Gabriel Adams asked:


Recent deaths of Hollywood stars Brad Renfro and Heath Ledger have many people wondering why these talented actors or those around them fail to get help. The VH1 smash reality show, Celebrity Rehab clearly shows the struggles stars face when they attempt to enter a rehab program. Like it or not, the world has watched Britney Spears throw away a stellar career and two beautiful children to her addictions. Continually, she tries to solve problems without the support she truly needs. What people fail to realize is that drug addiction or alcoholism cannot be permanently cured or removed and there are at least seventeen triggers that can lead to relapses.

The most important key to avoiding a setback is to get away and stay away from old friends that drank or got high with you. If you find yourself in an environment where your former vices are being passed around, leave immediately and never return. Another on this list involves cutting ties with a spouse or significant other who drinks or uses drugs. It is painful but important.

A third danger involves skipping meetings with your sponsor. Support groups are essential if you wish to succeed. Cravings are going to rear their ugly head. If you have skipped numerous meetings or blown your sponsor off, you will not feel you have the right to call on them when you most need support. Along this line comes another potential trigger. If you find yourself thinking about your drug use, it is time to seek help.

It is critical to keep all appointments with your doctor. Coming out of a drug or alcohol addiction is potentially life threatening. Your body can go into shock. Remember that addiction is one of the hardest obstacles to overcome. In fact, the sixth trigger to watch for is thoughts that you are strong enough to kick the habit without any help. Strength is a great quality, but no one has the power to kick a drug or alcohol addiction alone.

As soon as you enter into a recovery program for drug or alcohol addiction, have a friend or family member go through your house with you. Throw out any alcohol, narcotics, and/or drug supplies. You will know where your hidden locations are, so be honest when pointing them out.

Creating a daily routine can help keep the troubles to a minimum. As you progress through a rehab program, you can start to alter your routine slightly, but you still need to make sure your day follows a certain pattern so that your mind does not have time to wander.

Please remember that breaking a drug or alcohol habit is going to have ups and downs. Do not allow yourself to dwell on the bad spots. Depression, anxiety, and rage are common side effects as you break your drug or alcohol habit. Your doctor will be able to help you manage them before you cause harm to yourself or others. Another potential trigger occurs when depression or anxiety does act up and you switch your addiction from one drug to another. If you quit one addiction, it is crucial that you not start up another.

If you have been hurt or disappointed, one of the basic twelve-steps in an AA program is to forgive or be forgiven. Often addictions are tied to situations from the past. It’s important to move past the bitterness or regret and start anew.

Number 14 on the potential trigger list deals with facing a life change. If you are working on breaking a habit and then add another issue like getting married or losing your child to your spouse (aka Britney Spears), the odds are slim that your recovery process will be successful. In fact, it is important to focus on getting better first and then work on other problems one at a time.

As you continue the path to kicking drugs and/or alcohol, you must learn to identify your most common causes and warning signs that precede a craving or rough spot. By identifying them early, you will be able to seek support much earlier. And this leads into the 15th trigger–know your limitations and when you need to seek help from your doctor, sponsor or support group.

Allowing troubles to go unchanged will only lead to more cravings - number16 on the list. Stressful, anxious thought patterns or feelings are common reasons people list as to why they drink or use narcotics. If you let personal issues fester, you are far more likely to return to your bad habits.

Finally, never stop using medications your doctor has prescribed. Some prescriptions are there to help you get past the dangerous side effects of withdrawal-pain, nausea, etc. Kicking your addiction is not pretty. Some even die during the process from withdrawal. The prescriptions are there to save your life! Even if you are feeling better, you need to keep taking them until your doctor says otherwise.

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Kyle Newton asked:


When Academy Award nominated actor Heath Ledger died on January 22, 2008, the entertainment industry stood still to mourn an actor who passed long before his time. Ledger’s death has already affected the marketing campaign of the film The Dark Knight, and it has also severely affected the production of his last film, Terry Gilliam’s The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus.

Ledger’s Death temporarily halted production on the fantasy film. Having already spent a large amount of money on the film, the studio opted to recast the character Ledger was set to play.

However, merely recasting him would have been considered distasteful, and instead the character of Tony will be portrayed not only by Ledger, but by Johnny Depp, Jude Law, and Colin Farrell, who are taking on the role as a tribute for Ledger. Not only will the performance of Depp, Law, and Farrell be a tribute, but the film itself is expected to be dedicated to Ledger.

This is fortunate for director Terry Gilliam, for this would have been his second time ceasing production halfway through a film with the first being The Man from La Mancha.

“The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus” is a fantastical morality tale, set in the present day. It tells the story of Dr Parnassus and his extraordinary ‘Imaginarium’, a travelling show where members of the audience get an irresistible opportunity to choose between light and joy or darkness and gloom.

Blessed with the extraordinary gift of guiding the imaginations of others, Dr Parnassus is cursed with a dark secret. Long ago he made a bet with the devil, Mr Nick, in which he won immortality. Many centuries later, on meeting his one true love, Dr Parnassus made another deal with the devil, trading his immortality for youth, on condition that when his first-born reached its 16th birthday he or she would become the property of Mr Nick.

Valentina is now rapidly approaching this ‘coming of age’ milestone and Dr Parnassus is desperate to protect her from her impending fate. Mr Nick arrives to collect but, always keen to make a bet, renegotiates the wager. Now the winner of Valentina will be determined by whoever seduces the first five souls. Enlisting a series of wild, comical and compelling characters in his journey, Dr Parnassus promises his daughter’s hand in marriage to the man that helps him win.

In this captivating, explosive and wonderfully imaginative race against time, Dr Parnassus must fight to save his daughter in a never-ending landscape of surreal obstacles - and undo the mistakes of his past once and for all.

The Imaginarium of Dr. Parnassus is expected to open in theatres in 2009.

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Mary Eule Scarborough asked:


As I was watching CNN this morning, anxiously awaiting news on our sagging economy, I became increasingly annoyed at the amount of time being spent on the sudden, tragic death of actor, Heath Ledger.

Although my heart bled for Heath’s parents, sister, daughter, and other close friends and family members, I didn’t - at first - understand why the news of his death was consuming so much airtime. “Yes,” I thought, “he was clearly a gifted actor whose life ended much too soon and who knows what he might have accomplished if he’d lived into old age. But enough already!”

Then I watched some more and must admit that as the coverage continued I was blown away by the numbers of people - old and young - who were devastated by this young man’s death. And while it’s always tragic when a young life is cut short, this one seemed to hit a raw nerve with many people. I wondered why.

Then it occurred to me…Heath Ledger was memorable… not only for his immense talent but his steadfast commitment to the lost “art” of acting. He embodied the hopes and dreams all of the thousands of talented and often struggling actors, artists, and musicians who are eking out livings to do what they love.

And even though Heath Ledger had “made it” it was clear that acting was his passion, as well as his craft. He wasn’t your garden-variety “I’ll-do-anything-to-make-a-buck-and-become-a-superstar” kind of actor. He was a rare gem in the midst of Hollywood’s phony glitz - a person who approached his craft with an obsessed integrity. For that, more than anything, I believe he will be remembered.

In my role as business writer, speaker, and independent marketing consultant, I counsel hundreds of small businesspeople, and inevitably I’m asked to cite the single most important character trait for success. My answer is always the same: passion. This is where it all starts and there’s no substitute for it because it is the foundation for all the other things that you must do to make it in this rough-and-tumble world. And it can’t be faked.

Heath Ledger’s love of acting inspired him to study and hone his tremendous skill; work tirelessly under extremely challenging circumstances; and reject lucrative, “blockbuster” roles, if he deemed them “thoughtless.” Those qualities made him distinctive - especially for one so young. So, even though our news media will continue to focus on the gruesome details leading up to his death, we should concentrate on the lessons we learn from his living. Heath Ledger was an unforgettable young man whose extraordinary brilliance touched the lives of millions of people. He will be missed.

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Art Gib asked:


Recently, the entertainment world was shaken by the untimely death of Heath Ledger, one of Hollywood’s brightest and most talented young stars. During the weeks following his death, there was much speculation and suspicion surrounding his drug-related passing, most people assuming it was an overdose. It was fairly obvious from the evidence at the scene that drugs were involved, but many questions loomed as to whether his death was accidental or an act of suicide.

Autopsies, which were initially inconclusive, finally determined that Ledger’s death was not an overdose at all, but was drug related. Ledger had taken “safe amounts” of painkillers Oxycontin (Oxycodone) and Vicodin (Hydrocodone), anti- anxiety drugs Valium (Dizepam) and Xanax (Alprazolam), as well as the sleep aid Restoril (Temazepam) and the over-the-counter antihistamine, Unisom. While none of these drugs were taken in excess, investigators determined that the combination of these drugs — many of which affect the central nervous system (CNS) — was lethal.

Authorities have now decided to investigate the physicians that prescribed these drugs to determine whether any fault might lie with them in Ledger’s death, because there is a question as to whether he needed all these drugs.

Ledger’s death has many people questioning the numerous medications that our society consumes. We are an extremely medicated nation, it seems, and we could be on the verge of getting out of control. Utah, in particular, is a highly-medicated area. People are seemingly quick to run to pain medications for ailments that probably don’t warrant them.

Utah Pain Management

There are other methods of pain management in Utah without being dependent on drugs. Several pain doctors in Utah have developed methods that are safe, effective, and far less risky than heavy narcotics. Furthermore, pain clinics in Utah often specialize, not only in pain relief, but in pain management. This entails the eradication of the “pain cycle” and helps manage and prevent pain on a long-term basis.

The Pain Cycle, simply put, is that pain leads to inactivity, which leads to muscle weakness and atrophy, and thus, more pain. Those experiencing chronic pain in Utah (and elsewhere) often fall victim to this pain cycle and begin to lose hope that their pain may ever leave them. It is important for these patients to be able to overcome the pain cycle and move towards wellness.

It is unlikely that Heath Ledger suffered from chronic pain, but it is very likely that he was over-medicated and that is what led to his untimely death. In Utah, back pain, depression, anxiety, and sleeplessness are bound to happen, but it’s important to be mindful of our medications and not to be dependent on chemical relief when there are other options available.

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Dan Teesdale asked:


If you are a Bob Dylan fan you have probably been well aware of this film for awhile now. If not you may have heard about it in passing. In passing, the main attraction is Cate Blanchette, an actress playing Bob Dylan. She resides in all of the posters and advertisements for the film. Despite her uncanny resemblance to Bob, you aren’t getting your ordinary biopic from Director Todd Haynes. What you are getting appears to be the anti-biopic - four men and one woman playing one person during different aspects of his life.

I suppose I should start out praising this movie where it succeeds. The cinematography is beautiful. During Cate’s scenes (the drugged out Bob Dylan of 65-66) everything is in black and white. This is seemingly done to correlate directly to well known pictures of Bob from that time period - also in black and white. The rest of the movie is in color, and is also magnificent. The opening scene is Marcus Carl Franklin (the young black kid who is playing “woody guthrie”) running through a brightly lit field – grass is swaying and all - to the tune “Stuck Insight of Mobile with the Memphis Blues Again”. The cinematography blends marvelously with Dylan’s music.

It should also be said that Heath Ledger was fantastic in his role. He looked the part of Bob Dylan, but did not over-act; instead he added his own touch to the part. His performance may not be highly regarded for that fact; however I believe it is his subtlety that goes a long way. He also had the most comprehensive storyline that could be understood by even someone who does not have previous knowledge on the subject. His part focused on how fame has affected him and his inevitable breakup with his wife. Another stand out performance was Marcus Carl Franklin, nailing the young energetic Bob Dylan who has a tendency to imitate Woody Guthrie because of pure admiration.

However, this movie would be better if it was just a mirage of images played along with Dylan songs. This movie is a nicely painted easter egg with nothing inside. For the viewers who are not well acquainted with Bob Dylan’s life this movie will seem very dull - a whole array of references that cannot be figured out. For Bob Dylan fans you will know what is going on, however the point of it all remains a mystery. For you may have seen the documentaries No Direction Home and Don’t Look Back. Many lines and specific scenes from those two movies are directly re-enacted and reworded. You will most likely grasp immediately where it came from, and somehow be satisfied (for the positive reviews from Bob Dylan fans) - however if you look a step further you may ask yourself why? What is the point of reenacting things from documentaries to the point of absurdity? The only insight that appears to be gathered from positive reviews of the movie is that it is exaggerating what people thought of Bob Dylan, the legend of Bob Dylan. However, if it is the legend of Bob Dylan, don’t we already know it? If it’s what we think of him - what is the point of showing this back to us? There is no point to the movie. There is no compelling storyline; there is no plot, no conflict, and no resolution. It is a joke. Tell this to lovers of the movie (misguided Dylan fans - I don’t know how you could love this movie without being misguided and a Dylan fan) and you will surely get the opposite. They will say “You just want a Biopic!” to which I would reply “No, how about an insightful, thoughtful movie.”

In conclusion I don’t think this movie can be enjoyed with people that are not already well acquainted with Bob Dylan’s life, Bob Dylan’s legend, unless you have an interest in cinematography. However, this can be enjoyed by Bob Dylan fans that enjoy pointless easter egg hunts - but I really don’t see the point. The most redeeming part of this film came at the very end - about 10 seconds of the real Dylan playing his harmonica in a live concert. To me this was the point where I realized just how crappy the film I just watched was - I would rather watch him play even just one song instead of this bore of a movie. Overall I would give this film a 5/10.

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darkknightmovie asked:


One of the most eagerly anticipated films in the past several years, The Dark Knight just may be the huge money-maker that Warner Bros. Pictures hopes it will be. With an intriguing plot and a stellar cast, this Batman movie may just be the best in the series yet.

At least that’s how the fans see it. Online movie forums are filled with people who are quite excited about this movie. Some are comic book fans who are interested simply because this is a Batman movie. But many others are looking forward to this film for other reasons.

As mentioned above, The Dark Knight has a highly-talented cast. Batman is played by Christian Bale, who also played the role in Batman Begins. Bale was the seventh actor to play the character of Batman in a live-action film and the only non-American actor to have the role of Batman.

The other lead character in The Dark Knight is the Joker. Heath Ledger was cast as the Joker. Unlike Jack Nicholson’s portrayal of the Joker in 1989’s Batman—in which the Joker was a bad guy, but he was also rather amusing– Ledger portrayed the Joker as a frightening psychopath. Ledger took a lot of inspiration in developing his character from Sid Vicious and the 1971 movie, A Clockwork Orange.

Other noteworthy actors in The Dark Knight include the Oscar winner Michael Caine, who plays Alfred Pennyworth. Pennyworth is Bruce Wayne’s (Batman’s) butler. Morgan Freeman, another Oscar winner, has the role of Lucius Fox. Fox runs Wayne Enterprises for Bruce Wayne.

Several other well-known Hollywood actors and actresses are in this film as well. Harvey Dent—the District Attorney who helps Batman fight Gotham’s crime spree—is played by Aaron Eckhart. Attorney Rachel Dawes, who works with Harvey Dent, is played by Maggie Gyllenhaal.

Talented cast notwithstanding, The Dark Knight has had its share of problems and concerns. Perhaps the most well-known is the death of one of the main actors of the film.

Heath Ledger’s sudden death on January 22, 2008 could have caused some major difficulties for Warner Bros. Pictures. Luckily, though, Ledger had already finished filming his scenes and post-production work. So, although the film was not going to be completed and ready for release for another seven months, Ledger’s death did not cause any real trouble for the actual movie.

This is a good thing, because the character of the Joker is of central importance to The Dark Knight—and, by nearly all accounts, Ledger’s portrayal of the Joker is marvelous. The basic premise of this movie is that Batman teams up with District Attorney Dent to try to get rid of the crime in the city. But, the Joker—and his multitude of rogues–becomes more dangerous than anything else they have faced.

Whether fans are looking forward to this film because it is the newest Batman movie or because of the cast or even because of the eerily gruesome Joker matters not—at least not to Warner Bros. Pictures. They seem to have a blockbuster on their hands—the biggest blockbuster of the summer of 2008.

For more Information : http://www.fandango.com/thedarkknight_110469/movieoverview

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Groshan Fabiola asked:


It seems like it’s been a decade since Britney Spears and Lindsay Lohan were looked up to as role models and the empowered woman. In fact, it may as well be that way as US Weekly came up with a new list of powerful girls in Hollywood , and the two abovementioned did not make it to the list at all. The article says, “As young Hollywood continues to tread on a downward spiral — both actors Heath Ledger and Brad Renfro died tragically within the same week — a new generation of power girls are pledging not to wind up with the same sad fate.” Many of the young celebrities in the list are Disney stars, with Hannah Montana actress–you guessed it–sitting on top of the list, earning a whopping $3.5 million last year.

Miley Cyrus broke out into stardom two years ago, when she was cast to play Hannah Montana in the Disney series of the same name. Since then, she has constantly and consistently portrayed herself as a good role model for the youth. She credits her family for raising her right.

“The most important thing is really staying true to yourself,” Miley Cyrus said in a conversation with US Weekly. “That’s what my mom taught me. She’s the most beautiful girl, not only on the outside but on the inside. She’s teaching me how to be a good person”

High School Musical stars Vanessa Hudgens and Ashley Tisdale also made it to the list, despite Hudgens’ naked photo scandal.

As for Tisdale, who plays the scheming Sharpay Evans in the High School Musical films, it seems like she’s nothing like Sharpay in real life. She said, “I don’t drink, and I don’t smoke. It’s a personal preference. My mom has never drunk or smoked. I look up to my mom.”

As for Hudgens, fans probably forgave her for that naked photo, as she earned over $2 million last year. She told US Magazine that now is the time for a new generation of stars to rise, and she’s happy to be part of it.

Other stars in the issue include Cheetah Girl Raven-Symone, musical artists Rihanna and Taylor Swift, Nickelodeon star turned movie actress Amanda Bynes, Oscar nominated actress Ellen Page, and Gossip Girl star Blake Lively.

For more resources about Hannah Montana or for the full story of Hannah Montana Named One Of “Ten Most Powerful Girls” please review http://www.buddytv.com

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nadia cherubin asked:


Sleep:

They say sleep is the number one way of health and beauty and long life.Yes, true indeed and you need at least 8 hours of rest at night.

You ever notice when someone is well rested and they feel great in a lot of ways. That is why the saying goes: I’ve got to get my beauty rest!

Although, sleep is away of a youthful life that can bring you lots of prosperity and life filled with energy.

Did you know that: When one doesn’t get enough rest at night they start paying for it the next day by having attitudes and tantrums and some tend to get grouchy and want to take their anger out on other people all because they haven’t rested.

However, if you don’t get enough rest and you’re working very hard as the days go by, you’re bound to fall on your face. Now, most people drink energy shakes and red bull and think they will get by like that as the days go by. But in all actuality, it’s very unhealthy for you and doesn’t give you the results that you actually need, because most energy shakes give you that boost, but give it a few hours and you’ll feel dreary and worn out as if you stayed up all night long partying, leaving you feeling aggravated and drained.

Know this: You can’t function properly without the proper sleep your body needs. I basically couldn’t function properly without any sleep.

You ever feel like you’re losing your mind because you can’t sleep or haven’t slept in days.

Now, some people that can’t sleep usually take a Tylenol PM or some sort of a sleep aid just so they can go to sleep. But you must be very careful when taking sleep aids because most people usually overdose on sleep medication.

Look at Heath Ledger, who just recently died because he overdosed on sleeping pills with a mixture of another medicine and his cause of death was an intoxication from prescription drugs all because he said that he couldn’t sleep and was very stressed out. However, stress will do it to you everytime if you’re really stressed out and will cause you to not sleep which is very unhealthy for the body.

Remember: The brain cannot function properly without sleep. Although, sleep is the best thing in the world and people can’t get enough of it. But sometimes, you might get too much sleep which makes you lazy. However, there are people who just can’t seem to get enough sleep and usually seek the help of a sleep disorder clinic.

Although, you can basically tell if a person has had enough sleep or not by their eyes and body language. Remember: Body language can tell a lot about a person. But not only the body language, it’s usually written all over your face.

Some people suffer from sleep disorders which involves any difficulties related to trouble falling or staying asleep at inappropriate times of the day.

Now some people have abnormal behaviors associated with sleep, and usually have sleep disruptive behaviors because if you really think about it, no one likes to be disrupted from a good sleep.

Most people that have trouble falling asleep usually don’t know that it’s usually caused by caffeine, heavy smoking, and certain prescription medications. It’s a known fact that people who feel that they don’t get enough sleep usually have problems which may occur when maintaining a consistent amount of sleep and wake schedule that is disrupted.

However, sleep disruption occurs when you’re usually in a deep sleep and is dreaming and someone wakes you up for no reason whatsoever. Don’t you hate that? I know I do.

If you can’t sleep at night you should seek a medical professional if a lack of sleep continues or just call for an appointment with your healthcare provider if this is interfering with your daily routine and if you’re prescribed any medication such as sleeping pills which should be used only when prescribed by a healthcare provider.

When you can’t sleep they say that AmbienCR is right for you.

Now what is Ambien? Ambien is a sleep aid for insomnia.

Although, I truly believe that all you need to do is go to bed at a reasonable hour, eat breakfast, exercise and take it easy. I can assure you won’t regret it.

Word of advice: Try not to overwork yourself cause you’ll regret it!

When it comes to sleep: You should try to follow the sleeping pattern of 8 hours of rest at night!

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Nathaniel Quest asked:


Winning director Ang Lee’s “Brokeback Mountain” won the Golden
Lion for best film at the closing awards ceremonies for the 62nd
Venice International Film Festival held recently.
“I am so glad the film has prevailed and has been accepted so
well here, ” said Lee, whose touching love portrait of two gay
cowboys played by Heath Ledger and Jake Gyllenhaal set the
audience abuzz following its screening. Ang Lee’s tale of the
homosexual love between two cowboys was set in the conservative
West of the 1960s.
Jake Gyllenhaal has admitted that he was hesitant when he first
heard about the cowboy movie with gay theme. But all his doubts
disappeared when Jake learned that “BrokeBack Mountain” was to
be directed by Academy award winning director, Ang Lee. Lee had
previously directed the winning film “Crouching Tiger, Hidden
Dragon.”
At a news conference in Toronto, Gyllenhaal stressed that “when
you know you have someone who’s made movies that deal with
pretty challenging themes and has tackled them with the kind of
universality and compassion that Ang has, you throw yourselves
into the arms of that person and you trust them and you feel
safe and you go for it.”
“Brokeback Mountain” is based on a novel by Annie Prouix and
tells the story of a tormented affair between two men who meet
one summer in western Wyoming while herding sheep. Though the
film’s gay theme had undoubtedly ruffled some conservative
feathers due to the explicit scenes between two hot young male
stars Heath Ledger and Jake Gyllenhaal, it has already received
considerable praise and pre-Oscar buzz.
Jake Gyllenhaal revealed that kissing a boy–