Plant a Tree for Groot

Vin Diesel Planting a Tree for Groot before doing his ALS Ice Bucket Challenge (photo (C) Vin Diesel, from his facebook page

Vin Diesel Planting a Tree for Groot before doing his ALS Ice Bucket Challenge, photo from his facebook page

You may have heard that James Gunn, director of Guardians of the Galaxy, nominated Vin Diesel for the ALS Ice Bucket Challenge.  In his video, before taking the challenge, Vin shook a tree he had just planted and challenged James Gunn to also “Plant a Tree for Groot.”

Not long after the video was posted, Vin Diesel followed it up with this photo on his facebook page of him planting his own tree for Groot.

For those interested in planting for Groot, consider growing a tree from a cutting (take a tour around google for more information) you can frequently get a cutting for free from someone with the appropriate type of tree, and with a little time and effort on your part a beautiful tree can be grown.  (And for those who have already seen the movie Guardians of the Galaxy, let’s just say I think Groot would approve of the cuttings approach to planting a tree for Groot.)

Fan Expo Canada in Toronto – A Week Away

With Fan Expo Canada just a week away it is time, as an attendee, to start not just anticipating, but getting ready, and that means hitting the website and rejoicing that the schedule is up!  The floorplan is up!  And something called a locations guide is up!  Yup, time to download some documents and see just what kind of fun awaits us!

A quick glance at the floor plan for the exhibit hall reveals Showcase, Space and eOne (BroadChurch, Rookie Blue, and Haven, among other projects) will have good size booths — and that right there is one of the major reasons why I have decided to venture to Toronto and check out this convention.

Space is, from what I have gathered, the Canadian equivalent to SyFy in the United States, airing Face Off, Jim Henson’s Creature Shop Challenge, as well as Doctor Who, Orphan Black, Sharknado, Wizard Wars, and The Last Ship.

Showcase, based on my limited exposure to it on a trip to Canada is a television channel I would have to have if I lived up north.  I tuned into it at my hotel and fell in love!  The Showcase Channel currently airs Continuum, Defiance, Outlander, Dominion, Haven (made by eOne),  Rizzoli and Isles, Beauty and the Beast, Helix and Game of Thrones, just to name a few shows currently featured on their home page.  To say Showcase airs the shows I watch and love might actually be an understatement.

The Ice-Bucket Challenge

You’ve seen the Ice-Bucket Challenge going around social media?  To say it has gone viral would be an understatement.  And I can honestly say I believe it has raised awareness that people are trying to raise funds for ALS (at one time called Lou Gehrig’s Disease.) and that people are having a lot of fun doing it.

But do you understand how it got started, and why?  Someone shared the story with me today, and it was not what I expected.  Somehow I thought a group had rallied together to do this, but that it was all prompted and inspired by one young man was far more powerful than I had imagined.

Take a few minutes to watch this story ESPN put together, and next time you are watching one of those Ice Bucket videos… do not just watch, do not just laugh with the folks who are having fun, remember this is about raising funds and awareness for a crippling disease, to help people who can not lift that bucket for themselves.

Countless people have participated in the ice Bucket Challenge to date.  A video pops up on facebook seemingly hourly, whether a friend of a celebrity has just taken the time to do it.  Surf on over to youtube and type Ice Bucket Challenge followed by the name of your favorite celebrity and if they have participated you are likely to find the video.  Andrea Bocelli, Kerry Washington, John Barrowman, Vin Diesel, Stephen Amell, Robbie Amell, Hugh Jackman and the cast of his broadway show Pan, Alex O’Loughlin, Daniel Dae Kim and Jorge Garcia are just a few of the celebrities who have posted their videos on facebook participating and keeping the challenges going.

Detective Frost – Rizzoli & Isles – Lee Thompson Young

It has been a year since Lee Thompson Young passed away.

For those who have read the Tess Gerritsen novel The Apprentice that Rizzoli & Isles, Lee Thompson Young’s most recent show, was based on, you may recall this description of his character Detective Barry Frost:

{Rizzoli}’d always liked Frost, had always appreciated his sunny and uncomplaining nature, and she hated to see his pride laid low.  She gave him a pat on the shoulder, a motherly smile.

It was an early description of a character Lee Thompson Young brought to life so powerfully over the course of 56 episodes.

He was a talented child actor on The Famous Jett Jackson who transitioned into adult work, charming audiences in Rizzoli & Isles.  Having recently read this passage in The Apprentice we wanted to take a moment to share it with you, and encourage you to read the books, and tune in to Rizzoli & Isles on TNT Tuesdays 9 PM ET/ 8 PM CT, and watch for Lee Thompson Young’s episodes on DVD or in re-runs.

We also encourage you to take a moment to visit the website for the Lee Thompson Young Foundation