A classic fish out of water story, ‘So Undercover’ finds Molly (Miley Cyrus) as a street-smart young woman living with her father Sam (Mike O’Malley), a policeman who was wrongly dismissed from the force. To help make ends meet, Molly, with help from her dad, takes on cases of finding evidence of cheating spouses. As executive producer Robert Cowan says about the television star-turned recording artist-turned movie star, “Miley is just what you would think she would be. We’ve all watched her grow up and you see that she has something that very few actresses have, which is a spark and incredible instinct for comedy as well as drama.”

Cowan, who over the course of his illustrious career has produced or co-produced many feature films, says that Miley Cyrus is very much among the wave of new comedians. “I think she falls into the same category as Sandra Bullock and Julia Roberts,” he says. “I did a movie (‘The Net’) with Sandra about the same time when she was just breaking out, and Miley reminds me a lot of Sandy at that time. She’s very instinctual and enthusiastic. She’s just a pleasure to be around. And I think she has brought something to the role that no other actress could have, which is unselfconscious charm.”

For writer Steven Pearl, ‘So Undercover’ is a love letter to New Orleans. “I love this city,” he says. “It’s incredible. I feel like I’m going on a victory tour, going round to all the different locations. There’s a great surprise every day.”

One unexpected surprise came when Eloise Mumford, who plays Sasha, president of the sorority, discovered some unnerving news about the grand old home the production used for the sorority house location. “One of the girls said, ‘While we’re in New Orleans, we should take one of the haunted houses tours.’ So we went down to the hotel where they had all sorts of tourist brochures. The number one house on the haunted house tour was … THIS HOUSE! Apparently it’s like madly haunted. I know it’s crazy, but supposedly someone like a servant or a slave was murdered here. We’re told that the chandelier swings by itself and there’s a potent scent of lemons. But otherwise, it’s a beautiful house. And just being in New Orleans itself is a treat.”

New Orleans is such a remarkable city and the filmmakers did all they could to incorporate all the visual aspects of this legendary area that are specific to its history, without trying to make it look like a travelogue. “We shot at Café Dumas, and on street cars, and in the French Quarter,” says executive producer Cowan. “It’s a magnificent city and we realized that we could add another layer to the script by shooting here. I think the movie has been elevated by filming in New Orleans.”

Having lived in England for so many years, Kelly Osbourne, who plays Becky Slotnick, fell in love with New Orleans and all of its historical landmarks. However she realizes that she takes a lot of English history for granted. “I walk down the street in London and see places that are four or five hundred years old. There’s nothing like that here in this amazing place, and yet there’s so much to see, such as all the different styles of architecture from when the Spanish and French were here. We’ve found some very fun places to explore.”

The article So Undercover, a “Love Letter to New Orleans” appeared first on The Toonari Post - News, Powered by the People!.

She may be a tough-as-nails, street-smart private investigator, but when total tomboy Molly (Miley Cyrus) is drafted by the FBI to go undercover within a college sorority, she finds that she is way out of her class among a sisterhood of snooty, high maintenance, materialistic college girls.

However, Molly accepts the pledge to protect one of the society debs, who holds key information that will be used at a trial where her father is about to turn State’s evidence and testify against the mob. Despite being the opposite of her new “sisters,” Molly has to suck it up and bond with obnoxious upper crust trust fund babies if she’s going to succeed in her top-secret mission, in Millennium Entertainment’s action/comedy, ‘So Undercover’.

The story originated from a sharply etched, highly original screenplay written by Steven Pearl and Allan Loeb, which, when they first began the project, was based on a story idea by Mr. Loeb, and had a male protagonist. As Mr. Pearl recalls, “We actually wrote this seven years ago. At one point we thought, why don’t we take the idea and flip it on its head and put a female in the lead.”

Bingo! The screenplay was well received, and over the years a number of actresses were attached to the project. However, although the much sought-after writing team had a number of chances to sell the script, they were committed to finding just the right equation of cast and studio so that they could make the movie the way they envisioned it.

The long-awaited combination began to click when director Tom Vaughan read the screenplay and, as he says, found it “Really fun and smart. As I read it, I just thought of Miley Cyrus for the dual roles of Molly Morris and Brook Stonebridge,” the director adds. “I’ve known Miley’s work for years, and I always thought she was very funny, very charming, and had a lot to offer the movies. I knew she would be perfect and would add heart to the film.”

Screen superstar Miley Cyrus recalls how enthusiastic she was when she first received the script. “Allan Loeb and Steven Pearl are amazing and they’ve done so many terrific films,” the popular actress says. “I was really looking forward to working with them, and once I read their screenplay, I saw how fun it would be to portray a character where I got to play a dual role again. I also knew it would be something that all audiences would enjoy watching.”

In ‘So Undercover’, Miley’s tough character Molly has to infiltrate a sorority. However, she’s been raised by her single father and hasn’t grown up with other girls, so she’s thrust into a completely foreign and feminine world. As everyone knows, Cyrus has vast experience transforming herself from one persona to another all within the same story. “On my TV show, I went from Miley, a nice normal girl, to Hannah Montana who was a superstar,” the actress says. “I really like playing characters who contradict each other. So this was an especially fun role for me. I think Molly is more like me than my undercover character Brook. But it was fun to bring in the feminine qualities that I definitely have too.”

Director Tom Vaughan says that his instincts about Miley Cyrus’s talents were spot on. “When you watch Miley work you get a great sense that she’s a lot of fun, and very professional. She has natural talent for comedy. She’s a born comedienne, and she brings great energy to her characters,” he says. “I knew this was going to be her first role as an adult—she just turned 18 before we started filming—and it’s been fun watching her mature through the years.”

The article So Undercover: Miley Cyrus Infiltrates Sorority in New Comedy appeared first on The Toonari Post - News, Powered by the People!.

New York, U.S.A. — VH1′s beloved franchise ” VH1 Divas “ caught dance fever at the L.A. Shrine Auditorium Sunday night for a live, concert event filled with performances, theatrics, and a roster of musicians and actors ready to boogie down to benefit The VH1 Save The Music Foundation. The star-studded affair incorporated performances from today’s biggest hits and dance classics by host Adam Lambert, Ciara, Miley Cyrus, Demi Lovato, Kelly Rowland, Jordin Sparks, and was accompanied by House DJ Havana Brown.

The evening included an incredible line-up of performers ready to shake their groove thing for a good cause, including  Natasha Bedingfield, Kelly Clarkson, Ledisi, Melanie Fiona.

VH1 “You Oughta Know” Artist Metric, Paloma Faith, Pitbull, Iggy Azalea, and Bootsy Collins. Special appearances by L.A. Reid, Amber Riley, Ellie Kemper, Elisha Cuthbert, Kat Graham, Kelly Osbourne, NeNe Leakes, Stacy Keibler, Jenna Dewan Tatum, Brandy, Paula Abdul, Sheila E. and La La Anthony rounded out the disco-themed night.

Adam Lambert kicked off the night with a cabaret themed “Let’s Dance,” followed by a special introduction to Kelly Clarkson’s latest single “Catch My Breath.” With a genuinely enthusiastic Kelly Osbourne introducing one of her favorite groups “Blondie,” VH1 You Oughta Know artist Metric brought the house down with their rendition of “Heart of Glass.” Donning a studded jacket and rocker attitude, Miley Cyrus commanded the room with her vivacious delivery of “Rebel Yell” by rock god Billy Idol.

Newly inducted into the Rock And Roll Hall of Fame, diva legend Donna Summer created some of the biggest dance hits guaranteed to get the crowd going. Kelly Rowland, Adam Lambert, and Keri Hilson paid tribute to one of the greats with a musical medley of “I Feel The Love,” “Bad Girls,” “She Works Hard The Money,” “Love To Love You Baby,” “Hot Stuff,” and “Last Dance.” An emotional Brandy introduced Jordin Sparks, Ledisi and Melanie Fiona for a power-driven tribute to the late Whitney Houston. The trio dazzled with an electric performance of “I’m Every Woman,” “I Wanna Dance With Somebody,”  “It’s Not Right, But It’s Okay,” and “How Will I Know.”

After two hours of non-stop dancing and entertainment, Pitbull closed the show in style with his hit “Don’t Stop The Party,” leaving the night on a high note.

As in previous years, this edition of “VH1 Divas” will benefit the VH1 Save The Music Foundation, a non-profit organization dedicated to keeping music education alive in American public schools. To date, VH1 Save The Music has provided more than $49.5 million in new musical instruments to 1,850 public schools in more than 128 school districts around the country, impacting the lives of over 2.1 million children.

This year’s sponsors for “VH1 Divas” include: AT&T, Burger King, CoverGirl, Fiat, The Hershey Company and Old Navy.

Image Courtesy : StarblindKing

The article “VH1 Divas” Danced The Night Away at Star-studded Concert appeared first on The Toonari Post - News, Powered by the People!.

Reps confirm to People Magazine, actress and pop star, Miley Cyrus, 19, and actor and Australian native, Liam Hemsworth, 22, are engaged to be married.

“I’m so happy to be engaged and look forward to a life of happiness with Liam,” Cyrus told People magazine.

The couple has been dating on and off for three years since the two met on the set of “The Last Song”, while filming in 2009. Cyrus sparked engagement rumors this past March when she posted a photo on Twitter wearing a diamond on her ring finger and was seen wearing the ring at an event in Arizona, but representatives of both denied the engagement.

During an interview with Details magazine, Hemsworth said he tried to be professional on the set filming with Cyrus but could not help falling in love with her. “What happened happened, and we’ve been together ever since,” he said. “She makes me really happy. When you start, you want to be professional, but when you’re filming those scenes with someone and pretending to love them, you’re not human if you don’t feel something.”

According to MTV, Hemsworth proposed to Cyrus on May 31 with a 3.5-carat diamond ring.

People magazine was given the exclusive details on the engagement. Hemsworth told them he approached Neil Lane, a jeweler, to create “something unusual” for the country pop star Cyrus, which is exactly what he got. “It was hand-cut around 1880 or 1890 and it’s unique and in its original form,” Lane says. “At that time no two diamonds were alike, as they were all hand-cut, so it’s fascinating to look at because it hasn’t been re-cut to look contemporary over the years. I find that really romantic.”

“It’s a contemporary design based on vintage aesthetics,” he says. “The light flashes and sparkles no matter where Miley moves her hand.”

The new couple is going to be busy before planning their not yet scheduled wedding. Cyrus is working on her fourth studio album and Hemsworth is busy in New Orleans filming his next movie “Empire State”, then off to film the thriller “Paranoia” with co-stars Harrison Ford and Gary Oldman and then off to start work filming the the next installment of “The Hunger Games”, which shot him to international fame last year.

Cyrus thanked her supporters Wednesday on Twitter, “thank you for all the love today I’m happy to share this news with you all. I feel like all my dreams are coming true. ❤ have a great day”. Even finding support from her father, as country singer Billy Ray Cyrus tweeted ”All I ever hoped for as a daddy was to see my kids reach their dreams, to find happiness…peace of mind…and someday know…true love.”

Image Courtesy of   Phil Stafford / Shutterstock.com

The article Miley Cyrus Engaged appeared first on The Toonari Post - News, Powered by the People!.

Written and directed by Lisa Azuelos, ‘LOL’ is a new coming-of-age comedy based on her 2008 French smash-hit, ‘LOL (Laughing Out Loud)’. The movie was about Lola (Miley Cyrus) and her friends who have to navigate the peer pressures of high school romance and friendship in a world increasingly connected by Facebook, Youtube, Twitter, and iTunes, while at the same time dodging their sometimes overbearing and technologically bewildered parents. Through hilarious and heartfelt moments between mother and daughter, LOL is an authentic story that perfectly captures today’s reality.

LOL: The Origin Story

Lisa Azuelos both wrote and directed the first incarnation; ‘LOL (Laughing Out Loud)’, the French film starring Sophie Marceau, after realizing that movies based on teen life in her home country of France were almost entirely missing.

She remembers a film in the ‘80s called ‘La Boum’ (The Boom), which was basically ‘The Breakfast Club’ of her generation, also starring Sophie Marceau. She describes it as a huge generation movie that young people were able to identify with during her time. Much to her dismay, she could not find a movie that the current adolescent generation, such as her own daughter, could relate to in this way. She would often times see her daughter go to the theatre to watch either an American teen movie or a horror film.

Her daughter was turning sixteen years old and she felt that nobody in the movie business was reaching out to this pubescent generation. “Nobody’s describing their lives. Nobody’s doing anything,” she explains as she thinks back to how no movie has been made until ‘LOL (Laughing Out Loud)’ about the generation of today.

So Azuelos set out to change that. She wanted to create the kind of original story for the adolescent set which addressed the many complexities, pitfalls, perils and dilemmas of modern youth in their quest towards independence, self-identity and adulthood.

There was one moment in particular that incited her to write the story. Her daughter was throwing her first party, a birthday party, at their home. She didn’t want her mom to be seen, so Lisa stayed behind closed doors listening to the songs that she listened to when she was sixteen. While dancing and simply enjoying herself, she suddenly was hit with the realization that she was the mother behind that door – the mother of a daughter who, herself, was dancing and enjoying herself to the songs of her own youth.

“It grabbed me by my throat and I began to cry,” Azuelos explains. “I thought, ‘Oh my God, something’s happening here. I’m a mother, she’s a daughter, and things are changing. She’s not a baby anymore. What’s happening here?’ So when I’m [in] those kinds of situations, I write, and that’s it.”

Azuelos drew her principal characters from subjects close to her heart. Using her middle name, Anne, and her daughter’s middle name, Lola, Azuelos scripted a mother-daughter relationship much like her own. “It’s like they want to go away but they want you very near,” she says, as she describes the everyday teenage child. She wanted to “tell the teenagers, the daughters in particular, we know who you are.”

Not only did Azuelos set out to tell the story of these teens, she also wanted to do this movie for all the mothers out there that had the same questions she did. “I was talking to a lot of parents who had teenagers and they were like, ‘What did I do wrong for my child to behave so weird? For my child to say this to me? For my child to want to go out? Not want to study? Want to have fun?  I thought I was a great parent and suddenly I discover she hates me.’”

Azuelos wanted to ensure them that they are not doing anything wrong and there is no need to feel guilty. “It’s just that their child is not a child anymore and that’s the process, the normal process, of saying to your mother, ‘I’m your child but I don’t want you anymore.”’ She then adds, “But the funny thing is, with teenagers, you have to be there as soon as they call you.”

Image Courtesy of   LOL The Movie

The article ‘LOL’ – Authentic Story That Perfectly Captures Today’s Reality appeared first on The Toonari Post - News, Powered by the People!.

‘LOL’(Laughing Out Loud), now an American movie starring Miley Cyrus which premiered in the U.S on May 4, 2012, was a massive hit in France. “Everybody who was seeing the movie, even American people, was telling me, ‘Wow, that’s so great. It’s the first time I related to a French movie that much,”’ says Lisa Azuelos, writer and director of the movie. Though it had a crossover appeal for American audiences, Azuelos knew that there was definitely a challenge for a French movie to be seen by the large American audience.

“So I said, ‘Well then, I’m going to do the remake!’ and everybody laughed at me.” People would tell her that nobody does their own remake and that there’s no way she would make it. Regardless of these doubts, she met with Roeg Sutherland and Maha Dakhil of CAA and immediately had a great connection with them. She could see that they loved the movie and believed in it. From that moment on, it was off to a start and the American remake, ‘LOL,’ found its home at Mandate Pictures.

While the original was filmed in Paris, France, ‘LOL’ was shot in Chicago, Illinois. The producers decided to adjust the movie from Paris to Chicago because “Chicago is a very sophisticated city and it’s very typical of United States,” says Michael Shamberg of Double Feature Films.

Stacey Sher, producer of Double Feature Films elaborates that Chicago “is a completely cosmopolitan American city without being rarified,” in the same way Paris is in France. And given that many successful adolescent films in the U.S., including the famous John Hughes films, “American Pie’ and ‘Mean Girls’ were set in Chicago, they were confident that this location was relatable to the American audience.

The film was also shot in Detroit, doubling for Chicago, which the producers felt was a very interesting city. “It’s a city undergoing great transition and we were shooting in Downtown Detroit, as opposed to Anne Arbor or any of the sort of cushy suburbs. So we were all sort of together on this island, the island in Downtown, Detroit,” said, Sher describing the location. And to wrap, the last few days of shoot were filmed on location in Paris, France.

Being on set was unanimously described as “so much fun.” With ‘LOL’ being the first feature film for many of the young cast members, Sher expresses that they brought passion, excitement and an “un-jaded quality to filmmaking that makes it always fun to be around.” For Azuelos, casting these young thespians were one of the most enjoyable moments in the making of the film. In fact, she describes the casting of a movie as the main part of her job. “When I cast a movie, I’ve done ninety-five percent of my job. After, all I have to say is ‘Action.’”

About the movie

Lola’s high school inner-circle includes Kyle (Douglas Booth), Lola’s BFF, whom she realizes is her love interest after a bad breakup with his best friend, Chad (George Finn); Lola’s two best friends Janice (Lina Esco) and Emily (Ashley Hinshaw); Wen (Sevani), a nerd that Emily secretly hooks up with; Lloyd (Tanz Watson) who is part of their crew; and Ashley (Ashley Greene), the sexy girl who has set her sights on Kyle, much to Lola’s dismay. Thomas Jane is Alan, Anne’s ex-husband and Lola’s father, who can’t seem to let go of Anne.

Jay Hernandez (James) is a dangerously cute, good-natured cop dating Anne, who is able to offer a little perspective on her teenage daughter. Austin Nichols (Mr. Ross) is the heartthrob math teacher whom all the girls have a crush on.

The legendary Marlo Thomas (Gran), portrays Anne’s sophisticated mother whose relaxed demeanor allows her to be the easy-going bystander when it comes to watching Anne raise children of her own. And Gina Gershon and Fisher Stevens (Roman and Kathy) are Anne’s closest friends and confidants. Nora Dunn also makes an appearance as Emily’s mom.

Image Courtesy of   LOL The Movie

The article ‘LOL’ – Challenges For Director To Remake Her Own Movie appeared first on The Toonari Post - News, Powered by the People!.

Santa Monica, CA, U.S.A. – Max Sound Corporation, an innovative technology company, that is changing how we listen to music, watch movies, play video games, experience television and communicate on our cell phones, announced a strategic partnership and newest major music industry adopters of the MAXD technology with the entertainment super producers, ROCK MAFIA.

Rock Mafia, is the record production/songwriting team, consisting of Tim James and Antonina Armato. Rock Mafia is credited for writing and producing for a great number of top pop and rock artists, such as Miley Cyrus, Mariah Carey, Scotty McCreery, Selena Gomez, Demi Lovato, American Idol, Disney’s Hollywood Records and has a major label venture with Interscope Records.

People may think it’s easy to define Rock Mafia. A quick glance on Wikipedia tells us that Rock Mafia is one of the biggest pop production teams in the world, with over 50 million albums and 25 million singles sold, along with over 2 billion views on YouTube alone, a seemingly endless pop discography spanning the last decade with hits from Mariah Carey to Miley Cyrus to Selena Gomez. Upon closer inspection, however, there are a few surprises.

One may not know Rock Mafia also wrote and produced some of the biggest records on active rock radio over the past two years, including Sick Puppies’ number 1 single that ruled the Top 10 airwaves for over six months, “You’re Going Down,” to “Odd One,” “Maybe,” and “Riptide.”  Furthermore, following the reproduction and remix by Rock Mafia, Billy Ray Cyrus’ hit song, “Ready, Set, Don’t Go” peaked at number 2 on the country charts.

Perhaps the biggest surprise of them all was Rock Mafia’s debut release as an artist, “The Big Bang.”  The hit song sold over 500,000 in digital downloads independently, gained over 100 million streams as well as over 15 million views of their video on YouTube.

The team is currently hard at work on a Mixtape, rumored to be released sometime this summer, as well as putting the final touches on a groundbreaking animated video for their follow up single, “Fly or Die.” 2012 is shaping up to be better than ever for Rock Mafia.

The double platinum smash, “Love You Like a Love Song” by Selena Gomez, continues to enjoy worldwide success. In addition, their first European smash, “Friends” by Aura Dione featuring Rock Mafia, is currently the  #1 most played song on German radio and has gone top 5 in multiple countries.

“We feel that once every artist hears what MAXD can do for their music, they will want to utilize this incredible technology,” said Rock Mafia Co-Founder Tim James.

“TJ and Antonina are so full of passion for music and constantly speak of the culture, lifestyle, and making music to connect with millions of people.  Clearly, they’re less interested in finding formulas than they are making history. In this ‘strategic partnership’ Rock Mafia will use the Max Sound Technology for all their future projects.

Tim and Antonina were so impressed with MAXD Technology that the duo decided to join the company’s Advisory Board and become ’Brand Ambassadors’ for MAXD. Our Advisory board is proving to be the tipping point for introducing MAXD into music’s vertical markets where compressed degraded audio currently exists and where MAXD provides an unparalleled solution,” said John Blaisure, CEO of Max Sound Corporation.

Rock Mafia’s Co-founders and Music Industry Super Producers Tim James and Antonina Armato are the most recent additions to Max Sound Advisory Board, which includes some of the most influential and respected names in the music/entertainment industry.

They include Legendary Musician Mick Fleetwoodof Fleetwood Mac, Iconic Producer and Engineer Mark Needham, Strategic Artist Manager Carl Stubner, PR Mavens Sugar Rautbord and Lane Davis, Grammy Winner Producer/Songwriter Bradley Spalter, Academy Award Winning Feature Film Sound Designer Frank Serafine, Entertainment Lawyer Frank Correa, Westwood Music Owner Fred Walecki and CBS Radio Executives Todd Cavanah and Erik Bradley

The article Rock Mafia Partners with Max Sound appeared first on The Toonari Post - News, Powered by the People!.

Phoenix, U.S.A. – This year, a special group of celebrity wish granters came together to craft a Public Service Announcement [http://youtube.com/MakeAWishIntl ] (PSA) to raise awareness about World Wish Day and the Make-A-Wish mission. Miley Cyrus and Justin Bieber, among other celebrities, have lent their voices to the World Wish Day campaign. In supporting this important cause, Miley Cyrus granted the wishes of 8 children from Australia, Canada, Spain and the US with a private meet and greet.

Make-A-Wish will celebrate the third annual World Wish Day on 29 April 2012 with thousands of people across 48 countries the Foundation serves around the globe. Other celebrities who participated in the special World Wish Day PSA [http://www.youtube.com/MakeAWishIntl] include Cake Boss’ Buddy Valastro, renowned international photographer Nigel Barker, WWE Superstar John Cena, actress Tiffani Thiessen, and comedian Jon Stewart.

Make-A-Wish grants the wishes of children with life-threatening medical conditions to enrich the human experience with hope, strength and joy. Make-A-Wish has granted over 290,000 wishes since 1980.

World Wish Day is organized by Make-A-Wish to commemorate the anniversary of the wish that inspired the creation of what is now the world’s leading wish-granting organization. Seven-year-old Chris Greicius’ wish to be a police officer was granted in Phoenix, Arizona by volunteers on 29 April 1980.

To celebrate Chris’ wish and the work of the Foundation, Make-A-Wish affiliates, chapters and supporters from all over the world will be joining in the celebration through wish-granting events in their communities and online at worldwishday.org.

Several Make-A-Wish International sponsors [http://worldwishday.org/en/supporters.php] are helping us celebrate World Wish Day this year, including Mattel, Disney Stores Worldwide, CNN International. Hard Rock International and Ringo Starr’s Lotus Foundation, Brooks Brothers, TIME EMEA, Asia and South Pacific and FORTUNE Europe, Asia and South Pacific Magazines, NYSE Euronext, The Atlantic and Arnold Worldwide.

Mattel has been a World Wish Day supporter since 2011 and continues to be one of our strongest corporate supporters for the 2012 campaign through a generous cash donation and social media campaign. The world’s largest toy manufacturer also makes a difference in the global Make-A-Wish community throughout the year via product donations, helping to grant wishes and the work of employee volunteers through its charitable arm, the Mattel Children’s Foundation.

Jim Fielding, Board Chair, Make-A-Wish International and President, Disney Stores Worldwide, explains: “Everyone has the opportunity to Join the WorldSM in celebrating wishes around the globe this World Wish Day. A wish improves the life of the wish child and everyone touched by that wish. World Wish Day allows people from all over the world to come together to help make more wishes come true. This year, we ask individuals across the globe to Join the WorldSM by taking part in World Wish Day in their communities and by visiting worldwishday.org“.

Other World Wish Day highlights include:

• WWE Superstar John Cena, granted wishes to children across Europe throughout April, including wish children Aaron (7) from Ireland, and Mark (7) & Alex (7) from the United Kingdom
• Cake Boss’ Buddy Valastro will grant the wishes of 11 children, including Roberto (16) and Alice (13) of Italy, and Fabio (15) of Portugal in New Jersey on 23 April
• India: granting 110 wishes across India, including Aniket’s (10) wish to be a police officer
• Panama: granting 16 wishes throughout Panama, including Adonis’ (6) wish to have his very own Power WheelsTM toy; A World Wish Day party for 50 wish families will be held at Cinemark, Multicentro where toys donated by Mattel Centroamérica will
  bring even more joy to the celebration
• Spain: On 24 April, singer Miguel Draco Tena will perform songs from his first album, El éxito definitivo at a live show at Hard Rock Café Madrid benefiting Make-A-Wish Spain
• Singapore: 28 restaurants will donate 50% of proceeds from their selected Wish Dish during the month of April; Samuel (4) had his wish to have an elephant themed party granted

Join the World and show your support of World Wish Day by making a donation at worldwishday.org, sharing the celebrity PSA [http://youtube.com/MakeAWishIntl], or by spreading the word on Facebook and Twitter.

Image Courtesy of   Dooley Productions / Shutterstock.com

The article Miley Cyrus & Justin Bieber Join World Wish Day Campaign appeared first on The Toonari Post - News, Powered by the People!.

While Miley Cyrus responds to critics about her dramatic weight loss as of recently, she is speaking out to critics that she doesn’t have an eating disorder, she has an allergy to gluten. While Miley has publicly announced to the press that “everyone should try a gluten-free lifestyle,” experts are disagreeing.

Nutrition experts are saying that the diet is “only strongly recommended for people who are diagnosed with celiac disease, a condition whose sufferers have an immune response to gluten in the small intestine. Over time, potentially, it can result in permanent intestinal damage and malnutrition.”

According to L.A. Times reporter Jeannine Stein, “opting for a gluten-free diet isn’t necessarily any healthier than a diet with gluten, and products are sometimes costly. If gluten intolerance is not truly an issue, there may be no advantages to cutting out wheat and other foods, because some substitute grains contain little fiber,” she reported.

So, should people that don’t have an allergy to gluten cut it out from their diet? And what is it like for someone that suffers from a gluten-allergy? In order to get the facts, I interviewed Paul Madison, a 44-year-old man who has suffered from gluten allergies for the past three years.

Toonari Post: When did you go gluten-free?

Paul Madison: Three years ago I had my gallbladder removed and immediately after that I noticed that I was having trouble digesting foods that I had eaten my entire life. Once the pain became intolerable, I started researching on the internet about my symptoms and that’s when I came across WebMD.com. The site described every symptom I was having and directed me to a gluten website. I then modified my diet based on what my doctor and the website told me to do and started to feel like myself again.

TP: What does your daily diet usually consist of?

PM: Well, before I used to eat breakfast but now I can’t eat the breakfast foods that I love, like cereal, oatmeal, toast. Every once in a while I will have eggs now though. I eat a lot of salads and vegetables now and for my lunch and dinner I now eat a lot of meats, like steak, chicken and fish.

Another problem I have, and a lot of people I have noticed have this problem with gluten allergies, is that just when they think they have cut out all the foods they need to, there are still other items out there that have traces in gluten in them like chicken broth, seasonings, gravies, salad dressings and even cheeses and lunch meats.

TP: What are some of the foods you love but can’t have?

PM: I can’t eat the good quality bread that I love that I grew up with like brands like Schwebel’s and Pepperidge Farm, that’s all in the past. I often eat a gluten-free type of bread called Udi’s, but it doesn’t taste nearly as good. White rice is another one of the foods I really miss, and especially processed foods at the grocery store. I basically have to avoid anything processed, like pizza, in the frozen food section because many of the foods in that aisle don’t have gluten-free products.

TP: What would happen to you if you ate something with gluten in it?

PM: Within minutes of eating something that has gluten in it, I get extremely nauseous. I suffer from stomach cramping and burning and bloating. I’ve also had complications with acid reflux and constipation or diarrhea.

TP: How are your eating habits modified compared to that of your family?

PM: I usually have something cooked differently at dinner time that doesn’t have gluten in it, and I keep a lot of my own food in plastic containers. If my family eats pasta then a different type of pasta that is gluten-free is cooked for me. When my children are traveling for sporting events I pack a cooler of things that are safe for me to eat. Also, it takes me a lot longer to grocery shop now because I have to read through the fine print of food labels. It is also a lot more expensive for me now, like for example, a small loaf of Udi’s gluten-free bread is almost six dollars.

TP: Do you think that living a gluten-free lifestyle like Miley Cyrus is a healthier diet compared to food regimens with gluten in them, or do you agree with nutrition experts that if you’re not gluten intolerant or have a gluten allergy then you should not be cutting out foods with gluten in them?

PM: I agree with the experts. I think if it’s not an issue for you and how you feel, if people have a problem with dealing with it, they have to cut it out. People that don’t, I don’t know why they would need to cut it out. I just want to feel better everyday.

TP: How is one diagnosed with a gluten allergy?

PM: They would first have to go get a blood test but they would have to have gluten in their system for the results to be accurate. I went on a three-week gluten-free diet before being tested and my results still fell borderline between gluten intolerance and gluten allergy. But the main test that you should have done is a biopsy of your lower intestine where they will take a little piece out and have it checked out.

TP: Is there any advice you would give to anyone that is gluten-intolerant or has a gluten allergy?

PM: Do a lot of research on diet. Doctors and dieticians can help you, or a health foods store. There are also supplements that you can take to help with gluten allergies. Fortunately though, restaurants and grocery stores at an alarmingly fast rate have started posting labels of gluten-free products. When I was diagnosed with this three years ago, that was something I never saw, anywhere.

The article Is Gluten-Free the Way to be? Taking a Deeper Look appeared first on The Toonari Post - News, Powered by the People!.

Surrounded by medical heavyweights, Muhammad Ali continued the fight by honoring 50 top surgeons and physicians at Barrow Neurological Institute in Phoenix, Arizona. Barrow at St. Joseph’s Hospital and Medical Center is home of the Muhammad Ali Parkinson Center.

With approximately 60,000 new cases diagnosed each year, there are currently 1 million Americans with Parkinson’s disease.  As of yet, there is no cure. Ali, who is a three-time Heavy Weight Boxing Champion and the most famous athlete in history, attended the ceremony.  He was diagnosed with the disease in 1984.

Ali and his wife, Lonnie, invited Barrow doctors to the special awards event to help commemorate the Institute’s 50th anniversary.  Ali is also celebrating his 70th birthday this year.

“Muhammad and I want to share in the celebration of Barrow’s anniversary by honoring the outstanding group of neurologists and neurosurgeons at St. Joseph’s,” said Lonnie Ali. “Together we are working to bring direct access to the same standard of medical care that Muhammad and I enjoy, to all those who suffer with Parkinson’s disease and other brain disorders.”

The Muhammad Ali Parkinson Center opened at the hospital in 1997. It has grown into the most comprehensive Parkinson’s treatment center in the nation.  The center’s doctors were among the 50 from Barrow who were honored.

The center is largely funded by the generous donations of Celebrity Fight Night which has donated almost $20 million to the hospital since the star-studded event started 18 years ago. Ali is always the honored guest of the evening.  This year’s Celebrity Fight Night is March 24 and will feature such headliners as Rascal Flatts, Reba McEntire, Miley Cyrus and Lionel Richie.

“Muhammad and everyone associated with Fight Night wanted to salute the extraordinary medical community who are helping to lead the fight against Parkinson’s and other neurological conditions,” said Jimmy Walker, the founder of Celebrity Fight Night. “You are the real stars and the heavyweights of the medical community,” Walker told the Barrow physicians as he, Muhammad and Lonnie handed individual trophies to the 50 physicians.

St. Joseph’s Barrow is ranked among the top 10 hospitals in the nation for neurological disorders and attracts patients from around the world.  The Institute performs more brain surgeries than any hospital in the United States.  ”Muhammad Ali is a remarkable inspiration to our entire medical community every day,” said Barrow Director Dr. Robert Spetzler. “Over the next 50 years, the progress in the fight against Parkinson’s will see dramatic advances and the physicians at Barrow will continue to play a major role in this battle.”

Barrow Neurological Institute at St. Joseph’s Hospital and Medical Center in Phoenix, Arizona, is internationally recognized as a leader in neurological research and patient care.

Established in 1962 Barrow treats patients with a wide range of neurological conditions, including brain and spinal tumors, cerebrovascular conditions, and neuromuscular disorders. The Barrow Neurological Institute is consistently rated among the Top 10 best hospitals in the United States for neurology and neurosurgery by U.S. News and World Report.

Image Courtesy of  Featureflash / Shutterstock.com

The article Muhammed Ali Fights Parkison’s Disease appeared first on The Toonari Post - News, Powered by the People!.