Bringing Our Lady of Guadalupe to Life with Modern Film

The relationship with the Lady of Guadalupe and Writer Pedro Brenner began on January 1979 when then 4 year old Pedro was carried in Pope John Paul II's arms in front of the Basilica of Our Lady of Guadalupe.

Little did Pedro know that 33 years later this same place would inspire Brenner to write the story of the Roman Catholic icon, Our Lady of Guadalupe. Pedro came to a realization one day as he visited the place he had seen many times before in his life. 
 

"It was really hard for me to believe the basilica one day would be almost empty, when it usually takes hours just to get from any parking space available, to get in front of the image of our Lady of Guadalupe,” Pedro relates, “It made me really curious how could this icon, the essential building block of the Latin American culture, be forgotten?"

The emptiness of the once crowded holy place hit a creative nerve inside Brenner's soul.
 

“I made some calls to colleagues and friends here and there in news agencies, and discovered that organized crime had taken control of the paths used by the pilgrims traveling to Guadalupe every year. It just broke my heart to think of people walking hundreds of miles to come visit to the Virgin of Guadalupe and only to be attacked! This faith icon brings so much relief to millions of people around the world."

 
So Pedro began the process of bringing Our Lady of Guadalupe to the world through the art of modern film. The Latin American award winning filmmaker joined Forces With Seann Dougherty, Irish American writer, to bring the Miracle of Juan Diego to life in the modern era.

Lady of Guadalupe is an inspirational script with an influential suggested Latino cast including Selma Hayek, Demian Bichir, Jordi Molla, George Lopez, and Danny Trejo. The film is currently in the pre-production phase. Lady of Guadalupe is a film to be following, as the script is creating buzz before it even gets off the page.

Ben Affleck to the Academy: "Argo F Yourself

Argo, by many reliable sources is slated to win “Best Picture” at Sunday's Academy Awards. The story of Hollywood heroism is truly an all-American story, starring an all-American boy, Ben Affleck. Affleck has been on an awards whirlwind that has marketed the movie by itself the last few weeks. Despite being snubbed a nomination for “Best Director,” hopefully that whirlwind will continue through to win the hearts of the Academy. Remember a young Affleck with his bro Matt Damon as they won accolades for their writing of the film Good Will Hunting in 1998. Ben has come a long way since then, but still has the heart of that young awkward man in his film making soul.

Born in Berkeley, California, but Raised in Cambridge, Massachusetts; the Boston sports apparel wearing director has cemented his place amidst Hollywood greats with Argo. Affleck has more than proven his directorial abilities with a film that took a crisis from the 80's and made it not only compelling enough to sit through for two and a half hours, but made you feel proud to be an American.
Produced with some help from George Clooney and Grant Heslov, Argo tells the story of how a CIA operative named Tony Mendez helped put together a fake film to save six American embassy workers being held hostage in Iran in 1980. Argo isn't just a great film; it's truly an American story. Other films nominated like Lincoln and Zero Dark Thirty share the same theme, but Argo has a certain charm that Bigelow and Spielberg missed in their pursuits of telling American stories.
Arguably, any of the other films nominated for “Best Picture” could indeed be better films overall; but Argo has a balance of drama, comedy, patriotism, and suspense that somehow steps beyond the other films. It is an art in itself for an audience to remain in suspense when they ultimately know how the characters' fates, and Affleck executes this wonderfully. While Argo continues to to play it's part in the political race for Oscar, Ben Affleck's history paired with Tony Mendez's unmatched story of heroism makes Affleck the American boy who will take top prize on Sunday evening, if not in the eyes of the Academy, in the eyes of America.

Full article on Examiner.com 

Image Credit: Getty Images 

A Picture Perfect Tragedy

A paparazzo was killed after chasing Justin Bieber’s Ferrari in Los Angeles January 1st. Bieber wasn’t even present in the car, which may be the most tragic part. Photographers are risking their lives, the lives of celebs, and the lives of everyone else on the road to make a buck. As much as the public loves celebrities, and oh they like any bit of information they can get; there needs to be boundaries. It seems incident after incident happens, and nothing changes. Justin sent thoughts of sympathy, saying, "While I was not present nor directly involved with this tragic accident, my thoughts and prayers are with the family of the victim." Justin added his thoughts on the current state of the celebrity photography world, saying, "Hopefully this tragedy will finally inspire meaningful legislation and whatever other necessary steps to protect the lives and safety of celebrities, police officers, innocent public bystanders and the photographers themselves."
Miley Cyrus weighed in on the incident on Twitter "Hope this paparazzi/JB accident brings on some changes in '13 Paparazzi are dangerous! Wasn't Princess Di enough of a wakeup call?!"
This past summer charges were filed after the paparazzi embarked on high speed chase with Bieber down a California highway. California instituted a law in 2010 which institutes increased penalties for the reckless driving of paparazzi. This incident is sparking new discussion that will hopefully find a way towards tougher legislation and protections.

As seen on Examiner.com

How many Ryan Seacrests can there be?

Competition shows are addicting. It could be the celebrity judges, the stuck up contestants, or the sob stories the producers love to dig through, but reality television is here to stay. American Idol, The Voice, and The X Factor may not always bring about stars, but they sure are entertaining. The only thing that's ruining them are the annoying hosts. Ryan Seacrest is the reason to watch American Idol, but why do other shows need hosts?
Khloe Kardashian and Mario Lopez are plain annoying on the X Factor. They ask questions of the contestants a therapist would ask, like "how does that make you feel?" or "Do you have any final words?" Their presence is completely pointless.
Carson Daly hasn't been cool since he was on TRL. For the love of television, MTV should bring it back. The biggest Ryan Seacrest wannabe in entertainment. He's not quite as bad on The Voice, but Blake Shelton and Adam Levine definitely make up for what Carson Lacks. The constant cutting to Christian Milian in the sky box is a buzz kill. Viewers continue to tune in because they need to find out who wins, the judges are entertaining despite the annoying hosts. Since the hosts aren't exactly desperate for employment, maybe next season we could nix some of them, with a little less "Khaos" in the competition.      

16 Things I would tell my 16 year old self

I'm fairly certain I'm having a quarter life crisis. I've been thinking a lot about how much change occurs in the years between high school and post college. Obviously, time brings change, but most things that I thought I wanted when I was 16 I either have made happen, or have decided they were never for me at all. I thought I'd share the wisdom I have accumulated:

1. Don’t stress yourself out with finding something to be good at. The thing you’re best at is being who you are.

2. You might not feel like you matter much now, but you will make a mark in all the places it matters.

3. Mom was right. Good things really do come to those who wait.

4. Don’t listen to the voices that tell you that you can’t do something. You love to prove people wrong, and you will, even when they’re not there to see it.

5. Someday you will be surrounded by the most amazing friends anyone could 
ask for, and that's the only kind of popularity that will ever matter.

6.   Quit worrying that you’re never going to have life adventures. Take your time, and at the right moments with the right people it will happen!   

7. As much as the people you’re surrounded with now try to crush your spirit, someday you will be appreciated for the same thing they despise you for, being happy,  so never get discouraged.

8. You’re a hell of a lot stronger than you give yourself credit for, so stop taking people’s crap.

9. One day you will realize that all the pain was totally worth it, because instead of tears of pain, you will cry tears of joy.

10. Grandpa was always right when he said “pick yourself up and start all over again,” he must know something, because it really is the best solution.

11. Grandma was always right when she said “Everything will fall in place” and “there’s a reason for everything.”

12. All the little mundane moments that seem so routine, are the best moments, because you can never get them back.

13. It’s pointless trying to prove anything to anyone. The people who matter already know, and the people who don’t matter, don’t matter for a reason!

14. There is no magical moment when you become an adult, just face it, you’re never growing up!

15. All the status in the world is no match for happiness and self-satisfaction.

16. Ten years from now you might understand what the people who care about you have been telling you. But then again give it 20 years, you are a late bloomer!

Find what frees your soul!

I played my saxophone for the first time in a couple of years today. I haven't had it with me since I moved and there was a part of me that missed it. I was worried I would forget how to play. I've been playing the saxophone since I was in the fifth grade. I have no idea why I picked it. I just loved the sound I guess.
I've always had a love/hate relationship with my saxophone. I love music more than I love breathing sometimes, but playing an instrument was never something I was amazing at. It was like school where it was super competitive and a big part of me was sick of competition.
As I played today, and the notes flowed from my hands through the beautiful instrument I am lucky enough to own, I realized taht one, I'm not too shabby for someone who never plays. I saw that playing the saxophone was never about the competition or being in bands or wanting anything more from it than it's FUN! I can play some chords, learn some music, and literally "blow off some steam."
We focus so much of our lives on being "good" at something, being productive, or finding our definition of success. Sometimes what we need is a hobby. Something that makes us feel alive and frees our souls. When we have that it allows us to be more productive in the areas of our lives that we need to excel at because it creates a balance.
 Everything we enjoy doing is a part of the process of becoming who we are, and living out our purpose whether it's to be a Hollywood star, a great musician, or just an all around great person!      

Raise Your Ears!

P!nk's Raise Your Glass is an insanely catchy song, with a great message. But every time I hear it, it makes me cry. That's the power of music. 

A few months after the song was released I was driving around Hollywood and the song came on the radio. I heard the lyrics:

 "...So raise your glass if you are wrong 

In all the right ways, all my underdogs 

We will never be (never be)anything but loud 

And nitty gritty dirty little freaks 

Won't you come on (come on) and raise your glass 

Just come on and come on and raise your glass..."

And my eyes welled up. I felt so empowered. No matter who you are or where you have been we have all felt like the underdog at some point in our lives. The song is so powerful to me because it's upbeat. For me it reminded me of where I had been and where I was going. We all need a song that pumps us up and give us strength through certain points in our lives. As I work on one of the biggest projects I've ever tackled, I wake up to that song every morning to remind myself of how far I have come. 

What's your song?  

I won't grow up!

I'm a big kid. I can't help it! I love to have fun. I was never a typical child. I was always focused on school, getting into college, getting good grades, and being successful. All of those things were great, and life worked out pretty well in that respect, but when I graduated college I realized how much of life I had missed out on.
One of the funniest moments of my life was when I rode a roller coaster for the first time as an adult. The feeling was amazing. I wondered why I spent so long being afraid of them. I was giddy, running around the amusement park asking to go on every ride. The worst part was we were actually with kids, who were much less excited than I was!
This is why I love Children's Hospital, because it reminds me that I never have to grow up! And that it's never too late to be a kid, even with all the serious day to day adult stuff we have to deal with.
Check out the video below for some lughs, and grab your copy of Children's Hospital: the complete third season today!





Childrens Hospital: The Complete Third Season on... by thewbdotcom





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OutmywindowTM brought to you by Warner Brothers can help parents teach their children about web privacy. With the ability to have remote sharing capabilities, parents can show their kids ways to have fun but stay safe on the internet. OutmywindowTM only shares photos with the people that the photos can pertain to like friends and family, without putting their face all over the internet.

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Excuses that work!

At Children's Hospital the doctors don't work on Saturdays. This poses obvious problems in a hospital for the patients that need care and the doctors that want to avoid working.

I gave a great excuse once of why a job didn't get done. I told my boss I was working first thing in the morning. I had been exhausted and not sleeping very well. I overslept and the files weren't sent, so I told my boss, "sorry I was getting my "be awesome sleep."

My boss thought that was great! Everything was sent over on time and all was right with the world of work again!  


What kind of excuses have you given at work for not getting the job done?

Find some new excuses and pick up your copy of Children's Hospital on DVD today!

href="http://www.dailymotion.com/video/xsnjrk_childrens-hospital-the-complete-third-season-on-dvd-quicksand_shortfilms" target="_blank">Childrens Hospital: The Complete Third Season on...
by thewbdotcom




I have been hired by Warner Bros WBWord division to raise awareness for 'Childrens Hospital.

Only groupies can see "out my window"!

Out My Window TM is a free app from Warner brothers that allows you to keep the creepers out and share photos only with those people who you want to see the pictures on a wide array of devices.
Create groups and share away such as:
Friends
Family
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Sisters
Pet lovers
Video Game gurus
The list of the possible lists is endless!





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Out my window, no one peeps in...

OutmywindowTM is an awesome new photo sharing app from Warner Brothers that allows you to share your photos on a more private scale. Unlike other photo sharing apps, Out My Window allows you to have complete control over your sharing, giving you the option of who you want to share your photos with. Get the app on your iPhone, or through your computer and easily log in with your Facebook account, or create your own unique log in. The app is available on iPhone, iPad, Google TV, and the web. Get up to 5GB of storage!

 
Share photos of the family picnic, but only with the people you want, not strange followers, or all 900 of your Facebook friends. Special moments should be shared with the ones we love and who the pictures would be of interest to.
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