Tuesday, February 24, 2015

John Legend and Common Say 'Selma' Battle Lives on in Voting Restrictions ...



In case you missed it: After winning Best Original Song for Selmas Glory, singer-songwriter John Legend told the rapt audience that the struggle for justice is not over. We know that the Voting Rights Act that they fought for 50 years ago is being compromised right now, he said, also mentioning in his short but passionate speech that there are more black men under correctional control today than were under slavery in 1850.*

Co-winner and rapper Common stressed the universality of the Selma march, which has its 50th anniversary next month: The spirit of this bridge connects the kid from the south side of Chicago, dreaming of a better life; to those in France, fighting for freedom of expression; to the people of Hong Kong, protesting for democracy.

Shortly before accepting their award, Legend and Common turned in an inspiring performance of Glory:

The Selma musicians werent the only winners highlighting social issues at the Oscars last night. While accepting the award for Best Documentary, Citizenfour director Laura Poitras thanked Edward Snowden and other whistleblowers for their courage.

Mexican-born Birdman director Alejandro Gonzlez Irritu said he prays that Mexicans can build the government that we deserve, and that Mexican immigrants in the United States can be treated with the same dignity and respect as the ones who came before and built this incredible immigrant nation.

Patricia Arquette, who was named best supporting actress of the year for her performance in Boyhood, called for wage equality and equal rights for women.

Producer Dana Perry dedicated her Oscar for best documentary short (for Crisis Hotline: Veterans Press 1) to her son who committed suicide, saying We should talk about suicide out loud.

Best Adapted Screenplay winner (for Imitation Game) Graham Moore extolled a similar message, referencing his own suicide attempt as a teen. I would like this moment to be for this kid out there who feels like shes weird or shes different or she doesnt fit in anywhere, he began. Yes, you do. I promise you do. Stay weird, stay different, and then, when its your turn, and you are standing on this stage, please pass the same message to the next person who comes along.

*Note: The Washington Post checked Legends facts and determined he got it mostly right. The number of incarcerated African-American men does outnumber slaves in 1850, but the percentage of the population is lower. You can read more about that at The Fix.

Source: http://billmoyers.com/2015/02/23/john-legend-common-selma-speech-oscars/



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Karl Lagerfeld Praises "Extremely Cheerful, Lovable" Julianne Moore, Talks Her ...



When it came time to pick a designer to create her 2015 Academy Award gown Julianne Moore knew exactly what to do: Call Karl.

Chanel's creative director Karl Lagerfeld even convinced the now-Oscar winner and her stylist Leslie Fremar to say yes to the dress with justone sketch.

That sketch did, however, get a slight update after the Still Alice star saw a design on the Chanel Couture show that she liked. So Karl tweaked his original idea to include similar elements from the runway look. Then his team of 27 sewing experts got done to business.

NEWS: 2015 Oscars Red Carpet by the numbers

987 hours and 80,000 hand-painted sequins later Moore's one-of-a-kind dress was ready for the red carpet.

"I am so happy Julianne won the Oscar for her great talent. I've known her for years, and was always her greatest fanas an actress and also as a woman," Lagerfeld told Women's Wear Daily. "She is the perfect illustration of what I understand to be womanhood in the best sense of the word. She is fun, down to earth and an extremely cheerful, loveable person. I am really happy for her."

Ditto that, Karl.

PHOTOS: Biggest trends at the 2015 Oscars

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Source: http://www.eonline.com/news/629098/karl-lagerfeld-praises-extremely-cheerful-lovable-julianne-moore-talks-her-custom-oscar-dress-get-the-scoop



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The making of Eddie Redmayne



The school in question might have been significant: Redmayne is an old Etonian, an exact contemporary of Prince Williams (the two were both members of Pop, the flamboyantly waistcoated school society). His teacher, Simon Dormandy, was an inspiring figure: "he is still the person whose advice I seek," says Redmayne.

Redmaynes background is solid, Chelsea establishment, his father, Richard, a banker, his mother, Patricia, the head of a relocation business. Eddie was the only one of his four siblings who was drawn towards the arts.

His mother has said that her son is "a performer and has been ever since he was five and he first started singing at school. I remember at his 21st birthday one of his friends gave a speech saying they were looking forward to seeing him at the Oscars."

Redmayne didnt train as an actor. After Eton he headed up to Cambridge, where he studied art history. He was part of a notable generation of young British actors at the university, making friends with Tom Hiddleston and Rebecca Hall and Dan Stevens.

After his success in Twelfth Night, Redmayne continued to work on the stage. He picked up awards for his role in Edward Albees The Goat, or Who Is Sylvia? in 2004, and in 2010 he was recognised with Olivier and Tony Awards for his part as Mark Rothkos (fictional) young assistant Ken in John Logans Red, which took him from North Londons Donmar Warehouse to Broadway.

Eddie Redmayne (bottom row fourth from right) at Eton,at the same time as Prince William (top row, far right)

Redmayne has never been afraid to take on difficult roles, using his almost unnerving beauty to great effect. In his first film, Like Minds (2006), he played a schoolboy suspected of murder, and in 2007s Savage Grace, he played a boy having an incestuous relationship with his mother, played by fellow Oscar-winner Julianne Moore.

Playing Hawking, though, has been his biggest challenge. Redmayne was assiduous about his research, talking to MND sufferers and their families, studying film footage of Hawking and working with a choreographer to get his physical performance absolutely right. Shooting the film out of sequence, he carried a vast scroll of paper to pinpoint Hawkings physical state at any given moment.

Redmayne as Stephen Hawking in The Theory of Everything

When I met Redmayne in December 2014, the most striking thing about his attitude to the role was his sense of responsibility. You hear it in the speeches hes given since the awards started rolling in (he won the Bafta for Best Actor, as well as the Golden Globe and the Screen Actors Guild Award).

"[The Oscar] belongs to one exceptional family: Stephen, Jane, Jonathan and the Hawking children," he said when accepting his Oscar. "And I will be its custodian."

There is a steadiness, too, in his private life: he recently got married to Hannah Bagshawe, who hes known since they were teenagers.

Where will Redmaynes career take him next? Hes currently filming The Danish Girl under the direction of Tom Hooper. In it he plays the painter Einar Wegener, who in 1930 became one of the first people to change s*x, a throwback to his Eton days, when he was often cast in female parts out of necessity. Ladbrokes are already offering odds of 12/1 that Redmayne will win the Best Actor award again next year. Quietly, almost by accident, he has taken a seat at Hollywoods top table.

Source: http://www.telegraph.co.uk/culture/film/oscars/11430285/the-rise-of-Eddie-Redmayne-best-actor-oscar.html



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Lady Gaga: The Anti-Niche



At the recent Oscar Awards, Lady Gaga took the world by storm by stunning the audience with her beautiful tribute to The Sound of Music. Many didn't know this pop diva was such a trained and beautiful vocalist. Almost operatic. Known for her outlandish outfits, dance-beat tunes and her ability to stir things up, this was quite a departure. But then again, she did show up wearing what many have called dishwashing gloves.

This is one pop star that we have seen really spreading her wings and broadening her audience lately. Her recent duet album with Tony Bennett has received much acclaim. And now this. Singing "The Hills Are Alive" and embracing Julie Andrews. Just when you thought you had the world figured out.

Personally, I love what I'm seeing here and congratulate Lady Gaga. She is tossing aside the old notion that we can only be known for doing one thing. That, in order to be successful, you must find a niche. And stay in it. Forever. Lady Gaga is anything but in a niche. In fact, I'd say she's the anti-niche.

Lady Gaga is an entertainer. Of course I don't know what she would say she "stands for", as in her purpose in life, but I would venture to say it has something to do with embracing who you are. Offering no apologies. Just simply being unapologetically who you are. Having built a massive following of fans called Little Monsters, one could say Lady Gaga has granted permission to millions to be themselves.

That to me, is one of "My Favorite Things" in seeing Lady Gaga crooning with Tony Bennett, and belting out "Edelweiss." She represents the freedom available to all of us to be who we are, take a stand for what we believe and deliver our message across a variety of mediums. Gaga is representative of what I refer to as The New Renaissance.

The future belongs to the creatives. Especially in business. This is our time to not be boxed in by the old notion of a niche and only being able to express ourselves in one way. The future holds a place for entrepreneurs, artists, and entertainers to express their values and the message of their work across a variety of mediums.

It's the new age of diversity. A time of unparalleled creative freedom. When we express ourselves and explore all our creative inclinations, we can, like Lady Gaga, "Climb Every Mountain."

Source: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/jeffrey-shaw/lady-gaga-the-anti-niche_b_6738354.html



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Monday, February 23, 2015

CHRIS KYLE'S MURDERER AND PSYCHOTROPIC DRUGS



He died because someone wanted to kill him.-Taya Kyle

Chris Kyle, The American sniper, was quite an American in so many ways. He was known to his Navy SEAL brethren as The Legend and to his enemies as Al Shaitan, the Devil.

The Navy had confirmed 160 kills to Kyles credit. However, both he and his comrades counted double that number. Because of his high success rate of taking out American enemies, there was an $80,000 bounty put on his head. As a result, Chris Kyles wife Taya stated, He died because someone wanted to kill him. And kill him, they did.

The Chris Kyle murder case is taking precedent on many headlines across the country. Kyle was shot 6 times while his friend Chad Littlefield had been shot seven times by Eddie Ray Routh, who is claiming mental insanity as his defense.

The prosecutor in the case claims that Routh said some kind of odd statements while being recorded. Among those statements were: I dont know if Im going insane, Its disease right now, If its voodoo upon us, Is the apocalypse upon us right now?, I can feel everybody feeding on my soul. When Routh was told by a police officer, You will defeat the evil.and then that feeling that you have is going to go away, he disagreed, saying, It wont though, cause all its gonna do is diffuse in my brain.

In addition, it was reported both Chris Kyle and Chad Littlefield texted one another while the trio drove to the gun range, This dude is straight-up nuts. One has to ask why two tried and true intelligent military men would take a man like this to a gun range.

Now, we know that Rouths defense team are attempting to make him out as the victim who made a choice to kill two innocent men by claiming that he suffers from post-traumatic stress disorder and other mental illnesses that clouded his perception of reality.

We know that Routh did not serve in the military in such a capacity in which he could claim PTSD, due to the fact that he was never in battle.

We also know that Routh was in and out of mental hospitals after having suicidal thoughts following his discharge from the Marines in 2010. It was reported that he was released from a mental hospital about a week before the slayings and given anti-psychotic drugs.

If those in the military, who are diagnosed with depression anxiety or some other form of mental illness, refuse to take those prescribed drugs, then they are kicked to the curb by the government that they served.

Why are the medical institutions prescribing drugs to Americans that were illegal street drugs back in the 50s?

What most Americans may not be aware of is the fact that these are the same dangerous drugs that are being pushed on anyone that may be vulnerable and ignorant of the facts concerning these prescriptions.

While Routh and his defense team continue down the road of attempting to paint the picture of a poor victim who didnt know right from wrong, consider that Routh is a full-grown man drinking whisky along with smoking marijuana, dangerously mixing these two substances with anti-psychotic drugs. He then makes the choice to kill two of Americas finest and rolls through Taco Bell for two burritos. Does that sound like a victim to you? Me neither.

Mr. Routh cant credibly cry that the devil made me do it. It is clear that the choices that he made in service to the devil are the ones that have him in the predicament that he is in today, period.

History of Anti-Depressants

ADHD is a prime example of a fictitious disease.

These were the words of Leon Eisenberg, the "scientific father of ADHD (Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder)," in his last interview before his death. Keep in mind that some of the same drugs that are administered for ADHD are the same drugs that have been prescribed to mass killers.

Do you remember the Columbine Massacre? Eric Harris, age 18, shot 12 fellow students and a teacher; he had been taking Luvox.

What of Jeff Weise, age 17, from Red Lake, Minnesota he killed 9 people and then himself. He was on Prozac.

Or what of Chris Pittman, age 12, shot and killed his grandparents at close range, and then set their house on fire. He was on Zoloft. The list goes on and on.

Why are parents allowing pharmaceutical companies to drug their kids in the first place (Prov. 22:6) ?

This raises the following question concerning these drugs: Are they safe?

Read the antidepressant black-box warning for yourselves, and you will be alarmed by the side effects listed on the inserts:

  • Confusion
  • Depersonalization
  • Hostility
  • Hallucinations
  • Manic reactions
  • Suicidal ideation
  • Loss of consciousness
  • Delusions
  • Feeling drunk
  • Alcohol abuse
  • Homicidal ideation

Am I saying that drugs made Eddie Ray Routh do what he did, or am I saying that drugs made any of the young people I mentioned do what they did?

No.

However, clearly they were a component in every one of these incidents and, therefore, should be considered dangerous.

Bradlee Dean is an ordained preacher, heavy metal drummer, talk-show host of the Sons of Liberty Radio, and a speaker on college and high school campuses, in churches, and headlines for patriot events across the country. He also is the producer of the 5-DVD documentary "My War." Bradlee is currently involved with a lawsuit against MSNBC and Rachel Maddow and could use all the prayers and financial support possible. Tax-deductible donations to help restore this generation back to America's biblical foundation can be made online. Follow Bradlee on Facebook

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Source: http://www.rightsidenews.com/2015022235493/life-and-science/culture-wars/chris-kyle-s-murderer-and-psychotropic-drugs.html



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Watch 'Fifty Shades' Star Dakota Johnson and Mom Melanie Griffith's Awkward ...



The actress steamed up the red carpet at the 87th Academy Awards but shared an uncomfortable back-and-forth with her mother

Dakota Johnsonturned the heat way up on a soggy Oscars red carpet on Sunday in a luscious blood redSaint Laurent gown.

Having literally beentied up with co-star Jamie Dornan over recent months, the Fifty Shades of Grey actress brought her mother, Melanie Griffith, as her date to Hollywoods biggest night.

However, Working Girl starGriffith couldnt suppress herdiscomfort when grilled about whether shed gone to see her daughter having X-rated on-camera s*x in the BDSM film, and the two generations of actresses shared a very awkwardback-and-forth live on national TV.

WhenABC host Lara Spencers asked Griffith if she has seen the Valentines Day movie clearly, she struckon a sore subject.

No,Griffith curtlyreplied.Scowling, Johnson said: Maybe one day, with a shrug.

But her mom isnt so sure. I dont think I can, I think it would be strange, she said.Well shes a really good actress, I dont need to seethat to know how good she is, Griffith said after some attempts at saving the scene by Spencer.

The subject is an obvious sticking point between the pair, as Johnson digressed to a pouting teenager for a moment, snapping:Alright! You dont have to see it. Jesus Christ.

The last time themother-daughter duo walked the Oscars red carpet together, Johnson really was a child. In 2000, then 10-year-old Dakota joined Griffith with her dad, Antonio Banderas. Then she shyly hid from the camera behind her mom, but this year she isa presenter.

When it came to her fashion choicefor the87th Academy Awards, Johnson, 25, has definitely grown up. Shehas stuck to muted grey and silver tones while promoting the sexybox office phenomenaover recent weeks, and seemed excited to break out a new color scheme in astreamlined dresswith a high slit up the side.

Heavy metallic details on the shoulder and a sweetheart neckline enhanced the stunning gown, which Johnson complimented with Forevermarkjewels and her hair in a simple ponytail.

Johnson wasnotthe only starrocking red on their way into the Dolby Theatre at Hollywood & Highland. Nominee Rosamund Pike went all out with crimson lace and red heels.

E! host Giuliana Rancic broke out of her own comfort zone in aMireille Dagher red lace gown, which enhanced her new auburn locks. Meanwhile, Benedict Cumberbatchs pregnant wife Sophie Huntercovered her baby bump in a flowing red Grecian gown with lacing up the side.

Watch the video of Johnson and Griffith here.

See what all of the Oscar nominees, presenters and guests are wearing as they arrive at the Dolby Theatre in Hollywood for the 87th annual Academy Awards

Source: http://www.thewrap.com/fifty-shades-star-dakota-johnson-and-mom-melanie-griffith-have-awkward-exchange-on-oscar-red-carpet-video/



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Arquette, Simmons Win Oscars for Supporting Roles



(Bloomberg) -- J.K. Simmons, the veteran film and TV starseen in everything from Spider-Man to insurance commercials,and Patricia Arquette won Academy Awards for supporting roles.

Simmons, 60, took the prize for his part in Whiplash,while Arquette, 46, won for her role in Boyhood, Sunday atthe 87th Academy Awards, telecast live from the Dolby Theatre inHollywood. Neil Patrick Harris, a veteran emcee of the Emmys andTonys, is hosting Hollywoods most prestigious awards show forthe first time.

Harris, 41, opened the show with a sharp elbow forHollywood, joking the ceremony would honor the best and thewhitest in a poke at academy voters who bestowed only twonominations on the Martin Luther King Jr. drama Selma. Thesnub led to the creation of the Twitter hashtag #OscarSoWhite.

Simmons garnered the statuette in a tough contest againstEdward Norton, who plays a hard-to-work-with Broadway actor inBirdman, and Ethan Hawke, co-star of Boyhood, a comingof age tale. All three films are nominated for best picture inan awards season marked by small, artistically ambitious movies.

Simmons described the awards race as more tiring than thelean times. For him the award means more opportunity, hesaid backstage.

Arquette, who won for her supporting role in the movieBoyhood, the coming-of-age tale shot over 12 years with thesame cast, said the time has come for equal rights for women.

Womens Equality

To every woman who has given birth to every taxpayer andcitizen of this nation: We have fought for everybody elsesequal rights, Arquette said from the stage. Its our time tohave wage equality once and for all, and equal rights for womenin the United States of America.

Boyhood is a favorite for best picture among bettinghouses, along with Birdman or (The Unexpected Virtue ofIgnorance). This years nominees highlight small-budget filmswith big artistic aims.

In Boyhood, Arquette plays the mother to Mason andSamantha, who audiences watch grow through their childhood andteen years. While the film focuses on Mason, moviegoers also seeArquettes character and the father, played by Ethan Hawke, growover time.

In Whiplash, Simmons plays Terence Fletcher, aninstructor known for his terrifying methods as well as histeaching talents. He discovers an aspiring drummer and bringshim into his top jazz ensemble at the school, forever changingthe young mans life. The film has a total of five nominations.

Best Favorites

Simmons won the Screen Actors Guild award for the role aswell as a Golden Globe, and was the favorite to win the Oscar,according to GoldDerby.com, which tracks the awards races.

Of the films competing for best picture. Boyhood andBirdman are the favorites to win, based on the odds frombetting houses. Richard Linklaters unique 12-year project hasbrought in $44 million at the box office worldwide, according toresearcher Box Office Mojo. Birdman has grossed $73 million.

American Sniper, from Warner Bros., has the biggest boxoffice sales so far among the best-picture nominees, with $406million worldwide, as of Feb. 22. It is nominated in sixcategories, including best actor for Bradley Cooper.

The other nominees include The Grand Budapest Hotel, acomic post-World War I caper tale, The Imitation Game, thestory of World War II British codebreaker Alan Turing, theStephen Hawking story The Theory of Everything, and theMartin Luther King Jr. story Selma.

To contact the reporter on this story:Anousha Sakoui in Los Angeles at asakoui@bloomberg.net

To contact the editors responsible for this story:Anthony Palazzo at apalazzo@bloomberg.netRob Golum, Dave McCombs

Source: http://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2015-02-23/j-k-simmons-wins-oscar-for-role-as-tough-teacher-in-whiplash-



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