TJ Miller

A little creativity, a healthy dose of determination, and a lot of confidence while conversing with a bear landed actor and comedian TJ Miller the role of Ranger Smith for the upcoming film Yogi Bear.  After two failed auditions, most of us would call it a day. TJ Miller is not most of us.  He found a live bear, convinced his handlers to let him film with him, and created his own "script" for the audition with a live bear.  Not only does he come across as funny and adorable in the video, after watching him for two minutes, I can imagine no one but him in the role of Ranger Smith.



How many times have we faced rejection and gotten up again and again?  I have really learned something from Mr. Miller here.  Perseverance is only part of the equation.  Instead of the old adage "try try again", he has twisted the meaning to "try something different....again".  Bend it and shake it, whatever it takes.  When you know you are good, really really good, then it is not just your right to get yourself out there, but your responsibility.

Thanks for the great lesson, TJ!  I cannot wait to see the movie.  Best wishes and congratulations on your role!  May you continue to inspire by being the best you possible!

Photo: Solly's U Street Tavern, 2008. By Aaron Webb

Confidence Beyond Belief!

Grand Canyon SkyWalk

Interesting, no-doubt breathtaking and thrilling, I imagine the Grand Canyon SkyWalk is quite an experience.  For the Hualapai Indians, who have struggled for many years, it may be their saving grace.  For the sake of their economy, I hope it helps.

To me it is heartbreaking.  I remember going on a day hike in the Grand Canyon as a teenager.  Imagining having to look up at that heap instead of the natural beauty it desecrates is tough to bear.  I do understand the need for economic growth for our Native Americans.  In Mississippi, our beloved Choctaws sold out years ago to the mighty dollar and are now a thriving nation thanks to the gambling industry. I only wish the best for any people. What makes me sick is that it had to come to this.

The 66 foot glass horseshoe protrudes over the edge of the natural masterpiece like a giant discarded pop-top - trashing up the view from below, above, and the North Rim.  It does not end here either, unfortunately.  The Hualapai tribe intends to build an enormous complex around the eyesore, making it a full-fledged junked up South Rim. Yuck!

Perhaps I will bring myself to fork out the 70 someodd bucks to visit someday and will soften my opinion.  I only wish there were a way for the Hualapai to thrive without having to deface the very earth they hold so sacred.



How to make panoramic photographs

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Debbie Schlussel said What?

Ms Tephanie Rainey of Memphis is about to embark on the toughest journey of her life.  Leaving her two kids while she is deployed in Iraq for a minimum of 12 months.  Since Tephanie is a single mother, she is having to leave her kids with their Aunt while she is gone.  While this must be extremely tough for the family, I suspect it is tough for Mothers who are married too.  Leaving your kids to go to work everyday is tough period.  Leaving them for months, even a year or more at a time is pure torture.  For anybody!

Now. It seems Debbie Schlussel, a blogger who is fairly popular among conservative circles, is of the opinion that Single mothers should not have the same rights as everyone else....that the Military should not let single mothers in. She even goes so far as to call single military moms “useless soldierettes”.  I admit am a somewhat liberal person, but really I try to stay out of politics when I write.  What I am really needing to express here is that single mothers are no different than the rest of us in heart, mind and body.  It is undoubtedly a tough decision for Ms Rainey to leave her kids for such a long time,  But it is her decision. If she wants to make a better life for her family and has to miss a year or more of her childrens' lives to do it, who are we to meddle in that decision and tell her she cannot do that?  In all fairness to Ms Schlussel, the original beef had nothing to do with Rainey, but was something about another single military mom who tried to get out of deployment when arrangements for child care fell through.  However, I do not believe one person's misadventure and subsequent inappropriate action makes an entire segment of the population irresponsible. 

There is no doubt that single military moms (and dads, by the way) have an added burden.  Let us look for ways to raise them up and provide support however we can. Not break them down and critize with derogitory name calling and denouncement.  Children of all people are our legacy.  Let us give them all the hope we can. Starting with showing respect for their parents, no matter how many they have.

Inspired Parenting

What is wrong with the ROM?

The ROM Crystal has gotten a bit of a bad rap in recent days, after being named one of the world's ugliest buildings by VirtualTourist.com 's top 10 ugly buildings in the world.  The Royal Ontario Museum was #8. 

Then yesterday the buzz turned for the good when the new book "off the Tourist Trail:  1,000 Unexpected Travel Alternatives" (see below) named the Michael Lee-Chin Crystal one of only 6 modern buildings to rival the marvelous Sidney Opera House.

That is kinda funny because the Sidney Opera House is exactly what it reminds me of. 

Growing up in the College town of Hattiesburg, MS, and being part of the Performing Arts when I attended Southern Miss, I used to walk through the art gallery every day on my way to music classes.  There was always some strange sculpture on display and I remember sometimes wondering just how these odd garbled twists and bends of metal and cable and all sorts of medium could be construed as art.  Then something happened. I began to look forward to seeing what the next one would be, and the next, and eventually, was even craving the next piece of strange "art" to be created and shown for my amusement.

So, if the ROM is causing a buzz, and people are talking, be it good or bad, if it is controversial in style and substance, then I say it is most definitely a success!  Next time I go to Ontario, I look forward to taking it in!

Most Dangerous Cities 2009

I am not necessarily surprised to find out that my City, Jackson, MS, ranks 9th in crime in the U.S.  Many of the cities nearest Jackson, such as Memphis, Birmingham, and New Orleans, rank high as well. I do not know what it is about the South. Perhaps we have more poor.....actually that is a known fact...we do have more poor.  Is that it?  More poor = more crime. I guess that makes sense.

Now. What do we do about it?  If nothing, then why do we care?  So the wealthy can move somewhere else and leave the poorer/ higher crime areas to get poorer and higher in crime? Why drum up the statistics every year if nobody cares?  Of course we care. At least I care.  We just don't know where to start.  Thankfully, I happen to have a few ideas.

Seven things you can do today to decrease crime in your city:

1.Get to know your neighbors
2.Find the area of your city that seems to be the "poorest". Get to know some of these folks, too. Do they have any fears? What is the main difference between you and them?
3.Talk to leaders in your area. What are they concerned about? What do they need from you?
4. Look for good news about your town and share it!
5.Give to local charity and/ or volunteer
6. Look strangers in the eye and smile!
7. Encourage other citizens to do these same things
Always be safe, and remember to help others who are less fortunate than you every chance you get. That feels much better than being the victim of a crime.

Learn how to protect yourself:  http://snipurl.com/personal_safety

The Woman Who Sang Past Fear

When I was growing up, I played piano, guitar, and I sang a little. My Daddy used to try to get me to sing in front of people, or play for guests at my parents' frequent dinner parties, and sometimes I would oblige, but always reluctantly. I was very shy, and so so afraid to share my gift. It is a shame. I could have been really really good, I think, if I had not been such a scaredy cat.

That is why, when I listened to this gal's voice today, Ms Sarah Marie, I was so excited for her...not just because of the "Wow" of her voice, but because of the accompanying story that she stepped past her fears and asked my friend Dr. Joe Vitale if she could sing him a song. Joe, the wonderful person he is, of course coaxed her on and had the fortitude to ask my other friend Pat O'Bryan to film it.

What she gave to Joe, to the crowd, and us, is a pure-as-fresh-fallen-snow, liquid soprano voice that shakes the very core of my "way to go little sister" soul!

May you have many many more moments when you have the guts to share your gifts, Sarah!


The Woman Who Sang Past Fear

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Bugatti Billionaire Mastermind and a What Rhymes with Orange?

Can you think of a word that rhymes with "orange"? There are very few. One is "Blorenge" as in "Blorenge Mountain", located in southeast Wales. The question posed to Who wants to be a millionaire contestant Sam Murray today was just that, and by golly, the bartender from Philly got it!

It is heartwarming to hear of a good ole boy becoming a millionaire in one instant, and certainly makes for good entertainment!

Wishing Mr. Murray the best with his new found fame and wealth. Now if you are a long lost cousing of Sam, please heed my advice and give the boy time to get his "money legs" before you go poking your hand out at him. Many new millionaires lose their wealth quickly because they do not know what to do with it all, and when folks come knocking, they do not know how to say no. Let's give the boy some time to sort through all the red tape.

Most of us will earn our "millions" more gradually, and though it may be a tough road, we can certainly make a good go of it! My friend Joe Vitale loves to dream big, but he is not one I would really call a "dreamer". He's more of a "Do-dreamer" than a "day dreamer". In other words, he dreams it up and before you can blink twice he's already acted on it. He will go from newly hatched idea to finished product and rolled out in a jiffy! He already runs a regular mastermind session in his Rolls Royce Phantom for 5k a head, but that is just not big enough, Joe explains in his latest blog post. Now his friends are encouraging him to do one in the Scorpion he is waiting for.... and Joe says, "Hey, why not a Bugatti!".... or even a Jet!

So While Dr. Vitale dreams of billions, and Sam tries not to spend his million all at once, I think I'll keep writing and dreaming and doing and doing and writing and dreaming and..... well, I will get there eventually!

Philly bartender wins big on Millionaire

Bugatti Billionaire Mastermind

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Happy Birthday Mickey Mouse!

It's hard to believe Mickey Mouse is 81 years old today! As we look back on all the funtimes we and our kids, and for most of us, out parents have had while being entertained by this lovable mouse, I feel a sense of gratitude for the squeaky voiced litte guy. He is the king of Disney for sure, but it was not always that way. Mickey followed in the footsteps of Donald Duck, who still has not forgiven him for passing him up in popularity.

My early memories of Mickey Mouse include Pluto, who for some reason was my favorite for a long time. Perhaps it's his big feet. I always had big feet too, and unlike Mickey, they weren't cute. I was more clumsy like poor old Pluto. I liked Dumbo too. Mickey was a little too persnickity for my taste. Always the underdog, that was me. I grew to appreciate him though, especially after meeting him "in person" at Disney world (At least I thought he was the "real" Mickey at the time....)


Can you think of the first time you ever saw Mickey Mouse? Was it the very early "Steamboat Willie" cartoon?



Maybe it was the "Mouseketeers" that first brought your attention to our hero?




My husband's given name was Mickey and he literally changed it to Michael because he got so tired of everyone always singing to him "M.I.C......K.E.Y..... M.O.U.S.E." But kidding aside, What fun times our lovable friend has bestowed on our lives - for a score shy of a century no less!

Mickey came to be during tough times, and now, as we face tough times again, let us be thankful for the laughter and love he brings us still. My son still enjoys playing a game with "Mickey Mouse Clubhouse" as they figure out how to solve problems every day on the Disney Channel.

My personal favorite Mickey Mouse memory has to be Fantasia. The great "comeback" story for Mickey, Fantasia is a story in and of itself.


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Save Big on your Disney Vacation: Click Here!

Meteor Shower Tonight - Watch Leo Constellation

Because we are under a new moon, and because the Leonid meteor shower is still coming down from a strong phase that only ended 7 years ago, we are poised all over the northern hemisphere for a superb light show tonight!

You do not need to head to the local park or city square to view. This is put on free of charge by the universe. Just head to your back yard, or out to a back yard in the country if you're in the city, and look up!

Find the Leo Constellation, as that is where the show really begins. Facing East from the Americas, the Leo Constellation is to the right and slightly below the big dipper.

The catch? You will need to be up between 1 and 4 am. Tough, but worth it for a show like this. The eeriness of the hour makes it all that more mysterious. (am I dreaming?)

This event makes me wonder. We miss so much. There are so many billions of awesome things in this world to behold. There is no way to take it all in. Yet, even with what is right here before us, we still miss so much. I think, for me, I am going to accept this gift and take a look. How many times can you say you have seen a meteor shower? How many more times in our lives will it happen to take place during a new moon in a blackened night sky for us to see so clearly?

I do not think there is a wide enough lens or the perfect enough equipment to capture this event as well as our own naked eye. If you wait to watch on the news, you will miss the effect. Get up and go see. I want to hear how it affects you.

For info on moon phases, Click Here!

To learn about star gazing, Click Here!

Praying from the Red

I Can’t find a way out of this! I am so desperate! Please God Help me!

Ever felt that way? I call it “Praying from the red”… a sort of 'last ditch' effort to turn to God. No nurtured spiritual strength to draw on, we wait until there is little or no hope for our pitiful situation to ask God for help.

Daily prayer, a habit, is how I suggest we keep our spiritual “reserve” from falling into the Red in the first place. I sometimes get to that place, and only then am I able to remind myself that prayer works. But “best if used everyday” rather more like a vitamin than a pain killer.

How exactly do Angels work? I have a theory that in heaven everything is quite well organized. Not by time or space, but by the type of needs we have in prayer.

World War 2 for example might be in the same “room” as 9.11. Same angels, trained in handling, say, sudden mass loss of life due to human intent, might be the ones assigned to that room….and since that’s a significantly more stressful situation than, say, saving little Julie’s dog from injuries resulting in being hit by a car, that the angels might rotate….not that they are human and would be stressed out to the max… necessarily, just that it seems any “being” might need to be exposed to equal amounts of joy to counter such sorrow.


Do you ever wonder how many times you’ve been “saved” by God and his angels? The “near misses” you might never notice? I can picture in my mind a sort of organized chaos going on….like it’s God on the loud speaker at Wal-Mart:

“Impending car wreck on aisle 5: Unscheduled loss off life probable: all available certified wreck avoiding angels please assist!

Or maybe something like

“Baby breach sector 8: Angels needed to guide doctors, calm parents, and save baby”

Ever want to just thank God for, you know, whatever he might have done for you that you don’t know about… Sort of a general thank you prayer? Like on It’s a Wonderful Life when Clarence reminds George of certain times in his life when God was with him. Don’t we all kind of want to know about those times for ourselves? What makes that movie so popular if that isn’t at least a big part of it?