The Celebrity Apprentice Finale

I have always liked Bret Michaels and Holly Robinson Peete. On The Celebrity Apprentice however I didn’t like Holly. She came across as being mean. She always stayed TOO conservative, and it cost her most of the time. If it isn’t obvious by now I was pulling for Bret Micheals to win going into the finale.

I was shocked to see the celebrities they brought back to help the two finalists last week. Summer Sanders being on Bret’s team was very unusual, but she worked well in the task for Bret. Darryl Strawberry coming back at all was surprising since he essentially quit early in the season. He also worked very well in the task though. Maria Kanellis coming back wasn’t a huge surprise, but her being on Holly’s team was. They didn’t get along at all before Maria was fired. Curtis Stone was the least surprising of the returning celebrities, and him going with Holly’s team also wasn’t at all a surprise.

In last week’s episode it seemed like Curtis gave Holly a definite advantage because of him knowing which flavors would work with the others. Maria didn’t seem like she helped a lot, but I am sure that is more due to editing than anything. Darryl and Summer seemed to help out a lot on Bret’s team, even though it seemed like Bret was actually doing everything, again probably due to the editing.

The products that both teams produced were amazing. The bottles looked great, the commercials were good and funny, and either of them could have won really.

From here on might be some spoilers, so stop reading if you don’t want to know the important stuff.

I think the best thing that happened to Bret was that he lost his script and had to get creative in the editing of the commercial. It eliminated him doing two commercials which would have led to the Snapple people and Donald Trump thinking he spread himself too thin and both commercials suffered because of it. Not to mention the one commercial all together was really good and much better than each one individually. His brochure was much better too. Holly’s was just to plain, which is actually what she was going for. Her commercial was good, BUT it was a Snapple commercial. Which in essence was a good idea, but as usual she wasn’t outside of the box. Luckily for Bret he lives outside of the box.

During the live finale it was great to see Bret up and around after coming so close to death. That in itself was a huge victory. It was also very nice to see the real Holly come out. Her and Bret had become friends during the show, and she was genuinely happy to see him at the finale.

In a REALLY anti-climatic moment Donald Trump pointed out that Snapple was matching the $250,000 prize, so both Bret and Holly’s charities would be receiving a quarter of a million dollars. This basically meant that it didn’t matter who was named The Celebtiry Apprentice, cause after all they were both definitely there for their charities.

He then finally announced that Bret had won and is The Celebrity Apprentice.

All in al it was a good season for the show. I am sure it has rebuilt an audience that had to be shrinking a bit. Last year’s Celebrity version I lost interest in with a couple weeks to go. This one kept me watching every episode. Of course that was partially because I liked many of the celebrities before they were on this show. So, I guess casting had a lot to do with it all. They should try an All-Star season. Bring back some of the regular players, and maybe a couple of the celebrities that might be interested to compete together. Would probably go pretty well I think.

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As you may or may not know – during Jimmy Fallon’s short stay on Late Night thus far (61 shows), he has been trying to organize a Saved By the Bell reunion on his show.

So far he has had Mr. Belding (Dennis Haskins), Lisa Turtle (Lark Vorhees), AC Slater (Mario Lopez), and most recently Zach Morris (Mark-Paul Gosselaar), and Jessie Spano (Elizabeth Berkley) all agree to do the reunion.

That just leaves Tiffani Thiessen and Dustin Diamond who have yet to get on board.

Now it is your turn to show your support. He has an online petition which currently has 49,642 signiatures. Lets help push it up and way over 50,000. I really don’t understand how he has 1,163,748 followers on Twitter and yet only 50,000 have signed.

Spread the word and help get people to sign this online petition.

Click here to go sign it. Please note you may only sign it once for each e-mail address.

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That’s right Zach Morris, not Mark-Paul Gosselaar showed up for the Jimmy Fallon Show last night. It was a fun little segment which in the end had Zach agreeing to be part of the Saved By the Bell reunion that Fallon has been trying to organize. Preppy even got a call on his dinosaur of a cell phone from Jesse Spano (Elizabeth Berkley) who also said she was in for the reunion.

This only leaves Tiffani Thiessen and Dustin Diamond who haven’t agreed yet. I believe Thiessen will be easy to get, but Dustin Diamond will probably demand a million bucks to do it.

Anyway, enjoy the video of Zach’s appearence on Fallon.

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As many of you know I am rather busy with other aspects of the site and have little time to actually be posting stuff on my own blogs. That being said, sometimes a story comes along that I just cannot pass up writing about.

Teaching today's youths English

Tony Danza became the lovable sit-com and TV drama staple for many years. He was starring (and co-starring) in primetime almost nonstop from 1978 – 2002. From Taxi’s Tony Banta (1978 – 1983), and Tony Micelli on Who’s The Boss (1984 – 1992). then onto some drama roles as Tony Canetti on Hudson Street (1995 – 1996) after a three year break from TV. Then back to a short-lived comedy The Tony Danza Show as Tony DiMeo (1997 – 1998). then finally after another short break from TV he returned for Family Law (2000 – 2002) as Tony. . . no wait. . . finally his character was not named Tony! Instead he was Joe Celano.

Fast forward till now.

Danza is set to star in his very own reality show on the A&E network. The network that has spawned hits like Gene Simmon’s Family Jewels, Intervention, and of course its biggest legacy, Biography will follow him on a daily basis for the new show.

Danza is the second one from the right in the white shirt. That is his Taxi co-star Danny DeVito on the far left.

The main focus of this show which Danza is referring to as “responsible reality”, will be the tenth grade English class he will be teaching in a New York City school. That’s right I just said Tony Danza will be teaching tenth grade ENGLISH! He also suggest he might teach some drama, while fulfilling the nromal teacherly duties like cafeteria duty.

Danza told New York Post reporter Michael Starr, “I was talking about going back and answering the call to service and doing something different with my life,”

As for the “responsible reality” remark he told Starr, “I don’t want to do that other [reality] stuff and I don’t want to do a game show and nobody’s knocking down my door for acting jobs.”

Danza actually has his degree in History Education from the University of Dubuque which he got prior to following his dream of portraying many Tonys on the big and small screen.

This seems like one of the strangest matches, Tony Danza, and ENGLISH. I will actually be tuning in at least a couple times though to see what the new show is like. I have always liked Danza’s shows for the most part. He just might be the next hot reality star, you never know.

I wonder when Stallone will stop making Rocky and Rambo sequels and get a spin-off show in the same school teaching Speech Class.

On that note I will leave you with a clip from the show The Family Guy, that kinda drives home the strangeness of this situation.

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This favorite post is a continuation of the first one. When I asked Natalie Dylan for an interview I figured I would get turned down. I mean I am nobody. I don’t have a big TV network, or newspaper behind me. I am just a little blogger who has never written anything too important. It’s not like she would get a ton of publicity from the interview. Yet she agreed.

At first I was in total shock (still am a bit, but not as much). Natalie had already been on The Howard Stern Show, is listed on The Bunny Ranch’s site, and has been covered by many news services, yet she said yes.

In the days after the interview I came to realize more and more why Natalie did agree to the interview. First off the lack of publicity she would get from it stood out to me and said a lot about her. the publicity didn’t matter, what she wanted was to get the true story out there. I was willing to listen to her, and let her talk about it all. Unlike so many others who just wanted to put out their own twist on the story.

Natalie had a phone in interview on Oprah just two or three days after my interview. I watched, and was shocked that Oprah gave her all of one short segment, maybe 4-5 minutes long at most. That day Oprah had a sort of panel on her show for another reason. The panel consisted of her friend Gail and a man and woman who I do not recall. All the four of them did was mainly ridicule the whole situation and Natalie, while taking somewhat as a bit of a joke even. All in all I think they allowed Natalie to speak for a total of maybe 30-45 seconds.

Come back tomorrow when I share another of my favorite posts.

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My Exclusive Interview with Natalie Dylan Who is Auctioning off Her Virginity

As some of you who have followed my original story might know Natalie Dylan agreed to an interview with me.

I must start off by saying that I am somewhat astounded how the media only reports the bits and pieces that they want while ignoring some rather interesting parts of the story.

For my previous article I used some newspaper reports from the Sacramento area, which is where Natalie attended school at Sacramento State. A school from which she earned a bachelor’s degree in Women’s Studies. She hopes to continue in school and earn her master’s degree in Psychology. With her ultimate goal being to start a Family Psychology practice.

She has decided to auction off her virginity for a number of reasons, not just the money, as will become apparent while reading through my interview with her.

To accomplish this she enlisted the help of Dennis Hof. For those that do not know of Mr. Hof, he owns the Bunny Ranch, a legal brothel, in Carson City, Nevada. The Bunny Ranch, and its staff are the subject of HBO’s Cathouse: The Series. The show chronicles the daily life of the women working at the ranch, and the inter workings of the brothel.

Her family had a previous experience with the Bunny Ranch when Dylan’s sister worked there briefly a few years ago. This too was touched upon in the interview.

For more details and if you happen to want to place a bid you can go to The Bunny Ranch site.

Warning: There is adult content at www.bunnyranch.com, and you must be 18 years or older to enter the site

I tried to include many of the questions and issues that readers had brought up in their comments to my original story.

Prior to the interview my views on the situation were that it was an ingenious way to make quite a bit of money. Granted it isn’t for everyone. Some would be totally against it, but everyone is entitled to their opinions, one way or the other. I also said that I think many people would trade their first sexual experience for $250,000 or more. As one of my readers (CherylJ) pointed out in her comments, not many women enjoy their first experience, in fact it can be rather painful. So, why not make an informed decision to make the ordeal profitable?

Having had an occasion to watch the HBO series a time or two, I also felt that doing it at the Bunny Ranch was a great choice. They do everything possible to keep the women safe. Including monitoring of the rooms.

After our interview, now knowing all of the reasons behind her doing it, and knowing some other details, I have to say I support Natalie even more.

After reading my corrections on the original story and as our interview started Natalie commented, “I would like to commend you for your responsible journalism. It is rare to find someone who not only will correct their mistakes, but make a public apology addressing your mistakes.” She went on to say, “It seems like everyone wants a good story and they will spin it anyway they deem necessary for the biggest
shock value.” I totally agree with that statement, even more so after seeing the details the media has left out – or just didn’t ask the right questions.

Below is the interview in its entirety. Please keep in mind I prefaced the interview by pointing out that some of my questions might be a bit too personal, and that Natalie should feel free to skip any questions as she saw fit. To her credit, she answered every question I posed to her.

[COLOR=Red]My Question:[/COLOR] Other than wanting to continue in school for your master’s degree in Psychology, what is behind you wanting to sell your virginity?

[COLOR=Olive]Natalie’s Answer:[/COLOR] Not only do I plan on using this money for grad school, I wish to eventually open a private practice of psychology with my sister, finance a book we’ve been writing, and make some investments.

[COLOR=Red]My Question:[/COLOR] What gave you the idea to auction off your virginity?

[COLOR=Olive]Natalie’s Answer:[/COLOR] This whole idea began when I was doing premature research for my thesis…I wanted to examine the dichotomy of virgin to prostitution and the reactions of the media as well as people when one woman chooses to be pro choice with her body in a controversial manner while still within legal constraints. Why are so many people so opinionated with what a woman does with her body? While conducting research I came across the article of the Peruvian girl who put her virginity up for sale and was offered a great deal of money…It was then that I decided to study this head on and place my own virginity up for auction…My study is completely authentic in that I truly am auctioning my virginity and am able to get authentic feedback from media sources as well as the public’s opinion.

[COLOR=Red]My Question:[/COLOR] Are you at all worried that once you are in practice as a family psychologist, it could get out that you were the Natalie Dylan that
auctioned off her virginity, potentially ruining your practice?

[COLOR=Olive]Natalie’s Answer:[/COLOR] I feel the opposite. I believe this will enhance my practice. There will
be people who have worked in the sex industry who will need my services, and I will not only be able to sympathize with them, but also empathize. Which I think is an important quality of a therapist.

[COLOR=Red]My Question:[/COLOR] One of my readers inquired what type of job, if any, you currently have? (Please answer in general terms, or don’t answer at all if you feel it might possibly give away your identity.)

[COLOR=Olive]Natalie’s Answer:[/COLOR] I’m sorry, but for my protection I would rather not answer the location, but I will say, I’ve worked for two charities since I was fourteen years old. I am a hard worker and enjoy work. Even if I were to win the lottery, I would still hold a job for the stimulation and to feel like a productive member of society.

[COLOR=Red]My Question:[/COLOR] My other sources had said that your step-father took out student loans in your name and then left with the money. Is this true, and if so, how much did he get away with?

[COLOR=Olive]Natalie’s Answer:[/COLOR] Yes, this is very true. Not only did he forge for student loans under my name as well as my sister’s, but he cleared out our bank accounts and put my mother in a great deal of credit card debt.

[COLOR=Red]My Question:[/COLOR] Is there pending legal action against him on your behalf?

[COLOR=Olive]Natalie’s Answer:[/COLOR] We are not personally prosecuting him, but the California State school system is.

[COLOR=Red]My Question:[/COLOR] While on the topic of your step-father:

Some psychologists might say that doing  something like this stems from some sort of childhood abuse. Would this be at all true in your case? (Feel free to answer in whatever degree of detail that you want, or just skip the question all together.)

[COLOR=Olive]Natalie’s Answer:[/COLOR] I do not feel this stems from childhood abuse. I do feel that being a victim of financial crime contributed to my choice. I am aware that money will not just be handed to me in life. One must earn their money the way they see fit (within legal constraints) and have full awareness of ones finances.

[COLOR=Red]My Question:[/COLOR] Others may suggest it could be the product of coming from a broken home. In your case, would this be true?

[COLOR=Olive]Natalie’s Answer:[/COLOR] I believe that everyone you encounter and every experience you have in life, truly shapes who you are as well as the route you take. However, by no means do I place full responsibility or even a great deal of responsibility on coming from a broken home on what I have decided to do.

[COLOR=Red]My Question:[/COLOR] Obviously, your father is out of the picture.  Is your mom still around? If so, how does she feel about you doing this?

[COLOR=Olive]Natalie’s Answer:[/COLOR] I am very close to my mother. She knew she could disown me or choose to be a part of my life and I thank God she chose to embrace me as her daughter. She may not approve of this sexual act, but I have all her love.

[COLOR=Red]My Question:[/COLOR] There has been some speculation in comments from my readers that you might not truly be a virgin, or that you may have surgically been made a “virgin” again. Perhaps my readers weren’t the only ones to think that.

What would you say to those that might not believe you really are a virgin?

[COLOR=Olive]Natalie’s Answer:[/COLOR] I have taken two lie detector tests from unbiased parties and passed both. Everyone is entitled to their own opinion and if you do not believe me it is alright.

[COLOR=Red]My Question:[/COLOR] Is it true you are willing to be medically tested to prove your status as a virgin? Has anyone requested you go that far to prove you are?

[COLOR=Olive]Natalie’s Answer:[/COLOR] I will be medically tested at the request of the winning bidder.

[COLOR=Red]My Question:[/COLOR] As you have already told me, you did NOT attempt to go on eBay with the auction.

What ways, if any, had you researched or pursued prior to ending up dealing with Dennis Hof of the Bunny Ranch?

[COLOR=Olive]Natalie’s Answer:[/COLOR] I emailed Dennis when I came to the decision to do this. I am very honest and live by the law, so I knew I wanted to go through a legalized brothel.

[COLOR=Red]My Question:[/COLOR] How did Dennis Hof get involved? Did you seek him out or vice versa, or did
your sister suggest it?

[COLOR=Olive]Natalie’s Answer:[/COLOR] My sister in no way suggested it.  She never even met him during her brief stay at the Bunny Ranch. I e-mailed Mr. Hof just as any other girl would when applying for work.

[COLOR=Red]My Question:[/COLOR] In what ways has Hof helped you in this whole process?

[COLOR=Olive]Natalie’s Answer:[/COLOR] Hof has been amazing to me. Not only has he been able to provide me with media sources for my social study as well as virginity auction, he has been an amazing friend offering his support and love through all of this. Many try to villianize him, but that is so far from reality.

[COLOR=Red]My Question:[/COLOR] You have also told me your sister worked at the Bunny Ranch for three weeks about two years ago. Would you care to share the reasons why she left?

[COLOR=Olive]Natalie’s Answer:[/COLOR] My sister went to work for the ranch when my step-father completely cleared out the family and left my mother with a negative balance in her account. She went to earn a certain amount of money, met her goal in three weeks and returned home to go to school.

[COLOR=Red]My Question:[/COLOR] Some people that know you must know that you are doing this. What has been the reaction of these people toward you and the whole idea of selling your virginity?

[COLOR=Olive]Natalie’s Answer:[/COLOR] I have a beautiful support system. I have not lost a single friend. They know I am level headed and trust in my decision.

[COLOR=Red]My Question:[/COLOR] My other sources had said that you won’t necessarily declare the highest bidder the winner. Is this true, and if so, what other things will factor into your decision of picking the winner?

[COLOR=Olive]Natalie’s Answer:[/COLOR] True. The beauty of this auction is it does not necessarily go to the highest bidder. I have full control, and I am under no contractual obligation. I can even decide to not do this and walk away from this auction without any faults. I have made it no secret that my primary reason for this auction is fiscal benefit, but I also am looking for someone I can get along with. I don’t have unrealistic ideals for this. I don’t plan on finding my future husband out of this. Just someone I can have a decent conversation with.

[COLOR=Red]My Question:[/COLOR] Some of my readers, and I am sure others that have heard  about the story, said that after it is all over, they think you will have many  negative feelings about this all. Some have gone as far as saying they think you will feel as if you were raped.

Do you have any concerns on how you might feel after it is all said and
done?

[COLOR=Olive]Natalie’s Answer:[/COLOR] Absolutely, I’m not naive. I know nobody has complete control over emotions, but I don’t foresee feeling raped or taken advantage of. This was my idea, and I want to pursue it.

[COLOR=Red]My Question:[/COLOR] What would you like to say to the critics out there to persuade them to see your side of things?

[COLOR=Olive]Natalie’s Answer:[/COLOR] In no way do I expect everyone to agree with me. However I do feel that the political issue underneath this all is that a woman should be able to do what she wants with her body (if legal). This is all about being pro-choice with your own body. Whether it is abortion, fighting on the front lines in war, or even something as taboo as selling your virginity. I feel empowered because I am being pro-choice with my body.

[COLOR=Red]My Question:[/COLOR] Lastly, what is the bidding currently up to, and how many bids have you received?

[COLOR=Olive]Natalie’s Answer:[/COLOR] I have received tens of thousands of bids. I have around fifteen bids that far exceed a million dollars. This does not mean I will not take a lesser bid.

That was the end of our interview.
As you can see by Natalie’s answers she has put quite a bit of thought into the decision to do this, and feels she is aware of how she might feel afterward.

I am shocked that the media has not even mentioned her thoughts about it partially being a statement of being pro-choice, and doing what she wants with her own body. I have an inkling maybe the articles I have found and read may have been Republican based tabloids, and reluctant to bring up the topic of women having the right to do what she wants with her body, even in this extended definition of the phrase pro-choice.

I also expected there to be a lot of interest in the auction, but hearing that there have been tens of thousands of bids amazes even me. With having double digit bids that are over $1 million I am curious to see just how much the winning bid will be.

I would like to thank Natalie for allowing me to interview her. I wish her the best of luck in the auction and in life after the auction.

Addition to original post:
Please do spread the word and share this story on other sites you are a part of. I would like to help spread the word about the details of the story that no one has been pointing out in the media. It certainly adds a whole other side to things.

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This is one of my favorite posts, which is strange because it started off as a post with some errors and misstatements. After posting the story I attempted to make contact with Natalie Dylan. She responded and pointed out that the story had some errors. This was mainly because I used other sources, sources which mostly were taking a side against the whole situation.

I was happy to make the corrections after I got the facts from Natalie. She was so impressed that I actually made a point to correct the story that when I asked if she’d be willing to let me interview her via email she agreed.

So, here is the original story and the corrections to it. This will be a two part post. Later tonight or tomorrow I will share the second part which includes my exclusive interview with Natalie Dylan.

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Corrections To My Story: Virginity Auction – Let the Bidding Begin

As you may have seen in the comments below I had e-mailed Natalie Dylan to ask what the current bidding was up to in the auction, as well as asking if she would be willing to answer a few questions for me.

Natalie responded to me today and pointed out that some of the facts in my story were inaccurate. I apologized and explained how I had used information from various sources, including a newspaper article that gave me the three incorrect facts. I went on to say how I would correct the errors. Rather than just correcting them and leaving the post, I am also reposting the article as new in hopes that those who have read it already might see the corrections.

Natalie has pointed out that she never attempted to have the auction listed on eBay. She also never said that she was expecting the auction to reach $1 million. The thirdd and possibly most important fact I need to correct is that her sister did indeed work at the Bunny Ranch, however she is NOT currently employed there. She did work there two years ago, but only for about three weeks.

Again, I would like to apologize to Natalie, and her sister for the inaccuracies. If I had known those facts were incorrect I certainly would have not included them.

Please stay tuned to this story right here.

Natalie has been gracious enough to agree to an interview with me. In a few days I will be posting my exclusive interview with Natalie Dylan to hopefully help set the record straight.

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Below is my original story.

A 22-year-old Sacramento State graduate who is going by the pseudonym Natalie Dylan for safety purposes is in the process of auctioning off her virginity.

Dylan said, “The main purpose of this is to finance a couple things in my life. I think empowerment of women is picking yourself up and doing something on your own to better yourself.” She is hoping the winning bid will approach $1 million. She already has a degree in Women’s Studies, but wants to continue on to get her master’s degree in Psychology so in the end she can practice Family Psychology.

Dylan has also taken a polygraph test to prove her virginal status, but would be willing to undergo a medical exam if necessary.

She attempted to hold the auction on eBay, but they turned her away since in their long list of terms they specifically say, “There will be no auctioning of the innocent or sacrificing of virgins.” OK, their terms do not really state that, but nonetheless they turned her away.

Enter Dennis Hof’s Bunny Ranch in Carson City, Nevada. Hof told CBS13 out of Sacramento that since eBay rejected the idea of the auction that he will handle the entire process. Part of the reason Hof has gotten involved is because Dylan has a sister who is currently working at his Bunny Ranch to make money to pay off her own school bills.

Hof went on to explain how Dylan will consider a number of factors in her decision. She wants her first time to be a positive experience. So far hundreds of bids have come in to the Bunny Ranch. As of September 11th, 2008 the bidding was in the neighborhood of $250,000. I could not find a more up to date figure, but I am sure it has gone up since.

She does contend that she will not necessarily give up her virginity to the highest bidder because she is also seeking other qualities from her first lover. Dylan said, “I’m looking for intelligence and an overall nice person.”

Hof also explained how part of the reason Dylan needs some financial help is because her step-father used her college status to fraudulently apply for student loans, and then disappeared with the money.

The reaction that people have been reporting is mixed, as can be expected. I think looking back many people would trade their first sexual experience for say half a million to a million dollars. Of course at the age that the majority of people lose their virginity it would be against quite a few laws. For those that might say this will break some laws too, prostitution is legal in most of Nevada.

Wikipedia explanation of the law. . .

Under Nevada state law, any county with a population under 400,000, as of the last decennial census, is allowed to license brothels if it so chooses. As of the most recent census in 2000, only Clark County (which contains Las Vegas) had a population above 400,000. Incorporated towns and cities in counties that allow prostitution may regulate the trade further or prohibit it altogether.

So, as you can see it is technically legal. The only legal question I have is if it is legal for people in other states or countries to be bidding online. Although, I know in eBay’s terms they say all disputes will be settled under the laws of the state where their offices are located. That could be the loophole they are citing. I am sure they checked into all of those regulations though.

For more details and if you happen to want to place a bid you can go to [LINK=http://www.bunnyranch.com]www.bunnyranch.com[/LINK].

Warning: There is adult content at www.bunnyranch.com, and you must be 18 years or older to enter the site.[/SIZE][/B]

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Please Stand Up 2 Cancer

I watch so much TV that I am usually behind in watching many shows. The reason is, I record most things and watch them at a later time. This allows me to eliminate commercials and make things move faster. Last night I finally watched the Stand Up 2 Cancer hour long special that was on last Friday night.

For those that have no clue what I am talking about – All three major networks (ABC, CBS, NBC) came together last week and gave an hour of primetime television to the charity Stand Up 2 Cancer. The show was an hour long telethon of sorts full of stars, many were actually cancer survivors. Everyone on the show, other than the three network news anchors, wore t-shirts saying how hey were involved, i.e. survivor, in the fight, touched by cancer, and such.

The show included some cancer stories of the stars, normal people, and a segment where the stars took the place of the normal people who were too sick to be there and read their story as them. There were also a few musical performances. You can currently purchases them on iTunes with all the proceeds going to the charity.

The highlighted musical performance was a song called, “Just Stand Up”. It was sung by a blockbuster lineup of female singing stars which were all on the stage singing together. They were; Mariah Carey, Beyonce, Mary J. Blige, Rihanna, Fergie, Sheryl Crow, Miley Cyrus, Mellissa Ethridge, Ashanti, Natasha Bedingfield, Keyshia Cole, Ciara, Leona Lewis, LeAnn Rimes, and Carrie Underwood. For me though, I liked the James Taylor – Sheryl Crow duet of Fire & Rain.

Stand Up 2 Cancer is all about raising money to put an end to cancer. The way that this charity and idea is different than the rest is that their fundamental plan to get to a cancer cure is different and smarter than the rest. Their plan is to bring the greatest scientific minds together to find a cure. Forget about who gets the credit and the fame – just compare notes, talk, brainstorm, and find a cure in a few years, rather than another decade or more.

Everyone is touched by cancer in some way, a friend, a relative, a co-worker, yourself. One person in America dies every minute from cancer. My sister-in-laws grandmother lost her battle less than two months ago. I lost my grandfather to three different types of it many years ago. My wife has lost multiple people to it. We both have a number of friends currently winning in their fights. The sure is out there, it is just a matter of how soon we can find it.

As one of the stars in the show says (it may have been Ron Reagan Jr.), “Think of the billions and billions of dollars we spend every year as a country dreaming up more inventive ways to kill one another. . . I’d say our priorities are pretty screwed up.”

Here is the hour long show in its entirety.

If watching doesn’t make you want to Stand Up 2 Cancer, I doubt my asking you to will make a difference, but it is worth a shot.

Please Stand Up 2 Cancer

If anyone would like to send me a message with the story of how you are touched by cancer I will try to put together a nice post including all the stories. I would prefer to just use first names in the story, but if you want I could use a full name, just let me know. If I get at least three stories I will do the post. I do hope I can help spread the story of your loved ones to others.

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