meanings of life is deeply mixed with the philosophical and religious conceptions of existence, consciousness, and happiness, and touches on many other issues, such as symbolic meaning,  value, purpose, ethics, good and evil, free will, conceptions of God, the existence of God, the soul and the afterlife.

What does it all mean to YOU?

Are you taking life for granted?

Just something to inspire your thoughts....

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Donald Trump aired the opening show of his new season of CELEBRITY APPRENTICE this past weekend. The women's team won, lead by JOAN  RIVERS, and the charity to benefit was New York's  GODS LOVE WE DELIVER.

JOAN RIVERS is a force of nature — and one of the hardest working celebrities in the world. Joan is a noted comedienne, successful business entrepreneur, Tony-nominated actress, Emmy Award-winning TV talk show host, playwright, screenwriter, director, and red carpet fashion interviewer. She has been a member of the Board of Directors of God's Love We Deliver for more than fifteen years, and has played an enormously important role in helping to guide the growth of the agency and the expansion of its mission during this time. - Since her team won this week, more than $100,000  was  donated to the charity.

Since 1985, God's Love We Deliver's mission is to improve the health and well-being of men, women and children living with HIV/AIDS, cancer and other serious illnesses by alleviating hunger and malnutrition. "We prepare and deliver nutritious, high-quality meals to people who, because of their illness, are unable to provide or prepare meals for themselves."

"Our Chefs oversee a professional, industrial-size kitchen in SoHo, producing more than 2,000 delicious, nourishing meals for our clients. Each weekday, we deliver 2 meals that fulfill the daily nutritional needs people with serious illness. For the group of approximately 25% of our clients who need special meals to accommodate individual dietary restrictions, our Modified Meals Chef adapts each menu item to meet individual requirements."

Join Us for Sunday Night Supper  MARCH  8th  EVENT

Please join our thousands of volunteers and donors on March 8, 2009 as we dine in participating restaurants to raise money for God's Love We Deliver. Lidia Bastianich, Sunday Night Supper Co-Chair, is excited that Felidia is one of the first restaurants to sign on. We are asking each participating restaurant to make a donation to God's Love We Deliver so that we can continue our life-sustaining work.



WATCH THE GODS LOVE STORY ON YOU TUBE                          Connect on FaceBook

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EVERY COUNTRY IS DOING IT ...

Except the United States! 

There was a great article this week at
Huffington Post, by Nancy Lublin.
 
Called  HOW THE GAYS CAN SAVE US! 


She  says, "I've got a simple, cost-free proposal for stimulating the economy: legalize gay marriage.

Forget your politics. Shelve your bigotry. Just listen to the numbers....

The average American wedding costs $20,000. The number of gay couples living together without the benefit of marriage is estimated at 3 million. Using those numbers, same-sex marriages could pump an estimated additional $60 billion in revenue into our ailing economy. That doesn't even include money from the pre-wedding parties, honeymoons, or wedding registries.

I suspect that gay marriage would be celebrated with the same outrageous excess as heterosexual unions. Not that everyone can afford a wedding like Ellen Degeneres and Portia DeRossi's elaborate celebration...but even some vows at city hall followed by a nice dinner with friends would help more than a $300 tax rebate. In fact, that $60 billion in revenue is all taxable!

Think about the number of jobs that would be created. The Association of Bridal Consultants say that on average 43 professionals are needed to service the average American wedding: florists, caterers, reception planners, photographers, travel agents, hotels, airlines, jewelers and bakeries just to name a few who would directly benefit from this huge infusion of cash....not to mention the divorce attorneys.

Picking and choosing what kind of love is worth recognizing is an expensive choice. Is discrimination worth that price?

It seems to me, the ailing economy might just be gay marriage proponent's new bff."

More than 16,000 gay weddings took place in Britain last year, with a quarter of them held in London.

More than 25,000 same-sex marriages have been contracted in Canada.

Most of the world is starting recognize same-sex rights.

What are we waiting for? Marriages are for two people who love each other. If they want to get married, so be it. They're going to be together regardless of whether it has an official "governmental" stamp on it or not.

 

A government denying them the right to publicly marry is like saying "Okay, you can worship the same god, you can pay your taxes, you can be a law-abiding citizen just like the rest of us... but you don't have the RIGHT to get married!"

Why? The "sanctity of marriage". As if marriage would somehow be tarnished if more people were allowed to tie the knot. It is a nonsensical reason.  Don't call it marriage then. I don't care what you call it - just give the same  RIGHTS!

Last summer when my partner was rushed to Emergency for an accident, the hospital would not let me in, until I showed proof that I had  Power of Attorney for him. Luckily, I had that document.  I had to pay a lawyer $100 to draft it. WHY? Because the law doesn't recognize me as his partner.

Conservative Americans try to force their beliefs on the gay community.

Remember in  the 1980s  - there was the belief that only gays had ear-rings (and only in the left ear). The males who got their right ear pierced were straight.  Twenty-plus years later no one cares anymore, because many men now have ear-piercings in both ears, along with nose piercing, eyebrow piercings and lip piercings. The silly idea that only gays pierced their left ear was an idea forced upon gays by (guess who!) conservative Americans.

So why should gays and lesbians be denied a part of the American Dream?

They shouldn't. All Americans are born equal and should all have the equal right to get married.

 

gay marriage same sex marriage gay unions domestic partnership gay weddings Turbo Tagger

        

Imagine...living and working in Australia for 6 months,
exploring the Great Barrier Reef.

And your job is to write, blog, photograph and tell the world about it!
That is what I hope to be doing this coming July!

Please  take  90  seconds and view my video and cast me a vote!  This would be a dream job for us!

VOTE FOR DERRICK SORLES!

Many thanks!

Derrick  and Michael

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I was reading  a passage from one of Marianne Williamsons books last night. I love her. I can pick up one of her books, and open nearly any page, and find something profound and full of meaning!

This  passage   from   The Age of Miracles: Embracing the New Midlife ,  said "love is an adventure of the soul. In the words of RAM DASS, we are brought into each other's lives for a reason, a  season or a lifetime. It isn't the lenghth of time, but rather the depth of knowing and forgiveness and growth that occurs, which determines the meaning of a connection between two people."

Singer Joni Mitchell said once that love is souls touching souls.  Some people have slept together 30 years but their souls have never touched. By some estimation, theirs is still a successful marriage...but there are many ways to estmate love.

I strongly believe we are here on Earth to grow - not just go through the motions. Our souls are supposed to evolve. We are supposed to learn and grow. Marianne mentions she started dating someone much younger than her, yet he was much wiser than her, in many ways.

People are matched perfectly for the gifts they bring to each other, and sometimes it's those who teach us when not to reason who are as important as those who teach us how to. Knowledge has many dimensions. A Return to Love: Reflections on the Principles of "A Course in Miracles"  (this book is my BIBLE) states that love restores reason and not the other way around.

I was with someone for 14 years. And there were several reasons why we were meant to be together and we both learned a lot from each other. And at the end, it was difficult to seperate...but we were best friends then and we are still best friends. It was simply time to move on and learn  more. A relationship might not last a lifetime, but that doesn't mean  it's not a temple experience.

I am now in my late Forties.  And I have MANY friends at all ages. 20-75.   But my younger friends, keep me young. Marianne says, "Young people remind us we're not dead yet! They bring energy like the sun breaking through, after too much fog and rain had made us think that the light might never return. They bring the sun because they are the sun! Having not yet experienced their own late afternoon, they don't trigger the grief you feel over what happened during yours."

Happiness is a journey ... not a destination!!


"Work like you don't need money,
Love like you've never been hurt,
And dance like no one's watching."

 

dance like no ones watching marianne williamson jean delville the love of souls joni mitchell life by design Turbo Tagger

        

 

There is so much tragedy in the world and on the news, and that is not what this site is about. However,  this recent story in the news about Sandra Herold and her pet chimp and her best friend  is so sad.  I just had to comment on it.

As some of you may know, I used to work for Las Vegas entertainers Siegfried & Roy. I was a freelance writer for them for 7 years, right up until  Roy's accident.

A lot  of people do not know that Siegfried & Roy worked tirelessly, and spent MILLIONS  of dollars on lion and tiger conservation and preservation.  They raised  many animals from birth in their homes.
 
It was not uncommon for one or two of the 600+ pound animals to crawl into bed at night with Roy!  It was not uncommon to see a snow leopard strolling through the yard - or even the living room!


The cats would shower Roy with affection. He has an almost transcendental rapport with them animals. "I am like their father figure, their guide through the world,"  he told me once. "I meditate with them, live with them, swim with them. I am their friend - but not their boss. But make no mistake...these are not tamed animals but hand-raised exotic creatures that have been conditioned to live and work with us. We give them a great deal of respect and never forget their natural instincts."

Did you ever watch that show  SNAPPED? - What makes a child take a gun to school and start a killing spree? We will never know what made Roy's tiger friend Montecore  SNAP that night. Or what made Sandra Herold's chimp Travis attack the way he did.  This 14 year old, 200-pound chimpanzee was raised by her since birth. The chimp was like a son to her. Imagine what you would do, if your son snapped, and started attacking your best friend - and you had to go after him with a butcher knife to try and stop him?!

It's such a horrible sad story. The chimp had to be shot and Sandra's friend is still in critical condition.

Dogs can be friendly, dogs can be violent, but what actually causes a dog who has never shown signs of aggression,  to suddenly attack? No one knows.

Anyone who has ever had a pet knows it doesn't take long for an animal to become part of the family. Pets know no prejudice. They only know love and bring much and joy and happiness to a home. Pets give love unconditionally, and that's part of the reason we become so attached to them.

We have to remember animals are not people. They can be  unpredictable and dangerous. - But then again, so can people.

So what do we do?


Michael Snell

 

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GAY PEOPLE ARE  EVERYWHERE!

Literally. In the seventies, "gay" had a "look". Over the last 35 years, with more youths coming out early in life, and with "gay" becoming the new "black", the LGBT community has become  much more diverse, showing up everywhere and in places you would least expect.

But one area you don't hear much  about - gay christian singers! Until now. Jason Warner and deMarco DeCiccio, known as Jason and Demarco,  met about 8 years ago, fell in love  and started performing the christian music circuit!

Two years ago they began their crossover into pop music and had two singles on the Billboard charts and LOGO tv.

A remix of "This is Love" along with their newest dance release, "It's Okay", both produced by DJ Scotty K, were both added to Abercrombie & Fitch's playlist and have been heard in stores worldwide.
 
Last summer brought them more widespread exposure with an article in PEOPLE magazine and the release of their award-winning documentary "We're All Angels", which has just been released on DVD. (directed by Robert Nunez).

At once a love story, a tale of religious struggle and a musical journey, WEʼRE ALL ANGELS takes an in-depth look at the lives of Jason & deMarco over eighteen months — at their music and their lives at home, in the studio, on stage and on the road.

Cameras follow the guys to rehearsals, recording sessions, label meetings, sound-checks, and concerts - giving us an inside look at the making of a pop album.

We also witness the joys and struggles of growing up, coming out, falling in love and living and working together. Through their story, we are confronted with the contradiction of spirituality and its relationship to sexuality, the power of music, self-acceptance, and the sometimes passionate resistance of many evangelical Christians to the expression of homosexual love.

By rights, Jason & deMarco should not exist. The “rules” say that Christianity and homosexuality are incompatible. Gay relationships donʼt work, especially when lovers work together. Young attractive gay men are said to be shallow and self-centered. But Jason & deMarco break all of these stereotypes, proving to all of us that life can be lived beyond conventional rules and without boundaries.


Following their appearance on the cover of The Advocate they struggled against the typecasting of being defined as "gay Christian singers."

"We're All Angels" reveals the duo's efforts to achieve a wider message with
their music.  "We want our songs to be uplifting without being preachy," says
Jason.  "It's Okay" is a perfect example of their musical evolution.  "This is a
song that is bigger than our personal relationship," says deMarco.  "It is about
the need for our world to come together, make a choice and take a stand for
what is really important -- peace, freedom, liberty and justice for all."


"We've had to work at clarifying that although we are both gay and men of faith, our music is not religious, nor is it gay," continues Jason. "Our music has a message, and if I had to call it anything, it would be "uplifting." We want it to speak to everyone, not only people of one particular faith." 

Their music is really about love. And these two ARE SO IN LOVE!  To work together, live together and travel together, takes a strong relationship. And the documentary does an awesome job capturing that.

While they strive to achieve a successful musical career, their message of hope and acceptance to young gay Christian teenagers is nothing less than life-saving. The teenage suicide rate among this demographic is horribly high, and Jason and deMarco are positive role models for kids struggling with their conflicting sexuality/spirituality.

You have to hand it to them -- or pray for them, if you like. If the usual trappings of rock music -- tattoos, drinking, loud guitar, apathy and angry lyrics -- are still rebellious to some, then a gay couple taking a message of love into one of the most unwelcoming, homophobic institutions in modern America -- the traditionalist church -- is downright revolutionary.


Catch them performing around Texas and Hawaii in the coming months!


Jason and deMarco website       Jason and deMarco on MySpace

   



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ARE YOU GRACIOUS?


Gratitude, thankfulness, or appreciation is a positive emotion or attitude in acknowledgment of a benefit that one has received or will receive.

It is said that the very rich are always very demanding.

And the richer they get, they complain they never have enough money. You hear about these mega-divorces where someone demands they need $100,000  a month to live their lifestyle!
Well, bring it down a notch! or two!


There are some celebrities who expect the world and demand it!

It’s no secret some celebrities can get a little…imaginative…with their demands. While some demands are silly, others are downright unreasonable.

Whether it’s a call in advance to a luxury hotel or written into a concert rider, some celebrities aren’t afraid to make special requests for their special needs.

 

Barbra Streisand - During a recent visit to London, Barbra Streisand made similar requests at two different hotels. These included rose petals in the toilet (WTF? You’re just going to pee on them anyway), peach colored toilet tissue to match her complexion, and 120 designer bath towels, also in peach. - What if she does some business, flushes, then does some different business? Does an attendant need to come in on petal duty?

Christina Aguilera must have a police escort meet her at the airport and lead her limo because she refuses to deal with traffic. Backstage, she must have a jar of Flinstones Vitamins.

Mariah Carey insists a new toilet seat and gold faucets are installed in her hotel suite before she checks in. She flies in her own personal bed linens and must have enough of a certain kind of mineral water so she and her dog can bathe in it each day.

Also, when on tour Mariah’s dressing room must contain one box of bendy straws, two air purifiers, puppies and kittens (oh dear Lord), an attendant to take her used chewing gum and Cristal champagne.

David Hasselhoff insists on a life sized cut of himself backstage.

Paul McCartney - No more and no less than 19 six foot tall leafy green plants and four six foot tall plants should adorn his dressing room.

Yul Brenner - Hotel rooms had to be painted a particular shade of beige prior to his stay. The kitchen of his suites had to be stocked with brown eggs, not white.

Eminem - Backstage Eminem must have a masseuse, a Play Station, basket ball hoop, ping pong table, and lots of fast food from different restaurants.

Rod Stewart - refuses to tolerate any light in the hotel room for his afternoon nap. So he has a special “darkening team” on staff to make sure no light comes into his room. He also asks for  13 soccer balls.

Justin Timberlake requires an entire hotel floor, private fitness studio, an extra-large stereo, along with Nintendo and PlayStation. The floor’s air conditioning filters must be changed on his arrival. And requires someone go around every two hours to disinfect doorknobs.

Kevin Federline - Even the wannabes have demands. In his dressing room Kevin Federline must have a box of Altoids, 2 aromatherapy candles, Grey Goose Vodka, a six pack of Red Bull, Jack Daniels, GMC Energy Powder, and various and sundry catered items.

Sharon Stone - When Sharon Stone films, she insists on having a private home at her disposal plus the funds to pay staff members including a maid service and nannies.

James Brown - Once asked for two young ladies under the age of 21 and a woman’s hair dryer.

Sammy Davis, Jr. - An Assortment of groovy chicks. And his definition of “groovy” would be?

Beyonce - A fresh scrubbed and disinfected backstage toilet and temperatures of exactly 78 degrees.

Jennifer Lopez - Her coffee must be stirred counter clockwise. (WTF?) Trailers and backstage areas must be  painted white and/or draped with white sheets and decorated with white rose and candles. - What happened to "Jenny from the block?"


Brittany Murphy - On the set of her new movie she’s demanding a “specially prepared” peanut butter sandwich every hour. EVERY HOUR? Girls gonna get FAT!


Britney Spears requires a private phone line in her dressing room and threatens to sue the promoter if the number gets published or anyone calls her. She asks for General Foods International Coffee, Cap’n Crunch, Fruit Loops and Pop Tarts in he dressing room. It's Britney, Bitch!



Janet Jackson - Insists that her limo be parked right outside her dressing room door so she doesn’t have to walk. Must have a chaise lounge and 10 black roses.





Johnny Depp - Likes his dressing room draped with Moroccan drapes and filled with candles and water pipes.

Madonna - Must have bottles of special Kabbalah water at her photo shoots and appearances. During her 2006 Confessions tour Madonna had to have a new toilet seat for each night.

Prince - Must have a physician back stage to administer B-12 shot. And there was a time, he would only in Purple limosuines.


Joss Stone - At a recent appearance, Joss requested a dozen long stemmed roses - with the thorns removed.

Angelina Jolie - Requested a movie studio pay for flying lessons for Brad Pitt before she would agree to film with them.


Jim Carey - Must have his private Gulfstream jet appear in any film requiring footage of planes.

Sean “Diddy”Combs - Before he would allow a London club to host a party for him, he insisted they foot the bill for six limos, including a Rolls Royce, a limo and a Mercedes. After the club agreed, Diddy made more demands and the club canceled the event. He has been known to ask for 204 towels. 20 bars of soap. Two bottles of Hennessy cognac. Two bottles of Santa Margherita Pinot Grigio. Two bottles of Veuve Clicquot. A bottle of Dom Perignon. Grey Goose vodka. Boom box. Bouquet of white flowers. Cheddar cheese and sour-cream chips. Sweet Tarts.

Russell Crowe - When filming “Cinderella Man” Russell had to have black curtains in his dressing room so he wouldn’t have to see anyone and no one could see him.

Usher - At a GQ awards show Usher had to have the red carpet cleared so he would be the only one being photographed and interviewed. The other celebrities in attendance were not amused.

50 Cent - At the VMA’s Fiddy asked for two boxes of condoms. Lifestyles and Rough Riders. 

Being rich and famous must be really  tough!


 

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It's hard for me to believe that it has been 20 years since my Grandma passed away.  There are so many treasured memories and gifts of thought she gave and shared along the way I'll always be grateful for. 

My Grandma, Helen, lived with us for almost 10 years when I was growing up.  With both my parents working, I guess one could say she was my nanny.  Most importantly, she was there for me during those tough adolescent and teen years.

Everyday, she was always upbeat and positive, no matter what.  She loved 3 things distinctively (beyond the men in her life and gambling in Las Vegas) that are so me til this day:  vitamins/supplements, shopping and healthy cooking!

One of my favorite lines she would tell me as she prepared my lunch each day was "You should only have one sandwich, one day you'll be big as a house and you'll regret it."  She was so right, but I still took the 2 sandwiches and usually do the same given the choice today!  I'm not as big as a house, more like a luxury condo!

Some of my fondest memories (beyond the shopping-she was always dressed in the latest styles and had a major shoe fetish-just like now my Mom has!) were in the kitchen.  She was an AMAZING cook and an even more an extraordinary baker, which I've found in later years is really a rare gift.  Either, someone is a great cook or baker, but rarely both.  She taught me how to cook, with often very little to work with, but through seasoning and being creative in your thinking, you could put a dish together that was delicious.



One of my favorite secrets she shared and I still use today and think of her every time is in cooking liver.  Ugh-for most.......We used to have calves/beef/chicken liver(s) about once a week and to this day I LOVE IT!  I know its not so PC anymore and they say organ meat isn't good for you now.......but I still love it, I was raised on it. 

Anywho, the secret is to boil/microwave water first and pour over the raw liver to sear in the juices, then flour and saute as usual.  The liver always is succulent and delicious in doing so.

I miss my Grandma alot.  I wish she would have had the chance to meet my husband Michael.  I know they would have loved one another so much.  It's hard when you're young and you don't appreciate the wisdom Grandparent's have to share and its years later when you realize the truths so valuable they tried to impart.  Treasured Memories and What I Learned From My Grandma...

        

 

Playing For Change
is a movement to connect the world through music.


The act of playing music with people of different cultures, religions, economics and politics is a powerful statement. It shows that we can find ways of working together and sharing our experiences with one another in a positive way.
 
Music has the power to break down the walls between cultures, to raise the level of human understanding.


Assembling non-established musical performers from around the world, PFC delivers its message of change through song and in a very unique, trans-continental way. "The Playing For Change movement has a timely connection with the 'Change' movement of President Obama in that they are both driven by humanity, inspiration, and the desire to create a better world," says Mark Johnson, the Grammy-award winning producer/engineer and organization's co-founder. "Change for the love of everyone, change for the good of everyone, change that will make everything all right."

"For the past four years, a small crew has traveled the world with recording equipment and cameras in search of inspiration and human connections," Johnson explains. "The result is a movement connecting the world through music." He witnessed, firsthand, the power of music when, in South Africa, he and his team watched "people marching down streets, singing in groups of thousands," and doing more to "effect positive change than any weapon ever could."

His truly big idea began when he heard two monks playing in a New York subway. They were surrounded by about two hundred morning commuters who chose listening to the pair than arriving at work on time. The producer recalls, "It occurred to me that here is a group of people that would normally run by each other, but instead, they're coming together. And it's the music that brought them together."

Johnson then began recording little known musicians from around the world, dubbing the process "Playing For Change," it implying both busking and trying to propagate evolution. Eventually, he and his team visited everywhere from New Orleans to the Himalayas, South Africa to Jerusalem and beyond in his quest to capture the essence of regular people making heartfelt music, that being the universal condition that links musicians, vocalists and the message in all parts of the world. Filmed under the sun or streetlights, doorways, parks, plazas, on cobblestone streets or hilly regions, and employing innovative, state of the art equipment and techniques, these collaborations took place hundreds to thousands of miles apart, and has become the standard process.

The Movie and a CD will be out soon!

WATCH SOME OF THE PLAYING FOR CHANGE VIDEOS AT YOU TUBE

Sign up for exclusive content, news and updates from hundreds of musicians and students around the globe!

 

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What an example of someone born with nothing and having the strength to pull herself up by her bootstraps, and move forward.

Considering that she was abandoned by her mother at age 3, forced to pick cotton by age 6 and kicked out of the house at 16, Eartha Mae Kitt did not appear destined for global stardom.

She born in extreme proverty in the South. And because of her light skin color, had a hard time being accepted by both the blacks and the whites.  
(remember Imitation of Life?)

Yet by her 20s she had willed herself into becoming a singing sensation in Europe -- the next Josephine Baker, proclaimed critics in the late 1940s and early '50s. In quick succession thereafter, Ms. Kitt seduced American audiences singing in Broadway and Hollywood musicals in the mid-'50s and purring as Catwoman on TV's " Batman" in the '60s.

Triply blessed with a pliant voice, a palpable charisma and a voracious appetite to succeed, Ms. Kitt conquered virtually every medium she took on, earning multiple Tony and Grammy Award nominations. Yet if she made her triumphs look easy, her journey was tumultuous from start and practically to finish.

 

In 1968 she made scandalous headlines by speaking her mind at the White House,  and her career came to a screaching halt. It took nearly a decade to start up her career and wasn't really until  1995 when she won her rave reviews for shows at the Cafe Carlyle in New York and at Navy Pier in Chicago, where she clenched her fists and bared her teeth in a roaring medley of "I'm Still Here" and "I Will Survive."

 

Since then, she played frequently in the Chicago area, performing cabaret at the Ravinia Festival in Highland Park, and bringing a shot of energy to Lanie Robertson's "Lady Day at Emerson's Bar & Grill" at the New Athenaeum Theatre.

She earned a Grammy nomination for her aptly named 1995 CD "Back in Business"; performed the voice of Yzma in the 2000 Disney animated feature "The Emperor's New Groove"; and replaced Chita Rivera on Broadway in 2003 in a revival of "Nine."

"When I look at my Eartha Kitt scrapbooks today, I think, 'You know, she did a pretty good job of herself,' " said Ms. Kitt -- who was married in 1960 and had one daughter before divorce -- in the Tribune interview.

"She didn't do too badly -- for an ugly duckling."

Perseverance pays off!

What a wonderful lady and wonderful talent.


Sadly, the singer-actor-dancer-raconteur died December 25th,  at age 81 in Connecticut of colon cancer. She will be greatly missed.

BWW TV - Broadway Beat did a great Tribute with Eartha Kitt, full  of  wonderful footage! Watch it online!


The Best of Gay New York   and  The Best of Gay Chicago

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RealAge, Inc. is a consumer-health media company and provider of personalized health information and management tools.
 
These tools motivate health-conscious people like you to look, feel, and actually be many years younger—to Live Life to the Youngest®. RealAge has been featured on national radio and television programs including 20/20, Good Morning America, the Today show, and The Oprah Winfrey Show.

The RealAge Test, our patented, flagship product, is the first measurement standard for healthcare. The test provides medically valid metrics that compare biological versus calendar age, based upon your answers to the test.

This health metric has received widespread consumer, medical, and scientific acceptance. RealAge experts developed the unique metric by reviewing 25,000 medical studies, which revealed 125 different factors that can influence rate of aging.

The new year is a great time to take a look at your life and evaluate how you are doing and what are some changes you might want to look at for the coming year.

Check it out and take the test!

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WOW -  What a journey this year has been! 

Actually, it's been an amazing 3 years. All of our lives we have been entrepreneurs, marketers and big internet users. About 3-4 years ago, we noticed a shift in the Internet. The explosion of Web 2.0 and Social Media. We decided it was worth exploring. We started dabbling with blogs and various Social Media groups and started having these “Ah-Ha!” moments! We discovered if we did certain things, we could get in top Google searches. If we belonged to certain groups, we could get free PR for what were doing. Our phone started ringing. People were finding our sites. Within time, we had a dozen sites and started consulting for others on how to build their web presence by using blogs and other tools that are widely available.


 We met Robert Hruzek, in 2007 thru   Liz Strauss's and Terry Starbucker's  brainchild, SOBCon  (which is an amazing event!) in Chicago.  Robert's site, is  Middle Zone Musings,

Middle Zone Musings is a comfortable place to stop, have a cup of coffee, swap a few stories and share practical ideas for the real world. "I don't ask for much, just a bit of your brain every now and then. Have a seat, take a load off, and relax... "  Well, last year he started something called  BLOGAPALOOZA. And this years  BLOGAPALOOZA  09 just wrapped up! 

All this month  he has been  posting collections of  What I Learned From 2008 ,  from various bloggers.  He has been cranking out the best of the best posts! Take some time and look  at all the great posts and great writers, inparting  great knowledge! People like Best of Mother Earth Karen Hanrahan,  Phil Gerbyshak, Sheila Glazov, Derrick Sorles and Terry Starbucker.

We have learned SO MUCH in the last 3 years, Derrick and I have invested over 10,000 hours, learning the best of the best of practices, SEO, SEM Content Attraction, importance of keyword and domain selection,  ....we made all the early mistakes...so YOU DON'T  HAVE  TO! And we try to pass on those tips at our Business Blogging Tips. And on  Life By Design, we are always looking to pass on a random sampling of thoughts and ideas to help people discover their inner happiness.

My  WHAT I LEARNED FROM 2008  were a selection of posts that I felt were thought provoking or at least resonated with readers.

  Robert runs 12 tips....if I had to pick only 3, they would be...


April we explored how the happiness from a pet can change your life!
Miss Trixie deluxe… A Dog’s Life

July we ran a list of 10 easy things to help make your day a better one!
10 Things You Can Do Today to Make It Amazing!

August examined if we are givers or takers? Are You a Giver or a Taker?



Congratualtions Robert on a GREAT  event!

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