Geeks Shout Out 4 A Cause!!!!

Shout It Out!

I'm really excited about sharing this with everyone. Colin Egglesfield is among the many celebrities that you will put in the hunky, sexy category as he is a model and an actor but he is proven to be so much more. I first noticed Colin when he starred in the movie Something Borrowed with Kate Hudson and Ginnifer Goodwin. Whenever I watch a movie that is interesting to me I head straight to IMDB to look up stats and names of actors. I clicked on his name to find what he was all about. I was pleasantly surprised that he was from Illinois and actually went to Med School (smart and beautiful:) The 39 year old has spent 4 years on the Soap, All My Children playing Susan Lucci's son.

Shout Out's
In 2008, Colin came up with Shout Out clothing line and since then it has taken off. The customizable shirts come with a little bag of letters called Spazz Bags (<----- Loving it) that you can use to create any type of wording you want. The website also lets you do this as an interactive feature. I created one myself, what do you think?

The clothing line principally uses as a vehicle to promote and support educational initiatives such as Project Grad, and also "Stay in school" programs. I really hope Colin gets more leading man roles and we see what he has to offer the entertainment industry. Check out his website Shout Out Clothing.

Here is a video of Colin talking about Shout Out.

 

*Green Geek* On Begley Street

Ed Begley Jr.: The Ultimate Green Geek

Ed Begley Jr. has been "Going Green" since the 70's, he even had an electric car around that time and even though he says it often caught on fire it definitely was the beginning of something extraordinary in the automobile industry. Ed continued by buying his house in the 80's and turned it into the most Eco-efficient living space he could manage, but with his daughter growing into a teen and the family of 3 needing a bit more space he has decided to finally build a new house, but this time start making it efficient from the ground up. He, along with producer Raphael Sbarge (Once Upon a Time) have been creating a web series documenting their journey of building the greenest most sustainable home in North America. The series is called On Begley Street and will not only feature Ed's zany ways he goes about being efficient but also will have many celebrities dropping by to help and or learn about making a home sustainable.

Watch the video to find out more about On Begley Street.

Ed Begley is no stranger to getting people in-the-know about sustainable living, he starred alongside his beautiful wife Rachelle in a reality series called Living With Ed. Ed and Rachelle playfully bantered back and forth about the house, yard, and the overall green madness that Ed goes through on a daily basis. I've seen some clips of the show on Youtube and it is really funny and informative. Ed's motto is "I live simply so others can simply live".
Ed has also written a few books and created his own line of Natural Soaps and Household/Earth Responsible products called Begley's Best. You can find more about that (HERE).




Please do register and check back when the web series starts. I'm not completely sure but I think it starts in August 2012. Check out Ed's Twitter and also his Facebook for updates.


~Randi Jean

Ricky Nelson Remembered

Ricky Nelson Remembered

Featuring Matthew & Gunnar Nelson

I have been fortunate enough to have seen these guys in concert and I was completely blown away. Here is my account of the concert I attended with my father. They put on an excellent concert and I recommend anyone to go.

October 27th, 2007

Me and Daddy 1984.

Before I start I have to say that my father is a huge Nelson fan. He has fond memories of watching Ozzie and Harriet when he was a kid, he soon became a fan of Ricky Nelson and eventually The Nelsons (Matthew & Gunnar). In fact, when I was a baby he always knew when it was time for a nap because Ozzie & Harriet would play on the Disney Channel in the middle of the day. He would rock me to sleep while watching his favorite episodes. In his 20's he would blare Matthew and Gunnar's tunes at full volume. I guess you could say he was a fan of the entire family. A family that has been in the business for over 100 years. To this day Ozzie & Harriet continues to be the longest running "Live Action" comedy series spanning 14 years. Pretty cool if you ask me!

Anyway, knowing my father is such a huge fan I looked up The Nelsons tour schedule and to my surprise they were playing an hour away from us. I was so happy but getting my dad interested is quite a feat. To know my father is to know that he is a very hard worker and wouldn't miss a day of work for nothing. My dad has proudly worked as an asphalt and truck driver for over 30 years with no retirement. It's whats expected in this line of work, you get a good paycheck but no chance at retirement in the future. It sucks but as my dad would say "you got to do what you got to do to survive". I slyly edged our conversation into telling him that Th Nelsons' were playing nearby and he seemed enthused saying "If I didn't have to work I would go", I said "okay, well let me know if you work and we will go from there".

Matthew and Gunnar Nelson.
That's not me in the photo by the way.

The day of the show my dad calls me early in the morning wondering if I had gotten any info on tickets or where they were playing so I scrambled to the Internet and got all the information required. I was excited for my dad but for myself I knew nothing of The Nelsons at the time so I would be seeing these guys with no expectations at all. We took off toward Collinsville, IL (which is about 25 minutes from  St. Louis) and started our journey.

At The Venue

We finally arrived at the Collinsville High School Auditorium where the concert was going to be held and we waited in the car because we showed up a little early. As we entered the auditorium we could hear The Nelsons practicing as it echoed loudly in the hallways. We had our tickets held and picked them up in the ticket window. They were $30.00 a ticket and as I understood most of the money was going toward different charities and funds for the school which I thought was quite generous of them.

(The Nelsons playing After The Rain Credit: Geek Sheek)

The Concert

My dad and I made our way into the concert hall and waited as the opening act started playing. Finally The Nelsons were introduced and a film started playing depicting the life and musical journey of Ricky Nelson. I was in awe of most of the film as I didn't know most of what was said about him. After the film ended out popped Matthew and Gunnar sporting their guitars. I wish I could remember what songs were played but I do remember songs like "Travelin' Man, Hello Mary Lou, Waitin in School, Milk Cow Blues, It's Late, etc". They also played their own hits like After The Rain and Love and Affection. In between songs the guys talked about their dad and shared some stories about him which made you want to gush at this wonderful man they talked about.

After the Concert we went back into the hall and was told that the guys were going to sign autographs. I wanted one really bad to remember this night with my dad and also for myself because I now was a little teenybopper Nelson fan lol. There was a line of people standing and waiting to get their autographs and pictures. As my turn came I tried to convince my dad to get his picture taken with them but he refused so I guess it was up to me to get one. I do remember that when Gunnar was asking me what my name was and signing his name on the photo I bought of them I felt I needed to point out my dad, I was trying to figure out what I could do to get my dad out of his shell and have a moment with these guys so I just out of nowhere pointed at my dad and said "Oh this is my dad, he's a big fan", Gunnar stopped signing my picture and shook my dad's hand and said it was a pleasure to meet him. I was elated as my dad's face lit up like a Christmas tree. Matthew was busy with a chick that couldn't stop talking so our moment ended with Gunnar. We  headed back to the car and decided to go to White Castle for a case of burgers which pretty much topped the night off for us. It was a wonderful experience for us and my dad can finally add The Nelsons to the list of bands he has seen in Concert, that list actually includes KISS, Rush, Aerosmith and many more. Yep, my dad rocks.

The Nelsons released a new Album in 2010 called Lightning Strikes Twice. Here is their music video for their first single Your All I Need Tonight.

Additional Info

Visit The Nelsons Official Website (Here)

Buy their newest Album Lightning Strikes Twice (Here)

Be Here Now - The Andy Whitfield Story

Be Here Now

In January of 2010, Starz Media aired a new television show called Spartacus: Blood and Sand, Andy Whitfield won the coveted role as Spartacus. He put nothing less than blood, sweat, and tears into the role and it showed, with his chiseled physique and constant motivation in the grueling training that went into producing the historic gladiator. After the extremely successful first season fans where reeling of this new found actor and his ability to bring to life his character.  Andy was on top of the world with a promising career, wonderful wife and 2 children that he loved so dearly. Nothing could stop him except what would shake his foundation to the core. Andy was feeling a bit too tired to be normal so He went to get a routine check-up when the doctors found Cancer. Yes, this 30-something year old man with the body and health regimen of a Greek God had Non-Hodgkin's lymphoma. A deadly form of Cancer that threatened his life everyday.

With a determination and grace to beat it and return to his role as Spartacus he began treatment in New Zealand on March of 2010. Unfortunately, the Cancer was too much for Andy and he passed away on September 11th, 2011, he was only 39 years old.

During his diagnosis and treatment Andy filmed himself in the hopes to inspire people to get checked regularly and to never give up. Here is a video trailer showing his documentary.

Kickstarter

Kickstarter is a way to help projects get funding by allowing fans and friends fund it themselves. Family and co-stars are asking that you support this project in order to get the Andy Whitfield documentary finished and out to as many people as possible.

Visit Andy's Kickstarter Campaign to contribute.

*My Interview With* Author Charlotte Jackanicz

 A Storybook Beginning

Charlotte Jackanicz is quite an extraordinary young lady. At only 25 she has accomplished graduating with a degree in English and most recently has written her first novel called Wake Forest, the first in a series trilogy. I got to interview this wonderful talent and get to know how her story came to be.

Name:  Charlotte Jackanicz
Age: 25
Occupation: Author/ Deal processor at a car dealership
Website: www.charlottejackanicz.com
Currently Living: West Frankfort, IL

Geek Sheek:  Tell us your background and why you became a writer?

Charlotte:  I think I was in sixth grade when I realized I liked to write. The English teacher had passed around a shoe box full of pictures clipped from magazines and told us all to choose just one. She then informed the class that our assignment was to write a story to go along with the picture.  It could be anything we wanted. We could tell a real story or make one up entirely. I was amazed. It had never really occurred to me that I could write stories like the ones I so loved to read. I remember having a conversation with that teacher in the hallway about writing as a career. I started carrying a notebook and pen with me everywhere after that. I wrote down everything; dreams, poems, short stories and some very long stories. I love to write and for me it doesn’t matter if the rest of the world gets to read it. Some stories I keep writing just because I want to know what will happen next.

Geek Sheek:  When did you start writing Wake Forest and what influenced you to write about High School students being “Monsters”?

Charlotte:  Wake Forest really started at the end of my sophomore year of college. It was just a sassy girl being rather obnoxious to her new math teacher. She amused me so I kept writing about her and her story eventually turned into Wake Forest. I think the story is not so much about the kids being monsters, but rather being told they are monsters. Most young adults really struggle with figuring out who they are as individuals, I know I certainly did. It seems like our society, especially the people around us, tries to force young people to fit in a certain mold.

Geek Sheek:  Give us a little summary of what the book is about?

Charlotte:  Wake Forest is a coming of age story about a girl named Della and her group of friends. They go to a special high school for orphaned Turnskins (Werewolves). The school teaches students to control the Moon Sickness which turns them into beasts for twenty-four hours every month. Della is a bit of a trouble maker and when she finds a baby abandoned in the woods surrounding the school, she finds herself sinking further into trouble. There’s something about the child that makes her start to question the Moon Sickness. As Della and her friends reveal the horrible truth about the school, they also find out what it means to be a real Turnskin.

Geek Sheek:  How personal is the book? Did you put any of your own qualities into the story or characters?

Charlotte:  I let other people make the decisions about who I was as a young adult. I tried to please everybody. I finally took control of my life and haven’t looked back. I think that really affected my writing in Wake Forest. It was a tough lesson for me to learn about being your own person and I think there are a lot of people that have a hard time with it. Wake Forest deals with it in the form of werewolves. It makes the characters decide for themselves whether they are the monsters or just another creature. 

I try not to put myself into the characters, but as I re-read Wake Forest I can see some personal qualities in different characters. I’m a bit of a worrier, but maybe not to the extent that Peyton is in this book.

Geek Sheek:  After reading up on Wake Forest I saw that this is going to be a trilogy. What genre or book series do you enjoy reading?

Charlotte:  I love fiction. My book shelves hold everything from Harry Potter to Stephen King.

Geek Sheek:  What books have influenced your life most?

Charlotte:  I’ve read a lot of books so it’s hard to choose. I think the series that has influenced my life the most is Harry Potter. I’ve grown up with them. I have J.K. Rowling to thank for my optimism as a young writer.

On the shelves at Barnes & Noble

Geek Sheek:  What was the process you went through to get published?

Charlotte:  It’s been a long hard road to getting published. There are so many people telling you no, so it’s easy to get discouraged. Finding someone to publish your work is the hardest part. I have all my rejection letters pinned to the wall above my desk as a reminder that every writer gets rejected, but someone will say yes if you’ve worked hard enough to make your story the best it can be.

Geeks Sheek:  What advice would you have for someone wanting to be a published writer?

Charlotte:  I know it sounds rather cliché but don’t ever give up. Writing is a job and there are always good days and bad days. If you have a passion for it then keep going no matter what anyone else tells you.

 Geek Sheek:  What are your future plans with your writing?

Charlotte:  Right now I’m working on the sequel to Wake Forest, but I’m also playing with a few short story ideas.

Geek Sheek:  What are some things you Geek out over?

Charlotte:  Lately I’ve been geeking out over Cassandra Clare books. I’m hooked on her Mortal Instruments and Infernal Devices series. I’ve been telling all my book friends to hurry up and read them. I also geek out over the tv series Supernatural. Most people have never heard of it, but once you watch it your hooked. I’m also a big fan of horror movies, even the bad ones.

 

Other Info

You can find more out about Charlotte Jackanicz on her official Wake Forest Facebook (HERE).

Buy The Book:

Barnes & Noble
Amazon

*My Interview With* Robby Benson

A Beastly Wonder

I am so excited to present my interview with the lovely Robby Benson. He is best known as the voice of Beast in Beauty and the Beast, but he once graced the covers of teen magazines, he starred in the 1978 movie Ice Castles and One on One. He has spent just as much time behind the camera as in front of it as a director with credits like  Ellen, Friends and even Sabrina, the Teenage Witch. Robby still voices Beast in video games and in other Disney features but he is a family man at heart. Still married to his wife of 30 years, Karla Devito and father of 2 kids, now in their adulthood. Life couldn't get any better for Mr. Benson.

Name:  Robby Benson
Occupation:  Writer, Director, Composer, Music Engineer, Actor
Currently Living: Anywhere I can…. But always with Karla DeVito

Website:    www.robbybenson.com

Geek Sheek:  Which came first acting or writing and how did you come into both?

Robby:  I had been on Broadway when I was 12. I started writing as a teenager and was lucky to sell a few scripts.

Geek Sheek:  Since I’m a Disney Nerd I wanted to ask you about Beauty and the Beast. What was the process of auditioning and how did you come up with the deep, husky voice that is Beast?

Robby:  I’ve always had a bass-baritone voice but I look like … a tenor! This gave me the chance to use my real voice. And, it also gave me the chance to play the role as if it were a real character rather than a cartoon. But, I do believe that the Beast is pathetically funny – and I went for that every chance I had.

Geek Sheek:  Not sure if you’ve been watching, but Once Upon a Time did a Beauty and the Beast centered episode. What did you think of it and did you like the fact that Rumpelstiltskin/Mr. Gold was the Beast?

Robby:  I’m ignorant when it comes to stuff like this. Sorry….

Geek Sheek:  You’ve graced the covers of many teen magazines in your youth. How did you handle the fame that came with your work?

Robby:  I was lucky. I was taught “old school” which meant that I was focused on the work, never the fame and back then there was very little money. Times have really changed. But, I loved my fans. They were and are courteous and caring. In all of my years of work, I’ve only had a few “tough moments” with a fan. Other than that, I’ve been extremely fortunate.

Geek Sheek:  Alongside acting you also directed several episodes of Friends, Ellen, and 8 Simple Rules. How did you progress from acting to directing?

Robby:   I started directing when I had my first open-heart surgery and could not get insurance as an actor to work. I love the arts and this was the obvious next step, especially since I had always been involved in the writing and editing of my earlier films.

Geek Sheek:  What are the specifics of being a director and has it ever been difficult guiding different types of actors?

Robby:  Directors try to bring the “page” to life. That involves every element you can think of, down to frame size, lens size depth of field… you’d be amazed why something dramatic doesn’t work because you happen to be on the wrong lens; same for comedy – and I love working with actors who care because that is how I was trained.

Geek Sheek:  I understand that you moved away from L.A. many years ago. Was it to get away from the Hollywood grind?

Robby:  Not the “grind” – the “Hollywood”. I’m not an “L.A.” guy…. You can interpret that any way you want, but I don’t like to be negative. Hollywood just isn’t for me.

Geek Sheek:  With your dad being a writer, was he an influence or did you decided upon that all on your own?

Robby:  Yes. My father was my greatest influence. He’s a brilliant writer and maybe someday I’ll be able to write half as well.

Geek Sheek:  I read that you have had 4 open heart surgeries; my father has had two, himself. What charities or organizations do you support?

Robby:  I represented the American Heart Ass. And also had a 5K Valentine’s Run called the Cupid’s Cup in Charlotte, N.C. I spoke before the Senate Appropriations Committee trying to ban cigarettes as sponsors for sporting events. And my new book, “I’m Not Dead…Yet!” is a way for me to reach out and help any and all who are going through heart problems; from the patient to the families; loved ones and friends. It’s a multi-touch book only available on the iPad now but soon it will be Kindle-Fire ready. It has tons of media.

Geek Sheek:  What are some things that you Geek out over?

Robby:  Too personal. Just kidding.

Other Info

 

Robby just released his new book (I'm Not Dead ...Yet!) and it is available on Ipad through Itunes (HERE).

Also, join Robby's Facebook page (HERE). For more info on Robby he has an official website at www.robbybenson.com

Save The Ducks

Duck and Run

Going to my local park pond has been a favorite family past time for me as it is for a lot of families. I remember as a 4 year old attempting to feed the ducks and as I got a little too close, the duck started chasing me and even snapped at me as I ran screaming. My mother was so mad at that duck that it was the first time I ever heard her yell out a curse word. But it wasn't the ducks fault it was mine. I got too close and he/she didn't like it, It's the same as if a stranger were to come into my home. You have to be respectful of their territory and know how to properly behave around them.

What NOT to do

• Do not feed ducks bread! When wild ducks are fed human food (especially bread or crackers) their organs become engorged and fatty, which can cause them to suffer from heart disease, liver problems and other health complications. Bread also has very few nutrients, and can get compacted in a bird's crop. Many rehabilitators see "bread-impacted crop" in sick and distressed park ducks.

To be honest you really shouldn't feed them at all. Regular feeding can cause the following:

             Poor Nutrition       Spread of disease           Unnatural behavior     
             Overcrowding       Delayed migration          Pollution

If you do insist on feeding them then try cheerios, grapes cut in half, a thawed bag of frozen peas or corn, or kale, romaine or other leafy greens (not iceberg lettuce). 

• Do not allow your children to chase after the ducks. Even though it's cute to see your little boy or girl running after a them it disturbs the birds.

Injured ducks

Mr. Quackers of the WF Park Pond

Now for the reason I decided to write up this post. While on an outing with my family I spotted a very injured duck that was bleeding from the neck. After seeing this poor bird my mood changed and I just couldn't stop thinking about him or Mr. Quackers as I have come to call him.  I'm an animal lover and seeing any animal hurt just makes me physically sick. When I got home I did some research online and figured that his injuries were due to it being matting season and was probably attacked by another duck. It made sense to me because I did see one of the ducks go after another and thankfully it got away. Mr. Quackers injuries included feathers on his neck removed and replaced with a gash that was bleeding. Feathers were torn off of his wings leaving just his bony wing exposed.

The next morning I called the park board and let them know about the injured duck and was told that someone would take care of him. later that evening I went back to the pond to see if the duck was still there and he was, so I took a pic of him. I posted the pic on Facebook showing his injuries. I received so many messages from caring animal lovers that were willing to help me contact the right people.

His wings are also in bad shape

I talked to Pam Sundeen of Second Nature Wildlife Rehabilitation about the duck and she told me she would be getting a hold of the proper people and then would see about taking the duck in and most likely start him on antibiotics.  I just hope that an infection hasn't set in and that getting better doesn't take to much out of him.

Thankfully I was able to get help for this little guy and I'm sure he will make a full recovery. And to everyone reading this, when you see an injured animal do the research and call the right people. It only takes a few minutes and you could be saving the life of something precious to nature.

Second Nature Wildlife Rehabilitation center takes donations so if you feel compelled to help please go (Here) to donate. Or find your local center for wildlife and donate your money or time to help out.