Before I Forget (BOOK REVIEW)

Before I Forget

Love, Hope, Help and Acceptance in Our Fight against Alzheimer's

by B. Smith and Dan Gasby

Harmony Books

Hardcover, $25.00

336 pages

ISBN: 978-0-553-44712-5

Book Review by Kam Williams

“Restaurateur, magazine publisher, celebrity chef and nationally-known lifestyle maven B. Smith is struggling at 66 with a tag she never expected to add to that string: Alzheimer's patient... Part memoir, part caregiver's guide, this work is a unique entry on the Alzheimer's shelf.

Crafted in short chapters that interweave [B. and husband Dan's] narrative with practical and helpful advice, readers learn about dealing with the day-to-day challenges of Alzheimer's, family realities and tensions, ways of coping, and coming research that may tip the scale, as well as lessons learned along the way.

At its heart, Before I Forget is a love story illuminating a love of family, life and hope.”

-- Excerpted from the Bookjacket

Barbara Elaine Smith was born on August 24, 1949 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania to Florence and William, a maid and a steelworker, respectively. The darling, little daughter would grow up to do her parents proud, embarking on a series of phenomenally-successful professional careers. 
 

She started out as a model, becoming the first African-American to grace the cover of Mademoiselle. The talented Renaissance woman parlayed that success into endorsement deals and her own nationally-syndicated TV show, "B. Smith with Style." 
 

She would also launch her own product line, publish a magazine and several cookbooks, and open restaurants in Manhattan, Washington, DC and out on Sag Harbor. With the help of her husband, B. built such a formidable business empire that she became widely known as "The Black Martha Stewart." 
 

Unfortunately, upon consulting a doctor a couple of years ago because of a nagging forgetfulness, she received the devastating diagnosis of early onset Alzheimer's. Although she and Dan have since reordered their priorities, the two have steadfastly refused to allow the disease to either crush their spirits or diminish their love for each other. As B. puts it, "I'm still myself. I just can't remember things as well as I once did." 
 

In "Before I Forget," she and Dan share their inspirational message of hope while issuing a rallying a cry to the African-American community which suffers from Alzheimer's at over twice the rate of whites. The autobiography primarily focuses on the last five years of B.'s life, although it does devote a few chapters to earlier periods, including her childhood in Pennsylvania. 
 

However, the thrust of the book is to kickstart a frank conversation about Alzheimer's from recognizing the warning signs, to identifying its stages, to reciting lesson's learned thus far. Above all, the memoir is a reaffirmation of a couple's undying love, as evidenced by Dan's waxing romantic with, "I am so grateful for the honor and pleasure of your company, and for the privilege of sharing your life." 

 

To order a copy of Before I Forget, visit:

2016 Golden Globes Recap

by Kam Williams

The Revenant and The Martian Win Best Picture and Best Actor!

Denzel Gets Standing Ovation from Colleagues for Lifetime Achievement Award

The Revenant and The Martian both won Golden Globes for Best Picture and Best Actor (Leonardo DiCaprio and Matt Damon, respectively) setting up a big showdown between the two at the Academy Awards on Sunday, February 28th. The Revenant took home its trophies in the dramatic categories, while The Martian earned its accolades as either a comedy or a musical, take your pick.

Ricky Gervais served as emcee for the first time in three years, replacing his trademark acerbic snipes at celebs with a profusion of profanity. His alcohol-fueled affinity for cursing set the tone for a night featuring a flurry of foul-mouthed remarks on the part of presenters and awardees. The problem with that approach is that it resulted in the bleeping of large chunks of dialogue, so the TV audience often had no idea what just transpired beyond being able to lip-read the F or S-word. 

 

The most memorable moment was when Taraji P. Henson handed out cookies as she headed onstage to accept the Best Actress in a TV Drama nod for playing Cookie on Empire. Another highlight was Denzel Washington's standing ovation from his colleagues for his lifetime achievement award. 

 

Sly Stallone was greeted with an equally-heartfelt reception when he won for Best Supporting Actor for Creed. However, it was unfortunate that the director decided to cut to a commercial during his protracted acceptance speech, so only the audience in attendance got to hear him thank Creed's star, Michael B. Jordan, and director, Ryan Coogler.

As for the evening's lowlight, it had to be Gervais' heavily-censored exchange with Mel Gibson making references to the disgraced thespian's anti-Semitism. Talk about cringe-inducing!

Complete List of 2016 Golden Globe Winners

Movies

Best picture, drama: “The Revenant”
Best picture, comedy or musical: “The Martian”
Actress, drama: Brie Larson, “Room”
Actor, drama: Leonardo DiCaprio, “The Revenant”
Actress, musical or comedy: Jennifer Lawrence, “Joy”
Actor, musical or comedy: Matt Damon, “The Martian”
Supporting actress: Kate Winslet, “Steve Jobs”
Supporting actor: Sylvester Stallone, “Creed”
Director: Alejandro G. Iñárritu, “The Revenant”
Screenplay: Aaron Sorkin, “Steve Jobs”
Animated film: “Inside Out”
Foreign language film: “Son of Saul,” Hungary
Original score: Ennio Morricone, “The Hateful Eight”
Original song: “Writing’s on the Wall” from “Spectre”

Television

Best series, drama: “Mr. Robot” (USA)
Best series, comedy or musical: “Mozart in the Jungle” (Amazon)
Best television movie or mini-series: “Wolf Hall” (PBS)
Actress, mini-series or television movie: Lady Gaga, “American Horror Story: Hotel”
Actor, mini-series or television movie: Oscar Isaac, “Show Me a Hero”
Actress, drama: Taraji P. Henson, “Empire”
Actor, drama: Jon Hamm, “Mad Men”
Actress, comedy or musical: Rachel Bloom, “Crazy Ex-Girlfriend”
Actor, comedy or musical: Gael García Bernal, “Mozart in the Jungle”
Supporting actress, mini-series or television movie: Maura Tierney, “The Affair”
Supporting actor, mini-series or television movie: Christian Slater, “Mr. Robot”

Cecil B. DeMille Lifetime Achievement Award: Denzel Washington

Yosemite (FILM REVIEW)

by Kam Williams


Creepy Coming-of-Age Flick Explores the Dark Side of Childhood


Inspired by a couple of short stories by James Franco, Yosemite is an eerie bildungsroman exploring some decidedly dark and dangerous sides of childhood. The drama features a trio of discrete tales which ultimately merge in fairly effective fashion. 
 
The action unfolds in Palo Alto in 1985, which is where we find a trio of 5th graders facing different emotional issues. 10 year-old Chris (Everett Meckler) and his younger brother, Alex (Troy Tinnirello), are driving to Yosemite National Park with their father (Franco) who's recently separated from their mom. 
 
Their plans for quality time are affected, en route, by their dad's admission that he's a recovering alcoholic. Upon their arrival. the vacation is all but ruined when the three get lost hiking, followed by Chris' finding the charred remains of what looks like a human skeleton. 
 
The second chapter of this coming-of-age adventure revolves around the predicament of Joe (Alec Mansky), a product of divorce in dire need of a father figure. Unfortunately, to fill a void, he naively settles on Henry (Henry Hopper), a creepy-looking loner sharing a love of comic books. Against the boy's better judgment, he even accepts an invitation back to the possible pedophile's humble abode.

The last segment is about Ted (Calum John), a kid whose beloved cat, Charlie, has gone missing. Trouble is, there's been a sighting of a mountain lion roaming around town. And since his father's (Steven Wiig) ostensibly too consumed with Silicon's Valley burgeoning Computer Revolution to care about the predator, Ted enlists the assistance of pals Chris and Joe to embark on a big game hunt in the hills just beyond suburbia. 
 
Yosemite was both directed and adapted to the screen by Gabrielle Demeestere (The Color of Time) who employed an admirably understated approach to Franco's source material. An earnest examination of the loss of innocence, this critic could've appreciated more if the subject-matter hadn't be so relentlessly dark and disturbing. 
 

Very Good (2.5 stars)
Rated R for sexuality, nudity and profanity
Running time: 82 minutes
Distributor: Monterey Media


To see a trailer for Yosemite, visit: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mseo8idx75s

Sweaty Betty (FILM REVIEW)

by Kam Williams


A Blackface Variation of "Babe" with Street Cred

In 1965, the federal government issued the historic Moynihan Report chronicling the collapse of "The Negro Family" which it blamed on a host of social woes afflicting inner-city African-American communities. A half-century later, blacks and whites still remain substantially separate and unequal. 
 
Evidence of the disparity abounds in Sweaty Betty, a super-realistic buddy flick set in a Prince George's County, Maryland ghetto located in the shadow of the nation's capital. There, we find a cornucopia of colorful characters inhabiting a den of iniquity that it's hard to believe exists, but obviously does.

The stars of this must-see adventure are Rico and Scooby, a couple of uneducated, unemployed, unmarried single-fathers. To call the pair actors would be far too generous, since they're obviously simply playing themselves.

That makes it difficult to discern whether one is watching a comedy or a documentary, although that dilemma only adds to the quirky picture's appeal. Everybody on their block speaks such inscrutable Ebonics that directors Joseph Frank and Zachary Reed had the good sense to use subtitles, despite the fact that the entire cast is speaking in English. 
 
The dialogue is not only grammatically-incorrect but is invariably delivered laced with expletives and the N-word. And the conversations are precisely what one might expect of 20-ish baby-daddies with nothing better to do all day than hang out on the street.

One minute, our heroes are commiserating about the burdens of fatherhood, the next, they're shamelessly flirting with a couple of cute honeys passing by. Meanwhile, their neighbors appear to be equally rudderless, as they spend their time boasting, twerking, mugging for the camera and/or engaging in meaningless chatter.

Oh, Sweaty Betty does have a rudimentary plot, which revolves around a couple of pets: a pig named Charlotte, and a pit bull the protagonists can't decide what to call: Cocaine, Killer or Petey (since it looks like the pooch on The Little Rascals). 
 
These wannabe entrepreneurs have been raising the hog in the 'hood with hopes of having it become the mascot of the Washington Redskins. So, on home gamedays, they drive the half-ton oinker to the stadium via pickup truck to participate in all the parking lot hoopla. Unfortunately, it eventually comes to the attention of the local animal control officer that somebody's raising a farm animal in a residential neighborhood. 
 
But don't be fooled. Sweaty Betty's storyline is inconsequential, at best. Yet, it remains highly recommended for cinematic voyeurs who like laughing from a safe distance at the outrageous flamboyance of a hot ghetto mess. 
 
A blackface variation of Babe (1995) with street cred!



Excellent (4 stars)
Unrated
In Ebonics with subtitles
Running time: 94 minutes
Distributor: Breaking Glass Pictures


To see a trailer for Sweaty Betty, visit: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZrOLvo1yegU

Mia Wenjen (INTERVIEW)

For photos, see attachments

Mia Wenjen

The “Multicultural Children's Book Day” Interview

with Kam Williams

Headline: Mia's Mission!

Mia Wenjen blogs at PragmaticMom.com on parenting, education and children's books. A dorm room entrepreneur with her creative staffing company, Aquent, ranking #12 on the Inc. 500 list when she was 26-years-old, Mia has always championed social justice. Her staffing company was the first to offer medical benefits to temporary workers.

These days, the mother of three is focused on getting diversity, multicultural and inclusive books into the hands of the kids who need them most. She co-founded Multicultural Children's Book Day [http://multiculturalchildrensbookday.com/] to shine the spotlight on authors, illustrators and diversity characters so kids of color could find themselves in books.

Because her children are 1/4 Japanese-American, 1/4 Chinese-American and 1/2 Korean American, she personally sought out books where they could see themselves; something that she didn’t have growing up, despite being a bookworm who read every single biography and fiction chapter book in her Southern California elementary school's library.

Blogging on KidLit for five years helped her realize that there simply isn’t enough representation of kids of color in children’s literature. Furthermore, the books that do exist don’t get the exposure they need and deserve. So, she' made it her mission to dedicate her blogging efforts to promoting children’s authors of color.

That's how she found Valarie Budayr from Jump Into a Book who proposed creating a day to celebrate multicultural books for kids, and thus Multicultural Children’s Book Day was born. And they hope you will join them on January 27th!

Kam Williams: Hi Mia, thanks for the interview.
Mia Wenjen: Thanks so much for having me, Kam.



KW: What inspired you to found the Multicultural Children's Book Day?
MW: Lee and Low Publishing had a blog post on how the number of diversity books for kids has not changed in 14 years! I was shocked and dismayed. I put it out on my Facebook that, from now on, I would focus on diversity authors, illustrators and characters on my blog. Valarie Budayr of Jump Into a Book blog saw my post and contacted me about creating a day to celebrate multicultural books for kids. I said, "You can do that?" And she said, "Yes, you just do it." So we did.


KW: What effect does access to literature celebrating diversity have on children during their formative years?
MW: It's about validating your right to be part of the mainstream as a child of color. Do you see yourself in the media and in books and how are these role models being portrayed? I also think when kids see a reflection of themselves in books, they are more prone to relate to the character and book, and this might spark an interest in reading.


KW: Do multicultural books benefit white kids, too? Or is primarily for minorities?
MW: The world around us is changing. In the year 2042 which is just 26 years from now, Caucasians will not longer be the majority in the United States. That's not so far away. But in other respects, like special needs, kids of this generation have more special needs classmates than ever before, and learning how to get along with everyone is going to be a valuable life skill when they enter the workforce. Whether it's race, special needs, religions -- just learning about our differences and how to find commonalities is our best case scenario for how we will learn to get along on this planet. And the nice thing is that young kids are the most open to something different. They have no innate preconceived ideas.


KW: You have an MBA from UCLA, and started out as a designer/manufacturer in the fashion industry. What made you decide to become a stay-at-home mom?
MW: I actually started a company out of college with two classmates that has grown into an international creative staffing company called Aquent. When my oldest was born, I was working full time for Aquent and my husband and I panicked about daycare for her. He decided to stay home to take care of her, having spent a year trying his luck as a professional golfer on the mini tours. When our second was born, he said that if he had to stay home with two kids, he would be forced to leave us, so we decided to switch places. He went back to work full-time in finance, and I stayed home with two kids. And then we had a third!



KW: And then, with three kids, how did you make the transition to a work-at-home-mom?
MW: I had to wait until my youngest was in preschool for half-a-day, five days a week, but I was itching to start some kind of small business. I had thought of doing a birthday gift registry, so family members and relatives could buy a part of an expensive gift for someone. but I didn't have the programming skills. I had been recruiting an Adobe Flash Evangelist for a start-up that my company owned, and I noticed that every candidate I went after had a blog in Wordpress. I had heard of blogs, but I didn't really understand how they worked or which blogging platform to use. I figured, if the most technically savvy people in Silicon Valley were using Wordpress, then that was the way to go. I started blogging seven years ago and I got hooked. It took me five years of basically working for free to finally earn income from blogging and, while it's not much money, it's satisfying in the same way as getting blood from a stone.


KW: Tell me a little about your plans for this year's Multicultural Children's Book Day?
MW: We are so excited to be in the position to give away a ton of diversity books this year! We are giving away more than 600 books! Teachers can sign up for our Classroom Reading Challenge and we will send them a free hardcover book through our sponsor, Junior Library Guild. We hope to get 400 teachers signed up and we've extended the deadline to the end of their school year. Bloggers of any stripe, lifestyle, parenting, education, etcetera, get a free diversity book from us and they post their review on January 27th which is included in a linky.


KW: How would you describe your mission?
MW: We are trying to get diversity, multicultural and inclusive books into the hands of kids who need them. We do this by raising awareness of the great books out there that perhaps are under the radar. We create content to help teachers and parents find the books they need, as well as activities to go along with them. We are also giving books away.


KW: How would you define success?
MW: Success is when the books published reflect the ethnic demographics of the United States.


KW: AALBC.com founder Troy Johnson asks: What was the last book you read?
MW: I just finished Rebecca Stead's book Goodbye Stranger.



I can't stop thinking about it; it's that good. But what is really cool is that the newest book by Chris Grabenstein, Mr. Lemoncello's Library Olympics, uses the same riddle about two people pointing to two doors. One goes to heaven, one to hell. One lies, one doesn't. Which door do you pick? How cool is that? 
 

 


KW: What is your favorite dish to cook?
MW: I'm a soup/stew kind of cook. Give me anything that can bubble away in a post. I just made Saveur's Hungarian Goulash that my family liked. I used smoked paprika which was my twist.


KW: Ling-Ju Yen asks: What is your earliest childhood memory?
MW: I was the kid who was squirreled away with a book and an apple. I remember deciding to read every chapter book in my elementary school library because I couldn't find any "good" books.


KW: Who loved you unconditionally during your formative years?
MW: My mom and the family cats!


KW: Was there a meaningful spiritual component to your childhood?
MW: My parents let me try out different religions. I went to Mormon church school in 2nd grade because my best friend was Mormon. I went to Christian sleepaway camp. I went to Presbyterian Sunday school every week because they gave out these Bible comic books, and each one ended on a cliffhanger. I loved the New Testament, and I had to find out what happened next!


KW: Would you describe yourself as a "Tiger Mom" as described by Amy Chua in her best seller, "Battle Hymn of the Tiger Mother." Did you read her book. Does it unfairly stereotype Chinese parents?
MW: I did read her book and while there are components that all Asian-American kids can relate to, she's on the extreme side. My kids tell me that I am so not a Tiger Mom mostly because I don't make them practice their instrument daily. I think what's true about Tiger parenting is that if Asian parents think that racism is prevalent, as they personally experience it or glean from media, then they will be very rigid about what professions their kids can go into: doctor, engineer, lawyer, accountant, pharmacist, and so forth. Professions that are based on a degree. But if you believe that anyone can succeed in America based on hard work, then you let your kids experience the world, allow them to make mistakes, and optimistically feel like it will all come out right in the end. This is a big leap of faith, if you were subject to racism yourself. Personally, I'm shocked that my mother, who was forced to relocate from her home in San Francisco's Japantown to an internment camp during World War II, would let me, as a college student, put her house on the line for a business loan that I was taking out for my start-up. But then, she's an optimist!


KW: What was your very first job?
MW: It's so funny. I was hired to sew names on hats at Knott's Berry Farm. I worked at the Hat Hangar the summer before college. Then my brother told me that the Knott family was instrumental in getting Anti-Asian legislation passed in California -- he had taken an immigration class in college -- I became the employee with a very bad attitude!


KW: Sherry Gillam would like to know what is the most important life lesson you've learned so far?
MW: To take risks and embrace failure. Failure is a great teacher and no one can label you as a loser for failure, if you refuse to accept their view of it.


KW: When you look in the mirror, what do you see?
MW: Oh gosh, I have this new amplifying mirror, and all I see are bushy eyebrows that need to be plucked. And mustache hair! [Laughs]


KW: If you could have one wish instantly granted, what would that be for?
MW: I wish that I had a decent singing voice. I'm not asking for Adelle's voice. Just so that I wouldn't suck at karaoke. [Laughs again]


KW: Is there any question no one ever asks you, that you wish someone would? MW: Yes, "Are you crazy?" I tend to have a single-minded intensity that makes my family tell me constantly that I am nuts. My mom is crazy is something you will hear often from my kids in a slightly loving way. I think that I am just wired that way. I am programmed for productivity and that is what feels good to me, accomplishing something. My life is all about a giant To Do list.


KW: Judyth Piazza asks: What key quality do you believe all successful people share?
MW: Self-confidence.


KW: Finally, what’s in your wallet?
MW: $9, $6 cash back from CVS, a $20 rewards coupon from Modell's Sporting Goods, pictures of my kids, three credit cards, one bank card, and a pile of insurance cards.


KW: Thanks again for the time, Mia, and best of luck with the Multicultural Children's Book Day.
MW: My pleasure, Kam.

To learn more about Multicultural Children's Book Day visit: http://multiculturalchildrensbookday.com/

To connect with Mia, visit:

Twitter: PragmaticMom, Pinterest: PragmaticMom, Instagram: PragmaticMom, FaceBook: PragmaticMom, Google+: Mia Wenjen, LinkedIn: Mia Wenjen, YouTube: Mia Wenjen, Periscope: @PragmaticMom

Top Ten DVD Releases for 1-12-16

This Week’s DVD Releases

by Kam Williams

Top Ten DVD List for January 12, 2016

Making Rounds

In the Basement

Memories of the Sword

The Looking Glass

Love Finds You in Charm

The Clearstream Affair

The Intern

Hotel Transylvania 2

Rosencrantz and Guildenstern Are Dead

Mr. Robot: Season One

Honorable Mention

Irrational Man

Captain Jake and the Never Land Pirates: The Great Never Sea Conquest

The Wonder Years: Season Four

Painkillers

Joe Dirt 2: Beautiful Loser

The Martian (DVD REVIEW)

The Martian DVD Review by Kam Williams



Damon Channels MacGyver to Survive as Astronaut Stranded on Mars


MacGyver was a TV series which revolved around a title character famous for relying on his vast body of scientific knowledge while using everyday household items to save the day in a variety of life-and-death situations. The Martian is an outer space adventure in which a stranded astronaut with an uncanny knack for improvisation takes a similar approach to surviving on Mars.

The picture stars Matt Damon as Mark Watney, a wounded botanist inaccurately presumed dead and left behind by fellow crew members in the wake of a dangerous dust storm on the red planet. However, he is actually very much alive, but without the oxygen, water, food, equipment and other resources needed to last the four years it would take for NASA to mount a rescue mission. 
 
So, resourceful Mark proceeds to do everything from perform surgery on himself to growing potatoes in a makeshift garden, fertilizing the plants with his own poop. And, like an intergalactic variation of the island-bound protagonist played by Tom Hanks in Cast Away, Matt Damon appears alone on screen for the bulk of the sci-fi saga.

The great news is that Damon proves captivating, and the 141 minutes running time flies by in a flash. Besides amusing us with his ingenious inventions, Matt repeatedly makes us laugh via myriad humorous asides.

Directed by three-time Oscar-nominee Ridley Scott (for Thelma and Louise, Gladiator and Black Hawk Down), The Martian has all the tension of Gravity, plus it manages to keep you on the edge of your seat for an hour longer. Furthermore, its visual effects are the equal of Interstellar, and it features Mark Damon for the duration instead of merely for a cameo. 
 
Think Robinson Crusoe on Mars, just sans a primitive manservant named Friday.



Excellent (4 stars)
Rated PG-13 for profanity, injury images and brief profanity
Running time: 142 minutes
Distributor: 20^th Century Fox Home Entertainment
Blu-ray Extras: Signal Acquired: Writing and Direction (Learn how the producers brought an acclaimed novel, a master director and a stellar cast together.); Occupy Mars: Casting and Costumes (Matt Damon and his ensemble of incredibly talented actors discuss their roles.); 5 Theatrical In-World Pieces (Ares III: Farewell; The Right Stuff; Ares: Our Greatest Adventure; Leave Your Mark; and Bring Him Home); Ares III: Refocused (Seven years after the events of Ares 3, take a deeper look at the true story behind Mark Watney's daring rescue.); gag reel; and the production gallery



To see a trailer for The Martian, visit: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ej3ioOneTy8

To order a copy of The Martian on Blu-ray, visit: