Lawyer Mama

Jack Black, Blue Star Families & the Coolest Job Ever

Have you seen the previews out for the new movie Gulliver's Travels?  I know I can't miss them because every. single. time. one comes on my two little boys start asking me when the movie is coming out and when I'm taking them to see it!  The movie will definitely be part of our winter break, but the co-stars of the movie, Jack Black and Jason Segel, also have a wonderful new recording of The Little Drummer Boy out for the holidays.  The best part is that the two talented performers are donating all of their proceeds to Blue Star Families.  I can't think of a better demonstration of the holiday spirit then to help out military families.

Last night, Jack Black appeared on The Jay Leno show to promote his new movie, Gulliver's Travels.  While on the show, Jay Leno showed a clip from the animated video of The Little Drummer Boy and Jack Black talked about donating the proceeds to Blue Star Families.

(Start watching the video at about 2:45.)

Jay Leno: I thought this was pretty cool. You and your co-star in Gulliver's Travels, Jason Segel, you did something very nice. Tell people what you did.

Jack Black: We rocked an old chestnut, holiday song you may know.  The Little Drummer Boy. Beautiful jam. We rockified it, because it was dying to be rockified. You remember back in the 70's when David Bowie and Bing Crosby did their version of it? We did that version, but with an extra zing. And we're giving all the money to charity. Blue Star Families.

Jay Leno: That's the troops?

Jack Black: Yes, yes, well military families started this organization for other military families, supporting.

Jack Black: You can get that on iTunes by the way, if you don't mind my plug.

On a personal note, I have to share what happened when I was watching this clip in my home office this evening.  My 6 year old, Hollis, knows so much about Blue Star Families.  He's so proud of his Navy dad and his Army uncle and his Air Force Grandpa.  Don't worry. Hollis has his priorities straight.  He'll yell out "Go Navy, beat Army!" whenever it's needed.  Same for the Air Force.  Heck, he loves this Navy versus Air Force video set to Dynamite and tries to do all the dance moves.  But I digress. 

The point is, Hollis is all about the military and he understands just how important it is to support military families, even at the age of 6.  He loves to help out at Blue Star Families events and likes to talk about Mommy's job "helping military families" to anyone who will listen.

So tonight, Hollis walked into my office and stopped to watch the clip saying, "Mommy, that's Jack Black! He's Kung Fu Panda!"  He listened to Jack Black talk about The Little Drummer Boy (a recent iTunes download Hollis has already heard many times in this house) and when he heard him talk about Blue Star Families his eyes got huge!  "Mommy! He knows all about you!" Hollis exclaimed.  Then he wanted to know if Blue Star Families, a nonprofit, would now be rich!  I laughed, but I think Jack Black and Jason Segel would be happy to hear just how much faith my little guy has in them and their ability to raise money for a good cause.  I think they'd also be thrilled to know that even my 6 year old son understand just how wonderful their donation to BSF really is.

I have to thank Jack Black and Jason Segel.  Not just for their donation to help military families, but because my 6 year old now thinks I'm the coolest mom with the best job ever.  At least on the job front, I think I have to agree.

Cross posted on Blue Star Families.

I Heart my iPhone

As some of my Facebook followers now know, I met Robin Williams on Tuesday!  Here's the full story....

I love my iPhone.  I've been an iOwner for only 2 months now, but already I'm addicted.  I've been using a PDA since 2000, so none of this is new to me, but the iPhone is just so much better!

My boys, ages 3 and 5, also adore my phone.  I have to admit that I use the iPhone as a virtual babysitter on a regular basis.  The boys play number games with the Dotty Math app; they stretch Sponge Bob and make him giggle; they watch shows on the PBS Sprout application and videos on the iPod; we read stories with the Kindle app; the boys we all play with the Light Saber app;and I'm even teaching my 5 year old the basics of photo composition with the Genius camera application.

I use my iPhone for all the basics: email, organization, etc..., but I also use it to store sample poses for photo sessions; to find the closest bathrooms when I'm out with the boys; to look up items in my Nikon D300 camera manual; to keep track of the boys' shot records and other medical information; to read books and, of course, to upload to Facebook and Twitter on the go.

So, when my iPhone broke while I was doing a routine update, I was despondent.  And after spending several hours following all the suggestions on the Apple support page, a little annoyed.  So I reluctantly made an appointment with an Apple Genius at my local Apple Store.  For the 2 1/2 days I suffered through without my iPhone, I felt like my arm had been amputated.

Continue reading this post at D.C. Metro Moms Blog....

Roman Polanski is a Sex Offender

Call me horrified.  I can't figure out why so many people are rushing to the defense of Roman Polanski.  In case you missed the news, the film director was arrested over the weekend in Switzerland where he had traveled to accept a lifetime achievement award at a film festival.

The arrest stems from a conviction in 1978.  Polanksi pled guilty to having unlawful sex with a 13 year old girl in the United States.  He gave her drugs, alcohol and then had sex with her at Jack Nicholson's home.  Before Polanski could be sentenced, he fled the country and has avoided the U.S. ever since.  He's even avoided traveling to countries with extradition treaties with the United States.  Why?  Because Polanski knows he's a fugitive and he knows that child sex crimes are taken pretty seriously in this country. 

And yes, what Polanski did is a sex crime.  A thirteen year old, no matter how seemingly mature or sexual, cannot legally consent.  Hell, an adult can't consent to sex in most states if they've been given drugs or alcohol without their knowledge, or even with their knowledge if they're so incapacitated that they can't make a decision.

I simply don't care whether Polanski has had a troubled life.  While I'm sympathetic about the deaths of his family in Nazi concentration camps and the murder of his pregnant wife, Sharon Tate, by the Manson family, that doesn't excuse taking advantage of a child.  Yes, a child.  The girl that Polanski raped undoubtedly had a troubled life as well if she was at a party at Nicholson's home at the age of 13.  It doesn't matter if the woman in question now forgives him.  It doesn't matter if he didn't know her true age, although as a 44 year old man there's no way he could have mistaken a 13 year old girl for a fully mature woman.  Come on.  Polanksi was the adult and we as a society do not tolerate the abuse of children.

Continue reading on D.C. Metro Moms....

The Brittany Spears Train Wreck and Other Important Topics

To distract myself from minute analysis of the Iowa primary, I've been trolling for celebrity gossip. What better to amuse me then Brittany Spears' latest dramady? Apparently when K-Fed's bodyguard's showed up to pick up the kids last night, she was drunk or high or something and wouldn't hand over the kidlets. The police were called, an ambulance showed up, and now Brit-Brit is on a mental health hold at the hospital.

But in reading through the TMZ website and looking at the video I realized that these reporters must pretty much follow Brittany around 24/7. While I certainly don't think Brittany will be up for Mother of the Year anytime in this millennium, I really do feel for the poor thing. Watching your life blow up because of drug and/or alcohol abuse must be bad enough without having it happen in a bright, shining spotlight with the entire world watching.

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In other news, I have yet another post up on the new site. This time I have adorable photos of Holden at Mt. Trashmore. And no, that name is not a joke. But still, I know you want to adore and coo over my Little H.

Click the button. You know you want to.